Satori International Newsletter 2005

Satori International Newsletter

The Satori International Newsletter has been created with two parts. The first part is the text that you have received containing written articles on various topics that includes Updates and Upcoming Events as well as Training Tips. The second part of the newsletter is contained on our web site, http://www.satoriinternational.com/center/newsletter0705.html. We have supplemented all of our written articles with photos and graphics to offer you more information and details to go along with each of the articles. There are links conveniently located at the end of each article that you can simply click on to link directly to the appropriate page on the site.

Be sure to add our site, www.satoriinternational.com, to your list of “Favorites” and check it periodically for new information. Feel free to send this newsletter to friends and colleagues that might benefit from the information or email us with their address and we will add them to our list so that they too will receive this newsletter each month.

Satori Trinidad Expands Into its New Location

Satori Trinidad recently celebrated the Grand Opening of its new expanded facility. After teaching out of the Maple Leaf Canadian International School for the past year and a half, Sensei Kent has acquired a 2,000 square foot building across the street from the Maple Leaf Canadian International School as the new location for Satori Trinidad.

Renshi Pukish was accompanied by Sensei Chris Hearin, a staff Instructor from Satori Martial Arts Center in Roswell, to attend the Grand Opening ceremony which consisted of many special events that included the playing of the national anthems of Trinidad, Canada and the United States, an opening prayer and blessing of the new facility, a martial arts demonstration by some of the Trinidad Jiu Jitsu students and a demonstration by Renshi Pukish. In addition, there was a presentation by one of the Trinidad students on the steel drum and a Tassa band, which is a traditional East Indian drumming quartet. Many dignitaries, such as the Trinidad Sports Commissioner, were in attendance; in addition, the liaison from the Trinidad Ministry of Sports was also present for the event. Each of these officials made presentations throughout the opening ceremony and had many kind words to say about the impact that Satori Trinidad has had on the local community. There was a question and answer session as well, giving the parents, families, and dignitaries a chance to openly discuss the purpose of martial arts training and how it will have a positive effect on the local community and Trinidad as a whole.

Renshi Pukish had the opportunity to discuss many topics with the audience and answer a variety of questions. The demonstration allowed for a dialogue between the audience and Renshi Pukish. Renshi Pukish and Sensei Kent answered questions concerning the Satori curriculum, how it is taught at each level of training, and how it will serve and empower each student training at Satori Trinidad.

Sensei Kent hosted a seminar on Friday night featuring Renshi Pukish as the guest Instructor. The students had the opportunity to train for three hours in the art of Kuntao and Jiu Jitsu. The training was geared towards combative application. Saturday morning started out with four hours of testing. From 8-10 am, the children were put through a grueling Jiu Jitsu exam, we are happy to say that they all passed with flying colors. From 10 am to noon, the adults went through their Jiu Jitsu exam and also did a fantastic job. Congratulations to all of the newly promoted Jiu Jitsu students on a job well done!

After a short break for lunch, the Opening Ceremony was held and the day ended with another three hours of training in two, back to back seminars, one for the younger students and one for the adult Jiu Jitsu students.

Congratulations to Sensei Kevin Kent and to all of the Satori Trinidad students on the transition into their new dojo! Combining the beautiful new facility with the work ethic that Sensei Kent has instilled in his students, Satori Trinidad will surely lead the way and set the standard for all martial arts schools in the Caribbean.

USJA Training Seminar

Renshi Pukish, accompanied by Sensei Eugene du Plessis, recently visited the United States Judo Association in Charlotte, North Carolina. The USJA hosted a 5 day event with guest Instructors from all over the world teaching different arts, running nine different mats at one time. It was a great event. The hosts did an outstanding job organizing the event and all of the attendees worked hard and enjoyed the training. Renshi Pukish taught 3 different sessions on Friday that included Kuntao, Contering and Impacting with Kicking and then a class on Transitioning. Thank you to all of the members of the USJA for a gracious welcoming and a wonderful day of training!

Remember to follow this link to see photos and text that support the Satori International Newsletter!

http://www.satoriinternational.com/center/newsletter0705.html

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Satori Martial Arts Training Tip

Training On Your Own

Once you have begun to build a solid base under the supervision of an Instructor, it will be important to begin spending some time training on your own. Time outside the dojo is a very important part of contributing to your progress and is what will make the difference between having a basic understanding of the material and what we refer to at Satori as “owning it.” Repetition is the key to learning any new skill. Your Instructor will guide you in class and make the necessary adjustments to your techniques and art, but it is your personal responsibility to take these suggestions and build them into your muscle memory through the use of repetition. It has been said that it takes ten thousand repetitions for something to “stick” in your muscle memory. If you are not training outside the dojo, that certainly is a lot of class time!

Remember, students learning a new technique practice over and over as their Instructor continues to make corrections, so many of the repetitions have been practiced incorrectly. Your technique will always be evolving, and sometimes this can lead a student to think that they do not want to train, for fear of practicing something wrong and developing bad habits. To the contrary, this is the natural progression through any learning process. It is in your best interest to practice as much as possible outside the dojo, focusing on implementing the things that you have been taught in class. This is an important component to martial arts training that separates the martial arts from many other things. Although we use our brain in training, and at times our training can seem very mental, it is important to remember that we are working to build a mind-body connection that transcends the mental thought process and allows our body the ability to perform a technique almost spontaneously. This can only occur through thousands upon thousands of repetitions. If a student performs this type of training, focusing on repetition, their time in the dojo can be used for their Instructor to fine tune their techniques and make suggestions on application and the “energy” of the motion as opposed to just the execution of the art.

Your training at home or away from the dojo can be structured just like a regular class. Find a place where you can move around comfortably and will have enough space to perform your techniques; this might even include an outdoor area for a change of pace. Dress in clothing appropriate for a work out, it might even be a good idea to wear your gi. Putting on your gi will become somewhat of a ritual, preparing yourself and putting you in the proper mindset for training. Go through a light warm up as prescribed in class and get a light sweat going. If you have access to a large mirror, you can perform your basics in the air from different angles, watching all of the details that make a technique successful, like proper body timing, proper hand placement, and proper body alignment. Go through all of your basics, building your proficiency through repetition.

Then practice specific requirements necessary for your belt rank. This should include your belt combination, your Kata, etc. Your basics will always be important and remain very similar and consistant throughout your training, your combinations and Kata will change and define your new belt rank. These should be emphasized as much as possible at each belt level. The more you practice your combinations and Kata, and begin to know the sequences by memory, the sooner your Instructor can begin to teach you the different levels of application, making your combinations and Kata really come alive.

If you have access to a heavy bag, perform each of your techniques on both the right and the left side against the bag, focusing on shifting the hips for power and developing a sense of the relaxation throughout the movement with the tension upon impact. Never sacrifice form for additional power. Practice making your techniques smooth and the power will develop naturally. Impact the bag while it is stationary in the early stages of your training and then allow the bag to move freely as you apply your basics, allowing you to get accustomed to hitting a moving target.

Once you are finished with each individual technique, you can do thirty second rounds on the bag with a combination of all of the techniques you have learned up to this point. This will teach you how to naturally put your techniques together and will give you a sense of proper distance in allowing your body to naturally choose what techniques flow together and when, according to your distance and angles to the bag. This exercise will also assist you in developing your anaerobic capacity, your ability to recover after elevating your heart rate. There will be a marked improvement in your recovery and general level of fitness in just a few short weeks.

To end your work out, go through some of the strength and conditioning exercises from class. Now that your body is completely warmed up, it is prepared to be pushed a little bit. Pick at least one exercise from each major body part. A combination of push ups, pull ups, sit ups, squats and lunges is a good idea. After your exercises, perform a short cool down, such as some slow Kata work and maybe some of the warm up exercises done slowly.

Finish with light stretching, focusing particularly on the hamstrings, the back, and the hips. Take a moment to close your eyes and perform a ten count breathing exercise. After the breathing exercise, review your belt requirements in your mind, visualizing yourself performing them perfectly. This is a very important, and often overlooked, part of training.

Individual Training with a Bo Staff

An excellent way to develop a smooth entrance and attachment on your throws is to use a six foot bo staff as a training aid. With the use of a staff, you can practice the transitions between grips on the bo, as well as the foot work on the entrance and a soft attachment with your body, making the throw even more effective.

There are a few throws that work particularly well with this drill. The three that we will be highlighting are the Advancing Foot Sweep, the Sweeping Hip Throw and the Outside Leg Reap.

Advancing Foot Sweep: For the advancing foot sweep, hold the bo with your left hand, thumb up and your left foot in front. Step forward, pointing your right foot at the bo as you transition your grip on the bo to your right hand, thumb up. Pull the bo in with your right hand, as if you were creating a break in your partners balance. Sweep your left foot across the floor, catching the bottom of the bo with the arch of your left foot and drive the bottom of the bo forward, at a forty five degree angle, as you pull the top of the bo to your left shoulder.

Sweeping Hip Throw: Hold the bo with your left hand and place your left foot in front. Step in front of your left foot with you right foot as you transition into a right handed grip on the bo. Keeping the bo in front of your body, you will turn to put the bo on the back of your right thigh. Step towards your right foot with the left and then sweep the bo with the back of your right thigh. Keep the right hand moving throughout the entire throw, creating a break in balance at the start of the throw and then continuing the momentum forward until the end of the throw. Make sure your head, left knee and left toe are in alignment at the end of the throw.

Outside Leg Reap: Hold the bo with your right hand and place your right foot in front. Step in with the left foot, placing it on the ground just past the bo as you press the bo forward, creating a break of balance in the intended direction of the throw. Bring the right foot towards the left foot and circle around the bo, focusing on attaching softly to the bo with the back of your right knee. As you push the right arm forward, kick back and through with the right leg. Allow the left hand to pull to the left hip, resembling the motion of the throw against a partner and emphasizing the torquing motion. Look to have your head, your left knee and your left ball of foot in alignment at the end of the throw.

Satori Strength Training Tip

Core Strength Training

If you would like to take your strength, endurance and power to a new level, focus on core strength training for the next 8 weeks and watch what happens. In addition to or as a replacement to your current strength and endurance routine, core strength training can make a significant improvement in your overall health, give nagging injuries some time to heal, and provide you with more functional strength. This new found strength, power and endurance will translate directly into your sport or art.

There are a few core exercises that are essential, they are push ups, pull-ups, bridges, and squats. These four exercises alone will provide your body with improved overall functional strength.