Don't make a mountain out of a mole hill

Often times when I teach new students they come into the training with pre-conceived notions of what the martial arts training of any kind "must" be like. The frustrating factor in this, is that before the student can actually learn what I have to teach them, I have to break down the "barriers" they have created in their mind 1st; a feat that depending on the ego of the student, can be very difficult to do.

One of my favorite "teachers" would always make his student do something (an "everyday movement") that didn't look like a martial art technique, only to later show the practicality of that everyday movement in it's ability to be used in a self-defense context as the student would inadvertently demonstrate how to block by simply...waxing a car. ;-)

I personally think that the success of learning what I teach is to see it's connections to everyday life. It's why my style of teaching uses a LOT of analogies or metaphors with understanding, but also with movement training. But what's more important is not just seeing the connections, but also FEELING the same degree of effort, & energy being shared between the technique and it's "normal movement" counterpart. Let's take moving non-telegraphically for example....

Regarding Enrollment

Regretfully , we are no longer taking students at this time.

Benefit for the Victims of the Typhoon

This Sunday Coach Banaag will be one of 12 guest instructors at MKG Seattle's benefit for the victims of the typhoon that hit the Philippines earlier this month.

The event will start @ 10am till 2pm, and then followed by a Luncheon. 4 teachers will be instructing per hour & each workshop is $10 minimum donation each. Afterwards there will be a silent auction for donated items and Filipino Food from Peralta's Islander Grill for $10.00 a plate. ALL proceeds will be donated to UNICEF. 

Coach Banaag will be teaching what he was taught by Sijo James DeMile adding to a great picture of different martial arts including instructors from other Bruce Lee student lineages like the Dan Inosanto & Taky Kimura lineages; as well as different interpretations of Filipino Martial Arts, Combat Submission Wrestling, Muay Thai, other South Eastern Martial arts, and an opportunity to learn from Sifu Andy Dale, a friend of Coach Banaag's who is also a skilled walking encyclopedia of Internal Martial Arts.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to help a good cause and get a great experience for yourself as well!

Movement & the Brain

Here's a link to a TED talk in which Neuroscientist Daniel Wolpert discusses how movement is essential to the brain...

Starting up soon!...with a Special Offer

Our new sessions will be starting up this September on Tuesday the 17th...

Wow! What an adventure! (Long post)

June & July have been quite the months for me...
There's been a lot of learning these past few months. It's the reason why the updates don't come quite so fast as they used to. The great thing is there's a definitive direction that I want to go, and that IAM is headed.

Remembrance

Normally when I post if it's even if it's coming from a "venting" standpoint, I hope it has some benefit that others can learn from. But this time, this venting is mostly just for me....