AKS Quarterly Newsletter

"The Punchline"

Editorial – September 2012

How quickly the summer came and went.  Those who attended the annual Summer Camp in July were treated to a variety of different classes from some great instructors, including Senseis Heinrich Reimer and Frank Carmichael from Luneburg, Germany, along with Senseis Andrew Eckhart from Ohio, and Masters Tom Twining and Dave Hayes from Michigan.  We are truly blessed in our organization to have these great teachers among us.  Their knowledge, experience and willingness to share are the essence of what traditional martial arts is all about.

In addition to the great training, we also saw several of our members promoted.  Among those elevated in rank were Kristyn Reinecke, Rhonda Bailey, Brent Chalko and Samuel Blood to 1st Dan, Jim and Debra Roy to 4th Dan, and our newest master level black belts Rand “Skip” Palmer and E. Jude Gore to 6th Dan.  It is always a joy and pleasure to see our people achieve this recognition.  They’ve worked hard and put in many long hours of training and study.   Please be sure to congratulate them when you see them.  Once they’ve added their information to the member directory, you’ll be able to contact them via e-mail.

I spent my third summer in a row at Culver Military Academy (three hours south of Muskegon) in the position of Rifle Director.  Over the past several years, I've functioned in that position ensuring those campers who took our classes in marksmanship were able to earn at least one National Rifle Association medal.  This past summer saw 312 students attend one of two three-week sessions with only two failing to earn a medal.  One of my able-bodied assistants was our own Ray Sinclair.  This was his fourth summer at Culver as the self-defense instructor, and third helping me at the range.  We make a good team.  This is clear from the experiences the campers share with us regarding their time on the range.  In addition to Ray, there were also two new assistants who both proved very capable.

Also while at Culver this past summer, the AKS gained a new member.  Dr. Michael Coyle, a PhD in pulmonary physiology, has been studying Chon Do Kwan in Indiana for over 16 years.  He is a 3rd Dan in that style and saw becoming a member of the AKS as a means to open a new door in his continued studies of the arts.  I hope each of you will help make Michael feel right at home.   He plans on joining us in West Virginia in October.  This will give some of you the first opportunity to meet and become acquainted with him.  I’ve also asked him to write an article by way of introduction for the Punchline.  This will also serve to provide you some additional knowledge and background on our newest black belt.

With the new school year under way, and the Fall season bearing down on us rapidly, I hope each of you enjoys the best life has to offer. We must never forget that life goes by quickly.  It hasn't been that long ago since we lost Sensei Lieb; six years to be precise.   As I've gotten older I've begun to notice more of my friends and family are leaving us. This only serves to emphasize the need and importance to stay in touch with your loved ones and friends.

God's Blessing to you all.  I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible who can join us in West Virginia on October 27th.

Mike Sullenger
Chief Instructor

Mike Sullenger
AKS Chief Instructor

Bodhidharma

Myths of Accent times are important in my study of the martial way.  These stories allow for creative thinking into some of the important issues of the past.  Although the stories are fictional, the man was real.  Bodhidharma is known in the American Karate System as the great, great, great, great, grandfather of Karate.

Although there are several accounts and translations in regards to his birth, his demise is a bit more mystical.  He may have died at the Luo River Beach at the hands of his disciple, Huike, or he possibly died in the cave of mass excursions at Heyin in 528.

One account of Bodhidharma's life comes from the record of the Buddhist Monasteries of Luo Yang (Central Asia).  Author Yang Xuanzhi, a Mahayana Buddhist, translated the text describing, "There was a monk of the Western Region named Bodhidharma, a Persian Central Asian.  He traveled from the wild borderlands of China into India.  […] He said: ‘I am 150 years old, and I have passed through numerous countries.  There is virtually no country I have not visited.’"  Unfortunately, Yang's accounts end with the collapse of the Mahayana temple in 526.

Another account written by Tanlin (506 – 574), the author of Biography of the “Dharma Master,” is found in preface to another text traditionally attributed to Bodhidharma; Two Entrances and Four Acts,

“His ambition lay in the Mahayana path, and so he put aside his white layman's robe for the black robe of a monk […] lamenting the decline of the true teaching of the outlands, he subsequently crossed distant mountains and seas, traveling about propagating the teaching of Han and Wei."

In Bodhidharma's practice, he focuses on the merits of meditation.  He created the term "wall-gazing" or translated into English as, "quieting [the] mind."   These concepts aim for the student to allude to the absence of self and others.   Other reoccurring themes are present: providing a lack of reliance on words to effectively express reality.

9 years of gazing at a wall:

Failing to make a favorable impression in southern China, Bodhidharma is said to have retreated to Northern Chinese kingdom of Wei to a cave near the Shaolin Monastery where he 'faced a wall for nine years, not speaking for the entire time.'

In one version of the story, he is said to have fallen asleep seven years into his nine years of wall-gazing.   Becoming very angry with himself, he cut off his eyelids to prevent this from happening again.   According to the legend, his eyelids hit the floor, the first Tea plant sprang up; and therefore Tea would provide a stimulate to help keep students of Chán awake during meditation.

Other versions imply his passing, 'seated upright' or his disappearance simply leaving behind the Yi Jin Ying.   Some say his legs atrophied after nine years, which is why Japanese Bodhidharma dolls have no legs.

Other Bodhidharma related literature includes, The Bloodstream Sutra, The Breakthrough Sutra, and The Wake-Up Sutra.  We encompass much from this great master, and have been educated in our routine standing mediation.  If this master could advise us today, I think he would say, "The truth is the state of self realization and beyond the categories of discrimination."

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF AMERICAN KARATE SYSTEM SKILLS

At the age of twenty, I began my career with the Department of Corrections.  I had no experience whatsoever with self-defense tactics or any style of martial arts.  The only training I have ever received was my annual Prisoner Management recertification over the last 23 years.

The training initially consisted of how to use Aikido releases, always ending in wristlocks for control purposes.   In about 1997, I applied for, and was chosen to be on, the Emergency Response Team for the Prison Complex.  That training consisted of proper use of pressure points, iron wristlock takedowns, and more effective strike points, etc., to quickly subdue and control the subject (in my case, an inmate).

I have used these techniques on occasions that call for them.  I stand 5' 5" and weigh approximately 150 lbs.  I am not a large person by any means.  With these techniques, I have been able to move people that were 6' 2" and 250 lbs. just by using my thumb.  I have been able to disarm inmates using strike points to the forearms and wristlocks.

To turn toward American Karate Systems ("AKS") training, these same strikes, pressure points, and wristlocks are taught in AKS classes, even more in depth during the 2012 summer camp if you worked with Frank Carmichael from Germany.

The techniques taught through AKS all have real life applications.   In addition to job applications, I am a firm believer in not being a victim.  A majority of the people confined in a correctional facility have victimized another individual.  With the constant training through AKS, I won"t be one of those victims.

When I started working within the prison system, I was young and small in stature.  With the average inmate being much larger than me, the size difference alone can be intimidating.  In the beginning, I was challenged many times, but no matter what, I stood my ground.  Now with constant training, there is even a higher confidence level with those inmates attempting to intimidate me.  With a higher confidence level and 23 years of experience, I am rarely tried.  Physical and mental confidence and strength, and awareness of your surroundings, are the keys to safety.

Over the years, I have been required to do many things that most people would consider risky.  One evening, while working in the cell block, I had an inmate chase another inmate down the hall with a padlock fastened on the end of a belt.  I successfully approached the armed inmate from behind, and struck him in the radial nerve on the forearm.  The inmate dropped the weapon, and we were able to subdue him.  No one was injured.

In another instance, an inmate was acting strangely in his cell.  After searching the inmate, I had him stand up and exit the cell.  As he stood up, I observed a shank (prison made knife) come out from under a bed sheet in his right hand.   As he came up off the bed, I grabbed his right hand, put him in a wristlock over his shoulder.  The weapon fell out of his hand and into my left hand.  I spun the inmate around, and we restrained him and escorted him from the unit.  Later, the inmate was seen by healthcare staff; he mistakenly thought he had a broken arm.  Again, no one was injured.

Constant practice brings muscle memory.  Muscle memory brings an instant response.  That instant response brings an appropriate response for the situation at hand.

I would like to thank Sensei Dave Thomas Sr. and all the black belts and grade ranks within the Ross Park AKS who have taught, encouraged, and challenged me to be a better AKS participant.  I also have to thank my daughter Erin (6th grade green belt) for getting me started in a more structured setting for studying self-defense techniques through AKS.

Remember—you may never have to resort to the self-defense techniques learned through AKS; however, if necessary, a trained, automatic response may keep you from getting hurt, or even save your life.

Do You Have a Question?

We invite you to send in your questions regarding karate and the A.K.S. so that we may respond here in our newsletter. If you have a concern, question or suggestion, please let us know and we will address it here in the Punchline.

If you don't want your name published, please let us know and we will be happy to withhold that information from print. However, please be respectful when submitting your queries or suggestions to us by including your name so that we may understand your questions and/or circumstances.

Please send your questions to Laura Werner, and I will forward them to the person who can provide the appropriate response.

We look forward to hearing from you!

PROMOTIONS!!

American Karate Club
Ross Park Elementary - Muskegon, Michigan

West Toledo YMCA Karate & Self Defense Program
Toledo, Ohio

Tri-Cities Family YMCA AKS Karate Club
Grand Haven, Michigan 49417

Mustang, Oklahoma A.K.S.
Mustang, Oklahoma

Congratulations to all students who have been promoted this past quarter.  A special congratulations to our new black belts, and a very special "thank you" and congrats to all of our black belts for their hard work and dedication within our system. Our club would not be what it is today without them.

Best wishes in your continued training!

Self-Defense Concepts for the Martial Artist

One evening while I was visiting another karate class, I was asked, "What techniques do you teach for self-defense?"   I explained that it all depends on whom I am teaching.  Noticing the puzzled look, I went on to explain that a great deal of self-defense has nothing to do with the physical action of defending oneself.  Learning to avoid dangerous situations and to diffuse elevated tensions are as important as the physical techniques of surviving an attack.  There is a great video by Bill Kipp entitled, "The Missing Link," that deals only with this aspect of self-defense.  "Ok, but what techniques do you teach for the actual act of defending oneself?"  I responded once again that it depends on whom I am teaching.  If I were teaching a group of women with no martial arts training, I use techniques with which they are familiar, that are effective and are easy to remember, like clapping, raising their hands, pointing, stomping, pinching, etc.  If I were teaching a group of young children, I would teach them techniques that "even a child could do."  "Okay, but what about martial artists?"  I teach a conceptual approach to self defense.  I used to call them rules.  Now, I often find myself calling them concepts.   In either case, they're more like guidelines….arrrr.

First, you need to understand what self-defense is, and what it is not.  It is not just martial arts or fighting.  For me, the goals of the martial arts are to help develop character, self-esteem, good health, self-control, discipline, confidence, or in short...the whole person.  For me, the martial arts are a way of life.  Fighting has the goal to win, just like the main goal in sparring is to win the match.  The goal of self-defense is to protect oneself or loved ones.  The "win" in self-defense is survival.   Gichin Funakoshi said it best in one of his precepts, "Do not think about winning; think rather that you do not have to lose."   Now, I am not saying that the techniques we use in martial arts are not tools we can use for self-defense, they certainly are, but locking the front door or using pepper spray is also a form of self-defense and not a martial art.  I have never done the "pepper spray" kata.

My approach to teaching self-defense has changed over the years.  The concepts and ideas that I use are a culmination of ideas derived from studying martial artists such as Mike Sullenger, Fred Reinecke, Dave Thomas, Tom Twining, Dave Hayes, Michael DePasquale, Prof. David James, William King III, and Tony Blauer, to name a few.

At one time, I only taught specific techniques and one-steps that felt natural and worked for me.  However, I observed students struggling with some of these techniques either due to difficulty remembering, or working with a partner who was different in stature (e.g. much taller).  I have now integrated a conceptual approach in teaching self-defense.  I try to include exercises which help reinforce these concepts, such as eight directions of movement and balance, as well as check blocking and tracking.  It is also important for the martial arts students to realize that all their techniques can be good depending on the context in which they are applied.  A high hook kick may be a great tournament technique, but I would never use it on the street.  Unless, of course, you gave me a half an hour to warm up and pants that would allow me to throw the kick properly.  Even then, I would be taking a great chance of having my leg caught or missing the kick and putting myself in a vulnerable position.  On the other hand, an open finger attack would get me disqualified in a tournament, but could be a very effective self-defense technique.

Here are the concepts (I mean "guidelines"…arrrr) that I incorporate in my self-defense training.  These can also be used by students to assist them in developing their own responses.

• State of Readiness:  Start from a non-threatening position when possible.  Keep the knees slightly bent with feet approximately a shoulder-width apart.  I prefer to have my feet parallel, similar to a ready stance, but placing one foot slightly forward is fine.  Hands are open and the angle between the forearm and bicep should be greater than 90 degrees.  The arms should also be positioned more forward instead of out to the sides.  This position not only shows by-standers that you were trying to avoid the conflict, but also puts you in a position to respond quickly in any direction.
• Get Out of the Line of Force:  This point was beautifully illustrated by Dave Hayes.  He used the example of a large boulder rolling down a steep hill.  You are directly in its path.  You have two choices:  Try to stop the boulder, or get out of its way.  I am getting out of its way.  There are basically eight directions you can move: North (straight ahead), North East, East, South East, South, South West, West, or North West.  It is much easier to label these 1-8.  It does not really matter how you label them as long as you and your students are on the same page.  At times, we will just practice avoiding an attack by moving in different directions.  We also incorporate some basic aikido warm-ups in our training, which are excellent for teaching the concept of blending with your attacker’s force.
• Change the Focus:  The attacker has one thing on his mind…to hurt you.  It is imperative that you immediately change his focus from you to himself.  How is this accomplished?  By inflicting pain on the assailant!  As soon as you have avoided the attack, you counter with a strike or kick of your own, as quickly as you can.  Even better, block and strike at the same time.  This is even more important if you are stepping to the inside of the attack where the opponent's other hand is ready to follow up after the first strike.  The counter technique can vary according to a student's knowledge or belt level.  How often have you only practiced single blocks in class?  This is absolutely necessary to acquire the proper technique, but it is also important to combine blocks and counters together so that the students practice this immediate response to an attack.  We practice block/counters in class to learn to avoid hesitation after blocking.
• Strike from the Closest Point:  There are several reasons a self-defense technique may not work.  Many students use techniques that are slow to develop and are too complicated.  They also may execute techniques from an inappropriate position, like being too far away, too close, too high, or too low.  Executions should be quick and precise; using the shortest distance to the target.  Many of the martial arts movies and tournament demonstrations have glorified fancy, flashy, complicated moves.  I am not into fancy.  Fancy should be reserved for cake decorating.  I encourage quick and effective responses.  An exercise entitled "Closest Weapon Closest Target" helps the student become aware of their options.  Start the exercise by having two students face each other, either standing or kneeling on the floor (though, preferably on a mat).  One is designated the attacker, and the other, the defender.  Have the students mimic a struggle.  Then, when the command to stop is given, the students should freeze.  Now, have the defender describe what targets he has available and what the closest weapons are with which he has to strike these targets.  You may be surprised to find a bite on the ear can be an effective self-defense technique.  Reinforce this concept while students practice one-steps.  This exercise will also help the students develop a flow to a second counter which was set up by their first strike.
• State of Explosion /the Element of Surprise:  These two concepts go hand-in-hand.  This is also an advantage of the non-threatening position in which we start because our stance should not telegraph our intentions.  When you execute a move, it takes time for your opponent to react.  This advantage is most effective when the action happens suddenly, surprising your attacker when he least expects it.  If you communicate with your attacker and he verbally responds, his immediate attention is on what he is saying.  It will take him a split second to switch gears.  Even a split second can make a difference in surviving an attack.  When you initiate your response, it needs to be explosive and without hesitation.  It is important to be able to "flip the switch" and not have to think about or second guess your response.
• Three Foot Rule:   This rule is extremely important when your assailant has a gun.  If you are not within three feet (or cannot reach out and easily touch the weapon), DO NOT try to disarm him.  Your options are limited; give him what he asks for, talk your way out, fake a heart attack, or run for your life.  Do not attempt to disarm him when you are too far away.
• Control the Weapon/Tracking:  When dealing with an armed attacker, it is important to take control of the weapon.  There is no time when responding to an attack to look down to grab the wrist of someone with a weapon.  Practice tracking.  Tracking is the art of moving your hand from one part of the attacker's body to another without lifting it away or looking at it.
• Faster Forwards than Backwards:  I am not a young man.  Notice that I did not say ":I am an old man!"  (Maybe I should say youth-impaired.)   However, I am pretty sure that I can out run most people if I am running forward and they are running backwards.  I would have better balance, too.  If I am not blending with the attacker's motion and direction of force, I am trying to keep him on his heels and off balance.   A fighter that has lost his balance has a great disadvantage.  This is one reason that I have never been terribly fond of three-steps.  If possible, I do not want to keep retreating and giving the attacker the advantage of balance and momentum.
• Motion Causes Motion (Action/Reaction):  I often see self-defense techniques where a kick to the groin is followed by a high-striking technique.  If I kick someone in the groin, I sure hope they are doubled over.  Students need to understand what reaction the attacker will have as a result of their action.  We must think of whether our strike will cause the attacker to bend over, lean back, or even turn to the side.

To answer the question, "What techniques do you teach for self-defense?"  is not as simple as describing the individual techniques because there are so many variables and "concepts" to consider with self-defense.  Practicing self-defense techniques is only one part of what it takes to be effective when confronted with an attack.  Another precept taught by Master Funakoshi states that, "Practicing karate correctly is one thing; engaging in a real fight is another."  Applying these concepts to our practicing and teaching of self-defense is what may allow us to "not have to lose" and allow us to survive.

(The views of the author are his own.   Any resemblance to an intelligent person, living or dead is completely coincidental   ).

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