Tradition or Evolution?

Tradition or Evolution?  

I do not believe it necessarily has to be one or the other.  I believe there is a prominence of one or the other in most martial arts so the question is which are you most interested in?

The answer for me is evolution.

I started my martial studies in 1981.  I have studied traditional martial arts from China, Japan, Korea and The Philippines.   I have studied modern combat systems in the military and law enforcement.  I delved into Russian Martial Arts which is vast in it's richness and can be traditional and cultural or very modern and scientifically based.

I have never been a traditional person, meaning that the old ways are of interest to me but they do not define my studies or me in any way.  I am open minded in my spirituality, not religious.  I have no particular political affiliations but recognize what works as being of value.

This outlook on life as a whole is also my perspective in martial arts.  I recognize traditional ways as having value in learning how skills were developed and what their application can be.  History is moderately interesting but I am more interested in learning from history so we can move forward and not repeat mistakes or keep going around in circles.  When something no longer works or no longer serves a purpose it is time to let it go.

Lets use a martial example here.  I think Okinawan weapons are kind of cool.  The Tonfa, Sai and Nunchucks.  It is interesting how farm implements became weapons when the government put controls on martial studies and confiscated weapons and punished those who used them.  It has some historical significance in understanding the bigger picture.  Do I have any interest in learning to be proficient with these weapons and spending hours practicing?  No, not at all.

What weapons do I train with?  Short stick or baton, short bladed edged weapons,read knife, and firearms.  Why, you may ask?  Because they are the modern weapons that I have access to and can have available to me if I ever need to use weapons in protecting myself.  Some of you may argue that a firearm is not a martial arts weapon, I disagree, there is another article here on this blog discussing that topic so that is all I will say here.

In martial arts class do you wear funny outfits and speak a foreign language?  Why?

Do you train in bare feet?  Why?  This one is an interesting one in modern North American society.  Why do people train in bare feet?  Where are you ever going to fight someone in bare feet?  Unless you are in your bathroom or at the beach that is very unlikely.  Some people think it is to toughen your feet, I guess it does that but the more probable reason is simply that in Japan and Korea you do not wear shoes inside. Interesting huh?  It has little or nothing to do with practicing martial arts, it is simply a cultural thing of no shoes in the house.

What about a Gi?  Why do you wear a Gi?  It has nothing to do with martial arts it is simply the style of clothing worn in the past in some societies.

I look at many martial arts and ask "Why" when I see people doing a particular move or technique.  It is disheartening when the answer is " I don't know, that's just the way we do it."  Really?  Is that a satisfactory answer?  I do not think so.

In many Japanese and Korean styles the front punch is taught with a chamber position by the hip as the starting place.  Why?  Have you ever wondered?  Most people do not and many teachers do not have an explanation. No, That's just the way I learned it, is not a satisfactory answer.

As I said, tradition does have it's place, but when does it start to hinder forward movement?  I believe everything we learn in martial arts should be challenged and verified.  I believe a scientific approach can validate what is useful and eliminate what is not.   Using current understanding of anatomy and physiology, psychology, physics and math will help us to deepen our understanding and expand our knowledge and skills. Most of this knowledge was not available 100 or 200 years ago when many arts were being created.  What worked then in that country, in that time, may no longer be the most appropriate or useful way to train and practice.

I still see people doing ballistic stretching.  If you have any understanding of exercise science you will understand how detrimental that can be.   Over stretching in martial arts is common.  The effects are loose joints that get injured, overextended elbows and knees, hip problems and rotator cuff tears are all common in martial arts schools where the teachers are not properly educated and rely on the old ways as a valid method.

Tradition has it's place.  I think one of the big issues however is that people get stuck in tradition and do not ask why, or how and then get stuck themselves.  It is interesting to know the origins of a martial art, where and how it all got started but we also need to adapt and advance the art to meet the needs of people today in the modern world, in our own society and culture.

I encourage you to be brave.  To stop and ask why, how can we use this, how can we improve this?  Isn't that what the originator of the art did?  They saw what was available, maybe studied the old ways and then modified it and modernized it to meet their own needs and the needs of the people around them.  Why then would we not continue to do the same thing?

There is so much more that could be discussed here.  My purpose however is to simply initiate thought and to encourage you as a martial artist to question what you are being taught.  To encourage you to educate yourself in modern methods of training and base your choices on the highest level of knowledge you can attain.

There are some wonderful teachers and programs available to an open minded seeker, do not limit yourself to a tradition or one way of thought out of misunderstanding or some distorted sense of loyalty.  It is up to you to learn the best that you can from the best teachers you can find.

As you expand your awareness, knowledge and skills you will naturally evolve, which to me is the primary purpose of existence ,the evolution of self and my martial studies.
...the evolution continues...
Enjoy the journey.

What's your style?

What's your style?  I love that question when asked to Bruce Lee on a junket somewhere near Hong Kong.  His response was, "You can call it the art of fighting without fighting".

I always had a hard time answering that question for myself until I decided I have no style.  To me style implies structure, form, limitations all imposed upon you by another person.  Styles require replication of forms, basic techniques, repetitive movement all for the purpose of looking like the instructor.  Styles work for the person that created it because it was he/she that put their personal likes, dislikes, qualities, abilities and preferences into that style.

So my question is if he/she could do that why I am trying to imitate them?  Why am I not creating my own methods?

That is why REAL Martial Arts is not a style.  It is not really even a system, it is a method of discovery, testing, challenging and creating what works for you.  There is a systematic approach to it.  It uses science, anatomy, biomechanics, physics and biology to come up with skill sets that work against the human body in combat.  It also develops exercises, drills and practices that, strengthen the body, help release false beliefs and misunderstandings and create a person who is resilient, efficient, accurate and vital.

REAL Martial Arts does not require students to replicate the instructor.  It asks students to find their own natural responses to situations, their own intrinsic qualities that can be nurtured to build a platform of movement, structure and relaxation that allows them to respond in their own way.

Students are encouraged to experiment with different movements and techniques to see what feels right and what can be developed for them.  It is a very intuitive approach.  Techniques are used as a basic place to start from and then the student goes from there.  There is no particular response to a given attack.  No basics to repeat, no katas or forms to take up grey matter trying to remember.

We train with partners almost all of the time.  We get attacked and have to learn how to move, how to respond to defend ourselves in a way that is natural and makes sense to us.  It is more about self discovery and uncovering our natural abilities than trying to mimic someone else's.

So, what's your style? 

Short Work in Combat

Excellent Workshop on Short Work
REAL Martial Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico

We had an excellent workshop on what is called short work yesterday in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Class was taught by Josh Fabia.  Short work comes from Russian Martial Arts, Systema, to be more precise.  It works on the premise that the most direct defense is the most effective.  There is no wasted movement, nothing fancy and you go directly to your preferred targets.  The preferred targets are the eyes, throat, groin and solar plexus.  The idea being if the attacker can not see, breath or continue his attack you have neutralized the threat and can get out of there as quickly as possible.

Short work is very effective.  The motions are small and direct which means the other person can not see the attack and has very little chance to protect himself until it is too late.  We worked with strikes from standing attacks as well as ground fighting with one and multiple opponents.  We looked at pressure points and how to control a person by manipulating their head and spine.  Short work is very effective and very real however few other martial arts include it in their training.

One thing I really like about the training we are doing at EastSide Combatives is that it is focused on real life situations and application.  We deal with single and multiple attackers, standing and on the ground.  We work empty handed and with weapons in real life scenarios.  We train in doors on mats and outdoors in more realistic environments on cement, stairs and uneven ground.  Skills are developed progressively and everything fits together and expands on everything else.  It really is a system and it all works as one.

This month we will be focusing on short work in our weekly classes.  Each month has a different focus so that students can develop a good level of proficiency in each area and then bring together what they learned from the previous months into a system of personal protection that is effective and reality based.  As each student grows in their knowledge and skill they begin to develop their own unique approach and preferences.
They bring their personalities and inherent abilities to the game and learn to express themselves in their movements and skill use.  EastSide Combatives is not about replicating the teacher or anyone else it is about discovering and unveiling your own abilities and gifts so that each student is different and discovers their own inherent strengths and unique approach.

Firearms Training in Martial Arts

Guns.
Is firearms training a martial art?
This discussion was created the other day on Black Belt magazine's facebook page.  The statement that started the discussion was that firearms training should be mandatory for all martial artists.

I do not necessarily agree that it should be mandatory but firearms should definitely be considered, in our modern world, as a viable form of martial art.

There were arguments both for and against, some heated, some filled with emotion and nonsensical responses.

So the only thing I can express here is my opinion.  I believe firearms are a very important aspect of modern martial arts.  I believe they should be understood and trained with to give the practitioner a real understanding of what they are capable of and how to use and defend against them.

One of the common arguments against was that any idiot can pull a trigger, that it does not take skill to use a firearm.  Well, after years of shooting and training I know that is simply not true.  The argument could easily be put forth that no martial arts are martial arts.  It does not take training or skill for someone to hack your head off with a sword, or to stab you with a knife, kick you in the groin or punch you in the face.  Any able bodied person can do all of those things.

The difference between being able to simply perform these tasks and do it with finesse, timing, accuracy and skill is what makes it a martial art.  To be able to perform when needed and to look good doing it, that is where the art comes into play.

To accurately draw, display and hit your target in a certain amount of time, with fluidity and smoothness.  To engage a moving target with accuracy so that your rounds neutralize an imminent threat to you or another person.  To be able to shoot while moving to cover.  To have the hand eye coordination to place a 147 grain projectile travelling at 1000 ft per second, into a target the size of a basketball while perceiving and responding to a threat to your life with your heart rate at 160, breathing restricted and loss of fine motor function because of the fight or flight response.  To be able to function with all of this going on at the same time within a few seconds, from perception to response takes training, focus, energy, concentration, discipline, commitment, coordination, balance, speed and a presence of mind only found after extensive training and experience.

To me that description is exactly what martial art is.  A focused intentional development of martial skills to be able to perform those skills under less than perfect circumstances.  To be able to protect yourself from a threat and do all of this with accuracy and control.

If firearms training and development of the necessary skills to protect yourself and others, under horrific life threatening conditions, is not martial arts.  Then what is it?

Even if you choose not to train how to shoot it is beneficial to understand firearms so you know how to defend against them.  How you move to minimize the likelihood of being hit. The difference between cover and concealment.  How to disarm a person, if they are going to kill you, and you are within arm's reach and can possibly save your life with proper technique and execution.

At least in the United States, you are far more likely to come up against a gun-wielding bad guy than you are someone with a sword, sai, tonfa or any other kind of "martial art" weapon.

I think firearms training is a viable and very important aspect of martial arts training.  Firearms are a current and very real threat in our world and should be taken seriously by any martial artist.

Motivation in Martial Arts

Is this Martial Art right for me?
Realistic, Effective, Active, Live
REAL Martial Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico
www.martialartssantafe.com

REAL, that is the acronym above and the name of our martial arts school.  These are the questions I ask myself when I am learning something new or deciding to share it in class.  Is this realistic?  Is it effective?  Is it active?  Is it living?

So lets take a closer look at what this means.  The first question, Is this realistic?  This is very important to me on many levels.  Is it realistic for me to perform, can I do this without hurting myself?  Can I learn this quickly and share it easily with others?  Will it work in a real world situation where I have to protect myself?

This brings up another important question.  What is my motivation for studying martial arts, combat?  You need to ask yourself this question so you can put everything into context.  If you are interested in traditional martial arts from a particular country and you want to learn the language, the history and culture then you will be motivated to study an art that presents all of those things to you.  If you are interested in competing in an athletic competition then you will go somewhere different.

For me, my primary motivation is to learn skills that are real world practical combat, that can be used on the street and in life threatening situations.  I choose to learn personal protection skills that I can share with others so they can protect themselves and others.  I am interested in working with law enforcement and military personnel to help them learn not only the physical skills to survive but the mental and emotional ones as well.  So my motivation is very specific and it steers me in the right direction to fulfill my personal goals.  I am also interested in developing my mental attitude and emotional responses so that I can control and utilize them in dangerous situations. Learning to control my fear is vital to survival in a real world situation where I may be in danger.   Personal development and learning about myself are also primary motivations so I study and practice daily.

Is this effective?  If it takes a long time for me to learn, if it requires hours of practice just to get the basics then I am probably not interested.  A new skill should be easy to assimilate into your arsenal.  In teaching physical skills a teacher should be able to explain it and show in 3 minutes, there should be less than 3 components and you can begin to understand it in 3 mins of practice.  If it is more complicated than that then it either needs to be broken down into smaller steps or put aside as you will never be able to use it under stress.  That does not mean you will be proficient in 3 minutes, it means you can now take it and practice it.  If a skill is not going to assist me in neutralizing a threat then I am not going to spend much time on it.  Again this all comes down to motivation.  Some people will spend hours perfecting a jumping spinning kick so they can perform it in a demonstration.  If that is your motivation then you will be interested in different things.

Is it active?  Many martial arts that I have witnessed over the years are stagnant.  By this I mean that they have not changed since master so and so created them 50 or 100 years ago.  They are not active.  Students follow the teacher, try to replicate his movements and repeat the same routines over and over again.  They perform techniques in the air going back and forth across the school and seldom work with other students. The students simply learn what he/she are told to learn in the format they are told to learn it and there is very little space for input or change.   To me this wold be torture.  Where is the personal expression?  How do I know it will work if I can't try it on others?  How will it work in a different environment under different conditions, like on rocks or on a hill?  What happens if my opponent is not cooperative and does not stand there with his arm extended so I can do this to him?  This description, unfortunately, is what many schools teach.  I personally have no interest in replicating someone else.  I am more interested in being active in my personal growth and learning and being an innovator of martial arts.

Is it living?  This is directly related to the paragraph above.  Is there growth, change and adaptability?  Are the skills being taught functional and realistic today?  Are the weapons useful and something I will have access to if I need to protect myself?  Is the art an organic living organism or is it already dead?  This is very important because if what you are learning was created in another place at another time you have to look at it and ask if it is applicable to modern times.  Has it changed with new knowledge?  Has it changed with new technology?  Has it adapted to meet the needs of the people in our time and culture?  Is it growing and adopting new skills and understanding?   An art that is living is free flowing, utilizes the newest and best knowledge and adapts to it's environment.  An art that is still the same as it has been for the last 200 years might be fun to look at but what purpose does it serve?  It is like studying history or looking at relics in the museum, interesting, but does it really serve you?

As I said above, your motivation is primary.  You will be drawn to arts that fulfill your desires based on your purpose.  Some of you will enjoy the traditional arts, some of you will be perfectly happy replicating your teacher.  The choice is yours, but make sure you are choosing something that will fulfill your highest goals.

I hope this raises some questions and you will take time to look at the points expressed here.  I obviously have very specific goals and am drawn to the studies and practices that will fulfill my goals.  You should be too.  Understanding your own motivation and goals is the first step to self knowledge.  From there you can direct your chooses to create a path that is uniquely your own.  If it works for you, use my 4 questions.  If not, then come up with your own.

Most important of all, have fun and enjoy your journey.  It is truly amazing!

Raven Hicks
REAL Martial Arts
Santa Fe, New Mexico

    

Personal Safety Tips

Take a reality based self defense class.  Know your abilities and limitations, how to deal with violent conflicts and how to protect yourself in a variety of situations.  Having knowledge is always better than not having it. 

Always be aware of your surroundings so that you can avoid potentially violent situations.  If you find yourself being confronted by someone or being attacked take all necessary steps to protect yourself with affective combat skills and tactics, then make lots of noise.   Carry a personal alarm, a device that makes a loud noise when activated to draw attention to yourself.  Always carry a cell phone.  Put 911 on your speed dial so you can call for help quickly and easily. Remember, always take action to protect yourself first, then use alarms and cell phones.  Do not waste time trying to alert others if you are in immediate danger.  After the immediate threat is neutralized activate your personal alarm, yell and scream, call 911, throw rocks at windows, anything that will draw the attention of people nearby.  Yelling “FIRE” is more affective than yelling for help.  Attempt to make it to an area where people will help you and call the police. 

Never travel alone into an area that you are unfamiliar with.  Call ahead and ask someone to meet you to guide you to your destination.  Really, this is important if you can.  Always try to let a family member or close friend know where you are going and when you expect to return.  Call them if you are delayed so they do not worry.

At night stay to main streets and park in public lots where the lighting is good and there are plenty of people around.  Always check your surroundings for suspicious people or circumstances, leave if you are not comfortable.  If you are at a mall or other public location, ask for a security escort if you feel uneasy.

When at a party or out for the night, avoid accepting rides with anyone you do not know well.  Bus fare or the expense of a cab is a small price to pay for personal safety.  Never get into a vehicle with a stranger or someone who has been drinking.  Really this should not even need to be said but unfortunately people do these things.

If you are being followed, go to a public place such as a shopping mall, hospital or police station.  Never go home, you do not want the person to know where you live.  Phone the police immediately if you believe you are being stalked.  If the subject is driving a car try and get the license plate number.  This is the only way the police can identify a car.

Be aware of the problem areas in your community and avoid placing yourself in any situation where your personal safety may be compromised.  Use common sense and listen to your intuition, it is there to protect you.

 You have to take responsibility for your own safety, you are the only one who can.

Modern Systema, Russian Martial Arts

REAL Martial Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico

This excellent article was written by Martin Wheeler.  Martin is a Systema teacher based in LA.  I have trained with him in Santa Fe and have the highest respect for him.  This article describes why Systema is what it is.  It answers teh questions I often see on youtube from people who believe a martial art is only a real martial art if it is in UFC or challenged by MMA fighters.  Read and see why Systema is what it is and not something else.   

Over the recent years I have read with interest on the internet back and forth as to the validity of training in Systema by observers who have only viewed experts in the art on YouTube or video. Usually a comparison is made to the most visual of fighting arts, mixed martial arts or MMA. The same types of questions are posted over and over again, “Why do they train slowly? Why does this look way too easy? Why did that guy fall over and seem unable to get back up?”

And I have read with equal interest the various ways in which the art is defended by practitioners of Systema. Not that they are not valid questions, they definitely are, it is just I rarely hear these same questions from anyone in seminars, classes, or in sparring sessions, no matter what their background or what speed they work at.

Just for the sake of balance, I began in the martial arts at a tender age and have studied in many full contact environments from boxing systems to grappling systems, to clever weapons based and ‘street-fighting’ arts, and have enjoyed sparring, fighting and training for the last thirty years with anyone who’s paths I have crossed from beginners to world-class full contact fighters. I was a bouncer for ten years and I am currently contracted to share my views on close-quarter-combatives with professionals from elite security services around the world, as-well-as MMA fighters, Systema practitioners, traditional martial artists and civilians.

So why, if I have studied all these other full contact systems with relative success, would I choose Systema?

For me that is easy to answer. It’s because I have tried it. I am just one of many who brought whatever I had in my little bag of tricks to test Vladimir Vasiliev, or heaven forbid, Mikhail Ryabko, when I first met them. And I have yet to see anyone who did not come out the other end of the experience the same as I did, that is to say, confused, in pain but with a profound insight into the fact that something fundamental had changed.

To put it mildly, there is a lot more going on with Systema than meets the eye. And if there were not, if you could really just see what was happening by watching it on YouTube, then it would not be very good Systema.

Mixed martial arts are dramatic, fast and superbly visual. The best method for two pugilistic grapplers to go at it since the gladiators of old Rome. You can see what is happening and the results are self evident. It hosts some of the best conditioned and most versatile athletes in the world.

I love to watch it, I love to train in it and always enjoy working with anyone from that world. And in my opinion, anyone who trains in MMA who is even half decent, man or woman, is to be taken very seriously.

So I hear you ask: Well, if Systema is so good why isn’t it in the UFC? And I think that is an excellent question.

But I might ask: Well, if the UFC was any good why don’t they throw a knife in the cage?

As unrealistic as that is, maybe you get my point? The dynamic of a fight would change immediately if a knife were indeed tossed into the cage. You would see two highly trained fighters having to immediately adapt to a completely new set of rules or die almost instantaneously.

I think anyone would agree that eating jabs from a skilled fighter, possibly the least lethal of MMA striking attacks, sucks, but by comparison is quite pleasant compared to a single knife wound.

When I first trained with Vladimir he stopped me in the middle of a sparring session and said in his own inimitable way, ‘Martin, I know men that you would take to pieces in the ring’. Of course, stupidly beaming with pride I thought he was complimenting me, until he turned away to attend another student and added flatly… ‘But they would kill you.’

And there’s the rub. Almost every visible strategy, philosophy and motion that is great in an MMA sport environment is useful in the street and even on the battlefield. But only useful. Whereas everything in Systema is purposely designed for both of the later environments, is not visual, and has been proven as effective in those arenas as MMA has in the cage. Systema’s structure is intentionally designed to appear structureless, and the speed of the action although registering as slow to the eye is actually a highly developed relational timing, deceptive due to the Systema practitioner remaining calm.

Recently I was invited to introduce the concept of Systema to an overseas Special Operations Unit. While there, I was shown a video of various instructors that had been invited to train their operators and show what they had to offer. Among them was a top MMA coach from Pride. I asked what they thought of his training. ‘Excellent’ the Colonel said ‘but for us, virtually useless.’

This is in no way disparaging to the Pride coach, he was obviously excellent. But the fact remains, what is good in one arena is not necessarily good for another. Systema is not designed primarily for a sport environment or a sport mentality anymore than MMA is primarily designed for a battlefield environment or a combat mentality.

One could train for twenty years in Jujitsu, for example, and be an amazing grappler. But if you were to introduce just one more opponent into the fight you would not be doing Jujitsu anymore. It is simply not designed for fighting two opponents efficiently at the same time, even on the ground. It is primarily structured to fight one opponent at a time.

I am not saying the Jujitsu fighter would not prevail, I am merely suggesting that if he had to fight two or more possibly armed opponents at the same time on a daily basis then his training might soon start to look, at least from the outside, like Systema. And then armed with that knowledge, the way he worked against a single opponent again would also dramatically change. After ten years or so it would look as alien to another Jujitsu practitioner observing it from the outside as Systema does now after centuries of refinement.

Systema, as a martial art, in the form it exists now is primarily designed for real life application, it works for unpredictable situations (such as multiple opponents, various weapons, uneven terrains, poor lighting, confined space, etc.) for professionals in the military, law enforcement and security, for someone who’s got to fight while injured or wounded or has to protect a woman or child, for someone who is older or in a poor physical condition. Training and fighting in Systema is designed to avoid injuries, and even heal your old ones. And that requires a very different bag of tricks, look and feel to a sport fighting art.

Although, as Vladimir once remarked with that casual profound quietness ‘Systema just happens to be a martial art’. And to have any understanding of that gem, one cannot merely observe it from the outside…

Martin Wheeler, Systema Senior Instructor, U.S.A. Martin is teaching regular Systema classes at The Los Angeles School of Russian Martial Art. He has trained in the martial arts for over thirty years ranging from Boxing, Grappling, Weapons fighting, Kenpo Karate and for over 10 years in Systema. He is contracted to teach SWAT teams and Special Operations Units and is also produced Hollywood screenwriter.