Do you experience prejudice in Japan, like in America?

Prejudice in Japan? That is a great question. 

Well unfortunately you can experience prejudice in most places in the world, not just America and not just in Japan. I think what you have to keep in mind is the history and culture of both America and Japan. In America, prejudice is mostly based on skin color, due to the history of our country, whereas in Japan, prejudices that I have experienced are not based on my skin color per se, but mostly due to the fact that I am a foreigner period. So, if I had to compare my experiences with prejudice in America vs Japan, I would say Japanese express many of their prejudices in more subtle, less controversial and confrontational ways. So you don't FEEL it is as much as in the US, but you do have the occasional "shaking my head" moment in Japan. All that being said.... One thing I find though, in any country, is that if you show yourself friendly, you will gain friends and overcome a lot of obstacles.

Thank you for visiting,

Benjamin Moriniere "Foguete Sensei"

How do you Teach all of those Kids, I would go CRAZY!

QUESTION: "How do you teach all of those kids, I would go crazy!"

ANSWER: This is a common question I get all the time, especially from new parents that come into our academy. I always tell them that teaching kids, especially a Capoeira class that is generally supposed to be full of crazy energy, is much like directing a rushing river. I don't try to stop the water and make kids act like adults, because they can't, they are kids. So, I don't try to stop the water from rushing I just direct the energy in another direction. Same as directing the flow of water by using trenches, walls or runoffs. Also, teaching kids is a gift that not everyone has, but even if you do have it, you have to work at making it better. You also have to work at making classes run smoother, and eliminate bottlenecks in time and training, while keeping class FUN and relative. Lastly, you have to have a LOT of patience. 

Do 1,000 Kicks at Day they Say - Technique vs Conditioning

When I was a younger martial artist, though I am not so old yet, I had many training ideas that in hindsight were not so good.  I used to think doing 1,000 kicks or 2,000 punches in a night was how you trained. Repetition, Repetition, Repetition right?

Fast forward to 2013 and my ideas are a bit different. After having trained so many years now, I have come to understand some nuances of better training.

One thing a teacher or a student has to determine before the workout is what they will be working on; technique or conditioning. What is the goal for the day, and what is your goal for that session of training?

TECHNIQUE

Working on technique is exactly that. If you are trying to throw a harder roundhouse kick then it is much better to go high power with low repetitions than thrown 1,000 roundhouse kicks with 900 of them being completely weak and with bad form because you are tired.

As a trainer and instructor you have to notice when people are veering from the course and goal of the workout. If people are tired when they are trying to work on form and technique, then tell them to take a break. Once they recover, get back to work. Typically you will find that many of the sports injuries that occur simply come from over training. So, the last 900 of 1,000 roundhouse kicks were with bad form, that means that a person is spending 90% of their training time (exerting 100% of the energy they have left) into building bad habits. This equates to inflamed hips, strained muscles, broken toes, etc. In other words you may end up with a student with horrible technique or lose them due to injuries and reoccurring injuries.

So, watch your students carefully. When they start to lose their form, let them take a slight break and get back to it. The payoff will be far greater than students trying to will their way to a better technique and form when their energy is at a low point.

CONDITIONING

So, how does conditioning training differ from technique training you ask? Well conditioning has a different focus. You are still concentrating on technique but you should be focused on building strength, speed, agility, rotational power, etc. through full and several planes of motion. This could be through high intensity or explosive power drills or partner drtills, etc.  It could also be longer, more aerobic drills or some type of endurance training. The drills are important, but the drills should be driven by the goal.

Tailor your conditioning to what you are preparing for. If you are just conditioning to stay in shape, then the session may be a bit longer and a little slower paced to burn more calories. However, if we are preparing for a competition, fight or BJJ tourney then you also need short circuits filled with explosive power working in a way that builds muscle memory related to martial movements.

Thank you for taking the time to read this short blog about Technique vs Conditioning. Train Hard, Train Often, No Excuses.


Benjamin Moriniere "Foguete"
www.capoeira-okinawa.com
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Does it Pay More to Have a Bad Attitude in the World of Combat Sports?

Does it pay more to be bad in combat sports; to be a jerk, a heel, to curse like a sailor? What about to rant and rave, have tantrums, or pop hot for enhancement drugs?

You know nowadays you have to realize that no matter if you are watching wrestling entertainment or watching Bellator, UFC or even Tiger Woods golfing, it is ALL about show business. Unvariably the people and athletes in the world that have truly honed and owned their stage presence are the ones that will stand out from their peers. They don't even have to be the greatest at what they do, they just have to sell themselves.

I remember growing up as a kid and watching the old WCW and WWF stars as some played the good guy, the All American, etc. and some played the heel, or the bad guy. The dramatic stories sold so many tickets, even though we all knew it was fake. Sure they are professional athletes and a lot of them were hurt and some even died. For the most part though, we just loved the entertainment.

In today's combat sports it is no different. There are so many "characters" and roles that people play today. What we have to realize though is that some people are doing this because they are just great at dramatic theatrics. Others, not so much. You would be surprised how hiring a marketing firm can really change the dynamics of a career. I mean, after all, that's why people hire marketing firms right?

In the case of Ronda Rousey, well... She is really good. She knows it, we all know it. Right now she is at a place in her career where she really does not have to prove anything else to anyone. Like a younger Anderson Silva unmatched in skill, she is just judo tossing contender after contender.  So, my point is, with nothing else to prove, why not switch your role and become a good girl?

When it comes to legacy and long lasting stardom, being a person who made a positive influence in people's lives is what will make the difference. Having up and coming ladies and kids wanting to be and act just like you, or any other females that fire back in like manner, is absolutely shortening your staying power. Once you are no longer the baddest thing walking around, no one will remember you. From there, just like most stars that want to keep shining bright after their heyday, stars will have to resort to pulling crazy stunts, or publishing crazing announcements, interrupting award shows, or marching for every kind of organization there is... just to stay in the news.

If that is what you we have resorted to, being bad, to seek fame and fortune, I would remind you of something that Henry Ford said, "If you chase after wealth and fame, you won't find it. Wealth and fame comes from providing useful service." I don't know of a bigger or longer lasting useful service than SERVICE to your fellow man. So in essence, your staying power revolves around the useful service, in this case to mankind, that you provide.

Use star power to connect and change the world in a positive manner. When anyone reaches the pinnacle of their careers, when they are at the height of their influence and power, make a difference, don't just make a buck. Making a difference is fulfilling and leads you to want to do it more. Just like buying an expensive Christmas gift that you know a  kid is going to play with for a day and forget, you don't give it to them but for one reason, the few moments when you can share a smile.

As a star, with star power, start working on making everyone around you smile. That is what will last well past your star power days and give you a distinguished place in history.

You Might Live in Japan IF...

1. All of your friends and their kids pull their pants up pass their belly button because they don't want to catch a cold.

2. If you give your friend a gift wrapped present instead of tearing it open, they carefully take it apart and fold the paper into origami.

3. If you can't change any condiments on any order at any restaurant. "Can I have mustard instead of Big Mac sauce?"    "No, I am sorry we cannot do that, it is a set."

4. If your dream home is the size of your college dorm.

5. If you are trying to choose something off of the shelf at a store and you realize the person behind you has been patiently waiting for you to move for like 5 minutes, but they never said excuse me.

6. If speeding on the expressway means that you were travelling in excess of 45mph...

7. Your soda machine has hot and cold drinks, and ice cream bars too.

8. Your cell phone from 10 years ago did everything and more that American phones are just now marketing as new services and features...

9. You now consider fermented beans to be delicious...

10. You just got served a slice of cold meat, and it has taken you five minutes to decide if it is safe enough to eat.

11. You try to explain something in Japanese with your translator or even a friend who speaks Japanese to help, only to find out months later when you run into them again, that the person spoke perfect English in the first place.

12. You have ever did a double take and thought about going to the FREE market! (In Japanese, the L and R sounds are the same).

13. The only time you stop trying to speak in Japanese is when you realize it is solicitor calling...  "um, um... chotto wakarimasen... go... gomen... gomenesai."

14. You got mad because you were at a drive in restaurant and when you tried to order in Japanese, they started talking back to you in English...

15. Having a good customer service voice means trying to make your voice sound like a 10 year old, no matter what age you are.

16. Your friend gives all of his money to his wife and he only gets an allowance...  "HUSBAND: So I need some money to go pay bills. WIFE: When do you need it? HUSBAND: Friday WIFE: Well, I will give it to you on Friday."

17. The large drink you just ordered is the size of a baby's sippy cup.

18. You asked for no ice with your drink, thinking you would get more to drink, but instead your cup was only filled up half way.

19. It takes you 20 minutes to walk to your destination, 10 minutes to jog or 2 HOURS by car.

20. All the ladies are enjoying the beach in high heel or platform shoes.

21. Your toilet has as much computing power as your smart phone...
22. Guys are pretending to be Jamaican by buying music, flags, car stickers, etc. just to pick up girls.

23. The most popular singing groups are still color coded, 80's boy bands.

24. The ladies are wearing designer tank tops, daisy dukes and high heels when there is snow on the ground.

25. People are trying to find a good angle to sneak you into the background of their photo without you knowing. (They like to take pictures of foreigners).

26. Random adults and kids are touching your kid's hair.

27. Your first grader is wearing a $400 bookbag.

28. Bills don't come at the first of every month, they break the monthly bill up into like 10 seperate bills and send them to you every three days!

29. If your drive to work includes avoiding multiple, insane, hell's angels sized moped groups...you just might live in Japan! - Joshua Aldrige

30. If the online company you are ordering from actually takes Cash on Delivery (COD)...

31. If you are completey mesmerized by watching 600 pound guys wrestle in Conan the Barbarian loin cloth.

32. If a melon the size of a soft ball costs you $8.00. - Tremain Bowman

33. If no one ever takes the last piece of candy or food, because it is the "lucky" one.

34. If mini-skirts are popular with two age groups... under 20 and over 50.

35. If you drive a 10 passenger family van with a 3-cylinder motor cycle engine.

36. If your pain prescription is Motrin or really hot and spicy ramen...

37. If you can buy the biggest Hollywood Box Office movie in a little DVD box by the time it hits your local Japanese theater... .

38. If the way to the prettiest girl's heart is gaining as much weight as possible and wrestling with another guy while wearing loin cloth.

39. If the TV you got for free costs $70 dollars to throw away. ~ Roxanne Modeferi
40. If you see your dream car at a sales lot for more than $6,000 and you are like "Whoa that is way too much."

41. When the maintenance man is sleeping on the ground in your driveway during his lunch break - Christina Brown

42. If stores put up their Christmas decorations and start playing "Here comes Santa Clause" the day after Halloween.

43. You are so lucky that you always get an entire row to yourself on the airplane.

44. You have been waiting to get a parking spot at the local mall, but all the spots have been taken by people who have been just sitting in the parking lot for hours.




Thank you for coming by, leave your "You might be living in Japan comment and I will add it to this growing list."




Benjamin "Sensei" Moriniere
Okinawa, Japan
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5 Ways to Keep Your Kids Motivated in Martial Arts

5 Ways to Keep Your Kids Motivated in Martial Arts

1. Consistent Attendance in Class

First, make sure your kids are attending classes regularly. If not, you are setting them up for failure. Sporadically going to class will cause your child to lose interest in classes very quickly. If you don't care about keeping them consistently in class, they know it is not important to you, so why should it be important to them? Second, they will see all of their friends getting better, especially the ones that started about the same time as them, while they basically stay the same or deteriorate. That can be one of the toughest blows to motivation; seeing all of your friends, one after the other, promoted. The reason why is mostly because they come to class more, and have retained more information. That's it.

2. Rewards for Excellence

Take the time to reward your kids for excellence. Some parents don't like giving kids "carrots" for performance so to speak, but isn't that the way most things in life work? On our adult jobs we have carrots too, they are called promotions, pay raises, vacation time and even rewards. Think about it. Give you kids realistic goals and realistic rewards and you will see a change in their work ethic for the better.

3. Watching Inspirational Videos

You want to see a kid get super motivated then show them some awesome, kid friendly videos on YouTube!  Every time they watch a motivational video about their martial arts style, you will see their little eyes light up with imagination and possibilities! That is what it is all about! Great times to show them videos are when they are taking a long break from training due to vacation or injury, when you see their motivation waxing low, or even right before a tournament, etc.

4. Bored before Fun

One of the biggest mistakes parents make is putting super fun activities before class. What kid wants to go to class when they have been watching their favorite TV show, or playing video games before class?  I should also mention that this includes sleeping as well. Who wants to wake up from the most fun ever, taking a nap, to go and drill and kick. Do your best to keep kids from having too much fun right before class, and definitely try to keep them from napping. They will be hard to motivate to go to class and even if you do get them there, they will have a rough start, if they really get into class at all.

So, what should you put before class? The most horrible, tedious tasks ever; homework or chores. Yes, I know some kids love these as well, but they love to get done with them and move on to something more fun right?  They will finish their homework and chores like a champ so they can go to class. Hold them to it!

5. Proper Diet

Just like adults, kids need proper dieting and nutrition. Don't load you kids up on sugar all day and then think they can have a great class. Don't miss a meal on the way to class and have them try to race a car on an empty gas tank. Either of these cases will cause kids to crash mentally and physically, ruining a potentially great workout.  Proper eating, and bringing healthy snacks is a win-win situation for your little warrior!

So, don't give up on your child, they have life issues just like the bigger versions of themselves, us. Find a way to work through the issues and you will see your kids maintain the motivation to build the physical, mental and spiritual fortitude of champions. With these simple tips and steps, you will help them stay on a path that builds character traits that will last a lifetime.

v/r 

Benjamin Moriniere "Sensei"

Sensei's Secret to Losing Weight any Time you Want to.

The secret to losing weight is very, very simple. Find your MOTIVATION!

As a professional martial artist, instructor and fighter living a lifestyle that promotes fitness, I can tell you MOTIVATION is the key.  No matter the diet, no matter the plan, the only way you will see it to the finish is through sincere MOTIVATION.

So, you may say, I really don't have any motivation to do it. However, I would tell you there is ample motivation every day. My MOTIVATION for staying fit changes from time to time. When I am preparing for a fight or competition, it is very easy to lose weight and stay disciplined when you think about hopping in the ring. Being out of shape will turn your fight into the longest few minutes of your life.

However, in normal circumstances, for just people who need MOTIVATION. Let's think about a few things:

DO IT FOR YOUR HEALTH

The only thing worse than spending your retirement years broke, living from fixed income due to irresponsible spending and saving, would be living your years of retirement in perpetual hospital visits due to self-induced, poor health.

Why endure so many years of stress trying to get ahead on the job, trying to properly rear up kids and taking care of everyone around you, and then lose the battle for your own health and welfare? 

Enjoy the fruits of your labor in retirement. Live a healthy lifestyle so that when you get to retirement years, you can enjoy it in good health. You earned your retirement health every single day.

DO IT FOR PRODUCTIVITY

Did you know the energy levels in your body critically depend on your diet. If you feel drowsy, down, or lacking energy you can probably look at your diet as the first thing to whip into shape.

With proper exercise and nutrition your energy and metabolism will sky rocket. You will have energy in reserves. Wouldn't that be awesome!

DO IT FOR YOUR SPOUSE

We all know that no matter how much we love our spouses, and we accept them as they are, we have all heard from them... "your butt is getting bigger." or "Why don't you take some fitness classes." 

We love our spouses and at the same time we want them to be as healthy as possible. We want a happy, healthy marital team. There is nothing wrong with that, and actually it is quite UNselfish in a sense. As a married couple, you have become one, and so their health is your health, and you WILL go through health issues together.

Find MOTIVATION through wanting to please your spouse; to be a healthier and sexier you, for your spouse.

AND yes I did say sexier! The better you feel about your body, and the better you both feel about your bodies, the better and more enjoyable time you will have with each other!

DO IT FOR YOUR KIDS

One thing we know about kids is that they love to get out there and play, run around, jump around, and express themselves in dynamic and diverse ways.  As parents we all want to get out there and have a great time with our kids. We need to be fit and energetic through working out and proper dieting to keep up though!

Lastly, your kids, the next generation, will tend to inherit our positive and negative habits. Over 70% of learning is done by observing, and some believe 50% of everything we will ever learn is by the age of 5.  Well, starting kids out as youngsters on a healthy path is something that they will hopefully be more inclined to stick with as adults.  Kids need proper nutrition just like we do. They are just little us' right?

LOSING weight and staying in shape is so easy to do when you find the right MOTIVATION. Whatever your MOTIVATION is, keep a hold of it, cherish it, and let it keep you focused as your reach towards your goals!


Benjamin Moriniere "Sensei"
www.capoeira-okinawa.com
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