Take A Stance…
I have currently been giving a lot of thought about our stance work in the dojo. Especially after some really good questions from private students who wanted to improve their own footwork. We all know how important correct stance work is; for balance, stability and for us to be able to perform martial arts successfully at a high tempo. As you can imagine its a subject that i’ve needed to talk a lot about over the past 15 years as a personal instructor in the martial arts.
I think we can improve our stance work by simply understanding some core principles and know reasons why a stance works or doesn’t, plus some simple exercises we can try at home; all of which should really help a student improve!
So i’m currently writing an article on footwork that will include these things for our members area that will also appear as part of our new Wisewarrior Resource page on this core subject. So i hope you will enjoy both the article and the download when it comes out.
Regards, Richard Trafford
The Perfect Muscle
Often as Senseis we get asked by students; what are the best things they need to practice, or what are the muscles they need to build up etc.? All of which shows us that the student is serious about their training and eager to improve, and thats a good thing! But here is the one muscle I want us all as martial artists to work upon – the brain!
The longer I spend training and teaching martial arts, the more i believe in this; that the power of thought is everything! The more we believe in ourselves, and our ability to perform and demonstrate a technique, then the better it becomes.
Of course it comes down again to our old friend; focus (Kimi). But talk of this in the dojo, can make it appear to a lower grade, ‘if you like’ as a mystical subject. So think of it this way; If you wish to improve your punch, then you can punch a hard focus bag every day, or even better; a brick wall! You would learn much, ‘over the months and years’ about your punch. That when you tightened your fingers incorrectly you broke your small knuckle, and that with the first 100 punches you fired in to the bag – with a misaligned wrist – you sprained it! Yes indeed, after a couple of years doing it that way, you would have an experienced punch. (Also a damaged and arthritic hand me thinks!)
Or you can really listen to what your Sensei is trying to teach you. Listen, absorb all they are telling you. Take each lesson, and use it for a chance to become enlightened about the technique being taught to you. Think a better punch; and it will be! Save yourself months, even years of trial and error! This is what the student is paying for – expert tuition! So use it, learn it and most importantly: think it!
Our tuition is based not just upon the strength of the Karate or Aikido technique, for that has always limitations. But upon the inner strength of yourself! The subjects of the martial arts are only ever that; just subjects. Think about them as just very good ways to train the self – for the self has no limitations. Unlike body strength or technique.
We must begin with our minds and not just the body – so lets start thinking better today!
Richard Trafford 