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.

 have to admit it – I don’t like running. I do however like what running provides in terms of training both on a physical and mental platform. So ….I decided to run to the dojo this Saturday morning. I haven’t being doing a heap of running lately, and this particular run I have only undertaken twice previously. Both times, this run had taken me approx 20 mins. However, this time, I was behind schedule (I was going to say running late…but the pun was too corny) and now I only had x 15 mins to get to the dojo to open up for first class of the day. Yay !

Not making excuses, but no warm up, no breakfast apart from a piece of toast and a glass of coffee was not a good way to set up. Normally I would take my time in the morning knowing I had three and a half hours of teaching coming up to have a good meal and proper fluid intake. But not this day. No time. So off I set. I began the run on a bit of a downhill so the pace was quick at the get go. I would say about 2 mins in …my lungs hadn’t caught up with my legs and I felt like i wanted to gasp a bit for air. But….reminding myself this is a normal response….I pushed on. Next call out was from my legs still sore from the squats and lunges the day before. Again, reminding myself that once they warmed up and got into the swing of things, they would feel better I pushed on.

Knowing I was going to struggle to make it on time, before I left I had sent a student a text message who I knew would drive past me on the way to class, and told him to pick me up on the way if he saw me. My pace was fast and i think in my mind I thought I could push it pretty hard as I would soon be collected by car . It’s funny what goes on in our minds if we listen.

I would imagine about 7 mins in (not sure of exact times) I really wanted to stop and walk. So I did. Then I thought….what if (student) drives past and sees me walking !  That would look so bad….so with that thought In mind I picked up my feet and began running again. I would say that scenario took about 30 secs to unfold. And there in lies a motivational tool……imagining what others will think and say, and how I feel about that.

Now I’m still setting a pace which is fast for me. It’s hurting and I’m digging deep and then I’m starting to wonder if and when (student) is going to come past and put me out of my misery. My mind is wandering and now I think……am I going to make it on time. I think about my students waiting at the door….wondering where i am ….and convince myself to keep going. Now that I have decided to keep on pushing…..and with time my motivation I start to get into a bit of a groove. Breathing has settled and I have a bit of a rhythm going. Feeling more comfortable now……………And then comes the hill.

Coincidence or not just as the hill starts, the Eminem song ‘Till I Collapse’ comes on my playlist and the words in that drive me to really work up that hill. I stop thinking about walking this part of the run, and find something which I had in reserve. And now my mind really starts going. See that’s what I do love about running. Once you get going……there is really nothing to think of in terms of technique. Sure….if you are trying to correct posture or stride etc you could concentrate on that, but otherwise you can just really find the zone and go. In this place…your mind is free to wander. To sort out the events of the day…to completely drift off and just be…..or like me, to play mental challenge games with yourself because you suck at running. It’s during one of those mental moments when my mind ticks over to this :

If you are training hard enough, there will always come a time when you will reach a point where it will be so tough and demanding that the thought of quitting enters your mind. It’s at this time that the real training begins. The type that changes and grows you. It’s always at this point where success lies. Out of your comfort zone. And it’s amazing….at that point when you make the choice to not quit, to persevere and win, it gets easier. You get your second wind and things start to work and your energy returns. You run not on adrenaline…but something else. Something in your spirit urges you on and success breeds more success. Winning makes you want to win more and you go until you reach that quitting point again. This time though…..because you’ve been there before and tasted success….it’s easier to push past that point. Not easy…..but easi-er.

It’s also worth noting that I do believe that with all training (martial arts, weight lifting, and all other sports that push us) these lessons and attitudes transfer over to our everyday lives. Sometimes life can get really tough. We might struggle financially, lose our job, get sick or injured, have issues with our children, we might be lied to or cheated on, we might lose a loved one or see our dreams seemingly get further and further away from us. But here is that point again. Here is our choice to dig down deep…..to get out of our comfort zone….trust in our self and push to the point of victory. And then…..hopefully….we just keep on winning.

And all that…..from one run !     Maybe I do like running after all !

And for those that want to know…Yes :- I made it in time. Shaved 5 mins off my previous run time.

Osu. KB

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

It’s funny how you can ‘know’ something for so long, perhaps almost a whole life, but then one day you ‘live’ that thing and all of a sudden it all makes sense. The penny drops,cha-ching.
We have all heard the saying ” What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger”. I like the sentiment and have been known to throw that one around at various times, but in reality, the saying has flaws.
You see…..every day things happen that don’t kill us….but neither do they change us.

The thing’s which DO change us, that really do make us stronger are those thing’s that push us beyond our normal limits,which force us to struggle. We must undergo difficulty in order to grow.

In nature, I guess this could be compared to the process of natural selection.Those of the species which best adapt to the environment, that overcome stresses and challenges survive. The strong which survive then breed and so hence the growth of a stronger and more resillient population, herd, tribe, community, ecosystem, whatever term best describes.

In the gym, referring to resistance based training, weight lifting, hypertrophy, Power Lifting, etc then perhaps this is the basis for the SAID principal. Specific Adaptation to Increased Demands. Our bodies are smart and they have a memory and we are programed to survive. Our very nature is to prevail. So…when our bodies undergo stress…certain processes occur to ensure that the next time this happens….we are better prepared. I guess another way to explain is that very simply put, when we lift weights and apply stress to the muscle, damage occurs. It is through the process of re-buliding this muscle that strength and size is gained.

As a person, Emotionally, when we go through hardships we tend to learn. We learn about how our mind reacts and we learn about our mental programming. We also learn that we can endure, and that all things pass eventually, and through this we understand that we are durable and changeable and can weather a storm or two. Next time, as we have been there before…..we understand that the pain of losing someone, having an argument, being betrayed, being misunderstood or perhaps being weak and hurting another person……that no matter how bad it is, we can make it like we did last time. We recognise a pattern, and being stronger 2nd time around, can make better choices this time.

The thing I love about Martial Arts is that it covers all the bases.
In one hard class alone we could touch on all areas. We can challenge our self beleifs (I can’t do another push up and then you do, or I’m awesome….only to get beaten that night) , our own inner deamons. We can challenge our fears (oh….i don’t want to sparr this person , they are better than me, or i’ll never be able to last that grading..then we do). We can push ourselves so hard physically that we are in pain. We can demand of our body thing’s we never thought we could do (like an 8 hour grading with 40 rounds of contact sparring) and when we make it out the other side our strength is resolved. Our mind is determined and our body is built that little bit better and is that little bit more prepared to fight.

Struggle is what makes us if it doesn’t break us.
But consider this – even if we are broken (just like our muscles after a heavy gym session) with the right amount of love, medicine (let your food be thy medicine and thy medicine your food),rest and recovery (meditation, sleep, time alone or with friends) and a small amount of Will and drive – we can and will be restored to something better than we were before.

Not that movies have anything to do with this…but every Movie Hero had a hardship.
It’s always the fall then the rise and we love those stories ! The loss made the win SO much more gratifying. We don’t respect people who had it handed to them and often they don’t respect themselves. So :-

Knowing all this, In the midst of your hardest training session,
when you find yourself being beaten in the ring,
when the odds are stacked against you,
When you feel like you have been left with nothing,
When you feel you can’t go on, or get up after being knocked down
smile….and remind yourself that it’s moments like these (no…you don’t need minties)
But you can and will survive and grow.

Osu.
Kiley

Last night was our Eltham Martial Arts Academy Formal Awards Night. It was a really great night with a great ‘anti bullying’ demo by the juniors and of course Award presentations , a visit from Santa, and just a great night with everyone decked out in their finest, good food, wine , drinks , dancing and even better company. It always makes me happy and feel accomplished every year to stand up in front of everyone and make a speech. For those that were there last night…thanks for listening.

Here is a copy of my speech :

Let me officially say welcome to the Eltham Martial Arts Academy Formal Awards Night 2013.

Thanks Mark Niven for the introduction and words……and let me take a second to say….” You guys scrub up alright!”

In all seriousness though, Each time we have this event and I stand up here, it really makes me feel proud to be part of such a great group of people and I am so thankful for my circle of friends. Simply by being here you are showing your support for me and EMAA, and of course each other.

So now, that being said…..without further ado……let’s get my speech cracking…..as always…..I only have a couple of things to say   (winky face )

Somewhere in the world right now, there is a martial arts instructor standing in front of a class telling their students the importance of basics. Of why we must train them each and every class to establish not only technique, but an automatic action that we can rely on in times of stress. A programmed response that happens seemingly without conscious thought, much like the beating of our hearts, or our own respiration.

The fancy stuff is nice, (the back spinning kicks, the complicated joint manipulations, takedowns and the awesome jumping elbows etc) however they are what I like to consider as bonus extra’s. To the junior class, I explain this as sprinkles. It’s a simple analogy, but what is the point of sprinkles without the ice-cream to eat them with?

Nothing ends a fight quite like a simple well timed hard punch to the face – smack on the jaw, a decent kick to the groin , or a fantastic roundhouse to the head , so it makes sense to practice those and make sure the simple and effective stuff is well rehearsed and ready to go.

A famous quote by Aristotle states:

“We are that which we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.”

And thus, it makes sense that if one wishes to Excell… to establish great habits. We must develop an attitude whereby we are prepared to continue to practice the same things over and over without thinking we have perfected something. We must remain humble and open minded and honour the training and our instructors. And It’s worthwile mentioning that ‘everyone’ is your teacher. There are lessons to be learnt from everyone and everything. If one was to consider….just for a moment ….that you could learn something even from and Ant !

What you ask….well how about the fact that many hands make light work. Or to not to judge a person’s strength through size alone. You know how strong an ant is right ?!  Yup….x 10 times their own body weight they can lift. Ever seen anyone do that in the gym?  

But I digress. Martial arts in it’s essence is simple. There is no “secret “except that which Sosai spoke of. If there was one….it was SWEAT.  Sweat and spirit. Morever I believe that on most occasions when people fall or people fail…it wasn’t their body or their technique, but their spirit. 

That’s why I love Kyokushin. It may have shortfalls as I believe all the arts do but wherever it lacks technically, it makes up for threefold in terms of it’s spirit. During my martial arts journey thus far, I’ve heard well established and senior martial artists in differing styles claim such thing’s such as that you needn’t be fit to win a real fight. That you needn’t have loads of techniques under your belt or that long and arduous grading’s are a waste of time and don’t really contribute to your ability.

All those things may in fact be true in the first sense, However………That physical and moreover the mental strength you develop through forcing your body and mind through an 8 hour grading, a punishing class, or the humility and respect for both the art and others you forge through tough competition……gives you something inside that not everyone is lucky to hold within. A never say die attitude and a self knowledge that no matter what…..thy will not quit. Not now. Not ever. Osu No Seishin.

The simplicity of martial arts can be echoed in everyday life.

It’s a shame then when we get caught up in the myriad of distractions available to us nowadays. We are essentially wired in (and of this I’m guilty as charged)  to our social devices and our work. We are contactable 24 /7 and we can and do work anywhere as we can access “information” at the slide of a finger or push of a button. Emails, Videos , games, music, and the money….oh the money. We can spend it on all those things we are convinced by media, companies and our peers that we apparently need…….without even leaving the house. In fact…..We can do it wherever there is online access ……and these days……you don’t even need to ‘have’ money to spend it !

But we don’t need this stuff.

We need sleep.

We need nutrition from whole food and clean fresh water

We need loving relationships

We need exercise

We need basic clothing and a place to call home that is safe.

Everything else is extra.

Everything else is sprinkles.

It’s managing what we need with what is nice to have that is our challenge.Knowing the difference is the first part. Keeping ourselves inline and in focus is the second and the difficult part.

And so…here we are again….at the pointy end of the circle.

That lesson from practicing and repeating basics so that they are automatic programmed responses. 

It’s then you start to realize that we do the same thing with our lives every day. In our dealings with others, relationships, our careers and then we pass those things on to our children through our interaction with them. And that’s A-OK if those responses are positive and enhance our martial arts or our dday to day lives, but what if they don’t ? 

People / or we , generally react the way we behaved last time….and we repeat those behavior’s even if they don’t produce a so called ‘desired response’.

It’s like When someone at work annoys you because every morning you walk in and the first thing they say is “ have you seen that email about whatever and it’s red hot urgent ! ” and immediately you get your back up. You are annoyed because You haven’t even sat down yet, settled in at your desk…and you are already being barked at. So then …your’e programmed response might be to get grumpy…heart rate increases….and then you start stammering some excuse why you haven’t read it yet…but will in a minute and ……oh…Ive got a headache already.

But to change that programmed response…you could simple smile at this person……throw them off guard and say “ Good Morning. How are you Today ?” And keep on smiling. Not sure why….but I think of Alan Shaw from Boston Legal when I do that. It’s so simple……but sometimes the power of distraction can change the whole mood. Try it next time.

Another example might be always picking the “ bad guy” or the “psycho girlfriend”………You need to stop and look at what attributes you are being attracted to here. That’s a hard one……..but if you look closely ….you’ll find the things to avoid next time. Pretty much….all the stuff that annoyed you is probably the thing’s you found cool at the start. And scary…

Maybe you always run out of petrol because you leave it till the light comes on……then you stress out as you run late for your next appointment because oh my gosh….you’ve run out of fuel and now you have to stop and you’ll be late and and and . If you do that….make yourself to promise to always fill up when the tank get’s down to ¼ no matter what.

There are hundreds of examples but when it all comes down to it……life is all about basics. About the thing’s we do every day, and how we do them.

I believe – To my Very Core- that Martial Arts can help you …if you let it.

See……training, can answer many things about us.

Do you quit , or do you do that one last push up ?

Do you talk positive to yourself ? like….I can’t do that or I will lose ?…….

Do you push yourself to go to class or do you find excuses not to ?……..

Are you a respectful person or do you push around the lower ranks ?…..

Sosai said that all questions can be answered through hard training. Allow yourself to hear the questions. And then honestly answer them. If you don’t like the answers –  change them. It’s basics . It might not be easy. But It’s worth it !

I am sure that most of you know some of the challenges that my life has been faced with this year. It’s no secret about the changes within my personal life although I do like to keep those things low key.

What I will say is that times like these allow you to re-assess what’s important in your life. But…you don’t have to wait till something major shifts around you to make changes.

This year more than ever…I have drawn strength from the dojo and Martial Arts. Sometimes it’s been hard to show up to the dojo and teach – and keep up appearances- but I know that once Im there….and I see you guys come to class for training…I remember why I teach and why I need to push on regardless. It’s a rare occasion that I don’t always feel better after a night/ day at the dojo.

So, again let me say thankyou for your support and help during this time. Some perhaps more than others, but in your own way…by continuing to be a part of the dojo you have all played a positive role.

Osu.

Kop Kun Kaa

Now….on to the awards ………….

In my opinion, the dojo should be thought of as akin to a temple. A place to hold sacred, to respect, to want to visit and a place to serve as much as it serves you and all others who enter it. A dojo is a place where you enter and offer yourself to the training, the master and teacher, your seniors and all those that have gone before. You must come not with your cup empty…..as you cannot (nor should you) put aside past knowledge, but your mind should always be open and thoughtful.

As you enter this temple, shoes should be removed and placed neatly out of others way. This is for cleanliness but also because the matted area should be thought of as sacred and you must not walk upon it with the rubbish on your shoes from the outside world. It is just not done.

Your mind should be focused on the present moment and bad feelings from the day left behind. Now is the time to focus on the moment. You are here . It is your place and you are amongst friends and training partners that support each other through tough training sessions and gradings, and help each other to learn.

In the dojo you should be safe to find out your truth. Be respectful to all people at all times and be a part of building and maintaining  that culture. Remember….there will be times when your guard will drop and you will be hit. Times when you won’t be ready and you will fall or buckle over from a good strike or kick, or be choked or submitted. Times when you just feel exhausted and want to quit. These should be considered your best times. The times when you learnt about yourself, your weaknesses and see a way to improve on them. Remember to support others through their times of weakness or finding their truth. You will know when you see it. As I said…one day it will be you.

Accept criticism with humility. You are not perfect. No one is. But you came to learn….so allow the learning to happen. Receive the lessons from all. The instructor. Your fellow students and especially the lower ranks. They have things to teach you too, even if it is just about yourself.

Always give your best at the dojo. Sometimes your best is just turning up. Whatever you have to give…..if it’s only 80% for any reason…then give 100% of that 80% . Doing this creates a mentality that shall serve you well both in and out of the dojo.

Most of all….look after your dojo. Wiping down the mats after class is a small part of this. If you see equipment left out….put it away. Even if you weren’t the one who left it. Someone has to do it. Why not you ? It’s not a big thing to help look after your training area. Behaving in this manner shows you care about the place in which you spend so much time, where you learn and creates a feeling of belonging and/or ownership. If you make a mess…clean it. Don’t leave training gear…or belongings behind. Take your stuff home and clean and air it out. Showing up to the dojo with a clean dogi and un-stinky gloves, shin pads etc is a direct reflection of the care and pride you feel towards your training and your own self respect also.

Enjoy your training and remember why you started. Constantly seek to review your goals. Honour your training commitment to yourself and your instructor and be a proud and respectful Representative of your club and your style.

Osu.

Lately……I keep getting hit in the face – and not just in class!
I mean by reality. By the harsh truth that I truly believe we have mostly become a world full of corner cutters. (that’s the nicest word I could think of. There were plenty of others in mind…but this is a family show)
To me it seems that a majority of the population wants a quick fix. An easy solution and nobody wants to go through discomfort or pain anymore. It’s illogical and stupid to think this way. I know it’s cliche’ but we all must experience pain to know joy. And we need pain to grow. Yep……in every way shape and form.

The evidence is all around us. Every day I get told….Oh I really want to get fit, and tone up (which is really not possible as toning isn’t real – it’s called losing fat and building muscle) But I don’t have time and your classes are too hard for me. So……what you are saying is that you don’t want it that bad? Yep….that’s why there is this magical pill hitting the market whereby the makers and the shareholders will make ridiculous amounts of money by people getting skinny but not healthy and forced to live on this medication forever. And….this is because nobody wants to go through the pain of exercise and eating healthy. And…Yes…..it can be uncomfortable at times, and it might feel painful, and yes you might get sore muscles….but you will get used to the feeling and possibly learn to love it. I don’t mean to say that every training session a person does needs to be drenched in sweat and vomit city and so hard you can’t walk the next day – but it would be close. You do have to work your body hard. You do have to make big changes to see big changes and that might mean sometimes it’s uncomfortable. But is uncomfortable that bad ? What’s the alternative? I’d rather have a sore back from training and be healthy knowing that my pain is temporary, than be overweight, have no cardiovascular health and be in pain because of that. Wouldn’t you ?

And what about peoples reaction to getting sick. Why is reaching for a bottle of this or a pill for this so many people’s first response? Given proper nutrition and rest, your body will heal most minor (and some major) ailments. Often…..the medication taken prohibits the bodies natural response to illness and circumvents it’s own efforts to eliminate the virus or dis-ease that has been allowed to manifest. People will say…oh it’s because I have to soldier on, go to work. This is a stupid mentality as now you are perhaps spreading your illness when you should keep it at home, plus you will most likely lengthen the duration of the illness you were trying to avoid in the first place. Maybe……we are supposed to get a cold every now and then. Maybe it’s our bodies way of de-toxifying ? I don’t know. But I do think that pill popping etc is another way for people to avoid being uncomfortable. I’m not saying we should want to be sick…..not at all. It’s horrible and I don’t like it…and even more so I really dislike seeing my kids sick as I am sure most parents do- but Let’s think about what Grandma would have done sometimes. Maybe even stop for a second and take a look around at your friends, your family and think….who are the ones who are sick most often ….and who are the one’s opting for the quick fixes. You might see a pattern.

My next rant is about kids and how it seems that schooling and some trendy parenting today is all about preventing everything. Is it really a horrible thing to lose? Why must everyone that goes in a race be a winner? It’s just not a real representation of life to think that there aren’t winners and losers. I’m happy that when I was at school …you had to work hard for a certificate. To earn a place or a ribbon was worth fighting for. Yeah sure…..there were plenty of thing’s I was terrible at, and this was uncomfortable to deal with, but you get over it. You learn to fight harder and try harder and you learn to brush thing’s off. You also learn that everyone is not good at everything…and you look harder to find what you ‘are’ good at.

Punishments for bad behavior seem to also be frowned upon and in place is adult conversation’s….about feelings and yada yada. Again…..I’m not saying bring back the strap, but consequence needs to be taught. You can’t have an adult conversation with a 5 year old. Simple things like having to clean up after class or stay inside at playtime or at home….things such as Ipods etc being confiscated help kids to learn about consequences of action. Then…later when the child begin’s to understand …then the conversation about feelings etc can happen. Lesson….then reflection. This however takes time to implement and are we too busy to do this? or is it we don’t like these uncomfortable and confrontational situations ? Is it easier to just let stuff slide? My main point here is that we want to protect our kids…but are we helping or hindering them by trying too hard to stop them from ever having a bad experience? Being picked on is awful…but with supportive parents and also teachers this experience can be a learning curve for kids that will serve them through to adulthood. We must learn to deal with confrontation and loss and bad experiences. It’s how we grow as people emotionally. Of course….this is merely scratching the surface in this area….and I don’t claim to be any kind of expert.

This is why I love martial arts. For adults and for kids. Because it’s difficult. Because often we are pushed to points of failure. These might on the surface seem like losses, but really they are lessons. Every class and each training session we are given the opportunity to test and improve ourselves. It’s about turning up when we don’t want to. When it’s too hard. It’s about making commitments and honoring them. It’s about getting hurt, and continuing anyway. It’s about finding out our weaknesses, but also that we are more powerful than we thought possible. It’s about being disciplined. In and out of the dojo. It’s about giving up a social life to train for an impending grading. About scheduling homework time after school so you can make it to class on time because a test or comp is coming up. Parents need to help kids with this one. Yep….parents need to be disciplined too. It’s about taking kids to training when you can’t be bothered – because they watch and imitate your behavior. All these things forge an attitude that serves both in and out of the dojo. How much better will a child perform at school with strength of character and a disciplined mind and life?
How much better will and adult handle life and work and stress with these qualities?

I personally know that Karate and Martial Arts has saved my life. Not on the street in combat fortunately, but there are times when I know that If i didn’t possess the ability to push beyond my toughest boundaries…I would have quit on a few occasions. I know the 7 times down 8 times up mentality that I have tattooed on my body is ingrained on my soul…and that has come not from avoiding being in pain or uncomfortable, but by not taking the easy way out. I’m no soldier. And I’m not the toughest or the greatest at anything. But I thank my lucky stars every day that I walked into a martial arts school back in 1994.

Osu No Seishin.

We all want that thing we don’t have. In this case…in the dojo …I guess it’s the black belt. And many new members are impatient and just want to reach that destination fast. At first….the student is enthusiastic and always at training and puts all their effort into every session. They research online, read articles, books, magazines, watch youtube.clips, and try and find out every little bit of information they can. That is great and it’s part of the journey. However…..there are those times when the impatience is such that the student sees something cool online, or can’t see the forest for the trees and wants to question everything in class. Why are we doing this repetitive movement when we could be doing back spinning kicks etc?…..then they start to resent the basics, roll their eyes at the sensei or coach and can even start to turn to being mean to the lower ranks and beginners in an effort to make themselves feel better about their knowledge and rank.

Its not always this way….but I just want to remind my students to be patient. Remember…….martial arts is about being an eternal student. If you are looking to ‘master’ something then master the basics. Saying you want to master your style is almost putting a ceiling on your training. Just aim to better yourself in every session. Learn something new or do that one more push-up or fight smarter or push harder in your stances. Something. It’s little steps. Building a wall is one brick at a time.

I have been reminded of this recently by again donning a white belt and stepping onto the mats for BJJ. Being back at the bottom and struggling for air, blank mind under pressure, not able to use my skillset has been unsettling to say the least. But…..as much as i’m frustrated…it’s great to be on the road again and feeling the excitement of a new technique. Each time I leave class thinking I suck…..I remember that I know more today than yesterday….and I promise myself that the only way to improve is to walk the path. That path is turning up to the dojo….putting on my gi…..battling the demons and trying my best each session. If I wanted all the moves and all the answers now….or tomorrow….surely I would quit in frustration as that is just not going to happen.

Another personal example is weight training. A few of you at the dojo do weights in your own time to build on your strength and power output, and those that do the Bellatrix or No Limits classes will have also had exposure to weight training. I know with me that I just want to be able to lift more…and lift better. The problem is ….you have to work through the weights. You have to lift the 10 kg to develop the form, and then build strength and muscle mass, so that next time you can lift 12kg. When you built to 12kg…then it’s time to review form and build again to 15kg and so on. It’s just how humans work. There is no magic pill. Steroids you say ? Well No. You can’t just take them and grow. Sure…it enhances the rate at which your body can grow…but…..guess what…you still have to pick up those weights and you still have to do the work !

But….back to martial arts . It’s also worthy of mentioning that a black belt is, as our forefathers tell us, only the beginning. The mastery of basics as I mentioned earlier. You will note that the black belt…when worn enough starts to wear away at the edges. Over time the black starts to recede and you are left how you started. A dirty little white belt…eager just to learn something new. So…don’t be in a rush to get back to the beginning. Enjoy your journey. Each and every step. Osu

At the end of most Karate classes…I like to say what’s on my mind. Give a small speech to the students about something that’s popped into my mind during the session, the day or the week. It might be something to do with current news events, training, and sometimes just life in general. I do try and keep it topical and relevant…but you know…my mind wanders at times.

This week I spoke to the class about the importance of competing. In our style of Karate, I really don’t think you can say that you are a Kyokushin exponent unless at some point you have fought full contact. I understand the juniors to some extent as its not just theirs (and most of them want to) but their parents choice.  The adults however…there can really be no excuse. Nope…none. I do understand that it may be a scary thing for some….but in reality that fear needs to be faced. If not….then perhaps Kyokushin isn’t the style for you.

In reality it’s not all about the fighting, although it does give all your training a new perspective. The fighting doesn’t instantly make you tougher or better, but what does is all the training you then do in preparation. It’s about the overcoming of that fear holding you back. Going through the nerves and the times you want to back out. It’s about the people in your corner and support of your team. It’s about the humility in loss and the confidence garnered through victory. The lesson lies in pushing yourself to do something outside of your comfort zone. So….if there is all this to gain how can there be a real excuse not to do it. What motivation or inspiration could you need ?

I recounted how at the tournament we travelled to in Griffith last year, that a student was competing in his wheel chair. And then…how a video had recently been shared on facebook showing a male that had lost the use of his legs…get onto the competition mats to compete in BJJ. His team mates basically helped him out of his wheelchair and onto the arena. Amazing and inspiring stories. There’s loads of those type of stories around on the internet if you choose to look.

And it’s not just Martial Arts. Most people have seen the Paralympics, I’ve seen videos of Crossfit competitors with missing arms and legs, and all manner of inspirational movies of disabled people achieving what some able bodied people can’t. In the end I think it all comes down to how much you ‘want’ to be able to do something. And if the will is enough – you will find a way.

What is better than watching a video, or hearing a story about someone though, is seeing it in person. I’ve asked permission from this member of our dojo to share his story briefly and I am so glad that he said yes.

Not everyone knows or has met Tailem. He’s a quiet kind of guy. He joined our Kickboxing class a little under a year ago and then a bit later found his way into the BJJ class. At his first class I noticed that he had a large build, and initially I thought he was perhaps an ex gymnast. Then of course…me being me…I just asked. It was probably something like….” Hey…what do you weigh…You look pretty big….and do you lift ? ” I wasn’t rude…just matter of fact.  That’s when I found out that Tailem was a Powerlifter. I had also noticed something else…..but didn’t really get a chance to talk to him on his own that first class.

I later asked him about his hand , and the fact that he had difficulty putting on the left glove. I had seen something like that in a hand before….in my stepfather after he had a stroke many years ago.  I was taken aback when Tailem explained his situation. Immediately he had my respect. You see…..Most people would come into the dojo and make excuses straight away for something like that. I hear stuff all the time (and I’m not putting anyone down…it’s just for comparison) like..Oh my leg is sore today. Or ….two years ago I fell off my bike and have a sore back so I ‘m not sure I can do everything or even I play the sax so I can’t punch without gloves and wraps in case I hurt my hand. But this guy walks in….sais nothing about his dis-ability and just trains.

There are those I am sure that have looked at Tailem’s physique and assumed he’s “on the juice” etc. What they don’t know however is firstly that he is not. That’s a whole lot of time at the gym and chocolate thick shakes !  Secondly that they are looking at someone who at the age of 9 years old, suffered a brain abscess that caused the left side of his body to be paralysed. Only through countless hours of dedication to rehabilitation as a child,  visits to hospitals, doctors, physio and chiropractors, and time and patience of his parents did Tailem regain the use of his left side to the point where he surpassed what was originally diagnosed as possible.

Obviously the limits and disadvantages that this placed on Tailem as a young boy was difficult. Sport just didn’t come as easy and there were feelings of inadequacy surrounding his appearance which is difficult enough for most people already. Not feeling comfortable or able to be as active this then led to weight gain…and from there the spiral into an eating disorder. Then….Tailem discovered the gym and found a way to build himself into the strong and capable man he is today.

Since then….Tailem went on to hold 6 powerlifting records (and is right now training to grab another one this year) , and last year won a bodybuilding competition.  Of course…..each training day when the jab doesn’t fire as fast as the cross,  or he can’t grab the gi to lock a hold in BJJ with one hand is a constant reminder…but he doesn’t let that stop him.  I’m really proud to have members like that at the dojo, and I look forward to one day seeing him on the martial arts competition mats. I think….with an attitude like his…there is nothing he won’t be able to do if he wishes.

I’m sharing this story because I think it shows you how you can turn your weakness into your strength if you try hard enough. If you want to change bad enough,  and you want it bad enough then there are no excuses. Only solutions to find.

Osu : Never Give Up

With respect.

I’m pretty sick of hearing the “No Judgement “catch phrase being flung around at the moment. To me it’s the equivalent of the pervading PC Narrative that is getting people, schools and countries into hot water – but that’s another story.

To tell someone that they “shouldn’t Judge” to me is silly and unrealistic.

The word judgement can have other legal interpretations; however it really is simply the formation of an opinion on something which carries no other connotations.  We should all be aware of the phrase “A good Judge of character” and if you aren’t aware….perhaps you should endeavour to become so.

Being able to judge another’s character is a valuable life skill. There are numerous examples I can give you whereby to form an opinion of someone else’s moral standards and behaviour is not only valid but necessary.  For example choosing and finding your life partner. How about selecting an employee to hire. More importantly……..who you trust with your personal safety. What if one night you are walking along an empty street alone and a couple of young guys in hoodies are heading towards you. You feel uneasy as they look suspicious for no obvious reason other than perhaps their odd behavior. Do you make a judgment call to cross the road or perhaps head towards an open shop ………or continue straight towards them ?

It’s also something we should be teaching our children.  If we don’t instill this basic survival mechanism of identifying when a person could be of questionable character into our children, what happens when one day your child is out playing on the front lawn and is approached by someone who intends to do them harm. Instinct will tell them something is not quite right….but they have a convincing story like the one I heard in a town just 20 minutes away from me last week. A man approached a 5 year old in the front yard, asked him to come and help with his car which he said had broken down. Now luckily that child felt wary and didn’t head over to the car parked on the nature strip out the front of his house…..and his sister came out….and the man went away. What would have happened though if the child had been taught never to judge. To put aside odd feelings and believe everyone should be trusted and loved?  I shudder to think.

We need to be able to judge if someone is telling us the truth or lying.

We need to be able to judge the distance from here to there while driving.

We have to be able to judge if something is morally right or wrong.

We must be able to form opinions on things so that we can choose the appropriate actions to take henceforth.

Perhaps I am oversimplifying things….but I’m pretty sure this topic is not actually that complicated. The lefties and the wanna-be Mother Theresa’s and Ghandi’s complicate it by turning decision making into some awful process of putting other people down. If someone is a violent offender, then I judge that person unfit to be around and sometimes people do need to be put down so to speak.

What really get’s on my nerve is this type of rubbish which I’ve actually heard. (Pls say this in your best whiny voice and place an inflection at the end of every sentence for full effect).

“Sooo the other day while I was working out, this overweight woman walked into the gym and I really admired her and there was like no judgement or like anything”……….Zzzzzzzipp……stop. Back up. You called her overweight. You formed an opinion…stated it…..and therefore you judged her !

Or what about this tasty gem “Oh my gosh….you are so judgemental”. I’m sorry……did you just form an opinion of me? Then I’m pretty sure that’s judgment…so you are judgemental too hypocrite.

I’m just going to leave this here now and wait for the barrage of comments that I am sure will ensue.

I stand firm in my belief that Judgement is necessary. And sometimes It’s necessary to make it with minimal time and information.

What’s not necessary though is to form an opinion and then use that as an excuse to behave badly yourself. That is not judgment, that is the act of bad behaviour.

What’s wrong is to be unkind or judge someone unfairly or unjustly and treat them poorly undeservedly.

It still doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ever judge.