Challenging the Masters part 9: Speaking Japanese, Chinese and Korean in the dojo,kwoon and dojang

Ne ho ma? Genki desu ka? Ni how" If you don't speak Cantonese, Japanese, Mandarin, or Korean, you might think that I was just talking about you. I wasn't. I was asking how you were doing. That brings me to my next point. I was speaking with an Asian friend about using Asian language while teaching martial arts. Now personally, as a linguist, I think that it is all okay. But it got me to thinking, does using Japanese, or Chinese, or Korean in training make your training more authentic? I personally do not think so. But for the sake of a good time, let's investigate shall we?

In the Asian nations, they are typically pretty much of one ethnicity. That is to say, in Japan, everyone is Japanese, and in China they are Chinese. So it makes perfect sense to teach in the native tongue. The problem is............well, it is a problem for some, the United States is just chock full of other types of folks. A patriotic American may not feel the need or desire to learn how to speak any other languages. Or a karate student from India, or Peru, or anywhere, may not feel that it is appropriate to have to learn another language. So my question for you is, how important is it really?

The traditionalists will say something like" It has always been taught this way." Ummm okay. Of course karate was always taught in Japanese....in Japan. That is the only language they speak. I will not be trying to teach a karate class in Canada while speaking Swahili. Mainly because I don't speak Swahili :) But also because nobody would understand. I think that if you are a teacher, that you should be willing to do whatever you need to do to make sure that everyone understands you. Asian martial arts are now studied worldwide, and I would hate to think that something so petty as language barriers would prevent some people from learning them.

I personally think that language should NOT be an issue. I think that to a class that is mixed ethnically, the most universal language should be used. I think that it makes class a heck of a lot easier, and more enjoyable for everyone. But having said that, I think that there is a limit. I think that the students of the sword should know that in Japan they are called katana. Or that in a kung fu school, that the school is called a gwoon. To me that is like knowing the real names of foods in a sushi bar. We all know the word "sushi." I think that it would be kind of rude if we went to a Japanese restaurant and ordered some" raw fish, with a little rice and seaweed wrapped around it." I think that we should learn the proper names for your equipment, like sai, katana, nunchaku etc. But I don't think that we should HAVE to learn how to count in Japanese, or how to say Roundhouse kick in Japanese or Chinese. Now we can definitely learn those things is we choose, but I do NOT think that it should be mandatory. Anyhow, I would LOVE to stay and chat, but I will be darned if the Seven Samurai just happens to be on A & E right now. Folks, I am out of here like a politician in a truth-telling contest :)

Challenging the Masters part 8: Kick with the instep, ball, shin or blade?

Sheesh, what is with me and all of the kicking topics? Oh well, even though I enjoy punching more than kicking, I am going to jump all over this anyhow. I have always wondered why it is that there are so many arguments over what part of the foot you are supposed to kick with. Now, I am going to be talking about the roundhouse kick, and the side kicks, because they are the ones that seems to cause the most controversy. In the many different schools, and in many different systems, there is a lot of disagreement about this. I figure that I am going to start from the top, and see where we end up.

With the side kick, there are really only two options: The heel or the blade (edge) of the foot. Some Korean systems like Tang Soo Do and Tae Kwon Do kick with the edge of the foot, as do some traditional karate systems. I don't get it at all. Kicking with the edge of the foot can be very dangerous to your foot and ankle. If you do not hit the target at the right angle you can easily sprain or break your ankle. Think about how the foot rolls in the ankle joint. I don't know about you guys, but in the middle of a fight is about the worst time I can think of to injure yourself.

Now, with the heel seems to be a much better option. While it may be a smaller target, it is MUCH safer. Not to mention the fact that the heel is the hardest bone in the human body. It just makes way more sense to me that we use our hardest weapons in a fight. I have seen a lot of sparring matches and real fights. And probably 80% of the broken ribs I have seen have come by way of side kicks with the heel. If you don't think that broken ribs hurt, ask Oscar De la Hoya about his fight with Bernard Hopkins. I am sure that he would be more than glad to fill you in.

Now the roundhouse kick gets a little tricky. Because you can kick with the ball of the foot, the instep, or the shin. And there are actually a number of good reasons why you should use each particular body part. As far as most martial arts go, the roundhouse is usually done with the instep as the main striking surface. Why? Because you can maintain a safe distance from an attacker and still inflict a good deal of damage to whatever it is you strike. If you have ever seen a roundhouse kick, it is likely, most likely actually, that it was done with the instep of the foot.

Now using the ball of the foot is another valid option. If you are using the ball of the foot to strike with, I am sure that you can use the kick a lot more precisely. You can stick the ball of the foot easily between someone's guard and still do a lot of damage. If you are using the kick as a setup, you will be able to follow with punches a lot more easily than with the instep. Kicking with the ball of the foot allows you to "stick and move" a lot more easily because you have not committed too much of you weight into the kick. I think that if you are looking to run for it after you have struck the person(always a wise idea in Anthony's book) you may want to strike with the ball of the foot, and then........run like a son of a gun. :)

Now, kicking with the shin is another matter. In Muay Thai(kickboxing from thailand)kyokushin, enshin, and a couple of other karate styles, they strike with their shins. The reasoning is simple. It is a larger, harder bone than the ones in your feet. You can do a great deal of damage to a person with your shins. If you don't think so. Let someone kick you with their foot, and then kick with the same force using their shin. I guarantee that you will feel the difference. And you won't like it. The one thing that I do not like about the shin kick is that it requires you to be a lot closer to your opponent. While there is a great deal of power in the shin kick, you have to commit all of your body weight, and so follow up with hands is a lot more difficult. Also, if you miss, the momentum tends to spin you all the way around, 360 degrees. While some are proponents of the shin kick for power, I have always been one to rely on the ability to move around while striking. In Muay thai, the fighters tend to be more stationary, making the shin kicks easier to throw, and to land.

Fact is that all of these striking surfaces have merit. Which one you use should depend on your particular strengths and weaknesses. If you like to stick and move, then using the ball of the foot may be best for you. If you like to angle away from your opponent, strike, then finish with your hands, you may like kicking with the instep. If you have strong legs, or are larger, blasting with the shin may be your best bet. Well, that is all I am going to post about this. I hear the ice cream man coming down the street, and I am going to outrun some 7 years olds so I can be first in line. Later folks!

Challenging the Masters part 7: Should leg kicks be allowed in all dojos?

*Anthony sits at his desk, lost in thought. He lifts his head and speaks*

Yep, Sesame Street was definitely cooler than the Muppet Show. Oh wait! That's not why I'm here. Hey folks, your favorite rabble rouser is back in the building. On the heels of my hotly debated full contact issue, I wanted to address one more portion of that thought. And that my friends is about kicking the legs in sparring. Now, outside of most Thai boxing schools, and kyokushin(a hard-core style of karate) kicks to the legs are almost a taboo subject or something. Me personally, I think that leg kicks are groovy. But then again, I am a pretty good leg kicker :)

So, while I am sitting here being handsome, I am going to tell you why most schools don't allow them at. Well, the main reason is again because they hurt. Anyone who has ever been hit with a well-placed leg kick can tell you that there is nothing cute about it. Most martial arts teachers will say something like," Well, we don't want anyone getting hit in the knees." That is a valid concern, but a weak one. In class, or in any competition that I can think of, striking ANY joints is illegal. Knees, spines, necks, and throats, these are all off limits. So, I am thinking that with a few lessons in control, and PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, there really should be no problems with allowing leg kicks

The second reason is kind of foolish I think. Leg kicks just don't look very cool. I know that sounds funny, but think about it. What attracts most people to martial arts, especially kids, is the aerial kicks and stuff that they saw on Teeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or the Power Rangers. Nobody ever sold a kid on martial arts on the practical but undeniablly less cool-looking roundhouse kick to the thigh. Marketing rules the martial arts world these days, unfortunately. Roughly 60% of the money made in the martial arts is made with children. So it does make sense economically that schools cater to children.

Now that I have said all of that, in the words of Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction," Allow me to retort." I say leg kicks are only slightly less cool than the Etch-a-Sketch that I still own and play with :) While they lack the flash of the head-level kicks from the movies, they are infinitely LESS dangerous to use. In a street confrontation, the higher your leg goes, the less balance you have in the supporting leg. Fighting for real is not like fighting for points. If you lose your balance and fall, you are going to get STOMPED ON. I have never liked the idea of being stomped on, so I keep my kicks, waist level and LOWER. Can I throw the head kick? Yes I can. Have I ever tried it in a real fight? Heck on I havent. Not worth the risk.

Another important thing about leg kicks lies in simple reality. If you practice high kicks in the dojo, that is fine and well. But have you ever thought about how much it exposes your groin? I have seen some ugly accidental kicks that have sent grown men crashing to the ground in tears, new additions to the soprano section of the regional choir. Was it an accident? Sure it was, but was that pretty little high-kick that they were atttempting to land worth the risk? Not on your life. In real fights, you don't wear cups, and you have no guarantee that someone will not kick you in the nads if they get a chance. If I may make a confession here, if I had a chance in a real fight, I would kick to the nads first. Remember, you do not know what your opponent can do. He may have a had a little training himself. You never know. And as the owner of a perfectly functional pair o' nads, I would just as soon not have someone kick them up into my rib cage.

And while we are talking kicks here, look at what you wore to work today. Heels maybe? Jeans? A skirt? How high do you think that you can kick with a pair of jeans on? My guess is, not that high. Add the wallet in your pocket and your keys and cell phone, and you are destined to have a low-kicking kind of day. Low kicks are great guys, believe me. If you have never landed a good low kick, then you cannot even begin to imagine the look that crosses their face. Think of this, have you ever had a charlie horse? Well imagine a really, really bad one right in the middle of a fight. Not good for you at all right? Course not. Those things can ruin your whole day. And believe me, I may have had a few of my days ruined in the exact same way :)

But on to something else that we should worry about: legality. Now I say that it is better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6, but let's be real for a moment okay? If you can finish a fight with as little violence as possible, then you are truly an expert in your craft. Let me paint you a picture. You are out with some friends and some knucklehead wants to prove a stupid manhood point by starting a fight. Now as the good person you are, you do your best to avoid this fool. But maybe he just won't be deterred and he attempts to push you. Now, instead of kicking this idiot upside the head, you plant a leg kick on him that leaves him on the ground cursing you badly. Fight over. If you have to explain this situation to the police later, you can say," Officer, I am a martial artist. Instead of kicking him in he head, I just slowed him down with a kick to the leg instead of really harming him. Take him away. Score one for the good guys baby. You go home no worse for wear, and he goes to bet booked for assaulting someone. See how useful that is? VIVE LA LEG KICK!!!

Challenging the Masters part 6: Should full contact sparring be mandatory?

Strap in guys,

I think that I am getting emotional. We are about to jump on one of my favorite topics: Full contact sparring . I am so happy I am like...I cant even finish my....tee-hee!! Okay, I got a grip now. I am a FIRM believer in full contact sparring. I am sick and tired of watching people "play" martial arts. I am tired of watching people leave class with clean and unwrinkled uniforms. I am tired of watching people apologize if a little contact is made. It is called MARTIAL ARTS people. Martial being derived from the Roman god of war, Mars. So martial arts are war arts.

So let us have look at what the traditionalists had to say shall we? Well as far as I can remember, martial arts derived from martial skills. They did not have a choice as to whether or not the training would be full contact. They were not fighting for a cheesy little trophy or for bragging rights. They fought for their lives. They were training for someone who had at least as much martial arts training, and weapons. Whether we are talking about the Okinawan peasants fighting samurai, or shaolin monks fighting members of the royal guard, there was definitely an uphill battle situation happening. So the most intense training was not an option or unreasonable at all. It was a requirement, and an expectation.

So what happens in 80% of dojos today? A pathetic imitation of what real fights actually look like. Now I KNOW that street fights are unpredictable and dangerous, but what we see in dojos today is just pathetic. There is no attempt to address the modern realities of fighting. I see almost no punching in combinations, horrendous footwork, and pitty pat punches that would tickle a kindergarten kid. Now, don't get me wrong. I am not suggesting that you hit your training partner as hard as you can. I do NOT believe that full contact means full force. Don't think that I advocate trying to murder your partner. But if you are not practicing full contact, you may be setting yourself up for failure. How many times have you heard someone say" He is a black belt in (insert name here) and he got beat up by that one kid (insert other name here). That is ridiculous. I mean if you are training realistically, an untrained fighter should not pose that much of a problem.

As a general rule, and I know generalities are just that, untrained fighters cannot throw very good straight punches. As you should know by now, if you are training, it takes a certain amount of training to be able to throw a punch without telegraphing. Telegraphing for those who don't know is a movement in the body that clues you in that the punch is coming. For example, dropping your hands before you swing, or maybe pursing your lips, or closing your eyes. A fighter who trains in full contact should be well versed in the nuances of these movements. More importantly, a full contact fighter is able to take a punch and keep fighting. IF you are not sparring full contact style, than you have probably really never been hit. In my experience in martial arts and self-defense training, it is that "freezing up" after a punch that causes most losses in a fight. It is one thing to be able to hit someone, but getting hit is when the reality sinks in. In the fight business, there is a saying. "Everyone has a gameplan, UNTIL they get hit." If you are not training full contact, then you are NOT as prepared as you think you are. I would bet money on it.

Now because I am a caring kind of guy, I am going to tell you why you DON'T practice full contact. It is likely because you just plain out are not willilng to train that hard. Getting hit hurts. I can understand. I am not really happy about being hit either. But it IS part of the training. You don't really think that you can learn to swim without getting water in your mouth, or up your nose do you? You don't think that there is a single carpenter who has never hit his hand with a hammer do you? You KNOW as well as I do that you have rolled your ankle and fallen during a game of soccer, football, baseball or tennis. Do you know what that is? It is called a hazard of the occupation. You expect that it is going to happen. You know that you will just have to deal with it when it does. So not doing full contact because it hurts, or is too hard is NOT an acceptable reason. If you think that training full contact hurts, imagine a fight where someone wants to really hurt you. THAT hurts. It is not a reason at all. In my neck of the woods we call it an excuse. If you didn't know, now you do.

Now I am going to give the other reason that you probably were going to mention. The fact that Americans LOVE to sue. Now legal issues are a real concern these days, but nothing tha you should really be sweating. The only people who get their pants sued off, get sued because of gross negligence. Kind of like in your gym membership. If you are taking the proper steps to make sure that the environment is a safe one, legalities are not your biggest headache. Try looking up the assumed risk laws in sports. Heck, try reading the back of your gym application. You are pretty well protected legally, as long as you run a safe facility. That means matching up equal skill level. Having first aid kits, CPR certifications and the like. As long as you are wearing the proper gear and monitoring the sparring sessions, you are pretty much going to be okay. Fact is, out of the 20 most injury filled sports, martial arts is number 16. Golf was the first in case you were wondering. Do you tell your kids not to play golf? Have you watched football players crash into each other for an hour straight? Have you ever seen someone get pegged in the head with a baseball? Think about those things and then tell me that full contact is too dangerous.

Oh wait!! I have another one. It is the "regular people don't really want to train that way" excuse. I have been teaching martial arts for a long time. In that time I have made it clear to my students that martial arts is about self-defense first, and everything else second. I will not have the quest for greater flexibility/discipline/self-control or whatever blur the focus of our training. In case you were wondering, I have people who's occupations range from housewife to pastor to corporate over-achiever. When I explain my philosophy to them, they have no problem accepting my views, and my reasoning behind them.


As a martial arts teacher, my main job is to make sure that I am preparing my students for real life altercations. It is not all about fighting, but fighting is a part. There is a saying that" violence is rarely the answer. But when it is, it is the ONLY answer." Think about that for a moment okay? Your health is is MY hands, and I will not let you down. I would rather you depend on me knowing that I will not mislead you, than have you in a hospital wishing that you HAD listened to me. Later folks, the Simpson is on, and I NEVER miss an episode.

Challenging the Master's part 5: Wearing shoes in the dojo

Hello my adoring public,

Hey guys, I have just kicked off my shoes (nope, I don't wear shoes in the house) and I am ready to have another go at the traditions in martial arts. Now, right about the time you saw your first karate uniform (gi) you probably wondered why the heck nobody had shoes on. It can be a little disconcerting at first. I remember as a kid thinking," oh my gosh, it smells like feet in there." What can I tell you, I was a straight shooter even back then. And judging by how calloused and bruised some people's feet got in training, it really made you wonder who thought that bare feet in karate was such a grand idea.

But never to fear, Anthony is here. I am going to break it all down to you, as easy as Sunday morning. Now for those who don't want to contemplate the reason, I have it right here, easy as cake baby. The reason that nobody practiced with shoes on in the old days is.......wait for it..........THEY COULDN'T! When we think of shoes, we think of the good old adidas, or Nikes, or Reeboks that we know and love so much. Back in the old days, things were a little different. There were no closed toed shoes! They wore sandals. And I don't mean the kind that we get from Big 5 or Nordstrom's. Fact is that practicing in sandals would not have made any sense. One cannot practice the footwork in sandals. I invite you to try. Once your broken ankles heal, you will realize why we don't practice in sandals.

So, why the bare feet? For freedom of movement. To toughen the surfaces used for kicking. And lastly, just because you cannot track dirt and mud from the road into the dojo. that is a major no-no. Sorry to dissapoint you folks. If I had a better, cooler sounding reason, I would be all over it. But alas, it was not PRACTICAL( there is that "P" word again) to wear sandals in the dojo.

Now, I am prepared for the heat. I am going to tell you why it is a DUMB idea to go barefoot in the dojo. First of all, let's start with the main reason. If we were ever attacked out in the streets, or even in our home, likely as not we are going to have shoes on. The practical nature of modern martial arts demands that we try to imitate the reality of a street confrontation as much as possible. If we are going to fight in shoes, we should train in shoes. To me that is just about as common sense as one can get.

Fighting barefoot is an out-dated concept. Back in the old days when people fought, they could just slip off their sandals, and they were ready to rumble. I sincerely doubt that any one of us would have the time to untie our laces and take our shoes off before a fight. We will just have to move and kick in what we have on. Now that is no disrespect intended for the old masters of martial arts, but just as fighting has evolved, so should our sensibilities.

Training in shoes also helps to develop more powerful kicks. How you ask? Well how about traction? The new technology in shoes allows for more torque. If our feet can grip the ground better in shoes, then there really is not reason to forsake them. Shoes I mean. We should all get used to kicking in whatever type of shoes we regularly wear. If you don't think that it makes a difference, well then ladies, try a roundhouse kick in high heels. Aw heck, I am not sexist, guys you give it a try or two as well. But if you get caught with your ladie's shos on, I am NOT responsible for the ensuing embarrasement.

But lastly, I would like you to consider the possibility of foot injuries. Anyone who has spent any time in the martial arts has kicked someone in the elbow. Or smashed their toes. If you have not done it yet, keep it up and you will. And let me be the first to tell you that it hurts. I mean REALLY hurts. The" holy crap that hurt, but I can't cry because I am a man" kind of hurt. Or for the analytical folks out there, feel free to check in the Web for the number of foot and ankle injuries that Americans suffer from. It will really make you think about those beautiful bare-foot roundhouse kicks that you have seen your teacher effortlessly throw. But enough about this. I am going to get myself a cold bottle of water, and see who else in cyber-space disagrees with me. Next stop? Full contact striking allowed in the dojo. Bring your mouthpiece!

Challenging the Masters part 4 : Do We Really Need Makiwaras?

Take a deep breath,

Not because I am going to rock your world so bad, but sometimes, you just should :) Okay, so in my quest to challenge more masters, I am going to ask, why the heck you need a makiwara? Maki what? That is the typical response I get when I bring up this particular item. For those who think I am making words, I am going to tell you what a makiwara is. A makiwara is a board where the top part has a rope tied around it. So what we are talking about is just flat piece of wood with rope tied around the top foot or so. Then you stick this post into a hole in the ground. If you have ever seen Steven Seagal's "Hard to Kill", you saw him punching one on the top of a hill. After you have stuck this post into a hole in the ground, the idea is to punch away on that thing for as long as you can stand. Ummm yeah, it sounds like rocket science to me also :

Okay, before I start blasting tradition, let me say that makiwaras were once VERY useful. See, karate was developed by okinawan peasants as defense against armed (and armored) samurai. So karateka (practitioners)used to punch makiwara to condition their fists. There is an old term in the martial arts, "ikken hitsatsu" which roughly translates to "one punch, one kill." The idea was not that you would likely kill someone in one punch. The idea is that you put everything you have into a punch because it may be the only chance you get.

This is where the makiwara were extremely useful. The hard rope and wood of the makiwara were very useful in conditioning the hands. Often, the karateka would develop hug callouses on their knuckles after practicing on the makiwara. In their minds, if they were going to punch through the bamboo armor of the samurai, they would need tough hands to do it. And believe me, they were quite successful in doing a LOT of damage in only one punch. The fact of the matter is, many karateka would move beyond their makiwara, and punch trees full force. If you don't believe me, feel free to look up Japan's greatest karateka, Mas Oyama. He founded a hard style of karate called kyokushin, and they seem to live for that kind of hardcore stuff. But I digress. Makiwara were a very successful in those days in preparing the hands of karateka for their life and death encounters with samurai. And when I say life or death, I mean that literally. The samurai were allowed to kill peasants willy-nilly, and they were quite proficient in a variety of war arts. If the peasants were going to survive, they had to practice endlessly, day in and day out for as long as it took to prepare themselves.

Now, let's jump into modern times, okay? In theory, training in a martial art should be very self-defense oriented. A whole lot of us train with the mental image of some hulking intruder who is looking to do harm to us, or to our family. That is where the hardcore makiwara training does not seem like such a bad idea. And it is not a BAD idea, just an unnecessary one. The beauty of martial arts is that people of all walks of life can participate in it. Punching a makiwara hurts at first, and I can think of a number of people who don't really want to have calloused or desensitized hands. Let's start with a masseuse. I don't think that their clients would appreciate rough hands working on them. If I am going to get a massage, I don't want someone with sand-paper hands working out my life stress. But maybe I am just being a softy. How about a surgeon? I also doubt that anyone who needs to do serious precision work with their hands is interested in losing their sensitive touch.

What is more, is that makiwara training is just outdated. Call me narrow-minded if you must, but I really doubt that Mike Tyson can hit so hard because of his makiwara training. I don't think that Ali, Ken Norton, Joe Loius, Rocky Marciano, or Sugar Ray Robinson did any serious wood punching during their boxing careers. I think that, no let me change that, I KNOW that our methods are currently just as effective as the old ones. My hands are considerable stronger than the average person's, but I dont do makiwara training at all. I have been hitting heavy bags only, and my hands do just fine thank you. I have never had any opponent tell me, " gosh, you must not do any makiwara training. That punch didn't hurt at all." So for those of you who are interested in preserving the old ways, you just makiwara yourself into traditional bliss. But if you question the need for that sort of thing, relax. You are not the only one. Smile, look at that heavy bag, and be glad that you aren't fighting a samurai.

Challenging the Masters part 3: Why do you wear a gi?

Take a deep breath,

I am going to tackle one of martial arts most consistent and persistent traditions. Wearing a gi is one of the things most commonly associated with practicing martial arts. For those who don't know, the gi is the heavy cotton uniform that you have most likely seen in the movies, or even in your own martial arts class. If I was a betting man, I would say that right about the time you decided to enroll in a martial arts class, you asked if you had to buy your own gi, or if they were included in enrollment. You probably didn't think anything about WHY you wore them, just that you were supposed to. But now that I have rattled your mental Rolodex, do me a favor. Ask yourself, why the heck do you wear those things. Let me see, did your teacher say something enlightened like,"Well, that is the way the ancient masters practiced." Sound familiar? Well, let's take a deeper look shall we.

Well, as a man who has thought long on this, I am going to give you an easy answer so that you don't stress yourself. Now, don't take credit for having thought of it yourself. Just be honest and say "thank you Anthony." Now if you think of the clothing style of the time, a gi bears a huge resemblance to a kimono. The difference being in the material. Kimono were a lot more fragile. Martial artists knew that they could not practice in their regular kimonos as they would destroy them every other practice or so. So they created an outfit that looked like what they wore regularly, but were sturdy enough to withstand the rigors of martial arts training. Voila, the gi is born!!!

Now for the really smart ones out there, I am sure that you have thought of one other main reason for using the gi. That reason is uniformity. Fact of the matter is that in a white gi,everyone is the same. No matter if you are a CEO, or housewife, or shameless slacker like me :), in a gi we are all equals. Fact of the matter is that in martial arts we are all, or SHOULD be, on the same page. For those of you who go to gyms, I know that you have seen at least one person with the trendy matching outfits, and new shoes. If not, you will see one soon. They seem to be in every gym. I personally enjoy wearing a gi, and not wondering about how the gi makes my butt look. In martial arts we are all about the training and accomplishing goals. Our gi is just a worker's uniform. A tool, like a wetsuit, or scuba gear. Just a tool. Now there are a lot of people who feel that wearing a red gi, or a black one, or a camouflage one, denotes some special skill or rank. It doesn't. Or at least it shouldn't. I hope that you are not caught up in all of that type of ego stroking. If you are, you might want to rethink why.

Okay, now that I have gotten all traditional on you, I am going to tell you all about why gis suck big time. First of all, they are HOT. I have a 14 ounce heavyweight gi, and it sucks big time in the summer. It is like wearing one big old oven mitt. It holds in the heat, and NEVER breathes the way they are supposed to. They can be quite expensive, and I will be darned if those things don't make for the worst wedgies in the world.

My second gripe is all about keeping them fastened. Now they stay just fine when you are doing warmup, katas, and one on one drills. But once the sparring starts (and where I teach we always spar) they pop open like a jack in the box. There is nothing more annoying than trying to adjust your gi before the roundhouse kick lands on you. Of course there is always the interesting fact that your belt knot ends up on your kidneys as opposed to your belly button. Yeah, that looks REALLY cool.

And I figure, now that I am griping, I am going to make my most important gripe. There are a lot of ways to create a uniform looking classroom. If you have just a regular set of sweats or warmups, all you need is a class T-shirt or something. Warmups and sweats are more snug, and will not move around a lot during class. If you like, you can also have a class sweatshirt for cold weather days. Does this mean that you are less dedicated to your training? Nope! Does it mean that you can go to the grocery store right after class without looking like you have been in pajamas all day? Yep. Sure does. But wait a minute guys..... I am about to speak on a maki, a maki, what the heck do we use a makiwara for anyhow?..............

Challenging the Masters part 2: The value of tradition

Hello folks,

I am back on it. I have just been made nauseous by a class that I recently observed. Now, I am not going to discuss the style or the school, that is not important. What is important, is that the tenets that keep, and have kept the martial arts timeless are in danger. What I am talking now is blind adherence to tradition. I am speaking about how blind faith is a very dangerous thing. Now you may ask, what traditions am I talking about? I am more than happy to tell you. Now first of all, let me say that I am a huge believer in certain traditions. I believe that honor, discipline,courage, integrity and loyalty are parts of the martial arts that should remain unchanged and forever a part of out training. We NEED it to be difficult. It is SUPPOSED to hurt sometimes. You SHOULD wonder whether or not you can make it through class. That is what makes it great. Like the old proverb from India says: "Those born in the flame, will not fade in the sun." We need martial arts as a catalyst to our growth as people. We need to learn how to push ourselves for just one more kick, one more throw, one more footsweep. It is that desire to push ourselves beyond our limits that makes martial arts and training priceless.

But here is the question, when is enough enough? At what point does old tradition get in the way of good old fashioned common sense? I personally feel that the true masters of martial arts were great men ( and women, don't get all sexist on me). I know that the techniques that they created were to address the reality of contemporary combat. But face it, the reality of modern fighting is much different. I am sure that the masters of the old martial arts were very formidable, and that their techniques were more than adequate for their time. But in modern times, we have developed technology and strategies that have moved us beyond those old ways. We have built on top of those old methods to develop techniques that are more refined, and in some ways superior to their predecessor.

Now for you diehard traditionalists out there, here comes the cold water. I don't care what you would like to believe, our modern practitioners have greater access to superior training methods and diet than did the old masters. If you don't believe that, look at the Olympics as an example. Every 4 years, once unbeatable times have been diminished. Once unfathomable weights are lifted, pushed, and pulled. Fact is, we are more athletic than our fore-fathers in training. And I said all of this to say, that we have been able to improve on the old methods without the harsh training endured by our ancestors. That is NOT to say the training should be a smiling fun time. That is NOT to say that there was no merit in the old ways. Time MUST pass before inventions can be refined, or discarded even. For the people who created the first airplanes, cars, spacecraft, etc, they were too busy inventing the technology, to be able to sit back and refine their methods in any major capacity. That is the job of the subsequent generations, and that is exactly what I am writing about. I am going to challenge, and challenge you to debunk my logic. I am going to question a number of our traditions. Why do we still wear gis? Why don't you wear shoes in training? Why do punch makiwara? Why do you kick with the blade of your foot? Why do you not allow leg kicks in your school? Why don't you spar full-contact? Why don't you practice better footwork? Why do you award children black belts? And a WHOLE lot more. Hold on kids, the internet just got angry. See you in two shakes..........

Challenging the Masters: The Real Pros and Cons, part 1

To all ,

Hello and welcome to my mind! I have been milling around with a mind chock full of love, and outrage over the state of modern martial arts. I am elated that it receives televised coverage, and disgusted by the corruption and charlatans that are ruining it. I have a whole lot to say, and it will be coming out soon enough. So sit back, read, laugh, hate me, comment or whatever else your heart tells you.