Weapons and Martial Arts

  Just about every martial art has some type of weapon that is sometimes dramatically demonstrated at a dojo or at seminars. The weapon will be whatever that particular martial art has utilized it for in the past to either defend oneself or to go into battle with.

It should be noted that most martial arts weapons are illegal to carry or use on the street in most parts of the country and I am sure this also applies to the rest of the civilized world so to speak. This means that all your training with a weapon or weapons will be confined to the dojo, training hall or possibly your home.

Displaying the weapon in other more public places may get you arrested and also have your weapon confiscated. The other alternative is that a police officer will treat you as a possible threat and deadly force may be accidentally applied which means you could possibly be sprayed with pepper, shot or even both.

A person with a weapon that is in public is treated very seriously by law enforcement and they will not take chances when dealing with an unknown situation. So the first rule is; use your martial arts weapon only in the dojo, training hall or your home.

This rule may not apply to stick weapons such as a hanbo, jo or bo which just indicate the different lengths of the wooden sticks. Use common sense when carrying any type of martial arts weapon to and from the dojo or training hall because what seems innocent to you may look entirely different to someone else.

You should be cautious when dealing with handling weapons at all times. A simple solution to carrying wooden weapons is to get a carry case to use when transporting them outside in public. These carrying cases are relatively inexpensive and can solve many issues before they arise.

The wide range of weapons found in martial arts is quite varied and their roots usually come from ordinary objects and tools that were readily available to the common man. This was important because many of the weapons were developed to use against occupying forces such as the Japanese in Okinawa. Since obvious weapons were outlawed by the government authorities simple farm tools were adapted such as the bo, sai and tonfa.

With these weapons in plain sight yet hidden the common man was able to gain proficiency in defending themselves with such simple tools. Flash forward to the present time and you will still find these weapons being trained with in dojos all around the world. A true testament to the effectiveness of these types of weapons.

There are other types of ordinary objects that have been used as weapons such as chains, nails and walking sticks. Add sharpened items such as sickles, spears, knives and even swords and you have quite a list of usable tools for defensive and offensive actions.

Regardless of what weapon is used the basic principles of martial arts are needed to utilize the weapon in the best way possible. The body movements, the feet placement, the strikes and defensive blocking techniques are all used when training with a weapon in your hand or hands.

Obviously when first handling a particular weapon expert instruction is advised to prevent injuries to yourself or to others. On the surface weapon usage seems rather straightforward and this is where the first mistakes usually occur.

Even cleaning a katana with the powder and cloth can result in a serious cut since the blade is razor sharp and does not allow mistakes to happen. So if possible find a qualified teacher for all types of weapons training. There is much more to mastering any type of weapon than is remotely obvious.

Anyone can swing a stick or try to cut something with a sword but to be able to do it efficiently and consistently is a whole different story. There are so many nuances and body movements that turn an awkward strike into a graceful and fluid motion. Since there are so many types of weapons I'll just focus on some of the Japanese weapons that I am familiar with and have trained in.

These include the hanbo, jo, bo, weighted chain, tanto, bokken, naginata, yari and the jutte. All these weapons are traditional in nature and have a long history of use by the samurai and the common man. The samurai is most associated with the long sword often referred to as the katana. Then as is now sword training was with a bokken or wood sword as to prevent serious injuries or death.

Even after seven years of training the bokken is still a very difficult weapon to wield with precision, accuracy and control. Add to the basic bokken requirements; balance, fluid movements, timing and focus and you will get an idea of what is needed to even get a decent understanding of the weapon and it's use.

My suggestion is to practice fifteen minutes a day on one particular weapon which will eventually lead to developing muscle memory, weapon familiarity and natural body movement while handling the weapon which should be your ultimate goal.

There are rules of etiquette when handling or using weapons which should be understood and remembered throughout your training. Here are some of the basic rules:

1.) Never step over a weapon that is laying on a mat. Step around it and this is usually to the left of the weapon.

2.) Never play with a weapon in the dojo and always use it in the manner prescribed by the instructor

3.) Never play with a weapon against a fellow student even in jest

4.) When handing a bladed weapon to a fellow student always have the blade facing you. This also applies to wooden knives and swords even if the blade is wood

5.) When using weapons with a fellow student use caution and control because serious injuries can occur

6.) When bowing in or out of class the weapon should be on your right and if it is an edged weapon the blade faces you

7.) If you have your own wooden sword or knife make sure that the surface is smooth and sanded down. Splinters will hurt a fellow student and periodically check to see if there are any cracks in the wood which can result in the wooden weapon spitting and flying across the dojo.

8.) Do not open someones katana without permission and definitely do not touch the blade with your hands or fingers. The moisture on your hands and fingers can cause rust if left unattended.

9.) Do adhere to the rules of the dojo when it pertains to weapons and weapons training.

One thing to consider when you are working with weapons and another student is to maintain your focus & awareness at all times. I will repeat this once more, your focus and awareness should not waver while training with weapons. It is imperative that you stay completely in the moment to prevent injury to your fellow martial arts student and to yourself.

A wooden weapon can easily crack open your head or break a bone if it hits you which is not supposed to occur. This also applies to bladed weapons that usually are not sharp but which are sometimes used in practice to demonstrate a bit more realism.

When practicing Iaido with a sharp katana then total focus is an absolute must because it can cut quite deeply with even the slightest mistake. When cutting bamboo mats also known as tamishigiri you must be totally aware of your surroundings and who is within the cutting distance of your sword. A good analogy would be to treat these weapons as you would a gun.

This is not a game or the movies where a mistake affects no one and is not real. Serious injuries can and do occur when training with weapons and this usually is the result of lack or awareness or respect for the weapon itself.

Another thing to consider is that in many traditional dojos if you turn your back, look away from your training partner or display a lack of awareness that training partner has the unspoken permission to attack you. This attack usually does not result in contact but it shows that if it were real you would sustain needless injury. A light tap or contact is all that is needed to remind your partner that they weren't focused and aware of anything that was going on. This state is called zanshin in Japanese and advocates eye contact at all times with your awareness taking in all your surroundings at the same time.

It's better to be reminded of your break in awareness & concentration in the dojo rather than on the street where the consequences can be life threatening.

You will notice that when training is weapons many people will have a haphazard approach to weapons training. Their attacks will be unfocused, their posture poor and their attacks lacking any type of true intent. This type of training is totally useless!

These types of attacks adversely affect the ability of the defender to adequately utilize the techniques that that have been taught. Without a focused determined attack it is impossible to create any sense of realism and both the defender and attacker do not gain valuable feedback.

The attitude of the defender is " if you hit me, stab me or strike me then it's my fault". This onus is on the defender so the attack should be real and without hesitation. Conversely, the defense should be equally focused and with full concentration. If concentration slips then the defense will be poorly executed and with possible injuries to the defender.

Best to start slow with deliberate movements that are repeated over and over to develop muscle memory. Going fast in the beginning usually results in a very poor & sloppy technique that won't get better with age. But regular consistent practice will give you a greater understanding of the weapon, it's capabilities, your body's movements in relation to the attack and how to best neutralize the attack.

Once a week is the absolute minimum you should be training in any particular weapon and also supplement your training at home.

The question you should ask yourself is what is the practicality of training with a weapon that was used hundreds of years ago in another country far away. Another point is that it is not usual to find a razor sharp blade being used to attack you nowadays.

Besides training yourself to utilize weapons as an extension of the body there are practical applications to training with ancient weapons. Many of the weapons you see in martial arts can be adapted to real life scenarios. A wooden sword is interchangeable with a stick and a rope is a great substitute for a chain weapon or any similar object.

Ordinary items can easily be turned into weapons that are absolutely legal to have on your person and are not illegal until they are used to defend yourself in a manner that causes injury to the attacker. The transition between a martial arts weapon and a ordinary item is not difficult to bridge especially when you have a grasp of your body's movement in relation to the weapon and the attack.

The tai jitsu also known as body movement will dictate the effectiveness of any weapon that you choose to use https://www.airgunkart.com/ . Another important facet of your training is the ability to not telegraph your intentions so that the opponent will not be able to ascertain your next move. If the attacker is able to read your next move then his reaction may be able to nullify your defense to your detriment.

How Important Is Digital Marketing?

Today, it won't be wrong to say that no e-business can exist without digital marketing. This statement may sound harsh to you but today's fast changing world, you have to harness social media or you may stay far behind. As a matter of fact, digital marketing can work in a very effective manner provided it is used the right way. Given below are 10 reasons why you may digital marketing is so important.

Affordable

Unlike traditional marketing, social media and digital marketing don't cost much. As a matter of fact, with this marketing method, you can reach a lot bigger audience without spending an arm and a leg. The majority of SMEs don't afford traditional marketing methods. But online marketing is a cheap but effective solution for them. According to the Digital Marketing Spend Report of Gartner, 4 out of 10 people said that digital marketing saved them a great deal of money.

Speed

Unlike conventional marketing, it is a lot faster. The older methods require a lot of stages. You have to design, approve, print and then distribute, which may take months in some cases. On the other hand, the latest methods allow you to get the word out about your business in minutes.

Versatility

You can't just rely on paper when you have other means to attract your customers. For instance, you can use instant feedback, videos and songs. With online marketing, there are a lot of media at your disposal, such as email and social media. All of these methods cost a lot less than the classic methods.

Monitoring results

If you use the latest methods of marketing, you can track and monitor you campaign results with ease. As a matter of fact, the whole process of monitoring will take no more than a few minutes. All of it is at your fingertips.

Brand development

You may not believe it but social media presence can make your customer become more loyal. And most of them become your honest brand ambassadors.

Direction

With a solid strategy for marketing online, you can have a direction for your business. As soon as you come to know about your target customers are and what they want, you can align your company much more easily.

Trust

You can earn your customers' trust. After all, no one can trust a company that has no website. The same is true about a company that has no Facebook page. With feedback and engagement, you can earn your clients' or customers' trust.

Mobility

You can get your customers to your customer no matter where they are based in the world. Actually, digital marketing involves mobile phones, computers, tablet PC and iPads. And most people these days have these devices.

Competition

Digital marketing lets you compete with your competitors. As far as traditional marketing is concerned, you can't compete with big players. But with a computer and your website, you can run circles around your competitors no matter how big they may be.

More money

According to Google, businesses that make use of online marketing make a lot more money than other businesses. And revenue is what all businesses are after.

So, what are you waiting for? You may want to use digital marketing strategies today to get ahead of the competitors.

This article centres around formulating a digital marketing strategy and implementing a digital marketing plan for a business.

In this digital age, businesses cannot afford not to have a digital marketing plan has technology is increasingly influencing our business and social lives. As a matter of fact, a business without a digital marketing plan is a business planning to fail.

Quite frankly, some business owners are still struggling to understand the need to have a digital marketing plan for their business. Though, the case is quite different for other business owners who already have a digital marketing strategy, but are unhappy and frustrated with the results, of which fall far short of their expectations.

Digital Marketing Planning Process

Whether you have developed a digital marketing plan that is currently active or you have developed a digital marketing plan that is not yet active or you are in the process of developing a digital marketing plan for your business, Follow the process outlined below to help your business grow and succeed online. This process has proven very successful for so many businesses. Having said that, it is very important that the process is followed judiciously in other to get positive results.

You are just a sentence away from growing your business successfully online.

Establish A Web presence

Having a website, a blog or social media page, or listing your business on local business directory websites are some of the ways you can establish a web presence. These days businesses take advantage of these channels to boost their web presence. Without a doubt, it is highly recommended having these digital marketing assets in your arsenal to increase your search visibility. You want to make sure that you utilise every channel possible to boost your online presence. The more your business is established online, the better.

Domain name registration

When choosing a domain name for your business, you want to make sure that your domain name contains keywords relevant to your niche and city, not just your business name. For example, you offer plumbing services in Toronto, the ideal domain name should be abcplumbingservicestoronto.com.

Content Creation

After choosing your domain name, the next step is to develop great contents for your website, contents that would attract qualified leads (prospects that would end up converting), the ideal thing to do in other to develop great contents is to first conduct a research on niche keywords and include these keywords throughout your text, especially in the headings/subheadings, title and meta description on your web pages. Also, it's a good practice to add the location of your business in the areas mentioned above. Bear in mind, it takes quite some time to rank for your niche keywords - It not as simple as ABC. It's a clever idea to hire a content developer if you don't have the technical expertise to create engaging contents -

Content is king!

Optimising your Website

As soon as you have your content ready, the next thing you want to do is hire a professional website developer who is also skilled in (on-page and off-page search engine optimisation SEO), to develop a user and mobile friendly high converting website for your business. Notice how I laid emphasis on "user" and mobile friendly" - You want to make sure that your website has a good user experience, it is said that humans have a short attention span of about seven seconds, in other words you have seven seconds to grab the attention of your website visitors. That being said, It is cheaper to hire a professional website developer with SEO skills than separately hiring a website developer and SEO specialist. If you want to rank on search engine result pages (SERPs), then ensure that your website is fully optimised (on-page and off-page) for search engines A fully optimised website has a 90% possibility of showing up on SERPs.

What is on page and off page SEO? In a lay man's terminology, on-page SEO is when a website understands and speaks the language of search algorithm and off page SEO Is when other websites send signals (by a way of votes) to search engines that your website has credibility. As soon as your other websites starts sending positive signals to search engines about your website, Chances are your website will show up on SERPs.

Check the performance of your website online and your website SEO when your website is ready to go live, there are free tools online you can use to check the performance of your website as well as SEO. Ensure that you follow up and resolve any issues with your website, especially issues like: loading time of your landing pages, browser caching issues, heading, alt-tags etc. I cannot emphasise enough the importance of having your website fully optimised for search engines.

Link Building

You have chosen a proper domain, created a highly converting website with great contents and your website is fully optimised, at this point, you should start building links. Link building is a technique used in (off page SEO). It is a process whereby you get external web pages with authority, link to your webpages. The following are some of the ways you can build links: submit your website to business directory websites (citations), create social media accounts and distributing content across social media platforms and other across other websites with high authority, optimise press releases, social bookmarking etc. These efforts are geared towards acquiring "link juice", which increases your website authority (assuming the links are quality backlinks). Outreach (link building) is quite a daunting task. You are better off assigning the task to your website developer, except you are comfortable doing it yourself. Furthermore, list your business on Google my business and Bing places for business and ensure it is optimised.

Search Engine and Social Media Marketing

At this stage, creating a Pay Per Click (PPC) campaign on Google AdWords and Facebook is certainly a clever way to strengthen your online marketing campaigns. It is essential to explore means to drive quality traffic to your website, this would help to improve your ranking on search engines (if done properly). You can start with as little as $50 advertising budget per month if you are on a tight budget. Trust me, it worth your every penny, because as you drive quality traffic to your website for your "focus keywords", your keywords quality score improves, and if done consistently, chances are your webpages will rank high on search engines. Anyway, creating an ad is one aspect of it, optimising the ad copy is another aspect which is very crucial. You want to make sure that your focus keywords are relevant to their target webpages. If your focus keywords are not relevant to the target webpages, search engines i.e. Google would dock your website as a result. Simply put, avoid attracting visitors that would end up bouncing from your website, hence why it is necessary to create relevant ads. I can't stress enough the importance of creating relevant ads. Furthermore, utilise social media platforms to promote your business. Create an ad on Facebook to promote your business webpages. The amount of time people spend on social media platforms these days is overwhelming, hence why you need to utilise this medium as an opportunity to grow your business.

Google Search Console

Sign in to Google search console and get familiar with the basics. Follow the instruction on how to improve your search presence. If this is too technical for you, ask your website developer or digital marketing specialist to assist you in setting it up. This tool will not only give you insights in regards to your site's performance, but will also guide you through on how to resolve any issue that would affect the performance of your website.

Google Analytics

Sign in to Google analytics and follow the set-up process. This tool would help you track important metrics such as conversion, customer engagement, page views etc. You can monitor the effectiveness of your online marketing campaigns, contents on your websites and user experience with this tool https://barrazacarlos.com. Basically, you want to know which areas you need to improve on, once you identify the areas, you can apply a solution.

Closing Thoughts

Don't be overwhelmed by the process outlined above, remember Rome was not built in a day. Begin now, apply this result-driven digital marketing plan to your business, be consistent and follow the process judiciously - I guarantee your business will grow and succeed online.