Search Results

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.

When a prospective student walks into a jiu-jitsu academy, what they witness will most likely be a bit overwhelming. And once they step on the mats, the learning curve is exceptionally steep. Learning any new skill takes time and patience, but with jiu-jitsu , the new student has to learn tolerance. They must tolerate closeness with strangers and all that comes with it, including smells, exposure to sweat, and even their own self-consciousness. They have to learn to tolerate a way of being touched and handled that is not, contrary to its nickname, the gentle art. And while they learn technique, they also have to learn to navigate a new set of manners which are integral to building trust with their new training partners. Jiu-Jitsu social skills Perhaps the most important social skill that students must develop during their time on the mats is the balance in training with different partners. Everyone has a different mind and body and so no two rolls are ever exactly the same. Eventually, we find consistent, or even favorite training partners with whom we have solid back-and-forth battles with, and whom we are totally comfortable asking questions. We might even hang out in 50/50 while discussing a topic completely unrelated to jiu-jitsu, totally forgetting the intimacy of our physical positioning. Judgment in BJJ We are, if lucky, also regularly challenged to roll with new training partners. Upon initial assessment, we have only our eyes to rely upon to form judgment. We can usually tell if they are male or female, estimate their weight class and age, and their rank. Quickly, and without conscious thought, we size ourselves up in comparison to them. Do I have any advantages over this person? Do they have any over me? Do I need to take it easy on them? Are they going to destroy me? Am I comfortable rolling with this person? These judgments exist for a reason, and as much as we (hopefully) try to be a non-judgmental person in the outside world, on the mat, we are faced with direct reality where truth is immediately revealed. When the roll begins, our assessments are challenged. Anyone who does jiu-jitsu knows that you cannot get the full measure of an opponent based on the information gathered by your eyes. You can only trust touch. In other words, never underestimate an opponent. A BJJ GYM Owner’s Perspective (Alison Thurston and Victor Bazzani) In order to gain some insight and advice on the topic of finding balance with various training partners, I sat down for discussions with two experienced gym owners. Alison Thurston and Victor Bazzani, both Dedeco Black Belts, own successful schools in the New England area, which are particularly known for retaining female practitioners. Any female grappler can attest to this being a good sign; and not only for women. A school where the women are comfortable is a school where everyone is comfortable. It means the environment is healthy overall. Philosophy for students… Alison Alison is the head coach of her academy and, for obvious reasons, sets the tone immediately for her students. The white belt men begin their jiu-jitsu journey under the authority of a woman. Alison believes that keeping male and female grapplers separate for rolls is safer for everyone and she attributes the success of her academy to this philosophy. There are exceptions to this rule, as there are upper belt men who she feels comfortable assigning to her female students. And in general, she prefers assigning every roll. When a student begins at her academy, they are not allowed to grapple until she gives the OK. She feels that the right to grapple with other students is something that is earned and that this is the foundation with which she builds respect on the mats. Philosophy for female students Victor has a different philosophy regarding his female students. He has an optional female pod which he facilitates two nights a week. In general, women are always free to only train with women if that is their preference. But on Tuesday and Thursday nights, there is an understanding that women will at least begin their rolls with the other women in order to provide those who only want to roll with women a chance to get in some rolls. “Maybe,” he explains, “they don’t want a man they don’t know on top of them for whatever reason. If you provide a place where they can train with other women, that is better than the alternative, which is where they do not train at all.” Like Alison, Victor believes that fostering an environment that is comfortable, begins at the top. “I have some very tough athletes who might look intimidating,” he explains, “but they really just want to teach people. This breeds a sub-culture that continues because the instructors at our school are focused on our students getting better. It’s an arrangement.” Trust in BJJ Trust must also be built between training partners of different rank. When I was a white belt, I often sought out purple belts for rolls, feeling confident they would challenge me without hurting me. As a blue belt, I find that I now have regular competitive rolls with white, blue, and purple belts. And I can typically feel a strong difference between each rank. Brown and black belts really let me work, clearly not giving a full effort unless they need to escape a submission, which they most likely allowed me to access in the first place. Rolling with partners of different rank Victor’s philosophy on training with partners of different rank and skill levels is based on what he calls timing. “If you’re going to roll with a person and you have an advantage in any category, you roll with them technically, but you dial back your timing so that you can let them see the move coming. If they are doing well, you can increase your timing. So, if you are going to hit a scissor sweep and they are new, you will not do it with the same timing as you would someone of your equal level. The same may be true if you roll with a much older grappler or a female if you are a male.” On this note, the opposite may be true. “If you underestimate them, you can adjust within the roll and increase your timing.” Consent within jiu-jitsu Alison emphasized the importance of consent within jiu-jitsu, in general. “You don’t have to roll with someone. You have the right and opportunity to say ‘No, thank you.’ Maybe, because I am a black belt, I have no problem saying that I will not roll with someone on a particular day. Whereas a blue belt might have a harder time saying that. I stress this to my women. At any time, you can decline a roll… you can tap any time. It doesn’t have to be for a submission. A tap is a safe way of saying enough andisn’t necessarily a bad thing. You need to learn to tap often and for all different reasons. The beautiful thing about jiu-jitsu is that we have choices. It’s an art that gives us confidence and power. We can choose who we roll with. We can tap. That’s powerful.” For those who want to become trustworthy training partners, this important balance is one we each must figure out. Every roll is an opportunity for us to learn and to teach. And in order to do both, we must respect our partners. Respect their bodies as well as their feelings. Communicate openly about your needs and ask about theirs. If you have an impending competition, feel free to verbalize this before a roll. Ask your partner if you can go hard with each other. If you are nursing an injury, make it known so they can adjust their game. In life, we are told to obey the golden rule. Treat others as you would like to be treated. In jiu-jitsu, this means trying to choke your friends as you would like them to try and choke you. But it also means ensuring that everyone is well enough to roll again tomorrow.

I believe that all human beings are martial artists. Some of us have embraced the artist's way and others are latent with potential. But who were we before we were martial artists? We could just as easily ask when humans first brushed their teeth. In fact, historians believe we started brushing our teeth approximately 5000 years ago, during the same period certain exercises were being developed to prevent disease. Yoga was in full creation to purify the spirit, and teeth cleaning was becoming a thing. Teeth cleaning and yoga are valuable disciplines. Notably, they demonstrate how our species, diverging from our neanderthal relatives, made an important commitment to care for our physical health. So who were those early humans and why is this relevant for us now, in the 21st century? Our ancient martial art ancestors had war to confront. They had famine. They had lands and clans to protect. There were very real reasons for combat, weapons, self-protection, and self-defense. These male and female ancestors also handed down practices to keep our spirits clean and our minds sharp. Women in combat were just as important as men, if not more, because women guarded the home, often concealing weapons within their clothing. If they had to use them it meant the men on the battle ground had not survived. The practice of preparing for battle became an art. By definition, a Martial Artist is a person who is skilled in a war- like trade, occupation, or in this day and age, hobby. But we also know that a martial artist has an understanding of etiquette, of lineage, of discipline, of study. We know and have experienced that to be a martial artist is to understand humility, to keep a strong and fluid body and mind, to walk quietly until it’s time to act. We know we must keep a low profile and check our ego at the door. We understand that bowing is an ancient tradition honoring the master and teacher. We know that being a martial artist is a way of life. We could say that since the first human ancestor arrived, some 5-7 million years ago, our species has had a martial arts template laid out for us. We had to survive. We had to hunt. We had to protect our family. We had to evolve, a process that requires acute attention to internal and external stressors. The development of wisdom teeth took eons and now we are finding baby humans being born without them. Individual discernment contributes to the evolution of our species. If that is not martial arts, I’m not sure what is! The main difference between then and now is our ability to be conscious and to self-reflect. It is our ability to learn, our willingness to adapt, the magical ability of our mind to cling to the past, jump into a made-up future and then bring it back to the present, that makes us human. “Simply to let the world know that our country has always been a land of hero-sages.”-Yi-Kyu-bo, 1168-1241, quote from Master Barry Harmon’s book, 5000 years of Korean Martial Arts. While this quote is from thousands of years ago, I think it is relevant today because it reminds us that people, and martial artists in particular, have always had the capacity to respond, to find inner stillness, to listen to the whispers in the wind, and to assess the next best move. To put things in perspective, at one point there were no humans with eyes on planet earth. Some 100 billion years ago there was no sight. So to say today that the “sea is blue” is an awareness that is offered because we have eyes. Before then, concepts like a blue sea were latent. Seas were there, ready to be blue, but only full of potential at this point. I believe that all human beings are martial artists. But some of us have embraced the artist's way and others are still pre-sight, latent with potential. We are still evolving. No matter what your sacred martial arts training has been,(and if you are new to martial arts and just embarking on this life- changing practice you can connect to your lineage too) some time approximately 5000 years ago the rise of martial arts began. We have been martial artists as long as we have been brushing our teeth. Now, more than ever, we humans have the opportunity to evolve as martial artists. We are at war with our planet. We need a global tribe of martial artists, perhaps even the last of our species, to come together and assess the next, best move.

A great artist is measured not just by his fame or even his achievements; he’s measured by his influence on others. Fame alone is nothing. An artist can be well-known for quality work or infamous for terrible work. Achievements are similar. A man can spend a lifetime creating technically amazing things, but his list of achievements is as inspiring as an accountant’s ledger. Influence is different. Great artists make people want to be artists. This is taken from literary theory — specifically, the work of literary critic Harold Bloom — but it applies to the martial arts, too. Just like Bloom’s “strong poets” who influence all subsequent poets, we have our collection of martial artists whose influence permeates certain arts. For example, karate was never the same after Mas Oyama created kyokushin, and contemporary grappling arts are infused with the strategies and techniques of Jigoro Kano’s judo. But in our time, only one martial artist has achieved an influence that spans everything: Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee’s influence is everywhere in the martial arts. It’s in everyone who studies a traditional art and chafes against its restrictions. It’s in our easy acceptance of cross-training. Indeed, it’s in our pluralist attitude toward martial truth that allows us to study different styles and learn things from each of them. Even when you turn your attention to sport fighting and reality-based self-defense, you can see Lee’s influence. It’s evident in the way MMA focuses on functional technique while still trying to be a martial art, and in combatives it’s evident because jeet kune do is part of the lineage of pioneers such as Jim Wagner. But Bruce Lee’s influence extends outside the martial arts, too. In the film world, he embodies the martial arts. For years after he died, Hong Kong moviemakers churned out pale imitations of Lee’s now-classic films. No Retreat, No Surrender took it one step further, making Lee’s ghost a major character. The influence of the “Little Dragon” showed up in mainstream films, as well. For example, Eddie Murphy said in interviews that he was imitating Lee in 48 Hrs. during scenes in which he’s stalking the bad guy. Bruce Lee also has been an enduring pop-culture figure. Sometimes it’s subtle — like Urge Overkill singer/guitarist Nash Kato borrowing the name of Lee’s Green Hornet character for the stage and calling one of the band’s albums Exit the Dragon. Sometimes it’s ironic — like Mark Wahlberg’s Bruce Lee-idolizing adult-film star in Boogie Nights. Lee’s influence is in all these things, but most of all, it’s in the millions of people who’ve seen his movies or read his books and said, “I want to do that!” His particular combination of martial arts, philosophy and kung fu theater was exactly what they were looking for, and it sent them on a million martial arts journeys. Influence like that isn’t necessarily benign, however. Bloom’s literary theory is about the anxiety of influence. That is, great poets inspire people to love poetry and write it themselves. But the great poets’ work is so powerful and compelling that it suppresses the creativity of new poets, and that’s why most poetry is derivative and weak. Only the strongest poets manage to create something original. Again, the martial arts are similar. You can see the humbling influence of Lee in all the eclectic styles that have been launched since the 1970s but never really went far. They all claimed to meld the best of many styles into one great style, but they wound up being less compelling than jeet kune do. You also can see it in the would-be martial philosophers like me, who try to write something compelling and original. Whatever seemingly new ideas or approaches we have, a little research usually shows Lee was there first. Only time will tell how long Bruce Lee’s influence will last in the martial arts. But while it does last, ambitious martial artists can’t avoid it. They have to find a way to extend or surpass the truths of jeet kune do. It’s what Lee had to do when confronted with the genius of wing chun kung fu. First he developed a modified version and called it Jun Fan gung fu, but it was too derivative. So he further developed it into jeet kune do. Anyone who wants to be a great martial artist will have to overcome that edifice of deep thought and functional technique and build something even better.

The Controversial - At the time I started studying martial arts in 1990, there were mainly just stories of incredible feats by martial art masters, or occasional grainy VHS footage, usually of a master shrugging off a scrum of assailants with ease. Now, with the seemingly infinite library of YouTube, there is an endless array of fantastical videos of “documented” evidence of chi masters doing what was previously only seen in movies. Undoubtedly, the reader has seen some of these videos as well. A touch, like the Vulcan death grip, sends an opponent to the ground helpless. A stern expression and shaking hands send invisible waves of energy at a group of participants that, as if on cue, fall over like bowling pins. For some, seeing is believing, for others the famous quote from Carl Sagan seems appropriate: “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” The chi-knockout or “no-touch knockout” is quite possibly one of the most polarizing expressions of chi. It is the holy grail of belief for some and a bridge too far for others. (both excellent movies by the way) When talking about chi in martial arts, no discussion can exclude George Dillman (10th-degree black belt in Ryukyu Kempo Tomari-te). Dillman spoke to me about how chi works and the now infamous National Geographic video. “It does exist. It is for real,” Dillman stated, unequivocally, when asked about chi. Although chi is usually connected with martial arts, Dillman attributed harnessing chi energy with enhanced performance for non-martial art athletes as well, “You don’t need to be a martial artist. Baseball players, basketball players – You think Michael Jordan could go up into the air and float, like unbelievably toward the basket, put the ball in, without chi doing it?” The degree to which a person can express or use chi, or if it can be expressed at all, is where the entire debate lies. There are opinions ranging from chi being able to provide powers and abilities similar to a kind of magic , to the view that the witnessed demonstrations of said chi-power are little more than the power of suggestion or worse, chicanery. In the widely viewed segment of National Geographic’s Is It Real?(2005) regarding chi, a no-touch knockout famously didn’t happen. Dillman protégé Leon Jay attempted the technique on a subject , and the technique was ineffective. Dillman provided his own take on what happened in the episode, which you can watch online, but when asked about it, he provided another as well. “Everybody goes to Leon Jay not doing it, and I can actually explain that. I got caught in a scramble on that, because I didn’t know they were recording him, and he had a problem at the time.” Dillman explains that traveling to a different time zone and a personal issue with Jay were both factors in the performance of the technique. “Your chi and your energy have to readjust based on the time zone. You need one full day for one hour.” And regarding the personal issue, “Well, you can’t divide your thoughts, that’s kinesiology. I could put a napkin on your head and tell you you can’t do something, and actually, you’ll believe you can’t do it because you’re thinking about the goddamned napkin.” While the notorious confrontation has become legendary, Dillman ememphasized a point worth noting regarding the encounter, “That wasn’t me. That was Leon Jay... Everything I did on there worked, and everybody goes to the negative. The positive on that was, they said on there, I’m the best they’ve seen do this, and I’m certainly a force to be reckoned with. Pay attention to those two sentences.” Reality or Fantasy: There is energy present in the body, but is it chi? What if medical science took a look at all of this? They could probably clear it up rather quickly, right? Well, as luck would have it, in my conversation with Mr. Dillman he mentioned that there had been a study done years ago at the University of Pennsylvania, and pointed me to one of his students that participated in the study, Dr. Charles Terry, M.D. Dr. Terry is a Physiatrist and a medical acupuncturist. He runs a martial art school as well and is the holder of multiple black belts. (9th degree in Wei Kuen Do, 6th Degree in Modern Arnis, 6th degree in Small Circle Jujitsu, 10th Dan in Ryukyu Kempo) Dr. Terry told about the study and also about where the limits of our understanding of chi may lie. “I used to have seminars, and we did a medical study on pressure points at Penn, while I was there, that Dillman came down for,” Dr. Terry said. While the study was not on the no-touch knockouts, pressure point knockouts are similar, “ It has to do with energy transfer and chi, from an Eastern standpoint.” Dr. Terry explained the process, “While they were doing one of these seminars, we decided to move it over to the hospital, actually, and wire people up with EKG, pulse, oximetry, heart rate. Measured a few different parameters and then different people were doing pressure point techniques on each other in an effort to try to get a better idea of what’s going on.” In addition to the EKG (Electrocardiogram), some participants were also hooked up to an EEG (Electroencephalogram) as well. What was the outcome of the experiment? “We didn’t have any consistent results that said like, this was one mechanism that was happening all the time, but what we were able to say was that it didn’t appear that it was dangerous. Because that was my biggest concern as a physician who does martial arts.” Given the results, could it be the power of suggestion, some form of groupthink, or subconscious agreement with subjects acquiescing to the techniques without realizing it? “When we did the volunteers with the hands-on knockout study it did not look like it was power of suggestion, ‘cause there were people that were definitely unconscious – I don’t know if you can will yourself to become unconscious like that, but it didn’t appear to be suggestion as far as that goes.” Is there a way to study the no-touch knockouts? “ The ability to project from one person to another person? You’re starting to go a little bit beyond what I think science can demonstrate well, right now.” It looks like, for this one, we’ll just have to wait. The Power It may be that a comprehensive understanding of the energy in the body is simply not possible. It may be unknowable or perhaps just not singularly quantifiable. Dr. Terry explains, “The way the brain communicates with the rest of the body is through electrical signals going through nerves, basically. So, depending on how you’re talking about the term “energy,” to me, I think chi is kind of a catch-all that just covers all sorts of energy that flows.” One thing is true: For all that we know about the human body, we don’t know everything, and regarding chi, certainly, not enough.

There is no more identifiable person or image associated with martial arts than Bruce Lee. However, he was more than a martial artist, and his legacy has stretched well beyond martial arts and entertainment. Bruce Lee has truly transcended all genres and mediums and become a world-renowned cultural icon. It is fitting that The Chinese Historical Society of America (CHSA), located in San Francisco, California, the city where Lee was born, would have an exhibit that honors not just his accomplishments in entertainment, but his contribution to the Chinese American community and society as a whole. To learn more about the exhibit, I spoke with Justin Hoover, Executive Director, and Nathaniel Jue, Communications Manager, both of the CHSA. The Exhibit The exhibit, titled: We Are Bruce Lee: Under the Sky, One Family, opened in April of 2022 and is “A full partnership between the Bruce Lee Foundation and the CHSA,” said Hoover. In addition to the partnership with the Bruce Lee Foundation, collectors and local artists contributed to the exhibit to make it an educational and entertaining experience that contains a message with a powerful punch. (Pun, absolutely, intended) The exhibit consists of three sections of memorabilia, inspired art, and a multi-media mural. There are plenty of interesting things to see. Visitors looking for unique relics of the legendary icon will get to feast their eyes on incredible one-of-a-kind memorabilia items such as letters, rare photos, pieces from Lee’s days as Kato on The Green Hornet , and even some of Lee’s personal workout equipment (dumbbells and weight bench). While the artifacts from Lee’s life and career are fascinating, the exhibit also contains an extraordinary mural called Be The Bridge , which is a joint creation from Macro Waves and Twin Walls Mural Company, both of the San Francisco Bay Area, and with musical contributions from musicians De’Ahna Turner and Mike Dinkins. The presentation is a work that weaves together animation, art, and a sonic program worthy of the legend of Bruce Lee. There is plenty to see and plenty to do as well . Fighting the Oppressor is an exciting piece of the exhibit that allows visitors to engage in actual board-breaking. Different than merely displaying power or concentration, the purpose of breaking the board has a deeper meaning. Visitors can write whatever challenge or problem they want to conquer on a board, and then break the board, as Lee did when he broke the racist sign in Fist of Fury (1972, a.k.a. Chinese Connection) “He broke through a lot, and he broke through that sign,” Hoover declared. It has been a popular part of the exhibit, as Hoover stated, “People love it!” The Message While it is tempting to focus solely on the entertainment provided by Bruce Lee’s legacy, it is important to note that he was a pioneer in his field. There was no template for Bruce Lee to follow, he had to create it. Bruce Lee didn’t have posters of a Bruce Lee on his bedroom walls like so many that came after him. He was not able to point to another Chinese martial artist-action movie star and say, “I’ll be like him.” He was building the boat as he sailed. He was the prototype. Unfortunately, as if striving to become successful in entertainment wasn’t hard enough, Lee battled racial injustice that was not as easily defeated as the villains in his movies. In the decades since his passing, some things have not changed. Even more distressing are some recent news stories of violent racism that would seem to point to an alarming decay of the progress once made. Perhaps that is why so many people identify with Bruce Lee? From the comfort of our living rooms or the enveloping darkness of the movie theater, we all become Bruce Lee. We see ourselves fighting the endless waves of attackers, streaming toward us from everywhere. We use everything we have from shiny nunchucks to our bare hands to cut through the chaos. Eventually, and inevitably, we stand amidst a pile of fallen opponents, before we calmly walk out the door. Nathaniel Jue put it best, “There’s a little bit of Bruce Lee in all of us.” Bruce Lee has come to represent more than just the Chinese and Asian communities though and that is why the exhibit is important. There is no doubt that the exhibit will entertain, but it will, hopefully, also shine a light on a more powerful message of Bruce Lee’s legacy, as Hoover describes, “We wanted to create an exhibition featuring Bruce Lee that allows other marginalized people to see their struggles expressed in his challenges and accomplishments. We want to be a museum where diverse Americans can understand their plight through the lens of the struggles of the Chinese in America. In this way, we are not a museum of the Chinese for the Chinese, but rather we are a museum for all those who want to know more about social justice, civil rights, and community empowerment.”