My Training

A picture tells a thousand stories! Both people in the photo above are extremely experienced in martial arts technique. One of them much older and ever so slightly more experienced.

The point to this blog entry is this: Everybody who trains in martial arts needs to continually develop themselves. You can only do this by being continually involved with a strategy of self development. Pretty obvious you might say. Not to so many who cocoon themselves within a stagnant repetitious training regime, or style confinement? The old saying “you should get out more” is so true. One of my Japanese Sensei’s told me that at least once a week I should train with someone with more experience and practical ability than myself. I have always looked upon this advice as good advice and true in practice, although difficult at times.

The same techniques practiced over and over again, not repetitiously as such but with ever increasing perspective and situation consideration. It’s possible to climb different mountains with the same piece of rope but never in the same way! We need to examine how efficient and effective technique is achieved, diversely.

One of my Sensei’s tells me he’s a guide not an instructor as such. He will show me a series of metaphoric dots, how and when I recognise these dots is one thing, how I perceive them and how I join them up and apply them is another. If he prescribes everything in a rote fashion I may get something from the experience, his way....perhaps but not necessarily mine.

I didn't physically exert myself at the training session the above photo was taken, although I did put my mind in gear. From observation I deduced that individually my techniques in certain circumstances were adequate for level one. More importantly I observed ways how to improve them to a level two. Level two being almost impossible to apply without effective engagement. This can only be done in a reciprocal way with somebody who understands pain and wants to understand how more efficiently to inflict it.

My training is not for the faint hearted or people afraid of pain. No good for an immature mind where their only experience of violence is a dancing class, Playstation game or Tom & Jerry cartoon battle antics.

Hand Drill 2

So hard to get the right balance of attack speed and defence coordinated because the attack if struck correctly will stop the action. Then the drill will be too short. There is much compliance involved leaving the prime effect lost. However by syncopating the strikes with control the potential of each action can be analysed.

Hand Speed & Timing Class 2 2010 with vid clip

Class 2 of 2010. Control of the centre line, stop, block, evade...........outside right inside right, inside left outside left & reversed sequence?? It's sort of syncopated chaos..........think table tennis rally? It can be very short and abrupt finish or an intensely prolonged duration. It is chaos in movement but with some predictability. Fast hand drills have to have a sense of reality and risk, no two should be the same although the object is to do the same thing. The speed and intensity coupled with fluidity is one thing, the damage control is acute in an explosive sense, transmission is on hold to comply with reciprocation. Add too much and becomes "Just a drill" leave out intensity and fluidity and it becomes "Just a drill"..................food for thought! We are just scratching the surface.

Hand Drill

This is a small glimpse of an inside hand drill, done at a more realistic speed it ends abruptly as it slips out of predictable syncopation. Obviously the nerves are not struck with technique on defence or the counter strikes too disabling to allow continuance. I'll be working on the camera technique.

1st Class of 2010

It's been a cold start to the year! Tonight, due to extreme weather conditions, being the 1st class of 2010. Thanks to those in the class. It was back to basics in a way...........upon which everything else has it's foundations. We did some drills and virtual karate-jutsu for warm ups. Followed by developing from prescribed tried and tested means, defences against straight jabs and hooking punches. The class evolved around the our efforts to produce effective technique primarily for defence and attack of the upper body and head. Much more work is needed in this area. We will be building on the foundations.

My Karate-Jutsu

My Karate-jutsu Association’s direction and theme for 2010 is to pass on as much information of practical Karate-jutsu and associated applications as possible. Pass on historical conjecture, pragmatism or my own personal applications and observations of significant tried and tested technique? Which would be most appreciated by my students or teachers? I think to call on my own research, findings and resources would be easier to justify and apply through a recollection of my own reference, knowledge and ability. Not to try to emulate or impersonate the best of my inspiration sources.

YouTube is saturated with information and research material from the who’s who and what’s what of Masters. Information which will probably lead the confused to a state of even more confusion. I have been training and practicing martial arts for over 40 years, I’m still very much a novice compared to some but I’m still very much hands on in the dojo, on the street and in the archives of information. I do have a slight aversion to anybody that stereo types me or has disregard of my sentient thinking.

Working on my unverified theory that 10% of the people in the world are left handed, 10% don’t respond to pain, 10% are Gay and 90% of Martial Arts practice, technique and tradition is prescribed, embellished and or, not fit for the definitive purpose of drastic self defence, I put pen to paper. At best organisational Martial Arts are a very good regime of fitness, discipline, hypothetical study of combat technique and recreational pursuit.

I feel violence has a very serious role to play when embarking on an investigation into the abyss that is Self Defence and effective Martial Arts, dynamics, tactics and applications thereof, infinite by specific or adequate comprehension. Violence can be manifested by a state of mind, through physical exhibition or extremes of both in varying proportions. It can be instantaneously stimulated or calculated and articulated. Absolutely required for self defence Martial Arts is an appreciation and experience of the consequences of violence for all circumstances. Accompanying these attributes will be a means and an advantage maybe, by which to avoid confrontational violence.

Athleticism, fitness, physical ability, state of mind, preparation, knowledge, demonstration and understanding of skills is without doubt vital and any essential, serious consideration when contemplating a study of the Martial Arts. I personally feel they are subjective rather than objective. Over the years I have been trained by and studied a plethora of teachers and students. I have come to the conclusion that from the broad spectrum of Martial Arts that my limited considerations have assimilated so far, are particular to me. To that extent I want to, do and will excise my right to express an opinion of training in the Martial Arts. I do not imply I am right in my practice or thinking, my preference rather to share it, for whatever it’s worth to anybody else.

Specifically this year I’m going to focus my attention on who and what has had the greatest influence on what I am practicing today. Hopefully pass on the data to whoever wants it for their own studies. From day one I have been heavily influenced by a number of people I’ve trained with. All important to me and essential for the understanding I have today. However I have to refer to Sir Isaac Newton’s Three Laws of Motion for help in giving this article impetus and direction.

“Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it”.

So what objects in the Martial Arts fraternity would give one a change of direction? Dave Hazard, Steve Morris, Bruce Miller, Patrick McCarthy and Terry Wingrove…………….? For me without doubt! I reckon I can recruit enough theory and application from my combined experiences with these guys to give a reasonable account of “myself as a Martial Artist”. Probably to their dismay and denial but who gives a shit at the end of the day?

“The relationship between an object's mass m, its acceleration a, and the applied force F is F = ma. Acceleration and force are vectors (as indicated by their symbols being displayed in slant bold font); in this law the direction of the force vector is the same as the direction of the acceleration vector”.

This example is the most obscure and most difficult to equate to this article but it is significant to my understanding of how physics and science are key to a comprehension of transmission of power. This is a key principle in Martial Arts and I don’t want to compare people or persons as to effectiveness. Anatomically Steve Morris and Terry Wingrove have different applications as they are different people. However I did pick those as examples as they are the most experienced in “Martial Arts, Self Defence and Combat”. Although I personally think Steve Morris, Terry Wingrove, Dave Hazard, Bruce Miller and Patrick McCarthy all have outstanding knowledge and ability as stand alone persona, of transmission or otherwise effective means by which to move things, or the mind.

“For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”

This being a most profound statement as well as in my mind, the most significant Law. It has no equal or comparison other than its own anti entity (one’s own comprehension of it).
I hope this article will stimulate or aggravate (whatever) more than a few minds into pursuing a furtherance of their understanding of how the teach, guide, learn, practice or train students of Martial Arts and Self Defence. After all an anatomical technique is an anatomical technique, its principle and variations thereof and how it’s applied are subjective, not necessarily prescribed adequately for all anatomical considerations. This applies to prescribed form too!

New Year 2010

One of my new Years resolutions is to update my blog more frequently. Let people know what's going on around me. I think the thing to do more of in 2010 is to get out more. Stimulate idea's, share knowledge and train. Earn your luck and may you get lots of it.