Blog
Wear a White Belt for 6 Months
The thing about the martial arts, as it is taught nowadays, the classes have to be innovative and students need to be updated with new training methods and techniques. The days of just training the same stuff over and over again is not always popular with most people but that's what it takes to strive for perfection – a lifetime achievement. If you look around at those who are really good at something, it is because most of their time is devoted to that. Take, for example, a person who trains shot-put; that’s all they do which takes a special kind of person who doesn't get bored and gives up, and understands that is what's needed to win or perfect. It really is a balancing act between repetition of techniques and collection of techniques.
However, in the modern world of martial arts training, people like to see what else they can try out to add to their repertoire. They have their core business eg karate, kung fu etc but in order to further stimulate their minds, people like to take on other challenges to beat boredom rather than resign to Foxtel or Facebook. 
It takes a special kind of person to achieve a Black Belt; it’s all about technique, attitude, ability and understanding the purpose of achieving that belt. I have heard of a particular school that when a student is preparing for Black Belt, they have to wear a white belt for 6 months prior to examination! I think that says it all.
GA
How to Become a Menace
There are so many ways to becoming a menace – at work, school, around friends etc. Nobody likes a menace except for the person who does the menacing so that's really not a good thing. Now a good menace is one you find in the martial arts because although they, too, may not be liked, it is only because they have superior skill.
You usually have to visit foreign pastures to test out if you have menacing skills where people don’t know what to expect and hopefully you can catch them completely
off guard. It’s actually a compliment when they start abusing you, tell how ‘stubborn’ and ‘belligerent’ you are (I think my Jiu Jitsu must be working).
The truth is you can really learn from these types of people and I am not talking about the pest style menace who are of no value to you but just annoying. Look for the ones who have something to offer. These people are probably good at what they do and seem to exasperate you because they have a counter for everything you do. How do you annoy your opponents in the martial arts? The answer is become a menace yourself by training longer and harder.
GA
Rock Around the Clock
What I particularly like teaching are drills and techniques which can be shown across all ages, the only difference being in the delivery for each group. This is best illustrated by a drill which I use called the Clockface. Basically, 12 o'clock is where you first face in the fighting stance. You give the first count for the students to shuffle forward in that direction. Point to their left for 9 o'clock and they shuffle to the left.
Then shuffle back to 6 o'clock and to the right for 3 o'clock completing a full loop, and then start again. You can then complicate it by breaking up the rhythm by randomly selecting the directions. It seems simple enough but there's more to it than meets the eye, especially to mature students.
To the really youngs, it’s a lot of fun and even a great education about time and clocks. The little older ones might find that more game of challenge. The seniors see that as a great way to better their footwork. The Kickboxers see that as a necessary part of their training. The MMA fighters depend on this as a strategy to defend takedowns by Grapplers. The Fitness people – it’s fitness and coordination.
The drill is shown exactly the same way for all groups. The young learn many skills and drills and continue to do so as they grow older, the only difference being they have different reasons for doing them.
How does one answer a child when they say, 'what about 2 o'clock and 5 o'clock’?
GA