Experienced Martial Artists That Try Classes

In my 20+ years of teaching I have seen hundreds, maybe thousands of students (see past blog post) pass through the doors of the school. I have had anyone from the person with no experience at all to the person who is at an accomplished level in another style train with me. The one thing that I always watch with experienced martial artists is the attitude they bring with them. I always ask about previous experience because I love seeing what types of styles are out there and hearing a bit about how they train. Once I get past this initial discussion and we are training, everybody trains the same way and everybody starts from the beginning of our system.

It has been interesting watching the reactions of trained martial artists as I break the news to them. Some have an excellent attitude and are very happy to learn everything from scratch whereas others will be taken aback by the suggestion that they need to start with learning stances and blocks. A true martial artist understands that every style is not the same and you need to learn from the beginning to become proficient at a style. Those that do not understand this normally don't remain in the class as they are too busy pouting instead of learning. I have even had one young man insist that he come to the advanced class as his first class....of course that was met with a thanks but no thanks response. Demanding anything as you meet your potential instructor is probably an indication that you are not ready for my class.

I would suggest that those that are determined to try a new style of martial arts should completely clear their minds of previous training as they enter the door because there are likely many things that are taught differently than the previous style. This is not to say that one is right and one is wrong but rather that theories differ between styles. Having an open attitude is the best way to learn the new style quickly.

Block Softly

As discussed in a previous blog post, I believe that learning to block effectively is the most important thing to do as you learn how to fight. When students begin to fight it is natural to be tense, nervous and unsure. It is normal to learn your blocks and attack every strike as if you are trying to destroy it. This is not wrong. There are times when you will want to block hard to damage the opponent's attacking arm or leg. What I find is that students do not remember that you only need to block hard enough to prevent the strike from hitting them. Not every block should be hard. By blocking softly and guiding the strike past them the student is set up to control the attacking appendage or counterattack the opponent as their momentum continues in the direction of the strike. A strike that has been blocked hard sends a signal that it is time to throw the next strike or prepare to defend. By not sending the signal, the defender has the opportunity catch the opponent off guard. This is the reason we practice softer blocks that cushion or deflect instead of stopping a strike suddenly.