Breakthrough was created many years ago by a young man who could see the flaws in Martial Art Association politics. The gift of learning new skills often tainted by a cold undercurrent of egotism and the need to yield a profit. Misunderstood movements regurgitated by a xeroxed instructor, fabrications, tall tales and exaggerations. Martial Arts are incredibly easy to mock and many of us don't do ourselves or our students any favours by acting on automatic pilot without self critique. Fast forward a bit and Breakthrough Combat Arts became a thing. In it I found a way to authentically express myself and demonstrate the few arts that I have the privilege to espouse. My own study, free from the coerced navigation of others, I was free to explore combative movement, make my own mistakes and my own discoveries. My true driving force for the study: the interplay between the Yin and the Yang aspects in a fighting environment. The idea that humans are designed to survive and that we are very good at it when our intelligence advocates the use of technology, but what do we do when we have nothing but fear and fist? When we are completely free to find out, ie when we do not merely perform a dictated syllabus, we not only learn the art deeper but we learn its place in our nature.
Associations are like tools, and they should be used to facilitate growth, through support, authentic guidance and platforms in which we can pit ourselves against others. They should never have the right to tell us who to train with or what to learn. Any limitation placed upon us should be down to our own short-comings, they should never be in the constitution of a third party. Associations should be used as tools as we tread our own path.
As previously stated Martial Arts are easy to mock, but authentic arts and authentic people provide a far greater and more secure reason to train. They give back!
Talking from a personal POV but by no means a unique one to this industry, I have provided training for youth projects. Letting kids that had gone awry the ability to focus that angst they felt into more productive outlets. I have taught Tai Chi to teachers to hopefully promote calmness in their working day. I also used Tai Chi to aid stroke recovery and pain management. I have used both internal arts and external arts to battle the most fearsome of foes: addiction.
I have been doing it for so long it has become my routine, but there is nothing routine about it. Then the penny dropped, it is here I will find my purpose. Breakthrough Boxing and Combat Arts is set to evolve further. I aim to guide it towards a social enterprise, where all the things that we all ready stand for become available to more.
The past few weeks I have worked on a business plan, ran the numbers, met with the experts. Talked and talked, meeting after meeting. viewed and researched commercial property.
"How can I?"
"How do you?"
"When is it best to?"
"Do you think I?"
"What are the possibilities of?"
I have received a wealth of support from both like minded and non like minded people. There is never a bad time in which to give back to a community but it certainly feels like a good time to be trying!
The vision is simple, a full time facility dedicated to the community promoting wellness through movement. Providing a programme and access for talented youths to progress to the next level of competition, be it National, European, International or even Olympic. Fitness, Fun and Family, surely the three greatest blocks on which to build a future.
I've done the groundwork and it has left me exhausted, but in the best way. People are good and people want to help. Do you want to help? Tell someone what I'm doing, let me hear your ideas. We succeed by reaching out and seeking help.
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