JazzKicker

Using the word "art" implies creativity and self-expression, beyond the mere practical or functional. Art is not a sport, or simple physical activity, though "martial arts" have those as components. For me, martial arts are distinguished by having mental and even spiritual aspects.

Years ago I was looking for a new place to train. I walked into a school and talked to the instructor about "taking lessons", without saying anything about my background. First thing he asked me was "Where do you train now?" Earlier this year I visited a new club when they were having a JKD class. The instructor happily let me join in- it was during the class they started asking, "Hey, where did you train before?"

Setting aside the external factors like job & family, there does come a point where it's time to move on. It's been quite a few years now, but after I tested for 3rd dan in Tang Soo Do, my instructor said something that still sticks with me- "What you do with it is up to you", and we talked about things like, I might open a school, or train in something new. And while I still came for black belt classes periodically, I moved on to Jeet Kune Do and Hapkido. The "breaking away" thing is more political- a friend of mine was a senior instructor in an organization, without naming names, the GM was renowned for teaching pressure point seminars. The GM became increasingly off the deep end with his theories, among other things, and was eventually widely viewed as a charlatan. My friend left, as did others, and he's enjoyed a successful international career in his own right.

I can think of a couple of reasons for being exacting about stances: 1. Forms aesthetic, especially for competing. 2. Developing repeatable, efficient basis for techniques, especially kicks. The people I've trained with that didn't have a traditional background often didn't kick as well (poor or inconsistent balance), and had boxing type stances that left them open to kicks.

Interesting topic. I think it's good perspective to get to know the culture of the country your art is from, at least how it is practiced and viewed there, the history, and relevant terminology. How Americans practice Asian martial arts can be very different. When I first started in Tang Soo Do, it was already pretty Americanized, and eventually all the Korean masters in the association left to start their own organizations- this is a common Korean thing. We learned basic terminology and phrases, some Korean history, and a false narrative of the origins of TSD. Years later I trained in Hapkido, from a native Korean and a founding Grandmaster, and I learned some of the phrases and pronunciation I'd learned were inaccurate. I was also exposed to some of the political infighting and arguments over history and origin stories. Looking for a new place to train as an advanced black belt, I've found American owned schools to be welcoming, but the Koreans were suspicious, and without coming out and saying it, let me know I wasn't welcome. Outside the dojang, I learned some things like, for Koreans starting a business in the US, a Tae Kwon Do school is an option much like a laundry or produce stand. Also, Korean kids start TKD at an early age, but are generally done with it when they reach age 18.

I've kept a training journal for years now. It's a great way to keep track of what's on your mind, training ideas and progress. Over time, you'll see recurring themes, too. I think you're right, relaxation is important. The way to develop power is with focus, and efficient body mechanics. Tension gets in the way of that. When you see a great athlete in any sport, they almost make it look effortless, right? But a beginner in martial arts looks tense, unbalanced, tentative, forced. I wouldn't get too bogged down in minutiae of details, like the "right" way for a foot position or something. Everybody moves a little differently.

In the US, we have "Dryuary", which some do in January, after New year's Eve, or my preference, February (it's the shortest month!). For your weight, I'm guessing you'll lose about 3 pounds just from cutting out alcohol, if you usually do 2-3 drinks/day. There's a lot of calories, mostly from carbs, in alcoholic drinks. Gin is especially bad if you combine it with tonic, because it has a lot of calories by itself.

As it's generally practiced in the US, no, archery is not a martial art in the way we currently consider them. I got into archery in a big way about 10 years ago, target shooting a compound bow in my semi-rural backyard. There were also deer passing through, which led me to take up hunting and also "3D archery" (shooting a course of foam, animal shaped targets). Having a martial arts bent, I also took up the recurve bow, or what they call "traditional". I even made my own wood arrows and tried making a few bows. At the time, I DID consider it a form of martial art, at least, a substitute in the wake of my club slowly disbanding. Certainly the bow was a war weapon throughout the world, from the English longbow to the Mongol recurve, infantry and cavalry. With some narrow exceptions (like Kyudo) that's not how people practice archery today. Instead, there's target archery (like Olympic style) and bowhunting. Neither have the goals associated with modern martial arts- whether self defense, self improvement, or overall fitness. There is competition, yes- but I would say that makes martial arts more a sport than the other way around.

I've been on a dojang safari the last few weeks, and several local (commercial) schools have web sites like this, and even cheesier, more generic. It's understandable, the people running the school are presumably instructors, not website developers. Martial arts is big business, and there are providers that will handle it for you, and monthly billing, contracts, etc. That doesn't mean it's a McDojo- but it does mean they're trying to make money marketing to the general public, who want to send little Johnny to karate classes. You really have to go in person and watch classes to see. I haven't had much luck, myself.

I've made bo's (bong, in Korean!) out of oak saplings, they have a nice shape and feel compared to the store-bought tapered ones. I made practice nunchaku out of PVC pipe. I've made a few self bows, too, out of red oak, hickory, osage. That's a hobby topic for a whole 'nother forum! There's an art and a real learning curve to tillering a bow that won't break, starting with carefully choosing and drying a stave.

No disrespect JazzKicker but your understanding comes from modern day examples of the art and is not based on historical truth. The means of trasmittal was the Kata. The Okinawan's did not write down the techniques and applications but created a means by which to transmit them which we call the Kata. Prior to Modern day Karate Do, Toudi (To-Di) was passed down by means of teaching the Kata. This was done so not to teach students a neat form that they could win tournaments with but rather to teach soldiers to fight. This whole concept that Kata is worthless goes along with the theory that poor farmers created Toudi (Karate) or Buki-gwa (Kobudo), when it was actually the warrior class (think Samurai). Just like Kenjutsu or Jujutsu, Toudi and Buki-gwa were created to teach warriors to defend the country and to be used in Battle. Again no disrespect but history refutes the notion that Kata is nothing more than a Dance. It really depends on how it has been transmitted down from the founder and how it is taught. So in saying that, I will agree in terms of how Kata is taught in most schools today... you can't learn how to fight by studying the Kata. But... if taught the way it was taught, you can learn to fight by studying the Kata. None taken! I wouldn't say the origin of kata with soldiers vs. farmers validates it one way or the other. If you go back before the late 19th century the history isn't really there, anyway, except for documents like the Bubishi. But if you've studied Ryu-Kyu Kempo and Tuite, you probably know that movements in the forms can be interpreted as pressure point strikes, joint locks, etc. and not simply blocking and punching. That adds a lot of depth and meaning if you can "unlock the secrets", but learning how to do those techniques is even harder, and without a partner you're simply "going through the motions". I have to disagree with you about Kobudo- weapons like nunchaku, tonfa, and sai are clearly variations on farm tools, which fits the narrative of the occupying Japanese samurai forbidding the Okinawans to have weapons like swords.

These origin stories can be convoluted, and sometimes contentious, particularly with the Korean arts. I started out with Shito-Ryu, one of the 4 main Japanese styles. When I went off to college, I joined a Tang Soo Do club. Coincidentally enough, the forms were practically the same, though the kicks were much more elaborate. The official history, though, was TSD's roots were over 2000 years old, from the Chinese mainland. Years later I found out this was...incorrect.. The reality was, Hwang Kee eventually admitted he learned the forms from a Japanese book on Shotokan. Years later, I was fortunate to train with Do Ju Nim Ji, Han Jae, who many consider (including himself) the founder of Hapkido. He had learned Yul Sul from Yong Sul Choi, a Korean who was taken to Japan during the occupation. Choi claimed to have learned Aiki-jujitsu while in Japan. GM Ji claimed to be the first person to use the name Hapkido, also claimed he added spins kicks. Of course, people argue these claims. Both these arts, as examples, are Korean in origin, from the 1950's. But the lineage is intertwined with Japanese influence.

For many years I always had training on Tues & Thurs., from when I first started. I might have a black belt class or seminar on a Saturday. My other athletic pursuit was bicycling, I didn't do other kinds of training unless I was getting ready for a test. My club eventually folded up and I've had a hard time finding a new home and getting back on a schedule ever since. Honestly it was a relief, I was getting bored and in a rut. Now I do a combination of things- health club for weights, stationary bike or treadmill if the weather's not good, road bike or jogging, calisthenics and stretching, and backyard forms, weapons, etc. It's still probably about 4-6 hours a week, but it's efficient and I don't get bored. I was unemployed for a few months recently, and I started to increase the time I spent exercising- but a couple of health issues cropped up for a week or 2 each, and it sidelined me for a while. That, and other priorities made me realize that there's only a certain amount of time I'll put into training, job or not.

I think it's important to remember there will be setbacks along the way, and rather than give up when that happens, to forgive yourself and keep at it. Nobodies perfect.

In a word, NO. There are many in the non-traditional martial arts world that would say kata amounts to swimming on dry land. Or worse, that it conditions you to move and react in unrealistic patterns. That's true, if all you want to do is fight. Kata is part of what makes a martial "art". It also teaches balance, coordination, memorization, concentration, focus, concepts like tension and release. Simply as a solo practice it's good exercise and moving meditation. Just for those two reasons I continued doing forms even when I was otherwise training in MMA.

What type of martial art school would you like to be the owner operator of? I think this is a key question for being successful. What you would like, vs. what will attract enough students, may not be the same thing. For example, boxing seems pretty popular in my area, but the instructors I know can't get much turnout for JKD. The typical storefront karate/TKD school seems mostly for kids, with Little Dragons and birthday parties.[/b]

I've kept a training log for a long time, not just for martial arts, but the other physical activities I do- cycling, weight training, jogging, archery. I might take time off or shift things seasonally- but a log lets me look at things in terms of volume, adaptation, progression, etc. It's a great tool for knowing when you're slacking off! Undertraining doesn't have to be doing nothing- it could be doing the same thing over and over at a level that doesn't induce the training effect (workout is too easy or your body has adapted) Overtraining could be simply too much volume (with subsequent fatigue, injury) or working on any one thing too much.

The short answer is, there are slow moves because not every move is a block, punch, or kick. You have to interpret the move's application. It may be a joint manipulation, push or otherwise moving your opponent, or a roadmap to a pressure point strike. I used to take the superficial explanations of kata movements at face value, but an old buddy of mine got involved with Ryu-kyu kempo (and is now an international GM) and opened my eyes to new interpretations.

As near as I can tell, there are as many kids as ever "taking karate". Most won't stick with it, when they discover baseball or dance or the opposite sex, or they go to college. For the ones that did stay with it, the ones at their peak in their 20's now- there has always been MMA, the UFC, YouTube and the rest of the Internet. My point is, despite the pervasive onslaught of technology in our lives, young people still participate in martial arts, and they have much more resources, knowledge, and connections available to them.

My training is modern, but I had to learn it (and do it) outside of class settings. The traditional way for me was going to a class 2-3 times a week that was well-rounded with stretching, calisthenics, techniques, forms or sparring. And that was enough for a long time. Advancing in dan ranks, though, I realized I needed supplementary training. The big breakthrough for me was studying and getting certified as a personal trainer and Specialist in Martial Arts Conditioning. That's when I learned much more about weight training, cardio, and periodized training. A lot of what happens in group classes, particularly traditional ones, is one-size fits all and therefore not as efficient.

I think if you want to compare TKD, TSD, and even lump Shotokan in there, nevermind the specifics of forms, look at how people actually move. Look at how kicks are executed, fighting stances, timing. Video would be a great way to contrast. If you looked at a book from the past, like Richard Chun's book on Mood Duk Kwan Tae Kwon Do, Hwang Kee's book on TSD, or Funakoshi's Karate-Do Kyohan, a side kick would look pretty much the same. But if you went on YouTube and looked at an Oly TKD, TSD, or Shotokan person, their side kicks would all look very different, dynamically.

I would say for an adult, the best thing about martial arts is the health and fitness benefits. For a child, the benefits are more developing self control, discipline, focus, confidence. The "worst" thing, as far as the individual goes, is the injury to self or others in the course of training. Culturally, the worst thing (or the best, depending on your viewpoint) is the advent of MMA and the octagon-type ringsports. It's taken the "art" out of martial arts, reduced it to a sport that is not a gentleman's game.

The slapping/soft energy hits he demonstrates remind me of techniques from Hapkido and Dr. He Young Kim's Han Moo Do. He moves well and I can tell he has focused power. I scanned through the video, though, and I never saw him "go live"- that is, work against resistance, timing. Nobody fights in a front stance with their hands down, or attacks with a single reverse punch.

The two people I know personally who have been most successful as martial arts instructors invested heavily in learning, from videos, seminars, training with, and being certified by some of the greats. They're at opposite ends of the spectrum, too, MMA/NHB and Ryu-Kyu kempo karate. It took a lot of years for them to be successful, more than just getting a college degree and a job. It took the MMA guy much longer, despite him being a more talented martial artist, in part because he had a cheap, non-commercial space, didn't charge much, and his students were..ahem...frugal.

Does the sample video look like JKD or something else? Mostly, but there's some TKD-type stuff in there Do you incorporate JKD in to your personal style? It pretty much IS, but I would call it an approach, not a style Have you ever sparred with a JKD practitioner? Yes Did Bruce Lee have an influence on you becoming a martial artist? Not directly How different is JKD to Wing Chun and what are those differences? Wing Chun was a basis. JKD added in boxing and fencing principles. How different is JKD compared to your main style? From my original style, night & day. Are JKD concepts difficult to comprehend or understand? It's the implementation that is difficult. I don't believe JKD is suitable for beginners. Do you believe JKD is mostly a standup striking type of martial art? As it was practiced by Bruce Lee, yes Is JKD a useful method of self defense or should it stay in motion picture industry? Yes, refer to Lee's book on self defense. It's a poor question because what he did in the movies doesn't accurately represent JKD? Is it right to call Bruce Lee the father of MMA? Of course not. Long before him there were "combination men" who were both boxers and wrestlers, and Asian arts such as jujitsu and Hapkido that integrated striking, throws, grappling. Why do you think, Bruce Lee's quotes are used very often by none JKD martial artists? Because he was a philosophy student and very quotable Has Bruce Lee's influence on martial arts been a good thing or perhaps not? That's like asking if Jimi Hendrix had a good influence on rock guitar.