Basically Speaking


For those of you who do know me...I am short bald guy who also happens to help people learn Kyusho around the globe through seminars and through my online education program hosted by the Kyusho Institute (The PinPoint™ Method),

I started this journey when I was 12 years old.  I began wrestling at Woodrow Wilson Jr. High School in Edison, NJ against the wishes of my parents.  They thought it would be a passing phase...well...I still have not gotten out of this phase that has lasted 36 years so far.

I was always interested in self defense because I was a smaller guy who had a big mouth at times.  

My first experience with sparring was of the verbal kind and I have been honing this craft for many years.  I still have a lot of work to do...but don't we all?

One thing my coaches drilled through me was to be good at the basics first because advanced techniques all have their roots in a strong basic foundation.  Without a strong foundation...there is no stability whatsoever...right?

The men's basketball team at UCLA won 10 NCAA championships in 12 years.  These men were some of the best high school players in the country.  This is not what made these UCLA teams unbeatable.  It was their coach's philosophy of honing and practicing the basic skills.  This coach was John Wooden.  Many of his players went on to the NBA and are now enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame.  To a man, the love that they have for Coach Wooden is still apparent because they know that without his relentless pursuit of perfection of the basics...they might not have even gotten to pro basketball and success afterwards.

Although the legendary Vince Lombardi enjoyed tremendous success as the head coach for the Green Bay Packers, few know how his success began.  Many know of his professional coaching success...but where did this start?  It started with his coaches at Fordham University in New York City.  He was one of the legendary blocks of granite from the Fordham Football team.  He loved football, but was too small for the professional ranks.

He decided to become a coach.  As he was teaching high school at St Cecilia in New Jersey, they needed a basketball coach.  He knew nothing of basketball.  He studied the basics, stressed this over and over to his players and they won the only boys State Championship Title in school history under his leadership.

As you can see, these legendary coaches produced legendary players, who produced legendary results.  

Mastery of the basics are why this happened.

In the martial arts world, when one receives their black belt (1st degree), many think that they have arrived.  In reality...this can't be further from the truth.

When some receives their master rank (usually around 4th or 5th degree black belt depending on the system), the same attitude creeps in.  

At Grandmaster level (7th or 8th degree black belt)...again..."I don't need no stinkin' practice...that is only for students."  Ok...so I paraphrased a bit...but I think you get the idea.

At each milestone...we think we have arrived and all the secrets will someone just appear within, quite possibly through osmosis.  Yeah...ok!

The truth is...the real secret to mastery, IMO is to train the basics constantly, re-examine them, train some more so that you can create a solid foundation where everything else is supported from.  

There are real secrets in the martial arts. One of them is that nothing will come to you if you stand still waiting for it.  

If you add advanced material to poor basics...you will not have much.  Remember...if you put lipstick on a pig...it is still a pig!!

Until next time KO your obstacles by keeping it simple, keeping it safe, and train with PinPoint™ accuracy.

Mark

Mark Kline is a short, bald, professional martial artist from NJ.  He is the architect of the PinPoint™ Method of Pressure Point Education for Martial Arts which is hosted by the Kyusho Institute.  He has thousands students and followers around the globe training in his unique method of learning through a combination of live seminars and online education.  You can can find more information about this unparalleled Kyusho Educational program here - http://www.KyushoInstitute.com and he can be reached directly by email - mark.kline@kyushoinstitute.com


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