“If you want to learn how to fight, don’t study kata.  The only way to learn how to fight is to engage in the ‘real’ thing.”  

This opinion is often expressed by those who hold Karate in low regard.  Their opinion is often formed from movies, online videos, or some out of context training. The statement is as naïve as thinking that a boxer goes into a ring to fight with his skipping rope.

You could say that a martial artist is not a ‘fighter’ as ‘fight’ intimates a struggle between two people, a martial artist is a ‘peacekeeper’.  His function is to re-establish a peaceful environment through long and arduous training.

Peace is earned, if your mind and emotions are weak, you are more likely to cause violence or respond negatively to it.  People that have to respond to violence on a regular basis such as police officers and security personnel are taught to remain calm and to deal with a situation ‘appropriately’ to re-establish and keep the ‘Queens Peace’ and a martial artist’s response should be the same.

The problem with people that constantly create ‘aggressive and violent situations’ in which to train is that they are still not ‘real’ – you know it’s your mate acting, and if anything engenders fear of the ‘real’ thing, and makes people neurotic by focusing solely on ‘reality based’ training.

REALITY CHECK

This interview was conducted in July 2003…

Steve Rowe talks with Nightclub Doorman and Shi Kon Martial Artist Dennis Jones…

SR  To carry on with the theme of intimidation and how it affects a person on the inside, I think we need to talk a little on the subject of Chi, Qi or Ki…

DJ  I think you’re right!

SR  The best English word I’ve found to describe it is “animation”, it’s the way we “animate” our mind, spirit and body.  A person without animation is a corpse, the more powerfully we can animate and focus it – the more skilfully we are using our chi. 

Our animation is our armour, both mentally and physically.  When we are physically and mentally aware and focussed, we are difficult to disarm, catch unawares, hit or hurt.  Our ability to project that animation to others can influence them and if they aren’t skilful at using their own, it can intimidate them.

Steve Rowe talks to well respected Doorman and Shi Kon Martial Artist Dennis Jones. This interview was done in March 2005.

Dennis visited the centre and bought a videotape with a collection of violent confrontations taken from his huge archive of footage from 25 years of door work on some of the most violent night clubs in the Medway area to help the students understand how violence starts and how to avoid and deal with it.  Whilst he was here I asked him to talk about how bullies single out their targets.

SR  Dennis, we’ve just watched a videotape made up from over 100 confrontations that you’ve filmed – and I understand that’s just a snippet from your archives – the thing that strikes me is how violence seems to start from something stupid or trivial….

DJ  You’re not kidding!  You could be walking down the street and someone could pick on you just because he doesn’t like the jacket you’re wearing.  For you, that’s not acceptable within the bounds of civilised society, but for the person causing the problem, it’s a legitimate reason!

I love the whooshing sound that a shinken blade makes as it cuts the air.  The soundless drawing of the blade as it unsheathes with the skilled use of both hands that allows it to slip seamlessly from the saya, the rapid expansion of the body causing the blade to power through the air and the way that the Iaido practitioner slides along the Dojo floor on knees or feet with the suriashi (gliding step) movement, utilising the hakama sabaki to prevent tripping over the divided trousers gives a beautiful feel to this deadly art.

It’s spellbinding watching Sensei practice, his perfect erect posture with straight back and hakama folded neatly around him as he sits in seiza.  The pregnant stillness before movement, the slight narrowing of the eyes as he identifies the opponent, the way he uses powerful thigh muscles to rise up with his head moving directly upwards as opposed to leaning forwards.  I love the explosion of movement with the nukitsuke as he draws and cuts with one fluid move, the contraction and expansion of the kirioroshi, the major cut, the different swish of the chiburi to shake the blood off the sword and the smooth co-ordinated noto to return the blade back to the saya.