Martial arts

If you took all the pages in all the books about martial arts, street fighting and self-defense, you’d see a lot about physical conditioning — building strength, speed, endurance and stamina.

Only problem is…physical conditioning will NOT save you in a real fight.

Why?

Because while physical conditioning is important, even more important is emotional conditioning.

In fact, if you had two fighters, both of equal size, speed and skill, with one being in peak physical condition and the other in peak emotional condition — my money would be on the emotionally conditioned guy in all day long.

Reason why is because learning how to deal with all the emotions of a threat — like fear, anxiety, frustration and anger — and learning how to actually use them (like a weapon) in a fight is one of the most powerful fighting “skills” you can possess.

Think about it:

The best “techniques” in the world are worthless if you freak out during a fight. And all the physical training in the world is useless if you “freeze up” before the fight even begins.

Luckily, it’s not hard to emotionally condition yourself.

For example, one simple way to do it is to watch fighting, wresting and “full contact” events — and see how they control their emotions when things get hairy.

Another way is to talk to law enforcement professionals and military people, and ask them how they deal with stressful situations. Anything you get out of them will be pure gold to you if you ever find yourself in a violent situation, gripped by fear and anxiety.

Whatever the case, commit yourself to some serious study on emotional conditioning. When you learn how it works, and how to harness it in a fight, you will much of your fear about fighting evaporating.

Sifu Matt Numrich is one of only a few instructors in the world with Full Certification in Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do, and also the Filipino Martial Arts. His students include everyone from Federal Air Marshals and military elites to small children and 65-year old ladies. Matt also offers free weekly street-fighting lessons by email at http://jkdondvd.com

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In this continuing series, let’s address more issues and frequently asked questions that concern parents who seek to enroll their child in a martial arts program. The first question in this part is possibly the most important one of all.

How do I find the right martial arts teacher for my kids?

You will know when you have a face-to-face meeting and observe him or her teach a martial arts class. The chemistry between a prospective martial arts teacher and you should be good.

After all, your child is supposed to learn courtesy, respect, self-discipline, goal setting, and many more life skills from his or her martial arts instructor. If the martial arts teacher you are considering, displays none of the above-mentioned qualities, please continue to shop around.

It makes no difference if your child is learning Karate, Jujitsu, Aikido, Judo, Tae Kwon Do, or Kung Fu, when the teacher is not a good role model. You don’t need to expose your children to hazards or questionable characters in order for them to learn martial arts. The martial arts school philosophy, and the instructors, should meet your standard - never settle for less.

Are you looking for discipline, academic improvement, life skills, tournament competition, self-defense, or a positive activity? Martial arts studios are not created equally. A life skills school may not meet the needs of a competitive parent or child. A “tournament school” that teaches Sport Karate, Sport Jujitsu, or enters many competitions, may be lacking in life skills and so forth.

This is not meant to take away the value of any aspect in martial arts training, but to make you, as a parent, aware that the emphasis will be different from one type of school to another. Also, the self-defense aspect will be taught differently within each martial arts school. Some martial arts schools teach more of one technique such as: punching, kicking, joint locks, sweeps, and throws.

At our wellness center in North Providence, Rhode Island, we teach all of those aspects, and we also teach self-defense through communication. For example: Wouldn’t it be better to prevent a physical conflict by talking it out? If a child is fully capable of defending himself or herself, why should he or she pursue a physical fight?

As adults, we know that the diplomatic approach to a physical conflict will not always work, but it is worth a try. Our children need to look at social skills, awareness, and courtesy as survival tools. Whether they are walking down a street, or entering the workplace, these skills are extremely important.

Know your goals and your child’s needs. Please make sure your reasons for enrolling your son or daughter in martial arts classes are sound. Martial arts for your child, is his or her personal endeavor. You can share in the feeling of accomplishment by being supportive and watch them grow to be successful. Success is one of the most important gifts we can give to our children.

The ideal martial arts instructor should have knowledge of sports medicine and CPR training. This may be one of the reasons why serious injuries are rare. Make sure that the safety of each child is a priority with the martial arts school you choose.

Some parents may feel I play it too safe within a karate class, but they have not seen a child knocked unconscious, a broken nose, or loss of blood, in my school. When I was a Sport Karate coach, referee, and judge, I saw all of those things in tournaments, and children were all wearing protective equipment.

Therefore, safety precautions are a very important factor, when deciding which martial arts school you should choose for your child.

Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Yoga: The Key to Self-Mastery. http://www.kids-karate.com

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Whenever people start learning martial arts and self defense skills — they will usually learn a lot of different “techniques”. Like kicking, punching, leg sweeping, etc.

However, just as important as technique — maybe even more important, depending on who you ask — is something you rarely hear in the dojos, on TV or read about in the magazines:

Attributes.

What are attributes?

They are things like awareness, line familiarization, sensitivity, strength, power, speed, distancing, timing, and body mechanics.

In other words, attributes are the things that make it possible to pull off a technique in a real life situation. The guy who trained me, Sifu Paul Vunak, explains it like this:

“Anyone can watch hours of Michael Jordan on videotape. Anyone can write down and study his techniques on dribbling, shooting, passing, and defense. Now why can’t that person go out and play like him? It is because one does not possess his attributes, like his awareness of teammates and defenders, his speed, distancing, and ability to coordinate his body.”

And this is where many traditional martial artists fall short. They may have very effective and efficient “moves”, but can’t execute them in a street-fighting situation.

Bottom line:

When it comes to techniques and attributes, without one, the other is useless. Train them both and you’ll be a lot more dangerous to a violent attacker than you would with just “moves.”

Sifu Matt Numrich is one of only a few instructors in the world with Full Certification in Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do, and also the Filipino Martial Arts. His students include everyone from Federal Air Marshals and military elites to small children and 65-year old ladies. Matt also offers free weekly street-fighting lessons by email at http://jkdondvd.com

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