Keep It Simple - - Chief Instructor's Blog March 2017

One of the things I enjoy about our art form is at its essence it is simple and straightforward.  Certainly, there are some exciting and fancy moves you can practice that look flashy and fun to try and impressive to perform, but those are not always effective or keep you safe.  The goal of Han Moo Kwan is to be effective and stay safe therefore with that objective in mind, techniques are kept straightforward and simple.

Let’s look at some examples of flashy techniques.

The flying kick is a great example of a technique seen in movies or competition.  Yes, this is flashy, yes it takes skill to perform, but there are a lot of flaws in that technique being effective and staying safe.  First off your feet off the ground and therefore if you are blocked or stopped, the landing may cause significant damage to yourself especially if you hit you head.  And how easy would it be just to step aside and get off the line of such a technique?  And once you have committed to that technique, there is no changing mid-air. 

The spinning back kick is another great example. Again, very flashy and takes a lot of control and balance to perform, which is why Mr. Kim would always say about this technique, “Practice, but never use.”  First off, this technique requires you to turn your back to your opponent which is not very safe.  For the technique to be effective, the timing needs to be flawless and few can master that. 

Let’s look at examples of how our art form keeps it simple. 

For one, we teach and prefer to ignore the grab (unless it is life threatening) and aim for a vulnerable target to end any altercation quickly.  And if we choose to go after the grab, it is to cause damage. 

One of my favorite Mr. Kim’s stories which is also a great example about keeping it simple is from Brian Rainie: “During an open session, with everyone working on whatever interested them that evening, I was practicing some self defense with another black belt.  From a same-side grab to the wrist, I would raise my arm outward and then inward, pick up the aggressor’s hand with my free hand, lock their wrist releasing the pressure on my arm, then force my elbow into their forearm to initiate an arm bar.  It seemed to be working moderately well.  Mr. Kim walked over and took a position in front of me.  He put out his wrist, so I grabbed it to experience his correction.  With his free hand he punched my grabbing hand, pretty much shattering it and definitely eliminating the threat.  He turned to me and said “Basics.  Always work.”

Sometimes we do teach and practice “flashy” and more elaborate techniques.  For example, the spinning back kick is a fantastic way to practice balance and targeting.   Sometimes we practice 4-5 step moves to get out of a grab to teach and practice movement, distance, grounding, among other things.   We teach our side kick, initially, in many steps to ensure you learn the detailed motion that make it effective before allowing a more blended motion.

However, when it comes to using the techniques to protect yourself on the street, always keep it simple and straightforward.

Regards,

Kelly

“To me, the extraordinary aspect of martial arts lies in its simplicity. The easy way is also the right way, and martial arts is nothing at all special; the closer to the true way of martial arts, the less wastage of expression there is.” ~ Bruce Lee, (1940 –1973) American-born Chinese Hong Kong martial artist, actor, and founder of Jeet Kune Do

 

Why Linear? - - Chief Instructor's Blog February 2017

I have mentioned in the October 2016 blog “Key To Practicing” that keeping techniques linear was one of the four keys to practicing.  But why does our art form keep most every technique linear?

There are five (5) major reasons why the Han Moo Kwan art form performs the majority of its techniques with a linear motion:

1.      Techniques are faster. Linear is the most direct path from point A to point B.  If it is the most direct route, then it should also be the fastest route.

2.      Techniques have more force.  If you are applying force while throwing a technique in an arc, then the entire force vector will be fragmented. It means part of that force is in another direction and therefore you are not applying as much force as possible.

3.      Techniques are harder to perceive and stop. 

4.      Techniques are Safer.  Performing techniques linearly keeps the body in better alignment and you are supported by the body structure, making it safer.

5.      In applying techniques linearly, you are more likely to naturally apply energy.  

Let’s look at each of a few of our techniques keeping the above in mind.

Punches

For forward and attack punches, the elbow stays close in as your fist moves forward keeping the path a straight line.  If the elbow flairs out, the punch path becomes an arc, which is slower, easier to stop, and does not have as much force.  In addition, if the elbow is not in close you are more likely to hit with your outer knuckles which are not supported and could cause an injury. 

Low Block

For low block, the arm should move in a straight line from the prep to the final position above the knee.  If the motion is an arc, it takes longer to get to its target and has less force so it is less effective.  The arc motion could also allow the target to continue towards you instead of attacking it and moving it away, leaving you in a potentially vulnerable position.

High Block

For high block, from the prep position, the fist should go straight up, elbow staying pointed downward, and then when the fist gets approximately to the top of the head, the first goes outward.  This motion is sometimes described as if you were closing shaving your face upward.  If from the prep position, the fist rotates upward such that the path of your fist and forearm is an arc, it is slower to get to the final position, easier to stop, and does not have as much force against the direction of the incoming target.  In addition, by performing the technique with an arc you may not be able to prevent the incoming target from hitting the top of your head.  

Front Kick

A piston action kick that goes straight out and back has more force and is much harder to stop then a swing kick.  A swing kick can be seen coming much sooner, hooked and stopped more easily than a kick performed with a piston action.  In a swing kick, the top of the foot with its many small bones is more likely to make contact versus the ball of the foot which is not a delegate surface.

Side Kick

A side kick should have the heel go straight out towards the target.  If during the kick the heel moves in an arc and “flips” out towards the target, it is slower to the target, easier to see coming and therefore easier to stop.  In addition, that motion diverts the force such that it is very ineffective.

So, when practicing, watch yourself in a mirror as you perform the techniques slowly to ensure the path the motion makes is linear.  When striking hanging bags, watch the direction the bag is moving; it will give you direct feedback if you are performing your techniques linearly.

In performing your techniques linearly, you will find your techniques are faster, more powerful, more effective and keep you safer.

Regards,

Kelly

"What I hear, I forget. What I see, I remember. What I do, I understand." ~ Confucius (551–479 BC) was a Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history.

 

 

Alignment: Critical to Protecting the Muscular skeletal Body- - Chief Instructor's Blog January 2017

I have mentioned in a couple blogs the importance of alignment.  In October 2016 blog “Key To Practicing” I noted that alignment was one of the four keys to practicing.

In this blog, I will expand on the importance of alignment and how it is critical to minimizing impact to your body and/or unnecessary overuse of your muscles. 

Many martial arts can be harsh on your body.  The impact alone can cause damage and injury over time.  By practicing and constantly ensuring correct alignment while practicing martial arts, you will minimize impact and injury to your body. In addition, it actually takes more muscular effort to stay out of alignment instead of using the skeletal body in proper alignment to maintain the posture.  While I will not be going over every stance and every technique, I will include several examples to provide the rationale on the criticality of focusing on alignment in protecting your body.  Let’s start by looking at stances.

Stances

In stances, alignment ensures the skeletal system is in the best position to support the body.  In the correct alignment you are countering gravity, not putting too much pressure on your joints and ensuring not overusing tendons, ligaments, or muscles.  Let’s look at a couple of examples.

In horse stance the correct alignment is knees over the ankle, as much as possible, pointing straight ahead and hips and shoulders square with the back straight.  If your knees are too forward or pointed inward or outward, then you are putting pressure on the joint of your knees which over time causes damage. In addition, you are using quadriceps more out of alignment which can cause muscular strain over time.  If your back is not straight and over the hips, you are adding strain to your spine and lower back muscles that can lead to injury.

In formal cat stance, the correct alignment is hips and shoulders square, with back straight, front knee points in the forward direction with knee above ankle and knee bent approximately 45 degrees from horizontal, and stance locked into hip.  If you are not locked into your hip, you are putting the strain on knees, ankles, and quadriceps to counterbalance the gravity of being on one leg.  Over time, this constant strain can lead to ankle issues, knee issues, or strain on your quadriceps. 

Techniques

In throwing hundreds and thousands of techniques, every time you make impact and are not aligned you are adding force to your body that eventually can and probably will lead to an injury.  Let’s look at a couple of examples.

In throwing punches, the proper alignment at impact is wrists flat with first two knuckles pointed at target and punching arm remains slightly bent.  Even if it does not hurt the first two hundred times you throw a punch against a hard surface without your knuckles aligned, it could be the 201^st that the resulting force through the hand will result in injury to your knuckles or your wrist. 

In throwing high block, the proper alignment at impact is blocking arm covers head, arm at approximately 45 degree angle from horizon, wrist flat and slightly in front of elbow, and slight body lean (straight line from heel of foot to fist).  If the blocking arm angle is too flat then the force of any overhead strike will not deflect some of the the force causing a bone injury or break.  If the wrist is not flat and the overhead strike hits the wrist, it will result in a wrist injury (bones and or tendons/ligaments).  If the body lean is not correct, the force from the overhead strike can cause damage to the lower back versus allowing the force to pass through the body to ground.

In throwing sidekicks, the proper alignment at impact is support foot rotates on ball of foot until heel points toward the target, hips rotated downward and foot contact will be on the outer edge; toes pointed downward toward floor.  If you do not rotate hips downward to your lock point, the resulting force going through your lower back will cause injury over time  (if you are unsure of your lock point, work with a certified instructor as soon as possible).  In addition if your foot position is not correct, you could injure your toes.  

I highly recommend all of you take time to practice, reinforce and ensure your alignment is correct by watching yourself in a mirror, reviewing a video of yourself, hitting bags (bags do not lie – if you are not aligned you will feel it where you should not), and/or asking a certified instructor to look at your alignment.  Over time this will improve the effectiveness of your techniques and reduce injuries.

 

Regards,

Kelly

"You can only fight the way you practice." ~ Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645), legendary Japanese samurai and author of The Book of Five Rings

 

Deep Breathing…Could Be A Life Saver - - Chief Instructor's Blog December 2016

 

I have mentioned in a couple blogs the importance of breathing.  In April 2012 blog “The Importance Of Alignment and Breathing”, I described how physical alignment and breathing are dependent and supportive of each other.  In October’s blog “Key To Practicing” I noted that breathing was one of the four keys to practicing.

Learning to breathe deeply and constantly throughout your techniques even when throwing an immense amount of force and power will also help you stay alive in an altercation.  In fact it may be the key in doing so.  In addition, breathing deeply and constantly has health benefits. 

The majority of adults (at least in western culture) only use the top half of their lungs and therefore do not get the full amount of oxygen that they could with each breath.  To breathe deeply and provide more oxygen to your lungs you must breathe through your nose and pull your diaphragm down to open up the very bottom of your lungs.  This is sometimes referred to as abdominal or belly breathing.  Children naturally perform belly breathing but over time as adults we tend to become chest breathers.  So how does one become a belly breather again?

They key to changing how you breathe is very simple:  practice and self-awareness.  You have to be aware of how you are breathing.  If you put one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly as you lay down on the ground what do you feel rise?  If you feel your chest rise more, you are a chest breather.  If your feel your abdominals rise more, you are an abdominal breather.  Another sign is to physically watch your body as you breathe.  If you standing upright and in a relaxed state, do your shoulders rise as you breathe?  If so, you are most likely a chest breather.  If your stomach protrudes slightly and your shoulders stay in the same place, you are an abdominal breather.

So after you determine what type of breather you are in a relaxed state, you must also determine what type of breather you are under pressure/in a stressed state/under intense workout.  If in any state you are a chest breather, you must consciously work to become an abdominal breather.  To do so, you can start with conscious 3 or 5 count breathes (where the inhale and exhale are even while concentrating on breathing into your abdominals and pulling your diaphragm downward) in a relaxed state and then in a pressured/stressed state. 

By breathing deeply and smoothly and maximizing the oxygen to your body it provides many health benefits including lowering the heart rate,  lowering blood pressure, and eliminating more carbon dioxides and toxins from the body in the oxygen exchange.

According to information on webmd.com [1], “Deep breathing is one of the best ways to lower stress in the body. This is because when you breathe deeply, it sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax. The brain then sends this message to your body. Those things that happen when you are stressed, such as increased heart rate, fast breathing, and high blood pressure, all decrease as you breathe deeply to relax.”

So, you might ask how can this help in an altercation and save my life?  Should I really be in a relaxed state in an altercation?

In an altercation, your body naturally kicks in its fight or flight response which results in increased heart rate and more rapid breathing all controlled by the sympathetic nervous system.  During this rapid breathing, you are less clear in your thinking and in control of your thoughts and actions which are being dominated by the fight or flight response. 

You might say, isn’t this is a good thing? And I would say, yes, if a threat appears, it is a good thing your body’s fight or flight kicks in so you are ready to react.  But if your heart rate and breathing get too far out of control, you will not be in a state to react as effectively. “…a mind that is in a state of panic will not access this intuition as well as a calm mind. [2]”

By practicing deeper breathing in pressured situations, you will help kick in the parasympathetic nervous system to slow down your heart rate and breathing, allowing yourself to provide more oxygen to your body resulting in clear 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.

I encourage all of you to determine what type breather you are and if not already, practice to become an abdominal breathe … it will improve your health, improve energy, and just may save your life.

Regards,

Kelly

“If you know the art of breathing you have the strength, wisdom and courage of ten tigers”. ~ Chinese adage

References:

1.      http://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/stress-management-breathing-exercises-for-relaxation, Retrieved 12/4/16

2.      http://bunkaijutsu.com/2012/04/diaphragmic-breathing-martial-arts/, XX 12/4/16

 

 

Defend or Protect? - - Chief Instructor's Blog November 2016

I read an interesting article recently by Iain Abernethy titled “The problems with "street fighting" where he spoke about being more conscious of the terminology he used in his teaching of Karate to avoid “confusion and errors in training” [1]. 

 

I found the article very interesting and thought about it some.  It made sense- words have energy and connotation and we then have intent based on those words and this intent leads directly to how we train.  So I started looking at the words “defend” and “protect”.  On the surface these two words are interchangeable, and based on the definitions from Dictionary.com, they do appear to be synonymous:

·         Defend:  to ward off attack from; guard against assault or injury (usually followed by from or against) [2].

·         Protect:  to defend or guard from attack, invasion, loss, annoyance, insult, etc.; cover or shield from injury or danger. [3]

 

And yet, while they mean the same thing when you defend yourself or protect yourself are you doing the same thing energetically and with the same intention?   You would think so, but it turns out you are not.

 

In an Advanced Class recently, we actually tested this with four Black Belts.  I asked a pair to attack and asked the other two to defend themselves.  We did several attacks.  Next, we reversed roles.  After a couple of attacks we reversed roles and this time I asked the black belts being attacked to protect themselves; we again reversed roles.  All four without a doubt felt they were more aggressive when they were protecting themselves then when asked to defend themselves.

 

Sounds almost crazy, huh?

 

In fact there were not crazy.  There is a study on human combative behavior and performance called Hoplology.  In an article from the International Hoplology Society, Defensive vs Protective: A Matter of Mindset [4], this is difference in intent is explained as a difference in mindset.

 

“The defensive mindset seeks only to “resist the attack,” not necessarily to defeat the attacker: defense as an end in itself. However, in the case of protection, it is merely a small part of the overall combative intent to defeat the attacker. It is not that protection per se is superior to defense; it is simply that well trained combative intent is a better mindset than defense.” [4]

 

And based on the Advanced Class experiment, The Black Belts echoed the same thing – their intent was different.  Defending themselves they were more “defensive” and when protecting themselves they were more aggressive.

 

So, in a life or death situation, should you be defending yourself or protecting yourself?  I think the answer is obvious.

 

Like Iain Abernethy I am determined to be more conscious in my terminology in class.  You may hear me more and more in class to use the word protect instead of defend.  Words imply intent, and intent matters and can matter most in life and death situations.

 

Regards,

Kelly

 

“The primary thing when you take a sword in your hands is your intention to cut the enemy, whatever the means.  Whenever you parry, hit, spring, strike or touch the enemy's cutting sword, you must cut the enemy in the same movement.  It is essential to attain this.  If you think only of hitting, springing, striking or touching the enemy, you will not be able actually to cut him.”  ~ Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645), legendary Japanese samurai and author of The Book of Five Rings

 

References

1.       https://iainabernethy.co.uk/article/problems-street-fighting, Retrieved 11/5/16

2.      http://www.dictionary.com/browse/defend, Retrieved 11/2/16

3.      http://www.dictionary.com/browse/protect?s=t, Retrieved 11/2/16

4.      http://hoplology.com/articles_detail.asp?id=12, Retrieved 11/2/16

 

 

Keys to Practicing - - Chief Instructor's Blog October 2016

To improve you need to do two things consistently – show up to class and practice.  In class you will get the information, guidance, coaching and instruction needed to improve.  Practicing will help reinforce that learning.

However if you are practicing on your own and without a partner, how will you know you are doing it right?

There are a few keys about doing it right technically in Han Moo Kwan that will get you 90% there if you follow them.  Those keys are:

1. Linear
2. Protect self at all times
3. Alignment
4. Focus on Breathing

Let’s look at each one.

Linear

Most every technique we do in Han Moo Kwan is linear – meaning the trajectory (path) from point A to point B is a straight line.  For example, for forward or attach punches, the elbow stays close in as your fist moves forward keeping the path a straight line.  If the elbow flairs out, the punch path becomes an arc, which is ineffective. Another example is front kick.  The ball of the foot to the target should be a straight line (i.e., piston action).  It the ball of the foot arcs up we usually indicate that as a swing kick.  Keeping the path of the technique linear is a ley to doing the techniques correctly.

Protect self at all times

Every technique and “in between” technique is meant to protect self and/or cause damage. With each technique the focus and intent is to cause damage whether it is a strike, block, or kick.  For example, high block intent is to break the overhead target, not just deflect it.  A kick to the abdomen is meant to go through the front of the target and rattle the spine.

While moving and transitioning between techniques, you need to always protect vulnerable targets.  For example, in striking with a basic knife hand the elbow stays pointed downward and close to the body for the majority of the motion.  This protects the ribs.  Another example is medium block “prep”.  The arms are crossed and touch near the inner elbows.  This ensures the middle of the body is protected. 

Alignment

Alignment is very important as it will keep you balanced and safe.  Every stance has an alignment that keeps you balanced – for the most part it is head over shoulders and shoulders over hips with your mass over your center of gravity.  If “out of square” in punches, knife hand, etc., you can easily be pulled off-balanced or fall forward if an attacker steps aside as you lean in to strike.  Keeping in alignment will also ensure your head is not the closest target, which is a very unsafe position.  In addition, your legs are such that your knees are pointing straight ahead at your attacker which helps protect them.

Focus on Breathing

The benefits to effective breathing are three fold.  (1) Physically, if you are breathing evenly and smoothly and using as much of your lungs as possible it will improve your endurance. Your endurance will help you practice longer and harder.   (2) From a physiological perspective deep, smooth, and even breathing will decrease your heart rate and improve your ability to handle the stress of the moment during an attack.  (3) If you are breathing, you are flowing energy.  Flowing energy while performing techniques will make your techniques much more effective.

By keeping these keys in mind while practicing, it will help you stay on track in your journey of learning a martial art and becoming a martial artist.

Regards,

Kelly

 

"The way is in training." ~ Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645), legendary Japanese samurai and author of The Book of Five Rings

 

The 100th Blog- - Chief Instructor's Blog September 2016

I have been thinking for some time what I would write about for my hundredth blog.  When I started writing these, I could not have imaged a hundred topics I could write about without potentially rehashing similar ideas over and over again and I thought I would not be able to sustain a once a month blog for very long. 

I am not saying I have not struggled at times to come up with ideas that inspire me or felt I had enough time to research the concept or spend the time to flush out my thoughts, but seven plus years and a hundred blogs later and I think there is definitely more to cover with brand new topics or expanding on topics I have already covered.

Why do I think there is more to cover?  For one, for me, writing these blogs has paralleled my own training and my approach to my own training: there is always something more to learn (either depth or breadth or completely new) and not all learning has to be of the physical nature.

I have been studying Han Moo Kwan now for over 22 years.  Over those years I went through phases of growth and learning the art form and found I grew the most as an instructor and student when I was completely open to other possibilities and what may be next to learn – either the next application of a technique within a hyung or a new energy application or a new approach to teaching. 

This is a similar approach I have taken to writing the blogs – what can I learn about next? The topics are endless: whether it is history of the martial arts, our art form, other art forms, our club, various masters for example through reading stories, books, and quotes about or written by masters such as Sun Tzu, Ankō Itosu, Gichen Funakoshi, Morihei Ueshiba, Bruce Lee, etc.), various principles or philosophies, etc. 

In addition, I have been open to learning from all sources: various martial arts and artists (through videos, books, blogs, etc.), my own martial arts practice, students, other instructors in the club, yoga instructors, my own experiences, etc. 

While I have ideas as to what I may write about in the next few months, I am open to whatever comes my way to learn initially, gain more understanding and share my thoughts on the subject.  I look forward to continuing to learn, to write and to share.

Regards,

Kelly

"Even today, I dare not say that I have reached a state of achievement. I'm still learning, for learning is boundless." ~ Bruce Lee, (1940 –1973) American-born Chinese Hong Kong martial artist, actor, and founder of Jeet Kune Do