Martial Arts and Modern Life

After a (gulp!) seven year hiatus, I'm bringing back theme of the month: a focus area for the class at Monash University Jiu-jitsu Caulf...

It's a busy time of year. Qualification contest, gradings and kata competition are all coming soon. So let's lighten things up wit...

In judo and jiu-jitsu we generally: Keep our thumbs and fingers together (not splayed), so that an adversary can't snap 'em off, a...

Judo techniques are great training for the body (and mind); in jiu-jitsu the techniques are more directly applicable to self-defence. In ju...

Theme of the month returns, with a difference: This October we will focus on a particular area of the syllabus: Hand throws. In class we...

Theme of the month is on its way back from next month, by popular demand. After class last week Lisa, John, and Ash said that they missed ...

Although there are a bunch of advanced themes I could choose to go onto, the nature of my class --- heavy in beginners -- is such that I wan...

When someone actively resists your attempt to apply a joint-lock, most people fall into the trap of applying more and more force.  Besides b...

The founder of Judo, Jigoro Kano , used -- in part -- the criterion of "minimum effort, maximum efficiency" to select techniques f...

Pushing and pulling (together with lifting and dropping) supply the power to execute throws.  Here are some tips that I find useful to learn...

There are many ways to push and to pull.  Firstly, you need a connection. Most obviously: If you have a grip -- usually with a hand -- on yo...

Despite a strong temptation to use April Foolishness as my theme for my class this April -- maybe next year! -- this month's theme is Pu...

In the dojo we practice our throws -- and breakfalls -- on a 5 cm (2 inch) thick rubberized mat. But do they work in real life? First, an...

How do we acquire beautiful breakfalls? 1. System & practice In our system we are serious about breakfall practice.  Rather than do cali...

Our second theme of the month -- we resumed in February -- will be beautiful breakfalls . Anthony demonstrates the side-breakfall warm-up e...

Last night we had our first class at Monash Caulfield for 2009, and it was fun. Three regulars returned (including Ash in his new colored b...

This year my first theme of the month is Juicy   kuzushi. Kuzushi  is the art of disrupting your opponent's balance.  Even if (s)he is ...