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Category Archives: Martial arts
“Because You’re Worth It!” Or are you? Rank inflation in the martial arts.
Rank inflation in the arts is something any long-time practitioner will have witnessed more than once in their time, and there can be many different drivers that cause it to occur. I had to deal with this issue – hopefully … Continue reading
Posted in Concepts, Culture Clash, History, Learning, Martial arts, Martial Arts Training, Prof. Wally Jay, Psychology, Teaching, Uncategorized
Tagged Art, boxing systems, Coaching, Concepts, Confidence, Development, Integrity, Martial arts, Master Christopher Ricketts, Psychology, Rank, Standards, Teaching
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The Cult of the Guru – Type A Personalities and the Martial Arts
I’ve been thinking about this topic a great deal lately; my friend, and one of my most valued mentors, Wally Jay passed away at this time last year, and in a month or so I shall be flying off to … Continue reading
Fit to Fight – Exercise, Health and training to survive
Introduction There is a long-running debate concerning whether training in the art makes you fit for the art – as well as just generally fitter – or whether it is necessary to undergo fitness training to enable you to survive … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized, Martial Arts Training, Martial arts, Science, Psychology, Supplemental Training, Principles of training, Learning, Teaching, Health, Fitness, Aerobic Fitness, Genetics
Tagged Fitness, Health, Aerobic Fitness, Cardio-Vascular Fitness, High Intensity Training, BBC Horizon, Sports Science, Health & Longevity, genetics, diabetes
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Ancient Greek Combat
The first form of man-to-man combat to become a game was wrestling. Several archaeological discoveries have determined that the Egyptians and Assyrians were applying headlocks and half-nelsons for sport as long as five thousand years ago. The temple tomb of … Continue reading
Posted in Boxing, Grappling, History, Martial arts, Uncategorized
Tagged Ancient Greece, archaeological discoveries, Boxing, egyptian sport, folk legends, grappling, Greek kylix, japan sumo, Olympics, Pankration
Questions, Questions…
Years ago my wife (who was my senior student then as now, but not my wife or even girlfriend at the time) and I had a dojo at St. Mary’s Medical School in Paddington in London. We had a lot … Continue reading
Mindset – our flexible friend
Anything sophisticated enough to be called a martial art uses psychology in a multiplicity of ways. A generalised understanding of the psychology of stress and aggression (nearly the same thing, though mostly they simply overlap) is obviously useful. This can … Continue reading
Principle-Driven Arts…from Concept to Practice
I have been fortunate to gain teaching ranks in a wide variety of martial arts, but I have passed on that material, and my own, in a way that few of my teachers would have recognised. Having cross-trained – though … Continue reading
Posted in Concepts, Martial arts, Martial Arts Training, Principles of training, Uncategorized
Tagged Concepts, Martial arts, Principles, Training approaches
Commonality And Uniqueness in Systems and Styles
The following is an extract from a chapter of my forthcoming book – “Form & Function” . I’ll be publishing other extracts over the coming months; I hope you enjoy it, and find it informative. Most martial artists see their system … Continue reading
Posted in Concepts, Filipino Martial Arts, Martial arts, Mechanics, Principles of training, Uncategorized
Tagged Analysis, Commonality, Concepts, Development, Evolution, Uniqueness, Variables
Supporting the Body and the Mind – Supplemental Training for the informed martial artist
For most modern martial arts students, supplemental training tends to refer to running for fitness, a new stretching routine or an alternative resistance training regime, but the truly traditional disciplines were replete with all manner of effective adjuncts to calisthenics … Continue reading
Posted in Martial arts, Martial Arts Training, Psychology, Science, Supplemental Training, Uncategorized
Tagged Coaching, Concepts, Confidence, healing and fitness, injury prevention, learning methods, massage, mental training, Methodology, pressure points, Psychology, shiatsu, Teaching Methods, visualisation