Arrowhead Martial Arts Studio Blog

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There is a growing debate of whether or not forms are a necessary component to the development of a martial arts practitioner. In American Kenpo, we have several forms as part of the standard curriculum.

Forms are a great reinforcement tool and can be used to learn, practice and internalize many things, including:

• Mental visualization - Visualizing multiple attackers and defending against their attacks
• Visual focus - Keeping your eyes up and looking before moving into the unknown
• Breathing - Learning to inhale and exhale at the appropriate times
• Attitude - Learning to project ones attitude which leads to greater self confidence
• Intensity - Allows the practitioner to regulate the speed, timing and power of their movements
• Continuity of motion - Your last move becomes the first move of the next sequence
• Emphasis - Exploration of which movements are “major moves” and which are “minor”
• Self confidence - Especially true when one starts competing in the forms division
• Self expression - Allows the practitioner to discover and express their own personal signature and style of motion
• Conditioning - Depending on how they are performed, can lead to greater stamina, coordination and balance
• And more

They can lead to greater understanding and expression of the art allowing practitioners to put what they know and understand to the edges of their hands and feet. In fact, you can tell a lot about what a practitioner knows and understands just by watching how they move.

In addition, you don’t have a training partner to execute; making it easier to practice anywhere. Forms are a great way to practice dozens of moves and sequences in a short period of time. They can even unlock your understanding of other areas of the art including transitions, filling the gap, closing the gap, dimensional stages of action and more.

There are so many benefits to forms training that the notion they aren’t useful is, to me, a ridiculous statement. Perhaps it’s the way these individuals have learned to perform their forms is the root cause of their sentiments. I don’t think the forms themselves are to blame.

Remember, flights are booking up fast for the upcoming Las Vegas International Paul Mills Kenpo Camp September 21st-23rd. For more information, please refer to this post - September 2006 AKKI Kenpo Camp. The camp schedule will be posted as soon as possible and I will post a link on the site when it’s made available.

Students in American Kenpo are exposed to three different phases of training for each technique they learn. In essence, the ideas is that there is no one way to do any given technique but rather many ways each can be understood and executed.

First practitioners learn and experience certain situations, principles, mechanics and maneuvers from a very sheltered standpoint. Second, they move to an exploration phase to see the options and alterations that can occur. Last, but not least, they progress to a more dynamic training methodology whereby they spontaneously adapt to an unrestricted and ever changing environment.

One thing to note is that these phases are not mutually exclusive training concepts. Think of them as interrelated levels or steps. The end goal of this tiered approach is spontaneous reaction.

In more technical terms, here are the distinctions:

Phase 1 - Ideal. This is the most basic method where a set technique sequence is executed against a predetermined attack and the reaction of the opponent is known. The attacker does not deviate from the primary attack nor does the defender deviate from the sequential strikes or targets. Targets align and weapons are strategically placed according to plan. In short, there is no variation in this phase and all of the variables are known ahead of time.

Phase 2 - What If. This phase allows you greater flexibility where you explore variations of attack and possible reactions. The list of options to consider is infinite and staggering. The attacker may deviate from the original attack sequence and the defender’s sequence and targeting may or may not adjust given that change. It’s easy to get lost in this phase as there is no end point. It is not a spontaneous exchange as both the attacker and defender know the changes before performing the sequence.

Phase 3 - Formulation. In this phase, anything goes and could very well be called the “adaptation phase.” The defender may or may not know what the attacker will do and need not follow the ideal technique sequence on any level. This is most like “real life” than the previous phases whereby students must adapt to changes on the fly. In this phase, you really begin to see the value of the rearrangement concept. In short, there rearrangement concept allows you to add, delete, rearrange, insert, adjust target or weapon, or regulate the speed, power or timing of your technique sequence or move for the desired effect.

Some instructors throw their students into phase 3 too early as a means to “help” their students become spontaneous with their motion at an earlier stage. I liken this approach to throwing a kid into water telling them that’s the best way for them to learn to swim. Students must first have a good foundation before progressing to this level and explore options before “magically” having to make the connections between what they have learned and what an attacker is doing.

There are always “what if’s” that can occur. I wouldn’t recommend getting too caught up in this as, in most cases, the technique sequences already have built in checks and balances to cover probable what if’s. I say probable as there is a huge gap between what is probable and what is possible. We can’t possibly train for every variation and combination and therefore it is a far better use of time to train against the most likely counters that can occur.

Have fun with these ideas and challenge what you know about the techniques you have learned. Dig deep and often, pushing the very boundaries of your knowledge and understanding. But always remember to keep in mind what it was you were originally trying to accomplish with this concept – spontaneous reaction.

Questions can be an effective tool in helping you fill the gaps in your knowledge. It can also help create some stimulating two way conversations. Asking good questions is also its own art form.

The zen of asking questions:

1. If you count to 100 and still want to know the answer to a question, ask it.
2. Be judicious.
3. Dont’ expect to get all of the answers to all of your questions all at once.
4. Ask to understand, not to show what you know.
5. Ask questions that will fill the biggest gaps in your knowledge.
6. Respect everyone’s time knowing that for each question you ask, you’re eating into other people’s training time.

Bonus thought: Sometimes you can learn more without ever asking any question at all.

I found a reference to the American Kenpo Karate International on Wikipedia.org that provides a little information about the organziation we are affiliated with as students and as a studio. Hope you enjoy it.

Marriage of Gravity is one of the most important things to learn as a Kenpoist. If you’re not maximizing it at the right place and time, you’re not going to hit as hard, block as strong, or have enough “umph” in your actions.

Marriage of Gravity involes the dimension of height and, in general, is referencing your body dropping vertically. Basically, when you bend your knees, you’re activating that dimension. Gravity is pulling on us all day long. All we’re trying to do create a temporary and controlled decent synchronized with our actions to hit like a freight train.

One technique that comes to mind is our yellow belt called “Crushing Death”, which is against a headlock. You learn to utilize body drop to contribute to the generation of power and, as a secondary benefit, how to use it to your advantage to strategically destabilize your opponent. In essense, they help create their own downfall.

Be sure you think about this as you practice. It will be well worth your time.

I just wanted to say a quick “thank you” to all of our students at Arrowhead Martial Arts Studio who attended the March International Kenpo camp held in Las Vegas, Nevada this past weekend.

It was great to see you there learning and having fun. For those who have never been before, I hope it more than met your expectations. By the looks on your faces and the comments you made, I’m sure we’ll see you all back!

As always, I personally learned a ton. The gun defenses were amazing. Mr. Mills has spent a lot of time on these techniques trying to make them simple, direct and effective. Being a world record fast draw champion he is now teaching how to disarm an opponent based on the those same mechanics and ideas. These techniques are far more efficient than what we used to do!

Also, the concept of the “awakening technique” is very powerful. We will cover this more in class over the next few weeks.

For those that couldn’t make it this time, I hope you begin planning to attend in September. It will be another great event. I will post the dates to the September camp shortly. See you in class!

The foot maneuvers we practiced last night hopefully opened your eyes to the importance of not resting on your heels. If you want to be explosive with your footwork, it is important to stay on the balls of your feet.

If you’re caught in stance where your heels are flat on the ground, you’re just not going to have the same maneuverability and explosiveness in your footwork. This became readily apparent watching everyone last night when we did the back switch push drag drill to start things off.

Stances are the foundation to the art of Kenpo and something that needs to be practiced on a regular basis. They are the vehicles to transition you from neutral bow to neutral bow.

Examples of the footwork you should be practicing:

1) Front switch
2) Back switch
3) Side switch
4) Hop switch
5) Push drag
6) Pull drag
7) Drag step
Step drag
9) Step through
10) Rear crossover
11) Front crossover

These should be practiced to all points of the compass – moving forward, in reverse, to the side, on the angles – as well as in multiple combinations and sequences.

Start with one foot maneuver then move into adding then rearranging the sequence like we did last night. Be sure you’re taking the time to get these down. If your art isn’t built from a solid foundation, everything else you do just won’t be as effective as it could be.

If you’re looking to increase your speed and power, don’t overlook the importance of proper breathing.

Beginner’s in the martial arts tend to hold their breath when executing any sequence. It’s like trying to chew gum and rub your belly at the same time. It just takes a lot of concentration until you get it down.

After a while, breathing properly becomes second nature.

However, this habit has the potential - if not corrected early on - to haunt you for years to come. Next time you work out, pay attention to how you’re breathing. The earlier you start internalizing the proper method, the less you have to think about it in your training. You just do it.

Everyone knows that inhaling creates energy and exhaling burns it. However, not everyone knows how to properly breath for training and self-defense.

So what is the proper way to breath?

One should inhale through the nose before making a strike then exhale through the mouth when striking … blocking … kicking. Whatever. The trick is to release the air in your lungs in spurts, according to the delivery of your strikes.

Release the air through your teeth so that your jaw is more protected if your opponent throws a counter strike. Remember to exhale when receiving a blow of any kind. This will definetly help save you from getting the wind knocked out of you (not a good thing to have a happen!).

Like a motor, you take air in then expell it out to create power. When done right, the delivery of power can be the difference between a four cylindar, stalling out or that of a HEMI.

Which would you rather have?

Like any endeavor, sometimes there can be too much of a good thing. And as much as I hate to admit it, burn out can happen in your Kenpo training.

So what are you to do if you’re burned out? How do you get yourself out of it? Is there hope? How can you avoid it in the first place?

The good news is that it’s entirely possible to work through it and get back on top. And fortunately it’s also 100% preventable.

Obviously it’s best to try and get ahead of things before you’re burned out so you can turn things around more readily. Once it hits, it takes a lot more work then before you arrive there.

Helpful tips to avoid burnout

Recognize and communicate. First and foremost, regular communication with your instructor is a start. They can’t help you if they don’t know you’re in a slump. If you think you’re headed for burnout, talk to them first. It can make all the difference.

Strive for balance. Kenpo training can sometimes get students so excited that they start to neglect other areas of their life. Remember to do things outside of the martial arts, too.

Break up the monotony. Sometimes you don’t have to forgo trianing completely. Just mix things up a bit. Train in different settings, perhaps outdoors. Wear different clothes and shoes. Start using a punching bag. Change the order of your workout. The key is to introduce small changes into your training routine, not drastic ones. Otherwise they won’t stick.

Engage your senses. Stimulate your mind, body and spirit. Read a book about a different martial art. Watch an action movie with martial arts in it. Listen to music that stimulates your mind when working out. Reflect on your training in a park.

Have a realistic mindset. Students have the misconception they need to perform with grace, speed, and power of a black belt, even when they’re just a beginner. We push and push to match that vision we have in our head even when it’s not realistic. Remember, it will come in time and to not push so hard for quicker results that might not readily come.

Sometimes, you just need to back off things for a while. I recommend you continue to go to class but perhaps pull back a little bit in a couple of select areas. If you’re working out a ton at home, pull back a few days a week for a while then focus your efforts in class.

Integrate these ideas. They just the tip of the iceberg but hopefully get you moving in the right direction.

If you’re getting close to burn out, don’t feel embarrassed. It happens to the best of us. If you think you are, don’t hesitate to contact me. I can help you through it.

How do you avoid burning out?