JazzKicker

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.

Back when I was involved in TSD, loyalty to the style and association was promoted on the basis that "it takes a lifetime to learn the art", and don't make up your own training methods or question your instructors. Bowing, hierarchies of belts, junior, senior, even the number on your black belt. A lot of that is just keeping people in line, particularly kids. As a business, though, like the supermarket discount card, it's a retention strategy. There was also a subtle pyramid aspect to it- once you advanced as a black belt, you were expected to have a (dues paying) school, or you wouldn't be eligible to be a 4th Dan "Master"

I think it would be crazy to keep doing it in the face of discovering there was a different way, you were wasting your time and even doing more harm than good. Cognitive dissonance is probably the more accurate psychological term. Martial arts can be like that, doing things repetitively without question because "it's traditional" or "my instructor said so", and creating a self-reinforcing culture that validates it as right. I trained hard for 15 years in traditional karate styles, and the time came to branch out. When I got into JKD, it was profoundly liberating.

1. Most likely, simply because the hobbyist doesn't put as much time into training 2. One has to elevate themselves through effort, that's just whether you're an expert or just a beginner 3. A sadist is someone who derives sexual pleasure from inflicting pain on others. I don't think it's even relevant. 4. Yes, of course, if that's your goal. If you're just in it for sport, like boxing, or fitness, that's different. If it's just fitness you want and don't want to learn how to punch/kick/jointlock/throw/choke someone, go take Zumba. As far as what a "pro" is, a studio instructor/owner is really more an educator, and a UFC fighter is a competitive athlete, essentially an entertainer. As an amateur you really have much more freedom to pursue martial arts they way you want, without financial pressure.

There isn't any one Jeet Kune Do- there wasn't for Bruce Lee. His thinking and teaching evolved over time. People have adopted different streams depending on who they learned JKD from. So there's "Original JKD", and "JKD Concepts", and people who've gone in Dan Inosanto's direction, with a stronger Filipino emphasis. I've learned from early 2nd generation students from Oakland and Chinatown, and their senior instructors. The early students, either of Inosanto or Lee himself, are in their 70's and 80's and dying off. Given the nature of JKD and the "creative interpretations" of it, I think rather than dying it may become diluted.

One of the cool things about martial arts is, they're inherently minimalist and frugal. At least, most started out that way. For example, the Okinawa farmers, kobudo weapons like nuchaku, sai, tonfa are adaptations of farm implements. When I first started, for striking targets we had foam pads, cut in squares, layered, and tied together with a belt. We'd use empty anti-freeze jugs for kicking targets. Jhoon Rhee's "safe-t-chops" were a novelty, most of us used what was little more than an elastic sock with a thin piece of foam in it. Equipment has come a long way, but you still don't need much of anything beyond sparring gear unless you're into fancy uniforms. What had changed is membership in a club- I priced out some a while back, the MMA gyms have gotten expensive.

One that I remember was a World Tang Soo Do one-step, #8, I think. I nick-named it "Ring-around-the-rosey twist-a-roo". Opponent throws reverse punch, soo do block with front hand, grab attackers wrist with it, twist clockwise whilst pivoting yourself counterclockwise to strike with simultaneous backfist to head and side kick to knee.

You could, but it would be a bad idea. Kicking can be really bad for your low back, especially if you overdo it. I overtrained in my late 20's-early 30's when I did a lot of Tang Soo Do. Hundreds of kicks a couple of times a week, plus jumping and spinning. Not knowing better, I blamed it on a long commute and uncomfortable car seat. But really, it was overuse and biomechanics A few years later I trained in Hapkido, and I learned to lower my head and relax (for things like spin & high kicks), not stay in such an upright position. It took the strain off my sacrum! Another breakthrough was learning a Tai Chi form. This taught me a more relaxed, less rigid stance, and lower center of gravity. This would be good for your back no matter what else you do with martial arts.

It's a name that doesn't translate well literally. We call it Tai Chi generically just like "karate". Tai Chi Chuan really isn't about punching or fists, anyway. Most practitioners aren't into the martial aspects at all. There are indeed strikes like punches, open hand (soo do) strikes and pushes, crescent & front kicks in the form I do.

Try to remember you are doing this just for fun. It's not life or death, it's not your livelihood. Your ego is simply trying to protect itself from what it sees as a threat. Many schools, before a tournament, do a little simulation as prep. The have the black belts sit as a panel, and students sit and watch, and have you come up and do your form as you would competing, bowing in & all. Likewise sparring can be done that way, too, with corner judges, etc. Hopefully your school does this, too. As you get more experience with it, you won't be so nervous, just like any kind of performing.

I've had peaks and lulls over the years, often it was related to the activity level of club I was training with, sometimes it was changes in priorities in my own life. The first time I slacked off was after college, getting established in career and the rest of life. Coming back to it a couple of years later wasn't too bad at a local club that didn't train too hard. But then I stepped it up, to advance in dan rank. Then I got more into non-traditional training, and it was certainly rougher. Eventually I lost interest and the clubs folded or moved. I've always kept my own solo training going, though not very consistently, just for fitness and flexibility.

Sure there have been new styles of martial arts emerge in the Internet age- they're called "MMA" generically. But coincident with that was the rise of the UFC, which pretty much destroyed the notion of superior styles, reducing it raw athleticism (and having a good ground game). Yes, old school training worked, and still does, but modern, science based sports training can be more effective and less risky, injury wise. I do think more traditional training imparts both a mental toughness and muscle memory through repetition and skills training that can't be learned from YouTube.