Chinese spine tail There is an old Chinese proverb ‘‘you are as old as your spine.’’ Meaning your actual chronological age is less important than your health and the way that body can and should move. I call this ‘‘body movement potential.’’ (BMP) It’s no surprise that the spine is in the centre of the […]
Who is your teacher? Everyone likes to think that their teacher or Instructor was the best and the system of martial art they chose propelled them to where they are today. We can say that of course but this is only a small part of it. Who actually taught you though? I have many people […]
Don’t Platform your footwork! In my 47 years experience in the fighting arts, giving seminars in over 20 countries around the world one of the biggest observations is how little credence is given to footwork, everyone watches the hands of the instructor or master but nobody watches the feet. Your footwork takes you into the […]
Key points of self defence engagement Awareness- Of surroundings, the people around you, possible flare points including groups of guys, drunks, dark streets, unlit areas, person or persons approaching with possible concealed weapons and or acting suspiciously. Defensive orientation- The potential for threat is assessed as high. Positioning- Seeing the oncoming danger and position yourself […]
Can you flick the switch from martial arts to self defence? A question I get asked by a lot of people is can you use martial arts effectively for self defence? Let’s look at why some people would think like this. Some say that when you get the adrenalin dump when faced with a real […]
Are you frozen by a system, style or tradition? So many people think that we should always fit in a box or have some label attached to them, we are not our names or the job we do or the system, style or tradition of martial arts we practice. We must resist the temptation to go […]
Do you practice what you teach? Do you believe in what you are teaching others? Or are you regurgitating material that you suspect to be true? Do you practice what you teach or are you “too busy” teaching others? This blog is purely here to help bring some authenticity to what we as “teachers or […]
Fit for Martial arts? What do we mean by fit for martial arts? Do you use martial arts for your fitness training? Many styles and systems do so much conditioning and exercises during lesson times that they don’t actually have enough time to teach the martial art aspect. This seems to happen a lot with […]
Don’t Get Ambushed Drills to Increase Your Situational Awareness to Ensure That You Stay Safe by Shihan Martin Day 7th Dan In the exciting world of Martial Arts and Self Defence I hear and read about techniques, techniques and techniques; what is the best technique for this and that attack/defence situation. You Tube and other […]
“We build too many walls and not enough bridges” – Sir Isaac Newton I originally found this quote whilst looking for some inspiration and a way to portray a photo of balancing on a bridge for my social media page. These words resonated on so many levels more now than ever. We are intent on building […]