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When someone reaches their goal of Black Belt what really changes? They have spent the last 4 to 5 years of their lives working towards this goal, then it is suddenly here and gone. What happens next depends on the individual martial artists. If the person is a self motivated goal oriented person, they are well prepared at Black Belt with their new short and long term goals. I was always set, looking to the future for new ranks and new learning experiences. Not everyone is. For some after hitting Black Belt something happens.

If everyone on the planet were to read, understand and internalize this teaching we would see an end to violence and conflict almost over night. The mind is an amazing creation. For centuries science thought that the mind was fixed. It thought that personality was set at birth. Today science understands one of the greatest teachings of the Buddha, the teaching that the mind can be transformed. What does this mean to us? For one thing it means that the personality is not set in stone.

Developing fight skills is the crudest pursuit of the martial arts. That is just one area of the entire spectrum of 'Low Tech Combat'. There are many other, much more beneficial attributes a serious martial artist needs to develop. The following 13 things a martial artist needs to know are areas a serious practitioner needs to look at and fill holes in his/her arsenal. 1. The first priority should be to learn how to defend yourself against an unskilled attacker as that is t

As more people try internet matching services, online dating safety becomes more and more of an issue. According to television advertisements many people are meeting their sole mates through these services. Whether these matches are truly life long, of course, remains to be seen.

Since our school was founded in March 2000, I have promoted approximately 120 people to the rank of Black Belt, either adult or junior. Many of these people moved on to other things shortly after this promotion. Our currently Black Belt population is about 75 with another 22 eligible this fall. Now I am not giving these number to brag about how many Black Belt I have, but to ask the question, how many of you are TRUE Black Belts? Most of the Black Belts in my system are excellent students of the art, but is this transferring to the real world?

The martial arts are both art and science. The word “art" is defined as the activity of creating beautiful things and the word “science" is defined as a methodological activity, discipline, or study". While these two definitions are correct, I prefer the contributions of an anonymous poet: “Art is a passion pursued with discipline science is a discipline pursued with passion". At their most basic level, the martial arts are nothing more than ways to prevent someone from harming or killing you.

Some individuals may think that learning Mixed Martial Arts is one way of going to learn self-defense. In fact, this is can be true but it does not necessarily mean that you actually need to undergo years of training to be able to defend yourself against wrong people. You could use varied weapons like a taser, stun gun, pepper spray and others for self-defense. Thus, the concept of having to spend several years of martial arts training is not necessarily true. Well, you could

Following is some general information about Slam N Ropes® and how to go about choosing a rope. Heavy training ropes also known as Battle Ropes have become a foundation of training in most schools, gyms with pro athletes and for general fitness and conditioning. This simple but revolutionary piece of equipment is redefining interval, strength and cardio training for everyone. Most people whom I speak too who have tried the ropes say that they are amazed at how hard and challe

A Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gi as well as a Karate Gi are very much distinct. There is a really legit explanation why we don’t ever before use a karate Gi in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Some people discover the very difficult way and if you are one of them you have suffered ripped Bjj Kimonos, split pants, ripped sleeves and so forth. In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu you have to employ a Gi that can withstand the demands that happens aided by the sport and only a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gi can do so.

When we think of the word addiction we often think about chemical addiction to alcohol, tobacco, or heroin. But did you know that you can be addicted to your emotions? We all know someone who is! Sometimes they are addicted to anger, depression, sadness and then there is the rare person who is always happy. What is an emotion? An emotion is a chemical response to outside stimulus. We are always having emotional response to what is going on in our environment. Sometime the emotions are weak, other times they are very strong.

Martial Arts and The BiblennAs a Christian and a martial arts student, I have often wrestled with the idea of self-defense. Does God expect me to defend my family and myself when physically attacked or am I to “turn the other cheek” and endure it in the name of Jesus? As I considered the many comments I encountered on this topic, I became even more confused. Some advocates for “religion” have gone as far as to say that anyone who practices any form of martial arts is

The difference between a martial art and self-defense training is a huge subject. Martial arts and self-defense training are completely different, but they are absolutely the same. This is a hard concept to understand. I’m a martial arts school owner and I’m a self-defense instructor, and I completely understand the differences. But many do not. Many confuse the two. I’m going to begin by saying there have been no new techniques or moves created for thousands of years. You ha

Learning how to protect yourself is an interesting process. Your first step is to do a threat assessment. What is your threat? Living in a high crime area, you are possibly faced with a more serious personal threat than living in a million-dollar subdivision. But is this really true? Only ...

According to Dr. Lenore E. Walker, a prominent expert on battered women, a woman must experience at least two complete battering cycles before she can be labeled a “battered woman”. The cycle has three phases. First the tension-building phase, followed by the explosion or acute battering incident, then the calm, loving respite- often referred to as the honeymoon phase. Battered woman syndrome describes a set of symptoms found in woman living in battering relationships. The four general characteristics are: - The woman believe it’s her fault

A great deal has been written and said about kicking in today’s age of modern martial artists. Many people who are cross training seem to mainly focus on low Thai kicks because of their effectiveness and they present less risk of being taken to the ground by the grappler. When it comes to ...

The representation of Aikido principles by the geometrical shapes triangle, circle and square are taken from the Shinto cosmology theory of "Gogyo Gogen" where the elements of existence, Liquid, Solid and Gas are all shown to be transmutable and interrelated.nnIn his book "Kami no Michi", Rev. Dr. Yukitaka Yamamoto, the 96th generation Shinto High Priest (Guji) wrote:nn"The Principle of 'Sanmi-Sangen' explains the mystery of life. Sanmi-Sangen means the three elements that co

Many people who compete are supplied a bjj college or crew Bjj Gi patch being placed on their Jiu Jitsu Gi. Many people similar to to obtain a cool patch on their Bjj Gi for what ever the reason can be. But c’mon we have been all guys right here, we have been fighters and we don’t sew. So you receive stuck not understanding what to accomplish or the best way to sew in your Bjj Gi patch. Very well I won’t go into too much detail but I'll mention by far the most widesprea

What is Classical Kung Fu? This article is addressed to beginning students and to those interested in enlarging their knowledge of Kung Fu. The series of questions hopefully will stimulate students to carefully investigate the schools they intend to join, define classical Kung Fu and help differentiate between exte al and internal systems. Some of the concepts are difficult to explain since they are physical as well mental and must be experienced. What is Kung Fu? The lit

Let’s talk about the importance of self-defense training. From our early years, we are taught everything. You name it and we have a class on it. It could be art, home economics, math, or English. And while all these things are great – they’re an absolute must – there is no requirement for children (or men or women, young or old) to take a class to learn situational awareness, real self-defense, and how to defend themselves and survive an actual attack. Now take this into cons

ME: How did you meet Bruce Lee? GFM: Bruce was in New York visiting his father, who was an actor in The Chinese theater. A mutual aquaintance of his father and me brought him to my Kwoon. ME: When did this meeting occur and how old was Bruce? GFM: It was in the 1950's. Bruce seemed to be about 18. ME: How did the person who brought Bruce know about your Kwoon? In those days the location of Kwoons were often kept secret. Visitors were forbidden. Usually, only members of th

Not being able to sleep well or barely at all can be a frustrating and deeply affecting problem. If our mind is racing and our body is exhausted it feels very much like we are out of balance and in conflict with ourselves. We need a method that will harmonize our mind with our body and leave ...

The ancient Greeks used to calculate the perfect male athlete’s or fighter’s proportions from the wrist measurement, just where the wrist bends.  From this they could calculate what the rest of the measurements of the ideal male body should be.  However, although some come close, few men meet these ideal measurements but they are not always necessary for a successful fighter. In the different disciplines of martial arts, different body proportions and strengths are favo

With the Media constantly reminding us that crime is spiraling out of control, more and more martial artist are searching for systems that offer a full spectrum of self defense training. The reality is that only a few of them truly deliver. One man who does is David James, a proponent of Vee-Arnis-Jitsu. If you’re a regular reader of Back Belt, you might remember an article I wrote for the October 2000 issue. In it, I profiled the top-10 self-defense video instructors,

Learning How To Do The Splits In One Day NEW - 15 minute exercise called a "CR Training Session" is taking flexibility training by storm. CRT Sessions are pretty crazy. Many people are actually able to achieve the splits during their very FIRST session. CLICK HERE: DO THE SPLITS TODAY - INCREDIBLE 15 MINUTE EXERCISE - 100% SUCCESS RATE! Most traditional stretching calls for thoroughly warming up, relaxing as much as possible, and holding a nice long stretch. Well, two out of

With the rise of obesity and a wide variety of illnesses and diseases that are related to poor nutrition and low levels of exercise, more and more people are starting to wake up and realize that what they do to and with their bodies are extremely important if they want to live full, healthy, and satisfying lives. Many people opt to purchase gym memberships in an effort to tone their bodies and try to melt away the pounds, but often they stop going for various reasons. If you

I'm so proud of the fact that I have no ego. It truly makes me the most humble person I've ever met. Regardless of whether we admit it or not, we all have an ego. It's what we do with that ego and how we demonstrate it among our martial arts peers and students which determine how good and what type of instructor we are.... rnWith over 36 years of martial arts experience I've seen a lot of different types of martial arts and self-defense instructors. They all, including myself

Todays world is filled with violence and adversity. Many people feel that through violence and suppression, our enemies will be broken and eliminated. Instead of showing love and compassion to our fellow man, we show our muscle (nuclear arms, weapons of war and weapons of the street) and refuse to truly sit and talk to each other. The question of humanity is, when will we learn to harmonize with one another and stop the eternal fighting. When will we learn to blend with natur

Humility , or being humble, is the defining characteristic of an unpretentious and modest person, someone who does not think that he or she is better or more important than others. Because the concept of humility addresses intrinsic self-worth, it is emphasized in the realm of religious practice ...

Getting ready to take your first Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class can be nerve-wracking. You may not know what you should be doing. You may wonder what it will be like once your class starts. You could be nervous that you will mess up or that you will not fit in. There are probably a ton of things going through your mind as you get ready.rnTo help you out, here are some things that you will want to think about and to do, so you are ready to embark on the journey of learning Brazilia

Mitsuyo Maeda, a Japanese scholar in Jiu-Jitsu, brought the martial art to Brazil by teaching Carlos Garcia, who taught it to his four brothers teaching in a Jiu Jitsu Gi. They opened faculties to prepare other folks and in training of time pretty much everyone practiced the art. The only objective of those men and women was to create a site for on their own. Helio, the younger brother of Carlos, could not study the art due to bad wellness and his stature was small very. By u

The martial arts belt system is one of the greatest human development systems ever created, but only if it is used correctly. Success in the real world is full of obstacles. They need to be surmounted to achieve the desired goal or result. Most people quit within inches of their success! So what does the martial art belt system teach? It teaches both children and adults to set goals, attain them, and see the visual results of these achievement.

It’s a cold January morning at 8am and I have just arrived at gym to set up the equipment for my latest 6 week self defence course. The class starts at 10am, but I like to get in early to get the training area ready to go for the 10 o’clock start. It also gives me some time to have a cup of tea ...

I am talking about the differences between the sports MMA and karate. I have been doing MMA for about a year. It has become my favorite sport, and I think it has a lot of differences from karate. In MMA you learn a variety of techniques. You learn both strikes and how to grapple on the ground. MMA stands for mixed martial arts. It is called this because you use element from Jujitsu, Kick Boxing, Wrestling, Karate, and Taekwondo. Each of these types of combat has their own str

During this article I will share with you essentially basic self defense techniques that will gain you the necessary skills to survive dangerous situations and protect yourself from attackers, here's the fundamentals you need to know in order to begin your training: Learn Street Fighting Tips 1.) If you are smaller or weaker than your attack you may want to defend yourself with an eye gouge as opposed to punches when you move to counter attack. I highly recommend the eye goug

As a fighter, coach, and official of many World Champion USA Kickboxing and Karate Teams, I can assure you The Impostor Syndrome is alive and well in the world of sports. A great example was in the UFC, mixed martial arts reality show on Spike TV, "The Ultimate Fighter 5" when Joe Scarola, a ...

If you've heard of aromatherapy,the alte ative health treatment using essential oils, you may have wondered: How does Aromatherapy Work? First, let's take a look at what aromatherapy is in the 21st century. Historically, aromatherapy has referred to the treatment of various ailments using ...

Muscle imbalances are bad, okay? I should not have to tell you that, but I probably do because the training routine you are using is wrong and could possibly hurt you in the future. It is a sad fact of life, but it is totally true. A person who does not pay attention to how they work and what training methods they are using is putting themselves at risk for injury, boredom, and muscle imbalances.

The Empty Mind The term of karate-do is most commonly translated as "the way of the empty hand". While many people think this means a form of self-defense that specializes in not using weapons, the real meaning of the words is much deeper than that. The kanji of karate-do actually ...

While it's true that "self-defense" is offered in many martial arts schools and even some fitness facilities, we must ask ourselves if it's really self-defense that's being taught. Are the students of these schools and facilities really learning to protect themselves or are they just learning simplified martial arts under the disguise of "self-defense"?nnI cannot honestly answer this question as it pertains to each and every facility making such claims, but what I can do is p

The word Gang causes a great deal of controversy and fear every time it is uttered. There is a great deal of myth and misconception about just what is a gang, how they recruit/operate and the danger they pose to our society, our families and children. Working with gang members for a great number ...

You may think that martial art movements are only about kicking the heart out of your opponents. Well, partly you are right. But behind the fun and excitement of breaking your enemy's nasal cartilage or poking out his eyes, martial arts training can well be considered as an excellent workout. ...You may think that martial art movements are only about kicking the heart out of your opponents. Well, partly you are right. But behind the fun and excitement of breaking your enemy's

If you haven't been exposed to martial arts much, it might (or might not) surprise you to know that martial artists are very competitive about their styles. Practitioners who spend all their time in one particular style of martial art will almost invariably believe their style to be better than any other. I suspect this is more prevalent among younger people - at least I hope so.nnThe more experience (and wisdom) a student has, I think, the more willing they may be to see the

In recent years, mixed martial arts have become increasingly popular for children and adults of all ages. Not only can martial arts be used in a practical sense, for self-defense, there are also many MMA competitions and presentations, allowing children and adults to exhibit their skills in a safe, regulated environment. Additionally, mixed martial arts are an excellent form of fitness, and provide a means by which people can maintain their body through strength, flexibility,

I don’t mean any disrespect to fellow martial artists, instructors, promoters, agents and etc., but I think the brain washing should come to a complete stop. Each time I hear fellow martial artists define karate as a fighting art; I want to just scream to the top of my voice in wailing ...

Now that I’ve hopefully stimulated your mind let’s get into some techniques. This month where going to focus on defence by learning some blocks, the system I am going to show you is called “4 Corner Blocking”. The idea behind these blocks is they take a more practical and eclectic approach to ...

Ask yourself: “Why am I learning karate?” Some people come to the dojo to learn self-defense. Others come to relieve stress, get in better shape, learn a new art form, or meet new people. What are your personal training goals? If you’re seeking improved fitness, increased confidence, and ...

What effect does Battered Woman Syndrome have on children? An authoritative study states that children who witness domestic violence but at not battered themselves show behavioral and emotional problems similar to those experienced by physically abused children and may also suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome later. One study states that witnessing violence between parents is a more predictor of future violence than being of victim of child abuse.

I begin this by asking you two simple questions. Where are you? and what time is it? Almost everything I will write has a martial arts theme. That is because martial arts is part of who I chose to be. It is not who I am, but simply part of me. The reaso I refer so often to it is because it has been and still is a great vehicle for my understanding of life in general. Yesterday several of my students completed their level one Kyusho Jitsu exams (Black Belt). There was a year of preparation and classes to take this 3 hour written and physical exam.

Muay Thai or Thai kick boxing has seen a surge in popularity in recent years thanks to Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) where many of the competitors employ this brutal and sometimes deadly art. In fact the Gracies were inspired to promote mixed martial arts matches after a trip to Thailand where they saw competitions similar to those in their native Brazil. Muay Thai has been the national sport of Thailand long before the UFC though, and steeped in ritual. The sport can

According to Professeur Salem Assli, the martial art world’s most recognizable authority on BFS, Savate is the oldest martial art to have been developed in the western hemisphere. Although less well known than its eastern counterparts such as karate, kung fu and tae kwon do, over the past 2 decades, Savate has started to gain some recognition from modern day martial artists. Savate gets its name from the French for "old shoe”, a reference to the footwear that was worn during fights.