It is said 'never judge a book by its' cover' and sometimes that is true, but more often than not, in my experience, I find the first impression is usually the correct impression.
There is a book on this written by Malcolm Gladwell called 'Blink' that explores this topic in depth and this is not the main point of this article.
The main point is in appearance, yes, appearance, which is the doorway of our perceptions, before any other faculties come into play to add to the impression we first experience the world through sight (at least the majority of us do, for the Blind it is usually sound and touch, and this actually gives them even more of an edge in first impressions).
The reason I bring this up is because most times I meet people that are supposedly 'Masters' who are often out of shape, which tells me they spend very little time actually training or working on themselves.
Does this mean they have no skills? Of course not, and some people are actually naturally bigger than others, so this is not necessarily a great indicator of the kind of shape a person is in, although in most cases this is true.
Sometimes another indicator is in watching these people give demonstrations, one can pick things up, either overt things or covert things, like Students trying to be polite and make their so-called 'Masters' look good or the 'Master' themselves performing a Kata that leaves something to be desired (to put it mildly).
Sometimes they perform superbly, but again, in most cases they are winded afterwards.
Sometimes we find these 'Masters' were once in superb shape, performing at pique levels, but then something happened, long strings of injuries that may or may not be related to their training.
This would indicate something is amiss with their training or the way they are training, perhaps with the way they were taught, which carries over to their Students and this is where the cycle of damage perpetuates itself.
Maybe their Teacher died of complicated health issues that may or may not have had to do with their training or lifestyle choices, and maybe, just maybe, that person did not actually care enough to pass on anything correctly, and maybe they did not know themselves, but were only interested in making a profit and/or making a name for themselves.
Sound familiar? This story is rampant throughout the Martial Arts world, and something everyone should be aware of.
There are many great Teachers, some of whom will not fit any preconceived notion of what a good Teacher should be or look like, others will fit in perfectly with the above and those should definitely be avoided.
If they do not have time to work on themselves and their Teaching has not promoted any significant increase in health or physical conditioning in their Students then it is best to turn around, walk out the door, and find something else... Regardless of what type of style it is (or is not).
The fruits of a person's abilities and their Teachings will be readily apparent at first 'blink' and may, or may not, be backed up by some official looking piece of paper, with or without some Traditional looking Kanji to make it pretty.
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Sanchin and Tensho - Go and Ju.
Sanchin Kata is, often, described as the 'Go' of Goju Ryu Karate while Tensho Kata is often described as the 'Ju' aspect.
With these descriptions what we often see is pretty much the same thing in both, from Teacher and Student alike, which is the vein-popping super tense sweating dynamic tension that seems to have become characteristic of what people think is Goju Ryu Karate.
My Teacher and many of his ilk would have, and still do, call this sort of display Go Go Ryu because it lacks any sort of balance or depth and often does lead to some serious health issues because of said lack of balance.
This sort of practice DOES lead to Gastrointestinal issues, high blood pressure, not to mention pulled muscles, hernias, uptight aggressive behavior, not to mention it also compartmentalizes the body rather than allowing it to align, which promotes bad mechanics in technique.
When it comes to Tensho we should find a totally different approach because this is supposed t be the 'Ju' of Goju Ryu, but what we find instead is the exact same thing that we find in Sanchin, super hard dynamic tension which promotes the exact same issues.
My Teacher, Dascenzo Sensei, once told me that Tensho was like a Nuclear Reactor smashing atoms in the Tanden, but in a very soft and directed way... It is the SOFT path to the HARD aspect while Sanchin would be the HARD path to the SOFT aspect.
There really should be no great tension in EITHER Kata and the breathing, according to the likes Yoshio Kuba Sensei, Kayo Ong, and others, was originally just a TEACHING TOOL and is NOT how either Kata is meant to be performed.
When going through Sanchin the focus should not be on extreme muscle tension and extreme Ibuki Breathing.
The body should be allowed to align of itself in a natural way that promotes good structural integrity, good mechanics of motion which promote, in turn, UNIFIED Shin, Gi, Tai.
Tension is only for a split second as techniques are completed, and this is only in certain parts of the body that are in harmony with each movement.
Tensho is different yet the same, and one can see this in the fact that it is often performed WITHOUT the punches for emphasis on its' flowing and turning.
The Kata itself is similar to Wing Chun's Sil Lum Dao, almost move for move, which should be a clue as to what it represents.
One cannot hone the Principles of Sil Lum Dao with extreme tension, one has to be relaxed at certain points and taut like a bow-string at others, one leading to the next in succession, again, this was never meant to be extreme and the breathing methods that were once taught (and seem to have been lost on most), while an important aspect, are only audible as a teaching aid.
This Kata is absolutely NOT meant to be performed in the same way as Sanchin, just as Sanchin was absolutely not meant to be performed with extreme dynamic tension.
I did 100 reps of Sanchin Kata for the 100 Kata Challenge on the day that has been dedicated to Miyagi Chojun, but I would not have been able to do this if I were performing Sanchin in the way that most perform it.
It was still EXTREMELY challenging, but not in the muscle-bound sort of way, though it did drain me and leave me nearly crawling.
The feeling is different, almost like doing unbendable arm with the whole body, but you direct sinking, rising, rooting, ect., aspects which also seem to be missing from the modern rendition of the Kata in many schools... Including some schools within my own lineage.
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Internal/External - Hard/Soft.
When I began Karate training I was uncertain of things, but I was also a child, yet when I took up Zenkutsu Dachi to hold the punching bag for my Dojo mates I was known to have the most solid stance among the juniors of that class.
Funny thing about it was I just kindof let it settle without even thinking about it and the force went through me into the floor... I was doing then, without thinking, what Wilder Sensei encourages Karateka to do now through Sanchin Principles outlined in his book 'The Way of Sanchin Kata.'
As a Karateka moves up through the ranks we tend to assimilate to those around us, to our Sensei and our Sempai, and things become less natural, more forced until one day the pendulum starts to swing the other way, if it is allowed to do so.
There is a reason for the way things are done in a Dojo, most times it is easier to teach everyone in a uniform manner, and this is often the best way to approach basics, if one knows what they are doing, but often no one ever moves beyond this point.
Going through some Kihon tonight, after going through some Kata, I was looking deeply at the mechanics behind what it was I was doing and was reminded of those days back in the junior children's class at the Olympic Martial Arts Center when I would just settle into the ground.
Instead of 'step then punch' I began to move in a way where the body moved just a couple seconds before the arms and the lead foot and the punches landed at the same time, sinking into the ground before drawing up from the ground again to move.
Keeping Weight Under Side involves more than tension, in fact, tension itself is counter productive to the principle and tends to take away power from technique as the mechanics become jumbled.
These also relate back to allowing things to flow through and sink - with tension things tend to become stuck, the body becomes broken, the focus, incomplete.
All is Sanchin, as the old saying goes, but more to the point, all is in timing and direction of intent, for lack of a better way of putting it.
The broken way of moving is an instructional tool to lead the way and must be left behind once a student starts to get the hang of things within the first few months.
Just as the Kata point beyond themselves to something more unified, universal, and personal, so, too, the Kihon point beyond themselves to the same thing, it all comes to a head when one point is achieved... Expressing back through the avenue of Kata makes the experience entirely different from this end of the spectrum.
Funny thing about it was I just kindof let it settle without even thinking about it and the force went through me into the floor... I was doing then, without thinking, what Wilder Sensei encourages Karateka to do now through Sanchin Principles outlined in his book 'The Way of Sanchin Kata.'
As a Karateka moves up through the ranks we tend to assimilate to those around us, to our Sensei and our Sempai, and things become less natural, more forced until one day the pendulum starts to swing the other way, if it is allowed to do so.
There is a reason for the way things are done in a Dojo, most times it is easier to teach everyone in a uniform manner, and this is often the best way to approach basics, if one knows what they are doing, but often no one ever moves beyond this point.
Going through some Kihon tonight, after going through some Kata, I was looking deeply at the mechanics behind what it was I was doing and was reminded of those days back in the junior children's class at the Olympic Martial Arts Center when I would just settle into the ground.
Instead of 'step then punch' I began to move in a way where the body moved just a couple seconds before the arms and the lead foot and the punches landed at the same time, sinking into the ground before drawing up from the ground again to move.
Keeping Weight Under Side involves more than tension, in fact, tension itself is counter productive to the principle and tends to take away power from technique as the mechanics become jumbled.
These also relate back to allowing things to flow through and sink - with tension things tend to become stuck, the body becomes broken, the focus, incomplete.
All is Sanchin, as the old saying goes, but more to the point, all is in timing and direction of intent, for lack of a better way of putting it.
The broken way of moving is an instructional tool to lead the way and must be left behind once a student starts to get the hang of things within the first few months.
Just as the Kata point beyond themselves to something more unified, universal, and personal, so, too, the Kihon point beyond themselves to the same thing, it all comes to a head when one point is achieved... Expressing back through the avenue of Kata makes the experience entirely different from this end of the spectrum.
Re-Establishing Roots.
In June I may be leaving Spokane for the eastern side of the Country with Charles Todd Sensei as we attend the Sho Rei Shobu Kan's 2016 National Convention at the invitation of our Teacher's Teacher, Shihan John Roseberry.
Shihan Roseberry has been a Student of Karate-Do longer than most people today have drawn breath and, before Karate-Do, he was a Champion Judoka and Boxer... He also plays a mean guitar.
My training lately had been focused on prepping for the upcoming Spartan Race in May, which is a pretty intense race if anyone has not heard of it, and this would be my first go at it.
Now my training has become refocused on attending this shin-dig as I have also been invited to test for rank, the first time in nearly twenty years, which will be no less intense considering my last one was about four hours of complete hell.
The Spartan Race, at this point, has become a back-up plan just in case I cannot get that time off from work, imagine that, a VERY intense race is now the back-up plan!
I had already been working my Kihon and everything at a pretty intense level, but now it all needs to step up a notch, or perhaps down a depth.
Either way I have something to learn, whether I am able to go or not, I am dead set to do something.
Going through some reps tonight I focused more on the internal side of things and brought myself more within the moment of each motion, rather than focusing on what something means it is best just to focus... To have intent... Then things can reveal themselves for what they are.
The last time I trained with Shihan Roseberry he lectured about deep breathing, about drawing it all the way down into the Tanden and exploding from there with full focus, full intent and, thus, full power.
It is not a matter of simply throwing out a punch, making sure everything is lined up, and flexing in just the right places at just the right moment.
Depth is the key, even within something that is terribly executed, if there is depth that a person can feel from across a room that is something they would be hard pressed to defend against... Now imagine that with good technique.
This is the depth a person should be displaying after many years of training... I may or may not be ready for a test, personally, I don't care much about testing, I just want to be able to go 'home' to my roots and bring this depth with me to show that I have not been slacking... Do I even have depth to bring? Maybe... Maybe not.... Always a work in progress.
I actually spent my time on Hookiyu Dai Ichi tonight, but the real focus was on what I have come to call 'the frame' and 'the flow' that transcends the Kata and gets to the flesh, bones, and spirit of Goju Ryu itself.
Roy Kamen Sensei, whom I have never met in person (miracle of the Internet Age) but have come to respect never the less for his insight, is fond of pointing out the Spiritual aspects of Karate, especially Kata... Kata is a living Mandala of the body... It begins and ends with prayer and requires a fully present mind in order to be truly performed as it should, truly applied as a method of spiritual cleansing (not just self defense).
His Teacher, Kayo Ong, is also a Student of Seikichi Toguchi... Go figure, a lot of similarities because we are lineage cousins.
My own Teacher, Dascenzo Sensei, made me recite a poem off the top of my head at my test for Shodan many years ago, after four hours of hell, and all that rolled off my tongue was something like 'Leopard in the leaves,' though I don't remember exactly what I said.
After that training session it was easy to bust out even a twelve hour session of training at the home of Sandifer Deer Sensei under the watchful eye of Dascenzo Sensei who was always fond of saying that one should throw oneself into training as though it were your last breath and that you never knew when that last breath would be.
Intense? Yeah... This is why the Spartan Race takes a back seat and becomes the back up plan, because you cannot get more intense than that.
Shihan Roseberry has been a Student of Karate-Do longer than most people today have drawn breath and, before Karate-Do, he was a Champion Judoka and Boxer... He also plays a mean guitar.
My training lately had been focused on prepping for the upcoming Spartan Race in May, which is a pretty intense race if anyone has not heard of it, and this would be my first go at it.
Now my training has become refocused on attending this shin-dig as I have also been invited to test for rank, the first time in nearly twenty years, which will be no less intense considering my last one was about four hours of complete hell.
The Spartan Race, at this point, has become a back-up plan just in case I cannot get that time off from work, imagine that, a VERY intense race is now the back-up plan!
I had already been working my Kihon and everything at a pretty intense level, but now it all needs to step up a notch, or perhaps down a depth.
Either way I have something to learn, whether I am able to go or not, I am dead set to do something.
Going through some reps tonight I focused more on the internal side of things and brought myself more within the moment of each motion, rather than focusing on what something means it is best just to focus... To have intent... Then things can reveal themselves for what they are.
The last time I trained with Shihan Roseberry he lectured about deep breathing, about drawing it all the way down into the Tanden and exploding from there with full focus, full intent and, thus, full power.
It is not a matter of simply throwing out a punch, making sure everything is lined up, and flexing in just the right places at just the right moment.
Depth is the key, even within something that is terribly executed, if there is depth that a person can feel from across a room that is something they would be hard pressed to defend against... Now imagine that with good technique.
This is the depth a person should be displaying after many years of training... I may or may not be ready for a test, personally, I don't care much about testing, I just want to be able to go 'home' to my roots and bring this depth with me to show that I have not been slacking... Do I even have depth to bring? Maybe... Maybe not.... Always a work in progress.
I actually spent my time on Hookiyu Dai Ichi tonight, but the real focus was on what I have come to call 'the frame' and 'the flow' that transcends the Kata and gets to the flesh, bones, and spirit of Goju Ryu itself.
Roy Kamen Sensei, whom I have never met in person (miracle of the Internet Age) but have come to respect never the less for his insight, is fond of pointing out the Spiritual aspects of Karate, especially Kata... Kata is a living Mandala of the body... It begins and ends with prayer and requires a fully present mind in order to be truly performed as it should, truly applied as a method of spiritual cleansing (not just self defense).
His Teacher, Kayo Ong, is also a Student of Seikichi Toguchi... Go figure, a lot of similarities because we are lineage cousins.
My own Teacher, Dascenzo Sensei, made me recite a poem off the top of my head at my test for Shodan many years ago, after four hours of hell, and all that rolled off my tongue was something like 'Leopard in the leaves,' though I don't remember exactly what I said.
After that training session it was easy to bust out even a twelve hour session of training at the home of Sandifer Deer Sensei under the watchful eye of Dascenzo Sensei who was always fond of saying that one should throw oneself into training as though it were your last breath and that you never knew when that last breath would be.
Intense? Yeah... This is why the Spartan Race takes a back seat and becomes the back up plan, because you cannot get more intense than that.
Kihon Ido
Strive for nothing less than your best in everything you do and view everything as training, no excuses.
Some of the best Budo I learned was in my Sensei's kitchen at his old home in Lacey Washington, learning new recipes on the spot right before and right after Budo Shugyo Training.
Last night I was working on Kihon in my living room with weighted gloves and ankle weights, and the added weight of my youngest daughter clinging to my legs.
Even exhausted it is important to look at mechanics/form and strive for excellencein each repetition as though it were your first... and last.
This is not excluding adaptation to surroundings, and circumstance, which is an important piece of mechanics unto itself.
In this instance, space and my daughter were considerations.
One also has to take into account why they are training, their purpose.
Just some FYI.
The rest of my training was spent playing with my daughter.
Some of the best Budo I learned was in my Sensei's kitchen at his old home in Lacey Washington, learning new recipes on the spot right before and right after Budo Shugyo Training.
Last night I was working on Kihon in my living room with weighted gloves and ankle weights, and the added weight of my youngest daughter clinging to my legs.
Even exhausted it is important to look at mechanics/form and strive for excellencein each repetition as though it were your first... and last.
This is not excluding adaptation to surroundings, and circumstance, which is an important piece of mechanics unto itself.
In this instance, space and my daughter were considerations.
One also has to take into account why they are training, their purpose.
Just some FYI.
The rest of my training was spent playing with my daughter.
Monday, January 25, 2016
Broadening Perspective - Balance in Budo.
It has been some time since my last post as I have been extremely busy with training, work, family, and I have been looking a lot into some Bush crafting and Foraging, something I plan on practicing over the Spring and Summer as I hit the woods for some good hiking, climbing, and camping.
It is always good to have multiple interests outside of Martial Arts training in order to apply it as a driving force behind every endeavor rather than letting it become a domineering presence that rules your life in every single moment.
I would like to discuss this in this Article as I have known many people within the world of Budo/Karate that have become consumed by their love of the Arts to the point that their very lives seem to become roller coasters of chaos and they all they seem to focus on is their training.
It is important to train as often as possible, but it must NEVER become a dominating force in life, there must be a balance as Budo is meant to be a driving force that sees a person apply themselves wholeheartedly to everything they do, including training, but NEVER solely to training in only one aspect.
I love Budo, but I also love writing, drawing, learning new things, and I love spending time with my family.
If my only interest were Budo then, first off, that would make for some very boring conversation and I may end up with no friends and no life whatsoever, secondly, I become a very two dimensional person with very little knowledge outside of whatever training I happen to participate in.
As it stands I have many interests, including outdoor survival, which was brought on one day when I realized I knew absolutely nothing about my surroundings while out hiking, a HUGE revelation, especially for someone whom is supposed to know how to defend himself in physical confrontations and handle himself in emergencies.
I know First Aid, I know CPR, but I knew absolutely nothing about which plants were edible, which were poisonous, which had medicinal properties, best ways to build a fire, how to build a camp utilizing what is around me, ect. (Good videos on this can be found on Youtube - I recommend Dave Canterberry of the Pathfinder School at www.pathfinderschoolllc.com).
Maybe not important to some people, but I like to hike, and I feel I should know these things, plus it makes hiking much more interesting and MUCH MORE than a simple hobby.
As a Budoka it is simple, I take the focus I have dedicated to my training and apply it in a way that enriches life - rather than narrowing the focus I expand it and make EVERYTHING part of my Budo training and practice.
This means I focus on everything with equal intensity, which means my entire life should be spent in deep mindful focus at all times, leaving no opening for surprises... This takes real skill and intense training and is a way of being that was suggested by Swordsman Munenori Sensei, author of the Heiho-Kadensho/Life-Giving Sword, a book I have read over a dozen times and have been putting to practice for more than a few years.
My own Sensei, Michael Dascenzo, viewed everything as Kata, which is very much a Japanese way of looking at things as the Japanese have a keen sense of 'Kata,' or proper form, within every situation.
It begins in 'Shu,' where a person simply emulates, moves to 'Ha,' where they explore the deeper aspects and variations on the path to 'Ri,' true self expression of the formless within the form... In other words, to path to real freedom and fluidity of self expression within any given situation, without effort, it becomes second nature.
This is achieved by following the path of Shin-Gi-Tai, or Heart/Spirit-Technique-Body. Applying all three to profound levels in order to develop intense spirit.
If training is ONLY for fighting then a person really misses out on what their training can really bring to their lives.
Most people spend time focusing on one thing, becoming consumed by it, and these people are easily broken as they have no ability to adapt to change.
My Sensei taught me this lesson in his retirement... He no longer trains Karate and now focuses on his Massage Therapy Practice and his work as an Artist, including his recent development of skill in creating some very amazing Stained Glass pieces.
Do I wish he would continue his Karate? Yes. However... He is... In a way. The lessons are more important than the form in which they are presented.
Arigato.
It is always good to have multiple interests outside of Martial Arts training in order to apply it as a driving force behind every endeavor rather than letting it become a domineering presence that rules your life in every single moment.
I would like to discuss this in this Article as I have known many people within the world of Budo/Karate that have become consumed by their love of the Arts to the point that their very lives seem to become roller coasters of chaos and they all they seem to focus on is their training.
It is important to train as often as possible, but it must NEVER become a dominating force in life, there must be a balance as Budo is meant to be a driving force that sees a person apply themselves wholeheartedly to everything they do, including training, but NEVER solely to training in only one aspect.
I love Budo, but I also love writing, drawing, learning new things, and I love spending time with my family.
If my only interest were Budo then, first off, that would make for some very boring conversation and I may end up with no friends and no life whatsoever, secondly, I become a very two dimensional person with very little knowledge outside of whatever training I happen to participate in.
As it stands I have many interests, including outdoor survival, which was brought on one day when I realized I knew absolutely nothing about my surroundings while out hiking, a HUGE revelation, especially for someone whom is supposed to know how to defend himself in physical confrontations and handle himself in emergencies.
I know First Aid, I know CPR, but I knew absolutely nothing about which plants were edible, which were poisonous, which had medicinal properties, best ways to build a fire, how to build a camp utilizing what is around me, ect. (Good videos on this can be found on Youtube - I recommend Dave Canterberry of the Pathfinder School at www.pathfinderschoolllc.com).
Maybe not important to some people, but I like to hike, and I feel I should know these things, plus it makes hiking much more interesting and MUCH MORE than a simple hobby.
As a Budoka it is simple, I take the focus I have dedicated to my training and apply it in a way that enriches life - rather than narrowing the focus I expand it and make EVERYTHING part of my Budo training and practice.
This means I focus on everything with equal intensity, which means my entire life should be spent in deep mindful focus at all times, leaving no opening for surprises... This takes real skill and intense training and is a way of being that was suggested by Swordsman Munenori Sensei, author of the Heiho-Kadensho/Life-Giving Sword, a book I have read over a dozen times and have been putting to practice for more than a few years.
My own Sensei, Michael Dascenzo, viewed everything as Kata, which is very much a Japanese way of looking at things as the Japanese have a keen sense of 'Kata,' or proper form, within every situation.
It begins in 'Shu,' where a person simply emulates, moves to 'Ha,' where they explore the deeper aspects and variations on the path to 'Ri,' true self expression of the formless within the form... In other words, to path to real freedom and fluidity of self expression within any given situation, without effort, it becomes second nature.
This is achieved by following the path of Shin-Gi-Tai, or Heart/Spirit-Technique-Body. Applying all three to profound levels in order to develop intense spirit.
If training is ONLY for fighting then a person really misses out on what their training can really bring to their lives.
Most people spend time focusing on one thing, becoming consumed by it, and these people are easily broken as they have no ability to adapt to change.
My Sensei taught me this lesson in his retirement... He no longer trains Karate and now focuses on his Massage Therapy Practice and his work as an Artist, including his recent development of skill in creating some very amazing Stained Glass pieces.
Do I wish he would continue his Karate? Yes. However... He is... In a way. The lessons are more important than the form in which they are presented.
Arigato.
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Hara/Tanden Training.
Early morning training is not as intense today, but definitely allows for some deeper reflection on certain aspects.
It is not about doing as much as can be done in the amount of time you have given yourself to do it, but to do what you can with a certain quality and attention to detail, no matter how small, and not even as many times as you can do a specific thing, but focusing on those select things across the board.
Practiced some Sanchin after doing some Taiso Daruma and focused on bringing alignment from the ground up rather than focusing tension to the ground, as seems to be the case when many approach the practice of Sanchin.
This focus should be evident in the way the center moves, Hara/Tanden/Dan Tien is not static, it does not remain on a plain except with those movements that require it to do so.
Sanchin Kata appears, on the surface, to be the simplest of Karate Kata, but when punching, when stepping, how is your center moving? How is your body aligning? In which directions? How is Muchimi working into things? Chinkuchi?
Taking this a step further, when you kick, how are the mechanics working? Are you just swinging your hips and throwing your kick out there with the only real attention being placed on making sure the toes are curled back and you are kicking with the ball of your foot?
How about focusing it more as a step and focusing more on aligning from, and driving from, that anchored/posted leg? THIS principle alone changes the whole game, especially when you place your focus through the movement of the Hara/Tanden (Part of Gamaku principle).
What about Mawashi Uke/Tora Guchi? This involves the hands moving in opposite directions and the same time, while also moving in the same direction at the same time.
A lot of Karateka simple go through the motions on this one and do not pay attention to the actual principles NOR their Hara/Tanden as they seem to be preoccupied with the final placement of the hands/arms themselves and not the whole body necessarily (which is okay because that is part of the learning process, but you have to move to the next level at some point).
When moving in this do you draw in and down? Do you move your Hara/Tanden up and back as you draw in and circle? Do you move through your Hara/Tanden simultaneously out and down/out and up as you push out (one hand moving towards the ground, the other out and up towards the sky)? Is the movement originating more in your midsection or is it originating from the ground and moving THROUGH your Hara/Tanden?
My Sensei once came to Spokane and taught me Kata Shisochin, this was more than a few years ago, and he said to pretend you did not have an arm, to pretend your fists were attached directly to your Hara/Tanden and to punch from there with your whole body.
I would take this further and say to pretend the whole Earth is your root and your Hara/Tanden is the conduit to which your fists,feet,spine, and head are attached as alignment points/appendages.
It is very hard to put into words, but those who know will know and strive to apply these and may even be able to convey them with better words than I can.
I was once watching a program called 'Aikido-The Real Truth' where an experienced Champion Fighter in Kyokushin Karate basically scoffed at the art of Aikido as new-age mumbo-jumbo and went so far as to say it would not work on him.
He sent his two most senior Students to an experienced Aikidoka to test it out and when they came back saying they had basically gotten their asses kicked he had to go and experience this for himself.
His experience was no different from theirs and he could not believe it himself... When he brought in some scientists to basically capture the movements of the Aikido Sensei on stop-motion it showed that he moved with his center VERY efficiently and NOT JUST on a single plain, but utilized full range of motion whereas the Karateka did not, it was all very flat, the center only moved forwards and back and the body rotated around it in a very rigid manner.
I am also an Aikidoka, for a very long time I have studied that art and worked to understand those principles and how they worked.
My Aikido Sensei is not the conventional Aikido Sensei; we would go out into the woods and train, one day we spent thirteen hours on a single movement, a single throw/projection, in the woods, taking falls on sticks and rocks, focusing on the footwork, focusing on alignment, focusing on the center, focusing on movement through the center.
These are not just meant to be confined to one art, Aikido is more than an art, it is a set of principles and these should be understood in order to see how they apply to each person.
Some food for thought.
It is not about doing as much as can be done in the amount of time you have given yourself to do it, but to do what you can with a certain quality and attention to detail, no matter how small, and not even as many times as you can do a specific thing, but focusing on those select things across the board.
Practiced some Sanchin after doing some Taiso Daruma and focused on bringing alignment from the ground up rather than focusing tension to the ground, as seems to be the case when many approach the practice of Sanchin.
This focus should be evident in the way the center moves, Hara/Tanden/Dan Tien is not static, it does not remain on a plain except with those movements that require it to do so.
Sanchin Kata appears, on the surface, to be the simplest of Karate Kata, but when punching, when stepping, how is your center moving? How is your body aligning? In which directions? How is Muchimi working into things? Chinkuchi?
Taking this a step further, when you kick, how are the mechanics working? Are you just swinging your hips and throwing your kick out there with the only real attention being placed on making sure the toes are curled back and you are kicking with the ball of your foot?
How about focusing it more as a step and focusing more on aligning from, and driving from, that anchored/posted leg? THIS principle alone changes the whole game, especially when you place your focus through the movement of the Hara/Tanden (Part of Gamaku principle).
What about Mawashi Uke/Tora Guchi? This involves the hands moving in opposite directions and the same time, while also moving in the same direction at the same time.
A lot of Karateka simple go through the motions on this one and do not pay attention to the actual principles NOR their Hara/Tanden as they seem to be preoccupied with the final placement of the hands/arms themselves and not the whole body necessarily (which is okay because that is part of the learning process, but you have to move to the next level at some point).
When moving in this do you draw in and down? Do you move your Hara/Tanden up and back as you draw in and circle? Do you move through your Hara/Tanden simultaneously out and down/out and up as you push out (one hand moving towards the ground, the other out and up towards the sky)? Is the movement originating more in your midsection or is it originating from the ground and moving THROUGH your Hara/Tanden?
My Sensei once came to Spokane and taught me Kata Shisochin, this was more than a few years ago, and he said to pretend you did not have an arm, to pretend your fists were attached directly to your Hara/Tanden and to punch from there with your whole body.
I would take this further and say to pretend the whole Earth is your root and your Hara/Tanden is the conduit to which your fists,feet,spine, and head are attached as alignment points/appendages.
It is very hard to put into words, but those who know will know and strive to apply these and may even be able to convey them with better words than I can.
I was once watching a program called 'Aikido-The Real Truth' where an experienced Champion Fighter in Kyokushin Karate basically scoffed at the art of Aikido as new-age mumbo-jumbo and went so far as to say it would not work on him.
He sent his two most senior Students to an experienced Aikidoka to test it out and when they came back saying they had basically gotten their asses kicked he had to go and experience this for himself.
His experience was no different from theirs and he could not believe it himself... When he brought in some scientists to basically capture the movements of the Aikido Sensei on stop-motion it showed that he moved with his center VERY efficiently and NOT JUST on a single plain, but utilized full range of motion whereas the Karateka did not, it was all very flat, the center only moved forwards and back and the body rotated around it in a very rigid manner.
I am also an Aikidoka, for a very long time I have studied that art and worked to understand those principles and how they worked.
My Aikido Sensei is not the conventional Aikido Sensei; we would go out into the woods and train, one day we spent thirteen hours on a single movement, a single throw/projection, in the woods, taking falls on sticks and rocks, focusing on the footwork, focusing on alignment, focusing on the center, focusing on movement through the center.
These are not just meant to be confined to one art, Aikido is more than an art, it is a set of principles and these should be understood in order to see how they apply to each person.
Some food for thought.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)