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This week’s blog is by my good friend and colleague by Steve Scott . Using strangles and chokes is serious business and is not for the immature. It’s better to tap out than pass out. The action of strangling may often (but not always) cause pain, especially when using the legs, and could have lethal consequences if applied long enough. That’s why they used to hang bad guys in the Old West: it hurt, and it was effective. Aside from that obvious point, cutting off the blood supply to the brain deprives the brain of oxygen and causes unconsciousness. The fact is, when you strangle or choke someone you are depriving him of his breath, and no matter how tough a guy is he still has to breathe. Apart from the physical effects, depriving someone of his ability to breathe has a big psychological impact on him. You usually want to focus your choke on, or directly below, the Adam’s Apple (thyroid cartilage). The thyroid cartilage is located right under the hyoid bone, a small bone that supports the thyroid cartilage and has many functions in swallowing. The trachea (windpipe) is located below the thyroid cartilage and is a flexible tube made up of cartilage. All these things are tough but not really made for having somebody else squeeze them with great intensity! The sides of the neck contain the carotid arteries, which are large arteries and the brain’s major source of blood. When they are constricted, most of the blood going to the brain doesn’t get there anymore. Deprived of oxygen for even four or five seconds, the brain starts to shut down and unconsciousness occurs. If the brain is deprived of oxygen for four to six minutes, clinical death can occur. Whether you make an opponent pass out from constricting his carotid arteries or constricting his windpipe and connected organs, you still deprive him of oxygen. Using strangles and chokes is serious business and is not for the immature. I have coached for many years specializing in submission techniques and sincerely believe strangles and chokes are more dangerous than armlocks. A broken arm or leg can mend, but the effects of the brain cells lost from being choked cold always stay with you. The lack of oxygen to the brain kills brain cells and these brain cells don’t grow back. Lose enough of them and neurological damage can take place. It’s better to tap out than pass out, especially in training. Don’t be macho and risk serious injury and possible problems later in life. By the same token, if you’re strangling an opponent or training partner and he taps out, he means it. Release the pressure and stop choking him for his safety. An old saying goes, “When in doubt, tap out.” You’re not any less brave, less tough, or less of anything. You’re using your survival instinct to let your opponent know it’s time to stop choking you. Don’t risk your health or be a risk to the health of others. Practice safe and practice smart. It’s better to tap out than pass out. The Difference Between a Strangle and a Choke It’s common to interchange the words “strangle” and “choke.” Specifically, “strangle” describes all the techniques we associate with any technique or move that attacks the neck or throat. “Choke” is more specific and refers to an action that obstructs or blocks the windpipe. Often, we refer to any strangle aimed against the side of the neck and the carotid arteries as just that, a strangle. Any strangle that close, blocks, or obstructs the front of the neck at the throat is often referred to as a choke. A choke makes an opponent gag and sputter and is often more painful than when you cut off the blood supply to his brain pressing against his carotid arteries. But we all use the words “choke” and ‘strangle” to mean either action, so it really doesn’t matter if you call it a “strangle” or a “choke.” We all know what is meant. Triangles Chokes from the Bottom Guard Position The oldest and most basic way of performing a triangle choke is when the attacker is on the bottom fighting from his buttocks, back, or backside. As a result, this position produces a large number of opportunities (and as a result a large number of applications) for a triangle choke. Historically, fighting from the bottom in what is now commonly called the guard position has been known in Japanese judo (both Kodokan judo and its offshoot Kosen judo) as newaza (grappling techniques from a supine or reclining position). Japanese judo athletes, especially those who followed the Kosen form of judo where the emphasis was (and continues to be) on ground fighting, favored strangling techniques, and triangle chokes from the bottom were developed to a high standard. Likewise, Brazilian jiu-jitsu exponents have traditionally favored fighting from the newaza or guard position and have developed highly refined triangle chokes from this position. The triangle chokes applied from the bottom guard position have proved to be a mainstay in many modern forms of sport combat including MMA (mixed martial arts). From a coaching perspective, initially presenting the fundamental skills of the triangle choke from the bottom guard position seems to be the most effective way to develop the technical skills necessary for effective triangle chokes from any starting position. This is what I do as a coach, and it has been my experience that athletes who initially learn triangle chokes from the bottom guard position gain a better fundamental understanding of what the triangle choke is about and ultimately progress in skill acquisition more quickly and develop a more disciplined approach to applying triangles from any position. Literally, the best way to learn triangle chokes is from the ground up. The attacker on bottom lies at an angle and sideways to his opponent (the two bodies forming somewhat of an “L” shape) as shown in this photo. The advantage of this side angle position is that it allows the bottom grappler to “have longer legs.” In other words, the side angle of the bottom grappler’s body in relation to the top grappler’s position closes the distance between the two grapplers and allows the bottom man to extend his legs further, trapping and forming a triangle easier. This side angle also allows the bottom grappler a good opportunity to roll his opponent over onto his side to complete the strangle or apply an armlock. The Primary Parts of the Triangle: Anchor Leg and Tie-Up Leg Each leg has a specific function when forming a triangle. Fundamentally, the triangle with the legs is formed with (1) an “anchor” leg and (2) a “tie up” leg. The anchor leg is the leg that the attacker slides over his opponent’s shoulder and initially uses to trap the defender’s head. The tie-up leg is used to form the triangle by hooking onto the anchor leg. Think of it this way: both legs trap an opponent’s head, shoulder, and arm, and the leg that the attacker initially slides over his opponent’s shoulder to wrap around his neck is the anchor keeping the opponent’s head in place. The other leg is the leg that is used to tie up, secure, and form the triangle trapping the opponent’s head, shoulder, and arm to create the strangling action. The above is an excerpt from The Triangle Hold Encyclopedia, by Steve Scott, Pub Date May 1, 2022, YMAA Publication Center, ISBN 9781594396496. About the Author Steve Scott is a professional judo, sambo and jujitsu coach residing in Kansas City, Missouri. He was born in 1952 and is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He holds 8th dan (Hachidan) rank in judo and 7th dan rank in shingitai jujitsu. Steve is the author of over a dozen published books on the subject of judo, sambo and other Martial Arts. Starting his judo career in 1965 and his sambo career in 1976, Steve has been active at all levels of competition and coaching.

Frederick "Skipper" Ingham, regarded as the father of karate in Bermuda and a quiet force in the development of professional sport karate, passed away Wednesday at the age of 92. Born in Bermuda, Ingham moved to New York in 1947 eventually becoming a merchant seaman. Sailing the world, he became interested in martial arts on witnessing a demonstration in Japan. Among those Ingham learned from were Filipino karate pioneer Latino Gonzalez and Okinawan goju-ryu master Eiichi Miyazato. His main instructor, though, was American goju karate pioneer Peter Urban, with whom he began training in the early 1960s in New York alongside future greats like Black Belt hall of famer Chuck Merriman and martial arts film star Ron Van Clief. Ingham returned to Bermuda founding what's said to be the island's first karate school in 1970 . Perhaps his biggest impact on martial arts came when he secured the backing of wealthy local businessman John Deuss in supporting his Bermuda Invitational Grand Championships tournament in the 1980s. The tournament was successful enough to convince Deuss to fund the Atlantic World Karate Team , the sport's first professional squad. Coached by Merriman and Ingham and manned by the best tournament competitors of the day, the Atlantic Team ignited a new era of professionalism in sport karate and would inspire a host of future teams.

Martial arts movie icon Bruce Lee was named the recipient of the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) Film Pioneer award at the 18th Chinese American Film Festival Friday in San Gabriel, Calif. Part of the Golden Angel Awards ceremony that opened the festival, Lee's daughter, Shannon, was on hand to accept the honor. Variety quoted her as telling the audience on behalf of her late father, “Thank you for recognizing his impact, his fight for Asian representation in Hollywood, for his desire to create and share authentically his culture with the world." The 2016 movie "Birth of the Dragon," a fictionalized account of Lee's challenge match with kung fu master Wong Jack Man, had previously won a Golden Angel Award. Lee died in 1973. He would have turned 82 on November 27.

Malaysian martial arts pioneer Thamby Rajah died on Sunday at the age of 96. Credited as being the first Malaysian to earn black belts in judo and aikido, Rajah began his martial arts training with instruction in Japanese ju jutsu following World War II. This initial training inspired him to travel to Japan in the early 1950s where he continued to learn various forms of budo. While in Japan, Rajah practiced with such notables as judo 10th dan Kyuzo Mifune, famed aikido instructor Gozo Shioda and legendary American martial artist Donn Draeger. But it was Shioda who became his primary instructor. Rajah would return to Malaysia to open the country's first aikido school in 1960 teaching Shioda's yoshinkan style through his Shudokan Institute. Rajah's students would eventually go on to spread his brand of aikido in Australia and the United Kingdom.

MMA is the best sport on the planet. I love it with all my heart but one major issue that has plagued the sport since its origin, regardless of organization, are pokes to the eye. It seems almost unavoidable. Given the nature of what you're doing and the gloves you're doing it in. There have been multiple fighters calling for new gloves. From unranked guys, to coaches to current champions. After watching some devastating eye pokes that could have left permanent damage, like when Leon Edwards made Belal Muhammad scream in pain mid-fight, or the injuries that DC and Stipe exchanged during their first two bouts and lets not forget the infamous Jon Jones lead hand frame that has penetrated almost all of his opponents. It's safe to say that, something definitely needs to improve, but improvement won’t come easy. The knee-jerk solution to it is to curve the fingers slightly so they cannot flare as easily. Issue being that you need full articulation of the fingers for MMA. So, a simple rounding of the fingers like in the PRIDE days might not be the easy solution it appears to be. As is the case with anything, there’s going to be trade-offs. With rounded gloves it allows for a much more secure Gable/S grip as well as adding difficulty to post on the ground, cage or person. This change might give grapplers an upper-hand or it might not be a factor at all. Perhaps the rounding is necessary though given that it would, in theory, improve safety all round. Maybe stricter punishment to the fighters that foul, intentionally or unintentionally, would lead to more adherence to the rules. (Even though you will currently hear an official vocalize concern anytime a fighter has his fingers facing toward his opponent.) Maybe even still the rounded gloves would lead to some unforeseen issue that turns out to be worse than eye pokes, assuming they go away or even reduce. I don’t have a permanent fix, I’m simply showing that the solution isn’t as apparent as MMA forums and podcasts imply it is. There have even been multiple high-profile individuals pitching their design to the UFC without any of them being officially adopted. Coach to multiple world champions, Trevor Whitman has one with his company Onx Sport, even the Notorious himself Conor McGregor wasn’t able to ink a deal with UFC brass. Both designs are well thought out and are fantastic products themselves but still aren’t satisfactory to the conundrum. Are eye pokes in MMA just a necessary evil that we all need to accept? I hope not but it is a fistfight after all.

I invite you to stop a moment and ask yourself to remember your grandmother’s, great-grandmother’s, great-great-grandmother’s lineage. Recall their stories. Where did you come from? What is your history? This knowledge is critical not only to how we move through the world today, but also how we support our sisters, mothers, aunts, wives, grandmothers, daughters. How we were taught the ancestral understanding of expectation and duty determines the fate of womankind today. And, the fate of womankind ultimately determines the fate of mankind. Wouldn’t you agree? Most of us grow up among human practices so ancient that the job of the female is to produce offspring, guard the home, and serve. Unless, that is, you are a lioness, an elephant, or a praying mantis. In my previous article, Before We Were Martial Artists, I described how if the invader made it into the kingdom or home, the male guardians had failed. At that point, the enemy still had to battle the women. These women protected their families, not with martial arts, but with the knives and swords they kept hidden in their skirts. This was not because our female ancestors were not interested in learning martial arts. It was simply because the basic human task at the time was to survive, protect, and serve. Consider the story of Choon-Ok Harmon. “Below, in the dimly lit ocean, Mother looked for what she had come for. There it was: seaweed. She reached for it but missed. She tried again and got a hold of it, but it was so slippery that she lost her grip. Her sight was blurry, she felt lightheaded, and the birth contractions began. She ignored the pain. She had come for food and she would get it. Her four children had to eat. If she didn’t get anything today, there would be no food on the table.” -The Iron Butterfly. Memoir of a Martial Arts Master, Choon-Ok Jade Harmon, page 17. This excerpt illustrates the warrior frame of mind most women have needed to maintain throughout the ages. Men and women alike were hunters and gatherers, tribal members, leaders of dynasties, and warriors. Increasingly, women are joining the ranks of leadership in the martial arts. Choon-Ok’s story is the deeply personal tale of a young warrior woman who succeeded in the male-dominated world of martial arts. It was the 20th century, so her story represents the many women who came to train and practice as an art form, not as a necessary means of survival. As the practice transforms, so does the struggle faced by many women as they step into their power as female martial artists. Here in the 21st century, martial arts is understood as an anti-aging, wellness, fitness, mindfulness practice. We draw on ancient studies of stances and strikes, as in Jungshin Fitness, but we apply them to the present day demands of living in an overpopulated, computer and screen-based society. Today, even the most by-the-book doctors recommend meditation—or martial arts— as a tool for health. Cultural representations of women warriors are changing accordingly. We see expressions like, “Women hold up half the sky,” blasted around the internet. In the new book, Squire, by Sara Alfageeh and Nadia Shammas, we learn of Aiza, who overcomes her second class status to become a knight. We see more and more films depicting women warriors. Two recent films of note are: The Woman King and The Little Mermaid. While The Little Mermaid is a sweet and gentle dive into the magic of a young mermaid, The Woman King is fierce and roars with power. These stories speak to every woman on the planet. Along with increased cultural representation, we are witnessing the current upheaval against old rules that no longer serve women, as exemplified by the courageous female warriors in Iran today. The contemporary struggles of women are connected, whether they are businesswomen, martial artists, or a young girl who dreams of becoming a knight. If you are a lioness, elephant, or praying mantis, you have already achieved knighthood. But if you are human, like me, then we have a long way to go to honor the female warriors who walked before us. It is important that we support female-owned businesses like New Generation Martial Arts in Lexington, MA. Shihan LeMay opened her successful school 30 years ago and it is still thriving. “Life is full of bloody noses, literally and figuratively,” she says. “As a martial artist, we have all the tools available to evolve, be flexible, and show up for our community.” Another great way to honor our female ancestors is to share cultural representations of women warriors, like the ones mentioned above, with our daughters and granddaughters. And we can always express our appreciation.Try sending a note to a woman in your life, thanking them for everything they have weathered to bring you here, today, reading this article. Wuwei, the art of doing and not doing. This is the Yin and Yang of it all.

The Hindu festival of Vijayadashami, also known as Dasara or Dussehra, was held at various locations in India Wednesday accompanied by several traditional martial events. An annual stick fighting clash between two groups occurred in the Kurnool District despite the efforts of local authorities to stop it after past events have lead to fatalities. Though no one was killed this year, more than 70 people were reported injured. Meanwhile, the annual vajra mushti bouts were held at the royal palace in Mysore. An ancient Indian gladiatorial sport that can best be described as mixed martial arts with brass knuckles, a pair of exhibition bouts are held each year on the royal grounds. Though the sport traditionally combined striking and grappling and, at one time, often ended in death, the fights now end as soon as one fighter draws blood by striking his opponent with an ivory knuckleduster worn on the right hand. Both bouts concluded after about 30 seconds this year.

The first two parts of Shaolin Studios traces the evolution of Shaolin martial arts from A.D. 495~1365, featuring the contributions of Bodhidharma (Da Mo), the 13 Shaolin Heroes, how Da Mo’s 18 Buddhist Fists became the Five Animal Styles of Shaolin and the arrival of Wu Dung martial arts via Taiji founder Zhang San-fung, and how kung fu cinema depicts their stories. The Five Ancestors of Shaolin April 25th, 1644 (the year after Sir Isaac Newton developed the laws of gravity), Ming dynasty emperor Chong Zhen committed suicide by hanging himself as Beijing fell to the Ming rebel leader Li Zu-cheng. Less than a year later, Manchurian troops overtook China, Li was assassinated, and thus began the Ching dynasty. However, anti-Ching sentiments pervaded the country and in 1662 (the year Connecticut was chartered as an English Colony), Taiwan-based Ming loyalist Zheng Chen-gong, who was well aware of the superior fighting skills of the Shaolin monks, sent some of his troops to China to stir up an anti-Ching revolution and to seek refuge at Song Shan Temple, under Abbot Zhi Tong, not unlike people seeking asylum in a Church. Among some of Zheng's men sent were the young fighters Tsai De-Zhong, Hu De-di, Li Shi-kai, Fang Da-Hong and Ma Chao-xing. Starring the dynamic duo of kung-fu films Ti Lung (Di Lung in Mandarin) and David Chiang portraying Tsai De-zhong and Hu De-di respectively, the Chang Cheh directed Shaolin Temple (1976) poignantly depicts this story, but as we shall see artistic license is rampant. In 1685 (the birth year of German composers Handel and Bach), during the reign of Ching Emperor Kang Xi, the emperor of the Xilu ordered a mass invasion of China. Afte the Xilu pushed Ching resistance south to Tong Guan (like if invading Canadian forces reached St. Louis), Ching army generals begged the government for help who responded by offering rewards/honors to anyone willing to help save the country. Answering the call was 128 Shaolin Monks from Song Shan Shaolin who headed West to Tong Guan and defeated the Xilu army. Since the monks considered that they were doing their duty to protect the country from invaders, they humbly refused the emperor's riches and offers for government positions asking only that they can return to their temple and live secluded lives. Upon the emperor's persistence they accepted an imperial jade seal and returned to Song Shan. Word rapidly spread about the heroic monks and though men of peace, they would use martial arts to protect their country. It's like when true Christians in Europe weren’t allowed to kill, which partially led to the Roman Empire’s downfall because when soldiers became Catholics, there was no one left to defend the realm. The Pope said that killing in the name of God to protect Christianity was not a sin. This gave rise to the Monks of War that could safeguard any kingdom founded under God's name. Understanding this ideal, anti-Ching rebels appealed to the Shaolin Temple's sense of nationalism, saying that Chings were a foreign power. When the Ching court learned that Shaolin began to accept students with less restrictions and train them, the match was lit. In 1736, during the reign of Emperor Yong Zheng (the year American revolutionary Patrick Henry said, "Give me liberty, or give me death" was born), when a government official named Deng Sheng was burning incense at the temple, he noticed the valuable imperial seal given to Song Shan Temple by Emperor Kang Xi and tried to steal it. When confronted by the monks, Deng stormed out of the temple in anger, then spitefully complained to the emperor that Shaolin was planning subversive activities thus confirming to the Chings the possible threat of Shaolin. The emperor sent 3000 thousand soldiers to Shaolin under the guise of wishing to burn incense to the gods, but instead, during one bleak, horrific night, they burned down the temple and slaughtered the monks. Another version of this story tells that Manchu officials were able to bribe one of the top Shaolin monks, Ma Lin-ge, to help them with their plot to destroy the temple. Of the 128 monks that lived in Song Shan, Ma was ranked seventh, hence the number "7" now represents bad luck in some circles. Apparently, Ma was being punished for breaking a valuable lamp so perhaps he saw helping the Manchus as a way of wreaking revenge against those that punished him. So, Ma showed the commanding Ching generals the locations of all the temple's hidden passageways and traps, thereby paving the way for the temple's burning and subsequent monk killings. Only five monks survived the Song Shan razing, the now highly skilled Monks of War, Tsai De-Zhong, Hu De-di, Li Shi-kai, Fang Da-Hong and Ma Chao-xing, i.e., The Five Ancestors of Shaolin, who at the Red Flower Pavilion, pledged their brotherhood by organizing the secret kung fu society Hong Men ( Hong is a family name and Men means door as in entering a gate of knowledge or way of training), where they vowed vengeance against the Chings. Chang Cheh's Five Shaolin Masters (1974) focuses on their exploits following the burning and stars Ti Lung (Tsai), David Chiang (Hu), Mung Fei (Fang), Alexander Fu Shen (Ma) and Chi Guan-zhuin (Li). A few years later when Chang directed Shaolin Temple (1976) only Ti Lung and David Chiang reprised their Five Ancestor roles. Chi Guan-zhuin and Alexander Fu Shen portrayed the Shaolin student friends Hu Hui-qian and Fang Shi-yu respectively. Yet as we will see, the timeline is off here, because these two characters were never present at Song Shan. Regarding the Xilu, to reiterate the famous line from the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), “Who are those guys?” According to Shwai Xue-fu’s text The Origin of the Ching and Hong Secret Societies (1878) it is implicated that the Xilu were soldiers from Russia. Just goes to show you even way back then, to paraphrase Irvin Berlin’s famous 1929 musical hit “Puttin on the Ritz,” the Russians are still Putin on the Hitz. Yet without the Russians, Shaolin Studios wouldn’t exist and because of that, Shaolin has become even more famous. Next time: the rise of another Fab Five; and the return of Shaolin’s public enemy number one.

If you’ve been in the martial arts for a while, you have probably been to a tournament or two. You likely have even competed in forms and point fighting. This is an incredibly valuable experience for a multitude of reasons. Competing increases the ability to deal with your nerves while challenging your confidence and testing your fortitude against other like-minded individuals also vying for the top spot. Today, I would like to focus on the "point fighting” competitions which are commonplace at tournaments. This is not to be confused with full-contact kickboxing or continuous sparring. Again, I’m referring specifically to basic point fighting. For those that are unaware, in point fighting, the referee stops the action when the first clean strike takes place. A point is awarded if the shot is to a qualified target area with an appropriate weapon. Then the fighters reset and do it all over again. The winner is the first competitor to reach three or five points (depending upon the organization). As a point fighter, I was a decent competitor when I was a kid and later as an adult. However, looking back at my experiences and watching tournaments today, I feel that there are three main phases of point fighting that we must address if we want to get the most out of the practice: Pre-Point, The-Point and After-Point. Pre-Point As the referee starts the action, the chess game begins. Fighters strategize and move about, trying to create an opening in their opponent’s guard to be the first to strike. Frequently, in doing so, a “fighting stance” is assumed that wouldn’t be ideal in a real-life altercation in most situations. An excessively bladed stance with arms low and out of protective position seems to be the norm. Now, as far as bating someone in or preparing for a quick strike, this works for many individuals. The concern though is that should this practice be adapted in a self-defense situation; the result could prove less than desirable. In my early training, we didn’t train for tournaments per se. We focused on more traditional sparring specifically for self-defense. That said, I would maintain a stance and movements more like a real-life situation when point fighting. This is my stance, literally and figuratively, on the subject. I’m not saying that the way I competed is the right way. I’m simply saying that I found some success in the tournament game while simultaneously working on getting reps in a high-pressure situation using technique similar to those which I would hope to use in an altercation should it become necessary. As a final thought on the Pre-Point, I ask that you consider how what you’re doing before the first strike is thrown can relate to how you react and prepare for contact in a real-life situation. The-Point As previously mentioned, The-Point occurs when one competitor hits the other in an appropriate target area with a suitable weapon. Different tournaments have different rules, but typically a punch or kick to the stomach, ribs or head typically qualify as a point. That said, not all points are equal in real life. What I mean is that though they may both result in the same score at a tournament, a solid drag-up side-kick to the ribs will have a very different effect than a backfist to the forehead while leaping away from a charging adversary. One could put them out of commission, while the other they may not even really be noticed in the heat of battle. I liken this idea to “stopping power” that we here about when people discuss firearms. A 12-gauge slug from a double barrel shotgun has a very different effect on a target than a BB from an air pistol. Targeting and precision are important, but ultimately whatever is delivered must also pack a punch. As we extend this idea into point-fighting, I leave you with a question to consider regarding “The-Point.” Does the technique you’re using to score The-Point contain the necessary power for the desired result, should you need to deploy it in a life and death situation? After-Point When a point (no matter the level of power) is scored, the referee calls a stop to the action. This can lead a competitor to go for the point without considering what happens afterward, ultimately leaving themselves in a precarious position in the hopes of scoring a point that in real-life wouldn’t have any stopping power. Scenarios like this happen because, should the point land in a tournament, there is no need to fear or prepare for the moment after. In real-life, or full contact sparring for that matter, first contact isn’t the end of the action. First contact is just the beginning. There are of course the occasional one-shot knockouts, but this should not be relied on as the outcome of our offensive in a self-defense situation. With this in mind, I ask that you consider what you’re doing immediately following a point. Are you turning away raising your hands in victory? Or are you maintaining a fighting stance and preparing to continue your offensive? Point-fighting is a great exercise and wonderful way to enhance a person’s martial arts training. However, it is important to understand the limitations of the sport and adjust your approach, so that you or your students may reap the many benefits of competing all while enhancing one’s self-defense training.

The best defense from an attack, and only way to guarantee your safety, is to avoid it all together without even needing to physically defend yourself or a loved one. But should you end up in a bad situation, how you handle yourself and relate to the threat can diffuse it before it becomes physical. If that doesn’t work, then the end result of the altercation will depend upon your training in the past and fortitude in the moment. In essence there are three main stages of self-defense, which can be summarized as avoiding, diffusing and engaging. As a martial artist, your goal should be to maximize your or your student’s abilities in each of these phases. To do so effectively, focus on what I like to call “The Self-Defense APP.” The Self-Defense APP reminds us to work on these three areas of self-defense by concentrating on and improving our Awareness, Presentation and Preparation during our training. Awareness In Kenpo, a phrase that comes up a lot is “Environmental Awareness.” This state of being cognizant of that which is in your immediate presence and what may be present where you’re headed. For example, if you were walking down a dark alley and there were three ruffians with baseball bats and knives looking like they were up to no good, you would probably take note. Hopefully, you would be aware that danger is a strong possibility if you continue on your path and encounter them in close proximity. This is an extreme example to make the point obvious. In other situations, it may not be quite so obvious. Perhaps it’s as simple as taking note of a sidewalk that is not well lit, creating an opportunity for an attacker to hide and jump an unsuspecting victim. Maybe it’s a busy nightclub and you see a couple guys that have had more to drink than they should and they’re getting a bit aggressive with other patrons. These are just a couple examples of Environmental Awareness to help sharpen your focus on situations to and avoid getting into (if possible). There is also a vitally important “Internal Awareness.” This awareness takes note of potential threats and evaluates your ability to deal with issues that may arise. You can never be sure of an outcome, but you can develop a sense of what situations you are up to dealing with and which are outside of your wheelhouse. For example, consider an unarmed, handsy, and intoxicated bar patron who’s verbally abusive and of very small stature. How you estimate your skills to deal with this individual would vary greatly compared to a situation where ten fully armed mercenaries busted into your living room and held you at gunpoint. Again, these are extreme examples. What I’m suggesting is that to develop your Internal Awareness you mentally work through examples that fit somewhere between these extremes and build your understanding of self. Presentation Should trouble find you that you cannot avoid through Environmental Awareness, the next phase of your self-defense arsenal is “Presentation.” What and how you present will vary greatly depending upon each individual situation. For instance, back in my bouncing days, I successfully avoided physical conflict with aggressive drunk bar-goers by being aggregable. I would present a strong and yet non-aggressive approach, agreeing with their preposterous statements rather than arguing. Then, I would continue to talk them out the door without a physical altercation. So, what “Presentation” should you show? Ultimately, that depends on the situation. If someone is talking big but has yet to make a physical move, you may be able to talk them down, as I mentioned before. If that doesn’t work, you may need to present “large.” In other words, stepping up to the action without instigating further aggression may be necessary to cut it off at the head. The idea here being that a show of confidence, may be enough to shut down the verbose troublemaker. As an extension of this idea, presenting confidence and awareness can go a long way towards avoiding conflict when simply existing in the mutual public space. On the other hand, if you find yourself the victim of an unprovoked attack and there is no way out of it, it may be to your favor to “play meek” and take your shot when it serves you best. For instance, if diplomacy is not working and your attackers are hellbent on injuring you (or worse), then pretending you have no self-defense knowledge may be your best move. If they were to then drop their guard, the element of surprise may be your best friend. All in all, there is no “right way” to present. However, by exercising your environmental and internal awareness skills, you’re better prepared to present in a way that is most likely to help you avoid a physical altercation. Preparation  If you find yourself in an unavoidable physical situation, then your “preparation” is paramount to your chances of survival. This “preparation” is the obvious physical training of techniques, sparring and even forms that you work on daily in the dojo. Rather than belabor the point, I will simply say that you will perform how you practice. Thus, it is of the utmost importance that you train with intensity and intention. If you are forced into the unavoidable, what you have practiced in class in the past and your mindset in the moment, combined with your ferocity, will be all that you have to escape the situation in one piece. Martial Arts offer an untold number of benefits for each individual. You may do it for fitness. Perhaps you train to build confidence. Maybe you go to class for the discipline. But always remember that at the base of any marital arts system is self-defense. So, make sure each and every training session reflects that goal.

Bruce Lee commented in his famous on-screen interview years ago that Martial Arts are best codified in the idea that they are to be seen as a pure form of authentic self-expression. His Jeet Kun Do model did indeed pave the way (pun intended for those in the know) to genuine, individualistic expression of self(s). This does yield the question though, is “self-expression” an adequate enough definition or concept to justify the designation of “Art”? This question actually applies to all things called Art for that matter. A few years ago, someone very well-known in her field of Artistic Expression made a pretty controversial claim that MMA was not in fact Art. Maybe someone could have told Ms. Streep, it is right there in the title, but oh well. The following quote was in a context of a political rant (which is avoided here) at an award’s show and not a well thought-out, cogent commentary on Art. It was an off-handed criticism of the state of things as she saw it pertaining to immigration and that current administration’s policy on it: "If we kick [foreigners] out, you'll have nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts - which are not the arts.” The relationship to immigration policy and sport was interesting at the time, but for our purposes, the thing to consider is whether or not she said something worthy of consideration about MMA (the poor football fans have to fend for themselves – this is a Martial Arts context here!). It was already hashed out at the time as she drew much ire from the Martial Arts community specifically and the broader sports community in general. There was never any sort of official debate or public discourse on the subject. Some in the MMA community represented the sport well while others waxed eloquent on the virtues of the Martial Arts – mixed or otherwise - in an attempt to educate any interested in learning. But at the core of the debate are some real questions. A big one for example is what the heck even qualifies as Art anyway? There are no shortages of pop-star, pro-level karaoke performers on TV singing competitions calling what they themselves do, Art. Or online seconds-long forms of self-expression to gain oodles of followers some try and call Art. Is there a diagnostic system somewhere that has deduced Art into definable terms? Most think it subjective and that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The esteemed Oscar-owning Streep would no doubt call most acting “artistic” whether it was award-worthy or not. Is the middle-schooler doing his best Leo Dicaprio/Baz Lurman/Romeo an artist? The Art community has not been free from controversy about what qualifies as Art even internally. There have been many fraudulent activities in the Art world where a fake was passed off as real successfully. How about the amusing stories of animals being given materials to paint and having the resulting “Art” successfully passed off as the work of a respected legitimate artist? One critic (an important word in our context) spoke in 1964 of a painting he thought produced by avant-garde painter Pierre Brassau that, “Brassau paints with powerful strokes, but also clear determination.” One wonders if Peter – the four-year-old chimp who actually painted the work – really appreciated what the critic thought of his work. Without question, the MMA community did not appreciate the valued opinion of the Art Critic Meryl Streep when she offered her critique. Is MMA Art? What is Art? That must be answered first. There is almost no definition of that word that would not justify its use in with the Martial Arts in general, and/or Mixed Martial Arts specifically. It is not the mere use of the word in those titles that justifies it either. It is the disciplines and their respective executions over the centuries that justify the use. Whatever makes Art, Art, is true of Martial Arts. From the foundational concepts found in the thirteen chapter work of military strategist Sun Tzu in the 5th century BC’s Art of War, to the ballet-level expression seen during exhibitions of amazing human feats in sport Karate; one would have to simply not have a functional working definition of Art to dismiss those. If a chimp’s painting can convince a high art critic as having used powerful brushstrokes, what about the lifelong martial artist’s honed powerful strokes well-executed in the beautiful bloody ballet of an MMA cage? Art? Yep.

I’ve been a lot of things in my life (musician, writer, entrepreneur, martial artist, etc), but success at any of them was never easy. Before being a martial artist I was a musician, and nothing would make me angrier than when someone said I had talent . That may sound odd to some, but talent refers to someone having natural ability. In other words, a person with talent could practically roll out of bed and do a great job. In contrast, to spend hours a day, for years at a time, working to improve upon something, only to have it chalked up to talent, could be really galling. However, I understood what they meant, though it was misidentified. They admired the result of all that time and effort honing my craft through the only real means of mastery: repetition. Repetition is the Key to Success. …And Again Coming from a music background, I was surprised to learn of so many similarities between music and martial arts. Both have fundamentals to be practiced repeatedly until they are fluid and second nature. The highest form of expression in each is improvisation. In music, that means being able to play whatever you feel as it comes. In martial arts, it is the ability to react to the rhythms and ever-changing circumstances of a match or fight and express your movements without hesitation. In each case, my teachers said the same thing: “Practice, practice, practice.” To build muscle memory, we need to do something many times. How many? Many. Thousands upon thousands of times. The good thing is that this is a simple concept and it applies to just about everything. The bad thing is that it is not easy. It is a war of attrition that we fight with ourselves, as the proverbial wisdom goes, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) Strategy for Success As one grows in their art, their practice should change as well. For example, you shouldn’t be training the same way you trained as an orange belt when you are a black belt. That doesn’t mean you don’t train the same things, it means that you don’t train them the same way. It is an important distinction. Training, by doing repetitions of a particular skill, should always seek to hone the skill and take it to a higher level. The following tips are things that I have found useful: New material should always be practiced slowly. 10 times is a good number to start with. Three sets of 10 are usually good for memorizing a new skill. Isolate problem areas. If there is an issue with something, like where your hands go on a rear-naked choke or transitioning between two postures in a form, etc, then zero in on those things and just practice those movements, repetitively, until they are fluid. This will maximize your time and build muscle memory faster. Vary your practice. Most arts have a variety of skills that need to be studied and improved. Work on one skill for some time, a week or so, and then rotate in something else. Take a kick, for example. Practice it in a variety of forms: from your traditional stance, from your regular standing posture, or while standing on one leg. Do the same with other kicks, etc. Question why and what you are doing repetitively. The idea is to get better, so ask yourself if you are working on material that needs improvement, or just doing what you like to do. There’s nothing wrong with doing what you like, but practicing what you’re already good at may not be the best use of your time. Time is going to be better spent on something that needs improvement. Use technology. Back in the covered wagon days when I was first starting, it was a big deal to use a video camera to record yourself. Now, obviously, that is not a problem. Everyone has a camera on their phone, so use it. Record yourself at different angles and really study what you are doing. I had a teacher that used to say, “If you see what I am seeing, you will fix it faster.” Set goals, both short and long term, and push yourself. Remember that repetition is merely the method to improve. The goal is not repetition itself. It serves no purpose to just do something many times, so you can say you did it. If repetition of something is not bringing progress, then it should be questioned and changed so that it is effective. The concept is similar to achieving rank. A rank is awarded in recognition of one’s abilities, but the goal is the ability, not the rank. Comparison, the Enemy of Progress It can be difficult when you are working diligently, practicing, and improving your skills, often alone, and yet the results seem distant or illusive. The temptation is to compare yourself to others. For myself, I have found that comparison to others is the quickest way to unhappiness. Unhelpful thoughts pop into your mind, such as: so and so have already progressed passed me, why should I continue? The logic on its face is flawed, however, it is striking how often we humans fall for it. The success or failure of another person has no impact on your own success or failure unless you let it. The words that bring success are tenacity, persistence, and resilience. Nothing can stop the unstoppable. Be unstoppable, Keep pushing. Break it down, and do it again and again, until you’ve got it.