Finding A Good Instructor....(The most important technique)

A good instructor is what will make or break your training. The instructor you choose is far more important than the art you pick, don't get me wrong the style you pick should suit your needs but a good instructor is what will make the style you choose understandable. So what makes a good instructor, what should you look for?

The Secret of Martial Arts!!!!!

Today is a short one but this doesn't need much saying. Lets talk about the "secret" you know the one I am talking about the thing that people look for the first time they walk into a martial arts school, the magic bullet. Well here it is the secret is that there is no secret....the way to become a "Master" is to master the basics. Fancy and flashy do not win fights. It is really a matter of repetitions, practice what will be important and discard all the rest of the crap. Do 1000 punches everyday, 1000 kicks everyday and 1000 blocks everyday, practice your techniques and train your body and mind to be strong and agile. When you can reach this level you will have learned the Secret. Now of course you can not just go out and do all of that non stop and even when you reach your goal you will still continue to improve, remember there are more than one kind of kick, punch and block. So train hard and be ready. Now that you have learned the "secret" share it with someone else.

Remember Real Violence Needs Real Solutions
M.U.C.T

The Tactical Fighting Umbrella....Say What??

Yup you read correctly the tactical fighting umbrella. The umbrella is a long used and oft forgotten self defense item. The umbrella has a long history of being used as a weapon in China (Wong Fei-hung for example was a big proponent of using and umbrella), many styles of Kung Fu actually have umbrella forms and sets in them. But using an umbrella as a weapon is not limited to only China (and Taiwan). The umbrella was also an often used and quite popular self defense  item durning the late Victorian era and early 20th century all over Europe but especially in England, France and America. It was a gentleman's weapon and was used interchangeably with the cane or walking stick. At that point in time the study of fisticuffs (arwrology) and boxing were quite popular as a past time among the higher classes.

How Fit is Fight Fit?

      I really wonder sometimes when I go to a dojo or watch a training of some sort how people think that If they sweat for an hour or two a week that the are in shape, or fight fit. It's amazing how people think that studying martial arts is like a magic pill, that if you step into a dojo 2 hours a week not only are your "trained" but fit enough for a confrontation. And then there are the people who not only don't exercise but then abuse their body as well. So how fit does one have to be to defend themselves and what are some things we can do to be fight fit.