Years ago I had a blog off my Dojo website called Martial Art Musings of the Grand Master. This was exclusively for my students on my thoughts on training in my art of Hon Sang Mu Sa Hapkido. I ended up deleting it, but I do not remember why. Perhaps no one read it. I hope you enjoy these Martial Art Musings.
Today I want to share some thoughts on training in the martial arts. You may not agree with anything I am say, agree with perhaps part of it, or all of it. This depends on your journey.
Martial Art Musings
And however you feel is correct because it is your journey. But when you attack someone because they disagree with you, then sorry you do not believe in your own path. If it was a truth to you it would be unshakable.
I get a lot of questions about my art, and Kyusho also. Some questions are outstanding. Some not so good. One I want to muse about briefly is a question as too whether or not Kata can be applied to self defense, or is it a waste of time.
In today's modern age this is a great question. Many styles have abandoned Kata for many reason. And this is fine. It is the instructors choice to do so.
Martial Art Musings of the Grand Master - Based on Sport
Most of the martial arts taught today are based on competition. Personally that is not my thing. But people like it. And that is their choice. We still do have "free will" even though there is an attempt to take this away today. In these sport arts Kata usually exists. But it is for performance sake, not to learn and study deeply.
One problem that comes from this is that the instructor will often try to be all things to all people. So they include self defense in their system. What usually happens is that you do neither very well. My focus is based on Self Defense. If someone came to me looking for a competition school I always sent them to Hanshi Mady's Karate school. He was the best in the city at this. If you love sport, focus on sport.
I also do not teach "quick fix" self defense. Perhaps these systems are of value for the right student. I have spent very little time looking at them. I am just not into the quick fix idea people want today. More Martial Art Musings to follow.
Martial Art Musings of the Grand Master - Life long training
Martial Art Musings. Myself I am looking for students who want to train for the duration. Someone interested in the benefits that come with a lifetime of martial arts training. My Martial Art Musings daily is about this. And the reasons why these kinds of students have become rare.
Often times a student will leave the teacher for different reasons. But did they continue the training? Some will open a Dojo, and I no longer recommend this, others stop completely. There are a very few who will train at home for life. This is certainly OK.
Why do I not recommend opening a Dojo? Few people who do are prepared for becoming a person or business.
Also most Dojo's today can only teach a student for up to five years. Then they run out of new materials. This is because most of the time it is a 3rd or 4th Dan Black Belt doing this. I did the same.
But I continued the learning process and still actively seek knowledge. Not to mention the business aspects.
Martial Art Musings of the Grand Master - Kata Question
Now back to the Kata question. Does Kata work in real life? The short answer is YES, however you cannot just learn the Kata, you must spend a lot of time in study of the Kata.
First you need to learn the physical movements. And this needs to be to a point of being able to "perform" the Kata without getting lost or forgetting parts of it. Second you need to look at your movement. What is happening with your body? How are you moving?
Third and most importantly is the attacker. What are they doing that causes you to respond with the part of the Kata being examined? Real Kata training is not about your movement, it is about the attacker.
At this point you are doing Bunkai, having a conversation with a training partner as to what is happening in this Kata. This turns into techniques. Then you proceed to what I call Kosho Kumite, which is how I have been training students over the years in self defense. This turns Kata movement into street defense. But this is NOT something that happens overnight, it can take decades to understand and apply.
Martial Art Musing in Conclusion
Martial Art Musings: When done correctly, you spend a lot of time looking at your Kata. It turns into a Martial Art Musings. Today this is not what most people are looking at in the "karate" they want.
Very few of my former students ever learned about these things. That is because so many stop being "teachable" as times goes by.
Today I am in the process of doing many things. Soon I will begin in earnest construction of my mountain home / fortress. I plan on building a small Dojo. Thank you for reading Martial Art Musings of the Grand Master.
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