Author: Shawn

I am a practitioner of the martial arts and student of the Buddhist faith. I have been a Type 1 Diabetic since I was 4 years old and have been fighting the uphill battle it includes ever since. I enjoy fitness and health and looking for new ways to improve both, as well as examining the many questions of life. Although I have no formal medical training, I have amassed a wealth of knowledge regarding health, Diabetes, martial arts as well as Buddhism and philosophy. My goal is to share this information with the world, and perhaps provide some sarcastic humour along the way. Welcome!

Family Ties In The Dojo

We love our families and want nothing but the best for them. Sometimes, the best is not what we think it is and can only be sought out by the family members themselves. But health and fitness doesn’t discriminate, and it’s important that everyone in the family get off the couch and do something physical at least a few times a week. This isn’t always an easy thing to encourage, and some family members will often be less than enthusiastic about being put through the ringer; especially if you happen to be the instructor…

If you happen to be an instructor of a sports club or a martial arts dojo, getting your family involved can be a good or a bad thing. I’ve seen it all… Family members who have basically been forced or coerced to join and family members who feel it necessary to “tag along” even if their efforts are far below what would usually be required of the environment. It can be a difficult and awkward situation, especially since you need to go home and live in relative peace with these people once class is done.

Trying to teach Nathan the basics back in 2019. Kid can’t take a hit…

One of the best examples I can think of are Sensei and his son. As his only male child, Sensei expected his son to train diligently and consistently. And to excel. A bit of an archaic way of thinking by today’s standards but remember that I’m referring to 40 years ago. The son was made to attend every class, train every day and even to start teaching at a young age, despite the fact that by the time he reached his pre-teens, he expressed no interest in karate. As a practitioner myself, I can certainly relate to how heartbreaking that would be. But it’s important to remember that even if karate is your thing, it may not be your child’s.

The result of that forced learning is that decades later, Sensei’s son is no longer an active practitioner. Oh sure, he has skills that will always be with him. And appropriately, he was Sensei’s first student to pass black belt. Those are all important milestones for both of them. But when you compare it to someone like me, who has been eating, breathing and sleeping karate for over 30 years but who joined and trained of his own volition, the difference is I still make it a part of my daily life and have ambitions to teach.

Training with a spouse or loved one has its own set of complications. Imagine having your spouse in your karate class, yelling at her, making her do knuckle push-ups and basically flooring her physically. Then getting home that evening and expecting to share a shower or snuggling up as though you DIDN’T just make her life a living hell. Much to the same tune as working a job with a spouse, training with them can be rough waters to navigate. And if it’s to be attempted, clearly defined parameters and guidelines for what’s expected and what will be done need to be established. By the same token, making sure that nothing is done that could be considered favouritism needs to be kept in mind as well.

It’s important to remember that the familial title should be the priority. If you’re a husband, then that’s your role and it would be very difficult to be a slave-driving instructor to your spouse. They can hate an instructor all they want, so long as they get the results they seek. But it’s a little hard to release and use that hatred against your husband. The same can be said of your children, as forcing them into something they don’t want to do could potentially sour them from being interested in any similar activities in the future. And it’s just as important that ALL family members be active, albeit occasionally for different reasons.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t be active with your family. You can participate in a variety of sports and activities that can get the heart pumping without necessarily taking on an instructional role. Taking walks, snowball fights or sledding are great family activities. Even a good old fashion pillow fight, so long as you have the space and a safe environment to do so. Nathan and I often just roll on the floor mats downstairs, wrestling and grappling. He has a blast playing around while I’m slowly teaching him some grappling techniques. And he’s started showing interest in picking up the 3-pound dumbbells and imitating what I do during at-home workouts.

My wife does not train in karate, but we still work out together whenever we have the chance. Couples who get fit together, stay together. But it would be a different story if I had to act in a capacity where I had to constantly push her and force her to do more. Such student/teacher relationships can lead to resentment and hard feelings. That’s why it’s very difficult, bordering on the impossible for anyone to fill that role while still maintaining the relationship.

There’s no problem with encouraging family members to exercise together and get fit together. In fact, in can even be an inexpensive way of keeping the family involved together during trying times while getting some much needed exercise. But the day your spouse or child decides to walk into your dojo may require some wariness and caution on your part. The difference between “Yes, Sensei!” and “Yes, Dear!” or “Yes, Daddy!” can mean the difference between a happy household or a few slammed doors. ☯

What You Need For An At-Home Dojo

I hear a lot of people complain that they can’t go to their regular gym or that their dojo has shut down due to COVID-19 restrictions. And while I can understand (and share) their frustrations, there’s nothing preventing anyone from getting some solid workouts at home, which include karate and martial arts. All you really need is about 24 square feet of space, which allows a traditional martial artist to do all their forms, squats, push-up as well as most dumbbell and kettlebell exercises with very little difficulty.

That being said, the video below shows the setup I have in my basement, which I fondly refer to as my “home dojo.” I’ve kept it pretty simple, as you’ll see in the video. But I’ve included black, foam matting, some light weights fro some resistance circuits as well as access to music because, well… a true martial artists sometimes needs to get his groove on during a workout!

It should be clear that even in the midst of the current state of the world, there’s really no excuse for NOT working out. Where there’s a small 24 square-foot space, there’s a way. Workouts can be done in your living room, at the foot of your bed or anywhere you have a small amount of floor space to work with. And since exercise is needed for increased health, better mood and life perspective (not to mention overall Diabetes control), we need exercise now more than ever. So keep bringing the sweat! ☯

Are You Making Faces At Me?

Unless I’m engaging someone in conversation, I usually tend to stay silent on my shopping excursions. I acknowledge and greet the employees of whatever location I may frequent with a smile and a nod, sometimes even allowing the smile to reach my eyes, which can also speak volumes. So, how does it affect communication when we all wear a facial mask that covers our facial expressions? Do we NEED those facial expressions? Are they necessary for everyday communication? The simple is answer is yes. And no. Of course I won’t make it simple…

There are plenty of animals who use facial expressions as part of communication. In fact, horses, dogs and chimpanzees all have a plethora of facial expressions although they may be using them for different reasons. I’m not a veterinarian. But humans use facial expressions as part of their communication with other humans, which can be found lacking if the recipient can’t see your face. I’ve found this to be an issue during this entire pandemic, when a smile and nod still looks as though you’re deadpan even when you aren’t.

Think about a simple email you sent that was completely misinterpreted… Maybe you were in a perfectly good mood when you sent it and had no malicious intent behind it. THEN you get an aggressive response from the recipient, accusing you of being rude and aggressive with THEM. Ever happen to you? I’ve had supervisors who I’ve asked for help with something, only to have them snap back, accusing me of telling them how to do their jobs. It actually happens a lot.

Despite the words being the same, the recipient can’t see your body language, sense your tone or feel the intonations behind your communication. For example, your spouse saying “you’re such an asshole!” while smiling shyly and shaking her head at you can seem playful and can even be interpreted as a sign of affection. Having that same spouse text message “you’re such an asshole!” without any context will likely have you thinking you’re in trouble for something. This is the same deal. Facial expressions are integral to proper communication.

It’s taken me a while to recognize that when someone out in public says hello or thank you, a simple smile is no longer enough. Because they won’t see it. Oh, there may some small movements of the mask that could potentially tell an observant person that there’s something happening beneath the mask. But for the most part, I look like a creepy mute guy, squinting at the door greeter on my way out. I’ve had to make a concerted effort to remember to actually say “thank you” or “have a nice day.” First world problems, right?

To be honest, I’m not sure where I was going with this post. I admittedly just throw my thoughts out on occasion. But this is another instance where the pandemic has affected our daily lives, much without us thinking about it. Lack of visible facial expressions makes it harder to communicate in public on top of our voices being somewhat muffled by the mask. Added on top of steamy glasses and the unexpected belch that basically makes you hotbox yourself and it adds a bit of speed to your grocery shopping. ☯

I’m Cranky Enough To Write This Post…

Diabetes causes a host of problematic side effects within the body. Each nastier than the next. And as if it weren’t enough that Diabetes messes with your physiology, it also causes a host of problems with your mood. That’s right, Diabetes can have you acting like an ogre with a thorn in your foot in no time. This mostly happens when your blood sugar levels are uncontrolled, but there can be other reasons as well.

Outside of the issue of blood sugar control, Diabetes can cause changes in mood for a variety of reasons. Some of the most important reasons involve the stress and anxiety associated with having Diabetes. Let’s be real: even if you keep a tight control of your condition, it’s still going to potentially cause debilitating side effects including loss of vision, organ failure and possibly shorten your life expectancy by a number of years. Having all of that on one’s mind while trying to eat properly and manage blood sugar levels isn’t as easy as it sounds and can often have emotional impacts that affect the people around you, as well.

I certainly remember that during my teens, when one’s body is going through significant change and hormones are already running rampant, I was a bit of a nightmare to deal with. My blood sugars lacked the control I have now, and mood fluctuations were the norm. My parents often attributed this to simply being a moody teenager and I’d be lying if I said that didn’t have SOMETHING to do with it. But some of it also had much to do with the effects of extreme highs and lows.

I remember on one occasion, when I was in the basement of the girl I was dating along with several other friends. It had been a pretty lazy day and I hadn’t done much, physically. The evening started out fine, but within the span of an hour I started to feel resentful of the people around me and cranky at how noisy everyone was being. I sat in a lounger and started watching a show on the television by myself. My then girlfriend approached me to ask what was going on and I remember snapping at her and telling her to leave me alone because I was trying to watch tv. She had done nothing to deserve this reaction and the situation certainly didn’t call for it.

I probably seemed like a real bastard, and I was. I remember the event in question but more importantly, I remember being unable to regulate my reaction to others. It’s a little like being a mean drunk; they always regret it the next morning and are often apologetic, despite the damage already being done. I know that throughout my younger years, I damaged and even lost many relationships as a result of those mood swings. Some occasions where I treated my parents like absolute shit also come to mind. Can I blame it solely on Diabetes? Perhaps in some cases, but much like the apologetic alcoholic, one eventually needs to take ownership and do something more than simply apologize.

As explained in a post on HealthLine.com, “Feeling a range of highs and lows is not uncommon if you have Diabetes. Your blood sugar impacts how you feel and can contribute to mood swings. Poor management of blood glucose can lead to negative foods and contribute to a lower quality of life.” Accurate. The article goes on to provide some of the mood-based effects that low or high blood sugars can cause. Irritability is listed for lows and anger is listed for highs, but I’ve seen those easily happen for either end of the blood sugar scale.

The truth is, blood sugar extremes will actually inhibit your brain’s ability to manage those emotions and feelings of aggression and/or anger. In some cases (depending on the person) those feelings can become dangerous as they can lead to self-harm or harm to others. This can be difficult and dangerous for immediate family as there’s really only so much one can do to navigate those rough waters and you can’t force a person to take control of their condition; it’s ultimately up to them to manage their blood sugar levels properly.

Next on the list is alcohol. Aah, alcohol… the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems! I’m not serious, that’s a Homer Simpson quote. But on the serious side, let’s call alcohol what it is: a depressant. A rather effective and powerful one. In my experience, when people consume alcohol, they ultimately fall under two categories: calm and chill or emotional. And to be clear, I’m not referring to having the occasional glass of wine while writing a blog post (cough, cough) or grabbing a beer with friends. I mean getting plastered drunk.

If you’re the calm and chill type, that’s all well and good. I fall under that category. On the few occasions where I can say I’ve actually consumed enough to be drunk, I usually prefer to stay in one spot, either watching a movie, reading a book or being annoyingly chatty as my French side rears it ugly head. Once I start chatting on, there’s no stopping me. But being an emotional drunk can mean a lot of things. You can be all about the love; the huggy, loving type who has nothing but good feelings for everyone around you. You can be the weepy type who suddenly pours out all their grief or the angry type who suddenly vents all their rage.

Although there’s nothing wrong with having a good cry on occasion, venting out all your emotions, especially when on the influence of alcohol, can be damaging to you, your family and friends. Now, add blood sugar control into that equation and you’ve got a serious nightmare. As I’ve written on previous occasions, alcohol can have serious effects on one’s blood sugar levels. Most alcoholic drinks will contain some levels of carbohydrates, which can lead to highs if they aren’t compensated for. On the other hand, consumption of alcohol can keep your liver quite busy, resulting in extreme lows due to the lack of glycogen release in the system. It quite honestly differs depending on the person, their specific body chemistry and blood sugar control.

Since Diabetes can affect one’s mood and alcohol can affect one’s mood, it can be pretty easy to see how combining the two without adequate moderation and blood sugar control can be an issue. The same can be said of recreational and/or prescription drugs, smoking and bad diet. It can all play a role in what kind of asshole you turn into when your blood sugar levels are wonky. That’s why moderation and proper blood sugar checking and control are critically important. Except the recreational drugs. Stay away from that shit altogether. Jus’ saying’…

If you’re a family member or loved one, it can be important to bear all of this in mind if your T1D happens to be a cranky bitch on a given day. If you ARE a T1D, test your blood sugar frequently and bear this in mind if you’re actually feeling moody. Should you be blaming all your moodiness on Diabetes. Not really, but it can be a consideration. And for the love of all that’s good and Holy, don’t even ACCUSE someone of being cranky because of their Diabetes, whether it’s the cause or not. Ever try to tell an angry spouse to calm down or blamed their mood on a “monthly visitor?” How’d THAT work out for you?

This falls under that same category. Although communication is important and bad Diabetes control should be addressed, especially if it’s causing problems, the last thing you want to do with someone who has aggression that can’t be biologically controlled is be accusatory. “You seem in a bad mood… Is your blood sugar high or something?” Not only will that only serve to further aggravate the situation, it can be a slap in the face to someone who is genuinely feeling their emotions for a reason outside of their condition.

This is where I usually close up by explaining to test your blood sugars often, do everything in moderation and to include diet, exercise and meditation in your daily routine. Honestly, Diabetes control doesn’t have to be HARD, although it can often be COMPLICATED. As if dealing with the physical aspects of Diabetes wasn’t enough, there’s also the psychological and mental health component to bear in mind. if any of this rings true for any of you, take the time to question your doctor or medical practitioner and seek help if feelings of aggression or depression begin to affect your life, despite blood sugar levels. It can be indicative of a bigger problem. And there’s never any shame in asking for help. ☯

Changing The Infusion Set On My Minimed 670G

If you’re new to the insulin pump scene or even a current user, some of the steps required to change up your infusion set can seem a little intimidating. Especially if you read all the instructions and steps as laid out in your instruction manuals or watch the training videos. But once you’ve done it a couple of times, it becomes second nature and can even be done on muscle memory.

In the following video from my YouTube channel, I demonstrate how quickly I can change up an infusion set, even during the middle of the night and when my blood sugar was sitting at 3.9 mmol/L. This process can be different, depending on what make and model of insulin pump you use, but the steps are effectively the same. ☯

You’ve Lost That Vegan Feelin’…🎶

I’ve often said that I have absolutely nothing against people who choose different diets and/or lifestyles, so long as it isn’t harming anyone (those people included) and isn’t being shoved down my throat like some unwanted rhetoric. Unfortunately, most people who choose such diets or lifestyle choices are prone to wanting others to jump on the bandwagon; either through a sense of not wanting to be alone or because they seek validation for their choices. Whichever reason they may have, it’s almost a safe guarantee that if one of your friends or family members has made the decision to consume a vegetarian or vegan diet, you’re gonna hear about it! And today, I’m gonna be one of ’em! Buckle up…

In recent weeks, I’ve slowly groomed myself to reduce the amount of calories I consume in a day. No, I don’t starve myself! I can certainly promise you that I’m not going hungry and the pool floatie I seem to be carrying around my mid-section would sustain me for weeks without food, anyway. But I digress… I recently wrote that as part of an unofficial “New Year’s resolution,” I would be trying to maintain a certain level of calorie-deficit in my daily diet in an effort to coax my body towards tapping into its rather substantial fat stores. I’ve also been aware for some time that I tend to consume far more calories in the course of a day than I generally require.

It’s been going rather well, with no lingering hunger and no visible effects that I can report. I’m still exercising regularly, but one significant side effect is that I’ve noticed better, more balanced blood sugar levels overall. This is due in part to the fact that for about two meals a day, I’m only consuming a negligible amount of carbohydrates for my insulin pump to deal with. In fact, when you factor in meals such as a tuna steak with brussel sprouts, I occasionally don’t have to bolus at all! This means that I can maintain blood sugar levels that are in range for longer periods of time than my usual diet.

That’s been nice and all, but as a 210-pound man, I frequently crave certain foods that would be better off left in the grocery store. One of those guilty pleasures (besides cheeseburgers) is buffalo chicken. I absolutely love the stuff, despite the fact that the after-effects very much dislike me. I’ve had buffalo chicken in almost all of its form, including buying plain chicken strips and/or nuggets and simply making my own buffalo sauce at home using hot sauce. After all, buffalo sauce is only hot sauce mixed with butter. (I’m drooling through the chest pain here, folks!)

Recently while doing groceries, I decided that in the spirit of eating better and trying to reduce the number of calories I consume, that I would purchase and try a package of vegan chicken strips. They boasted as being “hot buffalo” so I thought to myself, “Hey, I’ll try anything once…” I’ve had friends serve me vegetarian meals over the years, and I can freely admit that they’ve been delicious. It’s isn’t all tofu and quinoa. Given that the vegan strips were on special, it was a perfect time to try them out. I baked ’em. I ate ’em. I went out and bought more…

They were quite delicious, and I did indeed purchase more while they were still on special. But as with al things in life, there should be a balance. And there is in fact, some good news and some bad news. For obvious reasons, I won’t be naming brands or locations and before I dip into information from everywhere else, here are the facts I collected during my own consumption of these vegan chicken bites. The first problem is that they’re comparatively more expensive than traditional chicken strips and/or nuggets. Even while on special, factoring in the portion size shows the vegan option to be more expensive.

This is a problem, especially if you’re as cheap as I am! And as the old saying goes, “as long as a burger costs $1.37 and a salad costs $6.95 at my favourite restaurant…” Right? Am I the only fiscally responsible one here??? Maybe? But the biggest aspect is looking into what you actually get from these vegan bites as opposed to chicken-based bites. In order to make this comparison, I matched up the vegan chicken bites against their popular, fast-food chain counterparts in order to see how they stacked up against one another.

First, let’s look at the chicken version. For a popular chain’s pack of just 4 chicken “nuggets” or bites (approximately 58 grams), you’re looking at about 170 calories, 10 grams of fat and 10 grams of carbohydrates. Not too bad, right? 10 grams of carbs for a meal is manageable. Throw some greens into that equation and it’s a pretty low-cost meal, especially since it would only represent ROUGHLY 10% of my daily caloric intake. Not a bad start to the show, if my second meal is just as low, followed by a “all bets are off” meal of about 500 calories.

Now for the vegan option. This is based on the brand I tried, either buffalo or plain so that my wife could partake (she isn’t a fan of buffalo). For a 51 gram serving, which is about two strips, you’re looking at 90 calories and about 4 grams of fat. So there’s a reasonable reduction in those respects, but it’s a negligible difference of 8 grams of carbohydrates for this serving. Considering the fact that this serving is a bit smaller than the chicken alternative, you’re basically getting the same level of bang for your bolus. But it’s still ideal for a bit of a reduced-calorie serving.

Here’s the real kicker: some of these vegan alternatives are often made to look, smell and taste like the meat they try to replace. And there’s a fair bit they do to accomplish this. Meat replacement options can often contain high levels of sodium, fillers and preservatives to not only give them a signature look, but to make them palatable. And you’ll have less nutrients and vitamins than their meat-based counterparts.

To be clear, a vegan diet isn’t inherently bad for you; but these specific frozen meat replacements aren’t GREAT for you. That’s the point I’m trying to make. In fact, an article posted online by Men’s Health names frozen meat alternatives, tofu deli meats, frozen vegan meals and veggie chips as food alternatives that are inherently bad for you. In defence of vegans, those foods aren’t the greatest for you in their original iterations, either. It’s all about watching the sodium and calorie levels and reading your nutritional labels properly.

My verdict on all of this is that your local grocery store may be selling vegan options that are boasted to be “healthier,” but this just isn’t so. Eating these vegan strips/bites on the odd occasion when they come on special won’t harm you any more than going out for fast-food once a week. As with all things in life, it’s about moderation. But from a Diabetes standpoint, you can burn through just as much insulin eating these vegan options as their genuine counterparts. Sorry, folks. Be wary.

If anyone has their own stories or information on this topic they’d like to share, feel free to post them in the comments. Please, keep it kind. I’ll mention that I wrote this post in the interest of sharing the information and my experience, not to pick a fight with anyone whose lifestyle is based on a vegan or vegetarian diet. I’m still reeling from the unfortunate blogger who thought she had to attack me personally for writing a post about the differences between meat and vegetarian diets. Seriously. Grow up and quit arguing, people. As the theme song goes, “The world don’t move to the beat of just one drum…” Can’t we all just get along? ☯

Why You Shouldn’t Force Kids Into Karate

Every parent wants what’s best for their kids, and that often involves putting them into sports, after-school activities and variety of different hobbies and groups. But what should you do if your child isn’t interested in the things you have them try? This video provides my perspective on why you should never force your children into karate, or the martial arts in general. ☯

First Or Last, It’ll Suck…

Fighting is a nasty business. No matter what the reason, no good ever truly comes of it. I could throw out a bunch of quotes, written by well-known and well-meaning martial artists about how fighting should never be for anything but defence of yourself or others, how no one ever truly wins a fight or something similar. But it would be nothing I haven’t written before, and it would provide no insight into what needs to be done once a fight actually happens. There’s actually quite a bit…

Unlike what you might have seen in the movies, a real fight will never be a drawn out thing lasting thirty to forty minutes with both combatants taking heavy blows to the head and body but yet, still keep on fighting until the penultimate moment. For the most part, a real fight will usually last less than a minute and will often involve several blind swings where other combatants miss their target. The unfortunate reality is that most people, especially those who have trained in a fighting sport like wrestling or boxing, will falsely assume that they’re prepared for the realities of what happens when there is no regulating or governing body to referee the fight and no rules to protect the combatants.

I’ll even be brazen enough to say that those who train extensively in the martial arts will still lack a certain something required to deal with certain realities. For example, have you ever been punched in the face? Have you ever taken a strike to the body when prepared for it? Have you ever faced multiple opponents? Have YOU ever struck a human body? Something other than a punching bag, of course. Objects never strike back. But these are always concerns that one needs to be aware of. Luckily, my martial arts training and chosen profession has given me insight in both sides of a conflict. And I’m going share some of that knowledge with you now…

Let’s talk about hitting and getting hit. What happens when you get punched in the face? Simply, you’ll experience a batch of effects, including but not limited to dizziness, nausea, blurred vision and perhaps loss of consciousness. Definitely, your ears will likely start ringing. If someone successfully lands a solid blow to your face and/or head, it will potentially end the fight, right then an there. This is one of those times when the instructor in me wants to remind you that protecting the vital areas of the body are paramount during a fight. If you can’t avoid an incoming strike, a glancing blow on a less vulnerable area is preferable, even if it means you’re still getting hit.

Getting struck anywhere else on the body will have its share of complications, especially if a blow lands in an area where you were unprepared for it. Getting punched in the gut isn’t incapacitating in and of itself. But getting struck in the abdomen can cause internal bleeding and injuries that while not immediately painful or incapacitating, can be life-threatening if left untreated. Even getting struck on the limbs is not without risk. If your opponent manages to fracture or break a bone during the exchange, it can incapacitate you. If the pain doesn’t distract you enough to cause you to lose the exchange, going into shock likely will.

Next, one needs to consider the aspect of throwing an actual strike against another human being. I’ve seen fighters spend hours practicing drills on pads or a punching bag, only to turn their wrists or fracture a bone after one strike during a real fight. There’s a significant difference between striking an inert target and trying to hit a moving opponent, who likely won’t take kindly to being struck (whether they initiated it or not).

Another important aspect is how a fight is initiated. Listen, I’m all for self-defence and never being the one who strikes first. But the reality of the street is that if someone means to do you or someone else harm, you may not have the opportunity to wait for them to throw the first punch. Doing so could critically endanger you or a loved one. Certainly martial arts training should always be used ONLY for self-defence. But self-defence occasionally means striking first. It will sometimes be inevitable.

Now, what happens if you’re stuck facing off against multiple opponents? I have had the unfortunate experience of dealing with that exact scenario. The thing to remember when dealing with multiple opponents at once is to deal with the first one quickly. You’ll always see one of two scenarios: either the ringleader will be the first to attack, or the ringleader will hang back and let his or her peons get taken down before stepping in. It’s important to know the difference. Because much like taking out a bully, the rest will usually scatter quickly if you take down the ringleader. But the same rules apply, regardless of how many opponents you face.

I’m always reminded of a story Sensei told me when I was younger. He described a time when he worked as a bouncer in a local pub. He wound up tossing out a group of troublemakers and had gotten word that they would be waiting for him outside when the pub closed. True enough, he stepped out of the pub in the wee hours of the morning to find the five guys he had kicked out, lined up in a semi circle waiting for him. He was quick in thinking, an explained to the group that they would certainly kick his ass. Of that, there was no question. But he was swift enough that whomever was the first to approach would get his eyes clawed out before he went down.

The threat had the desired effect, as no one dared to be the first one to attack. Although they would have certainly been successful if they had swarmed him, no one wanted to take the chance of being first and being blinded for life, just to extract petty revenge on a bouncer form the local pub. Sometimes the best defence is one’s voice. Not every fight will result in a physical altercation, and that’s an important lesson.

Last, but definitely not least, is to avoid fighting altogether. Yes, yes, I’ve made a point of saying that this is sometimes inevitable. Not everyone is comfortable with the prospect of running away from a fight. Our in-born fight-or-flight reflex makes this a possible reality, but most people fight against that reflex due to some twisted sense of pride or macho sense of bravery. But tactically repositioning yourself to “fight another day” can definitely be a means of slipping out of a fight without injury.

It may not always be possible. But when it is, avoiding a fight is always preferable. Violence is never preferable, although it may sometimes be necessary. But when you can avoid any of it, it’s preferable. As the saying goes, you win every conflict you never fight. But if you find yourself in a situation where a fight is inevitable, it’s also important to remember that you need to protect yourself and others first and foremost. It’s always important at the end to find a way to go home. ☯

Don’t Get On My Nerves, I’m Under Pressure…

Don’t let the title fool you, it’s just a play on words. Today’s post is about pressure points. I recently had a conversation online with a friend who was suggesting potential posts I could write up in relation to this blog. During the exchange, the idea for discussing pressure points came into my head. Since I haven’t written a post in a while solely on martial arts (where I haven’t harped on Diabetes or included some other aspect), I thought that pressure points would be good topic to cover, especially since it’s used in karate a fair bit. Depending on one’s style, of course.

So, what is a pressure point? I guess I should start with the basics, since many people are unclear as to what exactly, is being referred to when one uses the term. First of all, it depends in what context it’s being used. In Chinese Medicine, such as acupuncture or acupressure, it refers to the meridians of the body where stimulation can promote healing and other effects, depending on the location and the source of stimuli.

From martial arts standpoint, a pressure point is typically a point where one can exert pressure (hence the name) or strike, causing pain, immobility in the limb and/or distraction or confusion in an opponent. I have to be extremely honest in the fact that I’ve seen a lot of hype surrounding pressure points. I’ve been training and using them for decades, but I’ve yet to find one that’s a happy medium that involves rendering a limb immobile. For the most part, they either inflict pain/confusion in an opponent or it straight up knocks them out.

But pressure points are extremely sensitive points on the body. Chances are good that at some point, you likely used a pressure point or had one used on you. For example, getting kicked in the nuts is a pressure point. I seriously wish I were kidding about that. But it genuinely is. And it’s one of the most painful (and easy to access) pressure points on the human body. It causes dozens of different responses in the body, which work well towards incapacitating one’s opponent.

You’ll notice that I said “human body” and not “male body,” because contrary to popular opinion, a groin kick is extremely effective against female opponents as well. Many of the same nerve endings are present in both genders, despite the difference in genitilia. My sincerest apologies to anyone who doesn’t identify by those two genders. I’m afraid my brain is hard-wired for binary.

But there are a number of areas on the human body that have pressure point locations that can be as obvious and effective as a groin strike. For example, there’s a nifty little lymph node where the jawline meets the base of the ear. If you jam a thumb or finger in there, it hurts like hell. That one would mostly be used when you’re caught in close quarters. But there are all sorts of other areas including the brachial plexus, solar plexus, the line of the bicep inside the arm and many more. Unlike the portrayal shown in movies and television shows, pressure points aren’t intended to be used a sole means of incapacitating your opponent but rather as a way of facilitating that incapacitation.

One good example comes from a television show I’ve been watching religiously and that’s taken me back to my childhood. I’m talking about Cobrai Kai, a Netflix series based on the 1980’s movie, The Karate Kid. It’s a fantastic series and features a lot of karate-based drama. In the 5th episode of the 3rd season, the protagonist visits Okinawa where he squares off against an old rival. During the sparring match, the rival strike the protagonist in a number of spots, rendering the limbs incapacitated. The protagonist basically sits there, helplessly at the mercy of the old rival. As much as I love the show, I consider this to be an exaggeration and have never seen an effective pressure point that will cause this level of specific disfunction.

But pressure points can be an effective way of maintaining a control over an opponent. I like to use them strictly as a distracting tactic during the initial defence. The brachial plexus is one of my favourites, as a well-placed knuckle strike to that location will cause pain in the general area, mixed with numbing of the associated arm, which distracts the opponent and allows the practitioner the time to formulate a defence, whether that means continued strikes or “tactically relocating” (running away).

There’s even a specific style of martial arts, called Kyusho Jitsu, dedicated to training and studying pressure points. Students of this style practice a variety of techniques using pressure points, as well as some of the healing aspects offered by pressure points. From a personal standpoint, Sensei used to teach dozens of different pressure points of varying effectiveness during drills. They can be effective, when properly applied. Can you get away with defeating an opponent simply through the use of a pressure point? In my opinion, not unless you’ve caught them by surprise or unaware. In which case, you’ve struck first and aren’t using it for self-defence. Shame, shame! Pressure points should be used in combination with effective striking techniques for maximum effectiveness.

At the end of the day, pressure points represent a balance of healing and pain, used by most forms of traditional medicine as well as the fighting arts. Like most things in life, there can some good or bad found in anything. The nature of a thing isn’t so much in the tool, but how the wielder uses it. Pressure points fall very much in this category since they can be used to inflict pain or to heal. Some pressure points can even be used for simple things, such as healing nausea or helping you fall asleep. But a good example of how pressure points aren’t “all encompassing,” is the fact that when they’re used to heal, you’ll likely need multiple visits to the ol’ acupuncturist in order for it to have the desired effect. You can’t just puncture as specific point and BAM! Healed! It just doesn’t work that way…

I named a few pressure point locations in this post. And I have to admit that these aren’t really anything that you wouldn’t find on the internet anyway. But I think it would be irresponsible of me if I didn’t mention that no one should attempt the pressure points I’ve described, unless you’ve trained extensively with them alongside someone with experience. And they should only ever be used in self-defence, as incorrect use of pressure points can be harmful and dangerous to the recipient. Poking your co-worker’s lymph node as a prank likely won’t go over well. So train well and be safe, regardless of what techniques you train with. ☯

My New YouTube Channel

Hey folks! I know I’m not in the habit of drafting two posts in a day and it’s a bit late in the game to be posting a second one, but I’ve decided to put my face on camera and started my own YouTube channel. I only have one video on there, which is scheduled to go live in about ten minutes. But I’m hoping to use the video aspect to discuss and demonstrate things that are a bit difficult to explain with words and photos. If y’all wouldn’t mind visiting the channel and clicking those little “like” and “follow” buttons, I can start pumping out videos in tandem with my blog posts. For any one interested, here’s the link to the YouTube channel.

Check out this first video, which I recoded tonight…

Hopefully, it doesn’t bore everyone any worse than my long-winded posts usually do. I look forward to sharing more in the future. If anyone has any thoughts on something I should be posting in video format as opposed to in written form, please let me know in the comments. ☯