Sensory Awareness… Beyond Self Defense, I love TED Talks!

http://www.ted.com/talks/julian_treasure_5_ways_to_listen_better.html

TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design and is the acronym for an amazing event that brings the best of the best in each of these fields together. By the ‘best of the best’ I don’t mean just technical skill or artistic ability.  TED conferences are about positive change, making a real impact on the world around you.  For example this talk about Listening and Hearing… spend 7 minutes and change (pun intended) watching this TED Talk.

Memorial Day – Dedicated Musicians play Taps no matter what.

Snow, rain, heat, cold… these musicians are there no matter what.

Dedication

T.A.W.G. Workout Rewind 5/20/11 – Power and Focus training

Form, Power, Focus, Speed… This is the technical progression from the Kenpo influence on TacArnis training.

Tonight’s workout targeted POWER and FOCUS by using a ‘functional training’ approach.  It’s challenging, fun, and good strength/conditioning to boot.

GOALS/OUTCOMES:

• Using objects as visual and ‘touch’ references to develop awareness of where energy is going and how much energy is being creating
• “POWER” training using the 10 pound medicine ball to ‘trick’ the nervous system into recruiting more muscle/energy than just empty hand alone
• - it’s also a lot of fun to bounce that ball around the room.
• “FOCUS” training with a focus mitt (no pun intended) held in both hands.  This helps students ‘see’ where their energy starts and where they send it because they know where they are starting/sending the focus mitt when the throw it.

Many times – especially as beginning students – we only ‘throw’ our energy TO the bad guy  instead of THROUGH the bad guy.  By using this type of drill/training, students learn faster, get stronger and better conditioned – as well as ‘smarter’ about their movements.  Students ‘own’ their learning since they observe what they are doing, adjust/orient themselves, decide  what to fix or repeat, and act by trying again.. and again.. and again.  This is the OODA Loop in action.

For Self Defense focused martial arts, this is a BIG win win since they are learning to operate independently –  to succeed –  by using the OODA Loop.  I won’t be there to tell them what to fix in a crisis or in daily life.  Don’t get me wrong, I still coach and guide things, but this approach builds self confidence vs. the ‘is this right?’ (constantly seeking the teacher’s opinion about what’s right or wrong).

TAWG Workout Rewind 5/12/11 – Basics Training Inventory

Image via Wikipedia

A good dust kicker.  Thanks to Michele for the chance to run through ALL of the basic self defense techniques, ALL of the basic stick and empty hand drills, ALL of the footwork drills… all of the basic ‘stuff.’  PHEW!

Goals/Outcomes:

• Self Defense basic level techniques:
• Wrist grabs
• Shirt Grabs
• Chokes
• Bearhugs
• Strikes
• Ground
• Wall
• Block Check Counter/Trapping Hands
• Three count
• Four Count
• Two Count
• “One” Count
• “No” Count
• Reverses
• “Hand Flash” drills
• Stick strike/defense
• 12 Angles of attack/defense
• “6 Position Blocking” drill
• “Live Hand” basics
• Footwork/Mobility
• 12 directions of mobility
• Bob/Weave/Slipping
• Stances

Now I know this is a long list.  But, don’t think we stood in rank and file with me calling out like a drill instructor… All of these elements are interconnected so deeply that I just had to make sure there was an ‘opportunity’ for each of these listed skills to be used.

I like to keep things moving, and this was a LOT of stuff to get through… but it was fun, a good workout, and a good ‘road mark’ evaluation.

Getting cozy with coffee can cost you…

Image by erutan via Flickr

Thieves, purse snatchers, pickpockets – not known for being fair, but boy are they masters of ‘economy of motion.’

Seems there’s a trend  - cruising Starbucks and waiting for the all to comfortable costumers to let their guard down.  When they walk away from their laptops, wallets, and cell phones for a refill to make their move the bad guys swoop in.  The double trouble aspect of the cozy atmosphere of a Starbuck is that the other customers who should be witnesses are also lost in the cozy haze of the Starbucks and so engrossed in their own laptops, cell phones, and/or conversations (not to mention the ‘no one would do steal in Starbucks lull) that they don’t seem to notice.

I’m a fan of the ‘open source’ mentality of our “Digital Citizens” but just because you feel that way, doesn’t mean everyone does…

1.  NEVER leave your personal property unattended in a public place (by public, I mean not your home).

2.  NEVER leave your personal property you just met (say at a Starbucks) just because you are having a great conversation.

3.  ALWAYS treat a Starbucks or any other public place like a local flea market…. it’s interesting but don’t let your guard down.

4.  ALWAYS keep your personal property on you or with someone you TRUST not a ‘coffee shop buddy.’ (HINT:  Yes this is just another way of saying #1 but if it’s worth doing on those pre-employment exams, it’s worth doing here too – keep your stuff with you).

5.  ALWAYS maintain a “Yellow” level of awareness – even in a Starbucks.  That means know where you are, who’s around you, and what they are doing….

Real training vs. “REEL” training

Training for reality is about effectiveness.

Training for making a ‘sizzle video or  ”REEL” or for demo is about image and presentation.

Both have a place in martial arts BUT it’s very important for instructors to know the difference so we don’t teach ‘show’ when we need to be teaching ‘go’ skills.

Here are some links to videos when I did a keyword search using “self defense, moves, techniques, demos”

1.  Which are “real” or ‘REEL’ self defense and why?

2.  Which one (or ones) accomplishes the ‘mission’ whether it’s ‘real’ or ‘REEL’ training.

Women’s Self Defense

Carjacking

“GO” video

RCT

TAWG Workout Rewind 5/5/11˝

This week we were ‘cutting angles.’

In TacArnis, as in many FMA based systems, moving on angles instead of straight into or away from the bad guy is a big part of training.  We use a drill called “De Cadena” which loosely translates to “Chain” because we ‘link’ with our partner through a continuous flow of trapping hand feed/response.

Training Objectives/Outcomes:

• Using good footwork/mobility to ‘cut the angle’ by moving on the “X”
• Move ‘straight’ past the ‘bad guy’ on the angle.
• Get into his blindspot
• close to counter attack range quickly
• move out of his ideal striking range by closing
• Avoid the ‘side to side’ sweeping footwork habit.
• It’s a lazy habit that makes the drill easier to do.
• It keeps you in front of the bad guy.
• You stay in his line of sight
• the ‘sweep’ pattern eats time.

T.A.W.G. Workout Rewind 4/26/11

Thanks to Rick and a few of the Bill Adams Martial Arts students (who’s names I don’t know unfortunately) who popped in for a bit  for a great workout.  After missing last week because of the Flu, it was good to kick the dust off.  We were plugging away so well, I forgot to get any pics – so here’s an oldie but a goodie.

Training Objectives/Outcomes:

• Tied together trapping hands and self defense techniques to develop tactile sensitivity.
• Stressed the ‘shoulder to shoulder’ sweep of the trapping hands blocks to stress ‘zone’ defense.
• Stressed a signature of FMA’s (at least the way I was trained) of ‘the closest tool to the closest target’
• ALWAYS cut the angle in some fashion when doing the trapping hands drill because that’s the point of the drill.
• REMEMBER the trapping hands drill (“De Cadena”) is meant to teach angling NOT to get fancy, ‘fast’ or ‘tricky’

The plan is to cut another video next week that highlights the above points and – time permitting – another way we prep students to deal with the ‘ambush’ reaction.

Contact…. Right, Left, and Center!!!!

Image by woodleywonderworks via Flickr

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T.A.W.G. Workout Rewind 4/12

Thanks to Tom, Tony, Rick, Andy, Sabrina, Alex and Dianne for an awesome class – again!

A special thanks to Andy for joining us.  He brought a great work ethic, energy and enthusiasm.

Training Objectives/Outcomes:

• The “Layering” of movements – head movement, hand blocks, footwork.
• “Train like you fight” footwork – practice movement to find ‘avenues of escape’
• FMA blocking is ‘zone defense’ not ‘point defense’ movement.

We even made the time to shoot the “Hand Flash” drill for the “Skills and Drills” article.

Apologies for no T.A.W.G. Workout Rewind for 4/5/11 – Michele, Tom, and Tony sweat a lot while we tried some twists on standard training drills.