Archived IMA

CORE CONCEPTS OF BAC FU DO KUNG FU

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 04:21:46 GMT

AMA - David is prolific writer amongst many things and I have read a lot of his articles over the years, so we thought we should check the archives. As a guy who loves to share his art and pulls no punches, we thought this article would have broad appeal for those who enjoy the reality of self defence. Although this article was written a long time ago and has been edited its relevance is timeless..

Martial Arts training for me started in 1963, soon after I’d been mugged by a group of guys at Glenelg in Adelaide. I didn’t cop much physical damage – but they did get cash of me. I determined that I needed to train in something that gave me a multi-opponent capability. Then I was going to hunt them down and avenge myself. I started off going along with my Dad, who had CORE CONCEPTS OF BAC FU DO KUNG FU been a pretty handy boxer in his day (twice Bantamweight champion of the British Army many years ago) and who was now training in Judo at the Kangaroo Judo & Karate Society in Adelaide. The Sensei was a former British Army NCO, Moss Hollis, who had a background in unarmed combat, Judo, Ju Jutsu and Karate.

The instructor’s attitude was “If it doesn’t work, we won’t use it” and constantly sought out better ways of doing things – and didn’t care where he pirated something from, as long as it was useful. His pragmatic outlook had a huge influence on my own development over the years. However, after training in the Japanese arts for some years, I began to realise that they weren’t really for me.

I was lucky enough to be introduced to Kung Fu in the late 60s. I trained in Choy Lay Fut, Northern Shaolin, Monkey Boxing, Hung Gar etc. at that time, then afterwards to Wing Chun and White Crane. What sort of things did you take into consideration when you developed your own style, Bac Fu Do? “What skills do I really need to survive violent encounters?” “What skills do I have now and what do I need to work further on?” “What’s the best way of developing those skills?” Then, having identified a skills gap, I’d look around for someone who was very good in the aspects that I needed to develop. I also did a bit of time in the Australian Army and this contributed to a certain mind set. I looked at things from the perspective of “Who am I likely to end up fighting?” – and, in those early days of Australian martial arts, that meant other styles of martial art, boxers, wrestlers and members of the general public.

I’ve met quite a few martial artists who go along to a boxing or wrestling gym and become boxers or wrestlers – in other words, they actually adopt boxing or wrestling tactics. I think that’s the wrong way to go – you are NEVER going to beat any sort of experienced combatant by trying to use his own tactics against him. You’ve all seen these shows where some idiot trains for a couple of weeks in Muay Thai or BJJ or whatever, then takes on a Master level practitioner. Thats a certain path to serious brain injury. My own theory is that you suss out what your opponent can do do - then figure out how you can beat him by applying tactics that you have spent all those years perfecting. NEVER, fight the other guy’s fight!!

To read the rest of this article from Sijo David Crook - Download our Latest Magazine available for free by subscribing here!

OVERCOMING YOUR GREATEST CHALLENGE

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 04:01:31 GMT

AMA - "We will meet a lot of people during our lives and many will influence us in a positive way and some of them in the most profound way, if we are fortunate. I want to share a story with you about my good friend Glenn Coxon, as there are many lessons we can take from his journey. One of those is over coming stage 4 cancer." See below to read Glenn's story..

Most of us know someone who has or had cancer, for some of us, it’s a family member. We know some cancers aren’t too bad and we have a good chance of kicking it or living with it for a long time. Others can be savage and take someone in a matter of months. Glenn had a pretty savage one and he didn’t catch it until it was extremely advanced.

Let me start with telling you a bit about what sort of person Glenn is and perhaps we can gain a better understanding what he drew upon, to fight this cancer. Glenn has been involved in the martial arts and fight scene for more than 50 years and has obtained numerous black belts. He grew up reading about legends such as Chuck Norris, Benny ‘The Jet’ Urquidez, Bill ‘Super-foot’ Wallace and so many more. He couldn’t imagine as a kid that one day he would actually get to stand opposite these people toe-toe and share techniques, ideas, meals and even travel with many of them.

Glenn is one of those people that’s sometimes difficult to please and many times difficult to impress. Perhaps that’s why he went out of his way to track down leaders in the Martial Arts, so they could help him become his best. As a result of his passion for martial arts he opened up a number of schools to share his knowledge and also became a promoter showcasing some of the biggest names in Kickboxing during that era. He’s a multi Guinness World record holder (board breaking) and this success has overflowed into his corporate career. Glenn is also a specialist Coach & facilitator who has worked with a broad spectrum of Australia's largest private and public sector companies including the big 4 Banks, Telstra, Optus, Vodaphone, Foxtel, Universal Studios, McDonalds, Zara fashions, NSW Health, Sydney Harbour Authority, AFP, to name a few.

He now heads up ClubManager, a software company in Australia. I wanted to take you to this point to show you that Glenn, is a highly motivated and determined person. He is also very methodical in the way he strategizes and plans everything, meaning nothing is left to chance. Now at a time in his life where he is happy with his successes, reflecting upon his many achievements and then BANG! He gets the news, ‘you got cancer and its pretty advanced’.

To read the rest of this article about Glenn Coxon - Download our Latest Magazine available for free b y subscribing here!

Lessons For A Lifetime

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 03:57:27 GMT

AMA - Here Tom reflects on some lessons he obtained whilst experiencing a number of first encounters, early on in his martial arts career.

Wham. Bright lights exploded inside my skull. Without warning, a wicked mawashi geri smashed the side of my head with all the force of a sledgehammer. Either I needed glasses or that was super fast because I never saw it coming. Minutes earlier we were advised this is just a friendly warm-up session, soft sparring with the Japan National Karate Team. It was March 1973, and we were preparing for the APUKO Championships in a hot and steamy Singapore. At the time the Japanese were legends with a reputation as the best of the best and invincible. Our instructions were to go slow, keep it gentle, easy and above all, don’t get injured. Pairing off with a Japanese team member, things began smoothly enough. We practised calm, controlled kumite until a more enthusiastic senior interrupted our friendly duel. Casually dismissing my partner, he shaped up. I will never forget that penetrating stare burning through me. Almost drooling, he pointed at my chest badge and grunted. That’s when things got real, very real.

It was clear the rules did not apply to him as he unleashed a withering avalanche of techniques with unerring precision. Smooth, fast, and powerful he was systematically working me over; smash, bang, boom. There was no mistaking, this was a man who enjoyed his work. All the time our Australian coach prowled the sideline, hounding me not to retaliate, don’t get injured. Swallowing my pride I struggled to stay calm, blocking as many missiles as I could manage. I was rattled and my mind was in overdrive, thinking, why me, who is this guy! Stay relaxed, keep moving I was thinking. What have I done to offend him? Ouch, that one hurt. How much longer before we stop? Why is he doing this? Oops, I didn’t see that one. The assault escalated into a merciless demolition job as more heavy blows hit their mark. Absorbing the physical punishment was no problem; pain is our constant companion in karate-do. By contrast, my ego was hurting badly and not being allowed to fight back, was humiliating....

To read the rest of this article from Tom Curtis - Download our Latest Magazine (Issue #2) available for free by subscribing here!

Anthony Perosh - Instructor Profile

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 10:38:42 GMT

Anthony Perosh is fast making a name for himself in the mixed martial arts circles winning several recent competitions adding to a long line of other achievements.

John Taylor - Kyukushin's 100 man Kumite Test Not For the Faint Hearted

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 10:34:21 GMT

The 100 man Kumite has always been regarded as the ultimate test of fighting ability and the spirit of Osu. For that reason there have only been 9 men successful over the period of 45 years.

William Cheung - The Hidden Deflection Of Bon Sao

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 04:05:03 GMT

Some 300 years ago, the Manchu army burned down the southern Shaolin temple. The Manchu were rulers by default, and their reign was characterized by the brutal measures they took to ensure that their delicate position was not upset.

Interview - Russel Woods

Mon, 11 Oct 2021 04:58:55 GMT

Russell has been training for five decades in the Korean arts having the following grades as a Grand Master:

Jidokwan 9th Dan

Kukkiwon 8th Dan

Chung Do Kwan 6th Dan

GM Russell teaches at the Koryo Taekwondo HQ

11 Perry Court Roxburgh Park 3064

Mobile: 0405 659 684

Website: www.koryotaekwondo.com.au

IMA asked Grand Master Russell Wood, what drives him to be his best and what’s important when training in martial arts everyday.

IMA - What drives you to be the best you can?

RW - I’m a very competitive person so I love a challenge and setting goals for myself. For example I wanted to win an International Goal Medal when I was 80 which I did, my new goal is to get my 9 ^th degree Kukkiwon Certificate as I’m eligible to grade in 2 years. Goal setting is a must!

IMA - How do you clear your mind to give your best performance?

RW – Generally, at competitions I watch or coach my students which keeps my mine busy, then for about 30 minutes I warm up and prepare myself for the competition. Staying calm and focus is a must.

IMA - How do you read an opponent’s intent and defend against it?

RW - Body language, you must watch their eyes and body for any slight movements and react according.
For example, being prepare to block or side step and attack.

IMA - How do you reduce the interval between each movement?

RW - Practicing double or triple movements with kicks. hand strikes or a mixture of both with a partner on a bag or on pads, staying light on your feet and most importantly being fit.

IMA - What / how do you take MA training and apply it into everyday work and living?

RW - As you reach your seniors years it is most important to stay fit, flexible and strong so my training each morning gives me the ability to be able to move around freely, confident and alert.

IMA - How do you minimize injuries?

RW – Its’ most important to warm up and stretch prior to doing any physical training, to minimise the chances of injuries. If you are a serious sparring competitor one should use forearm, shin and foot protectors, but not all the time as you need to toughen up these areas of the body.

IMA - How do you work through an injury (your rehabilitation strategy)?

RW - Before each training session I would recommend that one massage the injured area with liniment and strap the injury with a bandage or tape, but not too tight as it will reduce the blood flow.

IMA - What training routines have you added that weren’t in your teacher’s curriculum?

RW - I was lucky to have had a very good Korean Instructor, GM Jung Myung Oh who taught me a great deal of various techniques. However, I have added a number of different kicks which have evolved over the years. Plus two and thee step exercise routines along with a number of practical self-defence techniques.

IMA - What is your greatest achievement?

RW - Developing the Koryo Taekwondo Club which I started back in 1976 as it has allowed me to make so many great friends, Instructors and students.

IMA - What physical challenges have you overcome by training in martial arts?

RW - Like all martialists I have had a number of broken bones, torn muscles etc. However, to be a true martialist you have to overcome physical and mental problems to be successful. I remember competing in Korea with my right arm in plaster and another time in a board breaking competition I broke my arm halfway through the event, so I finished the board breaking with my left hand. I was only able to endure this through the fighting spirit of my martial arts training.

IMA - Where do you draw your inspirations from?

RW - I guess I was born being competitive, but I’m also inspired by my students. I teach this principle in life that we must push through many barriers to be successful and when I see them take that step, it also inspires me to keep going.

IMA - What are the most important lessons you have found from martial arts?

RW - Respect to Others, Self-Discipline, Staying True to Oneself and Staying Fit and Healthy.

IMA - Five words that describe martial arts for you?

RW - Mental strength, Never give up on challenges, Self-Discipline, Knowledge and achievement

A Champion's Mindset

Mon, 11 Oct 2021 02:06:15 GMT

I don’t really believe I could teach someone how to create a Champion’s mindset. I believe a person’s personality and character traits create the foundation of a Champion’s mindset. The basic ingredients are born to every individual, but life’s experiences, early childhood environment and influences do contribute in developing the quality of character and personality traits commonly found in athletes who express a champion’s mindset.

There is an energy, a frequency of vibration, an essence of character and personality found in people, an inherent quality in the way a person thinks, acts, experiences and feels about who he is and what he does in demonstrating a champion’s mindset.

Like potential, the possibilities are there for anyone to exhibit the traits of a champion. I wasn’t born with a champion’s mindset, but my early life, situations, circumstance and experiences came together at various time to create the foundation for me to gravitate toward that mindset.

Mother’s death and friend’s rejection were contributing factors in creating a champion’s mindset.

There were two major experiences when I was 8 years old which contributed to the formation of a champion’s mindset. The first experience was the death of my mother. My mother’s death was a very traumatic experience, but not in the usual emotions of a traumatic loss of love. Of course I was sad, but that emotion soon turned into anger. I became a loner, withdrawn, quiet, serious, angry and aggressive.

Instead of developing the proverbial “chip” on my shoulders, I created full grown trees. Anger and aggression were attitude sought after in sports like boxing and football so, I gravitated to these sports early in life. I was blessed in having coaches who taught me through expressing kindness, understanding and patience. If you are blessed with great teachers and coaches early in life they can and will create a strong foundation of trust, faith and belief in your abilities, skills and talents. Continuous, consistent, conscious awareness through focused attention will create miraculous results in whatever you desire to achieve.

My mother’s death created a major shift in my thought process that I was not consciously aware of at that time. It planted a seed, like a grain of sand inside an oyster which served to irritate and interrupt my state of being and drove me to be my best. The goal was never to be better than my opponent, but in being my best. Within the next 10 years this dive to excellence solidified itself into a pearl, in the form of a champion’s mindset. All decisions produce results, outcomes and consequences, so be careful what you choose.

The second incident, at 8 years old, feeling crushed by the rejection of childhood “friends”. The incident occurred one day as I was looking out my bedroom window watching them playing basketball. I quickly ran across the street, running back and forth as they played, asking to join them. They kept telling me I couldn’t play with them by telling me I was too young, not tall enough, not big, strong or fast enough. The next reason they gave shocked me when they said, I wasn’t good enough. I couldn’t believe it. Was he a psychic or psychotic? I choose not to accept their final remark that I wasn’t good enough. As part of my martial arts training I was told, whenever confronted with a crisis, or trauma we react in three ways, we fight, run, or hide.

I found myself running home to my father and asked if he remembered a list of the gifts I wanted for Christmas. Without waiting for a reply I told him that I didn’t want all those gifts, I only wanted a basketball. As I was saying this, a part of my mind was said, “shut-up dummy take it all.” But I knew instinctively, all I needed was a basketball. Christmas morning while all my siblings were opening 4 or 5 gifts each, I reached over, picked up this round object covered with red, green, and white Christmas wrapping, held it close to my ear and shook it, as if I was trying to figure out what was inside. My father thought I was crazy. I tore the wrapping off, ran across the street to the basketball court and immediately began this new passion I felt inside, called being my best, not doing my best but being my best. To fully appreciate the distinction between doing and being and you will improve your skills instantly.

In a relatively short time, I was selected to the EMCA All-star Basketball Team. I had created a champion’s mindset at 14 years of age. From that point on in my life it was natural, effortless and abundance for me to express myself this way each and every time. From that point on in my life abundance represented trophies, awards, medals, certificates, recognition, fame, honor, respect, and admiration. Expressing gratitude, and appreciation for these blessings it only created more of the same forms of abundance.

Don’t take my word for it, do it yourself and receive the benefits I speak of.

https://www.mikestonemartialarts.com/online-course

https://courses.martialartsuniversities.com/courses/mastering-the-technical-mindset

https://vimeo.com/132486388 = Interview

Finding Better Qualifications To Meet The Industry's Needs!

support@martialartsaustralia.com.au (Graham Slater) — Mon, 23 Aug 2021 12:28:16 GMT

FINDING BETTER QUALIFICATIONS TO MEET THE INDUSTRY’S NEEDS!

Today’s Martial Arts Instructors, need more than a standard curriculum apprenticeship to run a school as a business. The old school ways of ‘build it and they will come,’ will only work if people know how to find it and have all the right elements to keep them there.

In some ways with new technology, it’s easier to get found and get more students, but we are in a much bigger ocean of businesses, so you need to stand out. Many of you know exactly what I’m talking about because you are already doing it well, but did you count how many skills sets you use to make it all happen. This article is not about marketing your school it’s about identifying what skills are required to run it.

Martial arts instructors come from all walks of life, some very intelligent, others not and many in between. Sometimes its just where your focus is, on the training or on the business or a bit of both. The thing is, it can be very hard to keep in control of everything. We tend to stick with things we know and don’t allocate enough time to further our knowledge in this constantly evolving industry.

What I’m alluding to is senior instructors should be upskilling to keep up with the new innovations. However, more importantly we should be providing our assistant instructors with the right business training as well.

Let’s form a quick list of some of the skills / knowledge an instructor needs to run a successful school or schools.

#Martial Arts: teaching techniques, basics, kata, kumite, self defence, impact bag drills etc.

#Sports Science: coaching, anatomy, physiology, stretching, acupressure points, first aid etc

#Business: law, company structures, OH&S, insurances, risk management, accounting, payroll, HR etc

#Marketing: bulk E-blasts, print mail outs, social media Ads, web Ads, Directory listings, SEO etc

#Media: graphic design, video production, newsletter/ magazine printing (PDF), card, flyers etc

#Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin - video channels (Youtube / Vimeo) etc

#IT: website design/updating, management software, automating processes, web based forms

#Sales: over the counter, online, at schools, in the street, in malls, at community functions, after demonstrations etc

We can certainly expand these categories, but the point is to make it clear that running a martial arts business requires some knowledge from multiple industries and sectors. In many cases just basic knowledge will be sufficient to operate and help them identify specialist people for more detailed functions.

In most industries / sectors a person can study a certificate course, diploma, degree etc which is design to make a person job ready by just adding a bit of practical experience. Unfortunately, we don’t have a martial arts qualification in Australia nor I’m I aware of one in any other country that covers all the elements required.

We do have some great entrepreneurs / educators, that teach instructors many things that are helpful to grow their businesses and we will be asking them to contribute more to our members. Keep following to find more ways to improve your business and help the new generation of instructors become better teachers and club operators.

Graham Slater

Interview - Ian 'Powerhouse' Jacobs

Mon, 27 Jan 2020 04:58:56 GMT

About Ian Jacobs

- Brisbane born, triple world champion kickboxer and two-time international martial arts hall of famer.

- First ever televised kickboxing show in Australia featured on Foxsports.

- Broke world record for fastest KO in a comeback fight at 39 years old.

- Founder of the Thundaball Sport www.thundaballgame.com

- Founder of the safe family program www.safefamily.com.au

About Thundaball

Here is a 1 min video about the THUNDABALL sport : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oppKehXg2J4&t=46s

Here is a short video about Ian Jacobs story : https://vimeo.com/398689195

ThundaBall Game YouTube Channel : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxZXCmRjSva6uRBGWUUYyhA

IMA-Mag - What drives you to be the best you can?

Ian - Honour and pride. Along with my family. I have been inspired my whole life by my father who instilled in my the drive to be the best at anything I do. And the belief that you are never to old for a comeback.

IMA-Mag - How do you clear your mind to give your best performance?

Ian - If you have put in the hard work, and I mean trained like a warrior, then you will feel ready at any time to perform. If you haven’t done the work, you can’t clear the mind. I also rely on my long-time trainer and mentor Wayne Spencer whose voice I still hear in my head when I prepare for any performance.

IMA-Mag - How do you read an opponent’s intent and defend against it?

Ian - For me when I am in a fight, everything is quiet, I am hyper focused and just hear the breathing of my opponent. I watch everything especially their eyes. Any little gesture when you are hyper focused is easier to read.

IMA-Mag - How do you work through an injury (your rehabilitation strategy / techniques)?

Ian - I used to just train through injury, but now with all of the exercise science available I rely on a world champion team of experts and utilise all of the services available. I get my bloods checked regularly, I have a leading physio and chiropractor and muscular skeletal specialist. I take inner origin super foods to keep my inflammation down and keep my body’s alkaline levels right.

IMA-Mag - What techniques are you currently working on to improve or develop?

Ian - I have developed a new sport inspired by martial arts called ‘ThundaBall’.

“It all started at a testing time in my life, “Jacob’s said. “Three years ago, whilst in my gym and on the wrestling mats, I received an upsetting phone call and in frustration, I kicked an exercise ball that was lying next to me against the brick wall and continued to punch and kick it at full pace for about 30 seconds sending my heart rate through the roof. I felt my entire body activate, especially my core, and whilst I was bent over with exhaustion, my mood instantly changed, my stress had dissipated and thought ‘wow’ this could actually be a thing!” It was then I had a vision for a new global sport and fitness program.

The Thundaball court is like nothing that you have ever seen or experienced before. The game blends racquetball, squash, soccer, football, volleyball, and martial arts skills into a futuristic, hybrid sport. And there are social and corporate competitions that kick off soon.

IMA-Mag - What is your greatest achievement?

Ian - It is hard to pick one as I have been blessed with a few amazing moments. The two that stand out for me is being inducted into the martial arts hall of fame and breaking the world record for the fastest KO in Kickboxing history in my comeback fight at 39 years of age.

IMA-Mag - Which martial artists have inspired you and why?

Ian - Bruce Lee and Mohamad Ali were my idols, when I first saw Mohamad Ali fight, I was 6 and I said to mother then, I was going to be champion of the world someday. I didn’t disappoint her, I went on to win 3 world titles

Martial Mindfulness for Today

Mon, 08 Apr 2019 13:16:32 GMT

If stress , mental health , and well-being were not already major health issues in the world prior to the pandemic they certainly are now.

The uncertainty that has developed in all our lives has created a huge spike in anxiety and anguish all around the world. Not knowing what will happen tomorrow, next week, next month and even next year has had a major impact personally, socially, and financially.

The constant question that I have been asked in teaching, coaching, and consulting over the last 30 years is how to do it. Most people know what they are supposed to do and struggle in achieving results they are after. This is where martial arts provides the experiential learnings on how to develop and use what I call Martial Mindfulness for today.

We all suffer from having the constant noise in our minds, that stops us from being able to stay on track, focus and be calm. This for many people causes sleeping issues, hypertension, cognitive challenges, and dis-ease. An important element in mindfulness and meditation is developing the skill of having ‘no thoughts or no mind’. Taking away the mind chatter and replacing it with peaceful silence, switches the Central Nervous System response from Sympathetic (fight, flight, or freeze) to a Parasympathetic (rest, relax, recharge) nervous response.

Traditional Perspective

No Mind has been well known and practice in Eastern Philosophy for hundreds of years through the teaching of Yin and Yang. The Yin-Yang symbol has become well known in the West over recent times with the increased exposure and use of Traditional Chinese Medicine, i.e. Acupuncture, Taichi and even Qigong exercises. It is commonly known as a symbol of balance between two (2) opposites, e.g. negative and positive. What is not understood is that in the philosophical teachings there is also a point called Wu Ji or still point. A calm point of No Mind that provides a state of clarity and focus.

Mushin is achieved when a person's mind is free from thoughts of anger, fear, or ego during training, combat, or everyday life. There is an absence of wandering thought and judgment, so the person is totally free to respond towards an situation, person or opponent without hesitation and without disturbance from such thoughts. At this point, a person relies not on what they think should be the next move, but what is their trained natural reaction (or instinct) or what is felt intuitively. The mind could be said to be working at a very high speed, and being in the state of 'flowing,' when it stops anywhere that means the flow is interrupted and it is this interruption that causes unexpected outcomes for the well-being of the person and their mind.

"To see what is, you must first see what is not"

Steps To No Mind

No mind is usually understood as the principle of having no thoughts, to have a blank mind. This is commonly considered to provide a basis from which you are able to relax and get clarity on issues that may be impacting on your life.

The simple fact is that the mind requires something to put its focus on, otherwise it is a like a child misbehaving wanting attention. The secret and true understanding to No Mind is found by providing your mind with only one thing to focus on and this provides the environment which eliminates the noise and static that constantly creates stress.

We are all suffering from a shortage of time, money and resources which is creating constant stress in your body’s central nervous system and was mentioned earlier it activates the Threat response from the SNS (Sympathetic Nervous System) which produces the stress hormone ‘Cortisol’.

This can lead to hyper-vigilance and or tunnel vision where you do not see all the facts and at times distort them to fit into what you feel they should be for the outcome that you want.

To be able to achieve a No Mind state it is necessary to activate the PNS (Parasympathetic Nervous System) so as to activate the ‘Rest, Relax and Recharge’ response that reduces blood pressure, slows breathing and allows blood to flow away from your limbs back to you brain and switches off the production of Cortisol. This allows you to see things for what they are and get clarity, to think rationally and logically.

The steps to follow in achieving the state of No Mind are...

1. Outcome: Establish what you need as a clear outcome or solution to an issue

2. Breathe: Notice your breathing and consciously slow and lengthen your breathing. Focus on achieving a balanced breathing pattern, start with the following cycle of:

• Inhale for count of 4

• Hold for count of 2

• Exhale for count of 4

• Hold for count of 2

• Repeat cycle

3. Relax: with each out breath starting from the top of the head and going down through the body

4. Calm: as you relax allow the feelings and emotions to float away and disappear, and allow the calmness to enter your mind and thinking

5. Concentrate: with the tension gone and a calm mind focus on the outcome that you want and see that there are possible solutions by allowing yourself to see the real problem or issues and what are the underlying root causes.

6. Contemplate: the best possible solution, approach, and steps that you can take to achieve the outcome you want. Allow yourself to see in your mind what and how this can happen with your full attention and focus, not allowing any distraction from any other thoughts.

7. No Mind: you have achieved the state that allows you to disassociate from the influence of feelings to see what is, by seeing what is not.

When dealing with work situations and social interactions, human beings tend bring with them their automatic, unconscious assumptions, emotions and bias to the moment that always influence the outcomes before anyone has even spoken.

As we have all experienced, our busy mind is a natural outcome of how the brain processes incoming information. It has some uses, but more often gets in the way of real listening, communication, and collaboration. This is where the state of No Mind can be very useful.

Bringing yourself to a state of No Mind helps you step back into clarity, create distance to the moment and gain a broader view of what is happening.

This encourages more logical thinking and dampens any tendency towards letting your emotions hijack your brain and run the show. Emotions are important but they can cloud our perceptions and lead to an automatic, unproductive reaction, versus a more measured, considered response.

No Mind allows you to see the whole of a situation, versus just your point of view and then respond appropriately and effectively, using your inner wisdom and intuition. When you empty your mind, you achieve the ability to be very aware in the moment with a clear and unbiased mental state. You can then connect to your feelings and with compassion make both logical decisions and ethical ones with integrity.

So why not give it go, after all, you have only negative emotions and old baggage to let go off!

Bac Fu Do Kung Fu

Mon, 08 Apr 2019 13:14:59 GMT

David commenced training in the Martial Arts in 1963, soon after I’d been mugged by a group of guys at Glenelg in Adelaide. His Father was a bantamweight boxing champion of the British Army and also trained in Judo, so this gave David a great start in realistic combat. He was introduced to Kung Fu in the late 60s and was exposed to Choy Lay Fut, Northern Shaolin, Monkey Boxing, Hung Gar styles. Eventually after decades of training he formed his own style called Bac Fu Do.

As Bac Fu Do evolved over a period of years, David incorporated whatever was needed to make his system as a complete martial art’s style. Periodically he copped flak from the traditionalists, who wanted to preserve techniques that were handed down by Master X in 1642 – and which he thought of as being drastically out of step with a modern combat environment.

I like to teach conceptually. By that, I mean if I teach you a “technique” in isolation it mightn’t integrate into your consciousness or be very limited in application - but if I teach you a flexible concept it can be applied flexibly across a whole range of situations.

For example, a really big attacker is powering in towards you – GET OUT OF THE WAY! Don’t worry about whether you’re going to do a perfect cross body block combined with a stylish pirouette – JUST MOVE OFF LINE!

If you move off line, you don’t get immediately splattered and you have breathing space and a tactical/positional advantage.

The next concept is to take advantage of your tactical advantage and START HITTING HIM!

So, Bac Fu Do has some core concepts that I hope will continue to evolve (if you practice other styles, look at them and ask yourself whether they are mirrored in your style’s concepts) – or whether they might be of any use whatsoever to you.

Please remember that these are supposed to be flexible concepts – NOT something that you adopt slavishly:

Directness – Basically, I like to put my closest weapon into my opponent’s closest target (when your hand is close to someone’s head and an eye is 10 centimetres away, why try to bring a kick all the way up from the floor?).
3 Levels, 4 Gates, 5 Angles – in defence, we need to be adept at covering the 3 levels of our body and the four quadrants from which attacks might come. In offence, we need to be adept at penetrating to the 3 levels and 4 quadrants, using our 5 basic angles of entry (up, down, straight, backhand, forehand).
Relaxation, Spontaneity and Explosiveness – relaxation breeds spontaneity (the ability to react effortlessly and appropriately to a given set of circumstances) and explosiveness (the ability to deliver overwhelming kinetic energy into an opponent’s weak areas). I’ll go into this in a lot more detail under “Power Development”. Conversely, a tense mind translates into a tense body - which translates into slower and less explosive technique - which means that your moves become more predictable and obvious and the other bloke may have time to avoid them and may even survive one of your strikes.
Fluidity and Continuity – powerful technique is great but, if your individual moves aren’t delivered seamlessly, there will be gaps between them that an opponent can capitalise on.
Adaptability – combat is chaotic and we need to prepare ourselves to adapt to rapid changes in circumstance.
Simultaneity – “one, two” moves (block, then strike) are generally less effective than simultaneous deflections and counters – in the latter, you are hitting the opponent on your first move and he has less chance to react.

Rhythm Change – do NOT get into the trap of maintaining a constant or even rhythm, change it constantly or your opponent will use your own rhythm to beat you. The superior fighter will soon impose his own rhythm on the fight – then you’re fighting his fight not your fight!
Use of Angulation, Oblique and Circular tactics – more of this in “Linking Combinations” and “Mobility and Footwork” but, essentially, use whatever approach is most appropriate. Don’t just assume that because a straight line between two points is shorter than a curved line, it is most effective – efficiency and effectiveness aren’t always the same.
Distancing (Primary, Secondary and Tertiary) – use techniques that are appropriate to the distance between you and your opponent (don’t lunge forward to put in an elbow attack when you’re within punching or even kicking range).
Vital Target points – ALWAYS target the weak points in the opponent’s body. This is one of my few skills and I’ll be writing a longer treatise on vital points, neural networks, acupuncture meridians and the “mysterious power of Chi” – possibly.

I think that many people could look at those concepts and readily adapt them to their own style – after all, I have to thank other people for putting up with me and passing some of them on.

I firmly believe that to practice something in exactly the same way it was taught in 1642 is an enormous disrespect to the person who first developed it – who was probably considered a radical thinker in his or her day. During our martial arts careers, if we can’t add to the overall sum of human knowledge, we should have stayed in bed. Hopefully, I’ll keep on learning, evolving and sharing knowledge for a few years longer.

Overcoming Your Greatest Challenge with Kancho Glenn Coxon

support@martialartsaustralia.com.au (Graham Slater) — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 13:14:59 GMT

We will meet a lot of people during our lives and many will influence us in a positive way and some of them in the most profound way, if we are fortunate. I want to share a story with you about my good friend Glenn Coxon, as there are many lessons we can take from his journey. One is over coming stage 4 cancer.

Let me start with telling you a bit about what sort of person Glenn is and perhaps we can gain a better understand what he drew upon, to fight this cancer.

Glenn has been involved in the martial arts and fight scene for more than 50 years and has obtained numerous black belts. He grew up reading about legends such as Chuck Norris, Benny ‘The Jet’ Urquidez, Bill ‘Super-foot’ Wallace and so many more. He couldn’t imagine as a kid that one day he would actually get to stand opposite these people toe-toe and share techniques, ideas, meals and even travel with many of them.

Glenn is one of those people that’s sometimes difficult to please and many times difficult to impress. Perhaps that’s why he went out of my way to track down leaders in the Martial Arts, so they could help him become his best.

As a result of his passion for martial arts he opened up a number of schools to share his knowledge and also became a promoter showcasing some of the biggest names in Kickboxing during that era.

"Martial Arts is all about doing everything you can to become the ultimate version of yourself and being honest with yourself about that."

Guinness World Record board break https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0RTOIQjU9c

TED Talk on Challenges

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IxJsRYsev4

He’s a multi Guinness World record holder (board breaking) and this success has overflowed into his corporate career. Glenn is also a specialist Coach & facilitator who has worked with a broad spectrum of Australia’s largest private and public-sector companies including the big 4 banks, Telstra, Optus, Vodaphone, Foxtel, Universal Studios, McDonalds, Zara fashions, NSW Health, Sydney Harbour Authority, AFP, to name a few. He now heads up ClubManager, a software company in Australia.

I wanted to take you to this point to show you that Glenn, is a highly motivated and determined person. He is also very methodical in the way he strategizes and plans everything, meaning nothing is left to chance.

Now at a time in his life where he is happy with his successes, reflecting upon his many achievements and then BANG! He gets the news, ‘you got cancer and its pretty advanced’.

Back on the Cancer, first of all there’s the shock, of a dire health challenge and the possibility of dying very soon. Just as he has always done before, Glenn makes a plan to tackle this challenge. He does the research, gets the right surgeon, improves his nutrition and gets as strong as he can physically, in between times.

There is one more thing he does, that I feel was that special something, that raised his chances of success. He tells people he is going to break his previous Guiness Book Of Records Board Breaking Title, after he blows this cancer crap away. He had already decided he was going to continue his life and could see what that would look like in the future. He switched his mind to the new martial arts goal, even before facing the unknown and highly invasive surgery.

Leapfrog to post operation, chemotherapy and radiation treatment, to setting up a 1,000 board break in a massive stadium with TV cameras, officials from Guiness Book of records and 1,000s of other martial arts fans watching. He has put everything on the line to get here and I’m wondering where the hell does he get his determination from.

This he tells me, was symbolically putting the last final nail in the coffin to cancer. He needed to obliterate it and the physical outlet was, smashing these boards, faster than anyone had done before.

Observing him from just a few meters away, I was watched his preparation very closely. Checking each stack and board, pacing himself and giving instruction to assistants on what to do if a board didn’t break. He was definitely in the zone and now he was ready to do it for real, he was finishing the biggest fight of his life. Cancer was now that little distraction he had along the way to this challenge.

The crowd was roaring as he set off at an enormously fast pace, using both hands simultaneously through four boards at a time. Up until this point, I still didn’t know what he had tapped into to fight cancer. I was following him around the circuit with a camera and kept feeling as though I was literally being pushed backwards. It was so tangible I had to put down my camera as he was emitting so much energy and I was compelled to just stop observe and take it in. It was like every board being smashed was literally releasing more energy, it was electric! Then to me, it felt like that was the special ingredient that was needed, the absolute belief in conquering anything.

As humans we have some amazing abilities, if we take the time to explore them as they are available to all of us. Obviously there is so much more to Glenn’s story and that’s something you can ask the man himself.

‘Bouncing back from cancer required me to reach inside and tap into all I’d learned through my training and every challenge up to that point from struggling to do my very first push-up when I was a kid, to now facing a true life-threatening challenge. My martial arts had taught me to take each challenge one battle at a time and helped me develop a stronger spirit, a stronger determination to win’.

"Because of martial arts I’ve been able to overcome my challenges and I believe they’ve made me much stronger and better prepared for the next challenges of ‘chance’ that life will throw my way."

Richard Norton - The Martial Educator Flies In From The USA

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 01:22:50 GMT

Many people know you as the movie star and highly accomplished martial artist but there is much more to Richard Norton than that.

Vince Busuttil - Motivators On A Mission

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 01:08:47 GMT

Walk into Ultimate Martial Arts and Fitness and you enter a place truly built for transformation. What is so powerful about the Martial Arts centre created by Renshi Vincent Busuttil and his wife Claire Busuttil is that it is a means for empowering life change for so many people.

Tony Ball - Fundoshin

Sun, 09 Jan 2005 13:45:06 GMT

With a current upsurge of interest in ground fighting Soke Tony Ball felt that there was a need to discuss the place of ground fighting in modern martial arts and stress the importance of a quick recovery to a standing position.

John Gill - The Ideal Second String To The Bow

Sat, 01 Jan 2005 12:46:30 GMT

Today's world of Political Correctness and Ambulance-chasing lawyers, you can no longer rely solely on kicking, punching and blocking to defend yourself. You must be able to render and assailant helpless without injuring him. Hapkido is a Korean Martial Art which combines elements of Taekwondo Aikido, Judo, Ju Jitsu and Kung Fu.

Joe Thambu - Instructor Profile

Sat, 01 Jan 2005 12:41:05 GMT

Sensei Joe Thambu, Chief Instructor - Aikido Shudokan, Melbourne: Sensei Thambu began studying Aikido under the tutelage of his Uncle, Sensei Thamby Rajah at age 11. During the early years, Sensei Thambu also studied some Kendo and about three years of Shindo Muso Ryu Judo.

Graham Slater - Reikijitsu The New Internal Art

Sat, 01 Jan 2005 12:30:41 GMT

Reikijitsu is a revolutionary new martial art founded by Sensei Graham Slater, 6th Dan after 30 years of training and discovery in multiple styles of martial arts. Using the kata and kumite from Shotokai Karate as a base Slater borrowed elements from Shintaido, Aikido, Tai Chi, Shiatsu and Reiki to form a wholistic system that focused on both healing and the martial arts.

Garry Viccars - Kyokushin Instructor Profile

Sat, 01 Jan 2005 12:22:59 GMT

Shihan Garry Viccars was born in 1956 and began training in Kyokushin Karate in 1967 at the dojo of Bill Paauw in Little Ryrie St Geelong, That dojo produced some very high profile karate-ka including Brian Ellison, Mervyn Nelis (now head of Seido Karate in Australia) Brain Cole, Peter Volke, Mick Varker and Ritchie Saunders.

David Crook - Bac Fu Do

Sat, 01 Jan 2005 11:04:03 GMT

Bac Fu Do (White Tiger Way) Kung Fu is a powerful composite style martial art taught by veteran Australia Kung Fu master Sifu David Crook.

Darren Ball - Healing Arts

Sat, 01 Jan 2005 10:59:02 GMT

The Samurai were warriors who daily trained in arts of warfare. A skilled warrior would not just be good at killing people but was also considered to be a strategist, someone who could adapt and learn new skills. This is seen throughout Japanese history, when Japan was at peace and battles were no longer fought, Samurai would teach Martial Arts for personal cultivation and spiritual reasons.

Combat Tai Chi

Sat, 01 Jan 2005 10:53:36 GMT

In 1599 Western Fencing master George Silver wrote a manual of fighting principles known as the Paradox of Defence. While discussing the manual with modern Tai Chi master Sifu Eric Fitzgerald he draw interesting parallels between his combat Tai Chi methods and the ancient fighting methods of Silver's paradoxes.

Colin Handley - Stunt Training Fires Up

Sat, 01 Jan 2005 10:48:54 GMT

Colin Handley, Taekwondo Champion, Actor and Principal of Australia Stunt Academy tells us how to make it in Hollywood and talks about his role in the exciting new actions series 'Danger Zone'

Chris Pearc - Chidokan Gasshuku

Sat, 01 Jan 2005 10:44:22 GMT

The Chidokan Gasshuh (Camp) 2004, like all our camps, was a great success as nobody wanted to go home. On Thursday, the night before, during training students knew it would only be a few hours and we would be meeting again at the dojo to leave for Lake Culluleraine and the 2004 Gasshuku.

McPhersons Family Training - Training Profile

Fri, 31 Dec 2004 14:34:16 GMT

The McPhersons family have long been interested in martial arts, in fact almost their whole family practice to this day. As their most recent teacher I have found the McPhersons a pleasure and honour to train. Having spent many years working with the family and seeing how much they out into not only their training but the way they apply themselves in everything they do,

Linc Hibbs

Fri, 31 Dec 2004 14:31:12 GMT

Interview with Linc Hibbs about his martial arts career and personal self.

Jeff Speakman - Kempo Goju Connections

Fri, 31 Dec 2004 14:28:27 GMT

Many people know of and have heard of Jeff Speakman from his action movie debut in "The Perfect Weapon", some people also know him from the world to American Kempo Karate and his Mentor The Late Grand Master Ed Parker

Grant Ratcliffe - Karate

Fri, 31 Dec 2004 14:25:14 GMT

Interview with Grant Ratcliffe about his martial arts career and personal self.

Geoff Thompson - Instructor Profile

Fri, 31 Dec 2004 14:22:21 GMT

Geoff's jumping in the deep end wasn't all smooth sailing. The first night he worked he thought becoming a doorman maybe wasn't the right career move. But he remembers his colleagues patting him on the back and telling him he'd done well. The Reassurance was reassuring. He decided to give it another go and eventually a day turned into a decade.

Dino Kardas - Sabaki

Fri, 31 Dec 2004 14:17:07 GMT

Enshin Karate reflects Kancho Joko Ninomiya's own experience in Judo and Karate. As such, Enshin uses grabbing techniques in addition to the familiar punches and kicks we associate with karate. But the single principle that clearly separates Enshin from other styles is a strategy line of attack into a "Blind Spot" position from which one can counterattack while using the opponent's momentum against the.

Deena Naidu - Goshun Kan karate

Fri, 31 Dec 2004 14:12:23 GMT

Sensei Deena Nairdu's martial arts training started when he was eleven. His first teach Sensei Jam Mohan, now passed on, at the Zenuki Karate Institute in 1970, in Durban South Africa.

Bruce Hyland - Ishiryu Karate

Fri, 31 Dec 2004 14:08:18 GMT

National Kumite Coach Bruce Hyland Elite Athlete Development Specialist

Jamie Moore - Taekwondo

Fri, 31 Dec 2004 14:05:01 GMT

Taekwon-Do, a way of life. What exactly is the meaning of taekwon-do? To put it simply, taekwon-do is a version of unarmed combat designed for the purpose of self-defence. However it is more than just that. It is the scientific use of the body in the method of self-defence.

Chris Clemente - Meibukan

Fri, 31 Dec 2004 14:01:27 GMT

Chris a 30 year veteran of karate has trained under the late Grandmaster Meitoku Yagi. In this article we just touch on a few elements of Meibukan system.

William Cheung - Wooden Dummy

Fri, 31 Dec 2004 13:58:18 GMT

William Cheung answers questions on the wooden dummy as a practicing tool for martial arts.

William Cheung - Martial Arts Warrior Pilgrimage China Tour

Fri, 31 Dec 2004 13:56:14 GMT

The much publicised Martial Arts Warrior pilgrimage to China was realised in July when our group of 40 martial artists, instructors, masters and grandmasters from around the world, including Wing Chun Grandmaster William Cheung, travelled to the birthplace of martial arts: The Shaolin Temple.

Tino Ceberano - Instructor Profile

Fri, 31 Dec 2004 13:37:04 GMT

Tino Ceberano - The name is synonymous with Martial Arts in Australia, especially Goju Karate. He is indeed known and respected in many countries and is back in Australia. Tino has been absent from these shores with work in the Philippines for a few years and is making up for that time away from working with Instructors around the nation.

Rob Gear - Budo-Jitsu

Fri, 31 Dec 2004 13:32:41 GMT

Rob began martial arts in 1974 and his experience now spans 30 years in various styles.

Peter de Been - Instructor Profile

Fri, 31 Dec 2004 13:29:28 GMT

Instructor profile of 'Peter de been' featuring his championship win in the 2004 international 'SUPERFIGHT'.

Archived Linc Hibbs - Tai Chi Kai

Fri, 31 Dec 2004 13:24:45 GMT

Interview with Linc Hibbs 5th Dan, in this article we discuss stretching and the best ways to implement stretching into your routine.

Leith Darkin - Stretching

Fri, 31 Dec 2004 13:21:39 GMT

In this article we are going to look at the various forms of stretching as well as where and how to implement stretching into your training program.

Kazu Shirai - Shintaido

Fri, 31 Dec 2004 13:18:56 GMT

Kazuhiko has studied in a number of arts, however Shintaido has been his main source of knowledge having the privilege of studying directly under the founder Hiriyuki Aoki and the Chief of America Ito. Kazuhiko is the Japan regional director for the IMA.