Sunny Ireland

A Fresh Start

I've finally arrived and it may not be sunny but it's certainly fresh! It's damn hot in Germany at the moment, so arrival in the "land of the cold and the rain" is actually a blessing! That said, if cold and rain is a blessing, then I must have done something very, very good in a previous life because I am being blessed to death this weekend! I'm fairly exhausted after the work that Andy and I put into the move but my family and I are here in Ireland and I'm quite excited to see where this change will take us.

As luck would have it, there's a boxing club in the town so I'm hoping I can convince someone to let me use the gym/bag for a few weeks until I get the dojo up and running. I haven't been able to catch the place open but I'm sure I'll be able to speak to someone sooner or later.

I've been doing a lot of research into the Irish MMA and Freefight scene and I'm pleased to say that it's a lot more solid than I had previously suspected. I've already received a surprising number of enquiries about the new dojo and I haven't even found a place to rent yet. I've also received some great emails from people involved in the scene helping me get to grips with things. Thanks to all that have welcomed me and helped me.

There's nothing really exciting to report right now but I thought I'd check in and say hello!

Visit My Dojo: MMA Ireland : Photos

Why? Part III

Background

Recently, I was asked: "What do you hope to achieve with your training, ultimately? What is the purpose of putting yourself in physical danger and sustaining injuries?"

This is the third of a series of entries that attempts to answer the question, "Why?" In Parts I and II, we took a look at areas that included "Physical Health and Fitness", "Self Esteem", "Perfectionism" and "Budo as a Way of Life". This time I'd like to focus on "The Martial Arts as an Element of Budo " and the "Social Circle" of Budoka (practitioners of the Martial Way).

Martial Arts as an Element of Budo

The term "Martial Arts", is a surprisingly controversial one. It has come to represent the practice of the sporting, artistic and combative aspects of fighting systems that often date back many thousands of years. The very idea of "the martial arts" is now defined differently by all that practice them. I would like to make clear my understanding of the term martial arts and what it means to be a martial artist. This is my view and I remain open to yours.

Budo is a way of life for me. I do not like the misunderstanding that 'Budo means Martial Arts'. Budo is a way of life. Budo means: "The Martial Way", not "Martial Arts". The Martial Arts are simply an element of this martial way.

There are many kinds of martial art. There are internal arts that focus on the cultivation and use of internal energies (Chi, Ki). There are external arts that focus on Biology, Biomechanics and Physics. There are arts that combine the use of both internal and external energies. The are arts that focus on acrobatic and aesthetic movement for the purpose of sport (essentially; gymnastics sports which have developed from the martial arts). There are also arts that focus on combat for sport.

There are arts that focus on full contact sporting applications and there are arts that focus on soft (or zero) contact empty hand combat. There are arts that focus on the use of weapons and arts that concentrate solely on self defence. There are arts developed and put to use by the modern military. We have arts that mimic the actions of animals and arts that take advantage of pressure points. Some arts concentrate on the redirection of an opponents physical energy. Others, confront the opponent head on.

Many focus on the "Martial" and many focus on the "Art", some do neither and focus solely on sport. Put simply, each person must find the art, sport, fighting style and/or martial art that suits them and their purpose.

Now, let's define what being a martial artist means to me:

"Martial Artist": Someone who is mentally and physically prepared for combat and expresses themselves, during times of duress and conflict, in a way that is both skilful and creative.

You see, for me, in order to be a martial artist, one cannot separate the Martial from the Art. One must be (truly) prepared for physical conflict. One must be experienced in, and prepared for, combat.

In order to be a martial artist, one cannot separate the Art from the Martial. One must be able to express oneself in a creative and skilful manner.

Put simply, a martial artist is both a fighter and an artist. For the true martial artist, combat and art are two sides of the same coin and they cannot (must not) be separated. To focus on combat may make us a fighter but it doesn't make us a martial artist. To focus on sport and aesthetics may make us an artist and an athlete but it doesn't make us a martial artist. To focus solely on combat sports (UFC, Pride, MMA, K-1 etc.) may make us fighters and athletes but it doesn't make us martial artists.

For these reasons and more, I practise full contact martial arts. I practise all round fighting where anything goes. But, I practise as an artist that seeks creativity, perfection and skill in my actions. Mostly, I fail. But, always I try.

Social Circle

Humans, as a species, are social animals. The degree to which social interaction is important in the lives of humans is truly astounding. Consider the following article: Research In Mind-Body Medicine Shows That Social Interaction Accelerates Healing

My previous entry in this diary outlines my feelings concerning the comradery of our Dojo in Germany. It is, without a doubt one of the major reasons why I train there.

Recently, I had the pleasure of training with 280 fellow Budoka (followers of the martial way) in Budapest, Hungary. We trained hard (and played hard!) for six days and I had the pleasure of meeting some truly amazing people that I am certain will remain a part of my life (despite being separated by the borders of countries and continents). I am not suggesting that all 280 people are 'like minded'. However, the percentage of like minded individuals (that I met) certainly lay in the high 80's.

Could you imagine walking into a bar, nightclub or any other social environment and find that you could describe 80% of the people as 'like minded'? I've been involved in other 'club/sport based' social groups. 280 Rugby players may all feel the same way about Rugby, but do they have the same general view on life? 280 golfers may all have a similar view on golf but are they generally 'like minded'? This will be considered in greater detail in Part IV, when we consider "Philosophy".

As humans, we pride ourselves on individuality yet yearn (in general) for social interaction. The martial arts allow me to express myself (the artist) under duress (the martial) whilst at the same time being a part of a social whole.

Maybe I'm just lucky. I attended my first Karate lesson when I was just 8 or 9 years old and I've been in love with the Martial Arts ever since. I've attended many, many schools and experienced many, many styles over the years. Sadly, in the main, I have met more than my share of charlatans that pose as martial artists. However, I have also met men and women that have become my brothers and sisters in the martial arts. Without these people, I would still be the 'searching boy'. Instead, because of these people, I have 'found my way'. This way certainly doesn't suit everyone. However, I have come to learn that, much to my surprise, it is a way that suits and is followed by many.

Coming Soon:

Why? Part IV

- Philosophy
- Self Defense

Visit My Dojo: MMA Ireland : Photos

Moving On...

Tough Times

It's been a really tough night. We trained as normal and took a big bunch of pictures of the members of the Dojo. Why? Because the time has come for me to move on.

My family and I are relocating (again!). We're moving to Dublin, Ireland at the end of this month and this will have a massive impact on my training, working and family life. But, in keeping with the purpose of this diary, I want to focus only on the impact this change will have on my training.

Those who know me, understand that the comradery of our Dojo is one of the biggest reasons why I train there (Steiger, Aschaffenburg, Germany). Leaving it behind will, it seems, be a far more painful experience than I expected.

These are the people that have brought me this far; they have given freely of their time, skill and knowledge. They have trained with me, sweated with me, fought with me, talked with me and allowed me to become a part of a training environment that is truly special. They welcomed me into an environment where I was able to train with passion, without losing my sense of compassion. Because of these people, I have been able to train and fight hard, as a member of a band of brothers, without the need to fall victim to the tendancies of the 'testosterone filled dojos' that are (sadly) typical of Full Contact Martial Arts.

To think that these people, my regular training partners, my full time instructors and in Andy's case my brother in the martial arts, will no longer be around me each and every day stimulates in me a sense of loss that borders on mourning. My only option then, is to focus on the postives that will come as a result of this change.

Mark Walter once commented, "Anyway you look at it, life is a pain. To me, martial arts is about becoming a better version of me. Over time, it can bring about a very healthy and productive inner transformation. Any improvement, or anytime we help someone, involves some degree of sacrifice or pain."

In order to continue with my training, I am forced to open my own Dojo in Ireland. This is the only way in which I can continue to train all three aspects of the all round fighting system developed by Kaicho Bluming (Kyokushin Budokai). Let's be clear, I didn't wake up one day and say, "You know what? I think I'll open my own Dojo." Rather, this is simply something that I must do if I wish to continue with my training.

Order from Chaos

Last week, Andy and I trained with 280 fellow Budoka in Budapest, Hungary. Five days of training that began at 6.30am and finished at 10:00pm each day. Andy and I met some truly amazing people: Leo, Marcello, Danielle, Olav, Michael, Marc, Darren - thank you all for helping to make this camp an experience that I will never, ever forget.

Being at this camp gave me the opportunity to speak with the most senior members of the Board of the International Budo Kai. With a lump in my throat I approached Shihans Eric van Vaerenbergh and Jan de Jong to discuss the possibility of opening a Dojo in Ireland under the name of the International Budo Kai (IBK).

Opening a Dojo was a decision that I had already made. However, I simply wanted to ensure that my Dojo gives all credit to Kaicho Jon Bluming 10. Dan, the man that developed Kyokushin Budo Kai and brought Karate to Europe. To my mind, the best way ensure Kancho's recognition is to gain the approval of the IBK and see to it that the Dojo bares the Tsunami (the seal and symbol of the IBK).

Truly, I expected that I would be told: "You must be joking. Come back in ten years then ask the same question again."

Instead, I received the approval of the IBK and an expression of respect from Shihan van Vaerenbergh that will remain in my heart and soul forever. Thank you Eric Sensei for your assistance, thank you Shihan de Jong for your support, thank you to the members of the board for your approval, thank you Kaicho Bluming for your trust. My loyalty to Kaicho Bluming will not waver until the day I die.

New Beginnings

Kaicho Bluming once said, "Without Kokoro, Budo is an empty shell". The Japanese word Kokoro can be translated to mean, "mind, heart and spirit, as one". Kaicho's words burned a place in my mind and heart the first time I heard them and they are the 'mantra' that pushes me to excel when I train. Kokoro is my reason to get up when I fall and to push when all strength has left me.

Kaicho's seven little words sum up my entire approach and philosophy concerning the martial arts. For this reason, as a representation of my personal philosophy and a dedication to Kaicho Bluming, the new IBK Dojo in Ireland is to be called: "Kokoro Mixed Martial Arts"

The website is not yet finished but the basic design is there. Anyone that's interested can find the site here: www.mma-ireland.com

Change of Pace

The next 'big event' in my own training calendar (excluding finding a location for the Dojo and possibly some students!) is set for January of 2006. I will be attending another training camp - this time in Croatia - and this gives me five months to build the Kokoro Mixed Martial Arts school and 'rebuild' myself (in particular, to recover from my injuries). So, there will be a significant reduction in the intensity of my training over the coming months, a lot less fighting and a lot more Kata. This could mean that I will have less to write about. However, I will continue to share my thoughts with those that wish to hear them.

Eric Sensei and Charley Sensei have both agreed to continue my training and have agreed to act as Chief Instructors and Advisors for the new school. So, I will visit Germany and/or Belgium on a regular basis (certainly a few days each month) to learn from these truly great Budoka. I thank them for their time, trust and commitment. I will do my best give them that which they deserve: A dedicated and humble student.

On a final note: the overwhelming support I received from the members of the IBK Board was a complete shock to me. Please accept my gratitude for your trust and you offers to support me in the devlopment of Kyokushin Budokai in Ireland. In particular, my thanks and appreciation to Shihan Eric van Vaerenbergh, Shihan Jan de Jong and Shihan Marc Howes. Thank you for your support, advice and encouragement.

Osu!