So, are the martial arts self-defense? Yes...and, no. Are you learning self-defense if you join the army, air force, navy or marines?

Yes, the martial arts are self defense. If you take simply the physical techniques and their applications, you have self-defense. Today, sadly, there is a great need for those types of classes. The reality based versions that include pads strike drills and "live go" exercises are the best way. Take those classes, if you think you need them, but continue training (take the class over & over) even if you complete it. Not keeping current in your training/practice means it won't work for you when you need it.

Now, that's only one side. Too often people forget the martial arts are based on the military arts of days gone by. That means that preparations for battle included learning strategy, weaponry, leadership and several other topics. Is this self-defense?

True self-defense involves more than the physical techniques & applications. It takes understand how situations arise, when to fight & when to retreat and having the awareness of where you are, who else is around and how many others will be affected. Then again, this could be the description on combat.

Knowing how to fight doesn't necessarily make you a warrior. One of the attractions of the Bourne movies is the combat. He demonstrates what a warrior is through his technique application, use of (improvised) weapons, not harming innocents and tactical retreats. The "fights" would be considered self-defense in the fact that he is only trying to survive but they don't look like the things we'd see in our daily life.

Yes, the martial arts are self-defense but only if the transitions are illustrated and training is provided. People join martial arts classes for a variety of reasons and self-defense is only one of them. Its up to the teacher to instill in the student how the self-defense aspects of the art fit into their training. Lack of this transition can be seen in the number of sport martial arts that get hurt on the street. Playing the "game" doesn't translate to self-defense.

What are you training for? Are you getting it?

I've never been good at being the center of attention and have had a difficult time wanting to keep this up. Its kinda the same as running the business of a school. I've really only been interested in teaching, training and continuing my education in the martial arts. I haven't wanted to be the businessman but, if I was going to have a place to do all that I wanted, I've had to.

It isn't really any different from what I talk about in the youth classes. Do the work, put in the effort, be the most correct that you can and you'll become good. I guess I should talk my own advise unless someone wants to run a non-profit that doesn't pay.

Thank you all for bearing with me and working so hard to help this whole thing grow.

Last night the Northfield Pine Tree Taekwondo class held a promotion test. Myself & Mr. Mullenbach sat on the board with Mr. Dan Elo & Mr. Adam Mousel. This was their first attempt at holding a test.

Mr. Elo & Mr. Mousel took over the class in September and have already been praised for their abilities. Teaching is a normal progression in training. Everyone should (will) teach at some point. Not all will decide to manage a class/school but it is a necessary part of training. "You don't really start to learn the material [regardless of the subject] until you try to teach it."

The test went well. I was please with the work that they've done. The students looked good. Three students (Ethan, Tyler & Jason) who expected to only be pre-testing were actually tested last night. Their performance illustrated their efforts and they were more than ready.

The next Northfield test will be part of Mr. Elo's & Mr. Mousel's testing. With this in mind, make sure that you aren't just mimicking the commands and drills during class. Not only do they benefit your training but you never know when you'll be called upon to teach the class.

I just watched the report from KMSP ran about the personal safety workshop held in South Minneapolis. It was prompted by a string of robberies.

I agree completely with the idea of participating in these workshops. They usually have good information. Usually.

I do not agree with only holding a 2 hour workshop and letting people think that they can now protect themselves. If there isn't regular continuing practice, the skills will be lost. Because we practice regularly and spend time studying conflict, we get asked to present these workshops. (But then people say that they don't want to learn how to fight. That confuses me and will be a topic in a later rant.)

Now, why does personal safety keep appearing over and over again? Maybe its the same thing as why "security" is important for a while then forgotten about. Our society has no interest in continuing something if it doesn't make a profit.

September 11 made security an issue and that lasted for how long? As the memory fades, security staff shrinks. A string of robberies prompt a workshop but that'll fade through Winter as the memory fades and become an issue again in the Spring.

"Ever Vigilant" is a motto of one military group. Why doesn't the public follow it? Why doesn't the community work to "protect" itself? Sadly, our society is too much of a "me" thing. How many years will it take until our society is old enough to know how to take care of each other.

That's enough ranting. Thanks.

History…

While all of our Taekwondo history originates in Korea, we should still be acknowledging and recording it.  There have been many excellent teachers that have come through my own lineage. They will never get the recognition they deserve without their students recording the accomplishments and teachings.

The number of Korean teachers that brought Taekwondo to the U.S. is large but how many are known? I've spent about 15 years trying to locate and connect with the Song Moo Kwan grandmasters and masters that came to the U.S.  The list I've made is very short…sadly.

The most unfortunate part of this research has been finding masters who won't talk to someone from another school, even though the lineage is the same.  While I believe that the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) is a fine vehicle for spreading Taekwondo, I personally believe that our Kwan stories need to be kept and recorded.  Today's masters come from a long line of masters that followed a particular philosophy.  Each of the Kwan founders had their own take on what made Taekwondo work.  Their students and their student's students continue this.

I challenge all Taekwondo students to start collecting everything they can about their school, teacher & lineage. Those from Song Moo Kwan schools, if you're willing, please forward the information to me too. I'm always looking for more stories about those who trained who Grandmaster Ro, Byung Jick and his students.

True martial arts are dying!

We spend a great deal of time advertising and marketing the benefits of the martial arts – discipline, confidence, self-defense, courtesy, integrity, perseverance – but is it all hype?

I think this is due, largely, to our focus on "sport" & "competition" and making money in our society.  There is a great deal of emphasis placed on what someone has "won".  It is often used as a measure of their success.  Sadly, their technical abilities don't translate to daily life success.

Now, I'm NOT saying that sport or competition is bad.  I am saying that the by-products are often negative.  I remember back to when "Full Contact" was the name used and martial artists fought hard to win the fight.  At that time, martial arts spoke respectfully about their opponent and showed their respect at the start of each round.

Today's martial sport seems to have more trash talking and peacock strutting than respect and integrity.  I've heard the comment several times from more sport-oriented peers that "The mat doesn't lie."  The problem with that is the lack of insight into the rest of the world.  If everything can only be settled "on the mat" then I don't think you've learned your art very well.  I wouldn't deny that some of them are very good and talented fighters but is the world only about the fight?

I know there are all kinds of analogies using sports to compare how business is done and how to be successful.  That's a very superficial viewpoint though. Yes, there is competition between businesses for clients/customers.  That's not the point.  If it's only about the competition, send your best fighter over there and beat them up. That doesn't really happen, right?  Here's where the real benefits of martial arts training comes in.

Businesses survive and grow based on their ability to problem solve.  This is either for their clients/customers or in their processes to operate more effectively.  This is based on martial arts (even combat) principles and strategies… but NOT the physical techniques.

I won't limit this to just the martial arts though.  How many NFL players have spent time planning out their touchdown "celebration"?  How often are players strutting around after making a great play? Isn't that what they're paid to do anyway?  If you really look at it, the true competitors are the ones who were not only greatly successful but understated.  How often did you see Emmett Smith spike the ball after a touchdown?  I don't recall any.  He'd hand the ball to an official or just drop it, then head back the huddle.  You can see similar examples in the NHL with Wayne Gretsky and Mario Lemieux.  Their outstanding knowledge of the game allowed them to utilize their physical skills.  This understanding of the "real" game has made them successful in business as well.

Do you know what you're doing?

What art do you train in? Do you know your lineage? Do you know your school's history?

How about the techniques in your forms? Do you know why you're doing a front kick or side kick at those points in a form? What happens if you switch the kick to a different one? What happens?

If you can't answer these questions… why are you training? A true student doesn't answer with "They never taught me that." Learning is your responsibility.  You must look beyond the obvious.  Ask questions! Dig beyond the boring and find the meanings or purposes behind the techniques and drills.

This goes for all of your academic learning too!