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Kumite Strategy #1/
It's the "secret" Karate punching tip, that is simplicity itself...
...in fact it's so simple that it'll take you a life time to master.
It involves being able to "let go" of the tension that inevitably resides in your body, in particular your hips, upper body and more importantly, your mind.
You see, tension in the muscles is controlled by the mind and not the body.
The body is naturally relaxed and in a state of equilibrium with whatever activity it happens to be engaged in, "if" and that's a big "if" the mind allows it to be so.
"Letting go" is an idea that involves giving up mental control over the body.
In reality, it's the mental imperative to control the actions of the body that slows down our techniques.
For most of us, that Zen like disassociation from our bodies, even though it is ultimately faster and more efficient is rejected. We would rather have a slower inefficient punch, because it is "us" doing the punching and so our sense of control is preserved.
Another term for "Letting go" is "effortless-ness". I prefer letting go, because that's exactly what our mind has to do.
In the animal world, the cobra doesn't "think" it must coil it's body into a spring and rebound off the ground to attack it's prey...
...it just does it with great speed and efficiency, all without a single thought.
Now that you have the concept of "Letting go", lets apply it...
Stand in your forward stance with your hands at your sides.
Turn your hips into the half front facing position, as if you are doing a block but let your arms and shoulders dangle as if you are a rag doll from the waist up.
Essentially you've loaded your hips just like a cobra coils it's body to spring forward.
Now, release the hips towards the front, because of the tension from torquing the hips, they naturally fall towards the front without any mental thought of having to turn them forward.
If your upper body is like a rag doll, you'll notice that your shoulders naturally follow the hips without any mental directive to do so and consequently your dangling arms naturally follow the shoulders and begin to swing.
Notice how that small hip turn produces a large swinging motion in your arms.
Now turn your hips back and forth a few times to get the "feel" for the natural and effortless progression from the hips to the shoulders and finally the arms.
If you think you've gotten the "bodily" feeling for the sequence, try a punch at the very end of the arms swinging motion...
...let the punch go out all by itself and simply restrain it by tightening your fist before you fully extend your arm and be sure not to lock it.
Instantly release it and return your upper body to a relaxed rag doll position...
That's it, the Karate punching secret that your body already knew and now you've learned it or rather you've learned to let it happen instead of trying to make it happen.
Practice that drill everyday and get a real feel for the natural sequence of movements.
In Kumite, your opponents will be complementing you on your super fast punches but of course you or rather your mind, won't be able to take credit for it...
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Steps to mastering Free-style Kumite....starts with the basics and ends with the basics...
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Kumite Strategy #1/
Many martial artists are impressed with the Bruce Lee's, Jackie Chan's and Jet Li's of the world, and rightly so...
Their moves, although choreographed for the big screen, are a culmination of years of dedication and of course natural ability.
Like the superstars of the sports world, they are in an elite club and deserve the praise of the world.
The road to becoming even remotely proficient at freestyle kumite, especially in a tournament setting, is an arduous journey indeed.
It's a path that is long, demanding and requires dedication, both physical and spiritual.
It's a journey that is also ultimately worthwhile.
To reach that goal, a Karateka has to master the proper stages of their development.
The reason being is that any short cuts in ones training, is magnified 1000 times in a freestyle kumite match.
Having a black belt does in no uncertain terms ensure you will be able to master freestyle kumite, but rather it is the essential first stage.
On becoming a black belt you've worked hard and taken many years to develop your foot work, proper kata movements, 5 step kumite, 1 step kumite and now your ready for freestyle.
Let's say that along with a well trained body you've spent considerable time training your mind. We'll say that you've overcome the fear of being hit and that your mind is calm in the midst of intense activity.
Why is it then, that the very first kumite match you ever have ends up in disaster?
Why does fear, tenseness and a "deer in the headlights" feeling, suddenly turn one into a punching bag for their opponent?
You see, freestyle kumite is not a culmination of all your training but rather it is the fist step in a journey that is as long and arduous as your entire black belt training.
It's another journey that will take a life time to master if ever...
...so don't feel bad if things go badly your first freestyle kumite match.
There is so much to learn about techniques, timing and distance, quality of the mind of your opponent as well as your own and other factors that makes it impossible to encompass that knowledge in any context.
This blog can only point the direction and offer a few pointers along the way that will help the karateka on this path with a heart...
So here is your first pointer...don't take short cuts with your basic training, kata, and 1, 5 step kumite...
...study them equally and always follow up freestyle kumite with more basics.
It sounds boring and it is...
"...you must become a master before you can become a master"...I just made that up, but I might have picked it up from somewhere so don't quote me on it.. :)
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/Kumite Drills # 3
Kumite Strategy #1/
Many martial artists are impressed with the Bruce Lee's, Jackie Chan's and Jet Li's of the world, and rightly so...
Their moves, although choreographed for the big screen, are a culmination of years of dedication and of course natural ability.
Like the superstars of the sports world, they are in an elite club and deserve the praise of the world.
The road to becoming even remotely proficient at freestyle kumite, especially in a tournament setting, is an arduous journey indeed.
It's a path that is long, demanding and requires dedication, both physical and spiritual.
It's a journey that is also ultimately worthwhile.
To reach that goal, a Karateka has to master the proper stages of their development.
The reason being is that any short cuts in ones training, is magnified 1000 times in a freestyle kumite match.
Having a black belt does in no uncertain terms ensure you will be able to master freestyle kumite, but rather it is the essential first stage.
On becoming a black belt you've worked hard and taken many years to develop your foot work, proper kata movements, 5 step kumite, 1 step kumite and now your ready for freestyle.
Let's say that along with a well trained body you've spent considerable time training your mind. We'll say that you've overcome the fear of being hit and that your mind is calm in the midst of intense activity.
Why is it then, that the very first kumite match you ever have ends up in disaster?
Why does fear, tenseness and a "deer in the headlights" feeling, suddenly turn one into a punching bag for their opponent?
You see, freestyle kumite is not a culmination of all your training but rather it is the fist step in a journey that is as long and arduous as your entire black belt training.
It's another journey that will take a life time to master if ever...
...so don't feel bad if things go badly your first freestyle kumite match.
There is so much to learn about techniques, timing and distance, quality of the mind of your opponent as well as your own and other factors that makes it impossible to encompass that knowledge in any context.
This blog can only point the direction and offer a few pointers along the way that will help the karateka on this path with a heart...
So here is your first pointer...don't take short cuts with your basic training, kata, and 1, 5 step kumite...
...study them equally and always follow up freestyle kumite with more basics.
It sounds boring and it is...
"...you must become a master before you can become a master"...I just made that up, but I might have picked it up from somewhere so don't quote me on it.. :)
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Learn to slow down time and your opponent in Kumite...
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Rapid Perception - Slowing Time Down
Posted by Enoch Tan
Your spirit operates outside time and space. When there is an emergency where danger is about to approach you faster than you can normally sense, your spirit will compel you to act quickly without pondering. It directs you through your instinct and reflexes. Think of a time when you moved out of harms way in an instant and the move was so spontaneously it seems that everything just flowed in the moment. Your awareness of what was happening and your response happened without hesitation, but so quickly that it was almost together at the same time.
That is because your spirit can observe things and sense reality beyond your ordinary rate and range of awareness. Imagine that a dagger is flying towards you from the side. In ordinary rate of awareness, there is simply not enough time to notice the dagger coming and to move out of the way. But in the realm of your spirit’s awareness, time is slowed down to a crawl and it can fully perceive everything that is happening no matter how quickly. It sends the message to you and in that moment you experience the spontaneous and seemingly simultaneous knowing and action. The awareness comes just before the action but it seems that time slows almost to a standstill during that moment of thought. Perception and action become as one.
If you want to consciously perceive faster so that things don’t seem to happen so quickly, you have to slow time down in your consciousness. It is not time that slows down but you that slows down. See in your mind’s eye and memory things slowing down. Like a picture frame frozen from a movie in motion. It is the way you experience time slowing down or stopping when you see a beautiful person of your dreams.
It would be an advantage for anyone to stop the world or at least make everything appear to move in slow motion. It would give you time to analyze the situation and the actions of everyone and everything around you. It gives you extra time to determine your actions in a pressure situation. This would would be incredibly useful in business, driving your car in traffic, playing games, military combat, sports and life threatening situations.
Perceptive awareness is being fully alert and living fully in the moment. It is seeing the trees bend in the wind and the way the birds circle overhead. It is sensing how the trees feel and what problems and joy the birds are experiencing. It is experiencing the full moment around us and not just our little thoughts. It is clearing the mind of future events and past replayed scenes, so you can experience the entirety of the current moment in time. It is putting yourself in the full frame picture now in front of you in relationship to everything happening around you. It is being fully alive. With that kind of perceptive awareness, a moment can seem to you to last forever.
A master baseball batter is apparently able to slow things down when he’s at the plate. To everyone else, the ball would be rocketing toward the plate at approximately 100 mph, almost faster than the eye can see. But to the focused athlete, the ball seems to slow down just for him, and present itself to him.
This is what many of the best batters have this in common. Somehow, when they need to slow things down to make their big play, they are able to perceive everything happening in slow motion. The ball rolls slowly up to the plate and is easy to see, often appearing larger than life. It’s almost as if the ball is waiting for them to hit it. To everyone else, the ball is racing to the plate at a blistering speed, curving, sinking, and breaking in ways that make it almost impossible to track, let alone hit.
This is truly time manipulation, since the perception of the person who seems to manage this trick is that time has been stretched longer or made shorter. Since this is the perception of the magician, and becomes the way he acts upon the world, it becomes that person’s own functional reality. It’s really a consciousness shift and an expanded awareness. And yes, it is real magic as we will see.
When playing baseball as a batter, allow yourself to focus consciously on the location and speed of the ball. Clear your mind of all noise and clutter. Get unnecessary thoughts out of your head. Tune out all sound and distraction around you. Simply focus on the baseball being pitched to you. Focus your intent. Imagine hitting it squarely and watching it sail far through the air. Concentrate on your abdomen and visualize projecting energy from this “will center”. You must want to hit the ball and will it to happen. See the ball big and bold. Fixate on the ball. See only the ball and focus your total intent and will on the ball. Did the ball appear to be moving slower than normal? If so, you are well on your way to becoming a master of time manipulation.
For most rapid perception, attention must be at its maximum focus on the area of the thing to be perceived. You must intend to see everything you can in that moment of looking. To experience timelessness, you need to focus intently on the moment at hand. You cannot allow your mind to wander over events of the past or wallow in deep concern over the future. You must be in the present moment, fully alert and clear headed. In short, you must be totally involved in the “now”.
You must not fear but be calm and have a heightened state of awareness. Fear collapses time. You do not want to collapse time, you want to expand it. Awe is one of the feelings that expands time and slows it down. The opposite is true, things that move in slow motion likeness create a feeling of awe. Fear and awe are very similar and yet very different feelings. Fear causes you to be totally unseeing and blind to the action of the thing you are afraid of in the moment. Awe causes you to be totally seeing and taking in the fullness of what you are looking at.
There are two kinds of fear. The first kind shuts off your attention from what you are seeing in the moment of it happening. This is the kind of fear that collapses time. The second kind of fear is not really fear. It is what you feel when your consciousness is arrested in the moment by a critical event. You enter the hyper aware state of mind or superalertness where you have hyper beta brain activity. This kind of fear that functions very much like the feeling of awe except that you are not in the alpha or relaxed state. It should not be thought of as fear but as a different frequency of heightened consciousness as compared to the heightened consciousness of awe.
In the moment of so called fear or more accurately heightened state of consciousness, your consciousness is arrested in the moment by a critical event and things stop or slow down, even for a brief second or a certain number of seconds, however the situation demands. Everything pauses for a brief moment no matter how long or short it seems like so that your mind processes what is happening and issues a decision, and then the next moment your reaction happens. Your mental activities happen at a highly increased rate at that moment. This is what you can call as a state of superconsciousness.
Scientists have shown that mild anxiety can improve performance in some instances like a 100 meter dash, a musical performance, or even an exam. But for the most part, a full-blown autonomic response is not adaptive in most of these circumstances. These are classic instances of what the Taoists would call getting in your own way.
The ancient Eastern masters from various traditions such as Taoist, Buddhist, Hindu, Zen, Sufi and many others recognized this feature of the human nervous system, and so found antidotes to it. These were awareness and equanimity. They cultivated a calm temperament through meditation and breathing exercises, which you can think of as strengthening the parasympathetic response.
As a result, the Eastern masters were able to develop a very strong and nearly imperturbable presence. Because they were not getting in their own way, in the face of danger they were pure action, maximally effective. This cultivation fed into a hyper-aware state of mind, which, interestingly enough, seems to block out emotion-based responses.
A concentrated mind is not an attentive mind, but a mind that is in the state of awareness can concentrate. Consciousness or awareness is never exclusive, it includes everything. It is not a constricted concentration but a relaxed and free one. When you get into the calm and unperturbed state of mind of conscious awareness, you can perceive easily and nothing can happen too quickly for you. When you are able to slow time down in consciousness, you can use time as the ultimate weapon. Nothing can stop you but you can stop anything. Time is the ultimate illusion. All time is mental.
By using the principle of “it is not time that slows down but you that slows down”, you slow down your actions to slow down the rate of things moving around you in consciousness. Then once you have that increased rate of perception, you can start moving faster again with much greater control and effectiveness. This is the secret of slowing down in order to go faster. Do not hurry because hurry manifests fear and collapses time. Only when you are calm are you able to perceive things in slow motion.
Act as if you have all the time to do everything you want. Every time you slip up on an action or have a hesitation, it’s because you overlapped a proper sequence of things and it just cancels out in your mind. Maybe it’s because you were in a hurry. Your mind can only do one thing at a time, yet each may be done at the rate of microseconds, giving the illusion of many things at once. If you actually try to do many things at once, nothing happens. We’re referring to the conscious awareness here, although your subconscious can do many things simultaneously. It is your conscious awareness that uses rapid perception in order to slow time down.
Time is an illusion, only consciousness is reality. Who is to say that only a certain amount of things can happen within one second and not more? There are times when people encounter life threatening situation and in the moment, their whole life passed in front of them. As their precious life hung in the balance, for one split second, they took stock of their life, including their loved ones, unfulfilled dreams and unrealized goals and made a momentous decision that saved them in virtually no time at all.
Maybe you experienced moments like this before. Everything seemed to slow down. Things seemed to appear in slow motion. You saw your loved ones and they seemed to be frozen in time. You considered logical arguments and argued them through the steps to completion. All of this takes a long time normally, but for this one instance when you are so sharply focused and alert, you play it all our in one magical moment, a moment that you seemed to control.
You can perceive things in slow motion and still let your thoughts and actions flow at the “same speed”. It is all relativity. To you, time around you slows down but to an outside observer, you become phenomenally precise and in control. When you are able to perceive faster, you also possess the ability to respond faster. Each second of your time becomes stretched and you can have increased rate of movement within it. Your time is increased compared to other people’s. Those watching with normal rate of consciousness will see you moving like flashes of lightning with sudden bolts of speed.
When things are happening too quickly for you, you can either slow everything down, or you can speed yourself up on the inside while slowing things down on the outside. You become very fast on the inside but on the outside everything around you moves very slowly. This can also be the accelerated learning state where you are fast on the inside and enjoying it but yet having all the time in the world to learn and to do what you have to do. This is also the zone where atletes get into when they “turn it on”. They become very fast on the inside while everyone around them is moving in slow motion. They are able to think three steps of everyone else in the game.
The best ballplayers, it seems, have learned how to manipulate time whenever it suits them. Perhaps they do this without a great deal of thought or analysis, but they certainly employ all of the key factors of time magicians. They focus their intent, engage their will power, and energize their thought forms. This is personal magic. This is personal power. Everyone can do it. The superstars just do it more easily and more often than the rest of us. We say that they are gifted or superhuman. They are simply focused, intent and willful.
All champions have one thing in common, they have learned to seize the moment. No matter what situation we are in, there is always a cubic centimeter of chance that appears in the moment for us to accomplish what we want. The trick is to be alert enough to seize the moment and then have enough personal power to execute the appropriate move at the appropriate instance. Impeccable warriors are fully alert and fully aware of the physical world.
Everybody knows that under normal conditions when heroics are not on the line, a person cannot pass a ball through a crowd to a selected teamate who scores, all in less than one second. Under normal circumstances, most people cannot even locate a person in a crowd in less than one second, let alone pass the ball to him. This demonstrates over and over again the elasticity of time.
There’s a young swimmer who came out of nowhere at the end of a race to eclipse the field. She always found a way to win, and would “pick her spot” to “make her move.” Still, it seemed uncanny how she could close the big gap between herself and the race leader at the end, when you consider she had to swim nearly twice as fast as she had been swimming throughout the rest of the race.
It’s like the track sprinter who digs down at the end of the race to bolt like a cannon to victory at the end. To the observer, it looks as thought they are running against opponents who are moving in slow motion. How can somebody who’s been running at top speed suddenly double that speed at the end of a race, when they should be the most tired? It’s an obvious display of will power, focused intent, and energized thought power, whereby they conceive of miraculous victory and believe it is possible. And whatever our consciousness can conceive, the body can achieve. Since everything is consciousness, the physical world is only an illusion.
You can cope with daily emergency situations and daily challenges where you need extra time and powers that heightened awareness affords you. You can run faster in less time and slow down events when needed by altering your perception of time and space. Some of the greatest athletes do it. Heroic rescue teams do it. You can do it too.
You can meditate anywhere and reach a state of heightened consciousness and timelessness. Surely, star athletes in action do not stop everything that they are doing to sit down in perfect posture and slowly number their bodies to enter this state. They have learned to do it within the flow of events. They pop in and out of this state, as needed. They do it quickly and almost effortlessly with practice. It becomes a learned behavior. Soon your total self will sense the opportunity or need and shift you to that new, higher level of consciousness. Then everything slows down in front of you, so that you can respond.
If you watch top athletes who gets into this “zone”, as sports people often call it, you will notice that their eyes seem to glaze over or close halfway for a brief time. They might even appear to be going into a trance. That trance, of course, is the altered state of consciousness known to meditators. They go into a state of higher consciousness very briefly. A split second can seem to last much longer to a person in this state because there is no time or normal laws of physics in higher consciousness.
Most people think that spectacular athletes simply try harder when they “turn it on”. Certainly, they do find extra energy and move with greater speed in less time at these moments, almost as though time for them was standing still. These golden moments in an athlete’s life are truly magical. They can see everything happening in slow motion around them. They have all the time in the world to make amazing moves. They can run faster, think faster, and jump higher than anyone else. And all of this comes by slipping momentarily into higher consciousness, a nonphysical reality where time does not exist and the normal laws of physics do not apply. What’s even better, they operate in these golden moments with a higher consciousness that thinks faster and better than the normal, physical consciousness that people use.
Remember that you control time as you experience it. As an agent of change, you control the only real measure of time. This is because time only occurs with change. The theater of events around us is interpreted by our personal perception of change. Your perception will be somewhat different from mine, although we might agree on many things we observe together. Because of your unique perception, you create your own reality. You also create your own sense of time as an agent of change. Time simply measures change. Beyond that simple function, time is nonexistent. There is really only the “now”.
Since time only operates according to perception of it, you can manipulate time by controlling your perception of it. Your higher consciousness exist in the realm of timelessness. Stay in a state of heightened awareness in order to make your perception of time stand still. It is a matter of personal time perception and a focused intent to stay in the now. There are people who use such time powers to transverse great distances in very little amount of time and cause limited resources to last far longer than normal as though inexhaustible. Such are the miracles that happen when time and space are altered.
Sword masters and ninjas all use this “slowing time down” and “stopping the world” with the mind technique to accomplish amazing feats of lightning fast combat which normal perceiving people can hardly even comprehend how it is humanly possible for themselves to attempt.
We miss ourselves. We are so busy out there in our minds, in the mirror, on the phone, on the pc, listening to deafening music, overtaking, seeking power, status, labels. The boy racer feels alive, excited, when he is near a near death opportunity! Adrenalin pumping, over excited, showing off, seeking attention, seeking power, seeking approval, fearful. Fight or flight that we cannot see the signs. We make mistakes, we miss turnings, we lose or forget things. Because we lose the plot, we lose reign of our senses.
Only when there’s an accident, a car crash, a thump on the head, a slap in the face, a comment, a synchronistic moment, a glance from a beautiful person, song of a sweet bird, the rising or setting of the sun, a shooting star, ever renewing the rhythm of the waves do we stop for a second…time slows down…in awe, devotion, speechlessness, thoughtlessness, our ears perk up. We become aware of something here now. Something beautiful, fresh, sweet, pristine, shining, glowing, effervescent, ever fresh. Only at these times, are we awake, truly alive - during the skid / bang / crash - time slows down.
Mindfulness can be defined as knowing what is happening while it is happening, no matter what it is. The essence of meditation is training in mindfulness. It’s direct perception. We see through meditation, what the mind is doing, moment by moment. Why? Because we are training ourselves to become present. If we are present, we naturally bring our intelligence to bear on the moment. Therefore we have no option but to find out what is happening.
Meditation, then, involves being present with what is here. The observer consciousness allows you to fully observe what is happening internally as well. You notice thoughts and feelings as they arise and realize the causes. It is a self-reflective awareness where you know you are thinking when thinking happens. When you become mindful, you become more aware of things both within and without. The way to wisdom and intelligence is to understand ourselves as human beings. Not through a theory, not through a concept, but through direct experience.
When you are calm, you are clear seeing. You filter out a lot of noise that affects consciousness. To have a calm mind is to silence and still a lot of vibrations leaving perception to be free and unhindered. You get into the state of observer consciousness, where you are just watching what is going on and seeing it in every moment of its happening. Mindfulness is the systematic training in knowing what is happening, while it is happening.
As the mind becomes tranquil, many things begin to become clear. Things that were not formerly clear to us about ourselves, the world around us, the way we are living, relationships. We become clear about everything. So we need to generate within our minds the conditions for a prelimary mindfulness which is the essence of meditation. As tranquility arises we began gaining insight into the state of our own minds. Insight may arise naturally with tranquility. That is the traditional teaching. We train in tranquility and insight naturally arises.
Insight is the most profound level of learning. It is learning through direct perception which naturally gives rise to understanding. It is not learning through externally acquired information, something imported from outside. It leads to wisdom because it is learning inwardly how we are and what we are as human beings. When your meditation becomes really powerful, it also becomes constant. Life offers many challenges and the serious meditator is very seldom bored.
When you’re looking for something or a solution, take time to pause and enter the stilled state of consciousness. Don’t think of it as wasting time during the work day. With practice, this little exercise takes very little time, as others perceive it. Think of it as a creative way to think through your problems by engaging your higher mind to meditate on work issues. In that state of consciousness, the answer can come to you suddenly.
Remember, even a brief second in an altered state of consciousness can seem like hours, since you are controlling time. You are creating perfect timing of perfecting time manipulation. Time is but an illusion. There is all of the time in the world, if you can focus your intent and control your perception. Make your own reality.
Any activity where you perform can be expanded and enriched by a heightened state of consciousness that allows you to expand your perception of time and operate somewhat outside of normal physical limitations.
Slow down only that which you want to, otherwise allow it to proceed at normal speed. Use rapid perception on whatever you want to, whenever you want to.
rapid-perception-slowing-time-down
G.Scott on Kumite
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/Kumite Drills # 3
Rapid Perception - Slowing Time Down
Posted by Enoch Tan
Your spirit operates outside time and space. When there is an emergency where danger is about to approach you faster than you can normally sense, your spirit will compel you to act quickly without pondering. It directs you through your instinct and reflexes. Think of a time when you moved out of harms way in an instant and the move was so spontaneously it seems that everything just flowed in the moment. Your awareness of what was happening and your response happened without hesitation, but so quickly that it was almost together at the same time.
That is because your spirit can observe things and sense reality beyond your ordinary rate and range of awareness. Imagine that a dagger is flying towards you from the side. In ordinary rate of awareness, there is simply not enough time to notice the dagger coming and to move out of the way. But in the realm of your spirit’s awareness, time is slowed down to a crawl and it can fully perceive everything that is happening no matter how quickly. It sends the message to you and in that moment you experience the spontaneous and seemingly simultaneous knowing and action. The awareness comes just before the action but it seems that time slows almost to a standstill during that moment of thought. Perception and action become as one.
If you want to consciously perceive faster so that things don’t seem to happen so quickly, you have to slow time down in your consciousness. It is not time that slows down but you that slows down. See in your mind’s eye and memory things slowing down. Like a picture frame frozen from a movie in motion. It is the way you experience time slowing down or stopping when you see a beautiful person of your dreams.
It would be an advantage for anyone to stop the world or at least make everything appear to move in slow motion. It would give you time to analyze the situation and the actions of everyone and everything around you. It gives you extra time to determine your actions in a pressure situation. This would would be incredibly useful in business, driving your car in traffic, playing games, military combat, sports and life threatening situations.
Perceptive awareness is being fully alert and living fully in the moment. It is seeing the trees bend in the wind and the way the birds circle overhead. It is sensing how the trees feel and what problems and joy the birds are experiencing. It is experiencing the full moment around us and not just our little thoughts. It is clearing the mind of future events and past replayed scenes, so you can experience the entirety of the current moment in time. It is putting yourself in the full frame picture now in front of you in relationship to everything happening around you. It is being fully alive. With that kind of perceptive awareness, a moment can seem to you to last forever.
A master baseball batter is apparently able to slow things down when he’s at the plate. To everyone else, the ball would be rocketing toward the plate at approximately 100 mph, almost faster than the eye can see. But to the focused athlete, the ball seems to slow down just for him, and present itself to him.
This is what many of the best batters have this in common. Somehow, when they need to slow things down to make their big play, they are able to perceive everything happening in slow motion. The ball rolls slowly up to the plate and is easy to see, often appearing larger than life. It’s almost as if the ball is waiting for them to hit it. To everyone else, the ball is racing to the plate at a blistering speed, curving, sinking, and breaking in ways that make it almost impossible to track, let alone hit.
This is truly time manipulation, since the perception of the person who seems to manage this trick is that time has been stretched longer or made shorter. Since this is the perception of the magician, and becomes the way he acts upon the world, it becomes that person’s own functional reality. It’s really a consciousness shift and an expanded awareness. And yes, it is real magic as we will see.
When playing baseball as a batter, allow yourself to focus consciously on the location and speed of the ball. Clear your mind of all noise and clutter. Get unnecessary thoughts out of your head. Tune out all sound and distraction around you. Simply focus on the baseball being pitched to you. Focus your intent. Imagine hitting it squarely and watching it sail far through the air. Concentrate on your abdomen and visualize projecting energy from this “will center”. You must want to hit the ball and will it to happen. See the ball big and bold. Fixate on the ball. See only the ball and focus your total intent and will on the ball. Did the ball appear to be moving slower than normal? If so, you are well on your way to becoming a master of time manipulation.
For most rapid perception, attention must be at its maximum focus on the area of the thing to be perceived. You must intend to see everything you can in that moment of looking. To experience timelessness, you need to focus intently on the moment at hand. You cannot allow your mind to wander over events of the past or wallow in deep concern over the future. You must be in the present moment, fully alert and clear headed. In short, you must be totally involved in the “now”.
You must not fear but be calm and have a heightened state of awareness. Fear collapses time. You do not want to collapse time, you want to expand it. Awe is one of the feelings that expands time and slows it down. The opposite is true, things that move in slow motion likeness create a feeling of awe. Fear and awe are very similar and yet very different feelings. Fear causes you to be totally unseeing and blind to the action of the thing you are afraid of in the moment. Awe causes you to be totally seeing and taking in the fullness of what you are looking at.
There are two kinds of fear. The first kind shuts off your attention from what you are seeing in the moment of it happening. This is the kind of fear that collapses time. The second kind of fear is not really fear. It is what you feel when your consciousness is arrested in the moment by a critical event. You enter the hyper aware state of mind or superalertness where you have hyper beta brain activity. This kind of fear that functions very much like the feeling of awe except that you are not in the alpha or relaxed state. It should not be thought of as fear but as a different frequency of heightened consciousness as compared to the heightened consciousness of awe.
In the moment of so called fear or more accurately heightened state of consciousness, your consciousness is arrested in the moment by a critical event and things stop or slow down, even for a brief second or a certain number of seconds, however the situation demands. Everything pauses for a brief moment no matter how long or short it seems like so that your mind processes what is happening and issues a decision, and then the next moment your reaction happens. Your mental activities happen at a highly increased rate at that moment. This is what you can call as a state of superconsciousness.
Scientists have shown that mild anxiety can improve performance in some instances like a 100 meter dash, a musical performance, or even an exam. But for the most part, a full-blown autonomic response is not adaptive in most of these circumstances. These are classic instances of what the Taoists would call getting in your own way.
The ancient Eastern masters from various traditions such as Taoist, Buddhist, Hindu, Zen, Sufi and many others recognized this feature of the human nervous system, and so found antidotes to it. These were awareness and equanimity. They cultivated a calm temperament through meditation and breathing exercises, which you can think of as strengthening the parasympathetic response.
As a result, the Eastern masters were able to develop a very strong and nearly imperturbable presence. Because they were not getting in their own way, in the face of danger they were pure action, maximally effective. This cultivation fed into a hyper-aware state of mind, which, interestingly enough, seems to block out emotion-based responses.
A concentrated mind is not an attentive mind, but a mind that is in the state of awareness can concentrate. Consciousness or awareness is never exclusive, it includes everything. It is not a constricted concentration but a relaxed and free one. When you get into the calm and unperturbed state of mind of conscious awareness, you can perceive easily and nothing can happen too quickly for you. When you are able to slow time down in consciousness, you can use time as the ultimate weapon. Nothing can stop you but you can stop anything. Time is the ultimate illusion. All time is mental.
By using the principle of “it is not time that slows down but you that slows down”, you slow down your actions to slow down the rate of things moving around you in consciousness. Then once you have that increased rate of perception, you can start moving faster again with much greater control and effectiveness. This is the secret of slowing down in order to go faster. Do not hurry because hurry manifests fear and collapses time. Only when you are calm are you able to perceive things in slow motion.
Act as if you have all the time to do everything you want. Every time you slip up on an action or have a hesitation, it’s because you overlapped a proper sequence of things and it just cancels out in your mind. Maybe it’s because you were in a hurry. Your mind can only do one thing at a time, yet each may be done at the rate of microseconds, giving the illusion of many things at once. If you actually try to do many things at once, nothing happens. We’re referring to the conscious awareness here, although your subconscious can do many things simultaneously. It is your conscious awareness that uses rapid perception in order to slow time down.
Time is an illusion, only consciousness is reality. Who is to say that only a certain amount of things can happen within one second and not more? There are times when people encounter life threatening situation and in the moment, their whole life passed in front of them. As their precious life hung in the balance, for one split second, they took stock of their life, including their loved ones, unfulfilled dreams and unrealized goals and made a momentous decision that saved them in virtually no time at all.
Maybe you experienced moments like this before. Everything seemed to slow down. Things seemed to appear in slow motion. You saw your loved ones and they seemed to be frozen in time. You considered logical arguments and argued them through the steps to completion. All of this takes a long time normally, but for this one instance when you are so sharply focused and alert, you play it all our in one magical moment, a moment that you seemed to control.
You can perceive things in slow motion and still let your thoughts and actions flow at the “same speed”. It is all relativity. To you, time around you slows down but to an outside observer, you become phenomenally precise and in control. When you are able to perceive faster, you also possess the ability to respond faster. Each second of your time becomes stretched and you can have increased rate of movement within it. Your time is increased compared to other people’s. Those watching with normal rate of consciousness will see you moving like flashes of lightning with sudden bolts of speed.
When things are happening too quickly for you, you can either slow everything down, or you can speed yourself up on the inside while slowing things down on the outside. You become very fast on the inside but on the outside everything around you moves very slowly. This can also be the accelerated learning state where you are fast on the inside and enjoying it but yet having all the time in the world to learn and to do what you have to do. This is also the zone where atletes get into when they “turn it on”. They become very fast on the inside while everyone around them is moving in slow motion. They are able to think three steps of everyone else in the game.
The best ballplayers, it seems, have learned how to manipulate time whenever it suits them. Perhaps they do this without a great deal of thought or analysis, but they certainly employ all of the key factors of time magicians. They focus their intent, engage their will power, and energize their thought forms. This is personal magic. This is personal power. Everyone can do it. The superstars just do it more easily and more often than the rest of us. We say that they are gifted or superhuman. They are simply focused, intent and willful.
All champions have one thing in common, they have learned to seize the moment. No matter what situation we are in, there is always a cubic centimeter of chance that appears in the moment for us to accomplish what we want. The trick is to be alert enough to seize the moment and then have enough personal power to execute the appropriate move at the appropriate instance. Impeccable warriors are fully alert and fully aware of the physical world.
Everybody knows that under normal conditions when heroics are not on the line, a person cannot pass a ball through a crowd to a selected teamate who scores, all in less than one second. Under normal circumstances, most people cannot even locate a person in a crowd in less than one second, let alone pass the ball to him. This demonstrates over and over again the elasticity of time.
There’s a young swimmer who came out of nowhere at the end of a race to eclipse the field. She always found a way to win, and would “pick her spot” to “make her move.” Still, it seemed uncanny how she could close the big gap between herself and the race leader at the end, when you consider she had to swim nearly twice as fast as she had been swimming throughout the rest of the race.
It’s like the track sprinter who digs down at the end of the race to bolt like a cannon to victory at the end. To the observer, it looks as thought they are running against opponents who are moving in slow motion. How can somebody who’s been running at top speed suddenly double that speed at the end of a race, when they should be the most tired? It’s an obvious display of will power, focused intent, and energized thought power, whereby they conceive of miraculous victory and believe it is possible. And whatever our consciousness can conceive, the body can achieve. Since everything is consciousness, the physical world is only an illusion.
You can cope with daily emergency situations and daily challenges where you need extra time and powers that heightened awareness affords you. You can run faster in less time and slow down events when needed by altering your perception of time and space. Some of the greatest athletes do it. Heroic rescue teams do it. You can do it too.
You can meditate anywhere and reach a state of heightened consciousness and timelessness. Surely, star athletes in action do not stop everything that they are doing to sit down in perfect posture and slowly number their bodies to enter this state. They have learned to do it within the flow of events. They pop in and out of this state, as needed. They do it quickly and almost effortlessly with practice. It becomes a learned behavior. Soon your total self will sense the opportunity or need and shift you to that new, higher level of consciousness. Then everything slows down in front of you, so that you can respond.
If you watch top athletes who gets into this “zone”, as sports people often call it, you will notice that their eyes seem to glaze over or close halfway for a brief time. They might even appear to be going into a trance. That trance, of course, is the altered state of consciousness known to meditators. They go into a state of higher consciousness very briefly. A split second can seem to last much longer to a person in this state because there is no time or normal laws of physics in higher consciousness.
Most people think that spectacular athletes simply try harder when they “turn it on”. Certainly, they do find extra energy and move with greater speed in less time at these moments, almost as though time for them was standing still. These golden moments in an athlete’s life are truly magical. They can see everything happening in slow motion around them. They have all the time in the world to make amazing moves. They can run faster, think faster, and jump higher than anyone else. And all of this comes by slipping momentarily into higher consciousness, a nonphysical reality where time does not exist and the normal laws of physics do not apply. What’s even better, they operate in these golden moments with a higher consciousness that thinks faster and better than the normal, physical consciousness that people use.
Remember that you control time as you experience it. As an agent of change, you control the only real measure of time. This is because time only occurs with change. The theater of events around us is interpreted by our personal perception of change. Your perception will be somewhat different from mine, although we might agree on many things we observe together. Because of your unique perception, you create your own reality. You also create your own sense of time as an agent of change. Time simply measures change. Beyond that simple function, time is nonexistent. There is really only the “now”.
Since time only operates according to perception of it, you can manipulate time by controlling your perception of it. Your higher consciousness exist in the realm of timelessness. Stay in a state of heightened awareness in order to make your perception of time stand still. It is a matter of personal time perception and a focused intent to stay in the now. There are people who use such time powers to transverse great distances in very little amount of time and cause limited resources to last far longer than normal as though inexhaustible. Such are the miracles that happen when time and space are altered.
Sword masters and ninjas all use this “slowing time down” and “stopping the world” with the mind technique to accomplish amazing feats of lightning fast combat which normal perceiving people can hardly even comprehend how it is humanly possible for themselves to attempt.
We miss ourselves. We are so busy out there in our minds, in the mirror, on the phone, on the pc, listening to deafening music, overtaking, seeking power, status, labels. The boy racer feels alive, excited, when he is near a near death opportunity! Adrenalin pumping, over excited, showing off, seeking attention, seeking power, seeking approval, fearful. Fight or flight that we cannot see the signs. We make mistakes, we miss turnings, we lose or forget things. Because we lose the plot, we lose reign of our senses.
Only when there’s an accident, a car crash, a thump on the head, a slap in the face, a comment, a synchronistic moment, a glance from a beautiful person, song of a sweet bird, the rising or setting of the sun, a shooting star, ever renewing the rhythm of the waves do we stop for a second…time slows down…in awe, devotion, speechlessness, thoughtlessness, our ears perk up. We become aware of something here now. Something beautiful, fresh, sweet, pristine, shining, glowing, effervescent, ever fresh. Only at these times, are we awake, truly alive - during the skid / bang / crash - time slows down.
Mindfulness can be defined as knowing what is happening while it is happening, no matter what it is. The essence of meditation is training in mindfulness. It’s direct perception. We see through meditation, what the mind is doing, moment by moment. Why? Because we are training ourselves to become present. If we are present, we naturally bring our intelligence to bear on the moment. Therefore we have no option but to find out what is happening.
Meditation, then, involves being present with what is here. The observer consciousness allows you to fully observe what is happening internally as well. You notice thoughts and feelings as they arise and realize the causes. It is a self-reflective awareness where you know you are thinking when thinking happens. When you become mindful, you become more aware of things both within and without. The way to wisdom and intelligence is to understand ourselves as human beings. Not through a theory, not through a concept, but through direct experience.
When you are calm, you are clear seeing. You filter out a lot of noise that affects consciousness. To have a calm mind is to silence and still a lot of vibrations leaving perception to be free and unhindered. You get into the state of observer consciousness, where you are just watching what is going on and seeing it in every moment of its happening. Mindfulness is the systematic training in knowing what is happening, while it is happening.
As the mind becomes tranquil, many things begin to become clear. Things that were not formerly clear to us about ourselves, the world around us, the way we are living, relationships. We become clear about everything. So we need to generate within our minds the conditions for a prelimary mindfulness which is the essence of meditation. As tranquility arises we began gaining insight into the state of our own minds. Insight may arise naturally with tranquility. That is the traditional teaching. We train in tranquility and insight naturally arises.
Insight is the most profound level of learning. It is learning through direct perception which naturally gives rise to understanding. It is not learning through externally acquired information, something imported from outside. It leads to wisdom because it is learning inwardly how we are and what we are as human beings. When your meditation becomes really powerful, it also becomes constant. Life offers many challenges and the serious meditator is very seldom bored.
When you’re looking for something or a solution, take time to pause and enter the stilled state of consciousness. Don’t think of it as wasting time during the work day. With practice, this little exercise takes very little time, as others perceive it. Think of it as a creative way to think through your problems by engaging your higher mind to meditate on work issues. In that state of consciousness, the answer can come to you suddenly.
Remember, even a brief second in an altered state of consciousness can seem like hours, since you are controlling time. You are creating perfect timing of perfecting time manipulation. Time is but an illusion. There is all of the time in the world, if you can focus your intent and control your perception. Make your own reality.
Any activity where you perform can be expanded and enriched by a heightened state of consciousness that allows you to expand your perception of time and operate somewhat outside of normal physical limitations.
Slow down only that which you want to, otherwise allow it to proceed at normal speed. Use rapid perception on whatever you want to, whenever you want to.
rapid-perception-slowing-time-down
G.Scott on Kumite
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Kumite Secrets - Do's and Don'ts of Freestyle Kumite...
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Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/Kumite Drills # 3
Do’s and Don’ts of Freestyle Kumite
Don’t punch or kick with just your arms or legs alone.
Do use proper mechanics; use your legs, hips, and shoulders as a unit, to cumulatively generate power…
Don’t lose your center of balance.
Do keep your hips centered so that you can move easily from an offensive position to a defensive one.
Don’t lose your body position.
Do keep your legs at the proper distance apart and the hips should be turned at a ¾ position for better maneuverability.
Don’t initiate movement with your front foot, you’ll get swept
Do use the back foot, acting like a spring for better movement, thrusting your center in any direction.
Don’t blindly attack your opponent.
Do evaluate him/her, for defensive positioning and movement. Focus on his total being rather than just his hand and foot techniques. Take advantage of perceived weaknesses in his body positioning as well as signs of telegraphing his intentions.
Don’t let your opponent control the distance between the two of you.
Do maintain a distance where your opponent is inside your striking zone, while you are outside of his. Control the distance by circling and cut him off when he circles.
Don’t hesitate when closing the gap or change techniques half way through when attacking.
Do be decisive and use your rear leg to thrust your center forward with determination.
Don’t lead with your head or attack from an unbalanced position.
Do attack from a good center with commitment and good follow through.
Don’t telegraph hand or foot attacks by cocking the technique.
Do attack directly from a relaxed defensive position, by initiating the power from a centered stance, through slightly torqued hips, up through the back and shoulders, and then by driving it through.
Don’t believe that you are going to lose the match.
Do develop a strong fighting spirit by placing total concentration on your opponent.
Unnerve your opponent with a glare in your eyes and an unbending intent.
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/Kumite Drills # 3
Do’s and Don’ts of Freestyle Kumite
Don’t punch or kick with just your arms or legs alone.
Do use proper mechanics; use your legs, hips, and shoulders as a unit, to cumulatively generate power…
Don’t lose your center of balance.
Do keep your hips centered so that you can move easily from an offensive position to a defensive one.
Don’t lose your body position.
Do keep your legs at the proper distance apart and the hips should be turned at a ¾ position for better maneuverability.
Don’t initiate movement with your front foot, you’ll get swept
Do use the back foot, acting like a spring for better movement, thrusting your center in any direction.
Don’t blindly attack your opponent.
Do evaluate him/her, for defensive positioning and movement. Focus on his total being rather than just his hand and foot techniques. Take advantage of perceived weaknesses in his body positioning as well as signs of telegraphing his intentions.
Don’t let your opponent control the distance between the two of you.
Do maintain a distance where your opponent is inside your striking zone, while you are outside of his. Control the distance by circling and cut him off when he circles.
Don’t hesitate when closing the gap or change techniques half way through when attacking.
Do be decisive and use your rear leg to thrust your center forward with determination.
Don’t lead with your head or attack from an unbalanced position.
Do attack from a good center with commitment and good follow through.
Don’t telegraph hand or foot attacks by cocking the technique.
Do attack directly from a relaxed defensive position, by initiating the power from a centered stance, through slightly torqued hips, up through the back and shoulders, and then by driving it through.
Don’t believe that you are going to lose the match.
Do develop a strong fighting spirit by placing total concentration on your opponent.
Unnerve your opponent with a glare in your eyes and an unbending intent.
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Mind Body connection for freestyle Kumite...
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Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/Kumite Drills # 3
What exactly is the Mind Body connection and how can I take advantage of it in freestyle Kumite?
To me, it's a mind that simply and quietly observes everything that is taking place in the moment, including the awareness of one's own thoughts. It’s also a body which is totally relaxed and ready to pounce in a moments notice. The resultant combination of the two creating a powerful "feeling" of letting go...
If I can't even understand the mechanism which is "thought" and how it manifests in my daily activities, how am I going to understand it and make use of it in a highly stressful situation, like a freestyle Kumite match?
Also, if I don't know what it feels like to experience total body relaxation while sitting at home on my couch , how am I going to relax my body when a 200 lb opponent is bearing down on me with a lunge punch?
First of all, the idea of "letting go" of thought and the resulting bodily tension, can be a rather difficult idea to think about...
...mainly because the tool I am using to think about this subject with, is the very tool I am trying to "let go of".
Meditation is very good for calming the mind and seeing how the mechanism of thought works, how it seems to rise all on its own accord without ever have been given an invitation to do so.
Also, if I can sit for a while and watch thoughts come and go, without paying any attention to them, I can experience a temporary feeling of freedom and clarity.
The interesting thing about this type of sitting and observing, is that my body responds in kind, and is allowed to explore even deeper levels of relaxation.
Now in a freestyle Kumite match, I can see how this kind of mind clarity and relaxed body feeling, can be a real benefit to me.
I would be able to see my opponent’s movements almost as soon as they happened as opposed to seeing the "thoughts" about my opponent’s movement.
The benefits of a relaxed body, would be an effortless starting point from which I could make use of the principles of dynamic tension...
So, if you’re having trouble relaxing or are thinking too much, like myself, in freestyle Kumite, try some mind body awareness techniques...
...at the very least, they'll open up a new level of self discovery, and that isn’t such a bad thing...
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/Kumite Drills # 3
What exactly is the Mind Body connection and how can I take advantage of it in freestyle Kumite?
To me, it's a mind that simply and quietly observes everything that is taking place in the moment, including the awareness of one's own thoughts. It’s also a body which is totally relaxed and ready to pounce in a moments notice. The resultant combination of the two creating a powerful "feeling" of letting go...
If I can't even understand the mechanism which is "thought" and how it manifests in my daily activities, how am I going to understand it and make use of it in a highly stressful situation, like a freestyle Kumite match?
Also, if I don't know what it feels like to experience total body relaxation while sitting at home on my couch , how am I going to relax my body when a 200 lb opponent is bearing down on me with a lunge punch?
First of all, the idea of "letting go" of thought and the resulting bodily tension, can be a rather difficult idea to think about...
...mainly because the tool I am using to think about this subject with, is the very tool I am trying to "let go of".
Meditation is very good for calming the mind and seeing how the mechanism of thought works, how it seems to rise all on its own accord without ever have been given an invitation to do so.
Also, if I can sit for a while and watch thoughts come and go, without paying any attention to them, I can experience a temporary feeling of freedom and clarity.
The interesting thing about this type of sitting and observing, is that my body responds in kind, and is allowed to explore even deeper levels of relaxation.
Now in a freestyle Kumite match, I can see how this kind of mind clarity and relaxed body feeling, can be a real benefit to me.
I would be able to see my opponent’s movements almost as soon as they happened as opposed to seeing the "thoughts" about my opponent’s movement.
The benefits of a relaxed body, would be an effortless starting point from which I could make use of the principles of dynamic tension...
So, if you’re having trouble relaxing or are thinking too much, like myself, in freestyle Kumite, try some mind body awareness techniques...
...at the very least, they'll open up a new level of self discovery, and that isn’t such a bad thing...
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Sunday, February 04, 2007
More thoughts on Karate Kumite tournament fighting...
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Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/Kumite Drills # 3
You know, preparing for a Kumite match is to say the least, complicated...
...and what I'm learning about it, is that one needs experience and a good instructor.
I recently had my first ever Kumite test match and believe me it was quite an eye opener...
Although it was one of the funnest things I have ever done, so many things went wrong.
It was if I had found myself in a fog facing an opponent who seemed afraid of the street thug that I was turning into, after all, it was suppose to be a fun test match.
Suddenly I was in a fight for my life and my punches started zeroing in on my opponents head, who was by now in total shock, as hitting to the head was only allowed if there was total control and light contact.
I lost total control of myself and was attacking my opponent like Rocky Balboa...
After the stoppage of the match and regaining my senses, I had to go over to my opponent and apologize for my bewildering behavior...
I still don't know what happened to me...
At the end of the evening when my Sensei was handing out participation medals, he had only one word for me, "control"...
...How did I lose control so easily...I'll be talking with my Sensei about that one next time I see him at the Dojo...
Anyway I did some searching on the internet and came across some really good information on preparing for a Kumite match at a tournament, its at
G.Scott on Kumite
Check it out, there's some really good information in there and some stuff that I'm going to be trying myself...
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/Kumite Drills # 3
You know, preparing for a Kumite match is to say the least, complicated...
...and what I'm learning about it, is that one needs experience and a good instructor.
I recently had my first ever Kumite test match and believe me it was quite an eye opener...
Although it was one of the funnest things I have ever done, so many things went wrong.
It was if I had found myself in a fog facing an opponent who seemed afraid of the street thug that I was turning into, after all, it was suppose to be a fun test match.
Suddenly I was in a fight for my life and my punches started zeroing in on my opponents head, who was by now in total shock, as hitting to the head was only allowed if there was total control and light contact.
I lost total control of myself and was attacking my opponent like Rocky Balboa...
After the stoppage of the match and regaining my senses, I had to go over to my opponent and apologize for my bewildering behavior...
I still don't know what happened to me...
At the end of the evening when my Sensei was handing out participation medals, he had only one word for me, "control"...
...How did I lose control so easily...I'll be talking with my Sensei about that one next time I see him at the Dojo...
Anyway I did some searching on the internet and came across some really good information on preparing for a Kumite match at a tournament, its at
G.Scott on Kumite
Check it out, there's some really good information in there and some stuff that I'm going to be trying myself...
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Saturday, February 03, 2007
On becoming a Karate/Martial Arts Champion
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Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/Kumite Drills # 3
Want to be a Karate or Martial art Champion? Then you had better start now…
Like any sport, the athlete’s age and experience, determines his ability to become a champion…
…so for all you 30 year olds and older farts who haven’t been training all your lives in the martial arts, well I’m afraid you’ve missed the boat. I should know, I’m 49 and have only been doing Karate for about 4 years.
That’s ok though, it’s still fun to enter small time recreational tournaments put on by your association and see what you can do, besides it’s really fun.
Up until lately, the world of competitive tournament karate and martial arts hasn’t had much of a following outside of Japan and Europe.
With the recent fights in the UFC and in particular the Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz match, a much wider audience, has shown their interest in putting down serious money to watch quality athletes pound it out in what is being perceived as a legitimate sporting event, and rightly so.
The new interest will fuel bigger monetary prizes and lucrative advertising contracts, giving impetus to athletes whose grueling training and dedication rarely ever, except perhaps on an Olympic scale, was actually worth the commitment.
The determination and training that these athletes have to go through is nothing short of superhuman in scale, but the monetary rewards and recognition has always been lacking.
The success of the UFC will have other tournament styles and martial arts associations pulled along behind them, creating more opportunities for martial artists of all styles, to make lucrative salaries and be given more venues to showcase their skills.
So, if you’re young and think that making money and fame on the tournament circuit might be something for you, then you’ll have to develop amongst other things, two very important qualities.
They are a competitive spirit or attitude and relentless dedication to training…
…both of which are huge sacrifices to make for a young person.
But then again, to be crowned champion and handed a 6 figure paycheck, that’s not so bad either…
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/Kumite Drills # 3
Want to be a Karate or Martial art Champion? Then you had better start now…
Like any sport, the athlete’s age and experience, determines his ability to become a champion…
…so for all you 30 year olds and older farts who haven’t been training all your lives in the martial arts, well I’m afraid you’ve missed the boat. I should know, I’m 49 and have only been doing Karate for about 4 years.
That’s ok though, it’s still fun to enter small time recreational tournaments put on by your association and see what you can do, besides it’s really fun.
Up until lately, the world of competitive tournament karate and martial arts hasn’t had much of a following outside of Japan and Europe.
With the recent fights in the UFC and in particular the Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz match, a much wider audience, has shown their interest in putting down serious money to watch quality athletes pound it out in what is being perceived as a legitimate sporting event, and rightly so.
The new interest will fuel bigger monetary prizes and lucrative advertising contracts, giving impetus to athletes whose grueling training and dedication rarely ever, except perhaps on an Olympic scale, was actually worth the commitment.
The determination and training that these athletes have to go through is nothing short of superhuman in scale, but the monetary rewards and recognition has always been lacking.
The success of the UFC will have other tournament styles and martial arts associations pulled along behind them, creating more opportunities for martial artists of all styles, to make lucrative salaries and be given more venues to showcase their skills.
So, if you’re young and think that making money and fame on the tournament circuit might be something for you, then you’ll have to develop amongst other things, two very important qualities.
They are a competitive spirit or attitude and relentless dedication to training…
…both of which are huge sacrifices to make for a young person.
But then again, to be crowned champion and handed a 6 figure paycheck, that’s not so bad either…
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
What is it like to be a Black Belt?
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Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/Kumite Drills # 3
What is it like to be a Black Belt?
I recently received my Shodan (first Black Belt) and I’m very thrilled about doing so…
It’s been nearly 4 years of twice a week training as well as practicing at home and sometimes at work.
Even though I’m 49 years old, my body has responded positively to the unnatural movements associated with Shotokan Karate and it’s much stronger and leaner for one thing and slightly more flexible for another…although some things will never change.
My mental abilities of concentration and memory have also improved, as well as my self consciousness of standing out and performing in a room full of people.
So, for me reaching this level of expertise has been very gratifying in so many ways.
For others who achieve their Black Belt, it means they have simply reached the end…
…while still others feel it is a first step and that they are just at the beginning their journey.
To me, it is simply a signpost, pointing the right direction I should follow and signifying that I’m on the right path.
An individual won’t live long enough to know everything there is to know about Karate, not because the movements can’t be mastered, but rather because it is a journey of self discovery…
…and what a person discovers is the human spirit.
Once discovered, the traveler is awe struck and humbled at the potentiality that lies there…
…more importantly, one discovers that it has always been there for them if they had simply paid attention to it.
I encourage everyone to continue their journey along their chosen path of Martial Arts or spiritual enlightenment, to discover for themselves, the precious gift the universe has afforded us as human beings…
Happy Holidays
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/Kumite Drills # 3
What is it like to be a Black Belt?
I recently received my Shodan (first Black Belt) and I’m very thrilled about doing so…
It’s been nearly 4 years of twice a week training as well as practicing at home and sometimes at work.
Even though I’m 49 years old, my body has responded positively to the unnatural movements associated with Shotokan Karate and it’s much stronger and leaner for one thing and slightly more flexible for another…although some things will never change.
My mental abilities of concentration and memory have also improved, as well as my self consciousness of standing out and performing in a room full of people.
So, for me reaching this level of expertise has been very gratifying in so many ways.
For others who achieve their Black Belt, it means they have simply reached the end…
…while still others feel it is a first step and that they are just at the beginning their journey.
To me, it is simply a signpost, pointing the right direction I should follow and signifying that I’m on the right path.
An individual won’t live long enough to know everything there is to know about Karate, not because the movements can’t be mastered, but rather because it is a journey of self discovery…
…and what a person discovers is the human spirit.
Once discovered, the traveler is awe struck and humbled at the potentiality that lies there…
…more importantly, one discovers that it has always been there for them if they had simply paid attention to it.
I encourage everyone to continue their journey along their chosen path of Martial Arts or spiritual enlightenment, to discover for themselves, the precious gift the universe has afforded us as human beings…
Happy Holidays
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Timing...it's all about awareness and opportunity...
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Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/Kumite Drills # 3
We can all become proficient when it comes to punching, blocking and kicking.
What takes practice, is the "timing" of our punches, blocks and kicks.
Without proper timing, like a baseball batter, you'll never hit the ball or your target with any kind of effectiveness.
It all begins with awareness and in particular awareness of your opponent and your environment...
...in the dojo, with both karate-ka focusing on sparring, there are no outside influences to distract one another, so what do you do you ask?, well you create your own distractions
You learn by feinting and then observing if your opponent falls for them or not, but most likely they will, the "first" time. Consequently, if they don't fall for the feint, you step in like your feinting with the exact same timing and drive your fist or kick to the target.
Don't try to "think" about timing and opportunity... just execute...
...your attack of the target area should always follow your feint in a single heart beat.
If your timing was correct and you successfully scored a hit on the target, immediately follow it up with a combination and then retreat as quickly as you attacked...
...it's a mistake to momentarily pause and admire your cleverness at scoring a point...
...because in that split second of gloating, if your opponent is aware enough to see your lapse of concentration and take advantage of it, all your effort will have been wasted.
There is no real defense for feints, because the human body is reactive...you see a punch coming to your head and you cover high or you cover low for what looks like a kick...
...but there is a strategy you can use to keep the mind of your opponent busy...and that is giving and taking away targets for him to attack.
...more on that later.
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/Kumite Drills # 3
We can all become proficient when it comes to punching, blocking and kicking.
What takes practice, is the "timing" of our punches, blocks and kicks.
Without proper timing, like a baseball batter, you'll never hit the ball or your target with any kind of effectiveness.
It all begins with awareness and in particular awareness of your opponent and your environment...
...in the dojo, with both karate-ka focusing on sparring, there are no outside influences to distract one another, so what do you do you ask?, well you create your own distractions
You learn by feinting and then observing if your opponent falls for them or not, but most likely they will, the "first" time. Consequently, if they don't fall for the feint, you step in like your feinting with the exact same timing and drive your fist or kick to the target.
Don't try to "think" about timing and opportunity... just execute...
...your attack of the target area should always follow your feint in a single heart beat.
If your timing was correct and you successfully scored a hit on the target, immediately follow it up with a combination and then retreat as quickly as you attacked...
...it's a mistake to momentarily pause and admire your cleverness at scoring a point...
...because in that split second of gloating, if your opponent is aware enough to see your lapse of concentration and take advantage of it, all your effort will have been wasted.
There is no real defense for feints, because the human body is reactive...you see a punch coming to your head and you cover high or you cover low for what looks like a kick...
...but there is a strategy you can use to keep the mind of your opponent busy...and that is giving and taking away targets for him to attack.
...more on that later.
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Rhythm...and no, you don't have to be a dancer.
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Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/Kumite Drills # 3
Rhythm is an element that must be incorporated within the movements of a particular Martial Art.
In Kumite, it's best described as an internal beat that a person times his/her movements to.
Examples might be a 3 beat block, punch, and step away rhythm and when your opponent chases you, deliver another 3 beat combination of punches, kicks and blocks.
If your opponent doesn't realize that you've trapped them into your rhythm they'll soon be picking themselves up off the ground...
Consequently, while creating your own rhythm, you must try to break the rhythm of your opponent.
Rhythm in Kumite is not always as evident as in Kata, where an advanced Karate-ka can display powerful and beautifully rhythmical movements.
Rhythm is the glue that binds the elements of correct application of strength at the right time, the control of speed and transitions of the body from technique to technique.
Rhythm, develop it and see the improvement in your Kata and Kumite...
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/Kumite Drills # 3
Rhythm is an element that must be incorporated within the movements of a particular Martial Art.
In Kumite, it's best described as an internal beat that a person times his/her movements to.
Examples might be a 3 beat block, punch, and step away rhythm and when your opponent chases you, deliver another 3 beat combination of punches, kicks and blocks.
If your opponent doesn't realize that you've trapped them into your rhythm they'll soon be picking themselves up off the ground...
Consequently, while creating your own rhythm, you must try to break the rhythm of your opponent.
Rhythm in Kumite is not always as evident as in Kata, where an advanced Karate-ka can display powerful and beautifully rhythmical movements.
Rhythm is the glue that binds the elements of correct application of strength at the right time, the control of speed and transitions of the body from technique to technique.
Rhythm, develop it and see the improvement in your Kata and Kumite...
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Principles of good Karate and Martial Arts...continued
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Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/Kumite Drills # 3
When is a punch or kick not really a punch or kick? It's not really a punch or kick if the technique is applied with only your arm or leg.
If your not using all of your body and muscles in unison, to deliver a swift and fluid technique
then you're not making efficient use of relaxation and concentration of power to deliver a strike.
It's really a foreign concept for some that a totally relaxed body and muscles can deliver more power than if your muscles are tense...
...but it's true.
A tensed muscle lacks the elasticity to smoothly pass on generated power to the next set of relaxed muscles.
Power essentially doubles then quadruples in magnitude, if allowed to freely flow through your body via your relaxed muscles.
Practicing with bag will develop powerful fluidity in your strikes and kicks...
...the next trick will be to concentrate all that energy at a target.
to be continued...Rhythm
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/Kumite Drills # 3
When is a punch or kick not really a punch or kick? It's not really a punch or kick if the technique is applied with only your arm or leg.
If your not using all of your body and muscles in unison, to deliver a swift and fluid technique
then you're not making efficient use of relaxation and concentration of power to deliver a strike.
It's really a foreign concept for some that a totally relaxed body and muscles can deliver more power than if your muscles are tense...
...but it's true.
A tensed muscle lacks the elasticity to smoothly pass on generated power to the next set of relaxed muscles.
Power essentially doubles then quadruples in magnitude, if allowed to freely flow through your body via your relaxed muscles.
Practicing with bag will develop powerful fluidity in your strikes and kicks...
...the next trick will be to concentrate all that energy at a target.
to be continued...Rhythm
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Principles of good Karate and Martial Arts...
Use the Google search this site for the article your looking for...
Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/Kumite Drills # 3
Well summer is officially over and now it's time to re-focus on ones martial art...
...in my case Karate.
It's almost like starting over but with a little more understanding than before...
...too me, Karate is kind of like a slow boil. I seem to be progressing, but sometimes I feel like I'm not and that I'm standing at the start line.
I have a red belt and I wanted to take a full year for my black belt training and exam...
...my Sensei wants me and another red belt to test in December.
How can someone as indulgent as I am, transform myself into a black belt by December?
This should be interesting...
Anyway, here's a basic principles refresher and another Kumite drill to muse over...
Points of importance are:
Form, Balance, and center of Gravity.
...a students balance is constantly shifting from one foot to the other...so one's center of gravity must shift quickly from forward and back, and side to side...
...all the while looking for an opening to attack and avoiding the attack of your opponent.
Power and Speed
To achieve power you must incorporate the action of speed.
For example, the punch of an advanced Karate-Ka can travel at a speed of 43 feet per second and carry enough potential energy of 1500 lbs per sq inch...
Speed training should be based on techniques that move the muscles quickly rather than techniques that build strength like weight lifting...
...which are important, but not for application of speed...
...punching the Makiwara board is one such training technique.
Too be continued...Abdomen and Hips, Concentration of Power, Timing, Rhythm and how the muscles work together to create power...
Oh ya, the Kumite Drill...
Movement is one of a Karate-Ka's greatest assets...
...if you can move around with ease, you'll never really get nailed with a solid technique, conversely you'll be in a perfect position to unleash your own solid technique when your opponent finishes, or lands from their technique.
Start from the Kamae position...left leg forward...
...shift forward then bring the back foot up to the front foot and push your front foot forward and finally take a full step forward with your back leg.
Your right leg and foot should now be forward...
...shift back then bring the front foot back to the rear foot and push your back foot out to the rear and finally take a full step back with your left foot.
You should now be back to your original position...
Switch legs and repeat...
Practice moving like that for straight forward attacks and straight back defensive techniques...
In Kumite, those are the 3 basic means of making distance on your opponent...so practicing those movements in unison with your opponents movements will frustrate them and set them up for your jab and reverse punches...
Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/Kumite Drills # 3
Well summer is officially over and now it's time to re-focus on ones martial art...
...in my case Karate.
It's almost like starting over but with a little more understanding than before...
...too me, Karate is kind of like a slow boil. I seem to be progressing, but sometimes I feel like I'm not and that I'm standing at the start line.
I have a red belt and I wanted to take a full year for my black belt training and exam...
...my Sensei wants me and another red belt to test in December.
How can someone as indulgent as I am, transform myself into a black belt by December?
This should be interesting...
Anyway, here's a basic principles refresher and another Kumite drill to muse over...
Points of importance are:
Form, Balance, and center of Gravity.
...a students balance is constantly shifting from one foot to the other...so one's center of gravity must shift quickly from forward and back, and side to side...
...all the while looking for an opening to attack and avoiding the attack of your opponent.
Power and Speed
To achieve power you must incorporate the action of speed.
For example, the punch of an advanced Karate-Ka can travel at a speed of 43 feet per second and carry enough potential energy of 1500 lbs per sq inch...
Speed training should be based on techniques that move the muscles quickly rather than techniques that build strength like weight lifting...
...which are important, but not for application of speed...
...punching the Makiwara board is one such training technique.
Too be continued...Abdomen and Hips, Concentration of Power, Timing, Rhythm and how the muscles work together to create power...
Oh ya, the Kumite Drill...
Movement is one of a Karate-Ka's greatest assets...
...if you can move around with ease, you'll never really get nailed with a solid technique, conversely you'll be in a perfect position to unleash your own solid technique when your opponent finishes, or lands from their technique.
Start from the Kamae position...left leg forward...
...shift forward then bring the back foot up to the front foot and push your front foot forward and finally take a full step forward with your back leg.
Your right leg and foot should now be forward...
...shift back then bring the front foot back to the rear foot and push your back foot out to the rear and finally take a full step back with your left foot.
You should now be back to your original position...
Switch legs and repeat...
Practice moving like that for straight forward attacks and straight back defensive techniques...
In Kumite, those are the 3 basic means of making distance on your opponent...so practicing those movements in unison with your opponents movements will frustrate them and set them up for your jab and reverse punches...
Sunday, August 06, 2006
The lazy indulgent days of Summer....
Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/Kumite Drills # 3
Summer is really a bad time for staying focused on one's martial arts training, it is for me anyway...
That's why our family oriented Karate organization completely shuts down, except for perhaps one or two dojo's.
Martial arts, in particular Karate, are an important part of mine and other people's lives...
...but so is family...
So other than a yearly karate retreat on beautiful Vancouver Island, my karate takes a back burner to hikes, mini vacations to the mountains and visiting family members who have cabins at the lake, with my wife.
Not to mention all the great barbecued food and drinks that get consumed while on holidays...
...my poor waistline.
That's not to say I stop practicing, but rather a "do it when I feel like it" attitude takes over.
I'll start to crank my training up in the fall again when the weather gets cooler and the memories of summer have begun to fade.
I'll be coming out with some more Kumite Tips and Drills for beginners, in the coming months so stay tuned.
Here's a training tip for all you martial artists out there, one that you'll find quite interesting...
...try your martial art's training and Kata's on different surfaces and with different footwear.
If you've never tried it before, your in for a real surprise...
...that beautiful balance you've developed on the hardwood floor of your dojo, has suddenly been transformed into something not so beautiful.
Train on the grass without sandals and then with them on...
...put on your sneakers and train on a hard surface like asphalt, at an outdoor basketball or tennis court.
And of course there is the sand of your local beach or desert.
The different surfaces and having weight from shoes on your feet, places new demands on the muscles you use for your particular martial art.
You'll notice how much stronger you'll feel when you get back onto the hardwood of the dojo.
Have a good rest of the summer...
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/Kumite Drills # 3
Summer is really a bad time for staying focused on one's martial arts training, it is for me anyway...
That's why our family oriented Karate organization completely shuts down, except for perhaps one or two dojo's.
Martial arts, in particular Karate, are an important part of mine and other people's lives...
...but so is family...
So other than a yearly karate retreat on beautiful Vancouver Island, my karate takes a back burner to hikes, mini vacations to the mountains and visiting family members who have cabins at the lake, with my wife.
Not to mention all the great barbecued food and drinks that get consumed while on holidays...
...my poor waistline.
That's not to say I stop practicing, but rather a "do it when I feel like it" attitude takes over.
I'll start to crank my training up in the fall again when the weather gets cooler and the memories of summer have begun to fade.
I'll be coming out with some more Kumite Tips and Drills for beginners, in the coming months so stay tuned.
Here's a training tip for all you martial artists out there, one that you'll find quite interesting...
...try your martial art's training and Kata's on different surfaces and with different footwear.
If you've never tried it before, your in for a real surprise...
...that beautiful balance you've developed on the hardwood floor of your dojo, has suddenly been transformed into something not so beautiful.
Train on the grass without sandals and then with them on...
...put on your sneakers and train on a hard surface like asphalt, at an outdoor basketball or tennis court.
And of course there is the sand of your local beach or desert.
The different surfaces and having weight from shoes on your feet, places new demands on the muscles you use for your particular martial art.
You'll notice how much stronger you'll feel when you get back onto the hardwood of the dojo.
Have a good rest of the summer...
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Monday, July 17, 2006
Kumite Drills for the beginner...Kumite Drill # 3
Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/Kumite Drills # 3/
Kumite Drill # 3
Start with the left leg forward.
Bring the back foot almost up to where the front foot is and transfer your weight onto that leg.
With the front leg, do a front kick at jodan or chudan level. After the kick and from the hikite, place the kicking leg down in front of the weight bearing leg (Not too far forward), then transfer your weight to the front leg and shift back.
You should almost be completely back in your original position in a balanced kamae.
Next, bring the back foot up almost to where the front foot is, transfer your weight and do a roundhouse kick with the front leg.
Return the kicking leg to the ground in a medium front stance, transfer your weight once again and then shift back.
From your left leg forward Kamae, bring the back foot up to where the front foot is and do a side thrust kick with the front leg. Place the kicking leg down and in front of the weight bearing leg (Not too far forward) and then strongly shift back.
Bring the back foot up to where the front foot is and do a reverse roundhouse kick with the front leg. Place the kicking leg down and in front of the weight bearing leg (Not too far forward) then once again, strongly shift back.
Change to the right leg forward Kamae and repeat the drill...
Pointers:
Your hikite must come back quickly and you must be perfectly balanced and not leaning forward or backwards.
Your placement of the kicking leg should not be too far forward, unless of course you are setting your opponent up for a reverse punch by stepping into a front stance.
When you transfer your weight on to the front leg, thrust the back leg backwards for a faster and stronger shifting motion.
This drill helps to develop kicking from a balanced kamae, to the unbalanced kick itself and back into a balanced kamae, ready for the next offensive or defensive technique.
Like always, practice it about a hundred times from each side.
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/Kumite Drills # 3/
Kumite Drill # 3
Start with the left leg forward.
Bring the back foot almost up to where the front foot is and transfer your weight onto that leg.
With the front leg, do a front kick at jodan or chudan level. After the kick and from the hikite, place the kicking leg down in front of the weight bearing leg (Not too far forward), then transfer your weight to the front leg and shift back.
You should almost be completely back in your original position in a balanced kamae.
Next, bring the back foot up almost to where the front foot is, transfer your weight and do a roundhouse kick with the front leg.
Return the kicking leg to the ground in a medium front stance, transfer your weight once again and then shift back.
From your left leg forward Kamae, bring the back foot up to where the front foot is and do a side thrust kick with the front leg. Place the kicking leg down and in front of the weight bearing leg (Not too far forward) and then strongly shift back.
Bring the back foot up to where the front foot is and do a reverse roundhouse kick with the front leg. Place the kicking leg down and in front of the weight bearing leg (Not too far forward) then once again, strongly shift back.
Change to the right leg forward Kamae and repeat the drill...
Pointers:
Your hikite must come back quickly and you must be perfectly balanced and not leaning forward or backwards.
Your placement of the kicking leg should not be too far forward, unless of course you are setting your opponent up for a reverse punch by stepping into a front stance.
When you transfer your weight on to the front leg, thrust the back leg backwards for a faster and stronger shifting motion.
This drill helps to develop kicking from a balanced kamae, to the unbalanced kick itself and back into a balanced kamae, ready for the next offensive or defensive technique.
Like always, practice it about a hundred times from each side.
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Kumite Drills for the beginner...Kumite Drill # 2
Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/
This drill is similar to Kumite Drills # 1/...
...when you've pulled your kicking leg back to it's original position, take a full step back with your left forward leg instead of shifting back. Your final stance will now be with your right leg forward.
This drill trains your body to take stances from both sides and to kick with either leg...
Start with the left leg forward.
Shift forward half a step and jab or back fist...this time instead of shifting back, take a full step back and end up with your right leg in front.
Shift forward again half a step and jab or back fist with your right fist...
...again, instead of shifting back, take a full step back and end up with your left leg once again in front.
Do this drill hundreds of times until you feel comfortable changing from your left leg forward stance to your right leg forward stance.
Once your comfortable changing stances, it's time to add all of your kicks.
Starting with your left leg forward, shift forward half a step, jab or back fist, and then do a front kick with the back leg. Return the kicking leg to its original position and then instead of shifting back like in Kumite Drills # 1/...step back with your left leg, ending up with your right leg and guard in front.
Shift forward half a step, jab or back fist, and then do another front kick with the back leg. Return the kicking leg to its original position and then take a step back ending up with your left leg and guard once again in front.
Do the same drill for the round house, side thrust kick, back kick and the reverse round house kick.
You can also add a reverse punch in after changing your Kamae from one side to the other for a variation...if your opponent made the mistake of chasing you, the reverse punch can be used to great affect.
Pointers:
When stepping back, try to keep the back straight and don't let the head trail your shoulders.
Instead of stepping back with the forward leg, it should actually be thrust back into position, this will allow you to set up much more quickly for your opponents counter attacks.
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/
This drill is similar to Kumite Drills # 1/...
...when you've pulled your kicking leg back to it's original position, take a full step back with your left forward leg instead of shifting back. Your final stance will now be with your right leg forward.
This drill trains your body to take stances from both sides and to kick with either leg...
Start with the left leg forward.
Shift forward half a step and jab or back fist...this time instead of shifting back, take a full step back and end up with your right leg in front.
Shift forward again half a step and jab or back fist with your right fist...
...again, instead of shifting back, take a full step back and end up with your left leg once again in front.
Do this drill hundreds of times until you feel comfortable changing from your left leg forward stance to your right leg forward stance.
Once your comfortable changing stances, it's time to add all of your kicks.
Starting with your left leg forward, shift forward half a step, jab or back fist, and then do a front kick with the back leg. Return the kicking leg to its original position and then instead of shifting back like in Kumite Drills # 1/...step back with your left leg, ending up with your right leg and guard in front.
Shift forward half a step, jab or back fist, and then do another front kick with the back leg. Return the kicking leg to its original position and then take a step back ending up with your left leg and guard once again in front.
Do the same drill for the round house, side thrust kick, back kick and the reverse round house kick.
You can also add a reverse punch in after changing your Kamae from one side to the other for a variation...if your opponent made the mistake of chasing you, the reverse punch can be used to great affect.
Pointers:
When stepping back, try to keep the back straight and don't let the head trail your shoulders.
Instead of stepping back with the forward leg, it should actually be thrust back into position, this will allow you to set up much more quickly for your opponents counter attacks.
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Kumite Drills for the beginner...Kumite Drill # 1
Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/
Freestyle Kumite is hard, damn hard and it seems that after a few minutes of sparring, all of my Karate technique goes out the window...
...I then have to remind myself about what I should be doing, technique wise.
When that happens I lose focus on what I am suppose to accomplish against my opponent.
Here's a simple drill that is the basis for all beginners in freestyle Kumite...
...it must be practiced so that the movement becomes a part of you.
Practicing this drill will give the beginner both an offensive and defensive posture and is the basis for more advanced Kumite movements...
Drill # 1
Start with the left leg forward.
Shift forward half a step with the left leg and jab, shift back to original position.
Practice that a few times to get the feeling of shifting in and shifting back out.
Then shift forward half a step, jab, and then do a front kick with the back leg. Return the kicking leg back to it's original position and then shift back...
At this point you should be standing exactly where you started.
Now shift forward half a step, do a back fist or jab and then do a roundhouse kick with the back leg. Return the kicking leg to its original position and then shift back to your starting position.
Now, shift forward half a step, back fist or jab, and then do a side thrust kick with the back leg, return the kicking leg to its original position then shift back to your start position.
Shift forward half a step diagonally to the right side, back fist or jab, and then do a back kick with the back leg, return the kicking leg to it's original position and then shift back to your start position.
Shift forward half a step, back fist or jab, and then do a reverse roundhouse kick with the back leg, return the kicking leg to it's original position and then shift back to your initial start position.
Switch to the right leg forward and repeat.
Shifting forward a half step stretches the body like an elastic and the kicks naturally snap towards the target with greater speed...
...getting the kick back as fast it left and then shifting back, doesn't allow your opponent enough time or distance to counter attack you.
Even if he does make up the distance, you will be in a perfectly balanced position to defend or attack once again..
Practice those movements about a thousand times until they become automatic.
Pointer:
The key to shifting is in dropping your weight on your supporting leg and pushing straight forward or straight back. Also keep your hips as level as possible.
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
Kumite Drills # 1/Kumite Drills # 2/
Freestyle Kumite is hard, damn hard and it seems that after a few minutes of sparring, all of my Karate technique goes out the window...
...I then have to remind myself about what I should be doing, technique wise.
When that happens I lose focus on what I am suppose to accomplish against my opponent.
Here's a simple drill that is the basis for all beginners in freestyle Kumite...
...it must be practiced so that the movement becomes a part of you.
Practicing this drill will give the beginner both an offensive and defensive posture and is the basis for more advanced Kumite movements...
Drill # 1
Start with the left leg forward.
Shift forward half a step with the left leg and jab, shift back to original position.
Practice that a few times to get the feeling of shifting in and shifting back out.
Then shift forward half a step, jab, and then do a front kick with the back leg. Return the kicking leg back to it's original position and then shift back...
At this point you should be standing exactly where you started.
Now shift forward half a step, do a back fist or jab and then do a roundhouse kick with the back leg. Return the kicking leg to its original position and then shift back to your starting position.
Now, shift forward half a step, back fist or jab, and then do a side thrust kick with the back leg, return the kicking leg to its original position then shift back to your start position.
Shift forward half a step diagonally to the right side, back fist or jab, and then do a back kick with the back leg, return the kicking leg to it's original position and then shift back to your start position.
Shift forward half a step, back fist or jab, and then do a reverse roundhouse kick with the back leg, return the kicking leg to it's original position and then shift back to your initial start position.
Switch to the right leg forward and repeat.
Shifting forward a half step stretches the body like an elastic and the kicks naturally snap towards the target with greater speed...
...getting the kick back as fast it left and then shifting back, doesn't allow your opponent enough time or distance to counter attack you.
Even if he does make up the distance, you will be in a perfectly balanced position to defend or attack once again..
Practice those movements about a thousand times until they become automatic.
Pointer:
The key to shifting is in dropping your weight on your supporting leg and pushing straight forward or straight back. Also keep your hips as level as possible.
Don't forget to check out the exciting books and dvd's on Karate, Martial Arts, Zen, Weapons, Nutrition and Health from the Indulgent Samurai Store...
RJF
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