Finding the Perfect Martial Art for You

Martial Arts can completely revolutionize your life as it forces you to deal with yourself, by finding out who you are when faced with a 'crisis' situation. Obviously there is no actual crisis, but to people who have just started, or to those that are tired, It can feel like that.

Now we over at Eltham Martial Arts Academy recommend a soft entry for those that want to start their journey, because there is no point to breaking yourself mentally if not physically. This means that you'll have to look into who you are as a person, the phase of life you're in, and which Martial Art best suits you in this regard.

This article is not written for just those who want to start Martial Arts. If you're already a practitioner, read on, as I might be able to convince you to try another Art form. I will dive into my own personal experience of each artform, and supposed benefits of engaging in multiple at a time.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ): Strategy and Confidence

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is mainly a grappling ground-based Martial Art. It is a Martial Art that is best suited for social individuals as there is a lot of physical contact, and it requires you to feel, as the tactile information (touch) acts as the feedback in regards to your technique.

Physically BJJ can be quite demanding at first (lower back, hips, neck etc.), but this is mainly because most beginners have a hard time slowing down and relaxing. There is a risk of injury (ribs, knees, wrists) but if you're sensible, do a bit of weightlifting, and communicate properly with your training partner the risk is fairly low. This being said, BJJ can greatly enhance your grip, core strength and ability move fluently.

Personally what I like about BJJ is the strategic aspect. You start off learning the positions (closed guard, mount etc.), followed by transitions (going from A to B) and as you improve you will learn how to counter moves, trap your training partner and plan ahead.

• Initial Challenges: Going to fast, not tapping to a submission and having the body adapt
• General benefits: Great way to make friends & be more social, fantastic for general fitness and okay for self-defence.
• How to prepare: Load-bearing exercises like carrying, moving sleds and swinging hammers are fantastic.

Kyokushin Karate: Discipline and Strength

Before I go into details, I personally have next to no experience in Karate, so I will have to let Sensei Kiley vet this sub article.

Kyokushin Karate is a striking (punching and kicking) Martial Art with a few basic takedowns. It is an artform better suited for those that like structure and order, as Kyokushin is considered a traditional Martial Art. Traditional in this case means, properly entering the mat, calling your instructor by the right rank, bowing, and reciting the dojo Kun (ethics & morals)

Physically Karate is very demanding, especially Kyokushin. Every class consists of some form of strength & conditioning (running, squats, pushups etc) and sparring.

The class consists of a few components: the start (kneeling), Kata (walking techniques), general fitness (as mentioned before) Striking & Sparring (no head punches) followed by the end (dojo kun, breathing, and shaking everyone's hand)

From what I've been told, the main benefits practitioners derive from Karate is a state of flow; feeling the movement (kata) and slowly progress over time, discipline; consistently show-up and improve and tenacity as training and especially grading can be quite demanding, forcing you to show-up

• Initial challenges: Not knowing any techniques, getting hit and adjusting to the condioning.
• General benefits: Good fitness, fluent standing-based movement and decent self-defence
• How to prepare: Feet, feet, feet. Splay-em, strengthen em and learn how to balance.

Muay Thai Kickboxing: Power and Energy

Muay Thai Kickboxing is a striking Art that beyond Kicking and Punching, also involves knees, elbows and a fair few takedowns. It is the perfect Martial Art for those that need a release as the classes are energetic, fast paced and metabolically demanding.

A kickboxing class always starts with jump rope (or a warm-up of your own choosing if dealing with injury), stretching with the whole group, basic drills, padwork and bagwork. The class has no sparring as the art-form includes head strikes which means that the risk-to-reward ratio just isn't there.

The challenges of Kickboxing often come in the form of frustration as you have to learn the footwork, breathing & striking, which can take a while. Knowing hold pads can be difficult, and the getting hit is something people will have to get used to.

The benefits of Muay-thai are: working memory, thinking and remember in the moment, explosive power, short-term conditioning and good footwork.

My personal experience with Kickboxing has been that the striking sequences are hard to remember, especially when you have 5 or more sequent moves to perform (under pressure). But, it is oh so satisfying when things start to click. Nowadays I do personal training with Mark Niven once a week, and I promise you, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

• Initial challenges: Getting hit, mental focus during combinations and conditioning
• General benefits: Great working memory, solid cardio and explosive power
• How to prepare: Train your balance, strengthen your calves, and learn to relax your midsection. I personally recommend pushing and dragging sleds, basic balance drills and throwing heavy balls.

Aikido: Grace and Flow

Aikido, provided for by Aikido Shudokan is a traditional Martial Art (like Karate) that teaches joint locks, throws and weaponry. It is the perfect class for those that haven't done a Martial Art before, and/or want to improve all of their other Martial Art styles.

Aikido most-always starts with a warm-up, followed by kneeling and formally starting the class, Kata (like Karate), often weaponry (katana (sword), Joe (stick) or knife), a self-defence technique, some type of general fitness followed by kneeling and finishing off the class.

The challenges of Aikido I've found to be quite unexpected. Because Aikido is all about projecting yourself forward, and thus needing to have control of your centre of gravity, you need to learn to move slowly and in a smooth manner. Which is why it is such a complementary artform. Second, and this one will surprise you, the eye contact. I've personally been a Martial Art practitioner for 19 years, having tried over seven Art form, and eye contact has not been mentioned once. Needless to say, this was very uncomfortable at first, but it's also brought many many benefits with it.

My personal experience, training under Shusheki Shihan Joe Thambu, has been more than amazing. Having practiced the Art for about a year now, I've noticed a steep improvement in all of my art forms, as well as a greater comfort looking people in the eye. I've also come to realize how much I missed the traditional aspect in my life.

• Initial challenges: Eye contact, no control of your center of gravity and sore wrists.
• General benefits: Coherent movement, awareness of the body and efficient use of strength
• How to prepare: Learn how to fall, strengthen your wrists and coiling with a hammer.

Self-Defence Classes: Practical Skills for Real-Life Situations

The self-defence class I teach myself every Thursday at 6 AM, and it involves all the basic Martial Art moves like striking, throwing, grappling and submissions. The class is best suited for those that have limited time and want to be confident walking the streets. The class is open to both men and women, but is more suitable for the former.

I start the class in front of the whiteboard, where I highlight what we'll do during the hour. Then we start with a form of standing striking, which in volves throat strikes, shoves, pushes, punches and kicks. Next we do standing wrestling, which involves standing chokes, wrist locks, positions & transitions and throws. Afterwards we do grappling, which involves positions, transitions, chokes and locks. (we keep grappling short as being on the floor during an altercation, is a bad idea). And second-to-last we do sparring. Sparring without protection, at a lower intensity. (striking, wrestling and/or grappling) The class finishes off with a meditation and an opportunity for members to talk.

• Initial challenges: Getting hit, getting choked, getting thrown and eye contact
• General benefits: Fantastic for self-defence
• How to prepare: Basic strength & conditioning

What are the general benefits of doing multiple Art-forms

I'll start by talking about my own journey. I started doing Judo at the age of six, Sanda (chinese kickboxing) at the age of 21. I've done Systema (russian combat system) for about a year, Kickboxing for about five years, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for five years, Aikido for a year and Self-defence for three years.

Over time I've come to realize that individuals tend to lean towards either standing fighting, wrestling (including Aikido) or grappling. Whether this is nature or nurture, I don't know (probably both) but you'll notice how certain Martial Arts come easier, and some will be more challenging -- I'm a grappler by nature.

I'll start-off with the main benefit of practicing multiple artforms, and that is deep knowledge. There is layers to this benefit, and I'll try to unpack these as best as I can. Deep knowledge pertains more to the person rather than how to perform a technique.

You can imagine that if your social skills are not up to scratch, that being near and around people leaves you slightly uncomfortable, thus hindering your abilities. I'm sure you can also imagine that having a low pain tolerance reduced your skills -- this is what I'm trying to get at; skills that impact everything.

Aikido & Judo has taught me how to control someone's centre of gravity, Kickboxing & Sanda has taught me how to relax and tense up at the right time, as well as footwork. Jiu-Jitsu has taught me how to feel, plan and slow things down. Self-defence has taught me how to control someone's emotions and get in their head by reading their expressions. Systema has taught me to assess what degree of pain & discomfort to apply, based on the person & situation. Aikido has taught me how to look someone in the eyes without emotion and maintain a peripheral view. Judo has taught me how to apply pressure (ribs, diaphragm etc.) to force someone to surrender. Self-defence has taught me how to handle pain, and maintain awareness throughout. Jiu-Jitsu has taught me how to stay calm and plan when put under intense duress (getting choked etc.)

Lastly, the benefit of doing multiple artforms is greatly reduced the risk of injury as often overuse of areas causes pain and breakages, whereas lots of variety can act protective.

It’s interesting sometimes to stop and think about conversations you have had through the day and reflect on them. I notice (and am guilty of posting ) many motivational posters on Facebook and popular clothing brands etc these days, and for the most part – I think we read them – like them – and then forget them. It’s a shame really as a majority of them should be our ‘bible’ or our guide and for those that practice Kyokushin….many of these could be added to our Dojo Kun and recited each day.

One that sticks in my head at present though is this and I mentioned it to my Junior class this week during training :

” Before you can achieve , First you must believe’.

So Important. At a seminar i went to once, the speaker (Paul Blackburn) said that if you couldn’t actually visualize yourself having made this achievement or having won – you must try to believe in the possibility.  And if we really consider it – the possibilities are endless.

One of the conversations I had recently was with some work colleagues in the office lunchroom. We were discussing the damaging effects of Aspartame in Coke Zero. And…..despite hearing all the negative side effects, and the fact that this person really wanted to lose weight- they said they would love to give up drinking soft drink , but that they couldn’t fit it into their lifestyle ! WTF !!!!!   I guess this reminds me of some scary truths – most of the general population are uneducated or don’t care about real health. And….the scarier fact is that in essence – true health is actually very simple to obtain. But……you have to want it – and believe you can have it.

It also reminded me that in terms of our own goals…..we have to want it bad enough.

We have to want that thing, that outcome, that body, that house, that car, that partner, that job, that family, that holiday that anything…..so bad…..that the pain of change, the pain of work, the pain of sacrifice, the fear of failure is far outweighed by the desire to have it. That desire too is fueled by our level of belief that we can and deserve to have it !

In relation to our martial arts, wanting that black belt is a goal many have. But not everyone wants it enough to sacrifice the time, dedicate themselves to the training and go through the pain of grading’s and the 40 rounds of kumite to get it.

Maybe the student wants to fight – but aren’t willing to risk the fear of losing, or aren’t willing to put aside other social activities etc to put enough time into training and preparation.

I saw a post on Facebook recently which was a picture and a quote by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson which read :

” The fist step in achieving your goal, is to take a moment to respect your goal. know what it means to you to achieve it “.

So ….with that in mind….set pen to paper ……and get goal setting. Believe in the possibility ……and remind yourself as often as possible why this particular goal is important to you. Eyes forward……….focus on your dreams……and take one step at a time till you are running for the finish line. Remember too there will be tests along the way. The universe wants to know that you are serious. That you really want this ‘thing’.
There will be hurdles to jump, waves to ride and holes to fall in and stuff to trip over. However, know that each and every time that you get back up, your will is strengthened, your mind more resolute and your goal is ever closer.

Osu.

Kiley

My previous post is a photograph of the Back of a DVD cover I saw at a student/friends house recently. It annoyed me. I will say right now that I have not watched this DVD at all, and therefore I will not make any comment about it’s content. However, what i would like to talk about is something that has always bothered me and that is the idea of quick Self Defence courses and even more so…the notion that self defence can be learnt by way of watching a DVD.

In this case I would actually love some feedback, particularly from martial arts instructors, and some other peoples opinions on this topic.

Regularly I receive inquiries from prospective students (mainly women) who are looking at undertaking a ‘self defence workshop or short course’. Each time I take calls like these, a little ball of tension rolls up inside my stomach and I find myself almost frustrated on the phone and for a long time i didn’t know why. I eventually came to the realisation that I have dedicated a good half of my life to learning martial arts  and like to think of myself as being both strong of mind and body and somewhat skilled in terms of my chosen style, however feel like there is sooo much more to learn. When I take a call and someone wants to learn how to confidently defend themselves in 3-6 weeks……or listen to someone tell me they learnt skills from a DVD…I feel like it’s somewhat of an insult to those of us who dedicate so much time to this practise.

Of course, much of what is practised nowdays in Martial Arts schools I would imagine is more aimed towards the sport of martial arts. Fighting sport yes, but not true Budo as I imagine in my head it would have been like years ago when if you lost a fight, you died. I’m not trying to detract from anyone’s training here…please understand me when I say that even some of the toughest fighters out there today whether its MMA, Karate, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, BJJ or Western Boxing etc still train for a fighting sport. The fighting arena has rules.  Because of these rules…..it probably creates more technical fighters and i beleive fights will go for longer thus the strong emphasis on being fit and having endurance. As the sports arena grows and advances every day…Martial arts practitioners at top level are competing as elithe athletes and so thus the dedication to training and regular practise nutrition, sports science etc.  Your average person looking to learn a basic skill set doesn’t require that i suppose, but having  said that…….. one of the best self defence strategies has to be to “Run Away from Danger if possible”. Now…if that danger chases you……let’s hope you are fit. So….lesson 1 should be that. Go practise running and get fitter and better at it.  Thing about that…..if you don’t run all the time. You don’t stay running fit. You lose your endurance. You lose your stamina. You get slower. And already……here is the first major flaw in a 3 -6 week program.

Lesson 2 ) Effective technique. I am not going to go into specific techniques or styles here, as my whole point here is about a general concept. But whatever style you do…..and lets even go outside the box and talk about Golf….. technique needs to be practised. It needs to be practised so many times and so often that it’s second nature. A pro golfer would stand at a driving range and go through swing after swing after swing. They would try different clubs and different swing speeds and different golf courses and spend hours playing the game trying to better their skills. And once they got good and honed that technique, I would imagine they would continue this training and not stop after an allocated amount of time. Simply put, this can almost be likened to that age old saying….Use it or lose it.  Beyond that too one has to consider the speed at which one responds and with what level of ability. Constanct practise keeps the reflexes sharp and the mind quick.  I could think of no better time than to be able to react with speed than when your safety is threatened.   And that is what i beleive is the 2nd major flaw in short courses. Unless the participant continues practising the course content….what happens to effective technique then ?

Lesson 3)  Tried and Tested.  Skills need to be able to be used with confidence and under stress. A self defence situation is a very real one that would carry a vast amount of stress and adrenaline along with it. Going through the motions in a self defence course with friendly classmates who although put in effort for the benefit of the schooling, probably don’t have the intention to hurt you. So…do you really know if what you are doing is effective ?  What’s more…..how will you deal with the fear and stress that may come along with a threatening situation ? Althought tournament fighting is a regulated sporting activity, I guess it’s as close as most people are going to get to a situation where someone is actually really trying to hurt them. And even then…within this arena depending on your style , you may be fighting full contact or not. Still…….the stress of winning and losing is still there in a non contact bout…but I don’t beleive the lessons are as great.   DVD learning  ….well how can you do that ? Unless you take that DVD and practise with a friend who cranks it on for you…..how can you possible try and test out what you are watching ?  And this trial and error is an ongoing process.  We try, we fail, we grow, we learn. We try , we fail, we grow, we learn and so on.

And they are the three main things I don’t like about the concept of Self defence courses. I will say one thing positive though and that is that I think most of self defence is about common sense and strategies for staying out of trouble. if the course covers these areas…..then that would be something worth doing ! 

And by this i mean the simple stuff like : don’t walk around alone at night in a busy city street with your heaphones in your ears blaring loud music. You don’t have all your situational awareness about you and don’t have the potential to see/hear a threat sneaking up on you from behind.  Those kinds of lessons. it may sound silly…..but information like that is probably more likely to stop you from being a potential victim than some A/B/C crappy yell, punch here and kick here technique that you practised x 10 ten times over a 3 week period. Anyone agree ?

I guess too that if a 3 week course or an instructional boxfit DVD with self defence tacked on the end of it….changes your mindset to that of someone who is prepared to fight and not submit to being a victim….then I guess that’s a positive too.  However, just think that if confidence comes with knowledge and practise…how much more confident and strong could you be if you did more than just a DVD or 3 week course  ?!!!

My opinion is that if you are really concerned about looking after yourself or your loved ones, make training a priority. if the aforementioned golfer misses his shot he probably loses a lot of money. How much value do you place on your life ?  Dedicate time to learn the skills you desire and put aside time for their practise. Learn about strategies for staying safe and teach them to your kids. Keep yourself healthy (these days you probably should be more concerned about the food you are eating and the drugs you are taking than someone bashing you in the street) but that’s another blog article right there !  If you are serious about self defence then get serious about learning it . Find a style that you like, enjoy and suits you ; Sign up and train and practise the *&%$ out of it as often as possible.

So, sorry no. I won’t be offering any short self defence courses at the dojo any time soon. We do have classes though, almost every day. Which night would you like to train  ?

Again, I really would like feedback on this so If you have the time, and an opinion I would like to hear it.

Osu & Regards,

Kiley 

One night recently during class sparring time, I had a sudden realisation. No doubt this thought  was not a new one, and I am sure it’s been had by many before…but for me it was a first. I noticed that I had stopped being intently aware of my opponent. I wasn’t really focussed in on them and their reactions, and what they were doing. Now….this was only dojo sparring and so I suppose I could forgive myself for being more relaxed in this case, however I started to wonder if this was good training. I have told my students many times that you cannot expect to react in a way in which you do not train….so I already know my answer. No…this is not good training ! or is it ?

I’m finding it difficult to explain what I mean here but I will try my best. IT’s not like I wasn’t watching my partner because I was. Of course I was reacting to them or else I would have been hurt, but I found myself thinking about me. I discovered that I was noticing things about my body such as my stiff lower back, or my injured ankle…..and really this is a distraction. Then I heard my thoughts in my head , you know the kind…Oh gee I’m a bit tired tonight……I should be kicking faster…..why am I missing that shot…..blah blah blah. And to steal a line from one of my favourite movies…..” Too Many Mind”. Once I noticed this I pulled myself back into line and reminded myself not to analyse this now…..to get my focus back….but I made a mental note to come back and re-visit this later. So here I am. 

Although not the point of my post here, but I guess there is a kind of state that we like to think we can be in when we fight. A kind of ‘not thinking’ but responding automatically in a sense. That’s why we are told and also tell our students alike that we need to repeat basics so many times. So that we can do them without thinking.  I guess for the most part that is true, and our training should definitely take over, but we still need to be tuned into what’s happening. We should have our eyes and ears open, and watch our opponent like a Hawk for surely It would be hard, if not impossible, to respond to something you didn’t know was coming. Until we perfect our instant clairvoyance, I guess the only real way we can know is through sight and hearing. Hence, I think we can agree that we do need to be ‘present’ in all meanings of the word when fighting.

 And herein lies my discovery. If we must be present and thinking during this Kumite, then those thoughts should not be centred on ourselves I mean….who are we actually fighting here ?  And that’s when It dawned on  me. We are indeed our own opponents. All the time. Every step of the way it’s like there is this preceding shadow of ourselves – as if we are backlit and stand before ourselves in battle between us and them. For us to defeat our enemy, first we must overcome our self.

This is not a matter of throwing caution to the wind and simply accepting any outcome, but learning how to control our mind. To stop the negative talk and turn it into affirmations and then at times to stop the chatter altogether and allow silence so that our training can take over without interference from our ego. We need to be able to separate our emotions from reality & trust in ourselves and our trainers we can hear from the sidelines. We need to be able to shut out the crowd if it’s distracting, or allow that noise in if it drives us positively. We need to know the difference between what hurts us and what stops us. They are not the same. Perhaps, we just need to let ourselves go.

Of course, all this sounds good in theory but how do you do just that. If I knew…….I’m sure I’d be a better instructor….perhaps a much richer one !  Sosai Oyama said, that all questions could be answered in the dojo through hard training and this I believe with my heart. If you push hard enough……questions arise of yourself and your ego all the time during class. They come up in tough fitness sessions, whilst you are pounding the pavement, swimming laps in a pool, during a grading and any time where you place yourself under physical and emotional pressure. Here is the best place to begin to conquer Yourself. Ask yourself the tough questions and be ready for the truth. After all, does the truth not set us free ?

And then…now that you have this truth….this is where the victory lies. The loser allows what is to be and accepts their lot. The champion wins because they accept the truth weather they like it or not, but desire more and stop at nothing until they get it. They do that one more pushup even after their mind said they couldn’t do another. They got up off the mat when their ego said no your’e gonna lose stay down.  They dragged their tired body to training when their mates said…..come on man…come out with us. They entered themselves into the tournament despite the fact they were afraid and then they forced themselves into the ring after throwing up in the toilet earlier from the nerves. They never allowed themselves to think they knew everything and always kept an open mind. They accepted their defeats with grace just as much as their small victories along the way remembering all the while that they were accountable for all outcomes both good and bad. They accepted pain knowing that what doesn’t conquer builds. They forged ahead when others quit and ignored their own self doubt. And with each small step , with each small victorious battle , they won the war against themselves.

“Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.”  Sun Tzu

Lying on the floor in a pool of my own sweat, forcing myself to remember to breathe through my nose and not pant like a dog from the heat, my thoughts (which were supposed to be still in Savasana) ran to how much I was struggling in this Bikram class. I was reminded how I considered myself to be tough, but now I was pausing to question that belief. I decided then that I WAS in fact tough as I didn’t quit and continued to push on despite how much I actually wanted to just lie there and use my back inury as an excuse to just roll over on my back and rest. I also pondered then how I would actually rather be repeatedly hit and kicked than lie there in my own thoughts and pain !  It’s funny , as whilst training in the No Limits Fitness strength and conditioning class that I run at my dojo on a Sat morning…..I also had that thought. That I would rather be bashed than force myself to run through this pain my back is giving me ……and well…the running too. I’ve written an article before ” I don’t like running” and well…..nothing’s changed.

So……why do it ? Why do these things I don’t like ?  Well I think that it is a normal human response to turn away from pain and avoid discomfort, however sometimes as people we see the value in not turning away and avoiding that which we don’t like as there is something more to be gained at the end. Ie : The dividends outweigh the investment. But why is some pain more easily endured than others ? I believe that like everything – It’s what we get used to. It’s that which we re exposed to most often and train to do that we of course are more able to tolerate. I doubt that many would question this belief of mine as this theory is practised in every gym, school, martial arts dojo, sports club, army etc every day.

That point however is not what I was wondering about. Going back to the part where I thought I was tough, I was thinking about how at times I had considered myself and indeed been called a warrior after competing in full contact tournaments etc. Then I started to think about how it’s easy to be tough in an environment where everything is familiar , and you feel comfortable and know what’s going on , and what’s ahead of you. Is that a true warrior though? Shifting my thoughts then to Soldiers dropped into unfamiliar territory, or Viking’s sailing into battle without knowing their enemy and their plans…..well..to come through that would indeed be a feat of a warrior. They would need to adapt to their surroundings quickly. They would need to be able to assess situations, make changes and be adaptable. They would need to operate under stress and surprise without really having time to adjust themselves at their preferred pace.  And they would fight for their own and perhaps others lives and couldn’t stop when they got tired or injured.

I am not trying to say that unless you become a soldier or a Viking that you cannot be a warrior….but I do see even more clearly now though the need to constantly challenge yourself by pushing  your boundaries and going out of your comfort zone. Lately I have been attending other classes in an effort to go beyond my own limitations and it’s been an eye opener. I’m both hating feeling less than great at what I do – and loving it at the same time. But either way…….I know that by stretching (pun intended) myself that I will grow as a person, a martial artist and a fitness trainer.

Who know’s one day maybe I will have the right to call myself a warrior !

If you want to fight – compete !

I’m really hoping to get feedback from other Full contact Martial Arts instructors on this – so let me know what you think.

Going to go out on a short limb and say we have all had a student (or students) that just won’t make the plunge to jump into the full contact ring for some reason. The reasons are varied, and some are valid and some are not. For example, if you have a student that perhaps has discovered Kyokushin Karate at the ripe age of 60 then perhaps the full contact competition mat is a bit out of the question. That one I understand. I’m not saying they don’t partake in sparring….that will be par for the course of grading etc…but getting in the ring or a knockdown comp is not only unnecessary but unsafe. I’m also fairly certain that the reason to train has less to do with fighting than it does with other aspects of health , fitness, motivation and connection with a social group.

For a young student though…..I fail to see a valid reason why not to fight. I mean….if you chose Kyokushin, Kickboxing, Kudo….or whatever style it is, if full contact sparring and competition is part of the syllabus then it must be undertaken otherwise why do that particular style ? As an instructor and also a student and someone who has been a competitor I can appreciate the nerves and the apprehension. Again however, this is just another obstacle that must be overcome in order to become proficient in your chosen style. Everyone get’s nervous and worried but good training and preparation can help counter or minimise this. At the same time there comes a point where first you must fight to know how you need to prepare !

And this is where my blog post really lies. The preparation point.
For over 2 decades I’ve been involved in martial arts and trained in various styles and at numerous gyms etc over this time. Too many to mention. There are many methods that gyms or dojo’s undertake in order to get a fighter ready for a competition. Of course this will vary depending on the style…but let’s assume in essence they are all similar, as really they are. Some gyms love to have their fighters sparring hard and often. I’ve had my fair share of hard sparring training and do I think it made me better?, yes of course. Any hard training will improve you. Do I think it was the best training…no. I don’t.

let’s be clear here though. There is solid training where you are getting hit hard…but with good technique and in a calm and controlled manner. Then there is the ‘hard sparring’ which I call dumb sparring which is what you often get where students just rush into it…throw ill timed and not thought out techniques as fast as they can and hope they land when and where they want them to. This type of sparring doesn’t allow for any self analysis on either participant’s side, and is usually just survival or destroy mode (depending on who is the better fighter) and is what I think of most often when people say ‘hard sparring’. There are many successful and not so successful gyms and dojo’s etc that predominately get their students doing this as fight prep, and is often the reason why you have a class full of injured students….slow improving students, or you have a high drop off rate. From what I can observe, clubs that take on this method usually have low numbers in terms of members or high numbers of students that will never fight and don’t want to come to the sparring sessions….but a small and hardy group of tough fighters who may or not be the best technicians…but have good abilities and good results in comps etc.

Then there are the gyms that focus largely on drills and pad work to prep their fighters. 80 -90 percent of their training will be prearranged drills to build muscle memory and good reaction time, and hard techniques and fitness will be built on the pads and bags. They push themselves hard in fitness training and running …..some weights etc and they do sparr yes, ..but it’s usually padded and it’s slower than dumb sparring…and sometimes looks almost soft. This type of sparring is all about trying to perfect timing…..see openings and make corrections as they go. I said it “almost looks soft” and this is the difference where great fighters don’t need to go into a frenzy and leave themselves open. It’s cautious and controlled but when the opportunity is there and safe…they deliver the shots with controlled power. It’s not aggressive and it’s humble. This enables the better fighters to fight the less apt ones and both sides still can benefit. There is always going to be that one person in the gym that is better than everyone else. If you can’t prep like this…then how does this fighter prepare ?

I’ve seen this second type of prep in Thailand and Japan numerous times and to me it makes the most sense. It means the fighters can minimise risk of injury….adapt and improve faster. For example….let’s look at a Thai fighter at a stable there. I mean…..an up and coming fighter for the gym might have a comp every second week if not more often. It’s not uncommon for a Thai fighter to have over 100 fights under their belt before moving from the novice to pro comps. For some of them….fighting is their income. They cannot afford to get injured and miss out on a fight then. So, they smash pads (omg do they train hard) and the sparring that I saw was almost playful. Impeccable….but so controlled and they would tease each other when someone would land a good shot. No ego’s, just good smart sparring.

To me……if you want to get good at fighting, then compete. Get your experience in the ring or on the mat against tough competitors and the dojo is your place to sharpen the tools and fix the weaknesses you discover when you fight.

Let us apply the analogy to golf and how they train by perfecting their swings. They must practise teeing off thousands of times…..But the game is the competition and the competition is the test. The competition is the pressure and where you learn the most. We could look at cycling and I mean nobody that I know goes out and rides the Tour De France course in preparation for the Tour De France ! Okay so bad example…but I hope I made myself clear because it’s this point that becomes the excuse that I hear. That we haven’t been doing enough hard sparring in class so therefore they aren’t ready.

And here’s the conversation I’m having in my own head after hearing that….”Oh….so have you told me you want to fight or put a form in for an upcoming comp ?” No – ok.
“Are you attending class more than 2-3 times a week ? “ No
“Do you not believe as an instructor that I know if you are ready to compete or not ? “
There is is this and more but I also feel it’s a bit of an insult to all your training to say you aren’t ready because you aren’t doing enough sparring.
Does that mean all your training is BS and that if you were attacked on the way home tonight you wouldn’t be able to do anything to defend yourself ?
Because really that’s what fighting is. Albeit…it’s safer. I know that a competition is a sport and it’s rules vary with the style and the game. I understand that because it is a sport….fitness needs to become more important as the fights last longer due to rules and limitations etc. This though is my point that it’s all the drills that make you better. You should already have your techniques, your reading abilities and your skill set under your belt and you should have developed your fitness accordingly. The test of all this is the fight- the competition and as I said before…If you want to fight then get your fight experience actually competing.

Osu.

It’s a hard road being an instructor sometimes. In some ways….akin to being a parent. You spend many a formative year with a student…..you teach them basics as a white belt, watching them slowly progress through the novice ranks, and then just as they start to make sense of everything…something changes. Sometimes, they casually challenge you in class….ask those “what if” questions, or perhaps even start to roll their eyes in class over a basic technique or skill being explained…or on being corrected on a technique they clearly thought they had nailed.  The awful part comes when this student thinks they know enough to make it on their own and so leave home and venture out into the wide world of other activities.

I have noticed that in junior ages, this tends to happen at around Yellow belt which is what this post is speaking predominately about today, and of course, I am also referring to Kyokushin Karate wherein this colour belt is ranked 6th Kyu, and not a starting rank which it can be in other styles. For a junior in a Kyokushin club with a strict syllabus, reaching this level could take about on average 2.5 years depending on training commitment etc. Now I understand that for a kid…..2 years can feel like an eternity. They feel like at this point they have been training for sooooo long and as they kind of know what they are doing in the dojo now…..it’s easy to lose focus. As instructors, we try our hardest to push our students to compete, to continue to aspire towards grading’s and attend dojo events etc to maintain training goals and also the social enthusiasm which seems to be very important for the kids.

But this is where the critical time for parents comes in. I’m not trying to tell any parent what to do……as I know how I would feel if someone tried to do that with me, but my advice from both sides of the coin is this : Find a way to encourage them to stay. If not for the karate (or any sport or matial art really) but for the extremely valuable and underrated skill of “sticking it out” and “seeing it through”. I can’t stress enough to read up about Grit in Angela Duckworths book with the same title…..and how this mental toughness to follow things through plays a most vital role in determining a child’s (any person’s) future success.

When we think about it….who starts Karate or traditional Martial Arts and doesn’t dream of that black belt ?! So to put that goal aside when it becomes hard…or get’s boring means that any time in life something becomes hard or tedious …then we just give in ? Move on to something new ? I mean, we can’t do that with school can we ? We can’t do that with brushing our teeth, with tidying our room, with study, with family etc.

As instructors it’s also a critical time for us to identify the needs of the yellow belt- and do what we can to continue to help them advance to the next level.  We need to recognise their level of success  and place within the dojo heirarchy, But we need to also remind them gently of what they don’t know. We need to dangle the carrot and keep them striving for more.

Early on in my Karate journey , I purchased my copy of the now rare and coveted hard cover book by Shihan Cameron Quinn, “The Budo Karate of Mas Oyama”. This book was snapped up quickly at the dojo when it first arrived and my training friends and I read ours excitedly. It held the answers to the stuff we weren’t being told in class. The “More” That we were looking for and it became like our bible. For many of us it was our first glimpse into the writings and philosophies of Sosai Oyama and back then there was no google to look up any of this stuff. If there was…I certainly didn’t know about it till years later ! But anyway…..In this book Shihan Quinn breaks down the belt colours and the corresponding qualities which the karateka should be developing at each level. He also talks about the colours and where they align with Chakra colours and energy centres of the body. It’s quite fascinating to think that Yellow is often considered the colour of self confidence, which would coincide nicely with the idea that at this level the student has moved from the novice to intermediate ranks and therefore we would assume would have a certain level of confidence in their abilities. But that’s just it……it’s only a start…perhaps even a false confidence.

To quote from Shihan Quinn directly from his book, “ Until Yellow belt, the student concentrated on purely physical skills – balance, stability, hand-eye co-ordination, and general technical ability. The yellow belt requires the student to now give serious consideration not only to physical training, dynamic balance and co-ordination, but also to the psychological aspects of training – perception, awareness, assertion, and other manifestations of will power”.  Will power ! Yes……will power is sticking with things. About pushing when it’s difficult and moving up divisions, about more responsibility in the dojo, about learning more kata and being in that weird middle place where you aren’t low enough rank to get away with everything…but not the big fish in the ocean just yet.

I know I take it personally each time I get that email from a parent, or have to have that conversation about the student leaving and it’s awful every time. After 2o something years of teaching….you never get used to it. After years, you know the student well and have spent hours upon hours with them and helping them learn , pushing them through tough times in the dojo and then here they are leaving you !  I take it to heart because I question myself then…have I been a good enough instructor…or how can I motivate my students more …am I not doing enough etc ? But then I realise it’s more than me….and it’s parents, and students, it’s everyone and we need to work as a team.  I can say for sure though how many times I have also had the conversation with a returning student about how difficult it is to get back into training. How frustrating to re-learn so much, and to train and think…I could do this before…and also to look back and think where would they be if they just didn’t quit ?!

Getting the black belt is not for everyone , and I guess if everyone had one then we wouldn’t want one anyway as perahps then it wouldn’t be quite as special, however it is surely an achievement to be proud of. It is a sign of courage and commitment and of a no quit atttidude that serves us in every facet of our lives. Let us encourage our kids to perhaps not quit – to maybe reduce training to try a new interest….or to cross train to maintain enthusiasm….but to keep one foot in the door and advance continuously towards a once held desire no matter how slowly. It is not how quickly we get there…but only that we do and to be so close…to have dedicated so much time already only to put it aside is a huge shame and one that I think has ramifications outside of just the dojo.

Fresh off the back of another awesome Karate camp…I’m reflecting on some things that I have been wondering about of late. Many of the things I have been thinking about , and or heard over time was re-iterated or confirmed by various high level instructors over the weekend.

I have therefore definitely now come to the conclusion that Kyokushin Karate, as it is taught in most dojo’s, is not perfect for self defence. It’s almost detrimental. It’s even less suited to smaller women and children.

Now I understand that I am not a Kyokushin Scholar, and I cannot recount the many changes and periods that have perhaps come to pass over time, nor can I remember dates and the names of all legendary fighters and instructors…but i feel that my 24 years of constant training gives me some eligibility for comment. That…and the fact that I AM indeed one of those smaller women makes me a good case study.

My exposure to years of Muay Thai and attendance at a good number of seminars and fantastic instructors over the years – my brief exposure to Kudo, plus my slow learning Jiu Jitsu training etc I think all gives rise to some level of educated judgment.

I am going to go out and say that unless I can punch the face….strike the groin…..take the fight to the ground if needed and apply chokes and holds….I’m never going to be able to win against a bigger reasonably skilled or violently intent opponent. It’s just not going to happen. I know this because I’ve been the tiny person standing in front of the bigger ones (often but not always male) trying to have an impact with body blows and leg kicks. Sometimes yeah…i can hit them hard…….but I am not dropping them where they stand. There is ample time for them to hit me back….and yes I block much……and avoid lots…..but if they get one in……I’m feeling it. I’ve been launched across the mats on numerous occasions and that’s fine…but it troubles me too. My ego (not going to lie) is bruised….but more so I’m absolutely frustrated.

Now think of this…think of giving out black belts to women and kids only teaching the stand-up tournament style of Kyokushin. Or even men too. IT’s almost irresponsible as they feel that they then have the skills to deal with a potentially violent situation when in reality….there is a distinct lack of ability to do real damage or shut down an attacker for long enough to be safe.

Now…I can already hear many of you saying…….”That’s rubbish. Your’e just not good enough” Well that may be the case. Maybe I’m not. But if I’m not…..after 24 years…..then who or what is to blame here ? Is it me…is it my instructors…the syllabus…..what ?

I also know that lots of you that know much about Kyokushin are going to say that Kyokushin does have face punches…and throws….and limited ground -work. That may in fact be true….but how often are they practised and what percentage of the class time is taken up with them ? It’s not enough to simply iterate that they exist in the syllabus or Kata. It’s not enough to merely know or mention that Sosai wrote about Ground defence being necessary.

As instructors we tell our students that repetition of techniques until they are automatic movements is crucial. We know this to be true.
But that alone is not enough.

Basics repeated in the air teaches predominately muscle memory alone. They don’t also teach timing and working with the flinch response. Only Partner training can do that.
So…these basics…this Kihon must be practised drill style with a partner regularly.

So…If you aren’t doing take-downs……ground-work and face punches as part of your basics, and your’e not drilling them every training session then they also won’t be automatic and they won’t be part of the students “go -to” under duress. I’m going to say then…..they are not useful and possibly irrelevant to someone as a Kyokushin Exponent.

I’d really love to see Kyokushin move forward and embrace what was kind of left behind with the focus on the Kyokushin Knock Down tournaments. I feel that lots of dojo’s want to be known for great fighters and that’s awesome. There’s no denying that Full Contact Kyokushin Fighters are tough and strong and formidable. However……outside of that arena how would they fare ? Especially women that don’t have size and height and strength over their opponent or attacker.

Also…outside of a controlled tournament event….how would their skills hold up ? No doubt having a strong Kyokushin base would be better defence than none….but ask yourself if you feel that your daughter or wife or indeed yourself is getting the complete training that you would like.

So ..I’m asking for feedback from all my Kyokushin Friends and associates…would you like to see competition evolve to include grabs and takedowns and ground work and face punches ?
How would it look ?
Remember, you can’t wear kickboxing style gloves as this makes grabbing and chokes pretty much impossible.
Would it look like Kudo with Helmets /face protection ?

I mean we could still have traditional Knockdown events as we know them….perhaps this could be a new division…or should it take over completely ? And if it did- how would dojo’s change to account for this ?
Do you think it would make Kyokushin more all round ?

I also just want to qualify that by this i don’t mean that this type of fighting is what makes Kyokushin complete. There are many aspects to fighting which are great but without addressing Kata and dare i say the ‘spiritual’ side of Karate then it really shouldn’t be called a ‘Martial Art”. Karate should be as much about development of the good character of it’s exponents as it is about their physical abilities. Observing courtesies, rituals, hierarchy, respect, honour , Loyalty, self sacrifice etc….these all should make up part of the dojo.
This I know for sure. I just also strongly believe that all things (ourselves included) must continuously be capable of being analysed in an effort to constantly improve and evolve.

Kaizen.
Osu.

Second, I'd like to highlight the benefit of learning to control your center of gravity as well as your ability to project yourself. With my limited Aikido experience, I've noticed the importance of staying centered and projecting oneself forward during most if not all of the techniques performed during class, whether we're talking about a throw, joint lock or strike with the katana. Learning to move as a whole and using not just your arms to move someone but the whole body.

The centering oneself and projecting forward has been monumental for other Martial Art forms I practise like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kickboxing. It has allowed me to strike much harder, put on locks much more efficiently and stop my sparring partner from moving during grappling.

The last topic I'd like to discuss is something you might not expect: maintaining eye contact. I've practiced many Martial Arts from the age of 6 onwards, and I've never been taught about eye contact and where you're looking during practice. In fact, I was highly uncomfortable when I started my Aikido practice because of this reason.

Not only has this allowed me to socialize more deeply with friends and acquaintances, it has also vastly improved my Kickboxing as looking downwards messes with your center of gravity. I'm not saying that you have to look someone in the eye, especially not constantly, but Aikido has at least made me aware and given me the choice. It's taught me how to maintain a peripheral view and stay calm under pressure through it.

I will finish of with saying that we, at Eltham Martial Arts Academy, are incredibly fortunate to have the world-renowned Aikido instructor, Joe Thambu from Aikido Shudokan . Go check him out via Joe Thambu - Wikipedia

See you in class soon!