West Meets East Tour 2019

Sensei Andrew Faupel from Kenkojuku Karate of South Jersey spearheaded a weeklong visit for Kenkojuku cousins from California, Oregon, Florida, Virginia, and Maryland July 23 to 28.  Dojos in Collingswood NJ, Astoria, South Ozone Park, and Bayside hosted workouts.  It was a treat meeting up with them in Astoria and Bayside, and sharing a meal after class.

Sunday the 28th was our turn to host.  We welcomed Sensei Faupel with Jeff Golia (NJ), Charles Parker (VA), Jimmy Bowden with Daniel Simpson (FL), Donny Andersen with Travis Coffman (CA), Janine Marr (CA), and Joshua Neumann (OR).  With them were Kyu ranks Theresa, Nolan, & Kacy Andersen, and Cristina Coffman (CA), and Jacob Dougherty (OR).  Five Dō Gakuin Black Belts and eight Kyu members extended welcome and made our guests feel right at home:

We worked line basics, 5-count and 4-count Ten-no-kata, and then looked at some concepts particular to Dō Gakuin.  Sensei Neumann teaches out of a small garage in Portland OR, so we gave him some ideas on how to maximize training in a tight space.  Sensei Abrams then led the group through Nijushi-ho with some bunkai.  We bowed out after presenting each visiting sensei with a certificate of appreciation for their dojo, and gave everyone a commemorative wooden nickel challenge coin.

We then headed down to EB Elliot’s on Freeport’s Nautical Mile, where many great stories and ideas were exchanged at a two hour luncheon.

We were sorry to miss ASKKA founding member Sensei Ted Raitch (MD), and Mr. Robert O’Brien & wife Brandy (CA), who had to leave early in the week.  We look forward to seeing them next time. Osu!

Open House - May 19, 2019

A Baldwin Shotokan dojo closed two weekends ago.  They finished Saturday morning classes, closed the doors, packed up, and left.  They had no scheduled classes on Sunday or Monday, by which time an email went out to all students and Facebook announced that the dojo was permanently closed effective immediately.  Their dojo website and 800 phone number were already disabled.

Arrangements were made for their students to continue training at a Shotokan dojo almost four miles away, with their tuition covered from mid-May to the end of June.  They also made a point of saying that this dojo was the only one recommended for their students to attend.  A few students said they would not attend this new dojo, and reached out to us, ¾ mile away from their former school, to continue training here.  They know of our Sensei Abrams, who was the kobudo instructor at their now-defunct school.  Mr. Abrams sat on promotion tests there, and supported many of their students at tournaments.  Some of their students reached out to other former members and they also contacted our dojo. 

The weekend after their dojo closed, we hosted an open house.  Around 15 people showed up and took class with us.  At that time I reminded them that the dojo almost four miles away was recommended, and their fees were covered for six weeks.  Several said that, for varying reasons, they had no intention of going there.  I said they were welcome to train here as my guest to the end of May.  They would pay tuition as of June.  This gave them a chance to see if we are a good fit for them, and if not, go four miles where their fees are covered for another month.  Our tuition is significantly lower than what they were paying, so a few months with us will save more than their pre-paid June fees at the recommended dojo.  From open house to today, ten of their members trained with us on a regular basis.

Someone asked why all this didn’t upset me.  When the former sensei recommended that particular dojo AND NO OTHER, it was a slap in our face - especially since the former sensei studied/trained at our dojo, we were both members of Miyazaki OB-Kai, and we dined together several times.  He knows that we do not take little children and the other dojo does, and likely took this into consideration for his little tykes.  He probably made a deal with the new dojo for his students.  These were sound business decisions.  As it happens, the female Black Belt who taught their little children’s classes came to our open house.  She is interested in joining us and working little children’s classes for us.

If I should be upset about anything, it would be that the school opened in Baldwin in 2012.  Baldwin was our town from 1986 to 2006, only moving ¾ mile away to Freeport when our landlord, American Legion, sold the building.  I wasn’t upset because we rent a small room in a Temple, no street traffic or signage, too small to mount any major ad campaign.  The sensei could say he was unaware that he opened so close to us, same style, same Miyazaki lineage.  I remain positive.  I know what we have to offer.  His students will hopefully recognize it and decide to join with us.  If not, I wish them well at the new dojo.  My one hope is that all the students continue training, improving, and bettering themselves.

Semantics

Two communications within the past week had me thinking how important semantics can be:

I belong to an online group that discusses functional Karate training. Members will share ideas and show videos. Often, the same handful of people will strongly comment how the idea or technique is terrible… it’ll never work… etc. The site moderator challenged these few people to show a better way, not just criticize what was presented. One commented that criticism can be helpful. That’s when I gave my two cents worth - “Splitting hairs: ‘critique’ can be helpful; ‘criticism’ usually is not.”

CRITIQUE is a detailed analysis of something, showing insight pro and con.

CRITICISM is expression of disapproval for someone or something based on perceived faults or mistakes.

It often comes down to semantics. It’s not only how you say something, it’s how the other person perceives what you say.

A student candidly expressed frustration to me. He felt that I constantly corrected everything he did. Here’s where semantics comes into play. ‘Correction’ is necessary, but can be demoralizing. I assured him that most of what he does is very good, and that a few moves can be improved. ‘Correction’ can have negative connotation, while ‘improvement’ sounds more positive. He seemed to feel a little better that he’s being shown how to improve his techniques instead of being browbeaten with a ton of corrections.

In the ‘old days’, Sensei gave you corrections, push-ups, or worse, struck you to show how your technique was ineffective.  Your reaction, feelings, or response could only be, ‘Hai Sensei’. No, I’m not saying today’s kids are too sensitive, softer than we were, or anything like that. I’m recognizing that we’re in the 21^st century, it’s a different world, and our teaching methods must reflect these modern times. Long ago ‘some antics’ went on in the dojo, today ‘semantics’ can help make the same point.

 

What did he say?

"Shindam ne-rablay-ru Sensei ni rei"

Whaaat?  This is what Sensei Mike Hatgis would say as the class bowed in and out.  I don’t know Japanese, but I knew this call was incorrect.  I knew that the only consonant that ends Japanese words is ‘N’, so shindam was out.  I knew ‘shinden’ means ‘temple’ or ‘shrine’.  In his defense, Sensei Hatgis knows no Japanese, and was simply pronouncing it as best he could.

Facebook is wonderful for certain things.  I made a post in the group called ‘Karate Nerds’ and got some educated guesses.  Sensei Ted Conway, our California Kenkojuku cousin, gave a very educated response.  Here is the post and some comments:

 

I could use the help of you fellow nerds figuring out what my American sensei was trying to say as we bowed in.  As we bowed, he would call, "Shindam ne-rablay-ru sensei ni rei."  I'm sure that's what he thought his Japanese sensei called.  I'm familiar with 'Shinden' (shomen; sacred place) and 'sensei ni rei' (bow with sensei), but have no idea about 'ne-rablay-ru'.  Any ideas?

     -Ted Conway to Steve Gottwirt Sensei: at the Honbu Dojo, one line of the bow-in sequence is "Shinzen narabini Kokki ni rei (神前並びに国旗に礼) loosely translated as "in front of the shrine and national flag, bow". So in your case, maybe..."in front of the shrine and teacher, bow". (narubini = 並びに = and; also)

     -Steve Gottwirt to Ted Conway-sensei: Thank you for this information. This makes more sense. 'Shinden naribini', and 'sensei ni rei' would be 'Before the shrine and Sensei (photos of Funakoshi, Okano, etc) we show respect (bow). 'Kokki' (the national flag) was not part of what was said. The small sound 'ru' was probably mis-heard by Sensei Hatgis.

     -Steve Gottwirt to Ted Conway-sensei: I just read that 'ru' (る) means 'to'. Possibly 'Shinden narabini ru sensei ni rei' (神前並びにる先生に礼), ‘Bow (thanks) to the teacher(s) before the shrine'.

def: HAMON 破門

Excommunication from a dojo or apprenticeship;

to force a door open; spurned; shunned; renounced.

def: JOMEI  除名

Expulsion; delisting; exclusion;

remove from official registers; to be banished.

The above two phrases seem similar, but Hamon is more severe than Jomei:

- Jomei is when a member is asked to leave a school, club, etc.  The member is no longer part of that organization.

 

- The English equivalent of Hamon is excommunication.  Not only is the individual forced out of an organization, but all rank, teaching credentials, and any other certificates are revoked.  Of course, the former member still has knowledge and skills, and may still hold the physical belt and certificates, but anyone inquiring about this former member would be told of the indiscretion causing hamon and that all rank and certificates are invalid.

 

Jomei and Hamon are not the end of the world for the former member.  Life goes on.  It’s similar to a divorce, or being fired from a job.  The organization wants nothing to do with the former member, and probably should not be listed on a résumé or used for references.

 

Four quick points:

- Nikita Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War, serving as Premier from 1958-1964.  He was deposed as Premier and declared an ‘unperson’ in October 1964, completely disappearing from public life.

 

- In international diplomacy, ‘persona non grata’ (Latin for: person not appreciated) is a foreign person whose entering or remaining in a particular country is prohibited by that host country's government because of something the person has said or done.  A fancy diplomatic term for “Get outta heeere”.

 

- Joe Paterno, head football coach for Penn State University (1966-2011), was the winningest coach in collegiate history.  After the 2011 Jerry Sandusky sex scandal, Paterno was fired, all wins from 1998 to 2011 (112 in total) were wiped off the record books, and his statue was removed from the football stadium.

 

- On rare occasion Shihan Mike Hatgis posted a notice on the bulletin board saying that some member is stripped of rank and no longer with Black Belt Academy.  I recall one incident where a Sho Dan decided to open up his own dojo in the next town over.  The Sho Dan put an ad in a local Pennysaver, which Shihan Hatgis happened to publish.  The poor unwitting Sho Dan was immediately disowned and tossed out of the dojo.

 

Why is this article relevant?  Must you ‘walk on eggshells’ for fear of being thrown out the door?  No.  We’ve had some situations in the dojo which were handled without rising to Hamon or Jomei.  This article simply serves to remind you that Karate culture is driven by honor, respect, self-control, following rules, and doing what is proper.