Archive for category: Blogs

LONG TIME BETWEEN BLOGS – I KNOW
What do think would be going in the mind of a beginner Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) student when they are told to get on their back or knees?  The question is, when I first ever tried BJJ, why would I want to do that?  It does not make much sense to most people, especially to curious standup fighters, to start on the ground.  The truth is Jiu Jitsu has a combative aspect to the art which does not start on the ground.  The combative aspect is the missing link in Jiu Jitsu, most probably due to the art being popularised as a sport.  Jiu Jitsu without combatives is no different to getting somebody to read a book from half way and then expect them to know the whole story.

Jiu Jitsu Combatives are not the techniques you expect to find in Self Defence competition where techniques at these tournaments are usually unrealistic, choreographed and quite often ridiculous; I have never seen or heard anybody do handstands or cartwheels during a fight but I guess if that impresses some of the judges then they are on the right track (doesn’t say much for the judges though).

Whilst my school has always concentrated on the combative aspects of Karate and Jiu Jitsu, the Jiu Jitsu Combatives have been around for a very long time which have been developed by Jiu Jitsu experts over many decades.  Not all schools choose to practice or have the knowledge or are even aware of these combatives.

I get nothing but incredible responses when I set aside time teaching the combatives to Jiu Jitsu students, including karate students because these techniques are relevant to them as well. The combatives, to a new student, gives foresight of the journey they are about to embark on.  The story will then start to make sense.
GA

There’s an increasing interest in practical application in martial arts today because people want to see a purpose and value in what they are learning.  This shift in focus is the result of a large influence by Jiu Jitsu, MMA and Reality Based Training.

The question is how do we know what we are learning or teaching is relevant to us?   It makes no sense to practice disarming a person in possession of a sword or an AK47 because of the extreme unlikelihood of anything like that is ever going to happen in our world.  However, to an Afghan soldier this sort of training would be very vital.  So the humble martial arts instructor has to be aware what's relevant and useful and that can difficult if they do not have the experience or access to resources. 

My focus has been practical application since the mid ‘80s when I first started training the Filipino Martial Arts; that was a big shift from the traditional Karate which I was already doing for well over a decade.  It was relevant to my working environment such as working the doors in Sydney night clubs and solo law enforcement and there were times of having to take immediate action (off duty) on rat bags who broke the law right then and there – rapists, car thieves, drunks, thieves, dangerous drivers, serious assaults.  Talk about being at the wrong place at the wrong time (Bruce Willis, eat your heart out – no script, no special effects).  What do you tell your wife at 5am when you were supposed to be in bed 5 hours earlier.  With only a pair of shorts, runners and some worked up courage, five people arrested.  The media thrived on the story for months.   

Nothing wrong with being a martial artist and not having such life experiences but please don’t flex your muscles and tattoos, flash your belt and market yourself to convince the world you are invincible.  I bet, in one real situation, a lot of these 'wanna be's’ would turn to water and jump on Facebook to call for help. 

I've always told tournament promoters I am the wrong person to judge self defence events.  How do you score someone who defends against 3 attackers with baseball bat, sword and bikie chain and then finishing it all off with a handstand at a World MMA event?   

Techniques taught at schools should be relevant and effective.  This will only happen if the Instructor has an inquisitive mind by making use of the plentiful resources out there; flashy belts and Dans are not going to help anyone.
GA

Overall, martial arts schools are good at what they do and produce some pretty good athletes.  On face value, the martial arts predominantly are about self defence and very few martial artists will question if what they are learning is ever going to help them out on the street.  That question in today's climate seldom arises because there are many other great reasons for taking up the martial arts.  But that question still remains and many fear to answer, ‘Can I defend myself?' Especially those who may be dependent on it because of their occupation or the environment they spend most of their time in.

The truth is every martial art can be effective and useful but a street situation could turn out to be disastrous because of an important missing link in training.  Very few schools are not aware of the real life drama that takes place before the fight even begins.  Students are trained to respond to the Instructor/Referee's signal before commencing their 'fight'; they are warmed up and ready, and know what they are getting into, with rules to protect them.  In a real situation there is a lead up to the fight which sparks off high emotional acitivity resulting in the inexperienced freaking out. This causes not being able to think clearly or respond accordingly. 

There are plenty of available resources which provide the missing link such as Reality Based Training (RBT) which aims to acclimatise students to the threats and trains them to read the precursors and use the most effective and simple moves in stressful situations. This is a big subject and a lot of training is required if people want to be ready for that ‘fight or flight’ situation.  It is really up to the Instructors or individuals to do a bit of research if they want to get somewhere with this, otherwise, be prepared to accept defeat and don't kid themselves or their students.

Happy New Year
GA

A little bit of pain, a little bit of stress and a little bit of disappointment in one’s life is not going to hurt anyone, especially kids.  In the martial arts it’s all part of the education process and that’s an important part of growing up if we want kids to become resilient to a bit of pain or emotion.  A concern factor is the younger generations.  See what happens if you take the iphone off them.  How are they supposed to overcome fear if this is all it takes to freak them out?

Whilst there are so many new laws that protect children, there are many parents, with all good intentions, who overprotect children to the point where these kids will hardly experience disappointment is or even know how to deal with it.  This is demonstrated by parents who overreact when they see their children take a fall or even a hard hit during their training.  Imagine how these kids may feel seeing their parents react that way; it shows lack of confidence in their children. This is where the martial arts can take up the slack by giving the youngsters the opportunity to experience challenges, disappointment and learning not to give up, but the parents have to acknowledge that.

Every kid and grown-up needs to become resilient in some way if they want to be able to handle the pressures of life.  What better way to learn this by brushing off a hard hit or handling 150kg on their chest (jiu jitsu).  It’s not about not letting it happen, it’s about how you handle it when it does happen.

Once upon a time, people took up martial arts to protect themselves by beating up the other guy before he beats them.  Today, it’s a lot more complicated; we need to beat bullying, harassment, stress and health issues, and learn to fit in society with the right people.  PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA, DON’T BECOME WUSSES.
GA

Just recently one of my Black Belt students saw a couple of ‘meatheads’ in the carpark who were so pumped up they were carrying on as if they had just won a fight in the UFC.  My student asked them if they were expecting some sort of trouble.  They said, “Nah mate, we just finished MMA.  We’re all pumped up”. 

MMA (mixed martial arts) is a great sport and there are quite a few good instructors with a lot of experience who can teach it but, with the growing popularity of MMA, they have to compete with bogus instructors who have zero qualifications. 

MMA has also shown to be a calling card for idiots.  The glamour of wearing shorts, rashies and tattoos and not having to worry about belts and respect for instructors would be too much to resist.  Perfect for the 'no brainers' who want a quick fix for their ego and wanting to scare people with their tatoos and deep sound of their voices. 

MMA is the 'in thing' now for a number of reasons.  First, it is more of a reality based martial art.  Its application to real-life confrontations is noticeable.  Secondly, MMA students don’t have to worry about belts and honourific titles making it a much more egalitarian sport.  Third, the training wear and equipment is a lot more fashionable; no need to worry about gi’s or tying belts.  However, there is a strong argument the traditional arts are important in shaping effective and ethical martial artists. MMA Instructors with traditional martial arts backgrounds and values are the sort of people the industry needs to survive. 

The MMA scene gives opportunity to unqualified instructors to jump into the martial arts industry without having to worry about answering questions about how long have they been training for, who taught them, what do they know and if they have anything to show for?  I am sure there will be no shortage of 'no brainers' to keep them going.
GA