PHILOSOPHY The Martial Arts Instructor's Manual Philosophy Visualization First Aid Legal Rights Overtraining Burnout Steroids Mental Awareness Training Hall Etiquette Instructor's Responsibility Humility & Respect PHILOSOPHY Visualization. As instructors and students of the martial arts, we realize that the road to success is one of long, hard work. What many instructors fail to realize is that the road can be made much shorter if the hard work is applied not only to physical training, but to mental training as well. Visualization is the conscious creation of positive images in the mind. The use of visualization techniques is becoming more and more popular in sports today. Many coaches, trainers, and sports psychologists are using formal positive visualization techniques to help their athletes improve in their chosen field faster than would otherwise be possible. As martial arts instructors, we are concerned about helping our students improve themselves both physically and mentally. Positive visualization will not only help them improve their techniques, but will help instill in them a positive attitude that will improve their overall well being. Thinking positive thoughts seems like a simple idea, but to achieve the desired results the visualization process must be applied correctly. Negative thoughts are much easier for most people to relate to. Self-doubt will creep into the thoughts of students who are not properly taught visualization techniques. The first step in teaching visualization techniques is positive reinforcement. This is where the instructor will use praise to foster an atmosphere of self confidence for the students. Many students, especially beginners, will look at an experienced martial artist and think that they will never be able to move that fast, or kick that high, or hit that hard. It is important to explain that improvement comes with hard work over time, and that they are all capable of achieving their goals. As their instructor, you may be the most skilled martial artist that they know. Explain to them that you too were once a beginner of average ability. Convince them that their goals are attainable. The next step is to teach relaxation. Before positive visualization techniques can be applied, students must be able to relax with a clear mind. Many instructors are already familiar with relaxation techniques through meditation. For those who are not, a relaxed state can be obtained by the following procedure. Sit in a relaxed position with the eyes closed. Breath slowly and deeply. Visualize your breath being drawn in the nose, up to the top of the head, around and down the spine, and deep into the belly. As you exhale, visualize the air rising up the front of your chest and out. As you begin to relax, think about various parts of your body, the legs, shoulders, arms, hands, face, and try to relax all the muscles. Concentrate on one area at a time and relax as you exhale. Through experimentation people find different methods that will help them to relax. Once the students can reach a relaxed, clear-headed state, you can move on to step three. Step three is positive visualization. This is the most important step. Here students must create vivid positive images in their minds. If they want to improve their hip throw, they must envision themselves executing devastating hip throws. The images must be vivid and detailed, just as if you were watching a movie. The movie is run over and over in your head while you sit still and relaxed. Any technique or combination can be visualized. A tournament win can also be visualized. You can watch yourself beat opponent after opponent on your way to a first place finish. The final step is affirmation. This is where the positive images that you watched over and over in your mind are recalled while you are performing. As you enter the ring you reaffirm the positive visualization by thinking about how you have seen yourself already beat this opponent. As you hear footsteps behind you at night in an ally, you quickly recall how you have seen yourself defeat hundreds of muggers. This is the step where the benefits of visualization are transferred to your performance. Like steps two and three, it must be practiced until it can be turned on at will. Visualization is a powerful training tool. Almost every major athletic training program uses some form of positive visualization. The four steps involved can be taught in as little as six weeks with the benefits becoming apparent almost immediately. The four steps must be taught in order at first, and then continually reinforced and practiced. Daily use of positive visualization will help students rid themselves of the self-doubting, negative thoughts that often enter the mind. Within every human being there is an unlimited potential. Visualization is one way to tap into that potential. back to Philosophy index back to Main index PHILOSOPHY First Aid Training. Throughout history, martial artists have been associated with the healing arts. This apparent contradiction is not as strange as it first appears. Experienced martial artists have a thorough understanding of the workings of the human body. This knowledge can be used for both devastating effectiveness in technique or, to promote healing. Today, most martial arts instructors are familiar with a few first aid techniques to treat some of the common injuries that are associated with training. Unfortunately, many have only a very limited first aid knowledge, or even worse, they have outdated and often dangerous first aid practices. How many of us have seen seniors who think they can "yank" a dislocated shoulder back into place, or to fix a sprained ankle they recommend that the student "walk it out". These age-old practices are not only wrong, but can cause serious additional injury to the student. It is the responsibility of all martial arts instructors to become thoroughly knowledgeable in the basic first aid that is required to treat any of the possible situations that may arise during training. The easiest way to accomplish this is to take a recognized first aid course. Though many martial arts schools teach various first aid techniques in their curriculum, it is unlikely that they could match the contents of a recognized first aid course. Many schools require that all instructors successfully complete a recognized course. This modern knowledge can then be used in conjunction with the ancient shiatsu (healing) techniques that have been handed down throughout the years. In Canada, the most widely taught system of first aid is the St. Johns Ambulance First Aid course. In the United States and many other countries, the Red Cross program is very popular. A good first aid course will teach the correct procedures for almost any situation you may find yourself in while also teaching what not to do. It will probably also include basic knowledge on anatomy and physiology. This knowledge can then be applied to improving the effectiveness of your martial arts techniques. It must be remembered that while the course may cover a comprehensive list of topics, the depth of study is limited to first aid and is only meant to teach proper emergency care of a casualty until professional medical assistance can be obtained. Never the less, the vast variety of topics covered illustrates the need for responsible martial arts instructors to obtain professional first aid training The following section will list the contents of a thorough first aid course. Anatomy Study - the study of anatomic terms. The musculoskeletal system including muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, the spine, the skull, and other major and minor bones. The nervous system including major and minor nerves and the voluntary and automatic nervous systems. The circulatory system including major veins and arteries. The respiratory system. Casualty Assessment - how to asses injuries, how to read vital signs, how to asses priorities. Artificial Respiration - signs of respiratory distress, response and breathing assessment, mouth to mouth AR, indirect methods of AR. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation - assessment and procedures for adults, children and infants. (this is a vital life saving aspect of first aid and is often taught as a separate course from basic fist aid) Shock - symptoms and procedures. (Shock is present with any injury whether the injury is minor or major. Shock can lead to unconsciousness or death. It should be addressed when treating all injuries.) Dressings and Bandages - methods for all types of injuries including slings and joint immobilizations. Wounds and Bleeding - assessment, control, proper tourniquet usage, internal bleeding. Fractures - types, assessment, use of traction, splints, immobilization techniques. Muscle, Joint, and Ligament Injuries - sprains, strains, dislocations. Chest Injuries - external and internal injuries. Head and Spinal Injuries - concussion and compression, cervical spine injuries, thorax and lumbar spine injuries, immobilization techniques, methods to move casualties. Eye Injuries - lacerations and contusions. Heart Attack, Angina, Stroke Medical Conditions - diabetes, epilepsy, convulsions, hernia, allergic reactions. back to Philosophy index back to Main index PHILOSOPHY Legal Rights. Most martial arts that are taught today were developed in a time when people had few legal rights. Today, we live in a society that is almost overflowing with legal rights. As martial artists we must make ourselves aware of our rights and especially the rights of those who we may end up defending ourselves from. The legal system of the western world is complex. It is not always as easy as claiming self defense to free ourselves from legal trouble. By far the easiest way to avoid legal trouble is to avoid having to use your martial arts skills on the street. Unfortunately, this is not always possible. Therefore, it is very important that your students understand the legal ramifications of becoming involved in a street fight. The following contains some of the aspects of the legal system that martial artists should be aware of. These legal concepts are common to most U.S. states, Canadian provinces, and other legal systems of the western world. You should of coarse, check with a lawyer to see how these sections of the law are interpreted in your area. In a street fight, claiming self defense is a viable method of pleading your innocence but you must be able to prove it. Make sure that if there are any witnesses you obtain there names and addresses so that they can testify on your behalf. Even if self defense obvious, you must use only enough force to keep yourself safe. You cannot break both arms and both legs of someone who simply took a swing at you. Of coarse, the amount of physical damage is related to the size of the threat. If there is a weapon involved you are justified in using more force. You must be able to convince the court that you feared for your life and therefore the amount of force used was justified. In a fight you are responsible for all the damage caused to your opponent, even if you didn't mean it. If you throw a kick to the body to knock your opponent down but instead it breaks a rib which punctures a lung, you are responsible. Make sure you understand how much damage you can do to an opponent with your techniques. Most techniques were developed for life and death combat and can cause extensive damage when properly delivered. The laws of most areas state that you must walk away from a confrontation if possible. If you don't, the fight could be viewed as not being self defense. If this is the case then both people are liable for damages which means you may end up in jail or with heavy fines. Worst of all, you will end up with a police record for a violent crime. If you are found liable in a fight you can be sued for medical expenses, lost earnings, future lost earnings, pain, suffering, and punitive damages (punishment). This can end up costing many thousands of dollars. Coming to the aid of another person is a section of the law that varies a lot from area to area. Some areas state that it is only permissible if the other person is a family member, in other words, mind your own business. Before helping a stranger make sure you know which person is the aggressor and again, don't use excessive force. In cases of defending property such as you home, most laws state that force can only be used as a last resort. Usually it is required that you warn the thief before attacking him. Jumping out and seriously injuring a burglar could possibly result in a messy legal situation. Keep in mind that in most areas you only have to show that you feared bodily injury to justify your actions. This means that you don't have to wait to be hit before you act. Throwing the first punch is acceptable if you can prove it to be justified. Being sued because of injury in a martial arts tournament is also a concern. You are usually safe in a tournament situation because by entering the tournament all contestants have given their consent and are aware of the risk of possible injury. Problems can occur when an injury is caused by an illegal technique. If the tournament rules are broken and an injury results, the perpetrator can be held liable for damages. In conclusion, it is always best to defend yourself without causing serious injury to your opponent. Often, it is a detriment in a courtroom if it is known that you are a martial artist. Students should never have any trouble with the law if they always strive to live up to the standards of non-violence that are preached in the dojo. back to Philosophy index back to Main index PHILOSOPHY Overtraining Burnout. Martial arts classes have a reputation for their high dropout rate. There are numerous reason for this unfortunate fact. Often it is the fault of the instructor not being able to respond to the individual needs of the students. Sometimes it is the fault of the students having an unrealistic view of what martial arts classes are all about. But what about those students who are progressing well, training hard, and then all of a sudden just disappear. These are the students who are usually victims of "overtraining burnout". Overtraining can take many forms. It is most common in the students who are training extra hard for an upcoming belt exam. It also affects the students who seem to eat, sleep, and live martial arts. These types are the prime candidates to suffer from overtraining burnout. Constant heavy training such as one may undertake a year prior to testing for an advanced belt, can stress the mind and the body to the point of injury, illness, or mental exhaustion. This in turn, can result in long layoffs and setbacks in training. It can ultimately result in depression and drop out. There are two things that an instructor can do to avoid loosing students to overtraining burnout. The first is to teach students how to recognize and how to avoid the problem. Symptoms of overtraining can be physical fatigue, mental fatigue, recurring muscle strains, weight loss, an increase in blood pressure, frustration, depression, or a marked lack of progress in spite of constant, hard training. Often, if a student doesn't recognize these as symptoms of overtraining they will attempt to step up their training to reverse the symptoms. This of course, leads to more serious effects. To avoid overtraining, students must be taught to allow time for both physical and mental rebuilding between workouts. Physically, they must learn to cycle their training. They must learn to read their bodies so that they can effectively vary their training intensity, duration, and frequency. Mentally, they must have other interests to occupy their minds and allow them to rest. The other aspect of teaching students to avoid overtraining is to instill in them patience and the idea that training is a life long pursuit. It is not a means to an end, training is the end. We've all heard that obtaining a black belt is not the end, but just the beginning. Those of us who have done so can see the wisdom of those words, but to drive that idea home to belt crazy students can be difficult. If students are taught patience and they realize that the coveted black belt is not the end of the road, they will be much less likely to fall victim to overtraining. The physical effects of overtraining can be treated and will heal. The mental effects such as frustration, depression, loss of desire and dropping out are more serious. Once students are gone they seldom return. In this respect, overtraining is a serious problem that should be addressed. back to Philosophy index back to Main index PHILOSOPHY Steroids. If your have 15 teenage, male students in your class right now, chances are that at least one of them is on steroids. A study on steroid use among American grade 12 students found that 1 in 15 or 6.6% used or had used steroids. Another American study in Chicago found that 2.5% or 1 in 40 females in high school were steroid users. When the Ben Johnson scandal hit during the 1988 Summer Olympics, it had a mixed effect on steroid use. The increased media attention on steroids did help to publicize their negative medical side effects, but unfortunately it also demonstrated to the public the incredible physical gains that can be achieved through steroid use. After all, heavily muscled Ben Johnson is the fastest man alive. Soon after the Johnson scandal broke, medical and sports authorities were swamped with calls from people wanting to know where to get steroids. Obtaining steroids is relatively easy. Most users buy their supply from dealers at local health clubs or gyms. Local weight lifters estimate that 25% of the regular clients at area weight rooms are on "the juice". The cost for a two week supply on the black market is about $50.00. The R.C.M.P. estimate that over $10 million worth of illegal steroids are purchased annually in Canada. Dr. Andrew Pipe of the Sports Medicine Council of Canada states that the primary reason for steroid use among males is "a pathological preoccupation with body size and body image that manifests itself in the desire to have a certain look, a certain build. It's not unlike a pathological preoccupation with body image, body size that certain young women manifest, only that takes the form of anorexia." Steroid use is fast becoming an epidemic among teenage males. As instructors, we must become knowledgeable on the serious, detrimental side effects of steroid use so that our students will be able to make the intelligent decision to avoid using them. Anabolic steroids are a synthetically manufactured drug with the chemical form of the male hormone testosterone. They are capable of converting protein into muscle fiber at an astonishing rate. They can be taken orally or can be injected. There are a number of different types of steroids available, each with a slightly different effect on the body. Though steroids do serve a legitimate purpose in the treatment of certain medical conditions, black market users take 10 to 20 times the recommended safe dosage. Many steroids that are available on the black market are veterinary drugs not intended for use by humans. When steroids are bought illegally, it is almost impossible to know exactly what has been purchased. The side effects of steroid use range from minor ones such as acne, baldness, increased body hair, and jaundice, to major life threatening conditions. Heart disease, hepatitis, kidney and liver tumors, blockage of the gall bladder, prostrate cancer and leukemia have all been linked to steroid use. Steroid use by adolescence can cause early closure of bones resulting in stunted growth. Steroid use by women can cause gender problems. Most of these side effects are believed to be irreversible. One of the most noticeable side effects is increased aggression, known as "roids rage". This psychological effect is found in over 90% of users. There have even been a number of cases of psychoses reported while using steroids. If you suspect one of your students is on steroids, talk to them. Express your concern for their health. Use your position as a role model to influence their decision. A short lecture to the whole class on the long term damage that steroids can cause is a good way to get the information across to all of the students. Education is the key to an informed decision. Drugs have no place in the ways of budo. back to Philosophy index back to Main index PHILOSOPHY Mental Awareness. To teach your students to successfully defend themselves you must train them both physically and mentally. There are two areas of mental training that must be addressed. The first is the mind set of the student during a violent confrontation. The importance of developing an aggressive and decisive response to an attack is usually addressed by instructors. The second aspect of mental training is the one that is most often overlooked and that is "mental awareness". Mental awareness is the level of awareness that one has for his surroundings. Many violent encounters could be avoided if students were fully aware of their surroundings at all times. Proper awareness allows you to see a problem developing, giving you the chance to avoid it. The chances of falling victim to a surprise attack can be greatly reduced if you are prepared to defend yourself at any time. Many martial arts schools, self defense courses, and police academies teach the Cooper Color Code of mental awareness. This is a simple way to describe people's level of mental awareness. Awareness is divided into four categories: White: This is total relaxation. You are unconcerned with your surrounding environment. For example, you may be in your own home, relaxing, and engrossed in a TV program. Yellow: At this level you are aware of your surrounding environment. You are conscious of what is happening around you and are able to detect potential trouble. For example, you may enter an elevator with a stranger. You are aware of a potential problem though there is no actual problem yet. Orange: This is the ready state. At this level you are prepared to defend yourself. There is an obvious cause for alarm such as someone yelling verbal abuse at you. Red: This is the fighting mode. You must act now with a decisive and aggressive attack or counter attack. Once these four levels of mental awareness are understood, it is easy to gauge your own state of awareness at any given time. As martial artists, we must strive to avoid the white level under most circumstances. Many people are within the white level even when they are faced with unfamiliar surroundings. Staying somewhere in the yellow level , even in familiar surroundings, is a good self defense strategy. It should be stressed that the change from the yellow level to the orange should be a common, easy, and undetectable occurrence. There are many situations in which people find themselves in the course of a week that call for the orange level of awareness. It should also be explained that being prepared to defend yourself and being paranoid are two distinctly different outlooks. Remaining constantly within the yellow level and moving easily into and out of the orange level is simply a state of mental awareness that must be practiced. Like fighting skills, this too will become second nature in a short time. You must develop this awareness without becoming nervous, paranoid, and without allowing it to affect your outward appearance or actions. Being a martial artist is not something that should be limited to a few hours of training per week. Rather, it should be a complete outlook that prepares you to defend yourself at all times. Two old sayings come to mind when I teach mental awareness to my students. The first is the motto of the Boy Scouts, "Be Prepared". The second is a more sobering thought, "better safe than sorry". back to Philosophy index back to Main index PHILOSOPHY Training Hall Etiquette. Most martial arts maintain some specific form of training hall etiquette. Usually, the more formal the etiquette, the more traditional the school. Etiquette can include such practices as bowing, addressing instructors by a title, addressing students by an honorific and their surname, defining status by rank, or imposing strict courtesies to be observed during training. In some "modern" schools, particularly in the United States, formal training hall etiquette is viewed as an unnecessary vestige of outdated eastern behavior. In reality, formal etiquette very ably serves a number of important purposes. Above all else, formal etiquette is a practice of awareness. In the school, we are training to live our lives to the fullest by becoming totally involved. When we impose upon ourselves the requirements of formal etiquette, we demand of ourselves greater awareness to comply with an unfamiliar structure of existence. Formal etiquette is also a practice of safety. At any school worthy of its name, there is an element of controlled danger, Etiquette provides the control. In a kenjutsu dojo for instance, students are practicing with live (sharpened) swords. Strict adherence to etiquette provides a framework within which potentially lethal techniques can be practiced with the necessary assurance of survival. Etiquette is just a practice. Fraternal organizations often make use of "secret" ceremonies, handshakes and the like to build a sense of group identity. For the martial artist, training hall etiquette helps create a feeling of "this is how we do it in our school". Formal etiquette contributes to the appreciation of our practice, and reminds us that our membership in the martial arts is something special. The benefits of formal training hall etiquette are real. Increasing the amount of training hall etiquette that is practiced in your school is something that should not be dismissed without careful consideration. back to Philosophy index back to Main index PHILOSOPHY Instructor's Responsibility. Think back to your youth, when life was simple and your inexperience freed you from being held ultimately responsible for your actions. Then we grew up and found that everything comes with responsibility. Being a martial arts instructor is certainly no exception. Teaching a martial art can be a complex undertaking. Responsibilities lie in the past, the present, and the future. Looking to the past, we find that we owe our teachers and our art an unending debt for what they have contributed to our lives. Many students have realized that the best way to begin to repay that debt is to offer their skills to others so that they too can be enriched by the experience. This is certainly the most noble reason for becoming an instructor. In the present we have a responsibility to our students to help them learn and grow to the best of their ability. Our responsibility to the future is to continue the lineage. This involves taking the time to develop a stable school and to develop students who can one day become instructors themselves. Let's look at these philosophical statements in a more practical light. To meet these responsibilities we must work towards developing specific skills. The most basic skill to be developed and maintained is our physical skill. Many instructors tend to neglect their own training after they have been teaching for a few years. This can lead to a slow but steady decay of their skills. This will not go unnoticed by the students over the years and eventually the school will suffer. It is important for instructors to maintain their roots as a student, even if only for a few weekends a year. We've all heard that learning a martial art is a life long undertaking. This should be taught to students not just by word, but by example. Another area of responsibility, one that is often overlooked, is business skills. Many instructors think that their martial arts skill and teaching ability will produce a successful school. In today's highly competitive business world, this is unfortunately not the case. Many excellent instructors have been forced to close their schools due to poor cash flow. Instructors owe it to their students and themselves to provide a school that will continue to be there for them. The two business skills that are most lacking in martial arts operations are bookkeeping and promotion. Poor cash flow is the number one reason for small business failures in North America and proper bookkeeping can keep the owner on top of the situation at all times. One of the best ways to increase cash flow is by applying cost effective promotional skills, whether its demos, flyers, newspaper ads, or a yellow pages ad. Unless you are teaching out of a garage, it is irresponsible not to work towards improving your business skills just as you work to improve your martial arts skills. Management skills are also important. If there are other instructors in your school, it is important to learn how to successfully deal with them. Egos are easily damaged and many schools have failed due to a split in the instructors' relationship. Never confuse being "senior instructor" with being the "boss". While rank may command respect in the training area, being a boss requires patience, understanding, compromise, and a clear view of what is best for the school. Lastly, and possibly most important, is the responsibility to the students to continually strive to be a better teacher. Remember that being a great martial artist does not necessarily mean that you will be a great teacher. It is important to consciously strive to improve. There are many factors that differentiate a "good" teacher from one who is just going through the motions. First and foremost is leadership. Most martial arts instructors are natural leaders. They command respect. Not through rigid control of their students, but by setting an example. This leadership comes easier to some than to others. A good teacher must always strive to be sensitive to the varying needs of their students. One size does not fit all. Students train for a variety of reasons but they all look to the instructor for guidance. It is the instructor's responsibility to work towards understanding the different needs and wants of the individual students. All types of people deserve to reap the rewards of martial arts training. An instructor's personality is the dominant force that shapes the school's overall environment. There is not one perfect type of instructor or perfect approach to running a school, just as there is not one perfect martial art. But with your position comes a responsibility to care for your school, your students, and your art, to the best of your ability. Don't take any of it for granted. back to Philosophy index back to Main index PHILOSOPHY Humility and Respect. High ranking martial artists, especially those without the benefit of an oriental upbringing, often face a dilemma in their schools. On one hand, students are required to show great respect to their instructors. On the other hand, the instructors are expected to teach and discipline the students while demonstrating great humility and lack of ego. To earn the respect of your students while remaining humble sounds like a difficult undertaking. Unenlightened instructors will often attempt to gain respect in a number of inappropriate ways, some through fear, some through claims of greatness, others through blind devotion. In oriental society, respect for seniors, whether it is child to parent, employee to boss, or student to teacher, is a way of life. In Japan this is known as oyabun-kobun (the parent-child relationship). This respect is natural and earning it is not necessary. The respect is based on experience, not on abilities. For example, older people are revered because they have amassed more "life experience" than the young. Therefore, in the martial arts, a high ranking individual is respected for their rank (their experience), not for their physical abilities. This is often contrary to the western way of thinking where respect must usually be earned. In oriental society, with respect comes responsibility. Just as the students are expected to respect the instructor, the instructor is expected to unselfishly help the students. It is through the senior's dedication to helping the junior that both sides of the equation equal out. As western thinking instructors we must remember this balance. With respect comes the obligation to give of yourself and to teach to the best of your ability. With true dedication to your art and your students, humility and a lack of ego becomes an asset, not a liability, in maintaining the students' respect. back to Philosophy index back to Main index Accessed since 5Jan96