Martial Arts training

[stancheung75]

I'm interested in getting the group to be a little more involved in the martial arts. I have over 11 years as a instructor and been involved with the martial arts in one form or another since I was 13.

I have been talking to Aimee about hosting a meetup at my house in Perry Hall on the 2nd Sunday of the month. I wanted to get feedback from the group to see what we can do as a group. I have experience in many different disciplines. I'm not offering a belt rank nor am I going to teach you to be the next UFC champ. I'm not an ex military, or experienced street fighter, karate champ, or any buzzwords that sells a dvd training course. I'm just a guy who has a love for the martial arts and have been doing it as a hobby for over 20 years.

I have a fully functional dojo (training hall) in my basement we can train in. If the weather is nice there is a open field right across my house for some outdoor training.

For now I would like to keep it as a non weapon training.

But most importantly let's have fun and learn a new skill.

[Mindas Arran]

Too bad I live in Michigan. I'd love to join in on something like this.

[Moonshadow]

See! Another reason to move to Maryland. :D Even if people don't live in Maryland, though, feel free to give feedback and use this as a template for training in your own areas.

Personally, I'm fine with anything as long as there's some sort of overall curriculum to ensure steady progress forward. A lot of times we get stuck moving in circles rather than continuing on to the next level. It would also be good to learn some skills that we can practice on our own individually, as well as partner skills, so we still have something to practice at home even if we don't have someone to practice with. Since attendance may also be inconsistent and new members mixed with old, it might also be good to teach skills that can be performed on different levels. New members can learn the more basic version while people who have previous experience or have been attending meetings regularly can learn the more advanced version.

I'd like to the meetings to include some sort of stretching, physical fitness/strength building/cardiovascular training, and self defense. It would also be nice to incorporate some sensing and awareness exercises related to martial arts and self-defense. Depending on people's comfort levels, we could even do some light sparring with the appropriate protective gear.

I'll probably send out an e-mail to our group in the next day or so and will try to direct some of our other group members to this thread.

--Moonshadow

[Andy]

Weapons training and open hand training are one in the same. Experiencing them both together, you get a more complete view of the Art.

[stancheung75]

Weapons training and open hand training are one in the same. Experiencing them both together, you get a more complete view of the Art.

Very true Andy. But until I can get a "feel" for the groups proficiency in the martial arts skills. I rather keep weapons training a later option.

[stancheung75]

I'd like to the meetings to include some sort of stretching, physical fitness/strength building/cardiovascular training, and self defense.

Very True my training sessions will include warm up and stretches based on the CORE PERFORMANCE (http://www.coreperformance.com/)

I'm strongly considering adopting the technique list based on the martial arts krav maga they seem to have their stuff together. You can see a list of yellow to brown belt techniques on my blog section.

But I have stated before meeting once a month isn't going to cut it. I can't depend on people to practice the technique and meet up a month later expecting dramatic improvements. I have stated in meetings that I'm willing to have a "Walk in the Park and Practice" on Saturdays. We can walk around a beautiful park and take in the energy as our warm up. Then we can practice and progress with our martial arts training. Then by the time the next meeting comes around we can actually progress at a more steady pace. Rather than reveiwing the same technique for several months in a row.

Either way I'm very excited for things to come for the group and very happy to be a part of it.

[jdmcowan]

It's great, Stan, that you have such a love of martial arts and an ability and willingness to teach. We have a member in our Chicago chapter, as well, that has years of experience as a martial arts instructor. He's an invaluable asset in our group, as I'm sure you are there in Maryland.

Based on my experiences with our Chicago group, though, I'm concerned that you may be expecting too much from the members. With the different experiences and paths that our members have, I have decided that it doesn't work very well to view the group as a class. Our chapter works a lot better as a sort of support group. We expose each other to different things and encourage each other in our individual pursuits. Different members take turns teaching or presenting different things and there is little repetition. There's no way, in 3 hours a month that we can actually teach each other anything.

Many of the members that did not already participate in a martial arts program are now studying with our experienced martial arts teacher. But he does not expect all the members to study with him. And when he does teach the full group, he mostly teaches basics and principles - things that we can apply within any art or through life in general. Personally, I have my hands full with the arts I am already studying and do not intend to practice any of the techniques or forms taught at our meetings. But I greatly appreciate seeing them and experiencing a different way to look at things or do things.

That's my exerience and opinion anyway. And it's probably not even worth the bits that it's stored on. Maybe you guys want something different in the Maryland chapter. But maybe I've raised something new to think about. And in any case it was helpful for myself to put these thoughts from my head into writing.

[stancheung75]

I'm concerned that you may be expecting too much from the members. With the different experiences and paths that our members have, I have decided that it doesn't work very well to view the group as a class. Our chapter works a lot better as a sort of support group.

I thank you for your perspective on this. We have thought about this issue. We've been planning meetings to see what level of interest the group has and also our training will be separate from the "regular" meetups. So far I have taught in a self defense seminar style to the group. With simple techniques that mimic everyday motions such as turning the key to start the car; as a nerve twist. This formula seems to work. I don't expect people to be proficient at the martial arts after few sessions with me.

I have also suggested to have our members meet up once a week at our local park to go walking and practice martial arts after. If there is enough interest then I might offer another day on the week to put in some extra practice time.

The looking at the meetings as a support group is very interesting. In a roundabout way I think that's what we were kinda aiming for. When we get together no one person is totally dominant in the group. We're all free to share our idea and encouraged to speak up if there is anything that could benefit the group or better us as individuals. I'm cool with not running the show and happy to offer my dojo for use for the group.

There is no formula that really works best. Even in established DOJO's classes don't go exactly the way it's plan. The instructor has to be flexible to the vibe of the class for the day. Sometimes absolutly nothing planned gets accomplished.

Thank you very much.
“Excellence can be obtained if you:
...care more than others think is wise;
...risk more than others think is safe;
...dream more than others think is practical;
...expect more than others think is possible.”

[jdmcowan]

Sounds good. I should have known you guys had already considered all that. I hope you can get a nice group together for regular practice.

I like the quote too. Where's it from?

[Ro-Ha Til'leto]

Sounds like what I'd like to see/do in the Midwest.

[stancheung75]

I wouldn't mind learning some katas and some simple self-defense moves. I took karate a long time ago and have forgotten all of it and am terribly out of shape. Additionally, I hesitate to take anything where I might be thrown on the floor because of my back injury. Sooooo, some things that would protect me if being mugged would be great. Or how to intercede on another person's behalf would be good. Of course, I don't think I would be able to make it more than once or twice a month so that would make things a bit difficult as well. But it looks like you have covered all the bases on this and it is a neat idea.

Thank you please feel free to join us on our meetings. We're about an hour away from you. In general we only have two meetings a month. With Moonshadow running the Energy work portion of our chapter generally on the 4th Sunday of the month. I run the Martial Arts portion on the 2nd Sundays. You are always welcome to join.

As far as intercede on anothers behalf is concerned. That has and always will be a very "slippery slope" to deal with. In CDT; Compliance - Direction - Takedown training we learned. Trying to be "helpful" could actually worsen a situation. For example if you see a big man choking a woman . A well meaning person who tries to pull the person in the back to get him to let go. Well that motion might have caused the arms and hand to constrict, accidentally causing the man to break her neck. The "hero" had all the good intentions but intensified the problem.

I have always believed that in this day and age you best way to help is to use your cellphone to call for more qualified people to help out. If the situation isn't too dire at the time. But make sure that you call first and then let them know what's happening. For example it's much more effective to say "I've already called the police and they are on their way right NOW!!!" as opposed to "If you don't let her go I'm going to call the police on you."

Ok as always I've gotten off topic. But please feel free to join us for a meeting. Since you're making a bit of a drive. Let us know when you can make it to one of my meetings and we'll also plan dinner as a group too. :sHa_wave:

[RyuJin]

a camera phone is even better since you can take a picture of the occurrance to be used as evidence in trial :)

[stancheung75]

a camera phone is even better since you can take a picture of the occurrance to be used as evidence in trial :)

great point. todays mobile phones does so many more things than make calls. Good job on thinking of inovative ways to maximize what you have on hand.

[RyuJin]

wish i could claim credit for that
but a friends parents told me years ago that you should always carry a camera in your car in case of an accident, i simply modified that concept taking into account modern technology :)

[stancheung75]

Personally, I don't think too highly about Jedi needing to know about martial arts but some self-defense information is really necessary.

wonderful point. Learning martial arts is a very draining time commitment. You have to have on some level a passion for it. Unfortunatly passion also requires time and a lot of effort.

With that being said it doesn't mean that you can not learn effective self defense without enrolling in MA schools.

In the classes I teach I like to go for principles that are easy to remember such as awareness of surrounding. The self defense motions are modifications of moves you use in your normal day. This way it's easier to retain the information. Moves such as knocking on the door to hit the back of the hand during a grab. Putting a phone up to the ear to "cover up" for a strike to the side of the head.

Very easy to learn. But very important to add to all this. The point of self defense isn't to become some bad to the bone butt kicker. SD is a stratagy to use to help get out of a HOT situation. If that means to run away without laying a hand on someone or even more importantly the assailant laying a hand on you. Then you my friend have successfully defended yourself. (high five!!!)

[RyuJin]

there's also the turn a doorknob to twist a wrist, all these techniques are very miyagi like
no wasted motion in training....a good martial artist will be able to develop many techniques from seemingly mundane movements....

[Ro-Ha Til'leto]

In the classes I teach I like to go for principles that are easy to remember such as awareness of surrounding. The self defense motions are modifications of moves you use in your normal day. This way it's easier to retain the information. Moves such as knocking on the door to hit the back of the hand during a grab. Putting a phone up to the ear to "cover up" for a strike to the side of the head.

Do you have much contact in your training sessions (sparring, grappling, take downs, etc.) ? Do you integrate daily movements into free-sparring or rolling ?

[stancheung75]

Do you have much contact in your training sessions (sparring, grappling, take downs, etc.) ? Do you integrate daily movements into free-sparring or rolling ?
Great question!!! The answer is no and yes.

The training sessions where I do the "everyday" movements are for the self defense course. It's a very "watered down" version of martial arts. Just to learn enough moves to escape the situation. If need be, how to identify certain details to help aid with a possible capture of the assailant. We have about four weeks, one day a week, roughly two hours in that one day to go through a lot of material. Honestly eight hours isn't enough. But people aren't interested in investing that much time. Otherwise they would have enrolled in regular martial arts classes.
(and again I got off topic :) )
But in the regular martial arts class we do sparring and rolling, randori, offense defense drills etc.. In the classes we drill on the motion over and over again so we don't use the "everyday" motion as a memory aid.

[Ro-Ha Til'leto]

Great question!!! The answer is no and yes.

The training sessions where I do the "everyday" movements are for the self defense course. It's a very "watered down" version of martial arts. Just to learn enough moves to escape the situation. If need be, how to identify certain details to help aid with a possible capture of the assailant. We have about four weeks, one day a week, roughly two hours in that one day to go through a lot of material. Honestly eight hours isn't enough. But people aren't interested in investing that much time. Otherwise they would have enrolled in regular martial arts classes.
(and again I got off topic :) )
But in the regular martial arts class we do sparring and rolling, randori, offense defense drills etc.. In the classes we drill on the motion over and over again so we don't use the "everyday" motion as a memory aid.

I imagine this is a difficult question for you to answer, especially if the student has no previous martial arts training or frame of reference by which to compare, but do you have any feedback from your students that use the 'everyday motion' training technique? It's an interesting instruction method and I'm curious if any of your students have had to use their skills (hope not!) and if so, how would they rate their ability. Did they feel as if they were well equipped to handle the situation or not? Did they have a favorable outcome?

Do you teach or train in a regular martial arts school? I agree, some people are not interested in spending a lot of time training, but I think it has more to do with finances more than passion. Training takes a back seat to putting food on the table...

Good weekend to all!