As you probably already guessed, the kama were used to cut wheat, rice, and sugar cane on the island. The sickle is a very commonly developed tool and most cultures came up with something similar. The Okinawans, due to necessity, took things one step further and adapted it into a weapon.

The handles are made from a variety of hardwoods, and the blades of metal (obviously). The tang of the blade goes down into the handle and is fastened there. The area is then covered in a wrapping (the black in the kama above) as a final protective layer to keep everything as tight and sealed as possible. The wrapping is not a hand grip as you’ll sometimes see. Remember, those blades are going to be razor sharp on a real pair of kama and you wouldn’t want your hand anywhere near them.

The kama are instead gripped at the bottom of the shaft for maximum leverage during strikes and cuts. The primary striking areas are the sharpened inside of the blade, the blunt backend of the shaft/blade, and when the kama are folded inward, the butt edge of the shaft.

To see the kama at work, let’s take a peek at me attempting a kata (Odo no Kama Ni):

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You’ll notice the usage of sweeping motions combined with sharp pull-backs as the kama practitioner finds his/her way inside the maai of the attacker. The techniques for kama are universally useful, no matter what the attacker has in his hand, if anything; but one focus of the kata is being able to slip inside of the range of spears and swords, hooking the weapons aside just long enough to cut into the opponent. The duality of the weapon gives the practitioner a chance to block and enter in one motion.

If you are involved with kobudo or are thinking about it, try to avoid this sort of thing:

Traditional kama and xma kama are two very different animals. You’ll notice the kama above have extremely thin metal blades and air holes (not sure why). But more important than that, the practitioner is holding the kama in a very risky way. By grasping the middle he has eliminated any potential blocking surface, along with reducing the effectiveness of his attacks by about %50. Any strikes he might be able to produce with either blade or butt-end are going to be severely limited.

When it comes to kama, “extreme” kata and actual usage of the weapon are worlds apart. Both have their place so long as one doesn’t try to pretend to be the other.

In learning the kama, be sure to practice slowly and with a dull pair initially. You can even snag wooden ones, which you can later use for bunkai and kumite purposes. The hand changes and manipulations are difficult so don’t feel discouraged. Finally, be careful not to hook anyone around the neck too hard (not that I’ve ever done that).

This first video comes courtesy of failblog.org. In many sword arts, there is a concept called tameshigiri. Tameshigiri is the process of practice cutting through rolled up tatami mats or other artificial substitutes for the human body. In most instances, things go well and the viewing audience is impressed. Unfortunately this is not like most times…

You gotta believe that sword is razor sharp, which makes this all the more “holy crap!” worthy. I’m assuming everyone is ok as it didn’t seem to stick into anything (here’s hoping).

The next video is a lesson in getting what you pay for. If you’ve ever watched Home Shopping Network, you know that they sometimes come out with crazy deals like 600 knives for $79.95. They also sell curiously cheap katanas for right around the $40 mark. Why so cheap?

Ahhh. The only person truly shocked is the guy who got poked. This is also why live TV is so great – you never really know what’s going to happen. If you have one of these swords in your home (I do), make sure never to use it or even touch it.

The final video I think I showed once before, but it bares repeating for this particular post topic. A “master 9th dan” gets it into his head that he wants to do some cutting demos at a tournament. What his assistant doesn’t know is that the master needed a little more practice…

You gotta hand it to them for keeping composure though. It’s almost like accidents have happened before to these guys…

You may think that this post is purely for sick amusement, but you’d be wrong! In fact I am trying to communicate a very important message of not toying around with weapons, especially katanas. You kids out there – if you are thinking about running around, cutting off tree branches and stuff with a katana you bought at an anime convention, do not do it! I don’t want to have to make a fail post for you too.

During our training the instructor presented us with various self defense situations, and from time to time would ask us to show him how we would react. During each event I did my best to apply solid techniques as quickly as possible.

Eventually the instructor said to me, “That’s good, but you’re making a lot of assumptions aren’t you? You’re thinking he’s going to stand that still, be that loose, and let you do these techniques without a rough struggle? You gotta hit him hard. bang! Loosen him up, then apply your technique.”

At first I was a little embarrassed because an aikijujutsu instructor had to remind me, a karate guy, to do some hitting. But then I realized that he wasn’t providing advice from a stylistic perspective, but from real-life experience, having dealt with conflict most of his life through law enforcement in the Bronx.

The Value of Striking

The art side of martial arts can be a bit ensnaring. With a skilled, cooperate partner, it’s easy to come up with extremely impressive techniques. Over years of practice, we can develop an almost “magic-like” effectiveness as we learn the exact buttons to push on our fellow practitioners. Unfortunately, this cooperation also leads to bad assumptions about how violence and struggle actually takes place.

When dealing with true conflict, you can never be sure of the physical or mental state of an opponent. An assailant could have steely arms which make wrist locks useless. They could be tweeked on mind bending drugs, nullifying any pain-inducing techniques. Their nervous system could be just a bit different than you expect, making your vital point strikes inefficient.

In unpredictable situations, you want the most reliable and simple techniques possible – and in most cases those techniques are going to begin with hard striking.

Starting With Strikes

The problem with beginning your self defense with wrist locks, escapes, throws, or other maneuvers is that you haven’t done anything to disrupt the mental rhythm of your opponent. As you move, there is nothing stopping them from adjusting and moving with you. Of course, your technique might still work, but you’re relying on the inability of your opponent to cope rather than utterly stopping their ability to cope.

A hard strike to a vulnerable part of your opponent’s body will immediately shift their train of thought from attacking you to dealing with the injury you’ve inflicted. As their brain is being fed alert signals from the damaged part of the body, you can swiftly move into your jujutsu, judo, or aikido technique since the overall strength and tenacity of your opponent is temporarily nullified.

The Importance of Location

Striking just anywhere isn’t going to do it. There are some individuals who are in such great shape that you can slam them as hard as you want in the pecs, abs, arms, and thighs and they won’t be slowed down by it. Instead, strikes have to come quick and hard to vulnerable locations like the throat, eyes, ears, groin, and joints.

Even for opponent’s who are enraged or on drugs, a balance inhibiting box to the ears or blinding jab to the eyes will give you an immediate advantage.

A Practice Tip

When learning self defense, even at a beginner level, always utilize some sort of distraction. Even if you are trying to learn a specific joint lock or throw, start off with something that will freeze your opponent’s mental state. Good self defense comes from good practice, and if you drill distractions into your routine there is a much better chance they will be there when you need it.

For non-striking practitioners such as aikidoka or judoka, stick to your curriculum but try to learn from other styles that do utilize striking.

Perhaps next we can discuss the other weapons in the arsenal besides striking, and their place in the self defense cycle…

In the movie, a young Jennifer Connelly (Sarah) is aggravated with her life and role as perpetual babysitter to her younger brother (Toby). She wishes the Goblin King, a character from her favorite fairytale, would come take him away forever. Unfortunately for her, the Goblin King (Bowie) hears the request and obliges.

In order to save Toby, Sarah embarks on a long adventure through the Goblin King’s Labyrinth to save him.

Very early on in the labyrinth Sarah becomes befuddled. No matter how far or fast she runs, she can’t find any turns in the maze. It just seems endless and straight. She resolves to solve this puzzle by running even harder and faster down the corridor.

After what seems like an eternity of running, Sarah becomes flustered and stops.  While agonizing over her fate, she hears a strange voice…

So What?

At first Sarah’s journey seemed pretty simple – all she had to do was run as hard and fast as possible and she would eventually find the solution. However, she quickly realized the limited scope of her progress as she simply ran the preset path without thinking.

Eventually she paused…and met someone who was able to change her perspective. It turns out the improvement she was looking for miles down her current path existed right where she was standing.

In fact, had she been a little more patient, she could have learned even more.

In your training you can bang full steam ahead as long as you want, but there’s no guarantee it will get you where you want to go. The walls will dictate you if you let them.

Always listen to a humble worm when it’s trying to show you other perspectives. Talk to as many worms as possible. Listen for as long as possible. Become a worm yourself.

Every dojo has its own way of operating, but over the years I have found certain foundational concepts that lead practitioners to success and longevity in their training. I have also noticed some very common pitfalls that trap students in ways they never saw coming. It is my goal with this ebook to give students of all ages and ranks a deeper understanding of how to prosper in their chosen art.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE EBOOK NOW

Who It’s For:

This ebook is for traditional martial artists of all styles and experience levels. I start at the very beginning in order to help prepare individuals who have never stepped foot in a dojo. I move on to explain how to achieve continued success for current students, and end with advanced advice for people who are black belt and beyond.

Parents who are starting their kids in the arts can also benefit. As a parent, it is critical that you have an understanding of what is normal and abnormal behavior in a martial art school. Furthermore, you’ll want to learn how to deal with problem students, teachers, and other issues that could arise. You can also pass this ebook on to your child (depending on age of course) as it is written in a very accessible manner.

What’s Inside:

Here is a small sampling of the info covered inside -

• Achieving a beginner’s mindset
• Learning the martial arts uniform and belt
• Taking care of yourself and avoiding pitfalls
• Stretching and effective practice
• Handling problems with teachers and other students
• Fighting and self defense
• Dealing with rank and hierarchy
• Shuhari and lessons in being advanced

How To Download and Spread the Word:

To download the ebook, click on the above link or right here. If you are having trouble viewing it, make sure to install the latest version of Adobe Reader (which is also free). The ebook will likely open in a new window – from there click the little disk in the upper left hand corner to officially save it to your computer.

Link:

If you’d like to link to the ebook and tell your readers about it, here is some html (you can actually win some cool prizes by linking in):

<a href = “http://www.ikigaiway.com/2009/students-dojo-survival-guide/”>Free Martial Arts Ebook – Student’s Guide to Surviving a Traditional Dojo</a>

Tell a Friend:

Do you know someone who is either a martial artist or who has children in the arts? Help them today by sending a quick email with this url!

Stumble It:

Fan of Stumbleupon? If so, click here:

I hope you enjoy the book, and if you have any comments please leave them in the field below. I’m always looking for feedback or thoughts on what you think I should write about in the future.

I realized shortly after that, dangit, he was right! Since then I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to make that happen (which has finally arrived).

My free ebook “The Student’s Guide to Surviving a Traditional Dojo” is out and ready to go! As people get a chance to check it out, I would greatly appreciate any links, reviews, or discussions of it. But, instead of just being grateful, I’d like to offer up some sweet prizes to anyone generous enough to mention the book on their own website.

First let’s talk about the prizes, then the finer details.

The Prizes

For this contest there are going to be 3 winners (thanks to my good friends at Karate Depot). Each winner will be selected at random from the pool of participants. I will utilize a randomized computer program to ensure no shenanigans when selecting winners. Since the ebook is going to be about longevity in training and getting the most out of your martial arts experience, the prizes will reflect that goal:

3rd Place – Sheng Hua (Invigorating the Spirit) – Music CD

The music contained within this CD is based off of ancient Chinese therapeutic sounds. Using “The Origin of Disease in The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine”, Sheng Hua seeks to unite a healthy mind and body to create a strong spirit. What could be more important to training than a strong spirit?

2nd Place – Elite Leather Focus Target

There was a lot of buzz about this cool little training tool during my last giveaway, so I thought I would bring it back for another go. This double sided striking target is of the highest quality and can greatly assist both kicking and punching practice.

1st Place – Complete Macho Warrior Sparring Set

The Warrior Sparring Set is Macho’s top-of-the-line series. Complete with headgear, footpads, handpads, and mouthguard, this prize can prepare a new student for the rigors ahead or add some quality pads to a school’s inventory.

How To Win

To be entered into the contest, you must hyperlink back to the ebook in some fashion from your own website (the appropriate url and link info will be provided on monday’s release). Your link can be as simple as a sidebar hyperlink, or as involved as a entire post. If you review the book, it does not have to be glowing and positive in order to be entered (although I’d appreciate it, haha).

If you personally manage to convince another writer to talk about the ebook and link to it, not only will I enter their name into the drawing, but i’ll put another entry in for your name. Yes, this is a pyramid scheme – but one where everybody wins.

Although i’ll likely be able to track everybody’s links, if you’d like to be sure you get proper recognition include a comment in the field below about what you’ve done or email me at ikigai108 @ gmail.com.

* * *

I’d also like to take a moment to thank everyone who submitted tips to the ‘words of wisdom’ section. For those people who I wasn’t able to include, it was mostly a factor of repeated concepts rather than me disliking what you had to say. When there was overlap, I went on a first-come-first-entered basis just to be fair.

For those who are unfamiliar, Jissen is an online publication created and run by Iain Abernethy. Iain is a strong voice for traditional martial arts in the online community and I was very pleased to be able to contribute to his magazine.

My article for this issue is entitled “Okinawan Karate: An Eclectic Arsenal”. It is an exploration of the roots of traditional karate and an analysis of the way the original masters thought and trained.

Despite the serious divide between eclectic arts (like Jeet Kune Do, MMA, etc) and traditional arts, there are actually more connections than one might think. For example, did you know that old-style karate actively encouraged fighting and training from all three ranges, long, mid, and close? Furthermore, there were distinct methods of grappling known as Tegumi which were an integral part of the karate curriculum.

Another fact that often shocks modern practitioners is level to which instructors would share students, and encourage them to seek out knowledge from different sources. This hardly sounds like the strict, only-learn-from-me-I-have-the-secrets method we see today does it?

They may be buried underneath the sands of time, but the realities of classical training are still there for us to unearth. If you’re interested in finding out more about the development of karate and how history seems to be repeating itself – download the latest issue of Jissen for free – http://www.jissenmag.com/backIssues.asp

Sometimes these fights are taken down due to legal purposes, but if you check it out asap you’ll get to see one of the greatest demonstrations of karate in The Octogan ever recorded.

I know the last post was about MMA too, but I figured this was worth mentioning. If you haven’t been following, Lyoto Machida is a Shotokan stylist who has been making waves in the UFC. Machida is an extremely well rounded karate fighter who also holds a black belt in BJJ.

I wasn’t paying close attention to Machida’s progress until I read an excellent analysis of his role in the UFC over at Way of Least Resistance. Dan goes into much deeper detail than I intend to about Machida’s overall fighting style and how it is being received.

For me personally, I didn’t expect to see much of a difference between Machida and other UFC fighters. I figured his background was being hyped up, but that his overall approach would be the same as everyone elses. After seeing the fight video I can tell you my mind has been changed.

Machida uses some classic karate strategies that thrilled me when I saw them in action. His stancing, control of distance, timing, and techniques were beautifully karate. At one point (around 6:20) he throws a perfect straight punch that had trademark retraction, leaving the bulk of the force in Rashad and knocking him for a loop.

Evans, who has never before lost a fight in the UFC, was completely baffled at trying to find range. His techniques whiffed because Machida placed his body in a forward zenkutsu style stance, which oriented his head differently to his front leg than what boxers are accostomed to.

Machida’s kicks came with exceptionally small telegraphing. In the UFC, Muay Thai kicking has become prevelant and that usually entails front foot movement and hip opening for huge amounts of power. Without that telegraph, Machida was able to land big kicks.

So is Karate the Ultimate Style Again?

I think a lot of karate people are getting excited about Machida, which is annoying a lot of MMA people (and rightfully so in some cases). Lyoto is an exceptional fighter with great all around experience and it is my hope that he is respected as an individual rather than a cardboard cut-out of karate. I happen to know that a lot of karate people do not train the way he does, and would be trying to ride serious coattails by suggesting Machida is a representative of what all karateka can do.

That being said, the people that are downplaying Machida’s style are drinking a little bit of haterade. There is definite karate in Lyoto and it is proving to be extremely effective.

Unfortunately, as intimidating as Slice was during his street brawls, he didn’t quite translate into the world of MMA. In fact, he promptly got knocked out by Seth Petruzelli, a skilled but hardly headlining MMA fighter. This loss began a downward spiral for EliteXC, the company promoting Slice, and ultimately led to a franchise shut down (which I wrote about here).

EliteXC is still gone, but Slice is looking to make a comeback. The UFC runs an annual show called “The Ultimate Fighter” wherein two groups of potential MMA professionals get together and duke it out in tournament style elimination matches to find out who is best. The show is presented like a reality TV program, following the fighters as they live together in a giant mansion and struggle not to get wasted and punch each other out before the real fights start.

This year Slice will be joining them.

This is an interesting move for UFC president Dana White who has openly doubted Slice’s skill in the past. He and many professional MMA fighters believe that this particular opportunity is perfect for Slice as “Ultimate Fighter” is a proving ground and has supplied the UFC with some of its most dynamic combatants to date.

This push to involve the ratings-friendly Kimbo is coming shortly after a successful yet risky gamble on former WWE superstar Brock Lesner.

Lesnar, who is an absolute mountain of a human being, also struggled during his debut into MMA. White, being a very savvy business owner, must have seen potential for Lesnar’s abilities and marketability because he supported the big man and gave him a second shot, which Lesnar used to secure the heavyweight UFC title from Randy Couture.

Will Slice have the same success as Lesnar? It’s hard to say. But one thing is for sure – “Ultimate Fighter” will be giving us some very interesting and entertaining clips as Slice makes his second bid for MMA glory.

At the end of the ebook, I want to have a collection of tips and advice from all kinds of different practitioners. The topic is:

What’s your best piece of advice for surviving long-term martial arts training?

You can write as little as a sentence or as much as two paragraphs. Leave your response in the comments section to this blog post or in the original ebook post (or via email at ikigai108 @ gmail.com). Include your real name and style, and a link to your website (if you have one). Everyone selected for inclusion will get their name,style, and a hyperlink back to their website (which is a great way to increase exposure). You needn’t be a black belt to respond, but you should definitely have a few years of experience under your belt and be at least around the brown belt range.

I’ve had some great responses so far and I want to make sure everybody gets a chance to be a part of this project!