jaypo

After my last post, our M.I. has decided that he won't be conducting any tests for a few months. We've basically tripled in size over the last 6 months, and we're still trying to accommodate our growth. We have such a diverse group of ranks that it has become difficult to keep track of everyone's progress. Our club has 1 M.I., 5 Nidans, 1 Shodan, and 1 Jr. Black Belt. And with the work schedules of all of the assistants, it's difficult to keep up when things happen so quickly. We brought some issues to our M.I.'s attention about rank "envy", and he has decided to postpone testing and focus on evaluating everyone for the next few months. Then, he'll decide who he feels is ready for the next round. He's been working so hard to teach more people and ease them into the classes that it has become harder to evaluate each individual.

Great post, Devil Dog! I get a greater feeling when I help someone learn something than I do when I learn something myself. It's a sense of accomplishment. Maybe helping this guy with the things he lacks would help to create the next great martial artist, and you would have a lot to do with that!

Dr. Dufrene always tells us that when applying these techniques, we're not focusing on an exact point. We're focusing on a region. He doesn't get too much into the "pressing into the point" or just touching the points. We attack the areas that the points are located on. So there is more room for error in a street situatio. It's more like changing our mindset from blocks being blocks and turning them into strikes. We're already hitting the same spot we were when we were blocking. Now, we're just adding a slight tweak to it to cause a little more damage. We're also learning ways to attack different spots that we didn't realize could elicit certain reactions. One right above the hip, for example. One to the right of the spine. Etc. And it doesn't require us having to touch a pin point on somebody and rely on them being sensitive to it. If we hit an area hard enough, although we may have missed the point, we still have hit the person with a hard strike. And most of the things we're doing are things we already do. They're just being done in a slightly different way.

For me, it was during my black belt test. I've never been the most flexible guy, but when my legs get tired and heavy, it's worse. About 3.5 hours into it, I'm sparring 4 on 1. I got 2 attackers out, and I tried to kick one of the last 2 with a high kick, only to realize that my legs don't want to go that high. So my leg that was planted on the ground decided to unplant itself, and I fell on my head. And it happened twice! And it's all on film. Of course, I got up and blamed it on a wet spot on the floor, like any grown man would do.

Some of them didn't hurt as much as others, but I don't think he's approaching it to score a touch KO every time. As a matter of fact, pretty much everything he's showing us is included in what we already do. He prefaced the 1st class by saying that some people are less sensitive to some points than others, and some won't be affected at all. But he made a good point- if I hit somebody hard enough on a certain point, even if it doesn't activate the pressure point, I've still hit him pretty hard! Last night, we were shown 4 drills that we immediately incorporated into Heian Nidan (knife hands attacking 2 points on the arm and one on the neck), Heian Godan (double downard block/strke affecting points on the pelvis and ball punch to the eye socket), and Tekki/Naifanchi (grab and pull drill activating point on the wrist, stomp kick to point above the ankle). All of these were demonstrated on us, and all of them worked! What I like about it is there are a couple of ones that, to me, are very simple that don't take too much effort. And they're coming to me very easily in applications. I mentioned the one on the wrist- I can get pretty much anybody with that one, but I use it as a control technique. I would use it like so: I block an attack and grab the arm, and when I grab it, I activate that point by simply squeezing my grip (my fingers default to that spot). I then use the bony part of my forearm to apply a lever (armbar) while activating the point behind the elbow. So in a technique that I use all the time (armbar takedown), I can activate 2 points just by squeezing a little tighter with my fingers pointing a little differently. I'm not having to master anything much different. Just small tweaks to what I already do that add a different dimension to my skills.

I know this thread is a year old, but I want to share my recent experiences. I'm a Nidan in a Shorin Ryu based system, and my Master Instructor invited a friend to give a few classes on Kyusho. He was trained by Evan Pantazi. He explained Master Pantazi's system as a purely scientific way to apply pressure points into martial arts. I was pretty skeptical at first as well, but after hitting the ground and making feminine noises repeatedly in my first class, I was a believer. And he isn't teaching something mystical. He's a chiropractor, and he's showing us the science behind it and why it works. He's not focusing on making us learn how to do touch knock outs. He's showing us how to attack certain points on a person that will create openings from either the pain or loss of function created from attacking a certain point. For example, in many of our katas, we do knifehand blocks and strikes. One drill we do in Kyusho is using that same knifehand sequence to block the same part of the arm, but with a slightly downward angle on the 2nd point. The second "block" is actually a strike to a point on the neck. So we've attacked 3 points (2 on the arm, and one on the neck) in a simple sequence from our 2nd basic kata, and regardless if results in a knockout, it will result in pain and will probably create another opening to attack. Best case scenario, the attacker's arm goes numb and the strike to the neck gives him an early nap. He's not focusing on teaching us the sensationalism that a lot of instructors show. He's showing us the scientific aspect of it and how it applies to our art.

I have mixed feelings about this topic. On one hand, if the goal of your style is to make the best fighter, then it would stand to reason that the best fighter should have a high rank. However, as you mentioned, this guy is the best fighter mainly because of his physical gifts, not a result of what your style has taught him. But if he were in a system that promotes based on tournament wins accumulated using 3 moves he learned from that style, he could possibly move up higher than someone training for years in the same system that may not spar as well. However, the goal of most martial arts is to teach the knowledge and techniques that make a person a better fighter using those techniques. So it would stand to reason that those that display the things that are taught in that system should be considered "better" at that art. For example, I'm a Nidan in a Shorin Ryu based art, and I feel very confident that I could walk into a certain local Tae Kwon Do school and out point or win a fight against someone with the same rank in their style (because I've done it in my own dojo with one of their Nidans!). But that doesn't mean that I deserve a Nidan rank in that Tae Kwon Do school. I can beat their guy because I have better movement, angles, and rely on different techniques than they're used to. I don't do many high kicks, and I don't spin that often. I don't know a single one of their forms or the applications from them. So even though I could beat their fighter, I am not a better "Tae Kwon Do" martial artist. So I wouldn't expect to walk in and expect a high rank. Now, being a Nidan in another style shows that I (or anyone else) have put in the time training and learning a lot of basics (there are only so many ways a body can throw a strike!) and applications. So I would expect that if I walked into that same school at the same time as some inexperienced dude off the street, I'd advance in rank at a lot faster rate than he. The other part I have mixed feelings about is promoting based on the student's abilities compared to everyone else. I personally am not very flexible, and my athleticism has declined substantially in my 40 years. I have had knee replacement surgery, so that limits certain things that I can do. I am also less coordinated in my left arm and leg than my right. And all of those physical factors affect my katas, my kihon, and my sparring. However, it doesn't affect my knowledge. I may not be able to execute a left leg round kick as pretty as one of my lower belts, but I probably can use that same kick more effectively and with a lot more control than that student. And I may be able to figure out and teach a certain application of that kick better than that lower belt as well, which is what differentiates my rank from my that student's rank. That student may look better doing a kata with a side kick with the left leg because they have better flexibility and coordination on that side, but I can apply it better in a real situation because of experience and knowledge.

I had reconstructive knee surgery 14 years ago, and I'm still going strong! I can give you this advice- be patient, heal properly, and do a lot of rehab/physical therapy to get you back as close to 100% as possible before rushing back into it. For me, I find that if I'm away from something I truly love (karate, weight training, deer hunting) because of something out of my control (injury, illness), it makes me that more eager to get back! I've seen people that can barely walk that continue to train. As long as your body has a couple of limbs that still work, you can practice martial arts! Stay strong, and get back ASAP!

I love Bassai Dai! So powerful. It means "Breaking the Fortress!" Practice the kata until it becomes a matter of muscle memory. Then, in your test, don't worry. Just do it. About the others around you- go at your own (or your Instructor's) pace. Tune the others out. If you worry about them or if you try to keep up with them, you'll make the same mistakes they do. Just keep your own focus, and do everything as you know how to do it. You'll be fine! The other night, there was a white belt testing for yellow. He was doing everything slower than everybody else, and our M.I. thought he was messing up and starting over. So he called for me to take a point away. But when I explained that I saw that he was just taking his time and making sure he was doing everything right, although he was slower (he's 6'5, so it takes his legs a little longer to retract!), our M.I. didn't take the point. The student wasn't focusing on everybody else. He was focusing on what HE knew. And it earned him his next belt. Good luck.

In my old association it started becoming obvious that money and status were becoming more important than standards as people were getting graded early or with poor standards, the way that I now look at grading is more about me telling the students when they are ready - not the other way around. Unfortunately there is an attitude that exists in some people that they get an award for turning up, should automatically grade for training for 3 months and are better than others. Some even think they are brilliant so no longer need to train harder as they should easily pass any test. The best students are the ones who are self critical, never think they are ready and accept that they are on a journey that you have already trodden and will take your advice on when they can grade etc. So long as you are setting a high enough standard and a good example then you will produce good students, hopefully they will off balance the mcdojo results who think they are doing MA... That's exactly right. Of the 16 or so that tested this weekend, it was the 4 that never asked to be tested that did the best and are moving up in rank without any issues. One of them actually had to be convinced that she was ready to test! Our M.I. spends a lot of time evaluating everybody and telling them when they're ready. But there are a few that believe that they're ready when they're clearly not. I actually witnessed the first test where somebody was asked to leave because he was not focused. His mom paid for him to test, but it was clear that he was uninterested and not focused. So rather than let him complete and fail the test, he was told that he was excused and that he would be worked with on an individual basis until our M.I. thought he was ready. But he wasn't one that pushes to test. He was just given the opportunity and squandered it.

I'm not sure what happened this week, but we tested 14 people over Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. After the tests on Saturday, our M.I. was giving the results to the students, and before he did, he gave a speech about not being pleased when students tell him "I know 5 katas. I want to test for Green Belt". Apparently, some students are equating the number of katas they "know" to the belt that they should be wearing. I had this happen last year, and for the student that was a little to big for his Levis, I had him start to perform Heian Sandan, and his first stance was wrong. I also had him tell me the applications for the kata, and he struggled there too. So I told him that he knew the movements, but that doesn't mean he "knew the kata". And I think that's what's going on. Some students are learning a lot of the katas, but they aren't learning the meanings of them. So our M.I. wants to postpone testing for a few months and observe everyone's knowledge a little more. And I suspect he'll be testing their knowledge a lot as well! In our system, we use the standard Shorin-Ryu katas and their Shotokan counterparts. But we also have some association specific katas that we perform as well that tie basics in to our M.I.'s club style. So when a student says he knows 5 katas, he may only know 1 or 2 of the Shorin-Ryu/Shotokan katas and 3 or 4 association specific ones. And it does show in their sparring. That was evident this weekend!

For me, it's when one of my students suddenly realizes the correct application of something that I have shown him/her. The look on their face- wide eyes, smiles, it makes me feel like I've accomplished something.

I watched it last night. I have a call in to my sheet rock guy.

Soundtrack for The Last Dragon- when the title song comes on, I can walk thru walls. Seriously.

Exactly! I've heard him and his camp talk a lot about being the best "martial artist" and winning in an honorable manner. Then he contradicts it all by his antics inside and outside the cage. That's why I like fighters like Machida and GSP (both from Karate backgrounds!). They put honor and respect first.

I agree. It's part of the "instant gratification" generation. I'm about to turn 40, and I could care less about my belt color. I always tell people that complain about rank that I'd rather be a white belt that can defeat a black belt than the black belt that can be defeated by a white belt. I train to learn everything I can and to perfect what I learn. I had set a goal in my teens to obtain a black belt, but I didn't set a time frame because I wanted to feel like I earned it thru my hard work. And I did. I would personally be okay with training without a belt. But I also love the tradition in my art(s). Obtaining my black belt (and nidan rank) has been one of my most prized accomplishments, but not because "I got a black belt". It's that everything I've worked for allowed me to achieve that goal. The problem is that too many people are enamored with the cloth belt that they can show to everybody. But when they can't demonstrate a correct technique, that belt means nothing.

Congrats! Keep up the good work!

I hope Cormier blasts Jones. For all the talk that Jones puts on about being a humble martial artist, his blatant eye pokes and knee kicks in the cage along with his disrespectful comments are really aggravating to me. Cormier was born and raised about an hour from where I live, so I'm rooting for the hometown boy to bring home the gold!

We've recently changed up our "karate cubs" classes. We now have an obstacle course that they go thru. For example, they stand in horse stance and do 2 face blocks. They jump over the 1st obstacle, then perform 2 chudan ukes. Then, jump over and do 2 gedan barais. Etc. They have a crawl space to go thru, then situps, pushups, and light weight press. But what it does is teaches them to do the basic blocks. The 2nd course is for hand strikes- same principle. And the endgame is that their 1st "kata" is comprised of the basic blocks with a reverse punch after in a certain sequence. It keeps them engaged because it is fun for them and there is no time to lose focus!

I find that I emulate the "macro" of what my M.I. teaches versus the "micro". For example, I've always been more of a counter fighter using range and "van damme" kicks in my sparring (because when I was younger, I could!). However, I love the close fighting techniques that Shorin Ryu incorporates, and I absolutely love takedowns and locks. Now, when he's showing us applications of our katas, I have difficulty sometimes performing the exact micro technique he's instructing because something else feels more natural to me (he's 5'4", 150 lbs and 60 yrs old, and I'm 6'0, 185 and 40 yrs old) because of our physical differences. However, the intent is still the same- if he's drilling a takedown from Naifanchi, I may feel more comfortable doing it with a front leg sweep rather than stepping across with my lead leg and performing a hip toss. The hip toss is easier for him because his center of gravity is lower and his range is shorter. But for me, my legs are longer, and I can get to his lead leg faster and easier. So the "macro" is that the application leads to a short range takedown. The the "micro" is different.

"Put yourself into the technique". He says this when instructing us on how to be creative with our applications. Each of us is different- age, ability, athletic prowess, etc. So my technique may be more powerful and fast than someone else who prefers precise, calculated techniques.

We had a similar episode recently, but with no cursing. What bothers me is that I am a very respectful person by nature, and most of that comes from my training. I react first with respect, and I expect that in return. When someone flies off the handle like that after I've treated them with the utmost respect, it upsets me. I used to get upset if a student would leave the club for whatever reason. However, we have tripled in size over the last 2 months, and we are actually outgrowing our facility. So it is no longer hitting us financially if someone leaves because of dissatisfaction. It actually improves morale! Our club also tests based on the need for it. We don't set a test schedule on any specific time frame. We wait until we see a batch of students that have progressed to the next level, and then we set a date to test that group. We also do meritorious promotions (rarely) if the need arises. I had one kid that was a little to confident for his own good. He made it to blue belt, and he wanted to test for purple. My issue with him was that he knew how to go thru the motions, but he didn't put enough emphasis on perfecting his techniques. For example, he would rush thru his katas, and although he would do the sequences correctly, he wouldn't focus on the stances. He thought that doing them fast was "pretty", but when he'd blaze thru them, I'd notice his faults. So the day before he was scheduled to test, I pulled him aside. I asked him if he was ready, and he gave me a cocky smile and said "of course". So I asked him if he knew Heian Sandan, and he said he did. So the first movement, he tried to rush it. I told him to stop, and then informed him that he was in the wrong stance altogether. For the entire kata, I pointed out how much he was doing incorrectly. And it upset him. But I told him that I knew he would be moving to another state within 2 weeks, and if he planned on training with another school, he would need to correct those things because they may not be as "open" as we are. We train with principals of 5 different styles in an open system, but if he got hooked up with a totally traditionally school, they wouldn't accept that kind of stuff. So he started focusing on doing the techniques the way he was taught, and for his test, he realized what he actually learned, and he applied it all correctly instead of just rushing thru everything. Sometimes, they just need to see that they don't know it all!

Bassai Dai is my favorite kata. The Shotokan version is a little different, but very very similar. I learned 2 versions- the straight Shotokan version with all long stances and one with cat stances. The applications of those katas are amazing. I know that in Heian Godan, there is a jump, and 1 interpretation of it was leaping over a bo staff attack. I can't comment on the leap in this version. When I have some time, I'll post some vids of myself too. I've been meaning to do this. I just haven't had the opportunity.

I loved that series! If you liked that, they also did a Mortal Kombat webseries just like it before. They were in production for a movie, but the director bowed out for some reason.

Well, our Master Instructor constantly tells us to "put ourselves in the techniques". We come from all types of backgrounds. So he coaches us to our strengths while grounding us in the traditions. When I teach, I add different things to the techniques than some of the other instructors because of the way things "feel". But it's all based on the same principles. Just small tweaks.