Jai Yen Yen System
Martial Arts &
Self Defense


The training methods of Jai Yen Yen

Physical Control - is controlling those parts of your body that have an actual physical description, from your muscular, skeletal and respiratory patterns. Mental, Emotional and Spiritual Control - These are all combined together and tend to overlap. They control your thought process, your basic instincts. Knowledge provides the student to alter their emotions, they learn to control their Fears, Joys, Saddness, and even Confusion. By understanding their physical, mental and moral capabilities the student can control how they react to situations that would have otherwise ended in disaster.



JYY students begin each lesson with the understanding that anyone can be a "Victim". During each class, regardless of what the training curriculum is for the day, there is an understanding that any Instructor may at any time "Attack" the student.


Attacking a student during kata practice.

This type of training heightens the Awareness of the student. The "Attacks" are done at different levels depending on the students current level in training. Everything done in class is done to teach the student "How to Defend themselves!" Once the instructor starts one of these attacks the student must quickly gain "Control of the situation" by rapidly and effectively disabling the opponent and escape from the attacker by running away and Yelling "FIRE!". If the student has difficulty reacting to the attack the instructor works with the student to demonstrate how to escape from that type of attack. This type of repetitive practice gives the student the ability to become a "Reflexive Fighter".

Training in JYY, like with any art, begins and ends with "Respect". As Instructors, the student is looked upon as being there because they need to learn to defend themselves, not so that the Instructor can show off. Care and nurturing in the training is conducted so that the student does not develop a false sense of security. For Students, they are there to learn, they show there respect to the instructors by their diligent practice.

JYY students develop their self defense skills at all positions and ranges, from several feet away to lying on the ground grappling. JYY students develop the ability to fight inside, up close and personal. The techniques are developed to be simple and effective, there are no flashy or fancy movements, all techniques are quick and to the point.

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Students learn based on their personal abilities.

JYY uses one concept with 6 basic stances. The key concept is to utilize the hips to transfer the weight while using very low stances, this increases the students balance by lowering their center of gravity. The stances are based on the traditional methods of stance, the 6 stances are:

Attention Stance
Ready Stance
Horse Stance
Back Stance
Forward Leaning Stance
Sanchin Stance


JYY trains with a great deal of Sparring, in fact often students are required to spar for an hour or more continuously, this helps to develop Endurance and also teaches the student how to Conserve Energy. Sparring is often conducted with one or multiple opponents, depending on the students levels, of course we are all too often reminded that street fights rarely have only one attacker. For the most part, very little protective gear is worn because students are also taught how to protect their bodies during a confrontation, generally cups and shin pads are about it. Further, students are taught how to properly strike their opponents without causing personal injury to themselves or their classmates, this is not to say that we do not use heavy strikes, quite the contrary, rather we condition the students for any type of situation.

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Sparring teaches timing and true understanding of the application of techniques.

By utilizing specific striking areas on the hands, arms, legs, feet, elbows and knees the student can control how much impact is created upon the opponent and thus determine the amount of resistance necessary at the time of the confrontation. Students are taught that simply because you can seriously injure someone does not mean that it is always neccessary to do so on the street. The sparring develops the students Timing and Fluidity so that they may become more Reflexive. During sparring students are taught how to develop most of their "Control". They must learn to concentrate on making unnatural movements become natural, as simple as walking across the yard to pick up the newspaper on a Sunday morning. There are no set patterns in JYY sparring, although targets on the opponent are the primary tactic. By focusing our on specific targets the student should be able to stop and disable the opponents attack or abilities quickly and effectively.
Students are expected to learn to look at there opponents as targets from the top of their head to the tips of their toes. Students train and develop so that they can learn to "Completely Control" there opponent/s... even if only for a few seconds. Students are taught to take their opponent/s to the ground quickly, secure them momentarily, stun them and escape from the area, before the opponent/s can recover and re-attack the student. This training is conducted at all levels and at all ages, techniques are used to benefit the student based on their individual weaknesses and strengths. Obviously a child of 8 does not possess the same abilities in regard to size and strength as a 28 year old may possess, but the members of JYY find that the techniques used for their abilities can be just as effective.


Kata training in the cold!

JYY also uses Kata or forms for developing the students abilities. The JYY Kata's have been altered to enhance the practioner, based on current understandings of Balance and Control. As with sparring, the Kata's are taught to be performed without thought, simply a reaction. Although each Kata is a set pattern, their primary function is to allow the student to develop in the areas of their fluidity, rhythm, motion, breathing control and to heighten their senses. The true test comes when the student is required to perform the Kata with full Counter-Kata opponents trying to distract and disrupt their mental concentration, by striking, pushing and attempting to disorient the blindfolded practioner. As with all of the JYY training whether sparring or kata the key is to always Continue, even if the opponent is not doing what you may have anticipated.

JYY classes are generally small, the average class only has 15 students. The low number of students is maintained in order to ensure "Quality Training". Some classes have been as large as 25 but those are due to the number of blackbelts teaching in one location. Students attaining the rank of brownbelt are identified as Assistant Instructors and at that time begin to develop their own methods of teaching. All JYY classes are instructed by blackbelts and it is imperative to the students training that they recieve "One on One" training with the blackbelt. Generally advanced rank has no positioning during training other than structure, all of the blackbelts, at all ranks physically participate in the students training. By maintaining this type of instruction, students are taught "by example" that we are all students regardless of rank.

JYY was created and designed for Self-Defense, but like most Martial Arts, whether sport or not we do it because its Fun, Educational and brings a sense of Community Spirit to those involved. For us it is a "Way of Life". I hope you enjoyed learning a little about what we do.

Train Hard Today... Because You Never Know What Tomorrow Will Bring!

 

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