There are many arm chair warriors and brave souls in the world that tend to want to be negative and bring people down. My approach to training may not be yours...that does not make it wrong. I feel that on the path of Martial Arts it is primarily about growing as a person, becoming more humble with the wisdom gained through training. If that is truth, then the need to tear down others is a childish and negative approach to life designed only to feed one's ego at the expense of others and their good energy and happiness. just thoughts. peace. Happiness, Calm and tranquility are the ultimate aim. Especially when we no longer live in feudal times.
So! I tend to go on Youtube and check out different breaking artists out there. Overall, I thoroughly enjoy the vids. There are some profoundly honest breakers out there who truly break what you see. And their breaks are awesome!
One of my pet peeves is simple, there are people who have produced vids that are clearly not all they are made out to be or are outright frauds and fakes. that bothers me! simply because there is a passion I have for the art of breaking that many may not get...lol...but when people are able to clearly see the fakes it clouds the waters for the honest Gung fu or Karate practitioners who honestly break. ( other Arts Included as well)... so here are a couple of things to watch for that can help clear the water....: 1- Do they Tap the material before breaking? may seem weird but the act of tapping the block or brick shows that the object is solid and not pre broken. with coconuts the slap in the hand or Light tap on the floor or object is needed to show the nut is solid. Also with the coconut the person brings it to the camera and shows it and shakes it...a good Coconut has water in it and can be heard when shaken. 2- What is the camera angle? Some angles are off because others record with phones and such from the audience view. That is fine. This suggestion here is for the practitioners to be able to help make what they do clear. Let the camera angle be full on from the front. This allows the breaking material to be in the shot completely and allows the viewer to see what is going on. do your best not to do any edits, but if there are edits...write in with an editor program or in the description the reason for the edits. This will give and grow trust. 3- Are they consistent? the person breaking should be consistent .. there should be a commonality...a ...personality if you will to all the vids and breaks. you will note it when you see it. 4- Do they admit when it isn't quite the break it should be...? this is essential. this advice is for the breakers coming up and wanting to show their talent and skill. I have stated in an instruct vid once that if you are going for a coconut break, for instance, and it is already cracked...and you video yourself finishing it off...be honest if you put it out there...let people know that it was already cracked. this will engender trust. They are hard enough to break even with a crack already...just be honest and people will trust and enjoy. there is nothing wrong with working out the technique on something a bit faulty. just admit it. Apply this to all materials you use. There you have it...4 requirements to look for as a viewer and to live up to as a presenter that will enhance the art by building trust and engender a stronger Iron Hand/Palm community. Many will see this kind of training and say, " wow I bet you have arthritis when you are older from this." Though there are periodic cases of people getting arthritis from hard impact behaviors the majority of those are from improper training and improper healing. Arthritis is primarily a genetic issue. There are many Martial Artists throughout China, Japan and Okinawa that adhere to this kind of training and they have not developed arthritis over the amazing length of years they practice and perform. Why?
First of all, they learned how to do it properly. and most importantly they use medicinal herbs , and liniments as well as have proper diets. they train with intent to train and condition , not hurt themselves. D not misunderstand...now and then you hit off center or get too into it and there is some injury. then is the time for common sense to kick in and tell you to ease up for a while, take your medicines. Use your oils or liniments... In any training there is risk. you must weigh them. Training the hands this way...properly...... verses a very large man being thrown down on the floor hard in training...which will develope arthritis?....hard to tell.. this is the first official Blog Post of Kara Tetsu Te!
Let me start by saying this is not a system of martial arts as much as it is a systemic approach to the art of breaking by focusing on the conditioning of the hands . Iron Hand. The journey thus far is proof of concept . the images in my gallery section are of some of my breaks captured upon the moment of the break. I will say that had I not trained in Tetsu Te I would have broken my hands trying to accomplish these breaks. This is a system of training that I absolutely love and fully believe when added to My Karate...makes for a very effective combination. Training almost daily the hands become formidable weapons. It is akin to a great warrior oiling and sharpening his sword daily to keep the sword in fighting shape....the difference is as you train your hands the weapons get heavier, stronger, sharper if you will. A friend in Iron Palm stated once something that I take to heart....he stated that ..." we are the minority of minorities" that practice this training. Many will try and in time stop because of the focused, long-term dedication needed to grow and maintain the skill set. To Me ...I am Honored to be among the " Minority of Minorities" that practice and live Tetsu Te....Iron Hand |
AuthorPractitioner of Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu Karate and have an affinity for Iron Hand conditioning and the Art of Breaking. ArchivesCategories |