Boxing 101

Just a few pointers for those of you who love to box (like me).

1. Gloves to cheeks - in a proper boxing guard, the second knuckle of your gloves should be resting against your cheekbone. Get in the habit of touching your face with your gloves EVERY TIME you execute a movement. Gloves against your cheek should be your home position where your gloves always return. Muhammad Ali could get away with having his gloves down - you can't.

2. Elbows in - one of the most common mistakes is to let your elbows come out. This is especially true when throwing hooks. Elbows should be perpendicular to the floor when in guard position, and parallel to the floor during hooks. Adam could spare a few ribs - you can't.

3. Kneed Help - BEND YOUR KNEES. Your knees are the way to control your height/level when you box, and also act as shock absorbers when you cover to take a punch.
Bending your knees also helps you coil your hips to generate power in all your punches. Standing straight up will get you laid straight out.

4. Leaning Tower - Keep your back straight and do not lean from side to side. To keep balance and generate power, it is critical that your spine remain straight and in alignment with your head. Leaning is an especially common mistake during bob and weave. Yes, that also means not turning your head from side to side. It is acceptable to lean slightly backward when doing a "pullback block", but in that case your gloves remain on your cheeks and get straight immediately afterward. Your head should be facing forward, toward your opponent, chin slightly tucked.

5. Keep Moving - Boxing is dynamic. That means you should always be moving and not give your opponent a stationary target. Weight should always be on the balls of the feet. Plant only for the split second when you are hitting - then get right back on the move. Stay in one place, die in one place.

6. Feet Up - Your feet should never both be flat on the floor. NEVER. Always have one foot up, and that is the foot of the side you are punching with. lead leg punches: jab, lead leg hook, lead let uppercut should bring the lead foot slightly higher (back foot is still on the ball of the foot). The opposite for back leg punches: cross, hook, uppercut. Flat feet will leave you flat on the canvas.

7. Hips in - Your hips should be facing into your opponent, never sideways. Feet should be just wider than your shoulders to give a strong power base while keeping mobility.

8. Go Through - When punching, your aim should be about 6 inches past your target. Be careful not to overextend, and return to guard (gloves on cheekbones) after every single punch.

9. Distance - Your knees control your height. Your feet control your distance. This means being able to float in and out of punching range. You want the wrong range for your opponent and the right range for you.

10. Breathe - Hard to believe, but many people forget this in the heat of the moment. You should have a strong exhale as you launch your punches, and DO NOT HOLD YOUR BREATH.



Make Mickey Proud - don't be a bum!

What you can learn from the Singapore GP

OK, I know what you're thinking...WTF does F1 racing have to do with my training?? After 75 posts you should have figured me out by now. EVERYTHING always has to do with martial arts training.

No, this is not a post about staying up late to watch the race. There are serious things we can learn from what happened. Here's a summary:


1. The race favorites were clearly team Ferrari, led by Kimi Raikonnen and Felipe Massa.
Despite being the odds favorites, they did not win the race.

2. Lewis Hamilton of McLaren (currently point leader) was also a popular choice and a crowd favorite, although he did not win in the time trials and did not win the race (he finished third).

3. The race was won by Felipe Alonso of team Renault. Why?

We ultimately discover some very important lessons. Alonso won not because he was faster, but because he made no crucial mistakes. During the race, both Massa and Raikonnen had problems. Massa left the pits with the fuel hose still in his car, finishing 18th, and Raikonnen hit a wall, failing to even finish the race.

Takeaways?

1. Technique is better than speed. Always aim for proper technique first. Speed comes later. Be obsessive about working your basics, they are often the difference between winning and losing.

2. Don't worry about the crowd or the fans - pride goeth before a fall. Concentrate on the task at hand. Anyone can win or lose on any given day, and it ain't over till it's over.

3. Time trials are not races. The key to training is to have dependable skills when they really matter - do your best in practice, but remember it is not the real thing.

4. Winning is not always about being better - many times it is about making less mistakes than the other guy.

Speed Racer was also a martial artist


Like Martial Arts, racing requires constant training, focus, and a good coach.

See you in the pits,

Stylin'

I hear a lot about different styles - and how different they are. In fact, it is almost an aikidoka's favorite pastime to praise his/her own style and trashtalk every other. Between Yoshinkan and Aikikai, if you didn't know better you would think it is an all-out war.

Let's be clear about a couple of things. First of all, there is only one source - Ueshiba Morihei.
Yes, many interpretations, but that is just what they are - INTERPRETATIONS. Aikido, like most martial arts, has grown and evolved since its creation, and even O-Sensei grew and evolved throughout his life, which means that those deshi who trained with him at different times would have had differences in the aikido they experienced from him. Does it make any style better than any other? I think not.

Rather, I think it is of critical importance to focus not on what makes us different, but on what makes us similar. Aikido, irrespective of style, has central principles and movements, even if they are called by slightly different names. I do believe that exposure to different styles strengthens our knowledge of our own style.

At the same time, I meet many people (actually I have the same experience) who have studied a wide variety of styles. This is not a bad thing, but I do think at some point you must commit to a style long enough to go deep and understand the more advanced portions that each style has to offer. It is a critical failing of many "concepts"-based systems that they teach generalities without giving students the proper foundations and background to be able to apply those concepts properly. be sure you train with someone whose knowledge and experience go beyond just "concepts".

I am a strong advocate of purity - meaning that study of any martial art should be done in such a way as to preserve its unique tradition and culture. When doing aikido, I do Yoshinkan - not because I believe Yoshinkan is inherently better than any other aikido style (sorry guys), but because that is what I have studied and I should make my best efforts when training to do it properly (at least when I am in a Yoshinkan school). If I visit another system, I have no problem doing the techniques the way they show me. Some people take great offense to their techniques being corrected or called "wrong" in another style. I think this is a problem of semantics. "Wrong" for a technique in a Yoshinkan school should simply mean "different" to an Aikikai practitioner, not "worse". An Aikikai technique in a Yoshinkan technique is "incorrect" not because it is flawed or does not work, but because Yoshinkan schools are for studying Yoshinkan. The fact is, in Yoshinkan schools, just as in Aikikai schools, great effort is made to preserve the purity of the style and its techniques.

I have lived my whole life believing that the martial arts are a powerful vehicle for personal development (hence this blog). I also think there is no one best path in the martial arts - all proper styles have merit for those who study them diligently. I support a global community of like-minded martial artists who can openly share with one another and not place ridicule or scorn on others. The blessing of the martial arts is the blessing of understanding.

See you soon at a dojo near you.

Man in the Mirror (Part 2)

Guro Fred never disappoints. His deep insight drawn from his lifetime of study in Chinese and Filipino arts manifests in some really unique ideas not just on fighting, but on health and personal development as well.

Last night he talked a lot about taking responsibility for your own health. That means that rather than blame other people or circumstances for our state of health, we examine ourselves, our habits, and our lifestyle, and create positive change to improve.

What I really enjoyed about Guro Fred's health lecture was that he was able to extrapolate the long-term effects of bad posture and bad habits into potential damage to bones, joints, and ligaments, which contribute to loss of mobility and functionality much later in life. Guro Fred explains that this is a concept which is central to Chinese/Asian TCM, and a foundation point of Ni Tien, the "two skies" of "martial arts and health" that he teaches.

It is critically important that we all take ownership of our bodies and our lives, and become responsible for our own longevity and happiness. I have alluded to this in other posts, but time to remind all of us (including me) to have a close look at the Man in the Mirror, and accept that the truth we see is the truth we created. It is never too late to have a healthy life. START NOW!

Osu!

Striking

Ok, I lied...Ramlan-sensei mentioned a third very important point yesterday - Atemi (striking).

This opens almost all of the Yoshinkan arsenal and is an essential part of the technique.
Atemi, the opening strike, is designed to stop uke's forward motion and set their weight back on their heels (off of the balls of the feet). That means it must be done hard and fast, with full intent and full forward projection. Weak atemi is pointless.

A strong atemi should lock uke's blocking arm into place and drive through the arm into uke's hips and feet. Uke should be unable to withdraw the blocking arm. Shite's atemi should be right in uke's face leaving uke no time to do anything except block.

This cannot be done if shite has any backward motion at all from the beginning of the technique. The initial motion of shite should be explosively forward, along the line of power, and applying atemi with projection through uke's head. It is worth noting that for advanced students, this initial explosive motion is also DOWN, lowering the hips and drawing the connection to uke's center of balance onto them.

Sensei says O-Sensei maintained that aikido was 70% atemi. I believe this, given its purpose to disrupt uke's balance. Atemi is worthy of careful consideration and diligent practice.

Osu!

Get Connected!

The second point that Ramlan-sensei mentioned yesterday was about getting (and staying) connected to uke at all times. This contact is critical to control uke. Sensei mentioned about the basic meaning of the aikido techniques:

• Ikkajo - control of uke's body through the elbow and shoulder
• Nikajo - control of uke's body through the wrist, elbow and shoulder
• Sankajo - control of uke's body through the hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder
• Yonkajo - control of uke's body through a small point on the lower arm (not using the joint)

Note the common element: Control of uke's body. Sensei explains that this control is only possible when we are in contact with uke's body. Thus, every motion of shite, through the line of power, should keep contact with uke and result in control of their body ultimately through the shoulder by means of one of the four principles above.

When training, be mindful of the control of uke's shoulder through the lines, and be certain to take uke's balance as early as possible within the technique. Failure to do so means failed technique. It simply cannot be correct without contact and control.

Osu!

Walk the Line

Yesterday Ramlan-sensei came to Singapore to teach. He had two main points on our technique.
One was to always remember your line of power. The line of power is that line which starts at the tip of your finger in proper kamae and ends at the outside edge of your back foot. This line includes your wrist and elbow (both straight and flexed but relaxed) as well as your hips (weight slightly forward 60/40 distributed onto your front foot). This line of power should at all times project through uke and determine the direction of your movement. In essence, it can be thought of like the barrel of a gun.

When techniques are weak, it is often due to the fact that shite's (rather than uke's) line of power has been broken/disconnected. Many times this happens at the point of our elbows (when not tucked into our armpits) or at our hips (which come off the line). It is easy to see when Uke lags behind shite (they should always be in front - on the line). It is essential for strong technique to keep everything in line - the line of power.

Ultimately, this line of power is aimed at the uke's weak line. That is, our line aims at a point not of uke's strength (which would clash force on force), but at a point of uke's weakness. This makes strength less necessary for completion of a successful technique.

The automatic line of power can only be achieved through training in kihon dosa, the basic movements of Yoshinkan aikido. These must be done mindfully with intention to be centered on the line of power. Over time, this will become instinctive. Keep training.

Osu!

Unhinged

This is an article about hinges (well...hinge joints, actually).

Last night we did application of Sinawali number 6 and ended up in kadena de mano (Filipino empty hands) redirecting some punches.
One important point that came out was to control the attacker's torso (and free arm) by using the elbow of the lead jab. Sounds simple, right?

I found that until Guro Fred specifically mentioned the elbow, I had been focused on my parry at the wrist/lower forearm. For the inside solution you become exposed to the attacker's free hand (usually the left cross if the atttacker is right-handed) when you close distance. The most convenient beginner way to avoid this trap is to use the attacker's right elbow to turn his/her body and take the outside line if the cross starts to come.

If you try this using the attacker's wrist - you are going to eat the left cross. You need the right elbow to control their body and take that power away.

Just a quick reminder that wrist controls elbow controls shoulder controls attacker.
The elbow is in a tactically excellent spot because it is accessible and closer to the shoulder than the wrist (thus more control over attacker) .

The same concept applies to the body's other main hinge joint: the knee. Pushkicks are often used at the knee for jamming kicks, and this is much more effective than trying to pushkick the foot/ankle.

I know these principles already from aikido, but a little reminder now and then is good too.

Elbows and Knees, knees and elbows

The Message

For the 4th of July weekend, Ni Tien had a promotional event at the US Navy base in Sembawang (Far North Singapore). I attended as the "token American" and also to help promote the school. Summer is a slow time when lots of people go on holidays but if we can get some new students, we can get the first floor of our current building, which is bigger and better than our current third floor space (which is also nice).

I spent a lot of time talking about the school, and martial arts in general, with passers-by and basically anyone I could grab. The key "pitches" I made were:

1) Health
Martial Arts is good for health. More interesting than running on the "hamster wheel" at the gym.
In Ni Tien we learn hilot (traditional healing) as well as diet and nutrition info as part of the training. Our drills are designed to teach us to use our bodies in an intuitive way.

2) Defense
Kali is very, very practical. The movements are intuitive and easy to learn, and the core elements/concepts are the same regardless of being done with hands, knife, or stick.
This makes them easy to remember and apply in any situation. The movements look familiar to each other.

3) Culture
Kali Majapahit is named for the Majapahit empire which had prominence across southeast Asia for several hundred years. Many common cultural influences manifest in Kali including silat, eskira/arnis, muay thai, kung fu, and kuntao to name a few. It is vastly different from anything Japanese or North Asian.
People who make a training commitment to Kali Majapahit get a unique insight into the culture not just of the Philippines, but of all of Southeast Asia.

4) Children
This training is safe and effective for children, helping them develop body awareness, sharper mental focus, confidence, and self-discipline. It is a great way for them to understand their bodies better and to build a platform for good health that can last them all their lives.

OK, all well and good. Nothing one would not expect to read in any slick marketing brochure.
But what has my training done for me? What is the motivational message I would give from my own experience?

Simple: CHANGE YOUR LIFE

My training, from the time I was 14, has helped me take control of myself, and thereby, take control of my life. I learned I could accomplish the things I set out to do - whether this was in the US, in Japan, or even now in Singapore. My Kali training reaffirms this for me with every lesson. I become mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually stronger. I become more and more of who I am, and I know I can become who I want to be. The martial arts is a platform for personal development. This was the objective for this blog when I started it. 3 years and 70 posts later - same as it ever was.

What more can I say.
You NEED this. You know you do. Turn off the TV, get off your ass, and get into your training.
Kali Majapahit is a great vehicle for this. If you are not here, find a good teacher where you are, and start taking control of your own life. You will thank me for it. I promise.

Togetherness

One of my teachers called the martial arts "a lonely path"...

I have been thinking about that a lot lately. The path of training calls us and we have to answer; it is who we are. To do less would deny being ourselves.

At the same time it can be hard to have a "normal" life (whatever that is) while our training seems to be the dominant activity. How does a person get/remain married, have kids, or for that matter even hold down a job? Can we really have the best of all worlds?

Marriage is in my view the single most important decision any of us ever make in our lives. It can determine your level of happiness, your level of success, even your basic motivation. It can have dramatic effects either way on your physical health, and even prolong your life or shorten it! People say that if you make the wrong decision you can always just get divorced. Every one that I know that has done so has suffered lifelong emotional/financial effects from it. Once children are involved, it reaches a new dimension with implications that affect the lives of far more than just you and your spouse.

It is rare to find someone who can understand our commitment to better ourselves. It is hard to find someone who understands that this commitment is not selfish vanity, but rather a desire to improve the whole world by improving our understanding of ourselves and our place in it. Many spouses can feel like "second best" and be jealous of our teachers, jealous of our fellow students, and even jealous or resentful of our training because they feel it takes time away from them.

Rejoice if you have found someone who understands your training for what it is: a necessary and undeniable part of you. Be thankful you have someone who knows that your training makes you a better person, and feel lucky when your spouse knows that your relentless search for the Truth helps you continually improve the quality of your personal relationships - especially the most important one: THEM.

I am grateful to be married to a wonderful wife who has her own competitive spirit, and who understands mine. I am lucky to have children who will respect my choice to never be satisfied with my life, and I hope they will learn from it and do the same.

If you have not found this yet, take heart. It can take a long time, but when you find the right person, your life will improve exponentially. In the meantime, don't compromise and don't settle for less.

This is one decision you have to get right.

Book Time!!

I am not Oprah Winfrey. However, I am an avid reader. I read lots and lots of books, and most smart people I know do also. I encourage everyone (martial artist or otherwise) to read with as much time as they can find. Not at the expense of training of course, but to fill in gaps on trains, buses, taxis, or other waiting periods. TURN OFF THE TV, and the iPod as well (if you are not at the gym). Here are my top ten (not in order of importance) from my bookshelf that I read again and again.

In case you think I know something you don't, it might have come from one of these.

1. A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson
a great overview of many various scientific disciplines for non-scientists. Very easy read.

2. The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins
begins to unravel the stranglehold that religion has engineered on modern man. I agree.

3. God is not Great - Christopher Hitchens
takes God Delusion to another level. Hard, but sound arguments for atheism. Think about it.

4. Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere - Adele Westbrook and Oscar Ratti
great overview of aikido (yes, I know this is aikikai...). Dynamic sphere is a vital mental image.

5. The World's Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions - Huston Smith
non-sectarian overview of core beliefs of all the World's main religions. A must-read.

6. Monk or Warrior - Fred Evrard
synthesis of Filipino Kali practicality and Chinese medical wisdom/philosophy. I believe this.

7. Time Travel and Other Mathematical Bewilderments - Martin Gardner
starts some really great cocktail party conversations

8. Guns, Germs and Steel - Jared Diamond
one of the books that really made me think about things. Bryson's book, Smith's book, and this one make a set

9. Mind Games: The Guide to Inner Space - Robert Masters and Jean Houston
tried these exercises in college and opened some new doors; you will too.

10. Sources of Power - Gary Klein
a great study on how we make decisions - very applicable to life and martial arts

The above are all non-fiction. Special mention goes to Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk.
Fight Club opened my eyes to a lot of practical philosophy and the reality of how much sadness our modern materialistic world can really contain. I choose not to go down that route, but instead to believe in personal development (read Monk or Warrior by Fred Evrard). Palahniuk has some interesting points, though.

There ya go. Now, get off your wallet and go CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
Lemme know what you think about any of them. I'll even buy dinner.
Better yet, tell me I'm wrong and which other books should have made my top ten.
If you persuade me, I'll still buy dinner :-)

Zapped!!

Yesterday was my first test in Kali Majapahit.
I was in bad shape. I had to go to Sydney last week, and got sick mid-Afternoon Thursday. By test time I had eaten no food at all for about 2.5 days and already lost 7 pounds. I felt very weak to say the least.

Somehow I made it through the test and did OK. The most interesting thing, and the point of this post, is that during the empty hand application I got thrown down and somehow Frederick and I hit heads. I got smacked on the back of the head right where the head begins to curve up off of the spine. What happened?

To try and describe it, a bright flash of pain, and electrical shocks all the way down my arms and to the tips of my fingers. Wow. I haven't felt anything like that since I trained in the US nearly 20 years ago. I was stunned, and Guro Fred kindly checked me out to make sure I did not have a concussion or anything long-lasting. I was back up in 5 minutes or so.

I have written before in other posts about how the body is basically a hydro-electric system.
This is what I mean. Disruption (especially due to blunt force traumatic shock) causes electrical signals down the nervous system, in effect "shorting" the circuits. It hurts. This was not a massive shot, but it still would have been enough to put me out of a fight.

At the base of the spine, where it connects to the head, is an area of the brain called the medulla oblongata, which controls the basic motor functions like heartbeat, respiration, and so on. It also happens to be only thinly protected by the skull, especially relative to other parts of the brain.

This is an area where, if struck even mildly, the victim will almost certainly lose consciousness instantly. A direct, forceful blow usually causes coma or death. I missed hitting mine by about 3 inches, and I am very glad for that.



this is what a hard shot to the medulla oblongata feels like




BE VERY CAREFUL ALWAYS!
DO NOT PRACTICE WITHOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR NEARBY!

The life you save could be your own.

Printed

Random thought I wanted to add after yesterday's training, and related to a prior post on knife fighting called "The Cutting Edge". Leaving your fingerprints on things is bad. In this context, when knife fighting, if we strip the knife from an attacker (which should always be a last-ditch response when we cannot run away or evade) there is a likelihood that we will get our own fingerprints on it. Use your feet to secure it, DO NOT PICK IT UP.

Guro Fred illustrates an example where, having taken a knife away and used it to immobilize an attacker, the police arrive and...you guessed it...we get arrested and charged not just with the man we just used the knife on, but everyone else he may have used the knife on...since our fingerprints are the main ones the police discover. Can you imagine the sick irony of that?

In my post called "Broken", I explain that when we fight, under even the best of circumstances we stand a chance of being arrested and/or charged. This is worthy of serious consideration. The idea that we could get attacked, righteously defend ourselves or our loved ones, and STILL end up in prison or sued by the criminal or his/her family is insane. Insane though it may be, that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.



Especially in foreign countries where gaijin/gwailo/ang mo are suspect anyway, and police do not speak English as a first language, the chances that you can get unjustly blamed for something goes up exponentially.


CSI may not be there to help you...

Let your mind imagine a situation where you are wrongfully accused, denied by your embassy (who want no part of your problem), stuck in jail awaiting trial in a country where you may not speak the language and may not have an interpreter to help you, where you are likely not to have legal counsel to protect you...and you will get a sense of how these things can escalate.

Human rights do not exist equally everywhere. Be wise. For reference, read this.

It may sound cowardly to say this, but the truth is

YOUR BEST DEFENSE IS ALWAYS TO RUN AWAY.

Yeah, I know what you're thinking...

What's the point of studying martial arts for all those years if you just run away when confronted by danger?

• Glib answer: "all the cardio training helps you run faster"
• Philosophical answer: "only one who knows war can understand peace"
• Practical answer: "I don't go to jail for NOBODY"

We all want to believe in justice, but as Guro Fred says "leave nothing to chance".

Use your head before you use your fist

oh yeah, and if you plan to pick up the knife you stripped from an attacker, be sure you are wearing gloves :-)

The Key

Today after Saturday Kali class was ITP, Instructor Training Program.

This is a special series of seminars Guro Fred teaches for those of us planning to teach martial arts one day. Even though my Kali background is very limited so far, I was invited to attend and feel honored. Don't have ITP in your school? Most schools have nothing like this. Maybe they think good instructors will just magically appear; or that somehow higher belts will just figure it out for themselves. Guro Fred leaves nothing to chance. I was impressed by how much thought went into the real skill of teaching, and what being an assistant or an instructor at Ni Tien school really means.

The seminar helps us learn how to present material and lead various classes. I won't put any specifics on the blog, but it is well thought out and well presented. It makes me feel that I may even have what it takes to teach someday, which is encouraging. Guro Fred has very high standards. If I can meet those, I will be justifiably proud.

Teaching others is the highest level of what we can achieve as martial artists and people. It truly is "giving back". To me, this is the key to the training.

Osu!

Broken

Just a quick note to help put things into perspective.

A lot of what we do in the dojo looks harmless enough, since we are in the safety of the school (our "laboratory for the world outside") surrounded by our training partners and under the supervision of our talented teachers.

On the street, however, what we learn can easily escalate and be lethal. My original teacher used to remark "killing them is easy, the trick is to keep them alive". I had always thought he was joking. The reality is, he was not.

For an untrained opponent, the elbows, knees, eye/throat gouges, and the like can cripple or kill without very much effort. Because the action is fast, before you know it you will have done permanent (or even lethal) harm to an attacker. Even in the best case, you may get arrested and/or sued in court. Most of the time it simply is not worth it.

My net message: Many things in life, once done, cannot be undone.

Make sure you think twice before you hit once.

Martial arts training is a like a life insurance policy: you get it hoping you will never need it. If you do need it, you are likely to need it pretty badly. Only use it when aboslutely necessary.

Let's all be careful. With great power comes great responsibility.

Osu!

Trippin'

Business travel sucks.

I don't care what anyone says. If you think it is glamorous or cool, filled with 5-star hotels, swimming pools and exotic locales, you can gladly take my trips for me anytime.

Ten things about business travel that cause it to suck:

1. long flights - at 18 hours nonstop, the Singapore/New York haul is just insanity
   
2. airline food - even business class food sucks nowadays. Better to pack your own
   
3. lack of proper sleep - hotel beds suck, and airplane seats are impossible
   
4. too much drinking/heavy meals - clients want to go out every night and never to the salad bar
   
5. boredom - lots of wasted time in lounges, buses, trains, cabs, hotels, etc.
   
6. too busy/very little free time - morning til night relentless schedules are the norm
7. blackberry/mobile - the absurdity of thinking we are still available 24/7 no matter where we are
   
8. jet lag and recovery - it can take weeks to get back to normal, especially from the US/Europe trips
9. loneliness - I actually like my family and miss them terribly when I travel
   

10. The worst of it all - no training. The double whammy is that not only am I gone from my home so I can't go to my local dojo, I am usually so busy that I can't even use the hotel gym.
That is a recipe for weight gain and depression.

So...what to do? Here are some ideas from my life as a Road Warrior.

Swim - I am far too lazy and space-conscious to bring my gym kit on the road. Instead, a swimsuit and goggles take up very little space and swimming is a good, low-impact workout. I also like those elastic bands to do isometrics in the hotel room. Yoga or tai chi also works.

Schedule sleep- I try to control my schedule to have at least a night or two to get proper rest.

Spa - I don't care whether or not the company pays for it. I am getting the body massage, the detox, the wrap, or whatever else will help me adjust and get rid of the stress. My body needs it.

Learn to let go - The worst nightmare is to try and keep up with all your work at home office while on the road. Don't. Delegate it or let it go. You'll only kill yourself.

Food and Bev - Since I don't get the same training time I normally have, and many nights are client dinners, I try to go way healthy on breakfast and lunch. Low cal/low fat to stay lean for what comes later. For drinking, I hydrate a lot and try to stick to wine when I go out.

Plan in advance - I was glad to find out that Yoshinkan aikido has schools almost everywhere. On the road it's a great chance to schedule in a visit to a local school. More new people to meet, and even though I said I would never pack my gym kit I somehow have no reservations packing my dogi :-)

Yeah, business travel sucks. If only they had mats in the business lounge...

Osu!

The Magic Touch

Yesterday was Tai Chi Thursday. We do a variety of Chi kung exercises to strengthen the breathing and chi flows, and then segue into the regular lesson. Last night was deep breathing using the whole lungs (upper, lower, and back). But I digress. The Magic Touch appeared during a trapping drill. One of the finishes to the standard two step trap was a devastating strike.

It made me suspect that the "Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique" a la Kill Bill really exists. I am prohibited from posting any specifics (Guro Fred expressly told me: "this one does not go on your blog") . Suffice to say it was a heartstopper (literally).

I have heard tales of these things throughout my martial arts career. The true precedent in Chinese martial arts is Dim Mak, the "death touch". Basically, this is the antithesis of acupressure. Acupressure uses energy meridians to improve health and energy flow; Dim Mak uses the same points to disrupt energy flow and harm the victim.

George Dillman is notable for this but it seems to have a number of caveats that can make in ineffective. To me, it seems very much like what Televangelists do, since it works best on True Believers.

What do I think? The body is a hydroelectric system. Although resilient, it can be "shorted" like any other electrical system. This can be short term (knockout) or permanent (death). Mostly, this can be attributed to damage to the head/brain. However, it can be disrupted at the pump (heart) or a number of other key spots. I believe in Dim Mak. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

In any case, with great power comes great responsibility. That technique was intimidating to say the least. If you run into any of the techniques, BE VERY CAREFUL. You can permanently injure training partners or yourself if you do not have the right level of self-control. Make sure you have your instructor very close by when practicing anything even remotely related to Dim Mak.

Safety First!

Nice Guys Finish Last

Today was a good lesson at King George dojo. Most important advice that Ramlan-sensei gave me was on Zanshin. Zanshin is the moment of total concentration at the beginning and end of any martial arts technique. I was lacking a bit today and this was the biggest thing he corrected.

During Jiyuwaza, the zanshin has a very important part to play, since it is like the glue holding the techniques together and creating flow. Uke attacks; shite responds, ending in zanshin, which flows into kamae (and the next technique). Without zanshin, jiyuwaza becomes just a set of mechanical movements, without the grace that makes aikido so beautiful (and so powerful). As Ramlan-sensei says "without zanshin, you practice jiyuwaza for 20 years and progress very little."

so remember, nice guys finish last - with zanshin.

Osu!

PS: looks like my test is 1 August, with Joe-sensei doing the grading...PANIC!

The Cutting Edge

Did some good knife work last night...basic 5 angles cutting and block/parry combos.
Getting attacked with a knife by someone who knows how to use it is a scary situation.
Some key take-aways:

1) Keep your hands tight to your body
Don't let your arms wave around. It just makes it more likely that you will get cut or be out of place. Keep your arms close to your upper body forearms facing outward (protecting vital organs there) when not active.

2) Think SMALL
Keep all actions minimal. Fear will make your motions exaggerated. Success depends on precision.

3) Protect the Big Stuff; use the Outside
Blocking should be done with the outside of the arms, NEVER the inside of the arms.
The inside is where all the key arteries are, and this needs to stay protected. If you are cut on the outside of the arm it is less likely to result in a lethal wound.

4) Focus on the MAN, not the knife
There is a tendency to develop tunnel vision and stare at the knife - staring at it won't make it go away. Knife or not, the attacker is the target. Keep your attention trained on the shoulders so you can see attacking motion develop.

5) Watch your Lines
Make sure you move your whole body, not just your arms/upper body, out of the way of the knife. Stand in one place; die in one place.

6) Finish Up
Like every Kali situation, if you need to use it, you need to use it properly.
Finish your oppenent completely. A knife situation is potentially lethal.
No time to be nice or merciful. There are many cases of fatally wounded attackers still managing to kill their victim before they go out. Make sure the attacker GOES DOWN and STAYS DOWN.

7) Sink the Blade; Sink the Man
When you have the knife...many classic texts on knife fighting emphasize that while slashing/cutting can kill; stabbing is a a far higher percentage stop. The goal is to get a torso stab. In either case, putting the attacker on the ground (via takedown/sweep) is important since it greatly reduces the chance that the attacker will recover.

8) Practice Practice Practice
Train these responses a lot. They will help your empty hand work too.

This is the real deal. Focus. Make sure you are the one that walks away.

In the UK this is becoming a more serious issue: http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/07/12/simmons.uk.knife.crime.itn
Just because they don't allow guns doesn't make it safe.

Born Free

My Jiyuwaza sucked yesterday...

Jiyuwaza ("free flowing technique") is the closest Yoshinkan aikido gets to actual combat.
You get attacked by one or more opponents and you do techniques until they tell you to stop. The goal is to show flow, timing, distance, creativity, precision, and grace. Sounds pretty simple, right?
(Jörg is the guy in the link above - thanks mate!)

Sunday was all yokomenuchi (strike to the side of the head). I know bucket loads of responses to this attack, and even did it for my 1-kyu test. So what happened?

Not sure. Maybe I was distracted or something. But in the heat of the moment I drew a blank...and kept going back to the tried and true solutions...hijiatekokyunage and shihonage kuzushi. At least they work and I did not end up just standing there like a muppet. Bad news is when they grade you, they look for variety. In a perfect world you can apply any technique to any attack. Some of course fit better than others for particular situations.

Here are some pointers (which also make excellent drills). These should get put into muscle memory so you can fall back on them if for some reason you are not "flowing" when the time comes...

1) Inside/outside
Alternating inside the attack and outside the attack

2) Sequentials
Ikkajo, Nikajo, Sankajo, Yonkajo, Shihonage, Shomeniriminage, Sokumeniriminage, Kotegaeshi, Udegarame, Koshinage, and so on...sometimes you can lose your place, but it should at least help get you back on track.

3) Ichi/Ni
do a technique ichi and ni in sequence

4) Over/Under
capture of uke's hand from the top (nikajo, shomeniriminage, sankajo, udegarame) or the bottom (shihonage, hijiatekokyunage, sokumeniriminage)

Try them out and let me know if you get a little closer to being FREE

Osu!

Hero

Today I took my six-year old to see Iron Man. Good entertainment.

I don't want to spoil the story for you, but as the name implies, a guy makes an invulnerable suit of armor and beats up bad guys with it. Lots of cool SFX and a hero you can really identify with.


To me, we can all be heroes. We have the potential. We cannot make an invulnerable suit of armor, but we can have something almost as good. We can train.

Our training in martial arts is a great way to help us find that hero inside. It is a way of developing the willpower, discipline, and humility that allow us to help others in need; to become a giver rather than a taker.

The armor we make and wear is impossible to see. It is the armor of self-confidence. This armor is not bullet-proof, but it can protect you from a lot of other harm. It is armor that will will make you strong, and will protect you from being a victim of abuse, not just physical, but emotional and spiritual as well. It can make you a kind of "Iron Man".

Becoming a hero is not easy. In this movie, the main character had to overcome a lot of things and make some mistakes to realize his calling in life. We often have to do the same. Because not everyone can understand our choices, sometimes it even means leading a dual life, and keeping one of our identities secret from others - until they can understand who we really are.

I am not suggesting everyone run out and buy a cape and a pair of tights. Being a hero does not always mean saving the world. We can be heroes every day to the people around us. We can be heroes by being good examples of what is right and just, and by being a positive influence in the lives of others. This can and should start at home with our own families.

I encourage you to help make your world a better place by training hard and finding the hero I know is inside you. Rest assured I will be doing the same.

See you around Gotham City...

The Countdown Begins!

Yesterday I got hit with the news...

Ramlan-sensei says I am expected to test for shodan in August...in Malasysia...

there is also a rumor that Joe-sensei might be doing the grading...



Insert PANIC here




I know I should not feel nervous, but I do nevertheless.

I tested for my first black belt in 1987...it was a tough test. empty hand, weapons, history, philosophy - the whole 9 yards. Took weeks to recover from that one, and I was 21 years old.

The RYA 1-kyu Yoshinkan test was the toughest one in recent memory, and I honestly think without the 1 hour massage beforehand I would not have made it through. It was 45 minutes of constant motion and intensity, trying to will my body to do what it knows; trying to LET GO;
trying to RELAX;
trying to STAY FOCUSED.

I would be nervous enough just having Farid-sensei and Ramlan-sensei grade me. However, hearing that Joe-sensei might be there adds another dimension to it. He is MAGIC, and by 10 years old he was better than I am now.

Sensei-Joe's "secret handshake" (aka kotegaeshi)

More than anything, I am the product of my training. I don't want to shame any of the teachers in RYA who spent so much time and energy to help me learn Yoshinkan. I don't want to embarrass Farid-sensei who travels a long way every week just to try and correct my techniques. I hope I can make them all proud to have been part of my journey to this new milestone. More to come. Plenty to do before August.

Osu!

Above the Belt

Interesting conversation over the weekend on chakras. It came about as part of a discussion we were having about why many martial arts masters smoke, drink, and have mistresses (no, I am NOT jealous).

Guro Fred expressed that they are trapped in the lower 3 chakras. Interesting point...

Asian mysticism considers chakras to be centers or "channels" of human conciousness, and defines 7 of them. From lowest to highest:

1. lower body

2. reproductive organs

3. navel

4. heart

5. throat

6. forehead (between the eyes)

7. top of the head

Our spiritual journey, according to such writings, leads us through opening these chakra, which bring us to enlightenment. However, such is not a path to be undertaken lightly. The lower chakras focus on material things such as emotion, hunger, and sexual drive. These must be relinquished if one seeks a higher level of consciousness. Buddhists will tell you that desire causes attachment, attachment leads to fear of loss, and fear of loss leads to suffering. We must LET GO in order to be free of such distraction. Not an easy task.

My whole study has been focused on making my experience of life more full and vibrant, more passionate, more involved in the lives of those around me; not less. Could I actually lower the volatility of my ups and downs and be left with a constant state of higher awareness? Wouldn't that be "boring" (not sure what else to call a life without emotional attachment)? How does one just go be "free"?

These thoughts show me that I still have so much to learn and understand in order to move forward. For now, my life is not bad despite having an emotional roller coaster. I am living vibrantly, and not sure I would ever want that to change.

Going above the belt is a scary place, and maybe fear of losing what I now have is preventing me from venturing there.

The Kid

We have all seen it, that 1984 classic, the Karate Kid.
When this movie came out, frankly I was skeptical. I had been training about 3 years under my teacher, and I thought I was a badass (doubtful I will ever think that again). The reality though, is that for all of its campy 1980s anti-style, The Karate Kid is one of the greatest martial arts movies of all time.



You loved it. You know you did. Be honest.



What do I like about it? Where do I start? This movie appeals to the Daniel-san in all of us, the underdog that wants to fit in, that wants to be accepted. At the same time, the Daniel-san who needs maturity and wisdom to reach the next level. With it come self-confidence, and a the respect of peers.

As well, we all must have our Mr. Miyagi. Someone who knows more than we do, and does not belittle us for it. One who sees our childlike selfishness as phases, and our boundless energy and enthusiasm as opportunities for development. Someone who sees the end goal for us, even when sometimes we cannot see it for ourselves. We need someone to make us start to walk, so that we can discover how important walking really is. We need a motivator. We need someone to show us how to "believe".

I love the fact that this movie presents the martial arts so positively. It includes the kind of zen dialog between Miyagi and Daniel that is so common with good teachers - that marvelous way of pointing you in the right direction and giving you enough to find the way on your own. Far too many movies emphasize the violence and lethality of martial arts; too few show the universal benefits it can bring as a way of keeping one humble and focused on personal development. Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme movies are entertaining, but miss the point for me, and cause youngsters watching to want to emulate exactly those things I would want them not to. The movies wane a bit after this first classic, but that's OK.



for a Tibetan Lama, he doesn't smile much





There will always be a romantic part of me that wants to paint fences and wax cars, knowing that it will help me win the championship at the end. That part of me still knows the crane kick can beat the five-point palm exploding heart technique. My personal Miyagis have been many, and they still have much to teach me.

Now, where's that paintbrush??

"Martial" or "Art"?

Over tea in between demonstrations yesterday, Guro Fred and I had a chat about the martial arts. It is very rare to find someone with his astounding background, which includes healing and fighting, Chinese and western styles, and a lifestyle steeped both in deep philosophy and practical application. When you visit Singapore, I suggest you empty your cup and come see for yourself. He will impress you. And he's also a really nice guy :-)

We can surely find a difference between arts that are purely combative and those which offer longevity. Boxing, Muay Thai, Krav Maga, BJJ all spring to mind as arts wich promote total combat effectiveness, at the expense of often failing to emphasize longevity or spiritual and philosophical framework. On the flip side, we consider such arts as Tai Chi or aikido as being "moving yoga", impractical in actual life-or-death confrontations. As is so often the case, BALANCE is the right approach.

In my view, Martial Arts are simply that. We must try hard to keep an equal amount of "martial" and "art" in what we do. Losing one or the other diminishes the value. Overemphasis on one or the other leaves us in danger.

Overemphasis on Martial - leads to violent tendency, short-term mentality, and damage to the body



he was never much for meditation






Overemphasis on Art - leads to false sense of security and failure to develop practical life-saving skills



helpful for picking daisies, but...




Let me be very clear - The right combination is always the combination that suits the soul of the one doing the training. I think it is very important to find a master who has the right mix for you. Failure to do so can lead to disappointment later on. By way of example, a dear friend of mine is more skewed toward martial than art, and Yoshinkan fails to satisfy his need for practicality and combat effectiveness. At the same time, I have friends for whom the martial arts is a vehicle of self-discovery, deeply connected to their worldview. Boxing is considered by them to be an improper vehicle for spiritual development.

For what it is worth, my personal goal is optimization, and I think that is best found in balance the "martial" and the "art". My experience is that this blend offers the best of both, and satisfies in times where our spirit needs a bit of each to keep growing.

Turn your TV off, have a think about it, and let me know your viewpoint.

OSU!

Being Grounded

I have read somewhere that about 70% of street fights end up on the ground (not sure how you get an accurate bit of research on that though). As well, watching IFC and many other popular MMA that abound together with the explosive popularity of BJJ these days, it is clear that for those competitions that allow groundfighting a lot of fights end up there. Why? Is it that the stand-up styles lack decisive power? Is it that the groundfighters have a game so good it is no longer possible to deliver a knockout counter before they can shoot in?

Many styles seem to forego groundfighting...in particular Yoshinkan aikido (although Aikijujitsu styles such as Takeda ryu include it). Kali Majapahit is comprehensive and I see elements of groundfighting, while at the same time there is a strong emphasis on mobility. In that sense, the ground is used quickly, as an inescapable place where the opponent can no longer backup (ie. a "wall on the floor". It certainly is admirable to keep mobility, especially when faced with multiple attackers. But is such an approach really realistic?



two of my favorite reference materials here. If either of these guys ask for your wallet, give it to them quick. :-)



I have long admired groundfighting work by Gene Lebell and Mark Hatmaker both of whom I consider among the absolute best that can be found. While neither style seems to include deep philosophy (other than perhaps combat purism), technically and scientifically you have to respect the magic these guys have.

So where does that leave us? I suppose an Indian yogi would find little karmic value in the application of a good hammerlock for submission, I also find it hard to deny that groundfighting adds versatility to your fighting, the goal of which should be to feel comfortable in any environment and any condition.

I have more to study here, but in closing I think groundfighting skills remain practical and useful in our scope of training.

Stay Well Grounded!

Less is MORE

After a week off following testing, I was very fired up to get back to Kali training, and it did not disappoint. We started off doing some chi sao (Wing Chun sticky hands) which wove into knife and stick applications as well. The key concept was "less is more". Basically, this means that you should always be using the minimum possible energy (and distance) to redirect your opponent. To do more is inefficient; which basically means you create an opening for the next attack in his/her chain. This was seen with an exaggerated block of a jab leading into an elbow, which when blocked led into a headbutt or knee, etc. Once the defense begins to come apart as a result of inefficiency, it is very hard to recover. See here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaP1X-lEtgc&NR=1

This is a video of Sifu Emin Boztepe doing Chi Sao with Michael Casey. You can see once Mr. Casey's defense begins to come undone he just gets hit more and more. The other very important thing to note here is how close together and tight sifu Boztepe's hands are. Chisao done well is done with very slight, small motions that keep the opponent thinking he will hit you, until he overextends and loses balance.

A good lesson for any training, but especially useful in Chinese/Filipino striking arts. Oh, by the way - KEEP YOUR HANDS ON THE INSIDE. This also helps an awful lot.

Japan versus Philippines

Check out my new teachers!

One of the biggest differences I notice in the two types of training is the level of emphasis placed on the decisive ending "kime" in Japanese. For Japanese martial artists, the strategic idea is to draw out a committed attack from uke. That means an attack where uke really has their UPA (unified power of attack, read aikido and the dynamic sphere, thanks guys!) . Once this committed attack comes, it can be redirected and neutralized. This is achieved by taking/breaking uke's cranial and spinal balance, which leads to controls/projections and pins. Great emphasis is placed on centering your spirit and reaching zanshin, where techniques dynamically manifest. Done correctly, it is a one shot stop.

In FMA (Filipino Martial Arts), the concept of "chaining" together techniques in a flowing combination seems far more important. Once a weapon enters my sphere of control, I want to triangle into my attacker and remove it - having done so, next I want to enter and finish. A chain in FMA can be any number of techniques, but usually 5 or more. Great care is made to immobilize the opponent's weapons as they enter the sphere, and to adapt the chain as needed.

Perhaps this difference seems esoteric, but the change in attitude is enormous. For the Japanese stylist, lack of a committed attack can be problematic. Thus, fighting an opponent who likes to jab and kick low to the legs can frustrate a traditionalist, especially when the opponent has enough mobility to avoid shite driving in to secure the center of balance. For the Filipino stylist, this doesn't present the same problem. Jabs and low kicks are just weapons to be taken away, and many of the technique chains begin specifically with "attacking the attack" in order to damage uke's arms and legs before closing distance.

Plenty to think about as I explore the new surroundings at (www.nitien.com).

Integrate

Integrate - love that word. Since about a week ago, I have made a commitment to train at another school here in Singapore - Ni Tien Martial Arts (www.nitien.com) Have a look.

The senior instructor and his wife have nearly 60 years of combined experience in martial arts and teach mainly Filipino Martial Arts integrated (love that word!) with Tai Chi, western boxing, and a mashup of other stuff (even Iaijutsu!). They also teach traditional healing methods. I have found everyone to be of superior focus and attitude, and we are all really trying to FLOW. It is a great lesson to attend and I am inspired again.

One of the main differences seems to be the way the hips are used. Yoshinkan always wants the hips low and descending, putting shite's center of gravity under uke's (maybe more accurately moving uke's center of gravity onto shite's). In FPM (Filipino Martial Arts), capturing uke's center of gravity seems secondary to immobilizing uke's arms and legs. Most chains start with counters to basic attacks by controlling the center line and either going inside or outside uke. Once the attacking element (uke's arm or leg) is immobilized, uke is usualy "opened", that is to say that shite enters into close range. At that distance, knees, elbows, headbutts are used to disable uke and remove and further will to fight. The chain usually leads uke to the ground and applies a finish there. It is fast and furious and the teachers spend a lot of energy on drills to develop awareness and muscle memory.

Despite FPM's outwardly violent application (harder by far even than Krav Maga), they teach it as "a cultural vehicle for self-discovery" and maintain that the violence stays in the dojo and is really just about preserving the tradition of the arts the way they are taught in the Philippines.

I have always been fascinated by the practicality of the Filipino styles, and fortunate to have found a school that teaches them so well here. Life is full of surprises, and the good ones are better by far than the bad ones. I am hopeful that this school will not only enrich my time here in The Lion City, but also give me a chance to bring together a lifetime of my own study.

Integrate? Inte-GREAT!

Where Do I Go From Here?

We all go through peaks and valleys in our training. It could happen any time, for example after a big event such as a rank test or demo. It could even happen simply because it's been too long without a big event. We question our training, ourselves, and the point of it all. We want some validation or proof of progress, and without it we doubt our abilities. What to do about that?

Yoshinkan is especially hard to measure, since we have very rigid structure and lack of "points" or "rounds" or other methods which are easy to count. It is very different from boxing or Judo or other "sport" arts, and even from karate with its many kata and competition fighting.

Yoshinkan training is really about learning to control your own body. Of course, by exploring our bodies and learning what unbalances them, we learn to unbalance our attackers. By learning what makes us strong, we learn to take strength away from our attackers.

The Yoshinkan techniques are all specifically designed to introduce students to the core principles and help show examples of how to apply these principles in certain circumstances so we can master the body movements.

Specifically we have to learn balance, power, smoothness, focus, centering, sinking, extension, relaxation, contact, distance and breathing. These are universal and done in every single technique. Together, we study Ikkajo, Nikajo, Sankajo, Yonkajo, and the throws and Osae against all the common attacks and angles to program specific responses. We train these until we achieve muscle memory and can do them without thinking about them.

The goal is to learn to do the techniques correctly as easily and naturally as walking down the street. It is only then that we can stop thinking and free our minds to extend our energy outward. Properly done, Yoshinkan becomes a kind of "Moving Zen" when we remove outside distractions and no longer think about ourselves or our partners.

When we have reasonable success with this already difficult challenge, we must seek consistency - so that we keep a high energy level and relaxed state simultaneously whenever we are on the mats. That becomes a benefit we can take with us outside the dojo as well, which will help us live our lives vibrantly and cope with daily stress, as well as enriching our human relationships and promoting our overall mental and physical health.

There is so much to do and learn, I hope your training never gets boring. Training plateaus occur, as do peaks and valleys. Resist complacency. Take a deep breath, take your time, but keep moving forward. I promise you will get there. Let's go together.

Osu!

Once you go black you never go back

She made it!!

After more than 3 years of dedicated training, she passed her shodan (first degree black belt) at Honbu Dojo. I wish I could have been there. First of all, a big Otsukare-sama for her. The belt represents a serious commitment. It shows. She is no longer the scared little girl who showed at the 5:45 am lesson shaking with fear at what might happen to her. Now, I look at her and see a proud, confident, capable lady who commands and deserves respect.

She has mastered her own life by mastering her aikido. She believes in herself and in her techniques, and that in itself is beautiful. Her comment to me was "Now I can walk around town without makeup on. I could never do that before". You said it Little Sister.
You are beautiful and radiant just as you are. No need to change a thing.

It has been a very long time since I got my first black belt (20 years to be exact), and I will never forget that feeling. I was different, but it was hard to explain. Somehow, my life had a certain intensity that it didn't have before. I have never forgetten that the magic is there, but it is really refreshing to see it happen to someone, day by day. Going forward she will be a great teacher, because she knows the value of hard work and the commitment needed to be good at aikido.

So what happens next? Here are some random thoughts my teacher gave me 20 years ago...

the invisible belt - once you put that black belt on, it never comes off again (metaphorically of course). You are a black belt 24 hours a day, no matter where you are. It is a constant burden of reponsibility that you are now strong enough to carry. Bear it with pride.

leadership - the road to black belt should include the experience of looking after your juniors and being a role model to them, long before you ever put that belt on. Now it is implicit. They will look to you as an example of The Way. You must give 100% to make sure that path shines true and clear, and to never disappoint their dreams of what and who a black belt should be. You will be a part of them changing their lives. Get ready for it. You are living proof of what can be achieved through hard work and commitment.

relentless and unforgiving - the black belt opens the door to a new stage of your training. Now you can no longer forgive yourself for anything less than your personal best. You must deliver 100% every moment, on the mats and off, and are expected to hold yourself and your aikido to higher level of awareness and perfection than before. Getting there showed you have heart; going forward you must show consistency. That will require you to be relentless and unforgiving in your own training.

mercy - as much as you must be relentless and unforgiving on yourself from now on, you must never fail to show mercy and have understanding for others who have not been called to The Way yet. The struggle to this milestone has contained many obstacles and hardships, and you must never forget that others also face them every day. You must have strength in excess to help them get through. Draw from your energy and give it to them.

rock of strength - in traditional schools, a student was not even entered into the dojo register until shodan. Before that you just didn't even exist. Having been listed on the books, now you are the kind of person the teachers should be able to build a strong school on. You are a foundation stone. Don't forget it.

With great power comes great responsibility. It is not given lightly and should not be taken lightly. There is real magic here, and real magic, the kind that changes lives, is hard to find these days. Little Sister, you are truly one of my inspirations, one of my heroes - you will change the lives of many. Ganbatte!!

Ouch!

Jammed my thumb into David's neck last week (by accident), and it has been hurting ever since. I think I jammed it again. That brings us to the question of training when injured. Without question, training in the martial arts will result in some injuries no matter how safely you train. What do you do about it?

This is not Major League Baseball, so I think it is wrong to stop training every time you have chapped lips or a stubbed toe. Basically, we usually tape up and get back to the training. I have dislocated my left hip and my right shoulder (thankfully not at the same time) on the mats and continued to train. I did it because I bought into the whole "hard-core" nature of my youthful training. Sadly, it was also among the more foolish decisions I have made, since at 41 years old I can feel both of them every time it gets cold. I wish I had been smarter. you CAN be.

Some advice from me:

• seek medical help for anything serious - take no chances
• stretch out before (and preferably after as well) every workout - even more important as the temperature drops
• show up for class even if you cannot train - it can be a good chance to observe and take notes or film the lesson
• allow your body enough time to heal - do not rush back into the training until you feel ready again
• understand that this is part of the training process - use it as a chance to become more aware and "in tune" with your body

"It's just an eye. The Gods saw fit to grace me with a spare"...yeah right.

I don't know about you, but I am not a spartan, and I believe the goal of martial arts training is to increase our mobility rather than decrease it.

Train Smart.

Osu.

Ignorance is Bliss

Found the book Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes yesterday at ABC Books in Roppongi for Y500...What a bargain.

I remember this book well from school days and it was always one of my favorites. It is the story of a mentally retarded man, Charlie Gordon, who with an IQ of 68 is aware that he is not smart (like a Forrest Gump) but nonetheless is basically happy working as a janitor at a bakery.

He is selected for an "operashun" which is designed to increase his intelligence, and succeeds by "making him smart like other peepul". His newfound intelligence brings with it new awareness - for example how his "friends" at the bakery were actually making fun of him the whole time, and allows him to experience the joy and sorrow of discovery and knowledge.

The book takes a turning point when the original test subject of the operation, a mouse named Algernon, dies, and Charlie's intelligence begins to fade away, and he realizes he will also die as a result of having had the surgery. He can feel his understanding slipping away as he starts to forget things again...

It is errily told in the first person through Charlie's journal entries. This book is quite frankly one of the most tragically beautiful stories I have ever read. It is the classic parable of the garden of Eden. Once becoming aware of the existence of the tree of knowledge, how can Adam not eat the fruit?? It touches me on so many levels and leaves me with questions I have been unable to answer for the past 30 years.

* is it wrong to strive for understanding?

* at what cost should we try to be "like other folks"?

* is the chance to be smarter worth dying for?

* is better not to know?

* what do you do when you are faced with your own impending death?

* how do you live each day and make it precious?

Forrest Gump tackled some of these questions in a gentle and humorous way showing us that perhaps ignorance really is bliss. Maybe Charlie Gordon would have been better off never having had that surgery...what do you think?

Relevant to aikido?? of course!! (what isn't?)

There is always a tendency to over-intellectualize what happens in the dojo. It is not wrong to think about the techniques or the training. Aikido can be learned with the mind, but it must be understood with the body and felt with the spirit. It is actually about thinking less rather than thinking more.

Do not suspect that making your aikido "smarter" will improve it. There is no King's Road, and the secret of aikido training lies in the TRAINING. There is just no substitute. Do not shy away from the sweat and hard work that make your aikido strong.

Read the book if you get a chance.

See you on the mat.

Osu!