Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Karate, Taekwondo, or Jiu-jitsu, which is Best?

This is an article full of shopping advice. If you’re shopping for a martial arts school, for training, then you’ve come to the right place. My friend and mentor, Tom Callos, shares his view of what the best style of art to train in:

"I’ve been studying the martial arts for 40 years, I’m a 6th degree black belt in taekwondo, a 17 year practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, and my students have included national taekwondo champions, karate point-fighters, and mixed martial arts legends. So, when it comes to martial arts training, in every -- and any --realm, I know (exactly) what I’m talking about.

Here are three piece of advice for you, regardless of the kind of martial arts you might be interested in:

* It’s the coach, the teacher, that makes the “style,” not the other way around. Look for a coach you respect, look for a teacher you feel you have rapport with. If a martial arts teacher treats you poorly, leave. If he or she treats you with respect, you might be in the right place.


* Find a teacher that has a kind of training that speaks to the kind of training you like to do (or think you would like to do). If the class is too easy or too slow for you, say so. If it’s too hard core, consider finding another teacher (or at least address the issue with the instructor). Some teachers will use apparatus to train, some will only need mats or mirrors or a hardwood floor. If you have the luxury of choices, then choose a kind of training that fits your fitness level and interests.


* Every good school offers an introductory program that allows prospective students to try classes before they enroll. If a school does not offer a free trial class, don't enroll.

* Don’t sign any sort of long term contract for lessons with an instructor until you know him or her very, very well. If you know the teacher, go ahead and support them. If you don’t know the teacher, simply wait until you do. If a school owner tries to pressure you into a long term or high ticket contract, find somewhere else to spend your money.

In the end, in today’s world, most martial arts teach many of the same things. Remember however, it’s not “the martial art” that teaches you, it’s the teacher. Look to his or her experience and demeanor before you look at the style.

Advice for Men and Women over the age of 40, Thinking About Taking Martial Arts Classes

First, take it slow. No, really. There’s no hurry, it’s not a competition, and you’re not 20 anymore (even though you look like it). Going too hard, too fast, is why a lot of people who would like to enjoy all the benefits of training, no longer practice the martial arts (or any number of activities). Go too fast, get injured; get injured, quit training.

Second, if the instructor is your age (or older), that’s a good thing. If he or she is younger, make sure they know who’s the boss (you!). You only do what your body says you can do. If and when a class moves into an area you, for sure, want to avoid, you can always find an alternative way to stay engaged. What you shouldn’t do is “100 reps” when your body is telling you the 50 would be wise. Trust me, your teacher will appreciate your input. Give yourself enough time and you will not only keep up with the group, you might be leading it!

Be consistent. Being inconsistent about class attendance can dampen the fire of your enthusiasm. Stay on course!

Try out the class you’re interested, first, before enrolling. There’s nothing wrong with trying a week or even two weeks of classes with an instructor you’re interested in studying with. Most all schools will provide you with an introductory or trial course,(if you like classes, they’re going to know you for a long, long time). If a school doesn’t offer an introductory, it’s a red flag to enrollment.

By the way, mention this post and receive a free introductory course to our school, good for you and up to 5 family and/or friends.

Tom Callos, 51 years of age and a 40 year veteran of martial arts practice (see his bio at www.tomcallos.com) offer the following advice:

“Don’t hesitate to enroll in martial arts classes,” says Callos. “It’s a wonderful, thorough, and engaging form of exercise. Just be mindful about the way you practice. Study some of the history of the art you engage in. Enjoy the process of improvement.”

Mom, Dad, Here’s The Honest Truth About The Martial Arts for Your Child, Age 5 to 13.

By Tom Callos of www.TomCallos.com

 

 
I took my first martial arts lesson at age 9. By the age of 13, when my friends were experimenting, when peer pressure seemed at an all time high, when I just knew my brain power had far surpassed my father’s, and when I couldn’t pass any reflective surface without gazing in wonder at what it beheld, I was firmly and deeply entrenched in my identity as a martial artist.

The classes anchored me, in fact, they were just about the only place where I could stand completely still for any extended period of time (except, of course, if front of the TV).  The instructors emphasized respect, courtesy, and a code of honor that nobody else I knew seemed to care about. For me, that was good. It made me feel unique.

In a good martial arts school, your child will feel like a part of “the team.” And this team, if they’re good at what they do, will have daily talks about compassion, about respect for self and others, about kindness, and about non-violent conflict resolution.

 

 But equally as good as the philosophy can be is the fact that your little one will be training, as in legs flying, rolling, punching, blocking, jumping, and spinning. Each maneuver has an effect on your child’s brain and, of course, their body. When I watch the young people in my classes doing what we do, I always think about how good it is that they’re here, doing something so constructive and positive.

I also reflect back to when I was a child --and that’s usually followed by a silent “thank you” to my parents.

Football, soccer, baseball, tennis, and guitar were all fun, but not one of them affected me as my martial arts lessons have. If you’re a parent, I would highly recommend enrolling your child in a good school --and you might even consider some classes for yourself.

By the way, I'm 51 now --and the martial arts are STILL keeping me out of trouble.

I feel blessed to know Tom Callos.  He not only is my mentor, he is my friend!  He is an amazing person, who has over 40 years of training and teaching in the martial arts and he has such a unique vision of what the martial arts world should represent.    Sensei Chris Feldt


Sensei Chris Feldt
Samurai Karate Studio
803-462-9425
samuraikarate@bellsouth.net

10 Tips for Martial Arts Students, to Deepen Your Practice

You didn’t start your study of the martial arts to “go through the motions” of it all, did you? Of course you didn’t, but look around you in your next class and I’ll bet you spot a number of your classmates doing that very thing, going through the motions. It’s human nature to get distracted, to multi-task, and wander off course.

To deepen and strengthen your practice so that you stay on the mark and make reasonable progress, I offer you these 10 time-tested, Tom-tested tips:

1. As often as you can remember to do so, say to yourself “I am aware that I am training” (kicking, punching grappling, or whatever it is you’re doing at the moment). For me, that never fails to get my head out of the clouds and back into my practice (I am aware that I am writing this!).

2. Use a training partner (or partners) to hold you accountable to more intense, more focused, and more “present” practice. Friends are a good thing.

3. Eat better food before and after ever class (and, of course, that translates into ALL THE TIME). If you’re body’s jammed full of food-delivered chemicals, cups of corn-syrup, and crates full of unnecessary carbs or fats, you’re going to find you don’t function like the well-oiled machine you're supposed to be. Contrary to the way a lot of people live their lives, what you eat IS important to your performance. In fact, what you eat IS self-defense.

4. Breath deeply, focus on breathing deeply, think about breathing deeply, and maybe, if you have a habit of forgetting, write “BREATH DEEPLY” on the backside of your hand. To see just how much this helps you, do it. You’ll feel the benefits right away.

5. Take your practice off of the mat. Courtesy and respect for others isn’t something that’s practiced in the school with people you’re semi-afraid of. It’s for that ding-dong at the supermarket (you can tell what someone is made of by how they treat the people that mean nothing to them). It’s for your Mom, who sometimes bugs you in a big way. It’s for the substitute teacher (yes, even for him/her).

6. Practice at home, a minimum of 10 minutes a day on the days you don’t attend classes. Little things add up, so even 10 minutes of practice can help you grow. Oh, and if you don’t think 10 minutes matters, try to hold your side-kick out out for 10 minutes or try and hold your breath for 10 minutes. Yeah.

7. Read age-appropriate philosophy. Champions, whether in science, baseball, chess, jiu-jitsu, or cross-country skiing, all have belief systems that make them rise above hardship and overcome obstacles. They all learn to cope with defeat --and victory. Reading the words of someone with experience can be the next best thing to talking with them face-to-face.

8. Go crazy. Yes, act in a way that most people would consider very odd indeed. For example, when things start getting really hard, you pretend they’re getting easier. Crazy! When everyone else complains --and for good reasons too, you find the good in the situation and jump up to be the first person to turn whatever is wrong, right. Insane! When everyone else quits, you stick to it! You’re a nut!

Actually, you’re a martial artist.

9. Measure your own personal performance on a scale between 1 and 10, with “1” being your worst performance --and “10” being an all out, focused, beautiful-to-behold effort. Try to operate as close to level 10 as you can during your classes (whether you’re standing still or doing difficult maneuvers). And while you’re at it, try to LIVE at level 10, whenever possible. It’s a good thing.

10. I hate to drop this one on you last, as it’s a bit of a let-down after all this glorious focus on you and yours, but maybe the best way to deepen your own practice of the martial arts is to help other deepen theirs. Yes, that’s right, in the end, it’s not about you at all. Funny how it always works out that way.

By Tom Callos

About the Author: Tom Callos’ bio and project portfolio may be read at www.tomcallos.com

What should you expect of a martial arts teacher?

Yes, what SHOULD you expect from a martial arts teacher?

You should expect --and get common courtesy, yes? Of course. You might even expect uncommon, beyond-the-norm courtesy I would think? After all, isn’t a good deal of the martial arts about learning and practicing respect?

You should expect the teacher to be in good --to excellent --physical shape. An exception to that rule might come from a teacher who has an unexpected health condition or who suffers as a result of a disabling accident. Stephen Hawking, for example, is still without question a brilliant theoretical physicist, despite his physical limitations. But, in most cases, your teacher should be an example of the benefits of the lifestyle that the martial arts promotes.

You should expect your teacher to be knowledgeable, beyond his or her art. It takes more than a knowledge of kicks, punches, grappling, or _________ (name any physical skill here), to be the kind of teacher one imagines a “Master” of the martial arts to be. It takes some life experience, some mistakes, some losses, and some mileage on one’s life odometer to accumulate a little "wisdom" (common sense).

In the group of instructors I am a part of, The One Hundred, each of us is listed on this site: www.flavors.me/masterteachers. Each member listed there maintains a “project portfolio,” a record of the things we have done --or are currently doing --that, as the head of the project, Tom Callos, says, “Shows how we take our martial arts out of the dojo and put it to work in the world.”

Some of The One Hundred members are new teachers, so their project portfolios are just getting started, while other teachers on the team are veterans of dozens of remarkable community-based projects.

“In the future, “says Tom Callos, “all martial arts teachers will be judged not only by their physical skills or experience, but by how they’ve applied their ‘mastery’ to things in the world that lives outside of their schools.”

One thing you should definitely expect from every cognizant martial arts teacher is a chance to try his or her classes before making any kind of commitment to attending regularly. Ask for an introductory course (we will provide you with one free of charge), to try a class before determining whether the school is a place you would like to spend time at.

If and when you’re ready, call, write, or stop by our location, here: Samurai Karate Studio, 803-462-9425, samuraikarate@bellsouth.net.

Nobody Can Make Me Anything!

Teaching kids about self-defense isn’t just teaching them how to block punches, kicks, and thwart aggressive bullies, it’s instructing them in the importance of proper attitude, perspective, and self-talk.

Tom Callos, team coach for a program called The Ultimate Black Belt Test, promotes the idea that real self-defense is far more about what a child thinks -- than it is about some technique of martial art (obviously, this goes for adults too).

“One of the 10 top self-defense skills I teach my students,” says Callos, “is the idea that nobody can make them anything. Someone else can’t make you angry, make you sad, or even make you happy. It’s not wise to give that power to anyone besides yourself. Of course, this is easy to say and far more difficult to put into practice.”

I have to concur. I do know, however, that big things, giant things, huge accomplishments (like learning to take responsibility for the way you feel), are achieved through small, consistent efforts. One incident where you (or I) don’t blame someone else for how we feel then adds up to two incidents, then three, and from there, habits begin to form.

This is much the way martial arts classes work (and if you're kind enough to read this blog, you may visit our school and receive a free pass to try our lessons. Thank you!); anyone can be trained as a martial artist through small successive victories.

Real self-defense isn’t just physical, it’s mental, emotional, social, and spiritual.

Thinking, “Nobody can make me anything,” is, in my opinion, as good or BETTER a technique of self-defense than anything I have ever learned; OK, except for The Golden Rule (Which is, of course: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. But then, that's another lesson.).

Sensei Chris Feldt
Owner/Chief Instructor
Samurai Karate Studio
803-462-9425
samuraikarate@bellsouth.net

My Life Is My Dojo!

“My life is my dojo.”

“Dojo” means “school” in Japanese — literally, “the place where you find the Way.” And while every country has its own name for school (it’s a different word in Korean, Chinese, etc.), the important part of this statement is that your life is your school — your LIFE is the place where you find the Way.

Should you ever decide to take martial arts lessons, of any kind, I hope that you would be lucky enough to find a teacher who understands and practices the idea of my life is my dojo.

When a student is on the mat, executing punches or kicks, rolls or break-falls, leg locks or arm bars, and/or blocks and parries, all sorts of things are learned, such as the patience required to polish the maneuvers, the control you have to exercise to do it right, the teamwork it takes to participate with your partner and classmates, and the understanding of the return one gets on effort and consistency. What a shame it would be if we failed to take those lessons “out of the dojo and into the world.”

The real lessons in our school, the valuable ones, are the ones we practice on the mat, but fully understand that we’re practicing for the purpose of making something in our life work better, smoother, and with more mastery. We practice in our school, what we wish to see in our lives. That’s what we know to be the most valuable aspect of what we do in our school.

By the way, if you’re not a student, but you’d like to see what it’s like to be one, just mention this post, and we will give you a pass to come in and try a class. Every great journey begins with some small movement in a new direction, yes?

And here’s a secret: I think, “My students are my dojo.” I learn what I need to learn by helping others to do, well...all of the above.

Sensei Chris Feldt
Owner/chief instructor
Samurai Karate Studio
Columbia, SC 29229
803-462-9425

Benefits of Taking Martial Arts Lessons

There are some obvious benefits that young and old alike garner from studying the martial arts. The first one is in the exercise involved. Exercise, if it’s tailored for the age and ability of the participant, is good for the body, the mind, and, yes, often good for the spirit too.

A not-so-obvious benefit of studying the martial arts is the often unspoken requirement to “be present” in the practice. “When you’re dealing with kicks, punches, and arm-bars,” says veteran martial arts teacher Tom Callos of Hilo, Hawaii, “you simply have to stay ‘in the moment’ to keep from getting socked in the nose. Awareness of what I call, ‘The here and now,” is something you can instantly take off of the mat and put to work in your everyday life.”

With exercise and mindfulness comes a third component that is not a benefit you’ll find in every martial arts school, but it’s something we are deeply involved with. It’s about food and its connection to fitness and health. The Diet Chronicles is a project where a group of martial arts teachers are starting to document, on video, what they eat and how it’s prepared –in an effort to eat more mindfully.

Some of the video journals are being posted to an on-line community based around the book Savor (www.SavorTheBook.com). Savor is co-written by Harvard nutritionist Dr. Lilian Cheung and Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.

To see one of the Diet Chronicle videos, click this link: Diet Chronicles

“What we consume is as important and relevant to self-defense in today’s world,” says Callos, “as any kind of martial arts technique.”

For more information on using the martial arts to improve the body, mind, and diet, contact Sensei Chris Feldt, owner/chief instructor of Samurai Karate Studio at 803-462-9425 or email me at samuraikarate@bellsouth.net.