June Magazines 2014

Words

WORDS

 

The written word is one of the most powerful tools the human race as ever known. A few simple words can make a person jump for joy or make a strong man cry and yet the written word is no more than ink lines on a sheet of paper. It as no emotion and it makes no sound.

 

 

So how can just a few ink shapes make people react in such a dramatic way?

 

One of the reasons why a simple word is so powerful is due to the readers own mind. How many times have you read something and in your own mind you can hear the writer shouting with an angry voice? And yet the writing makes no sound, it as no emotion.

 

Words are subject to the readers own mind and often this creates problems when there are non. The writer could write words of love even if they have no love in their heart or mind. The writer could write words of hate or anger even though they write such words with a soft and gentle mind.

 

The simple written word is the most powerful tool the human race as ever known.

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!

 

 

Know Your Job

KNOW YOUR JOB

 

For the new beginner it is an automatic process when learning new techniques to remember and understand the terms and descriptions of the various stances, kicks and punches but for the more advanced student and instructor it is vital to remember these things to the fullest extent. Knowing the name of a specific punch will not make any difference when it comes to a fight but a senior student will be looked upon by the new or lower graded student for guidance and if the more senior student cannot help in this way it would look bad for him or her.

 

 

For a senior student to have gaps in their knowledge however is not that vital to a degree as they are still learning the fighting arts themselves but for a qualified instructor who wears the coveted black belt to lack knowledge and experience in such matters will most likely leave the new or lower graded student wondering if they are qualified enough or are they one of those bogus instructors that they sometimes hear about.

 

No matter how good the instructor is with regard to his or her physical abilities if they lack knowledge and teaching skills then they will instil doubt and a lack of confidence in the students that they teach. No one of course can remember everything about the martial arts or learn everything that there is to know but a good working knowledge of all the basics and a good understanding of the specific martial art in question is important.

 

Just imagine what it would be like if you were talking to the man in charge at a building site and he did not know what a shovel was.

Don't Wave Your Finger ...

DON'T WAVE YOUR LITTLE FINGER AT THE TEACHER

 

Waving my little finger at the instructors was a moment in time that I will never forget. It was my very first lesson at a kung fu club back in 1973 and after doing the traditional bow, called the Sun & Moon in Chinese martial arts, the instructors then made us do loads of on the fists press-ups.

 

 

Never having done such a thing before and having weak hands at the time I ended up putting all the pressure on my third and little fingers, (not a good idea), which set off a noticeable nerve twitch in my one little finger. This proved to be most embarrassing when it came to standing with an open-handed guard with fingers pointing skyward.

 

Still unable to stop my one little finger from twitching, one of the instructors, asked me why I was waving to him with my little finger in front of the whole class. I have never forgotten how to do fist press-ups the correct way, as a result of that situation, to this day.

 

Experience I find is often the best way forward when it comes to gaining wisdom.

Teaching The Arts

TEACHING THE ARTS

 

Teaching the martial arts is something that a new student would of course never think about during their early years of training but it is inevitable, for many, that they will start thinking about such things when reaching the more advanced stages of their training, and hoping, to become an instructor themselves one day. However something that a lot of people will fail to realise is that a lot does depend on how a new instructor will conduct classes, based in part, on the way they have been trained themselves.

 

 

If they have been taught under a set rigid routine then they could very well end up teaching in this same fashion, and if they have, then there is a great danger that they will end up teaching like a robot, without flair or flexibility, which could very easily end up with students leaving after only a short period of time.

Gloves Or No Gloves?

GLOVES OR NO GLOVES?

 

Say the word 'bareknuckle' and most, if not all, will know what you are on about without hesitation. Bareknuckle Boxing is one of the most well known of all the 'old style' boxing matches with a history that goes back at least a couple of hundred years. Sadly however it also has a reputation for being not only illegal and bloody but also a high risk factor of damage to both, not only the body, but also the mind in the form of brain damage.

 

 

Today we have a multitude of martial art styles, self-defence courses and of course mixed martial arts, (or cage fighting as some of us call it), to choose from including of course the vastly popular boxing that is promoted through not only various venues but also via the television media. In the case of bareknuckle boxing however the problem of 'image' is very much a problem due to its past history and how it was, and still is, portrayed over its long and in-depth history.

Martial Art Adverts - 1970's Style

MARTIAL ART ADVERTS - 1970's STYLE

 

Click on the picture to enlarge!

 

Martial art adverts that offered new students the ability to kill in just 5 easy at home lessons, and all sorts of mystical powers, by some all powerful and all knowing guru are long gone since the day's of all the over the top hype of the 1970's - or are they??? Just a passing thought.

BKB Event

BKB EVENT

 

With event organiser Michael Blackett at the

Bare Knuckle Boxing event in Nottingham, (UK)

on Saturday the 15th of March 2014

 

BKB website - Click >>> HERE <<<

The Basic Punch

Click to enlarge!


Look out for me in the April 2014 issue

of Martial Arts Illustrated!

 

Fighting Aftershock

FIGHTING AFTERSHOCK

 

This article was specifically written for the Aftershock Awareness Project that was founded by Dragonwriter (UK) on the 1st of October 2012 and featured in various martial arts magazines at the time.

 

 

There is a remarkable amount of information available on how to deal with a confrontational situation, both before a fight starts and how to defend oneself during an attack, but the subject of how to deal with the emotional after-effects is also a vital part of dealing with such a dramatic situation.

Do Or Do Not

DO OR DO NOT!

 

All martial art classes and self defence courses, for both men and women, are based on responding to an attack in a variety of ways using tried and tested fighting methods, like a strike to the eye or a knee to the groin for example, but all of these things are falsely based on the understanding that you will have a clear emotional free mind and without any fear to get in the way throughout the conflict.

 

 

Some teachers of the martial arts will say go in fast and hard and fight for your very life while others will tell you not to fight back and make things worse by upsetting your attacker with your own acts of aggression, but all these things are somewhat pointless bits of advice when you will be clearly emotional and fearful for your life.

 

The only thing that you can truly rely on are your own feelings of the situation as to if you should fight back or not at that moment in time and do what all cornered animals would do and that is look for a means of escape.

 

The only true advice that should be noted however, when it comes to making your mind up to fight back, is that it should be timed for maximum effect and done with full commitment and not a half-hearted attempt that would fail in most situations.

Maximum Reach

MAXIMUM REACH

 

Look at any promotional poster or video and you will often find in the main that promotional photos show a person performing a high kick that often goes much higher than the persons own head and in some cases aimed skyward to highlight their flexibility when kicking.

 

 

In the case of close combat styles that focus on what some would term as 'infighting' methods the kick will be shown as targeting their opponents legs due to being in a close combat situation.

Creating The Need ...

CREATING THE NEED BUT NOT THE REALITY

 

Everywhere you look you will find the martial arts being promoted as the answer to all of your hopes, dreams and prayers with the offer of being taught not only the best effective self defence skills but also the best of the best of all deadly fighting techniques that will enable you to kill.

 

 

One of many tricks of the trade when it comes to selling your product or service, regardless of your business, is to create a need even if you do not need it. A perfect example would be to make people think that their product or service is vital to your well-being, happiness or safety - but is it?

How It Was

HOW IT WAS!

 

In 1973 I started learning the martial arts, along with many other people who were totally impressed with Bruce Lee and films like Enter The Dragon at the time, and went through all the required training and formal grade tests to become a black belt.  Gaining my 7th Dan in 2001 I then became a writer of the martial arts in 2004.

 

 

Back in my day, regardless of the various ranking systems, you had to earn your rank every step of the way. In recent years however it is now the 'norm' to invent a new martial art name and self-promote oneself to 10th Dan as the new name founder and effectively bypass any formal grading tests as a result. Even Bruce Lee did not claim 10th Dan grandmaster status by the way - for the record.

Free Form - The art of experience

FREE FORM - The art of experience!

 

Have you ever watched a boxer training on his own? If you have then you will have noticed that in addition to practising the various ways of throwing a punch against an imaginary opponent they often also practice ducking and diving, as it is often called, and moving from side to side as they pretend to avoid their imaginary opponents punches.

 

 

Simply just standing still and throwing a punch is of course a typical way of learning how to punch with speed, power and of course that vital much needed accuracy but moving and avoiding an imaginary opponents attacks is a vital next step before experiencing the real thing with a solid person.

There Are No Masters

THERE ARE NO MASTERS

 

Imagine what it would be like if at the flick of a switch all power on the planet was gone for good. No lights, no technology and no machines to help you survive. In the blink of an eye we would all be back in the dark ages, and although people would of course help each other, law and order as we know it would also be gone.

 

 

Under such a situation people would have to grow their own food, for example, or maybe steal it from others. Of course we would all say that due to our martial art training and our high level of moral standards we would never do such a thing, even if we were only days away from starving to death - or would we?

How It All Started

HOW IT ALL STARTED

 

After retiring from teaching the martial arts in 2009, due in part to ill health, I began writing a series of articles on the martial arts. Not wishing to cover the same ground that many others had done many times before with regard to the history, development, origins and technical aspects of the various combat styles I thought I would try my hand at writing a beginners guide to the combat arts instead, but of course, this had also been done many times before.

 

 

It was at this point that I realised that many, if not all, books and articles that were aimed at the new beginner were based on a specific fighting style in the main and were aimed at promoting that particular way of doing things as a way of attracting new students to their school of combat. This being the case only the positive and beneficial aspects of the martial art style in question would be promoted, of course, and not the negative things that the new beginner would be unaware of at that point in time.

Buy My Washing Powder

BUY MY WASHING POWDER

 

If we are to believe what many martial art clubs tell us then we most definitely need to learn some form of deadly fighting combat skills if we are to survive the threat of a crazy mad axe man that stands on every single street corner waiting 'just' for us.

 

 

We all know that the world can, and often is, a very dangerous place but in an effort to highlight their own self defence or martial art classes some clubs will go beyond just simply advertising what they have to offer and will instead go over the top and instil the idea that unless you are trained in 'their' deadly fighting techniques and are capable of killing someone with a single blow you will not survive the day.

Totally Taekwondo - March Issue

TRADITIONAL OR SPORT?

 

Lookout for my 3 page article in the March 2014 issue of Totally Taekwondo Magazine!

 

 

You can find Totally Taekwondo Magazine via my > Links Page <

 

Where To Start?

WHERE TO START?

 

For hundreds if not thousands of years people from all over the world have practiced one form of combat or another. Some have become legends in history while for many others attending just one training session was all they could take.

 

 

Often these one-off would be Bruce Lee experts made the wrong choice when attending a club for the first time or they did not realise just how hard it was, in any event, the reasons why taking those first steps into the world of martial arts must be done in the right way is vital if you are ever going to do it right.

The Worker

THE WORKER

 

Charlie Drake became famous back in the 1960's and 1970's for the TV comedy shows he appeared in.
 

 

One of the most famous was when he played the part of an out of work labourer and his on-going fights at the Job Centre.

 

Funny thing but back then when you went into a Job Centre the people there found you a job unlike today.  Even though Job Centres are far bigger with state of the art computers and nice furniture their job today is not to find you a job -

 

- you have to do that yourself. 

 

www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/the_worker

 

Job Search Feature Article

Click on the photo to read my job search feature article!

 

 

 

 

Want To See More?

Click on the photo or > HERE < to see something truly awesome!

The Destruction Test

THE DESTRUCTION TEST

 

Often associated with the term 'karate chop' the destruction, or as some would call it, the 'breaking test' is the practice of breaking square pine boards in half with the fist, palm or edge of the hand.  This can also include various kicking methods by the more advanced students.

The destruction test is required of a student to show that they have the correct and accurate use of the technique behind the punch or kick and the power and speed needed to strike through the target and break it in half. In addition it is also a test of confidence that is needed when striking a hard target without fear or being afraid of harming themselves in the process.

Five Key Actions

FIVE KEY ACTIONS

 

All the martial arts, with a few exceptions, are based on five key actions or techniques that are the centre points to all the fighting styles.
 

 

These five key techniques are striking, (punching), kicking, blocking, throwing, (or take down methods), and controlling, (arm locks and restraining holds)  These five key actions are the very nature of the fighting arts with more focus placed on one or more items over the others depending on the nature or structure of the fighting style in question.

A Well Deserved Award

A well deserved award - but not sure about the wording HA!

 

 

Coming Home

MUSCLE ATROPHY - COMING HOME FROM HOSPITAL!

 

Think of any hospital in the UK, (or anywhere around the world for that matter), and you would of course think of nurses dispensing tablets to the patients and attending to the needs of the person in the form of making them comfortable. A simple view of what a nurse does of course as there is often far more to it than that.

 

 The photo is for illustration purposes only!

 

The services that the hospital staff carry out are of course many and varied and also includes duties that range from all sorts of specialist care to the hospital administrators and aftercare services that are often involved in making the arrangements needed before a patient is released from hospital.

Not Words Of Wisdom

Click on the picture to visit the photo articles gallery!

 



Give Dave A Job

My Job Search site - www.givedaveajob.weebly.com

 

Welcome To My New Blog Site!

Welcome to my new blog site.  To find out more please visit my profile and publishing site at www.dave-lomas.weebly.com