Getting into the Rhythm - The Law of Cadence

This law is about understanding Rhythm and states that ‘life moves to a beat or rhythm mastering life is the matching of ones natural rhythm to ones environment’

We are all composed of energy and energy produces vibration or a beat; a rhythm. Everything in life moves to a beat, a rhythm; heart beat, day and night, the four seasons, the beat of a bird’s wing, the tides; the cycle of the Moon, the rhythm of our breathing. Being in accordance with the natural rhythm of life brings peace and harmony. Towns and cities have a fast beat an artificial rhythm and the countryside has a different rhythm which we can feel when we visit which may account for why so many city people flock to the countryside at the first chance they get. Being in accordance with the natural rhythm of life brings one a sense of peace and being out of rhythm often brings illness and internal discord.

The master martial artist understands that life is built around rhythm and seeks to match his own to the natural rhythm of life. In combat the master develops his own rhythm and destroys his opponent’s rhythm. His movements have a beat and his ability to change his cadence to match or exceed his opponent’s is what makes him a master.

There is a saying which goes ‘repetition is the mother of skill’, repetition is the rhythm of practice and the more we repeat or practice the more we develop our skill level. The more we practice the deeper our understanding and the more efficient our control of speed, timing, distance, leverage and balance. For instance running; running is a simple physical activity, it’s just putting one foot in front of another at a fast beat. But the experienced runner will move more efficiently, use less energy and develop more momentum through sustained repetition over time. The development of our skill in running is not intellectual though we can study it and apply what we learn from it to help others achieve greater efficiency. But the runner himself learns at a more basic level. By constantly repeating the practice of running his body learns how to run more efficiently and running more efficiently is the utilisation of the 5 DELTA keys more efficiently through practice. Understanding the learning process does not mean one runs faster but it can if used thoughtfully, but the constant repetition of the steps over time builds a deep, subtle innate understanding of the process that does not need to be understood, just utilised to reach ones objective.

Another saying is ‘practice makes perfect’ and this too is the utilisation of rhythm to build greater skill. The master martial artist builds his skill through many years of practice but he practices with an intent that in martial arts is called the ‘Way’. The way, the tao, the ‘do’ in Judo, aikido, karate-do, hapkido, tae kwon do represents the pursuit of the ‘way’ through sustained, thoughtful practice to uncover the secret of life. Only practice can achieve this, the sustained repeating of the same movements again and again over many years brings the master closer to understanding the ‘Way’. Through this practice his movements become so ‘natural’ that he appears to do things without any effort. His speed is deceptively easy, simple; his technique flows like water and his balance never seems to be disturbed.

Many practices bring this same ease of movement achieved through practice but the martial artist in particular uses his practice to divine the mysteries that elude most normal people. ‘You can’t hit a target that you can’t see’ is a phrase that we use in martial arts; ‘ordinary’ people won’t often attain an understanding of the ‘Way’ because they don’t know its there. They can’t see it because they don’t know about it, they can’t recognise it. Imagine it like a ‘magic eye’ picture; in order to perceive the image one must achieve a certain focus of ones eyes, but unless one knows the image is there one won’t know to change ones focus in order to see the image. In martial arts it has long been known of and the educated master is actively searching for it through constant practice of the same movements over and over again. By practicing their techniques over many years they (the masters)  learn more and more about the movement and by knowing what to look for they begin to glimpse the ‘Way’ which in my mind is the other side or what one might call spirituality, the greatest of all intelligences. Practice is rhythm or beat, done fast or slow in attacking technique or defensive technique. Practice of the beat enhances ones movement creating efficient technique.

In the AEGIS system we categorise defence into 5 levels based on their effectiveness in defence or attack; level 5 is avoidance of an attack and is the best way to stay out of conflict, though as with most problems, by avoiding them they don’t necessarily go away. Level 4 is to block the problem which means to put oneself at risk. Level 3 is to re-direct the opponents force and is the beginning of ones control over the attacker. Level 2 is to evade/intercept which is to hit him as he tries to hit you and level one is to attack which is to hit him before he tries to launch his own attack and is often the element of surprise. Each level has its own rhythm or beat and the less the number of beats, the faster the response down to the point where one starts before his attack is launched.

The level 5 beat is applicable only if one wants to avoid first and then counter attack but to move away from the attack as the level requires and then move back into danger to counter attack is slow; not to say it won’t work but the greater the time between the attack and the counter gives the opponent more time to build his own rhythm. Level 4 rhythm is block and counter which is two distinct beats, level 3 is the beginning of interception and uses an anticipation of the attack bringing the beat to a 1 and half beat. Level 2 is a simultaneous defence and counter which is 1 beat but still the beat responds to the attack and so whilst effective is still reactive.

Level one is one beat but its different this time as you are not responding you are attacking so you control the beat this could be called ‘no beat’. This is therefore the fastest response, not allowing the physical attack to begin. It’s for this reason that as the saying goes ‘attack is the best defence’ as it has the briefest rhythm being simply attack, it uses one of the most effective strategies which is surprise.

These are examples of rhythm used in martial arts but there are many more such as the rhythm in ones footwork, timing, techniques, combinations, and the like. But most of all the key rhythm is the practice of technique into the 1000’s with the intention of gaining the deepest levels of mastery. The ancient masters knew this and decried the efforts of later generations just as we do today. What they really decry is the attitude of the current generation who always seem to want faster results without application of the necessary number of repetitions. In reality some martial artists are applying themselves to mastery as they always have done whilst others want the faster results.

The point of all this is to understand that life is full of rhythm whether we realise it or not, but by realising it we can use it to our benefit. Martial arts and life build rhythms through practice and what is another word for rhythm ‘habit’. Our habits define us and as Aristotle said ‘we are what we consistently do’. We can achieve anything or nothing through our habits by applying our focus toward goals that are worthy or otherwise, either way we can build our life in whatever way we want, but if we take the martial ‘Way’ we can use the law of cadence/rhythm to delve into mastery and glimpse something much deeper.

Our habits are both our enemy and our friend and as long as we recognise which we can develop them toward our chosen goals. Our habits are our rhythm our cadence and our habits are literally thousands of times more powerful than our intentions. Just as Pavlov created chosen habits in his dog experiments teaching them to salivate at the ringing of a bell we can deliberately build our rhythm our habits to put our intentions on automatic by creating habits that achieve our goals in life and martial arts.

The secret to understanding the law of cadence is to decide what you want and how to use the law of rhythm to either get rid of old habits and build the new ones that serve your intentions or goals. This is not an easy task but one that is made easier by understanding the law.

By using the law of cadence we can develop our rhythm into one of the most effective strategies of martial arts which is ‘momentum’. Momentum is the development of cadence to the point where it overwhelms any opposition; breaking the rhythm of our opponent reaching a tipping point where the rhythm becomes too much to stand against and at which we point we win.

Thanks for reading today and I look forward to speaking to you again soon. If you want to gain a greater understanding of the martial arts experience give me a call on 0800 0920948 and get our full brochure or take advantage of our FREE 30 day membership by calling the number or go to http://www.nat-mac.co.uk/www.nat-mac.co.uk/info.php?p=8 and book online.

Best wishes

Tony Higo

Chief Instructor

National Martial Arts College

0800 092 0948

www.nat-mac.co.uk

Getting What You Want Through the 'Law of Focus'

This law states that ‘what you focus on becomes your reality’ Now, I ask you, ‘is the reality you have the reality you want?’ To see a target is to see a goal, an outcome and to see means not just physically with our eyes but mentally through visualisation. There is another saying which goes ‘you cannot achieve something that you cannot visualise having’. If you don’t believe that you can achieve or do not deserve a certain goal then you cannot visualise its achievement well enough to make it happen.

‘You can’t hit a target that you can’t see’

This is not to say that you cannot have it eventually because goals are like steps and each goal we achieve is a step toward a greater goal, for instance to become a world class Tennis player can be difficult to focus on unless you focus on the steps that will get you there. Many new students cannot imagine themselves becoming black belts and often do not set it as a goal. However as they progress through the coloured belt ranks they realise that black belt is achievable step by step and then they make it their focus.

Another saying goes ‘what you focus on expands’ and this means that once we set our selves toward a goal it can become all we can see. The philosopher and thinker Abraham Maslow once said ‘give a child a hammer and the whole world becomes a nail’. The intensity of our focus is crucial toward the achievement of our goals, and there is even a part of our brain whose job it is to recognise anything that could be useful toward achieving something that we are focusing on. It is called the reticular cortex and it is activated whenever we focus intently on any goal. If we are looking for a new car and we decide upon the model that we want, suddenly we start seeing them everywhere. If we are looking to buy a new house all of a sudden we see ‘for sale’ signs on every road we pass. They don’t simply appear because we are looking; they were there anyway but once we start to look our brains re-align their focus toward what we currently desire.

In martial combat our focus is trained through 100’s of hours of repetition to discipline our focus to what is necessary to survive or thrive; initially our beginners focus is on the physical aspects of the martial arts. In the early days of practice we push our selves physically and mentally to achieve proficient technique and even though our hearts and muscles are complaining at the stress they’re under we apply our will power to continuing through the pain barriers under the guidance and encouragement of our instructors. Gradually as we achieve better technique, smoother movement and stronger muscles we feel the benefit of what we have pushed ourselves to achieve.

Our focus is to improve our martial arts and as we focus our attention on martial arts everything around us seems to be martial arts just like the child with the hammer, everything has become a nail. Sometimes we push ourselves too hard and sustain injury and this is dangerous toward our continuation of our training as time out of our studies can cause us to shift our focus elsewhere and away from the life long benefits of the martial arts. However, if we exercise care and thoughtfulness in our training, applying our rest so that our bodies can recover and repair and if our instructors have the skill to know our limits even if we don’t we can progress safely. If they keep us away from heavy handed partners and practices that are dangerous for beginners we can avoid injuries and bad experiences that will falsely prejudice us against continuing our studies.

Focus must be tempered and this takes discipline, discipline that the martial arts will bring in abundance over time and this discipline like so much in martial arts can be applied to the achievement of other goals in our lives. In combat this focus is essential and required at extremely high levels; much higher intensity is needed than on the practice floor and your instructor will push you to increase your focus and intensity so you can draw upon it when needed.

What we focus on is important too and our focus will shift over time as our priorities change. Parents come to me to say how their child can’t focus ‘he doesn’t pay attention to anything’ the child is focused on what he wants and that is not the same as what you want. In time and with the right support the child can learn to focus on not just what he wants but also on things that he may not see the need for now but in time will see if he trusts his teacher that there is more to find.

This is where discipline becomes a part of focus, the ability to focus on things that we have to do but don’t really enjoy or want to do. The achievements we make in life are drawn from what we want on an emotional level, tempered with what we know we need on an intellectual level and the spirit we can apply to their achievement on a physical level. No worthy achievement fails to engage all the 5 intelligences but those that are not worthy will pull us out of balance. Unworthy goals beguile and seduce us toward them, our parents, teachers and mentors are here to guide us on what is worthy and what is not based on their experience but how do we really make the distinction ourselves. What is a worthy goal? Well this comes down to personal choice but I would say that we all know what is really worthy and what is not. We can ask ourselves the question ‘is this goal worthy of my focus?’ listen for what answer comes back.

Here’s a useful rule of thumb to help you decide what is worthy and what is not a worthy goal – ‘a worthy goal is hard today but easy tomorrow, an unworthy goal is easy today and hard tomorrow’ for instance go out drinking tonight (easy) but tomorrow we are hung over (hard) compared to a worthy goal let’s say exercise; its hard today but tomorrow is easy. When we pursue life through easy (or unworthy) goals we make ourselves more difficult later and the converse is true with hard goals.

‘Live for today’ some people say to me and I completely agree we must live in the now but what we do to ourselves today we pay for tomorrow. So if we want more ‘Now’s’ in good mental and physical health we have to discipline and focus ourselves passed immediate gratification and the transitory joy that brings and instead take joy from what we have or are trying to achieve over the longer term because one day the choice of how we live will be limited by our health. When we get older we lose our strength but if we have laid a firm foundation of health when we are young we are more likely to avoid debilitating health problems when we are old. It is true that what we do today, we pay for tomorrow and that works for both the good and the bad. Eating bad food today might bring instant gratification now but in the future their will be a price to pay if you’ve made bad food your habit. Difficult goals strengthen us, easy goals weaken us.

I get disappointed when I see people applying their focus to things that are useless. X-factor, East Enders, Big Brother and programs like these are not worth a second of our focus because they are subtly addictive but they gain us nothing. We waste our time by watching them and anyone who spends time focusing on rubbish like this will fail to achieve what they are capable of because they are focusing in the wrong direction. We can all have the life of our dreams but we must focus without being sidetracked onto things that have no value. People say to me ‘but they’re only a bit of fun’ well so are drugs, alcohol and food. For most of us we have the discipline to pull back from things when they take too much of our attention but for many others they cannot. This brings into the realms of education which I don’t want to cover today but I hope you see what I am talking about. Focus is a skill that we can develop, it’s tremendously valuable toward a fulfilled life but it must be pointed at something worthwhile or it’s wasted.

Every successful person that ever lived has applied their focus toward their goals. Life is not a lottery win where we bypass the journey for the destination we think we want i.e. money, no, life is a journey where we focus on what we want and that focus shifts over time and achievement toward goals that at the outset we don’t know exist, but by focusing step by step on goal after goal we learn on the completion of each goal whether or not it brings what we really desire. Money may be an initial goal for many of us because it allows us choice and the ability to purchase things that make our life easier. However we learn after a while that whilst money often accompanies our goal achievement it is not the end in and of itself, rather a by-product of what we are striving for.

In the martial arts we strive for improvement in technique focusing on the very smallest things to understand how our technique improves our whole life. Our discipline and focus develops as we go deeper and deeper into the practice until we achieve what the Zen Buddhists call the ‘mind of no mind’ or as some call the ‘normal mind’. This comes with sustained and disciplined practice over many years and could be called ‘unconscious competence’ the ability to do something that is difficult with such ease that we do not even have to think about it.

The master martial artist doesn’t focus on the technique he uses to achieve his aim he focuses simply on his goal and the techniques fall into place as required. Just like with something we do much of for instance walking. We don’t think about walking we just walk. Our body makes all the decisions necessary allowing our minds to be elsewhere. In martial arts we make ourselves ‘walkers’ of every technique or strategy performed so often that when we need to use them they simply act doing the absolutely necessary without our minds having to be engaged. This is what I see as the ‘mind of no mind’ to achieve every task with the same mentality, effort and ease as if we were simply taking a walk.

At this point of ‘no mindedness’ we have achieved mastery and we enter into a new realm of spirituality a realm that can be difficult to achieve as so many things spring up at us taking away our focus to things of no importance like computer games, internet or TV. But what do you do when you need to solve a problem? Well you might take a walk in the country; re-connect with nature and the myriad of living things that exist there and by doing so attain connection with your spirit and the problem shrinks away or the answer springs into your consciousness often fully formed.

So focus is essential; focus requires motivation and discipline. Focus needs worthy goals. Focus is a learnable skill. Focus changes and matures with the accomplishment of each target or goal and focus links us to our spirit which is why I have placed it under the Law of Study because study requires practice, repetition and review and this takes our focus deeper and deeper until we connect with our spirit and connecting with our spirit is the true test of a worthy goal. Spirit is contribution, gratitude and conscience. Spirit is our real selves but to find our real selves we must apply the law of focus which states ‘what you focus on becomes your reality’ so focus on that which will if not immediately, will eventually uncover your real self.

Thanks for reading today. For more details on how you can learn, use and benefit from improved focus in your life you should book a Free introductory lesson at one of our Colleges. For more details go to http://www.nat-mac.co.uk/www.nat-mac.co.uk/info.php?p=8 where you can read more about what we do and book your first lesson at the same tie if you want to. 

Best wishes

Tony Higo

Chief Instructor

National Martial Arts Colleges UK

www.nat-mac.co.uk

0800 0920948

The Law of Footwork

The law of footwork states that ‘a desired objective beyond ones immediate reach requires practised skill in the steps toward its achievement’. The necessary steps are what we call in the martial arts ‘Footwork’ and good footwork is important in the accomplishment of all athletic endeavours and in martial arts in particular. Some endeavours are particularly planned in their steps such as dance, hurdling and the like. In martial arts the subject is complicated by the fact that the objective is trying its hardest not to be achieved. Ones opponent wants a similar objective which obviously conflicts with ones own plans. What steps are needed, how and when?

In combat we take baby steps forward; that is half steps as every step could take you into the path of an oncoming attack. Caution is the watch word when moving toward danger and speed is the same when moving away. When we move forward in attack we do so cautiously unless we are using overwhelm or surprise as our strategy but when retreating we can happily move backwards at speed.

The same happens in life depending on the level of risk, whether it be physical or emotional. Imagine asking out a potential new partner, one rarely steps up and blurts out ‘marry me!’ in the first encounter for one the person will think you are crazy and that would blow out any chance you had before you start and secondly what would happen if they said yes and they turned out to be crazy? You’d certainly need good footwork to get out of that one! In business we act the same way – taking greater care when the risk is higher. Only experience can teach one the right approach and in goal setting of any kind we learn early that ‘fools rush in where angels fear to tread’. With experience of taking the same action over and over again we can be more confident of our steps but with any goal that leaves one potentially vulnerable we are always wise to exercise caution.

It seems obvious that footwork would be toward ones goal however depending on what level of surprise, deception or caution might be necessary, for instance whether the target will fight against ones conquering of it a more subtle approach might be necessary. Side steps, oblique steps, back steps and the like even ‘no steps’ are applicable as the situation demands. Good footwork is involved in all 5 of the DELTA sequence; that is the 5 key essentials for martial combat and life achievement. DELTA stands for distance, equilibrium, leverage, timing and acceleration and as I mentioned footwork aids all 5 elements. Distance is controlled through footwork, balance is achieved through it, leverage is improved or impaired by it, timing can often rely on it and acceleration can rarely do without it.

Not much can happen without good footwork and it is therefore an essential skill to develop. In the AEGIS system we utilise 5 step types, there are more but 5 is sufficient for most tasks. We also work on 5 direction types: forwards, backwards, left right and oblique angles. Once one understands and learns the steps one can practice and develop mastery of ones footwork thereby having the tools to use in ones strategy. With expert footwork any goal can be attempted but without it little can be achieved. Often we see novices who have developed fast in technique only to be let down by poor footwork. Footwork mastery allows technique to be delivered efficiently but one has to understand which steps support which technique or combination of. Footwork is essential in setting up and launching attacks and defences, it allows us to be spontaneous and to react fast with opportunities or against challenges.

The equivalent life skill in footwork are the steps we take in our strategy toward our goals, our game plan is composed of a series of steps planned in advance of our start. Just as with launching a kick or punch we plan the strategy to land the shot and our skill shows when we have to react and adapt to any misjudgement or change in circumstances. Skill in goal achievement means we get better at choosing our steps toward it and just like babies taking their first steps one starts with ‘baby steps’, possibly using others or objects for support. Gradually our balance improves and our steps become more certain until we can march confidently.

The baby step analogy is useful also to help us understand and judge our progress in life and martial arts. Just because we are adults doesn’t mean we can’t take ‘baby steps’ when we are unsure of the ground. With a new life goal it is useful to have someone else for support, to lean on or to even catch us when we fall. Just like a baby we can eventually achieve independence but every new challenge will test the confidence we have in our steps. If however we understand how the steps work we can better use them in more different situations. If we understand the laws that govern our steps we can apply them toward the achievement of many more goals in more and diverse areas. The true master of martial arts and therefore by implication life well understands the law of footwork and how to apply it.

Thank you for reading today and I look forward to speaking again soon. I have almost finished blogging on the laws of combat with only 2 more of the 25 laws left to cover. Those of you who are already a part of the AEGIS system will be taught how all these laws work and interact as part of our Leadership or Certified Instructor Training Programs so you have a lot to look forward to as you will learn how to apply the laws not only to your combat skills but to your life, specifically how to improve your life with it. The martial arts were developed exactly for that: first to survive and then to thrive. Unlike most martial arts systems the AEGIS system focuses on martial arts at the holistic level rather than just the physical survival model or those that seek to achieve higher intellectually and spiritually but offer little guidance on the journey except to encourage one to practice. Whilst practice will bring understanding eventually one can achieve deeper levels through being guided by ones mentor/instructor. Sure it’s the journey not the destination that matters but what’s wrong with understanding more, faster? The spiritual levels are so deep anyway there is always more to delve; digging deeper is always more rewarding if one knows what one is looking for. 

For more information on the AEGIS system you can take a 30 day free trial by booking online at http://www.nat-mac.co.uk/www.nat-mac.co.uk/info.php?p=8 and I know that it’s a decision you won’t regret. Do it now and open up to a whole new world

Best wishes

Tony Higo

Chief Instructor

National Martial Arts College

0800 0920948

www.nat-mac.co.uk 

The Law of Acceleration

The law of acceleration states that ‘the achievement of an objective to match or exceed an externally controlled time frame requires precise control of ones velocity’

Acceleration is the rate of change in velocity of a moving body, it can be slow or fast and the speed of acceleration is decided by the time available. When you’re driving to work and you’re running late you accelerate when you are too early you might decelerate. Acceleration is ones control of speed to fit the time frame available.

In combat we need to be able to accelerate quickly as fights happen very fast and we have to act fast to complete our objective in the time frame available. The ‘window of opportunity’ may not be open long and in combat one must maximise one’s opportunities to reduce the number of casualties.

It is said that a ‘goal is a dream with a deadline’ and the ability to complete the objectives within that deadline requires one to be able to control the speed of completion of the objectives. In a business environment that may be hitting targets by the end of the month. At the start of the month the target may seem easily achievable with plenty of time to meet the objectives, but then circumstances outside ones sphere of control step in to hinder ones progress. As the deadline approaches one has to be able to increase the speed of the task completion to match the shrinking time frame. Bonuses, pay cheques, sales prizes and the like are only awarded to those who have sufficient skills to complete the tasks and also the ability to speed up or even slow down their completion to match the remaining time available.

In one on one combat which happens very fast one has little time to make decisions, react or plan and adrenalin fuelled fear acts to cause one to potentially over accelerate our actions causing us to misjudge targets and thereby fail to build sufficient acceleration to match the window of opportunity. As with all actions speed is not the only factor and in combat the DELTA sequence of distance, equilibrium, leverage, timing and acceleration all play their part in the achievement of the best outcome. Speed alone is rarely enough and control of speed relies on the other 4 components to launch the attack or defence from. Without balance leverage is reduced, without control of distance timing is spoiled and without leverage speed is wasted and so on.

Any goal once it is truly a goal with a specific outcome and a time frame in which it is to be completed immediately becomes externally controlled by the time frame and specificity applied to it. Once you set the goal you hand over the control to an external force, in this case the time frame and outcome you have stated as your aim. If you take the goal seriously then you have a finite time in which to complete it and this can build an innate sense of resistance a paradox which we create. None of us enjoys doing anything within another’s time frame, at another’s speed even if the time frame is set by ourselves. Emotionally we will be drawn back to our habitual way of doing things unless the goal itself conforms to our established habits. As the saying goes ‘if you want something you’ve never had before, you must do something you’ve never done before’ and many of our goals require us to do something we’ve never done before.

The achievement of new outcomes requires the completion of new tasks to get there. The first time we attempt a new goal our timing will be ‘off’. Goals generally are either missed or exceeded and new goals markedly so. Achieving a goal within the time allotted requires precise control of ones objectives and the speed at which they are accomplished.

So acceleration is the speed at which the objectives are completed and that control of speed gets easier the more often/experience we have in completing or achieving the goal. In combat we all have our favourite strategies and techniques and we re-use all those that give us the best outcome. The more we use them the more we achieve the goal we want, with each achievement of the same goal we learn more about the acceleration and timeframe we have to achieve it in. If we need to speed up we can and if we need to slow down we can do that also.

Like a gymnast performing a back flip, to the outsider each one seems the same but to the performer every one is different, every one must be completed within the time frame demanded, the time it takes to jump spin and land upon ones feet. Once the jump has started there is no turning back one is committed to the goal and any deviation from it will result in disaster. So if the jump is made slightly wrong one must control as much as possible what one can make the necessary adjustments required to complete the task safely within the maximum time still available.

Once we set a goal, a specific outcome within a specific time frame the time frame becomes external to us and outside our control. As soon as we make the decision that this goal will be achieved in this or that time frame we hand over the time we have to achieve the goal as much as if the time frame was decided for us. Sure we can arrange things so that we are prepared for the goal using the law of hierarchy to set things in the right order, the law of set up to plan the first move and the law of launch point to give us the best start. But once we say ‘go’ the time is out of our control. We cannot control time but we can control what we do with the time available and in life as in martial arts, the more often we complete the same action the more efficient we become in the action and the more able we are to control the speed of the action. This is the key to acceleration not speed as in ‘as fast as you can’ but speed as in ‘as fast as necessary’. That could be slow or fast as long as it matches the time frame imposed upon us or by us.

To achieve any goal we must exert some control over our speed towards it and as I said earlier the more we practice the goal the more we can control the speed of its achievement. This is why a production line works so well because each step is repeated so often that the outcome is certain and the acceleration a completely known quantity. What matters most I suppose is the outcome we pursue with our acceleration, the goal we pursue and the worthiness of it. However that is a discussion for another time, for now its enough to understand what acceleration is and how we use it and that includes how it fits with the other 4 keys of the DELTA sequence.

Thanks for reading today and I look forward to speaking with you again soon on another topic that I hope might interest you

Best wishes

Tony Higo

Chief Instructor

National Martial Arts College

0800 092 0948

www.nat-mac.co.uk

Real Reality Martial Arts

It seems like some of the loudest voices in the martial arts these days are the reality martial arts; those that teach the down & dirty street defence. Kewap, Defendo, Krav Maga and the like are quite prominent in their advertising, but whilst I once believed in the street effectiveness of a martial art in the form that all these systems are offering, I have now developed my thinking to a deeper level that these systems seem to be missing.

Let’s take a look at how martial arts developed all those millennia ago. Martial arts are not unique to the human race are they? No, all carnivores and quite a few herbivores have developed fighting methods of defending themselves and feeding themselves, in fact some styles of kung fu have based themselves on the martial arts that animals use such as preying mantis, monkey style and the like. And this is an important function of the martial arts to allow and help us to survive. Survive to live, eat, procreate etc. Survival of the fittest is a well known saying the world over isn’t it? We all need to survive for as long as possible don’t we?

However whilst survival is important it’s not necessarily fun or particularly fulfilling, the meanest animals on Earth are surviving but it doesn’t look like they’re having a good time does it? People living rough on the streets are surviving and that certainly doesn’t look like it’s a very rewarding life. It is my belief that the skills that we use to survive are the same skills that will help do much more than survive, these skills will also help us to thrive. It’s what I call Survival and Thrival, survival definitely, but thrival preferably.

Martial arts are the systemisation of the laws, principles, rules, strategies and techniques that have allowed the human race to rise above all the other animals on the planet. Over the years the sustained practice under good teachers brought a deeper understanding of the skills and how they may be better and more fully applied to life as well as combat. This is why the ancient masters connected with religions and philosophies and deeper meanings of life because they had studied their arts so deeply they had learned how to use their skills not just for warfare and survival but they had also applied their skills on a more global level. This allowed them to use their martial arts skills in business, relationships, health and as a tool for developing spiritually.

Business and world leaders have recognised for centuries the skills that make a successful life and a life of achievement and for years they have studied the works of Sun Tzu, Musashi and the like, people who had already learned, interpreted and applied their martial skills to achieve a life of fulfilment.

However I get frustrated by the limited thinking of many martial artists today who’s thinking is too limited to survival and not thrival, too based in the physical and emotional levels of the martial arts to realise what else can be achieved using the very same skills. We must look beyond the purely physical skills and ask ourselves the question: ‘is my life better for studying the martial arts?’ most martial artists would say yes to this but what about the follow up questions such as: ‘Am I thriving?’ ‘Am I achieving all that I can?’ ‘Is what I am achieving helping me become richer, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually?’

From what I see of some martial artists the answer is definitely ‘NO’. What do I base my assessment on? Well the fact that they focus on either pure survival techniques or competition. I’ve discussed already what is wrong with survival martial arts so what is wrong with competition? In one word ‘Ego’, it’s all about ego; beating someone else, measuring success by the number of trophies in your cabinet. It’s not REAL! Also it doesn’t help. The word egotist is generally used as an insult isn’t it? Do you like egotistical people? No, they are in your face, pompous and emotionally weak. Egotists generally have some character defect that they are trying to overcome and it’s fairly obvious to everyone around them though not to the egotist himself.

The ego exists to be either superior or inferior to someone else so competition is a great feeder to the ego, as its all about winning or losing; being better than or lesser than. The overall achievement through competition is very little in terms of future application and you end up leaning on past successes to justify current failures. The martial arts skills that make us good competitors are wasted on what is in the main, pointless trophy collection. Beating or being beaten by someone teaches us the false message that success is a measurement against others rather than treating failure as experience we treat it as not being good enough as a person. Whereas competing against ourselves gives us a truer measure of success or failure. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said ‘there is no nobility in being superior to another person, the only nobility is in being superior to who you were yesterday’.

In summary martial arts are not about winning, martial arts are about achieving the outcome you desire. That desire is certainly survival but once you are surviving, surviving is no longer enough and we move onto thriving and we only thrive through applying the skills of survival more effectively. Martial arts skills are the skills to do this, so think beyond how they help you to survive, think beyond the one sidedness of competition. Think instead about using these skills that you have developed over 1000’s of hours of study to bring yourself a balanced and fulfilled life – that is what REAL REALITY martial arts are REALLY about.

Thanks for reading today and I look forward to speaking again on another martial arts related topic very soon.

Tony Higo

Chief Instructor

National Martial Arts College

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