Three Things I’ve Changed My Mind About.

www.iainaberne... In this video I talk about three things I have changed my mind on. These are all things I had very firm opinions on, but exposure the new information and new ways of thinking saw me change my viewpoint. The topics under discussion are heavy contact sparring, teaching children, and martial skills not related to self-protection. Agree or disagree, I hope you find this conversation interesting.
All the best,
Iain
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[@MartialistKS]

And so, 50 years in the future, a schism occurs between Ian's students who trained with him when he was young and those who trained with him later in life, both claiming they inherited the 'true' Abernathy style the way he always taught it. (That's a super niche joke, right there)

[@timdenunes]

Niche indeed! That is how Abernethy Ryu and Abernethy Kai came to be 😂

[@sliderx1897]

@@timdenunes dont forgot AbernathyKan

[@timdenunes]

@@sliderx1897 true! Abernethy Ha seems pretty cool too!

[@zachariahz]

It's a joke, but quite possible, lol.

[@bigkev84]

And Abernethy Ryu wore blue hats, and Abernethy Kai wore red hats. Which was disappointing as Abernethy himself said they were meant to be green. (Super niche joke on super niche joke there)

[@ambulocetusnatans]

Some people don't like to change their minds because it means that they have to admit they were wrong about something, but I like to change my mind because it means I learned something new. There's no shame in being wrong, there's only shame in staying wrong.

[@sliderx1897]

Thats why its better to have a good idea wrather than a belief. U can always change an idea. -Chris Rock

[@Ashigeru47]

In Kyokushin, we frequently (almost every class) practice heavy sparring (without pads, gloves, or headgear) with Control... Strikes to the head are done with no contact at lower ranks, with light to no contact at Dan ranks. The key is Control. If you reach black belt you should attain control over the power you use and know exactly where the end of your strikes are in relation to your target. You should be able to stop your strikes within a fraction of an inch from your target, or penetrate with measured force. This control is vital in the dojo, and in the street. Heavy sparring is safe with proper training. I've been doing it for 4 decades without injury (I'm 57), as have many other Kyokushin.

[@phillipmoore9012]

The 360-degree jump-spinning roundhouse was a lot more fun than just a punch.

[@ironmikehallowween]

I agree. We called it full contact back in the day. It had some positives, but sometimes the injuries incurred, made going to work the next day challenging. Consequently, we stopped doing that 30 years ago. Also, high kicks was one of the reasons I was interested in martial arts in the first place, so i always teach those. Plus, there are times where they work nicely. As my original instructor told me decades ago, if you are able to kick high, you can always kick lower. He was right. As far as teaching kids, my daughter came to visit the me other day. College, marriage, jobs, and and baby became her priorities instead of martial arts. But, as she was leaving, she walked by a big Bob XL dummy and delivered a hard round house kick right to his face. A proud moment:) thanks for the video

[@graylad]

Hello sensei, I think this is my first comment on your Channel. In the 70's we did full contact sparing. Over time we began to use protective equipment which only gave us a false sense of security. 7 or 8 concussion later, I do not endorse any head contact. Post concussion syndrome is a very serious thing to have to deal with. You don't need to be hit hard, just frequently. Ossu Rei

[@blockmasterscott]

One thing I loved about teaching little kids was seeing them progress through the years. Made me feel good seeing them do forms and knowing I taught them something useful.

[@xtim1974x]

Love to hear more on the differences between your kids and adults syllabus.

[@geocyclist]

Me too! Our system has slightly different syllabi for kids vs adults, it would be interesting to learn what you do and don't teach the young'ens

[@iwct]

Interesting as always. I’ve recently started a club in a new area. New area and post-pandemic has made getting a club off the ground hard, most adults and teenagers are inherently lazy and find excuses not to do any kind of exercise. However, by offering to teach young children, and saying parents can join in for free, I’ve started to get it off the ground. By concentrating on the “health” aspects of doing karate (I’m from a Kanazawa lineage) it becomes more relevant to children and their parents. Good health is the ultimate self-defence, and maybe when the kids get older they can learn the combat aspects too 🤞

[@grahambroad4354]

I'm 53 now, been at martial arts since age 14 (my teacher, too, wouldn't initially take students younger than that.) I agree with everything you say, especially about the self-defense aspects. It's important, but I've never once in my life even felt threatened by physical violence, whereas I "use" my martial arts every single day. I have the fitness age of a young 30-something, I don't get stressed by ordinary workplace conflict, I've made excellent, life-long friends in martial arts, I have a skill that's fun and useful and that I can continue to practice for the rest of my life in one form or another. And I agree 100% about heavy contact sparring, too - oh the shots we used to take and then just get right back into it! It makes no sense to talk about "self-defense" but then train in a way that shortens your life!

[@Burvedys]

Head is trained by books and not hitting with them. :)

[@zechordlord]

lift books with my head, got it

[@ruiseartalcorn]

Great stuff! As a lifetime practitioner (now 63 years old) I agree! :)

[@makenjikarate]

Great points, can't do heavy contact. Need to preserve my mediocre looks 😂.

[@jimmagwojo2718]

I love it when leaders in the field of martial arts take a moment to let people know things change. We don't live on an eternal continuum and that's great. I love some of your revelations Sensei, some I share intensely. Good stuff

[@reganweed6342]

Changing your mind or updating your view doesn't mean you were wrong in the same sense as you 2 + 2 = 5. As we age we can evolve. Hearing Iain's careful reflection on these points shows this skills in critical thinking. Great video. Thank You.

[@ClydeRowing]

Interesting your takeaway on heavy contact sparring was that you no longer do heavy contact to the head... does that mean kyokushin style heavy contact to the body is ok? Personally I'd say that makes a lot of sense, as long as there is still some 'threat' to the head to defend against, with light strikes, slaps etc.

[@lesbubka]

I had the same talk with Mike few days ago, yet I'm heading opposite direction and focus on seniors as I excell in that environment :) same as you on headshots you can't argue with science and health of students is priority. On self defence I open up to learn everything out of physical stuff.

[@edwardwjonathanlamb6792]

This is an interesting overview of the decades you've put into your karate Iain. I've been dipping into the martial arts resources you're putting together, after my sensei at an adults only class mentioned you in relation to Kata applications. This in itself, turns out to be , for me, just mind blowing. (I'm a returner after two decades). Currently, I'm reviewing my own lifestyle interests and facing challenging decisions. I find your rigour and honesty, truly encouraging... now let's see...😊

[@YoukaiSlayer12]

Agreed. Also thanks for highlighting the ranking of kids vs adults. That’s something I’ve seen here in the States that has become a problem in some areas.

[@apjapki]

Great video. Always admired your well reasoned logical approach and self examination.

[@goktimusprime]

Taking blows to the head to build endurance makes about as much sense as taking shots to the nuts to build tolerance. No to both! :D Obviously it is important to practise good defence of one's head and groin (and anywhere other vulnerable point); but this can be done with safety gear (head & groin guards) plus light contact. Even heavy contact to the body can be potentially dangerous as it can cause internal organ damage. Leave heavy contact for the bags and pads.

[@Shihanmike1]

For 29 years I have always tried to balance my program between sport karate sparring and combat, I teach karate-do to children and the life saving and taking art to adults, and yes it is fun to play with the cool stuff! Great video!

[@larazanshin]

You look good! You seem to be happy! I'm glad you're smartly open to changing in martial arts and life!

[@CecilRyuTaekwondo]

Yes. There’s a lot of value in the way that we were taught martial arts. As is.

[@apjapki]

When properly evaluated for what it is and isn't.

[@donelmore2540]

I used to like teaching kids “real Karate”. One of my favorite once or twice a year practices was Oi-tsuki for an hour (their whole class)-real hard Oi-tsuki. As they closed in on 700 techniques, they would getting mad at me and it showed in their faces, but their punches got real. They were imagining me as their opponent. Other times we would do more fun things, but I didn’t babysit-I taught Karate.

[@practicalkatabunkai]

I would maintain that we can get children ready to learn real karate, but not teach them real karate. Getting them ready would be like what you have described here i.e. getting them focused, driven and able to visualise an enemy. However, one would hope that no one is teaching children chokes, strangles (their bodies simply are not capable of receiving such methods safely), eye-attacks, throat grabs, joint-locks to the point of pain (because their bones are not finished growing), heavy impact drills (again, it will cause long term damage if they smash their still growing bones into impact equipment), etc. To be a responsible teacher, to the children we teach and those children they interact with, we simply can’t teach them the full art. It will cause long term damage and they are not mature enough to learn the more “savage” aspects. We can show them many useful elements that will benefit them mentally and physically, and we can impart skills that will give them a solid foundation when they are physically and mentally mature enough to learn the real art. No child should be learning real karate in my view. The learn what is appropriate for them to learn and what is responsible of us to teach.

[@donelmore2540]

@@practicalkatabunkai Well, I agree with all of that. I didn’t design a program that would likely produce injury, but a program that provided a serious no nonsense attitude. I also taught situational awareness, avoiding dangerous places, etc. (Kind of what Master Funakoshi taught). Kids in my Dojo only trained for an hour early on Saturday mornings. My adults trained 3 days for 1 1/2 hours per. By the time of the 2nd or 3rd Kyu test, one kid knew more Kata than many of the adults. You could do Ippon with him and with a basic, but fast, punch you couldn’t hit him-he was 7. By the 3rd Kyu test, he was a Brown Belt (a real Brown Belt-no “kids’ rank) and I had him lead basics and Kumite. The parents got a kick out of him leading the adults. His mother was a dance teacher. She would video tape me evertime I taught a new Kata and would work with him all week. By the next week he knew the order of the Kata and was then just working on perfecting his form.

[@practicalkatabunkai]

@@donelmore2540 All good stuff which shows that karate has much to offer kids

[@grfrank7223]

By posting this video, I think you might prevent many people from future head injuries. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[@PaleRider54]

On teaching children... bullying today is just too prevalent to ignore the benefit to be derived from confidence that lets them resist bullying. In the process, however, the control of their own thinking, how to resist going from defense to offense and why, that is an imperative fundamental. JMHO.

[@MyBudo]

Cheers for sharing your personal journey..

[@hellawaits6544]

Is a kid Black Belt the same as an adult Black Belt? Yes it is, if held to the same standard as adults. There would only be a few minor considerations that can be made and they can be taught those couple things, such as pressure points, when they get older. My thing is, SHOULD a kid be held to such a standard? I am of the belief that kids are not small adults, and should not be treated as such, and I have an issue with how the traditional martial arts world does exactly that. I was a Black Belt as a kid in a legitimate, non McDojo kind of school, and I believe the pressure and responsibility at such a young age affected my mental health negatively. I am still undoing the affects of that to this day, and I am 27. A more extreme example: My instructor's instructor would readily promote someone who is as young as 6 or 7 to Black Belt, but he had tactics which probably would be considered child abuse by modern day standards. My argument is: Isn't it better to just let kids be kids and put them through manageable standards for their age and maturity and let them reach Black Belt when they're old enough to handle it? I mean, what's the rush? They'll have their whole lives to train in the art, why risk sucking the love of Martial Arts out of them early? Let the training environment be a safe one for kids. That's my two cents.

[@michaelgoh-blackbeltdesign8710]

Thank you Sensei Abernathy for your personal reflections on your journey. What you shared has also helped me figure out my journey as well. 3 points that you shared all resonated with me.

[@traditionalwadoryukarate8571]

I agree with all you say as long as instructors are honest about the difference between self protection and traditional arts.

[@phillg4468]

I feel the positive effect sports and martial arts in general, but certainly martial arts can have on people's health and the importance of developing good behaviours towards exercise and activity in children is still underestimated and part of that process being simply enjoyment and having fun! Super video.

[@handsomestik]

I agree with everything you said completely Ian

[@cmdrsos4biz897]

Nice video Iain, there is always room to rethink, re-challenge and remap our journey of Karate, it's techniques and it's applications, something we have done at TheNKC ourselves over the last few years and I myself have many times in the past put my hands up and admitted when I am wrong, your facebook posts and video's over the last few years have really helped not just me but our students as well despite being differing styles and associations, keep up the good work.

[@brianjacobs2990]

Fantastic insight as always, Sensei Iain

[@serhatkaya403]

İ think reflexes are everything cause you already dont feel the punch in Real fight cause of adrenaline no matter how they punch as hard as they can so yere the separator the key is "reflex" it will make you apply technique

[@billc.4584]

No mind, no form. Peace. :)

[@brennanpincardiff]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing. Being willing to change our mind is a key part of learning :-) Keeping martial arts life enhancing sounds like a great plan. Thanks again.

[@edwardglenn9310]

I change my mind all the time. No I don't.

[@johnsharp26]

A great video with clear explanation of your thoughts. Some I agreed with and some I would debate. 👍 Enjoying your videos and your passion Iain and thinking we would lose many hours to discussion over tea and biscuits if we ever met in person. 😎

[@simoneriksson8329]

Intresting video! Good advice both for martial arts aswell as life in general :)

[@dermotrooney9584]

Lovely stuff again. I've just restarted karate after a 30-year break and loving it. But I'm already wussing a bit on some of the biffing and beasting, and I can see that in 5 years or so I'll have to tone it down. Is there a good guide for getting old without breaking a hip or jacking it all to do tai chi in a yurt? Any tips welcome. ✊

[@practicalkatabunkai]

Karate is for everyone, and one of the strengths of karate is that it can be done by those of all ages. The key is to ensure the way you’re doing it is age appropriate. Now I’m in my 50s, I have left behind some of the things I did in my 20s as they would now be counterproductive. I hope to be still training in my 70s, but I again expect that to be different. We discussed this is the second part of the most recent end of year podcast: www.iainabernethy.co.uk/content/end-2021-podcast-part-2 I hope it helps. All the best, Iain

[@dermotrooney9584]

@@practicalkatabunkai cheers Iain

[@dermotrooney9584]

And I just bought your first Pinan book! Mainly cos Bob reminds me of a Lard from Mark n Lard character. 👍

[@qaannat]

holy cow, where can I find this 40-years + dojo?

[@vonclap]

Judo have the mon grade system for juniors which works well...good video

[@bigkev84]

The head hitting thing is interesting. I have to agree. If you look at boxers (as you mention) there's a great case. But look at Pro Wrestling. Plenty of Pro Wrestlers with major issues from the number of concussion, "mini concussion", head trauma, etc. The whole Chris Benoit thing was tragic. And we may never know the full story but the 2 main factors (ad I understand it) were concussions and steroid abuse. The final point on full contacts and heads is that this is why Jiu Jitsu is easier to practice (haha)

[@timhuester7721]

I have heard, that cumulative head trauma is a big reason for head related health problems for aging American Football players too.

[@bigkev84]

@@timhuester7721 yeah. And they wear crash helmets!

[@MetalCooking666]

I’m pretty sure boxers, kick-boxers, Thai boxers and MMA fighters who knock each other out whilst wearing gloves are going “full contact”

[@practicalkatabunkai]

You may have misunderstood the point being made: When competing, yes. Not when sparring as is causes needless injury, disrupts fight preparation and shortens careers. As Brendan Ingle - trainer of numerous boxing world champions - wisely said, “The only time some one should get punched full power in the head is when they are getting paid millions of dollars for it to happen”. My experience is then people say they spar “full contact”, what they really mean “heavy-ish contact”. I am sure there are some who do try to train full contact all the time, but that’s not what professionals and smart amateurs do.

[@MetalCooking666]

@@practicalkatabunkai very true and apologies if I got the wrong end of the stick. However your point seemed to be that it’s not full contact because they’re wearing gloves

[@MetalCooking666]

And because getting hit in the face with a bare fist is “very different”

[@practicalkatabunkai]

@@MetalCooking666 That’s not my point with regards to the issue of full / heavy contact. I did say that getting punched with a glove is not the same as being hit in the head with a bare fist (markedly different sensations in my experience) and that, in my view, training with heavy contact to the head to “learn how to take a punch” was of questionable value; partially for the reason just mentioned but mainly because of the known long-term health issues of head impacts over time. I did train that way, but I changed my mind due to the weight of the science vs the questionable value of “head conditioning”. I hope that helps clarify?

[@practicalkatabunkai]

​@@MetalCooking666 It is. But I don’t think we should be hitting each other hard in the head to “learn to take a punch” in training in either instance. The medical since is now clear that every impact to the head is damaging and it’s not a case of cumulative damage reaching a tipping point (as was once thought). I used to think one way, but I now think as described due to the results of research into head trauma. Focussed aggression and determination will see us push through pain. Safely and longevity are important.

[@MarshOakDojoTimPruitt]

thanks Iain !!!

[@Dave.Mustaine.Is.Genius]

Sir, thanx in infinite amounts. I have a question fer ye: Let us say that one trains karate 3x sessions a week. Is this a good and proper way of training: One session to train striking, one to train blocking and one to train grappling and throwing? ('f course, these are other than resistance and muscle trainings, these will be covered in a way) The deepest likes and respects from Turkey

[@practicalkatabunkai]

I think you need to integrate the combative methods in training, so you know how they work together in application. The emphasis on each will depend on your specific training goals and preferences.

[@Dave.Mustaine.Is.Genius]

@@practicalkatabunkai Hmm, I understand sir, thanx a lot.

[@Pdandresen29]

Nice! I love what you said about heavy contact and how to overcome that in a fight. I'm just curious what your experiences were that led you to not teaching children? I always assumed that good self-defense was important regardless of age. (Doing the most with what one has). Kids [can] learn the same material and do really well, even sparring with adults... They seem to grow into it, and the earlier they start, the better martial artists they end up being (in my experience and that of my Father's). Love your videos, keep it up!

[@practicalkatabunkai]

It simply came down to hours in the day and the fact that I enjoyed teaching the karate I was personally doing it. It is something I have changed my mind about though :-) Kids’ class is now one of my favourite sessions!

[@Pdandresen29]

@@practicalkatabunkai Right on. I was just wondering about why you made the material different based on age. If I'm understanding correctly, it's because of the adult concepts and legal issues surrounding self protection, not so much the martial arts and body mechanics part?

[@ToughestJamaicanNerd]

I don't understand something you said. You said that you did NOT teach kids originally and that kids are now taught a sort of gamified version of karate? But, most of the Karate masters of yesteryear learned Karate as kids. So, doesn't that recommend teaching kids? That happens in many arts besides Karate too, ex, Muay Thai. So, why the original bias against teaching kids? Do you think that that might have been a reaction to schools in the UK & US that go too far in the opposite direction? Namely, having 6 and 7 year old black belts?

[@practicalkatabunkai]

For me it was simply a matter of available time and preferring to teach karate as I personally was practicing it (which would not be suitable for children). I always enjoyed teaching kids through and I’m glad to be back doing it.

[@Teamblackbelt]

Great stuff Iain.

[@nikshaw5413]

Thought you were going to say HiKITE. Only kidding nice article

[@davidbarnwell_virtual_clas6729]

Uhm about the kids. If it was me..I'd teach them exactly the same content as the adults. Children are under threat where I live . They're routinely murdered and assaulted. It's probably different in the UK, but, in light of that reality, I think kids needs to be taught real world self defense. That's what they want and that's what their parents want.

[@V081WLBlue]

Na, kids should not be taught 'Karate'!

[@alastairfraser8177]

sounds a bit like shu ha ri

[@3Pillers]

👍

[@johndeehan8078]

First class

[@grahamarnhem8659]

Shu ha ri transcendence

[@hi-q2261]

I have to stop you there fella in Thailand the children start as young as 4 years old 😳 as harsh and as brutal as it sounds the standard of MUAY THAI is far greater than anything you would find in the West, punching to the head is important because it emulates reality although it's important to have a balance and not take things to the extreme. But when you stop doing doing reality you might as well be doing kung fu 🤣

[@practicalkatabunkai]

Personally, I (and the science and basic child welfare protocols) am against 4-year-olds punching each other hard in the head. Whist it may lead to greater combative skill, it can also lead to brain damage and all kinds of other issues. It’s not appropriate for children.

[@hi-q2261]

@@practicalkatabunkai fair enough just get comfortable with the fact that the standards of in the west will always be second rate 😕

[@johndethlefs6013]

Well said! I too have changed my mind on several topics as I have learned and placed learning into practice. This was very helpful.

[@georgeanagnos384]

When restrictions ease, will you do seminars in the US again? Thank you; I really enjoy your channel!