Class Notes for 22 October 2014

Questions to investigate and to ponder:

The value of a code

A code of values has always been taught alongside the martial arts.  

What were the knights really like?
What is a vigil?
Stories of knights

Masters to learn about

Fiore de liberi "The Flower of Battle"

Johannes Liechtenauer 

Joachim Meyer

Ott Jud

Fabian von Auerswald

George Silver's Paradoxes of defense

George Silver's Brief Instructions on the Paradoxes of Defense

 

Movement and Evasion

Warm up and fitness:  Look for evidence that the martial artists of old actually studied fitness

Ibn Sina (he was also known as Avicenna) was a Muslim philosopher who wrote about many things but he was also a healer.  His works were used by medieval doctors.  He wrote about exercise being important for health.

"Once the purpose of medicine has been set forth, then from pages 377–455, Ibn Sina divides the way of achieving health as:

"Since the regimen of maintaining health consists essentially in the regulation of: (1) exercise (2) food and (3) sleep, we may begin our discourse with the subject of exercise".(Avicenna 1999, p. 377)

Exercise itself is divided into three main parts: The Massage (which is equivalent to massaging your muscles before you start to exercise); The Exercise itself; and lastly the Cold Bath.

Giving one of the greatest benefits of the regimen of exercise, and then explaining the extremely important and necessary need for physical exercise; Ibn Sina states:

"Once we direct the attention towards regulating exercise as to amount and time, we shall find there is no need for such medicines as are ordinarily required for remedying diseases dependent on [abnormal] matters, or diseases of temperament consequent upon such. This is true provided the rest of the regimen is appropriate and proper."(Avicenna 1999, p. 377)

The value of exercise includes the following (1) it hardens the organs and renders them fit for their functions (2) it results in a better absorption of food, aids assimilation, and, by increasing the innate heat, improves nutrition (3) it clears the pores of the skin (4) it removes effete substances through the lungs (5) it strengthens the physique. Vigorous exercise invigorates the muscular and nervous system."(Avicenna 1999, p. 379)"

Check out wikipedia for Ibn Sina 

We began practice with a brief meditation and then did some warmups.  

To practice martial arts safely you must be fit and agile and this means that you have to discipline yourself to work out.   You need a general kind of fitness that includes strength, flexibility, and endurance.

When you begin training most people are not fit.  As you learn to train yourself you will discover that you are stronger and more capable than you think you are.  You will also learn the difference between real and imaginary limits.

Your arms and legs must be strong but so must your core.  Specifically, do the following for 3 days on and one day off.  taking additional days when you need to.   Always have a way of measuring what you do.  It helps.

Start with gentle movement.  Move your arms, neck and stretch the sides of your body.  Move around.  Stretch your legs.  Do not bounce but gently and persistently and only to the point where it hurts and maybe a little bit more at the most.

Then do 1- 3 rounds of :

atlas lunge for 10 seconds on each side

10 push ups

10 air squats (squatting without weight) holding a staff over your head 

10 pull ups

10 sit ups

10 back extensions or superman stretches

10 dips or ring dips 

Learn how to lift weights and do deadlifts, front squats and military presses with low to moderate weights.  Believe it or not, lifting weights actually helps with flexibility if you do it right and it will prevent you from getting injured.  If you are going to play with swords and wear armor, lifting weights and building strength is essential.

Lifting weights is one way to take care of your body but you can hurt yourself if you do it wrong.  Always study and learn first before you try anything.  Young people should not do certain kinds of workouts when they are growing.  For example, as young teens your arms and legs are growing rapidly.  You have growth plates in your wrists and ankles.  If you strike something really hard and jam a growth plate it can injure it.  Study and knowledge are your friends.

Zombie tag

Zombie tag is a way to train how to move in the right direction when you are attacked.   If you are far enough away that the opponent has to step towards you then you can move your whole body more easily out of the way.   The closer you are the harder this becomes.  When you are to close that you cannot easily respond by moving your whole body out of the way, you can move in the same directions but more subtly.

There are only so many different ways to move

You can step or you can shuffle in all the different directions.  Jumping and leaping are just variations.  You can spin.  How you move is important.  If you move closer you speed up the interaction between yourself and the opponent. If you move further away you slow them down relative to yourself.  If you move off of their line of attack they have to adjust.

The four guards

There is "The long position", "the boars tooth",  "the iron fortress", "and the front position" in medieval wrestling.  These are similar to Asian martial arts positions and modern boxing and wrestling in some ways.

Range and Judgement, Timing and Distance

Range is just about what weapons and techniques are appropriate.  Timing and distance combined is called "judgement"  (The japanese term is Ma-ai)

When you face a stronger opponent or if your opponent has a weapon you will be more cautious.  Judgement distance becomes longer between those two people;