brown belt weapons test

Well, I got my brown belt. The first part of the test was the usual cardio workout. We did pushups with punches in them. Then did pushups, and situps again, jumping jacks. We did jogging in place with pushups.

Then we did jogging in place with our bo staffs pumping. Then we started on forms. One of the testors, would look at the form and when they thought it was good enough they would go get another one. We did that for each bo staff form. I was kind of thinking we would eventually do some tonfa, and sai forms or even a tai chi sword form. But that didn't happen.

I was kind of hoping on doing some weapons sparring but after what happened yesterday owner didn't think it would be apprioprate. Well I can understand that.

matyishi no tonfa knee

Well, we started off with pumping the bo staff, and doing twirls while running. Then we some basic strikes. Then bo staff forms. Then we broke off and did our upper forms. Then broke off again and did the rest of our forms. Me and Bruce are really getting into syc with each other.

Then we did the sai and tonfa forms. I made a few corrections to the form. Hopefully it will look good for the test tomorrow.

Then we worked on some escrima counts. I had a hard time getting nine counts nineth strike in. Snowballs kept coming our way though and interrupting out practice.

Then we worked on some combinations. We worked mainly on the combinations. I'm getting nine count better all the time.

Went to the open hand class. About six people there. We did some laps.

Then we got on the line and did one pinion again at different angels. Then did combinations and kempos. Then we did this thing where we did combinations. The upper belts had to do more than the yellow belts. Then we mixed overheads.

Then we did this thing where we faced off to see how fast we could do some strikes or kicks. The thing thoug was that you only had to do them on when the teacher did a kiai. If he said go, and you did them you had to do pushups. If you twitched you had to do pushups. Then it got to be whatever side was the slowest. So if you had one person who was the slowest then the whole team had to do pushups. That was pretty much it.

Bruce brought out a jian. So I practiced the open hand tai chi form and the 32 posture sword form with Bruce. My teacher has a video on it I need to watch. When I can get it.

hall of doom

So I started the class had them mediate. Then we I had them doing some various laps. Next came some shuffling, while I set up some wavemasters. Then we had the kids hitting the kid wavemasters with different punches and this variable target thingy doing crescent and instep kicks.

Then we setup an obstacle course. Do a few punches on the wave master, then jump over some mats do a few kicks, run through some wavemasters, throw a dice and to see how many punches one had to do. I think the kids missed a few things but oh well. Then we added overheads and sideclub defenses too the mix too.

Then the three people helping with the class, I gave them each a different group. Each group worked on different things. I was around to help them as needed. One group put down mats and worked on slap outs. Another group did wrist graps. Another group did something else.

Then we played freeze tag. We let everyone have a chance at the bat. Then I let the assistants go at it. Then I added a thing to the mix, that if the assistants got hit with a fuzzy ball they would get "frozen" till they were unfrozen to make it more even.

Then we recited something the Villari Motto along with the five rules of the school. Then I dismissed them. I'm not really sure how I did, but I did my best.

We took the other class too the other side to get them to mediate. Then had them run around in laps in half of the studio. One thing is they were to run through some mats. But some change is good. I sat by a weight set and poked at people coming by.

One thing after they were done. I explained why you don't grab at someone swinging at you. Jim said that was a good point.

There was the though of the week, so I used that to setup the next thing we were doing. The Hall of Doom. I think it went well once the kids understood what was to be done. Basically setup four wavemasters. Then have some ukemi balls. The students rolled them back and forth. Then the few students would run through the wavemasters trying not to get touched. If they got touched then they were to go back to the line. Then rotated the students so each person got a chance at it. I've been looking for an exercise like this. This way you dont' have to setup it and can keep the students doing something. It develops split second timing.

Then I had them put the balls away and the kids do forms in a square. Then I strung up some resistance cords, around the wavemaster tops and had the kids do there combinations under them. I put some wavemaster tops in there too.

We played frisbee tag. Basically like dodgeball but with frisbees. I don't know I think we need a new game to play. Because it's been the same game over for the past weeks.

One thing I was thinking, is a obstacle course would be more fun if we had more adults to help setup and run it.

Prevention

I was reading that Hospitals and drug companies can't make money on prevention. That got me thinking. Martial arts studios can, and have for years. For example, tai chi courses are know to reduce symptoms of aging.

strikes

Got the class to bow in. Then Brad took over. We ran around doing basic strikes with our bo staffs through two wavemasters. We did some basic strikes on each side.

Then we did our first form. Then our most advanced form. Then we got out our sai's and did a lap of swinging them around. Then we did downblocks with them.

Then we broke up into groups, we worked on choko kian tonight, along with our second tonfa form. I got a little more of my second tonfa form. I also hit myself while working with the tonfa's in the head. No big deal, just hurt a little.

Then I went to empty hand class, and we ran some laps then stretched outs. We broke off into groups and I got a little of Hansuki. The introduction and the first fist set. That's along combination.

Then we did a sets of of an mini-obstacle course. We also did a tug of war in a crane stance. Our team lost oh well.

figure eights with army crawl

So I chased some kids while doing some laps. Then we did stretching. Then I did a shuffling exercise. The kids really seem to like shuffling.

Next was the mini-obstacle course. So the kids bounced on these dots, and couldn't touch one dot. Then had to run through some dots, climb over some mats and do a side club. Then go do it over again. I mainly threw back the balls they were jumping on.

Next we broke up into groups. I worker with the orange and purple belts. So we started working on combinations. The kids seemed to have a hard time remembering them, so we played a little game. When they did a combination I called out they were able to advance one rectangler. It seemed to help speed up remembering it. Then an leadership team member took the purple belts and worked on side clubs.

Then we played snowballs. One side was creaming the other, and they had an extra person, so I put out some wavemaster tops. They still won but slower. Then the teachers played against the students.

Next class came, and I setup a some matts that the kids could crawl under. They were to run in a figure eight, then crawl under the mats. Thing is there was another person wanting to go through at once too. I think it would have gone better with an obstacle course.

Then we did the thought of the week. We let one of the students who was trying hard read it. So that was a confidence boost for them.

Then we broke up I checked stripes. I had one of the people up for a stripe, I had her close her eyes. Then I said I was bringing in a really excellant martial artist to check her for her stripe. I thought it was funny. Hope she wasnt' too embarressed.

Then the class played frisbee's as a game.

One thing is have some yellow foam bats, we use for clubs defenses, games, etc. Thing is they are soft yet rigid. So sometimes the foam breaks. Likewise, I think it is important for instructors to remain flexible, else we be like the yello foam bat.

day off

Well, I got tuesday's off. Why tuesday's I don't know. But I did, so I asked if he needed help with the tuesday white through purple class. So I went and helped out with the class.

First, we lined the kids up had them mediate. Then had them run some laps. Then stretching, it's amazing how hard it is for the kids to balance. Then I did a review of strikes while another black belt did kicks. I went around when we were doing the kicks with a blocker, to give them something to kick.

Then we did a drill where the kids did a "low" draw. Basically liked up in rows then when an instructor said "go" they would jump up and do a combination or some punches and kickes. I crawled behind some of the kids to get them to go faster.

Then we broke off into groups. I worked with the orange belts. I worked with them on strikes and I would suprise them with a side club. One thing I like doing is calling out a stance for them to do with a punch such as the cat or leopard stance. I also had a student get out two small blocker pads, and held them as two of the three kids struck them, then had them rotate in and out.

I stayed around for the teen green through brown belt class. They ran themselves through some laps and some stretches. They did alot of laps which was good.

Then what they did is the gauntlet. With sideclubs and overheads. Then a streets of venice exercise. Then where they walked around in a rectanglar and someone attacked them. They got kind of goofy maybe it was me. So me and Jim lined up and we did knife attacks to defend themselves with.

I hoped they learned something about knife attacks that day. I like using training rubber knives, that way if they don't defend themselves properly well, that's no big consequence. With even an unsharped metal knife one has to be careful, that one doesn't stab someone.

obstacle course and the tunnel of doom

Well started weapons class with a bunch of laps with scoops, different strikes, pokes, etc. Then worked on some forms at different angles. Then we made two lines and did the form. I think the forms were much better. Then we broke off to work on our own forms. Then we did some escrima work.

In the empty hand class we did some laps. Then did some stretching. Then we worked on forms. Then setup an obstacle course. At first it was some bags then a mat setup, then dive over some bags, do army crawl, then jump backwards, then jump over a wavemaster, defend one's self against a knife attack, and then go through this ball thing. I tried setting up a tunnel of Doom, with some balls but it didn't work so hot. If there was someone rolling the balls, it would have been better.

club techniques

I got the kids lined up, Shaina, the assistant got the cards. I had the kids running laps for the cardio, then we did the stretching exercises. Next came a mini- obstacle course. Which was climb over some mats, do a side club or overhead, and do a combation, and do another combination.

I worked with the white belts because I wanted to work with them on the side and over head self defense techniques. The worked with them on the side clubs and overheads. It was kind of frustrating. But then again I must remember I had to start somewhere. The white belts are the future of the school.

We played jump the dragon, and I was the guy swinging the rope. It's hard to get at a nice even pace. I found it I put my hips on the floor it went better. Then it was time for the next class.

School's back in session, so the summer classes for the kids are over. Deb's back in the afternoon classes. So it was nice that she got after people for not lining up correctly.

We had them do pushups, but we had them come half-way up and hold it this time. Hopefully that will help them build arm stretch up. Then we also did situps, and jumping jacks. We also did running. I setup some mats for them to run over, but kind of cut it down for safety reasons.

Then we split up. I had eight kids alone by myself for awhile. Which is fine. I had them run through forms and worked and checked people for stripes. Then I tried split people off so they could work on stuff. I worked with someone on side clubs and overheads. Hopefully she will be ready.

Then for a game they played jump the dragon again. This time though three people at a time were to "jump" the "dragon". So that was an interesting twist.

single stick stuff

Well one interesting thing with the silawali counts is that they can also be done single handedly. Though how to do 3 count is kind of different. Probably would change the angles.

We ran a couple laps with with bo staffs in the air, figure eights, and half-mooning with helicopter twirls, scoops, etc. Then we did some situps, jumping jacks, and pushups. One thing he wants us to work on is our power. So we worked with that incorporating that into our forms. I worked on the tonfa a little bit.

Then we worked on escrima counts. We tried keeping in sink but alas. One point i made is you don't want to have alot of power.

I went to the empty hand class. Alot of laps, then we did stretching out. Then we each came up with a drill. The one the blackbelts came up with was a street scenario, where there were four different places to hide. The other one was where you had to jump over a wavemaster with a ukemi ball throw it back to the person behind you and defend yourself. Then the last drill was where one person attacked people in a line anyway they wanted.

swordsmanship

I was thinking about how it takes years of practice to become proficient with a weapon. Not only that somethings must be taught. I was thinking of the tai chi sword form I know. If one practices and practices those movements it would be alot easier to learn more advanced moves.

danger room again

One thing I think with the white through purple class is it takes more people. When working with the blue through green-brown belts it's easier because they have some discipline. Where as the working with white belts is hard because get distracted alot. If they were adults it would be easier. I find the limit with the class is about four white belts at a time.

We had a kid piss his pants. I felt bad about it. I let him go to the bathroom, but maybe he didn't know where the bathroom was? I don't know. Someone got in there before he did. So I said after she was done he could use it. Well apparently it couldnt' wait. So I took some of the other kids, and another instructor cleaned it up.

Then one of the kids missed her daddy. I told her well, you have to enjoy the times you have with your family as best you can. She seemed to have fun after that.

One of the things another instructor did for a warmup was going back and forth in the room. I was originally going to have them do a front roll, then do a kempo. But on second thought that was too advanced for them. So I stacked some mats like a pyramid, and had them climb over. Then I threw a bag, and they were to hit it. I think it is was a good exercise, but might have better with a ukemi ball instead.

For a game we played freeze tag. I got some foam bats out. Then we tagged them if they got to close too the weightlifting equipment so they didnt' get hurt. I tagged one of the assistants and she said "that wasn't fair." "your right," I said, "it's not,and the sooner you get used to it the better off your going to be."

For the warmup we did thirty; pushups, situps, and jumping jacks. The then did some laps of bear crawls and crab walking. With the blue through green browns, we had them run over the mats stacked like a pyramid. But this time there was a second stack of mats. Matt said it gave them something to think about. I wouldnt' leave the mats out though as they are a distraction.

We did the though of the week and then split up. I ran the green/green-brown belts through the a few forms. Then Matt Dawson, taught some material, and Jim Embrossio checked stripes, and I ran the "Danger Room". Some of the kids wanted to do it again, and Jim Embrossio hadn't seen it, so I thought it might not be a bad idea. It went better last time in my opinion, with fewer flaps one could go through. Also having speeding it up also seemed more realistic.

For a game, I think we did freeze frisbees. One thing is they have to be careful about how they through them because the frisbees have an elastic eband in them. One thing is the frisbees tended to go all over. So I stood back and three frisbees back into the mix when the got to far back.

Why people study the martial arts

People study martial arts for varying reasons. Some people wish to learn how to deal with a bully. Some wish to learn the martial arts for self-cultivation. Other people do it to be in a group.

For people who wish to learn to deal with a bully. An instructor, who isn't knowledgeable about the chi is just fine. Same goes for people who just want to be a "group".

Be for people who do martial arts for self-cultivation that doesn't really do. Let's face it, one can be a great martial arts instructor and never touch on "chi" or "chakra". You could be a great business person also without too. But for someone who wants something deeper...