SW Portland Martial Arts Blog

You don’t get to choose how your partner reacts. The more you train, the better you become at guessing what your partner will do, but you’re never sure. The more you train, the better you are at limiting your partner’s actions and making them more predictable. And yet, you never know.

In kid’s class, we explored the fighting principle of uncertainty. I think it becomes easier when you admit you don’t know that things are uncertain, admit that it is scary, and then try to solve the problem none the less. And in the context of training, it helps if you make things into a fun game, so that when you guess wrong, you can laugh and learn.

For CrossFit class, I goofed around with the hollow hold. Because, I mean really, how much is there to learn from holding the hollow position? Okay, a lot. But it is more fun if you rock side to side and move around your feet and just generally goof off… sometimes.

Check out the weekly internal martial arts class.

The fighting principle of active versus passive is deceptively simple. Surely it is better to be active rather than passive? Not always. There are many situations which are actually best solved by doing nothing. Neither is being passive better than being active. There are many situations which are best solved by taking action.

Aside from that double talk, martial techniques often start from understanding the passive and then moving to the active. Before you can throw really cool active punches, it helps if you know where to put your cover hands passively. So we explored passive covers versus active covers today in kid’s class.

In striking class, Dug explored the shin block. It’s not passive, but often, when working solo combinations, it’s easy to overlook defense. Don’t get passive and fall into the groove of just punching and kicking when you solo train. Defend.

For CrossFit class, we worked the big toe balance during the skill work. What a weird combination of passively standing still while actively pushing in different directions in order to stay still. Fun.

The simplest way to examine the fighting principle of defensive choices is to look at the way you hold your hands when you spar. So we kept it simple. Kid’s class today was all about trying out different covers.

I made a YouTube video that covers almost the same ground as the kid’s class – trying out different covers and experimenting with which strikes and kicks feel good from each particular cover.

For CrossFit class, we played with intervals. What happens when you do burpees for 30 seconds and rest for 15 seconds? What about burpees for 20 seconds and rest for 10 seconds? Answer: you get tired, pretty much no matter what.

For striking class, defense is on the menu as well! Combos with defense? Absolutely.

We decided to continue on our running theme of fighting principles. In martial arts, position is everything. In fitness, position is everything. The three most important things in movement are, after all, position, position, position.

For kid’s class, we worked the idea of position relative to our own bodies. What is a good fighting stance? How do you hold your hands? Your head? Your elbows? After we figured out a good starting point, we played, strayed and returned to that starting point.

For CrossFit class, we worked, among other things, the L-sit. Want a position that gives you immediate feedback about if you’re in balance or not? Look no further than the deadly and unforgiving L-sit.

Finally, on Saturday, I did a striking class in which I laid out what the striking classes will look like when we *hopefully* re-open on the 12th. Check it out if you are planning on attending classes.