Jett Garner Martial Arts | Austin Texas Martial Arts School

Maximizing your martial arts

Sensei Jett Garner — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:19:18 +0000

I began my traditional martial arts training in September of 1997. My Sensei’s school was located in Alexandria, Indiana. For me, martial arts was the right fit from the very first punch. It wasn’t long until I was training at his school four days per week. I eventually ended up with a key to his school, where I would meet other students on Fridays or Saturdays for additional training and sparring. In addition, I purchased a heavy bag for my home and a stretching machine to gain better flexibility. So basically, I trained every free minute I owned, whether it was during regular class time, or working out at home. Additionally, I spent a great deal of ‘me time’ practicing forms/kata. I became a full time martial arts student. My Sensei, Mr. Davenport has had a training center for nearly thirty years now. He has promoted around fifty people to rank of shodan/black belt. I proudly state that I broke and still hold his record for fastest to achieve black belt, as it took me three years and three months. The reason I was able to reach black belt so quickly in his tough dojo was because I put at least twenty hours per week into training. Granted, I did not have kids during this period, nor did I have any other after work hobbies or obligations. That’s because martial arts was my hobby and obligation. The point to this entry is to state that not everyone can nor will follow the same path I did/do with training. Not everyone has that kind of time. I don’t either anymore, however I still manage four to five tough workouts per week. My major point is that we have two quickly growing programs, and within the programs we have a large amount of new yet passionate students. Some students learn every new technique/drill/form quite easily, while others might struggle with new material. Regardless, if you truly want to maximize your training and your skill level, you must spend a few hours per week training yourself through the curriculum. This is the truth path of any martial artist. That he/she takes the guidance of a martial arts teacher and puts that guidance to use in the classroom and within their own training time. Again, martial arts has become my livelihood and my life. All of my students either have professions or go to school. Their time is limited. But, ten to fifteen minutes a day practicing kata, practicing round house kicks, punches, ect… will go a long way in any students growth. It’s also important to mentally think about your training, setting goals, and meditating about the art.

Cheers,

Jett

Self defense martial arts- training with injuries

Sensei Jett Garner — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 20:04:39 +0000

I’ve only suffered two major injuries in thirteen years of training. One was a sprained knee. The other was a freak accident in sparring which required a surgery to alleviate a lower leg condition called acute compartment syndrome. Both of those injuries required time from training. However, according to my doctors and physical therapists in both scenarios- I bounced back quicker than most folks, which include elite professional and collegiate athletes.

I’ve had my share of black eyes, bruised ribs, sprained fingers, sprained ankles, and one broken nose. All in all I’ve maintained a fairly healthy bill of health for a martial artist. If one is training hard one will suffer the occasional injury. Most of these types of injuries do not hinder your training, as these types of boo-boos simply make training more challenging as you deal with the pain. If you are never injured you are either very lucky or not pushing your training to the next level. Most martial arts injuries are referred to as badges of honor. Something to talk about with your family. A story to share with your co-workers who think your nuts for punching and kicking for fun. Most do not ever experience the glory and joy and training in martial arts, so they will never understand you completely. Training through injury is a character building plight. To do something and get hurt, to face that something again and again makes your persona stronger and harder. It gives you the tools to overcome everyday obstacles and challenges. It emboldens you. I have several adults training through injuries as I pen this blog. Bruised and broken ribs. Fractured fingers. Strained hamstrings. You name it. These very students have not quit, have not stopped training. Because they know that if they’re faced with a tough street attack, they will have to battle through pain and fear to arrive home safely. We are not a school based on injury. In fact we’ve had very few in six years. However, this summer we’ve had several. We still practice safety in training every step of the way, however I chalk the rise in injuries up to a group of adults working their tails off, and sometimes desire and ambition blinds us in our training. So, again we do not seek injury. Sometimes through hard work and poor luck injuries find us. We grow when we learn to work through injuries and learn how to avoid the mistakes that led to the injury in the first place. Injuries are part of the martial artist’s journey. Loving the pain and the challenge is something very few will learn to embrace. To those students training with injury I salute you.

Jett

fitness and self defense

Sensei Jett Garner — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 03:44:03 +0000

A great deal of martial art programs do not blend fitness and self defense. Or they do not blend the two well. Most programs that offer a strong fitness regiment, do not offer a solid, simple, and effective self defense system. Most programs built on self defense do not offer a proper fitness regiment. You can visit martial arts all across the country and you will notice out of shape black belts or senior members. If one is forced to fight in the street, then one must be in shape to deal with the scenario, the stress, the raised levels of adrenaline, the rapid breathing and heart rate. Most attacks/fights last under twenty seconds. But, to the victim/defender it seems to last much longer. So, where do you turn when you want a simple and effective self defense system and to become a fit person? Obviously, I’ll suggest Jett Garner Martial Arts. Wether you’re interested in traditional martial arts or Krav Maga, we hammer fitness and self defense. It’s always been a cornerstone of my teaching philosophy, and that is one reason I truly appreciate schools that get their students in shape and teach a simple and effective self defense system. So, whether you want to join us in this quest or not, find a school that offers the balance. If you step into a martial arts school and see a lot of out of shape black belts- run out of the door. In the my traditional karate program you will see 99% of students are very fit. The other 1% are more fit than they would be without the training. One man in my Krav Maga program has lost nearly thirty-five pounds since May. He is a big guy to begin with, and now he’s a big guy that’s built like a boulder. I show the students the way, and they usually choose to commit to a more peaceful and satisfying existence by gaining physical and mental toughness and getting fit.

We work very hard. They’re are very few balanced martial arts schools that train as hard as Jett Garner Martial Arts….

Cheers,

Jett

Kung Fu

Sensei Jett Garner — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 19:11:10 +0000

Sorry for the delay ladies and gents. I’ve been busy this week and had a minor surgical deal which took me out for two days. Krav Maga just keeps getting bigger. The challenge is to keep it interesting as the level one layer is somewhat thin in regards to the number of techniques and defenses. The thinness of the level one curriculum is appropriate. It t requires me to constantly reinvent drills and combos to keep it fresh and exciting for everyone.

Traditional Karate- We had a particularly good summer for sign ups thus far. I expect that to continue as we get closer to the new school year. August is a tough month and most people save their vacation times for this period. That being said, it has been nice to instruct smaller classes for the past couple of weeks.

Now to the main topic of discussion- Kung Fu! Kung Fu is a style of martial arts indigenous to China. There are many different types and styles of Kung Fu within China. Some of the styles are extremely different and unique, while other styles seem similar to each other. One thing that I’ve always admired about Kung Fu is many of the styles were developed or modeled after the defenses of particular animals and or insects. For example, you have a monkey style, a mantis style, and tiger claw style, ect… It’s fascinating to me that a Kung Fu pioneer studied the defenses of an animal or insect and then built an entire system on how that animal moves and defends itself. It’s taking nature and making it work for humans. Fascinating.

Our traditional Goju-Ryu karate system was created by an Okinawan named Miyagi. Miyagi Sensei spent many years abroad in China studying Kung Fu. Miyagi Sensei returned to Okinawa and used his Kung Fu experiences to create the Okinawan Karate system which is closely related to Kung Fu. I’ve always been fascinated with Kung Fu. Which leads to my recent passion of Kung Fu movies. Two in particular- ‘Grandmaster Ip Man’, which is a biographical film about the Wing Chun Grandmaster whom happened to teach Bruce Lee. The other film is Jet Li’s ‘Fist of Legend’. Regardless of your martial arts background these are two films that possess the proper martial arts spirit, great stories, and outstanding fight scenes.

To my students- I am practicing Kung Fu fight philosophy on a Wooden Dummy. We will see if this training can bring a broader foundation to my own fighting and self defense.

Cheers

“Pain is weakness leaving the body.”

Self Defense Krav Maga Karate Austin, TX

Sensei Jett Garner — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 18:18:13 +0000

Goju-Ryu: Congrats to Aric Cates in earning his brown belt. Aric was on form, worked hard, and impressed the entire promotion board. Nice work Aric!

Dog Days of Summer- In Westlake residents fill their summers with travels, sports, and in general keep their schedules very busy. We’ve certainly seen a growth slow down, and we’ve noticed students missing more classes than normal. However, this has been a great summer as families are making a sincere efforts to attend martial art classes as much as they can. In other words, this is the first summer that it feels as if most of our student body is making an effort to include Jett Garner Martial Arts in their planning. It’s a great feeling. In the past, sometimes classes felt like a ghost town. This summer has been completely different. I think it boils down to a couple of reasons. We are more visible in our end of town now as we’ve made 2010 the year Jett Garner Martial Arts starts becoming a solid business with a specific marketing plan. Secondly, I think the core of our students in both the Krav and Karate programs understand the values and benefits of continuous training. Lastly, I think it boils down to the quality of the programs. We are a challenging school that has a lot of fun training hard. We train very hard, yet we maintain the balance of fun, entertainment, and teaching two disciplines that truly give students the tools to improve themselves through fitness, competent fighting skills, and realistic yet simple self defense techniques. In the past Jett Garner Martial Arts was a part time operation with a quality versus quantity mindset. Now, we’re a full time operation, which is seeking both quality and quantity. 2010 has been a banner year for us in growth. Adding the Krav Maga program has had a massive influence on JGMA. We’ve certainly had some growing pains, which will continue as we head into the new school year. But, we will handle those growing pains and make schedule changes as necessary. With summer nearly over and the fall swiftly approaching I believe our Traditional Karate goals for total students will be met this year, and I believe that our Krav Maga enrollment goals will be met by January of 2011. So, to all of you students and families whom have made this possible- I thank you. What I offer in return is that I will perpetually seek knowledge, training experiences, philosophies, drills, ect to keep every class fresh, exciting, unique, and dynamic.

Cheers,

Krav maga, self defense in austin, tx

Sensei Jett Garner — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 02:07:07 +0000

Perpetual growth. Not every martial artists will consistently seek for an expansion of knowledge, drills, philosophies, and experiences. I have been on that journey since I began training at Larry Davenport Karate in 1997. However, the desire to grow and expand my knowledge and experiences has ebbs and flows. About a year ago I bought a Wing Chun Wooden Dummy. I’ve ordered ‘how to use it’ DVD’s in the last year, I’ve looked at usage on line via youtube, and I’ve even sought individual one on one instruction from Kung Fu martial artists. Sadly, it is tough to watch a video, learn it by watching, then walk to my garage and try to implement what I viewed. The Kung Fu route has bared no fruit, as no one wants to teach Kung Fu to a school owner that practices Karate and Krav Maga. Back to ebbs and flows. After six months or so of fumbling around with my wooden dummy through self teaching, I gave it a rest. Recently, after being hit too easy by very experienced martial artists I am once again motivated to find someway to make the wooden dummy a part of my training, growth, and improvement. I used to be very difficult to hit in sparring as I was extremely defensive minded. Recently, I’ve tried to become more offensive and attack minded, and I am taking shots I never received in the past. So, instead of resulting to my past successes of defensive fighting, and sticking with my comfort spot, I’m seeking new drills and new training to help me become a better attack minded fighter whom is tough to hit. Perpetual growth. If a martial artist truly pushes himself for self evolution and improvement the world of martial arts will dictate the ebbs and flows of seeking knowledge. Right now, my sparring brothers hitting me more often than I like to be hit is dictating my desire and passion to improve. Ebbs and flows. Lastly, I sensed some staleness in my karate program both for myself and my students. Thus, I’ve spent countless hours scouring the internet seeking new drills, new thoughts, new philosophies. The result is a new energy in club, and a broader base of knowledge, and the commitment from us all to get better and improve. The day a martial artist thinks he has all the answers is the day he should stop training and close the doors if he owns a school.

“In training is where the battle will be won.”

Jett

women’s self defense and martial arts

Sensei Jett Garner — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:35:30 +0000

I train ten of the Children’s Center of Austin Faculty every Monday and Wednesday from 1230-130 pm. They are now in their fourth month of training. The ladies have offered diligence, dedication, and passion. Most of the ladies in the class have little or no martial arts background. To say that I am impressed at what they accomplish every single class is an understatement. They train with the work ethic and focus of seasoned martial artists. I think all ten would agree they’ve experienced changes to their physical selves, endurance, general fitness, and they’ve become more confident. That’s what martial arts does- breeds confidence, improved fitness, and mental strength. If martial arts were an easy and glorious journey, then everyone in the world would do it, and do it often. However, martial arts puts you in the position of learning a brand new skill set, refining and fixing that skill set, adding new layers and tools to the skill set, and making one realize that she is much more gifted and talented then she ever thought possible. Teaching someone to fight is an extremely primal tool, a tool that leads to spiritual and mental enhancement. Teaching someone to fight breeds confidence and security. It breeds public awareness. These are just a few of the benefits of joining a proper martial arts program.

Back to the ten teachers. I salute you. You’ve made this twice a week class exciting, fun, and enjoyable for me. You are now in the zone, where you learn more complicated combat strikes and self defense drills more easily. All ten of you are more confident, more secure, and truly represent the martial spirit. Plus, you’re enjoying the classes and the process. Learning how to fight should be challenging, fun, and reciprocal. Once again Ten Ladies of the Children’s Center of Austin- you are doing a fantastic job. Now- upon completion of reading this blog entry- give me 59 squats, 2o pushups, 3o crunches, then partner up and give me 40 knee strikes!

Cheers,
Jett

Krav Maga Karate Paper Tigers

Sensei Jett Garner — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 19:24:26 +0000

What is a paper tiger? A paper tiger is a martial arts school and or instructor that is afraid to engage in sparring outside of their own dojo. The term was shared with me last night at black belt sparring by a fellow black belt, who’s son trains at Jett Garner Martial Arts. Here is the deal- Jett Garner Martial Arts hosts black belt sparring every Friday at our dojo in Westlake. We usually have a turn out of six to twelve black belts from all over Austin. Recently, I felt the Friday Night Fights have been getting a little stale. So, I took the time to invite other black belts from other programs to join us. Every single invitation was turned down. Why? Jett Garner Martial Arts doesn’t have a poor ‘Cobra Kai- esque’ reputation. Because until recently weren’t very visible. Jett Garner Martial Arts doesn’t participate in the Texas Weekend Sparring circuit because we’re not impressed by what it has to offer in terms of the martial arts growth. So, it cannot be a poor reputation decision amongst these invitees.

The answer is paper tiger. Many schools preach and teach self improvement and a higher existence. But, once the instructors, owner/operators stop pushing themselves, cease their own cycles of evolution, then the school will follow. Our Friday night sparring is fun, challenging, and consists of a brotherhood that is hard to find anywhere else in life. The opportunity to practice techniques, and learn from more experienced fighters is priceless. Sure, we occasionally get hurt. Not often, but we do suffer the rare black eye, or bruised ribs, or sprained ankle. But, if you take the amount hours we spar, calculate the amount of techniques thrown in total hours, then look at the amount of injuries someone has had in the course of five years- well one in a million techniques leads to a small injury. Injuries that are more like badges of honor than anything else.

Paper tigers. Again, our reputation in the Westlake community is sound. Until 2010 we purposely flew below the radar as we just wanted quality not quantity. Now we want both. However, we haven’t been visible enough long enough to suffer a poor reputation amongst fellow martial art schools. My students have expressed an interest in having a friendship tournament with another school. The operative and key word is friendship. It could be fun and a great chance for two schools to come together, share, and learn. Again, I set out to contact about two dozen schools in Austin and was turned down by every school. Most of the schools did practice and believe in the value of sparring. Most of the the invited schools held the same core values about sparring that Jett Garner Martial Arts embrace. So, why the cold shoulders? Why did two dozen schools say no to a friendship tournament. This paper tiger attitude is certainly not unique to Austin, Texas. It is extremely prevalent amongst many martial arts schools.

I am confident in my own abilities as a Sensei, and as a student of martial arts. I am confident in my students. I am confident in their skills, in their mind set, and their level of sparring control. As school owner and as a student of martial arts I continually want to learn, grow, and experience other styles, techniques, ect. This is part of my evolution and the evolution of our students. So, it doesn’t seem unappealing or nervy to want to spar with other black belts from other styles. It’s an opportunity to learn, share, and grow. We don’t want to host a friendship tournament with another school so we can go ‘cobra kai’. No, we want to learn, share, and grow.

Paper tigers. I believe this phenomenon exists out of fear. Fear that we may not be that good. Fear that we may lose a student. Fear that one might get injured. Fear that one might throw a hissy fit because he was hit too hard. Fear is not what martial arts is about. Martial arts is about perpetual evolution and conquering one’s fears. So, paper tigers open your minds. Challenge yourselves and your students. Share, learn, and grow.

Cheers,
Jett

Self Defense vs. Sparring

Sensei Jett Garner — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 18:58:36 +0000

Sparring is an excellent way to get in shape and learn to enforce your will upon another trained fighter. It also allows you to deal with a fight scenario with understood and known rules, without risking too much bodily harm. However, with sparring the occasional injury will occur. Does being a good sparring fighter or tournament fighter mean you will be a good street fighter? Absolutely not. Defending yourself on the street versus sparring in the dojo are as different as cats and tigers. Some vague similarities with a common genesis long ago, however the similarities stop there.

At Jett Garner Martial Arts in Westlake, we constantly discuss sparring techniques versus self defense techniques. We learn and practice drills and techniques specific to tournament fighting. We learn and practice drills specific techniques to street self defense.

Many schools across the globe refuse to spar and or allow their students to spar. The theory being the tournament fighting is not within the genesis of why martial arts were developed throughout the world by various cultures. To some degree I support this theory. If you were to take the time to visit most state side weekend tournament leagues, you will notice great athletes, with bad technique, and to some degree even worse attitudes. You will notice gloating in victory, hanging the head in shame of defeat, and arguing with high ranking judges about missed calls, ect. This list is not what martial arts is about. If it seems like the local little league, with parents standing on the sideline coaching their kids, well then it is little league- ish martial arts.

However, there is a happy medium to be struck between real world self defense, self improvement, and sparring. I’m happy to say that at JGMA we have found the balance. As mentioned earlier, we constantly speak two languages at Jett Garner Martial Arts. Street fighting techniques and strategies versus tournament fighting techniques and strategies. My students know the difference. In sparring I demand that my kids learn how to be offensive, defensive, and everything in between. In sparring our students execute proper punches, proper kicks, and proper defenses that could serve them well should the gloves come off. In other words you will not see Jett Garner Martial Arts students throwing sloppy open handed back fits. There techniques have focus and drive. However, ultimately they must incorporate sound control, in order to protect themselves and their sparring partners. Our students certainly know the difference between ring fighting and street fighting.

Sparring is a fantastic tool to practice a small portion of your tool box in a controlled and fun atmosphere. But, there is stress involved. The stress allows the martial artist to learn how to relax under pressure, and grow. The bottom line is this- proper sparring is as close as we can get to the pressure, speed, and stress of a street fight. However, the rules foster safety. It’s no different than striking pads that don’t swing back, or executing a front choke defense in class, when you know that you’re about to be choked. One must find a school that practices all areas of martial arts. Not just kata. Not just sparring. Not just conditioning. Not just self defense. Find a school the practices the entire spectrum. Then you will truly be preparing for an unknown attack by an unknown assailant at an uncertain time and place, that may or may not ever happen.

Cheers,
Jett

Krav Maga vs. Traditional Karate

Sensei Jett Garner — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 01:53:44 +0000

People ask me all of the time about the differences between our Krav Maga and my traditional Goju-ryu Karate program. There are some massive philosophical differences. This would take an entire essay to sort through. But, even more stunning than the differences are the similarities. I see massive similarities between Martial Arts and religion. Most of the mainstream religions I have studied or practiced have differences in philosophy, differences in traditions, but ultimately have the same goals. Those goals include living as a good person, with good values, avoiding sin, and hopefully living eternally with God after one’s death. Martial Arts has the same differences. Different names, different philosophies, different techniques, different drills, but ultimately have the same goals of fitness, self defense, building stronger humans, ect. So, for the similarities it is quite easy. Like religion, a martial arts reflects the cultures and society in which said martial arts was founded and developed. As a Krav instructor and as a karate instructor I simply want to make a student stronger, fitter, and safer. Those are the goals. Now back to the differences between the two art forms. How do I marry the differences between the two styles that we offer at Jett Garner Martial Arts? My basic philosophy is I am a better traditional karate instructor because of my experiences with Krav Maga. I am certainly a better Krav Maga Instructor because of my thirteen years in Traditional Karate. There are things that are different about each system that I can respect and appreciate. When two techniques and philosophies directly oppose each other I simply study evaluate and decide which one I like best for myself. That being said, I stick to the curriculum. Krav Maga students learn the Krav Maga way regardless of my personal opinions. However, I may offer my traditional insight should someone ask. My Traditional Karate students learn the Traditional Curriculum, and I will offer the ‘Krav Maga point of view. For example, Krav Maga does not offer a back fist in their system. A back fist is a very important technique in Goju- Ryu. Traditional Students will learn the back fist, and Krav students will not. Krav Maga believes it is a risky technique as you take the back of the fist to the head. I understand their view, but I also know for a fact that a backfist to the nose does work, and it is a relatively simply technique for anyone to learn and utilize. But, I don’t allow these differences to impact my instruction in either program. I accept the philosophies of both, I acknowledge the differences, and I do my best to teach my people, regardless of the program, to the best of my ability within the context of the designed curriculum. But remember, the similarities between the two systems is astonishing especially when you consider that Goju-Ryu Kartate was formed in Okinawa during the early 1900’s and the beginnings of Krav Maga was developed in the alleys of Europe during World War Two, then finalized and evolved in Israel. Ultimately, both styles are excellent, both are different, both are similar, and both want each student to be stronger, faster, better, and safer.