The Dojo Floor.

Mind Training - Prologue.

2012-01-08T17:05:00.000-08:00

Mind is a hard subject to discuss, let alone train, which seems to be why so many people in so many different walks of life have a hard time touching upon the subject beyond the level of superficial 'lip service.'

Perhaps it is not the fact that it is hard to discuss, but the fact that we are conditioned into a certain way of thinking and so many people have different expectations and beliefs that we do not wish to take it too far and offend?

Whatever the case might be, it is a VERY Esoteric subject and it is easy to see why the depths of such training and study might be avoided in many areas.

It IS however a VERY important aspect of study and training, as the physical only makes up about 10% of everything under the sun, and when you break it down, what is physicality by a collection of wiggly things on a sub-atomic level?

What is more, these wiggly things can be broken down even more, but more interesting, Mind and Observation seem to have an effect on these Wiggly things as there is no separation between observer and observed (Quantum Theory).

So even if we cut away all the Spiritual/Esoteric lingo, we still have ground for a Mind-Matter connection in Science.

Visualize yourself training, then begin training, end the training with another Visualization, and the skill level improves markedly over one who does not visualize, or one who only visualizes.

Perhaps that is a simplification, perhaps not, take it or leave it however you choose. We tend to remember and learn A LOT better when we are fully involved, Mind, Body, and Spirit.

Putting the imagination to work while, at the same time, immersing ourselves emotionally and physically into whatever it is that we are trying to accomplish, especially if we are having fun, but also if we are nervous or stressed.

When I speak of Mind, I speak of a fusion between Mind/Spirit which does not preclude a fusion with Body itself.

The Intellectual, Emotional, and Physical levels are all interconnected, but Intellect is not necessarily a primary function of what many perceive as mind, at least not in IQ standards, but in a deeper sense.

I'm not really sure where to take that, and I may write more as I go along, but I have spent a great deal of time exploring this aspect of my training recently, both IN training and IN life, mainly because it cannot be avoided, though it seems it CAN be ignored.

More to come later...

Strategic Transcendence.

2011-10-04T10:42:00.000-07:00

Thinking deeply it seems that it is conflict which defines us, that harmony cannot exist without something to contrast and the key to good strategy is not necessarily working by principles which become stagnant.
Interesting story about the Prussian Army that was defeated and driven away by the French under Napoleon, the Prussians held fast to old tactics that were no match for the unorthodox methods the French employed.
The Prussians were streamlined, orderly, but the French seemed to work in more of a chaotic harmony (which we see utilized by Armies in todays world).

They were able to move freely, erratically, while the Prussians were predictable due to the utilization of outdated tactics, not necessarily in support of an outdated strategy, but a strategy that employed too many rigid principles.
We are seeing a similar paradigm shift today, in which the enemy no longer follows some of the rules of combat where it is easy to differentiate between civilian and combatant, which catches the modern army off guard and calls their methods and practices to question time and again.
Often an enemy is a reflection of the times and a society in flux all around us. Things are no longer so easily defined and the more we look at it the more we realize anything goes, it is every man or woman for themselves.

Miyamoto Musashi was famous for his ability to adapt, his strategic genious was not based on any one principle and did not rely on any particular tactic.
It was fluid, constantly changing according to circumstance based on intelligence gathered before hand.
Sometimes he used one sword, sometimes he used two, he even used a sharpened boat oar and some comments meant to send his opponent into an emotional frenzy on one occasion, you never knew if he would be early, late, or right on time for a fight, the key being that this would throw the opponents' mental balance for a loop and create turmoil in their hearts and minds.
If you defeat the mind and heart of the opponent then you have already won.

The point being that we have so many people saying 'do x in response to y,' while it is good to gain an understanding of such things the main goal is to transcend it and become fluid like Musashi, or the French when they defeated the Prussians and forced them into retreat.
It is conflict that defines us and without conflict harmony cannot be achieved, this is not a half-hearted harmony that leaves you warm and fuzzy inside, no, it lets you know where you stand in relation to everything else.
Let's face it, we live in a diverse world, there is always going to be conflict making way for new things, the survival of a species, the evolution of a species depends on conflict, you cannot build your immune system unless it is fighting sickness, you cannot survive without killing and eating another living thing whether it be plant or animal, and this is true of all creatures.

To see strategy as useless because you are a pacifist means you have no idea what true pacifism is because you deny its' contrast.
Sure, Martial Arts is about not fighting, or more accurately, understanding when to fight and when to flee, the latter being the best option in a society ruled by laws, but what does it truly entail and what tactics are employed to see the strategy through? To understand strategy the mind must be clear and centered, waging war against those emotions and thoughts that would distract from the task at hand - ultimately living in the moment just as the modern Zen ideal would have us do, to fully live and see things just as they are, respond to the reality, not what we THINK is reality.

One Mind.

2011-09-12T23:04:00.000-07:00

Confrontation has less to do with the body, more to do with the mind. Naturally mind and body are interconnected, interdependent, and in Zen it is found that the mind can be trained by bringing focus to the body or bodily functions (as well as those in the mind when being mindful of thinking and feeling).
So the first statement of this post is only partially true, but holds true never the less.

Shinzen Sensei posted on facebook about not thinking during confrontation, a little something that people in this particular circle call 'Mushin,' often referred to as 'No Mind,' something I like to call Ichi-Shin, or one mind (probably not the proper Japanese for that one, but oh well, you get the point).
It is not about having no-mind, it is about having a clear mind sharpened to one point, and is not separated from anything, but is an active participant on both ends of the spectrum.
It can appear to be supernatural if it is understood and applied correctly, and one cannot just understand this from a superficial level, it must be developed, cultivated, and actively utilized.

It is not about not thinking, it is, however, a different kind of thinking, a less complicated kind of thinking that does not include words, concepts, or sequential/linear types of thought to which we have become conditioned and accustomed.
Living in the moment we are not thinking about past or future, there is a goal, but the goal does not take center stage during the doing, because the doing, or the process, is the most important thing - the same thing as enjoying the journey without worrying about what lay at the end.
There is no separation of process and the one doing the process, at the same time, there is no separation between assailant and assailed, at the same time there is a HUGE difference, but in that moment none of this matters, only the moment, the process of which you are actively processing.

These are huge words that hold no meaning once the real thing is experienced and everyone will have their own way of explaining and imparting to others when the time comes to do so.
Words point the way, they are not the end all, but there again, the process is the most important thing. Become the process. Become the predator. Kime.

The Overlooked.

2011-09-11T01:51:00.000-07:00

It should be mandatory for each belt test (if that is your thing) to include the study of local laws.
Most importantly, self defense laws, carrying laws, trespassing laws, heck, one could make it a habit to study and re-study whatever portion of the law catches their attention.

I have learned a lot even about laws governing protection of children, what constitutes child abuse, labor laws, but I am far from an expert. It is always good to be informed, however, because what we are given is a responsibility to be informed, uninformed users are a danger to themselves and everyone else, otherwise they are rendered impotent BECAUSE they are uninformed.
Survival of the fittest, in this instance the fittest is the most informed and most prepared.

It should also be mandatory to study one's surroundings, which is often neglected in just about every aspect of training.
Where are the exits? What is the terrain like? Positioning is very important. If you are sleeping on a couch next to the front door and someone busts in you end up jumping up facing AWAY from the assailant and have to readjust.
If you are facing the door with your head being the farthest from it you are in prime position, not only because you can see what is going on, but they have to actually work their way to you in dark and unfamiliar territory, you have homefield advantage.

This is all beating a dead horse, but so many drills are designed specifically to deal with combat on the level of a contest, as has been pointed out by so many others in so many different ways.
This is alright for that particular approach, and it is good to cover as many bases as you can, or at least as many of those bases that are relevent to your specific needs.
Just some food for thought.

In the Yard.

2011-09-08T10:28:00.000-07:00

So I started teaching my four and five year old the benefits of good roots a couple weeks ago and when I see them this passed week they are still at it.
Made a game out of it, they were playing with some wood as if they were swords, and one of them was using a Garbage Can lid as a shield, one of those old metal lids, going back and forth.
I had them take some broom sticks and bash a tree so that they could get some energy out without hurting eachother.

Good form and posture already, but they have always been fast learners, Garretty, my four year old, can beat any grown man at Halo or other shooter game.
I have tried to start backing off on the more physical stuff with my eight year old, there is a lot of aggression there and they have been through a lot, but his form has definitely improved as well, it is obvious he is missing the atmosphere that was provided when I was teaching regularly out there.
I may put some money aside to have him enrolled in a class, but a class where I am not the teacher that way he gets the same atmosphere with a little outside influence from someone I trust.

The more I think about it, the more it becomes apparent that Karate is a good way to break the ice and relate, to get to know one another on a deeper level that words seldom provide.

Getting back to the roots, the feet are always first and foremost to ponder, then working your way up.
Transfer of energy needs a good conduit through which to flow, so mechanics is extremely important at all levels.

Foundations.

2011-08-02T23:40:00.000-07:00

I have been pondering the feet lately. What I find is that there are a lot of Budoka who only think of their hands and their upper body, with the feet being even less than an afterthought.
Pondering the feet in conjunction with the whole body as a single unit, say, a brick, can be a useful exercise; going through Kata with this mindset one comes to realize that there really is very little movement other than shifting position and the body does this as a whole as opposed to first moving the arms, or first moving the legs, it all happens at once.

Now there are some instances where the hands do move first, but only slightly, and even this means there really is very little movement, thus, very little energy expended.
That is the very essence of economy of motion and such an exercise helps to shave off unnecessary movement such as 'tells' where the shoulder moves before the punch is initiated.

Pondering the feet also helps to realize that we need foundation, instead of bouncing around like crazy monkeys on a dance floor.
One thing I have been doing lately is imagining a triangle on the ground, inside a square, inside a circle, and playing around with footwork inside that design, which covers a very small space.
The design itself covers all 'stances' within Karate and shows how to apply them from a single point, with the circle acting as the boundary; if you go outside the boundary you have lost your ground and, therefor, your foundation.
Naturally it is not an 'end all' exercise, there is no such thing, but it does cover rooting and unrooting while limiting the range of motion.

What I find this helps to do is get the practitioner out of the 'static stances' mindset and actually engage in the practice of fluid footwork in conjunction with strategy.
How do these strange foot positions apply when they take on an active role in the execution of Sabaki? Apply that with the brick exercise, then top it off by playing around with axis of the body, moving the whole body as one unit within a sphere.
Then apply the Yin/Yang idea of completing a movement on one side with its' simultaneous opposite on the other.
You have a winner that covers all fronts of proper Tai Sabaki. At least in my own opinion.

The Sacred Circle.

2011-07-27T01:19:00.000-07:00

The frame of mind that takes hold in the experienced is often discernable, not necessarily physical, but very discernable.
There are a few people who get together every so often for some intense training and discussion, this is the sacred circle, and the circle gets smaller and smaller, not everyone is welcome, whether it is of their own accord, or they just don't make the grade.
Whatever the reason, there is nothing that can change that other than what is already written in the heart and soul.

The fire lets people know who they are, not that person that stares back from behind the mirror, nor the person observing, it runs much deeper than this, and the fire will burn them, no matter who or what they think or know they are.
It is not about style, methodology, rank, stature, or heirarchy; maybe fellowship, maybe kinship, but nothing else need apply.

We have taken many people to parks and other odd locations, people that had asked, given them something to think about; whether they knew it or not, it was at the fore front of their minds long after the sessions had ended and still may be lurking somewhere around the brim of uncharted thought.
Most never return, some come back eagerly awaiting the next inner adventure; it is not about what one might think.
Does it dawn on the person what they are getting into when they catch a glimpse of the circle? Hell no.
They leave changed. Whether it is a change they can accept, that is up to them. Not everyone is meant to enter the sacred circle and ultimately they make this decision for themselves, the circle will not judge, neither accepting or rejecting. It is what it is and that is the way it should be, with nothing added, nothing subtracted.

Place of the Way.

2011-07-22T01:29:00.000-07:00

I always love it when new people come to this path, especially young kids who say 'I can't wait to start sparring' or something vague like that.
This is not meant to be disrespectful, but it is not my job to be a nice guy, good guides will never tell you what you want to hear, they will never sugar coat anything. Tell it as it is and you can never stray because the way is clear to that point.

My brother's little brother just started training in Goju Ryu Karate at a place called the Ni Neko Dojo in Lovelock Nevada; I know jack about the school and less about the Teacher, so I can't really say anything about the training.
One thing I noticed is that he is not asking enough questions and is more tournament oriented in his mindset, that is fine, I remember when I was training along those lines, but I cannot go back to that way of thinking now that I have stepped a little farther down this branch of the path.
Whatever floats your boat, and that will change with time and experience, maybe, unless it is one of those passing things that is picked up for a while and dropped like a bad habit, as most people do more often than they like to admit.
Bragging rights maybe? The thing about youth is there is always something the prove, but if they open to the experience it can become so much more.

It always gets me that they constantly try to impress me with belt colors and words like 'sparring,' but what do these things really mean? I understand from the perspective of a former Sport Competitor, but on this side of the fence they really mean nothing.
Show me some good posture, show me that you understand what it is you are doing by doing it to the best of your ability, regardless of rank or stature, regardless of how many plastic trophies you have won or chincy medals that will chip over time as the gold paint flakes off.
Mine is not a game for young people alone, when you can no longer perform as your joints grow stiff and sore from extreme improper use.

The history is interesting, and if you know enough to ask questions and study the history, this is a good start, especially for the younger crowd.
Do they care about these things? That has not been my experience with the MMA Generation, who tend to want to be the next Ultimate Fighter, or whatever is on TV these days.
Yeah, I sound old, though I am still young, my mindset has been imprinted by the old school and continues to grow along those lines.

I do not spar in the sense that is defined by the mainstream and there are very few people who impress me, those that do know who they are. While I sit back, shut up, and listen to pretty much everyone, there are only a few that stick.
Welcome to the lonely path, the belt you wear is great for confidence, but do you just collect belts? Is this a passing fad that seemed interesting at the time? Only time will tell, and a very short amount of time with most...

Reality Check.

2011-06-10T22:39:00.001-07:00

Now that I have spent some time away to reflect on my own direction, I think the direction has become clear or at least clearer than it was before.
This year celebrates my twentieth year in Martial Arts, namely Karate, and I find myself reflecting a lot more lately.

Training has changed over the years, going from what can be considered strict and regimented, extremely traditional, with a motive to train for the sport aspect, to training with a more spiritually fulfilling purpose in mind, then to a more practical mindset.
I find myself wavering back and forth, though anymore I do not really see a division between the practical and the spiritual - to discover oneself is to get passed all the bullshit and really take a long hard look at what is there.

Sometimes you like what you find, sometimes you don't, but either way, what is there is there and you cannot really bullshit your way passed it, at least not to yourself.
Maybe you can, but reality bites, and when it bites, it bites pretty damn hard. I cannot say I am no longer traditional, but for me those labels no longer carry much meaning and my view of what is acceptable has widened based on what I have found to be a practical approach for myself.
In the process I have gotten to know myself more, and gotten to know this thing we call life and nature much deeper.

That is really the ultimate goal of what we are doing, though we may come to it in a round about sort of way.
You cannot really know what you are made of or who you really are without getting down and dirty, actually doing the work.
Unlike Monks and Priests, meditation is not something that is done in a quiet calm place, no, that does nothing but build upon something that really isn't real. When you actually know yourself, you have done the work, and that is the actual meditation, that is the actual Kata, that is the real Kihon Waza.
You can tell those that have and those that have not. None of this is meant to get down on schools that do it another way, or even the Monks and Priests that prefer the quiet, or perhaps it is in a way.
A wake up call is necessary to knock these sorts out of their comfort zone and really put them to work.

It is not about comfort, it is not about feeling warm and fuzzy, nothing of any worth ever happens if you are always comfortable, warm, or fuzzy.
Facts of life, through and through, many may not agree with it, but they really don't have to... Most find out the hard way.

I am going to start posting some notes, perhaps on a nother blog, hopefully get some interactive stuff going shortly.
Will see how that goes.

The Other 'Style.'

2011-04-23T18:58:00.000-07:00

Today the Dojo in which I found myself is familiar terriroty, the wilderness, tracking a giant elk with my friend and Aikido Teacher.
We ended up driving aimlessly, ending up in the middle of the woods hiking down a remote trail following signs of this elk, which eventually lead us to signs of a small bobcat that had just caught a rabbit.
Further down, now off any recognizable trail, we found ourselves in an area of high traffic for Deer, then we spotted Bear sign, tracking further, we came to an opening, signs of the Bear everywhere, the leg of a Deer lay to our right, bones crushed as it had sought the marrow just moments before our arrival.
Signs showed it was just twenty feet ahead of us, we decided to turn back, keeping to the higher points as we retraced our steps, constantly aware the Bear could come up behind us as we moved.

We played around with some rocks in the area, I grabbed a smaller rock to practice shaping, which did not go so well, as my friend explained the rocks in the area were not good for this sort of thing.
The best rocks being toward Plummer Idaho, even still, he did point out that the smaller rocks or shaping into smaller rocks for spears and arrowheads.

We practiced judging the size of an animal by the tracks, direction was not hard to tell, nor activity, the area was high traffic for Deer and Elk, being a prime spot for predator activity with smaller creatures constantly scurrying about.
We looked over the trees, sticks, twigs, taking note of what could be used for shelter, where the prime spots were for hunting and gathering, things of necessity that are constantly overlooked in the Martial Arts World.

Most may not consider it a Martial Art, but Tracking, Hunting, and Basic Survival have been among the pillars of Military Training for generations, taught to this day as part of the training for our Armed Forces.
The skills were used by Native American Hunters/Warriors long before the White Man set foot on this land, but it is part of every culture the world over, basic survival skills are an instinct, or at least they used to be.
Now we rely on others to do this, make it a part of their lifestyle, and we go to them in order to relearn what we have lost as though it were somehow foreign to our nature, and it has definitely become so, a foreign concept that is seldom visited upon in our day to day society. Why? Perhaps people feel it is no longer applicable or relavent.

Just as knot tying, among other skills, have fallen by the wayside due to advancement in modern society.
What happens when it is lost? What happens should you become separated from modern society as it is, or something happens that robs you of these advances? Fighting Skill alone will only go so far, a well rounded Martial Artist will include all aspects of training, not just the physical, and most definitely not just one type of physical skillset.
Even agriculture can be viewed in this way.

Just some food for thought.

Law.

2011-04-21T00:27:00.000-07:00

The Law should be cut and dry, avoiding complications, especially when the obvious is staring you right in the face.
It often does not work that way, especially in this day and age when everything seems so jumbled and uncertain.

A person walking down the street gets beaten within an inch of their life, but the assailants call the police after they flee the scene and the victim ends up going to jail after a quick trip to the ER to get a patch job done so they don't die.
What about the person that gives concent to aid in the situation? That good sumaritan that just happens to lend a hand? They turn around and file charges against the victim as well because they were exposed to bodily fluids of the victim, though they had seen the blood to begin with.
Perhaps they became squeamish, they freaked out a little bit at the sight of a cultural taboo, that animal side of things that society would rather lock away in a dark place and ignore for all eternity?

Now the victim has charges against them, sitting in a jail cell with a splitting headache, just starting to realize up from down in a world that is constantly spinning from behind bars.
No weapon, no proof, but charges filed never-the-less. We like to think the law is cut and dry, but even then, you cannot be certain how things will turn out, even with a deep understanding of how things work.
Perhaps you can use such knowledge to fight your way out of it, but the fact remains that you are forced to fight in the first place when the obvious was staring everyone right in the face. Did they fail to see it? Doubtful.

Some might say it is not our place to question those charged with the service and protection of everyone else, but the fact remains, as with everything else, if no one questions then the system cannot be fine-tuned and get running clean.
The majority of Budoka rarely think about the legalities they may face when the dust settles, but even worse, the legalities are not easy to follow and often the courts are so bogged down with various cases they seldom give time for a case to be heard, nevermind the cost in dollars it takes just to appear before the judge.

I would ask if this is what a person truly wants, to play at time-consuming Courtroom Ukemi, but often there is no choice.
Bad things happen, I am not going to say to good people, but bad things happen to everyone, sometimes to those who have it coming, sometimes to those who fail to see it coming.
Either way, you end up where you don't want to be, sometimes you know exactly why you were there and how it could have been avoided, sometimes you have no clue and there was no way to avoid it to begin with.
Justice may be blind, but often, it seems, it is also ignorant. That does not mean it does not work where it needs to work, but lately it seems to be hit or miss.

I am not speaking in hypotheticals here, in case someone decides to pipe up with "That scenario could never happen!"
The scenario DID happen, just a block from where I am presently living, it happened to my brother, who is still having nightmares from the head trauma, and still facing charges from the person who helped him, though the charges by those who assaulted him have been dropped, but only AFTER he spent two nights in jail where they refused him medical treatment until his second appearance before the judge.
The charges he is facing are being filed by the person that helped him, for getting blood on a new tattoo he is facing Assault 2.

This isn't a game, this is the world we live in. It may not be as bad where you are, but it is getting pretty bad in other places and I doubt it will be long before it gets bad there too.
Just some food for thought.

Bottoms Up

2011-04-20T23:57:00.000-07:00

There was a stabbing in Plummer Idaho that resulted in someone's death. The strange thing is that Plummer is not that big, I went to grade school in Plummer for a time and quite possibly knew the people.
The lady that called the police turns out to be the mother of my Aikido Teacher and friend, she, in turn, had been his Aikido Teacher. Small world, you might think, yes, and it is getting smaller by the minute.

Smaller is not a bad thing, less is often more, especially when coming face to face with those dark mirky places in the pit of humanity.
You cannot take time to train for decades before you are able to apply what you know, what you know needs to be applicable right away, not within weeks, not within months, not within years.
You shouldn't have to be an athlete in order to provide protection for yourself or your family, and often the people who are going to test your metal are not athletes themselves, so obviously they know something and what they know works for them.

Awareness is not even half the battle, it is no guarantee you will be left alone, allowed to live to a ripe old age and die in your sleep.
That prospect is becoming less of a possibility on so many different levels, whether it be environmental pollution, bad health, economic collapse - often all of the above intertwined.
We are not promised the time we are given and no one really knows just how much time they have left, especially now. That is the point.

Level the playing field - that does not mean make things even, no, take a que from those in the know, keep it one-sided, fairness has no place in the equation.
If you are breathing long enough to spend years training, you have had it easy to this point, from this point on that is something to be celebrated, not something to take for granted.
The old is clashing with the new; in the old days if you were alive long enough to gain any sort of deeper understanding in your training that was a testament to the training itself, from day one, not from day two thousand fifty.

I end up doing a lot of walking, at present I have to walk through a rough part of town just to get home.
My brother was clubbed six times in the head with a retractable baton in a random event on the side of the street just down from a Cop Shop. Things may not be as hunky-dory as they seem, or as we are told.
Time to start thinking about why we are doing what we are doing and how we go about doing it in relation to what is, rather than what we think or how we think things should be.

The Missing Gem.

2011-04-17T23:59:00.000-07:00

I do not believe that Karate has a single strategy that can be summed up, some Kata call for direct strategy, some call for something less direct, the tactics fit along the prescribed lines of each.
There is a major clue to principles and scope to which Karateka must pay attention if they are to gain anything, rather than wondering why they have wasted their time for so long only to remain fixed at a particular phase.

Seipai has few direct punches, Seiyunchin has few direct kicks and still, few direct punches, what does that say about strategy when this is taken into account? On the other end of the spectrum (coming from a Goju Ryu Background) you have Gekesai, which is extremely direct, you also have Seisan which is both direct and indirect.
Still, you could also say that Gekesai is indirect and Karate DOES have a single strategy that sums everything up, it depends upon the individual perspective and how particular things tend to speak to each person.

Understanding strategy, however, is necessary for deeper understanding; a depth that is what many may call borderline 'esoteric,' though what we end up with in our modern Dojo is something that is borderline 'schizophrenic.'
Not in all cases, there are some excellent Teachers out there that have a truly deep understanding of strategy, their own personal strategy deeply rooted in a base idea that was seeded as their foundation long ago, something modern Karateka seldom experience in the majority of our community.

What if each system of Jujitsu were reduced to a single Kata, then set up in sequential order as part of the cirriculum of a single school? Would something not be lost? Furthermore, what if nothing was thoroughly explained or explored? The drills would have very little, if anything, to do with the actual principles at work in these Jujutsu Kata.
Then you have tenth dans that proclaim knowing 27 different Kata and performing them, but do they really understand them?
Now the dilemma is spelled out, the case is clear; some would laugh at the notion of only practicing one method, like Atemi Waza versus Ne Waza, or two methods, saying that one needs to know all 27 superficially in order to be recognized within the community as a competent practitioner or Teacher.

Karate is having an identity crisis, split personalities exist under one roof and they have gone undiagnosed.
Were this not the case then we would be seeing courses offered in the 'Seipai Method' or the 'Gekesai Method,' there would be a much more open-minded approach to accepting the '(Insert Name Here) Method' following the path of Shu-Ha-Ri, while having good foundations in a couple other methods.
Again, there is no such thing, systems fall apart once they are deeply explored and, from this, new systems are meant to emerge.
You may also have a uniting factor with courses in Violence, with things like Rory Miller's Matrix of Violence used as a measure, Marc MacYoung's 'question everything' mentality, his field stripping mentality (which is VERY lacking in many Karateka these days) would be the norm.

Little nuances may not be the point, but they are definitely a tool toward understanding, and every tool has its' place in the Dojo - that is the true nature of Hojo Undo, or supplimental exercises/training.
It does not just end with the Chi'ishi, and there is another way of utilizing strategy from one thing to shed light on others.

The Way of Controlling Steps.

2011-04-16T23:29:00.000-07:00

This Kata still perplexes me, every single time I try to wrap my mind around it something new pops up and a new chapter is written.
Honestly, I could write volumes on what has been revealed to me so far in my many trips down Seipai Lane.

There are a few Kata that entice me, but if I were to answer the old question as to which Kata I would take with me to a desert island, the answer would be two; Seipai and Sanchin.
It is not about what the Kata means, or how the movements 'translate' and whether or not each individual movement is effective or needs to be changed, it is about movement itself, about principles working together, and not necessarily in the order prescribed. Whether or not they 'mirror' what is there is irrelevent; if it does, fine, if it doesn't then are the principles at work?
If the principles are not at work then something was not understood to begin with and, like a sword, or a fine tuned instrunment, the Kata cannot make music, therefor it cannot work when applied.

This not only includes the physical, where most Karateka/Budoka get hung up, but again the mental, which is 90% of the Kata itself.
People forget this and often forget there is a spirit behind what they are doing, and even when they try to grasp what is there they become hung up on 'interpretation' and it becomes a hindrance to actual application, the majority, not all.
There is the hang up on form, form over function, even the form of function itself, but there is meaning behind the movement, though it is more in principle than in solid interpretation, at least in my view.
There is merit in exploring and interpreting as an exercise to unlock the hidden principles according to specific guidelines, guidelines exist for a reason, and form is a gateway to the reason beyond the form itself - as the old Zen saying goes (and the Bruce Lee saying) "don't mistake the finger pointing at the moon for the moon itself."

The fact that many do not understand what Kata actually is, in its' entirety, leads people to disrespect of Kata itself through doubt, which can be a healthy thing in some instances, but can also be harmful.
Caution is recommended when playing with knives and fire, and that is the point. Those who question usefulness must dig deeper, those who have not found usefulness may need to re-evaluate their approach, or drop it altogether and discover the principles another way.

Seipai, to me, is alive, it does speak, like all other Kata, in its' own unique way that seems to resonate deeply.
It may not resonate with other people, and the people it does resonate with may not find the same things I have found, just the same with every other Kata.
That is the importance of form to formlessness, and the importance of not becoming stuck one way or another, Shu-Ha-Ri, a straight path to pathlessness, or the true path to yourself.

In the end there are those that argue in favor of the 'Do' versus the 'Jutsu,' but in my view it does not matter, both imply the way, it is the goal and mindset of each practitioner that determines how they walk the path, or whether they walk the path at all.
Though the Kata translates as '18' or '18 Hands' (Seipai Te), I love the interpretation given on Wuweidao.com (not sure if that is the correct address) of Controlling (Sei) Steps ('Bu/Pu'). It seems to fit on so many levels, but again, speculation is a fun and healthy exercise.

Shadows and Light

2011-04-16T01:20:00.000-07:00

Walking back home from downtown on a Friday Night with an old buddy, noticing that same figure for three blocks.
The scenario is familiar, the hunter seeking its' prey; I don't know what made him think we were that sort to begin with, but something made him change his mind, though it was obvious this would-be point man was a bit skeptical from the start.

For one, this particular buddy of mine is ex Force Recon, we've both been through some shit together not to mention the other shit we've been through walking our separate paths.
'Where'd they go,' he probably thought as we ducked around a corner to watch. That was that, he went the other way, probably to find a different mark.
Self Defense may not be all awareness, and awareness may not help to avoid every situation, but it sure helps.

This lesson is not necessarily from the Dojo Floor if you have a rather narrow view of what the word 'Dojo' actually means.
A place of the way is anywhere you stand, or fall, whatever the case may be, but in some instances the lesson is for keeps and you don't get the retake the exam - belts are soiled by dirty gutters and rain-soaked gi are soiled with mud and grime.

Mabuni Kenwa said there are no fixed positions, just the same with Choki Motobu, echoed in our modern era by people like Geoff Thompson, Al Peasland, Iain Abernethy, Marc MacYoung, Rory Miller, and Kris Wilder.
Karate is in the spirit, real Budo is in the Soul, and it cannot be separated from the notion of Bujutsu, the science of stopping the spear, wherever that spear may come from, whether it is far off in the distance, or close at hand, the way is here and now, in donning that full deep Kime as you make your way through the dark and dirty places of the world that is your self.

Propriety is a farce unless it is born of experience, and experience shows in how propriety is presented.
To walk the walk is not necessarily the same as talking the talk, words have their limits and limits are where we happen to place them.
That has nothing to do with how many perfect kicks, punches, or rolls you can do, but it does not take away from the skill, skill has its' place and always will, but know-how comes first and foremost.
That deep rooted thing beats out tremendous skill on any given day, but at the same time, if you have it, you have tremendous skill none-the-less.

So fear the man that can do a thousand punches, a thousand kicks, without losing the necessary intent or mindset on each and every one.
Anyone can go through the motions and brag about a black belt or a feat in a particular school, that is easy, and there are many who do just that, I would say the majority. The real Bushi are a minority and they know exactly who they are.

Steel and Flame.

2011-04-10T02:48:00.000-07:00

Reinventing the steel is not necessarily going to improve the sword, nor should improvement try to reinvent the steel.
Steel is fine just the way it is, so is the wheel, there are limited uses for everything and everything has its' place - it would seem the architect behind the design was a bit OCD in that regard.

Improving upon something does not eliminate limitation, it only accentuates them, brings them to the forefront so that they are plain and obvious.
Are you going to bring a knife fight to a gun fight? Perhaps it is better to bring a big pipe or a gun to a knife fight?
Assaults happen fast, sudden, they may know what is going down, you probably have no clue - the limitations are obvious.

Opportunity knocks once in a great while and you may get the upper hand, but generally it is only after you are in need of medical care, at that point you may walk away, but the damage down the road has already been written.
There is a major difference between walking away from a good workout and a violent encounter, yeah, that is beating a dead horse, but will it sink in?

No, it isn't about reinventing the steel, it is about understanding the steel, about gaining perspective, about stripping down to the bare essentials while knowing that you cannot know the whole truth about the nature of chaos.
Will you automatically drop into posture and do what you need to do? Will you freeze? Will you act in a way that does not cause permanent injury to yourself as well as your assailant?
The complex issue is generally best answered fast, forward, and blunt, so why do we have so many complex 'responses?'

The way seems to get a bit hazy at this point, and everyone has their own theory, but theory means zip when it comes to performance.
What does perspective say? Perspective seems to say that differentiation is needed for understanding to take place; that does not subtract from skill, it simply puts things in perspective.
Look at how well we seem to be dealing with 'natural' disasters around the globe, then tell me why we cannot even wrap our noggins around something as basic as survival? How have things become so far removed?

There are a few out there who know the difference and know the problem, who grasp for the answers and seem to have a few.
Some of them may be found in those traditional places, little out of the way places usually, others may be found on the outskirts, bordering what is considered taboo by the theorists that claim to have insight into the 'real book' of the 'one true church.'

So perspective seems to say that things may not necessarily need to change, but how we go about things needs to change drastically.
Mindset and outlook, perspective, understanding, and acceptance. This must all be within the moment as we no longer attach to what came before, and we have no judgment of what comes after, but faith in the unfolding as we participate fully in the process.

That is living, and not mere survival.

Breaking Borders and Aftermath

2011-04-03T11:13:00.000-07:00

Following a trail of blood from a sidewalk to a courtroom and, finally, jail. Someone told me there were no self defense laws in this city, I know the law when it comes to that and these things are statewide.
Lately there has been more of the same, 'If that were me I would have,' yeah right, if you would have done that chances are your situation would have ended much worse, if not in the incident itself, then in the courtroom with the Prosecutor while you are wearing that jumpsuit and handcuffs.

Then there are the nightmares, people like to cover that up, they like to play it tough, but there is always a price to pay, it doesn't matter how big or small you are, Psychological damage does not care for height, race, creed, or sexual orientation.
Nor does it really care how much you can bench press, or how fast you are with your hands, feet, or even your mouth.

You think you can, but this is not the Little Engine that Could. Things can go very badly very quickly, perhaps you could look at what might have been done to avoid this, but the way the world is going chances are it would have happened anyway, or something else might have happened that turned out much worse.
There really is no predicting the chaos, perhaps there is no preparing for the chaos, but the fact remains that the chaos exists, accept it, that is reality; denial is the same thing as closing your eyes and counting to five.
Tell yourself 'this isn't happening' all you want, if it is happening there is no amount of talking it out of existence, though that does not mean there is no chance of talking your way out of it.

We went to eat at my brother's restaraunt, which is in an area of town that is very upper-class, the food was great, the people were awesome, and the prices were surprisingly reasonable.
Stepping outside, seven squad cars passed in less than six minutes, routine patrol. Drug deals went down at the park across the street and just last week a man was nearly beaten to death a block up from that park.
Welcome to the Brave New World where the lines have blurred and avoidance seems to be more difficult.

Acceptance weighs more as currency, understanding comes with time, but never complete understanding... You think you can? Maybe you can, but you will not be the same in the aftermath and it is never quite the way you imagine.

Adaptation.

2011-03-04T19:48:00.000-08:00

I am working on breaking things down Barney-style, mainly for my own piece of mind, which involves taking a cold hard look at current trends and being blatantly honest with myself about what it is I am doing.
I cannot be caught up in the awe of Culture or Tradition, but that does not mean I ignore them.

How do we make things work? We cannot just make things work, we have to look at what is there and see how it works, the issue itself cannot be forced. If it doesn't work in one context then what context will allow it to work with minimal effort?
Frame of mind, again, plays a huge role in everything. Take a walk on the wild side, you cannot apply something in the normal day-to-day frame of mind and you have to be able to disconnect and reconnect at will.
Your Boss giving you a reprimand does not mean that you turn around and punch them in the face, no, there is a sense of propriety and civility in civilian life, and there are also rules to be followed with severe consequences when they are not.

You pay, say, $60 a month for lessons and you expect a return, depending on what your goal is in whatever it is you undertake.
Have you even thought seriously about any of that, or did it seem like the thing to do at the time? Maybe you just wanted some bragging rights? Bragging rights only go so far and, stepping over the line, make you seem like an egotistical dumbass to those around you.
Furthermore, how can you be certain of the return? Especially when you have not thought about what return it is you are expecting for yourself?

For me, I see a lot of things going south just looking outside. When I get on the Bus to go to work, or come home from work, I hear people talking. Just the other day there was a fight in the back of the Bus.
My goals, as such, may not be the same as your goals. Again with the goals, I know, beating a dead horse, but for me it is extremely important to know which direction I am heading and when I am in a situation like that it is just me, maybe a patron or two, but just me.
My Teachers are not present, my Students are not present, and I know I will not be present when they face similar situations.

Some may say 'Just take a different Bus.' Sure, perhaps that is an option, but if you know the Bus system of Spokane you would think twice about that statement. I do not go to bars anymore, but often I cannot avoid every single 'troubled spot' or every single situation.
What did I do wrong? Sometimes it can be stated like that, sometimes it cannot. Sometimes you just cannot avoid it, trouble does find you and will find you in very strange and unexpected places.

That is not to sound pessimistic, or even paranoid; I don't spend my time looking constantly over my shoulder, but I do take note of what is going on in whatever surroundings I happen to find myself in my day-to-day activities.
My own way of thinking reflects this, as well as past experiences I have had in life. Anyone can say what they want to say, they can give advice, certainly, maybe even good advice, but more often than not it is opinion and opinions don't carry much weight in my book.
I have some great Teachers, and I am thankful to them for what they have offered me, that is why I take what they have taught and apply it, examine it, attempt to take it to the next level, attempt to develop it personally.
Sometimes that requires a critical examination in the moment, after an experience like the one on the Bus (and these are happening more frequently, not just in the back either).

When things break down it is only natural to wonder at the chaos and how you are going to make it through, not unscathed, but at least in a manner that ensures you can keep going.
You can disarm things verbally, but sometimes that does not work, sometimes you are not directly involved, but someone grabs you by the scruff of the jacket or shirt and pulls you into the mix.
It is not fun, it is not pretty, it is not nice to think about. That is where things are heading, and when you can get there without losing your soul, you may be a bit more conscious of it, but at the end of the day, you keep going, you adapt, and you find ways to adapt what you are doing to suit your needs.

Trained Versus Untrained?

2011-03-04T19:30:00.000-08:00

I have heard it explained, by many people, that Karate is designed as a method of Civil Defense against untrained assailants.
It is meant to be quick, effective, and straightforward in its' application to ensure the safety of the victim in question so that they could go on farming, fishing, or whatever it was they did to earn a living.

I have also heard it explained the other way, using battlefield references to explain things in Karate and other empty-handed arts (Which I do not buy even for a minute). The fact remains that there are flaws in both, for one, the second explanation is obvious since the primary focus of development for Military Organizations has been weaponry, with empty-handed techniques being secondary or very nearly excluded.

The first tends to have flaws in the fact that we assume certain things on the part of Criminal Activity.
For one, no Violent situation is exactly the same as another and there are too many variables for which to account, second, we cannot assume that Criminals are not trained, at least by experience in their particular modus operendi.
Even this was a particularly individual sort of thing, and one could not assume there was no other training on top of that.
A person who deals in violence on a regular basis knows violence really well, they know what works for them and what does not, they are also not rocket scientists and are often looking for an easy kill.

Would we run into a drunk Martial Artist looking for a brawl? Sure, we may, there are Martial Artists in prison who train and teach others.
I once watched a program about a Gang that trained specifically to kill with one or two hits, there is also the problem (whether it is true or not) of the Prison Fighting Method called 52 hands boxing.
These are methods, granted, and we will not see adherence to methods in emotionally heated situations, but in one-sided situations we might, there are definitely possibilities.
Even in the old days it is a bit much to assume that an assailant attacking a Karateka was not trained or had no experience; experience is a given, and one can learn loads with experience as their Teacher - couple this with the notion that some of these Criminal types may have this all down to a science, or perhaps even had Formal Training on top of that, the can of worms is open.

I cannot let things rest on assumptions, there are too many variables to consider and I have met my share of questionable characters that were more than capable AND had training (often years of training, even a few decades, WITH formal teachers) on top of that.
Getting down to it, they know exactly how to exploit, on top of what they already knew by experience, they exploit what they have learned via training.

So Karate, nor any form of Budo, MUST address the problem. It cannot assume untrained assailants, just as it cannot assume trained and competent assailants in any situation.

Zen of No Zen.

2011-03-04T18:56:00.000-08:00

Nothing is really hidden, there are just things that are not really explained well enough to gain any sort of understanding.

** A Punch can be a reach out and grab, or it can also be a punch.
** Chamber can be a pulling motion, or it can be a strike to the rear.

Even this view is limited by the fact that it is either/or, but it can be both, it can also be neither.
It is what it is, and the first thing that needs to change is the practitioner's mental approach. What is in your mind when you practice? More often than not we do not question explanations, and sometimes there are no explanations given.
Explanations themselves are easy to relate, but when someone takes an explanation as gospel they fall victim to an idea that spreads like a virus and serves only as a divisive force between them and the bigger picture.

I have a saying that applies here just as well as anywhere else, 'I do not like isms, they give me a rash.'
Style is just as much an 'ism' as Buddhism, or anything else. This is not Church and we are not in some Kung Fu movie taking place in a mysterious Temple atop a mountain.
You cannot stop punches with your mind, or catch bullets with your teeth. A punch is not necessarily a punch, but at the same time it is.

** Karateka throws a punch, I block and counter with a reverse punch (breaking into two movements even at the level of brown or black belt).

We have surrendered to the notion that this is how things happen, at each level we don't ever move beyond this; at least this is the way we tend to find it in most Dojo throughout the world.
There is etiquette, there is a specific mentality, there is propriety and all sorts of other things that literally have nothing to do with anything. Am I saying these are bad qualities? No. Am I saying that we should do away with them? No.
What I am saying is that we need to look a little deeper, a little closer, with a mind that is free to move about and explore, not attached to anything specifically, but definitely questioning what is going on.

Test things out, see what works in what type of situation. Rory Miller has some great material on this that will shed some light on strengths and shortcomings - break it down, rip it apart, nothing is sacred save for what works.

** Try grab and punch or some other combination/chaining movement when you're sucker punched from behind (taken by complete surprise).

1) How can this be changed, or discarded.
2) If discarded, what will work effectively in its' place?

Take a look at things from these differing angles, include pre-emptive action, include situations of surprise attack/ambush, include multiple assailants, include assailants both with and without various types of weapons.
Get into the mindset that what doesn't work, if used in these situations, WILL end very poorly for you... Death, dismemberment, ect.
Don't get stuck on what something means, some specific interpretation. These things don't really matter, those things are meant to instill an understanding of fundamentals to help you along, they are not the end, but the means, and they are good to practice - Don't get stuck on them.

Even still, don't stop there, take it up a notch. So you're not used to getting hit? Most Budoka are not, and when they take a hit they tend to be surprised.
Get over it! Practice taking a hit. Get used to taking a hit. Even if it means bruising your pretty little face.
Budo may have safety measures built in so that we can keep training without serious injury, but it is most certainly not about playing it safe. At least not as far as getting in the right frame of mind goes.

Mentality is just as important as Physicality, and Physicality itself is not a determining factor.
Most are not athletes, certainly one could strive for better physical condition, but things tend to happen when you are least prepared for them; the mind, therefor, needs to be right - everything else is subordinate.

Challenging The Test.

2011-03-04T16:59:00.000-08:00

Is it easily discernable to you, in your training, what goals you should be striving for at each level of 'attainment?'
Is this something that is touched upon in any way, shape, or form in your school or are belts just presented as mile-markers for your journey through the halls of rank-and-file Budoka?
You pay whatever amount you pay for each belt and certificate, but is anything you are learning pertinent to any goals you can easily discern? Does it feel any 'different,' is there any more 'substance?'

The way I look at it, there are no 'advanced' techniques, there are no 'advanced' forms, the only thing that really changes is understanding of the same basic stuff, the fundamentals, and therefor, the mindset, and the focus - at least this is how I feel it should be.
It should also be challenged along those lines, pushing the student ever deeper into these fundamentals, perhaps even coincide with whatever personal goals they have in mind, or not, either way, the goals for each should be spelled out.
What do you feel is adequate for such-and-such a level as opposed to a different level, and how is this displayed? How does one represent this?

A Black Belt is supposed to be a symbol of something, instead, it is more or less given out when money is dished out, at least in the majority of schools - some will make you earn it, and some will challenge it.
If you cannot represent that well, accordingly, you may not have lost the right to represent that, perhaps you were not ready for it to begin with. Understanding is key, it does not matter what you know, but how deep that understanding of what you know truly goes.

You know 100 Kata and 1000 techniques? Great! Want to test them out? THAT should stand up to the pressure, it is not something that you can buy. You may buy that belt, but you cannot represent what it means, you cannot buy the understanding.
So I ask again, are the goals clearly discernable? If so, what are they, and how comfortable are you in representing them at your current level of understanding?

Zanshin - The Predators Mind.

2011-02-19T09:14:00.000-08:00

The flailing action of people in a physical altercation directly mirrors their mental/emotional state of being at that time.
Reflecting the undercurrent that resides just beneath the thin veneer of civilized thought and behavior that is put on display in every aspect of life, save a few.

On one hand we are told to behave in a certain way, on the other we cannot deny what is deep within and this comes out through certain triggers, not without resistance from the illusion of civilized control.
Some may be genetic, others are socially ingrained, what really matters is knowing both sides of the coin and accepting them for what they are, letting them be in their place and really coming to terms with our real selves.

The unsavory characters we see on TV, whether they be villains in a movie, characters on a TV show, characters in a book, or even certain people we find distasteful on our favorite sporting programs, these reflect something within that we seem to have a hard time with.
Some people not so much, though the majority, I would gather, have not paid much mind to this at all; most unfortunately in the Dojo.
People talk about the Warrior's Path and seldom even pay lip service to this, maybe because it is too frightening, too discomforting, it makes them squirm just thinking about what may lay beneath.

We bow out of respect before facing an opponent in the ring, we bow out of respect before we participate in a nightly drill in class, before we begin Kata performance, ect.
This is fine, being respectful is fine, but the fact remains, what about the flip side? What about that ugly nasty bugger lurking around, begging to get out, especially in this instance because this is its' territory?
I once knew a guy when I was about 13 years old, he was a practitioner of Taiji Quan, he was very dedicated and believed very strongly in his art, so much, in fact, that it bordered on the 'mystical.'
He could do stuff that I simply could not explain, but it was all within the realm of reason, it was all very calculated, very practical (Hard to explain even now).
The other thing about this guy is that he was also an Ex-Convict, he was a drug addict, and he loved to fight, he had been fighting his whole life and had even killed a man.

Now this person is a reformed ex-addict, a drug and alcohol counsellor somewhere in Southern California, with custody of his children, a good home, a good life, though he does not have long now to live.
The man had faced the other side, he had lived it, and while it had not left him unscathed, he did come out a little wiser, a little older, feeling an urge to put his experience to some use in helping others.
(He still looks like a shorter meaner version of Tank Abbot).

What do you see when you picture yourself facing the beast? Do you see a well-groomed Budoka throwing neatly packaged and recognizable techniques?
If the illusion is more appealing, that is fine, and one does not have to wonder just what that does to declaw the cat.
Spaying and Neutering your mindset does nothing to tame Violence itself. It may be fun to play at it in a nice controlled environment with an even floor, no sharp edges, among friends.
The occasional accident may creep up, then everything stops to make sure the person is okay, that is just safety, and the awareness must be there.

The Go-Button: Come to the Dark Side.

2011-02-18T23:02:00.000-08:00

I notice some places within Kata that would be good starting points for touching upon other areas that are lacking in mainstream Karate - namely the notion of being taken by surprise, or as it is commonly called, being Sucker Punched.
I use these areas that involve some turning, especially from a somewhat downward position in Saifa to an over-head 'hammerfist' type movement, not to train the physicality necessarily, that is just a small part.

The mental aspect is what I want to touch upon, overcoming that surprise instantly by acting instantly.
It doesn't really matter where you go, what you do, you just do it, don't freeze. The point of physical repetition is to ingrain something, but something cannot be ingrained without context or content.
Instead of thinking, as most Karateka would when performing this movement from Kata, you take it out of the context of the Karate Dojo and look at it from another angle. Not shift, turn, Osai Uke, Tetsui Uchi - No, that is broken thought, too many pauses, too much thought in general.

It is far simpler to think 'MOVE' or 'SWING' than it is to go through all that. The principles of motion, if trained properly, will be there in their base form helping the movement along.
That part is only 1% of the equation, being such, it doesn't really matter how it looks or how 'pretty' a person can make it, this is not about scoring points or impressing judges. Different sort of training.

The point is also not about not taking damage, at least not with this drill, you are already damaged, the point is to just go - don't take anymore damage if possible.
It seems to work fine with some areas of Kata, others are a bit more pre-emptive. Best to really look at what is there though, examine it from every angle possible and see what can go where.
I refer to Rory Miller's Matrix a lot (See Meditations on Violence, and even a section in Loren W. Christensen's Fighter's Fact Book 2).

There is a place for everything and everything has its' place. I also refer often to the idea of developing a 'Go' button.
That is worked into this drill as well; there is an aspect in the mind that needs to be automatic, flipping from Prey to Predator in an instant.
In order to understand this it is best to understand just what a Predator is while at the same time providing an 'off' switch.

The 'Go' button, as you can see, is not just about moving instantly with little thought to the complexities of the technical process, it is a mental thing.
Most people have this built-in thing that prevents them from, say, hitting as hard as they really can, or from hurting.
Social engineering has taught us that these things are bad, they are not acceptable, and while this may be true no one told the other guy, or they did and the programing just didn't take as well as it should have.
At that point it doesn't really matter what is wrong with the other guy; what matters is the fact that anything that is programmed into the persona can be reprogrammed.
What this means is that a person MUST give themselves permission to DO DAMAGE, to HURT, to MAIM, or TO KILL in some rare instances.

This is not as easy as it sounds, and not as pleasant a thing to deal with as most people are used to.
The illusion is ingrained, the Dojo is a happy-go-lucky place where everyone gets along, everyone has a good time, that is great, but should those curtains be drawn one may find an empty room as people run to the restrooms to puke; no one has the stomach for reality.
This is human nature, like the aversion to poking out eyeballs, even a simulation in training.
There are all sorts of things floating around in that space between the ears, 'Is it okay?' 'Is it right?' 'Is it normal?'
Followed by the 'Man, I think I'm going to be sick!' 'I can't stop myself from crying!' or the histerical shaking, the cold sweat and clamy hands with wide unblinking eyes.

To give permission, to flip on the Go Code is not as simple as one might think. To become the Predator is, quite literally, to become the Predator.
Even if you are the victim of an ambush or on the receiving end of a Sucker Punch, a victim you may be, but a victim's mind you must shed.
Yes. You have to intend to hurt the other person. To break bones, to scratch, to poke, to maim, whatever it takes, they are no longer human and, on some level, you have to WANT to do damage.
That is treading into some dangerous ground, and it can be a definite soul-killer if you let it get to you that deep. Easier said than done.

Does the Lion respect the Lamb? Maybe it appreciates its' taste after the kill, I'm not sure, I'm not a Lion.
That is pretty much irrelevent, and these are just some things to think about for the next time you step onto the Dojo Floor, realize the flaws in your training, and just what is missing from the mix.
This is just the tip of the iceburg.

The Disconnect.

2011-02-18T22:48:00.000-08:00

You cannot understand something by what you call it. Just because you can name something does not mean you are actually 'naming' something.
A tree is not truly a tree just because you call it a 'tree,' it is definitely something more, but that something more is what makes it a 'tree,' at least insofar as we can comprehend.

Just because you can punch or kick does not mean you understand violence, even reading a few books here and there by those who have been there, they are just words, words do not make the thing, words are a result of the thing.
Does the result breed understanding? The reflection is still just a reflection, a slight ripple that alludes to something more. That does not mean it is powerless to look at something a certain way, nor is it pointless, but certainly that which moves beyond is much more powerful as it is rooted in reality.

This is why reality is so different, because we have all these ideas floating around, they float all the time, so often that we actually believe them, we become attached to them as if they were real unto themselves.
It becomes so convincing that we even miss the opportunity to learn something from someone that has glimpsed a little further than ourselves. That is dangerous when reality comes knocking as the whole thing can, and will, be dashed to pieces - leaving nothing but a tattered husk of a thing in its' wake.

A punch may just be a punch, but just because it is called a punch does not mean there is not more to it.
Focusing solely on the punch is not the issue, it is not even the proper point of focus, and that is where we tend to get hung up.
Like taking Jyu Kumite for the real thing, or thinking just because we do some drills over and over that this means we can fight, the point has been missed on all counts. Firstly, that any of this really equates to fighting at all, secondly, that the drills, or the Kumite (form) have anything to do with violence (formlessness).
Yet at the same time what appears chaotic is not quite so chaotic to begin with; there is a method to the madness and a madness to the method, necessarily in that order.

What is the difference between saying 'chipped tooth' and the actual thing? Besides a trip to the Dentist?
The fact that you are not thinking about what it means at the time, it is ultimately very clear in that particular moment, all you may be thinking is 'Ow! Dammit!'

What If...

2011-02-17T14:55:00.000-08:00

Watching a class at a local Tae Kwon Do School and found myself thinking 'what if,' which lead into some interesting areas of my brain.
Sometimes a frightening experience, sometimes not, depending on what's what.

What if, I thought, these high flying fancy things are not what they are taken to be? Then transposing with my own experience, what if... What if I am looking at this all wrong? Then there was the final thought... You're over-analysing as usual Dave.
I think about some of the other influences from which I draw, some things I have really taken to and thought about deeply, then I realize, perhaps I really am over-analysing, but still. What if?
I once read a book about Conceptual Blending and thought deeply about the Conceptual workings of the mind, essentially conceptualizing concepts... What if?

Okay, so the 'what if' is this... In the average Dojo a person is taught Kihon, they spend a great deal of time on Kihon (though in some instances a great deal more time is spent on the lecture of Teachers who like to talk more than they like to do), from this is where conceptual blending takes off and people find themselves whisked away to lalaland of delusional thinking, believing, being...

They punch air, they practice endless drills against a partner using the same techniques, day in and day out, no mind paid to mind at all, and no one really asking the big questions that need to be asked to begin with.
Then you have people that think outside the box and point out the errors, the flaws, the delusional nature of the illusion itself, calling attention to the farce because of the fact that it leaves out 99.9% of the essentials.

Like Sanchin Kata, calling attention to the fundamentals of posture in a way that is not readily apparent, or perhaps was readily apparent at one point until the 'Dynamic Tension' Cult stepped onto the grand stage.
You have Kata that display principles of movement, not technique, again, in a way that does not call attention to itself; a good Teacher will point this out and read less into interpretation, utilizing 'interpretation' as a way to illustrate essential concepts within the principles of motion.

Now back to the Tae Kwon Do class. Everyone puts Tae Kwon Do down as essentially impractical, ineffective beyond the sporting arena, they are correct when it comes to the manner in which it is taught, but it is not so different from other arts.
I once trained in Tae Kwon Do a really long time ago, before I enrolled in my first Karate Class, but we did not really do all those high-flying kicks and the fancy showy stuff - for the most part our feet remained on the ground and, not for lack of trying, we barely kicked above the waist.
Thinking about this now, the principles of motion are always more important than the actual motion itself - at least insofar as the notion of variations are concerned.

Iain Abernethy prescribes kicking high in order to develop explosiveness with shorter range, lower height kicks.
Essentially like the concept of Tsuburi training in Kendo, where the cuts are larger, swinging with a wider arch, ect., in order to train the muscles in the arms for more explosive and stronger cuts on a shorter range of motion.
Even still, the more esoteric concept is that things have a way in which they can move that maximizes the motion itself, and the principles would point out various ways in which to move that maximizes motion and power, yet at the same time limits the output so that the muscles are not working so hard and energy is conserved.

Taking note that a Chuden Uke is essentially the same thing as a Jodan or Gedan Uke (the basic principles of motion are the exact same in all three cases with the difference being in direction and height), one can see this principle at work (or at least that is the way I look at it).
Again this goes to the notion that the only real movement in Karate is Mawashi Uke (at least with the hands and body positions)which is akin to the 'Fence Concepts' often taught by Geoff Thompson, Al Peasland, and others, essentially the end motion being put in place to emphasize the motion itself.
As such there seems to be a mnemonic code (yes, I said code, now don't think I am going off the deep end please) that the Okinawans used in order to disguise concepts while preserving them, which became de-emphasized and eventually lost altogether, or at least de-emphasized to the extreme.

So, going along with the 'what if' train of thought, you really have to get beyond the end results and look at HOW you are moving in and of itself.
Not the position you are in, but how you move, what direction are you moving in, what principles of motion are at play, heck, you could even break the movement down further and study it via the snapshot method that gave rise to the mistaken idea of fixed stances and positions themselves, but remember the flaws that are in place in order to avoid this folly in the future.
It is also not about WHAT you are doing, or what a movement MEANS, but rather what the movement is SAYING in the process of moving itself.

What if...

Kime Waza.

2011-02-13T22:41:00.000-08:00

Developing Kime, in my view, is the single most important thing one can do in the Martial Arts, regardless of which art you study.
Depending on how much time one devotes to the training, it may take years, but it may not, I don't think anyone can really place a timeframe on such things. Notions that are preconceived must be left behind in order to fully comprehend such a thing.

There was a video that Shinzen shared on Facebook, the second part of an old Shotokan training video in which, at one point, the narrator says something about Kime as the demonstrator performs stationary punches in the air.
It was a very vague statement, and quickly shifted to muscle tension in the practitioner without further explanation or ellaboration.

One way I think of it, one way I practice it, is stationary. I take a Kongo Zen approach, as you find in Shorinji Ryu Kempo that was founded as a Meditative and Spiritual Art in Japan after World War II.
It doesn't really matter the source, what matters is the method, and I find that it has helped me immensely in my training in developing the Fudo-Tai and Fudo-Shin principles, which are essential in Kime Development.

You sit in Seiza and pour every last ounce of energy into focusing the mind and body as one unit, not worrying about all the spiritual stuff that goes along with it, just focusing. You focus on holding your body as still as possible, like a stone, you focus on being conscious, but relaxed, alert.
Furthermore, you get a single image in your head and you hold it there. What I do is I imagine looking at myself from the outside, watching my body, so that the act of consciously keeping my body still and breathing are also a part of my mental focus, the two become integrated.
The mind should not wander, thoughts are definitely coordinated.

Do this for about fifteen to twenty minutes in the mornings, find a method that works for you, but remember that it is about being grounded and focused, with effort in every part of your being.
Not really a whole lot of difference between this and what most people call Zazen, they are the same thing. Not really much else I can put into words and continued practice WILL yield something profound.

From here one can more it into the practice of moving principles, applying the full mind-body unit in every single act, not just Budo.
You can tell the difference between someone with strong Kime and weak Kime by their physical movements - again, I watched a fight one night and was able to tell who would win the match before the first punch was thrown just by the way each fighter carried themselves.
This is nothing special, nothing really to brag about, just an illustration, however incomplete, of the principle at work, and something I'm sure those that have taken the time to put in the effort know all too well, even more than myself.

Mental Waza.

2011-02-13T22:03:00.000-08:00

Some great comments left by some very thoughtful people on the previous two posts that could make for some interesting conversation and mindful meditation.

The world seems driven by popular culture, at least the majority, but this is counter-balanced by those who question such popular views and come to their own conclusions, unstifled by the fact that they are essentially 'heretics' in this modern age.
That is fine with me, a little heresy tends to get some gears turning, whether it is sooner or later seems not to be an issue of great importance.

It is not a particularly comfortable position to be in, but it is necessary for maintaining such a balance, otherwise everything would be off-kilter and one-sided.
That would be a rather uninteresting world to live in, bland, dull, boring, even bordering on the dark and dystopic, or perhaps a utopia if no one really needed any prodding to move along in a single direction.
Either way, no one is being burned at the stake at present, and a little healthy debate is akin to mental conditioning, nothing wrong with that.

The growing trend, I think, cannot be pin-pointed to one thing imparticular, but a lack of several things in several areas which have become like a cancer upon which Popular Culture acts as an irritant.
It is designed to take advantage of this gaping hole and prod it in whatever direction it sees fit, some people see it, some people don't.
The danger is in how it is handled, or not; one way would feed the beast, the other would be to do nothing, in either case it is not a simple problem to resolve.

Pointing out deficiencies or flaws as compared to reality, to dispell the illusion by making one aware of it, this should be an exercise which is common place in whatever setting, be it Dojo or Gym, pretty much the same thing, just different names and different presentation.
Again, nothing more than a brand name, as, in either case, you are dealing with popular culture for the sake of commercial enterprise - nothing wrong with this, considering the world we live in and what needs to be done in order to make ends meat.

Could it be commercial suicide to point out the mechinations of the monster? I'm not altogether convinced that it is necessary to feed the illusion.
If there is something worth while in what someone is doing then it will speak for itself, initial advertising, perhaps, but there again, I am not convinced.
I see people go for different things based on some personal notion of what it is they are looking for, whether it be reality based, traditional, or athletic, it doesn't matter, there is obviously something individual in the mix, or some illusion of individuality, some design based on personality-type.
[Industrial Psychologists are notorious for marketing schemes based on this, who is to say something wasn't engineered on a personal level based on engineered personality sets].

That is going off on a tangeant in another direction and is beyond the scope of this post, or this blog.

The theory of complexity seems to run counter to what we are seeing. That everything moves towards greater complexity does not seem to enter the equation of popular culture which seemingly aims to widdle everything down to the lowest common denominator, attempting to make things more simple, streamlined, easier to manage, easier to control, easier to suggest.
Instead of values you have raw emotions, instead of literacy and wisdom you have the brand name and the face of the brand, nowhere does it factor in morals, ethics, reason, or anything of the like.
It doesn't care for these things. That is the nature of that beast and it is meant to empower the illusion, to feed that inner story a person tends to tell themselves, speaking to their frustrations in positive reassurance, so that they may live vicariously through those whom provide their entertainment, ultimately leading to further consumption, further down into the habitual vehicle they help to construct day in and day out.

An idea is a powerful thing and if the mind becomes pliable enough it will accept any idea it is fed, and like a virus, the idea will grow and consume if it is fed and nurtured on a regular basis.
From Corporate Indoctrination, to National Identity, to Popular Culture, to Entertainment, and through Education.
Eliminate all those who would approve of a more free-thinking, questioning, and truly individual approach and you have a world that seems to defy the very movement of nature, though how long such a thing could last remains to be seen, if it is ever achieved to begin with.
Likely the whole thing will rip itself to pieces before such a time as Nature is Organic, not Mechanistic.

What does this have to do with Martial Arts? Everything and nothing, depending on how you read it.

Three Pillars of Training.

2011-02-12T09:47:00.000-08:00

It is the weekend and I seem to have a lot to say, so I figure it is best to write it out while it is still fresh in my mind.
I would like to cover the idea of Shu, Ha, and Ri; why it seems that it does not apply in our modern age of 'purity.'

As I have stated for years, there really is no such thing as 'purity,' especially when it comes to 'Karate,' with the term 'Karate' being a modern invention and the notion of 'styles' being modern itself, as if one 'style' of Karate were different in principle from another.
'Karate' as we know it is a modern synthesis of many different people from many different places that happened to converge and mix on the island of Okinawa then further develop as it was taken to 'mainland' Japan.
This stuff is all common knowledge, no need to beat a dead horse, other than pointing out the fact that 'Karate' is not a style, it is ecclectic, personal, a Mixed Martial Art in the truest sense of the term.
[Not in the same sense as sporting events for young men, but in the sense that it was personal to the farmer that needed to ensure they were healthy enough to work by not getting injured from people that would do them serious harm and often used into old age].

What we see today is endless copying of copies, almost like writing the same letter over and over, like drawing the same picture over and over.
Iain Abernethy had it right when he wrote in his article 'Are Styles Killing Karate' that we seem to be stuck in a 'shu-shu-shu' stage, never moving to the next level, and if a person does move to the next stage of development that are usually dubbed as a heretic by the mainstream, though in some instances this is becoming less prevalent as people seem to be waking up and challenging this stance.

Certainly there are differences of opinion just as there are differences of expression, and we need to build on what is there, look at it the way a researcher would look at a problem - utilize the principles we have learned over the years to improve upon what we know and make it into something more personal, something more functional.
Like writing, you may learn your ABC's, but you are not writing the same alphabet over and over, you are writing it differently every time, utilizing those base forms, along with Grammatical Principles, to formulate something unique, and by unique, I mean functional, and you do it in your own way, with your own handwriting.

I once talked to a guy, Michael Rosenbaum, an author of books on Martial Arts, who had 'founded' his own 'system' of Martial Arts called, I believe, 'Snow Leopard Boxing,' and when I asked him about this he said it was a tradition in Bando that you internalize and express it in your own way, starting with a name. You named your own system to differentiate it from that of your Teacher, and this was not a sign of disrespect.
Looking back on all this, I feel, the context may have been missed as well. Many are stuck on the notion of 'purity' and of 'style' in the context of sporting events, there is, indeed, a disconnect from the original intent of these principles that have been passed down, which causes us to ignore the principles themselves in favor of the form, the superficial.

Karate, like Classical Jujitsu, was not meant for sporting events. With the advent of the Modern Age more and more people are looking less and less to Karate for guidance because it has lost its' root, it has forgotten its' purpose, just as will happen with Jujitsu when more emphasis is placed on Ne Waza and the Classical Standing aspects are emphasized less and less.
It is not just that, in the physical sense, it is more the fact of the context has been lost altogether. The context is violence, and violence is, strictly speaking, highly complex. The fact that we have principles based on understanding into this unsavory thing and they beg to be built upon and improved, yet we only dust them off for tournament play where the principles are superficial at best, that is the loss of spirit.

Does what I am saying mean the old needs to be abandoned and that it must become a free-for-all for the sake of change? No, absolutely not.
Nor does it mean that the sporting aspect that young people enjoy needs to be abandoned either, just that things need to be looked at a little more closely, placed under a microscope and understood at a deeper level, beyond superficial forms, beyond commercial brand names that 'style' has become.
Straight to the point, Shu, Ha, and Ri is a process that has been absent for far too long, it needs to be reinstituted at the very center of what we are doing, placing things in proper context.

You have a core, you have a root, you must seek to understand it in relation to the context, experiment with it in order to learn and grow, finally internalizing it and making it more personal, building on what is there, adding to what is there, possibly even subtracting from what is there if it does not add up the way it should.
If there is a better way to do something, rest assured, it will be found according to this process, at which point the art and science that is Karate (and all Budo) will grow, evolve, and change the way it needs to in order to remain relevant and fresh.

We have old Masters from which to draw in the stuff that we study, but we also have modern Teachers from which to draw as well. Rory Miller has had my gears turning for some time utilizing a matrix against which to judge the context of what I am doing.
If you look at what you do and place it against the context of violence in its' myriad forms (not possible to touch upon everything, but at least a base knowledge will help) then things will start to click.
You must also look at what you are doing and place it against the context of nature, your body is designed with built-in mechanisms for defense, is what you are learning and training working with those or against them? Can the body be retrained and improved upon as far as instinct goes? Sure, but one really needs to understand the fundamentals contained within before they start making changes.
Change for the sake of change is never good, that is why there is a process to be followed so that things are understood in their proper context according to the proper fundamentals.

Disturbing Encounter.

2011-02-12T08:47:00.000-08:00

I used to head the Martial Arts Program at a Gym in Nine Mile Falls Washington a while back until I decided to leave for conflict of interest.
There was a kid that worked there who was constantly asking questions and whom I often invited for private lessons free of charge.

He was a bright kid, went to school, was in the running start program at the Community College taking Business, Accounting, and Computer Programming Courses. He was the tech guy for the Gym's network and also the Customer Service Representative for the front desk when he had the availability.
He had something good going and a deep interest to understand things, a constant need for knowledge in whatever subject was presented.

I saw this kid a few days ago when I went with my brother to take a drug screening at a place that was right next door to an Aikido Dojo.
There is a huge court case going on and my Brother is required to take the drug screening because of his past, I was there for support, as I always will be as long as he stays on the straight and narrow.
Anyways, there was this guy there talking about how he had just started to come down and was told he had to take the screening that day, that he was nervous as he was afraid they were going to take his daughter away from him.
Some of his friends walked out of the gas station across the street and came over to meet him, who should one of them be but this kid from the Gym. He looked really bad, his eyes glazed over, unshaved, unkempt, dirty clothes, and pale.
He could not look me in the eyes, did not say hi, did not say one word. He kicked about nervously, looking around this way and that, as if for an escape route.

My brother had given some good advice to the guy that was going in for the screening, get off the drugs and do what you need to do, essentially, grow up.
The ironic thing about all this was that all these kids were wearing 'Tapout' t-shirts. I'm sorry if some might take offense to this, but this is a trend I have noticed again and again.
I hope this kid and his friends find something worth while and get out of the things that they have gotten into.

While not a formal student of mine, it does really hit home. Blame the recession, blame whatever we want to blame, but in truth, the shortcomings need to be addressed on the part of the Teacher as well as those who would come to the Teacher to learn something.
I don't think we can be held accountable for every choice a student makes, then again, we are not just in a position to Teach, we are in a position to give example, to Mentor, especially when it comes to children.
Spokane is especially bad for outside influence, considering everything that is going on, all one needs to do to face reality here is look outside at the broken streets, the homeless, the drug addicted, and those oblivious to the real problem.
[I am not meaning to insinuate that those who train MMA are all like this, just that it was ironic that they, like all the others in the herd, are following the pack in popular brand names and it just so happens to be an MMA brand].

Methodology Madness.

2011-02-12T08:08:00.000-08:00

The methodology, in most cases, must be called into question depending on what goals a person has in mind when they begin training.
I can remember attending class at a local Dojo in which there was only twenty minutes of actual training, the rest of the time the Sensei was talking, lecturing, and there was absolutely no partner work during the entire hour and a half of class.
To be fair they have a separate class for sparring and grappling, these are more hands on, but mainly based around the tournament model, with limited grappling involved, when it is involved it is often based around a type of competition model itself.

Again, it depends on the goals of training, but in most cases what you see is what you get, it is packaged as one-size fits all.
Very rarely, if at all, do people touch upon anything else, any sort of mental/psychological aspect of violence, no, you often have to go elsewhere for that and often only after you've found out the hard way.

It is all built around that 1% of the beast, the Physical aspect, and presented in such a way as to seemingly negate the other 99.9%.
Even when lecturing time could be used on this, it is often wasted on talking about correct form, which is often based more on ascetics than on function, and proper timing in performance of Kata.
Mind you, these are fine at beginning stages, but this often carries on well after Black Belt level, in essence people are stuck at the beginning/intermediate throughout the whole course of their Karate training.

Wasted time is wasted time and the fact that there is an exchange of money in return for the ability to defend oneself does not truly enter into the equation. Even when the school is donation based, the exchange still exists.
This makes it more like tuition for a private school, but in most cases you get Community College results, not that Community College is bad, as in most cases the methodology of Community College tends to deliver more than the Dojo - unless it is in the area of Math, in which case Karate is comparable, as there are an alarming number of people in the Country that cannot do basic math and so have to take Developmental Math in order to compensate.

The Dojo, nor the Sensei, are not totally at fault for such shortcomings, but they are where change and improvement begin.
First of all, and this may seem heretical in some circles, the notion of 'style' needs to be forgotten in the new context, think more of functionality.
Kris Wilder once explained it to me this way in a phone conversation, 'Everything on a farm has its' place and its' use, if it is useless it does not have a place on the farm.'
Does that mean everything is to be abandoned? No, only that we should approach the matter from a different standpoint than we have been.

Forget the University Model, this may work for large classes, but at some point there must be balance, even in these large classes, the militaristic must be abandoned in favor of a more hands-on approach.
Judoka learn to throw by throwing, they do not march up and down the floor for hours throwing air, that time is better used on doing.
I have a feeling Karate once held a similar view, but somewhere along the way someone confused a methodology that someone else was playing with as THE traditional way to do something and promoted that until it became a sortof pseudo-standard.
This same thing happened with many things we now see in the Karate Dojo.

I know I am generalizing and making broad statements, and I am aware that not every Dojo follows the same methodology, there are some exceptions, but again, what people find in most cases is just not up to par with some of these exceptions.
It is a grave injustice to just leave well enough alone in this case, mainly because I see it promoting a mindset that will end up in a very bad place when the dust settles and the smoke clears.
It is not just Traditional Martial Arts either, I see it developing in the Sport of MMA, with many young men flocking to the newest gym, the attitude I see is terrible, and in most cases they end up in jail or the hospital.
So in one case we need to think about methodology compared to the actuality, in the other we need to think about discipline and character - I know, I know, apples and oranges, but still.

We don't necessarily need to come together on this, but if it gets some gears turning, great!

Carving a Karate Burger.

2011-02-11T07:59:00.000-08:00

Take a block of wood and carve it piece by piece until it resembles the desired form, turn it this way and that, plain the angles to smoothness.
Add the finishing touches and you have a work of art that is built around aspects of geometry and even physics.
Perhaps it resembles the desired shape, perhaps not, after a time it will take on a character all its' own without a care for the visual direction of the sculpter.

Once it is done you do not think about the task, you think more of the finished product, a boat, or a human statue, or something else.
I have carved bokken out of sticks I've found while hiking and there is a transcendental aspect to the work involved. You become so involved, so intwined with the activity that it all seems to meld together. When all is said and done, if performed correctly, the fundamentals are in place to a degree that one no longer thinks about them, their function serves the purpose, all there is at that point is the Bokken, or statue, as a whole.

'Correctness' is not a standard determined by man, it is a function determined by nature, without a proper understanding of this things would fall apart. It is the same with buildings, cars, even bicycles.
In order to understand these things it is necessary to take on a process of inquiry, an act of actually doing, experiencing, to such a degree that it no longer becomes a part of normal 'conscious' activity.
There will always be mistakes, this is a part of nature as well, for the fleeting notion of perfection really has no place in the grand mess.

I have always liked the saying, 'sloppy food is good food,' mainly because I have found it to be true, at least for me.
Don't get me wrong, I like presentation, I understand that is a huge part of the Culinary World, but presentation only goes so far, if my food doesn't taste good, but looks nice, then something 'functional' is missing.
That's art, however, placing the form over the function, it becomes real art when form and function work hand-in-hand, complimentary forces that add to the experience as a whole.
A juicy Hamburger can look good when presented, and taste better when you bite into it, get that rush of flavor, the lettuce, the meat, the tomato, as it seems to melt in your mouth and fall apart in your hands (I know there is a huge trend for vegetarianism for some folks, but I just can't live without my burgers and bacon, sorry, Grandfather was German and that is how I grew up, lots of sausages, brautworst, and steak).

It is the same in training, you have to start somewhere and at some point form and function must compliment each other.
It may look nothing like we see in Tournaments, it will definitely look nothing like we see on TV, in all actuality one should definitely strive for better performance, but based on deeper understanding of the underlying fundamentals.
Angle it around like the wood, let the juicy flavor into each and every technique by way of the principles at work - let function determine form, and form gives richness to function.
When I say richness, I do not necessarily mean face value, or asthetics, there is something to be said about a punch that cracks the Makiwara each time rather than landing with a 'thud.'
Though the heavy-bag may not move around much with each hit, the principle is not to push the heavy bag, unless you are working on pushing principles, no, and to understand the difference is the reason for training, to ingrain the proper fundamentals is the reason for repetition and questioning.

These are things that were often ignored when training for Tournaments back in the day, the understanding of the different principles were rather fundamental, but as long as things 'looked' good then you were sure to earn points.
Sparring seldom touched upon this either, being almost an entirely different sort of art itself, though it does have its' value in certain respects, change it up a little and it can provide great lessons in these areas, again, adding to the richness THROUGH functionality.
Just like the burger, things will get sloppy, and understanding the fundamentals to a point where they are deeply ingrained means that, though it may not look pretty once you bite into it, the fundamentals will still explode all the savory juiciness upon the proper context.

At some point the notion of 'technique' must be looked at very closely, scrutinized, then dropped in favor of something a little simpler, a little more direct. I have the Army's Manual for Hand-to-Hand Combat, along with the SAS Survival Manual, both of which I study regularly.
The context upon which they are built is technical, but at the same time it is not concrete, principles take precedence, otherwise you cannot function if you are thinking about propriety, you don't have time to think about those things in the moment.
Maybe a little more time when you're building a trap with twigs to catch supper, but not much, as daylight is a precious commodity. Combat allows no time at all. Like the good Hamburger, though Complexity might appear sound, it will fall apart when the heat is on.
Simple things fall apart as well, but not to such a great degree. Instead of thinking, I will punch him in X when he does Y, that is thinking like a Martial Artist, that is fine, it is a good mental exercise in the Gym or Dojo, but when you enter the jungle you want to think 'Break his nose,' and don't wait for permission, don't wait for the punch to which you need to respond.
Action is faster than Reaction.

There Is No Floor.

2011-02-10T23:09:00.000-08:00

I look at all the cracks in the street, the giant potholes, muddy sidewalks, and the way the majority of people dress and carry themselves whenever I step on or off a City Bus.
The old run-down buildings seem to be getting older, new run-down buildings seem to be popping up in their place, the swelling numbers that have 'for lease' posted in the windows almost like nameless gravestones as if to announce what once was, but has now been forgotten.

Even in places like the local Mall where people are always congregating to spend their hard-earned cash, stores closed, steel gates blocking archways, swelling vacancies of places soon forgotten.
Nothing really lasts forever, most things these days were not built to last, they were meant to break down after a time. Even our appliances have predetermined shelf lives by design of their manufacturers.

Still, you see people walking around from place to place, buying, re-buying, and buying some more.
Seemingly oblivious, or perhaps choosing to be oblivious to those cracks in the road, those potholes in the path that scream for another tire to victimize on some car of a family that is already strapped to the very brink of failure.

I find more empty Dojo on the same street I frequently traverse, fewer hours, fewer students, perhaps another vacancy in the making, and not long in the making at that. In a local book store I had been looking to buy 'The Little Black Book of Violence' only to find that the Martial Arts section was a single shelf, not much to choose from.
The selections in other sections had also significantly dropped; did America suddenly become illiterate? I wonder.
The majority of the selections available were either politically minded, extreme viewpoints, or MMA books and Magazines. For some time I had wondered if specific magazines were even still in print, I happened upon one by chance and was a bit surprised.
At least they still had Meditations on Violence on the shelf, already have it, mine is signed, don't need another copy, but that was a small little twinge of hope.

The nice clean Dojo on the South Hill still maintains healthy numbers, mostly Doctors, Lawyers, other high-paying professionals and their Children. That is alright, they still run scholarship programs for the time being, but most times those that need it can't get the information on where to find it.
High priced with high paying clientelle, perhaps they will weather the storm. I don't want to say anything disparaging to anyone, but the illusion never holds up to reality.

They see nice clean floors, pressed uniforms, smiling faces, sometimes, and very rarely venture beyond their safety zone, smart on their part, but with the way this thing is spreading it won't be long before one can no longer tell the bad part of town from the good.
I still see those cracked streets, the homeless on the same street corners every day, seemingly growing in numbers - far more gang activity in my old haunts than there was when I was a kid, new malicious activity in areas that used to be good, worse in areas that used to be bad.
Police shootings have gone through the roof, police beatings, with growth and expansion in these areas on the horizon and who can blame them? The force is cut, Detectives assume Patrol Duty, tensions are high, with more crime, bombs having been planted (according to the FBI the most sophisticated bombs seen in the US sofar, in Spokane, imagine that, and I was standing only a few feet away from one - talk about scary).

We can talk traditional values versus theoretical function until we are blew in the face, naturally this is what people do in study and practice, but in the end it falls short of addressing real dangers, real threats.
Maybe not by much, which is fine, training is still necessary and extremely important, theoretical discussion helps stoke the fires, but in the end reality is reality.
As Teachers it is a good idea to really jar the Student out of that comfort zone, to really get those gears turning, and not on some ideal, not on some stylistic notion or purity or tradition, that will come naturally if it holds to the flames of reality, and it will continue to grow and change if it is worthy.
Also not on some idea of 'new' versus 'old,' nothing is sacred, the only thing profain is the failure to address what is there and allow for some breathing room when things don't seem up to par.

It comes in more than just 31 flavors, it comes with more than just a waffle cone, in reality only reality can hold up, and it is a chaotic mess with no conscience, no care for you, your family, your friends, your situation, nothing.
This is the beast we face, and it has many faces, you may only be facing one, but there are thousands more for which you may not be prepared, and the one-size-fits-all notion just does not cut it.
We need to really look at our Brave New Worldview, are we choosing the bliss of ignorance, or are we addressing what is right in front of us in all its' grotesque glory?
The road forks here.

Entering The Stream.

2011-02-08T08:14:00.001-08:00

I often wonder about the level of Critical Thinking I encounter in life. Most Dojo tend to frown upon this, promoting a 'monkey-see-monkey-do' environment.
I've encountered this sort of thing in 'Positive Thinking' sessions in the Corporate World, where you are encouraged to take a 'double-speak' or 'double-think' attitude to the work environment.
Positive thought is encouraged, but when you start to question the validity of the process you are quickly barred from further discussion with a few emails to your supervisor, you can even be fired for what we would call Critical Thinking or Constructive Criticism.

Of course you are not hired to question the beast, you are hired as a cog in the machine, which makes me wonder about the Karate Dojo, what machine are we supposed to Cog there?
In most instances it is like Indoctrination, however, they do not call it 'Indoctrination' in the Corporate World, they call it 'Positive Psychology,' a perversion of the Teaching of Harmony into acceptance and conformity, total surrender, without question, where the need to understand is taboo.

I wonder, with the popularity of most 'Self-Help' books, if many of our own activities outside the work place are not meant to reinforce this attitude; it is obvious that people capitolize on it, especially when we look at the mainstream Karate Dojo where everyone falls in line and no one questions what is going on, what they are being fed.
To lull someone into a false sense of security, to keep them in a frame of mind that is acceptable, pliable, easily molded by suggestion, easily accepting of whatever illusion is planted.

That is, until the brick wall of Reality meets the face of the automaton, jarring them from their socially induced slumber, enticing them to wake up and face the harsh truth.
The apple from the tree of knowledge begins to make more sense as an allegory (forgive my intrusion into the theological, it just seemed fitting). The confusion sets in as the person becomes an Individual rather than a Persona and they no longer know how to handle their own Individuality in the face of truth - they may panic, or they may seek out those who know how to question.

The 'Teacher' of their former life is no longer adequate, as they have 'entered the stream' and must find someone who can break the chains and let them swim to the other shore.
This means shedding illusions, no longer accepting, no longer conforming, however harsh this may sound - facing facts that the world is what it is, that positive thoughts, however well-meaning, cannot change reality, only action and doing can change reality and help one come to grips with the real world.

You get hit in the face and no amount of positive thinking is going to change the fact that the guy is still coming at you, just the same, you can keep a positive attitude (nothing wrong with this) in the face of Unemployment and Depressing Circumstance, but that still does not change the Circumstance and what MUST be done about it.
Karate is not about conformity, it is not about 'Harmony,' at least not with some illusion that everything is all 'hunky-dory.'

No, it is about facing the storm as it is, about dealing with it, not whining about it, not ignoring it and pretending the skies are sunny, but knowing that sometimes there is rain, and sometimes there is sunshine.
Overcoming the fact that what you 'think' you have learned is not how things actually are, that comes with time and lots of Applied Critical Thinking, not cow-towing to the status-quo, but breaking the mold.
Question everything, leave no stone unturned, leave no useless teaching unburned.

Seasons.

2011-02-03T08:28:00.000-08:00

I have heard so many different things about what is good for you and what is detrimental when it comes to your training, in the end you really have to take what is said with a grain of salt and decide what best suits you as an individual.
Take push-ups for instance, I like doing push-ups and static core training, but many people tend to say they can make you slower, thus they are not good for Karate training.
Personally, however, I like them, and with a mind towards fast-twitch and maintaining posture, I don't really see a problem with doing them - especially since there are so many creative ways to perform a push-up.

In any case it really doesn't matter, you will find what works for you, what you like to do, the key is to stick with it, to get a routine going and to build on that.
With me, it always centers around Sanchin Kata, it begins and ends there; ever since that first experience I had with Kris Wilder in my old basement training room I had sought to really understand that particular method.
Again, however, there are some differences, though not many, you have to find your own middle ground.

Too much training is a detriment, too little training is not going to do you one bit of good.
There I go with my own warning of what is 'detrimental' and what is not, in some instances it is apparent mainly due to the way the body works, but in other cases it is just hot air.
You should trust in your chosen guides on this path, but you should always trust yourself as well, listen to your body.

I do five sets of twenty push-ups every other day, but I do them every day. I do some Hojo Undo twice a week, and I work Kata and Kihon every day. Early mornings work best for me, as do evenings - beginning and ending with Sanchin, working Sanchin three times every single day.
Static methods work great as well, I remember a video Shinzen shared on facebook about an old Chinese method of exercise that consisted of standing in various postures for extended periods of time, just standing, sometimes incorporating walking, just walking.
The main thing was in the focus, the mindset, and the posture. With the goal of developing the mind and body along the lines of a tree, with strong trunk, and strong roots, I see nothing wrong with this (though it does not need to be nearly as complex, one could easily say, just stand like a tree).
Diet is important too, but I won't harp on that too much - this is getting to be borderline athletic-type stuff here, perhaps not.

In either case there is a rhythm, and you must find your own rhythm.

Honesty is a Virtue.

2011-02-02T11:55:00.000-08:00

I've always liked the saying, 'An alarm is only good for keeping honest people out,' honesty is not something I frown upon, but the fact remains, it is not necessarily true of everyone.
For those people living on the fringe honesty is not always the best policy, neither is loyalty, this is especially true of the places in which I grew up.

I've always tried to live an honest life, I've always tried to make an honest living and set a good example for my kids and students alike.
However, there comes a time when you have to realize that 'moral codes' and things like that are a choice rather than a necessity, considering the lives some people leave, dishonesty is a necessity, backstabbing is a necessity, theivery is a trade that gets them by.

There are also those depraved individuals out there who pay no mind to anything of the sort, they march to the beat of their own drum, like a pack of wolves, they seek out the weakest prey they can find and seek to either take it by force or charm their way in.
I once heard that Karate is meant to make a person into a better citizen, this may be true, but on the flip side of the coin, it is about defending against those who would prey on the 'better citizen.'
How do we understand the difference if everything is watered down into a happy-go-lucky social setting?

I'm not saying that one should not try to become a better person, that one should not try to live honestly, indeed, I am following that same path myself. However, as a realist, I cannot ignore the flip side of the coin and if I am to gain any sort of value from my training it must address the issue at hand.
As human beings we all have the tendency to lean one way or the other, we cannot accept the good half and ignore the bad; the cup is neither half empty or half full until you know what both statements mean for yourself.

I like that scene in the movie Demolition Man, after Sly takes the other two cops down into the sewers to find Dennis Leary (He's the man) and all hell breaks loose. At one point the male cop tries to confront Wesley Snipes by holding his hand out as if to say, 'Remain Calm and don't move,' then Wesley Snipes proceeds to kick the living crap out of him.
Later on in the movie you see the same Cop dressed up in MadMax style clothing over his uniform, marching with Dennis Leary and his people, still the same guy, still a nice guy, working for a greater good, but changed after a run-in with reality.

I know life is not a movie, I know movies do not exactly mirror reality, but neither does Dojo training if this issue is not addressed.
You cannot have one without the other, to be a better person, you have to really take a hard look at the flip side; does that mean these people are evil? Misguided? Perhaps, but perhaps they are just realists all the same. Not necessarily the most pleasant thing with which to come to terms, but we all have our shadows, and this may not necessarily be the same realization to which you come in your own lives.

Kata may look pretty, you may bow to one another out of respect, you may attend class day in and day out, 'Hey George, how was your day?' you might say, 'Not bad, long day.' They might reply.
The mindset is not there, often the function is not there either. Without that function it can be of absolutely no use, without that mindset it is still useless, even if function IS present.
Most people don't understand this because they have not experienced it. Some people do, maybe they work with it in a professional capacity, maybe it was part of their upbringing (however unfortunate that may be), some people do not grow out of it, some people do - those that work with it professional really have no choice, other than distancing and some form of release.

Welcome to the real world. Maybe not dog eat dog all the time, but someone may still try to nip at your heels.
The key is in continuing despite the truth, letting the truth in, but not letting it consume you.

Hole-in-the-Wall.

2011-02-02T11:19:00.000-08:00

Driving around the City has been quite an experience, keeping an eye open without actually keeping an eye open, I have found a number of hole-in-the-wall Dojo that are not advertised in either the phone book or any of the Newspapers.
I'm amazed at just how many there are, further, I am amazed at how many more there may be, without actually hearing of them, without the advertising, they have managed to keep to their present locations for years and keep their income steady.

In any case, these places are often not a part of any major organization, they mainly keep to themselves, remain off the radar, yet manage to keep the students rolling in for scheduled classes.
They are completely self-sufficient, and self-governing, such simplicity comes with a hands off approach, though one cannot rule out other avenues. Even still, I remain amazed, especially when I see big chains closing down, replaced with Head Shops and MMA Gyms, which is alright, they both stand worlds apart from where my state of mind now resides.

The point being simplicity, breaking the mold, daring to challenge the status quo, perhaps not so much a challenge, but a willingness to actually put things into practice that you hold dear, instead of talking about them during lunchtime conversation, or the usual barroom philosophy as you down a couple cold ones after a long day at the office.
The idea is to stand worlds apart from that existence, or making use of such existence so that you can do what you actually want to do and live your life the way you want to live it.

If nothing ever comes of the time and effort you put into the floor, then why put in the time and effort in the first place?
Certainly you may do it because you love it, because it fills a time-gap in your daily routine, that is well and fine. You may also do it because it gives you some sense of security, whether it is false or otherwise, that is fine too.
In either case, what use is it if you never truly think about it? There may be different reasons for everyone, but in the end, if we don't know what those reasons are, it is utterly useless to keep on trudging.
Maybe for the simple fact of trudging along? Those hole-in-the-wall places stand out to me, not for their odd locations and their lack of advertising, but as beacons that they are unique, they stand apart from the big guys, and they are free of the same constraints as well.
Can we say the same about ourselves?

The Journey IS The Lesson

2011-02-02T10:52:00.000-08:00

My wife has taken on a job of rescuing horses, so our back yard, presently, has three horses tromping around.
We have a small pony, an old racing horse, and a big black horse that was used for logging.

She used to have the neighborhood kids come over and help take care of the horses with a mind to give them something to do that would keep them out of trouble and teach them something worth while.
My own children have taken to the horses pretty quickly, my youngest son once sat with the race horse for a while, to keep him calm, saying, 'He loves me and I love him.'
To understand, we used to take care of this horse on its' own property because the owners themselves stopped coming by to check food and water, the decision was made to move the horse because people were messing with him at night and it became extremely unsafe for him to remain where he was.

Karate should be very much the same, not just a mode of self-defense, but an outlet, perhaps outlet is the wrong word.
Without losing sight of the original intent, what do we have? Horses need caring, and everything used to care for a horse has a purpose, not only that, but it teaches the value of hard work for the sake of hard work itself, not just what you get out of it, but what you put into it.
The two may not be interchangeable, but the point is clear. Lean too far in one direction or the other and one tends to become fanatical about their particular position.

I liked a comparison Wilder Sensei brought up in a phone conversation when I called him asking for some advice, something about the difference between a working farm where everything has a purpose and what is useless has no place, or something along the lines of McDojo where ascetic value is placed over function, and function isn't the determining factor.
I'm not sure if I have made the connection apparent, but it is there. The value in function shows you the value of function, not just making it look good. This goes for anything and everything you endeavor to accomplish, in Karate, in life, in the work place, ect.

It also goes to show that anyone can truly take something they love and make a life worth living out of it, starting with nothing more than what you have at hand.
Not to jump on the cultural bandwagon, but that sounds very much like an Okinawan way of doing things, though you will find it in the company of any old-school farmer no matter what part of the world they happen to reside.

Reflex.

2010-12-13T22:28:00.000-08:00

My Son got a new set of focus mitts and punching gloves and it just so happened to be the day my Brother was visiting.
He definitely wanted in on the action, waited until I was completely focused in working with my Son on some drills in the driveway, snuck up and put me in a half-nelson-type hold saying to my Son, 'You see this! He doesn't...' the next thing he knew I was twisted out of the hold with my fist in his face, pure reflex.
He had meant to say that I don't surprise easily, but what he fails to understand is that I am surprised every single time it happens, I just have a good flinch that takes care of the rest.
In the words of Jack Burton (Big Trouble in Little China) 'It's all in the reflexes.'

That is the difference between thinking 'step and turn, then punch,' and just 'Smash in the face!'
We shouldn't be focusing on learning all these different techniques (especially when there really are only a few techniques with thousands of variations), no, what we need to focus on is the 'switch' or as Rory Miller calls it, the 'Go' button.
These should also be in-line with natural reaction, the fact (and I have seen it first hand both on the street and in the Dojo) that trained fighters become worse while the untrained tend to become better under pressure.
Does that mean they are doing something different? Yes and no, my brother does not have Martial Arts training, but I have seen him pull off movements from Kata nearly every time I have witnessed an altercation, or sparred with him, always by instinct.
The difference being that while we give fancy names and fancy steps to things he would say, 'I just grabbed and hit,' or 'your face was open so you just got jack-slapped.'

Millenia of survival oriented evolution prevails over a few years of hard work on the training floor with some good friends who are not intent on making sure you don't ever walk (let alone breath) again.
Training is, in my opinion, important, but certain things need to change, the approaches need to be complimentary to the above, otherwise you have two opposing things that will cancel each other out (and ultimately cancel you out) when the time is necessary to act.
When you step on the floor you know what you are there for, which is already working against you (though I have seem some pretty surprised faces when contact is actually made - maybe there are some people who think they are actually at a health spa??).

I like the random surprise scenarios, it gives me a chance to really let loose and see what happens (and I usually only do this with my brother and a select few people).
I can play with sucker punches at random, being grabbed from behind when I absolutely do not expect it, see what happens and mull it over in my mind afterwards - not something that can be consciously worked on in the moment when you are in a state of mental surprise, but conscious thinking does play a role in the aftermath, 'Ok, so that worked,' or, 'Ok, so that didn't work, lemme see what I could have done and train it over and over again.'
Repetition is a great friend to have, though many people get bored with it, especially in the Dojo where you are constantly line-drilling up and down the floor for hours without ever really making contact with anything.

There is also that notion that there is some standard by which we need to be working in order to seem 'authentic' in what we are imparting.
That is well and fine, some things are going to look similar on the surface, but no such standard exists, and holding on to some standard or looking to some higher authority for the correct way of doing things has just effectively taken responsibility out of your hands - at least that is the illusion under which most of us tend to live.
I've been in some pretty bad areas, some pretty bad situations, my Sensei was not there to help me out, it was only myself, the other guy, the pavement, and whatever else was around.
No one is going to hold your hand through these things, no one is going to say, 'alright now darling, you're going to be alright,' unless you find yourself in the Ambulance afterwards with a bunch of EMTs trying to keep you alive. No, this is about taking on responsibility yourself, the only one you can trust (and the only Teacher you really have) is yourself.

People can show you different ways to do things that may or may not have worked for them (in theory or in practice, whichever, most often in theory), but they cannot apply it for you (and they are equally responsible for the image they portray in what they pass off as 'effective').
I'm also not saying that these Guides are not important, those that are the real deal are out there and definitely worth listening to and respecting.
They will also not foster some delusion of a 'mystical' death-touch-type technique that will be an end all - the fight stopper is not some magical technique, or age-old secret teaching, it is less physical than mental.
You want to get it done, get him down, and get away, however you do that, if it works, that is the only measure of correctness - you do what is natural, what is within you to do, not what someone else tells you to do (in the end you are the one that has to sort fact from fiction, no one is going to do this for you).

So how might training be changed up in order to accomodate the above? Some might say not at all, and perhaps this works for them, that is fine.
There are some aspects I like and some I do not (mainly because they have fostered some really bad habits and ideas), perhaps this is more of a personal bias, but I would rather trust myself in the long term and I would rather have those that come to me for guidance trust themselves.
Maybe they take something useful, maybe not, it is less about passing on a 'style' than it is about passing on a 'spirit' or a 'mentality,' even then, what is really passed on was never really passed on when the dust actually settles.
I've said that before, I know, but even working with my own Son I realize that some things are universal because of the Human Body, the mentality is a different beast entirely and that is really what we are dealing with (and often what is lacking in many mainstream Dojo, Gym, and Training Hall).

When surprised my body acts, it may have seemed that I am not surprised, that I just went with it, but the fact is, I was surprised, just as much as people who seem tough as nails are scared on some level, so they fight harder.
I don't even begin to understand the cog-work behind some meth-induced frame of mind, it is just as well to know it is there and to understand that it is not going to be nice to you or treat you in the same way a training partner does.
It doesn't care if you are able to keep on going to your nightly training sessions or get up for work the next day - it just doesn't.

There was a similar movement I did with my brother where I spun around, stepped in and tapped him under the rib-cage with my hand, under his arm where he could not see it, 'Now imagine if I'd had a knife, even a small pocket knife.'
Yeah, that got the gears turning and put him in the frame of mind to think about it, like he needed to, perhaps that was a mistake on my part - hopefully he doesn't get stabbed because he over-thought the scenario and became stuck in some mental loop.

What's Wrong with my Eyebrows?

2010-12-12T23:43:00.001-08:00

What is self image? I often think that most Students have some kind of preconceived notion of things in their head and when they meet me for the first time I am not quite what they expect.
Again, too many Kung Fu movies, maybe they were expecting some old guy with a flowing robe, bald head, and white eyebrows (well, I have the bald head part down at least).
Maybe I should work on being a little more vague with things, as should we all, wouldn't that be an interesting exercise? Not to speak unless you can word things in as vague a way as possible - then what would be the point of speaking?

No, instead what they find is not quite what they expect, which is true of anything, especially any type of Martial Art.
Then you have those students that shop around until something fits the bill, which is French for 'conforms to preconceived notions/beliefs.' (or is that Spanish?).

In that case they are fooling themselves and the one who sells them exactly what they are looking for is playing off that foolishness to make a buck, and being as vague as possible is a good tool for many frauds.
Even if it is offered for free, there is some kind of exchange going on, and payment is expected in full, even if you don't know it, you have just bought a load of crap (otherwise known as Snake Oil).
Maybe you have learned something of value in the art of being vague and making your eyebrows white somehow, but that is about all.
You can tell the real deal from the fakes, trust me on that, some of them may be old asians that speak in vague tongues, others may be some white guy in a flannel shirt and cowboy beats saying 'Good, now do it again, git'er done!'
Does it really matter all that much?

Training in Martial Arts is not about conforming facts to beliefs or about following and building upon some preconceived notion - much like boot camp, it is about breaking those things down, though not replacing them with some new ideal, but clearing the way for something solid.
You won't find something that fits the bill because what you expect is not what you are going to get, plain and simple; if you are expecting something and find that your feelings are hurt when you don't find it, perhaps you need to start looking at just what it is you are expecting to find and dash that to a bazillion pieces.
You may have some notion, some idea, sure it sounds good, does it stand up even in a good simulation? Again, sounds good, but the proof is in the pudding, show me.
Face value is not a currency in which we deal, not if we are really doing what we should be doing.

There are a lot of people out there that can, and have, kicked my ass; I've always learned something.
Testing is not something we do once a month, on the floor, you are tested every day, at least you should be - if the fire seems mild then something is wrong.
If you can't even take the heat of a simulation and try to justify quitting by saying it didn't fit the bill (which is usually what people do) then you are fooling yourself, again.
What would you expect to do in reality? This isn't a game, this isn't a movie, this isn't some exercise to strengthen your sense of identity, the persona you wear, the story you tell yourself, the expectations you have.
This is all useless bullshit, and like all other forms of bullshit, must be left outside, otherwise it will be knocked out of you and burned to a crisp until there is no substance left but ash.

Brown Eyebrows has left the building.

Evil Dead Kung Fu Zombies.

2010-12-12T22:55:00.000-08:00

When I think of Kung Fu movies I think of great dancers - most will ask who would win in a fight, Bruce Lee or someone else.
Give both guys a gun and you might call it a draw, if they knew how to fire they might stand a good chance of at least coming close, especially when the miss rate of trained Police is so high due to environmental and bio-chemical factors.
They're just movies people, appreciate them for what they are; do you think Zombies are real because they appear so much in video games and movies? Who would win there? Bruce Lee or a Zombie? What if Bruce Lee WAS the Zombie? (Now there is an interesting B movie in the making.haha).

Seriously though, if one got pissed off at the other I'm sure we would not really see a good display of anything we have seen on the silver screen (or even in the Cage for that matter, with two fighters pissed off at each other).
They certainly could give the River Dance Guy a run for his money, but they really aren't even in the same league - especially since one advertises as Dance, straight up, and the other fools people into thinking otherwise.
It is almost like a form of hypnosis, the same technique is used when we see commercials that subliminally tell our brains we need something we don't and to go buy it.

I wonder how many people actually thought Stallone was really Rocky? There was something interesting I heard about how he trained for that movie, that he'd broken his nose in the training and gotten upset because his face needed to be in tip-top shape for close-ups.
I wonder if he ever thought that it might lend some credibility to his character should he appear with a broken nose, instead of make-up, in some of those close-ups? Again, he is not the same guy in the movie that he is in real life. He never went Rambo on someone and if he had he would be in prison for a very long time.

Look at Wesley Snipes, Mr. Blade, who just got sentenced to two or three (maybe more) years in prison for Tax Fraud.
He portrays the silent killer type in movies, even some types that are brave, honest, forthright, but as a person, he is just a person like everyone else, answerable to the same laws, and not even half the person as some of the characters he plays.
Who would win there? Wesley Snipes or Bubba the Cell Mate? My money would be on Bubba and his shank.

Marc MacYoung talks about the rough nature of Construction Workers and Miners in his book 'Taking it to the Street' in which he talks about how much time they spend fighting, actually fighting, as opposed to people who study fighting.
How these guys are tough as nails - one story he talks about how his Dad had fallen from a great height and then went back to work the next day, or how he himself had been kicked numerous times by Cows (I think it was Cows, maybe horses).
My Uncle Chuck is damn near 80 years old and still breaks horses, he used to drive truck where he saw altercations almost every night at truck stops, people trying to break into his truck, bar fights, ect.
Do we really think about these individuals in our training? They are not few and far between, though many would like to think otherwise.

Who would win between Bruce Lee and Uncle Chuck? My money is on Uncle Chuck, for one, I KNOW that I would never want to piss off this 80 year old guy.
Maybe Bruce Lee COULD kick my ass back in the day, unfortunately he is six feet under (no disrespect intended to Mr. Lee) and when he was alive he was a great actor and great Martial Artist, perhaps he even had some fighting experience (as his biography attests), however, I don't know.
What I do know is that Uncle Chuck stands well over six feet and takes on animals much larger and more spirited than himself, at 80 years old!

In the face of all that, and other things, a Black Belt is nothing more than a giant target (in most cases, with a few exceptions, but the belt never makes the person, it is the other way around).
In closing, movies are great for entertainment, and there are many forms of entertainment (including sports entertainment). Appreciate things for what they are, not what we want them to be.

Smashing the Philosopher's Stone.

2010-12-11T20:44:00.000-08:00

Some things are fairly predictable, but often we tend to fail even when we see it coming, or perhaps because we see it coming and it just does not register because we spend most of our time in the upper hemisphere of consciousness rather than the lower hemisphere.
Most training is designed to appeal to the Upper Hemisphere way of looking at things, reasoning things out, approaching things in a systematic and orderly manner, while also not paying attention to the inner stuff of the psyche (usually only with a nod to this by mentioning vague concepts such as Mushin, Kime, or more generally, Zanshin).

The more I go on, the more I find that people are expecting some orderly thing where X somehow equals Y (or perhaps the 2+2 mentality, where everything has its' place and there is a place for everything).
I hear a lot of talk about those previously mentioned vague concepts, but no one really seems to know what they are and when they demonstrate they usually take up a position and cultivate a blank and mindless stare.
Since when did Mushin mean Mindlessness? Since when did Zanshin mean standing still and looking all 'crazy eyed?'
When did any of this ever become orderly and well-defined? The truth is, it never did, this is a case of people trying to bend facts to beliefs.

In a recent podcast I listened to there was a very thoughtful insight shared by Rory Miller, he said, 'When a student has successfully knocked their opponent to the ground then looks at me to see if they did it correctly, that is bullshit.'
I'm sure the point is not lost, but we spend so much time worrying about 'correct' in a different way that we forget about results, if the guy is on the ground and you have created distance for an escape, obviously you did it correctly because you achieved the desired results.
Training should be about cutting out all the bullshit and achieving results, cultivating and training continuously is less about perfecting technique than it is about achieving better and faster results - perhaps better technique is an afterthought (the concept is more important).
That is also Kime, Mushin, and Zanshin... Did the cave man think 'Did I club the other guy correctly' after he had successfully clubbed the other Guy and made off with whatever it was he was after? Perhaps they thought about better, more efficient ways of clubbing (obviously we wouldn't have made our way to swords, spears, knives, and guns were this not the case).
There was also an efficient way for each, but the main point is, if it got the job done then it was attested to in the results, not whether form was correct or incorrect and it most certainly was not some philisophical issue.
"Pointy end goes into the other man" - Antonio Banderas, The Mask of Zorro.

Conceptual Blending.

2010-12-10T11:34:00.000-08:00

The other night I was doing some solo practice with the beginning movement of Seipai Kata (loosely - based more around the concept rather than the stylized movement); what I was doing was practicing different variations of what Wilder and Kane call 'Crossing the T to Escape' which is based around the naval strategic concept of broadsiding.
I have found time and again that all escapes, whether standing or on the ground, can be broken down to those principle - where you either cross your shoulder to the opposite of their body or, when on the ground, form a letter 'T' with your hips as the base.

Not only does this way of looking at this concept help to make things simple and avoid the whole complex mess of trying to learn thousands of different escapes, but it works, and there is really nothing more to it - if you have an extra-large guy really cranking on the hold, you facilitate the movement with a little added strike to some vital areas, like the side of the thigh, the groin, or rake up on the face, whatever, doesn't really matter, the job gets done either way.

Breaking things down, taking segments of Kata that you may know and not really worrying about 'correctness' or 'crispness,' just looking at the principles behind the movements and getting out of the mindset of 'this technique' or 'that technique' will yield some interesting insights and add that much more depth to your training.
In a very profound way, when we let go of the things we are lead to believe are important we find out just how much of a hindrance they have been to actually understanding what it is we are doing.
It is like the notion of how the lower/lizard brain thinks in pictures rather than words, and interestingly enough, it is the lizard brain upon which we are dependent when it comes to self defense, so the higher order of thinking needs to take a back seat in training and things need to be approached in a more holistic way.

Funny thing, when I was practicing the Seipai Principles my buddy thought I was practicing Bagua.
You find interesting little things like that as well, leading you down some interesting places, especially when everything is in place and you understand what it is you are looking at according to the principles, not the movement or individual movements.

Besting Yourself.

2010-12-08T21:53:00.000-08:00

Learning to do new things always takes time and effort, a lot of mental wrestling as you find thoughts go through your head saying 'I can't do this.'
I am playing around with spinning fire staff and poy (two flaming balls at the end of a chain that is spun around in various ways) - neither of which I am very good at at the moment and I am truly amazed at some of the things people can pull off with both.

For most people there is the intimidation factor, after which they try a few times to do what they have seen, then they give up, often with some justification, in order to go back to doing what they can do.
This is alright, some things are not for everyone, but never say never. So what if you can't do that spinning back kick this week, try it a couple times a day, every day, then increase the number of repetitions the next week, increasing each week as you go (take your worst technique and make it your best, then repeat the process over and over again).
I remember at a Karate Fellowship hosted by Scott Wall Sensei a while back, I was doing staff work with Lawrence Kane who had noticed that my strikes were lacking any body, basically they were 'all arm.'
This got me to really look at what I was doing, I didn't take offense to it because he was right - I also worked repeatedly on minute details of each little bit of the Sanchin Principles taught by Kris Wilder, reading the book over and over, practicing as I read, practicing throughout the day, at work, at home, out walking, driving, then I bought the DVD recently from the Martial Expo and follow along as I watch it.
As a result I can knock my friend Logan back pretty easily, and he is about two feet taller than me and outweighs me by a good hundred pounds.
Now there is more body behind everything I do, more ground as well. I am still not the best Karateka, nor will I strive to reach for such delusions of grandeur, but I will strive to continually improve upon myself, to be better than I was the week, month, and even year before.

Just by paying attention, really listening to what is said, rather than just hearing the words and having an emotional response.
It is not about making people feel good, warm, and fuzzy; it is about making them work beyond their limits and improve - to what ends? I honestly don't believe in limitations or categorizations, though they are useful tools at times. Nothing more.

Kokoro.

2010-12-08T21:31:00.000-08:00

Back in the day we used to have what was called 'Warrior's Journey,' a training that was formulated around a heavy emphasis on Zazen, ritual, and light emphasis on Bokken work with very harsh and strange etiquette.
Those of us that undertook the Journey had more expected of us as it came to the Dojo and to life, things were taken deeper, the pressure was turned up on high, and every little mistake was scrutinized in the form of a 'cut,' something of a game we played in the Dojo that was meant to teach a lesson about something specific.

What did it/does it mean? I still cannot really answer that question, but that level of training is not for everyone, in fact, very few I feel would have stayed in the Dojo had that been the normal order of business.
Normal people (and I do not mean that as an insult) do not generally stay with something that they dislike, nor is it understood how someone can continue with it even when, at times, they seem to dislike it entirely, though never on the surface.

The level of training only deepened as years went on and the 'Warrior's Journey' type of trainining turned into month-long Zen Intensives held during the Summer at Sensei's house in Olympia after he had returned from Tassajara where he'd stayed for something like two years (more or less).
Jeff Iller Sensei, the guy that gave me my first lesson with the Bokken (and guided me through my first year of Karate training as my Mentor) was left in charge of the Dojo, a lot is owed to him for that time and effort (Here's to you Two Foxes.haha).

I don't know why I am taking this stroll down memory lane, but I think it is heading somewhere.
Most Dojo I have been to have lacked Heart, Kokoro is very important, and by heart I mean Character, with a good core group of people - nor could any of them ever truly be my home, as I am already a core part of something that is long gone.
You can never take two steps back, but you can take two steps forward - regardless of how many steps, you are always where you are, and there is the most powerful place from which you can work.
Charlie Todd took a rec room at Eastern Washington University and made it into a strong Dojo, with only myself and a guy from Isshin Ryu, there may have been only two students drawing from his knowledge, but he made it count, because that is what he loved doing.
I guess that is what separates those that come and go from those that are the pillars, the core, the fact that love for the training is deep, while the other is just a passing curiosity.
This can be forgiven as, again, it is never for everyone and never will be, but it is always open to those who want to take a peek.

The core and the spirit are the heart, and the heart is what makes or breaks things - generic organizationship is just a franchise.
What makes a true family? What does any of this really mean and where is it leading? Interestingly enough, I'm certain someone may reply with an answer, or not, no big deal either way. Just a standing curiosity among many standing curiosities, right?

Organic Classes and the Dojo of Now.

2010-12-08T20:53:00.000-08:00

In the days of the old Masters, perhaps long before those with whom we are familiar, I imagine things happening in a very different manner, something very much organic as opposed to mechanistic.
Wherever you happened to find yourself when these things happened, that is where you were and that spot has just become sacred until things were finished 'happening' and you found yourself in another spot as the process continued.

'Do' meant the Way, 'Jo' meant place - Dao Jang?? I'm uncertain about that translation and a lot of people are not too fond of semantics, but I think this aversion to semantics has robbed us of our understanding as to what the power behind the 'word' truly is.
The word is the pointing finger, as the old saying goes, the point is understanding what the word truly means - not just a cold definition, but truly knowing.

A Dojo is not truly a place, not just a training hall, now-a-days we have set places where things 'happen' at a specific time, according to a specific schedule; one can still learn many things by not missing scheduled classes, but one needs to be open to always letting things 'happen' wherever they are, because when things happen organically it can be a truly deep and life-changing experience.
I have always said that the world is my Dojo as life is all about learning, that life is constantly 'happening' and does not truly have a schedule; just as the ancient Daoists did not have a set time and place to follow the Dao, wherever they went, there they were, immersed in the happening, that was their Dao Jang.

When you leave the Dojo you may leave that mentality on the Dojo Floor as you bow out of class and pick it up as you bow in - that is fine, but what do you take with you and how do you apply it in other areas? Life should be the Dojo, the Training Hall you attend is where you go for guidance as you continue the 'happening' endlessly no matter where you find yourself.
Recently Wilder Sensei told me that the first Dojo of Mas Oyama was something akin to a run-down Garage, I had also read that prior to his first actual Dojo he accepted students and trained them in an empty grassy lot.
Myself? I have trained in nice places, and not so nice places, my back yard in many different locations has served as a great Dojo, my basement, garages, hills, mountains - in the extreme heat of Spokane's summers, in the extreme cold of Spokane's winters, no matter where you go, there you are, and it doesn't end until you end, until you are no longer 'happening.'

Last night my friend Logan and I were having a discussion on many different things, then it turned to Martial Arts, as he had studied Kendo and wanted to study Karate. It turned into an on-the-spot class in the living room - a living exploration of concepts, ranging from Sanchin posture, to 'Crossing the T' as a sole basis for escaping holds and Ground Fighting, to the concept of seeing the body as a wheel or sphere with various points of imbalance that can facilitate throwing and takedowns.
We switched back and forth between using Bokken to empty hand, with a little bit of Bo thrown in as an interesting aside to explore these principles.
It was less like what you would see in a formal setting, more like a physically involved whole-body and mind discussion.
Now he is spreading the word and more people would like to join in the discussion. When it happens, it will happen.
These organic on-the-spot things always go deep and I have been blessed with few students who think deeply rather than many students who go through the motions. The process is never-ending and class is never out of session.

2010-11-06T12:20:00.001-07:00

There is a great deal I wish to touch upon; what is it that you practice? Is it a Science? An art? What is the difference between the two?
Art would seem more ascetically based, insofar as the function is not necessarily the same as the elicitation of an effect on a subject, but more to the pleasing and expressing of an artistic nature.
Science seeks to cut away at the initial hypothesis and get the the root of truth contained there-in, whether it is confirmation of a hypothesis, or complete refutation of the same.
There can be no biased in the latter, while biased in the fore is really a non-issue insofar as one is not fooled by their own conception and can tell the difference.

I don't believe the two can be reconciled, but they can be practiced side by side as long as one keeps them in their respective positions.
If you practice for self-defense purposes, then the aim is functionality, however, perhaps a scientific approach, much the same as an artistic approach, is detrimental once it comes to effect.
Understanding the thing as a 'whole' is not possible considering the level at which the subject matter functions.
'Martial' implies 'War,' or 'Warrior,' the term 'Defense' also implies something of a confrontational or combative nature, even if we leave off the term 'Martial,' but that may be getting into semantics, which has a way of getting things sidetracked and missing the issue entirely.

The issue is only partially physiological, understanding how things function is mechanical, understanding physiological effects is a bonus, the other side of the coin, in order for the coin to be a true coin or a complete circle, is psychological, which carries with it all sorts of implications that often go over-looked in many places.
As such it cannot be understood in a normal logical fashion, but at the same time it can; so concretization and the creation of dogma only have a degrading effect on the study itself, which, like physics and psychology, cannot be differentiated from the observer or the observed, all the more true of our practice as Budoka, where one cannot separate oneself from that which is study because 'you' are a crucial part of that study... Which is violence, functioning wholely on a non-conscious, or semi-conscious level.

What is the difference between a technique, properly functional, with good solid power, and a punch, still properly function, good solid power, yet emotion backing it?
Ultimately different from a logical way of looking at things, from an intelligent way, had it anything to do with intelligence and reason at all it would not be necessary in the first place.
This is the realm of the unforgiving, unreasonable, highly emotional, volatile nature of humanity that has ensured the survival of countless generations.
Trial and error? Maybe, a strong possibility, but ultimately I feel it is something of an independent nature that can carry a person away and possess them entirely of its' own accord.
Perhaps the subject of study, as with some schools of Psychology, is reconciliation or a balancing act between the extremes, of conscious intelligent reasonableness, and this semi-conscious volatility.
It cannot be answered so easily, as Rory Miller says, the nature of violence is complicated and cannot truly be understood in its' entirety.

The point is not to kid ourselves, not to be overcome with bias, to open ourselves up, to be critical of what we do... In this way we grow.

Mastering Creative Freedom.

2010-09-26T22:26:00.000-07:00

If something seems off, then fix it, rework it, or throw it out the window. You will not be struck by lightning if you think for yourself.
I don't like Kihon Ido 1- 10, they are redundant and really do nothing in regards to imparting tactical and strategic knowledge, in my view they do not even train effective mechanics properly.
I get enough Kihon Ido by breaking Kata down and digging deep at this, I don't need some other drill taking up space that is better used on other things.

I know Sensei Charlie is out there somewhere, I can hear the sound of his fist hitting his palm in anticipation of knocking my head off for speaking such blasphemy, but that is the truth of how I feel on that.
They are okay to fill up class time, if punching air in rigid lines is your thing, but other than that, they are one of those things that I find to be a complete waste of time - this is after doing them for years.
I feel the same way about what we in Toguchi/Rosberry-ha call Dai Nihon Karate-do Tenno Kata, gone, byebye, seeya.
Again, Kata fills this purpose on so many different levels, and I am not just talking solo-Kata here, nor cooperative training.

I agree with Zinn Sensei on these fronts, that these older drills leave something to be desired, even Kiso Kumite on some levels, and the present mode of Renzoku Bunkai, but there are still some value in these.
Personally I like the idea of Yakusoku Kumite a bit more, so we do more of these and we spend a lot of time picking things apart, seeing what makes them tick, my Dojo is more like a lab than a Temple where everything is sacred.
Achieving 'Gnosis' means 'to know' something deeply, by directly experiencing it. You cannot know if your mechanics are correct enough to work until you try them on a non-cooperative partner, even still, you cannot know if they work on the actual level of confrontation until you are forced to use them.
Too many set drills in addition to Kata and the fundamentals tends to overload the student, it does not show them what they need to know, in most cases developing some very bad habits, and it most assuredly leaves no opening for thinking outside the box.
When an art has no room for creativity or creative exploration it is no longer an art, it is a pointless system, and over-systemization is what is stunting the growth of many Karateka.

Even in set things like Kata there has to be room, leeway, otherwise what you have is cookie-cutter-Karate, one size does not fit all.
Certainly there are universalities to posture and breathing, but beyond this we are missing the individual that is standing there and, again, there is no room to 'know' anything on any level, just rehearse and regurgitate once every couple of months for a Kyu grading in front of a stuffy-looking testing board.
(I've always liked the testing boards that tried to look stuffy on purpose, just to see how the student would react - you see some interesting fumbles, but more importantly, you see the truth come out on the spot).

Musashi won his duels by experience, not system, not even really skill - perhaps he developed skill later on, but his was a mind of strategy and strategy dictated what he did in the moment by the formation of tactics.
Would he use a sword today? Two bokken? Rip a wooden fence-post from the ground and skilfully beat his opponent with it? I don't think these would have been very 'technical' or 'pretty' fights to watch by our standards.
When we think of Samurai we think of 'standard' cuts, the nice clean draw, the clean cut, return to scabbard, or we think of the blocky/bulky movements of Kendo in which you never really complete an action.
In the first example you have form over function, in the second, you have a little of function over form, but in a very controlled manner, very technical, very systemized, stylistic - certainly in Shiai there is a little wiggle room, but not much.
You do not have the creative freedom to drop your sword and toss your opponent out of the ring, or going to the ring-side, picking up a chair and beating them with it should you happen to forget your Shinai.
Not only that, both cases are very formal - again, form-al. Is that the notion that form-is-all? Play on words? Perhaps...

No, we might actually find ourselves repulsed to see what took place so long ago, when the wild-man roamed around cutting people to ribbons before he was called a 'sword saint.'
Even those who followed traditional schools, in my view, would not have been so refined in a life-or-death duel, you do what you have to, and if you don't have creative freedom then you are surely dead, as Musashi, the master of creative freedom, proved time and again.

It is not written in some fancy cirriculum, not contained on a colorful patch with organization logos, and it is most assuredly not 'rigid' and 'blocky,' if that makes any sense.
This sortof hearkens back to what Shinzen Sensei said about not becoming a technician. There is, indeed, value in technical knowledge, in knowing deeply, but not being ruled by it, lead by it, attached to anything imparticular, if you are, you are dead.
You don't want to end up facing Musashi in a confrontation, you want to BE Musashi. Not even that, you want to be better than Musashi, you want to be yourself (I'm sure you get the picture).

Correct Mechanics, Not Popular Mechanics.

2010-09-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

Going through some Kihon the other day, I found that doing head-blocks the way I had been doing them for years was actually causing a pain in my shoulder.
As such I changed it up and brought it down a bit more, shortened the movement, made the arm more like a higher-level 'chest-block' (of course this is just a label, don't get hung up there).
It made the movement faster and actually made the pain go away, more comfortable and it actually worked more of the pecs and lats.

Not a big earth-shattering discovery as this is the same way they perform the block in some schools of American Kempo (giving reasons based on some studies in Kinesiology).
If you try it, you will find the arm is stacked more with the way the body is designed and becomes more stable this way, the other way is okay I guess, the modification I made is more of a cross between the two with the end result based on the stacking, at least that is how it turned out.

Most are hung-up on various notions of how things 'should' be done that they rarely ever really think about how things 'should' be done.
Some misguided notion or dogma makes them think along the lines of the 'One True Church' ideal (yep, there it is again) that they may never come to realize the cause of their shoulder problems later on down the road was actually in following that mentality without even one simple question.
In this respect 'Don't think just do' actually becomes harmful to your health because it is taken out of its' proper context.

I realize that we think these old guys in some obscure point of history may have been amazing and we may owe them a dept of gratitude or respect for passing down these things that we study, but that does not mean they were perfect.
Look at some of the methods meant to 'toughen' hands and bones that actually debilitated these people to the point they could not earn a living or function normally?

I once met a guy who could break rocks with his hands, I believe he was a Teacher of Uechi Ryu Karate and he learned how to break rocks from another individual who I think was Okinawan.
There was actually a scientific method to it involving leverage and a correct spot to hit, he said it hurt like hell every time, always bruised his hands, but that was nothing compared to this older 'rock-breaker' who hand to ask for help when forming the number 'seven' with his fingers at tournaments because he had no normal mobility left in them.

Maybe I would not want to be hit by this guy, but I have been hit pretty hard by people who still had the full use of their hands, and they were holding back.
It seems to me that the younger individual was onto something when looking at the principles to what he did, he was able to maintain more of his mobility with some bruising and staggered his attempts so as to avoid serious complications.
Maybe it will come back to haunt him later on? Who knows? One thing I have learned though is that hitting 'hard' does not actually mean hitting 'hard' and it is not in how you train, but 'how' you train...
Ask your self why I can do and you cannot. Does that mean go out and punch rocks as hard as you can? What does breaking your hand do for skill in the long-run? Can you continue to do that when you're old and your hands are crippled?
Listen to your body and ask yourself the questions that need to be asked in the course of your training.

The Teacher is in the mirror.

Mawashi Uke: Karate's Buzz-Saw.

2010-09-20T21:31:00.000-07:00

I have also been looking at another recurring theme in Kata, namely Mawashi Uke, not as a specific technique, but as something more of a hub, like Sanchin Kata in a way and something akin to what many refer to as 'The Fence.'
There is also more than a little bit of Animal MacYoung's 'Wedge' concept in there as well.

I have been playing around with this in various ways for quite some time, recently in some freeform with my students John and Jeremy as we did some conceptual exploration of varying degrees one night.
Mabuni Kenwa and Choki Motobu, two well known figures in the history of Okinawan Karate, were fond of saying that there are no fixed positions in a fight, basically, you stop and you die.
So the concept of 'Ready Positions' seems to have been thrown out the window a long time ago in favor of something quite the opposite, the 'anti-sitting-duck-method' or if you want to get 'Zen' on the whole thing, 'The position of no position.'

Jodan Uke, Chudan, Gedan Barai, even punches that move straight out, they work on circles (face sideways on someone doing some punching, if they utilize chamber as grabbing it does form a circle with each side, though the technique is straight... Not sure if that makes sense).
It is more readily seen in the 'Uke' techniques, that they work along the same principles as what we have come to accept as the incarnation of 'Mawashi Uke,' namely both hands are in play (as always, both hands are in play in everything).

In my view Mawashi Uke is not a specific technique, not a position at the end of almost all Kata (and a major player in Kururunfa and Suparempei), but is central and key to all movements.
So in actuality there are many 'incarnations' of a single moving principle. When I applied Mawashi Uke in this way, as a continuous moving concept, in a free-form sparring session it was much easier to apply Kata principles.
Not to mention the continuous circular attacks (ridge hands, back hands, slaps, shuto, ect) that the continuous movement utilizes, some might say like a crane's wings, but I like to think of it more as a buzz-saw that can get bigger or smaller.

I don't know if any of this made any particular sense, it is much easier to do it and show it than write about it, hopefully the illustration and point are not missed.
It worked wonders for me and my own students once they got the hang of it, which only took a minute or two. Now if only I can get them to remember to keep their posture, work better footwork, ect. ;)

Footwork/Transition.

2010-09-20T21:07:00.000-07:00

I have been playing around with some boxing concepts on footwork within my Kata, not that I change the foot positions, but paying less attention to stance and more attention to active alignment and taisabaki.
I say 'boxing concepts,' but these are readily apparent within the framework of what we are doing once all the fancy stuff is taken out and we really start looking at what is there.

'Stances' are fine to teach positions to beginners, at least in some limited way, but when applying footwork if I follow the 'stance' concept then my footwork is too slow and is often broken in transition.
If I am caught in mid-transition (which is easy to do following the standard framework of Karate) then all my little tools are stopped dead in their tracks in one swift motion and I am in a world of hurt.
There is a concept I have found useful and my source is actually in the application of Boxing Stances to MMA.
They have a high standard and low standard, or high southpaw and low southpaw depending on which position you take, but it is best not to think of them as two separate stances, just aspects of footwork as a whole.
It is the same in Karate, if we follow this framework and stop viewing 'stances' as 'stances' (fancy ways of standing, for which there are many) and more as different aspects of 'footwork' of which there are only 'positions' and one central 'stance' (is any of this making sense??) then things start to fall into place.

If we take the opening of Saifa as an example, stepping through Zenkutsu Dachi, even as a thrusting step to close the distance and move off to 35 or 45 degrees, this takes too long to repost and ends with the body being broken when it should be behind the elbow that is immediately launched as an attack.
As such the opponent can counter and move, you are still taking time to play 'catch-up' and repost (I understand this is from a dueling perspective, but improvement for other areas is a must as well).
A tree without roots (or weak and diseased roots) will topple and die. I don't want to be a dead tree.

Saifa has us starting from a natural position (call it Heiko Dachi if you like, or Musubi Dachi depending on your school) then closing off to an angle with Zenkutsu Dachi.
If you start with one foot forward you have split the distance, combine with an angled version of the 'side-step' (shuffle) and you have both legs in the game within a split second you can launch the elbow strike with all your ducks in a row (and the step just became shorter, not to mention to works in a circle as you pivot and it does not work against the posture).

One of the guiding nuggets of wisdom that I constantly go back to, one of the guidelines of Kris and Lawrence, never leave your weapons behind, always move with your weapons ahead.
Certainly the hands are active weapons and lead the way, at least according to this line of thinking, but the body is a key to their application and if even a foot is trailing behind for longer than it should it will have detrimental effects.

Goju Ryu Kata show numerous leg positions, but the recurring theme in all of them are Neko Ashi Dachi and Sanchin Dachi - the rest, in my mind, are transitory.
I also don't believe these two to be exact or literal, just examples.
In either case, the point is not to break in transit, but to move as a whole unit, to move swiftly and efficiently.
Those big long deep stances are mostly for show.

Beginner's Mind and The Twitch.

2010-09-19T00:35:00.001-07:00

Going through some things from the last few sessions I would just like to share some observations I have found.

I've noticed on many occasions where white belts tend to mow through higher ranking students, in some cases completely owning them; very few cases (save for some upper black belt examples) have I noticed the opposite.
My take on this is that Beginners have a simplified outlook on things as they happen, they don't think of things like 'Move to the side, grab, sweep leg through and execute a nice Uchi Mata' or whatever the case may be.
No, they tend to have a fresh take on things, 'That guy is moving at me, I need to take him down!'
Doesn't matter how, doesn't matter why. Now, on the flip side they can cause a lot of damage and this is not good in a training environment.

One huge thing I noticed in my Bunkai training in John's garage is that I task the student with 'reacting' to a punch or some other type of movement, but I am often off the line and hitting at the slightest twitch.
I don't wait for the punch, it is just built in. Just something to think about, I don't know how everyone else does it, but the old-school 'punch and block and counter' really does nothing for the person performing the task.
Anticipation, as I have said, is a huge bother and can really trip up a drill when you know something is coming, even when sides are switched up or attack is switched up entirely.
Those do open a lot of doors, but most people tend to freeze and say, 'hey, wait a minute, you were supposed to punch with the other hand.'
Did anyone say which hand to punch with? Sometimes I do and that is a habit that needs to be broken on my part, and my students are good at taking it to that other level where you are not entirely sure what is going to be flying at your head.

Maybe it is not the safest thing, either way, it works to instill some things that need instilling, but the training is not for the feint of heart.
Best not to expect an attack of any kind, Kata certainly don't rely on attacks to begin with, they rely on momentum in one direction or another, and if you control the momentum you are doing something right.

We used to play a game in my old Dojo where one person would stand on one end of the floor, another at the other end with their eyes closed.
The person with their eyes open would point, the person with their eyes closed would point as well, trying to beat them to the punch based on gut instinct alone (along with whatever ques the other senses were able to pick up).
It worked a few times, but I like the version that has both eyes open; twitches and other ques often precede attack, I am not going to wait for the attack to come.
The best way to get beyond that 'anticipation' and 'freeze from unexpected change-up' is not to allow the attack to get into full or even half swing to begin with.

This does not account for sucker punches/surprise attacks, but I think the point is clear on this.

Training Tidbits.

2010-09-17T21:06:00.000-07:00

We've been playing around with Saifa for a while now, I have two students that formerly trained with me at the fitness center, we make use of their garage for training every wednesday and friday.
We started off in a more loose approach, looking at the directional value of movements, how it relates to strategy over-all, we also played around with some escape concepts and looked at vital points along with footwork, how stances play out in active footwork rather than static stances (along with posture).
Found a lot of cool stuff, as is usually the case when we venture down Kata Lane. Tonight was no different.

We apply more of a Judo and Boxing Methodology when we are picking things apart; first and foremost, you learn by doing, and while 'doing' in this instance is not the same thing as reality, it can shed some needed light into unexplored areas.
I have my own Bunkai for each Kata that I have been working and reworking for a few years, ever since the initial (and subsequent) experience(s) with Kris Wilder (among other people).
Tonight we took the first two Bunkai from Saifa, namely the initial movement and subsequent drop and backfist, working it in the same manner a Judoka first learns throws, breaking it down, practicing a segment of movement at a time over and over again (man my ribs and arms are sore, good session).
We practiced closing off the line, striking down on the lead arm, springing up into the elbow strike; breaking it down in segments.
Then we practiced dropping back, dropping the elbow onto tender spots of the trapped arm to elicit a snapping of the head sending a whipping backfist to the soft tenders of the side of the neck.
Good fun stuff, we also explored some variations when we linked all these things together and made it as non-cooperative as safely possible. Funny thing was, the initial movements worked, but also contained their variations when we found ourselves tripped up that worked just as well (with a few exceptions).

We also practiced, again, linking and flowing; when a person counters or gets the upper hand through non-cooperation we simply flow to another portion of the Kata. With these movements the Ashi Barai (foot sweep) and Hammerfist portion of the Kata worked like a charm depending on which way they went.
This is where I find sensitivity training to be useful, because you maintain contact with the opponent at such close range (at least in Goju Ryu where there is a lot of in-fighting) you can feel the movement and go from there, but it has to be fast, best to move before they actually initiate the full-on move or you are screwed.

Some things we found were, as usual, anticipation is a bother, so we would change things up at random which lead to all sorts of interesting places.
There is a reason techniques are close to the body and do not raise up very high, of course that was a given, but when the exhaustion set in it was a whole different ball-game.
'Mirroring' the stance worked to make the application that much easier, rather than the usual 'squaring off' with opposing legs forward and confirmed that an initial disruption does wonders for the effective application of this stuff as well. Of course nothing new here, just good fun.

I like to keep things loose too, so I don't spend a whole lot of time saying 'okay, now you strike here, and do this,' all I say is feel how the Kata is telling you to move and move that way.
John being much taller than myself hit different points than I did because of the height difference, had he been trying to mimic me to that degree it would have been ineffective for him.
In my own case, had I been trying to go for the points John was hitting he would easily mow over me and my applications would be ineffective.
Also, there is a cool portion in the backfist part, palm up has you striking the elbow crease with your own elbow that sends whiplash into the neck for a good shot, but palm down is just plain nasty with a slightly more perilous effect on your opponent.
(Palm up and Palm down referring to your opponents' hand that is trapped across your body).
Doesn't really matter either way, we were not 'trying' for either, we were just doing, and that is the whole point - don't think, just do.

One session a week or so ago John had expressed concern that he kept doing the same things over and over when we went through some free-form stuff and one-point sparring (TM by Mr. Chiron).
If something isn't broken, then don't fix it. All really good stuff, good learning for me, good learning for them.
We are all beginners.

Conversations and Observations.

2010-09-10T15:14:00.000-07:00

I often walk around where I am, things are so close by that I really don't need a car, unless I need to get to town for some reason or another, then it becomes a bother having a car that does not currently work.
The point is, when I am walking I often find myself looking around, looking over my shoulder, all the time, remnants of the past, some people might look at that as a good trait, but sometimes it gets annoying and can make me appear a very shifty individual to others.

I was talking with a lady last night at the gas station who happens to be a Corrections Officer here, she spent some time over on the Washington Coast in Corrections dealing with some extremely deranged people.
She was talking, I was listening, as it often goes, I like to hear what certain people have to say and she was definitely full of stories.
A truck pulled up, my gaze was instinctively drawn, the individual that got out I had known for a couple days, but very suspicious since the gas station was closed - he just wanted a friendly chat, ended up standing with us.
I noticed that her gaze was drawn too and then realized we were both standing in about the same position, had shifted a bit.
It was an interesting observation to say the least. There I was and it turned out to be an interesting conversation.
As it turns out this guy had been an inmate at one time, so I had both perspectives right there on the spot.

The lady turned to me after the conversation was over and the guy had left, she was getting ready to leave, 'we have open positions,' She said, 'if you are interested and serious I can get you in.'
Interesting evening. Lots to think about.

Ahimsa - Knowing the Difference??

2010-09-09T03:05:00.000-07:00

I had started to respond to Zinn Sensei's comment to my previous post when it became rather long-winded, so I decided to rework the whole thing into a post itself.

The young man I met (young man, listen to that.hahaha) trains in MMA with a focus on cage fighting in general.
He does not have the money to spare for a gym membership with one of the places in town, so he takes what he previously learned and works it continuously in his back yard.
Reminds me of myself when I was at that particular crossroads, even the notion that there is no difference between fighting and self-defense.
I remember I had gotten into a heated debate with Peyton Quinn when I was about sixteen on some message board on AOL after I had been training in my basement for a couple hours.
That lead to him sending me a book and a video which got me thinking, then I soon returned to Olympia and reunited with my Teacher.

The debate seemed to me to be a knock on TMA at the time, but the more time went by, the more I realized it was not a knock in general, but just a guide to help one understand the difference between training methods and goals.
In the same way, I am not knocking MMA, I am not knocking anyone; it is just a bit disturbing to see these kids, to hear what they are saying, and realize all the bad places to which their thoughts and views could lead, and realize that they are learning this not just from TV, but people are actually teaching this in gyms (and Dojos to be fair).

I don't really know if it is that youthful invincibility cloak, and I agree, the older I get, the more I realize the error of my ways - especially now that I have children of my own, and students of my own.
The responsibility to be responsible is not on them, to start with, it is on me. Were I to act and speak in such a careless manner what sort of example would that set?
This leads to all sorts of deeper stuff, maybe it is wisdom, but I am not wise enough to know the difference and I doubt I ever will be.

I know that I have never really seen anyone square off to fight, most people don't want to fight, if there is a disagreement they seek to make their point.
If it is an abusive situation that is ongoing the abuser does not seek to fight, they seek to maintain dominance by whatever means necessary, they seek to make the other person feel little.
Crazy people need no reason, and it is most certainly not a fight, it is a slaughter.
What we see on TV, in the Cage, or in some obscure gymnasium in Karate tournaments, that is a far cry from what we are often lead to believe.

I have had my head bounced off a wall, I have been stomped and kicked from multiple directions, and I have been hit in the temple with a baseball bat.
Not fun, not even remotely. I would rather step in the ring and dance around a bit, take a couple shots from some punches, maybe even get knocked out where there are medical people standing by.
The Dojo was my therapy, it snapped me out of my shell and that was a thick shell; my reasons are different, was I aware of any goals? Not particularly, all I knew was that I liked it and maybe that was all I really needed.
Could I give it up now? I have tried. Trust that. I have tried. My own attachment shows me a new shell out of which I need to break, maybe that is the same process for these kids?
I don't remember talking about 'ass-kicking' so much as I remember talking about other things, like girls in the Dojo. ;)

Sometimes I wonder just what the use is, why would we need to teach such a violent thing to people who have experienced such extreme trauma, or even people who have not?
Are they curious? I used to find it a bit insulting when I started to dig deeper, and training itself became empty, meaningless, void, violence was something I did not want to pass on - not even in controlled environments, or understanding.
Buddhists have a principle called 'Ahimsa' which means 'not to harm,' or 'non-violence,' however it translates, and I began to question everything along those lines.
Then I realized there is a deeper reason for this stuff. It helped me out and I found I liked the training, not because it was violent, because it was an outlet, therapeutic maybe, but there was much more to it than I can put into words.

Goals are indeed good to have, but they can become a distraction too. Those that don't know the difference are doing a great disservice, while those who become preoccuppied with the difference are just plain fanatical.
In either case the point is missed entirely. I don't know if that all meshes out clearly, but that is the best I can do at the moment.

State of the Union?

2010-09-07T03:49:00.000-07:00

People tend to go on and on about what is useless, then seem to go off into lala-land about what they believe works.
Not to put down their views, pretty healthy stage of growth, though still at an immature level if you ask me.
I really don't care, most of them seem to be blowing hot air, as most people tend to do with opinions, you take it or leave it for what it is; perhaps there are little tidbits in there that might prove useful.

The craze these days seems to be reflected in the magazine stands, lack of anything but 'MMA' mags, books written by cage fighters on fighting with lots of pictures to give the 'reader' some vantagepoint on what they are 'saying.'
When did words become a problem and when did people stop looking inside? I wonder just how far it can go before it really starts to sink in??

Maybe it seems more of a problem to me because, despite my age, I am an old-timer when it comes to this, maybe not as old-timer as some, but still an old-timer.
I hear the way kids talk after a few months of this and frankly I am a bit worried for the future.
Standing at the gas station after purchasing a soda just a few days ago I heard a couple teenagers talking, it was not pretty, they tried to lure me into the conversation, I just smiled and nodded, drank my soda and proceeded to walk down the street.
Mind you I have also met an individual who has not gotten caught up in all the crap, he describes his experiences along similar lines, no real formal training, but he trains like an old-timer; rice bags, the whole shabang.
Great kid, smart, but still not too bright as he tends to run with a very bad crowd most times.

At this point I think it is obvious to see just what the problem is; it is not with the method or the label, it is with the presentation and ultimate lack of something deeper than 'ass-kicking.'
While being able to handle yourself is a part of it, what constitutes handling yourself effectively? If I find myself in a situation where I am forced to fight my way out, I might be handling myself physically, but I have failed at handling myself in other ways because I found myself in that position to begin with.
Maybe there is a difference. I've taken my licks growing up, I have nothing to prove, but there are so many that just keep on trucking through that hard line and can't seem to figure out exactly what it is they need to prove until they end up behind bars, in the hospital, or worse.

Disheartening to say the least.

Projection and Immersion.

2010-08-29T21:48:00.000-07:00

I have always thought it interesting that many people put a lot of importance on appearance on the training floor.
Clean and sanitized, sure, but are Gi really necessary? Maybe for some, but my students and I usually work out in shorts and t-shirts, right now training in a garage with John and his son Jeremy.
We had not worked out in some time, so I was pleased to see just how much was remembered in the gap between the closing of my classes at the fitness center and now.

It was an awesome session, and we are making use of what we have. We have an old mattress for practicing Ukemi, a quality punching bag, and some space with a roof over our heads thanks to John for the use of his garage.
No Gi has always made for some interesting tweaks to what we do, if you can't do it in jeans and a t-shirt, on the spot, then it probably isn't worth doing if your goal is self-defense.
It was funny because the X-PO was actually the first time I had worn my Gi in a while, I ended up having to take off the jacket and wear the t-shirt that Kris gave me toward the end, actually ended up in that t-shirt and my kaki shorts by the time it was our turn to work with Rory and Marc.

Presentation, however, is important, it does project something about ourselves I think.
That does not mean that we should be clean and tidey all the time, as a guy I have found myself covered from head to toe in dirt more than once, that, too, is a projection, depending on what is being projected.
Projection is important, not just in appearance, it is integral to effective movement, if there is no projection within a movement then the principles are just empty shells.
Bruce Lee said, "It lacks emotional content," and "I said emotional content, not anger," in a scene from his movie Enter the Dragon, good stuff, makes a lot of sense to me, even though it is coming from a movie, but that was the philosophy as well.

Al Peasland touched on this when he had us hit focus mits, taking a slap or whatever happened to feel natural and seeing how much of a projection of emotional content we could get into that particular strike.
Taking that energy and actually projecting it onto another, the power does increase, or decrease if you cannot project skilfully.
It is the same as going in for a job interview, you pick what you wear to project a certain outward impression upon those conducting the interview; you look presentable, but not only that, you project a feeling of competence, of reliability, confidence, ect., you nail it dead on.
On the flip side you just go about it haphazardly, you are nervous, fidgety, you project a lack of confidence, a lack of competence, which then turns into an impression of unreliability. You botch it completely.

This is something that cannot be overlooked on any level, there is a reason for things and often that reason is missed, especially in the Dojo.
I may not be wearing a Gi in training, but I can still project that same stuff in my movements, some cannot, some people actually need that Gi in order to make a movement LOOK powerful and effective, but there is a difference between looking powerful and actual power.
Sometimes I can pull it off, sometimes not, it is still a work in progress. How often do you go through drills in the Dojo where the other person is just going through the motions? (Yeah, here we go with this again, but it is something I feel is important).
I often talk about getting into the act, about applying 'pretend' to the training, of fully immersing yourself in it, however, we also need to fully project when we immerse.
More often than not, in the Dojo, you are not facing full powered techniques, you are facing refined techniques, especially with more advanced practitioners, there is greater control; no one really gets a feel for dealing with projection of this kind, therefor they also miss out on feeling what it is like to project themselves.

Refinement is not necessarily a bad thing, but it can impede the learning process if it is taken to extremes.
If taken to extremes it can even enter the realm of boredom and that is a real problem.
If someone is bored they are not fully involved, their mind goes off in lala land thinking about other things, other places, best that they just go to those other places, or deal with a punch to the face.
Projection and Immersion, then we can really start to play the game. That will definitely leave a good impression in my book - people always used to talk about Dojo having strong 'Kiai' or 'Spirit,' the place just 'feels' strong... I believe this is where that comes from.

Fluxuating Life.

2010-08-29T21:26:00.001-07:00

Just got back from a day at the lake, kids, wife, good friends, good music, beer, soda, hamburgers, and hot dogs.
I usually don't drink, I will often sit back and have a soda while I listen to other people tell stories, or I'm off playing with the kids, splashing all over the place, making imaginary roads with Tonka Tractors, great stuff.
The kids were occupied with one another this time, however, so I sat down and listened as usually, keeping one eye out on them and one ear on the speaker while I actually grabbed a pabst, tossed back a cold one, and just relaxed.

The feeling was spreading I think, my 2 year old daughter ended up in my lap half the time, just sitting there drinking her juice, listening, and whispering to me. My sons were all off playing tonka toys enjoying themselves.
It was a bit cold outside, but not cold enough to ruin a good get together; we ended up going for a quick boat ride then coming back and lighting a fire, roasting some marsh mallows... Smore time. Yummy!

I would say I wish life was always like this, but I know that life CAN be like this if we just don't get too caught up in it and take it too seriously.
I remember training with the IOGKF up on the South Hill, the Sensei there was a great guy, welcomed me into his circle even though I was from almost an entirely different background, let me train for free, even gave me a key to the school and teach a few classes.
He was often as laid back as he could be, but he was definitely caught up in what I like to call 'weekday fever,' everything was critical, everything was important, by the book, and there was always the thought of 'how can I bring in more students,' which is a damn shame.
He seemed tired a lot, he had shoulder issues that crept up from time to time, there again, we all have issues.
I noticed that my muscles started to agree more with me when I enjoyed doing something, but became sore if I didn't enjoy it so much, even if it was the same thing at the same pace, whether moving dirt, building retaining walls, working in a cubie in an office, or even training.

Sometimes burnout is a good thing, it lets you know when you need to step back and take a breather before you jump right back into it - too much of a good thing can be bad, and too much of a bad thing can be even worse.
Especially when you operate by 'have to' and 'obligated.' Those are nasty perspectives to take.
I am a father because I enjoy being a father, I love my children, I miss them terribly when I am away, a pain I can't explain, even if it is for just a few days. I am a Budoka because I enjoy it, and when I cannot do it I feel as though a part of my is missing.
I am a husband because I enjoy that too, I love my wife, she is my balance and without her I would be reeling from extreme to extreme, though she never makes me choose.
You cannot appreciate the good without contrast of the bad, however, you need that perspective for appreciation just as much as for insight, for growth, for education, ect.

Enjoying one day at a time is better than never enjoying at all - sometimes it is good to work through the times things are not so enjoyable, sometimes it is better to put it down, find something else to do, and pick it up when the time is more favorable.
People say we don't have a lot of time, that may be true, but there again, we never really know just how much time we have do we? We could have a lot, we could have a little, best not to worry. Just do what you are doing. Ignore the man behind the curtain.

The Meaning of Practice.

2010-08-21T17:40:00.000-07:00

I just got done doing finishing up some odds and ends for a friend of mine, it was great stuff, reminded me of working in my Sensei's garden as a teenager.
The point is never in completion, the point is in the moment, to be mindful of what you are doing and pay attention to details.
Once completion is reached, however, I can take a look back at what I have done and realize I did a lot more than I thought and actually feel like I accomplished something worth while.

Can we look at our training in the same way? There was a comment about trying to play 'catch up' and get belts, belts being the usual marker for progress in a Dojo, we all know how that goes.
It is give and take, it has its' ups and downs. I personally don't think it really matters, but there was a time when I was caught up in the whole belt game, complete with an inflated head, I felt like I was on top of the world with each new color I earned.
The reality is that each step is just a beginning unto itself and I have found that view to be the key to progress, not hurrying, not worrying about some sense of completion, mainly because it is never complete, at least while you and I are still breathing.
I love the ups and I deal with the downs as best I can, I know that I can go to certain people for advice and they will always be there when they can, again, as long as they are breathing, just don't take it for granted.
Ultimately you have to learn to stand on your own two feet every once in a while, but as social creatures we don't always have to do this.

I have come to appreciate the people that have come my way along this path, the people that have gone, but are not forgotten.
The training itself is the lense, but the people I have had the pleasure of meeting and exchanging with, that connection and priviledge is truly deeper than words can describe.
Certainly if a path becomes less rewarding it may not be worth trudging along any longer, or a change may be in order, but I don't believe 'reward' is the proper term, seldom do I find reward, and reward itself is fleeting, it does not last, there is something much deeper going on here.

When I received my Shodan from Dascenzo Sensei I did not want to test for it, I was actually a 2nd Kyu, I had been for a number of years and I had only been working a few things, Seiyunchin, Sanchin, and some two person drills.
I was content where I was and did not feel I was ready for my Shodan, I thought I was testing for my 1st Kyu anyways.
It was one of the toughest tests I had been through and at the end I felt dead, exhausted, but it felt like I had come full circle and apparently my teacher thought I was ready, I had been his student long enough to trust his judgement anyways.
Again, each step is just a new beginning, this sank in deep when I started training as a Shodan and began teaching classes, working different things, working deeper things on older stuff.
That was about twelve or thirteen years ago, I can't remember exactly, but I keep going, even now that my Teacher has retired from actively teaching, I still try to keep to what he has taught me, and he has encouraged change and questioning, encouraging me to move off the beaten path and see what is there.
Ultimately I think he would be extremely disappointed if I were still teaching the exact same thing that he taught, in the same way.
That is not the way, and that is not being true to yourself, finding your true self, or true nature as he would put it.

I agree with Zinn Sensei, the point is in the exchange, in sharing the journey and the experience with others, but doing so in your own unique way; no two people are alike and while I have learned some awesome things over the years, I cannot internalize them unless I make them truly my own.
I do not strive to be like Dascenzo Sensei, Wilder Sensei, Todd Sensei, Ito Sensei, Zinn Sensei, or anyone else, the point is in striving to know and understand yourself, and to be better than the above mentioned people.
A good Teacher wants his/her students to be better than them, and that is what the student should shoot for, a deeper understanding of the teaching, a more personal and intimate understanding, then to pass that on in a way that is unique and alive. That is art, that is life.

I look at organizations like the JKA where they advertise everyone receiving the same teaching according to the same standard as everyone else, mandated by hombu in Japan.
I do not dislike the JKA, I had respect for those practitioners and it is a different style of training with a different orientation than my own, but I still feel that this almost takes the life out of Karate.
If everyone is trained the same, expected to keep the same standards and carry one the same standards then it ceases to grow, it becomes dead, no longer sucking up nutrients as the root shrivels and dies.
I don't understand the point of that, it is fine for some, perhaps there are some people that require that sort of structuring, but for me, it simply does not sit well, it makes me queezy.

Whenever I 'messed up' on a Kata Dascenzo Sensei would ask my why I did a certain thing, saying there are no mistakes, there is no right or wrong, a hint that this was a mirror to the real Karate within myself and I should look at these things, learn from them.
Obviously there is correct structure that promotes effective application, generation, and all that, but ultimately there really is no right or wrong, there are no standards other than physical and possibly mental/emotional/personal.
Sensei would 'correct' certain things and show me the timing, ect., which may constitute a loose standard, but I feel these were more focal points to which I should also pay attention, training in mindfulness.
I don't feel he was ever really 'correcting' anything, it was more like a sculpter playing around with mould in different positions to see what would come up, what shape, what feeling, ect.
His Kata did not look like mine, mine did not look like his, the spirits were different, even though we were doing the same Kata, it was not really the same Kata, only in name, and it was like this for everyone in the Dojo.
Kata to him were principles that guided a person, whether in application or in life, for him, everything was Kata, from doing Kata in the Dojo, to cleaning walls, to cooking in the kitchen during a Zen intensive, it was all part of practice.

"You need work on your wall washing Kata." He said one day as myself and my friend Tim tried to clean the walls in his newly purchased house in order to set up his Zendo for the intensive that would follow two weeks later.
Good times!

Deeper Things.

2010-08-20T19:31:00.000-07:00

There was something Al Peasland said during his presentation that really hooked me, the moment you stop having fun is the moment you need to look for something else to do.
Once it stops having meaning beyond mere punching, kicking, and otherwise maiming, then it has no meaning at all.

Kris Wilder told me, on the way out, that I need to get more people going on this, that it does not need to be a lot of people, just get on the floor and do it, it is a life study and worth the time and effort.
Had it come from anyone else I don't think it would have sank in as deep as it did, the few occasions I have trained with Kris or anyone of his calibur have always been mind altering, life changing experiences.
Not just in the training, but in the exchange; I truly have met some awesome people, real people, on the training floor and it has opened me up to many more possibilities in life that might have otherwise been missed.

What do I train for? I train because I like it, and what is the point of passing something on if you do not enjoy it and feel it worthy of being passed on?
Crime rates in the city are soaring, but that is not truly a factor for me, it may be a factor for others until they hit a certain point, then they either keep going or they don't.
It does lend credence to the continued practice of this sort of thing, it is a good thing to know even, or especially, in this day and age when things are still so uncertain.
You may need it, you may not, even then, does it really matter? I met a kid that did some wrestling, so I invited him for a roll, could be interesting; we have not gotten together yet, but hopefully soon.
I'm open to learning from anyone in order to deepen my own understanding of what I do, where it works, where it doesn't work, especially the 'doesn't work' part.

I have always questioned my training, everyone should do the same, I don't care if Sensei said not to, it is essential.
Not only that, people should apply that same spirit to everything else, simply keep going, keep moving, and if you find what you are looking for, go after it with the same energy you put into your training, your family, everything.
It is all worth it in the long run, even when it may not seem like it, there are ups and downs for reasons we will never really understand, at least not at first.

Return from the XPO in Seattle.

2010-08-15T23:55:00.000-07:00

The trip to Seattle was an adventure to say the least, it would have been like a trip back home were Seattle the same place it had been when I left.
My wife had talked me into going and I deeply wanted to go, ended up missing the early bus out of town so I did not arrive until 11:27pm; my cell service was no good and there was no real plan in place.
I walked around downtown for a bit, people everywhere, taking up temporary residence on the steps of office buildings and alleyways, one beating, and one attempted mugging, luckily the victim was not me.
Everyone seemed to avoid eye contact and no one was really interested in small talk, I had almost forgotten just how overwhelming that particular city can be, having lived in Spokane for so long.

Now here I sit, back home in Spokane, I've had enough of the big city, we never really appreciate what we have.
I laid my daughter down for bed just a few minutes ago, my Son Gregory had really wanted to go with me, but it is okay, he would have freaked out and should wait a little bit longer before he attempts exposure at that side of life.
I could only bring myself to stay for one day, I had wanted to stay for the whole thing, but money was running low and truth be told, I missed my family. I can never stay away for very long, even if the smell of the coast had been tugging at me for some time.

I read your toughtful replies and wish I had something to add, I can see each perspective, I cannot fully grasp where you are coming from, nor would I pretend to. It is enough that you saw fit to reply so honestly, that is very much appreciated. I tend to agree, there is a lot of bullshit in the Martial Arts, but there is also a lot that some people find useful, each has a different appreciation and some people prefer all that other stuff.
That said, the XPO was truly amazing! I am grateful for the time and effort these guys put in, the fact that they are willing to go all-out in sharing what they have found was definitely worth the trip and the price, not to mention the cool stuff they had for sale, I was in hog heaven!
Marc MacYoung was awesome, very funny, very outgoing; he and Rory put together something truly unique that really got my gears turning. I had brought Meditations on Violence with me to re-read on the bus, ended up getting it signed just on a whim.

Iain's presentation was amazing, brutally honest, straight to the point, my ears are still ringing from the smashing forearm I received from Jeff Cooper during one of the drills.
We picked it apart, analysed it as we went, as is Jeff Cooper's way; it was a drill out of the Pinan Kata, but tweaking it just slightly, we found it equally applicable to Seipai.
That was the first hour, the next hour we spent with Kris Wilder on some Okinawan power and strategy, killing the centerline, working one count, instead of one-two, speed, ect.
As usual, Kris killed, really laid it open and left a huge problem that begs to be solved.
After Kris we worked with Nicholas Yang on some basics from Long-Fist, some distancing drills, some positioning, then some jumping drill in which I was partnered with Lawrence Kane, we laughed everytime we screwed up, but were sincerely trying to get the strategy and work according to that game to further our understanding.
It was a very interesting session and it was obvious he had put a lot of time and effort into this presentation and definitely left some great stuff to work with for conditioning.

After Nicholas we worked with Al Peasland who had a truly remarkable presence that included working some basic boxing, some clinch stuff, headlocks, and even touched upon 'controlling the mind.'
I enjoyed this training so much because it was outside the box, yet went right along with what everyone else was presenting, it was like the cohesive thing that put everything together in a neat way, yet messy at the same time if you understand what I am saying.
Not only that, but he was an extremely nice guy, very respectful of everyone.

We had The Animal and Rory Miller last, they worked some games, did not really teach a lot, but offered up some useful food for thought; their presentation was less a presentation of 'new' things than it was about how to actually put everything to use that we had worked on in the overall seminar itself.
Rory had been working the same drills as everyone else, getting in and playing with everyone throughout the whole thing and put it all together at the end while Marc had been watching each and talking with each of the Instructors when they were not doing their thing, it was awesome to see these two work.
While Al's presentation would have been the cohesive property, these two were the delivery device of that cohesive, the others acted as the ingredients. It was amazing how it all came together.
I don't know about everyone else, but I came away with a lot, including some words from Kris about how I needed to get more people on the training floor and bring them up next time.
I had been the second to show up, helped work the front when needed and helped do a little bit of set up.
In the end I walked away with what these guys had to offer and you can bet it will be turning my gears for some time, I felt deeply sad and even frustrated that it had to end and I had to leave, but in the end, too much of a good thing can become a bad thing, overload has never been a problem, I take a little and get a lot in the long-term.

I'll look at this stuff more deeply in the time ahead.

Neon-Commercial World.

2010-08-12T13:52:00.001-07:00

I was going to write in response to your thoughtful comments to my last post, thanks for sharing those thoughts.
They have definitely provided some perspective on this thing, it is a beast of a thing and has been rearing its' ugly head time and again.

Who do I train for? Honestly? I don't know. I have this knack for sensing that maybe people are wasting their time on so much when they could be out enjoying themselves.
Everytime I go into a restaraunt I get this feeling like people are being lead by a stick and carrot, fooled into things, and it just seems silly.
I really don't know how to put that into words other than to say that there is an underlying silliness to everything and at the same time it is not funny, it actually makes me feel kindof sad.
I have gotten the same feeling from Martial Arts for a while now, the same effect as commercials and bright neon lights; most times appealing to the fact that everyone wants 'bragging rights' and that is the sole reason they train, once they get those bragging rights they quit.
Now when I talk to people and this comes up in conversation it is almost negated solely to the realm of children and the people that do train to adulthood have issues, not all of them mind you, but a few of them - maybe that is a lack of balance on their part, but it is still very troubling.

I know that everyone has issues, but I have seen my share, and more often than not, with people who have no sense of balance, Karate becomes the main issue that gets in the way of everything else.
I quit teaching at the fitness center because they told me I could no longer bring in my children, when it came down to choosing between that or my family, I chose my family.
Maybe that is a trait I have gained from my Karate? Perhaps, but it could equally be a trait I gained from some members of my family.
If life becomes solely about training, instead of training being about life, then there is a huge issue and it is better to quit training, to find something else to do.
Now, if it were a means to provide for my family, then it could be serious work, but even still, there is that unshakable hint of neon-lights and commercials - I get it whenever I think about it, I honestly don't know how to get beyond it.

When I go through some Kata I wonder what is so special and why I spent so much time learning each one?
It is interesting to wonder about certain things within, but at the same time, it is just silly; that has lead to so many arguments and divisions which really amount to nothing more than political posturing - WITHIN MARTIAL ARTS!
How silly is that? This versus that. It is absolutely the silliest and dumbest thing in the world, and I have encountered it time and again, as I am sure everyone has at some point.
I opened a Dojo as a ten year Shodan, now it has been eleven, almost twelve years since then (maybe longer); I start to see through that whole thing and realize things that some people have realized, but maybe have ignored in favor of whatever?
Even my own Sensei said that I need to go test for Sandan in order to be in a good position within the community in order to be taken seriously. I don't know about all that, but it is obviously a huge thing, at least in emphasis.
What does it say about a person? What does it say about skill? Absolutely nothing. Person and skill speak for themselves.

I used to spend a lot of time researching the history as well, mostly because I enjoy history.
When something requires the suspension of belief to such a degree it is only too obvious that something is up.
Does it really matter? No, not particularly, but when people place so much emphasis on it as a selling point and someone digs deep enough to find a farce then the whistle must be blown.
If selling point is in the training, great, I know that some of the history adds up, but it is nothing more than speculation no matter which way you slice it, so if that is the selling point it is rather weak.
Snake oil is just snake oil no matter how you label it and that doesn't sit well with me either.

I tend to like creative things, if people can just drop the act and say, 'well, this is my own particular take on it,' or 'this is how I express it,' rather than all the mumbo-jumbo about generation upon generation of successions.
That would sit better with me, and it would get rid of quite a bit of troubling issues about the whole thing.
It might even put it in perspective and provide a point of balance. Maybe it is more an issue with society as a whole and it is just mirrored in this particular thing, as there are a lot of people that tend to get too caught up in their work as well. Business tends to thrive on selling points, real or imagined (most times imagined) and you get more of the neon-commercialism fueled by snake oil.
A quick fix with no real meaning, no real substance, a lot of hype and complexities to keep the confusion rolling.

My buddy Guy called his credit card company when he lost his card in order to cancel it, instead of asking for his SSN they asked for his credit card number.
The security that is in place in most corporations for verification is a joke, meant to give the customer a warm fuzzy feeling, but it amounts to nothing more than smoke and mirrors.
How do you know that is really a hamburger you are eating? Yeah, I know, I am bouncing around here and it may not fit the context of the post, but some of you may get the point.
It just feels really bad to me. Some people are sincere, some people have the real thing, they are the real deal, and you can tell these people from the concession venders when you meet them.
They don't try to sell anything to you, they just let loose and you either get it or you don't.

What Use?

2010-08-12T01:15:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder just why I keep all this up? Why train? Why not do something more worth while? Karate does not put food on my table and it just seems silly.
Has time been wasted when it could have been focused on other pursuits? Was Sensei on to something when he took up Massage Therapy and stopped teaching or practicing Karate altogether, at least in that form?
Maybe you enjoy it, maybe it does something for you on some level, or perhaps you have turned it into something that profits you even in the slightest? I don't really know.

I suppose I am just depressed, part of me wants to crumple it up and toss it in the trash can, move on to something else.
Certainly I have met some great people and learned some fascinating things, ultimately I don't think many people really care anymore.
I used to draw, all through grade school, high school, and I used to write for just about as long; I am still writing, but drawing has fallen by the wayside - I never liked the term 'starving artist.'
Karate is not something I can 'officially' advance in any longer, at least according to the accepted way of things, there really is no point; personal advancement is fine and can be useful in many ways.

There are pros and cons, but again, I suppose I am just depressed. This rant itself is pointless, I really cannot think of anything more to say.
My wife is extremely encouraging, telling me to take the trip to Seattle for the XPO, and I really would not mind going, I will end up going none-the-less because I already said I would, and because I enjoy the company of like-minded people.
I know there will be a lot to learn and a lot of people to learn from, great stuff, hopefully I can shake this feeling.
Part of me sees Karateka that are divorced, sometimes unhappy with their lives, I don't know where that leaves me and I refuse to be one that says Karate is of ultimate importance.
I looked in the eyes of my daughter last night, then the eyes of my sons and wondered just where I was going and would they be able to look back and say, 'That is my Dad, I'm glad he was around.'
I have nothing to prove to anyone else, they are of ultimate importance. They and my wife. I refuse to follow trends.

Anyways, thank you for your patience with me tonight. I am sorry that this post is so gloomy. Maybe I'm just tired. It has been a long week already and the days and nights seem to flow endlessly into one another.

Crossing The Pond Reminder.

2010-07-16T21:50:00.001-07:00

Less than thirty days to the Crossing The Pond X-PO in Seattle for those in the states.
Anyone reading this planning on going? Guy and I are getting geared up, might even be taking another friend of ours, Dan, who used to train with us in the adult class when I taught at the fitness center.
Heck, by the time it comes around we may have a few people caravaning that way, who knows!

I am really looking forward to it, hopefully I see some of you there, it is going to be something that people will remember for a long time to come I have a feeling - another life-changing and mind-boggling event with a pretty impressive cast of characters.
Last I heard Rory Miller was going to participate with Marc MacYoung with some material on which they had collaborated?

The Big K - Kris Wilder - Presenting Okinawan Structure, power, and mindset. This guy gives a whole new meaning to 'pack a punch,' trust that.
He'll likely give you a reworking of things, building structure from the ground up, then turn you loose with some phone books and see if you can put some lead in that iron punch.

Iain Abernethy - Bringing the Bunkai Jitsu Brand from the UK. He has a number of books out on the subject and maintains a continuous podcast on effective training methods and how to analyze and apply Kata.
I have not had the experience of being beat down with the Pinan Kata, but I am really looking forward to it and whatever else he has in store. Iain is an extremely nice guy and extremely knowledgeable.

Al Peasland - Representing the Geoff Thompson Street Brand from the UK as one of his top students, perhaps THE top student.
Geoff Thompson refined his Karate working as a Doorman aka Bouncer in the UK, then wrote some books about the experience, as well as having made a movie.
Many people have studied his concept of 'The Fence' and how to 'psyche out' an opponent, getting to know fear, and his system is renouned for its' no-nonsense approach, whether standing up, or fighting on the ground. You don't get much grittier than this, unless you happen to have 'Animal' as your nickname.

Nicholas Yang - The son of renouned Martial Artist, Author, and Publisher (YMAA) Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming, Nicholas is going to be representing the Chinese Martial Arts perspective.
I personally love Dr. Yang's work and refer to it often and am especially looking forward to trying some Shaolin Long Fist. Going to be a blast, and certain there will be quite a bit I do not retain. ;)

For more info go to;
http://crossingthepond.webs.com/

The Other Side.

2010-07-13T01:22:00.001-07:00

Old/New Blog.
http://kriticalkorner.blogspot.com/

Knowing the Difference.

2010-07-11T23:31:00.001-07:00

If you don't have the mind or heart to do what it takes then life will kick you in the balls and you may not be able to get up.
That is what we are supposed to be training for, the getting back up part, not only in confrontation, but in life in general, life comes with many different levels of confrontation and you can choke at any moment.
When you do choke, that is the first lesson, there is no security blanket, no one there to hold your hand as you fall down and go boom.
Granted I am good at trying to be there to talk my children back up when they do fall (literally), but I don't help them up when it can be avoided, they need to pick themselves up and learn to rely on themselves, just as everyone else does.

Before you get all spiritual or religious on me, this is not about spirituality or religion, it is about fact.
No one can walk in your skin, no one can walk in your shoes; there are lessons in life and no one is going to learn them for you, you take what is presented and move on, if you learn it, great, if not, hopefully it doesn't maim you the next time around (as some people need a little bit of maiming to wake the hell up).
If you don't know something, perhaps you should not speak about it, you end up making yourself sound like an idiot as I have done numerous times.

We can talk theory until we are blue in the face, the fact of the matter is that a life changing incident must occur in order to break apart the social brainwashing that has taken place.
Do I mean a pleasant experience? More often than not it will hurt, and it will hurt A LOT.
Then you will wonder, 'why,' perhaps even secretly as you begin to automatically construct some cover in order to make yourself feel better about it, maybe you will come to terms, maybe you will fall apart.
Tell me, at that point, that it does not matter having your mind and heart in the right place in order to have a fighting chance, because all you have to rely on is yourself and when you are not fully present you have just been abandoned by the only one who CAN do anything about it, and willingly abandoned at that.

Assumptions are dangerous, theory is dangerous, false views (to steal a rule from Buddha) are dangerous.
Best to think things through before you offer something up that someone else may depend on to save their asses, instead of putting their hearts and minds where they really count.
I am not going to say it is useless, but I am going to say that it is misguided in a way that can get people killed.
Think about it carefully, understand the difference, and really face the facts. This may not be possible for some to deal with.

Fear is another factor. Most people fear not getting to work on time, being late for a date, or their kids' baseball game, or even final exams, they tend to STRESS about that stuff.
Do people ever even think about anything else? No, they find comfort in falsehood, thinking, 'Oh, I will just shoot first and ask questions later,' most Police Officers have a hard time making the transition from the range to the field and mess up big time.
A person I used to talk to over the phone is a Police Officer in Pullman who said he had a hard time with the 'stiff' or 'rigid' shoulders. Imagine shooting a gun when you have heavy legs, rigid shoulders, butterflies, blurry or tunnelled vision, shaking hands, ect.
Now imagine trying to apply anything empty-handed or even with a knife, stick, beer bottle or tire iron!
It breaks down pretty fast! Don't count on IT count on YOU.

If you have any doubts about any of this, then perhaps you need some big tattooed SOB run at you snarling while swinging a baseball bat, calling you every name in the book.
You'll either do something about it, or you will wet your pants. My Police friend really doesn't have a choice, he KNOWS, and does not have a choice BUT to KNOW.
I didn't have much of a choice either, I am not about to end up in the morgue or the hospital, been there too many times as a kid.
You want to know how my life started out? How I know? My own family on my Dad's side tried to sell me on the black market as a baby.
I have two uncles in prison for a grotesque murder in Illinois, they scoped this laundromat and attacked this girl, stabbed her seventy times, cut off one breast and stuck it on her head.
These people lived at my Grandma's house, the place I lived, and they ALWAYS got drunk and fought eachother, sometimes even try to kill eachother, right in the living room, right in front of me.

On the other side of the family I had a step-dad that used to get a kick out of kicking the living sh*t out of me for no reason at all.
Life just gets better doesn't it? I've been jumped more than a few times because of the neighborhoods we moved to, and I was always the new kid.
I've almost been gutted, almost been stabbed, had a gun pulled on me, dear old step-dad hit me in the head with a something, I think it was a crowbar, could have been something else.
I've seen blood, I've seen bone, been to the hospital, even seen a few bodies. Not a fun place to be, and if you don't know anything about it, then you go to sell something off as something it cannot possibly be, there is a real problem and the information provided is only going to misguide and endanger people.

Knowing the difference makes all the difference.

Conversations.

2010-07-10T19:26:00.001-07:00

Today I received a very interesting, if not commical, call from my Brother who had made his way over to Anecortes for some drinks at a local restaraunt over there owned, as it would be, by the same lady that owns his last place of business.
'Hey man,' he said, 'there is this girl here who is really good at Martial Arts and wants to learn and teach.'
He then proceeded to hand her the phone. Turns out she is a student of Soo Bak Do (sp?) and neither one of us really knew why my brother had called me up, as she was already going for her Assistant Instructors exam with her 'Federation' (Official term alert!).
It was an interesting conversation once we got to talking, it turns out she is the daughter of the lady who owns the restaraunt and was only about 18, so it was like talking to myself in the first couple years of my having achieved Shodan, before Kris helped me to realize that Shodan, even ten years later, is only first grade - still on the playground type stuff.

I asked her why she trained and whether she competed, 'I don't really compete, I just want to be able to defend myself.'
The bait has been taken! So I proceeded to ask her what her art entailed, 'Escape from holds with strikes and running away.'
Good strategy, I thought to myself, very good strategy, so then I amped it up; how do they address the effects of adrenaline? How do the techniques work with this natural reaction to physical violence?
'No one has really said anything about that, I think it is a good idea to touch on that so I will talk to my Instructor.'
A shame, so I went to talk about the impairment of fine motor skills, tunnel vision, sometimes not being able to hear something, or hearing it as if it were a mile away even though it is right next to your ear - the heavy-legs syndrome, ect.
Then I asked her about forms, since she had brought the topic up; She stated that the forms seemed really redundant, so I asked her what forms she practiced.
She named off the Korean names of some very Okinawan Shorin-style Kata. I asked if they ever went over applications?
'The applications are left up to the student, no one really says where to hit, or what to hit, it is individual exploration.' AHAH!
I can actually relate to that answer, no real right or wrong there.

So after that I went into body alignment, 'No, not really any spinal alignment,' she said, 'just the basics, hip motions and breathing.'
It was an interesting conversation, then we parted, phone handed back to my brother who started to talk about some medical issues he was having. Recommended that he see a neurologist for some surgery, otherwise he is going to have a stroke of the spine and end up in a wheel chair from years of bodily trauma.

Food for Thought.

2010-07-10T18:33:00.000-07:00

I have been on this kick lately where I have been reviewing some violent videos, some violent memories in my own mind, and just really asking 'why?'
I remember in the living room of my Grandmother's house where my Uncle Eric got into a fight with someone, I think it was my Uncle Paul, or even my Dad, I cannot remember exactly who.
It turned out to be a two on one type of situation, one of them was trying to box or something, not really staying light on their feet, they ended up with my Uncle Eric on their back just slamming his fist into the side of their neck repeatedly.
The guy in front kept punching him in the gut, it gets a bit hazey after that, I was a kid, I remember my aunt trying to keep me clear of the whole thing, unfortunately it is one of my strongest memories.

I recently viewed a video where two people squared off with a couple of long nunchaku, taking repeated blows to the arms, head, legs, and back on both sides, hard enough to break the chains (though the chains could have been weak to begin with).
In either case they kept coming, it wasn't fazing them. It showed a segment after the video was done where these guys were taking note of their wounds, and possibly the stupidity of their actions.
In another video by the same people that 'produced' the first there were two guys teaming up on one really big guy. No chance in hell, windmill punches, running up and kicking the guy in the face; more often than not it resulted in a clinch, or the guy just balling up in the fetal position to protect his head and his center with his arms, legs, and back.
Natural reaction in such an instance; not necessarily the best of instances as all parties were aware of the fight, not self defense.

It must be hard-wired that way, generally to go for the clinch, at least from what I have experienced myself, and what I have seen - weapon is lost, curl up, protect the head and midsection.
I think it is important to note things that seem to be hardwired, otherwise we tend to ignore the facts and just go on denying, when it comes down to facing these things, you freeze and automatically the hardwired instinct kicks in, you curl up, some people just give up.
Is it inevitable? I think it is inevitable that we are going to be forced to look at the things that come up and may even need to rethink what we are doing, how we approach certain things.

I made the mistake of trying to go low on my friend Guy in our last match, he sprawled out and wraped me up from above.
I am not a big guy, Guy, however, is huge compared to me; not a position I wanted to be in, but that is the position in which I ended up.
I made the mistake of also thinking about my next move, second guessing my body, I got out, he shifted, I rolled, we went to the ground, he ended up in the mount ready to pount my face in.
Had it been the real deal I would have been toast, perhaps from the roll itself. Tried to bridge out of it, not thinking about hand positions, ended up making matters worse, that was that.
It was meant to be a high pressure type of thing, off the cuff, and it was. No preparation, just go.
Most times it can come up as a draw, but often if someone loses it is because we have defeated ourselves.
Friendly spar though, there is a huge difference, but one can still learn a lot. Am I saying I would have faired better? Perhaps if I had had my mind in the right place, but ultimately if it went down the way it did I would not be typing right now.

The point? If we look back we see that people can take A LOT of damage, does this mean they are super human? No, just human, so that is promising.
The second? Don't second guess nature, learn from it, work with it, what can it do THROUGH you if you step aside and allow it?

I watched another video of a gentleman that had trained in Karate, he was jumped in Vancouver BC by a gang of kids that had some racial motivation to assault this guy.
The guy took some shots, but ultimately held his own, managed to avoid full on confrontation by moving around, employing great strategy off the cuff (not even thinking about it, he just did it).
Could you tell this guy had trained in Karate? Perhaps not by looking at his movements, it looked more like Aikido the way he moved. What the hell does it matter? There, again, is some promise.
He fended off his attackers, slammed a few of them into the pavement, they still got up, but they must have been tired or the police were en route as they all got in the back of a red pick-up and drove away.

Let's get real folks. We need to dig deep here. Not just me, but everyone. Let go of what you think you know and deal with what is really there.

Being Clear.

2010-07-09T17:48:00.000-07:00

Most people, to this day, debate on the 'effectiveness' of one thing versus another, when it boils down to the person, often the methodology, and their frame of mind.
I don't pretend to know what it is like to put on full riot gear or break up a prison fight or any of that.
My experience has been in other areas with a different mindset, though not entirely different, as survival is the base.
While my intent is to get away in this instance, the prison guard or police officer is running INTO the thick of things, still, survival is first and foremost.
It is the difference between a person getting out of a burning building while the firefighter is getting in to help them get out.

The difference must be respected, otherwise you may have no clear view of why or for what, then the methodology and mindset are screwed up because you have no clear goals, which means no clear way to train.
The one-size fits all type of training does not cut it, and there is a clear problem with this in most Gyms or Dojos.
You have MMA Gyms claiming to teach clear self-defense, but all you get is the same type of training received by their Fighters, which is not bad, but may need a little tweaking to adjust to said advertisement.
You also have Dojos claiming to teach Self Defense, sprinkled with lots of basic line-work, point-sparring, basically the same thing one might receive if they were training for tournaments.
Then you have the so-called 'pragmatic' guys that seem to break things down and really look, but there is a lot of theoretical talk that engages the higher brain instead of the lower brain.
Again, very few really touch on, or even know the difference, let alone know how to approach it.

I once made an observation of one of my students that was beaten by a total beginner, it seemed that the methodology was only making matters worse because they may have been over-thinking everything, trying for too much, trying too much in general rather than doing.
Granted he'd only had about six months of training, in most Dojos that would have been considered too little training to expect 'so much,' for me, there is a flaw in this way of thinking - even a weeks worth of training should turn up results and the methodology has to match the results.
I don't think one can get this sort of thing from group sessions, though group sessions have their uses, they tend to make it difficult for personalization, thus the one-size-fits-all approach.
I stopped and started asking my students WHY they were training, what they hoped to gain out of it.
Some answered they wanted to learn good self-defense, others said they wanted to compete and win trophies, good point to start at, so I started to tailor different things to different individuals and it worked out.
More important than the methodology, the mindset has to match, one needs to engage and instill that mindset toward the goals of the individual.

For tournament training it is not so much focused on applications or street effectiveness, and even this has categories, what type of tournament training? You might focus on good Kata performance, you might focus on strategy for point sparring, rhythm, timing, tactics to achieve the main goal of the overall strategy.
At some point they may have their fill and switch it up, or quit altogether, that is their thing, they have gotten what they came for. A sense of fulfillment, but the difference must be made clear.
For self-defense you might touch on various scenarios, but I tend to stay away from over-interpretation. The higher brain is not the main point of focus, if they think too much about what something 'could' mean then they are thinking too much.
Take one principle and play with it, best to have one principle that can be employed a thousand different ways without thinking, than thinking about a thousand different techniques that will never be used because you are too busy thinking about them.

The role of the Teacher is the guide, the role of the Coach is the guide. The student is the teacher and, when messing around with self-defense, the student must learn to rely on themselves.
Don't get hung up one 'this versus that' because it doesn't matter. When all bets are off, all bets are off, plain and simple, none of it matters at that particular moment.
Too much emphasis is placed in areas that matter little. This is why Martial Arts really are 'Bullsh*t.'
I don't agree with pacifism, I cannot afford to get shanked because I give my wallet to someone intent on killing me, I have a family and I cannot do much for them if I am maimed, or killed. Being crippled or in the grave really puts a damper on things.

Memories and Reflections.

2010-07-09T17:07:00.000-07:00

My Brother has been in some pretty rough spots over the years and has really cleaned up his act, going from using drugs, in and out of jail, to learning how to cook, being Executive Chef at what was once a very popular restaraunt in Spokane (JFK once had a banquet there).
Not a very popular spot now, nor when he was executive chef, but his cooking did gain some of that esteem back.

Prior to this he was robbing houses to sell electronics for drug money, constantly getting into fights in the wrong part of town (West Park in Kitsap County among other places).
This is how we grew up, our family never had a lot of money and we had to settle where we could, often not in very good neighborhoods.
He and I were once jumped by seven people walking back from a park in Hillyard here in Spokane, he was thirteen, I was fifteen.
I'll tell you, you hit someone as hard as you can in the face and you are going to hurt your hand more than their head, unless you have a chain-link fence that happens to be right next to you.

He has also been on both the giving and receiving end of County Jail pillow parties and when he worked at a Club called Uno in downtown Spokane he helped the Bouncers out when he was not in the kitchen.
A huge black man walked up to him outside, punched him in the nose (breaking his nose and cheek bone) then ran off.
I had gone down to Uno one night because Dinner was on him, ended up being pulled in the middle of a confrontation between a mexican and some Yakuza Wannabe.
A couple shots were thrown at my head, then the Bouncers stepped in, one shot, guy was out like a light.
Then the club was shut down by the police and dinner was order-in Chinese at a hotel room downtown.

Recently I have been all over the place; nearly being rolled in Browns Addition waiting for a bus, guy pulled the 'got the time' bit.
All I did was step aside and turn to his buddy who was coming up right behind me and said, 'ask your friend,' at that moment a Cop rolled by and that was that.
I caught the bus and went home, a few bumps and bruises from a friendly spar with Guy and some Shinai just thirty minutes before.

Most times we deny this sort of thing even exists, we are conditioned to walk around a certain way, behave a certain way, and when something does not fit the norm we deny it, we write it off.
When we get our asses handed to us because of this denial we come up with some story to justify it to ourselves and repeat it over and over, 'I could have done this, but the ground was slippery,' or 'I cannot do that because my hands are registered lethal weapons,' that sort of BS.
Perhaps we even twist it all around to where we have it ending and entirely different way than it really did when we tell the story, doublespeak in Orwellian terminology, we know it did not go down that way, but we wholeheartedly believe that it did.

Most people are not prepared for the reality of it all. Especially Martial Artists, a trip to the Dojo is more like a trip to the local health club; it is an ego booster, a safety blanket for the 'self.'
A false sense of security, for me, is worse than no having no security at all. I've been down both roads.

My brother can more than attest to it and when he gets in friendly spars with Martial Artists, even of high rank, he toys with them. 'The best preparation for the event is the event itself,' he has lived by that, and it was a choice on his part at a certain point because that it was he knew.
Could he teach what he has learned? He would say no, but he has taught a number of people the 'physicality' of it, he has also been able to touch upon the 'mentality' of it, often ending with 'You won't know until you're there.'
He is completely right in that fact. For some reason he likes to tell people I am a black belt, I think it is a game, but he always said, when it came down to it, 'This SOB right here has my back and I wouldn't piss him off.'
More from our experiences together than my training in Martial Arts. We often come to a draw when sparring, and, when things have become heated, we have reached several draws by beating eachother senseless as brothers often do - making up and having a drink when all is said and done, laughing while we nurse our wounds and try to remember what stupid thing had started it all.

That is what it boils down to most times, stupidity, at least with us. I think I might have him meet me in Seattle for the Martial X-PO, he'd get a kick out of it and learn some things from everyone there, especially Rory Miller and Marc MacYoung, those two seem right up his alley.
In either case, the nature of the beast is never very far from the surface. There was a great book I once read, in one of the chapters it said that 'facing the animalistic nature of ourselves is good for mental health.'
Most people are conditioned with a fear of that prospect, they freeze when it rears its' ugly head and end up in the hospital, or worse.
Because of some misguided notions, or because of a more direct form of denial. The mind just isn't in the right place, and often, these people have never seen such a thing.
This isn't the movies, and it isn't the Dojo.

Reflecting back on all this, it really puts things into perspective. More often than not I have seen trained people choke even in friendly spars, myself included from time to time.
The mind gets stuck on something like, 'Oh geeze, haven't done this in a while, I am out of shape,' what am I to do should it be for real? Out of shape is not an option, neither is repetition, just get in there and do what needs to be done then face the aftermath of pounding headaches and flashing lights that are intended to disorient, confuse, and blind.
Every time I have even watched a televised fight I can usually tell who wins. It is that calm person before the storm, like Spider Silva, defeating the opponent before they enter the ring; it is not their technique or their art that wins, nor even their training, anyone could train that, anyone would learn that stuff.
The mindset, most of all, the mindset. You are already IN there, nothing else enters the equation, you get there, the body does the rest.
Does this negate training? I think training on top of this mindset is a double plus, however, the methodology counts for something as well... There again, the event is the event and training is training.

The Long Hard Look.

2010-07-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

The more time I seem to have lately the more I look at things a bit closer and get a clear picture; whether just reviewing things to get perspective, studying, applying; the last little 'match' I had with Guy out back was the first in a long time and it was very educational.
I have found that we need to look less at what we 'can' do, at least at first, but focus more on what we are doing, ask ourselves why we are doing this.
We can sugar coat things with lots of theoretical talk, maybe sprinkle some culturalism and mystery in there, make it seem like a nice package, but that is all it is, a package; often with nothing really inside.

I am not trying to put anything down, I am not trying to knock anyone's experience or even lack of experience covered with hard work and a colored piece of cloth.
However, I can count on one hand the people I have met that I feel really have something beneath the package, and they really don't try to package it; what you see is what you get, and more often than not, what you don't see is what gets you.

There are a lot of people that talk a good game, especially in defense or promotion of their 'art,' and this seems to be the main problem.
One art versus another, but the main catch-phrase there is 'art,' it is expression, and it should be freedom of expression.
In order for that freedom to happen one really needs to take a different approach, no matter what their reasons for study are, they cannot fool themselves, and all of us eventually do fool ourselves until someone comes along and shows us the error of our ways.
Whether that is some elderly Japanese guy walking into a well-known Dojo in West Seattle and laying into the Instructor, or some guy on the street, I would hope for the former than the latter, but often we don't get to choose.

You know how I came to fully embrace the error of my ways? It was not through one, or even two visits.
First and foremost I had my guts slammed in my own basement by a guy that just showed up one day and referred to his Gi as 'pretty pants.'
Second, my whole body slammed into a wood floor by a guy that spoke broken english who just seemed to stand there and smile as I had fully intended to knock his head off as per his instruction.
Then, same guy from the basement rattled my spine during a seminar in Olympia, on another occasion really laid into myself and my training partner, Guy, showing us nastly little poking tricks for compliance saying - it doesn't matter how, just do it.

Now I look at things a bit differently, I try to get a grasp on the chaos; one cannot wrap their mind around violence, one cannot even come close.
I have experienced it numerous times, every time I was frightened, more often than not I would freeze, until I realized I could actually do something about it.
So what are you doing when you step up? A lot of people, again, talk a good game, very few can really back that up.
Am I saying that I can? I certainly have a lot to learn about myself, I am not some badass that can take all comers, nore would I want to be. It is one thing to have a friendly spar with someone, something else entirely when you are facing down a hook-shaped shard of glass meant for your belly.
It is also something else entirely when someone, armed or unarmed, is really intent on putting you down.

What are you doing? Why are you doing it that way? How do others react? How does training itself work with that instinct? How can it be made to work toward natural ends?
Training might not even come close to the actual thing, but one can get their mind in the right place, that is a good start.
Without the mind being in the right place it cannot be done. Some people can get there, some people can't, perhaps with more prodding? Who knows.

I look at some of these people in local Dojos that just talk and talk about the merits of Kihon, then say something cryptic about real fights, referring to their Teacher and how they know they could handle themselves.
It is sugar coating, perhaps even brainwashing; unquestioningly accepting something at face value when something, obviously, feels off.
At least to me. You see some seminars nice and crisp, good presentation, it is the point that things start breaking down and getting messy that interests me; is it allowed?
So far I have been to quite a few seminars, quite a few Dojos, only a handful have had this element, only a handful have touched on the element or even included anything that touched upon mindset, the effects of violence, ect.
Those seminars were by the same guy that slammed his fist into my gut in my own basement.
In this arena I have few teachers, but all of them have given food for thought that have lasted years.

So what are we doing?

Penn, Teller, and Marc MacYoung.

2010-06-30T00:08:00.000-07:00

I just watched Penn and Teller's episode of 'Bullsh*t' on Martial Arts that was linked through my subscription to Kris Wilder's 'The Martial Minute,' read Marc MacYoung's comment, then viewed various responses about the episode from some other folks.
It gave me a good laugh, Marc's comment was very well written and well thought out and, like clockwork, some people started playing out the display outlined in that comment, though there were some thoughtful remarks, however, most were way too serious in their responses, even the thoughtful people.
All I could do was laugh, it was a perfect display of just how rediculous it is to take yourself so seriously!

Parts that I did pay close attention to were when Marc MacYoung had something to say, it always gets the gears turning.
The segnent where the Karate Sensei explains how the Belt System originated really got me laughing, especially when they pointed out the fact that this was the main product for which the consumer was paying in EVERY McDojo on the face of the Earth.
It is sugar-coating, plain and simple, mystifying the fact that it is a piece of dyed cloth that costs EXTREMELY less than the fee charged for most Shodan exams - a nice belt and a pretty piece of paper.
On top of that they touched on the fact that most Instructors will ask their students to teach or clean the Dojo on top of paying fees for monthly lessons. In some cases they won't ask, they will tell you.
I feel this is good for the younger crowd, teaches some humility, teaches responsibility, ultimately it does not pan out for the older crowd when they are already paying membership fees and not being paid for their services when it is made a requirement by the Club Owner/Sensei.
People can cite 'Giri' all they want to, when you run a commercial business it is what it is; certainly if you ask they may have the option to say no and choose to volunteer their time anyway, that is another story - maybe knock off a bit of the fee next month?
I did not have to pay dues in my training, so it was genuine respect that I felt the responsibility to my Dojo and my Teacher; most Teachers you will also find can be generous, they will run other things to pay the bills and go towards 'scholarships' for students that cannot pay their dues. A subject not touched upon in this episode.

Then you have the 'kill-em-all' type, that was a funny segment too. There was also the old Qi Gong Lady barking like a dog. That was classic.
I don't feel bad for anyone who decided to go on this show, anything with Penn & Teller should be a given and we know there are going to be some laughs.
To be honest they made some very good points and, to give back to some of their detractors (official term alert), they also left out some good stuff.
Who really cares though? Does that really change the fact that you are going to the Dojo to do something you enjoy doing?
Again, I think people take themselves way too seriously; this is entertainment, a show on showtime that is meant to do just what it has done, drawn some laughs and stirred the pot - when has that ceased to be a good thing?
If you seriously feel the need to say something about it, why is it you feel the need?
Me? I just think it is funny when someone points out the obvious, and I also think it is funny when people fail to recognize entertainment value, they miss the point entirely and should really look in a mirror. Were they talking about you? Does any of that apply to you? I don't think the majority of 'detractors' have a clue and, those that do really don't care.

I certainly know my belt is just a piece of cloth and 'Gi' refers to the undergarments once worn by Samurai, so I wear a piece of dyed cloth holding the jacket of my underwear shut.
Lovely white Jammies. They are comfortable and they make a cool snapping sound when I want them to, when I want to look cool.
Really. Come off the soap box and start living.

My Karate Training.

2010-06-27T21:28:00.000-07:00

I do like going through whole Kata sequences, but as I had posted a long time ago, Kata are like old file cabinets, you need to open the drawers and study what is there.
Seipai is my all-time favorite, followed close by Saifa and Seiyunchin. I don't really like Kururunfa, so I don't practice it as often. There are some good points to it, but it just does not speak to me in the same way.

Anyways, one way of breaking these things down is by portioning them; take the opening movement from Seipai, standing in Musubi Dachi, hands clasped in Yoi to set the posture, just like Sanchin.
You pivot on the ming-men center of your foot to one side, step straight back into Hachiji Dachi, the rear arm comes over the head and down in Osai Uke, the lead arm meets the rear over the top of the head in Juji Uke and the energy passes from rear to lead as you drop down into Shiko Dachi performing a Shomen-Shuto-Uchi strike downward.
These descriptions are just for emphasis on the movements, the movements can mean pretty much anything and one sees variations throughout all the Kata, the over-head hammerfist in Saifa is a variation on this opening movement in Seipai. If we look further we can see the same principles at play in the opening movement of Gekesai, though they are not carried to full extention, just variations, so while we have 12 Kata in Goju Ryu there really is only one Kata, the Kata of Taisabaki.
Looking further one can see the principles of Crane at work, very heavily, especially in open-handed movements (I sometimes like to practice ALL my Kata with Open-hands just to feel this).

In an effort to feel it more freely I like to change it up, loosen what is defined and stylized.
What I mean by this is I go through starting from Natural Stance, or what I like to call 'waiting for the bus.'
Hands will be at my sides, maybe in my pocket, sometimes I will wear my backpack with one strap on and one hand clasping the strap.
I always practice Sanchin posture and breathing wherever I go, walking down the street, whatever, so that can naturally be in place and my body naturally goes to it if I happen to be out of it, no need to think. Thinky! Thinky! As Charles Todd Sensei used to say whenever I messed up at his Dojo at Eastern Washington University.
I will shorten the movement, take out all the extra stuff, play around with it, flow from this movement to a movement from an entirely different Kata. They are all like legos anyway and one should be used to flowing.
I often like to use the Fence concept in this training, playing with various ways of controlling distance and proactive trapping.
You need to move around with the Fence though, it is not a static technique or posture; as Mabuni Kenwa and Choki Motobu said, there are no fixed postures in real confrontation, so lose the concept of Kamae and make No Kamae your Kamae.

Drawing back one hand, pretending to scratch your elbow, moving the hands around as you talk while keeping them in front, easy to practice in normal conversations, easy to play with without actually having to set aside some time to play with it, a fun concept.
Sometimes I will change the movement from a straight downward strike to an angled slap when emphasis is placed on the hand, other times I will put more emphasis on the tip of the elbow as it comes down, perhaps to strike the bend of the elbow, or whatever happens to be present, it doesn't really matter.
Stances should not be overlooked either, there is a reason for full body movement, as all boils down to the whole body, not just one part.
Dropping your center lower in Shiko Dachi can make all the difference, not only driving deep, but unbalancing as well, what about the pivot at the beginning? Jing, or Martial Power, asks that we pay attention to the flow of the movement as there is always a reason for it.

One of the most important things is imagination. The skill to pretend and envision what is going on, getting into the actual mindset, getting into the 'role.'
At the same time, understanding that it is a 'role' and not every variable can be thought of.
The real thing is different, but if you do manage to get yourself into it you can utilize that training and it will be present.
Also realizing that not all the answers are present, not to expect all the answers and to realize that one cannot 'learn' the real thing, nor can anyone 'teach' the real thing.
The real thing is the real thing, there is a difference and there always will be. Some might say this implies the uselessness of training, but I beg to differ. It is better to be slightly prepared than not prepared at all.
It is also much better to avoid these things entirely.

When I practice I don't think of it as really anything serious, taking it too seriously, I think, only leads to disappointment.
I think of it as playing, I pretend that I am walking in a bad part of town or, if I am going through the whole Kata, I visualize the flow of the movement as an artist would a paint brush or a pencil tracing the beginnings of some drawing on a pad of paper.
At the same time it allows me to think outside the box, working as a free-agent, I am not bound by any standards, save those I have gained from past experience and the valuable principles of my Teacher and subsequent Teachers thereafter.
'Goju Ryu' or 'Karate' as such becomes a game, and all too often grown-ups forget how to play games, they become extremely serious in everything they do, then when something does not go right they freeze up, they become depressed, they may even become angry, not a good frame of mind to go about life with. How can a person enjoy this?

My son Garretty told me today that he wants to be a big kid like me. I looked up at him, 'So you think I am a big kid huh buddy?' He said, 'Yeah.' I said, 'Good, don't ever let that 'kid' part go away.'
He asked me in the funniest and most accurate way to show him some Karate while we were on the beach, he said, 'Daddy, can we play Karate?' I asked him, 'How do we play Karate?' He said, 'I don't know, can you show me?'
I showed him posture and breathing and we had a little pushing match on the beach so he could feel it, turned it into a game. He even practiced standing in posture with his hand on his belly to make sure he was breathing in his belly whenever he was not playing with his brother Geoffrey.
He then put the rooting and posture to good use when we got out to the dock in the deep end, he kept pushing his older brother Gregory off the dock shouting, 'King of the Dock!' Hahaha! Gregory never saw it coming, but he wisened up after a few turns in the water.

White Gi and hardwood floors or Matts are great, stylized training is okay too, but it does not get much closer to the essence of training than this.
It is not about 'carrying' anything on, it is about growing people into themselves, realizing what was there to begin with.
Nothing can teach this and no one can learn this.

Being, Just Being.

2010-06-27T20:53:00.001-07:00

Played around with some Escrima today after a cold shower, some stretching, and some Zazen.
Focused mainly on the wrist, worked some wrist drills with a six foot staff all week and pondered 'hydrostatic shock' as opposed to physically punching through a target, just letting the focus, the center, and the posture do the work from the ground up.

A lot can be learned from trees, most people just pass them by, but artists tend to see things a little deeper as they take the time to sketch out some landscape with a pad and a pencil, just sitting in the park.
Very meditative, a good way to become in-tune, especially if you promise yourself that you are going to follow the course of nature in your artwork, drawing a tree from the ground up, emphasis on what is no visible, such as the roots, can really come out if you put enough of yourself into it.
Playing the 'pauses' as a musician might, or a good performer of Kata. My Sensei used to tell us to listen to the 'between,' the spaces between notes when we listen to music to emphasize rhythm and timing in sparring class at the old Bremerton Dojo.

We had a few people that could perform perfect synchronized Kata in tune with some traditional Japanese Music that Sensei had compiled on a tape. I still have the old tape somewhere.
It is important to understand rhythm and timing, which is one reason for pauses and slow movements in Kata, not just for ascetic value, but emphasis on something that is not readily visible, playing the pauses.
Moving from sudden movements, to pauses, to slow movements, then exploding into the next sequence is meant to teach this as well, thus special attention must be paid to this in all things, not just sparring, not just Bunkai.
We do not see this carried over when we see people going through the motions of various Kihon Waza or Kiso Kumite, it is dead, void of spirit, void of rhythm and timing, that which makes it alive and beautiful.
Again, I like to change things up to emphasize this when it seems it is being lost; Head, Chest, Down, Head. It gets repetative, but it is there for a reason, and if I am defending and I feel it slipping I will suddenly attack at a random target.

Trees are trees by nature and if you stand with the tree and open yourself to it, you can feel it, it does not ever cease being a tree, it does not ever slip away from that.
Perhaps this is why trees tend to live so long; they have much to offer, patience, virtue, they are solid, yet soft, bending in the wind, yet they never lose their firmness, they never lose their roots, they never lose their essence.
When they pass, they pass, they transform. Nature is full of life and, as such, is full of many teachers we can turn to, if we respect them, if we are open to that sort of thing.
I understand that many practical minded Karateka are not into this sort of thing, but nature, by its' very nature, is practical, you cannot get more practical than nature, so who better to learn practicality from?

Back to the idea of a tree always being a tree until it ceases being a tree. When Karateka practice Karate they should always be what they are doing until they are finished doing it; immersing themselves, never slipping, always present, regardless, even outside the Dojo, even when just walking down the street to buy groceries, or driving a car, or playing with their children.
My Sensei used to say you always need to be mindful. Mindful in everything, otherwise you are wandering life mindless, habitual, always reacting, never responding.
If you truly employ this, then you will have the tools necessary to avoid confrontation before it begins, though not always, but you will still be prepared. Many people are fond of saying that you should never put yourself in the situation in the first place, sometimes you really don't have a choice.
The spirit of Karate must always be present for Karate to have any life; it is not about what Karate can do, what Karate can provide, or what you will get out of it. Karate is just Karate.
The only Zen on the Mountain is the Zen you bring with you. If it is weak then what is the point in going to the Mountain if you are not willing to put yourself into it? If you are just going through the motions rather than being your true self in that moment in whatever you are doing?

Alan Watts says that people should be viewed as 'verbs' rather than 'nouns,' that I am not David perceiving nature, that nature is expressing, nature is 'Daviding,' I am a process, we are all processes that 'happen,' wiggly, jiggly, alive.
I see this in my children, especially my youngest, my daughter, who is turning 2 next month.
She is bright, she is alive, moving, dancing, singing, curious. She jumped right in the water just the other day and I had to rescue her.
She went from being 2 months premature weighing 3 pounds 9 ounces, spending a month and a half in the hospital to being a strong, well spoken, smart, and loving little girl.
There is nothing she loves more than to dance and sing and when she does it, she does it with her entire being. I hope that the world never makes her believe it has to be any other way, as it has for so many others who could have done so much by just being themselves.

Namaste.

Dog Eat Dog?

2010-06-27T00:32:00.000-07:00

I sometimes think about the term 'practicality' and wonder if it truly applies in this case?
Certainly things can come up that really test our metal, but more often than not the situations are mental or psychological rather than physical, though there is that case few and far between.
Honestly I sit and listen more often than I talk when I am out and about, my wife used to be fond of saying that I trained and people would act impressed and try to impress me, or impress upon me their stories of whatever training they may have had or whatever fights they have been in.
It is interesting to watch the little quirks that come up in these tellings, as though they were some event way back in the glory days of this eighteen to early-twenty-something's mind.

Like a pack of dogs trying to claim some meat, fighting over the alpha and omega, what is really the point?
One hears in the Dojo these days as well, especially with the onset of televised brutality employing angry hard-hitting music as the back-drop, the outlet of angry youth groomed for whatever.
I cannot take away from the athlete, they do train hard, but what do they do with the status they have been granted?
It is obvious when the question is presented, 'Do you fight in the cage? Are you some kind of badass?'
Dude I have four children and bills to pay, fists and feet are the least of my concerns.

There are a few kids out here, old students of mine, I see them from time to time and ask how they are doing as they pull up on their bikes and skateboards.
'Not bad Sensei.' they reply, please call me Dave. I am not the Alpha or the Omega and this is not a pissing contest.
'Are you training at the gym with Thomas Sensei?' I asked them, one always answers, 'The only person I will train with is you.'
Its' an interesting response, I wonder just how that works out since I am training no one, accepting no students, save myself.
I had always urged them to seek out training wherever it was presented and not be confined in one box, one package.
That was my trouble, that was my lesson, I had taken it for granted. One day it was there, the next it was just me.
The Teacher does not leave the student though, the student leaves the Teacher. Though they may not critique punches or kicks, or correct Kata, they will always have something to teach to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.
Yet what is taught? What is learned?

There is something deeper than punching and kicking, life is a Kata and we are all actors on a stage.
While the early-twenty-somethings, either in body or mind, may have something to prove with their stories and displays, what is the real point in spouting off about thousands of battles in such a short timespan in this day and age?
There may come a time when, well, I don't live in that moment just yet and I expect the 'me' in that moment will not have much to say about 'this' moment either.
So I go back the the Chi'ishi, back to the makiwara, back to make-believe for a while.
Every dog has his day, so I just let them have theirs. Maybe they learn something, maybe they don't. Quite a few of the bullies I grew up with have turned out to be pretty decent people and those that have not, well, they are looked after by people like Rory Miller and Matt Thomas. ;)

Movie Time.

2010-06-20T22:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I went and did it. I saw the new Karate Kid flick with my oldest son Gregory for Father's Day.
Honestly, I went in expecting less, but it was actually a pretty good movie if you can get beyond the fact that it is actually theatrical Wushu Acrobatics and not Karate being portrayed in the movie.
That is fine since the first four with Pat Morita were theatrical Karate and not actual Karate to begin with.Hahaha!

Someone pitched a fit about the fact that Jackie Chan was beating up on twelve year olds.
I said, 'Look, those twelve year olds are jumping walls and are basically little Jackie Chan clones, and there are six of them!'
Tell me that person wouldn't defend against a band of six twelve year olds with baseball bats and knives? I'd probably run away as fast as I could. No way I am letting some gang of kids beat me down, let alone anyone else.
He didn't actually 'hit' any of them and he made a good point when he was asked how he 'did that' (basically making the bullies beat up on eachother), 'When fighting a blind angry drunk is best to get out of the way.'

I think it is funny when people come away from a movie like this thinking only about the fighting and 'style' of the fighting.
For one, it is a movie, it is not meant to be taken literally, it is entertainment, theatrical, that is all, there is no 'fighting' about choreography as it is essentially a dance.
It comes out even more in this one with all the high-flying stances and fancy moves they seem to pull off effortlessly in the ring and on the street. Sorry, someone hits the cement that hard at that angle they are going to be hurt A LOT worse. Might not know it right away, but they will later.

People of that type of mindset tended to miss the point entirely, as is usually the case.
Mr. Chan sums it up nicely, 'That is not Kung Fu, that is just a bad man teaching children very bad things.'
The surface moral was about facing down bullies, but the underlying moral was about facing down yourself and 'stilling the waters.'
There was a lot more 'Lao Tzu' in this movie, and that was the best part. Everything else is shock value, hype, it gives it a good edge, a good flavor, a fresh telling of a story that was both old and corny at the same time.
Don't get me wrong, huge fan, I liked Pat Morita - Jackie Chan is no Mr. Miyagi, but Mr. Miyagi is no Mr. Han, and I love how they do not try to make him into what he is not and try to repackage the same character with a different face.

So all-in-all I actually ended up liking the movie.

Crossing The Pond Martial XPO.

2010-06-11T00:35:00.000-07:00

I am thinking I will find the time to attend an event in Seattle this coming August. I miss the crazy road trips with my partner in 'Insanity.'
Personally, it would be worth it just to get thrown around and hurt a little by Kris again, and to be reintroduced to the floor by the likes of Iain Abernethy.
I am also a huge fan of Marc MacYoung, lots of good stuff on violence there, of which I am sure to once again be shown how much I really don't know.

Nicholas Yang is another I would not want to miss; son of Dr. Yang Jwing-ming of YMAA.
I have a fair amount of books by Dr. Yang, I have seen many of his videos and applied what I could to my own playground (henceforth 'practice' shall be called 'playground').
It will be like exploring the root foundations of everything that has been visited upon me over the years, like visiting my great great grandfather in the sense of principles.

Al Peasland, getting down and dirty with a no-nonsense approach, having learned from Geoff Thompson, another individual of which I am a huge fan, I'm sure we will see concepts such as 'The Fence,' and knowing 'fear' as part of the cirriculum he has planned, or not planned depending on his approach. It will be insightful.

Honestly, those two days are going to be awesome and I don't see how all that information can be condensed.
There again, Kris has always delivered a lot of information in just a few hours, and, surprisingly, it has been retained in a fair amount of detail. I cannot say that I grasp it, but the retention has allowed me to work on it, to fumble around with it.
I'm certain this will be exactly the same, especially considering the amount of experience that is involved.

Crossing The Pond is going to be a serious Martial X-PO. ;) Seattle, August 14th - 15th.
http://crossingthepond.webs.com/

To Punch, Not Push.

2010-06-11T00:19:00.000-07:00

It is my goal to punch, not to push. As such I must understand the difference between the two.
I can still remember the words of Ito and Wilder, punch heavy, not hard. Like a sneeze, sudden, quick, done.

Going through mental motions of phone book training, I feel I was looking too much for physical results, which resulted in my striking being more of a push than an actual strike.
A push will move something, though it may not cause much damage it will definitely give the advantage of distance so that a person can tuck-tail and get the hell out of dodge, which is fine, more favorable than a trip to jail, the hospital, or the morgue.
A strike will penetrate and burst, though there will be little movement in an object like a heavy-bag, but one can definitely feel it on the receiving end of the phone book.
An 'ouch' or 'grunt' is positive feedback where a heavy-bag cannot give as much, though is still good in the feedback it does provide.
A lot of people like to make that thing move, especially teenagers when a cute girl comes in.haha!

I used to see how hard I could kick the heavy bag in the old Suncrest Dojo before students came in, they thought it was cool to see the thing move and hear the boom of the kick.
Not really a good kick, I would tell them, certainly if it landed it could do some damage but it was too high for one and the kick could be seen a mile away, giving ample time for response while placing me in a very bad position.
I great lesson to them and to me of what not to do. As a result we spent an entire month focusing on more practical approaches; I would bounce ideas off them, they would bounce ideas off me, that was usually the jist of training in those days, experiments, got their brains working and, as a result, improved their homework skills at the same time because it got them to look at things a little closer.

It was also a way of making the exploration a bit more enjoyable and less regimented, less line training, more partner work; instead of me talking my head off and acting like the authority I am not, it gave attention to everyone who had an idea to share.
Another way of looking at 'To punch, not push' in a broader sense outside of 'physical' manifestation of technique.

What did we come up with? Pretty much the same thing that has already been said a thousand times before by people much more experienced than myself.
I remain the humble idiot, you need to check out their works (as I am certain many of you have already done).

Adding to Hojo Undo.

2010-06-10T23:45:00.001-07:00

We have this whip in the house, almost like the whip you would use while riding a horse.
I really don't know where it came from, it just showed up in the downstairs living area one day and is a favorite toy of Herbert, Guy's cat.

Playing around with this thing I have found more than a few great wrist work-outs, a natural addition to Hojo Undo training.
In my view Hojo Undo is not about building strength, primarily, it is about different approaches to learning about body movement, each impliment with a different aim in mind.
The whip, for me, has been providing me with some lessons in Fa-Jing and applying these lessons to my Kata has been extremely beneficial.
At first it is natural to just whip with the arm, but my goal is always to incorporate the whole body, from the ground up, and somethings from above to the ground depending on the movement, it can go many different ways, but there are basics that help to move more naturally as one unit (I do not like the word 'govern' because it implies regimented force).

I cannot really say much about the internal nature of the exercises, that is something best left undescribed, relegated to the realm of experience.
The notion was actually Guy's, but I remember not long ago seeing a Kempo student use a whip to win first place in a tournament; it was extremely innovative, creative, probably useful in its' place, at least for training.
A lot of people are stuck on the idea that 'traditional' implies fixed, so they only turn to the impliments we all know, very rarely do you ever see a yard rake or a whip in a Dojo.
You might see jump-ropes, heavy bags, kicking pads, and focus mitts, but often people do not associate even these things with 'Hojo Undo,' they have a very strict outlook on it.
In actuality the Okinawans used what they had, so why can't that tradition continue? Who says it is only about Makiwara, Chi'ishi, Nigiri Game, ect?
These barriers need to be broken while, at the same time, respected; however, respect can be shown in the very act of breaking barriers down. Miyagi himself added the Kongo Ken, an impliment from Hawaii.

It is like those who feel Zen is an entirely passive thing, peaceful, non-violent. Well, they have not heard of Lin Chi. ;)

Richness in Experience.

2010-06-10T13:13:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I saw the thunderheads rolling in across the tree-line, while veryone was in a rush to get indoors I stayed in the backyard practicing Kata and even sat down for some Zazen while the rain drenched me to the bone.
It was one of those storms where the air is charged, you know there is going to be thunder and lightning; the rain just kept coming down harder and harder, but I did not feel any different than one of the trees, at one point I just stood there and took in the full experience.
Now it is dry and calm, another unique experience to which I immediately went outside and just stood.
Yesterday morning it was sunny and warm, so I went outside and practiced what I call a 'sun-soaking' meditation; I used to visualize things along with this, but again, I just stood and felt the heat. You don't get balled up inside when you don't force something, and the experience was rich.

Today it is a bit overcast, we may have some more rain. Thanks Seattle, now that the axis is off a bit we are getting your weather. ;)
Experience is a good thing; far better than talking about things all day long, fueling the differing opinions that people might hold, best just to drop them and feel, hear, see, experience.
Drop the Makkyo and enter 'Ku,' the way of the empty hand does not just mean the hand that holds nothing.
Or does it? Dang, there is another opinion!

Non-legacy of a Disorganization.

2010-06-07T21:43:00.001-07:00

Sitting down having a conversation with my good friend Guy about all sorts of things, which turned to the topic of Martial Arts.
I rather like the looseness of the Disorganization I have perpetuated in my student; that is precisely what it is, a Disorganization, a non-style.
He informed me that he had been teaching some kid in town, to which I was amazed and asked if he remembered, he said no.
Good! Progress in Regress! He calls it Guy-Jo.hahaha!

A while back I had told him that the most valuable thing he could learn was Hara-gei, breathing, and that was the only technique there was in Karate.
You have your breathing, you have the breathing of your opponent, you can tell by the breath when something is coming and you can train your breath to disguise your own intent.
Everything else, whether a punch, a kick, a throw, a lock, whatever, it all arises through breath and the only real aim is to survive.
In that moment everything else is stripped away and you know what you are left with, there is only breath.

He came to me asking me to teach him, but I explained to him that I could not teach him anything, that I could show him how I was shown, and show him how I understand what I do, but he would have to find his own way.
At a certain point I stepped back, he took to it with great dedication, practicing day-in and day-out, ingraining, then unlearning.

Not a one can say they will carry on my art, not a one can say they will carry on Guy's art.
I passed nothing on, as nothing was passed on to me; all my Teacher did was introduce me to myself.
That, indeed, is worthy of thanks, for to know one-self is a great gift, but it is a gift that not one can give, that you must discover for yourself.
As Sensei once said, 'You might be able to Bullshit me, but you cannot Bullshit the Bullshitter.'

Unlike Organizations and Styles perpetuated by some sense of legacy, I do not expect Guy to ask my permission to Teach, because he is not really teaching anything and he owes no allegiance to me.
If someone bows at my feet, I think it better to kick a little dirt in their eyes so they quickly get up and learn how to stand on their own two feet again.

Karate Master Shrub.

2010-06-07T21:19:00.000-07:00

I was sitting with my oldest son Gregory today outside the local Pizza place after his baseball game was over.
He asked if I remembered going to a really big mansion last year for an end of the season party; I remembered.
He said something about how those people were really rich and how much fun he had in their backyard pool, which was a really cool artificial lagoon-type area made specifically for adult parties, not necessarily with children in mind.

His mind was going a mile a minute, as is the case with most children, as he kept talking about all sorts of different things and kept asking when his Mom and Brothers were going to show up for the Pizza Party.
They had to make a stop at the house because the little ones decided to go play in a giant mud puddle.

I noticed a bush beside us, how big it had gotten over the years. I turned to my son and said, 'Hey Gregory, you see that bush?' He nodded, 'See how big it has gotten? It wants for nothing because it has everything it needs and nothing more.'
He was quiet as I talked, 'It also helps the other bushes to have what they need to, in a network, like a family, they help each other, not having more than they need.'
He still said nothing, 'People too,' I said, 'helps these plants in an even bigger network, but people often have more than they need. While they can help these plants, which is fine, it is only in extreme circumstances that they turn and help one another.'
I don't think he had the vaguest idea where this was going, but in truth, it was going nowhere imparticular, 'The people you say are rich may have a lot of money,' I said, 'they worked hard to get it, that is their thing, but perhaps they were rich before they had a big house and lots of money. There is more than one kind of rich.'

He sat for a moment. I could see his gears turning, he nodded and gave me a hug. Then he was back to a mile a minute.
Always in such a hurry, either thinking about the future, or thinking about the past, but on that baseball field he is in the moment. One day his pendulum of a mind will stopp and find equilibrium. There are already signs that the swinging has grown less extreme.
He asked when I would give him his next Karate lesson to which I replied, 'You just had it.'
Yeah. I know, he's a kid, he may not understand now, but more people do a grave injustice when they under-estimate the comprehensive ability of a child.

Why Did You Stop?

2010-06-07T00:51:00.000-07:00

I remember going through a Kata infront of my Teacher (many Kata on many different occasions in fact) which I had messed up the sequence and stopped myself.
He used to ask, 'Why did you stop yourself? It may be wrong in one context, but there really is no wrong way.'
Honestly it was a mental road-block, a product of how rigid I had become, how attached and dependent I had become on the 'thing' that really was nothing more than a silly notion.
Tournament oriented training tends to do that to a person, when you have something ingrained that it becomes standardized and you conform to doing it a certain way, you set yourself up in a box and it is very hard to break it.
Society is the exact same way, humans, by nature, are tribal-minded people and, in the majority, will conform to the majority.
That is why so many things are considered 'taboo,' some things are taboo for a reason, like crimes that protect people from harm, especially children.

Other things seem to be taboo without reason, they just are because that is what the majority has decreed.
That is how we get tradition, majority decrees and keeps decreeing, passing down that decree through successive generations. After a time they may stop questioning, but then there comes the wrench in their machine, those individuals that do question and then realize the absurdity of such a thing, possibly even the absurdity of having to question itself.
Why did I stop? That was a wrench in my cogs and it stopped me dead in my tracks. I did not have an answer, I could not think of any reason and that, itself, was the point of the lesson, 'You think too much Hyo-san!'

At the time I was young and stupid, now I am getting older, still stupid, but realize that stupidity might not be such a bad thing in that respect.
His house was a miniature Zen Center, he had spent a lot of time at Tassajara, and I had been assigned two duties that were reserved for the senior student in such a setting.
Before he told me what they were I was very eager to accept them, but then he said to clean the bathroom and prepare breakfast for the retreat group. No longer an eager attendee.
It actually was not so bad, the bathroom taught me a lot about mindfulness, thorough detachment, humility, and a number of other things that would take a book to describe to any degree.
Being Tenzo in the kitchen was hard work, but very insightful and quite enjoyable. I spent a lot of time with Sensei just learning how to cook different things, presentation, timeliness, proper serving in an Oryoki style meal.
As a result my Zazen sessions were often not with the group, but there was always time, and the work itself was active meditation, sortof like Kinhin (Walking Meditation)in the early mornings between sessions.
I also had the role of Do-an, the guy who clicked the beat and kept the speed of the Sutra recitation, rang the bells at certain points, but that was very hard and I did not quite catch a knack for it.
I had the joy of going to an early morning Sitting with Sensei to the Olympia Zen Center which was an educational trip unto itself, though I don't think intellectualizing it the point at all, so in giving it a point I missed the point entirely!

Ultimately the sessions with Sensei were not as rigid as Olympia Zen Center; I must say that I do not really care much for the religious side of things, I am rather a spiritually oriented person and like things to be natural, room for spontaneity, that sort of thing.
There was, perhaps, reason for all that, but it was lost on me and again, I think adding reason or looking for reason is missing the point as well.

Anyways, this taught me the broader sense of the meaning of Kata, that it should not be so rigid and it is certainly not dependent on a pattern, there must always be room for freedom and nature.
Do I stop now? Heck! I have trouble remembering Kakuha Dai Ni, but I still go through something based on it; amazingly it leads to some very interesting places, but it would make absolutely no sense without 'getting the mind into it' like playing pirates as mentioned earlier, or my Bokken pretend play this morning.

The Dao of Laughter.

2010-06-07T00:20:00.000-07:00

Today I woke up and sat in Zazen after a nice cold morning shower and, instead of just sitting, I immediately started giggling uncontrollably.
Things transpired that set me back a bit, there was a tremendous amount of stress overwhelming me and it was hard to know what was up from down; in reality there is no up or down.
We all like to think from our little boxes, looking about, labeling as we go in an effort to make sense of the senseless.
That is my own observation of things, and that is the comedy and tragedy of the condition in which we find ourselves.

So there I was thinking about not thinking, then I realized just how silly that was; trying not to try is like trying to breath. You end up balling yourself up inside, making it more difficult than it has to be.
So I started giggling and it all seemed to come together, or fall apart depending on which side of the proverbial glass you happen to be coming from.
I spent the whole time sitting in full lotus just laughing my ass off at nothing at all; inexplicable, incomprehensible, indescribable.

After that I went outside and stood in the rain, just listening, watching, then it hit me, 'what a snotty day it is!' I laughed even harder.
No, I am not on drugs.
I went inside, grabbed my Bokken and played around with it; paying attention to motions as though waves on the surface of the ocean, how did I move? Not mechanical-minded, but organic.
I did have a mind to really get into the act, I pretended to be fighting a duel, really got myself worked into a frenzy, but what a 'session' that was.
After that I did some stretches, played a few movements from 'Kata' and then started laughing again.

I think this is where we have brokken down a bit. We think of practice as practice instead of play.
Again with the play! We take ourselves too seriously, we have become way too rigid in the way we do things, as if we are marching to certain doom to the beat of some unknown drum.
That is 'clock' thinking, ticking our lives away to stay on time and on target. If you stop hearing the ticking you might actually feel the rhythm and find the flow; instead of constantly living over 'there' you will live right 'here.'
Do you really need to be any particular place? What is the importance of the destination? Day-to-day does not have to be a drudgery and putting on a Gi does not have to be a job, it does not have to be a serious matter at all!
What did you do when you were a kid? Did you kick around going 'okay, it is time to practice pirates now. Let's hurry up and get it over with.'
Not me, not my kids, I always jump at a chance to play pirates with them and we lose ourselves in it, we play for hours and time seems to stop, until we stop and actually take notice at just how much time has gone by.

Funny thing about that. They have learned quite a bit about Budo through our little games without my even intending it.
Little spunges! We have our fake little duels, sometimes with fake swords, sometimes I pretend to lose my sword and go empty-handed, sometimes they genuinely disarm me and I have to go empty-handed anyways.
In either case, it is natural to fall back on 'training' and it has not been my intention to impart that, but they pick up on it and do play at it. Because of that approach they have become quite good.
Whether or not it is something they intend to pursue later on is entirely up to them. Some would force the issue, having some legacy complex, that is ego. That would add the drudge and work back into it and take away the chance for fun and spontaneity.
What is the point if you make a point of it? That is the paradox, you lose the point and become lost within yourself if you add a point of making it important, of making it rigid and 'boxed up.'

Nature does not work that way, as part of nature, humans are not meant to work that way either.

Knowing and Understanding.

2010-05-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

The notion of self improvement goes hand-in-hand with Self Defense. I hear it all the time, the best defense is not to have to defend in the first place.
It is easier said than done when it comes to self-cultivation, but that is key, we are not training for aggression, we are training to understand aggression to know how best to deal with it in ourselves.
Buddha did not say to have no passion, but he did teach about being mindful of our passions that they do not rule us.

We have seen the belligerant person time and again, ruled by that aggressive obsessive fire inside, blinded by it, lead by it, they cannot control it; it dominates them and when it takes hold it carries them off into the firey pits of Hell created in their own minds.
Manifesting in their bodies, it can, and will, destroy them both mentally and physically.
They say stress kills, and what is the definition of stress if not something that effects an object under extreme pressure?
In a fire a log breaks down, in deep water a Submarine is squeezed like a tin-can; at least the older subs were.
Constant stress weakens a thing, breaks it down. This is what aggressive passions do to us.

Everything has its' place though, nothing can be discounted just because it is unfavorable.
It is there when we need it, but must be reserved and controlled. You really cannot get this from Dojo training. You can analyze it, which can help, but exposure is the only real way.
Zen teaches about direct experience, and experience yields insight, insight yields understanding, to understand means to truly know - Gnosis. I gather there are few who truly KNOW and many who think they know.
In either case, I suppose analytical or intellectual knowledge is better than nothing, it is a starting point, and we really cannot attach to it one way or another, accept it as it is, or leave it as it is. We are in a study of ourselves; as Socrates once said, 'Know thy self,' that is where the journey begins. Where it goes beyond that is up to each of you.

Lions, and Tigers, and Bears, Oh My!

2010-05-25T10:35:00.000-07:00

What a week, only Tuesday and it has already been one of those weeks. My youngest son Garretty had to go in for a CT Scan last night because he had fallen and hit his head on some pavement.
He was complaining about not feeling right in the head, his hands and feet were cold, he was passing out and unresponsive. Wife rushed him to the ER at Holy Family, they did the CT Scan and said he was fine, just knocked himself a good one.

Close call there, I was worried for the poor little guy. Myself, I have an MRI scheduled for tomorrow, as I had gone in to Urgent Care complaining about severe headaches, forgetfulness, blurred vision, numbness, sore joints, fatigue, ect.
Fun little visit that was! I don't really go to the doctor as it is, and as it turns out, the first time in nearly 15 years that I do go they want to check for a tumor or an anneurism.
It is probably nothing, but it was enough to hit home with the whole concept of mortality.
What's that Doc? You mean that CAN happen to me?

I guess it would make sense, I have been hit in the head a lot, but generally I don't forget anything.
In either case it is probably just stress and over-exertion. Been having troubles practicing Zazen, forget bits and pieces of Kata, even those Kata that I have been practicing non-stop for years.
It is crazy, early senility? Maybe it is progress? Forgetting myself to find myself? Some wierd twisted thing that will liberate ME from me?

I'll bite. I may not even go to the MRI, I don't like the idea of them injecting a bunch of dye into my blood stream.
Other than those issues I am in perfect health, tip-top shape, it was a good visit, but not one I care to repeat.
For those who think I am being stubborn or that I am acting out of ignorance, please note that I work in health care and keep up on these things. There are a number of health issues coming to light that are associated with the dye they inject during this type of MRI.
There is reason for pause.

I guess the main point of this post is mortality, and the fact that we don't really have a lot of time and, really, all we have is the moment.
The bouts of memory loss have taught me that the only real reality is this reality, right here, right now, that memories are well and fine, that future aspirations are well and fine, but all we really have is here and now; there is no warranty, buyer beware, it is 'as is.'
This moment of a thousand moments is just another moment in the grand scheme of moments.
Even that is a delayed experience.

Courtesy and Manners.

2010-05-11T09:23:00.000-07:00

I had been doing a bit of family research for a while, mainly dealing with my Grandfather's side, the Leininger line.
Interestingly I found that we were decended from Nobility in Leiningen Germany, which is still a major center of German Culture today.
His parents were emigrants, having come to America just before Hitler came to power, he was born in Idaho in a hospital that is now a retirement home. Now that is irony.

He was a simply sort of person who never asked anything of anyone that he, himself, would not do, nor did he really say anything that was the opposite of what he did. I cannot say that was always the case, but that was the case when I knew him.
These days I notice a rise in behavior that would suggest the degredation of society as a whole, and it is really disheartening.
I find myself questioning just what happened? Where did it start to go downhill? I had ran into people who were considered the 'pillars' of community who often said one thing and did another, that has been common for a long time, but it seems even more common in recent years, right up to now.

Not only has courtesy and manners disappeared in the younger crowd, but it seems to have disappeared in some of the older crowd as well, if, indeed, it ever existed there to begin with?
Perhaps it has been a rarity that people have actually taken to heart and acted upon such moral principles?? For me, it would seem I am among a minority, even when I go to other Dojos, Churches, or Temples, places I would expect to find others of like mind.
Certainly there are a few I have come across, but again, it seems to be a minority. There are few people, these days, that I can truly say are deserving of respect.

It is not just about being true to yourself, but about being true to your foundations, your principles, your morals.
Not even being a slave to them, but consulting them often in every action you take, every word you speak.
Not an easy path for anyone to follow, but if life were meant to be easy we would all be living comfortably without ever having to face hardship of any kind, even death.
That is not the case, however, and there is a reason for such hardship; more often than not we end up ignoring lessons from which we would be wise to learn.

It seems, more and more, that something is in the air, or perhaps in the water, but there is a general feeling all around, heavy and thick, in your face, hard to miss for those not ignoring the obvious.
Is it a downward spiral or preparation for something else? All great changes happen with a period of great tribulation, case in point, the change from the old heirarchy in Germany to a new one, maybe not a better one, but definitely it was a new one in those days.

In the end I feel I must ask what does it truly mean to be 'noble?' Buddha spoke of the four 'Noble' truths, but what does that truly mean? I have heard reference to 'Noble' hearts, but I have rarely seen it.
When I have seen it it has been a real gift of which I am always thankful to have witnessed.
This modern age is in desperate need of people who can be examples, not perfect, but examples of Chivalry and Nobility, of Courtesy and Manners, of Respect, Honesty, Loyalty, Justice, and true Kinship.

It is troubling that we only have the minority at present, and we should all be mindful of what that could mean should this trend continue. Even Martial Artists, especially Martial Artists.

Dedication of a Chicken.

2010-05-11T07:44:00.000-07:00

In my old Dojo they had what were called the 'Six Articles' that outlined principles of training and living, in addition to this, they had the Dojo Kun.
One of these six articles states that we should strive to agree in heart and technique, or heart and body; meaning there should be no hesitation, that, once unified, the intent is carried out to the very end.
This can be taken in a number of ways and most certainly is not just for training or for resolving confrontation.

At work, one should strive to do the work they have been hired to do; what good is an employee who only puts half their heart in something and really only strives for the bare minimum?
In parenting a parent must be wholehearted about everything they do, otherwise their half-heartedness will show in what their children take away from the experience when it is time for them to face the bigger world.
In friendship a friend should strive to truly be a friend, not only when it is convenient, all the time. A good friend will give their all to those they care about, they are trustworthy to the very end.
In life one should never strive to be half-hearted, otherwise life will turn back on you and leave you in ruin.

This touches on other areas, such as loyalty, the courage to stand up for what is right, the willingness to take risks and to see those actions through to completion.
If you strike with only half a heart, half a mind, then you only have half the power and will find yourself coming up short, in confrontation this means you either find yourself either in a hospital bed or in the morgue.
There is no second place in this arena, there is the one who walks away and the one who does not; the real goal is not to get involved in the first place and if you find yourself involved then I wonder just what went wrong? Perhaps nothing, perhaps everything.
The same is true in all other areas of life.

I have heard the saying time and again that when a Samurai sets out to make a cut in a duel, though their head be cut off, they still complete the cut.
I wonder if that is true? In either case, the lesson in the saying is very clear. A lot of people see such majestic animals, like bears, wolves, tigers, ect., as the embodiment of favorable principles to cultivate.
Personally I think the chicken gets a bad rap; a chicken will run around with its' head cut off, then fall over and die.
There is even the case of a Chicken that lived quite a bit longer with no head (Ripley's Believe it or Not).
Perhaps there is an explanation for this, but I am not interested in the details of that at just this moment, I think the underlying lesson is clear in this as well.

Next time someone calls you a chicken, point them out to the fact that a chicken's peck is lightning quick and extremely painful (I can attest to that by personal experience) and that they can still run around with no head.
So, of course, you are dedicated to preserving life and you will see that through to completion.

Do The Right Thing.

2010-05-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

I remember an email I received from Wilder Sensei that said 'Our only by-law is as follows; do the right thing.'
To me, I took that literally, for one cannot do the right thing in the Dojo if they also cannot do the right thing in life.
That means that one needs to stand up against things that are not right; does this mean that one is 'holier than thou?' Perhaps not, but that does not mean one should not do the right thing, if not for lack of faults, then because of them.

We all have faults and no one is perfect, but if you have had enough sense to learn from your own faults, to accept and move beyond your own imperfections, then that is a prime example to follow.
You have gained wisdom, wisdom enough to guide people in doing the right thing when the need arises, and wisdom enough to continue to guide yourself down the same path.

Certainly people will only seek help if they want help, but that does not mean you do not call B.S. when you see it and take a stand against it in order to provide some perspective for future corrections, if not immediate.
This is ultimately not for the squeamish, for doing the right thing is often no the easy thing to do.
People often do not like to hear what is true, and people will ignore the truth in themselves to the bitter end; so skillful means is necessary when dealing with people, tact.
To seek an end without confrontation is ultimately the goal, but not to shy away from doing what is right even in face of tremendous confrontation requires tremendous strength to stay the course.

Even if that course brings you in conflict with those you love, if it must be done, then it must be done.
As a father, a husband, and a teacher this is the stance I take, and I do not take it lightly.
I cannot just fly off the cuff at the drop of a hat, that would not be doing the right thing, I must seek to do the right thing when it must be done and ensure that I am acting for the right reason, otherwise it is a moot point.

We should not only seek to keep ourselves on the straight and narrow physically as far as techniques are concerned.
We should seek to keep ourselves on the straight and narrow mentally and spiritually as well, standing up for others and ourselves, to do what is right in the face of adversity, regardless. No excuses.

Spirit.

2010-05-04T12:13:00.000-07:00

I have not been taking on new students and have not really offered further instruction to old students.
Frankly, if they want instruction, that is fine, I will give it if they ask for it, but so far no one has asked and ultimately what can I really teach them?

Life is full of curveballs and I have been dealing with things in stride; Faced down areas within myself that do not make me particularly proud, but that is what life has seen fit to throw at me, for whatever reason that is - I am not meant to understand at this particular juncture.
The strong do not become strong by taking the easy road, and it would be incorrect of me to assume that any road is easy.
If I were meant to take that road, then life would have been easy from the start, but it has not, nor do I expect it to be, for I have no right to entitlement.

I once lived in a tent in Port Hadlock, it was a great accomplishment to move up to a camper, and from there, to move up to an apartment with a decent job.
Those are small accomplishments that can vanish at any moment, they do not last, nothing ever lasts, for life has its' ups and downs and each of us must face what comes our way.
If we choose to ignore things then we are missing the point and that very point may stab us in the heart.

I remember a story I once read about a man that was challenged to a duel by a Samurai over some perceived disrespect.
The man did not know how to wield a sword, so he was sure to be defeated; he went to a well known sword master to seek instruction before the duel was to take place, but the Master told the man that he could teach him nothing, that all he needed was right there, in the fact that he would surely die.
The man faced the samurai with full conviction that he would surely die, the Samurai bowed and said he would surely have been defeated.

I always thought it was a curious story, but in truth, we are all in the same boat, yet many choose to ignore it and whine about how hard things get - they do this so often that all the good times tend to pass them by.
If we are to appreciate things for what they are, as if we have no time left or, at least, are on borrowed time (which would not be far off the mark) then we can really appreciate things to their fullest.

Physical techniques are all well and fine, but what are we learning beyond that? For many it is nothing more than a pass-time, a hobby, which is great; I am a hobbyist too, but that does not mean we cannot delve a little deeper.
I have seen knowledgeable and skilled people come and go, but very few really possessed something that really showed much spark.
They win trophies, they get their black belt, then they quit. Is this how life is going to go?? Honestly, those are small accomplishments that do not last. How does it translate to the bigger picture if nothing is instilled?

Examples 2 - Warriorship.

2010-05-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

I come from a long line of warriors, Military men from the Army and the Marines; my Uncle Jerry was blown up in vietnam, walks around with a hole in his hip the size of a fist because of some stray bouncing betty.
He goes off at the sound of mortars on the 4th of July, at that point you know to hide the guns and the knives, otherwise someone is going to get hurt.
He also cannot look a vietnamese person in the eye, often citing the fact that he feels he was cheated, but he goes on.

A true warrior does not expect a heroe's welcome, they do not expect great treatment, they just do what they need to do, whether or not they are liked or disliked in the end.
When all is said and done, they either welcome the heroe's treatment with humble courtesy, or they pick up the pieces, in either case they move on.
My Uncle has always said, he, I am getting old, but so are you! In the end he is about the most unhealthy person on the planet, but his spiritual constitution is healthier than mine!

I remember a conversation during Christmas, when he was given a new Marine Corpse flag and an officer's sword.
I had turned to him and said, 'You were no officer!' to which he answered, 'I was for about two seconds, field promotion to Lieutenant until I decked my CO in order to get back in the shit!'
He then proceeded to tell me what it was like to sneak up on someone and cut their throat, can't understand why he chose that particular moment to share this bit of information, but conversations are always interesting when he is around.

My grandfather was the same way, he used to tell me stories about World War II and teach me a few things here and there.
He had to hide among bodies, under a bridge with a bullet wound in his leg while the Germans marched over a bridge directly above him.
I had a lot of respect for my Grandfather, but it was not for this, it was for the fact that he was and is my Grandfather, the strength he exuded was astounding.

My Uncle Bruce and I are quite possibly the most alike; he served in the Army like my Grandfather, an MP who went on to become a member of the Bremerton PD; he trained their SWAT team and conducted a number of raids.
A soft spoken individual who also had stories to tell, but they were few and far between, not that he did not have as many, he just kept them to himself, and kept them vague, like some old sage living in the hills.
He ended up, like most Police Officers in the area, a divorced alcoholic; many people in the family have written him off, but he still goes on and ultimately has not changed at the core.

My own father was a member of the Army Corpse of Engineers as an explosives expert; that would explain a lot about my own obsessions with homemade explosives around the fourth of July.
Honestly, though, there is not a whole lot I can say about this guy, other than he has had to deal with a lot throughout his life and much of what he has done has been to benefit those around him, especially his mother - citing her financial difficulties as his reason for joining the Army in the first place.
Now he struggles to make ends meat, yet he managed to raise two more children on his own and deal with his own grief over my absense for all these years.

I honestly don't know why I am writing any of this, it just seemed like the thing to do at the time, and I wonder if anyone will get anything out of it, whether in relation to their training, or their lives.
We may all feel like the whole world is against us at times, that is when we need to remain humble and look to the examples around us for strength and wisdom.
Though something may seem hard to do on the training floor, it is not impossible, it is only our own hearts (or our lack of heart) that prevents us from doing what we consider 'impossible' or even from following through once we have initiated.
It is our own doubt, our own inner instability that hinders us; at the same time the same things challenge us, weaknesses are strengths and strengths are found in weakness.
It is up to us to turn this around and finally ally ourselves within, not to combat ourselves as is the case at the beginning.

The story of the Ox is a very good Zen story that illustrates this, from seeking, to taming, to riding.
Not only should we strive to ride that ox, we should treat the ox well and make him our friend.
We do not need to be our own worst enemy, especially in hard times.

Not only should we strive to follow good exmaples and avoid the pitfalls of bad exmaples, we should strive to go a step further and become examples ourselves, to move beyond simply emulating and actually strive to be better examples.
A good Teacher, a good parent; they always want their students, their children, to surpass themselves.
As children and students, we should seek nothing more than to achieve that wish, to surpass our teachers, our parents, our elders.

The Great Wilderness.

2010-05-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

I find myself in some strange wilderness of comings and goings, where things are gone as soon as they appear and no less right when they register in my limited awareness of 'things' that are really not things at all.
Mortality is a gift and a curse, we enter this world, and we leave this world; there is no two ways about it, for what does not enter cannot leave, and what cannot leave may not enter.

I once pondered just what a perfect Kata might look like, then I went to the kitchen and cooked some eggs.
I had some orange juice with my breakfast, still pondering the unthinkable when it hit me that there is no such thing; that which cannot leave may not enter.

I cannot say if it is the same for someone else, for everyone experiences differently the things that we might experience, but for me, there really are no things being experienced, for the sheer memory itself never was.
By the time we come around to the experience, the catalyst has already vanished, so where, then is the cause?

Lately that beast has been staring me in the face, ugly little bugger looks kindof like my grandfather, sometimes like my Sensei, but in the end it is no one else but my own face.
That is what makes the situation so strange, yet so familiar, so sad, yet so hilarious.
What does it really mean? I am in this wilderness for a reason, wandering alone, yet not alone, hand-in-hand with whoever, or whatever is really there, and that, too, is none-other than myself.
What does not enter may never exit, and what does not exit may never enter. The gateless gate is somewhere around here, lost in the midst of the ultimate nowhere.

Examples.

2010-04-30T16:44:00.000-07:00

The word must be in the heart before the heart is in the word; this is most definitely true moreso of action.
As a parent I need to teach by example, because words seldom sink in. A good example will not cover up their mistakes and pretend they are perfect, they will acknowledge their mistakes and seek ways to learn from them.

No one is perfect, no one can even approach perfection; perfection is an illusion as far as that goes.
We are all flawed in our own unique ways and we can always stand to learn a thing or two from that.
So don't ever think yourself too good, or think yourself 'above' anything, chances are that something will come along and take you down a peg or two.

Three Rules - Kris Wilder's Challenge.

2010-04-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

Wilder Sensei posed an interesting challenge to everyone based on a quotation from Descartes.
Name three rules/laws that are of utmost importance and are strictly enforced. Three being the 'magic number' as he put it, though he did say one could go down to two, which would be great.

I got to thinking about this for myself and realized there are a number of principles over the years and that it is really hard to narrow it down to three that I find to be most important.
So this is something that I need to do and I need to define my training strictly around those three principles, everything else MUST go into the waste basket; cut off all the rough edges and simplify.
So I think that would be principle number one; now, how to do this? How would this be strictly enforced? I think it needs to start with a mindset of really looking at what I am doing, asking questions then ask what would make things more efficient.

Simplicity promotes efficiency, efficiency, at least to me, implies natural. What exactly does that mean?
Efficiency would mean effective, but would also imply quick, right back to that martial quickness; the widdling down of movements in principle based on physics, not necessarily to speed them up, but to shorten the reaction time by taking out all the waste.
This leads to an understanding of how the body moves, and, most importantly, how it should move, how it CAN move in a more efficient manner.
Interesting. I don't think I can really describe it without using the term in the description.
Simplicity feeds efficiency feeds natural motion; natural motion being the most natural way to move.

I think I am getting ahead of myself here, because the three principles lead into others, and then others, ad infinitum.
But three, strictly enforced, would naturally cover all others within themselves, without having to really pay them any mind. At least in principle.
Again, another principle, interdependence, interconnectedness, balance. I will have to look more at this and see where it goes.
I am honestly uncertain whether he meant strategy, or what? I think maybe I am on the wrong foot here in the fact that the principles should encompass strategy, so it must be looked at a little deeper.

I think I'll shoot him a line, I am curious as to how he is approaching this; the angle would put things in perspective. Thoughts anyone?

Meaning.

2010-04-28T15:50:00.001-07:00

If there is anything I have learned over the years is that I have learned absolutely nothing at all.
Budo is not the be all and the end all, it is a lense through which to view life's experiences, like training wheels, in order to hone the mind to a razor's edge, combining mind, body, and spirit to the fullest.

One cannot face down hardship without having some kind of foundation from which to work and expect to come out the other end unscathed, even with a foundation there are going to be bumps and bruises on the way.
Ultimately the answers are on the training floor, but the answers are not found in Budo, Budo is the guide, the answers are found in the experience.

Lately I have noticed that the old axiom 'There is a reason for everything' that used to be a mantra at the old Bremerton Dojo is very true in more ways than one. Nothing ever happens by accident and there is something to be gained from absolutely everything, there is reason, there is rhyme. Life is art.
If we know how to read the book of life, then we will be alright, we will find what we are supposed to find, but if we do not know how to read, then we are groping in the dark.

Some people are well spoken, but do not truly understand what it is they are saying because their heart is not in the word and the word is not in their heart.
It is the very same with Budo, some people are very skilled, but do not truly understand that skill to any depth beyond the surface.
I remember going to Church as a kid and taking in everything that was said, then finding out several years later that the Preacher who said it was arrested on a number of charges - his heart was not in the word.
The same thing happened with my Teacher's Teacher; he talked about living truthfully, courteously, respectfully, but still managed to break that trust through the actions he took.

We're all human, and no human being is perfect; there is always something to work on and I suppose I would rather learn from someone who realizes this than someone who denies this in themselves.
I would rather seek to affirm this and be an example for my students of both what to do and what not to do - they have to learn somewhere and it provides a good balance in some instances, this is what is needed.

What does this have to do with anything? Hardship can define us, or perhaps it just reveals us, definition is not the correct approach to such a thing.
I realize I have gotten a bit more spiritual in my approach to things as of lately, but that seems to be the way the path is going for me at this point. Does that mean there is no practicality?
On the contrary, I have found some of the greatest spiritual insights from some of the most practically minded people, some of the people that have stared the beast in the face.
Training should be no less involved and no more wishy-washy than before. The spiritual unified with the physical; blood, sweat, and tears.

I have found that each experience brings with it something unique, something that challenges me on a different level.
However difficult it might be, no matter what part of myself it might reveal, it is what it is, and it is always a unique experience.
Not necessarily a comfortable experience, not necessarily a safe experience either; life comes with risk, and understanding to such depths is even riskier, anyone that tells you there is an easy way is trying to sell you something, or they have spiked the koolaid. Don't drink it.

I have not come full circle, I am no better than I was before, I am quite a bit withdrawn as everything seems so strange and unfamiliar.
Now that is a scary experience, unique, but scary; when everything flips upside down and shakes around, you are not quite certain of your footing.
That is what we train for, life in a blender, where nothing is certain, at least that we can reasonably discern - for we are not meant to know everything, we are just meant to walk the path and pay attention.
There is definitely a reason for everything, however, again, whether or not we perceive such reason.

Keep training in whatever capacity you can, in whatever way you choose, in whatever manifestation it happens to unfold.

Insult to Injury.

2010-04-28T12:34:00.000-07:00

So recently I came down with a serious illness and have not been able to do much training; I had been attending classes with a local Bujinkan guy who gave me a training manual to look over and copy.
During the time of my illness I had my laptop stolen, so I was not getting messages out or receiving them on my email outside of work.
Needless to say I received some nasty-grams from this Instructor about the training manual, the title of one message was 'YOU OWE ME,' just like that.

I can understand the importance of maintaining training materials, and I have every intention of returning it, especially after some of the messages I received.
However, when part of the message is 'feel free to leave it on my doorstep if you do not feel like handing it to me' is quite a slap in the face as I have never given any reason to make him think his trust had been misplaced, especially since I had called him to let him know I was ill and would not be coming in for training for a while.

In the end I have decided to discontinue my training with this individual as it seems there is a bit more under the surface than I am comfortable dealing with.
The price was reasonable, but was among the first things discussed after the initial training session, and the techniques, while not dissimilar from what I have been used to, are fairly intricate and were pretty interesting.
Beyond that, I feel it simply is not worth the headache and the insult. I can understand mud-slinging when it is warranted, but mud-slinging ultimately does nothing but create mud for both parties.

Anyways, I am back in my old stomping grounds and will update more as I slowly get back into training.

Interesting Experience.

2010-04-06T08:57:00.000-07:00

It has been an interesting month or so as I found myself hooking up with a local Ninjutsu practitioner out of sheer curiosity leftover from childhood.
I only went to a few training sessions, and it was extremely hard to keep an open mind about it, but once we got beyond all the mumbo jumbo that went away and I went home sore.
My Teacher always said to lose my preconceived notions of what things should be in order to see them for what they actually are - their true nature as he called it, my true nature.
This is a good exercise for cultivating just that. Picking a completely off the wall method and letting go of all the reviews and criticism, just feeling it and judging it for what it is, whether good or not so good.

I did learn a lot about myself, and this was no wishy-washy class like my previous experience with a local Aikido Dojo.
We did a few basic drills to start with, touched on some basic positions that really did not strike my fancy as anything particularly special or even useful, aside from the fact that these are cirriculum requirements for ranking purposes - surprise, surprise.
I did enjoy the prolonged time spent on Ukemi and I learned quite a bit more about Ukemi that were really insightful and practical, at least in my view, and my view is to be taken with a grain of salt considering these are nothing more than mental projections, as all things tend to be.

Once we got into the more brutal partner practice, with various lock-flow drills that incorporated striking as the catalyst it was far easier for me to more through a natural position that I came to call 'waiting for the bus.'
The elemental theory was interesting and is a neat little training tool for touching on the various principles of movement, but nothing mystical; you say wind-movement, I say move out of the way.
The lock-flow drills were extremely fun considering their somewhat free-form nature, the fact that they flowed naturally and fluidly, easy to learn, easy to retain; I appreciated this the most.
When we broke out the sticks we worked on basics, then we applied the stick-work to the lock-flow drills, followed by some knife work; the knife work struck me as a bit odd, but the stick work was fun and informative.
We also picked up a couple bokken and did a sticking drill that was all too familiar, had flashbacks of my Sensei's backyard.

A lot of the time I found myself picking things out that looked like they were from Kata, but the keyword here is 'looked' and these are based on my own personal mental projections, but they were interesting to observe.
Unfortunately I was met with the challenge of a closing mind at a few turns; for one, it is based heavily on the Bujinkan, which is okay and the Instructors view of the Bujinkan was an interesting one, in his words they are basically Bujinkan, but are not members because they are always broke - they don't really charge to train.

This was a refreshing standpoint, just training for the love of it, something I have found to be seriously lacking in many of the Dojo I visit; something that drove me to shut down my own Karate program.
That is what made it worthwhile and the training was definitely not Wishy-Washy beat-around-the-bush stuff, I went home sore and contemplative.
However, the mere mention of Frank Dux in the lineage as his Teacher's Teacher was a huge turn-off for me as far as that went.
I did not judge the training, nor the methods on anything but the standard with which I judge the study of anything else; legitimacy is not in the hype, it is on the training floor.
This held up and revealed quite a bit to me.

Unfortunately I may not be going back for some time, I'll just continue on down the line; perhaps drop in try my hand at another local school, I'm thinking its' back to Judo before I hit up Ron Bledsoe's school. Always did like those guys.
Strapping on the white belt is an adventure; people just starting out are always trying to get to black belt as quickly as possible, but the special thing about a black belt, once it is mature, is that it is nothing more than a bit of color over a white belt.
Okay. You can all start laughing at me now.

Compass Beyond.

2010-03-29T12:17:00.001-07:00

Strip everything down of all the little nuances and complications, what do you have left?
Nothing needs to be so complicated, once it becomes complicated then the real essence has been burried, so the system becomes the grave of the human spirit as people seek to understand IT rather than THEMSELVES.

Certainly it is good to look at the way you move and how that might be made more efficient, not just for self-defense purposes or for tournament play, but for life itself.
Would you lift something with just your back? That is simple. Use your legs and you can avoid many future complications because you are using your body efficiently.

When I learned to swim they taught me some basics; move your arms and kick your feet, then off I went to the deep end. SINK OR SWIM! MOVE YOUR ARMS AND KICK YOUR FEET!
No time for thinking, just do it, otherwise you will sink and drown. There was no real form beyond moving your hands and kicking your feet. Eventually you learn how to swim more efficiently, and there are techniques, but even the techniques were personalized, and I had my preferences.
Under water I prefer to move my arms very little, the feet provide continuous movement, the arms are for big pushes, used sparingly; the body itself provides direction by twisting and turning - I believe it follows the head, but the movement generates in the hips, sounds crazy, but I like to imagine I have a tail, it really helps the feeling.
That is my way of swimming under water, and it works for me; I can swim pretty fast following this method, but there are other methods I use that are faster when I feel like speeding up or when I need to get from point A to point B in as little time as possible.
Not just that, but Geometry, understanding that the shortest distance between two points is the most efficient means of speed.
Even that understanding is complicated, but it works for me.

Complications are not necessarily the problem; they are the problem in the beginning. What works for me may not work for someone else, depending on their own limitations.
Do they have a shoulder injury? Are they missing some limbs? What about other factors? Some things will work, some things won't.
The only way to find out is by exploring the range of possibilities; you can know what things might work if someone comes in in a wheel chair, missing an arm, a leg, ect.

Ultimately it boils down to personalization; even training methods need to be personalized.
Some people will get more out of following the 'standard' if such a thing actually exists beyond simple physics, others will get more out of a less structured approach.
Some zealots argue rabid and foaming at the mouth in favor of certain things, while others argue the exact same way in favor of the opposite, it really does not matter either way.
In my view, I feel that after a certain point one must take a step outside; one must start moving beyond what they have learned and really start feeling what they know and let that become the expression.
That is only natural, it is growth, it is the way things move. If it were meant to be any other way then we would all be the same person, we would all stay the same age, and we would all be impervious to any kind of injury or pain - we would also be numb to pleasure and joy.
That is not how things are.

The Teacher is in the mirror, the guide is on the matt or floor, not the other way around.
Things are changing, I have changed, and that is the way things go. I understand now why people have such a hard time, it is a hard path, breaking away from that same old thing and moving on to the next level.
It should be noted that those who go back in order to help others should be respected as honorable guides.
The compass pointing the way, nothing more than a stepping stone, it is nothing special, and that is the very reason such an act should be respected.

Cliff Diving.

2010-03-29T10:59:00.001-07:00

Repetition after repetition, stuck in a cycle, there is no more growth and things run stagnant.
It is best to ask if one should keep drinking from the same old well, or just jump in head first and go swimming in the ocean.

This source of contention among those who cling to the mirky stagnant waters housed in that dark pit of stone is not really a necessary argument as the proof is in the pudding.
Argue all they like, but when it comes down to it, the notion of freedom purported by those who cling is all but a fact, just a myth to make things seem more mystical than they are because, more often than not, people are afraid to take that last step off the edge of the cliff.

Training is now centered in the moment; the only guiding factor is your mind-body relation and the facts of limitations presented only by the body itself.
So lets' jump off that cliff and go swimming!

Degrees of Separation.

2010-03-19T20:34:00.000-07:00

Defined by one thing, a person is not a person, but thinks itself that thing. The unhealthiness of such a way of being should be apparent as things decay, easily shattered, torn asunder, never to be the same again.
To define oneself as such is a false definition, but to understand the definitions one has come to perceive is to begin the path to freedom from such things and then one might be able to finally know themselves.

Are you a Karateka? Are you a Judoka? What are you? 'What' being one of the revealing terms of said definition.
The root? In identification, for if something is some 'thing' then you must be a 'thing,' otherwise you have no meaning. Right?
Are you a Christian? Are you a Muslim? A Buddhist? A Jew? What are you? 'What' again being the revealing term.
In relation to things which are given meaning of the mind, some conception so that it is segregated from everything else; drawn, quartered, and judged in comparison to everything else.
'I like this,' or 'I detest that,' but what is 'I?'

There are defining points that are very real, but the definition itself is not the point to which the finger is pointing.
If you think about it, then you are judging one concept of 'is' from what it 'is not,' yet this is how we seem to 'exist,' by degrees of differentiation through which we can know ourselves through other things, ultimately placing ourselves above everything to which we find ourselves compared.
But what is it that does the comparing? 'What,' again being the revealing term. The root cannot discern itself unless in the presence of the stalk, and the stalk, further differentiated in the presence of the root as well as the flower.
The flower itself is never real, for it cannot exist without petals, and there again, differentiated into more and more tiny moving parts, the flower seems to disappear, especially when great importance is placed on such things.
The slightest thing, however, does have importance, from the smallest atom to the biggest tree.

Happy training...

Police Brutality.

2010-03-11T18:33:00.000-08:00

Wish this post had more to do with training, but I am a bit disenchanted with things right now.
My younger brother was arrested last night for theft, he had been drinking and was in a store with a friend.
They had gone in different directions, his friend waited for him at the cash register, but when he didn't show up he paid for his stuff and went to wait in the car.
The next thing he knew there were three cop cars at the store and they were escorting my brother out in handcuffs, put him in the backseat of the car.

My brother says he had spaced out the fact that he had grabbed a beer and tried to walk out of the store, but was stopped by store security, who said he had one chance to hand over the beer, which he did.
He had learned from past mistakes that resisting was not the way to go, but the cops had him pinned down and cuffed before he even knew they were there (Says a store employee had tackled him and face planted him first).

He said they beat him pretty bad afterwards, they did not read him his rights, they refused to give him his phone call, and they had placed him in a restraining chair.
The cuffs were so tight they cut up his wrists, his head is really messed up, he said they had face planted him into a brick wall and he could not remember much after that.
He has marks all over his body, the cuts on his wrists are obvious, the gashes on his head are easy to see - they released him the next day after his hearing, reading him his rights before they walked him into the court room.

Right now he is getting ready to go to the ER, he is not able to walk straight, his words are slurred, he is in and out at random intervals. May have to call an ambulance.
I understand that theft is stupid, that breaking the law is stupid, but there is such a thing as necessary force and three cops beating the hell out of one person over a bottle of beer is a bit much.
The Police here have been investigated for brutality before, and found guilty, so it is really nothing new, a lot of people are scared of them lately.
That just is not right.

I have never been in trouble with the law, aside from a speeding ticket, and when I was pulled over they called four other cop cars to the scene, they scraped the tabs off the back of the car, shined their flashlights in my face, kept me there for two hours before they let me go.
That was a routine traffic stop! I was respectful, compliant, but also growing impatient because my wife was giving birth to my son at the hospital which was not even a block away, and I had told them this, apologized for the rush, but they didn't care.
That is fine, that does not matter to me, they can do their job and I have no problem with that, but there is a fine line.

I have been stopped by police while I was walking through a park, asked for my ID, kept standing for about fifteen minutes while they ran a check, they let me go and I watched them move on to the next person.
It occurred to me that I looked similar to someone they might have been looking for, but the person they stopped after me was a woman, same routine, ID, wait fifteen minutes, move on.

Head trauma is pretty serious. They documented, at one point, that they had gone into the room to check on my brother; they found him to be incoherent and drooling, that is the one and only thing they had documented during his stay in the County Jail.
This reminds me of something I read a while back about a kid that was tazed to death by police in another state.
Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Police Officers, a few of my friends are Police Officers, but as far as I know they don't step over the line.

When I first found out he'd been arrested I thought to just leave it at that, let him learn his lesson, and I would not have been wrong to do so.
However, seeing him upon his release was like a kick in the nuts, he is really messed up and may have issues for the rest of his life.