AKS Quarterly Newsletter

"The Punchline"

Editorial – March 2013

It's Spring and we're well into another year.  I've just returned from a seven day stretch working with the South Padre Island Police Department and the annual Spring Break.  This makes my fifth year in this capacity.  As I watched the conduct and actions of thousands of young people, I'm reminded of the important task and responsibility we all have as Sensei.  The task is to teach our students to be skilled and knowledgeable martial artists.  The responsibility is to ensure they are also good citizens.  By that I mean people who understand the importance and seriousness of the skills they are leaning as to when they are to be used or not used.

The college students who attend Spring Break activities on beaches in our country all too often over indulge in their consumption of alcohol; and worse, in the use of drugs.  Several times during the week I spent patrolling the beach during the day or the entertainment area at night, I would come across a young man or women who was both drunk and high.  I've wondered to myself why they have this need/desire to get high as well as drunk.  What are they trying to get away from?  Clearly, they have not had someone in their lives to teach them how to deal with problems, so they seek a means of escape, albeit brief, in this manner.

When I spend time with the members of the AKS at our seminars in West Virginia, Ohio, and Michigan, I enjoy the company of people who relish training and have a keen desire to learn new things and improve on the ones they have already learned.  These are people who deal with the adversities of life through training and not drugs or alcohol.  The Sensei of our organization have been an integral part of this teaching process which results in well-rounded citizens capable of defending themselves as well as understanding the importance of being productive members of our society.  You should all be proud of what you've accomplished.

As a teacher, both in the dojo and classroom, I've received feedback from parents and students alike regarding the benefits they've taken away from those classes; whether it was a better sense of their ability to perform a complex set of movements, or the understanding of their civic responsibilities as an American.  Over the years, I've come to realize the importance of my responsibilities to my students.  I've written on this in the article entitled, "The Importance of Mentoring."  I've been blessed over the years by being able to see the fruits of my labor in the growth and success of those whose lives I touched for a time.  I know many of you understand this as well, and have been similarly blessed.

Recently, I was approached by the director of our local airport regarding the position of Airport Security Director (Chief of Police).  After some meetings and discussion, I accepted the job and will begin in that new position on May 15th.  I left an Assistant Chief position 17 years ago with no thought of returning to full time police work.  I've continued to work with our county sheriff's office as their training sergeant and range master, with the police academy as both an adjunct instructor and advisory board member, and with the South Padre Island PD – all on a part-time basis.   I guess law enforcement like the martial arts gets into your blood and you never really leave.  I will miss the classroom and students I've enjoyed teaching and working with over the past eleven years at the college where I currently teach.  I'm looking forward to the new challenge of, once again, running a department that has many facets of responsibility in an environment that presents daily opportunities to work with and meet new people.

This will not impact my ability to travel to our regional training seminars or the annual summer camp.  But it will mean I cannot return to work at Culver Military Academy during the summer.  It will truly be a pill that is both bitter and sweet.

I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible who will be able to join us in Toledo, Ohio on May 11th for the Spring training seminar.   I know Rand Palmer and his folks will once again provide us all with some great training and time to enjoy the fellowship of good friends.

Mike Sullenger, 9th Dan
AKS Chief Instructor

The Need for Speed

Whenever I spar, I get multiple compliments.  Of course, sometimes I have to prompt the viewers just a little.   "Well guys, how did my sparring technique look?"  I ask.

The response is usually some variation on, "I was amazed at how well you blocked Mister Roy's punches so consistently . . . with your face."    Or, " You know your kata looks pretty good.   You might want to compete in Kata."

I have a very polite class.   (Sigh) Needless to say, I have an interest in speed as it applies to sparring.

Disclaimer: I am asking you to come on a learning journey with me.  I am explaining that which I am just beginning to learn.   Beware - this article is for nerds only.  All liberal arts majors are hereby warned---there will be math.

We all want to be faster.   What does it take?    There is real speed, and then there is apparent speed.   Apparent speed is the illusion, the magician's sleight-of-hand; cutting the distance or the distraction.   But today, we will deal with real speed.

Physics

For me, one of the cool things about Karate is that it wildly demonstrates the laws of physics.   For example, F=MA.  Translated, this means that Force equals mass times acceleration.  Acceleration is a fancy word for how fast something speeds up or slows down.  So if something is going really fast, and it hit you, it slows down really fast.   This means the negative acceleration is really big and so it has more force.   Short version---faster hurts a more!    It has more energy.  Think of the difference between someone tossing you a penny and someone shooting you with a .22 rifle bullet.  The amount of metal may weigh the same, but the fast one does damage.

The opposite side of that is that it takes more energy to achieve that speed.   It is hard to hit fast.   Because going fast tires us, we seem to practice at a slower pace so we do not get tired.   The problem with this is, it becomes "natural" for us to hit slow.  So, we must practice, at least some of the time, hitting fast.

Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time with a total of 22 medals.  When his coach was asked why he did not have his swimmer doing the long, slow distance swimming "to build up endurance" as most coaches do, his response was, "Why do I want him to practice swimming slow?"

That said, the trouble is, no one can sprint 100 percent of the time.   Sometimes we practice technique and sometimes speed.  Kata is a great opportunity to combine the two!

Another issue pertains to the path of the object.   Sometimes that movement is rotary motion.  In this case, it just means that the further the center of mass is from the point of rotation, the more energy it takes.  So if I am using a back fist and keep my elbow locked, arm straight, while using only my shoulder muscle to swing it all the way across my body into someone's nose, I will use a lot of energy.   Think of how hard it is to hold 10 pounds - straight out - with your arm extended.   If I bring my arm closer to my body, it gets a lot easier.  This is the same principle that ice skaters use when they spin.   When they extend their arms, they slow down.   When they pull their arms in, they speed up.

Bottom line: Keep any mass that you are rotating close to the center of your body.

So . . . if instead of swinging my whole arm in a wide arc, I just swing my elbow across my body like an elbow strike.   I will use a lot less energy and it will enable me to do it a lot faster.   Near the end of that swing, my forearm will pivot about my elbow, and my hand will pivot about my wrist.   Now instead of having one muscle putting speed into a hit, I have three muscles adding speed.

Did you ever wonder why a whip snaps?   That sound is actually the tip of the whip breaking the sound barrier.  "But that is around 660 miles an hour," you protest!    Yep.

The way that the tip of the whip achieves that speed is every inch of the whip moves a little, but since that inch is attached to another inch, that is moving just a little, it all adds up to a very fast movement.  So if my ankle moves and carries my calf, and my calf moves which carries my thigh, and my waist moves which carries my chest, etc. -- I become a whip.   Though you might see the movement of the fighter, it is very hard to see the actual strike of a really good fighter.   But don’t worry . . . you will see the reaction of what that whipping fighter hits.

Bottom Line: MOVE!    Put your whole body into it.

The last two years at summer camp, I have had the same bad habit pointed out to me.   Yes, that's right, the last TWO summer camps, and I haven't fixed it yet!   What is worse, I have the brass to tell you not to do it.   I'm working on it.  When I punch, it does not go in a straight line.  I have a slight semi-circle.   (As a kid, I watched too many John Wayne movies).  Mister David Hayes, gave me the example of tearing a phone book.  We keep our hands close to the center of our body and our elbows down.  Mister Frank Carmichael reminded us all that we have more strength when our elbows are close to our ribs.  These combine to make a very fast powerful punch.   A shorter path is faster!

In Bruce Lee's book, "Bruce Lee's Fighting Method," he stresses the opportunities presented in going in a straight line to the target.   Shorter is faster.   (Apparent speed sometimes has us go out-of-straight so our opponent does not see it coming).

I can use that same principal when I am turning or spinning.  If my back is not straight up and down, I have a hard time spinning, or even turning, because the mass, rotating about my hips, is not uniform.   I also have more weight farther from the axis that I am spinning about.

Consider applying this to sweep kicks, or spinning kicks.  The longer path we have for that extended limb swinging, the slower the technique.   So . . . when we spin, we throw it out there just before contact, and we do it a lot faster, and get a lot less tired.

YAWN . . . Speaking of tired, that is enough physics.

Physiology

Are you a Slow-Twitch, or a Fast-Twitch?

We are born with two kinds of skeletal muscle, (some authorities break it down into four or more types, but for our purpose, basically they are two).   "Fast-twitch" muscles release energy without oxygen, (think battery operated motors).  When you hit the accelerator, the power it right there and you fly.   They are the speed demons of the muscle kingdom.   But when they use up that energy, they have a hard time getting more energy.  Recharging takes time.  Fuel has to be brought in and stored back in the "muscle batteries."   That is why a cheetah can go 60 miles-per-hour, but only for short distances.

"Slow-twitch" muscles get energy by using supplies from the bloodstream, (think plug-in motors).  They can run a really long time, but they can only use as much energy as they get, and so don't have the fast response.  They are the slow and steady.

Most of us are born with about 50% fast-twitch, and 50% slow twitch muscles.   However, it is hereditary, so if a person is born with 80% slow-twitch, the person would be better suited to marathon type events while someone born with 80% fast-twitch would be better at the 200 meter dash or weight lifting.  That's right, weight lifting.   Weight lifting requires a lot of energy in a hurry.  So, weight lifting is one way to improve your fast-twitch muscle performance.

That was a surprise to me.   Anyway, this year, I am going to work on:

• Weight lifting
• Minimizing big circles
• Keeping a vertical posture
• Using all muscles together
• Practicing kata with good, fast techniques

Maybe this year at summer camp, my punches will not need correcting.   Hmmm. . . one can always hope.

Remembering Ed Baessler

On January 12, 2013, Mr. Willard "Ed" Baessler passed away at the age of 65.  Ed was an AKS 3rd Dan who trained at both the American Karate Club at Ross Park, and at the Tri-Cities YMCA in Grand Haven, Michigan.

Ed started karate with his son Gavin in 1995; he was 48 years old.  He wanted to do something together with his son and thought they would give karate a try.  Ed wanted the exercise, and Gavin had aspirations of a career in law enforcement.  It seemed a good fit for father and son.   They not only trained together, but competed in tournaments together as well.

Ed worked hard to be a good martial artist, and even had the experience of using his knowledge in a real-life situation when he was attacked by three felons during a vacation in Colorado.  They found out quickly that you don't bring a knife to a stick fight.  Ed's street record was 3 wins, no losses.

Ed was a gracious host to a group of our German brothers.  He had a camper moved to his home so that three of our guests would have their own place to stay with some privacy.  Although, he did have to explain to them, that in the United States, a pick-up game of basketball at 2:00 AM does tend to upset the neighbors.  He suggested they postpone the game until daylight.  Ed treasured the opportunity to host our German guests, and spoke of it often over the years.

More than anything else, Ed loved to teach new kids in class.   He was patient and nurturing in his approach.  The kids liked working with him.  Many of our current students started their training under Ed's direction.

Mr. Ed Baessler was my student, and my friend.  I will miss him but cherish the memories we made while working and training together.

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!!

This is the 8th in a series of articles by Sensei George Kirby. Sensei Kirby is a 10th Dan in Budoshin Ju-Jitsu Yudanshakai and has become friends with Sensei Mike Sullenger. Mr. Sullenger has had an article that he wrote published on the Budoshin website. Feel free to browse  this site  to become more familiar with who George Kirby is and his style.

COOL AND SAFE TECHNIQUES |  [BJJY KOKORO 10/12]

Note: A couple of sensei have asked me to start a series on how to improve teaching skills and student learning—as it applies to the dojo. So I’ve decided to launch this idea, with the hope of seeing it become a regular item in future issues of Kokoro.

Koshi Harai [high sweeping hip throw] is a cool technique.  Boy does uke fly.  Uki Otoshi [floating drop throw] is a cool technique.  Watch tori leap up and uke fly.  Tomoenage [stomach throw] is a cool technique.  Watch uke fly and tori land on top.  Ushiro Goshi Nage [rear hip throw] is a cool technique.  Watch the uke land on his face.

All of these, and many more judo-type throws, are beautiful to watch when executed properly.  If tori executes the proper movement and uke has familiarity with the technique and knows how to fall, it's a pleasure to watch the techniques being executed.  Most importantly, they're all high throws.   If executed well, the uke is raised well off the ground before he begins his downward movement.

It is unfortunate that I've seen many sensei shy away from the traditional techniques in the interest of safety.  Did I hear that right?  Safety?  There's something wrong here.  To me, safety is not a reason for not doing these and many other high throws; especially among advanced students.  I read safety as perhaps meaning that I [as a sensei] am not sufficiently confident in my students' breakfall and throwing control to allow them to do these dangerous techniques.

In my book, there are two things you need to do.  First, students need to constantly work on their landing skills.  So they need practice with ukemi.  Students need to realize that if they know their ukemi, and develop familiarity with how they're thrown with different techniques, they can more than adequately fall properly.  Second, students need to learn to control the person they're throwing [or doing any other type of jujitsu technique on].  I cannot overstate the necessity of self-control by the tori.  This is the difference between putting an assailant down gently as a feather vs. putting him through the concrete.

As a jujitsu practitioner, you MUST develop this control - especially for the street [in addition to inside the dojo].  Just a short story here.  In my first semester teaching junior high, one of my gangbanger homeroom kids came up behind me and put a pen around my neck to see what I would do.   [He was the leader of all my homeroom problems].  After bracing the weapon away from my neck, I executed a beautiful harai goshi on him.  As he was going over, I noticed who he was and pulled up on his sleeve, allowing him to land quite gently on the concrete without a scratch — although, he really was shaken up by my response.   We got along very well after that and I never had any more problems with my homeroom kids.

Control was the reason he didn’t get hurt.  If you don't practice control in the dojo, you’ll never learn it on the street — and you may not really want to hurt your attacker, who might just be an upset friend.  As a sensei, you have a responsibility to teach the traditional high throws.  Yes, there are a few I can't do due to old injuries or my age.  However, I can still teach them to advanced students through explanation and working with them as they learn the proper execution.

The other side of the coin is that when advanced students are thrown with high throws in a controlled manner, they develop an understanding of how they should move as an uke and how to safely fall.  It's a learning process for both tori and uke.  To not train them with, and for, high throws and falls does more to ultimately endanger their safety than to enhance it.  Also, hopefully someday they will become sensei and their students may ask them to teach high throws because they’ve seen them elsewhere [such as in my books or videos].

What are your future black belts going to say?   One of our responsibilities as sensei is to teach techniques safely, within our abilities.  We want our students to be safe.  We want our students to be competent.  We want our students to be able to defend themselves and also be able to safely fall.  We want our students to have good self-control — physically and emotionally.  We want all this for them.  We also have to help them get there safely.

Cool techniques [high throws] are also safe techniques.  The key is teaching them — safely.  Besides, they're cool to watch and students enjoy doing them when they know they can do them safely.

A.K.S. Web Address(es)

Our "Official" web address is now:  www.aks-usa.com

We also own:   www.aks-usa.org  and  www.aks-usa.net  which will direct you to our website as well.

Our original:   www.americankaratesystem.org  is no longer in service.

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