I think it is a huge mistake to limit karate to being a "stand-up" art. I also think it is a shame of what American Karate looks like and what passes at excellence.
That being said. We mostly don't know any better- as a whole. To the majority of people, karate is like a mystified version of kickboxing- which we understanding " 'cuz it's like boxing with kicks in there, so it's better."
There is so much more to karate than this. There is the individualistic, systematic, and focused study of distance, position and balance. Footwork comes later to the game. Grants, we want to study these and grow through them evenly, all at once, but it doesn't mean that we only pick one to be really good at. If my footwork is GREAT, but my balance is mediocre, I will be a mediocre fighter.
Karate has a certain ground game of its own. How often have you seen "grapplers" in the UFC kick while on their side or back to an opponent trying to get in. This isn't just "some trick, it's karate. Sometimes you see a scissors leg take down. The initial response is, yeah, but that's pure BJJ. No, it's not. For just as long as judo banned these kinds of techniques in tournament, karate encouraged them (along with the standing leg take-down, front, back, and double leg sweep, and the knee-mount). Flying Arm-bar: It's the step-over, kick, armbar upside down.
Despite all of this, there is one thing I want to be clear on: Karate does not do movement of body on body on the ground. Now, this isn't to say that it cannot, it simply doesn't. In the future it is my hope to take an analysis of grappling from a tangsudo-ist's standpoint, but for now I will let this suffice. Karate doesn't because it presumes to not want it. Right or wrong, the art has a built in presumption that if something goes to the ground, it better not be you, and if it is, you better be on top, in control and finishing it.
Train right. Train hard.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
"This is why I don't teach young kids well."
The title is a comment that my colleague and friend made. I would like to talk about the quote that spurred it. It was from a recent issue of the martial arts magazine flagship Black Belt Magazine. It reads as follows:
"As much as martial arts teachers who instruct children proclaim that the arts are for fun, fitness, entertainment or self-confidence, their essence is martial, military, life and death" (Simon Scher, Black Belt Magazine April 2011, p 73).
At first reading, I know exactly from where my colleague is coming. I have understood it and encountered it. But there is something that I think is very important in martial arts physical education that gymnastics, or other sports do not bring to the table. It is especially suited for young people, and it is this. One of the key component in teaching young children is not only letting them, but verbally encouraging them to take on that "warrior-persona." It is a role-play, almost. But it is part of them. It is part of all of us.
As instructors, we are mentors. This is true for adults, but holds especially true for youth. It is one of our responsibilities to other in teaching them. We teach them how to encounter a fundamental aspect of humanity-fighting for truth and defense. But there is more to just encountering it at the moment when it is needed. We help them to understand it. It's the "grown-up" adults that need to understand the other aspects of it (that includes the parents of children; and our selves).
The martial arts provide freedom for and within oneself- freedom of movement, truth seeking, morality [one the the key components in karate's launch into the mainstream educational world; it's publicly fudned in the oriental countries], and self.
Instructing children is a gift for many. It is also, however, an acquired skill. Teaching children is part about making karate "fun." But this is too often confused. Karate is fun because instructors are suppose to give positive re-enforcement to kids in an overdose, NOT because they are gamekeepers or babysitters. Teaching children is also about letting them learn their own selves. Martial arts for kids (and often adults) demands a certain level of co-ordination. When it isn't there, naturally for children, instructors may wisely spend time to inventively organize drills to help children do the martial arts we wish to teach them.
Instructing kids isn't about laughter. Martial arts is very serious. There is life and death, even from "just playing around" irresponsibly. But martial arts is about positive emotional re-enforcement, basic skills acquisition, and treating them with respect as human beings. Anyone can do it, but they simply need to let themselves see it. As instructors we help them to do that, in ways their own minds can understand (sometimes by teaching them the "correct" mentality).
To my colleague, I hope you sparked your own insights through this reading, as I expect that you should with your tuned mind. I had originally intended to blog on the interior life of the warrior, and how it relates to training, but that will be for another day.
Train happy. Train hard.
"As much as martial arts teachers who instruct children proclaim that the arts are for fun, fitness, entertainment or self-confidence, their essence is martial, military, life and death" (Simon Scher, Black Belt Magazine April 2011, p 73).
At first reading, I know exactly from where my colleague is coming. I have understood it and encountered it. But there is something that I think is very important in martial arts physical education that gymnastics, or other sports do not bring to the table. It is especially suited for young people, and it is this. One of the key component in teaching young children is not only letting them, but verbally encouraging them to take on that "warrior-persona." It is a role-play, almost. But it is part of them. It is part of all of us.
As instructors, we are mentors. This is true for adults, but holds especially true for youth. It is one of our responsibilities to other in teaching them. We teach them how to encounter a fundamental aspect of humanity-fighting for truth and defense. But there is more to just encountering it at the moment when it is needed. We help them to understand it. It's the "grown-up" adults that need to understand the other aspects of it (that includes the parents of children; and our selves).
The martial arts provide freedom for and within oneself- freedom of movement, truth seeking, morality [one the the key components in karate's launch into the mainstream educational world; it's publicly fudned in the oriental countries], and self.
Instructing children is a gift for many. It is also, however, an acquired skill. Teaching children is part about making karate "fun." But this is too often confused. Karate is fun because instructors are suppose to give positive re-enforcement to kids in an overdose, NOT because they are gamekeepers or babysitters. Teaching children is also about letting them learn their own selves. Martial arts for kids (and often adults) demands a certain level of co-ordination. When it isn't there, naturally for children, instructors may wisely spend time to inventively organize drills to help children do the martial arts we wish to teach them.
Instructing kids isn't about laughter. Martial arts is very serious. There is life and death, even from "just playing around" irresponsibly. But martial arts is about positive emotional re-enforcement, basic skills acquisition, and treating them with respect as human beings. Anyone can do it, but they simply need to let themselves see it. As instructors we help them to do that, in ways their own minds can understand (sometimes by teaching them the "correct" mentality).
To my colleague, I hope you sparked your own insights through this reading, as I expect that you should with your tuned mind. I had originally intended to blog on the interior life of the warrior, and how it relates to training, but that will be for another day.
Train happy. Train hard.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Karate - Trips
Yesterday was a great day for trips. It was also a great day for weapons.
Like I've written, time and again, Karate is more than just kick and punch. It has alot of takedowns. Though, there is something specific about karate takedowsn that distinguish them from judo, catch-wrestling, or any grappling. Karate takedowns seek to end the fight with a strike, one, hard, swift strike. For the karate-ka the takedown isn't to continue the fight, it is to end it.
Now, that isn't to say that the karate-ka is out of options once he hits the ground. He has an entire aspect of groundfighting striking to conside. There is a sleu of techniques that consider one to be on his or her back. These are mostly kicking techniques, but effective nonetheless. Likewise, there is no rule in the All Ruling Handbook: Ultimate Guide to the Mystic Art of Karate that says the joint-locks and strikes used in stand up cannot be used from being on the ground.
As for the evolution of groundfighting and oriental martial arts, that is for another blog. Onto the nature and importance of tripping. The foundation for art of tripping is a single principle: place the opponent on the ground and retain the superior position.
In the karate mindset: standing is always superior to not-standing. There is another rule that comes into play, however: Being able to reach when you opponent cannot reach you is a superior position that must be used to the advantage (if the fight must continue). This is why I mentioned the groundwork of karate, above.
I've mentioned the principle that puts ground work right into karate curriculum, but there is one other thing to beware. Many people thing tripping is easy. It is not. You cannot strike the foot and you cannot collapse the knee with your leg. It won't work or you'll be trapped. That being said, there is one place that you can find great videos that detail correct examples. You Tube.
I am presenting this clip from the first karate kid movie. It's a movie? Sure is. But so many techniques from both forms and ippon kumite (one-step sparrings) use "takedown-finish" combinatinos, and you hardly see them applied. This movie just used them very well. Attacking an opponent on the ground is not easy ( as you see in the final fight), but it is easier to attack a rolling opponent than one trying to kick you in the face. I'll leave this with you to digest.
In addition to trips and takedowns, I teach striking while on the ground and I view it as an essential fighting mode. I also view learning how to stand up properly and not provoke an attack from your opponent while you are defenseless nearly as important as falling properly. But that is for another time.
Like I've written, time and again, Karate is more than just kick and punch. It has alot of takedowns. Though, there is something specific about karate takedowsn that distinguish them from judo, catch-wrestling, or any grappling. Karate takedowns seek to end the fight with a strike, one, hard, swift strike. For the karate-ka the takedown isn't to continue the fight, it is to end it.
Now, that isn't to say that the karate-ka is out of options once he hits the ground. He has an entire aspect of groundfighting striking to conside. There is a sleu of techniques that consider one to be on his or her back. These are mostly kicking techniques, but effective nonetheless. Likewise, there is no rule in the All Ruling Handbook: Ultimate Guide to the Mystic Art of Karate that says the joint-locks and strikes used in stand up cannot be used from being on the ground.
As for the evolution of groundfighting and oriental martial arts, that is for another blog. Onto the nature and importance of tripping. The foundation for art of tripping is a single principle: place the opponent on the ground and retain the superior position.
In the karate mindset: standing is always superior to not-standing. There is another rule that comes into play, however: Being able to reach when you opponent cannot reach you is a superior position that must be used to the advantage (if the fight must continue). This is why I mentioned the groundwork of karate, above.
I've mentioned the principle that puts ground work right into karate curriculum, but there is one other thing to beware. Many people thing tripping is easy. It is not. You cannot strike the foot and you cannot collapse the knee with your leg. It won't work or you'll be trapped. That being said, there is one place that you can find great videos that detail correct examples. You Tube.
I am presenting this clip from the first karate kid movie. It's a movie? Sure is. But so many techniques from both forms and ippon kumite (one-step sparrings) use "takedown-finish" combinatinos, and you hardly see them applied. This movie just used them very well. Attacking an opponent on the ground is not easy ( as you see in the final fight), but it is easier to attack a rolling opponent than one trying to kick you in the face. I'll leave this with you to digest.
In addition to trips and takedowns, I teach striking while on the ground and I view it as an essential fighting mode. I also view learning how to stand up properly and not provoke an attack from your opponent while you are defenseless nearly as important as falling properly. But that is for another time.
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