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Dave Rubens – Aikido and Security

Steve Rowe

This interview was conducted and published in 2008 David Rubens is a rare breed of martial artist.  A London boy destined for trouble, he broadened his horizons by travelling the world, he lived in a kibbutz, joined the Israeli Army and became one of their elite parachute regiment.  He then went to Japan, trained at the renowned Yoshinkan Honbu becoming an uchi deshi  (live in student) under the famous Aikido Master Gozo Shioda, undergoing the hard Tokyo Riot Police Squad training programme.  He returned home to found the famous MeidokanDojo in London. Tempered by his training, he turned to the … Continue reading Dave Rubens – Aikido and Security

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Kata Doesn’t Work In A Fight

Steve Rowe

“If you want to learn how to fight, don’t study kata.  The only way to learn how to fight is to engage in the ‘real’ thing.”   This opinion is often expressed by those who hold Karate in low regard.  Their opinion is often formed from movies, online videos, or some out of context training. The statement is as naïve as thinking that a boxer goes into a ring to fight with his skipping rope. You could say that a martial artist is not a ‘fighter’ as ‘fight’ intimates a struggle between two people, a martial artist is a ‘peacekeeper’.  … Continue reading Kata Doesn’t Work In A Fight

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Women In The Martial Arts

Steve Rowe

The Martial Arts are primarily feminine. Many would think this a strange statement until they start to look a bit deeper. By nature men are linked to the sun (yang) and women to the moon (yin).  Women have a 28 day biorhythmic cycle and their emotions change to reflect where they are on it, their range of emotions tends to be on a far wider spectrum than men.  Some say that this would make them unsuitable for martial arts, but if they can use this range of emotions in a positive way they have the ability to become better martial … Continue reading Women In The Martial Arts

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The Training Bank

Steve Rowe

Be a saver not a spender. Every training session good or bad, Is a penny in the Training Bank. Day after day, Weeks after week, Year after year, The pennies accumulate; Until you have great martial arts wealth. Every seminar, course and lesson adds to the value. Every note you take, Every time you pay attention, Everything you contribute to your teacher and classmates, A penny drops in. Every meditation, Every time you stand straight, Every time you breathe deep, Every time you focus your mind, Another penny drops in. Bit by bit your power comes from within, And you’re … Continue reading The Training Bank

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Arousal In The Martial Arts

Steve Rowe

  Whenever I mention the world ‘arousal’ in our training we inevitably get lots of smirks and sniggers because it’s a term that most ‘normal’ people only associate with sexual activity, but understanding arousal is very important to the Martial Arts practitioner.  The terms that Instructors tend to use are too blunt, they talk about ‘adrenaline dump’, ‘anger’ ‘aggression’ and ‘freezing’ when it’s far more complex than that. Arousal can be trained at many different levels and can make a considerable difference to performance under stress and the learning environment.  Wikipedia explains arousal as: “Arousal is a physiological and psychological state of being awake or … Continue reading Arousal In The Martial Arts

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Are Fighters Born Or Made?

Steve Rowe

Fighters are born and made better. Many people are born fighters even if they and their families and friends don’t realise it, many martial artists think that they are made, but a good coach finds those instincts and brings it out in them.  Some people will just never have that instinct in the first place and will spend their life as a victim and/or too weak and lazy to fight. Just look into a persons eyes, watch how they move, not what they are doing, but how they move, you can tell a lot about someone from just these two … Continue reading Are Fighters Born Or Made?

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Are You Really Trying?

Steve Rowe

“I’m really trying…” This can have more than one meaning – and therefore what’s in your head is really important.  Are you ‘trying’ to attempt to do something with failure already written into it?  Are you seeing it as difficult and frustrating?  Are you ‘trying’ because you think it’s difficult or hard’? These are all responses that we commonly get from students and the problem can lie with our upbringing, as a child we are constantly told that we must ‘try’ and are told off for ‘not trying’, my school report often said ‘must try harder’, meaning that I needed … Continue reading Are You Really Trying?

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What’s Wrong With The Martial Arts?

Steve Rowe

I have yet to see anyone identify or address where the real problems are in the Martial Arts. Most Martial Artists are too close to the problems and view them  subjectively, forcing their ideas of standards, what should be taught and how they should be administered, but this has only added to the confusion because Martial Arts truly are a broad church. We need to take a good few steps back and take a much broader view and see how they can fit safely and effectively into the structure of society. I will lay this out as simply as I … Continue reading What’s Wrong With The Martial Arts?

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The Power Chain

Steve Rowe

You are only as strong as the weakest point in your chain of power through the body.  Below is a condensed description of that chain as taught in my last seminar and will serve as notes to those that attended. Mind The mind needs to be trained to be aware, focused and sensitive to be able to feel and know every part of the body and get accurate neural feedback of the positioning and productive use of each part, it’s surroundings and that of the opponent. Feet and Legs The feet give mobility, distance, angle and direction of power.  The … Continue reading The Power Chain

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Who Are You Kidding?

Steve Rowe

After 40 years of training nothing anyone says surprises me anymore.  However all through that time I have been constantly amazed at how easily people write failure into their training ideas and schedule without even realising it. I thought it might prove useful to pick up on the most common misconceptions I have heard and seen during those years. Success in the Martial Arts is no different to success in any other sphere of life.  If you practiced swimming, cycling, ballet dancing, gymnastics, guitar, piano, archery or any normal skill based art or sport you would have to go through … Continue reading Who Are You Kidding?