tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36970695028064035202024-03-17T20:03:20.490-07:00Japanese Jiu Jitsu: A JourneyThe study of Japanese Jiu Jitsu
as a reality based martial art.
Discussions on combat effectiveness,
training, warrior mindset,and the
state of martial arts in today's world.Journeymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00146093025259375890noreply@blogger.comBlogger223125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697069502806403520.post-13546074610334017872015-11-25T18:26:00.000-08:002015-11-25T18:36:22.461-08:00Free Martial Arts...Part II<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I had some great feedback on the first <a href="http://japanesejiujitsu.blogspot.ca/2015/09/free-martial-arts.html">Free Martial Arts...</a>post. Thank you to all that took the time to comment and provide insight. Recently, Kai added to the conversation/discussion. By the time I finished thinking about all the points that had been raised and responded, I realized I had enough for a follow up post. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I've copied over Kai's comments and my response/follow up, um, follows...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This topic has had me doing quite a bit of introspection.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><u>Kai's comments:</u></b></span><br />
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<i>"Dear Journeyman,</i><br />
<i>I love this post, it is so vulnerable and open. Here are my thoughts for what it is worth . . .</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>- No you are not “overthinking”, or being over dramatic by presenting this as a case of handing over “the keys to the kingdom”. I actually think that’s a very good metaphor in this case, given how much you have to offer this man, and the world in general. Your system is like your own baby and you need to be absolutely certain and comfortable before you entrust it to anyone else’s care.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>- So I don’t think any of us can advise you whether to go for it with him at present. You just don’t know him that well, as you say, so how can you trust him with your precious material? So in my view your options are not so much about whether to hand over all or part of your material (etc). It’s more about deciding whether he has any potential, and if he does, then deciding to invest some more in getting to know him. BEFORE you commit to this relationship, or give anything to him. And if you decide that he is not going to be the right person, ether now or after you get to know him, it’s fine for you to just walk away.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>- I don’t know much about this kind of scenario myself, but just Googled “How to choose a business partner” and found LOADS of good articles – here are some: 10 questions to ask before committing to a business partner; Is Your Co-Founder 'the One'? 7 Ways to Tell; Evaluating and Selecting a Strategic Partner. (Sorry the links haven't copied over into this reply).</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>- But I think the deepest, strongest question in your article is the one you don’t actually include in your list at the end which is: is it ok for you to charge money for something as pure, noble and beautiful as the martial arts? It feels like you are drawn to transforming your hard work into income, but are unsure whether this is actually ok in the first place, and you are asking us either to validate this action, or tell you if we disapprove (because money would somehow taint and soil our art). </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>- Again this is just my opinion, but I would say that you absolutely have the right to be paid for your hard work. People draw salaries for their day-to-day jobs all the time and no one thinks anything of it. So why should your work be any less valuable just because you’re doing it independently and not for an employer – and out of love? Your blog is beautiful, and clearly the result of so much work and knowledge, and you have every right to capitalise on this; you would really not be doing anything wrong. </i><br />
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<i>- Of course some people make money from the martial arts in a wrong way, such as opening up a poor quality “belt factory” and teaching crap - or abusing their students etc - but from what you have said, that kind of activity is absolutely nothing to do with where you want to go. </i><br />
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<i>- Your post also made me think of the Buddhist concept of “Right Livelihood”. People have to make a living, and it’s proper that you should do this in an ethical way, and make the world a better place in the process. And helping people to find personal power and stay safe is an awesome way to serve humanity.</i><br />
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<i>- On a stronger note, I also thought of the Parable of the Talents (bible) when I read your post. The first two servants use the money they are given well, and double it. The third servant in the story does nothing with the talent he is given – he just buries it in the ground to keep it safe. And the first two servants are rewarded - but the third man is severely punished. This sounds like a harsh story, but I believe its message is that we have a moral responsibility to make the most of what we have been given in life?</i><br />
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<i>Sorry this reply is so long! and hope it doesn’t sound too “prescriptive” :-) it's really only my own thoughts and feelings on your story. Wishing you all the very best with this – are you going to keep us updated via your blog . . . ?</i><br />
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<i>Best wishes Kai"</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">My Response:</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Kai,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Thanks for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful and insightful response. I’m glad you enjoyed the post. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I do feel like my system/program/vision is, as you said “my baby”. At the same time, I don’t want to be too full of myself or selfish. Your suggestion to get to know him better before coming to any arrangement is spot on. I’m going to check out your suggestions for choosing a business partner. Thanks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You said:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>“But I think the deepest, strongest question in your article is the one you don’t actually include in your list at the end which is: is it ok for you to charge money for something as pure, noble and beautiful as the martial arts? It feels like you are drawn to transforming your hard work into income, but are unsure whether this is actually ok in the first place, and you are asking us either to validate this action, or tell you if we disapprove (because money would somehow taint and soil our art).”</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I’ve struggled with this for a long time. The ‘logical’ side of my brain says it’s ok to charge money, but it’s in conflict with the more emotional side and I’ve often wondered why. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I’ve come to realize that my beginnings in the world of martial arts were heavily influenced by some great teachers, one of whom is still my Sensei, and their attitudes towards money and the martial arts. A common quote I heard was “You’ll never make any money in the martial arts”. That statement was multi-layered and what it really meant was that the “belt factories” as you so aptly named them, had washed down technique and were interested ONLY in the money. As long as you paid, you progressed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">These dojos often had the newest, shiniest equipment, in stark contrast to the small storefront, leaking roof, duct taped mats that I was accustomed to. The chain style schools didn’t seem to care about your individual progression, or your actual ability to defend yourself. So I always shied away from such establishments. It has served me well over years. I still train with, and am friends with, several people from those early days. And that says something about the quality of the people and the training.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To be clear, I always paid some money, there were always club dues, but looking back, I realize just how little I was paying for what I was getting. And everyone who ever taught me had a full-time job outside the training hall. It was a labour of love for them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If I am to be honest with myself, one of the reasons I may be reticent to generate reasonable income from the arts is that I wouldn’t attract me. What I mean is that the ‘me’ from back then, who had little to no money, might never walk into my program/school/facility due to the financial factor. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I wouldn’t be the ’me’ that I am today, in the arts at least, had it not been for the experiences I had back then. I remember being completely broke and occasionally not having the monthly dues. The Sensei(s) never turned me away. Bad business model, but I am still loyal to them today, nearly 25 years later, so maybe it had some merits…and I was the first one to help with water damage, moving a dojo location etc. So, it’s complicated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On the flip side, generating income can greatly assist in improving the quality of training delivered, if the development of the student remains the main focus/priority. And it helps to offset the time and energy expended on such a pursuit. It also allows the teacher (me in this scenario) to continue to upgrade their own skills and knowledge, and have safe and effective training equipment etc.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And you’re absolutely correct, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>“People draw salaries for their day-to-day jobs all the time and no one thinks anything of it. So why should your work be any less valuable just because you’re doing it independently and not for an employer – and out of love?”</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>And thank you for bringing my attention to the Buddhist concept of “Right Livelihood”. I’ve been thinking on this quite a bit since I read your comments. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>“People have to make a living, and it’s proper that you should do this in an ethical way, and make the world a better place in the process. And helping people to find personal power and stay safe is an awesome way to serve humanity.”</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I had not thought of it quite like that before. I’m going to meditate on that. Thanks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The ‘Parable of the Talents’ is also interesting, <i>“…a moral responsibility to make the most of what we have been given…”</i> More food for thought.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Thank you again for your comments and I’m happy that you enjoy the blog. You’ve given me lots to think about. Thank you for that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">JM.</span><br />
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Journeymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00146093025259375890noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697069502806403520.post-22700373087585199852015-09-21T14:45:00.000-07:002015-09-21T14:46:17.585-07:00Free Martial Arts...<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Greed or Quality Control?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That was going to be the title of this post at first. Or Altrusism vs. Pettiness</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1MCD7DqLd-t3v3U1Swx9XyGZZI1c_Pt7Eh6gWfkEnQ9J1jwfa8RvsHCjVqMyNrApPrdbvcbHEpoWc5cGtkHsRl5WFAyHm4051T5WiebMDVZlh_tuPDPJzh0nylYuCLCqaSwSU_5IQzec/s1600/Conundrum+martial+arts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1MCD7DqLd-t3v3U1Swx9XyGZZI1c_Pt7Eh6gWfkEnQ9J1jwfa8RvsHCjVqMyNrApPrdbvcbHEpoWc5cGtkHsRl5WFAyHm4051T5WiebMDVZlh_tuPDPJzh0nylYuCLCqaSwSU_5IQzec/s320/Conundrum+martial+arts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have a martial conundrum. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was recently approached by a very well meaning martial arts instructor who wanted help in developing/designing a self-defense class for his martial arts school (where he is a lead instructor, not an owner).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I agreed to meet with him and see what ideas he had. I firmly believe that the 'end-game' in martial arts should be to help others, and in many ways, that should be reward enough.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I met with him and we sat down to chat about martial arts, specifically self-defense. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This instructor is very skilled in his chosen martial art. I had to give him credit, he knows his stuff. Just as importantly, he also knows what he does <i>not</i> know. He had very little idea where to start with a self-defense specific class. He wanted to draw on my experience and skill set to help. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After chatting for the better part of an hour, a couple of things became quite clear.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. He really did have no idea where to start.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. He wanted me to provide all the material. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, when I say he wanted me to provide all the material, I mean just that. He wanted to do design, develop, and maybe even deliver the product once. Or show him how to deliver it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So what's the problem?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFlscNXsp2nHloakvcMO4EkpMfVr4TKN23lVGEQMwt1ZnaOma0iY7zAQabTVk2bHx1gT9mg0b2hmCM3CsYlqNuvmHpDE3ebK8IYE73E5QR4dyrLDtJh4DHvmDafiLeTNwZa91yjHuxlrg/s1600/martial+arts+puzzle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFlscNXsp2nHloakvcMO4EkpMfVr4TKN23lVGEQMwt1ZnaOma0iY7zAQabTVk2bHx1gT9mg0b2hmCM3CsYlqNuvmHpDE3ebK8IYE73E5QR4dyrLDtJh4DHvmDafiLeTNwZa91yjHuxlrg/s320/martial+arts+puzzle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I find myself struggling with how to handle this. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On one hand, I want to help people learn how to defend themselves from real violence.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the other, I don't want to just give away all my material to someone and walk away. I've spent a long time working on researching violence, selecting and tweaking effective techniques and developing teaching methodologies to put together what I believe to be a realistic and effective program.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is still a work in progress but the major 'guts' of it already exist. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To this instructor's credit, again, he was interesting in having me deliver the program the first time, and not for free. He wanted to watch and then take over teaching it from that point on.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm uncomfortable with this. I don't know him that well and I have concerns he wouldn't deliver it in the way that I would. A good self-defense program is reliant not only on techniques and concepts, but in the instructor's ability to deliver it and have the lessons 'stick'. If you can't retain what you've learned past the lesson, it's of no value.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-DGDEkVTMzTyxwbOp3r6lgIoOTjALBsAkfWO7kdmfKQJta8TzIRAKsYJF7CJUpCxsdiE52Ylrp9zoT5O_uymHQpgaqQhpQdilnVsHcaq9WrTytEaqnrYOjxJOBMv-JcwksX6X9WG7sAM/s1600/greed+in+martial+arts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-DGDEkVTMzTyxwbOp3r6lgIoOTjALBsAkfWO7kdmfKQJta8TzIRAKsYJF7CJUpCxsdiE52Ylrp9zoT5O_uymHQpgaqQhpQdilnVsHcaq9WrTytEaqnrYOjxJOBMv-JcwksX6X9WG7sAM/s1600/greed+in+martial+arts.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Am I being petty? Greedy? Have I lost sight of the true meaning of the martial arts? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Or am I just concerned about people not receiving training that they could actually use to save their lives or protect them or their loved ones from injury?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don't want a watered down version of my material being delivered. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Long term readers of this blog will know that I've often pondered whether or not it's ok to make money from the martial arts. In the spirit of openness, I would like one day to be able to supplement my income somewhat through teaching self-defense. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, in some ways, this could be an opportunity to show my stuff, as it were, in an established club. But...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Luckily, I have a bit of time to decide what to do. The instructor in question didn't really even know who the target audience was, how long the program would be, if it would be an ongoing thing every week or a program with a start and end date, for example 6 weeks, once a week etc.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The target audience changes the way in which a program is delivered. I would take a different approach teaching seasoned martial artist than I would people who have done little or no training at all. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've left it that he needs to put together a shell of what he wants to deliver, and to who, before I could really weigh in on it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This much I know. I want to help, in some capacity. But should I turn over the keys to the kingdom? (wow, I'm being dramatic...).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">THE QUESTION:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Should I just say no?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Should I consult on <i>his </i>material only?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Should I give him my whole program and hope for the best?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Should I deliver it once but not turn over the supporting material and hope for the best?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Should I give a one day seminar and see if they want to hire me for the rest?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Or are there other options?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Should I copy-write my material? Register a business? Develop a train-the-trainer program?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Am I losing sight of the big picture? Am I over thinking all this?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thoughts?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
Journeymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00146093025259375890noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697069502806403520.post-62472520782951941062015-03-14T18:22:00.001-07:002015-03-14T18:25:01.939-07:00Pain in Combat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGWtYDwfkVFPTl0GNukjA0K746laPRp512YYJ_6D9pOWVk6B91i0UOtqhIodtjHelfWaYbIApCtYl7Yr5iXd0QlghpR0cmWYLtuAxl3fP6pYISnaH-QIZ_lXH7caDCQL93MJunwhrXUg/s1600/Pain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGWtYDwfkVFPTl0GNukjA0K746laPRp512YYJ_6D9pOWVk6B91i0UOtqhIodtjHelfWaYbIApCtYl7Yr5iXd0QlghpR0cmWYLtuAxl3fP6pYISnaH-QIZ_lXH7caDCQL93MJunwhrXUg/s1600/Pain.jpg" height="250" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I clicked a link over at <a href="http://kojutsukan.blogspot.ca/2015/02/pain.html">Kojutsukan</a> to a t.v. interview/panel discussion on pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To summarize, two elite athletes, one in Cricket and the
other a boxer, discuss pain, or the lack of pain, that they experience during
their chosen sport/profession.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The boxer discusses how she has only been hurt or felt
significant pain twice in her fighting career.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She was aware she was being punched in the face but it didn’t really
hurt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Is she superhuman?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Immune to pain?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She goes on to
say that she feels agony when she stubs her toe at home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are panel guest who explore the why’s and how’s of it
all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I watched a good deal of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s the <a href="http://www.sbs.com.au/news/insight/tvepisode/ouch">link</a>, if you're interested.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, it got me thinking...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0MeK2P4Oq-jbTzbrtXehCc-ITgGSDbhWfP_eWhw6gfpFXjWFUd133JZAhhR4VeSzNkFKhnbqAXsiFQgsp9j0FZZGIC8C8gydX2cShY1A5Lklw_qcGtK4FhnUMiYPQD8JKsKZ4YugWr9E/s1600/pain+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0MeK2P4Oq-jbTzbrtXehCc-ITgGSDbhWfP_eWhw6gfpFXjWFUd133JZAhhR4VeSzNkFKhnbqAXsiFQgsp9j0FZZGIC8C8gydX2cShY1A5Lklw_qcGtK4FhnUMiYPQD8JKsKZ4YugWr9E/s1600/pain+2.jpg" height="232" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">PAIN:</span><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">People experience pain in varying degrees and in varying
situations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This stands to reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you are training to survive a violent encounter, you must
factor in the fact that you and your opponent may experience pain, or my not
experience pain, during combat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bottom line, if you are fighting for preservation in a real
world attack, the techniques you’ve practiced that hurt like hell during
controlled, partial power practice, may have little or no effect on your
attacker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will be exacerbated by the
attacker’s level of commitment, focus, anger and adrenaline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pain is an interesting thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Dalton said in Roadhouse “Pain don’t
hurt”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ygiLUrJJjnM" width="560"></iframe><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many people practicing martial arts have never been hit, not<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> really</i> been hit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hopefully most people won’t ever be assaulted by
someone who is really trying to hurt them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But if you are, you may feel pain, or you may feel numbness, or confusion, or a combination of these sensations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ve been on the receiving end of a couple
good hits in my lifetime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While shocking
to a degree, I did not feel pain, per say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was acutely aware that I had been hit hard, possibly injured, but the
actual acute pain didn’t set in until a while later, when the situation was
resolved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX8rdNcJ8bYKs878c16pmzgmBb59EwgVQOAXAsQ7lVRwcYjA2A5_defjtXeFq5FN1-csQX3H_KN1uJGwDnPF2C4OjerUhsjQ6OkjjCx9iwN6u5g0ouuN4qSxvgWQ0slHDzjMDY81L_GIo/s1600/Punch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX8rdNcJ8bYKs878c16pmzgmBb59EwgVQOAXAsQ7lVRwcYjA2A5_defjtXeFq5FN1-csQX3H_KN1uJGwDnPF2C4OjerUhsjQ6OkjjCx9iwN6u5g0ouuN4qSxvgWQ0slHDzjMDY81L_GIo/s1600/Punch.jpg" height="228" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The experience is quite off-putting, to say the least, and
if you aren’t prepared for the shocking nature, you may naturally sort of
‘shut-down’, covering up (natural to a degree) as opposed to defending
yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a lot of videos
on-line where you observe people just kind of ‘taking it”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s tempting to ask why they just stand
there or cower and continue to receive a beating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Like so many things, you have to prepare yourself
mentally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you haven’t been hit
before, understand that it might hurt or it might not but it will be a jarring
experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Visualize receiving this
shocking blow and use the mental rehearsal to create a trigger or response
stimulus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those of you who have
experience, do the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Use it like the
gun going off to signal the start of a race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The race in this case being your survival.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Beyond your own reaction, be aware that your attacker may be
less fazed by your defense than you anticipate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They may not be stopped by a well-placed strike or two. If they are on
drugs or alcohol, their pain centers may be further impeded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is why, when training for the worst case scenario, the
situation you couldn’t extricate yourself from safety, you need to make sure
your training is effective, brutally effective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Any training for realistic self-perseveration should include
techniques that do real damage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Consider joint locks and breaks and attacks to vulnerable
targets like eyes and throat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Even if your attacker doesn’t feel pain, you need to disable
their attack ‘delivery system’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they
can’t stand or their limb or hands are disabled, or they can’t breathe or see, then they
are less able to injure you and you are more likely to be able to create an opportunity to get away to
safety and get help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Real violence is ugly and nasty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make sure that your training and mindset is
prepared to match this reality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Be safe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">JM.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u>Further reading:</u></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I posted some time ago about pain compliance techniques and when they can (and can't) be used effectively. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Click </span><a href="http://japanesejiujitsu.blogspot.ca/2010/09/pain-compliance-techniques-worthwhile.html" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">here</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://japanesejiujitsu.blogspot.ca/2010/10/pain-compliance.html" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">here</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">More reading on pain:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://japanesejiujitsu.blogspot.ca/2012/02/joint-locks-and-pain-game.html">Joint Locks and the Pain Game Part I</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://japanesejiujitsu.blogspot.ca/2012/02/joint-locks-and-pain-game-part-ii.html">Joint Locks and the Pain Game Part II</a></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Enjoy.</div>
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Journeymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00146093025259375890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697069502806403520.post-18002449009633886282015-03-04T18:27:00.000-08:002015-03-04T18:27:39.120-08:00Random Image and Technology<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ZnOBd7ARJGrFMj5vFMK6tKwRwtRGnVU_VsnqAdPb2_D4Ggo3cUhGyjipwtEozswnoFdcQCxSYjaKdQsy9oR5HOTPXquLRwBoaVS37uy1BZTa0QkEU7TERniin1mmHZ3exSTpqLOkaZ4/s1600/zen+frog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ZnOBd7ARJGrFMj5vFMK6tKwRwtRGnVU_VsnqAdPb2_D4Ggo3cUhGyjipwtEozswnoFdcQCxSYjaKdQsy9oR5HOTPXquLRwBoaVS37uy1BZTa0QkEU7TERniin1mmHZ3exSTpqLOkaZ4/s1600/zen+frog.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm certainly not the most tech savvy individual but I feel pretty comfortable in the 'blog-o-sphere'. As many of you know, I was offline for a while and have recently returned to (somewhat) regularl blogging.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I just discovered a 'spam' folder - where comments go that Blogger thinks might be suspicious. I found a few kind comments from friends of this blog. I was touched and promptly marked them all as "not spam", as I planned to respond to them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, they disappeared from view in the spam folder and I now have no idea where they went. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Soooo... for those of you who took the time to leave a comment or kind word and never heard back from me, I apologize. But thanks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oh, and here's a cool quote (I think from Buddha):</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxzgx2W9CCi-Xu0u-IuKsAZTrvUjf9RRYc9-BRqBYyPYbW4CqY1HrV7pXRjrFtqFusUxfsWDgiQxr9H8ZcmDtv1MSaeqyPk5NXp-JCU3N_llJVtyFudta_soGrtJs1i7cDnlu3oSULivY/s1600/buddha+quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxzgx2W9CCi-Xu0u-IuKsAZTrvUjf9RRYc9-BRqBYyPYbW4CqY1HrV7pXRjrFtqFusUxfsWDgiQxr9H8ZcmDtv1MSaeqyPk5NXp-JCU3N_llJVtyFudta_soGrtJs1i7cDnlu3oSULivY/s1600/buddha+quote.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
Agreed.<br />
<br />
Be well.<br />
<br />
<br />Journeymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00146093025259375890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697069502806403520.post-5579626892226653212015-02-26T18:36:00.000-08:002015-02-26T18:36:00.081-08:00Throwing in the Martial Arts. Are we doing it right?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWAk8xbEB6M6QRnMWgkgudDvK48i_yhcs1Fhtfr9tx1Yu56Gd7RoigywkWjBQoZ3y_AYdMJ9QW2C0kDLdQQCoJMWNqXRmBkfxlfuKOh79h3d61cNmGt4-jO6Susdo_HMd6CEP0zppYnIg/s1600/judo+throw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWAk8xbEB6M6QRnMWgkgudDvK48i_yhcs1Fhtfr9tx1Yu56Gd7RoigywkWjBQoZ3y_AYdMJ9QW2C0kDLdQQCoJMWNqXRmBkfxlfuKOh79h3d61cNmGt4-jO6Susdo_HMd6CEP0zppYnIg/s1600/judo+throw.jpg" height="166" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To go or not to go…with the throw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is the question...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When you learn to do throws and break fall, you need to be
pretty cautious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You need your partner
to be cooperative on both ends of the equation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you don’t then one of you is likely to get hurt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once you get the hang of the mechanics, though, you need to
start adjusting your technique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you
are the one being thrown, it is easy to get in the habit of assisting your
partner by ‘jumping’ into the throw even if it’s not being executed properly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While a certain degree of cooperative effort
is required, if you regularly leap into throws, you are doing your training
partner a disservice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy1qxkJKIW6mjGdtmNUhDs3CqrqV-G8bmmlvqULZSrWvmAjKopCepDs0LhNeC3hyphenhyphenst0hSyUEgNMbbdvEkSaKRmrPew_p3rzBamgpbl8-eYTvdujY10U32TOApvMXYyfLciod6Q6aNOTVY/s1600/martial+arts+physics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy1qxkJKIW6mjGdtmNUhDs3CqrqV-G8bmmlvqULZSrWvmAjKopCepDs0LhNeC3hyphenhyphenst0hSyUEgNMbbdvEkSaKRmrPew_p3rzBamgpbl8-eYTvdujY10U32TOApvMXYyfLciod6Q6aNOTVY/s1600/martial+arts+physics.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A properly executed throw requires 'kuzushi', the breaking of the
balance of the "throw-ee”.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When done
properly, the person being thrown literally falls over you, and you just assist
them in trajectory and force.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you
program yourself to assist too much, your partner will never master kuzushi.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the real world, you either need this balance breaking or
you need to ‘muscle’ the technique, which isn’t normally a good idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It tends to involve twisting and lifting at
the same time, a nasty combination and a good recipe for injury.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihPqUkkBkPIpHPObTgEdI2DLQq8co7V1-DItz4tgS4zcDJAWVdgztyhkmEHWQpHZV7mG4D6adsHiBLzNnyxYiWEm7GA9zyGna9DLfwzBvHg8OIPNYXACHYiT3jlAM3Rn5LQzj10-QFoc0/s1600/back+Injury+prevention.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihPqUkkBkPIpHPObTgEdI2DLQq8co7V1-DItz4tgS4zcDJAWVdgztyhkmEHWQpHZV7mG4D6adsHiBLzNnyxYiWEm7GA9zyGna9DLfwzBvHg8OIPNYXACHYiT3jlAM3Rn5LQzj10-QFoc0/s1600/back+Injury+prevention.png" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Even if you do break someone’s balance, they may not react
as smoothly as a trained uke.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You need
to discover what it feels like if someone lilts to one side as they go over so
you can learn to adapt and finish the technique effectively.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Don’t forget the fact that most throws and break falls are
performed for the benefit of the one being thrown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When you examine most throws, the actual
damaging portion usually occurs previous to the person hitting the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The throw/break-fall is </span>meant to protect the person being thrown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When you break down the throws, you’ll
discover that there is normally a break of an arm or dislocation of a shoulder
or other joint prior to the person going airborne.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In fact, if you were to actually perform one
of these techniques for real, there’s a fairly good chance that the person
would appear more to crumple than to majestically fly through the air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When practicing throws, keep both points in mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the thrower, the end goal is not always a
big throw, and as a throw-ee, don’t be too quick to ‘go with it’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Both are problematic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Food for thought.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Train well.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Journeymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00146093025259375890noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697069502806403520.post-9927955658334209792015-02-24T18:00:00.003-08:002015-02-24T18:00:40.587-08:00Keep Kicking Ass, Sue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFEUnvxF6z-4xZo1TkI4WLpEKcTm1-793gOXnWAMryPksPSmICCkBEzfAyOXCvZ7LkK6CbKCI6DI7RVkottOzU-EIMDmVO890T0fdZSoTt4PQQDt4-km4mRcyBVUn3DcwbKYqnZCN5Yk/s1600/bowing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFEUnvxF6z-4xZo1TkI4WLpEKcTm1-793gOXnWAMryPksPSmICCkBEzfAyOXCvZ7LkK6CbKCI6DI7RVkottOzU-EIMDmVO890T0fdZSoTt4PQQDt4-km4mRcyBVUn3DcwbKYqnZCN5Yk/s1600/bowing.jpg" height="237" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I want to wish Sue at </span><a href="http://kickasssuec.blogspot.ca/"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Journey to Black Belt</span></a> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">all the best
as she signs off her excellent blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She
has a ton of excellent posts and we’ve had several great discussions/debates over the last few years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maintaining a blog takes a lot of time and energy and she is
pursuing some other interests and dreams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Good for her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you haven’t done so already, there’s a lot of great
material over there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take a look <a href="http://kickasssuec.blogspot.ca/">here.</a> </span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You'll be happy you did.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sue, thanks again for all the support and food for thought. Hope you're back one day...</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">JM.</span></div>
Journeymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00146093025259375890noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697069502806403520.post-18708077126252653662015-02-18T18:10:00.000-08:002015-02-18T18:13:18.366-08:00Superficial Sensei? Don't judge a book by it's cover...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxx0Axpk9CFepYhBZ1Pkri22kTfvy1OVb_xzRxaxrfbdIrjhWexsHiLvRvos5YonLLJBoYHFW-OA0aLUIXQsHNrsWp-uCYeqAk8d8o-zW9WY_PLmalJValwvCn1GVPa71rnNPYRDsL_j8/s1600/superficial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxx0Axpk9CFepYhBZ1Pkri22kTfvy1OVb_xzRxaxrfbdIrjhWexsHiLvRvos5YonLLJBoYHFW-OA0aLUIXQsHNrsWp-uCYeqAk8d8o-zW9WY_PLmalJValwvCn1GVPa71rnNPYRDsL_j8/s1600/superficial.jpg" height="296" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When we look for a Sensei or a teacher, we search for
certain traits, personality, knowledge and characteristics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often times we can only get a glimpse
watching or taking a trial class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of
the best ways to judge a teacher is to observe the students, on and off the
mats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are they friendly, welcoming,
serious about their training with a sense of humour or are they arrogant,
unfriendly, or aloof?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This tends to be
reflective of the teacher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But what does a good teacher actually <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">look </i>like?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you had to
pick based largely on physical appearance, who would you choose?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And how much are you influenced, consciously
or unconsciously, by how a Sensei looks?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At first glance (pun intended), you’ll likely want to
respond that a person’s appearance has nothing to do with your selection
criteria.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, we’re all striving
for perfection of character in our studies, right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Truth be told, we all have our biases.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This isn’t always a bad thing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s part of the human condition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some are based on a survival instinct.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many we have ingrained at a subconscious level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of these unconscious biases are
incongruous with our conscious positions or beliefs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our society and the media have programmed us
to respond to certain physical characteristics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So what does this have to do with selecting a martial arts
teacher?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who do we naturally gravitate
towards?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I mentioned, our unconscious, or subconscious biases, are
often at odds with our consciously held beliefs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEqVWcPvraHWO_W5f1zbmn_zFXDg47eieREiLU0L5st6eyGahV_ouoPDoRBJLjfG8wt8wtPc6Wq4BaNAYtbQgC4g3VtIKTQC1RVLeirIp9qm1OJ3Qfiqn2QlOgQqORDc-K4yiU7OfIAE/s1600/pop_quiz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEqVWcPvraHWO_W5f1zbmn_zFXDg47eieREiLU0L5st6eyGahV_ouoPDoRBJLjfG8wt8wtPc6Wq4BaNAYtbQgC4g3VtIKTQC1RVLeirIp9qm1OJ3Qfiqn2QlOgQqORDc-K4yiU7OfIAE/s1600/pop_quiz.jpg" height="134" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pop quiz:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span>1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Male, 40’s, muscular and lean, military or MMA
background</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 2. Female, 40’s, short and a tiny bit plump, works as a mid level manager in a </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> large company</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You’ve now got a picture in your head.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, who’s the better pick to teach self defense?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We could all answer that it doesn’t matter as
long as they had the knowledge, skills and abilities but without an extended
period of time observing or being taught, we have a tendency to assign value to
factors that may or may not be accurate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you picked number 1, are you now defending your position
because of his background?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s fine,
but if I hadn’t mentioned the military or MMA background, would your initial
pick have changed from the fit male to the shorter, 'softer' female?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This isn’t an attack or criticism, simply
something to think about.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Even if we’re able to logically and consciously dispense
with gender and physical traits, could we still be influenced unconsciously?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The curious thing is that we often respect or seek out
martial arts teachers that are, well, bad asses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Impressive physical specimens, who look tough,
even a little intimidating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The type of
guy (or gal) that looks like they could kick our butts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96yBRvhzuDfnRAd0ECZqlqhQejduVO3V7HJijSNvietHGX1r2WPMJ_vPvggAg4xU3YmBO-VFAVBskCHYVzN7bUWpfvflfc27RAfDbJPUc8LBy8uLRL_Q1lGKydTShyphenhyphentXgFrIQPTSOPhE/s1600/martial+arts+muscle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96yBRvhzuDfnRAd0ECZqlqhQejduVO3V7HJijSNvietHGX1r2WPMJ_vPvggAg4xU3YmBO-VFAVBskCHYVzN7bUWpfvflfc27RAfDbJPUc8LBy8uLRL_Q1lGKydTShyphenhyphentXgFrIQPTSOPhE/s1600/martial+arts+muscle.jpg" height="270" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There’s nothing really wrong with that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We want to learn from people that we figure
could easily ‘take us' in a fight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
don’t seek out someone to teach you that you believe you could easily beat in a
physical altercation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You want to learn
to be tough from someone who is tough, tougher than you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You want to learn to be just as tough, tougher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But what does that really mean?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are we potentially ruling out people who may
have more to offer than we initially think?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Who, as a teacher is really more impressive?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And what do we hope to learn?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If our true goal is to learn to deal with
real violence and to survive if attacked, who should we look to?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Should we pick the big, strong, amazingly fit
person, of the more average one?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When weighing our options, we need to make sure we balance all
the factors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s actually more
impressive, someone more physically fit that you are doing a technique on you
effectively, or someone less imposing doing the same?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In styles such as Jiu Jitsu, you use your opponent’s energy
and force against them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is an
effective martial art for learning how to defeat a bigger, more powerful attacker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes referred to as the “gentle art” –
ha!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How, then, you answer the question of who’s more impressive?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The vast majority of time, the smaller, less powerful
individual will have a higher level of skill in their technique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They won’t have the luxury of being able to
‘power through’ a poor application of technique to compensate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They will often be superior in the way they
teach as they had to learn it properly right from the start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are no cutting corners; you have to learn
to do it right or you’re in trouble.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Back to the pop quiz.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Obviously, there was not nearly enough information to make a
proper assessment, and gender was thrown in as a means for a little introspection, but the fact remains - It may be better to seek out someone of
lesser physical stature who has learned his or her art to such a level that
they can effectively defend themselves <u>and</u> teach others, as opposed to a genetically
gifted athlete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Those that have had to
work harder for their accomplishments are often better teachers and more
skilled than the ‘naturals’. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Appearances can be deceiving. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NQpVVFUy_tPPFeJ2it3iwmRN1gIyAev1BaTSNAQEtm36UAA_pLD3827rvZxDTS5k2Nw5IO__U9qah79gi-7gPIPKoligKF4OOFjYP_V-mGzP_Mw_-YMnmjPP1vZNproBGmSmEyBReCY/s1600/aikido.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NQpVVFUy_tPPFeJ2it3iwmRN1gIyAev1BaTSNAQEtm36UAA_pLD3827rvZxDTS5k2Nw5IO__U9qah79gi-7gPIPKoligKF4OOFjYP_V-mGzP_Mw_-YMnmjPP1vZNproBGmSmEyBReCY/s1600/aikido.jpg" height="400" width="291" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Picture Morihei Ueshiba, especially later in his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You could argue he didn’t look very intimidating physically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine you passed on training with him due
to his somewhat diminutive status as compared to many other ‘tough guys’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It may be better to seek out someone who can effectively
defend themselves when they’re at their worst, as opposed to someone at their
best and at their peak. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A short, heavy, injured person who can take defend
themselves may have more to teach you than an elite athlete in their prime that
can do 10 minute rounds without breaking a sweat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Obviously, physical fitness is an important
component of martial arts training, and it can only make things easier for
you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For pure quality of technique and
teaching effectiveness, however, it may not be the only pre-requisite. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Keep an open mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An
important lesson in the martial arts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And in life...</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Journeymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00146093025259375890noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697069502806403520.post-7904640679185766322015-02-14T10:30:00.000-08:002015-02-14T17:53:15.264-08:00Weekend Reading<br />
Great post:<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://bujutsu-path.blogspot.ca/2015/02/overconfidence.html">Bujutsu: The Path - Overconfidence</a></div>
Journeymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00146093025259375890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697069502806403520.post-22546490104960767892015-02-11T18:10:00.000-08:002015-02-11T18:10:37.257-08:00Perseverance<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_pZyC4ZyaFlpzNzHDk8u2rOh6EaeF2VI736eHVLkwRoWIQb7AnXdoAzY8Msvv_K63NmyfGFpifmwIGQYDFYEfpm-LV4FekeADuT8kwXWGK_wj34e5tRTT34d0P8kVhx4OfUPKFTRicQ/s1600/perseverance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_pZyC4ZyaFlpzNzHDk8u2rOh6EaeF2VI736eHVLkwRoWIQb7AnXdoAzY8Msvv_K63NmyfGFpifmwIGQYDFYEfpm-LV4FekeADuT8kwXWGK_wj34e5tRTT34d0P8kVhx4OfUPKFTRicQ/s1600/perseverance.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">per·se·ver·ance<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ˌpərsəˈvirəns/<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span lang="EN-US">noun</span></i><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">noun: <b>perseverance</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt; text-indent: -36pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">1 </span><span lang="EN-US">steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt; text-indent: -36pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The journey on the path of Budo can be trying at times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When your training plans get derailed, be it from injuries,
family issues, scheduling, monetary constraints, time, distance, work etc., it
can be challenging to get back on track.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Obviously, I haven’t posted in some time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was shocked to see how long it had
been.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last (nearly) a year has been
a struggle for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ve suffered several injuries, some new and some nagging
ones that refuse to go away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Couple this
with work issues, illness, geographic issues (my Sensei is further away now),
and competitions for my time and energy and I’ve found myself in a state of…not
quite depression, but at the least, severe frustration with my training and my
long term martial goals. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It has seemed as if each time I take one step forward, I’m
forced to take two steps back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The logical part of my brain tells me this is all part of
the journey, which takes time and patience and perseverance to succeed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That it’s a lifelong pursuit and there will
be bumps along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That I need to
adapt my training style to manage my injuries and that I need to concentrate on
time-management, on eating well, sleeping more, meditating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The list goes on and on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Exactly the advice I’d give to someone else who
was going through a tough time with their training.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The not-so-logical part of brain has not been particularly
good at listening to the logical side, however.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Each time I aggravated an old injury, or pulled my back, or got sick, or
had to choose between my other priorities in life or had to cancel class as I
couldn’t get away from work, I got more and more down about things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the positive self-talk in the world didn’t
pull me out of my dark mood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It became so bad that I realized that training, or thinking
about training, was turning into a negative thing in my head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This journey of so many years, this labour of
love, was akin to a virus running in the background, eating away at my
positivity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Training was becoming a bad
thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The logical side, or course, knew that all the issues I was
going through were contributing to my general malaise over the martial arts,
but that doesn’t always help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My journey
has given me so many positive experiences; it has truly enriched my life,
giving me friends and memories I will always cherish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I did what I had
to.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I quit for a bit.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, let’s call it a hiatus.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know I can never quit, but I had to
‘unplug’ for a bit as my lack of training was starting to consume my waking,
and non-waking, thoughts.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was mad when
I couldn’t go, and when I could, I was exhausted and had to manage injuries and
just didn’t feel like it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, I’ve been on hiatus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was a certain sense of relief that washed over me when I actually
‘went on record’ about taking a break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My Sensei and main training partner were understanding and
supportive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sensei’s response?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simply, “We’ll be here”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meaning he’s always there when I’m ready, no
pressure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Comfort in that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’m not back yet but I’m almost there, mentally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m still dealing with injuries and other
issues, but lately, after putting Jiu Jitsu out of my mind for a few months, my
thoughts have been drifting back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I miss
it again, not pressured by any sense of obligation, but because something
positive is missing from my life. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
noticing a fight scene in a show or movie that I rewind and break down, I’ve
started visiting some blogs again, and I’ve been consulting on defensive
tactics training again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My next step is
adjusting my training to compensate for my injuries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Take note:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Train
safely now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Crazy training in your youth
takes its toll down the road…trust me…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’m learning an important lesson about perseverance, I
think.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it pertains to training,
perseverance doesn’t translate into constant training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It means not giving up completely or losing
site of the big picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you need to
press ‘pause’ from time to time in order to keep going, do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The path is long and winding and there’ll always
be a few bumps along the way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUbj2rWDOAq4pijWb9lkRkFsgRmELMSnBfBTiRNFjaJ-tKa0lQIMbQrCRLCsCdBLWonoUkOmrVW7P18o3z6AHxXgzSOgrP_Do-MSnFEhR9719xjxDzByWp9R2nwSvRa6UpyzQS7wVB9lU/s1600/persevere+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUbj2rWDOAq4pijWb9lkRkFsgRmELMSnBfBTiRNFjaJ-tKa0lQIMbQrCRLCsCdBLWonoUkOmrVW7P18o3z6AHxXgzSOgrP_Do-MSnFEhR9719xjxDzByWp9R2nwSvRa6UpyzQS7wVB9lU/s1600/persevere+2.jpg" height="337" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know many of you out there have had low points/struggles on
your journeys in the martial arts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d
love to hear some of the strategies you used to get back in the game, both
mentally and physically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Please feel free to leave a comment or send me an email.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Train well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be safe,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt; text-indent: -36pt;">
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<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment-->Journeymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00146093025259375890noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697069502806403520.post-76853954311140489932014-04-09T18:28:00.001-07:002014-04-09T18:28:42.955-07:00Bruce Lee and the Lost Art of Cursive Writing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qbQTGqHCCFHvCd5MGAxmSw-Q3JvNhzVJKItGfPMLLUsR1AFv6ih9rV549OeG9P1bMW2g1mjVf5g_PXeqmfp2RaO4wH8ZvBKJMPfQ7vi34fjZ884E9Zs6ZmeB1KIIw2Xg1w49Ju6SMRI/s1600/handwriting.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qbQTGqHCCFHvCd5MGAxmSw-Q3JvNhzVJKItGfPMLLUsR1AFv6ih9rV549OeG9P1bMW2g1mjVf5g_PXeqmfp2RaO4wH8ZvBKJMPfQ7vi34fjZ884E9Zs6ZmeB1KIIw2Xg1w49Ju6SMRI/s1600/handwriting.gif" height="272" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was listening to the news the other day,
and I was surprised to hear that cursive writing is no longer being taught in
many schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was not aware that it
has been phased out in several school boards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One such institution is trying to revive the practice of cursive
handwriting.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My first impression is that it should be
taught.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, I learned it and look
how great I turned out... <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then again, when is the last time I
actually wrote anything?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Work reports
are all on computer, reminder ‘post-it’ notes are printed, and notebooks are
print, mainly capital letters, we text more than we talk…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Come to think of it, I haven’t written out
a hand written letter in over a decade, maybe longer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I can’t remember the last time I
actually <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">wrote </i>anything out,
cursively speaking.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMmhzFxmLs5P14oumqN3qKrGMmCJCGN41SEF6iyxELey10ydi3W2jvlRQ81uUn8QDhRuSy2FgVAGXZeQ3QXLEkxKMH-lHVZpHfg3hbOmQKA2YW48oxg0w2vtru_Vh1-_6rxUQXB1auPY0/s1600/cursive+writing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMmhzFxmLs5P14oumqN3qKrGMmCJCGN41SEF6iyxELey10ydi3W2jvlRQ81uUn8QDhRuSy2FgVAGXZeQ3QXLEkxKMH-lHVZpHfg3hbOmQKA2YW48oxg0w2vtru_Vh1-_6rxUQXB1auPY0/s1600/cursive+writing.jpg" height="297" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yet I’m still left with the feeling that
something will be lost by not learning it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What, exactly, I still can’t pin down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My inner debate got me thinking about Bruce
Lee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of his concepts/beliefs was
that one should keep what is useful and discard what it not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Makes sense for self defense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If a technique doesn’t work for you, due to
size, shape, physical condition, etc, throw it away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why keep practicing something you won’t ever
use?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The issue with this, of course, it
that it’s not always apparent what will be of use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not at first, anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I discussed this in a bit more detail in my post found </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://japanesejiujitsu.blogspot.ca/2010/06/paradox-bruce-lee-and-jeet-kune-do-keep.html%C2%A0%C2%A0">here</a>.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG51xNc-9XbcWtLoMB7qTZzSPSSwjm4C2-ql8FnAs1ae4SoHg9M5gO8XQjmMK4j_wxJq1AqtRYu6qc1Rn5YIHZmpYhu8PxpgvhdxCmI1GhXJa8EZ8aEt0pB1N3ZMNre9lPhHtqXEYB5ZA/s1600/bruce+lee.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG51xNc-9XbcWtLoMB7qTZzSPSSwjm4C2-ql8FnAs1ae4SoHg9M5gO8XQjmMK4j_wxJq1AqtRYu6qc1Rn5YIHZmpYhu8PxpgvhdxCmI1GhXJa8EZ8aEt0pB1N3ZMNre9lPhHtqXEYB5ZA/s1600/bruce+lee.png" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I still maintain that for self defense
technique, you often must first learn and explore and experiment with a
technique before you can toss it away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is tempting to discard a technique that doesn’t seem to work for you
when you’re just learning it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> From</span> my
experience, several techniques I initially thought I would never use are now my
‘go-to’ moves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I needed to really
understand them before I was able to make a proper assessment.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Does the same hold true for cursive
writing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does the value of learning it
trump its actual use once learned?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
could argue that it forces neural pathways, increases dexterity and fine motor
skills etc. but is of limited real world value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The same could be said of (some) kata out
there today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve seen a whole bunch of forms
and kata out there that are pretty questionable on the whole ‘real world’
scale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They may not have always been
(not trying to kick off a ‘value of kata’ argument, that’s for another time),
but they certainly are now.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Should cursive writing still be taught?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does Bruce Lee’s assertion that you should
discard what is not useful apply here?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Food for thought.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For now, I’m off to write a letter, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">by hand, </i>just to remind myself what it’s
like…</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Journeymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00146093025259375890noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697069502806403520.post-49450753416311765192014-03-20T13:23:00.000-07:002014-03-20T13:23:00.505-07:00Good business or Good Martial Arts? The Passion vs. Profit Debate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyc9TWli6tJHBnlY7GrrmhcNZrCXS8QmUf151ojxAxKWzzoMXju9ytpIHd0FQYDK-WdqAhngpgmYxh09JrPLfdMhWaxWRnzOaHxviqY6pvacX1te7icsv0ETMRacfd0QitKcdgHoQYd80/s1600/Passion+vs+profit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyc9TWli6tJHBnlY7GrrmhcNZrCXS8QmUf151ojxAxKWzzoMXju9ytpIHd0FQYDK-WdqAhngpgmYxh09JrPLfdMhWaxWRnzOaHxviqY6pvacX1te7icsv0ETMRacfd0QitKcdgHoQYd80/s1600/Passion+vs+profit.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ve heard it said often that you can’t
make money at the martial arts unless you’re ripping your students off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t totally agree but there are truly two
sides to teaching martial arts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> 1. A passion for teaching martial
arts</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA"> 2. The business side of things<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are fantastic martial artists and
teachers who fail at running a school or dojo and there are so-so ones that
succeed and make a fair amount of money in the process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Is it ok to make enough money to teach
martial arts full-time?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve always been
around people who had full-time jobs and taught on the side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They often criticized anyone who ran a big
school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I originally agreed, shunning
the bigger, flashier schools with lots of merchandise, fees for stripes, strips,
stickers etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seemed wrong somehow.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now I’m not so sure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Running a club (for profit) is a
business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A business must have a
plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we compare what we pay for
other services, it’s surprising how little we want to pay for martial arts
training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many people wouldn’t hesitate
to pay much more for yoga, exercise classes in the park, spinning etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are all great pursuits by the way, but
to many, $100.00 a month for 1 and ½ to 2 hour classes, 3 times a week seems on
the high end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s 12 classes a month
minimum if you went to all of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s
$8.33 per class, or a little over $4 bucks and hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your average yoga/meditation/mindfulness
class will run you much higher, often 3 to 4 times as much (per hour).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Still, you aren’t going to get a lot of
people signing up for a martial arts club willing to pay $200-$300 a
month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So you’ve got to do other things.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVimwQ-vLKg_i_A7irQWzU5FVYXP067rAhZUvxwVkVflr2guwpUCXgtZQCRBLTMKoOAcFHomw9L4Ew9HbDFWlQzNPcDEck5uzQGjj1OaiedYAJI3mtYv3sdYxeu-Kh5PxeWa_6ZPR4HnY/s1600/money+to+burn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVimwQ-vLKg_i_A7irQWzU5FVYXP067rAhZUvxwVkVflr2guwpUCXgtZQCRBLTMKoOAcFHomw9L4Ew9HbDFWlQzNPcDEck5uzQGjj1OaiedYAJI3mtYv3sdYxeu-Kh5PxeWa_6ZPR4HnY/s1600/money+to+burn.jpg" height="319" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Merchandise is one way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most uniforms, pads etc. can have a decent
markup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kids are good money makers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Parents tend to be willing to pay lots more
for their kids to be in martial arts than they are for themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Compare other children’s activities, sports,
clubs etc. and martial arts are a bargain.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">could</i>
make a living teaching martial arts, is there anything wrong with that? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you continued to improve your own skills to
give your students the best possible training you can provide, isn’t that a
good thing?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ve revisited this topic due to some
recent visits I’ve made to some clubs in hopes of supplementing my current
training regimen. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I watched a class, and was struck by…how
shall I put this…poor the instruction was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was clearly no real knowledge base about how an attack might come
in, or how a defense could be applied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The people were, in my estimation, well intentioned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just felt they lacked the depth of
knowledge surrounding the realities of violence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had clearly learned the techniques and
were doing their best to pass them on, but I’m not sure they really understood
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And the students were serious about
their training (which is good) but I felt they were getting technique that
might not translate to the real world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And they clearly didn’t know this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I may sound overly harsh and don’t mean to be, but that’s what I
saw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well intentioned instructors, hardworking
respectful students, and positive energy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The only thing lacking was consistent street worthy technique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I should mention that some was decent.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The original point of all this was that
this business was successful, with charts for grading fees, schedules,
merchandise, t-shirts, gym bags, jackets, books, magazines etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This particular club has been successfully
running for well over a decade.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are (in my opinion), better qualified
people to teach in the area, but few know how to make money in the arts.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi89kWl2vf69mHUVVsM-b-7mnFj_eLI1AwFvRpYqPIuTrucL2gP2JjWEb9wcK9c6hHA3wlkx3UI5I5bSvImoQyR32oL0wZKQNVi34sezxyC377RrkRlhyphenhyphenW_dBf3nXRXBA3Dtad_gOx1UsI/s1600/conundrum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi89kWl2vf69mHUVVsM-b-7mnFj_eLI1AwFvRpYqPIuTrucL2gP2JjWEb9wcK9c6hHA3wlkx3UI5I5bSvImoQyR32oL0wZKQNVi34sezxyC377RrkRlhyphenhyphenW_dBf3nXRXBA3Dtad_gOx1UsI/s1600/conundrum.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Is it ok to make a living at the martial
arts?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does doing so mean an inferior
training experience for students?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Can you still find the depth of knowledge
in the arts in a commercially successful martial arts school?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It would be the dream of many to make a
decent living in the martial arts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it
possible to do so without ‘selling out’? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thoughts?</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Journeymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00146093025259375890noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697069502806403520.post-4982918775653243872014-03-15T13:04:00.001-07:002014-03-15T13:04:29.045-07:00How to judge a martial arts school in less than 15 minutes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUQMKtQe4Y7t3w91SnwvczQ1p2CIC-2rleKzdYZoz0vh-eIoh7mSdikoA43zYKpRLsyCO1VQFWcnYaInTc6m_tN_vmbTCHg-2ircb1V2c6sS0mWpvvB2SMbuAF9uvLlR_Fd6jOYl5XdE/s1600/the+new+guy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUQMKtQe4Y7t3w91SnwvczQ1p2CIC-2rleKzdYZoz0vh-eIoh7mSdikoA43zYKpRLsyCO1VQFWcnYaInTc6m_tN_vmbTCHg-2ircb1V2c6sS0mWpvvB2SMbuAF9uvLlR_Fd6jOYl5XdE/s1600/the+new+guy.png" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I recently had a very positive experience
visiting a martial arts school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
seminar was being held by a very skilled practitioner that was in the area for
a couple of days before continuing on his cross country circuit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had heard of him and had seen online clips
which were impressive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My Sensei also
spoke highly of him, which was reason enough for me to seek him out.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The problem?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was being held at a dojo that I had never
been to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add to that I was going solo
and knew no one who was attending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
it wasn’t a Jiu Jitsu dojo.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s always a little daunting to go to a
strange location full of strangers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Would I be allowed to attend?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Would it be awkward?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would people
be standoffish?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would they want to test
me to see if I deserved my ranking?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Would I stand awkwardly off to the side while everyone paired up?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So many questions.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So what did I do?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First, I checked the school’s
website/Facebook page.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It said “Open to
all schools and styles”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good sign.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next, I called on the way, speaking to the
owner/head intructor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked him if it was ok if I
just showed up and paid on arrival (you could pay on-line on his site – great
idea!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Sure”, he said, asking only if I
had any martial arts experience and if I had a gi or would be in street
clothes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sounded friendly.</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another good sign.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Arrival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I found my way in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being a new
face, I was immediately approached by the owner who introduced himself and
welcomed me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He introduced me to his
second in command (only on paper, I suspect – his wife).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They both shook my hand, asked me to fill in
the standard waiver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I offered my
payment, which was nice, they didn’t’ ask for it right away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Third good sign.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The owner introduced me to one of his
students who offered to show me where to change/stow my gear etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very nice person, let me use his locker so I
could lock my valuables away.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Back to the mats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of people in attendance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Crowed place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Mainly students from the same school, but a couple visiting schools were
represented with different gis, crests etc.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As we stretched awaiting the start of the
seminar, I was approached by most of the students from the school who all
welcomed me to the event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really made me
feel at ease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Very good sign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRSaBZz-9Q5s0nsy_eEDiuVlOv-_ii6STK7R8ULqvGLAVtyxu6MjWb26K_8O3X-nrhB0WfQxsyKALZBDwqtm6_U6AWKVIOa2g7YWlbCuO9rkM3LcFB8mTIJWXErpYNPuFZYrhxl7MeoI/s1600/Sweating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRSaBZz-9Q5s0nsy_eEDiuVlOv-_ii6STK7R8ULqvGLAVtyxu6MjWb26K_8O3X-nrhB0WfQxsyKALZBDwqtm6_U6AWKVIOa2g7YWlbCuO9rkM3LcFB8mTIJWXErpYNPuFZYrhxl7MeoI/s1600/Sweating.jpg" height="320" width="246" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As the warm up began (little was I to know
it would last over an hour…), there was general good humour and positive
energy, with humorous glances and looks during the more intense part of the
torture, er warm up as we experienced the ‘shared suffering’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once the seminar was underway, each time
the visiting teacher told us to mix up partners, I was always the one
approached by someone from the hosting school with an offer to work with
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The seminar itself was very good, with some
good solid technique and some great things to think about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A good time was had by all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end I thanked the owner and his wife
for allowing me to attend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was told
that I was always welcomed and they thanked me for attending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I was getting changed, most of the students
shook my hand saying that they hoped they would see me again.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I tend to judge a teacher by their
students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good students, good teacher,
generally speaking.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I didn’t get a chance to critique the pure
martial skills of the owner, but I got a pretty good indication as I watched
him taking the seminar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No standing off
to the side not taking part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Worked
hard, looked pretty sharp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet another
good sign.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I may not take the style of martial arts
that they normally teach, but I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the club as a
place to check out for those that do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And I’ll be back.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I was driving away, I realized that in
the course of one short afternoon, I had made a whole bunch of new ‘martial’
friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also realized that even
though the whole process spanned over several hours, I knew as soon as I walked
into the school that it was a good one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It took less than 15 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A
reminder what the martial arts are all about.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A good day. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Train well.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Journeymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00146093025259375890noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697069502806403520.post-29904365909133435702013-12-29T15:08:00.001-08:002013-12-29T15:08:36.265-08:00Happy Holidays<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq9_iXlEv4UOSNuIXbqS4dfIym85Dc3u5qVsG0C3bHS1kSbcvJJBlhjKAXsrX1xz8lBpFckZkkFoazodjbsLMl78qgepq5V9LGsW3ZR2swrAhxKM5yZSFVAGD6nnFcvgyoi-oqg8Vv0MY/s1600/Santa+karate+chop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq9_iXlEv4UOSNuIXbqS4dfIym85Dc3u5qVsG0C3bHS1kSbcvJJBlhjKAXsrX1xz8lBpFckZkkFoazodjbsLMl78qgepq5V9LGsW3ZR2swrAhxKM5yZSFVAGD6nnFcvgyoi-oqg8Vv0MY/s320/Santa+karate+chop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I just wanted to say Happy Holidays to all of you out there. An awful lot of stuff has been going on in my life (hence the lack of posts) but here's wishing you all a wonderful and healthy 2014!Journeymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00146093025259375890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697069502806403520.post-58477047331273617492013-10-10T18:08:00.000-07:002013-10-10T18:08:00.055-07:00Teaching Styles - Which is Best? Part II
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj32-zGF0Sbct-HDekSwU9vIJCuurkCP1-zIY1zO2u3Thk6UmHTBdAexhI_MX857LzoX8sVS3wqPCKcgFeo-LXDovnQSe9FlThQBt8ePpCrRaVax9AWclHXMWOW9sHWMhpCt9270BS5Urg/s1600/cobra+kai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj32-zGF0Sbct-HDekSwU9vIJCuurkCP1-zIY1zO2u3Thk6UmHTBdAexhI_MX857LzoX8sVS3wqPCKcgFeo-LXDovnQSe9FlThQBt8ePpCrRaVax9AWclHXMWOW9sHWMhpCt9270BS5Urg/s400/cobra+kai.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In </span><a href="http://japanesejiujitsu.blogspot.ca/2013/10/teaching-styles-which-is-best-part-i.html">Part I</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, I talked about an experience I had with a 'sub-par' instructor. I was reflecting on different teaching styles. Here's a few styles I've encountered over the years.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, first broad teaching style could be
called:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Militaristic/Hard-core<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Characteristics:<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 20.25pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA">-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Student interaction minimal<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 20.25pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA">-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Instructor lead/driven<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 20.25pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA">-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Strict rules<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 20.25pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA">-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Highly regulated<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 20.25pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA">-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Punitive for rules/etiquette
violation<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 20.25pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA">-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Variation/discussion limited<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 20.25pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA">-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Reflection on learning minimal<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 20.25pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Different stokes for different folks, of
course. The training partner who made
the observation later mentioned that if that was what he experienced years ago,
he would have quickly quit the martial arts.
His opinion was that he didn’t sign up for people to yell at him and for
nothing to every be good enough.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the other end of the spectrum is the:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpc1QGkNov9LHEhF-L3GRv_5GSh6505rZ45leuds_y92YGjnih4gFHw1dN0-QE3Is93l4fSROX1DvQIusXz-UAX1tNargzqRol2eY_wS3veZFap4_fh2RM8Yoh-hibJnUF6uByMSL_AU/s1600/relax.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpc1QGkNov9LHEhF-L3GRv_5GSh6505rZ45leuds_y92YGjnih4gFHw1dN0-QE3Is93l4fSROX1DvQIusXz-UAX1tNargzqRol2eY_wS3veZFap4_fh2RM8Yoh-hibJnUF6uByMSL_AU/s320/relax.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Totally
relaxed/ Laisser-faire<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Characteristics:<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 20.25pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA">-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Student interaction high<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 20.25pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA">-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Student driven<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 20.25pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA">-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Few of no rules<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 20.25pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA">-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Unstructured<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 20.25pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA">-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Non-punitive<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 20.25pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA">-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Lots of discussion and
reflection<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 20.25pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some people are drawn to this type of
atmosphere as well. Very relaxed and
non-threatening. Sessions tend to have
little structure, and tend to drift topics and techniques at random, driven
largely by the attendees. Kind of like a
bunch of people hanging out to do martial arts.
Often there is a lot of “what do you want to do” type stuff. The role of the teacher is much less in this
type of environment. They’re just ‘one
of the boys’ (or girls).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And in the middle, you find:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR6bU9hMOSyEdPN_JagqsQcUM3YpxM4azh2WCV4tFVhdTKu-O5w74FuD7eYCEGeQvHyY-cOb-0e2f_aW41Dq8H9-o1LYq9Tpec3gtD6G444RWHxjIRWq8FakIM47fGKu3Rv0RFZoU5K7c/s1600/Finding-Balance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR6bU9hMOSyEdPN_JagqsQcUM3YpxM4azh2WCV4tFVhdTKu-O5w74FuD7eYCEGeQvHyY-cOb-0e2f_aW41Dq8H9-o1LYq9Tpec3gtD6G444RWHxjIRWq8FakIM47fGKu3Rv0RFZoU5K7c/s400/Finding-Balance.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Blended<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Characteristics:<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 20.25pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA">-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Student interaction present to
a degree<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 20.25pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA">-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Instructor lead/Student
influenced<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 20.25pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA">-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Rules adopted by students<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 20.25pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA">-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Occasionally punitive measures
for rules/etiquette errors<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 20.25pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA">-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Reflection and discussion
instructor initiated and lead<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are varying degrees of the Blended category, some closer to one
end than the other.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just as there are different people and
learning styles, there should be different styles of teaching. It’s a constant progress of adjustment and
adaptation, just like the arts themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I won’t necessarily berate any one style
but the overly hard, militaristic style can tend to automatically discourage
a large amount of people from continuing or signing up. I know more than one person who tried martial
arts when they were younger and quit due to this style of instruction, often
leaving a negative view of the martial arts for life.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Having said that, many people respond to
this type of environment. I believe
they’ll come out fit, sharp, one dimensional martial artists. Very good at one
way of doing things. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the overly relaxed side, I’ve training
with some clubs like this. More
accurately, the head instructor ran and great class, but his senior black belts
lead classes a couple of times a week.
When this happened, there was a lot of standing around, kind of working
on this or that and the time dragged.
Friends clumped together and worked in their own little groups. I don’t respond to this extreme either.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For some, however, it is a completely
non-threatening environment. And some
might never experience the arts without it.
If it’s a positive introduction, perhaps they will continue. We’re all wired differently.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Somewhere in the middle is where most long
term martial artists end up. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Productive training should be student
influenced, but instructor lead and driven.
The degree will be influenced by the number, age, maturity and level of
the students, and by the beliefs and style of the teacher. This is the balancing act needed to be a good
teacher.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vZ_gpZ1IirMRrty5_afD3YXvpFqaDZjV8dQNqArVvxxeJPc0pRrUhDyHC33BbIokM9Tmyu3YOI3ecX50-jc5maMrFIrXSWRYIiE92W5qvMItDvvjNEvZPGPamaNli6j3UayK9AtQ9Dw/s1600/Questions+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vZ_gpZ1IirMRrty5_afD3YXvpFqaDZjV8dQNqArVvxxeJPc0pRrUhDyHC33BbIokM9Tmyu3YOI3ecX50-jc5maMrFIrXSWRYIiE92W5qvMItDvvjNEvZPGPamaNli6j3UayK9AtQ9Dw/s400/Questions+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There must be some reflection on learning
and students must be able to ask some questions. That doesn’t mean constant ‘what-ifs” but
consistently unanswered questions result in lack of understanding. And if you don’t understand techniques and
the ‘why’ behind them, it’s unlikely you will be able to apply and rely on them
in a real situation. How these Q and A
portions are set up is also up to the teacher.
Are questions welcomed any time, part way through a lesson, at the end,
etc? This is also up to the teacher,
influenced by the needs of the students.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There must also be some rules and etiquette
present. Ideally, these should be set
out early and adopted by the students without much prompting from the teacher. This way, when there are violations, they are
usually minor, and the ‘violators’ often know they’re in trouble. The punishment is enough to acknowledge the
breach but aren’t doled out with any malice or ill will. Crack a joke and laugh, do some push-ups,
that sort of thing… <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A good teacher is able to give his/her
students what they want and what they need.
These aren’t always the same thing, and that is where a talented teacher
comes in. As with everything, it’s about
balance.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As a student, you deserve to find an
environment and a teacher that you respond to.
If your primary goal is self defense, make sure you’re getting
that. If it’s camaraderie and fitness,
get that. You’ll get a bit of all of it
regardless. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Enter your training demanding some things
from it and your teacher, but being aware you may not have a view of the bigger
picture, and many things become clear over time. Bottom line, do you end most classes feeling
you’ve learned or improved somewhat? Do
you leave feeling happy that you went?
Do you want to go back? If you
answer yes most of the time, whatever teaching style must be working for you.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Train well, with balance… </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<!--EndFragment-->Journeymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00146093025259375890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697069502806403520.post-13030230820166184722013-10-04T17:53:00.000-07:002013-10-04T17:53:06.942-07:00Teaching Styles - Which is Best? Part I
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Teaching Styles – Which is Best?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I attended a 4-day training event this
summer. I had the opportunity to train
under a variety of Sensei from a variety of styles. People come from all over to train. It’s always fantastic to have the opportunity
to be exposed to such a high level of skill and differing styles, in the arts,
teaching styles, methodologies and attitudes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The teachers were as varied as the arts, in
execution and in their own style of direction/instruction.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In a training environment like this, I do
my best to “empty my cup” and absorb all I can.
There will be plenty of time later to dissect, weigh, criticize and
examine. With this type of mindset, you
can open yourself to new or different ways of doing or looking at things. This is always a good thing. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was struck by just how different the
teaching styles were. I was also struck
by how some people with an extraordinary level of technical skill have
absolutely no teaching ability. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You don’t have to be the best teacher in
the world, but in one session I took part in, the ‘teacher’ was being such a
jackass that I ended up tuning out. I
went through the motions of the session as it would have been rude to walk
away. In fact, I ended up having so
little respect for this ‘teacher’ that if the class had only been people I
knew, I might have walked away, albeit with a bow. I stayed so as not to embarrass my Sensei or
my dojo, or set a poor example for the other participants, many of whom I
didn’t know.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This particular person is quite skilled, so
I was saddened not to be able to take anything away, other than a lesson in how
not to teach, of course.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My main issues were that he was:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Arrogant<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Demeaning<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He reminded me of a peacock strutting
around, impossibly impressed with himself (no offence to peacocks by the
way). Everything about him was
condescending and demeaning. He was also
unclear. He would say something that
made very little sense, and then when people faltered, trying to figure out
what was wanted, he would demean everyone.
He acted shocked that we couldn’t even figure out where to stand, what
to do, etc. And he would make sarcastic
statements as well. Then he decided that
no one was allowed to talk during the training.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This meant that we couldn’t speak to our
training partners or ask questions of the teacher and yet he would still flit
around criticizing and insulting the participants. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For me, it hit a point when I couldn’t care
less about his experience in the arts. A
wasted session, sadly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I noticed though, that other participants
were becoming extremely frustrated with themselves. The clearly thought that they were doing
something wrong. They were mentally
beating themselves up for not ‘getting it’ under the tutelage of such a
‘master’.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It saddened me a bit, but eventually the
session ended and we all moved on.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This experience got me thinking about
different teaching styles. I was
reminded of a conversation I had with a training partner who commented how
another session was run in a militaristic fashion. Warm up, strikes, kicks, blocks, right in to
drills were all carried out with the teachers and assistants yelling and
barking orders. Now I’ve seen this style
and don’t have a problem with it per say, but I don’t find it overly conducive
to learning. The students from the style
represented were fit and their movements were sharp. Working with them on technique, however,
revealed that they struggled to adapt to any variation that occurred. If it was ‘off-script’ in any way, there was
hesitation or confusion. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Clearly, not a lot of question-asking goes
on in that school. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In Part II, I'll discuss a few more common teaching styles. Until then, train well.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Journeymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00146093025259375890noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697069502806403520.post-56452237894107051762013-09-20T20:00:00.002-07:002013-09-20T20:00:48.910-07:00Injuries in the Martial Arts
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Xhqtc4nxhMdVGlmpJz5Dcl8c19cMwbyRP1bgqWoqEYmJxFi2RA4yo0iQq-agVYWav6n-giPtfaIpUfWOn_T4wrROlOLji1nsRTt8qQK91IDw-X6K5_gZJnCq37-LLc8jP7GaiJijBo4/s1600/injury+bear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Xhqtc4nxhMdVGlmpJz5Dcl8c19cMwbyRP1bgqWoqEYmJxFi2RA4yo0iQq-agVYWav6n-giPtfaIpUfWOn_T4wrROlOLji1nsRTt8qQK91IDw-X6K5_gZJnCq37-LLc8jP7GaiJijBo4/s1600/injury+bear.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Injuries.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The bane of the martial artist. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most people who stay in the martial arts
for any period of time get injured. Look
around any dojo or martial arts school and invariably, you’ll see the long term
students taped, bandaged, bruised, with ankle or knee or wrist or elbow
wraps. It’s a sad reality. Smart and responsible training goes a long
way in preventing injuries, as does proper warm up drills and stretching
(within reason). Self-control during
application of techniques helps too.
Proper diet and nutrition and lifestyle also play a huge role.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqArClbdiESJlbu4B9tf0WAIOnloHrpt0Rdka3baIzsuBos7IRedQdgZQer9rgON2aXrTXWv6YkSsu962oW2CgUW5S8di2IBwaCDlcEtTqK3Lsr-PnPzuuvvFfDpLtRpIerDgXwr-6FGA/s1600/Injuries+in+martial+arts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqArClbdiESJlbu4B9tf0WAIOnloHrpt0Rdka3baIzsuBos7IRedQdgZQer9rgON2aXrTXWv6YkSsu962oW2CgUW5S8di2IBwaCDlcEtTqK3Lsr-PnPzuuvvFfDpLtRpIerDgXwr-6FGA/s400/Injuries+in+martial+arts.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Beyond all that, sometimes shi_!!! happens
and your find yourself hurt. It could be
martial arts related, or it could have happened in some other area of your
life. It sucks. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And it happened to me. I’m (fingers crossed) getting better, but I’d
been dealing with pain for months on end, had trouble sleeping because of it and generally
was feeling miserable. The nature of the
injury has prevented me from training for several months, the longest I’ve not
been able to in many years. A side
effect of getting older, as I’m learning, is that you heal more slowly as the
years go on. This adds to the
frustration of it all.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Life goes on, of course, but I was so
pissed off (I know, not very Zen…) that I just sort of checked out of the
martial arts world for a bit, even neglecting this blog. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now that my head is getting back in the
game, I’d like to share some lessons learned by dealing with an injury.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA"> 1. </span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">If it hurts to train, don’t
train. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It may sound trite, but
it’s true. I trained once or twice while
injured, and, careful as I was, made it worse.
There are times you can train with injuries, and times you can’t. Figure out the difference.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">2. </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Take the time you’re injured to
pursue something else that interests you that you normally don’t have time
for. Do something different. I’m convinced it’s good for the soul, can
open up new doors, expand your horizons, that sort of thing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA"> 3. </span><span lang="EN-CA">Booze and anti-inflammatories
are great for pain, but will give you acid reflux if you use them for too
long. Oh yeah, and neither is good for
you if used long term or in large amounts…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">4. </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Try not to dwell on your injury
too much. Don’t obsess (like I did) over
not being able to train.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-CA"> 5. </span><span lang="EN-CA">Supplementation with quality
fish/omega oils really helps the joints. Do your research. Go for the liquid. Pills and capsules are largely a waste of
time. And you get what you pay for,
within reason. There’s a whole host of
other benefits too.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">6. </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">This stuff about mobility
exercises and functional movements and core stability? It works.
You’ll be better off for incorporating some into your routine, in the
dojo, gym or home. Take care of your
joints and they’ll take care of you. In
my case, more mobility work in advance might have reduced the severity of my
injury or prevented it altogether. </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">We
live in a world of increasing inactivity and repeated unnatural movement
patterns (sitting at work, in the car, hunching over cell phones, tables,
laptops etc). It’s important to do what
you can to reset your body’s natural alignment. </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">About a third of my workouts now (outside of
martial arts) are mobility movements and stability movements. I wish I had bought into this stuff a decade
ago. Maybe I wouldn’t grunt each time I
get up…</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Those are a few of the things I’ve learned
from this process. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How about you? Any other tips for dealing with injuries?</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Journeymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00146093025259375890noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697069502806403520.post-81003642252945944982013-08-22T15:36:00.000-07:002013-08-22T15:36:03.486-07:00Titles in the Martial Arts - Good or Bad?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKoqujKhuZmKO30YQhfQAh4T3PS-vtwjei-VmxOZ5v6D12BgSjr6nZ9dqJNq39m6qssjWIzSEZ5nBmuhE1x2-RD8KkFegtY3SYvgZ3GtOD83U3J2eZfbf2q-Cl_Zdj3ZWNqMj5CAOyhI/s1600/title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKoqujKhuZmKO30YQhfQAh4T3PS-vtwjei-VmxOZ5v6D12BgSjr6nZ9dqJNq39m6qssjWIzSEZ5nBmuhE1x2-RD8KkFegtY3SYvgZ3GtOD83U3J2eZfbf2q-Cl_Zdj3ZWNqMj5CAOyhI/s320/title.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are a plethora of titles given to various degrees of experience and skills in the martial arts. There are strict and not so strict rules associated to each title. Many require a certain age combined with a set number of years at a black belt dan, or rank. Some refer specifically to a dan ranking, and some are used as an indication of a person’s impact on the martial arts as a whole.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have nothing against titles. Using certain titles can be a way to show a deep amount of respect for someone’s skill level, their teaching ability and dedication to their students and their art.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I find it curious then, when certain high ranking black belts <i>insist</i> on being called by certain titles. They are offended by anything other than being referred to as 'grandmaster' this or 'high commander' that. It strikes me as an indicator of either arrogance or insecurity.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I believe there should be a degree of proper etiquette in a dojo or training facility. Titles are part of this, and should be used appropriately, but in my opinion, no one should be offended if they are referred to simply as ‘Sensei’. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jlL8xFGXwMZ25s7O2tV6BdackPdm4n7uYmYaqk0CthviJoXh-SUlf4X9YHuAh37BJiaTH8xrJjUdGEc-rhSEuqA2ZruF62TIT9GVIKKHOASOO5Jq9MLG781POGvCLQmbAimqP1EvhaE/s1600/kanji+sensei.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jlL8xFGXwMZ25s7O2tV6BdackPdm4n7uYmYaqk0CthviJoXh-SUlf4X9YHuAh37BJiaTH8xrJjUdGEc-rhSEuqA2ZruF62TIT9GVIKKHOASOO5Jq9MLG781POGvCLQmbAimqP1EvhaE/s200/kanji+sensei.jpg" width="86" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Translated, ‘Sensei’ most closely means ‘one who has come before’, and usually refers to the status of teacher. In my mind, this is a both a compliment and an indicator of respect. You have, in many ways, given yourself up to them, trusting in them to provide proper instruction and lifesaving knowledge. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are times I refer to my Sensei by another title, but this is most often done in times of introduction or ceremony. And typically, use of these titles is initiated by the students, or by other instructors, not at the insistence of the 'title-holder'.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Again, there are times when certain titles should be used, but I would have to question anyone who was offended if I referred to them as ‘Sensei’ during training. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sadly, I have seen one such “grandmaster” refuse to acknowledge a very new student during his visit to another dojo because the young lad didn’t know his 'exalted' status and referred to him as Sensei on the mats. What was sad is that he completely ignored the young man who was (innocently) asking a question. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYh3lGvK84RM9PzX1NLWx5FVZNmHZ3bStChTLjxJHZn3rRro1YMioCelRV2IOinhsULTL2_lZO9emLx43facUIHcKD6GI4XO68GW831psThh7lQXZR2e4Ac9FBeoTrc0MPDBtLEcqRk8/s1600/i+can%2527t+hear+you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYh3lGvK84RM9PzX1NLWx5FVZNmHZ3bStChTLjxJHZn3rRro1YMioCelRV2IOinhsULTL2_lZO9emLx43facUIHcKD6GI4XO68GW831psThh7lQXZR2e4Ac9FBeoTrc0MPDBtLEcqRk8/s320/i+can%2527t+hear+you.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Looking back, it is more comical really, conjuring up an image of a “master” covering their ears and saying “I can’t hear you, na na na na na” with a bewildered young many having no idea what was going on. That would make a cute cartoon…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are ways to correct a misstep of protocol or etiquette, but you can’t force respect on someone. If you need to be called a certain title in order to feel validation, perhaps you need more work in the area of ego. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For me, calling someone Sensei will always be a sign of true respect.</span><br />
<div style="font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;">
<br /></div>
Journeymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00146093025259375890noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697069502806403520.post-42438586008899738402013-08-07T20:08:00.000-07:002013-08-07T20:14:02.236-07:00Warrior Mindset - Part II<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6uvAjyyzH9aBh8aLbjll2jLIF6W47T_cX-dvOxKGjLv5AdU7p3ZLPgpdM_EQW0RuXiNxYB1nzT0i31b6fr9FW0zoP1gJCdzqS8X29kINtH7MsUegg3k6bIGLXCfaY0wQCZ3PpwnvlwSk/s1600/samurai+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6uvAjyyzH9aBh8aLbjll2jLIF6W47T_cX-dvOxKGjLv5AdU7p3ZLPgpdM_EQW0RuXiNxYB1nzT0i31b6fr9FW0zoP1gJCdzqS8X29kINtH7MsUegg3k6bIGLXCfaY0wQCZ3PpwnvlwSk/s400/samurai+.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the last part, </span><a href="http://japanesejiujitsu.blogspot.ca/2013/07/warrior-mindset.html">Warrior Mindset</a>,<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> I discussed one of two strategies for preparing to hurt someone, or to be hurt in a violent encounter. The first was training with contact. The next is:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Visualization/mental rehearsal and drawing on past tactile experiences</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most importantly, you need to visualize actually committing violence and causing injury to another person. Most people can do this to some degree, but most do not really think it through. They envision movie violence as opposed to real violence. Often this is the only kind of violence people have seen, so it’s not surprising that real violence is often shocking to them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How would it feel to break someone’s limb? What would it sound like? What would they do? Scream, fight back? How would it make you feel? What if you had to smash their face into the concrete?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Remember, real violence is disgusting, even for the victor (unless you’ve got problems...). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, if we only visualize the upsetting nature of violence, this could potentially work against us. You need to balance this by finding out why (or if) you are prepared to commit violence in the first place. To do this, you need to be confident up front that:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You did not want to be part of this encounter</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You did whatever you could to avoid it</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you know these two things, then you can know you didn’t have a choice. You have been forced into the situation, against your will. You will be filled with self-doubt if you could have easily walked away, and you may have to consider legal repercussions of the situation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You are then left with an unavoidable situation where you didn’t have a choice. The only thing you control is your decision to fight back or not.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You now need to ask yourself what, or who, is at risk? </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9A2NVhF_JjmmUBkUOg9_vKKWgpEGdtkd3JD_AMVlbzLFTJavS22-yMF76JWzk9ipwiY_mV6ipiAqZzBOzqBUAVf6eOhCcKEint7txv2a7bY0eDwR5TQv1dzW7w6V3yeKBRJny9gAKIk/s1600/family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9A2NVhF_JjmmUBkUOg9_vKKWgpEGdtkd3JD_AMVlbzLFTJavS22-yMF76JWzk9ipwiY_mV6ipiAqZzBOzqBUAVf6eOhCcKEint7txv2a7bY0eDwR5TQv1dzW7w6V3yeKBRJny9gAKIk/s400/family.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let me ask you this? Who would you be prepared to fight for? Your spouse/partner, parent, child or other loved one? Would you be prepared to commit violence to protect them? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most people have someone they would be willing to do this for. So let me ask you this. If you are someone’s spouse/partner, or someone’s parent or even someone’s child, what impact would you not coming home have on them? If you are faced by unavoidable, unwanted violence, it’s not just you that is at risk. The attacker is threatening those closest to you as well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is one way to prepare you to commit violence on others. Understand that your loved ones may as well be standing there, as they are equally at risk, albeit not from the physical act itself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To sum up, the two things you need to know:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That you did everything to not be involved in the attack.</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That you are protecting more than just you and your body.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This can go a long way to prepare you to commit violence on another. Visualizing the actual event then becomes slightly less unsettling and can serve more to anticipate or prepare for what might logically follow. After all, if someone yells “STOP!” when you are forced to hurt them, are you going to let them go as a reflex or have you resigned yourself to continuing until you know you can get away safely/get help? You also need to know that what you are doing is not about punishing your attacker, or trying to hurt them. It is about doing what you have to in order to survive and get away. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is all about mindset and the will to win. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfp8hI3wuk8tjpjQnNnnAQVc7v0gYeanmzKLGdcs0hxsDFL_vY1-uv5VukyM1chS8XPnXeBNNm8j9KmQMlu5C_ubg-JYd68GiTPi0he7lqRLdMsuYhU94pITh25EdyhMcpAj-00VQNzoM/s1600/military+warrior+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfp8hI3wuk8tjpjQnNnnAQVc7v0gYeanmzKLGdcs0hxsDFL_vY1-uv5VukyM1chS8XPnXeBNNm8j9KmQMlu5C_ubg-JYd68GiTPi0he7lqRLdMsuYhU94pITh25EdyhMcpAj-00VQNzoM/s400/military+warrior+.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The military has a relatively short time to train their soldiers and yet they become extremely effective warriors. Do you think they are taught secret techniques never seen by anyone else? No. It’s all about mindset, knowing that they have to win and knowing what, and who, they’re fighting for. And training to keep fighting, no matter what. To never give up. Ever.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Never give up. Ever. Even if you’re hurt or injured (see last article). Keep fighting until you can get away safely and get help.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Developing this mindset outweighs any physical training by a long shot. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now, I did mention drawing on past tactile experiences. This sort of fits into both categories of physical and mental training.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydzhiJ0d8U9CU4-3a0_xai-TqZ_D-_yqRFjvuDzR1z1Hzel46T-n3QlioayD1Nt5a3Rnap0VEOHXV2rAzYJG-AEFZGOssQCfJXiBV7FJL2_rCaYL8PZZ6eJ5B1zkBxlpYYPrFar7bK2M/s1600/punched+in+the+face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydzhiJ0d8U9CU4-3a0_xai-TqZ_D-_yqRFjvuDzR1z1Hzel46T-n3QlioayD1Nt5a3Rnap0VEOHXV2rAzYJG-AEFZGOssQCfJXiBV7FJL2_rCaYL8PZZ6eJ5B1zkBxlpYYPrFar7bK2M/s1600/punched+in+the+face.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have you ever been punched in the face? Not a sparring error, but actually hit hard, punched or kicked in the head or face by someone trying to hurt you? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most people haven’t. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I have. I know what it feels like. It sucks. And it hurts. And it’s shocking. I say unfortunately because it happened and I didn’t prevent it. I say fortunately because I used it as a learning opportunity. I know how it feels. I mentioned it hurts. It does, but for me the worst pain didn’t come until later when it really set in. What it did do was make me disoriented, it caused a ringing in my ears and distorted sounds and caused a slightly ‘out of it’ sensation. The world wasn’t quite right for a bit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had the peculiar experience of recognising I’d been hurt and that it wasn’t minor, but I was not quite able to determine to what degree. It took a while to sort out what had happened, making me slower to react. We’re only talking seconds, or milliseconds here, but as we all know, that can make all the difference.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, the first time it happened, I was slow to re-orient myself and respond. I now use those sensations as a ‘trigger point’ for a ramped-up response. Those sensations only occur when I’m in considerable danger, so I am now prepared to respond rapidly with a serious response. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This serves well professionally for many (law enforcement, security, military etc), but can just as easily be applied to ‘normal’ life as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You don’t necessarily need to have been attacked to rely on previous tactile experiences. As you know, your grey matter is flexible and you can be too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many years ago, I was getting out of my car in a parking lot on a windy day. A strong gust of wind caught my car door as by head was turned away. I turned my head just in time to be struck by the door full force on the side of the head and face. After having experienced violence later in life, I am struck (no pun intended) by the similarities of the experiences. Those same shock, disorientation, ringing and ‘out of it’ sensations were present then. At the time, I was violence free, so to speak, so I didn’t realize that I could have used that experience to develop a ‘trigger’ to fight back. The only real difference was the source of the attack, door vs. person.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcvCZQ9F2Ge3yM7IM8wpMPTrBDxsgVfGrKj5a-I0fUaz4zgOcPIK1gpQz1H20B2jg1JnCXpHBg-mRwm-M8SSZ8Kj69uAKjAJD3GugICY6AiBeUXgKNh6nXk3u3FgdCLPHecmXFP19ydpg/s1600/warrior1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcvCZQ9F2Ge3yM7IM8wpMPTrBDxsgVfGrKj5a-I0fUaz4zgOcPIK1gpQz1H20B2jg1JnCXpHBg-mRwm-M8SSZ8Kj69uAKjAJD3GugICY6AiBeUXgKNh6nXk3u3FgdCLPHecmXFP19ydpg/s400/warrior1.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many of you will be able to remember, likely in considerable detail, a time in your life where you got hurt. Maybe you hit a tree tobogganing, maybe you got hit by a car, fell off a bike etc. These traumatic events tend to remain in memory for most of your life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Find one of these experiences, re-live it your mind, including the sensations, and then move it into the self-defense/preservation section of your brain. Any time you experience similar sensations, you are ready to fight for your life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This stuff works. So the next time a car door hits you in the face and your hands come up as you get ready to strike out, be proud of yourself. Caught unaware, it’s just as likely that the car door is an attacker who blindsided you. The only difference is you’re ready for it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ve covered off two broad categories and strategies for preparing yourself to be hurt and to hurt others. I hope you can utilize some of my recommendations to better prepare yourself if you are forced to commit violence for self preservation. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Train well,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">JM. </span><br />
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Journeymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00146093025259375890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697069502806403520.post-29991509240095384412013-07-30T20:50:00.000-07:002013-07-30T20:50:21.620-07:00Warrior Mindset<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Brett over at </span><a href="http://kyokushinblog.com/">kyokushin blog</a> left <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the following comment on one of my posts on Post Violence - Surviving the Aftermath, </span><a href="http://japanesejiujitsu.blogspot.ca/2013/06/post-violence-surviving-aftermath-part-i.html">Part I</a>, <a href="http://japanesejiujitsu.blogspot.ca/2013/06/in-part-i-surviving-aftermath-i.html">2</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://japanesejiujitsu.blogspot.ca/2013/07/post-violence-surviving-aftermath-part.html">3</a> and <a href="http://japanesejiujitsu.blogspot.ca/2013/07/post-violence-surviving-aftermath-part_21.html">4</a>. <br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He wrote <i>"</i></span><i><span style="background-color: #141414; color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;">One question: You said that the mental aspect of training, and the readiness to be hurt and hurt others is something that has to come from within. I agree with this and have tried exploring these ideas, but perhaps you can elaborate on where you started when you began this aspect of your training?</span><span style="background-color: #141414; color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"</span></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So how does one prepare themselves mentally to be hurt, or to hurt others, when confronted with unavoidable violence?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is not an easy question to answer. It is different for everyone. It is a form of mental gymnastics in many ways. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First – How do you prepare yourself to be hurt?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The first thing you need to recognize is that you will likely be hurt or injured to some degree during a violent encounter. It is possible you’ll come out unscathed, but if you don’t prep yourself for the likelihood of being hurt, the situation could be disastrous for you.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0MybODEV_pjXfghhE_JU-aTl9k_zkU3VE92ypJRH4kQ4lMfbVOxCqvG_Vg0kWHSLIZGQgU_hqODYr_4xDUzCiSRkQBQMXKOBAnjsY0G6m-UzQ3VLDdkvPNTpS9z-q7EDDNNWOn_BQ9A/s1600/martial-arts+contact.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0MybODEV_pjXfghhE_JU-aTl9k_zkU3VE92ypJRH4kQ4lMfbVOxCqvG_Vg0kWHSLIZGQgU_hqODYr_4xDUzCiSRkQBQMXKOBAnjsY0G6m-UzQ3VLDdkvPNTpS9z-q7EDDNNWOn_BQ9A/s320/martial-arts+contact.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here’s one of the strategies I recommend:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<ul>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Train with contact. </span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Safety is paramount in training, but pain and contact are important parts of effective preparation. It will be challenging to deal with pain and injury if you’ve never been hit. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is a natural degree of shock that most people experience when they get hit/hurt. Training to fight through this, or not to freeze when it happens, is extremely important. I am by no means recommending that you beat each other up during training, but simply playing tag or no contact training (depending on your art) is largely ineffective for preparing for pain/injury. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmQ8SIScRlbmZ4uLGXO2Xw2iqkckMxZMq8O7j9H8ATezAFDV7yMIcTHYIAEovyi5ZTJ44sVhmOx_PUaFgO5JVUeg8M3vs5p2QYm0kAcWj11q3lsdMouyktwtuSo3y31URrV1mE4qvWSA/s1600/Mike+Tyson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmQ8SIScRlbmZ4uLGXO2Xw2iqkckMxZMq8O7j9H8ATezAFDV7yMIcTHYIAEovyi5ZTJ44sVhmOx_PUaFgO5JVUeg8M3vs5p2QYm0kAcWj11q3lsdMouyktwtuSo3y31URrV1mE4qvWSA/s320/Mike+Tyson.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think it was Mike Tyson that said “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth”. Perhaps not the most eloquent saying, but he makes a good point. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can further enhance training with contact with physical conditioning. Breath control, keeping your core tight and resistance training can help greatly. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My own Sensei also assists me with the Shinai stick…anyone who’s met one of these little babies will know what I’m talking about…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For those who don’t know what this is, it’s a training stick, or sword, often used in Kendo training. In our dojo, it is often used to test our stances, focus and balance. How? When doing stance work or movement drills requiring total body alignment/muscle tightening, Sensei will strike us with the shinai stick, usually in the stomach, legs, or rump. It's not meant to injure, but if you’re not paying attention, it really smarts. It’s not a solid stick, by the way, but still quite effective. I’ve included a picture of a shinai for your reference. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRcVzCA6DqJZMhjXFn9ivU6l8utewU37q2hLzjWFZKr5bIfY7CC4QGB6T2q7thgOTASsRSCHfthLrpzATLTaLRg-J0ejklEHslQiY-NDZaX19XeiC-XgnSBkCax_Vwh4OBwhBHxUBkbY/s1600/Shinai+stick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRcVzCA6DqJZMhjXFn9ivU6l8utewU37q2hLzjWFZKr5bIfY7CC4QGB6T2q7thgOTASsRSCHfthLrpzATLTaLRg-J0ejklEHslQiY-NDZaX19XeiC-XgnSBkCax_Vwh4OBwhBHxUBkbY/s400/Shinai+stick.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My Sensei often half jokes that if you get hit harder in training then you would in the street, you’ll think “Is that it?” if a real attack occurs. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>* Please note that building up to this level should occur slowly over time. I do not recommend going full out on a new student, or ones that do not have a great deal of confidence at their level of training.</i> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Getting used to pain, even to a lesser degree than you might receive on the street, will allow you to continue fighting, or to react faster if an attack occurs. Your brain won’t have to take the time to figure out what this new sensation is. As covered in previous articles, your brain will search for a time you have experienced the same, or a similar situation, before you will physically react to it. The faster it finds something, the faster you react/respond. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In other words, the faster your brain says “Been there, done that”, the faster, and better, you’ll respond.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Beyond just contact, using pain as a training tool is also important. The reason I mention pain separately (since getting hit hurts too) is mainly focused on martial arts that utilize joint locks, chokes, controls, breaks etc. It is very important to take a technique to a point where your training partner needs to tap or submit to avoid injury. This benefits both parties. For the person applying the technique – they learn where the break/injury will occur (preparing to commit violence). It allows the person receiving the technique to experience pain (preparing to receive violence), and to be able to differentiate between something that just hurts and something that will cause injury. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you know your arm is about to break in a real encounter, you can either steel yourself to it (minimizing shock temporarily) or you can adjust/increase the severity of your response accordingly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That’s on the physical training side of things. In the next part, I’ll discuss the mental training and some strategies you may wish to use for this.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Train safely,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">JM.</span><br />
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Journeymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00146093025259375890noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697069502806403520.post-467770520150730002013-07-21T14:31:00.000-07:002013-07-21T14:32:04.774-07:00Post Violence - Surviving the Aftermath - Part IV<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the last three parts, </span><a href="http://japanesejiujitsu.blogspot.ca/2013/06/post-violence-surviving-aftermath-part-i.html">Post Violence - Surviving the Aftermath - Part I</a>, <a href="http://japanesejiujitsu.blogspot.ca/2013/06/in-part-i-surviving-aftermath-i.html"> Part II</a> and <a href="http://japanesejiujitsu.blogspot.ca/2013/07/post-violence-surviving-aftermath-part.html">Part III</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> we discussed the aftermath of a violent encounter. We focused mainly on what happens when you “lose” the encounter, both in your mind and the impact it may have on your training.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So what happens to you if you “win” the encounter? If you did come out the victor, you probably found yourself in one of these categories:</span><br />
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<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Your training worked flawlessly and you easily dispatched your opponent effortlessly.</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Your training kind of worked, or it didn’t, but you won anyway.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you fit into category #1, keep doing whatever you’re doing. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone in this category. Quite frankly, most people will experience varying levels of category #2. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You should be very happy if some of your physical training kicked in. This is a good sign that you are training in the right way, with the right mindset.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most likely, assuming you remember what you did to be successful, you will be questioning your technique and training somewhat. These are good lessons to learn. What worked well, what didn’t and where you need to focus your efforts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So far, all positive stuff, right? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s not really that simple, unfortunately. A surprise to some is how traumatic winning an encounter can be. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many will be shaken by the experience. Many will believe it was purely luck that allowed them to win. Many will question whether or not they could ever repeat the techniques (if any) that they used. Many will beat themselves up for reverting to a more base style of primal combat instead of being a polished martial artist. Many will question whether or not they should continue to train at all if they revert to a big arm swinging, gross motor style of fighting, similar to children in a school yard scrap. Some will question their art, some their teacher, some themselves.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAAeaUQ9lzqAoRW_f6AM_98tg8VmbEDLtOKHaF3exGec08L4WZTqDfm_o3Uno5zCzFhIDl8Q2fP0oiCusSNuKb9PAtbX4_-s84cWAKbP-pJKrc3zEDXauyj5DXgiGv22t0wACdil22xco/s1600/so+many+questions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAAeaUQ9lzqAoRW_f6AM_98tg8VmbEDLtOKHaF3exGec08L4WZTqDfm_o3Uno5zCzFhIDl8Q2fP0oiCusSNuKb9PAtbX4_-s84cWAKbP-pJKrc3zEDXauyj5DXgiGv22t0wACdil22xco/s320/so+many+questions.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some will be sickened by the fact that they may have injured someone else. Some will question if they went too far. Some may be embroiled in the legal system.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some will constantly re-live the experience when they close their eyes. Some will become paranoid and hyper-vigilant, sensing danger around every turn. Some may overreact to perceived threats. Some will want to stay home and withdraw from their other activities, preferring to remain in a safe zone. Some will become overprotective of their loved ones. Some will arm themselves.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The potential impact that a real violent encounter can have on you is essentially the same whether you win or you lose. A trauma is a trauma. You may experience any or all of the same symptoms, regardless of who ‘won’. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Occasionally someone who “loses” will seek out confrontation to try to prove themselves, essentially overcompensating to try to deal with their insecurity and self-doubt. Having said that, some “winners” will feel the same need to seek out a fight to validate that they could, in fact, win again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Obviously, the true way to be a winner is to avoid a confrontation altogether, but that is not what this discussion is all about. In truth, occasionally violence is unavoidable. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvjfG4T7YlXken7j0YhJLHPyhqyY6dkYKY4Wu2ITLYsv7qjNRsOseG7PryH2STPMoiTqqPuQ-Dn0ULt34x_jAcOwn6JCShAPk4flv8d-oCYHUP4WnmdZLPM86NHzLWohQykgciuf6wxwU/s1600/visualization.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvjfG4T7YlXken7j0YhJLHPyhqyY6dkYKY4Wu2ITLYsv7qjNRsOseG7PryH2STPMoiTqqPuQ-Dn0ULt34x_jAcOwn6JCShAPk4flv8d-oCYHUP4WnmdZLPM86NHzLWohQykgciuf6wxwU/s400/visualization.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are no true winners in a violent encounter. Everyone will lose something in the process. This is exactly why our training should have the multi-faceted approach of: </span><br />
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<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Awareness/avoidance</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mental Preparation</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Physical Skills development.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We train to prepare to respond to violence in a (generally) peaceful society. We should spend some time preparing ourselves for what might realistically transpire if violence does find us, and the fallout of same. We should know that a martial art is not a panacea, a magical entity on its own that will swoop in and save us. We need to prepare ourselves mentally just as much as physically.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hope you’ve been able to take something of value from this series. Your feedback, as always, is appreciated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Be Safe,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">JM.</span><br />
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Journeymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00146093025259375890noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697069502806403520.post-7518547616552773712013-07-13T20:26:00.000-07:002013-07-13T20:26:58.874-07:00Post Violence - Surviving the Aftermath - Part III<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In <a href="http://japanesejiujitsu.blogspot.ca/2013/06/post-violence-surviving-aftermath-part-i.html">Post Violence - Surviving the Aftermath - Part I</a> and </span><a href="http://japanesejiujitsu.blogspot.ca/2013/06/in-part-i-surviving-aftermath-i.html"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Part II</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, we talked about surviving the after effects of violence and some of the mental trauma you may experience as a result.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We discussed ‘losing’ an encounter and the toll it might take on your training, current or future. Part II ended discussing how people may question or quit their style and/or teacher and how many may think that martial arts don’t work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I also mentioned the DFL factor. DFL – ‘dumb F’n luck’ can occur at any time during a violent encounter, do your detriment or to your advantage. A good fighter can lose to a novice if DFL kicks in. Know that anyone might get the better of you depending on this factor. Training is about minimizing the chances of this from occurring.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I told the story of a young man who was mugged on the street after years and years of training in Karate. He was unable to mount an effective response to it and ultimately quit training, under the belief that Karate (in his case) didn’t work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I said that it could have been the young man’s training, or it could have been his Sensei or it could have been him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Any longer term readers of this blog will know that I believe a serious mindset is required for meaningful and effective training. You can, and should, have fun, of course. But if your head’s not in the game and you’re just going through the motions in training without connecting the skills to the real world, you’re unlikely to ever learn anything ‘useable’. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU4iig7KtIJBJE-EoR1jU4-QwHv2HYpVP58xKb3ay6-j-x_dFJ-kKOnrKOtrrolxljiBCp7V9WsGbvM1vNsEI_XeKV4Ixg1z3BRmSLsDQCNgNxof_-mwIsc1sYto5x5uZVaqrDpz2Zn2c/s1600/mental+training.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU4iig7KtIJBJE-EoR1jU4-QwHv2HYpVP58xKb3ay6-j-x_dFJ-kKOnrKOtrrolxljiBCp7V9WsGbvM1vNsEI_XeKV4Ixg1z3BRmSLsDQCNgNxof_-mwIsc1sYto5x5uZVaqrDpz2Zn2c/s400/mental+training.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you’ve never prepared yourself mentally to deal with real violence, no amount of training in the world will help you against a motivated violent attacker. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You must train your mind to be prepared to respond to violence, and to cause damage to others if necessary, to protect yourself or those you care about. You must be prepared to do this without hesitation if the encounter can’t be avoided. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEginVOz9tOVrTBn3mIRKAI1d-6dLwk7pDA65_oGAQeeOAxZphfITyXbrEEms-og0wzJ5ORxg9_5MFTq3h8nb0e1eJyK948gps01FY0Fg4kRacniTXqQmb7HvBoIgY9G9YhViR_vMGOBHzs/s1600/toolbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEginVOz9tOVrTBn3mIRKAI1d-6dLwk7pDA65_oGAQeeOAxZphfITyXbrEEms-og0wzJ5ORxg9_5MFTq3h8nb0e1eJyK948gps01FY0Fg4kRacniTXqQmb7HvBoIgY9G9YhViR_vMGOBHzs/s200/toolbox.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Martial arts are only tools to make this easier to accomplish. Without the will to win, they are essentially useless for self-preservation. You must know, and truly believe, that you will prevail. That you will triumph no matter what and that you will do whatever it takes to survive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is the skill that can’t be taught. It must come from within. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are a few methods you can use to help prepare yourself. Awareness training is one. Mental role-play/rehearsal is another. Utilizing the <b>‘if’ ‘then’ </b>model of thinking. <b><i> </i></b><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b><i>If</i></b> </span>this happens, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b><i>then</i></b> </span>I’ll do this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not only will this decrease your reaction time (make you faster) in the event of an attack, but your mind will have somewhat prepared your body to deal with the whole the host of physiological effects brought about by a traumatic event. You will also greatly reduce the chances of hesitating, which can lead to disaster. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can do this any time, by the way. For example, if you’re on the subway or public transit, imagine what you would do if the guy/girl across from you suddenly pulled out a knife, or a gun, or even an explosive device. While the other riders would be confused and disoriented, you could react decisively and quickly, before those around you even knew what was going on. Practice this mental rehearsal as much as possible. It can be done anywhere at any time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another often overlooked area, is steeling yourself mentally, to really hurting someone else, if needed. We are surrounded by sexy images of movie violence. It’s not. It’s ugly and upsetting, even for those on the winning side (assuming you’re not a predator). It won’t look good, it won’t feel good and it may hurt you as well, physically. Many a hand has been broken hitting others. Often the winner is the one that is less hurt in an encounter. Expect to fight with pain. For some, it will hurt then, for others, the pain won’t set in until after. Whatever the case, prepare your mind to fight though anything, including the sight of your own blood, or broken limb etc. It’s about survival at this point.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Don’t expect your martial arts to ‘rescue you’ or just kick in when you need them. This is not to say that you can’t drill a skill until it becomes an instinctive response. You may actually react instinctually to an initial grab or strike, but if you’re not mentally prepared to follow up, that may be as far as you get.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Personally, I don’t expect my martial arts to work perfectly, if at all, during a real violent encounter. I expect that I will survive no matter what and if my martial arts training help, that’s a bonus. If it allows me to cause less damage to myself or my attacker, or to end the encounter more quickly, then it’s been a success. If I’ve worked on my awareness and mental rehearsal skills enough, I may be able to more closely resemble the cinematic martial arts response. If I’ve reacted quickly enough due to my mental preparation, it may look like I saw it coming. Interjecting early enough into an encounter may allow a successful joint lock, takedown, wrist lock, weapon disarm, or even certain strikes to be delivered, shutting your attacker down at the onset, minimizing damage to both you and your attacker. Or just as importantly, it may prevent a situation from escalating past its initial stages altogether.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I do a great deal of this mental rehearsal due to my professional role. It has prevented situations from escalated more times than I can count. I’ve used Jiu Jitsu successfully on several occasions, and I’ve also had it not work. It didn’t really matter though, as losing was not an option for me. Nor should it be for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Training to survive a violent encounter is really a 3 step process.</span><br />
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<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Awareness</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mental Preparation</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Training</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The actual practicing of the physical skills is the smallest part of preparing for violence. It’s a very important part, mind you, but it should be what you spend the least amount of time on, even if you train every day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If I could give you the mental fortitude and the will to win, I’d be a rich guy. But I can’t. No one but you can do this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now that we’ve discussed what you need to bring to the table, you can hopefully more accurately assess what, if anything is lacking in your martial art or your teacher, or in you. You can decide if you’re getting ‘translatable’ skills. By this I mean skills or techniques that make sense to you, ones that you think you could actually apply, taking into account the most likely kind of attacks you might face, as well as the most likely kinds of attackers. This will be influenced by where you live, what kind of work you do, what you do is your spare time and the hours you keep, to name just a few.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now that you’ve made an assessment of what your training does or doesn’t need, we can move on to touch on winning, long term effects, and the healing process. </span><br />
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Journeymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00146093025259375890noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697069502806403520.post-52531321210867518862013-07-07T11:21:00.000-07:002013-07-07T11:22:58.131-07:00Just like that...<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The post would normally be the third in my series on post violence survival, but it's not.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The other day, I received a text advising that an extended family member had been killed in a car crash. While I was not close to this person, I could not help but think:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Wow, just like that...gone". </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In an instant, one life is gone and the lives of those close to them are changed forever. Just like that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Life can change in an instant and as careful as we all are, bad things can happen. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I try to use these times to make sure I appreciate those around me, to love my friends and family and to let them know I do, through words and through actions. To not take things for granted.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hope you do the same. And thanks for reading.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">JM.</span></div>
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Journeymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00146093025259375890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697069502806403520.post-86922958013641624492013-06-26T16:56:00.001-07:002013-06-26T16:57:39.147-07:00Post Violence - Surviving the Aftermath - Part II<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In <a href="http://japanesejiujitsu.blogspot.ca/2013/06/post-violence-surviving-aftermath-part-i.html">Part I - Surviving the Aftermath</a> I discussed how traumatic a violent encounter can be on peaceful people. This can be exacerbated by losing, or believing you lost. Physical injuries aside, it’s the mental ones that will likely take the greater toll.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I feel it’s important to touch on this a bit more.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJMI9oW7OHIpM5xNOdQCFvl8b_F9f26tGRHz8XzN6V81M40QvG5pz8da73WKmx6HgVoTeyN91TAPVSWQmFkw_dvCGTPIZeSYESjTb_piyttAvUp_NYKqALiyj_GxwHqKKzuf9ypy768s/s1600/not+all+wounds+are+visible.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJMI9oW7OHIpM5xNOdQCFvl8b_F9f26tGRHz8XzN6V81M40QvG5pz8da73WKmx6HgVoTeyN91TAPVSWQmFkw_dvCGTPIZeSYESjTb_piyttAvUp_NYKqALiyj_GxwHqKKzuf9ypy768s/s320/not+all+wounds+are+visible.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Depending on the nature and severity of the violence you experienced, you may experience some symptoms of post-traumatic stress. It’s important to recognize these symptoms and get them out in the open. Talking about them in a timely manner can be one of the most effective ways to mitigate the stress, and prevent a ‘trauma membrane’ from developing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A ‘trauma membrane’ is one analogy of what people who have experienced a trauma sometimes go through. Over time, this ‘membrane’ thickens as you develop a psychological defense system to insulate or protect yourself from the post stress hyper-vigilance or constant re-living of an event. The downside of this is that that same membrane also inhibits the efforts of others to help you. The take away point here is that early interventions/diffusing/debriefing or just talking about your emotions is very important for the healing/dealing with a trauma. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__s3vw8kU6Tpr4ROs_FnqpRRnNJ2-wkYQCDPc0VYVanVRZyu6f3cLEryO9IZkzNy6eLWYijhrSV7-iN5INCxokgbGcl64MM99NxBStAlztkJkPdaoH2KT8KykUz6Ez7kfhnFTG7hmhrg/s1600/PTSD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__s3vw8kU6Tpr4ROs_FnqpRRnNJ2-wkYQCDPc0VYVanVRZyu6f3cLEryO9IZkzNy6eLWYijhrSV7-iN5INCxokgbGcl64MM99NxBStAlztkJkPdaoH2KT8KykUz6Ez7kfhnFTG7hmhrg/s320/PTSD.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Left untreated over time, some people may develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD and its effects are worthy of a separate article and I've barely scratched the surface. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bottom line, recognize when you’re struggling mentally and emotionally from the effects of post violence and seek help if you need it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Moving on to training:</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You’re likely challenging the value of your training, and you may be thinking of changing martial arts or quitting altogether. This is also natural. And this is a tough one. We put a lot of faith into those who teach us martial arts, believing we are getting effective and realistic self defense (assuming that’s why we are taking it in the first place).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For someone who has only trained for a couple years, this can be tough to judge. What qualifies someone to teach the martial arts? Is the ability to deal with real violence necessarily a pre-requisite? How would you even judge that? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many teachers of martial arts have never been in a real violent encounter. They may be extremely well equipped to deal with it, of course, or they may not be. This is why it’s crucial to find someone that understands the ‘why’ of what they’re teaching, not just the ‘how’. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Without understanding the action/reaction/consequence/reason for it, you’re essentially going through the motions. It’s like learning the movements of a kata, but never knowing what you’re actually doing to your imaginary opponent. It might look pretty, but it’s unlikely any of it could be applied in the real world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Examining/evaluating your teacher is quite important but it’s a delicate and touchy subject. Try to seek out teachers that take the time to explain the ‘why’ behind what they’re teaching you, and ones that are open to the ‘what-if’ questions (within reason). Most teachers confident in their skills don’t mind explaining or fielding questions, or having follow-up discussions, as long as it’s done in a respectful way. You have a right to know what you’re getting, after all.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu3CrYLopy27QignMS0aOJT5t6U1jY7gjXJk1oC2-n4YtJ1z3IwLMWufpnLeizAaomvzr_bmICHEk2PRbq-qGi4ipS99Urb88egi09DfXOGmoF5fCFEM56t_k9QkSLq7JL36Nz6ArS0oA/s1600/ptsd2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu3CrYLopy27QignMS0aOJT5t6U1jY7gjXJk1oC2-n4YtJ1z3IwLMWufpnLeizAaomvzr_bmICHEk2PRbq-qGi4ipS99Urb88egi09DfXOGmoF5fCFEM56t_k9QkSLq7JL36Nz6ArS0oA/s320/ptsd2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You may also be thinking there’s something wrong with your chosen martial art. I know of one fellow that took Karate for many years. He was really into it. He was on a business trip and was mugged on the street. Sadly, he was so shaken from the experience that he quit Karate, and training all together. He said Karate doesn’t work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, Karate does work. Or more accurately, it can work, provided you have the right teacher and the right student. All martial arts can work. It’s how they’re understood, taught, explained, examined, interpreted, applied and passed on that count. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don’t know where this fellow trained, or who trained him, so I can’t specifically speak to it, but a blanket statement like “it doesn’t work” is sad. His confidence was shattered and he lost faith in martial arts to be able to protect him. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It could have been how he was taught. It could have been a watered down version, or it could have been his teacher.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Or it could have been him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And no, I’m not assigning blame to the victim. Sometimes violence is unavoidable and sometimes no matter how much you’ve prepared, the DFL (dumb f’n luck) factor takes over.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the next part, we’ll discuss what you bring to the table when it comes to training, attitude and action.</span>Journeymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00146093025259375890noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697069502806403520.post-73296385305402653022013-06-23T14:05:00.001-07:002013-06-23T14:05:38.735-07:00Post Violence - Surviving the Aftermath - Part I<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFv2eCK_IMDyzs5OzM6uE7jxGhs2xzsbPdfyf7lhSGBhcGQb0L1hedYX4RzAtx4iCb9Km8ejeO6sC9K4ttxARdfAIgWh6OrznPQ_6Q689UxJ_ecGjb6dwoMhjFWTyOnAGDHc5np1DPOY/s1600/Violence3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFv2eCK_IMDyzs5OzM6uE7jxGhs2xzsbPdfyf7lhSGBhcGQb0L1hedYX4RzAtx4iCb9Km8ejeO6sC9K4ttxARdfAIgWh6OrznPQ_6Q689UxJ_ecGjb6dwoMhjFWTyOnAGDHc5np1DPOY/s320/Violence3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It happened. Even with all your awareness training and attempts to avoid it, it actually happened. You were involved in a violent encounter. Now what?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Real violence, unlike in the movies, is ugly and disturbing. It's unpredictable and unsettling. It's shocking to most people. It is typically outside of the realm of normal human experience for the vast majority of what I'll call 'normal' people. Normal meaning decent people, not predators and not those accustomed to violence by way of profession.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are a number probably outcomes:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. You 'lost'. In truth, if you survived, you've won, but for the purposes of this discussion, we'll call it losing. You either did nothing and took the beating (quite common), or you tried to defend yourself and it didn't work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. It was a tie. You took some lumps but so did he/she. You may be injured but you defended yourself and it ended before your attacker's intended conclusion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. You won. You fought back and it worked. The other person gave up, ran away or was injured to a point where they could not or did not want to continue.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let's take a closer look at each scenario and the impact it may have on you, as a peaceful warrior.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Wu6tfl9qt-Lp1g0keJtL9eY6fDvgcSE0wwUmkJuHZwrR6gddj_LZ6cacaXO1__1-8Q6YctXkWQMbrU0AT1thPkj6xfEV1im1y2qjizYSk68FnXfjkiaSL0AzFXlHBZ0dkYLE-4f3tl4/s1600/head+in+hands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Wu6tfl9qt-Lp1g0keJtL9eY6fDvgcSE0wwUmkJuHZwrR6gddj_LZ6cacaXO1__1-8Q6YctXkWQMbrU0AT1thPkj6xfEV1im1y2qjizYSk68FnXfjkiaSL0AzFXlHBZ0dkYLE-4f3tl4/s320/head+in+hands.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. You lost.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For many, when real violence occurs, they freeze up. The mind simply cannot resolve the issue of what is happening. For normal people, many times they simply cannot believe it is really happening. It causes this freeze-up effect. The body doesn't respond because the mind can't make sense of what is going on. So you just stand there, hoping to weather the storm. If this is you, don't beat yourself up over it. It's very common in peaceful folks to have this response. What you do with this learning experience, what you can take from it will be key as you move on with your life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you didn't freeze-up, you fought back but it didn't work. Also quite common. The controlled safe environment of the dojo is very different than facing someone who is really trying to hurt you on the street. You may have practiced this technique or that one, hundreds, or thousands of times, but it didn't work. You may have become too focused on trying to perform one technique to the exclusion of all else. You may have reverted to a more primal style of fighting back, or you might have started fighting and then turtled to protect yourself until it was over.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You may be injured. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Your confidence will be destroyed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You may cry, lash out or be afraid to go outside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You may become hyper-vigilant and experience a degree of paranoia.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You may think your training was useless.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You may stop practicing martial arts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You may arm yourself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You may train everyday.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You will go through a roller-coaster ride of emotions. The physical injuries are far easier to heal from than the mental scars, which will linger. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First off, realize that some, most, all, or very few of the above reactions may occur. Every person is different and will have different reactions to real violence. Whatever reactions you are having, they are perfectly natural. You are not a coward, you are not overreacting. Don't try to fight it. Let them run their course.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You may require professional counselling depending on the severity of the encounter and your reactions to it. Remember, seeking help when you need it is a sign of strength, not weakness. If you are re-living the experience over and over again, not sleeping, or self medicating just to get by, you may need to speak with a professional.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In Part II, I'll further discuss the potential impact that an experience like this can have on your day to day experiences and on your future training. After that, I'll discuss the similarities and differences between losing or winning a violent encounter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stay tuned and be safe.</span><br />
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Journeymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00146093025259375890noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697069502806403520.post-29527750704687207462013-06-12T17:10:00.003-07:002013-06-12T17:18:21.650-07:00Turning Weakness Into Strength - Flexibility<br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hello All,</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’m back on-line. Thanks for your patience. It's good to be back.</span></span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjffORFFUjywpPlDb1730t-Pr6syWd8XR11LxkPnZk8NOOal8Nx8Tf3WplCF6GI2LFmZFS4giJoyyWET2BCU9FQF61p4Nlu33Rn1GcWo_kl034hAZB8pxpXHfAEQwRYbA4I3fltvrvdg/s1600/Strengths+And+Weaknesses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjffORFFUjywpPlDb1730t-Pr6syWd8XR11LxkPnZk8NOOal8Nx8Tf3WplCF6GI2LFmZFS4giJoyyWET2BCU9FQF61p4Nlu33Rn1GcWo_kl034hAZB8pxpXHfAEQwRYbA4I3fltvrvdg/s320/Strengths+And+Weaknesses.jpg" width="213" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I’ve mentioned in the past the importance of studying and practicing how to attack properly (as uki), or realistically, in order to give the (tori) defender, or receiver of the technique, an ‘as close to a real’ experience as possible.</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If we don’t attack in a way that mirrors how real violence may very well occur, we are doing each other a disservice.</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A single straight punch where you leave the arm extended as the uki does nothing to help the tori. Nor does a lapel grab that has no follow up. No one just grabs your lapel and stands there.</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I recently started to apply a choke to my training partner. Training dynamically, I didn’t ‘sink it in’ before he squirmed to the side. I managed to transition into a side-headlock. I wasn’t crazy about the position I ended up in. I’m not a big fan of a headlock, unless you intend to really crank the head and neck, which can cause significant damage. There’s not a lot of ‘in-between’ stuff. Plus I know a variety of counters. So I chose to disengage, feigning a back kick as I released my partner.</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My point is not about the effectiveness of the headlock, though. </span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the harder things to do in dynamic training (as uki) is to ‘let go’ or ‘give up’ your desired technique if it isn’t working as planned. There’s a natural tendency to fight to hold on to whatever technique you initially selected/reacted with. This ends in a strange sort of standing grappling match where the two partners are locked onto each other, not doing much more than pulling and pushing and spinning around. A lot of real altercations end up in this back and forth ‘tug-of-war’. The problem is that this ‘standing wrestling thing’ is extremely taxing. The party that gets tired out first is normally the one that loses.</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We must train to overcome our desire to hold on to something that’s not working. I believe that very often the first thing you do won’t go as planned. One translation of Jiu Jitsu is the ‘flexible art’. Another is the ‘gentle art’ which gives me a chuckle. It really means there’s less ‘force-on-force’ encounters. You often accept the attacker's energy and momentum and use it against them. So we must be flexible and adapt to changing circumstances.</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you successfully apply most Jiu Jitsu techniques (and many other styles), your attacker won’t be able to ‘fight’ it and resist. If you haven’t locked it in though, your attacker may still have strength and leverage on their side. If they pull a limb away, it’s better to go with it and apply a technique which capitalizes on their pulling motion. You’ll often surprise them by going with it.</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Simply put, if something you try doesn’t work, don’t be afraid to switch it up and transition to another variation or technique. Never assume a technique will work flawlessly and always have other options available. If your mind dead-ends with a single technique, and if it doesn’t work, you’re in trouble.</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">My Sensei says he’s always thinking 3 or 4 moves ahead. The “if, then” model. </span>If<span style="font-weight: normal;"> this happens, </span>then<span style="font-weight: normal;"> I’ll do this.</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This type of training and mentally preparing yourself to be flexible, or even disengage if necessary, is very important. I’ve seen footage of people so intent on trying to apply, say and arm-bar, that their attacker is raining down blows upon them until they lose consciousness. </span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It takes some work to recognize this tendency and develop the mental flexibility to deal with it, but it can be done, especially through the use of more dynamic and realistic training. As soon as you add movement and stop with the face to face, “ok, now you attack me” style of training, you’ll find you’ll have to adjust rapidly to defend effectively. This is a great thing to incorporate into training. You can also add in what I call ‘continuous Jiu Jitsu, where you and your training partner go back and forth with different techniques and figure out how to get out of each technique and apply your counter. Randori is also invaluable. When you’re surrounded by a group and they throw unspecified attacks at you, you can really get a sense of what a real encounter brings to the table. You’re forced to react and adjust.</span></span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uuVUXLgpevKGNjJmZ8h9HCqfe1G1jOKtHCzwzUz52qnwNwuF8sfTDJMNre0lVGPOupC1Mh3GwwcZ3aR28gCX9AZKlWLOA9SM4M6cj0ume0p0WIM7ynb_hFW6JkJ4eSw5Y2WFb0rVpPg/s1600/My-attitude-is-that-if-you-push-me-towards-something-that-you-think-is-a-weakness-then-I-will-turn-that-perceived-weakness-into-a-strength.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uuVUXLgpevKGNjJmZ8h9HCqfe1G1jOKtHCzwzUz52qnwNwuF8sfTDJMNre0lVGPOupC1Mh3GwwcZ3aR28gCX9AZKlWLOA9SM4M6cj0ume0p0WIM7ynb_hFW6JkJ4eSw5Y2WFb0rVpPg/s400/My-attitude-is-that-if-you-push-me-towards-something-that-you-think-is-a-weakness-then-I-will-turn-that-perceived-weakness-into-a-strength.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There’s an up-side to all this too. Just as you have the natural tendency to try to hold on to something even if it isn’t working, so does your attacker. If someone grabs you, by the hand, wrist, arm, head, leg etc, the will likely try to hold on for dear life to make good their attack. This provides us with the advantage of time and we know where our attacker’s focus is. They are far less likely to let go while you apply a technique to counter it. You also know where their ‘weapons’ are. If their hands are occupied grabbing a hold on you, you don’t need to worry about them doing other bad things to you.</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Use this to your advantage. Select a vulnerable area that’s available since his/her hands are tied up. Understand that if you pull away, they will pull back towards them even harder. You can easily use this to your advantage and ‘set’ them up. Much of your training needs to be reactionary and instant, but in some situations, you may have just enough time to play some mental chess.</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Turning potential weakness into strength.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Food for thought.</span></span></h3>
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From <span style="font-family: Arial;">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/</span><b style="font-family: Arial;">Tori</b><span style="font-family: Arial;">_(</span><b style="font-family: Arial;">martial</b><span style="font-family: Arial;">_</span><b style="font-family: Arial;">arts:</b></div>
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<i>“In judo and some other martial arts, tori is the person who completes the technique against the training partner, called uke. Regardless of the situation, the principle is that "tori" is always the one who successfully completes a technique. The terms "tori" and "uke" are not synonymous with attacker and defender, because the role is determined by who completes a successful technique, not who initiates one.</i><span style="color: #0433ff; text-decoration: underline;"><i><sup>[1]</sup></i></span></div>
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<i>In aikido and related martial arts, tori executes a defensive technique against a designated attack initiated by uke. Aikido has alternate terms describing the role of tori, depending on the particular style or situation, including "thrower" (</i><span style="font-family: 'Hiragino Mincho ProN';">投げ</span><i>, nage</i><span style="color: #042ff2; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5px;"><b><i><sup>?</sup></i></b></span><i>) and "performing hand" (</i><span style="font-family: 'Hiragino Mincho ProN';">仕手</span><i>, shite</i><span style="color: #042ff2; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5px;"><b><i><sup>?</sup></i></b></span><i>).</i><span style="color: #0433ff; text-decoration: underline;"><i><sup>[2]</sup></i></span><i><sup>”</sup></i></div>
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Journeymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00146093025259375890noreply@blogger.com2