People always ask me about what it is like putting on a color belt and taking classes?  It is great because there is no pressure, there is no expectation, there is no confrontation, there is just being a student.  I will admit that it is sometimes difficult when a higher-ranking color belt tells me I am doing a knifehand strike wrong.  My ego takes over and I think, “You are telling ME how to do a knifehand strike?”  I immediately crush that thought and gratefully accept the instruction.  The most difficult thing for me is watching the students and how they act.  It reminds me of my past as a beginner student and all the mistakes I made (and I made a lot).  That being said I did excel in one area that I see a lot of students falling short in.

I tried to drive my instructors crazy (well not really).  I would constantly ask them questions when we were together outside of class.  Not questions on how to do a physical techniques but on the mental aspects of the art I was learning from them or simply about their past within martial arts.  Every time I would get into a car with them, have lunch with them, have free time between classes with them, I would ask questions.  I know what you are thinking, that must have driven them nuts, but it didn’t.  I can only remember one time that I was asked to stop.  Granted, Grandmaster Gallano would simply fall asleep in the car when we were together.  I suppose that was his way of shutting me up.

The problem is that most martial art students, after years of spending time with their instructor, start to take them for granted and stop realizing how lucky they are to have non-class time with them.  Instead of picking their instructor’s brain, they simply “hang out” with them (in a respectful way).  I constantly see students quietly sitting with their instructor, either to frightened to ask questions or not even thinking to ask questions.  In addition, I have heard a lot of very high-ranking instructors comment on students not taking the opportunity to ask them questions and how disappointed they were.

Even some of my students (thankfully not many) fall into the trap of taking their instructor (me) for granted.  They will go on long car trips with me to seminars and not ask a single question.  What a waste.  I realize I might be to blame for this.  Either I should have stressed the importance of always taking advantage of these moments when they were lower ranking or I have failed them in the level of understanding I have achieved within the martial arts and there simply isn’t anything more they can learn from me.

A master I know very well, told me of a trip he recently made to one of his branch schools.  He took three of his black belts with him to teach a couple of classes there.  He arrived early and got to spend some time with his black belts the night before the classes.  He had subtly suggested that the black belts take that time to ask him questions about his past.  This is a common way for instructors to teach their students how not to make the mistakes they have made: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”  Anyway, to make a long story short, the black belts ignored the suggestion and instead played a board game all night long.  This master played the game with them and had a lot of fun, but what a waste.

Don’t ever fall into this trap.  If you ever have the opportunity to spend time with your instructor outside of class, don’t waste the opportunity.

My wilderness survival instructor, Tom Brown Jr., who I would place in the category of my most influential instructors, tells the follow story:

“… I was on a beach, awaiting the sunrise. The ocean was still black, the waves accented by the pale glow of first dawn. The silhouettes of gulls appeared at the edge of the darkness. Lonely cries of gulls, the soft wind moving the sand in a gentle hissing, and the light clap of waves created soothing music for the soul. Prayers seemed to reach to the skies, penetrating the scant cloud cover, now etched in the liquid gold of dawn. The beach was deserted except for a lone fisherman who sat on a beach chair a dozen yards from me.

He was gray and weathered, his skin showed overexposure to the sun and surf, and his clothes were of styles long forgotten. He stared intently at the tip of his rod, watching it bob and shift with the rise and fall of the wave and wind. He seemed to concentrate solely on that rod tip, looking away only to his watch, probably out of habit.

In time, I moved closer to him, the sun now fully breaking the horizon. It had grown warm. Gull voices increased, and the old fisherman and I slipped into a light conversation. We talked of fishing and tides, weather and fishing beaches, but mostly about him. He said that he had been fishing these beaches for over thirty years and since his retirement a few years ago, he’d bought a house near the beach. Now he fished everyday without fail. The only time he said he didn’t was when the beaches were crowded, on cold winter days, or when storms made it impossible.

Our conversation soon trailed off. I went back to my sunrise and he to his rod tip.

As my thoughts drifted with the tides, I unconsciously picked up a handful of beach sand and began studying its texture and color. I smelled it awhile, then held it up to the sunlight, watching it sparkle and change color. I’ve always loved beach sand and how it changes its size, color, shape, and texture with each new beach. I guess I was so caught up in what I was doing that I didn’t notice the fisherman staring at me. He must have thought I was holding some kind of shell when a asked me, “What you got there?” Taken back somewhat at his question, I answered matter-of-factly, “Beach sand!” “It’s all the same, white and gray; sticks to everything,” he responded. I wouldn’t have paid this statement even a second thought except that it had been uttered mockingly. “White and gray?” I asked. “Old man, please pick up some beach sand and look”. He grumbled something and went back to watching his pole.

I got up and had walked a few steps away when some feeding terns caught my eye and I sat back down to watch. While I was watching them hovering and diving near the edge of the jetty I happened to glance back at the fisherman. In his weathered hand he had a handful of beach sand, stirring it around with his finger, and holding it close to his face. I heard him talking, half out loud and half to himself. “My God,” he exclaimed, his voice bitter and breaking, “My God, I never realized.” As I left the area I glanced back at the old man to wave good-bye but he wasn’t watching me. In his outstretched hands he held a bluefish to the sun. I could see the color glistening in the sun and I could see the tears on the old man’s cheeks. His hands trembled. Dropping the fish he hunched over, sobbing silently to himself. I wanted to go to him, but I knew there was nothing I could do.

The horror, I thought. Here was a man who had spent the better part of his lifetime fishing these beaches but who did not know what beach sand looked like. Here was an old man, who in the twilight of his life had seen a bluefish for the first time. A fish he loved so much to catch but never really knew. The words of Marcus Aurelius thundered in my brain. “It is not dying that a man should fear, but a man should fear never having lived at all.” This is what had brought the old fisherman to tears: realizing that at this late time in life all the things he had missed, all the things he would never see, all the wasted time; time that has been spent, never to be made up; the horror of it all, the absolute senseless waste of life, the living dead. I learned from that man more than he could ever know. I learned not to waste my life, living to die, but rather live a life of rapture and wonderment.

I never saw that old man again, though I have been back to that beach many times. He will always be with me, however, and I think of him often. I carry him in my heart as one of my greatest teachers, and I wonder how many more people are out there just like him, people who will never really see a sunrise or sunset, who will never know the sands or the sparkle of bluefish. How many will never know how to savor water, touch, really touch someone they love, or know the rapture of life? I wonder how many people are rushing through life blindly, never really sensing what living is all about. Every day, several times, I ask myself: am I being the fisherman? The choice is always up to me. Everyone has to make that choice, sooner or later; hopefully, not so late in life as the fisherman.”

Something to think about….

Dandelion: Taraxacum officionale. Image via fpcs.edu

A common hardy plant, dandelion can be found growing in lawns, fields, even sidewalk cracks. The name dandelion comes from the French term for “tooth of the lion,” from the appearance of the edge of its leaves. It is a very nutritious plant that is well suited for use as a spring tonic. It does have a bitter taste, more so as the leaves grow older- bitter tasting plants are often good for digestion and for the liver, which dandelion is.

James A. Duke, Ph. D., recommends dandelion for liver problems in his book The Green Pharmacy:

“”Dandelion root heads the list of excellent foods for the liver,” Writes herbal pharmacologist Daniel Mowry, Ph. D., author of The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine and Herbal Tonic Therapies. The leaves are diuretic, meaning that they help flush excess water from the body. And the roots have been used for centuries to treat jaundice, the yellowing of the skin that occurs as a result of a seriously malfunctioning liver.

I recommend using both the leaves and the flowers. Dandelion flowers are well- endowed with lecithin, a nutrient that has been proven useful in various liver ailments.

Since dandelion is a plant food, I suggest steaming the leaves and flowers like spinach and eating a lot of this delicious vegetable. If you don’t care for the bitter taste, herb shops and health food stores sell capsules and tinctures. Follow the package directions.”

Image via thirdworldcounty.us

Here are some suggestions for ways to eat this wonderful plant, as written in the Peterson Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants by Lee Allen Peterson:

“The young leaves, gathered before the flowers appear, can be added to salads or boiled for 5- 10 min. Although the entire leaf can be used, the blanched part just below soil level is best. Gathered when they are still tucked down in the rosette of leaves, the young flowerbuds can be either boiled for several minutes and served with butter, or pickled. The flowers are excellent dipped in batter and fried. To make a delicious coffeelike beverage, bake the roots in a slow oven until brown and brittle, grind, and perk like commercial coffee. Leaves rich in vitamin A.”

With their diuretic and bitter tonic actions, dandelions have been traditionally used for “liver, gallbladder, kidney and bladder ailments”, according to the Peterson Field Guide to Eastern/ Central Medicinal Plants and Herbs by Steven Foster and James A. Duke. They also note that “Leaves and flowers are rich in vitamins A and C.” They add a warning that “Contact dermatitis” has been “reported from handling the plant, caused by latex in stems and leaves.”

According to The Yoga of Herbs by Dr. David Frawley and Dr. Vasant Lad, dandelion is “specific for problems of the breast and mammary glands, breast sores, tumors, cysts, suppression of lactation, and swollen lymph glands.” They also say it is “good for detoxification from a meat diet and over- eating of fatty and fried foods.”

How I have been seeing them lately. Image via dunedin.locallygrown.net

In Tom Brown, Jr.’s book Tom Brown’s Field Guide to Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants, he writes this about the medicinal qualities of the dandelion:

“The dandelion is one of the great all- around medicinals for maintaining good health when used as a tonic. A tonic is made by steeping a small palmful of leaves in one cup of hot water. Take one- half cup in the morning and one- half cup in the evening. Milder tonics can be made from the dried young leaves. A stronger tonic can be made from the young, green leaves. Stronger tonics also have stimulant and diuretic properties. The mild teas aid in digestion and sometimes relieve stomach cramps. Dandelion leaves are also very high in vitamin A. When added to salads, they make a great health food.”

In case you may still be thinking of the dandelion as a weed, this is the previous paragraph of the same book:

“Dandelion is a good friend to the survivalist and a beautiful addition to the bouquet of wildflowers covering the earth. It is not a common weed, as most lawn owners will suggest, but a welcome addition to the beauty of the land, our health, and our tables. There is no such thing as a weed, just people’s weedy misconception of life[,] creatures and how they fit into society’s world.”

Happy Spring to all, Happy Passover, + Happy Easter!

Dandelion seedhead: make a wish! Image via static.guim.co.uk

St. John’s Wort. Image via spicesmedicinalherbs.com

This surprisingly common and useful plant is Hypericum perforatum. It is most often called St. John’s Wort. I have also seen it referred to as St. Joan’s Wort. Its flowers and leaves are both very distinctive. The small (less than 1/2 inch in diameter) flowers have black dots along the margins and appear fuzzy in the middle due to the many stamens. The leaves have tiny clear spots in them that are translucent glands. Once I learned to identify this plant I realized it grows commonly in rural roadside ditches and fields.

Closeup of a leaf showing translucent glands. Image via upload.wikimedia.org

St. John’s Wort is perhaps best known for its effectiveness as an anti-depressant. This fame is well deserved. According to Peterson’s Field Guide to Eastern/ Central Medicinal Plants and Herbs by Steven Foster and James A. Duke, it is “the best- known herbal treatment for mild to moderate forms of depression. Reportedly outselling the conventional anti- depressant Prozac [This book was published in the year 2000- Ms. Doll] by as much as 20 to 1 in Germany, it is approved in that country for treatment of depression. More than 20 controlled clinical trials have confirmed its safety and effectiveness. St. John’s Wort brings us a great example of synergy of different chemical compounds; several compounds are believed to contribute different mechanisms to help relieve depression. Its compounds regulate brain levels of such important compounds as dopamine, interleukins, melatonin, monoamine- oxidases, and seratonin. It has been shown to be a selective seratonin re- uptake inhibitor.” I have found it can be very effective on myself. Note: remember that herbs have real effects on the body (which differ for every person) and can interact with other medications. The entry continues:

“Fresh flowers in tea, tincture, or olive oil were once a popular domestic medicine for treatment of external ulcers, wounds (especially those with severed nerve tissue), sores, cuts and bruises.” It is these uses which inspired me to write about this plant this weekend, as I attended a street medic training program, and St. John’s Wort was mentioned as both a treatment for skin injuries including those with broken skin, and as a healing agent for nerve damage, such as can be sustained by nerves compressed by handcuffs. One of the actions of this herb is that it is a nervine. As defined in The Yoga of Herbs by Dr. David Frawley and Dr. Vasant Lad, which I introduced in my last post of 2 weeks ago, a “nervine” is and herb that “strengthen[s] the the functional activity of the nervous system.” In this text St. John’s Wort is also referred to as a “typical cooling and antispasmodic herb.”

A caution: Be mindful of the sun if using St. John’s Wort internally or externally, as it may cause photosensitivity, which is extra sensitivity to the sun.

St. John’s Wort seems to like open spaces. Image via herbalhealthinformation.com

+ Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Koans can be traced back to China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907).  Originally, they were stories/saying, with commentaries, of famous Chan Buddhist Masters, which were used to educate Buddhist students and specifically offer them a glimpse into the higher levels of Buddhist teachings. In the Song Dynasty, they evolved into short phrases or even individual words that the students would meditate on.  This practice was believed to “awaken” the students and give them insight into the higher teaching of Buddhism (Buddha Nature).

Years past and eventually the Japanese schools of Zen Buddhism adopted (took over) koan practice from the Chinese schools. At this point in their history, koans started to take on their current form, as stories, dialogues, statements and/or riddles (unanswerable questions) that masters could use not only as pointers to guide students to gain deeper insight but also as a way of testing a student’s progress.

This process typically started with a student being assigned a koan to study/meditate on. After some time had passed, he/she would appear before his/her master and “answer” the koan.  Depending on the answer, the master would either send the student back to work on the koan some more or assign a new koan.  Over time, the Japanese Zen Masters formed a standardized koan curriculum, with a set of acceptable answers and even a standardized method of guiding students that have not successfully “answered” a koan.  In a lot of ways this process was (and still is) very similar to a martial art promotion exam, except it was done privately.

As with so many other Zen practices, koans eventually started being used within martial art schools (around the twelfth century).  Some of the traditional Zen koans were used (with a few changes) but for the most part, the martial art masters used koans they had developed specifically for their students, that were lacking most, if not all, the “Zen” overtones.  These new martial art koans tended to be used as pointers to guide students to self-education.  They, like their Zen counterparts, were also used to force students to gain deeper insight, but in this case into the more subtle mental aspects of the martial arts and not Buddhism.

Today, for the most part, only very traditional martial art schools still use koans.  You will be hard pressed to find them contained in the curriculum of any school that frequents tournaments (schools focused on the sporting aspect of the art they teach) or has neon signs (franchise schools).  In addition, the schools that do use them as part of a student’s mental education tend to only assign one or two over the student’s entire life, as opposed to 20 or more that a Zen student might study.

Back in the early 90’s, I was running a Taekwondo school for Grandmaster Kyongwon Ahn in Cincinnati, Ohio.  One day, as I was sitting at my desk a teenage girl walked in and wanted information about classes.  At that point, I immediately started providing her with my classic new student recruitment talk.  She patiently listened and after I was done, asked about black belt classes.  It turns out that she was already a black belt in Taekwondo and was looking for a new school.  After a lengthy discussion as to why she wanted to switch schools, I agreed to let her join on a probationary trial.  She easily made it through the trial and became an active student of both the school I was running and Grandmaster Ahn’s main school.  Over time she became fascinated with the stories I would tell in class.  She constantly would ask questions about them.  At that point in my teaching I had never assigned a koan but I thought it might be a good time to start and I assigned her one.  Immediately, as so many students I have come to find out do, she had an answer.  Guess what?  The answer was wrong.  It was wrong because the answer came from her conscious mind, her thinking mind. I told her that she would never get the correct answer by thinking about it.  I reminded her that her koan was a pointer toward a place where she would profoundly gain a deeper insight into a truth about some mental aspect of Taekwondo.

She said that she understood and would work on the koan for a longer period of time.  A few days went by and once again she approached me with an answer.  Again she was wrong.  I told her not to think about it.  “Just be patient and the answer will come,” I said.  Time went by.  She never again approached me concerning the koan.  I ended up moving away from Cincinnati and she got married and moved to California.  She opened a very successful Taekwondo school with her husband but because he was from a different association, and higher ranking that she was, she ended up switching to his association and I never heard from her again.  Well, until over tens years later.  At that point I was running a full-time school in Pittsford, New York.  My school’s phone rang and on the other end was a very excited woman screaming, “I figured it out.  I know the answer.”  At first I had no idea who it was.  However, as soon as she started giving me the answer I knew immediately.  My response to her, after ten years, was, “You are correct.”

It is my hope to do a series of posts on martial art koans, with commentaries, over the coming summer.  In closing, let me leave you with my favorite koan.  It happens to be from a collection of 48 Zen koans called the Mumonkan, which was compiled in the 13^th century.  Below is the koan, in both its original version and its martial art spun version:

Original Version (translated by Eiichi Shimomissé)

Goso said, “When you meet a Man of the Way on the road, greet him not with words, nor with silence. Tell me, how will you greet him?”

Martial Art Version

“If you meet a master of the way on the way, greet him by neither bowing nor not bowing.  How will you greet him?”

Something to think about (well in this case, thinking about it wont help)…..

by Master Sean Pearson

Last week I was privileged to host Master Pearson here in Connecticut.  He returned to offer CPR, first aid, and AED training and certification to the teachers of the Noah’s Ark Early Childhood Learning Center at the synagogue where I work.  It was such a pleasure to have him return to the CT but it was strange because it was the first time ever, at least as far as I can remember, that martial arts was neither the prompt for his visit, nor did we really have the opportunity to practice.  But fortunately we did have the opportunity to talk “shop” with one another…these are conversations that I cherish and feel very privileged to have.  It is rare to have a teacher who is simultaneously so incredibly knowledgeable AND quite open with information so you can imagine how inspiring and enriching these rare one-on-one moments are.  I was able to pick Master Pearson’s brain about many many things, from ongoing political drama within our association, to struggles that I’m facing as my own martial arts program at the synagogue grows in number, to the Kali classes that I’ve just started taking and some of the vast differences I’ve noticed in particular technique and overall philosophies.  As always, Master Pearson shared some of his own experiences and advice and they’ve proved fruitful in the week since his visit.

I mentioned a few weeks ago about the changes confronting both Shin Ho Kwan and Hagsaeng Naebu.  As they say, every dark cloud has a silver lining and though it has been hard to find one as I contemplate the ramifications of Master Pearson leaving Rochester, I think I’ve finally hit on one.  Due to the impending departure, I have become the recent inheritor of the Shin Ho Kwan library.  You may remember the vast number of books that used to be in Master Pearson’s office at IME and then later in the basement Dojang at his home.  Literally rows upon rows of unique, hard-to-find, and out-of-print volumes detailing various martial arts.  I can remember as a young person perusing these shelves for hours, sitting then lying on the floor of the office at the Taekwondo school as I turned page after page, completely fascinated, my eyes now open to this world of martial arts that was so deep and extended so far beyond the 45 minute classes that I took every day of the week.  Once, in a great while, Master Pearson would lend a book and I got to take this pursuit of knowledge on the school bus or home for bedtime reading.  I can distinctly remember throwing a thin red volume detailing the life and times of Bodhi Dharama, the man responsible for spreading martial arts from India to China, into my backpack to read during study hall that day.  A typical 7th grader, unbeknownst to me, I also had an unwrapped stick of gum in the same zippered pocket where I had casually tossed the book…I later pulled it out to find the beautiful illustration on the front cover plastered with the sticky pink stuff – I also distinctly remember the heart palpitations coursing through my body as I stood in Master Pearson’s office later that evening trying to explain to him how I could have been so irresponsible!  He put me on “book probation” for a period of time after that

, but I think even he knew that he couldn’t keep me away for long…that library had slowly crept into my life and there was no shaking it at this point.

So, last week as Master Pearson visited Connecticut, together we slowly unpacked the few boxes of books that could fit on the limited shelf space I had (it was less than 1/3rd of the SHK library so there’s more to come…at least I hope!).   As we opened box after box, finding the appropriate place for each volume, Master Pearson thumbed through many of the pages, sharing with me the benefits of this book or that book, an occasional memory of learning a particular technique from those pages; a mixture of nostalgia, sadness, and what I hope was gratitude that these books will be preserved for future generations of martial artists.  It was weird to see these books occupying space in my home and yet it felt quite right at the same time.

In the days since, I have found myself gravitating to the shelf over and over again, organizing and reorganizing these volumes.  I think they carry with them a sort of spirit – I mean who really reads books these days, and yet the knowledge contained in those pages can’t always be found on Kindle or You Tube.  There’s a sense of sanctity in a copyright date that pre-dates my birth and in knowing that I am the preserver of a heritage, passed down to me both tangibly and intangibly, so that I might share it with others.

Thank you Master Pearson for both your presence last week and your incredible gift.

shaffer

Such wonderful gifts

Peppermint. Image via purehomeandbody.com

Considering the commonality and usefulness of the mint plants, I am surprised I haven’t shared them here already. This is a  plant (well, really several related plants) that can be found growing in many places including heavily populated areas, often cultivated and/ or escaped from cultivation. As my mom always told me, once you have mint, it will often take over larger areas than you may have planned. They love the sun and grow most commonly in sunny areas. It is the only one of my houseplants that has regrown after my heater stopped working and my whole trailer froze- and it is the tea I made for the 2- year- old I was babysitting this weekend who has symptoms of a very bad cold.

Firstly, what plants are we talking about here? There are many kinds of mint- in the Mentha genus alone, as listed in the Peterson Field Guide of Edible Wild Plants by Lee Allen Peterson, are (here and in the following paragraph M. stands for Mentha) peppermint, M. piperita; spearmint, M. spicata; water mint, M. aquatica; wild mint, M. arvensis; and European horsemint, M. longifolia. These are all mints that can be found commonly in in Eastern and Central North America (and beyond!). All of these are collectively described as “Familiar aromatic plants with square stems, paired leaves, and small lipped flowers clustered in leaf axils or terminal spikes. A variety of aromatic mints throughout our area; all are potential teas.” The individual species vary in exactly how their leaves are shaped (some are skinnier and pointier than others) and exactly how their flowers are arranged.

Peppermint flower. Image via meaningofflower.com

Wild mint in flower. Image via minnesotawildflowers.info

Beyond the many species in the genus Mentha, many more plants are in the mint family, but in other genuses. Many of these also have similar and additional edible and medicinal qualitites. For example, there is another genus of plants listed in Peterson’s Edible Wild Plants guide, the mountain- mints, genus Pycanthemum, with 5 separate species listed. These are also used for teas. Then there is catnip, Nepeta cataria, subject of a previous post here at insidetaekwondo: http://insidetaekwondo.com/2012/08/07/catnip-not-just-for-cats-anymore/. Then there are commonly overlooked lawn dwellers such as Gill- over-the- ground (Glechoma hederacea) and Heal- all/ Self- heal (Prunella vulgaris) which should probably be subjects of future posts of their own. For the purposes of this post I am writing about the genus Mentha within the mint family. One of the most distinctive identifying features of these plants is their scent. If you are unfamiliar with the scent of a mint plant you may want to find someone who can point out a mint plant to you. When you rub a leaf between your fingers, the scent is released.  You may be reminded of the scent of mint candy, and will have an easier time recognizing the plant in the future.

Water mint. Image via darcyfromtheforest.com

As mentioned, mint leaves are often used, fresh or dried, in tea. Fresh leaves also make a delicious and energizing summer treat. They can also be used as a seasoning. Here are some of the medicinal capabilities of mints, as told by Tom Brown, Jr. in his book Tom Brown’s Guide to Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants:

“The medicinal qualities of mint are endless. One of the more esoteric medicinal qualities I discovered accidentally is what I call “rapture medication.” Rapture medication can be obtained anytime I get stressed or fatigued, especially during hot summer days. I simply find a huge patch of mint, crawl into it, and lie down and relax… During the winter months, I collect small bags of dried mint to use as sniffers. Anytime I miss summer, I just reach into my drawer, pull out the bag of mint, and take a deep sniff. This immediately propels me back to the reverie of mint temples…

A strong tea can be brewed from the leaves collected on a hot sunny day, preferably before flowering time. These leaves can be dried or used fresh, the dried leaves producing a weaker tea. Brew the tea by steeping a large palmful of leaves in a pint of water. Steep from fifteen to thirty minutes and allow to cool. The tea can be wiped externally onto the body to help bring down a fever or to be used to alleviate skin pain. A cooling bath can be made by adding one quart of strong tea to warm bath water.

Mint tea. Image via choicenews.files.wordpress.com

A mild tea made by steeping a small palmful of leaves in one cup of water for fifteen minutes can be used for many ailments. First, it makes a good all- around tonic drink for health, and can be used as a mild nervous sedative for nervous headache, migraine, and general nervousness. The same tea has cough suppressant capabilities and alleviates cramps, heartburn, abdominal pains, upset stomach, and especially insomnia. I do not suggest the use of very strong teas for internal problems, as the prolonged use may cause heart problems. At the most, take only one to two cups a day, but for no more than four days. Continue the dosage only after waiting at least seven days. I have found that a strong tea made from the flowers, stems, and leaves of the fresh plant are great for itching skin due to poison ivy, when used in a bath two or three times a week until the condition subsides.

Note: Gathering plants in their maturity makes stronger medicinals- experiment with various growth stages.”

Peterson’s Field Guide to Eastern/ Central Medicinal Plants and Herbs, by Steven Foster and James A. Duke, says of wild mint (Mentha canadensis or Mentha arvensis):

“American Indians used leaf tea for colds, fevers, sore throats, gas, colic, indigestion, headaches, diarrhea; in short, same medicinal uses as for Peppermint and Spearmint in Western folk medicine.”

Unfortunately James A. Duke, Ph. D.’s other book, The Green Pharmacy, is not with me at this moment. If I find that he has other uses for mints (as I suspect he does) I will be sure to add them as comments later.

Mint can also be grown indoors. Image via article-answers.com

This week however I do have another book to add to my resources. It is The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine by Dr. David Frawley and Dr. Vasant Lad. I like this source because it applies the ancient Indian mode of healing, Ayurveda, to plants that grow commonly in North America. Here is some of its advice about mint plants:

“The three main mints… have a mild soothing action on the nerves and digestion, which helps relax the body and clear the mind and senses, hence their widespread popularity and usage. They are mild, cooling diaphoretics for common colds and flus and their complications. Peppermint is the most stimulating and the best one to improve digestion. Spearmint is more relaxing and better in diuretic action (i. e. for urinary inflammation). Horsemint [Mentha arvensis, also known as wild mint- Ms. Doll] has stronger antispasmodic properties, as for difficult menstruation. Other mints like catnip have similar properties, but not all mints are cooling. Some, like thyme, are heating. But most are not excessively heating or cooling.”

The Yoga of Herbs. Image via img2.imagesbn.com

Circular techniques such as round house kicks, knife hand strikes and spinning techniques have completely different type of requirements. In this case the acceleration and resulting velocity are generated by a rotational force or torque mostly generated in the hips. Whereas in linear techniques the body dynamics are more of a pushing action in the circular techniques they are more of a pulling action. The rotation of the hips builds up dynamic tension which pulls the arm or leg through the motion almost like a bungee cord stretching and pulling. Also, circular techniques typically go through a farther distance and have longer to accelerate so reach higher velocities and hence more energy. This is why a spinning technique can have a lot more impact. A circular technique can be done the more simple way with the limb fully extended through the entire technique as in a wheel kick. However, to achieve more impact the striking limb can be chambered and extended with the technique. This adds the extension velocity to the velocity created with the turn. It also has the added advantage of hiding the technique until you extend. The downside is that spinning techniques are more physically complicated and require more coordination. So it has to be determined if the benefit outweighs the additional complexity. As is usually the case circular hand techniques are easier to do than leg techniques for most practitioners.

Similar to linear techniques it is important to contact the target at the point of maximum velocity. Since the circular techniques generally travel more distance then the ‘sweet spot’ for optimum impact will be larger especially in a spin technique. As an example a person with a 34 inch waist height doing a side kick may have their foot travel half of that or 17 inches from chamber to full extension. The same person doing a spin hook kick could have their foot travel 100 inches. This assumes the distance the full 34 inch extension traces out through a half of a full rotation. The red highlights in Figure 5 below show the difference between the effective contact zone for a spin hook kick compared to a simple side kick.

Figure 5

This does not mean that one type of technique is preferable to any other. The choice depends on the situation.

Defending

In terms of defending against an attack there are two basic options. One is avoidance and the other is to block. In the case of blocking there are hard blocks and passive blocks. The hard block is what we typically think of when we think of a block. The defender uses a part of his body to forcefully stop or redirect the attackers striking implement. A passive block is also a redirection but, as will be discussed later in a much less forceful manner.

The physics involved in a hard block are quite obvious and often quite painful. In a block that is a forceful direct stop you have either two moving objects colliding or a moving object (the attacking implement) colliding into a stationary object (the blocking implement). In either case both objects will receive a significant amount of the kinetic energy. So the attack may be stopped but at a considerable cost. There are a number of ‘hard’ styles that engage in conditioning to be able to handle this situation.

The hard and soft redirection blocks are basically the same and differ in how much force is required to change the path of the attack. Also, the soft redirect usually employs some avoidance to balance the reduced redirection by moving the target. The difference between the hard and soft redirection is shown in Figure 6 below.

Figure 6

As you can see the hard redirect requires that the direction of the attack (D) be changed much more than the soft redirect. In both cases even if the redirect is not completely successful the contact is more likely going to be a glancing blow and not as effective. The difference is that in the hard redirect case if the block is totally missed the target will bear the full impact of the attack. However, in the soft redirect even if the block is totally missed the contact will still be a glancing blow and not as effective. Also in both cases the earlier in the path of the attack the defender makes his blocking contact the less force is required and the more successful the block will be. Of course this means that you have to recognize the attack earlier and respond fast enough.

Another obvious defense is simple avoidance. Against a linear attack the possible choices of movement can be best broken down into seven directions that are practical as shown in Figure 7.

 Figure 7

They are available directions spaced at 45 degree increments. The direction moving directly into the attack (8) is useful to jam the attacker but is particularly dangerous. The red dashed circle shows the danger area defined as the area in which the defender can be reached by an attacker. This area moves as the attacker moves but for now we are only interested in the initial attack. For each direction that the defender may move there are both benefits and downsides. Directions 2 through 6 have the benefit that they move the defender outside the range of danger. Since you are increasing the distance it increases the available response time. The downside is that it also puts the defender outside the range of an effective counter. He has to re-enter the danger area to respond. The best way to do this is to enter behind the attack while the attacker is still engaged in his attacking motion and would have more difficulty defending. This is true if the target of your counter is the opponent’s body. In some martial arts in this situation the response is to attack and destroy the attacking implement (arm or leg). This is referred to as ‘defanging the snake’. This is practical in a real combat situation but is illegal in Taekwondo competition sparring.

Directions 1 and 7 will move the defender into position for an effective counter but they are dangerous because you are closing in on the attacker which shortens your available response time. If your timing is off or you misjudge the speed of your attacker the results could be bad. In a competition environment this only results in a loss. In an actual combat situation it could result in a loss of life.

In terms of a circular attack Figure 7 is still applicable with the addition that the eighth direction, directly into the attacker is now more viable. Referring to Figure 7 a circular attack would travel along the arc of the red circle from either the left or right. Let’s assume that we are the defender and the attack is coming from our left. In this case if we move in the 6 or 7 direction we are moving into the attack which, unless we are planning on jamming the attack is not a good move. The safest directions to move are 2, 3 and 4 since they optimally are moving away from the direction and out of the arc of the attack. Moving in directions 1 or 8 move you inside the arc so put you in the best position for a counter attack. By moving inside the arc even if you get hit by the attacking arm or leg the point of contact will be going slower than the hand or foot. If you close to half the distance then the speed at the point of contact will be half that of the maximum. Additionally, if moving in direction 1 part of your motion vector will be in the same direction at the attack which will further reduce the relative contact speed.

Summary

All of this is second nature to long-term practitioners of martial arts but most probably don’t think of the science involved. This has been developed through centuries of trial and error in numerous martial art styles. And until recent history if your techniques were not effective it was not just a competition that you lost but possibly your life. If you think in terms of the scientific principles involved in techniques it will be possible to understand their basis and determine how to get the most effectiveness.

Written by Master William Humbel.

———————-
Master Humbel has been practicing martial arts most of his life. He holds master ranks in both Taekwondo and Kali. When not practicing these, he spends most of his time at work designing various components for spacecraft.