I believe there is no need for additional reinforcement of an opening statement on this post and any that follow simply because it has been covered and would be redundant to repeat.
First Statement: "Resistance and Response are provided by the makiwara?"
Comment: Yes, a major function of the makiwara. If you have no resistance and receive no response from the training or practice then your not training or practicing. If you do something with intent incorrectly on the makiwara all things being equal the makiwara will return energy and power back into your body at that single and very small point, i.e. like the two fore-knuckles, that will cause pain, discomfort and possibly long-term damage.
Second Statement: "The makiwara can accommodate practice of open/closed hand strikes, kicks, knee strikes and elbow strikes?"
Comment: Yes, this is a few and you can do additional area's for body conditioning. The additions and the relevancy of them depends on the practitioner's goals in practice, training and application of the martial system.
Third Statement: "There are two types of makiwara named by location such as Shuri and Naha makiwara?"
Comment: Honestly, I have never heard of this before. I can say that I practice the art of the makiwara and never once found any reference to this naming convention until today while researching my statements for commenting. Apparently, like relating Shuri, Naha and Tomari to the more modern versions of karate we have the Shuri-makiwara being described and the Naha-makiware as another with slight differences in specifications. This one is open to anyone with any actual historical facts that would support the statement. I can tell you that I am inclined to accept the statement, in a very limited and broad fashion, as true until I find something that proves its inaccuracy.
In this particular post we covered three distinct areas of concern when researching whether a person would utilize the karate tool, the makiwara. The answers here and in following posts will help karate-ka determine their needs in pursuing the art of the makiwara.
Interesting Information Tatsuo Shimabuku Sensei
I joined a forum recently
(managed by Ray Read Sensei of Florida Isshinryu) and find the posting and discussions lively and stimulating. The folks there who participate have a deep interest in martial arts and Isshinryu.
Lundy Guyton Sensei, a forum member and Yon-dan in Isshinryu, provided me the following information during a forum discussion on "Most Overlooked Aspect of Training."
[Author Bruce D. Clayton Ph.D in his book "Shotokan's Secret" says that Chotoku Kyan's karate was a throw back to before this. and I quote "In particular, Tatsuo Shimabuku studied under Kyan during the 1930s when the master was in his 60s. At that time, Kyan had gone back to basics by teaching older versions of Okinawan kata instead of the forms modified at Shuri. These kata are preserved in Shimabuku's style, Isshin-Ryu. The Isshin-Ryu kata are in a time capsule showing karate before Shuri-te."]
I post it hear as information that has not been verified. I don't assume in today's books that things said or quoted are factual unless the book provides some source that is closer to actual historical data or his some verifiable and acceptable source for all Isshinryu'ists, etc. It is an interesting quote and of course as any Isshinryu practitioner would like to believe it. But, ....
I have asked a Isshinryu historian to see if he can provide more on this quote as to its believability. Petty Officer Andy Sloane is currently stationed for an extended tour on Okinawa and has a good relationship with those who practice and teach Isshinryu as well as other systems. He has access to the older generation who may have known and studied with Tatsuo Sensei.
Anyway, take it with a grain of salt and stay tuned for any further information on this particular tidbit of data :-)
(managed by Ray Read Sensei of Florida Isshinryu) and find the posting and discussions lively and stimulating. The folks there who participate have a deep interest in martial arts and Isshinryu. Lundy Guyton Sensei, a forum member and Yon-dan in Isshinryu, provided me the following information during a forum discussion on "Most Overlooked Aspect of Training."
[Author Bruce D. Clayton Ph.D in his book "Shotokan's Secret" says that Chotoku Kyan's karate was a throw back to before this. and I quote "In particular, Tatsuo Shimabuku studied under Kyan during the 1930s when the master was in his 60s. At that time, Kyan had gone back to basics by teaching older versions of Okinawan kata instead of the forms modified at Shuri. These kata are preserved in Shimabuku's style, Isshin-Ryu. The Isshin-Ryu kata are in a time capsule showing karate before Shuri-te."]
I post it hear as information that has not been verified. I don't assume in today's books that things said or quoted are factual unless the book provides some source that is closer to actual historical data or his some verifiable and acceptable source for all Isshinryu'ists, etc. It is an interesting quote and of course as any Isshinryu practitioner would like to believe it. But, ....
I have asked a Isshinryu historian to see if he can provide more on this quote as to its believability. Petty Officer Andy Sloane is currently stationed for an extended tour on Okinawa and has a good relationship with those who practice and teach Isshinryu as well as other systems. He has access to the older generation who may have known and studied with Tatsuo Sensei.
Anyway, take it with a grain of salt and stay tuned for any further information on this particular tidbit of data :-)
The Benefits of Makiwara Training - The Art of Makiwara - III
Once again another post to provide knowledge and understanding for the art of makiwara.
First Statement: "A very important device used to develop striking, blocking and kicking mechanics, power, focus and spirit?"
Comment: Once again a true statement and a bit messy as to how it may be interpreted. It is another sound bite that will instill enthusiasm in a novice practitioner of the martial art of karate. As to its overall importance that will depend on the relevancy of a person's practice. I can achieve knowledge, understanding and application of the fundamental principles of the martial systems to achieve speed, power and damage when applying MA techniques - any or all of them to a degree. My view is the art of the makiwara is a "classical or traditional" method that connects us to the history, the past, those masters who brought this to our consciousness. This works for me.
Second Statement: "The visible signs of makiwara training are callused knuckles and hands though the main idea is to strengthen the wrist, elbow and shoulder joints to improve focus and power in striking techniques?"
Comment: I have discussed those visible symbols or signs of makiwara training. As to the "main idea" being to strengthen the wrist, elbow and shoulders with emphasis on the joints I have many doubts. As to this being a key to power I have greater doubts. This seems to fly in the face of properly understanding and applying the universal martial principles for power. Yes, a byproduct may be stronger joints. I don't agree as the more important principles of body alignments and economic motions along with the conservation of energy and effortlessness seem to garner power more than the limited voice saying it comes from these stated traits.
Third Statement: "The karateka can learn proper punching technique, stance, weight transfer, and hip rotation?"
Comment: Yes ... No ... Maybe ... but! The karate-ka must have a solid foundation as to proper application of any techniques as well as the nature of stances, weight transfer and hip rotation. This statement seems to promote the idea that if you can do these things while applying a punch, etc. that it will garner these traits. There is more to it than simply this stuff and more to the art of makiwara in benefits and purpose. This simply appears to bolster the urban legand of the makiwara and overlooks the actual purpose and benefit of utilizing the art of makiwara as a tool to teach, train and supplement other basic and fundamental aspects.
In this particular post we covered three distinct areas of concern when researching whether a person would utilize the karate tool, the makiwara. The answers here and in following posts will help karate-ka determine their needs in pursuing the art of the makiwara.
First Statement: "A very important device used to develop striking, blocking and kicking mechanics, power, focus and spirit?"
Comment: Once again a true statement and a bit messy as to how it may be interpreted. It is another sound bite that will instill enthusiasm in a novice practitioner of the martial art of karate. As to its overall importance that will depend on the relevancy of a person's practice. I can achieve knowledge, understanding and application of the fundamental principles of the martial systems to achieve speed, power and damage when applying MA techniques - any or all of them to a degree. My view is the art of the makiwara is a "classical or traditional" method that connects us to the history, the past, those masters who brought this to our consciousness. This works for me.
Second Statement: "The visible signs of makiwara training are callused knuckles and hands though the main idea is to strengthen the wrist, elbow and shoulder joints to improve focus and power in striking techniques?"
Comment: I have discussed those visible symbols or signs of makiwara training. As to the "main idea" being to strengthen the wrist, elbow and shoulders with emphasis on the joints I have many doubts. As to this being a key to power I have greater doubts. This seems to fly in the face of properly understanding and applying the universal martial principles for power. Yes, a byproduct may be stronger joints. I don't agree as the more important principles of body alignments and economic motions along with the conservation of energy and effortlessness seem to garner power more than the limited voice saying it comes from these stated traits.
Third Statement: "The karateka can learn proper punching technique, stance, weight transfer, and hip rotation?"
Comment: Yes ... No ... Maybe ... but! The karate-ka must have a solid foundation as to proper application of any techniques as well as the nature of stances, weight transfer and hip rotation. This statement seems to promote the idea that if you can do these things while applying a punch, etc. that it will garner these traits. There is more to it than simply this stuff and more to the art of makiwara in benefits and purpose. This simply appears to bolster the urban legand of the makiwara and overlooks the actual purpose and benefit of utilizing the art of makiwara as a tool to teach, train and supplement other basic and fundamental aspects.
In this particular post we covered three distinct areas of concern when researching whether a person would utilize the karate tool, the makiwara. The answers here and in following posts will help karate-ka determine their needs in pursuing the art of the makiwara.
Moment of Stillness
 |
| "Moment of Stillness" |
This stillness much like the still lake allows for a reflection. The reflection in that moment of stillness opens a door to another dimension, a dimension of the mind.
When I am practicing kata I tend to reflect through imagery many things. I often come to a still place where without conscious awareness achieve a still mind with no thought and then much like a rain drop striking a still, mirror like, lake sends a small ripple across the stillness. You see that which was not seen, you experience that which is not experienced and you reach the unreachable.
The epiphany, the enlightened state, the moment oh so present. The inspirational moment that many artist refer to when they see the image in the stone and chip away all the exterior garbage.
I am lucky. I experience "moment of stillness" in these present moments that occur without awareness and this is where I achieve shifts in a paradigm called life through those shifts in a paradigm I call martial systems.
I can in those moments suddenly like a spark that shocks new ways of doing things, new ways of seeing things and new ways of experiencing things. This works well in my practice as it has taken me beyond the basics, beyond the fundamentals and beyond any dogmatic adherence to some stunted belief derived as a vilification of a creator of a martial system.
Do you practice and train to achieve a "moment of stillness?" I have had those moments in applying my expertise and it is inexplicable. I am reminded of the unexplainable explanation of the Tao Te Ching.
"Remember to pay attention when you realize you're in a moment of stillness for it is in the next moment when a slight breeze, a puff of wind or a falling leaf will disturb the stillness." - Charles James
Repetition and Complacency
We can become complacent in our practice and training. We can assume we know something and fall into the false sense of assurance we know and can use something so we let it fall by the wayside in our efforts and intentions toward martial practice. Dangerous territory.
We use repetition in training and practice for a reason, to learn and encode. What we tend to forget is that repetition is also a means to remove complacency from our training and practice. In this instance I do not mean doing it over and over and over again but rather returning to things like the basics of a system and especially those fundamental principles. To return (repetitively) to such as basics/fundamentals to repeat and learn anew - repetitively over our entire life in MA.
I write, I read posts and I practice repetitively to both encode and to reintroduce idea's, concepts and abilities that might fall away and atrophy from disuse. When I participate in blogs, forum's and in dojo practice I constantly or repetitively remind myself of things that may disappear unintentionally and then find their re-introduction creates greater proficiency, understanding and ability not to forget to mention a wholly new perspective on older idea's.
When you hear the word "repetition" don't just assume we mean go do the upper and lower techniques ten reps for thirty minutes to work up a sweat. Take it as a message to review and remind yourself of some more mundane and very important aspects of the martial arts for they just may make a difference in your following of the path.
The more you do it, the easier it is to keep it frosty. The idea if repetition is to foster new thoughts, idea's and plans-strategies-tactics :-)
We use repetition in training and practice for a reason, to learn and encode. What we tend to forget is that repetition is also a means to remove complacency from our training and practice. In this instance I do not mean doing it over and over and over again but rather returning to things like the basics of a system and especially those fundamental principles. To return (repetitively) to such as basics/fundamentals to repeat and learn anew - repetitively over our entire life in MA.
I write, I read posts and I practice repetitively to both encode and to reintroduce idea's, concepts and abilities that might fall away and atrophy from disuse. When I participate in blogs, forum's and in dojo practice I constantly or repetitively remind myself of things that may disappear unintentionally and then find their re-introduction creates greater proficiency, understanding and ability not to forget to mention a wholly new perspective on older idea's.
When you hear the word "repetition" don't just assume we mean go do the upper and lower techniques ten reps for thirty minutes to work up a sweat. Take it as a message to review and remind yourself of some more mundane and very important aspects of the martial arts for they just may make a difference in your following of the path.
The more you do it, the easier it is to keep it frosty. The idea if repetition is to foster new thoughts, idea's and plans-strategies-tactics :-)
The Benefits of Makiwara Training - The Art of Makiwara - II
Lets continue this journey on the art of the makiwara for karate training and practice. Again, I will cover additional statements made by other practitioners in the effort to combine and coalesce knowledge on this often misunderstood practice.
First Statement: "The makiwara is used to develop kime (focus), timing, good technique and punching power?"
Comment: True and a limited statement. These particular benefits fall into a wider spectrum of fundamental principles of martial systems. Focus, timing, and power all fall into those principles or are a product of proper application of principles in the particular system you may be involved in for training and practice. There is more to power than simply pounding on the makiwara. Many such aspects of martial arts are missed, ignored or lost under the guise of fame, fortune and many trophies associated with the accolades that come along side not to forget the validations sought after by all types of persons.
Second Statement: "It toughens the knuckles and skin?"
Comment: Yes it will and no it is not the primary goal of makiwara. This distinction is important to remember. You can gain the knuckles and skin that impresses folks uninitiated in such things and then you will have to realize that power and proper principle application is not a given simply because you wear the physical symbols. These knuckles and skin calluses are not indicative of power, speed and proper function of any technique.
Third Statement: "The makiwara helps develop concentration and technique to the point where there is a theory that the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual parts of your mind and body, meet as one at the exact point of impact, delivering incredible power and penetration into the target?"
Comment: Sounds really great. It would be a good sound bite to put into a martial art movie script that the sage tells the student as they leave the dojo to seek out the inherent evil of the world for applicable vanquishing. Yes, concentration is a product. Yes, it helps with technique as long as all the applicable principles are applied. As to any physical, mental and spiritual parts of the mind and body - more of a philosophical endeavor that can be attributed to any type of effort be it makiwara, tameshiwari, kumite or flower arranging. Chess can do this for you as well.
In this particular post we covered three distinct areas of concern when researching whether a person would utilize the karate tool, the makiwara. The answers here and in following posts will help karate-ka determine their needs in pursuing the art of the makiwara.
First Statement: "The makiwara is used to develop kime (focus), timing, good technique and punching power?"
Comment: True and a limited statement. These particular benefits fall into a wider spectrum of fundamental principles of martial systems. Focus, timing, and power all fall into those principles or are a product of proper application of principles in the particular system you may be involved in for training and practice. There is more to power than simply pounding on the makiwara. Many such aspects of martial arts are missed, ignored or lost under the guise of fame, fortune and many trophies associated with the accolades that come along side not to forget the validations sought after by all types of persons.
Second Statement: "It toughens the knuckles and skin?"
Comment: Yes it will and no it is not the primary goal of makiwara. This distinction is important to remember. You can gain the knuckles and skin that impresses folks uninitiated in such things and then you will have to realize that power and proper principle application is not a given simply because you wear the physical symbols. These knuckles and skin calluses are not indicative of power, speed and proper function of any technique.
Third Statement: "The makiwara helps develop concentration and technique to the point where there is a theory that the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual parts of your mind and body, meet as one at the exact point of impact, delivering incredible power and penetration into the target?"
Comment: Sounds really great. It would be a good sound bite to put into a martial art movie script that the sage tells the student as they leave the dojo to seek out the inherent evil of the world for applicable vanquishing. Yes, concentration is a product. Yes, it helps with technique as long as all the applicable principles are applied. As to any physical, mental and spiritual parts of the mind and body - more of a philosophical endeavor that can be attributed to any type of effort be it makiwara, tameshiwari, kumite or flower arranging. Chess can do this for you as well.
In this particular post we covered three distinct areas of concern when researching whether a person would utilize the karate tool, the makiwara. The answers here and in following posts will help karate-ka determine their needs in pursuing the art of the makiwara.
Gotta Believe
I am beginning to understand a bit better that humans, generally, need "something" to believe in or they can feel life is not worth much. I also believe, see, that folks want to have something to take up the lulls in life so we have things like vacations, etc. This seems ok to me if it fills a need and makes a difference, a positive one, in life.
This seems to fill a belief and need for people when they take up martial systems. I can say that it is because of "my belief" in these systems and the ability of them to fill my need for substance the have been an important part of my life - good, right?
Where I want to allow flexibility is in my belief system. People can be stubborn to the ninth degree if their belief system is questioned. I see this as a hinderance to both belief and personal growth. I believe, yes believe, that our ability to adjust our beliefs, for the betterment of us and our interactions in society, is critical and allows for a more moderate response when questioned.
I believe we all should stop at a four way stop sign in our automobiles. I would then believe this as a good thing. I would then believe it not so good if all we did was stop and then no further progress. If I allow my belief that stopping is good and that allowing an adjustment/change in that belief it might benefit all. I can allow my belief to change and then create a new belief that if we all arrived at the same time the person on the left allows the person on their right to proceed through the intersection. I can allow my belief to change that if one of the four arrived a moment before the others that the person may proceed first followed by others in an orderly manner.
So, why do we find dogmatic adherence to specific group dogma simply because we allow a belief to influence us to remain stagnant vs. continued growth and prosperity. Hmm, must study and contemplate this a lot.
This seems to fill a belief and need for people when they take up martial systems. I can say that it is because of "my belief" in these systems and the ability of them to fill my need for substance the have been an important part of my life - good, right?
Where I want to allow flexibility is in my belief system. People can be stubborn to the ninth degree if their belief system is questioned. I see this as a hinderance to both belief and personal growth. I believe, yes believe, that our ability to adjust our beliefs, for the betterment of us and our interactions in society, is critical and allows for a more moderate response when questioned.
I believe we all should stop at a four way stop sign in our automobiles. I would then believe this as a good thing. I would then believe it not so good if all we did was stop and then no further progress. If I allow my belief that stopping is good and that allowing an adjustment/change in that belief it might benefit all. I can allow my belief to change and then create a new belief that if we all arrived at the same time the person on the left allows the person on their right to proceed through the intersection. I can allow my belief to change that if one of the four arrived a moment before the others that the person may proceed first followed by others in an orderly manner.
So, why do we find dogmatic adherence to specific group dogma simply because we allow a belief to influence us to remain stagnant vs. continued growth and prosperity. Hmm, must study and contemplate this a lot.
The Levels of Nature
Nature has a plan. The plan runs by specific procedures and processes. The plan states specific non-negotiable procedures that are written in stone. The processes are those events that build life from the overall plan and by the procedures that govern nature's way.
If we are lucky we are born. There is no shortcut in this process. There is a joining of Yin to Yang creating life. Nature has some rules that have some wiggle room that create either male or female.
At our birth and when our senses begin to receive input from the world that surrounds us they feed the mind all sorts of information. The information is without fault, without restrictions and without any obstacles. It comes in, the mind starts to process it instinctively and then the mind begins to create a filter that I call our perceptive-filters. The filters change, adjust and create new ways from the information processed by the senses.
As we progress in our lives we must go through specific stages or levels. There is no quick way around these levels. Each level must be passed through and lived to reach the next level in life. How we transgress through the levels depends on the information the senses encounter and how they are encoded by our perceptive-filtering systems. We don't just get born and suddenly achieve adulthood with knowledge, understanding and ability to live life as intended by many of nature's requirements and factors.
The levels are youngster, adulthood and elderly. You have to travel through all of these levels as well as the many sub-levels that are within each of these three main levels of life - there is no other way, no other path and no other step that bypasses this rule of nature, nature's law.
A combination of senses, sense input, perceptive filtering provide us the guiding light that helps us to see our path in life. There is no other way, method or path that can take us around any of these requirements of life.
How we life life in the three main stages is determined by our actions, our intentions and our perceptions. These grow and build over time. Time is what we use for our dojo to practice life's requirements. Any part subjected to less than complete study and contemplation results in an omission that will impact the entire life process. This is what I believe results in such as good vs. bad and the many levels in between.
The levels of nature are written in stone and we cannot subvert them to our individual needs, i.e. pass them to achieve the more fun aspects of life. We have to endure all of life's events, bad and good, to achieve balance, equilibrium, enlightenment.
Why would we even consider trying to short cut the path? Mastery of life means we live it in its entirety with out short cuts or quick fixes. We travel the path for the enjoyment of the journey. The side shows are merely a form of enjoyment to be experienced and then we move on. To focus on any one and to remain fixed on it stops the progress along the path. Why would we want to do that?
Waxing philosophical. Is our practice of martial systems much different?
If we are lucky we are born. There is no shortcut in this process. There is a joining of Yin to Yang creating life. Nature has some rules that have some wiggle room that create either male or female.
At our birth and when our senses begin to receive input from the world that surrounds us they feed the mind all sorts of information. The information is without fault, without restrictions and without any obstacles. It comes in, the mind starts to process it instinctively and then the mind begins to create a filter that I call our perceptive-filters. The filters change, adjust and create new ways from the information processed by the senses.
As we progress in our lives we must go through specific stages or levels. There is no quick way around these levels. Each level must be passed through and lived to reach the next level in life. How we transgress through the levels depends on the information the senses encounter and how they are encoded by our perceptive-filtering systems. We don't just get born and suddenly achieve adulthood with knowledge, understanding and ability to live life as intended by many of nature's requirements and factors.
The levels are youngster, adulthood and elderly. You have to travel through all of these levels as well as the many sub-levels that are within each of these three main levels of life - there is no other way, no other path and no other step that bypasses this rule of nature, nature's law.
A combination of senses, sense input, perceptive filtering provide us the guiding light that helps us to see our path in life. There is no other way, method or path that can take us around any of these requirements of life.
How we life life in the three main stages is determined by our actions, our intentions and our perceptions. These grow and build over time. Time is what we use for our dojo to practice life's requirements. Any part subjected to less than complete study and contemplation results in an omission that will impact the entire life process. This is what I believe results in such as good vs. bad and the many levels in between.
The levels of nature are written in stone and we cannot subvert them to our individual needs, i.e. pass them to achieve the more fun aspects of life. We have to endure all of life's events, bad and good, to achieve balance, equilibrium, enlightenment.
Why would we even consider trying to short cut the path? Mastery of life means we live it in its entirety with out short cuts or quick fixes. We travel the path for the enjoyment of the journey. The side shows are merely a form of enjoyment to be experienced and then we move on. To focus on any one and to remain fixed on it stops the progress along the path. Why would we want to do that?
Waxing philosophical. Is our practice of martial systems much different?
Emotions: Yin-n-Yang
In a very loosely basic level the brain functions on electro-chemical processes. The brain has electrical impulses, much like 1's and 0's of computers, that jump across synapsis while event will trigger chemicals causing various changes in personality and bodily functionality.
The chemical side of the brain functioning is where I want to go for this post. We have emotions, positive and negative. The positive emotions include, "Joy, gratitude, serenity, hope, amusement, inspiration, awe, love, etc." The negative emotions include, "Afraid, frightened, intimidated, scared, terrified, threatened, violated, anger, frustration, intimidated, pain, etc."
Both cause the brain to release chemicals. Those chemicals have dual effects depending on which emotion is triggered.
If it is fear, anger, or other stressful emotions then the adrenaline mixture is released for the flight-or-fight type response. The release of the negative chemicals result in a dis-ease within the body resulting in high blood pressure, heart disease, and other negative effects of the body, mind and spirit promoting ill health.
If it is love, happiness, or other non-stressful emotions then the mind releases deep down feel good chemicals that are beneficial to the mind, body and spirit promoting health and well being.
When I train I like to use breathing deep and rhythmically to promote those chemicals that counter the adrenaline dump cocktail. I also add in a smile which can be an image in my mind or literally one on my face. The face takes on the initial form as to either the negative or positive emotions and chemical dumps. This is why imagery of facial relaxation can achieve positive chemical releases along with breathing, etc.
Caveat: If in a fight you might not want to actually smile unless your intention is to use a smile that says you are going to enjoy doing damage to this threat but then again it could also promote escalation of the threat into a full fledged chaotic mentally deranged monkey attack.
The chemical side of the brain functioning is where I want to go for this post. We have emotions, positive and negative. The positive emotions include, "Joy, gratitude, serenity, hope, amusement, inspiration, awe, love, etc." The negative emotions include, "Afraid, frightened, intimidated, scared, terrified, threatened, violated, anger, frustration, intimidated, pain, etc."
Both cause the brain to release chemicals. Those chemicals have dual effects depending on which emotion is triggered.
If it is fear, anger, or other stressful emotions then the adrenaline mixture is released for the flight-or-fight type response. The release of the negative chemicals result in a dis-ease within the body resulting in high blood pressure, heart disease, and other negative effects of the body, mind and spirit promoting ill health.
If it is love, happiness, or other non-stressful emotions then the mind releases deep down feel good chemicals that are beneficial to the mind, body and spirit promoting health and well being.
When I train I like to use breathing deep and rhythmically to promote those chemicals that counter the adrenaline dump cocktail. I also add in a smile which can be an image in my mind or literally one on my face. The face takes on the initial form as to either the negative or positive emotions and chemical dumps. This is why imagery of facial relaxation can achieve positive chemical releases along with breathing, etc.
Caveat: If in a fight you might not want to actually smile unless your intention is to use a smile that says you are going to enjoy doing damage to this threat but then again it could also promote escalation of the threat into a full fledged chaotic mentally deranged monkey attack.
Continuous Training, Time in Grade and Other Stuff ....
The condition was that the grades were for continuous training in Isshin-ryu karate-do. - AJA Sensei on Isshinkai as to Tatsuo Sensei's view on rank or belts. The contention here is what folks use to define "continuous training."
Continuous training: Does this mean two hours three times a week? Does this mean daily training of any duration? Does this mean a certain amount of dojo training? Where and who decides what is considered continuous training.
If I were to take the comments literally I have over thirty-two years continuous training and practice as an Isshinryu black belt. In that light and under an assumption Tatsuo Sensei meant us to be honest with our selves, i.e. self governed, then I would assume my grade would be Judan.
His (Tatsuo Sensei) supposed time in grade requirement was:
Shodan 9-16 months Black Belt
Nidan 3 years continuous practice Black Belt
Sandan 4-6 years continuous practice Black Belt
Yondan 7-9 years continuous practice Renshi title Black Belt
Godan 10-12 years continuous practice Renshi title Black Belt
Rokudan 13-15 years continuous practice Renshi title Black Belt
Nanadan 16-20 years continuous practice Kyoshi title Red and White Belt
Hachidan 20-25 years continuous practice Kyoshi title Red and White Belt
Kudan 25-30 years continuous practice Hanshi title Red Belt
Judan 30 years and up continuous active participation Hanchi title Red Belt
and then the statement attributed to Tatsuo Sensei:
"This is the Isshin-ryu grading system that Shimabuku Tatsuo Sensei gave to us on Okinawa. We were suppose to follow it when wearing grades he passed out to us on Okinawa. The condition was that the grades were for continuous training in Isshin-ryu karate-do."
So, what do we do about this? What should we consider authoritative as to grades vs. time in grade vs. continuous training (as it may be loosely defined as an unbroken whole, without interruption)?
This seems to open the door to many high grade practitioners but does it really?
What I take into consideration as to grade: A person's honesty, integrity, and sincerity toward his or her practice and training. If we don't have, at a minimum, these three traits as karate-ka then no matter the rank, grade or level it has little meaning. It involves a self-governed moral uprightness coupled with a strong sense of morality. A lack of corruption or being corruptible. I would look to a consistency of a persons actions and deeds, the values they hold, the methods by which they live life, the self measures they put on themselves, the guiding principles by which they practice and live, and the expectations they impose on themselves as to the outcome of any endeavor. I would add to this the quality a person has as to an intuitive sense of honesty and truthfulness in regard to their motivations for one's actions. This is what I would perceive as promotion criteria along with time-in-rank.
Continuous defined: Forming an unbroken whole; without interruption; of a function or curve; extending without break or irregularity; endlessly: with unflagging resolve; Without break, cessation, or interruption; without intervening time; Without intervening space; continued; protracted; extended; Not deviating or varying from uniformity; not interrupted; not joined or articulated, etc.
Continuous training: Does this mean two hours three times a week? Does this mean daily training of any duration? Does this mean a certain amount of dojo training? Where and who decides what is considered continuous training.
If I were to take the comments literally I have over thirty-two years continuous training and practice as an Isshinryu black belt. In that light and under an assumption Tatsuo Sensei meant us to be honest with our selves, i.e. self governed, then I would assume my grade would be Judan.
His (Tatsuo Sensei) supposed time in grade requirement was:
Shodan 9-16 months Black Belt
Nidan 3 years continuous practice Black Belt
Sandan 4-6 years continuous practice Black Belt
Yondan 7-9 years continuous practice Renshi title Black Belt
Godan 10-12 years continuous practice Renshi title Black Belt
Rokudan 13-15 years continuous practice Renshi title Black Belt
Nanadan 16-20 years continuous practice Kyoshi title Red and White Belt
Hachidan 20-25 years continuous practice Kyoshi title Red and White Belt
Kudan 25-30 years continuous practice Hanshi title Red Belt
Judan 30 years and up continuous active participation Hanchi title Red Belt
and then the statement attributed to Tatsuo Sensei:
"This is the Isshin-ryu grading system that Shimabuku Tatsuo Sensei gave to us on Okinawa. We were suppose to follow it when wearing grades he passed out to us on Okinawa. The condition was that the grades were for continuous training in Isshin-ryu karate-do."
So, what do we do about this? What should we consider authoritative as to grades vs. time in grade vs. continuous training (as it may be loosely defined as an unbroken whole, without interruption)?
This seems to open the door to many high grade practitioners but does it really?
What I take into consideration as to grade: A person's honesty, integrity, and sincerity toward his or her practice and training. If we don't have, at a minimum, these three traits as karate-ka then no matter the rank, grade or level it has little meaning. It involves a self-governed moral uprightness coupled with a strong sense of morality. A lack of corruption or being corruptible. I would look to a consistency of a persons actions and deeds, the values they hold, the methods by which they live life, the self measures they put on themselves, the guiding principles by which they practice and live, and the expectations they impose on themselves as to the outcome of any endeavor. I would add to this the quality a person has as to an intuitive sense of honesty and truthfulness in regard to their motivations for one's actions. This is what I would perceive as promotion criteria along with time-in-rank.
Continuous defined: Forming an unbroken whole; without interruption; of a function or curve; extending without break or irregularity; endlessly: with unflagging resolve; Without break, cessation, or interruption; without intervening time; Without intervening space; continued; protracted; extended; Not deviating or varying from uniformity; not interrupted; not joined or articulated, etc.
The Art of Makiwara
First Statement: "The makiwara develops ones' striking ability by letting them experience resistance to punches, kicks and other strikes?"
Comment: The makiwara, properly installed and of proper design, will provide resistance as well as rapid feedback as to proper application of a technique as it is applied to the makiwara. The biggest concern here and in all of the following statements/comments is that the practitioners must not lose site of the tools purpose and mistakenly strive to simply develop callousness, large knuckles or what I have determined as window dressing of the hands as a perceived mark of a karate-ka.
Second Statement: "Usage will condition the hands/feet for delivering force, and train the hips, legs and shoulders to function in a way that generates the most power, and allows the practitioner to maintain a stable position throughout the motion?"
Comment: This is generally a true statement with the caveat's that it is incumbent upon the practitioner's knowledge and application of the principles and thier proper application in makiwara training. Then add in the need to have a properly implemented makiwara tool station, i.e. a station where one applies the principles through technique application to a hard, close and resistant target - the makiwara.
Third Statement: "Makiwara is traditionally used for hand strengthening?"
Comment: A misleading statement from my viewpoint. The strengthening of the hand is more a byproduct of the proper training of makiwara. This would apply to those large calloused knuckles as well. Neither are necessary to the art of makiwara and are just byproducts dependent on whether a practitioner applied the art properly or hurried to fill a need other than the principles and the natural law of makiwara training.
In this particular post we covered three distinct areas of concern when researching whether a person would utilize the karate tool, the makiwara. The answers here and in following posts will help karate-ka determine their needs in pursuing the art of the makiwara.
Traffic and Karate
To achieve a goal, destination or level of proficiency you have to know the traffic rules that govern how you get to you destination. Whether you drive a Porsche, Honda or limo just provides a means to achieve your goal, to reach a destination.
The road you travel is the means to reach a destination and there are many roads. They all serve the same purpose. Whether you take route 95 or 66 is up to you, how you travel that route is also up to you.
You don't want to get out on that highway until you know the rules of the road, the model and make of the vehicle and the ability to drive safely. If you fake or gloss over the rules of the road and just jump into the porsche, turn the key and stomp the accelerator you may indeed travel the road in relative safety. You will, sooner or later, encounter an obstacle that will run you off the road. In most cases that obstacle could be avoided if you took the time to learn the rules of the road.
Metaphors, the life blood of communications with its own obstacles. It is a vehicle that will take you to all the places you wish to go. It is up to you to learn the rules of the road. It is up to you to choose the means of travel. It is up to you to practice to achieve a driving proficiency that allows you to circumvent, bypass or overcome all the road impediments.
Give this your consideration. This is important and worthy of greater study.
The road you travel is the means to reach a destination and there are many roads. They all serve the same purpose. Whether you take route 95 or 66 is up to you, how you travel that route is also up to you.
You don't want to get out on that highway until you know the rules of the road, the model and make of the vehicle and the ability to drive safely. If you fake or gloss over the rules of the road and just jump into the porsche, turn the key and stomp the accelerator you may indeed travel the road in relative safety. You will, sooner or later, encounter an obstacle that will run you off the road. In most cases that obstacle could be avoided if you took the time to learn the rules of the road.
Metaphors, the life blood of communications with its own obstacles. It is a vehicle that will take you to all the places you wish to go. It is up to you to learn the rules of the road. It is up to you to choose the means of travel. It is up to you to practice to achieve a driving proficiency that allows you to circumvent, bypass or overcome all the road impediments.
Give this your consideration. This is important and worthy of greater study.
Surprise - Train for Surprise
When you are attacked on the street you may believe that any number of errors occurred allowing you to fall victim but you can be assured one factor is a primary tool of any threat - surprise.
If they cannot not surprise you then may keep looking for some other target that is more easily overcome - by surprise. Rory Miller's Facing Violence states, "Predators attack harder, faster, closer and with more surprise than training partners. Surprise, for my analysis, is the leader of harder, faster and closer. I say this because if they are attacking harder, faster and closer but you were not surprised then they take a chance, chance they like to minimize or eliminate all together, you may have skills that could possibly turn the odds against them.
My mind says that removing the opportunity to be surprised by any threat promotes the odds to your favor you will avoid being a victim. There is a quote I like from an old movie, "Let slip the dogs of war." This quote is a double edged sword where, as is known, both edges cut both ways. If your awareness is foggy then you allow for surprise which is letting slip the dogs of war from a predator - they get in quick, close and hit hard, fast and as many times as possible to do the damage they intended.
Remaining fully and diligently aware means if a threat makes an error in judgement by trying to assault you then you will just have to let slip the dogs of war by turning the tide where the threat meets speed, harder hits, and very close in methods that do the threat all the damage.
In a nutshell use your awareness and training to remain fully aware of your environment then couple all those training tactics to avoid damage, avoid threats, and avoid letting slip the dogs of war - yours or the threats.
Train for surprise! Ok, how, that is the real rub in all these discussions regarding martial arts, self defense and self protection - just how do you train and practice to remove a threats ability to surprise you?
If they cannot not surprise you then may keep looking for some other target that is more easily overcome - by surprise. Rory Miller's Facing Violence states, "Predators attack harder, faster, closer and with more surprise than training partners. Surprise, for my analysis, is the leader of harder, faster and closer. I say this because if they are attacking harder, faster and closer but you were not surprised then they take a chance, chance they like to minimize or eliminate all together, you may have skills that could possibly turn the odds against them.
My mind says that removing the opportunity to be surprised by any threat promotes the odds to your favor you will avoid being a victim. There is a quote I like from an old movie, "Let slip the dogs of war." This quote is a double edged sword where, as is known, both edges cut both ways. If your awareness is foggy then you allow for surprise which is letting slip the dogs of war from a predator - they get in quick, close and hit hard, fast and as many times as possible to do the damage they intended.
Remaining fully and diligently aware means if a threat makes an error in judgement by trying to assault you then you will just have to let slip the dogs of war by turning the tide where the threat meets speed, harder hits, and very close in methods that do the threat all the damage.
In a nutshell use your awareness and training to remain fully aware of your environment then couple all those training tactics to avoid damage, avoid threats, and avoid letting slip the dogs of war - yours or the threats.
Train for surprise! Ok, how, that is the real rub in all these discussions regarding martial arts, self defense and self protection - just how do you train and practice to remove a threats ability to surprise you?
The School Metaphor - addendum
In my last post I spoke of enlightenment when I refer to the terminologies used for student vs. deshi, teacher vs. sensei and other such seemingly mundane things in the martial arts world. I felt that this dysfunctional interpretation and expectation can cause disparity in what a person feels is required vs. what is actually required.
Attaining a grade by answering a limited number of questions to score might seem all that is necessary to receive a pass in a school subject like history but in the martial arts one must not assume the same, i.e. simply learning a set number of things and passing some innocuous test does not mean you are knowledgeable, proficient and able to make it work in a real life violent encounter.
The ability to gain a sufficient score in kata competition does not mean you can know the bunkai and all the variants along with how to apply them in combat under chaotic and adrenaline induced limitations where your health and life are in contest or jeopardy. This is an important distinction.
In the school room we don't spend a good deal of time repetitively practicing addition of numbers even tho we use them through out our lives for math. We learn the multiplication tables at a certain level and then promptly stop practicing them but in martial arts we continually practice to the depth of boredom to build up over time a foundation that will support those things we need for survival in violent encounters.
If a new person joins my dojo I might first learn their learning mode then I would "instruct" them to the true meaning of student, basics, and homework as it applies to martial arts training, practicing, and applying.
Whys should I avoid using a term such as "student?" It is a unifying metaphor for all of us but I do see a need to teach, instruct, mentor a practitioner/student as to what it truly means in our dojo/school vs. what they perceive from experiencing school in America.
It will clarify the two different things as the characteristics that are shared. Shared and different.
Attaining a grade by answering a limited number of questions to score might seem all that is necessary to receive a pass in a school subject like history but in the martial arts one must not assume the same, i.e. simply learning a set number of things and passing some innocuous test does not mean you are knowledgeable, proficient and able to make it work in a real life violent encounter.
The ability to gain a sufficient score in kata competition does not mean you can know the bunkai and all the variants along with how to apply them in combat under chaotic and adrenaline induced limitations where your health and life are in contest or jeopardy. This is an important distinction.
In the school room we don't spend a good deal of time repetitively practicing addition of numbers even tho we use them through out our lives for math. We learn the multiplication tables at a certain level and then promptly stop practicing them but in martial arts we continually practice to the depth of boredom to build up over time a foundation that will support those things we need for survival in violent encounters.
If a new person joins my dojo I might first learn their learning mode then I would "instruct" them to the true meaning of student, basics, and homework as it applies to martial arts training, practicing, and applying.
Whys should I avoid using a term such as "student?" It is a unifying metaphor for all of us but I do see a need to teach, instruct, mentor a practitioner/student as to what it truly means in our dojo/school vs. what they perceive from experiencing school in America.
It will clarify the two different things as the characteristics that are shared. Shared and different.
The School Metaphor
I finally get it. The school metaphor and why it is so readily accepted in the martial arts teaching world. It is that metaphor that best connects our American way of thinking and communication that best exemplifies the old world Okinawan karate dojo methods of "teaching."
The metaphor of the school is one of the most common unifying metaphors used by the general American of any gender. We all have experienced at a minimum of twelve years in that environment. Some of us went on to gain four to eight more years with the school environment. We know the rules of that game.
Dr. Suzette H. Elgin, Ph.D. uses the world of football (or other major sport) vs. the world of the schoolroom to explain how a unifying metaphor can provide a means to syntonic communications. Since the schoolroom and school is a shared and unifying experience for all of us across all boundaries I can now see why it is so permeated in American Martial Arts. It fits.
The only breakdown is the lack of fully understanding the legacy of Asian Martial Arts instruction with Sensei, Sempai, Kohai, Deshi, etc. as compared to those of students in the school and schools classrooms. There is that disparity that leads to possible misunderstandings as to a student of MA vs. a student of a subject in a classroom.
What I perceive as a student and all the requirements laid out that the student must meet for my dojo is not the same as what a new beginner perceives as the requirements for a subject in a school curriculum. They are similar in general but not even close to being alike in the details. This is important and worthy of greater study.
The metaphor of the school is one of the most common unifying metaphors used by the general American of any gender. We all have experienced at a minimum of twelve years in that environment. Some of us went on to gain four to eight more years with the school environment. We know the rules of that game.
Dr. Suzette H. Elgin, Ph.D. uses the world of football (or other major sport) vs. the world of the schoolroom to explain how a unifying metaphor can provide a means to syntonic communications. Since the schoolroom and school is a shared and unifying experience for all of us across all boundaries I can now see why it is so permeated in American Martial Arts. It fits.
The only breakdown is the lack of fully understanding the legacy of Asian Martial Arts instruction with Sensei, Sempai, Kohai, Deshi, etc. as compared to those of students in the school and schools classrooms. There is that disparity that leads to possible misunderstandings as to a student of MA vs. a student of a subject in a classroom.
What I perceive as a student and all the requirements laid out that the student must meet for my dojo is not the same as what a new beginner perceives as the requirements for a subject in a school curriculum. They are similar in general but not even close to being alike in the details. This is important and worthy of greater study.
Metaphors - Importance
A metaphor is using language to compare two different things on the basis of the characteristics that they share. It is a powerful tool we all can use to change attitudes quickly, effectively, and lastingly.
It takes only a small piece of a metaphor to evoke the whole. - Suzette Haden Elgin, Ph.D. "How Metaphors Filter Perception and Complicate Communications." pages 146 - 154.
I find it of interest that language for humans has some need for a metaphor to bring about changes in our knowledge, understanding, and perceptions. I can only guess that this is so simply because the human minds pension to resist change and misunderstand normal language. There are so many variables to language and communications that even in the best of situations we are mistaken in what we hear, see, and perceive.
I can also make the guess that we all come into any language interaction with preconceived thoughts and understandings as related to our personal perceptual filtering system. When it gets dicey is when we use them to "assume" we know what others are thinking, meaning, and conveying in conversation.
If we use metaphors then don't we have to know and understand what others will perceive to understand as to the metaphor as it relates to the intended meaning. It is possible our metaphor may not be perceived by the other person as the same or related to our intent.
In general, use of metaphors will provide others an easier and gentler path to change. One that they may accept more readily than blunt information, i.e. your wrong and I am right. This latter example would stimulate resistance, not acceptance.
Why discuss this in a martial arts blog? Well, if your trying to achieve a level of defense where a primary and important aspect is avoidance and/or deescalation then this would assist in achieving those goals.
Last comment here, do you know what the unifying metaphor is for the group you are a member of or the individual you are trying to lead to change? If not, maybe in lieu of simply stating they need to change do some discovery to find that unifying metaphor that will provide them an opening to change and keep their "face" intact. A simply complex endeavor don't you think?
It takes only a small piece of a metaphor to evoke the whole. - Suzette Haden Elgin, Ph.D. "How Metaphors Filter Perception and Complicate Communications." pages 146 - 154.
I find it of interest that language for humans has some need for a metaphor to bring about changes in our knowledge, understanding, and perceptions. I can only guess that this is so simply because the human minds pension to resist change and misunderstand normal language. There are so many variables to language and communications that even in the best of situations we are mistaken in what we hear, see, and perceive.
I can also make the guess that we all come into any language interaction with preconceived thoughts and understandings as related to our personal perceptual filtering system. When it gets dicey is when we use them to "assume" we know what others are thinking, meaning, and conveying in conversation.
If we use metaphors then don't we have to know and understand what others will perceive to understand as to the metaphor as it relates to the intended meaning. It is possible our metaphor may not be perceived by the other person as the same or related to our intent.
In general, use of metaphors will provide others an easier and gentler path to change. One that they may accept more readily than blunt information, i.e. your wrong and I am right. This latter example would stimulate resistance, not acceptance.
Why discuss this in a martial arts blog? Well, if your trying to achieve a level of defense where a primary and important aspect is avoidance and/or deescalation then this would assist in achieving those goals.
Last comment here, do you know what the unifying metaphor is for the group you are a member of or the individual you are trying to lead to change? If not, maybe in lieu of simply stating they need to change do some discovery to find that unifying metaphor that will provide them an opening to change and keep their "face" intact. A simply complex endeavor don't you think?
"Just A Thought" Blog Post
Michele of the "Just A Thought" blog asked a question and I wanted to post my comment to the question here:
The question: "Words of Advice for Beginner Karate Students." posted "Just A Thought" blog by Michele; post dtd Thursday, September 22, 2011
In a word Michele, "Patience, patience, and when you feel like you have patience - get more patience." Any new endeavor humans enter into is new, exciting and wonderful.
When you mention how "eager they are to move on to the next" I think that this is the most difficult lesson for any martial artist to learn. To learn that this eagerness, although admirable in people, is the biggest detriment to learning the foundation of all martial systems, the fundamental principles of martial systems which includes such things as basics, kata, weapons, etc.
I might add when talking to newbies, "Take some time, relax, let things come in the way of nature - slow, easy and completely." Take your focus away from the future, don't give any time to the past and remain in this present moment learning this particular aspect of your system completely, thoroughly and with awareness.
This is the type of advice I would give to a newbie - patience, patience, patience!
The question: "Words of Advice for Beginner Karate Students." posted "Just A Thought" blog by Michele; post dtd Thursday, September 22, 2011
My comment:
In a word Michele, "Patience, patience, and when you feel like you have patience - get more patience." Any new endeavor humans enter into is new, exciting and wonderful.
When you mention how "eager they are to move on to the next
I might add when talking to newbies, "Take some time, relax, let things come in the way of nature - slow, easy and completely." Take your focus away from the future, don't give any time to the past and remain in this present moment learning this particular aspect of your system completely, thoroughly and with awareness.
This is the type of advice I would give to a newbie - patience, patience, patience!
Logic Brain, Monkey Brain and Lizard Brain = One Mind; No mind; Present Mind
When I tell someone I strive to achieve one mind in practice I speak of many aspects of which this post will present to you, the reader, one aspect. I have written about being present, in the moment, in the present moment as well as mushin, zanshin and wu-wei - all making some reference to achieving a singular mind in life, practice and training where these three equal application in combat.
Self-defense, Self-protection and Self-preservation all mean "one" thing. What that one thing means to the individual is the journey they must take to find the answer.
One mind is the training a person does to take all three brains and bring them into that one mind where the logic brain assumes control of the monkey and allowing its connection to apply the lizard brain and those derived appropriate tactics to avoid damage. This seems simple when you read this sentence but it is the most difficult thing humans can do and achieve.
This is important and worth considerable contemplation.
Self-defense, Self-protection and Self-preservation all mean "one" thing. What that one thing means to the individual is the journey they must take to find the answer.
One mind is the training a person does to take all three brains and bring them into that one mind where the logic brain assumes control of the monkey and allowing its connection to apply the lizard brain and those derived appropriate tactics to avoid damage. This seems simple when you read this sentence but it is the most difficult thing humans can do and achieve.
This is important and worth considerable contemplation.
What I Have Been Doing Wrong ....
Most of what I understand about martial systems, self protection, etc. comes from what I am studying but most of all from what I have discovered I have been doing wrong for a lot of years.
Self-defense, Self-protection and Self-promotion; these things are not always as clear as one might think. As to SD - I spent about fifteen years practicing, teaching and promoting a series of techniques as related to specified threat techniques; I was wrong, fooling myself and most important fooling my students.
I didn't do this intentionally. It came about from the same teachings most dojo or training facilities do today. I suspect either they don't really know or they don't give a shit cause their bullshit is earning them money. They, as I, have been lucky that the percentages of persons actually encountering violence is so small that it is rare that a student, former student or a martial artist has not sued the shit out of the persons promoting the most deadly system of self defense that is absolutely fool proof yadda, yadda, yadda.
I can honestly say that once the truth was exposed to me I first said to myself, "Oh shit," then started to change the way I think, practice and train. The positive side is that I have spent the last few years "correcting" all the bullshit into a martial system I can be proud of. I have also taken a closer look at my system as I was taught and have spent those years modifying it for what I meant to practice when I started.
You have to be able to realize when your doing something wrong. You have to be able to say to yourself that you were wrong. You have to take the strength and intestinal fortitude to change and to tell those who practice and train with you that you are wrong and you are changing things for the better.
If you have been doing this a long time one way you will need to accept the facts, allow your pride and ego to subside thus allowing you to seek out those who have trained and practiced as it should be done and ask for assistance in making those all important corrections.
This is maybe the hardest aspect of martial arts or any system that is for fighting, violence and combat.
Self-defense, Self-protection and Self-promotion; these things are not always as clear as one might think. As to SD - I spent about fifteen years practicing, teaching and promoting a series of techniques as related to specified threat techniques; I was wrong, fooling myself and most important fooling my students.
I didn't do this intentionally. It came about from the same teachings most dojo or training facilities do today. I suspect either they don't really know or they don't give a shit cause their bullshit is earning them money. They, as I, have been lucky that the percentages of persons actually encountering violence is so small that it is rare that a student, former student or a martial artist has not sued the shit out of the persons promoting the most deadly system of self defense that is absolutely fool proof yadda, yadda, yadda.
I can honestly say that once the truth was exposed to me I first said to myself, "Oh shit," then started to change the way I think, practice and train. The positive side is that I have spent the last few years "correcting" all the bullshit into a martial system I can be proud of. I have also taken a closer look at my system as I was taught and have spent those years modifying it for what I meant to practice when I started.
You have to be able to realize when your doing something wrong. You have to be able to say to yourself that you were wrong. You have to take the strength and intestinal fortitude to change and to tell those who practice and train with you that you are wrong and you are changing things for the better.
If you have been doing this a long time one way you will need to accept the facts, allow your pride and ego to subside thus allowing you to seek out those who have trained and practiced as it should be done and ask for assistance in making those all important corrections.
This is maybe the hardest aspect of martial arts or any system that is for fighting, violence and combat.
Having Some Fun
Today I am putting a graphic here for fun. No lessons, no hypothosis on karate, just a bit of fun yesterday working with some computer graphics stuff where I created a desktop wallpaper.
 |
| Click to see a larger view, more details .... had fun with this one :-) |
Perfection - addendum
We shall not drive for perfection. We shall drive for quality for quality does not equal perfection. Voltaire said, "The perfect is the enemy of the good, - but the gaol should always be to deliver knowledge of sufficient quality to bring value to its application. It is essential to maintain an appropriate level of quality."
If true then our goal in striving for perfection is actually striving for the highest quality of practice, training and application. Our philosophy regarding "perfection" is to use the goal of perfection not for perfections sake but rather for quality. After all if quality is sacrificed to achieve so-called perfection it results in a pretty form vs. a functional form.
Take kata competition in tournaments. They tend to lean toward perfection where form is graded for results. Form as to perfection from an artistic view, i.e. when visiting an art gallery we look to the form of the art, vs. a functional one in fighting applications. An ugly but high quality technique that works is far preferred over some ascetically pleasing technique formed for that purpose, yes?
So, maybe this analysis means we should rename that aspect of martial practice and training from "attaining perfection" to "creating quality." It seems the quality of something far out weighs any perfection since it may not mean functional quality vs. ascetically formed quality. Hm, makes sense?
The same can be said as to quality vs. quantity, yes? Consider that in todays industrial complex they call it "quality control" and not "perfection control."
If true then our goal in striving for perfection is actually striving for the highest quality of practice, training and application. Our philosophy regarding "perfection" is to use the goal of perfection not for perfections sake but rather for quality. After all if quality is sacrificed to achieve so-called perfection it results in a pretty form vs. a functional form.
Take kata competition in tournaments. They tend to lean toward perfection where form is graded for results. Form as to perfection from an artistic view, i.e. when visiting an art gallery we look to the form of the art, vs. a functional one in fighting applications. An ugly but high quality technique that works is far preferred over some ascetically pleasing technique formed for that purpose, yes?
So, maybe this analysis means we should rename that aspect of martial practice and training from "attaining perfection" to "creating quality." It seems the quality of something far out weighs any perfection since it may not mean functional quality vs. ascetically formed quality. Hm, makes sense?
The same can be said as to quality vs. quantity, yes? Consider that in todays industrial complex they call it "quality control" and not "perfection control."
Solid, Liquid or Gaseous - Heterogeneous Training and Practice of Martial Systems
I have posted on the three phases of training and practice. I wanted to use a metaphor to help me understand the process and maybe you will find it useful and helpful in your dojo.
All of us have begun at the same level - solid. That is a rigidly followed path where you do exactly what you are taught for a long, repetitive and somewhat boring time. You have to spend the time here the most simply because it lays the foundation, the fundamental principles of the martial system. The shame of this is most dojo never realized for a number of reasons that this is a transitional state but due to the lack of awareness have remained in the solid state for their entire career's. This solid state must start to transform into a liquid state.
The liquid state is where the practitioner turns up the heat to forge a unique practice of martial systems, their system of choice - the system that is the foundation laid on the ground work done with the fundamental principles. This state or stage begins when a person reaches the level of Sho-dan, the initial stage of the black belt levels. If you have studied the philosophy of Bruce Lee you know he advocated a system that goes beyond the dogmatic adherence to specific patterns - the patterns are the blueprints that lead to the liquid state of practice.
As you progress and literally create ad-hoc a personally unique application of your system you begin to go beyond the liquid and due to the increased heat of forging the mind, body and spirit you start to reach a more gaseous state. The gaseous state is even less restrictive in nature where solids remain in a rock like form, liquid then allows to reach into the cracks and crevices exposed in the solid state filling them until the solid disappears completely leaving only liquid where continued efforts slowly heat to past the point where liquid can remain intact thus gaseous. Gaseous permeates everything and everywhere beyond that of liquid.
Liquid is still held to the gravity pulling it to the lowest levels within and around the solid slowly eroding it to simply liquid but gaseous is that state and ability that transcends any rules of the Earth allowing it to flow freely up, down, left, right and into any and everything on the Earth and in the Heavens which translates a state that is totally mushin, zanshin and present moment spontaneity.
Solid to Liquid and finally to Gaseous - enlightened application of martial systems in life! Heterogeneous - diversity of character, content and substance in the different phases of martial practice and training.
All of us have begun at the same level - solid. That is a rigidly followed path where you do exactly what you are taught for a long, repetitive and somewhat boring time. You have to spend the time here the most simply because it lays the foundation, the fundamental principles of the martial system. The shame of this is most dojo never realized for a number of reasons that this is a transitional state but due to the lack of awareness have remained in the solid state for their entire career's. This solid state must start to transform into a liquid state.
The liquid state is where the practitioner turns up the heat to forge a unique practice of martial systems, their system of choice - the system that is the foundation laid on the ground work done with the fundamental principles. This state or stage begins when a person reaches the level of Sho-dan, the initial stage of the black belt levels. If you have studied the philosophy of Bruce Lee you know he advocated a system that goes beyond the dogmatic adherence to specific patterns - the patterns are the blueprints that lead to the liquid state of practice.
As you progress and literally create ad-hoc a personally unique application of your system you begin to go beyond the liquid and due to the increased heat of forging the mind, body and spirit you start to reach a more gaseous state. The gaseous state is even less restrictive in nature where solids remain in a rock like form, liquid then allows to reach into the cracks and crevices exposed in the solid state filling them until the solid disappears completely leaving only liquid where continued efforts slowly heat to past the point where liquid can remain intact thus gaseous. Gaseous permeates everything and everywhere beyond that of liquid.
Liquid is still held to the gravity pulling it to the lowest levels within and around the solid slowly eroding it to simply liquid but gaseous is that state and ability that transcends any rules of the Earth allowing it to flow freely up, down, left, right and into any and everything on the Earth and in the Heavens which translates a state that is totally mushin, zanshin and present moment spontaneity.
Solid to Liquid and finally to Gaseous - enlightened application of martial systems in life! Heterogeneous - diversity of character, content and substance in the different phases of martial practice and training.
Breaking Tradition for Natural Evolution of a System
Is it acceptable to break with traditions so as to promote the natural evolution of any martial system? I believe it is not only acceptable but inevitable if the system is properly practiced.
Look at the recent history of Okinawan Karate. Since the late 1800's up to the present many of its adherents have broken with the traditions, supposed ones that is, and moved the system forward in a positive direction. Tatsuo Sensei appears to fit that mode. Even in the day, mid fifties, the other traditional leading proponents of their individual systems resisted his innovative changes. Seems normal human behavior to my view.
Regardless of human nature it still stimulated thoughts and idea's and now we have many systems of Okinawan karate vs. the original "one system" referred to as "Ti or Toudi." Toudi morphed into Naha, Shuri and Tomari Ti. I won't try to list all the off spring of those three main systems of Okinawan Karate - there are many.
Where I do resist breaking with tradition is when it is done simply to achieve notoriety - to achieve self-promotion to a master rank. In the early American years you would hear of this move but only a few actually did it. Today you see many, many masters both in a traditional system as well as systems created to meet individual goals - pride and ego fit in here somewhere too.
To break with tradition and cause evolution to succeed in the proper direction takes a good deal of practice, training and the gathering of an enormous amount of experience. Not the type that is gained from a sport orientation but rather an all-round orientation - sport, fighting and combative. Then what about philosophy, morals, and beliefs or are they understood to be a part of the system in transition?
Look at the recent history of Okinawan Karate. Since the late 1800's up to the present many of its adherents have broken with the traditions, supposed ones that is, and moved the system forward in a positive direction. Tatsuo Sensei appears to fit that mode. Even in the day, mid fifties, the other traditional leading proponents of their individual systems resisted his innovative changes. Seems normal human behavior to my view.
Regardless of human nature it still stimulated thoughts and idea's and now we have many systems of Okinawan karate vs. the original "one system" referred to as "Ti or Toudi." Toudi morphed into Naha, Shuri and Tomari Ti. I won't try to list all the off spring of those three main systems of Okinawan Karate - there are many.
Where I do resist breaking with tradition is when it is done simply to achieve notoriety - to achieve self-promotion to a master rank. In the early American years you would hear of this move but only a few actually did it. Today you see many, many masters both in a traditional system as well as systems created to meet individual goals - pride and ego fit in here somewhere too.
To break with tradition and cause evolution to succeed in the proper direction takes a good deal of practice, training and the gathering of an enormous amount of experience. Not the type that is gained from a sport orientation but rather an all-round orientation - sport, fighting and combative. Then what about philosophy, morals, and beliefs or are they understood to be a part of the system in transition?
1 + 1 + 1 = "1"
This is a post on working outside the box. Taking things for training, practice and life outside the comfort zone. A method of understanding that just because the mind says its impressions are this or that, that you cannot create a whole new way of mental impressions toward new innovative ways of thinking.
Normally when we are asked to add one item with another and a third we say we have "three" items. I am posting here to say that in some instances when you add things up they simply equal one thing.
Fundamentals + Kata + Kumite = a martial system with specificity toward karate. I say this only because some marital systems may not actually utilize one of these three. This is where these three, for karate, equal one - karate, one system.
In the fundamental principles of martial systems Stephen J. Pearlman Sensei provides an entire book of principles that when added up equal "one." This is where we break things up to achieve knowledge and understanding. The break down in the process comes from a misunderstanding that when you achieve that knowledge of the many it is assumed one has reached the end, not the beginning.
We have ten "kyu" levels in karate-jutsu-do. Those ten when trained individually are added up or accumulated over training/practice time into "one." That one for a lot of us is "Sho-dan." Sho-dan indicates that a person has achieved knowledge and understanding of the many fundamentals of the system and by achieving this level of "one" now embarks on a journey of a higher level of the many to once again achieve a higher level of "one."
Much like the movie with Billy Crystal when speaking to the character of the Curly about the meaning of life. Curly says to Mitch, Billy Crystals character,
Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is?
[holds up one finger]
Curly: This.
Mitch: Your finger?
Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don't mean shit.
Mitch: But, what is the "one thing?"
Curly: [smiles] That's what you have to find out.
When you begin that new journey as a fledgling black belt it is up to you to figure out what that one thing is as you progress through the ten levels of yu-dan-sha. Her lies the rub. Many don a higher level belt. Some times of paneled colors red and black or red and white. The donning of said belts is not indicative of whether that person truly and fully understands what that "one things, just one thing" is.
Sensei: Do you know what the secret of a black belt is?
[holds up one finger]
Sensei: This.
Deshi: Your finger?
Sensei: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don't mean shit.
Deshi: But, what is the "one thing?"
Sensei: [smiles] That's what you have to find out.
Normally when we are asked to add one item with another and a third we say we have "three" items. I am posting here to say that in some instances when you add things up they simply equal one thing.
Fundamentals + Kata + Kumite = a martial system with specificity toward karate. I say this only because some marital systems may not actually utilize one of these three. This is where these three, for karate, equal one - karate, one system.
In the fundamental principles of martial systems Stephen J. Pearlman Sensei provides an entire book of principles that when added up equal "one." This is where we break things up to achieve knowledge and understanding. The break down in the process comes from a misunderstanding that when you achieve that knowledge of the many it is assumed one has reached the end, not the beginning.
We have ten "kyu" levels in karate-jutsu-do. Those ten when trained individually are added up or accumulated over training/practice time into "one." That one for a lot of us is "Sho-dan." Sho-dan indicates that a person has achieved knowledge and understanding of the many fundamentals of the system and by achieving this level of "one" now embarks on a journey of a higher level of the many to once again achieve a higher level of "one."
Much like the movie with Billy Crystal when speaking to the character of the Curly about the meaning of life. Curly says to Mitch, Billy Crystals character,
Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is?
[holds up one finger]
Curly: This.
Mitch: Your finger?
Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don't mean shit.
Mitch: But, what is the "one thing?"
Curly: [smiles] That's what you have to find out.
When you begin that new journey as a fledgling black belt it is up to you to figure out what that one thing is as you progress through the ten levels of yu-dan-sha. Her lies the rub. Many don a higher level belt. Some times of paneled colors red and black or red and white. The donning of said belts is not indicative of whether that person truly and fully understands what that "one things, just one thing" is.
Sensei: Do you know what the secret of a black belt is?
[holds up one finger]
Sensei: This.
Deshi: Your finger?
Sensei: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don't mean shit.
Deshi: But, what is the "one thing?"
Sensei: [smiles] That's what you have to find out.
The Triad of Senses in Martial Systems: Sight, Hearing, and Touch
As can be seen in the last few posts the need to remain aware, especially in training, of the senses and how the provide a variety of information for practice, training and instruction will result in a greater understanding of how martial systems work.
The use of eyes, ears and tactual/kinesthetic touch will enhance your ability to use imagery or visualization. Couple this will reality training, as close as possible, that mimics real violent based encounters will strengthen the body and minds ability to follow the fundamental principles and dampen the effects of the chemical secretions that result in considerable drops in seeing, hearing and over all perception of events.
Awareness can be seen as a huge contributor to martial system practice, learning and understanding once you allow your awareness to encompass all conceivable aspects of life where it relates to application and intent be it avoidance, deescalation, or actual violent encounters, i.e. fight, combat and predatory violence.
The use of eyes, ears and tactual/kinesthetic touch will enhance your ability to use imagery or visualization. Couple this will reality training, as close as possible, that mimics real violent based encounters will strengthen the body and minds ability to follow the fundamental principles and dampen the effects of the chemical secretions that result in considerable drops in seeing, hearing and over all perception of events.
Awareness can be seen as a huge contributor to martial system practice, learning and understanding once you allow your awareness to encompass all conceivable aspects of life where it relates to application and intent be it avoidance, deescalation, or actual violent encounters, i.e. fight, combat and predatory violence.
The Triad of Senses in Martial Systems: Touch
The most likely sense that is most likely to be misunderstood in communications. Lets include this in martial systems as well. It would seem that we take this one for granted far more than sight and hearing. For good reason; not so good reasons.
In martial systems we can divide touch into two distinct categories, one is tactile/tactual and the other is kinesthetic or body/balance. In MA systems we rely heavily on sight or seeing. Even hearing in the sport aspect takes a back seat to seeing the threat or in sport the opponent. This is also a detriment to training, practice and application.
Eyes, hearing and touch as to the kinesthetic aspects comes in much earlier than actual martial applications. We as MA's can use these three in our efforts to avoid. In the kinesthetic aspect we orient our bodies to what we see, hear and feel. Tactile feeling does come into play as to interpretations especially if the individual is a touch dominant person.
If we are approached from behind how we see, hear and feel our environment tells the brain/mind whether we are under a threat or just normal every day encounters. As to touch we rely on what we feel. The pressure of touch, the intensity of the touch, the sensation as interpreted by the brain along side experiences and training, and the pain receptors will tell us how it all feels as it relates to being a threat or not a threat.
Couple that will the two most unlikely senses taught for awareness in training of martial systems, i.e. smell and taste. In some instances senses trigger taste as it may relate to some past experience. As to smell you can tell the type of threat and its possible levels by the smell of someone who is touching you, i.e. so close you smell the breathe, the body oder, etc. Reading the book by Rory Miller, "Facing Violence," he will tell you that the smell of someone very close to you may have a meaning as to how this encounter may go. This is important and the practitioner must study this thoroughly.
The largest organ on the body and one that is considered more important to the body than sight or hearing is the skin. How the muscles move under the skin, both yours and a threats, can "tell" someone aware volumes as to intent and appropriate actions in response to intent. Many art forms of a particular system may rely heavily on what you feel, how you manipulate the threats body to include rubbing, pinching, etc. of the skin and underlying pressure points, etc.
This is important and the practitioner must study this thoroughly.
In martial systems we can divide touch into two distinct categories, one is tactile/tactual and the other is kinesthetic or body/balance. In MA systems we rely heavily on sight or seeing. Even hearing in the sport aspect takes a back seat to seeing the threat or in sport the opponent. This is also a detriment to training, practice and application.
Eyes, hearing and touch as to the kinesthetic aspects comes in much earlier than actual martial applications. We as MA's can use these three in our efforts to avoid. In the kinesthetic aspect we orient our bodies to what we see, hear and feel. Tactile feeling does come into play as to interpretations especially if the individual is a touch dominant person.
If we are approached from behind how we see, hear and feel our environment tells the brain/mind whether we are under a threat or just normal every day encounters. As to touch we rely on what we feel. The pressure of touch, the intensity of the touch, the sensation as interpreted by the brain along side experiences and training, and the pain receptors will tell us how it all feels as it relates to being a threat or not a threat.
Couple that will the two most unlikely senses taught for awareness in training of martial systems, i.e. smell and taste. In some instances senses trigger taste as it may relate to some past experience. As to smell you can tell the type of threat and its possible levels by the smell of someone who is touching you, i.e. so close you smell the breathe, the body oder, etc. Reading the book by Rory Miller, "Facing Violence," he will tell you that the smell of someone very close to you may have a meaning as to how this encounter may go. This is important and the practitioner must study this thoroughly.
The largest organ on the body and one that is considered more important to the body than sight or hearing is the skin. How the muscles move under the skin, both yours and a threats, can "tell" someone aware volumes as to intent and appropriate actions in response to intent. Many art forms of a particular system may rely heavily on what you feel, how you manipulate the threats body to include rubbing, pinching, etc. of the skin and underlying pressure points, etc.
This is important and the practitioner must study this thoroughly.
The Triad of Senses in Martial Systems: Hearing
Hearing, perception as to actual vs. presupposed vs. distortion of auditory content. What you need to actual hear vs. what may be presupposed in actual verbal content and the auditory distortion you will encounter when the adrenaline dump hits - these are some of the things a martial practitioner must remain aware of in training and in applying martial systems.
The same value in overcoming distortions in hearing as to overcoming sight distortions apply. What you do for scanning with the eyes along with breathing also reduce and control the dysfunctional hearing, the distractions and distortions.
Another off shoot of the hearing is balance as to the balance in our bodies when applying the fundamental principles of martial systems. The inner ear balance of the fluids are a primary contributor to the bodies balance. Sometimes quick movement of the head for a variety of reasons.
As we progress through the study of senses in martial systems the interconnectivity will become more apparent. Example is how sight and viewing objects contributes to balance by giving the ear and the fluid in the ear reference points contributing to balance and application. Orientation comes from the space relation of the inner ears fluids to the position of the head. This is how a person loses orientation in such cases where the body loses its connection to the Earth and the head is moving at some speed causing the ear to not adjust fast enough in relation to the eyes and the balance of the body. This is important and the practitioner must study this thoroughly.
How the ears and hearing promote better martial application comes from a thorough study of such sense application that provide the knowledge and experience, as can be attained in reality training as well as live experience, necessary to be aware of and understand the use of vision in martial training.
The connection of the other primary senses along with the training of the mind provide overall effectiveness in martial applications. The practitioner must remember that it is not the individual that counts but the cumulative as integrated into the "one" means of application.
Awareness-Training-Application!
The same value in overcoming distortions in hearing as to overcoming sight distortions apply. What you do for scanning with the eyes along with breathing also reduce and control the dysfunctional hearing, the distractions and distortions.
Another off shoot of the hearing is balance as to the balance in our bodies when applying the fundamental principles of martial systems. The inner ear balance of the fluids are a primary contributor to the bodies balance. Sometimes quick movement of the head for a variety of reasons.
As we progress through the study of senses in martial systems the interconnectivity will become more apparent. Example is how sight and viewing objects contributes to balance by giving the ear and the fluid in the ear reference points contributing to balance and application. Orientation comes from the space relation of the inner ears fluids to the position of the head. This is how a person loses orientation in such cases where the body loses its connection to the Earth and the head is moving at some speed causing the ear to not adjust fast enough in relation to the eyes and the balance of the body. This is important and the practitioner must study this thoroughly.
How the ears and hearing promote better martial application comes from a thorough study of such sense application that provide the knowledge and experience, as can be attained in reality training as well as live experience, necessary to be aware of and understand the use of vision in martial training.
The connection of the other primary senses along with the training of the mind provide overall effectiveness in martial applications. The practitioner must remember that it is not the individual that counts but the cumulative as integrated into the "one" means of application.
Awareness-Training-Application!
The Triad of Senses in Martial Systems: Sight
In the martial systems practitioners tend to rely heavily on their sight. I believe this is limiting. A practitioner should use sight, hearing and touch to create a well rounded sense system in practice and application. This post is on the primary sight sense or the dominant sense of sight.
In martial systems we rely on direct vision. The normal person does not become aware of or use peripheral vision much to their detriment for it is a superior method of detecting acts that need response where speed is critical to avoid damage.
The practitioners must also realize that when a threat is encountered that the body will dump a lot of adrenaline into the body and one of the primary concerns is the tunnel vision that comes with this dump. The training should provide for reduction and control of this effect. How the practitioner looks at a threat matters. The look should be such that they don't actually use direct vision to detect motion but rather the peripheral. The mind uses peripheral vision differently than direct vision. One will want to delay actions while the other is faster in accessing and implementing appropriate actions. This is important and the practitioner must study this thoroughly.
Some techniques that will allow reduction of adrenaline effects is breathing. Deep diaphragmatic breathing techniques not only compensate for visual acuity loss but other effects of the dump. Another is chakugan of placing the eyes where the motion of the head and eyes in scanning and viewing using first peripheral and then direct compensate as well. This is important and the practitioner must study this thoroughly.
How the eyes and seeing promote better martial application comes from a thorough study of such sense application that provide the knowledge and experience, as can be attained in reality training as well as live experience, necessary to be aware of and understand the use of vision in martial training.
The connection of the other primary senses along with the training of the mind provide overall effectiveness in martial applications. The practitioner must remember that it is not the individual that counts but the cumulative as integrated into the "one" means of application.
Awareness-Training-Application!
In martial systems we rely on direct vision. The normal person does not become aware of or use peripheral vision much to their detriment for it is a superior method of detecting acts that need response where speed is critical to avoid damage.
The practitioners must also realize that when a threat is encountered that the body will dump a lot of adrenaline into the body and one of the primary concerns is the tunnel vision that comes with this dump. The training should provide for reduction and control of this effect. How the practitioner looks at a threat matters. The look should be such that they don't actually use direct vision to detect motion but rather the peripheral. The mind uses peripheral vision differently than direct vision. One will want to delay actions while the other is faster in accessing and implementing appropriate actions. This is important and the practitioner must study this thoroughly.
Some techniques that will allow reduction of adrenaline effects is breathing. Deep diaphragmatic breathing techniques not only compensate for visual acuity loss but other effects of the dump. Another is chakugan of placing the eyes where the motion of the head and eyes in scanning and viewing using first peripheral and then direct compensate as well. This is important and the practitioner must study this thoroughly.
How the eyes and seeing promote better martial application comes from a thorough study of such sense application that provide the knowledge and experience, as can be attained in reality training as well as live experience, necessary to be aware of and understand the use of vision in martial training.
The connection of the other primary senses along with the training of the mind provide overall effectiveness in martial applications. The practitioner must remember that it is not the individual that counts but the cumulative as integrated into the "one" means of application.
Awareness-Training-Application!
The Triad of Senses in Martial Systems
Hearing: The secondary sense for the generic American system of communications. It is also used by martial systems as a fundamental auditory reception in processing what is seen with the eyes. The hearing, much like the direct and peripheral vision duo, uses a direct hearing spectrum or span while indirect hearing is like the peripheral of the span of hearing optimally where it is less effective vs. the more effective peripheral vision effectiveness.
Touch: The much aligned touch sense mode of American's and the American system of communications. It is also often overlooked in a more direct and aware use in martial systems. It has fundamental tactile/tactual and kinesthetic applications. Where the tactual is direct touching of hands and fingers along with the entire skin and the kinesthetic is a combination of the body and body balance.
These three make of the triad of senses in martial systems and should be included in a more apparent fashion when teaching the fundamental principles of the martial systems such as body alignment, balance, and other mechanical aspects of the principles.
The triad must be trained to a point where they are at maximum efficiency as a whole, not separate. The training and instruction must divide them into individual components to convey meaning and understanding effectively. The martial artists must create a wholehearted application of all three as if they were simply "one" sense.
I will supplement this post with details for each sense to provide separate idea's and beliefs so that training and instruction of Sensei and Sempai can be supplemented toward a better understanding between them and the practitioner.
Where oh where has Rob Redmond Sensei gone?
Anyway, I enjoy his stuff and miss reading his blog.
Guiding Principles of Karate
Although an article geared toward sales and the product manager I found this to be an excellent article using karate and such as a metaphor to product managers. This article is worth the time, enjoy.
Just goes once again to show that martial arts can be found in the most interesting places and is used as a metaphor in those places.
Just goes once again to show that martial arts can be found in the most interesting places and is used as a metaphor in those places.
Grasping the Martial Arts
Again, an attempt to gain a good hand on the new tactual data when supplementing both seeing and hearing for training and practice of martial systems. In the world of tactual encounters we once again connect to such things as hard, soft, seeing, hearing, the cycles of ebb and flow within and without the body along with the cycles of breathing in and out.
Rory Miller once spoke of, or better to way wrote about, tactile in self-defense. He alluded to the "feel" of the opponents body where the tactile or tactual information one feels from another can send signals to the mind on a response or action that would best nullify or deflect or allow a movement to better your position, etc. That speaks of two things regarding this new ninth goku-i line.
One is an understanding of the tactile symbols; duration-location-action-intensity-frequency-sensation. As an example the "sensation" a threat might feel triggers the tendency for the mind to lock on to that location and feeling where the mind, if not trained in this, tries to discover what is occurring and gain a tactical response and advantage. This is where the interruption of a person OODA loop occurs where continuing to change the sensation, location. intensity and duration keeps triggering the mind to lock on to the now new sensation reducing the minds ability to achieve a response.
By allowing my new line validity in the ken-po goku-i it might bring to the for of our minds the conscious attention and awareness of touch to achieve a greater understanding of the martial arts and our applications of its principles and techniques.
Two is an awareness of the tactual sense elements and how they function adding to the application of techniques to achieve additional advantage. These elements include, pressure; pain; pleasure; temperature; muscle movement of the skin; rubbing; pinching, etc. In a grappling art pressure, pain, rubbing, pinching and the movement of muscle under the skin apply. Just give it a moment and consider this, have you in your training, practice and teaching of martial systems.
Tactual data retrieval to train and practice can be seen and grasped literally as a function of the arts - martial arts. I can now realize that not taking touch to this level of thought may have contributed to a lack of full understanding on principles, intent and applications. Worth taking down and out of the attic and placing it in front of us so we can examine it with our eyes, analyze it with our ears to hear how it impacts practitioners, and touching on the value of its implications in teaching and learning.
Rory Miller once spoke of, or better to way wrote about, tactile in self-defense. He alluded to the "feel" of the opponents body where the tactile or tactual information one feels from another can send signals to the mind on a response or action that would best nullify or deflect or allow a movement to better your position, etc. That speaks of two things regarding this new ninth goku-i line.
One is an understanding of the tactile symbols; duration-location-action-intensity-frequency-sensation. As an example the "sensation" a threat might feel triggers the tendency for the mind to lock on to that location and feeling where the mind, if not trained in this, tries to discover what is occurring and gain a tactical response and advantage. This is where the interruption of a person OODA loop occurs where continuing to change the sensation, location. intensity and duration keeps triggering the mind to lock on to the now new sensation reducing the minds ability to achieve a response.
By allowing my new line validity in the ken-po goku-i it might bring to the for of our minds the conscious attention and awareness of touch to achieve a greater understanding of the martial arts and our applications of its principles and techniques.
Two is an awareness of the tactual sense elements and how they function adding to the application of techniques to achieve additional advantage. These elements include, pressure; pain; pleasure; temperature; muscle movement of the skin; rubbing; pinching, etc. In a grappling art pressure, pain, rubbing, pinching and the movement of muscle under the skin apply. Just give it a moment and consider this, have you in your training, practice and teaching of martial systems.
Tactual data retrieval to train and practice can be seen and grasped literally as a function of the arts - martial arts. I can now realize that not taking touch to this level of thought may have contributed to a lack of full understanding on principles, intent and applications. Worth taking down and out of the attic and placing it in front of us so we can examine it with our eyes, analyze it with our ears to hear how it impacts practitioners, and touching on the value of its implications in teaching and learning.
My Postings
As you can see my posts are a mixture of my thoughts, my thoughts that are inspired by my reading of books, and my thoughts as inspired by other blog postings such as Rory Miller's Chiron, Sensei Kane and Wilder's blog, and many others like SueC's and Vesia Sensei's blogs.
If ever I utilize a topic from your sources, i.e. your books or blogs, etc., and you are not pleased for any reason please comment. I want to make sure all the material I use is acceptable to the person, their work, and their philosophies as to their intent. I am not trying to steal, borrow, abscond, hijack your material.
I want to write, as a touch dominant person this is really the best self-teaching tool, and I want to learn from that writing so I tend to read others material and then try to morph it into my own thoughts and by that method encode it and by that method learn and apply it in my practice, training and life.
If you feel I trespass on your efforts comment or send me an email directly to let me know and I will either stop using your stuff or with your ok send you the post for approval before posting to the blog. If I don't hear from you then I cannot take your feelings and such into consideration, If I do hear from you I will accord you the respect you deserve.
This also goes for giving credit. I attempt to do so as is proper by either adding name and source to the end of a quote or by bibliography at the end. If I miss it please remind me and I will correct it quickly.
Thanks!
If ever I utilize a topic from your sources, i.e. your books or blogs, etc., and you are not pleased for any reason please comment. I want to make sure all the material I use is acceptable to the person, their work, and their philosophies as to their intent. I am not trying to steal, borrow, abscond, hijack your material.
I want to write, as a touch dominant person this is really the best self-teaching tool, and I want to learn from that writing so I tend to read others material and then try to morph it into my own thoughts and by that method encode it and by that method learn and apply it in my practice, training and life.
If you feel I trespass on your efforts comment or send me an email directly to let me know and I will either stop using your stuff or with your ok send you the post for approval before posting to the blog. If I don't hear from you then I cannot take your feelings and such into consideration, If I do hear from you I will accord you the respect you deserve.
This also goes for giving credit. I attempt to do so as is proper by either adding name and source to the end of a quote or by bibliography at the end. If I miss it please remind me and I will correct it quickly.
Thanks!
Level of Difficulty - Level of Boredom
Yang - the level of difficulty tends to lead practitioners toward strategies, tactics and techniques that are hugely complex and most difficult to apply in the best of situations let alone in one strife with anger, fear, confusion, chaos and the effects of emotions and adrenaline.
Yin - the level of boredom tends to lead practitioners toward strategies, tactics and techniques that are not complex and are the most easily applied in the worst of situations where anger, fear, confusion, chaos and the effects of emotions and adrenaline dominate.
Dependent on your goals and beliefs the balance fluctuates for the optimal intent and actions. In fighting, my personal view, reducing the level of difficulty and applying the fundamental principles of martial systems works. It is also very boring in its initial stages of practice and training. If involves the boredom of repetitions until one can take it into a more dynamic training cycle - reality based training where chaos lives.
Sometimes you begin with a high level of boredom and a low level of difficulty. You then can take it down-up as appropriate. Again the intent of its application will dictate where you find your balance.
Yin - the level of boredom tends to lead practitioners toward strategies, tactics and techniques that are not complex and are the most easily applied in the worst of situations where anger, fear, confusion, chaos and the effects of emotions and adrenaline dominate.
Dependent on your goals and beliefs the balance fluctuates for the optimal intent and actions. In fighting, my personal view, reducing the level of difficulty and applying the fundamental principles of martial systems works. It is also very boring in its initial stages of practice and training. If involves the boredom of repetitions until one can take it into a more dynamic training cycle - reality based training where chaos lives.
Sometimes you begin with a high level of boredom and a low level of difficulty. You then can take it down-up as appropriate. Again the intent of its application will dictate where you find your balance.
How do you know when the monkey is taking over?
My view is this tends to be the most difficult aspect in training. As fear begets the freeze emotions beget the monkey. To keep the monkey at bay is to recognize the monkey's purpose and train to block the monkey's entrance. Emotions are so fast and so effective it is seemingly impossible to stop the monkey but it is possible much like breaking the freeze.
If you train to be aware of when emotions are triggered and you can effect a break of their opening the door to the monkey you can break the emotional influence or at least keep it in abeyance while you breathe - deep, diaphragmatically and slowly. It is a matter of training and self-control. Hopefully ....
If sense mode is so important, how to I tell which I am? How do I tell which my students are?
I know the answer because I tool the test Dr. Elgin provided in the below book. It has a short one for touch sense and another that provides a clue to whether your sight, sound, or tactual/touch sense dominant. This is the first of all her books that actually gives this big clue. I suspect it was because the burden of recognition falls on the touch dominant person as I feel those are the people most confused as to why things go the way the go for them while sight and hearing tend to fit into the society preference.
I could try to copy the questions here but I feel that would take things a bit to far. It seems that in this case it is best the curious person get the book and read it. There are a lot of things that if taken our of the context the test is given in this book it could lead to confusion. After all, I am not accepting my analysis blindly. I intend to continue my studies to make sure. I suggest this wholeheartedly.
In addition, it is not a polite or acceptable thing to use this test on others. She explains why such things are misinterpreted and misunderstood leaving false impressions of the person. If someone had come up to me and said they believed I was difficult due to being a touch sense person and all that explanations that go with it might have met resistance ergo locking me into my primary sense mode resulting in a huge reality gap for adequate and acceptable communications benefiting us both. Not good.
If you are curious, get the book(s) and read for yourself. Gain the knowledge and see what it brings.
Bibliography:
Elgin, Suzette Haden, Ph.D. "Try To Feel It My Way: New Help for Touch Dominant People and Those Who Care About Them." New York: John Wiley & Sons. 1997.
I could try to copy the questions here but I feel that would take things a bit to far. It seems that in this case it is best the curious person get the book and read it. There are a lot of things that if taken our of the context the test is given in this book it could lead to confusion. After all, I am not accepting my analysis blindly. I intend to continue my studies to make sure. I suggest this wholeheartedly.
In addition, it is not a polite or acceptable thing to use this test on others. She explains why such things are misinterpreted and misunderstood leaving false impressions of the person. If someone had come up to me and said they believed I was difficult due to being a touch sense person and all that explanations that go with it might have met resistance ergo locking me into my primary sense mode resulting in a huge reality gap for adequate and acceptable communications benefiting us both. Not good.
If you are curious, get the book(s) and read for yourself. Gain the knowledge and see what it brings.
Bibliography:
Elgin, Suzette Haden, Ph.D. "Try To Feel It My Way: New Help for Touch Dominant People and Those Who Care About Them." New York: John Wiley & Sons. 1997.
You Never Know
You never know how you may influence others and you may never know how others may influence you. Sometimes you see, hear or grasp some concept that influences your life and only realize when it comes that it came from some unexpected source. You must realize then that this occurred because of you and you also have to give credit to that source of influence. It took both to arrive at some point in life that causes a paradigm shift.
This resulted for me a new belief that one should not limit any information regardless. It means that you as a person must overcome that impulse to discard something simply because it triggers a resistance due to say a belief in someone or something. It means to remain open to the possibilities.
When your open to anything it then allows the mind to open the perceptive filters to any possibility where the mind will seek out an impression that relates to the input of data resulting in a new concept that is seen, heard, and felt. It is what we perceive as "insight." That unexplainable aspect of the human condition that allows us to be inspired and creative.
When I thank someone for some thing they have provided I am not thanking them for my new insight or creative inspiration but simply for being the type of person who gets out there and provides a form of mentoring that creates an opening for others to learn and grow. It is how we humans tend to evolve - evolve as a person; evolve as a martial artist; evolve as an instructor/teacher/mentor/guide.
If Rory Miller had not made the extra effort to write a paragraph on the GAVSD for Dr. Suzette Haden Elgin, Ph.D. I would not have discovered the additional books and tapes she produced thus never learned or understood the implications of being a "touch dominant person." I would not have discovered the obstacles that needed to be overcome allowing a type of awareness that benefits all aspects of my life - home/personal, life, work and martial art.
You never know where inspiration and insight will come from and where it will lead you. You just never know ......
p.s. credit for all things is always a result of two influences. It is never simply one. It does provide for a singular one in life - Yin-n-Yang are the two sides of the "one" great Tai Chi philosophy. Balance .....
This resulted for me a new belief that one should not limit any information regardless. It means that you as a person must overcome that impulse to discard something simply because it triggers a resistance due to say a belief in someone or something. It means to remain open to the possibilities.
When your open to anything it then allows the mind to open the perceptive filters to any possibility where the mind will seek out an impression that relates to the input of data resulting in a new concept that is seen, heard, and felt. It is what we perceive as "insight." That unexplainable aspect of the human condition that allows us to be inspired and creative.
When I thank someone for some thing they have provided I am not thanking them for my new insight or creative inspiration but simply for being the type of person who gets out there and provides a form of mentoring that creates an opening for others to learn and grow. It is how we humans tend to evolve - evolve as a person; evolve as a martial artist; evolve as an instructor/teacher/mentor/guide.
If Rory Miller had not made the extra effort to write a paragraph on the GAVSD for Dr. Suzette Haden Elgin, Ph.D. I would not have discovered the additional books and tapes she produced thus never learned or understood the implications of being a "touch dominant person." I would not have discovered the obstacles that needed to be overcome allowing a type of awareness that benefits all aspects of my life - home/personal, life, work and martial art.
You never know where inspiration and insight will come from and where it will lead you. You just never know ......
p.s. credit for all things is always a result of two influences. It is never simply one. It does provide for a singular one in life - Yin-n-Yang are the two sides of the "one" great Tai Chi philosophy. Balance .....
Tactual/Touch Sense and Ken-po Goku-i
An article on teaching to young adults for all three major senses brought about this epiphany toward additional meaning of the goku-i (shortened for brevity purposes, i.e. full ken-po goku-i). In that article they teach the teachers to used all three senses to make sure "the material reaches the student rather than why isn't the student grasping the material?"
They trained them to determine if a student is a visual, audio or kinesthetic learner - sight, sound, touch. Once they determined a student was touch dominant they went a step further by finding out if they were "tactile or tactual" which refers to the handling and touching vs. Kinesthetic which refers to position and balance of the body.
Take a look at Kinesthetic, the balance and position of the body. This touches on the goku-i's lines on the body changing direction at any time, a person' balance same as a weight. Both are in reference to the body and balance with falls into a touch dominant sense mode.
The now nine references within the entire goku-i provide the full spectrum of using the "three" major senses fully and completely in practicing and teaching the martial arts. These three provide a fullness to the goku-i interpretation that aligns with the I Ching where the three is heaven, man, and earth where in the trigrams and hexagrams it is further dividend to these three components that make us whole or "one."
The manner of drinking or inhaling vs. spitting or exhaling is also using a touch sense mode inference for they both infer a type of balance within the body much like the heart and heaven and earth along with blood similar to moon and sun.
This warrants further study and contemplation as it will open more doors to a large audience that may be missing out on a martial art path simply because they lack an awareness that it also provides for the much aligned touch dominant sense.
They trained them to determine if a student is a visual, audio or kinesthetic learner - sight, sound, touch. Once they determined a student was touch dominant they went a step further by finding out if they were "tactile or tactual" which refers to the handling and touching vs. Kinesthetic which refers to position and balance of the body.
Take a look at Kinesthetic, the balance and position of the body. This touches on the goku-i's lines on the body changing direction at any time, a person' balance same as a weight. Both are in reference to the body and balance with falls into a touch dominant sense mode.
The now nine references within the entire goku-i provide the full spectrum of using the "three" major senses fully and completely in practicing and teaching the martial arts. These three provide a fullness to the goku-i interpretation that aligns with the I Ching where the three is heaven, man, and earth where in the trigrams and hexagrams it is further dividend to these three components that make us whole or "one."
The manner of drinking or inhaling vs. spitting or exhaling is also using a touch sense mode inference for they both infer a type of balance within the body much like the heart and heaven and earth along with blood similar to moon and sun.
This warrants further study and contemplation as it will open more doors to a large audience that may be missing out on a martial art path simply because they lack an awareness that it also provides for the much aligned touch dominant sense.
Blogs and Posts and Comments - Oh My!
Ahem, listen up folks. What happened here. Much like the material in a post I read I dileberatly allowed some monkey dance drive my bus and responded with a blast to "straighten the person out" that resulted from what my monkey brain perceived as damage - the kind that cannot be photographed and the kind that leaves no discernible injuries or threat of death.
So, what did I accomplish? Nothing of significance. I accomplished a self-fulfilling ego driven prideful response that was meant only for me, myself and I. Did it teach this other person anything? Not a damn thing. Did it cause the possibility of a continuance of this monkey dance? Yep, if they read this blog and decided to respond in a comment.
What should I have actually done? Nothing. Nothing especially if I had no additional information that would be helpful and encouraging. Nothing that could be done if it did not accomplish a change that could be done with me slowly and gently and with minimal disruption. It was not with any positive phrasing. It was not kind nor necessary.
Why do it? Lessons in life are sometimes hard to bear. Digging a hole and hiding your head from any input, any advice since advice was asked for, and any growth for growth can only be achieved through knowledge which means you see everything, hear everything, feel everything, touch and taste things to learn and assimilate new knowledge that even if it seems to be not applicable can be a thread to those things that are applicable.
So, lets turn this off now and go back to the "exchange" of idea's, feelings, and knowledge for the purpose of growing and becoming a better person. Lessons, Lessons, Lessons are just like practice, practice, practice. After all violence comes from the inability to communicate in a syntonic fashion promoting disharmony that escalates to physical altercations and predatory behaviors.
So, what did I accomplish? Nothing of significance. I accomplished a self-fulfilling ego driven prideful response that was meant only for me, myself and I. Did it teach this other person anything? Not a damn thing. Did it cause the possibility of a continuance of this monkey dance? Yep, if they read this blog and decided to respond in a comment.
What should I have actually done? Nothing. Nothing especially if I had no additional information that would be helpful and encouraging. Nothing that could be done if it did not accomplish a change that could be done with me slowly and gently and with minimal disruption. It was not with any positive phrasing. It was not kind nor necessary.
Why do it? Lessons in life are sometimes hard to bear. Digging a hole and hiding your head from any input, any advice since advice was asked for, and any growth for growth can only be achieved through knowledge which means you see everything, hear everything, feel everything, touch and taste things to learn and assimilate new knowledge that even if it seems to be not applicable can be a thread to those things that are applicable.
So, lets turn this off now and go back to the "exchange" of idea's, feelings, and knowledge for the purpose of growing and becoming a better person. Lessons, Lessons, Lessons are just like practice, practice, practice. After all violence comes from the inability to communicate in a syntonic fashion promoting disharmony that escalates to physical altercations and predatory behaviors.
Skinny Kid Syndrome
What is it about skinny kids and martial arts? I hear many stories about practitioners and Sensei who as they grew up and entered into martial arts were "skinny" as a kid and was "picked on" as a skinny kid. There were stories about Tatsuo Sensei in this regard and I have since found them to be slightly askew in truth.
I was considered a skinny kid as well so this is why your seeing this post. I was reading about a Florida Sensei, Mr. Ersaid B. Souto of the Dragonfly Dojo. His bio spoke of him as a once skinny kid as well ergo the posting on skinny kid syndrome.
This makes me wonder just how many folks who practice a martial art, especially Isshinryu, were skinny kids. I had a picture I carried that showed me at barely 105 lbs and about a year later a picture as a body builder at 215 lbs. Just before entering the Marines in 1972.
I also received an introduction to karate from a guy named, Mr. Don Collier Sensei, who opened a dojo downtown Daytona Beach Florida. Then there was boxing, Judo and finally karate-jutsu-do.
Just an interesting view where it appears, on the surface, that there might have been a skinny kid syndrome leading to a lot of martial arts practice and training.
I was considered a skinny kid as well so this is why your seeing this post. I was reading about a Florida Sensei, Mr. Ersaid B. Souto of the Dragonfly Dojo. His bio spoke of him as a once skinny kid as well ergo the posting on skinny kid syndrome.
This makes me wonder just how many folks who practice a martial art, especially Isshinryu, were skinny kids. I had a picture I carried that showed me at barely 105 lbs and about a year later a picture as a body builder at 215 lbs. Just before entering the Marines in 1972.
I also received an introduction to karate from a guy named, Mr. Don Collier Sensei, who opened a dojo downtown Daytona Beach Florida. Then there was boxing, Judo and finally karate-jutsu-do.
Just an interesting view where it appears, on the surface, that there might have been a skinny kid syndrome leading to a lot of martial arts practice and training.
Blogs and Posts and Comments
I write this because I feel once a person puts it out there on a blog such as those I write should expect all kinds of comments. No one is going to readily accept what you write so you can expect to hear all kinds of stuff both positive and negative.
If you don't wish to have comments then turn off comments on your blog. If you do want comments then turn it on. If you don't like a comment, comment about it and what you don't like. If you do expect a comment back again.
If you wish to comment on a comment and want the comments to end then don't comment on the comment. The moment you comment on a comment depending on the mood of the other you may or may not get another comment.
Much like GAVSD if you wish to see the cycle stop: Stop commenting in return, let the last comment stand and remove the emotional attachment - IT ISN"T PERSONAL.
Now, if you comment and I don't like it I feel it is rude of me to return a comment then cut off all responses thus forcing my side or opinion as the last opinion.
I welcome all response, comments and critiques to my writing here on my blogs. I will moderate the comments only to keep spammers and such out. I will always approve all comments to my blog so all readers can follow, learn or ignore under their own decisive power - not mine. If I feel that a continues written dialogue will not benefit me then I will simply let the last comment stand and move on.
Those who have followed my blogs for the past years know I can go off on a tangent. I have had such exchanges and the comments were always allowed unless spam oriented, etc. I believe the blogasphere is meant to be an exchange.
If you blog and cannot stand the heat from others comments; good, bad or indifferent; then turn off the commenting and you won't have to hear, read or listen to anyone.
Just ranting a bit. Another blog I enjoy apparently received some comments they didn't like so they ranted on that then cut off any commenting - pissed me off. That blog is off my list which is too bad because the blogger tended to put out some pretty decent stuff.
Bye bye blogger, sorry you can't stand the heat. I am off the rant wagon now and back onto marital stuff.
Sigh, phew, slow outward breathe to relax - now a huge
If you don't wish to have comments then turn off comments on your blog. If you do want comments then turn it on. If you don't like a comment, comment about it and what you don't like. If you do expect a comment back again.
If you wish to comment on a comment and want the comments to end then don't comment on the comment. The moment you comment on a comment depending on the mood of the other you may or may not get another comment.
Much like GAVSD if you wish to see the cycle stop: Stop commenting in return, let the last comment stand and remove the emotional attachment - IT ISN"T PERSONAL.
Now, if you comment and I don't like it I feel it is rude of me to return a comment then cut off all responses thus forcing my side or opinion as the last opinion.
I welcome all response, comments and critiques to my writing here on my blogs. I will moderate the comments only to keep spammers and such out. I will always approve all comments to my blog so all readers can follow, learn or ignore under their own decisive power - not mine. If I feel that a continues written dialogue will not benefit me then I will simply let the last comment stand and move on.
Those who have followed my blogs for the past years know I can go off on a tangent. I have had such exchanges and the comments were always allowed unless spam oriented, etc. I believe the blogasphere is meant to be an exchange.
If you blog and cannot stand the heat from others comments; good, bad or indifferent; then turn off the commenting and you won't have to hear, read or listen to anyone.
Just ranting a bit. Another blog I enjoy apparently received some comments they didn't like so they ranted on that then cut off any commenting - pissed me off. That blog is off my list which is too bad because the blogger tended to put out some pretty decent stuff.
Bye bye blogger, sorry you can't stand the heat. I am off the rant wagon now and back onto marital stuff.
Sigh, phew, slow outward breathe to relax - now a huge
Now, bring on those comments - good, bad, and ugly - all comments welcome regardless......
Ambassador of Isshinryu: Spirit of Isshinryu: Historian of Isshinryu
CORRECTION: Andy Sloane was not nominated for or recipient of Sensei of the Year Award by the IHOF. I have been advised by Andy that his nomination was for "Spirit of Isshinryu" award. Sadly, Andy Sloane Sensei did not receive that award.
I can say with enthusiam and emphatic emphasis that my knowledge of Andy and his practice of Isshinryu puts him far and away the best person to be awarded the recognition for "Spirit of Isshinyu!"
I can tell you his efforts far exceed any requirements set forth by the IHOF to designate Sloane Sensei as an "Ambassador of Isshinryu" as well as hold the "Spirit of Isshinryu" to its highest state. No one have I come across who can hold up his credentials in this regard.
As to why the IHOF didn't award this honor to him and made mistakes in the web site announcements is not my concern. They have to look within to see if they acted honorably.
I just had to express my congratulations to a fine Sensei, a fine Isshinryu'ist, and a outstanding Navy Man - Sensei Andy Sloane! UH-Rah! Sensei Sloane is a really hard charging karate-ka currently stationed on Okinawa with a three year tour which places him in a very good position to train, practice and teach Isshinryu under the mentoring of many now famous and proficient Isshinryu and Okinawa Ti Masters.
He was awarded the honor of "Sensei of the Year" along side some other fine karate-ka as listed below. You can see the entire list here:
Tim Cunningham - Tarboro, NC
John C. Devinve - Lebanon, PA
Brad Hatcher - Maryville, TN
Clarence S Ewing - Gulf Breeze, FL
Butch McLaughlin - Charlotte, NC
Spirit of Isshin-Ryu Russell P. Best, Sr. - Upper Marlboro, MD
Nelson Jones - Detroit, MI
Andy Sloane - Okinawa
Jerry Sullivan - Bulls Gap, TN
Ed "Z" Szelap - Novi, MI
I can say with enthusiam and emphatic emphasis that my knowledge of Andy and his practice of Isshinryu puts him far and away the best person to be awarded the recognition for "Spirit of Isshinyu!"
I can tell you his efforts far exceed any requirements set forth by the IHOF to designate Sloane Sensei as an "Ambassador of Isshinryu" as well as hold the "Spirit of Isshinryu" to its highest state. No one have I come across who can hold up his credentials in this regard.
As to why the IHOF didn't award this honor to him and made mistakes in the web site announcements is not my concern. They have to look within to see if they acted honorably.
Andy Sloane has done so - acted with honor and integrity - so I will leave it at that.
I came to know of Sloane Sensei through membership in Advincula Sensei's Isshinkai Yahoo group - public group. He does not allow anything to hinder is search for truth and the Isshinryu way (sorry superman, had to borrow that one). Many of his verified facts have been shared with me and I find his work and efforts of great benefit to all Isshinryu participants - Sensei and Deshi.
Andy Sloane - Okinawa
Isshinryu Forum
I am trying out a fledgling new forum that is focused on Isshinryu. It is new and I am hopeful it will bring in Isshinryu folks from all tribes, factions, and organizations where free exchange of information can occur so we all can grow and prosper in our practices, training, and teachings.
If you practice Isshinryu. If you practice a martial art. Give this a look and let me have your view and opinions.
If you practice Isshinryu. If you practice a martial art. Give this a look and let me have your view and opinions.
 |
| http://www.isshinryuforum.com/ |
Abililty, Motivation and Attitude
"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it." - Lou Holtz
I was surfing through looking for a particular quote by Emerson when I ran across this one from Holz. I found it to be very beneficial to our practice of martial systems. After all, don't we all rely on ability, motivation and attitude? Notice that there is three (3) here as well, that seems significant. Three seems to permeate many of the ancient classics teachings.
We achieve ability in the practice and training of martial systems such as karate-jutsu-do. We attend these teachings through the self-motivation we gain in that practice and training. We also achieve it with the social interactions of our dojo mates. To have a successful dojo experience one and all must also have the proper attitude. That attitude is created by the interactions and actions of Sensei and then by those of Sempai and Kohai.
This quotes speaks volumes in a few words, this is good.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
What is respect? It is that feeling one develops and feels that provides spirit of the mind, body and soul. I believe it is an internal feeling I create as I grew/grow up. It is a cumulative of qualities, abilities and achievements that provide me the self-esteem level that promotes a healthy self-respect.
It promotes in others a modicum of feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions that say "I respect this person." Others feel a form of admiration for their abilities, qualities and achievements. Others have regard for the person.
Who can give or take away respect? Only that individual. No other person can give it or remove it no matter what. Giving a person due regard, respect, and admiration does not give respect and a lack of a person giving these same things cannot remove that respect. Only you, the person, can give or remove respect.
It all begins with your self-respect. You have to earn it from within. Your actions, your deeds, your beliefs, your morals and all those other positive traits can only be learned and lived by you. They are yours and unique to you. You cannot transfer them onto others for others have their own system created through their unique perspective filtering systems.
If you say or do something that causes me to tell myself, "Hey, he dissed me and showed me no respect," then what I have done is allowed my own self-respect to be diminished by my expectations of others. Much like our desires, we have no influence on the expectations of others. We therefor shall not allow the expectations of others to influence our self-respect. The moment I make such a statement is the moment I have allowed myself, the monkey brain, to lose self-respect and the monkey therefor drives me to such thoughts and resulting actions.
Respect comes from within each of us. We control it all and develop it all ourselves. We may receive mentoring from others who may have achieved such levels of self-respect we see it as a trait we wish to emulate and therefore meld it into ourselves and all without direct influence to our self-respect. If it does not fit, ignore and discard it.
Respect! My efforts in karate gave me confidence, ability, and respect. Not true, I did it all myself and used karate and other studies as a study guide to see, hear and feel what I want and need for self-respect, self-esteem, and self-confidence.
Goku-i and Bottles
It came to mind today for me the question, is the bottles quote implied through references to the ken-po goku-i. If we take each goku-i (used for brevity for ken-po goku-i) and view it from a point that is a belief that all things are good, they all serve a purpose then we can extrapolate:
1. Humans are all inherently good and they all serve a purpose on the Earth as it resides under Heaven.
2. The blood that circulates much like the cycles of both the Sun and Moon are the same but different where the differences still promote all humans and all of nature as good and purposeful to life.
3, 4, 5, and 6 fall under both the above statements with differences indicated so that particulars of the person or human can connect to the fundamental principles of that inference to show the differences and sameness that is beneficial or good to each uniqueness without regard to any type of prejudices.
7 & 8 seem to provide an indication that we look and hear all the myriad things of the Universe, i.e. Humans on Earth residing under all the Heavens, in a manner that indicates difference yet complete understanding that all of it is good and all of it serves a purpose.
Tatsuo Sensei, as indicted by Vesia Sensei blog post, may have meant to promote the different bottles of booze but may also have wanted to express more to his system, his reference to the ken-po goku-i and to this particular quote to get us to think and conclude that all of us under the heavens here on Earth are more alike than our outward appearances, beliefs, and customs might indicate and that we all serve a purpose both as individuals and as a unit, a tribe, or society.
If we remove all inferences to order and numbering of the goku-i then both it and the quote will better connect as one whole or wholehearted effort to perceive, learn, and understand.
1. Humans are all inherently good and they all serve a purpose on the Earth as it resides under Heaven.
2. The blood that circulates much like the cycles of both the Sun and Moon are the same but different where the differences still promote all humans and all of nature as good and purposeful to life.
3, 4, 5, and 6 fall under both the above statements with differences indicated so that particulars of the person or human can connect to the fundamental principles of that inference to show the differences and sameness that is beneficial or good to each uniqueness without regard to any type of prejudices.
7 & 8 seem to provide an indication that we look and hear all the myriad things of the Universe, i.e. Humans on Earth residing under all the Heavens, in a manner that indicates difference yet complete understanding that all of it is good and all of it serves a purpose.
Tatsuo Sensei, as indicted by Vesia Sensei blog post, may have meant to promote the different bottles of booze but may also have wanted to express more to his system, his reference to the ken-po goku-i and to this particular quote to get us to think and conclude that all of us under the heavens here on Earth are more alike than our outward appearances, beliefs, and customs might indicate and that we all serve a purpose both as individuals and as a unit, a tribe, or society.
If we remove all inferences to order and numbering of the goku-i then both it and the quote will better connect as one whole or wholehearted effort to perceive, learn, and understand.
 |
| Click graphic for larger view. |
Mystique, Mysticism, or Bullshit
Mystique: A fascinating aura of mystery, awe, and power surrounding someone or something; An air of secrecy surrounding a particular activity or subject that makes it impressive or baffling to those without specialized knowledge, etc.
Mysticism: Belief characterized by self-delusion or dreamy confusion of thought, esp. when based on the assumption of occult qualities or mysterious agencies; having an import not apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence, etc.
Bullshit: a word for unacceptable behavior; talk through one's hat: speak insincerely or without regard for facts or truths; False or exaggerated statements made to impress the listener rather than deceive, etc.
I am not trying to imply that readers don't know the meaning of the words. I use these to connect a particular definition or definitions to the actual words I write explaining how that set of words relate to this system of martial art called Isshinryu.
What makes martial arts, at least in regards to when I began in mid-seventies, so alluring to its practitioners was the mystique by which they came about in this country. When you present someone some unique and mysterious activity related to the then mysticism of Asian origins of martial arts, i.e. Chinese due to Bruce Lee and Tae Kwon Do due to Chuck Norris as well as others of less notoriety we foster a following that is based on mystique, mystery/mysticism or just plain old bullshit.
I can say from my experiences with Isshinryu that a good portion of what is believed, taught, and practiced comes from stories that are not based on verifiable facts. Even the most acceptable source that uses personal conversations from second and third party sources - not the original person - leaves the facts and truth questionable.
The crux of many belief systems in martial arts arises from this. The reason, I believe, that even the most acceptable sources are not fully accepted by all practitioners is because we all can gleam perceived truth for our own second and third hand sources.
This will always be the case and will never reach a level of factual believe simply because there are no written historical facts either on Okinawa or within the family archives of the founder of our system. His second son was a solid source as to his perception of his father with a bit of forgiveness to accuracy simply because of language, belief, and custom barriers. We cannot possibly and fully understand his meaning simply because we can not relate with a solid background and history involving customs and beliefs.
I had hoped to experience one day a solidarity that transcended personal gain, ego, and pride that would unite and spread a more accurate teaching of the Isshinryu system. Alas, that will never come to pass. I can only guess that maybe Shimabuku Tatsuo Sensei wanted it that way or maybe his teachings were based on the Okinawan school system version of teaching karate because it filled a need. A need for the Military and his family need for income and economical stability in very difficult times. Tatsuo Sensei may have been the precursor to the American commercialized Isshinryu system taught today.
Then again, I could be totally wrong. In other words: "more bullshit!"
p.s I used a supposition to placate, can you tell me where it is and what it actually means? Just an exercise in GAVSD ;-)
Mysticism: Belief characterized by self-delusion or dreamy confusion of thought, esp. when based on the assumption of occult qualities or mysterious agencies; having an import not apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence, etc.
Bullshit: a word for unacceptable behavior; talk through one's hat: speak insincerely or without regard for facts or truths; False or exaggerated statements made to impress the listener rather than deceive, etc.
I am not trying to imply that readers don't know the meaning of the words. I use these to connect a particular definition or definitions to the actual words I write explaining how that set of words relate to this system of martial art called Isshinryu.
What makes martial arts, at least in regards to when I began in mid-seventies, so alluring to its practitioners was the mystique by which they came about in this country. When you present someone some unique and mysterious activity related to the then mysticism of Asian origins of martial arts, i.e. Chinese due to Bruce Lee and Tae Kwon Do due to Chuck Norris as well as others of less notoriety we foster a following that is based on mystique, mystery/mysticism or just plain old bullshit.
I can say from my experiences with Isshinryu that a good portion of what is believed, taught, and practiced comes from stories that are not based on verifiable facts. Even the most acceptable source that uses personal conversations from second and third party sources - not the original person - leaves the facts and truth questionable.
The crux of many belief systems in martial arts arises from this. The reason, I believe, that even the most acceptable sources are not fully accepted by all practitioners is because we all can gleam perceived truth for our own second and third hand sources.
This will always be the case and will never reach a level of factual believe simply because there are no written historical facts either on Okinawa or within the family archives of the founder of our system. His second son was a solid source as to his perception of his father with a bit of forgiveness to accuracy simply because of language, belief, and custom barriers. We cannot possibly and fully understand his meaning simply because we can not relate with a solid background and history involving customs and beliefs.
I had hoped to experience one day a solidarity that transcended personal gain, ego, and pride that would unite and spread a more accurate teaching of the Isshinryu system. Alas, that will never come to pass. I can only guess that maybe Shimabuku Tatsuo Sensei wanted it that way or maybe his teachings were based on the Okinawan school system version of teaching karate because it filled a need. A need for the Military and his family need for income and economical stability in very difficult times. Tatsuo Sensei may have been the precursor to the American commercialized Isshinryu system taught today.
Then again, I could be totally wrong. In other words: "more bullshit!"
p.s I used a supposition to placate, can you tell me where it is and what it actually means? Just an exercise in GAVSD ;-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)