Sparring hard has fallen out of vogue recently due to multiple high-profile fighters proclaiming that they have stopped doing it altogether. Cowboy Cerrone and Max Holloway are the first to come to mind but I’m sure there are others. Couple that with recent studies showing that it does have a negative impact on your brain, even with padding. It comes at no surprise. So, let me make one thing clear before we get started. At no point am I saying that either severe trauma to the head or repeated light trauma to the head, is good for you in any fashion. The jury is in. It’s not. There are a few benefits however to increasing intensity in your sparring. First things first though. Be sure to always communicate the pace with your training partners and keep in mind that these tips are going to be geared mainly toward those seeking genuine competition but everyone can learn from their concepts. First is going to be confidence that you get after the gut check of several hard rounds. The first time you face somebody that isn’t holding back and is trying his or her hardest to really put it on you. Can’t be in the cage or ring. In most cases when you spar preparing for a bout. You will stay in while sparring several fresh guys that will alternate with the rounds. Walking through the fire like that is designed to push you to your breaking point and give you the mental toughness for having pushed yourself so far. You are not made of glass. You are capable of much more than you might think. This is the best way to find that out. Up next is reaction time. Working on slips while your coach holds mitts for you is awesome but it's not the same as sparring. You won’t get the speed or unpredictability. Whatever combinations or setups you might have. Won’t be worth much if they don’t connect in real time. Reaction time works the other way as well. With your feints. If you can’t get anybody to bite on them in practice. Chances are you won’t get the reaction you're looking for from a real opponent. Hard sparring helps with all of this. Finally, now that we are wide eyed and confident. Is conditioning of the body. Repeated kicks to the legs. Checked and unchecked. Blocking full power strikes to the head and midsection. All of these will have you leaving practice with a few aches but it prepares the body for the battle to come. When you barely avoid a devastating hook or take a rough kick to the thigh. It won’t rattle you, because you’ve felt it before. In closing, there are some real upsides to sparring hard but it's not necessary or even recommended for everybody. And don’t let this list fool you. There are plenty of downsides to go with them. Sessions being potentially more injurious is always something to consider. So if you do decide to bite down on that mouth piece and dig deep. I only suggest doing it once or twice a month to start and only do it consistently when you have a bout coming up. Train safe.

Many believe simply knowing how to move our body and keep awareness is all we need in order to stay safe. That’s not true. In fact, there are five questions – framed around the Five W’s typical in research – which can be used to gather information necessary for understanding your tactics and improving your training. Like a journalist investigating a story before releasing it to the press and public, we should make sure we fully understand every aspect of what we do before trusting that it will keep us safe in a life or death situation. Beat the story with a tennis racket and knock all the dust and dirt off of it before you present it as a viable idea. Here are the 5 questions on self defense. Let’s delve into the first question. Who (Am I and Who Is My Opponent)? I’m 6’ 2”.My girlfriend is 4’ 11”.We are not the same. It’s already common thought that since most humans have two arms, two legs, and only one head, there is going to be plenty of overlap in the methods we use to express ourselves and defend ourselves. A simple glance at the fighting methods from across the world will confirm such. There are only so many ways to effectively stand, kick, punch, throw, and manipulate. The same options don't mean the same preferences however. It would be insipid to believe that my scant five-foot darling would best be served fighting the same way as yours truly. Though we have the same general anatomy, our specific body types, personal habits, and mental dispositions vary widely as human beings. As you are working on self defense tactics, ask yourself if you understand the “who” of your training equation. Have a grasp on who you are and also the type of person your tactic may work against. Are you tall and lanky, short and stocky, quick to gas out, easy to anger and bait? If your tactic only works due to developed muscle or proportionate height, you are likely to run into a problem when seriously needing to use it. A good technique is effective, regardless of common disadvantages (such as being shorter or weaker). Height and strength should be advantages at best, not essentials. What (Am I Actually Doing)? Do you understand what you're doing on an essential level? Don’t train until you get it right, work until you can’t get it wrong. The simpler the tactic, the better it will be able to lock into easy access of the brain. Movements that are conscious and awkward should aim to become subconscious and fluid. This goes beyond making the techniques accessible on an unconscious level however. If you are able to clearly articulate your technique, it is easier to pass the technique along to another generation and aid in your partner’s understanding for mutual growth. If you are able to clearly visualize your techniques being executed, you will be able to mentally rehearse it and work towards improvement even when a partner isn’t available. Either way, the more the technical bits of your tactics are ingrained in your being, the better. It can seem overly analytical, however you can take the top-down assessment approach when working on fully understanding the mechanics of your movements. Where are your eyes directed? Is your jaw lightly clenched and core slightly tensed? What are your shoulders doing? Same question for your elbows, hands, hips, knees, feet, and toes. A Western boxer is concerned with the positioning of their chin due to their understanding that an inch-wide gap can mean the difference between being covered or becoming unconscious. You aren’t fighting for sport, however I believe the same attention to detail should apply just as much if you are working towards being able to effectively protect yourself and loved ones. Practice how you want to perform – with every attention to detail and expression of intention properly rehearsed. Where (Am I)? It doesn’t snow in Georgia. At least, not as often as it does in Vermont. Being born and raised in the often warm, more often hot Southeast, I still remember the lack of preparation I had for my first time experiencing chilly weather in the North. What surprised me wasn’t just how biting the cold was, it was how accustomed everybody was to being bundled in what felt like more layers than a buttery biscuit. Everywhere I looked, I saw people dressed like the kid in a Christmas Story! My complaint was something many martial artists wearing the rare non-athletic wear will empathize with: I could hardly move. If somebody tried to stab me, I would either be dead because I could hardly move or I would surely be safe because of all the damn layers. It was a bit of a toss up. Bottom line, there was not a single chance that my typical movements would work. Ask yourself how environmentally acceptable your training is. In the dojo and dojang, we are likely to have flat flooring (oftentimes matted) and regulated temperatures and uniforms. That’s great for setting up a baseline understanding of tactics, but not for pressure testing. For that, we need to think grittier. If you were in a crowded subway, rainy park, or wearing thick layers because it’s a snowy day, would your tactics still be feasible? When (Should I Use This)? Your tactics aren’t meant to just be trained in isolation, they are ultimately meant for integration. Before deploying a finger strike to the eyes or a kick to the groin, there should be steps that were first followed. Verbal boundaries should be set, de-escalation tactics should be used, or at the very least we should have tried to orient ourselves towards an exit. Understanding a tactic is also about understanding when to use it. My advice: simulate scenarios to rehearse when is the proper time to unload these techniques on an individual. Even something as simple as adding back and forth dialog during training can dramatically change the execution of your techniques. Person A says something rude and Person B tries to defuse the situation. Person A steps in and keeps talking smack and Person B keeps an appropriate position and space between the two of them. Person A keeps escalating annnnd...action! Why (Am I Doing This)? Nobody likes your uncle. Your uncle Lester is known for getting drunk and nobody is happy to see he is living up to expectation at this year’s annual family gathering. Problem is, he doesn’t get red-faced then passes out, he gets enraged and starts yelling at food containers no longer holding deviled eggs. Not really a pleasant fellow. I don’t blame you for always wanting to miss the gatherings he is invited to. After getting beyond belligerent, several family members try to talk him down. When that doesn’t work, they try to escort him out of the party. He isn’t having that and starts pushing and wildly swinging. Time to crack him in the throat with a knuckle strike and stomp out his left leg, right? Er, maybe not. A situation with a quick-tempered uncle is a different threat than a knife-wielding assailant threatening your child. Being able to tell the difference and intuitively being able to scale to the situation is important. As you are working your tactics, think about why you are deploying them. Though these questions form five perspectives to view your training from, they really just distill down to one question: are you properly equipped for survival?

Shahar (Sean) Or is the Founder & CEO of 3SIXZERO Ltd. an Israeli-based company which provides services in the fields of tactical training, executive protection, security management, and logistical support. His Krav Maga journey began when he was drafted into an Israeli special forces unit in the Golani brigade. He served as an operational team sergeant and the commander of a special forces training division. After five years, he was honorably discharged and currently remains active in an operational reserve unit. In his civilian life, Shahar worked as a maritime security specialist, eventually serving as a head combat instructor for cruise ship security officers. He is a Captain of an anti-crime force in the Israeli Police Civilian Guard Division, leading his team in operations against crime and terror activities. For the past decade, Shahar has served as a senior combat instructor of professional units all over the world, sharing his vast operational experience with other professionals. Back in 2007, Shahar graduated from the Krav Maga Instructors Course at the Wingate Institute for Physical Education and Sports, and was certified as a senior military Krav Maga instructor from the IDF combat fitness academy. Shahar is a licensed firearms instructor, who has a bachelor’s degree in Counter-Terrorism and the Middle East Studies from the IDC Herzliya, and he is a senior security manager certified by the Ariel University and Wingate center of security studies and the Israeli national police operations division. In my interview with Shahar, we discussed the nature of Krav Maga as opposed to traditional martial arts. The interview has been edited and reorganized with interviewee approval for clarity. People need to remember, Krav Maga is not a sport, it’s not a traditional martial art - it is a battle-tested proven self-defense system being used successfully by hundreds of thousands of people and security forces around the globe. I think the biggest difference between Krav Maga and traditional martial arts is that Krav Maga doesn't rely on history or on a larger philosophy. It is a focused combat system that provides people with the skills to protect themselves and others. This is the foundation of Krav Maga. The main advantage of Krav Maga is the principles for all techniques are the same. The applications can differ, (depending on use) so you can fine-tune the curriculum for your target audience. The applications may vary if you are training civilians, especially women and children, as opposed to military forces, police officers, dignitary protection agents, or security guards. The end result might be different, but the underlying principles remain the same. People should acknowledge that once they finish a single Krav Maga session, they already have something they can use on the street. It won't work one hundred percent of the time like on the mat, but it will be effective because of the mental education, the physical education, and the technical education you get while training. Krav Maga is very fast, aggressive, and effective when it comes to survival. First of all, you need to be aware. By teaching people how to identify hostile intentions, you teach them how to approach a violent situation - and more than that, how to prevent yourself from entering violent situations. I do not want to use Krav Maga even once in my life. Prevention is way better than confrontation, but we always train for the worst-case scenario when all circles of security fail. At that point, when one reaches the situation where there is a need to be proactive in order to prevent getting hurt or to protect someone else, the training of going from 0 to 100, both mentally and physically, kicks in. Among the reasons I chose to name my company, 3SIXZERO (360) is because it reflects those basic principles of Krav Maga. 360 defense relies on your basic instincts to survive when someone targets your head with an attack - you instinctually raise your hands to protect yourself. Natural instinct isn’t enough, so you need to learn how to do it properly in order to actually be effective and take the initiative from the attacker. So it relies on your natural instincts but as a trained response. One of the core principles in Krav Maga is to combine both defense and an attack simultaneously. In many cases, including my own personal experience, this is what made the difference between getting hurt or surviving the incident. Another core principle is to respond rapidly with no hesitation - if we are threatened or under attack, we should defend and attack at the same time in a decisive manner. Once we take the initiative, we continue until the attacker is neutralized. The main goal in such an incident is to take away the attacker’s ability to complete his attack and deny his advantage. Many techniques being taught nowadays are what I call YouTube techniques because they work only on YouTube. You see something very complicated, and it honestly looks very impressive, but in fact, it is very unlikely to work in reality. Your attacker will not cooperate with you like a training partner, you will likely be surprised by a very determined attacker, which will require you to rapidly identify the attack and respond effectively. For instance, when training a technique against stabbing, one may think to block, grab the hand with the weapon, disarm the knife and then maybe perform a fancy round kick. In reality, once you block and punch simultaneously, aiming your attack aggressively to the attacker’s face multiple times, it is more likely the attacker will be ten feet away. So grabbing the arm and disarming the knife will not be possible. To be effective you will need to go forward and continue your own attacks until he's down. When he’s down, there is no threat from the knife. The main focus during training is to educate the student to explosively react and aim your counter attacks at weak points which are anatomically identical for everyone. Such skills are being honed using realistic scenarios under stress drills, combining different environmental situations. I think people tend to fall in love with impressive techniques they see in the movies, but in real life, it's much more dirty and chaotic. You cannot actually do these crazy movements, and you must be fast, aggressive, and concise in order to survive the incident. One way to achieve such a response is to practice the most realistic situation (while maintaining safety of course). The simplest techniques tend to work the most effectively. Personally, I think we should always aim for the most natural and practical response I often use a quote by Confucius to explain Krav Maga. “The superior man, when resting in safety doesn’t forget that danger may come.” I think that represents everything I believe in. Even when everything is okay, in the corner of your mind, try to anticipate the moment when everything will turn. By having this level of readiness throughout your lives, you are prepared not only for violent attacks, but the ordinary dangers of life like road accidents or slipping on the sidewalk. Live your life to the fullest, but with the awareness of what can go wrong and the ability to find the right solution to deal with it.

The best weapon for personal self-defense is a firearm, especially if the bad guys are kicking in your front door to do a home invasion. For any law-abiding American citizen, a firearm has always been allowed in the home. Protecting yourself inside the home has never been a legal problem. However, for just under half the states in the union the problem has been for those situations outside of the home, such as someone attempting to kidnap you on the street, or you’re in a public place where an active shooter is trying to rack up a high body count, and one of those bodies could be you, and that’s because those states have infringed upon their Second Amendment right by not allowing them to carrying a handgun to protect themselves. For decades they were told they had to get permission from their local sheriff or chief of police, and then when they went to apply for their Carry Conceal Weapon (CCW) permit they had to give “good cause” for wanting to carry a gun, because “self-defense” was not considered good cause. So, in most cases, the only ones allowed to carry guns in the most restrictive states were politicians, judges, friends of the sheriffs and chiefs, and those protecting large sums of money or valuable property (such as jewelers transporting diamonds). However, on June 23, 2022, that all changed. The United States Supreme struck down a hundred-year-old New York gun law in the case New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen , thereby confirming the intent of the 2 nd Amendment for law abiding citizens to not only own and possess a gun inside the home, but the right to carrying it concealed outside of the home without requiring a license (meaning permission from the government). “The right of the people to keep and bear arms” is truly an American phenomenon. Our founding fathers did not put it into the U.S. Constitution for hunting, or even for self-defense against criminals, but to protect ourselves if the federal government ever turned tyrannical. In the 6 to 3 decision, Justice Clarence Thomas stated, "The constitutional right to bear arms in public for self-defense is not 'a second-class right, subject to an entirely different body of rules than the other Bill of Rights guarantees,'" and he continued, "We know of no other constitutional right that an individual may exercise only after demonstrating to government officers some special need. That is not how the First Amendment works when it comes to unpopular speech or the free exercise of religion. It is not how the Sixth Amendment works when it comes to a defendant's right to confront the witnesses against him. And it is not how the Second Amendment works when it comes to public carry for self-defense." I’m no legal expert, just a former law enforcement officer who enforced laws, including gun laws, but like Justice Thomas, that’s how I had always interpreted the 2nd Amendment of the United States Constitution. So, what this new ruling means for most Americans is that they can carry a concealed handgun in most public places, provided it is not a prohibited weapon (a stolen gun, fully automatic firearm, sawed off shotguns, etc.), and they are not in one of the following categories: a felon, drug user or addict, alien, adjudicated as mental defective or committed to a mental institution, are subject to a domestic restraining order, have a prior misdemeanor conviction for domestic violence, a fugitive from justice, or were dishonorably discharged from the military. For those people who live in the other half of the country, where they’ve always enjoyed their Second Amendment right without infringements, this recent ruling may not change anything at home, but it does expand their freedom when traveling to other states that did not previously have Conceal Carry Weapons reciprocity. Obviously, there’s been quite a bit of push back on the Supreme Court’s decision by those in favor of “gun control,” and I intentionally put the words “gun control” in quotes because there is truly no gun control for criminals and terrorists. If someone wants a firearm, they can easily get it on the black market, which is also true for any country in the world. That stated, New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ reaction to good citizens carrying guns concealed, “We cannot allow New York to become the wild, wild west.” As soon as I heard Mayor Adams say that on the news program that I was watching, I said out loud, with my wife as my witness, “What is he talking about? For the past two years New York City has been the ‘wild west!’” How many videos of shootings have we’ve seen coming out of there since the 2020 riots? I’m referring to the full-on warfare-like shootouts in broad day light, with innocent people all around. Historically, the supposed “wild west” was more tame and civilized than The Big Apple. That’s not just my understanding of U.S. history, but it’s also the opinion of historian W. Eugen Hollon (1913-2002) who in his book, Frontier Violence: Another Look , wrote that the western frontier “was far more civilized, more peaceful and safer place than American society today.” Mind you, that was written in 1974. There’s a reason why 4% of New York’s population left their beloved city and permanently moved to less crime ridden states since the draconian pandemic restrictions and riots took place. That’s 336,000 people! Of course, if you take the time to listen to Mayor Adam’s lamenting, he does not give any Constitutional argument as to why the U.S. Supreme Court is supposedly wrong. In addition, President Joe Biden told the nation that he is “deeply disappointed” in the Supreme Court’s decision. Then he said something similar to Mayor Eric Adam, which was, “In the wake of the horrific attacks in Buffalo and Uvalde, as well as the daily acts of gun violence that do not make national headlines, we must do more as a society, not less, to protect our fellow Americans.” OK, I’m all in favor of a better protected society, but why is the President “deeply disappointed” with the Supreme Court? I don’t know about you, but these incidents that the President cited just proves to me that the entire nation is already the “wild, wild west” like New York City, and once again, where is his Constitutional argument as to why the six justices in favor of siding with the Second Amendment got it wrong? Aren’t our rights, and our entire justice system, based upon the United States Constitution? We don’t need emotional statements, but solid legal arguments. Just so you know that I am not some armchair complainer, who’s not willing to leave my computer screen and do nothing “to protect our fellow Americans,” I was just in Tulsa, Oklahoma several weeks ago as the Range Safety Officer for the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office. My job was to make sure that everybody, both law enforcement officials and civilians, were safe during live-fire testing of some new anti-riot and bullet proof glass products just developed by RiotGlass (you may recall a previous article I did about this company, which is titled Keeping the Smash & Grabbers and the Rioters Out ). Anyway, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office want to install some of these products in their jail, along with the like-minded Tulsa Public School District, and some private business as well that were there for the two-hour demonstration. I was requested to be there as the RSO because Oklahoma is already the “wild, wild west,” like New York City, based on recent shootings, which is plaguing many cities across America. You can see the news report for yourself by looking up the story titled Owasso, Tulsa Public Schools look for extra security measures in school reported by Fox 23 News on June 16, 2022. I’m easy to spot in the video footage, because on the back of my ballistic vest are the big bold words RANGE SAFETY OFFICER. Now that the U.S. Supreme court made it clear that you don’t need government permission to exercise your right, gun sales are up, more people are training, and more people are carrying their guns concealed in public places. Reference to “the wild west” of the 1800s did not come about by law abiding citizens carrying guns, but from bandits carrying them. I went to Tulsa, Oklahoma recently for ballistic testing of bullet proof glass needed for government buildings, schools, and business because cities across America were already “the wild west” before the Supreme Court’s decision. Here’s a table of weapons that were part of the testing. These are bullets are “frozen in time,” or so they appear to be. They were stopped from penetrating the newest material made by RiotGlass. Glass like this is being installed in buildings across the country due to the increasing violence nationwide. Regardless of whether people think that the U.S. Supreme Court got it wrong, or got it right, their recent ruling on the Second Amendment IS THE LAW OF THE LAND, which means good citizens have the right to carry a concealed handgun in most public places. As such, here is what I’m advising my family, friends, and students, and I’ll share it with you, my fellow martial artists. If you do not own a firearm, go out immediately and buy one legally. Of course, that includes purchasing a safe or lock box to keep children from accessing it. If you have the money, you should own the following firearms: one semi-automatic pistol, a revolver, a shotgun, and a rifle; either a bold action rifle or a semi-automatic rifle. The rule of thumb is don’t buy more weapons than you can carry. This list is a completes an arsenal that allows you to deal with just about any threat. Get professional firearms training. Although firearms are just tools, and no more or no less dangerous than a car, they are still dangerous, and like a car you don’t want to get hurt by it or hurt an innocent person with it. Your training should include legal issues concerning use-of-force, gun safety, range safety, weapons handling, marksmanship, self-defense tactics, and realistic scenario training using airsoft training guns that fire a 6mm plastic projectile. That includes the safety equipment that goes along with it: goggles or face protector. You should be using airsoft training guns anyway for your self-defense training. Even if it’s not me you’re coming to for your training, and I do plenty of them a year for a wide variety of groups, you can certainly email me, and you’ll receive solid advice on finding the right instructor in your area if you’re in the United States. Feel free to email me at info@jimwagnerrealitybased.com Obey all the laws, rules, and regulations currently on the books in your jurisdiction. If where you live requires you to apply for a CCW permit, which is an infringement of your right, it’s still better to do it than not, despite it costing you some time and money. By “going the extra mile,” it may save you some harassment from the local authorities should you ever be stopped and questioned for carrying a handgun. Sadly, many local authorities routinely deny American citizens their Constitutional rights, and they don’t care if the case works its way all the way up through the judicial system. They have the “deep pockets.” Case in point is the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on Kennedy v. Bremerton School District on June 27, 2022, just four days after the Second Amendment decision, making it crystal clear that it was unconstitutional for the school district to forbid, and punish, Coach Joseph Kennedy from publicly praying to God on the high school’s 50-yard line after each football game. They violated his First Amendment right to exercise freedom of religion , and freedom of speech . If for some reason you’re denied your Second Amendment Constitutional right after jumping through all of their hoops, and not for any obvious disqualifiers, you must ask yourself, “Who am I more afraid of, the government or the bad guys?” Then you must decide if you are going to be a free American and “pack” or not. As American martial artists, nobody should be more protective of the right of the people to keep and bear arms than us. After all, those of us who have studied a traditional martial art know better than anyone as to the reason why, based on the traditional martial arts weapons we have been trained in. When ancient warlords confiscated swords and spears from the people, those same people had to resort to using common farm tools to protect themselves, such as the nunchaku, tonfa, and three-sectional staff. Unfortunately, it didn’t just stop with the taking of weapons, but there were prohibitions against studying any form of hand-to-hand combat. That’s how the Brazilian martial art of Capoeira was created. 16th century slaves hid their fighting techniques in what looked like dance moves. History always repeats itself, and the right to carry a firearm in the United States is one of the best ways to BE A HARD TARGET.

What is the difference between average and excellent? This is the question that us martial artists are often faced with as we push towards personal growth. We want to become the best–or at least better–and so we seek to train with the best. Of course, what truly matters is if your training makes you happy and/or fulfills your desires. Nobody volunteers to go to an art class and stays to complain that they aren’t teaching the right things. They love it, learn from it, or leave it. No reason to save space in that lovely noggin for negative thoughts, amirite? But maybe you haven’t yet found a place to train. Perhaps you’re just now getting started on your training journey (congrats!) or you recently lost your previous place of training (er, my condolences!). The struggle is real – finding a trustworthy place to invest your time, energy, and attention isn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination. That’s why you have your Black Belt Magazine family! This article is here to share a few things you can look for in your future dojo-home. These are the things that make a school or club stand out, whether you are looking for Karate or Kung Fu. They aren’t guaranteed to make it the right place to train – that’s something only you can decide – however they certainly do make your martial arts studio a special find Proper Mentality Albert Einstein is purported to have said “everything should be made as simple as possible, yet no simpler”. A great testament to your understanding is your ability to communicate said knowledge to another. This goes double when talking about an idea or concept (such as discipline or courage) and working to impart it to the core of somebody with adolescent understanding (i.e. a child). Whether you teach respect and call it Wu De or a character benefit, the intangible traits of the martial arts can be tough to communicate and instill. A good gauge of an effective teacher is if their classes permeate positive traits in every interaction, be it a group of kids or adults, regardless of if the teacher is around. Some of the most important lessons of the martial arts are about mentality, not your movements. Your respect, self-discipline, and kindness is tested in life much more often than your gyaku-zuki. Time for a blunt opinion; If a class needs a coach in order to act like a martial artist, it might be a stretch to call them martial artists. As a whole, the attitude and performance of students are a testament to the quality of a teacher. Care for the Studio Roughly speaking, you are a sum of your habits. One can only hope your habits include taking out the trash at the end of each day. In order to obtain any measure of skill in any endeavor, you must first put forth the effort. Physical and mental participation is what encourages growth, after all. Problem is, you can’t just do what you love. The skill of discipline you cultivated to grow as a martial artist is a skill shared by every avenue of your life. If you can’t make your damn bed, how can you make yourself into a better version of yourself? Without discipline, a martial artist is only skilled by virtue of the luck that they love this “hobby”. But enough about the intangible, let’s talk about something you can see.Dirt. Dust. Maybe a blood stain or twelve. Cleanliness is a great sign that the teacher and the students care about their training space and carry the discipline to do what needs done. You and your environment aren’t unrelated. Time Management Now onto something that is a bit more procedural. Harkening back to the discussion on discipline, good time management is something you don’t see all of the time in the world of martial arts. Mind you, we are passionate folks and can lose track of the clock when talking about what we love. It takes a certain level of professionalism to see the time on the clock and prioritize the takeaways of the session before calling the end of class out of respect for the students’ time. It’s tough. It’s also possible.Beyond that, it’s a show of respect to the students’ time to be mindful of the clock. Mind you, it’s a different matter if the expectation of the class is already established to be open-ended in regards to time. The professionalism here is that the teacher at least understands themself well enough to not present a false idea of precise time constraints to the class. Appreciation for Other Styles It’s unfortunate yet many martial art fans don’t actually mean it when they say they love all martial arts. The invisible ink written in their proclamation of martial art love is that they actually just love all of their preferred martial arts. Newsflash: you can love full contact sport combat, sport karate, performance arts, weapon training, traditional styles, and everything in between. Appreciation isn’t a limited resource, there’s enough to share with everyone. I’m not saying you need to become polyamorous for all fighting styles. You can love a style without becoming deeply involved in it as an ambassador of the art. Appreciation for a style you don’t agree with or understand doesn’t leash you in as an ambassador of the art. What is outside your preferences can be exactly what another person needs in order to get started or grow. An egotistical blind eye helps nobody. A mature martial artist understands that other viewpoints can coax ideas out of your brain and present new perspectives on your training. This is as true for other styles as it is for other schools. There are still many great training sessions and lessons from schools which don’t always showcase the above attributes. It sounds cheesy, but at the end of the day, the school doesn’t need to be the best ever, it needs to be the best for you. Train hard, smile big, and keep on progressing forward.

A beginner’s guide to the combat cane last article we started with picking a combat cane. After picking a Cane, obviously the next step would be to learn how to use this awesome tool. Before anything else, understand that it takes years of practicing to really understand this tool. Just swinging the cane at an attacker, is not truly understanding the full capacity of this amazing tool. There are so many aspects of the cane. Striking, blocking ground defense, multiple attackers and even when attackers grab you or your cane. Another plus of the cane is the fact that you can carry the cane anywhere including courtrooms, airplanes and even the White House which makes the cane the perfect personal protection device. But my opinion, situational awareness is the most important part of your training. If you’re oblivious to what is going on around you, or being somewhere that is kind of sketchy and you put yourself in certain situations because you think you know how to defend yourself, you will learn very quickly that no matter how much training you have, you can also become a victim. Statistics say that an attack happens every thirteen seconds in the USA. Just two years ago it was thirty eight seconds, which means things are getting a lot worse and it is even more likely that you will be victim of an attack this year. This alone, makes it that much more important to train and practice all types of scenarios. Learn and practice defense from the front, side and back. Train against weapons and in small spaces, including stairways and cars. Another great tip, DO NOT look like a victim. Carry yourself in a way that makes you look confident and not an easy target. Understand that humans are a lot like the animal world. You will never see a predator attacking a strong and ready to fight victim. Predators don’t want a fight, they want an easy target. If you look like a target and act like a target most likely you will become one as well. Keep your head up and be alert. Look everyone in the eye and look strong. I’m not saying that by doing all of this that you will never be a victim of a crime, but you will defiantly increase your odds of getting home to see your family again. After teaching for over twenty eight years I’ve learned to keep it simple. Numbering the parts of the body is a simple and effective way to help students learn and retain information. So see the picture below for reference. Targets of cane or stick strikes include all joints, head, neck and ANY bone, including the tops of the hands and feet. The cane will simply destroy these targets. The crook of the cane can be used for striking to the throat, solar plexus or groin. The shaft of the cane can be used to strike down on the arms, strike to the throat or face and it can also be used to strike to the chest to push away an attacker. The tip of the cane can be very effective when striking the throat, solar plexus, and groin. The tip can also be very painful when striking the top of the feet. So lets discuss these targets in depth. Before we start just remember that each state has its own laws regarding your rights in defending yourself. Unfortunately in today’s age, when defending yourself, you WILL most likely be sued and maybe even arrested, so make sure when you defend yourself there is no question that it is a life or death situation. Striking Points The top of the head: or I call, the RED ZONE. This strike although very effective, again is most likely going to do grave harm so use in life and death situations. The right or left side of the neck: (from the bottom of the ear to bottom of the neck.) This is also part of the RED ZONE. This strike will drop an attacker very quickly and possibly cause permanent damage or DEATH. The TOP of right or left Shoulder Bone: Striking this point will break the Shoulder causing the attacker not only great pain, but will also cause the arm to be useless. The left or right elbows: Striking either elbow will cause the attacker great pain and to automatically drop any weapon and could possibly break the arm. The right or left wrist: This point is very effective especially if the attacker is holding a weapon. The TOPS of the hands: If an attacker grabs you, use the shaft of the cane to press or strike the hands will cause the attacker to release you or a weapon he might be holding. The Right or Left Knee: Striking the knee will cause the attacker to fall to the ground. After you start to escape he will not be able to follow you. The tops of the feet: If grabbed from the front or back, by using the tip of the cane to stab down on top of the feet will cause the attacker to let go, giving you a follow up shot to one or more of the previous points. Groin: By striking with any part of the cane hard enough with not only stop an attacker but will most likely disable him. Solar Plexus: By using the tip of the cane, if hit accurately will cause attacker to loose breath stopping the attack. The throat: Part of the RED ZONE, striking an attacker here with any part of the cane will cause ANY attacker to drop. This strike should only be used in life and death situations. Striking the Ankles while standing may cause you to become in range of the attacker so use caution. But striking the ankles of the attacker after he falls to the ground will keep the attacker down and unable to get up and attack you again. These Striking points are only a guideline. Cane techniques are countless. ALL parts of this tool can be used to strike and cause serious damage to attackers. Remember, every state has its own self defense laws, so please check your state and as always, be safe.

The martial arts of karate and kickboxing are among nine sports invited to make a presentation asking for inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Along with cricket, motorsport, baseball-softball, lacrosse, break dancing, squash and flag football, karate and kickboxing will make their case to the Los Angeles 2028 organizing committee later this month. Not invited to offer a presentation, though they were recognized by the International Olympic Committee last year, were sambo and muay Thai. Karate was included in the 2020 Tokyo Games but left off the roster for the upcoming 2024 Paris Games after receiving much criticism for its showing in Tokyo, in particular a disappointing men's heavyweight gold medal match that saw Iran's Sajjad Ganjzadeh claim the title after being knocked out by a kick. Kickboxing, under the jurisdiction of the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations, has never been included in the Olympics.

I think I was in the third grade when I discovered that I could drag my feet across the carpet and deliver an electric shock through touch. After an obnoxious rally of shocks between classmates, the novelty soon wore off. Later, I learned that electricity was a part of our biology. The synapses in the brain and the use of a defibrillator to start the heart were just some examples. (Incidentally, by high school, I had completely given up shocking unsuspecting classmates.) There is electricity in our body and thus there is energy in our body. Perhaps it was a small leap for some, and too large a leap for others, that has left a chasm of varied understanding and belief when it comes to the legend of chi. What is Chi? Most people, whether or not they are practitioners of Chinese medicine or students of Chinese martial arts, have heard of chi (Also spelled qi and known as ki in Japanese arts.) Suffice it to say that chi is the name of the life force energy that is said to reside in everyone. The claims regarding the power of chi can vary from the modest to the fantastic. My own experience with chi was in my first Kung Fu class when the instructor talked about the flow of energy and how it was something we could utilize for power. My mind raced. My thoughts went all the way back to 1977 and my pudgy, impressionable 9-year-old self, as I thought of the force in Star Wars . “My god it's real!” My teacher, no doubt, reading my expression informed me that I wouldn’t be able to replicate the incredibly dramatic feats of the Jedi or the Sith…or could I? The Mystical  The expression of art, be it visual arts, music, writing, or acting, seems to have similar ideas about tapping into a mystical life force and unleashing a powerful version of the artist's creative thought. The modern dance innovator, Isadora Duncan provides a compelling example. In Duncan’s autobiography, My Life , she describes her method of accessing the energy: “For hours I would stand quite still, my two hands folded between my breasts, covering the solar plexus.” (Duncan 59, 60) Duncan goes on to further delineate her process and differentiate it from the technique of ballet, “I…sought the source of spiritual expression to flow into the channels of the body, filling it with vibrating light ­­­– the centrifugal force reflecting the spirit’s vision.” (Duncan 60) Finally, she began to refine her system. “After many months, when I learned to concentrate all my force to this one Centre, I found that thereafter when I listened to music the rays and vibrations of the music streamed to this one fount of light within me – there they reflected themselves in Spiritual Vision, not the brain’s mirror, but the soul’s, and from this vision I could express them in dance.” (Duncan 60) It certainly seems like Duncan was describing something akin to chi. Energy in the body is directed by a creative intention, but also unifying and flowing with this force, and it creates a unique result. Hmm, can it be channeled into a punch? (See part 2)

Masks, secret identities, and plenty of action are all part of the HBO Max series Titans. Titans is a slice of the DC Universe with a mix of characters (Nightwing, Superboy, Wonder Girl, Raven, Beast Boy, and Starfire) that are highly skilled or super-powered. Whether it is Nightwing dealing out justice with punches and kicks, or Beast Boy transforming into any number of creatures and defending against a legion of henchmen, someone has to make all that action look good on the screen. For Titans , the one who makes the incredible action look epic is Stunt Coordinator, Brian Ho. I spoke with Ho about the challenges of making one of the best superhero-action series around, and how he found himself in the world of kicking and punching with comic book legends. The Origin Story For Brian Ho, the seed was planted long ago that helped shape his future. “Ever since I was a kid I loved action movies and martial arts,” said Ho. “I was born in Hong Kong, and my dad liked a lot of the Hong Kong action, so I would watch all those movies with my dad all the time. I’ve always wanted to do martial arts: Kung Fu, Karate, Jiu-Jitsu, Jeet Kune Do from Bruce Lee. It’s just that I didn’t get a chance, until I was about 10, to study Karate here in Vancouver.” A black belt in Karate and Wushu, Ho has accumulated knowledge of many other arts while working in film and television over the years, including Tae Kwon Do, Kickboxing, Krav Maga, and an assortment of weapons from the spear to kama. Having a lot of technical skills is important, but there is more to it than that, when it comes to breaking into the competitive film and television industry, as Ho tells, “I was in University at the time, and my friend said: Hey, this wushu school has an open house. Do you want to come check it out? I’m like, yeah, cool, I’m looking for a new thing to do… so I went and checked it out and enjoyed it, but half the people there were competitive wushu practitioners, and the other half were like mostly film people, like stunt doubles, actors, actresses, whatnot. So, after a few years of just hanging around them, they asked me if I wanted to come for an audition, and I went and did it and got it, and got the next one. And then it was just kind of right place, right time. It snowballed into this crazy movie career.” In addition to being a versatile martial artist, Ho had a unique skill that helped get him started. “Back then I was probably one of the first trickers in Canada. That opened a lot of doors because I could do the flips and the acrobatic kicks and that would get you past the audition stage.” Action!! As the Stunt Coordinator, Ho is the one that makes sure the action looks exciting. It’s no easy task when you have characters with a range of abilities from martial arts expertise to god-like powers akin to mythology. What does Ho do when presented with a group of thugs trying to take down the team of superheroes? First, stick to the facts in the Titans’ universe. “We try to stay true, for one, to the character’s powers and abilities. It’s easy to just gloss over certain things to make things convenient. We try to keep those things consistent.” Ho breaks down the sequence of events for creating the action on Titans : “ The whole process is: read the script, design the fight. We’ll show the director and the producer, and say, “Hey, this is our idea,” yea or ney? We’ll have a discussion about it and then from there, we’ll shoot a pre-viz (visualisation) and deliver that product. And once that’s approved, then we start training the actors.” While it's always a good idea to have a plan, no matter what you do, and show business is no different, the ability to adjust and adapt is just as important as punching and kicking, as Ho points out, “You got to roll with the punches in this industry. It’s never like: hey this is the plan, and nothing is going to change. Things always change and it’s how you can roll with them and adapt to it that makes the job easier.” Rolling with the punches includes having a team that can roll with you. Ho describes how he likes to work, “I like to have a very solid team, and everyone on the team is multi-talented. Because, if someone can’t do something, someone can jump in. Let’s say I’m coordinating this episode, but they’re doing pick-up shots for another episode somewhere else. I need another fight coordinator, that I can trust to go take care of that, while I’m doing this. Or someone’s going to location scout with a meeting while we’re shooting. You need to have a solid team where everyone can do multiple positions. And if you have that, then it is very easy to get things done.” Titans of the Future What does it take to work in film and television as a stunt person and/or aspiring stunt coordinator? Ho spells it out and shares his experience with others to help move the knowledge forward. “It’s not just the guy who can do the best martial arts, the best flips. It’s, hey, can he also teach his actor? Is he a good teacher? Can he communicate well with people? Is he good on set? Can he cover coordinate for you if you need it? I try to teach some of the guys, the newer guys, stuff like that, because when they move on they will have those extra skills. Because, if they don’t learn now, no one else is going to teach them, right?” With three action-packed seasons available now, and an exciting fourth season currently in development to be released later in the year, Titans is proving to be one of the DC Universe’s most promising collections of legendary characters on the small screen. What can fans look forward to in season four? “There are new villains this year. In episode one there’s a cool fight. That’ll be a nice season opener.” And what about beyond the new season ? “I really hope the audience enjoys this fourth season. We’ve really put a lot of work into it. I’d love to do a fifth, I know my team would.” Check out season 4 on HBO Max this fall.

At a martial art school somewhere in America… Instructor: “All right! Ready to get signed up?” Student: “You bet. I can’t wait to become a lethal, but humble, weapon!” Instructor : “Awesome. I love your enthusiasm. Go ahead and sign this waiver, and then we’ll get you on your way to being a humb…leth…a weapon.” Student: “Awesome. I’ll go ahead and…hey, it says something about injury or death? I have to go to work tomorrow, so…” Instructor: “It’s pretty standard, really. I don’t think you’re going to have to worry about anything, it just means you’re accepting the risk of training.” Student: (continues scanning paper) Hmm, let me think about it.” Martial arts are a great outlet for stress, excellent exercise, fun, mentally stimulating, and a source of lifelong learning and personal growth. They also have the potential for injury and should be practiced safely. That said, people often either take safety too lightly, or are so worried about getting hurt that they become paralyzed with fear, and may never train at all. Neither extreme is good. As with most things in life, the middle way is best. Accidents will Happen It is important to point out, right at the beginning, that most things in life are potentially dangerous. From possible accidents, while driving our cars to slipping and falling while taking a shower, we all face the risk of injury every day. Throughout my more than 30 years of training, I have sustained a few injuries, but only one was serious: a broken clavicle. It was quite a wake-up call, that’s for sure. Safety became more important to me after that experience, and while I wanted rigorous, challenging, training, I wanted to be able to train without injury as much as possible. How Can You Practice Martial Arts Safely? Every martial art has its own particular risks, and because of that, I think you should choose the one you like and take all of the precautions you can to train smart and safe. When it comes to safety, the best place to start is with the instructor. Ultimately, the head instructor sets the tone and establishes the culture of how people train together in the school. If you are looking for a new school and you attend or observe a class, watching the teacher can tell you a lot about them. Pay attention to how the students treat each other as well. I’ve witnessed classes where someone was getting out of hand and the instructor dealt with it swiftly. There have been other times when the instructor either didn’t notice or didn’t seem to care. Depending on how you like to train, that may be a factor. (I know which school I would prefer.) Here are some things to consider regarding studying safely, whether you are looking for a new school or assessing where you currently train. Does the school have a culture of no pain no gain? I knew someone that was training at a school that primarily focused on full-contact competition, but the student was just training recreationally. It was a bad fit. In a short amount of time, the student incurred a serious injury that lasted for years. Sadly, it was preventable, but the student didn’t stop and opt out of the training until it was too late. You have to do what is best for you. You are your own best advocate. Is the teacher conscious of safety? Do they encourage using mats and pads when appropriate? Is there adequate supervision of the class? Tempers can flare quickly in some sparring/free practice situations. A teacher or assistant keeping things from getting out of control is important. Are children and adults training together? There are occasions where this may be acceptable, but for the most part, and with most arts, they should be separate. Are there a lot of injuries in the class? While injuries are always a possibility, if they are a regular occurrence there may be an issue with the way things are being taught. How do you feel about your training? Do you have concerns about training safely? If so, it is best to speak with the head instructor and allow them the opportunity to address them. Risk The way a student wants to train is up to them. What may be deemed an acceptable risk can vary widely among students and teachers alike, even within the same art. Some students I have spoken with over the years were uncomfortable with certain techniques or practices within a school but went along with them anyway because they felt there was no other option. It is important to remember that people, for the most part, only have the power over you that you give them, and it can be revoked at any time. Always look out for yourself. There should be a better chance that you will leave your class with a spring in your step, because you are enjoying what you are doing, rather than limping to your car for a trip to the emergency room. Train hard, smart, and safe.

Ever since the proposed 2022 NASKA rule changes were released, then quickly recalled due to complaints about the extremely short time frame between the changes and the AKA Warrior Cup, there has been a lot of positive discussion about how sport karate can change for the better. Much of this conversation revolved around creative forms/weapons because that is where the most substantial proposed rule changes existed, but there have been beneficial discussions around the internet concerning virtually every division. Active competitors, champions of the past, coaches, and parents alike have all chimed in. Some opinions are hotly debated, and there are some thoughts that seem almost universally agreed upon. There is no solution that everyone will be pleased with, but at the crossroads our beloved sport has reached I feel that any change at all shows a desire to improve and make the sport better for our competitors. With that said, I thought it would be helpful to list three ideas that I personally agree with and I am interested to know if others agree. This article is meant to elicit positive discussion, and I appreciate anyone who takes the time to contribute whether you agree with me or not. Clearly Define "Creative" and make CMX Runoffs an Open Division The leading gripe with creative forms under the current NASKA rules is that it is not very clear why certain moves are considered “creative” and other moves are considered “extreme”. I believe that a rule should be written that doesn’t have exceptions. If a competitor’s head goes below their hips while both feet are in the air, then it is a disqualification. If a competitor rotates more than 360 degrees in the air, they are disqualified. It doesn’t matter what they were trying to do, or if they landed to the knee or not, or if the move has a name that suggests more rotation than is actually performed. What matters is what the competitor actually does. An opinion I have shared often is that I have a problem with the difficulty discrepancy in the CMX forms grand championships. In weapons, it is not as big of a deal because the difficulty gap can be covered with weapons manipulations. In forms, due to the necessary restrictions on tricking in the creative division, it is very difficult for the creative division winner to match the difficulty of their extreme and musical opponents. I actually liked the proposed rule change of allowing more rotation in the creative division to make it easier to close the difficulty gap, but I also understand a lot of people were displeased with this idea. Instead, why don’t we just remove the restrictions in the runoffs? A competitor could qualify for the grand championship by winning the creative division, then would be given a fair shake at winning the runoff by having the option to add more difficult tricks to their form. If we allow competitors to add music to non-musical divisions in the runoff, why can’t we let them add more tricking to level the playing field too? In the adult divisions, where creative winners often go straight to the finals without a runoff, this would enhance the quality and competitiveness of the night show and thus provide more entertainment value. Establish Choreography as a Primary Scoring Criteria in Musical Divisions Very few forms in modern sport karate are truly choreographed to the music. The vast majority of competitors bow on the exact same remixed beats when they walk into the ring, then hit some poses to a very similar set of “clashes”, and proceed to turn their song into background music for the rest of the form. However, we can’t blame the competitors for this because the judges reward this style of form. As I have always said, the competitors will always do whatever it is that wins. The good news is that we can fix it by placing a new emphasis on choreography in the way the rules are written. The current NASKA rule states, "The movements of the form must be accented by and performed in conjunction with specific beats, notes, or words in the music. Simply performing your form with the same rhythm or cadence of a song is not satisfactory." The spirit of prioritizing choreography is obviously already present, but not enforced. If the rules more clearly establish that choreography will be the first factor considered by the judges, then competitors with more well-choreographed forms consistently win the division as a result, it won’t take much time for the majority of athletes to make the adjustment. I also feel that judges should be reminded by the center referee that choreography is the primary criteria before the division starts. This will help the rule be enforced and is a practice that is already in place for extreme divisions, where most center referees remind the side judges that competitors are required to invert or spin more than 360 degrees in the air. The other benefit of prioritising choreography in musical forms is that it will make these forms look different from the creative and extreme forms. I believe the reason so many competitors simply use background music is because choreographing to specific beats would slow the pace of their form down too much. If competitors are forced to use choreography to have a chance to win, they won’t have a choice but to adjust their pacing and this will likely have a downstream impact on the way their forms are constructed in the first place. Provide Equal Opportunities Across Styles in the Traditional Divisions Japanese kata have dominated the NASKA circuit for over a decade now, and that in and of itself is not a problem. We have had great Japanese/Okinawan-style champions including Leiker, Torres, Castro, Stowell, and more. When you have that many outstanding competitors over a long stretch, they are going to win most of the overall grands. The issue is not that Japanese is what wins the grands, it is that there are more opportunities to compete with a Japanese form than any other style. Traditional Challenge has been a great innovation for our sport, as it brought increased quality to the Japanese division that has substantially upgraded the level of competition. However, the quirky name comes from the fact that this was originally a specialty division at the AmeriKick Internationals that was later adopted as a NASKA division. The division is not a unique sideshow anymore, and it should be normalized as a regular division. I believe that the Traditional Challenge rules should be copied and pasted directly into the Japanese/Okinawan division rules, and that be the only specialized Japanese/Okinawan division. Eliminating one division means that we now have room for one more, Open Traditional Forms. By having an open traditional forms category, you give every style an extra opportunity to compete. Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Kenpo competitors would all be welcome in the open traditional division. There would also be downstream positive impact on the youth divisions, where many competitors feel Korean or Chinese forms don’t have a chance, as they would see these styles being competitive in the adult divisions. Additionally, this would allow hybrid or modified traditional forms to make a comeback on the circuit. I know hybridized/modified kata is a polarizing topic, but I feel it is an important part of sport karate’s history. Without that kind of form, NASKA legends like Suzann Wanckett, William Cornell, John Su, Scott Wu, Gabe Reynaga, and others may have never flourished. Whether you like that style or not, if we are going to pride our sport on being open to all styles of forms, then the hybrid/modified traditional form should have a home too. While we are on the topic of traditional, it is also important to address the weapons divisions. Since I have been involved in sport karate, and frankly as far back as I can research on YouTube, NASKA traditional weapons has always favored a faster-paced more contemporary style of performance. Very rarely does a true traditional Kobudo performance win a traditional weapons division. That is why I feel there should be a Classical Traditional Weapons division, in addition to the Open Traditional Weapons division. The open division parallels my suggestion of an Open Traditional Forms division and is where the contemporary style forms would call home. The classical division would allow our sport to showcase more eku, tonfa, sai forms, and beyond. We could also see an increase in old-school traditional bo forms with inch-thick, un-tapered staffs and maybe even some Iaido-style sword forms. Again, this would contribute to our sport truly being "open" to all styles of martial arts.

Martial arts have long been touted as a way to gain confidence, discipline, self-awareness, and mastery of body/mind stability. As a mental health counselor, coach, and recreational martial artist myself, I often will recommend martial arts to clients as part of their treatment plan as it promotes mindfulness, confidence, healthy coping behaviors and solid social connections. Martial artists often consider themselves practitioners for life and being a martial artist becomes a strong part of their identity. But what happens when a young student starts to associate the majority of their identity with being a martial artist and making the unconscious connection that it is because of their excellence as a martial artist that they are getting their basic needs met (according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs) such as love/belonging, esteem, safety/security, meaning/purpose. This can result in the student taking on an unnecessary pressure at a young age to perform at a high level and failure to do so might have them believing they are putting one or more of their basic needs in jeopardy. For example, we want to avoid young martial artists thinking “my family/friends love me because I’m a martial artist”. Sport karate athletes in particular train vigorously up to 3-4 hours daily in order to have a chance to compete and obtain that championship trophy at various competitions throughout the year around the globe. They aspire to join an elite sponsored team and constantly subject themselves to judging from beginning to end of their tournament career as well as constant comparisons to their competitors both within their team and with outside competition. Thus, without a strong mental training program, what once started out as a lighthearted, recreational activity as fun now has the potential to be the cause of immense stress. Endorsements, television/film/social media opportunities, and scholarships are on the line. The person is more than a martial artist at this point, now they become a performance athlete with all the pressures both internally/externally that go along with it. So, how can we prevent burnout and keep young sport karate athletes safe? Coaches - Make the environment a supportive one. Think Miyagi-Do as opposed to Cobra Kai. Praise the individual for accomplishments outside of martial arts so they start to associate themselves with getting their basic needs met, not solely from their training, also for their community participation, role in the family dynamic, academic achievements, and positive traits as a person. This is where the shameless plug comes in, as we encourage coaches, parents, and athletes to take the Grand Slam Mind (GSM) Athlete Wellness Assessment. GSM Athlete Wellness Assessment Respond with: never, sometimes, often , majority of the time Do I think people will be disappointed in me if I am not an athlete? Do I avoid social/family events in favor of practice? Do I struggle to define myself without my sport? Do I place all of my value in relation to my sport? Do I see a future for myself without my sport? Do I spend 5+ hours a day focusing on my sport? Do you ever wish you could take a break from your sport? I feel like escaping from my daily practice routines? I feel like I can talk to others about my sports related concerns? I feel like my coaches/parents will understand if I need a break? End of Assessment To the athletes and their families, seek a performance coach to manage stressors that arise from competition and training. The Grand Slam Mindset Training Program offers individual sessions with athletes, coaches, and parents to tailor a program to ensure optimal functioning both on and off the mat. Remember, students, allow yourself time to be a kid and take time to connect with friends/family/other interests. Finally, turn short term losses into long term wins and learn how a champion processes their emotions through the GSM Productive Processing Checklist: The athlete processes their feelings/emotions and are allowed to vent frustrations after competition. They work with their performance coach/parent to gain insight into what they felt went differently than they would've liked and how to improve. Make a tangible game-plan of the ways both on and off the mat they will grow from this experience. The athlete will label their feelings that remain (anger, sadness, anxiety). The athlete will identify their needs/wants to help alleviate symptoms of (anger, anxiety, etc.). The athlete will learn to soothe themselves and transform this experience to grow more confident as a martial artist and person. In conclusion, although we would love for you to use the resources made available by Grand Slam Mind, the primary purpose of this article is to raise awareness about the mental health challenges that many young martial artists face and to present some strategies to combat these issues. Mental health is a common subject of discussion in today’s world, but stigmas surrounding martial artists being naturally physically and mentally tough sometimes make it difficult to have the conversation in this space. We hope that this information helps start some of those necessary discussions, and will help improve mental well-being for young martial artists around the world.