Taikyoku Shodan "corrected"?

When it was announced that Toyotaro Miyazaki would permanently move back to Japan, we arranged to spend as much time with him as possible.  Most students treat him with reverence; we seniors who know him for decades recognize his dark sense of humor.  For example: during frequent after-class conversations on bunkai he’s been known to say that kata moves may not have practical applications.  He has said that some katas may have even been designed incorrectly.  Is he serious, or is he forcing you to think and analyze for yourself?  The only way to tell is if he has a faint smile and slight twinkle in his eye.  Those who aren’t aware to look for these signs are stunned to hear negative talk about kata coming from one of the top kata grand champions in four decades!

New students are taught the proper way to turn around in stance (mawatte): look over the rear shoulder, step across with the rear leg, and shift the weight as you face the new direction.  This is drilled into newbies with constant repetition.  Fine, now let’s learn the first White Belt kata, Taikyoku Shodan.  From yoi, turn left, step out with the left foot into a left front stance/left down block.  Then step forward to a right front stance/right forward punch.  Now turn around and block by looking over the forward shoulder and stepping around with the front leg… Wait a minute!  New students were just taught to turn by the rear side and now their first kata breaks the rule!  What’s going on here?  Maybe this is one of those

"incorrect" katas Master Miyazaki talks about.  I showed my senior students a "corrected" way to practice Taikyoku Shodan using turns (mawatte) done with the rear leg just as new students are taught.  All blocks are on the left side to counter an opponent’s right-side attack.  It should be noted that old Japanese culture didn’t recognize left-handed people; everybody used their right hand, so your opponent would most likely use a right-side attack.  The kata now ends by stepping forward to the starting point, rather than stepping back for yame.  Problem solved.

Am I serious about "correcting" Taikyoku Shodan?  You didn’t see the slight twinkle in my eye?  Of course not.  Taikyoku Shodan is fine as is.  Mawatte by turning the rear side is practiced daily in kihon (basics).  Taikyoku Shodan practices ¼ turns, ½ turns, and ¾ turns; it lets you practice left and right blocks and counterpunches from either side.  Kihon and kata together teach the student to turn either way.  New students practice kata patterns to learn movement and simple combinations.  Strategy is taught in kata, even though new students are not ready to understand it.  We block moving forward in Shotokan, jamming your opponent, stopping his momentum, and gaining your forward momentum to counterattack.  The top and bottom line of Taikyoku Shodan close in on the new opponent as you turn traveling four shoulders length in the new direction.  Another posibility: after the right punch, you grab your opponent's gi and toss him with the momentum of your 180-degree turn.  These basic strategies can be explained to new students when they’re ready for kumite (sparring).  Until then, the turn in kata develops muscle memory as the body trains to turn either way with either side.

Kenkojuku (our root organization) began in 1942 as Kenkokai Karate-bu, a Karate research club.  Influenced by Yoshitaka (Gigo) Funakoshi and others, research had Okano-soke’s teachings a little different from Nakayama-sensei and the Japan Karate Association (JKA), pre-dating it by seven years (JKA founded in 1949).  My dojo holds monthly Black Belt classes where in addition to advanced practice, we examine different ideas and research their values.  I often tell students, “First you learn your kata, and then you learn your kata.”  Confusing?  Not really.  You first learn the sequence of movements.  As your Karate abilities and knowledge develop, you can re-examine kata movements, technique, combinations, theory, and bunkai (meaning and application).  The Facebook video link below posted December 26th hopefully provides food for thought sparking a greater understanding of our Karate strategy and theory.  Osu!

https://www.facebook.com/KarateFreeportNY/videos/1493746197305657/

Shu-Ha-Ri - Entering my 50th year of 'mastery'

Yesterday was my 49th anniversary in the martial arts.  Some may ask how anal I am to remember the exact date.  Yes, I am anal about certain things, but I kept a training log at my first Tae Kwon Do dojang.  I came across it years later when moving and noticed that my brother Rick married Rita on December 13, 1970.  Now I can never forget the date; it's my brother and sister-in-law's anniversary, just 3 years earlier.

A couple of people mentioned shu-ha-ri to my 'mastery' of Karate.  Does 49 years indicate a certain level of mastery, or just too stubborn to quit?  So what is shu-ha-ri?  There are slightly different interpretations, but it basically means:
SHU: Learn the rules.  Follow your instructor's teaching as closely as possible.
HA: Bend or break the rules.  See what works for you.
RI: Leave the rule.  Personalize your Karate to your specific body type.

I believe a martial artist is like a shark - you must continually move forward or you will drown.  Are there any 'new' Shotokan techniques for me to learn?  Probably not at this point.  So what's new for me?  As one ages, the body is less responsive than it was in youth.  No surprise here.  I now move forward by adapting my techniques to work as well as possible with an aging body.  This is not a negative thing.  Many people have the unfortunate misconception that Karate is that adorable activity a 4-year-old does, or an acrobatically demanding activity that is only for teens and young adults.  Karate is for all ages: older adults benefit from exercise, flexibility, balance, coordination, stamina, improved health, self-defense - all while learning a traditional art form.  

This past summer's Olympics in Rio saw older trainers with their young international competitors.  The trainers may not be physically able to perform techniques as well as their young athletes, but they can coach their athletes to greatness.  I have had the good fortune to teach/coach/train some wonderful students, many of whom became tournament champions and grand champions.  Several have entered the military or joined law enforcement where their Karate training has proved invaluable.  They have become highly respected in the martial arts community.  This is where I feel, if not mastery, my many years in the martial arts has been a success.

As I enter my 50th year of martial arts today, I add another foreign phrase to this blog entry: וי! ... Oy!

Stand at Attention - Pay Attention

Many of my students come from other dojos.  They often tell me that they ‘worked out’ there, but were not really shown how to improve their techniques.  At our dojo, we pride ourselves by actually teaching meanings of moves and how to improve one’s techniques.  Unfortunately, these transfer students often bring baggage and bad habits from their old dojos with them.

The other day one of my transfer students was standing with his legs apart, back leg bent, arms crossed while I was correcting him.  Another senior barked at him to stand straight.  He did so for five seconds and then crossed his legs, put his hands on his hips, and tilted his head.  The senior again corrected him, which again lasted just a few seconds.  When he broke form again I stopped my correction and walked away from him.  The student (who by the way is 16 years old) asked if he did something wrong.  I told him the same thing I’ve said hundreds of times: “When you stand at attention, you pay attention.  When your body wanders, your mind wanders.”  I don’t fully blame the student.  He spent 10 years at a dojo where they just did general workout, didn’t really teach, so they paid no attention to details.  Standing at attention (heisoku dachi) when being addressed is an important detail.

I’ve visited other schools.  Very few of them let their students run amok, but young children are not often held to the same standards as older students.  After all, they’re just little kids.  The problem is that lack of discipline in young years/low ranks often limits students’ progress at higher ranks when they’re older.  Advanced techniques are built on one’s foundation, and poor control/discipline leads to a very shaky foundation.  To be fair, I’ve seen some instructors who masterfully develop wonderful young children.  Sadly, this is the exception, not the rule.

At our old Baldwin dojo, Long Island Aikikai held class after we finished our Shotokan class on Friday nights.  I’d often get to watch part of their class before I left.  The students would make four or five pairs on either side of the mat.  It was interesting to see how, when Hagihara-sensei would correct one pair, all students stopped what they were doing and stood at attention.  I remarked that this must be out of respect because Hagihara-sensei is a high ranking Black Belt (7^th Dan).  One of their Black Belt students told me that was a small part of the reason.  Similar to the Judo principle of “Mutual welfare and benefit”, the threefold reason for standing at attention was:

-             *  Respect for the sensei.  His corrections should not have to compete with nearby distractions.

-             *  Respect for those being corrected.  Others working nearby are a distraction to those concentrating on what’s being shown.

-             *  All students can benefit from the correction, whether they themselves are making the same error or not.  It reinforces proper way to perform the technique.

Respect in the dojo is a two-way street.  Senior students (sempai) should keep junior students (kohai) in check, remind them how to behave, and to work with them so both improve their techniques.  This helps build a positive big sibling/little sibling relationship which benefits both.  As sensei, I should not have to remind a student how to behave in class.  I will once, maybe twice, but then I’ll simply walk away.  If a student shows disrespect with improper form or not paying attention, I stop correcting them and spend time and energy on other students.  If a student’s lack of attention is disrupting other students from learning, the offender will be off to the side doing push-ups while I work with those showing proper attitude.  This may seem like punishment, but it gives the student a chance to build his body while reflecting on his actions.  People often confuse ‘discipline’ with ‘punishment’.  A root word for ‘discipline’ is ‘disciple’: one who follows given teachings.  We do nothing to ‘punish’ students, but disciplinary actions allow students to adjust their thinking and continue following our teachings along The Way of Karate-do.
(Photo courtesy of Sensei Brenda Hill)

Farewell Dinner for Master Miyazaki 10/15/16

Very emotional Saturday evening for me.  The OB-Kai held a farewell dinner for Master Toyotaro Miyazaki as he is permanently moving back to Japan after 50 years in the USA.  His Parkinson's disease has worsened and he is returning so that his family can care for him there.

Master Miyazaki was a tournament champion in Kata, Kumite, and Kobudo for more than 30 years since the mid-1960s.  He is an excellent sensei, role model, legend, and man, having influenced thousands of karateka worldwide.  To know the perfect control he had over his body, and now to see how the disease has affected him is upsetting.  To see that he still gets on the deck to do the best he can is awe inspiring.

Above is a letter I presented to him touching on a few special personal memories I have of him.  I wish you well, sensei. Domo arigato gozaimashita (deep bow) Osu!

Kobudo Should Complement Your Karate

Over the past week or so, I had the chance to observe several different styles of kobudo (Okinawan weapons).  On Friday the 19^th I had permission to watch a Ryukyu Bujutsu Kenkyu Doyukai (RBKD) Yamanni Ryu rank promotion exam.  The style is very fluid, with subtle details and intricate hand/footwork.  I paid particular attention to Shushi no Bo-sho, as we practice Shushi no Bo at our dojo, too.

A potential student from another style visited last week.  She got on the deck and we went through some basics to see how similar or different our movements are.  She demonstrated a bo kata for us: very dramatic with lots of baton twirls and over-exaggerated moves.  Very different from Yamanni Ryu and our way.

A day or two later a video circulated Facebook showing an Okinawan dojo performing bo kata.  I recognized it as yet another variation of Shushi no Bo, with movements more fluid than my dojo, but less intricacy and subtlety than Yamanni Ryu.

We had our monthly Black Belt class this past Monday.  Of course we studied the video, reviewed Yamanni Ryu, and our way of performing Shushi no Bo.  The question was asked: Which way is right?  In all styles you’re using a wooden bo, or if you will, taking a piece of tree and smashing your opponent.  All styles work, but the question remains which way is right?  All ways are right if they follow the way your empty-handed Karate moves:

Kobudo is often used to enhance your Karate practice.  A couple of members reached forward with their hands while doing an overhead strike.  This feels natural since you’re further away from your opponent than fighting empty-handed.  We looked at keeping the rear hand in chamber alongside the body instead of pushing forward.  The bo extends two feet beyond your front hand; let the bo cover the distance for you.  I tugged on the students’ bos with their hands forward and they were easily pulled off balance.  They felt more solid with much more control when I tugged and their rear hands were chambered on their hips. 

Members rotated the bo in front of their bodies.  This affected control, speed, and power, as the hands were not in any specific position.  Just like our folds, blocks, and strikes radiate from our hips, the bo should rotate close to the body, around your hips, using your body as a fulcrum.

We do short half-steps down the middle of Shushi no Bo.  It feels like an awkward move until you look at it.  Your opponent is just out of your strike’s reach.  If you stepped in all the way you would more than reach him, but catch him with the short arc of the swing.  The half-step allows your bo to hit at maximum arc with the end of the bo for a more devastating strike.

I’m not trying to ‘prove’ that any one way is superior; I’m simply showing that, if you use kobudo to enhance your Karate training, the same coordination, principles, and basics should apply to both practices.