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After all these years we are only 9 days from a full time centre which can now accommodate a number of martial arts and classes.  Our main drive was a professional cente for our students, and we have been searching for a premises, over the last 3 months, which would be suitable, affordable and close enough from the Belmore location.  We have done well considering only 800 metres away from the Belmore South Public School which has been operating there over the last 22 years. 

This centre is for all Budoshinkai students and the best compliment you can give to us is recommend our school to others.  Victor, John, Tim and I have been working extremely hard behind the scenes, and I should mention a special thanks to George Asimakopoulos, and his son, Peter (Senior Brown Belt), for coming down and giving us a hand today.

Many other martial arts instructors are astounded with the set up of the new place and wish they could also have two training areas.  This place is going to be good and there are many things to come out of this.  The countdown has already commenced; we move in Tuesday 8/2/11.  There will be a grand opening (date TBA) in which Kyoshi Richard Norton will be down here for, includng a stack of other Martial Arts Masters from all styles, so it is going to be a big one.
GA

It's my 2nd week back in training this year so things are starting to getting back to normal including writing blogs:

As an Instructor becomes more experienced, they start to realise they are also in the business of developing martial arts personalities as they strengthen people’s minds.  They provide students with positive mentoring and direction, especially the young ones.  They give people the gift of life whether it’s through teaching them to defend themselves or providing lifelong mental and physical stimulation. 

When I first starting training Karate, everything was about learning to replicate my Instructor.  I saw very little difference, in the metaphorical sense, between Black Belts in the way they kicked and punched.  However, as you grow and gain experience you begin to notice not everyone is the same.  Traditionally, Karate, or any other martial art, did (and still does) a very good job of 'cloning' students which was particularly evident through the basics and kata.  You have to wonder whether it was they way it was taught back then which may explain why everybody moved and looked the same; or was it because, only those who could keep up with the Instructor's expectation, stayed on and the others dropped out (bless Charles Darwin).  However, any of these two could be true. 

So today, with more people staying on in the martial arts we see people as individuals developing their own ‘personalities’ as opposed to being replicas.  It’s the Instructor’s responsibility to develop these personalities.  When I see a student kicking differently, due to differing physical attributes and ability, it’s my job to assess whether that technique is done correctly within the parameters of how it should be performed. 

Good Instructors don't weed out the weaker to promote egos.  What is really good for the school is what is good for the student and, what is good for the student is good for the school. 
GA

I probably attend more seminars than anyone in Australia which are usually relevant to my training needs and probably helpful to students.  As an Instructor, one has to be prepared to walk into these seminars as a student which might be difficult to do, as a Black Belt, because it may take away the shine off some people’s ability stepping into unknown territory.  My attitude is 'I don’t go to seminars to do or show what I know, but learn what I don’t know' which will usually mean making mistakes and feeling a little clumsy but that’s all part of the learning process.  The cliché, ‘take one step back to move two steps forward’ is very true.  

Another year has passed (talk about Déjà vu) and when you look back at the last 12 months, you would hopefully, feel satisfied what you have done and learnt.  Twelve months ago, I'd never thought I would have finally ‘conquered’ the Black Belt complexes, logged over 800 hours in BJJ and did a number of Kickboxing sessions with Sensei Benny and Kyoshi Norton (we are talking about training with the best here), on top of my training in Karate-Jitsu. 

I said to Richard, “Although we have done a lot this year, that's not really enough”, so I'm looking forward to an even fuller year in 2011.  If you back up off the accelerator of a motor vehicle, you will slow down.  If you back off in your martial arts training, you will also slow down, without even realising it.  It's really easy to waste time and procrastinate, and come up with excuses but the minutes are ticking away.  I still get phone calls and emails from old students (including Black Belts) wanting to come back.  I have only one thing to say to them, "Don't tell me, surprise me."
GA

Sensei Benny (Urquidez) talked, 12 months ago, about treating me with his brand of therapy for my old injuries on his return to Australia.  He interviewed me, last night, to find out if I was mentally prepared for the treatment which he described as something which is going to be very painful to whilch I agreed.  Sensei Benny has not been just a fighter but a healer for many years and is often consulted and referred to by the medical profession.

Before being laid on the ground, at Master Fari’s house, he asked me a series of questions to see if I was going to be up to it.  The treatment involves a lot of pain but Sensei Benny places you in a state of full relaxation, giving him full trust to take control over your being.  I have never seen or even imagined the so many varied stretches, positions and movements he put me through.  The whole process went for almost 1.5 hours but it was not until the last 5 minutes I was in extreme pain and yelling for mercy but he encouraged me to keep going with it.  I felt like I was hanging onto my last breath in a Kickboxing match and he was standing in my corner as my coach.  I almost passed out a few times but Sensei Benny could sense it before it may have happened.  The treatment can be described as a combination of medicine, hypnotherapy, physiotherapy, deep tissue manipulation and acupressure like nothing on this earth you could imagine.  He is very serious and spiritual about it and you need to have faith in him.  It was very nice of him to do it considering his very busy schedule.

I'll do what it takes to get better (health wise) and I'll do what it takes to get better in the martial arts.  At another one of Sensei Benny's seminar last night, the first thing he said to me, 'looks like you're back for more punishment'; I take that as a compliment.  He made an interesting point in that he trains to be mentally and physically ready to jump back in the ring, but that does not mean he has to, but it is his way of how he should train.
GA

In a world where spare time is a rare commodity, we need  to improve with managing our time, and to recognise and deal with time wasters, so we work in the most efficient way possible to be able to do what we want to do.

Over thirty years ago, martial classes were 2 hours or more but sessions of that magnitude, today, would be difficult to sustain over a long period of time.  If we can somehow find a better way to reduce the warm-up drills without jeopardising the integrity of the workout then we will have more time to concentrate on the actual techniques.  Traditionally, warm-ups can take as much as 20-30 minutes which may include stretching, and aerobic and anaerobic calisthenics but that is too long with the little time we have today with classes being anything between 1 and 1.5 hours..  Long warm-ups are not going to make all that much difference to your martial arts anyway.  In fact, they can get dragged out which may set in the boredom prior to startin up your techniques.  The exercises need to be quick and intense, and tailor-made to compliment the art.

The Tabata Protocol is a very good solution.  John Will has been spreading the word at seminars and I have found the Tabata system to be, not only a great warm-up, but really improves your overall conditioning.  The beauty of this is it only takes 5 minutes.  This allows maximum time for martial arts training.  All you need is a gymboss timer, a bit of knowledge and imagination.  In a nutshell, workouts are based on 5 X 40 second rounds with 20 second breaks, using 5 different exercises.  This also works with 20/10 seconds and 30/15 seconds depending on what you are trying to achieve.  This is the way I do my kettlebell training; it's much for fun, more intense and much quicker.

Anyway, the point of this is there are ways to make better use of your time.  Maybe, it's worthwhile investigating.  We actually have more time than we think we do, it's only a matter of time.
GA