Listening to Seipai.

This morning was spent on some basics... Jodan, Chudan, and Gedan Uke with an emphasis on exploding from the core with proper alignment, coordination, and mechanics.
The point is not in the technique utilized, but what underlies the technique that cannot necessarily be seen or easily explained.
Technique, for me, refers to these underlying principles as stated in previous posts, what looks to be a Chudan Uke is only meant to draw attention to something happening at the mid level, some kind of reception of energy and the proper muscle groups/alignment principles to train for that specific kind of reception of energy.
Take the above and change the word to Jodan, or even Gedan, or change it entirely and apply Uchi or Tsuki, which often seems to confuse and limit the possibilities and potentials actually inherent in those specific flows.

My basics work tends to be drawn directly from Kata so there is more going on than just standing in place counting in Japanese with endless reps of Jodan, Chudan, or Gedan, nor am I simply marching up and down a floor doing Oi Tsuki or Gyaku Tsuki... Granted I do practice these things, but not as often.
The rest of the time was spent breaking down Seipai and really looking at the whole body... Breaking down, starting with the feet I directed my attention to the motion rather than static stances and postures, moving from the center and checking out the principles of timing in shifting of the weight and utilization of hands, ect.
Moving from the center first with emphasis on this, especially, as the primary aspect of each movement with proper application of Gamaku, or core muscles (rather than just Koshi/Hara) with culmination in Chinkuchi, or suddenly/brief tension, before moving to the next flow.

Not really sure how to word any of this that interests the reader or gives a proper mental illustration of the principles in action, for myself, and it will likely be different for everyone due to small nuances in each Karateka, but it is always good to have a starting point.
My Sensei used to point out the angles of the Kata as important, and we would train these a lot, but it was not until later than I began to think that maybe it was not the angle itself he was drawing my attention to, but training proper weight shifting technique and really keeping mind in the center for good 'weight under side' in the movement, or what the Okinawans called Muchimi.
He did not really over explain a lot and left quite a bit for me to figure out on my own, but I do believe that was the point...

Working on portion of Kata got me thinking more about the foot sliding in as an attack, a throw or takedown similar to what people might call a 'Russian Leg Sweep,' which gives an idea on what portions of the body are playing a role there-in.
The Leg Sweep idea is not as important as the mechanics to which it points, it could be a Leg Sweep, it could be something else entirely, depending on the imagination and inclination of the Karateka, which is how it should be.
Yes, I do believe there are proper applications, but these are only to be found in the mechanics, which allude to the proper application by way of Physics, you can only do so many things along certain lines... So naturally the applications ARE finite and are NOT only limited by the imagination, but there are possibilities.

It was a very good workout that yielded a lot of insight. Next Sunday Katasse Sensei and I are supposed to start training Aikido on a regular basis again, so this should add even more insight to everything else.

Knowing the Difference.

Years ago Competition used to be the main point of training and we went to quite a few beginning in early Spring, running through June, all over the Region, and Nationals, first time in Chicago, second time in South Carolina.
My first competition I was ten years old and had barely even been training for two months. My right foot was taped up because I had cut it in a piece of metal in the bleachers, and I had nothing but my Gi, no Sparring Gear at all.
There was a spare head piece that was way too big, kept slipping down every time I would step in, getting sweat in my eyes to boot.

My first and only match in that tournament, the Yakima Open, was against a kid from the UKO, a Shito-Ryu stylist under Minakami Sensei's old Organization.
It was brutal, he saw my foot and used it by stepping on it, which only pissed me off, but since I could barely see it was hard to do anything about it, but I ended up leaving the match with two points to his three.
While I lost I certainly felt good about it.

My ribs were nearly cracked during my second go at Nationals as a thirteen year old Green Belt, and boy was I full of myself!
The kid that beat me was a Japanese kid from Hawaii with some very fast kicks. I walked away from that competition with a Silver Medal.
After that I focused on the deeper mechanics of what I was doing as I felt there was something more to it... While most people think of Karate as synonymous with competition, like a sport, nothing could be farther from the truth.

My Sensei would have me go through repetitions of Kata over and over, pointing out minute aspects of each movement while also detailing some deeper aspects of focus, to forget before and not worry about what came next, to be fully present in each and every aspect of the Kata.
This was to further carry over to life in mindfulness of cooking, cleaning, studying, thinking, speaking, everything!
Yes, there is a combative aspect of it, and this came out when Sensei had me fight one Student, bare knuckles, during this guy's test as a means of getting him out of his shell... Everything was automatic, and since I had been working Saifa, every automatic movement was based on that and I understood why Karate's combative aspects could not be watered down for sport in that moment.

There are people out there who teach Tournament Karate as though it is the same thing as Self Defense, but winning a Trophy is not the same as winning your next breath.
There are many out there that also believe so-called 'Street Fighting' is the same thing as Self Defense, but this so-called 'Street Fighting' is often just people facing off in mutual combat, while there may be injuries, there are usually no deaths and it does mirror what we see on Television in the form of Cage Fighting... Nothing wrong with it, but it is still more akin to Sport than Self Defense.

Training methodologies are often determined by the goal... If a person is training for Sport then their methods will reflect their aim and will not be the same as those training for Health.
If a person is training for the Cage Fighting aspect of Sport then they will include those methods of training that will stand them a better chance of actually winning, but if the aim is Self Defense it is something else entirely.
In the first aspect, basic Tournament Training, you are training to gain points in Sparring and Kata; Sparring, or Kumite, is a game of tag, even if it does allow for contact and knockouts, there are still rules to follow for safety and you are still going for points in rounds of elimination where there are judges and a referee.
In the Cage Fighting aspect you are training for one on one combat against someone who trains in a similar fashion, no weapons, and still rules for safety, but you are not training for points, you are training to knock the other person out or make them submit, and this is based on whichever your main focus might be.
People who train for Health might only focus on Kata and a little bit of the Combative aspect, but really only do that stuff for a good workout... Their goal is to stay healthy and training in a Martial Art is a unique way for them to do so, which may also give them something to talk about at social gatherings... Nothing wrong with that either.

Knowing the difference in aims and methodologies is as vital as knowing what actually qualifies as Self Defense, legally, because someone cannot get into a shouting match and meet someone in the parking lot for a 'good go' and have that qualify as Self Defense... No, that is a fight.
Self Defense situations happen unexpectedly and are hard to actually prepare for because training can never fully encompass things that might be experienced in a real situation, which is why people need to be aware of the limitations of their training and hold no false pretenses that what they do in the Dojo is complete unto itself.
In the Dojo we are always pulling punches, even just slightly, in order to avoid permanently injuring and maiming our partners... A good way around this is to include the follow-through in our minds, because visualization is a great aspect of training, which has also helped Olympian Athletes achieve pique performance.
In a Self Defense situation there may be two on one, three on one, with weapons, heck, I have even seen assailants themselves carrying pepper spray and make-shift weapons!

Down at the Plaza a guy was fighting with some other guy, so the second guy's buddy pulled out some pepper spray and sprayed the first directly in the face while he was distracted, then the second guy pulled out a huge knife.
This is NOT an isolated incident and some of these types of people even carry tasers... You can actually make cheap tasers with disposable cameras and no one would be the wiser.
People also do not think about things like training for defense against swords to have any carryover in the modern world, but people use Baseball Bats, Pipes, and Machetes!
There was an incident on the corner of Regal and Everett here in Spokane, just across the street from a place called Agnes Kehoe, where twelve people attacked our Apartment Building, armed with pipes, bats, and machetes.... There were four of us, including myself, defending the building, which had women and children inside.
Many people in the area can verify this, and if anyone questions the incident I can certainly provide the names of those others who were involved and at least one witness... I've already named the area... The attackers had the wrong address, they were looking for a guy that lived across the street.

The point is that there is a huge difference between one type of training and another, and a larger difference between training, competition of whatever kind, and actual Street Assault.
Street Assaults are ridiculous and if something sounds far-fetched you cannot count it out because it probably happened.
There is even a difference between Street Assault, Domestic Violence, and Warfare... They are different aspects of Violence that do not really have a lot of carryover... Warfare is not often fought in close quarters, it has not been for a very long time, thus very little time is focused on actual hand to hand combat, while the majority of training is focused on weapons and technical skills of each individual MOS, after boot camp, which is about building a warrior... Huge difference.

Going back to the deeper aspects I found after competitions had run their course, I could see how competitions were becoming the sole focus of most Karateka, mainly the Kumite aspects, which is actually a fairly new aspect of Karate.
The spirit is fine, but when this becomes the sole focus it tends to kill the actual art and it makes people belligerent, especially if they do not know the difference between Tournament Fighting, Cage Fighting, and Self Defense.
Karate Ni Sente Nashi means 'there is no first attack in Karate,' which means it is meant, specifically, for Self Defense... Can it be trained for the other aspects? Sure, but the main and original aspect was Self Defense.
If a person trains for Tournament play they should be aware that what they are training for, primarily, is not the same as Self Defense in the street and, thus, they cannot judge others by the same standards because they are two different things.

Good sources on this for further study are Rory Milly and Marc MacYoung... I suggest not only reading their work, but seeking them out for training.

The Slow Lane.

Sometimes it is best to slow down and really look at the nuances of every single centimeter of movement in order to truly have an understanding.
Most people say stronger, harder, and faster, but that only works best when things are done correctly, after all, if you do a technique five hundred times incorrectly you are only practicing five hundred incorrect techniques.

Each and every person is convinced of the correctness of their own path, and they should be, because it is their own.
Each person has a unique way of doing things, whether they realize it or not, and these are the unique things that one must come to understand when they are slowing things down in order to really look at what is there... Maybe a better term would be to listen to what their body is trying to tell them.

Some people are naturally bigger than others, some people are naturally smaller, some people are good in short bursts of speed, some people can go for the long haul (depending, also, on how they train... At least in respect to this).
All of this also must take Physics into account... There is no one uniform approach, only uniform restrictions and regulations under which individual principles can be applied.
Apply harmoniously with the laws of Physics and things work out great, but try to do something outside those laws and things go terribly wrong on so many different levels.

My Sensei introduced us to doing Shisochin as Tai Chi on a beach during a Regional Sho Rei Shobu Kan camp out many years ago.
I thought this was cool at the time, it really showed how to move in a way that did not break alignment, to move free, but within the bounds of the movements' mechanics.
Kris Wilder further drove this home with his 'Go slow to learn fast' teaching as we went through Sanchin in the old basement Dojo I had at my old house in Suncrest.
The idea was to really slow down, to take your time moving so that the ENTIRE movement could be felt through ALL of its' moving parts and, in this way, one could feel how each aspect linked and supported the next in almost instantaneous succession (once sped up and done at full force after grasping and ingraining what was gained through the slow aspect).

Anyone can learn a thousand different things in a thousand different ways, but a person really only needs to know two or three things extremely well in order to succeed.
This is true in life as well as Karate, attention to detail and, as Shihan Roseberry is fond of saying, 'Do a little, but do it often.'

Kime and Kata

The past is gone, the future has yet to arrive, settling here, with feet planted firmly...Still missing the old days, but those old days are always present and never cease.

Some get down on me for being 'The Kata Guy' because they feel Kata are impractical and non-applicable.
There are certainly many different ways to approach things as well as many different perspectives each individual brings to the party... Some bring more perspective than others.
In any case I am reminded that the only Zen you find on the Mountain is the Zen you bring with you... What is the Mountain actually saying that we cannot hear over our own voices (mine especially included for me)?

Gary Gabelhouse says that Kata actually means vessel... Is that referring to the external pattern, or to ourselves?
My Sensei pointed out an individuals lossof Kime in a video and I took this as alesson for myself.
Kime has peaks and troughs, but should never cease.

Combatives are really only a surface aspect of Kata, a gateway inwards to break ourselves down (Bunkai) as we go.
Learning correct movement, how to use it effectively, this is Kihon.

My Sensei also stated that an element missing from Karate is understanding anatomy.
This is true on so many levels and explains a lot of bogus Applications and the reason many are put off by Kata... More on that some other time as there is plenty to go over here.

Thank you Sensei.

Sanchin, Taisho, and Kihon.

Continuing from the last post...

There was a topic that came up a while back with some guys in the Chi-I-Do Goju Ryu Organization under Kayo Ong.
The topic of Hojo Undo was being discussed and Kayo gave his two cents on the matter stating, basically, that he felt Sanchin and Daruma Taisho were enough for conditioning and that, Hojo Undo as a method of conditioning, was really more suited as 'Training Wheels' of sorts.
This means that a person doing Hojo Undo should only do it for a short time in order to build the muscles to a certain point and then move solely to Taisho and Sanchin, leaving behind the equipment of Hojo Undo.

This jives with what Kris Wilder Sensei says about weight training, that it is generally not good, over all, for a Karateka to do too much weight training, even with the over-emphasized Chi'Ishi, Ishi Sashi, and Nigiri Game.
There is a balance point and even scientific studies have shown that muscle built from lifting heavy weights, with increasing weight as one progresses, produces more bulk, but the quality of the muscle that is built is lower compared to methods like Body Weight training, Cardio, ect.

My own daily routine consists of Sanchin, Tensho, Kihon, Kata, and Daruma Taisho with a little help from the park playground across the street for some variety of body weight training and I do not do static stretching but focus more on dynamic stretching as part of Daruma Taisho.
If I take a day off then I start the next rotation with an hour of weights, ten pounds each, weighted gloves and ankle weights, and I go through Kihon repetitions and also go running.
This is a daily thing with one, sometimes two, days off in between, but it is something I have dedicated myself to doing, regardless of how I feel each day, and putting my all into each and every moment.
I do this at a pretty intense pace on almost all of the exercises, including a daily number of about 150 Push-ups, Sit-ups, Squats, and daily running, even on my two days off from the rest.

I do not have a Dojo... I train at a park with a playground... Even if I did have a Dojo a prospective Student would not find an over abundance of Hojo Undo equipment, maybe a couple Chi'Ishi, a Makiwara for sure, small Nigiri Game for beginning work on grips, but that is it.
I often feel the over-emphasis on these things is more for the mystique of Okinawan Culture, but the main point of Okinawan Culture that we get is to find a balance, never to do anything to the extreme as this becomes unhealthy, and always use what is at hand.

People become overly focused on the outward appearance without really thinking about what it is they are doing and the reason they train a certain way.
Most Karate comes from posture and a strong group of core muscles working in unison and harmony, there is no need for bulky, in fact, this is counter productive to both Technique AND health.

Gamaku is an Okinawan concept similar to, but not synonymous with, Koshi/Hara in Japanese terms and works with Atifa, which refers to something that includes Structure/Posture, and Chinkuchi, which is the proper delivery of power (sort of, similar to Fa Jin).
A person needs all of these things in order to perform Karate effectively/correctly... People often forget that Karate is not a Japanese Art and become confused when Japanese concepts are applied in place of Okinawan concepts which more accurately describe what it is you should be doing and how it is you should model your approach to training (ie, how you train).
They have all this Okinawan equipment, all these Okinawan Kata and training methods, but approach them with the mindset of a Samurai rather than the mindset required... Again, mystique (packaging).

By Their Fruits Shall They Be Known.

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.

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.