Are lower stances the way forward?

We drilled low front stances tonight during Tang Soo Do. Specifically low and deep front stance. This fairly simple 'walking' stance can be notoriously difficult to teach to young children. It's a paradox I find. So simple: from ready stance, step forward or back, maintain feet forward and flex the front leg, keeping the back leg straight (acting like a buttress). There is a lot more to it, but in essence it gives a good stable base from which to apply techniques.

But...I'm forever correcting the children's front stance. My biggest gripe with them is they stand on a tightrope. Turning left into front stance requires stepping out and back to give a wide and deep stance. Working on this is essential as kids tend to turn into it and end up with feet aligned.

It was, however, my training in the senior class which gave rise to some internal questions concerning my front stance. Master AC emphasised deep front stance, making us push hard into it, gripping the floor and straining muscles. I was tired and hot and grumbled at the prospect and didn't want to tip my pelvic bone out of alignment so reluctantly sank down. There is a good article here regarding front stance and pelvic alignment at fighting arts. I've often had this in mind when practising my front stance and actually, I believe, used it as an excuse not to explore it more. Tonight when pushed to produce a lower, grounded stance I had excellent feedback but bore in mind my pelvic position. It was possible to produce a low stance, gripped to the floor with my feet in correct position without tipping the base of my spine.

My conclusion is that it's good to revisit base techniques and be open to trying stuff out. It's all well and good to intellectualise training but the only way to the heart of one's practice is through doing... Trying it! Practising!

Mastery Learning or Spiral learning?

How do you prefer to learn?

1. Incrementally: a little bit at a time, able to show fairly complete proficiency at one ability or skill before proceeding to the next, slightly more challenging level; or
2. Iteratively: Cycling through a number of skills and challenges, periodically returning, and gradually ratcheting up the challenge level.

The first approach s sometimes referred to as mastery learning; the second as spiral learning.  As always the devil is in the detail.

Spiral learning approaches are great for those students whose pace matches that set for instruction.  On the other hand, if you're struggling with the pace it will feel too fast, and you may feel inadequate (or resentful); if it's too slow, you may well feel bored (but boredom can often be productively overcome).  Mastery learning, on the other hand is by necessity individually paced, but can be a bit procedural from an instructional perspective.

In my jiu-jitsu and classical judo classes I have learned (and follow) a hybrid approach:

• The teaching method is spiral, but we are always reinforcing the basics, and pair practice with a variety of partners gives students access to individual instruction (and learning through teaching)
• Assessment is mastery oriented: you do not get put up for grading until you are ready to demonstrate a section of the curriculum at a high level of proficiency: so individuals tend to progress at difference rates, but there should not be a sense of being an "A, B, C, ... student" with its attendant problems (e.g. encouragement to adopt a fixed mindset).

This may be reasonably be regarded as a best of both worlds approach: we get the interest, variety and reinforcement of the spiral together with the steady progress of incremental mastery.

Rotary Martial Arts Festival

Sunday 16th May, 2010, from 1.00pm to approx 4.30pm

Bath University Sports Village, Main Sports Hall.

http://www.rotarymaf.com/

Featuring demonstrations from 12 different Martial Arts

Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Kung Fu, Kenbudo, Krav Maga

Ju Jitsu, Stav, Capoeira, Aikido, Systema

Combat Jutsu & Mixed Martial Arts, F.A.S.T. Defence

The Importance of a Strong Foundation

Me teaching in Switzerland.

A couple of DKI-Germany guys practicing application to the tai chi chuan movement called "boxing the ears." As my student's students had corrected me on my double-weighting of this move, I used this teaching moment to show the principle of "not double-weighting" and to show how even "grandmasters" continue to be students even of beginners. Everyone is my sensei.

This is Gabby Roloff working with Ralph Hodl. Ralph was my host, a great guy and now, a good friend. Gabby Roloff is one of the 7 people to whom Professor Remy Presas designated as inheriters of Modern Arnis with the designation "Master of Tapi Tapi. I was deeply honored to have Gabby at my seminar.

This is Enrico Gassmann, who served as translator. Enrico spent part of his childhood in upstate New York, so his English is great. One interesting thing is that the Swiss speak a very specific dialect called "Swiss-German." As a result, the German students present (a couple of them spoke great English as well) would offer a different translation – one more German-proper. It was like dueling-translators. Very cool and impressive to a mono-glot such as myself.

Gabby Roloff and me. I was so glad to have her at the seminar, that I had this picture taken first thing Saturday morning.

I just returned from Europe. In my last post, I told you a bit about the training in Germany. I then trained people in Switzerland. I was sponsored by Ralph Hodl. Ralph did this as a last-minute favor. Originally, I had been invited by DKI Germany's Gebhard Lamme. But, about a month ago, Gebhard was diagnosed with cancer and had to begin immediate treatments. So, he had to cancel all the seminars he was hosting till fall. Unfortunately, I already had my tickets, etc., and a seminar confirmed in Hanover with Kurt Steube. So, I contacted Ralph to see if we could cobble something together really quickly in Zurich. Ralph did a great job of setting things up, and even served as tour guide, so that we (my wife and I) got to see lots of interesting and beautiful places in Switzerland.

The European karateka seem very good. They are very traditional, and in that sense have solid basics. As a result, many of them easily understood and could do the concepts I was explaining. And here, I don't mean just the pressure points.

People who love martial arts, but who received very poor instruction, will gravitate toward kyusho-jitsu in the hopes of finding something which will cancel out the useless crap they learned. These martial artists often see Kyusho as a kind of stand-alone strategy. But, anyone who has ever trained with me knows that I see kyusho-jitsu as part of an integrated strategy. Fundamentally, I believe in breaking down the opponent's structure and immobilizing him by striking pressure points, dominating the combative space, claiming the advantageous position, trapping the arms and controlling the legs. I try to build redundant elements into my technique so I am not dependent on any one aspect to insure success. This means my approach does not depend on pressure points, or position, or trapping, but uses all these to win. So, as I often say to people who train with me expecting nothing but a pure pressure point lecture, "I also use pressure points!"

Good solid basics – proper stances, a clear understanding of movement, good body alignment – make everything easier and more effective. Whenever someone's stance is wrong, they have trouble doing what I teach. When their body is out of alignment they have trouble doing what I teach. But, when the basic foundation is there, everything comes so much easier.

As I taught in Germany and Switzerland, I was impressed by how many had good form and were able to understand and do what I was teaching. I wish I saw a similar commitment to, and understanding of, basics in the U.S.

I guess what I'm trying to say is,

Thanks for reading,

Now, Go Train (your basics)!

CT

Mindset

Every so often I read a book that is so good that, on completing it, I re-read it straight away.  Mindset, by academic psychologist Carol Dweck is the latest.  Entertaining and highly informative, Dweck has a different take on the eternal nature vs nurture debate.  Her research centers not on the relative impact of nature and nurture, but rather on the impact of the individual's belief in nature compared to nurture on their performance and personality.  It turns out that "mere" belief in nurture leads to better performance over time, and much more besides.

With respect to any capacity, be it intelligence, sporting ability, musicality, etc. it is not too difficult to establish whether an individual takes a "fixed" mindset (the belief that, broadly speaking, you got it or you don't), or a "growth" mindset (the belief that that capacity can be developed and refined with effort).  People are not either purely "fixed" or "growth", but may adopt different mindsets with regard to different capacities, and their mindsets can change with time.

When caught in the fixed mindset people tend to be fragile, crave constant validation, and treat success or failure in some test or task as a true measure of themselves (making them a success or failure).  By contrast, those employing the growth mindset are more resilient, treating external critique as a diagnostic of where they need to improve, and tend to define themselves as successful if they are learning and improving.

Dweck's academic work, personal experience, and teaching record demonstrate how this single factor has a profound effect on performance, resilience, and attitude.  The book also has stories from education, sports, business, etc. that illustrate the impact of the two mindsets.  The people who adopt the growth mindset largely do better performance-wise overall, and make great positive role models.  (Some of the well-known people who adopt the fixed mindset make great negative role models.)

Mindset can change and it can be influenced by external factors: the growth mindset can be taught.

* * *

I found the evidence and illustrations of Mindset convincing, and am encouraged to try to adopt the growth mindset more broadly personally, and also in my parenting and teaching to try to try to steer others to adopt it.

The idea of the growth mindset also brings to mind the chinese phrase kung fu, not originally meaning martial arts, but rather "any individual accomplishment or skill cultivated through long and hard work".  To someone trapped in the fixed mindset, this sounds like a waste of time and effort; to those cultivating a growth mindset, it's where it's at.

Adopting the growth mindset is not an end in itself, but rather a beginning.  It means that, with respect to a capacity, you are ready to start learning.  And that is the real journey.

10 favorite sayings of Confucius

From the numerous sayings attributed to the ancient Chinese sage, Confucius:

1. "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."

2. "It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop."

3. "The cautious seldom err."

4. "A person who has committed a mistake and doesn't correct it, is committing another mistake."

5. "Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles."

6. "By nature, people are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart."

7. "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand."

8. "Respect yourself and others will respect you."

9. "Every truth has four corners: as a teacher I give you one corner, and it is for you to find the other three."

10. "Wherever you go, go with all your heart."

And here's a selection of Confucius jokes like the ones we used to tell in high school.

Greetings from Switzerland! I had a nice seminar in Hanover, Germany, hosted by Kurt Steube. There were 60 people present, some very fine martial artists. I really appreciate the kindness of Kurt, and his wife, Andje. I also appreciate the help of Bern, the translator (who reminds me of Travis P). Bern's training is Anti-terror Kampf (defensive tactics), so at times my karate technical language was too unfamiliar. At those times, a fine Wado-ryu practitioner named Frank Carmichael (a German of Scottish decent, who spoke great English with a Scottish/German accent) would step in to translate. So, thanks Bern and Frank.

Right now we are enjoying Switzerland under the kind guidance of our host Ralph Hodl. Ralph is a very fine Shit0-ryu practitioner. He has arranged for me to teach at a Kyokushin dojo Thursday evening, a Shito-ryu dojo Firday, and a two-day seminar (full to capacity with 30 students) at Ralph's dojo Saturday and Sunday.

Interesting note, here in Europe kyusho training seems to be regarded as 'for seniors only.' In Hanover, it appeared to be only brown and black belts (and a couple of senior kung fu practitioners), and I understand the same will be true here in Switzerland.

Above, I've attached a few photo. Center one is (L-R) translator Bern, Me, Kurt Steube.

Thanks for reading.

Now, go train!

CT