Category: Martial Arts Principles

Words Matter: An Important Note On Kuzushi And Aiki

12/3/2020

Author: Bret Gordon

Many people are probably familiar with the video of the street performer walking up a stairway of glass bottles. If not, you can view the video here. Her ability to balance on such a small surface is impressive, but that's not why I'm referencing it now. Serious practitioners normally assert the cliché that Budo is life, but that can only be true if we find educational martial value in everyday activities.

I belong to several aiki discussion groups on social media, through which I've been able to establish connections (no pun intended) with numerous, top level instructors in the aiki community. One such group is led by Bill Dockery, the author of the "Aiki Secrets" book series which I have had the honor to review and highly recommend (to purchase a copy, click here), who is the inspiration for this article. An engineer by trade, Mr. Dockery always surprises me with his ability to articulate the fundamental principles of an otherwise misunderstood and somewhat esoteric practice such as aiki.

Mr. Dockery shared the video of this performer with the following analysis:

"The two most mis-used words in Aikido: Balance and Stability. This woman was balanced the entire time (she never fell), but had extremely little stability (a good shove from a toddler would have toppled her). Pop Quiz: A flat foot on the ground improves which: stability or balance? Have you though it through? Read on...
You are no more balanced with your entire foot on the ground than you are with just the ball of your foot, or even a toe. In all of these cases, you are not falling, so you are balanced! But they do vary in their stability. Thus, Uke's balance is not broken until you throw Uke, i.e., until Uke falls. What most call a 'balance break' is actually de-stabilization, the reduction in stability. It sounds pedantic, until you ask yourself,
'How do I make Uke unstable?, How do I 'willow' them?'
'What is the measure of stability?'
'If I know, will I know better how to create it in my opponent?'
'When, or at least what happens in that 'break' between stability and falling?'"

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Real Vs. Practical

3/29/2019

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Author: Bret Gordon

With the explosion of the internet, social media is flooded with videos of martial artists from around the world demonstrating their art. This has also coincided with the rise of MMA, which has challenged the validity and practicality of many styles and their training methods (rightfully so). There are now entire websites and pages dedicated to exposing "frauds" in the martial arts. Unfortunately, because of the prevalence of MMA they don't always get it right. A common sentiment is that if you're not training BJJ, what you study is garbage. I get it, we're all partial to the arts we study. If we didn't think it was advantageous to do it, why would we? But the terms "real" and "practical" get thrown around a lot, and in this article I want to clarify the two because they are not the same thing.

For something to be real, it means that it is genuine. What you just saw really happened, and it was not faked or contrived. That said, not everything that is real is practical. For something to be practical, in a martial sense, it must be viable for self defense or survival in a live, violent encounter against another human being with malicious intent. Therefore, it is entirely possible for something to be real but not practical. That said, practicality is determined by the context something is being practiced for. You would not judge the practicality of archery by whether or not you can fire an arrow inside the Octagon. No one denies the efficiency of a side kick to the xiphoid process, except when there's a gun pointed to your head. Context is everything.

In order to demonstrate the difference between real and practical, let's look at everyone's favorite subject: "No Touch" techniques. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you've probably been living under a rock but to summarize, there are countless videos of martial artists using "chi" to move or throw another person without actually touching them. Now, there have been videos done where independent third parties have come in with medical equipment and detected measurable effects on the recipients of these techniques that otherwise have no explanation. That said, it was not able to be replicated on someone from the outside. Does this mean it was fake? No. Something happened. There was a physical, biological response to the stimuli offered by the person executing the technique. Because of its inability to be replicated with those who have not been initiated into the school, we can conclude that the response was triggered psychologically. The power of the human mind is something we still struggle to fully grasp, and if one believes they will be affected by something, they usually are.

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It's All About Balance: A Deeper Study Of The Arts

1/13/2019

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Author: Bret Gordon

One can hardly engage in any physical endeavor without hearing the term "balance." Depending on the context, this could mean anything from the way your bodyweight is distributed to making sure you're addressing all of your needs on a physical, mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual level. As martial artists, we tend to focus so heavily on the physical aspects of training that we neglect everything else. But as my last article addressed the spiritual refinement in Budo (click here to read), I want to get even deeper.

Historically, many of the most prominent martial artists were also healers. They were doctors, bone setters, massage therapists and energy workers. The truth is that these endeavors are not separate from martial arts. Rather they are an extension of them, so much so that to practice martial arts without delving into the healing arts is to never reach mastery. Unfortunately, the Chinese internal martial arts (Taijiquan, Xingyiquan and Baguazhang) seem to be the only arts that prominently feature the healing arts as a staple of their training, to the point that most people ignorantly believe that the classification of an internal martial arts signifies that it is meant solely for healing and not for combative purposes. This couldn't be farther from the truth. In this article, I want to highlight both what it truly means to be an internal martial art, what the healing arts are, and the necessity for studying them as part of your journey of Budo.

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Seishin Teki Kyoyo: Spiritual Refinement In Budo

1/12/2019

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Author: Bret Gordon

Recent events in my personal life have caused me to re-evaluate everything, which has lead me on a rather interesting journey with deep implications. In the past, I've written about how Budo is the study of life and death. Essentially, by training in the arts of war you understand both the fragility of life and your own ability to take it. Therefore, having such an appreciation for the sanctity of life should (in theory) lead you down a path of seeking a peaceful resolution to the majority of life's problems. But even this just scratches the surface to understanding Budo.

When you understand the character Do 道 (Tao in Chinese, as in Taoism), it does translate as "The Way," but the way to what? In this context, we're speaking about the path to enlightenment. When you couple it with Bu 武 (which refers to the military, war and combat) you come up with a rather interesting translation. What most people simply translate as "the martial way" is in reality the path to enlightenment through combat. Looking at enlightenment as having attained a higher level of spiritual knowledge or insight, where does the study of combat play a role in this?

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The Problem With Internal Martial Arts

8/28/2018

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Author: Bret Gordon

The deeper I go in my study of Aiki Jujutsu and internal power, the more styles of internal arts I've encountered. Lately, I seem to have gotten myself immersed in the Chinese internal arts community and have even taken up a cursory study of Baguazhang to help expand and refine my develop of aiki. The more I watch and engage with other internal practitioners, however, the more I notice a rather unsettling trend that's not unlike the rest of the martial arts community... The complete abandonment of practical martial application.

I've written countless articles thus far stressing the importance of maintaining practical and intensive training for self protection as a large part of your martial arts study, and the internal martial arts are not exempt from this. Let's not forget that the word "martial" implies a combative context and to ignore that section of the art (which in this context refers to a skill or discipline) is to do a great disservice to those who came before us and the legacy they left behind.

While it's true that most martial arts are descended from combat systems, the internal martial arts have historically held a place of significance in protecting those of high stature. In Japan, the Minamoto and Takeda clans were charged as Imperial guards. They trained in the art of Oshiki Uchi (also known as Gotenjutsu) to protect the Emperor and/or Shogun for over 700 years according to oral tradition, an art that later became Daito Ryu - the root of all Japanese aiki arts. In China, Dong Haichuan was charged with teaching his art of Baguazhang to the guards after winning patronage by the Imperial court. Even Okinawa has its own internal martial arts tradition, Motobu Udundi, that was used for the same purpose. The internal martial arts were chosen for this purpose because of their superiority in allowing the practitioner to counter conventional fighting techniques through the use of structure and respond with devastating results. So how did the elite fighting system of the historical Secret Service equivalent become the laughing stock of the martial arts today, and how do we fix it?

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Taiji Can't Fight

5/26/2018

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Author: Neil Ripski

The recent fight between a one-year MMA fighter and a Taiji teacher from Shanghai yet again demonstrates how weak Taiji has become and I am tired of it.

Taiji is not a magic pill that makes you suddenly able to fight, what you train is what you become and if you never train to pick up your hands against an opponent, not a compliant partner, you are not going to be able to use your art effectively. There are certainly many benefits to Taiji training without any fighting aspect involved, the health and longevity, sensitivity, and chance for self-work are all amazing parts of the art but realistically these things do not make a fighter. Nothing wrong with that, but deluding students and ourselves into thinking that it does make a fighter is a terrible crime. It breeds false confidence and unrealistic expectations and skews people’s visions of reality. Then, when challenged these dreamers find themselves being taken apart by beginners in arts that actually train fighting.

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"That Doesn't Work, I'll Just Let Go!"

5/9/2018

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Author: Bret Gordon

As an aiki jujutsu instructor, this is a statement I hear almost on a daily basis. It stems from both the outrageous number of charlatans floating around the internet and the overall ignorance when it comes to advanced martial arts. For those that don't know, what this statement is referring to are the wrist-grab connection drills that show an aiki practitioner effortlessly throwing an attacker without any conventional technique (to see an example of these drills, click here). This sounds ridiculous, and sometimes looks so too, but I assure you it's real. I know this because I was a heavy skeptic too, until I landed on my rear enough times to finally ask how it worked.

Before I go into the larger problem that this statement exemplifies, I want to explain how and why these wrist-grab connection drills work. First and foremost, we must understand that what is being demonstrated are not self defense techniques. They are drills meant to reinforce fundamental principles of balance, sensitivity, motion, timing and structural manipulation. Once the student learns and ingrains these principles, they begin to infuse them into conventional joint locks and throwing techniques to make them more efficient and effective. But that doesn't mean these drills require a compliant attacker either. In fact, the very premise of aiki involves receiving the force of your attacker and returning it. Therefore, you must have a committed attack to work from. The attacker must grab you with malicious intent.

The common response is that the attacker can simply let go and neutralize the technique. In theory, that's true, but the reason they don't let go is based on our natural fear of falling. Do you ever notice how when you lose your balance, you immediately reach out for something to grab onto? In order to fight this fear, the body has a postural control system that has two major functions: to ensure that balance is maintained by bracing the body against gravity, and to fix the orientation and position of the features that serve as a frame of reference for perception and action with respect to the external world. Postural control relies on multisensory processing and motor responses that seem to be automatic and occur without awareness. Our balance relies on the alignment of the vertical line. In reference to aiki connection drills, at the moment of contact the attacker is immediately shifted off their center line, giving the sensation of falling. The body's postural control system tries to correct that by anchoring itself to the only stable thing around it - the person throwing them. This gives the practitioner enough time to finish the throw by compromising the attacker's structure to the point of no return. So now that we've cleared that up, let's talk about the bigger problem!

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De-Mystifying Chi: A Scientific Explanation

5/7/2018

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Author: Bret Gordon

To start with, I promise this will not be some hokey article about a mystical force that no one can feel, see or otherwise experience. I'm not even going to talk about spirituality. The chi I'm talking about (and will be further referring to in Japanese as ki) is a very measurable force that exists within all things in nature. So what is it, and how is it applied in true internal martial arts?

Ki 気 literally means "energy," which is commonly defined as the ability to do work. In a martial arts context, we're referring specifically to the generation of force. Energy is created in the human body by a flow of electricity. At rest, the average human body produces around 100 watts of power. Electricity is required for the nervous system to send signals throughout the body and to the brain, making it possible for us to move, think and feel. Almost all of the cells in our body can use charged elements (such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium), called ions, to generate electricity, and therefore energy.

All martial arts, and in fact all human movement, use this energy to generate power in their techniques. The amount of power you can generate is dependent on your overall use and understanding of biomechanics and proper structure. But this isn't an article on the most efficient way to punch or kick. Let's get deeper in our study of the arts, and specifically look at the taboo internal arts.

Most people's definition of internal martial arts comes from a rudimentary understanding of Taijiquan and Qigong. To them, the "internal" classification refers to the healing properties of these practices, and that's certainly part of it. The flow of energy through the body helps improve the circulatory and respiratory systems, which in turn promote overall health. But can you use ki combatively? Yes! There are two distinct applications of ki in the internal martial arts: disruption and connection.

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Five Reasons Martial Arts Is The Best Fitness Program For Adults

12/9/2017

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As adults, we can easily identify the components of a healthy lifestyle and list the factors that contribute to wellness, health and peace-of-mind. We know that being healthy entails getting good sleep, maintaining a healthy diet and engaging in an active lifestyle. Yet every day, we adults struggle to do what is right for our bodies due to a variety of hurdles and obstacles. With our stressful and time-crunched lives, it’s difficult to “wind down” and get enough sleep. In the case of food, we often sacrifice health for convenience. And, instead of engaging in physical activities, we spend too much of our leisure time in front of a computer or TV screen. In short, we understand what it takes to be healthy... but we don’t always rise to the challenges of doing what’s needed in order to achieve and maintain good health. This report will discuss the benefits of good fitness and explain why martial arts is the very best way to get fit.

Here are just some of the proven benefits fitness has to offer:

• Better sleep
• Better concentration
• Improved emotional health
• Improved heart health
• Improved self-image
• Stronger immune system
• Greater strength and flexibility
• Healthier weight

Take a look at how fitness effects some of the maladies that plague adults:

Heart disease is one of the most effective killers in our society today. Not only does exercise prevent heart problems, but having a lifestyle that lacks physical activity is an added risk factor. Regular exercise, alone, lowers blood pressure and helps to control cholesterol levels. Staying active also decreases the fat in our abdomen that has been proven to be another risk factor of heart disease. It has been shown time and time again that people who exercise regularly after their first heart attack live longer than those who do not.

Asthma attacks are also partially preventable with regular exercise. Activities that require long periods of exertion are often not tolerated well by asthmatics. But, daily exercise can keep an asthmatic individual more in the swing of things so there’s a lower frequency of attacks.

Osteoporosis: The impact of exercise on the bones of the body helps to guard against osteoporosis. If an individual is sedentary their whole life they have a far greater chance of developing bone density issues. But, with the resistance and weight bearing that occurs during exercise, bones maintain their strength.

Healthy weight: Exercise is one of the primary keys to reaching and maintaining a healthy weight. It burns lots of calories and helps ensure that your body’s natural regulatory eating signals are working as they should.

Bottom line -- physical activity is great for you. In fact, Time Magazine (A to Z Health Guide, 2004) called exercise: "one of the closest things to a magic bullet that modern health care has to offer." So any type of physical activity will improve your health and well being -- but some types of exercise are better than others. Let’s look at why a lot of physiologists and psychologists view martial arts as the best type of exercise you can get. First, we need to dispel the myth that martial arts classes are just for kids. In fact, according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, more than one-third of martial arts students are adults.

The reality is that martial arts is great for both children and adults -- 20-somethings as well as the elderly. And, no matter what discipline of martial arts you choose, whether taekwondo, karate, jujutsu, aikido or some other form, the benefits remain the same.

Here are the five reasons why is the best fitness program for adults:

• Total body workout: Martial arts is a high-aerobic workout that uses every muscle group in the body. Your stamina, muscle tone, flexibility, balance and strength will all all improve through martial arts.
• Stress relief: In martial arts you get to kick, punch and scream, which is a great stress release no matter what your age. But, in addition, the ancient practices of martial arts have a calming affect that melts the stress away.
• Reach and maintain your healthy weight: Due to the total-body nature of a martial arts workout, tons of calories are burned during every class. However, you’ll also find that your natural eating signals become better regulated so food cravings will disappear and you’ll eat less as a result.
• Learn self-defense skills: Unlike any other form of exercise, with martial arts you learn potentially life-saving self-defense skills at the same time you are getting in shape.
• Better self confidence: This reason tops the list. Due the goal setting, positive encouragement and respect for values that are part of all martial arts programs, the greatest benefit usually reported by martial arts students is greater self confidence. You become more comfortable in all situations – whether you’re in danger or simply doing a task that takes you beyond your comfort zone -- and you’ll discover you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.

So, those are the top five reasons why martial arts is the best fitness program for adults. Here are some other important points about martial arts:

If you are concerned that martial arts places a great amount of emphasis on sparring or fighting, you don’t have to worry. Martial arts places little to no emphasis on violence, and rather stresses the importance of discipline and respect! Instead of competition against others, the focus of martial arts tends to be competition with one’s self. Since respect is a huge aspect of martial arts, heckling and name calling is discouraged, rendering this a great option for anyone insecure about his or her current level of fitness who would like improve their body image and health.

Best of all, classes are individualized, so don’t worry if you’re not in the same physical condition you were at age 18. Adults participate at their own fitness level while progressing in skill and technique. When participating as a family, martial arts provide a unique opportunity for sharing in a non-competitive fun activity. Plus, parents have the opportunity to reinforce at home the life lessons taught in class. Martial arts isn’t for everybody -- but it might be right for you.

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Aiki Jujutsu: The Second Untouchable Martial Art?

5/5/2017

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Author: Bret Gordon

Last year, I wrote an article entitled "The Untouchable Martial Art" which discussed the phenomenon in the Kempo/Kenpo community that allows anyone with even the slightest training to branch out, start their own "Method" and be legitimate. They found the loophole in the normal standards of legitimacy, which allows them to be founders of their own system while not really being founders. Yet they're not exactly a branch or ryuha of a larger system either, because they each maintain their own separate identity. They're on that dotted line, double dipping.

Well, it appears that the plethora of systems claiming to teach "Aiki Jujutsu" were told about this loophole and jumped on the bandwagon. Because no two practitioners define "aiki" or "internal power" exactly the same way, a black hole was created that sucks in any one even remotely connected to Daito Ryu. Aiki Jujutsu has become a blanket term for realistically anyone teaching joint manipulation and throws that favor being on the "soft" side. Let's just ignore the fact that jujutsu itself is the "gentle art" and encompasses all of those throws and locks in their entirety. Yet people still jump on the aiki bandwagon and for what? Well, because they I can.

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USAMA BLOG

Words Matter: An Important Note On Kuzushi And Aiki

Real Vs. Practical

It's All About Balance: A Deeper Study Of The Arts

Seishin Teki Kyoyo: Spiritual Refinement In Budo

The Problem With Internal Martial Arts

Taiji Can't Fight

"That Doesn't Work, I'll Just Let Go!"

De-Mystifying Chi: A Scientific Explanation

Five Reasons Martial Arts Is The Best Fitness Program For Adults

Aiki Jujutsu: The Second Untouchable Martial Art?

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