“Nicky Bats” was an “old school” kinda guy. He was “street” thru and thru. He was a hard bark tough as nails S.O.B. He was a survivor. His definition of “success” in life was dying peacefully at a ripe old age of natural causes, not dying on some frozen blood-soaked battlefield in Korea after being over run by a human swarm of Chi-Coms. Not winding up in a landfill dead of lead poisoning and not dying in some filthy gutter with your innards spilling out from a gaping knife wound.

I once asked Nicky what he thought the “secret” to real world survival was. Now “Nicky Bats” WAS the “go to guy” on matters concerning “reality based” violence. He boiled it down to these words, words which carry a GREAT deal of wisdom…………………..”Dealing with most people is like dealing with a jackass. Even a dumb as a stump jackass has a brain, but it all depends on which end you’re doing business with. Pick the wrong end and pretty soon you’ll find yourself standing knee deep in a pile of stinking donkey s@#t.” Nicky Bats had a REAL dislike for hard guys, tough nuts, and blustering blowhards. Nicky called these types “hard boiled eggs”…………….seemingly tough on the outside, but easily cracked and all yellow and mushy on the inside. If you didn’t know Nicky Bats, by the time he “introduced” himself, it was usually too late.

It took me awhile, but I eventually realized that what “Nicky Bats” was saying was that REAL survival was rooted in the ability to fully understand human nature and understand how that knowledge could really be put to use to “work the mark”, as he would say.

So-called “self-defense” at its core has far more to do with watching, studying and understanding all of the varied components of “human nature” than it does with ANY set of “techniques”, “system” or “method”.

EVERY single interaction with another individual CAN become a “self-defense” scenario or situation. Think about this. HOW many times during the course of a day, a week or a month does someone run SOME type of “grift” with YOU as the intended “mark”. From the subtle to the overt; from the “sneaky” and the “backhanded” to the OPENLY hostile, aggressive and potentially violent; these actions range from the snide comment or wiseass crack all the way up to and including a full blown lethal physical assault. AND they occur EVERYWHERE all the time in EVERY SINGLE “interaction” you have with someone that winds up with you muttering to yourself “what an ASS” or worse, you have in point of fact just engaged in a scenario of “self-defense”.

Every time your head pounded, your heart raced, your guts churned, your teeth gritted, or you clenched your fist in anger because of another’s actions you have just experienced the “jump street” of SELF-DEFENSE.

In the same way that we strive to deal with violent PHYSICAL attack, we should strive to “know” how to deal with these less overt intrusions into our personal space and lives. REMEMBER the MOST subtle of actions can open the door for the most dangerous of encounters and the MOST VIOLENT of outcomes!

The ANSWER lies right there in the “philosophy” of “Nicky Bats”. From the simply annoying and peevish traits of the human condition RIGHT up to the MOST detestable, ugly and violent actions the ANSWER remains pretty much the same. IT’S THIS SIMPLE: Realize from JUMP STREET that you are dealing with the WRONG END of a JACKASS, that NOTHING GOOD will stem from this and that sooner rather than later you are most assuredly going to be CRAPPED UPON.

So the question BEGS to be asked……………………WHY in the world are YOU dealing with the rear end of a JACKASS in the FIRST PLACE!

There any number of “cues” that will alert an astute observer of “human nature” to the intent, mind-set and type of character you are dealing with. USE THAT. Don’t molly-coddle. Don’t make excuses. Don’t “look inward”. Don’t equivocate. DON’T BE SUCKERED and DON’T BE STUPID.

If it looks like a JACKASS and it ACTS like a JACKASS……………………………………..well you can figure out the rest. Never PLAY the other mans game. Never fall for the “grift”. NEVER allow yourself to set up as a “mark”.

REAL SELF-DEFENSE AIN’T JUST ABOUT KNOWING HOW TO STOP THAT BASEBALL BAT DESCENDING UPON YOUR SKULL!

IT IS FIGURING OUT WHY YOU DIDN’T SEE IT COMING IN THE FIRST PLACE!

And if you’re wondering about “Nicky Bats”, as I just found out earlier this evening, his wish came to fruition, he’s finally a “success”.

RIP my dear Brother. In a world of “hard boiled eggs”, the “ones that count”, will remember you as the REAL DEAL!

©2005 www.thetruthaboutselfdefense.com

Carl Cestari began his study of the martial arts with judo at the age of 7 under the direction of Yoshisada Yonezuka. During the past forty plus years Carl has dedicated his life to studying the martial arts, hand to hand combat systems, history and religion. What makes Carl unique is his combination of martial arts, law enforcement and military and real world experience. Carl has been exposed to a multitude of people with a wide variety experience. The following is a list of some of Carl’s ranks and honors.

Shinan (Founder) Tekkenryu jujutsu Ryokudan (6th degree) Koshinkai Karate under John Burrelle Godan (5th degree) Jujutsu under Clarke of the World Jujutsu Fedaration (now defunct) Sandan (3rd degree) Nippon Kempo under Narabu Sada Nidan (2nd degree) Judo under Masafumi Suzuki Shodan (1st degree) Judo under Yoshisada Yonezuka Shodan (1st degree) Shukokai Karate under Kimura, Kadachi and Yonezuka Shodan (1st degree) Daitoryu Aikijujutsu Instructors Certificate- Charles Nelson System of Self Defense under Charlie Nelson http://www.thetruthaboutselfdefense.com

My father fed me this line every time I felt pain or discomfort. Growing up the coach’s son was not without difficulty. My dad never played favorites; in fact I had to do it better and cleaner than the other kids. Now, he didn’t say this to be malicious, he just wanted to teach me something about athletic competition and in turn, a bit about life.

No matter what contact sport you play, if you’re making contact, you’re gonna get banged up. As a competitive athlete, you get used to living with pain. Soreness, torn muscles, dislocated fingers, toes and broken bones are the norm. I am sure there are plenty of you who can predict the weather better than the Doppler. So what does working with pain teach us and how to we put it into your training. Now if your training for a specific competition you obviously want to be in the optimum shape for the time of your competition. If your injury is so debilitating, you can’t function safely in the realm of competition, then you don’t compete. When it comes to REAL self defense; we have a saying, “if you can leave your house, you better be ready to get the job done.”

Does this mean I wake up every day ready to take on the world? No. I probably wake up like most of you, slowly. But make no mistake, no matter what condition you leave your home in, you better be good to go. If not, stay home and don’t “compete”.

So, how do you teach your self to operate under less than optimum circumstances? How do you discover what your pain threshold is? How do you know the difference between a hurt and an injury? How you will function under the added stress? If you learn to practice hurt you will. If you can’t uses your right arm, use your left. Can’t stand, practice sitting. Can’t hit, arm yourself. If you are practicing for self defense realistically, this is the only attitude you can have. Anything less will leave you vulnerable.

If you have ANY physical conflict, you will get hurt. The notion of dispatching an enemy with hand to hand methods and not sustaining any injury is a lofty one, but it’s laughable at best. The more prolonged the conflict, the more damage you will absorb. One shot knock out, your hand is sore- knock down, drag out fight, he lays in the gutter, you drag yourself to the hospital.

This is one of the primary reasons I prefer to work out barefoot. Stubbed and dislocated toes hurt. This pain gets channeled into anger. The anger gets turned into adrenaline. The benefit is you associate pain with adrenalin. This is what will save your life!!! As soon as you feel pain you get mad and your convulsive reaction becomes an aggressive reaction. Your going to get hurt, you just have to deal with it.

Now if your practice doesn’t allow you to practice injured, you need to evaluate what you are trying to accomplish. I remember talking to a guy who practiced Brazilian jujutsu. He talked about what a great method of self defense it was and he expounded about the “realism”. Then he continued to tell me that he couldn’t practice because he was hurt. Now before I continue I must say that if the fault here is NOT Brazilian jujutsu; the problem is the guy practicing it. If he were realistic about his self defense he should get on the mat and learn to make his jujutsu work for him ESPECIALLY WHEN HE”S HURT. No matter what you practice, if you wish to adapt it for self defense, you better adapt it to every situation. It’s like a marriage- for better for worse, in sickness and in health. If you wrestle- you better know what its like to get hit or what it’s like to roll on the pavement. If you box, you’d better condition your hands to strike with out protection. With a little imagination, you can adapt anything for self defense.

©2005 www.thetruthaboutselfdefense.com

Damian Ross is the owner of Zenshin and instructor of Tekkenryu jujutsu and Kodokan Judo. He started competing in the combative sport of wrestling in 1975 at the age of 7 and began his study of Asian martial arts with Moo Duk Kwan Tae Kwon Do at the age of 16 in 1984. In 1989, Shinan Cestari gave a seminar at Sensei Ross’s dojo. Sensei Ross has trained under Shinan Cestari’s direction ever since. In addition to Tekkenryu Jujutsu, Judo and Tae Kwon Do, Sensei Ross has also studied Bando. Sensei Ross continues his study of Judo under the direction of 8th degree black belt Yoshisada Yonezuka and Tekkenryu Jujutsu under it’s founder, Carl Cestari.

Below are is a list of some of his title ranks:
Yodan (fourth degree black belt) Tekkenryu Jujutsu under Carl Cestari
Shodan (First degree black belt) Kodokan Judo under Yoshisada Yonezuka
Varsity Wrestling Lehigh University under Thad Turner
2nd Degree Black Belt Tae Kwon Do
http://www.thetruthaboutselfdefense.com

On the occasions you delivered the perfect strike; blocked without the need to think or performed a near flawless kata, did it feel difficult? Or did you get the sense it happened by itself? The ‘zone’ is a place where athletes describe this sort of experience. Studies suggest its a state of ‘effortless merging of action and awareness’. So what stops us from getting there? Factors such as stress or attempts to try harder can interfere. Often our efforts to train harder result in unnecessary muscular responses that prevent us reaching the effortless state of the zone.

How you perform a technique and how much effort you use depends on how you have done it before. The process of repeating a technique many times lays down the pattern at a subconscious level until it can be executed with minimal thought. But can you be sure that what you have learnt is the most efficient? Try these two experiments.

Experiment 1

1. Fold your arms and look to see which hand is tucked.

2. Now reverse the pattern, fold them the opposite way.

3. Notice the difference and your reaction to it.

The pattern in step 1 is your habitual ‘folding the arms’ programme that is activated without conscious thought and will feel familiar and comfortable. The pattern in step 2 requires some thought to achieve and will probably feel wrong, as this is different from your usual preference. This shows how strong the force of habit can be. Not only does it select the pattern of the movement in step 1 but also determines what feels right and wrong in relation to position and movement. There is nothing wrong with the pattern in step 2, but is it a move you would choose to do automatically? Probably not, because you will only perform movements that feel right. However, when you do what feels right you engage habitual movement patterns; those performed often enough to establish the habit.

Experiment 2

1. Sit on a chair and get ready to stand up.

2. Before you move, observe what preparations you want to make. Do you hold your breath? Do you push forward with the lower back and raise the chest? Do the muscles in your neck stiffen and pull back the head? Do you feel the need to push with your hands on your legs? Spend a little time to study this before attempting the next step.

3. Now try to stand up from the chair without doing what you have just noted (it may be necessary to ask someone to observe your actions to give you feedback). How far can you execute the move before one, or all of these patterns appear?

To successfully execute the last step can be difficult because the usual preparations you make are a part of your habitual ‘getting out of a chair’ program and are ready to go before you even begin to move. You would not attempt to start the move until the familiar conditions such as the sensation of muscle tension associated with the act are present. From a mechanical point of view the common actions mentioned in the second step actually reduce the efficiency of the movement. If your preparation and subsequent actions for this exercise are unnecessary, why do you do them?

Do the techniques of your martial art contain inefficient movements? Do they feel right because they are good or purely because they are a comfortable habit?

THE ZONE

It is my belief that our natural state is to be in the zone. Diligent practice of the martial arts can help us to experience this shift of consciousness. The zone is an altered state where things can happen with little or no perceived effort. In these moments our response appears to precede conscious thought and is executed near to perfection; right timing, right effort and entirely appropriate to the situation.

I am sure we have all experienced moments like this. For example, in one competition I scored ippon with a jodan mawashi geri to the side of my opponents exposed face. Afterwards my opponent congratulated me on my technique commenting he didn’t see it coming, to which I could honestly reply, "Neither did I". I was only aware of the execution of the technique once my leg has started its recoil. Where had it come from? At some level my senses had registered the target, selected the most appropriate technique, fired it off, made the lightest of contact and started the recovery before I had become aware of it! This was probably my ‘finest hour’. But how can we be capable of such remarkable feats one moment and be totally incompetent the next - I lost the next round and was appallingly slow.

Whilst the patterns (techniques) residing at a subconscious level can be called upon with incredible speed and effectiveness, I believe this can only happen if we are in a balanced state. Another word for this is poise, this is not to be confused with posture. Poise is a state of totally appropriate activity, both at a muscular and ‘mental’ level. When we are in this state there is ‘optimum integration of the postural reflexes, consciousness and appropriate use of learnt patterns’. That is, we can get out of the way and let the processes just happen. Nerves, tension and stress will interfere with this process if we allow ourselves to react negatively to these situations such as stiffening the neck, an action that will impede the balance reflexes. Likewise, over-confidence has a similar affect of preventing the unity of self and action as, in my view, it will reduce our level of alertness and state of readiness. The ego really should be left at the door of the dojo!

So perhaps to heighten our chances of getting into the zone we need to focus on ‘being in the moment’. Only by being consciously aware of the moment or ‘the here and now’ can we ensure inappropriate muscular activity is not present in our actions. This takes time and involves going back to some very basic movements (pre-martial art techniques) such as everyday simple activities and zazen to experience a stillness and awareness that will help in more demanding activities.

Roy Palmer is a teacher of The Alexander Technique and has studied performance enhancement in sport for the last 10 years. In 2001 he published a book called ‘The Performance Paradox: Challenging the conventional methods of sports training and exercise’ and is currently working on a new project about The Zone. More information about his unique approach to training can be found at www.fitness-programs-for-life.com

A matt pull is the simple act of lying on flat on your stomach, reaching in front of you and pulling your self across the mat. This is one exercise that helps develop your muscles for grappling. We do these as a part of our warm up.

The other day, I was beginning a prospective student and when we got to mat pulls, this man does three of them and then pulls up lame. Still, not a problem, I am in the business of training people, as long as you have the desire and the will, I am going to help you. It’s my job. After that, the guy was barely useless for the rest of the hour class. He didn’t hit a pad since he was clutching his stomach the entire time. Still, no problem, I’ll train you if you want it.

I just received an email saying “The training was too combat oriented”. I don’t know what this means, it’s a martial art. It wouldn’t be so bad except, this person was a pretty beefy guy who claimed he worked out regularly and power lifted. Believe me, after his performance on the mat, I seriously question the validity of this statement.

Keep in mind, I am not trying to train an “uber-samurai”, I train college and professional women, mothers of one, two or more, training with me, men and women from a variety of backgrounds. All of them have one thing in common, the desire to improve. The class is rigorous, but you can participate at your own speed.

So how does this pertain to your training and life as we know it? First off, if your training for anything where the end result is contact with another human being you better be ready for this. You will get hurt. You will lesson the degree of which you will get hurt by how good of shape you are in and how hard you train. If you think you are going to get into a real fight without sustaining injury, you will be sadly, or gravely disappointed. If you think you will not get winded or exhausted in a few short moments, you are in for a world of hurt. You need to be in the best shape you can possibly be in period. Knowing what to do is only half of it. How to training it and keeping yourself in shape is the other. The better in shape you are in, the better you will perform. It’s like having a Ferrari Enzo and having no fuel and no insurance. It looks good and in theory, it will be the fastest thing on the road. The reality is, it’s a $1,000,000 paper weight that couldn’t beat a scooter.

Your method of self defense is only as good as the delivery system it comes in (that’s you). If you think that knowing something will save you, maybe under the optimum circumstances. Maybe if you can get a clean first shot off. Maybe if you get the drop on your target. Unfortunately this is rarely the case. Usually you don’t get the opportunity to pick the time and the place, your assailant does. Oh yeah, you may miss. People have a tendency to a …move. So you better be ready for the long haul. If you can end the fight before it starts, great. But plan for the worst and hope for the best.

Like my coach @ Lehigh, Thad Turner told me, “Any idiot can get in shape; you just want to do it”. Nothing worth anything comes fast, easy and without a price. Yes there are more efficient ways of getting the job done, but EASY is a relative term.

Damian Ross is the owner of Zenshin and instructor of Tekkenryu jujutsu and Kodokan Judo. He started competing in the combative sport of wrestling in 1975 at the age of 7 and began his study of Asian martial arts with Moo Duk Kwan Tae Kwon Do at the age of 16 in 1984. In 1989, Shinan Cestari gave a seminar at Sensei Ross’s dojo. Sensei Ross has trained under Shinan Cestari’s direction ever since. In addition to Tekkenryu Jujutsu, Judo and Tae Kwon Do, Sensei Ross has also studied Bando. Sensei Ross continues his study of Judo under the direction of 8th degree black belt Yoshisada Yonezuka and Tekkenryu Jujutsu under it’s founder, Carl Cestari. Below are is a list of some of his title ranks:

Yodan (fourth degree black belt) Tekkenryu Jujutsu under Carl Cestari
Shodan (First degree black belt) Kodokan Judo under Yoshisada Yonezuka
Varsity Wrestling Lehigh University under Thad Turner
2nd Degree Black Belt Tae Kwon Do
http://www.thetruthaboutselfdefense.com

Safety Awareness & Self Defense is the responsibility of each individual. Knowing your surroundings and being aware of potential dangers is your first step towards self-defense. Avoiding and distancing yourself from circumstances that could be trouble are your responsibility.

The Circle of Safety is an imaginary boundary extending from your body outward to approximately 7 to 10 feet. By being aware what is approaching your Circle of Safety you can potentially avoid a dangerous situation. If you were alone and a stranger enters your circle of safety, you should attempt to distance yourself from that stranger. In order for the stranger to grab you, they must be able to touch you. If you maintain a circle of safety of the 7 to 10 feet than the stranger will not be in reach to grab or touch you.

If possible avoid walking alone.

Always attempt to be in a group, or at least in public areas where there are many other people.

Avoid walking at night where there are no streetlights.

Be aware of potential hiding places for dangerous strangers, behind bushes, in alleys, behind large trash dumpsters.

As you approach these potential hazardous areas extend your circle of safety by distancing yourself from these obstacles.

These few tips can mean the difference from being a victim or a safe pedestrian.

Eric has been involved in Martial Arts Business for 15 years!

http://www.aimusainc.com (AIM USA Youth Self Defense)

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You may have the erroneous idea that force is not necessary in judo, especially when you see a sixty-year-old instructor throwing many young- and strong men seemingly without effort. Dynamics, however, denies this illusion. A body begins to move only when an external force works on it, as will be explained later. A human body is a physical entity. Therefore, if you want to break your opponent’s posture and make him fall down or hold him down on the mat;, you must apply the proper force to him.

Newton’s "three laws of motion" can be considered the foundation of modern dynamics. As a human body is a physical solid, its motion must be studied under these laws. Therefore a complete understanding of these law.-; may- well be the first step toward learning- the dynamics of judo.

First law of motion

What is force? A conception of it can be derived from the first law of motion. Newton states that a body at rest remains eternally at rest, and a body in motion remains eternally in uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force. When we push a book that rests upon a desk or stop a ball in motion with our hands, we receive resistance from these objects. This resistance is called inertia. Therefore, to give motion to a body at rest or to stop a body in motion, we must overcome the inertia of that body. We may define force as an action to overcome the inertia of a body.

According to the first law of motion, a rolling ball would continue eternally in motion after it had once been put in motion. Therefore, if we were to throw a ball at the moon, the ball would continue its flight until it reached the moon. In reality the ball eventually falls to earth. The reason for this is that the attraction of the earth’s gravity acts on all objects in the same manner. How can we apply this law to judo? We know that if an opponent at rest makes a motion it is the result of an external force—that is, of something already independent and separated from his will—even if originally produced by his own will. Therefore you can exploit the force of your opponent if you have a good understanding of the nature of force.

For instance, assume that your opponent moves to his left with the object of making you lean to your right front corner. Suppose that the force with which he moves is equal to five units and that you can throw him in the same direction by adding a force of five units to his five. Then the total force of ten units will throw him easily, even if he tries to resist. To keep from being thrown, he must exert additional force against the force of ten units that is being placed on his body. We know that there is a force that can be exploited whenever the opponent makes a motion.

Second law of motion

Newton states in the second law of motion that when a force acts on a mass, the mass acquires a certain acceleration proportional to, and in the direction of, the force acting on it and that the acceleration is inverse to the magnitude of the mass. The law can be easily understood by means of the following experiment.

Suppose that there are two balls placed on the floor. One is made of iron and the other of wood. Now let us roll the balls simultaneously by applying two forces equal in magnitude and direction. The wooden ball goes farther than the iron ball because its velocity is greater. Try the experiment again, this time exerting a larger force than before. The wooden ball will roll proportionately farther and faster.

Now let us see how this law works in judo. You know that if you exert a force on your opponent and that if his body weight is less than yours, you will be able to make him move or fall with comparative ease. On the other hand, if he is heavier than you, you will have more difficulty in moving him and breaking his posture.

If you throw him with a larger force, he will fall faster to the mat. If he strikes his body against yours to push you down backward, the larger his body, the more difficult it becomes for you to stop his body’s movement before he applies his throw.

These phenomena are all due to the second law of motion. It is this law that shows us why a large man has an advantage over a small man in competition.

Third law of motion

The third law of motion is called the law of reaction. The law states that to every motion there is a reaction. We find numerous examples of this in our daily experience. If a man in a rowboat pushes another rowboat, the pushed boat moves in the direction of the force applied, while the pushing boat simultaneously makes a corresponding motion in the reverse direction.

Again, if a man in a boat pushes the shore with a pole, his boat gets clear of the shore. If a person standing in a natural posture before a pillar pushes it with his hand, he will tend to fall backward. This is due to the force of reaction that the pillar exerts against his force.

The third law of motion—the law of reaction—proves that a dynamically produced force is more important than the force of the muscles in breaking the posture of the opponent and making him fall as the result of a fast and powerful movement of your body.

In grappling, why is it difficult for your opponent to get up when he is turned over on his back? It is because he has nothing to push against effectively with either of his feet. Consequently, he can use only the force of his arms and shoulders, but this is not enough to make all parts of his body cooperate.

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In judo it is important to throw your opponent by making use of his loss of balance, the law at work here is the law of gravity. We know that Sir Isaac Newton discovered the law of gravitation by seeing an apple fall from a tree. All bodies in the universe attract one another. For instance, the earth attracts the bodies near and around it. In turn they also pull the earth.

Since the power of attraction, according to Newton, is proportional to the mass of the body that attracts, the larger the mass of the body, the larger its attraction. All bodies near the earth fall to the earth because it has an immense mass. An airplane or a bird starts to fall to the ground as soon as its power of flight is exhausted. The force of attraction between the earth and a two-pound weight is twice that between the earth and a one-pound weight.

The attraction between the earth and a body is called gravity. When gravity is represented by weight units, it is called weight. Now let us consider the application of the law of gravity to judo. The heavier the opponent, the more difficult it is for you to move him horizontally. It is even more difficult for you to move him vertically. On the other hand, a larger gravity acts on him to make him fall.

In judo gravity may be represented as a force pulling the opponent downward. If you want to make him fall, you make him lose his balance;that is, you cause his center of gravity to go outside the base. Then the gravity that acts on him works for you to make him lean or fall. Let us study the action of the law of gravity by illustrations.

Lets assume that you and your opponent are standing face to face. When your opponent advances towards you to take hold of you by the left lapel. At the same time you withdraw as much as your oponent advances. If your oponent is mentally or physically unable to let his advanced foot advance again, he will lean forward, lose his balance, and fall.

Also, it is obvious that the same thing will happen when the stability of the legs supporting the trunk is taken away. When your opponent takes a larger step forward than usual, you merely sweep his advanced foot away in the direction of his advance,(de-ashi-harai, or advanced foot sweep). By doing this, you will drop him with the gravity acting on him directly.

Finally let us consider a case in which the opponent is downed by the nullification of his resistance to gravity. It may be difficult for you, because of the weight advantage of your opponent, to lift him with your arms. But it is easy to support him at the center of gravity with your loins as he leans forward. Look at the seesaw in the above figure.

A long board is supported at the center of gravity, so that the gravity on one side is equal to that on the other. Thus a slight force can rotate the board around the fulcrum. After making your opponent lean forward, support him at the center of gravity with your loins. No matter how much weight he may have, a slight pull can rotate him around your loins. To support your opponent completely at the center of gravity with your loins is the key point of such hip throws as o-goshi, o-tsuri-goshi, ko-tsuri-goshi, hane-goshi, etc.

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One of the questions I get asked most frequently, in several different variations is about which martial art an individual should study. Generally which martial art, and more importantly which school to choose are fundamental decisions someone should make. My answer is usually something along the lines of, “choose the school and the system that you are going to stick with and stay with it for the rest of your life.”

The reality is that the answer is going to be different for every person. What I will attempt to do in this article is give you a set of general guidelines. I will talk in very broad terms about different martial arts, and what to look for in a school. Ultimately every teacher, at every school, in every system is going to be completely different.

1. Dispelling a common myth

Just like with religion and politics, many people honestly believe that what they do is the best thing in the world. One only has to make a cursory study of the psychological principle of cognitive dissonance to see why this is so. So many schools out there claim to be teaching, “the ultimate, deadliest, most secret, guarded system of self defense ever invented by the gods of combat.” To be quite blunt – they are full of crap.

In one respect, much of this stuff is a marketing stance. Heck, everybody wants to study the best thing in the world. If such a thing existed everybody would study it. Some martial arts schools can become very cult like as well, and this is where the cognitive dissonance comes in. The practitioners actually believe their marketing stuff.

The truth is that style is not going to fight for you – you are. Every person is different and there is not one best system for everyone. It would be quite scary for me to face a sumo wrestler in combat, but it would also be silly for me to expect to take up Sumo and be good at it.

Claims of superior systems that can make you as deadly as a Navy SEAL in 24 hours also stem from American culture. It is unfortunate that we of the MTV and Internet generation are always looking for a shortcut, a quick fix. It makes many of us miss a lot of very valuable and important stuff.

2. Let’s start with you

If I can help you answer a few key questions about yourself and your interests, you will have done most of the work toward picking out a martial arts school that is best for you.

First and foremost, what do you want to get out of martial arts training? Yes, yes, I know you want to learn self defense – put that on the list. But people study martial arts for a variety of reasons. You want to get some exercise, you want to meet new people, you want to get rid of stress, you want a new hobby, and you think the uniforms look cool. Really think about it and write down your reasons. Everything is valid and your reasons are your own. Then I would prioritize your reasons – which ones are more important than others. Maybe getting into shape is your main goal – if so, that may help determine a place to study.

3. What style?

Now, let’s talk a little bit about systems or styles. A system is just the type of martial art you will be studying like Karate, Kendo, or Kung Fu. The differences between styles may also help you to determine where to look.

The main difference between most martial arts style is focus. Some arts like Tae Kwon do focus on large kicking movements, while others – like Kendo focus on a particular weapon. Body type and interest (as we discussed before) will help you think a little about style focus. For example: I am built like a fireplug – short and wide, am somewhat slow and am very interested in the self defense aspect of training. Ketsugo Jujutsu turned out to be the best style for me as it focused on unbalancing the opponent, the kicks were low to the ground, and the fighting in close where we short guys excel.

Beyond focus is a scale of formality to informality. To me formality is a measure of emphasis on things like training etiquette, ceremony, style of dress, method of addressing seniors etc. Many Japanese and Korean styles are very formal. On the far end of the informal scale you might have a cardio kickboxing class at local gym. On the far end of the formal scale you might have a style like Kendo which places a lot of emphasis on appearance and etiquette.

Neither formal nor informal is better or worse; it is a matter of preference. I personally enjoy some of the formalities of traditional Japanese martial arts. For me they build character and shape a strong state of mind that carries over into day to day life. For others, the formalities may be difficult to grasp and they may wish for something less formal.

The following is a list of styles I have arranged from most to least formal. This arrangement is from my own best knowledge and is neither absolute nor inclusive. Many would rightfully disagree with where I have placed things on the list, but this is meant to be a general guideline. Again, every single teacher in every different school is going to be different. This is meant as a starting point:

-Formal

• Kendo / Kumdo
• Aikido
• Tae Kwon Do
• Karate
• Jujutsu
• Kung Fu
• Silat
• Ninjutsu
• Tai Chi / Bagua / Hsing-yi
• Arnis / Kali / Escima
• Capoeira
• Kickboxing
• Boxing

-Informal

While you’re on the web already, it would pay off to do some research. Look up a few sites for a few of the styles I have listed here. Get some general information about focus and formality. See what strikes you as interesting. Make a small list of styles you might be interested in pursuing.

4. Practical Issues

OK, now you’ve done some soul searching and some research and you have a list of styles you might be interested in learning. Now we have to talk a little bit about lifestyle. If Kendo interests you, but the nearest school is 200 miles away – it may not be a practical choice.

You can certainly look through your yellow pages to find schools close to you or ask people you know if they know of any schools. A word to the wise: friends will always try to get you to come to their school and may get offended of you don’t or if you visit and then don’t want to sign up. That’s definitely something to consider.

Some practical things to consider are school location and proximity to home / work, costs and your ability to pay dues and other fees, class schedule and how it fits into your schedule. Other things may also be important to you like parking, and facilities – write them down.

You should narrow down your potential list of schools based on your criteria, but you should still plan on visiting more than one to give you a sense of comparison.

5. Choosing a school

The following are a list of things I suggest you look for when choosing a school or instructor. To me, these factors are more important than any other of the above factors and can make or break your martial arts experience.

•When you call the school, are all your questions answered, and answered honestly? Sometimes someone will answer the phone that may not be able to answer all your questions. They should pass you on to someone who can , or have someone call you back.

•Every school out there should offer at least one free trial class before you sign up. How else can you determine if you want to study there? Your best bet is to try out several different schools to give you some comparison.

•When you visit the school, is the practice safe, or are students allowed to train in dangerous ways or without proper supervision?

•Is the school itself hygienic and free from unsafe conditions?

•Do students and teachers show respect toward everyone? This extends beyond formal bowing and address to making sure everyone is learning and nobody is being abused.

•Be prepared that many schools these days require a contract like a health club. Make sure you are clear on the terms of the contract if you do decide to sign one, and do not be afraid to walk out if you are uncomfortable with the terms.

•Be very wary of cult-like schools that try to up-sell you to intensified black belt programs and the like. While some of these may be legitimate, there are many scam artists in black belts out there. You should be very clear about what you are paying for up front.

•Do the teacher and senior students display a lot of skill in the art they are teaching? This may be hard to determine since great martial artists are often very subtle. However, the teacher and students should display knowledge, skill, and balance which might be more obvious.

•Most importantly, trust your instincts. If something about the school doesn’t sit right with you, then it probably isn’t right. Look out for the fast talking salesman who tries to sweep your concerns under the rug.

Remember that choosing the right teacher and the right school is more important than the actual style. If you choose a school that you enjoy, study with a teacher you like, and train with students that inspire you – you are likely to stick with your martial art. The longer you stick with it – the better you’ll get. Hopefully you will discover a very positive lifelong journey that will shower hidden benefits on you as my martial art has upon me.

John Moore is a recognized expert in personal protection and a founder of Martial Training Systems LLC. He resides in Boston and provides professional consultation and training, products, and services related to self-defense and physical conditioning. He has trained in martial arts since the age of 10 including Arnis, Kenpo, Kyokushinkai, and Ketsugo Jujutsu - in which he holds an advanced black belt. He is a sought-after speaker, entrepreneur, and author - spending 90% of his time consulting in the corporate world. See http://www.martialtrainingsystems.com for more information.

One of the important lessons of Martial Arts training is the ability to use hip rotation as a way to generate power and speed for maximum impact.

Martial artists know that the hips are where the body’s ‘center of gravity’ is located. It lends balance and stability to every move. The lower body is designed for power- the upper body for finesse.

If you can translate this knowledge into a better golf swing, you will be blessed with both power and accuracy.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

Hip rotation holds the key to a powerful swing. Do you want to turn easily from the hip and get more yards out of your swing? It’s not hard when you know the proven secrets of golf pros.

The first thing you need to know about turning, is that you won’t get a flawless turn till you develop stabilization and strength in the lower body.

To get your upper body in sync, make sure you stand straight with your shoulders pulled back, to facilitate that perfect swinging motion from the shoulder- instead of the elbow. Practice turning your shoulders as far back as possible, with your trunk acting as the pivot. If you are right handed, you can see your left shoulder aligned with your chin.

Strong shoulders and well-conditioned abs are a must to maximize torque, while minimizing the distorting forces at the hip- which can lead to imbalances and injury.

Top players initiate their downswing with the powerful muscles of the abs and hips. Once the desired momentum is generated by the lower body, they use their arm muscles to effectively "fine tune" the swing.

Recreational players, on the other hand, use their arm muscles right at the outset. As a result, they are unable to recruit the latent muscle-power in their lower body, while the arm muscles work extra hard both to power and guide the club. No wonder it leads to a shaky, inconsistent swing!

Many players employ faulty swing mechanics, which actually dissipate the energy generated by the lower body, before it can be transmitted to the upper body.

Recreational golfers show a higher tendency for movements that rob swing momentum, such as hip sliding and lateral bending.

The reason can often be traced to reduced range of motion in the hip joints. Often, the process of aging or a sedentary lifestyle can lead you to lose some internal rotation at the hip joint. This condition can be helped with stretches and strengthening exercises that target the hip flexors, hip adductors (inner thigh and groin), hip adductors (outer thighs or hips) and the glutes (buttocks).

Susan Hill is a fitness trainer, CHEK golf biomechanic and sports nutrition specialist. Her work has been featured in Golf Illustrated, Travel Golf, Resort Living and SELF magazine. For on-line golf specific exercises and stretches, visit http://www.fitnessforgolf.com

In the 80’s I was a short, skinny eight-year old. You know the type. Always picked on but never picked for the team. When I started high school, things didn’t get much better. We had just moved to central New Jersey and I was the new kid on the block with no friends. My grades dipped. My guidance counselor thought I was so weird that he measured my head. In those days, they had never heard of Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD.

Because of my disability I attended classes with no more than six students. These “special classes” helped me get through high school but I still had trouble focusing. I didn’t make the baseball team because of this. I felt I lacked something internally, even though I managed to get my driver’s license which increased my social opportunities. Whey my family moved to South Florida in 1992, I was ready for a new life. I was able to get into a college, but was still having trouble focusing and studying. I considered a career in Occupational TherapyFinally, one day at a party, I asked someone who I knew had studied the martial arts, whether they could recommend a good school. That person recommended “Stephen’s Karate and Fitness Center” in Boca Raton.

I tried a few classes and loved it. It was a workout I had never experienced. In my teens years, I had lifted weights but found that boring. At Stephen’s Karate, I learned a unique style of mixed martial arts that combines traditional Tae Kwon Do with boxing.

There was also the exposure to the group dynamic that I enjoyed. As I slowly but surely moved up through the ranks, my instructor Barry Stephen asked me if I wanted to become an assistant instructor. I said yes without hesitation. At the time I was a red belt, which in our school, is half-way to black belt.