I've posted a few new podcasts on a variety of subjects. Hear them at either http://feed.podcastmachine.com/podcasts/3314/mp3.rss
or through i Tunes at
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=381705015
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Promotion
Sunday, February 20, 2011
JAMA article on kata
The way of kata in Kodokan judo by Jones and Hanon in the 2010 fourth quarter issue.
I found this very interesting on several levels. I took judo when I was young and had started to learn the kata. Yes, judo does have kata - ten of them. The points the authors make apply to karate or kenpo kata, too.
The authors say Judo instruction has four components - freestyle (randori), lecture, discussion and kata (forms) and that it never got beyond Japan. The exception was the London school under Leggett and students there were alarmed when asked to write an essay. I have seen that alarm in kenpo students when I tell them they will be doing a thesis. It was an Ed Parker requirement for 1st black. We maintain that requirement and expand it to include medical implications theses for 5th degree and higher. Some of the submissions have been very good and we are building a library. Candidates typically cross-check their work with medical professionals in the process and this results in some quality information to be passed along.
The author says kata now is only considered as an opportunity to win medals and that kata practice was outdated and had no relevance or value. I’d seen this in the late 1970’s when forms were criticized as just being dances and that “kata was for fairies”. I’d also been told that fighters who did kata were typically better because they practiced the moves over and over. I agree with that but there seems to persist the notion that people are either forms people or fighters.
With judo kata being ignored, the authors state that judo became pared-down and distorted. They state that kata is a living textbook. Seems Mr. Parker, as always, was way ahead. He called our technique forms encyclopedia forms, the basic forms are dictionaries and the sets are appendices. They are not just technique-polishing tools because technique can be polished other ways. They are ways to get to know yourself and reinforce principles. They state that each kata has a thread or theme – and we do the same.
They state that the self-defense applications of judo in a real fight are developed. This correlates to the techniques in kenpo forms. They are typically the “meat of the system” and serve the same purpose. In addition they list the other values inherent in good practice such as harmony, concentration, purity, mindfulness, good use of mind and body, use of physics, inner feeling, chi, and no-mindedness (mushin). All good stuff.
The positive aspect is that more people practice kata now than before because they can compete. The man who made the “kata is for fairies” statement later produced some fine kata performers who won in competition. I rest my case.
Here’s a very interesting observation from the article, a quote from A. Oltremari: “The same barbarism that has pervaded contest and turned it into an inferno conducted in a pit in an arena is about to break forth on kata. A new gymnasium for the ego is about to rise, while a kata created for completely different purposes slowly disappears… the introduction of the principles of modern sport in kata will distort its essence and meaning, first condemning it to its cultural contextualization and then to it’s very ending.” I think this has happened to sport karate already.
Further observations on the negative points of judging kata competition take a few more pages with lack of improvement of the whole being being a focus. They just don’t think kata should be judged like figure skating or gymnastics, which is what we do. They are particularly upset that “ignorant and incorrect information is being promulgated” regarding forms instruction. Agreed. They say kata should be done for educational purposes, not just to look good. Agreed. I have met too many people who have come to me not knowing just what the forms do or why. They look good but they were just mimicking movement. Then it’s just dance.
They make a point of saying that judges are often not qualified to judge. How true, in many cases. I’ve seen people on a board who just didn’t know what they were looking at. And so have you, if you’ve competed for any length of time. They close their article with the statement; “Real kata” is one of the tools a “real teacher” uses.
If you’re interested in forms, find a copy and read the article. If you go to the website of the Journal of Asian Martial Arts you can buy individual articles.
I found this very interesting on several levels. I took judo when I was young and had started to learn the kata. Yes, judo does have kata - ten of them. The points the authors make apply to karate or kenpo kata, too.
The authors say Judo instruction has four components - freestyle (randori), lecture, discussion and kata (forms) and that it never got beyond Japan. The exception was the London school under Leggett and students there were alarmed when asked to write an essay. I have seen that alarm in kenpo students when I tell them they will be doing a thesis. It was an Ed Parker requirement for 1st black. We maintain that requirement and expand it to include medical implications theses for 5th degree and higher. Some of the submissions have been very good and we are building a library. Candidates typically cross-check their work with medical professionals in the process and this results in some quality information to be passed along.
The author says kata now is only considered as an opportunity to win medals and that kata practice was outdated and had no relevance or value. I’d seen this in the late 1970’s when forms were criticized as just being dances and that “kata was for fairies”. I’d also been told that fighters who did kata were typically better because they practiced the moves over and over. I agree with that but there seems to persist the notion that people are either forms people or fighters.
With judo kata being ignored, the authors state that judo became pared-down and distorted. They state that kata is a living textbook. Seems Mr. Parker, as always, was way ahead. He called our technique forms encyclopedia forms, the basic forms are dictionaries and the sets are appendices. They are not just technique-polishing tools because technique can be polished other ways. They are ways to get to know yourself and reinforce principles. They state that each kata has a thread or theme – and we do the same.
They state that the self-defense applications of judo in a real fight are developed. This correlates to the techniques in kenpo forms. They are typically the “meat of the system” and serve the same purpose. In addition they list the other values inherent in good practice such as harmony, concentration, purity, mindfulness, good use of mind and body, use of physics, inner feeling, chi, and no-mindedness (mushin). All good stuff.
The positive aspect is that more people practice kata now than before because they can compete. The man who made the “kata is for fairies” statement later produced some fine kata performers who won in competition. I rest my case.
Here’s a very interesting observation from the article, a quote from A. Oltremari: “The same barbarism that has pervaded contest and turned it into an inferno conducted in a pit in an arena is about to break forth on kata. A new gymnasium for the ego is about to rise, while a kata created for completely different purposes slowly disappears… the introduction of the principles of modern sport in kata will distort its essence and meaning, first condemning it to its cultural contextualization and then to it’s very ending.” I think this has happened to sport karate already.
Further observations on the negative points of judging kata competition take a few more pages with lack of improvement of the whole being being a focus. They just don’t think kata should be judged like figure skating or gymnastics, which is what we do. They are particularly upset that “ignorant and incorrect information is being promulgated” regarding forms instruction. Agreed. They say kata should be done for educational purposes, not just to look good. Agreed. I have met too many people who have come to me not knowing just what the forms do or why. They look good but they were just mimicking movement. Then it’s just dance.
They make a point of saying that judges are often not qualified to judge. How true, in many cases. I’ve seen people on a board who just didn’t know what they were looking at. And so have you, if you’ve competed for any length of time. They close their article with the statement; “Real kata” is one of the tools a “real teacher” uses.
If you’re interested in forms, find a copy and read the article. If you go to the website of the Journal of Asian Martial Arts you can buy individual articles.
Battlefield hand-to-hand
Tim Walker sent this along. It's about how our soldiers are experiencing hand-to-hand combat more now. I have had former students return who agree and told me they used their kenpo. The last line of the story sums it up for kenpo people.
http://www.thewarreportonline.com/2010/12/06/hand-to-hand-combat/
http://www.thewarreportonline.com/2010/12/06/hand-to-hand-combat/
Friday, February 18, 2011
Bias in Judging
If you are a competitor or judge/referee you should read this article I've linked. It's drawn from a speech given at an equestrian conference but relevant to karate/kung-fu competitors.
When I was competing I experienced the effects mentioned in the article and as a judge I can see clearly the influences she writes of. Every person who has bowed in and competed will relate. I remember that Karate Illustrated once wrote that they used what they called "Regional Shaft Factor" to weight some tournament results. They recognized that a competitor from Georgia may not do as well in California because, well, "dude, you're not from around here". I was fighting middleweight at the Internationals in California way back when. The division was so big that we were divided into two rings. I was waiting to fight when I saw Keith Vitali fight and lose his first match in the next ring. Keith was the top-rated fighter in the US at the time. What I saw was "Shaft Factor". Keith was "on" but not scoring; the judges just were not going to let an East Coast fighter win that day. He protested the calls, but to no avail. He didn't have a coach there to protest for him. That's not unusual for many top-line competitors in our sport. On the other hand, it sometimes works in reverse when a rated fighter enters the ring and even if the other person beats him, they still lose. The author calls it "nationality bias". If they're from a country know for a certain style or that they always win (like Russian gymnasts used to), they get the nod.
The article speaks of judging shortcuts, which is very interesting and addresses how a judge may want to conform to what other judges do to eliminate or reduce negative spectator reactions. We've seen that, huh?
Many sports have professional judges or refs - not karate. It's not unusual to have someone judge that has never even been in a tournament. That's probably not the best thing.
One interesting statement she makes is that there is so much complex movement going on in some sports that it exceeds the ability of the human brain to process it. That's a good reason to have five judges on a forms board. If one of the five is eating cookies and another is watching the girls go by you'll still have three sets of eyes (in theory) watching the action. You laugh, I've seen that.
Take a look at the article. I think you'll enjoy it.
http://www.eurodressage.com/equestrian/2010/11/04/natural-bias-hidden-controversy-judging-sports Natural Bias, the Hidden Controversy in Judging Sports
When I was competing I experienced the effects mentioned in the article and as a judge I can see clearly the influences she writes of. Every person who has bowed in and competed will relate. I remember that Karate Illustrated once wrote that they used what they called "Regional Shaft Factor" to weight some tournament results. They recognized that a competitor from Georgia may not do as well in California because, well, "dude, you're not from around here". I was fighting middleweight at the Internationals in California way back when. The division was so big that we were divided into two rings. I was waiting to fight when I saw Keith Vitali fight and lose his first match in the next ring. Keith was the top-rated fighter in the US at the time. What I saw was "Shaft Factor". Keith was "on" but not scoring; the judges just were not going to let an East Coast fighter win that day. He protested the calls, but to no avail. He didn't have a coach there to protest for him. That's not unusual for many top-line competitors in our sport. On the other hand, it sometimes works in reverse when a rated fighter enters the ring and even if the other person beats him, they still lose. The author calls it "nationality bias". If they're from a country know for a certain style or that they always win (like Russian gymnasts used to), they get the nod.
The article speaks of judging shortcuts, which is very interesting and addresses how a judge may want to conform to what other judges do to eliminate or reduce negative spectator reactions. We've seen that, huh?
Many sports have professional judges or refs - not karate. It's not unusual to have someone judge that has never even been in a tournament. That's probably not the best thing.
One interesting statement she makes is that there is so much complex movement going on in some sports that it exceeds the ability of the human brain to process it. That's a good reason to have five judges on a forms board. If one of the five is eating cookies and another is watching the girls go by you'll still have three sets of eyes (in theory) watching the action. You laugh, I've seen that.
Take a look at the article. I think you'll enjoy it.
http://www.eurodressage.com/equestrian/2010/11/04/natural-bias-hidden-controversy-judging-sports Natural Bias, the Hidden Controversy in Judging Sports
Thursday, February 17, 2011
KenpoTV makes the 1,000 mark
There are now over 1,000 instructional videos uploaded to KenpoTV. The latest ones include exotic basics, extensions and more instructors videos.
For you trivia people, the 1,000th video was the extension to Twist of Fate.
More to come!
For you trivia people, the 1,000th video was the extension to Twist of Fate.
More to come!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
New article posted
This is posted for March in the Member section of my website at http://www.leewedlake.com/index.asp?PageID=29
In kenpo we teach what to do when the emergency is developing and changing. The ideal and what-if? Phases address the abnormal and emergency conditions of being physically attacked. Abnormal might be your drunken relative who takes a poke at someone at a party and you have to restrain them. But the person with a knife in the proverbial dark alley is a real emergency and it develops and changes and must be handled. What may be omitted in a lot of training is addressing what may have led up to the attack. I think we simply assume that we’re faced with the attacker and the particular attack and what is, is. There’s a lot to be said for scenario-based training. It’s used in many disciplines and some kenpo schools use it. It’s the couching of the technique into a developing situation and includes verbal assault, non-verbal change of attitude (that includes posture and movement) and environment (Ed Parker’s first combat consideration).
Kenpo Kids?
BOOTALITY (boo-TAHL-uh-tee) n : A child's notion that "keep your hands to yourself" does not preclude them from kicking someone.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Cynical self-defense
Sent to me by Mr. Chapel.
... defense against a guy in a chair.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_wtNwsAF3k&fmt=22
... defense against a guy in a chair.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_wtNwsAF3k&fmt=22
Sunday, February 13, 2011
New lifesavers
I graduated my first class of CPR/AED trainees on Saturday. Dr. Rowe and I co-taught a three hour class on cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and use of the automatic external defibrillator, as well a choking. Doc has been an instructor for years and I am brand-new at it, so it was good to have him there. We got good reviews from the attendees and they did a great job themselves.
We had them do rescue scenarios that had them in pairs and having to run to the office, find the AED and then work as a team to save a life. I'd never had anyone include stress reaction factors into the training I'd had in CPR like I did in flight training and martial arts, so we included that in the class, too.
So, thanks to Dr. Marc and the American Heart Association, we have seven new members of the "medical militia".
We had them do rescue scenarios that had them in pairs and having to run to the office, find the AED and then work as a team to save a life. I'd never had anyone include stress reaction factors into the training I'd had in CPR like I did in flight training and martial arts, so we included that in the class, too.
So, thanks to Dr. Marc and the American Heart Association, we have seven new members of the "medical militia".
Friday, February 11, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
We mourn again
One of my first students here in Ft. Myers is Rick Stone. Rick just lost his wife of many years, Doreen, to cancer.
Rick and Doreen had quickly become an integral part of our studio family here soon after he came in to start taking tai chi. He saw the kenpo and wanted to do that, too. He took his first lessons at the age of 68 and became a black belt at age 73. Along the way, Doreen took a women's self-defense course and then started formal kenpo training, eventually earning a blue belt. Husband-wife teams are not unusual in studios but training in their 60's is.
Rick always addressed Doreen as "my love". It did not matter who was around to hear it. He meant it. The Stones had been married since about 1970, when Rick was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given six weesk to live. Doreen stood with him and was there when he went through a few more bouts of cancer in later years, had a kidney and part of his bladder removed. When she was diagnosed, Rick was there for her.
Doreen had a form of bone cancer they treated with chemo and radiation. She succumbed on Friday, Feb 4th at Hope Hospice here in Ft. Myers.
Rick is doing ok and thanks all of you who have made their condolences directly or through me. He's a tough guy who made it through World War 2, escaped from a prison camp and beat the cancer. Those of you in our family mean a great deal to him. Thank you.
Rick and Doreen had quickly become an integral part of our studio family here soon after he came in to start taking tai chi. He saw the kenpo and wanted to do that, too. He took his first lessons at the age of 68 and became a black belt at age 73. Along the way, Doreen took a women's self-defense course and then started formal kenpo training, eventually earning a blue belt. Husband-wife teams are not unusual in studios but training in their 60's is.
Rick always addressed Doreen as "my love". It did not matter who was around to hear it. He meant it. The Stones had been married since about 1970, when Rick was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given six weesk to live. Doreen stood with him and was there when he went through a few more bouts of cancer in later years, had a kidney and part of his bladder removed. When she was diagnosed, Rick was there for her.
Doreen had a form of bone cancer they treated with chemo and radiation. She succumbed on Friday, Feb 4th at Hope Hospice here in Ft. Myers.
Rick is doing ok and thanks all of you who have made their condolences directly or through me. He's a tough guy who made it through World War 2, escaped from a prison camp and beat the cancer. Those of you in our family mean a great deal to him. Thank you.
Teaching in another arena
When it came to the subject of planning and decision-making I used a volunteer (who immediately covered his groin) and a kenpo technique to illustrate the steps of making a decision. I'ev addressed this in articles on my website so I won't go into it here but it was well-received by the largely non-martial artist audience.
This coming weekend I move on to teaching another new subject, Basic Life Support. I earned my CPR instructor ticket a week or so ago with the encouragement and assistance of Marc Rowe, MD. He and I will co-teach it. Stay tuned.
Friday, February 4, 2011
More podcasts uploaded
I have uploaded four more podcasts on tai chi, chi and kenpo. Tom Baeli is my guest in the four episodes. They are free and you can hear them at
http://feed.podcastmachine.com/podcasts/3314/mp3.rss
or through i Tunes at
http://www.blogger.com/goog_48576203
http://feed.podcastmachine.com/podcasts/3314/mp3.rss
or through i Tunes at
http://www.blogger.com/goog_48576203
Thursday, February 3, 2011
When should you rotate your punch?
An excerpt from a new article on my site in the Member's section on when to twist your punch.
Back in the 70’s I was told that some systems teach the student to wait to the very end of the punch to finish the twist, as you met skin. The reason was to tear the skin as you hit, adding insult to injury. I really didn’t know what to make of that and clung to the lesson I had been taught, which was to twist half-way through. You have to be pretty sensitive and accurate to pull this off. Later I found that boxers teach the same principle. I know that tearing of the skin results from many types of strike so I have no reason to doubt that twisting a punch at the last moment to tear the skin works.
Subscriptions for access are $29/year for almost 200 articles and historical info. http://www.leewedlake.com/
Lance Soares' new studio
Lance Soares has opened his Family Martial Arts center in New Bedford, MA at 527 Church Street. His contact info is 508-813-8351, http://www.lsfmac.com/ or director@lsfmac.com.
We wish him good luck with the new school.
We wish him good luck with the new school.
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