Well I missed the last submission date for my blog due to having quite a large workload from University, but hopefully this won’t happen that often.
I have decided to make this blog tie in with what I am studying at Uni and my martial arts as I feel they are two sides of the same coin.
I am currently in my 2nd year studying Complementary Healthcare B.A. (Hons.) specialising in Aromatherapy. For those that do not know me, I am already trained in various holistic therapies including massage, reiki, reflexology and aromatherapy but as is my nature I have decided to pursue this to a higher level.
What’s this got to do with martial arts you may be asking, and that is a good question. As already mentioned I see my martial arts and complementary and alternative therapies as the two sides of the same coin.
Traditionally martial arts have always gone hand in hand. As an instructor who focuses on the self-defence / protection aspects of martial arts, I believe that self-defence starts with the “self” and not only includes developing your awareness and physical skills but should also include defending against poor health and the general aches and pains of growing older.
If we briefly look at traditional arts then we know that Tai Chi and Chi Kung are popular arts that emphasise health; other arts also include healing methods as part of their system. Take Inosanto Kali, this art is divided in to 12 areas of training, with the 12th area including healing into the curriculum. I would just like to add that I have no personal experience of the healing methods taught in this area but have trained in the past within this art. When I was training in Kali, my Instructor at the time, Guro Ralph Jones, had as a requirement that any student who wanted to be an instructor had to gain a first aid certificate. This he felt was the minimum requirement and probably the closest most students in the west would have access to without having to spend years studying a healing art. Ju-Jitsu and Judo used to teach Kuatsu as part of the art and unfortunately these methods I feel are dying out and becoming a lost art within the martial arts.
Do I believe, everyone should look to learning these methods? Absolutely not. All I am trying to do is get people thinking and hopefully investigate how they can develop to become a more complete and holistic martial artist.
As usual, I welcome any comments and questions.
Stay safe, stay healthy and have fun
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
