Week Five: Patience

Patience is our dojo theme for 2016. Sensei defines patience as "bearing the unbearable". To me this sounds more like resiliency, but I suppose the two words really aren't that different. As I end week five of my training, I can safely say that patience is key. Sometimes you just have to grind away at something until it becomes tolerable. I had a good lesson in patience this week...

As I mentioned in my last post, the area I am working the most one right now are my stances. Bottom-line, I am often weak and unsteady. However, sensei taught me something else this week. In front stance, a fighter will bend their front leg and straighten their back leg, with their hips facing forward. This is the basic stance for most moves, offensive and defensive.

What I have found, is that holding this position for a long period of time is exhausting. The quadriceps of my front leg, the large muscles on the top of my thighs, usually burn after only a few minutes. I've been looking for ways to avoid this, as it makes pretty much everything else difficult. One solution I found was to try and maintain a higher stance, like in Okinawan karate.

You see, in Japanese karate, the karateka is supposed to crouch down, with their front knee over their toe. This crouching position is very taxing on the knees of an amateur, such as myself. But in Okinawa, as many people learn karate not for sport, but just as a routine part of life, there is no crouching. While the knees are still bent, there is less emphasis on the need to get as low as possible. The same body mechanics are in play, just in a more subtle way. To me this seemed less taxing on my legs, so I went into class this week with the intention of trying this higher elevation stance.

What I found is that the position was awkward, my body wasn't used to it, so I naturally melted back into the front stance I was used to. The one that kills my quads. Sensei must have seen this because he had a solution. He told me that I was putting 90% of my weight on my front leg, and that as a result I wasn't driving forward with my back leg. Instead I should put 60% of my weight on my front leg and 40% on my back leg. What happened when I did this? I found holding front stance infinitely easier!

After class I spoke with sensei, and I told him that I felt foolish for putting so much weight on my front leg for the past four weeks. His reply, "I know." As in, 'I know that you've been killing yourself for the past four weeks with improper technique'. But before I could retort, or potentially be offended, he followed with, "It builds strength."

So there you have it. Sensei was allowing me to do the wrong stance for a month not because he didn't care, but because he wanted me to push my muscles to work harder. Now when I do front stance at 60% weight on my front leg it feels like a cake walk compared with the 90% I was putting on it before. I think there is a lesson there, and I think it goes back to patience, or bearing the unbearable.

There was a lesson in the pain that I was receiving, and even though it was painful I was still benefiting. Pain isn't a bad thing, rather it is an opportunity to get stronger. Just asks my legs!

Week Four: Heidan Shodan

 

So I have officially been studying Shotokan Karate for one month now. I suppose it is time to talk about my progress, impressions, and to focus on the aspects of my form that I know I need to improve the most.

I started on this journey in the hope that I would improve my overall discipline and well-being. At my dojo, our dojo kun, or code, talks about "seeking perfection of character". I feel like the very pursuit of a martial art, such as karate, assists in this pursuit. Of course, there is no perfection in anything, but it is the pursuit of it that brings one well-being. I think that is the purpose of this motto, and I feel like after month I'm taking the first steps towards perfecting, or at least finding, my own character.

Karate is hard work. It is harder on my body than I expected it to be, especially on my legs. Which leads me to Heidan Shodan, the title of this post. Heidan Shodan is the name of the first kata a karateka is expected to master. It is 21 movements. For those unfamiliar with this kata, I have posted a video below:

 

What you don't see in this video is everything that goes into performing this kata that isn't seen. A kata is not just about "the motions". Instead, it is about facing off against "shadow" opponents. A kata should be performed with full power and at full speed.

Some things that I am learning in my own attempts to master kata is that stance is everything. One must have a strong foundation. Now, I don't know if it is because I am a male and tend to be upper body dominant in my movements, but I find getting attention on the direction of my legs important. This is especially true, when considering all of the plethora of other things one must remember in order to perform a perfect kata. But stance is perhaps the most important, and should be mastered first.

For that reason, I have begun practicing my kata with only the lower half of my body. This goal is that once I get the footwork down, I can add on the other elements later. The upper-body stuff, after all, while difficult, is  actually easier to perform because the human brain, or at least my brain, seems to be more aware of what my upper-half is doing.

Anyhow, back to practicing. My first possible date for belt testing is at the end of February, only 3 weeks away, and I need to practice my footwork.

Week Three: Why Do We Fight?

Having just finished my first six days of Kangeiko training, I can safely say that karate is hard work. My muscles burned and ached so bad at one point that even basic chodan punching became impossible, my body just wouldn't do it anymore.

For those unfamiliar, Kangeiko is winter training. At the dojo I attend, that means arriving at the school by 05:30 for six days, Monday through Thursday, and then training. Training consists of a one-mile run, outdoors in January, wearing only your gi and some tennis shoes. Then you have training for an hour in the dojo doing fundamentals. All of this is just the beginning because you are expected to attend your regular evening classes as well.

As the first white belt to have completed Kangeiko at my dojo, it got me thinking about why some of us choose to practice martial arts. There were certainly mornings when I was getting up at 04:45, with a sinus infection, and my bones aching, that I questioned if it was worth it. Somehow I got up and went anyway, though.

Sensei talks about the Power of Persistence...that is that the more you do something, the better you are going to get at it just by continuing to do it. Persistence, to continue to do something despite barriers preventing you from overcoming the challenge. But where does the will to overcome come from?

You'll notice that the image for this week's post features Batman from DC Comics. Batman is a fighter. As a character paradigm he is essentially Sherlock Holmes but with ninja skills and an endless supply of complex gadgets. Every night, despite a myriad of obstacles and set-backs, Batman goes out and defends Gotham City, his home. Now, in the comic books, Batman does this because he is trying to keep a promise to his parents. He promises them that he won't let anyone else be hurt by criminals in his city, the way that his parents were gunned down by a petty thief. It is a pretty big promise, and one that Batman often falls short off.

Note, Batman doesn't fight for the same reason the Average Real-World Joe decides to take up martial arts, but we can still draw parallels in our own world. He fights because he has dedicated his entire life to the pursuit of one goal and being able to beat anyone in hand-to-hand combat is a part of achieving that goal. So what are my life goals? What do I want, and how does pursuing martial arts help me achieve those goals?

Those aren't questions I'm going to answer here, but they should be questions we should all ask ourselves. Why am I pursuing karate to begin with? Is it for fitness, discipline, self-confidence, or to be a tournament fighter?

Once you know why you are fighting, it is much easier to get out of bed and actually do it. Just like Batman keeps his promise to his parents in the forefront of his mind, you too need to remember the promise you made to yourself...whatever that may be. I think, for there, you will find the power to persevere.

Week Two: Language

Like any activity, true enthusiasts know the correct lingo for the various aspects of their craft. In karate, there is an additional challenge for newcomers to the art because a lot of the words are foreign and at first difficult to pronounce. As karate hails from Japan, most of the words used to refer to the various movements or concepts are still referred to in Japanese.

Now, as this is a written piece, and language is a verbal function, pronunciation will be lost, but that's ok. This isn't a course in Japanese. The point of this post is to familiarize the newcomer to karate with the ways words look, that way when they hear them they can connect them to words they have seen.

There are a lot of commands in karate, and even between the different schools there are probably a lot of variations in terms of which words are used to signify different commands. I will focus here on the terms most frequently used at my dojo, which is based on the Shotokan model, as set forth by Gichin Funakoshi and now propagated by the Japan Karate Association (JKA).

Basics

•  Karate - "Empty Hand", the name of the very art itself. Originally called "Chinese Hand", the name was changed by Funakoshi himself, both because the name "Empty Hand" better exemplified the techniques used, but also to make the art more attractive to the Japanese of the time who were fiercely adverted to the notion of any outside influences on their culture, especially from China. 

• Sensei - "Teacher", the formal name for your instructor.
• Senpai - "Senior Student", any black belt. These individuals have a responsibility to correct lower ranks when they make a mistake, but also to guide them when they have questions. Having good and open senpai at your school is essential.
• Dojo - "School", this is where you train. While not strictly a holy or sacred place, it is a space that must be treated with the utmost respect. It doesn't matter if your dojo is a temple at the base of Mt. Fuji or a high school cafeteria in Kansas, when you enter the space as a karateka you do so humility. It is your responsible to care for your dojo and keep it clean as well.

The Three Concepts
In modern karate, three concepts are stressed more than any other. While traditionally only kihon and kata were stressed, kumite has taken on more emphasis in the past few decades as more practitioners have put focus on trying to make the art more practical for real world combat scenarios. I personally disagree with this shift in focus, but regardless, it is important to know all three concepts, and hopefully, their significance.

• Kihon - "Basic Movements", this covers all the core movements of karate. This includes all the standard punches, kicks and blocks. One must master each of these in isolation before they pull them all together.
• Kata - "Form" or "Pattern", these are the scripted movements that your sensei will teach you. Learning, and memorizing these kata is not only proof of your ability to move to the next rank (or kyu), but also prepares you for combat as well. Keep in mind, one can never perfect a kata, but as a practitioner of karate one must always seek perfection through tireless practice.
• Kimute - "Sparring", the new focus of many modernly trained schools. This is either done as training or competitively.

Numbers
The first thing you will notice when you attend a dojo is that your sensei and fellow students will all count in Japanese. When counting out loud you should count loudly! Especially during the initial warm-up exercises. This not only demonstrates to your sensei that you have come prepared to learn, and also it increases your own adrenaline, thus sharpening your focus.

1. Itci
2. Ni
3. San
4. Shi
5. Go
6. Roku
7. Shichi
8. Hachi
9. Kyu
10. Jyu

Basic Commands
Lastly, we'll cover some of the most basic terms that your sensei will use to direct you to perform different actions. Learning these takes time, but if when you hear a new word you follow your senpai's lead, you'll be fine.

•  Hajime - "Begin", or get ready.
• Jodan - "High", or on level with chin.
• Chudan - "Middle", or on level with sternum.
• Gedan - "Low", or on level with legs and knees. 
• Yame - "Stop", return to resting position.

Well, that's the crash course in karate terms and lingo. At least it should get you started, but remember, there is a whole world of words and concepts left to learn!

Week One: Punching

Punching. Is there anything more basic in martial arts? But as it turns out, there is a lot more to it than just throwing a fist. When punching there are several things to be aware of, which I will outline below:

1. Make a good fist. Your fist should be tight, but not stiff. As in all karate, softness prevails over hardness. This a Confucian idea. The idea that water, over time, has the power to overcome great things, like carving deep trenches into mountains. So stiffness should be avoided at all times, especially when making a fist. Another important consideration is the position of the thumb, it should only stretch across the first finger, and no further.
2. Extending the fist. When you punch, the knuckles of your first and second fingers should lead the punch, these knuckles are going to be the primary points of impact. To prevent injury to the bones, and to provide good support for the wrist, the first and second knuckles should be flat, and from them you should be able to draw a line back along your arm and to your shoulder.
3. Keep your shoulders back. This isn't boxing. You'll notice in boxing that a lot of fighters keep their shoulders hunched when they're punching. This is wrong. You instead want to keep your shoulders back and your chest puffed out.
4. Don't fully extend your arm. When the Japanese were first teaching Westerners how to punch in karate after World War II, they had a limited English vocabulary. As such, they would tell their Western students to "bend" their arms when they punched. As a result, a whole generation of karateka now punch a lot like a boxing nun puppet, with their elbows down and wrists crooked. While this isn't necessarily wrong, it isn't what these Japanese teachers actually meant to convey. The true way to extend your arm when punching is with a "slight bend". That is to say, you don't want to hyper-extend your elbow. The best way this was described to me is that it is like stabbing with a knife. To hold a knife the correct way it is not like in Psycho where you strike downward, but instead hold the knife with the blade pointed out and your thumb on top of the handle. Your thumb should always be on top, with the nail facing up. Then imagine thrusting the knife forward. You will notice when you do this that your elbow points down, towards the floor. This is the same position your arm should be in when throwing a fist in karate.
5. Pull, down push. You never "throw" a punch in karate. Rather, the fist that is propelled forward is done so in reaction to your fist on the opposite side being pulled back forcefully to your side. This is a difficult concept to explain in writing, but both hands should be moving when punching. One hand will be going forward, but it is the hand that is retracting that holds the power. The faster you can pull back the "non-punching" hand, the more powerful your actual punch will be. It is counter-intuitive at first, and requires practice.
6. Swing your hips. Like the push-pull concept, the idea here is that the punch of a punch actually comes from your hips, and not your arms. Your body has several large muscle groups, such as your back and in your legs. If you can engage these muscles when punching, rather than just your arm muscles, your punch will be infinitely more powerful. To do this, you first need to wind up your punch by turning your hips to a 45 degree angle towards the punching fist. As you pull back the opposite fist (remember, this is where the power comes from), you will twist your hip to the opposite side so that mid-punch, your hip will be facing the opposite direction as before, but again at 45 degrees. Finally, your hip will snap back to center position as you end the punch. If you do this correctly, and are wearing your gi belt, it should be swaying back and forward as you punch.
7. Aim is everything! Perhaps the most critical concept of any of the above is how to aim your punch. A well executed punch that misses is useless. When practicing punching you have to hit the same target every time without fail. Remember, it are the knuckles of your first and second fingers that are the points of contact of your punch. You should aim to have these knuckles to strike either the abdomen or the upper lip of an opponent along their mid-line of their body. Practice until you can hit the same spot on a  target every time.

A Word of Caution! In true karate, a karateka only ever needs to throw one punch. And a true karateka understands that throwing that punch means killing the opponent. One should never punch an opponent unless they intent to kill them. There are two points on the body that if struck correctly, using the techniques above, can instantly kill. The first is in the abdomen, just below the xiphoid process on the sternum. The second is on the face, just above the upper lip. Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan Karate, wrote that all karateka should think of their fists as deadly swords. A true warrior only unsheathes his sword in a battle of life or death, and never hurts innocent people.

The Beginning: Part Two

The Japan Karate Association (JKA) is the premiere institution for anyone with an interest in martial arts, and fortunately there is a branch near to where I live. At first, however, I really didn't know a lot about karate. Like most people, I suspect, I thought of karate more as something that white Americans did, rather than as a true martial "art". But I couldn't have been more wrong.

Before even attending the school, I ordered a copy of the book Karate-Do, by Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of what is now internationally recognized as Shotokan Karate. In this book I found karate is not about fighting, or even about self defense. Rather, from its founding, it is about living a disciplined and deeply respectful life. What is more, JKA and its dojos abide strictly by these teachings, and not by those propagated by Western media. True karate truly is a way of life, and not just a form of self-defense. In other words, it was exactly was I was looking for.

My first day at the dojo I was obviously pretty nervous and didn't know what to expect.  But I couldn't have had more fun and the sensei couldn't have been more welcoming. So now that I have successfully completed my first week of training, I plan to use blog to help share and record everything that I have learned. The purpose of this blog is not to replace the experience one has in a dojo, nor is it in anyway sanctioned by any true authoritative body of martial arts. Rather, it is more like a personal journal, a collection of lessons, learned session to session, week to week. Both for my own good, but also so that that knowledge doesn't remain hidden or dormant. My ultimate hope, if nothing else, is that others who wish to follow the "Way of the Empty Hand", can learn from my experiences.

The Beginning: Part One

Throughout my life I have probably always had a passing interest in the martial arts. An interest that I suppose a lot of American boys probably have. Whether it was an obsession with the Power Rangers, Jackie Chan, or as I got older, Bruce Lee movies. Martial arts was always there in some form when I was growing up. So, it may have been inevitable that I would wind up attempting to pursue martial arts later in life.

I was in born in Trenton, New Jersey, but my father moved to Texas to earn his degree as a Chiropractor shortly after I was born.In Texas, when I was probably about four or five years old, I know that I pursued some form of martial arts, but I don't remember the specifics. My father, while never having formally studied, except for a brief while noted later, also had an interest in martial arts growing up. This is probably why I was enrolled in class at a young age. But when I turned five my family moved from Texas to Pennsylvania, and so ended my first opportunity to continue to develop my skills.

Later, when I was in high school, I took Tae Kwon Do with my father and my brother. The instructor was a friend of my father's, at the time, but they had a falling out, so too ended that experience all too soon. The highest level I ever achieved was the yellow belt. Note, I don't really consider this experience to have had been true martial arts, nor do I think of that instructor as a true Sensei. I'll explore more on this in later posts.

So, with those as my primary experiences in the martial arts, I can say I had a loose, very loose, base from which to build on. I had never achieved true mastery of anything, nor did I truly understand what martial arts was really about, beyond the most prolific view, that it is purely for self defense. Something happened in December of 2015 though, that sort of ignited something in me though. A dormant spark perhaps. I found that I had a new found interest in pursuing martial arts, and for some reason, this time the pursuit felt different.

Now, when I say "something happened" I'm not talking about a particular event. I wasn't being bullied and I hadn't survived an attack (this is a Bruce Wayne/Batman-esque tale). There was no major impetus prior to my interest. In fact, my life was, and is, pretty well-balanced. I have a job that I love, I love my wife, and overall I feel very blessed with the way my life has played out so far. So, for reasons at this moment unknown, I decided to start looking into pursuing martial arts.

The first step, as I suspect is the first step for most people in our modern age, was to hop onto the internet and find out everything I could about the martial arts. One thing that continued to come up was the importance of choosing the correct "style" of martial arts. Now, for those of you who are unfamiliar with the world of fighting, as I was, there are probably a hundred different martial arts styles to choose from. Then within each style, there is a variety of different schools that teach that one style in a variety of different ways. The bottom-line is that there are a lot of options for a beginner looking to jump in.

One major consideration, or limitation, when considering which style to choose from is whether or not if that particular style has a school near you. Having moved five years ago to New Mexico, and luckily or unluckily for me, living in a fairly large metropolitan area, I have a decent amount of options when I was looking for a dojo to join. I started looking at these schools, looking at their philosophies, the training of their instructors, and then, of course, considered some of the practical points, like distance from my home and price.

At first, based purely on philosophy alone, I found myself attracted to some of the Aikido schools near me. I am not a large person, and have always had a thin build, so I was very interested in a martial arts form that required less power, and instead relied on using an opponent's power against them. However, as I did more objective research, Aikido seemed like a less practical form of martial arts than perhaps I was looking for. Now, I am not a fighter, nor do I want to be, but if I did get into a fight, I want to make sure that I wouldn't lose. Aikido has a bad reputation in the online fighter community, so I decided to explore some other options.

That is what led me to karate...