Argh. I'm here to post some bad news. As the title suggests, I got laid off again by my 9-5 employer. It was an unfortunate side effect of working for a company that sells luxury products in a time of economic malaise.
This time I've decided that I'm going to use this as an opportunity to try and bring new blood to the dojo by introducing more class times. Since our location is in an industrial business area, we're going to start offering an after work time slot, 5:30 - 7:00pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Maybe this lay-off will simply give me the opportunity to make more out of the dojo so I can do what I love and make something of a living out of it. I just want to make sure that I don't sell out in the process though, which is always a concern in my eyes. I never want to become the owner of a McDojo.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
Applying Body Shifting from the Underside of a Ground Attack
There are 3 types of body shifting I emphasize as part of the overall strategies I teach for defending from the underside of a ground attack. These, in combination with attacks to your attacker's vital targets, are designed to be used by anyone regardless of size. They are adaptable and can be used interchangeably depending on the way the nature of the attack changes throughout its course. These body shifting methods include: bridging & rolling, shrimping and turtling.
When first introducing these movements to students, I like to have them do it dry, without an attacker (as in the video below), so they can learn the movements. They can also be incorporated into the warm-up for any ground defense or ground grappling class. They get the blood pumping, they strengthen core muscle groups, and it helps them improve their technique.
In my next posts, I'll show how these are applied.
When first introducing these movements to students, I like to have them do it dry, without an attacker (as in the video below), so they can learn the movements. They can also be incorporated into the warm-up for any ground defense or ground grappling class. They get the blood pumping, they strengthen core muscle groups, and it helps them improve their technique.
In my next posts, I'll show how these are applied.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Fundamentals of Can-Ryu Ground Defense
I am happy to report that the ground defense principles I proposed over the weekend were well-received. They were considered to embody the 4 tenets of Can-ryu Jiu-jitsu and are therefore being incorporated into what we teach for ground defense.
As discussed in my last post, I discussed the idea of moving away from set defenses against specific ground attacks to apply a system of defense that is more flexible to different body types and the adaptive nature of ground attacks. And of course, the goal, as always in ground defense, is to get to your feet and get away. The system of defense is based in the idea of combining two strategies. They are as follows.
1. Body Shifting. When defending on the ground, you shift and move your body in ways that will give you an improved tactical position from which to fight back. If you're defending against a standing attacker who is trying to kick your head or get on top of you, you shift your body in ways that will keep your feet towards your attacker so you can kick them as they come in. If you're under someone on the ground, you use bridging & rolling, shrimping, etc. to off balance the attacker and/or create opportunities to strike.
2. Vital Targets. Body shifting alone is not enough, especially when you're dealing with a much larger attacker. Striking, grabbing, squeezing, or applying pressure to vital targets can help you create space, off balance/distract an attacker, thereby giving you opportunities to use body shifting to create more space and escape.
These strategies can be used interchangeably as ground attack changes in nature. In some situations, body shifting may be enough on its own to create an avenue of escape. In others, you might have to attack a vital target first in order to employ body shifting effectively. Or in yet another situation, you might only be able to use body shifting enough to improve your position but not get away. In this case, you might have to attack a vital target to create enough space to use additional body shifting to get away.
The idea is that it's a flexible system that is highly adaptable. While it may be necessary at first to introduce the concepts with set attacks and defenses, the goal is to quickly move forward into adaptive attacks and adaptive defenses.
As discussed in my last post, I discussed the idea of moving away from set defenses against specific ground attacks to apply a system of defense that is more flexible to different body types and the adaptive nature of ground attacks. And of course, the goal, as always in ground defense, is to get to your feet and get away. The system of defense is based in the idea of combining two strategies. They are as follows.
1. Body Shifting. When defending on the ground, you shift and move your body in ways that will give you an improved tactical position from which to fight back. If you're defending against a standing attacker who is trying to kick your head or get on top of you, you shift your body in ways that will keep your feet towards your attacker so you can kick them as they come in. If you're under someone on the ground, you use bridging & rolling, shrimping, etc. to off balance the attacker and/or create opportunities to strike.
2. Vital Targets. Body shifting alone is not enough, especially when you're dealing with a much larger attacker. Striking, grabbing, squeezing, or applying pressure to vital targets can help you create space, off balance/distract an attacker, thereby giving you opportunities to use body shifting to create more space and escape.
These strategies can be used interchangeably as ground attack changes in nature. In some situations, body shifting may be enough on its own to create an avenue of escape. In others, you might have to attack a vital target first in order to employ body shifting effectively. Or in yet another situation, you might only be able to use body shifting enough to improve your position but not get away. In this case, you might have to attack a vital target to create enough space to use additional body shifting to get away.
The idea is that it's a flexible system that is highly adaptable. While it may be necessary at first to introduce the concepts with set attacks and defenses, the goal is to quickly move forward into adaptive attacks and adaptive defenses.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Moving Away from Set Defenses from Specific Ground Attacks
As many of you know, I am presenting my ideas at a black belt class this Sunday for an updated approach to Can-ryu ground defense for use in street situations (not sport-oriented). My suggested approach is to encompass the 4 tenets of Can-ryu.
Over the past few months, I've devoted considerable time and energy to challenging traditional ways ground defense has been handled, in addition to challenging my own ideas and concepts. One of the main differences between the old approach and the new approach I've been working on involves a shift in the paradigm.
The old approach, like many other more traditional styles of Jiu-jitsu (as opposed to BJJ) involved learning a set of defense against a specific attack on the ground with a compliant uke. There are two main problems with this approach.
1. Different body types. A defender's body type, as well as the body type of the attacker being dealt with, heavily influences the effectiveness of different types of defenses. What works easily for one body type or against one body type may be completely useless for a different set of body types.
2. The quick-changing nature of ground attacks. Your proximity to your attacker is very close in a ground defense situation. Also, in many cases, more of your body is confined. This means that the attacker can feel your resistance and respond to it quicker than he or she might other types of attacks.
The new paradigm I am working with involves teaching a set of concepts and skills that can be combined and used in a wide variety of ground attack scenarios. The students then learn how best to apply them using their own unique body types. Because the new paradigm is more focused on learning to apply a set of concepts and skills more broadly, it also leaves more room for adaptation to variable attacks based on the way the attacker reacts to the initial defense.
As far as teaching goes, you can start from specific positions and compliant ukes so that students can learn the foundations, but ultimately, you want them to quickly move beyond these types of static attacks so they can have a more adaptable approach that is specific to the student's own body type.
Over the past few months, I've devoted considerable time and energy to challenging traditional ways ground defense has been handled, in addition to challenging my own ideas and concepts. One of the main differences between the old approach and the new approach I've been working on involves a shift in the paradigm.
The old approach, like many other more traditional styles of Jiu-jitsu (as opposed to BJJ) involved learning a set of defense against a specific attack on the ground with a compliant uke. There are two main problems with this approach.
1. Different body types. A defender's body type, as well as the body type of the attacker being dealt with, heavily influences the effectiveness of different types of defenses. What works easily for one body type or against one body type may be completely useless for a different set of body types.
2. The quick-changing nature of ground attacks. Your proximity to your attacker is very close in a ground defense situation. Also, in many cases, more of your body is confined. This means that the attacker can feel your resistance and respond to it quicker than he or she might other types of attacks.
The new paradigm I am working with involves teaching a set of concepts and skills that can be combined and used in a wide variety of ground attack scenarios. The students then learn how best to apply them using their own unique body types. Because the new paradigm is more focused on learning to apply a set of concepts and skills more broadly, it also leaves more room for adaptation to variable attacks based on the way the attacker reacts to the initial defense.
As far as teaching goes, you can start from specific positions and compliant ukes so that students can learn the foundations, but ultimately, you want them to quickly move beyond these types of static attacks so they can have a more adaptable approach that is specific to the student's own body type.
Friday, January 15, 2010
The Movie I Worked On Revealed!
Last year everyone was curious what movie I was working on doing special abilities extra work using my martial arts background. Now that the movie is done shooting, I can reveal it. I worked on Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief playing a half blood (demi-god) warrior. It comes out on Feb. 12. Check out the trailer:
For this movie, I got to do a bunch of sword fighting, some Judo style throwing and lots of running through the woods and charging. It was lots of fun!
I worked on a couple of the scenes featured in the trailer, but I wouldn't know if any of the warriors shown are me. The shots are just too quick and too far back. I worked on the scene in which the warriors are running through the woods, the one in which the fireball explodes, and the one with the fight on the river bank. Anyway, it sure looks like a fun movie! :)
For this movie, I got to do a bunch of sword fighting, some Judo style throwing and lots of running through the woods and charging. It was lots of fun!
I worked on a couple of the scenes featured in the trailer, but I wouldn't know if any of the warriors shown are me. The shots are just too quick and too far back. I worked on the scene in which the warriors are running through the woods, the one in which the fireball explodes, and the one with the fight on the river bank. Anyway, it sure looks like a fun movie! :)
Friday, January 8, 2010
How to Train in a Martial Art When You Already Have Experience in Another Style
Over the years I've dealt with many students who wanted to train at my dojo but already had experience in another style, with mixed results. It can be challenging to switch styles and reprogram your body to a different curriculum. And the more experience you have, the more challenging it can be. As a result, most of them either don't sign up or don't last long. That being said, the ones that do usually have a great attitude and bring an excellent training ethic to the mats.
If you are martial artist in this situation, here is a list of guidelines for training in a new style that will help you get the most out of your training without being disrespectful or interrupting the dojo's class structure.
1. Keep an open mind. Try your best to perform the technique as demonstrated. The new style may have similar techniques or even the same technique with slight differences. While it may be easier to just resort to the method you've always used, you're there to learn the new style, not showcase your old one. Look for the advantages that this new method may present. You may be surprised if you give it an honest chance.
2. Be respectful when questioning differences. Because of your prior experience, you may wonder why things are done differently. While it's ok to ask technical questions specific to a technique in class to make sure you get it right, but it can be disruptive to question the differences openly during class with regards to your prior training. Even if done politely, it can take more time to explain answers to these questions, which can hold up the class's training time. As for integrating your new learning with your old, this is something that you do yourself outside of class. If you don't think a particular techniques fits into your martial arts schema, note that in your head, but don't bring any special attention to the fact in class.
3. Don't act like an instructor. If you are an instructor in your old style, you may find it difficult to just be a student on someone else's mats. But that is what is expected of you, unless you have worked out an arrangement with your new Sensei. Don't try to help other students as you train with them. You may think you know what you're doing, but you probably don't know all the nuances of the new style and there is a good chance that by "helping" you're disrupting the learning process by imparting information in a way that conflicts with the Sensei's teachings.
4. Be cautious and considerate when integrating your prior training. Some open-minded Senseis might be willing to let you practice your prior training, generally not during class, but perhaps during open mat time. If you're going to do so, it's better to restrict this to solo training or working with advanced students or instructors. Lower level students may be confused by the introduction of different concepts, or they may not be equipped to handle a particular techniques safely.
Some students with prior experience go so far as to keep their prior training under wraps, which I can respect. It doesn't really work with me because I can usually tell, but I like that they have the attitude of wanting to be treated like any other student. As the old zen saying goes, "If you want to fill your cup, first you must empty it."
Anyone out there in the blogosphere have any interesting stories of dealing with students with prior training, good or bad?
If you are martial artist in this situation, here is a list of guidelines for training in a new style that will help you get the most out of your training without being disrespectful or interrupting the dojo's class structure.
1. Keep an open mind. Try your best to perform the technique as demonstrated. The new style may have similar techniques or even the same technique with slight differences. While it may be easier to just resort to the method you've always used, you're there to learn the new style, not showcase your old one. Look for the advantages that this new method may present. You may be surprised if you give it an honest chance.
2. Be respectful when questioning differences. Because of your prior experience, you may wonder why things are done differently. While it's ok to ask technical questions specific to a technique in class to make sure you get it right, but it can be disruptive to question the differences openly during class with regards to your prior training. Even if done politely, it can take more time to explain answers to these questions, which can hold up the class's training time. As for integrating your new learning with your old, this is something that you do yourself outside of class. If you don't think a particular techniques fits into your martial arts schema, note that in your head, but don't bring any special attention to the fact in class.
3. Don't act like an instructor. If you are an instructor in your old style, you may find it difficult to just be a student on someone else's mats. But that is what is expected of you, unless you have worked out an arrangement with your new Sensei. Don't try to help other students as you train with them. You may think you know what you're doing, but you probably don't know all the nuances of the new style and there is a good chance that by "helping" you're disrupting the learning process by imparting information in a way that conflicts with the Sensei's teachings.
4. Be cautious and considerate when integrating your prior training. Some open-minded Senseis might be willing to let you practice your prior training, generally not during class, but perhaps during open mat time. If you're going to do so, it's better to restrict this to solo training or working with advanced students or instructors. Lower level students may be confused by the introduction of different concepts, or they may not be equipped to handle a particular techniques safely.
Some students with prior experience go so far as to keep their prior training under wraps, which I can respect. It doesn't really work with me because I can usually tell, but I like that they have the attitude of wanting to be treated like any other student. As the old zen saying goes, "If you want to fill your cup, first you must empty it."
Anyone out there in the blogosphere have any interesting stories of dealing with students with prior training, good or bad?
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
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