Sydney Koshinkan

The fog of war

There is a concept in the military known as the ‘fog of war’. Simply put when the guns start blazing in a war zone, there is a high level of uncertainty of the situation, impacting effective decision making.

This same phenomenon occurs in a one on one fight situation. Too much information delays decision making and can confuse the issue. The key to sound decision making isn’t knowledge, it’s understanding. Look for a few key indicators- read their body language for intent, recognise your own psychology (then manage through your physiology) and assess the physical environment

Find the balance between deliberate and instinctive decision making. You need to be agile in your thinking as you constantly evaluate a fast changing situation.

“If size mattered then the elephant would be king of the jungle”
Rickson Gracie

Excellence of Ex*****on

It’s important during your training to embed good practices as well as refine and sharpen your skills… repetition and excellence in your repetition will give you this for when you need it most.

Great to reconnect with Pedro, and practice knife techniques. Pedro is a highly skilled martial artist and teacher..

The key takeaway- avoid knife fights. They rarely end well

Bullseye

Whenever attacking anatomically vital points, it’s much like archery- force needs to be applied as close to the target as possible. This is not necessarily about applying as much force as possible, rather it’s applying force on the exact point to maximise the impact.

Precision is more important than power

How you train is how you fight!

Striking is important in fighting arts training because it develops timing, distance management, power generation and effective body mechanics . It’s not just ‘hitting hard’(although that is vitally important), effective striking is about precision, efficiency and decision-making.

A precise, well-timed strike with balance is usually more effective than a wild haymaker.

The fighting arts covers all aspects of one-on-one, unarmed fighting scenarios. One area that is often neglected by many fighting arts schools, is working on the ground… many fights end up here. Get comfortable and competent being able to defend yourself here.

A useful conflict situational awareness tool is the TERA model:
Tribe - ‘are you with me or against me’
Expectation- ‘do I know the future or is it uncertain’
Rank - ‘are you more or less important/capable than me’
Autonomy - ‘do I get a say or not’

Situational awareness is key in handling any potential conflict situation

Training in the fighting arts - an effective emotional regulator?

Controlled. Disciplined. Respectful.

All common and largely accurate perceptions of a martial artist. But look beneath the surface of the martial arts community, and you’ll notice that it seems to attract a high proportion of individuals who are working through emotional issues.

Many of us find it challenging to manage and process our emotional issues through language. Physical outlets are often an easier way to express our strong emotions. Take anger, for example. Many fights occur when people are unable to communicate verbally and resort to physical responses.

By instilling control, discipline and respect, martial arts channels these physical tendencies into a productive outlet rather than a destructive one. This is just one of many benefits in training in the fighting arts. It’s been proven that physical activity reduces stress, anxiety and depression and improves moods, self-esteem and decision making. Throw on top of that the mental health benefits associated with physical improvement (weight loss, lower blood pressure), as well as the sense of community by connecting with others, are just a few reasons to get back in the dojo.