PRINCIPLES
Here’s The Problem….Most People Don’t Know The Principles!


And They’re Scared To Say They Don’t’ Understand.

Most MA’s have been taught by the monkey see, monkey do approach when it comes to learning Self Defence, Kata, Movement, Strikes, Techniques or Applications, etc..you can make a list a mile long…sorry Kilometre long!

So why are they scared ..because they don’t want to loose “FACE”. The focus of Martial Arts (MA) has been over recent times on learning techniques…the quick fix approach. Of course the question then becomes..

”What technique should be used for which specific situation or application?”

Skill has been seen as the accumulation and learning of hundreds or even thousands of techniques. This creates a dilemma because what technique do you use when confronted by an attacker… it’s a bit much to expect that your say hey wait a minute while I work out which one of the thousands of techniques I know I should use!

I know it’s a bit of a stretch but how can you practice this many techniques to become really competent in what you do…remember its suppose to be an Art not just a sport. There is an old saying that to master a technique it needs to be practiced 100,000 times…so how many techniques do you know and how many hours in the day have you got to practice..and what happens if you get attacked differently to what you have trained for..then what?

Okay..I think you might of got the message now, knowing a lot of techniques in the end is great but is it practical on the streets when you need it?

This is exactly where principles comes into its own, as understanding principles allows you to be able to respond with something that is going to work, is practical no matter what is being thrown at you.

So what are the principles?

Principles are the foundation..and I know this is a bit cliché..but they are the building blocks from which you can develop a response to most and I would dare to say pretty much to any situation.

Collecting information doesn’t mean squat if you don’t understand what you have. When you are shown how to use it then it becomes knowledge and you can do something with it.

Your “Mindset & Intent” are what is going to make the difference between Success or Failure when applying these principles in your moves and yes your techniques.
Principles are guidelines need to be interpreted, they are not a “Join the Dots” approach to MA. When you understand them it brings the real content to your Kata’s, Forms or Poomses as they give the perspective of context. The same move can mean many different things it is really a matter of context or perspective and how you are being attacked.

The most asked question in a MA school is what does this move mean..in a Kata..a prescribed self defence sequence, etc. the real answer is “What Ever You Want!”
This usually frustrates people when they hear this, and this is only because they don’t understand principles.
So what are some of the KEY PRINCIPLES in our Kata’s, Forms or Poomses… glad you asked… these Principles presented are in no specific order of importance:

BREATHINGPOSITION
SKELETAL POSITION / POSTUREBALANCE
GROUNDINGSKILL
CENTERINGAWARENESS
NO GAPSACTION
WAVEFORMSSURVIVAL
NO WASTED MOVEMENTSPEOPLE
TRANSITIONAL MOVEMENTSFORCE OR POWER
WEIGHT DISTRIBUTIONSPEED
LOCATION OF POINTSANGLE AND DIRECTION
DEFINES SHAPESENERGETICS
ENTRYRELEAXATION & POWER
ECONOMY OF MOTIONBIO MECHANICAL RESPONSES
FLEXIBILITYCOMPETENCEY STAGES

This list is by no means an exhaustive list; it has been developed from years of personal study and research.
Later we will go through each of these in more details to give a better understanding as to what they are and how they can be used and applied…so keep an eye on this space!….
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Mr. Paul Mracek has worked for over 25 years experience in Asia, Europe, USA and Australia establishing and building successful businesses.
Author of several books on success, business, balance and how to apply the “Warrior Mindset”.

Experienced as a Coach, Mentor, Trainer and Consultant supporting both Businesses & Individuals who are looking to be at the Next Level of Performance and Success…Personally or Professionally.

Master Practitioner Kotan Method; 7th Dan Black Belt – Martial Arts;
Chartered Professional Engineer; Fellow: Australian Institute of Management Graduate: Australian Institute of Company Directors, Coach & Practitioner: NLP, TLT & Hypnosis
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