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Saturday, October 20, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
How I Became Involved in Martial Arts
I, unfortunately, was a very small child until puberty hit. I was short and scrawny, so I was bullied a bit. I became shy and lacked confidence. When I hit 12 or so, that changed. I grew, and while I will never be tall, I gained average height, with the shoulders and chest that had the football coaches drooling. There was a major drawback, though. I also started packing the pounds on really easy. I became a chubby, then husky teenager. When I hit my junior year in high school, I decided to do something about it and I started working out. My mother was a rabid collector of excercise equipment, so we had a large collection of stuff that was bought new and only used once. I hung a small punching bag in the basement, set up a weight bench, popped a boom box down and every evening I would run from one end of the basement to the other until I was ready to collapse, and I would then hit the punching bag, and lift weights. I started out with the excercises in the brochure that came with the weight bench, but I eventually gave in to my nerd roots and started buying work-out magazines and trying the routines in there. My routine started out about 20 minutes, but eventually ended up about an hour long. I did loose weight and tone up some, but then college came and I ended up packing it all back on.
After a few years, I knew I couldn't get restarted in my solo routine. I also new I wouldn't last at a gym, because I was still shy and had no confidence. One day, at work I noticed a little karate studio had go into a shopping center near the subway I lunched at. I had been hooked on Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee movies for a while, so I poked my head in and before I knew it I had 3 private lessons coming. Now I knew there was kung-fu, which was Chinese, and karate, which was Japanese, then there was tai-kwan-do, which was Korean. There was also Judo. That was the sum total of my martial arts wisdom. I took my private lessons, got hooked and started attending classes. There was 1 private lesson and two group classes per week, with a group class on Saturday mornings, but I had to work and couldn't go to this. This cost me $10 weekly. I was supposed to be studying Kenpo Karate. I loved it and practiced at home. After about 4 months the nerd kicked in and I started buying books and magazines about martial arts. Then I started noticing things. My "sensei" didn't teach much. Heck, except for rank promotions, he was rarely there, leaving his assistant instructors to teach his classes. There was one occasion when a 12 year-old boy who was a purple belt, (this was the third belt earned) was talking about being picked on while riding a school bus and the "sensei" told him that he was a purple belt, he ought to be able to handle it. Now, I was new to this, but all my nerd research suggested that this was a little off as your "sensei" was supposed to be more than an instructor and coach, he was also supposed to be a mentor, guide, counsellor, and all round father figure.
I also noticed that of all the various brands of karate, "Kenpo" was quite famous and came in several different varieties, the descriptions of which did not even remotely match what I was learning. I was able to determine that I was learning some form of Okinawian karate, but not which one. It was about this time that two of the senior instructors vanished from the studio and noone would tell us lower ranks where they went, only that they had been expelled from the school for being dishonorable. We were to have no contact with them or to believe anything we heard about of from them. Two or three more higher ranking students stopped attending about the same time. I started asking instructors questions about the history of our art and about how it differed from other. I wasn't given very good answers. Then I was promoted to purple belt, which is when we were supposed to start sparring. There were a couple of higher belts that I was later told were instructed to "hurt" me in my match. The first time out, the girl didn't do too good, because I was a lot bigger. She got some good shots in, because I didn't have a clue how to spar. The guy blacked my eye. I got him a good shot in the ribs, then he knocked me down while standing on my foot.
While I was in the cast, I had some thinking time. I had never seen my Sensei so much as do a reverse punch. Nothing matched what it was supposed to be. I had never seen a degree certificate. I was off my leg for 2 weeks. When I could walk, I started wandering into other schools in nearby towns. I went into one and was invited to watch a class. This school taught Kenpo Karate and Aikido. When I went in to watch a class, I found all of the missing people from my old school.
It turned out that this new school was the school where my old Sensei had trained. It also seems that the 4th degree black belt had earned a Shodan (1st degree) in Shorin Ryu Karate. It turns out that the instructor at this school was a black belt in Shorin Ryu Karate who was taken under wing by the Tracys of the Tracy Kenpo Karate fame. He was trained in there system of Kenpo Karate, taught their system for teaching and running a school, and sent out to open a school. He seperated from the Tracys for a while, before reuniting with them. As a matter of fact my Sandan is listed in the family tree on their website. The instructor at this school started everyone out in Shorin Ryu, because the hard style of karate was easier to learn, then the more Chinese and jujistu oriented Kenpo. Usually about blue or green belt he branched people out, the more talented or more determined who he thought were likely to stick with it, he taught Kenpo kata, others he left in the Shorin Ryu kata system. Everyone got the Kenpo techniques though. I stayed with my first instructor for about 6 months. I stuck with the second for about 6 years, and still go visit and work out with him when I can. I stuck with my third instructor for about 7 years. My first instructor taught me to what to look for in a school and instructor, how to keep my eyes open, not to question a feeling that something isn't right. My second instructor taught me Shorin Ryu, Kenpo, Aikido, some Iado and an appreciation for Chinese Food. My third instructor taught me Judo, Jujitsu, Jodo, some Escrima, and appreciation for Guiness and Corona.
Here are a few tips for locating a school or instructor:
Avoid any school that won't let you watch a class. If they try to tell you there style or techniques are secret, something is not right.
Avoid any school where the instructor's background is secret, or where his or her background sounds like a character out of a Steven Segal movie. There really aren't that many CIA trained, former Navy Seal, retired government assassins running martial arts schools. Now that doesn't mean that some instructors don't have interesting backgrounds. My second instructor was an amry ranger who served in vietnam and he had his ranger school graduation certifated framed and hanging in the studio. He also had pictures of himself with Al Tracy and Al Descascas. My third instructor had been a Navy Seal and had his BUDS certificate hanging in the studio as well as pictures of him with his boat crew. He also had articles about himself that had been in Black Belt magazine.
Look at certificates. The main instructor should have at least copies of certicates where he has earned his rank. Does the certificate match what he claims to teach. Obscure and exotic martial arts tend to be harder to verify. The favorites around here use to be ninjutsu and thai boxing. Obscure types of wu shu and Jeet Koon Do were favorites also. Hint, Jeet Koon Do was a philosophy or a way to study martial arts taught by Bruce Lee, his actual martial arts style was Jut Fan. Lately there are lots of experts in Penjak Silat, Escrima, Arnis, and Bando in our area.
I remember one young man who came into the dojo who claimed he was a third degree black belt in Tai Chi Kickboxing. He couldn't have been over 19. First I am fairly sure he meant to say Muy Tai not Tai Chi, and second I haven't met many legitamate Sandans under 30. An none who didn't know what there art and style were called.
The thing is that the martial arts appeal to people who crave attention. They want to be a guru and have people follow them and hang on there every word. They want to be the center of the universe. Being a sensei appeals to them. Unfortunately most cannot wait until they know enough to teach. Or rather, they don't want to teach as any higher belt can instruct, so much as they want to be worshipped and that can only be done if you are top dog. It take years of training and study to reach even the first black belt.
How do you know if your instructor's rank is legitimate? It can be hard to know for sure. For one thing, there is no single governing body. There are governing bodies for arts that are allowed in the Olympics such as Judo and Tai Kwan Do, but if the instructor doesn't want to compete in sanctioned tournaments with his students, he doesn't have to join. Almost all legitamate instructors in judo however will belong to either the USJA or the Korean Kukawan and issue their rank certificates through them as membership in either is not expensive and they confer legitamacy. Tai Kwan Do schools usually belong to either the ITF or WTF although I think there may now be an ATF. The abscence of these memberships don't automaticly mean the instructor is bad, and the prescence of them doesn't make him or her a better instructor, but it might let you know what to expect. I used to encourage people to look for memberships in associations but so many of them give out rank cerificates for money now that I have to say if it isn't a well-known association, don't bother.
Schools that discourage visiting other schools or doing outside reading should be a warning. Not wanting you to visit other schools could be a sign they have something to hide. My first instructor was afraid people would drive 20 miles up the road and discover he was only a shodan and HIS instructor was so close. A good instructor also encourages any type of learning.
If what you are taught doesn't jibe with what you read, ask questions or just keep your eyes open.
If the instructor refuses to answer questions about the style he teaches, its differences from other styles, history, his lineage, it could be a bad sign, but not automatically. Martial artists tend to be independant any a little ornery, so he might have just had a falling out with his instructor. Also a lot of the newer MMA arts may not have a lot of history and they tend to worry more about how effective a technique is than where it came from. So you may have to go with your gut on this.
Find out what martial arts are taught in your area. Research them on the internet and in the library. Go talk to teach instructor. Watch a class. Most schools will let you participate in at least one group class for free. Do this. Some schools offer a free private lesson, or a small number of classes for a small fee. Be aware that many schools teach sales technique and use those hard sale tactics to lock you into a contract. That doesn't make the school a bad one, but I wouldn't sign up until I had visited every school and found the one I was most comfortable with or most interested in. The type and style of art you study is important, but the teaching style and personality of the instructor is very important too.
Also, check the local YMCA and gyms. Sometimes martial art clubs offer a more relaxed and cheaper alternative, although you may not advance as fast or receive the same amount of individual attention. Also be aware that there are a great many excercise classes that bill themselves as martil arts. Cardio kickboxing and taibo being two examples. The goal of a striking art like karate or tai kwan do is to deliver the maximum amount of power with the least amount of effort spent and spead it over the least amount of target surface. This is done with proper stances and proper bone and muscle alignment through properly executed techniques. The goal is cardio classes is to elevate the heart and breathing rate by moving the body alot. The moves may be based on free style karate and kickboxing, but noone is walking around making sure people are kicking just right or the hand is set right for the impact. If all you want is slightly exotic excercise these classes are more fun than a general arobics class, but if you want self-defense, go elsewhere. In my next post I will offer my views on club versus professional studios and a short breakdown on the various martial arts I have been involved with. I will also do a post on my views of traditional versus modern martial arts.
After a few years, I knew I couldn't get restarted in my solo routine. I also new I wouldn't last at a gym, because I was still shy and had no confidence. One day, at work I noticed a little karate studio had go into a shopping center near the subway I lunched at. I had been hooked on Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee movies for a while, so I poked my head in and before I knew it I had 3 private lessons coming. Now I knew there was kung-fu, which was Chinese, and karate, which was Japanese, then there was tai-kwan-do, which was Korean. There was also Judo. That was the sum total of my martial arts wisdom. I took my private lessons, got hooked and started attending classes. There was 1 private lesson and two group classes per week, with a group class on Saturday mornings, but I had to work and couldn't go to this. This cost me $10 weekly. I was supposed to be studying Kenpo Karate. I loved it and practiced at home. After about 4 months the nerd kicked in and I started buying books and magazines about martial arts. Then I started noticing things. My "sensei" didn't teach much. Heck, except for rank promotions, he was rarely there, leaving his assistant instructors to teach his classes. There was one occasion when a 12 year-old boy who was a purple belt, (this was the third belt earned) was talking about being picked on while riding a school bus and the "sensei" told him that he was a purple belt, he ought to be able to handle it. Now, I was new to this, but all my nerd research suggested that this was a little off as your "sensei" was supposed to be more than an instructor and coach, he was also supposed to be a mentor, guide, counsellor, and all round father figure.
I also noticed that of all the various brands of karate, "Kenpo" was quite famous and came in several different varieties, the descriptions of which did not even remotely match what I was learning. I was able to determine that I was learning some form of Okinawian karate, but not which one. It was about this time that two of the senior instructors vanished from the studio and noone would tell us lower ranks where they went, only that they had been expelled from the school for being dishonorable. We were to have no contact with them or to believe anything we heard about of from them. Two or three more higher ranking students stopped attending about the same time. I started asking instructors questions about the history of our art and about how it differed from other. I wasn't given very good answers. Then I was promoted to purple belt, which is when we were supposed to start sparring. There were a couple of higher belts that I was later told were instructed to "hurt" me in my match. The first time out, the girl didn't do too good, because I was a lot bigger. She got some good shots in, because I didn't have a clue how to spar. The guy blacked my eye. I got him a good shot in the ribs, then he knocked me down while standing on my foot.
While I was in the cast, I had some thinking time. I had never seen my Sensei so much as do a reverse punch. Nothing matched what it was supposed to be. I had never seen a degree certificate. I was off my leg for 2 weeks. When I could walk, I started wandering into other schools in nearby towns. I went into one and was invited to watch a class. This school taught Kenpo Karate and Aikido. When I went in to watch a class, I found all of the missing people from my old school.
It turned out that this new school was the school where my old Sensei had trained. It also seems that the 4th degree black belt had earned a Shodan (1st degree) in Shorin Ryu Karate. It turns out that the instructor at this school was a black belt in Shorin Ryu Karate who was taken under wing by the Tracys of the Tracy Kenpo Karate fame. He was trained in there system of Kenpo Karate, taught their system for teaching and running a school, and sent out to open a school. He seperated from the Tracys for a while, before reuniting with them. As a matter of fact my Sandan is listed in the family tree on their website. The instructor at this school started everyone out in Shorin Ryu, because the hard style of karate was easier to learn, then the more Chinese and jujistu oriented Kenpo. Usually about blue or green belt he branched people out, the more talented or more determined who he thought were likely to stick with it, he taught Kenpo kata, others he left in the Shorin Ryu kata system. Everyone got the Kenpo techniques though. I stayed with my first instructor for about 6 months. I stuck with the second for about 6 years, and still go visit and work out with him when I can. I stuck with my third instructor for about 7 years. My first instructor taught me to what to look for in a school and instructor, how to keep my eyes open, not to question a feeling that something isn't right. My second instructor taught me Shorin Ryu, Kenpo, Aikido, some Iado and an appreciation for Chinese Food. My third instructor taught me Judo, Jujitsu, Jodo, some Escrima, and appreciation for Guiness and Corona.
Here are a few tips for locating a school or instructor:
Avoid any school that won't let you watch a class. If they try to tell you there style or techniques are secret, something is not right.
Avoid any school where the instructor's background is secret, or where his or her background sounds like a character out of a Steven Segal movie. There really aren't that many CIA trained, former Navy Seal, retired government assassins running martial arts schools. Now that doesn't mean that some instructors don't have interesting backgrounds. My second instructor was an amry ranger who served in vietnam and he had his ranger school graduation certifated framed and hanging in the studio. He also had pictures of himself with Al Tracy and Al Descascas. My third instructor had been a Navy Seal and had his BUDS certificate hanging in the studio as well as pictures of him with his boat crew. He also had articles about himself that had been in Black Belt magazine.
Look at certificates. The main instructor should have at least copies of certicates where he has earned his rank. Does the certificate match what he claims to teach. Obscure and exotic martial arts tend to be harder to verify. The favorites around here use to be ninjutsu and thai boxing. Obscure types of wu shu and Jeet Koon Do were favorites also. Hint, Jeet Koon Do was a philosophy or a way to study martial arts taught by Bruce Lee, his actual martial arts style was Jut Fan. Lately there are lots of experts in Penjak Silat, Escrima, Arnis, and Bando in our area.
I remember one young man who came into the dojo who claimed he was a third degree black belt in Tai Chi Kickboxing. He couldn't have been over 19. First I am fairly sure he meant to say Muy Tai not Tai Chi, and second I haven't met many legitamate Sandans under 30. An none who didn't know what there art and style were called.
The thing is that the martial arts appeal to people who crave attention. They want to be a guru and have people follow them and hang on there every word. They want to be the center of the universe. Being a sensei appeals to them. Unfortunately most cannot wait until they know enough to teach. Or rather, they don't want to teach as any higher belt can instruct, so much as they want to be worshipped and that can only be done if you are top dog. It take years of training and study to reach even the first black belt.
How do you know if your instructor's rank is legitimate? It can be hard to know for sure. For one thing, there is no single governing body. There are governing bodies for arts that are allowed in the Olympics such as Judo and Tai Kwan Do, but if the instructor doesn't want to compete in sanctioned tournaments with his students, he doesn't have to join. Almost all legitamate instructors in judo however will belong to either the USJA or the Korean Kukawan and issue their rank certificates through them as membership in either is not expensive and they confer legitamacy. Tai Kwan Do schools usually belong to either the ITF or WTF although I think there may now be an ATF. The abscence of these memberships don't automaticly mean the instructor is bad, and the prescence of them doesn't make him or her a better instructor, but it might let you know what to expect. I used to encourage people to look for memberships in associations but so many of them give out rank cerificates for money now that I have to say if it isn't a well-known association, don't bother.
Schools that discourage visiting other schools or doing outside reading should be a warning. Not wanting you to visit other schools could be a sign they have something to hide. My first instructor was afraid people would drive 20 miles up the road and discover he was only a shodan and HIS instructor was so close. A good instructor also encourages any type of learning.
If what you are taught doesn't jibe with what you read, ask questions or just keep your eyes open.
If the instructor refuses to answer questions about the style he teaches, its differences from other styles, history, his lineage, it could be a bad sign, but not automatically. Martial artists tend to be independant any a little ornery, so he might have just had a falling out with his instructor. Also a lot of the newer MMA arts may not have a lot of history and they tend to worry more about how effective a technique is than where it came from. So you may have to go with your gut on this.
Find out what martial arts are taught in your area. Research them on the internet and in the library. Go talk to teach instructor. Watch a class. Most schools will let you participate in at least one group class for free. Do this. Some schools offer a free private lesson, or a small number of classes for a small fee. Be aware that many schools teach sales technique and use those hard sale tactics to lock you into a contract. That doesn't make the school a bad one, but I wouldn't sign up until I had visited every school and found the one I was most comfortable with or most interested in. The type and style of art you study is important, but the teaching style and personality of the instructor is very important too.
Also, check the local YMCA and gyms. Sometimes martial art clubs offer a more relaxed and cheaper alternative, although you may not advance as fast or receive the same amount of individual attention. Also be aware that there are a great many excercise classes that bill themselves as martil arts. Cardio kickboxing and taibo being two examples. The goal of a striking art like karate or tai kwan do is to deliver the maximum amount of power with the least amount of effort spent and spead it over the least amount of target surface. This is done with proper stances and proper bone and muscle alignment through properly executed techniques. The goal is cardio classes is to elevate the heart and breathing rate by moving the body alot. The moves may be based on free style karate and kickboxing, but noone is walking around making sure people are kicking just right or the hand is set right for the impact. If all you want is slightly exotic excercise these classes are more fun than a general arobics class, but if you want self-defense, go elsewhere. In my next post I will offer my views on club versus professional studios and a short breakdown on the various martial arts I have been involved with. I will also do a post on my views of traditional versus modern martial arts.
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