Dojo.com Blog

 Defense experts tell women to fight back

By Jessica Heslam  |   Tuesday, January 29, 2008  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Coverage

Photo by Angela Rowlings

The T’s top cop, Paul MacMillan, says subway gropers tend to prey on women on crowded trains.

So what should you do if you’re groped or fondled by a subway pervert? Slap him silly and give him a loud verbal lashing, says one veteran self-defense expert.

“A women should immediately slap the guy and loudly say, ‘Don’t touch me like that’ and move away,” said David Leggeri, owner of Villari’s Self Defense Centers in Somerville.

Leggeri also suggests you shout loud enough so others realize you’ve been assaulted. “That’s going to embarrass the guy so he’s going to get off the train,” he said.

A woman should also trust her sixth sense, Leggeri added.

“Before you step onto the car, step back,” he said. “Let other people get on the car first and see how you feel about the people that are getting on the car. If there’s a car with more women on it, get on that car.”

You shouldn’t be afraid to move to another seat or another part of the train if the person near you makes you feel uncomfortable, Leggeri said.

To stay on the safe side, you should avoid traveling alone whenever possible and take self-defense classes, said Leggeri, a ninth-degree black belt.

While authorities were able to catch a suspect after a victim snapped his photo with her cell phone camera, the T’s MacMillan said a woman should only take the perv’s picture as long as she doesn’t put herself in harm’s way.

“We found that that picture was extremely helpful in identifying that suspect,” he said.

Go with the Flow

Develop Body Wisdom through eurhythmics and you will unleash your physical and mental powers.

Eurhythmics is the art of harmonious, rhythmical body movement. It is a dynamic system, marked by a continuous sequential flow of movement. It requires shutting off the mind, shutting the mouth, and letting the body take the lead.

As a training principle, we speak of this concept as “the empty mind” or “no mind”. In Japanese, the translation is Moo (none) and Shing (mind) and in Korean, Moo Shim.

The system is aerobic, quick to learn, and will help you and your students build confidence from your training. Here are the simple steps to follow:

Empty the mind and find great wisdom.

Repeat a harmonious pattern of movements rhythmically until reflex is conditioned.

Repeat this pattern on both sides to become equally dextrous.

Repeat this pattern with increasing speed to prevent an analytical mental process and to further ingrain wisdom i the body.

Do not burden yourself with overly critical self-assessment or demands for personal perfection. Train hard but relax, go with the flow, and your best will emerge.

From time to time, I will post kata video from various styles so we can discuss the similarities and differences.

This is a fine example of Italian Shotkan champion Luca Valdesi. For you Shaolin Kempo Karate students, you will see the similarities in movement to our Five Pinan.

Being Shotokan, it is by nature more rigid and linear in technique. Yet Mr. Valdesi is powerful and explosive in his execution. This is a big part of why Grandmaster Villari values karate as a foundation of his art. 

Open the Door

Walk into a dojo and feel the positive energy. Feel the tradition, the honor, the respect, the courtesy, and the warmth. You will feel welcomed by the smiling faces of your fellow students and teachers.

Ahead, you will face the doors to learning. Afraid or not, open these doors and proceed without fear because supportive hands will be there to help and to guide you. Pause for a moment and visualize the new you. See yourself with strength and flexibility and grace and power. See yourself at your best.

Knowledge in the mind. Honesty in the heart. Strength in the body. It is my goal and responsibility, as it is the goal and responsibility of all black belts to pass on this tradition of excellence. To share with those who follow the rewards that will come from a commitment to the disciplined demands of martial arts insruction. To pass on the feeling of empowerment that the martial arts offers to all who walk the path and all who can say with sincerity, “Hey, I’m stronger than I thought I was.”

When a martial artist delivers a punch or kick, the object is to remain loose and light. This aids speed and focus. The only time that rigid force is needed in karate is when contact is made. Most karate movements are loose, light, fluid, agile and flexible, rather than tense, hard, rigid and stiff.The martial artist realizes that although he may be young and powerful today he must prepare for tomorrow when he will be neither. If he relied on brute strength alone, it would follow that he would become a less efficient warrior as he aged and became physically weaker. The martial artist accepts that in addition to continued strength training, he must also work on endurance, speed, agility, timing and coordination.

All opponents cannot be defeated through head charging confrontation. As the martial artist reaches the black belt level, he learns an ever increasing number of physical and mental techniques to deal with opponents. The martial arts offer a lifetime learning opportunity.

In your personal dealings, remain loose and light. Eliminate stress. There is rarely need to be tense and hard-headed. Many fights can be won and problems solved with calm reason and a soft voice.

Discover the Greatness Within

Martial artists should put more emphasis on becoming athletes first. Get your bodies in shape. Don’t try to hide or pretend any longer. Quit hiding behind your PC keyboard, living the fantasy through magazines and videos or camouflaging your insecurities behind some need for certification.

There is only one way to become a real fighter and that is to go to a real gym with high athletic standards. Don’t watch. Make a commitment to yourself to go back to your basics. With enthusiasm, you must practice and keep practicing. Then, get out there and fight. Never yield. Never quit. Strength, wisdom, and spirit are the traits of greatness. Work hard, train smart, study with the best, and you will discover the greatness within yourself.

I visit a lot of martial arts blogs and forums every week. A fairly hot topic is the value of online and home DVD martial arts training.

Will new technology ever totally replace personal instruction? Of course not.

But, I believe much of the negative reaction comes from a place of fear and ignorance than a well-articulated and logical argument against the use of the Internet to disseminate knowledge of the martial arts.

There are tremendous benefits to taking advantage of technology

Here are several of the benefits as I see it:

1. Archiving the wisdom of the great Masters: Imagine if the monks of the original Shaolin Temple had the ability to video their technique- what we could do with that knowledge today! So much of the original material and philosophical foundations of many styles has been lost over time. Today, the Internet allows us to preserve information forever.

2. Teach on a global scale. Would you like to have the ability to teach hundreds, thousands, maybe millions of students all over the world? Dojo.com will have channels available for you to do just that.

3.  Positive Reinforcement. I know that when I conduct a clinic, many of the participants forget much of what they learned that particluar day. The Internet allows students to revisit previous lessons and practice at home. More motivated, more skilled students- exactly what every instructor dreams of, right?

 Bottom line- don’t be afraid or scornful of new technology. Embrace it. After all, 30 years ago, most martial artists scoffed at the idea of training in sneakers. Today, the martial arts shoe business is a multi-million dollar industry.

Grow or die. This is 2008 A.D.. Not 528 A.D.

 Get up, stretch and be happy because today you are one day closer to your goals. You know who you are and where you are going. You are generous and kind and hard working. Above all, you are self-reliant. You know that success can be yours because success is in your own hands. You feel the enlivening power of having control over your own future. You expect good things to happen. Optimism is a wonderful feeling.

    You are your thoughts. You are thankful for being tough enough to take a few setbacks and keep going forward. You are thankful to have the curiosity to keep learning. You are thankful to see opportunity knock so often. You are thankful to have the personality to keep making new friends. Your mind can only hold one thought at a time so make that one thought positive.

    One of the five Shaolin animals is the dragon. The dragon possesses many different techniques to deal with opponents. The spirit of the dragon is indomitable. He cannot be destroyed. The dragon is the Shaolin symbol for heaven.

    You are a positive thinker for whom all is a possibility. Count your blessings. The way is clear. You are a follower of the Shaolin principles. The world is a better place because you are in it.

Become a Champion

    Generally, there are seven basic physical qualities developed through martial arts training.  These physical qualities can easily be transformed into their corresponding human emotions and over time, these emotions will create positive human qualities that become ingrained as part of our character. These seven qualities of a champion are:

1. Quickness, Alertness, and Market Change Awareness

2. Endurance, Perseverance, and Persistence

3. Timing, Punctuality, and Delivery on Time

4. Power, Knowledge, and Financial Strength

5. Balance, Rationality, and Balancing Supply and Demand

6. Flexibility, Gentleness, and Adaptability

7. Posture, Honesty, and Business Integrity

The purpose of knowledge is to take action. My philosophy of the martial arts is straightforward: “Lead by example through your actions.” a picture is worth 1,000 words; an action is worth 1,000 pictures. Let us teach our children not by words alone but through our actions. The three basic human qualities we emphasize to our students is Knowledge in the mind, Honesty in the heart, and Strength in the body. I encourage everyone to set a life goal. “A hundred years of wisdom in the body of a twenty-one year old.”