Blog
The Dark Side
This is the thing about competition. Students go there to win which is the right mindset for success but the reality is not everyone is going to win. Those who don't win (rather than saying 'those who lose') may find themselves on the dark side because of the negative perception being associated with not winning. Philosophically, I take the attitude, ‘go there to learn’ rather than ‘go there to win’. There are people who are lucky enough to win their first comp and there are people who win big on their first lotto. But for the rest of us, we have to keep putting in our entries to increase our chances of a hit. The more martial arts competitions you enter, the better you will be thereby increasing your chances of winning. Winning aside, the best attitude is to go there and learn. In that way, you will not be disappointed if you don't win on the day.
This is not an infommercial for tournaments, but the sole purpose of competition should not be based for a moment of
glory, but another strategy to learning. There is a lovely process going on before entering a tournament. The fact you have to make a decision to do this; for some people it will mean overcoming fear. Then there’s the mental and physical preparation, and finally, the actual participation where you get pressure tested. I have always been a good kata practitioner (putting modesy aside) which was a result of regular competition ie putting in the hours to train and perfect.
Whether you win or lose, the arena experience will help you decide where you need to improve. If that’s not a positive way of looking at competition then we need to retrain ourselves in the way we think. For those who don't do comp, they should at least be involved in the process of those who do, so they get some benefit out of it as well as the competitor. May the Force be with you!
GA
The Complexes Just Got Easier
I dropped in at work the other day and had a chat with my one of work colleagues about how it’s almost impossible to keep up to date with technology. Nobody can escape it. We once thought
death and taxes were the only things you can’t escape but now you can add technology. But there’s an upside to this; keeping up to date with what’s going on will allow you to make more informed decisions such as whether you buy the latest 3D television right now or the later version which is being developed where you don’t need to wear glasses. In this case, a little voice in my head said, ‘wait’ because there's something better around the corner; now that's one good reason to keep up to date.
Surprisingly, technology in the martial arts is no different. A couple of Sundays ago, I found myself staggering around, on my crutches, at the Fitness Expo and I was absolutely astounded with what’s out there today. Where do I start? Somebody must be out there doing research and sums to come up with new equipment. I particularly liked this ‘do it yourself’ focus pad machine. The Expo is about technology – all about the latest and greatest inventions and developments on display.
Technology also involves the martial arts industry – new skills and training methods (apart from equipment). It was just the other day Shihan Norton had found a much easier way to learn and teach the Black Belt Complexes. Simply just tweaking a technique or coming up with something better deserves a standing ovation; this process involves everybody because inventions and ideas don't always come out from a laboratory.
GA
Booted Out
FOR SALE – 1 Pair of Canadian Crutches, excellent condition, fastidious owner, and 1 Walking Boot (fits both left and right), A1 condition, rare colour (black). Walking boot – great as a spare ski boot. Bonus gift – free 
set of steak knives (one of them cuts through steel pipe). They will make a great gift for anybody. Will arrange delivery if required. POA.
I have officially been given the thumbs up by the doctor so now I can hang up the crutches and boot but, like the doctor said, I have to wait for a few more weeks before I get into the hard stuff. I must confess I took things in my own hands, a couple of weeks earlier, by giving the boot the boot as a result of my supposedly better judgement. People often ask me how bad was the pain and the answer is ‘no’ and this has nothing to do with being tough (the doctor asked me the same thing today). When I first visited the hospital, they wanted to pump me with pain killers and medical staff wouldn't take 'no' for answer. I guess pain is something I have been acclimatised to. If you have never been choked or kicked on the leg, then get ready with the first one because you need 3 o 4 of them before you become desensitized to that sort of thing. First time in battle or any street confrontation can be a shocking experience for anyone. A few of those will sort out the adrenal overdose and pain drama.
During recovery I was able to notice the very tiny improvement each day being no different to seeing the grass grow but there’s an explanation for this. In the martial arts, you learn to notice subtle changes and improvements of everything you do. I was fairly confident, after 4 weeks, I could give the walking boot the boot but to keep everyone happy I stayed on the stuff a bit longer to keep peace with the close people around me. My left knee is also on the road to recovery. I am looking at another 4 weeks before I get the green light to return to full duties and being let out to deal with civil unrest.
GA
PS: There’s a spotter’s fee for anyone finding a buyer (lol).