The 5 Secrets to Self Defence

People often talk about self defence and generally their thoughts focus on the ability to deal with a physical attack by some clever or violent physical technique that they probably saw in a movie or entertainment based fighting contest.  I think the whole idea of self defence deserves to be considered in more depth and that individuals can develop a “self defence strategy” that is effective for the modern world and all its challenges.

Human Rights

I am always a little disturbed when people talk about Human Rights: we all have the basic Human Right of self defence for example; but what does that mean?  A Right in itself means nothing without someone or something having the responsibility to ensure that Right is upheld.  It is a sad fact that many individuals feel they have the  benefits of Human Rights but take no responsibility to ensure that the Right can be upheld.  Now, this blog is about self defence and I  believe we all  have a Resonsibility to be able to act if we are threatened, but that does not just mean being able to use physical means to stop any would be attacker.  I also  believe in wisdom and that we humans have a rich heritage on which to fall when we need guidance.

Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu was a Chinese general who lived around about 500BC.  He wrote a book titled “The Art of War” and it has been used to guide military and political leaders for many years; probably because it  has fundamental truths:

“All war is deception”

“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting”

“In peace prepare for war, in war prepare for peace”

“You have to believe in yourself”

These are abut a few of his sayings, but what has this to do with self defence?

Self Defence Course

When people think about a course in self defence they generally think about learning some physical techniques that will enable them to deal with an attacker, but I do not know of many individuals who can learn to be effective with physical techniques with out putting in many hours of dedicated training.  So what can an individual learn in a short self defence course?

Course Content

Firstly, it is a good idea to take a look at your self (another Sun Tzu Quote is “know your self and know your enemy and you can face a thousand battles”) and understand your own strengths and weaknesses.  Secondly, learn one or two simple techniques and practice them until they can be performed under pressure; a belief in being able to perform a physical  technique will provide a sound foundation for employing confidence strategies when confronted by a potential aggressor! Work on building a positive image of your ability and to really “believe in yourself”.

How?

You can try a self defence course that actually addresses the strategy of self defence and not just the tactics (physical techniques).  At Shudokan Aikido in Preston we are holding just such a course where we will outline the 5 Secrets to Self Defence, starting on Wednesday 6 April.   You will learn Aikido based principles similar to those used by Police forces around the world.  Details are available on our website.

http://www.shudokanpreston.co.uk/self-defence.php?s=210

You can attend the first class for FREE and then decide if you wish to continue.

AIKIDO – A MARTIAL ART BUT SO MUCH MORE

AIKIDO – A MARTIAL ART BUT SO MUCH MORE

Aikido is a Japanese martial art that, put simply, is a non aggressive yet practical form of self defence; which has stood the test of time and forms the basis of most of the world’s police force defence systems.

 

Today most of us have a view of martial arts that has been forged from watching films or commercial fighting competitions such as MMA (Mixed Martial Arts).  Now I love action films and I have great respect for the athletes that take part in the arena but Aikido has a very different approach to the ideal of martial arts.  Aikido has been developed from an ancient system which certainly had to prove its worth on the battle field in the past and as such has the pedigree to back up any questions about its practicality.  However, Aikido is not only about the practical aspects used in combat but is also for the development and refinement of human character.  In Japan this aspect is referred to as Budo which roughly translates as Martial Way.

 

SHUDOKAN AIKIDO IN PRESTON

Our Shudokan Aikido dojo is located on on the Fylde Road Industrial estate (behind National Tyres), Fylde Rd Preston. Classes are held every weekday evening.  We teach the Yoshinkan style of Aikido which is the very style taught to the Tokyo police.  We have a wide range of individuals training and the age ranges from 4 year olds up to the over 60s.  We aim to help you to reach your full potential — whether it be by mastering an ancient Japanese art, learning how to defend yourself effectively or improving your physical and mental fitness at a pace that suits you.  During a typical class we will practice a variety of locks, pins, throws and control techniques which are always practiced in a cooperative manner and every care is taken to ensure the safety of the partner.

 

CHILDREN AND AIKIDO

 

Firstly Aikido avoids conflict and teaches harmony in motion. Students are not taught fighting, violence or aggression. Aikido is unique in its effective method of controlling and minimizing aggressive behaviour no matter how large or powerful the aggressor. Put simply Aikido uses an opponent’s force against themselves and offers more than just a fighting system. It is a path of personal discovery and character improvement and as such children will have a lot of fun while learning a very valuable set of life skills including self-confidence, self-respect, self-discipline, respect for others, classroom focus, to name but a few.

 

THE TEACHER STUDENT RELATIONSHIP

 

When learning anything it is important to understand the relationship between the teacher and the student.  When learning a martial art this relationship is very well defined for a number of traditional reasons and in particular today to ensure maximum safety for the participants.  A student must respect the teacher and always do as they are asked.  In return the teacher must never abuse this trust and must only act for the benefit of the student.  In this way everyone involved should be able to take full advantage of the time available for training.

 

A FEW THOUGHTS ON TRAINING

At Shudokan Aikido we will teach you all we know about aikido so you can be the best you can be. But the one thing we can’t make you do is try hard and commit yourself.  No one can do that for you, because that can only come from you. This is true not just in aikido, but in everything in life.

This is a core issue that we can all take something from but perhaps is most valuable to our younger students.

 

AND FINALLY

There is a full time Aikido dojo located in the heart of Preston with instructors qualified through the National Governing Body for the sport (The British Aikido Board).  The dojo also holds the Clubmark accreditation which is the only national cross sports quality accreditation scheme for clubs with junior sections. It is built around a set of core criteria which ensure that accredited clubs operate to a set of consistent, accepted and adopted minimum operating standards.

 

Second Big Day

On our second big group day we finalised our basic plans and tidied up so the whole allotment now has the “shape” we are looking for.  We moved the fruit trees and bushes and now have all the main crop areas ready for planting.

Next we will start planting and then slowly put all the finishing touches so we have a truly lovely place to be while tending our plants.

We are also hoping to look  at bio dynamics for this plot but as our knowledge is negligible this will be introduced as and when we learn more about it.

Preparing the beds

early days

 

 

The Dojo Allotment

We have been lucky this year to be given the chance to share an allotment.  In this blog area I will post regular updates on what is going on.

During February we took the chance to clear and prepare the plot ready for a very exciting growing season.

 

We moved the green house and dug up some of the ground.

Jiri Digging

Why APPLE?

I have recently become aware of the “social media” explosion and the power it can have in communicating with people. Now, I have been aware of “it” for some time but have avoided it as something rather unsavoury. However, having taken advice that it is really necessary in order to get the word about our dojo out there I took it on myself to become educated in the ways of tweeting, facebook etc.

Tying a belt

It was a few years ago now, but at the time I had been studying aikido for about 15 years and held the rank of ni dan.  I had the opportunity to visit Joe Thambu Sensei of Melborne Australia; a high ranking aikidoka of considerable reputation and talent.  I was of course, a little nervous, but as with all opportunities I decided to give it my best and to try and learn as much as I could and to give a good account of myself.  The training was hard but very enjoyable and I learnt a lot and made some very good friends who I am still very much in touch with today.  On my last day, at the end of the class I was called up for an award!  I was given a badge that is normally awarded to children when they can tie their own belt; you see I had been doing this simple task wrong for well over a decade and in the margins of the training had this pointed out to me and shown how to do it correctly.  With such a rich heritage in the art of  belt tying it is with some trepidation that I have finally produced a short video to show my own young students how to tie their belts.  I hope you enjoy it!

My new blogg

I am about to start blogging. The main issues will be to do with the martial art of aikido. However, we will also comment on other topical issues and often discuss how aikido relates to those issues.