Hatsumi Grapples Multiple Opponents to the Ground

Glad to hear it man!!

In all seriousness, I know that earlier in this thread, the topic of your training history has come into play, but all kidding aside, I'm glad that you have found an art (BJJ) that you're really getting into! Glad to hear that you're planning on another session with RT.

Who knows, maybe after how many posts in this thread, people will step back and re-evaluate their training.

Keep training hard!

 

Are you an instructor? Most things are rank specific. Like if you are a 1-3rd Dan instructor, you won't hear about the infighting or mud-slinging between 7th-9th Dan's. Man the **** I've put up with over the years....it's almost like children bickering, and really can be disillusioning.

 

yes, sort of, maybe, a bit!!

some of the stuff i hear could cause MAP to implode!!

 

This may be true, but I tend to think of it more as "generations." You are privileged (and sometimes cursed) to the information and politics of a generation, much like marrying into a family.

Then outside the immediate family you get second hand, third hand, etc. information passed down to you.

An example of this, related to martial arts, is after the first UFC fights and the success of the Gracies. There were many from a generation that jumped on the band wagon of MMA. But at the same time there were many from just a generation back that took offense to the success of the Gracies, claiming such things as MMA is not new, or they train grappling too, but when put to the test, it rarely was as good "stuff" as what was trained and found in BJJ and MMA. Then you had an even older generation, one's sometimes described as in the know, that publicly did not say much at all about it, keeping things in the family... but they embraced the success of MMA, like a good kick in the butt to get things going because they had seen martial arts becoming watered down and neglected, but MMA became a wake up call.

Many life-time martial artists, putting aside any inflated egos, really like to learn new things. Sitting back and observing, absorbing knowledge from anywhere, including MMA. Then in private they train and build on this knowledge, sometimes rediscovering meaning in old things neglected and sometimes coming up with something completely new.

I say this because of the video that started this thread. What ever the feelings about the meaning of the video, Hatsumi is of a generation that could easily be considered "in the know." I don't mean his age, I mean in his open minded thinking when it comes to martial arts.

 

I love the way Hatsumi just does what he does and leaves it hanging out there for people to get what they want to get from it. So many people focus on this or that and they argue about who's right. But they're all just getting what they want..... For me, Hatsumi is a lesson in creative, non-conventional thinking. Whereas most people focus on trying to learn set "techniques", he tries to teach creative technique. It's like a music teacher trying to teach how to improvise music. You can learn all the chords you want, but it's a whole 'nother thing to jump into a song you don't know and improvise your way through it.
I think that whatever art someone studies, they can learn something from him if they want to.

 

You know what? I think that's the best post on this thread.

Nice!

 

But in this case, you have many of the head teacher's top students telling you how learning notes and practicing builds bad habits, and how it's better to just pretend to play your instrument so that you are not binded by the sounds it may make....after all that, you will be able to play symphonies I tell ya SYMPHONIES!

 

Yep, and if you believe those idio--uh, high ranking students, you failed to follow Hatsumi... in having the fortitude to think for yourself.

 

Yeah, the violin is great though. Difficult at first as it sounds like you are stretching a cat..... try a trumpet that's easy to play you just push buttoms and make a vibrating noise with your lips..... I'm sure there is an analogy in there somewhere

 

I like this as well!

 

Well, eventually, one has to move beyond learning notes. Scales and, subsequently, modes of play become much more important than the notes themselves. Even further along, all this basic stuff must be forgotten in order to be able to just let go and make good music. An improvising musician feels his way along without overt concern for the basic concepts. They are already ingrained such that they give way to a bigger picture. Of course, if your music sucks, only those of lesser skill will follow. If your music is good, then even those with greater skill will learn what they can from you and stick around in order to play along for a while. Looking for a good martial arts teacher is analogous.

 

Isn't the analogy more that people are saying that you should practice your scales and eitudes and not go scheduling your gigs quite yet?

If you can play your scales slow you can't play the symphony fast!

 

Very true. I completely agree.

In my defense though, sparring is not a gig. It is a practice session. You can focus on working one part of the song you are having trouble with, or if you're feeling up to it, you can play an entire song straight through to see where you need work on. Amateur MMA bouts or bar fights could be considered small time gigs, with Pro MMA and being a MCMAP tournament champion in Iraq being the big time stage

 

I'll agree with you also.

Seems to be what this whole 'discussion' is about; what different people think are the scales and eitudes.

I will add one bit that I've been thinking of, I wonder what you think of it:

I lhave no problem with randori, I think I do it sorta 'all the time'. I operate under the 'If your not getting hit 50% of the time, you're not pushing your training hard enough.' (and the corollary: If you're getting hit more than that you need to slow down!) I insist that people take advantage of my openings - it's the only way to get better.

My main problem with what many here would call 'sparring' is the speed. I feel that if people are training too fast there can be more negatives than positives.

So often, people begin to 'spar' they may begin slow then speed up to gain an advantage to 'win'. It seems to me that speed and strength can become difficult habits to break.

Maybe this post belongs in the other thread, but that one seems to be talking about rank now.....

 

Say it again y'all
War! :woo:
huh! :ban:
good God! :Angel:

(What is it good for?)

Absolutely nothing :bang:

Listen to me!

/amen