| Ask any professional how they became good at their | | | | these should be perfect.Stances: horse, bow, front, cat, |
| martial arts skills and they will tell you practice. Ask | | | | high back and low back. They should be low and |
| them what they practiced and you will most likely hear | | | | comfortable so you are able to move in different |
| "the fundamentals" or "the basics."I once interviewed 13 | | | | directions while staying level. Also, the lower you are in |
| great martial artists. The thing that struck me was that | | | | your stance, the more stable you will be.Kicks: front |
| every one of them talked about how their earliest | | | | side, back and round kick. These should be controlled |
| instructor was a traditionalist and had them study the | | | | and very smooth.Blocks: high rising, downward, outside |
| basics. In other words, what made them great was | | | | block, front punch, back hand and vertical fist. If these |
| the fact that they spent time on the fundamentals.Now | | | | are perfect your training can start!The list above |
| the sad part of this was that half of them were not | | | | works all your major muscle groups as well all major |
| teaching the knowledge they claimed made them | | | | defense and offensive directions. If you just had those |
| good. They were into the flash and the short cuts. | | | | basics perfect you could master most any art. |
| While this is fine for them, it's not fine for their students. | | | | Regardless of whether they use those motions are |
| Remember a shortcut is only part of a motion, but | | | | not. The reason is simple, once you master your body |
| most motions are made up of many parts which can | | | | you can make it do anything. A new style of martial |
| lead to shortcuts. Shortcuts lead nowhere. When a | | | | arts is like learning a new dance. It can be challenging, |
| master takes a shortcut they look good, but when a | | | | but not impossible.For more information on this article |
| student learns only shortcuts they look poorly | | | | or others go to Articles on Martial Arts. Robert Jones |
| trained.Practice your fundamentals and I promise you | | | | runs three successful martial arts schools located in |
| the fun stuff will be better, faster and functional. | | | | Bellevue, Lynnwood, and Kent Washington. He has |
| Fundamentals are - stances and forms. If you are | | | | been helping families make positive changes in their |
| taught quality forms, then they are worth it. If the forms | | | | lives through martial arts for over 20 years. He has |
| are just made up, it can teach you bad habits in training | | | | also written A Guide on How to Pick a Martial Arts |
| that are hard to overcome. There are no excuses, if | | | | School. He can be reached at the Academy of |
| you want to master your art and your body then | | | | Kempo Martial Arts. 800-508-6141. |