There Are No Gods Amongst Men/ Dojo Hunting

Today I'd like to talk about the traditional set up of dojos, and beginning students perception of the traditional dojo system. Originally there were no belt systems accept maybe the senior students would wear a blackened belt. Often the belt was blackened from being old and dirty. All students were like brothers and sisters and the instructor was like a father figure. Ranks below Shodan (now called 1st degree black belt) were called "kyu" (like steps on a ladder). the lower your Kyu, the higher your rank was. 1st Kyu was the highest rank before Shodan, and "Mukyu" meaning "no Kyu" was the lowest rank (i.e. a beginner).
The system changed after the American occupation of Japan. Americans watched Jigoro Kano's, who is the founder of judo, class and saw that the darker the belt was, the higher the skill level was. I guess they assumed that the belt was a symbol of what level of skill they were at. When in reality the black belts were just a way for Jigoro to see where his senior students (Senpai) were when there were many students training. Jigoro noticed that the Americans looked at the belts in this matter and this gave him an idea. Gichin Funakoshi the founder of Shotokan Karate, and friend to Jigoro Kano also noticed this phenomenon. As they both started training more and more Americans they decided to develop a belt color system to cater to the way Americans thought so they could better understand (I guess). This obviously was so popular it's still around.
After a while , for some reason. The black belt turned into the ultimate prize for western civilization. I don't know why they did not realize that Shodan (1st degree black belt) meant "1st class" like first grade in school . It meant you are now ready to begin learning the art. To the Westerners the black belt meant "You have become a deadly weapon and all should fear you". Needless to say that is and was ridiculous. Now, the Shihan who had 5th or 7th degree black belts, well, if 1st degree is deadly weapon then , of course, 7th degree must mean you are some sort of GOD!!! Sadly that is about how it went. In the dojos in America men of this rank were treated like royalty. They constantly had "yes men" around them, as in "yes sir, can I shine your shoes? It would be an honor for me to paint your house! Can I build you a new Dojo? I'll even PAY you to do that. monthly fees brought on testing fees brought on "yearly dues" (wtf?!) and so on. It's gotten to the point were MANY American dojos are 2 steps away from being a cult like Tom Jones or "the gateway to heaven" guys.
These ranks are just a way to tell where you are in learning the art. Even the shihan (nanadan 7th degree blackbelts) are still learning. If they tell you otherwise then you shouldn't study under them. My dad always told me this saying. I think it's a saying at least. It went something like: "If you meet someone who thinks they know everything, walk away. If you meet someone who KNOWS they know everything, then run away as fast as you can".
Boys and girls, please do not join dojos where the head instructor acts like he is an indestructible god and has his students talk him up as such. Before you join have a conversation with the MAIN instructor. Ask as many questions as you can. If he is humble and doesn't puff himself up then that's good. Also find out about fees. If there is a fee for like ridiculous things, then that should be a red flag. Next talk to the senior most student. Ask him a lot of questions about his teacher and how the class is run. Try to get a feel from him; is he confident in himself? is he afraid of his instructor, or does he have healthy respect? Does he tell you the cons of the dojo along with the pros?. Next stay and watch a class or two (observe a children's class if you can to see how the head instructor works with children. That's a really good way to gauge his skill and his overall aura. Observe the "Senpai" or senior student during class. Watch his behavior. Does he show respect to lower ranking students? Does he help them with their mistakes and not micromanage their every movement? Is he overly rough with lower ranked students? Does he have a "holier then thou" feel about him regarding lower ranked students? Lastly what does the relationship between the senior student and the head instructor like? Does he shoe proper courtesy and respect, Or is he kissing the guy's ass and just saying "yes, yes, yes" pampering him like a god/man? All of these tips will help you find the right dojo and avoid the dojos who have contracted the "cult" disease. Keep in mind that there are dojos run like cults who have VERY skilled instructors. In fact they probably ended up this way BECAUSE the teacher was so skilled and there was no one outside the ring to check the behavior of the group as a whole thus creating a situation where the head instructor lives in a microcosm where he is all but worshipped and seems to have lost all view on the original purpose of the art and his job as instructor.
Well, I hope I helped someone out with this info. Good luck dojo Hunting!

What got me started

I suppose since I'm writing this blog I should write the reason I started martial arts in the first place. when I was young my father would kinda force me to watch that old "Kung Fu" series every Sunday. Eventually I grew to like it. I think it had some influence on me. The biggest influence would be the neighborhoods I was raised in. These hoods were filled with drug dealers, gang members, and petty crime. I would constantly get my ass whooped just for being white, and any other really stupid reason they could come up with. I finally brought this to attention to my father, and he showed me some techniques. He never told me he knew some martial arts until then. I was determined at that point to learn the arts. My father taught me what he knew, then got me enrolled at the local Karate school. I didn't train there very long. It was about a year. Then after I quit, I started reading books. I became obsessed with old Edo period Japanese culture, and Japanese martial arts. Once I started reading Maasaki Hatsumi's books. I was hooked on taijutsu. The whole time growing up I'd attend dojo after dojo, never staying for very long at one until I found the Yamaneko Dojo. The teacher there was very skilled. I was around 13-14 at the time I started. My family really couldn't afford to pay, so they would pay him by the day whenever they could. I had to stop because I just couldn't afford it. So I hit the books again. the whole time I practiced everything I learned every day. I practiced feverishly. I was completely obsessed. I would go to the Yamaneko Dojo whenever I could afford it. I learned ALOT from this dojo. I'd watch students go up in rank, then pass me, then teach me themselves. They had the money to pay for testing fees and annual dues. They basically paid their way up. I started to feel uncomfortable that people who I helped train would act "holier than thou" towards me because of some rank they obtained. I absolutely hated it. When I originally joined the Yamaneko Dojo they had no rank system. They did it the "old way". I liked it better that way. So I trained off and on for like 10 years. Doing it when I could, reading, and practicing. I then got involved in a Pima Community College Taekwondo class which I earned a brown belt (1st kyu equivalent. Which is a rank just before black belt). I ended up running into problems with the teacher and had to quit. I finally attended an aikido class at the same college which I earned a few kyu ranks. I started teaching my own version of taijutsu around the age of 25. When i was 22 I got a job as a stunt man at Old Tucson Studios which I worked at for about a year. Then I worked at the bars on 4th ave. (that is like an arts district). I also worked at a couple "gentlemen's Clubs". Working the bars and the stunt job gave me ALOT of real life experience that I Incorporated into the taijutsu that I teach. That's what makes training with me better than training with many other teachers. I have hands on experience with the martial art. I think that says alot about me. That is my history in a nut shell for all those who wanted to know.

Float like a butterfly

Okay, so the other day I'm standing at the bus stop waiting for the damn bus. Lazily staring at the sky thinking as I sip my half drinken soda. A couple behind me, scratch that, more like two beings intertwines together to make one two headed sentient avatar to some love god stood behind me giggling and messing with itself. Out of nowhere I see a bee floating like 1 inch from my face. I swat it away non chalantly, and the damn thing comes back. This time, a little more annoyed, I swat it away again. Then the damn thing comes back agressively and lands on my lip. I go into a rage and slam my soda on the floor and scream "fuck you!". This surely startled the two headed love god behind me. The bee backed off and I put my fists up in a really lazy jumonji no kamae (one foot slightly foward, arms crossed in fists right in front of left). I let out a jab hitting it squarely. It backs off a little, and the damn thing wizzes right at my face like a missle. I guess it wanted another piece of me, This time I let a right cross out which, again, hit solidly,and knocked the damn things lights out cuzz it just kinda cork screwed towards the ground and flew side to side as if it was discombobulated. then it went for my soda. I creeped up on it slowly and said out loud "yeah I got you know you fucker" then I slowly lifted my foot and BAM! Got it. the fucking bee flew up of the ground for MORE after being crushed! So I lifted my foot then my leg up high and slow then held it there. I waited for the right moment, and caught it mid air with a stomping kick smashing it into the ground. This ended it's over confident existence in this god forsaken world. I dance around and yell "yay! I win! I win!". From behind me I hear an applause. Crap I forgot that couple was there, and I'm dancing around like an idiot cuzz I won in a fight with a bee. I just got a god damn applause for a fight with a bee! The guy said "Damn dude you fucked that bee up!" and the girl said "I have NEVER in my life seen someone actually get into a FIST FIGHT with a bee until now!" It was a pretty bizzare situation. I don't know what the lesson from this is, or what the insights are, but I know there are some. Time for you all to be big boys and girls and get what you can for yourselves this time. I shouldn't have to spell out eveything for you in every post :P.

"Martial Arts Don't Work"

Many times I've read, heard, and seen people insist that martial arts are completely uneffective, not real, and/or they are actually detrimental to the practicioner in that martial artists begin to think that the highly stylized attacks are actually how people really fight and/or assault eachother. The most popular complaint I've run into is that the methods of training used in East Asian martial arts are not realistic. I believe that it IS good to be somewhat skeptical of things, but there is a concept that most of these nay-sayers are missing.
You see, martial arts training is alot like math class. In a math lesson you are given a problem to solve in the form of an equation. The equation is written out for you in the easiest possible manner for you to understand. This numerical problem is an idea, and it's in its cleanest, most ideal form. For all intensive purposes it seems like the equation is useless because it isn't applied to anything. This is why alot of students get frustrated and say "When are we ever going to use this"? When the teacher finally gives a real world situation, like finding the amount of current it takes to light a flourescing light bulb.Then people can understand it's real world use.
Martial arts is alot like this. The techniques used and attacks used are ideas that are not connected to actual situations. They are in thier most perfect form (The ideal situation). This is so students can fully understand the concepts and physics behind the techniques. Of course no one actually attacks like that, and the movements in the technique are all exagerated. But this is so you can see what is going on. Once a good grasp of the concept in its most perfect form is understood then can a student try to apply it to a more real world situation. The exaggerated technique is compacted and applied at high speed. It is then thrown into the chaos of a realistic barrage of attacks. Though it is much more effective when done this way it is practically impossible to discern from the other defenses and is therefore useless as far as teaching is concerned (accept for maybe showing what a technique looks like in a realistic fight vs. a controlled training). As a word problem is to math, sparring is to martial arts. As an equation is to math, a basic two person, slow motion self defense kata (form) is to martial arts. Sparring is not real combat, but it is about as close as you can get to actual combat without getting seriously injured.

I encourage my students to try these techniques at a faster speed, from different attacks, and during sparring sessions. The more they use the technique the more likely they are to actually be able to apply it if attacked. The more variety they have during training with each technique, the better they will be able to adapt. So, do martial arts work? That is completely up to the practicioner. It's the man who makes the art, not the art who makes the man.

All That Glitters...

Last night before class I was researching taijutsu ground fighting techniques on the web to review and find basic techniques I could teach in class. While searching around I came across a site that had a jiujutsu/wrestling/mixed martial art ground technique. I found this technique that had a really cool name and was really fancy. The person showing the technique in the video made it seem like it was very easy, so I thought I'd try it out to see if it was any good. I am always looking for new material to add to the system I teach as I pride myself in teaching an evolving and contemporary art that is still steeped in tradition. when I finally tried the technique out I realized , for real combat, it was completely useless. First of all, it was obviously designed to be used by, and on people who are the exact same size. I'm a big guy and the student I was attempting it on was much smaller, making it close to impossible for me to make the movements I needed to make for the technique to work.The position I had to be in initially to execute the technique was one that occurs vary rarely. In fact , I don't think I've ever seen it in an actual fight. And last but not least, the maneuvering to execute the technique was complicated, intricate, and took way too much time. With all the experience in the world a person can still fall victim to good marketing and the desire to look cool. I almost fell for it, but since I know to test techniques before I teach them in front of 10 people and possibly humiliate myself; I save a whole lot of grief. So, in conclusion: just because something looks cool does NOT mean it's going to be usefull and/or practical. Just because it glitters, doesn't make it gold.
Other than a dud technique , class last night was really good. I had a new student come to class. My senior student helped me teach since I'm still partially healing from an injury, I can't do alot of rolling and falling, and some excersizes I simply can't do at all. It was really satisfying to see the new student soak up all the information, genuinely try hard, and have fun. My senior student showed alot of progress. His rolls have gotten quieter. He has a working knowledge of the basics, their names, and some of the finer nuances that are important to teaching. Basic Taijutsu is so much easier to teach now since we have the online basics tutorial. Now I can teach a technique, have the student practice it several times so I can correct him and talk about the important aspects, then I can instruct him to practice at home using the videos online as a refference. This saves time so I can make sure I teach each set in its entirety. At the end of class we had a very good discussion about some of the mental aspects of martial arts training and Taijutsu. My students had quite a few questions, but I made sure I answered them to the best of my ability. I can't wait for next practice!

Is it old because it's good, or good because it's old?

I just wanted to take some time to talk about Zenpo Nagare(forward breakfalls). It's safe to say that I've been studying and practicing Taijutsu on and off, mostly on, for about 18 years. In this time I've pretty much accepted all the dynamics and techniques in the art to be fact. Because it's an ancient art and it's managed to be around for so long I assumed it was because it was so effective that it stood the test of time. It wasn't until recently that I began to question some of the usefulness of certain techniques and/or what their real purpose was if not for actual combat or use. The biggest problem I have with any of the techniques in the art is called "Zenpo Nagare". "Zenpo Nagare" is a foward breakfall where you bow your body foward to get closer to the ground then drop your upper body to the floor, landing on your forearms and kicking your rear leg up. All the rolls and breakfalls in Taijutsu are said to be performable on black top or concrete, Zenpo Ukemi included. Now, the rule of thumb behind break falls is to fall on the fleshy parts of the body and avoid the boney parts so you don't break anything, or at least minimize your chances of breaking something. I don't know if it's just my body or if it is for everyone but when I fall on my forearms while executing a foward breakfall; my elbows and a bone in my wrists always hit the ground first. I've practiced this nagare for a long time. I've tried to adjust the way my arms were and they way I fell but I always land on those same places. This led me to question if this technique was designed to stop you from breaking something, or to make you break LESS things. As far as I'm concerened a breakfall should be practiced only if it provides maximum protection. If this technique is only a lesser of evils then I think I may remove it from my lessons.
If something is around a long time, or part of a paradigm that is essentially good; does it mean that it's good by default? Should I teach something that may be harmful to my students just because it's been there a long time and is accepted? Or should I , at least, try to find some other more effective method to replace it? This is why I teach the way I do. This is why I've modernized the art. I'm trying to keep all the things that make the art good, and trying to remove or replace outdated, obsolete, or otherwise useless techniques that may actually cause more harm than good. There are certain things that are obvious, but Zenpo Nagare isn't quite so easy as I've never had to use it. I've fallen forward many times but have always rolled or shifted myself so I ended up falling on my side using "Yoko Nagare" (side breakfall). I guess I will think and experiment with this technique to see if it will continue to be included in my lessons.

Is it old because it's good? Or good because it is old?

Finish What You Start (Drinking With The Devil and Derangement)

Many years ago, in my early twenties, I was very reckless and irresponsible. There is one experience from this era in my life that sticks out in my mind more than many of the other memories of that time. I feel there are multiple morals to this story. Maybe you can decipher what they are or what the story means to you.
One night my best friend, who we treated like family, and I went out with my brother and his wife for thier wedding anniversary. We went to a bar and grill, ate some food, and imbibed copious amounts of liqour. We then decided to pick up some beer and hard liqour from the store and continue this binge at my brother's home.
After a long night of drinking like there was no tomorrow I made the foolish decision of driving home. It didn't seem like a big deal to me at the time because my house was literally down the street and around the corner , and I felt fine. Remember that one's judgment is severely impaired when he's been drinking.
I got into my car and was creeping down the street. I decided I wanted to change the CD that was in my CD player. The CD that I wanted was on the passenger side floor so I had to reach down to get it. As I reached for it my hand tilted the steering wheel to the right and the car steered towards the side of the road. One of my brother's neihbors had decided to park his work truck on the side of the road instead of in his driveway or yard. Needless to say I slammed into that truck at 35 mph. Because I was leaned over, the chest strap of my seat belt didn't hold me back and my head slammed against the dashboard full force.
I felt a numbing blow to my head and saw a white flash. Everything seemed to slow down. I sat up and said "OH....SHIT" then blood spewed out of my nose like a faucet turned all the way on. I got out of my car, checking my body for wounds or broken bones, then started jogging towards my brother's house. My slippers fell off at some point and I was barefoot. I had only made it down the road with my car about 100 yards or so. My right eye was split open. I took off my shirt which was drenched in blood from my nose to stop the bleeding.
I finally got to my brother's house, and he was still drinking. At the time he had a bit of a cocaine abuse problem. He used it so he could drink more for longer. I barged into the house totally confused and scared. I didn't know what to do. My brother saw me and asked "what the hell happened?!?" I told him that I had wrecked the car and I didn't know what to do. He asked where the car was and I told him. He then told me to stay at the house while he went and assessed the damage. Then I suddenly realized I had just left the scene of an accident, which is a crime. I quickly told him "I need to get back to the car!" and he told me no. I began to walk towards the door and my brother stood in my way and said "Sit down NOW!". I tried to walk around him and he grabbed me. I then shook myself loose and went for the door again. He started shoving me really hard and I told him to stop, then I told him that I needed to leave his house to get back to the car. He then tried to shove me really hard. I instinctively went into fight or flight mode and ended up getting him in an arm bar. The technique I used is called "Musso Dori" in Taijutsu. Of course it wasn't the exact technique. It was more of a crude variation of the technique which is what always ends up happening in a real situation.
Once I had him locked up good I could have broken his arm, kneed his head, or choked him out till he was incapacitated. Instead I made the horrible mistake of thinking I could let him go and talk it over with him. I thought to myself "hey we are both adults, we can solve this problem". I forgot to take into account the amount of alcohol, and most importantly, the amount of cocaine in his blood stream. As soon as I let go he went into a blood rage and began pummeling me. I was in such a daze from slamming my head into the dashboard at 30 mph that I could do nothing to stop his barrage of punches. I moved backward until I tripped. He then mounted me and began his assault once again. I turned my head from side to side making him miss and punch the concrete every so often. By this time we had made it out of the house and into the street in front of the house.
Out of nowhere my best friend rushed in and pulled my brother off of me, all the while screaming "What the fuck are you doing?!? What the hell is going on here?!?" I got up and jumped into my best friend's car on the passenger side. My brother then attacked my best friend who had nothing to do with anything. I could hear my brother's wife, also in a drunken coke rage for some reason, screaming and cussing at us. She said something about calling the police. I'm not sure what else went on outside as I was in tears due to confusion, fear, anger, and pain.
Suddenly the car door opens on the driver's side and it is my brother. He sticks his head in and asks "are you ok?" I turn my head and look at him, holding my bloodied T shirt to my eye. He then hits me twice in the eye i'm trying to stop from bleeding. Then he slams the door. About 10 seconds later he opens the door again and punches me in the eye one more time then slams the door once more. Some time passes by, I can hear my best friend screaming and fighting with him. The car door opens a third time, this time it's my friend. He says "we gotta get the hell out of here" as he jumps into the car. Right as he starts the car and shifts it into drive, we see red and blue lights flashing right behind us. The cops pull us out of the car and seperate us. They had a hell of a time trying to figure out what happened.
In the end I was the one who had assault charges pressed on him. My brother told the police that I came in the house threatening to hurt his wife and children (who weren't even there). My brother was so out of it from the cocaine that he started calling people at 6 in the morning bragging about how he beat me and my friend up.
The main two lessons learned from this even are: 1) When you drink alcohol , as far as fighting is concerned, all bets are off. You can't depend on the skills you have to save you, as you are impaired both physically and mentally. If you wish to win a fightwhen drunk it's really about who hits hardest and who hits first. and 2) ALWAYS finish the technique. By finish I mean rendering your opponent incapacitated and unable to do you any harm OR getting away to a safe place. Never think that you can somehow stop a violent altercation right in the middle of it and have a sane and productive conversation. Once the punches fly the time for diplomacy is over, the time for rational thought is over. You have to defeat your opponent without hesitation. This is a concept that I cannot repeat enough times. I believe I have already touched upon the "no hesitation" concept in a previous post.