Martial Arts Explorer.tv

Martial Arts Explorer - V3 P14

2010-03-06T17:31:00Z

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Martial Arts Explorer - V3 P13

2010-03-03T16:30:00Z

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Ping my blog

Martial Arts Explorer - V3 P12

2010-02-26T14:36:00Z

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Exploring practical self defense technique

as found in classical martial arts of all styles

Muay Thai CERTIFICATION Camp!!

2010-02-25T19:58:00Z

Regular viewer Doc Thailand has made us aware of a new Muay Thai Certification Camp in Thailand. For those interested, we've linked to the YouTube video Doc sent us. Thanks Doc!

Scot/Mike

Martial Arts Explorer - V3 P11

2010-02-24T15:41:00Z

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Exploring practical self defense technique

as found in classical martial arts of all styles

Martial Arts Explorer - V3 P10

2010-02-23T17:00:00Z

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Exploring practical self defense technique

as found in classical martial arts of all styles

Martial Arts Explorer - V3 P9

2010-02-22T22:37:00Z

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Exploring practical self defense technique

as found in classical martial arts of all styles

Martial Arts Explorer - V3 P8

2010-02-22T01:42:00Z

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Exploring practical self defense technique

as found in classical martial arts of all styles

indomitable spirit: are we invincible, or what?

2010-02-21T23:36:00Z

In the world of martial arts there is frequent mention of the spirit/mind/body triangle; lots of talk but precious little clarity. If pressed,most of us could come up with adequate definitions for the mind and body portions of the equation, but I believe we’d be hard pressed to define the roleof ‘spirit’ – particularly ‘indomitable spirit’ – in our arts.

The obvious question to askhere is …”Why?” Why bother to delvebeyond the sport or self-defense applications of our arts? Why go deeper than technique takes us? Like many other activities martial arts canbe seen as a small representation of life. Many times we discover that the best stuff isn’t where we expected tofind it when we began.

For instance, I knew I wouldlove my kids when they were born. It’s anatural response to the arrival of a new life. What I didn’t expect was to find out how much I liked my kids. Just being intheir presence, witnessing their small and large successes or failures; to takeand active part in mentoring them is a burden so light and full of joy that Ican’t begin to convey how privileged I feel to be a part of it.

Similarly, when I begantraining it was all about me. What Iwanted to know, what I wanted to learn, how good I could be. Now that I’ve been an instructor for sometime it’s all about providing our students with everything they need. That change in perspective is why I believeit is imperative to move beyond ego to something that transcends mere technique. I believe the study of martial artsultimately brings us face to face with ourselves and our place in theuniverse. If we approach the internalart with the same focus and determination as we bring to the external art howcan we not become better people, better teachers, better friends, parents,communities?

This thesis is an attempt tobegin the discussion of how we might define indomitable spirit. It is merely a jumping off point, not adestination. Each martial artist mustexamine and weigh how the definition of indomitable spirit might affectthem. It is an internal workout that canyield positive results if one is so inclined.

It is true that some of thegreat masters have attached the spirit side of the triangle to Zen. The word spirit is often attached to religiousbelief or conviction. This type ofspirit could be referred to as ‘eternal spirit’. While I believe that the sincere martialartist will eventually be led to eternal questions, I don’t think this is thekind of spirit referred to by the masters when they use the term indomitablespirit. It seems they are referring to astate of mind or attitude that can be described in terms other than religious.

Some have interpretedindomitable spirit – fudo shin inJapanese – as a property that allows us to accurately see what must be done andgives us the persistence to see the task through no matter what. Fudo shin is seen as the key that unlocks ourunlimited potential. This is the pointat which I think the interpretation hangs a left and veers off course. From here indomitable spirit becomes therough equivalent of invincible warrior and I am not convinced they are the samething.

Some of the great problemswe face in interpretation are language barriers between east and west. Translations between these languages aren’tas simple as one might assume. Thelanguages are so different that direct, literal translations are nearlyunintelligible. It’s like trying to readan Apple computer’s hard drive with a Windows based PC. Translators are stuck with the job ofinterpreting the central meaning of a given text often without the luxury ofinterviewing the original author. Overthe years they have met with greater and lesser successes. Often times, a number of translations are requiredbefore the rendered text begins to accurately convey the essential message inits new language.

Language barriers oftenreveal themselves as terms that a people with shared experience interpret thesame way. But imagine how the Americanterm “hang a left” might sound to someone with no knowledge of colloquialEnglish. Two questions come to mind;what did this left do to justify capital punishment and exactly what kind ofrope might one hang the aforementioned left with? We have a similar problem with conceptscoming from east to west. Often we don’tunderstand the deeper meaning in the turn of a phrase and are, therefore,denied the essential intent.

Then we have the problem ofinterpreting the interpretation. This islike playing the ‘Telephone Game’ where one person whispers a sentence into thenext person’s ear. By the time thesentence moves through a room full of people it often doesn’t even mean thesame thing anymore.

While context gives us someidea as to what indomitable means, it is instructive to see what the dictionarysays ”…Incapable of being overcome, subdued, orvanquished; unconquerable.” Many haveinterpreted this definition to mean that one who possesses indomitable spiritis unconquerable. Does having indomitablespirit really mean one is incapable of being defeated? Probably not. As I mentioned before, having an indomitable spirit isn’t the same thingas being an invincible warrior. Ibelieve the concept of the invincible warrior has been superimposed over theterm Indomitable Spirit giving us a muddled interpretation.

Movies and TV aswell as stories passed down from teacher to student regale us with tales of theinvincible warrior. The incantation thatpropels our hero goes something like this: “…fight with honor, and you will win”. Let’s take a closer look at this idea. One can assume at least someJapanese soldiers during WWII were imbued with indomitable spirit. Despite the aims of their militarydictatorship they fought with honor yet Japan eventually lost the war. The force of technology and numbers overcameindomitable spirit.

For that matter,we’ve all known great fighters who lost matches despite having indomitablespirit. I think, sadly, of the time afew years ago when a young Tae Kwon Do champion was killed by someone whohijacked his car and stabbed him with a screwdriver on Franklin Avenue inMinneapolis, Minnesota. It’s easy to see that great skill and/or supremeconfidence doesn’t always amount to invincibility. Moving from the battlefield to business, wecan all find examples of honorable business people who have failed.

The key toclearing up our thinking is in the term itself; Indomitable Spirit; there is nomention of invincible warrior. I believesuperimposing invincible warrior over indomitable spirit does a great disservice. For clarity’s sake another term must be foundto more clearly define what we mean when we say indomitable spirit in order toseparate it from invincible warrior.

As an aside, itis important to remember victory and success can be defined in a number ofdifferent ways. There are such things assmall victories, moral victories and ethical victories which may be revealed ininverse proportion to winning or losing in a contest be it school, sport orbusiness. Internal victories may not bemeasured by the same standards as external victories.

For instance,one student cheats to come out ahead in a contest while another refuses tocheat and loses. Who really won? The person who uses fraudulent means toensure external victory may gain another “W” for their win column, prizes,accolades and/or money, but by sacrificing virtue for an external victory thecheater has diminished their spirit. Inessence, the act of taking a short cut to victory has rendered the cheat lesscapable of negotiating life at large. Manypersonal and societal ills could be traced to taking a short cut instead offollowing the true path. By not seekingthe true good, the entire person is diminished. The reverse is true for thehonorable student.

Also, therelative values of internal and external victories change as the circumstancesof the contests change. In aself-defense situation, where someone is applying unlawful force to another,the external victory for the defender is paramount. That being said; I would suggest that if wehave done our internal work properly we give ourselves a better opportunity torecognize trouble before it becomes a physical contest and are more able totake early steps to prevent a violent confrontation altogether.

So, what are theattributes of this internal indomitable spirit? It seems to me the indomitable spirit never gives up on itself; it knowsthere is always more to learn and better ways to apply knowledge. Another way to say it might be ‘UnquenchableSpirit’. This is the spirit that alwaysstrives for virtue – no matter the won/loss record.

The obvious nextquestion is how can we acquire indomitable spirit? One way is via ”…the ecstasy of sweating in the dojo” asShoshin Nagamine, the great Shorin Ryu sensei, put it; by committing ourselvesto excellence, self-discipline and thoughtful consideration of all aspects ofmartial arts training.

This requires usto go beyond simple technical training. We must dig deeper to consider the mindsets of attacker anddefender. We must commit ourselves toresearching techniques that will function in the real world and not give upuntil we have. Moreover, we mustconsider the telltale signs that warn us of trouble and take action that willprevent a violent encounter.

The indomitablespirit may not result in an invincible warrior. But it can be a catalyst for positive change in us, our friends, family,and society at large. It can help us seewhat needs doing and give us the fortitude to finish what we start. The indomitable spirit, the unquenchablespirit expects the best, works for the best and never gives in tohopelessness. Perhaps the indomitablespirit; the unquenchable spirit is the spirit of hope.

Thoughts? I’d love to hear them.

Martial Arts Explorer - V3 P7

2010-02-19T00:15:56Z

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Martial Arts Explorer - V3 P7

2010-02-19T00:13:00Z

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Exploring practical self defense technique

as found in classical martial arts of all styles

Martial Arts Explorer - V3 P6

2010-02-12T14:38:00Z

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Exploring practical self defense technique

as found in classical martial arts of all styles

Update 2.11.10

2010-02-12T00:30:00Z

Martial Arts Explorer - V3 P5

2010-02-10T18:24:00Z

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‘aliveness’ in martial arts training

2010-02-10T17:22:00Z

I’ve run across a number of remarks calling for ‘aliveness’ in martial arts training. People seem to throw the term around casually as if everybody agrees on what “aliveness” means. After some additional reading and reflection I believe we are lacking an accurate definition of the term. It is extremely important that our terms are clear to avoid misunderstanding and sloppy thinking.

I believe that ‘aliveness’ must refer to a techniques efficacy in a given context. In my thinking context is everything. In one context a simple pop to the solar plexus will be all one needs. In another context it will take every fiber of your being, every ounce of energy and every technique you know just to stay alive. In yet another context the problem is solved by leaving the area and going someplace safe.

In one instance a palm extended toward a potential attacker followed by the word “Stop!” said loudly enough for everyone to hear will work perfectly; in that context the technique is ‘alive. Try the same technique in another context and it is dead … and you’re injured or worse. Therefore ‘aliveness’ is determined by context.

Some who are calling for‘aliveness’ seem to suggest that any technique that will not work against an all out attack – such as a bull rushing,machete wielding, berserker ninja – is DEAD technique. Yet in actual situations I’ve used very subtle techniques like finger locks, goose necks or the word “Don’t!” to put my– would be – attacker at a serious disadvantage … enough to dissuade them from continuing. I’ve actually grabbed some by one of the nerve bundles under the arm with enough force to induce pain compliance. They weren’t happy, but they stopped. The technique didn’t feel very dead to me OR my opponent.

I’ve also noticed and intriguing tactic when discussing ‘alive’ and ‘dead’ techniques. Often the person complaining about the technique will change the scenario in order to ‘prove’ the techniques ineffectiveness. I’ve actually had someone tell me that a finger lock would not work because if the attacker’s intent was to cause real harm a simple finger lock wouldn’t stop him. My answer was; true enough, but finger pointing is not the ballistic portion of an assault. Finger pointing is a precursor to an assault, an intimidation tactic; and the perfect time to take pre-emptive action. Secondly, if the attacker wanted to do me real harm, that’s what he’d be doing; then my choice of technique would change. Changing the scenario to ‘prove’ a technique won’t work is false reasoning. It’s a straw man. Once the scenario changes … the technique MUST change, it’s as simple as that.

Assault statistics tell us that even the implied use of force is enough to give some attackers second thoughts. OK … class, please take out the study from Florida State University professors Jongyeon Tark and Gary Kleck titled RESISTING CRIME: THE EFFECTS OF VICTIMACTION ON THE OUTCOMES OF CRIMES. If you don’t have a copy, you need one; you’ll find it in the journal CRIMINOLOGY Volume Number 42 Number 4 2004 (call ‘em, it’s $7 or $8bucks if they fax it to you). In it you will discover that almost any self protective strategy (except trying to talk your way out of trouble) will likely result in your surviving the encounter. Don’t take my word for it, get a copy of the study and see for yourself.

So, what’s the deal? People keep saying we have to have a clear understanding of how the world really is;all the while throwing scenarios at us that almost NEVER occur. I understand ‘worst case scenario’ training and encourage it … how about some ‘most likely case scenario’ training? How about an escalating use of force continuum? That’s what we teach our students.

Martial Arts Explorer - V3 P4

2010-02-10T17:16:00Z

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Martial Arts Explorer - V3 P3

2010-02-07T16:22:00Z

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a brief case for classical martial thought: stepping back to move forward

2010-02-07T16:16:00Z

For the purposes of this article the term‘traditional’ will refer to the martial arts systems brought from Japan,Okinawa and later, China to the US after World War II. The term ‘classical’ will refer to those systems in their complete (historical, original) form passed from family member to family member and master to student.

Following WWII many US servicemen were introduced to the martial arts of Japan and Okinawa. Many who trained in karate were excited about it and naturally wanted to bring this wonderful new experience home. Their instructors demanded they maintain the purity of the systems they were taught. Nothing could be changed, nothing could be added and nothing could be subtracted. It was paramount that these traditional forms be adhered to in the strictest sense.

The American servicemen followed their master’s orders to the letter. But what these dedicated American karate-ka (karate students) didn’t know is they had been taught an incomplete and therefore, inferior form of karate…the form taught only to beginners or school children.

The Japanese weren’t about to give away a significant portion of their national identity to the enemy. Some of the systems were family treasures passed only within the family group and guarded carefully. No one in their right mind would give something that valuable to the enemy.

But American servicemen would pay good money to be taught karate. So, many instructors taught kids’ karate to servicemen who had no way of knowing better.

Protecting the ‘family’ treasure from outsiders was operative in China as well. In both cultures xenophobia played a part in preventing the systems from being transmitted to outsiders in their entirety.

Beyond protecting family treasures is the problem that some teachers didn’t teach the complete art because they didn’t know the complete art. They had stopped their personal training and truncated their knowledge base. They couldn’t pass on what they didn’t know.

This was exacerbated in Japan due to the war. Many of Japans finest martial artists died in combat. This created a vacuum that was filled, in part, by the ‘instant black belt’. These were people who would train with a qualified instructor in the morning and teach the same technique to their students in the evening.

But that’s not all. Quite a number of sensei purposely taught flawed technique that would make the student who attempted to employ it vulnerable. This may have been done to protect the system from outsiders or to protect the instructor’s aura of invincibility (ego).

When the American karate-ka brought these traditional arts to the US, they had no way of knowing they weren’t teaching the complete systems. They taught what they had been taught, and did it well.

Sometime in the last 20 or30 years, a change began because the wisdom of the martial arts was being lost. Some of the old masters in China and Japan were dying and taking their ‘secret’ techniques with them. A few very forward thinking teachers began to share their treasures with the rest of the world. It took a lot of courage to break with tradition but the break was necessary if the classical arts were to be preserved.

These techniques contain the keys to unlock the systems and bring martial arts around the world into the new millennium. The master key is classical thought. In classical thought a technique must function, it’s that simple. If it does not work we must ensure we have performed it correctly. If the technique then works we add it to our knowledge base. If it does not work we discard it and continue searching for a technique that will work.

Functional techniques are readily available in book, video and seminar form, thoughtful study and reason should be employed as guides. Sharing and comparing techniques with martial artists outside one’s own school or system will lead to additional insights and growth. Our minds must be open to seeing new possibilities in ancient arts.

This isn’t as easy as it sounds. Challenging long held beliefs and traditions will put many on the defensive. People have a difficult time changing the structure of their thinking. It’s jarring and upsetting in some cases. Some egos will be bruised in the process. But a bruised ego isn’t the worst fate a martial artist can suffer. The worst fate for a martial artist is to be found irrelevant.

The benefit of ‘Classical Martial Thought’ is functional martial arts systems that bring students to a deeper understanding of their art, themselves and their place in the universe. We have been given an opportunity and a choice. We can hold onto the traditional, incomplete systems taught since WWII or we can step back and allow the historical, functional, classical arts to inform and influence our practice and technique. By stepping back we can move boldly into the future.

In closing, a poem;

Attend life within

Free the mind, accept the truth

Attend life without

Martial Arts Explorer - V3 P2

2010-02-07T15:40:00Z

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Martial Arts Explorer - V3 P1 Supplemental

2010-02-07T14:56:00Z

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