The Art of the KO

Sounds like the Old MacDonald song...right? First a story: 4 generations of women were at a family feast.  The second youngest (Mom) was preparing the ham.  She cut off both ends, put it into the baking dish and placed it in the oven.  Here daughter asked her why she cut off the two ends.  She said, "I don't know...that is how Grandma always did it." They went and asked Grandma why she always cut off the two ends before cooking the ham.  she responded, "I don't know...that is how my mother always did it." The went and found Great Grandma sitting in  the TV room with the other family members and asked her the same question, "Why do you cut off the two ends of the ham before cooking?" She smiled, leaned in towards us and said with a thick eastern European accent, "When I first came to the this country, the hams were very big (she gestured with her hands) and we had a small house with a very small kitchen, with a very small stove.  Th...

Here is a question that many of you may have been asked at one time or another about your training. What is the end goal? We all started for one reason or another and for one reason or another kept on training.  It almost feels strange not to be training...right?  Sort of like leaving the house without your phone, your training has become a part of your identity. So for me, the end goal is to keep improving in some way until my demise, whether that be natural or otherwise:-) What is your answer to that question? Some of you have gone from training for training sake to training to help others in their training.  Some of us just fell into it because either our instructor was short handed, sick, or whatever. For me...I was asked to help others when I was an orange belt (I really don't know why I was asked...could have been the "whatever" answer above) and at first...I HATED IT!  I thought it was taking away from my own training.  I have to say that t...

I know I said I was going to write more on B-IQ™, but wanted to t address something equally as important first. A big part of Kyusho is touching points on the body that directly affects the nervous system.  Each movement, no matter how slight, sends a message to the various plexi (a network of nerves and/or vessels in the body).  This is enabled the complex inner workings of the body, but facilitated by simple martial arts movements. Many of these simple martial arts movements are found in Kata.  There are some that have not yet discovered the complexity that is hidden in the basic movements of Kata...yet.  Each movement, contains information...information that the body can read as just a strike that has attacked the outside of the body...while still sending messages inward (mild to blunt force trauma), to movements that are direct attacks on nervous system where messages are immediately sent internally causing the body to shut down in order to protect it...

                           Last week we spoke about arming yourself with th proper knowledge.  Let's expand on this. A good understanding of body reactions is important in order to navigate the world of self protection.   Each pressure point, when manipulated through either grappling or striking produces a predictable body reaction. This is what I referred to a your Body Intelligence Quotient or B-IQ™.  We al have a B-IQ™...and this can expand upon through intelligent training methods.   The old ways of training was to copy what you saw until you got I.  This is still referred to as traditional training.  Even with the advent of cross training, which is really nothing new except for newer marketing methods, many of the "traditional" ways of teaching are still in effect.  "Here is a technique.  Now you need to practice it unto you get it.  Eventually you wil...