I am constantly amazed at seeing this happen. The American who has may have a cultural mindset that he bow to no man is totally comfortable performing the rei to his sensei and other judoka. A Brit who suffered seeing his father being interned in a POW camp in Singapore in WW2 and vowed never to buy anything Japanese is now trying to pronounce words like Harai Goshi while trying to perform that exact technique
In my dojo, I am blessed by the multitude of nationalities that train there. And I have to admit for someone as cynical as I am, that I get a warm, fuzzy feeling when I see Korean white belts eagerly learning from their Japanese sensei, a remarkable sight given the degree of traditional animosity between the two groups. An Iranian judoka gives his Japanese opponent a hug after an incredibly intense randori, that is his cultural sign of respect and affection. For the Japanese, where this display of physical contact is not the norm, accepts it good naturedly.
Even on a more personal front, it allows me, a very Westernised Malaysian chinese, to interact with my more traditional chinese speaking brethren in a way that is filled with bonhomie and fun, while in any other situation; the degree of uncomfortableness and unfamiliarity would give way to plentiful moments of awkward silence. It's where the different races in this country which sometimes clash over the smallest things, learn to give respect, tolerate and even appreciate each other.
Judo doesn't solve all the world's problems. Global warming won't be solved by getting everyone to do Judo. But on a micro scale, if Kano could have seen what it was going to do in terms of uniting at least a small group of rainbow coloured individuals in peace and harmony, at least for a short while, he'd be chuffed
Of that, I have no doubt
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Kano's rainbow nation - Part 2
Rather than learn a few styles of jujitsu and safe guard the authenticity of the techniques, he melded them, modified a few and applied a new concept to it. The techniques were now for exercise, recreation or even self defence but now, the latter was not the overriding objective. Nor was learning it for the reason of maiming and killing, although they still could do those, with a modicum of modification
But that wasn't enough. Unlike a lot of the people of his day, he saw a world outside Japan that..and this is the important bit...could benefit from the practice of Judo. Not defeated in competition to prove the superiority of the Japanese race (although I have no doubt there were a few who though that as there are those who still think that these days whether in regard to Judo or other arts), but because it could enhance the quality of their lives, irregardless of whether they were Japanese were not.
The codified techniques meant that there were no 'secret' techniques held back to ensure dominance by one group over another. Randori practice meant that even if this occured, it would be for a short while until the counterweight would shift in the opposite direction. And because there were no real secrets save for hard, regular dedicated practice - everyone could do it. Thus, it spread to the world
Being made an Olympic sport did not hurt it's chances either. But one great thing about Judo, is that in not overly pushing the cultural element, it ironically enabled it to be embraced in far greater numbers and I am sure, has done a lot more to carry a slice of Japanese culture to the world that many would not have been exposed to.
But that wasn't enough. Unlike a lot of the people of his day, he saw a world outside Japan that..and this is the important bit...could benefit from the practice of Judo. Not defeated in competition to prove the superiority of the Japanese race (although I have no doubt there were a few who though that as there are those who still think that these days whether in regard to Judo or other arts), but because it could enhance the quality of their lives, irregardless of whether they were Japanese were not.
The codified techniques meant that there were no 'secret' techniques held back to ensure dominance by one group over another. Randori practice meant that even if this occured, it would be for a short while until the counterweight would shift in the opposite direction. And because there were no real secrets save for hard, regular dedicated practice - everyone could do it. Thus, it spread to the world
Being made an Olympic sport did not hurt it's chances either. But one great thing about Judo, is that in not overly pushing the cultural element, it ironically enabled it to be embraced in far greater numbers and I am sure, has done a lot more to carry a slice of Japanese culture to the world that many would not have been exposed to.
Kano's rainbow nation -Part 1
The Japanese have usually been a closed society where not many things are revealed to outsiders, especially in the area of martial arts. Now, this goes for other societies as well. The chinese were (and some still are) particular about teaching Kung Fu to non-chinese. Sometimes, other chinese are even prohibited, with the 'secret' techniques residing within the clan, or the family
Judo is one of those very rare abberations where divisions of race, gender and societal differences are broken down very quickly. When Judo was established, it was not long after that women were allowed to practice it. On the mat, no one knows if you're a rich man or a poor one, in a judogi, the only means of telling someone apart is the belt colour and how hard they throw you.
It is even more remarkable that Jigaro Kano then proceeded to open the practice of Judo to non-Japanese, to the extent that legends like Yukio Tani and Ishikawa were sent to Britain and Europe to spread the gospel of Judo. I suspect that this may have much to do with Kano's upbringing.
When he was young, he was enamoured with American baseball, which he was exposed to as a student in an international school. Mind you, remember that Japan at that time had no sport, or a concept of sport. Martial arts was for killing, and that was it. But by that time, it was starting to fall out of favour with a populace more attuned to the change that modern society was bringing. Western clothes and technology were more relevant that learning jujitsu from an ever decreasing pool of teachers. And furthermore, it was archaic. It was the equivalent of learning the art of the quick draw from Wyatt Earp in the 21st century. Good for a yarn but quite impractical.
What Kano did was a fundamental paradigm shift. He didn't just learn the old arts as a keepsake. No, he changed their operating structure by applying a sporting mindset to it. He made the mental leap and understood that Jujitsu as practiced and taught as it was, would gradually die out, even if he himself learnt and practiced it meticulously to to the end. He was just one person trying to stop the tide from coming in.
But how did this look in practice?
(To be continued in part 2)
Judo is one of those very rare abberations where divisions of race, gender and societal differences are broken down very quickly. When Judo was established, it was not long after that women were allowed to practice it. On the mat, no one knows if you're a rich man or a poor one, in a judogi, the only means of telling someone apart is the belt colour and how hard they throw you.
It is even more remarkable that Jigaro Kano then proceeded to open the practice of Judo to non-Japanese, to the extent that legends like Yukio Tani and Ishikawa were sent to Britain and Europe to spread the gospel of Judo. I suspect that this may have much to do with Kano's upbringing.
When he was young, he was enamoured with American baseball, which he was exposed to as a student in an international school. Mind you, remember that Japan at that time had no sport, or a concept of sport. Martial arts was for killing, and that was it. But by that time, it was starting to fall out of favour with a populace more attuned to the change that modern society was bringing. Western clothes and technology were more relevant that learning jujitsu from an ever decreasing pool of teachers. And furthermore, it was archaic. It was the equivalent of learning the art of the quick draw from Wyatt Earp in the 21st century. Good for a yarn but quite impractical.
What Kano did was a fundamental paradigm shift. He didn't just learn the old arts as a keepsake. No, he changed their operating structure by applying a sporting mindset to it. He made the mental leap and understood that Jujitsu as practiced and taught as it was, would gradually die out, even if he himself learnt and practiced it meticulously to to the end. He was just one person trying to stop the tide from coming in.
But how did this look in practice?
(To be continued in part 2)
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
It's all in the footwork
All martial arts emphasise footwork. For some, it's incredibly prominent and obvious, like the acrobatic leaps of Northern Shaolin or the low stances of certain kinds of Silat. In others, it's more subtle but nonetheless of primary importance. Aikido is not one art that one thinks about when the phrase 'dynamic footwork' is mentioned. They look like they hardly move, and even when they do, it looks more like a slight turn of the feet.
However, it is said that footwork is of such significance that it forms the main reason for the wearing of the 'hakama', which is intended to disguise the movements of the feet from the opponent. This is even more surprising given that there are no kicks in Aikido so one's opponent is not likely to be even looking at that area of the body
The detail is in the subtletly. The ancient masters knew that without the methodology of learning how to move, walk or balance; the fight might be over, and consequently, probably their lives. It was all in the footwork. Once mastered, it meant that you could move out of the way of an attack rather than block it, which was more inefficient. Also, it enabled you to deliver a counter attack. Learning how to balance also protected you from being swept, or thrown to the ground; all of which were fight enders in those (and also these) days. No one wanted to get swept and be at the mercy of an enemy who was not only standing, but who had a sword or knife as well.
It is why much time is spent learning how to maintain one's balance in Judo. It is interesting that in old Judo schools, the first techniques they leart are ashi-waza's, or foot sweep techniques. Modern schools teach the big throws first because techniques these score at competitions. However, this is done often at the expense of a reality outside the sporting arena, which means that that huge drop seio which scores and Ippon is likely to get your knew busted in the streets and have your assailant behind ready to brain you.
Learning how to keep your balance first, and then working on unbalancing your opponent while doing so gives you a huge tactical advantage in the street. It also works on the mats in a sporting context but the impact is less rewarding in terms of a point scoring system. Personally, I would prefer the old approach. Judo is more than winning medals. And these will cease anyway as you get older.
However, it is said that footwork is of such significance that it forms the main reason for the wearing of the 'hakama', which is intended to disguise the movements of the feet from the opponent. This is even more surprising given that there are no kicks in Aikido so one's opponent is not likely to be even looking at that area of the body
The detail is in the subtletly. The ancient masters knew that without the methodology of learning how to move, walk or balance; the fight might be over, and consequently, probably their lives. It was all in the footwork. Once mastered, it meant that you could move out of the way of an attack rather than block it, which was more inefficient. Also, it enabled you to deliver a counter attack. Learning how to balance also protected you from being swept, or thrown to the ground; all of which were fight enders in those (and also these) days. No one wanted to get swept and be at the mercy of an enemy who was not only standing, but who had a sword or knife as well.
It is why much time is spent learning how to maintain one's balance in Judo. It is interesting that in old Judo schools, the first techniques they leart are ashi-waza's, or foot sweep techniques. Modern schools teach the big throws first because techniques these score at competitions. However, this is done often at the expense of a reality outside the sporting arena, which means that that huge drop seio which scores and Ippon is likely to get your knew busted in the streets and have your assailant behind ready to brain you.
Learning how to keep your balance first, and then working on unbalancing your opponent while doing so gives you a huge tactical advantage in the street. It also works on the mats in a sporting context but the impact is less rewarding in terms of a point scoring system. Personally, I would prefer the old approach. Judo is more than winning medals. And these will cease anyway as you get older.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
A good man on the mats, a better man off the mats
When I was came back after a long hiatus due to a severe injury, one of the few people I trusted training with was my friend Rizan. There was no hesitation at all. I knew that he would not try and bust me up, either accidentally or purposely. He was the default 'good guy' on the mats. Everyone wants to roll, drill or train with him because it's a very positive experience. Every good Jit's gym should strive to have as many of him as possible. They are more valuable than diamonds. Let me explain why
Every person that comes into a Jits class is a rough, uncut, unpolished rock. Some prove to be diamonds and some, well..remain rocks. The latter you stay away from. You know the type. They are excessively rough, do not take care of their training partners, have negative attitudes and are generally a stumbling block to the whole class. Unfortunately, most classes have at least one rock.
The diamonds know that they are being polished and cut, and they accept it. They understand that the process of Jits is a long, character building one and that it will take patience, understanding and humility. In the journey, they are more than willing to assist others; even if it is at the expense of his time and effort. It's a great thing to watch and experience.
Rizan is one such person. That fantastic attitude that he displays on the mat is reflected off it as well; hence the title of the post. There are some fantastic BJJers who would roll you into a pretzel in three seconds but you would not even want to spend three seconds with them outside the gym. And there are others who you would like to spend a hour rolling with, and two hours at the mamak drinking teh tarik with because you enjoy their company
He is one of those people. If you come to KDT, look for him - a good man on the mats, and an even better one off it.
Every person that comes into a Jits class is a rough, uncut, unpolished rock. Some prove to be diamonds and some, well..remain rocks. The latter you stay away from. You know the type. They are excessively rough, do not take care of their training partners, have negative attitudes and are generally a stumbling block to the whole class. Unfortunately, most classes have at least one rock.
The diamonds know that they are being polished and cut, and they accept it. They understand that the process of Jits is a long, character building one and that it will take patience, understanding and humility. In the journey, they are more than willing to assist others; even if it is at the expense of his time and effort. It's a great thing to watch and experience.
Rizan is one such person. That fantastic attitude that he displays on the mat is reflected off it as well; hence the title of the post. There are some fantastic BJJers who would roll you into a pretzel in three seconds but you would not even want to spend three seconds with them outside the gym. And there are others who you would like to spend a hour rolling with, and two hours at the mamak drinking teh tarik with because you enjoy their company
He is one of those people. If you come to KDT, look for him - a good man on the mats, and an even better one off it.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
What's open mats for?
Some gyms have open mats, usually on a weekends, and the people who go to these gyms are considered to be quite fortunate. This is because this affords the opportunity for people to train with much fewer restrictions than the weekly classes and try out new things that they learnt. Tragically, however, a lot of people waste this chance either by opting to do something else or wasting that time doing the wrong thing
What is this wrong thing? Well, usually, this means just getting on the mats and rolling or sparring with no aim other than to beat their opponent. In other words, it's an exercise in ego boosting rather than skill building. And the hours given for open mats is a great way of working on something you didn't have the time to hone during class, preferably with a good training partner who is trying to help you as well.
While beating your "opponent" or tapping him out may feel good, you can be rest assured that he is not likely to help you next time you really need help. But hey, if you don't require assistance - then be my guest but I can imagine you'll be one unpopular hombre at the gym.
Open mats is for growth, in my opinion. And this growth is..and this part is vitally important...mutual growth. It's not how much I can get for myself in these two hours, but how much I can help my training partner improve and how much he can do for me in this time. This is thus less about a clash of egos than looking out for each other in a nobler way. Another important aspect of open mats is balance out the work/play ratio. It should be fun, but not to the extent that you're sitting, gabbing away on the sidelines after one 2 minute roll. Yes, I've done this before...
One has to train seriously, and intent but with a sense of play. The person I am competing with is myself, no one else. If it's a fight you want, take it to the streets or the Octagon; but not to the open mats where the word is "open"; welcoming you in a friendly, mutually beneficial manner.
What is this wrong thing? Well, usually, this means just getting on the mats and rolling or sparring with no aim other than to beat their opponent. In other words, it's an exercise in ego boosting rather than skill building. And the hours given for open mats is a great way of working on something you didn't have the time to hone during class, preferably with a good training partner who is trying to help you as well.
While beating your "opponent" or tapping him out may feel good, you can be rest assured that he is not likely to help you next time you really need help. But hey, if you don't require assistance - then be my guest but I can imagine you'll be one unpopular hombre at the gym.
Open mats is for growth, in my opinion. And this growth is..and this part is vitally important...mutual growth. It's not how much I can get for myself in these two hours, but how much I can help my training partner improve and how much he can do for me in this time. This is thus less about a clash of egos than looking out for each other in a nobler way. Another important aspect of open mats is balance out the work/play ratio. It should be fun, but not to the extent that you're sitting, gabbing away on the sidelines after one 2 minute roll. Yes, I've done this before...
One has to train seriously, and intent but with a sense of play. The person I am competing with is myself, no one else. If it's a fight you want, take it to the streets or the Octagon; but not to the open mats where the word is "open"; welcoming you in a friendly, mutually beneficial manner.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Self Defence in 5 minutes
The answer to that is easy: Lock your door and never leave the house
Sometimes, this is the flippant and I have to admit, uncharitable response I give to those who ask me this question. But at times, I think I'm justified. No one would ever dream of asking Tiger Woods how to be No.1 in the golfing world in 5 minutes. Nor would they even ask their club pro how to play 18 holes in 5 minutes if they were a beginner. They know they would have to spend hours at the driving range even before they get to tee off on the first hole.
In the old days, when self defence was literally self-preservation, the role of martial arts was non-negotiable..unless you wanted to die. So, as soon as you could stand, you learnt how to fight. Notice I didn't say, learn how to defend yourself. The best defence was an offensive slash, stab, kick, punch or whatever. If someone came after you with intent, it's likely that you weren't going to get a second chance to sign up for a short term course at the "Y" after that. It had to work there and then
Fast forward to the civil (or so we think, 21st century). In the age of Blackberry's and designer wear for kids, it's inconceivable that something as primitive as physical violence occurs. But it does, and you know it. From the irate person who cuts you off in the street, to the guy you accidentally bumped in that posh shopping center, we are all to aware that beneath the 100% cotton t-shirt and tertiary education, it could, in the parlance of the street..kick off at any time.
Hence, the question. And the answer to it is that there is no easy answer. Don't fall for the line which tells you what to do in 3 steps. That's what the marketing guys know you want to hear. They know that you don't want to listen to me say that it's complex, a long process, involving both the physical, mental and spiritual. No, you just want to to learn a few secret moves that will take care of every situation. And you want it fast.
I can't do that. But what I can do is recommend a good locksmith who can sell you a damn good deadbolt in 5 minutes..
Sometimes, this is the flippant and I have to admit, uncharitable response I give to those who ask me this question. But at times, I think I'm justified. No one would ever dream of asking Tiger Woods how to be No.1 in the golfing world in 5 minutes. Nor would they even ask their club pro how to play 18 holes in 5 minutes if they were a beginner. They know they would have to spend hours at the driving range even before they get to tee off on the first hole.
In the old days, when self defence was literally self-preservation, the role of martial arts was non-negotiable..unless you wanted to die. So, as soon as you could stand, you learnt how to fight. Notice I didn't say, learn how to defend yourself. The best defence was an offensive slash, stab, kick, punch or whatever. If someone came after you with intent, it's likely that you weren't going to get a second chance to sign up for a short term course at the "Y" after that. It had to work there and then
Fast forward to the civil (or so we think, 21st century). In the age of Blackberry's and designer wear for kids, it's inconceivable that something as primitive as physical violence occurs. But it does, and you know it. From the irate person who cuts you off in the street, to the guy you accidentally bumped in that posh shopping center, we are all to aware that beneath the 100% cotton t-shirt and tertiary education, it could, in the parlance of the street..kick off at any time.
Hence, the question. And the answer to it is that there is no easy answer. Don't fall for the line which tells you what to do in 3 steps. That's what the marketing guys know you want to hear. They know that you don't want to listen to me say that it's complex, a long process, involving both the physical, mental and spiritual. No, you just want to to learn a few secret moves that will take care of every situation. And you want it fast.
I can't do that. But what I can do is recommend a good locksmith who can sell you a damn good deadbolt in 5 minutes..
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Up you game!
There is a type of martial artist out there who will say that all they hope to do is do a little bit, not take what they do so seriously, and when they reach a certain level, be satisfied. In other words, they see the martial arts as something no more than an occasional hit of badminton, or a few minutes of table tennis. A time filler, a nice hobby and a bit of exercise
Well, sure..that's possible. May I recommend a Tae Bo DVD for you to watch at home so your little fantasy world isn't challenged? Because that's the only arena in which all your presumptions are going to be fulfilled
Martial sports like MMA, Jits etc are more like tennis than table tennis. I can pick up a paddle in ping pong and within a few minutes, get the ball over the net with an ugly push shot and my partner can do the same. The learning curve is fast. Tennis on the other hand is different. If you never played it before, it can be immensely frustrating and unforgiving. Just getting a ball over the net is hard, and anything more than a three shot level takes a certain modicum of skill, training and hard work
In other words, you need to commit a lot more than the bare minimum. And martial sports are the same. You always need to 'up your game' otherwise you're not going to see that progress you were looking for, and you won't be able to come close to pulling off those fantastic techniques you saw people like Marcello Garcia do. Because the moment you think you want to stop at being able to hit three shots in a row over the net, your opponent hits four; and you will start losing, and tennis won't be fun anymore. Trust me.
This doesn't mean that you have to be some crazy, obsessed martial arts junkie that lives in a dojo 24-7 (But if you want to, hey, that's your life). It does engender the awareness that it's difficult to set the bar so low that it's ridiculously easy to achieve your goals
My goal in BJJ was to get a blue belt. I thought that was the equivalent of swimming the English channel. Now, I'm gunning for purple, and that is beginning to feel like trying to swim the Atlantic ocean! I once said that I would end my time in Judo at Brown. Black was impossible. Too difficult, too painful etc. Now I'm just working on hanging with the other Blacks and trying to move up the totem pole.
This is not the equivalent of the unhealthy beggar my neighbour manipulation and political skull duggery that you might see in, say, the corporate office. This is healthy co-operative competition. You want to get better, and you want your opponent to get better because then both of you can work for greater heights. And in doing so, new vistas in training and experience open up to you. Everybody wins. Nobody loses.
And finally, now you're actually playing tennis as it was meant to
Well, sure..that's possible. May I recommend a Tae Bo DVD for you to watch at home so your little fantasy world isn't challenged? Because that's the only arena in which all your presumptions are going to be fulfilled
Martial sports like MMA, Jits etc are more like tennis than table tennis. I can pick up a paddle in ping pong and within a few minutes, get the ball over the net with an ugly push shot and my partner can do the same. The learning curve is fast. Tennis on the other hand is different. If you never played it before, it can be immensely frustrating and unforgiving. Just getting a ball over the net is hard, and anything more than a three shot level takes a certain modicum of skill, training and hard work
In other words, you need to commit a lot more than the bare minimum. And martial sports are the same. You always need to 'up your game' otherwise you're not going to see that progress you were looking for, and you won't be able to come close to pulling off those fantastic techniques you saw people like Marcello Garcia do. Because the moment you think you want to stop at being able to hit three shots in a row over the net, your opponent hits four; and you will start losing, and tennis won't be fun anymore. Trust me.
This doesn't mean that you have to be some crazy, obsessed martial arts junkie that lives in a dojo 24-7 (But if you want to, hey, that's your life). It does engender the awareness that it's difficult to set the bar so low that it's ridiculously easy to achieve your goals
My goal in BJJ was to get a blue belt. I thought that was the equivalent of swimming the English channel. Now, I'm gunning for purple, and that is beginning to feel like trying to swim the Atlantic ocean! I once said that I would end my time in Judo at Brown. Black was impossible. Too difficult, too painful etc. Now I'm just working on hanging with the other Blacks and trying to move up the totem pole.
This is not the equivalent of the unhealthy beggar my neighbour manipulation and political skull duggery that you might see in, say, the corporate office. This is healthy co-operative competition. You want to get better, and you want your opponent to get better because then both of you can work for greater heights. And in doing so, new vistas in training and experience open up to you. Everybody wins. Nobody loses.
And finally, now you're actually playing tennis as it was meant to
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Crossing the Rubicon
What I am about to post soon almost contradicts what was written in my last post. I previously railed against the training-more-training mentality and argued for a saner schedule. But what did I do today? I trained literally in the morning, afternoon and night.
Yes, my faithful less than a handful of readers out there, I spent the morning in Brickfields doing Judo, then boxing and BJJ in the afternoon. To cap it off, five very hard randori sessions in the evening. I literally lived martial arts today. It was insane, something probably never to be repeated normally, but it was fantastic.
Why? Because every now and then, you have to cross the Rubicon of your training. The body, mind and spirit imposes limits way before it crosses the line. I think it's partly a survival mechanism, but recently, I think it's a product of environment. We seek comfort on our own terms. Thus, we apply the same to workouts similarly - it's got to be 'hard' but we define it as such and we reserve to right to walk away from it if it is too hard
But in real life, sometimes you can't walk away from whatever annoys, pisses you off or is trying to hurt you. It probably means that the only option is to stand and face it head on. This is what the martial arts is all about. It cares less about your self esteem than tearing it down and making you see that you are a whinging, soft, out of shape marshmallow who can't walk the talk. Yes, it's painful. But it does that
Today, I had a crummy session in the morning but the patience of my Judo sensei was almost Nelson Mandela like. He knew that I sucked, but he tried to make me suck less, even though I did at the end. I wanted to leave early, but I didn't and vowed that the best thing for me to do was to bugger this rest of the day and forget open mats; sleep in and feel sorry for myself
A few hours later, I was sparring with some pretty handy boxers at KDTA. You can't think about what a crappy day you have when something is jabbing at your head with GPS like precision. All you can do is react. This went on for couple of hours, by then I was physically and mentally spent. All I could think off was a hot, relaxing bath and a good meal. In the end,I found myself wearing my morning-soaked judogi eating a yoghurt to carbo load for one session of hard Judo randori
Or make that five. Everytime I slammed into the mat, the impulse was to stay down, or get up, sulk and make an excuse to leave. My timing was off, I was beat, and I was sucking more than what I was in the morning. But then suddenly, I started making some throws. Big ones. Not all the time, I was still the group whipping boy..but slowly enough...it was all coming together.
I had crossed the Rubicon.
At the end, I nearly passed out on the floor and the sound of me dry retching definitely was not my finest moment. But I didn't cop out. I stood face to face with the Bear, and God willing, I'll do it again.
You don't cross it once. It's got to be done again and again, until someday, you cross it for the last time. But that's another story
Yes, my faithful less than a handful of readers out there, I spent the morning in Brickfields doing Judo, then boxing and BJJ in the afternoon. To cap it off, five very hard randori sessions in the evening. I literally lived martial arts today. It was insane, something probably never to be repeated normally, but it was fantastic.
Why? Because every now and then, you have to cross the Rubicon of your training. The body, mind and spirit imposes limits way before it crosses the line. I think it's partly a survival mechanism, but recently, I think it's a product of environment. We seek comfort on our own terms. Thus, we apply the same to workouts similarly - it's got to be 'hard' but we define it as such and we reserve to right to walk away from it if it is too hard
But in real life, sometimes you can't walk away from whatever annoys, pisses you off or is trying to hurt you. It probably means that the only option is to stand and face it head on. This is what the martial arts is all about. It cares less about your self esteem than tearing it down and making you see that you are a whinging, soft, out of shape marshmallow who can't walk the talk. Yes, it's painful. But it does that
Today, I had a crummy session in the morning but the patience of my Judo sensei was almost Nelson Mandela like. He knew that I sucked, but he tried to make me suck less, even though I did at the end. I wanted to leave early, but I didn't and vowed that the best thing for me to do was to bugger this rest of the day and forget open mats; sleep in and feel sorry for myself
A few hours later, I was sparring with some pretty handy boxers at KDTA. You can't think about what a crappy day you have when something is jabbing at your head with GPS like precision. All you can do is react. This went on for couple of hours, by then I was physically and mentally spent. All I could think off was a hot, relaxing bath and a good meal. In the end,I found myself wearing my morning-soaked judogi eating a yoghurt to carbo load for one session of hard Judo randori
Or make that five. Everytime I slammed into the mat, the impulse was to stay down, or get up, sulk and make an excuse to leave. My timing was off, I was beat, and I was sucking more than what I was in the morning. But then suddenly, I started making some throws. Big ones. Not all the time, I was still the group whipping boy..but slowly enough...it was all coming together.
I had crossed the Rubicon.
At the end, I nearly passed out on the floor and the sound of me dry retching definitely was not my finest moment. But I didn't cop out. I stood face to face with the Bear, and God willing, I'll do it again.
You don't cross it once. It's got to be done again and again, until someday, you cross it for the last time. But that's another story
Friday, February 5, 2010
The Silly Season
Currently, I am on holiday at the moment. No, given how porous information is on the internet, I am not going to say where, but suffice to say; it's about as far away from the mats as possible.
But with social networking these days, it's almost impossible not to stay connected even though I may be miles away from everything, and through Facebook updates or Tweets; one is reminded of how much training one is missing out on. This was definitely the case in previous years. If I missed just one training session, there was an implied sense that your 'game' would slip and that things would slide downhill etc, etc.
I am glad to say that I have finally moved away from that silly nonsense in 2010. In other words, I can enforce a break, and not feel guilty about it. Yes, I will gain weight during a holiday because that's what happens on a holiday. No, I won't be training as the body, mind and spirit needs a break occasionally - no matter how good you feel. More importantly, I need to take an enforced break because no matter how much I like doing Judo, Jits etc - in the big scheme of things..and wait for the blasphemy...it's relatively unimportant
We need to challenge the consumerist mindset that says that "more is good". Somewhere along the line, this has been incorporated into the realm of martial sports. More seminars, more training, more sparring. Then you will get 'better'. For what, I might ask?
So that you can spend less time with your family? Or less time at church? So that I can pretend that my problems don't exist by working out like a maniac? As if problems solve themselves by doing one more set of crunches.
The corruption of participating in something healthy like martial sports comes when we use it to escape into a world that is unrealistic and untenable. Bills, problems, issues of life and death do not dissapear miraculously because one has a roll on the mats for a couple of hours. So in one sense, the practice of a healthy sport has become inherently selfish where all you are concerned about is my own self and what I get out of it. Who cares about the outside world?
The Silly season comes when we build our own little world on the mat with training partners who share our view that the world is no more than a 12x12 set of rubber mats. The real world is people dying of malnutrition, disease, wars and neglect out there. And it can benefit from you taking some time out to pray for them, give them money or lend a helping hand. But it will not benefit from you constantly using your God given five senses and perfectly functional limbs in the dojo, kwoon or gym everyday and at all times
But with social networking these days, it's almost impossible not to stay connected even though I may be miles away from everything, and through Facebook updates or Tweets; one is reminded of how much training one is missing out on. This was definitely the case in previous years. If I missed just one training session, there was an implied sense that your 'game' would slip and that things would slide downhill etc, etc.
I am glad to say that I have finally moved away from that silly nonsense in 2010. In other words, I can enforce a break, and not feel guilty about it. Yes, I will gain weight during a holiday because that's what happens on a holiday. No, I won't be training as the body, mind and spirit needs a break occasionally - no matter how good you feel. More importantly, I need to take an enforced break because no matter how much I like doing Judo, Jits etc - in the big scheme of things..and wait for the blasphemy...it's relatively unimportant
We need to challenge the consumerist mindset that says that "more is good". Somewhere along the line, this has been incorporated into the realm of martial sports. More seminars, more training, more sparring. Then you will get 'better'. For what, I might ask?
So that you can spend less time with your family? Or less time at church? So that I can pretend that my problems don't exist by working out like a maniac? As if problems solve themselves by doing one more set of crunches.
The corruption of participating in something healthy like martial sports comes when we use it to escape into a world that is unrealistic and untenable. Bills, problems, issues of life and death do not dissapear miraculously because one has a roll on the mats for a couple of hours. So in one sense, the practice of a healthy sport has become inherently selfish where all you are concerned about is my own self and what I get out of it. Who cares about the outside world?
The Silly season comes when we build our own little world on the mat with training partners who share our view that the world is no more than a 12x12 set of rubber mats. The real world is people dying of malnutrition, disease, wars and neglect out there. And it can benefit from you taking some time out to pray for them, give them money or lend a helping hand. But it will not benefit from you constantly using your God given five senses and perfectly functional limbs in the dojo, kwoon or gym everyday and at all times
Monday, January 11, 2010
What are your goals this year?
I want to wish all my readers of this blog a happy new year. Maybe there are only two of you, but what the heck, I wish you a really blessed New year anyway! :-)
Anyway, I would like to start off the year by asking if you have any goals for the year. You would be surprised at the number of people who look at me blankly when I ask them that. Isn't the aim of martial arts just to train? Well, is the aim of driving just to drive? You got to have a direction
Now I'm number 1 or at least 2 for being notoriously shy about setting goals. Maybe it's because I am scared of not achieving them. But guess what, getting older and other priorities means that I can't keep pretending it's business as usual; whatever that means. I don't know how much time I have to be able to train in the short or long term so I have to set some realistic aims
Hopefully, I can get my shodan in Judo this year. And in Jits, I want to be a solid blue belt 3 striper at the end. Now I know some people balk at the setting of belt or rank goals as not being in the 'spirit' of martial arts. May I contend that it is.
To get to whatever higher rank compared to where you are at the moment - you have to improve. Yes, that means hard work and sacrifice. Like it or not. And so the setting of wanting to achieve higher ranks is an acknowledgement that life is not going to be so easy anymore and one that is to be encouraged
Anyway, I would like to start off the year by asking if you have any goals for the year. You would be surprised at the number of people who look at me blankly when I ask them that. Isn't the aim of martial arts just to train? Well, is the aim of driving just to drive? You got to have a direction
Now I'm number 1 or at least 2 for being notoriously shy about setting goals. Maybe it's because I am scared of not achieving them. But guess what, getting older and other priorities means that I can't keep pretending it's business as usual; whatever that means. I don't know how much time I have to be able to train in the short or long term so I have to set some realistic aims
Hopefully, I can get my shodan in Judo this year. And in Jits, I want to be a solid blue belt 3 striper at the end. Now I know some people balk at the setting of belt or rank goals as not being in the 'spirit' of martial arts. May I contend that it is.
To get to whatever higher rank compared to where you are at the moment - you have to improve. Yes, that means hard work and sacrifice. Like it or not. And so the setting of wanting to achieve higher ranks is an acknowledgement that life is not going to be so easy anymore and one that is to be encouraged
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Your sensei is not Dr Phil
One thing that I have noticed in some martial art schools is the not-so-subtle deification of the martial arts teacher into some sort of all around guru is capable not just of teaching a front kick, but also someone who is qualified to give you advice on your love life, finances, career etc. It's as though that person by virtue of the fact that they can move their hands and feet in circular movements, suddenly gains enlightenment in counselling skills.
So my opinion is this:
Your sensei is not a superman. He is not your priest, guru or enlightened noble leader either. He can't do your taxes (or maybe he can if he has a CPA!), he shouldn't be fixing your car and he can't tell your future about who you should marry or not. He's not Dr Phil, Warren Buffet, Martha Stewart or Kobe Bryant rolled into one. He's just a man. Granted, a man with great skills but at the end of the day, he puts his pants on one leg at a time and still gets hungry, thirsty and cranky; just like you and me.
I blame Karate Kid's Mr Miyagi for this wrong impression of a sensei. Come on, one moment this kid is learning karate and suddenly, he's flying half way around the world and ends up in a castle in Okinawa fighting for his life against some guy with a spear. That's the sort of positive guidance and advice he got from his sensei?!?
:-)
You should find less of this deification in martial arts like Judo, BJJ and arts that emphasise alive sparring. That is, against a resisting opponent. In fact, I esteemed my instructors even higher when I saw them take to the mat in randori against all comers. Even when some of them were at seventy years old, they could still pull of their techniques against others. That's amazing stuff. I look up to them and use them as a example of the kind of Judoka, BJJer that I want to be when I get much older. They should be accorded much due respect..
..but I'm not gonna get them to do my tax return next year. :-)
So my opinion is this:
Your sensei is not a superman. He is not your priest, guru or enlightened noble leader either. He can't do your taxes (or maybe he can if he has a CPA!), he shouldn't be fixing your car and he can't tell your future about who you should marry or not. He's not Dr Phil, Warren Buffet, Martha Stewart or Kobe Bryant rolled into one. He's just a man. Granted, a man with great skills but at the end of the day, he puts his pants on one leg at a time and still gets hungry, thirsty and cranky; just like you and me.
I blame Karate Kid's Mr Miyagi for this wrong impression of a sensei. Come on, one moment this kid is learning karate and suddenly, he's flying half way around the world and ends up in a castle in Okinawa fighting for his life against some guy with a spear. That's the sort of positive guidance and advice he got from his sensei?!?
:-)
You should find less of this deification in martial arts like Judo, BJJ and arts that emphasise alive sparring. That is, against a resisting opponent. In fact, I esteemed my instructors even higher when I saw them take to the mat in randori against all comers. Even when some of them were at seventy years old, they could still pull of their techniques against others. That's amazing stuff. I look up to them and use them as a example of the kind of Judoka, BJJer that I want to be when I get much older. They should be accorded much due respect..
..but I'm not gonna get them to do my tax return next year. :-)
Friday, November 20, 2009
Passing the torch, but keeping the light
One of the recurrent themes in hero based mythology is not just the archtypical journey taken by our main protaganist in search of adventure (and this is a metaphor for examining oneself, but that of the young hero replacing the old. What always follows is a tale riddled with tension and dramatic conflict. Witness King Arthur and Lancelot, Menelaus and Paris in Homer's Troy. Or King Saul and David.
At the heart of this intergenerational warfare is the aspect of an old man who's power and influence is on the wane and there is a young buck rising to challenge the incumbent for the seat of power. It is more or less apparent in the martial arts as well. How many times have we heard ridiculous stories of the Old Master getting more dangerous as he grows older, because his 'chi' or whatever increases proportionately with age
I suspect such tales are generated to secure the position of someone who already knows the plain truth: You will die someday and after peaking, your martial skills are not going to get better. They will only decline as your physical body ages. That's a brutal medical fact
A few weeks ago, I got a taste of this in Malacca when I visited a Judo dojo with a contingent from the Bangsar Judo Club. It quickly became apparent that 40 is not the new 20, or 30 for that matter. The calesthenics blew our best fighter out the water, and he's only 28. Most of us could only look miserably as their young, fit competition fighters did exercise after exercise.
Then when it came to the 'friendly' matches, it quickly became obvious that I was aging too gracefully. After some initial attempts to do judo in a calm, zen sage like way; I realised that this was a recipe for getting my satori butt handed to me in a heartbeat. So I did what any mature adult who has held a responsible managerial position in work did; I unleashed my inner young punk. It worked for a while, except..
I wasn't young anymore
It was as if the ego couldn't take some young whippersnapper intruding in on my territory. Plus, he was making me look bad! No way this old dog was going to roll over and play dead. So, I put my game into overdrive but like most machines when you do that, baaaaaaaad stuff happens
My body knew and wanted to say "No mas!" but my mind refused to accept it. Here's a tip. Mind over matter is B.S. Pretty soon, the body will just say 'Well, fine, you wanna play Mr Macho..I'm not going along for the ride'. And it caves. That's how I fractured my toe.
Of course while the adrenalin was pumping, I was still talking trash worthy of a bratty MTV watching teen. After it stopped..well, the hurt began. And it really hurt. Really.
So I learnt an important lesson that day - you can't stop the tide of time. If you've had a good run, be grateful that you had the chance to do so. It's not your time anymore - it's theirs.
With as much class as possible, accept your new role now as adviser, coach, wise teacher, class comic relief or whatever. Anything except trying to be the World's No.1 bad-ass fighter. That time has pass and you'll never, I repeat - never, get it back again.
And then maybe you'll avoid the nasty endings that befell the various old codgers in mythology who didn't step aside and retire peacefully into the night when the young 'uns came-a-knocking on their door. They either died violently or looked like absolute idiots trying to hold on to power like water in a hand - eventually, it slipped through
I guess in that context, I'm lucky to get away with just a fractured toe :-)
You have to pass the torch to the next generation, but the light that you got from holding that for a while..well, that's inside you now. You can keep that and it's far brighter than the one coming from the torch because this one comes from the Heart
See you on the tatami!
At the heart of this intergenerational warfare is the aspect of an old man who's power and influence is on the wane and there is a young buck rising to challenge the incumbent for the seat of power. It is more or less apparent in the martial arts as well. How many times have we heard ridiculous stories of the Old Master getting more dangerous as he grows older, because his 'chi' or whatever increases proportionately with age
I suspect such tales are generated to secure the position of someone who already knows the plain truth: You will die someday and after peaking, your martial skills are not going to get better. They will only decline as your physical body ages. That's a brutal medical fact
A few weeks ago, I got a taste of this in Malacca when I visited a Judo dojo with a contingent from the Bangsar Judo Club. It quickly became apparent that 40 is not the new 20, or 30 for that matter. The calesthenics blew our best fighter out the water, and he's only 28. Most of us could only look miserably as their young, fit competition fighters did exercise after exercise.
Then when it came to the 'friendly' matches, it quickly became obvious that I was aging too gracefully. After some initial attempts to do judo in a calm, zen sage like way; I realised that this was a recipe for getting my satori butt handed to me in a heartbeat. So I did what any mature adult who has held a responsible managerial position in work did; I unleashed my inner young punk. It worked for a while, except..
I wasn't young anymore
It was as if the ego couldn't take some young whippersnapper intruding in on my territory. Plus, he was making me look bad! No way this old dog was going to roll over and play dead. So, I put my game into overdrive but like most machines when you do that, baaaaaaaad stuff happens
My body knew and wanted to say "No mas!" but my mind refused to accept it. Here's a tip. Mind over matter is B.S. Pretty soon, the body will just say 'Well, fine, you wanna play Mr Macho..I'm not going along for the ride'. And it caves. That's how I fractured my toe.
Of course while the adrenalin was pumping, I was still talking trash worthy of a bratty MTV watching teen. After it stopped..well, the hurt began. And it really hurt. Really.
So I learnt an important lesson that day - you can't stop the tide of time. If you've had a good run, be grateful that you had the chance to do so. It's not your time anymore - it's theirs.
With as much class as possible, accept your new role now as adviser, coach, wise teacher, class comic relief or whatever. Anything except trying to be the World's No.1 bad-ass fighter. That time has pass and you'll never, I repeat - never, get it back again.
And then maybe you'll avoid the nasty endings that befell the various old codgers in mythology who didn't step aside and retire peacefully into the night when the young 'uns came-a-knocking on their door. They either died violently or looked like absolute idiots trying to hold on to power like water in a hand - eventually, it slipped through
I guess in that context, I'm lucky to get away with just a fractured toe :-)
You have to pass the torch to the next generation, but the light that you got from holding that for a while..well, that's inside you now. You can keep that and it's far brighter than the one coming from the torch because this one comes from the Heart
See you on the tatami!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Beautiful Judo Part 3: It really is beautiful!
When I first wrote that article on 'Beautiful Judo' over a year ago, I had no idea what I was in for. There were months of sheer frustration and butt whipping (me being the receiver) and the Judo looked about as beautiful as two slugs wrestling encased in resin. I was really, really beginning to wonder if all this was just a pipe dream and Kano and Co. were smoking the tatami mats.
Then I broke my foot.
This precipitated a real bout of depression where I questioned if I ever even wanted to do martial arts. Let alone Judo. And still further from my mind, beautiful judo.
But when I came back, very oddly, I had no choice. My aching, ageing body couldn't do all the WWF bastardised wrestling moves that I was throwing on the mat (very unsuccessfully I might add). So, I went back to Sensei JAL (remember him?) and worked with him on regaining whatever little form I had before I injured myself. All this while, the monkey on my back kept chattering " You fool! This isn't going to work"
Oh, but it did.
I can't for sure remember when. But it started with me getting some kuzushi (unbalancing) on my opponent when I randoried. Then, these became minor scores. Who cared? I was ecstastic, even with the small scores. Then the minor scores became larger, until finally...
Ippon.
With an uchimata: the hardest, most singularly revered throw in Judo that defines the beauty, grace, power, harmony and lethality of Judo. For ten years, I heard that small men like me should forget uchimata and concentrate on throws like seio nage (shoulder throws),that I was wasting my time. But somehow, I persisted with the big man throws. Maybe there's a big man in this small frame, maybe I'm just stubborn. Or an idiot
But I'm an idiot with an Ippon :-)
I owe it all to Sensei JAL. What a teacher and a man. His advice was secondary. Everyone has some good advice in them now and then. It was his patience, his example as a teacher that I almost revere and totally respect. He knew that it would come, even though I was whingeing like a spoilt brat incessantly but he knew that beautiful judo is painful, and it takes time
And it really is beautiful
Then I broke my foot.
This precipitated a real bout of depression where I questioned if I ever even wanted to do martial arts. Let alone Judo. And still further from my mind, beautiful judo.
But when I came back, very oddly, I had no choice. My aching, ageing body couldn't do all the WWF bastardised wrestling moves that I was throwing on the mat (very unsuccessfully I might add). So, I went back to Sensei JAL (remember him?) and worked with him on regaining whatever little form I had before I injured myself. All this while, the monkey on my back kept chattering " You fool! This isn't going to work"
Oh, but it did.
I can't for sure remember when. But it started with me getting some kuzushi (unbalancing) on my opponent when I randoried. Then, these became minor scores. Who cared? I was ecstastic, even with the small scores. Then the minor scores became larger, until finally...
Ippon.
With an uchimata: the hardest, most singularly revered throw in Judo that defines the beauty, grace, power, harmony and lethality of Judo. For ten years, I heard that small men like me should forget uchimata and concentrate on throws like seio nage (shoulder throws),that I was wasting my time. But somehow, I persisted with the big man throws. Maybe there's a big man in this small frame, maybe I'm just stubborn. Or an idiot
But I'm an idiot with an Ippon :-)
I owe it all to Sensei JAL. What a teacher and a man. His advice was secondary. Everyone has some good advice in them now and then. It was his patience, his example as a teacher that I almost revere and totally respect. He knew that it would come, even though I was whingeing like a spoilt brat incessantly but he knew that beautiful judo is painful, and it takes time
And it really is beautiful
Monday, August 3, 2009
Get out of the gym and onto the mats for a REAL change
I used to be a member of one of those franchise gyms many years ago. It was so way back that it was only one of a two gym franchise, and still, it was the biggest operation then in Malaysia. I liked it, and went quite regularly but never really lost any weight. In fact, I kind of gained some kilos during my time there. This could have been due to the fact that after the workouts, I would head to the Hotel restaurant in which the gym was located, for a buffet dinner. (200 calories burnt up, 1000 calories in; you do the math…)
There are two problems with going to the gym, or engaging in what I would call individual centered workouts. They are:
1) It is too easy to fool yourself. I could lift 40kilos on one day, then 50 a week later and suddenly I have a notion that I’m superman and can do anything, including saving the world, curing cancer and winning the Noble prize. Actually, all it means is that you can lift a cable assisted set of weights 10-12 times over your head in an air-conditioned hermetically sealed environment. Period.
2) I have no accountability. One week I could be as passionate as Sly Stallone in ‘Rocky’ and the next, I’m scarfing Rocky Roads watching Sly Stallone on DVD in my couch. But hey, I can get away with this because no one is checking on me
3) Lastly, and this is the most worrying. I cultivate the idea that it’s all about me. My workouts. My improvement. The ego gets a major workout
One great thing about alive training in a combat sport is that it strips that vanity of the self away pretty quick. And it teaches one very important lesson that the gym doesn’t – that life is unpredictable.
When I spar in my CMD class, the one thing I have to be is switched on constantly. Total awareness. If not, then a 6 foot 2 inch, 90 kg Frenchman called Pat is going to steam roll me, or if I lose concentration, there’s a chance that those heavy hands from Charles is going to take my head off. Or Adrian “the new Randy Coutere” will double leg me on the mats.
So even if I managed to acquit myself quite well in sparring on Monday, come Wednesday and it’s a whole new ball game. The hunter could become the hunted, and in a matter of two days, I could have gone from hero to zero.
But this is the great thing about the combat sports. Done correctly, it’s ego destroying, and well it should be. I should come out learning some new things about myself and what I can’t and can not do. My training partner is my foil. I get immediate feedback about whether what I do works, if I’ve been cheating on my training and best of all, it’s a relationship
In the end, it’s not just about me. My training partner is involved as well, and if he or she is any good, they will know how to run the fine line between pushing you to the limit and going past that. They will also present with an honest assessment of your abilities. And you should do the same with them. A gym machine or inert weights can’t do that. You can adjust them to suit whatever perception you want of yourself. Not so with a live, active training partner
I know some of my friends who have tried both and gone back to the gym. Sometimes, I’m not sure why that is. Maybe the realisation or sudden self awareness is too jarring for them. It could be they don’t like what they see in the mirror and prefer to go back to the illusory world where they feel that they are a god. The ego likes nothing better than that
Hopefully, I don’t come across as someone who sounds like he’s denigrating weights or other non-combat sport activities. I lift weights, run and swim – and love doing it. It’s just that I strongly believe that people could benefit from the mask removing properties in the combat sports done right.
There are two problems with going to the gym, or engaging in what I would call individual centered workouts. They are:
1) It is too easy to fool yourself. I could lift 40kilos on one day, then 50 a week later and suddenly I have a notion that I’m superman and can do anything, including saving the world, curing cancer and winning the Noble prize. Actually, all it means is that you can lift a cable assisted set of weights 10-12 times over your head in an air-conditioned hermetically sealed environment. Period.
2) I have no accountability. One week I could be as passionate as Sly Stallone in ‘Rocky’ and the next, I’m scarfing Rocky Roads watching Sly Stallone on DVD in my couch. But hey, I can get away with this because no one is checking on me
3) Lastly, and this is the most worrying. I cultivate the idea that it’s all about me. My workouts. My improvement. The ego gets a major workout
One great thing about alive training in a combat sport is that it strips that vanity of the self away pretty quick. And it teaches one very important lesson that the gym doesn’t – that life is unpredictable.
When I spar in my CMD class, the one thing I have to be is switched on constantly. Total awareness. If not, then a 6 foot 2 inch, 90 kg Frenchman called Pat is going to steam roll me, or if I lose concentration, there’s a chance that those heavy hands from Charles is going to take my head off. Or Adrian “the new Randy Coutere” will double leg me on the mats.
So even if I managed to acquit myself quite well in sparring on Monday, come Wednesday and it’s a whole new ball game. The hunter could become the hunted, and in a matter of two days, I could have gone from hero to zero.
But this is the great thing about the combat sports. Done correctly, it’s ego destroying, and well it should be. I should come out learning some new things about myself and what I can’t and can not do. My training partner is my foil. I get immediate feedback about whether what I do works, if I’ve been cheating on my training and best of all, it’s a relationship
In the end, it’s not just about me. My training partner is involved as well, and if he or she is any good, they will know how to run the fine line between pushing you to the limit and going past that. They will also present with an honest assessment of your abilities. And you should do the same with them. A gym machine or inert weights can’t do that. You can adjust them to suit whatever perception you want of yourself. Not so with a live, active training partner
I know some of my friends who have tried both and gone back to the gym. Sometimes, I’m not sure why that is. Maybe the realisation or sudden self awareness is too jarring for them. It could be they don’t like what they see in the mirror and prefer to go back to the illusory world where they feel that they are a god. The ego likes nothing better than that
Hopefully, I don’t come across as someone who sounds like he’s denigrating weights or other non-combat sport activities. I lift weights, run and swim – and love doing it. It’s just that I strongly believe that people could benefit from the mask removing properties in the combat sports done right.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
The black? - it means nothing, my friend..
I've been a brown belt in Judo for time immemorial. True, not all of that time was spent training. Some of it was rest for injury, and other moments were filled with inconsistent moments. It happens when one grows older and other responsibilites come in. However, I told myself that I would commit myself to getting my black belt in the near future; and as a result, my training has been more consistent and focussed.
Yesterday, my sensei told me that I was overdue for my black. And my reply was that "well, I don't know. Some green belts still throw me around the place". His reply was amazing
"Don't worry. When I became a black belt, even white belts threw me"
This was a teacher I regard as the sensei of sensei's. A gold standard for everything Judo. And here he was telling me that even if I got my black belt, I would still get my butt kicked?
Of course I would. He showed the greatest wisdom is telling me that, and which brought be back to the heart of Judo; something I had forgotten in my zeal to get that coveted black belt at all costs. In conveying that to me, he was telling me something profound, which was : " It's just a belt. Don't get too hung up over it"
Sometimes, I forget this, honestly, I have to say that the underlying macho philosophy in combat sports can make you incredibly insecure instead of the other way around. Listen closely, and you will hear these phrases:
" I can't tap to him. I'm a blue belt in BJJ, he's a white"
" I can't lose to her - she's a girl!"
" I can't get thrown by him, I'm a black belt in Judo, Why, he doesn't even do Judo!"
" I got hit by his jab? No way!"
..and so on.
The common denominator among all those comments in the pronoun " I can't..". It's all ego and it's all about the person I love most in the world - me.
At times, we need the essence of Judo to permeate what we do in the combat sports. It's called "Jito Kyoei" - mutual welfare. A care for your training partner, teacher, gym, sports and the greater community as a whole. Grandmaster Kano was more interested in the character of the Judoka than the Judo he or she did. In other words, he was all about mutual welfare.
We don't get enough of this in submission wrestling and BJJ unfortunately. Maybe it is a particularly western concept to divorce any philosophy from whatever we do but this is impossible in my opinion. No philosophy means you switch to a default philosophy, which is primal, animalistic and selfish in nature. You want to win at all costs. I would love to see a different spirit in these two sports, which I also really like, where mutual concern for the overall well being of the participants in paramount to just blind physical domination
Which is why I love Judo. It has the same characteristics of a combat sport, but the ideas behind it, the small attempts to introduce concepts like humility, a sense of purpose and character development testify to the real genuius of the founder, not just his synthesization of techniques.
Yesterday, my sensei told me that I was overdue for my black. And my reply was that "well, I don't know. Some green belts still throw me around the place". His reply was amazing
"Don't worry. When I became a black belt, even white belts threw me"
This was a teacher I regard as the sensei of sensei's. A gold standard for everything Judo. And here he was telling me that even if I got my black belt, I would still get my butt kicked?
Of course I would. He showed the greatest wisdom is telling me that, and which brought be back to the heart of Judo; something I had forgotten in my zeal to get that coveted black belt at all costs. In conveying that to me, he was telling me something profound, which was : " It's just a belt. Don't get too hung up over it"
Sometimes, I forget this, honestly, I have to say that the underlying macho philosophy in combat sports can make you incredibly insecure instead of the other way around. Listen closely, and you will hear these phrases:
" I can't tap to him. I'm a blue belt in BJJ, he's a white"
" I can't lose to her - she's a girl!"
" I can't get thrown by him, I'm a black belt in Judo, Why, he doesn't even do Judo!"
" I got hit by his jab? No way!"
..and so on.
The common denominator among all those comments in the pronoun " I can't..". It's all ego and it's all about the person I love most in the world - me.
At times, we need the essence of Judo to permeate what we do in the combat sports. It's called "Jito Kyoei" - mutual welfare. A care for your training partner, teacher, gym, sports and the greater community as a whole. Grandmaster Kano was more interested in the character of the Judoka than the Judo he or she did. In other words, he was all about mutual welfare.
We don't get enough of this in submission wrestling and BJJ unfortunately. Maybe it is a particularly western concept to divorce any philosophy from whatever we do but this is impossible in my opinion. No philosophy means you switch to a default philosophy, which is primal, animalistic and selfish in nature. You want to win at all costs. I would love to see a different spirit in these two sports, which I also really like, where mutual concern for the overall well being of the participants in paramount to just blind physical domination
Which is why I love Judo. It has the same characteristics of a combat sport, but the ideas behind it, the small attempts to introduce concepts like humility, a sense of purpose and character development testify to the real genuius of the founder, not just his synthesization of techniques.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Stones in the road
Okay, so much for my last post. Long story kept short - I'm back on the mats, and sorry Rizan, you can't have my gi! :-)
What does it feel like to be back training again? In short most of the same emotions are there. I feel elated when I pull off a technique. Other times, relaxed and refreshed after a good workout. Relief when I end the week with no major injuries. Shame when I willfully go a bit too hard and injure my training partner. Anger when I see someone get bullied in class. Melancholy when I think about certain regrets and anxiety when I realise that in my advancing age; it's only going to get tougher
I disagree with those who take a totally one dimensional "banzai" view of training. Who say things like " Dude! I'm gonna train hard forever! Be like the UFC fighters, man!" Most times, I'll put it down to the perceived immortality and invincibility of youth. But like most things in life, it's an illusion
There's a magazine called "BestMan" in my newsagent. It's one of those men's fitness/lifestyle rags which exhort you to eat well, live a full life and maximise your time of this planet. Sounds good, right? It was until I saw the cover, and that's when I laughed out loud - scaring the clerk at the counter. It said:
"Stay young forever'
The problem with our present society is that you can't stay young forever. You will get older. I'm sorry, but all the botox and situps in the world won't change that
We idolise youth and vigour and demonise anything else. So we make it an obsession to maintain what we are doing and exist only to serve ourselves- damn what anyone else is doing or thinking. Thus, it was that way with my martial arts. It was all for me. Do something for yourself. it's about you
Then I realised that the problem with this is that it breeds a negative, self-centered view of the world and yourself. It may be less satifying to give up your training to spend some time for your kids and family but in the end, isn't the world a better place if your son growns up having spent time with his father? A friend in need could benefit from the one hour of your time you could have spent lifting weights. His or her life could be changed as a result
These perceived obstacles are not really barriers to growth - they are assistants to it, actually. They are stones in the road. When you trek a hill path, it can be pretty boring at times. The stones in some of the trails provide a fascinating change to the long, sometimes unending scenery of the road. And at times, they even provide traction and sure footing when the trail is slippery
So, I'm training. Not for myself. But for God. And that is the path that's been laid out for me
What does it feel like to be back training again? In short most of the same emotions are there. I feel elated when I pull off a technique. Other times, relaxed and refreshed after a good workout. Relief when I end the week with no major injuries. Shame when I willfully go a bit too hard and injure my training partner. Anger when I see someone get bullied in class. Melancholy when I think about certain regrets and anxiety when I realise that in my advancing age; it's only going to get tougher
I disagree with those who take a totally one dimensional "banzai" view of training. Who say things like " Dude! I'm gonna train hard forever! Be like the UFC fighters, man!" Most times, I'll put it down to the perceived immortality and invincibility of youth. But like most things in life, it's an illusion
There's a magazine called "BestMan" in my newsagent. It's one of those men's fitness/lifestyle rags which exhort you to eat well, live a full life and maximise your time of this planet. Sounds good, right? It was until I saw the cover, and that's when I laughed out loud - scaring the clerk at the counter. It said:
"Stay young forever'
The problem with our present society is that you can't stay young forever. You will get older. I'm sorry, but all the botox and situps in the world won't change that
We idolise youth and vigour and demonise anything else. So we make it an obsession to maintain what we are doing and exist only to serve ourselves- damn what anyone else is doing or thinking. Thus, it was that way with my martial arts. It was all for me. Do something for yourself. it's about you
Then I realised that the problem with this is that it breeds a negative, self-centered view of the world and yourself. It may be less satifying to give up your training to spend some time for your kids and family but in the end, isn't the world a better place if your son growns up having spent time with his father? A friend in need could benefit from the one hour of your time you could have spent lifting weights. His or her life could be changed as a result
These perceived obstacles are not really barriers to growth - they are assistants to it, actually. They are stones in the road. When you trek a hill path, it can be pretty boring at times. The stones in some of the trails provide a fascinating change to the long, sometimes unending scenery of the road. And at times, they even provide traction and sure footing when the trail is slippery
So, I'm training. Not for myself. But for God. And that is the path that's been laid out for me
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Can you live without the martial arts?
I haven't updated this blog in a while as most of the activity has been on my christian one (Free plug!) Thus, it is odd that I choose to update at a time when I am severely injured and will be out for a good 2 or 3 months
Therefore, no better time to ruminate and reflect on that old question: What do the martial arts mean to me? But sorry, being the academic that I think I am - there's an intellectual proposition I want to make first, from a psychological and sociological viewpoint
There is notion in current society that says that it is good to have pursuits, or hobbies. But for the first time in history, we have never had as much spare time or affluence. So, this affords us the luxury of indulging in your inane hobbies for amazing lengths of time. Your basic Maslowian needs are met. So, the rest is spent in search of what he called the journey for self-awareness. Or if not, time fillers such as watching TV...
Currently, martial arts are pursued as a hobby for most people. Because you don't work in agrarian china anymore, you have your saturday afternoons to go to open mats instead of repairing the bullock cart. There is no need to learn the martial arts for life and death situations because the mongols are not likely anymore to come galloping over the plains. So, you can do it for fun and as a recreational activity
Which comes to the question: can you give it up?
Sometimes, when I speak to certain individuals, they speak about BJJ or MMA as if it is oxygen to them. They miss one session and their whole world collapses. Depression follows and don't get me started on what they are like outside of the gym. They are never outside the gym. All they want to do is talk again about that technique, that fight, that...you get the point. It's an obsession. A way of life
What bollocks.
You will find that the majority of people who hold to this view are young males with loose social ties. If they run in a pack, they run with other of the same ilk. You are less likely to find this when the person is settled down in a relationship, married or has kids. Or they work and are involved in other activities outside. Sometimes, I hear my friend's moan when they say their wife stops them from going to training. You know what? At times, this may be a good thing.Maybe she has a sense of perspective
I think that this is a subtle distortion of the self-awareness psychobabble that is pitched through the media these days. Find your bliss. Make your self happy. Sure sounds good as a sound bite but let me know how relevant that is when you get older. When there are bills to pay. The electric company is not as concerned about you finding your self fulfilment as opposed to getting paid ontime. Time and impending mortality have a way of reinventing your personal wheel
If it's a recreational activity, you can give it up. Trust me, you won't die without it. And even if you do die, what use was it anyway if it caused your demise?
Thus, I am finding that the answer is yes. I can live without the martial arts even though I have spent many years, money and sacrificed much for it. It's not a vehicle to unlocking the secrets of the universe nor is it salvation for your soul - it's just a set of exercises. And while it was fun, it's not the alpha and omega.
Therefore, no better time to ruminate and reflect on that old question: What do the martial arts mean to me? But sorry, being the academic that I think I am - there's an intellectual proposition I want to make first, from a psychological and sociological viewpoint
There is notion in current society that says that it is good to have pursuits, or hobbies. But for the first time in history, we have never had as much spare time or affluence. So, this affords us the luxury of indulging in your inane hobbies for amazing lengths of time. Your basic Maslowian needs are met. So, the rest is spent in search of what he called the journey for self-awareness. Or if not, time fillers such as watching TV...
Currently, martial arts are pursued as a hobby for most people. Because you don't work in agrarian china anymore, you have your saturday afternoons to go to open mats instead of repairing the bullock cart. There is no need to learn the martial arts for life and death situations because the mongols are not likely anymore to come galloping over the plains. So, you can do it for fun and as a recreational activity
Which comes to the question: can you give it up?
Sometimes, when I speak to certain individuals, they speak about BJJ or MMA as if it is oxygen to them. They miss one session and their whole world collapses. Depression follows and don't get me started on what they are like outside of the gym. They are never outside the gym. All they want to do is talk again about that technique, that fight, that...you get the point. It's an obsession. A way of life
What bollocks.
You will find that the majority of people who hold to this view are young males with loose social ties. If they run in a pack, they run with other of the same ilk. You are less likely to find this when the person is settled down in a relationship, married or has kids. Or they work and are involved in other activities outside. Sometimes, I hear my friend's moan when they say their wife stops them from going to training. You know what? At times, this may be a good thing.Maybe she has a sense of perspective
I think that this is a subtle distortion of the self-awareness psychobabble that is pitched through the media these days. Find your bliss. Make your self happy. Sure sounds good as a sound bite but let me know how relevant that is when you get older. When there are bills to pay. The electric company is not as concerned about you finding your self fulfilment as opposed to getting paid ontime. Time and impending mortality have a way of reinventing your personal wheel
If it's a recreational activity, you can give it up. Trust me, you won't die without it. And even if you do die, what use was it anyway if it caused your demise?
Thus, I am finding that the answer is yes. I can live without the martial arts even though I have spent many years, money and sacrificed much for it. It's not a vehicle to unlocking the secrets of the universe nor is it salvation for your soul - it's just a set of exercises. And while it was fun, it's not the alpha and omega.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Jits for Jeriatrics!
Sorry, Justin, don't mean to imply that you are. I'm actually way closer to that demographic comapred to you! :-)
This post is in response to an email that my friend sent to me about getting back into training after a really debilitating injury. And believe me, his is really bad. But I admire his incredible verve and spirit for even contemplating that. The great thing is that he is using phrases like "soul searching", the "mental game" and the like. This is a great first step
Now I know the young bucks will poo-poo all this and just believe that you should train on tank filled with 99% testosterone and 1% intelligence but I just want them to reach my age and see whether it's possible to do so without ending up on a first name basis with your Orthopaedic surgeon. (In my case, it doesn't apply - my brother is one)
When you get older, the ratio should be reversed; not because your nuts get smaller but because your body can't take at 40 what it did at 18. It's not possible. Not even with all the supplements and ginseng known to man. So, below are a few tips on how to get back into the game safely when others are saying that you should be playing golf (blech!)
1. Train more often, but less intensely
The second part sounds wrong but hear me out. It's better for you to train 20 times and progress 1 km each time then to train once and blow yourself out , and never come back. I have seen a few blue belts who have stopped training, return once to great fanfare..and drop out once again, never to be seen.
I think what you need to do is set a goal in terms of quantity of classes or sessions and reach that. At then end, you'll find that just through sheer doggedness in coming to each class - you'll achieve something. This year, my goal was to come to 20 open mat sesssions. Compared to 2007, where my attendance was sporadic and depended on whether I "felt like it"; the improvement in my game has been noticeable.
2. Don't be afraid to go back into 1st gear
As I have said before, an instructor usually concentrates on his top students and at that pace; leaving the slower ones disheartened when they can't keep up. Bugger that. He hasn't got your body, your aches and your pains. And he won't be paying for your medical bill for ibuprofen either.
If the pace is too fast and potentially damaging for you, don't be afraid to pull back and slow down.
3. Leave the memories in the Kodak box
Guys being guys, we want to believe that we will remain invincible and potent forever. It's related to a fear of death, but I'll save that for my religious blog. Consequently, we seek to relive your past glorious moments again and again. So, we kind of replay that line from Eve 6's song " Here's to the night we felt alive" ad infinitum
This sounds brutal; leave them. Save them for the occassional talk cock session when you've had a few bears at the pub. But it's over. And once over, it will never happen again. As in Ikebana, the arranged flowers are beautiful; but they are essentially dead, disconnected from their roots. Their decline is assured.
So too the past glories. Find new ones, or new vistas when you roll. Don't be punch-drunk Pauly at that rundown gym going " I coudda been a contender!". Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery, so..get drunk today! :-)
Before I go all Deepak Chopra..
4. Train with a brain
It's not a bad thing to engage your brain. It means that you have a plan, a schedule and course charted. If it fails, so what? At least you tried to go somewhere. This means asking questions like "what do i want to work on", "how long?" and "what do i want to achieve?"
Leave the romantic "mind of no mind, train like a man without a care in the world" b.s behind. Show me a guy like that , and I'll show you a guy with crippling mortgages, a neglected wife and kids and unwashed clothes
This post is in response to an email that my friend sent to me about getting back into training after a really debilitating injury. And believe me, his is really bad. But I admire his incredible verve and spirit for even contemplating that. The great thing is that he is using phrases like "soul searching", the "mental game" and the like. This is a great first step
Now I know the young bucks will poo-poo all this and just believe that you should train on tank filled with 99% testosterone and 1% intelligence but I just want them to reach my age and see whether it's possible to do so without ending up on a first name basis with your Orthopaedic surgeon. (In my case, it doesn't apply - my brother is one)
When you get older, the ratio should be reversed; not because your nuts get smaller but because your body can't take at 40 what it did at 18. It's not possible. Not even with all the supplements and ginseng known to man. So, below are a few tips on how to get back into the game safely when others are saying that you should be playing golf (blech!)
1. Train more often, but less intensely
The second part sounds wrong but hear me out. It's better for you to train 20 times and progress 1 km each time then to train once and blow yourself out , and never come back. I have seen a few blue belts who have stopped training, return once to great fanfare..and drop out once again, never to be seen.
I think what you need to do is set a goal in terms of quantity of classes or sessions and reach that. At then end, you'll find that just through sheer doggedness in coming to each class - you'll achieve something. This year, my goal was to come to 20 open mat sesssions. Compared to 2007, where my attendance was sporadic and depended on whether I "felt like it"; the improvement in my game has been noticeable.
2. Don't be afraid to go back into 1st gear
As I have said before, an instructor usually concentrates on his top students and at that pace; leaving the slower ones disheartened when they can't keep up. Bugger that. He hasn't got your body, your aches and your pains. And he won't be paying for your medical bill for ibuprofen either.
If the pace is too fast and potentially damaging for you, don't be afraid to pull back and slow down.
3. Leave the memories in the Kodak box
Guys being guys, we want to believe that we will remain invincible and potent forever. It's related to a fear of death, but I'll save that for my religious blog. Consequently, we seek to relive your past glorious moments again and again. So, we kind of replay that line from Eve 6's song " Here's to the night we felt alive" ad infinitum
This sounds brutal; leave them. Save them for the occassional talk cock session when you've had a few bears at the pub. But it's over. And once over, it will never happen again. As in Ikebana, the arranged flowers are beautiful; but they are essentially dead, disconnected from their roots. Their decline is assured.
So too the past glories. Find new ones, or new vistas when you roll. Don't be punch-drunk Pauly at that rundown gym going " I coudda been a contender!". Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery, so..get drunk today! :-)
Before I go all Deepak Chopra..
4. Train with a brain
It's not a bad thing to engage your brain. It means that you have a plan, a schedule and course charted. If it fails, so what? At least you tried to go somewhere. This means asking questions like "what do i want to work on", "how long?" and "what do i want to achieve?"
Leave the romantic "mind of no mind, train like a man without a care in the world" b.s behind. Show me a guy like that , and I'll show you a guy with crippling mortgages, a neglected wife and kids and unwashed clothes
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
How's your Game been?
As the year draws to a close, one question any person training in combat sports should ask is: How has my game been this year?
It's important to ask this as like it or not, a combat sport is predicated on a few things, and one of those things is that there should be improvement seen over time if one if diligent, aware and mindful of what they are doing. It is not optional
If you are doing a non-competitive art like aikido or tai-chi, then this discussion doesn't apply to it. But the combat sports are inherently competitive and about dominance over your opponent; or at least control over your actions. So there are ways to gauge whether you are improving or not. Some may be valid in theory but not in practice. Take the example of performance gauging through winning compeitions
Say you won a gold medal this year in a Jits competition whereas last year, you got a silver. Sounds good, right? It is until the truth comes out that last year, you had to fight 5 opponents to get your silver while this year, you had a walkover all the way to the finals. The end doesn't always tell the whole story
If you were out with an injury last year and this year, you only started rolling or sparring again; there is improvement. It doesn't matter if everyone is kicking your ass. If next year, you are where you were this year, then your game hasn't imrpoved.
Some people object to this stress-testing. They whine "Why can't I just train without caring if I improve or not? I still like it."
Unfortunately, you train with a partner. And if he or she is improving, and likewise the others in your class; pretty soon, you won't enjoy it because everyone will be spanking you. And if you derive a certain pleasure out of that...well, there are other websites that cater for that.. :-)
Nuff said
It's important to ask this as like it or not, a combat sport is predicated on a few things, and one of those things is that there should be improvement seen over time if one if diligent, aware and mindful of what they are doing. It is not optional
If you are doing a non-competitive art like aikido or tai-chi, then this discussion doesn't apply to it. But the combat sports are inherently competitive and about dominance over your opponent; or at least control over your actions. So there are ways to gauge whether you are improving or not. Some may be valid in theory but not in practice. Take the example of performance gauging through winning compeitions
Say you won a gold medal this year in a Jits competition whereas last year, you got a silver. Sounds good, right? It is until the truth comes out that last year, you had to fight 5 opponents to get your silver while this year, you had a walkover all the way to the finals. The end doesn't always tell the whole story
If you were out with an injury last year and this year, you only started rolling or sparring again; there is improvement. It doesn't matter if everyone is kicking your ass. If next year, you are where you were this year, then your game hasn't imrpoved.
Some people object to this stress-testing. They whine "Why can't I just train without caring if I improve or not? I still like it."
Unfortunately, you train with a partner. And if he or she is improving, and likewise the others in your class; pretty soon, you won't enjoy it because everyone will be spanking you. And if you derive a certain pleasure out of that...well, there are other websites that cater for that.. :-)
Nuff said
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