Advanced Training Of Martial Artists

– by Don Warrener

Advanced Training Of Martial Artists

What is advanced training in martial arts?

For those of you who have over 40 years in the game I am sure you have asked yourself this question as did I.

I was lucky enough to realize as a young man I was never going to be as good as some of my dojo brothers who were a lot better then me. But I tried my hardest to get the splits and almost made it one day but then rippppp I tore my muscle on the inside of my leg and never again did I get close to a full split.

Ouch!

You see I was somewhat of a wimp compared to some of the other guys in my school and even some of my students were a lot tougher then I am or was.

But as always I was very lucky. I had some of the best teachers in the world all for different things. BENNY ALLEN was the best fighting instructor I have ever met he was heartless and if you didn't give 100% all the time you risked being thrown out. I nearly was thrown out twice by him.

Then I met Richard Kim who taught me very little about fighting and the forms I learnt from him I have almost forgotten now. But he taught me about life and his famous quote still rings in my ears daily "a martial artist is an artist of life". Wow it stuck and still is my daily mantra along with my mom who although was not a martial artist was a great teacher "I want to be happy, healthy, wealthy and wise". I can be walking down the street and it will pop into my mind.

With those two mantras and the one I learnt from yet another master FUMIO DEMURA "always do your best, always work your hardest and never quit".

But there was one teacher I had that had saved the day on so many occasions for me Maestro Peter Urban with his one word that has never failed me "NEXT!" I can not remember a day when I did not use it since the first day I heard it. You see there are sometimes things you can't fix and like the popular saying says "learn to accept those things you can't change". For me that means next. You just can't fix stupid people, bad luck, death and if you can please tell me how I am always open to learning. But I will be damned if I am going to waste one breath of time on these things I can not fix.

You see in my opinion advanced training is not about how high you can kick or how tough you are or how low your horse stance is. It is about life and how you maximize your life so that at the end when it comes you will be able to look back and say "no regrets"

I welcome your thoughts and critique.

Don Warrener