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Archive for the ‘Martial Arts’ Category

I had yet another conversation with my JKD (Jeet Kune Do) classical co-worker and we spoke of his past experiences sparring as part of his old school. He noted just how they used to do a “round robin” sparring session where one person would remain in and other folks would come in fresh every minute (this is certainly extremely popular in MMA or MMA training at this time by the way).

Here is what he pointed out, “Yeah, just one style can’t fit all for the reason that you are going to battle left handers, right handers, short people, tall folks, and even if two different people are the same as far as height and weight, they approach battling certainly distinctive!” (To some extent paraphrased by the way.) This is a very true proclamation, no art, or style is going to match every fighter you face, you can actually change your style but nonetheless you are going to must make modifications. This is exactly why Bruce Lee was such a big enthusiast of being like water.  Read more...

This concept, that working Karate does not look like the Karate that students are taught in schools, is actually true throughout the martial arts. Shaolin done in real life does not look like wu shu taught in the kwoon. Forms Kung fu doesn’t resemble kung fu used for fighting, and so on.

The reason for this is that there is the art that pleases the eye, and then there is functional. A fellow teaches, or learns a martial art, and he usually learns something that looks good. Once one starts applying real world potentials to the problem of self defense, however, the technique must often change to work.

Take a look at the classical kung fu back stance. The stance is so low on the back leg that the ankle is unable to support the weight of most attacks. Thus, one must change the shape of the form in order to really make it work.

Or, take a look at the basic middle block as done in most Karate schools. It swings from the side and there is no real weight behind it. The correct way to do this block is to shoot it out from the center of the body, which would put structure behind the move.  Read more...

The very first move of Karate, as taken from the first Heian or Pinan form, is a step to the side with a low block. But Karate was not designed for blocking. Yes, there are blocks in the art, and it can be adapted to blocking and striking modes, but it was not designed for blocking except by the way.

Karate was designed to guard the ruler of the island of Okinawa. The Imperial bodyguards trained to use their art in a room filled with a variety of different warriors. Soldiers with different weapons and ways of fighting, while the Okinawans had no arms to rely on.

Thus, would you really block a samurai sword with a high block? Would you try to deflect a bullet with a shuto? Because these were the real weapons that the Imperial bodyguards had to confront.

Consider also that the first order given troops in such a situation, if they were to attempt to kidnap the king of Okinawa, would be to restrain the bodyguards. This means that samurai would step forward and grab wrists, perhaps preparatory to tying the hands of the bodyguards, or merely moving them from the throne room, or otherwise controlling them. And this means that the first defense of the bodyguards, as described by the first technique in karate training, would be to step in, dropping the weight and arm, thus escaping from the technique, and possibly head butting those who tried to grab them.  Read more...

In discussing martial arts and weight loss, here’s the trick to the fighting arts: It’s not just a way to work out.

Karate in particular is much, much more than a way to get in shape. With traditional, Okinawan, Shorin Ryu (Shaolin Style) Karate, you’re training your mind, your spirit and your body, and endeavoring into a lifestyle wherein losing weight is not even the goal, but a happy by-product of what you love to do.

When you go to the gym, it’s easy to lose interest. At the end of the day, what you’re doing is moving weights up and down and running in place while watching the TV. You might get in shape, but you’re not exactly changing much as a person beyond that. With the martial arts, you will grow as a person, and you will develop in ways, physically, spiritually and mentally, that you didn’t think possible.

This isn’t mysticism we’re talking about here, but a kind of philosophy, a way of life that helps to redefine you. A person who hits the gym is just a person who hits the gym. A person who practices martial arts is a martial artist. Beyond the personal growth, you are also part of an ancient and significant tradition.  Read more...

You fight like you practice. That is it, that’s all. I could stop this talk right now. But, I won’t, because this is such an important and vital topic that I will continue to communicate about it.

Myelinization And The SAID Principal

This is a principle that the more you practice something the more myelin covers your nervous system causing the transmission of electrical impulses to be sent out more rapidly. Therefore your response time is much swifter, to the point where you don’t have to think to get a action out (I could get into Bruce Lee’s principle of the 4 stages of knowledge, but I will not get into it in this article). The SAID principal stands for “specific adoption to imposed demands”. As one of my mentors said, “Your body gets good at stuff.” Now that’s not proper English, but that is the truth about it. The more you train a certain way, the more likely you’re going to fight that way when a scenario comes out. Take for illustration the way I do a one legged squat. I taught myself to do it Pavel Tsatsouline style, with one leg out to the front. At the APEX Certification attended, they trained me to leave it an inch off the gym floor and right next to my other foot. Suffice to say that I had a lot of a tough times doing it! My body system was performing on the practice stimulus I had given it, so I had lifted my leg out more to the front (not all the way, but it felt more natural to do it that way)!  Read more...

Martial arts and childern – can they go well together? As a parent, you might think it’s about encouraging your kid to get into fights. However, it does not work that way. This Asian form of self-defense and discipline will actually teach your child responsibility and discipline, to name a few.

For sure you are against violent fight scenes in movies and cartoons which your youngster can have access too. And it’s perhaps for the same reason why you have second thoughts about this sport being learned by your kid. But, just like any other sports there is, martial arts provides your little one with a lot of benefits. Read on to know that it’s neither violence nor aggression your child will learn from it.

Is your little one is a loner at school or has trouble making friends? Then enrolling him or her in a group with other children sharing the same interest might help. For sure your child will find this a fun way to spend free time. Learning a new sport with other kids is definitely a better alternative than watching cartoons or playing video games.  Read more...

In his second fight in just over a month, Frank Trigg dominated tough veteran Falaniko Vitale wire to wire en route to a unanimous decision victory at Strikeforce: Payback. Trigg looked very sharp in easily handling Makoto Takimoto in Tokyo at Sengoku 4 on August 28th, and his victory here was every bit as impressive. Aside from a 2nd round takedown, Vitale mustered precious little offense and spent most of the fight trying to counter Triggs sharp striking and takedown attempts.

In the co-main event, Duane Bang Ludwig earned an explosive TKO win over Sam Morgan. After an evenly contested first minute, Ludwig quickly took control with a series of Muay Thai knee strikes which set up a perfectly placed bodyshot to the liver that floored his opponent. Ludwig quickly pressed his advantage and never gave Morgan a chance to recover. Still feeling the effects of the liver shot, Morgan ate another hard punch to the solar plexus and gasping for breath was forced to tap out under the barrage of strikes.  Read more...

Karate, as it is practiced in modern times, is absolutely nothing like the Karate invented centuries ago. There are many reasons for this phenomena, cultural, historical, vested interest, and on and on. This article will pin point the exact reasons the art of Karate has changed, and why it is considered a failure in the eyes of many people.

Karate was developed to defend the emperor of the island kingdom of Okinawa. The techniques gathered together were specific in their intent, and that intent was shaped by having to deal with a variety of different weapons and soldiers in a specific arena. Interestingly, the art of Karate was not specifically designed for blocking and striking, though that can be considered as necessary, and more to do with disarming and maiming.

The Japanese eventually forced the King of Okinawa to reside in Japan, where he was treated like a guest, but was still nothing but a prisoner. With the king gone, what reason did the bodyguards have to teach and pursue their art? Thus, lessons were taught to children to give strength and good health, but the maiming and butchery of the pure art was left out.  Read more...

When you turn on the news, you always see a story or two about a violent criminal on the loose. Now, the truth is that the streets are actually quite a bit safer than they’re made out to be. You can walk to your car at night every day for the rest of your life, and the odds are actually against your being harmed by some nutjob. However, the possibility is there, and it is very real. When it comes to martial arts and women, the whole point is to be safe.

Think of it this way: The odds are against your contracting HIV, but does that mean that you shouldn’t practice safe sex? The odds are against your getting in a car accident today, so does that mean that you shouldn’t put on your safety belt? The odds are against you getting food poisoning, but don’t you think you should cook that meat past the danger zone nonetheless? Martial arts training is the sort of thing that is better to have and not need, than to need and not have. It is simply a way of making sure that your bases are covered, that, should you ever be attacked, you can fight back.  Read more...

The beauty about exercise as a means to achieving good health is that there are plenty of interesting alternatives available. You can consider taking martial arts and fitness as one of your options. It is a great technique to learn and it works as an excellent way to work out different parts of the body. It is important to know that such work outs are essential for your overall well being and they enhance good health.

When considering starting out with martial arts and fitness, the most ideal place to start is locating a good club or gym that offers the service. In this case you will also need to find a good instructor if you are knew to the art. It is advisable to find one that is near you home area as it makes it easier for you to attend training sessions without fail.

If you are not so fortunate to live in an area where you can easily get a good club then there are still other options worth looking into. There are DVDs that have documented techniques in martial arts. You can take a look at these and buy one that appeals to you the most. A good idea is to start with the most basic moves if you are a beginner. You can then plan to get advanced levels as you move along in the techniques.  Read more...