In the first post I wrote for this blog, I noted that no matter how boring drilling may seem, it is a useful method for honing your skills. Looking back at that piece, I didn’t offer much evidence to support my conclusion. In this post, I aim to briefly review Daniel Willingham’s Why Don’t Students … Continue reading Readings: On Drilling and Expertise – Cognitive Science in Martial Arts
Coaching
Emptying Your Cup: Making Space for Learning
In Zen in the Martial Arts, Joe Hyams recounts meeting Bruce Lee for a training lesson. Hyams, who had an extensive martial arts background at the time, describes the story Lee told of a Zen master having tea with a university professor who wanted to learn more about Zen. As the Zen master poured the … Continue reading Emptying Your Cup: Making Space for Learning
Scrambles, Kuzushi, and Opportunity in a Crisis.
Stasis, as we understand it today, implies stability. We find it in words such as homeostasis, wherein the body attempts to stabilize or find balance amid some outside influence or internal pathogen. In ancient Greek, the term also had the connotation of conflict. In order to stabilize or find balance, the body had to battle … Continue reading Scrambles, Kuzushi, and Opportunity in a Crisis.
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“Yeah, But Will It Work in ‘the Streets?’”
I often hear this question referring to many of the martial arts with sports variations (Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Taekwondo, Karate, etc.). I think many who ask such often have very little frame of reference for the art in question, or the streets for that matter. However, I recently heard an even better question: “What can … Continue reading “Yeah, But Will It Work in ‘the Streets?’”
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Getting that First Stripe
Getting that first stripe on their white belt is a tremendous feeling for many BJJ students. It may even feel better in some ways than getting a blue belt, but that could be my opinion. The first stripe is just a piece of tape, but it, in many ways, validates a person’s effort, time, and … Continue reading Getting that First Stripe
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Colors and Cognition: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Belts and Bloom’s Taxonomy
Over the years I’ve coached martial arts, I often get asked about what criteria I use for promotion, particularly in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Judo has a set criteria and curriculum, so I don’t have to worry as much about it in that art. But, in BJJ, much is left to the instructor’s discretion. From that point, … Continue reading Colors and Cognition: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Belts and Bloom’s Taxonomy
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What is Jiu-Jitsu?
Our martial arts history has an age-old debate about the roots, stems, branches, and leaves. I’ve written previously about the differences between Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Japanese Jujitsu. This post takes a different look at what we call “Jiu-Jitsu” by critiquing our preconceived notions. My point is to get at just what we are talking about … Continue reading What is Jiu-Jitsu?
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C.A.T.S. PERSONAL SAFETY SYSTEM
As a martial arts coach and educator, I teach self-defense seminars from time to time. While I enjoy the opportunity, I also prefer calling it a “personal safety” seminar instead of a “self-defense” seminar. I can hear detractors screaming, “semantics!” However, there is a reason for the terminology. As I understand it, self-defense implies a … Continue reading C.A.T.S. PERSONAL SAFETY SYSTEM
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Humanizing Tradition: Finding a Way Forward with Understanding
On a recent Judo coaches’ forum, one coach mentioned a sensei who typically had a cheerful disposition, happily helping young students learn a technique. However, on one particular day, the sensei saw a brown belt, maybe 18 years of age, “walking to his mat area with his belt slung around his neck.” The sensei proceeded … Continue reading Humanizing Tradition: Finding a Way Forward with Understanding
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Letting Go, part 2.
Recently in class, one of my students who had moved away stopped by for a visit. We were training and he tried to break my grip from his collar. He couldn’t and remarked, “Geez, Coach! You have a strong grip!” Aside from him not using the proper technique to strip the grip, I do have … Continue reading Letting Go, part 2.
The Philosophical Fighter 