Enter the Dragon!

Things got rowdy at my son's sixth birthday party.  Young boys, balloon swords, and way too much sugar!  But it wasn't until the birthday cake came out that I resorted to  kung fu: More conventionally executed as a double-strike to the lower part of an assailant's rib-cage, this hand formation proved effective when shielding birthday candles from the wind. Happy birthday, Jake!

Yesterday afternoon was the Australian Federation of Instructors 2009 Presentation Day.  There was a BBQ, black belt kata displays, "Santa Sensei" Kris Kringle, a raffle, awarding of grading certificates, and Kancho's class. The trun-out from Monash Caulfield was pleasining: Left to right: Anthony, Lizzie, Robin, Damian,  yours truly, Lejoe, Lisa, Ashley Holding their new certificates are: Lizzie: purple I, jiu-jitsu Damian: purple I & II, jiu-jitsu Lejoe: purple I judo; purple II & yellow I, jiu-jitsu Ashley: purple I & II judo; purple II, jiu-jitsu Congratulations to all, and also to Steve (purple I, jiu-jitsu) in absentia .  Thanks to Anthony, Lisa, and Robin for coming along anyway, even though they didn't grade (this time). Disappointingly, club kata presentations were bumped because of a tight schedule.  However, we should be very well practiced for next year! There were numerous black-belt promotions across the organization.  Of particular no...

Karate instructor Michele asked  Do black belts have to teach?  on her blog and lively discussion ensued.  I suspect that those who like teaching gravitated to the affirmative camp, while those who do not tended to the negative. All I'd add to that discussion is that in our organization -- The Australian Jiu-jitsu, Judo, and Chinese Boxing Federation of Instructors -- I don't think you can make it to black belt without an affinity for teaching.  As the name indicates, there's a lot of teaching in our system, and by developing everyone into teachers as well as martial artists there's a lot more hands-on instruction available than if teacher status is reserved for a select few. Anyway, there's another dimension I'd like to explore.  The next step after doing some occasional class teaching -- typically stepping in occasionally for the full-time instructor -- is to start your own regular class.  In our organization this means that either you inherit and existi...

Superficial teaching can sound good, but it's really by the numbers.  In The Anatomy of Change (page 121) Aikido teacher Richard Strozzi-Heckler writes: Learning to ski last winter, I took a lesson from an accomplished skier and certified instructor.   He initially amazed me, as his instructions were very similar to the ones I use with my students.  He spoke of the importance of relaxation, going with the contours of the slopes, and trusting my body to feel weight, balance, and flexibility.  His images were creative and useful.  I  was inspired and immediately put to use what he was telling me.  But after a point, I got stuck.  The instructor came over, reeled off the terrific aphorisms, and I again tried to put them to use.  But there was no use.  Something was missing. I realized that he wasn't making contact with me. He wasn't seeing me and what I needed to learn in order to move ahead. His wonderful information lacked a conn...

I can't imagine watching this and not being inspired:

Via Patrick Parker : The truth is that there is nothing noble in being superior to somebody else. The only real nobility is in being superior to your former self. -- Whitney Young Aim to improve.  Draw inspiration -- not envy -- from the achievements of others.

For the last couple of classes I have been working with my class to create an original kata for part of the kata display on Presentation Day, later this month. Last year we invented an original kata, The Kata of Possibility .  It proved to be a very rewarding experience, an opportunity for the class to work together as a group to show some of what they have learned to an appreciative audience. We've still got one more class to finalize and polish up our new kata, especially the formalities, but after last night we have the outline. Part I: Defences against Grabs Attack 1a : Double lapel grab (with optional knee to groin) Some defences : Side wrist throw, 2nd hip throw, 2nd leg throw (knee variation) Attack 1b : Single lapel grab and punch to the face Some defences : Double-strike turning throw, 1st leg throw, elbow roll submission, 2nd hip throw (after crossing uke up) Attack 1c: Front hair grab Defence: Retreating wrist-lock Part II: Defences against Chokes Attack 2a : ...

This southern Summer, beginning 24 January 2010,  I will be teaching a four-session course, The higher goals of Judo , open to all members of our Federation .  This subject matter will not seem surprising to regular readers of this blog: The Higher Goals of Judo: Course Aims Definition and history : To introduce participants to the higher goals of Judo practice, beyond self-defence and competitive skills, and to their historical basis Dojo / real life connection : To inspire participants to seek to apply what they learn in the dojo in the rest of their lives, and, conversely, to use the opportunities afforded by martial arts training to deliberately further their personal and social development Practice : To provide a venue in which participants can identify and explore areas ripe for their own personal and social development, in a practical fashion But wait, there's much more! Several other Federation instructors will also be presenting four week courses on a variety of aspec...

From Mind Over Muscle: Writings from the founder of Judo , pp94-5: The Three Levels of Judo We have now established judo's three aspects -- training for defense against attack, cultivation of the mind and body, and putting one's energy to use. We have also affirmed judo's highest goal as self-perfection for the betterment of society. For the sake of convenience, let us place the foundation -- training for defense against attack -- at the bottom and call it lower level judo. Let us call training and cultivation, which are by-products of training for defense against attack, middle-level judo. The study of how to put one's energy to use in society comes last, so let us call it upper level-judo. When we divide judo into these three levels, we can see that it must not be limited to training for fighting in the dojo, and even if you train your body and cultivate your mind, if you do not go a level higher, you truly cannot benefit society. No matter how great a person you ...

Gregg Mozgala is an inspirational artist. In March 2008 the 31-year old actor performed multiple roles in a well-reviewed production of Romeo and Juliet, working around his significant cerebral palsy . The company, formerly known as Theater by the Blind, mixes able-bodied actors and actors with disabilities. Mr. Mozgala, who has cerebral palsy, in particular shatters the myth that actors with mobility problems make for static productions, throwing himself around the stage with abandon. In his latest project Gregg has teamed up with choreographer Tamar Rogoff in an original dance piece, Diagnosis of a Faun . Please read the New York Times article about the project, and be sure to view the embedded video. Gregg Mozgala in a dance rehearsal After reading and seeing the video snippet -- and for those in New York, getting along to a performance -- I trust that many people will be inspired.

In her fabulous book, Writing Down the Bones , author Natalie Goldberg introduces a Zen-inspired practice of writing, whereby one sits and writes for an allotted time, say five or fifteen minutes without stopping, without correcting, always keeping the pen moving. This is not writing for publication, but rather writing as spiritual practice, more akin to meditation, therapy and martial arts practice than writing for an audience. Here's my favorite anecdote from a book packed with wonderful vignettes: Artistic Stability I have a pile of spiral notebooks about five feet high that begin around 1977, my early years of writing in Taos, New Mexico. I want to throw them out -- who can bear to look at the junk of our own minds that comes out in writing practice? I have a friend in New Mexico who makes solar houses out of beer cans and old tires. I think I will try to build one out of discarded spiral notebooks. A friend who lives upstairs says, "Don't get rid of them." I t...

More from Turning Silk: A Diary of Chen Taiji Practice , by Kinthissa : Apart from Chen XiaoWang's* magnificent XinJia** renditions, I have seen only one other person whose XinJia has impressed me. This was a woman, Japanese, one of the six, all teachers, who came to Sydney in 1997. She was of a narrow and light build. Her delicacy had a lithe power, it brought out quite a different quality in XinJia's character. I find wildness suits women. Female practitioners have a paucity of exemplars to be inspired by. Master Chen said that the woman was gold medal material, only her responsibilities in running an organization did not allow her enough training time. When I have asked him if the training for women is different from men's, his reply has been, "No, it is the same." When I enquired after women in his family who had reached a high level in TaijiQuan (as one hears almost exclusively of men), he said that some had excelled in their early years, but then the...

From Turning Silk: A Diary of Chen Taiji Practice , by Kinthissa : Practise mindfully, with ease in the heart. Practise because it is doing one good, not because it will make one a master. To become a master, or mistress, of TaijiQuan is a very long aim. Practising without expecting the day to arrive soon will be the most sensible way. Remember the road to wisdom: "Err and err and err again -- but less and less and less." The quote within the quote is from a grook of Piet Hein: The road to wisdom? Well, it's plain And simple to express: Err and err and err again, but less and less and less.

It's a busy time of year. Qualification contest, gradings and kata competition are all coming soon. So let's lighten things up with some fun and games. In the last month I've taken my young son to a few kids' judo classes, and I've been stealing ideas for my regular class. Naturally, adults like a bit of fun too. Here are some of the activities and games that I've either tried, or plan to try soon: Dive rolls over increasing numbers of class mates (arranged like sardines) Rolls using big gym balls How many throws can you do in thirty second seconds (racing back and forward between two uke s) More generally, this month I'd like to leaven competition and grading preparation by bringing a bit of playfulness and game elements to our training. For example, with qualification judo contest coming up, I'd like to try some mock bouts in which points are awarded to pairs of participants for the most breakfalls, to encourage an attacking (and safe) approach to...

Both stylistically, and by temperament I tend towards the softer end of the spectrum in my martial arts. Sure, when I throw my partner hits the mat hard and when I apply a joint lock it hurts, but I aspire to use leverage and whole-body power, rather than the "brute" force of local muscle. That said, lately I've wondered whether a teensy bit of "hard" practice might do me a bit of good. So I've picked three training drills that have a hard element and have added them to my personal routine: 2-5% hard, leaving 95-98% soft. Horse stance with tension : Just stand in horse stance and tense every muscle, all at once, increasing the duration over time. Warning : If you try this do not allow pressure to build up in your head, as it can be dangerous. Low forward stance : The front knee should be in line with the toes; the back leg braced straight. Sound hard? It is. Circular punching : This should actually be fairly relaxed, but my shoulders and upper arms don...

In judo and jiu-jitsu we generally: Keep our thumbs and fingers together (not splayed), so that an adversary can't snap 'em off, and for concentrated force Grip more tightly with the weaker fourth and fifth fingers to strengthen them, while keeping the thumb, index and middle finger more relaxed and sensitive; these guidelines apply whether taking a grip of your partner's gi, forming a fist, or a holding a sword Breakfall mainly with the hands (thumb and fingers together!), even though there is greater surface contact with the fleshy part of the forearms. It's one thing to read tips like this; it's another to make them second nature. Good luck!

In jiu-jitsu we learn a lot of joint lots, mainly as part of our restraint and control syllabus. To apply them for real you need to be more skilful than your opponent because people will try to naturally try to escape, typically by either using muscular resistance or trying to twist themselves out. Part of the art is first breaking your partner's balance, so that (s)he loses the ability to effectively resist, as well as adapting to whatever response they (s)he manages to muster. But what happens if your opponent is simply much, much better than you? Check it out: Although the attacker is allowed to start to apply locks, at no stage does he control the defender's balance (or center). Quite the reverse!

Two weeks ago the head of our martial arts organization, Kancho Barry Bradshaw , hosted and co-presented a series of three seminars along with two guest instructors: Perth-based karate master Hanshi Tony Jackson , and local karate master and zoo-keeper (more on this later) Shihan Angelo Foresi . Other local karate luminaries also dropped by. I made it along to the middle seminar, and was gratified that three of my students -- Lejoe, Jeremy, and Damian -- all new to jiu-jitsu this year, but keen! -- also made the trip out to the Honbu dojo for two packed hours. At the next class at my club, following the lesson, I asked the seminar attendees them to join me at the front of the class and talk a bit about their seminar experience by describing a personal highlight. These included: Damian seeing "fireworks" when Kancho struck a couple of pressure-points on his wrist. Lejoe seeing a technique demonstrated in the middle and wondering whether Kancho's uke was just "fallin...

My fellow blogger Kick Ass Sue asks: Should women train differently from men in martial arts? based "on the premise that traditional fighting arts were developed by men for men to fight other men and are thus best suited for the male physique". I'm not so sure about the premise. Men, who as a broad generalization start out strong and top-heavy, have the option of developing their strengths while they are young, but this is a short-cut to nowhere. As we age, if this strength, speed, and even flexibility are the basis of our ability, the young guys will soon overtake us. The natural strengths of women -- low center of gravity, strong legs and core, superior grace and rhythm -- on the other hand, are a more sound and long-lasting basis out of which to build a martial artist. On another point, though, in this day and age it is true that there are more senior male martial artists than females, and therefore fewer role models for aspiring female martial artists to look u...

Judo techniques are great training for the body (and mind); in jiu-jitsu the techniques are more directly applicable to self-defence. In judo we start from a standard grip, where both partners hold each other's collar and sleeve (symmetry); in jiu-jitsu we often respond to an attack (asymmetry). There are similarities too: The underlying gross -- meaning broad, not 'yuck' -- body movements are the same. The jiu-jitsu techniques add more pain by way of additional locks, strikes or strangles. In class this week we looked at and practiced several of the judo hand-throws, immediately followed by one or more of their jiu-jitsu relatives: Tai otoshi (Body drop, Judo ): Throat Attack & Double-strike turning throw ( Jiu-jitsu ) Uki otoshi (Floating drop): Lapel choke takedown & Sleeve pivot throw Kuki nage (Minor floating throw) Hiji otoshi (Elbow drop): Defence against a straight-arm choke from the front Mochiage otoshi (Lifting drop) Sukui nage (Scooping thro...

Theme of the month returns, with a difference: This October we will focus on a particular area of the syllabus: Hand throws. In class we will concentrate on the 10 hand-throws in our system, explore some of the principles that they embody, and finding connections to other techniques and especially to self-defence applications. Hand throw #2: Uki otoshi Note that while in the Kodokan's gokyo the shoulder and hand throws are considered a single grouping, in the Kawaishi classification the shoulder throws are split off as a separate group, leaving ten hand throws: Tai otoshi (Body drop): A handy take-down method for self-defence. Adding pain compliance makes it very effective. Note : The version that we do doesn't put the leg across. Uki otoshi (Floating drop): Almost like a half-sutemi, wherein tori drops to a knee rather than the back or side. Kuki nage (Minor floating throw): Performed as a combination technique Hiji otoshi (Elbow drop): Includes an arm-lock Mochiage oto...

I took a pleasant phone enquiry yesterday from a chap in his late forties, asking for some advice about martial arts, and about jiu-jitsu in particular. This fellow is currently practicing karate, but the training is very hard on his knees, and did not seem sustainable. He had done judo as a child, and some aikido in his youth, and had decided to look at alternatives. Like me, he wants to be able to continue to do martial arts as he gets older, without destroying various body parts. Now he was doing his homework. I told him that I thought that this is an issue of school and teaching over style, and that I understood that in Okinawa it was quite usual for karate to be practiced into old age, but that I suspected that the kind of practice was different from what was being taught in many Western karate schools. The conversation ended on good terms, with my main recommendation that he make a trip out to my style's HQ -- much closer than my own class, which was on the other side of ...

Train slow, or train fast? I say slow. Speed can and will hide a multitude of technical defects, while practicing slowly means everything is on show. Here's an excellent explanation from Ryron and Rener Gracie's site : When practicing, always execute the techniques so slowly that it is impossible to make a mistake. The slow pace and predictability of proper training will provide your partner with many opportunities to counter the technique. Again, your training partner’s role is to consistently simulate the most common behavior so that you can perfect the techniques – not to fight with you. Eventually, your diligent and exacting practice will produce precise, efficient, and quick reflexes that will leave your attacker with no opportunity to counter your techniques. In a real fight, you will also have the advantage of surprise since your attacker will have no advanced knowledge of how you react to his actions. As you gain experience the pace at which you can be correct, preci...

Theme of the month is on its way back from next month, by popular demand. After class last week Lisa, John, and Ash said that they missed it, as had Damian on a previous occasion. The original idea, inspired by Patrick Parker's Principle of the Month , was to use an over-arching theme each month to provide a particular focus in class, exploring how the theme applies to our regular training fare, and bringing in some supplementary material. [In practical terms it helped shape my lesson plans, and gave me oodles of fuel for this blog.] After a furious start I let it drop in July, as the class knuckled down to preparation for gradings, a period of consolidation. Also, my themes were starting to get a bit more "advanced", and with a new influx of beginners I needed to get back to basics, but I wasn't ready to repeat my basic themes just yet -- I figured I'd wait until 2010 before starting re-runs! Anyway, when I asked the delegation what they were interested in ...

I'll start with an easy one: What on earth is the technique you’re trying to do in that picture? If it’s ude-giri your hand is too high up his arm (pressing down on his shoulder or the upper part of his arm isn’t going to do much), for waki-gatame you’re standing too upright and it can’t be just kote-mawashi since it’s impossible to put enough pressure on the wrist in that position. Besides that kiba-dachi, while traditional, is not a great stance for that position since he can just plant his knee into yours and you’ll collapse, losing the hold. -- Zara This is reference to a now retired side-bar image, actually taken from a past post  and reproduced below: In Jiu-Jitsu formal stances are typically used transitionally, and are learned in the context of actual application. For example, in this photo I am applying a reverse-armbar -- a restraint and control technique -- from a horse-riding stance: A reverse armba r From here I could take Adam down to the ground or move into a more ...

Wow! My initial reply and last post seem to have rubbed my semi-anonymous commenter, Zara, up the wrong way. See his extensive comments following my initial response and follow-up post to this older article . A sample: Granted, blogs aren’t the best source of information in the first place (usually the content is rather mundane, one-sided and superficial) but to be told to buzz off and ‘do your homework’ is a first. So much for common courtesy and cooperation in spreading martial-knowledge. A simple refusal would have been enough, I don’t need your condescending attitude, nor your useless advice. -- Zara While somewhat miffed, I'm a bit surprised that I haven't run into this kind of conflict as a blogger previously. I am somewhat averse to public forums because I've got sucked into flamewars in the dim and distant past, where relative anonymity, plus lack of verbal and visual cues often leads to a downward spiral into insults and baiting. In this case, however, I clearl...

Zara left a detailed comment on one of my articles from 2008 -- Some notes on come-along techniques -- raising some interesting points. Very interesting article, come-alongs or taiho-waza (arresting-techniques) are fascinating to study but often an area that is poorly understood and consequently just glanced over. Probably because it's inherently dangerous to attempt to control a standing, struggling opponent (always risky in terms of escape and counterattack) and very technical in nature. -- Zara Thank-you. Like most sophisticated areas in martial arts these techniques need expert instruction and significant, regular practice to achieve competence; and more instruction and practice to make 'em really good. If techniques and body-mechanics aren't perfectly understood and executed the adequate pain-level will not always be maintained: either you'll injure him or he'll just slip out and since most people don't take kindly to such treatment you'll be in for o...

I came across this wonderful evocation of the nature of the dojo -- our place of training -- in aikidoka Richard Strozzi-Heckler's book Holding the Center - Sanctuary in a Time of Confusion : A dojo is a space of commitment in which people practice together. What is powerful about the dojo is what it tells us of learning, and ultimately, of waking up, of being alive. In Japanese, "dojo" refers to the place where we train "in the way". This points to two important distinctions. The first is that the dojo is a place of learning where one practices what is being taught. This is different from the conventional classroom where students sit passively taking notes or listening to a lecture. This is not to say authentic enquiry is unavailable in lecture halls, but it points to the difference between academic knowledge and an embodied knowledge that allows people to take actions that sustain and enhance their lives. In a place of learning like the dojo students ...

Ideally, I would like a fifty-fifty male/female split in my class. Most adult martial arts classes are male-dominated, kind of the mirror image of yoga, dance and aerobics classes. I think that this reflects cultural norms and pre-conceptions, rather than anything fundamental. Oral tradition has it that the techniques of our school of jiu-jitsu were formalized by a group of Chinese buddhist nuns living in Japan in the 16th century, a group that no doubt would have needed effective self-defence! Consequently, our art is well-suited to women, although men can learn it too. Melanie demonstrating the Nurse's Grip Gooseneck Generally speaking, having girls and women in the class benefits the blokes. They bring grace, rhythm and a lower center of gravity. Usually not as strong, and often smaller, women and girls need to work hard on their technique from the outset. Their presence also helps diffuse the macho vibe that you tend to get in all male groups. Conversely, girls and women b...

For now, my favorite "sneak technique" is the eighth leg-lock: ashi kannuki. In a slightly inferior position, on the bottom of what the BJJ-ers call the half-guard , ashi kannuki allows you to quickly whack a painful leg-lock on your opponent by forming a figure-four using only your legs. It's sneaky because it occurs out of sight, a kind of attack from behind. If your opponent is unfamiliar with ashi kannuki , the chances of success are further increased: (s)he probably won't be able to make sense of what's going on back there -- until it's too late. Comparing my own execution against the official description (online here , just scroll down the page) from "My Method of Judo", I prefer a variation with my legs reversed -- but it still works nicely. After introducing this technique to my class last week, along with a couple of other of the safer leg-locks, it was gratifying to see credible attempts being made during the end-of-class randori . Do y...

I got a bit fired up today reading Michele's blog post: Should they have been allowed to quit karate? about whether a pair of sisters who had been signed up for a year's worth of karate classes by their dad, and were miserable, but were forced to persist. You can read my reply in the comments, along with several other perspectives, but the issue got me thinking about my own attitude to people starting and stopping training at my own club ... At the Monash University Jiu-jitsu Club, you can start at any time . There are no beginners classes, or special intake periods. Just give me a call, drop me an e-mail, or turn up and have a chat and check out the class. If you like what you see, and I think you're ok you can come on the mat and do a try-out class or two before committing to membership. If you are primarily interested in any or all of self-defence, personal development, improving your all-round fitness, sophisticated technique, and like one-on-one training the chan...

Before you can hope to successfully throw someone, you need to disrupt their balance and/or alignment. To help develop this skill we practice the "eight movements of kuzushi ". This exercise is normally practiced with a partner in the dojo. But once you know the choreography, you can practice it by yourself, at home, as a solo kata. Here I am in my back garden: Going further: Although judo and jiu-jitsu favor partner work as the preferred mode of practice, it's not difficult to take a throw or technique and practice it alone. In fact, I recommend it .

If you could choose just one technique to build an unarmed combat course around, what would it be? During WWII Moshe Feldenkrais selected Hadaka Jime , one of the rear chokes, for a 10-part course aimed at regular serving British soldiers. Re-issued in 2009, with a new forward and afterword by Moti Nativ, Feldenkrais's little book includes additional photos, including an appendix with a sequence showing Feldenkrais's teacher Kawaishi applying the eponymous technique to Feldenkrais in a dojo setting. Very clearly written and illustrated, this book will be of particular interest to students of the Feldenkrais method, especially those with a martial arts background, and to judoka and jiu-jitsuka with an interest in Kawaishi's methods of Judo and self-defence. But please don't practice the content at home, or anywhere for that matter, without qualified supervision! Leaving the original text unedited, Nativ has bolded the parts with particular relevance to Feldenkrais'...

This blog entry is a guest entry by Kate Mulcahy , with her kind permission. It originally appeared in the Australian Jiu-jitsu, Judo and Chinese Boxing Federation of Instructors' newsletter: Kunoichi. I thought that Kate's story would resonate with a wider audience. Enjoy! My parents encouraged their children to always do at least one sport during school. As I either did not enjoy or was uncoordinated at most sports I tried, I stuck with swimming for several years. Finally, after some interest which stemmed mostly from television clichés, I began Karate at the age of thirteen years and nine months at a dojo in Hobart at a school recommended to me by my uncle. There were people of all ages, but I was acutely aware that I was the lowest grade by far for someone my age or older. The only other white belt, in fact, was six years old. I passed the first grading, but was still absurdly ashamed of my level. Not being remotely competitive by nature, something like this should have b...