The Difference

I have often been asked; what is the difference between training in the martial arts today, compared to that of thirty-five years ago? It’s an interesting question and one that I hope to briefly answer in the following post.

It is my opinion that martial art training today now serves an entirely different purpose to what it did when I first started. Today, I believe that there’s a lot more emphasis placed on ‘personal development’ as well as health and fitness, rather than just gathering knowledge on learning how to fight.

This doesn't mean to say that over the years martial art training has become less effective; we are still using the very same techniques as when I first started. The main difference today is the overall attitude toward our practice, which I believe is not so extreme or intense – As one Master explained to me  – “we are not preparing people for battle anymore.”

Personally, I think that learning how to defend oneself is still a vital part of our practice, however thankfully attitudes within our society have considerably changed over the last three-decades. Although hostility and violence in Britain still exist on many different levels, I generally think that we now live in a much more liberal and tolerant society than we did thirty-years ago.

Another difference today is our actual teaching methods. What I’ve really noticed in the past few years, especially within my own particular martial art system of Kuk Sool Won, is that the level of instruction has improved enormously. These days many martial art practitioners seem to have a deeper understanding of their art form and there is now regular access and detailed tuition from high-ranking Senior Master's, something, which was almost unheard of during my early years of training.

So what else has changed? Today lessons are much more shorter, lasting approximately one-hour, as opposed to the two-hour lessons, which we used to have. I think this is mainly down to today’s hectic lifestyle. Shorter classes do make it handy for people to attend more regularly , with many people now having to work some very strange hours on a variety of different shift patterns.

One other noticeable fact; today there are now considerably more female practitioners. Back in the early eighties, practicing martial arts was very much a macho-male orientated activity. When I first started there were no women that trained. Eventually as the years passed more and more ladies  became interested and actively involved.

In the early days of my training, everything was much more forceful and intense. Any smiling or displaying of emotion was often considered a sign of weakness. Our training was mentally as well as physically demanding. The structure of our practice wasn’t really designed for the feint-hearted; actually, come to think of it, it was more like being enrolled into the Armed Forces.

On many occasions I recall my instructor walking around the class and physically testing the students in a variety of different ways. I eventually came to the conclusion, he wasn’t really a malicious person; it was just his way of toughening us up. Unfortunately this type of training didn’t always go down well with everyone and some promising young martial artists sooner or later fell by the wayside. We nicknamed this process the act of "culling" students.

In a funny sort of way, I really enjoyed this regimental type of training. It always seemed to bring out the best in me and it also reminded me why I started martial arts in the first place – mainly to learn how to stand up for myself. Today, many health & safety, as well as new safeguarding regulations do make an instructor think twice, before acting irrationally and irresponsibly.

Many of the ‘older’ practitioners like myself, still talk about this type of training, which is often referred to as 'old-school', with the military style drills and the Sergeant Major type of approach. Our mantra back then was, "No Pain No Gain"… it was this type of mentality that got us through some really tough sessions and made us who we are today.

(The above photo, which I've included is of myself during a belt promotion ceremony in 1984 - aged 24)

Enter The Dojang

I paused at the doorway, my heart was pounding fast, it was just moments before my first lesson in the Korean martial art of Kuk Sool. 

As I walked through the entrance little did I know at the time that the next few steps would literally change the entire direction of my life?

My initial thoughts were, would this martial art live up to all of my expectations or would it follow a similar pattern to that of my previous Judo lessons? 

Before starting out my mother had already predicted that I would last only ‘three’ lessons, - if nothing else I just wanted to prove her wrong.

Upon entering the Dojang, which was also primarily used as a Labour Club meeting hall, I immediately sensed an air of discipline within the room. It felt distinctly different to the last lessons that I’d encountered at the previous club. Here there was a lot formal bowing and other formalities, which had to be observed.

The other members greeted me warmly and I was introduced to the main black belt Instructor, who subsequently invited me to participate in the class straight away. 

I later referred to this induction as the ‘sink-or-swim’ method, similar to being thrown in at the deep-end of a swimming pool before actually learning how to swim.

My nerves diminished as I followed closely along with the general warm-up routine. I found myself in the front row and was encouraged to imitate the movements of the Instructor who was teaching at the front.

After practicing a few basic kicks and punches, we carried on with some wrist escape techniques, similar to the moves that got me enticed in the first place.  We then proceeded in performing some pre-arranged movements, which I later discovered were called Forms or Hyungs in Korean.

At the end of the lesson we all gathered together and formally bowed-out to complete a superbly structured session. I just couldn’t believe how quick the two-hour class had flown by and I returned home feeling thoroughly inspired.

My second lesson followed a very similar format; warm-up exercises, kicking and punching drills self-defence techniques etc. Everything went swimmingly well and although I found some of the moves quite difficult, I somehow muddled my way through.

Once again I felt excited as my third lesson approached, however I still had this nagging doubt in the back of my mind about what my mother had said- “You’ll only last three lessons.” It haunted me! Surely 'history' wouldn’t repeat itself – would it?

I was now beginning to recognise the general structure of the lessons. However during the third lesson it was announced that there would be an addition… Sparring at the end of the evening. What the heck was sparring I asked a friend standing nearby? “Oh that’s where you get to hit each other,” he jokingly replied.

All of the students, including myself were instructed to sit around the mat. I got to watch the first two practitioners take to the floor. It looked really exciting as they moved strategically back and forth, throwing a combination of kicks, blocks and punches. There was minimal contact, which made me realise that this was a match of skill rather than just brute force and ignorance.

The instructor called the two guys too attention; they bowed toward each other and left the mat.  The next two participants entered the arena. Back and forth they moved. I was totally impressed with the ability of each student, taking care not to cause each other any distress.

Although the sparring that I’d witnessed seemed very controlled, it also looked very effective at the same time. As the instructor worked his way through the pack, it eventually came to my turn. I realised that the only other person who hadn’t been on the mat, was this tall, slimly built, blonde chap.  He was a blue belt (intermediate level) and had over one year’s more experience than myself.

I hesitantly walked onto the mattered arena, bowed and nervously smiled at my opponent. He smugly grinned back, not saying a word. In that instance I immediately knew that he wasn’t going to let a complete novice get the better of him.  

We started off slowly, keeping direct eye contact with each other and throwing the odd kick and punch. To begin with I actually matched his every move, repeating most of the things that he did. At this stage I was pleased to be holding my own against a much more experienced opponent.

The idea of respect and fair play didn’t last long. Suddenly with one swift movement my blonde haired opponent unleashed a turning-backside-kick that I never saw coming. The blow hit me full force in the mid-section.  The next thing I knew I was on the floor holding my stomach and desperately trying to catch my breath.

The senior instructor quickly attended my needs, knowing that I was really in discomfort. He made my opponent sit down, reprimanding him for his lack of control. I was eventually helped to my feet and marched off the mat like a wounded soldier returning from battle.  

At this point I knew that history had virtually repeated itself, once again the curse of the ‘third lesson’ had happened. Despite my physical discomfort the only thing that I could think about, were those five words, which my mother had said – “You’ll only last three lessons.”  It was this fact alone that made me return back, ready for my next lesson.

Bruce Lee & The Bullworker

After participating in the same old drinking habits, I became more and more concerned about where my life was heading. I was feeling tired, sluggish and sick. At the ripe old age of eighteen my body was lethargic and drained. My life had hit a complete dead-end and I felt that there was no escape from the drudgery that surrounded me.

My desire to take-up martial arts or any other hobby for that matter just didn't happen, there were simply no facilities or clubs in the town where I lived. I did eventually manage to put into practice what I thought was the next best thing. I came across this small book on Kung Fu, which I discovered in a second-hand bookstore featuring the legendary Bruce Lee. I really believed that I could teach myself some effective self-defence moves from this small paperback manual.

I'd grown-up during the Bruce Lee era and thought that the wave of Kung Fu films that came out during the mid-seventies where the best thing since sliced bread. As a teenager I often mimicked many of those actions that I'd seen on the big screen.  I was certainly inspired by all those weird and wonderful techniques, however nothing impressed me more than the famous 'nunchaku' fight scene performed by Bruce Lee in "Enter The Dragon". This extraordinary piece of martial art magic has never-ever left my mind.

Almost at the same time as buying my beloved Kung Fu book, I also managed to purchase myself a weird contraption called the "Bullworker". If you've haven't ever heard of the Bullwoker, it's basically a machine designed for performing isometric exercises, which you can achieve by compressing both ends together and also by pulling the opposing side cables. It was obviously an impressive piece of sports equipment, which I understand sold nine million  units worldwide.

Every night before going down to my local pub, I would practice a few self-defence moves from my book. I religiously followed these moves step-by-step and thought I could master the art of Kung Fu from my small bedroom. Alongside this I would also spend at least twenty-minutes each night exercising on my apparatus. This regime continued for at least three months and I gradually began to feel a difference in my overall body condition. Despite my good intentions, I soon started to skip a few sessions; as my discipline declined, my Bullworker and my beloved book were eventually left to gather dust on my bedroom floor.

My luck in searching for a martial art class eventually turned a corner. Through my local Youth Centre I’d discovered a small judo club in a neighbouring town. I managed to attend lessons once a week and relied upon the Youth Centre for transport. At first I really enjoyed the classes, I learnt some basic throwing moves and grappling techniques. It wasn't until my third class that things changed. After practising some ground fighting manoeuvres I accidentally got smacked on the bridge of the nose by an opponents elbow. Unfortunately for me that was it... although there was no blood or any physical damage, it really did cause me considerable amount of discomfort and completely dissuaded me from any future training. After only three weeks I came to a conclusion that practising judo really wasn't for me.

It was about five or six months later that I actually discovered another particular form of martial art. I just happened to be attending a New Years Eve gathering when I got chatting to some old friends. I discovered that most of these chaps, who were all in their early twenties had decided to take up this new style of martial art.  They were all ranting and raving about how good it was. I couldn’t believe how I hadn’t heard of this myself. It had a peculiar sounding name and its participants, so I gathered, always wore black uniforms instead of the customary white suits.

As the evening passed and a few drinks later, one of the guy's from the group enthusiastically wanted to show me some of his self-defence techniques that he'd just learnt from his previous lesson. He asked me to grab his wrist very tightly, which I did.  With one swift action he rotated his own hand and applied pressure too my wrist, causing me considerable discomfort. This basic movement literally brought me to my knees, squealing and yelling in pain. I pleaded with him to release the grip, which he thankfully did.

After slowly recuperating from the discomfort, I asked him to explain what he'd just done, only this time a little gentler. The technique totally intrigued me and I asked him if he could teach me to apply the same move. After a couple of attempts, surprisingly enough the technique also worked for me on him. I chuckled a little to myself and felt totally impressed with my own efforts.

After that night I really pestered the older lad's to take me with them to their next class, however because of the severe wintry weather in Britain at the time, it wasn't until several weeks later that I was able to make my first lesson in the traditional Korean Martial Art of Kuk Sool.

The Pub!

For several months after my brush with the “bikers”, I was reluctant to venture far from my hometown. I was probably still in some kind of shock, which left me in a constant state of anxiety and depression.

I spent most of my evenings and weekends just hanging out in my local pub. It felt safe and secure and I was lucky that most of my mates also spent much of their leisure time drinking there with me too.

As the months passed our drinking habits became more and more excessive.  Usually after several pints of beer my nervousness seemed to reduce greatly. The alcohol made me feel happy, more relaxed and less anxious. I was able to talk to people more confidently, albeit slightly slurred. 

The highlight of my life at that time was our regular  drinking sessions, which often took place on Friday and Saturday evenings, however on the odd occasion it also occurred on weekdays as well. My whole life seemed to revolve around the pub and alcohol, mainly because of the euphoric feeling that it gave me.
 
The landlord, who we’d all gotten to know quite well, would often lock us in his pub after closing time, allowing us to carry on drinking ourselves into oblivion. It seemed like great fun at the time. There was very little to worry about, no threats or acts of violence to deal with, just lots of drinking. 

It was during one particular splurge, I drunkenly stumbled across a tattered copy of The Sun newspaper lying on the barroom table. Inside was an article that randomly caught my eye. I could hardly read it due to my drunken state, but the headline captured my attention, it read “The Alcoholic State Of Britain.” It was an interesting caption and one that I wanted to look at in more detail.  I managed to slowly read the article and discovered that there was a section that asked the following questions;

(1) Are you the first to enter the Pub? I answered yes.

(2) Are you the last out of the Pub at night? Again, yes.

(3) Do you have most of your meals in the Pub? Yes.

(4) Do you drink more than three pints of beer when visiting the Pub? Yes.

(5) Do you visit the pub more than five times a week? Yes.  

The summary at the end of the article suggested;

If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to most of these questions you could be seriously on the way to becoming an alcoholic.

After discovering these findings, I have to admit that I felt rather proud. I thought to myself, I’d actually ‘passed the test’ and quickly informed my mates.  They also completed the survey with very similar results to mine. 

I didn't think anymore about the newspaper article until a few weekends later, when my health started to deteriorate.  Apart from the usual hangovers, I also started waking up with  severe "shakes", which I now recognise is a typical symptom of alcohol over-indulgence.

I also realised that my anxiety was becoming worse when I wasn't drinking. I was finding it increasingly difficult  to hold a normally conversation in public. Halfway through chatting with someone I would just shut down not being able to speak any more.

At the same time, physically I was also suffering with a re-occurring lower back ache. It was probably my kidney’s saying 'no' to drinking.' My Liver must have been crying out at the same time after relentlessly trying to detoxify my system. My whole body was beginning to send me messages, saying that enough was enough and if I ignored these telltale signs I would be heading for serious trouble.

I began thinking more and more about the questionnaire that I'd read in the newspaper, I eventually came to this simple conclusion: - I was eighteen years old, my weight had increased to over sixteen-stone (224 lbs) I was constantly short of breath due to regularly smoking and I was on the verge of becoming a teenage alcoholic. 
 I also had some serious psychological issues to contend with as well. To cut a long story short.........I was a complete and utter mess.

Bullying Continued

 I personally discovered that being bullied can have a drastic affect on your life. It can make you want to avoid school or work and it can also make you seriously ill and depressed.

Bullying affects a lot of people in many numerous ways. It can also occur in many different places too, such as at school, work, in sports teams, as well as in other groups or organisations.

Bullying might be defined as any repeated action that is intended to either cause physical or emotional harm to another person. It may come in such ways as name-calling, teasing, pushing and shoving, stealing things, and of course physical violence.

Today, cyber bullying is also another aspect that can have far reaching affects on a person. This can happen through mobile text messages or certain online sites like Facebook etc. Cyber bullying can be as upsetting as normal bullying and may also have serious consequences.

If you are being bullied in any shape or form, it’s important to tell someone. Please don’t do what I did – suffer in silence for many years. These-days there are lots of people out there who really do care and many that are willing to listen. Tell your teacher, best friend, parents, other family members, doctor, or even your martial art instructor / group activity leader.

I’ve often been asked the following question; if a child is being bullied at school should they fight back.” My general answer to this question is – only if it’s absolutely necessary and only as a last resort.  Sometimes violence only creates more violence. In many cases of repeated bullying it’s really important to play-by-the-book.

What I would suggest to anyone who is currently being maltreated, is to keep a log or diary of anything that occurs. Keep track of details, dates and places. Photographic evidence may also be important of any injuries that you may have sustained. Also make sure that you ‘save’ any text message or emails. Once you have sufficient evidence, then you can present your story and your case to those willing to listen.

I believe that the most important thing to remember in this instance; don’t stop informing people until you get a response back from someone.  Keep going and never give into bullying. It’s your right as a human being.

Standing your ground is sometimes necessary. If you do have to fight to protect yourself than it’s important to defend yourself using only the appropriate force necessary.  The law is on your side but only to a certain point.

Many martial art systems do actually teach some very good self-protection techniques, but like most skills they do require a considerable amount of practice to make these self-defense drills effective.

When asked, what’s the most important aspect when learning self-defence? My answer is always the same – DEVELOP AWARENESS. It’s always best to try to avoid any situation before it actually occurs. Look out for any signs of trouble beforehand and then take appropriate action to avoid it. Prevention is always better than the cure.

If you are having problems with bullying, please accept this piece of writing as a very simplistic approach, much more in-depth information can be found by looking at the following websites: www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk or www.bullying.co.uk