Jiffy

Most of us rely to some degree on our eyes to help us balance, stand on one leg and close your eyes. Another thing you can do is try standing on one leg on a soft surface. Anyone who has tried training on soft Judo/Jiu Jitsu mats will know exactly what I mean.

No, as in Jiffy Firelighters (I have red hair)

Amen to that!

Hi Guys, As we all know, it's important to have balance in your life, so tell me about your interests other than MA. I'll start. My main interests are cars and motorbikes. I have a Mazda 626 Turbo which I have modified a fair bit and a CBR600 F3. I am in a car club and motorbike club and go on heaps of cruises. Other than that, I just spend time working out (now), heaps of time with friends and of course spend time with my wife.

I'm sure you could guess... but my nickname is "Jiffy"

For those of you who haven't noticed in previous posts, I'm one of Zorba's instructors (Shotokan). While he mentions that we are happy for our students to cross train, what he may not know is that it's not how it generally is in Karate in Australia. When I was coming up through the ranks (a few moons ago now), cross training was point blank forbidden. For this reason, I studied only Shotokan for nearly 10 years. This was my biggest mistake. 9 years ago, I started cross training and my learning rate increased exponentially. There were a whole lot of little things from my past that didn't make sence at the time that just seemed to finally click into place. Despite this, our instructor was less than impressed and it lead to a big argument. About a year later, I left the school I had been with for about 9 years. It was at this time I realised that the reason he didn't like me cross training was because all of a sudden, I saw him as a smaller fish in a bigger pond. What I have found since then is that in the Karate arena in Australia, most instructors still feel the same. My honest belief is that the reason for this is nothing more than ego. By cross training, some instructors feel threatened that they will loose students to the other school or that they will no longer be seen as "God" by their students. My belief however is quite different. That is - No-one on this planet can learn everything Martial Arts has to offer in just one lifetime. There is just too much out there. If people can accept this and drop the ego, then it opens up the learning channels (see my post on Influence). It also means that things that us as instructor don't have answers for, our students might help us to re-discover them. Also, anyone who participates in cross training is bound to learn a more rounded system and therefore be overall a better martial artist. For this reason, I encourage cross training.

While in theory it shouldn't matter, the reality is, in a lot of cases, it does. As previously stated, a punch is a punch and a kick is a kick, but having these presented in an obscure way will always cause at least a little bit of confusion (hence the point of the drunken style). I don't think there is any particular style that would cause this because it would only confuse those who aren't used to it. So the style that would cause the most confusion would be the one that seems to most go against the principles in the style you study. The key to defeating this is to train in and study as many arts with different aspects as possible so as to limit the amount of confusion as much as possible. Oh and of course...... assume nothing.

I understand what you mean. The first question to ask yourself would be "why" Is it money, fame, control, desire to spread knowledge????? In any case, you can't start a franchise without reputation. Start a school that can first sustain a full time income for you. That will probably take you a minimum of 5 years if you're lucky. Then as the other guys said, figure out what benefits you can offer peope who also have a school.

I won't go into too much discussion about it, because it's heresay, but one of the theories is that TKD is actually a modified version of shotokan (according to a student of mine who is a TKD BB) In either case, they are so similar that unless you are looking at really getting into the deep inner workings of the art, they will not make any difference to you. Both have effective techniques and both can be a lot of fun. If it is a mix, this is not always a bad thing either, it sometimes means you get the best of both worlds. As long as the school is good (eg. well established, good instructor, insurance etc) then just go in and have fun.

Couldn't agree more. As I see it, there are 4 main facets of martial combat 1- Standup (Karate, TKD, Boxing etc) 2- Standup Grappling (Jiu Jitsu, Hapkido, Aikido etc) 3-Ground Grappling (BJJ, Vale Tudo, Western Wrestling etc) 4-Weapons (Kali, Aido, Buki Ryu, Fencing etc) (Note: styles given as examples only. Most of these do actually cross into others of the 4 areas, but specialise in the one listed) It is best to have a base in one facet, but have at least some knowledge of all other facets.

Have a look at our website http://www.aacd.info Click on "A Good Read" then "Syllabus" then "Shotokan"

Shawn Shotokan - 2nd Dan Hapkido - 3rd Gup (Kyu) Various other kyu grades

To put it simply, both are correct. We teach both ways in our school and there are pros and cons to both. Best thing is to speak to your instructor about the difference and they should be able to go through it with you.

Hi All, At the moment, we are trying to build our school and as part of that, we are trying to be more professional. A while ago we got sent some demos of Dojo Administration Software. I found these to be perfect for our needs except for one thing.... the price. We are only a small school at the moment and cannot afford the initial outlay of the software. Does anyone know of some good Dojo Admin Software that is either free or at least very cheap?

Hi There, Just to comment on a couple of your points Sensei Rick.... Dan Innosanto was a great martial artist in his own right before he even met Bruce, it is simply that for those who don't know him, Bruce is his easiest claim to fame. Also, I couldn't agree more, there are plenty of stars in the sky. For that reason, I attend many seminars (eg. the one mentioned in the article with Jeff Speakman). The point of the article is not to praise Guro Innosanto, but to discuss the powers of influence and the source of motivation. This particular experience was simply used as an example to illustrate the point.

thanx

I found that my teaching style changed greatly after working in the security industry. I felt I had more understanding of what I was doing. Aside from that, only have Occupation First Aid (just below an ambulance officer), but thankfully I haven't had to use it in training.

I was sure this topic would be in here, but had a look and couldn't see anything. Anyway, I'm looking for ideas to increase our school size. Currently we hover at about 50 students, but I want to increase it dramatically. My aim is to have enough students to warrant me teaching full time. For those of you replying, please state clearly if it's just an idea you thought of/were told about or if it's one that is tried and tested and has definately worked for YOU in the past.

The way we deal with it in our school is to try and hold the standard of the grading, regardless of who is whining. We never refuse people from grading, however if we feel they are not ready, we strongly advise they don't grade. If they insist and grade, they take their chances either way. So far, we have not had to fail anyone on their grading, but I did come close this month. I never worry about losing students. If they leave for the right reasons, then all good luck to them. If they leave for the wrong reasons, then they wouldn't have stayed anyway. Our school is now entering it's 9th year and it seems to have worked for us so far.

I can sympathise with this issue. It is very hard to deal with a student that flat out refuses, especially in today's society. It depends on how we look at it. Years ago, it was a privellage to be in the dojo and you did as you were told. Now days, it's like any normal business whereby they pay us for a service and the customer is always right. While I try to ensure that is not the way it happens in our dojo, that is the basic mentality of today's generation, so it's makes it hard. My advice, stick with it. Student's are generally there because they want to learn. If they are not listening to you, then they don't really want to learn anyway, so don't worry about punishing them, if they leave, so be it. As for money, it should always be a secondary objective.

On a late Monday afternoon while working at my normal office job, I received an email from a local instructor in Adelaide advising me of an up-coming seminar. The seminar was a practical training seminar with Guro Dan Inosanto. (for those unaware, Guro Inosanto was the top student of the late Bruce Lee and the only person ever certified by Bruce to be an instructor). While reading the email, I noticed that I was immediately excited about the session and more interestingly, it kick started my thoughts about my Martial Arts future in general. Where do I go next, how do I make a full time career from this field, what are my goals for next year, and other such questions. It wasn't until a few days later that I started to think "why am I so excited by this man that I have met only once before?" I also tried to think back and figure out if I was just as excited about meeting Jeff Speakman for the first time four years earlier. Was it this particular man that inspired me with just the mention of his name, or could this feeling be instilled by any Martial Arts figure head to which I reserved great status? Little did I know that as time passed, rather than have the answers, I would only have more questions. Saturday 17th December, 2005. I woke up bright and early, the day of the seminar was here. After a healthy serve of Bacon, Eggs and an Inosanto training DVD, I found myself with an eagerness to get started. Not being able to contain my excitement, I picked up the Kali sticks and headed out to the back yard. With nothing but green grass below me, a perfect Australian sunshine above me, and the smooth texture of the bamboo sticks in my hand, I started to swing. I swung those sticks like a child playing with a new toy on Christmas morning, happy and proud. Before I knew it, one of my students (a huge Bruce Lee fan, and therefore, big fan of Guro Inosanto) had arrived and it was time for me to run through a few quick principles with him to help him get through the day. With the crash course completed, a quick glance at my watch told me the wait was over, it was time to go. We arrived at the venue of the seminar with a little time to spare. Once we had completed the necessary forms and payment, we headed over to a quiet corner to lay down our things and start to warm up. While warming up, a feeling of déjà vu had come over me, probably just due to the fact that I had attended an identical seminar two years before hand. Looking around the room, it was difficult to see anyone but NPIAMA students (the school that was hosting the seminar). Being that there was only the two of us from our school (AACD), we were easily outnumbered. This was not a bad thing however, for the people in NPIAMA generally train in the style and principles that were about to be taught in the seminar and would therefore become a great source of information and assistance. While warming up in the corner, I of course had to see if I could see him, the man I had paid a fair sum to learn from for just a brief moment in time. Sure enough, stretching in a quiet section of the room, I could see a small man of about 5’5” and a vintage of 69 years. Unlike the image portrayed in movies of Martial Arts experts, that of a large, arrogant person demanding attention and respect, here sat this little, mature, Pilipino man, quietly on his own, preparing himself for the session ahead. It was obvious that despite his humble appearance, there was tremendous respect for him from those in the room, but the thought that puzzled my mind was “It’s obvious that everyone here things greatly of this man, but what does he think of himself?” I wondered what would be going through his head. Would he be nervous about the seminar. While that may sound strange to some, it also sounds strange to our students that we get nervous about hosting a grading for them. Would he regard himself with the same status he was automatically regarded with by others in the Martial Arts world, or would he see himself as just a common, humble, gentle man, like those in the non-Martial Arts world would see him? Just as I start to become consumed by these thoughts, the seminar begins. Due to a late start, only a short introduction is given and then we are straight into the intensive training. We start of with some shadow boxing and then some stretching before moving into striking drills. It’s interesting to watch the reactions of the student I came with when he sees the fast pace at which the seminar is taught. As the seminar progresses, my student becomes more and more amazed at not only the physical prowess of this 69 year old man, but also of the knowledge that he seems to emanate across the room despite only giving the necessary information. It is at this point that I too remember why I enjoyed the previous session so much. It wasn’t because this man was able to break 12 inches of concrete, or because he could battle a whole army with a single punch, but it was the privilege of listening to a man that was giving us great amounts of wisdom in so few words, while at the same time, unknowingly making it obvious there was so much more available. Both of us sat there listening with the attentiveness of a new mother listening to her baby, while Guro spilled his invaluable knowledge. A little later in the seminar as we were rolling around on the floor practising grappling, I found one comment from Guro seemed to echo through my head. While talking about his cross training throughout his many years of training he said “Even now, when I’m training, I tend to think a lot about what principles I learned from Bruce and apply them to my training”. It was this comment that seemed to consume my entire thoughts for the small amount of time left in the seminar and also the same comment that sparked the writing of this article. Fortunately, at the end of the seminar, I had the opportunity to speak briefly with Guro in person. In order to keep the nuisance of my questions to a minimum, I carefully thought out what I wanted to say, and executed it. “Excuse me Guro, you mentioned that even today, what you learned from Bruce is greatly important in your training. I was wondering how long you were actually training with him”. In his gentle voice, he replied “I met Bruce in 1964 and was with him until he died in ‘72”. I was spell bound by this answer as it lead me to an interesting assumption. Of all the instructors that Guro Inosanto had trained with and all the years of his training, his eight short years of training appear to have had a much greater impact on him than the rest of his training combined. I then started to realise that it was not just me that had been greatly impacted by one particular instructor, but that it is all of us that seem to get influenced more strongly by some people than others. In this particular case, it appeared that the influence from Bruce Lee and his eight years with Guro was a far stronger influence than the years spent with the late Ed Parker, the Gracey and Machado brothers or any other of the great legends he had trained with. The trip home was filled with normal conversation, but for me, there was much more going through my mind. I kept pondering the questions of influence, wondering what it is that influences me more than other things and why is it that way. As mentioned earlier in this article, I soon ended up with more questions than answers, but I was able to at least partially explain the values of influence. What I found is that generally, influence is driven by several major factors. These include perceived own status, perceived status/impact of the influence, relevance to the topic of influence and personal experience of the interaction/event. I make particular note to the word “perceived” because the status we hold for someone in our mind is not necessarily the same status that other people hold for them. Similarly, if the source of influence is an event rather than a person, then the impact that has on our lives is not necessarily the same impact it would have on the lives of others. It is these factors through which Guro Inosanto’s seminar seemed to have such an impact on me. This is because due to his perceived status, partially through the media recognition and partially through my experience of training with him, was far greater than the status that I held for myself. To illustrate this point, think of the difference in how much influence difference there would be between a session coached by your idol as opposed to one coached by a student with 2 weeks experience. Simply because a perceived status difference, right from the word go, Guro Inosanto had more chance of influencing me than other people would. There was also the point of relevance. Obviously I was there because I was interested in learning martial arts, and more specifically, the principles in which I thought he would teach. At this point I found it interesting that this must mean we hold a different status for each person in any given field, which then makes the topic even more complex. For example, if I wanted to learn how to cook, I would be more influenced by someone like Jamie Oliver because in the kitchen, the status I hold in my mind is different due to the difference in the subject being taught. Now that I felt I had partially understood what it was that made me excited like a kid in a candy store at the mention of a Dan Inosanto seminar, I began looking for a productive use for the conclusion I had come to. It was obvious to me that the power of influence is used every day for both good and evil. Most of us can think of obvious examples of this. So it was apparent that sometimes people could change the level of influence on us with the use of status and impact change. What I was more interested in though was not influencing others, but controlling influence within myself. With this in mind, I felt that the most productive thing we can get from influence is learning. I looked up “learn” in the dictionary, but to my surprise, it did not mention the impact of learning, only the act of it, eg. the ability to commit something to memory. It was my experience however that in many cases, it was the level of influence in an event that increased the learning experience, not the amount of effort to commit it to memory. If you watch a child who is learning cause and effect, they generally do the same thing a few times to test for the same result, but if they put their hand on a hot stove, they learn immediately. Why? Because the impact of the result was so great that they put more effort into evaluating the event. At this point it seemed to me that increased impact, not increased repetitions was the key to efficient learning. The next obvious step was to conclude that the best way for us to learn something faster was not to do it over and over, but to change how much we let the learning experience influence us. Humans seem to do this naturally without thinking about it. As an example, we tend to not really listen to those we don’t respect and therefore we limit the amount of influence their words have over us. With the three main principles of influence in mind (own status, their status/impact, relevance), it appeared easy to increase our learning ability by simply altering these parameters. The first thing was to increase the difference in status between myself and the person teaching me. I found that the first step to do this was to lower my status in my own mind, or to put It more bluntly, drop the ego. (a motto of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world is “Leave your ego at the door for this is a place of learning”). While that may sound easy it is actually quite difficult and while I felt that I had achieved it somewhat, I still felt like I had a fair way to go. I then looked at the other two angles which I felt were quite connected. While it’s easy to say “just hold the person teaching you in higher regard”, you can only believe what you believe. As mentioned earlier though, we hold a different status for the same person depending on the relevance of the topic. Imagine you have an able instructor that due to a personal external experience, you have lost some respect for. The normal reaction is to lower the status that you hold for them in your mind as you lose the respect. What if you only look at the relevant topic though? I felt that by altering what we look at in a person, we can alter the status we hold for them and therefore increase the influence we allow them to have over us. It seemed so simple and so much to be just common sense, but rarely did I actually stop to think that if we alter how we perceive ourselves and others, we can alter how much we can learn on a day to day basis. The same applies for events. Often, mistakes we make that are perceived as minor, we seem to do over and over again. If however, we insist in our own mind that the mistake was not minor, it appears that we can increase the learning experience and therefore reduce the chance of making the same mistake again. While it’s obvious that altering how we learn would take great effort, it seems to me that it could also have a great affect on our lives. Not only can we improve our relationships, but by altering the source and severity of influence, we can increase the value that we get out of any event in life, particularly a learning opportunity. For example, how much did this article influence you? Enough to give it a try?

Another question, why is it your little finger that is hurting? I'm not aware of a Martial Art yet that says you should punch with that part of the hand. In all the arts I've trained in, whether verticle or horizontal fist, it's always only the first two knuckles that should make contact. And aside from that.... yeah, let it heal.

WOW! What a fantastic post... very well done! Do you mind if I use and expand on this methodology? Just as a side note to people. Ensure you teach what you KNOW works, not what you THINK would work. Some of us have had the advantage of having been in combat situations either through security or similar work (like myself) or through just living in bad neighbourhoods. For those people, only teach what you KNOW works. For the rest of you (or for those who know, but want to study further), don't go out picking fights, but study. There are numerous texts on real combat and these days, for some unknown reason, you can buy DVD's of street fights. While these are a little on the graphic side, they are an excellent resource for seeing what really happens in the street without the danger of being there.

Don't understand. Can you please clarify?