Blog
What’s in a Belt?
Each martial art has its own culture and there are also cultural differences within each school. There is one distinct feature in BJJ which separates it to other martial arts and that is the grading system. Grades within BJJ are slow and cannot be asked for nor can they be predicted when anyone may get one. However, this seems to be acceptable amongst the students which would not work in most other martial arts. The only exception is the Black Belt, which in most systems, shares the same philosophy as any of the BJJ grades.
I believe the difference is because BJJ is a lot more difficult to learn and there are probably more bad days than good days which can knock you back a couple of pegs back each time resulting in no one wanting to rush to the next grade. It's quite the norm students to just sit on the one grade for a very long time with no complaints. Those who have high expectations or make unrealistic demands tend to disappoint themselves and will eventually just give it up. Perseverance is the name in this game. It is not uncommon to see people earning a Black Belt in BJJ after12 years. Ed O’Neil (star of Modern Family or Married with Children) earned his after 14 years training!
Whilst in Karate we do not need to share the same grading system (with the exception of the Black Belt), it is however a great philosophy to think about when we become complacent with Karate gradings. I remember one Master’s famous words in regards to grades, ‘those who ask shall not receive.’
GA
‘bully for you!’
Bullying has become has become the most talked about subject, worldwide, over the last couple of weeks as a result of the recent youtube posting of a bully being slammed onto his back in a Sydney school playground. Bullying
is real and it is not just confined to schools; we actually have an 'Anti-bullying' policy in the Police Force which indicates this sort of thing can happen in any environment. Most parents will not be aware if their child is a bully or is being bullied. Children are far less likely to report it because they don't know whether they should or shouldn't so the problem can go undetected for many years and accumulate irrepairable psychological damage. I can relate to a couple of incidents in my younger days as a bully victim.
In primary school, I was getting bullied by one particular boy and I thought, one day, I would go straight to the Principal and report him. The Principal told me to call that bully to his office (which was stupid but I did it anyway) and he got severely caned. As he came out he looked like he was going to attack me but instead he shook my hand. Maybe, he thought he deserved it.
Another time, I was being bullied by several persons which started off with a push and a shove in the playground. Every day at lunch time, walking in formation, they would gather around and try to provoke me. One day, enough was enough, and I unleashed myself onto them all. They never bothered me again, it was over! That was they way I handled those situations because that is all I knew back then. Now we have more informed solutions to choose from.
Even if the parents become aware of their children being bullied, what are they to do? From a martial arts point of view, the solutions have to be based on both oral and physical skills they attain from their training; Instructors have a lot of influence over their students so it makes sense for them to be facilitators of this programme. In other words, a DIY kit (do it yourself). Remember, parents are not going to be around for their kids especially when they grow up; they need to learn to handle bullies from an early age because bullying can continue in the adult years in any environment.
GA
3 Day Growth
An interesting thing the other day; John Will was doing the BJJ rounds at schools in Sydney last weekend. I promised I would keep my end of the bargain and found him good coffee; it was
really good coffee.
It happened like this. Running short of time to get to Rick Spain’s school, I stopped at the first available parking spot outside a coffee shop in Chippendale. It was the best coffee we had ever tasted! Wow! I told John the trick is to make sure the barista has a 3 day stubble – these type of guys , perhaps a little feral, have time to go and do a barista course. We congratulated everyone in that shop by shaking their hands with John picking up a coffee bag to take home.
When I spoke to John, the next day, he said it was the worse coffee he had ever tasted and perhaps I was right about the 3 day stubble. The truth is it's not just the coffee, there are many considerations to take into account – the barista, coffee blend, grinder, coffee maker, how it is brewed etc.
What makes a good martial arts school is not based on one thing. Good martial arts instructors are really passionate about their martial arts and students, just as baristas are passionate about their coffee and customers. Another thing comes to mind; one person may teach a particular technique or theme exceptionally well over others because it is the little ingredients or qualities that make that person an expert in that area. Seminars put on by John Will and Richard Norton cannot be duplicated by others just like John could not duplicate that barista. I just don’t know about the 3 day stubble for martial arts instructors, though.
GA