jaypo

We train that every single technique we learn is for self defense. We do a lot of applications and free sparring. We also train Kyusho, and we add takedowns and joint locks to all of our techniques. However, the most important part to self defense is to learn situational awareness. Be aware of what's going on around you at all times. You can't be 100% perfect, but you can eliminate a lot of threats by just seeing them before they materialize. No matter how much you train for it, you won't be fully ready for a surprise attack. But if you train your body and mind accordingly, you can be better prepared for an attack when it happens. I train a traditional style, but we put practicality into our techniques. Instead of full drawback in our applications, we use our hand for defense (unless it's to pull your opponent into you). We incorporate a lot of takedowns and pressure point attacks, etc.

Not sure if it is the same thing, but in some voodoo cultures, they use blowfish poison to create a "zombie" drug. It turns people into "zombies". However, I've been watching the Walking Dead since day 1, so I'm pretty confident that I'll be okay WHEN the zombie apocalypse happens!!

I have very good control, but I always tell students that no matter how good your control is, you can't control your opponent's tendency to move toward you! It doesn't matter if you can stop your punch a millimeter from their nose if they can't slow their momentum down to avoid the contact. All we can do as martial artists is try to get better at anticipating their positioning as they move while you strike. I have a rule that I tell people- there are no hard feelings if I get hit by another student UNLESS they are intentionally trying to cause me harm. If I get hit by someone without ill intentions, that's on me and that's kudos to them. I harbor no ill feelings. However, if it is one's intentions to either hurt me (or another student) or make the opponent look foolish, then, I may get upset! We practice an art that was designed to do a lot of damage. So some contact is to be expected, and they guy reacted as though he understood that. Don't worry about it at all. Just continue your journey and enjoy it!

Now I don't feel so bad that they whooped my Saints!!

I would read mainly Shotokan references. As far as training, it took me a while to transition from Shotokan to Shorin-Ryu, so you may want to just focus on mastering Shotokan first. Then, slowly implement different things into your training.

Same here. I just turned 40 in August. I'm having a hard time coming to grips with my age, so at the beginning of this year, I disciplined myself to lose weight and keep it off. I have always been a bit of a gym rat, but I have been working on doing things right. I use olympic rings a bit more in the place of some weighted exercises. I stretch a lot more. And now that I'm 15 pounds lighter, I started doing some running to improve my cardio. It's amazing how much better I can train now! The downside- I have 2 bad knees and a bad shoulder from years of sports. So my knees still ache, and my body mechanics aren't where I'd want them to be (I'll never win any Kata competitions!) But I feel a lot better than I did a year ago. I was talking with a former NFL quarterback yesterday, and he said that his body started feeling the same effects we're talking about when he was about 33! And he's 6'5 and about 240 lbs. I guess that's just the life of an athlete!

We have one 9 year old girl that was awarded a junior black belt in our club. I have some reservations about it, but she truly does have the knowledge and skill for a high rank. She's just so little!!! In all fairness to her, she has been training for years in the martial arts, her father trains with her at home, her brother is an amateur boxer that helps her a lot with sparring, and she trains about twice as many hours as any student at any other school around here. So she has put in the work. If she were 16 yrs old, she probably would be a full black belt or Shodan-ho. But because she's so young, she is a junior black belt. I had a conversation with the brother of my old Sensei. He has a son that is 10 and has been practicing in a JKA school for 4 years. He made it to 1st kyu, and the next testing cycle, he wanted to test for black belt. Master Mikami is the one that sits on the testing board and has the final decision. So he allowed the kid to test and immediately failed him. He did fine during the test. But Master Mikami did not think he was old enough, so instead of not allowing him to test, he did test him, but failed him.

I didn't realize that the 2nd dan looked like an orange belt! That is a different issue (or the same issue on a larger scale!) I would expect someone who is a 5th dan to be able to perform every technique correctly (as their physical abilities allow them to) and to display the knowledge that a 5th dan should. (My Sensei is 62, so he can't kick any higher than his waist, but when he kicks, it's done correctly with the proper body mechanics) I guess I would feel the same way. I would probably spend time with that person asking a lot of questions to help him and myself. I'd make it seem like I am using his knowledge for myself, but I'd really be gauging his. It may also show him that you possess a skill level at or above his, so he may cease holding rank over peoples' heads. But I agree- it is kinda aggravating to get told that you're doing something wrong from a person that can't do it correctly! I do understand the concern about the organization allowing that to take place. I sometimes question those within my own club, but 9 times out of 10, my concerns are put to rest shortly after a testing cycle. I am finding that the skill level of a lot of our students increases at a pretty quick rate, but we also allow training as often as possible. We have one student that trains at least 5 days a week, and sometimes for 2 hours. Most schools around here (TMA's) will only train 2 sessions a week at an hour each. So if you go by time in the dojo, our students are sometimes training 2 to 3 times more than the normal school. Along those same lines, I did have 1 younger student that got to purple belt. He was very mouthy and a little too confident. One night, it just so happened to be the night before his purple belt test, I overheard him being condescending to another green belt that he thought he was superior to. So I came in and asked him to perform Heian Sandan, and I wanted it to be up to purple belt standards. He did the first movement, and I let him know it was wrong. He was puzzled- he had done this kata a thousand times. So I told him that he didn't have enough weight on his back leg to call it a good back stance. He corrected it and turned the other way. WRONG! Same issue. We went thru the entire kata, and I made sure that he knew what it takes to do it perfectly. He was pretty humbled, and I hadn't seen that condescending attitude again. (He's since them moved out of state). My purpose in doing that was for a couple of reasons- I don't like people that try to impose superiority that way. Let your skill do the talking for you. He had to be shown that although he has talent, he still has a lot to learn. And the other reason was that he would be moving on to a different school in a different state, and I wanted him to represent our club in a positive light. I didn't want him going to another instructor doing basic katas wrong!

Not to sound rude, but I do think ego plays into this a lot, and I'm glad you recognize that. Personally, I don't take offense when anyone offers me advice, because if there's one thing MA has taught me, it's humility. I don't hold my rank above anyone's head, and I think people respect me for that. I also have this philosophy- I train for ME, so rank means nothing if I don't feel that I have what it takes to earn that rank. I always say that I would rather be the white belt that beats the black belts instead of the black belt that gets defeated by the white belt. There is an article somewhere on this site that quotes one of the Gracie's opinion of a black belt rank. His opinion is that you can't always give rank based on "he's better at x than he is, so he should be a black belt and he shouldn't" because there are too many variables. For example, I'm 40, and I can't do too many high kicks anymore. But does that make me less effective at my art than the 20 year old that can do the JCVD scissor kicks? And the 20 year old can do his techniques prettier than I can because I'm twice his age with 2 bad knees and poor flexibility, but I have a deeper understanding of Kata Jion than he does. As long as the technique is effective, does it matter whose is prettier? It boils down to whether or not the instructor feels that the student has done enough individually to warrant being awarded the rank. That may mean time in the dojo, effort, skill level displayed, competitions won, whatever the case may be.

I look at it this way- I'm 6', 185 lbs and very strong for my size. One of my friends is 6'2 and about 230 lbs and stronger than me. We are about the same skill level. Yet, I'm pretty sure he'd blast me 7/10 times. The reason? He's bigger, stronger, and faster than I am even though we have the same level of skill at our art. I don't consider him a better fighter or a better martial artist because we have the same level of skill and knowledge. He just has better physical attributes. (In other words, I'd fare as well against competition from people my size as he would against people his size). For example- I don't think Sugar Ray Leonard would be able to beat Mike Tyson, but I think Sugar was a hell of a lot better boxer than Iron Mike. Mike just hit like a freight train! I also agree with the statements about the other reasons to be a martial artist.

I'm orthodox, but I prefer to fight with in Southpaw stance. Something that I picked up from Jeet Kun Do. I'm right handed, so my powerful side is closer to my opponent. When sparring, it throws people off a bit. I do switch between orth. and southpaw a lot. But I feel more comfortable in Southpaw. I use a front leg sweep/leg kick a lot. I use a lot of kicks off of my front leg. Sidekicks, front kicks. They seem to work. I get in a lot of sidekicks. Those are pretty hard to block.

About the shirts, I loved the Tapout, Affliction wardrobe when everything first became popular, but I refused to wear it until I "earned the right". I didn't purchase a single piece of martial arts clothing until I reached Shodan level. I know it sounds silly, but it was a mental thing with me. I just didn't want to be one of those "I TRANE UFC" guys. My town isn't exactly small, but everyone still knows everyone (or they're related!!). But the ironic part is that now that I have them, I don't even favor wearing the martial arts shirts anymore. I don't feel the need to display it. The only time I'm "mouthy" about my art is when I'm trying to promote our club.

I think it's a 75-25 mix. I've been thanked by parents moreso than the students for my help with their kids. But in little things they do or say, you can see that you've earned their respect. 2 weekends ago, we held a test. There were 2 brothers and one cousin from Honduras. They're all very talented, but a bit "loose" in the dojo. They play a lot, and I don't think they're respect level for the dojo is where it should be. So I had a big talk with all 3 of them, and I drilled into them the meaning of rank and respect. In the test, and in the subsequent training sessions, they all were very respectful, listened without hesitation, and basically did a 180. That shows me something. They also all 3 requested to do their kumite portion of their test with only me. That made me feel warm and fuzzy! I am of the opinion that respect should be given to everybody, but they should give it back as well. I don't think it needs to be "earned", but I believe that it can be taken back as quickly as I give it.

I can't believe nobody has mentioned cauliflower ear!! In all honesty, I came across a guy that I know that runs a BJJ school in town. I knew him already, but I remember the look in his eye. It was a look of quiet confidence. It almost screamed "I know that I'm the baddest man in this shopping center" without him having to say it.

I usually overcompensate on kindness because I have a short fuse! So I've worked for years (and martial arts has helped me tremendously) to keep my temper in check. And in doing so, I've trained myself to go overboard with kindness as much as possible. But there are times that I get pushed over the edge. I think you were in the right. But I could see how some would think that saying "do you know who I am" could be interpreted differently. You may have meant to inform her that you were a very controlled, talented student who was working with 2 students to teach them something and that she should recognize that. But she may have interpreted it as "come at me, bro". I guess in short, you shouldn't leave anything open to someone else's ignorance.

Along those same lines, we had a new kid signing up yesterday. As his dad was signing the paperwork, our M.I. asked him why he wanted to join. His answer, "I want to be a Karate Master". Hearing that from a 5 year old was awesome!

Jaypo, it's funny to read your post, as I am that lower belt who feels great having tagged a black belt, even though I know they're letting me in. I'm finding exactly as you say, that I always feel a little nervous when I bow to a black belt, but I always find it a lot more fun than sparring another lower belt or slightly higher than myself. I also learn a lot more with the black belts. Your attitude toward sparring the lower belts seems to be just like the other black belts I've sparred with, especially the older guys. A couple of the younger teens are a little tougher...lol. As a woman who really has never done any kind of fighting besides the occasional minor squirmish with my brother as a kid, this is a whole new world. But I think it is challenging me in a good way, pushing me past my fears. And the black belts with your attitude are a huge help. So even though I'll likely not spar with you personally, I still thank you on behalf of us newbies! One of the red belt ladies that train with me was observing me sparring with a 16 year old guy (who is getting very good!) this weekend. She told me that I have a devious smile the whole time I'm sparring, and it is scary! I told her that it is because I am having fun! As I mentioned in an earlier post, I used to hate sparring because it's not a true representation of how I'd fight in a real situation. But it allows me to help the lower belts to gain confidence and to see how to apply what they know. The devious smile is because I'm having fun, and I'm also learning while teaching. Most people fear the contact or the potential to get hit. But pain goes away! And once the lower ranks realize that the black belts have a good bit of control, they feel a little more confident. Canadian77- sorry it toook so long to reply, but you're quite welcome!

I had to have a conversation with 3 students this weekend. They were set to test for Orange belt this weekend, and one of them kept asking me to go over a certain kata with him before class. When he felt he got the movements memorized, he asked our M.I. if he could test for "advanced orange because he knew his kata". Our M.I. told him no, and that he would test for the rank he should be testing for. The next day, about an hour before the testing, I had that student and his brothers working with me. I gave them a 30 minute diatribe on what rank means. I used the old "I'd rather be a white belt that could beat a black belt instead of being the black belt that gets beat by the white belt" argument. They're about 10 years old, so they seem to be enamored by the "colors". But I told them what rank meant and told them the story of the dojo that makes everyone train in pink belts to remove ego from the equation. They seemed to understand. But when it came time for kumite during their test, they relied on old habits. We usually allow the person testing to use leg attacks first, then hand strikes, then free sparring. The senior belt just defends. In this case, each one just wanted to chase me down and throw whatever strikes they could to try to land them instead of using the skills they've been taught. For one of them, I just kept using his momentum to slow him down- he would bulldoze towards me throwing haymakers, and I'd sidestep and get behind him. He abandoned his karate strikes and just kept throwing wild hooks. A few times, I'd intercept the hook and return a backfist to his forehead (with no power, of course!). For the higher rank testing that day, the sparring was more controlled with a lot of great techniques. I told those 3 orange belts that the difference in "rank" could be seen in the kumite from that day. The higher ranks were controlled, precise, and they used their knowledge from their training rather than just trying to blindly land shots. The good news is that these students are very respectful, and in the short time they've been training, they've made tremendous strides in skill and in their attitudes. I think they'll come around in the next few months.

The way I'm approaching it is that I'm primarily a striker (karate), but I'm able to use my striking to attack the pressure points that I'm learning. And if the fight starts to take place in very close range, I can activate the points. But my main focus would be on my primary knowledge which is karate striking. I'm also loving the ability to apply these points in my blocks, especially knifehands. Since I've started working with Dr. Dufrene, my blocks have been a lot more "potent".

If you're talking about "bumrusing", then I'd change my strategy. I'd still focus on using angles, but I'd switch to a more offensive set. If you have time to throw an attack, I'd surprise the attacker on his way in- be it a kick or punch (again I reference Lyoto Machida, UFC fighter- he does this to perfection). For someone rushing in like that, a low kick may do the trick because it will draw his attention to a low point (and maybe open an upper strike), and because it will disrupt his objective which is to rush and tackle you. A quick strike using his forward momentum could end the attack. Otherwise, defensively, your best bet is to do the old Myiga Do defense- "Not be there"! Use your movement to get off line and let his momentum force him to commit until he is off balance. Then, you have a lot of options! I always try to get either to the side or behind my opponents when they attack. (I guess it's a mix of my Karate with some Aikido principals) It confuses them, but it opens up a lot of easy targets. And when someone bumrushes you, if they're very aggressive, usually, they have the tendency to be overcommitted and off balance. That's when it becomes like shooting fish in a barrel!

That's a sticky topic. I'd say something that doesn't "leave marks". I wouldn't teach them Muay Thai! Maybe something like Hapkido or Ju Jitsu that employs joint manipulations and controlling techniques. These can be very effective to protect the individual as well as not causing a lot of damage to the attacker. But if need be, they can disable an attacker. Aikido is another form that is interesting. But it takes a long time for someone to become proficient at any style, so I'd encourage them to stick with it and not approach it as a one and done course.

My wife took a self defense class from a Krav Maga practitioner this weekend. She came home and used me as her personal heavy bag! All in all, I was impressed with what she learned in only 2.5 hours. She's never had any combat training. As a matter of fact, she felt a bit traumatized by just having her hair pulled and being pushed against the wall in the class. But she demonstrated what she learned on me, and being a Nidan in Shorin Ryu (and dabbling in Kyusho a little), I am very impressed with Krav Maga. I may start taking some classes to add to my repertoire.

I'd suggest finding some Youtube videos of Lyoto Machida. He's an MMA middleweight who has a strong Karate base. He's very successful against all types of fighters mainly because of the angles and movement he uses from his Karate training. And his counter strikes are awesome. But mainly, angles to avoid being tackled and sprawl if you are grabbed. As a general rule, bullies, wrestlers, or those "aggressive football types" feel very uncomfortable on their backs, so if you can avoid being taken down, and instead, put them on their backs, you can create the opportunity to escape the situation. But rule #1 is the best- avoidance! It works better than any other technique!

Thanks, Hammer. Do you have any experiences with Kyusho or Dim Mak?

That is and isn't the point I was making earlier. For years, I've known that a block to someone's forearm would make their arm numb sometimes. Now, I know that it's because I'm hitting a certain point on the radial nerve. And now I know that if I hit it at a downward angle (toward their hand), it activates the point even more. BUT, instead of focusing on pinpointing a tiny point on their arm and only focusing on that point, if you hit hard enough in that region, you'll get a response anyway. He's teaching us more about the science than the sensationalism, and he's doing it to show us that what we already know can include this new knowledge. So we are aiming for certain points- the pressure points such as lung 6, stomach 9, etc. But if you don't hit the EXACT point, you can still get some kind of result. When you DO hit that point, the result can be devastating. He's also teaching us how to activate the points with grabs and some touches. But he's not trying to teach us to go for knockouts by touching points with the fingers. He's a TKD 4th dan that learned Kyusho, and he's approaching it as a supplement to our existing martial arts training. He's focusing more on giving us more knowledge as to why our techniques are designed as they are and how to make those techniques more effective by aiming at the correct points on the body.