21 Feet

Some thoughts from Lawrence Kane about distance and time in self-defense situations.

Fighting Ranges and Danger Zones

One thought about Sanchin Kata

Just back from Kansas City.  Even though it’s been a week I’m still thinking about the seminar and the post-seminar discussion time.

Discussing training and kata application with Eric over beer, the subject of Sanchin kata came up.  There are of course combat applications found in Sanchin, but frankly it’s not a kata that I look to for applications.  Sanchin just teaches you so many things about good structure – creating a solid, internal frame and a strong base of support for firepower.  It’s all about moving correctly, hiding your technique, taking the enemy’s balance, and blasting the stuffing out of him.  But as much as I love this kata, application-wise it’s just not so interesting.

Then Eric put into words something that I’ve thought about but haven’t actually, well, put into words:

“The structure IS the application.”

Sums it up perfectly.

Sanchin posture

Bonus: some pictures we took a few weeks ago.  I could say they’re studies in depth of field…but really we were just mucking about.

Objects in mirror are closer than they appear

Boot to the head

Kansas City – June 2011

Had a great couple of days at the seminar with the Blue River Martial Arts Club in KC.  I love sharing the material, but as usual the thing I like most is the people.  Eric Parsons, the host and head instructor at the club, has a wonderful group of people…down to earth, fun, great training attitudes, hungry for new information.  I just had a blast.

Craig and I have been working for some time to systemize all the material we’ve picked up over the years.  Things from multiple instructors and disciplines, ideas, concepts – almost all of which is useful but not necessarily coordinated or easily translated to a curriculum.  I am NOT claiming we’ve come up with our own style, only saying we’ve been working to teach the ideas more efficiently and effectively.  Hopefully, it will save people some of the years of trial and error that we’ve gone through!   I think we’ve finally come up with a good set of principles that cover most of it.

I set out to share these principles, how to build them into daily practice, and of course a few of the practical fighting applications.  I actually did a Power Point presentation to help reinforce the ideas, which is saying something about the importance of the material, given how much I loathe Power Point!  I think it worked out pretty well – and if nothing else I didn’t expose anyone to my illegible white-board chicken-scratch (as NWMA students can attest).  It also made a handy packet to share with folks; perhaps it will be helpful in retaining the information.

Contrary to popular belief I don't actually teach the Vulcan mind meld thing.

Day one, from my perspective at least, was a little dry.  This material is necessary and fundamental though, and it takes a lot of time to lay the groundwork before you can even get to the juicier bits.  I think most appreciated it though, and hopefully they didn’t get too bored.  We did some fun applications but before I knew it our time was already up.  I also felt bad because other than lunch, I really didn’t give the guys a break…and before I knew it, our time was already up.  Sorry guys!

There were more than a few bruised knuckles thanks to the telephone books.  Guys – buy this stuff, it works.

Eric doing "tenchi nage". If they have a head, you can throw them.

Day two was more fun.  I still don’t think that we had enough time to cover everything (barely had time to adequately cover two of the four principles), but there’s only so much time in the day.  I think we laid a good foundation given the short time, and folks seemed to really have fun with some of the applications we practiced.

A good action shot.

Most important to me was that the applications all illustrated the principles, rather than just a bunch of completely unrelated techniques.  I also wanted to drive home the point that even when techniques that look very different, they may actually have a lot more in common…and it’s these underlying principles that make everything work better.

Seeing someone’s eyes light up when they “get it” is just incredibly satisfying.  It’s even better than a good glass of scotch…though afterwards we had a few of those too, just to be sure.

We did a covered wagon tour of Independence, MO. Marlin, Eric, and me posing with the Missouri Mules.

I just thought the Mule parking sign was funny.

It really struck me that in most of the pictures, people were smiling and having fun. Very pleased about that.

Feeding Crane Gung-Fu Seminar – 6/5/11

Rakesh will be teaching a Feeding Crane Gung-Fu seminar on June 5th.  Here’s the write up he gave me:

Feeding Crane is part of the White Crane family of Gung-Fu schools, developed originally by a woman named Qi-Niang in Fuzhao in southern China. Although it has died out in mainland China, the system survived in Taiwan, and several Okinawan Karate practitioners, including Morio Higaonna, Matayoshi Shinpo, and Kimo Wall (founder of Okinawa Kodokan Karate) have trained in the Feeding Crane system.

The system emphasizes soft blocks and explosive strikes, but does not rely on physical strength for power. Instead it relies upon developing internal power through a series of exercises that include basic techniques of Feeding Crane Gung-Fu.

In this seminar we will study the series of basic exercises and techniques that form the basis for Feeding Crane. We will be practicing applications of these techniques for self-defense, and learning how these techniques help their practitioners develop power.

Martial arts experience is not necessary. Casual attire will suffice; a gi is fine, but not required. Comfortable clothing as for a gym workout are sufficient.

See you there!

Facing Violence

Spent the better part of Saturday at Rory Miller’s seminar.  This one was just fun, not as much of the deeper stuff, just running through a variety of drills.  A few scrapes, rug burns, bruises…my favorite kind of day.

I’ve been through most of the drills before so I don’t have much to say about the seminar itself, other than it’s always great to roll with folks old and new.  Drills, practice, new knowledge – all this stuff is valuable (which is why I do it so much).  But the best part really is seeing old friends and making new ones.

As an added bonus, Rory had copies of his new book for sale.  I’d been looking forward to it…started reading on Sunday and already most of the way through (long hours in the airport help).  Meditations on Violence is a great book and I’ve long recommended it to students, mostly as an eye-opener and something to make them think.  I have to say though if you’re only going to read one, pick up Facing Violence.  I wouldn’t say it’s better, because it’s not, they’re just different books.  But for those that need to pick up a lot of solid, useful information in a short time, this is the one.  It’s well-written, to the point, and a fast read.  Read it twice.

Koichi Tohei: January 20,1920 – May 19, 2011

Koichi Tohei passed away May 19, 2011.

Tohei Sensei was a giant in the Aikido world…a direct student of Aikido’s founder Morihei Ueshiba, the head instructor of the headquarters dojo at the time of Ueshiba’s death, and later the founder of Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido.  He was also Koichi Kashiwaya Sensei’s teacher, and so Tohei Sensei’s influence is very strong in our dojo.

I believe that martial arts, when it is done well and shared with others in the right spirit, has the power to dramatically improve people’s lives.  By extension, that makes the world a better place (and we need all the help we can get on this front).  People with power and influence – presidents, dictators, CEOs, celebrities, etc. – can impact people by the millions simply with the stroke of a pen or the words in a soundbite (and it’s infinitely easier to make things worse than it is to make things better).  “Regular” folks mostly improve the world one person at a time.

Tohei Sensei is one of those rare people who did something particularly special and outstanding; who created for himself an opportunity to positively and profoundly impact countless people, and his influence will continue to be felt long after his passing.

Here’s some interesting video of Tohei Sensei.  Lots more on Youtube as well.

Violence Dynamics: The Monkey Dance

One of the things I like about Rory Miller’s writing is how he describes violence.  There are different types of violence, and they require different responses.  Just knowing that isn’t sufficient, but it’s a necessary first step.

His new article goes into some detail on one of the more common types of social violence, the Monkey Dance.  Everyone has seen it, and if you were a young man at some point, I’m 100% confident you’ve personally been in the middle of it.  As common as this may be,  it’s still good material to read and understand “academically”.  Knowing it helps you recognize it (easy to recognize when you’re outside the situation, less so when you’re in the middle of it), and if you recognize it you can avoid it easily.  If you’re a martial artist, just consider this part of your training.

A small excerpt:

This human dominance game, the Monkey Dance, follows specific steps.  You have all seen it:

1. A hard, aggressive stare.
2. A verbal challenge, e.g., “What you lookin’ at?”
3. An approach, often with the signs of increased adrenaline: gross motor activity of arm swinging or chest bobbing, a change in color, usually with the skin flushing.
4. As the two square-off, there may be more verbal exchanges and then one will make contact. It will usually be a two-handed push on the chest or an index finger to the chest. If it is an index finger to the nose it will go immediately to step No. 5. If there is no face contact, this step can be repeated many times until one of the dancers throws
5. A big, looping over-hand punch.

This description is simplified and shows only one side. It must be emphasized that there have been thousands of generations conditioned to play this game in this way. It is easy to get sucked in and a very difficult thing to walk away. Backing down from a Monkey Dance, unless you take or are given a face-saving out, is extremely difficult and embarrassing, especially for young men.

I consider this necessary information for those interested in self-protection.  It’s not a long article, so read the whole thing: Violence Dynamics.

Speaking of Rory, I’ll be at his seminar this weekend.  Like usual, I’m sure he’ll have lots of material I can bring back and share in class.  I don’t know if there’s still room, but info can be found here: Real World Drills.

Some Reminders and a bit of Blatant Self-Promotion

A couple reminders:

1. Promotion ceremony for the kids will be tonight at 6pm.  Don’t expect trumpets or anything…we’re just handing out certificates and such.  Followed by lots of push-ups!

2. The monthly Kobudo class lead by Scott Schweitzer is this Friday from 7-9pm.  I’m not a Kobudo guy myself (only so many hours in the day!) but the reports I hear are that people really enjoy this class.  If you enjoy Okinawan/Japanese martial arts it’s good to at least be exposed to some of the traditional weapons training.  It’s the 2nd Friday of every month.

Scott Schweitzer teaching Bo

3. I’ll be in Kansas City, MO the weekend of June 11&12, teaching a seminar at the Blue River Martial Arts Club.  Details here.  If you know anyone in the area that might be interested, please let them know!

My friend Eric Parsons of Blue River Martial Arts Club was kind enough (or foolish enough…remains to be seen!) to extend me an invitation.  I met Eric at the Crossing the Pond seminar last year and had the pleasure of training with him in several of the sessions.  Good times.

One thing that impresses me about Eric is that he’s open and confident enough to invite other instructors to his school.  Not so many teachers are comfortable doing that, but I think it’s a mark of a great instructor.  The guys that understand they don’t know everything, and are confident enough to admit it, are the ones you should train with (in my humble opinion).

Me, Eric Parsons, and Rory Miller. "Crossing the Pond" seminar in Seattle, 2010.

Earlier this year Eric hosted Nicholas Yang (of YMMA fame) for a seminar on Chinese arts, and in October he’s hosting Iain Abernethy (of, well, Iain Abernethy fame) to cover what looks like LOTS of kata material.  By itself that’s a pretty good line-up, so I (of no particular fame whatsoever) feel pretty honored to be included.

Those who attend in June should also come to Iain’s seminar in October if you have the chance.  There will be some cross-over between his material and mine (we’re both teaching Karate after-all), but I think they will be fundamentally different seminars.  I’ve been following Iain’s stuff for quite some time…our emphasis might be a little different, but I believe the things we do are very complementary.  This is perhaps over-simplifying, but one way I look at it is this: 1. how to train to make you move/hit/throw better, and 2. what to do to stop the other guy from hurting you.  I’ll cover both, and I’m sure Iain will too, but my sense is that my focus will be more on 1, and his will be more on 2.  (And apologies to Iain if I’m misrepresenting his material!)

In any event, both of ‘em will be bone-crunchingly fun, so don’t miss either one!

Eric Parsons on the receiving end of a very big headache, courtesy of Iain Abernethy. "Crossing the Pond" seminar, Seattle, 2010.

Kids Test Last Weekend

As the title implies, we had a kids test last weekend (and yes, I’m just getting to writing about it now!)

I was very pleased with their performance.  Technical skill varies of course, and there are always things to improve.  But with kids, my biggest concern is that they TRY hard.  Some people are natural martial artists and pick things up very easily, but what inspires me most are those students that put their best effort into the practice, regardless of how “good” their performance is.  The talented person may still be technically better (at least in the short-term), but those that try the hardest are the ones that most put a smile on my face.  And generally speaking, those people are the ones that go the farthest in the long run.  This is one of those dojo concepts that applies to everything outside the dojo (it’s a pretty basic point but I’m compelled to point it out).

Their level of effort really showed, and I could not be more pleased!

Unlike our adult test requirements, which are differentiated by the class (Aikido, Jujutsu, etc.), the requirements for the kids are a bit, shall we say, nebulous.  Our kids program is very strong in that it integrates a lot of the techniques and skills from the different arts we offer adults (this was by design, but also simply from a functional standpoint we have instructors from different disciplines teaching the kids).  This exposes the kids to a far wider range of skills and options, which is great as I think it’s paramount to be well-rounded.  However, as with any design/plan/decision, there are good and bad sides.  The downside is that it makes creating well-defined and sensible testing criteria more difficult.  Yes, it’s easy just to throw a bunch of skills on a list and then teach to the test, but it’s a lot harder to integrate them into a well-designed curriculum where each skill builds on the other, while at the same time taking into account different ages and skill levels of children as well as the time necessary to cover all the requirements.  Not to mention the fact that not all the instructors are cross-trained in multiple arts to know all the skills and see the big picture!  This stuff isn’t as easy as it looks (well, at least I HOPE it looks easy!)

That’s a bit of thinking out loud.  😉  I know that lots of folks are interested in seeing documented test criteria, so I’m just sharing my thought process on it.  Suffice to say I’ve been thinking about several different options…and in keeping with what NWMA is doing in general, I think we’re going to come up with something unique.  So…parents stay tuned!

I’d like to offer a thank you to all the kids instructors.  Unfortunately some of them couldn’t be there due to travel, but they all had a hand in bringing the kids up to speed.  Being there week in and week out is just part of what we do, but it is a sacrifice of time and effort, for no pay other than personal satisfaction, so I want to express my gratitude to them!  Also, special thanks to Eric for running some extra class sessions, and to both Eric and Craig for helping oversee the test (most particularly since I was late thanks to an early morning business meeting!*)

And as always, special thanks to you parents for being so supportive to our program.  We can’t do it without you.

*Odd how it only strikes me right NOW how sad it is that I actually have to schedule early Saturday morning business meetings.  What can I say?  It seemed reasonable at the time.

Sakura Matsuri Picture Highlights – 2011

Earlier this month the annual Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom) Japanese Cultural Festival was held in Seattle Center.  This marked the 8th year that Northwest Martial Arts performed Aikido for the festival.

For last few years, the martial arts demonstrations have been held in smaller auditoriums, which naturally limited attendance.  It was great to be back in the food court this year…all the more fun with a big crowd watching!

The lighting was also a lot better for pictures…

Introductions. From the look on some of the faces I think Craig just made a joke.

Austin throws Susan...

...and Susan returns the favor. That's what he gets for picking on her.

Ryan, I know it's fun to sweep the mat with Robert, but most of us just use a broom.

Watch for low-flying children.

Jesse looks like he won't quite clear the kid-pile, but he did easily. These pictures often look like the kids in the pile are talking...I like to imagine them discussing stock picks or the laws of thermodynamics.

Robert performs a perfect landing from Austin's throw. I like how this picture got Robert right before landing, but it would have been much cooler if he had waved to the camera.

This attack does have a Japanese name, but we seldom use it. Somebody once labeled it "Crazy Woman with Steak-knife" and as much as I want to I just can't bring myself to call it anything else.

Chile attacking at full-steam! Colten remained calm though and easily performed the throw.

Craig throwing me from a kick. The mats at Sakura Matsuri are very thick and cushy, which makes it very difficult to move well (and very easy to break toes). I appreciate a cushy mat for this throw however.

Amanda performing "Ki Bridge". This is my favorite picture of the lot.

Me performing jo kata. I look serious here but usually I have a smile on my face when I hit people.

Clifton, stop trying to smack the kids! Minjy does a great job avoiding the blow.

Randori is a type of free-form practice; in this case Craig is avoiding/throwing multiple attackers. It's hard to capture on film, but this one's not bad.

Bowing together: the most difficult part of a demo!

As always, thanks to the Sakura Matsuri people for having us, thanks to the performers for a job well done, and thanks to the parents for all your support!