Traditional Martial Arts Do Not Exist

Posted on May 6, 2013 by

I have always found the concept of traditional martial arts to be a misnomer. The martial arts should represent the culture in which they are studied.

Case in point would be the hook punch. This is the most common type of attack in a street encounter.(see FBI statistics) Yet so many schools still tend to focus on the reverse punch as the main attack and defense methodologies.

Another example is that after WWII, Korea, and Vietnam lots of servicemen started taking MA classes in their free time while still stationed overseas. Many times we in the US tend to think that the proper definition of MA is how these servicemen theorize it should be taught. I find this to be unrealistic. These service men simply represent a sub culture that identified their own theories of how training should be and presented it to their students throughout the following decades.

Their concept of ground, pound, break, and suffer is their perception based upon the lives they were living at the time. And this concept is not one in which smaller persons or one the older can maintain. If you want to train warriors then a specific age and physical group is selected. Hence the old school thought of traditional martial arts. If you want to teach life saving MA skills for real people then real thought and understanding must be used to allow the student to be able to use the skills from cradle to grave.

Don’t get me wrong. The student must train and train hard. But the rationale that knuckle pushups in gravel is misplaced; does nothing to build long term MA skill.

Martial Arts are about self defense and self preservation of oneself and others. It must continue to evolve if it is to be pertinent to today’s society. Gone are the days of armed men coming over the hill with sword and shield. Society changes and so must how we approach Martial Arts training.

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My Martial Art Training Notebook

Posted on April 10, 2013 by

My Martial Art Training Notebook

When I started training I was still in high school. The concept of keeping a notebook for my martial arts class was not going to happen. As the years went by I found myself starting to keep small notes, images, or clippings from books and magazines.

Several years ago I finally started developing a formal notebook for my training and teaching needs. I wish I had learned this lesson in my twenties and not my thirties. The notebook has made me a better student and teacher. I am able to keep my thoughts around style differences for similar techniques and attribute those differences with where I was first exposed to them. My notebook has a ledged that list out my major teachers and lets me place footnotes alongside techniques.

All this seems so complicated and overly involved to an outsider or someone who has never built their notebook, and yes it can be. When I started I kept things written on paper and just kept adding pages. No real order existed and this kept me unorganized in both written skill and understanding of concepts. What changed for me was I started to keep my notes on the computer. I started by just doing simple journaling of what happened in a class. As time passed I found that as I wrote, it became necessary to keep referring to the same techniques many times over. To solve the excessive writing in trying to explain every technique multiple times I just started to list all my techniques and how to do them.

This master list was a great move forward. I would have a page dedicated to hand strikes, grab counters, takedowns, and so. And when I found the need to modify the technique based upon different teacher or school location, I simply modified the description of the technique to include the changes and attached a footnote.

I use to do simple line drawings on the pages but have found that is less so now that I keep the documents in digital form. What I tend to do now is shoot short videos with my phone and save them in specific directories based upon function. This lets me see the full technique in context. I make certain to name the video file to support the technique I have written about. E.g. “Round Kick defense against straight punch” If I do need to make line drawings I can always scan them into an image file and save with the similar file name as I do videos.

Today my training notebook and teaching curriculum are closely intertwined. I do keep a formal document ready to print that I can distribute to students but what they don’t see on their printout is that the techniques are traceable back to my master training notebook. And it is this connection between teaching and my education that really makes the system work. I still keep a printed copy of my curriculum in a three ring binder and bring it to every class. Sometimes I have to refer to it to keep my mind straight for certain belt techniques and sometimes I still make notes on the techniques. When I do make a note I go back to the master computer file and record it. What is funny is that I will usually have already made that note or observation several years earlier and but had forgotten the concept.

To start keeping a notebook takes work. Not a lot but you do have to be diligent in its development. The way to start as explained to my students is to take the white belt curriculum I gave them and put it in a three ring binder along with a few sheets of blank paper. As we talk about and practice these techniques make notes on the blank paper. If you do this throughout your learning the notebook will build itself. And when you go workout with your buddies or at a seminar keep notes from that in the same notebook. All teachers have strengths and weaknesses and being able to keep the notebook as a single resource helps you build a better understanding for how the arts relate your needs.

My students are encouraged to bring their notebooks to every class and keep it open during class. I actually like to see them make a quick note between techniques. It lets me know they are learning and that I was able to teach them something new. I have never been asked to see my notebook besides a quick glance. A quick look to see how it is setup is OK but I find I don’t want to just turn it over to someone. I am not hesitant to teach the concepts, I just see it as such a personal item that if feels like I am breaking someone’s confidence if I do so. I imagine in ten more years my opinion might change.

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21 Rules to Running a Dojo

Posted on March 26, 2013 by

21 Rules to Running a Dojo

I have been in several Dojos over the years; some longer than others. An underlying common trait is that the student body reflects the senior instructor/sensei or active owner.

This similarity in personality will make or break you as a school leader. I learned this lesson about 10 years ago when I started revisiting some of the other people I use to train with. In going to see them I had a memory based preconceived idea of who they were and when I met their students I could see those traits mirrored back from their students.

This was very enlightening to me and made me ask an internal question “could the school leader change who they are in order to attract different types of students?” I think you can but you must be willing and committed to change who you are and live by those new principals. This is true martial arts skills at work. To change who you are is the basis of the Art side and being able to recognize the outward perception or your internal self shows a strong desire for self discovery.

This mirror affect impacts your ability to retain long term students. If you as the leader do not build the concept of longevity into the school culture the school will always have a revolving door of students. So if you do not make changes in who you are to facilitate the needs, desires, and understanding of the students you are only addressing half the issue.

The students learn by watching you and if you are projecting traits that drive the students away or don’t provide them with a long term path they will leave.  I find this to be especially evident in the McDojo type school. They are setup to earn as much income for the owner as possible so the desire is to sign new contracts. So if the focus is always on adding lots of new students then that is what will happen. Old students are no longer the priority and once they meet their original goal of Shodan they tend to float away.

The most successful schools for long term students focus on the students that are present not the new ones they can bring in. It is this teacher student relationship that eventually matures into peer to peer relationships that bring about lifelong students and teachers.

Modifying your inner self is only part of the issue. Listed below are some practices that I have seen over the years that should be considered.

  1. A curriculum needs to be written down and the students must have access to it. If the course of study is formatted in order of belt progression and each student knows what must be accomplished for each belt they can do self study both in and out of the Dojo. The best example I have seen for this is a school that does a GBC bound booklet of all the belt requirements and sells it for $5.00. The cost covers their expense and is not a profit center. And if the curriculum changes a new page can be added or removed as needed. Three ring binders work just as well.
  2. You must understand how each student learns and change your teaching style dependent upon who you are speaking with. The professional teachers in your club or friends can help you learn this skill. One of the first things I do with a new student is to teach myself how they learn.
  3. Tap your students other skills if they volunteer to do something that helps with the Dojo. Case in point; I have a student that likes to do line drawings for techniques. I did not know this until he came in one evening and showed me a booklet he had outlined several grab counters. He asked if I wanted a copy and if I would make notes for corrections. The booklet is now shared freely among the belts and he is the keeper of the knowledge. This helped the Dojo by having the technical information presented in graphic form.
  4. Don’t swear, chew gun, spit, whine, or lose your temper.
  5. Don’t touch the girls/women until you have their trust and when you do touch them do it exactly the same as you would the men/boys.
  6. You must touch the students to be a good teacher. Martial Arts are hands on activity.
  7. Keep your uniform and body clean. This includes your ratty old belt.
  8. Place your gear neatly and in some semblance of order when you are in the Dojo. The students watch everything you do and the small things can be more important that the large ones.
  9. Choose what your personality is going to be and stick with it. If you are going to be the gruff old man you must always be the gruff old man. You cannot keep changing faces. Students need stability. I try to be the happy brick wall that likes to laugh but will only bend so far. I encourage questions but the answers I give might be to ask again in a week after they have thought about the question.
  10. If you can’t be completely tuned in while being teacher, don’t teach. No texting, phone calls, or idle chat. If a prospective student comes in during class tell them you can only give them a limited amount of time because you are teaching.
  11. The majority of adult men who come into the arts do so because of insecurity. They come for the martial skill not to build their self esteem. Just because you have mastered that little voice in your head does not mean they have. Learn what makes each student tick and provide leadership reflection. Never tell them you think they are insecure.
  12. Children are sponges!
  13. Don’t let the child’s failures at home dictate what happens at the Dojo. Make the Dojo world inner exclusive. The exception to this rule is school grades, truancy, and legal matters.
  14. If you fear a child is being abused physically, sexually, or emotionally don’t try to solve the problem. Contact the authorities.
  15. Don’t let brother and sister train with each other in class. The same tends to hold true for fathers and sons of the same skill level until they are higher belts. Spouses and couples are a case by case decision, the men will try to be in charge and this can be counterproductive.
  16. Arrive to class early and be the last to leave. Or have a senior student responsible for the duty.
  17. If you are running a school for profit the black belts don’t pay if they have a leadership role. You will keep them around and more committed to the school if they become your peers not your customers. Eventually you will die and how will you ensure the longevity of your Art if you never bring your senior students to your level?
  18. If you have terminology in your curriculum you had better use it yourself during class. And not just to introduce the technique. It must become part of the class’s active vocabulary.
  19. Learn how to shake someone’s hand. This is especially true for greeting someone who grew up in a different country or culture. This seems trivial but you are the leader. Good leaders know when to follow.
  20. Learn how to read and project body language. Problems in the Dojo can be identified long before anything is said verbally by the body language of the students.
  21. Collect fees, you have the right to charge for teaching what you know. Our American culture respects the transfer of money. If you take their money they will be more willing to see you as the leader as opposed to a workout buddy. For a new Sensei trying to build a group the ritual act of “passing the can” has strong cultural implications. Write on the top of the can what you expect to be paid.
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10 Minute Workout for Martial Arts Training

Posted on March 19, 2013 by

10 Minute Workout for Martial Arts Training

Martial Artists become good at their craft because they train outside of the Dojo. This training does not require lots of time and surprising results can be obtained with just 10 minute session every day.

Speaking as someone who started in their late teens and is now approaching 50, I can personally attest that this type of training has been the norm for me for twenty years or more. Sometimes my training is just mental or theoretical and other times it is physical. Over the year my mind’s eye has been trained such that I can visualize minute detail in an action be it Kata, Grab Defenses, Kicking Drills, or Weapons.

The reason I bring up the mental aspect of training in these ten minute segments is that it can be done most anywhere; whereas the physical side will require you to have space to move about.

One of my favorite mental drills is to take an action such as a Kata or Poomse (Pumsae) and do it in my head. As I do the form I don’t focus on doing the moves as if I am standing and practicing on the floor. Instead I move my point of vision or observation to look at different aspects of what I see my body doing. I also try and mentally feel the moves along my body. As an example, if the Kata requires you to slide backwards into a back stance I can change my point of reference and look at my hips, feet, shoulders, and any other piece I wish to observe. I can also feel the muscles firing and joints rotating.

This type of training lets you focus on the nuances of a technique from both the doer and the observer. You are able to correct your perceived actions and make changes immediately. A secondary bonus of this mental training is that it lets you critique other people very quickly by comparing your mind’s eye version to the viewed version.

The physical side of training in short time segments helps reinforce active skill sets. The more times we do a motion the easier it is to repeat the same motion without conscious provocation. Taking time out of your day to do twenty punches and 20 kicks along with your Kata 2 times will have a profound effect on your skill. Not only do you get some physical activity out of the action you also continually pattern your physical movements into rote muscle memory. And doing these actions away from the Dojang reinforces the concept that your martial art training does not only take place within the walls of the Dojo.

To breakdown how to begin developing your 10 minute program I would recommend starting with your written curriculum. Separate out the requirements by functional group. E.g. kicks, punches, blocks, grabs, Kata…… Whatever you do, be sure to work all aspects of your skill set. This is to include the offensive and the defensive perspective.

Now look at how these groups interrelate to other belt level work. The concept of a front kick is the same for white and brown belt. What tends to change is the method in which the kick is setup and movement afterwards.

It is possible to just slap together some form of quick skills and that can be a good place to start. Everyone needs to focus on basics. However, the more time you spend in developing a working methodology for known skills and how to add new skills the better your time will be spent.

As an example:

Simple 10 minute workout

  • 10 front kicks – both legs
  • 10 round kicks – both legs
  • 10 reverse punches – both sides
  • Kata three times

More developed 10 minute workout

  • Back fists then rolling into a round kick followed by back fist – both sides 10 times
  • Blocks flow drill – Learn all your blocks as a single flow pattern and practice the pattern 10 times
  • Slow breathing exercises while practicing your straight punch from horse stance – both sides

Twenty years ago I would say write each “10 minute workout” on an index card and carry one card with you each day. As you have time pull it out of your pocket and do the drills. But given modern smart phones, create a document on your phone and use that instead. And if you really wanted to be wired, go to your online calendar and pre-schedule each drill for a different day. You can then have the calendar send an announcement to your phone every day.

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High Dan Ranks And Putting It In Perspective

Posted on March 8, 2013 by

High Dan Ranks And Putting It In Perspective

I think the concept of higher Dan ranks as a sign of skill and their ease of obtaining from online stores is a self fulfilling prophecy

It is a rare individual that can stay involved with the same organization for 20 plus years and earn the higher ranks. Most students move about from school to school and organization to organization throughout their lives. This lack of a home helps drive this perceived need for higher rank belts.

So as these individuals go out into the world to run their own schools they buy their rank to prove their skills to others. Or they band together as a group and appoint Dan ranks to each other as the leaders of that organization.

It is a vicious circle and not one that will go away. And to really step off the cliff maybe the concept of starting an organization and promoting each other to a high rank is the proper way of doing things. For at some time in history someone had to break convention and start all the organizations.

That being said, Dan ranks are what each organization makes them and your Dan rank means little to the school across the street or across the ocean. School and teachers should instead focus on the journey and brotherhood for the Arts instead. After all, isn’t the real purpose of being in the Arts one of self protection and betterment?

There comes a point where belt stripes just don’t mean anything. If I look at Martial Arts training as a historical exercise the Dan ranks don’t make much since.

A student goes to learn an Art and eventually becomes proficient enough that the teacher graduates them to the level where they are allowed to be a leader in the school.

Next the student has acquired the skills to teach others the foundations of their Art in their own place.

Finally after many years the old student has reached the place where they now have students they have taught which teach other students. He is now a teacher of teachers.

By the time the old student reaches the point of being a teacher’s teacher, he has been exposed to a multitude of others who know his own style as well as people with different styles. If they are a good teacher they will also be a student and continue their education by exposure to these outside influences.

I know my view is convoluted and does not play well with modern acceptable practices. So to go even further, the concept of time in grade means little to me. Over the years I have come to believe that students do not learn according to a standard path and loose contact with their original governing bodies. They also add skills from other styles and instructors that move them further and faster ahead in their learning than could be possible staying with a single organization.

The typical dojo saying “the truth will come out on the mat” is very true. I would much rather train with a brown belt who has been around the block a few times and learned the hard way than an 8th Dan who simply got the belt by being around for 30 or more years.  This is not to imply disrespect to those who have real skill and warrant our attention for lifelong service and have the skill and understanding to be at that Dan level. I can name many who warrant this rank.

In essence every student is a freelance Martial Artist. They should be willing to learn and understand other styles, concepts, and play the role of both teacher and student. I also think that by the time we all reach old man or old woman status all our Arts will actually be the same Art. The human body can only move and react in a finite number of ways and as we lose strength, speed, and flexibility we will find that my Art is your Art.

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