Welcome to GOSHIN-DO'S BLOG and the commencement of training for 2012.
This week sees the commencement of a new 12-week beginner’s course and the resumption of the intermediate classes. So a big warm “Goshin-Do Welcome” to all the novices and a hearty “welcome-back” to all the intermediate students!
I hope to make regular contributions to this blog but also actively encourage students and others to respond, enquire and explore any aspect of self-defence theory, training and practice.
I am often asked “What is Goshin-Do all about?” or “What’s different about Goshin-Do when compared to other martial art styles?”
Goshin-Do (from the Japanese words Goshin meaning "protection of the body" and Do meaning "the way") is a modern, eclectic, self-defence motivated ‘system’ utilizing striking, kicking, throwing and submissions. Goshin-Do’s purpose is to teach effective self-defence for a wide range of real world scenarios. The concepts and techniques of Goshin-Do originate from a number of fighting styles, from which the simplest, most practical and effective techniques, have been taken. These skills are integrated so that the elements build upon and incorporate one another to form a comprehensive approach to self-defence. Goshin-Do emphasizes techniques that can be used effectively on the street as a means of self-protection rather than in competitions or performances.
At its most basic level, Goshin-Do strives to teach the skills you need to survive a realistic confrontation. During an attack, an attempted rape or a fight, you will get hurt, feel pain, and experience fear. Goshin-Do teaches how to maximize your chances of survival, of getting away in one piece and how to minimize your chances of ending up in the hospital or worse. In essence, “Self-Defence” is essentially about “Self-Preservation” or at least it should be!
On a larger scale, Goshin-Do is a sort of martial arts laboratory where the most effective and practical hand-to-hand combat skills can be improved, refined, and personalized. One martial art or teacher is not superior when trying to win a conflict, only the martial artist themself. Goshin-Do offers the instructors, fellow-students and space to ‘pressure test’ and incorporate the best skills of effective self-defence for you.
When it comes to other formal, traditional styles what often comes to mind for me is a Bruce Lee quote: “In memory of a once fluid man, crammed and distorted by a classical mess.”
Commenting on martial art styles, Lee said that in order ‘to reach the masses, some sort of big organization (whether) domestic and foreign branch affiliation, is not necessary. To reach the growing number of students, some sort of pre-conformed set must be established as standards for the branch to follow. As a result all members will be conditioned according to the prescribed system. Many will probably end up as a prisoner of a systematized drill.
Styles tend to not only separate men - because they have their own doctrines and then the doctrine became the gospel truth that you cannot change. But if you do not have a style, if you just say: Well, here I am as a human being, how can I express myself totally and completely? Now, that way you won't create a style, because style is a crystallization. That way, it's a process of continuing growth.
To me totality is very important in (combat). Many styles claim this totality. They say that they can cope with all types of attacks; that their structures cover all the possible lines and angles, and are capable of retaliation from all angles and lines. If this is true, then how did all the different styles come about? If they are in totality, why do some use only the straight lines, others the round lines, some only kicks, and why do still others who want to be different just flap and flick their hands? To me a system that clings to one small aspect of combat is actually in bondage.’
My utmost respect for traditional martial arts as distinct ‘art forms’ is certainly still as present and true for me, as it ever has been. Over the past forty years, I have trained and graded in various traditional martial arts, although in recent years I have focused on aligning myself rather to a specific style or ‘school’ but towards more practical orientations or approaches which are solely based on ‘what works’ in realistic, street-based situations.
Hence, for me now, instruction and training needs to encompass a dynamic, fluid and open approach to close-combat self-defence rather than a rigid ‘style’ or ‘set of rules and assumptions.’ In this sense, I guess Goshin-Do is very Jeet-Kune-Do’sque in its approach, in that it’s perhaps ‘a style with no particular style.’
Here’s some more wisdom from Bruce Lee to round off.
“In the long history of martial arts, the instinct to follow and imitate seems to be inherent in most martial artists, instructors and students alike. This is partly due to human tendency and partly because of the steep traditions behind multiple patterns of styles. Each man (or woman) then belongs to a style which claims to possess truth to the exclusion of all other styles.
You cannot see a street fight in its totality, observing it from the viewpoint of a boxer, a kung-fu man, a karate-ka, a wrestler, a judo man and so forth. You can see clearly only when style does not interfere, you then see it without “like” or “dislike”, you simply see… and what you see is the whole and the partial.
Styles become institutes with their explanations of the “Way”. Instead of facing combat in its ‘suchness’, then, most systems of martial art accumulate a “fancy mess” that distorts and cramps their practitioners and distracts them from the actual reality of combat, which is simple and direct. Instead of going immediately to the heart of things, flowery forms (organised despair) and artificial techniques are ritualistically practiced to simulate actual combat.
When you get down to it, real combat is not fixed and is very much “alive.” The fancy mess (a form of paralysis) solidifies and conditions what was once fluid and when you look at it realistically, it is nothing but a blind devotion to the systematic uselessness of practicing routines or stunts that lead nowhere.”
However Lee also reminded us to not just deny the classical approach simply as a blind reaction, “for you will have created another pattern and trapped yourself there.”
Remember, I welcome your comments, so please feel free to contribute to help ‘get-the-ball-rolling’...
This week sees the commencement of a new 12-week beginner’s course and the resumption of the intermediate classes. So a big warm “Goshin-Do Welcome” to all the novices and a hearty “welcome-back” to all the intermediate students!
I hope to make regular contributions to this blog but also actively encourage students and others to respond, enquire and explore any aspect of self-defence theory, training and practice.
I am often asked “What is Goshin-Do all about?” or “What’s different about Goshin-Do when compared to other martial art styles?”
Goshin-Do (from the Japanese words Goshin meaning "protection of the body" and Do meaning "the way") is a modern, eclectic, self-defence motivated ‘system’ utilizing striking, kicking, throwing and submissions. Goshin-Do’s purpose is to teach effective self-defence for a wide range of real world scenarios. The concepts and techniques of Goshin-Do originate from a number of fighting styles, from which the simplest, most practical and effective techniques, have been taken. These skills are integrated so that the elements build upon and incorporate one another to form a comprehensive approach to self-defence. Goshin-Do emphasizes techniques that can be used effectively on the street as a means of self-protection rather than in competitions or performances.
At its most basic level, Goshin-Do strives to teach the skills you need to survive a realistic confrontation. During an attack, an attempted rape or a fight, you will get hurt, feel pain, and experience fear. Goshin-Do teaches how to maximize your chances of survival, of getting away in one piece and how to minimize your chances of ending up in the hospital or worse. In essence, “Self-Defence” is essentially about “Self-Preservation” or at least it should be!
On a larger scale, Goshin-Do is a sort of martial arts laboratory where the most effective and practical hand-to-hand combat skills can be improved, refined, and personalized. One martial art or teacher is not superior when trying to win a conflict, only the martial artist themself. Goshin-Do offers the instructors, fellow-students and space to ‘pressure test’ and incorporate the best skills of effective self-defence for you.
When it comes to other formal, traditional styles what often comes to mind for me is a Bruce Lee quote: “In memory of a once fluid man, crammed and distorted by a classical mess.”
Commenting on martial art styles, Lee said that in order ‘to reach the masses, some sort of big organization (whether) domestic and foreign branch affiliation, is not necessary. To reach the growing number of students, some sort of pre-conformed set must be established as standards for the branch to follow. As a result all members will be conditioned according to the prescribed system. Many will probably end up as a prisoner of a systematized drill.
Styles tend to not only separate men - because they have their own doctrines and then the doctrine became the gospel truth that you cannot change. But if you do not have a style, if you just say: Well, here I am as a human being, how can I express myself totally and completely? Now, that way you won't create a style, because style is a crystallization. That way, it's a process of continuing growth.
To me totality is very important in (combat). Many styles claim this totality. They say that they can cope with all types of attacks; that their structures cover all the possible lines and angles, and are capable of retaliation from all angles and lines. If this is true, then how did all the different styles come about? If they are in totality, why do some use only the straight lines, others the round lines, some only kicks, and why do still others who want to be different just flap and flick their hands? To me a system that clings to one small aspect of combat is actually in bondage.’
My utmost respect for traditional martial arts as distinct ‘art forms’ is certainly still as present and true for me, as it ever has been. Over the past forty years, I have trained and graded in various traditional martial arts, although in recent years I have focused on aligning myself rather to a specific style or ‘school’ but towards more practical orientations or approaches which are solely based on ‘what works’ in realistic, street-based situations.
Hence, for me now, instruction and training needs to encompass a dynamic, fluid and open approach to close-combat self-defence rather than a rigid ‘style’ or ‘set of rules and assumptions.’ In this sense, I guess Goshin-Do is very Jeet-Kune-Do’sque in its approach, in that it’s perhaps ‘a style with no particular style.’
Here’s some more wisdom from Bruce Lee to round off.
“In the long history of martial arts, the instinct to follow and imitate seems to be inherent in most martial artists, instructors and students alike. This is partly due to human tendency and partly because of the steep traditions behind multiple patterns of styles. Each man (or woman) then belongs to a style which claims to possess truth to the exclusion of all other styles.
You cannot see a street fight in its totality, observing it from the viewpoint of a boxer, a kung-fu man, a karate-ka, a wrestler, a judo man and so forth. You can see clearly only when style does not interfere, you then see it without “like” or “dislike”, you simply see… and what you see is the whole and the partial.
Styles become institutes with their explanations of the “Way”. Instead of facing combat in its ‘suchness’, then, most systems of martial art accumulate a “fancy mess” that distorts and cramps their practitioners and distracts them from the actual reality of combat, which is simple and direct. Instead of going immediately to the heart of things, flowery forms (organised despair) and artificial techniques are ritualistically practiced to simulate actual combat.
When you get down to it, real combat is not fixed and is very much “alive.” The fancy mess (a form of paralysis) solidifies and conditions what was once fluid and when you look at it realistically, it is nothing but a blind devotion to the systematic uselessness of practicing routines or stunts that lead nowhere.”
However Lee also reminded us to not just deny the classical approach simply as a blind reaction, “for you will have created another pattern and trapped yourself there.”
Remember, I welcome your comments, so please feel free to contribute to help ‘get-the-ball-rolling’...
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