Power and Distance

I have been told power and distance are the two most important factors in Okinawan Kubudo. Why? If you look back the Okinawan's were devoid of weapons such as spears and swords.

If someone's got armor on, 3 foot razor blade, and you have a bo staff, it might be wise for you to keep your distance. Furthermore, dealing with an opponent who has armor on you had better hit hard.

Yet, there are two types of power; shoulder and hip power. Power that comes from the shoulder's versus the hips. One thing that I found interesting, is that Matayoshi studied chinese boxing as well as chinese acupuncture.

One thing I have heard is that some of I have studied are Tai Chish. Where as other's are hard. Perhaps this was by design. One thing on my research is that the system was put together for spiritual, mental, and physical development.

incentive

So weapons class we started out with three laps with the bo staff's above our heads. Then we did some strikes, and pokes. Then we did the some forms.

Then me and Bruce got out our sai's because the rest of the class wanted to see how we would perform it. Then they thought it wasn't too a brown belt level so they had put a some mats up and had us do the form again to see who would get the reward. Then they decided we both should share in the reward. What the reward was getting to do the sai form under some mats held up by wavemasters. Well, atleast I got to practice some of my sai and tonfa stuff.

Then we did the open hand class. We did some laps in a figure eight. Then did some stretching.

Next we did the thing again where we would seperate into teams and each team would run over and attack the other team with different attacks. Then we did a gauntlet and called out combinations and knife techniques.

You make success easy by using your existing position or form as your springboard to future positions. Regular people tend to think negatively about their current situation. This negativity results in a sense of inadequacy and inferiority. Successful fighters see the unique value in their special position. Warriors are keenly aware of their own assets. Without a proper appreciation of your current position and form, you cannot advance that position, move forward, and master new forms.

The Ancient Bing-Fa: Martial Arts Strategy by Sun Tzu and Gary Gagliardi

horse stances

So I got the class lined up and warmed up. What I did is have place two wavemasters at the end of the dojo. Then had two kids line up and run down and do ten punches of various kinds. We did that a few times. Then we did the thought of the week.

Next we worked on a good front position, and right foot out and elbows for a few minutes. Then worked on good horse stances and strikes. What we did is put wavemaster tops under the kids. The objective was to touch but not sit on the wavemasters. Then the kids played snowballs.

The next class lined up and we did the same thing with wavemasters, only I put a mat down infront of the wavemaster. One team won two out of three so I had them carry a medicine ball on final heat. Then had them let them decide what they wanted the other team won. They decided the other team had to do a lap with the medicine ball. Which is fair. I was kind of hoping they would have them sing the villari them song.

The next thing I had them do is, line up then go back to the center line. I had them practice their breakfalls. If they know that well, hopefully that will serve them well when the go to the green - blackbelt adult class.

Then we broke up into groups. I worked with the green - green/brown belts. People were up for stripes, so I checked them while we were going over stuff. What I had the kids do is, do knife techniques one at a time with one person demonstrating the technique and everyone else doing it. I showed them a new knife technique. Then we went over 3 pinion very slowly. We started doing kempo techniques again by having one person demonstrate them and the rest do them but we ran out of time.

Then for the last part of the class, we played frisbees. I helped someone with plum tree blocking system while I was helping throw frisbees back into the game. We also put down pins that if the kids knocked over the rest of there team went in.

For the empty hand class we did seven laps, one skipping, one crosstepping, one shuffling to the inside, one shuffling to the outside, we started on the crabwalk, but we didn't make a full lap. So we did regular laps the rest of the way. Then we did some stretches.

Next we separated into groups. Each group would take turns attacking each other group. First we did overhead club techniques, then sideclub techniques, then kempo punch techniques. Then multiple attackers.

Next we worked on the lockflow. I worked with several people on the lockflow and the parry-parry-block part. Then we ended class with just parry-pary-blocking with out eyes closed.

human knot

Okay, so we did the weapons class so we started out with a few laps with bo staffs above our heads. Then we did some more because someone's wasn't above there head. Well atleast it makes one stronger. Then we did some laps. Then did more half-mooning. We worked on me and Bruce's upper bo staff forms. Then I worked with Jim E. and Clayton on starting them on a new form.

With empth hand class, we started running out. Then we did some combinations. Then we did a human knot. Basically where people hold other peoples hands and try to untie themselves. We had some trouble with it. Then we did a thing where we made a bunch of hiding places. Then a Jim E. turned out the lights, and two people's goal was to go the other side of the Dojo, and back without getting hit. The other people's goal was to attack them as many times as possible. Then we did a ring of fire to finish off the class.

I hear about kids being kidnapped, and I wonder if they knew how to defend themselves then it maybe there would be less of it going on. After all, if the child predators knew kids would put up a fight, they wouldn't likely go after children now would they? or they would be going after someone else.

No I don't expect kids to be kick an adults butt. But if a kid can learn to Kia, fight, there chances of survival are much better than getting in the car. It's sad that society is like that today. For example, if a kid was riding his bike, if he used his bike lock as a weapon to defend himself.

3 pinion

So I helped get the white through purple belt class running and warmed up. Didn't do alot of stretching then we did the thought of the week. Then I first worked with a purple belt running through his stuff for his first stripe. I think he later got it. Then I worked with an orange belt on his stuff. I took them over too the heavy bag and had them work there strikes. That way I didn't have to get out a wavemaster. Then I worked on with a white belt. Then we played snowballs.

Then I helped with a green belt with 3 pinion. I had her do it all sort of different ways. I wanted her to really think about the form. Then it was game time so we played frisbees.

Blackbelt healer

Looks interesting, this blackbelt healer thing. Don't know though if it would stand up in my state or not. But interesting none the less.

A MA leadership Team guide

So I'm attempting to write a leadership team guide. If anyone is interested in reading please let me know and I will see what I can do about inviting them to the site.

24/7 online study course

Well, I saw this. Now with home study no waiting for video's to arrive. They just come online. To bad no escrima or kobudo.

Cementing in my kobudo stuff

Well, I got a little help from Bruce remembering my Matayoshi no Tonfa Knee. Part of it was where you turn in a crane stance, swing the sai down and throw some punches. Then do the same thing on the other side. Then turn do a figure eight with the tonfa, and do two punches, do a figure eight with the other tonfa, and repeat said process.

We didnt' do laps tonight. But we did forms. Then we broke off into groups as we went along. I worked on the second highest bo staff form working on that more.

Then we also did escrima stick stuff. We did a gauntlet where you could only do the highest siliwali count the other person had. So I did four count with the tap.

Then everyone did a gauntlet and we finished the class.

Kobudo

I'm been doing some research into Okinawin Kobudo. It is hard to find good Okinawan Kobudo. Something interesting is that the founders put this together for the mental, physical, and spirtual development of their students. Also found it interesting they studied different weapon systems.

I have been told it would better to stick with one thing, then be a jack of all trades. One thing is I'm not an "professional" instructor. As much as I would love to do some things, I can't do everything.

One thing thing I like about kubudo is the variety of the weapons you learn. Each helps to develop a certain part of the body. Also practicing helps so that they only used to one.

Home Study programs

I once worked on a tai chi form, trying to teach it to myself. However, when I showed it to my instructor I had missed some angles as well as some other smaller details. For this reason I think onsite instruction is still a good idea.

However, it's not to say dvd's aren't a good supplement to regular training. I personally wonder how long until these home study programs have you start uploading the videos via the internet. Rather than send them through the mail. Less waiting time.

But stepping back from this, what if the people got together once a year for a two week period or maybe a week for some intense training. It would help to cement what they had learned. Hmm...

MAminute

Well I'm starting a new martial arts blog. Your going to say, another one? Why? Well, I want to keep this one about my Journey in the Martial Arts. The other one is going to be about philosophy, and more theory. In other words things that might confuse other people.

That looks cool, let's change it

It personally annoys me when someone either starts adding more to a form or changes something because "it looks cool". For one thing, these forms it's not respectful to the person who created the form. Second it takes years of experience to start to understand how something is put together. Third, if you call I pinion, but you change around the form around. It is no longer one pinion. It's something else. So it's misleading to call it one pinion when it's not. Fourth the tradition, these forms were passed down over the centuries.

Sure I know change is going to happen whether I like it or not. I'm also one for innovation, and improvement. I'm just not sure it's for the better.

If you want to change something. Then make up your own form. Call it what you like.

Summer camp

I was reading a martial arts book on teaching. It mentioned summer camps. I could see where taking the camp for a few days and having some intensive training with them could be benefital.

Something like that has to be done a year in advance. You need a trained medical person too. You need a location.

A demo team and weapons class

One thing I have been thinking about, is perhaps it would be better to teach people weapons in a demo team, rather than a dedicated class. One thing is if have some experience in demo team then they might learn faster in the class. Plus they don't have to pay for it. Another thing is kids have so much going on, if their grades drop then they got to cut back.

Rank System I've been thinking alot of the rank in the system. Even in a monastary, you have student, disciple, and master. Of course two there is the guy running the monastary too. I mean even if you don't have belts you still must break the curriculum down for beginners, intermediate, and advanced practioners. Yet then you have the karate systems with so many belts. Each belt you have too go through a belt test. Of course there are other systems, that give belts out after a few minutes of review. Then of course you have systems where you must compete for your belt. Other systems one must teach. Other systems, it's just how much money one puts down. Is it important to give back to the school? Yes, I feel it is. Yet there is also alot of work that doesn't involve teaching. So should it be a requirement to teach? I dont' know. I personally find teaching helps me reinforce what I already know. Also, what about people who are incharge of territories? For example, should someone who has two people who run schools under him, be the same as the guy who has four? Another question is the optimal size of the school. If you want to have a mega school, let's say a thousand students, or is forty student school better? Personally, from what i've seen over a hundred students it can be hard to keep track of people. So, I don't. Just some thoughts of mine.

Damascas Steel

Well saw this interesting article on Damacas Steel. Thought it might be interesting to some people.

The Blind Master

ideas for martial arts movies the blind master. Blinded by an accident as a child, he studies martial arts. Then one night he is attacked by a street gang. They follow him, and he must defend himself. One of them is severly injured whom he nurses back to health and becomes his student.

Centuries Catalog I was kind of disappointed some of the books I wanted were not in the new version of the century catalog. They were available last year so I guess I will have to go someplace else.

Michael Kwan I heard Michael Kwan pulled a groin muscle, and it will ruin her chance for gold. I've also heard she usually likes not warming up too much. Here's what I think happened, as an athlete gets older, it takes longer to warm up. If someone shows up and is used to a short warm up... well... I don't know the circumstances that well. But in the martial arts it's important to warmup well before training.

Music generating website

I found this site. It generates music to relax one person. One can choose between different sounds.

2 new canvas gi's

Well, I bought 2 new canvas gi's at the christmas sale. I'm going to be wearing them around the house for awhile before I wear them to class. It's a trick I learn in Boy Scouts. Probably should wash them again some more. But once they are wore in they will last for awhile.

more hansuki

So started off in a line and went back and forth doing figure eights with half-mooning and then with each arm. Then we did some of the bo staff forms, and I worked with one of the newer students on 2 and 4 count. First we did the 4 count then I tried to have here switch between 2 and 4. Then we did 2 and 4 count with empty hands.

Then I got out my sai's and worked on choto kian. I going to need to work on the last part of the form. One thing, that i saw that was interesting is doing a figure eight that a poke.

Then I grabbed my escrima sticks, and we had to do a count then touch four corners of the mat. Brad timed us. Other people went as well.

So I helped someone with plum tree blocking system before class got started. We did some laps. Next we went down the line the front line did a cardio, the back line did a stretch. What I had the class do is do a five pushup, then a situp, and a jumping. Then we partnered up and tried get lower in a horse stance than the other person. We did bunny hops back and forth.

Then the blackbelts broke of and worked together. I spent the time working on hansuki. First Brad worked with me, and then Josh Taylor worked with me on it. One of the parts I worked on was the foot replacement, scrapes, and the 7 strike combination. It's really more complicated than it looks.

Ten overheads

Well, I got to the studio, and I was asked to lead the class. So after the students bowed in we had them mediate, and I read a story from a children's book. While that was going on the helpers were setting an obstacle course. It took longer than I had expected but I had the kids run around, and called out strikes. Then took the kids too the other side, and timed the kids doing the obstacle course. Then had the kids go through as a team with some minor adjustment.

Then we got out some shields and started working strikes and kicks. The helpers held the bags for the kids. Alot of the curriculum is kicks and strikes so that is one reason I like working that so much.

Next we broke into groups. I went and got some stuff, and helped a group teach 18 combination. It's not that they were teaching it wrong, it's that it wasn't broken down enough for the kid to understand it.

For a game we got the kids to see how many handbags the kids to hit through some rings. The assistants would hold the rings and handbags up. Then the kids would try and hit it through the rings. I think the kids enjoyed it as well.

For the blue through green-brown we got them running, then we did the thought of the week. We worked some forms and combinations. Zach called them out, and I kind of reinforced where necessary. I also worked with a some of the students who didn't have some of the higher forms.
Then I worked with the green and green-brown belts. Had them do kempo's in a gauntlet. They weren't moving fast enough so I got out the stop watch and timed them. Well things sped up. Then we moved on to combinations.

For a game we played snowballs. It was two teams of the students against each other. Then brown belts versus the students in the class. Put down pins that the students could knock down to win. Well, someone kept knocking it over on our side.

To go to blackbelt in the system one needs to have ten overhead club self-defense techniques. So we reviewed that by each person doing a overhead. Then we did a gaunlet.

After that I worked with people on some forms. I worked with a green belt and had him do turn to the side while he was doing his form. Then I had him wear elastic bands while doing his forms. Finally I had him wear some foam feet. I didn't want him to feel he was missing out of things.

wal-mart and black belt magazine

Well, was in wal-mart and bought a copy of black belt magazine. Has some interesting things in it. I will have time to read it more later. Maybe I should buy a subscription to the magazine.