But What If...

Post By: Sensei Lee

I think one of the most common questions I hear as a Sensei is "But what if...?"

"But what if someone grabs you this way?"
"But what if the have a knife?"
"But what if they are on drugs and don't feel it when you hit them?"
"But what if they hit you with the other hand while you're escaping the grab?"

There are countless "But what if's...?" in life in general, and certainly these questions are bound to come up during training. In fact, it is good to be questioning. It shows that you are thinking about your martial art techniques and not simply following through the motions blindly.

Training in any martial art does not guarantee that you will conquer a gang of goons like Bruce Lee by delivering one perfectly executed technique to each bad guy. It means that should a threatening situation arise, that you are better prepared to handle it than the average person who has no training.

Lets say you are leaving a crowded theater when a fight breaks out. Suddenly an angry, violent, and out of control individual comes hurtling at you and your loved one. Your training can do a few different things for you. Perhaps because of your training, you heard the sounds of a fight and recognized it for what it was ahead of time. Martial arts training could allow you to get yourself and your loved one out of the situation before you inadvertently become stuck in the middle of it. Maybe you were able to get your loved one out of the way and divert most of the blow from this attacker while managing to subdue them with a couple of well timed strikes. Or maybe you heard the attacker coming and had enough time to meet their blow and throw them to the ground with an imperfect but effective Koshi Nage. Or maybe as they were coming at you...

There are thousands of scenarios you can work through. This is in part because of your training, you understand all the different ways a situation like this could play out. In contrast, someone with no martial arts experience would likely not even recognize what was going on until it was too late.

In real life, a self defense situation is never going to work the way it does in the dojo. An attacker will not grab you the same way, react the way you are used to, or necessarily respond to a foot stomp. However, after training for a number of years you start to develop a kind of martial arts 6th sense. You recognize what way joints move and what ways they do not. As openings present themselves you strike without really thinking about it. Awareness is what prepares you to react to an attack accordingly, even if it is not exactly like the way we practice in circle attacks.

This awareness comes from practice and time. One of my favorite Sensei told me something back when I was a green belt that I still think about today: "Cry in the dojo, laugh on the battlefield." I love that saying, and think about it often.

Photo By: Dan Hucko 

Outdoor Seigan

Post By: S Lee

During the Thursday class we have been challenging ourselves by having part of practice outside. The idea is to continue to do this, despite whatever weather conditions might arise. Though we have not been purposely adding time to our half hour challenge, it has been naturally happening. The first time out there we lasted half an hour, while last class we spent about forty-five minutes training outdoors. So why would anyone insist on this?

There are a number of reasons why outdoor training is beneficial. First, we did not pick the Thursday self defense class randomly. Using techniques on uneven ground, sometimes slippery ground, against people wearing layers of clothing, adds some needed realism to self defense. Chances are if you are ever attacked in real life, you may have to face these conditions. Even throwing a simple and normally powerful elbow strike is difficult if you slide on a patch of ice (which I found out last week.) It makes you realize that things like head kicks or spinning kicks are maybe not as good for self defense as you once thought. Plus, with the noise of the passing traffic it is almost impossible to hear your attacker approaching. This drastically cuts down on the time you have to react with something that makes sense.

Toughness is an element that is necessary in nearly every sport, and certainly in the martial arts. Forcing yourself to train in less than ideal conditions helps develop this inner sense of strength. It shows you that you can go outside in the rain or snow, do what you have to, and return relatively unscathed. I think anyone who has experienced this will agree that it feels good running up that hill. It feels good throwing your techniques and working through circle attacks as the wind rushes at you. There is a certain amount of satisfaction when you throw your wet and mud-stained uniform in the wash.

Personally, staying focused outside is the toughest thing for me. The rushing cars, occasional jogger, dog walkers, and the huge glowing Tim Horton's sign are all major distractions. Staying focused through kata and basics is even more difficult with all these other things going on.

I strongly urge people to join us outside. It is excellent training and you will feel good about it. Oxyclean and Tide are great at getting mud out of white uniforms.  

Photo By: Ken Smith

The Law and Martial Arts

Post By Pete Smith 

One of the first requirements for Black Belt is to be able to explain the legal implications of self-defense. I hope that will I never have to use my skills in self-defense. I try to be smart about people, places and things, and I avoid the types of situations that would put me in danger. But even in our routine suburban lives, we may not know when or from what direction a threat may arise! I travel for business so I am not always in familiar surroundings. If I am attacked or drawn into a fight, will I have time to stop and ponder these questions about the law? Probably not, so that is why it is good to review this very important topic.

Have you ever been in a fight or witnessed a fight take place? Maybe back in high school, out by the flag pole? Or at a Bills game, after they lose? On a downtown street or outside a bar? Did you have to use your martial arts skills? Were kicks used or were the police involved? When the fighting stops, the law will get involved and the battle moves into the courtroom, where different rules apply. When is self-defense appropriate? How much force is too much? When should we back down? When does self-defense cross the line and become an attack? Is a karate student viewed differently by the courts? Of course, if you are ever pulled into court, there is no substitute for good legal counsel.

To further muddy the waters, criminal law and self-defense varies from state to state. For example, a deadly weapon is a gun or other instrument, substance, or device, which is used or intended to be used in a way that is likely to cause death. Under New York State Penal Law, a person is guilty of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree when he or she possesses any firearm, electronic dart gun, electronic stun gun, gravity knife, switchblade knife, pilum ballistic knife, metal knuckle knife, cane sword, billy, blackjack, bludgeon, plastic knuckles, metal knuckles, chuka stick, sand bag, sand club, wrist-brace type slingshot or slungshot, shirken or "Kung Fu star”. One example I have of a deadly weapon is a piece of thick, braided copper electrical cable that I was given by contractor on a job site. He told me that his philosophy was “it is better to be judged by twelve than carried by six”.

There are many aspects of criminal law that are available for future discussion: the definition of criminal liability; lethal and non-lethal use of force; civil liability; assault and battery; the use of deadly weapons; the doctrine of self-defense including the Castle Doctrine; and examples of case law involving martial arts. Until then, remember that is always better to avoid a situation whenever possible: if there is a safe avenue of retreat, use it (regardless of jurisdiction).

Photo by Simon Howden