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.

Learning by Watching

Someone once commented that I'm sporadic with log entries on this Sensei's Blog page, having posted five times in June and July and only two other 2016 posts in February. I am usually not one to chit-chat; I speak/write when something needs to be said. It reminds me of the old joke where the man puts food in his dog's bowl. The dog takes a few bites, spits it out and says, "This dinner is terrible." The man is stunned and says, "Wow! My dog can talk! But how come you never said anything before this?" The dog replied, "Well, up 'til now the food's been pretty good."

I used to run an evening Karate program on Mondays and Wednesdays, the same nights my sensei held classes. He would ask me to open the dojo for him, and would arrive in time to gi up and start the class. There would be about 20-25 minutes before I’d have to leave for my program; not enough time to take part of his class and then bow off, disrupting things.

I would sit on the bench and observe his class in progress. This turned out to be invaluable to my instructing ability. I got a chance to watch how different level students work their basics, and more importantly, what kind of difficulties were caused by pivoting wrong, looking late, leaning the wrong way, not using hips effectively, etc. I developed the ability to not only see when a student has a problem with a move, but could usually tell what was causing the problem. Of course the opposite was true, too; I could see cause and effect of students who did their techniques particularly well.

I strongly suggest, if at all possible, for a sensei to periodically turn their class over to a senior student and observe their class. The sensei will probably see many details that would normally escape them while leading class, trying to keep an eye on everyone, give individualized corrections, keep the class on agenda, watch the clock, all at the same time. If a student is injured or not feeling well I suggest they come in and observe class, too. While not as good as taking class, the student still gets lots of benefits from watching, while keeping the routine of showing up to class and learning something.

Kihon – Kata – Kumite

The three-pronged approach to improving your Karate is: Kihon, Kata, and Kumite.

Kihon (basics) is the most important to develop first. Proper technique and stance is essential to all areas of Karate. Kata (form) is performing your basics in a particular sequence. Kumite (sparring) is applying your basics on another person. Develop proper kihon so you can concentrate on the form or your opponent without having to think about performing the basic correctly.

Kata (form) is often taught as a ‘dance’, without thought to practical application. An essential, and often overlooked, part of kata is bunkai (analysis; dissection; examining how the technique works). To be fair, many schools do teach bunkai, however, a personal peeve of mine is when they work bunkai incorrectly. Often, the martial artist will do an entire section of kata, then their bunkai shows how one move works, with follow-up techniques and takedowns that are not part of the kata. Did they demonstrate bunkai, or did they show how the kata alone is insufficient? Our students are taught bunkai for every move of their kata, with senior students usually knowing multiple meanings for each move.

Kumite is often used for sport. This is fine; sparring teaches the student combinations, strategy, being aware and reacting to your opponent’s moves, working safely with good control, etc. I teach our students to carefully observe the rules when sparring. In the dojo, you want to follow the rules for the safety of you and your fellow classmate. In tournament, you follow the rules for the same safety reasons and so you won’t get penalized. In the street, you want to know which moves are frowned upon in the dojo and tournament so you’re sure to use them on your opponent while protecting yourself.

Our classes always begin with kihon, often practicing basics in the form of 4-count and 5-count ten-no-kata. Beginners must develop good basics and learn new katas. Advanced students work on keeping their basics sharp and remembering the numerous katas they were taught.

Reflections of a Sensei

This incident occurred many years ago. I was reminded of it recently in an email exchange with Shihan 'Grandfather' Wayne Wickizer. It's worth retelling here:

We’re fortunate to have mirrors lining almost an entire wall of our dojo. This is invaluable for students to see exactly what they’re doing. I like to keep students on their toes, so will often make unusual analogies to get a point across. History has shown that the more bizarre the analogy, the more likely the student will remember it. Students have recounted things I’ve told them years ago almost word for word. I was reminded of the time I stood a young student in front of the mirror to repeatedly work a kick. I said, “Do you know what this is called?” He of course said, “A mirror.” I told him, “No, it’s called Sensei.” The student was completely confused, so I said, “A sensei can’t do the kick for you; he can watch what you’re doing and give you feedback. The mirror works the same way; it reflects what you’re doing so you can see your progress and what still needs work.” The student smirked, then worked diligently with the mirror. At the end of the workout, the student said to the mirror, “Arigato gozai mashita, Sensei” and bowed. He then said to me, “Hey, just like a real sensei when I bowed to the mirror, the image bowed back to me!” I love it.

A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats

Our monthly Black Belt class was scheduled for tonight. Several members RSVP’d ahead that they could not make it: one was on vacation, one was celebrating a birthday, one hurt their feet and knees hiking over the weekend, etc. We still ended up with three member Black Belts and two kyu ranks who stayed for the second class: one a Black Belt in another style and one a brown belt in another style. We worked Bassai Dai, Jion, lots of bunkai, basics, and theory examined. Overall, a very good class.

Afterwards, one Black Belt offered to pay the special class fee; I declined, saying it wasn’t really a Black Belt class. We got into a short conversation about what constitutes a Black Belt class and why there is a separate fee. Our standards are high, and few students have earned Dan rank in our dojo. It is a very elite group. Young people grow older; marriage, family, and career commitment hamper many students from continuing regular training. Our Black Belts have shown dedication and loyalty to the dojo; it’s only fair that the dojo is dedicated to our Black Belts. Conducting special classes allows seniors who don’t get a chance to train regularly come in and work their skills. Each class covers kihon, review of some lower katas, an advanced kata, along with bunkai and theory. In addition to fellowship, these classes help keep us all on the same page. The moderate class fee goes towards rent, keeping our dojo doors open. I was then asked why current Black Belts paying monthly tuition must also pay the Black Belt class fee. Valuable knowledge and skills practiced with many senior Black Belts throughout our 30 year history who don't normally come to class, and visiting Black Belts from other dojos, make these classes well worth the extra nominal fee.

Improving the performance and knowledge level of our individual Black Belts improves the level of our dojo overall. Very symbiotic. A famous phrase attributed to President John F. Kennedy: “A rising tide lifts all boats.”

Another Black Belt noted that attendance at these special classes is sporadic, and suggested we hold them every 3-4 months to make them more ‘special’. The idea was given careful consideration. Black Belts who can’t make a class for whatever reason can join us next month. If someone misses a class held every 3-4 months, we don’t see them for 6-8 months. We decided to keep Black Belt classes on a monthly basis, usually the last Monday of the month. Our next class is scheduled for Monday, July 25th, 7:45pm. See you there!

Be Humble, or Be Humbled

This memory goes back to 1980, when I was a Taigo Sho Dan at Black Belt Academy. Sensei Hatgis called me into the dojo office where a father and young son, Tony and Tony Jr., just signed up to take their first class with us. I was asked to take them to the locker room and help them get ready for class. I brought them back and showed the son how to ‘gi up’ while the father pleasantly chatted with me. I wasn’t rude, but was a little aloof, trying to display a certain ‘distance’ between student and instructor. Dad didn’t seem to need my help; I chalked it up to him watching me help his son. I then helped the son tie his belt and offered to help the father. He said he got it; I asked if he was sure, and then said I’d meet them on the mat. Sensei Hatgis called for everyone to line up and father and son bowed on the mat. ‘Tony’ turned out to be Tony Prudente, Ni Dan from Sensei John Slocum’s Samurai Dojo in the 1960s. In those days Ni Dan was a very big deal. I thought this middle-aged father was just a nice guy who didn’t know his place around a Black Belt; it turned out this far senior Black Belt training long before my time was extending kindness down to lowly little me. He wasn’t trying to teach me a lesson, but I learned it anyway. I can be warmer and more open without familiarity.

In 1987 I was head instructor at the Baldwin branch of Black Belt Academy. Tom, one of my students brought in a magazine article that he thought would interest me. I said that I’d already seen the article and then got ready for class. At the end of the night another student casually reminded me that Tom had gone out of his way to think of me and bring in the article. No need to go overboard, but I could have thanked Tom for his thoughtful effort rather than simply dismiss his act. I made it a point to humbly thank Tom at the next class.

I work the overnight shift since the dojo cannot support me. One morning a couple of years ago the owner, Mike, asked me something and I responded, “Yes sir.” He replied, “Sir is my father; I’m just Mike.” I said his father was ‘sir’ to him out of reverence. I believe that everyone deserves basic respect as a person. Just then a subordinate employee asked me a quick question and I replied to him, “Yes sir.” A little smile came across Mike’s face as he understood what I meant. I wasn’t trying to teach him a lesson, but he learned it anyway.

My sensei would say that Kenkojuku, the root association we come from, means ‘Strength with modesty’. Actually, the kanji ‘Ken’ (謙) means 'modest/humble', ‘Ko’ (交) means 'to be associated with', ‘Juku’ (塾) is a private school, or ‘cram’ school. Their motto is ‘Inner strength with outward humility’. These are wise words to live by.