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If we look at the martial arts as a language then we get a lot more meaning and understanding of our training. Any language is a very sophisticated and useful tool based on many words with different interpretations. One wrong word can lead to a misunderstanding. If we equate this to martial arts the similarities […]
My first memories of karate are of a young naive kid sweating all over a rough wooden surface in a Scout Hall. I would catch two buses and walk a kilometre to the dojo, I would never speak to the Instructor and he would never speak to me. The training was 2 hours long, the […]
In the martial arts there is complexity and there is also simplicity. Complexity for the people who want to take their training to a higher level purely for the indulgence of the art. Simplicity is the bread and butter stuff. Complex techniques will not readily work unless drilled many times over and even then there […]
I put a few things together to remind ourselves how good we have it in the martial arts. I've also posted this on a new page on the website. 1. Learn Life Skills – One of the greatest aspects of martial arts training is the life skills it instils in students. Focus, courtesy, respect and […]
Martial arts is a pursuit in life teaching many things. There is also the sporting aspect, as in football, however, everybody in the martial arts is treated equally unlike in ball games ie if you don’t compete or don't do well for the team, then nobody wants to know you. The Instructor is always there […]
Most will agree an Instructor’s credibility is largely based on experience and ability to teach. So it is important for an Instructor to maintain focus on what the martial arts are all about and get the best education. This means stepping out of the circle and picking up new skills, from scratch if necessary. […]
Respect for the martial arts is about respect for the Instructor, school and the persons you train with. This is why BJJ have a motto LEAVE YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR. One of the message this conveys is that the martial arts is not just about the individual, it is about everybody. We train together […]
Loyalty is a great thing amongst friends, employees and family. This is a subject which was raised in conversation amonst Martial Arts Instructors recently. The one I think is also important is the student’s loyalty to his or her teacher and school. As a Teacher, I admire the friendship, connection and trust built over time […]
There are many different ways to acquire skills in the martial arts other than from instruction. To illustrate by example, I was having difficulty, for some time, submitting one of my ‘stubborn’ blue belt grappling students (let’s call him Jim) who always defends himself by laying down as a corpse and clinging onto his lapels. […]
Winning is not everything in the martial arts. Many times losing is the key to success, in the long run anyway. Win less, to learn more. Losing is part of anybody’s game, some more, others less. Losing keeps our minds engaged so we can analyse where we might have gone wrong. The trick is to […]
That is something my wife taught me many years ago when my children were growing up whilst doing the martial arts with me. She said, ‘what better way to keep everybody together in the family and share the same interest’. She also believes kids should not be readily afforded free choices when parents know they […]
How often do students switch off when the instructor shows a technique they have seen many times before? It’s because the student has a mental blue print of what is about to be shown and some of them have a tendency to switch off. The end result being no improvement or being worse off. When […]
