Blog
Watch my Back
A quick look at my version of 'Watch my Back'. Although martial arts is an individual sport/activity/discipline, the fact is you need people to help you through many of the difficulties and obstacles. I can relate this to my recent back injury payalyzing me for almost 2 months and not being able to go to bed. On the couple of times I fell asleep, I woke up in the middle of the night, screaming in pain, holding back my vocal chords so I would not wake up the family.
I was facing a new difficulty and I also needed people to help through this. They included my Black Belts and friends, in particular, our senior Instructor, Dr Chris Tsolakis who encouraged me each day. Even the small talks with Richard Norton and John Will helped by sharing me their experiences with similar episodes. It kind of gives you extra that encouragement because you're made to realise it's not going to last forever. Mind you, there are people worse off than me so I kind of looked at this as a minor set back.
This is not the first time I've experienced agony. Each time it's my family and martial arts friends that pulled me through. They say 'there's never is a doctor around when you need one', I didn't have any problems with Dr Chris! Martial Arts Instructors have a sense of responsiblity and strong will to return to the 'arena' (we're like Gladiators). I'm back training and teaching (what a great feeling to be amongst students again). However, I still have more yards to do before I can do cart wheels again! Nevertheless, it is a good sign when my GP has signed off recommending I be returned to full operational duties.
If you didn't like my story, you can have a look at Geoff Thompson's book.
GA
Chinese Whispers
Trust but verify. This is a phrase I quite often use. We often place a certain amount of trust in people. Most of the time you trust your family and close friends and then there are the people you'd like to trust. I expect most students trust their Instructor, otherwise, they wouldn't be training with him or her. But verifying is not necessarily about trying to find out about people telling untruths, it is about whether the material presented to us is absolutely correct. Whilst we place trust in what is shown and taught to us we need to approach our martial arts in a scientific way by verifying the information. Knowledge can sometimes be distorted or may be somebody else's version of the facts.
There are many ways information can be distorted. Those who have not heard of 'Chinese Whispers' it is a game where the first player whispers a 
phrase or sentence to the next player. Each player successively whispers what that player believes they heard to the next. The final part of the game is when the last player announces it to the entire group which is significant different from the first. If everybody believes what they hear is exactly what the other person has heard then we may be misled. This illustrates how martial arts techniques can be tarnished if subjected through the same process from one person to another.
Trust can be a lesson in life if it misleads individual(s). However, you need to trust and you need to be trusted, that's what separates us from the animals. You don't need to be paranoid, there are people in the martial arts who you have complete faith in because they have earned your trust. If you are not sure … you can always verify! Trust me on this one.
GA
How Fast are you Going now?
Sparring and wrestling in the martial arts can get quite intense especially with novices who 
might rely on strength because lack of knowledge and technique. It can get quite competitive just for the sake of satisfying egos. The experienced martial artist should be past this stage but it may take years for most people to really understand that relaxation is the key to success.
People relate power with strength when it should be based on speed and technique, power being the by-product. We have to keep reminding ourselves POWER = MASS x ACCELERATION so it stands to reason the muscles must be relaxed to maximise speed, however, many of us already know this but fail to preach it.
Sparring and wrestling should be done at a 'slower pace so you can make conscious decisions' (thanks, Richard). This can give you a chance to learn and apply as many of your techniques whilst getting feedback from your opponent. You can get into 20 rounds and still get up and go to work the next day! I have never seen a professional boxer or kickboxer spar anything near as hard as they do in competition so it does not make much sense when students are just going all out. BJJ coach and friend, Steve Perceval made a very valid point about wrestling 'what's the point of doing competition if you are going to go that hard in class'? BJJ and full contact Karate can be a playground of frustration if the environment is too competitive. I have to keep reminding students there are no 1st place prizes.
To improve sparring (wrestling), relax and slow it down. World class experts recommend sparring/wrestling be done at a slower pace on a 'give and take' basis. John Will uses the 'half a bottle of scotch' theory before you wrestle. You will then have no choice but to be relaxed before a roll. However, I don't suggest anyone turn up to class smelling like a brewery. Remember, no one thinks big of you if you go fast!
GA