Blog - Australia's Youth Self Defence Karate

All Schools Closing Due to Coronavirus

March 22, 2020 By Sensei Matt Klein

We had to make the decision today to close all of our schools effective tomorrow at noon. Although the public schools remain open, and it was our intention to tether our classes to them, it became clear after the Prime Minster’s announcement today that we would not be able to continue.

Despite all the safety measures we put in place, it becomes necessary to cease operations indefinitely to fall in compliance with the law and to protect the health and safety of our students. This is a very sad day for our Kenpo tribe and especially our great instructors, everyone will suffer. This is extremely disappointing to us, just as it has been for you and your children.

We hope this situation is under control soon and we can resume as quickly as possible. We will give all students credit for their classes attended this term for their grading qualification when we resume.

Thanks so much for your support and understanding. We are committed to coming back stronger than ever and making our classes even better in the future. Stay posted by following our Facebook page and our Blog on our website at www.karate-kids.com.au.

Sensei Matt

Coronavirus Measures

March 20, 2020 By Sensei Matt Klein

Hi Kenpo Freestylers! I thought it appropriate to give you a rundown of the current events. Keep in mind they are changing rapidly, so stay tuned to this page. You will find all current news under the Blog section in our website, www.karate-kids.com.au.

This class at Wentworthville is utilising social distancing.

We are currently still operating at all locations, and will remain so unless the school/schools are ordered to close. We feel that especially now, kids need a fun, safe outlet in which to burn off their energy and stay engaged in the martial arts, which will help us all in this stressful time. We thank everyone who has stood by us and continued their training during this tough time. For those who have had to withdraw, we fully understand, as we know there are situations beyond your control, such as older folks or those with compromised medical conditions in your families or extended families. We only hope that you return to training once this is over as this club and our great instructors will desperately need your support as we recover.

We have by necessity made some important changes. Please feel free to comment or make further suggestions, parents and students.

1. We have moved to a “no touch” policy, where students must keep their hands to themselves. This includes the time before class where children play and make friends. Our games/activities have been adapted to include only no touch drills, so there should be no use of blockers or other tools that touch different students in the class. Students should also avoid touching the floor with their hands.

2. We are observing “social distancing” protocol, by separating students into small groups, usually five or less, if staff permits. We are spreading the groups around the hall areas as much as we can. We are trying to keep students at least two metres apart from each other. We have asked the parents to drop children off and not come into the class, but if necessary, place seating at least 1.5 metres apart.

3. Kick bags are still permitted but must be disinfected between classes. Only instructors and assistants are allowed to hold them, and they must wash their hands afterward. It is suggested that students wear their runners, so no skin contact may be made on the bags.

4. Other activities, such as Red light/Green light, balancing on blocks, kata training and competitions, self-defence training, kicking/hand strikes/blocks without bags, and many others can still be done. Your instructors are currently devising new ways to train and motivate our students so classes will be fun and challenging, and still develop martial arts skills.

5. We are keeping hand sanitisers at all front desks and any student or parent may use this. To keep our supplies on hand though, we recommend they use the soap and water method in the toilets before and after class. If no soap, please notify the instructor and we will contact the hall owner.

This situation will test the meddle of our whole country. We will do what we can to get through this, but we need everyone’s help. Thanks again for your support.

Sensei Matt Klein
Owner and Chief Instructor

17 Things I Learned as a Blue Belt In BJJ

April 21, 2017 By Sensei Matt Klein

17 Things I Learned as a Blue Belt in BJJ

After nearly six years on this journey, I recently celebrated my graduation from blue belt in BJJ to purple . I wrote a similar post a few years back, entitled 49 Things I Learned as a White Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I believe it helped a few people in their journeys as this was one of the most popular in my blog’s history. I hope to do the same with this post. Here are the things I learned as a blue belt in BJJ.

I am learning how to breathe. This is one thing I have noticed among the great ones in BJJ. At a JJ Machado seminar, I watched him roll with countless guys one after the other, and was absolutely amazed at his stamina. I started to hear his breath, and it was amazingly deep and slow. I then realised how he did it. You hear Rickson Gracie breathe the same way when he trains, and when I trained with Saulo Ribeiro, the same breathing pattern was unmistakeable. I have taken yoga about as long as I have taken BJJ and they get the same result and relief from very uncomfortable positions using the focus on breath. As a wrestler in high school, I used to gas out. I always chalked it up to a lack of stamina. But in a rolling session as a white belt, a black belt told me “Matt, you are not breathing, you are holding your breath”. It really hit me like a ton of bricks, and from then on, my game changed for the better. I am finally learning how to breathe when rolling, and it’s paying big dividends. I am not getting gassed out like I used to. The video below, illustrates Rickson Gracie’s use of yoga and breathing, and are a big reason why he became a legend in BJJ.

I am learning how to relax. Being an ex-wrestler I always thought the game was about strength, and work rate, but this is counterintuitive in BJJ. I learned “flow rolling” from Andrew Nerlich, a black belt with whom I train. The benefit of this style is that instead of getting locked up in one or two positions throughout the roll, you can see literally dozens of situations, in which you can try your escapes, defences, or attacks. Since your opponent is not resisting 100 percent, this combines the best elements of drilling and rolling. And it is fun! To an outsider or white belt, it really shows the skill and mastery of the techniques. As I am learning to relax, I am starting to look for mistakes my opponent’s make. The inexperienced will make them. The experienced will look for my mistakes.

I am starting to chain attacks and defences. I have found a few submissions that suit my game. But this can hinder your progress if you rely only on those, and you will become predictable. I have found that having a few backup submissions that feed off my favourites can pay big dividends. Whenever I find a new submission that works well for me, I constantly look for related submissions. The same can be true of escapes, depending on your opponents’s reactions. The higher belts have mastered this, and it is why they always seem “one step ahead” of you. This is not magic, it is the fact that they have been in this position and dealt with it dozens of times more than you have.

I am learning the importance of pressure. This is how a 150-pounder feels like a 200-pounder when they are on top of you in side control. By keeping nothing other than your feet on the ground, you are learning how to make your opponent tired by carrying your weight. It also makes you realise how important all those hip escapes are that we endlessly drill. You need to create space, when on the bottom.

Defences and escapes are key. As the great Saulo Ribeiro said, white is the belt of survival. Blue is the belt of escapes and defences against the worst positions and submissions, and I have focused a lot on this. You can never comfortably attack if you have no confidence in your ability to defend, as you will never take a chance of losing position. Embrace the bad positions and see it as a challenge to work your escapes and defences. You are learning to threaten your opponents to get them to back off on gaining a superior position or trying to submit you. Many times all you need is one hand attacking the collar and they know they cannot let you get the other hand in. For example, as they are trying to pass your guard, threaten the cross collar choke or baseball bat choke.

I am losing the fear of rolling with the beasts. I am learning how valuable it is to roll with a variety of people, and especially the importance of rolling with really good grapplers. There are always some guys who you cannot really threaten, and they will go light and “coach” you as you go along. Seek these guys out as often as possible for rolling. They will be flattered when you start using moves they showed you when you roll.

I am learning the value of mastering a few moves at a time. When I find something that suits my game, I recognise it immediately. I begin drilling it heavily and this is way better than knowing a lot of techniques without any real understanding of them. I look for the opponents reactions to these moves once I master them, then adapt them further.

I am learning how to be comfortable in most positions. Although I see the wisdom in keeping it simple, I have learned that you need at least two or three “go to” techniques from each position. This is so you will never really end up in “unchartered territory”. There is nothing more frustrating than having no answer to an attack without any idea of a response. I make it my business to find at least a few good moves in any possible position. This is also how you stay one step ahead.

You must specialise in something. For me, it was sweeps. I saw the value of being able to quickly reverse the positions without the effort of passing a guard. Sweeps are also extremely valuable to get a heavier person off of you. I made it my business to learn every sweep I could, but master about 5 or 6 really well.

I am learning to use my feet like hands. It is said that you must learn this as a purple belt. It is never too early to begin. I can really see the wisdom in this as you need all weapons at your disposal, and especially since your legs are stronger by far than your arms. But it is easier said than done. How can you force yourself to do this? For me, it was simple. I focused on the positions, like bottom half guard and butterfly guard that rely on using your hooks. This has started finding its way into other areas of my game, which has created a positive result.

You must be proactive in every position. For instance, in half guard bottom—don’t get flattened, stay on side, prevent cross face, prevent under hook. Start attacking from this position. Sweep, take back, or submit. I start working it as soon as my opponent has transitioned into the position and before they have had a chance to “relax” in it.

Your instructor does not expect you to be his or her protege. What works for them could be completely different than what works for you, depending on body style and attributes. You are starting to develop a game of your own. Your body style, athleticism, coaching, and background all play a role in this. Don’t fight it and don’t copycat others. Your game is unique. But all things being equal, I prefer to learn from a smaller instructor, as they have to be more technical.

Find a way to train solo. For me, a grappling dummy was the best investment I ever made in my game. In a matter of months my half guard bottom, sweeps, and submissions from all positions improved dramatically. If I was injured, I just used the other side of the body and learned to become ambidextrous more quickly.

The ego is finally being conquered. By the time you have reached high level blue, you have literally tapped dozens BUT have been submitted by hundreds. You have learned to not make a big deal out of it when you tap someone, but have embraced getting tapped, as it is the quickest way to progress. I make it a point to ask the higher belts how they got that submission on me. Only the most selfish refuse to tell me. As well, I have learned many things from white belts, as I am open to everyone’s wisdom. At this level, you will start tapping white belts, even if they are very strong, and some lower level blue belts pretty regularly, if you relax, and let them either gas out or make mistakes. They will usually do one or the other.

I am learning the power of yoga. As I mentioned above, I have been doing yoga as long as BJJ. It has kept me relatively injury free for two important reasons. My range of motion is better and I am learning to be comfortable in bad positions. Without it, you are more likely to get submitted and more likely to get hurt. It helps balance, strength, and especially breathing.

I am learning that you must take responsibility for your own success. BJJ guys and girls really are the coolest in the world. They love helping other BJJ people out with anything and this art attracts the best people. But you must take responsibility for your progression. No one is going to take you aside and say “I am going to make you a better grappler” or “I am going to find your weaknesses and strengthen them”. This is especially true with regards to your diet and lifestyle. You must take responsibility for it.

I am learning to love giving it back. My instructors and higher ranks have given so much to me. I now feel an obligation to help the newer students, just as there were so many who helped me. I love the opportunity to teach, and it really helps me learn the game so much better by teaching its principles.

I preface all the above with “I am learning”, because even as a purple belt, I am still learning these principles, and will never master them fully. That is what I love about this art. What did you learn as a blue belt in BJJ?

Teaching Children Martial Arts: Silent Stretches as a Powerful Tool

March 18, 2016 By Sensei Matt Klein

This is a guest post about Silent Stretches by one of our outstanding, creative instructors, Sensei Nathan Jeffrey. He has developed a unique, innovative approach to get his class of children calm and focused before training. I have seen it in action, and it is super effective! Here is his post:

After playing a very vigorous game of double trouble at my new school at East Granville I needed a way for students to quickly identify myself as their new teacher. They were all sweaty, fired up and being rather loud which was great but not very conducive to what was meant to happen next, stretches. I needed the students to focus on me and calm down so they would be ready to practise karate.

I was faced with two options; I could either meet their noise with my own wall of sound or remain quiet.

I remained quiet.

Silent stretches are, as their name suggests, stretches with my class in total silence, with the exception of deep breaths. In order to ensure silent stretches are successful:

1. I need to be at the centre of the class so all the students can clearly see me.

2. I need to ensure that my silent stretches are exaggerated so that all students understand what part of the body they are stretching. For example, moving my hips in larger circles than needed and stopping the rotation of my arms for longer to denote that we are changing the way we need to rotate.

3. I need to establish quiet within the room. I do this by modelling silence because if you want your students to do something, you must do it yourself.

I’ve found that this way of doing stretches is useful for a myriad of reasons. Firstly, at a new school, where most students were unfamiliar with me, it allowed me to be established as the centre of attention. It identified me as the new teacher of the school and gave the students a focal point to look to. In choosing to remain quiet I modeled to the kids how I expected them to stretch. In remaining quiet and not raising my voice I modelled a calmness that helped the students focus and calm down.

There are two drawbacks that I’ve come across whilst using this method to begin my classes. The first drawback being that you can’t teach new techniques using this method. For example, I’ve found it difficult to go through Sensei Matt Klein’s new yoga stretches with my students. The other drawback is outside noises can undermine the effectiveness of calming students down and centring oneself as the teacher.

Silence is often overlooked as a tool we can use to teach and I think it’s much better to meet noise with calm and quietness. It also saves on the Strepsils’ bill.
In hushed whispers I hope to hear what you think about using silent stretches as a tool for teaching children martial arts.

Sensei Nathan Jeffrey

Sensei Nathan is a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Freestyle under Sensei Matt Klein. Sensei Nathan has a Bachelor of Education (Primary). He developed this technique on his own.

Get on the Ride!

July 31, 2015 By Sensei Matt Klein

Get on the merry-go-round of life!

You stand there watching the merry-go round from afar. You notice a funny thing. Each time the carousel goes around the faces seem to be smiling a little bit more. You notice something else; those on the merry go round seem to stand taller, carrying themselves with a little more confidence on each revolution. They wave at you beckoning you to jump on.

You are frozen between action and worry. You think, if I jump on there I will look silly, childish, or maybe even get hurt. You wonder what others will think if you make a fool of yourself. You fidget, put your hands in your pockets, and watch it go around again, and again…and again. You look forlornly at those on the carousel, and say to yourself, “Why can’t I be like that?”

You come back every day to watch, you are drawn to the carousel by a mysterious force. One day, something inside you snaps. You suddenly leap onto the merry-go round! You are beside yourself with joy. You cannot believe how much fun this is. You ask yourself, “Why did I wait this long?”

As you look around, you notice all the others who were on the carousel before you are gone. You find out they have all moved on to create new merry-go rounds, spreading the word. As you ride the carousel you see many forlorn faces in the crowd, and you wave them on with all your might. Get on the ride!

A Hidden Benefit of BJJ and Yoga That You May Have Missed

July 26, 2014 By Sensei Matt Klein

Learning how to escape an uncomfortable position

Professor Rodrigo Antunes shows how to escape from an uncomfortable position, a very important skill in BJJ

I laid down on the cold table in my hospital gown that never quite covered the rear end (who designed those silly things anyway?). I felt a wave of panic when the MRI technician said “you need to stay still for twenty minutes”. Ha! How could I move? They strapped my legs and midsection onto the table and told me to draw my arms in tight to my body. As the sliding table moved me into the tight-fitting tube, I knew how the Viet Cong felt when they entered the tunnels of South Vietnam back in the Sixties. My arms felt the cool sides of the tube as it seemed to close in around me, and I knew this was going to be a long twenty minutes.

Claustrophobia in Rio!

But wait a second, I thought…. I have been here before. That first trip to Rio I rolled with black and brown belts. They were very good at holding me in the mounted position. I struggled in the muggy tropical heat not only to escape, but also to breathe. I looked up at the timer and thought to myself, “how am I going to last five more minutes pinned under this 210-pounder with my mouth covered by his sweat-soaked gi? Why did I take up this silly sport? People come to Rio for the sun, surf, pretty women, and relaxation, not this!

Taking myself into the breath

I slowly learned not to panic, and that sooner or later I would either get out (in many cases, I think they felt sorry for me, and let me escape) or tap to their submission. Either way, I learned, I would survive. Life goes on. I learned to breathe slowly, especially the exhales, and turn more onto my side to create space. I built a frame over my chest with my arms to make even more space. The process soon became a mental game as I moved from one escape attempt to another, depending on my opponent’s reaction. Focusing my energy and thoughts on the process of escape reduced the feelings of panic whenever I was trapped under someone.

Back to the MRI

They gave me headphones so I could listen to music during the procedure and a panic button to push, but as the loud thumping of the machine started, I realised the headphones did not work and I was alone in my thoughts…my thoughts! How did prisoners of war handle the feelings of aloneness, panic, and claustrophobia? How did they calm their minds in times of stress? They played mental chess against imaginary opponents, they performed mathematical equations, they wrote music, they recited poetry, all in their minds. It kept them sane.

Human chess

I started to breathe deeply, just as I was taught in yoga and BJJ. Long exhales, shorter inhales, I took myself into my breath. I began to play human chess. I was caught in a vice-like closed guard and I had to fight my way out of it. I replayed four ways of passing the guard, that Leonardo Xavier showed me. I broke them down into the finest details I knew. I pretended to demonstrate the process to my students, narrating as I went along. Once I passed the guard, I imagined myself in side control, but quickly was swept and ended up in mounted position. I then had to escape. In my mind I went through the step-by-step process of the elbow-knee escape, upa, combination of the two, foot drag, bench press, and two other really cool escapes, one that Eliot Kelly showed me which ended in half guard to sweep, and another that Rodrigo Antunes demonstrated, ending up with me taking a footlock! I managed to free myself from bottom side control in four different ways, including a stiff-arm escape from Henry Cho. As I escaped from bottom half guard using a nifty move from Owen Kee Gee, a state of calm took over. Suddenly the headphones, which surprise, surprise, now worked, blared out “Okay Matt, you’re finished”.

Three years after that first trip to Brazil, I still get a mild sense of panic when pinned, but I know how to deal with it, both mentally and physically. Thank you yoga and BJJ, and thanks to all the great instructors who showed me a most valuable skill–how to relax in an uncomfortable position. You never know when you might need it!

Martial Arts Grading and Nine Popping Speeches

July 1, 2014 By Sensei Matt Klein

What you say at the martial arts grading speech should be remembered by your students

I have been to many a martial arts grading over the years. I wince when I hear the same speeches over and over again. “The grading was good”. “I am pleased with your performance”. BORING…I look around and people are on their mobiles or snoozing. The instructor was at a loss for words, so just put out the usual stuff. Don’t let this happen at your grading.

How To Make Your Martial Arts Grading Speeches Pop

Let’s look at how we can be creative and make the speeches at your martial arts grading really pop. Let’s take this opportunity to inspire our students and help them improve for the next one. Here are some good themes to make your martial arts gradings the ones your students remember. This post was written with the martial arts instructor in mind. For students please see Kids Karate Grading: How to Pass. For another take on the subject of inspiration, have a look at How to Never Lose Motivation for Training Karate from Karate by Jesse. It’s a good read.

One: The grading was good. Maybe it was, maybe not. But there must have been at least one or two things good about it. Find them. Say “the punches were lightning fast”, the “kicks were super explosive”, “the kata were extremely crisp”, “the stances were rock-solid”. Tell them exactly why the grading was good in your speeches.

Two: Martial arts is an individual, not a team sport. So don’t compare yourself to your classmates. Some will learn fast, and some will learn slow. Fact of life. I am a slow learner, for example. It takes me many hours of practice to get something down, while others may pick it up in a matter of minutes. But once I learn something I learn it well. Others will be more athletic than us. Fact of life. There will be some who are more explosive, others more flexible, others that have better timing, usually through experience. Compare yourself not to others, but to who you were yesterday.

Three: Martial arts are a journey, not a destination. It can be a wonderful, life-long quest that will challenge you, but at the same time drive you to strengthen and harden your body, build immense willpower, eat clean, and live the healthy “martial arts” lifestyle. Don’t burn yourself out trying to rush through the belts to be the first in your class to reach black. It is not a sprint, it is a marathon, so take time to enjoy the journey. Relish knowing what your body can do and the fact that you now walk with confidence.

Four: There will be setbacks, but never give up on your dreams. Injuries, job demands, family, school, they all get in the way from time to time. They are important, and demand your attention. But stay the course, and train when you can. During busy, stressful times, the martial arts will always be there to help you release your tension. Again, it is a marathon, not a sprint.

Five: Embrace and enjoy the friendships. Life-long friendships will form out of the martial arts. Trust me on this. These people you meet will most likely be refreshingly different from your other friends. Be open to forming new friendships and go out of your way to be kind to everyone in the dojo. Reach out.

Six: Be proud, but be humble. No one likes a braggart. Be very proud of your achievements, but keep it inside. The people who matter most will already know of your martial arts prowess.

Seven: Make the new students feel welcome. We were all once shy, scared, un-coordinated white belts when we walked through the door. Maybe someone laughed at us when we fell or made the wrong moves in the kata. We were so humiliated we felt like quitting. Help build the beginners up, not tear them down. Have a kind word for them and let them know we all went through the same thing. Tell them after the martial arts grading that they did a good job. Respect all who have the courage to walk through the door to make that first step on their journey.

Eight: Work on your strengths, but be aware of your weaknesses. For years my weakness was grappling. I took traditional Japanese Jujutsu classes years ago. I could hold my own in the stand-up sparring, but smaller, weaker guys could take me down and dominate me on the ground. I learned very quickly it was not about strength, but technique that mattered. I am currently studying Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and the ground is now my friend. Discover your weaknesses and shore them up.

Nine: Last but not least, thank your students and the parents for supporting your program, for without them, you would not be living this marvellous, healthy lifestyle. Let your heartfelt appreciation come out in your speeches.

Instructors, what are some of the speeches you use to make your martial arts grading more interesting and inspiring? Students, what did your instructor say to you at the martial arts grading that inspired you the most?

Be Different And Be Glad!

April 24, 2014 By Sensei Matt Klein

Bruce Lee changed the martial arts world by being different

Why Kids Should Be Different

Kids, since the dawn of time, or at least the advent of fashion, or maybe toys, have felt a need to conform or fit in. They want to dress alike, own the same toys, just be like the rest. This continues on through high school as they struggle to be “popular” or “able to hang with the in crowd”. As adults, they find work in a big corporation or government where they are encouraged strongly to “go with the flow” and “not make waves”. I say nonsense to this, be different and be glad!

Take a look at the most successful entrepreneurs around, and chances are they are a bit eccentric, which is a euphemism for “a little weird”. They usually do not care what society thinks of them. One of the defining traits of entrepreneurship is the ability to spot an opportunity and imagine something where others haven’t. They think outside the box and create a niche. This niche, an area of specialty or unique skill, is not perceived as an easily replaceable product or service. They are therefore better able to protect that niche from competitors, since they have developed the unique skill that sets them apart. The successful truly march to the beat of a different drummer. They do not seek outside validation. They seek it from within. They imagine a far different world than most and have the ability to make that world happen. They succeed by not being afraid to be different.

Bruce Lee Was Not Afraid To Be Different

Bruce Lee was extremely successful as a martial artist because he challenged the current dogma of the day. He embraced the martial arts of every style and included boxing, wrestling, and fencing and who knows what else in his arsenal of techniques. He “absorbed what was useful, and discarded the rest”. Of course, for him the truth in combat rested in what worked for him and his body style and physical attributes, and he disdained the idea of a “combat system” because of this. His approach of “using no way as way”, and his training methods, which seemed radical at the time, fundamentally changed the martial arts world as a result.

Left handers are very different, representing only about eleven percent of the population. They are discriminated against at every turn, growing up surrounded by right-handed tools, instruments, and appliances. They are continually trying to adapt to a right-handers world. I know this because I am a left-handed person. But guess what? They tend to be over-represented in the elite level of martial arts, for the reasons I stated in an earlier article. First, since they have to adapt, they become ambidextrous at a greater rate than right-handers, becoming more powerful and coordinated on their weak side. Second, right-handers have to fight someone with a style they are not used to fighting.

Some of the greatest artists in history have been lefties, including Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Rembrandt. Left-handers are no more successful than right-handers overall, but they are more successful in different ways. For instance, they tend to be more creative, while right-handers are more logical and analytical.

William Churchill was considered eccentric in his time. Even the Germans knew about it, as stated in Goebells 1941 diary: “A book on Winston Churchill reports that he drinks too much and wears silk underwear. He dictates messages in the bath or in his underpants, a startling image the Fuehrer (Hitler) finds hugely amusing”. His eccentricity did not stop him from becoming a master orator and one of the great leaders of the world. And you can bet it did not bother him to be different.

So I say, be different and be glad you are unique. Embrace it and let it work to your advantage.

“The amount of eccentricity in a society has generally been proportional to the amount of genius, mental vigor, and moral courage it contained. That so few now dare to be eccentric marks the chief danger of the time”.

John Stuart Mill

Do you dare to be different?

Rude People and Breathing: An Exercise

March 12, 2014 By Sensei Matt Klein

Sometimes it is best just to smile.

They say you should treat rudeness with kindness or some such notion. I believe more in instant karma. I also believe in standing up to bullies.

The guy in the suit babbled away on his mobile about “securities plays” in a loud voice hoping to impress everyone around him, rushing ahead of me to get in the checkout queue. As the checkout lady started bagging his items, she put the “next order” divider after his groceries and that was my signal to put things on the conveyor. One problem, he was so engrossed in his inane conversation he would not move down towards the bag area and kept his hand on my side of the divider as if to say “I am not ready to give up this space yet”. As I said above, I am not good at suffering fools, so I started emptying my cart over, around, and ON TOP OF HIS HAND, while he stood there with an angry look on his face. I just smiled and unloaded all my items on the conveyor, mostly ignoring him.

He finally got off the phone, looked at me and said loudly, “what’s YOU’RE problem?” I calmly looked him in the eye and said “I have none except people around me that are so caught up in their inane phone conversations, they have no clue what’s going on around them. And this store is not YOUR ‘territory’, it is meant to be shared by everyone”. He had nothing to say except a few profanities, and as he walked out the door he gave me the one-fingered salute. I smiled and waved. As a martial artist, I am aware of what can happen in fights so very rarely go down that path.

I thought everything was okay until minutes later I got on my exercise bike for my daily afternoon ride. I usually start slow at about 100 heartbeats per minute and work my way up through interval training to about 140 beats. Imagine my surprise when I got on the bike and my monitor showed 135 beats per minute! Could that incident in the store have done that to me? I knew it did.

My training in yoga and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has given me some insights on breathing. Immediately I concentrated on taking deep breaths from the abdomen, filling it up, then breathing out very slowly. I also focused on turning my thoughts on what I was having for dinner. I did this for about a couple of minutes and was glad to see the monitor register 110 beats even as I increased the pace on the bike.

The moral: control your temper, breathe, breathe, and breathe…..Also, don’t give in to rude people or bullies. They must learn that what comes around goes around, sometimes immediately.

“The most important thing is not victory, the most important thing is not getting defeated”. Rickson Gracie

The Kenpo Logo and the Meaning of the Tiger

February 21, 2014 By Sensei Matt Klein

The Tiger along with the Dragon are the central characters in our new logo.

The History of the Kenpo Logo

The Kenpo Freestyle Academy’s logo has been re-designed. We enlisted the services of a very talented young designer named Paolo Geronimo from the Philippines. In my not-so-humble, but very opinionated view, it is the world’s coolest Kenpo logo. After months of refinements, we release our Kenpo logo with pride.

In 2010 I wrote a blog post entitled “The Kenpo Freestyle Sydney Logo: What Does it Mean?” Since then I have reflected a lot on what our logo truly means. Many of the ideas of the first post are sound, but I would like to touch more deeply into the meaning of our new logo. Since there is so much to explore on this topic, I will break it down by the symbols in the Kenpo logo, starting with the tiger. The other symbols will be covered in subsequent blog posts.

Our Kenpo logo retains many of the features of the original American Kenpo version. The late great Ed Parker, who founded American Kenpo, said this about the tiger in his book, the Infinite Insights Into Kenpo, Volume 1: THE TIGER — represents earthly strength derived during the early stages of learning. This is the stage where the individual is more impressed with his own physical prowess.

With due respect to the great man, I agree with this to some extent, but believe that the tiger means more. A lot more. This magnificent creature, arguably the world’s most powerful animal predator on land, but unfortunately now endangered, represents so many positive things in our system, the Kenpo Freestyle Academy. It is also my favourite animal, so allow for a little bias to creep in here.

What the Tiger Represents

The tiger, along with the dragon, are the two central characters depicted on our logo. The tiger represents strength, power, stealth, defence, adaptability, individuality, patience, determination, focus, and generosity.

Tigers are extremely powerful. They are able to leap distances over 6 metres, can run over 60 km an hour, and can smash a bear’s skull with their front claws. Tigers can break the neck of their prey by simply crushing vertebrae with its jaws, and can take down and drag prey up to five times its size. Even a tiger’s “voice” is powerful. The roar of a Bengal tiger can be heard for over 2km at night. Overall, the tiger represents straight-ahead, linear power, with no retreat.

Tigers are masters of stealth. They can move through high grass, forest, and even water in silence. A common comment of those who have witnessed—or survived—an attack is that the tiger “came out of nowhere.” A tiger cannot catch a deer or other fleet-footed animal. Instead it uses stealth to catch its victims; attacking from the side or the rear, after creeping up very closely to its prey.

Tigers represent defence. In Asian cultures the tiger is a symbol of protection. Tiger paintings are often hung on walls inside buildings to guard entrances, “scaring demons away”. The heads of tigers were often painted on a soldier’s shield, in order to terrify the enemy.

In general, tigers will try to avoid fighting, unless absolutely necessary. Fighting usually happens only within the mating season. Males will often fight over one female, and the strongest male will have the privilege of mating with her. Still, tigers prefer to part ways and pursue a more peaceful existence elsewhere than to fight. Territory disputes are often settled by displays of intimidation rather than physical aggression. The tiger is wise because it knows an injury incurred in a fight most likely means starvation.

The tiger, like the dragon, is shown within a circle to show that the power of the tiger, like the power of Kenpo, is contained. The power is only unleashed, or broken from the circle, in order to defend ourselves or our families from violent attack. More about the circle in a later post.

Tigers are supremely adaptable. Unlike almost all other cats, tigers can swim long distances and can even attack and drag prey in the water. They are also adaptable in their hunting techniques. They can bite, claw, or strangle their prey. They are native to various habitats, from the forests to open grasslands, even tropical swamps.

The tiger’s sense of hearing is so sharp that they are capable of hearing infrasound, which are sound waves below the range of normally audible sound (20 hertz). They have a special adaptation to their retinas, which allows more light to reflect back into their eyes, making it easier to see in the dark.

The tiger’s striped coat helps them blend in well with their surroundings as the striping helps break up their body shape, making them difficult to detect for unsuspecting prey.

The Tiger represents many important attributes in the Kenpo Freestyle System

Tigers stand on their own. They are solitary creatures. Except for a mother and her cubs, tigers live and hunt alone. They can have a social life; they just prefer to socialise from a distance. The stripes on every tiger are unique, just like the fingerprints of humans. On average, tigers have about a hundred stripes on their coats, helping them to camouflage themselves in the wild.

Tigers are persistent, patient, and disciplined. Catching a meal is not easy; a tiger is successful only once in ten to 20 hunts. But it must kill about once per week to avoid starvation. To give up is to die. The tiger is a study in discipline and patience. Due to its size it must approach prey using stealth, and cannot pounce too early as most prey will outrun it. The tiger may lie in wait for hours for an opportunity. If the prey is alerted, they must quietly wait until the jungle is calm again, which may take hours.

Tigers are focused. The tiger in the traditional Chinese folklore implies “the tiger never sleeps.” It symbolises the keen alertness of the wakeful tiger. The tiger must be alert to the slightest movement in the jungle, its focus must be keen in order to survive.

Tigers are known to share and be generous. In contrast to male lions, male tigers will allow the females and cubs to feed on the kill first. Furthermore, tigers seem to behave relatively friendly when sharing kills, in contrast to lions, which tend to squabble and fight. Unrelated tigers have also been observed feeding on prey together.

What the Tiger Means In Kenpo Freestyle

The spirit of the tiger is alive in our system. All Kenpo Freestyle students are taught from the earliest stages to move with power and stealth (put hips into play for power, no slamming of feet, move with grace and silence, attack from angles) and to have a powerful kiai. We are able to adapt to the circumstances (all ranges of combat, including kicking, punching, and grappling) and are open to modern innovations (freestyle).

Our students are taught to be generous by later becoming leaders in our organisation, and how to stand on their own two feet and become independent, resisting peer pressure. They are taught focus and concentration by the many games and activities we do that rely on it. Self discipline is another important aspect of the Kenpo Freestyle system, and is the basis for lifelong success.

In Kenpo, many of the movements of the tiger are used such as thrusts, stikes and rips, which can be employed from any angle. Our students are taught a strong defence (like the tiger) using head movement, footwork, blocking, and parrying. Our grapplers are taught defence first, attack later. Most importantly, our students are taught to avoid violence at all costs, just like the tiger.

We can learn much from this beautiful creature. The role of the dragon and how it relates to the tiger will be discussed next. What does the tiger mean to you in your martial arts journey? How do you like the new Kenpo logo?