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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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The Relationship Between Aiki And Reiki

12/29/2016

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Author: Bret Gordon
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Since their inception, martial arts and healing arts have always been intertwined (think inyo/yin yang). Some of the best martial artists have been doctors, healers and bone setters. Basic first aid should in fact be required to teach any form of martial arts in my opinion. When discussing internal power and energy, the connection between martial arts and healing arts becomes even more apparent. 

In Japanese martial arts, the concept of internal power is known as aiki (commonly translated as "joining energy"). It's a term that has as many definitions as it does practitioners. Thanks to the popularity of Aikido, most people characterize aiki as merely blending with the opponent's force and redirecting them into a soft lock or throw. However, as an instructor of Aiki Jujutsu I tend to define aiki at another level. Ultimately to me, aiki is a pre-conditioned state of being. Internal power is generated in the way you stand, the way you walk. Aiki is learning how to use the body in its most efficient state so that anything that comes into contact with it is affected. In a defensive scenario, aiki is the systematic process of receiving the force of the attack, processing it and returning it through the point of connection. True aiki is characterized by instant kuzushi (off-balancing) that affects the attacker's entire body. This is accomplished through proper breath control, timing and a relaxed yet focused structure within our own bodies.

But the concept of joining energy is hardly unique to martial arts. Everything in the universe is comprised of energy, so in reality whenever you come into contact with anything you are joining your energy with it. In the healing art of Reiki, you are joining your energy with that of the recipient to enhance the body's natural healing powers. This may sound like pseudoscience but the principles of Reiki are instinctive in all of us. When you injure yourself, your first reaction is to grab whatever you just injured and apply pressure. Often this is accompanied with thoughts like "Please stop hurting" and shortly after, the pain begins to subside. This is the basis of Reiki. The body intuitively knows what's wrong and has the power to heal it. However, if something is off (such as Chakra misalignment which is very common) then the healing powers may be hindered. That's where the Reiki practitioner comes in. When a Reiki practitioner lays their hands on the recipient, their healthy energy overpowers and supercharges the recipient's energy flow to assist in the healing process. But how does it work and how is this even remotely related to Aiki Jujutsu?


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Martial Arts And Religion

12/26/2016

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Author: Bret Gordon
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Something that's been on my mind a lot lately is the subject of martial arts and religion. How does one reconcile their training with their religious beliefs, etc? Unlike my previous articles, this one won't be a rant. In fact, I'm writing this more for my own benefit to gain clarity than anything else. However, I am very interested in what you have to say so feel free to leave a comment below. Let me start off by saying that I identify as a Roman Catholic. When I say I "identify" as one, what I mean is that while many of my views are in direct contradiction of the Catechism, I fully believe and support the underlying basis of what separates Catholicism from every other Christian denomination and therefore remain a member of the Church. But that's not something I will discuss or debate in this article. For the tone of this article and in the interest of continuity, I will speak from a generic Christian point of view but I am sure the underlying principle can be applied to other faiths as well.

A defining factor in any Asian-based martial art is that there will always be religious undertones. Whether we chose to acknowledge them or not, they are there. That's why nearly every dojo FAQ page on their website addresses the issue of bowing, assuring their prospective clients that it is merely a sign of respect and has no religious significance. While this is true to a point, the concept of bowing does ultimately come from submission. Whether that submission is to another person, a divine being or something else entirely I suppose is up to the one bowing. But its origins can't be denied. 

So then how does anyone of Abrahamic faith (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) reconcile the concept of bowing when clearly it should go against the First Commandment? 



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Basically Just Judo: There's Nothing Innovative About BJJ

12/22/2016

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Author: Bret Gordon
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If I hear one more person say that BJJ practitioners own the ground game, I may need to hit you with koshi nage into ude garami. Don't recognize those terms? Blame the Brazilians, because those are the actual terms for a hip throw and an "Americana."

​One thing all BJJ practitioners fail to recognize is that ground fighting existed long before Helio Gracie was even a thought. Numerous schools of koryu jujutsu, most notably the Fusen Ryu among others, had an extensive grappling curriculum. Kano's Kodokan Judo, from which Brasileiro Jiu Jitsu is derived, merely adopted a competitive ruleset for students to practice techniques that dated back to the feudal battlefields of Japan. What Maeda Mitsuyo brought to Brazil was simply Judo from a time when the Kosen ruleset was prominent. If he had kept up with the times, he would've known that back in Japan, grappling was becoming frowned upon in competition because it was just plain boring to watch. Not to mention from a self defense stand point, rolling around on the ground isn't the best option when your opponent's buddies are stomping your face in. 

But let's give credit where it's due. The majority of really good grapplers tend to come from BJJ and that's not surprising. It doesn't matter what the endeavor is, if you focus all of your energy on one specific thing you're going to get good at it. Really good. Taekwondo practitioners are really good at kicking. It's not rocket science, and it certainly isn't innovation. Helio was able to expand upon the curriculum he learned because there wasn't much to start with. Had he looked farther into the root arts of what Maeda taught, he would've realized that Maeda only scratched the surface of what traditional Japanese jujutsu truly offered. ​



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Introducing The W.A.T.E.R.S. Knife System

12/21/2016

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Author: Bret Gordon
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Properly known as the W.A.T.E.R.S. Edged Weapon Survival System, it's about time I shed some light on a combative knife fighting art that rivals some of the best Filipino knife fighting I've ever seen.

On June 21, 2009, Dale Waters was in his home when he was brutally murdered at knife point over $10. He was found in the morning by Kaiso Steven Hatfield, a close friend of Mr. Waters, with 18 stab wounds. Feeling ultimately responsible for Mr. Waters' death because he wasn't there to stop it, and determined that no one would ever fall victim to the same fate on his watch, Kaiso Hatfield began development of the W.A.T.E.R.S. system. But what makes it so effective?

​Like any other art, the efficiency of the W.A.T.E.R.S. system is entirely due to its revolutionary training methods. Drawing from USMC combatives, Japanese tanto jutsu and simple experimentation, Kaiso Hatfield has developed a system that has already saved the lives of nearly a dozen people. 


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Tomiki's Jujutsu: The "Aiki" Art We Never Discuss

12/12/2016

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Author: Bret Gordon
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Ok, so it's technically called Shodokan Aikido (also referred to as Tomiki Aikido) but of all the Aikido branches, the line founded by Tomiki Kenji is probably the most devoid of any aiki. By aiki, I am specifically referring to the biomechanical processes by which internal power is generated. I am not talking about simply manipulating the opponent's energy and blending with it. You see, while Tomiki Kenji did study under Ueshiba Morihei and attain the rank of 8th Dan, his background in Judo certainly took precedence. Directly contradicting O'Sensei's wishes that "there is no competition in Aikido," Tomiki instituted a type of tanto randori (knife sparring) that is all too reminiscent of a Judo shiai. In fact, the Aikikai urged him to pick a different name for his art because it contradicted everything Aikido taught. So where did it all go wrong, and why do I call it Tomiki Jujutsu?

As we all know, Kano Jigoro formulated his system of Kodokan Judo by removing so-called "dangerous" techniques from practice. Instead, we are left with 40 original throws (now expanded to 67)  that use leverage and body mechanics to effortlessly throw an attacker. The problem is that he removed some of the key techniques of jujutsu: small joint manipulation. There is no standing technique in the Kodokan curriculum that attacks any joint. Now, there's nothing wrong with that. It's what Kano wanted, and that is his right as the founder. However, it must be noted that when Kano visited O'Sensei's dojo, he is quoted as saying "This is my ideal Budo."

All Tomiki did was reintroduce the joint manipulation of Aikido to the body movement and throwing techniques of Judo. Well, when you combine joint manipulation with throws, what do you get? Jujutsu!


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Tang Soo Do: The Red-Headed Step Sister Of Taekwondo

12/11/2016

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Author: Bret Gordon
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As a follow-up to my previous article, "Understanding Taekwondo Politics," I want to discuss Tang Soo Do a little more in depth and how it fits in with the rest of Korean Karate. Contrary to popular belief that Tang Soo Do was created by Hwang Kee, prior the unification of the kwans many kwans in fact used the term "Tang Soo Do" to describe their art. That's simply because it is the Korean translation of the original kanji used for Karatedo (唐手道). Another popular term was "Kong Soo Do," which is the Korean equivalent of the newly adopted kanji used for Karatedo (空手道) which was coined by Funakoshi Gichin, founder of Shotokan. The founders of the original kwans were not delusional or secretive about what they taught. They learned Japanese Karatedo during the occupation and that's what they taught. Nothing more, nothing less.

Like many other kwans, Hwang Kee referred to his art of Moo Duk Kwan as Tang Soo Do (he initially called it Hwa Soo Do but quickly abandoned that). When General Choi Hong Hi coined the name Taekwondo in 1955, Hwang Kee did not choose to conform. He felt as though the name did not honor Korean history, and instead decided to change the name of his art to Soo Bahk Do in honor of Subak, an ancient Korean martial art that Hwang Kee had claimed to study (with no verification). 

However, Hwang Kee was present at the meeting to establish the Korea Taekwondo Association in 1960. So why didn't he then join and finally adopt the name Taekwondo for his art?


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Understanding Taekwondo Politics

12/11/2016

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Author: Bret Gordon
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About three months ago, I wrote an article entitled "'I Do Taekwondo!' Yea, That Doesn't Tell Me Anything..." which briefly discussed the history of Taekwondo from the development of the 9 original kwans to the unification of the art under the Kukkiwon. However, even in the Taekwondo community there seems to be some confusion about the relationship between the Kukkiwon and the World Taekwondo Federation, and ultimately about the very grey line between the martial art of Taekwondo and the Olympic sport of the same name. 

Let me say that in my personal opinion, the Kukkiwon is the sole source for legitimate Taekwondo and if you are not affiliated with the Kukkiwon, you cannot claim to teach Taekwondo. Why do I say that? Well, Taekwondo is unique in the martial arts community because it's the only art essentially created by a national government rather than by martial artists. In the mid-1950s, the Korean government did not want multiple schools (kwans) teaching their own systems. Rather in this period of rejuvenance following the end of Japanese occupation, the Koreans wanted something that the Korean people could unify around, and numerous martial arts schools scattered across the country teaching what was essentially Japanese Karatedo would not suffice. So on April 11, 1955, there was a meeting among the leaders of the various kwans where the name Taekwondo was officially selected at the suggestion of General Choi Hong Hi, and that's where the simplicity of Taekwondo politics ends.


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You're A Liar!

12/8/2016

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Author: Bret Gordon
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I think I'm finally at my breaking point. The quality of martial arts instruction is severely plummeting, with no signs of slowing down. Every day, new schools pop up that make me question if even they know what martial arts training is. The majority of these new schools, at least here in Florida, teach a generic hybrid form of sport karate where regardless of your previous training, you can walk into a school and be hired as an instructor as long as you learn their curriculum. So someone who holds a black belt in Goju Ryu can walk into a Taekwondo school and start teaching as a paid instructor as long as they learn the new forms. Seriously?! How is this even a thing? While all martial arts at their core share very common aspects, there are different styles and systems for a reason. They all have their own philosophies, applications, variations and querks. 

So what is it about this industry that makes people think any idiot with a building and wearing a black piece of cloth is qualified to teach martial arts?  Many say the problem has to do with lack of regulation, that in Asian countries you must be licensed through a government organization to teach martial arts. Honestly I think that's a horrible idea, but on the flip side we should be policing ourselves. Back in the old days, and my generation caught the tail end of it (I certainly got my fair share of it), there was a wonderful tradition of dojo busting that kept out the frauds and less-than-quality schools. Win or lose, it was about respect and as long as you could hold your own, you could stay and teach. Now everyone's quick to the call the police or draw a gun when you even mention you own a school nearby. But the real problem has nothing to do with that. The real problem is lack of education, and the wussification (with a capital "P") of America. 


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Complacency Creates Incompetence

12/5/2016

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Author: Bret Gordon
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Let me start off by saying that if you've ever thought the words "safe space," I recommend not reading any further because the real world is anything but safe. Now, we're all familiar with these masters and grandmasters who used to be somebody 30 years ago, who haven't trained since then except for teaching the occasional class yet still walk around like they can put you in your place if you call them out on it. But here's the thing. I don't care how good you once were. If you're not training on a regular basis, then you've grown complacent, and therefore you're incompetent.

Better example. How many times have you driven a car? How many times do you zone out and then find yourself slamming on the breaks and swerving because some idiot in front of you stopped short? It's in that split second of action we find out how good of a driver you really are, no matter long you've been driving. You either slam into the car in front of you, or you swerve around them avoiding a potentially deadly crash.

​Self defense is the exact same thing. We tend to zone out during "training" and often find ourselves slamming into the car in front of us when actually confronted with an attack. To start with, the majority of martial arts schools instill a false sense of hope and security in their students. It's not their fault, they just don't know any better. In fact, this is hardly a problem limited to martial arts schools.


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