Old Video of Gracie Family Fighting Karateka

I love karate, but these fights are really beautiful. Notice the lack of protective equipment. In the first fight you can see the BJJ competitor using open hand slaps (as well as punches) to his opponent’s head. Toward the end of the video you will see a karate man receiving elbow and forearm strikes to the back of his head and neck. These do not immediately end the fight, the karate-ka continues until he is choked out (note that even powerful, well placed blows do not always result in your opponent being instantly incapacitated).

Rather than dismissing these fights out of hand, karate people should study them. No matter how powerful our punches and kicks are we should assume that we are likely to be closed on.  Even punchers like Jack Dempsey, and Mike Tyson threw many punches before landing the “one” punch that knocked out, or injured their opponent.  Karate people should not delude ourselves that our experience is going to be that different. It is really difficult to get in that one good, fight ending strike.

Training to both hit hard and deal with the press of a determined attacker who is likely to push beyond our striking range is essential. We should not be naive about ground fighting. At the very least we should  include enough of it that we have some chance of regaining our standing position if we are taken to the ground.

Put aside the rhetoric about the superiority of whatever fighting method you practice and watch these fights.

The Language of Kata

Originally posted by Steve Klausmeir. -R

During a recent conversation, Bob said practicing kata without having developed the prerequisite skills and attributes is like someone trying to appreciate a limerick who can’t even speak English.  I thought that was a wonderful way of explaining why the practice of kata usually doesn’t result in real fighting ability.  Most people can’t understand the meaning of the kata, because they don’t even know the words, so to speak.  A good deal of time must be spent on learning the fundamentals of the language, before we can appreciate poetry.

So, what are the fundamentals?  One way of looking at a martial art is that a small set of physical and mental attributes are required to develop a slightly larger set of skills.  Then, these skills form the basis of an even larger set of techniques. Each kata is meant to function as a mnemonic and includes a variety of techniques performed within an imagined strategic context.  Pretty high level stuff, huh?  You wouldn’t try teaching a small child to speak English by having them read Shakespeare, but a lot of karate people think they are learning to fight by practicing kata.  I disagree.

The attributes that make someone a good fighter are fairly obvious.  The training methods used to produce them are not.  At TKRI, Bob’s knowledge of modern sports science and corrective exercise principles informs everything we do.  Each class, we spend a lot of time stretching our ankles, hips, and shoulders.  Tight muscles can inhibit a joint’s range of motion and result in movement compensations.  If you can’t move, you can’t fight.  Also, we activate the core muscles by performing front and side planks.  These require us to stabilize the shoulder joint, too.  Strong core muscles allow us to effectively transfer momentum from the ground, through the waist, and out the arms.  If you can’t hold the plank position for at least 30 seconds, you shouldn’t be punching.  It’s as simple as that.

In addition to these foundational exercises, and others, we do a lot of balance and power training.  At the end of our last power cycle, I was able to catch and throw a six pound ball with one hand, while standing on a wobble board.  I felt pretty good about that.  And, squats emphasizing eccentric stabilization combined with agility ladder training have definitely put some extra bounce in my step.  These kinds of things are the attributes that will allow us to develop fighting skills.  No matter what you are trying to do to an opponent, your body will always be the delivery system.  Fighting is an athletic endeavor, and the same things that make someone a great football player, gymnast, or track and field star, also make you a better martial artist.  Think about it.  How much more confident would you be in your next sparring session, if you were put together like Bo Jackson was back in the day?

After a certain level of athleticism is achieved, you can just expect your body to respond the right way.  When you move your center, your feet will sort of automatically end up in the best position for whatever you’re doing.  But, in the beginning, an important mental attribute to develop is the awareness of your body, or kinesthetic sense.  If you are doing floor bridges and your hamstring on one side engages more than the glute, something’s wrong.  The most important thing is how a movement feels to you, not what it looks like.  If you are able to mimic your instructor’s kata moves exactly but don’t have the feeling of being “stacked,” then it’s no good.  Bob says we have to discover the best way to perform the techniques based on our own unique morphology.  You can’t do that, if you’re not “in tune” with your body.

The specific skills necessary to execute a technique properly are a little less obvious and will have to be the subject of a future article.  But, you get the point.  Kata practice can be an enjoyable and rich experience for someone who has already mastered the basics.  For someone just starting out, they are virtually useless as a training device.  There are much better ways to develop the fundamental attributes and skills required in fighting.  And, that’s what is special about Bob’s method.  He’s put together a system that introduces skills gradually through a series of exercises and drills.  You don’t have to start out being a super athlete.  An “average Joe” can get there by taking baby steps.  At TKRI, nobody gets left behind.  That’s what it’s all about.

Linked Article: Contestant Dies After Toughman Contest

Contestant Dies After Toughman Contest

We have posted several pieces about the dangers of Traumatic Brain Injury, and the fact that participation in a fighting art or sport inherently carries an increased risk of sustaining brain injuries. As MMA events continue to grow in popularity, the fact that repeated blows to the head are almost guaranteed seems to be an afterthought to many. Pro-level MMA competition is not a good model for amateur training. As I pointed out in a post on TBI:

…for a pro competitor in the ring, brain injury is a risk that he or she is taking in exchange for payment; but this is not the same thing as an amateur student or weekend warrior who trains without monetary compensation or medical care…. a very large grey area has emerged when it comes to the long-term effects of repeatedly being elbowed, kneed and kicked in the head in a UFC style match. And when one considers that droves of people are attracted to amateur practice of MMA because it is touted as being “superior” to all other martial arts, one must also wonder how much of the accepting attitude of professionals towards the contact that causes brain injury goes along with it.

If you are interested in competing in full-contact events, do not ignore the realities of being repeatedly hit and kicked in the head- there will be consequences. These might be relatively minor, or they might take some time to show up- but they can also drastically alter your quality of life or end it in seconds.

I know I sound like a broken record on this topic, but it’s worth repeating:

Do not confuse the abuse that pro competitors elect to take with something you should accept in your training, or as being “just part of the game.” The complexity of the brain is directly proportional to it’s fragility.

Fitness for the Fighting Arts – background pictures

Here are a few background pictures from the weekend in Rocky Mount. Of course the really interesting stuff involved people, but the space we trained in was really quite beautiful as well.

Fitness for Fighting Arts: Rolling (and stretching) Forward

The Fitness for Fighting Arts seminar weekend was a great success. The weekend was packed with an incredible amount of vital information, hard work and a lot of fun. This was truly a group project- it is in no way an overstatement to say that it could not have happened without the ideas, enthusiasm, help and support of the following people:

Pam and Rob Turman, and the Fit Club gym

Robert Miller

Steve Klausmeier

Gillian Russell

Kevin and Dina Reilly

David Campbell

Katy Simpson

And of course, coffee.

Stay tuned for sample video content and information from the seminar, as well as updates on our ongoing projects.

Traditional Karate: Stumbling Block, or Useful Distinction?

Note: I would like to acknowledge the enormous contributions of my teachers and training colleagues to my thinking on this matter: most notably Robert Miller in his essay “Modern Karate: A Reconsidered Pedagogy”; Dr. Gillian Russell’s essay “Epistemic Viciousness in the Martial Arts” and David Campbell for providing a solid sounding board for my inchoate, all-over-the-place musings.

“Traditional Karate”: A Problem of Definitions

Over the past couple of years, an increasing level of conversation has developed amongst karate practitioners about what karate is. As practitioners of the fighting arts learn more about each other via books and the internet, and the rise of mixed martial arts has provided a yardstick for the superiority of this technique or that, the standard answers are becoming more and more inadequate. This process of reckoning is acutely noticeable on online discussion forums.  If you throw the question of “what is karate?” onto a discussion board, the replies will cover a very broad range of interpretations and practices. Some replies will take all facets of training and the contingencies of fighting into account and evaluate them carefully, while others will staunchly defend this major brand name or that as “the” keepers of correct tradition.” In an age where ideas and methods can be accessed at the click of a button and information is more available than at any other time in history, many karateka still insist on wearing blinders. Some who engage in these conversations become very distraught at the suggestion that their school of choice is not recognized by all as being the best (epistemic viciousness at its best), while others actively pursue new perspectives.

Linked Article: Teen who sustained 11 concussions looks back on misunderstood injuries

Follow the link for a very sobering article on a teenage athlete who sustained 11 concussions in a 4-year time period. The effects of concussions (aka closed head injury, Traumatic Brain Injury) can be disastrous, and moderate to severe deficits are almost guaranteed in the case of multiple concussions. The problems are compounded if coaches, doctors, martial arts instructors  or training partners do not recognize or ignore the signs and symptoms of a concussion and allow the affected individual to continue an activity after a blow to the head. Unlike a broken bone or other outwardly obvious injury, post-concussive syndrome is an “invisible disease,” and the lasting symptoms can take many forms.  One statement in particular in the article is crushingly true, and should be kept in mind when an injured individual resumes training, work or social obligations:

“There’s no cast,” she says, “so they don’t know how hard it is.”

This young woman is very brave. By sharing her story she is making a valuable contribution to  the growing recognition of the seriousness of concussions.  Read the article here

Demystifying Stances: Kiba dachi and Shiko dachi

When people start comparing karate styles, there is often some confusion about the function of kiba dachi (referred to as the “horse stance”) and shiko dachi (open legged stance). These comparisons often overlook function as a distinguishing factor and focus more on aesthetic details, or rehash arbitrary stylistic dogma. Although the two look somewhat similar, the postures lend themselves to different applications and contexts of usage.

Kiba dachi

Generally speaking, kiba dachi is found in the Shorin family of kata. The Naihanchi series make extensive use of it.  In appearance, it looks much like a high squat position: legs straddled a bit wider than shoulder length, toes facing forward, knees bent, butt dropped behind the ankles as opposed to in front, torso erect, slight posterior pelvic rotation. The depth and length of the stance varies from group to group,  but there’s no point in making it so low and wide that your lower back hyper-extends (the dreaded “shelf butt”), or your knees collapse inward. Some sources, such as Motobu Choki, advise that twisting the hips towards one leg or another in this kiba dachi forms the fundamental stance for free-engagements.

Linked Resource: Athletic Performance Seminar

Follow this link to a very interesting slide show from a seminar on athletic performance published on the APEC-S.com website. It looks like it must have been a great seminar.

Athletic Performance Seminar

Enjoy.