I am not formally ranked in the art of Aikido in any way, shape, or form, but it is very much a part of my practice and has been since the age of sixteen when I was first introduced to it through Bud Cook's group at the Evergreen Learning Center with whom I did some cross training on the weekends and had the opportunity to train with on many other occasions.
I have also had the opportunity to train under and become very great friends with a man that comes from a family that practiced both Aikido and a form of Jujitsu, with roots in the Military, thus, having trained in Japan at Hombu Dojo.
Aikido is not a form, it is not a combat sport, it is not to be considered as a Martial Science at all, but is more of an essence, thus, I do not believe it can truly be contained as one thing, in one shape.
The essence of Aikido is in the study and application of Aiki, which is harmony and not in just technique, but in all things, to live harmoniously, to live in accord with ourselves and others, not to fight, but to invite.
O-Sensei utilized techniques such as Ikkyo, Nikkyo, Sankyo, Heaven and Earth Throw, Four Corners Throw, Pins, to demonstrate deeper principles than mere techniques.
The true power of Aikido lay in that deeper realm that exists beyond words, that O-Sensei fumbled around with in order to open the gate within the mind's-eye so that we might catch a glimpse, to which, I believe, may have been missed on the majority in practice, and teaching, today.
Some see it as only one thing and one thing only without looking any deeper, clinging to these techniques, to the outer appearance of an 'art' or 'style' as if this is what O-Sensei had passed on and intended.
I can easily teach Aiki through Goju Ryu Kata, or through Dance Steps in Salsa or West Coast Swing, or in Sketching, or in just about anything else, it does not really matter, too much emphasis is placed on the outer appearance rather than the inner essence which has more to do with us than we might, at first, know.
I was thinking about all this today as I was going through some of the Aikido Warm-Ups like Happo-Undo, thinking about my Tanden after watching a Documentary that went into detail on the Tanden, how a Karateka had his first experience with Aikido and because he was not using his Tanden correctly was only able to rely on brute force.
This says A LOT about the state of things, not only about what an individual may have to work on both physically and mentally, but also that most tend to focus on the wrong thing entirely.
If I got through a movement what am I focusing on? The hands? The feet? Both? Or is my mind settled where it should be, in the Tanden? Does my Tanden stay level as I move or does it drop in some places and raise in others? Does it twist? Move sideways? Straight forward and back? Why? How does this work in tandem with the movement in order to make it effective?
When someone pushes in am I meeting that with a return push of my own, which really does nothing? Am I allowing the movement through and simply directing it in a way that is beneficial to me in order to overcome the opponent with their own momentum and energy? How is my center factoring into all this, or is it just arms and muscle again?
How does this apply to other areas of life??
Monday, August 31, 2015
Authenticity.
Recently I have really been thinking a lot about the direction of my practice and what it actually means, but more importantly, who I am in the midst of it all, does it shape, or do I shape it, or is it something in between??
What does it provide deep inside? Some sense of identity? Of belonging? If that is the case then it is not really something worth holding onto because it only serves as yet another mask, another story, an identity rather than THE identity.
Perhaps this is why my own Sensei gave up his Karate Practice, so that he could pursue the deeper aspects of himself, which is supposed to be what Budo is all about anyway.
The fact remains that I enjoy it. Not that I really get much else out of it or that it provides me with something profound, but that I enjoy it and it is truly a part of me, like breathing, walking, sitting, or lying down... There are days that I don't quite enjoy it as much, but even still, it is a challenge.
Lately I have been looking at Kata Sanseru, ever since the last time I practiced the IOGKF Version with my friend Nyles Seaton at his place, but I have not been looking at the IOGKF Version, which is the original version I learned despite my being from the lineage of Seikichi Toguchi/John Roseberry.
Similarities and differences abound... No, I have been really studying the Seiko Higa version, which I seem to have really connected with as it makes total sense to me.
Some might say 'why pursue that one if it is not the way you originally learned it,' and to them I say 'Why not??' It is MY practice and I will do with it as I please, if something speaks to me then I am certainly going to pursue it and see where it leads.
I have also recently taken up the practice of Kakuha, Gekiha 1 and 2, and Gekesai Dai San again as well, having initially stuck to the twelve Goju Ryu Kata, but these are things that I feel are very important to me and need to be included, for myself.
I am not a Karateka that is bound by an Organization that tells me what to practice... I may not have the rank with fancy certificates that say 'Godan' hanging on the wall of Dojo, but my practice is authentic in the way that it has nothing to do with any of that.
Keeping one point in all this means being authentic to yourself, it means listening to yourself... Why do you do what you do? Is it just another escape? Just another story your tell yourself as you look in the mirror? Does it provide some bit of identity that you could otherwise discover by simply looking inward? What is the point of your practice? When this is discovered then you will have discovered true authenticity and 'keeping one point' will prove less difficult in the end.
What does it provide deep inside? Some sense of identity? Of belonging? If that is the case then it is not really something worth holding onto because it only serves as yet another mask, another story, an identity rather than THE identity.
Perhaps this is why my own Sensei gave up his Karate Practice, so that he could pursue the deeper aspects of himself, which is supposed to be what Budo is all about anyway.
The fact remains that I enjoy it. Not that I really get much else out of it or that it provides me with something profound, but that I enjoy it and it is truly a part of me, like breathing, walking, sitting, or lying down... There are days that I don't quite enjoy it as much, but even still, it is a challenge.
Lately I have been looking at Kata Sanseru, ever since the last time I practiced the IOGKF Version with my friend Nyles Seaton at his place, but I have not been looking at the IOGKF Version, which is the original version I learned despite my being from the lineage of Seikichi Toguchi/John Roseberry.
Similarities and differences abound... No, I have been really studying the Seiko Higa version, which I seem to have really connected with as it makes total sense to me.
Some might say 'why pursue that one if it is not the way you originally learned it,' and to them I say 'Why not??' It is MY practice and I will do with it as I please, if something speaks to me then I am certainly going to pursue it and see where it leads.
I have also recently taken up the practice of Kakuha, Gekiha 1 and 2, and Gekesai Dai San again as well, having initially stuck to the twelve Goju Ryu Kata, but these are things that I feel are very important to me and need to be included, for myself.
I am not a Karateka that is bound by an Organization that tells me what to practice... I may not have the rank with fancy certificates that say 'Godan' hanging on the wall of Dojo, but my practice is authentic in the way that it has nothing to do with any of that.
Keeping one point in all this means being authentic to yourself, it means listening to yourself... Why do you do what you do? Is it just another escape? Just another story your tell yourself as you look in the mirror? Does it provide some bit of identity that you could otherwise discover by simply looking inward? What is the point of your practice? When this is discovered then you will have discovered true authenticity and 'keeping one point' will prove less difficult in the end.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Knowing Nothing.
I am not a Master and the more I see people playing at being a 'Master' or 'Founder' or 'Soke' or what have you the more I realize it is probably best to sit on the sidelines.
Half the time I realize that I know absolutely nothing and really should not even claim to be 'Teacher' of anyone, what is there to possibly Teach anyway?
I am a Student of Budo, not Karate, not Aikido, but Budo as a whole, and will always explore it from various angles, yet will likely never come close to grasping much of anything.
While people out there go to Gasshuku, Taikai, or some other fancy name I am simply going over a single movement out of Seipai for hours in the park, or in a room, for weeks on end trying to make heads or tails of what could possibly be going on in that stupid thing... On other days I am playing around with Nikkyo from Irimi, then Tenkan, looking only at the feet or feet in conjunction with everything else, whatever strikes me as needing focus at the time.
Picking things apart, breaking things down, an hour looking at Gamaku, two hours on Chinkuchi, Five months on Atifa in order to get it right.... There are no promotion requirements, there are no belt gradinings or curricula, there is only this, right here, right now, that needs work, always needs work.
Focus down, now up, forward and up, back and down, down and forward, back and up, left and right, twist and turn, sweep with the body, not the leg, to a specific point on the opponents' foot/leg, ahhh, still needs a lot of work.
Maybe now to focus on Kiso Kumite, or specific pieces within the movements of Kiso Kumite Godan or Judan, whichever, fancy numbers, pick and choose depending on what needs work.
It is not a race and not a game, train not to lose, but do not worry about winning... It is always about moving up in rank and stature with some groups, always about the ritual structure with most, but on the floor, in the park, in the room, with this attitude, nothing else matters but the fact that I do not 'get it,' but must never cease.
This is not Goju Ryu Karate, nor Ki Society Aikido, this is just Budo, just Sabaki-Jutsu, it is about the Principles of movement, not learning some move, there is a huge difference there.
Half the time I realize that I know absolutely nothing and really should not even claim to be 'Teacher' of anyone, what is there to possibly Teach anyway?
I am a Student of Budo, not Karate, not Aikido, but Budo as a whole, and will always explore it from various angles, yet will likely never come close to grasping much of anything.
While people out there go to Gasshuku, Taikai, or some other fancy name I am simply going over a single movement out of Seipai for hours in the park, or in a room, for weeks on end trying to make heads or tails of what could possibly be going on in that stupid thing... On other days I am playing around with Nikkyo from Irimi, then Tenkan, looking only at the feet or feet in conjunction with everything else, whatever strikes me as needing focus at the time.
Picking things apart, breaking things down, an hour looking at Gamaku, two hours on Chinkuchi, Five months on Atifa in order to get it right.... There are no promotion requirements, there are no belt gradinings or curricula, there is only this, right here, right now, that needs work, always needs work.
Focus down, now up, forward and up, back and down, down and forward, back and up, left and right, twist and turn, sweep with the body, not the leg, to a specific point on the opponents' foot/leg, ahhh, still needs a lot of work.
Maybe now to focus on Kiso Kumite, or specific pieces within the movements of Kiso Kumite Godan or Judan, whichever, fancy numbers, pick and choose depending on what needs work.
It is not a race and not a game, train not to lose, but do not worry about winning... It is always about moving up in rank and stature with some groups, always about the ritual structure with most, but on the floor, in the park, in the room, with this attitude, nothing else matters but the fact that I do not 'get it,' but must never cease.
This is not Goju Ryu Karate, nor Ki Society Aikido, this is just Budo, just Sabaki-Jutsu, it is about the Principles of movement, not learning some move, there is a huge difference there.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Kuzushi.
Concepts, in my view, are a better approach than treating things as though they are written in stone and Sensei did often talk about the 'Formless Form' that came with deeper understanding.
The term 'Kuzushi' means to imbalance and can be an art unto itself, simply studying how to imbalance an opponent in various ways seems to be the basis for Arts such as Judo, Aikido, and Jujutsu, but people tend to focus solely on the physical aspects of imbalance.
When we train we must understand how the mind can be knocked off balance and work to defend against these things, not just in the Dojo, or on the Street, but in everything we do.
We used to play a game at the old Bremerton Dojo where we would look for openings and 'cut' the other person in an effort to teach a lesson about not leaving oneself open in that way.
These were meant to teach us attention to detail and never to become lazy in our actions, to always focus, to always be ready for whatever may come and to never... Ever... EVER lose our One Point.
Of course there are some great physical drills for this sort of training, one should spend a lot of time doing Kakie in various forms along with other Kuzushi drills and apply Kuzushi from Kata to seek a deeper understanding.
These are traditional, another way is to get a partner and simply practice pushing and pulling in various ways with a mind to feel and develop sensitivity... Not just to merely push or pull an opponent, but with a mind to feel their center in conjunction with your own in order to displace it, which is far more effective than merely pushing or pulling without such a focus.
From there one can move to a less static drill, having the opponent actively come at you or pull you as you counter the movement based on said sensitivity.
As you go on you will be able to see how a simple thing like talking or lightly touching the wrist can disrupt the opponents' mind as though you have moved a Mountain with your Pinkey Finger.
Apply this to stressful situation you may encounter throughout the day or the week as you go to work or even in your off time and the sensitivity works wonders at helping you to maintain that One Point, effectively countering any attempted mental disruptions and stress with ease.
Leave no openings and do not be lazy in your stance, but anchor in your center in all things...
The term 'Kuzushi' means to imbalance and can be an art unto itself, simply studying how to imbalance an opponent in various ways seems to be the basis for Arts such as Judo, Aikido, and Jujutsu, but people tend to focus solely on the physical aspects of imbalance.
When we train we must understand how the mind can be knocked off balance and work to defend against these things, not just in the Dojo, or on the Street, but in everything we do.
We used to play a game at the old Bremerton Dojo where we would look for openings and 'cut' the other person in an effort to teach a lesson about not leaving oneself open in that way.
These were meant to teach us attention to detail and never to become lazy in our actions, to always focus, to always be ready for whatever may come and to never... Ever... EVER lose our One Point.
Of course there are some great physical drills for this sort of training, one should spend a lot of time doing Kakie in various forms along with other Kuzushi drills and apply Kuzushi from Kata to seek a deeper understanding.
These are traditional, another way is to get a partner and simply practice pushing and pulling in various ways with a mind to feel and develop sensitivity... Not just to merely push or pull an opponent, but with a mind to feel their center in conjunction with your own in order to displace it, which is far more effective than merely pushing or pulling without such a focus.
From there one can move to a less static drill, having the opponent actively come at you or pull you as you counter the movement based on said sensitivity.
As you go on you will be able to see how a simple thing like talking or lightly touching the wrist can disrupt the opponents' mind as though you have moved a Mountain with your Pinkey Finger.
Apply this to stressful situation you may encounter throughout the day or the week as you go to work or even in your off time and the sensitivity works wonders at helping you to maintain that One Point, effectively countering any attempted mental disruptions and stress with ease.
Leave no openings and do not be lazy in your stance, but anchor in your center in all things...
The Secret Sword.
Pondering some things that Sifu Pete Starr wrote recently, one of which really drove home a very important lesson.
I have read and re-read a book called 'Heiho Kadensho' by Yagyu Munenori and he talks about focusing on the 'Secret Sword' of the opponent while Sifu Starr talks about focusing on the opponent, reading the opponents' intention, but not focusing on WHAT they are doing exactly, in other words, getting hung up.
Sifu Starr talks about the disadvantage an opponent has in their attacks because their mind is only focused on one thing at a time while the advantage is found in, again, not focusing on what the opponent is doing (ie their fist coming at your head) but on the opponent... Not only ON the opponent, but through them, and not on 'this response' to 'that attack,' but on stopping them.
I was the most junior Student during Saturday Morning Sparring Classes at the old Bremerton Dojo, eleven years old, just barely learning Hookiyu Kata Dai Ichi, and I had no idea what Bunkai was and I was most certainly focused on the belt color of the person I was facing.
Sensei would have one person stand in the middle of the floor with a line of people ready to attack, the person could only defend and had to go through until the last person had a chance to attack, then would switch with next person.
When it was my time to face the line I was extremely nervous, I took note of the belt color, green, brown, another green belt, and would often zero in on the attacks, which meant I got hit... A LOT...
These days people focus on 'X' responses to 'Y' attacks and get hung up on these things, when it comes time to perform they zero in on these things and wonder why their basic training is not working out as well in Sparring.
Because they are TRYING to apply what they know and forget to focus on the 'Secret Sword,' hence, the other person, they lose their one point... Sensei always used to say 'You think too much, don't think, just do.'
That is something that cannot be repeated enough... When going through Kata it is okay to make corrections, to think about mechanics and proper angles in Embusen, but one cannot become hung up on these things and there must be a point, in Kata, where you focus on the 'Secret Sword' in order for it to be useful as more than just a training tool for correction.
It is meant to promote muscle memory and does not require much of the conscious mind, other than focus.
I have read and re-read a book called 'Heiho Kadensho' by Yagyu Munenori and he talks about focusing on the 'Secret Sword' of the opponent while Sifu Starr talks about focusing on the opponent, reading the opponents' intention, but not focusing on WHAT they are doing exactly, in other words, getting hung up.
Sifu Starr talks about the disadvantage an opponent has in their attacks because their mind is only focused on one thing at a time while the advantage is found in, again, not focusing on what the opponent is doing (ie their fist coming at your head) but on the opponent... Not only ON the opponent, but through them, and not on 'this response' to 'that attack,' but on stopping them.
I was the most junior Student during Saturday Morning Sparring Classes at the old Bremerton Dojo, eleven years old, just barely learning Hookiyu Kata Dai Ichi, and I had no idea what Bunkai was and I was most certainly focused on the belt color of the person I was facing.
Sensei would have one person stand in the middle of the floor with a line of people ready to attack, the person could only defend and had to go through until the last person had a chance to attack, then would switch with next person.
When it was my time to face the line I was extremely nervous, I took note of the belt color, green, brown, another green belt, and would often zero in on the attacks, which meant I got hit... A LOT...
These days people focus on 'X' responses to 'Y' attacks and get hung up on these things, when it comes time to perform they zero in on these things and wonder why their basic training is not working out as well in Sparring.
Because they are TRYING to apply what they know and forget to focus on the 'Secret Sword,' hence, the other person, they lose their one point... Sensei always used to say 'You think too much, don't think, just do.'
That is something that cannot be repeated enough... When going through Kata it is okay to make corrections, to think about mechanics and proper angles in Embusen, but one cannot become hung up on these things and there must be a point, in Kata, where you focus on the 'Secret Sword' in order for it to be useful as more than just a training tool for correction.
It is meant to promote muscle memory and does not require much of the conscious mind, other than focus.
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Mind, Body, and Spirit.
To this day it is hard to remember the full sequence for Kata Kakuha Dai Ni, it takes a bit of a memory jog in order to get through it as it is, essentially, Kakuha Dai Ichi and an opposite/backwards Seisan mixed together to form a single Kata.
No video of this Kata exists online, so being able to recall it by memory is a blessing, although sometimes I wonder if I am actually recalling it correctly... When there are so many people doing the exact same thing it does not lend to appreciating the rare things because nothing, in that instance, is rare.
I can proudly say that I am the only one in the City of Spokane that practices the Toguchi/Roseberry lineage of Goju Ryu which includes Hookiyu/Kihon Kata Dai Ichi and Dai Ni, Kata Gekesai Dai San, Gekiha Dai Ichi, Gekiha Dai Ni, Kakuha Dai Ichi, Kakuha Dai Ni, Gakusei No Kata, and the Golden Crane Kata created by Roseberry Shihan.
Dascenzo Sensei once showed me Hakatsuru No Mai of the Shorei Kan lineage, but it was only once, and nothing was really retained except for a few fuzzy portions of broken sequences, however, all of this being rare in this City makes me appreciate these finer points that much more.
There are also the various Kiso Kumite which are a great workout along with the various Renzoku Bunkai for each Kata which can be truly appreciated as flow drills meant to train for specific things.
Most times people simply look at these things as something to 'mark off' in order to be able to test, but for me they have deep meaning and I do not have the luxury of testing again anytime soon, so there is much more behind the reasoning of keeping these things fresh.
There is much more than just going through the motions... When moving, do we simply act as if we are at a spa or gym, talking and carrying on while our movements are nothing more than a formality?? No! Anything loses meaning when it lacks real spirit or focus, when it does not come alive.
Physical aspects of training depend exclusively on the internal aspects of Mind, Body, and Spirit... If these things are out of sync they must be balanced for proper all-inclusive training.
Training is nothing if it does not involve ALL aspects and there is always a reason for drills and Kata, whether they be in the Shorei Kan lineage, the IOGKF, the Jundokan, Meibukan, Chi-I-Do, whatever the case may be, there is no difference in spirit.
The appreciation comes when one starts to penetrate the surface and dig deeper into what they are doing... The form might matter depending on what aspects of training you wish to focus on, as well as the context, but in each, if the mind is not present, the spirit is not present, and the body is simply going through the motions then there is NO training taking place.
No video of this Kata exists online, so being able to recall it by memory is a blessing, although sometimes I wonder if I am actually recalling it correctly... When there are so many people doing the exact same thing it does not lend to appreciating the rare things because nothing, in that instance, is rare.
I can proudly say that I am the only one in the City of Spokane that practices the Toguchi/Roseberry lineage of Goju Ryu which includes Hookiyu/Kihon Kata Dai Ichi and Dai Ni, Kata Gekesai Dai San, Gekiha Dai Ichi, Gekiha Dai Ni, Kakuha Dai Ichi, Kakuha Dai Ni, Gakusei No Kata, and the Golden Crane Kata created by Roseberry Shihan.
Dascenzo Sensei once showed me Hakatsuru No Mai of the Shorei Kan lineage, but it was only once, and nothing was really retained except for a few fuzzy portions of broken sequences, however, all of this being rare in this City makes me appreciate these finer points that much more.
There are also the various Kiso Kumite which are a great workout along with the various Renzoku Bunkai for each Kata which can be truly appreciated as flow drills meant to train for specific things.
Most times people simply look at these things as something to 'mark off' in order to be able to test, but for me they have deep meaning and I do not have the luxury of testing again anytime soon, so there is much more behind the reasoning of keeping these things fresh.
There is much more than just going through the motions... When moving, do we simply act as if we are at a spa or gym, talking and carrying on while our movements are nothing more than a formality?? No! Anything loses meaning when it lacks real spirit or focus, when it does not come alive.
Physical aspects of training depend exclusively on the internal aspects of Mind, Body, and Spirit... If these things are out of sync they must be balanced for proper all-inclusive training.
Training is nothing if it does not involve ALL aspects and there is always a reason for drills and Kata, whether they be in the Shorei Kan lineage, the IOGKF, the Jundokan, Meibukan, Chi-I-Do, whatever the case may be, there is no difference in spirit.
The appreciation comes when one starts to penetrate the surface and dig deeper into what they are doing... The form might matter depending on what aspects of training you wish to focus on, as well as the context, but in each, if the mind is not present, the spirit is not present, and the body is simply going through the motions then there is NO training taking place.
Reflecting Deeper.
Back in the day it was all about where one stood in line, all about moving from the left end of the line to the right end, and then up to the front of the class.
Testing was what drove everything back then, perfecting everything one knew in order to pass the next exam and there was even a thing known as 'challenging the test,' which I had done several times since I had begun training at the Olympic Martial Arts Center on Callow in Downtown Bremerton.
I was even part of the AAU Tournament Team and part of that 'inner circle' of 'Senior Students' that always hung out together, always trained together, brothers and sisters of the Dojo, that sort of thing... They are my friends to this day and there is not a whole lot I would not do for any one of them.
I had met Shihan Roseberry several times as a kid, even trained with him at his 'Research Center' in Lincoln Nebraska and spent the night at his house after swimming at the pool where he worked as a lifeguard with the rest of the Tournament Team as we made our way to Chicago Nationals.
Skipping forward a bit I had slowed down, I realized the value in focusing on just one thing in order to understand it rather than to simply know what I needed to know in order to pass my next exam, which lead me down a path of inner searching... I ended up being Shihan Roseberry's Otomo during his visit to Olympia... A very stressful job and, to top it off, I was very ill, though not with the flu, something else entirely, but I managed to step onto the floor and stay at Shihan's side for as long as possible.
In the beginning it was all about position, later it was simply about staying the course, never giving in and never giving up.
What is more it is about appreciation that leads to deeper understanding... I had wondered very deeply about the usefulness of Kata, why did we perform these things? What purpose did it serve to do different Kata? Were they just exercises or was there something more going on?
Shihan knew, my Sensei knew, but I did not... I was just barely starting to look into these things and Kata was just barely starting to register on my radar beyond simple movement patterns they we practiced simply because they were part of our way... Or simply because they were meditation.
For quite a while afterwards I focused solely on Hookiyu/Kihon Kata (the one created by Seikichi Toguchi) and sought some understanding of each movement or sequence and ran them by my Sensei in various E-Mails and face to face questioning.
I would get up in the morning and spend hours on just the opening (which is the same as Gekesai Kata) keeping an eye towards what was going on 'between' what are accepted as the 'main' movements of the Kata.
It is extremely important to question everything, but also extremely important to realize when your mind is playing too big a role in your training.
I have researched Kata with the best of them, and on my own, and have seen many variations to realize where things have been changed for the purposes of 'making the art safer' along the lines of Kano's Judo as this shows a progressive change between what was practiced prior to WWII and after WWII... It provides an appreciation, but the journey is far from over and I still understand VERY little.
So it is amusing when someone claims to have so much knowledge as to make it obvious when 'rank' is going to their heads.
Testing was what drove everything back then, perfecting everything one knew in order to pass the next exam and there was even a thing known as 'challenging the test,' which I had done several times since I had begun training at the Olympic Martial Arts Center on Callow in Downtown Bremerton.
I was even part of the AAU Tournament Team and part of that 'inner circle' of 'Senior Students' that always hung out together, always trained together, brothers and sisters of the Dojo, that sort of thing... They are my friends to this day and there is not a whole lot I would not do for any one of them.
I had met Shihan Roseberry several times as a kid, even trained with him at his 'Research Center' in Lincoln Nebraska and spent the night at his house after swimming at the pool where he worked as a lifeguard with the rest of the Tournament Team as we made our way to Chicago Nationals.
Skipping forward a bit I had slowed down, I realized the value in focusing on just one thing in order to understand it rather than to simply know what I needed to know in order to pass my next exam, which lead me down a path of inner searching... I ended up being Shihan Roseberry's Otomo during his visit to Olympia... A very stressful job and, to top it off, I was very ill, though not with the flu, something else entirely, but I managed to step onto the floor and stay at Shihan's side for as long as possible.
In the beginning it was all about position, later it was simply about staying the course, never giving in and never giving up.
What is more it is about appreciation that leads to deeper understanding... I had wondered very deeply about the usefulness of Kata, why did we perform these things? What purpose did it serve to do different Kata? Were they just exercises or was there something more going on?
Shihan knew, my Sensei knew, but I did not... I was just barely starting to look into these things and Kata was just barely starting to register on my radar beyond simple movement patterns they we practiced simply because they were part of our way... Or simply because they were meditation.
For quite a while afterwards I focused solely on Hookiyu/Kihon Kata (the one created by Seikichi Toguchi) and sought some understanding of each movement or sequence and ran them by my Sensei in various E-Mails and face to face questioning.
I would get up in the morning and spend hours on just the opening (which is the same as Gekesai Kata) keeping an eye towards what was going on 'between' what are accepted as the 'main' movements of the Kata.
It is extremely important to question everything, but also extremely important to realize when your mind is playing too big a role in your training.
I have researched Kata with the best of them, and on my own, and have seen many variations to realize where things have been changed for the purposes of 'making the art safer' along the lines of Kano's Judo as this shows a progressive change between what was practiced prior to WWII and after WWII... It provides an appreciation, but the journey is far from over and I still understand VERY little.
So it is amusing when someone claims to have so much knowledge as to make it obvious when 'rank' is going to their heads.
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