Thursday, December 26, 2013
Didn't get what you wanted this Christmas?
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Martial Thoughts Episode II-pt. 2 Show Notes
Episode II-pt. 2 Show Notes
Introduction Music: Theme from "Enter the Dragon" by Lalo Schifrin
News: This Week in Martial Arts
Story One
Matt Fiddes
Michael Jackson
Uri Geller
The Amazing (James) Randi
Ed Parker
Elvis Presley
(Steven) Seagal
(Lyoto) Machida
(Anderson) Silva
Bruce Lee
Kareem Abdul-Jabar
David Lee Roth
Montley Crue "Too Young to Fall in Love"
Roxanne Pallet
Peter Andre
Jessica White
Tito Jackson
Daniel Lloyd
News Story 2
Black Dragon Martial Arts Association
Tactical Hapkido/Universal Tae Kwon Do Alliance
Black Dragon Special Forces
Ron van Clief
News Story 3Chris "Dark Guardian" Pollak
Hero
Guardian Angels
(Teenage Mutant) Ninja Turtles
Pantera
Wraith
Will I Am
Robert Earl Kieth
Alex Castro
Stand Your Ground Law
Trayvon (Martin)
Keanu Reeves
Tiger Chen
The Matrix
Ali Khan
The Raid
Pencak Silat
Top 5 Martial Arts Movies that are so Bad, they're Good
Jaredd's List
Rick
With a Bullet
Jim Kata
Ninja Master
American Ninja (1-4)
Phoenix Force
Silent Death
Plinio
The Last Ninja
Mega Force
Tony
People Mentioned
Sho'Nuff
Chuck Norris
Bruce Lee
Jean-Claude Van Damme
(Rudy) Ray Moore
Michael Dudikoff
Margret Cho
Lee van Clief
Sho Kosugi
Sony Chiba
James Bond
Shaw Brothers
Run Run Shaw
Jackie Chan
Chuck Norris Jeans
Grizzly Adams
Guy on a Buffalo (Youtube)
Dolph Lundgrin
Brandon Lee
atemicast@gmail.com
martialthoughts@gmail.com
www.thinkingmartial.blogspot.com
Monday, December 23, 2013
Martial Thoughts Episode II-pt 1 Show Notes
See I told you we'd figure this out. The only problem is that we are apparently very talkative. As the episode was about 2 hours long, we broke it up into two one-hour segments. The first half is our discussion topic. The second half is Martial Arts News and our Top 5: Best, Worst Martial Arts movies.Besides iTunes, you can download it directly from here.
Episode II pt. 1 Show Notes
Introduction Music-Theme from "Enter the Dragon" by Lalo Schifrin
Introductions
www.atemicast.com
Discussion-What is Ki?
Ki (japanese)/Chi (Chinese)
Internal Energy
Mana
Shaolin Monks
Fight Science
Stan Lee's Superhuman
Dr. Moses Powell
Mr. Miyagi
Amazing (James) Randi
Ancient Aliens
True Tales of Martial Arts
Gokkyu
Swine Flu
Doc (Philip Chenique)
Kubi tori
Kote gaeshi
Blockbuster Video Stores
Pink Panther + Kato
Scanners
Tameshigiri
The Unfettered Mind
"The Master is envious of the Amateur's Confidence"
Closing Music:
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
We're on iTunes!
Bruce Lee was Wrong...and Right
Or: Why martial arts have styles
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| The man had style... |
The style exists as a learning model.
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| www.journalofasianmartialarts.com |
Someone once told me there's no kicking in aikido...
Overall, the Mr. Lee's idea was right. At some point in your training you should get a nagging feeling that there is more. When I say eventually, I'm talking about after going through the curriculum and have a very good experiential knowledge of the principles, theories, tactics, and techniques of your art. Now you can gain an appreciation of the limitations of the system. In terms of self-defense, you should never limit yourself to anything. The answer to self-defense is "whatever it takes." For example, aikido does have strikes in the system, they are often hidden, and not taught that way, but if you know how, and where, to look they are there. However, I've never seen kicking included in any aikido school. Kicking has its place in martial arts. Every tactic in martial arts is like a tool in your toolbox. A hammer is really great at pounding in nails, but it sucks at screwing in screws. You need a different tool for that. Kicking is kind of like that. It is great is great in long range, not so great in clinching. Some tools can be made to serve other purposes. You could use a wrench to pound in nails, but it really isn't designed for it. Martial tactics again work the same way. The overall idea is, keep as many tools in your toolbox as possible. When you need the right tool, it'll be there. Some styles naturally have a limitation of use of certain tactics (limited tools). Study the limitations, but don't become entrenched in the dogma of the system to where you don't know the other tactics. When you need to use a tactic, use it. Even if it is not "very aikido to kick."P. S. The opening line of this section has a second part to it. I read this one statement (I have no idea where), that said "Someone once told me there's no kicking in aikido... so I kicked him again." I
Friday, December 13, 2013
Martial Thoughts Episode I
You can download it directly here from podcastgarden.
WARNING: Explicit Lyrics!! This is an entertainment show not intended for minors, or those easily offended.
Martial Thoughts: Episode I-Definition of Martial Arts Show Notes
Introduction Music
Theme from “Enter
the Dragon” by Lalo Schifrin
Introduction Section
Martial Arts
Mentioned
Chendokan Aikido
Sogetsu ryu
Kenjutsu
Judo
Aikikai Aikido
Jun Rhee’s Tae
Kwon Do
Shaolin Kung Fu
Fuju Pow-Tiger
Claw
Sanuces ryu
Jujutsu
Atemi Arnis Kuntao
Shotokan Karate
Kendo
People
Doctor Philip
Chenique
Doctor Moses Powell
Other
Defining Martial Arts
People
Bruce Lee
Other
Samurai
MMA
Sumo
Sumo-tai
Penceck Silat
Fightquest
Boxing
Soccer
Martial Sport
European Martial
Arts
Native American
Martial Arts
Buckskin Gi
Jeet Kun Do
Rex Kwon Do
Krav Maga
Shaolin Temple
Top 5 Samurai Movies
Jaredd’s List
1.
Seven Samurai
2.
Yojimbo
Rick’s List
1.-3. The SamuraiTrilogy
4. ShinsengumiSeries (2004)
5. When the LastSword was Drawn (2003)
(Taboo)
Tony’s List
1.
47 Ronin
2.
Yojimbo
4.
Shogun (TV series)
5.
Samurai 7(Anime)
6.
Bleach (Anime)
(Black
Samurai)
Plinio’s List
3.
Kagemusha
(Ran)
5.
Samurai Jack
(RedSun)
Other
Toshiro Mifune
Metalpocalypse
Akira Kurasawa
Clint Eastwood
Oda Nobunaga
Jim Kelly
News
Misoula Missouri
Boys and Girls Club
Dog Pound Fight
Team
New Hampshire
Martial Artists Kick Breast Cancer
Fusion Training
Center or Exeter, New Hampshire, KI
Ninja: Shadow of a
Tear (2013)
Kane Kosugi
Ninja (2009)
Diggin DaDownloads at the Atemicast network
Cinema Abyss at the Atemicast network
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
In the not too distant future...
COMING SOON TO AN iTUNES NEAR YOU (and eventually other podcast sharing utensils as well)
My friends (you'll meet them) and I have been working hard to start up a martial arts podcast. We're going to call it the "Martial Thoughts Podcast." It is going to be a collection of discussion topics, interviews, and movie/book reviews all geared towards martial arts and martial artists.Our Goal is to talk about martial arts and martial ideas in an open format so that we can learn new things about different martial philosophies and practices. We want it to be like talking to your friends at the dojo over an adult beverage of choice. Our interviews have been going well, and we're always looking for new subject material. So if you know someone, doesn't have to be famous, that would be a good martial arts interview, let us know (martialthoughts@gmail.com). We're hoping that after we get going, we'll have listener feedback. We want the show to be as interactive as possible. At some point in the future, we even want to have live Google+ Hangout chats with listeners as we record the episode.
We have a couple of episodes recorded, and are now working on getting them online. They should be up in a week or so, right before the holidays. (Merry Christmas?) Once they are officially online, I'll let everyone know, and then you can tell your friends about it, and we can grow large and slowly take over the podcasting world (Mu ha ha!). Or you can just enjoy them and give us some feedback.
What is a "Complete" Martial Art?
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| O-Sensei striking |
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| Putin doing Judo (looks like striking...) |
Whether it is punching, kicking, elbow strikes, or eye gouges, there has to be some percussive techniques in martial art. In aikido, O-Sensei is often quoted as saying "70% of aikido is atemi."1 In aikido and jujutsu we use the strike as a distraction for the real technique, or as a quick pain to give a brief second of time to perform a lock or throw. Some arts have come to specialize in the percussive parts of the art, or practice the striking as a sport aspect. Tae Kwon Do goes to an extreme in this and specializes in the kicking aspect of striking, again for the sport aspect.
Tai Sabaki/Whole Body Movements
Whole body movement encompasses a couple of different ideas, all lumped under one heading. The general idea is body movement in relation to the opponent, often to get out of the way of an attack. It includes cutting angles, getting to the dead side, and moving your body of the line of attack. These are mainly represented in Jujutsu and Aikido by irimi and tenkan.
Nage Waza/Throwing Techniques
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| http://www.londonjujitsu.com/girls%20article.htm |
Joint locks are another necessary part of a martial art. Aikido and jujutsu often uses joint locks to lead to throws. Because strength is not a defining factor, this is one of the ways that smaller people can use martial arts on larger people. There are basically two categories of join locks, based on the joint that is being manipulated. Large joint locks, and small joint locks. Large joint are things like the shoulder or elbow. Small joints are things like wrists, fingers, or ankles. These are generally controlling techniques, however, with additional pressure, they can be used to break people as well. This covers a lot of grappling techniques, both ground grappling and standing grappling.
Ukemi/Receiving
These maybe something specific to throwing arts, but as a personal opinion, something like this should be in every martial art. Ukemi is almost a whole art in itself. It is the art of safely receiving a technique. This will often be how to safely fall from a throw. I think this should be in the list because of all the things I've learned in martial arts, falling is the one I use the most often. Being able to fall and not injure yourself is an important life skill in general.
Buki/Weapons
I know not all martial arts have a weapons program in their curricula, but I think this should be part of anyone's knowledge who wants to call themselves a martial artist. I've already written on why the study of weapons is an important. But suffice to say, it should be part of your studies, in my opinion.
Footnotes
1 Aikido Groundfighting: Grappling and Submission Techniques by Walther G. Von Krenner, Damon Apodaka, and Ken Jerimiah
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
How long does it take to get a black belt?
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| Belts for Sale? |
Answer 1: "If you pay me $12.00, I'll go to the back and get you one now." I always say this one with a smile.
Answer 2: "How long does it take to catch a fish?" This is my answer if I'm feeling particularly philosophical.
 |
| Mastery by Robert Greene, worth the read |
So now I have a new answer for this question. "10,000 hours of mindful practice."
Monday, November 25, 2013
How Many Weapons Do You Have?
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| Not mine, but I love the 300 sword at the bottom. |
 |
| Yawara |
Second I went to my bathroom. I had said this was the only room in my house without a weapon. I found out through moving, that a toilet plunger hurts when its dropped on your foot. It works like a club. There, I weaponized the bathroom. Almost everything can become an improvised weapon when it needs to be. Roll up a magazine and fold it in half. There now you have a club. I've even seen someone stab through a watermelon with a rolled up newspaper.
My point is, everything can be a weapon. You just have to think about them that way. As humans we tend to think in terms of categories. It's hardwired into us. We place items into categories of use. Go for a minute and look into a tool box. Most of them are filled to the brim with improvisable weapons. Just change your perception. For your own safety do it now, before the adrenalin starts to flow and you can't think. Walk around your place, or office, or where ever you spend a large amount of time, and find all the weapons you can. You'll be amazed how many there are.
Anyone got a good story of improvised weapons use?
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Wanted: Martial Arts Instructor
 | |
| Indiana Jones teaching |
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| Ip Man and his student Bruce Lee |
Class Size
Class size may play the biggest role in how you teach. If you are in front of a class with only a couple of students, then the interaction will be more personal. You will be able to deal with the individual's needs. What does Bob need to work on to become a better at Kung Fu? Maybe he's quicker at learning forms, but needs a longer time with learning and seeing applications. Mary may be better at applying the form, but needs to work on her conditioning. With small class size, you can split your time between both of these extremes. In larger classes, there are too many people to fully gain individual instruction. A good teacher will tend to teach to the middle ground in this situation. They will work with ideas and concepts that everyone needs practice with.
Different Learning Styles
Modeling
Modeling is a method of teaching by demonstrating. This is the most common method of instruction in martial arts. The instructor demonstrates a technique, or principle, and then the student follows their example. The amount of explanation depends mainly on the system. From what I've heard, in the old school Japanese systems, the instructor would demonstrate the technique a couple of times, and without any explanation, tell the students to go practice. When the students got the techniques I believe they were able to internalize them a lot more than we do today. I think our western brains require us to intellectualize something before we can do it. We have to have explanations. If you teach, try it both ways, and find your own happy balance between explanation and intuitively learning the technique.
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| Teaching means you learn more. |
Teach what you know
One of the biggest pitfalls of instruction is ego. It is OK to not know everything. One of the weirdest situations I've ever encountered was a fellow high school science teacher. When he didn't know an answer, he was so scared of looking foolish or ignorant in front of students that he'd make answers up. Many times he was dead wrong with his answers. When a student would try to, politely mind you, call his answer wrong, he'd have to back-peddle, and flub his response, which made him look more foolish. It is much wiser to say "You know I'm not sure, let's find out." Students will have more respect if you don't know an answer, but can point them in the direction to find it.
As part of this idea, don't go beyond yourself. Don't try to instruct a subject you don't understand, that you haven't internallized. You can teach a form, but unless your sure of yourself, don't try to reach beyond your understanding and teach the applications of the form, your students will know. Remember they have a lot of practice being students.
There are lots of other hints that people can give to newly minted instructors. There are whole fields of psychology dedicated to the methods of how the human brain learns. These are just a few pointers. Because I've met many great martial artists, who cannot teach what they know effectively and that means their information is trapped. It cannot reproduce itself in the next generation. And that is a real problem for their art.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Right, Wrong, and Respect in Martial Arts
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| "Sonkei" Respect |
"So where I train BJJ some aikido guys roll on the mats when we arent there. I left my gi there so i went to pick it up while Aikido was having a class, because the doors would be open then. You hafto cross over the mat to get to the locker room. I quietly entered the building, took my shoes off and proceeded to cross along the very edge of the mat against the wall where nobody was. About 3 steps in I was yelled at by one of the students, "BOW WHEN YOU GET ON THE MAT!". I did not want to be disrespectful but I also wasnt gonna bow to a picture of some guy on the wall so i simply turned and said "No dude" and kept walking. On my way back I was confronted by the instructor, a 7th dan black belt. He questioned me briefly, asked why i was there and why i didnt bow etc. It seemed like he wanted to fight me. I could tell he wanted me to back down so he could look tough with all his students watching but he seemed like a bitch so i just kept moving closer and staring back as he tried to stare me down. After a couple seconds of that he went back to his class and i left.
My question is, had it come down to a fight, could I guy with 2 years bjj experience and a strength advantage beat a 7th dan black belt in aikido?"
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=5611771
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| Brazilian Jiu Jutsu |
First off, this is one side of the story, so I'll take everything with a grain of salt.
I think people that behave like this, is what can gives MMA people a bad reputation in the minds of traditional martial artists. That being said, I know many MMA guys, BJJ practitioners, and other such martial artists who do not present this lack of respect for other arts.This guy shows no respect any other arts, or other martial ideas other than his. "some aikido guys roll on the mat when we arent there." This shows that the writer is ignorant of what aikido is doing, or what it is all about, and has no desire to learn what it is. I don't like watching baseball or basketball, but I respect the skills and effort that goes into mastering it.
 |
| I'm guessing this was the "some guy" on the wall |
This is where communication breaks down, and ego starts to get in the way. The aikidoka wanted to enforce their ideas onto a newcomer. I understand that for some schools, discipline and tradition are important, but explaining the importance usually works better than just yelling them at people. Especially Americans (I'm guessing he's American by the bad grammar). This is an old idea. When General Washington brought over Hessian officers to train the fledgling American army, they were aghast that Americans wanted to know why they doing everything, not just accepting the drills. The author then further works from a point of ego by flippantly disregarding the aikidoka's rather loud request. He shows his ignorance and lack of respect by referring to the picture of O-Sensei as "some guy on the wall." Although he's not wrong in not wanting to bow to someone he doesn't know, this goes back to the general lack of respect. If you were in a different part of the world, and they asked you to take your hat off in a church out of respect, I think most people would do it out of basic respect.
When the author came back, he was confronted by the class's Sensei. Who, according to the author wanted to fight him. But the aikido sensei kept backing up/down. It could be the author was right, and the Sensei had an egotistical need to appear tough before his students, or it could be that he was asking why he was being disrespectful. Either way, they both ended the conflict correctly. You'd be surprised how just walking can disrupt a conflict. Also, backing down when the conflict is unneccesary is also a good strategy.
Then the final kicker, the ultimate question "Who would win a fight?" I have never seen a fight that wasn't about ego. A fight doesn't have self-defense aspects to it. A fight is about defending face, trying to prove something to someone. This is not where martial arts lives. MMA is the ultimate expression of a fight. It seems to me, at the levels of competition I've seen, to be mostly about ego, money, and fame. All three things associated with martial arts right? There are some people I've talked to who practice other martial arts, and use the fight as a pure testing ground, but they seem to be the exception.
To be honest, I think the BJJ guy, with his superior physical conditioning would have won a fight for that reason alone. But so would an NFL linebacker whose never taken a martial arts class in his life. The physical aspect has a lot to do with it. But that's a subject for its own column.
The end result is both parties, the BJJ guy and the aikidoka did things that were both right and wrong behaviors. In the end there was too much ego involved, and a lack of respect by both sides. Smaller egos and increased respect are supposed to be part of the goals of martial arts, so unless they both used this as a growing experience, they both failed as martial artists.
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