What Can We Learn from a 16th Century Swordsman (Part 1) --- Chief Instructor's Blog June 2025

 

Note: In this two-part series, I discuss the five books from The Book Of Five Rings. This first part discusses the first two books and the second part discusses the next three.

Miyamoto Musashi was a 16^th Century Japanese swordsman, strategist, artist, and writer.   Miyamoto Musashi retired after winning 62 duels and is considered one of the greatest swordsmen of all time.  In his retirement, Miyamoto penned The Book Of Five Rings that describes his methods and strategies for combat.  

It may be at first hard to understand how strategies in the 16^th Century for combat can apply to today’s martial artist.  But at the same time, one has to imagine if a person won 62 duels there are principles that can apply to any combat regardless of the century.

The Book Of Five Rings is divided into five books that describes his principles for success in combat: Ground, Water, Fire, Wind, and Void.  In this blog and the next one, I will discuss my thoughts on his principle and how they apply to today’s martial artist.

The Ground Book

In The Ground Book, Miyamoto describes the important of learning and studying all the details of your craft and mastering your skills. 

Miyamoto writes, “Know the smallest things and the biggest things, the shallowest things and the deepest things. As if it were a straight road mapped out on the ground… These things cannot be explained in detail. From one thing, know ten thousand things. When you attain the Way of Strategy there will not be one thing you cannot see. You must study hard.”

The more you understand and master martial arts, the techniques, the principles, the theories, and the applications (both the hows and the whys), the more effective you will be as a martial artist; it is the foundation (The Ground). 

In The Ground Book, Miyamoto also writes, "You should not have a favorite weapon, nor likes and dislikes. To become over-familiar with one weapon is as much a fault as not knowing it sufficiently well."  Again, Miyamoto is emphasizing the need to have a thorough understanding of use of all weapons (techniques) so you are not limited in an altercation.  This is just as important in today’s martial arts.  If you are required to defend yourself, you should be comfortable using all your weapons (all your techniques) to counter any size opponent or to adapt due to an injury, etc.

 The Water Book

In The Water Book, Miyamoto describes the need to be balanced in mind, body and spirit.  Miyomoto writes, “Both in fighting and everyday life you should be determined though calm. Meet the situation without tenseness yet not recklessly, your spirit settled yet unbiased. Even when your spirit is calm do not let your body relax, and when your body is relaxed, do not let your spirit slacken. An elevated spirit is weak and a low spirit is weak.”

We have talked in class and discussed in other blogs (e.g., Jan 2025 Emotions in the Martial Arts, Dec 2016 Deep Breathing…Could Be A Life Saver, Nov 2020 Aspects of Balance) the need to manage emotions and deep breathing to remain calm to be effective.

In The Water Book, Miyomoto also writes about your attitude in combat and being fluid.  He writes, “Fixed formation is bad.” To apply this to today, I would say a preconceived notion or not adjusting to what is open (a vulnerability) would be considered having a fixed formation.   Having a fixed formation can lead to injury or even worse. 

In the Water Book, Miyomoto also writes, “Whatever attitude you are in, do not be conscious of making the attitude; think only of cutting.”  This is completely aligned with a self-defense based martial art where when you determined you must defend yourself. Every technique, every movement has the intention of doing damage.

In my next blog, I will discuss the other Three Books.

Regards,

Kelly

“If you know the way broadly, you will see it in everything.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645), legendary Japanese samurai and author of The Book of Five Rings

 

It Depends --- Chief Instructor's Blog May 2025

 

When I have been asked what to do when grabbed a certain way… my first answer most likely is, it depends.

When I have been asked what this technique in a form is good for… my first answer might be, it depends.

While it may be frustrating that there is not a black or answer, the reality is there is no black or answer for general questions like the two above when it comes to a self-defense martial art.

This is because it all depends on the scenario and what your intent is.

For example, what you may do, may be different in the following scenarios if approached:

·         You feel you can talk your way out of an altercation

·         You have an escape route versus not

·         Are you injured or have a limb that is not usable (e.g., broken arm)?

·         Does the assailant have a weapon or not?

·         Does the assailant seem trained?

·         You are alone versus with a loved one who is an adult

·         You are alone verses with a loved one who is a child

·         You are in an open area with many other people around or it’s a one-on-one or a one-on-several situation

·         You feel your life is being threatened

·         You feel your loved one’s life is being threatened

·         It is day time versus night time in a dark area

And the above is not an exhausted set of scenarios.  And how you react, what technique you use, what your second techniques you might use is all dependent on the scenario.  There is no one answer.  And for each of us, how we respond may be different even for the same scenario.  For someone who is a fast runner they may feel they escape certain situations more than a slower runner.

Your intent will also determine how you want to use a technique:

·         Do you want to escape the grab?

·         Do you want to trap the grab?

·         Do you want to deflect?

·         Do you want to damage?

·         What is your target?

For example, a hook punch can be thrown to escape a same side grab, punch kidneys or ribs close in, it can be thrown more like a forearm strike to damage the sternum, with a turn can be used as a takedown.

So, there is no one answer, and it just depends.

And the best way to determine for you what that “it depends” is, is to role play.  You can role play by:

·         Going through scenarios and thinking through what you may do

·         While watching fights from videos. TV shows, movies and thinking through what you may do

·         While practicing with a partner, from the same grab or attack, go through various scenarios or how you want to use the technique and practice

I highly encourage if you are not already, add role playing or more role playing in your practice to be prepared for whatever the situation may be.

 

Regards,

Kelly

 

"To be prepared for war is the most effective means of maintaining peace." ~ George Washington (1732-1799), Founding Father and the first president of the United States

Importance of Using Your Core --- Chief Instructor's Blog April 2025

In classes for the last month or two, I have been reemphasizing the use of core abdominal muscles.  Use of core muscles is foundational to improving and having effective martial arts techniques.

From a physical perspective, by using core abdominal muscles:

·         You will improve your balance which will, in turn, improve all your techniques especially one-legged techniques such as kicks, cat stance, etc.

·         You will improve your stability, which will make your less likely to be pushed around or knocked off balance in an altercation.

·         You can add physical power to your kicking and striking techniques, since you will drive using more total body versus just your legs, arms, shoulders etc.

·         Your sparring will be more fluid as you are moving through your center where you can change direction and move more easily

·         You can reduce the occurrence of injuries, as a strong use of core protects and supports other muscles such as your back muscles.

In addition, by focusing on use of your core, you are also putting your mind at your center (where it so happens your lower core muscles are), and therefore tapping into the mind-body connection and the energy side of martial arts.  Some of the benefits of this include:

·         You are energetically connecting your upper and lower body which will result in similar physical improvements listed above (improved balance, stability, power, ease of movement, etc.). And since it is coming from an energetic perspective you actually use less muscle and be as or even more effective in your techniques and movement.  And by using less muscles you will last longer in an altercation.

·         Your techniques will be more coordinated.

·         Your techniques will be faster as muscles and muscular tension reduces the speed of techniques

·         By remaining focused on your center, you are able to remain calmer and keep even breathing, which is critical in an altercation. 

·         Your center is also the source of your internal energy (ki, chi, qi); therefore, by focusing on your center you and tap in and use this internal energy

 

Regards,

Kelly

 

“The physical center is in your belly; if your mind is set there as well, you are assured of victory in any endeavor”.  ~ Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969), founder of Aikido

Retaining Your Learning to Get More Out of Your Training --- Chief Instructor's Blog March 2025

 

Since none of us spend all our time in martial arts training, retaining as much of the learning from class as possible is critical to improving and progressing in an art form. 

Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850-1909), a German psychologist who studied memory found that forgetting is exponential in nature.  This forgetting curve was documented in his book Memory in 1885.  “It starts off very steep—the amount of retained knowledge drops dramatically soon after we acquire new information.  In fact, most of the forgetting occurs within the first hour of learning.  And that’s not all.  After a day or two, we typically forget around 75% of what we have learned” [Ref. 1].

“Without any additional work, we will quickly forget most of the content of a course, for instance. A week later, it will be as if the learning had never occurred at all.“  [Ref. 1]

So how does one counter this and retain learning?   Some ideas are listed below.

1.  Be in The Right Frame of Mind During Class.  In my January 2023 blog, titled “Getting the Most Out of Your Training”, I described being present in class, enjoying the journey, and having a positive mindset will help in getting the most out of your training.  A positive mindset will also help in retaining information from class.  In my June 2024 blog, titled “Benefits of Approaching Training as Fun”, I discuss this further.  Being present also means leaving any anxiety or stress from your day, week at the door of the dojang.  “Stress and anxiety can negatively affect your ability to form and store memories.” [Ref. 1]. 

2.  Practice immediately:  If learned something new, practice daily or every other day for at least week even if only for 15 minutes.  “In order to retain knowledge and fully embed the learned material into our long-term memory, we have to periodically review the information.” [Ref. 1]

3. Write it Down: Take notes (even in class between drills, etc.) and review your notes daily if you can.

4. Visual it.  Spend time that night after the learning and then daily afterwards visualizing the new information.

5.  Understand the principle and the why.  If you understand the principle and the why behind the techniques, this can support retaining the learning.

6.  Explain it/ Demonstrate it.  By explaining it (and maybe explaining it while demonstrating it) to someone else or to yourself later that night or over the next day or two, it may improve the retaining the information and better understood the information.

7.  Learn an application.  If you also learn application(s), then this can improve the retention of learning new techniques.

8.  Connect new information to existing knowledge.  If you can connect it to existing knowledge, you can retain the new information faster.  Many times, what appears to be new is similar to something else you have learned.  Review my December 2017 blog, “How Many Different Techniques are There? “ that further explores this concept. 

Taking the time to come to class and learn is the first part in progressing in the martial arts, but if you are not retaining the information well, I highly suggest using some of the techniques above to retain that learning.

Regards,

Kelly

“Without Knowledge, Skill cannot be focused. Without Skill, Strength cannot be brought to bear and without Strength, Knowledge may not be applied." ~ Alexander the Great (356 BC – 323 BC), king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon, undefeated in battle and is considered to be one of history's greatest and most successful military commanders

References:

1.      Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve (Definition + Examples) - Practical Psychology, retrieved 2/22/2025

2.      This One Tip Will Massively Improve Your Karate Skills, retrieved 2/22/2025

3.      8 cognitive strategies to enhance retention and learning - Cognassist, retrieved 2/22/2025

Controlling The Fight - - Chief Instructor's Blog February2025

Controlling a fight is a critical aspect of self-defense.  If you have to defend yourself with physical techniques, controlling the fight is key to the outcome.  Many things we physically practice in class will help such as timing, speed, reaction time, but there are aspects beyond the physical that are needed to control a fight or altercation.

1.  Mindset

Having the right mindset is critical during an altercation.  In self-defense it is not about winning or losing but staying focused and confident with only one goal – walk away with no to minimal injury to self or family/ friends if you are with them.  For more information on mindset and training the mind, I refer you to older blogs: May 2011, Your State of Mind Matters Most (and Matters Most); September 2017, Training The Mind by Staying Focused; October 2017, Training The Mind Through Attitude/Intent; and July 2024, Benefits of Positive Mindset.

2. Controlling Your Emotions

In my most previous blog, I discussed managing fear is an important aspect of training.  Fear is just one emotion that one needs to manage/control during an altercation.  Anger is another emotion that can cause you to lose control of a fight versus control a fight.  As stated by Chojun Miyagi, founder of a Gōjū-ryū Okinawan Karate, “If your temper rises, withdraw your hand. If your hand rises, withdraw your temper.”  Both anger and fear elevate your heart rate and your blood pressure which could also result in short, shallow breathing. As stated in class as well as in the blogs, managing your emotions and your breathing will result in more clarity of mind and calmness which will help you control a fight.

 3. Be Strategic

Controlling the fight is also being more strategic.  I see in sparring many times, it looks like two people just crashing into each other and trying to get to a target first.  This may work in a sport like boxing or sport-style Tae Kwon Do, but this is not the right approach for self-defense.  Controlling the fight means not just throwing punches and kicks and hoping one lands but seeing openings and taking advantages of mistakes or vulnerabilities of your opponent.  Controlling the fight means not following the pace and cadence and reacting to your opponent but being the one who controls the cadence.  Controlling the fight means adapting when some technique is not working and finding another way.  It is about knowing what, when and how to attack effectively.

Becoming more strategic takes time.  If you are not already, I encourage you to be more conscious in what techniques you are using and reflect how effective it was.  This is the start of being more strategic.

 

Regards,

Kelly

 

“Both in fighting and in everyday life you should be determined though calm. Meet the situation without tenseness yet not recklessly, your spirit settled yet unbiased. Even when your spirit is calm do not let your body relax, and when your body is relaxed do not let your spirit slacken. Do not let your spirit be influenced by your body, or your body be influenced by your spirit.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645), legendary Japanese samurai and author of The Book of Five Rings

 

 

 

 

Managing Fear - - Chief Instructor's Blog January 2025

Fear is not a bad thing, but it must be managed.  

In the outside world, if you notice yourself feeling fear, this can be useful.  Your intuition maybe telling you that you are in a bad situation.  If you sense fear, you should listen to your intuition.  However, you must manage that fear in order to perform effective techniques with control.

Even in class, you may have experienced fear.  Maybe you have been fearful of getting hurt in self-defense or sparring.  Maybe you have been fearful of failing or not being able to learn a new technique or form.  Maybe you have been fearful what the instructor or other students are thinking of how you are performing. 

There are several techniques you can use to manage fear.

First off, you have to be exposed to situations that invoke fear and challenge your comfort zone.  If you just shy away from every situation when you feel fear, you will not be able to manage it when you need to.  So, for example, spar against those you think are more skilled, learn new techniques you are uncomfortable with, and demonstrate new techniques in front of the other students.

Also, acknowledge what you are feeling.  It is okay to feel fear and know that it can be normal when you are in an uncomfortable situation or learning new techniques.  And even talk to your instructor about it, if you feel comfortable doing so to get the support you need to cope with it at that time.

Make sure you are breathing those deep, slow, belly breaths.  As stated in class and written in other blogs, deep belly breaths help you slow down your heart rate, It also provides more oxygen to your body resulting in clearer thoughts and actions, muscles having the oxygen they need to perform, more endurance to last during the altercation, and the energy flow that accompanies breathing to make your techniques more effective.  For more information on deep breathing, please read the December 2016 blog, “Deep Breathing…Could Be A Life Saver.”

Use visualization especially before starting a sparring match or self-defense imagining yourself performing the techniques effectively.

Stay present and take it one class, one drill, one technique at a time.  Part of the learning process is trying new things, where sometimes things work well, and sometimes they do not. 

By facing your fears and managing the emotion, you can take action in a controlled, effective manner.  In a real altercation, this can be the difference of walking away with minimal to no injury or not. 

Regards,

Kelly

"To understand your fear is the beginning of really seeing." ~ Bruce Lee, (1940 –1973) American-born Chinese Hong Kong martial artist, actor, and founder of Jeet Kune Do

References:

1. https://www.martialdevotee.com/articles/overcoming-the-fear-of-combat, retrieved 12/27/2024

2. Fear and Anxiety in Martial Arts – Why It’s Normal and How to Conquer It | Utopia, retrieved 12/27/2024

3. Fearless Warriors: Exploring the Psychology of Fear in Martial Arts, retrieved 12/27/2024

How to Improve Your Body Awareness - - Chief Instructor's Blog December 2024

 

Very acute body awareness will help you immensely in your martial arts training.  An instructor can tell you that you are out of physical alignment or not performing the motion correctly, but if you cannot feel the difference, it will take much longer to master the techniques.

Body awareness is your ability to “feel and know” the movement, action, and location of where your limbs are in space without using sensory organs (i.e., sight, sound, touch). 

Examples of body awareness includes knowing if your feet are parallel in horse stance without looking at your feet, feeling the difference between a swing kick and a piston action from kick, and feeling a locked leg versus unlocked in turnaway kick.

So, how can you improve your body awareness? 

1. Understand the why behind the movement.  Especially if you are an experiential learner, examining and understanding the why behind the movement and the muscles that are required can help you improve your body awareness.

2. Ensure you understand verbal cues.  Especially if you are an audible learner, if you do not understand the verbal cues, ask questions (in or after class depending on what is more appropriate), or take time after class to do research.

3. Visualize performing the techniques correctly.  Going through the movements and walking through visually all the details to perform techniques properly can improve body awareness.

4. Use mirrors.  Especially if you are a visual learner, use the mirrors to see what instructors are seeing.

5. Practice slowly and mindfully.  When you go slowly and with focused attention on the minute details and how it feels when performed correctly, it will improve your body awareness. 

6. Scan your body as you go through techniques to improve that connection between the mind and the physical body.

• If a complete scan of your body is too much at first, break it up so you just focus on one item at a time.  For example, when going through low block in attack stance, maybe you just scan your body to ensure a locked leg at first.  Then focus on your ”prep” being at the center of your sternum and then focus on your fist stopping above the knee.

7. Practice balance.  When practicing balance, such as standing on one leg, in order to stay upright you will need to fine tune your alignment and learn to adjust your body.  This sensory feedback can improve body awareness.

8. Use resistance bands. The use of resistance bands can provide physical feedback if in alignment or not and allows you to feel the difference.  When you physically feel when a technique is performed correctly, then you will improve your body awareness.

9. Strike hard targets (e.g., bags, shields, etc.).  Similar to the resistance bands, striking hard targets can provide instant feedback if not in alignment or performing techniques properly.

Improving your body awareness will not only help you improve your techniques, self-defense, sparring, etc. but can also prevent injuries.  Even if you think you have very good body awareness, I encourage you to include some or all of the above in your training to continually refine your body awareness.

 

Regards,

Kelly

 

"You may train for a long time, but if you merely move your hands and feet and jump up and down like a puppet, learning karate is not very different from learning a dance. You will never have reached the heart of the matter; you will have failed to grasp the quintessence of karate-do." ~  Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957), founder of Shotokan Karate

 

References:

1.      https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/proprioception, retrieved 11/29/2024

2.      https://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/nervous-system/proprioception.htm, retrieved 11/29/2024

3.      https://www.empoweryourwellness.online/improve-your-body-awareness-for-injury-prevention/, retrieved 11/29/2024