The Art of the KO

So you train diligently for years and years. One day your skills are needed to protect either yourself or your loved ones. At your funeral a few days later people speak of your character and what a nice person you were and how you will be sorely missed by your friends and family. in 1997 I was at the Jujitsu American Convention in Boston.  There was a high ranking martial artist there speaking about how a colleague of his had died while trying to stop a person with a knife. When the coroner did the autopsy, they found 27 slashes on his legs and the 28th...if I remember correctly was in the stomach.  He may have bled out from the leg wounds, but the knife to the stomach hastened his passing. So where did the wounds on his legs come from? Well...I am glad you asked! He was taught to kick the knife out of his opponent's hand and did exactly what he was taught and practiced in a controlled environment...by someone NOT trying to really kill him. I remember...

I bet I know what you are thinking...and I like the way you think...but that is not what we are here to discuss today:-) The question, "Does size matter?" can apply to many different topics, so for the time being, please get your head out of the gutter and focus. Are you you with me now? Ok...that's better:-) Years ago the late Prof. Wally Jay told me that what George Dillman is teaching (whether you agree with Dillman or not is really irrelevant), will force people to teach everything they know...just to keep students. Prof. Jay was right!  This happened within the Kyusho community as well as every other facet of martial art.   Remember the Tae Bo craze?  Everyone and everyone started teaching some kind of Kickboxing in their schools, including me to not only give their current students a new and different workout, but to attract a new clientele.  This craze has continued.  I don't have any issue with this as long as you provide a good servi...

Constipation is a serious problem, not only in the USA, but in the world today, but I am not here to talk about this serious issue...I am here to talk to you about one that is even more serious and even more commonplace. In the heat of battle...many people freeze due to their training. The training they have undertaken is full of theory and other things that are great to talk about when relaxing over a beer.  I would like to say that this type of training is full of B.S (Basic Skills), but teachers think that they need to dazzle people with their "knowledge" and big words, when in reality they are doing their students a disservice. Many teachers think that teaching someone about things that are not combat tested like Sound, Energy Projection, what colors they should be thinking of, etc is going to get them more students.  It may in the beginning until people realize that the teacher is full of Bravo Sierra.   Someone is going to get hurt. The constip...

Years ago, the concept of Kiai Jitsu (Sound Projection) started being taught. First let me say that I believe in this after studying it for around 15 years or so. BUT I do not agree with the way it is taught and/or the philosiphes being strewn about regarding this. I believe this can be a valuable weapon on one's toolbox and needs to be put in perspective when training. There are so many things to focus on while building and training to make a particular technique part of your personal Rapid Response Training Regimen™.  Honestly...half the time a person cannot tell their left had from their right hand in a stressful situation...some just in every day life.  This is does not make them a bad person...just maybe thought they need more time training and focusing on the parts of a technique that are the building blocks of a strong foundation rather than to keep throwing on more and more...to quote my friends in the UK, OZ and NZ...Shite! When building a fire for...

First of all...if anyone thinks I am talking about them...then you should either see a shrink, seriously think about salads or have lunch at a salad bar with your shrink. Seriously now... More than 20 years ago the organization I used to belong to practiced with energy (Chi/Qi).  It was interesting to say the least and I did enjoy it...but it was not practical. It used to get me sick.  What I mean is that the next day I felt like I had been run over by a truck the night before.  So I stayed away from it for many years because of this and focused on techniques where I actually got my hands on someone. I believe that there is something there.  I believe that when one is really focused on what is going on in their body...they can become more aware of this "inner" power. I think it is good for health and great for demos...but to be able to pull it off when someone is trying to take your head off....well...good luck with that! I have had some weird thi...

  noun   the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance. Origin of art   Middle English / Latin 1175-1225 Middle English < Old French, accusative of ars < Latin ars (nominative), artem (accusative) ‘skill, craft, craftsmanship’   There are several ways one can look at the "Art" in Martial Arts.    1. The aesthetically pleasing way a person moves their body when performing techniques solo.  2.  Having complete control over your opponent and making it look effortless. These are my ways of looking at the Art in the Martial Arts.   Having great flow to your techniques when practicing Kata, for example, can also be a sign of good health...the way ...

When I first learned how to use the pressure points to KO someone, we practiced it standing still.  Your training partner stood still...sort of like a sitting duck.  We were told this was for safety reasons, etc. and I still agree with this to a point. There does come a point where we want to see if this will work for real and sparring seemed to be the best way to train this. IMO...this is where we had it all wrong. During a sparring match...your opponent...for the most part...knows your strengths and weaknesses, which is not the case on the street. Your opponent is ready for you...now this does not mean that they can't get you, nor you them.  It just means that you are in a state of readiness with...for the most part...a familiar opponent...unless this is the first time you are sparring them. Self defense in general has to be trained so that the subconscious mind takes over.  Having a set routine is great when your partner has no intent nor de...