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The Soul/Body connection in Martial Arts

Feb 21st, 2011

People have many reasons for learning martial arts. Some students study to learn to defend themselves, others use it as a form of getting in shape or just as a way of meeting people. When it comes to children most parents sign their kids up to teach discipline. If you were to listen in on a children’s call in my Dojo you would hear me and other senseis telling the students the importance of discipline in school work, family chores as well as their Jiu Jitsu training. We also teach respect for parents, teachers and those in authority as well as the sensei’s.

Increasingly students are motivated by a desire for inner fulfillment, a spiritual component that is missing from their lives. People can feel an inner disconnect they feel segmented and they want to feel unified “at one” with themselves. Martial arts in uniquely suited to this quest because it acknowledges and promotes this idea. When we train we talk about being relaxed tension stops the flow of physical energy slows down both mental and physical actions. In our training we seek to be in a place where there is a flow. It is not thinking and doing there is only doing. The student’s goal is to become one with the the moment and one with himself. To embrace life as it presents itself to him at this particular time and place. You can see the same phenomenon in sports. You will hear people say they are “in the zone”. They will describe it as just without thinking they are doing everything right. There is just a kind of flow. There is a unification of will and execution, of mind and body, of soul and body. In our training we develop this ability through Ki breathing and repetition. Ki breathing is similar to relaxation techniques, we seek to concentrate on our mind controlling our breathing thereby linking mind and body. This unification increases speed and effectiveness in the execution of techniques in training and also real life situations. A side benefit of this is a feeling of inner peace. Why is this so?

This is because we were created to be unified. People are made up of two aspects, a spiritual(soul,spirit) and the physical(body). the Bible states that when GOD created man He made man’s body out of the dust of the ground and then breathed into to him the breath of life and man became a “living soul”. You can see that initially there is a unification in God’s creation of man. That is why there is a sense of fulfillment when this unification is reached. The danger of this however is that it can become a religion. this is a danger because in searching for this fulfillment and finding some of it in this unification we miss the ultimate fulfillment which is unification with God Himself. We where made to know and glorify God anything less than that will leave us unfulfilled. So the big question is: How do I become one with God? The Bible states the only way to God is through Jesus Christ ( St. John 14:6) Jesus says;”I am the way, the truth, the life no one comes to the Father but through Me” When Jesus came to earth he lived a perfect life and then was crucified and rose again to pay the price for our sin. When a person acknowledges he is a sinner (as we all truly are), turns to God submits to the Lordship of Christ and trusts in His death on the cross to pay for his sin he receives eternal life and a loving intimate relationship with God. So my instruction to all those who seek fulfillment though martial arts is don’t stop there true fulfillment can only come though Jesus Christ.

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CPR- what is it, why do I need it

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Have you heard alot about CPR? Do you know what it is? Do you care, Should you?

CPR stands for Cardio Pulmonary Resusitation. It is the method for treating a person who is in Cardiac arrest,in other words they are dead. They are not breathing they have no pulse because their heart has stopped beating. Now let me ask you an important question. If that hapened to you would you want the person next to you to be trained in CPR? I thought so.

How does CPR work? CPR has two components, rescue breathing and chest compressions. Rescue breating is breathing for the person who cannot breath for himself. This can be accomplished by using your own breath, through a mask or other barrier device, or by use of a bag valve mask (BVM). The second component is chest compressions. The purpose of this is to do the work of the heart which is to keep the blood flowing to the body. This is accomplished by pressing on the chest with your hands. This compresses the heart which will pump the blood to the body.

There are manny reasons a person goes into cariac arrest so the purpose of CPR is to keep blood flowing to the vital organs until medical help arrives to identify and hopefully correct the cause.

You might think that this would take alot of training. well you would be wrong. The American Heart Association(AHA) Gives a training program called Heartsaver which trains people in CPR. The course is geared to the layperson and requires no medical training or knowledge. the course typicaly lasts 3 hours and includes hands on instruction with the uses of maniquines. The course is easy to learn and the binifits are encalculable. Think of an elderly loved one. I they went into cardiac arrest wouldn’t you want to be able to help them? I am a AHA certified instructor and am avalible for onsite classes. You can contact me thou this website. You could save someones life

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MMA and Self Defense: What’s the difference?

Sep 23rd, 2010

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Mixed Martial Arts & Self Defense are Different Animals

By Sensei Dave Heuthe

With the popularity of MMA and many schools promoting this style of training I felt it might be helpful to clarify the differences between MMA and Self Defense. The differences are; philosophy, method and goal.

The philosophy of MMA is one of aggression, looking to beat your opponent. In MMA you are looking to fight. When you listen to these fighters talk it’s all about ego. There is lots of trash talk. They talk about how they will destroy their opponent. This type of attitude is encouraged by their coaches and shown to the audience as the ultimate attitude to have in martial arts and the way of success in life as well as in the ring. This attitude produces as spirit of anger or even hatred towards the opponent. This may be helpful in the ring but in can be dangerous in real life. If you walk around with that attitude on the street you will end up looking for fights even provoking someone to show off your ability.

The philosophy of Self Defense is one of avoidance. The old adage of self defense is “we are not fighters we are self defense practitioners”. In a confrontational situation we look to avoid a fight. No challenge, No resistance, No injury to me, is our motto. We do not allow our ego to rule us, we allow wisdom to rule our actions. We don’t feel the need to prove ourselves to others. We are confident in our abilities and need only use them when we are in physical danger. This philosophy produces an attitude of respect and peace. Respect towards others and the pursuit of peace in the world.

The method of MMA is brutal training designed to toughen the fighter both mentally and physically. This is done to produce the aggressive violence that makes for a good fight and a good show. As far as the fight itself there are official rules that are to be followed to make the fight fair and avoid injury. These regulations consist of, weight, age and belt level classes, approved techniques and time limits these matches also have medical personnel that can stop the fight if one of the fighters is too injured to continue.

The method of Self Defense training is designed to train a person for real life. We physically train to be fit. We learn and practice techniques to be proficient. In the real world there are no rules. If you’re attacked it will be by someone who perceives themselves as bigger and stronger than you. They will do whatever they need to rob rape or even kill you; there is no one to stop them, except you. Therefore, you must be trained to do whatever it takes to survive.

The goal of MMA is to win a match or title.

The goal of Self Defense is to avoid or to survive an attack.

So you can see there are fundamental differences between MMA and Self Defense. My hope that you find this evaluation and comparison helpful in choosing what style of martial arts to train in.

Published by: Dave Heuthe, American Kobe Jiu Jitsu Federation Black Belt & Certified Instructor. Dave provides group personal defense classes where lessons are taught in various locations, privately, at Bob Malvagno’s School of Self Defense, and through in-house work programs (e.g. -Fire Department, employer, churches & synagogues, community centers, etc.) in the Nassau County and Sufflok County, Long Island (LI), NY area. Dave’s business is to provide programs that help his students (adults, seniors, teens & children) master self defense. BECOME A CLASS MEMBER TODAY!

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How to Fight if You Need to Defend Yourself

May 25th, 2009

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How to Defend Yourself

Often times we find ourselves in need of defense. Is it over something trivial? Then walk away. If you really are in a sticky situation, run or yell for help. If all other options fail then follow these steps.

Steps

Yell for help first if you are confronted by an attacker.
Run if possible.
If you must fight, get into a low stance with legs bent.
Be aware of your surroundings, watch the attackers center of gravity, be able to Know when and at what direction he will attack.
Block punches with your forearm or open hand, block kicks the same. If possible simply dodge the strike.
Attack when they are off balance. After an attacker strikes, they usually are not totally balanced and can be caught off guard. A sharp kick to the side or legs can cause lots of damage. Punch to the side of the face or use an elbow. If you punch someone squarely you could break your hand.
Knees and Elbows work best close range.
Don’t kick to the head unless you have a good opportunity or are trained to do so.
Many attackers try to take you to the ground and so try to stay on top of your attacker.
If you can’t overpower them, then return to a standing position or try to hit an attackers pressure point. i.e. neck, ribs, or biceps.
Once the attacker has been weakened or injured run for it. Try to find a policeman or call 911.

Tips

Most importantly always report that you have been attacked. It is vital to be able to claim self-defense in court.
Always try to talk or bargain your way out of a situation before it occurs.
Even the strongest opponent can have bones broken and can have pressure points used against them.
Pressure points can be found anywhere a bone attaches to muscle or where joints are connected as well as nerves.
To learn more take a self-defense class.

Warnings

Anyone can be hurt in a fight.
Always know that you can go to jail for hurting somebody if it isn’t for self-defense.
It cannot be stressed enough that the best thing to do if confronted by an attacker is to run.

Article Source: Wiki-How – How to Defend Yourself

Republished by: Dave Heuthe, American Kobe Jiu Jitsu Federation Black Belt & Certified Instructor. Dave provides group personal defense classes where lessons are taught in various locations, privately, at Bob Malvagno’s School of Self Defense, and through in-house work programs (e.g. -Fire Department, employer, churches & synagogues, community centers, etc.) in the Nassau County and Sufflok County, Long Island (LI), NY area. Dave’s business is to provide programs that help his students (adults, seniors, teens & children) master self defense. BECOME A CLASS MEMBER TODAY!

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Walk Safe in the Jungle

May 13th, 2009

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Another Self Defense Article by Dave Heuthe

What jungle you ask? We live in a dangerous world. We could be the prey of a human predator the same way an impala might be the prey of a tiger. What can we learn from creation? What do animals know that humans don’t? What strategies can we adopt from the animal world that will help us be safe?

We humans are still animals. Don’t believe me? Look at a hungry teenager at lunch, his mother at a sale or his father at a little league game. We are more intelligent and we are more aware of our motives and moral implications of those motives, but we are still animals. We are still responsible for our actions. Our intelligence and conscience give us an inherent sense of right and wrong. The predator ignores that sense. That’s what makes him dangerous.

We can be fooled into thinking that we live in a safe world. It doesn’t look like a jungle, there are too many buildings, and we have sidewalks and paved streets not paths and trails. What really confuses us though is that everyone looks so nice. They would never hurt us. Let’s see the real picture. What is this society really like? Street attacks that seem random may be well planned. Studies have shown that the vast majority of attacks are planned. How are they planned? What criteria do they use? Could knowing that help us to be safe?

The predator always has three advantages. He chooses the where, when and how of an attack. He has a plan. We don’t. Or do we? Let’s go back to the animal world and see what we can learn.

We have all seen nature shows about Africa and how the animals interact. What is the motive and intent of the predator? How does that shape his decisions and actions?

The predator has one goal, EAT. He’s not fighting for honor, country or a philosophy. He is hungry. When he looks for a victim he is looking for an easy mark, one that will give the least resistance. He looks for the young, weak, injured. He looks for the lost and isolated. He picks the straggler, because there is less risk more reward. How does that relate to us?

The human predator actually has the same goals as his animal counterpart. He wants to eat. In our case that means robbery. He also doesn’t want to be injured or captured. So who will he pick as his victim? He will pick the old or young. The weak or handicapped. The distracted or alone. How does this help us to stay safe?

Here are some proven strategies.

- - - Walk with confidence. Walk with your head up, shoulders back. If you look strong he’ll look for someone else.
    - Walk aware. Look up not down keep checking your surroundings. If he can’t sneak up on you he’ll move on.
    - Walk with someone. Don’t go into a deserted area alone. There is safety in numbers.

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Martial arts and self-defense: What’s the difference?

Apr 7th, 2009

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Self-defense and martial arts are not the same thing!

Many people have the idea that to learn to protect themselves against everyday dangers they have to learn a martial art–they have to learn Michelle Yeoh’s or Jackie Chan’s moves. This simply isn’t true.

While many martial arts did evolve as self-defense systems, they suited the needs of a people in a specific time and place (such as sword-fighting on horseback in 17th century Korea). They don’t necessarily translate well to practical, modern-day needs. You’re not, for example, going to do a flying kick to a potential date rapist, workplace harasser, or child abuser.

Instead, you can use self-defense techniques for the real dangers women and girls face in our society today, such as harassment, abuse, and sexual assault. These are best addressed through a quality women’s self-defense class.

Self-defense and martial arts each have strengths–and they do have things in common. Here are a few:

SELF-DEFENSE: Anybody can learn basic self-defense skills, even somebody small, elderly, with physical disabilities, overweight, or out of shape. It is not a form of exercise.

MARTIAL ARTS: Is a good workout. Will get you in shape and bring you the health benefits of fitness. Some schools are geared toward sports and competition and attract younger or more athletic people. Other schools are non-competitive and view martial arts as a practice open to anyone.

BOTH: Get you in touch with your physical power.

SELF-DEFENSE: Teaches skills to use against harassment, abuse, and assault, including everyday situations that don’t involve physical attack.

MARTIAL ARTS: May teach awareness to help with prevention, and may help develop confidence to handle daily situations. The physical fighting techniques of martial arts, though, are not usually practical or realistic for the kind of attacks that happen in today’s world.

BOTH: Increase confidence.

SELF-DEFENSE: Effective skills that can be learned quickly.

MARTIAL ARTS: Must be studied for a long time to attain proficiency; often a life-long pursuit.

BOTH: Create a stronger mind-body connection.

SELF-DEFENSE: Develops self-respect and awareness. Encourages personal insights into experiences with violence.

MARTIAL ARTS: Develops discipline, respect, focus.

BOTH: May spur internal change as well as learning specific skills.

SELF-DEFENSE: Depending on the program, may connect to feminism, anti-racism, and larger sociopolitical issues. Develops a broader awareness of issues related to violence against women and girls.

MARTIAL ARTS: Depending on the focus of each school, may encourage spiritual development and/or martial arts as sport and competition.

BOTH: May make connections beyond the particular focus of the program or school.

Source: Defend Yourself

Re-Published by: Dave Heuthe, American Kobe Jiu Jitsu Federation Black Belt & Certified Instructor. Dave provides group personal defense classes where lessons are taught in various locations, privately, at Bob Malvagno’s School of Self Defense, and through in-house work programs (e.g. -Fire Department, employer, churches & synagogues, community centers, etc.) in the Nassau County and Sufflok County, Long Island (LI), NY area. Dave’s business is to provide programs that help his students (adults, seniors, teens & children) master self defense. BECOME A CLASS MEMBER TODAY!

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Self Defense and the Christian

Mar 23rd, 2009

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A Christian View of Self Defense

By: Dave Heuthe

We live in a world that is dangerous. We read in the papers, hear on the radio and see on the TV about attacks robberies, rapes and murders. Maybe you have personally witnessed or been a victim of an attack. As Christians we know that the source of all this is sin. Man has a sinful heart which causes him to do sinful things. We read this in Romans 3. In verse 15 it states “they are swift to shed blood”. So what are we to do?

The Bible tells us in the sermon on the mount to” turn the other cheek”. Does that mean that if we are physically attacked we can’t defend ourselves? If we see someone being attacked are we just to yell for help and do nothing to rescue the victim? Would it be sin to intervene if it meant attacking the attacker? These are important questions. One of the reasons this is important to think about now is because if we are ever in that type of situation we won’t have much time to think. Either you act or you don’t.

The scripture in the Sermon on the Mount seems to be referring to someone being insulted because of the use of the word slap which would do little physical harm but would hurt a man’s pride. There are some scripture verses that seem to promote self defense such as Luke22:35-38 where Jesus tells His disciples to buy swords for protection. This would indicate that Jesus approved of using weapons in self defense. On the other hand Jesus did rebuke peter for cutting off the servant’s ear. I think Jesus’ reply gives us insight into how He looks at this issue.

In Matthew 26: 47-54 we have the story of Jesus’ betrayal by Judas. As the crowd tries to seize Him Peter drew his sword and cut off a servant’s ear. Jesus heals the servant and rebukes the disciple. Then He said,” Do you not think I cannot appeal to My father in heaven and would not send 12 legions of angels. But how then should the scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” It seems clear that the reason for the rebuke was because it was God’s plan that Jesus should go to the cross and die for our sins not because He is against defending yourself or a loved one.

As I said before we live in a dangerous and sinful world. We as believers are called to stand up for what is right and against evil. God has given us the civil government with its laws and officials to protect us, but they can’t be everywhere. There may be a time when you have to step up. What if you or a loved one is attacked would you be able to defend yourself or protect a loved one? Will you be ready? This is a thorny issue, but don’t let that keep you from searching the scripture, your heart and God. I do believe that the scripture does teach that we can defend ourselves and others from evil.

This does not mean that we go around looking for fights or that we should feel we are responsible to protect everyone. This does, however mean that we should search the scripture, your heart and God. The scriptures teach that a man should be convinced in his own mind on issues that are not clearly forbidden or approved. I ‘m convinced that the scripture does teach that we can defend ourselves and others from evil.

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