"My Mom says I'm pretty"

I think that, at times, a Sensei is given the "Mom compliment" treatment - meaning that, when I compliment a student, they assume I "have to say that", and sometimes blow it off.

Its always nice when the compliment is backed up shortly thereafter by fact :-)

One of my students today, who had been "struggling" with their grappling, tried out their grappling against some people who'd been doing it for about 5 to 10 times as long as they had, and easily defeated the entire group.

Always nice to hear :)

Sensei Ono, Shinka Martial Arts

Successes

I got my second stripe today.

Wait, you get stripes, you ask?

Why yes, yes I do.  They're based upon the culture and successes I have as a teacher.  Think of it as a "Shinka" belt.

Where my students get belts in the learning of Shinka, I get belts on the results of people learning the Shinka, and how well they've learned it.  Its a little confusing, to think of Shinka as a style and as a life's purpose, but, there you have it.

So, my first stripe was had on September 6th, 2009.  That marked an anniversary of Shinka, which was celebrated by the student body arranging a surprise party for me, filled with cards, well wishes, and expressions of gratitude.

The entire student populace banded together and expressed gratitude in very, very heartfelt ways.  It was really, really awesome.

Not just because they were all so grateful, but, perhaps even more so, because they were a culture, a family which had all joined together in their gratitude.  It was great, really.

Anyway, I got my second stripe the other day, when I realized how amazing our kids really were at Shinka.  One day, Sensei Sean mentioned how awesome the bigger kids were at taking care of, and ensuring a positive experience for, the younger kids.  How patient and parental they were.

The next day, a Mother pointed out nearly the exact same thing to me, as, we observed the truly outstanding culture we'd bred, and, in those compliments snuck in another compliment which made me cry - this was that one of the Moms, who also trains at Shinka herself, said that she didn't just come to learn martial arts, but, also, to learn how to be a better Mom from... me.  Probably one of the biggest compliments I've ever gotten, really.  Especially considering how awesome of a mom she is.  Another compliment that happened in that conversation was that, of course the kids were parental, loving and caring - they learn from their instructors' examples.  Also very, very awesome.

The next day, I taught the kids, and was again, impressed by the students' abilities and treatment of the newer students.  In that day, not only did the students pull off an amazing combo with power, speed, finesse and balance, but they also sparred with kids clearly younger and smaller than them, and did so in a parental way - ensuring it was a positive experience for the kids, and helping them into the Shinka culture'/family.

So yeah.  We do good things here at Shinka.  We're really blessed with a group of amazing students, and we truly love teaching them.

Keep on being awesome you guys!

Sensei Ono, Shinka Martial Arts

Proud couple of weeks

The Shinka students have been in fine form this last couple of weeks.  Some notable moments were the speed and power a particular combo was done, and also, today's killer (ultra) sweaty day's class was done in excellent manner.

I love teaching, and its days like these, where the students come and give us their all that really make it worthwhile.

I love how the old saying goes - how you do anything, is how you do everything, is so true in martial arts.  When students come in here and stretch their mind, or their hearts, I can see their actual character improving.  Its something borderline miraculous to observe.

The dojo is a little sad that we're losing one of our sunny members to her homeland, but, she'll be back in July, so, we'll just have to cope until then.

I've been toying with the idea of a "review wall" for Shinka, where I post our classes for online review, comments, discussion etc.  One of our students made a new Shinka group on facebook which inspired me as far as location.

Ah, I do love how Shinka keeps me busy, proud and fulfilled!  :-D

Alkaline Green Drinks. Which ones are best?

Many Tony Robbins fans are aware of how passionate he is about his alkalize and energize program, that is, increasing the alkalinity of the blood via the ingestion of green drinks, ph balanced water, and, of course, a healthy diet and daily exercise.


There are several kinds of green drinks on the market, and, as with any market, there are some that are overpriced garbage, others which are underpriced gems, and a bunch in the middle.  


Also, the question of how much you want to spend at any given point is an issue as well.  For example, there are some which cost about $130, which have lasted me several years.  There are others that cost about $40 and only last a month.  So, while the grams of product to cost ratio might encourage one to get the $40 one, the actual "bang for your buck" ratio comes down to annual cost; as, with alkaline diets, you're in this for the long haul, not the temporary fix.

Sensei's Top Pick:

Vibrant Health - Green Vibrance

It has 3.5 grams per serving of actual "green foods", which is more than many other green products. It also has many other important herbs and various nutrients, and all in significant enough doses and potentcy to actually work. 

This is also rich in probiotics and prebiotics, which are also vitally important. Best of all, I actually DO get an energy boost from this product, and notice other signs that it is working, including smoother skin, improved mood, and simply "feeling better".

Runners up:

Greens plus

This is another good "green food" product, and if Green Vibrance wasn't available, I would go with this one. Very similar to Green Vibrance, but in my opinion Green Vibrance edges Greens plus out slightly.

Green Magma

This product is high-quality as well, but doesn't have quite as many nutrients as Green Vibrance or Greens Plus.

Earth's Promise

Pretty good product, but like Green Magma, it doesn't have nearly as many nutrients as Green Vibrance or Greens Plus.

Perfect Food 

Has more greens, but way over-priced

Alkaline Diet Review

As a martial artist who is doing some form of exercise for an average of 7 hours a day, my body is my canvas, and, I'm constantly doing my best to make it run at peak efficiency.  So it should come to no surprise that I've tried many forms of healthy eating, from vegetarianism, to no-sugar, to the pranic diet, and, the alkaline diet.

Each came with its own side effects; strict vegetarianism often led to starvation, social burdening, perceived inflexibility, and others.  The no-sugar diet proved to be incredibly inconvenient, as, one learns very quickly, that virtually everything has sugar in it to some degree.  The pranic diet was similar, with similar situations, and, the alkaline diet, whose side effects were, initially, headaches, but, after an adjustment period, more energy and vibrant health.  I recover faster, can exercise more, and, in general, am simply happier.

Of course, as with any diet I've done, I tended to go towards an extreme at first, in order to best test its application and results.  Again, this was met with some resistance in social circumstances and situations, and, eventually, a compromise was met which suits my lifestyle.

Currently, I consider myself an "economical vegetarian of convenience", which basically means that I don't purchase meat, but will eat it if there is nothing else available, or, if the food would go to waste.  My logic being that my primary reasons for not eating meat are to avoid suffering of animals, ecological trauma, and detriment to health and energy.  ie "the chicken was already killed and made into food, not eating it at this point is disrespectful, and, would make its death in vain - also, its ecological footprint is past tense, to not eat it now would increase said footprint as I would have to eat something else instead"


It works for me, anyway.

I think that the logic of never eating meat to avoid ecological trauma is a little silly, as, I've seen many vegans who claim ecological motivation having had restaurants throw out and re-prepare a meal (wasting twice the resources) after a single fish egg touched it.  As with anything, extremes tend not to suit me for very long, but I completely understand them as a evaluational starting point.

Over all, the alkaline diet continues to be an excellent choice for my lifestyle, and I would highly recommend it.

For tips on how to get started, check out the article on the various forms of green drinks!

Randy Couture vs. Lyoto Machida Set for UFC 129

This is a very, very interesting match-up.  Not only because they're both high level fighters, but also because they are both on their "third strike", loss wise.  To make a WWE reference, this could be considered a "career match".

On the one hand, you have a "puzzle" fighter.

Loyoto Machida is a fighter who is difficult to predict, excellent at fakes, very fast and powerful.  A fencer.  We saw how well that worked out for him against a tank like Rampage Jackson and you can bet your bottom dollar Randy learned from that. (but then, so did Loyoto)

On the other hand, you have a highly intelligent "puzzle solver" fighter, who, like GSP, creates masterful game plans, and executes them with precision.  We've seen how that's worked out against other folks, but, Randy Couture hasn't actually fought anyone like Loyoto, as of yet.  He's generally been put against other larger, tank-ish guys.  Chuck Liddel, Brock Lesnar, Tito Ortiz etc.

So, as odd as a statement this is to make against Randy, I think Loyoto might have the advantage in "experience" here.  Obviously not in fights fought, but, in fights fought against "that kind of guy"

Loyoto Machida is known for utilizing the ring, circling, and making people chase him, then striking and counter striking.

Randy Couture One is known for cutting off the ring, and grinding against the cage.

One is known for long distance fighting, the other, short distance fighting.

This is a tough call for me, but, I think that's because I'm more emotionally invested in Randy.  I like the guy, and I want him to win.

What are your thoughts on this match-up?  With Randy be able to close the distance, or will Loyoto be able to keep him at bay?

Related Article:
UFC 129 Fight predictions on GSP vs Jake Shields

Sensei Ono, Shinka Martial Arts
Author of The Key to Awesome: The Step by Step Guide to Having an OUTSTANDING Life

Perspective

A student mentioned to me today that they were going to be attending a celebration of life of a friend who had died recently, and I thought to myself what an absolutely beautiful phrase and perspective.

I don't want to have a funeral when I die, but rather, a celebration of life.  I think that's a really, really great way to look at things.

Twister Side Control

I must say, I was shocked at the comprehensive quality of this Jiu Jitsu instructional book.  Having seen an absolutely useless DVD made by Eddie Bravo entitled "The Twister", I had very low expectations of his book Twister Side Control.  In fact, I doubt I would have even browsed through it had not one of Shinka's instructors, Sensei Sean, brought it in to our Richmond martial arts school.

You have to understand, Eddie Bravo, who is also the author of Mastering The Rubber Guard, is a bit of a character.  Known for his copious use of drugs, and insisting his students do the same, I personally would probably feel very uncomfortable hanging out with the man.  However, one can't deny the quality of this book and how it articulates his creative genius in the realm of Jiu Jitsu.

And, while anyone can come up with a creative move or two in Jiu Jitsu, it takes a very skilled practitioner to create a flowchart from one concept to the next.

Most Jiu Jitsu books have one or two images, and basically re-hash old moves in boring ways.  This book is innovative, creative, and, perhaps most impressively, filled with high caliber techniques that flow together.

Again, most Jiu Jitsu books tend to focus on a singular move, not a map of movement similar to an if(event)then(action)else(other event) and so on, logic.

Worth picking up!

Shinka's Martial Art

Many people ask what martial arts we teach at Shinka.  The answer is not so simple to give, actually, as, what we do is different from other schools.

What we do at Shinka is figure out which martial arts combination best suits your body type, your goals, and your mindset.  We run our new students through a fun lesson designed to help us help them figure out exactly which styles compliment them.

Things like bone structure and wrist ratio, eye dominance, and over all natural aptitudes come into play, as do the mental, scholastic and emotional aspects for many, and fitness goals for nearly all.

What do you want to look like, and what do you want to be able to do, and why?

In the majority of cases, no single martial art is ideal, or fits all of the student's criteria, but instead, a synergy is chosen.  Often a trio of styles which fit the student perfectly.  After that, they are ready to join the group classes.

Of course, once they're a Shinka student, they are allowed access to all of the styles we offer, and usually after 3-8 months, a student will experiment with various other aspects of Shinka.

On the off-chance that we don't offer the ideal martial art for the student, we will do our best to recommend the right school/style for them.

Sensei Ono, Shinka Martial Arts

Dealing with Death

The subject of death has come up in the past few days from various sources, and, I thought it might be a good idea to share some of my thoughts on it.

The first of which, is very positively uplifting and re-framing, and, the other, is a funny story.

So first, I was talking to a student of mine, and he mentioned that he had a celebration of life to attend.  And I thought to myself, "wow, that is such a great way of putting it."

Its amazing, the power that words have over us.

Just think in your head "celebration of life" vs "funeral".  Yikes!

I see one as laughing, telling stories, remembering the good days, some tears certainly, but mostly just good, happy stories.  I see the other as drab, everyone wearing black, crying in the rain as a coffin is lowered into the ground and someone breaks down and falls to the ground sobbing.

For me, personally, I'd want the celebration when I pass.

So, that's a frame of reference I thought I'd share.

The second, I was inspired to write after reading this PETA article, "Don't flush the finned ones" in which they talk about helping children deal with death, and, I was reminded of my first fish, Roger.

Now, Roger and I were only together a short time.  A very short time.

See, my crazy not-actually-an-uncle-but-we-called-him-that asked me if I wanted to go catch a fish.
(don't get ahead of me, now)
and I said yeah!  I'd love to CATCH a fish.  As in catch to keep.  Catch to have a pet.  Catch to... I don't know, hold and observe or something!

And, although I was quite young, I distinctly remember thinking how strange it was that the hook wouldn't hurt the fish, and imagining how they must have very strong pallets (although I'm guessing I didn't know the word for pallet) and that it would come out like a clothes hanger catching a keyring.

I was going to name him Roger.  Roger the Salmon.

Anyway, it was fairly traumatic when I caught the fellow, reeled him into the boat, welcomed him to the family, and my uncle proceeded to beat him to death with a hammer on the floor of the boat.

As traumatic as it was, I have to recognize the humor of the situation from all angles.  Where would I be keeping this Salmon?  How would we keep it alive on the row back to the house?  Why would the uncle (who had shot all sorts of things in the time I'd stay there) be any different towards fish?

Questions like these just don't occur to a young child - they fall under the "adults deal with these sorts of things" category.  All I knew was that I was getting a pet fish.

Poor Roger.

Sensei Ono, Shinka Martial Arts
Author of The Key to Awesome

Jake Shields vs GSP Fight Prediction

Jake Shields could win, if GSP attempts to clinch with him; with a flying armbar or a flying triangle choke.

I say this because nobody has attempted this on GSP before and, if he were to clinch with Shields, it might catch him off guard.  While GSP is not huge on Muay Thai clinching, he has done it in the past (briefly).

In my opinion, this is the only way Jake Shields can win.

If GSP maintains distance, Jake has no chance whatsoever.

Jake Shields hits lightly, gases easily, has un-explosive (though fairly effective) takedowns, seems woefully un-athletic, has seemingly very inexperienced and underdeveloped striking, and, from the fights I've seen of him...  he just isn't in the same league as GSP.

(But then who is, other than Anderson Silva?)

I gave Dan Hardy more of a chance, honestly.  Because he had a puncher's chance.  

Anyone with knockout power (ahem: skilled knockout power.  Please nobody mention Josh Koscheck's bar brawler punches) has at least 5 chances to win against GSP before he takes them down and has his way with them for 4.9 minutes.

Someone hoping to win against GSP via submission, on the other hand... has virtually no chance: Unless they utilized a flying technique.

I say this because GSP has quite good takedown defense, quite crisp striking, great footwork and distancing.  Jake Shields is not going to be able to bypass these attributes with his sloppy footwork, inept striking and mushy takedowns.  He just isn't.

No takedowns, no submissions (again, unless he attempts a flying technique)

So:  Watch for the flying armbar attempts.  But my money is still on GSP.

Sensei Ono,

Owner of Shinka Martial Arts

Author of The Key to Awesome

Gratitude

Many people who take martial arts, or dedicate themselves regularly to various types of fitness are doing so for the purposes of self improvement.  

Those of us with that focus are also generally wanting to improve ourselves holistically, that is to say, completely and in every way.  

So what then, would be the key to having an outstanding life?  Well, the whole recipe might be a little long for a single article, but, a key element to that outstanding life would definitely be gratitude.

Take the time every day (especially right before bed) to find things in your lives to be grateful for, and, write them down.  Yes, look for ways to improve yourself, and those around you, and yes, exercise, laugh and smile as often as you can.  But make sure you find the time to express your gratitude, even if its just to a journal.

Unexpressed gratitude is like a gift left unopened.  To let people around you know how grateful you are for how they make your life brighter is an amazing gift which takes a few minutes out of your day, and will likely be the highlight of that person's week.

Sensei's Assignment:  

Be grateful, every day.  And, at least once a week, tell someone how grateful you are for however they've made your life better.  Even if you wrote them a letter and never sent it, I think just focusing on that gratitude would make you treat that person better, and even that, would be a gift you could give.

Sensei Ono, 

Owner of Shinka Martial Arts

Author of The Key to Awesome: The Step by Step Guide to Having an Outstanding Life