bushido_man96

Man, that bites!

You make good points about high kicks, dineshm. The timing and setups for high kicks is tough to do, and you have to be on. Being really fast and flexible really helps a lot. However, there is something to be said of being able to pull off high kicks against other trained Martial Artists as well.

Its all good now, Patrick. I was going through withdrawals!

This post was originally published as an article in a dedicated KarateForums.com Articles section, which is no longer online. After the section was closed, this article was most to the most appropriate forum in our community. I have previously spoken of the Four Grounds of English swordsmanship as described by George Silver in his book Brief Instructions upon my Paradoxes of Defence. In that discussion, I spoke of relating the Four Grounds that Silver spoke of for swordsmanship to weaponless combat. In this article, I will expound on another facet of Silver’s weapon system, the Four Governors and how they relate to weaponless combat. These are underlying principles of the Four Grounds that were discussed previously. The Four Governors that Silver describes are Judgment, Measure, Press In and Fly Out. At first glance, one will notice that there appears to be some overlap between the Four Grounds discussed previously and the Four Governors being presented here. In actuality, you will not have the presence of the Governors without the Grounds, and vise versa. However, differences are inherent, as will be explained. Once again, I will be citing the Stephen Hand book, English Swordsmanship and the Paul Wagner book, Master of Defense, both of which discuss the works of Silver. Judgment This is where obvious similarities between the Grounds and the Governors lie. However, this dual representation denotes how important Silver felt judgment was in actual combat. Not only is judgment listed in both the Grounds and the Governors, it also holds the honor of being listed first in both categories. Judgment, quite simply stated, means that one “should always place yourself such that you can both Judge and react to your opponent’s actions.” (Wagner, pg. 117). For reasons obvious in both weapons combat and unarmed combat, the value of good judgment cannot be overstated. In our unarmed combat scenario, not only is it important to judge the opponent’s physical state, but also his or her mental state. Physically, one should monitor things such as the opponent’s reach (with both arms and legs), height, weight and even how the opponent carries himself. One could also attempt to determine the opponent’s mental state. Is he angry? Is he calm? Does he wish to injure or kill? Good use of judgment will help a fighter throughout combat. Measure At first glance, measure may appear to be the equivalent of the second Ground, distance. However, measure actually goes deeper, using distance as a platform to expand on. Simply stated, the fighter uses distance to control the space between himself and his opponent in an attempt to initiate an attack or to defend against one. Measure is the concept of placing the weapons (i.e. hands, feet) such that the fighter can use them to defend from the various lines of attack, yet still exploit an opening or weakness that the opponent offers (Wagner, pg. 117). Measure, in essence, is the bridge between the Grounds of distance and time. Measure is the usage of both to place the weapons of the combatant in a position to strike, defend and counter. It is also important that these actions take place in the time available to the combatant; i.e., after an attack commences and before it lands or after an attack is finished and before the opponent recovers. If the proper measure is made, the fighter’s movements will be quick and efficient. This is much akin to Bruce Lee’s concept of the Economy of Movement. Press In and Fly Out The final two of the Four Governors are presented together for a good reason. To best represent this principle, I quote Stephen Hand: “The third and fourth Governors, the twofold mind, encompasses the ability to consider all offensive and defensive possibilities and move accordingly.” (Hand, pg. 10). Silver referred to them as a “twofold mind” because as one is planning an offensive, he must at the same time be prepared to go on the defensive. The concept of Press In and Fly Out is quite simply one of flexibility. When considering weapons combat, it is easier to see the design of the concept; be ready not only to move in and attack with your weapon, but also to back out quickly in case things change in order to reposition oneself. However, we can relate to an even deeper meaning of the concept when considering unarmed combat. Many fighters use drilling to exercise various offensive and defensive techniques and strategies. Therefore, it would be safe to assume that most fighters have a certain set of techniques and strategies that they would be most comfortable in using. They are a group of movements and strategies that have been “internalized,” if you will. Most fighters will also be ready to deal with the inevitable oddities and uncertainties that present themselves in combat. Here is where the essence of the twofold mind is revealed. The combatant will Press In when attacking or even counter-attacking, if the actions of the combat fit with the strategy that the fighter is using. However, the fighter must be ready to abandon the plan of attack, or Fly Out of the plan, if something goes awry. This does not necessarily refer to physically moving forward and falling back, as it could be viewed in weapons combat. This is not the only way that it is viewed, though. I’ll use an analogy from a grappling standpoint (please bear with my limited knowledge). A grappler will have a strategy in mind, with ideas to submit an opponent. The grappler will go through a series of moves, most likely his favorite moves, trying to set up the submission. All of a sudden, the opponent does something unexpected, disrupting the other grappler’s strategy. Our grappler was Pressing In. Now, he must abandon his current strategy, or Fly Out, and make adjustments. Once the reassessment takes place, the fighter can Press In once again. This analogy can be readily applied to any other fighting style as well. Conclusion George Silver’s writings provide an outstanding framework from which a fighter can approach a combat situation, whether armed or unarmed. The Four Governors discussed in this article, when properly studied and executed, can be beneficial to any fighter, regardless of the style the combatant studies. The Four Governors, combined with the Four Grounds, provide a very logical and practical approach to combat.

A Game of Thrones; Tyrion Tyrion has chosen to ride north the Wall with Benjen Stark, Jon Snow, and a few others on the way. We meet Yoren, a man of the Night's Watch who has been out "recruiting" a few less-than-worthy individuals for Wall. The work on the Wall, which used to be considered honorable to do, has fallen out of favor with the realm, and has become a job that no one wants to do. In the end, recruits are filled in by bringing criminals facing death or some other punishment, and they keep their lives by serving on the Wall, making it a vertible prison camp. The trip is a long one, and Tyrion does not enjoy the riding much. Once the group gets so far north that they run out of towns, they have to build camp, so Tyrion goes off to read. Jon finds him, and asks why he reads so much. Tyrion is very wise, and tells Jon this by saying that his mind is his weapon, his strength, and he keeps it sharp by reading. Tyrion is reading a book from Winterfell's library on, yep, dragons (coincidence? I think not ). Jon and Tyrion begin to talk about the Wall, and Tyrion pretty much insults it, which angers Jon at first. When Jon becomes angry, and is approached by Tryion (non-threating), Ghost jumps Tyrion, quietly, surprising him. Ghost makes no sound. In the end, Jon calls the wolf off, and the two head back for the camp, in a way kind of reconciled toward each other. They both seem to know that they can never aspire to be what they want or are, because of their stations and shortcomings. Tyrion comments about how much Stark there is in Jon. Whoever his mother was, left little of herself in him.

Happy New Year everyone! No resolutions yet. Try to stay out of the hospital this year, I guess. Oh yeah, double the size of my MA library! That one will impress the wife!

Congratulations!

On the street, you usually don't have the time to strategize like you do in the ring. Therefore, you don't have the setup time for the combinations that you might use in ring fighting. Usually lower kicks work more efficiently on the street than higher kicks, but it depends on your own skill level, too.

I have done practices on breaking techniques using paper as the material. It is not as easy as one might think, either. Another step up from the paper would be to use styrofoam pieces. They make a nice pop, and the kids like to pop them. It gets them more used to penetrating the target, and the sound of the break.

Congrats!

Typically, endurance work is going to have to be longer duration, middle to high intensity work. Things like jogging/running, swimming, etc. You can do lots of forms reps, too. Basically, it is about sustaining a work load over a period of time.

That sounds like a great setup. Welcome to the Forums!

Doing something more specific to kicking might help to improve your kicks and flexibility. Do wall kicks, to hold your balance and keep your leg extended to build the muscles would be good. You can also stand next to the wall, and do side kicks, hold them out, and then raise the leg up and down to build the muscles. When you get really good, try them without the wall.

Man, that is rough. Talk to the doctor about your options, and get some second opinions as well. Do some research and see what you can come up with. I think that you could still do your Karate training, but you may have to lay off of the sparring for some time.

12-31-07 Went back to the gym today, and did a very general workout. Not too much, I hope. Squats: 2x10x135 lbs. I never do squats, so these killed me today. Bench press: 3x10x135 lbs. Decline abs: 3x10 Barbell curls: 3x10x50 lbs. Triceps press: 3x10x40 lbs. Solo workout: 9:45 - 10:00. Chon ji Hyung x 2 Wall back kicks: 10 each leg.

I think that the Olympic-style equipment is just better in the long run. It does take up more space, but it is usually heavier duty equipment, and will give long life. Also, the barbells are the standard 45 lbs. in weight, and are nicer for lifting, I think. You can use the same bar for bench, squat, clean, etc.

If you feel comfortable beginning your cross-training now, then I would do so. The nice thing about Boxing or Muay Thai is that there won't be any curriculum to worry about. You will get some good conditioning, and lots of technique work. High repitition training that will help you out, I think.

Ah, tai-sabaki. The more I read about it, the more interested I get in it. We get into in TKD, but in some different ways than other styles do it, like Aikido and Karate. However, the more I learn, the more I put together and make things happen a little bit. All research, I guess.

Not so! From the day you start, you are preparing. Enjoy the journey.

I agree with your thoughts here. You are right about Hapkido descending from Daito Ryu, as well. Intercepting the arm at the wrist or above is where you want to be on a club swing.

12-28-07 Stretched out for 25 minutes, and then I worked on Chon Ji hyung a few times. It isn't much, but it got me moving around.

The most effective techniques and styles usually arent entertaining. I'd rather something be effective and boring that showy and useless. On a side note, I am a BJJ fighter, and some jiu jitsu matches are like watching grass grow There is truth in what you say. I think that matches for Wrestling and BJJ are harder to watch, unless you can really understand the nuances of what is going on down on the ground there. Once you can understand what every little thing going on causes, it is much easier to appreciate.

It is hard for me to give a very good review of this book, because I have no knowledge or experience with Sanchin Kata. However, I think that this book is very well written, and the subject matter is explored to its fullest extent. Wilder explores everything from a history of the Sanchin Kata to the ways that people learn, and how those learning experiences have changed Sanchin Kata in so many ways. He discusses, in detail, the bringing together of the "three difficulties" beginning with the architecture of the body, starting with the feet and working meticulously up the body to each other section; up the shins and to the thighs, the hips, the back, the neck and the head, and out to the shoulders, arms, and fists. He also moves into chapters on breathing, getting into the state of zanshin, Iron Shirt, and many other concepts that fall into the study and integration of this kata. Wilder has put out a great book here, and I enjoyed it a lot, even with a lack of knowledge of Karate and Sanchin Kata, despite general knowledge. A nice addition that Wilder has are the "Test It" sections of each of his chapters that give students physical feedback from partners that allow them to guage their training. I recommend this book for any Martial Artist in general. And if you practice the Sanchin Kata, then it will definitely give you a focus on the kata that will keep you training for years.

Blocking bats with the hands does seem not right. From what I have learned about club type weapons is to get inside the trajectory of the swing, and stop the momentum at the opponent's hands. That, or just get away, or find a ranged weapon.

And also the target! It’s a balancing act I guess. All to do with good technique - being able to deliver as much Kinetic energy (using the correct force) as quickly as possible, whilst not putting yourself in a position where you are vulnerable to being hit. Movement is key. You guys may be closer to each other's ideas than you realize. We could talk about it all day, but if we actually got together and could "see" what each is saying, you might be pretty close together. Or, it could be the opposite, I guess. However, there is often something lost in the translation.