The Evolution of a Martial Art

Martial arts evolve. Ancient forms of jujutsu gave birth to Judo. Judo influenced Russian Sambo and gave birth to Brazillian Jiujutsu. What next?

Below is an excerpt from the Fightland Blog which examines how BJJ has changed over the years and speculates on which directions is may evolve. The full article may be read here.

The Coming Division: Will Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Give Birth to New Martial Arts?

Fightland Blog

By Pedro Olavarria

Brazilian jiu jitsu is evolving but evolving into what? Anyone who has trained in multiple jiu jitsu schools will notice the differences in philosophy and technical emphasis that exist between academies. Certainly, there is a common body of techniques and transitions that they all share; but what they emphasize is so different, so as to call into question whether the term “Brazilian jiu jitsu” will continue to be adequate in describing them all.

Either Brazilian jiu jitsu will reproduce new styles of martial art or it will continue to exist as a single combat sport, with disparate competition rule sets, the way Wrestling does. With the current state of jiu jitsu variety, simply saying one has a black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu isn’t as descriptive as it was in the early 90’s. For the purposes of this article, I will oversimplify something that, for now, defies neat compartmentalization; I will describe what I see are the three basic modes of Brazilian jiu jitsu today.

In doing so, I acknowledge that this is based on my own limited and biased experiences with the art, in Florida and Southern California. I also acknowledge that the naming of these “modes” is problematic, as there is considerable overlap between all of them. Jiu jitsu styles are as varied and numerous as the people who practice it.  Every jiu jitsu practitioner has a unique style, based on personality, aesthetics and physical aptitude. Nevertheless, the basic generalizations required to describe the current state of jiu jitsu work for the purposes of this article.

I agree with the expected rebuttal that it’s all jiu jitsu, “one flag” and a common lifestyle; but it won’t always stay that way. Nothing on Earth lasts forever; nothing living is free from the requirement of evolution; that which mutates and reproduces into varieties will thrive. Nothing stunts the development of life, intellectual or biological, the way inbreeding will; when a philosophical family tree takes the form of a double helix, falsehoods and imperfections linger in the gene pool of ideas.

As things stand today, I see three main modes or ideologies of Brazilian jiu jitsu, each having the potential to become a distinct martial art: first-wave jiu jitsu, second-wave jiu jitsu and third-wave jiu jitsu.

Chinese Influence on Aikido?

Below is an excerpt from an article by Stanley Pranin, the owner of the Aikido Journal. The full article may be read here.

Personally, I don't think there is any evidence of direct influence. Aikido practice includes neither the baguazhang circle walking or single changing palms which are fundamental exercises.

“The Elusive Chinese Influence on Aikido,” by Stanley Pranin

 “Proponents of the theory of Aikido’s Chinese origin must provide proof.”

I received an email this morning asking my opinion of the remarks of a gentleman who states that he trained with Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba in the late 1960s. He makes the claim that Morihei’s aikido was directly influenced by “bagua zhang,” a Chinese internal art. Here is a quote from his article:

“The entering, turning and leading of one’s opponent, as well as the hundreds of subtle energy projections of aikido are fundamental bagua techniques that existed long before Ueshiba’s birth. Because of this, I believe that Ueshiba learned bagua while he was in Manchuria, China.”
This author’s thesis is based on his personal observation of Morihei’s art at the Aikikai Hombu Dojo during the late 1960s, the author’s analysis of “old films” of Morihei and the perceived similiarities in Ueshiba’s technique to various Chinese martial arts, and the fact that O-Sensei spent time in Manchuria during his lifetime.

I have heard this and similar theories about an “obvious” and unacknowledged Chinese connection that influenced the development of aikido repeatedly for the last 30 years or so. You will notice that that above-mentioned author provides no specifics to support his claim. In my experience, this is always the case when such a theory is advanced. Let’s take a closer look at this subject using our knowledge of Morihei’s life to consider the feasibility of such a theory.

Morihei Ueshiba did indeed spent time in Manchuria on three occasions during his life: as an infantryman during the Russo-Japanese in the 1904-1905 period; as a bodyguard to Onisaburo Deguchi on an ill-fated expedition through Manchuria and possibly Mongolia over a half-year period in 1924; as a visiting martial arts instructor during short stays in Japanese-controlled Manchukuo in 1939, 1940, and 1942.

 ...

Is it possible that Morihei may have witnessed some Chinese martial arts during his time in Manchuria? Certainly, it is possible. Could he have grasped some of the “inner secrets” of Chinese martial arts merely through observation? I will admit that being possible as well. But that is not what proponents of this Chinese theory are asserting. Their hypothesis is that Morihei had extensive training in Manchuria under Chinese masters and that the subtle ki manifestations of the founder’s aikido originate from Chinese sources. In a nutshell, their argument is this: “The subtle aspects of aikido resemble Chinese internal martial arts. Chinese martial arts predate Japanese martial arts. Morihei Ueshiba spent time in China. Therefore, aikido was heavily influenced by Chinese sources.” Where is the proof?

A further thought. Most of these theorists seem to discount the level and sophistication of Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu that Morihei learned from Japanese jujutsu master Sokaku Takeda during a 15-year period starting in 1915. Sokaku taught primarily jujutsu but possessed much higher inner skills that he showed only to a few of his most talented students, Morihei being one of them. Another point worthy of mention is that Morihei was heavily involved in the Omoto religious sect co-founded by Onisaburo Deguchi. He learned many meditation and breathing techniques that he practiced assiduously and that he credited with having been responsible for much of his progress as a martial artist.

 

Merry Christmas

Japanese Art Open Data Base

Here's a real find. I got the link from the author of The Budo Bum.

The Japanese Art Open Data Base (JAODB) is a great resource for finding Japanese art. You put in the name of an artist (from a drop down menu) and optionally a few key words, and do you search.

Poke around. I'm sure that you'll enjoy it.

Awareness in Martial Arts

Below is an excerpt from another excellent post at The Budo Bum, about awareness in martial arts. The full post may be read here.

Awareness, Zanshin, or just plain Paying Attention

Awareness makes budo work. Without it, it doesn’t matter how good  your maegeri or your uchimata is.  You’re going to get clocked before you can use is. Being aware tells us what’s going on and what to be prepared for so we can deal with it when it arrives.  It’s so important I considered including it as one of the fundamental principles of Budo.  I didn’t because it is a skill built on and with the principles I discussed in earlier posts (Structure, Spacing and Timing).  Without an understanding of those, awareness can’t happen. WIthout awareness though, you’ll never get to use the skills you’ve spent so much time developing.

Awareness is a combination of the knowledge of structure, spacing and timing combined with being cognizant of the world you are moving in. If you don’t understand structure, spacing and timing, it really won’t matter how much you pay attention to the people and things around you, because you won’t be able to interpret what you see. If you understand these things, but don’t pay any attention to what you are seeing and don’t apply your understanding to the world, it won’t matter what you’ve learned because you aren’t using it.

A lot of people talk about being aware of the world around us, but what are we looking at and why are we looking at it?  Just being aware of what’s going on around you is useless if you don’t have a framework with which to evaluate what you are seeing.  Understanding your own structure lets you see what’s going on in others' structures. Understanding spacing tells you not just what is good spacing for you, but what is good for someone else. Knowing when the timing is right and wrong for you to act enables you to understand those moments when you are vulnerable to someone else.

Combat Nuns

All of my Catholic friends will nod their heads in agreement that nun MUST practice their own secret martial arts. The video below is proof.

As an aside - I lost my fear of authority figures when I heard the story of my mother getting into a fist fight with a nun when she was 12. Apparently they were about the same size and weight.

The 48 Laws of Power, #12: Use Selective Honesty

One of my favorite books on strategy is The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene and Joost Elffers.  Where The Art of War, by Sun Tzu is written as an overview of the whole topic of strategy, seeking to provide an overall understanding of the subject; and The 36 Strategies tries to impart the knack of strategic thinking through 36 maxims related to well known Chinese folk stories, Mr. Greene focuses on how we influence and manipulate one another, ie "power".

Mr. Greene draws from both Eastern and Western history and literature as his source material. Sun Tzu and Machiavelli as cited as much as wonderful stories of famous con men. Among my favorites is about a scrap metal dealer thinking he bought the Eiffel Tower.

Each of the 48 Laws carries many examples, along with counter examples where it is appropriate that they be noted, and even reversals.

It is a very thorough study of the subject and the hardback version is beautifully produced.

One of the things I admire about Greene is that he not only studied strategy, he applied what he learned to his own situation and prospered.

Today, from the 48 Laws of Power Blog, we have #12: Use Selective Honesty.

One sincere and honest move will cover over dozens of dishonest ones. Open-hearted gestures of honesty and generosity bring down the guard of even the most suspicious people. Once your selective honesty opens a hole in their armor, you can deceive and manipulate them at will. A timely gift—a Trojan horse—will serve the same purpose.

7 Ways You Can Disarm Anyone

7 Ways You Can Disarm Anyone

1. Through an act of apparent sincerity and honesty.
2. Learn to give before you take. 
3. Use selective honesty on your first encounter with someone.
4. You must build a reputation for honesty based on a series of acts.

5. Give a gift.

5. Give a gift.
6. Practice the tactic with caution
7. It is better to play the rogue 

7. It is better to play the rogue

Christmas Gift Ideas for Martial Artists

Today we have another guest post by Jonathan Bluestein. The topic is Christmas gifts for martial artists! Enjoy

Christmas Gifts for the Martial Artist

By Jonathan Bluestein

Unlike my usually scholarly articles, in the spirit of Christmas let us have more fun  :-)

Ain’t no time like Christmas for spoiling a loved one or yourself with a cool martial arts gift. But what should you get? I have listed a bunch of wonderful gift ideas for you to consider, and I am quite sure you would like at least some of them. Take note that they are listed from the more expensive to the least expensive (and even the free!), accommodating a wide range of gifting budgets. I will be describing most items from personal experience, so you can be sure it would be a good and safe purchase on your behalf. Please note that I have not received any of the items recommended here for free, and neither am I associated in any way with the people selling them.

300-400$ :

A real, functional, well-made sword

Regardless of style, martial artists like swords. A decent blade, especially a customized one, is a very cool item to have, and sure as hell impressive wherever you put it. As a gift, it will carry good memories for decades and more.

People tend to think really good sword should be very expensive. Not true. The high-end blades, yes. Can top 5000$ and sky is the limit. But for 300-400$, you can get a REALLY fine sword, even a functional one, made using traditional methods (or not). This actually seems to be the lowest price point at which it is safe to rely on a sword product to last and be sturdily built, regardless of sword type.

Before purchasing, be sure to do some research about the type of sword you’re looking for. Steel types, for instance, can be of utmost importance. The following guide is a good place to start:  http://www.sword-buyers-guide.com/buy-swords-online.html

Picture:  373$ custom-made Katana from SinoSword.com

 Where to buy?

Tozando (www.tozandoshop.com) – Good for regular and custom Iaito (unsharpened steel alloy Katanas). I have had experience with their wooden weapons – top notch, best you can get. They can sometimes be pricier than other shops, but make up for it with quality products and free international shipping.

SinoSword (www.sinosword.com) – For custom swords, Japanese and Chinese, of all kinds. Their specialty is the Japanese Katana. Their strength is in superb blacksmithing, excellent customer service and the ability to customize swords to the extreme. Ordering from them requires you describe your blade of choice to the smallest of details. Otherwise they may choose things for you, and that can cause misunderstandings. I am in the process of ordering a sword from them, and the correspondence so far has been excellent.

SBG (http://www.sword-buyers-guide.com/authentic-japanese-swords.html) – Sword Buyers Guide is a wonderful website with tons of info for people interested in swords. The page I linked to contains many reviews and links to quality Japanese katanas at a decent price.

Around 150$ :

The best punching bag out there

I have tried my fair share of heavy bags. The one I have now in my martial arts school is my all-time favourite. The MaxxMMA bag is simply brilliant. A genius design – inner rubber tube filled with air, surrounded with a larger outer tube filled with water. These are wrapped with real leather. The result is a bag that actually feels like a torso of a human being. Soft, yet does not give way much. 

Springy but does not bounce. Heavy, but can be moved (70-140lbs, depending on how much water you put in). Just right. As the leather can be tough on some people’s bare hands, the company also includes a nice cushion that easily wraps tightly around the bag. I have had this bag for several weeks now, and I am very pleased with it.

Where to buy?

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/MaxxMMA-Punching-Adjustable-weight-LIMITED/dp/B00FSS5YHI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418556031&sr=8-1&keywords=MaxxMMA&pebp=1418556037952

Ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MaxxMMA-Ex-Long-Water-Air-Heavy-bag-Kit-Boxing-Punching-MMA-Practice-Workout-/200984172784?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ecb9718f0

50-100$ :

Winter protection

You like training outside… But it is god damn winter, and rain/snow would freeze you to death. Luckily this Gore-Tex coverall exists. 

Wearing it will keep you warm and completely dry on the inside in the most wicked of storms, while maintaining your full range of motion. Highly resilient. I have had this suit for 2 years now, and cannot stress how useful it had been for me. Just yesterday I took my large spear to the park and trained with it in the rain.

Where to buy?

Here (the people I bought from):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GORE-TEX-Coveralls-waterproof-windproof-jumpsuit-rain-snow-work-suit-MADE-IN-USA-/261331758273?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item3cd8962cc1

(Wherein the link is no longer active, then Ebay search for:  ‘  Gore-Tex Coverall  ‘.

A wooden weapon (any weapon)

Though not ‘the real thing’, can be no less impressive, especially if custom-made. You also have the advantage of not suffering any guilt while banging it around in practice. The standard wooden Bokken can be gotten anywhere these days. Boring. For a real masterpiece at a reasonable price, which can be used for contact training, you need to order from a hand-crafting artist. Luckily, these artworks are not too expensive.

Picture: Wooden swords made by Carina Cirricione. 

 Where to buy?

Raven Studios (http://www.little-raven.com/RS/MA/) – Run by the Carina Cirricione, this is a fine workshop. I have purchased 4 Chinese Miao Dao from her in the past and had been very pleased with them. Her choice of woods is limited, but she can design and craft any design you may challenge her with (European, Japanese, Chinese or otherwise). Her professionalism is to be trusted and appreciated.

Blizniak Bokken (http://blizniaksbokken.com/) – Their design options are slightly more limited than Carina’s, and they can get more pricey. They also mostly specialize in just two weapons – bokkens and short staffs. They make up for this with an unusually accessible website which makes ordering a breeze, and a very large selection of wood types. For a few hundred dollars apiece, they also make bows (http://blizniaksbows.com/ ).

Less than 50$ :

A weapons rack

Well, all these steel and wooden weapons you bought earlier… You need to put them somewhere, don’t you?  A weapons rack is in my opinion a rather aesthetic addition to any home or martial arts school. It is good looking even when used as a coat hanger. You need to beware as there are lots of bullshit products out there, which are very poorly built and would not last. Take in account that although these cheaper racks look nice, they would be made of wood composites. Full hardwood ones can be much more expensive. 

Nonetheless, I think it would be a waste to pay more.

 

Where to buy? 

 Standing for two weapons (free shipping):

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Longquan-sword-rack-double-layer-sword-stand-apotropaic-sword-rack-wood-craft/1536578909.html

Standing for several weapons (free shipping):

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Sword-rack-vertical-multi-layer-tool-holder-sword-rack-sword-stand-tool-holder-tool-holder-sword/1389797581.html

Wall-mounted for several weapons (free shipping):

http://www.tozandoshop.com/Wall-Sword-Rack-p/340-ws[000].htm

Research of Martial Arts

Research of Martial Arts is my first book. Since its release in August 2014, it has become a sensation in the martial arts community. I was not expecting such an overwhelmingly positive response, and was very happy when it arrived. The premise of this book is to provide the answers that other books on martial arts do not. To do away with the bullshit – the mysticism, excessive discussions of energies (at the expense of practicality), personal and historical myths, etc. As a life-long martial artist and teacher, I was fed up with the current state of martial arts literature, and decided to write a book that I would have enjoyed reading. Five years of hard work have led to the creation of this work, which I am quite proud to say looks and reads like nothing else on the market. At 418 pages and 220,000 words (longer than two maxed-out Phd thesis put together), the scope of topics discussed in this book dwarfs other ones of its type. It carries appeal to any martial artist, regardless of style, rank or experience level.

Because of its scope, the book is hard to describe in a paragraph. Therefore, I decided to share no less than 72 pages from it absolutely free online, to help potential readers get a sense of what it is about:        http://media.wix.com/ugd/0cde99_2049dcd1c02c4cf391346f203baf4fd5.pdf  . The book has earned many reviews, all favourable, and they may be read here: http://www.researchofmartialarts.com/#!reviews/c8h4  (scroll down a bit). The book itself can be purchased on Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Research-Martial-Jonathan-Bluestein-Shifu/dp/1499122519  .

I am also holding a special Christmas giveaway which will end on December the 18^th, after which I shall send free copies of the book to 10 lucky winners:  https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/116308-research-of-martial-arts  .

I wish you all a very merry Christmas, and a happy new year!

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Shifu Jonathan Bluestein is the head of the Tianjin Martial Arts Academy, and teaches Xing Yi Quan and Pigua Zhang in Israel. He is also a martial arts author and researcher. His list of published articles, most available for free reading with links (and on this blog), can be found at the following link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jonathan.bluestein#Articles_I_published_outside_of_Wikipedia_.28On_Martial_Arts.29

If you liked this article, please ‘like’ the page of shifu Bluestein’s school on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/tianjinacademy

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All rights of this article are and the pictures within it are reserved to Jonathan Bluestein ©. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission, in writing, from Jonathan Bluestein. Jonathan may be contacted directly via email:  jonathan.bluestein@gmail.com .

5 Rules for Rolling Until 95