GrandMaster Art Mason's Martial Musing

Great news for everyone interested in further study of the pressure point system know as Kyusho Jitsu. My advanced study eBook is almost complete. I am expecting to start officially selling this eBook (pdf format) on August 15th, with a Spanish Edition to follow very soon after wards.

This book is intended for anyone who has completed the Novice programs, or is just interested in learning more! So what is cover in this eBook? Here are a few samples.

• Alarm Points
• Associated Alarm Points
• Advanced 24 Hour Cycle
• Advanced Cycle of Destruction
• Colour
• Sound
• Emotions
• Much, much more!

Yes this is really only the beginning, this volume is full of theories and methods to take your pressure point study to a new level. But here is the great news! From now until the release date you can pre-order your copy for ONLY $25!!! That is 50% off the regular price of $49.99! To pre-order simply hit the order button below. Once the eBook is compete you will be sent a link for download. The book will ship no later then August 15th 2010.

Order today and get this amazing eBook before anyone else does!

When I do Kyusho Course in my school, the novice session is 12 3 hour segments lasting a year in time. We meet once per month. My success rate with these groups getting to Black Belt is very high, but there is a reason for it. We follow certain laws that pertain to learning a new skill or any skill for that matter.

There are 4 major areas we will talk about.

1) Who to listen too. There are many people on the internet who are claiming high ranks and understanding of the art. How do you decide? Find someone who is doing the things with Kyusho you want to learn to do. That simple, but often overlooked.

2) Am I teachable? This is an important question to ask yourself. How badly on a scale of 1 to 10 do I want to learn this information and what I am will to do, change or give up to do it!

3) Technical Balance - There is a certain amount of technical skill needs to be balanced with the information processed from Kyusho Jitsu.

4) Putting it together. There are 4 knowledge states to be considered. Your goal is to the reach the forth. This takes time and much word to achieve.

a) Unconscious Incompetence- This is not knowing you don’t know something
b) Conscious Incompetence – This is know that you do not know
c) Conscious Competence – This is know that you know something
d) Unconscious Competence – This is doing something you know without thinking about it. This is the ultimate place to be in any martial art or skill.

If you apply this these skills to anything you are learning you will find great success in the field in question. Kyusho is a great example of this. If you would like to know more about learning Kyusho Jitsu visit on Kyusho Online Course Website

One of the greatest challenges in teaching self defense is making the students understand that the body needs to be in constant motion. Often times you will see students struggling with a technique because they are standing still and trying to muscle the Uki to get the desired result. I call this constipated motion.

As I travel and visit other schools and clubs I will often see this in their self defense. Strength is used to make techniques work, rather then angle and direction. Martial Arts when taught properly can be a size equalizer despite what some instructors may feel. My first instructor was a big and powerful man. He could make just about any techniques you can think of work. However most of us could not. We lacked the physical size and prowess to muscle our way with a larger, stronger opponent.

The word ‘foundation‘ is often used to refer to basic techniques of the arts. But students will often think that the instructor is referring to a block or punch, when the truth is foundation means what is going on below the waist. How are the legs and hips moving.

Do you want to improve your martial arts skills? Study the movement of the Master below the waist. You will be amazed at what you will learn!

Long, long ago there was a master swordsman who had trained his three sons in the art of the sword.  He decided that the time had come to retire.  The master balanced a wooden pillow over his curtained doorway in such a way that the smallest movement of the drape would send the pillow falling onto the head of whom ever passed beneath it.  The master then sent word to his sons that this was the day he would choose his successor.

The eldest son was called first. He walked up to his father’s room.  Stopped.  Stood silently for a moment.  Then ever so slowly took down the pillow.  He stepped into the room and then carefully replaced the pillow where he had found it.

Next, the second son was called.  He walked up to the room.  He gently parted the curtain.  The pillow fell. He automatically caught it, and put it back over the door.

Finally the youngest and most skillful son was called.  He had the best techniques of all the brothers and was sure that he would be proclaimed his father’s successor. The proud young swordsman thrust the curtain aside and strode confidently into his father’s room.  The hard pillow smacked him on his head.  He lashed out in anger and sliced the pillow cleanly in two.  He re sheathed his sword before the two halves of the pillow hit the floor.  The youngest son was pleased with his speed and he faced his father with a smile of self-satisfied anticipation.

The old master, however, was not at all pleased with this flashy display,  “You are a disgrace to the art of swordsmanship.  You are a disgrace to this family.  You have neglected all that is important for the sake of technique.  Leave this house and do not return until you realize that intuition is more important than mere technique.”

To his second son he said,  “You must train harder.  You must train more.  Each time you train it must be as if it is your last chance to train.  Do not waste a moment.  You must train as if death was waiting for you around the corner and that the last act you will perform is your training.”

To his eldest son he said:  “I have found my successor.  I can now retire with an easy heart.  You understand what the martial arts is truly about.  Here is my sword.”

A great story to show the tradition and power of the Martial Arts.   I hope it has inspired some deep thoughts.

I was in London the other day shooting some video footage with my Kyusho Jitsu teacher Grand Master Steve Stewart. GM Stewart has been a full time school owner operator for almost 20 years (Fulltime). After the shooting we went out to grab something to eat and ended up talking about MMA.

What is MMA really? Well we do have the fighters who are the ones who coined the phrase MMA. But what is it really?

I get a phone call per week from people looking for MMA sport fighting. I don’t do it so I will send them to my good friend Hanshi Mady. But it is interesting that so many of us, even if we don’t train fighters are teaching a Mixed Martial Art.

I have Black Belts in 4 different arts, my son Curt also in 4 and my son Scott in 3.  Curt is currently looking at the study of American Kenpo under GM Stewart to increase his hand speed. But lets face it what he learns will become integrated into his teaching.  The art of Hon Sang Mu Sa Hapkido is an eclectic art composed of about 5 other arts. So really it is a Mixed Martial Art.

Martial Arts is about growth, personal growth not just combat. Yes they were once combat systems, but most fights or conflicts on any scale involve some nasty weapons. It is far wiser to avoid these situation.

Have an fantastic and properous New Year.

With 2010 right on our doorstep it is time once again to look at the New Year with new hopes and dreams. Have you thought about what you want to achieve in 2010?  This year I have several adult members eligible for their 2nd Dan, plus 2 for 3rd Dan, and I am hoping they are thinking about this as we head into the New Year.

Personally this year is looking like a time for promotion in Kyusho Jitsu with a test for 5th Dan. As well as my promotion in Hapkido to 8th Dan.

Why set goals? I have known so many people over the years of my life who do not believe in setting any kind of goal. They also never get anywhere in life. The subconscious mind needs information given to it to do it’s job. Written goals are a way to supply this to it. Thinking about it consciously does not work. We must commit it to writing and reviewing these goals periodically to achieve them. When I revisit my old goals, those set in writing at the end of the year. Most have been reached or at least started.

For martial artists goal setting is of utmost importance. With set goals comes motivation to train and achieve. Overcoming inertia and getting to class is not only good for your physical health but your mental health as well.

Human’s were not meant to be sedentary, which is the way much of our societies have become. With movement come peace of mind and happiness. Along with some of the things mentioned about my New Years Resolution is to continue to be HAPPY.

In class adult students will often here me refer to “Natural Laws” and their use in self defense and martial art training. What are natural laws? Natural Laws are ways in the body of the attacker will respond or react in a given situation. The reaction or response must be for all people and in each given situation to be considered a Natural Law.

I have seen instructors who will teach various reactions to strikes and kicks. As an example they will state that a punch to this location will cause this to happen. Most times these are simply only a prediction and not Natural Laws. An example a strike to the solar plexus does not always cause the attacker to bend forward. (Someone on PCPs will not have this reaction)

The pressure point study of Kyusho Jitsu is very close to being Natural Law as it works with body energy and flow however the results will vary from person to person.  The effect rate is well over 80% but to be considered Natural Law we need to reach 100%.

All the applications I teach about Natural Laws are based in Octagon movement, with added application of Kyusho Jitsu Techniques.  What is an example of a Natural Law? Well one that does not require video to support the teaching is that all attackers will attack center line as long they are true attackers. (Attacking out of anger or fear). Understanding Natural Laws also means we must step up the job of the Uki. It is much more difficult to be a good Uki in Natural Law study than at any other time.

Natural Law is truly advanced martial art study. For those who are not students of mine take a look at your training and see how much could be classified as Natural Law or adjusted to be so.

Often times the general public will confuse martial arts training for violence. My school is in a large plaza and one day I need to go grab some water from the variety store in front. It was a beautiful day so I decided to go in uniform, which I do often. This day there was an older women in the store.  As soon as she saw me she asked me “how to do live with yourself teaching people to hurt others.” I told her this is not what we do. She scowled at me and said “don’t bother to lie, I know what you do.” I replied again, “you should not condemn me when you have not see my teaching?” Her final words were – “I don’t need to see anything, I know.”

I must admit I was pretty shocked at this. But the sad truth is many people in the general population do not know nor understand what martial arts training is all about. The Public School Board of the Province of Ontario has official policy stating “No martial arts training of any kind in the school system.” MMA competitions are illegal in Ontario. At one time full contact Tae Kwon Do was also. Many malls will not allow demonstrations, including the biggest mall in my town. We need to ask ourselves why?

Now personally I have no mission to try to change this way of thinking. I am one man and people will always ‘think’ what they wish. However we all need to make sure our conduct is such that we never fuel these fires of hate or misunderstanding.  All martial arts teachers and trainers need to make their students live by a code of ethics, which will assure the proper public image is maintained. For any martial artist in the public eyes this become 100 times more important.

Now maybe this lady had a problem some time in her life with a martial artist. If so that is too bad.  Being a martial artist is more than kicking and punching, more than winning a title in the ring or at an Olympic event. It is a way of life and a way of thinking. With proper conduct we can attract more people and children to our art, whatever the style we train in. Each day at our school proper conduct is discussed with our students in various forms. Proper conduct is a requirement for grading and promotion.  The tenets, school creed and conduct are taught from day one.

My mentor once told me “you should never practice what you preach, you should preach what you practice.”

When you watch one of the great masters of old you can sense the calm in their every movement. It is a thing of beauty to behold. Has this calmness gone from today’s martial artist or is it just hidden beyond our line of site.

Training today in many martial arts has become more and more physical, and less and less spiritual. Today we train hard, stressing our bodies to unimagined levels of fitness. Yet we often neglect the mind and spirit. True martial arts is not only physical, it is also a conquest of the mind.  The body is first honed with training and repetition to develop skills that will respond within a seconds notice.  What we forget is we are using our mind to train the body, therefore we cannot neglect training the mind also.

When we train the mind, we are also honing our physical skills because they are all connected. We are not robots receiving pre programmed information. The mind must respond to the external circumstances and put our bodies in motion.  The best result will come from a centered and calm mind.

The training of the mind does not come from a focus target, nor does it come from hard physical practice.  The mind is trained by the Spirit that is who we really are.  Meditation is the only way to calm the mind, and truly prepare it to deal with the physical body and itself. The most important element that must be overcome for the martial artist is that of the ego. Overcome is really not the correct term either, transcend is much more accurate. When the ego is not in balance the martial artist depends on physical conditioning, age and speed. If the ego is in balance these factors do not matter. Technique becomes only movement with the outcome not being a consideration.

The next time you train try doing a 20 minute breathing meditation first. The difference in your abilities will be a pleasant surprise for you.

Recently I had someone call interested in a Self Defense class for a small group of women.  I was happy to do the class for them, especially since it is always a challenge to get women or men interested in self protection.  The lady who organized the event for her friends was hoping for 10-15, but as I would more expect we only had 4 attend.  However 4 is far better than no one.

We do these types of events as a public service. I believe it is important to arm people with the knowledge that can protect them. Someone cannot really learn very much in a 90 minute self defense class, but they can learn to become aware of their surroundings and adopt some basis rules to keep safe.

I applaud these ladies for taking the time to learn a few things that might help them in their lives. It takes courage to walk into a martial arts school, feeling defenseless, hoping to get something out of it. In the New Year I am planning on holding a similar event for our parents. Turnout for these are usually pretty good as a relationship has already been established.

My thanks to the students and Black Belts who came out to help in this workshop. Your tireless efforts at helping others learn to be safe is very much appreciated.