The Story of Joe Perez

Sometimes the best lessons of the martial arts are not necessarily learned in class or taught by your instructor, and almost always they take years to learn. This past April I celebrated my 45th year studying the martial arts. As I look back to the first four or five years of my training I realize that Saturday’s were the most important day of the week. My regular classes were at least three days a week for at least an hour and a half each day. They were rigorous, challenging and perhaps the most enjoyable thing I’ve ever done in my life.

For 3 hours each Saturday however, after both the Judo and Karate classes were finished, there was three hours of free practice. No formal instruction, although there was always someone around to answer a question, we were free to practice what we were learning in our regular classes. It was a big treat to watch the higher grades practice on Saturday’s because it was the only time we had an opportunity to see what would come next in our training. Our classes were strictly segregated by rank, and when your class finished you weren’t permitted to stay around to watch the next class. Frankly, Sensei Pereira, as he was called at the time, chased you out the door.

Saturday’s were also one of the days that private classes took place. Usually it was one of the instructors who gave these classes to people who wanted and paid for this special attention. To be picked and used by one of the instructors as the uke during one of those private classes was a big deal. You had to be able to follow directions well, your ukemi had to be excellent, your stamina great, and your ability to withstand pain substantial. You were the instructor’s uke as he was demonstrating a technique and you were the private students uke during the course of his class. Occasionally, and I mean very occasionally, Sensei Pereira gave those classes himself. Needless to say, to be Sensei Pereira’s uke was a very big deal.

It was one Saturday in 1966, that I met Joe Perez. Joe had come to Sensei Pereira to learn Jujutsu. He was a tall, young, strong man, unremarkable and indistinguishable from the rest of us except for the fact that he had cerebral palsy. People with Joe’s type of disability have many types of problems with balance, coordination, and focus, but Joe wanted to learn. Sensei Pereira called me over to where Joe was standing and for the next six weeks I was Joe’s uke. Sensei Pereira was an excellent teacher and in some ways I felt like I was the one getting the private class. Joe worked hard and in spite of his disability made progress. He asked questions, tried very hard, and had a wonderful attitude. After a while, Joe changed his private classes to some time during the week and stopped coming on Saturday’s. I went on with my training and forgot about him, just another one of the thousands of students who passed through the Miyama Ryu system.

Joe however, did not forget and last fall I was invited to the house of an “old student” who wanted to see me. When I asked who it was, his name did not ring a bell until I walked into his apartment and saw him. His face hadn’t changed much, older as we all are, with the same smile, and the same attitude and resolve I had seen in that much younger man. Over dinner and between our stories of Shinan Pereira, Joe told me something about his remarkable life.

Joe’s father was a boxing trainer and was determined that Joe’s life would be much more than his disability. He screwed pipes along the walls of their apartment so Joe would learn to walk and tapped a rubber ball inside of Joe’s hands so he could exercise the muscles in his hands and wrists. He pushed him to lift and move and make himself strong. It all must have worked, because over Joe’s lifetime he has accomplished great things.

In 1985 he entered and completed the NYC Marathon. As a weightlifter, he competed in the 1985 US Nationals and won both Silver and Bronze medals. In the 1987 London World Games he won a silver medal. In the Barcelona games of 1992 he was awarded a Bronze medal and he competed for and was given a place on the team going to the 1992 Seoul Olympic Games. Along the way he married, held a regular job, and lived a remarkably regular life. Throughout his life Joe has lived well above his disability and constantly pushed himself to achieve more.

With all of this, he never forgot his time in Miyama Ryu. At dinner that night he asked me to help train him again, and I agreed. As he’s aged his disabilities have made some things more challenging but Joe continues to work with the same desire as he did as a young man. He is focused and determined and I have every confidence he will achieve whatever goal he sets for himself. Proficiency in the martial arts first requires an understanding of one’s own body and the finding of one’s own center. It is only in this way that balance can be understood and without an understanding of balance there is no martial art. Joe understands his body as well as anyone I’ve ever seen and is well on his way to developing a real center. This is a great accomplishment for any student of the martial arts, let alone one so physically challenged. Joe’s story is one that should inspire all of us. It is a story of constant curiosity and learning, a story that demonstrates what can be achieved through will and determination. It is a story of shaping your own life and pushing yourself to the absolute limit. I am happy to be able to speak about a very small part of that story, one that is still being written and from which there is much to be learned.

The Mathematics of Jujutsu

In the 2nd century B.C. the great Greek mathematician Euclid, said, “The laws of nature are but the mathematical thoughts of God”. Whether we believe in a divinity or not it is interesting that over 2000 years ago Euclid understood how thoroughly mathematics permeates our lives. The foundation of many of the world’s greatest achievements could not have been accomplished without the application of mathematical formulas and principles. The physical laws of mathematics and nature were created by the effects of gravity on the earth and have been in existence since the beginning of time. Over the millenniums many scientists and mathematicians from Euclid to Aristotle, from Newton and Einstein have written about and expanded our knowledge of how mathematics affects our daily lives. The application of their discoveries has changed every facet of our lives.

Mathematics in all its forms has played a part in the discovery and construction or manufacture of everything from electricity to rocket ships and skyscrapers to automobiles. All the physical laws of nature whether gravity or friction, motion or energy can be defined and measured by mathematical formula. Using these laws and the mathematical formulas that explain them engineers build bridges that carry the weight of cars, busses and trucks while at the same time withstand all the pressures of wind, rain and snow. They are able to build tall building that don’t topple or collapse under their own weight or the forces of mother nature. These same laws teach us how to execute a throw, how and where to unbalance, and where is the most efficient use of our strength.

In 1687 Sir Isaac Newton published “Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica” one of the most famous books in the history of science and the foundation for the worlds understanding of motion and gravity. Newton’s “ Three laws of motion”, his explanation, formulas and the ability to scientifically measure the role of force, gravity, momentum and friction on any activity leads us to our best and most efficient application of any movement or technique in the martial arts. Using Newton’s laws all the many facets of the martial arts become understandable, measurable, and most importantly explainable. The why, how and where of any technique can be evaluated. They can be practiced and understood from both a mechanical and intellectual perspective. It doesn’t matter if we are talking about the atemi of karate, the nagewaza and newaza of judo, the tenkan of aikido, or the ju of jujutsu, all follow Newton’s laws.

While this does not remove all the obstacles from learning and applying techniques, it can make that path more understandable and enjoyable. Teaching the body how to move, when to move and where to move instantaneously and without thought still requires years of training even when you understand all of these things intellectually. Science, in all its forms, adds to our understanding of why and how things need to be done. It can lead us to the most efficient use of, and application of any technique. It should shorten the length of time it takes for us to understand these things and appreciate the dedication of those who have spent years learning and now teaching and mentoring those techniques. Finally, and most importantly, it opens up the study of martial arts to everyone because if there are any “secrets” in the martial arts, they can all be discovered through time and the science behind each technique.

What You Can Learn From Ukemi

Learning any martial art is a very complicated affair. There is the conditioning of the body to withstand the rigors of the training, the education of the muscles in the body to move and react in a very specific and different manner to each and every attack or technique and, just as importantly, the education of the mind to internalize these mechanical movements of the body and to react instantaneously in a very intricate and prescribed manner to any stimulus or perceived threat. And then of course, there is the ukemi.

Of his many contributions to the martial arts Jigoro Kano’s development and use of ukemi in the martial arts is certainly one of his finest. Before Kano, the learning and practice of most classical jujutsu styles was quite dangerous with few safeguards for the practitioners. Techniques and throws were applied without regard for the safety of the person (uke) receiving the throw. Each person being thrown had to devise his own way of falling and protecting himself. This led to many injuries and slowed down the process of learning. Certainly if you were injured you could not learn or practice and if, during practice, you needed to constantly think about how not to be injured, your focus and attention was diverted from what you were trying to learn. This all changed because of Kano’s systematic approach to falling (ukemi).

The overall conditioning of the body that occurs a result of the constant practice of ukemi contributes to an increased sense of confidence and stability in the learning process. As it increases the speed of learning, ukemi also allows the practitioner to focus exclusively on what they are learning and practicing.

The learning processes of judo, jujutsu, aikido, and karate, are all tactile in nature, in that the practitioners needs to “feel” the technique, to feel their center of balance being disturbed, to feel the pain of atemi, and to feel how their body and that of their attacker responds to the changes of movement, angles, direction and balance which occur during the execution of a technique or from the defense of that technique. The ability to create pain, and or a lose of balance, and the subsequent lock(kansetsuwaza) or throw (nagewaza) which results is only accomplished through the “feeling” of both the technique and the results those actions. Proper ukemi allows the practitioners to feel whether a technique would be or is effective in a safe and spontaneous environment.

The ability to learn how and where to reposition your body and that or your opponent or attacker while being attacked is in direction proportion to the sophistication of your ukemi. As we are all uke and tori at one time or another, an understanding of your position in relative space and that of your attacker, and your ability to manipulate those positions(tai sabaki), distance (ma-ai) and balance (kuzushi) require split second adjustments, only possible with the mindless freedom good ukemi brings. There is in every technique, a subtlety of movement which creates a defense from every attack and an attack in each defense. While everything in the martial arts takes time to learn and instinctively feel, the mastering of ukemi eliminates several of the obstacles, both injury and fear, to that process.

The goal of every martial artist is to find for each movement or technique, that moment in time, when position(tai sabaki) and distance(ma-ai), balance (kuzushi), unbalance, and execution (kake) meld together into an effortless and unthinking combination which dominates and defeats their opponent or attacker. It is through the safety of proper ukemi, and the confidence and stability it brings to the practitioner, that the mind and the body are free to discover that moment in time.

The Benefits of Martial Arts for Children's Mind, Body & Soul

It doesn’t take much these days to pick up some newspaper or magazine and read how we all are at increased risk for some terrible disease or chronic medical condition because of what we eat and drink, how we live and what we breathe. As a society it would not be hard to argue that many of these problems are of our own making. Our own excesses and that of societies have led to poorer nutrition, less exercise and more and more pollutants being put into our air and water. While these problems will pose great challenges for everyone in society, the children of our society have the greatest risks. Scientists tell us that childhood obesity is now at record levels. According to U.S. Governments Center for Disease Control “One-half the population below the age of 18 will be considered clinically overweight or obese by 2010”. Being obese puts children at a greater risk for high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, diabetes, and asthma. New studies suggest that those who are obese face the further challenge of developing many of these other chronic conditions simultaneously. Later in their lives obesity and these other chronic conditions will lead to higher incidences of hypertension, heart disease, depression, and dementia. It will increase their risk for colon and ovarian cancer and reduce their life expectancy.

If this were not bad enough these health problems carry over to many other facets of a child’s life. Childhood obesity alone has been documented to reflect in a child’s feelings of isolation and poor self-esteem. While any of these health problems alone would be serious issues for any child to confront, these feelings of isolation and low self-esteem are also reflected in a child’s scholastic achievements as well as his/her social interactions with their peers.

However, many of the causes for obesity, diabetes and these other conditions are in our power to control, modify and change. Better nutrition and eating habits can be learned, focus, direction and exercise can be taught and a better, healthier lifestyle can be the result.

The martial arts have a long and deep history. They are filled with stories of bravery and loyalty, dedication and self-sacrifice. They are designed to motivate, to teach self-control, and perseverance. They incorporate a social system with 100-year-old traditions, which allow for individual growth and excellence. The health benefits of its exercise programs are enumerable, whereby the students gain not only the benefits from the exercises themselves but from practicing the skills they learn during each class. The martial arts are goal oriented and teach students focus and concentration in order to achieve their objectives. The relationships students develop with their instructors and fellow students further advance these skills and often carry over to many other facets of the student’s lives.

Today’s martial arts of judo, karate, aikido and jujutsu are ideally suited for the problems of to day’s youth. Teaching physical fitness, mental acuity, persistence, respect, and honor, the martial arts present responsible role models with a positive message for children of all ages. Students learn from a mentor or teacher not only the actual movements or techniques related to each individual art, but a series of life lessons related to their individual development and growth. Advancement is achieved through diligence and hard work, self-sacrifice and dedication.
This training enables the student to develop self-confidence and an acute understanding of their potential. Through the example of their teachers and fellow students new practitioners see not only what is, but also what could be. Their mental vision is enhanced and their imagination enlivened. Children who participate in these arts can be both inspired and awed. They learn about better nutrition and can develop better eating habits. The rigors of each art contribute to physical fitness and pride in each child. The lessons learned through the physical training of these arts teach children respect for themselves as well as others.

The martial arts through both its tradition and example, teach children about respect and dignity. It can instill in children a feeling of self worth and self-respect unequaled by any other activity. Finally, and perhaps most importantly it can make children unafraid, both physically and mentally, to visualize, grow, and confront the many challenges which they will encounter as they develop into adults.