A sports injury in the narrow sense signifies the injury typical of a particular sports activity or a certain sport, determined by the way of occurrence and frequency. One of the simplest definitions of an injury is: "The injury is all the damage to the tissue suddenly generated in a certain, defined and limited time.” From the medical point of view, sports injuries are a sub-part of the traumatology field that deals with injuries, no matter how they occur and where they are. When it comes to sports injuries or damages, most of those are caused by mechanical force. Mechanical forces, however, are not considered to be only those that act externally, such as the kick of an object, an opponent's strike or a fall to the ground, but also they can be caused by the contractions of one’s own muscles from within. An example of injury occuring within the sport practitioner’s muscles is the Achilles tendon rupture due to strong muscular soleus contraction. If we talk about the expected probability of a certain risk of injury in a particular sport, as well in martial arts, then we look at statistics. But data, statistics and records of sports injuries are first and foremost problematic. Records of statistical data depend on many factors, and these factors also depend on the health institution in which the data is collected. This can cause a lot of mistakes that give an incorrect picture of the real situation. It can be hugely different to collect data in a general hospital or at a specialist sports injury facility. Also, a specialized institution will accept only certain selected athletes (especially according to the severity of the injury), so that no real statistical picture can be expected. Medical data in general is facing issues with accuracy of its own, but in martial arts (and sports in general) the problem is even more widespread. A real picture or a more realistic picture of the number of injuries in a particular martial art can be obtained if the number of injuries is measured against the number of athletes. But it is very difficult, and practically impossible to gather correct information on the number of active athletes. A more doable approach is to compare the number of athletes insured (especially against injuries in sports) with the number of reported sports injuries. According to the severity of injury, sports injuries can be labeled as follows: 1) - the most serious injuries - mortal 2) - severe injuries - with permanent disability for future work and sports, 3) - medium severe injuries - with a longer disability period for future work and sports, 4) - light injuries - with a short term inability to work and practice a sport 5) - very light injuries - with a short-term strain or no reduction whatsoever in work and sports ability.

English Martial Arts Podcast Show

Martial Arts Injuries

Awareness is the first key to any situation where conflict can arise. Whether in a sports arena, on your way to your car, or in a busy subway, an attacker can defeat the greatest practitioner of any art if they are not aware of their surroundings. As a martial artist, learning to be aware of all of your surroundings is key. Also, learning to have awareness of specific attacks from an opponent is also crucial in overcoming a situation. By neglecting to develop your awareness you leave yourself open to anything, anyone, at anytime. When crossing the road, we are all taught to stop, look, and listen for oncoming traffic. Why should your personal safety from the threat of a mugger or robber be any different? Attempt to guess what individuals are doing or thinking. Watch for odd behavior. Determine where you would go for cover from explosions or gun fire. Find the closest two exits. Determine whether or not someone is following you or taking an unusual interest in you. These tips become very hard to accomplish if you focus in on any one specific thing. That includes looking at your phone, the ground, Learning to take in your entire surroundings while picking up specific details is a good skill to acquire. without it, the danger of threat grows exponentially.

Basics and Awareness

Unarmed Many styles of martial arts are practiced for self-defense or include self-defense techniques. Some styles train primarily for self-defense, while other martial or combat sports can be effectively applied for self-defense. Some martial arts train how to escape from a knife or gun situation, or how to break away from a punch, while others train how to attack. To provide more practical self-defense, many modern martial arts schools now use a combination of martial arts styles and techniques, and will often customize self-defense training to suit individual participants. This episode looks at using English martial arts and combatives as defensive arts. Armed A wide variety of weapons can be used for self-defense. The most suitable depends on the threat presented, the victim or victims, and the experience of the defender. Legal restrictions also greatly influence self-defense options. Everyday objects, such as flashlights, baseball bats, newspapers, keyrings with keys, kitchen utensils and other tools, and hair spray aerosol cans in combination with a lighter, can also be used as improvised weapons for self-defense. In this episode we concentrate on the walking stick/Cane when used as a backsword or when used using Fairburns techniques.

Practical self Protection

Boxing, sport, both amateur and professional, involving attack and defense with the fists. Boxers usually wear padded gloves and generally observe the code set forth in the marquess of Queensberry rules. The terms pugilism and prizefighting in modern usage are practically synonymous with boxing, although the first term indicates the ancient origins of the sport in its derivation from the Latin pugil, “a boxer,” related to the Latin pugnus, “fist,” and derived in turn from the Greek pyx, “with clenched fist.” The term prizefighting emphasizes pursuit of the sport for monetary gain, which began in England in the 17th century. The Greeks considered boxing the most injurious of their sports. A 1st-century-BCE inscription praising a pugilist states, “A boxer’s victory is gained in blood.” In fact, Greek literature offers much evidence that the sport caused disfigurement and, occasionally, even death. An amazingly bloody bout is recounted by Homer in the Iliad (c. 675 BCE): “Sons of Atreus, and all you other strong-greaved Achaians, we invite two men, the best among you, to contend for these prizes with their hands up for the blows of boxing. He whom Apollo grants to outlast the other, and all the Achaians witness it, let him lead away the hard-working jenny [female donkey] to his own shelter. The beaten man shall take away the two-handled goblet.” He spoke, and a man huge and powerful, well skilled in boxing, rose up among them; the son of Panopeus, Epeios. He laid his hand on the hard-working jenny, and spoke out: “Let the man come up who will carry off the two-handled goblet. I say no other of the Achaians will beat me at boxing and lead off the jenny. I claim I am the champion. Is it not enough that I fall short in battle? Since it could not be ever, that a man could be a master in every endeavour. For I tell you this straight out, and it will be a thing accomplished. I will smash his skin apart and break his bones on each other. Let those who care for him wait nearby in a huddle about him to carry him out, after my fists have beaten him under.” So he spoke, and all of them stayed stricken to silence. Alone Euryalos stood up to face him, a godlike man, son of lord Mekisteus of the seed of Talaos; of him who came once to Thebes and the tomb of Oidipous after his downfall, and there in boxing defeated all the Kadmeians. The spear-famed son of Tydeus was his second, and talked to him in encouragement, and much desired the victory for him. First he pulled on the boxing belt about his waist, and then gave him the thongs carefully cut from the hide of a ranging ox. The two men, girt up, strode into the midst of the circle and faced each other, and put up their ponderous hands at the same time and closed, so that their heavy arms were crossing each other, and there was a fierce grinding of teeth, the sweat began to run everywhere from their bodies. Great Epeios came in, and hit him as he peered out from his guard, on the cheek, and he could no longer keep his feet, but where he stood the glorious limbs gave. As in the water roughened by the north wind a fish jumps in the weed of the beach-break, then the dark water closes above him, so Euryalos left the ground from the blow, but great-hearted Epeios took him in his arms and set him upright, and his true companions stood about him, and led him out of the circle, feet dragging as he spat up the thick blood and rolled his head over on one side. He was dizzy when they brought him back and set him among them. But they themselves went and carried off the two-handled goblet. (From Book XXIII of Homer’s Iliad, translated by Richmond Lattimore.)

The Noble Art

This episode concentrates on how we are continuing to train through this Covid epidemic. It also details on what we are teaching and the weapons we are using. We also talk about gear for filming and audio gear as well.

The English martial arts during Covid

In this episode I am talking about the kind of training we offer, and where the club is going as regards training.

News

In this episode we will look at advice on self protection. We will look at quite a few topics that will allow us to take precautions and stay safe both inside and outside our homes. We will talk about locks for doors and windows, physical fighting techniqueas well as awareness of our surroundings. Another thing we will talk about are the principles of fighting as well as weapons such as short sticks, walking canes, handbags etc. Within this framework we will look at as many aspects of self defence / Protection as we can.

Self Defence Advice

In this very short episode I read from an article published in the HOBILAR journal about teutonic knights and Vampires

German knights and Vampires

This episode has been put together to talk about the English martial arts and Self Defence. It talks about recent events happening around the country because of illegal demonstrations and rioting, about how they have been attacking people in mobs and about our art and how we are now offering an unarmed art based purely in self defence.

Self Defence and the English Martial Arts

George Silver wrote about the quarterstaff as a reality. It was a weapon he used to fight and defend his honour with. ... As a battlefield weapon the quarterstaff would be an oak or ash pole of about eight or nine feet in length, wih a circumference of about 4 and a half inches. It was a foot weapon of attack and defence.If we now travel back in history to documents written between 1540 and 1590 we can see written evidence of the English Maisters of defence. The officially recognised teachers were the company of maisters, these documents record the playing of prizes. The order of playing the free schollers prize, the Provosts prize, and the maisters prize. The playing of prizes was a very public affair, with the posting of bills declaring that a prize was to be played, which was an open invitation to any man to come along and challenge the player of the prize. The prize playing in London was held at a number of Inne's and playhouses, such as the Bull in Bishopsgate, Leaden hall, at the Greyfriars at Newgate, and at the Tower royal, salisbury court, Rochester house, Bridewell palace, and at the castle inn in Holborn. But the prefered places for the playing of prizes were the belsavage on Ludgate hill, and the Bull in Bishopsgate. The company of maisters were a well organised company and made provision for aged maisters, the welfare of it's practitioners, the hiring and teaching of qualified teachers, as well as financial matters and the relationship of the company to the outside world. Following are some of the prizes played, where the quarterstaff was one of the weapons used. William Pascall Plaid his maisters prize at the Leadenhall with three maisters, that is to say, Humphrey Basset, Roberte Cooke, and William Hunt, at iiij kinde of weapon videlicet the Long sword ( two hand sword ) the backsworde, the dagger, and the quarterstaff. Provost prize at the session hall without Newgate at iii weapons, the long sword, the backsworde, and the quarterstaff, with three provosts, William Hunt, John A Woode, and Robert Grene. Played his Schollers prize at Estham with xiiij scollars, at backsword, and the quarterstaff. Richard White plaid his provost prize at the leaden hall, at the long sword, backsword, and quarterstaff, with Edward Britten, and John Barfett. Robert Edmunds plaid his maisters prize at the whitehall before King Philip and Quene Marie at iii kinds of weapon, long sword, backsworde, and quarterstaff, thear played against him two maisters, Richard White, and Thomas Weaver.

Brief History of the Quarterstaff

In this episode I discuss three different subjects. 1) How the current climate has changed defensive fighting against multiple attackers. 2) Visualisation as a training tool 3) Writing articles and essays for your martial art

Training Podcast

Here in this episode we discuss translating period manuals and books, we are also going to hit on weapons practice and armour, and finally training in the lockdown and how hard it can be. According to skopos theory, what methods translators will choose always relies on the purposes of the translation.

Translation Weapons Practice and the Lockdown

In Anglo-Saxon times one of the terms by which a folcwiga (warrior) would have known close quarter combat was handplegan (hand play) which is recorded in the Saxon Chronicles. By Tudor times there were two main titles in use; the Art Militaire and its civilian relative the Science of Defence. In the Stuart era the latter was often called the Noble Science of Defence or the Noble Art of Defence, (these titles being later inherited by boxing). The Science of Defence was a combat art that was concerned with individual self-defence rather than the military scenario but it was so closely related to the battlefield system as to be interchangeable with it. Indeed, the ‘civilian’ system used by the English included usage of many battlefield weapons (see below). One of the major differences between the military and civilian experience was that in the packed ranks of the battlefield there often wasn’t enough room to use the methods or apply the principles that were available when fighting one-on-one (a fact noted by contemporary maisters of defence). Another difference was that military conflict did not require its participants to follow the strict code of conduct that the civilian practitioners of the Science of Defence were expected – on oath – to follow. For example, followers of the civilian system were forbidden to kill a defeated opponent, clearly such an obligation would not be realistic in times of war. PRINCIPLES For fighting methods to be defined as a martial art system there have to be in place a definitive set of principles that govern the usage of weapons, be they natural weapons, that is to say fist, foot, etc. or artificial weapons as described earlier. English martial arts utilized a sophisticated set of principles by which the Science of Defence was governed. To attempt to describe in depth the entire set of principles is beyond the limited confines of this page. Nonetheless it is worth touching upon a small number of them to give the reader an insight of the methodology involved. English Maisters of Defence held that all actions, whether with or without weapons, were governed by the principles of the True Fight. These included such things as: True Times, False Times, The Four Grounds, The Four Governors, Wide Space, Narrow Space, etc. If you followed these principles when in combat you would be fighting the True Fight. If you fought without using the principles you would be fighting a False Fight which would seriously reduce your chances of surviving combat. Liber albus: the white book of the city of London. 1419 AD

Update

This episode of the English Martial Arts Podcast is about training while in lockdown, The equipment to use and how to do it. There are also a couple of other things contained within the podcast that I hope will entertain. Training while in lockdown can be difficult due to lack of training space, but their is always something that can be done.I also talk about using visualisation instead of physical training which can help improve your all round martial arts skill.

Training while in Lockdown

In this short episode I talk about the effects of Covid 19 and how the government is giving advice but still allowing people into the country with no checks. How I gained an injury, and training at home.

Training and Covid 19

You can support us by: https://www.paypal.me/EnglishFightingArts This is the English Martial Arts Podcast show where we talk about the Weapons and Unarmed arts contained within the English system. We will also talk about the principles of the system because the whole system is a principles based system. We will also be talking about other WMA and Hema based martial arts as well as talking to, and interviewing teachers and Masters (Maisters). I will be talking to Teachers and Masters of both Western and Asian disciplines which will give all listeners a deeper understanding of how similar in their outlook and practice the martial arts of the world are. We will also be concentrating on interviews with martial arts instructors from all walks of life and many different types of martial arts systems.

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English Martial Arts Podcast Show

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