Learning to Teach In Order to Learn Martial Arts
In my first style of Jiu-jitsu with the Jitsu Canada organization we have a series of courses that you are required to take as your progress through the ranks in order to lay the foundations for teaching. It begins with an assistant instructor course which is required for purple.
I was covering the BCIT Jitsu Canada class on Tuesday and after the class I was talking to some of the students that were eligible to take the Assistant Instructor course that is being run this weekend. Several of them were a little apprehensive about taking the course, with one who was so nervous, she was tempted not to attend. Her argument was that she still had so much to learn, and she didn’t have the confidence in the techniques she already knew to pass them along. To put her mind at ease, I better explained the course, and the purpose of the course.
“6 Bullets” Too Many: A Movie Review
6 Bullets is basically a B-rate, straight-to-DVD version of Taken with Liam Neeson, a movie that didn’t have a unique premise, but was well-made and enjoyable. My expectations from a B movie are different than the ones I have for A movies, which is what made this movie so hard to review.
If I reviewed it from the point of view of my A movie expectations, I would give it a horrible review. The movie tries to approach the story of two parents trying to recover their kidnapped 14-year-old daughter with a very serious tone, much like the movie Taken. They clearly put a bit of money into making the movie, with decent enough sets and pyrotechnics, beyond what I would expect for a B movie. Unfortunately, the writing is trite, the pacing of the story slow, and the acting wooden. (more…)
When Establishing Control, Grab Like You Mean It
At the recent seminar that Ed Hiscoe Hanshi taught as part of Lori O’Connell Sensei’s promotion to Godan, Steve Hiscoe Shihan was walking around providing assistance to the large class. A yellow belt was applying a technique often used in security and policing, often referred to as a bent wrist come-along. She was having some difficulty and Hiscoe Shihan told her to “Grab him like you mean it.” (more…)
Chopsticks & Scissors & Knives, Oh My! – Fun with Throwing Weapons
A couple of weekends ago, guest instructor Sifu Restita DeJesus from the Seattle Wushu Center paid a visit to our dojo to teach us the basics of the fine art of throwing weapons. In Jiu-jitsu, we spend a lot of time throwing people, but most of us had little to no experience throwing weapons, so it was an entirely new concept for us.
Sifu started out by showing us how to throw knives designed to be balanced for throwing. The first type of throw she taught was with a spin then we later moved on to no-spin. Here is a really useful video she shared with me that explains the two types of throws: (more…)
Overcoming Muscle Memory to Incorporate New Martial Arts Skills
Whether you have years of experience or are beginning martial arts for the very first time, you’ll find yourself trying to learn techniques that feel unnatural or counter to your usual way of moving. It can be quite a challenge to force your body to do things it has never done before, or that feel awkward.
For those of you unaware, Lori O’Connell Sensei works in the movie industry when she’s not in the dojo, and I work in the security industry. Both of us have been training in the martial arts for a lengthy period of time, and we’ve both recently begun adding new physical skills to our repertoires for our work outside of the dojo. Lori Sensei has been working on her fight reactions for stunt work, while I have been working on my handcuffing skills. We have been practicing together, and it has led to some challenges.
Setting Goals & Creating a Training Plan for Martial Arts Development
Everyone has their own general reasons for training in the martial arts somewhere at the back of their mind, whether it’s to develop self-defense skills, get in better shape, etc. Just coming out to the dojo and getting your butt on the mats will, as long as the training your getting serves those goals, will keep you moving towards them. But for many people it can be worthwhile to create more specific goals for themselves so that they can create a training plan around them. This can be especially true at the higher levels of development when belt tests become less frequent, as it recently became apparent to one of my higher ranking students.
One of my blue belts asked if he and I could have a sit-down together to discuss his development so he can know what things he needs to work on more specifically so that he can create a training plan around them. I am always happy to have students take initiative and approach me in this way because I know that it can lead to great things.
To help outline the process, I decided to write up some goals and a training plan for myself with regards to one of my own over-arching goals as a martial artist. (more…)
Scheduled Group vs Individual Testing in the Martial Arts
When it comes to belt testing, there’s a couple of schools of thought from instructors. In some schools, it’s a special event, where you’re evaluated on your performance on the day and you earn your level based on how you do. In other schools the belt test is more of a formality. It’s a review session, and the instructor has been evaluating you every class, decided you’re ready to advance in the belt system. You then demonstrate the techniques with a more compliant partner, rather than performing them against resistant “attackers.”
In schools where tests are more formal, there’s generally two methods of arranging tests: a scheduled testing system that sets group test dates far in advance, and scheduling testing as needed.
In a semestered system, belt tests are administered in a group with a scheduled date. For example, test dates may be set every quarter of the year, and students then train towards those days.
Testing by need leads to instructors keeping an eye on students in class, and when a student looks to be ready (or has attended a certain number of classes), a test date is scheduled.
I’ve trained & taught extensively in both types of testing environments, and both present benefits and challenges for instructors to work with.
6 Great Full-Body Strength Training Exercises for Martial Artists
I do a lot of physical training including martial arts, running, outdoor activities, etc. I like to include some strength training as part of my general training regimen, but I like to be efficient with it. Rather than doing resistance training that only isolates one muscle or one muscle group, I like to try and do multiple muscle groups at once. I have a number of go-to exercises that I use for this purpose. (more…)
How to Adjust Breakfalls for Movie Stunt Work
*WARNING: This article is for informational purposes only. If you wish to put these concepts into practice you should do so under the supervision of a trained professional.
Knowing how to do breakfalls is really useful for a stunt performer. A high proportion of the movie stunts performed involve falling, whether it’s for a fight, chase, or off a building. But it’s not enough to be good at the breakfalls you do in martial arts training.
When we do throws and takedowns in Jiu-jitsu, our first and foremost goal is to prevent injury. In stunts, the goal is to make the fall look realistic. These two goals can clash, however. The big slap and controlled leg position of a very safe breakfall are the same things that make it look as though the person falling didn’t get hurt. No big surprise, right? (more…)
Reflections to the 5th Degree: On My Promotion to Godan
Last week, on Thurs. Sept. 6, I was promoted to 5th Degree Black Belt. A lot of people asked me how I feel about it. I thought it best to summarize my reflections on this milestone here. As I think back over the past 20 years of martial arts training, teaching and all the life experiences associated with it, what stands out most are all the relationships that have developed over the years. (more…)
We're proud to announce that Lori O'Connell Sensei's new book, When the Fight Goes to the Ground: Jiu-jitsu Strategies & Tactics for Self-Defense, published through international martial arts publisher Tuttle Publishing, is now available in major book stores and online. More about it & where to buy it.