Choose Your Dojo

Hey there, it's been awhile.

I've been busy in Israel, and now that I've made citizenship I have a chance to breathe for a few moments and write some posts.

This is a particularly important topic in martial arts. In fact, before you learn how to fight, how to weave and dodge, choosing the right school, or training area, is more important and integral, than anything you will do after you begin practicing.

Your teacher is who will illuminate the road you will walk on in martial arts, and as this path is one that is rife with potential injury and a very timely thing; who you select to be your teacher, if they will take you, will determine the rest of everything else you can do in your respective martial arts.

I began at a school somewhere between traditional and mcdojo. I began at four and spent the next nine years there, until an after school scrap that I lost. I couldn't fathom how as a third dan I got beaten up. So I decided it wasn't my fault (which it was, I was too timid at the time to use anything I had been taught) and switched schools to a much tougher, and more traditional school.

Ah, now these were, and most still are, fighters, and by the time that school closed I actually felt I deserved the black belt I wore- and it took two years of restarting at their school. But that is a story for another time.

Since then I have taught at mcdojos and traditional schools. Over twenty in all in the D.C. and Maryland area. I used to make quite a bit of money as a contractor going from school to school and teaching children basic self defense and martial arts. So it can be lucrative to a degree.

Anyways,

The point is this- the student will go as far as they can. You, me, we all are students. But even if gifted prodigies, if we are taught wrong- if we are taught only the sport side of TKD or any other martial art, it is not comparative to being able to defend yourself on the street. And having had to do that since, in both the United States and in Europe, I can tell you that picking a school and your teacher could have the weight of being life and death.

If you are taught to disarm a knife dangerously, and you get hurt trying to do so in self-defense, is it your fault, or your teacher's?

I'd wager more on the latter than the former.

Your best bet is to avoid to mcdojos. Don't get me wrong- I've had good times at such schools. I made money, and taught as pragmatically as I could, but ultimately if you want to learn actual martial arts, and protect yourself you need a more traditional based school.

So how to spot a mcdojo?

1- Does their martial art system have belts?

This is kind of vague, but the more money you tend to pay for a rank in a martial art, the more it demeans something priceless.

I've been to schools where I had to pay anywhere from $200 to $1000 for a black belt. What's the difference when the latter practically gave away belts, while the former made you have to fight through four people at once to get your money's worth and pedigree.

Pay attention to how easily the belts are given away, and how much it costs when they are.

2- Are their black belts actually worth calling black belts?

The rank of 'black belt' or '1st dan' is arbitrary. I received my first black belt in Moo Duk Kwan TKD, and I was 7. I'm told I did well, and everything asked right, but y'know, I just don't believe it. 19 years later I look back and wish I could retake that test- I can do so much more now, and actually deserve that first rank.

After that street fight I lost at 13 and I switched schools, one of the biggest reasons I did so was no because they had amazing technique, but because their brown belts could beat the shit out of any 3rd dan I knew from my other school, or even the other schools in the area.

And their fighting was brutal. Absolutely so, and worth it. When you see a black belt at a school an they are sloppy, invariably you need to look at who is teaching them.

3- Does the school's head teacher have an unconfirmed background?

Keep in mind you can buy belts online. All of them, even camouflage, pink, and rainbow belts if you fancy it. You can buy the rainbow in sashes or belts and wear them, but does a black belt make a black belt?

The highest rank I ever decided to go for in martial arts is my 3rd dan. That was 10 years ago, and I have vastly improved since then, gathering belts from a multitude of Korean and Japanese styles. But I never go past 1st dan. This is usually because of circumstance, such as a school closing (I've had two schools where the head master passed away, one where he retired, and another where they closed shop for more gainful employ) but after awhile, you realize you are still growing despite not acquiring new ranks.

I've been called a master since, not only in the U.S. but now Israel as well. I don't think I am; in what style?

But the point is this; anybody who is wearing something that states importance, without doing anything important- anybody who wears a belt over actually demonstrating how to do such and such, is someone to be leary of.

I certainly am. You say you're a 5th dan? I have two questions; what is your styles name (you'd be amazed how many martial artists cannot answer this) and who was your teacher, and his teacher.

And you better believe I'm going to look up who these people are if I can, and if I cannot, chances are I have someone who obtained their belt dishonestly.

In fact, one of my favorite lessons to teach kids is to take my belt off and let it fall on the floor. I then ask them, "Do you think now that I've taken this off I can do any less?" and with adults, I'll let them spar me to prove that point.

It isn't the belt that makes the person, and all too often we give a deference to people who wear a belt, but who when take it off cannot back it up. Be careful of that- most mcdojos are worn by people who paid for their belt, but did not earn it.

4- How expensive is the school?

Mcdojos, like Mcdonalds, exists to make money. Martial arts is priceless, and anybody who truly loves the art will move heaven and earth to make sure it is affordable, or idealy free. I had a teacher who in 25 years of being open, never once raised his price. He closed his doors because the lease just kept going up and up (as he was successful and had around 400 students who came in 3-4 times a week mandatorily) and he refused to raise his price.

Now that's integrity.

I don't even know if I'd stick to my principles that hard when people are begging me to just raise prices so I can keep the doors open.

But I admire the principal- if I could teach martial arts for free, while gauranteeing I have a stable roof over my head and meals coming, I would teach for free. But life doesn't work like that. But if someone offers you a membership for an entire year, be wary. How do you know if this is the style or school for you? It takes time to figure that out- a couple of months, but by then you're in some contract where even if you can't or won't go to class you have to pay.

Somehow, that seems to taint martial arts for me.

If you want to learn, how much you can pay shouldn't be something I consider, let alone have as a model to run a school. At that point the teacher's focus isn't on you, it's on your wallet.

5- How foofy is the school. Do black belts still wear stomach protectors? For breaking practice are you using wood, or concrete when you go for black belt?

Basically- when you go in and watch the students fight or practice, how weak do they look. If you see a uniform sloppiness, and want to join, I'll tell you right now in 6 months or 3 years you will look the exact same way as you saw when you went to check the school out.






If you want to be a good martial artist, not only is not enough if you are dilligent- but you need to find a teacher who is equally committed, not necessarily to you, but to the practice and teaching of the art itself. And in that, being committed to passing on what they know to you follows.

See that's the thing about martial arts- there comes a point where to progress you can no longer just be a student or practitioner- but you must teach.

And if you cannot teach, you cannot improve myself. It's simple as that. And while many can do, not many can teach. And that skillset is the only thing keeping martial arts alive.

So when you choose a teacher think on that- you want to be the best martial artist you can be.

Take care to choose a teacher who will show you where to step on the path, and not distract you with the bullshit that's around the path.

Best of luck training!

The Coolest Things I Have Experienced In Martial Arts

"What other's call impossible, other's know as miracle, or skill."

-Alexander Borschel

So, I wanted to make a list of some of the most interesting experiences I have had in Martial Arts; I am not ranking these, merely listing.

1- Getting my black belt at 7. Getting another when I was 16 for another style.

2- My father impaling his competitor (without injury) at his neck, and his shinai going through his opponents helmet.

3- breaking my first cinderblock.

4- Watching a 16 year old (3rd Dan) break 3 inches of concrete.

5- Dropping 4 people at once, and then outside the dojo, fighting off 6 people and escaping the conflict, without hitting anyone once, or getting hurt myself.

6- Extinguishing a candle by punching.

7-Watching someone break a 1" slab of concrete by vibrating it.

8- Using meditation to go to sleep.

9- Punching 8 times in a second.

10- Watching someone do a front axe kick, then drop into a full split without injuring themself.

11- Watching the same (mentally handicapped individual) reach their 3rd dan.

12- And the biggest miracle- training since I was 4 until now, when I am 26. Even with pauses, I have only improved with time.

13- Disarming a master of Aikido and student of O-sensei wielding a sword during a demonstration, using a technique he had not seen before. While everyone else said, 'That's how you cut off your own leg' he said to me at the same time, 'It is good'. Only he and I knew what I did- and that moved me.

14- Watching an elderly woman over the age of 80 from the south, using a naginata, disarming a kendo master in a friendly match. She whooped his ass, so to speak.

15- Seeing someone in Tae Kwon Do do a tornado kick on a lit candle on top of a katana, while standing on a chair. He extinguished the flame, without knocking the candle over.


What are the martial arts events you have personally witnessed that post impressed you?

When Feeling Jaded

There's a certain drum beat when it comes to training. There are times when we train our hearts out, and there are times where we do nothing at all.

It seems the latter is what I have been spending my time doing; it's true I have been busy, but when you love something you make time for it.

And I guess that's the problem- My heart isn't in it, at least right now.

I know there is a time for work, a time for play, and a time for rest.

But this isn't like that, from what I can tell. And it does bother me. I considered myself foremost a martial artist- and if that is something I no longer have a driving passion in, then who am I?

I'm not giving up- I guess I'm just in limbo until I find what will spark the passion again.

Martial arts has been something I turn to when I'm at my lowest. Even if homeless, even if wandering, even if rich- it's something I always have.

And I check my techniques about once a week- everything is as it should be. I can still do everything I have in the past. But there's no growth, and no attempt at it. I just don't see the point.

So I could do 75 kicks on one leg, different kicks, and with power- so I could do 5-6 punches in a second. So I could fight multiple people and do well, in training and in real life.

What's the point? It's not that someone better than me will come along- they already have, and have always been around. Someone is always better, and that's OK.

I'm what you might consider a 'tough guy', mainly because it's something I've sought after to be. I make efforts to be that way, and so I've found myself in some trying, inspiring, and still stupid situations.

Sooner later I have to grow up- life is not an anime.

I've got a lot of scars from getting into fights with objects, people, and even animals. Part of me takes pride of them, a larger part is weary of them. I hope they heal, they're like tattoos of a cruder sort.

You could be the greatest warrior on Earth, and believe me, I consider myself a warrior- honor and strength, all that. You could beat everyone and everything. Be talked about as a legend for ages to come. So what. Memory fades, people move on. People already are- You might run a school, but you will see it close too. Perhaps you will lock the doors a last time, or perhaps you might die and someone else will.

I've seen Masters retire, I've seen schools become ballet studios, then martial art schools again. After 22 years, I suppose I've seen a lot, and done a lot. I've been every rank you can think of, and while never certified, called a master. A world champion told me once he wouldn't want to get hit my one of my roundhouse kicks.

It's flattering, when you want it to be. But somehow with time it expires and grows dull.

I have a few hopes- if I'm ever mugged or in a robbery again, that I can hold my own.

I hope that if I have children I can pass some of my training onto them, but even that which was once a very important ideal to me, no longer really matters. Maybe my son will be gifted at soccer, or math. Or my daughter will be gifted in ways I cannot fathom now at 26.

Who knows what surprises the future holds.

I'm not quitting martial arts- it's been there for me at my lowest. But in a way I'm putting the gi into storage until I can find a great drive to start again.

That's what we do as martial artists- take 5 steps back to take that 1 step forward that wins the match. We are patient. For now I will practice crafts that I believe every martial artist should have- kindness, writing, enjoying life, and helping others to enjoy their own.

And most of all, if martial arts is the art of being human, than finding and enjoying happiness.

I'll post when the urge strikes ^^.

What Amount Of Training Makes A Difference?

"The purpose of training is to tighten up the slack, toughen the body, and polish the spirit."

-Morihei Ueshiba

"There are two mistakes one makes along the road to truth; Not going all the way, and not starting."

-Buddha

Boy, it's been awhile. I apologize.

I saw someone post on Reddit that practicing martial arts once or twice a week doesn't make a difference, and it had me thinking;

How do you define once or twice a week?

I agree, doing one hour a week will not do much for you physically.

I had a teacher who promulgated that you needed to practice at least three hours a week to see any kind of improvement, even if it might be slow.

And I honestly agree.

When I first started martial arts, for my first ten years that's what I did. I would go to two classes, and sometimes the sparring class on the weekend. But when I started Kendo, We would practice for 2 hours once a week.

Then my father and I joined another class they held on sundays, and our practice became four hours a week.

I saw steady improvement, which then accelerated.

Likewise, when I went to another school to learn another style of Tae Kwon Do, I didn't practice for two 50 minute sessions. I might have had class at 7 at night, but I would be there the moment the dojo opened, and left when it had finally closed.

And that's really when I saw not just improvement in my technique in that new style, but also improvement in who I was.

The more time we diligently invest in our training the more we see results that are worth the time spent.

The only way to do this art is to practice. That's the simple hard fact of it. But what is interesting is how many different ways we can train. Even thinking about how to do a form or technique can lead to improvement. But I suppose the question then you need to ask in however one may define 'training' is this;

'Am I focused'
'Am I seeking improvement.'
'What am I trying to improve'
'Is this enough for me'.

Which sounds simple, but is difficult to determine for each of us.

But a session should be defined by each of us, In the end, no matter how much guidance we receive from a teacher, we ultimately have the reigns of what we do with, and become from what we practice. From what we can tell is helping us. There comes a point as a dojorat that we have to acknowledge we might be overdoing things.

And that will differ from person to person.

But honestly, in my opinion, if you want to see minimal improvement over a period of time, you need around 3 hours. 1 hour won't go anywhere, 2 hours might keep you stable. 3 or more will keep you steadily improving.

What do you guys think?

"You can only fight the way you practice."

-Miyamoto Musashi

Meditation Part 6

"True life happens when little changes occur."

-Leo Tolstoy

"When you are grateful, fear dissapears and abundance appears."

-Tony Robbins

It's been awhile since I've posted anything on meditation, so I figured I would add another- a practice I have been doing quite recently.

Throughout my life I have had a lot of jobs; from dish washer to janitor, to today being a farmer for a little while between the kibbutz I was staying on, and now while WWOOFing.

This is a practice you can do pretty much while doing anything, but when doing something particularly repetitious, it will help the most.

Let's say I am washing dish after dish- with each dish I wash I keep a thought of gratitude in mind. For me it is often, 'I am thankful for this', but for someone religious, perhaps, 'Thank you God', is another way to look at it.

When I plant a seed, or the plant once it is grow, I think, 'I am grateful this will grow', and when I pull a weed, I fervantly think, 'May this help what I am doing'.

Perhaps at first you do not actually believe the very thought you are thinking. But as you think it more and more, the feeling of gratitude you are cultivating will grow. More importantly, you can attune this process to pretty much any mode of thought and attitude you deign. Perhaps it is confidance you would like to build, then think as you work, 'I am confidant this will work' or, 'With every task I do, I become better'.

What a lot of people do not keep in mind is that every thought we have matters- literally every single one. Any thought is a electrochemical passed from not only one neuron to another, but throughout the mind.

As you think something, your brain is re-wiring itself to make these thoughts not only able to be held for longer, but easier to make.

You can do similar exercises to also change how you think. Perhaps like me you had some pretty serious anger issues growing up. Whenever I felt myself starting to become angry over nothing, that rage that would cause me to hit a wall or item, or whatever was around me, I would stop and take note of that emotion. I would think even as a young teenager, 'This isn't me. This isn't who I want to be', and then would seek why I was acting this way- what caused me, what was the impetus. Was there even any at all?

In doing so it allowed me to become conscious of when that situation arose. And eventually whenever it happened I would attempt to think of something positive, and if that did not work, I would do something I know would calm me down- such as martial arts, or writing or reading.

Years later when I suffered from depression, this technique also helped. I don't get rage fits anymore, and I haven't suffered from depression in three years. I am grateful for that, but it took work. You have to start small, like placing the first brick for building any structure. Little by little, you will see what you do come to fruition.

This is the essence of meditation- changing who we are through how our minds work. We are reprogramming ourselves, and that is the wonderful thing about the mind- the more you contemplate and work mentally on something, the more efficient your brain becomes by forming neural connections to make that task easier.

"The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world, and the world at large."

-Confuscious

Sword Of The Stranger - A Story Of Honor

"To believe in something and not to live it, is dishonest."

-Ghandi

Normally I wouldn't write about anime- don't get me wrong, practically every morning I wake up and listen to this audio on repeat as I work out, alongside it others;

To put it simply, yes I am an anime fanatic.

But my love of animation aside, I am writing about the movie Sword Of The Stranger. Fantastic movie; not only for its visuals and the amazingly well done fight scenes, but moreso its story of honor. But I won't go into the plot and risk spoiling it for you.

Here it is in full;

Honor.

It's such an important word to the martial artist, and one largely ignored these days. And even worse, many who claim to have it misunderstand what it is.

Honor is something which can only be seen tangibly in the actions of others. People have died in the past to preserve it, either their own, or another's.

Knighthood, Samurai, aristocracy throughout the ages; all have claimed ownership.

Yet honor is not some kind of systemization of conduct and moral codes to adhere to.

To put it simply honor is keeping true to yourself.

Cultures differ, and throughout the ages what has been honorable to one, such as suicide for a knight, to honorable in another, such as the Samurai. Even in certain religious circles, such as Jainism ritual suicide has been seen as honorable, where the same would be deplorable in western culture.

It's just a fact; what is honorable to one will not be to another.

And while many might agree on certain aspects concerning their beliefs on what they define as honorable, it is not always the case.

So this is why uniform codes, such as Bushido came to exist and be widely held, but it was still and always will be a very personal choice to follow such a code. No different than if you were to compose one for yourself.

Honor, to me, is to do what you believe is right. Whether guided by intuition, emotion, or logic, upholding one's sense of self, their duty in existance to be, is what determines the quality of their honor.

And honor is very complicated. Sometimes doing the right thing isn't honorable in terms of what society would uphold. Justice for example is associated with honor, yet at the same time 'justice' is as grounded in a motive for revenge and compensation as it is to right a wrong. And it is only the latter which is honestly honorable in a sense of rightness for a situation.

Let me give you an example; say somebody came into your home and attacked your family. It is honorable to defend your family and stop them. Some would even say you should kill that person.

Yet let us tweak the situation slightly; your family is evil, doing wrong (this is just a hypothetical to make a point) and this person is attacking them to stop what they are doing. Is it still honorable to defend a group of people who are doing wrong?

Some would say yes, some would say no. It will always depend on the context of the situation, and where you stand perspective-wise concerning it.

To put it succinctly, to carry honor is to carry a sense of what is right. And you are only honorable when you are upholding what you believe to be right.

Honor should be engrained in the martial artist; it is reserved humility, and we practice it everytime we bow or thank our teachers, but also those who are our peers. This is why the school I attended where every black belt was expected to be bowed to, from white belt to other black belts even higher ranked- it was a mark of respect and acknowledgement. It was little wonder then this school instilled great moral character in its students, through a myriad of different methods. This is just one example.

Honor is tantamount to respect, and without respecting what you believe in, and working your hardest, devoting yourself to fulfilling those beliefs in action when the opportunity occurs, one cannot say they are living honorably.

It is not so simple as right or wrong, a system of ethics. Morality and ethics changes from person to person, culture to culture, and even situation to situation.

So those who walk around claiming to have a code of honor but do not follow it do not have honor in my book. If it is a part of your system of belief and honor to not steal, yet you still steal, then you are without honor for you are not being true to yourself. It is a part of my system that if I am training with someone of lesser ability, experience or skill, I will not abuse being better. That I will work with them at their own level.

And of course I cannot always do that; one occasion comes to mind where I was sparring somebody where they just kept going more and more agressively, and if I did not do o as well I would become injured. I ended up having to actually go at my ability and kick them hard enough in the head to stun them to de-escalate. I would not say that was honorable- but it was necessary for me to avoid injury. In that instance I did not follow my code of ethics, and I acted dishonorably in my own eyes.

That is what is more important than conveying honor to others, but ensuring you carry that honor within yourself and feel that, that feeling is deserved.

That is what the story of the Sword Of The Stranger spoke to me, and why Nanashi is a great example of one with honor; we can be cold, but if we enjoy life, even the little things, and never forsake what we believe is right, then we can say with honest truth to ourselves we are living with honor.

It's up to you though to determine those things, and keep yourself in check to follow those principles. That is the meaning of honor- staying true to what you believe is right. It's something you will work on your entire life, but a life with honor is far better lived than one which isn't.

"A true martial artist in my book, is someone who is going to do the right thing and lead by example."

-Duane Lugwig.

"Honor is integrity tied to action."

Make Your Tools

"One does not need buildings, money, power, or status to practice the art of peace (Aikido/Martial Arts). Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train."

-Morihei Ueshiba

"Attachments... are the greatest impediments to spiritual growth."

-Thich Nhat Hanh

So as many of you may know, I have moved from the United States to the small country of Israel. While one of my bags is mostly comprised of martial arts equipment, this is all safety and targets. I could not bring my Kendo armor, and certainly could not any of my nunchuka, shinai, knives, or bokken. Let alone bo staves and the like. All that had to be left behind.

I've practiced Kendo on and off for over a decade now. If I recall correctly, it's going on twelve years, and I have no expectation to stop being in form concerning practicing it.

Today combing through about 200 pieces of wood I finally came across a piece that is about the weight of a shinai (quite light for a bokken) and is the approximate length of a wakizashi.

Now this is not a shinai by any means, but it can become a makeshift bokken. I intend to get some cloth and wrap the hilt in such a way to turn it into a legitimate piece of training equipment. And this is what the heart of my post is speaking about; sometimes you have to make do.

You may not have training weights when you go somewhere new, but you will always have rocks you can till the ground and find, which may be even better and more useful for strength training than what you had.

When you start over somewhere that by no means giving up who you are, and what it is that you do. It just means adjusting. So you don't have a heavy bag; find a tree that can become one. So I don't have a bokken, I will now make one so I can keep practicing.

I didn't have a mirror to watch how I did my techniques, all I could do was look at my shadow in the near-noon sun and see if the Head, Stomach or Wrist cuts I were doing were straight. My shadow became the mirror that so many of us become used to, and take advantage of in our schools.

Not going to lie, its apparently impossible to take a photo of yourself doing a technique while
staying in perfect posture and position. But, this is what I mean when saying use your shadow as a mirror.

But someday your school may close, someday you may move. What, you then give up all that you did and learned?

I certainly can't, so I'm going to make do. You should consider how you can do this if you had to. Resourcefulness is something I take pride in as a martial artist. We always find a means.

"Make do with what you have; it is all you need."

For my blog on my travels in Israel: http://ajourneyinisrael.blogspot.co.il/