If you feel comfortable, you're not learning. Comfort is not to be confused with "natural". Comfortable is that awkward, hyper-self aware feeling you get when you're doing something for the first time...you do remember your first time :)?
Learning leads to growth. Growth leads to advancement and evolution. The only way to really learn and grow is to get outside your comfort zone, try and fail.
Failure leads to success. The more failures you have, the greater your successes will be. Most people quit well before they start to see real success. That is why they are most people. Most people think that being uncomfortable and failing is a result of their ineptitude. They think poor performance is due to their lack of natural talent.
Lack of skill is not lack of talent. Skill is modified behavior. This takes time. The more simple the movement or the concept, the easier it is to modify your behavior. The more complicated and convoluted the longer the behavior takes to master. Pretty straight forward concept.
Learning and growing is the key. It leads to self discovery, self improvement and enriches the lives of the people around you. It keeps you young by reminding you of a time when you didn't know all the answers.
When you stay in your comfort zone your world gets smaller and smaller and gradually shrinks. This is what happens to most people. They hit a point where they work, they live, they basically just exist. Then they reach their 40's and 50's and lose their minds. They become depressed, question their purpose in life and wonder is this as good as it's going to get? They blame their jobs, their spouses and their kids. The count all the missed opportunities and all that they sacrificed so that they could provide a life for their families. The wrap themselves up in self pity and point a finger at the outside world when in reality, they only have themselves to blame.
At the end of the day YOU are the problem. YOU make the choices because YOU decided to play it safe. It's YOUR FAULT. Not your spouse, not your kids, not your job. Regular people make excuses, exceptional people take action. Taking action requires you to step outside your comfort zone. It could be small at first, making a suggestion at work, taking a pottery class- whatever it is, start small and take bigger steps.
Teaching people to protect themselves is not just about learning to kick ass. In fact, that's the easy part. It's a tool to enable people to have more confidence, more self reliance and more self worth. It helps people overcome their fear of the unknown. It's a major step in the right direction.
Today is the day. Do something you would normally say NO to. Do something a little impulsive. STOP sitting on your ass, get out of your comfort zone and SEIZE THE DAY BY THE CAJONES!!!!
Yep, it's Sunday Morning and I'm already full of piss and vinegar.
Damian Ross
The Most Lethal Self Defense Program in the World
The Self Defense Company
The Self Defense Training System
Martial Arts
Self Defense
Showing posts with label Martial Arts Training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Martial Arts Training. Show all posts
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Monday, November 3, 2008
Promotions at The Self Defense Training Center in Pompton Lakes, NJ
This past Saturday saw outstanding performances at The Center in Pompton Lakes.
Special thanks to Sensei Jones and Sempai Becher for helping out as usual.
In the kids promotion tournament, everyone showed great spirit and technique. In the adults, Heath was our only candidate and passed with flying colors.
Promotions and certificates will be handed out this Thursday before class begins.
Below are the most recent promotions:
Spencer Lander Nanakyu
Gabriella Gronda Nanakyu
Breann Stackhouse Nankyu
Jana Pozarycki Nanakyu
Nick Gronda Shichikyu
Olivia Ross Shichikyu
Chad Pozarycki Hachikyu
Jay Bode Hachikyu
Jonathan Ribarro Hachikyu
Jacob Codilla Yonkyu
There is a $20.00 promtion fee (includes belt and certificate)
Next Junior Promotion Tournament
Saturday March 14th, 11:00am
Heath James SDTS Level 3/Hachikyu Judo
Next Adult Promotion Saturday Decemeber 20th 12:00pm
Congratulations to Jeff Lenc who competed in the APA invitational judo tournament and walked away wth a second winning 2 out of 3 matches. Jeff was a little rusty in his first match, but shook it off to come in second. Congratualtions Jeff.
Special thanks to Sensei Jones and Sempai Becher for helping out as usual.
In the kids promotion tournament, everyone showed great spirit and technique. In the adults, Heath was our only candidate and passed with flying colors.
Promotions and certificates will be handed out this Thursday before class begins.
Below are the most recent promotions:
Spencer Lander Nanakyu
Gabriella Gronda Nanakyu
Breann Stackhouse Nankyu
Jana Pozarycki Nanakyu
Nick Gronda Shichikyu
Olivia Ross Shichikyu
Chad Pozarycki Hachikyu
Jay Bode Hachikyu
Jonathan Ribarro Hachikyu
Jacob Codilla Yonkyu
There is a $20.00 promtion fee (includes belt and certificate)
Next Junior Promotion Tournament
Saturday March 14th, 11:00am
Heath James SDTS Level 3/Hachikyu Judo
Next Adult Promotion Saturday Decemeber 20th 12:00pm
Congratulations to Jeff Lenc who competed in the APA invitational judo tournament and walked away wth a second winning 2 out of 3 matches. Jeff was a little rusty in his first match, but shook it off to come in second. Congratualtions Jeff.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
My KUNG-FU is Better Than Your KUNG-FU: Which Martial Arts Style is The BEST Martial Arts Style
By Damian Ross of The Self Defense Company
It first started long ago when some unkown combat aficionado first posed the question: “Which is BETTER, boxing or wrestling’ ?”
Since that time comparisons of combat skills and methods have become common place: Boxing vs. Wrestling, Grappling vs. Striking, Jujutsu vs. Boxing OR Wrestling, Karate vs. Judo, Karate vs. Boxing, Swahili Toe Fighting vs. Peruvian Nostril Boxing, ad infinitum. AD NAUSEUM!
The latest “Battle of BS” centers around: Reality Martial Arts versus (you can fill in the blank).
This is total nonsense! Actually the entire “debate” over what is BETTER than whatever is ridiculous and a complete waste of time, especially for those who consider time a precious commodity. However, arguing the merits of so-called reality self defense or “combatives” in regards to comparison fighting skills is absolutely BASELESS and denotes a true lack of understanding in what “combatives” is really all about(and maybe life in general as well).
Personally I don’t like the term COMBATIVES. But I also fully realize that it is the undeniable human nature to label things. Without labels who would we hate, who would we kill, how could we stereotype, what basis would there be for religious, ethnic or racial bigotry? So in order for the world to work as it does, labels are a foregone conclusion. When labels become a tool or device for divisiveness and enmity we really fall into a trap that should be avoided at all costs.
The root problem here is the very same fundamental problem that is the wellspring for most, if not all of mankind’s ills: The EGO. The absolute need for self-validation at all cost. Anyone who engenders all or most of their feelings of self-worth and validation from their training alone (or even in major part) needs to immediately cancel their registration at all forthcoming seminars on the latest evolution of NHB fighting from the mount or the latest innovations in submission “whatever” imported directly from the planet Venus (or perhaps more accurately Uranus) AND SEEK PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING! QUICKLY!
Let’s try this simple experiment: Go into your kitchen draw and find the BEST steak knife with the sharpest, keenest edge. Now place it on the counter or breakfast table. Next, find the best fork with the sharpest pointiest tines and lay that right next to the steak knife.
Step back and let the fun begin! We’ll settle this once and for all time the universal query of which is better: The sharp steak knife or the pointy fork!
After a few minutes, seems nothing is really happening here does it? Well, that’s the exact problem with debating “technique”, or “system”, or “method” or “style”. It’s all an exercise in futility without the all important factor of the persons involved. It is NOT the “TECHNIQUE” IT’S THE MAN (or woman-PC ALERT)! Until human hands pick up the knife and the fork nothing will ever happen! The method doesn’t work for the man. THE MAN who MAKES the METHOD WORK!
It’s NEVER the merits of “just” Boxing vs. Wrestling or Muay Thai vs. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It is the individual merits of the men involved and those merits are rarely if ever “equal”. Since we are all human and not machines, those “merits” actually fluctuate on an almost daily basis! Even for those possessed of seemingly superhuman qualities, Father Time, Uncle Murphy and Mr. Reaper will sooner or later destroy all that.
Further still, this mindless need to debate only applies in terms of SPORTING COMPETITIONS! Sporting competitions by their nature are structured events. They are planned for, they are trained for. They encompass well defined rules and regulations.
So good natured speculation on the merits of one participant or team pitted against another certainly has some substance, even extending to the competitive merits of one combat sport against another there is some basis in logic. But extending these diatribes into the realm of real world violence and individual survival is POINTLESS! NHB means “No holds Barred”. The real world really is NHB.
To truly evaluate a method of street fighting and survival, you must define parameters on which will set up a good system. This is because most “styles” have had recorded success in the real world. The most common “knock out punch” in the street is an over hand right. This technique is included in every system form boxing to Muay Thai. So it can’t be technique alone. For a reality based self defense system to be effective it must have proven techniques. Be usable in the least amount of time possible. Be able to be used effectively by anyone regardless of age, size, man or woman. And can be trained with a minimum amount of equipment. To date there is only one method that is simple, effective and able to allow ANYONE to protect themselves in the shortest amount of time possible. The is the purpose of the self defense training system (http://www.theselfdefenseco.com).
It first started long ago when some unkown combat aficionado first posed the question: “Which is BETTER, boxing or wrestling’ ?”
Since that time comparisons of combat skills and methods have become common place: Boxing vs. Wrestling, Grappling vs. Striking, Jujutsu vs. Boxing OR Wrestling, Karate vs. Judo, Karate vs. Boxing, Swahili Toe Fighting vs. Peruvian Nostril Boxing, ad infinitum. AD NAUSEUM!
The latest “Battle of BS” centers around: Reality Martial Arts versus (you can fill in the blank).
This is total nonsense! Actually the entire “debate” over what is BETTER than whatever is ridiculous and a complete waste of time, especially for those who consider time a precious commodity. However, arguing the merits of so-called reality self defense or “combatives” in regards to comparison fighting skills is absolutely BASELESS and denotes a true lack of understanding in what “combatives” is really all about(and maybe life in general as well).
Personally I don’t like the term COMBATIVES. But I also fully realize that it is the undeniable human nature to label things. Without labels who would we hate, who would we kill, how could we stereotype, what basis would there be for religious, ethnic or racial bigotry? So in order for the world to work as it does, labels are a foregone conclusion. When labels become a tool or device for divisiveness and enmity we really fall into a trap that should be avoided at all costs.
The root problem here is the very same fundamental problem that is the wellspring for most, if not all of mankind’s ills: The EGO. The absolute need for self-validation at all cost. Anyone who engenders all or most of their feelings of self-worth and validation from their training alone (or even in major part) needs to immediately cancel their registration at all forthcoming seminars on the latest evolution of NHB fighting from the mount or the latest innovations in submission “whatever” imported directly from the planet Venus (or perhaps more accurately Uranus) AND SEEK PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING! QUICKLY!
Let’s try this simple experiment: Go into your kitchen draw and find the BEST steak knife with the sharpest, keenest edge. Now place it on the counter or breakfast table. Next, find the best fork with the sharpest pointiest tines and lay that right next to the steak knife.
Step back and let the fun begin! We’ll settle this once and for all time the universal query of which is better: The sharp steak knife or the pointy fork!
After a few minutes, seems nothing is really happening here does it? Well, that’s the exact problem with debating “technique”, or “system”, or “method” or “style”. It’s all an exercise in futility without the all important factor of the persons involved. It is NOT the “TECHNIQUE” IT’S THE MAN (or woman-PC ALERT)! Until human hands pick up the knife and the fork nothing will ever happen! The method doesn’t work for the man. THE MAN who MAKES the METHOD WORK!
It’s NEVER the merits of “just” Boxing vs. Wrestling or Muay Thai vs. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It is the individual merits of the men involved and those merits are rarely if ever “equal”. Since we are all human and not machines, those “merits” actually fluctuate on an almost daily basis! Even for those possessed of seemingly superhuman qualities, Father Time, Uncle Murphy and Mr. Reaper will sooner or later destroy all that.
Further still, this mindless need to debate only applies in terms of SPORTING COMPETITIONS! Sporting competitions by their nature are structured events. They are planned for, they are trained for. They encompass well defined rules and regulations.
So good natured speculation on the merits of one participant or team pitted against another certainly has some substance, even extending to the competitive merits of one combat sport against another there is some basis in logic. But extending these diatribes into the realm of real world violence and individual survival is POINTLESS! NHB means “No holds Barred”. The real world really is NHB.
To truly evaluate a method of street fighting and survival, you must define parameters on which will set up a good system. This is because most “styles” have had recorded success in the real world. The most common “knock out punch” in the street is an over hand right. This technique is included in every system form boxing to Muay Thai. So it can’t be technique alone. For a reality based self defense system to be effective it must have proven techniques. Be usable in the least amount of time possible. Be able to be used effectively by anyone regardless of age, size, man or woman. And can be trained with a minimum amount of equipment. To date there is only one method that is simple, effective and able to allow ANYONE to protect themselves in the shortest amount of time possible. The is the purpose of the self defense training system (http://www.theselfdefenseco.com).
Self Defense Training Videos
Martial Arts Instruction
Self Defense Instruction
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Does Self Defense Need to be Complicated?
By Damian Ross and William Pehush of The Self Defense Company
Our society has turned into a culture where everyone wants everything right away, and yesterday isn't soon enough. But we all know good things take time, but do essential skills like real self defense training need the same time to master like martial arts training?
Real martial arts training can't be rushed, and despite what instructors who work for black belt mills and McDojos say, it takes years to understand a martial art. It can take up to five years for a student to earn their first degree black belt from a legitimate martial arts school. This is a worthy endeavor, but you might want to wait to learn only the essential self defense methods to prepare you for a street fight. Thieves, rapists, and murders aren't going to wait around until you’re ready to fight back. While martial arts training can take years learning the fundamentals of self defense doesn’t take very long at all while still allowing you to have time to train in whatever style you enjoy.
One of the dirty little secrets of the martial arts industry is that most people who learn martial arts aren't learning self defense. How can this be true you ask? After all most schools list self defense as one the many benefits to learning whatever styles is being advertised. Well, you're being lied too or at the very least being misled. Most people who take martial arts like Karate, Tae Kwon Do, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu are actually just learning a combat sport. Now sure some of then started of as styles meant for close combat and may have been used by soldiers, but many of them have been made safe for competitions and have lost their lethal edge. Now these sports are a lot of fun and are great for combat conditioning, but they don't replace basic self defense training.
A street fight is a raw primal battle where fighters act more like savage animals than rational and polite men and women. The first thing you have to do is throw sportsmanship out the window and learn how to bite, head butt, and eye gouge an opponent in a fight, and rest assured you don't have time for any complex techniques. There is even a right way and a wrong way to punch someone, and most people have no idea that the edge of hand does even more damage. When you're reacting to the stress of battle you won't be thinking straight so you need to use simple self defense techniques to survive.
Most martial arts styles are to complex to use in an actual fight so even trained martial arts instructors will often go back to the basics in a real fight. Breaking bricks and wooden boards is impressive, but do you think you will be able to concentrate enough to harness that power when you’re ambushed in a parking lot? Do your techniques only work if you’re in a gi or protective clothing, because chances are your attack won’t be wearing a uniform. Also do you have all the knowledge you need right now? You can’t tell an attacker that you haven’t learned how to stop a knife attack or how properly throw a kick yet. For a martial arts style to be effective in real combat it needs to work outside of the martial arts school.
You shouldn't stop training in your favorite martial arts style, but you do need to start learning self defense techniques that will work in the worst conditions. A fight is all about hurting someone badly enough so they won’t hurt you, and you have to make your move fast. Your black belt might be years away, but that doesn't mean you can't learn what you need to survive right away. Real self defense training is about making the most out of your basic actions, and maximizing damage, and it should be simple enough for anyone to do.
Our society has turned into a culture where everyone wants everything right away, and yesterday isn't soon enough. But we all know good things take time, but do essential skills like real self defense training need the same time to master like martial arts training?
Real martial arts training can't be rushed, and despite what instructors who work for black belt mills and McDojos say, it takes years to understand a martial art. It can take up to five years for a student to earn their first degree black belt from a legitimate martial arts school. This is a worthy endeavor, but you might want to wait to learn only the essential self defense methods to prepare you for a street fight. Thieves, rapists, and murders aren't going to wait around until you’re ready to fight back. While martial arts training can take years learning the fundamentals of self defense doesn’t take very long at all while still allowing you to have time to train in whatever style you enjoy.
One of the dirty little secrets of the martial arts industry is that most people who learn martial arts aren't learning self defense. How can this be true you ask? After all most schools list self defense as one the many benefits to learning whatever styles is being advertised. Well, you're being lied too or at the very least being misled. Most people who take martial arts like Karate, Tae Kwon Do, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu are actually just learning a combat sport. Now sure some of then started of as styles meant for close combat and may have been used by soldiers, but many of them have been made safe for competitions and have lost their lethal edge. Now these sports are a lot of fun and are great for combat conditioning, but they don't replace basic self defense training.
A street fight is a raw primal battle where fighters act more like savage animals than rational and polite men and women. The first thing you have to do is throw sportsmanship out the window and learn how to bite, head butt, and eye gouge an opponent in a fight, and rest assured you don't have time for any complex techniques. There is even a right way and a wrong way to punch someone, and most people have no idea that the edge of hand does even more damage. When you're reacting to the stress of battle you won't be thinking straight so you need to use simple self defense techniques to survive.
Most martial arts styles are to complex to use in an actual fight so even trained martial arts instructors will often go back to the basics in a real fight. Breaking bricks and wooden boards is impressive, but do you think you will be able to concentrate enough to harness that power when you’re ambushed in a parking lot? Do your techniques only work if you’re in a gi or protective clothing, because chances are your attack won’t be wearing a uniform. Also do you have all the knowledge you need right now? You can’t tell an attacker that you haven’t learned how to stop a knife attack or how properly throw a kick yet. For a martial arts style to be effective in real combat it needs to work outside of the martial arts school.
You shouldn't stop training in your favorite martial arts style, but you do need to start learning self defense techniques that will work in the worst conditions. A fight is all about hurting someone badly enough so they won’t hurt you, and you have to make your move fast. Your black belt might be years away, but that doesn't mean you can't learn what you need to survive right away. Real self defense training is about making the most out of your basic actions, and maximizing damage, and it should be simple enough for anyone to do.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Why You Should Always Trust a Wrestler
(or at least give him the benefit of the doubt)
Yesterday I went to the annual wrestling awards banquet at my alma mater, Ridgewood High School. Every year my family has the distinction of honoring a Ridgewood wrestler with the Philip A Ross, Jr. award. The award is in honor of my father was President of the Ridgewood Junior Wrestling Program for 25 years. The recipient of this award doesn’t have to be the best wrestler. He just has to meet two criteria: has come through the junior wrestling program and demonstrate the characters that make a good wrestler: positive attitude, good work ethic and the ability to move forward in the face of adversity. It should be to no surprise that the same qualities that make good wrestlers make good people.
Wrestling is a thankless sport. As far as high school sports go, it is by far the most difficult and the most demanding. It invades all aspects of your being, affects your family and your friends. You are taught to sacrifice and endure training of Spartan proportions. And for what? There is no big contract or signing bonus for your success. If you are talented and lucky enough you may be one of the less than 1% to receive a scholarship to college.
Training for wrestling is more like Special Forces survival training than anything else. To prepare for the rigors of a mere 6 minute match takes thousands of hours of practice, running, lifting weights, climbing ropes, buddy runs (with your partner on your back), sprint laps, calisthenics and anything else that will increase your performance.
On top of that, you have to make weight. To every wrestler, a scale is not just a scale. It’s the judge. It is the gateway to your success. If you don’t make weight all of your hard work and sacrifice are for nothing. During match day you will heck your weight 3 or 4 times. You’ll eat standing on the scale. You will chomp ice cubes, rinse and spit at the water fountain and track every ounce and calorie that goes into your mouth.
Your family and friends are well aware of this because you are not in a good mood. You sit and watch as food gets needlessly wasted and thrown out. You are shocked at the amount of food commercials you see on TV. You can’t believe that people actually can go out, go to McDonald’s and order whatever they wish! You can’t be talked to or reasoned with (at least until after weigh in).
The training, the weight control, the intensity and for a chance to test yourself against another who has endured the same amount of pain or sacrifice. When you train, you picture him training- it drives you to do one more rep, one more round and one more time.
Why would some one in their right mind endure such a god-awful, Spartan lifestyle in a sport that will only leave them broken-hearted? That’s right, broken hearted. Chances are your career will either end with a loss or an injury: either way, it’s not on your terms. At the end of the season there is only one man standing at each weight class. All of the rest have been sent packing.
So again it begs the question, why on earth do you do this? First of all, there is no sweeter feeling than having your hand raised. I’ve scored touchdowns in big football games and I’ve won big wrestling matches, and I’ll take the feeling you get after a big win in wrestling any time.
The answer is simple. The more sacrifice, the greater the reward. The harder you work and prepare, the more meaning the outcome. There’s s nothing more definitive and complete that beating another man on the mat.
Wrestling is life. Life is hard; to be successful requires time, sacrifice, compassion and love. Wrestling prepares you for this. You love of wrestling and meeting the challenge drives you. Your compassion for your team mates inspires you. It teaches you that things are sweeter when they are worked for (nothing is better than that that first meal after a weigh-in).
It teaches you to be self reliant. Alone on the mat, there’s no one to depend on but you.
It teaches you accountability, there’s no one responsible for your actions except you.
It teaches you to work with others; you need to practice with a partner and a team.
It shows you how to make the best of your abilities: your speed, your agility, your brains and your guts.
It teaches you that even your own life will not end on your own terms.
This is why I meet someone who’s spent some time on the mat I know them, or at least a part of them. Immediately, I give them the benefit of the doubt. Because any high school kid who is willing to sacrifice so much for what would be perceived as so little will be there when they’re up against it. This is the guy I want in my foxhole.
In a world where it’s cut and run and shaft your buddy, I’ll put my money on the guy who takes the road less traveled.
Yesterday I went to the annual wrestling awards banquet at my alma mater, Ridgewood High School. Every year my family has the distinction of honoring a Ridgewood wrestler with the Philip A Ross, Jr. award. The award is in honor of my father was President of the Ridgewood Junior Wrestling Program for 25 years. The recipient of this award doesn’t have to be the best wrestler. He just has to meet two criteria: has come through the junior wrestling program and demonstrate the characters that make a good wrestler: positive attitude, good work ethic and the ability to move forward in the face of adversity. It should be to no surprise that the same qualities that make good wrestlers make good people.
Wrestling is a thankless sport. As far as high school sports go, it is by far the most difficult and the most demanding. It invades all aspects of your being, affects your family and your friends. You are taught to sacrifice and endure training of Spartan proportions. And for what? There is no big contract or signing bonus for your success. If you are talented and lucky enough you may be one of the less than 1% to receive a scholarship to college.
Training for wrestling is more like Special Forces survival training than anything else. To prepare for the rigors of a mere 6 minute match takes thousands of hours of practice, running, lifting weights, climbing ropes, buddy runs (with your partner on your back), sprint laps, calisthenics and anything else that will increase your performance.
On top of that, you have to make weight. To every wrestler, a scale is not just a scale. It’s the judge. It is the gateway to your success. If you don’t make weight all of your hard work and sacrifice are for nothing. During match day you will heck your weight 3 or 4 times. You’ll eat standing on the scale. You will chomp ice cubes, rinse and spit at the water fountain and track every ounce and calorie that goes into your mouth.
Your family and friends are well aware of this because you are not in a good mood. You sit and watch as food gets needlessly wasted and thrown out. You are shocked at the amount of food commercials you see on TV. You can’t believe that people actually can go out, go to McDonald’s and order whatever they wish! You can’t be talked to or reasoned with (at least until after weigh in).
The training, the weight control, the intensity and for a chance to test yourself against another who has endured the same amount of pain or sacrifice. When you train, you picture him training- it drives you to do one more rep, one more round and one more time.
Why would some one in their right mind endure such a god-awful, Spartan lifestyle in a sport that will only leave them broken-hearted? That’s right, broken hearted. Chances are your career will either end with a loss or an injury: either way, it’s not on your terms. At the end of the season there is only one man standing at each weight class. All of the rest have been sent packing.
So again it begs the question, why on earth do you do this? First of all, there is no sweeter feeling than having your hand raised. I’ve scored touchdowns in big football games and I’ve won big wrestling matches, and I’ll take the feeling you get after a big win in wrestling any time.
The answer is simple. The more sacrifice, the greater the reward. The harder you work and prepare, the more meaning the outcome. There’s s nothing more definitive and complete that beating another man on the mat.
Wrestling is life. Life is hard; to be successful requires time, sacrifice, compassion and love. Wrestling prepares you for this. You love of wrestling and meeting the challenge drives you. Your compassion for your team mates inspires you. It teaches you that things are sweeter when they are worked for (nothing is better than that that first meal after a weigh-in).
It teaches you to be self reliant. Alone on the mat, there’s no one to depend on but you.
It teaches you accountability, there’s no one responsible for your actions except you.
It teaches you to work with others; you need to practice with a partner and a team.
It shows you how to make the best of your abilities: your speed, your agility, your brains and your guts.
It teaches you that even your own life will not end on your own terms.
This is why I meet someone who’s spent some time on the mat I know them, or at least a part of them. Immediately, I give them the benefit of the doubt. Because any high school kid who is willing to sacrifice so much for what would be perceived as so little will be there when they’re up against it. This is the guy I want in my foxhole.
In a world where it’s cut and run and shaft your buddy, I’ll put my money on the guy who takes the road less traveled.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
The Acronym that Saved My Life
Frequently, I get asked about certifications, systems or methods. The only way we will do this is to actually spend time with you on the mat. The Black Belt by mail is really hokey at best, but I won’t stand in someone’s way who believes in what we teach but lives far away from a training facility.
Our purpose was to give you real training on the real stuff. Fake certifications by mail and cute acronyms lead to a false sense of security. There’s a fine line between sense of accomplishment and real security.
Personally, no matter how many black belts and certifications I have, I can always find people 10 feet outside my dojo that could care less. What matters is what happens when the rubber meets the road.
I may be beating a dead horse….. but its about the TRAINING. Training and practice is what counts. Now ITS NOT YOUR FAULT that you search for this stuff. You have been conditioned with certifications, acronyms black belt clubs and all that. The only thing that’s good for is padding your resume. We “ain’t” about that. If you want something to hang on your wall- buy a mirror and take a long hard look in it. If you like what you see and you are true to your training – that’s what matters.
We have been thinking of “naming” the system. Carl thought of this, I didn’t. It’s going to be called:
Fierce Unarmed Combat Karate Instinctive Training.
Our purpose was to give you real training on the real stuff. Fake certifications by mail and cute acronyms lead to a false sense of security. There’s a fine line between sense of accomplishment and real security.
Personally, no matter how many black belts and certifications I have, I can always find people 10 feet outside my dojo that could care less. What matters is what happens when the rubber meets the road.
I may be beating a dead horse….. but its about the TRAINING. Training and practice is what counts. Now ITS NOT YOUR FAULT that you search for this stuff. You have been conditioned with certifications, acronyms black belt clubs and all that. The only thing that’s good for is padding your resume. We “ain’t” about that. If you want something to hang on your wall- buy a mirror and take a long hard look in it. If you like what you see and you are true to your training – that’s what matters.
We have been thinking of “naming” the system. Carl thought of this, I didn’t. It’s going to be called:
Fierce Unarmed Combat Karate Instinctive Training.
Martial Arts
Martial Arts Training
Martial Arts Videos
Alberta Canada Martial Arts
Renton Washington Martial Arts
Houston Texas Martial Arts
So You Think You Train Hard?
Exerts taken from “Tokio Hirano (1922-1993) 8th Dan The Man Who Revolutionized Judo” By Jim Chen, M.D . and Theodore Chen
Hirano 7th Dan At Age 42
Tokio Hirano (5’5”, 75 kg), obtained Godan (5th dan) at age 19, is perhaps the greatest Judo technician of all time. He is probably the best known Japanese Judoka in Europe. In 1952, Hirano went to teach Judo in Europe. Within six years, he had accumulated over 4,300 wins. In order to promote Judo, Hirano would fight all black belts in the city where he taught Judo. In November 1954, in Mannheim, Germany, Hirano scored all ippons (knock out) in 34 minutes against 54 black belt opponents (1-3 dan).Traditional nage-waza (throwing techniques) were taught in the following sequence: kumu (gripping), tsukuru (the entry and proper fitting of your body into position taken just before the movement required for completion of your throwing technique), kakeru (completing), and nageru (throwing).Hirano revolutionized the order to tsukuru, kumu, kakeru and nageru. This is the current European style Judo. This is a proven method to defeat bigger opponents, as demonstrated by Hirano's stunning success. Wilhelm Ruska (Holland) 192 cm, 115 kg, was his most accomplished student. Ruska was the world heavyweight champion in 1967 and 1971 and runner up in 1969 (open weight). Wilhelm was the dual gold medalist in heavy and open weight class at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Win Against European Wrestling Champion
Hirano throwing Artz
In the spring of 1955, Hirano went to teach in Amsterdam, Holland. He was challenged by Peter Artz (four time European free style wrestling heavy weight champion). Hirano agreed to both a Judo and wrestling fight. Each match was for ten minutes. The wrestling match would be decided by pinning the back for ten seconds. The Judo match would decided by a clean throw. At the start of the wrestling match, Hirano was able to throw Artz several times, but was unable to pin him due to perspiration (they fought without a Judo gi). About six minutes into the fight, Hirano made a Kiai (yell). He jumped and grabbed Artz’s head and threw him with a koshi-guruma (Head lock or Hip wheel throw), pinned him with kesa-gatame (Scarf Hold) for ten seconds; winning the wrestling match. In the Judo match, there was no contest. Within 30 seconds Hirano threw Artz cleanly with ippon seoinage (Shoulder throw).
Fourteen Wins At Kodokan - 1941
Hirano, age 19 During Judo's one hundred year history, the easiest way to get a rank promotion from Kodokan was to take part in the Ko-Haku Shiai (red-white team competition) which was held twice a year (Spring and Fall). By winning with 5 ippons one could receive a one dan promotion the same day. Hirano was born on August 6th, 1922 in Hyogo prefecture (near Kobe), Japan. Hirano obtained his first black belt by winning 22 ippons with osoto-gari. He graduated from Hei-an high school as 3rd dan, later he was recertified by Kodokan as 4th dan. He moved to Takushoku university in April 1941 under the recommendation of his Sensei Fukushima. During his seven months training at Takushoku University, he did nothing but newaza. Hardly did he have a chance to practice tachi-waza (throwing techniques).
Hirano Trains with Fukushima 9th dan
On October 19, 1941, Hirano participated in the Ko-haku shiai. That morning he received a bag of several persimmons, a gift from Wushijima Sensei. During the training session, Wushijima was so fierceful that everybody was afraid of him. On the other hand he was so kind and thoughtful, almost like a tender loving father. Hirano was very grateful for the teaching and kindness from Wushijima Sensei. He swore to do the best in the Ko-haku Shiai. Hirano defeated a Kodokan record 14 opponents. All of his opponents were 4th dan, and were defeated with ippon seoinage, juji gatame (arm lock), kamishiho-gatame (upper four corner pin), tai-otoshi (body drop), ouchi-gari (small inner leg reap), tsurikomi-goshi (lifting hip throw) or osoto-gari (Big outer leg reap). He fought to a draw with his 15th opponent. All Japan Collegiate Judo Championship 1941-42
On October 31, 1941 , Hirano participated in the All Japan Collegiate Judo Championship. In the fourth round he won by tsurikomi-goshi, fifth round by tai-otoshi; and sixth round by juji-gatame. His final opponent was Yasuichi Matsumoto (187 cm, 90 kg, All Japan Champion in 1948, famous for Tenri style osoto-gari) . Matsumoto attacked Hirano with osoto-gari. Hirano countered with osoto-gari and tai-otoshi. Neither scored a point when time was up. Hirano managed to throw Matsumoto immediately during the overtime with seoi-nage (both should throw) to obtain his first major title. All of the matches after the fourth round to final were decided by Ippon. Techniques used included osoto-gari, uchi-mata (inner thigh throw), tai-otoshi, seoi-nage, tsurikomi-goshi, hane-goshi (spring hip throw) and juji-gatame. It was an amazingly high quality competition. The following year, Hirano took the title again with five ippons. In the semi-finals, he had a tough fight against Okubo (182 cm,104 kg) 5th dan. Hirano managed to throw him with seoi-nage and scored a wazaari (half point). In the final match, Hirano defeated Tsunoda with osoto-gari. In 1943 Hirano met Okubo again at the Judo Championship 5th dan division, sponsored by The Department of Imperial Affairs. Like their previous match, no points were scored for the first seven minutes. During the overtime, Hirano eventually won by ippon with an ouchi-gari and seoinage combination.
Third National Athletic Judo Championship - 1947
Hirano took part in the individual championship held on November 2, 1947. Kimura , Ishikawa (champion in 1948, '49), Hirosei (champion in 1943) and Matsumoto decided not to compete in this meet and allow one of the rookies to win the major title. How gracious they were. Nevertheless, Yoshimatsu (champion in 1952, '53 and '55) and Daigo (champion in '51, '56) were among the contenders. In the third round Hirano won by seoi-nage. In the semi-finals he won by tai-otoshi. His final opponent was Hadori (170 cm, 95kg, famous for tsurikomi-goshi and kouchi-gari). Hadori defeated Daigo by ura-nage (back arch throw) at the semi-finals. Hadori proved to be a formidable fighter. Hadori attacked with tsurikomi-goshi, and seoi-nage while Hirano applied his osoto-gari and tai-otoshi with no result. With time running out, Hirano managed to score a wazaari with osoto-gari, thus winning the championship.
Jigoku Kego - Hell Training with Wushijima
In high school, Hirano practiced Judo six hours a day and would randori for two hours. Between 8:30pm and 11pm at Yoshikatakai Ziku, he would randori against 3-4 th dan opponents from Bushen (Academy of Martial Arts). Every night he slept around 1:00am.The following morning he awoke at 5:30am and repeated the routine again. He started with one hundred and fifty push-ups, then jogged and sprinted for 2km, and finished with 40 minutes of randori.Hard training paid off even though he was small and inexperienced as a 2nd dan. Every so often he was able to throw 3rd and 4th dan opponents from Bushen. When Hirano moved to Tokyo and trained under Wushijima Sensei (Wushijima 9th dan, two time All Japan champion) at Takushoku University, he finally realized what Jigoku Kego really was! It consisted of five minutes of warm-ups, 3-4 hours of continuous Ne Waza. This was "Hell Training!” It was considered disgraceful to surrender while being choked. As a result, a typical scene at Takushoku Dojo was 4-5 people passed out, unconscious from chokes. While Hirano was a student in Takushoku University, he went to the Metropolitan police dojo to practice. In 3 hours of continuous randori, he had accumulated approx 500 ippons on 60 black belts. Pre-WWII Judoka felt that a winning or losing was not a matter of talent but rather that of hard training. “Attack Till Your Heart Stop Beating” was Wushijima Sensei’s Motto Hirano obtained his first black belt by winning 22 ippons, at the high school team competition at the National athletic championship held on November 3, 1939. In the semifinals, Hirano and his opponent fell from the 2 meter high stage to the ground. Despite the doctor's orders to stop, Hirano refused to forfeit. The match was fought to a draw. In the final match Hirano faced a 4th dan opponent. Again the match ended with a draw, following the match, Hirano passed out. The doctor later determined that Hirano had a dislocated left shoulder and two broken ribs. Hirano possessed this fighting spirit even before Wushijima’s hell training.Judo was not a sport to those pre WWII Judoka. It was more of a Samurai duel. In order to win the shiai, vigorous training was absolutely necessary. Five hundred push ups, randori 6 hours, plus tachi-ki-wuchikomi (repetition against a tree) was a common training regiment for success. Training was so intense enough that Hirano once dreamt of collapsing the tallest building with his osoto-gari.
So the next time you think you had a hard work out, think of Hirano
Hirano 7th Dan At Age 42
Tokio Hirano (5’5”, 75 kg), obtained Godan (5th dan) at age 19, is perhaps the greatest Judo technician of all time. He is probably the best known Japanese Judoka in Europe. In 1952, Hirano went to teach Judo in Europe. Within six years, he had accumulated over 4,300 wins. In order to promote Judo, Hirano would fight all black belts in the city where he taught Judo. In November 1954, in Mannheim, Germany, Hirano scored all ippons (knock out) in 34 minutes against 54 black belt opponents (1-3 dan).Traditional nage-waza (throwing techniques) were taught in the following sequence: kumu (gripping), tsukuru (the entry and proper fitting of your body into position taken just before the movement required for completion of your throwing technique), kakeru (completing), and nageru (throwing).Hirano revolutionized the order to tsukuru, kumu, kakeru and nageru. This is the current European style Judo. This is a proven method to defeat bigger opponents, as demonstrated by Hirano's stunning success. Wilhelm Ruska (Holland) 192 cm, 115 kg, was his most accomplished student. Ruska was the world heavyweight champion in 1967 and 1971 and runner up in 1969 (open weight). Wilhelm was the dual gold medalist in heavy and open weight class at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Win Against European Wrestling Champion
Hirano throwing Artz
In the spring of 1955, Hirano went to teach in Amsterdam, Holland. He was challenged by Peter Artz (four time European free style wrestling heavy weight champion). Hirano agreed to both a Judo and wrestling fight. Each match was for ten minutes. The wrestling match would be decided by pinning the back for ten seconds. The Judo match would decided by a clean throw. At the start of the wrestling match, Hirano was able to throw Artz several times, but was unable to pin him due to perspiration (they fought without a Judo gi). About six minutes into the fight, Hirano made a Kiai (yell). He jumped and grabbed Artz’s head and threw him with a koshi-guruma (Head lock or Hip wheel throw), pinned him with kesa-gatame (Scarf Hold) for ten seconds; winning the wrestling match. In the Judo match, there was no contest. Within 30 seconds Hirano threw Artz cleanly with ippon seoinage (Shoulder throw).
Fourteen Wins At Kodokan - 1941
Hirano, age 19 During Judo's one hundred year history, the easiest way to get a rank promotion from Kodokan was to take part in the Ko-Haku Shiai (red-white team competition) which was held twice a year (Spring and Fall). By winning with 5 ippons one could receive a one dan promotion the same day. Hirano was born on August 6th, 1922 in Hyogo prefecture (near Kobe), Japan. Hirano obtained his first black belt by winning 22 ippons with osoto-gari. He graduated from Hei-an high school as 3rd dan, later he was recertified by Kodokan as 4th dan. He moved to Takushoku university in April 1941 under the recommendation of his Sensei Fukushima. During his seven months training at Takushoku University, he did nothing but newaza. Hardly did he have a chance to practice tachi-waza (throwing techniques).
Hirano Trains with Fukushima 9th dan
On October 19, 1941, Hirano participated in the Ko-haku shiai. That morning he received a bag of several persimmons, a gift from Wushijima Sensei. During the training session, Wushijima was so fierceful that everybody was afraid of him. On the other hand he was so kind and thoughtful, almost like a tender loving father. Hirano was very grateful for the teaching and kindness from Wushijima Sensei. He swore to do the best in the Ko-haku Shiai. Hirano defeated a Kodokan record 14 opponents. All of his opponents were 4th dan, and were defeated with ippon seoinage, juji gatame (arm lock), kamishiho-gatame (upper four corner pin), tai-otoshi (body drop), ouchi-gari (small inner leg reap), tsurikomi-goshi (lifting hip throw) or osoto-gari (Big outer leg reap). He fought to a draw with his 15th opponent. All Japan Collegiate Judo Championship 1941-42
On October 31, 1941 , Hirano participated in the All Japan Collegiate Judo Championship. In the fourth round he won by tsurikomi-goshi, fifth round by tai-otoshi; and sixth round by juji-gatame. His final opponent was Yasuichi Matsumoto (187 cm, 90 kg, All Japan Champion in 1948, famous for Tenri style osoto-gari) . Matsumoto attacked Hirano with osoto-gari. Hirano countered with osoto-gari and tai-otoshi. Neither scored a point when time was up. Hirano managed to throw Matsumoto immediately during the overtime with seoi-nage (both should throw) to obtain his first major title. All of the matches after the fourth round to final were decided by Ippon. Techniques used included osoto-gari, uchi-mata (inner thigh throw), tai-otoshi, seoi-nage, tsurikomi-goshi, hane-goshi (spring hip throw) and juji-gatame. It was an amazingly high quality competition. The following year, Hirano took the title again with five ippons. In the semi-finals, he had a tough fight against Okubo (182 cm,104 kg) 5th dan. Hirano managed to throw him with seoi-nage and scored a wazaari (half point). In the final match, Hirano defeated Tsunoda with osoto-gari. In 1943 Hirano met Okubo again at the Judo Championship 5th dan division, sponsored by The Department of Imperial Affairs. Like their previous match, no points were scored for the first seven minutes. During the overtime, Hirano eventually won by ippon with an ouchi-gari and seoinage combination.
Third National Athletic Judo Championship - 1947
Hirano took part in the individual championship held on November 2, 1947. Kimura , Ishikawa (champion in 1948, '49), Hirosei (champion in 1943) and Matsumoto decided not to compete in this meet and allow one of the rookies to win the major title. How gracious they were. Nevertheless, Yoshimatsu (champion in 1952, '53 and '55) and Daigo (champion in '51, '56) were among the contenders. In the third round Hirano won by seoi-nage. In the semi-finals he won by tai-otoshi. His final opponent was Hadori (170 cm, 95kg, famous for tsurikomi-goshi and kouchi-gari). Hadori defeated Daigo by ura-nage (back arch throw) at the semi-finals. Hadori proved to be a formidable fighter. Hadori attacked with tsurikomi-goshi, and seoi-nage while Hirano applied his osoto-gari and tai-otoshi with no result. With time running out, Hirano managed to score a wazaari with osoto-gari, thus winning the championship.
Jigoku Kego - Hell Training with Wushijima
In high school, Hirano practiced Judo six hours a day and would randori for two hours. Between 8:30pm and 11pm at Yoshikatakai Ziku, he would randori against 3-4 th dan opponents from Bushen (Academy of Martial Arts). Every night he slept around 1:00am.The following morning he awoke at 5:30am and repeated the routine again. He started with one hundred and fifty push-ups, then jogged and sprinted for 2km, and finished with 40 minutes of randori.Hard training paid off even though he was small and inexperienced as a 2nd dan. Every so often he was able to throw 3rd and 4th dan opponents from Bushen. When Hirano moved to Tokyo and trained under Wushijima Sensei (Wushijima 9th dan, two time All Japan champion) at Takushoku University, he finally realized what Jigoku Kego really was! It consisted of five minutes of warm-ups, 3-4 hours of continuous Ne Waza. This was "Hell Training!” It was considered disgraceful to surrender while being choked. As a result, a typical scene at Takushoku Dojo was 4-5 people passed out, unconscious from chokes. While Hirano was a student in Takushoku University, he went to the Metropolitan police dojo to practice. In 3 hours of continuous randori, he had accumulated approx 500 ippons on 60 black belts. Pre-WWII Judoka felt that a winning or losing was not a matter of talent but rather that of hard training. “Attack Till Your Heart Stop Beating” was Wushijima Sensei’s Motto Hirano obtained his first black belt by winning 22 ippons, at the high school team competition at the National athletic championship held on November 3, 1939. In the semifinals, Hirano and his opponent fell from the 2 meter high stage to the ground. Despite the doctor's orders to stop, Hirano refused to forfeit. The match was fought to a draw. In the final match Hirano faced a 4th dan opponent. Again the match ended with a draw, following the match, Hirano passed out. The doctor later determined that Hirano had a dislocated left shoulder and two broken ribs. Hirano possessed this fighting spirit even before Wushijima’s hell training.Judo was not a sport to those pre WWII Judoka. It was more of a Samurai duel. In order to win the shiai, vigorous training was absolutely necessary. Five hundred push ups, randori 6 hours, plus tachi-ki-wuchikomi (repetition against a tree) was a common training regiment for success. Training was so intense enough that Hirano once dreamt of collapsing the tallest building with his osoto-gari.
So the next time you think you had a hard work out, think of Hirano
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Monday, July 28, 2008
Why Even A Little Fitness Counts
Mat Pull: The simple act of lying on flat on your stomach, reaching in front of you and pulling your self across the mat. This is one exercise that helps develop your muscles for grappling. We do these as a part of our warm up.
The other day, I was beginning to train a prospective student and when we got to mat pulls, this man does three of them and then pulls up lame. Still, not a problem, I am in the business of training people, as long as you have the desire and the will, I am going to help you. It’s my job. After that, the guy was barely useless for the rest of the hour class. He didn’t hit a pad since he was clutching his stomach the entire time. Still, no problem, I’ll train you if you want it.
I just received an email saying “The training was too combat oriented”. I don’t know what this means, it’s a martial art. It wouldn’t be so bad except, this person was a pretty beefy guy who claimed he worked out regularly and power lifted. Believe me, after his performance on the mat, I seriously question the validity of this statement.
Keep in mind, I am not trying to train an “uber-samurai”, I train children, teenagers, college and professional men and women, mothers of one, two or more, training with me from every conceivable background. All of them have one thing in common, the desire to improve. The class is rigorous, but you can participate at your own speed.
So how does this pertain to your training and life as we know it? First off, if you’re training for anything where the end result is contact with another human being you better be ready for this. You will get hurt. You will lesson the degree of which you will get hurt by how good of shape you are in and how hard you train. If you think you are going to get into a real fight without sustaining injury, you will be sadly, or gravely disappointed. If you think you will not get winded or exhausted in a few short moments, you are in for a world of hurt. You need to be in the best shape you can possibly be in period. Knowing what to do is only half of it. How to training it and keeping yourself in shape is the other. The better in shape you are in, the better you will perform. It’s like having a Ferrari Enzo and having no fuel and no insurance. It looks good and in theory, it will be the fastest thing on the road. The reality is, it’s a $1,000,000 paper weight that couldn’t beat a scooter.
Your method of self defense is only as good as the delivery system it comes in (that’s you). If you think that knowing something will save you, maybe under the optimum circumstances. Maybe if you can get a clean first shot off. Maybe if you get the drop on your target. Unfortunately this is rarely the case. Usually you don’t get the opportunity to pick the time and the place, your assailant does. Oh yeah, you may miss. People have a tendency to a …move. So you better be ready for the long haul. If you can end the fight before it starts, great. But plan for the worst and hope for the best.
Like my coach @ Lehigh, Thad Turner told me, “Any idiot can get in shape; you just want to do it”. Nothing worth anything comes fast, easy and without a price. Yes there are more efficient ways of getting the job done, but EASY is a relative term.
The other day, I was beginning to train a prospective student and when we got to mat pulls, this man does three of them and then pulls up lame. Still, not a problem, I am in the business of training people, as long as you have the desire and the will, I am going to help you. It’s my job. After that, the guy was barely useless for the rest of the hour class. He didn’t hit a pad since he was clutching his stomach the entire time. Still, no problem, I’ll train you if you want it.
I just received an email saying “The training was too combat oriented”. I don’t know what this means, it’s a martial art. It wouldn’t be so bad except, this person was a pretty beefy guy who claimed he worked out regularly and power lifted. Believe me, after his performance on the mat, I seriously question the validity of this statement.
Keep in mind, I am not trying to train an “uber-samurai”, I train children, teenagers, college and professional men and women, mothers of one, two or more, training with me from every conceivable background. All of them have one thing in common, the desire to improve. The class is rigorous, but you can participate at your own speed.
So how does this pertain to your training and life as we know it? First off, if you’re training for anything where the end result is contact with another human being you better be ready for this. You will get hurt. You will lesson the degree of which you will get hurt by how good of shape you are in and how hard you train. If you think you are going to get into a real fight without sustaining injury, you will be sadly, or gravely disappointed. If you think you will not get winded or exhausted in a few short moments, you are in for a world of hurt. You need to be in the best shape you can possibly be in period. Knowing what to do is only half of it. How to training it and keeping yourself in shape is the other. The better in shape you are in, the better you will perform. It’s like having a Ferrari Enzo and having no fuel and no insurance. It looks good and in theory, it will be the fastest thing on the road. The reality is, it’s a $1,000,000 paper weight that couldn’t beat a scooter.
Your method of self defense is only as good as the delivery system it comes in (that’s you). If you think that knowing something will save you, maybe under the optimum circumstances. Maybe if you can get a clean first shot off. Maybe if you get the drop on your target. Unfortunately this is rarely the case. Usually you don’t get the opportunity to pick the time and the place, your assailant does. Oh yeah, you may miss. People have a tendency to a …move. So you better be ready for the long haul. If you can end the fight before it starts, great. But plan for the worst and hope for the best.
Like my coach @ Lehigh, Thad Turner told me, “Any idiot can get in shape; you just want to do it”. Nothing worth anything comes fast, easy and without a price. Yes there are more efficient ways of getting the job done, but EASY is a relative term.
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Martial Arts’ Greatest Lesson
Success at home, work or on the mat is what drives all of us. Sooner or later, you’re going to want something more. It’s in our very nature to succeed. It is a primary survival instinct. The benefits of success are obvious. Sense of accomplishment, self worth and self-actualization are a few. Other, less obvious by-products are confidence and attitude.
While these feelings help to drive us and are our eventual goals and reasons to be successful, they do little in helping us become successful. They are psychological effects of accomplishment. The real technical growth, the real "nuts and bolts" lay in every setback and every failure.
Vince Lombardi said, "Show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser" why correct in it’s spirit. There is far more to be gained from our losses than our triumphs. Every loss is a tool for improvement. Because it’s only when you fail, that you look inside yourself to determine what went wrong and how to correct it. With each failure you are forced to rally your courage and rise to the occasion.
After you win, you concentrate on the achievement of your goal rather than the mistakes you made. Your very nature allows you to enjoy the accomplishment and gain confidence and attitude. Which are extremely powerful tools, because BELIEVEING you can be successful is a lot more powerful than THINKNG you can be successful. But these don’t help you improve technically or spiritually.
Every loss, every injury, every defeat is an opportunity for growth. It’s easy to have fun when everything goes smoothly, but when does that ever happen? We think everyone has it easier than we do. This is obviously not the case. EVERYONE has the same issues that you do. It’s all relative to everyone: a hangnail seems like a big deal to someone who has never broken a finger. The difference is, some people deal with them and move forward, others rationalize their decision and go home.
Dealing with a setback forces you to be honest and critical with yourself. This isn’t an easy thing to do. But once you’ve abandoned the excuses and stopped pointing the finger, only then will you really grow and improve.
All natural ability aside, what separates the good from the not so good and the God-awful, is the ability to take a real long and hard look in the mirror and take stock. You will always hear excuses, we all have them. If you chose to stop at the excuse, you will remain there.; technically, mentally and physically. You will be forced to repeat the same failure over and over again. It’s a cycle of habit. Because if it’s not this, it will be something else and you will spend the rest of your life wondering "why they get all the brakes" or "why are they so lucky". Remember, "Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it". This habit of quitting when things get difficult is one you don’t want to develop.
Every career, every life, is replete with failure and setbacks. It’s up to you to work through them and force yourself to develop the habit of getting up again and again and again.
Everything that happens in the Dojo is symbolic of life. That’s way Dojo literally means "WAY PLACE". It’s the place to study THE WAY. Simply put, the way of everything, the way of life. When you miss a technique or have difficulty learning a skill, you train to improve and become competent at that skill. When you are injured you train yourself to work with your injury.
What’s the difference between an injured shoulder, a bad back or a broken hand than someone who is short, slow and slight of build? Should those people not even try? Maybe we should tell everyone under 5’5" and 120 pounds, "Don’t Bother".
Last week we concluded a five-week training course with a group of people with a wide variety of disabilities from slight learning problems to severe physical issues. All of these people, everyday learned to adapt and over come themselves and their environment. They developed the skill of overcoming obstacles. They came to the same conclusion that this is my life and like the man says, "Get busy living or get busy dying". This is the real reason you study bushido.
Skills are habits, habits, and both good and bad are learned behaviors. On the mat you learn how to overcome set backs and adversity. Listen, you will never be 100%. You will never be perfect. There will always be something wrong. It’s how you handle your setbacks and obstacles that make you who you are. Martial Arts are about overcoming adversity. It allows you to practice these habits in a "controlled" environment. It teaches you to develop these habits. These habits are imprinted on you and become a part of your behavior. These behaviors are what make the difference between a life lived and living a life.
The more and more I study; the more I realize what a genius Kano was. He developed Judo to articulate the real benefits of bushido. He developed a way to train life’s most important skills: appreciation and respect of one another, efficiency or best use of resources, and purpose.
Enjoy your setbacks, learn from them, because after you accomplish your goal, they are what you will remember and they will matter most
While these feelings help to drive us and are our eventual goals and reasons to be successful, they do little in helping us become successful. They are psychological effects of accomplishment. The real technical growth, the real "nuts and bolts" lay in every setback and every failure.
Vince Lombardi said, "Show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser" why correct in it’s spirit. There is far more to be gained from our losses than our triumphs. Every loss is a tool for improvement. Because it’s only when you fail, that you look inside yourself to determine what went wrong and how to correct it. With each failure you are forced to rally your courage and rise to the occasion.
After you win, you concentrate on the achievement of your goal rather than the mistakes you made. Your very nature allows you to enjoy the accomplishment and gain confidence and attitude. Which are extremely powerful tools, because BELIEVEING you can be successful is a lot more powerful than THINKNG you can be successful. But these don’t help you improve technically or spiritually.
Every loss, every injury, every defeat is an opportunity for growth. It’s easy to have fun when everything goes smoothly, but when does that ever happen? We think everyone has it easier than we do. This is obviously not the case. EVERYONE has the same issues that you do. It’s all relative to everyone: a hangnail seems like a big deal to someone who has never broken a finger. The difference is, some people deal with them and move forward, others rationalize their decision and go home.
Dealing with a setback forces you to be honest and critical with yourself. This isn’t an easy thing to do. But once you’ve abandoned the excuses and stopped pointing the finger, only then will you really grow and improve.
All natural ability aside, what separates the good from the not so good and the God-awful, is the ability to take a real long and hard look in the mirror and take stock. You will always hear excuses, we all have them. If you chose to stop at the excuse, you will remain there.; technically, mentally and physically. You will be forced to repeat the same failure over and over again. It’s a cycle of habit. Because if it’s not this, it will be something else and you will spend the rest of your life wondering "why they get all the brakes" or "why are they so lucky". Remember, "Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it". This habit of quitting when things get difficult is one you don’t want to develop.
Every career, every life, is replete with failure and setbacks. It’s up to you to work through them and force yourself to develop the habit of getting up again and again and again.
Everything that happens in the Dojo is symbolic of life. That’s way Dojo literally means "WAY PLACE". It’s the place to study THE WAY. Simply put, the way of everything, the way of life. When you miss a technique or have difficulty learning a skill, you train to improve and become competent at that skill. When you are injured you train yourself to work with your injury.
What’s the difference between an injured shoulder, a bad back or a broken hand than someone who is short, slow and slight of build? Should those people not even try? Maybe we should tell everyone under 5’5" and 120 pounds, "Don’t Bother".
Last week we concluded a five-week training course with a group of people with a wide variety of disabilities from slight learning problems to severe physical issues. All of these people, everyday learned to adapt and over come themselves and their environment. They developed the skill of overcoming obstacles. They came to the same conclusion that this is my life and like the man says, "Get busy living or get busy dying". This is the real reason you study bushido.
Skills are habits, habits, and both good and bad are learned behaviors. On the mat you learn how to overcome set backs and adversity. Listen, you will never be 100%. You will never be perfect. There will always be something wrong. It’s how you handle your setbacks and obstacles that make you who you are. Martial Arts are about overcoming adversity. It allows you to practice these habits in a "controlled" environment. It teaches you to develop these habits. These habits are imprinted on you and become a part of your behavior. These behaviors are what make the difference between a life lived and living a life.
The more and more I study; the more I realize what a genius Kano was. He developed Judo to articulate the real benefits of bushido. He developed a way to train life’s most important skills: appreciation and respect of one another, efficiency or best use of resources, and purpose.
Enjoy your setbacks, learn from them, because after you accomplish your goal, they are what you will remember and they will matter most
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Wednesday, July 23, 2008
The Black Belt Myth
Every once in a while I get an email from some misguided and offended martial artist with his or her knickers in a twist telling me where I go wrong by saying “Martial Arts will Fail You Every time”. But facts are facts.
Just because you have a black belt doesn’t mean you can fight and just because you can fight, doesn’t mean you are a black belt.
Can martial artists, boxers, judo players, wrestlers, mixed martial artists bee good street fighters? Sure. But a fight is an entirely different proposition than combative sport or a hobby. The problem is that martial artists have propagated this “myth” about the black belt since they realized money could be made. To compound the problem, most instructors are true believers. Thinking that what they are saying is 100% true.
The techniques used by successful street fighters range from the simple and straight forward to brutal and down right nasty. Never underestimate the depths of human nature or the levels to which some people will go to impose their will over another human being.
The difference between a successful and unsuccessful street fighter is attitude and no hesitation. Contrary to the old school yard Marcus of Queensbury rules, who ever strikes first in a real fight usually wins. I’m not talking about people in the local pub having a shoving match. Leave the bar fight out of it. I am talking about a real street smart criminal. So you think that junkie is just trying to slap you- no he’s got razor blades between his fingers and he’s trying to slice your face open. (Thanks for the example Bill). If you wait for him to make his move, you’re done. If you pause, wait for them to “throw the first punch” you’ll lose. And before you question my motivation as one of those guys who never spent time in a real dojo or never received his black belt (I have 3 of them) go to www.zenshin.info. I am a real person and I can be found any day of the week working out at this location teaching none other than martial arts. But like my Sensei, I refuse to limit my self by the confines of my ego and insecurity. Because that’s what it all comes down to: ego. Hey, I know you have a lot of time an effort invested into your study and this is the last thing you want to hear, but earning a black belt doesn’t make you a superhero. Having a black belt does not give you the ability to take on all comers in all any and all situations.
A street fight or close quarters battle has entirely different dynamics than a competitive sport. In a competitive fight, the possibility of being seriously injured or killed is not a paramount concern. You have the normal injuries associated with contact sports, but if it were really lethal you would have people dying in the ring regularly. The combative sport is only SYMBOLIC of the real thing. This is where we all get confused. The term symbolic
So why bother getting a black belt or what does it mean to earn a black belt? This subject has been beaten to death and I offer my opinion only to ad some perspective. First of all, I hold a special place for those of you who have the determination to see your training through to the end and I hope those same people continue to study for an entire life time. It does set you above all others as having accomplished a great task that requires years of dedication and sacrifice. But learning to fight is only a small part
Do you think the night before your black belt exam you are immediately transformed in to the Ultimate Warrior. Martial Arts use fighting and combative skills to affect and overall change on the practitioner. If you study martial arts to learn how to fight, you will find your self very disappointed. Fighting is and should be a smaller percentage of why you study. If you study just to learn how to fight or just to learn how to compete you will not last very long. Because after your competitive career is over, now what? Once you start coaching, training and teaching you really begin to understand that competition is a useful tool, but it’s not what martial arts is about.
Street fighting is not about honor and fair play. That’s how you live your life, but when push comes to shove, knowing how to street fight requires very little skill, just a lot of attitude and nerve.
The Japanese words "Budo" and "Bujutsu" are used to describe this difference between combat and the way of combat.
Just because you have a black belt doesn’t mean you can fight and just because you can fight, doesn’t mean you are a black belt.
Can martial artists, boxers, judo players, wrestlers, mixed martial artists bee good street fighters? Sure. But a fight is an entirely different proposition than combative sport or a hobby. The problem is that martial artists have propagated this “myth” about the black belt since they realized money could be made. To compound the problem, most instructors are true believers. Thinking that what they are saying is 100% true.
The techniques used by successful street fighters range from the simple and straight forward to brutal and down right nasty. Never underestimate the depths of human nature or the levels to which some people will go to impose their will over another human being.
The difference between a successful and unsuccessful street fighter is attitude and no hesitation. Contrary to the old school yard Marcus of Queensbury rules, who ever strikes first in a real fight usually wins. I’m not talking about people in the local pub having a shoving match. Leave the bar fight out of it. I am talking about a real street smart criminal. So you think that junkie is just trying to slap you- no he’s got razor blades between his fingers and he’s trying to slice your face open. (Thanks for the example Bill). If you wait for him to make his move, you’re done. If you pause, wait for them to “throw the first punch” you’ll lose. And before you question my motivation as one of those guys who never spent time in a real dojo or never received his black belt (I have 3 of them) go to www.zenshin.info. I am a real person and I can be found any day of the week working out at this location teaching none other than martial arts. But like my Sensei, I refuse to limit my self by the confines of my ego and insecurity. Because that’s what it all comes down to: ego. Hey, I know you have a lot of time an effort invested into your study and this is the last thing you want to hear, but earning a black belt doesn’t make you a superhero. Having a black belt does not give you the ability to take on all comers in all any and all situations.
A street fight or close quarters battle has entirely different dynamics than a competitive sport. In a competitive fight, the possibility of being seriously injured or killed is not a paramount concern. You have the normal injuries associated with contact sports, but if it were really lethal you would have people dying in the ring regularly. The combative sport is only SYMBOLIC of the real thing. This is where we all get confused. The term symbolic
So why bother getting a black belt or what does it mean to earn a black belt? This subject has been beaten to death and I offer my opinion only to ad some perspective. First of all, I hold a special place for those of you who have the determination to see your training through to the end and I hope those same people continue to study for an entire life time. It does set you above all others as having accomplished a great task that requires years of dedication and sacrifice. But learning to fight is only a small part
Do you think the night before your black belt exam you are immediately transformed in to the Ultimate Warrior. Martial Arts use fighting and combative skills to affect and overall change on the practitioner. If you study martial arts to learn how to fight, you will find your self very disappointed. Fighting is and should be a smaller percentage of why you study. If you study just to learn how to fight or just to learn how to compete you will not last very long. Because after your competitive career is over, now what? Once you start coaching, training and teaching you really begin to understand that competition is a useful tool, but it’s not what martial arts is about.
Street fighting is not about honor and fair play. That’s how you live your life, but when push comes to shove, knowing how to street fight requires very little skill, just a lot of attitude and nerve.
The Japanese words "Budo" and "Bujutsu" are used to describe this difference between combat and the way of combat.
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Womens Self Defense
Can Anyone Defend Themselves? Of course the answer is "Yes", but each person has different circumstances. A 300-pound football player is going to have a different skill set than a 130-pound mother of two.
The biggest misconception in the martial arts is that a technique or a strategy will work the same for everybody, every time. Unfortunately, most martial arts preach this notion. They teach the same thing to everyone with little thought as to the capability of the student. Instructors have been trying to fit the square peg in the round hole for as long as I can remember.
For example, the other day, I received a call a woman who has a 3-year-old child and was expecting another. Naturally, she was concerned about her safety a pregnant woman with children is an easy mark. Well, this woman thought she would have no problem using empty hand techniques to fend off would-be assailants. She was convinced that she could “Jackie Chan” a slew of muggers, rapists and thieves with one child in her arms and another strapped to her back!
After a few moments I told her that was all well and good, but before she unleashes her drunken monkey kung fu, she should probably take a few steps to prepare her self a lot better by decreasing her exposure. And if it came down to a physical threat, there are a few things she can do to put the odds back in her favor and increase her chances of survival.
Remember there are 3 things all criminals don’t want to happen:
Get Arrested
Get Identified
Get Injured
Keeping this in mind, the first thing I told her was the life she used to enjoy has now changed. A woman, preoccupied with the safety and care of two children, let alone one child, is a prime target for the skels who earn their living preying on the weak and the helpless. She should only go to very public, very safe places that are mother and child friendly. The days of going to malls in the evening or quickly running into the Laundromat leaving the kids in the car are over.
Another step to ensure your family’s safety is to schedule a day to run errands childfree. Or choose services that offer delivery. Now if you can’t afford certain things, well you need to do with out or get your imagination working to come up with a better solution.
Now if you are going out, you have to have a few simple items handy. They are ranked in importance form the perspective of escape and avoidance. This list considers range, commitment and lethal effects.
Personal Alarm (Training Minimal)
Pepper Spray (Training Minimal)
Edged Weapons (Training Moderate to Heavy)
Impact Weapons (Training Moderate to Heavy)
Empty Hand (Training Heavy)
*Note Firearm has been deliberately left off the list.
Both the pepper spray and personal alarm are used to cause a distraction without getting tangled up in your opponent. A hesitation in your assailant’s assault will allow you the opportunity to escape and get to safety.
Next come edged weapons (Push Daggers and Knives with Finger-Holes). They require a lot less power and are a lot more effective than impact weapons. The push daggers and finger-hole knives give you two advantages: a specific way to grab it and are extremely difficult to drop. And in the course of a fight for your life, the less you need to think about, the better. The downside of course is the close proximity you need to be to use the weapon.
Then come impact weapons. They multiply the force you can exert, but they still require more strength, power and body weight.
And of course, empty hand techniques.
Remember, technology will ALWAYS trump hand to hand methods. ALL HAND-TO-HAND is a tactical last resort.
However training in empty hand techniques should be pursued vigorously. There is a great chance you will be taken by surprise and have to use hand to hand in order to get to your weapons.
Plus, it gives you something to fall back on in worst-case scenarios. It also gives you confidence and it awakens the part of you that doesn’t think tactically and defensively.
So all self-defense comes down to more than just techniques. It encompasses the key elements of Awareness, Strategy, Planning and Training.
Predators are banking on the fact you will play the odds and not do any of these.
And all you have to do is be in the wrong place at the wrong time. All you need is one meeting to go late, one thing in your routine to be disrupted and that once busy parking lock is now a barren wasteland. And there you are SOL.
Training for reality is about training your mind to find whatever solution you need to survive.
And that starts well before the fight is imminent. The person who doesn’t prepare for the absolute worst and thinks they are going to get by with just “empty hand” methods is very ignorant, very lucky or very dead.
PS. If you think women are weak, go check out Dr. Ruthle
The biggest misconception in the martial arts is that a technique or a strategy will work the same for everybody, every time. Unfortunately, most martial arts preach this notion. They teach the same thing to everyone with little thought as to the capability of the student. Instructors have been trying to fit the square peg in the round hole for as long as I can remember.
For example, the other day, I received a call a woman who has a 3-year-old child and was expecting another. Naturally, she was concerned about her safety a pregnant woman with children is an easy mark. Well, this woman thought she would have no problem using empty hand techniques to fend off would-be assailants. She was convinced that she could “Jackie Chan” a slew of muggers, rapists and thieves with one child in her arms and another strapped to her back!
After a few moments I told her that was all well and good, but before she unleashes her drunken monkey kung fu, she should probably take a few steps to prepare her self a lot better by decreasing her exposure. And if it came down to a physical threat, there are a few things she can do to put the odds back in her favor and increase her chances of survival.
Remember there are 3 things all criminals don’t want to happen:
Get Arrested
Get Identified
Get Injured
Keeping this in mind, the first thing I told her was the life she used to enjoy has now changed. A woman, preoccupied with the safety and care of two children, let alone one child, is a prime target for the skels who earn their living preying on the weak and the helpless. She should only go to very public, very safe places that are mother and child friendly. The days of going to malls in the evening or quickly running into the Laundromat leaving the kids in the car are over.
Another step to ensure your family’s safety is to schedule a day to run errands childfree. Or choose services that offer delivery. Now if you can’t afford certain things, well you need to do with out or get your imagination working to come up with a better solution.
Now if you are going out, you have to have a few simple items handy. They are ranked in importance form the perspective of escape and avoidance. This list considers range, commitment and lethal effects.
Personal Alarm (Training Minimal)
Pepper Spray (Training Minimal)
Edged Weapons (Training Moderate to Heavy)
Impact Weapons (Training Moderate to Heavy)
Empty Hand (Training Heavy)
*Note Firearm has been deliberately left off the list.
Both the pepper spray and personal alarm are used to cause a distraction without getting tangled up in your opponent. A hesitation in your assailant’s assault will allow you the opportunity to escape and get to safety.
Next come edged weapons (Push Daggers and Knives with Finger-Holes). They require a lot less power and are a lot more effective than impact weapons. The push daggers and finger-hole knives give you two advantages: a specific way to grab it and are extremely difficult to drop. And in the course of a fight for your life, the less you need to think about, the better. The downside of course is the close proximity you need to be to use the weapon.
Then come impact weapons. They multiply the force you can exert, but they still require more strength, power and body weight.
And of course, empty hand techniques.
Remember, technology will ALWAYS trump hand to hand methods. ALL HAND-TO-HAND is a tactical last resort.
However training in empty hand techniques should be pursued vigorously. There is a great chance you will be taken by surprise and have to use hand to hand in order to get to your weapons.
Plus, it gives you something to fall back on in worst-case scenarios. It also gives you confidence and it awakens the part of you that doesn’t think tactically and defensively.
So all self-defense comes down to more than just techniques. It encompasses the key elements of Awareness, Strategy, Planning and Training.
Predators are banking on the fact you will play the odds and not do any of these.
And all you have to do is be in the wrong place at the wrong time. All you need is one meeting to go late, one thing in your routine to be disrupted and that once busy parking lock is now a barren wasteland. And there you are SOL.
Training for reality is about training your mind to find whatever solution you need to survive.
And that starts well before the fight is imminent. The person who doesn’t prepare for the absolute worst and thinks they are going to get by with just “empty hand” methods is very ignorant, very lucky or very dead.
PS. If you think women are weak, go check out Dr. Ruthle
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Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Traditional Karate Training
About four years ago we start using the Bogu during our kumite (sparring practice). This method was developed in Okinawa and then found its way into mainland Japan and eventually to the U.S. where only a few clubs still do this. And even in those clubs, only a few members do it. I know there is other equipment out there that looks similar and I have used most of what’s available. But it does not provide you with nearly the same overall effect that the bogu does. Rules in bogu training – Any punch, any kick, save foot stomps, a strike to the spine and to the back of the neck. Throws and leg kicking is certainly allowed. Use, dare I say, your commonsense.
What is the training like?
When you fight, you just go and beat the crap out of each other. This is the point. Sure, you look to get that “One Shot One Kill” but you have to train in a way that prepares you for reality. If you train to stop after that first shot- you are developing a habit that will come back to haunt you. You always train three techniques ahead.
Immediately, you will find out what works and what doesn’t work. Depending on the drill, sometimes we do rounds, sometimes 10 second bursts. There’s a little stalking- but when you go, it’s like two freight trains smashing into one another. You hit, you get hit, you lock up, you knee and you throw- great stuff. One of the first things you will notice is that when you punch or kick the hard surfaces of the bogu- it hurts. A body will feel like a feather bed compared to a bogu. But, after a while- it doesn’t hurt. Then you can start really throwing some lead!
You will also see what strikes have an effect and which ones do not. If you can back a guy up with the bogu on or ring his bell a bit- chances are it’s a good shot. If you graze him, he keeps coming and you have to keep fighting.
The bogu also teaches you to keep fighting! Lesser equipment will cause you to slow down and stop when things get critical. Or stop when one person scores the point. Scoring a point does not mean the fight has ended. It’s only a symbolic representation of it. It’s not literal.
Wearing the bogu allows you to take punishment without being seriously hurt- save the fat lip, sore legs, fingers, toes or sore jaw. You will get used to the shock of being hit. This will enable you to operate in that harsh environment of combat and it will allow you to absorb as much damage as possible. I have seen people develop other things that allow you to feel nothing. This isn’t really good either. It takes away the risk factor and all you have is two supermen running into one another with out any fear of pain. Plus it takes away the body conditioning element. As always, exercise caution and work at a level you can handle. When starting with people who haven’t done it before- take it a little easy so they can get used to it. After a couple times- then you can blast ‘em.
The MEN (Head Piece) of the bogu is extremely claustrophobic. This is an excellent way of replicating the effect of tunnel vision and frustration you feel when you are the hormonal stress of combat. Don’t talk to me about something for MACHO or even Shureido- unless it’s got the grill, it ain’t cutting it.
The head piece also provides neck and chin protection that modern head-gear do not. Again, the chest protector is HARD. This is important to develop power and condition your weapons.
Can you tell who wins and who loses? Well if the guy quits you win. If you quit, you loose. But that’s not the point. IT’S THE TRAINING. It’s the befit of fighting like this that you want; the overall training effect NOT winning a game. Sure there are tournament rules, but that will force you to stop when you should be fighting!! It’s the feeling of the fight, the punishment and the impact that counts. It’s dealing with the confines of the bogu. Just the simple fact that your training partner no longer has a face and is replaced by this samurai from hell is worth the price of admission.
Is it cheap, no- but do you value good training or do you want to used that foamed dipped crap. It’s up to you. This stuff will last you a life time. If you can sucker I mean convince some people to invest- take the plunge. Go to http://www.bogubag.com/Bogu/Karate_Bogu/karate_bogu.html. Get the traditional “Do” and “Tare”, a set of grappling gloves a good cup, knee pads, the good old white, cheap shin and instep pads and a hachi maki or a bandanna. You don’t need a mouth piece- the bogu will keep you mouth shut. I don’t think Bogu bag knows I am recommending the link- but, it’s good stuff.
What is the training like?
When you fight, you just go and beat the crap out of each other. This is the point. Sure, you look to get that “One Shot One Kill” but you have to train in a way that prepares you for reality. If you train to stop after that first shot- you are developing a habit that will come back to haunt you. You always train three techniques ahead.
Immediately, you will find out what works and what doesn’t work. Depending on the drill, sometimes we do rounds, sometimes 10 second bursts. There’s a little stalking- but when you go, it’s like two freight trains smashing into one another. You hit, you get hit, you lock up, you knee and you throw- great stuff. One of the first things you will notice is that when you punch or kick the hard surfaces of the bogu- it hurts. A body will feel like a feather bed compared to a bogu. But, after a while- it doesn’t hurt. Then you can start really throwing some lead!
You will also see what strikes have an effect and which ones do not. If you can back a guy up with the bogu on or ring his bell a bit- chances are it’s a good shot. If you graze him, he keeps coming and you have to keep fighting.
The bogu also teaches you to keep fighting! Lesser equipment will cause you to slow down and stop when things get critical. Or stop when one person scores the point. Scoring a point does not mean the fight has ended. It’s only a symbolic representation of it. It’s not literal.
Wearing the bogu allows you to take punishment without being seriously hurt- save the fat lip, sore legs, fingers, toes or sore jaw. You will get used to the shock of being hit. This will enable you to operate in that harsh environment of combat and it will allow you to absorb as much damage as possible. I have seen people develop other things that allow you to feel nothing. This isn’t really good either. It takes away the risk factor and all you have is two supermen running into one another with out any fear of pain. Plus it takes away the body conditioning element. As always, exercise caution and work at a level you can handle. When starting with people who haven’t done it before- take it a little easy so they can get used to it. After a couple times- then you can blast ‘em.
The MEN (Head Piece) of the bogu is extremely claustrophobic. This is an excellent way of replicating the effect of tunnel vision and frustration you feel when you are the hormonal stress of combat. Don’t talk to me about something for MACHO or even Shureido- unless it’s got the grill, it ain’t cutting it.
The head piece also provides neck and chin protection that modern head-gear do not. Again, the chest protector is HARD. This is important to develop power and condition your weapons.
Can you tell who wins and who loses? Well if the guy quits you win. If you quit, you loose. But that’s not the point. IT’S THE TRAINING. It’s the befit of fighting like this that you want; the overall training effect NOT winning a game. Sure there are tournament rules, but that will force you to stop when you should be fighting!! It’s the feeling of the fight, the punishment and the impact that counts. It’s dealing with the confines of the bogu. Just the simple fact that your training partner no longer has a face and is replaced by this samurai from hell is worth the price of admission.
Is it cheap, no- but do you value good training or do you want to used that foamed dipped crap. It’s up to you. This stuff will last you a life time. If you can sucker I mean convince some people to invest- take the plunge. Go to http://www.bogubag.com/Bogu/Karate_Bogu/karate_bogu.html. Get the traditional “Do” and “Tare”, a set of grappling gloves a good cup, knee pads, the good old white, cheap shin and instep pads and a hachi maki or a bandanna. You don’t need a mouth piece- the bogu will keep you mouth shut. I don’t think Bogu bag knows I am recommending the link- but, it’s good stuff.
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The Best Self Defense
You don’t have to be Mr. Miyagi to figure this one out. And it didn’t matter if I was on the Wrestling mat or the Judo tatami; I have heard this same answer over and over again from every level of world elite coach and athlete.
When ever someone showed a pin or a submission, someone in the crown would always ask “What’s the counter?” or “How do you get out of that?” to that the expert would reply %99 percent of the time with. Don’t get there! The other 1% of the time would be something you could do to either prolong the inevitable or worm your way to a better position. But there was never any magic pill or secret, ancient technique other than sheer guts and determination (with a lot of strength and endurance) to liberate yourself from a brutal hold.
But the point every world champion and elite coach was trying to make is: a lot has happened PRIOR to this position and if you find yourself here a lot more as gone wrong! If there is a next time, you better take steps to ensure that you avoid this situation instead of thinking you could pull a technique out of thin air to save you. Because there’s no secret move or magic that will spring you from someone who knows how to really strangle or fight. Once they have the position, you can only HOPE that they mess up. And unlike sport, in the street, there is NO next time!!!
In your more advanced training you focus on the nuances of technique and position. The subtleties of a strangle or the rotation of a fist. And these are good when you’re studying an art. But don’t confuse the two. The chance that you may have to even worry about this under real combat conditions are slim at best; even if your vocation causes you to deal with violence on a daily basis. I guarantee you still won’t have the presence of mind to recall any of that unless you’ve trained it obsessively so it is instinctive and convulsive.
Training different methods and exploring new aspects of Martial Arts are great, and studying a martial art or sport is an EXTREMELY worthwhile endeavor, but make no mistake, if it looks pretty in the dojo, it won’t work in the real world. Believe me, I’ve spent the better part of a life training and looking for the thing that does. And no matter how hard something is trained, it still rehearsed and choreographed. So before you think about trying your new-found techniques on someone who really doesn’t care how many stripes you have on your belt. Listen to what many people a lot better than me have said so many times before… Keep It Simple Stupid!
When ever someone showed a pin or a submission, someone in the crown would always ask “What’s the counter?” or “How do you get out of that?” to that the expert would reply %99 percent of the time with. Don’t get there! The other 1% of the time would be something you could do to either prolong the inevitable or worm your way to a better position. But there was never any magic pill or secret, ancient technique other than sheer guts and determination (with a lot of strength and endurance) to liberate yourself from a brutal hold.
But the point every world champion and elite coach was trying to make is: a lot has happened PRIOR to this position and if you find yourself here a lot more as gone wrong! If there is a next time, you better take steps to ensure that you avoid this situation instead of thinking you could pull a technique out of thin air to save you. Because there’s no secret move or magic that will spring you from someone who knows how to really strangle or fight. Once they have the position, you can only HOPE that they mess up. And unlike sport, in the street, there is NO next time!!!
In your more advanced training you focus on the nuances of technique and position. The subtleties of a strangle or the rotation of a fist. And these are good when you’re studying an art. But don’t confuse the two. The chance that you may have to even worry about this under real combat conditions are slim at best; even if your vocation causes you to deal with violence on a daily basis. I guarantee you still won’t have the presence of mind to recall any of that unless you’ve trained it obsessively so it is instinctive and convulsive.
Training different methods and exploring new aspects of Martial Arts are great, and studying a martial art or sport is an EXTREMELY worthwhile endeavor, but make no mistake, if it looks pretty in the dojo, it won’t work in the real world. Believe me, I’ve spent the better part of a life training and looking for the thing that does. And no matter how hard something is trained, it still rehearsed and choreographed. So before you think about trying your new-found techniques on someone who really doesn’t care how many stripes you have on your belt. Listen to what many people a lot better than me have said so many times before… Keep It Simple Stupid!
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Saturday, July 5, 2008
The Evolution of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
By Damian Ross and William Pehush of The Self Defense Company
Over a half a century ago Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) came into being. It appeared on the grand stage in the early 1990’s hen the Gracie family introduced it to the world. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu changed the face of martial arts forever, and brought the idea of mixed martial arts (MMA) to the mainstream. It is a sport of brutal grappling and ground fighting that is even used today by the United States Army for combat conditioning.
In 1917, Carlos and Hélio Gracie watched a series Vale Tudo matches that pitted wrestlers, boxers, and other martial artists compete against each other. Early mixed martial arts competitions were common in Brazil and there were no holds barred. The boys were always excited to see the local fighters. One day, the boys saw a visiting martial artist from Japan, Judo Master Mitsuyo Maeda defeat opponent after opponent in the ring. They were in awe, even though the local competition was tough, it wasn’t any match for the Japanese man who was using the relatively new martial art known as Judo or Kano Jiu-Jitsu. Repeatedly fighters were taken to the ground hard and submitted or simply knocked out cold. One fighter even pulled a weapon on Maeda. Without skipping a beat, took him on and didn’t even break a sweat. After seeing this demonstration the boys had to learn this new style, so their father made the arrangements and the birth of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu began
Mitsuyo Maeda was trained by Judo’s founder Kano Jigoro himself. Maeda had been sent aboard to promote Japanese culture and martial arts. Kano hoped through training in Judo a student would become a better person. Kano felt that the more people knew Judo, the better place the world would be. Maeda was a skilled instructor, but he only had so much time to teach the Gracie boys so he emphasized ground fighting in his lessons which was easier and faster to learn than the standing aspect of Judo. He also taught them how to strike which was part of Jujutsu and pre world war II Judo. The boys would combine what they new with local wrestling and gradually Brazilian Jiu Jitsu began to take shape.
If you’re to understand Brazilian Jiu Jitsu you must first understand where it came from. Japanese Jujutsu was originally develop by the samurai and traditionally included weapons training along with strikes, throws, joint locks, choking, and other submission moves. Unlike Jujutsu which is a hard style that let’s you achieve victory by beating down your opponent with brute force Judo is a soft style which has you use your attacker’s energy against them. Judo, which was created in Japan in 1892, is a form of Japanese wrestling that is similar to other styles of wrestling, but you wear a gi similar to a karate uniform and it includes many of the submissions, strangles and armlocks you see today.
In time Hélio began teaching his many brothers and friends what he had learned about martial arts. His teacher Maeda told him that a fighter should go with their strength whether it is striking, grappling, or standing, so naturally Gracies gravitated toward ground fighting because that is what he and his brothers new best. The Gracies may have intended for their new martial art to be for self defense, but over time it has developed into an incredible combat sport.
To look at a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu match where blood is spilled, strikes are allowed, and where submissions are common it is hard to believe that it is sport and not a combat martial art. Despite a reputation for being ultra violent, a competent Judo player can still hold their own against a BJJ practitioner and so can someone with a solid wrestling and boxing background. On the street grappling is that last thing you want to do in a real fight, but with BJJ that is what you're conditioned to do.
There is no denying the Gracie family has contributed a lot to martial arts. They gave Brazil a new national sport and literally launched mixed martial arts competitions like the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Like many combat sports Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is and excellent foundation and just the beginning of your self defense education.
Over a half a century ago Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) came into being. It appeared on the grand stage in the early 1990’s hen the Gracie family introduced it to the world. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu changed the face of martial arts forever, and brought the idea of mixed martial arts (MMA) to the mainstream. It is a sport of brutal grappling and ground fighting that is even used today by the United States Army for combat conditioning.
In 1917, Carlos and Hélio Gracie watched a series Vale Tudo matches that pitted wrestlers, boxers, and other martial artists compete against each other. Early mixed martial arts competitions were common in Brazil and there were no holds barred. The boys were always excited to see the local fighters. One day, the boys saw a visiting martial artist from Japan, Judo Master Mitsuyo Maeda defeat opponent after opponent in the ring. They were in awe, even though the local competition was tough, it wasn’t any match for the Japanese man who was using the relatively new martial art known as Judo or Kano Jiu-Jitsu. Repeatedly fighters were taken to the ground hard and submitted or simply knocked out cold. One fighter even pulled a weapon on Maeda. Without skipping a beat, took him on and didn’t even break a sweat. After seeing this demonstration the boys had to learn this new style, so their father made the arrangements and the birth of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu began
Mitsuyo Maeda was trained by Judo’s founder Kano Jigoro himself. Maeda had been sent aboard to promote Japanese culture and martial arts. Kano hoped through training in Judo a student would become a better person. Kano felt that the more people knew Judo, the better place the world would be. Maeda was a skilled instructor, but he only had so much time to teach the Gracie boys so he emphasized ground fighting in his lessons which was easier and faster to learn than the standing aspect of Judo. He also taught them how to strike which was part of Jujutsu and pre world war II Judo. The boys would combine what they new with local wrestling and gradually Brazilian Jiu Jitsu began to take shape.
If you’re to understand Brazilian Jiu Jitsu you must first understand where it came from. Japanese Jujutsu was originally develop by the samurai and traditionally included weapons training along with strikes, throws, joint locks, choking, and other submission moves. Unlike Jujutsu which is a hard style that let’s you achieve victory by beating down your opponent with brute force Judo is a soft style which has you use your attacker’s energy against them. Judo, which was created in Japan in 1892, is a form of Japanese wrestling that is similar to other styles of wrestling, but you wear a gi similar to a karate uniform and it includes many of the submissions, strangles and armlocks you see today.
In time Hélio began teaching his many brothers and friends what he had learned about martial arts. His teacher Maeda told him that a fighter should go with their strength whether it is striking, grappling, or standing, so naturally Gracies gravitated toward ground fighting because that is what he and his brothers new best. The Gracies may have intended for their new martial art to be for self defense, but over time it has developed into an incredible combat sport.
To look at a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu match where blood is spilled, strikes are allowed, and where submissions are common it is hard to believe that it is sport and not a combat martial art. Despite a reputation for being ultra violent, a competent Judo player can still hold their own against a BJJ practitioner and so can someone with a solid wrestling and boxing background. On the street grappling is that last thing you want to do in a real fight, but with BJJ that is what you're conditioned to do.
There is no denying the Gracie family has contributed a lot to martial arts. They gave Brazil a new national sport and literally launched mixed martial arts competitions like the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Like many combat sports Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is and excellent foundation and just the beginning of your self defense education.
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Friday, June 27, 2008
“How to Defend Against 10 Bikers with Knives, Bats Chains and Guns?”
By Damian Ross of The Self Defense Company
“There I was, in the middle of my fist Black Belt test at the tender age of 22 ready to begin the Random Assault Drill. They were circling me, attackers with knives, bats, clubs and guns, but I was ready. I had been training for years. The panel of sensei watched me, Ross, Cestari, Blandino, Betts, they were all there and I was ready. One by one they attacked and I dispatched them neatly and swiftly. The knife was taken away with ease; the bat was mere child’s play. They were dealt with as fast as they came with no problem- I AM INVINCABLE!!!”
Flash forward to my real life. While visiting a friend at college we went for a typical night out. Well, one thing lead to another, as these things often do: who touched whose girlfriend, or who spilt whose beer, it really didn’t matter. Before I knew it I saw my buddy got sucker punched and he was out on his feet. I immediately tried to make my way to him as fast to as I could offer some retribution but before I knew it I was hit on the back of the head with something hard. When I turned in the direction of the attack I found myself face to face with two or three very pissed off frat boys.
The rest is hard to recall, a lot of pushing, shoving and occasionally hitting someone that wasn’t me and being it by someone or something that wasn’t. It wasn’t pretty, it was frustrating. There was no time to be scared, adrenaline coursed through me. After a short time (which felt like forever) a little voice popped in my head and told me: You’re boxed in here and you need to get out side.
When we finally pushed out the door, the entire fraternity house (about 60 men) seemed to converge on us. Garbage cans and beer bottles were hurled at us from the second floor and all I wanted to do was make sure my friends were OK. Finally after what seemed like an eternity (which was only about 10 minutes) we made it out of there. Banged up, cut and bruised, but alive. I was in pretty good shape and you could say I gave more than I received but this was crazy. These were college kids, future accountants, lawyers, executives and doctors using bottles, pool cues, garbage cans and whatever weren’t nailed down to beat us as best as they could. They were just as bad and just as dangerous as any criminal you would meet.
Where did all my training go? What happened to all the nice throws and take downs? Why was it so hard to get a good shot off? I know my martial arts training helped me survive, but it didn’t “feel” like I practiced.” I felt a little misled but rather than blame my training, I looked for a real solution and a plausible answer.
Unfortunately this as not an exclusive event and I have had the same results. The one question came to mind: What am I doing wrong in my martial arts training?
One of the deadliest problems with martial arts and self defense is the magic pill notion that you will be able to protect you and your loved ones against multiple vicious attacks regardless of who and how many. And you’ll be able to do this without a scratch or even a blemish. This is something we all want to believe. Who doesn’t want to know with 100% certainty that you will be able to fight and protect your loved ones from harm? You spend countless dollars and countless hours training, watching videos going to seminars hoping to come back with the answer.
The experts don’t help simply because they don’t know and or they don’t care. They can have the bet intention, but because they are former military, police, special ops that doesn’t mean they have ever even been in a fight or were taught the right and most realistic way to defend themselves. They learned from martial artists who are in the same boat, just best guessing what you can do.
So what about dealing with multiple assailants? First, you must always assume they are there. Whether you’re in an alley way, bar or on patrol, you are at a severe disadvantage if your assailant chooses the time and the place of the assault. If you’re a law enforcement officer you’re in their neighborhood or home. Many a domestic argument was broken up by the cop doing his job, only to be attacked by the beaten wife in the process. So you must always assume the worst tactically and train accordingly.
You must know, standing and fighting more than one person puts you at a severe disadvantage. Keep in mind of a couple of key points, if you can escape, great. Put as much distance between you and them as possible. You simply fight what’s in front of you and keep moving forward. When you train, practice to take ground. This will keep your primary target off balance and moving targets are always harder to hit. Always take ground.
If you train the right type of close combat techniques, weapons won’t matter, always attack. Getting hit, stabbed or shot when you’re attacking is a whole lot different that getting hit, stabbed or shot, while you’re being killed. You will be injured, the goal is to minimize your injury and maximize theirs. You will get hurt, toughen up and get over it.
Some simple rules to remember:
Always assume there is more than one assailant
Treat every attacker as an armed attacker
Resolve to the fact that you will feel pain and sustain injury
Always keep moving and taking ground, this will keep you attackers off balance, create openings for escape and make you more difficult to hit.
You can only “fight” one person at a time: deal with what’s in front of you
Attack first when ever possible
Weapons increase your effectiveness
There is no “magic pill”, anyone who tells you that you can stand and fight multiple assailants. Yes we still practice the Random Assault Drill, but the purpose is stressed that his is not so you can stand and fight, but it’s to disorient you and make you tired so that we can recreate some of the frustration of a real fight. The drill teaches you not to think, but to react and move. This is the core of real self defense.
“There I was, in the middle of my fist Black Belt test at the tender age of 22 ready to begin the Random Assault Drill. They were circling me, attackers with knives, bats, clubs and guns, but I was ready. I had been training for years. The panel of sensei watched me, Ross, Cestari, Blandino, Betts, they were all there and I was ready. One by one they attacked and I dispatched them neatly and swiftly. The knife was taken away with ease; the bat was mere child’s play. They were dealt with as fast as they came with no problem- I AM INVINCABLE!!!”
Flash forward to my real life. While visiting a friend at college we went for a typical night out. Well, one thing lead to another, as these things often do: who touched whose girlfriend, or who spilt whose beer, it really didn’t matter. Before I knew it I saw my buddy got sucker punched and he was out on his feet. I immediately tried to make my way to him as fast to as I could offer some retribution but before I knew it I was hit on the back of the head with something hard. When I turned in the direction of the attack I found myself face to face with two or three very pissed off frat boys.
The rest is hard to recall, a lot of pushing, shoving and occasionally hitting someone that wasn’t me and being it by someone or something that wasn’t. It wasn’t pretty, it was frustrating. There was no time to be scared, adrenaline coursed through me. After a short time (which felt like forever) a little voice popped in my head and told me: You’re boxed in here and you need to get out side.
When we finally pushed out the door, the entire fraternity house (about 60 men) seemed to converge on us. Garbage cans and beer bottles were hurled at us from the second floor and all I wanted to do was make sure my friends were OK. Finally after what seemed like an eternity (which was only about 10 minutes) we made it out of there. Banged up, cut and bruised, but alive. I was in pretty good shape and you could say I gave more than I received but this was crazy. These were college kids, future accountants, lawyers, executives and doctors using bottles, pool cues, garbage cans and whatever weren’t nailed down to beat us as best as they could. They were just as bad and just as dangerous as any criminal you would meet.
Where did all my training go? What happened to all the nice throws and take downs? Why was it so hard to get a good shot off? I know my martial arts training helped me survive, but it didn’t “feel” like I practiced.” I felt a little misled but rather than blame my training, I looked for a real solution and a plausible answer.
Unfortunately this as not an exclusive event and I have had the same results. The one question came to mind: What am I doing wrong in my martial arts training?
One of the deadliest problems with martial arts and self defense is the magic pill notion that you will be able to protect you and your loved ones against multiple vicious attacks regardless of who and how many. And you’ll be able to do this without a scratch or even a blemish. This is something we all want to believe. Who doesn’t want to know with 100% certainty that you will be able to fight and protect your loved ones from harm? You spend countless dollars and countless hours training, watching videos going to seminars hoping to come back with the answer.
The experts don’t help simply because they don’t know and or they don’t care. They can have the bet intention, but because they are former military, police, special ops that doesn’t mean they have ever even been in a fight or were taught the right and most realistic way to defend themselves. They learned from martial artists who are in the same boat, just best guessing what you can do.
So what about dealing with multiple assailants? First, you must always assume they are there. Whether you’re in an alley way, bar or on patrol, you are at a severe disadvantage if your assailant chooses the time and the place of the assault. If you’re a law enforcement officer you’re in their neighborhood or home. Many a domestic argument was broken up by the cop doing his job, only to be attacked by the beaten wife in the process. So you must always assume the worst tactically and train accordingly.
You must know, standing and fighting more than one person puts you at a severe disadvantage. Keep in mind of a couple of key points, if you can escape, great. Put as much distance between you and them as possible. You simply fight what’s in front of you and keep moving forward. When you train, practice to take ground. This will keep your primary target off balance and moving targets are always harder to hit. Always take ground.
If you train the right type of close combat techniques, weapons won’t matter, always attack. Getting hit, stabbed or shot when you’re attacking is a whole lot different that getting hit, stabbed or shot, while you’re being killed. You will be injured, the goal is to minimize your injury and maximize theirs. You will get hurt, toughen up and get over it.
Some simple rules to remember:
Always assume there is more than one assailant
Treat every attacker as an armed attacker
Resolve to the fact that you will feel pain and sustain injury
Always keep moving and taking ground, this will keep you attackers off balance, create openings for escape and make you more difficult to hit.
You can only “fight” one person at a time: deal with what’s in front of you
Attack first when ever possible
Weapons increase your effectiveness
There is no “magic pill”, anyone who tells you that you can stand and fight multiple assailants. Yes we still practice the Random Assault Drill, but the purpose is stressed that his is not so you can stand and fight, but it’s to disorient you and make you tired so that we can recreate some of the frustration of a real fight. The drill teaches you not to think, but to react and move. This is the core of real self defense.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Shotokan Karate, Popular Martial Art with Real Rough Past
By Damian Ross and William Pehush of The Self Defense Company
Traditional Karate or Karatedo is one of the best known styles of martial arts and is considered to be and competition sport. It first became popular in the west in the 1960's, but Karate was originally developed for self-defense. Created with Chinese help on the island of Okinawa traditional Karate is brutal form of combat that employs vicious strikes with the hands and feet as and depending on the style throws, grappling, and joint manipulations are also part of the training. There are many different styles of Karate with each focusing on a different area, and countless other styles have incorporated Karate techniques.
Of all the styles of Karate being practiced today though Shotokan is probably the most recognized. Action star Jean-Claude Van Damme practices Shotokan Karate, and the style was used in the Karate Kid films. The style was brought to mainland Japan from Okinawa by Gichin Funakosi in 1921, and it includes elements from Shōrei-ryū and Shōrin-ryū Karate, and even Kendo. Created with self defense in mind, Shotoanwas named after the training a hall where his students practiced. The style stresses dynamic power and constant movement, and devastating strikes.
The basic goal of traditional Karate was to kill or disable an opponent as quickly as possible, and considering the samurai who guarded Okinawa were armed to the teeth it was necessary. The Japanese ruled Okinawa with an iron fist and one of their first acts was to completely ban the natives from owning weapons. So Shotokan Karate was developed with real life combat situations in mind not sport competitions. Though Funakosi would create his style that uses deep stances and linear movements much later than some of the other styles he still held to Karate’s founding principals. His style was simple, effective, and deadly.
In 1879 Gichin Funakosi like many of his peers started training in martial arts and studied both Shōrei-ryū and Shōrin-ryū styles of Karate which were popular at the time. Finding them to complex he began to develop a simpler style taking from the best aspects of both. He also drew from his experiences in Kendo, the Japanese fencing martial art based off of samurai sword fighting techniques. After over twenty years of study he began teaching and demonstrating his new style in Okinawa and later Japan where he continued to write and teach. His son Yoshitaka Funakoshi would add kicking techniques and low stances and long attacks, chained techniques that would break with traditional Okinawan martial arts.
The long and deep stances and more linear movements used in Shotokan Karate differ from the circular movements other Okinawan styles use, but those wouldn’t be the only changes Funakosi would make to the art. Once in Japan Funakosi began calling Karate the"empty hand" instead of "China hand" which had been the tradition in Okinawan schools for generations. His actions angered many other instructors and Funakosi could never go back to Okinawa, but his style of self defense continues to be taught are the world. Sadly though Shotokan Karate has been turned into a tournament combat sport with a points based system. Funakosi intended for his style to be used for self defense against enemy soldiers and criminals not to score points in a martial arts competition.
Today many martial arts schools are concerned with combat sport Karate which is basically point sparring while others focus on the self defense aspect with others trying to teach both. Prior to World War II Karate was all about full contact and self defense, but now it is about trophies and kids birthday parties. All the traditional forms were all about hard strikes and offered many different options to help a martial artist win in a fight, but over time, they became civilized. Traditional styles like Shotokan at their heart are meant for self defense, but many of the lethal techniques were removed to make things safer for sports. Though there are some instructors out there teaching real combat karate they are few so do your research and know that just because you're learning Karate doesn't mean you can protect yourself. Remember real self defense is never complicated and it always works whether you have on a gi or not.
Traditional Karate or Karatedo is one of the best known styles of martial arts and is considered to be and competition sport. It first became popular in the west in the 1960's, but Karate was originally developed for self-defense. Created with Chinese help on the island of Okinawa traditional Karate is brutal form of combat that employs vicious strikes with the hands and feet as and depending on the style throws, grappling, and joint manipulations are also part of the training. There are many different styles of Karate with each focusing on a different area, and countless other styles have incorporated Karate techniques.
Of all the styles of Karate being practiced today though Shotokan is probably the most recognized. Action star Jean-Claude Van Damme practices Shotokan Karate, and the style was used in the Karate Kid films. The style was brought to mainland Japan from Okinawa by Gichin Funakosi in 1921, and it includes elements from Shōrei-ryū and Shōrin-ryū Karate, and even Kendo. Created with self defense in mind, Shotoanwas named after the training a hall where his students practiced. The style stresses dynamic power and constant movement, and devastating strikes.
The basic goal of traditional Karate was to kill or disable an opponent as quickly as possible, and considering the samurai who guarded Okinawa were armed to the teeth it was necessary. The Japanese ruled Okinawa with an iron fist and one of their first acts was to completely ban the natives from owning weapons. So Shotokan Karate was developed with real life combat situations in mind not sport competitions. Though Funakosi would create his style that uses deep stances and linear movements much later than some of the other styles he still held to Karate’s founding principals. His style was simple, effective, and deadly.
In 1879 Gichin Funakosi like many of his peers started training in martial arts and studied both Shōrei-ryū and Shōrin-ryū styles of Karate which were popular at the time. Finding them to complex he began to develop a simpler style taking from the best aspects of both. He also drew from his experiences in Kendo, the Japanese fencing martial art based off of samurai sword fighting techniques. After over twenty years of study he began teaching and demonstrating his new style in Okinawa and later Japan where he continued to write and teach. His son Yoshitaka Funakoshi would add kicking techniques and low stances and long attacks, chained techniques that would break with traditional Okinawan martial arts.
The long and deep stances and more linear movements used in Shotokan Karate differ from the circular movements other Okinawan styles use, but those wouldn’t be the only changes Funakosi would make to the art. Once in Japan Funakosi began calling Karate the"empty hand" instead of "China hand" which had been the tradition in Okinawan schools for generations. His actions angered many other instructors and Funakosi could never go back to Okinawa, but his style of self defense continues to be taught are the world. Sadly though Shotokan Karate has been turned into a tournament combat sport with a points based system. Funakosi intended for his style to be used for self defense against enemy soldiers and criminals not to score points in a martial arts competition.
Today many martial arts schools are concerned with combat sport Karate which is basically point sparring while others focus on the self defense aspect with others trying to teach both. Prior to World War II Karate was all about full contact and self defense, but now it is about trophies and kids birthday parties. All the traditional forms were all about hard strikes and offered many different options to help a martial artist win in a fight, but over time, they became civilized. Traditional styles like Shotokan at their heart are meant for self defense, but many of the lethal techniques were removed to make things safer for sports. Though there are some instructors out there teaching real combat karate they are few so do your research and know that just because you're learning Karate doesn't mean you can protect yourself. Remember real self defense is never complicated and it always works whether you have on a gi or not.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Dog School
I can hear him barking everytime I pull into a parking space at my condominium. I open my car window and shut off the CD player in the car to hear if he is barking before I arrive; sometimes I drive through a different entrance to the parking lot to determine if he is barking as a result of seeing or hearing my car or just because he suffers from separation anxiety. Fortunately, it is the former. He stops barking soon after I shut off my car and by the time I reach the front door, he is silent.
The scene is always the same. As I open the front door, I hear his excited expelled huffs of air and the “thump, wack, thump, wack” of that muscular tail that has floored many papers from the coffee table and end tables in my condo. Unfortunately, he can not yet be trusted so he needs to be caged while I am out. Left to his druthers, he would roam in the condo and find things to chew on-window sills, wood blinds, couch cushions, TV remotes (I am now on my fourth), and door jambs. Better yet, he loves to rummage for food that is left at the back of the kitchen counters: full canisters of cashews, cake mixes and a full can of Coffee Mate. Ah, idle paws!!!
With some of these trials now behind him and me, my dog, Kokoro, teaches me the same lesson day after day. After I free him from his cage, he looks around excitedly for something to mouth. He usually brings out one of the three or four toys that are in the cage but quickly drops the one he picked up to find the ultimate toy-an Official Major League Baseball which has not a hint of ever being white. He is mouthing the ball as it shifts in his mouth; his tail is wagging so vigorously that his haunch is moving back and forth; his eyes are fixated on me; he is going up and down the stairs; if he could talk-“C’mon already let’s go play!!!!”.
I open the door and he shoots out like a shot. I call to him, “Kokoro”. He comes back to me, brushes up against me, then he trots about ten feet in front of me with a couple of looks back at me. Everytime I call him, he is back at my side. When we reach the field where he retrieves every throw I make, he drops the ball at my feet. His muscles are twitching. His eyes locked on the ball that I now hold in my hand. I raise my arm and he is already running. The ball lands in front of him, he tracks it, runs full bore and with one full swoop, lowers his body, moves his tail for balance and scoops up the ball in his mouth. He turns and trots back to me, drops the ball and gets ready to do it all over. This process is repeated until my arm gets tired which is much quicker than he does. As I stand marveling at my friend’s speed and agility and desire to retrieve, a smile creeps onto my face.
I smile because I realize that this game of retrieving is what he wants to do at that moment. Kokoro is living in the moment of his life. That realization is important because so many of us do not live in the moment. I am guilty. Recently, I was feeling low about my financial situation, career and judo. I entered a tournament and lost two matches very quickly. It was embarrassing. As I stressed about my ability in judo, I let that feeling of unworthiness invade my confidence in my career. I had a conversation with a friend about it and she provided insight to my supposed plight. Her words brought me comfort and started me back on track. The day after our conversation, I felt better but not great. I was still a little low. But when I came home and saw Kokoro’s tail wagging, the already wet with saliva baseball and his sojourns up and down the stairs, I knew that she was completely right. I was not living in the moment. I let the pressures and stress of this world eat me up. I walked off my path and lost sight of my way.
When I feel that I am getting off my path, I try to simplify the moment. Whether it is a bad moment or a good one, I know that it will pass. It is only a small portion of my life. Sometimes the bad moments last for longer than we would like and the great ones not as long as we desire. When I look upon Kokoro retrieving the ball and coming back to me for another throw, he is only concerned with that throw, on getting it back as he runs toward it, picking it up and returning to me. He is not concerned with the school bus that just passed, the kids walking on the sidewalk or the dog that is barking just a few feet away. He is in his moment-living for it, enjoying it, reveling in it. He teaches me this lesson everyday because I need to re-learn it each day.
When You Post or Print Please include: Article Provided Courtesy of Roger Jones www.zenshin.info and www.theselfdefenseco.com ©2008 all rights reserved.
The scene is always the same. As I open the front door, I hear his excited expelled huffs of air and the “thump, wack, thump, wack” of that muscular tail that has floored many papers from the coffee table and end tables in my condo. Unfortunately, he can not yet be trusted so he needs to be caged while I am out. Left to his druthers, he would roam in the condo and find things to chew on-window sills, wood blinds, couch cushions, TV remotes (I am now on my fourth), and door jambs. Better yet, he loves to rummage for food that is left at the back of the kitchen counters: full canisters of cashews, cake mixes and a full can of Coffee Mate. Ah, idle paws!!!
With some of these trials now behind him and me, my dog, Kokoro, teaches me the same lesson day after day. After I free him from his cage, he looks around excitedly for something to mouth. He usually brings out one of the three or four toys that are in the cage but quickly drops the one he picked up to find the ultimate toy-an Official Major League Baseball which has not a hint of ever being white. He is mouthing the ball as it shifts in his mouth; his tail is wagging so vigorously that his haunch is moving back and forth; his eyes are fixated on me; he is going up and down the stairs; if he could talk-“C’mon already let’s go play!!!!”.
I open the door and he shoots out like a shot. I call to him, “Kokoro”. He comes back to me, brushes up against me, then he trots about ten feet in front of me with a couple of looks back at me. Everytime I call him, he is back at my side. When we reach the field where he retrieves every throw I make, he drops the ball at my feet. His muscles are twitching. His eyes locked on the ball that I now hold in my hand. I raise my arm and he is already running. The ball lands in front of him, he tracks it, runs full bore and with one full swoop, lowers his body, moves his tail for balance and scoops up the ball in his mouth. He turns and trots back to me, drops the ball and gets ready to do it all over. This process is repeated until my arm gets tired which is much quicker than he does. As I stand marveling at my friend’s speed and agility and desire to retrieve, a smile creeps onto my face.
I smile because I realize that this game of retrieving is what he wants to do at that moment. Kokoro is living in the moment of his life. That realization is important because so many of us do not live in the moment. I am guilty. Recently, I was feeling low about my financial situation, career and judo. I entered a tournament and lost two matches very quickly. It was embarrassing. As I stressed about my ability in judo, I let that feeling of unworthiness invade my confidence in my career. I had a conversation with a friend about it and she provided insight to my supposed plight. Her words brought me comfort and started me back on track. The day after our conversation, I felt better but not great. I was still a little low. But when I came home and saw Kokoro’s tail wagging, the already wet with saliva baseball and his sojourns up and down the stairs, I knew that she was completely right. I was not living in the moment. I let the pressures and stress of this world eat me up. I walked off my path and lost sight of my way.
When I feel that I am getting off my path, I try to simplify the moment. Whether it is a bad moment or a good one, I know that it will pass. It is only a small portion of my life. Sometimes the bad moments last for longer than we would like and the great ones not as long as we desire. When I look upon Kokoro retrieving the ball and coming back to me for another throw, he is only concerned with that throw, on getting it back as he runs toward it, picking it up and returning to me. He is not concerned with the school bus that just passed, the kids walking on the sidewalk or the dog that is barking just a few feet away. He is in his moment-living for it, enjoying it, reveling in it. He teaches me this lesson everyday because I need to re-learn it each day.
When You Post or Print Please include: Article Provided Courtesy of Roger Jones www.zenshin.info and www.theselfdefenseco.com ©2008 all rights reserved.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
There’s No Place like Home
Don’t make the mistake of leaving your self defense and martial arts training in your suitcase when you go on vacation!
Peter Barry
A couple of weeks ago there was a story on the news and in the paper that sticks in my mind. It is the story about a group of cruise ship passengers that were held up at gun point while on a land tour. If you are not familiar with the story, The Carnival Lines ship Legend docked in Limon, Costa Rica. A group of 6 passengers booked a private tour. While on the tour, 3 armed assailants attempted to rob them. One of the passengers, a 70 year-old man grabbed one of the attackers
and snapped his neck. OK, so the man was a former Marine. The other passengers began to resist and the attack ended with no one that matters being hurt.
When I first heard about this I thought it was great that none of the passengers were hurt and the man was a hero for taking action. I still think that but, when you look further into the story, the passengers have to accept some responsibility for putting themselves in this situation. The passengers were warned that Limon was a dangerous place and that a passenger on another ship was shot in the stomach a month earlier. Another passenger booked a private tour
but he heeded the crews’ warnings and also hired a body guard. Another passenger, a retired NYPD officer, said “From the moment I stepped off the ship, I knew it was very dangerous,”
“Everyone was eying us all over”. I looked up Limon in the internet and I didn’t see anything worth doing or seeing that was worth risking my life over. Why would you want the added stress of wandering around a dangerous place when you are supposed to be relaxing on vacation? I think staying on the ship and lounging by the pool would have been the wiser choice.
In another incident, a friend of mine was in Madrid visiting his daughter who was spending the semester studying in Spain. Now, Madrid is not at all like Limon. It is a very clean, very friendly city where you feel safe at any hour of the day. My friend was walking through the rail station,
rolling his bag behind him, looking for the place he was meeting his daughter. All of a sudden he was knocked backwards over his luggage and a man stole his wallet from his pants pocket.
I don’t think this was in any way his fault but, he should have been more aware of his surroundings and at least seen the man coming. What can be learned from these two
incidents? Be aware of your surroundings. Whether you are at the mall in your hometown or
on vacation in some third world country, you must be cognizant of what is going on around you.
Just because you are on vacation does not mean the criminals are. It means you will be out of town before the trial (if any) starts. Criminals always choose the weakest target. Wandering through a train station looking lost makes that you.
You are responsible for your own safety. Because Carnival Lines chooses to dock in Limon, doesn’t mean it is a safe place to visit. It probably means it is a cheap place to dock. Be prepared. Pack your pepper spray in your luggage (NOT your carry on) and Across Generations- It’s never too early or late to start your training. Bring your personal alarm for use in the hotel. Believe me, when people are staying in a hotel and hear a strange alarm they come out of their rooms pretty
quickly. I’m not saying you have to go through life being paranoid, just careful. Be safe.
About the Author
Peter Barry is a longtime martial artist and has one of only 4 recognized Black Belts in the world in Carl Cestari’s Tekkenryu jujutsu and rank in Kodokan Judo. He was Sensei Damian Ross’s first student in the ZenShin Dojo. He has over a decade of experience and trains and teaches at the ZenShin Dojo in Pompton Lakes, NJ (www.zenshin.info) He is also a staff instructor and author for The Self Defense Company (www.thetruthaboutselfdefense.com)
Peter Barry
A couple of weeks ago there was a story on the news and in the paper that sticks in my mind. It is the story about a group of cruise ship passengers that were held up at gun point while on a land tour. If you are not familiar with the story, The Carnival Lines ship Legend docked in Limon, Costa Rica. A group of 6 passengers booked a private tour. While on the tour, 3 armed assailants attempted to rob them. One of the passengers, a 70 year-old man grabbed one of the attackers
and snapped his neck. OK, so the man was a former Marine. The other passengers began to resist and the attack ended with no one that matters being hurt.
When I first heard about this I thought it was great that none of the passengers were hurt and the man was a hero for taking action. I still think that but, when you look further into the story, the passengers have to accept some responsibility for putting themselves in this situation. The passengers were warned that Limon was a dangerous place and that a passenger on another ship was shot in the stomach a month earlier. Another passenger booked a private tour
but he heeded the crews’ warnings and also hired a body guard. Another passenger, a retired NYPD officer, said “From the moment I stepped off the ship, I knew it was very dangerous,”
“Everyone was eying us all over”. I looked up Limon in the internet and I didn’t see anything worth doing or seeing that was worth risking my life over. Why would you want the added stress of wandering around a dangerous place when you are supposed to be relaxing on vacation? I think staying on the ship and lounging by the pool would have been the wiser choice.
In another incident, a friend of mine was in Madrid visiting his daughter who was spending the semester studying in Spain. Now, Madrid is not at all like Limon. It is a very clean, very friendly city where you feel safe at any hour of the day. My friend was walking through the rail station,
rolling his bag behind him, looking for the place he was meeting his daughter. All of a sudden he was knocked backwards over his luggage and a man stole his wallet from his pants pocket.
I don’t think this was in any way his fault but, he should have been more aware of his surroundings and at least seen the man coming. What can be learned from these two
incidents? Be aware of your surroundings. Whether you are at the mall in your hometown or
on vacation in some third world country, you must be cognizant of what is going on around you.
Just because you are on vacation does not mean the criminals are. It means you will be out of town before the trial (if any) starts. Criminals always choose the weakest target. Wandering through a train station looking lost makes that you.
You are responsible for your own safety. Because Carnival Lines chooses to dock in Limon, doesn’t mean it is a safe place to visit. It probably means it is a cheap place to dock. Be prepared. Pack your pepper spray in your luggage (NOT your carry on) and Across Generations- It’s never too early or late to start your training. Bring your personal alarm for use in the hotel. Believe me, when people are staying in a hotel and hear a strange alarm they come out of their rooms pretty
quickly. I’m not saying you have to go through life being paranoid, just careful. Be safe.
About the Author
Peter Barry is a longtime martial artist and has one of only 4 recognized Black Belts in the world in Carl Cestari’s Tekkenryu jujutsu and rank in Kodokan Judo. He was Sensei Damian Ross’s first student in the ZenShin Dojo. He has over a decade of experience and trains and teaches at the ZenShin Dojo in Pompton Lakes, NJ (www.zenshin.info) He is also a staff instructor and author for The Self Defense Company (www.thetruthaboutselfdefense.com)
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Religious Roots, The Birth of Wing Chun
By Damian Ross and William Pehush of The Self Defense Company
The Shaolin monks of China are known throughout the world for the martial arts prowess and have become the stuff of legend. The monks training started out as just simple morning exercises, but their training evolved into several different styles of martial arts so that members of the holy order could use them to defend themselves in combat. They learned quickly that having a healthy body, a clear mind, and a rich spiritual life meant nothing if you couldn’t protect yourself from scumbags. Now most people today know the flashy styles of Kung Fu made popular by films and television, but traditional Wing Chun practiced by martial artists like Bruce Lee is a hard hitting style that is all about taking out your enemy as quickly as possible.
Like many martial arts styles it is hard to determine exactly when and how Wing Chun or Ving tsun as it is sometimes called came into being. Some believe Wing Chun was developed by several different Shaolin grandmasters that picked the best techniques for self defense from Chinese martial arts and made them all into one system. One persistent legend is that Ng Mui a nun from one of the Shaolin temples created Wing Chun as a form of boxing. It is said that she taught a woman named Yim Wing Chun how to fight, so she could defeat a local warlord in hand to hand combat otherwise she would be forced to marry him and not her lover. Whatever the true story is will probably never exactly be known, because the training was passed on through oral tradition as it was in those days.
The idea behind Wing Chun is to attack along the center line of your opponent’s body, and strike vital areas. This is extremely effective in breaking his balance and keeping him from mounting and offensive. At it’s core, Wing Chun is all about striking and destroying the target. This is seen in Bruce Lee’s “straight blast” method. The strike doesn’t need to be hard, but if it is done correctly it can do real damage. Rather then absorb the strikes of an attacker a Wing Chun practitioner deflects the attacker’s energy.
The style also teaches its students two traditional weapons, the dragon pole, and the butterfly knives. The pole arm has been used for centuries and was used to teach bayonet training. The butterfly knives used in pairs can hack down an opponent. Training secessions in Wing Chun are similar to most martial arts and like several Japanese martial arts, a wooden dummy is used to simulate striking an opponent so a student can refine their techniques and toughen their natural weapons for combat..
In other styles there is the block then the strike, but in Wing Chun the two movements are combined into one swift action. There is no pause between movements. When an attacker strikes at a Wing Chun practitioner they will deflect the blow and then strike back simultaneously. There is a structure to the style that also allows a practitioner block any attacks long as they’re protecting their core. With balance, body structure and relaxation a Wing Chun practitioner is able to maintain this attack/defense structure, but its strength is also a fatal weakness.
While someone can use Wing Chun to defeat a larger opponent only if they can stay strong enough long enough to maintain their attack/defense structure. Now in theory Wing Chun sounds great for self defense, but only in the short term. In a self defense situation there is no set time limit. You have to be able to keep fighting, and your method of self defense has to work whether you’re tired or hurt, because you can’t tell your attacker you need a break. Also there is no ground fighting techniques in Wing Chun. Now granted in a real hand to hand combat the last thing you want to do is end up on the ground, but you still need to know how to fight from there and improve your position.
The greatest person of note to practice Wing Chun was martial arts legend Bruce Lee (student of Yip Man). Lee saw flaws with his style and worked to strip away some of the pointless traditions and positions and turn Wing Chun in an even more basic and effective form of self defense. He also didn’t confine himself to just Wing Chun and studied many other martial arts, so don’t let anyone ever tell you Wing Chun was his style alone. Like so many martial arts today, Bruce Lee cross trained in boxing, jujutsu, karate, judo and greco-roman wrestling just to name a few. But despite all of Bruce Lee’s knowledge and expertise, he knew that Self defense is basic and brutal. There is no “style”. If you survive you win.
The Shaolin monks of China are known throughout the world for the martial arts prowess and have become the stuff of legend. The monks training started out as just simple morning exercises, but their training evolved into several different styles of martial arts so that members of the holy order could use them to defend themselves in combat. They learned quickly that having a healthy body, a clear mind, and a rich spiritual life meant nothing if you couldn’t protect yourself from scumbags. Now most people today know the flashy styles of Kung Fu made popular by films and television, but traditional Wing Chun practiced by martial artists like Bruce Lee is a hard hitting style that is all about taking out your enemy as quickly as possible.
Like many martial arts styles it is hard to determine exactly when and how Wing Chun or Ving tsun as it is sometimes called came into being. Some believe Wing Chun was developed by several different Shaolin grandmasters that picked the best techniques for self defense from Chinese martial arts and made them all into one system. One persistent legend is that Ng Mui a nun from one of the Shaolin temples created Wing Chun as a form of boxing. It is said that she taught a woman named Yim Wing Chun how to fight, so she could defeat a local warlord in hand to hand combat otherwise she would be forced to marry him and not her lover. Whatever the true story is will probably never exactly be known, because the training was passed on through oral tradition as it was in those days.
The idea behind Wing Chun is to attack along the center line of your opponent’s body, and strike vital areas. This is extremely effective in breaking his balance and keeping him from mounting and offensive. At it’s core, Wing Chun is all about striking and destroying the target. This is seen in Bruce Lee’s “straight blast” method. The strike doesn’t need to be hard, but if it is done correctly it can do real damage. Rather then absorb the strikes of an attacker a Wing Chun practitioner deflects the attacker’s energy.
The style also teaches its students two traditional weapons, the dragon pole, and the butterfly knives. The pole arm has been used for centuries and was used to teach bayonet training. The butterfly knives used in pairs can hack down an opponent. Training secessions in Wing Chun are similar to most martial arts and like several Japanese martial arts, a wooden dummy is used to simulate striking an opponent so a student can refine their techniques and toughen their natural weapons for combat..
In other styles there is the block then the strike, but in Wing Chun the two movements are combined into one swift action. There is no pause between movements. When an attacker strikes at a Wing Chun practitioner they will deflect the blow and then strike back simultaneously. There is a structure to the style that also allows a practitioner block any attacks long as they’re protecting their core. With balance, body structure and relaxation a Wing Chun practitioner is able to maintain this attack/defense structure, but its strength is also a fatal weakness.
While someone can use Wing Chun to defeat a larger opponent only if they can stay strong enough long enough to maintain their attack/defense structure. Now in theory Wing Chun sounds great for self defense, but only in the short term. In a self defense situation there is no set time limit. You have to be able to keep fighting, and your method of self defense has to work whether you’re tired or hurt, because you can’t tell your attacker you need a break. Also there is no ground fighting techniques in Wing Chun. Now granted in a real hand to hand combat the last thing you want to do is end up on the ground, but you still need to know how to fight from there and improve your position.
The greatest person of note to practice Wing Chun was martial arts legend Bruce Lee (student of Yip Man). Lee saw flaws with his style and worked to strip away some of the pointless traditions and positions and turn Wing Chun in an even more basic and effective form of self defense. He also didn’t confine himself to just Wing Chun and studied many other martial arts, so don’t let anyone ever tell you Wing Chun was his style alone. Like so many martial arts today, Bruce Lee cross trained in boxing, jujutsu, karate, judo and greco-roman wrestling just to name a few. But despite all of Bruce Lee’s knowledge and expertise, he knew that Self defense is basic and brutal. There is no “style”. If you survive you win.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
How to Conquer Your Fear
I just received an email from a woman who is being stalked by a so-to-be parolee. He has a history of violence and she already has a restraining order against him. I did advise her to remind the police of her situation if she didn’t already. But this still doesn’t solve her problem. There is a real possibility that she will be attacked. Unfortunately, the police can’t be everywhere at once, so it’s up to you to prepare.
This is understandably affecting her. It has gotten to the point that her anxiety is taking over her life. Every day his parole approaches, she becomes more and more consumed by fear. The mere thought of it makes her hands begin to shake. Her reaction is not irrational, it’s about as real as it gets. There’s no therapy that can calm her down, change her mind and “convince’ her that her fear is misplaced. This is something she will have to deal with and prepare for. She is not unusual; everyone who has encountered violence has this very rational reaction.
Every week, another police officer enrolls at one of my schools or enrolls in the Self Defense Training System after a close call with some skel (perpetrator). It usually begins as a routine situation and then it goes south when the suspect decides to be non-compliant. The next thing the officer knows is that he’s in a roll-around and the cavalry is no where in site. He can’t call on his radio, he’s becoming exhausted and he’s alone. He quickly comes to the realization that his training in the academy does not work OR he needs to practice on a regular basis to keep sharp and not just do his job well, but survive and go home safely.
Civilian or professional, the answer is simple (not easy): you have to train. The harder your train and practice, the less anxiety you will have. Because you are solving your problem by taking control and doing something about it, you become more confident in what your ability to meet the threat. The harder your work and train, the better you’ll be.
I have my own built in mechanism which is not uncommon. Whenever I start having dreams that I’m in a situation, fighting for my life and I’m completely ineffective, I know it’s time to step up the training. Once I do that, my anxiety goes away and the dreams stop. When you’ve prepared yourself to the best of your ability your anxiety decreases. That goes for close quarter weapons and hand to hand tactics. The more you train, the more you prepare, the less nervous you are.
You will always have fear or hormone induced stress, there’s no way around it. You just need a way to develop it, channel and turn it into something useful. Talking about it won’t help; thinking about it won’t do it, only preparation will. That comes from practicing the proper techniques, the right way and of course, being honest in your training.
Until next time, Train Honestly,
Damian Ross
Instructor, The Self Defense Company
www.thetruthaboutselfdefense.com
This is understandably affecting her. It has gotten to the point that her anxiety is taking over her life. Every day his parole approaches, she becomes more and more consumed by fear. The mere thought of it makes her hands begin to shake. Her reaction is not irrational, it’s about as real as it gets. There’s no therapy that can calm her down, change her mind and “convince’ her that her fear is misplaced. This is something she will have to deal with and prepare for. She is not unusual; everyone who has encountered violence has this very rational reaction.
Every week, another police officer enrolls at one of my schools or enrolls in the Self Defense Training System after a close call with some skel (perpetrator). It usually begins as a routine situation and then it goes south when the suspect decides to be non-compliant. The next thing the officer knows is that he’s in a roll-around and the cavalry is no where in site. He can’t call on his radio, he’s becoming exhausted and he’s alone. He quickly comes to the realization that his training in the academy does not work OR he needs to practice on a regular basis to keep sharp and not just do his job well, but survive and go home safely.
Civilian or professional, the answer is simple (not easy): you have to train. The harder your train and practice, the less anxiety you will have. Because you are solving your problem by taking control and doing something about it, you become more confident in what your ability to meet the threat. The harder your work and train, the better you’ll be.
I have my own built in mechanism which is not uncommon. Whenever I start having dreams that I’m in a situation, fighting for my life and I’m completely ineffective, I know it’s time to step up the training. Once I do that, my anxiety goes away and the dreams stop. When you’ve prepared yourself to the best of your ability your anxiety decreases. That goes for close quarter weapons and hand to hand tactics. The more you train, the more you prepare, the less nervous you are.
You will always have fear or hormone induced stress, there’s no way around it. You just need a way to develop it, channel and turn it into something useful. Talking about it won’t help; thinking about it won’t do it, only preparation will. That comes from practicing the proper techniques, the right way and of course, being honest in your training.
Until next time, Train Honestly,
Damian Ross
Instructor, The Self Defense Company
www.thetruthaboutselfdefense.com
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