The Martial Explorer, Jesse Crouch

Aikido Motion Capture - Color by Speed

2012-01-16T14:53:00.001-06:00

Very cool! More similar videos here.

I'm back!

2011-12-09T06:22:00.001-06:00

Why hello there.

So it's been about a year and a half. In that time, I've worked on multiple films, worked at a web startup, sold all my things, left for the Philippines and now I'm back in the USA.

It's been awhile. But I'm back.

I've been blogging about my travels here for about the past 4 months in case you're curious. Also, I had a real-world martial arts experience when I got mugged in Manila.

I'll be writing more sometime soon.

The biggest problem with martial arts and self defense

2010-06-30T16:10:00.000-05:00

Martial arts and self defense as taught today is about fighting when it should be about surviving.

Why is it that way? The reason is simple - the majority of self defense is derived from martial arts. Martial arts are about fighting.
Also, all competitive martial sports are about fighting.
These two things encompass (almost) the entire world of self defense and martial arts today.

If we are serious about the goal most people have with studying self defense - survival - then we must rethink everything we are teaching.

Which martial art do I recommend to people?

2010-06-29T18:14:00.000-05:00

I get a lot of emails asking "what martial art should I take?". I kind of answered (in a long winded way) in my post about ALL sorts of martial arts you could study. Thing is, the people who end up on my blog are generally looking for the arts that *I* would study and want to study something similar.

Currently, Krav Maga is always the first one I recommend to people who have never taken a class before or have very limited experience. Krav Maga is the best thing you will find for every day self defense. Even the seasoned practitioner can learn something here.

To those who want to learn weapons or have experience I always recommend Kali/Escrima/Arnis. It's great for anyone who is well-experienced in an art already and is comfortable with themselves self-defense-wise.

Personally I think both of them are still significantly lacking in many respects (which is why this blog exists). Unfortunately, I have yet to find a style that I would recommend over either of them.

Escape and distance creation

2010-06-26T18:48:00.002-05:00

The first concept for components for a new martial art. This relates directly with goal-based martial arts.

I very unscientifically estimate that around 99% of personal assault should be met with the goal of escape. Distance creation is directly related to escape. What can it give you?

The ability to completely avoid a fight
Time to survive, yell or people to see you
Space
Time to think
Time to find a weapon

Escape and distance creation doesn't necessarily mean getting out of a hold. It doesn't mean pushing away even. It can be as simple as stepping backwards or giving a verbal warning.

Typically, modern martial arts teach us to restrain, attack, defend and escape all at equal levels of importance.

Rare are the cases for the average person in which you would need to do something other than escape or create distance. Generally, if nothing else is at risk other thank your own life and safety, you should not consider doing anything but escaping.

Some will argue that modern martial arts teach escape "too". The real question is not whether or not they teach it, but why, since it is the 95-99% case, it is not trained 95-99% of the time.

Status update and an overview of this site's past and future

2010-05-29T14:16:00.001-05:00

I haven't written in awhile, but I haven't abandoned this blog. Got a new job semi-recently and it has been consuming (happily for me) a large portion of my time.

The future

The main point of most of what I have produced so far is that the way we teach martial arts traditionally and competitively is nonsensical for the average person's requirements as far as everyday self defense goes.

The future of this blog will be dedicated more to the ways we can improve on current methods. Most of it will center around the hierarchy of defense. Much will be experimental and theoretical. I am prepared to be completely wrong in my hypotheses and welcome everyone to break them down and destroy them. Stay tuned.

The best martial art

2010-03-12T02:15:00.002-06:00

The best gun is the one that you will carry and shoot. (not the one that is the most expensive, the one that is the most powerful or even has the 'best' caliber)
The best career is the one you will enjoy doing. (not the one that pays the most, makes you the most influential or makes you famous)
The best exercise is the one you will happily do with great enjoyment (not the one that will burn the most fat or make you gain the most muscle)

The best martial art is the one that you will enjoy, study and use. (not the one that everyone says is the best, looks the coolest or is even the most practical)

Don't go to the ground on the street video examples

2010-02-09T18:02:00.005-06:00

Mainly meant to be humorous, but this is a fine example of why you don't want to go to the ground when there are multiple attackers.

Edit!

Yet another example during training (video starts where it happens):

(thanks to KittyofcomBATON from combaton players forum for this last video)

Ground fighting on the street - don't go to the ground

2010-02-06T18:13:00.000-06:00

You'll hear two things from me quite often:

You never want to go to the ground on the street if you don't have to
Many fights end up on the ground

They might seem conflicting, but 1 doesn't mean don't study ground fighting and 2 doesn't mean try to get into a ground fight and keep the fight on the ground.

The number one reason you don't want to go to the ground: multiple attackers.

I've watched a lot of non-professional, non-ring fights. Some are planned, meaning the two fighters knew there was going to be a fight. Some are unplanned, meaning assault. In both situations, other people often get involved. A trained ground fighter can have a 'fair' fight with one other person; he can't have a fair fight with one guy holding him down and the other kicking his head in. Wolves hunt in packs, people have friends, bystanders are stupid. Non-domestic assault often involves multiple attackers. The ground is the last place you want to be.

Number two reason not to go to the ground: the street is not your nicely padded dojo.

It's not even your nice flat MMA floor. It's dirt, concrete, rocks, gravel, blacktop, grass, broken glass, uneven, the parking lot with curbs and parking space barrier bumps, ice, snow, the hardwood floor of a bar filled with chairs and tables.

There are plenty of other reasons not to end up on the ground, but these should be enough for any reasonable person.

Train ground fighting

Even if you shouldn't be on the ground, you better still train for the ground because you might end up there. If you think you "just won't" then you're kidding yourself. Just remember when you're training, it's just as important to learn how to stand back up as it is how to fight when you're down.

This is an expansion of: Mixed Martial Arts and Competitive Fighting vs. Reality: How Rules Change Fighting

Why study self defense?

2010-02-04T22:58:00.001-06:00

I once was teaching a small self defense course and demonstrated a somewhat brutal (but necessarily so) technique. A woman taking the class said to me, "Geez, what town are you from where you'd ever need to use that?"

I hadn't taught many classes before that one and I was honestly astonished at the comment. How could someone even take a class like this if they thought this way. I didn't have a good answer for her then and it even made me question myself.

When I lived in Springfield I knew the town, I knew the people, I knew the places that were safe and the places that were not (not many of those) and thought that her comment made some sense. What had I really experienced that made me think I would ever need to kick someone or break an arm or even have to take a life of someone to save my own life or someone else's?

When I taught this class it was in a smaller town of about 100,000 people. Quiet, reasonably safe place. Since then, I've traveled to many other places - mostly because of my job as a traveling consultant - New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, London.. I saw Tokyo and Manila when I was younger. Now live in a much bigger city, the 15th largest in the United States - Austin, Texas. I'm not saying the size of a city is relative to its safeness, but I've experienced and learned many things since that class and now I have my answer:

You never know where life will take you. Be prepared.

I've thought about her question since then. I think about it every time that something happens to me where I think it's possible that a physical confrontation could occur. I could have given this answer to her then, but it wouldn't have meant as much to me. What had I really experienced then? What had I read? What had I researched?

I do my best to stay safe. I stay in safe areas of towns, I do my best to prevent and avoid bad things from happening and so far I've been pretty successful. I must admit though that I've wound up in some places and situations that I wish I hadn't. Some almost seem unavoidable and I can see how they basically would be to some people. You can't prevent everything. I have to say, I'm very happy I'm male (less of a target) and in good shape (can run and defend). Those two things have given me more security than all my martial training combined.

Things happen by chance and by accident. Have you ever been lost in a city? Lost while on foot? Have you ever turned a corner to find a few dudes that don't look particularly pleasant? Have they you ever been confronted by people like that? Have you ever thought you were being followed or pursued for reasons you're not sure of? I consider myself an extremely prevention-savvy and un-paranoid person, yet all of these things have happened to me.

You never know where life will take you.

Martial arts for free or cheap

2010-01-14T16:41:00.002-06:00

Following up on the cost of martial arts classes...

There are a ton of people in the martial arts/self defense space with a lot of knowledge who still want to teach, but don't have their own schools with a storefront. They teach often on a non-regular basis, out of their garages or backyards and with little concern for money, some to get extra money on the side. Some of my best instructors have taught me for free or cheaper than if I went to an actual 'school'.

Usually these guys are serious about what they train. They're not doing it for money and are doing it usually to spread their knowledge. They're interested in other people who are serious about training too. You have to go in with the mindset that you really truly want to learn something.

Craigslist

Seek people out on craigslist in the community section. I recommend both browsing and posting. When posting, just be honest about what you want to train. I personally found one very good instructor this way in Austin, TX.

Your own network

Also, ask your current martial arts contacts. Lots of people in the martial arts world have been doing what they're doing for awhile and likely know people who teach or would be willing to teach for free or cheap. One of the guys I learned the most about Kali from I found in Springfield, IL this way.

Groups

Groups like ARMA and the SCA teach/train in a group atmosphere. I've met other small martial arts groups that train this way too.

Don't do any of what I just said

I really don't recommend you do this until you've been studying at least one art for a little while and kind of know what you're getting into and what you should be looking for. I highly recommend you do not start this way. You need to understand the space first and you need to get at least some very basic safety instruction from undoubtedly-qualified people. You should know how things are supposed to feel, otherwise you won't be able to assess for yourself just what is safe and what is not and who is an asshole instructor and who is not.

Again, be vigilant and verify credentials all you can - it will save you.

Cost of martial arts classes

2010-01-11T17:41:00.000-06:00

How much should classes cost? This is an extremely variable figure.

Depends on where you live, but I've found the price range for classes is $25-200/mo (yes, that is a huge range) for most non-mcdojo schools. I've never lived in a huge city though - LA, NYC, etc nor have I taken classes from martial arts 'celebs' (top ranking people in the space).

When I lived in small-town Illinois the price range was $20-100/mo generally. $100/mo was on the McDojo end of things. Now that I'm in Austin I usually find $45+/mo is common. $200/mo is the usual cap out here if you're not planning on training every day of the week (usually for 3-5 times a week is the range).

Remember, these folks are looking to make money. This is a business.

But, how much is it worth to you? Figure out how good your instructors and classmates will be and that will determine your price. Also depends on the amount of time you can train - 3 days a week? 5? An hour a day? Three hours?

Find what the local market rate is (shop around at similar schools) and then determine from there based on quality of the school (it's people) and the quantity of time you want to devote to going.

Variations on price model

Some people charge based on a flat monthly fee. They offer x number of classes a week and you go to what you can. Some do it based on a base rate and then how many classes you attend (once a week, five times a week, etc).

Some will add on other things. Testing fees, equipment fees, uniform purchase (you should be able to buy this for yourself elsewhere - if they won't let you it's 99% likely that it's a bad school unless they're discounting your tuition with the purchase.), etc. Sometimes there will be an association fee - don't be too put off by this, it usually goes to a larger national organization that helps make things better for your art's community (making sure certifications are given to those who deserve them, etc.), but do your research still.

Some will have you sign a contract to ensure you stay and pay for a certain amount of time. I really recommend not going to any school that requires a contract with them over two months, especially if you're new to the martial arts world.

Also see: What martial art should I study? and Choosing a martial arts school.

Throwing knives for combat

2010-01-10T21:32:00.001-06:00

One of my favorite youtubers, lindybeige's video on the general absurdity of throwing knives. Funny as always.

Full disclosure: I have throwing knives, know how to throw them (my dad taught me actually) and yes, it seems pretty cool. However, I too am aware of the ridiculousness of actually carrying any around or even using them in known-fight situations (war, street fight, etc).

It's a fun, neat skill to learn, but it's definitely within the classification of performance martial arts.

Safety tip - Don't answer your door

2010-01-06T22:56:00.004-06:00

I never answer my door for anyone I don't know. It's dangerous and unnecessary. Most of the people that will come to your door are there to waste your time anyway.

This is a branch off of hierarchy of defense and how to hide in plain sight. It fits in with the Prevention stage.

I get solicitors, campaigners and all sorts of folks knocking on my door. I don't answer for any of them. I will get up and go to the door to check out who is there through the peep hole, but I don't even say anything through the door to them. Unless I can tell it's a neighbor or think it's someone in trouble I won't say a word.

If it is a neighbor or you think someone is in need of help then speak through the door - do not open it. Ask them what they want. I usually say "can I help you?". Even if it is someone you know, be careful: most violence comes from people you know.

I'm not saying be paranoid. If you're friends with the person and you know their intent then fine. Just use good judgment and be alert.

For those of you wondering if you should answer for cops (United States specific):

Bad martial arts instructors

2010-01-01T17:10:00.001-06:00

Yes, it's humorous, but it's also an exaggerated example of what is so common in the martial arts world - ego. I'd imagine many watching this video have personally experienced something similar to the things happening here.

I posted on Claire Berlinski's Learning to fight blog a few weeks ago:

McDojo types are the only truly fraudulent ones and those are easy to spot. The rest of it is just a lot of misunderstanding and ego. It is a world full of testosterone-filled individuals who train to fight, but never actually get the fight out of them. And the ones who do fight competitively are in a completely different world.

The remedy for this is choosing a good school and instructor. Be vigilant. Avoid asshole instructors. Avoid asshole students too, they can hurt you just as much as an instructor can. A good instructor tames or gets rid of asshole students.

Stay safe and Happy New Year.

Performance martial arts

2009-12-15T06:27:00.007-06:00

Summary: This is a guide to help people understand what they're seeing when they see "martial arts".

Performance martial arts, or martial arts for show, is a classification of martial arts often seen, but rarely discussed. While it can be coupled with competitive martial arts, it is an entirely separate class since there is no fighting involved.

In some cases it has little or no martial application. Some of it does, some of it doesn't. Just always keep in mind that it is largely designed for show, not for practical application.

Honestly, there isn't a ton of well-put-together information about this - that's why I'm writing this. Some of it is done for testing purposes, some for demonstration, some for visual effect, some for all of the above.

Some things that fall into this category:

I want to focus on 'martial arts' that are purely done for show. This is what you will see in most movies and on stage. The kind that you would see on America's Got Talent. This is what many people see and exemplify as martial arts. Most of this comes from a combination of gymnastics, dance, tricking, parkour and things of that nature in combination with elements that seem like martial arts. It is usually very physically and visually impressive. Most of the time it has little to no practical application.

So if you ever meet a 'martial artist' whose focus is this sort of stuff, keep in mind that their skills probably have little to do with the goals of fighting. That's not to say that they can't know about real martial applications - they might, but just be aware. Most people who see someone do a flip or something fancy think "oh geez that guy could kick anyones ass". Don't be fooled. It's a trap.

Also note that people are given black belts for performance-based styles. Yet another example of how meaningless a black belt really is.

Keep in mind that I'm not saying performance martial arts isn't a legitimate field.. after all, I work in it doing fight choreography and stunts. There's certainly a place for it. Just remember though, it's just like everything else you see on film and TV - it's not real. It's done for entertainment, for art and for fun.

No classification, no distinction

There's a serious problem in the martial arts world with classification. So many things fall under the umbrella of "martial arts": performance martial arts, mixed martial arts and competitive fighting, street fighting, self defense, war, fitness, meditation. Some of it hardly has anything martial about it. Hope this sheds some light on the issue.

The Best Weapon - Swords, Spears, Bows and the like

2009-12-14T03:30:00.002-06:00

It amazes me how much I see/hear this question: "What is the best weapon?". This is usually in reference to low tech 'martial arts' combat. Swords (and oh the many many types that get argued about), spears, bow and arrow, mace, flail, quarterstaff, sling, club, etc. usually all fall into the mix. But then of course there are plenty who want to throw in the somewhat obscure, much lesser used historically, martial arts weapons such as nunchaku, sai, kama and yes.. even shuriken.

The answer, to any reasonable person, is simple: it depends on your situation.

Are you on a battlefield? If you are.. are you on a horse? Standing? Charging? Are you in the front line? Are you wearing armor? Is your enemy? Is your enemy on a horse?
..or were you thinking about carrying a bow and arrow downtown for close quarter combat at the pub?

Black belts are meaningless and a scam

2009-11-28T21:46:00.002-06:00

A black belt means nothing.

It is not a sign of mastery. It is not a certification of one's ability to defend his or herself. It is not a license for anything. It does not mean someone is "dangerous". It does not mean that person can "kick your ass". It does not mean a person is of a greater skill level or understanding than a person with a belt that is of a different color - even of the same style or school.

One of my teachers once said to me, "You know what the belt is for? Holding your pants up."

There is one thing never to forget about black belts: You can buy a black belt at a store. This is your ticket to understanding the system if you are ever in doubt.
There is no central black belt certifying or licensing agency that governs all black belts - anywhere in the world. It does not exist. Never has. Anywhere. Ever.

What it does mean

So I wrote this to be emotion-provoking. It can mean something.

To have meaning it must have context. Black belts can mean something in context. This means within a style, system, school, instructor, etc. The more specific you get, generally the more meaningful it becomes.

Between styles and systems, and even schools under one system, belts are almost meaningless. Some styles do not have belts. Some styles do not have belts that are black. Some styles don't even have ranks. Belt colors and ranks vary style to style, system to system, school to school. It could take anywhere from 1 day to many, many years to get a black belt depending on your art (if the art even has belts).
Some places sell black belts and/or teaching certifications (example: "Get your black belt in just 6 months for $50/mo"). There is no government agency (in the US) or third party certifying organization that regulates who can instruct martial arts or self defense.

Even among respectable organizations (not McDojos) that possess belt ranking systems, methods vary widely as to how those are awarded. Some belts are given for competitive fighting, some are given based solely on time, some are given based on ability within that art.

There is no rhyme or reason to giving belts between different organizations (styles, systems, schools). You must have context for it to mean anything.

Still, remember - it is not necessarily a sign of anything.

But it still doesn't mean what you think it means

Whatever the case, none if it is directly real-world relatable. As far as I know, there are no belts given out for people who defend themselves in real life assaults, on battlefields or for how many people they've beat up. Even if they were given for these reasons it is no indication of one's ability to do it again.

I'm not saying that belts should be given out based on these reasons - they shouldn't. Just remember that it doesn't mean those things.

Hierarchy of defense

2009-11-24T07:30:00.002-06:00

View the full sized graphic

It's very important that people begin to understand all the elements of defense, most importantly those things that come before what most people teach as "self defense". I hope people will be able to use this chart to help understand and teach that. STEAL THIS CHART AND USE IT.

Some notes, bottom to top:

This chart is not designed to be advice on how to handle a situation. It merely explains the progression of defense possibilities and gives examples for it. Do not interpret it as "do these things". The sidebar is merely a guide that has relevant examples. If you don't like how there are examples presented on the side, cut them out and pass the chart around that way.
Chart gets bigger at the bottom because you have more options. It is less red at the bottom because there is less threat.
Prevention and avoidance are the two best things you can teach and are the two easiest to accomplish. It's all about not getting near a fight to begin with. I discuss this briefly in "How to hide in plain sight", but there's a LOT more to it than that. Most sane people can come up with good examples for these stages. This is some of the most important stuff you can be teaching. It's not glamorous or cool looking, but it's more effective than any physical technique is.
Tony Blauer talks a lot on the diffusion stage. He discusses pre-contact cues and a lot of other things related to pre-fight. Be sure to look his stuff up and the SPEAR system.
Preemption is something a lot of people will disagree with. Remember, these are the stages of what you can do defense-wise, not the stages of a fight or the stages of what you must do. Preemption is an option, not a requirement, just as all the other parts are.

The fight stage is what everyone talks about when they teach "self defense". This is most of what the world has to go on. I challenge you to teach the rest of the pyramid.

Cold Steel Kukri Machete review - martial arts and survival

2009-11-18T07:07:00.005-06:00

The idea here, from the survivalist perspective, is that you have an all-around tool (e-tool) as well and a weapon.

Notes from the videos:

Handle is a great shape, maybe not a great size. Going to wrap mine in paracord.
Good for stabbing, which is not always true for machetes or e-tools in general.
Works well with almost all things multi-purpose except probably not for splitting wood because of its shape (which does lend it other advantages in exchange). Fine for chopping though.
Blade seems pretty good. Fat belly of it makes it a good e-tool (digging, smashing, flattening, etc) and is not the same as some other kukris.
Works well with kali's concept of transferable technique. Not awkward to use at all.

One thing I didn't go over in the video is the sheath. It's not very easy to do a quick draw from, but it does hold the blade well and keep it safe.

Great everything-tool, great weapon. Fantastic value for the money ($13.59 + shipping at Manventure Outpost).

Also, subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Some great martial arts videos

2009-11-15T23:51:00.000-06:00

Just today someone asked me if there were any good videos on the internet where you could learn technique. While I made sure to tell them that learning from videos should be supplemented with taking real classes, I did recall some of my favorite YouTubers:

Submissions 101 - There are a few people that contribute to this profile and they're all very good. These guys mainly focus on grappling and have a *ton* of videos. If you want to find a BJJ technique how-to, they probably have it.
PendekarBobbe - Bobbee Edmonds has some great material on Filipino, Indonesian and Southeast Asian martial arts in general. Since Kali and Silat are two of my favorite arts, he's by far one of my favorite subscriptions.

You can check out the rest of my subscriptions on my YouTube page.

Machete fight video! Machete vs. Pipe final cut

2009-11-02T14:18:00.003-06:00

Here's the final version of the Machete vs. Pipe short film. Directed by Jack Daniel Stanley, starring Jesse Crouch and Louis Moncivias Guitierrez.

FILERO GRANDE vs. PIPA CHICA: A Mr. Mean Adventure (full short) from Jack Daniel Stanley on Vimeo.

You can see other shorts from Jack Daniel Stanley for free here: French Quarter Features

Goal based martial arts technique

2009-10-05T08:23:00.006-05:00

This is part one of a series on revolutionizing the martial arts world.

Any technique you perform in real life needs a goal. One of the biggest problems with martial arts training today is training without a goal in mind.

Most instructors will teach you a technique and either:

Apply a goal for you
Teach the technique with an open goal

Better ones will show you the places in the technique to accomplish different goals.

The technique should not shape your goal. Your goal should shape your technique.

Examples of having-no-goal problems

Rosanne teaches her student, Tony, to break free of a wrist grab and then apply a wrist lock to his attacker. She then teaches him to perform a takedown and restrain his attacker on the ground.

Let's say the technique is sound and the restraining works. This seems ok, but not optimal. In fact, it can end up being problematic. The problem is that the goal was never addressed beforehand. Tony now knows how to restrain his attacker through multiple stages of the attack, but when Tony gets to the street and a guy, with all of his big mean friends with him, grabs him, Tony's goal should be altered. It is no longer to restrain anyone, but to escape as quickly as possible. Does Tony know how to distance himself from his attacker instead of attempting to restrain his attacker? Does Tony even know to change his goal around? If he trains only one goal, what will he end up doing?

In the martial arts world we are often expected to "assess the situation when it arises" and deal with it then. We teach and are taught technique that does not necessarily have break points at which we can make it to different goals. For example - a ground fighter will often go straight to the ground to defend himself because it is the best way he knows how. If his goal is to escape and not stay and fight, how can he ever expect to do the right thing?

Another example - a Kali practitioner, Jim, is generally taught to fight in order to mame and kill because much of the technique comes straight from a very warfare-based art. However, Jim is a cop, not a soldier. Every class he is training to severely injure, when his major job function involving martial arts would only be to protect himself and restrain his attacker, using force only as necessary. What might he end up doing?

While certainly much can be very translatable and judged based on the situation, there is still a very good portion that is inherent to the style of training and the technique itself.

Examples of goals and how to develop them

Here are some examples (I believe to be a comprehensive list) of likely goals you will have when using technique:

Kill
Maim
Disable
Restrain
Escape - escape the situation
Protect - guard something

I use the full phrase of "escape the situation" to differentiate between escaping the situation and escape techniques such as releasing a grab or escaping the mount position.

Each one of these goals calls for a very different usage of your martial knowledge.

Escape and restraint are two of the most common goals in general street use of martial arts today. To reach each goal, you may have to take significantly different paths of technique.

For those wishing to escape (this should be your goal most of the time if you're truly training for self defense), it may only take a couple distance-creating hits before you can start running and fully escape.
If you want to restrain your attacker, you'll need to add quite a bit more than just hitting him/her a couple times. In fact, you'll probably change your initial technique around significantly because you won't want to distance yourself from the attacker - you want to get closer so you can restrain.

Find what your goal is and develop your technique around it - do not let the technique shape your goal.

The solution

Goal oriented technique is absolutely necessary in order to be effective in executing one's training. In any field, in any activity, in any project there most likely is a goal. Working toward something without direction will lead to unexpected results. The problem is not that goals do not exist; a goal almost always exists, but it must be realized and declared in order to work toward it.

Goal-based training must become part of all martial arts training. Instructors must start orienting their own training methods toward goals. They must guide their students on what goals they should have and how to reach them in their training.

Martial arts history - understanding origins

2009-09-29T11:52:00.010-05:00

One thing I think people should understand about their art is its history.

Martial arts are all unique in their origins. Not all martial arts came from the same place. Some are old, some are new. The history of an art tells why it is the way it is.

Some examples of martial arts origins

I link mostly to lists of videos in this section so you can see what I'm talking about.

Some arts like Japanese Karate became popular and developed more as a result of law. Policies on banning weapons led to arts developed around empty-hand technique and weapons that are still trained with today that resemble farm equipment of the period. You can see this not only in Karate, but reflected worldwide in many empty-hand martial arts systems.
Krav Maga, an Israeli martial art, is one of the most recent arts formed almost completely from scratch. Arts formed in this way are usually designed more to our use cases today. A close second example is Systema. While it is an old system, Systema continues to evolve today and because of its continuous evolution you can find elements of many modern techniques including those with firearms.
Aikido, in my interpretation, was not designed to be martial. My belief is that Ueshiba, the founder of the art, used it as a mechanism for spreading his philosophy on peace and harmony. But that's for another post. Regardless of whether or not you believe that, one can easily see how toned down Aikido is from its parent art, Aiki Jiujitsu. Less striking, very circular, soft movement and of course the very prominent philosophical element.
Kali, a Filipino art, is a war-based art developed around somewhat primitive weapons. One element of Kali that makes it stand out from other arts and shows its ancient war focus is that training in Kali begins with weapons, not empty-hand. Because of its war origins, Kali, even today, is often taught with the focus of killing your opponent - not as 'self defense' which many people synonymize with 'martial arts' today.
Like many other arts, it relies on some core principles that keep it effective even today. One example is transferable technique.
Capoeira was developed by African slaves in Brazil. The way this art is trained, even today, is in a ritualistic dance fashion. This dance masked what was really being practiced.

Like many things in the world, martial arts are often children of earlier creations. Aikido is a child of Aikijiujitsu, Karate is said to be a partial child of Chinese martial arts, Hapkido and Aikijiujitsu are close cousins, the base of Jeet Kune Do (as a style) comes mostly from Wing Chun, Western fencing and Western boxing. Within each you can see elements of their relative arts.

With all of these arts you can very clearly see how much their origins have affected the style and techniques of the art and even the way it is taught. Understanding where they come from will help you understand so much about the art as a whole. It will also create a deeper meaning for you in training and help you in choosing an art that fits you best.

Martial arts pressure point chart

2009-09-25T10:34:00.004-05:00

I often get the question "where can I find a pressure point map that shows what martial artists use?"

Some pressure point charts

Pressure points in martial arts largely correspond with points used in acupuncture. You don't manipulate them the same way and they don't have the same effect. You don't use all of them either.. some are much more effective than others. Here are some good charts that I like to use:

Learn from a qualified instructor

Find someone to teach you. There are lots of qualified instructors out there. There are several arts to choose from if you want to learn. Please don't try to learn from a book or video and certainly not a chart. I post these links as a resource for those learning pressure point martial arts and so people can explore and get an overview of what it's all about. Don't just start hitting people.