Tag Archives: kenpo

Perfection in the martial arts

Newsletter 859

Perfection in the Martial Art

May you have Perfect Art
in your Perfect Work Out!

Perfection.
Interesting concept.
After you read this newsletter
it will be easy to attain.
If you can count every blade of grass in the field.

Perfection means
free from flaw or defect.

Most people don’t even know what a flaw or defect is in the martial arts.
They hit and focus on how hard they hit.
Or they box and exult when they make a good punch.

These things are not even close.

When I was doing Aikido
way back when
the instructor said an interesting thing.

The perfect circle has no corners.

Hmmm.
The context he was talking about,
the technique we were involved in,
was a simple shoulder roll.

We would roll,
following instructions as best we could
and we would hit a hip,
or flop a foot at the end,
or find any of a thousand other ‘corners.’

So we worked and we worked until our rolls were silent.
A silent roll is a perfect roll.

Interesting concept.

But how do you apply that to the rest of the martial arts?

In aikido it is easy,
if you have impact with your partner
while doing a technique,
you knock him out of harmony,
you knock him out of the perfect arc of the technique,
instead of merging with his lunch,
you nudge it out of true
and the technique fails.
The technique has corners.

And,
you can apply the concept of silence to this,
a silent technique has no flesh slapping,
no bones knocking,
no collisions,
either with each other or the floor.

But that’s aikido.
How do you apply this technique to other arts?

You look for silence.
Don’t slap the feet on the floor.

Don’t ‘collide with an arm when blocking,
rather cut it effortlessly.
You are silent…he goes ow!

Now,
obviously,
there are times when you will make sound.
Say you hit the floor with your foot to supercharge a technique.
There is sound there.
But is the sound of the foot hitting the floor the only sound?

Is the sound of the kiai,
when you deliver a punch,
the only sound?

Does your fist hit and create sound?
But sound is excess energy
thrown out from a technique that isn’t truly pure.

Can you see where I’m going with this?

The interesting thing is trying to move with no sound.
I sometimes work out late at night,
everybody asleep,
and I try to work out with no sound
except those that are part of the technique.

When you can punch somebody with no sound
the impact is pure,
the transference of weight from one body to another
is pure.

So think about it.
I wouldn’t worry too much about it in class,
it’s one of those work on it…in silence.
By yourself,
exploring how little you can do
to do a lot.

Anyway,
probably the best art
for learning to create silence in your technique is Tai Chi Chuan.

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/five-army-tai-chi-chuan/

Have a great work out!
Al

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/five-army-tai-chi-chuan/

http://www.amazon.com/Binary-Matrixing-Martial-Arts-Case/dp/1515149501/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437625109&sr=8-1&keywords=binary+matrixing

go to and subscribe to this newsletter:
https://alcase.wordpress.com

Remember,
Google doesn’t like newsletters,
so this is the best way to ensure you get them.

You can find all my books here!
http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/

http://www.amazon.com/Matrixing-Tong-Bei-Internal-Gung/dp/1507869290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423678613&sr=8-1&keywords=tong+bei

Ooops! Martial Arts I Forgot…

Newsletter 847

I’ve Taught You All I Know!

(Want to Know What I’ve Forgotten?)

Man!
This is a freaking great year!
So many things to do!
Have you made a list of things to do?
I hope your list starts with
doing martial arts every day,
and learning a new art every month!

Every month?
But Al!
Nobody can do that!

Oh…
Bullstuff!
You can do ANYTHING
you want to do!

You think not?
You just set your goal,
take one step at a time
and watch the goal grow closer.
It’s that easy.

But…
twelve arts in a year?
NOBODY
can do that!

Oh…
BULLSTUFF!

You could if you wanted.

Look,
each art builds on the one before it.
Let’s say it takes you three months
to learn Matrix Karate.
It’s only going to take a couple of months
to learn Shaolin Butterfly after that,
because you have a LOGICAL database.
Matrix Karate is so logical,
so intuitive,
and each matrixed art you study after that
gets easier and easier.

You could
towards the end,
learn a couple of arts a month.
Easy.
You just need the true and accurate data
on what the martial arts really are.

The work outs get to be fun.

You get done with Matrix Karate,
then you look at Shaolin Butterfly,
or whatever art you choose,
and the thought blasts through your head…
THIS IS EASY!

Yeah, this is just a second step,
oh, this relates to that,
oh, that’s how it fits.

Your mind gets excited,
you start ABSORBING the martial arts.
Not grinding at them,
but ABSORBING them.
In fact,
it’s almost like they are eating you.

It’s like getting drunk,
each drink getting easier to toss down the old gullet,
except it is knowledge you are tossing down.
And the work outs are not boring grinds,
they are exciting times
with your mind leaping through the material,
your body not even knowing it is working.

I’m not kidding.

Or,
you could sit there and say,
NAH!
Nobody can do that.
That’s impossible.
I’M NOT EVEN GOING TO TRY!

You guys and gals want to know something?

I’m a beginner.
I was a beginner in 1967,
and I’m a beginner now.

Do you remember what it was like to be a beginner?
To be swamped with new concepts?
To travel through each work out
with your brain going…OMG!

With matrixing,
every work out is like that.

At least for me it is.
But then…I don’t think anything is impossible.

Okay,
here’s the skinny.
I’ve written over two million words on the martial arts.
More than anybody else in history.
I didn’t even think about it,
just did it,
because it was FUN!

So here’s a little blast from the past.
I was trying to put order in my files
and I came across the six journals.

They start small,
the first one is only four pages,
and grow larger and larger,
and cover all sorts of things,
some original articles,
some original artwork,
some original thinking.
AND I HAD FORGOTTEN ALL ABOUT THEM!

Well,
heck,
with over 2,000,000 words,
of course I’ve forgotten some stuff,
forgotten I’ve written some stuff.
So here is the link to the first journal.
No charge,
just something to get you thinking,
something to help you come to the conclusion…
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!

Old Monster Martial Arts Mag!

And,
of course,
let me know if the link doesn’t work.
I don’t know if any links inside the mag work,
you can let me know,
but I probably won’t do anything.
After all,
I wrote the mags ten years ago,
and have gone through several websites, softwares, etc.

BUT…
here’s my screwup,
and you can take advantage of it.

I never deleted one of my old websites.
Oh, yeah,
it’s there.
In fact,
it is so old
that I can no longer fix it.
I made it with an old Mac program.
No longer works.
So you MIGHT be able to find links
to old prices.
Now,
if the link doesn’t work…
if a Paypal button doesn’t work…
I won’t honor it.
Sorry.
It’s broke,
I can’t fix it,
tough luck.
BUT
if it works,
you can order what you want.
I have to honor it,
right?

Now,
to tell the truth,
I don’t know what works.
Maybe everything,
maybe nothing,
probably something in between.

I don’t know,
and I don’t care to look because,
darn it,
I can’t fix it.

So,
a New Years blessing.
Something to get you going.
If the links work,
take advantage.
If they don’t,
if a product is no longer there,
I probably won’t honor it.
(Though I will refund, if that issue comes up.
I always guarantee everything,
even if I don’t know what it is.)

Okay,
welcome to the new year,
have a great work out,
and remember…
ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!

Al

Old Monster Martial Arts Mag!

http://www.amazon.com/Binary-Matrixing-Martial-Arts-Case/dp/1515149501/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437625109&sr=8-1&keywords=binary+matrixing

go to and subscribe to this newsletter:
https://alcase.wordpress.com

Remember,
Google doesn’t like newsletters,
so this is the best way to ensure you get them.

You can find all my books here!
http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/

http://www.amazon.com/Matrixing-Tong-Bei-Internal-Gung/dp/1507869290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423678613&sr=8-1&keywords=tong+bei

Saying Dirty Words in the Martial Arts

Newsletter 846

A Martial Arts Dirty Word!

Happy New Year!
And a dirty word to you.
A dirty word?
But…which dirty word?

The word is…
ATARAXIA.

I will explain why it is a dirty word later.
Right now,
let me say that,
dirty or not,
it is the one word you should know,
especially if you wish to be
a real martial artist.

I do want to warn you,
that if you’re not prepared for a little concentration,
a bit of hard thought,
and the willingness to look your face right in the mirror,
you better skip this newsletter.

Here we go.

Ataraxia is derived from Greek.
it means…
‘not disturbed.’
It is freedom from distress and worry.

Or,
A state of serene calmness.

This is not just a philosophical word.
Philosophy,
as in dry old men
who sit around and talk about life.

This is freedom from worrying about
whether some fellow is going to attack you,
whether your car is going to make it to work,
or even where your next meal is coming from.
Heck,
it is even freedom
from the fellows in Washington,
who do their best to disturb
any tranquil state of the soul.

And here’s the real definition.

Ataraxia is an untroubled and tranquil condition of the soul…
THE IDEAL STATE FOR SOLDIERS ENTERING BATTLE!
(Caps mine.)

But,
we have just scratched the surface of the word.

Dig in a little deeper and we have…
‘live life modestly,
gain a knowledge of the world,
and limit one’s desires.’

Yikes!
That means you don’t need a Ferrari,
a cheap junker will do,
if it will get you from here to there,
which is the point of it all.

If you live modestly and seek knowledge,
you will become free from fear…
you will be happy.

But,
it gets even juicier.
A person who takes no position
as to what is good or bad
attains a state of ataraxia.
Good or bad,
you see,
is a judgment.
A person who judges others
has removed himself from humanity.

And,
yet more.
A person who pursues virtue
will achieve ataraxia.

So,
to become a warrior,
a real warrior,
possessed of virtues and honor,
you have to give up desires,
you have to stop judging others,
then you can become balanced,
and that balance will manifest
as a peaceful state of the soul.

Now do you understand why this simple word
is so important?
Do you understand why a year spent delving into it
will result in yourself as a higher caliber martial artist?

And,
of course,
a few work outs a day.
Work outs like in Monkey Boxing.
Every week you get more data,
old training drills that are now forgotten.
New training drills to fill in the pieces.
And an inspiration to work out.
To not stop.
To explore the martial arts
to delve into what makes you you.

http://monkeyboxingnow.com

Think about it like this,
think about this different way of looking at things:
if something bad happens,
you don’t get upset or emotional,
for it has already happened.
You don’t react,
but merely move to calm the situation.

And,
if you can do this,
then you start to see ‘disturbances’ coming,
and you start to act BEFORE the deed,
thus preventing a disturbance
to your ataraxia,
and helping others to achieve
this ideal state of spirituality.

That’s how it all works.

So why is Ataraxia a dirty word?

Because saying ‘dirty word’ makes people look.
I got you to look.
Hopefully,
you will forgive my terrible deed,
and consider a life filled with ataraxia.

And here’s something really sneaky about this,
if i can inject a final word.

You saw the term ‘dirty word,’
your mind reacted,
and you were compelled.
Not very ataraxic,
eh?

And the solution is to pursue ataraxia
if you wish to overcome
being a victim
to ‘anti-ataraxia.’

Here’s that MN link again.

http://monkeyboxingnow.com

Have a great New Year
with a great work out
EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Al

http://monkeyboxingnow.com

http://www.amazon.com/Binary-Matrixing-Martial-Arts-Case/dp/1515149501/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437625109&sr=8-1&keywords=binary+matrixing

go to and subscribe to this newsletter:
https://alcase.wordpress.com

Remember,
Google doesn’t like newsletters,
so this is the best way to ensure you get them.

You can find all my books here!
http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/

http://www.amazon.com/Matrixing-Tong-Bei-Internal-Gung/dp/1507869290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423678613&sr=8-1&keywords=tong+bei

The Night Before Christmas…Martial Arts Style

Newsletter 845 ~ Sign up now!

A Martial Arts Christmas Eve!

HANAKWANMASS to all,
and to all…
here is my famous Christmas ditty,
designed to put joy in your hearts,
and bells on your swords.

martial arts law

Click on Cover for The Secret of the One Year Black Belt!

BUT,
before we go with my yearly rendition
of the Night Before Xmas,
let me say something.

First,
please forgive.
If I have offended you,
been late on an order,
said something you didn’t like,
please extend your forgiveness to me.
I’m trying hard,
but I make mistakes.
A little forgiveness
will go a long way.
Thanks.

AND,
before we start
on that bit of eternal poetry,
let me say something.
Did you know
more people have canceled their subscription
to this newsletter
after reading this poem
than…than…
I don’t know.
I just know that a lot of people cancel.
EXCELLENT!
I only want the serious martial artists.
And how can you be a serious martial artist
if you don’t know how to laugh?
Or at least groan at my poem?
So to you,
the grumps,
the misogynists,
the bank robbers and dog kickers,
the fellows (and gals) who don’t work out
and will live a dry,
mundane,
boring,
empty of excitement
life…
this poem is designed
to get rid of you.
TAKE THAT!
Heh heh!

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS!

Twas the night before Christmas
I was in my shack
primed and ready
for the red fat attack.

my weapons were loaded
the windows were barred
all would be safe
while I was on guard

The chimney was decked
with concertina wire
I crouched by the couch
ready to fire.

I had an M60
with ammo to feed
I didn’t care
if the red fat did bleed.

A loaded shotgun
and grenades to spare
when red fat came down
I’d blow him out of there.

Throwing stars and knives
and a really long sword
and if that didn’t work
I knew a bad word.

Sitting there late
my eyes started to close
when suddenly I heard
a bunch of ho hos.

Off with the lights
safety off, too
I  watched the fire close
and heard a sound from the flu.

‘Ouch and gosh darn it
who put the wire here
those are my undies
starting to tear!’

Then a shower of soot
and a grunt and a groan
he landed in the fire
and gave out a moan.

He was rubbing the place
where the wire did tear
so I held down the trigger
and lead filled the air.

belt after belt
did I deal the red fat
he danced and he jumped
I knew he felt that!

then quicker than spit
I ran out of lead
but enough was enough
he had to be dead.

Boy was I shocked
to see him stand tall
stepping out of the fireplace
not bothered at all.

So I grabbed up the 16
to mow him down
he had to be hurting
cause I saw his big frown.

Then I was empty
and he came straight for me
I pulled out my knives
and sliced him with glee

He jumped to the side
moving real quick
disarmed my knives
with a well placed kick

then he dropped the big bag
he had on his shoulder
reached forth his arms
and his anger did smolder

He grabbed hard my neck
and held me up high
I tried kicks and punches
but I was like a fly

Not karate nor judo
no art did work
and he grinned a mean grin
and called me a jerk

‘Don’t you know
you stupid little man
Christmas is forever
in spite of your plan.’

Then he threw me aside
and proceeded to work
giving presents to all
and to me a great smirk

And when he left
the great big red fat
he left me a lump of coal
the big red fat rat!

HANAKWANMASS TO ALL

and to all
and to all a great work out.

BTY
it’s not too late to forgive!

Al

Want some real lessons?

http://monkeyboxingnow.com

http://www.amazon.com/Binary-Matrixing-Martial-Arts-Case/dp/1515149501/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437625109&sr=8-1&keywords=binary+matrixing

go to and subscribe to this newsletter:
https://alcase.wordpress.com

Remember,
Google doesn’t like newsletters,
so this is the best way to ensure you get them.

You can find all my books here!
http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/

http://www.amazon.com/Matrixing-Tong-Bei-Internal-Gung/dp/1507869290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423678613&sr=8-1&keywords=tong+bei

What is the Original Concept Behind the Martial Arts?

Newsletter 838

SUPER SPECIAL MARTIAL ARTS ANNOUNCEMENT

GOOD MORNING!

Got a special announcement.

So special I am issuing two newsletters on the same night!

So special…
there is NOTHING like what I am about to do.

monkey boxing martial art

Click here to go to: MonkeyBoxingNow.com!

First,
don’t get me wrong,
people need Matrixing.
They need to understand the science of the martial arts.
It is the only way they will gain true understanding,
and true understanding is necessary
for true mastery.

Second,
I have provided many paths for people to master the martial arts.

You can do the classical route by going to:

http://kangdukwon.com

You can do the Matrix Karate route by going to:

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/black-belt-course/

You can do a variety of martial arts
by doing any martial art I offer,
and The Master Instructor Course.

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/4-master-instructor-course/

So what could be better than that?
Eh?

What could be better than that is if I gave you personal lessons
for as little as $2.50 per week.

Go to:

http://monkeyboxingnow.com

Monkey Boxing is MY art.
It is not the scientific analysis of art,
as in Matrixing,
or matrixed courses,
but it does,
of course,
follow matrixing principles.

Monkey boxing includes the following courses,
which are offered on MonsterMartialArts.com.

Blinding Steel.
Matrix Kung Fu
Rolling Fists

tied together by The Master Instructor Course.
(What?
You thought I would teach you something without using
The Master Instructor Course?)

Further,
you will get snippets and tidbits
from ALL my courses,
because I have to give you all the drills,
and tell you where they came from,
and how they were developed.
And ALL my drills and exercises.
And Forms and Freestyle.
And everything else.

And you can ask me questions.
I will respond by email,
or,
if necessary and appropriate,
on video.

Thus,
I draw on everything in my 50 years experience,
to teach you my art.

Now,
the drawback is that there isn’t going to be
a specific order to all this stuff.

I am teaching people Monkey boxing,
as I teach the video course.
I draw on material I need,
as I need it.

So I don’t organize it,
I just teach it
in an intuitive sequence
based on what my students need.

But,
don’t worry,
I will be releasing,
sometime in the next few weeks,
a study guide of some sort,
to help you order all the material,
so you will understand the order,
and be able to focus on that order.

Don’t get me wrong,
this course DOES NOT replace matrix ing.
Matrixing is the ultimate science,
it is the martial arts in order.

But this my art,
the art that has come out of me
because of all my experiences,
because I need to express myself.

Okay,
here is the special announcement website…

http://monkeyboxingnow.com

Go there,
poke around,
and see if it is for you.
have a great work out!

Al

http://www.amazon.com/Binary-Matrixing-Martial-Arts-Case/dp/1515149501/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437625109&sr=8-1&keywords=binary+matrixing

go to and subscribe to this newsletter:
https://alcase.wordpress.com

Remember,
Google doesn’t like newsletters,
so this is the best way to ensure you get them.

You can find all my books here!
http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/

http://www.amazon.com/Matrixing-Tong-Bei-Internal-Gung/dp/1507869290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423678613&sr=8-1&keywords=tong+bei

Zen and Indian Stealth Skills in the Martial Arts!

Newsletter 834 ~ Subscribe now!

Were the Indians Masters of Their Own Brand of Zen?
part two

What a GREAT day!
Of course,
if you don’t work out,
you probably don’t really know what I mean.
Grin.

This is the second of a five parts series.
Subscribe to this newsletter to get all five parts.

Last newsletter I made the point
that the American Indian
was probably the finest warrior in the world.
To back this up,
simply consider their attitude towards that great zen concept…
silence.

In zen you create a silence so absolute
that your spirit can manifest,
that the truth of you becomes apparent.

Indians had this zen attitude towards silence.

The mere fact of walking,
as described in the first part of this series,
can be used to create silence.
But that is only the first stage.
Perhaps some of you remember an old adage
that only fools whistle?
A bit harsh,
a happy person should whistle,
but when you are hunting game,
or sneaking up to a battle,
you can’t whistle.

Instead,
you have to master the sounds of nature,
the tweet of a bird,
the call of a wolf,
the actual sound of shifting sand,
or wind in the rushes.

To master such sounds requires an appreciation of silence itself.

Consider this bit of zen:
it is not the sound you must hear,
but the silence.

Or,
as I am fond of telling students,
a candle in a coal mine
is brighter than the sun at noon.

Consider this when you are doing Tai Chi,
and don’t make a sound.

Consider this in Aikido,
and don’t let your circles make a sound.

Consider this in Karate,
or Tai Chi,
or other arts,
and quell the sound of your motion,
of your technique,
it is not just wasted energy,
but it distracts the mind
from the silence necessary
to manifest the spirit.

Here’s a link to Tai Chi,
which is a great art for pursuing silence.

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/five-army-tai-chi-chuan/

and have a great work out!

Al

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/five-army-tai-chi-chuan/

http://www.amazon.com/Binary-Matrixing-Martial-Arts-Case/dp/1515149501/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437625109&sr=8-1&keywords=binary+matrixing

go to and subscribe to this newsletter:
https://alcase.wordpress.com

Remember,
Google doesn’t like newsletters,
so this is the best way to ensure you get them.

You can find all my books here!
http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/

http://www.amazon.com/Matrixing-Tong-Bei-Internal-Gung/dp/1507869290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423678613&sr=8-1&keywords=tong+bei

A Learning Curve for all the Martial Arts

Newsletter 832

Martial Arts Learning Curve!

Happy fall work out!
Cooler weather,
hotter work outs
Yippee!

yoga martial arts style

Click on the cover!

Hey,
did you know there is a learning curve to the martial arts?
Of course there is.
There is a learning curve to everything.
And the curve can be sharp,
low and slow,
wiggly waggly here and there.
But here are two things that your mommy never told you, and a different way of looking at the learning curve inherent in mankind.

One,
most people don’t want to learn.
They know there is a curve,
but they don’t want to apply it to themselves.
They are satisfied
accepting what some so-called authority tells them,
and they never look at what they are really doing.
They work out and don’t think.
Mindless exercise.

Two,
and this somewhat extrapolates on the first point,
and shows what the scale of learning in the martial arts actually look like.

At the bottom we have the people who want to fight.
They just like the freestyle,
the reality,
they are often quite vocal
always backing up opinion with the offer
to prove what they say with their fists.

Near the bottom we have the physical cultists.
They work out to get a good body,
maybe impress people.
No thought of what the martial arts does for mind/spirit

In the middle we get most people.
They talk about chi,
and research what has gone before,
but they don’t look into the future,
they are not scientific about what they do.

Above the middle we get dedicated artists.
These are people who sense what is going on,
and are pushing themselves forward,
and making inroads as to what
the martial arts are really all about.

At the top you get the matrixed martial artists.
These are people who realize
that there is a truth behind the martial arts,
And that there is a scientific way of getting to that truth.

To sum up this learning curve
and the people embedded in it…

domination
image and symbolism
pseudo intelligent but bad data
dedicated artists attempting to rise above
logic and science as a method

Now,
that all said,
here are a few examples.

At the bottom are the people who want to dominate.
Who inhabit chat rooms only to put down,
who insist that arguments can only solved
by fighting.

Above the bottom
are the idiots who listen to the dominators
and actually believe them.
These guys are mindless drones,
wanna be dominators,
on their way down,
but not there yet.

In the middle are people,
people like you and me,
but with one large problem.
Their data is wrong.
No matter how hard they work out,
they are cursed.
Simply,
they accept methods that,
even if efficient,
are so couched in ancient terms
that they are near useless.
They learn Japanese
because you can’t understand Karate unless you speak Japanese.
They meditate
without any idea of what meditation is.
They are firmly ensnared by the classical,
and have never picked up a dictionary,
or done anything to translate the mass they are stuck in.

Above the middle are people
who have felt the energy,
who are exploring concepts,
who are trying to resolve the mass of unordered data
that is the martial arts.
I can’t tell you how many of these people have written me,
are aware that matrixing has given them the final order,
has propelled them,
has uplifted them.

At the top we have you,
the matrixer.
The fellow who has seen the order of the martial arts,
has experienced the logic,
who has started to speed up,
has seen the sure and steady path
into the real ability of the martial arts.

So,
where you?
I know not only do matrixes read my stuff,
but sometimes others,
low and almost low,
sometimes looking and sometimes not,
read things i’ve written.
So where are you?

Are you stuck on the downward path?
Trying to dominate others?
Or are you on the upward path,
finding the real education in the martial arts,
opening up your abilities
as quickly as you can?

Here’s the most important link a martial artist can ever find.

http://www.monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/4-master-instructor-course/

You guys and gals…

have a great work out!

Al

http://www.monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/4-master-instructor-course/

http://www.amazon.com/Binary-Matrixing-Martial-Arts-Case/dp/1515149501/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437625109&sr=8-1&keywords=binary+matrixing

go to and subscribe to this newsletter:
https://alcase.wordpress.com

Remember,
Google doesn’t like newsletters,
so this is the best way to ensure you get them.

You can find all my books here!
http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/

http://www.amazon.com/Matrixing-Tong-Bei-Internal-Gung/dp/1507869290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423678613&sr=8-1&keywords=tong+bei

Teaching Martial Arts to Children

Newsletter 823 ~ Subscribe now!

Here’s How You Teach Martial Arts to Youngsters

‘Karate is the best thing you can do for your child.’
Who said the above quote?
The answer is at the bottom of this newsletter.

We didn’t have much of a kids class
back when I was learning at the Kang Duk Won.
There weren’t many schools back then,
and there was no shortage of adult students.
Now,
of course,
schools can only survive if they have children’s classes.
But how the heck do you teach a child?
Children have short attention spans,
they tend to whine,
and they don’t remember everything you say!

Which brings us to the solution.

First off,
don’t try to teach classical forms,
just keep working on the basics.
Teach them basic kicking,
basic rolling,
and do lots of freestyle ‘games.’

Here’s a couple of things to illustrate what I mean.

I went into a school, a pretty good school,
and noticed a healthy sized kid’s class.
Interestingly,
there was a riot of color when it came to belts.
white, yellow, orange, purple, blue, green, red.
All with stripes of…
yellow, orange, purple, blue, green, red.

This school had an amazing amount of belts,
and I asked the instructor about it.
He equivocated,
and when I watched a class,
I suddenly realized what he was doing.

He was teaching nothing but basics.
But there was a method here.

Kids can’t remember things,
so he just kept emphasizing basics,
and waiting for an individual child
to reach the point where he could accept instruction.
Until that point was reached,
it was calisthenics,
basics,
and games.

Interestingly enough,
though there wasn’t an emphasis
on teaching classical forms and techniques,
children who were wild and wooly
began to calm down.

The exercise tired them out,
and made them amenable to reason.
The discipline of just doing the basics,
made them more able to focus.

And when were they ready?
When they stopped trying to interrupt the class,
when they began to focus on what they were doing,
when they became aware
that there was more than a game going on.

Here’s something to think about:
I have seen young children
who were mature beyond their years.
I have known adults
who were nothing but children.

The key word is responsibility.

So you teach things like
kicks and shoulder rolls,
basic one step sparring games,
breakfalls and punches,
and you back everything up with
don’t let them rest.

Don’t make them cry,
don’t drive them like an adult,
make everything fun and laughs,
but don’t let up.

It is an interesting line you walk with this method.

When a child starts to look at you,
to understand what you are saying,
and especially when he is willing to help younger students,
then he is ready for instruction.

It might take a month,
it might take years,
but you just have to watch and wait.

You have to keep them there with games and fun,
until they can string a half dozen moves together,
and remember them,
until the light of awareness enters their eyes.

Here’s what you are actually fighting.

Parents that don’t feed their children properly,
that send them off to school
with cereal,
if that.

Electronic games that consume children,
and drive them to frenetic activity.
Peers that squash children.
Drugs that are handed out freely
by adults who don’t understand
what the real solution is.

Karate,
or any martial art,
can be part of the solution.
In many cases,
it is the only solution that is needed.

We live in a weird society,
a place where values have been forgotten,
where parents have never been parented themselves,
and simply don’t have a clue,
where teachers are guided by psychological interests,
and the simple fact of raising a child
has been forgotten and neglected.

As a martial arts instructor,
you may be the first sane person a child has ever seen.
You might be the only sane person a child has ever seen.
Yet your small influence,
being based in common sense and good values,
may be the difference.

Now,

Who gave the quote at the beginning of this newsletter?
Chuck Norris

Check out this link:

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/4-master-instructor-course/

This is the course that makes an instructor.
Not a boot camp approach,
but a method of knowledge.

have a great work out!

Al

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/4-master-instructor-course/

http://www.amazon.com/Binary-Matrixing-Martial-Arts-Case/dp/1515149501/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437625109&sr=8-1&keywords=binary+matrixing

go to and subscribe to this newsletter:
https://alcase.wordpress.com

Remember,
Google doesn’t like newsletters,
so this is the best way to ensure you get them.

You can find all my books here!
http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/

http://www.amazon.com/Matrixing-Tong-Bei-Internal-Gung/dp/1507869290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423678613&sr=8-1&keywords=tong+bei

Having Proper Martial Arts Manners

Newsletter 821 ~ sign up now!

What’s with All the Bowing Stuff in the Martial Arts?

“Politeness is the greatest strategy.”
Al Case

The most polite man i have ever met
was my instructor in the Kang Duk Won.
He was also the best martial artist I ever saw,
which leads to an interesting possibility:

Politeness goes hand in hand with competence.

Think about it,
if you are polite,
honestly polite,
then you won’t be scared,
you won’t have hidden demons driving you,
the martial arts will have expunged you of all that.
You will be honestly competent.

So practice politeness
as well as seek competence.

Now,
with that in mind,
what is the purpose of bowing in the martial arts?
Aside from my little diatribe on politeness,
why should people keep bowing and bowing all the time?

On one level,
it is a sign of respect.
I respect the work you’ve done,
the level you’ve reached.
And under that is the implied question:
will you teach me.
And the teacher bows to show respect
to those who have come seeking his instruction.

On another level,
it is merely saying hi.
hi to everybody in the school.
Hi to everybody who contributed to the school,
even if they are passed on,
a simple greeting to your friends.

With those two viewpoints in mind,
here are the times you would bow.

Bow when entering the school.
Bow to senior classmates.
Bow to junior classmates.
Bow when stepping onto the mat.
Bow to the instructor,
especially when asking a question.
Bow after receiving instruction.
Bow at the beginning of class.
Bow at the end of class.
Bow before you engage in any drill,
be it sparring, form, etc.
Immediately disengage and bow
if an injury has occurred
as a result of something you’ve done.

AND,
bow to a classmate outside of school,
or,
if not considered appropriate,
give him/her some sign of greeting.

AND,
whenever entering another school,
always bow,
show that you have studied the martial arts,
and that you are aware of martial etiquette.

Sounds like a lot of bowing,
yes?
Well, it is,
but let me offer an insight.
I can’t imagine not bowing,
I strive to bow the most,
to set the best example of being polite.
I am constantly running into students
who are surprised when I bow to them.
But,
it encourages them to bow.
And,
it makes you feel good.

Imagine walking into a school gymnasium,
or an auditorium,
with 500 people present.
Imagine yelling out…
HI EVERYBODY!
And having them all yell to you…
HI, AL!

After near 50 years in the arts,
that’s what it feels like to me
when I bow.

And I like to think
that maybe I’m as competent as I am polite.
One can hope.

Here’s a link to the martial arts
I have been studying for near 50 years.
Take a look,
and see if I’ve made any inroads,
if the changes i have made from the classical
have value.

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/temple-karate/

have a great work out!

Al

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/temple-karate/

go to and subscribe to this newsletter:
https://alcase.wordpress.com

Remember,
Google doesn’t like newsletters,
so this is the best way to ensure you get them.

You can find all my books here!
http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/

http://www.amazon.com/Matrixing-Tong-Bei-Internal-Gung/dp/1507869290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423678613&sr=8-1&keywords=tong+bei

Fixing ANY Martial Arts Mistake!

Newsletter 814 ~ Sign up!

Matrixing Your Mistakes in the Martial Arts!

Gonna be a 100 degrees this week!
It’s time to really sweat!
So turn off that air conditioner
and get ready to ROCK!

karate master

Release of final volume of Matrixing Karate Series! Click on the Cover!

Let’s talk about matrixing.
In fact,
let’s talk about the big bugaboo of the martial arts…
MISTAKES!

Mistakes are not actually mistakes.
If you block something wrong,
for instance,
it’s not because you made a mistake,
it’s because you made a calculation,
a computation,
based on your current data.
When all the input finished,
when you finished calculating
the trajectory of the fist,
the angle of the block,
and so on,
and got hit in the face,
it is because you did what you trained yourself to do.

You didn’t make a mistake,
you responded according to your training.

This is actually true of everything in life,
but since martial arts are a microcosm,
a small classroom,
let’s look at the martial arts potentials here.

A student is trained to do a block.
He practices and practices,
until it is ingrained.
Until it becomes the intuitive response.
Then an attack happens,
and it is the wrong intuitive response.

This,
incidentally,
is why so many arts fail.
Take Kenpo,
for instance,
two arts,
the art of the technique,
and the art of freestyle,
and they have nothing to do with each other.
The training,
you see,
has left reality.
Then it takes twenty years or so
to make the intuitive work.
Maybe.

So here is the question:
How do you create a correct intuitive response…
EVERY TIME!
And that brings us to matrixing.

In matrixing a mistake is never a mistake,
it is an opportunity to learn something.

So consider this.

A right fist to the face can be blocked four ways.
Use your right hand to push it to the right
Use your right hand to push it to the left
Use your left hand to push it to the right
Use your left hand to push it to the left

I know,
there are lots of potentials here,
lots of other blocks.
But we are keeping it simple.
You can apply what I am telling you here
to other techniques and arts later.

So you practice the first one:
Use your right hand to push it to the right

and you practice it because it is the right one.
It is the one that works best.

And you practice and practice,
and then,
one day,
you are attacked,
and it doesn’t work.

WTF!

The reason it didn’t work might be anything,
a slight curve on the punch,
a delay in timing,
a sneaky distraction,
who knows and who cares.

What we care is the solution.

Instead of practicing just one defense,
you have to practice all four.

And practice and practice.

Sometimes,
if one of the potentials almost works,
you have to practice it a lot.

Sometimes,
if the potential is a disaster,
you just have to practice a little,
every once in a while,
just enough so that you realize…
here it comes…
WHAT DOESN’T WORK!

You see
it’s not enough to know what works,
you have to know what doesn’t work.

Not to make what doesn’t work intuitive,
but so that you can see what doesn’t work in the middle of combat.

This is a different level we are talking about.
We are not talking about being cause and effect,
we are talking about causing the cause and effect.
We are talking about a ‘master viewpoint.’

When somebody punches you shouldn’t react,
you should move with them,
in tune with them,
developing the block or counter or whatever
in the middle of the moment.

This is mushin no shin,
or mind of no mind.

This is when your memories
memories that you might have implanted yourself,
don’t distract you.

This is when you do purely and truly.

And it is really amazing
when you find yourself in the middle of one of these moments.

I was working out with a couple of fellows the other day,
using sticks.
These two fellows had worked out for years,
knew each other well,
knew the material well,
but when it came time to demonstrate,
the teacher turned to me,
because he could feel that I was more ‘in the moment,’
and showed the technique on me.

Simply,
I didn’t hesitate,
or make mistakes,
I just stayed with him,
moving in time with him,
moving in tune,
and even when he started deviating the technique,
there I was,
sticking with him,
making it work.

So you see,
you can’t just practice the martial arts,
you have to understand them.

You can’t just practice a technique,
you have to practice ALL of the techniques,
all variations.

You can’t train yourself to just respond,
because then you are training yourself
to be effect to the other guy’s cause.

Instead,
you have to train all the potentials,
even the mistakes,
then mistakes won’t fool you,
or otherwise trip you up.

The best place to do
what I have told you about here
is the Matrix Karate Course.
The Matrix of Blocks,
which is just one small item on this course,
goes directly to the heart of this.
You will then understand how blocks work,
how they work together,
and how to define what mistakes are
so they never trip you up.

Here go.

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/matrix-karate/

HAPPY WORK OUT!

Al

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/matrix-karate/

go to and subscribe to this newsletter:
https://alcase.wordpress.com

Remember,
Google doesn’t like newsletters,
so this is the best way to ensure you get them.

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/matrix-karate/

http://www.amazon.com/Matrixing-Tong-Bei-Internal-Gung/dp/1507869290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423678613&sr=8-1&keywords=tong+bei