Encouraging Personal Development in the Dojo
I was recently discussing the topic of encouraging personal development in the dojo with a newly belted Shodan who was visiting us. Like many Shodans, he has come to realize the profound impact that martial arts training has had on his life, above and beyond the simple benefits of self-defense and fitness, including self-confidence, mental fortitude, perseverance, exposure to different philosophies and lifestyles, etc. This led to a discussion on how to encourage this kind of personal development in the dojo. (more…)
Technical Analysis: Shoulder Throw
Last week I discussed how to work up to throwing a much bigger person. The post was inspired by the difficulties that a very small woman (5’1″, 115 lbs) at my dojo was having when attempting to do a shoulder throw (ippon seioi nage) on a much bigger man (6’1″, 210 lbs). No, the shoulder throw is not the ideal self-defense takedown for her in that scenario. Yes, there are throws that she could learn to do on a much bigger guy more easily. The point of the post was how to approach the difficulties that come when learning to do a shoulder throw (or other similar throws) on a much bigger person. (more…)
How to Throw Big When You’re Small
In the past year, I’ve picked up a few students who are smaller women. When I say small, I mean like 12-year-old small. These women are between 5’0″ and 5’2″. They are truly petite. I’ve been working with them lately to help them with their throwing. They may not have confidence in their ability to throw a 6’3″ guy who is over 200 lbs right now, but ironically, they’ll be better at throwing down the line if they stick with it. (more…)
The Gift of Fear vs. the Price of Worry & Ignorance
I recently finished reading The Gift of Fear
Fear Itself
The Gift of Fear breaks down the process by which fear is generated and shows how it serves to warn us of danger. De Becker posits that fear is ignited by our subconscious mind, which is registering signals of danger that our conscious mind hasn’t seen or has dismissed through “logic.” I always teach women that when they experience real fear, the kind that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, they should listen to their instincts and take action to get away from the person or remove themselves from the situation that is causing the reaction. But this experience of acute fear is very different from the kind that many women experience on a day-to-day basis, a general fear that violence could happen to them randomly. This is not “authentic” fear, according to de Becker, but is actually worry, a form of fear that is manufactured, and it actually debilitates a person’s ability to sense real danger. (more…)
How to Improve Your Success Rate in Applying Submissions
If you’re a regular reader, you already know that my focus in the martial arts is primarily self-defense oriented. That being said, I do enjoy training skills that are more oriented towards competition, like ground grappling skills. Because so many people do it, I can’t afford ignore this phenomenon as a self-defense instructor. You have to learn what they do so you can better understand how to defend against it.
A visiting Shorinji Kan Shodan asked me for tips on improving his ability to complete a submission when doing ground grappling. I like these kinds of questions because it gives me the chance to focus on fine tuning the overall approach rather than just demonstrating the basic application. These days, anyone can piece together how to do submissions from the myriad submission grappling videos all over the Web, but this doesn’t teach you the finer points that helps you actually complete these moves against a live, resisting opponent. Ultimately, it all boils down to 3 basics. (more…)
The Disadvantages of Having a Friendly Dojo
The title for this post may seem odd, but there actually are some disadvantages to having warm, friendly, welcoming students at the dojo. Now I don’t want to come across like I’m complaining. I’m not. I love my students and look forward to seeing them every time I go to the dojo. I love to see everyone coming out for social nights. It gives me great pleasure to see everyone greeting each other with happy familiarity as they arrive at the dojo. And I’m sure new students who come to the dojo to try classes appreciate when people extend their hands in friendship, warmly introducing themselves to make them feel welcome. (more…)
Standing up to Bullies: The Case of Casey Heynes
YouTube is a fascinating phenomenon. People post their videos and the ones that touch people’s hearts, whether it’s in a good or bad way, can become massively viral. This was the case with a simple video of Casey Heynes, a boy who finally fought back after years of being bullied.
If you haven’t already seen the video, here is an Australian news report that both shows the video and an interview with the boy who stood up for himself and his family members: (more…)
Understanding Physical Biases in the Martial Arts
We all have our own biases when it comes to the martial arts. Sometimes these biases are based on the style(s) of martial arts we’ve studied. Sometimes they’re based on how our instructors have taught us. And sometimes, they are based on your individual body types.
When it comes to self-defense, I think martial artists should strive to broaden their perspective and look beyond the biases of their style(s) and their instructors to determine the best approach for their own body types. If you’re an instructor, you should be able to look beyond your own physicality’s biases and understand the biases of other people’s body types so you can help students learn the most practical approaches to self-defense for them. (more…)
How Do Your Assumptions Hold You Back?
I was reading a book the other day called Meditations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training & Real World Violence by Sgt. Rory Miller
4 Tips for Preventing Illness at the Dojo
Right now there are a few cold/flu bugs doing the rounds in the Vancouver area. I managed to catch one myself, I suspect from someone I trained with at another dojo over a week ago. I don’t usually get sick and when I do pick something up, my body is usually pretty good at shaking it off quickly. Not this time. I had to take it easy for nearly 4 days. (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.