Tag: Students Demonstrate

American Karate-Do – Self Defense Technique – Def. Ag. single lapel grab

Students LS and SG practice a Self-Defense Technique based on movements from Nihanchi Kata. It’s a defense against a single lapel grab. Lesson 1:After trying to break the holdLS needs to soften the opponent with an angle kick to knee/shinShe then follows up with a back fist/hammer fistThen backs up with a defensive hand positionasses the situation and escapes!

American Karate-Do – Self Defense Technique – Crash of the Eagle

Students LS and SG practice Crash of the Eagle, a defense against a rear shoulder grab or push. This is first required self-defense technique for rank in the American Karate-Do system in it’s medium ‘escalated’ form with a single back fist/hammer fist counter attack. It’s more escalated form would have multiple counter attacks ending in a take down or throw.Lesson 1:In Crash of the Eagles ‘de-escalated’ form students first learn to step forward, turn quickly to face the attacker and with a descending elbow, break the hold (or regain balance from a push), then, withought countering, but with awareness, simply ……step away from the attacker with your hands up in front of your face, palms out, fingers spread, projecting a peaceful (but secretively defensive) hand position then to look for a means of escape……….then……ESCAPE!Lesson 2:The sole purpose of self-defense is to ESCAPE!

Fight…Flight ….or …..Freeze!

This post is an amazing story about JG, the1st degree Brown Belt Karate-Do student above, who is practicing defensive Hook Kicks against the stretching bar.JG has studied at JRRMAS since he was a very small child. He has just successfully completed his first year at Deerfield Academy. He was also fortunate to get job at DA this summer as a life guard for the DA pool. Now for the ‘amazing’ part; Last week was JG’s second week as a life guard. He was guarding a 6th grade class swimming in the DA pool. All of a sudden he notices a 6th grader sinking below the surface. Much to JG’s amazement the 6th grader was sinking below the surface without struggling at all! Simply sinking below the surface with limbs limp and the boy was taking water into his lungs. In that very instant of recognition…..Without panicking……or freezing….JG leaped into action and saved the boy’s life. Wow….Amazing!I only hope that the years of training at JRRMAS contributed in some small way to JG acting decisively in that moment of crisis. Correct Martial Arts training is not merely designed to kick and punch others in self-defense but is more accurately designed to give the practitioner that little bit extra that one needs in such a crisis situation. JG’s ability to use the Life Guard Training, the confidence in his own abilities to swim and help others, that enabled him to act decisively, instead of freezing or panicking! You never know if the training is going to pay off until push comes to shove. Lesson 1:In Martial Arts it’s moments of crisis…that the training is designed to prepare you for….So that you…Don’t FREEZE!Don’t PANIC!So that you are able to ACT,able to stay CALM, to stay CENTERED and feel STRONG and CAPABLE….. So that you may act immediately and decisively!In a crisis…Yours or someone else’s life may depend upon your ability to…… act!!SifuJG ….All of us at JRRMAS are very proud of you……That SAVE was the ‘real deal’. Bravo from Sifu!!

Sparrow Hop

JRRMAS student helper SM feeds a Side Kick (light) to White Belt RH so that he can practice the ‘Sparrow Hop’. RH holds a body shield and allows the power of SM’s Side Kick to move his body backward by allowing his front foot to replace his back foot. If it’s a really powerful technique the receiver might have to ‘Hop’ back two or three times in rapid succession.Lesson 1:This practice will help the student to develop the ability to ‘see’ the kick coming and study what it looks like when someone kicks at you. He will get the timing, body movement, distancing, and nuance. In normal life we rarely have a kick (or punch) coming at us…and never in a way that we can really study it. So the body shield (and focus pad) holding is invaluable in ‘seeing’ techniques and thus being able to defend against them.Lesson 2:Holding a body shield for kicks and punches will help the student to emotionally acclimatize to the physical feeling of being kicked, without being hurt. The student will slowly gain confidence and will be able to deal with powerful kicks effectively.

American Karate-Do, Wallace Roundhouse Kick Exercise

JRRMAS Staff member DG demonstrates his excellent kicking form. This is an exercise I learned from Bill ‘Superfoot’ Wallace back in the 1980’s and has become an intergral part of the American Karate-Do curriculum for both the Youth and Adult groups. Lesson 1:Doing the kick slowly gives you the best indication of your kicking ability. Your knowledge of the kick will be revealed by going slowly. This knowledge includes:Kicking knee position, Supporting foot position, Hip position, Upper body position Slow kicking will also reveal :Your stretch, Your strength And most importantly your balance. Slow kicking is healthy for practitioners of all Martial Arts and for praticioners of all ages!Slow kicking is a tried and true method that has come down through the ages. Many thanks to Bill Wallace for pointing us in the correct direction!

Modern Arnis, Redonda and Rompida

What is Redonda in Arnis?

Redonda are a sequence of six circular strikes, performed with both hands, bearing similarity to both Double Zero and Figure Eight strikes. Trapping Hands is the empty hand version of Redonda.

JRRMAS Staff member PR assists student AG by holding sticks as targets for the Redonda and Rompida combination drill he is doing.

Drills like Redonda are a basic component in many styles of Martial Arts. Redonda is also the weapons translation of our ‘Trapping Hands” drills. Rompida (up and down) is also a basic found in all weapons arts. These are tried and true techniques that have come down through the ages.

Striving to reach the minimum standard of 10,000 strokes is a must for all serious practitioners…there is NO substitute for repetitions…..get started today!!

Lesson 1:

Practicing double weapons drills will……

Develop coordination between your right side and your left side…..

it will make your weaker side…… stronger!!

Practicing improves grip strength and shoulder flexibility,

and will….

Connect your foot work, your body

and your arms, into one unified movement, working towards…..

“Whole Body Power”

Lesson 2:

“Always use your waist rotating and your weight shifting when practicing”

“Continue striving to connect your whole body, into….. ‘One’! “

“Everything must be aligned, unified, and balanced, then the movement must be coordinated, so that the whole body starts and stops together, in order to develop……………. Whole Body Power”