What you practice is what you know

[janet lee]

This was brought home to me in a most distressing manner today. I learned that though I’ve studied Okinawan weapons for a number of years, because my training has been strictly kata-based, I’m unable to defend myself with a weapon. My kata is not bad. (Because I’ve been working with 8 different weapons, I feel even my kata is spread too thin, but that’s a whole other story.) The point is that all the beautiful movements I’ve trained to do, with the weapon supposedly as an extension of my body, are completely abstract to me. In about 15 seconds of holding a stick in my hands with someone attacking even in slow motion, I could feel that I didn’t know how to turn kata into usable technique. My body was completely tense; I was not breathing properly or using my energy in any efficient sort of manner. If this had been a real altercation, I’d have been crushed. :eek:

So I can see the level of disconnect between what I’m practicing and what would actually be effective in self defense. It makes me wonder about a proper balance between weapons kata and kumite. In empty hand, it seems an easier path from kata to application. My thought is this is because the second layer of abstraction (the weapon) isn’t there.

I welcome your thoughts on this subject.

__________
Janet Zahn

[HereBeADragon]

This problem is very common. Most people who train weapons have only trained them in forms. If you've never actually struck anything (let alone anyone) with your weapons than you only know how they move in space not how they move through resistence. A beginning step in being able to use your weapons is getting a target to practice striking with them. Depending on the weapon a heavy bag or a tire would be a good choice. Start with the most basic strikes using whatever weapon your using at the time. Also if your using a flexible weapon such as a nunchuku be prepared for a surprise when it jumps back and tries to hit you. This is just a basic idea of how to start learning your weapons application. There are better people around here to give you further advice and ideas.

[janet lee]

Thank you. I'd not thought of a tire, but that might be a good one to make use of outside the dojo.

_____________
Janet Zahn

[Coach Jones]

Janet,

Congratulations!

What may have seemed frustrating at the time is actually a huge leap in your martial arts training. What most don't understand is that forms (weapons or empty hand) do not teach you to fight.

They teach you to move in a specific way that corresponds with the theories and beliefs of that system. If you practice long enough, and with enough dilligence you may learn to fight (even very well) from within the confines of a particular system. Very few do, but it is posible. The key is in finding a good balance between symetrical training and asymetrical.

Whether empty hand or weapons techniques will fail the majority of the time. When we practice the techniques from various systems, they fail to incude aspects of fear reactivity. It's one thing to tell someone to enter on a 45 degre angle, block and check he opponents attack and then counter. It's quite another thing to do it. Especially if the first time you try you get hammered in the grill.

The secret to learning to be profficient with weapons is the same as learning to be proficient unarmed...you have to practice incrementally, at the level of your fear reactivity and gradually increase the amount of resistance and competition.

[janet lee]

Coach-

You really hit something there. That was a factor I wasn't expecting to be so dominant. I'm still learning how much fear is a body thing as much as a mind thing. There's no logical reason for me to have been afraid- I was in no danger, but the physiological response of my body was definitely that of fear.

Thanks also for the reminder about incremental progress. That reality continues to be one of the greatest teachers in martial arts for me and keeps me learning about patience. It also supports the idea of continous beginner's mind. I know that there's a lifetime of learning opportunities available for my body, I just have to make choices based on what inspires me.

Thanks very much.

__________
Janet Zahn

[peterng25]

What I wouldn't give for a 'Flowfencing', or 'Flowweapons'!
I've come to realize this fundamental, yet oddly elusive fact about weapons, through that fantastic resource that should be compulsory material for any fencing/weapons schools: 'Biomechanics of the blade'.
That fact is, humans have distinguished themselves (ourselves) from other animals through the use of not tools (chimps and orang utangs use tools), but weapons.
With clubs, then knives, etc..., we have come to dominate and instill instinctive fear reactivity of our species in the animal kingdom.
If you have BOTB, just seeing coach Scott twirl those weapons will remove any doubts. The beauty is not only in the fact that you see a master at work, but that I can see that I can 'clean my slate', and systematically improve my fencing by shaving away at fear reactivity, leaving only the fear that is normal and necessary for my survival.

[Coach Jones]

Janet,

As humans, we attach a very negative value to fear. We think of it as weakness. For most people it's easier to just lie to themselves and pretend that they aren't afraid of anything.

The tremedous amount of "No Fear" bumper stickers and T-shirts are a great example of this.

Incremental progression is key. Working in that grey area between comfort and fear - slowy pushing the boundary. The same principle is evident in IntuFlow. Slowly shaving off tension rather than trying to bust through it.

This is one of the training principles in Flowfighing.

The conventional training approaches either avoid training with real resistance or they throw people to the wolves immediately. The first approach build false confidence while the second reinforces the very qualities we should be trying to get rid of.

Ex: Fear leads to bracing, bracing causes numerous negative effects on our performance, etc etc.

Peter,

Really?

All you have to give is your attendance at a Flowfighting seminar.;)

Materials will be released soon addressing these topics, bu there's no substitute for live training.

[LEO4HIM]

I've heard Tony Blauer say many times that instead of having "No Fear", we need to "Know FEAR."

[HereBeADragon]

Thank you. I'd not thought of a tire, but that might be a good one to make use of outside the dojo.

_____________
Janet Zahn

tires are one of the best friends a martial artist can have. Just keep in mind that whatever your training with will start blackening from repeatedly striking the tire so dont use the good weapons. Any type of rattan substitue is good but most wood practice weapons are durable enough to use. Also if you have the time and availability taking some training in escrima or arnise can be useful as well, or just getting some training dvds. Many of the training drills used in those arts have a lot of transfer to other weapons practice. One last note about the tire. My personal set up was to drill a hole in it and insert a strong eyelet and hang it up. You can also string two together in a similar fashion and have a high/low striking target. There is a lot of different training ideas to make use of with weapons and personally I feel all martial artists should have training in weapons. Its valuable for self defense and also I've found it improves your empty hand as well. Most important thing is to keep it grounded in reality.

Your taking some very important steps just admitting that something in your training is not adequate or is missing. Many people set themselves into this false reality that forms practice, point sparring and asymmetrical drills will somehow fully prepare them for non-complient and multiple opponent situations. I look forward to seeing how your journy progresses. GOOD LUCK!!!

[Trebor]

Janet said, "it seems an easier path from kata to application"

Janet,

Something else may be interesting for you to explore. Notice that many of the movement patterns you use when holding a weapon are the same "flows/chains/movement patterns" you would use when you are fighting empty hand and vice-versa.

Ole Musashi said, "from one thing know 10,000 things." Divorcing your weapons training from open hands training and seeing them as different "systems" means you have to learn multiple systems - not just one.

I've been fortunate to see things this way from a Silat tradition - and though I haven't been to Flowfighting, it doesn't take a leap of imagination to see that the figure 8's for in intu-flow, for one example, would be identical movement patterns when holding a knife or stick or broken bottle or using your hands.

Grab a Kama and do Intu-flow. Do the Intu-flow movment patterns with an offensive mindset - then do them from a defensive perspective.

[Scott Sonnon]

Janet said, "it seems an easier path from kata to application"

Janet,

Something else may be interesting for you to explore. Notice that many of the movement patterns you use when holding a weapon are the same "flows/chains/movement patterns" you would use when you are fighting empty hand and vice-versa.

Ole Musashi said, "from one thing know 10,000 things." Divorcing your weapons training from open hands training and seeing them as different "systems" means you have to learn multiple systems - not just one.

I've been fortunate to see things this way from a Silat tradition - and though I haven't been to FlowFighting™, it doesn't take a leap of imagination to see that the figure 8's for in Intu-Flow®, for one example, would be identical movement patterns when holding a knife or stick or broken bottle or using your hands.

Grab a Kama and do Intu-Flow®. Do the Intu-Flow® movment patterns with an offensive mindset - then do them from a defensive perspective.
Robert, well stated! Janet, consider Robert's reframe. It's one that helped me dramatically in years past, jump out of my 'diverse' training of several styles, to my unified training of 'one' style - mine.

[janet lee]

Coach Jones said: "The conventional training approaches either avoid training with real resistance or they throw people to the wolves immediately. The first approach build false confidence while the second reinforces the very qualities we should be trying to get rid of."

I can say that I've experienced both and neither has been effective in teaching real ability to defend myself.

I'm grateful for everyone's encouragement and ideas. Lots of good stuff to work with- I'm feeling inspired to move forward.
__________
Janet Zahn

[migo]

What are the qualities we are trying to get rid of?

[Coach Jones]

The qualities I was refering to in this case had to do with good old fear reactivity. By throwing newer folks into a mix of uber-aggresiven training you get more fear reactivity not less. They get less comfortable with the stress of combat not more comfortable.

We are creatures who are shaped by the feedback we recieve. All of us, from the most veteran of fighters to the most novice of beginners.

If you're trying to teach someone how to throw a jab correctly and everytime they attempt that jab they are punched in the mellon, very quickly they will start to show nervouness and discomfort at the thought of throwing that jab. It will get worse not better. If it's done enough, they could be conditioned to fear throwing the jab.

By the same token, a champion grappler in an MMA match with a superior striker, will often switch to a standup fight from his superior ground game if a few of his takedowns are stopped. Even though he intellectually knows that his wrestling game is better, the negative feedbak will force him down another path - even if that path seems like a bad choice to everyone else in the room.

We all respond to the feedback we're given. If you want to slow your progress, go as hard as you can all the time...

The quicker method is the incremental approach.

[migo]

Thanks for explaining that. I've noticed exactly that happens to me when I'm sparring with certain people who outclass me and aren't holding back.