Spartacus Maximus

How should one deal with close friends or family and relatives who are concerned or worried about how much time one spends training and practising martial arts? What does one answer when friends and especially family worry that training every day might be dangerous or take away from important everyday life activities?

Water, water and more water. That and mid to high intensity training as many days of the week as manageable. Avoid over restricting diet and just eat sensibly in proportion with daily activity. The only thing to adjust within reason of course is the size of meal portions. Just that is more than sufficient to lose excess fat weight. Speaking from experience of going from nearly 200lbs to 165 in about two years. It might seem slow but trying to do it quickly will have nasty effects on the body as well as rebounding back to a worse case.

After nearly one year since my evaluation for 1st kyu, I have decided to change my personal practise sessions following the recommendations of my instructor. For the last two weeks at the dojo the entire two hours has been spent on front kicks, mostly with the left leg. Step by step holding(raise, kick, retract, foot down) each step held. Slow, quick and full power. Once in a while the same sort of thing is done with punching or blocking. Everything else has been set aside except for kihon kata, which was only one day in each week for about a half hour out of the two hours. Dojo sessions will continue in this fashion until perhaps February. Kicking is unnatural for most people and a common weakness as opposed to upper body techniques. Therefore, following my instructor's method, I decided that for daily home training I would do the same thing instead of doing the usual kihon, kata and oyo kumite solo drills. There is some uncertainty about any improvements, but I have been getting positive comments so I must be on the right track. Has anyone else ever done this? Input from intermediate or shodan and above level martial artists would be very much appreciated.

Sometimes it is described as "wide focus". The best way it has ever been explained to me is by comparing it to driving a car. When driving, one must be focused yet avoid concentrating on a single point. To remain in control of the car and avoid accidents, it is necessary to be aware of many things at once as well as one's position and direction. A skilled and experienced driver will know where everything is without having to divert attention and will be able to do two or three things at a time without actively thinking or looking. That is the essence of "moving zen".

The idea of attack and defense being one is a main theme of Okinawan karate as well as several other systems of Chinese origin. "Blocks" are supposed to be used in that way and the purpose is not merely to stop an attacking limb but to attack it and render in useless to continue. This is why there is so much emphasis on limb conditioning. Styles such as Uechi ryu and Goju ryu are the most reknowned for this feature and Shorin ryu to a lesser extent. In the era before and shortly after the Second World War, this feature(hardening of training was part all Okinawan systems.

Anything low, fast and sneaky. Nothing higher than the liver, but the best and most effective are kicks to the outer and inner shins just above the ankle or in the "Charley Horse".

Strategy and tactics is part of every system and as far as East Asian one's such as Kung fu or Karate, this can be found in the forms(kata). Tactics includes all the obvious and subtle techniques and strategy is the way they work together such as a strike setting up a throw, for example. The two depend on one another. To be effective, a technique must fit the strategy. The best way to determine a system or style's strategy is to find which techniques are the most frequent in the core kata.

It would be very wise to abide by the principle of caution. When considering such things as liability in case of incidents, there is no such thing as being over-covered. A community centre, church basement etc may have its own policy but it is better to have a separate, personal one specific to the activity of martial arts. Theirs may not cover you at all and probably only concerns material losses in very limited cases. Insurance: have as much as possible, bonus if the place provides it in addition to yours. Public places such as those mentioned are the best places to start quickly because of the savings compared to renting purpose-made space. The only restrictions might be having to work with the schedule that is available. There is also much less risk in case of failure. Rent will generally be much cheaper and utilities and maintenance costs will be very little. Good luck.

In larger governing bodies, schools run by shodan level instructors do exist. Usually though, they are not fully in charge as a higher level person might be. They almost always have support from the nearest senior instructor in the area and are closely advised while they continue their own advancement in training. it really depends on the rules of the governing body, but in some special cases it is possible.

No substitute for hard work and hard work is a great substitute for talent. Perhaps it is because those with natural talent are often prone to letting themselves think that talent does not need to be kept up or improved. Natural talent may only carry one so far, after that hard work is all that is left to make a difference. More often than not those who work hard are still working hard long after most naturals have given in to boredom and quit or stagnate at the same level thinking further improvement is not possible.

One of the key strategy points of Shorin ryu is continuity of strikes. Punches and kicks are delivered in rapid succession to overwhelm and wear down the attacker with more than one aimed at the same target. The analogy used to explain this is that of the waterfall with the water falling onto rocks below and eventually piercing through. There are others, but that is the one my instructor repeats the most often.

The cane is what I would choose if I were my instructor's age. It is a very elegant accessory as well as a versatile tool and defensive weapon. The only thing that could be said against it is that it must be in hand to be useful. Like anything that cannot be attached to one's person or in a pocket, there is the risk of forgetting to take it along or simply leaving it somewhere in a moments distraction. If not a cane, what else is suitable?

It is highly likely that rules about grading are the product of martial arts governing bodies or "style" associations. It seems that the bigger the governing body is, the stricter or more defined the promotion rule. An independent instructor teaching privately or in a school not affiliated with any association is probably free to evaluate in whatever way works best. In such a case, many seek the opinion of peers skilled in the same system if only for the sake of having an objective view.

How are things done in your organization? In mine, I train at the main dojo under the chief instructor who is a 9th Dan. He has graded some of his students up to 8th Dan. A dan evaluation is usually conducted by him and at least two of the highest grades available to attend at the time plus anyone who has had said grade for more than one year. The input of all the observers and panel members is considered, but the final decision is his.

There are more than a few opinions on how much training is over training. Constantly aiming for improvement by doing just a little more for a little longer is good, but what exactly is too much? What is your defenition?

If it is not an explicit rule, is it just the way your governing body has always done it?

Some governing bodies and schools have certain rules or conventions about how far an instructor can personally judge, evaluate or grade their students. How many here know of such a rule? Is it half the instructors dan grade(i.e: 6 Dan may only promote up to 3dan) or does every level require a grading panel of several seniors as well as the chief instructor of the governing body? What are you familiar with?

The state of mind often commonly called moving zen or meditation is not as complicated or esoteric as many seem to make it out to be. It is simply the highest level of mental concentration and physical awareness. This is what happens when trained movements are executed as natural reflexes while the person's mind remains aware of the wider environment. It allows training to "take over". Although it is often mentioned in the context of martial arts or combat, it is not limited to this field. This type of focused awareness is also experienced by professional athletes or surgeons or any other people requiring a high level of concentration and relying on trained, automated ingrained techniques.

To be an instructor it is not enough to have skills and passion for what one trains. It requires a high degree of observational skills to evaluate and adjust how to teach different types of people who respond to different methods. Just repeating the same explanation or demonstration will not always have the desired results. Someone who can break down, explain and demonstrate a single point in a variety of ways makes a great instructor. Such a person will likely reach a wider audience and have more successful students than an instructor who just repeats without ever trying to understand "why can't they get this?"

Perhaps one reason why testing and gradings and ceremonies exist is that they are a way for the students to attach some kind of tangible value and be recognized for their efforts. In short it is a reward, just like the belt and fancy paper certificate. Students need this to feel that they have achieved something. It is somewhat akin to free instruction versus instruction for a fee. People always value something more if it is presented as a reward. An experienced and trained instructor may be able to see even the slightest improvement, but the student often does not notice or realize it unless he is explicitly told how, what and where these are. For many, if not most this translates to doubting one's progress.

Belt/rank tests are as arbitrary as the belts themselves. The only thing that is of any relevance is whether or not the candidate has improved and progressed in skills and understanding of what said person trains. Having a formal grading ceremony following hours of intense drills and kata to exhaustion does not make one grading more meaningful than another. Like many other things about martial arts, there is no standard way of conducting a test or grading and the is an immense scope of variety from dojo to dojo. Even within the same style or organization. It depends entirely on the instructor in charge.

Historical accounts of reknowned masters mention several masters who carried something for personal defense. Given the cultural and historical context of these stories there are not so many that would be advisable for anyone to emulate. Besides the very versatile stick or cane, I have known at least of two elderly experts who carried a folding iron fan. The only disadvantage of such an item is probably the weight. Unlike a cane, it can easily be concealed or stored in a pocket.

Too many karateka get stuck with the idea that this or that application or technique is the right one. Often it is just the one or two examples demonstrated by a senior instructor. This is usually the oyo bunkai or oyo kumite as it is sometimes called. What Mr. Merriman means by the need to explore is that each kata has a set of principles. An application or bunkai only makes sense and is only effective if it follows these principles and the strategy of the kata. A simple example of a principle is to "stun and unbalance before a throw or a takedown". If a technique is meant to be takedown or throw, it will not work if it is not preceded by a strike to disrupt and a move to unbalance the attacker.

Getting a place before having people to fill it with can be somewhat risky. Especially if one has spent a considerable amount for the cost of it. If there is no other possible option, it is best to find a free or very minimal cost space to start and move to a more suitable place after building up to a few students. Community centres or other similar public facilities are usually free or very cheap. If one has a suitable space at home it can also be done there, even if it is just one or two persons at a time.

Great ideas. Does anyone else know of any old or elderly (as in over 70) martial arts experts who carry some kind of defensive weapon despite still being more than capable to defend themselves at their age? It still seems like sort of an odd idea for an exceptionally skilled, strong and healthy person to carry anything at all. Is it because at that age, decades of daily training can no longer be relied upon?