KICKS BOXES

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A WARRIOR?

2011-04-13T20:45:00.003-05:00

Photo Credit: Superwebdeveloper at Flickr.com

Ever notice how sometimes a good instructor can say something just in passing that has a profound effect on your training for the rest of your life? I recently had one of those experiences.

A couple weeks ago, I attended the annual Kyusho Jitsu Kenkyukai Gathering where martial artists from all over the U.S. come to train with Grandmaster Instructor, Chris Thomas.

Over the weekend, I’d learned enough things to keep me posting for the rest of the year. (There’s plenty more coming, so stay tuned.) Right now though, I’d like to focus on something that Thomas said while introducing another Master Instructor, Dustin Seal.

You should know that Dustin Seal is an incredible martial artist, who has devoted his life to the study and practice of the combat arts. He’s served as a Marine in the U.S. Armed Forces, worked casino security, and now works as a Sheriff’s Deputy in a very dangerous area. As a martial artist, he walks the talk.

During the introduction, Thomas explained that everyone who trains, falls somewhere on a spectrum. On one hand, you’ve got Fighters, people who actually live for combat. They like contact, hit hard, and aren’t shy about engaging an opponent.

On the other end of the spectrum are those we can call Martial Artists. These are people who love the ‘sweet science’ of the arts. They enjoy understanding the body mechanics, the physics, and principles of good martial arts.

In our organization, we also spend a great deal of time studying pressure point theory; learning about the points, meridians, and cycles of energy within the human body. Those that Thomas would classify as Martial Artists are also the type that really get into the in-depth study of these kinds of concepts.

Now, most people tend toward one end of the spectrum or the other. They like sparring, target drills, and full contact competition or they work toward perfecting their form, understanding anatomy, building a good self defense strategy, and even meditation. Both tendencies have their advantages and neither is wrong, they just represent the different paths that most of us take toward learning and understanding our art.

During the introduction, however, Thomas mentioned that occasionally you come across someone who is able to balance the raw spirit, experiences, and physical engagement of the fighter with the expertise, knowledge, and quiet confidence of a martial artist. We call these people Warriors.

Thomas then brought up Dustin Seal, placed his hand on his shoulder, and praised him as being a Warrior, someone who puts the theory of martial arts into practice, both in the dojo and in the world.

Dusty has studied his art and knows how to use body mechanics, pressure points, and fight principles to gain advantage and survive on the street. It’s his job and he does it everyday.

But, Thomas’s words got me thinking about my own training. The truth is, I’ve always been more of a Fighter (or a Brawler – See below). In school, I got quite a few detentions/suspensions for fighting. Later, I found full contact kickboxing which helped me work out my aggressions in a more positive manner.

Even my job in a Juvenile Detention Center (where I try to help young men who’ve made many of the same mistakes that I made) surrounds me with a certain amount of violence almost everyday.

Now that I’m getting older, I no longer compete in combat sports, but I still love to spar or put on some gear for bogu training. The fact is, I love to bang.

Unfortunately for me, Master Instructor Thomas is a stickler for precise movement and clean tactics. That means whenever I try to force or muscle my techniques, he’s quickly there to show me how much more effective the movement is when you move properly. (This always means some sort of intense pain as I’m shown the error of my ways.)

Thomas refuses to let his students disregard the more technical elements of training. Body mechanics, fight strategy, and especially pressure points allow us to remain effective even as we get older.

The end goal, for myself or anyone else, is to become a Warrior. To embrace the physical and emotional aspects of our art while also gaining insight and knowledge into the methods that will make us more efficient and effective. It’s not enough to sit on one side of the spectrum or the other; we need to stay balanced and strong to find the Warrior inside us all.

PERSONAL NOTE: I should mention that I disagree with Master Thomas’s terminology regarding the tendencies at either end of the spectrum. Thinking about it; I would rename ‘Fighters’ as ‘Brawlers’ and rename what he referred to as ‘Martial Artists’ as ‘Technicians.’

To me, the word ‘Fighter’ still implies a strong understanding of fight methodology and strategy, while a ‘Brawler’ is just someone who likes to bang.

Likewise, I feel that ‘Martial Artists’ are people who ideally possess the physical skill, intellectual capability, and emotional commitment needed to survive a fight both in the ring and on the street. A ‘Tactician’ on the other hand, is someone who only considers strategy and principles but shuns an actual fight.

Remember, my terms, ‘Brawler’ and ‘Tactician’ are only meant to more accurately describe the far extremes of people who train at either end of the spectrum.

-Most of us fall somewhere in the middle with our own training and hopefully we will grow into the middle ground of a Warrior as we progress.

GIVING BACK TO JAPAN

2011-03-16T21:14:00.005-05:00

PHOTO CREDIT: DVIDSHUB from Flickr.com

Throughout history and into modern times, Japan has been an important part of the martial arts. Anyone who trains karate, judo, kendo, ju jitsu, or iaido cannot deny the importance of this region to our study. More recently, Japan has become one of the foremost arenas for mixed martial arts competition.

After the great crisis that has now developed there, the courage and honor of everyday Japanese citizens continues to inspire us. With heavy hearts we witness the ongoing tragedies that are taking place.

I'm asking all martial artists to please help by making a donation to the Salvation Army by texting the words "Japan" or "Quake" to 80888 to make an automatic $10.00 donation.

You can also donate any amount online by going to donate.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY.

Please give whatever you can.

A SAFE WAY TO PROTECT KIDS AGAINST CHILD ABDUCTION

2011-03-09T17:53:00.009-06:00

PHOTO CREDIT: Marcin Wichary at Flickr.com

I work in a Juvenile Detention Center. Last week, while I was drinking my morning coffee at home, I happened to turn on the news and saw the picture of one of our recent residents. According to the report, he was at the house of a friend during a sleep over and was accused of sexually assaulting one of the teenaged guests.

Given my line of work, this unfortunately isn’t surprising or unusual. However, it also underscores the importance of teaching kids good self-defense. Working at the detention center, I can see the kind of individuals that can cause harm to children everyday. Some leave the facility changed and go on to lead honest lives; others leave ready to commit more crimes and harm those around them. We must give our children the tools needed to protect themselves from people who might try to hurt them.

But, as much as we all want to help them, there are problems involved with teaching kids practical self-defense. The techniques most often taught to adults simply will not work for children.

There are several reasons for this:

Children are too small to seriously harm a much bigger and stronger attacker

The attacker almost always has the advantage over the victim in that he chooses the time, place, and method of attack. He is able to choose to attack when the victim is most vulnerable and there are few possible witnesses.

Even if the child learns effective self-defense techniques, lack a maturity means that they will likely use those techniques at an inappropriate time or manner. (I never want to teach a throat strike to a child and later learn that he or she used it against a schoolmate on the playground.)

Deciding on a good self-defense technique is difficult for anyone interested in helping kids become safe. I needed something that would be easy to learn for even the youngest students. It also had to be effective, something that would allow them to use their strongest muscles against a vulnerable area of their attacker. Finally, it had to be unlikely that they would misuse the technique against another child.

That's when I came across one of my favorite defenses against a child abduction. It's demonstrated by Tracie Arlington on the Dr. Phil show. In this Youtube video, she teaches students to drop to the ground if someone tries to take them. They then begin screaming “Stranger, stranger; call 911” as they kick to the attackers knees and shins.

I like this technique because it’s easy and fun for the kids to learn. They’ll also have no trouble remembering it, even under the stress of an attack. And, if the kids aren’t actually strong enough to kick away their attacker, this technique will still work by helping them buy time to attract attention.

Best of all, there's little chance that a student will misuse this technique in a fight.

If they did, it would look something like this:

Kid 1: “Hey, that’s my hat!”
Kid 2: “No it isn’t, it’s mine!”
Kid 1: “Yeah it is, you stole it!”
Kid 2: “No I didn’t. Wanna fight?”
Kid 1 “Yeah!”

Suddenly both youth drop to the ground and go ‘Chihuahua crazy,’ kicking at each other.

…It’d never happen. Fights just don’t go down like that.

This technique gives kids a fighting chance at defending themselves against a larger opponent while also making sure that they don’t get kicked out of school for using their knowledge. It makes a very good introduction to self-defense and I use it in all of my beginning children’s classes. I think it creates a good base to begin teaching other, more traditional, forms of self-defense later.

How about you? What are some of the techniques that you think are appropriate and practical for teaching children? Working together, we can all come ups with ideas to make this world a bit safer for kids.

Until next time,

Train Hard and Fight Dirty!

KicksBoxes

WHY SKINNY NERDS MAKE THE BEST FIGHTERS

2011-03-05T08:58:00.014-06:00

According to kicksboxes, this guy could be the next UFC Champ!?

PHOTO CREDIT: JEFFEDOE at Flickr.com

Obviously we all know the stereotype. The gigantic Neanderthal with cauliflower ears, a ton of muscles, and more tattoos than a yakuza standing in one corner of the ring or across a dark alley somewhere.

His opponent? -Some skinny nerd who weighs less than half that of this monster.

Now… who’s going to win the fight?

Everyone knows that the skinny nerd doesn’t stand a chance.

But, let’s just say for the sake of argument, that this nerd also happens to be a trained martial artist. -Let’s just imagine for a moment, that this nerd knows how to defend himself.

I’m about to say something unbelievable; My money is on the skinny nerd.

I know your thinking that Kicksboxes has finally lost his mind, but hear me out. By the time your done reading this post, you’re going to see that this trained skinny nerd actually has some serious advantages over a stereotypical fighter. (And best of all, these are advantages that we can all use… whether in the ring or fighting for our lives in the street!)

Okay, so you’re probably wondering, ‘What possible advantage could a skinny nerd possibly have over some big, tough fighter?’

Well, without physical size to aid him, the skinny nerd is forced to find ways to compensate for weaknesses. The nerd must use his mind to discover ways that will overcome the power of an opponent’s attack.

It all boils down to this; the skinny nerd has to use strategy, body mechanics, and basically ‘cheat’ to defeat the size and strength of the larger opponent. (But hey, isn’t this what the martial arts has always been about?)

The first thing a skinny nerd has to do is commit to attacking the most vulnerable areas of his opponent’s anatomy. Randomly punching and kicking the fighter’s powerful arms, legs, and torso will do little good unless he can find specific spots that leave the fighter susceptible to injury.

These can be vital areas like the eyes, groin, and throat or they can be the pressure points found in traditional Chinese medicine that will allow the skinny nerd to get past the muscular exterior and cause a reaction within the fighter’s body.

By targeting specific, vulnerable areas, the skinny nerd is able to spend his energy where it will do him the most good. In a fight, you can’t afford to waste time trying to hit your opponent where they’re strong. You have to find those hidden places that are more susceptible to an attack. -A poke to the eye or a strike to the carotid artery will go a lot further than kicking at someone’s six-pack abs.

"The most dangerous knife is the one you never see coming"

The next thing that a skinny nerd needs to do is find ways to move his body in the quickest, most powerful way possible. In short, the nerd needs to become much more efficient than his opponent.

Many big guys come to rely so heavily upon their size and strength that they never even bother to consider ways to move more efficiently. The nerd however, does not have this luxury.

To attack with maximum power, he must develop the strongest parts of his body and use them against the weakest areas of his opponent. For example, it does the nerd little good to attempt an armbar against some brawny monster. However, a properly applied finger lock is another story.

With a finger lock, the nerd is able to direct much of his strength from his arms and hands against the relatively weaker finger of his opponent. Furthermore, the nerd can base the fingerlock against his own body, making it more difficult to escape. Once trapped, he can take the finger joint and twist it in multiple directions, sending shivers of pain through his attacker’s body.

In the long run, skinny nerds make better fighters because they have to constantly ask themselves “Will this technique work against a bigger fighter?” and “How can I make this move better?” This quest for efficiency is what separates the true masters from those who are lucky enough to have been born with biceps.

Of course, the nerd's greatest advantage is his unassuming appearance. When you square off against someone with bulging muscles, scary tattoos, and a scar across his forehead, you can pretty much guess that you're in trouble and prepare for it. But the nerd looks just like anybody else. His ordinary clothes, body shape, and lack of facial jewelry fail to alert you to the fact that this guy can, and will, kick your butt.

PHOTO CREDIT: Hairy.Jacquez at Flickr.com

An old instructor of mine used to say, “The most dangerous knife is the one you never see coming.” A trained nerd is a lot like that knife. You don’t know how harmful he can be until after you’ve messed with him.

Tough guys walk around in sleeveless, ‘TapOut’ shirts and sport wild tattoos because they want you to know they’re tough. The goal is to intimidate others without ever having to say a word.

The trained nerd, on the other hand, isn’t trying to stand out. In fact, he knows that it’s better to have others make false assumptions about his fighting ability. It gives him the element of surprise.

Before the attacker realizes it, he’s been knocked to the ground and helpless against a counter strike. If the so-called tough guys would spend more time in the library maybe they’d come to understand that you can’t always judge a book by its cover.

Despite the way fighters are portrayed in the movies, television, and the World Wrestling Federation, my money is on the quiet, unassuming, skinny, nerd; The guy who learns to fight, not because he’s big and tough, but because he isn’t.

Best of all, we can all learn from the ‘skinny nerd’. Whether you’re an overweight, middle-aged guy, a petite woman, elderly, whatever; we can all use the nerd’s methods for learning to defend ourselves against someone, bigger, stronger, faster, or meaner than us.

It’s about taking the time to learn effective self defense, always asking ourselves, “can this be done better?” and becoming as efficient as possible. At heart, each of is really just a ‘skinny nerd’ -even if we do happen to have a couple of tattoos.

Getting the 'Hang' of Suspension Strap Training

2011-03-02T21:03:00.010-06:00

If you’ve recently spent anytime at all on the Internet, you’ve probably seen an advertisement for some type of suspension strap training.

Suspension training has been around for a long time. In the 1800s and early 1900s it was used with gymnastic rings as popular form of exercise, for both building strength and to loose weight. (Until, of course it was later developed into its own Olympic sport.) However, with the recent functional strength training craze, suspension training has had an enormous revival, especially amount the mixed martial arts crowd.

Companies like Vegas Prostrap, Tacfit: Rope, and TRX have reinvented this exercise method and made it more popular than ever. If you really want to get serious about your training, you owe it to yourself to check out this method.

Suspension training allows a unique way for you to work your stabilization muscles and develop kinesthetic awareness. It works by hanging your feet or hands from two adjustable straps in order to perform a variety of bodyweight exercises. The swinging nature of the straps forces you to constantly stabilize your muscles to maintain balance, greatly increasing the intensity of your workout.

If you haven’t seen this type of workout already, here’s a short Youtube video from Mike Sweeney showing his wife, Rebecca, working out with the TRX straps attached to a boxing ring. These are just a few of the hundreds of exercises that can be done using suspension straps.

Mike and Rebecca contribute to several fitness and lifestyle websites. (They both train in the Martial Arts and she has competed in Muay Thai and MMA.) You can also find more free suspension strap training ideas on their Youtube Channel.

I found their videos when I first started looking for suspension exercises to try. This next video was the first one that really caught my attention. It’s called the Super Atomic Pushup and it emphasizes everything that makes suspension straps such an amazing training tool.

What’s great about the straps is that they force you to use your entire body to perform every exercise. Not only does Rebecca work her pectoral muscles to push up, but she also must engage her wrists, forearms, upper & lower back, abdominals, and quadriceps to maintain her body position. A simple push up and reverse crunch suddenly becomes a true full body workout. (Perhaps this exercise looks a bit extreme… that’s because it is! But don’t worry; there are many, many ways to vary the intensity of the workout by changing the placement of the straps!)

The straps force you to engage often forgotten muscles as you work to maintain proper balance and control. Even more important, almost every exercise requires constant attention to the core muscles.

All to often, it’s easy to forget about specifically training the abdominal muscles during functional training. With the suspension straps, the abdominals get a good workout with almost every exercise. In fact, the only limitation to suspension training is that if can actually over-fatigue the core muscles if you try to do too much.

As each new exercise begins to progressively tax the abdominal and lower back muscles, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain proper form as you continue the workout. If you don’t give these muscles enough time to recover between exercises, your workout will start to suffer.

Luckily, different core muscles are emphasized during most suspension exercises. This allows you to plan your workout in a way that works a variety of muscle groups while also ensuring that the core is fully activated.

I usually focus specifically on my abdominals at the end of the workout or save a special day for abdominal only training. Suspension straps are great for working the abdominals and offer a variety of angles and directions of movement to really make them scream!

Like almost every type of workout system, there're always salesmen out there trying to tell you that this is the only type of workout you'll ever need. That's not really true.

Weights and kettle bells are still important for building strength and even regular bodyweight exercises without the straps will help you work a particular muscle group without having to concentrate on the stabilizing muscles. (Something you don't always want to do.)

Also, traditional cardio workouts like running, jump rope, targets, and bag work will let you to work faster and with more explosive intensity than the straps will allow.

That said, suspension training is a great way to train for either traditional martial arts or combat sport competition. Whether you're getting ready for the ring or just want to stay in shape, the straps allow you to work your whole body all at once. Best of all, you'll get one of the toughest ab workouts that you can find anywhere.

Just remember, it's not as easy as Rebecca makes it look!

Anyway, until next time,

Train hard and fight dirty!

Kicksboxes

Kids and the Martial Arts: How Much is Too Much?

2011-02-23T21:23:00.006-06:00

Photo Credit: eyeliam's photostream at flickr.com

Hi everyone,

Have you ever started something that seemed like an easy task, only to find a greater challenge than you could have ever imagined? Something that changed the way you think in every possible way?

During my hiatus from kicksboxes, I started teaching karate at my daughter’s school. It’s been a great opportunity for me to share my knowledge, while also doing my favorite activity with my daughter. Seems like that would be an ideal situation; Right?

Well, it has been a lot of fun, but it’s also brought a lot of challenges.

You see, for the past 15 years, I’ve only taught adults. And at first, you might think that switching to training kids is no big deal. - Kids are just like adults… only smaller.

But when you think about it, you realize that a completely different approach is needed when it comes to kids; especially if you’re teaching them something as potentially dangerous as the martial arts. The bottom line is that there are a lot of differences between what children are able to learn and what they ought to learn.

The truth is I’ve gained plenty of insights during the last year. -Things that have totally changed the way I think about the martial arts, as well as the way I teach. I want to share a few of these ideas with everyone. But, I also need some help from you!

As you read this post and naturally begin to form some opinions and ideas of your own, please help me out by leaving a comment. By sharing our thoughts about working with young people, we can all improve our teaching ability and can make learning the martial arts more fun for kids.

The first thing that I realized was that I’d have to change the way I teach techniques.

Stop and think about all techniques you know and what they could do to an opponent. As you start thinking, I’m sure that you’ll come across some stuff that’ll do really nasty things to an attacker. (Gauged eyeballs, broken joints, cracked ribs, and twisted testicles all come to mind!)

As terrible as many of these techniques are, it makes sense to use them if your life is in serious danger in a deserted alley somewhere. But here’s the thing; just imagine a child using those same techniques in a playground scuffle.

The fact is, while it’s important to teach kids to learn to deal with potential bullies, it’s also important be certain that our students aren’t able to inflict serious injury upon another child. When I teach adults, we tend to imagine using our techniques in a worst-case-scenario. (After all, if your life isn’t in actual danger, why fight at all?)

Kids however, are much more likely to become involved in minor altercations and less likely to know how to respond appropriately because they don’t have the cognitive development or the life experience that adults do. I don’t know about you, but it drives me crazy when I see children in other martial arts classes practicing throat punches, groin strikes, severe joint locks/breaks, or chokes.

Don’t their instructors realize that if they were to ever actually use any of those techniques, they’ll likely be thrown out of school and could even end up in trouble with the law? Watching that kind of instruction is really infuriating.

A case in point, one of the children in my daughter’s kindergarten class took karate at a local studio. When asked what he would do against an attacker, he began an onslaught of kicks and punches all targeted to vital areas. The truth is if he was grabbed by an adult, his kicks and punches probably would be very effective… the kid was just too small. However, against another child, there’s a good chance that he might inflict serious injury.

There’s no doubt that kids should learn to defend themselves. They have the right to be free of injury and harassment. This is why we teach them martial arts in the first place. But, this also means that we have the responsibility of only teaching them techniques that will not get them into serious trouble.

Throughout my time teaching, I’ve tried to do two things. First, I teach the children breakaway and escape techniques (taken from the traditional karate forms) to help them get away from an adult abductor. The techniques are occasionally modified to fit specific circumstances, but they’re carefully chosen because they help the child escape without causing serious injury. (This way I can be sure that they won’t be somehow misused in a non-life threatening situation.)

Occasionally, a student could misuse the art to kick an adversary in the shin or punch the arm during a scrap, but you’ve got to admit that it’s a lot better than finding out that your son or daughter has sent another child to the hospital!

The other thing that I’ve tried to do (and this is what makes teaching the martial arts so cool!) is teach all my students proper body mechanics. As we all know, someday these child martial artists will become adults. I always try to show them the best, most efficient, way to move and strike… even if they really don’t understand why their doing it yet.

That way, when they grow up, they’ll automatically know how to perform their karate techniques, even under the stress of combat. You see, it’s kinda like the ‘Karate Kid,’ where Miagi has Daniel ‘sand the floor’ over and over again without really understanding why he’s doing it. (You can imagine Jackie Chan telling Jaden Smith to pick up his jacket if you like the new version.) Then one day the Daniel suddenly understands that he’s been learning martial arts all along and he’s able to effortlessly and perfectly fend off Miagi’s punches.

I’ve discovered that there’s a deep sense of satisfaction in teaching these students to move properly and efficiently, knowing that someday, like seeds in a garden, they’re going to find that they can easily do things that they never dreamed possible.

In essence, this is what the martial arts is all about. It’s not about fancy backflips, blackbelts, or Championship fights in the Octagon, it’s about learning to use the power already available inside each of us! And I’m honored to be a part of that learning for all my students.

Undoubtedly, there’re some people thinking, ‘This is all nice and poetic… but what about bullies and schoolyard troublemakers?’ ‘How are your students going to handle them?’

The fact is that there’s no one infallible way of preparing kids for the pressures they’ll face from peers. But I can promise you this, if a child seriously injures a bully, it will surely make the situation worse! The absolute BEST thing we can do to prevent a child from being bullied (or help children who have been victimized) is help them to raise their self-esteem.

The bad guys pick on people that they think they can easily victimize. Period.

If we can get kids more in touch with that mysterious ‘inner power’ that we all have, either through the martial arts or some other activity, we can inoculate them against the control and influence of a bully. Children that are confident and feel good about themselves simply aren’t going to allow someone else to intimidate or harass them. The truth is they just aren’t good victims.

Of course these are just some of the things I’ve found teaching children. It’s certainly been a wild journey from only instructing adults. There’s certainly more that could be said about the subject; but I’m going to keep you waiting for another post!

What I’d really like to know is; Has anyone else had similar experiences? What did you notice? How did you change? Or maybe you made the switch from teaching only children to training adults. Don’t be afraid to leave a comment. We can all use your insight.

Well, that’s all for now. Until next time…

Train hard and fight dirty.

Kicksboxes

THE NEW KICKSBOXES 2.0(11)

2011-01-09T15:42:00.002-06:00

Hello and welcome back to this web log!

It's been a long time and I guess my keyboard's pretty dusty, but this year I'm returning to the web with plenty of updated ideas and information. The last time I posted here was about two and a half years ago. (Not so ironically; the age of my youngest daughter.)

At the time, I realized that I wouldn't have enough time to train, take care of my family, and write quality content. Something had to give and as it turned out, it was Kicksboxes.

A lot of things have changed over this two year vacation, but now I'm ready to return to the keyboard and again start exploring the one topic I've dedicated my life to studying... the Martial Arts!

Now, even though I haven't been writing, I have been busy;

As mentioned, I now have another daughter (2 years old... the same age her sister when she gave this blog its name.)

I lost 20lbs over the summer (Although I somehow managed to gain some of it back over this last Holiday! We'll cover a lot of weight loss and training ideas as I try to get my caboose back in shape.)

Also over the summer, I started Barefoot running (More posts on that to come later!)

I've come across some really cool new websites and awesome new ways to work out (Of course I can't wait to tell you what I've been working on!)

Best of all, I was able to start a new Karate program at Cambridge Lakes Charter School. (We're now into our second session and the classes are going great!)

I'm also still actively teaching martial arts and Kickboxing at Elgin Community College.

BIG CHANGES!

Now, there have to be some serious changes to this blog so that I can continue bringing new and exciting training ideas.

First of all, I need to streamline my posts so that I still have time to spend with my family and also time for training. (Last time I found myself spending too much time on the keyboard and not enough in the Dojo!)

The posts will be geared mostly towards certain specific groups:

First, there will be information for the ECC Kickboxing and martial arts classes;

Including:

Sample Workouts
Class & Training info
Additional Health & Fitness resources and ideas
Fitness Challenges

There will also be specific information for the Cambridge Lakes Karate Class.

This includes:

Class Schedules & Information
Parent Information
Home Training Information

As always, I'll continue to provide information about the Kyusho Jitsu Kenkyukai Organization, including:

Upcoming Seminars and Events
New books, DVDs, and products concerning Kyusho Jitsu

And for everyone else interested in exploring Martial Arts, I'll still try to have posts that appeal to all martial artists regardless of individual style or system. Even if you don't train with me, I hope to make this site a worthwhile resource for everyone. Although I plan on scaling back a bit, you can still find information on:

New Training ideas
Opinions and Views on Martial Training
Product/DVD/Book reviews
Cool websites and online videos to check out!

One More Thing

For this blog to work (and remain operational), I'm going to need your help. -I need to hear from you.

Please leave plenty of comments. If you have a question... ASK IT. If you disagree with a post... LET ME KNOW. And if you like what you've found... TELL US WHY.

Good Questions make Good Karate. The more we 'talk' the better the content of this log will be, so please hit the comments button at the bottom of each post and let the world here what you think. We don't have to agree, we just have communicate in a way that makes us all better.

So anyway, I hope you'll plan on hearing more from me soon,

Respectfully,

Rick

Side Notes for Black Belt's No Touch Article

2008-05-30T23:27:00.000-05:00

In the July 2008 edition of Black Belt Magazine, longtime contributor, Chris Thomas offers his insight into the strange phenomenon of ‘No-Touch’ knockouts. In a well written article, Thomas provides some historical accounts of no-touch knockouts (toate-jitsu), as well as a short review of how the techniques came to be practiced by members of George Dillman’ DKI schools.

Best of all, Thomas also describes how he has come to learn and understand this controversial skill. He describes his first experiences with no-touches, his initial skepticism, his failed attempts at attaining a knock out, and his eventual successes. He gives compelling arguments for some of the common criticisms, reveals his opinion concerning the safety of no touches, and offers insight into the possible “values and limitations of the method.”

Whether or not you happen to believe that no touch knockouts can exist, Thomas has written a convincing critique that deserves attention.

While I’m not writing a complete review here, I would like to offer my view on a couple of points from his article.

First, I like the fact that, when Thomas first saw no touches demonstrated, he described himself as a “Honest Skeptic,” meaning that he “wasn’t convinced but wouldn’t dismiss it out of hand” either.

I think the term “Honest Skeptic,” is a good one because that is how I would currently describe myself. I’ve come to a bit of a stand still in writing about the no touch phenomenon because I’m really not certain what I believe.

No touches seem violate much of what we ordinarily believe about the world and how exist inside of it. People ‘shouldn’t’ be able to knock out others using only their mind… yet somehow it seems to happen.

Perhaps the no touches are merely a psychological occurrence, a matter of suggestion, or undetermined sensory cues that cause the target person to loose consciousness. Maybe they are the result of some sort of relatively unknown sort of energy projection. However, the fact remains, that they succeed quite often.

I also cannot dismiss no touch knock outs because I have had the experience myself. While at a seminar a couple of years ago, a friend who had been regularly practicing chi gung techniques asked if he could try ‘something’ with me.

I agreed, trusting him. He stood directly in front of me, inhaled slowly and began pointing to pressure point locations on my arm. He then directed his hand toward my forehead and I quickly became dizzy, falling backwards into the arms of another partner who was ready to catch me.

I did not fake my reaction, nor do I believe that I was somehow ‘hypnotized’ into falling back. I’d known my training partner for many years and felt no need to either help or hinder his attempt. In fact, I simply relaxed and tried only to give him my honest reaction.

(You should also know that other people, including Master Instructor, Chris Thomas, has attempted no touches with me in the past, without success.)

Could I have ‘fought off’ the no touch technique? Probably.

He was standing right in front of me. I could have punched or kicked him to get him to stop, if I needed to. I could have also tried to ‘will’ myself not to be knocked out.

In the kickboxing ring, I’ve occasionally gotten my ‘cage rattled’ by a hard punch or kick. I’ve felt momentary dizziness and weak knees, but was able to maintain focus and continue the match.

However, in this case, I allowed myself to relax and just ‘go’ with whatever I felt. I didn’t fight the sensations or try to ‘shake off’ the feelings of dizziness.

This brings me to another point in the Chris Thomas article. In the magazine, Thomas explains something he calls the “cooperative-uke syndrome.” He explains that an “uke is the Japanese term for the volunteer who receives the martial artist’s technique; cooperative-uke syndrome describes situations in which the volunteer actually facilitates the execution of the technique because he wants the martial artist to succeed.”

I believe that this describes the most common criticism of no touch knockouts. Most critics, who discount no touch claims, argue that the people being demonstrated on are just ‘going along’ with the charade.

They reason that demonstrations of the no touches (and pressure points in general) would not work in an actual combat situation because the target person, or ’uke,’ does not fight back. I believe that, like Thomas, they suspect that the ‘cooperative uke syndrome’ is at play.

The issue here, as I see it, concerns how much the uke struggles against or facilitates a technique, regardless of whether it is a no touch or not.

While I was practicing judo, our instructor would tell us to be “good ukes” while helping a partner demonstrate techniques during a promotion. In other words, we were not supposed to fight against the person’s movements, tighten any parts of our bodies, or shift our position in unpredictable ways.

The purpose was to allow our partner to demonstrate proper form and solid understanding of the technique. Later, in randori (judo sparring) we could struggle against their attempts and fight back.

Here’s a typical judo demonstration. Notice how the guy on the left allows his partner to throw him without giving up much resistance. -This allows the guy on the right to properly show the techniques without worrying about harming his partner.

In my tae kwon do class, we would practice three step sparring drills that worked much the same way. One person would make an obvious attack at another, then relax and hold position so that the other could counter. Just like judo, this allowed everyone to safely practice proper form.
Here’s a video that shows some advanced TKD techniques. Notice how, even when holding a weapon, the attacker stops and allows the defender to carefully complete the technique:

Now I know that there’s some mixed martial arts guys out there saying, “Yeah that’s fine for judo or tae kwon do, but mma people don’t practice like that!” Well, they do; and they should.

Practice in this manner allows people to learn to perform the movements correctly. It allows both training partners to remain safe while perfecting the technique. Here’s a quick clip of a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Demonstration:

Of course these guys probably don’t always practice this way. I’m sure that they get out on the mat and spar often. It’s important to eventually face an uncooperative opponent. But, at the same time, you can’t really learn a technique if your opponent is always struggling against you.

Okay, so my question is, “Why is it appropriate for most every other martial art style to use cooperative practice; yet kyushu jitsu gets condemned when it’s students also practice no touches or pressure point techniques against compliant partners?”

The following clip shows a no touch knockout by Master Instructor, Leon Jay. While it’s obvious that his training partner is not resisting him, I don’t think that significantly changes the dynamics of the technique.

If, for any reason, the no touch did not work, Leon could always transition into more physical technique. There's no reason to suspect that this is supposed to imitate an actual attack. It's obviously only a demonstration; no different than any of the other demonstrations shown previously in this post.

In every example, I've described the purpose of cooperative practice as allowing students to practice proper form, while ensuring the safety of the training partner. When they work properly, no touches and pressure point techniques render the training partner unconscious. Therefore, extra precautions are taken. (The training partner does not resist the technique and there are 'catchers' positioned to help the person fall safely to the ground.)

I may not be certain of my own convictions concerning no touch knockouts. I don't know if the phenomena is caused by Eastern energy theory or Western psychology (or a combination of both). I am, however, convinced that there is something going on that warrants serious investigation.

While I understand that it's natural for people to criticize and condemn the things that they do not understand, I am confused by the fact that so many critics have latched onto the 'cooperative practice' bandwagon.

The fact that people practice a technique carefully does not mean that it 'cannot work on the street;' It only means that they have enough respect for both the technique and their training partner to practice it safely.

Anyway, those are my views on the article. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Respectfully,

Rick

CONDITIONING SPOTLIGHT: CLAPPING PUSH UPS

2008-05-20T20:45:00.000-05:00

Looking for a new way to add variety to your workout? Has your body gotten used to your regular routine? Want a challenge?

Well this new series just might help.

As the instructor for a kickboxing class, I'm always on the lookout for new training ideas to share with (i.e. torture) my class. In the Conditioning Spotlight, I'll try to highlight some of the training ideas that I've picked up along the way.

Some of these excercises are too advanced for me to safely perform or use in the class but I still use them as inspiration to train harder. Others just seem like good variation on an old excercise. Whatever their purpose, I hope you get as much use out of them as I do.

The one thing that I've noticed while searching sites like YouTube.com for ideas is that most of the MA conditioning videos I've seen are just some dude in his garage with loud rap music playing as he shows off in front of a camera. While a lot of these guys demonstrate really impressive workouts and are obviously physically fit, they really don't help much with improving my own routines.

Instead of presenting the "Show Off" videos, I'll try to select instructional videos that provide some information and helpful tips for performing the excercises yourself. I hope you also find these clips helpful, no matter your current level of fitness.

Take this first installment for instance. Most of us are already familiar with the classic "clap" push up, where you push up off of the ground and quickly clap your hands together before landing.

However, I came across this wrestling gym that does a nice spin on the traditional excercise. Instead of clapping in front of the chest, they spring up extra high and clap their hands all the way behind their backs.

I think this is a great way of developing explosive power and hand speed. Lifting your body higher off of the ground also forces you to engage your core and use more muscles than a traditional push up - great for functional strength! They call this movement a "Quick Twitch Clap Push Up."

Check these kids out...

Of course, no matter how tough an excercise is, there's always someone out there crazy enough to come up with a harder variation. In this case, it's our old friend, Ross Ross Enamait from RossTraining.com.

As usual, he takes an already tough excercise and makes it totally insane.

Now those are the kind of push ups that will get you noticed. For most of us, they're probably a bit too advanced, but we could start out by practicing the standard 'clap' push ups for a while until we're ready for the 'quick twitch clap' push ups, and then work our way up to the triple claps.

The idea is to start with a method we feel comfortable with and then slowly train to until we can transition into another version of the excercise. Remember, take it easy and train safe. Messing up one of these push ups can send your face right into the floor. (It'd be a good idea to start out on a fairly soft surface, like a mat or something.)

What's that? Ross's triple clap push ups are still to easy for you?

Okay, I see that we've got some real muscle-heads in the audience. Fine if your so tough, try out the version of push ups in this next clip. (Be sure to watch until the end... she's... ummm... really, really strong!)

Gotcha!

Okay, take care, train hard and fight dirty!

Respectfully,

Rick

CHECK OUT THIS WEEK'S MMA WEEKLY WRAP UP

2008-05-05T23:21:00.000-05:00

Who is Tito Ortiz really going to fight with at UFC 84?

Why is June 1st the biggest night ever for World Extreme Cagefighting?

And will 'Redbelt' get Randy Couture the Oscar he so desperately wants?

Find out all these answers and more at the latest edition of the MMA Weekly Wrap Up, found only at...

TDATraining.blogspot.com .

The Technique Critique: The One Inch Punch

2008-05-02T14:46:00.000-05:00

WARNING:

THE TECHNIQUES AND EXERCISES PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY AND SHOULD ONLY BE PRACTICED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A QUALIFIED INSTRUCTOR. EXTREME CARE SHOULD ALWAYS BE USED WHEN TRAINING IN THESE, OR ANY, MARTIAL ART.

THESE TECHNIQUES ARE ONLY INTENDED TO BE USED WHEN MORALLY AND LEGALLY JUSTIFIED AS A MATTER OF SELF DEFENSE.

Hi, after an extended break, I'm back with another episode of The Technique Critique.

In the following clip, we'll explore the practice and training methods of Bruce Lee's famous 'One Inch Punch'. As I mention in the clip, I'm no expert on Jeet Kune Do nor on the 'One Inch' Punch. However, I still believe that the tips and suggestions found in this clip can be useful to anyone interested in generating a large amount of energy in a very short range technique.

Anyone with comments or suggestions is invited to contribute their ideas.

Helpful resources cited in this episode include:

Kyusho-jitsu Kenkyukai Volume 1 by Master Instructor Chris Thomas. In this DVD, Thomas explains the way that the 'downward,' one inch punch wrist movement may be incorporated into basic punching drills. The DVD goes on to teach many different ways that the basic movements can be interpreted as martial technique.

BUTTERFLY HAND Striking and Grappling by Master Instructor Song Pak. While this DVD does not specifically show the "sword hand" movement that I discuss in the video clip (I learned that move at one of his seminars), it does show how the figure-8 hand movement may be used in a variety of self defense situations. - An excellent DVD on Martial Body-Mechanics.

NiNjA0034 A YouTube.com poster from Luxembourg, who describes himself as "A lazy and wannabe guy. My device: "Success with minor effort" :D (well it doesn't work...)" This is the video that I mentioned was flamed by a bunch of negative comments. -Personally, I think his training methods are right on the money. It's nice to see someone "thinking outside the box" in regards to training.

I hope you've enjoyed this episode. More to come soon... I promise.

Respectfully,

Rick

The Technique Critique: The Reverse Strike

2008-03-01T08:37:00.000-06:00

WARNING: THE TECHNIQUES AND EXERCISES PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY AND SHOULD ONLY BE PRACTICED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A QUALIFIED INSTRUCTOR.

EXTREME CARE SHOULD ALWAYS BE USED WHEN TRAINING IN THESE, OR ANY, MARTIAL ART.
THESE TECHNIQUES ARE ONLY INTENDED TO BE USED WHEN MORALLY AND LEGALLY JUSTIFIED AS A MATTER OF SELF DEFENSE.

Hi and welcome again to another episode of The Technique Critique.

In this video clip, we'll explore a couple of training methods for improving punching speed developed by the late Bruce Lee. Then we'll show how one of his drills can be used as an actual technique by itself.

One of the great things about Bruce Lee is that while most people claim Lee had amazing natural speed and ability, he still constantly refined his technique and trained to improve upon this genetic gift. That's the mark of a true warrior; constantly striving to diminish weakness while improving upon strength. He is definitely an inspiration for the rest of us.

I've drawn inspiration from several resources in making this episode. I highly recommend checking out these books and DVD to help with your own training.

Pressure Point Karate Made Easy: A Guide to the Dillman Pressure Point Method for Beginners and Younger Martial Artists. By George A. Dillman with Chris Thomas. (144 pages, 204 photos, 94 illustrations) Practical self-defense, explained in words and photos. Includes illustrations showing the pressure points used in the self-defense techniques. Material suitable for the whole family! What a book!

Infinite Intensity will teach you to utilize both free weights and bodyweight exercise. Many athletes overemphasize strength training, which negates their conditioning. Others disregard strength work, thus fail to maximize their true potential. This program will teach you how and why to incorporate strength work and conditioning, without allowing one objective to interfere with another. (A sample 50 day is included with this 250 page manual.)

The Speed Bag Bible DVD by Alan H Kahn, has more than 2 hours of punches, strikes, combinations and more. The most speed bag information and guidance ever assembled.

I hope that this episode and these resources help you in the development of your own art.

Respectfully,

Rick

THE TECHNIQUE CRITIQUE: THE TRINITY PUNCH

2008-02-17T17:12:00.000-06:00

WARNING: THE TECHNIQUES AND EXERCISES PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY AND SHOULD ONLY BE PRACTICED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A QUALIFIED INSTRUCTOR.

EXTREME CARE SHOULD ALWAYS BE USED WHEN TRAINING IN THESE, OR ANY, MARTIAL ART.

THESE TECHNIQUES ARE ONLY INTENDED TO BE USED WHEN MORALLY AND LEGALLY JUSTIFIED AS A MATTER OF SELF DEFENSE.

In this episode, the Technique Critique examines a movement that is often found in Mixed Martial Arts, "ground & pound," situations.

We'll show how this technique can also be used from a standing position and also explore training ideas with a variety of equipment.

Please note that, so far, I've been showing solo training drills that can be done without the help of a partner.

Although solo training with heavy bags, targets, and training maniquins can be helpful, they do not replace the need to work with live partners. In order to fully understand how to use the techniques against an active opponent you must practice these movements with an actual training partner.

The solo drills presented here will help to improve your speed, accuracy, and power. They will also allow you to practice your technique when a training partner isn't available. However, you will still need to practice against live opponents in order to develop this technique for actual combat.

I hope you found this episode helpful toward your own practice.

Train safe, train hard,

Respectfully,

Rick

A TRAGEDY ON CAMPUS

2008-02-16T20:50:00.000-06:00

Photo by Terry's Public Gallery

I had the privilege of graduating from Northern Illinois University in 1992. The days spent there were some of the best of my life.

A terrible shooting took place at NIU this week; a gunman walked into a lecture hall and began randomly shooting at people - killing 5 innocent students as well as himself. Many more were seriously injured.

I’ve been thinking about Northern a lot this week.

How many times did I sit in Cole Hall for lectures? Did I ever consider that something so horrible could ever really happen there?

My heart goes out to all the students (and their families) involved in this terrible tragedy.

IMO, college should be about making friends, going to parties, and also about learning (yeah, probably in that order); but it definitely shouldn’t be about guns or death.

The best thing about college is that you can feel insulated from the outside world for 4 or 5 years until you can finally get your act together enough to actually face reality.

You can take time to learn, plan, experiment, and grow before you’re forced to deal with the true troubles and problems of life.

The students presently attending NIU have been robbed of that opportunity. The innocence of their college experience has been taken away. It's an awful shame beyond description.

I think maybe I'll light five candles tonight.

Respectfully,

Rick

The MMA Weekly Wrap-Up for the week of 2-11-08

2008-02-11T20:40:00.001-06:00

The Technique Critique: The Frontkick

2008-02-09T17:07:00.000-06:00

Vodpod test

2008-01-29T19:56:00.000-06:00

Testing Vodpod

did it work?

CLEARING THE AIR ON DILLMAN & THOMAS

2008-01-25T23:33:00.000-06:00

Char-la-tan (n.) a person who pretends to be an expert in something or to have more skill that is really the case; quack; fake.

That’s how Websters defines the word charlatan, but many martial artists on websites and forums like Bullshido.com or FightingArts.com would like to define it as ‘George Dillman,’ or as my instructor, ‘Chris Thomas.’

The people on these sites liken Dillman and Thomas to greedy, snake-oil salesmen who prey upon gullible students by pretending to have impossible skills. They accuse them of misleading the public with fantastic demonstrations of ‘chi’ power that are really nothing more than a pretentious charade; a hoax elegantly designed to fool a naïve public.

What annoys these critics is the fact that Dillman and Thomas both maintain that it is possible to train yourself to use a mystical, life-force energy, commonly known as chi to injure, knock-out, or even kill an opponent.

Neither Dillman nor Thomas invented the concept of chi; the idea that the body is somehow nourished by channels of invisible energy, which has been with us, in one way or another, for thousands of years.

Chi energy is the basis for acupuncture and shiatsu massage treatments. Energetic pathways flowing through the body is also a common concept in Yoga. An understanding of health that does not solely rely upon physical phenomena has always been common throughout much of the world. Only in the modern West is such medicine called “Alternative.”

Furthermore, the notion of chi energy is nothing new to the martial arts. Systems like tai chi, kung fu, and aikido, as well as many others, are heavily based on energetic understanding. Many famous Okinawan karate instructors were known to have studied from a pressure point text known as the Bubishi.

So if this knowledge of chi energy is so common, why are the critics so wound up against Dillman’s pressure point method?

Well, when Dillman first learned how pressure points could be used to disrupt an opponent’s internal energy system, he had to hit those points rather hard. There really wasn’t any surprise there… you hit someone hard, and they fall down; big deal.

However as he began to practice and teach ways that pressure points could be used in fighting, he slowly found that he didn’t need to hit as hard anymore. Dillman, and his students, learned that they could actually send their own chi into another person with an even stronger effect than if they had actually hit them.

Eventually, some people where able to perform knock-outs while hardly even touching their training partners. They were able to knock people out by striking areas such as the arms, legs, or body, that wouldn’t normally be thought to have anything to do with loosing consciousness. Still, the knock-outs were often successful.

By then, a fair number of critics already began to wail that such demonstrations were impossible. There was no way that a man could be knocked out by simply being struck on the arm. It was ridiculous to think that someone would slowly go unconscious while being lightly touched on the forehead and at the back of the neck. It had to be fake.

But the final straw came when Dillman eventually claimed that it was possible to perform knock-outs without even touching a person. By properly focusing your chi energy, he held, you could cause a person standing at the other side of a large room, to pass out. Both he and his students demonstrated these types of no-touch knockouts many times.

Recently, Dillman’s extravagant claims caught the attention of National Geographic, which wanted to do a documentary on his method. During the interview, one of Dillman’s top instructors, Leon Jay (Son of the famous ju jitsu expert, Wally Jay) agreed to attempt a no-touch knockout with a skeptical and disinclined chemist as a subject.

The knock-out, as you will see in the following video clip, was not successful.

Dillman’s critics went wild. What a hustler, a fake, a phony. How could ANYONE believe that swindler?
What terrible men Dillman and Thomas must be to deceive all those poor martial artists? How could they be so greedy… so arrogant? Such charlatans.

All of which brings me to the topic of today’s myth. I’m not going to cover whether or not no-touch knockouts are possible, nor am I going to talk about whether or not ‘chi energy’ exists. (Although I promise to get to those topics in good time.)

Instead, where I need to begin is with the myth that George Dillman, with the help of Chris Thomas, have somehow schemed to trick others into believing in the concept of ‘chi energy’ either as a way to make enormous amounts of money or to somehow artificially inflate their reputations as martial artists.

It doesn’t really bother me, one way or another, whether people accept pressure point fighting, also known as kyoshu jitsu, as an art. (It seems to work well for me and that’s enough.) However, before I can have an honest conversation about pressure point theory, I need to clear the air of some of the accusations floating around against its sponsors.

First, is the charge that people like Dillman or Thomas only promote pressure point theory as some sort of scheme to get rich.

In addition to seminars which take place across the country and all over the world, there is also a successful series of books and dozens of instructional videos. George Dillman has also owned the former training camp of boxing legend Muhammad Ali, where he instructed at special weekend getaways. Certainly, the critics argue, Dillman and his crew are making tons of money off of their illusion.

While it’s true that Dillman holds more seminars than any other instructor on the martial arts circuit; selling books and videos along the way, he isn’t exactly a multimillionaire.

Teaching on the road isn’t easy. There’s transportation, food, and lodging costs; not to mention book publishing, video production, and advertising expenses. Often people see the turnout at a seminar and assume that lots of money is being made, when really the net profit can be quite meager.

Although he might make a couple thousand dollars at a really good seminar, (which is pretty good money for 4-8 hours of work) you also have to factor in all the organization, planning, and travel time. Suddenly, it all doesn’t seem quite so profitable.

And while I can only guess at Dillman’s profits, I can tell you for certain that his co-author, Chris Thomas, lives a very middle class lifestyle. During the day, he works as the pastor of a small church in Wisconsin, occasionally teaching seminars when he can.

There are no BMWs or Mercedes Benz in his driveway and contrary to the fantasies of his critics, he doesn’t live in a sprawling mansion either. His home is small, cozy, and fairly unremarkable among the other houses in his blue-collar neighborhood.

Occasionally, Chris Thomas will meet a martial artist at a seminar or somewhere and invite them to train with a group at his home, or in the dojo of a friend. I was one of the lucky ones who have been invited to train with him.

In regards to his concern for money, I can tell you that Thomas has never charged any of us for the classes that he taught at his home. (However, we do occasionally ‘pay’ him with gifts of doughnuts and Mountain Dew.)

So while they have been successful at building a large following of students, neither Dillman, nor Thomas seem unduly motivated by the pursuit of financial gain. (And even if they were; Why mess up their growing enterprise with fantastic claims of touchless knockouts?)

So maybe it isn’t the money. Maybe they made up a far-fetched scam as a way to boost their on egos. Perhaps what they really want is the admiration and devotion from thousands of martial arts students. Some people do rather crazy things just to feel important.

Now, while we can’t actually see into the minds of Dillman or Thomas, nor can we be certain of their motivations; We can observe their actions and the way they behave around their students.

We have to ask:

- Do they shamelessly attempt to pass themselves off as all-knowing authorities?

- Are they arrogantly flattered by all the attention they receive?

- Do they become secretive and aloof when asked questions?

If so, that would indicate that they may have concocted a hoax simply to attract the amazement of others. It could be that Dillman and Thomas so longed for the admiration of others, that they would create an elaborate scheme in order to fool the public into believing that they were the keepers of miraculous abilities.

My own observations as a student show, however, that this is not the case.

While many martial art instructors try to establish themselves as somehow superior to their students, maintaining an arrogant manner, dwelling exclusively on their so-called accomplishments, and smugly proclaiming their method is best; I have noticed that Dillman and Thomas take another approach.

While Thomas is careful to argue the validity of his methods, he does so without insulting or attacking the opinions of others. He has always pointed out that his techniques might not work the same for everyone. If, as a student, one of his techniques does not work for me, I am free to change it.

Before training with Thomas, I had been heavily indoctrinated into the traditional martial way of subordinating yourself to your instructors. I only referred to my instructors as Sir, Sensi, or Master. I NEVER interrupted, questioned, or criticized my instructors, and always followed their directions.

In college, I even belonged to a tae kwon do club that actually engaged in the hazing of it’s kyu ranked members, yet I never thought to question the abusive activities because I thought I was following a ‘tradition.’

Training with Chris Thomas, on the other hand, is very informal. In class, all students refer to him by his first name. (Something that took me a long time to get used to.)

Questions are not only welcome, but expected. In fact, instruction is often interrupted by someone who becomes so excited by a new idea or technique that they can’t wait to share.

Our class regularly splits off into small groups of students discussing different concepts or techniques. At times, it can become rather chaotic, but Chris doesn’t seem to mind. What’s important is that we are all learning.

This isn’t the kind of place an overbearing, or controlling instructor would feel comfortable teaching. It certainly isn’t for someone who hopes to gain a bunch of followers with tricky deceptions.

When asked, Thomas told me that he learned much of his teaching style from Dillman. “George is the first person I ever saw bring people up to help teach a seminar,” he told me. “Where else have you ever seen ‘the master’ give other people the opportunity to demonstrate a technique - and not just the high-ranking Black belts, but anybody?”

If Dillman and Thomas have somehow made up the whole no-touch knockout thing only to impress others with their incredible abilities, then they really should stop sharing all of their notoriety with everyone. It ruins the effect.

Also, most phony martial art teachers refuse to teach others any of their ‘secret techniques.’ They always claim that “it’s too dangerous for other people to know” or that it “takes years of study to learn… I’ll teach you when you ready.”

Dillman and Thomas, however do not conceal any of their knowledge. As soon as they learn or figure out something, they can’t wait to share it with the rest of the martial arts community.

This in fact, may be why the National Geographic documentary was such a failure - the no-touch techniques were simply unrefined and not ready for demonstration. In his zeal to show what he was working on, Dillman was caught unprepared.

So, if Dillman and Thomas have not invented the concept of no-touch knockouts to swindle enormous amounts of money, nor to artificially inflate their own sense of self-worth; then why would they try to establish such a bizarre notion like no-touch knockouts?

The reason, like it or not, is because they believe in what they are doing.

They may be wrong, they may be misguided, they could even be delusional; but they honestly believe in what they are teaching.

It’s very easy to be skeptical about pressure point theory; especially when someone claims that they can knock others unconscious without even touching them. In fact, we should be skeptical about those kinds of claims.

However, when we don’t understand or doubt something, we have a tendency to become suspicious of the people making the claims and assume some hidden motive behind their actions.

It’s too easy to dismiss pressure point theory simply by attacking the intentions of Dillman and Thomas. Whatever their reasons for pursuing this method of martial arts, we owe it to ourselves to accept or reject the theory based on our own observations rather than the supposed motivations of it’s promoters.

Only then can we honestly discuss and try to understand these strange ideas. Only then can we be certain that the things we choose to believe truly have merit.

In closing, I hope that I’ve demonstrated on this blog that I’m a pretty ‘normal’ person. I get up every morning, go to work, and try to take care of my family. I pay bills, watch television, and worry about things like the economy, terrorism, or lead paint in toys - just like most everyone else.

I also practice the martial art of Kyushu jitsu.

I do so because I believe that it’s an effective method of self-defense and because I like the way pressure point theory enhances my understanding of the techniques that I’ve been taught. The theory helps to explain many of the movements found in my forms, while also providing options that can be used to face larger or stronger opponents. It improves my ability to perform joint locks and increases the effectiveness of my strikes.

As I study this art, I have created many of my own opinions. (Expressing them is probably one of the primary reasons for writing this blog.)

I do not necessarily agree with everything Dillman or Thomas teach; nor do I have to. My instructor has given me permission to think for myself.

I can understand why so many people are cynical regarding this art, (Hell, I’m not even sure how much of this stuff I believe!) and always welcome respectful skepticism.

Through open discussion, trial, and error, I believe that we can discover the methods of self-protection that work best for each of us. Our movements become more efficient, our techniques more effective, and our reactions effortless, as we progress from the backdrop of mere punches and kicks into the realm of martial art.

I hope you’ll join me again soon as we continue to explore some of the concepts of not only Kyushu jitsu, but also the martial arts in general.

Thank you for your time and keep training,

Respectfully,

Rick

Bloopers and Updates

2008-01-11T16:58:00.000-06:00

Our friend, Scott Combs over at Martial Arts Explorer, has produced a real funny parody of the Budweiser beer ads starring many of the Internet's favorite bloopers and spoofs. Well done Scott - He really does sound like the Budweiser voiceover guy.

Anyway, take care and keep training, and I'll return soon to resolve more kyusho myths soon.

Respectfully,

Rick

Testing veoh.com

2008-01-11T16:48:00.001-06:00

Online Videos by Veoh.com

This is just a test to try out the Veoh.com video system... it sure seems to take a long time.

Testing veoh.com

2008-01-11T16:48:00.000-06:00

Online Videos by Veoh.com

This is just a test to try out the Veoh.com video system... it sure seems to take a long time.

NEW FEATURE @ TDATraining.com

2008-01-08T20:16:00.000-06:00

IS MATT SERRA TO FAT TO FIGHT IN APRIL?

WHEN WILL THE 'SILENT ASSASIN' RETURN?

'KIMBO SLICE' - FROM STREETFIGHTER TO "THE BIG SHOW," CAN HE DO IT?

WHO'S UP FOR COACHING THE NEXT SEASON OF 'ULTIMATE FIGHTER'?

WHAT DO MMA SUPERSTAR, MAC DANZIG AND SEXY SINGER, CARRIE UNDERWOOD HAVE IN COMMON?

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'Knocking Out' Pressure Point Myths

2008-01-05T10:54:00.000-06:00

Today, I'd like to begin covering some of the myths about pressure point fighting or kyusho jitsu.

Now I know that a lot of people doubt that pressure points can be used for fighting, (or that they even exist.) However, if you're willing to bear with me for a while, I hope to show that pressure points can be used for combat in a variety of ways. That they make good techniques better; that they create openings and weaknesses in your opponent; that they justify the practice of movements found in forms (kata/poomse); that they cause great pain or injury with relatively little effort; and yes...that they can be used to knock someone out.

On the subject of pressure points, 'knockouts' are probably the one issue that most people find controversial. Watching a video on YouTube.com, or even seeing one live, it's hard to believe that someone can knock another person out, simply by lightly striking a couple of points on the arm and body.

I certainly didn't believe pressure points were possible when I first started attending George Dillman seminars. So much in fact, that at a seminar in Indiana, I asked the seminar host Bill Homann, to knock me out. He was happy to oblige.

He had me throw a right cross at his head and then brushed points along my arm as he redirected my punch. He finished with a palm strike to my forehead which wasn't terribly hard, but sent me falling back to the floor.

I wasn't completely knocked out. I'd say more of in a daze. I could still see and hear clearly, while more or less aware of what was going on. But, I couldn't stand up and certainly didn't feel like trying to fight.

I would later learn that this was a fairly standard reaction to a 'pressure point' knock out. Even better, I wasn't at all injured. After a short revival of being pressed and massaged at several points along the neck and back, I felt good as new.

Over the next dozen or so years, I've learned to respect the ways pressure points can be used to both understand and improve my practice of the martial arts. I've trained with many great instructors, including Chris Thomas, who have shown me how to adapt and incorporate pressure points into my own style of training.

Now, with all that said, the first myth about pressure points that I would like to dispel is the idea that: "Kyusho stylists limit themselves by only practicing pressure point knock outs."

Have you ever met a non-martial artist who assumes that all we do in class is stand around screaming and breaking boards all day?

That's how I sometimes feel talking to other martial artists about kyusho jitsu. Yes, we occasionally practice knock outs, but it's not all we do. It's not even something we do very often.
Just like most karate schools only break boards and bricks at tournaments, promotions, or demonstrations, most kyusho schools only perform knock outs at seminars or black belt promotions. (At least that's the way it is at my school and in most of the schools I've trained.)

When I first began training with Chris Thomas, I was certain that we would immediately begin with all pressure point stuff. I was surprised when he instead began to correct my body mechanics, posture, stance, timing, alignment, and focus... you know, all the basics.

He hardly showed any pressure points at all until I'd been training with him for several months, and even then, it was simple one or two point combinations. Here was the guy who had, literally, written the book on pressure points and he wasn't teaching me any of it. Was I angry, mad, frustrated?

Well, no.

Even without pressure points, I was learning more than I ever had before. I learned to move within my body's natural alignment, to use stance and timing to generate power, to make techniques work by concentrating my effort where I was strong rather than extending it to where I was weak.

I wasn't mad because I learned early on that pressure points, and particularly 'pressure point' knock outs, were the icing on the cake. While they play an important part in our technique, they do not replace the need for good, solid training.

Using pressure points makes everything easier. They help to unbalance and weaken your opponent, They create openings for attack. They cause internal vulnerability and confusion. But they're also no substitute for the physical skills and conditioning needed to survive a defensive situation.

A 'pressure point' knock out is a lot like a slam-dunk in basketball. They're spectacular to watch and you'd certainly be wise to attempt them when the opportunity is present, but you shouldn't base your entire game plan just on making slam dunks.

A good offense based on ball handling skills, deceptive passing, the threat of outside shots, and constant pressure is what makes slam-dunks possible. Not the other way around.

Pressure points are effective because they enhance the effect of already good techniques.
Most kyusho stylists do not exclusively practice 'pressure point' knock outs because they are aware that pressure points are just one piece of the puzzle. If a technique fails to work because the opponent isn't susceptible to that particular point or the strike misses its target, they simply maintain a strong position and initiate a follow-up technique.

Kyusho, as I have learned it, is about using as many fighting principles as possible to ensure success. Chris Thomas calls this Redundancy... Getting the technique to work even when we mess it up. If the pressure point doesn't work, I still maintain control of my opponent's balance; if he steadies himself, I keep his centerline open; if he slips out, I continue forward pressure and re-attack; if he brings his hands up, I kick to pressure points in his legs; and so on, until he goes down.

Unfortunately, there is no magic in pressure point techniques. Like all other martial arts, they require a solid foundation, proper body mechanics, commitiment, concentration, and most of all... practice.

I hope you've found this post helpful.

Respectfully,

Rick

2008-01-04T19:47:00.000-06:00

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A NEW YEAR - A NEW START

2008-01-01T20:40:00.000-06:00

Hi, and welcome back to kicksboxes... the 2008 edition!

I've taken some time off from blogging to get back to training and to make some improvements. Now fresh and ready for more, I hope to make 2008 an even better year for this site.

I'd like to kick off this year with a big announcement: Starting today, I will begin posting at TDA Training.

Nathan Teodoro, the host and founder of TDA Training (as well as the Convocation of Combat Arts Forum) has graciously asked me to be a co-author for his blog. I'm very honored by his invitation as he has one of the best martial arts/combatives related blogs on the Internet.

Every week I will post on a martial arts related topic as well as present color commentary on his stuff. I also plan on presenting a weekly wrap-up of combat sport news. It should be interesting and a lot of fun, so be sure to check it out!

As for kicksboxes; here I'll continue to provide insights into cross-training in the martial arts. It's taken me some time to reconcile my own thoughts on traditional martial arts, pressure point fighting, and combat sports. I love and respect them all.

Some people think that these different arts are incompatible and cannot be practiced together... They're wrong, and I hope to prove it over the course of this next year.

In the next several posts, I'll try to clear up some of the myths (as I see them) about pressure point fighting (kyusho jitsu).

Please remember that my views do not represent the views of Dillman Karate International or The Kyusho Jitsu Kenkyukai organization. Although the methods and principles taught by George Dillman and my instructor, Chris Thomas have greatly influenced the way I train and practice martial arts, I am still my own person and ultimately responsible for my own art.

This weblog is a collection of my thoughts and opinions regarding kyusho jitsu, combat sports, and the martial arts in general. Not everyone (including my instructors or fellow students) may agree with my interpretation of the arts, nor should they.

Instead, what I hope to provide at this site is an honest appraisal of the arts... what works, what doesn't, and why. While some would argue that their methods work based on the dogma or their particular background, I hope to use sound reasoning and logical arguments to make my point.

Luckily for me, I've had a good instructor who's allowed and encouraged me to be creative in my practice.

Anyway, I hope you'll stay with me and visit this blog regularly as we attempt to reconcile these differences.

Respectfully,

Rick