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Zen Beikoku Bujutsu Kyokai
                 全米国武術協会
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Raising the standards of the martial arts

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Not All Opinions Matter

2/16/2022

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Author: Bret Gordon
Just a short thought today... Last night I had a great conversation with someone I highly respect and who has extensive training in Daito Ryu Kodokai (and out of respect for him, I will keep anonymous), and he paid me some compliments I'm still not sure I deserve, but it got me thinking... When people criticize your work, it's important to note where that criticism is coming from. The internet has provided an equal platform to anyone with a keyboard, and some people just aren't qualified to give an opinion. Where the comments come from is just as, if not more important than, what was actually said. Quality is subjective, and I am sure there are plenty of people out there who think I suck as a martial artist, but comments like these let me know I'm on the right path in shugyo...
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Dishonor And Deceit: An Ohio Jidokwan Story

2/8/2022

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Author: Bret Gordon
PictureJim Endrizzi
It's amazing how people's loyalties can change on a dime, and when there's any sort of negative attention they would rather change their story and jump on the bandwagon than stand by their words and actions. Let me apologize now, because this will be long...

​On January 1st, we were contacted by Jim Endrizzi who was a student of Curtis Herrington, founder of the Ohio Jidokwan Karate Association. He reached out to us to settle a dispute between our organization, the American Jidokwan Association, and Ed Mathna, a representative of E.A. Fuzy's American Jidokwan Karate. ​By the end of that first conversation, Endrizzi said that he was happy to support anyone promoting true Jidokwan, and that he would gladly provide us with some historical information to help us tie up loose ends in our history, which we have admitted that we simply don't know everything that happened prior to our involvement in the martial arts so any help with that would be welcome. But it doesn't stop there...

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After talking back and forth for almost a week, he decided to publicly support our organization and took steps to introduce us to his students and associates who still remained Ohio Jidokwan Karate after splitting from Fuzy's group:

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Compliance In Training

2/1/2022

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Author: Bret Gordon
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There is a giant misconception about compliance in martial arts training, and it becomes readily apparent in the comment of section of literally any video that is not "live" sparring or grappling. Compliance, in this context, is the adherence to the confines of a pre-determined situation or drill. Funnily enough, "live" sparring and grappling can be included in that definition even at the highest levels. After all, why didn't Conor McGregor start kicking Floyd Mayweather during their boxing match?

People tend to forget just how violent martial arts really are. It is quite literally impossible to train without a certain measure of compliance. Even agreeing to release a lock or choke upon your partner's tap, or controlling your striking power, is being compliant to the understanding of having a safe training environment. So there truly is no such thing as a fully non-compliant training. 

When someone makes the critique on a particular martial arts video that the partner is being compliant, they often mean they are simply letting it happen. During an instructional demonstration or video, the partner should be letting it happen. Do you have any idea how disrespectful it would be for someone to be teaching a particular technique at half speed with zero power, and the partner just pulls away or starts fighting back? Not only would you be met with a request to leave, you should expect a physical response. A friend of mine once told his demonstration partners, "You can either make me look good, or I will make me look good, and that's going to hurt a lot more." But instructional videos and demonstrations aside, let's look at the role compliance plays in training.


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