Explaining Things

Blog Article/Post Caveat (Read First Please: Click the Link)

In karate, often in the more authenticate traditional Asian way, the technique is demonstrated and seldom with words. At one time sensei would demonstrate what it was he wanted you to learn and do “three times” and then you were expected to work on it till you got it. This is the Eastern View on things martial arts. In the Western View we seem to need to break things down into its minutest form, the not only demonstrate it but explain it in words. When you have the words and actions of sensei along with tactile teaching, where sensei moves you and adjusts your position, structure and alignment, etc., you get a pretty good teaching method.  Even if the words don’t seem to match up with what is being demonstrated along with those tactile teaching methods your mind tends to get it, at least superficially. 

Where things begin to fall apart is when you practice on your own. Often, because of the Western view of things, we tend to lose the tactile and demonstrated aspects of the teaching and lean heavily toward the words used. If those words didn’t match up well with the demon and tactile parts and if you didn’t practice it repeatedly under supervision and corrections then you will gravitate toward your interpretation and perceptions of those words. It is necessary to teach using words that are properly representative of what you want the other person to learn, know and understand. 

Words seem to be critically important in our Western communications. In addition, since the student is no longer able to perceive, either consciously or unconsciously, the body language of the sensei the words lose more of their true meaning. As an example, when you hear the words and perceive body language and detect a disparity between the two the professionals tell you to listen to the body language. Later, in solo practice, you are missing a great deal of what was conveyed so you may get it wrong.

Here is the crunch, when you do and when you detect that mistake later while observing others in the dojo including senpai’s and the sensei don’t allow that to effect your mental state because all of this is normal, expected and a part of the learning process. 

So, in that light, the following quote was provided with a couple of graphics that stood out to my interpretation. The two graphics were displays of both the hands and arms along with the legs and feet as to the weapons or tools taught in karate. They are a display of karate weapons - NOT TECHNIQUES. 

The quote that was provided with no additional explanation was, “Some of the other techniques found in karate.” Granted, the original post on the blog was directed toward that sensei’ students and associate sensei but when it comes to students it can, if not corrected in the blog and on the dojo floor, lead toward a misunderstanding. The karate weapons, i.e., “Seiken, shuto, etc. along with kakato, and chusoku, etc.” are the weapons we use to apply those techniques. They are in and of themselves not actually techniques, actions, moves or methodologies but the tool used to apply those in appropriate situations. 

A strike is a technique and it is applied USING say the fore-knuckles or open hand or shuto or edge of the hand. Well, actually since we are on words, techniques is not truly the right term for that either. In a more holistic way we usually “run through our OODA, then we decide on a methodology that leads to our actions and movements that leads us to a combination of techniques (techniques properly defined are actually not single techniques but a collection of actions/movements done as consecutive rapid manner to get inside the adversary’s loop, etc.) where the use of those karate tools or weapons as described are used to apply appropriate “Fense (defense/offense).”

Lets use something innocuous to explain the importance of words, spoken and written, where failing to get them right causes certain issues. Lets say you have to also take a written test for grade/level promotions where you are ask to define a set of techniques and you listed the karate weapons in a list of upper and lower, i.e., seiken and kakato, etc. In truth, as long as the grader is on the same incorrect page, you will in all likelihood get that one wrong and that could be the one answer that fails or passes said test. (Note: I don’t like, agree or use such written testing for personal reasons). 

It is a bit like writing about self-defense where one small article of a few paragraphs is JUST NOT ENOUGH to explain it properly. One of the reasons I start off my articles with a caveat and end the articles with a bibliography so that the reader understands there is more and research toward analysis so that we can synthesize answers and so on to get the right stuff. 

It is why so many need to really edit and analyze their articles and when mistakes are made ensure they correct or at least address it say in a caveat but most important let the reader know that such things need to be analyzed by their sensei with them to come up with the correct answer that can lead to new and creative ways of applying our martial arts. 

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