Avi Nardia y Carlos Newton

Mixed Martial Arts

Kapap
By Avi Nardia and Ken Akiyama with Carlos Newton
Awareness in Budo
I first met Carlos Newton when he was 17 years old. Back then I could see that he had
talent, but to accomplish what Carlos has achieved takes more than just talent. His
success and skill is the result of hard work and we know that hard work beats talent,
when talent doesn't work hard.
Over the years, Carlos and I have shared friendships and crossed many bridges together.
It was a long time ago when Carlos was one of very few experts allowed as my guest in
Israel to teach the Special Forces. More recently, I was honored to complete a big circle
by sharing knowledge and friendship with Carlos's son Nick, who is now a young man
of 17 years age.
During the last few years, Carlos and I have worked on many new projects together.
Working with the Cree and Inuit tribes in the Arctic has been quite an adventure. 300
miles of remote roadway lead their native land; isolated territory inside the arctic circle
where the temperature drops to minus 45 degrees. Our project is to teach martial arts to
the tribes in order to reinforce their cultural traditions and values.
Carlos and I have also been teaming up on seminars and this year we produced a DVD
with Ken Akiyama and Budo Magazine on the theme of awareness. Awareness is a
key subject in martial arts. In order to gain skill in martial arts, you must first gain
awareness of yourself, your fears, who you are, what you are, and most of all, what you
want to be.
Only after studying yourself can you begin to study others and only after knowing
yourself, can you know others. The more you are aware of in life, the more you can
make from this life. In martial arts strategy, the more aware you are of what is
happening around you, the greater your ability will be to accept and counter.
Awareness is very important to study, as being aware will enable you to observe the first
rule of self defense - action is always faster than reaction. In military and sport
applications, we step into challenges and even seek conflict. However, in self defense,
we seek to avoid conflict and escape. Often times a military unit's mission will be to
seek out the enemy and engage in combat. However, the idea behind civilian selfdefense is to avoid conflict and escape without harm. There is a big difference and now
you can understand why many teachers who teach military systems are missing the
point of self defense. The application of military combatives is completely different
from context of self defense. Police work is another context that has it's own unique
characteristics.
Good self-defense requires good awareness and great self defense requires great
awareness. I know an Israeli combatives expert designed his system to teach his guys
only 5 moves. His strategy is based on one tactic - if any one comes close you, kick the
groin. He shared an anecdote to support his strategy. He said that a cat will always climb
a tree to escape any danger. He said that if you give your students too many different
ideas that they will not be able to think under stress. I immediately replied with a
question, What if there is no tree?

Some teachers attempt to support their theory of oversimplification with scientific

research. An experiment that was not related to martial arts was performed which
showed that when people have many options to choose from, they will require more
time in order to make a decision because they are seeking the best option. This research
is valid when it comes to something like choosing a meal at a restaurant of selecting a
piece of ripe fruit.
A system of teaching that is based on the assumption that the students are incapable of
thinking seems like giving vitamins to a dead body. Why would you teach people who
don't have the capacity to think? I always explain to my students that a jet pilot needs to
calculate many things in high speed. The pilot must be able to react quickly, and with
awareness of many concerns while keeping the plane in the air. That example proves
that we humans have the ability to make decisions under stress.
One secret to this ability is to cultivate a mindset of action, rather reaction. As I
mentioned earlier, the best defense is to attack first. Even United States law allows
preemptive action if you sense an immediate threat. You have the right to throw the first
strike and still be protected under the right to self defense.
In the last seminar with Carlos Newton, Ken Akiyama and myself, we taught that action
is faster than reaction and how you can use gravity and object mass (weight ) to help
you to hold your opponent down. We shared ideas from Aiki Kenpo Jujutsu, Machado
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and invited a few guests to share their own ideas in free fighting.
In the spirit of expanding awareness, we also taught about the importance of studying
what if scenarios, the chain of attack, and cause and effect relationships. Ken
Akiyama demonstrated some ideas from a big project we are working on to share
movement drills that are very effective for developing strength, and relaxation. The
ability to move your body in a relaxed way is a vital skill for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and self
defense.
Jiu Jitsu is about understanding actions and reactions. When you can predict the effects
and vulnerabilities of your actions, you can always block your opponents options before
you attack. When you do this, your opponent will become very frustrated. When that
happens, you destroy your opponents ability to think. When your opponent can not
think, you win. That's what makes jiu jitsu a great game of strategy. Strategy is the study
of action, reaction, and forethought. Strategy requires awareness.
DESTACADOS:
In the last seminar with Carlos Newton, Ken Akiyama and myself,
we taught that action is faster than reaction and how you can use gravity and object
mass (weight) to help you to hold your opponent down
Awareness is a key subject in martial arts. In order to gain skill in martial arts, you
must first gain awareness of yourself, your fears, who you are, what you are, and most
of all, what you want to be.
Jiu Jitsu is about understanding actions and reactions. When you can predict the effects
and vulnerabilities of your actions, you can always block your opponents options before
you attack. When you do this,
your opponent will become very frustrated

Only after studying yourself can you begin to study others and only after knowing
yourself, can you know others.
"In the martial arts Sensei Avi Nardia demonstrates beautifully
the level of awareness one can achieve through the cultivation of great skill and
technique."
Carlos Newton.
A system of teaching that is based on the assumption that the students are incapable of
thinking seems like giving vitamins to a
dead body
In the spirit of expanding awareness, we also taught about the importance of studying
what if scenarios, the chain of attack, and cause and effect relationships.
One secret to this ability is to cultivate a mindset of action, rather reaction.
PIES DE FOTO:
With my student Mass Ortis which is MMA champion of Porto Rico and now study
with me in USA. We took few pictures with Carlos Newton the Roning a UFC
champion Pride and Vale Tudo Champion
Carlos Newton the Ronin UFC champion with my students Mass Ortis Boxing Thai
Boxing and MMA Champion and with Paul Colon and Mike Wilson , Mike is OVER 70
years old start studied with me BJJ Machado RCJ as been 63 now he is Brown belt hope
soon get his Black Belt as I told him and Carlos Newton are Champions Champions
Forever
My Self Carlos Newton the Ronin and Mass Ortis Boxing and Thai Boxing and MMA
Champion and Paul Colon all had honor be teacher.