always a student...

“The primary objective of Jiu-Jitsu is to empower the weak who, for not having the physical attributes, are often intimidated.” –Helio Gracie—

 It is easy to teach martial arts to gifted athletes. Turning non-athletes into quality martial artists is the true testament of a quality instructor. 

Instructors have already faced the challenge of learning martial arts (although the learning never stops). They did not develop their expertise in the art by taking the easy route. When they were students, they didn’t give up when the road was rough. They trained harder than others. They put in many hours of boring repetition to discover the finite details of the techniques they practiced. 

The people that do not succeed in martial arts are the ones that give up when the going gets tough. They are the ones that want it to come easily. They expect to become Bruce Lee or Royce Gracie overnight. Those that stick with the art to become experts will testify that none of it came easy.  It all came from hard work, perseverance, and discipline. 

Teaching martial arts is just another level of the martial arts learning experience. As you communicate the art to others, you must learn it in great detail in order to be clear to the student. Sometimes, (often times) we encounter students that do not comprehend or are challenged physically to perform techniques. They are not gifted athletes that martial arts come easily to. 

Many martial arts schools around the world fail because the teachers give up. The quality martial arts instructor takes up the challenge, doesn’t give up, and finds a way to make a martial artist out of the non-athlete. 

If learning martial arts was easy, everyone would have a black belt. If teaching it was always easy, everyone would own a dojo.  

I love my job as a martial arts instructor. The part I love the most is observing others becoming enlightened. When the breakthrough happens and it finally “clicks” for them and they “get it”.

Instructors have breakthrough moments in teaching as well. 

When we climb a mountain, it isn’t just to get to the top. It’s so we can see the other mountains still left to climb.  

See you at the dojo,

-Sensei Larry Keith-   

this week at Dynamic MMA--April 25-29

This week at Dynamic MMA, we will be working a bit more stand-up. Also, the last week of each month is now evaluation week.

Kodokan Judo--Remember our Judo lineage--Jigoro Kano, Kazuzo Kudo, Yuzo Kato, Larry Keith, and you.

Monday through Friday--we will be concentrating on our throws and grip fighting.

Mixed Martial Arts--Bring you boxing gloves, shin pads, and mouth pieces t his week.
Monday-Thursday--sweeps from the guard vs kneeling and standing opponent
Tuesday-Friday--Kickboxing drills and light sparring.

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu--Remember, self defense knowledge is part of all traditional martial arts systems.
Monday-Thursday--strangles vs turtled opponent
Tuesday-Friday--Self defense--ground defense.

If you are in one of our basic programs and would like to ad to your training for any reason, consider upgrading your membership so that you can experience other classes including randori and Muay Thai.

This is the last week for the MMA fitness class. Perhaps after Olga has the baby, we will start it up again.

See you at the dojo,

--Sensei--

randori attitude...

Judo Randori

Randori (free practice) is a great way to further develop your Judo skills. Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions about how to perform proper randori. Randori is not shiai or contest. Randori is still a learning environment or laboratory of sort. Emphasis should never be placed on winning and losing in randori practice. A proper judoka should never keep count of victories or defeats inside the dojo. How many times you tapped out your partner or vice versa should be the furthest thing from your mind.

What should be on the mind of the judoka is how technically accurate was your application of principles of Judo. A throw can be broken down into three major parts. Kuzushi (off balancing), makes up 75% of the throw. Tsukuri (fitting in), makes up 20% of the throw. Kake (execution or completion), is the remaining 5%.

These principles are difficult to truly grasp with a static, willing partner. In randori, the partners are in motion and are both making effort to apply those principles to the other while at the same time defending attacks.

Other principles that will be greater learned and used during randori will be kumikata (gripping), tai sabaki (body movement), timing, momentum, acceleration/deceleration, proper breathing, and space awareness.

Approaching randori with an attitude of “learning environment”, a Judoka must also keep in mind the safety of themselves and their partners. If a technique is being performed in a manner that is unsafe, it should be abandoned. If resistance to a technique causes risk to you or your partner, it should also be abandoned. If you are risking injury, chances are the technique is being incorrectly performed.

Remember, the focus should be on quality execution of technique rather than the defeat of an opponent. Powering through an attempted technique is the mistake of an unlearned student. Taking the path of least resistance is the path to mastering the technique.

Our constant goal in martial arts training is perfect practice. Perfect practice makes perfect performance. Randori is definitely a form of practice in Judo. Strive for perfect randori.

Keep in mind the two principles of Judo, 1—maximum efficiency and 2—mutual benefit. This means that not only should you be striving for perfect execution of your own technique, you should allow your partner to improve from their practice as well. This means that you should let your partner execute techniques from time to time. Even if you have a great defense for the technique, you don’t have to apply it every time.

Talk to your instructor and partners after randori practice. Ask them what you need to improve on and continue to grow as a quality Judoka.

-Sensei Larry Keith-

...great weekend

Dynamic MMA had a full and productive weekend. 

We started off the day with our booth at the Roseburg YMCA for Healthy Kids Day. Many kids got to come by and break a pine board and learn more about our martial arts programs. We will have several new kids coming in to try out classes this week. We are constantly looking to grow our youth Judo and Jiu-jitsu programs. These kids are the future of our dojo.

The 17 annual Grants Pass Judo tournament went well for our members there. Tiffany won 3rd place in the women's brown/black belt division. Chase won 1st place in his division. Randy won 3rd place. Brady did not win a medal, but did get in an Osoto-gari win. It was the first tournament for Chase, Randy, and Brady. 

From what I have heard, the tournament was poorly run, the officials were disinterested, and several of the other coaches were not representing the art or sportsmanship very well. It is very unfortunate that Judo tournaments in our state have gone down hill.

Hopefully, we can make a difference by continuing to send good representatives to the events. Eventually, we even plan to host Judo tournaments here in Roseburg.

Two of our fight team members also did well this weekend. Mike Frear had a spectacular victory over his opponent with a 3rd round knockout using a tornado round kick to the head. The entire fight was entertaining with good striking combos and ground fighting. 

Professional fighter, Tyler Moug also had a great finish with his fight against Chris Ensley. Tyler attacked, scored a takedown, pinned his opponent against the fence and finished him with a flurry of heavy punches. 

In total, there were six athletes that set out to represent our dojo on Saturday. We brought back 5 medals and highlight reels. Not a bad weekend. 

This week at Dynamic MMA

Pre contest workouts this week.

Kodokan Judo--throws and escapes from pins

MMA--strikes, takedowns, and positional dominance

BJJ--We have a little time before the next tournament, but we are still working some strategies. 


We have to make team effort to help Tyler and Mike be ready for the UCS fights on April 16th.


We also need to make sure our Judoka are ready for the Grant Pass Shiai. It will be the first tournament experience for several of our members.

Principle of the week--Respect is something we offer to others, not something we demand from them.


See you at the dojo!
-Sensei-

strong foundation...

My father was an advocate of strength training and started me lifting weights in my early teens (about the same time I began martial arts).

He taught me that upper body strength was useless if you did not have a solid foundation under it. He built a small training room for me that had a heavy bag and a barbell, weight bench. Part of my training regimen included hill climbs, running sprints, and most importantly, free weight squats.

Nowadays, I am often asked what strength training exercises a person should do to be stronger in martial arts. My answer is always the same, “Squats!”

Free weight squats are one of the most beneficial weight lifting exercises you can do, but unfortunately they are also the exercise least often seen performed at the gym. Part of the reason for this is because of DOMS or “delayed onset muscle soreness”.

This soreness usually is at its peak in the second or third day after the workout. The legs are the largest muscle group in the body and therefore produce the most post-workout acids (soreness) after lifting than the smaller muscle groups. This is especially true if the weight lifter is inconsistent with their squatting exercises. The body is made to adapt. If squats are a consistent part of your workout routine, you are going to find yourself recovering more quickly than if you only do squats once every few weeks.

The primary muscles that benefit from squats are the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus muscles, spinal erectors, abdominals, and the calves. However, squats will incorporate virtually every other major muscle group.

Squats also create an overall anabolic environment in the body that maximizes lean muscle gains from other exercises. Because squats are a multi-joint movement, involve a large muscle group, and require a tremendous amount of energy, they trigger the release of extra testosterone and growth hormone. That natural boost helps to build the entire body, not just the legs.

One of the myths about squats is that it is bad for the knees--In 1989 researchers at Auburn University found that men who performed a full squat, bending their knees and lowering their bodies as far as possible for 8 weeks did not lose any knee stability. The researchers also observed that men who squat long-term have tighter, stronger knee ligaments than guys who don't squat at all. In addition, physiologists at the Mayo Clinic have determined that free weight squats place less stress on your knees than leg extensions, a popular machine exercise.

As for squats in martial arts, we Judoka have a special need for that particular type of strength. Many of our throwing techniques rely on our ability to get our center of gravity lower than that of our opponent. In MMA, we need that leg and core strength to secure and defend takedowns, throw powerful strikes, maintain balance, and to accelerate on command.

Everyone wants to be a champion, but not everyone wants to train like a champion. Champions do squats! If you want to build your fitness foundation, it begins here.

DFCC 2011 Subleague HL

DFCC members competing at the 2011 Subleague qualifier tournament.

weekend results and what's coming this week...

Subleague qualifier #1—

DFCC team members did very well at the Subleague qualifier tournament this weekend.

Ryan, Jessee, and I made the trip to coach for our team and were made very proud of our athletes’ performance. It was a long day, but a great event.

--Thomas Crawford won 1^st place in the No-Gi division and 2^nd place in the white belt Gi division.

--Ian King won 2^nd place in his No Gi division

--Riley Black won 1^st place in his No Gi division as well as the trophy for fastest submission in the youth and teen divisions. He secured a 7 second guillotine choke on his opponent.

--Maddie Patrick won 4^th place in the kids’ No Gi division.

--John Dennis did not place in his division, but still displayed determination and toughness, being in a division against much larger opponents.

--Taylor Patrick was sorely disappointed that she did not get to compete due to having no opponents in her division. She will try again at the next event.

Thomas, Ian, Riley, and Maddie all qualify for the championships. Our team points should put us pretty high on the list. (Please register as DFCC for all future events)

Also, this is the third time DFCC has brought home Subleague’s fastest submission award. I am not sure if any other dojo/gym has accomplished such a feat.  

Upcoming this week

In November while in Russia, I became the first American inducted into the International Club of Leading Specialists of Martial Arts and took part in the International Martial Arts Festival/Conference. While there, many connections were made with instructors, fight promoters from other countries and regions like Russia, China, Mongolia, Thailand, and others.

I was also privileged enough to be invited to do seminars for several martial arts schools in Russia while there. I have worked many years to develop a good standing relationship with the martial artists in Russia.

As a result of those relations, our dojo has been invited to bring a team of our fighters to compete in a new MMA promotion in China. The event is being hosted by Russian and Chinese promoters working together. To truly solidify the international status of the event, they would like to have fighters from the U.S. DFCC is the U.S. fight team they have requested.

The promoters are paying the way for three of our fighters and one coach. We are doing fundraisers to come up with money for two other coaches.

This Friday at 7pm, we will do a push-up-a-thon to help raise money. We would like that all of our members recognize that this opportune trip to China is not just beneficial to the fighters and coaches that go this time, but also for future members that someday get their chance as a result of this international event.

Everyone in our dojo is part of the team. Our team must support all of its members. When a fighter wins at an event, it is a win for the entire dojo. This time when our fighters win in China, it is a win for our dojo and a win for our country. Please pick up a push-up-a-thon pledge form and take part in the fundraising events and show your support for your team.

See you at the dojo--

-Sensei-