Training Thoughts.

All techniques are one technique, one flowing principle moving into different ‘positions’ if we were to stop movement (as Karate does).

I would say that all ways are one way of the principle is understood, but not all ways are created equal... We have flawed methodologies to which many cling because ‘Tradition,’ which is fine until it is sold as something it is not, then it is not fine at all.

Good principles should be applied across the board, they should be trained effectively with ineffective methods tossed in the dumpster since they serve no purpose other than to propagate ineffective training.

Take stances and footwork, for example; many Karateka are taught to cross their legs/feet when turning... A ‘stance’ of sorts, albeit traditional as well as highly ineffective and something that puts the Karateka at a disadvantage.

Certainly there are strategic uses for it, maybe as an attack along the lines of a leg sweep, but cross stepping for the sake of cross stepping serves only to entangle one’s own legs if the opponent utilizes the opportunity... And it doesn’t take much.

It is more about structure, moving whilst keeping proper structure as the delivery system for power... To what end? Strike to disrupt and disrupt to strike, basically, attack their structure, seek to as much damage as possible in as little time as possible.

That is basically it when breaking down the aim, nothing really fancy, so no need for fancy training that does not have this goal in mind.

Methodology should be centered around how we do this quickly and effectively, once this is done THEN work on nuances for when those opportunities present themselves.

In a recent slow sparring session my partner stated ‘never give me your head,’ good advice, however, never say never as there are opportunities present in everything and what seems like a disadvantage may just work in one’s favor of one knows how to utilize it... As stated above, there are strategic uses for the cross step as well, albeit not necessarily as a step or turn.

More effective methods for training this exist, though, that would not confuse it with a step or actual footwork and does not even really require a crossing of the legs.

Critical thinking is a must, hanging on the words of someone who will not be there should you have to actually engage in counter violence is not going to do you any favors.

A Typical/Not-So-Typical Karate Class - Sanwa Kan style.

 The ground was a bit cold on the feet, but the minds were so engrossed they barely noticed. Hands clashed, slapping kicks aside, punches, moving in to take the center. One would yield ground, no real rhythm, no mind to timing, no strategy what so ever. 

Stop! Where are you going with that? Slow down! Do it again. Feel for the openings, feel the timing, the rhythm of the movement, then break it.

Again, hands and feet clashed, tangled up, attempts to lock failed, one giving ground again, no mind to strategy, no real rhythm or timing, nothing.

Time to move to something else and refine a bit. Work the first three movements of Kata. Musubi Dachi, Heiko Dachi, step out, line to line, feel the rotation around the centerline, coil up, spring out, coil up, spring out. 

Get your hips in line, don't break posture, keep the movements close, in tight, coil up, spring out. Again! No. That is an extra step. Do it again, remove that step, stay within the Kata and feel the movement. By the count. Stop! Move this here, keep that there, don't break the posture, stay within the Kata.

Over and over, only three movements, the flow is important, each movement has something to tell you, each sequence a lesson to teach, but keep it unbroken. Take it slow, don't go too fast, don't be in a rush, and pay attention. 

Several dozen more repetitions. Are they ready to move to the next sequence? No. We will spend more time on just these three, months if we have to. 

Back to it. Karate begins and ends with respect, so bow to your partner. Back into the fray of Iri Kumi. Hands and feet clash, but none give any real ground this time. Rhythm and timing are falling into place, at least insofar as they can feel it, seek it out, but neither seek to break it just yet. 

Movements are a bit more refined, they are seeking out strategy a little bit, setting up by going low, moving high, keeping movements close, tight, coiling up, springing out, actually allowing movements from Kata to speak. 

Good. 

Introduction to Kakie, meet at the wrists, do not let the wrists come apart, where their wrist goes, your wrist goes, where your wrist goes, their wrist goes. Not so fast, not so rough, slow it down, be patient, feel. When you feel, pull, or push, don't go for locks, don't go for attacks, just pull, or push. 

They're getting it. Now back to Kata. More and more with the first sequence, no breathing yet, just focusing on posture, alignment, coiling, springing out, and again. 

Several dozen more times. 

Back to Kakie. Now two-handed free-form Kakie. There are three gates, control one, they only have the use of two, move your way up to cut off the gates. Allow the movements to flow, move around, use your footwork, use your feet. Muchimidi is about sticking like heavy sticky mud, keep it going, feel, now go for openings and allow the flow to show you what to do. 

Back to Kata. Several dozen more times. Each movement has something to tell you, several layers, layers upon layers, don't think, flow. 

Complete with push-ups to reset and ingrain. Followed up with Frog Sprints several times back and forth across the grass. 

Karate ends with respect.

***

It took a bit to get them to focus, but moving in circles, circling back to Kata and drawing from the lessons of Kata each time really informed the practice. Utilizing this to inform the practice engaged the Students in a much deeper level of training when hands began to cross. 

My training is circular, it is unlikely these will be exactly the same as that in a normal Dojo, and that is fine with me so long as they continue to get something out of it, something to take with them to other areas of life and inform those as well. 

The Spiral Nature of Ti.

 It has been a confusing, yet rewarding journey as of late.

Something is in the air, perhaps a resurgence of something lost, but a guiding principle seems apparent.

Ti came to me, I did not actively seek it out, it appeared in the form of an old friend and Dojo Brother who opened the flood gates to a deeper realm I always felt was there, but could not quite put into accurate wording.

Karate contains SOME Ti, but Ti does not contain ANY Karate at all. As it has been passed down, it is an entirely different beast, yet seemingly familiar.

I had stated previously that Karate was originally without Kata, yet this is not entirely accurate as Karate is a modern Okinawan Martial Art, it is not Ti.

Ti, itself, was originally without Kata; what drills that did exist meant to convey principles and did not take a central role, the point was to impart is formula for effective combat that went into chaos and could take any form that was necessary to get the job done.

Like learning to effectively strike in Boxing, or learning to effectively throw in Judo, these are principles that start at a specific point in the education process, the. Move outward from there into expression according to principles learned... From mechanics to strategy.

The basic mode of imparting these principles in the present form of Ti is Naifuanchin Kata.

Yes, a Kata, but not in the manner of any Kata presently practiced in Karate, even Naihanchi Shodan, Nisan, etc.

Ti was hidden there, as it has been hidden through the majority of recent history, and lost on the majority.

Things like stances, blocks, various strikes, they do not really exist unto themselves and these are not really what Ti teaches.

Proper mechanics, positioning, power generation, and flowing, allowing the lines to manifest.

One starts with the root form for training basic principles, slowly, gradually, one moves out from here into greater and greater circles exploring these principles in a wider range of training, Naifuanchin transforms into something else. There is no longer Kata, there is only flow.

Memorization is not rote, the main focus remains on proper mechanics, until memorization is no longer necessary.

Certainly one could say this about Karate, but is this really the case?

If we perform a Karate Kata it is the same general pattern over and over again, no growth beyond the basic form, explanations given tend to be sub par, often pieces together by studying other arts in order to make sense of what had not been initially explained.

Each ‘level’ is based on how much one can memorize and retain, from drills to Kata, with analysis taking place as an aside in order to make sense of things.

Sense... This should be the first thing on the menu for any art that claims to be even remotely ‘Martial’ with refinement of skills already applicable being the goal.

Kata is secondary to the actual principles and only a small part of the methodology, just one aspect.

Ti, originally, had no Kata, and Ti influenced Tode, it is not a Chinese Art, nor did it have much Chinese Influence, that is all Karate.

It would seem, Karate, is more about showmanship than anything, so the notion that it is performance art makes a lot of sense... And it makes a lot of sense why Japanese Occupiers of Okinawa would allow the practice of Karate whilst Ti went underground.

Jan Dam, the head of Genten Kai, a Teacher of Ti, often says ‘nothing exists in Ti’ which implies that everything exists.

Stressing certain principles, especially unbroken lines and endless flow, yet starting at the bottom, building up to that flow in a curriculum that seems to work in a spiral outward (as is the case with most things in Ti, I have found).

Karate, on the other hand, does not do this... It breaks, it is choppy, stopping points are a primary focus for purposes of ‘timing,’ ‘rhythm,’ and ‘emphasis.’ All of which are, indeed, good points, and that is the point... That Karate focuses on points while Ti is a line, a shape, many shapes, a flow, unbroken.

One could literally spend hours exploring where a line goes, taking it out of Naifuanchin, putting it into a free form flow, the possibilities are endless.

Patterns are only important insofar as they impart proper body mechanics so as to avoid harming oneself through ineffective movement.

Points are necessary in order to learn these things, then they must be shed, like a snake shedding old skin.

Kata, as a practice, is the same. Ti can be learned utilizing Karate Kata as a starting point, moving outward from there, eventually the Kata itself is shed like an old skin.

Karate, as an art, is merely the beginning. The starting point, where basics are to be learned (although what passes for basics in Karate leaves something to be desired).

What is more ‘advanced’ in Karate is never quite advanced, simply a thrashing of ‘points’ in different patterns that need to be memorized in order to qualify for any recognized rank in an artificial system set up at nearly the mid point of last century.

A Teacher needs to know these things in order to Teach, but a Teacher must have moved beyond these things on a recognizable path in order to effectively guide a student.

Not every student will ‘get it,’ but that is not the point. The steps are necessary in order to learn how to walk and we all have to begin somewhere.

Root of the Tree.

 It is amusing when people talk about ‘this’ style versus ‘that’ style, how much emphasis is placed on ‘how we do things’ versus ‘how they do things.’

‘Ours is the correct way’ so it goes, but what constitutes correct? Is the art being taught as ‘self defense’ (an ambiguous term unto itself)? Is it being taught as a Cultural Art Form? How is it being presented?

It is human nature to believe what we have put our time into has merit, value, and it seems to puff up the ego in small talk at social gatherings.

It hurts the ego when this is challenged, another example of human nature, a natural response... Further exacerbated when it is proven through an on the spot test to the challenge presented.

(Most don’t heed this and improve, they lick their wounds and just go on believing the delusion).

Arguments over ‘this point’ or ‘that detail’ are not very productive or useful in the long run, at least without context.

If something proves useful then, fine, it is a keeper and worth noting. If not, why keep it? Why train a bad habit? Why are you training? What is being taught? How is it presented?

Are you training for actual conflict or are you just learning an art form?

Getting the fine points so that something looks right is okay, but this is not training for conflict, it is learning a form, for presentation; a glorified dance.

Some principle based approaches fall into this as well when people begin to obsess over the proper way to perform a movement via principles rather than applying something to see it if works or if you get your ass handed to you.

This is function versus form.

It is not about the style, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution, everything has a weakness, everything has a strength.

If a person is so focused on form then they have no means of knowing where something is lacking or where it is truly strong.

I would say that the first point should be to note that the weakness is in the over emphasis on form and performance with no real context in conflict or testing things out.

If you learn something then it is up to you to attempt to break it, see where it is lacking, see where it is strong, once the strength is found, try to break that as well.

Don’t get hung up on one style versus another, don’t be a style loyalist or purist because when the rubber hits the road the only thing that matters is what worked and what didn’t.

What didn’t may very well get you killed or, at the very least, fuck your world up for years to come after it leaves you eating from a tube.

Are these things being packaged as self defense when they are clearly a performance art?

That is a huge red flag. Take note. It is likely best to thank the Instructor for their time and move on to greener pastures.

Often what works is not pretty to look at; it is not flashy, not fancy, but it also does not take years to master.

Those are the things that are truly worthy of attention and, ironically, years of dedication.

If something requires you to close your mind to learning and seeks to convince you that it has all the answers then RUN!

A black belt is just a piece of cloth and those who feel they have nothing left to learn have nothing worthy of being learned.

Always seek to learn, always seek to grow, never get stuck in one thing unless that one thing is to grow yourself, your way, in the way that works for you.

Passing this on should never be a practice of preserving something just as it is either, it should be an exercise of seeking to help others find their way, what works for them.

I am not a Karateka, I have not been for a long time.

Though I train, I am a Budoka, I seek what works, I seek to learn and grow, to pass on what I know in order to help others do the same.

I respect my roots, but roots only serve as support for the whole tree.

Are you a dead tree?

Context is King.

 Budo is important as a foundation in life, beyond that it is not so important or special.

Yes, it does instill confidence, yes, it CAN be used as a foundation for effective defense against physical, mental, and emotional assault.

Does that mean it should take center stage above everything else in life? Does that mean one should dedicate their life toward its’ pursuit?

One need look no farther than Social Media or the evening News and Politics to see what happens when something takes center stage and begins to dominate a person’s life in every aspect, Heart, mind, and soul.

It is no different than an addiction, cravings consume a person, the person becomes the addiction, their mind, their whole persona, they are no longer themselves and will do everything they can, without even realizing it in some cases, to appease this thing that has dominated their entire being.

In other ways it is nothing like this at all. When kept in proper context it can yield tremendous value and guidance, but it is not the be all, end all; merely the beginning, the foundation.

It seeks to yield a blueprint, or loose guidelines, nothing really concrete, one can get the same thing studying the likes of Aristotle, Socrates, Pythagoras... All of whom, if I am not mistaken, were Martial Men in their own right, and in Ancient Greece, Martial Study was considered a foundational aspect of a Philosopher (in later times, an integral aspect of Religious devotees as well).

Recently I have been learning how to take care of a house... I had to replace a light fixture, something I had never done before.

Call me a slow beginner, but it was a very interesting undertaking.

The basics of a light fixture are the same across the board for the most part, with a few exceptions, and something Karate had not taught me, but had certainly prepared me for.

You see, endless hours of working Kihon, putting Kihon together into Waza, Waza going into Kata, from Kata to the Bunkai, from Bunkai to Oyo.

From Karate to Jujitsu and Aikido, to Okinawa Ti, they all utilize similar processes to learn and one can see that there are almost identical foundational principles for each aspect, from striking, to throwing and taking someone down, to grappling, to weapons.

It is the same and if you have foundation in one thing it is usually much easier to learn something else... Not that you KNOW something else from your previous foundation, but that you KNOW HOW to learn it.

Budo gives a person the tools for effective learning, it does not teach you what to learn, but how to learn... It does not tell you what to think, but how to think in many different ways.

One can take the principles they utilize to learn Budo and apply these to ANYTHING and it will reduce the time it takes to learn something (for some people) by quite a bit.

So, in proper context, yes, devote your time to this practice so that you may utilize it to better yourself in other areas of life that have possibly been neglected.

This is an aspect, I feel, has not been a proper point of focus in many Dojo... Especially with the younger crowd whom are sold on just learning to beat people up.

If they had proper guidance leading to proper focus with an emphasis on utilizing the PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING in ALL aspects of life at a very early age, just imagine what this could do for people as they grow older and seek more knowledge with deeper understanding! Imagine what it could do for the world!

Instead of allowing something to dominate our lives perhaps we should seek ways to harmonize that thing within our lives so that we could make the world, and ourselves, better, more knowledgeable, and, ultimately, wiser.

I could not tell someone how to invest their money or how to write the best Computer Code, but I CAN give them the tools to help them explore those things for themselves.

I am working on doing this within my own life, applying these Principles of Learning to personal endeavors in Self Education within Math, Physics, and Computing... Math being my weakest subject, which subsequently effects my computing abilities in certain areas.

This extends to everything, from Gardening to Car Maintenance. The key is focus, dedication, immersion, drilling the basics, putting the basics together in various ways after learning the basic patterns and drilling those endlessly.

Another aspect is in recognizing basic patterns themselves, which is a key that makes things even easier.

A Sensei does not know everything, most know little to nothing about many things and a great deal within areas of life upon which they have focused.

Just remember it is not about WHAT we know, but HOW we know it and HOW MUCH MORE we can learn utilizing the first HOW...

Wake Up Call.

 As each day goes by lately, the more I see, the deeper the pain.

In all honesty it does not just bother me to see people treating each other the way they are, it literally hurts, it hurts to the core of my very being and I cannot really explain why.

I do not even pretend to speculate what it is, nor what is going through people’s heads, but I often know, without words, rhyme, or reason, I know... I know people, often within the first five minutes of meeting them, I can feel what sort of person it is I am dealing with.

One can speculate this might be a side effect of my training, but I have done it my whole life and I have put people before myself long before I began my training.

Seeing the state of things and knowing the outcomes, this is not bragging, this is a warning. Work to better yourselves and overcome this, because there are people out there who feel it deeply, like a wound straight to the heart.

I think of my children, I think of other people’s children, I think of other people themselves, friends, family, people I have not even met; I wonder, how many people actually think of THEM as they are attempting to appear virtuous or resolute with whatever cause they happen to throw themselves behind?

Is it worth it? When all is said and done, do they realize who this will effect and in what way?

Children have already died because of this, people have already died, and what is being sought will cost the lives, livelihood, homes, and security of countless others.

Do they take the time to get to know their names? Do they even care?

Many don’t, most don’t, most just follow the directions of the mob, not even realizing they are following a contrary path to the very things they profess.

In the end, should any of this come to my door, I will have to do what is best for my own family, and I will have to live with the consequences of acting because of the actions of other people forcing me into such a position when all I want to do is live life the way I choose to live it and be left alone.

I have, and will always, stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves, but there is a difference in that and what is being played out on the world stage, even the local stage.

This is not a game. People have died. It hurts to see you all act this way, with your opinions, your demonizations, your actions, your violence.

There will always be violence and there will always be a need to face it, why add to that? 

This will be my last post here. I see many in this community, of all communities, acting in this way when we should be leading the way towards something more meaningful and virtuous.

I am not perfect and I have acted in such ways at times, I also do not have even a fraction of the answers, but I do know that I can feel this deeply and it is taking a toll. 

How Do YOU Make This Line Shorter?

 Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, even the next moment is not guaranteed.

‘I will do it tomorrow’ is an empty statement based on the assumption that a person will wake up the following day.

Lack of proper perspective prevents many things and lack of follow-through stops everything in its’ tracks ensuring that nothing ever gets done.

Sensei, in the process of teaching something new, used to say ‘just do it, even if it is wrong, do it without a second thought,’ the correction would soon follow, but the follow-through to the completion of the intent was the most important thing... Never do anything half-assed, never leave anything incomplete.

Be present, fully, in everything that is done and see it through to the end regardless of the difficulty, even in the face of death.

Death is the ultimate certainty for everyone, no matter what you do, you are going to die, so in everything that is done, do it well, to it with your whole being, and do it completely.

This moment, right now, is all that we really have. Yesterday is gone and ‘tomorrow’ is a dream that may or may not be granted.

That line of intent that turns into a strike or something else is here one minute and morphing into something else the next, never static, always dynamic, continuous change, full of little deaths and little births, becoming and ending in the blink of an eye.

Planning for months is useful, but acting as though each day is a gift is where we will find the true power behind all accomplishment.

Even small accomplishments are great accomplishments when followed through to completion. 

Whether a person is performing a sword cut or completing an on the job report, being fully present, they are the same thing. Details and execution along the proper path make all the difference.

Putting something off for tomorrow means that execution has been thwarted today, the task will not be completed... 

Then there is the question ‘can this level of exertion be maintained over the course of months, weeks, or years?’ That question becomes meaningless when we realize that the timeframe may well be unreasonable.

The real power is in maintaining the exertion, the focus, the energy and intent for this moment... Should the next moment come, then maintain it there as well.

Each breath is a gift, the next is never promised.