FullPotentialMA

We write an active blog on martial arts and self defense in San Diego and around the world at http://ww.fullpotentialma.com/blog/

As we get older muscles shorten, and range of motion begins to get affected. Yoga helps restore those functions.

Stretching properly is a learned skill. First there is the "pose" being done properly (and here small changes in angles or position of joints can be the difference between an effective stretch or no stretch or, in more advanced stretches, between benefit and injury risk), or the motion (for dynamic stretching) being done properly. Then, there is the integration of breath and relaxation to make the stretch more effective. And last, but not least, there is the "feeling" part of being able to tune into your body and know when it is OK to go deeper and when it's not. In short -- not something you can learn from a YouTube video. Your local martial arts studio, yoga studio, or yoga classes in your local gym can be a good resource. A good instructor in invaluable.

I would recommend Iain Abernethy Sensei in Cambria. He teaches traditional martial arts (probably more Okinawan influence than Japanese).

In my opinion, yoga is a great component / complement in any martial arts training program. In addition to the flexibility and calming effects of yoga, which obviously benefit martial artists, yoga help deepen one's awareness and understanding of himself/herself. This awareness is very helpful in promoting faster learning of martial arts concepts, techniques and forms.

In my humble opinion, bouncing is a misinterpreted term. Traditional Okinawan karate (as well as many Chinese martial arts) teach a method of staying "live". i.e., not flat footed, by constantly transferring weight and intention from leg to leg. In more modern karate, especially in sports karate, this takes the form of physical bouncing. As several other contributors mentioned, in a street fight, physical bouncing is very dangerous, as it opens you up to sweeps, and also makes you able to strike with force only when your feet are firmly on the ground. So -- bounce in karate? "yes", but only internally, not externally.

The martial arts "one strike to end the fight" principal does not conflict with a the "series of techniques" idea. While enough power should be generated so that each strike can end the fight, in both (Okinawan) karate and in its Chinese roots, there is a strong emphasis on flow -- a series of techniques. It was only much later, when karate came to Japan, that "sports kumite" came about. The sports has benefits although, as others have stated, its principals do not directly flow into self defense and street fighting.

Our Sensei likes to say: "the diamond is there in the rock, all I am doing is helping polish off the excess". There is a black belt inside every student. The instructor's job is simply to help the student bring the best in his or her out.

It is very common for students to be able to develop high power, and still have their joints in mis-alignment. Over time, this leads to injury. During rehab, make sure you work so that your legs are balanced (right vs. left, quads vs. hamstrings, vastus lateralis vs. vastus medialis). A good physical therapist can help temendously. So can a sensei who understands physical development, anatomy and physiology. Also, strong leg muscles will be very important to protect your joint in the future, as with less meniscus you are more prone for developing osteoarthritis later in life after your surgery. Next, a good instructor can make sure that you are using your body correctly. In our martial arts school in San Diego, we see many students come in with very poor attention to joint alignment. Over rotation of joints, sideloads on knees, all those things can be corrected, and should be corrected, lest they lead to further injury. I wish you a quick recovery!

Practicing at home is a great idea! Reviewing and improving a kata can be a great investment which will reap great rewards later. You will learn proper movement, biodynamics, and power generation. If your Sensei agrees, you can work on a form at home, show him your progress, and get feedback and corrections for working at home. Other areas for work at home are strength, cardio and flexibility. I always like it when students work at home!

There are a couple of martial arts instruction issues here. One is whether the martial arts studio is right for you any longer. The other is whether it is a good idea to train with multiple instructors. To the first topic, it is unfortunately common for dojos to have relatively junior people instructing. In my humble opinion, beginners should be trained by the most experienced instructors. A bad habit picked early in martial arts can prove very difficult to change later. On the second topic -- I think that one greatly benefits from finding a good martial arts instructor and then sticking with him or her. As the Chinese proverb goes: chase two rabbits and you will get none. A good martial arts instructor who is dedicated to the student's development is a huge asset. Good luck!

Physical punishment for a student is definitely in appropriate. In our martial arts dojo in San Diego this would never fly. There are cases where there is physical contact between students, but those should be dealt with through a discussion and other means -- not by an instructor using a physical tool on a student.

Kung Fu, as well as traditional Okinawan karate and Japanese Jiu-Jitsu are all comprehensive arts. In other words, taught effectively, they prepare the practitioner for fighting in long range, in close range, and on the ground. The notion (really, misconception, IMHO) that Jiu-jitsu is "just" for ground fighting and kung fu and karate are "just" for striking, is relatively new. In our dojo in Carmel Valley, San Diego, we practice all martial arts aspects. Reason is that in self defense, you cannot expect a student to "infer" from one part of their training to another (under stress of an actual street situation) without practicing it ahead of time.

The front kick (Mae Geri in Japanese) is a very versatile, fast and powerful technique. It can be used not just for striking, but also for grappling (think about the retraction). In MMA, the more dangerous (and effective) applications of the front kick are prohibited, e.g., crushing the opponent's knee or ankle. Karate front kick are, in most styles, done with either the toe or the ball of the foot. In many Chinese martial arts styles / Kung Fu, the hitting surface is the heel. Each has its own purpose. Practice and you shall be rewarded!

What language? There are two objectives here: 1. Use the language that is most accessible to the students. This facilitates learning and access. 2. Use the language that will allow the students to train elsewhere with ease, i.e., conform to customs We do the explanations in English, and also inject the Chinese and Japanese terms.

In self defense, in MOST cases, fighting is at the end of a long chain of actions. The skillful martial artist attempts to disrupt the chain before it manifests in an actual attack. This can be done through awareness (not get into situations that are difficult), strategy, and, the best martial arts weapon of them all -- your voice. If you have exhausted all of those and still you are at a physical altercation, the focus should be on using decisive force, ending the fight as quickly as possible, and getting out of there. The longer a real fight takes, the higher the likelihood that you or your loved ones will get hurt.

If have any sort of weakness in the knee it is imperative that you take care of it before resuming training. This is especially true if you want to do non-cooperative sparring, where the potential for injury is high. I would recommend seeing a physical therapist. He or she can teach you a variety of strengthening exercises for your legs. Squats are one such exercise. There are many others.

I would suggest to first look at the root cause. If you have foot or knee issues, they will probably come to bite you later in life. While not everyone has (or needs to have) the flexibility for high kicks, almost any student can, with proper strength and body dynamics training, kick. If your feet have gotten weak -- seek help to strengthen them. It will pay off!

"He who chases around after many rabbits ends hungry."(Okinawan Proverb) My advice is: look around and choose what you want. Then focus on one art until you get very good at it.

MMA is good and bad. It is good in that it bring attention to the martial arts, and people who are enthusiastic to learn. It is bad in that, unfortunately, the focus is a sports focus, i.e., predominantly on fighting, and being successful in fighting -- all against a single opponent only. This hinders students who sometimes need to "invest in loss" in order to grow.

Several other good books on Zen in the martial arts are Dave Lowry's "Moving Toward Stillness" and "Sword and Brush".