Are You Enhanced?

ARE YOU ENHANCED?

 

In the case of big sporting events, like the Olympics for example, competitors taking drugs to enhance their performance has now become more highlighted over the years and drug testing is now a standard routine in most sporting events, but of course, this is not the case when it comes to practitioners of the martial arts attending, not a competition event, but a normal regular training session.

 

 

Clearly if someone turned up to a training session under the effects of alcohol, for example, and it was more than noticeable then refusing them to take part in the class would be understandable of course but what if they had taken a drug of some kind to help them get through the lesson?

A Day Can Be A Lifetime

A DAY CAN BE A LIFETIME

 

When you are young a day can be a lifetime and a year can be an eternity as many people will know themselves until they become older, and then time will become just a fleeting moment, and the years will pass by faster and faster.

 

 

Often you will find the more older student of the martial arts more readily excepting the fact that the study and practice of the martial arts is something of a life-long endeavour but for the more younger student and child learning the martial arts 'a single year' will feel like a lifetime. For this reason in the main many martial art schools will face the problem of motivating the younger members of the class.

Looking For Signs

LOOKING FOR SIGNS

 

Anyone involved in the fighting arts, regardless of the nature of combat involved, will know that looking at your opponents body actions can often be of great value. The clenching of the fist or moving in a certain way can often indicate a persons specific intention and direction of attack.

 

 

Over a period of time a person trained in the martial arts will come to recognise certain body actions as being a sign of attack which can be a vital edge before a full on fight starts but this ability can and often does have a negative effect when it comes to how a person looks.

 

As the old saying goes when it comes to selecting a book to read 'never judge a book by its cover' is also very true when it comes to judging a persons skills in combat, or their level of intellect, based solely on a persons looks or mannerisms.

 

The typical blonde bimbo image that some women are labelled with or the thick, not very bright, image that a man may have due to his muscle bound body and the way he speaks or behaves is often very misleading and could cost you dear when it comes to a fight.

 

The bravado and boastful actions of some individuals are often nothing compared to the jest-full and comic actions of those who conceal a dangerous and violent mind. Therefore it is always wise to look beyond the look and image of a person before assuming that you are facing a soft target.

Unsung Teachers

UNSUNG TEACHERS

 

There are those who by choice will refuse to join any association or group that offer their services, (because of the money and control aspect some would say), opting instead to teach a limited select few students on a small scale without outside interference, or getting involved in martial art politics and without focusing attention on certificates and qualifications but instead being focused on the job in hand, that being, learning effective combat skills.

 

 

These instructors are in some ways the unsung heroes of the martial arts preferring to teach the martial arts up to a good standard, hopefully, without seeking publicity or fame. Students who are trained under these conditions are normally people who are not interested in certificates or qualifications but prefer to learn good quality combat skills. These instructors and their students will never hold formal qualifications or widespread recognition for their efforts but will have gained the most valuable part of the martial arts and that is a 'never to be forgotten' experience.

 

Those who prefer to train only a few select students will often teach for free or for a modest small fee. They are not interested in money or fame and regard certificates as just a worthless piece of paper that will in the end not stop someone in a real street fighting situation. They also further regard competition sporting events as being no more than a point scoring game.

 

A true traditionalist will always say that you should only fight to protect your family and your own life and not for a plastic trophy that will only boost your ego for a short time.

Enlightened Or Fake?

ENLIGHTENED OR FAKE?

 

Learning the martial arts all my life as never made me a good or better person as a result and clearly this is also the case with many others within the martial arts after seeing and hearing about some of the things that they themselves have done over the years.

 

 

During my martial art career I have come across well respected writers and book publishers who openly think that the general public are the 'great unwashed' and are not even worthy to exist, highly regarded martial artists who have harassed women and young girls in a sexual way, even to the point of sending naked photos of themselves, and far worse than that, high ranking and well respected martial art teachers who threaten people for money, while carrying a gun in some cases, and dealing drugs on the street.

 

It is for this reason in the main that I do not always trust people who bang out words of wisdom and tell others what they should or should not do, as I often wonder if they themselves follow their own words or are they simply seeking attention and trying to make people think they are good and wise.

 

Therefore when first entering the world of the martial arts never take what you see, read or hear at face value, or for granted, without checking first.

Make The Time

MAKE THE TIIME

 

Anyone involved in the martial arts will know that a good teacher will push his students to the limit, and beyond, as their level of skill and conditioning becomes more advanced over time and that the pain barrier must be broken, in some situations, if you wish to progress on to the next level, but this 'mind-set' that is passed on to the next generation of students, can and often does become more anti-productive than helpful at times.

 

 

The problem often becomes more noticeable when the student, who is now the teacher himself, instils this self-same standard upon himself during periods of injury.

 

Thinking that it is weak or being soft to rest up and recover from maybe a torn ligament they often fail to realise that they are doing more harm than good by continuing their training or teaching.

 

Often when advised to rest and recover they say that they must think positive, overcome negative thoughts and pain and not let such things stop them. Unfortunately more often than not this way of thinking is simply down to vanity and not wishing people to think they are weak.

 

"My instructor would not let two broken legs and two broken arms stop him from teaching a class" you can hear them say but this so-called positive attitude can easily cross the line into the area of stupidity.

 

Unless you are planning to fight a war in the very near future it would be far wiser to recognise the need to rest and recover rather than risk more serious medical problems in years to come.

 

When it comes to self-defence also remember that you are also defending your health - so MAKE THE TIME - for you.

Keep Going

KEEP GOING

 

In a fighting situation, or in the competition ring, the aim is to win the fight in the fastest possible time but this is not always possible. In a fighting situation a lot of energy and mental focus will be needed even over a short period of only a few seconds therefore if the fight continues for maybe several minutes then this will become exhausting to say the least. The need for high levels of stamina and the mental discipline to stick with it throughout will be vital.

 

 

Training in this area of the martial arts will often involve workout routines that gets the heart pumping and the lungs pounding. There is nothing worse than being out of breath when trying to fight for your life or every part of your body feels like jelly and you feel like giving up and letting your opponent win the competition, or worse, if it's a fight to the death in the street.

Is It Wise To Kill?

IS IT WISE TO KILL?

 

How often do we hear people say that they would kill without hesitation if their life was in mortal danger?

 

 

Anyone faced with the threat of severe harm, or even the possibility of being killed, will always consider the option of using lethal force in an effort to survive the encounter but using lethal force is not that easy a thing to do, in fact a sane minded person would find it impossible to carry out, unless pushed beyond breaking point.

 

When it comes down to it 'taking a life' is far more emotionally intense than just saying that you would or could as anyone who has experienced such a devastating situation will tell you.

 

The taking of a 'real human living being's' life is something that will be much, much more traumatic on the mind than you could ever possibly imagine even when in the heat of battle, or in a street fight, depending on the nature of the individual of course.

 

There are many people in the martial arts who would readily say that if faced with a life or death situation they would not hesitate to kill their opponent but the traumatic effects on the mind, both before the act of killing and after the event, would leave you devastated and a true victim of your own actions.

 

If you are the victim of a life threatening attack then that will leave you suffering from aftershock for many years to come, but if it is you that takes someone's life, then you also would have to suffer the emotional burden of what you did, and try to live with it, for the rest of your life.

 

So the next time someone asks you the question 'could you kill someone who is attacking you with lethal force' try to imagine what it would be truly like to take a life before you answer, and of course, hope that such a situation never comes your way - ever.

All In The Voice

ALL IN THE VOICE

The sound of your voice can command respect, fear or simply someone's attention just by a simple variation in the way you use the level of volume and tone and is a vital teaching aid when conducting a martial art training session.

 

 

Any experienced instructor will tell you that just by your voice alone, you can make a class full of students put more speed and power into their techniques, just by using a sharp and loud voice, or slow the class down by simply changing the voice to a more softer tone with instructions being given out in a more slower manner.

 

The sound of a person's voice can encourage, motivate or even threaten just by a simple variation in the way it is used and is a natural self defence method just like in the animal kingdom.

 

Not just a valuable teaching aid within a training session but also a natural defensive skill when faced with a confrontational situation in the street, the voice and how it is used can defuse a potential dangerous situation with a degree of practice and experience.

 

Some potential fight situations however can be started by the person's very own regional accent.

 

Although in some parts of the world the voice patterns tend to be the same, in other areas of the world, the way a person's voice sounds can vary to a remarkable degree even if you only travel to another town that is only a few miles away. In that situation the person's voice may come across as being very aggressive even if the person's mind is soft and calm.

 

Based on the simple fact that a person's tone of voice could be intimidating it is always wise therefore to look at their body actions for signs of a potential attack and not be distracted by their voice.

Reverse Attacks

REVERSE ATTACKS

 

Many, (not all of course), traditional schools of karate etc.. and clubs that teach self defence methods will often get their students to attack each other with a leading hand, or leading knife attack, strike when it comes to one-step training.

 

 

This often used method of attacking with a right hand, (with or without a knife being held), while the right leg is also in the front position is a very common thing to see also within video or public demonstrations.

 

Having the left leg forward and attacking with the left hand or right leg forward while attacking with the right hand is ideal for the defender to use blocks, arm locks and takedown methods but when it comes to the real thing it will not fully work.

 

Most people in a street fight or in a competition event will attack using a reverse punch method, meaning of course opposite to the leading leg, which will completely change the way you need to defend yourself to varying degrees. If you are attacked with a punch or knife strike by someone's right hand but their left leg is in the forward position then this does change the way you need to block, control and take the person down.

 

Leading hand strikes are fine and good for basic level training but at the more advanced stages of training learning how to deal with reverse position striking attacks is vital.

Three Steps To The Martial Arts

THREE STEPS TO THE MARTIAL ARTS

 

Sadly these days there are those who think that the best way forward to achieve being a black belt or becoming a so-called combat expert is to bypass all the difficult and boring parts of the martial arts and just learn a few simple arm and wrist locks in their back garden. This type of self taught mentality has resulted in some people picking and choosing what they do, rather than being trained in all aspects of the fighting arts.

 

 

Although the three steps to the martial arts are more aimed at the striking arts, such as karate, kung fu, taekwondo and the such like the principle of these three steps, or three stages if you prefer, to learning any of the combat arts are the same.

Action Hero

ACTION HERO

 

For those who have no interest in the martial arts and do not consider such a practice to be anything to do with normal day to day life often fail to realise just how integral the martial arts are within our society.

 

 

There are many examples of the various fighting arts within television programmes and films dating back to the 1960’s including various unarmed combat methods portrayed in some of the old black and white war films of the 1940’s. Looking at any of the old classical war films dating back to the 1940’s you will often see hand-to-hand combat and typical take down methods like the traditional judo hip or shoulder throw and the ‘karate chop’ edge of the hand striking method.

How Can You Be Sure?

HOW CAN YOU BE SURE?

 

That poor old woman - but how was you to know that when she threw her arm in the air it was only to stroke your hair and say what a nice man you are? How was you to know that she was not going to hit you?

 

 

In most confrontational situations there comes a point when you will need to think about getting physical but that is not as easy as it sounds. Having someone wave their fist at you and shout all kinds of threats does not mean they will attack you, in fact it could mean the total opposite.

 

If someone is truly intent on knocking your head off then they will not waste time warning you in advance and giving you the chance to get ready for them, they will just do it, no warning and no messing about beforehand.

 

Many confrontational situations are often no more than acts of aggression and showing off to make themselves look tough, more-so if it's in front of others, and does not mean they have what it truly takes to go head to head and exchange blows, therefore, the problem you will face is how to respond to someone waving their fist in your face without doing more harm than good.

 

Do you remain inactive or do you punch their lights out? There are no rules or words of advice when it comes to a situation of that nature, only instinct and how you feel at that split second in time, and the hope that luck is on your side that day.

The Reality Of Being A Home Carer

Published by Tamworth Informed!

Click > HERE <  to visit the site!

 

A Child's Hand

A CHILD'S HAND

 

With much stricter rules regarding health and safety in the work place or within any reputable martial art club, and people now having more legal safeguards and statutory rights, the new student can be assured of better treatment when attending a martial art club that upholds these guidelines, but for the instructor, this can be a problem at times when it comes to the way training within classes are carried out.

 

 

Back in the 1970's children, for example, were expected to perform press-ups on their fists along with the other adult members of the class but these days due to fear of any child injuring themselves and damaging their hands some clubs will not allow, or expect a child to perform, such hand conditioning and keep fit workouts. In some cases this is also applied to the female members of the class.

The Reality Of Being A Carer

THE REALITY OF BEING A CARER!

 

It's not all tea and giggles writes Dave Lomas

who was a full time carer for 12 years.

 

The picture is for illustration purposes only!



Almost every single picture of an elderly or disabled person being looked after in their home by a carer, (often a family member), shows them laughing or smiling but this is far from the true reality of the situation in many cases. Such pictures may promote a friendly, loving and caring image but behind the scenes this is sometimes not the true case.

 

With an aging population comes a variety of both physical and emotional problems for people dependent on others in their old age but for the person caring for that person they are also at risk of both physical and even mental problems in the future as a result of looking after someone over a prolonged period of time.

 

For the full version click > HERE < for my special website page!

Kickboxing & Free Fighting

My 2nd article for Martial Arts Illustrated is in the May 2014 issue.  Kickboxing & Freestyle Free Fighting.  Available via their website or in WHSmiths shops.  http://www.martialartsunltd.co.uk/

 

 

Are You An Addict?

ARE YOU AN ADDICT? - to the martial arts?

 

Someone said to me a very long time ago that martial arts is nothing more than an acquired skill in kicking and punching etc.. and that all the hype and debate is just simply a waste of time and energy.

 

 

In just the same way that peeling a spud, (Potato), fast is an acquired skill, so is the art of combat. When you think about it in a logical way - how long does it take to learn the art of punching someone in the face?

 

If you spend all your time training and thinking about the martial arts then, just like drugs and booze, maybe your acquired skill is now an addiction? If all your time is consumed with the practice of the combat arts to the point that all the other regular normal things in life are neglected then this, of course, is a negative thing.

 

A true martial artist must also experience life and the ways of other people to be a true practitioner and not just live a life of isolation within the Dojo, Gym or Kwoon.

 

Worth thinking about - yes?

 

The Warm Up!

Find my latest article for Totally Taekwondo Magazine by clicking on the picture!