Explaining "Aliveness" in a nonthreatening way?

**SifuJason** · Posted On: 7/29/2012 4:50pm

Originally Posted by Bodhi108

Sad, he's in California and can't find one of the good, alive Kaju schools.

Ya, I was gonna also mention that there a ton of them, including at least one in SD I have heard is good (though I can't recall the name currently--PM me if you want me to do some leg work).

**Kali11324** · Posted On: 7/29/2012 8:06pm

It's funny. I knew going into it that this place was a McDojo, but I thought it wouldn't be that bad. I can't stomach it though. Last class was totally spent on doing kemps and combinations. The BJJ on Tuesdays and Thursdays is awesome and I'll miss it tremendously, but I don't want to go to class and be bored.

**Robdogg** · Posted On: 7/29/2012 9:06pm

Originally Posted by Kali11324

It's funny. I knew going into it that this place was a McDojo, but I thought it wouldn't be that bad. I can't stomach it though. Last class was totally spent on doing kemps and combinations. The BJJ on Tuesdays and Thursdays is awesome and I'll miss it tremendously, but I don't want to go to class and be bored.

You live in San Diego, there's plenty of great places you can go to for BJJ.

**Kali11324** · Posted On: 7/30/2012 1:18pm

My current situation aside. I am still really curious to hear from people about spreading the word of aliveness in training.
In a totally hypothetical situation, how would tell someone about the benefits of aliveness, while doing your best to not offend or put them on the defensive?

**dougguod** · Posted On: 7/30/2012 2:56pm

Originally Posted by Kali11324

In a totally hypothetical situation, how would tell someone about the benefits of aliveness, while doing your best to not offend or put them on the defensive?

I wouldn't. Every martial artist already intuitively understands the concept of aliveness, even if they don't recognize that word. There's a reason why some people seek out aikido and others seek out muay thai. When you find a dead, compliant school it's not because the teacher and/or students never realized that they could be hitting and getting hit, it's because they aren't willing to hit and get hit.

**goodlun** · Posted On: 7/30/2012 5:57pm

Face it someone people just want to live with the fantasy they want to believe that they can do x x y and z. If they have to actually train in an alive situation then they have to face up to the fact that it is actually hard to fight off the roving rape gang.
The good news for them is that the roving rape gang is as much of a fantasy as their training.

**Permalost** · Posted On: 7/30/2012 6:56pm

Originally Posted by dougguod

Every martial artist already intuitively understands the concept of aliveness, even if they don't recognize that word.

Well, there's plenty of people here that did "dead" martial arts for years before stumbling on this site and learning about aliveness.

I think of it like the Chinese plow vs the European plow. The European plow is straight and moves through the ground at a right angle.. Now, a Chinese plow is shaped like a point/triangle, so it cuts through the ground far, far more efficiently. Its this ___ vs this ^ in an aerodynamic contest, and the fluid medium is soil. The Chinese plow makes way more sense, but the Europeans didn't figure it out until the Chinese one slowly made its way to the West, where Europeans probably slapped their forehead and felt stupid. They weren't unskilled farmers, but they hadn't considered other possibilities.

**dougguod** · Posted On: 7/30/2012 7:52pm

Originally Posted by Permalost

Well, there's plenty of people here that did "dead" martial arts for years before stumbling on this site and learning about aliveness.

Yes, some people will see the light, given the right circumstances. I've read the "I did [style] until I got whipped by a [whoever] and realized it was worthless" stories. A large number, though, are hopeless. Look at Bujinkan. For thirty years outsiders have been telling them, "If you stopped waving your arms like mimes, put on gloves and slugged each other in the mouth like we do you could improve"; No change. When Boojers spar other schools they routinely get decimated; No change. Cross-training Booj members recognize that what they do on the side works while Booj doesn't yet, no change. And the reason this sort of intransigence can continue is because year after year there's a greater number of new students that prefer LARPing to fighting. These folks know boxing gyms exist but made the decision to go to the school that promised them they would never have to exert themselves in any way.