I suppose with this being my first blog I had better introduce myself. Before doing so I would like to thank Phil for inviting me to become one of the regular bloggers for Martial News.
So, back to a bit about me and my background. Very briefly, I have been training in the martial arts for 20+ years and studied various styles. I hold grades of various levels in different styles including Choi Kwang Do, Free Style Martial Arts, JKD, Kali and SDF Self Defence. For a number of years I was a senior representative and assessor for the Self Defence Federation under Dave Turton.
As well as my experience and qualifications in Martial Arts and Self Defence I am also qualified as a Holistic and Complementary Therapist. Under this heading i am trained in Holistic Massage, Aromatherapy and Reflexology. I am also certified as a Master / Teacher in Usui Reiki. My reason for training in these methods is that they have given me a better understanding of the human body and as such makes me more holistic as a martial artist.
These days I teach what I term as the Rider Martial Arts System, now I know that many of you will think that it is really egotistical of me to name what I teach after myself the reason I have decided to use the name Rider Martial Arts is simple really. It is just because it is very difficult to come up with a name that describes the system that someone else is not already using in some form or another. There is No egotistical reason for using my own name, at all. If you look at other arts though you will see it is not that unusual either. Just a few examples are, Sayoc Kali, Illustrisimo Kalis, Floro Fighting System, and probably one of the most recognisable in this day and age, Gracie Ju Jitsu. Also look at many of the Chinese Arts and you will see the family name used frequently. In no way am I comparing myself or my skill level to these superb martial artists I am just pointing out that it is not uncommon. The Rider Martial Arts System is basically my personal interpretation and expression of the martial arts and self defence methods i have studied and trained in.
The methods and principles I teach are not competition orientated. We do not train for competition although with some tweeks here and there to the training methods it can and has been done. Also I do not class the system as Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). With the popularity of MMA and number of people training, fighting and instructing in MMA these days, I personally class MMA as a Combat Sport with its own identity. But there is a paradox when we are talking about the methods I teach and MMA, as both methods of combat draw from a mix of different martial arts. This however is nothing new and if you investigate various martial arts styles over history you will find this has always been done.
Just a quick note, It would have been easy for me just to mention the arts that have influenced me but I believe it is important to pay tribute and respect to the instructors that have influenced me. Their teaching manner, professionalism etc have had as much of an influence and made me the instructor I am today.
Over the coming months I intend to cover a whole range of topics that I hope you will find interesting. This will range from training methods as well as combative principles and concepts that I teach. My general thoughts about the martial arts as well as the information on Reiki and other holistic therapies. Hopefully you will find this informative and may get you thinking.
To find out more about Rider Martial Arts visit: http://www.ridermartialarts.webs.com/
You can e-mail Stuart at: stuart.rider@hotmail.co.uk
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