Martial Arts Digest

Storytelling

2012-02-11T07:41:00.000+09:00

(Thanks for the inspiration Jeremy)

Riding back from class last night we started telling stories. For me, many of the trappings in my life have a story attached to them. This includes my class ring (great story), my chain and bracelet set, my watch, my wedding ring (of course) and many other things. Each time I look at them, I am reminded of some important event in my life.

As our lives go on, day by day, we are writing the story of ourselves. We have to ask "what kind of story will it be?" As authors of our own story, we have the freedom to choose. This is the most important point of living. Give any two people a pen and paper and have them watch the same thing. You will get two different accounts of what happened. This is what makes history unreliable. It is also what makes history fascinating. Real history is the history of PEOPLE. The story is always told from the standpoint of the storyteller, and includes only the things that storyteller thought were meaningful.

For some people, the story of them is always heartbreaking and sad. When you talk to them, the only stories they can give you are stories of what went wrong; of what tragedies they faced; of the despair they felt; of the failures they experienced. While we can sympathize for awhile, at some point those stories don't do much for us. There is no lesson in them, and hearing the stories makes us feel bad.

For others in the same circumstances, the same events bring stories of hope. They bring stories of accomplishment; of joy; of overcoming adversity. These stories inspire us and give us courage to face our own challenges. Every good story has challenges. Our hero or heroine must face hardship, but ultimately their will and strength of character prevails. Along the way they do things that even they thought were impossible. There are failures and setbacks, of course, but each one leads to another insight and a new approach to progress. We cheer for our protagonist as they take each step. We learn from them and become more in touch with ourselves.

In the end, I wish everyone a life filled with rich stories, and the insight to make those stories the kind that are worth telling over and over again. I hope for a Book of Life filled with adventure, love, fellowship, community, success, satisfaction, family, laughter, redemption. I WANT A STORY WORTH READING.

Don't you?

Resistance is Futile

2012-01-30T15:30:00.001+09:00

Resistance is futile. That's what The Borg say, anyway. Despite this, the Enterprise continues to resist --- successfully even, despite their many setbacks. It is in our human nature to aspire to prevail. However, there are two sides to this story, and one must ultimately consider "what are we resisting?"

Today at swim class, Yamada-coach talked about resistance. He talked about not fighting the water. We must co-operate with it to allow ourselves to pass through. This means always "thinking forward" (a lesson in and of itself), relaxing the body(again, a lesson in and of itself), and removing resistance to the water. By doing so, we pass smoothly and effortlessly, and go the maximum distance with the minimum effort (efficiency).
In hearing this, I began to consider whether or not mental resistance plays a factor in swimming.

We can consider two types of resistance to our progress through the water and, in fact, our progress through life: resistance of the body and resistance of the mind. resistance of the body is the inability to relax. It is any muscle tension which prohibits us from moving freely and expends energy needlessly and wastefully. Indeed, we should apply only that energy which is needed for a particular task, not more and not less. This is efficient. In the pool, this means streamlining our motion to reduce drag and pushing the water directly behind us, neither up nor down. In the dojo it means keeping the body relaxed until the moment of impact (kime).

At the same time, our state of mind can also cause resistance. We allow our preconception of situations and people to create our reality, and in doing so lose the possibility of viewing things with a child's mind, an open mind ready and willing to accept new ways, ideas, concepts and beliefs. This limits our human experience and narrows our abilities. It is inefficient.

In our training, we should focus on removing resistance whenever possible. This means allowing our mind and body to remain relaxed, and to allow our natural flexibility in human interactions, problem solving and, yes, in combat as well. Removing resistance is one important key to improving FLOW, both on and off the mat. What are you resisting? Is your resistance mental? Physical? Both?? How can you remove this resistance?

Resistance is Futile. Especially when your goal is success. Think about it.

Teacher and Student

2012-01-10T16:40:00.000+09:00

Master and Student. The relationship is as old as time itself. Over the past 30 years in and around martial arts I have seen many permutations. I have been a deshi (disciple) to two masters, and over time have become an instructor myself, although people calling me "sensei" still seems a bit out of place. I am yet to reach the level of "guro" in FMA, but I do my best to impart the essence of what my current master, Guro Fred Evrard, teaches in the curriculum of Kali Majapahit.

Most Westerners look with either awe or disdain at the master/student relationship.

We see movies like Karate Kid which show both sides: the evil master with his fanatical cult of followers who aspire to oppress the weak, but also the kindly master who teaches the underdog the true meaning of the martial arts and helps him find the strength in himself to overcome hardship and achieve victory.

This relationship has some implicit responsibilities for both parties. For the student, it involves coming to class regularly, on time and prepared, with clean uniform and open mind. It means giving 100% effort in every class to try to learn the skills and lessons the master gives. It means trying to experience first, rather than just immediately questioning things which are not readily apparent. It also means not being afraid to question in order to help find the deeper meaning which the master intends.

For the master, this relationship means teaching regularly, being on time and prepared for every class, with clean uniform and clean intention, teaching the class with passion and energy, and caring first and foremost about the students' progression rather than about glorifying yourself. It means being a good role model on and off the mats, and being careful never to abuse the enormous trust the students place in you.

The giving/receiving nature of this relationship has as its foundation a mutual respect between master and student. This is why we bow. Without the master, the student cannot find his way. Without the student, the master's knowledge cannot continue past his own mortality.

Not every relationship between master and student results in discipleship, which will be the subject of another post. However, both master and student should have no preconception of an end result, but rather allow the relationship to develop naturally, just as every relationship does between two people.

My own master shows me things I already know. He reminds me to be true to the path, giving me ocassional glimpses of what lies ahead, and is always an example of what I can be if I do not give up --- if I continue to heed his teaching, continue to train diligently and let myself become a better person. He is not just a better warrior, he is my spiritual guide, my mentor, and my "life coach" as I seek the path to my own happiness.

This relationship is a sacred one and should remain so. Both parties have a role to play and a responsibility to each other. This balance is Yin/Yang and in accordance with the traditional Asian view of things --- two parts forming a whole.

Trained and Determined

2012-01-08T12:55:00.000+09:00

There are many ways to try to quantify the uncertainty of what happens in a violent encounter. One way I use to explain is via the phrase "trained and determined".

Trained and Determined has several aspects. First of all, we have to look at ourselves, which is the part of the equation we can control. Being traing and determined means that we have received proper training. Not just a knowledge of technique, but also training to develop appropriate reflex and response, manage stress, use psychology, have a sense of caution, and physical conditioning, In short, we have developed every aspect of ourselves as warriors. Secondly is determination. This means our commitment to being someone who survives an encounter. It means not giving up - knowing there is always something that can be done. It means developing a confident mentality and willpower that allow us to do whatever is needed to realistically assess and ultimately overcome the situation.

The other half of the equation which we cannot control are these attributes in our attacker. While many systems assume an untrained attacker, it is always wise to accept that someone willing to attack you might have training at least equal to your own. There is a big difference between a bar brawler and an MMA cage fighter (or skilled CIA field agent). In our training this means exploring the highest percentage reversals/counters of our techniques and training to flow when things go wrong. It also includes continuing to develop our knowledge through practicing with people of diverse martial backgrounds.

Determination is the second factor. As I wrote in other posts, often the attacker's primary motivation is not harm you or kill you. It is to get your property or money, to show they are not intimidated, or to express their anger or fear. These need not be life-threatening results. By contrast, a determined attacker (jealous husband/wife or suicide bomber, for example) may be unwilling to accept anything less than your injury or death. In such cases, we have no choice but to respond as needed to protect our safety or the safety of those around us. In this case, being proactive is completely justified.

Poorly trained assailants make mistakes. In the case of Twiggy Fromme, for example, failing to charge the slide of her Colt 1911 .45 auto meant that President Ford survived her attempt to assassinate him. The successful assassination of President Kennedy, by contrast, shows what can happen when an attacker is both trained and determined.

Lack of determination (or lack of training, for that matter) help us a lot, but can never be relied upon. We must assume until proven otherwise, that any attack on us is done by a skilled attacker with the express intent of causing us bodily harm and train accordingly. Hopefully none of us will ever be in this situation.

In the meantime, how well "trained and determined" are you??

Self Defense For Women

2012-01-08T12:05:00.002+09:00

In my previous post I highlighted some ways that violent offenders make fights unfair for their victims. Often this extends to choosing women as targets either directly (rape or domestic abuse) or indirectly (muggings or robbery). The fact is that even in peak physical condition most women are not the physical equals of men.

Not intending to restate the obvious here:

smaller height and weight
smaller primary muscle groups
socialization against violence
helpless or weak "victim" mindset
inappropiate dress for defense (short skirts, handbags, etc.)

In my previous post I listed many factors that help in a real self-defense situation.
For women, I would add even more:

proper choice of weapon
In general I don't recomment punching with the fist to any of my students (male or female). Although we learn this in our boxing, the chance of injury to the hand is higher than using the open hand or hammerfist to strike. For women, I suggest the fingernails when attacking soft targets like eyes or throat. Adding regular layers of nail strengthener can develop the claws' hardness to be very effective weapons. Kicking the low lines (especially foot stomp or low kick with heels) and CQB weapons like headbutt, elbows, and knees otherwise. While high heels can compromise the balance a bit, one of my former students in Chicago backkicked an assailant with her heel and it was as effective as stabbing with a knife.

proper choice of target
The most effective targets for women are eyes, throat, knees/feet and groin.
Of these, the groin needs some further explanation. Striking the groin, especially the proverbial "kick in the balls" is often touted as a one shot stop. This is hardly true.
It can work, yes, but needs to be spot on or it may only enrage the attacker. As a man, I can say that the fight goes up a few notches when someone aims for my balls. I get mad, and I want to completely destroy anyone who tries that on me and fails. This means it is a high risk, high reward strategy. If you miss, you have a much more serious fight on your hands. In addition, every man who has any experience at all knows to protect his groin. It is usually not an easily available target.

The best option for the groin is the grab. I suggest the palm heel hit, followed by grab, twist and pull. This has the highest chance of success and can work if attacker is in front or behind (bearhug or rear choke). Grabbing the groin causes a shock reaction in the mammalian part of the male brain that is more effective as a deterrent than a strike.

proper choice of technique
I resiterate here that simple is best. Eye jabs, throat hits, groin grabs, low line kicks to knees or top of the foot, knees/elbows/headbutts all have their place in women's self defense. Attacks which immobilize, such as low kicks or stomps, also can be effective since the goal is to escape the situation. I am not a huge fan of locks and grappling for women since most of the time they will lose on the ground, and proper locking under stress requires a lot of practice to be effective under pressure.

Weapons
There are some choices for women, given that they often carry handbags or purses. It is important to consider that it is not easy to draw a weapon under pressure, so it is best to have something which can be carried innocuously (such as kubotan key chain, dulo dulo or the like). I am personally not a huge fan of pepper sprays or stun guns, since there are plenty of stories of violent offenders who shrug these off and complete their assault. The heavy key chain is a good option since they keys add weight to punches and can be used to slash. An umbrella can also work if it is a solid heavy metal one.
Likewise, a heavy metal travel mug or thermos can be effective, too. A solid pen
or the classy Montblanc version can work well, too.

I don't advocate carrying knives or karambits, although this is surely better than being killed/raped. Likewise, guns are a no-no in my books, despite their effectiveness in the hands of a trained and determined user.

Sadly, women are often targets of violent crime. Good training, good mindset, and an "equalizer" or two can help make sure you or your better half walks away safely.

Practical Reality

2012-01-08T11:17:00.001+09:00

Let's talk reality. Have a look at this...
(thanks to http://www.pragmaticmartialarts.com/ for the video)

OK...training in the dojo can never be exactly what we would experience on the street.
For premeditated attacks such as muggings, rapes, and the like, the attacker will usually stack the odds as high as possible in their favor (wouldn't you?). Nobody likes a fair fight except the victim. This means:

choosing places with bad (or no) lighting
choosing places not visible with security cameras
choosing unstable terrain such as narrow alleys or hallways, stairs, elevators, etc.
attacking from a concealed position by ambush
attacking from the rear or rear side angles rather than the front
attacking in small groups of two or three assailants per victim
using weapons
using surprise or deception to lure victims

Every one of the above lowers your chance of success as a victim. While sparring can have some place in preparing for the reality of violent assault, what really saves your life in such situations is:

overcoming automatic stress and fear responses
our natural "fight or flight" response is part of our lower brain and evolved to help us survive predation. Automatic release of adrenaline helps give us the burst of speed/strength we need in such situations. Sadly, the downside is that this is a short-term benefit which comes at the cost of a loss of fine motor skills and clear, rational thinking. Mastery of the response can give a lot of benefit by using this energy to help overcome the ambush attack. For most people, lack of proper training causes this response to become panic and inaction, the classic "deer in the headlights" problem.

physical conditioning
This is simply not an option. To better your chances of survival you need to be in the best physical condition you can. While most real fights do not last 15 rounds, the stress can sap your strength very fast indeed. When your batteries run dry, you are finished. No matter how good your technique is, poor conditioning means a poor outcome. I have yet to see any champion fighter step in any ring successfully without good physical conditioning.

muscle memory
You will do what you drill. Complex drills are good to help break down mental walls and rewire ourselves for the benefit of ambidexterity and to create fluency in our empty hand and weapon techniques. This, however, must be balanced with constant drilling of very simple techniques so that they become automated responses under stress. Very important here are the specific movements you drill. If you drill cutting people's throats with the karambit, this is what will happen under stress, and is frequently used to villify martial artists in courtrooms when they are sued by the survivor's family. I suggest drilling the footwork heavily, since this makes a huge difference already. I also suggest drilling defensive responses like elbow cover and head management since these need not be lethal responses. Low line kicks are another useful muscle memory since they are non-lethal, but can really devastate an attacker when used correctly. I love weapon drills as much (or more) as anyone, but cannot honestly suggest drilling these into muscle memory. The risk of using excessive force is just too high.

simple techniques
Complex techniques are fun and challenging. They help us to get a deeper understanding of spatial awareness, and frankly, it is cool to do them. Honestly, these are not what will come out under stress. It will be the simple movements that work and that save you. As mentioned above, fine motor skills suffer under stress and complex techniques include many variables that will not always work in the heat of the moment.
KISS - keep it short and simple. Fast, direct, simple technique is what really works. No, these are not pretty, graceful or elegant. They are...effective.

awareness of your surroundings
If you review the list at the top, you can quickly see that a lot of benefit can be gained from avoiding those places where ambushes are likely to occur. When this is not possible, such as getting your car from the parking garage, be on alert that these are high percentage places for attack and act with caution. Go in groups and be prepared.
It goes without saying that some blame is due to victims who lack common sense and wander dark alleys late at night steaming drunk. It is wrong to say they are asking for trouble, but not wrong to suggest they are more likely targets of it.

proper use of individual and group pyschology
Luckily, in most attacks, causing injury or death is not the primary objective.
The attacker(s) want your wallet, your pride, or sex. The violence is a means to an end.
My wallet is not worth dying (or killing) for, and yours should not be either. The schoolyard bully example is an appropriate one in that the bully looks to prey on a weaker opponent, and usually the first bloody nose is enough to get him to seek another weaker victim. Attackers stack the odds, but also do not want someone to fight back.
Making it clear by your confident body language and posture that you are not a victim can often serve to cause attackers to choose another target. While I am a strong advocate of ethical self-defense, this is a secondary consideration for me when I am ambushed. I need to get out alive, and if that means serious harm to the attacker(s) then so be it. In a group situation this means doing as much damage as fast as possible to the nearest attacker in order to give pause to the others. I don't expect to always win in such a situation, but I will choose to go out swinging and making sure the winners know they are getting the best fight I can give.

There is no 100% success on the street. It is at best chaotic and unpredictable and at worst unforgiving and unfair. Anyone who claims otherwise is a liar (and most likely trying to sell you something). At best we train to increase our odds of survival, and hope we never have to find out.

That said, good training and a good mindset helps a lot.

Ratio-nality

2011-12-11T11:10:00.000+09:00

Let's talk about ratios - rational ratios.

This is that holiday time of year. A time when most people forego any kind of sensible habits in favor of enjoying the holidays to their fullest. December into January (in fact 4Q overall is pretty dangerous health-wise) is filled with year-end and New Year's eve parties. On top of that it is a bit chilly for getting outside and exercizing. Many people start the New Year with a few extra pounds to shed, and a fair amount of detox required to get back to the already poor health they were in after Thanksgiving's gorge-fest.

I strongly recommend people try to follow a ration of 95:5 for their diet where 95% of the time they eat meals which are whole-foods plant based. The other 5% of the time eating anything they like. Of course, 100:0 is the best ratio and a great target to have, but unrealistic for most of us. This would mean that for 21 meals a week, only 1 of them would (should) contain processed foods or animal products in it. This is an optimal balance that will yield the best possible health benefits.

There is a famous study done by a nutritionist who lost a lot of weight eating only twinkies. Yes, twinkies. Before I get a lot of fools sending me mails on this, read the article. He is a professor who did the test on himself to research calorie counting (which works). HE DOES NOT recommend it to anyone, and neither do I. People lose weight through meth addiction as well, and I don't suggest that as a successful strategy either.

Even without being mathematical about it, simply trying your best to make every meal healthy whenever possible makes a big difference. I often see people show a lot of restraint when out to dinner with family, friends, co-workers/clients. They make a big deal out of saying "Oh, I am trying to lose weight/eat healthy". In fact, rather than cause discomfort at the table, it would be far better for that person to be very healthy every meal they eat alone or at home. Then, when they go out, they need not stress about eating what they want or what others are having.

Since most of us eat breakfast at home (or should, anyway) , this is a great place to start. Give up bacon/sausage/eggs/milk/coffee. Instead try for 3 months to eat only whole, plant-based foods --- fruits and naturally sweetened fruit juices. If you like yogurt, go Greek/plain unsweetened and top with fruit or fruit puree if desired. For hot breakfasts, try oatmeal with fruit on top. Drink unsweetened Chinese tea/Japanese green tea or water instead of coffee or sweetened drinks. In three months I promise you a huge difference right there.

The next meal to go after is lunch. I typically prepare a nice big salad and take it into work. If it seems not enough, bring a bigger one. For undressed salads, you can eat as much as you want. Choose low calorie dressings and be minimal so you can enjoy the lovely taste of your veggies. I am also a big fan of veggi dips such as hummus, and often pack those with whole grain flatbreads for dipping. The classic Japanese combo of rice, miso soup, pickles/kimchi, tofu always does me right and offers a lot of variety especially if I have a small salad with it.

Try to eat such kinds of healthy lunches whenever you are not obliged to go out with co-workers or clients. After you have conquered breakfast (give yourself 3 months to get the habits set) start working on lunch by picking one day a week (such as Monday) and making that "salad day". After a week or two to adjust, add another day. The another.
In 3 months you should have your routine set to healthy whole foods, plant-based breakfasts and lunches every day. This is already 2/3 or your meal intake and a fantastic adjustment to better health. The last step is preparing quick, healthy dinners at home anytime you are not obliged to eat out.

By following the above, you can get to the proper guideline ratio and greatly improve your health. Not doing so increases your exposure you to the modern killers of our time: heart disease, cancer, diabetes. All of these are directly linked; scientifically linked, to consumption of animal products and processed foods.

One of the most important goals is to get to a ratio that lets you avoid feeling guilt over anything you eat or drink. If 95% of the time you are eating whole foods, plant based meals, the other 5% will not do you any noticeable harm. The counter argument is also true. If 95% of the time you eat highly processed animal products, the 5% of the time you decide to have a Caesar salad will not save you from modern society's lethal diseases or give you greater longevity.

Choose Life.

Happy Holidays!

Low Down

2011-11-25T09:26:00.001+09:00

Today our training group starts the new cycle. In cycle 2, we will be working on Sikaran, kicking, specifically the low kick.

This is one of my favorite techniques. Done correctly, it combines devastating power with fast deployment and is very difficult to block when thrown full power. On the street, this can be all it takes to end the fight, and can succeed even when thrown into the thigh rather than destroying the knee joint (which can cause permanent damage).
The low kick can be done with either leg.

Tactically, the low kick is very useful for helping to drop the opponent's guard and opening up the higher lines by drawing the attention to these painful kicks. Not much hip flexibility is required, and the large muscles of the legs can do a lot more damage than punching.

The keys to executing the low kicks well are:

correct distance --- achieved by use of the set-up step to adjust range
correct power --- achieved by proper base leg placement and hip rotation
correct counterbalance --- achieved by using the hands to keep balance during rotation
correct focus --- following the kick through the target past the opponent's leg
correct angle --- striking perpendicular to the target rather than angled

This kick can be delivered to the inside or outside of the opponent's legs, and when usinbg the full step can even be used to attack the opponent's rear or base leg, which is particularly effective (called "cut kicking"). The principal targets for this attack are the knee, the thigh, and the sciatic nerve found on the outside seam of the pant leg.

I especially like attacks to the sciatic nerve since a strong direct hit can result in knockout, which is high effectiveness for a leg attack. Even a proximity hit to the sciatic line can cause numbness and loss of sensation in the limb, which can be enough to finish the fight. a quick look on youtube will reveal examples of how effective these can be.

Rather than being a headhunter, which looks cool in movies but is risky on the street, low line kicks offer a great weapon for men or women, can be learned relatively quickly, and have devastating effect when used correctly. Their usefulness should not be ignored.

See you in class.

Pugs and the Art of Visualization

2011-11-21T14:00:00.000+09:00

This is a pug.
We have one, too, named Butch.

The other night Butch was laying on top of my chest sleeping and dreaming about a big, delicious bone, or whatever pugs dream about. He felt heavy.

An adult pug weighs between 8 and 10 kg. Butch weighs about 8.7kg as of his last visit to the vet. That's when it struck me --- the amount of weight I lost after losing my job is only slightly more than this adult pug on my lap.
I used to walk around with an extra 8.7 kg (more, actually) of meat on me! Suddenly I felt shocked. It was a concrete way of visualizing what I had lost through diet, exercize, and stress management. An adult pug. MY pug. I felt very good about my results so far, and motivated to keep going until I hit my desired weight (about another half-pug to go!)

Numbers on their own mean very little - it is when we give them context that they start to become important information. How much weight would you like to lose to be at your ideal body size and shape? Can you find a proxy in the physical world to refer to? (hopefully not an adult Indian elephant or polar bear!) This kind of exercize can really help you set your goals and realize what those numbers actually mean. It is important not to use this exercize to become discouraged or depressed. Rather, it puts a realism to how hard it is to go through our daily routine when we are overweight, even by 5kg or so.

Proper visualization is an essential part of success. What do YOU use?

Blank Canvas

2011-11-14T08:44:00.000+09:00

Blank canvas can be awfully hard to fill.

Friday I tested our group on what they have learned in this cycle. We filmed their work on sinawali 2-6 with double sticks, sinawali 2-6 entry and application in kadena de mano, and sinawali 2-6 applications in panantukan.

Overall the test was good, and I can see strong foundations in their basics for all three areas.

For kadena de mano, I had them begin with each entry 2-6 and then find their own solutions and follow ups to create several examples of flow. This proved a bit more challenging than just repeating the techniques they learned from rote memory.

Now, given a blank canvas, you must CREATE.

This is at once the most difficult yet most important aspect of FMA in general, and of Kali Majapahit in particular. I have referenced this point in numerous other posts, but I feel I have to again go back again to how central this is to the process of learning Filipino Martial Arts the way we teach it.

This is the reason Kali Majapahit has empassioned me since the first day I saw it.

This is the reason I will do FMA for the rest of my life.

To really do FMA, we must express ourselves fully in the moment through our techniques. It has to do with everything from which specific blocks/hits/locks/takedowns we use, to where we position our bodies, to even our mental attitude and focus. We express it all, unified in each moment. It is and must be the feeling of being truly alive and alert with every sense of our being.

Not only is this hardly taught at all in any other systems, and when it is taught it is usually for 5th dan black belts and above, it is the essence of everything we want to achieve as FMA practitioners. It is so important that students start learning it even in the basic curriculum. Without it, we are just going through the motions and following the katas. Without expression and flow, FMA becomes hollow, shallow, empty.

We grow, we learn, we change. Our flow must grow, learn, change over time. We become different people as we evolve and our expression must also change, grow, adapt, mature --- evolve. This process is so beautiful that to ignore it is to lose all sense of the spiritual nature of our practice. Sadly, without this we are just doing glorified aerobics. Without this, we fail to reire our brains and to use the arts as a way of evolving ourselves as people. This is the self-actualization, the peak of A.H. Maslow's heirarchical pyramid of human needs.

At the same time, this is the most difficult part of the training. We need to learn to let go of the intellectual understanding of our techniques, since we cannot intellectualize fast enough to respond fully in the moment. We have to become empty ("mushin" in Japanese) and let our bodies FLOW and express our spirit through our motion. We have to allow ourselves to be limitless --- beyond inside, outside, high line, low line, center line, palusot, punch, kick. All of this must become automatic and instinctive. This is why FMA training is harder than anything else. There can be no compromise in developing your own unique flow and expression. In a nutshell, FMA can be nothing more, but cannot be anything less. Flow and expression.

In training, we are forced to find solutions despite any limitation placed on us. This helps to get the expression to go beyond standard thinking and rote memory. The more we explore, the more we find, the more we grow. This cycle is a centerpiece of the training.

As a teacher, it is the greatest challenge not only to get students to understand how vital the ideas of Flow and Expression are in FMA, but to find the best way of guiding the students to developing their own flows and expressions. I struggle with this and am always searching for new drills to help them break through their own barriers and limitations.

To My Students: This is ALL ABOUT YOU.

My goal for you all is to find your own flow and your own beautiful expression in Kali Majapahit. I want each of you to be the best martial artist you can be, fully "martial" and fully "artist", and to make the canvas of your lives your own personal masterpiece. The dojo is where we practice it, and daily life is where we live it and reap its reward.

Let's never stop training together.

Solar Powered

2011-11-11T08:26:00.000+09:00

We are all solar powered. I mean it. Our human relationship with the sun is one of the most important, and most abused, relationships in our lives. At times we are afraid of it, and at others we overdose on it. At the end of it all, we need the sun to be happy and healthy, and if we use it correctly it is one of the most important resources in our lives.

Unfortunately, humans do not produce energy through photosynthesis the way plants do. However, we are designed to use sunlight in other important ways.

Proper exposure of our skin surface to sunshine (UVB) is the principal way we get Vitamin D. Vitamin D, or more specifically a lack of vitamin D, is a major contributor to several forms of cancer, as well as heart disease, osteoporosis, and a host of other ailments including depression. Sunshine is free and thus big food companies cannot sell it to you at a profit. It is for this reason that most people have been misled into thinking that any exposure to sunlight is harmful. Not true.

Fashion magazines promote a sallow, pale, deathly unhealthy skin tone rather than a healthy natural glow from sunshine. The cosmetics industry wants us to spend a fortune to protect ourselves from something we actually need very badly. Dairy Board tries to convince you that disgusting cow's milk is better than natural, free sunlight for getting vitamin D. Big Pharma tries to sell us supplements for something we can easily get faster and more efficiently FOR FREE. Don't even get me started on tanning beds. Yeesh.

A mere 10-15 minutes per day of sunlight exposure on our skin is enough for most of us to produce the vitamin D we need to be healthy (darker skinned people will need two or three times as much). This also helps us develop a positive mental attitude and avoid depression.

Too much of any good thing becomes a bad thing, so if you plan on being in direct sunlight longer than an hour or so (such as going to the beach), it is worth staying in the shade or using sunscreen to avoid sunburn or sunstroke. Sunburn is a leading factor in skin cancer, which is more common than it should be.

My personal favorite was to get out of the office whenever possible at lunchtime for a 10-15 minutes walk out to buy a bento or, when that wasn't possible, to sneak out for an afternoon stroll once the markets were closed. This was always enough for me to refresh myself and come back energized.

Vitamin D is important, and drinking cow's milk is a foolish way to try to get it.

"here comes the sun

here comes the sun and I say

It's all right."

- The Beatles "Abbey Road" (1969)

45

2011-11-06T09:47:00.000+09:00

well, here I am. 45 years old today (hence the picture of a Colt .45). It has been a helluva year, hasn't it?

This morning I had breakfast surrounded by my wife and children, and couldn't be happier.

I am much healthier than last year, and in addition to managing my diet (mostly vegetarian/vegan), swimming and running, training harder in Kali, and becoming less angry all the time I think I am finally reaching a lasting happiness in my life.

There were many down points this year, too. My father died at 90 years old, which makes me sad, but I am also glad for him to leave this world behind and take the next step in his soul's journey. He taught me a lot through his life, and more still through his death.
He lived pretty stress-free, even until the end. He did what he wanted, when he wanted and was beholden to no one except at the very end. He made no apologies for who and how he was, and always kept it simple. In dying, he chose when to let go, and kept as much dignity as any of us could hope for in such a time. He passed knowing we loved him. If I do as well when my time comes someday, it will be more than enough.

I still don't have a job, and it has been one year now that I am out of work. Initially, my pride made this very painful. Over time, it has helped me understand that I AM NOT MY JOB. I am not my business cards, my college degrees or my career choices. I am my family, and the returns that really matter come not from my investment in the markets, but from my investment in my marriage and in my children. These are the dividends and value which will sustain me through every downswing in my life. This is real wealth, and by this measure I am rich and always will be. This year has taught me to really appreciate the balance between work and life and to pay full attention to them both.

At 45 I am still learning, and proud of the fact that my desk has a big stack of books on it, 9 of them, actually. I have a lot to do, but this is not the stress of urgency - it is the motivation of purposefulness. I hope I can keep learning and growing for the rest of my life. My quest to become a better person continues, unrelenting.

What are my goals? What do I expect to write about next year at 46?

1) LOVE MORE --- make sure those around me know how important they are to me
2) SHARE MORE --- people love each other through participation. Don't be afraid to share both good and bad. The good makes us happy, the bad makes us stronger.
3) GIVE MORE --- give of my time, my knowledge, my experience, my spirit, my resources to those who need it.
4) NO STRESS --- we cannot change the outside, so we must change the inside. Change the way you view the world and you change the world itself.
5) LET GO --- so much of life is about understanding what to keep and what to let go. Keep the positive, let go the negative. Think about this in every circumstance.
6) BE HERE NOW --- enjoy every moment for what it is. Never wish to be anywhere else except where you are at each moment. Experience life fully. Squeeze out every last drop.
7) BE MORE YOU --- use this journey to explore yourself. Never want to be anyone else, but rather to become more "you" than you have ever been. Find your good qualities and amplify them. Take your bad qualities and change them. Change yourself, change the world.
8) NO COMPROMISE --- never settle for anything less than the best for important things. Let go of trivial details for everything else. Focus 100% on what matters and waste no time on that which does not.
9) LISTEN --- open your ears, mind, heart, and soul to those around you. Listen with your whole being and you will be successful.
10) TREASURE IT --- we each have one life, one precious life. Use it wisely. Revel in this chance to grow. Have no regrets.

In 45 years I have made several lifetimes of mistakes already. I regret none of them, for they brought me here; to this place, this time, this understanding. I am very hopeful as I look forward to the upcoming year. Please share it with me.

Something to look forward to

2011-10-28T12:17:00.000+09:00

Isn't it nice to have something to look forward to?
Most of us look forward to the weekend, we look forward to holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations, seeing old friends, visiting interesting places and so on. As much as we think we can't wait for those things to happen, we know they always seem to over too soon.

Martial Arts is the same way. We look forward to the next technique, concept, drill, lesson. We look forward to seeing our brothers and sisters at class. We look forward to showing what we can do in the graduation cycles and affirming our progress at each stage.

This is a lifetime journey. For most martial arts, especially Kali Majapahit, the depth of study cannot be understood well in under 20 years or so. Kali Majapahit's unique curriculum allows one to learn the system fully in a lifetime, but with no time to waste.

Suppose one were in a hurry, and wanted to complete this lifetime of study in as little time as possible. What then? What do you do once your lifetime of study, your "life work" is over and completed? Die? None of us wants to be in a hurry for that.

Relish in the fact that this training goes very deep, and will take your whole life to master. There is so much that you will continue to find new paths, new horizons, new discoveries about martial arts and about yourself. You will never run out of things to train, so no need to look elsewhere for it. All you need is right here.

That's something good to look forward to.

Satori...or not.

2011-10-23T19:32:00.000+09:00

One day a zen sword master was approached by a wealthy young samurai who asked to be his disciple.
"How long will it take me to master your teachings?" he asked. "At least 20 years" the master replied.
"But master", the samurai continued, "I am already very learned in other styles, and my parents have had me tutored in zen beliefs since I was a small boy." "How long would it take me?". "At least 30 years" the master replied.
Frustrated, the samurai continued, "But I will train harder than any other student you have had, foregoing sleep and food to learn. How long will it take me?" "At least 40 years" the master replied.

The more we seek it, the less we find it. In the modern world, we are conditioned to expect every one of life's problems to be neatly solved in 22 minutes (plus commercial breaks), just like it is on television. We have fast food, fast music, fast lifestyles. It seems children are pushed to grow up earlier, and we are all in a race to hurry up...and die. There is less time for living; for learning; FOR BEING.
It is truly a crisis of the soul.

It is a fatal flaw to concern onesself with the results of anything. Just as a master archer focuses on the technique (drawing, placing the arrow, breathing, releasing) rather than the target, we should know that focusing on the results or goals blinds us to everything else along the way. We fail to appreciate the value of the journey, which is sad since the journey is most of the trip.

In martial arts, we hope to have an enlightening moment - satori - when the proverbial light bulb goes on in our heads. The technique we couldn't get; the footwork we didn't understand; the application we never imagined. It becomes clear to us and we experience a spiritual high from our training. These are magic moments, and everyone who experiences it will agree they can be life-changing.

This can be its own addiction, though. We begin to want these enlightenments from EVERY training. We become depressed if they don't happen. We even count the time since the last "awakening" and despair long hours of training without that boost.
This is a trap.

The training is the truth. Focus on the training and enlightenment will happen naturally when it does.

The most important thing is just to KEEP TRAINING.

There is so much value in the routines of the training. The daily stretching, the daily drills, the diet, the meditation, re-working the basics, burning in the muscle memory of every small movement. These are the building blocks of enlightenment, and without them the awakening will not occur. The years teach much the days never know.

Worried that you don't see the light bulb any more? Keep training. Train harder.
Feel like you have gone as far as you can go? Keep training. Train harder.
Hit your plateau? Keep training. Train harder.

Trust your training. Be patient. It goes far deeper than you imagine.
There is ALWAYS more to learn. There always will be. Speed is of no consequence on THE WAY. If you give up to early, you don't get to see what lies just ahead, just outside your current understanding. If you give up too early, you miss it. You don't get to know what happens to you. Don't try to read the end of the book first. You miss the story that way.

I have heard it explained like this:

Some days I love to train
Some days I hate to train
Everyday I have to train

Stay the course and you will be rewarded with grace. Enlightenment will come in time.
No rush.

Kill or Be Killed

2011-10-21T13:23:00.003+09:00

Kill or be killed. That's our view of combat. We are romanced by nobler times, when gladiators and warriors met with honor on the battlefield and let their skills determine the victor. We think of ourselves as modern day samurai in service to some great cause, looking to right the world and defeat evil to save the weak.

We train accordingly.

At best, the skills we learn in the dojo are not even effective on the street.
At worst, our techniques are overkill and virtually guaranteed to bring us a lifetime behind bars if we ever use them.

On one hand, fighting is not the real reason for training in martial arts. The real reason is to evolve ourselves as human beings, and our personal growth is tied to the spirituality that martial arts brings to our lives. On the other hand, martial arts is not martial arts without being "martial" and we are obliged to acknowledge what our forefathers created as an effective and efficient method of protection. In fact, I would go so far as to argue that without studying a REAL martial art, we would fail to learn a lot of the most important lessons about sanctity of life, frailty of physique, and so on.

Enter ETHICAL SELF DEFENSE.

As Guro Fred presented, ethical self defense goes beyond the traditional techniques we learn (which usually seek to maim or kill our opponent) and updates them to our modern society. We keep the important concepts and drills, but substitute non-lethal force targets and techniques in place of the traditional ones.

This is a higher evolution of martial principles and is consistent with the highest forms of teaching by many of the most famous historical masters such as Ueshiba Morihei of Aikido and Yip Man of Wing Chun.

To use this method requeires us to let go of our anger, fear, and emotion. It requires us to know the human body and pysche intimately and use them to diffuse confrontations without permanent injury. It requires us to master our movement, especially in relation to our partner. It requires us to use the minimum effort needed to stop a fight, making our art even more efficient.

As ethical human beings we need to embrace peace through our understanding of the implications of war. It is time to stop pretending we live in a big video game and accept that hurting others hurts ourselves. We must adjust responses to be appropriate to the threat at hand.

This is even more important when we train in Filipino arts which are blade-based. Ethical application means we need to attack non-lethal targets, use precise guntings, and disarm rather than destroy. Using the stick as blade proxy, we need to avoid dangerous targets like the head, knees, throat, eyes, internal organs and groin and yet still end the fight decisively by striking the shoulders, thighs, pressure points, hands and feet of our attacker to stop aggression.

This is worth a lot of thought. As martial artists we are called to a higher ethical level than everyone else. We must train dilligently to let go of our ego. We must act accordingly or suffer the consequences - karmic and otherwise.

Stuck In the Middle

2011-10-19T10:23:00.000+09:00

In Kali Majapahit we discuss three possible ranges for fighting:

1) Largo --- far distance. Touching is not possible without closing distance

2) Medio --- medium distance. Touching with both weapon and alive hand is possible

3) Corto --- close distance. Punio, dumog, knees/elbows/headbutts happen here

The actual distance varies according to the weapons being used. For us, the most important understanding here is avoiding the middle distance.

In middle distance, you can touch with full power, and also use the alive hand to check, redirect, and gunting. Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, at this distance we are also in the optimal distance for our opponent to do the same to us. Staying here yields the maximum chaos and opportunity for something unexpected (read: BAD) to happen to us. Many fighters train to keep medium distance, basically guaranteeing that they will get a barrage opf hits from their opponent. They step backward, their opponent steps forward and they remain in medium range. Their opponent steps backward, they chase and stay in medium range. Better ides are to step in when opponents' step in and fight from corto, or to step back when opponent's step back and go to largo, preparing to gunting whatever approaches from largo.

One of the main objectives in a fight is to have control of the situation. To do this, we need to minimize the chance of something unexpected happening. That means no matter where the fight starts, we should seek to change to largo or corto distance as fast as possible. Largo is a good first choice (assuming you can outrun your opponent) since it is not possible to be touched at this range. An example of this is to kick the opponent's knee when he closes distance and step back into largo. As well, using just the tip of the weapon to hit his/her hand as we step back into largo is another way to use this.

However, in many cases this is not possible. We cannot outrun our opponent, or the environment prohibits opening such distance, such as being in a hallway, elevator, bathroom, etc. In such cases, it is important to close distance as fast as possible to corto. This enables us to get inside the guard and intercept at the torso (elbow/shoulder/knee/hip) rather than at the full extension of the attack. It also allows us to control the head and spine, as well as going to work on destroying the opponent's structure by attacking the footwork through foot traps and the like. Moreover, close range negates a taller opponent's reach, which can be useful if you are a smaller guy like me.

In Kali Majapahit, we specifically train in Inayan Serrada and other systems which are designed for close quarter combat at corto distance. Whatever you do, the middle ground is bad. You have to choose. Be prepared.

Dimensions of Expression

2011-10-19T10:03:00.001+09:00

In Kali Majapahit, we are always training to achieve self-expression. This is the "ART" in martial arts. We want to synthesize who we are as martial artists and human beings and express it through our movement in relationship with others. This is of course both philosophical and practical.

Practically speaking, we explore many dimensions of movement as we discover solutions to the problems we face in combat. Not only do we express by choice of technique (Kali, Silat, Hakka, Boxing, Dumog, Trankada, etc.), we also explore, discover and express ourselves dimensionally. Here are some examples:

Inside/Outside of the attacking line
Split Entries (simple and reverse)
Same Side/Opposite Side Interception
Above/Below the attacking line
On/Off Centerline
Largo/Medio/Corto distance
Gunting and Atemi Variations
Clockwise/Counterclockwise Palusot Variations

Chess is a great example. There are a limited number of spaces and pieces in chess.

However, the number of possibilities is limitless. In 1950, Claude Shannon estimated that there can be as many as 10^123 possible combinations, more than the number of observable atoms in our universe. You get the point.

In Kali Majapahit, one of the principle goals is to change our opponent's vision of the fight. In other words, we want to use the element of surprise to disrupt our opponent's tactics. We do not want to be or move in any way which which an opponent can predict. This means becoming free to express in all dimensions.

In Singapore, it was common for Guro to give us bounds/limits on our training, to force us to flow through uncomfortable dimensions until we could solve problems in them and feel confident. He told us again and again that we should not limit our flow to just techniques we liked or felt confident in, since we could never grow or improve that way. For example we had to stay on the low line, or switch from inside to outside every 3 moves. This made us work our brains to find ways to flow while satisfying the conditions he set. It was frustrating but very rewarding training.

The lifetime study of Kali Majapahit techniques and tactics is largely spent in exploring, discovering, and expressing this dimensionality. There is no end to what we can find here.

Be Greedy

2011-10-19T09:38:00.000+09:00

Be Greedy. Go ahead. You know you want to.

This is not something I would often say. In fact, it is as far from core Buddhist teachings as you can get. We know the Chain of Negativity: Greed leads to Attachment. Attachment leads to fear of loss. Fear of loss leads to anger. Anger leads to Hate. Hate leads to suffering.

In this case, it's OK. Really. Let me explain.

For those of you who were at the seminar this past weekend, there were many things to see and hear. There were also some challenges.

We saw a lot of concepts and applications.
We saw blends of traditional and modern martial arts techniques.
We heard about our diet and lifestyles and how to improve them.
We also heard a lot about our ethical responsibility to change ourselves and our world.
We were challenged to go a single night without alcohol, coffee, meat, sugar, dairy products, eggs, cigarettes. No one made it except me (I had help since Guro Fred and Guro Lila were staying with me).

What will you take away from the seminar? Techniques? Fighting skills? Boxing drills??

YOU CAN TAKE IT ALL. Be greedy. Go ahead. It's all for you for the same low, low price. Act now.

I am encouraging you to do more than just accept that Guro Fred is an amazing martial artist. You saw it. You know.

I want you to do more than just accept that Kali Majapahit is a way of presenting Southeast Asian martial arts that is well thought-out, practical, responsible, and technically efficient. You tried it. You know.

Take It All. Take Guro Fred's message that this planet needs our help. It's dying. We are the ones killing it. On a spiritual level, our insistence that animals suffer to support our selfishness is causing a karmic debt that will ultimately lead to endless suffering for us before it is paid. The more in debt we become, the more we must suffer to regain the balance. On a practical level, eating animals causes global warming and perpetuates systematized torture and cruelty on an enormous global scale. It supports a healthcare machine that thrives on medication and surgery rather than good health and prevention. It promotes and rewards irresponsibility at the same time it is killing us. It takes away our dignity and our ability to have a high quality of life (and death).

This habit is the major reason human beings cannot progress to the next state of our higher evolution. If we do not, we are doomed to extinction. The planet will recover from us, but we will disappear. Our only hope is that we can learn and change.

A true master never teaches anything new. He merely points the way to what we already know inside. I strongly suggest thinking deeply about this. You know the truth. I know you do. Do not be afraid to ask the question when you already know the answer.

Take control of your life and use Kali Majapahit for its real purpose:

--- change your life, change the world.

The answers are here. It's a buffet. Take as much as you want. Feed your soul until it is satisfied. Go ahead. Bon appetit.

First Ever KM Japan Seminar

2011-10-19T09:12:00.000+09:00

October 15 and 16 was the first time for Guro Fred and Guro Lila to do a Kali Majapahit Seminar in Japan.

Here are my take-aways from it.

The Most Important Message

Guro Fred started the seminar with the most important message. Many would choose to ignore it or discount it, but for me, the heart of Kali Majapahit was explained in the first 10 minutes of the seminar: Kali Majapahit is a movement for changing the world.

To change the world we must first change ourselves. We must accept that fighting cannot bring us what we need and what the world needs. In true Martial Arts the battle is always against the Self, and our victory is what frees us to do what is right for ourselves, our loved ones and our world. Punching and kicking is very interesting indeed, but alone cannot bring any meaningful change without our understanding that it is merely a tool of self-discovery. A powerful tool, but a tool no less. It is a means to an end.

Technically Speaking

We were able to see all the various influences of KM at work throughout the seminar --- Filipino, JKD, Indonesian Silat, Hakka Kung Fu, Chinese medicine theory and even Parkour. Within the Filipino arts we saw stickfighting, knife, panantukan and dumog. Beyond this, though, we saw the common threads between them all. In our concepts, every distance, level, and direction can be explored and expressed. Many arts talk about being holistic and complete --- effective in every range and level, but few can actually show it. This is proof positive of Kali Majapahit's efficiency and applicability.

Guro Fred also spent a lot of time expressing the difference between traditional blade arts as they are taught in Southeast Asia, and modern "ethical" arts as we need them in the structure of modern society. Too often these effective combat arts are shown without regard to the consequences we face as martial artists when we use them. It is important to only use appropriate force. "Ethical" knife defense seeks to disable the attacker without causing death or permanent disability. This is at the core of Kali Majapahit's work with law enforcement and executive protection specialists worldwide and greatly appreciated since it shares their vision and allows them to be efficient within their legal and procedural guidelines.

Expression and Flowing

In Kali Majapahit we teach through concepts and examples. These are not rote kata for memorization, but rather principles of combat which are shown through practical technical examples. The ultimate goal is to FLOW, expressing ourselves and our background in our solutions. Every KM Guro uses the same concepts, but expresses them in an individual way. This is the "ART" of martial arts.

Problem Solving

We all want to believe that every block is perfect, every hit finds its mark, and our opponent goes down and falls exactly the way we planned it in the dojo. At the same time we also know that real fights are chaotic and emotional - totally unpredictable. Kali Majapahit spends a lot of time exploring the problems that can happen when things don't go as planned, and our best responses to continue to erode our opponents' structure and finish the fight. This is rarely taught in other martial arts and open the door to real FLOW.

Wrap Up

There are lots of Filipino martial arts nowadays, but I believe that Kali Majapahit encompasses not only technical excellence, but also practicality, ethics, personal development and health. This is truly a complete warrior way which offers a lifetime of challenge and achievement for dedicated practitioners. This path is deep and long, and can take you as far as you want to go.

What did you think of the seminar? What were your take aways?

Please let me know.

Guro Fred and Guro Lila and I are already planning the next one... see you there!

BFT

2011-10-05T22:22:00.000+09:00

BFT --- blunt force trauma.

Frank sent this link over to me yesterday...

I watched it a few times and then had a serious think about it. I suggest you do, too.

Here's what I came away with:

As we have seen in class, the lower torso BFT is a serious show stopper
It doesn't take much to put someone down, potentially permanently
Condition has relatively little bearing on the damage you take from a serious shot here
With great power comes great responsibility (thanks David)

We go after this area in class a lot, not just with hooks to the body but also with elbows/knees/kicking/weapons and I constantly tell you about the potential implication of liver/spleen/kidney hits for ending fights or even ending lives.

These targets are NOT TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY. All are potentially lethal hits.

In the video clip, the author advocates breaking the ribs/disconnecting cartilage and trying to cause blunt trauma leading to Hypovolemic shock and potentially contusions/laceration to the underlying organs.

In a life or death situation, choose life.

In anything less, choose life.

This is not a game and you do not want to carry the guilt, let alone the legal/civil responsibility for permanently injuring or killing someone unless lethal force is really the only option left.

These are not rational responses to being pushed by a drunk Mongolian in a bar in Roppongi, even if he rips a belt loop off of your best suit. Severity of force must always be appropriate to the severity of the situation. Not more. Not less.

APPROPRIATE.

As martial artists we MUST hold ourselves to a higher ethical standard; a higher moral standard. We know from our training how frail the body can be; how strong the body can be. We know how weak the spirit can be; how strong the spirit can be.

We know better.

Especially in Kali Majapahit, we are obliged to always be on the right side of the law, and to uphold our oath to preserve and treasure all life as precious. This is not arbitrary.

Given no choice, you should end fights as quickly, efficiently and directly as necessary. This should be done with no more hostility than we would direct at an appliance we unplug. However, and this is important, we should strive to never find ourselves in a situation that leaves us no other options but to cause grievous bodily harm.

The dead get off very easy compared to living years (possibly forever) spent in prison or a suffering through a crippling lawsuit from survivors or at the very least a lifetime of guilt over taking a life that did not necessarily need to be taken.

I feel revulsion toward someone who can portray doing such damage to another human being as being "the objective", when we know in our hearts our objective should never be to cause pain or injury to any other living thing. LIFE IS NOT A VIDEO GAME.

Many things, once done, cannot be undone.

Choose Life Always.

Peace Out.

Hooray for Hollywood

2011-09-28T14:39:00.000+09:00

Hooray for Hollwood. Movie history reflects social history just as art imitates life.

As a boy, Bruce Lee brought Kung Fu/JKD/Nunchakus to all of us in the 70s. As a teenager, Steven hayes brought Ninjitsu to the masses. The 90s were about Steven Seagal and aikido. 2000 started off with MMA. Jacky and Jet have been with us through all of it, while JCVD and Chuck have come and gone like so many others. Where are we now?

Kali, that's where.

LOVE IT! The emphasis for the past few years has been less on showy, flashy martial arts and more on stark, brutal realism. Fight scenes so real you can hear the bones break.

Here is a list of some great Hollywood movies where you can enjoy Kali as it is meant to be enjoyed: right in your face.

The Hunted (great Sayoc Kali work here)
The Bourne Series (Matt Damon specifically says it's Kali)
Mission Impossible Series (very nice job Tom!)
James Bond (all of Daniel Craig's fights are using Kali)
Taken (nice one Liam Neeson --- very realistic fighting)
Batman Series (that's not ninjitsu, it's actually Kali)
Kick Ass (yes, it does!)
Book of Eli (nice blade work by Denzel)
Iron Man 2 (go black widow go!)
Transporter Series (a bit theatrical, but good improvised weapons)
Lethal Weapon Series (BJJ/FMA mixed)
Hanna
Repo Men (2010)
Mr and Mrs. Smith (nice one Brangelina!)
Daredevil (Jennifer Garner)
Collateral (nice baton work by Tom in nightclub fight)
Blade Series (nicely done Wesley)

Of course it is cinema and real life is not quite like that. Still, it is more real than what we saw before on the big screen. Have a look. Like what you see? More importantly, can you recognize the techniques?

If I have missed a few, I'm sorry. Comment and let me know.

See you at the movies,

John

Going Swimmingly Well

2011-08-29T21:30:00.000+09:00

As you know from other recent posts, I am spending more time swimming these days. I have a regular Monday morning class in which we have been working on freestyle, breaststroke, and butterfly.

This has more to do with martial arts training than you might think.

It is easy to imagine that low-impact cardio improves martial arts performance. However, there are many other similarities. I list some that come to mind below:

both should be learned from the best teacher you can find
both are great ways to spend time with your family, and great gifts of knowledge to give your children
both might just save your life one day (you hope you never need to use them in an emergency)
both depend on proper breathing, and you cannot assume you know how to do this correctly unless you have been taught
both are less about strength and more about technique, especially for endurance
both are ultimately battles to submit the body to the mind
both may be done against others, but ultimately are determined by ourselves
both need regular practice practice practice --- of course :-)

I started swimming in April in an attempt to avoid a negative spiral in my life.
It goes like this:

I did not enjoy swimming because I was bad at it.
I was bad at swimming so I never did it.
I never did it so I never got any better at it.
I never got any better so I never learned to enjoy it.

This was an endless cycle for more than 35 years, until this year.

Now I love to swim. I feel my progress every week, and I genuinely enjoy getting better and better at it. Every new milestone I reach makes me feel proud. Martial arts has always been like this for me, and I learned it applies to a lot of other things as well.

What about you? What are the negative spirals in your life? Can you make a plan and conquer them? Can you use your martial arts training as a way of understanding how to go beyond your limitations?

I want to hear your stories as much as I want to share my own.

CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

Handicapped

2011-08-25T11:26:00.006+09:00

I have bad eyesight. I mean, REALLY BAD. Most people who know me would have seen me in glasses before, or know that I wear contacts in class. What they wouldn't know is that I am functionally blind in one eye, and have only marginal vision (-5.75) in my other. When wearing contact lenses, I wear only one, since my bad eye would probably need a contact lens three inches thick to do any good.

My left eye has amblyopia, or "lazy eye", which means that while there is nothing physically wrong with my eye, the optic nerve failed to develop visual acuity and it cannot transmit visual signals effectively. I see light and very vague shapes and that's it. This is a result of having been laid face down in my crib as an infant for extended periods without movement, when my neck was too weak to lift my head. As such, my left eye failed to develop. I have worn glasses since I was 6 years old (corrective lens only for my right eye), and got my first contact lens for my right eye at 14.

I can do almost anything anyone else can do, except of course seeing with both eyes. Over time I have learned to live with my disability and can drive, shoot firearms, and even do martial arts and other sports. I would never be a professional athlete, but this has less to do with my eyesight than with having other priorities in my life all along.

People with disabilities go through a process I would describe as "Four A's"

1) ANGER
We deny that we have a disability, or that such a thing could happen to us, or that there really can be no cure or improvement in our condition. We think the world is unfair, that we have been wronged, and that we are somehow owed the inalienable right to function that we think everyone else has.

2) ACCEPTANCE
We learn that this is not a life-ender, and that it is nobody's "fault", not even our own. We begin to consider strategies for improving our quality of life and possibility. We cannot change the circumstance, so we must change our reaction to it. Here is where we must choose to not give up.

3) ADJUSTMENT
We embark on specific tasks and actions that allow us to do the things in life we want to do. This often requires planning, focus and discipline. We find that we can compensate for nearly any situation we face. In my case, when driving, for example, I need to turn my head very far when changing lanes so my right eye can check for cars. It looks odd, but it works.

4) ACHIEVEMENT
Through hard work and task-oriented training, we discover that perceived limitations are not as we expected. We can have a "normal life" and in fact go well beyond not only other people's expectations of us, but our own expectations as well. We prove that our only true limitations are those we place upon ourselves. We plan our work and we work our plan.

My very wise friend Marco told me "God does not give everything to anyone". I have found this to be true. We look at supposed handicapped people and see countless television programs of those people who reach the Achievement Stage of their disability. We are inspired and think "I could never be like that" without even realizing that each of us has his/her own handicaps, and the potential to overcome them. WE ARE ALL ALREADY LIKE THAT. It is the essential human quality to achieve our potential and to overcome obstacles through our willpower and effort.

The only true handicap any one of us can have is a lack of willpower.

I have never claimed to be handicapped, nor tried to receive any social benefits for it, even though I am very sure I qualify. Maybe I have been wrong about this. Pride kept me from ever considering myself as disabled. Rather, my pride should be in the fact that I AM disabled, but like many others have tried to rise above. I hope to be able to help spread the important message that many other achievers share:

IF YOU CAN DREAM IT YOU CAN DO IT

"it matters if you just don't give up"

What are your handicaps? Are you aware of them? Have you gone through the Four As? Your willpower will give you the strength to overcome any limitations.

In short, "YOUR WILLPOWER WILL POWER YOU". Let's go there together. I'm IN.

In Passing

2011-08-16T10:27:00.001+09:00

My foster father, Charles Franklin Leonard, passed away peacefully in his sleep at home yesterday, aged 90. He will be greatly missed.

Who was he?

Charlie, or "Bud" as he was called in his youth, was born and raised on a farm in central Illinois, Vermillion county, near Indiana in what is commonly known as the "Corn Belt". His family farm was in Hoopeston, Illinois, a very small town near Danville. Charlie was born to a family of older sisters and as the only son worked hard on his father's farm growing up. He did what most farm boys did, fishing and camping and enjoying the simple outdoor life. Charlie loved westerns and identified with John Wayne, as did most of the boys in those days. Charlie was born on April 26, 1921. To understand his life and times, the chcocolate chip cookie was not even invented until 1930, when he was already 9 years old! Imagine growing up without chocolate chip cookies...

They didn't have television, of course, but Dad loved listening tothe radio shows such as Lone Ranger, Flash Gordon, Untouchables, and so on. ironically, he would go on to work on some of the earliest vaccuum tube model TVs in the 1950s, as well as working on prototype PCBs, computers and even large-scale electromagnet coils during his time at Argonne National Labs, where he worked as an electrical technician for more than 30 years. None of these things were even figments of his imagination when he was a boy.

Dad played football quarterback in high school and was nicknamed "peaches" because he loved the canned ones. He was likeable but mostly solitary. He joined the Army and was sent to Saxmundham airfield in Suffolk, England where he served in the emerging USAAF attached to 357th fighter group 363d fighter squadron as a P51D Mustang crew chief. Charlie had the luck of being the crew chief for Chuck Yeager, who would later become one of the most famous test pilots in Air Force history, flying such prototypes as the X-1 and being the first man to break the sound barrier. Dad said that during the war, Chuck Yeager was fearless and pushed his Mustang past the limits on many occassions. Charlie had great stories to tell of Chuck Yeager's adventures.

After the war, Dad settled in Chicago and did odd jobs as a handyman and mechanic, working at places like General Electric and Royal Typewriter (where he met my foster Mom, Dorothy Schultz), before eventually joining Argonne National Labs where he worked until retirement. After marrying Dorothy, they bought a small house in Villa Park, Illinois, the sleepy Western suburb of Chicago where I grew up.

Dad was a man of few words but of strong opinions. Despite being raised on a farm, he had a great interest in politics, and watched the evening news religiously, as well as reading Newsweek and US News and World Report every week. He was one of the few people I ever met who read the whole Sunday edition of the Chicago Tribune (except the comics). He was very well read on issues of domestic and foreign policy.
Every Sunday he would watch shows like "Face the Nation" and listen intently to politicians debating each other and commentary from other analysts.

He did not read books much when I was growing up, but later read the entire collections of Louis L'Amour, Zane Grey, and other western novella authors, numbering in the hundreds. He would frequently exhaust the local public library collections of all western novels, and have to seek them out at bookstores and collector shops.

Dad was raised Irish Catholic, with 6 of 8 of his grandparents being Irish and the other 2 being English. He went to church regularly until he married Dorothy, who being that she had been Lutheran, and married once before, meant his excommunication. He accepted that without hesitation and never went back to Catholic church again. Growing up we sometimes went to Lutheran church together at saint Paul Lutheran Church in Villa Park, mostly for Easter and Christmas Eve services, but I think he did so more to appease Dorothy than out of any genuine desire on his part. After she died I am certain he never went inside a church again.

Dad was not a man of big, sweeping dreams. He did not aspire to much other than the task which was right in front of him. He lived simply and honstly, and did what was asked of him in every case without any complaint. He was content to go to work and come home, watch the news, drink two beers with dinner (never more and rarely less), and that was that. On Saturday nights he liked to go to the horse races, especially harness racing which I think reminded him of his childhood on the farm. As a boy, I have fond memories of Arlington Park, Maywood park, and Sportman's Park in Chicagoland and of standing by the finish line watching the horses run. Dad did not ever wager much, as it was only a hobby for him - nothing more.

After he retired from Argonne, he and Dorothy moved to Reno, Nevada. Mom couldn't take the Chicago winters, and they both liked to pass their time at the casinos there - mom playing video poker or nickel slot machines and Dad playing blackjack, again not for any big stakes but for entertainment and to keep his mind sharp. Mom died in Reno suddenly in early 1994 and dad couldn't bvear to stay there anymore without her, which brought him to Las Vegas where he eventually passed away 17 years later.

Dad grew up in a time where people did not openly talk about their feelings or emotions. This was cemented even stronger by role models like John Wayne, whose actions always spoke louder than his words. Charlie was not one to say he loved us in words, but you knew he cared about you by the little things he would do. Charlie provided a stable home for Casey and I without which we would never have had even the slightest chance of a normal life. Our house had no drama or crazy happenings, except what my brother and I caused by our misbehavior.

In his early twenties, on the farm, Charlie suppered a appendicitis and needed surgery. I think in such small towns as Hoopeston, Illinois, good medical care was hard to come by, and he was lucky to have survived. He bore an eighteen-inch scar across his belly from that operation, that I suspect also rendered him impotent. He and Dorothy had no children except for Casey and I (and our older brother Tim, who was Dorothy's son from her first marriage and nearly 20 years older than us).

Charlie's life was full and complete, with very little stress, and he was able to enjoy a long retirement doing what he liked to do. Until suffering a debilitating stroke 6 months ago, he appeared little shanged in the past 40 years, still driving himself to the casino for afternoon blackjack and enjoying his books and favorite shows at home. My Dad was careful to teach us right and wrong (although I was not such a good student) and patient with us at home. I owe him my values of hard work and perserverence more than anything else.

I am left with many fond memories of him, and of the many things he taught me.
Despite none of us in our family being of any actual blood relation, our bonds have been stronger than many "real" families. As sad as I am for his passing, I am glad he is at peace, and without suffering. From the bottom of my heart I wish him a restful eternity with Dorothy by his side, and hope he will continue to watch over us.

"live life simply and honestly without regret"

I LOVE YOU DAD

In Love

2011-08-06T11:16:00.000+09:00

How do you know when you are in love?

I think about you all the time
I count the hours in-between being with you
I can't imagine my life before I met you
You make me feel alive
You teach me about myself
I never get tired of learning about you
You continue to fascinate me
You always make me happy
You make me want to try harder
You bring out the best in me
I can be myself with you
My eyes sparkle when I talk about you
Even when we're apart, I think about you
I miss you when I am away
I want to tell all my friends about you
Everyone tells me how different I am since we met
You help me get through the tough times
I never get tired of you
I can depend on you
You help give my life meaning
You are a part of everything I do
You let me express myself
I would be lost without you
YOU ARE ALWAYS THERE FOR ME

I could go on and on.

The fact is, I am IN LOVE....

...with...

KALI

:-)

Being away the past week in the US made me miss my Kali (and my Kali class) so much. I am back now, and can't wait for Friday to come. I missed you!

See you all soon!!

Checkmate

2011-07-23T13:43:00.002+09:00

Through this cycle I have started introducing the concept of checking hands. Checking is when your non-weapon hand taps or "checks" your opponent`s hands during your technique. This is often inserted between weapon hits or strikes.

So in effect, one hand hits, the other checks, then hit/check/hit/check/hit/check until the opponent is disabled.
Checks are generally done to the opponent:`s arm while the subsequent hits can be anywhere.

Because in Kali the non-weapon hand is kept centered, it can easily be used to check or control the opponent`s weapon or non-weapon hands. There are two main purposes of this checking principle:

1) Control the Opponent`s Arm
By using a checking hand, we continually pin the arm against the opponent`s center mass. We keep in contact and can read any developing motion immediately. While we are doing the checking with our secondary hand, our principal hand is delivering the strikes/hits. This checking also disrupts the nervous system and prevents the opponent from moving the checked arm, since as we are hitting, we are also sending stimilus to that limb through the checking action.

2) Control the Centerline
Just like in chess, the key to most matches is to control the center of the board. In fighting this means denying the opponent the ability to use the centerline and making sure we always have right of way on it. Checking is an excellent way to do this since it places our non-weapon hand into the center, where in addition to checking one of the opponent`s arms, it can also quickly take control and misdirect the other arm if it moves, by virtue of the fact by checking we are already controlling the centerline. The opponent`s secondary arm must go either inside or outside of our checking hand, and either path yields a variety of easy solutions for controlling that arm and finishing the fight. Checking is an important tool for monitoring and controlling the opponent`s non-weapon hand.

As beginners, we spend a lot of time focused on being able to effectively use our weapon hand. However, we need also to be able to use our non-weapon hand simultaneously, and checking is one of the primary activities we perform with the non-weapon hand. In our flow, the goal should be to have both arms able to contact and control the opponent at all times. When we practice the various entries and follow-ups with stick, empty hand and blade, we should be mindful of the effectiveness of our checking hand and practice it dilligently.

Check it out! In this video, you can see Guro Jon Ward and Guro Steve Klement are showing with Suro Mike Inay (RIP). Suro Mike was one of Guro Fred`s teachers in Inayan escrima and renowed for being among the very best in the world. Watch their hands carefully for good examples of checking.

About Silat

2011-07-15T11:51:00.000+09:00

Robert McCay of Pencak Silat Mande Muda

Interesting question the other day in class about silat. basically I was asked to define the differences between Kali and Silat.

Hmmm...let's see:

1. Geographical/Cultural Differences
Silat is found mainly in Indonesia/Malaysia/Brunei while Kali (including Escrima and Arnis) are from the Philippines.

That said, there is some overlap between them as there was plenty of trade between them. Just as Indonesia/Malaysia/Brunei have Muslim roots, those same roots are also found in the Southern Philippines.

Culturally Silat is so ingrained that silat dances are performed at weddings and other special occassions. The ceremonial dress and wearing of the kris are symbols of the warrior caste and considered formal wear, much as a Scottish kilt and dirk.

2. Sarong
The sarong is more common to Silat than it is to Kali, although one can still find Sarong in use all across Southeast Asia including the Philippines and India. As from the photo above, in Silat the sarong tends to be worn doubled over rather than full lenth, to allow better mobility. Use of the sarong as a fighting weapon is well-documented in Silat and the techniques easily transfer to other flexible weapons such as belts, towels, chains, ropes, and the like.

3. Weapons
The characteristic weapons of silat include the Karambit and the Kris. Both of these are also found in the Philippines, particlarly in muslim-influenced areas, but can be slightly different in design. The silat kris is often found to have a slender blade which is principally meant for stabbing, while in the Philippines the kris can be as long as a barong, and can even have a more rounded tip, being designed as much for slashing or cutting. In Silat, the kris is often coated in poison, so even a minor wound is lethal.

4. Movemement
Of course with so many islands across Indonesia/Malaysia/Brunei, silat styles differ greatly, with some being close in appearance to Chinese Kenpo or Sanda, while others are far more exotic. We expect silat to be more circular than Kali, and to attack the low line in greater intensity with sweeps, takedowns, and leg attacks. On the ground, we expect silat to entangle the arms and legs with locks and chokes, with the intent to submit the opponent. Silat elbows are short and quick, looking less like Thai elbows than we see in Kali. The style is fast and fluid, preferring misdirection to hard contact.
To some, the flow of silat is reminiscient of Brazillian Capoeira.

5. Technique
Silat uses jurus, or forms, to teach beginners how to use basic techniques. Very often these include giving the opponent an opening in order to draw in an attack that can be countered. Thus this stances in silat may look vulnerable, but this is deceptive. The silat artists uses these openings as traps. Finishes often include a final position, as a way of showing that the silat practioner is ready for the next attack. Kicking techniques tend to be low line, and can be delivered in groundfighting as well. Silat is generally a close-range style, including many elbows, knees and headbutts as well as backfists, eye gouges, and claw strikes. This can seem very alien to those familiar mainly with western or Japanese fighting arts, and silat often has a big element of surprise. Silat can be especially effective for smaller users, since it is often low to the ground and up close, which helps negate the reach advantages of taller opponents.

I don't purport myself to be a silat expert, and the above is based on what I have studied and observed, with the dislaimer that there is a vast diversity of silat styles, just as there are variations of Kali/Arnis/Escrima in the Philippines.

Silat is a fantastic cultural study, and the techniques can be formidable. Silat is one of the main influences of Kali Majapahit.

Two Ends Of The Same Stick

2011-07-13T08:53:00.000+09:00

The stick, or baston, is probably the item most often associated with Filipino martial arts. So much so, in fact, that many beginners and laymen think FMA is really just "stickfighting" and fail to grasp the comprehensive depth of the what FMA systems encompass. Still others fail to realize the dual purpose the baston occupies in FMA training.

Very often we are told that FMA are blade-based arts. This is truly the case since when we study the daga we know that our flow is the same as our empty hands/kadena de mano. In fact, it must be said that kadena de mano derives from the blade, and not vice versa. Thus, good traditional flow in kadena de mano visualizes a blade in the hand of the practitioner. As an example, the gunting we deliver in kadena de mano mirror almost exactly the gunting we deliver with the daga in daga y daga training. The daga came first and was adapted to the empty hand application. It is important to bear this in mind.

With the baston, we go one step further. We must train the baston in two distinct ways:

1) Baston as Blade Proxy

Here we use the baston as a proxy for any medium-length blade such as a barong, kris, ginunting, or the like. The movements of the baston are flowing, and energy is generated mainly by the turn of the hips. We rely on smooth motion and flowing mechanics, since very little impact power is needed for the blade edge to cut. Similarly, we are concerned with the location of the "imaginary edge" on the baston, since we are using it as a proxy for the blade. For beginners this is often done by extending the thumb along the body of the stick (something you would not do in live combat) in order to remember where the edge would be if it were a blade. In the Japanese sword arts, students often use wooden (bokken) or bamboo (shinai) swords as proxy for the live katana, with various training benefits associated with each.

2) Baston as Baston

Here we appeciate the baston's utility as an impact weapon. We see many uses of the baston for locking and choking (which arguably can also be done to horrific effect with edged weapons such as the barong, but that is not the point here). The power generation for these techniques includes not only the hip rotation, but also the strength of the wrists, especially for staccato movements like abanico. In this style, we want to have a snapping feeling in the stick, and concentrate striking power on the ends of the stick, rather than along the body, as we would with a blade. The wrist power "flicking" motion is of far less value using a blade, and is a movement exclusively associated with impact weapons. With the blade, this "hacking" movement would be considered poor application and beginners are frequently corrected on it.

In training, the baston (and foam sticks) allow for different levels of contact with the partner, and can greatly improve focus and timing. These help avoid injury during the training, especially for beginners, and are an important tool for developing spatial awareness with the blade. So, too, the steel blades are important at some point to develop the reality of the techniques, but sharp steel training should wait until the students has high comfort with all other forms (foam, wood, unsharpened metal).

Make no mistake, in a fight the baston as an impact weapon is every bit as deadly as the edged counterpart - it is just that the application has different mechanics than the blade.

These must be trained accordingly. When training, it is important to practice both styles - visualization of the baston as an edged weapon, and use of the baston as an impact weapon. They are different, and you should operate them differently to make the most of your practice.

See you in class.

Express Yourself

2011-07-09T09:09:00.001+09:00

In Kali, a lot of emphasis is placed on developing tuloy tuloy, or FLOW.

Differing from many other traditional martial arts, Filipino martial arts are about constant motion. We want the sticks, knives, hands, feet to be alive and moving all the time.

So, which flow is the best? Whose flow is the best? Whose flow should you watch?

The answer is simple - YOURS.

One of the most amazing aspects of Kali Majapahit is that it is a self-expressive system.

That means that once your building blocks and foundation are in place, you must grow to make the art your own, encompassing the specific needs of your body, your background, and your personality. Your flow must be your own.

The curriculum is designed to give you concepts, tools, and examples of flow in the beginner stages, so you develop the ways of expressing yourself correctly as a kalista.

The concepts must be learned and observed, since these are what make the style effective. However, these concepts are universal, and apply with any weapon or empty hand. So, too, they apply regardless of the specific techniques you use to express them. Ultimately, your kali becomes a synthesis and expression of who you are, and you begin to flow freely.

This freedom does not exist at all in many traditional schools, where if the technique is not done exactly as shown, it is considered wrong. In Kali, something is only wrong if the concepts are not followed or if it doesn't work. We continue to polish and improve our mastery of the concepts, but we are free to apply the concepts through whatever frame of expression we choose.

The "art" in Martial Art is that element which allows us to express ourselves creatively.

To lose this is to relegate oil painting to color by numbers, where we must blindly follow what we are given, and stay within the lines of childish simplicity, never given the chance to think for ourselves or be creative. NO. The goal of training must be self-expression and the freedom to show who and how we are.

Even Kung Fu 功夫, in its' English translation, means "skill achieve through hard work/practice" and has a strong inference that this is a personal achievement.

In my case, my background is heavy on Japanese traditional martial arts.

Thus, my flow has a lot more committed power moves than someone else's might, and I use plenty of locking and throwing (called "trankada" in FMA), and I usually refer to those techniques by their Japanese names when I explain them. One Guro has a long background in MMA/kickboxing, and his flow is heavy in panantukan (Filipino kickboxing). Another Guro has a long experience in silat, so much of his flow has that Indonesian flavor to it. Yet another was a semi-pro Western boxer, and thus his flow is heavy on boxing hand combinations.

Other instructors' flow looks different from mine, but we all observe the same concepts of fighting that FMA and especially Kali Majapahit so practical.

The most important thing for your training is to watch and learn from every source (classes, videos, internet, seminars, books, magazines) and identify flow you like. Make it your own. Watch yourself in the mirror until you like what you see. Keep training.

Even Guro Fred, who was amazing when I first met him, IS ACTUALLY GETTING BETTER. I watch his most recent video and I can see the difference in his flow over time. He was already among the best in the world when I first saw him in 2007. Now he is truly in a league of his own. He is faster, stronger, and more creative. This is as it should be. We are all learning, growing, evolving, changing, and our Kali has to grow with us. It gives me comfort to know that even at his high level, he can still progress.

Express Yourself!

Diet Sodas Don't Help with Dieting

2011-07-01T06:59:00.000+09:00

file this under "if it looks too good to be true...it is."

Diet Sodas Don't Help with Dieting
Jun 28, 2011 10:43 AM ET
By MyHealthNewsDaily Staff

Is diet soda really a healthy choice?

Two new studies have linked drinking diet soda to poorer health compared with those who don't drink the beverage.

People who said they drank two or more diet sodas a day experienced waist size increases that were six times greater than those of people who didn't drink diet soda, according to researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

A second study that found the sweetener aspartame raised blood sugar levels in diabetes-prone mice.

"Data from this and other prospective studies suggest that the promotion of diet sodas and artificial sweeteners as healthy alternatives may be ill-advised," said study researcher Helen P. Hazuda, professor and at the university's school of medicine. "They may be free of calories, but not of consequences."

The human study was based on data from 474 participants in a larger, ongoing study called the San Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging. In that study, the participants were followed for nearly 10 years.

Diet soft drink drinkers, as a group, experienced 70 percent greater increases in waist circumference compared with those who don't drink diet soda. [Related: 5 Experts Answer: Is Diet Soda Bad for You?]

Abdominal fat is a major risk factor for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and other chronic conditions, the researchers said.

In the mouse study, researchers fed aspartame, a calorie-free sweetener used in some diet sodas, to diabetes-prone mice. One group of mice ate chow to which both aspartame and corn oil were added; another other group ate chow with only corn oil added.

After three months, the mice that ate aspartame showed elevated blood sugar levels.
"These results suggest that heavy aspartame exposure might potentially directly contribute to increased blood glucose levels, and thus contribute to the associations observed between diet soda consumption and the risk of diabetes in humans," said study researcher Gabriel Fernandes, professor of rheumatology and clinical immunology at the university.

The studies were presented Saturday (June 25) at the meeting of the American Diabetes Association. Pass it on: A new study links the consumption of diet soda to poorer health.

NB: The best beverages for you are pure mineral water and unsweetened tea. Be sure to drink at least 2-3 liters of mineral water daily to maintain proper hydration and health.
Of course, flavored waters such as sports drinks are bad for you, too. We cannot ignore the truth.

10 Things The World Can Learn From Japan

2011-06-15T07:11:00.000+09:00

-taken from Business in Japan Group, Linked In

1. THE CALM :
Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated.
2. THE DIGNITY :
Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not a rough word or a crude gesture.
3. THE ABILITY :
The incredible architects, for instance. Buildings swayed but didn’t fall.
4. THE GRACE :
People bought only what they needed for the present, so everybody could get something.
5. THE ORDER :
No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.
6. THE SACRIFICE :
Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the reactors. How will they ever be repaid?
7. THE TENDERNESS :
Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is left alone. The strong cared for the weak.
8. THE TRAINING :
The old and the children, everyone knew exactly what to do. And they did just that.
9. THE MEDIA :
They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No silly reporters. Only calm reporting.
10. THE CONSCIENCE :
When the power went off in a store, people put things back on the shelves and left quietly. That's Japan.

When the Going Gets Tough...

2011-06-09T19:51:00.000+09:00

It's been a tough few days. Both of the jobs I was trying to get somehow fell through. Everyone else seems to have a hiring freeze on, which could last through this year and into next year.
One piece of bad news after another...

After 9 months out of work, I am starting to worry about money, something I haven't had to think much about for the past 12 years or so. It's hard. Now I have a family, too. I have always been able to find a job...except now...

These are the situations when depression is likely to strike.

The telltale signs are:

1) Trouble Sleeping
2) Lack of Energy
3) Changes in eating patterns
4) Short temper or irritability (maybe I always have this)
5) Increased alcohol intake
6) Wild mood swings
7) Frequent headaches

Some days you just don't feel like getting out of bed in the morning. You want to escape from this situation; run away; click your heels together and say "there's no place like home". Well, you ARE home. Now what?

These problems are made worse by worrying about the family. Will the kids be able to keep going to good schools? Will the wife be able to continue to buy the things she needs/wants? What needs to be cut back? It is very hard for the family to suffer when we feel it is ourselves to blame.

The most important thing to do is to recognize the above warning signs, and do something about them before they creep up on you and destroy you. Here are my tips:

1) Establish and Keep Routines
Keep going to the gym. keep waking up on time. Patterns and routines establish stability. Stability is good especially when other aspects of life feel uncertain. Keeping busy is also an important way to avoid boredom and overthinking the issues at hand.

2) Watch Your Diet
there is a big tendency for emotion to express through food. Eating too much or too little, or switching from sensible foods to junk foods, or the like. Pay attention to your eating and drinking. Write every meal down if you must. Our emotions are also influenced by our diets, so it is important not to slip here. This can cause a downward spiral.

3) Communicate
Talk to your family and friends. They love you and want to be strong for you. let them. Even talk to your children. Trust me, they will understand. Don't try and keep the feelings bottled in.

4) Cry
It's OK, really. Let it out and cry if you feel you need to. It's OK to be alone for this, but also OK with someone you trust. We have all been there, and most of us will be there again. There is nothing at all to be ashamed of.

5) Sunshine
Get outside, even for a few minutes a day. Let the sunshine help heal you.

6) Exercize
Keep working out. if you can't afford the gym, walk in the park or do whatever you have to. Endorphins help calm nerves and generate positive energy.

7) Love
Don't shut out your partner. Let them be there for you. It will help deepen your relationship further and make them part of the solution when it comes.

Everyone goes through depression and negativity sometimes. Take solace in the fact that this is one of the cyclical aspects of our lives. Hang in there. DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID.

Why Fast Food Isn't Cheaper Than Healthy Food

2011-06-02T12:19:00.000+09:00

Had to post this. Think about it. Eating vegetarian is even cheaper! - John

Why Fast Food Isn't Cheaper Than Healthy Food - by Tim Harlan, M.D.

I get a lot of questions during lectures from people wanting to know how they can eat better when eating healthy is so expensive. They base their questions on claims that unhealthy choices are cheaper. For instance, I saw a recent news story where the reporter walked around Walmart and looked at the value of foods based on the measure of calories per dollar. This is really nothing more than a cute parlor game to say that one dollar will purchase close to 1,000 calories of candy bars but only a single large apple, because it doesn't tell us anything about what we get for our money. Calories are certainly an important part of our diet and weight control, but it is the quality of those calories that matters to our health.
The conclusion often from studies and news reports is that the subsidies on more calorie-dense foods are the culprit Because our government provides funding to farmers growing calorie-dense products like corn (which is processed into sugars) and beef, the typical fast food menu can be advertised as being "cheap, cheap, cheap," and candy bars can be sold for 33 cents each.
This is, however, one of the great myths about healthy eating -- ranking right up there with the fallacy that eating healthy doesn't taste good. I believe it's more economical to cook a fresh, healthy meal than to eat junk food.
The argument I hear most often is that it's cheaper to eat at McDonald's. After going to McDonald's recently and putting together a typical meal for four (mom, dad and two kids), I came up with a total of about $14.00 (I didn't actually buy anything, though). For that money, you get almost nothing of nutritive value, but bland white bread, greasy burgers and fries with a sugary soda.
That same $14.00 will purchase two pounds of lean ground beef, a pack of eight whole wheat buns, lettuce, tomato and enough potatoes to make oven-baked french fries and salad ingredients with money left over for some fresh fruit. The best part is that this is twice as much food as at McDonald's, so there's plenty for leftovers later. Better food at half the price: that's pretty simple. I'll allow that there's no soda included in the home cooked meal, but no one should drink soda anyway and a full pitcher of iced tea costs pennies to make.
At KFC, they sell $5.00 "complete" meals. I say "complete," but they really aren't since there's far too much refined carbohydrates and the only vegetables are deep fried potatoes.
These meals serve one person and generally include two pieces of chicken with fries and a biscuit (no veggies) and a soda. That comes to $20.00 for the same family of four, and for that you can purchase a whole chicken for roasting, four ears of corn on the cob, makings for a side vegetable or a salad and have money left over for fruit for dessert. Sure, the KFC meal is right at 1,000 calories, which makes it 200 calories per dollar, but there's also only 2 grams of fiber in the meal, more than a teaspoon of salt and 16 teaspoons of sugar. In the long run, those poor quality calories end up costing a lot.
The same home cooked meal with one roasted chicken breast, one roasted chicken thigh, a side salad, corn on the cob and an apple comes in at around 600 calories with about a quarter teaspoon salt. There's 11 grams of fiber and half the sugar, but the sugars are from natural sources and not table sugar or high fructose corn syrup. It's a healthy meal for less than KFC.
Sure, if you count this as calories per dollar you come out behind, but not all that much -- and the food is far, far better. The home cooked meal costs 120 calories per dollar, but these are great quality calories: low in sodium and added sugars, high in fiber, much more satisfying and, in my opinion, much tastier than KFC.
I spend a lot of time in grocery stores and it's amazing how much convenience food I see. Take the Healthy Choice penne in tomato sauce frozen meal. For the same family of four that it would take five of these (or maybe even more, considering the amount of calories that each member of the family might need).
At $2.80 per serving, that's a minimum of $14.00. That same 14 bucks will buy a box of whole wheat penne, onions, tomatoes and cheese with money left over for salad and fruit -- and it'll make six servings.
I do get people who want to argue that there's no time to cook, but this is also a myth. Putting a chicken in the oven to roast takes one minute to season and 5 seconds to put in the oven. Same with roasting the corn on the cob. Making a salad dressing and prepping the veggies takes all of about 10 minutes. That's less than 15 minutes work time to make a fantastic dinner. You might stand in line that long at the fast food joint.
There are so many recipes available online that are quick, easy and family friendly. They are inexpensive and delicious, but even those requiring more expensive ingredients are still cheaper than eating out -- and they're so much better for you. These are difficult economic times. One of the best ways to save money and get healthier (which also saves money) is to cook your own meals.
The myth that eating junk food is cheaper is just that: a myth.

A Little Flow From Our Friends

2011-05-22T08:41:00.001+09:00

Here's a little flow from some of our friends in Balintawak.
Kali Majapahit is not directly based on Balintawak, but we like them a lot and their fluid fighting style is of great interest.

Some things to note:

These girls have really nice flow - it's not about power, it's about FLOW

Kadua Guro Guillaume (one of my favorite guys!) notes from his black belt exam, "If I can share something that I wasn’t informed about when I had my exam, is that speed is not important, what is important is the level of control and technique" - well said as always, Guro!

In corto distance, misdirecting the opponent's hand can be the decisive factor

Notice how the girls' hands are always near their center and ready to penetrate for misdirection, disarm, hit, whatever.

The drill looks a lot like Hubud (because it is) - stick/knife/empty hand are all the basically the same
Balintawak uses less punio (butt end) than we do, but there is enough there to hit with
Their hips are basically square to each other all the time so both arms can easily be used
As soon as an opening is found, the fight is over - as you can see from the flourish by both players when they win (at 00:09-13 and 00:26-30)
The disarm at 00:26 is the outside vine disarm, just like we do!

On the subject of the outside vine disarm, as you can see, it happens very fast. These are not big movements, but small and precise.

Something to aspire to!

See you on the mats.

The Bladed Hand

2011-05-10T19:49:00.000+09:00

Stay Tuned for this documentary, which looks like it's going to be very cool. I may be the first one in line for the DVD when it comes out...:-)

One Click

2011-05-06T08:47:00.000+09:00

Just before Golden Week holdiays began, I swam my first ever 1km non-stop. That is 40 lengths of the 25m pool where I swim. I regularly run 10km for that portion of my workout, and here are some differences I noticed between swimming 1km and running 1km.

It feels longer than it is. When swimming, those lengths of the pool feel pretty long. I am sure for some pro or semi-pro swimmers 1km is no big deal, but for the rest of us it feels very long. It was hard to keep the rhythm throughout. By contrast, while I am sure 1km run feels tough for some, it is not nearly the workout that swimming it is.

Lots of turns. Doing 40 lengths of the pool involved a lot of turning. Very quickly, you cover the distance, and have to turn and kickoff from the poolside. I think this will be better if done in open water, which approximates the way triathletes do it. I'd need to find cleaner water than we have anywhere nearby in Yokohama, though.

Over quickly. I also found the swim to take less time overall than I expected. Running 1km usually takes me around 6minutes (assuming 10km/hour pace). Swimming it took me about 20 minutes, which is actually less than I expected. I am sure distance swimmers go much faster, as I am sure distance runners do as well (making a top mark marathon these days means hitting almost 20km/hour average speeds). For the workout I got, it was over quicker than I thought it would be. This makes it a perfect lunchtime activity, since you could hit the gym, change, swim 1km, and be out in under an hour.

Great calorie burn. I usually burn about 700 calories for a 10km run, which means about 70 calories per km. Swimming 1km seems to burn much much more. I think the best guess is somewhere between 200 - 230 calories. That makes swimming on average about 3 times as efficient a form of exercise as running.

I started swimming frankly because I suck at it. Because I suck at it, I didn't really do it, and thus continued to suck at it. The 1km goal was a good one for me, and was something I could not have achieved 6 months ago. I want to keep swimming as a regular part of my workouts, and next attempt will be a 2km swim. Stay tuned.

Aquaman out.

View From The Top of the Country

2011-04-17T18:57:00.005+09:00

My neighbor just came back from a week-long trip up North to help with the recovery efforts. She is very brave, and a specialist in art therapy for children. I think it was a tough, effective week for her and those children who met her will never forget her kindness. We are all glad to have her safely back in Yokohama. She came by today for an emotional update on the week in Tohoku.
Here are my thoughts on what she told us:

1) This will not be over soon
With the widespread devastation, the rebuilding effort has yet to even begin in many of the most hard-hit areas. The clean-up alone will be monumental, let alone the amount of work needed to repair infrastructure and basic living conditions. I am guessing a total recovery may be 10 years away.

2) There are two kinds of volunteers
I suppose you need two kinds of volunteers: one kind that are practical and tough, and able to endure the harsh reality of what has happened without losing focus on what must practically be done as part of the recovery effort. There is clean-up, there is hazardous waste removal, garbage disposal, waste handling, and a million other low-level, emotionally difficult jobs that need doing. they are not glamorous, but they are the heart and soul of recovery. The other kind are those who can provide a human element to the survivors. In particular, medical professionals and therapists. Nearly everyone, even relief workers, suffers from stress trauma and emotional dysfunction right now. It will be a long road to recovery for those that must go on with their lives having lost so much. My neighbor is one of those bright, talented people who can help make a difference. This is not just about the logistics of getting supplies from point A to point B. It has a lot more to do with keeping the survivors surviving - helping them cope and find a new direction for their lives. They need to learn how to live, laugh, love again. How to sing and dance and draw and play again. They need to face their fears, their shame, and their guilt and overcome it. The people are strong, but they need to get their dignity back. This is the human recovery and it, too, will take time.

3) The Disaster Isn't Really Over Yet
For many, their lives are in free-fall. Since March 11, so many bad things have happened and they just keep coming. We all have the strength to pick ourselves up and get back on track again, but how do you know when the storm is over? The Earth is still shaking, the radiation is still silently washing over everything, and we still have no idea what will happen tomorrow. It's like being bombed - you could come out of the shelter and pick up the pieces if you knew the bombing was over. Nobody knows, and that is the scary part. Libya soon eclisped Japan as the news headline, much in the way that Tohoku eclipsed similar disaster in New Zealand in February. Viewers have short attention spans - survivors don't. I hope those involved in the relief effort have the fortitude to see this through to the end; until Tohoku is back on its feet again and the people can smile. It will break my heart if this disaster ends up like a TV show (30 minutes including commercial breaks) after which everyone shrugs and goes back to business as usual like it never happened. Even more, I wish the survivors, especially the children, could change the channel to something better, but they can't. If the world really loves and supports Japan and the Japanese people as I believe they do, I hope they do not forget.

4) An Ocean Of Tears Just Makes Everything Wet
Everyone cries. I cry, too. There is only so much crying that can be done, until the time comes to ACT. There will be time for more crying, for many years to come. For now, it is most important to begin to retake control. To give people routines and tasks, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, to help them restore order to their personal chaos. Many have lost everything. Everyone has lost something. Step by step people must exert control over their surroundings and their lives in order to regain their sanity and overcome the incredible sense of helplessness and overwhelming loss they feel. The children need to play again, to dance, to draw and sing and to listen to music. They need to touch anything that was normal before, just to remind themselves it was not a dream. People need to take baths, to prove to themselves their social fabric is not torn beyond repair. These little rituals are important parts of mental well-being and will help people cope with the tragedy. They must cling to the hope that their way of life was not washed away along with their cars and houses and business and schools. My heart truly goes out to those affected. We all have a social resposibility to hold them close to us for as long as it takes, whatever it takes. We must cry together so that one day we can laugh together. We need to give more than money. We need to give our humanity to those who have had theirs taken away. 頑張ろう日本！！

Some Observations from Singapore

2011-04-06T20:42:00.005+09:00

After spending just over two weeks in Singapore for the kids' spring break, here are my observations...

1) Kali Majapahit Continues To GROW
Wow...it seems like classes are getting even bigger than before. The school seems to be growing every time I visit. It's great to see so many new faces experiencing Kali Majapahit.

2) Some People Got GOOD!
It's been a while since I saw some of the students, and they have gotten much, much better. In particular, Indra, Scott, William, and Stephanie. All of them really impressed me by how natural their flow is, and how their skills have improved since I saw them last time. GREAT JOB!! I hope I looked better too!

3) Missed a Few
I was hoping to see Joni, Yee Han, Arlyn, Shaiful, and a few others. I was also hoping to get more time to train with Guro Vince, Guro Ben, Neal, Robin, Sylvia, Frederic, and my other old friends from Yan Kit days. KEEP TRAINING!!

4) Kali Majapahit Keeps On EVOLVING!
Guro Fred really has a passion for it. He spends hours and hours thinking about how to make the curriculum the best it can be, and how to make it more accessible to everyone. That makes us all very very lucky! The new stuff coming in May is very cool and will represent the next important step forward for Kali Majapahit. Stay Tuned!!

5) Alvin's Panantukan Class KICKS ASS!!
WOW! Alvin can really bring it. He drives the class hard, and shows a lot of great techniques for the drills. He has really matured as a teacher, and the class is fun, energetic, and practical. A GREAT workout from a great guy. Not to be missed!! If you haven't been to his Saturday class - GET IN THERE!! Every time I return from Singapore I find myself even more motivated to train harder and get better. I love the life there, and the Kali lifestyle I found when I lived in Singapore. It really did change my life and it can change yours, too. I plan to take our Friday study group to the next level too. I want Guro to be impressed by how good we get training here on our own. See you on the mats!

Ganbare Nippon

2011-03-31T09:10:00.003+09:00

The country is in crisis.

Following the Great Tohoku Earthquake on March 11, it has been in a downward spiral involving aftershocks, tsunamis, radiation leakages, shortages, and other ill effects from the disaster.

Even more disturbing, the lackluster leadership by both the government and private sector firms involved have made a bad situation far worse, and fueled the fire of panic to a higher level that it would have been otherwise.

No doubt about it, the country is in crisis.

The last time Japan faced a crisis like this it was not a natural disaster. It was a political one.
The country had lost a war and suffered devastation from bombings, starvation, misery, and hopelessness not unlike what people are feeling right now. What happened next?

I am sure there were many people willing to write the country off and call it finished.
The old Japan and old ways that had led it to militarism and nationalism had been proven wrong, and the Japanese people suffered greatly for it. Following that, through force of will, the Post-war generation did what Japanese people do best - GANBARU - and transformed the shattered country into an economic powerhouse. It is time to do it again.

Just like in the post-war period, it is obvious the old ways will not work anymore.
A new order needs to emerge if Japan is to ever recover and survive. The problems of the past 20 years need to be laid to rest decisively.

Government and the HR Factor
In the post-war period, working for the government in service to the country was considered a noble thing to do. Many of the best and brightest went to work in the ministries and did a fantastic job of developing the export economy that drove Japan to greatness through the 1980s.
Now the government is a mockery, reduced to indecisive dead fish who could not survive in the private sector, or wealthy children with nothing to offer but their own inflated sense of entitlement.

For the country to endure, new leadership is needed. Government needs to be seen as a worthwhile place for bright young graduates. If Naoto Kan is the best we can do, sadly we are doomed.

The Trust Factor
Trust in government and business has been eroded even further than before by this crisis. The lies, doublespeak, and obfuscation of ministry officials and TEPCO management has put a great many people at risk who did not need to be - and a gomen nasai press conference will not absolve this recklessness. They would be wise to remember that this is a country of strong will, and that in addition to GANBARU, this is a country that can GAMAN - a country that has, and can, endure even the unendurable for the sake of its own survival.

This country can and must handle the truth of what has happened in Fukushima if it is to overcome and persevere. We need the advice of other countries, but our own leadership, to overcome this crisis.

Why I am Hopeful for Japan's Future
Now is not the time for the Japanese salaryman - those days are over.
Now is the time for women and children.

Women are often called the untapped resource of Japan.
Many are highly educated, highly motivated, and even more increasingly looking for challenging careers like their male peers have done. They are the heart and soul of Japan and it is time to let them take an even greater role in rebuilding the country. Continuing to exclude women from authority will destroy any real chance for Japan to revitalize itself.

Children are also better educated than ever before. They are increasingly exposed to the outside world at younger ages, and more and more of them live overseas and become fluent in English.
This is vital in order to reconnect Japan with the rest of the world and to bring back the kinds of important ideas that will help change the country for the better. Japan will not survive in isolation. The current generation lack effective role models, but this will also change.

Asia - China and Japan
One of the most important steps in the rebuilding of Europe was the single currency Euro.
I do not suggest that a single currency is politically viable in Asia yet, but Europe experienced post-war success and growth through inter-connected trade. ASEAN is still a long way off, and diplomatic relationships, especially between Japan and China, must reach a new level of harmony for Japan to become successful again. Whatever happened between Japan and China during the war must be let go, completely let go, for a new relationship to blossom that will benefit both. Recall that only a few years after the war in Europe ended, the SECOND world war, NATO was being formed and prior enemies were involved in positive dialog again.
This needs to happen in Asia once and for all.

In Conclusion
Japan always has in it the power to amaze.
If anything positive is to come from this tragedy, it will be a wake-up call for the country.
This crisis will be the catalyst that shocks the Japanese people into making the hard changes that are necessary for the country to survive and ultimately to prosper again - if not for this generation, for the next one.

I love Japan - always have, always will.

Shaking The Trees

2011-03-14T07:33:00.007+09:00

hardship is what causes ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

well, it's been a long weekend.

As everyone knows, Northern Japan got hit with the largest earthquake in Japanese history on Friday, and aftershocks, tsunami, nuclear power reactor explosions, food/gas/electrical shortages have ensued.

I was at home with the dog when all this started. In short order our family was together, and we spent the rest of the weekend watching the news as word of the devastation continued to spread, and the chain of events continues to play itself out in front of our eyes. Here are my takeaways as of Monday morning:

1) Quakes
It's Japan. There are earthquakes. I have been through many quakes since I got here in 1991, but this was truly the biggest and scariest of all. Panic doesn't help much. All you can do is try to get somewhere safer (under a table, etc.) and wait it out. and Hope.

I don't believe there is any completely safe place on Earth anymore, so to me leaving Japan doesn't help much. My colors don't run. Never have, never will.

2) Dying
I know I will die. It is up to me to choose how I live until then. As long as I can be with my family, I will go when it is my time. We have been together throughout, which is all I can ask for. If this is the end, lay me to rest in Yokohama. This is my home.

I am happier here than any other place I have ever been.

I am happier now than at any other time in my life so far.

I WILL NOT GIVE IN TO FEAR.

At 44, I have beaten the odds many times already, and have been in a lot of hard places that I managed to get out of. I am determined and resourceful. I usually find a way, if a way can be found. I am confident in my ability to lead my family and survive/endure whatever comes our way.

I give my friends and family all the love I have, and if it is my time to die, I will face it with open eyes, open mind, and an open heart. I am grateful for my life, for all I have seen and done, for my family and the support of my friends.

3) Some Hardships, how hard are they really?
Now we enter a time of power rationing, gas rationing, food shortages, and other inconveniences. This could go on for a long time. How hard? I am not bothered.

There are so many dead, so many more who have lost their families, their homes, cars, livelihoods - everything. I have no right to complain about sharing the burden with them.
We can endure whatever must be endured to support them. Our hearts go out to them and are filled with sadness at their loss.

What has happened to us so far is a minor inconvenience compared to REAL HARDSHIP which is a daily aspect of life in much of the world. It is time to show how tough we can be. So far this is not so bad.

Everyone needs to develop a proper sense of perspective and let go of the illusion of entitlement. Realize how lucky we are.

In much of the world there is poor sanitation, no electrical infrastructure, no medical care system, no clean water, no public transport or education, no opportunity. Now is our turn to endure just a tiny taste of what most of those people have to face EVERY DAY OF THEIR LIVES. Buckle up and stand strong. Don't be a p*ssy. It could be so much worse.

Even in our parents and grandparents' generations they faced hardships like this constantly and overcame them through focus, determination, and courage. How can we be expected to do any less?

4) Power Down
Bring it on. I need electricity a lot less than I would have thought. I can cook without electricity. I don't really watch television anyway. I have plenty of books to read. I like my PC (and posting to my blog) but it is a luxury I can easily forego. My family is here with me. Not too worried.

5) No gas, no trains
Sucks if you have to try to commute to work. I don't right now. I can stay here in Yokohama happily for as long as is necessary. I can walk anywhere I need to go. Not too worried.

6) Japan
This is an amazing country filled with amazing people. Since I was 14 I have never lost my lifetime love affair with Japan and with the Japanese people.
They possess an indomitable spirit and community that cannot be broken by nature and will not be broken by this. This country will endure. These people will continue. My family and I will not leave.

Courage is the unbreakable will of the ordinary person under extreme circumstances. Under fire, we all do what we must. More courageous still is the slow, methodical rebuilding of the country in wake of devastation. Japan has already experienced this in the post-war period. A whole generation sacrificed to rebuild. We will do the same as needed to make this country whole again. This is an opportunity to show what our generation can really accomplish. This is our time.

The government has done a good job in a hard time. Now we must all do our part, too. No panic, no fear. One step at a time until we are stronger than before. That is real courage. We have it. It is time to show it. Together.

7) Martial Arts
Our training gives us the mental strength and determination to overcome any hardship and endure any suffering. We learn to overcome fear and find "right action in the moment without hesitation." We are taught to respect and preserve all life. We are taught to accept our place as part of the natural world and order - no better or worse than anyone or anything else. For me, this is my religion. Make your beliefs guide your actions and do not compromise. This is what we were trained for. These tests are the fires that forge the steel of our souls.

In Closing
This morning, the sun is shining and it is warm on my face.
My wife and children are with me. We are alive and healthy.
I don't need much more than that.

See you soon. hang in there.

Baby Steps

2011-03-04T09:32:00.003+09:00

Health is a constant process of re-evaluation and improvement.
For many, making the change to vegetarian (or vegan, even better) lifestyles can be a huge shock, which can make it unsustainable despite best intentions.

Here are some tips on getting started:

1) One a Day
start by making one meal a day vegetarian or vegan.
I think breakfast is a good starting place since there are many breakfast foods that are easily available and that already fit the bill. Go for oatmeal, bran flakes (not frosted flakes), granola/muesli with soy milk, whole wheat toast with natural jam and fresh fruits. Make yourself a healthy smoothie or fruit shake, or some fresh-squeezed juice to wash it down. Since this is the first meal of the day, you can have your carbs now.

When you can do this for a month or more easily, you can move on to two meals a day.

2) Red = dead
In the transition phase, if you must continue to eat some meat, keep to "clean meats" such as chicken or fish/seafood. Avoid fatty meats and red meats, whose proteins are the worst for you. Watch your protion sizes and remember that most of this craving is mental and can be overcome. Keep your ultimate goal in mind and don't be too hard on yourself. Stay the course.

3) Substitution
There are many things you can put into foods to replace meat. One of my favorites is shiitake mushrooms, which I slice up to replace slices of beef, or finely chop to replace ground beef. With some tomato paste, mushrooms are a big hit of umami, and their savory flavor can give your body the same satisfaction without ill benefits. Tofu isanother mainstay. For those who cannot do without, TVP (textured vegetable protein), TSP (textured soy protein), and Seitan are all good vegan substitutes.
There are vegan versions of many popular meaty dishes/condiments such as mayonnaise, butter, shortening, chili, bouillion, burgers (some of these are FANTASTIC!), lasagna, burritos, chicken nuggets, etcetera.

4) Snack Time
A lot of vegetarians/vegans blow it here. Plan ahead, and surround yourself with healthy options such as nuts/dried fruits, veggie sticks w/dips, healthy chips (minimal salt, baked not fried), healthy energy bars (some fantastic ones are available!). Humans like the convenience of grazing, and so we grab what is nearby. Think about what is in reach during snack time. High sodium notwithstanding, I am a big man of instant miso soup for snacktime, and of miso in general.

5) Water Bottle
I keep a one-liter water bottle on my desk and have a full one in the morning and a full one in the afternoon. I also drink water with most meals, so that gets me to between 3-4 liters daily, which is what I want. Stay away from the coke machine.
I also kept a variety of good healthy herbal teas in my desk for when I wanted something else.

6) Turning Japanese
Japanese food is some of the healthiest on earth (and Japanese live very long lives because of it). I am usually happy and satisfied after a bowl of rice w/nori topping, miso soup, and some tofu. There are healthy rice balls, and a variety of Japanese side dishes that are completely vegan and taste AMAZING! These are also usually very easy to prepare, so a Japanese diet is a great way to get healthy. My Japanese wife constantly amazes me by the traditional Japanese vegan foods she serves me.

Even if you picked only one of the points above, it would be a good start.
Try it for a montha dn see how you feel. Notice that you sleep better, have more energy, and feel better about yourself. This stuff can change your life.

I PROMISE.

21 foot rule

2011-03-03T16:51:00.001+09:00

PTK

2011-03-01T08:20:00.004+09:00

Last weekend I was fortunate to get an invite from Shin Kali to attend a workshop on contradas (countering) led by Agalon Kit Acenas from PTK Manila. It was a great seminar and Agalon Kit is extremely talented.

PTK is the family system of the Tortal family, now headed by Grand Tuhon Leo Gaje. PTK has a lot of overlap with what we do in Kali Majapahit, and a lot of the movements looked familiar to me and were easy to pick up. They do some things that we don't, however, and the emphasis is a bit different.

The seminar included a lot of work on solo baston, daga/doble daga (pakal/saksak), knife tapping, espada y daga, and some empty hand applications of the contradas principles. The curriculum was well thought-out and showcased the contradas theme continually. In addition to Agalon Kit, Shihan Eain, Sensei Satoshi, Sensei RahD, and several of the Japanese instructors (Funaba-san, Kitagawa-san, Kitamori-san) were there to work with everyone and make sure we understood correctly.

PTK's main bladed weapon is the ginunting, a type of single-edged downward-curved sword originating in the Visayas region which is carried by the Philippine Marines. The size and shape of this weapon make a close overlap to the solo baston work, similar to the way we would use the barong for slashing and stabbing attacks either single-handed or reinforced.

It was interesting to see the overlap for commonly used triangle footwork, guntings, sinawali, punio sombrada, elbow strikes, and the like. Some of their movements differ, for example the "arm shuffle", but all are easily and quickly integrated if one's FMA foundation is solid.

PTK includes kata, which is uncommon is many FMA systems. In particular, they use the 64 attacks form to develop basic movements which appear later in subsequent drills and applications. To this are added various "inserts" which expand the fighting vocabulary and highlight options for additional techniques inside the basic flow.

In summary, PTK has some outstanding instructors and is worth a look if you can find it near you. Better still to go and see them next time you are in Manila.

The shinkali group are extremely friendly and open, and have been organizing visits to Japan from some very high-level instructors. They are a great group of people to know!

Vegging Out

2011-02-17T19:35:00.002+09:00

It is great that so many people are investigating vegetarian and vegan lifestyles these days. Books like "The China Study" are helping, people like Guro Fred are helping, and I think overall a new age of vegetarianism is becoming widely accepted as more of an intelligent, compassionate choice than a hippie/beatnik/pacifist overreaction.

But before we all go and pat ourselves on the backs with broccoli florets, we need to be very honest about what we are doing. There are loopholes in any doctrine and always a way of justifying something bad if we really, REALLY want to do it (just ask either of my boys).

Here are a few of my favorites slips:

1) Snack Foods (especially potato chips and chocolate)
potato chips, pretzels, corn chips, donuts, pies, cakes, and a host of other sugary/salty goodies may not contain any animal products per se, but despite the fact that they are "technically" vegetarian hardly makes them good for you. Come on, be honest with yourself. If you are hip enough to be a vegetarian, you are smart enough to know this stuff, right?

What is the point of being vegetarian and then getting cancer/heart disease/diabetes anyway??

2) Deep-Fried Foods (especially French Fries)
Anything that is deep-fried is bad for you, but french fries are by far the most popular culprit in this category. Many vegetarian friends of mine LOVE french fries (and rationalize it by saying it is vegetarian). That's not the point. Just because it is made from potatoes does not make it healthy. McDonald's and all other fast food places are off the list.

IT IS CALLED "FAST FOOD" BECAUSE IT SPEEDS YOU TO THE GRAVE

3) Coca Cola
Maybe Coke does not have animal products in it. That does not mean it is not "cancer in a can". Mineral water or tea, please.

4) Coffee
The Starbomb usually includes shockers like whipped cream, milk, sugar, etc.
If the price alone does not kill you, the drink surely will.

5) Vitamin Water and Other Sports Drinks
Maybe technically vegetarian, but very bad for your health and packed with sugar and calories. Mineral water or tea, please.

6) Alcohol
"But beer is vegetarian"...yah, I know. So is marijuana...oh, and heroin.
Don't get me started.

7) Cigarettes
Just shoot yourself.

I am sure I am missing some other big ones. The basic idea that top vegetarian nutritionists are getting at is that a whole-foods, plant-based diet is best. That said, raw whenever possible is the best rule of all. Spending every day making deep fried salad dripping with salt and sugar will not get you where you want to be. Living your life mostly vegan means you can occassionally break the rules if needed (your well-tuned healthy body will make you suffer for it, though). Sadly, I know many self-professed vegetarians/vegans for whom the above list is pretty common fare. Despite being vegetarian/vegan, they are overweight and unhealthy.

If you are not vegetarian or vegan, that's OK.
(Actually, it isn't...but it is everyone's personal choice).
If you are vegetarian or vegan, please do the right thing and don't make true vegetarians/vegans look like fools by overeating foods you know are unhealthy and justifying them by saying "they don't contain animal products".
You will feel better (and better about yourself) when you follow the plan correctly.

If you find these temptations impossible to resist, talk to someone you can trust. You probably have some unresolved things you need to let go of before you can truly make the commitment to be vegetarian or vegan.

I think veganism is a lifestyle choice that can be physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually rewarding. But you got to do it right.

CHOOSE LIFE!

Learning to Crawl

2011-02-14T17:55:00.004+09:00

Let me be honest - I suck at swimming.

I mean, I truly suck. Not being overly negative here (except maybe "negatively buoyant"), I can get from here to there in the pool, but man, it's hard work.

That's what led me to start swim lessons today.

Why? Why not just focus on emphasizing your strengths?

1) We all Suck at Something (some of us suck at many things)
Nobody's perfect. Or, as Marco is fond of saying "God does not give everything to anyone"... I was never able to prove him wrong, either.
We all have our crosses to bear, and our issues to work on.
Be honest with yourself. It starts with honesty.

2) Why do we suck (and continue to suck)?
There is a negative spiral around sucking.
Maybe I could call it the "Suck Cycle" or something clever like that.
The fact is, you suck at something because you are not naturally good at it.
You are not good at it, thus it is not fun to do it. It's more fun to do what you are good at.
You don't do the things you suck at, thus you never improve at them.
Consequently, welcome to a lifetime of sucking....(unless you actively do something about it).

3) Next Steps
We all love to show off how good we are (especially in front of the opposite sex).
However, balance also means spending extra time on the things we are not good at. It means identifying honestly our own weak points and specifically taking steps to improve them to be better all-around. It may mean just longer practices specifically on those weak skills. It may mean specialized coaching, weight training, rehabilitation, or even spending time watching videos or researching on the web. It may mean asking for help/advice from others who are good at your weak areas. It may mean taking classes or getting a personal trainer or other professional.

DON'T LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE when it is about your training.
Relentlessly seek to improve yourself.

Not only does this mean getting better at the skills you have competitive advantage in, it means raising up the skills you are weak at until you are confident in them. Of course, this applies in all areas of life, not just martial arts training.

"A true master reveals himself in every action no matter how small"
- samurai maxim

This is the champion's way. See you at the finish line.

365 marathons in 365 days

2011-02-10T05:58:00.003+09:00

Here is a picture of Stefaan Engles.

In case you don't already know him, he was the only guy to do 20 (count em, TWENTY) Ironman Triathlons in a single year. That just wasn't enough for this Belgian dude.

He topped it by running a marathon a day for 365 days.

That's right - 26.2 miles/42.195 km a day - EVERY DAY FOR A YEAR.

This is from a guy who had asthma as a child and was told he could never do exercize. To add insult to injury, he is 49 years old (older than many of us).

CNN quoted him as saying "...It is more like a regular job. I am running just as Joe Average goes to work on Monday morning, whether or not he feels like it."

It reminds me of something my teacher told me long ago.

"some days I love to train. Some days I hate to train. Every day I have to train."

NOW, WHAT WAS YOUR EXCUSE FOR NOT TRAINING TODAY???

Happy Mother's Day

2011-02-02T22:04:00.004+09:00

My wife Sanae has been a bit under the weather lately - lack of energy and gets tired/dizzy easily. Maybe it's a flu bug...

That means I have had to step it up and manage kids/dog solo for most of the time these days.

Man, running the household is HARD WORK!

I knew it was a pretty tough job, but I figured my life as an investment banker was just as tough. No way.

Dealing with getting dinner ready/washing/drying/putting away dishes, getting homework done, wash/dry/fold/put away laundry, picking up toys, clean up dog mess, bath time, tomorrow's prep, and the list goes on and on. It just never ends.

I have new respect for how hard this job really is. There is never a moment's peace, and it is constant motion 24/7. I am the first one up and the last one in bed at the end of the day, and I feel mentally, physically, and emotionally drained at the end of every day.

It is a great experience, and for their part, kids/dog have tried to be cooperative. Still, it's a pretty tough job.

Please take time out and thank your mom for all she does for you.
If you live away from home, tell your mom how grateful you are for her sacrifice in raising you. EVERY DAY should be Mother's Day.

My time away from work has had many lessons, and this has been one of the most important ones - count your blessings. being a parent is a hard job, but the most important and rewarding job you can ever have.

Movie Review: Yip Man 2

2011-01-27T20:03:00.005+09:00

Yesterday I went to check out this film.
I saw the first one when I was living in Singapore and it was an excellent movie.

This is a contiuation of where the first film leaves off, with Ip Man moving to Hong Kong and trying to promote Wing Chun there, encountering various obstacles along the way.

Overall, I felt this was a good effort, although not as good as the first movie.
The cinematics were good and really gave you a good sense of what it must have been like in post-war Hong Kong, with many displaced people from the mainland flooding in trying to find work and set up businesses.

In the first movie the main antagonist is the Japanese occupation army, and in this film it is the British colonial rule, embodied by a corrupt British Hong Kong police official and, to a lesser degree, an arrogant British boxing champion.

The fight choreography by Sammo Hung was brilliant, and preserved the essence of the various kung fu styles (as far as I can tell). Sammo's character, Sifu Hong, was also very well played, with a balance of hardline adversary and patriot. His death leads Ip Man to challenge the Britsh boxer to a duel in the ring. Donnie Yen seems very convincing in his movements, and combines a true fighting prowess with Ip Man's humility and classical Confucian education. I am sure the real Ip Man must have been quite an amazing person.

That fight is an interesting example of what might happen between a skilled wing chun master and a good, strong western boxer. I am sure it is based on a true event, since Ip Man is known to have beaten many kinds of fighters in Hong Kong challenge matches. I can't find any real historical precedent online, so if you know the story, kindly tell me what really happened. Darren Shahlavi as Twister is an intimidating anti-hero and he is really ripped and ferocious. He would not be fun in a real fight.

I recommend watching this film for its cultural and historial value, and to see wing chun portrayed correctly as an extremely effective fighting system. I personally know some wing chun masters who are among the best fighters I have ever met, so Ip Man defeating a larger stronger western boxer does not in any way seem unreal to me. It is also always nice to see martial arts portayed as a vehicle for personal development, rather than just a way of beating people up. Ip Man's closing speech that "...despite our differences, I hope people can all learn to respect each other..." is the same message about martial arts I would expect any real master to give.

Did you also see this film? What did you think? Let me know.

Jack

2011-01-25T08:46:00.005+09:00

This week we lost Jack Lalanne, fitness guru and strongman, at age 96. He was such a remarkable man that his life deserves some reflection by all of us.

Maybe he is known to our generation best for his Jack lalanne Power Juicer and its late-nite TV infomercials, but Jack did so much to promote health and fitness that he should be remembered forever as one of the people who cared about us most.

Some of the important lessons we can learn from Jack:

1) Diet is the Most Important Aspect of Health
Jack changed his life following attendance of a lecture on diet by Paul Bragg. You can, too.

Whether it is his advocacy of juicing or his eschewing sugar and meat long before other people advocated it, Jack knew and practiced that diet and health were one and the same.

2) Exercize in some way EVERY DAY
Jack continued to exercize almost 2 hours daily into his 80s. After a lifetime of fitness he was still able to perform amazing feats long after most people are dead or infirm. He did not make time for exercize - everything else made time for exercize. Health needs to become a priority in our lives for us to achieve longevity.

3) LONGEVITY
Jack defined it. He lived a very long life, indeed, but more importantly he lived a FUNCTIONAL LONG LIFE. We all want to live to be at least 96 as Jack did, but none of us want to spend most of it as an invalid due to some debilitating illness that could easily have been avoided with a careful diet (whole foods, plant based) and regular daily exercize. The key to happiness is longevity, and that means keeping your mobility and ability as long as possible.

4) Swimming is Good For You
Jack swam every day, and many of his famous feats of strength and endurance were based on swimming, such as swimming from Alcatraz to San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf towing a boat- while handcuffed and shackled!! Swimming is a great workout that does not damage joints, and swimmers are some of the fittest of all athletes.

5) Happy Wife, Happy Life
Married to the same woman for 52 years

6) The Hell with what Anybody says
In his day, Jack was beseiged by naysayers who advocated "meat and potatoes" and dismissed him as a health nut. Jack went on to dance over all of their graves. He was fitter and stronger at 80 than any of them had ever been in their entire lives.

7) Create and Innovate
Jack developed lots of training devices and methods because, quite frankly, they didn't exist when he needed them. Research and study, then never be afraid to develop your own tools and techniques if needed. Do not let society or technology's limitations become your own.

8) Keep Your Sense of Humor
Jack was said to always have a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye.
Choosing to be happy is an important way to live a longer, healthier life.

Think about these lessons - LIVE YOUNG FOREVER!

Book Report - The China Study

2011-01-17T08:10:00.004+09:00

This is my most recent read. It was compelling and I went through it quickly. In short, I highly recommend this book, and even more highly recommend the soul-searching you should do after reading it.

YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK.

1) What You Should Already Know

T. Colin Campbell, the author, is a Cornell-based PhD nutritionist and scientist.

He is one of the most respected and published scientists in this field, and has literally hundreds of articles posted in the top scientific journals. He has spent significant time studying the effects of nutirition on cancer, and the implications are very important. In a nutshell, as a scientist and doctor, he recommends a "whole foods, plant based diet" for optimum health, and proves through rigorous scientific studies that this minimizes risk of the most deadly ailments of our time: cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. The establishment has vested financial interest in keeping us confused, and by promoting the cycle of meat and animal based diets which cause diseases that require expensive treatments and surgeries to intervene. Patients do not actually get well from these treatments. Once diagnoses, the downward spiral is usually fatal anyway, but these treatments cause undue pain, suffering and financial burden that could have been avoided or reversed through a whole foods, plant-based diet.

2) Holistic Health

The relationship between nutirtion and health is a complex one, and dealing with nutrients in isolation is not a successful method of improving health according to Dr. Campbell. In fact, supplements usually do the reverse, casuring more harm than good for our bodies. The best is to move toward a diet which offers holistic benefits and gives us the synergy that nature intended. Western medicine often focuses on the disease rather than the patient, and on the treatment rather than the cure. Nutrition is no different, and dieases are best addressed at their source - which Dr. Campbell contends is usually due to poor nutrition.

3) Supplements and other "magic bullets"

Dr. Campbell has done numerous labratory studies on health and vitamin supplements and concludes, as you might expect, that these do not offer the benefits they are ascribed. In fact, not only is it impossible to prove that supplements provide health benefits in isolation, they are shown to have damaging effects by actually increasing the likelihood of cancer and other sickness. The very things you take to save your life are probably killing you.

4) Conflicts of Interest

Food and drug companies sponsor most nutrition research and very carefully control what goes into the media. They also promote their self-serving agenda through elementary schools and even medical schools. The health care system rewards doctors for treating illness rather than avoiding illness, and hospital "top earners" are those doctors which perform the most surgeries, not those doctors which save the most lives. For the well-meaning healthcare professional, this is disturbing. For the industry at large, it is criminal.

There is far too much at stake for big business to promote real optimal health through better diet and nutrition.

5) Never Too Late

Most encouraging in his research is the result that cancer, diabetes, and heart disease are not only prevented by a whole foods, plant based diet, but that they are actually REVERSED by it. In his studies, Dr. Campbell showed that cancer promotion (when cancer cells multiply and spread) could be reversed in mice based on how much animal protein they were fed. This means that for humans, cancer patients could actually reverse cancer and put it into remission by adopting a vegetarian diet and avoiding animal products. This is a much better option that the suffering of chemotherapy and surgery.

6) Lifestyle Choices

I dislike Christianity primarily because of its focus on negative reinforcement.

In the same way, rather than threaten us with cancer if we don't become vegetarians, it is better to provide unbiased information and let each person choose his or her own lifestyle. We know smoking is unhealthy, even if the direct link to cancer is hard to prove. We also know vegetables and fruits are good for us, without having to be beaten over the head with carrot sticks.

At the end of it all, wouldn't you rather choose life?

7) How to Proceed

Get it; read it; think about it.

Most of us have been brainwashed into bacon and eggs and steak and potatoes meal choices. We know what is good for us, but often feel helpless or powerless to act. SHAKE OFF THE LETHARGY AND DO SOMETHING HEALTHY TODAY. Think about people you have loved and lost from cancer. Think about everyone you know who suffers by being obese. Think about everyone you have known who has died from heart disease that DIDN'T HAVE TO.

How are YOU going to live?

Let me know your thoughts. Let's do this together. Choose life.

Open For Business

2010-12-23T07:30:00.005+09:00

So, you want to open a martial arts school?

Big decision... maybe one of the biggest you'll ever make.
There is a massive difference between those teachers who go on to have successful careers running their own schools, and those that are back working for "The Man" 9 to 5 within a year (or less). What's up with that?

1) Why Open a Martial Arts School?
To be great, not just good, but GREAT at martial arts requires a sacrifice of time, energy, and discipline very few people can achieve. Becoming a great teacher goes even beyond the requirements of being a great martial artist. If you are someone who has invested (yes, "invested") that much of your life into mastering those skills, the only lifestyle choice that can truly satisfy you is to do that every day for the rest of your life. Since most of us are not independently wealthy already, it means we must work for a living.

Since you know from previous blogs that I equate a martial arts lifestyle with a religious/spiritual lifestyle, I would say making a decision not to teach your art is like spending your whole life studying religion, and then never actually using that knowledge for the common good by becoming a priest. To go even a step further, a master has a moral obligation to the art itself (and his or her own masters) to transmit the body of knowledge to the next generations, or risk losing it forever when he or she inevitably dies. Sadly, this has happened to many, many martial arts throughout human history.

I believe that a good master develops those students who will one day become teachers, and helps them grow into being ready, including sharing with them the practical aspects of running a school to encourage them to pursue this dream and become successful entrepreneurs themselves one day.

Even though many martial arts students and instructors daydream about opening a school, few will actually do it. This is a trend that can and should be reversed. The world needs more martial arts schools and more qualified, dedicated teachers.

2) It's Not Just About Martial Arts
Like all small businesses/start ups, running a business requires much more than just knowing the subject matter of the product. Owning and operating a hair salon means not just knowing about hair, but also about real estate, employment contracts, banking, marketing and sales, technology, insurance, and a host of other sub-skills. These skills are shared by every entrepreneur, and operating one successful business usually means switching from one to another is pretty easy. As a martial arts school owner, get ready to learn everything about everything else (except martial arts).

3) Dollars and (common) Sense
You have to be profitable. You deserve to be. Profitability equates to sustainability, and we all want to be associated with success. Students do not like to see their teachers on the dole, and we want to believe our teachers are professionals, preferably full-time professionals. This is what makes a school (full-time operation) different from a club (part-time operation). To do this, you have to have at least some basic numerical skills, be well organized, and fair.

A balance has to be struck between making the classes accessible and giving fair value for the knowledge received. The value of the knowledge itself cannot accurately be measured, since to the teachers it is priceless (based on the lifetime of investment they have put in it). It is also true that cost and value have a psychological connection. More expensive things are perceived to have higher value. I do not advocate being unethical by charging students exorbitant fees for voodoo. However, I do believe the classes should not be for free, and should fairly compensate the teacher for the investment of his/her time, energy, and knowledge, as well as provide a foundation to make the school sustainable.

4) Customer Service
As a teacher, you have to have skills. These skills have to be good enough to attract students and show them what they can achieve through dedicated training over time. However, what will matter most to the students is not how good you are, but HOW GOOD THEY BECOME. Successful teachers appeal to the psychology of the individual and the group, and must always focus on helping each student become the best that he or she can be. This means providing individualized guidance as much as possible, developing a personal relationship with each student, creating a supportive student community, and working hard to make the body of knowledge as accessible to the students as it can be.

IT IS NOT TO CREATE A PLATFORM FOR SELF-DEIFICATION.

While many misguided teachers do this, ultimately they are the ones that will lose their students and have nothing. Teacher/student relationships are like every other business relationship (doctor/lawyer/priest/accountant). They are based on TRUST. The moment that trust is undermined or results in harm to the customer, the relationship becomes irrevocably damaged. Good teachers focus on the students and their improvement EXCLUSIVELY and SELFLESSLY.

In practical terms this means that students must understand that they will progress and improve, feel firsthand the goal setting and achievement, be encouraged and supported by the teachers and other students, and correctly identify the improvement as being consistent with what they want for themselves. A feedback loop (formal or informal) is helpful for keeping dialog with each student about their training.

There can be a great temptation to be involved with students as close personal friends (or more).
Good teachers bear in mind that it is a PROFESSIONAL relationship, and keep it so. Teachers can be professionally close to their students (just as a good doctor or lawyer is often considered a family friend and trusted adviser over many years), but professional protocols should always be observed. Since the school involves a trust relationship, it should be bound by the same behavioral guidelines as any typical workplace or university as regards teacher/student conduct. Many a school (and teacher) have been ruined by failing to observe these important rules.

Um.....no. Not an appropriate student/teacher relationship.

5) Products and Innovation
There is a lot to be said for tradition, especially in martial arts.
However, if we compare martial arts to religion, then we must acknowledge that religion's great failing has been to hang on to tradition at the expense of adapting to the needs of modern practitioners, which has resulted in confusion and disassociation among worshipers.

One of the things I like most about FMA, and specifically Kali Majapahit, is that a lot of time and energy is spent on perfecting the curriculum to make it as easy as possible for the students to absorb. The classes are very well organized, and bodies of knowledge for each sub-system are set up in a logical fashion to promote understanding. The drills and exercises are very carefully constructed to develop students' skills in the shortest possible time. Good businesspeople care about their products, and in making those products compelling and competitive. It is a common mistake for the teacher to think he or she is "the product". THE PRODUCT IS THE KNOWLEDGE, NOT THE TEACHER. The knowledge must have portability or it dies when the teacher dies. Students must be developing knowledge that they will take with them on their own martial arts journey.

Many teachers fail because they want to train "the old way", which may not be consistent with the demands of the market (the students) for how they need the material presented. Such hard training methods are usually best left to the advanced students and other instructors with a deeper understanding and commitment, and who are not prone to misinterpret that training as cruelty.

It is reasonable to expect the students to make some investment in the equipment needed to train properly. However, it is unreasonable to make the school into a sales platform where heavily marked up merchandise is flogged on them at every opportunity. This undermines the trust relationship and leads to an empty school. The goal must always be on developing the students' skills first and foremost, using every innovative tool and technique (ancient or modern) which can be integrated into the curriculum. Often times the cheapest equipment is the most effective.

cost? One chicken...

6) Keeping It Real
Good martial arts teaching is much more than just being a good doctor or a good lawyer.
Some of the benefits of the training are not immediately visible and take time to manifest in each student. Because good martial arts is a lifestyle choice, it stands to reason that all the positive aspects of this choice do not appear on Day one. I do not believe in "watering down" the arts, since I do not believe in watering down the benefits either. However, at the same time, I look with disdain on those schools which teach some psychobabble and delude the students into thinking they are gaining some real practical martial arts/self defense benefits. In short, keep it honest. Martial arts means exactly that. Students should develop martial skill and artistic expression (and I consider "art" to include lifestyle) in accordance with the school's mission and the student's unique balance. I personally can accept a wide range of "martial" and "art" combinations as long as they are not misrepresented to the students, and both teacher and student are clear on the goals and objectives of the training.

If you are a great teacher, please open a school. The world needs you.
If you are studying with a great teacher, plan to open a school yourself one day. Live the dream.

See you in class.

Downsizing

2010-12-08T17:48:00.004+09:00

I found a pleasant surprise over the past few weeks - I have downsized.

After returning from Singapore, I tried on a few pairs of pants in my closet that I bought off the web. 3 months ago, none of them fit. In fact, I could not even button them or zip them up. Now all are snug, but they fit.

Pretty happy, and know that this is a direct result of losing almost 7kg in the past 2 months since I left JPM.

It is hard to stay the path of exercising regularly and paying attention to food. It is especially hard when immediate results do not show. However, if you can be patient, they come. It feels great when they do.

I don't think I have gone down a size since high school. This is good - very good.

As my wife correctly points out, it is not about weight, it is about body makeup and strength.
For me, though, it just feels good to wear clothes I was too big for before.

New Age, Old Tricks

2010-12-08T17:07:00.003+09:00

"I am the ALL-POWERFUL OZ!... Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain..." (The Wizard of Oz)

Out to dinner the other night with friends and the topic of Jin-Shin Jutsu (JSJ), came up. They asked me what I thought.

I am no specialist in JSJ, and hold nothing against it per se.
What I can say is that there are a lot (an awful lot) of people on the fringe of homeopathy and alternative healing fleecing the unsuspecting. Many of them prey on our emotional weaknesses, naivete, gullibility, and insecurity, and cause innocent people to pay exorbitant amounts to get nothing in return (except poverty).

I am a big believer in spirituality, and accept the importance of faith in daily life. Still, these charlatans anger me. The next time some scammer hits you up, please consider the following:

1) What's the Science?
If it is a legitimate healing methodology, what is the science that backs it up? If this cannot be easily and simply explained, hold onto your wallet tightly. Acupuncture is a great example. Although there are some unbelievers, the healing effects of acupuncture and TCM for a variety of ailments are extremely well documented and backed up by modern medical science as well. The body's hydroelectric system can indeed be tuned using the needles, and there can be little doubt as to acupuncture's effectiveness by a skilled practitioner.

2) Touch
I am sorry, but it is very hard for me to accept healing arts that do not even touch the patient.
I guess I watched too much Star Wars as a kid. If they claim to heal you without touching you, head for the door.

3) The Thin Line between Healing and Psychotherapy (and cultism)
Of course the patient's mental state has a lot to do with healing. That said, I do not personally believe meditation or the like on its own can heal bodily injury. Therapies which rely solely on this cause me to want to meditate on how to get my money back. When the line is further blurred by adding some supernatural being (God) into it, I need to exit immediately.

4) Magic Words
I lump chanting and other magic healing words with 3) above. My magic healing word would be "refund".

5) Happy Endings
In my view, any treatment plan for an injury (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual) has a beginning and an end, as well as constant feedback along the way. If I broke my arm, for example, I expect the doctor to diagnose (X-RAY or CAT scan), treat (cast and/or sling), assess using periodic visits, and complete (rehab to regain mobility). If my doctor told me to keep coming back once a week for the rest of my life, I would be highly suspect (and might break his arm in return). By this rationale, I find it unacceptable when alternative therapies are presented as open-ended, where you keep going (and paying) forever. If my specialist wants to see me every week for an indefinite period, great, but I am going to stop paying after a fair and reasonable time frame.

Remember, in China, doctors were paid to maintain health, not to treat sickness. We should err on the side of preventative medicine, and be skeptical of long-term therapies. Of course, religions and lifestyles are long-term approaches, but they should be presented as such, NOT as therapies or treatments. There needs to be honesty and transparency between caregiver and patient in order for trust to develop.

My apologies to all the legitimate alternative healers out there. Your reputations are being wrecked by pseudo-babble from those who would seek to exploit the unknowing. Please join the cause to educate people about what the real benefits of real treatment from real therapists can be. Alternative medicines, and pseudo-medicines, should be licensed and regulated. Practitioners should be able to show clear credentials to patients. Treatments should have a logical basis in scientific fact, and have start and end goals.

The charlatans are better left in Oz, where they belong.

A Week In Singapore

2010-12-08T16:55:00.003+09:00

Just back from a training week in Singapore. It's been a while since I was there, and since I had mileage I could use for the airplane ticket and Rob let me crash at his place, I could go on the cheap. Here's what happened:

1) Testing
Guro told me after Monday's class that he wanted to test me on Wednesday. Shaiful was also testing, and was going for his kasama (red shirt) rank. Test went smoothly, and it was great to see some other old friends who are now kasama (Robin, Neal, Frederic, Sylvia) come out as well. This was my first time playing with my new kris, and I like it a lot. Guro graded me to Phase 5, and said my flow and boxing had improved. Cool.

2) Classes and Structure
Many new faces and Ben told me the school is now up to about 170 students. Wow! I went to Tuesday 12:30pm class and it was packed with 15 or so. I remember when that class was only 4-5. Guro still uses the phased approach, and this cycle was shortened due to Christmas break. This one was all about FLOW, and especially overlap between sticks, hands, and karambit. Very cool and a lot to use here in the Tokyo Study Group.

3) Video
Friday I helped Guro, Ben, and Herve work on shooting for the Kali Majapahit Online program. It was a good day and we got further than I expected. It was interesting to see how the material is catalogued, and how Guro wants to present it. Some very, very cool stuff in there. Kali Majapahit is great because there are so many options for movement and solution. It could be confusing if it was not so well organized (but it is!). Every series included kadena de mano, karambit, stick, panantukan, and flowing applications. I think it is very high quality material.

4) Gear Shopping
Brought back some new stuff for me (training karambit, everlast gloves, bag, kris) and some stuff for other students, bags, etc.) . Thanks to Ben's packing, everything arrived safely.

5) Knees
for some reason, the jumping squats played hell on my knees and I had knee trouble all week; now gone. Why?

6) Panantukan
Great classes and professional boxing drills we can use in Tokyo. Sparred with Clement which was fun. he has very long arms and solid boxing skills. I'd hate to have to fight him for real.

In short, a great week with lots of drills and training. It makes me wish I could live in Singapore again, but Yokohama is where it is at for now.

Simple Math, Part 2

2010-11-17T20:51:00.002+09:00

In a previous post, I set out the idea of simple math being just that - you lose weight when you burn more calories than you take in. You gain weight when you take in more calories than you burn. Not hard for most of us to grasp.

Recently, a US-based professor of human nutrition validated this by losing 27 pounds in 10 weeks by eating twinkies and other junk foods only. This professor also stated clearly that he did not recommend this diet to people, but that the math held true.

Some key take-aways from this:

1) PORTION SIZES
smaller portions help control calories.

2) Smaller meals more frequently
This guy succeeded by eating small meals (a single twinkie, a bag of chips, etc.) every three hours rather than big meals every 6 hours.

3) Pay attention to total daily calories
Sadly, this seems far more important that where the calories actually come from.

4) Occasional slips in content are forgivable, slips in calorie count are not
If you must have a cheeseburger, make up for it elsewhere and you will still be OK.

5) Use your target weight calorie count, not your current one
Use the correct daily calories for the weight you want to be, and you will get there.

I have to admit, 27 pounds in 10 weeks sounds pretty shocking.
I am sure I can do better than I am doing, especially since my current habits are not that terrible (no twinkies, doritos, sugarccinos, or soft drinks).

Something to think about.

Better Red than Dead

2010-11-16T09:54:00.003+09:00

Congratulations brothers (and sister). YOU ARE RED.

It is a great achievement and a big step forward. You are less dead than before.

What do I mean?

Guro Fred is always careful to point out that Kali Majapahit is not just a fighting system, or, more correctly, a way of learning the Southeast Asian fighting arts. Health and longevity are integral aspects of the training and every bit as important. Through KM, you learn about the body in general, and your own body in particular. You are encouraged to exercise, expected to quit smoking (if you were stupid enough to start in the first place), educated about osteopathy and homeopathy, taught about TCM, informed about nutrition, lectured about psychotherapy, and so much, much more.

Think about how many people you know choose death over life. How many people willfully engage in self-destructive behaviors because they lack the confidence and tools you have developed? You are less dead than they are, and become less dead as you continue your training.

All of these powerful tools help contribute to your overall health and longevity, and bring you a fuller, happier life. They are keys to improving yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Accomplishing your Kasama level is proof positive not just of your commitment to Kali Majapahit, but of your commitment to yourself. You should feel most proud. Now, as visible examples to the others, it will be time to take it up another notch. Reach inside yourselves. Ask the difficult questions about what the next steps are to changing your life through Kali Majapahit. Becoming better fighters; better teachers and leaders; BETTER PEOPLE.

You are gaining control of your lives. You have the responsibility to share this gift with others.

I salute you.

House Building 101

2010-11-12T09:10:00.004+09:00

When it is time to build a house, great care must be given to the foundation. No matter how pretty the rest looks, if the foundation is weak, the house will be weak. The bigger the house intends to be, the stronger the foundation to keep it there.

In our martial arts, foundations mean many things.

First of all, foundation means footwork and balance.
So much of what we do depends on having strong, stable footwork which puts us in advantage, and our opponents in disadvantage. No matter how pretty the technique, lack of footwork will lose the fight every time. The drills are often boring and repetitive. They don't look sexy or cool. However, there are few better uses of time than doing balance and footwork drills for improving overall fighting ability. Good fighters spend a large part of their training time on footwork to make sure it is instant and intuitive.

Strong foundations also mean strong basics. We all want to learn the next cool jumping kick or sophisticated trap. However, in reality, the muscle memory we have the best is the basics. Those basics are what we return to under stress, and what make the difference between walking away and being carried away. Basics must be drilled until they are instinctive. These basics combine to form the building blocks of the rest of the techniques we learn.

Especially in an integrated art like Kali Majapahit, where common concepts are reused irrespective of weapon or distance, the basics are our vocabulary for building fluency of expression. Without good basics, you can never flow.

Be patient. Take the time to build a strong foundation of basic techniques and balanced, correct footwork. Once you do this, your house will withstand any storm that comes your way.

needed a better foundation...

44

2010-11-12T08:54:00.002+09:00

Well, that's it. I am officially 44 years old.

A lot has happened since last year's birthday post, and it is time for some reflection.

Personally, it has been a good year. I came back to japan just before my 43rd birthday, and we have quickly and splendidly settled into Yokohama. The commute to work was long, and the days longer, but I got used to it - eventually that problem solved itself.

Health-wise, I am almost 6kg lighter than I was this time last year, thanks to going to the gym a lot these past 2 months, and to a nasty bought of stomach virus that kept me on my back with no food or drink for 6 days. I feel better than ever.

My stress is also greatly reduced. My leaving my last job was a long time coming, and very stressful up until it resolved. I still love my old company, and miss my co-workers, but the setup was not right for me and we all knew it. Something better will happen soon and I will have lessons learned and fond memories of a bunch of people I spent just over 5 years in co-dependency with.

On the home front, it has been a big year. I have learned a lot about myself and who I am.
I am forever grateful for the love of my wife, who has helped me become a better person. She is direct, simple, and honest; no lies or illusions - very practical. I want to be more like her. At the same time, we must all dare to dream, and my dreams are what led me to Japan from Villa Park, Illinois nearly 20 years ago. I am closer to her and to my darling boys than ever before. The gift of my career change brought with it time to walk to the school bus together, to greet them when they get home, to have dinners together and talk about homework.

Life and family are more than the punctuations of annual holidays - they are the joys of the little things every day we are together; time that can never be replaced once it is gone. They are growing up a little bit day by day, and it is magic to see it and be part of it. This will not last forever, but I am glad to have it right now.

My life in martial arts continues with renewed energy and fascination. Filipino martial arts in particular remain my passion, and I look forward to spending Friday nights with the guys sharing what I know and helping them deepen their understanding. I am lucky to have a small group of regulars who are open minded and enthusiastic. Martial arts is one of those many things in life that give you back what you put in, with interest. I am glad they are mature enough to understand that.

Overall, no complaints about my life at 44. 43 was a great year, and 44 looks to be even better.

That's all that really matters, isn't it?

Little Things, Big Results

2010-11-05T10:22:00.002+09:00

I am a big believer in small lifestyle changes that give big long-term results.
It is hard for people to sustain massive shocks to their daily routines, unless some stressor triggers it such as moving, changing jobs, etc. Instead, there is much greater success in making minor adjustments. The minor adjustments I prefer are those which take very little time or effort, but can have profound impacts on the quality of our lives. Here are a few of my greatest hits:

Soft Drinks
Make a habit of choosing mineral water instead of sugary soft drinks.
If you have a time-based routine such as a coke after lunch, switch it for a mineral water.
Best if you drop them altogether and drink only water or unsweetened teas (green tea, oolong, jasmine, etc.) instead. One step at a time.

Coffee
Maybe for some people this is not a minor change, but if you can switch it to unsweetened tea you are already doing yourself a big favor. Especially bad are the big calorie sugarccinos of the Green Monster. If you need the caffeine (or think you do), see the next item on the list.

Sleep
Make sure you are getting 7 hours or more every night without fail.
Adjust your schedule so you do. Catching up on weekends is no substitute.

Alcohol
Better if you don't, moderation if you do. Try to avoid beer's big calories, soft drink mixers (like rum and coke), and always always hydrate. Red wine is a good choice if you must.

IN-convenience Stores
Try to avoid their high-calorie, preservative-laden meals.
Best is to make your own bento (or kindly ask your partner to help).
Better yet, make your bentos together the night before.

Go Green
Make at least one meal a day meatless. Breakfast is an easy one, but a big salad dinner is nice, too. Maybe for starters make Monday your "green day". Increase as you see how good you feel.

Sunshine
Get a few minutes at least of sun every day you can.

Exercise
Needs to be scheduled time for yourself to do any activity you like.
Make sure you are getting at least 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes each.

Stretch
I stretch before bed. Morning is also nice.

Bath
Even though I am a morning shower guy, I still take my Japanese bath soak every night.
Something I just can't live without.

Maybe you already do some of these things. Maybe you can add a few more.
Even doing one new things, and making it into part of your routine with add to the quality of your life and health. One step at a time.

Vitamin Water and other fitness fantasies

2010-11-02T08:05:00.003+09:00

(originally posted on CNNMoney. full article here)

In my opinion, vitamin water is the worst offender of all spurious health products. see below. In your heart of hearts, you probably already know that mineral water, plenty of it, is what your body really needs. When buying mineral water, go for the ones with the highest Ph number. The higher the Ph, the more alkaline the water is, and hence the better this water will be for helping balance the blood acidity which most modern people have. Guro Fred suggests drinking at least 3 liters of mineral water daily, and I wholeheartedly agree.

John

Vitamin Water and other sports drinks don't deliver health

Don't be deceived by claims that vitamin and sports drinks are a healthy water substitute. "Once you put any chemical into water, it is no longer water. You must read the labels. It has less than 0.5% of vitamins, minerals, and other stuff. That is very little to be effective, give you energy and boost your immune system. You only receive 13 ounces of carbohydrates in an 8 ounce serving, and those 13 grams are all sugar -- crystalline fructose and sugar cane. A $3.50 bottle has 2.5 servings. So you will consume 32.5 grams of sugar when you drink the bottle," says Kevin Bailey, CSCS, owner of Bailey's Total Fitness, Inc.

"If you are looking to lose body fat, it will be hindered as soon as you drink one of these. Gatorade is even worse, with 34 grams of sugar per bottle. Also, if you are diabetic, these products could possibly cause more harm than good due to the drastic spike in your blood sugar levels when consumed," he says.

Japanese kindergarten

2010-10-24T21:57:00.010+09:00

Last week we decided to move our 4 year old son Ray from international kindergarten to Japanese kindergarten, called Hills Gakuen. Crazy you say? Cost was not the issue, but a lot of other factors were.

It is not that I am against international schools. in fact, we put our oldest, George, into international schools the whole way, and he is now at Yokohama International School, the top international school in Japan. I fully expect to send Ray there from grade 1 onward.

For example, many people feel the Japanese elementary school system focuses too much on rote, at the expense of creativity and individualism, and the students turn out to be cookie cutter worker ants, mindlessly obeying Japanese protocol, incapable of free thought, and doomed to work soullessly in the hive until they are replaced by the next batch.

your average Japanese office worker?

Hmmm...I don't entirely disagree. However, when it is done right, the Japanese kindergarten system is an amazing thing. Instead of trying to force children to memorize without understanding, it promotes learning through music and movement, repetition and pattern, and allows kids to be what they are - kids. Kids have boundless energy, and rather than chastise them for not sitting in their chairs all day long, a good kindergarten lets them use their bodies as learning tools - incorporating songs, dances, drills, and other play to get children to want to learn and understand. this physicality will help their bodies develop and form the foundation of good health for the rest of their lives. This approach is far better than showing that they can do worksheets just like their older siblings.

In kindergarten, I think it is most important that children enjoy school, not that they sit and do endless worksheets of letters and numbers. The most important practice they can have for elementary school is SOCIAL, not academic. This means that they should develop the habits of getting along in groups, playing well together, and being polite. Practicing a bit of tooth brushing after meals/snacks and washing hands after restroom is good, too. In a Japanese kindergarten, there will already be a class leader, whose job is to help all the students master the required skills and get along together. This is a step of maturity for the boy or girl who is ready to look after the others, and starts them on the right path of being responsible for the success of others, which is a key leadership attribute.

Far too often the international kindergartens, under pressure from overachiever parents, want to show that the 4 and 5 year old students can write letters and numbers and do worksheets. I personally think that is OK for some kids, but not nearly as good as having the kids enjoy school, have fun, and develop strong core social skills. Music and art should be learned by doing, and their bodies should be as active as possible. Letters (and worksheets) can come later.

In short, I am very glad we found such a good Japanese kindergarten. It offers good social training, active learning, and a lot of fun for the students. it's perfect.

What does this mean in the context of martial arts (this is a martial arts blog, after all)?

Practicing forms and forms and forms is not a substitute for being able to fight, and nor is it a proxy for the critical character development that good expression in the martial arts helps develop in all of us. Even if we never get into an actual fight (and I hope none of us ever have to), we can use the character development, energy and respectfulness we learn in the dojo EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Teach your children well. Don't settle for second best.

Unemployment Benefits

2010-10-15T07:11:00.003+09:00

On September 4 I lost my job.

It was amicable, inevitable, and in retrospect probably for the best for the company and myself.

Over the past few weeks, I have had to adjust to a new lifestyle of being out of work. Here are the main benefits I found:

1) more sleep
I was probably getting 5-6 hours a night before. It wasn't enough. Moreover, I felt tired all the time, and that had an effect on my overall energy levels, my mood, and my relationships. I was exhausted. Now I am getting closer to 8 a night, and sometimes the odd afternoon nap as well. I just FEEL better. get enough sleep. It helps.

2) Control Over My Diet
Toward the end, I was not eating particularly badly. light brekkie, moderate lunch, moderate dinner. The real issue was accessibility. Because of the 7-11 in the basement of the building, I came to use them (and their processed, prepackaged mayhem) a lot more than I should have. I cook more and eat much better now, and it shows.

3) Training
Exercise makes a huge difference. I am in the gym almost every day now and rather than making me feel tired, it has the opposite effect. By training (not over-training) I feel more energetic and generally better about myself and my life. Regular exercise is an essential part of being happy.

4) Relationships
I have time to take George to the bus every morning and walk Ray to and from school. We eat dinner together at home as a family every night. My wife and I go to and from the gym together. I help the kids with their homework. WE TALK. This has really helped me to reconnect with my family. When a typical day at work started by getting up at 5 am, getting to work at 7am, getting home at 8-9pm, during the week I hardly ever saw them. I need this time. I love it. We feel like a family again.

5) Stress
I thought I would be really stressed out about being unemployed, but I'm not. I know I will have to get back to the routine at some point, but I don't dwell on it. I am enjoying the moment and taking it as a rare opportunity; a rare gift. My stress levels are very low and I feel great.

Working or not, the above are important facets of a happy life to bear in mind. The goal is always BALANCE, so that we can have sustainability and longevity. I hope I can keep these lessons even after I start back at work someday.

Until then, see you on the mats.

Getting Angry

2010-10-08T09:54:00.005+09:00

I was reading somewhere that anger wins more fights than any training. Anger, Rage, FURY, SAVAGERY. It's probably true.

When you stop to think about it, giving in to the rage within can make all the difference. On any given day, in any given situation between two people - the angrier one often wins.

This is not what you find in classic martial arts textbooks, especially those which espouse philosophy. However, in real situations, tapping into your primal killer instincts, without remorse, can make the difference between life and death.

I do not like to fight. I LOVE martial arts, but that is precisely because I abhor violence. I think everyone should develop the confidence, discipline and self-control not to use violence to resolve conflicts. In any altercation I will choose to talk it out, if not, to walk away. However, if given no other alternative, I want to be able to unleash every ounce of rage within me, especially if that will help protect my life, or the lives of my loved ones.

Our training must make this a last choice, but a choice that is available if no other choice exists.

I have met my share of good martial artists that lack the "killer instinct", which is that ability to disconnect mercy or reason and deliver the knockout (or worse) when required. I am not sure if or how this can be developed, but for martial artists I consider it a necessary component of the training, since without it you will fail when you need it most.

I agree in daily life this is not needed, but it is a lot like fire insurance.

You may never need it, but if you do, you are likely to need it pretty damned badly.

what do you think?

"give in to your anger..."

Simple Math

2010-09-28T06:21:00.003+09:00

It's time for some simple math....

If you want to lose weight, take in less calories than you use.

Thus, if

A is the number of calories you eat daily
B is the number of calories you burn daily

Then as long as AA you will gain weight.

The math is simple. Like most simple things, it is all about implementation. That takes willpower. It is often the case that sudden, drastic change results in a lack of sustainability.

At the extremes are starvation diets that dramatically reduce A but do nothing about B or PX90 extreme home workouts that do lots of B, but do not really address A. Michael Phelps, winner of 16 Olympic Gold medals, packs in 12,000 calories per day during hard training, but he has very low body fat due to his enormous B. As he says "eat. sleep. swim." A typical adult has a 2,000 calorie per day guideline, but many people go over this, especially in the US. Coupled with a decreasing B, this results in obesity.

you can look like this while eating 12,000 calories per day...if you swim 12 hours a day as well.

Most of us already know that the most effective, long term way to lose and keep off unwanted weight is BALANCE between A and B. Gradually reduce A and increase B and weight will naturally come off and stay off.

This is mostly true when we ourselves have control over the change (or rate of change). We feel shock and rebound. When the change is out of our control, such as loss of job/death of loved one, natural disaster, and the like, we will suffer the stress and break, or suffer the stress and adjust. Different people react differently to stress. The best way is always to control the change through small, gradual lifestyle adjustments.

This requires patience, which is a rare commodity in a modern world of instant gratification.

For body weight, it can take several weeks of implementation before the change begins to be visible. That can be the delay that causes people to stop. This happens before they see the change, reinforcing their lack of self-esteem and belief that they are doomed to fail, no matter which fad diet they try.

In a nutshell?

know a bit about what kinds of calories you eat
know a bit about basic nutrition
Be aware of stress in your daily life and how you respond to it
Make long-term goals, but short-term plans
start small. small changes can yield big long-term results
reward yourself for positive changes, rather than punish yourself for small transgressions
give it time - it can take several weeks before the results start to show
plan your work and work your plan - stay the course, be patient
balance decreases in A with gradual increases in B - make sure to plan BOTH
avoid extremes. too much too soon can have drastic negative effects on your health

AVOID FAST FOOD!! lots of calories (mostly from saturated fat, salt, and sugar).
"Fast food speeds you to the grave". This is probably the biggest single change anyone can make to lose weight.

Now off of work, I am eating better, exercising more, and much happier than before.

I will update my progress in my own plan to lose weight, get fitter, and increase my happiness.

See you on the mats.

A Little Motivation for the Weekend

2010-09-24T06:12:00.004+09:00

Thanks for the post Brad.

pins and needles, needles and pins

2010-09-22T18:05:00.003+09:00

Second session of acupuncture today...

I LOVE acupuncture. As creepy as it sounds, acupuncture does some things that massage alone cannot do. You need the needles. I am spending the next 4 months or so going once a week to get help releasing the years of pent up stress and tension in my neck, shoulders and back. We all carry stress in different places, which results in muscle tension, fatigue, pain, and general ill health. Since I am out of work for a bit, I want to use this time constructively to recover my health. Acupuncture is an essential element of this plan.

Many people have never tried it since they are afraid of the needles, don't believe it works, and so on. As a believer, I can say there is not much better at fixing general wear and tear on the body, dealing with muscle, joint, lymph, tendon troubles, and keeping energy levels high. It may or may not work for serious injuries, cancer, and the like - but in my view will be better on your body than many of the western remedies. As for the needles causing pain? Well, for me they never really "hurt". There is some discomfort when they are inserted, and sometimes when they are removed, and some strangeness when the points are stimulated, but this is far less than the benefit they provide. Especially, the following morning after your body has had a chance to adjust to the treatment - you wake up feeling great!

I am a big believer in preventative medicine. Many people only go for acupuncture when they are sick or injured. It is far better to go regularly, at least once a month, to maintain health and energy, and to develop a long-term relationship with your healer/naturopath so that he/she can get used to your body and understand your baseline optimal health. This makes it easier to spot things which are off-balance and correct them. No two people's bodies are the same, and understanding the baseline is a key part of what the healer does. Of course, this also means you should find a practitioner you like and stick with him/her.

Acupuncture is also about trust, and this is why you need to be able to have an open relationship with your healer, discuss your health, and give feedback on your treatment.

Your life as a "Human pin cushion" will be a cornerstone for good health.

Get stuck in!

Stairway to Heaven

2010-09-13T19:22:00.004+09:00

Now don't get me wrong - I LOVE TECHNOLOGY.
I am forever amazed at our human creativity and for right or wrong, our ability to innovate and drive technology further. I suspect it is our inherent human laziness that makes us want to do less and less.

When it comes to working out, however, I advocate never missing an opportunity to torch off a few calories.

USE THE STAIRS.

I am not talking about going up 60 flights to the office, if indeed that is what you do.
However, a few flights here or there, within reason, do add up. At my gym, I find myself going up and down from the 8th floor to the 5th or 6th and back again several times a session. They designed it that way. I call it the "Stairway to Heaven". I don't run up and down them (bad for the knees), but just walking up and down is it's own little extra helper.

Try to use the stairs whenever you can - it will help you get fitter faster.

See you in Heaven!

What Martial Arts Teaches Us About Conflict

2010-09-10T09:38:00.002+09:00

Conflict is inevitable. It is a part of all of our lives, and aspiring to live without it is unreasonable, since many times conflict is brought about by the actions of others, not ourselves.

Martial arts has as a principal benefit, the study of conflict and how to deal with it. Many people think martial arts are violent, and promote violent resolution of all conflicts, domestic or otherwise. This is simply not true.

Through our study of martial arts, we aim to better understand ourselves and our emotions, and to learn how to remain calm under stress. This helps minimize the chances that a conflict presented to us will escalate. Many conflicts arise from insecurity and weak character - that is, we fight because we feel a desperate need to prove ourselves worthy. In martial arts training we do not see fighting as a means of resolving conflict. Rather, it becomes a way of developing the confidence not to fight at all.

This has broad implications for society, and reinforces my belief that the world would be a much better place if everyone in it studied martial arts (under good teachers, of course).

1) Mutual Respect
We bow. we bow to each other, to our teachers, to our partners, to our opponents, to the kamiza. There is a lot of bowing. Respect for one another is a very important step to avoiding conflict. It is more than saying; it must be doing. I think a lot of the discord globally comes from both sides not feeling respected by the other.

2) Aikido no Ai 　合
This character means "coming together", "joining", "unifying". Proper aikido is not done "to" someone, it is done "with" someone. Shared activities foster universal understanding. Corporate trainers know this, but martial arts masters have known this for far longer.

3) Winning versus Losing --- or --- different degrees of loss
It is a shallow mind that thinks of combat as winning versus losing. Ask anyone who has ever been in war about this. Even those whose army was victorious would they say they "won". War is just different degrees of loss. Friends die on both sides and the tragedy is hardly less for either side. In conflict everyone loses. Every real warrior knows this. Good martial arts training teaches us about mortality, and the frailty of this human life we have. It is very important to consider deeply that losing less than the other side hardly equates to "victory". It is still a net loss. Doshu wrote "...the main feature of aikido is that there is no victory and no defeat".
Boxing is an interesting example. Every boxer gets hit in every fight. No one comes away without injury. The fact that we declare a winner and a loser is artificial, and because boxing is combative we consider it a martial art, when it is, in fact, a sport. Sports can have winners and losers because they abide by artificial rules. It is important not to mistake this for combat.

4) Dedication and Commitment
When we see other martial artists train, we can see their commitment to what they do, even if we do differently. There is never a need to show ourselves to be more or less dedicated than they are. In conflict, this "one upsmanship" and desperate need to outdo the other is a key reason why we see so much extremism/radicalism on both sides. Being a moderate is simply not consider "cool". In martial arts, our principal commitment should always be to the training and nothing more. All true paths lead to the same enlightened place, which makes all martial artists brothers and sisters. It would be good if nations followed this example.

5) Peace Leads to Peacefulness
A lifetime of martial arts training should yield tranquility that comes with wisdom and understanding. This way is a spiritual way, practiced with our bodies and using our minds.
"only one who truly understands war can comprehend peace".

It is my great hope that we can all live respectfully in harmony with each other.
This can only come from looking within and finding our real strength as people, our compassion, and the discipline to maintain peace together for the good of us all. It is time to put away petty beliefs and the never-ending desire for revenge. It is time for everyone to be brave enough to embrace peace.

Let's train.

It's in the mail

2010-08-30T11:47:00.003+09:00

A brief conversation got me thinking about this...

Our lives are a direct result of the choices we make

I mean this in an objective way. That is to say, the good choices we make bring us good returns, and the bad choices we make bring us negative returns. The package is always in the post. And we must open every letter, good or bad. We can revel in the happy letters, but we must also pay the invoices, no matter how expensive.

This applies pretty much universally to our health, our jobs, and our personal relationships.

Guro Fred talked about this a lot in Hilot classes, and in our hearts, I think every single one of us knows it is true. However, we often fall victim to bad choices. Inevitably, these will result in bad things happening, we just don't know when. The package is always in the post.

Before I end up sounding like a Christian trying to guilt you into improving your life, remember that it is comforting also to know that the good choices we make (healthy food habits, frequent training, managing stress) also give us regular benefits that come when we do them. I don't know about you, but I like looking at my mailbox with anticipation rather than dread.

Make today the day that you take control of your life.

Make today the day that you think about the good and bad choices you make.

Make today the day you decide to change even one bad choice for next time.

Why do we love to see people fail so much?

2010-07-23T13:48:00.004+09:00

I was just reading comments on Lindsay Lohan's jail time for violating probation on a DUI charge.

So many people seemed so happy to see her spend time in jail. Why? I am far from the world's biggest LL fan, and there are a large number of Hollywood personas I would add to that list (Mel just got added recently). However, it begs the question: why are we so glad when others fail? Are we jealous? Vain? Does it appeal to our fragile sense of self to see other more successful people brought back down to Earth? What do you think?

It is my sincere hope that those of us who have found The Way have used this to go beyond such pettiness. We should feel sorry for those of weak character; sorry for those surrounded by people who do not protect them and keep them grounded. There are many ways to fall from grace, and I am sure it is hard to deal with the difficulties of fame and fortune, just as it is hard to deal with not having them.

My advice to everyone is to keep on training. Always keep training, and have faith that good teachers and a good school will help us all see the importance of the smaller things in life.

My original teacher gave me a puzzle once. he drew two parallel lines of equal length on a piece of paper with a pencil. he said "How can I make one line longer than the other?" I replied instantly. "You can take a pencil and draw more onto one line." He agreed. But then he pointed out "Can I not also make one line longer by erasing part of the other line?" He continued, "Be careful that you never make your line longer than another person's by erasing their line. This is not the spirit of The Way."

I have never forgotten his lesson, and we are all wise to bear it in mind. Let's focus on our own lines and make them longer through our training.

Osu!

36 Ways to Make a Positive Impression in Less Than 10 Seconds

2010-07-23T01:36:00.002+09:00

saw this online and had to share it...note that martial arts training will help develop many of these habits. I count about half of the below that are part of life in a good martial arts school.

Osu!

John

36 Ways to Make a Positive Impression in Less Than 10 Seconds
Posted on May 3rd, 2010 by Todd Smith

There are literally hundreds if not thousands of little things we can do to raise the bar in our professional and personal lives. So many of these things are easy to do and can be accomplished in less than 10 seconds. They just require an intentional effort.

What is CRITICAL to understand is that your ultimate success, fulfillment and happiness will come from doing the little things that matter.

As entrepreneur and best selling author Harvey Mackay said, “Little things don’t mean a lot. They mean everything.”

Here is a short list of 36 things you can do in less than 10 seconds that will make you a better person, enhance your self-image and improve the quality of your life.

1. Make it a point to say the words ”I love you” to the people in your home every single day.
2. Offer a friendly authentic smile- a great smile radiates warmth, puts people at ease and makes you likable.
3. Make comfortable eye contact- your eyes send messages; establishing and maintaining eye contact with people demonstrates confidence, respect, and genuine interest.
4. Use someone’s name – everyone likes to hear and see his or her name.
5. Acknowledge people- smile and say hi to the people around you.
6. Express your appreciation- say “thank you” to everyone who does something for you even if they are paid to do it.
7. Be unselfish and put others first- it could be as simple as holding the door open for someone.
8. Offer a word of encouragement- sometimes this is all a person needs to build confidence and take the next big step. This is big!
9. Accept responsibility when you are wrong- it’s the sign of a person with character.
10. Be friendly- it lifts the attitude of others and is the #1 factor in being likable.
11. Maintain a positive mental attitude- your attitude is a choice and that choice is 100% within your control.
12. Be kind and considerate- to people you know as well as strangers.
13. Be like a dog and be the first to greet people- it helps new people entering the room feel more comfortable and demonstrates your interest in them.
14. Offer people you meet a warm greeting- this will set the tone for the entire encounter.
15. Say please- make it a habit to use the word please EVERY TIME you ask someone to do something for you even if they are paid to do it.
16. Get up and walk into the other room to speak to someone, rather than yelling.
17. Put the toilet seat down.
18. Turn your head and cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough.
19. Improve your body posture- poor posture is an indication of low self-esteem.
20. Say goodbye- make a good last impression.
21. Offer a proper handshake- a good, firm handshake demonstrates confidence and makes a good impression.
22. Give someone a hug- a hug is a sign that you really care for the other person.
23. Proof your email, text or post- this is an important component of portraying a professional online brand.
24. Click the LIKE button on someone’s Facebook post- it’s an easy way to demonstrate interest.
25. Turn off your phone in meetings- even though your phone may not make sounds, your eyes and attention will be diverted from the other people in attendance and your lack of attention demonstrates disrespect.
26. Repeat your phone number twice when leaving a voicemail- speaking slowly and repeating your phone number will make you stand out.
27. When scheduling appointments use the other person’s time zone- this avoids misunderstandings or missed opportunities.
28. Speak with life and energy in your voice- no one likes to be around people who are “dead, dull and lifeless.”
29. Walk with a bounce in your step- it’s evidence of an energetic attitude that ultimately leads to success.
30. Turn off the notifications that are bugging those around you.
31. Write things down- it prevents you from forgetting things that are important.
32. Say something positive to others about another person- reverse gossip.
33. Congratulate your opponent- good sportsmanship is evidence of leadership.
34. Introduce yourself- be proactive and introduce yourself to people whom you have never met.
35. Look for the good in others and tell them what you see- you have the ability to bring out the best in people, especially when they may not know it themselves.
36. Hold in that fart- the pain will go away in less than 10 seconds.

As you can see, each of these tips is easy to do. They don’t require any formal education or financial investment. We can begin to incorporate them into our lives this very minute. All we need is to be conscious of them and be willing to take 10 seconds to do them.

Let me encourage you to print out this list and put an asterisk beside the ones you are committed to working on. Track your results and see how you do.

This is just a small sampling of the things we can do in less than 10 seconds to make a positive impression on others. What are some other simple things we can do in less than 10 seconds? I look forward to reading them in the comments section below this post.

About the Author: Todd Smith is a successful entrepreneur of 29 years and founder of Little Things Matter.

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What does "Osu" mean?

2010-07-20T14:48:00.002+09:00

(thanks to Diana for the question)

Many people have heard "Osu!" in various martial arts schools. Some students even say "Osu!" without really understanding what it is about. Here's how "Osu!" is used:

1) Greeting
"Osu!" is generally said to any higher ranking belt (especially dan ranks and instructors) whenever meeting them.

2) Acknowledgment
"Osu!" is the response to any order or feedback given. It is the response a student gives whenever any instructor announces a technique or the start of a drill, or anytime an instructor corrects a student's technique.

3) An expression of commitment (Kiai)
"Osu!" is used anytime you count out a drill for the last rep. It is also an expression of concentrated intention in the way a kiai is done in other martial arts.

OK, fine. But why "Osu!" and not "Hai-Ya!" (or any other random sound)?

Traditional Martial Arts and Militarism
Many of the traditional arts (especially aikido) have very close ties to militaristic expression in Japan. It is customary to greet senior soldiers (NCO and officers) with "Osu!" much in the way it is used in Yoshinkan aikido. This may be a shortened form of "Ohayo Gozaimasu" which is now extended to be an acknowledgment and compliance with whatever the speaker has said. Much of the post-war martial arts training in Japan is very closely linked to right-wing (and, indirectly, to support of the Emperor). Yoshinkan itself is closely linked to the Tokyo Metro Police Force, which is also a very right-wing organization.

Hard Training
"Osu" is also said to be comprised of the character for push "osu" and the character for perseverance "nin". This is a reminder to train hard, and early Yoshinkan disciples trained very hard indeed. We honor their spirit and commitment to training whenever we say "osu!". It recognizes our intention to train just as hard as they did, and to follow their example of "shugyo".

More to add? Let me know.

See you in class.

Osu!

Get Out of Your Zone

2010-07-02T08:31:00.003+09:00

I am talking about your comfort zone.

Most of us have real trouble pushing the boundries of our lives. We are creatures of habit; of routine. We find a pattern and we stick to it. This can apply to our jobs, our relationships, our eating/sleeping/drinking habits and, of course, our training habits.

It is called a "comfort zone" for precisely that reason. We are comfortable there and generally unwilling to venture far away from that. As I have mentioned in previous posts, habits can be a critical help to your training and your health when you establish positive routines and make them into habits. These can be dietary such as drinking enough water daily, getting enough sleep, or controling your calorie intake. They can be mental habits such as dispelling negative thoughts, goalsetting, and listening. They can be training habits such as focusing during class, keeping energy level high, and expecting the most from each class.

This is all good, but we need to be always mindful of the fact that quantum leaps forward in ability very often happen when we get out of our comfort zone - we adapt, we adjust, we explore, we challenge, we investigate. These are a vital part of your training and should be a vital part of every aspect of your happy and successful life.

Martial arts is so important for this. The dojo is a controlled environment where you can push your boundries and discover new abilities. In every class you become able to do things you couldn't do before and develop new understanding. With good teachers in a good dojo, you are made to safely get out of your comfort zone and build your confidence level.

Aaron's blog had a great quote:

"If you want something you never had, you must do something you never did"

Very true. Make today the day you push beyond your limits. Surprise yourself.

See you in class.

Rasslin'

2010-06-14T09:47:00.003+09:00

I LOVE wrestling (or "rasslin'" as it is called in the Deep South)

It is physical chess. It embodies good conditioning, strength, speed, endurance, and intelligence. Done well, it is a formidable addition to your body mastery and your fighting vocabulary.

So before you go get tangled up, what are some key things to think about when grappling:

1) Going Down
Not much can happen in grapping until you get to the floor. There are a lot of ways to get there including single/double leg takedowns, throws, tackles, scoops, lifts, etc. There are some good common sense ideas about doing so with the highest percentage of success and control. Bear in mind tip number 2)

2) Do not get your head byond your lead toes
keep your head back and down, but NEVER let it extend over your toes. Once you do, you will get pancaked or sprawled to the mats at a disadvantage.

3) Hips in, insteps down
Do not dig with your toes. A good drive will stand you right back up.
You need to have your hips driving and pushing through constantly. Keep your insteps down so your opponent cannot get under your hip mass.

4) Off your knees
NEVER be on your knees. Instead, get on your insteps, with your hips driving through.

5) Make your opponent uncomfortable at all times
You should drive your hips and ride our opponent such that he always has trouble breathing and feels your weight pushing through. This helps make him tired and keeps him from developing a good defense.

6) Take the head/spine out of alignment at the earliest opportunity
and keep it from being re-aligned the best you can. Doing this takes away a lot of strength.

7) Use large muscle groups whenever possible
Your hips/legs and back are your primary drivers in wrestling. Use them rather than your arms/chest whenever you can. You will get much better results and last longer. This includes putting on the submissions, meaning that you should use your legs and back rather than arms and chest to get the tap.Lifts, drops, takedowns, and throws should also rely and the legs and back for power.

8) Chains
Every high percentage move has high percentage escapes - which lead to other high percentage follows-ups ad nauseum. Train in chains so you can get a feeling for the fluidity and mobility of real technique chains when you wrestle. Be as ballistic in the training as you can safely be without injuring your training partner.

9) Take The Base
It is important to remove your opponent's base at every opportunity, and to keep doing so in order to ensure that they cannot recover. Use arms and legs to wrap opponent and turk the legs to keep the base offline. At the same time, you must be careful not to give your opponent your own base. Keep your hips away, and driving in and down.

10) Pane of Glass
For the takedowns, imagine a pane of glass vertically between the oppnent's heels. This pane must be broken with your foot or leg, or you have not penetrated deeply enough to load onto your hips.

Happy "pretzeling"

Basically...

2010-06-11T15:06:00.002+09:00

Went into 7am Yoshinkan beginner class at RYA on Wednesday.

I LOVE BEGINNER CLASS!

No matter how long I do Yoshinkan, it is always great to work the basics. They just never ever get good enough (and I am sure they never will). The basic motions of Yoshinkan are designed to help condition the body with ukemi, strengthen the legs and hip with kihon dosa, unify the breathing and movement with shumatsu dosa and create the platform for all the rest of the good technique you will do as an aikidoka.

It is like a pyramid, where the amount of time spent on the basics determines ultimately how high the pyramid can be built. It was traditional to go back to the basic curriculum after every rank test and begin all over again, applying all the new things learned in the past grading.

There is always a temptation to want to rush on into "the fun stuff" and learn new techniques, new forms, and jiyuwaza combinations. However, over the long term, nothing is more important that having good basics and then working them over and over again until they are part of your muscle memory.

See you Wednesday!

OSU!

久しぶりの合気道

2010-06-02T13:32:00.003+09:00

Got into aikido Weds 7am beginner's class after a while away.
I missed the energy of having a bunch of people together in the morning, and it was good to train with Sensei Mike.

I was asked to help Alan train for his 1kyu test on Saturday.
1kyu is a big exam, mine was 45 mins, and the last step before shodan.
By this point, your techniques should look crisp and clean, and you should be showing some of the key principles of movement, and the foundations of good jiyuwaza.

Sensei Mike's aikido has changed. His movements are smaller; more powerful. His aikido is evolving, which is great. Today we worked on hijiate kokyunage, which has a lot of things to learn.

dynamic motion from the instant of contact
loading uke's balance onto your hips
hips moving on a downward angle to project uke
extension and zanshin

All in all, it is a very interesting series.
Alan looks good. I am sure he will do fine.

I'll be trying to get into the Weds sessions more, so I can get some teaching time and work on my basics again more.

See you there!

OSU!!