About Mistakes

 

No one would ever doubt that Albert Einstein was one of the greatest minds in all human history. Despite his many, many accolades I like this story about him the best. He went to the chalkboard and began to write down simple multiplication tables...

9 x 1 = 9
9 x 2 = 18
9 x 3 = 27
9 x 4 = 36
9 x 5 = 45
9 x 6 = 54
9 x 7 = 63
9 x 8 = 72
9 x 9 = 80
9 x 10 = 90

Someone in the class raised their hand and pointed out that he had gotten one wrong. "9 x 9 is 81, not 80" he said proudly. The class laughed at the error. Einstein didn't. He merely replied "None of you made any comment about the fact that I had gotten all the other calculations correct. You only cared that I had gotten a single calculation wrong."

There is such a powerful lesson here. We live in a world of data, microseconds, precision. We expect every single little thing to be perfect in a world that we should admit is very far from perfect even at the best of times. We are called out in our schoolwork or at our jobs for the slightest mistakes and sometimes even laughed at or publicly humiliated for it. We are rarely, if ever, praised for the 99% (maybe slightly less) of things we do well every day, all the time.

Some mistakes indeed have terrible consequences, such as poor engineering of an airplane, building or bridge, poor medical diagnoses or surgical skills, poor driving, etcetera. I would never suggest that those are OK. However, I would concede that we are often too harsh on others and ourselves when it comes to mistakes. We make a big deal out of a small deal.

This creates anxiety, stress and fear which can prevent us from trying something new. In some cases, we retreat into our shells and refuse to challenge our situations out of fear that we would fail or be ridiculed for any small mistake. Sometimes, The dread of it prevents us from even trying at all.

It's important to remember that our strength is not a result of our success. It is quite the opposite. Strength comes from making mistakes; from failing and yet continuing on - from perseverance to reach every milestone that leads to the ultimate goal, despite the various setbacks that will inevitably occur in every endeavour. The success stories that resonate with us are not those of easy victory, but rather those that were hard-fought, well-earned and richly deserved.

Please don't worry about your little mistakes, you'll fix them. So will I. In the end what will matter is if you didn't give up.

I'll see you at the finish line. 

About Testing

 It's almost time. After three months of hard work over the hot summer, we approach testing week. I've been running this group for more than 10 years, and I always get the same questions as we approach testing week. The most frequently asked question as we review in the final two weeks is:

"Is that going to be on the test?"

Of course, there's a simple "yes/no" answer. However, I think the question is a bit more complex than that. YES, we have a specific curriculum (and a very impressive one at that, designed by Punong Guro Fred Evrard and regularly updated based on feedback from a wide variety of sources). Therefore, it is very clear what would or would not be on a test. In addition, I try to be very clear with all students about my expectations for them.

Testing is so important because it creates a cycle of goal setting and goal achievement which is at the heart of positive reinforcement. It reminds us again and again that we are capable of establishing routines from which consistent effort will yield results. Proof of this is a vital part of success in every aspect of our lives.

I appreciate that students want to do their very best for the testing. They want to be sure they know the material and can perform it under the stress of a structured testing environment. They want to succeed, and we instructors do, too. We will NEVER set a student up to fail. Rather, we will support them as they challenge themselves to do and be more than they were before.

At the same time, asking if some material will be on the test or not suggests that, if I answered "No", that material would be unworthy of a student's attention or practice. This should not be the case at all. A test is simply a snapshot of a moment, and a measurement of that moment against a set of criteria. Nothing more. Learning is not a snapshot, but instead a journey with no real end to be found. All techniques and applications are designed to illustrate important aspects of a technique, strategy, movement or concept. To deepen understanding, we try to provide as much context as possible to allow students to understand from as wide a perspective as possible. Since everyone learns slightly differently, we use many different examples to help triangulate the truth and enrich comprehension. As a result, I'm proud to say that KM Japan students typically make a great impression when they visit other KM schools around the world, and even when they go to visit dojos which practice other styles. It's a trend we want to continue.

I am flattered when students tell me they want to do their best for me. It shows that they value the teaching and respect me as their guide. At the same time, my goal is to light the spark of curiosity and for them to practice and train outside of class as well as in it. It's to help inspire students who will seek out knowledge in the arts not for me but for themselves; students who will change their habits and continue to strive for excellence even when I'm not looking. In the end, I want them to do their best for themselves, not to honor me but to honor their commitment to themselves and to self-improvement. I am so grateful to have had so many students like this, who have really used KM as a framework to develop the self-confidence to take control of all aspects of their lives and become who they want to be - more positive, better versions of themselves. This is why I continue.

For every student, the time will come in their journey when they (should) no longer need to be shown every little detail or every shiny new technique. They will have built their foundation strongly and become familiar with the basic movements of Kali Majapahit. Hopefully, they will have a good understanding of the human body, it's strong and weak points, and of key concepts like how to generate power and use bodyweight (theirs and their opponent's). They will have acquired a framework of understanding that allows assimilation of new material easily.  With this, they can explore and discover as they wish, to all four corners of the world of FMA and beyond. This is akin to reaching adulthood in the arts. They should have some of their own FLOW and their own vision for themselves and their future as martial artists and as human beings.

For some students, it ends up meaning they will seek other teachers and other systems, hopefully with a new ability to adapt and adjust more quickly based on their experience of KM. For others, this adulthood is a time to dig more deeply into what they have learned in KM, and to discover new understanding even beyond what they have been taught. This may result in them bringing something unique and special to their KM expression. It is the ultimate tribute to one's instructors to bring a new application or expression of what they have learned.  I am proud to have been able to add to KM during my tenure here, and my black belts have all brought their own flavor and flow to what we do, which brings me tremendous pride and joy for having guided them in the beginning.

I'll see you on the mats.

  

Making Changes

 

It started back in  May. For a few weeks symptoms began to appear. I was thirsty all the time (even after 4L of water a day). I had to urinate every 30 mins or so, even waking up several times a night to go to the bathroom. I felt more tired than usual and lacking energy all the time. Finally, I began to get tingling sensations in my left hand - pins and needles that would come and go throughout the day.

I knew something was wrong. At the same time, I have been working long hours (60-70 hours a week for more than a year, often including weekends as well). I figured maybe it was just stress... By the time I went to get a blood test and speak to a doctor I had already done a detailed check on the symptoms, cross checking against a few sources. The most likely culprit? Type 2 diabetes.

After my blood test on May 31 it was crystal clear. The doctor told me point blank I had severe type 2 diabetes and he wanted to hospitalize me for a few weeks to reduce my blood sugar. I said no due to work commitments and the need to discuss with my wife first. My numbers were pretty bad, especially compared to 2019. In particular, high cholesterol, high LDL-C, high neutral fat. My blood glucose was at a shocking 328, over 3 times high range of normal and 2.5 times what it was in 2019. The all-important A1c marker was 11.9, nearly twice the high end of the normal range. It was a modest 5.9 two years ago.

I was prescribed Jardiance (1/daily) and began to take Omega 3 supplements and multivitamins too. In addition I switched to a strict ketogenic diet in line with Guro Fred Evrard's book on ketogenic diet for health. In short, I gave up rice, potatoes, pasta and white bread, instead substituting salads or just tomatoes with olive oil/balsamico. I also switched to black coffee (no sugar, no milk) and started drinking only unsweetened teas (black, Japanese green, barley) and water. No alcohol. I tried to sleep at least 7 hours per night and tried (mostly unsuccessfully) to limit my overtime work. On off days, I have been sure to walk at least 10,000 steps per day and continued to hold Kali class 2/week as per usual. I began to do IF as well, skipping breakfast and waiting to have lunch as my first meal of the day instead.

I began to see results almost immediately. In month one I lost 7kg and began to look slimmer in and around my face as well as my waist, suddenly able to wear clothes I had kept hidden in my closest for the past 2 years. In truth, these visual changes were the main motivator for me to keep going since my blood tests were only 1/month.

I had my second blood test last week, two months after the initial diagnosis. I'm happy to report that almost all markers are returned to normal or very close to it. My blood glucose dropped a whopping 66% and now is at 111 down from 328, even lower than it was 2 years ago. My A1c has also moved down to 7.4 and still has to reduce further but the trend is encouraging.   Next blood test is in a month and I am hopeful my T2D will be in remission or close to it by then. I am no fan of labels, but Type 2 Diabetes has a mountain of info and sources of guidance to draw from. It’s far more common than I had previously thought (about 463 million people worldwide, with more than 116 million in China alone). More than 9.3% of the global population are thought to have type 2 diabetes. 

My wife, as always, has been my rock of strength. She relentlessly seeks out healthy things for me to eat and makes amazing meals that are even more delicious than I used to eat before my diagnosis. Shirataki noodles have been wonderful and her Pad Thai and Pho using them are better than the restaurant versions we would get. She prepares amazing Greek salads, Cobb salads and others that make me excited for lunch and dinner. I never feel like I'm missing out.

In the end, this wake up call has been a positive experience. It provided me a much-needed incentive to re-focus and prioritize on my health - NO EXCUSES. It gave others a reason to support me and join my victory march and I have had to change my lifestyle to become a healthier, happier version of myself. It's also provided real results that I had historically never gotten from the gym or fad diets, providing me a sustainable lifestyle choice that I can follow without suffering or feeling hungry all the time.

I still have a long way to go, but I'm excited about the progress so far. I'm proud of those around me who gave me inspiration and grateful for the people who love me and want me to live longer. Among them, my wife Sanae stands tallest with her tireless efforts to keep me on track and happy. She's simply the best.

Lastly, special thanks to Guro Fred and Guro Lila, who are great role models for healthy and happy living. I am sorry it took me so long to put your good advice into my daily practice.

Further updates to come.  Until then, Stay Healthy!

Axes of Energy

 

(thanks for the inspiration Sensei F)

In 40 years of martial arts study, there have been a few lightbulb moments - times when I feel I uncovered something special in my understanding. I am still a beginner, but my foundation in aikido and Japanese traditional methods coupled with my Kali Majapahit research and study has helped me find various points of common ground and make some sense of what my teachers have tried to instill in me. In particular, Guro Fred Evrard's careful lectures on body structure and mechanics deepened my own understanding significantly.

We are principally concerned with three physical power chains in the body, recognizing that our main goal is to keep these active and functional for ourselves, while at the same time (or at least as a minimum) denying them to our opponent. These chains are:

Head/Neck/Spine

Shoulders/Hips

Elbows/Knees

All three have important roles to play for various reasons, and it helps to consider how we use them and also prevent their use against us. Taken together they form a kind of sideways "letter H" or an uppercase "I" across the body, in some similarity to the design of an automobile powertrain which delivers energy from the engine to the wheels.

Head/Neck/Spine

This is the central drivetrain of the human body, where electrical impulses beginning in the brain are carried through the neck down the spine to activate muscular action. Head/neck/spine are also aligned on the body's centerline. As such, this is the most important chain of the three. If the head/neck/spine does not maintain integrity we cannot generate power and strong disruption can even short-circuit the body's central nervous system. The neck is a critical part of this chain since without a bone structure such as the ribcage, much of the soft tissue and nerves are exposed and vulnerable to attack.

The head is encased in bone (skull) designed to protect the brain. Thus, as a target it is generally inferior to the neck. However, soft tissue such as eye sockets/temples still exist and can be leveraged. Furthermore, moving the head has a chain reaction effect on the neck and spine and the head has natural handholds (ears/hair/eye sockets/mouth) which make it easy to grab and manipulate.

When training, we should pay careful attention to the posture and alignment of the head/neck/spine chain since if it is not straight it limits power generation achieved through spinal rotation. Many students lean or cock their heads and this is to be avoided/corrected so the spine remains straight.

For the spine, it is usually well protected by muscles of the back and can be hard to attack. The tailbone is a notable exception and can cause disruption through the whole spinal chain when damaged. This can be done using strong, direct knee strikes or also by causing the opponent to land heavily when sitting down backward from a sweep or drop.

Shoulders/Hips 

These are the identical ball joint structures on the high and low lines which are responsible for transferring power from the spine to the extremities (arms and legs). Both are extremely useful in reading  the opponent since these need to move before the extremity moves. Thus, when keeping peripheral vision tuned to the shoulders/hips it becomes far easier to understand the opponent's intent and respond accordingly. Of the two, the hips are the body's principal engine of momentum and where the greatest power generation can occur. Denying the opponent the ability to engage their hips is tantamount to victory on the ground, and key to reducing mobility when standing. When we employ throws, it is very common to load the opponent onto our hips in order to deliver strong spinal rotation and drop our bodyweight on top of them. Success in judo relies on strong hip rotation and naturally many judo counters depend on stopping the opponent's hips.

The shoulders as well are a key area of focus, and strikes to the front of the shoulder can result in checking the opponent's arms, often as we enter into close range. There are a variety of locks and controls that can be applied to the shoulder in order to dislocate it or to secure the lower arm. It is far easier to control the head/neck/spine via the shoulder than it is via the wrist since it is closer to the centerline.

Taken together, the 4 points (both shoulders and both hips) represent "the box" within which most of our vital organs are contained. Therefore, keeping the opponent outside this box, and conversely gaining entry to this box on our opponent, becomes of primary importance when fighting.

Elbows/Knees

Often overlooked, elbows and knees are critically important in maintaining body structure. Like the barrel of a gun, where they point, the energy goes. As such, it is important to consider the line of the elbows and knees when transferring power from the spine to the hands/feet via shoulder/hip rotation. Likewise, manipulating the opponent's elbow creates a direct path the the head/neck/spine via the shoulders. Since the elbows are a more easily accessible contact point, a variety of aikido techniques (Ikkajo, for example) focus on controlling the elbow in order to take balance and control the opponent. Organizing aikido techniques based on which point is used to control the head/neck/spine is a good exercise for clarifying what understanding is meant to be learned by practicing each specific technique. Basic practices such as hiriki no yosei (elbow power generation) are, as the name implies, specifically designed to emphasize the connection between elbows and hips to improve technique. Keeping elbows in/armpits closed is good advice from a variety of arts including the Hakka systems as well as Aikido.

Knees of course can be used to disrupt the hip line and therefore the spinal integrity from the bottom up. However, it is also very important to understand how important knee alignment is when transferring hip power. The knees are critical not just for delivering hip power through kicks, but also for delivering hip power into upper body strikes, throws and projections as well. The knees and feet should point in the same direction and be aligned the the facing of the hips to allow for maximum rotation and energy transfer from the feet into the spine via the hips. We keep this connection by use of the sliding step (suriashi) and by flexing bodyweight onto the balls of the feet by bending the knees and pointing them into the target. The same body mechanic can be observed by baseball batters, golfers, cricket batsmen, football quarterbacks/baseball pitchers, soccer players, gymnasts, skaters and other athletes whose performance depends on generating power through spinal rotation.

A lot of conversation is spent comparing one martial art to another, but in the end those arts concerned with body mechanics have in common the fact that humans are all fundamentally the same. Our bodies generate power using the same basic principles, regardless of whether we do aikido, karate, tae kwon do, muay thai or anything else.  In our studies, we should learn elements of psychology, philosophy, anatomy and body mechanics in order to be a well-rounded martial artist. There is no substitute for training, but thinking deeply about the WHY of our movement may also yield some practical insights.

Support

 

This has been tough. More than a year of working (too much) remotely. Classes cancelled for several months during the worst of SOE. Nowhere to get away as all flights in/out have basically been cancelled. The pressure building and building... Every single person in the world has been impacted by this pandemic, some of us worse than others. We've all lost so much. And it's not over yet.

To be honest I haven't felt much like writing lately. It's been hard enough to get through every day. Sometimes I wonder if it is all even worth it. IT IS.

Last week I got some unsolicited mails from my students. One of them read: 

"Dear John, I wanted to thank you many times for that conversation in Tokyo after the class…But I guess what I should be really great full about is that unconditional love and support you gave to all of your students, including myself. I walked into your class insecure and left as a fighter ready to take my personal battles."

Another read

"I recently did a topic on everyday heroes at my school. Of course, the students wanted to know about mine and your name came to mind quite quickly. Your blog topics are inspiring and when I read them, they resonate with whatever is going on in life."

When I started this blog in 2005 I had no great big plan for how it would go or who would see it. I had nothing to shout from the mountaintops. I wasn't trying to change the world. I just wanted a place where I could share some things I have learned along the way in the hopes that it would help me clarify my own thoughts as well as maybe give some small insight into the martial arts journey we are on and why it could be important. Now it's 16 years later and 522 posts of content. Truly a life's work.

I have tried to be authentic in my writing and in my interactions with everyone, inside class or not. Many students have come and gone in the 11 years since I started teaching. My own teachers, my fellow teachers and my students have given me so much and I want to deliver each class the very best that I can. You deserve it.

In the end, we never know how what we say or do could impact others. Every encounter could be the spark of change in them or in us. Every conversation has the power to heal and inspire if we let it. We can and must support each other in these difficult times. It's the only way we can make in through to the other side.

Many thanks for the words of kindness you have given me. They remind me why this task is so important. If even one single person benefits from what I say or do, then the effort is worthwhile. We do not all need to change the world in big, broad strokes. However, each of us can change our little corner of it if we try. The slightest bit of compassion and empathy can yield a result far more than we imagine. This is the way of the Peaceful Warrior, entrusted to me by my teachers and kept alive by all of us every day.

We need this now more than ever.

Be Kind.