NW School of Martial ArtsWords to ponder
If you’re wondering how to get the most out of martial arts class, read on.
Have you ever come to class, only to find that you felt weak, tired, unfocused, grumpy, stressed, or just not in the mood?
It happens to us all the time. Whatever went on during the day, the leftover emotions are sometimes still present when we tie our belt and bow in.
How can you do your best when you’re not in the mood for class?
In my last style highlight, I talked a little bit about the “origin” of martial arts. Basically, I said that forms of combat, armed and unarmed, have existed as long as human conflict has existed.
Last time, we looked a bit at Kalaripattayu, an Indian martial art. Pencak silat, or just silat, is considered an umbrella term for Indonesian martial arts. Meaning that there are a lot of styles which fit into silat.
Anyone who’s said, “Don’t sweat the details,” has probably never met any martial arts instructors.
Perfectionist martial arts instructors are common, especially in karate styles. (Don’t we know it!) They seem to love watching you sweat as you try again and again to get each little thing right. All at the same time.
If you’ve ever thought, “WHY are the details so important?” or “Does it really matter if I do it this way or that way?” then this article is for you.
I just watched a *fabulous* karate bunkai video on Youtube, so I wanted to share it with NWSMA readers and students! Bunkai, are, of course, “applications” for forms. Studying karate bunkai means trying to interpret the form. The goal is to use the moves against an attacker.
The video shows karate bunkai for Seipai in action. Seipai is the form learned at advanced green belt in Seito Shito-ryu Karate (our system). The bunkai is for the Goju-ryu Karate version, one of the sources for Shito-ryu. The Goju version isn’t different enough to make it unusable for us, so here it is.
Pretty cool stuff, huh? Here’s a pic of our students doing Seipai:
“It takes two to tango.”
If there’s an argument or conflict, both people have a part in building it.
There are places and times when it is okay to allow an argument to happen or escalate. (Note that I say allow–you 100% have control of yourself and your responses).
There are also places and times when it is not appropriate to argue, and you must approach a potential conflict differently, in order to be respectful. Here are a few examples:
Have you ever seen “tension” moves in a form? They’re often slow, and the martial artist’s body vibrates as they execute them.
Have you ever wondered why they’re there?
A provisional black belt is a probationary rank. It falls in between the highest colored belt and a full-fledged 1st degree black belt. In other styles of Tae Kwon Do, this rank may be called “poom belt” or “recommended black belt.”
Poom is a junior black belt rank, used in Korea for holders of black belts who are under 15. “Recommended” gets closer to the idea of “candidacy for black belt.”
As for why it exists, it’s very, very complicated, grasshopper.
Summer is tough for martial arts students and instructors alike. It’s hot. It’s sunny. And guess what? There’s no school! It’s so tough to sleep in and–
Wait, what’s that you say? No school? NO SCHOOL!
No school = more time to spend practicing martial arts and working hard for your next rank…….right?
Your instructors would love to see you in class over the summer. We’re not telling you to skip family vacation, (as much as some of you teenagers might like to). Family time is important, and *short* breaks are good for rest and re-focus. Or practicing your forms in an exotic location.
Let us explain why summer martial arts training is so crucial.
“Understands the importance of a proper diet” is a mental requirement for our Tae Kwon Do students.
Each TKD belt level has 4 mentals, and students must memorize and recite them at tests. We also usually ask each student to talk about what they mean, and occasionally ask for a short essay if a student has not been displaying the values contained in the mental requirement.
But back to the importance of a proper diet. If you train like an athlete, you should eat like one.
People who are looking to take advantage of others can spot a lack of self confidence a mile away. Lacking self confidence screams, “Victim!” to bad guys and bullies, who are looking for an easy target.
It’s hard to quantify something like confidence, but we can all tell who has it and who doesn’t. Harder still is gaining self confidence, which often means defeating negative mental habits.
Here are 3 easy tips for increasing your self confidence and self-esteem.