How to Feel the Fear & Do It Anyway
To live life to the fullest we have to take risks. The things that really give our lives meaning all involve some form of risk, whether it’s starting a business, getting married, or starting a martial art. Some risks, we are more comfortable with, whether it’s because of our personalities or our personal histories. Others types make you more anxious and fearful. Often times it is the risks that make us most uncomfortable that are the experiences that have the most potential to transform our lives. But for us to attain this, we have to feel the fear, move past it, then do that which causes the fear anyway. Here are a few ways to do just that.
1. Research. Whatever it is that you want to do that scares you, big or small, learn as much as you can about it. Read about it. Watch videos. Talk to people who do it. Let’s say you want to take up a new activity like a martial art, but you’re afraid of looking foolish. Put in the time to research schools so you find the best style, instructors and training atmosphere for your needs. When you find one that interests you, familiarize yourself with what they do. Get in touch with the instructor and ask questions that help ease your fears. Then, when you decide to give it a try, you’ll feel more comfortable going in. Becoming familiar helps alleviate fears, just as it does for the child who needs to be shown there is no monster under their bed before you turn out the lights at night.
Taichi Jiu-jitsu? Exploring the Commonalities between Martial Arts
What do Taichi and Jiu-jitsu have in common? No, this isn’t a joke and no, I’m not crazy. When you look past the surface images of elderly people doing slow-moving patterns, there are many fundamentals that are alike. And not just with Jiu-jitsu, but many other martial arts styles as well, as many students discovered at the Pacific Association of Women Martial Artists camp I recently attended. At one of the classes I took when I attended this year’s PAWMA camp, Sifu Debbie Leung, instructor at Chinese Healing & Movement Arts, related some of the fundamental principles guiding the practice of Taichi (a.k.a.- Taiji). She didn’t simply teach us a pattern from her style. She had all the students choose a particular sequence from their styles then we applied each Taichi principle to that move.
When it comes to seminars, this type of format in which the instructor teaches concepts from their style in ways that are applicable for a variety of styles, is one I love. This makes the concepts more relevant the students’ own styles, allowing the students to take that concept home and continue using what they learned. I usually try to teach principle-based seminars myself as described in my blog post, My Approach to Teaching Martial Arts Seminars. (more…)
Book Review – Aiki-Jujutsu: Mixed Martial Art of the Samurai
Martial arts instructional books are generally written along one of several different lines; they’re written to address a specific topic and give you another tool you can add to your current martial art. They can tackle philosophy, or they can provide an overall solution, a martial arts system, acting as a textbook.
I recently received a copy of Cary Nermeroff’s Aiki-Jujutsu: Mixed Martial Art of the Samurai.
This is a Textbook
I have nothing against textbook style martial arts books, but they are more difficult to review because there is a danger that I’ll end up passing judgement on a martial arts style rather than the book itself. While this book is entitled Aiki Jiu-jitsu, it really seems to be an overview book of Fukasa-Ryu Bujutsu Kai, the style created by the author. At the end of the day, you can’t learn a martial art from a book, but you can gain insights into the art, and hopefully with an open mind, gain insights into your own. (more…)
My Experience As a First-Time PAWMA Camp Teacher & Student
This past weekend, I had the privilege of participating in the PAWMA (Pacific Association of Women Martial Artists) annual training camp, both as a teacher and as a student. I have had a lot of experience teaching Can-ryu Jiu-jitsu at martial arts training camps over the years, but all of them were for Jiu-jitsu organizations and open to everyone, men and women, from a variety of dojos. I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this event with nearly 100 women martial artists of all different styles, from all over North America in attendance. What I experienced completely blew me away.
How to Run in the Rain (or Do Anything Else that Requires Motivation)
Most of you know that I am a regular runner and that I live in the mild, wet climate of Vancouver, BC on Canada’s west coast. We have amazing summer weather that isn’t blisteringly hot and/or humid as it
is in the vast majority of the country. The rest of the year is also warmer than the rest of the country, and we get almost no snow, but it’s wet, wet, wet! It’s not that our weather makes running prohibitive, but it does take a little more commitment to keep your running schedule going in the face of pelting rain. (more…)
On Being in the Public Eye
Putting yourself in the public eye, whether it’s as a sports competitor, martial arts instructor, writer, actor, film producer, etc, is a bold move for any person. What you create or impart is a representation of who you are, your knowledge, talent, efforts, and skills. The more people you touch, the bigger your potential impact on the world around you. Being in the public eye puts you in a position where you can have great power, but simultaneously puts you in a position of great vulnerability. For people to see you, you have to rise above the crowds. In doing so, it makes it easier for them to throw rocks. (more…)
5 Things I Learned about Fighting from Captain Kirk
Some of you may already know this, but I am a sci-fi geek. I am a big fan of Star Trek and have thoroughly enjoyed J.J. Abrams’s alternative reality, modernized version of the original series with Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and all the characters that made that show. While I won’t engage in arguments over which Star Trek captain was best, I do have a soft spot for Kirk’s fighting spirit, and have found myself citing examples from Star Trek to illustrate certain points. This article delves into this more deeply. *SPOILER WARNING: If you haven’t seen the first new re-make of Star Trek and want to see it fresh, don’t read this article until after you’ve seen it.
How to Add Realism to Self-Defense Training – Adaptive Attackers
A little while ago, I wrote a blog post about adapting self-defense as your attacker naturally defends against or resists various strikes and takedowns you use as part of your defense. Another likely adaptation an attacker is likely to use is changing their attack. For example, if they are grabbing your wrist to drag you somewhere and you use a shin kick to distract them and loosen their grip, they might adapt by letting go completely then immediately trying to punch you. If you expect for your defense to always go according to plan, and that every part of your defense to have the exact desired effect, an adaptive attacker could catch you completely off guard. (more…)
Can Young Children Really Do Martial Arts Training?
I have always been hesitant to offer martial arts training for really young children. I’ve baulked at the idea of “Tiny Tigers” or “Little Dragons” programs in the past, based on the idea that the martial arts are too subtle and complex that there is no way a young child can really learn them effectively. And I still believe this. That being said, there are other ways to introduce the martial arts to young children in a manner that is more appropriate for their current level of physical, mental, emotional and social development.
A few months ago Steve Hiscoe Shihan showed me his Ready-Set-Kiai program for young children that introduces some basic concepts of martial arts training, but with a stronger emphasis on teaching fundamental movements skills that all children of that age should be learning so they can participate in sports and develop confidence using their bodies, with a strategic balance of basic martial arts skills that helps them to more seamlessly transition into more complicated martial arts skills later in their development. The program is based around 8 specific skills, which are introduced in more basic forms then built upon with more difficult versions as they master them. (more…)
Your One Core Value & How It Defines Your Life
Everyone has their own personal values, but if I were to ask you right now what your one core value is that relates to all your other values, would you be able to give an easy answer? By knowing what your one core value is helps makes sense of why you do the things you do and react to people and situations in certain ways. It is a personal insight that can help you overcome the struggles you face so you can more fully embrace your strengths.
Discovering Your One Core Value
Life starts with our childhood years. The experiences we have during those years strongly influence the way we look at the world. That is why when we experience trauma when we’re young, it continues to affect our world view long into adulthood. Pretty much everyone experiences something that is personally traumatic to them at a young age, producing some sort of fear that influences their actions thereafter. As we gain more experience in life, we may undergo more experiences that continue to support that fear. Alternatively, we may develop positive coping measures that help us move past that fear. Either way, that fear shapes our one core value that influences all the other values we develop in our lives. (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.