Gypsy Blood: Close to the knuckle
Fri, Jan 20 2012 10:55
| bjj, gypsy, bare knuckle fighting, boxing, fighting, www.amaclub.org.uk, street fight, fighters, escrima
| Permalink
Gypsy Blood aired on Channel 4 (10pm 19/01/12) to much interest from myself. I always watch C4’s forays into the insular world of travellers with a lot of guilt and voyeuristic interest. The derision and morally obliged sneering these programs create, are always sideshows away from what is an interesting and very real cultural ‘problem’ within British society.
The stereotypes and prejudices this community attracts are well documented and to a certain extent they are the skeleton for selling these documentaries to a wide mainstream audience. What Gypsy Blood tackled albeit somewhat ham-fistedly, is the phenomena that was once an everyday part of life for most people in Britain.
The scenes of hunting and butchery may have added an extra dimension to the violent and visceral nature of gypsy life, but it also highlighted just how people used to live and in many cases had to live to survive.
While you may find scenes of skinning and slaughter unsavoury; to eat meat in Britain and not know where it comes from when you pluck neat, vacuum packed chunks of meat from the shelves of your local supermarket, makes it hard to criticise people who make use of their own will and resources to feed themselves and their families.
As someone who grew up in a reasonably rural setting these ideas are nothing new and nor should they be seen to demonise a group of people. Unfortunately many comments over twitter as I watched the program seemed to use this as a second strand with which to condemn the gypsies on display.
In more mainstream culture boxing fans might be more au fait with the brilliantly named Tyson Fury. A gigantic figure quite literally, his moves into professional boxing give a glimpse of how the community finds itself both at odds with mainstream society and uses its ways to integrate in some small way.
The scenes of the children being educated in a mainstream setting should remind people that the power of education runs both ways. The cultural capital to these children is clearly very different to that of our own. How many middle class families insist their children now how to spot particular traits in working animals for instance?
Seeing a 7 year old boy check the wingspan of newly hatched chicks serves a stark illustration to the ways in which the travelling community are in many ways losing a race with the march of time and technology. It comes as no surprise that many of the complaints and accusations levelled at travellers can be traced not only to their status on the margins of society but the antiquated and somewhat odd way they have preserved their culture in ways only they see fit.
It is slightly ironic and coincidental that Channel 4 also regularly document the ways and lives of the Amish, who are perhaps a lot like the gypsies in being a somewhat maligned and stereotyped minority albeit in a much more positive tone. The supposition about religion and selective resistance to modernity might well be a way in which society at large deals with these groups.
For me the main draw was obviously the fighting culture that exists amongst gypsies. It is clear from both their treatment of animals and their own code of honour that fighting extends much beyond the man but out into the world. Like Filipinos and Brazilians the gypsies have a long and complex tradition in fighting cocks, dogs and each other to earn both reputation and status alongside cultural standing. This alone will be alienating to a society where fighting anything and anyone straddles and usually falls headlong into the criminal and subversive realm.
Interesting those countries mentioned above and their people would likely be seen in much the same ways as the gypsies are “lesser-developed”, archaic and in this case, vicious. But in those worlds the men who rear and fight animals or train themselves in the spheres of BJJ or Escrima respectively are not any different to the gypsy men who settle disputes with their fists.
Anyone who has the read excellent books A Fighter’s Heart or the sequel The Fighter’s Mind by Sam Sheridan will know the mixed feelings a little study and exposure these kinds of worlds can stir up in the Westerner.
The program showed this rather nakedly and almost indulging us viewers in the need to gawk and stare as the men threw punches, letting flesh and bone impact and collide. It was interesting to hear the familial lineage of the man whose grandfather fought so hard he lost a hand in the process of gaining victory. It was told in a way modern boxing fans might wistfully look back on the ‘Thrilla in Manila’ or Benn vs. Eubank etc.
While arguably the gypsy pugilists were accomplished and hardened fighters, it is easy to dismiss their brawn and brutish technique as a quasi-boxing style. What there might be in a lack of style is made up for in the truly universal spirit of ‘gameness’. The willingness to fight and the express wish for it to be passed down father to son was made plain numerous times. This is linked both not just to a sense of pride and self-worth, but also the reputation and future of the family within the community.
Parents in our society might well worry and endeavour for their children to strive for A level results and better themselves – here we see a similar paradigm placed on the ability and more importantly willingness to fight. Reference to the prejudices and difficulties these gypsies see coming from both their own community and the outside world were clearly evident amongst the numerous references to “not being talked down to or like you’re a fool”.
Feminists might cite with glee and some knowing glances; the overt masculinity to the point of parody even the pre-pubescent gypsy boys demonstrated for the camera, but aping their fathers shows just how predominant this culture is within the community.
Much disgust was rightly aimed at the lack of safety when allowing kids to spar and fall on concrete without any regard for safety. However it must be contextualised in two ways. First the question of how much of the scene was for the benefits of the camera and demonstrating the desired toughness the gypsies place so much value upon. Secondly we should consider whether this is any more dangerous than other sports and pursuits. In my classes children are never allowed to touch each other let alone spar; it is neither beneficial nor appropriate. However in the world were fighting is bred into you, it is a method that goes back to the year dot and is certainly no different to the millennia of training environments across the globe. It is simply alien and therefore shocking.
For anyone who has an interest in both boxing and its history they will be keen to point out that as recently as the Victorians Britons of all classes and creeds settled disputes in very public and very popular bare-knuckle matches. While far more bloody than some may care to contemplate the nature of bare-knuckled fighting actually seems far more palatable than that of professional or even amateur boxing. As Bob Mee suggests in his excellent if somewhat unashamed love letter to the bygone art of bare knuckle fighting Bare Fists the gloves of modern boxing cause far more damage and encourage far more trauma to the head and brain. Certainly the deaths in professional boxing that have caused so many accusations and controversies are far more shocking than the toll seemingly recorded in the annals of the bare knuckle histories.
Popular culture such as Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes franchise stars Wing Chun exponent Robert Downey Jr. who portrays the spectacle as Homes vividly meets and beats an opponent for fun! This longing and need to prove ourselves publicly and brutally was made famous by Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club made into a feature by David Fincher. It was particularly popular amongst young males in both formats but served as a reminder and insight into the masculinity attached to the desire and willingness to meet another man as the Ancient Greeks did and as these Gypsies still do.
Personally as a martial artist I see the pursuit of bare knuckle fighting as nothing shocking or new. These are pre-arranged fights and both participants are willing and able. Likewise there is a strict code and ethic attached to the fight both before during and after. Seeing the men shake hands and “put an end to the matter” struck me as far more, civilised than the brutal and savage street fights the news covers seemingly on a daily basis. For our society to judge with such an aloof and “informed” position leaves me uneasy to say the least.
For me, the programme had its problems and flaws but likewise the portrait painted of the travellers was a difficult and unflattering mixture of emotive themes and events. To pretend it is something new or specific to a underworld is utterly wrong and foolish. It is however a controversial relic from how life used to be and when framed in such a provocative community it is no surprise much of the outrage and disgust will be misguided and unbalanced.
Dogma is your enemy
Wed, Apr 20 2011 08:15
| MMA, bjj, martial arts, boxing, tkd, training, practice, martial arts Altrincham, escrima
| Permalink
When I was fairly 'young' in terms of my Wing Tsun learning I acquired and read GM Kernspchet's amazing book – On Single Combat. Written as a thesis that was turned into a book it is a work I've yet to see bettered (please let me know if you can think of any works that do!). Moreover some of the philosophy and approaches the book proposed really made up my mind to dedicate myself to WT.
The book talked of WT not being scared to “slay sacred cows” in order to produce better results. To train what works not what worked for someone else, somewhere else in another time just “because”. GM Kernspecht has clearly adhered to this all of his life and is continuing to do so. However the same can not be said for those of us lower down the chain.
A mix of fear and arrogance meant that often I encountered those unwilling to take risks, to try something else or accept that Wing Tsun is merely one “path up the mountain” and not the be all and all of everything martial arts related. It is in fact a well rounded system but other more exclusive arts specialise and therefore can surpass WT in it's given field.
While TKD might well be considered useless beyond kicking it is a kicking art and thus far it's worth noting this when trying to learn to deal with, or even use kicks of all shapes and sizes. Likewise with BJJ on the floor, or Escrima when it comes to facing an armed attacker. What does this all mean?
Really it means that while we can't and shouldn't train every art intensely and exclusively to avoid missing some secret or hidden gem. It is important to understand that all arts have survived for one reason or another and presumably it is because for certain people they have worked – at least in a sense to make it worth saving.
Often I hear very average students and fighters dismiss out of ignorance or fear one art or another, I've done it myself enough. However until you've taken the time and courtesy to train it then you really have no right or business denigrating the efforts and beliefs or others. Your teacher should not need you getting offended on his behalf at the arts and endeavours of others. No matter what you may think or understand of them. Nor should you need to comfort yourself and your choices with such sentiments.
When a student comes from another art or even another Wing Chun lineage I never try to compete with their art or their old teacher. It's not necessary. I am happy to answer their questions, give my own thoughts on technique XYZ or explain our approach at Altrincham. I shouldn't need to trick or confuse the student with making negative and unflattering comparisons between myself and where they've been before.
Likewise I like to train other arts and rarely do I try to tell people already there that I've done other arts and training. It's nice when after a session or two they acknowledge I have some idea/training but often it leads to them wanting to hurt me (albeit good naturedly) with overenthusiastic demonstrations and conversations on why I've finally “found the right place” etc. It is polite but more importantly better for you to “empty your cup” as the Chinese say or adopt a white belt mentality. You're in their class, their world with their rules and etiquette. I find you learn and earn more respect with ease if you do as your told.
What this really brings me back around to is the underlying fear amongst WT practitioners who never get to test themselves in competition and develop all sorts of angst about it. Simply put they can often disappear into hiding themselves in increasingly narrow minded ways of thinking and practising - often searching for how the old masters did things. Ironically Kernspecht presents many theories and evidence that WT has and was always a mixture of other arts and styles that stretch back centuries and possibly millennia!
Likewise there is an eagerness to poo-poo the methods and techniques of other arts or try to add disclaimers and caveats such as “well I'd never let them get that in, in the first place” etc. Simply put this type of thing no longer interests me. I look forward to meeting people who are keen and eager to learn and practise martial arts no matter what it is. I like to share ideas and experiences and I want to unpick their know-how to use it for myself.
Going forward I intend to try and pick and choose as many arts and training methods as I can. No matter where it comes from. It's only by doing we can learn. A thousand books on martial arts aren't worth a thousand seconds of training. It's about time we all tried to embrace this.
If you teach or train in other martial arts and would like to come down to AMAC feel free! We'd love to have you, whether it's to share knowledge, try something new or introduce us to what you do. Please let us know!
The book talked of WT not being scared to “slay sacred cows” in order to produce better results. To train what works not what worked for someone else, somewhere else in another time just “because”. GM Kernspecht has clearly adhered to this all of his life and is continuing to do so. However the same can not be said for those of us lower down the chain.
A mix of fear and arrogance meant that often I encountered those unwilling to take risks, to try something else or accept that Wing Tsun is merely one “path up the mountain” and not the be all and all of everything martial arts related. It is in fact a well rounded system but other more exclusive arts specialise and therefore can surpass WT in it's given field.
While TKD might well be considered useless beyond kicking it is a kicking art and thus far it's worth noting this when trying to learn to deal with, or even use kicks of all shapes and sizes. Likewise with BJJ on the floor, or Escrima when it comes to facing an armed attacker. What does this all mean?
Really it means that while we can't and shouldn't train every art intensely and exclusively to avoid missing some secret or hidden gem. It is important to understand that all arts have survived for one reason or another and presumably it is because for certain people they have worked – at least in a sense to make it worth saving.
Often I hear very average students and fighters dismiss out of ignorance or fear one art or another, I've done it myself enough. However until you've taken the time and courtesy to train it then you really have no right or business denigrating the efforts and beliefs or others. Your teacher should not need you getting offended on his behalf at the arts and endeavours of others. No matter what you may think or understand of them. Nor should you need to comfort yourself and your choices with such sentiments.
When a student comes from another art or even another Wing Chun lineage I never try to compete with their art or their old teacher. It's not necessary. I am happy to answer their questions, give my own thoughts on technique XYZ or explain our approach at Altrincham. I shouldn't need to trick or confuse the student with making negative and unflattering comparisons between myself and where they've been before.
Likewise I like to train other arts and rarely do I try to tell people already there that I've done other arts and training. It's nice when after a session or two they acknowledge I have some idea/training but often it leads to them wanting to hurt me (albeit good naturedly) with overenthusiastic demonstrations and conversations on why I've finally “found the right place” etc. It is polite but more importantly better for you to “empty your cup” as the Chinese say or adopt a white belt mentality. You're in their class, their world with their rules and etiquette. I find you learn and earn more respect with ease if you do as your told.
What this really brings me back around to is the underlying fear amongst WT practitioners who never get to test themselves in competition and develop all sorts of angst about it. Simply put they can often disappear into hiding themselves in increasingly narrow minded ways of thinking and practising - often searching for how the old masters did things. Ironically Kernspecht presents many theories and evidence that WT has and was always a mixture of other arts and styles that stretch back centuries and possibly millennia!
Likewise there is an eagerness to poo-poo the methods and techniques of other arts or try to add disclaimers and caveats such as “well I'd never let them get that in, in the first place” etc. Simply put this type of thing no longer interests me. I look forward to meeting people who are keen and eager to learn and practise martial arts no matter what it is. I like to share ideas and experiences and I want to unpick their know-how to use it for myself.
Going forward I intend to try and pick and choose as many arts and training methods as I can. No matter where it comes from. It's only by doing we can learn. A thousand books on martial arts aren't worth a thousand seconds of training. It's about time we all tried to embrace this.
If you teach or train in other martial arts and would like to come down to AMAC feel free! We'd love to have you, whether it's to share knowledge, try something new or introduce us to what you do. Please let us know!
The Fighter - Film Review
Tue, Feb 8 2011 10:50
| film review, boxing, martial arts Altrincham
| Permalink
This film has it's work cut out. Much hyped in a much trodden path of underdog struggling on his way to stardom and once again placed in the four corners of the boxing ring – or so it seems. Hollywood has gotten smarter than trotting out a film that simplistic and here we see not just a rise to fame and glory but a story too.
Based on the Life of “Irish” Mickey Ward (the harshly maligned yet excellent Wahlberg) a welterweight from the run down old Industrial town of Lowell, his story is not that unknown in boxing circles but up until now he's probably remained off the radar of the man in the street. A more traditional brawler and half brother of Dicky Eklund (Bale), Ward had grown up in awe and in the shadow of Dicky a fighter who once went toe to toe with Sugar Ray and knocked him down. The feat overshadowed the whole town and the lives of the Eklund/Ward clan. A veritable gallery of white trash sisters portrayed in the film as a mix of My Name is Earl extras and the cast of MacBeth make up the other seven siblings that Dicky and Mickey share are all controlled and dominated by the lean chain smoking matriarch of Alice Ward (Leo) who is a manager to the boys. She orchestrates the fights where Mickey looks to get established and runs the household whilst Dickey looks to “come back” despite constant run ins with the law and a crack addiction being captured by a cold and mocking documentary crew. Mickey bears his brothers sins and shortcomings and the rest ignore it where they can.
Interestingly Ward's trainer Mickey O'Keefe plays himself in the film adding to the sense of authenticity and honesty that a Hollywood biopic will often strive for and rarely deliver on. If we look for clichés they can be found in abundance – self-doubt, familial feuds and reconciliation, training montages, brutal fight reconstructions, a mix of archive and diegetic footage, brushes with the law etc. These things can all be found in varying from Rocky's syndicated story, to the excellent Ali to the less renowned The Hurricane, or any other boxing flick you care to mention and perhaps here we see the real tightrope the film walks.
Everyone who goes to see it will do so for various reasons and it's likely they'll see what attracted them to the film subsumed into a much greater product. There's a boxing movie within a very real and raw human drama. A story of hope, of wrongs being righted, forgiveness and the glory of persistance and belief. The culmination of Mickey's career is bookended nicely with footage of both Wahlberg and Bale in character talking about the fraternal relationship now healed, followed by the real brothers laughing and joking. The reality dawns on you there as to how well they've been portrayed and how all of us can find inspiration in the labours of men who never gave up on each other or themselves no matter how damned and desperate they seemed to be.
The actual boxing scenes, which are really what of interest to martial artists looking to see America's favourite martial spectacle for decades are excellent, professionally handled and brutal at times. The spatter of blood and Ward's chances fly across the canvas and the screen with such unflinching realism that it is easy to feel like you're in there with Ward, dodging every punch you can. Much like Mann's excellent Ali and the seminal Raging Bull the fight scenes leave their mark on the audience and there is feeling such are the leads' dedication they probably insisted on being hit properly and you see and feel every dig with them.
Based on the Life of “Irish” Mickey Ward (the harshly maligned yet excellent Wahlberg) a welterweight from the run down old Industrial town of Lowell, his story is not that unknown in boxing circles but up until now he's probably remained off the radar of the man in the street. A more traditional brawler and half brother of Dicky Eklund (Bale), Ward had grown up in awe and in the shadow of Dicky a fighter who once went toe to toe with Sugar Ray and knocked him down. The feat overshadowed the whole town and the lives of the Eklund/Ward clan. A veritable gallery of white trash sisters portrayed in the film as a mix of My Name is Earl extras and the cast of MacBeth make up the other seven siblings that Dicky and Mickey share are all controlled and dominated by the lean chain smoking matriarch of Alice Ward (Leo) who is a manager to the boys. She orchestrates the fights where Mickey looks to get established and runs the household whilst Dickey looks to “come back” despite constant run ins with the law and a crack addiction being captured by a cold and mocking documentary crew. Mickey bears his brothers sins and shortcomings and the rest ignore it where they can.
Interestingly Ward's trainer Mickey O'Keefe plays himself in the film adding to the sense of authenticity and honesty that a Hollywood biopic will often strive for and rarely deliver on. If we look for clichés they can be found in abundance – self-doubt, familial feuds and reconciliation, training montages, brutal fight reconstructions, a mix of archive and diegetic footage, brushes with the law etc. These things can all be found in varying from Rocky's syndicated story, to the excellent Ali to the less renowned The Hurricane, or any other boxing flick you care to mention and perhaps here we see the real tightrope the film walks.
Everyone who goes to see it will do so for various reasons and it's likely they'll see what attracted them to the film subsumed into a much greater product. There's a boxing movie within a very real and raw human drama. A story of hope, of wrongs being righted, forgiveness and the glory of persistance and belief. The culmination of Mickey's career is bookended nicely with footage of both Wahlberg and Bale in character talking about the fraternal relationship now healed, followed by the real brothers laughing and joking. The reality dawns on you there as to how well they've been portrayed and how all of us can find inspiration in the labours of men who never gave up on each other or themselves no matter how damned and desperate they seemed to be.
The actual boxing scenes, which are really what of interest to martial artists looking to see America's favourite martial spectacle for decades are excellent, professionally handled and brutal at times. The spatter of blood and Ward's chances fly across the canvas and the screen with such unflinching realism that it is easy to feel like you're in there with Ward, dodging every punch you can. Much like Mann's excellent Ali and the seminal Raging Bull the fight scenes leave their mark on the audience and there is feeling such are the leads' dedication they probably insisted on being hit properly and you see and feel every dig with them.
The last word should go to Leo and Adams who as the main female leads keep pace and probably outshine the efforts of Bale in his broken and skittish portrayal of Eklund ravaged by crack and his own myth. Their roles are such that the film really hangs on them and they carry out their duties flawlessly bringing a dimension to a film and wider genre dominated by testosterone and masculinity. In fact not since Mann's Public Enemies have I seen this good at the cinema, such is the quality of execution and entertainment the stellar cast and crew bring to the Fighter.
Should it hurt like that?
Sun, Oct 10 2010 12:46
| injuries, martial arts, cardio, boxing, form, Wing Tsun Kung fu, martial arts Altrincham, stretching, kickboxing
| Permalink
I was going to start this blog by saying that nothing you do in martial arts should hurt -but that's patently rubbish. It's not even true to say that nothing you do in martial arts should hurt you. Stretching being a pertinent case in point personally speaking. Hard clay-like muscles and tendons aside I was not graced with qualities such as stopping because something hurts a bit. I've finished sessions covered in blood, sweat and snot and usually most of it isn't someone else's.
When I first started to train really hard I went through a phase of presuming if it didn't leave me broken in some way I was wussing out or doing it wrong. Perhaps not the sensible or smart way to approach things. I'll happily admit that deep down as much as I relish getting hit I don't relish getting hit directly in the face when I could have prevented it. There's a fuzzy distinction to be drawn. Similarly I don't mind the aches and the pains of training; DOMS from hitting weights, or stiff burnt out calves from cardio, the scabs from split lips or busted knuckles are all things I can live with. Where it starts to become a problem is when you pull (or even worse) tear that muscle you didn't need to. Injuries are something I've made quite a habit of and to be honest I wish I'd taken other people's advice more. There's nothing worse than missing training because you've been an idiot. It does you no good and to be honest no one gives a crap that you're bandaged up because you did something preventable.
Stretching is commonplace for most kicking arts and boxers, wrestlers any athlete really but in Wing Tsun it seems deemed as contemptible and “unnecessary” by many practitioners. I generalise of course but out of all the teachers I've come into contact few pay more than lip service to it. I understand their position. We place very little impact and strain on our joints compared to most arts. The problem is that the stress is rather more gradual and often it is forgotten by us teaching.
When our students first learn IRAS stance and practice form, hand-shapes and even stepping we often seem to be confused if not dismissive of their “should my knees hurt?” type questions. I'd say at least 75% ask and the other 25% suffer in silence out of embarrassment or the misplaced assumptions I had early on. Often when we see things for the first time we put our all into them. This often means we exert extra and unnecessary muscular force into things like punching and our stance. This muscular tension can be rather dangerous particularly when one is still trying to learn correct technique. Forcing your muscles into any position is going to be a wing and prayer type scenario if you are stubborn enough to forgo comfort in search of excellence.
IRAS is particularly dangerous the odd and new angles asked our knees and ankles can often lead to people “limboing” as they push their knees down and forward over their toes into an uncomfortable and dangerous position. The basic rule if there is pain whether immediate or accrued over time is to stop and say “what's going on?”. Perform the move as you normally would and look in the mirror see if there are any obvious defects with your alignment. Ask yourself how “tight” do the muscles and joints feel. People forget or do not know just how “soft” WT is and therefore exertion is not always needed. When learning especially good technique done “softly” is often much better. It is easy to build up power or speed in your movements. It is hard to undo them to replace technique afterwards I find.
Most importantly of all -ask. Pull your teacher to one side or find a senior student and get them to check out anything that is causing particular concern or discomfort. The answer is usually quite simple and the smallest tweak or adjustment can work wonders. I've had people email me and calling it a day saying that WT is wrecking their bodies. A fair comment if you add in the caveat that their interpretation of WT is wrecking their body at the moment. We can't blame the art it's intangible – we can look at ourselves in that mirror literally and figuratively before pointing fingers. Preferably non arthritic fingers at that.
When I first started to train really hard I went through a phase of presuming if it didn't leave me broken in some way I was wussing out or doing it wrong. Perhaps not the sensible or smart way to approach things. I'll happily admit that deep down as much as I relish getting hit I don't relish getting hit directly in the face when I could have prevented it. There's a fuzzy distinction to be drawn. Similarly I don't mind the aches and the pains of training; DOMS from hitting weights, or stiff burnt out calves from cardio, the scabs from split lips or busted knuckles are all things I can live with. Where it starts to become a problem is when you pull (or even worse) tear that muscle you didn't need to. Injuries are something I've made quite a habit of and to be honest I wish I'd taken other people's advice more. There's nothing worse than missing training because you've been an idiot. It does you no good and to be honest no one gives a crap that you're bandaged up because you did something preventable.
Stretching is commonplace for most kicking arts and boxers, wrestlers any athlete really but in Wing Tsun it seems deemed as contemptible and “unnecessary” by many practitioners. I generalise of course but out of all the teachers I've come into contact few pay more than lip service to it. I understand their position. We place very little impact and strain on our joints compared to most arts. The problem is that the stress is rather more gradual and often it is forgotten by us teaching.
When our students first learn IRAS stance and practice form, hand-shapes and even stepping we often seem to be confused if not dismissive of their “should my knees hurt?” type questions. I'd say at least 75% ask and the other 25% suffer in silence out of embarrassment or the misplaced assumptions I had early on. Often when we see things for the first time we put our all into them. This often means we exert extra and unnecessary muscular force into things like punching and our stance. This muscular tension can be rather dangerous particularly when one is still trying to learn correct technique. Forcing your muscles into any position is going to be a wing and prayer type scenario if you are stubborn enough to forgo comfort in search of excellence.
IRAS is particularly dangerous the odd and new angles asked our knees and ankles can often lead to people “limboing” as they push their knees down and forward over their toes into an uncomfortable and dangerous position. The basic rule if there is pain whether immediate or accrued over time is to stop and say “what's going on?”. Perform the move as you normally would and look in the mirror see if there are any obvious defects with your alignment. Ask yourself how “tight” do the muscles and joints feel. People forget or do not know just how “soft” WT is and therefore exertion is not always needed. When learning especially good technique done “softly” is often much better. It is easy to build up power or speed in your movements. It is hard to undo them to replace technique afterwards I find.
Most importantly of all -ask. Pull your teacher to one side or find a senior student and get them to check out anything that is causing particular concern or discomfort. The answer is usually quite simple and the smallest tweak or adjustment can work wonders. I've had people email me and calling it a day saying that WT is wrecking their bodies. A fair comment if you add in the caveat that their interpretation of WT is wrecking their body at the moment. We can't blame the art it's intangible – we can look at ourselves in that mirror literally and figuratively before pointing fingers. Preferably non arthritic fingers at that.
Review: Ultimate Warrior Workouts by Martin Rooney
Sun, Sep 5 2010 10:05
| MMA, karate, kettlebells, martial arts, sambo, boxing, muay thai, keep fit, Wing Tsun Kung fu, martial arts Altrincham, kickboxing, judo
| Permalink
The concept of mixed martial arts (MMA) as a sport and spectacle often rankles with the purists amongst the kung fu and wider martial arts communities in my experience. There is perhaps a distrust and even jealousy in some cases of the guys involved. Dismissed as “meatheads” or barbarians who are destroying the sanctity of arts with their cherry-picking and cross training ways. Ironically most of these guys, particularly in the Wing Tsun community will express a deep love of Bruce Lee – the movie star who built his house on breaking the mould in the field of martial arts training.
The pedigree of Rooney as a trainer of champions is impressive and in this book he relays some great philosophy and musings on the lot of the martial artist. I was worried when I invested in this tome on a whim I might have wasted my money on yet another book that promises a lot and fails to deliver. Luckily those fears were dismissed in the opening few pages.
Rooney wanted to write this book by training with the best in certain fields he identified as crucial to success for the MMA fighter in the octagon today. He identified the arts/styles and relevant instructors and went and trained with them on location. From Brazil for BJJ to Russia for Sambo or Thailand for Muay Thai to Japan for Karate and Judo to locations in USA for Wrestling etc. Offering a small apology to anyone offended by the omission of their style Rooney might be covering himself needlessly. As a WT exponent for years I'd be amazed and amused as to how he can reconcile it with what is clearly a sporting pursuit. While some WT guys bristle at the chiding challenges as to why no one from the art has stepped into the ring with the new boys on the block, it's not really necessary. When they let us go in un-gloved and able to gouge, pull, snap and break you might see WT in full fury and glory – you might also see the collapse of society back into a Roman state of bloodsport and grisly macabre.
I am not a purist. I've enjoyed sparring with other styles and am fully aware I do not represent WT, it represents me. Anything I do wrong or badly is not the fault of the art but my understanding of it. So with that in mind what does this book offer?
Well the answer is a lot of exercises that relate to specific arts and therefore the all round fitness of the MMA exponent or enthusiast. Personally I was bit concerned as each chapter seemed filled with hundreds of press up variations on first skim. This perhaps vindicates me in my notion that weightlifting is only a small part of the martial artist's needs.
Glossy and clearly written there is little here in terms of long essays but some honest and practical advice from a man who is clearly a fan-boy and student of martial arts as opposed to a self-aggrandising master or guru. Rooney comes across as quite likeable in the course of the book, from art to art and country to country. What you build up is a clear picture of the dedication all races and arts bring to the table and how there is more to martial arts than Oriental chaps in pyjamas smashing each other about. All countries have great fighters and ergo great martial arts if you scratch the surface a little.
There is a heavy flavour of 'sports science' pervading the book. A meal planner and massive six month (yes I know, SIX of 'em) workout schedule. Whilst that may seem unwieldy the excellent photography and detail within this book make it more manageable. In fact I am still tempted as I type to embark on the mammoth quest of six months with religious vigour and see how I progress. Added into that there are specific “warrior challenges” to test yourself and a level system in place there is reason to think this book and Rooney's work provides many years of mileage for the hobbyist and pro alike.
Overall I really like it as a book and concept, its weaknesses are the same as any other book trying to relay the split seconds of physical exertion that is combat in still and academic media such as a textbook. It is perhaps biased towards the more well known arts it covers but for Rooney there is little market share for a book on obscure and esoteric fighting arts that while deadly have no place in rules and sport of MMA. For example it would be impossible and fruitless to try and capture the mechanics of Poon Sau that develops soft and reflexive responses to unprovoked attacks. In the scope of MMA you should know and expect an onslaught from the opening bell as it were.
The real strength of this book is the sport and athletic elements that are relevant to everyone. The attitude that technique prevails so common in many non-sporting arts is something that cuts little ice with me. Those that believe simply training ideas without any physical exertion are kidding themselves I'm afraid. While the ravages of time might be compensated for with technique when you are younger and more inexperienced the ability to be resilient and fit in order to fight is crucial as you don't have decades of practice to refine your skills behind you, unless of course, you hope not to use them until you are old. This book will no doubt inspire and guide you to become a “warrior” should you choose to accept the long and arduous path ahead. A great and easy to use manual that will help you up your game.
The pedigree of Rooney as a trainer of champions is impressive and in this book he relays some great philosophy and musings on the lot of the martial artist. I was worried when I invested in this tome on a whim I might have wasted my money on yet another book that promises a lot and fails to deliver. Luckily those fears were dismissed in the opening few pages.
Rooney wanted to write this book by training with the best in certain fields he identified as crucial to success for the MMA fighter in the octagon today. He identified the arts/styles and relevant instructors and went and trained with them on location. From Brazil for BJJ to Russia for Sambo or Thailand for Muay Thai to Japan for Karate and Judo to locations in USA for Wrestling etc. Offering a small apology to anyone offended by the omission of their style Rooney might be covering himself needlessly. As a WT exponent for years I'd be amazed and amused as to how he can reconcile it with what is clearly a sporting pursuit. While some WT guys bristle at the chiding challenges as to why no one from the art has stepped into the ring with the new boys on the block, it's not really necessary. When they let us go in un-gloved and able to gouge, pull, snap and break you might see WT in full fury and glory – you might also see the collapse of society back into a Roman state of bloodsport and grisly macabre.
I am not a purist. I've enjoyed sparring with other styles and am fully aware I do not represent WT, it represents me. Anything I do wrong or badly is not the fault of the art but my understanding of it. So with that in mind what does this book offer?
Well the answer is a lot of exercises that relate to specific arts and therefore the all round fitness of the MMA exponent or enthusiast. Personally I was bit concerned as each chapter seemed filled with hundreds of press up variations on first skim. This perhaps vindicates me in my notion that weightlifting is only a small part of the martial artist's needs.
Glossy and clearly written there is little here in terms of long essays but some honest and practical advice from a man who is clearly a fan-boy and student of martial arts as opposed to a self-aggrandising master or guru. Rooney comes across as quite likeable in the course of the book, from art to art and country to country. What you build up is a clear picture of the dedication all races and arts bring to the table and how there is more to martial arts than Oriental chaps in pyjamas smashing each other about. All countries have great fighters and ergo great martial arts if you scratch the surface a little.
There is a heavy flavour of 'sports science' pervading the book. A meal planner and massive six month (yes I know, SIX of 'em) workout schedule. Whilst that may seem unwieldy the excellent photography and detail within this book make it more manageable. In fact I am still tempted as I type to embark on the mammoth quest of six months with religious vigour and see how I progress. Added into that there are specific “warrior challenges” to test yourself and a level system in place there is reason to think this book and Rooney's work provides many years of mileage for the hobbyist and pro alike.
Overall I really like it as a book and concept, its weaknesses are the same as any other book trying to relay the split seconds of physical exertion that is combat in still and academic media such as a textbook. It is perhaps biased towards the more well known arts it covers but for Rooney there is little market share for a book on obscure and esoteric fighting arts that while deadly have no place in rules and sport of MMA. For example it would be impossible and fruitless to try and capture the mechanics of Poon Sau that develops soft and reflexive responses to unprovoked attacks. In the scope of MMA you should know and expect an onslaught from the opening bell as it were.
The real strength of this book is the sport and athletic elements that are relevant to everyone. The attitude that technique prevails so common in many non-sporting arts is something that cuts little ice with me. Those that believe simply training ideas without any physical exertion are kidding themselves I'm afraid. While the ravages of time might be compensated for with technique when you are younger and more inexperienced the ability to be resilient and fit in order to fight is crucial as you don't have decades of practice to refine your skills behind you, unless of course, you hope not to use them until you are old. This book will no doubt inspire and guide you to become a “warrior” should you choose to accept the long and arduous path ahead. A great and easy to use manual that will help you up your game.
Pulling the Trigger
Tue, Jan 19 2010 01:37
| strikes, martial arts, punching, boxing, hitting, exercise, Wing Tsun Kung fu, martial arts Altrincham, self defence
| Permalink
A little test I like to perform when a new student walks through the door is something very simple – a short question is all it takes “if you were going to hit me as hard as you can.....how would you do it?” Understandably this is sometimes followed with awkward shuffling and wringing of hands. It’s not an idea or a concept people are comfortable with, but if you turn up to a martial arts class it is very relevant I’d say.
Talk to any of the poor people that have to suffer my lessons and they’ll tell you many things, especially how I seem to say the same things again and again. One of my fundamental principles is to put someone out of action in as fewer hits as possible – preferably one.
A common myth or misconception is that to defeat someone you must hit them all over using as many different attacks and body parts as possible. I blame the movies for compounding this notion that a roundhouse kick to the face is as practical as it is cool. In truth what people really need is “point theory”.
I explain this theory with a simple rather sexist analogy. If I kick you in the balls (sorry ladies please use your empathy here) where is the last place in the world, you want me to strike you again? Yep. Square in the knackers is the right answer.
If I break your ribs with my first punch, why wouldn’t I keep hitting them and push the shards through your internal organs? It won’t take much, it’ll put you out of action, and I’ll get to walk away. If you cover the first wounded area then this will of course leave your head or another “hotspot” exposed.
It may seem obvious to you now, if you hadn’t considered it. But often this comes as a revelation to many. Perhaps they simply haven’t had the scenario or impulse to consider something so socially reprehensible, but as a martial artist it is essential to be honest and truthful about things no matter how stark or uncomfortable they may be.
One other thing of note from the question posed to new students about their “hardest punch” is the fact that 99% of people perform some form of boxing style straight. Often they pick their front hand, not the much more powerful cross with the support of the hips and added distance off of the back hand just to insult the question I asked a little more.
Usually this is because of a lack of confidence or fear of “doing it wrong” and is perfectly normal. However it also seems that people know boxers hit hard (bloody hard, as my head will attest to) and thus this must be the most powerful way a person can hit. Not entirely unreasonable but there is one major flaw with this truism.
Boxing is not natural, it is not innate it is a very powerful art and to punch correctly is a skill learned and practiced. You need the right co-ordination, timing and muscular input to make these punches work. Furthermore these strikes are not easily compatible with the stance, theories and practice of Wing Tsun. Teaching someone to box before they can even learn WT is no good. Although a person might find it handy it is not useful in their pursuit of kung fu or self defence.
What I give students is lovingly referred to as the “hammer blow”. Using the natural alignment of the body, gravity and momentum it is a devastating strike, easy to perform and completely intuitive. It is also high applicable as even a newbie can secure their opponent by grabbing them with their weak hand and pummelling them with this devastating move!
Take your strong hand and raise it above your head, fist clenched, make sure your feet are evenly spread and your weight distributed. Throw the arm down and forward allowing the arm to “whip” your fist into your target as if throwing a ball. At the same time drop your centre of gravity through the legs. Make contact through the base of your hand in line with the wrist and ulna in your forearm as if you were performing a chop with your fingers clenched.
Practice on a pad and you’ll soon feel the natural swing of the movement and the raw power behind it. Remember to drop through the legs or you waste so much potential force it is untrue. Once comfortable this can be practiced in the air and on pads to build strength and coordination. If you feel confident loop the hit back across the body as if performing a back-fist in a figure of eight motion. This increases the damage done and teaches great hand-eye coordination and offers very good exercise if performed vigorously for a few minutes.
The hammer blow and subsequent back fist offer two very deadly strikes that do not require raw power or muscle just some simple balance and willingness. Take five minutes of your time everyday and try them out on both hands, you’ll soon reap the martial and fitness rewards!
Talk to any of the poor people that have to suffer my lessons and they’ll tell you many things, especially how I seem to say the same things again and again. One of my fundamental principles is to put someone out of action in as fewer hits as possible – preferably one.
A common myth or misconception is that to defeat someone you must hit them all over using as many different attacks and body parts as possible. I blame the movies for compounding this notion that a roundhouse kick to the face is as practical as it is cool. In truth what people really need is “point theory”.
I explain this theory with a simple rather sexist analogy. If I kick you in the balls (sorry ladies please use your empathy here) where is the last place in the world, you want me to strike you again? Yep. Square in the knackers is the right answer.
If I break your ribs with my first punch, why wouldn’t I keep hitting them and push the shards through your internal organs? It won’t take much, it’ll put you out of action, and I’ll get to walk away. If you cover the first wounded area then this will of course leave your head or another “hotspot” exposed.
It may seem obvious to you now, if you hadn’t considered it. But often this comes as a revelation to many. Perhaps they simply haven’t had the scenario or impulse to consider something so socially reprehensible, but as a martial artist it is essential to be honest and truthful about things no matter how stark or uncomfortable they may be.
One other thing of note from the question posed to new students about their “hardest punch” is the fact that 99% of people perform some form of boxing style straight. Often they pick their front hand, not the much more powerful cross with the support of the hips and added distance off of the back hand just to insult the question I asked a little more.
Usually this is because of a lack of confidence or fear of “doing it wrong” and is perfectly normal. However it also seems that people know boxers hit hard (bloody hard, as my head will attest to) and thus this must be the most powerful way a person can hit. Not entirely unreasonable but there is one major flaw with this truism.
Boxing is not natural, it is not innate it is a very powerful art and to punch correctly is a skill learned and practiced. You need the right co-ordination, timing and muscular input to make these punches work. Furthermore these strikes are not easily compatible with the stance, theories and practice of Wing Tsun. Teaching someone to box before they can even learn WT is no good. Although a person might find it handy it is not useful in their pursuit of kung fu or self defence.
What I give students is lovingly referred to as the “hammer blow”. Using the natural alignment of the body, gravity and momentum it is a devastating strike, easy to perform and completely intuitive. It is also high applicable as even a newbie can secure their opponent by grabbing them with their weak hand and pummelling them with this devastating move!
Take your strong hand and raise it above your head, fist clenched, make sure your feet are evenly spread and your weight distributed. Throw the arm down and forward allowing the arm to “whip” your fist into your target as if throwing a ball. At the same time drop your centre of gravity through the legs. Make contact through the base of your hand in line with the wrist and ulna in your forearm as if you were performing a chop with your fingers clenched.
Practice on a pad and you’ll soon feel the natural swing of the movement and the raw power behind it. Remember to drop through the legs or you waste so much potential force it is untrue. Once comfortable this can be practiced in the air and on pads to build strength and coordination. If you feel confident loop the hit back across the body as if performing a back-fist in a figure of eight motion. This increases the damage done and teaches great hand-eye coordination and offers very good exercise if performed vigorously for a few minutes.
The hammer blow and subsequent back fist offer two very deadly strikes that do not require raw power or muscle just some simple balance and willingness. Take five minutes of your time everyday and try them out on both hands, you’ll soon reap the martial and fitness rewards!
Fighting Fit (and other ideals)
Sat, Jan 9 2010 10:05
| speed, stamina, sport, health, strength, wrestling, martial arts, power, boxing, exercise, Wing Tsun Kung fu, fitness, martial arts Altrincham
| Permalink
Fitness, exercise and performance are all issues that cause much debate in the martial arts and the wider world. The fact it is a billion dollar industry across the globe tells us all we need to know about the incessant hunt for new ideas, products gadgets and to some extent fetishist tendencies of those involved.
How many gyms does your local area have? Even twenty years ago the idea of attending a gym was a rather quirky and niche one. The modern phenomena of the high street “mall” style gym is interesting in itself however what role do they play for the martial artist?
Shouldn’t training alone give you the body you desire? Well that depends if what you desire is a body you can use or one you can flaunt. Professional boxers and wrestlers all have enviable physiques and this come from the training they do and the physical needs they have.
However we can learn a lot from these disciplines in terms of performance and fitness. Imagine having the strength, speed and endurance of a boxer with the subtlety and skill Wing Tsun offers, it is something Grandmaster Kernspecht seems to know a great deal about.
It is no coincidence in my opinion that at the beginning of his WT career GM Kernspecht was a beast of a man, a professional wrestler and martial artist of some repute. These days he places great emphasis on the most basic and challenging of exercises – the pull up. Despite some bizarre preconceptions I have come across, it is very obvious the ancient Chinese have used various calisthenics (bodyweight exercises), fitness tools (ropes, weapons, large iron locks) and challenges to keep a person fitter and more alert. Yoga and tai chi may look like gentle pursuits but they are tougher than some sparring session if you ask me!
Combine the pull up with the Spartan favourite – press ups, and Russian staple – squats the GM’s exercise makes up part of a holy trinity for me in terms of martial fitness.
There is an odd belief or denial amongst some Kung Fu practitioners that their skill and dedication is far more important than having a useful and well maintained body. I am dubious of this. If you don’t take of yourself and maintain your strength, suppleness and ability to push your body how can you survive in a fight?
If you are barely fit enough to break into a jog, lasting punch for punch with any foe (however unsophisticated they may be) is going to go horribly wrong. So what’s the answer then? For me it is keeping a healthy level of fitness and performance as a bare minimum, this is a key to life in general not just martial arts.
If you can spare half an hour a day you can achieve a lot, combine that with your regular training and you’ll be doing ok. These things are all relative, the more you want to achieve the more you must do but it can be fun and rewarding.
Where to start? The answer is in the mirror not the scales. If you look healthy you will feel healthy, a sense of confidence and belief are powerful tools to be used. Talk of BMI’s, ideal weights and body fat are somewhat misleading and not that useful.
Next time you get the chance take a look at yourself in the mirror in your underwear and just notice where your body fat sits, what muscle definition and mass you have and use that as a starting point. The ratio of fat and muscle will dictate the ratio of cardiovascular exercise (CV) and resistance work you will need to focus on. It can be a horrible thing to do but it is necessary if you are serious about your fitness being improved and manageable.
One thing you must always focus on is your goals. If you are martial artist then you need to exercise like one. I spent years trying to use bodybuilding knowledge and ideas to become fitter and leaner and I achieved very little, wasting time, money and effort. “Be what you want to be” as one instructor told me.
If you are a martial artist that means handling your own body first and then being able to handle other people. This means:
• Hitting things (pads, bags, consenting training partners),
• Improving endurance with CV work,
• Testing your “useful muscles” to their limit with weights metal, rubber or bodyweight,
• Maintaining joint mobility and flexibility with form practice, stretches and relaxation.
In my next entry I will be looking various routines and exercises I like and find useful and my plans for getting fitter, leaner and meaner this year and beyond.
How many gyms does your local area have? Even twenty years ago the idea of attending a gym was a rather quirky and niche one. The modern phenomena of the high street “mall” style gym is interesting in itself however what role do they play for the martial artist?
Shouldn’t training alone give you the body you desire? Well that depends if what you desire is a body you can use or one you can flaunt. Professional boxers and wrestlers all have enviable physiques and this come from the training they do and the physical needs they have.
However we can learn a lot from these disciplines in terms of performance and fitness. Imagine having the strength, speed and endurance of a boxer with the subtlety and skill Wing Tsun offers, it is something Grandmaster Kernspecht seems to know a great deal about.
It is no coincidence in my opinion that at the beginning of his WT career GM Kernspecht was a beast of a man, a professional wrestler and martial artist of some repute. These days he places great emphasis on the most basic and challenging of exercises – the pull up. Despite some bizarre preconceptions I have come across, it is very obvious the ancient Chinese have used various calisthenics (bodyweight exercises), fitness tools (ropes, weapons, large iron locks) and challenges to keep a person fitter and more alert. Yoga and tai chi may look like gentle pursuits but they are tougher than some sparring session if you ask me!
Combine the pull up with the Spartan favourite – press ups, and Russian staple – squats the GM’s exercise makes up part of a holy trinity for me in terms of martial fitness.
There is an odd belief or denial amongst some Kung Fu practitioners that their skill and dedication is far more important than having a useful and well maintained body. I am dubious of this. If you don’t take of yourself and maintain your strength, suppleness and ability to push your body how can you survive in a fight?
If you are barely fit enough to break into a jog, lasting punch for punch with any foe (however unsophisticated they may be) is going to go horribly wrong. So what’s the answer then? For me it is keeping a healthy level of fitness and performance as a bare minimum, this is a key to life in general not just martial arts.
If you can spare half an hour a day you can achieve a lot, combine that with your regular training and you’ll be doing ok. These things are all relative, the more you want to achieve the more you must do but it can be fun and rewarding.
Where to start? The answer is in the mirror not the scales. If you look healthy you will feel healthy, a sense of confidence and belief are powerful tools to be used. Talk of BMI’s, ideal weights and body fat are somewhat misleading and not that useful.
Next time you get the chance take a look at yourself in the mirror in your underwear and just notice where your body fat sits, what muscle definition and mass you have and use that as a starting point. The ratio of fat and muscle will dictate the ratio of cardiovascular exercise (CV) and resistance work you will need to focus on. It can be a horrible thing to do but it is necessary if you are serious about your fitness being improved and manageable.
One thing you must always focus on is your goals. If you are martial artist then you need to exercise like one. I spent years trying to use bodybuilding knowledge and ideas to become fitter and leaner and I achieved very little, wasting time, money and effort. “Be what you want to be” as one instructor told me.
If you are a martial artist that means handling your own body first and then being able to handle other people. This means:
• Hitting things (pads, bags, consenting training partners),
• Improving endurance with CV work,
• Testing your “useful muscles” to their limit with weights metal, rubber or bodyweight,
• Maintaining joint mobility and flexibility with form practice, stretches and relaxation.
In my next entry I will be looking various routines and exercises I like and find useful and my plans for getting fitter, leaner and meaner this year and beyond.
A Sporting Chance
Wed, Dec 30 2009 02:22
| kung fu, martial arts, boxing, training, street fight, martial arts Altrincham, kickboxing, self defence
| Permalink
If you ask our old friend Joe Public to name a martial art you tend to receive a narrow set of answers. Karate, Judo, Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu (a coverall for hundreds if not thousands of styles), perhaps even boxing or wrestling or global brands such as UFC might all get the nod.
So what? You might ask. The common thread is that by and large all of those are sports. They have rules, referees, specific types of strikes/ranges and weight classes etc they are not practiced, designed for or implemented on the most important arena of all – the street.
However if you talk to our friend Joe Public they will not see the difference and nor should we expect them to. What is even more worrying is when students or even worse instructors of these styles cannot differentiate the gulf between these two contexts.
I do not seek to defame any one of these pursuits or criticise them as styles of combat. However it does bother me that from a cultural point of view there is a complicit willingness to mislead or simply avoid the gap between the mat and the pavement.
It is not to say that the skills and techniques from any of these sports cannot be used for self defence but in my humble experience it is often a case that a certain amount of adaptation and understanding is needed to make this work.
How often do you hear stories of martial arts enthusiasts suffering horrific injuries and humiliation at the hands of thugs and criminals? What can possibly cause this? How does the highly trained exponent of a fighting style fall foul of the untrained?
The answer can be complex but generally speaking there is a combination of the following factors often enough:
· An overinflated confidence of the individuals own strength and skills
· A lack of exposure to self defence/street fights
· A fundamental flaw in understanding their styles strengths and weaknesses
· A basic lack of conditioning to physical, psychological and verbal assaults from unprovoked opponents
· An assumption that an attacker may fight fair or within a consensual set of rules/code
Violent and criminal acts are often borne out of base desires or instincts the perpetrators often utilise the deepest and most animalistic of methods and traits. Regularly these acts are malicious, opportunistic, instinctive and cruel in nature. In essence they go against every cornerstone of the sporting world and culture no matter how violent or barbaric a sport may seem to outside world (see much of the moral debate over boxing and increasingly MMA bouts).
It is this dichotomy that in my opinion often leads to confusion amongst the martial arts community as to the validity and more importantly relevance of various styles to practical street defence. In martial sports their design and motivation is to achieve as much parity between contestants as possible. Fighters are seeded, compete in weight classes and receive medical care and attention as well as the grace and attention of referees to protect their health as much as possible.
On the street there is no code, no starting bell, no one to separate pugilists and there is no reason for an attacker to stop maliciously beating a stricken foe and inflicting severe damage and even death using any strike, weapon or method they choose.
At this point you may be thinking I am seeking to dismiss and undermine martial sports as a glorified side show and spectacle. Far from it! I love to box and kick-box and would hate to trade blows with any well trained exponent of Muay Thai, MMA, wrestling etc
My participation in those pursuits however, isn’t designed to improve my effectiveness but to improve my basic martial skills. The test of stamina, fitness, muscle, coordination and balance I gain from kick-boxing all provide ample reason enough to train it. Most importantly though I simply enjoy it!
My underlining point is that often instructors fail their students by not differentiating between the dojo and the alley way. I have seen instructors of various martial sports claim an in depth knowledge of self defence and for it to be an area they teach extensively in their class without a hint of embarrassment of self-denial.
Often this is simply a marketing ploy as the instructor knows full well a novice will not be able to discern the difference or the fact and fiction of what they are told until many hours of training have been undertaken. The martial arts which are well renowned amongst experts and enthusiasts for a high level of usability are also linked to various military and police bodies. These arts include Wing Tsun, Krav Maga, Systema, Sambo and Eskrima amongst others.
This is no coincidence. The military and police deal with dangerous and deadly encounters as a matter of course. They need and rely on techniques not only to do their job but to stay alive as they have no margin for error.
My question to you is does your training cater for what you need over what you want? It is easy to dismiss one art or one teacher over another. However it is fundamental that you not only find a teacher you enjoy training with, but you find a teacher who can deliver what you require.
So what? You might ask. The common thread is that by and large all of those are sports. They have rules, referees, specific types of strikes/ranges and weight classes etc they are not practiced, designed for or implemented on the most important arena of all – the street.
However if you talk to our friend Joe Public they will not see the difference and nor should we expect them to. What is even more worrying is when students or even worse instructors of these styles cannot differentiate the gulf between these two contexts.
I do not seek to defame any one of these pursuits or criticise them as styles of combat. However it does bother me that from a cultural point of view there is a complicit willingness to mislead or simply avoid the gap between the mat and the pavement.
It is not to say that the skills and techniques from any of these sports cannot be used for self defence but in my humble experience it is often a case that a certain amount of adaptation and understanding is needed to make this work.
How often do you hear stories of martial arts enthusiasts suffering horrific injuries and humiliation at the hands of thugs and criminals? What can possibly cause this? How does the highly trained exponent of a fighting style fall foul of the untrained?
The answer can be complex but generally speaking there is a combination of the following factors often enough:
· An overinflated confidence of the individuals own strength and skills
· A lack of exposure to self defence/street fights
· A fundamental flaw in understanding their styles strengths and weaknesses
· A basic lack of conditioning to physical, psychological and verbal assaults from unprovoked opponents
· An assumption that an attacker may fight fair or within a consensual set of rules/code
Violent and criminal acts are often borne out of base desires or instincts the perpetrators often utilise the deepest and most animalistic of methods and traits. Regularly these acts are malicious, opportunistic, instinctive and cruel in nature. In essence they go against every cornerstone of the sporting world and culture no matter how violent or barbaric a sport may seem to outside world (see much of the moral debate over boxing and increasingly MMA bouts).
It is this dichotomy that in my opinion often leads to confusion amongst the martial arts community as to the validity and more importantly relevance of various styles to practical street defence. In martial sports their design and motivation is to achieve as much parity between contestants as possible. Fighters are seeded, compete in weight classes and receive medical care and attention as well as the grace and attention of referees to protect their health as much as possible.
On the street there is no code, no starting bell, no one to separate pugilists and there is no reason for an attacker to stop maliciously beating a stricken foe and inflicting severe damage and even death using any strike, weapon or method they choose.
At this point you may be thinking I am seeking to dismiss and undermine martial sports as a glorified side show and spectacle. Far from it! I love to box and kick-box and would hate to trade blows with any well trained exponent of Muay Thai, MMA, wrestling etc
My participation in those pursuits however, isn’t designed to improve my effectiveness but to improve my basic martial skills. The test of stamina, fitness, muscle, coordination and balance I gain from kick-boxing all provide ample reason enough to train it. Most importantly though I simply enjoy it!
My underlining point is that often instructors fail their students by not differentiating between the dojo and the alley way. I have seen instructors of various martial sports claim an in depth knowledge of self defence and for it to be an area they teach extensively in their class without a hint of embarrassment of self-denial.
Often this is simply a marketing ploy as the instructor knows full well a novice will not be able to discern the difference or the fact and fiction of what they are told until many hours of training have been undertaken. The martial arts which are well renowned amongst experts and enthusiasts for a high level of usability are also linked to various military and police bodies. These arts include Wing Tsun, Krav Maga, Systema, Sambo and Eskrima amongst others.
This is no coincidence. The military and police deal with dangerous and deadly encounters as a matter of course. They need and rely on techniques not only to do their job but to stay alive as they have no margin for error.
My question to you is does your training cater for what you need over what you want? It is easy to dismiss one art or one teacher over another. However it is fundamental that you not only find a teacher you enjoy training with, but you find a teacher who can deliver what you require.
Welcome
Sat, Dec 19 2009 04:18
| MMA, kung fu, martial arts, boxing, fighters, martial arts Altrincham, fitness, kickboxing
| Permalink
This is my blog, welcome. I have found the idea of doing this odd as it seems incredibly indulgent.
However I do have good intentions. I hope this blog will be a chance to help me and you learn more about smarter training, to be better equipped for achieving goals, to make greater strides at being fitter, faster, leaner, stronger and better.
Please feel free to add comments, links, ideas and counter opinions as you see fit.
Matt
However I do have good intentions. I hope this blog will be a chance to help me and you learn more about smarter training, to be better equipped for achieving goals, to make greater strides at being fitter, faster, leaner, stronger and better.
Please feel free to add comments, links, ideas and counter opinions as you see fit.
Matt