Here I go again

I love training in the martial arts. I have been fortunate enough to receive great training in Jujutsu and Karate and have done some boxing and Judo in the past. Recently I started taking Wu Style Tai Chi and Eagle Claw classes at the North Sky Kung Fu school. Sifu Dario and Sifu Julie Ann are class acts and I really like their energy/spirit.

Even though I hold two black belts, it is indeed a pleasure to be a white belt again. I”m learning so much and have a great appreciation for the new things that I’m learning. I’ll keep you posted as to my training experiences in the weeks ahead.

Be well!

Basic Sparring Equipment

Recently, some of the parents of children that I train at the Rockaway branch of the YMCA(in NYC) asked me about sparring and competing in tournaments. I was pleasantly surprised to hear about how interested they and their children were in competing.

Below is a must-have list of sparring equipment. All of the below items can be purchased from a local vendor in Ozone Park (Queens, NY) called MACS Martial Arts Supplies.

Basic Sparring Gear (Head gear, gloves, boots and shin guards)

Face Shield

Mouth Guard

Chest Guards

Groin Guards

See you in the dojo!

Osu!

What is Tactical Civilian Combatives?

The below SlideShare presentation will give you an overview of the 10 areas of concern that influence our training methodology.

More details on what we train in and how we train in a later post, but check this presentation out.

Sparring Gear for Combatives Training

People ask me what they should by to have a “live” experience when training in combatives. Over time there are various pieces of equipment you should purchase.

Here is the list with recommended vendors:

Headgear 

https://www.titleboxing.com/protection/headgear/no-contact-headgear/title-faceshield-no-contact-headgear

Eye protection

https://www.copsplus.com/howard-leight-uvex-genesis-with-black-frame-and-espresso-lens

Mouth Guard

https://www.modells.com/product/everlast_evershield_single_mouthguard-1400004.do?sortby=bestSellers&refType=&from=Search&ecList=6&ecCategory=

Neck Guard

https://www.modells.com/product/bauer_nlp7_core_collar_adult_hockey_neck_guard-1042882.do?utm_source=google&utm_campaign=adlucent&utm_medium=pla&gclid=Cj0KEQjw4cLKBRCZmNTvyovvj-4BEiQAl_sgQmZA_wLPnkjVtDDO2yFiLAHHuQa0s_leLp7tmVsrwvcaApb98P8HAQ

Sparring Gloves

https://www.titleboxing.com/gloves/mma-training-sparring-gloves/title-mma-performance-safe-spar-gloves

Forearm guards

https://www.macsmartialarts.com/cloth-forearm-protector.html

Elbow Pads

https://www.macsmartialarts.com/cloth-elbow-pad-guard.html

Groin Protection (Men)

https://www.titleboxing.com/protection/groin-protectors/groin-ab-protectors/title-deluxe-groin-protector-plus

Groin Protection (Women)

https://www.titleboxing.com/protection/groin-protectors/groin-ab-protectors/title-female-groin-protector

Knee Pads

https://www.macsmartialarts.com/cloth-knee-guard-573.html

Shin & Instep Guards

https://www.titleboxing.com/protection/shin-guards/title-vinyl-shin-instep-guards

I hope this helps you in your training pursuits.

Martial Arts -vs-Combatives – Which is better?

So, before I answer the question, let me explain the differences between the two.

Martial arts is about tempering the soul through body conditioning, the study of warrior ways (psychology and philosophy) and introspection — looking into oneself. Martial arts tend to be codified systems with established curricula and a hierarchy.

Combatives is about focusing on quelling violent attacks as efficiently as possible by training in live (i.e., sparring) and reality-based scenarios. Combatives are ever-evolving with no formal ranking structure and tend to borrow techniques and weapons from various established martial arts.

So, which is better? BOTH! It is not what you train in, but HOW you train.

If you train in a traditional martial art, make sure to have at least one “live” training session a week. By that I mean light to medium contact (with protective gear) and or free grappling (“randori”). That way you will know what you can really pull off under stress against a resisting opponent.

Now, go train.

What is the best martial art?

This is an age-old question to which you will get scores of biased answers.

I am not going to steal any of Sensei Ando’s thunder, so just CLICK HERE –>  to hear the best answer and explanation I ever heard to this question.

I trust that this honorable sensei satisfies your curiosity.

You Should Tote a TotASak™

With the Minimalist Martialist Method, one of our pillars is to train with and carry less-than-lethal, legal-to-carry weaponry. One of the recommended weapons is the TotASak™.

This tool is designed to help a person carry numerous plastic bags in comfort. You know how the plastic bags cut into your hand when you are carrying them? Well, this tool helps with that.

Also, it is a improvised impact weapon that you can easily carry in your bag.

 

Here is a quick video on the self-defense applications of the this tool.

If someone attacks you, use your TotASak™. Then paramedics will have to tote them away.

Thank you for your time and I hope that I’ve given you something to consider for your personal protection.

Sucker Punch Analysis

As a student of the martial arts, I will always yield to any instructor who has a great explanation of how things really go down in the street. This video put together by the London Wing Chun Academy.

Here is an excerpt from this video’s description:

Sucker Punch Analysis: How to fight and Defend Yourself in extreme circumstances. This week we discuss the interaction between (1) Tunnel Vision brought about by Stress, (2) Body, and (3) Hand Position as the Critical factors that more often lead to people getting knocked out by sucker punches. Make sure you watch this video as it really will make a difference in how you fight to defend yourself.

Here is the video:

Not All Instructors are Self-Defense Specialists

Self-Defense is a serious topic.

Self-Defense and martial arts are not necessarily synonymous.

The former is oftentimes scenario-based and looks at the brutal nastiness of human nature, while the latter tends to be focused on using the martial ways to temper ones mind, body and soul or competitive sport.

This is not to say that martial ways/traditional training or sport have no value.

Let a Judo player throw you, a boxer punch you in the liver or a Tae Kwon Do fighter kick you in the face and then let me know how you feel.

The conditions and type of stressors that bring about what Peyton Quinn or Geoff Thompson call “the adrenal dump” is different than what happens in traditional sparring or sport.

When you are a self-defense instructor, understand that people are placing trust in your competence to teach them things they can use to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.

This is not a comprehensive list, but here is a quick checklist to refer to when shopping around for a self-defense/personal protection instructor:

1. Military, law enforcement, corrections, bouncer, bodyguard or security experience
2. Experience with firearms, impact and blades weapons
3. First-Aid & CPR certified
4. Diverse martial arts training background
5. Has done non-compliant/full-contact sparring (Judo or Boxing)
6. Doesn’t have to be a lawyer, but versed in local law as it pertains to what is legal to possess or do (Can you possess nunchaku and may you stand your ground or escape?) Please seek out qualified self-defense instructors.

Your life and freedom depend on it.

Peace and blessings, and thank you for your time.

Like

On April 2nd, the bodies hit the floor

Here are some video clips from a recent class. The green belts and myself demonstrated the following throws: Body Drop (Tai Otoshi); Circular Throw (Tomoe Nage); Entering Throw (Tomoe Nage); Shoulder Wheel/”Fireman’s Carry” (Kata Guruma); and the Side Wheel (Yoko Guruma).

Take note how Erica and Calvin used the 8 parts of a combat throw.