tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64534060945936063602024-03-21T20:28:42.551+02:00Fire With FireA Training Journeysenseijshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441036421028721802noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6453406094593606360.post-7725325902511239222012-12-29T21:35:00.002+02:002012-12-29T21:35:58.554+02:00Touch and Empowerment<br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Values As The Bottom Line: </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">The Art of Teaching Everyday Warriors</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Touch and Empowerment</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jill
Baker Shames, El HaLev, Israel<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is for the many martial arts instructors I have worked with who place VALUES EDUCATION at the top of their teaching agendas. Because of my work at <a href="http://www.elhalev.org/">El HaLev</a>, many of you have asked me for tips on how to incorporate empowerment, especially women's empowerment, into your curricula.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Want to
start changing someone’s life in less than 10 seconds? Try this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let's say, assuming you have already developed enough
gender/body type sensitivity NOT to always choose the biggest bruiser in your class,
that you choose a young lady or woman in your class as your partner to help you
demonstrate a wrist grab, shoulder grab, bear hug, shirt grab, arm bar, etc. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What would happen if before you touch her… you ASKED HER FOR PERMISSION? That’s
right. I said “ASK”, as in “May I…?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Surprised? She probably will be too. And possibly a little
uncomfortable, given that it is unlikely that anyone in this
youngster’s/woman’s life has <u>ever</u> asked her for permission to touch
her--- not her parents, not her doctor, not her boyfriend, not even her female
friends. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And when you see that mystified look in her eyes, or
in the faces of her classmates, that’s when you get that incredible teaching
moment: “Susan /Desiree/Mei Li, your body belongs to you. You have the right to
decide who touches you, when and how. No one, not even Sensei/Master/Sifu gets
to touch you if you don’t want him/her to. May I?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If she tests you by saying “no”, just bow (or do whatever
you do for courtesy) and find another demonstration partner. But don’t worry; she
will almost always will say “yes”… with a smile (and an eye roll if she’s
between the ages of 11-15). And then everything goes according to the usual
script… except for one thing. You have
planted a seed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know some of you are saying that that is not how things are done in the martial arts. That is not what your teacher did with you (big surprise!) and,
heck, that is certainly not how an assault happens. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Right. That is the point. This is not an assault. This is an
exercise. You are teaching this student and everyone within earshot that one of
the discernible signs of an impending assault is the sense that the person you
are dealing with has no respect for your boundaries. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You have given this
student the power to say “No” even to you, a "superpower" in
day-to-day life more powerful than any punch, kick or choke they will
ever learn. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And in helping them find their boundaries and defend them, you are
also giving your students the ability to say “Yes!” with a whole heart and a composed
mind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So if you really want to" touch" your students in
a way that could make a real difference in their lives, then, to quote the 90’s
country phenomenon Shania Twain:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you wanna touch
her<br />
<u>Really </u>wanna touch her<br />
If you wanna touch her, <b><u>ask</u></b>!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now, make it a habit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*By the way, this works just as well on male students. It teaches both male and female students an important lesson about the limits of
authority: theirs and those of everyone else in their lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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senseijshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441036421028721802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6453406094593606360.post-72299846602343200212012-01-05T22:18:00.000+02:002012-01-05T22:20:44.507+02:00Dishing It Out with Sensei Uri Wolff<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sensei Uri Wolff "dishing it out"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can't believe that it's already been a week since I had the pleasure of attending the dojo opening of my </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Dojo Brother"</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Sensei Uri Wolff. Uri has been teaching for several years. I have attended two of his previous openings. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, this one, the most understated of them all, was also, for me, the most meaningful. I expect it is because this one represented the greatest change in Uri's karate life. This is the one marking his setting aside other pursuits and dedicating himself to teaching martial arts full-time. This dojo is the doorway to his dream.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Uri's workouts are always... workouts. While I and my students use our training time for training and save our physical "workouts" for other times, Uri runs two-hour classes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This allows him to integrate the two, much as our (un)common instructor, Sensei Michael Rosati did and does. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hundreds of pushups, jumping jacks and kihon (basics like punching and kicking) later, the lesson really begins. This one was devoted to Yakusoku Kumite (Prearranged sparring). I really enjoy working out with Uri's students, especially his senior students, who are happy to have someone to work with who "dishes it out" and enjoys "taking it" as much as they do. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Uri's prearranged fighting sequences are probably 5-6 steps longer than any I have ever seen. For example, first the Opponent tries to punch you. So you block, punch to the center, hit him on the head as you go past, throw in an elbow for good measure, wrap your arm around the attacking limb, bring the head down, knee, change direction, take down, throw in a kick while you're at it.... I should ask for a Users Manual at the beginning of class and just following along to see which juicy targets might be on the menu for the evening.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am about 2/3s Uri's height. My arms and legs are barely half his in length. This discrepency in body type gives me an excellent vantage point for testing out the practicality of Uri's multivariate karate applications. Some of his techniques are a bit of a stretch for me, but most are exceedingly practical. The only thing that is impractical for me is remembering them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whenever I mention my self-diagnosed "age-based disability" to Uri, he smiles and says: "You just need to come more often". And that is exactly what I intend to do.</span>senseijshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441036421028721802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6453406094593606360.post-48346159574388173172011-12-27T11:21:00.003+02:002011-12-27T11:21:47.935+02:00SMILE: This Too Is Karate<a href="http://s1.static.gotsmile.net/images/2010/10/07/Smiling_face_dog.jpg_1286403573.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://s1.static.gotsmile.net/images/2010/10/07/Smiling_face_dog.jpg_1286403573.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This past week, I have had the pleasure of working out on both Thursday and on Monday with several of my students. The holidays tend to lure people home. And our dojo is a kind of home. Most of my students have been with me for at least 8 years. Some of them as many as 15. The atmosphere is familiar: warm, chatty, plenty of inside jokes and smiles. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There have been times in the past in which I missed the "edge" of a more formal training environment-- the performance pressure and rapid-fire challenge. But working out alone is, surprisingly, something of a pressure cooker. Working out with others is a welcome hiatus from the scrutiny, responsibility and discipline of going up to the training floor with me, myself and I.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I learned long ago the power of smiling. At Sensei Rosati's dojo, we would do endless Jumping Jacks and interminable sit-ups. I quickly discovered that the best remedy for the uncertainty and discomfort was to smile. The longer it went on, the more I smiled and the more I smiled, the easier it got.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Since that time, I have read scientific studies that support my experience. While everyone knows that happiness brings smiles, it seems that the reverse is also true: smiling, just the physical act of activiting those hundreds of tiny facial muscles used in the act of smiling, appears to stimulate happiness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In my running practice, now transformed into something of a Chi Running practice, I find the same effect. I enjoy. I smile. I smile and the world seems to light up around me. And I enjoy even more. Relaxing is easier. Breathing is easier. My last run was so enjoyable, in fact, that I skipped over my 30 second walking intervals and just ran. For the joy of it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, was it the smile that brought out the joyous energy or the joy that produced the smile? I know what my teacher George Donahue would say. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whenever I ask him if *this* or *that* is the correct position for a stray hand or foot, he inevitably answers: "Well... It depends." "Then, which way should I practice it?" I unfailingly ask. "Both," he inevitably replies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Both.</span>senseijshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441036421028721802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6453406094593606360.post-83302069644790355252011-12-19T15:40:00.001+02:002011-12-19T15:40:45.713+02:00This, Too, Is Karate...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The very first day I started learning karate, my teacher, Sensei Michael J. Rosati, told me something I have never forgotten. He said that learning karate would change the way I do everything... the way I walked, the way I drove my car, everything.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had no idea how right he was.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today's workout was running, not strictly a Martial Arts workout. However, I took the suggestion of one of you readers out there and bought the book Chi Running by Danny Dreyer. Essentially the book is based on principles and practices the author developed from applying what he learned practicing Tai Chi to his running. It advertises itself as "Effortless and Injury-Free Running". From what i can tell, that is right on the money.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was not surprised but certainly pleased to find out how consistent his approach is with what I know about good body mechanics from my practice of karate, both from my many years with Sensei Rosati and from my more recent work as part of Kishaba Juku.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The lessons here are so many and varied, I expect I will be writing about them for a long time. But let's begin with the idea of form and alignment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Maintaining an upright posture is central to Chi Running. It is a cornerstone of both seated and moving meditation. And, in karate, it is the foundation from which all movement flows. As I was running, I was concentrating on maintaining good form, engaging core muscles and larger muscle groups, relaxing smaller muscles I didn't need to perform the task at hand. The fact that running is a simple set of natural movements gave me plenty of opportunity to scan my form: shoulders relaxed, head up but chin tilted slightly forward, elbows back, core engaged, etc. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The two things that were the most challenging for me were making sure I landed midfoot and keeping my calf muscles relaxed. Since i like to run in 1 minute Run/30 seconds Walk intervals, I used my 30 second Walk breaks to shake out my muscles and keep them as relaxed as possible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course, I couldn't resist the temptation to experiment a bit. Once in a while, I would </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">contract my back muscles somewhat more and slightly release my abdominal muscles to </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">create what KJ practitioners might call a forward-directed arch. Arches in the body store and direct power. Did it work for Chi Running? You betcha. Which just goes to prove the truth of two of my favorite things to say in class: "Good body mechanics is good body mechanics " and "What works... works". Apparently, I have a gift for stating the obvious.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All in all, it was a wonderful run. Just as the book promised, I didn't feel as if I worked as hard physically as I usually do and my breathing was natural all the way, even though a few times I chose to keep running through my 30 second Walking breaks, just to see how it would feel. Piece o' cake.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And, of course, it was an excellent exercise in moving meditation, as is just about anything we do when we focus without judgement on our what is happening in our bodies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The real challenge will be learning how to bring that non-judgmental attitude, often called "Beginner's Mind" from my running and my meditation back to my karate practice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fortunately, Sensei Rosati was also right about something else he said that very first day. He said: "Don't worry. You have a lifetime to learn this."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It might very well take me a lifetime, but no worries. I plan on squeezing out every sweet drop of it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>senseijshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441036421028721802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6453406094593606360.post-17870551262723320242011-12-18T02:41:00.000+02:002011-12-18T16:34:29.604+02:00That's What Friends Are For<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last night I managed to practice some of the techniques I have been working on from the kata Wanshu--- while I was walking my dog. How I did that is a testament to the patience of our pets :-).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tonight, when I actually had time to concentrate on my workout, I decided to continue working on my Bo Swing and spend more time on Wanshu. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was going to work out alone but, fortunately, one of my students decided to join me. It turned out to be a wonderful reminder of some of the advantages of working out with others whenever possible:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1) <u>Another set of eyes and ears:</u> As many times as I have gone through the video I have been using to sharpen my performance of Wanshu, I don't see all the details or retain all the details. What a pleasure it is to have another set of eyes and ears picking up on details that have alluded me!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2) <u>Another memory bank:</u> When I brought up the issue of adding Poking Power to my Bo swing and showed my student what I was working on, he recalled a lesson with visiting Kishaba Juku practitioner Chris Walton in which Chris had him working on keeping his elbows bent in and closer to his center. Viola! Just the ticket to getting the extra juice I need to add the poke without losing momentum from the swing! When I think of how long it might have taken me to figure that out by myself...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, in case this hasn't been clear from the start, I don't romanticize working out alone. It does have some advantages and, knowing you can continue to advance on your own, is important to staying in practice even when the vicissitudes of life make attending classes difficult or impossible. And, yes, sometimes figuring things out on your own makes a deeper, more lasting impression than learning them from someone else.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But, over and above time efficiency (amen!), there is a special joy in sharing this particular obsession with others, a joy that has probably been part of the warrior experience since the beginning. A joy and a reassurance that, if this be insanity, at least I'll have company in the asylum.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then, of course, it's always nice to have someone else to hit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>senseijshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441036421028721802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6453406094593606360.post-74586484659386480672011-12-10T18:58:00.001+02:002011-12-11T01:20:58.842+02:00Pokeless in Rehovot<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kobudo.sk/images/texty/chogi_kishaba2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.kobudo.sk/images/texty/chogi_kishaba2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chogi Kishaba- Armed & dangerous</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">For unknown reasons, I entered into the new week with a desire to practice. Unusual. Generally, the end of a restful Shabbat brings out the restlessness in me. My running shoes go on and off I go. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tonight, my gi pants went on and up I went, a woman with a mission.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Starting with Naihanchi, I went through all my kata, loosening the arms, tightening the lats and activating the hikite. An experiment that is typically Kishaba Juku: How does it affect my body mechanics? What practical advantages does it have? What problems does it raise? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And typically mindfulness meditation: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How does it feel?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> And noticing h</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ow easy is it to forget to pay attention </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">whenever the mind begins to wander.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was on a roll, so I figured, why not get into my weapons kata as well? I had spent some time in the Fall, working on Sai but I hadn't swung a Bo staff with any seriousness since my visit to George Donahue in August. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That was when I discovered a fundamental fault in my Yamane-ryu Bo </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">swing. No poke.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bo has never been my forte. It was my first weapon and certainly the one with which I have the most experience. And the most frustration. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After more than 20 years of swinging the bo, I have picked up a few things, but have had no real sense of making progress. I know a few kata. I have gotten better at impressing people who don't know what they are looking for. However, whenever I swing the bo for one of my teachers, I get that "where-shall-I-begin" look and instructions to keep practicing. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This time was different. This time George was able to point out something very specific that I was doing wrong. Something I could work on. No poke in the swing. That is, I was cutting the air as if I was swinging a sword, as if my goal was to strike my opponent where the neck meets the shoulder. However, I was not stabbing in, as if I intended to skewer him through the throat as well. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It took me a while to understand what he wanted. When I understood, I was struck by the fact that this striking-blocking-stabbing concept was exactly parallel to the way I had been taught to strike-block in empty-handed karate when I switched from doing straight Shorin-ryu Matsubayashi to the body-mechanics oriented </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Shorin-ryu Kishaba-Juku.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My demons wasted no time stirring me up. How could I have missed something so fundamental for so long? And when I tried to make the change that August day, I found the older habit so ingrained, it was nearly impossible for me to even imitate the new movement.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And why hadn't I noticed it before?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Switch back to tonight. Maybe it was the restfulness of the day. Or the sense of accomplishment I had from practicing my other kata. Or the relaxation of inhibitions that comes after a workout. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But I worked on my bo swing by striking at the heavy bag, poking the letters printed on it and drawing back into a block. And then I worked on my kata, letting myself forget the details of the moves but forcing myself to poke when I struck. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I found that the physical issue was not as daunting as the conceptual one. I thought I understood the strike; I thought I simply wasn't doing it right. It turned out that I never understood the strike at all.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Over the years, I had worked on speed, on looseness, on the elliptical throw. The poke, stabbing into the target in the middle of the strike, meant everything else would have to change. But change to what? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, at least for one night, I gave up the pursuit of perfection for the satisfaction of investing in change. Can I strive to make a change in my way of being, at least with the bo, and be satisfied merely with that?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For one night, apparently so. The rest of eternity will have to wait, at least until tomorrow.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>senseijshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441036421028721802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6453406094593606360.post-50506356071735677932011-12-08T21:28:00.001+02:002011-12-08T23:05:09.823+02:00Beginner's Mind, Eureka Addiction and Naihanchi<br />
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<img border="0" height="246" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQKrc3-hcMGKm3r1iK_Rm9_CoWwjrrsoTlKhbJy-lkVYWG_xf84ng" width="320" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Slowly, very slowly, my voice has been returning and, with it, my strength and ability to concentrate and work out. Interestingly, running came back to me much more easily than karate. Running is a much harder physical workout but it requires very little mental or emotional investment. I have managed to sustain a healthy relationship with it so far. Any effort feels worthwhile.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Karate, on the other hand, is an art form and one in which I invested a great deal. So I have expectations. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For example, my expectations of my students are that they show up and make an effort. That they be respectful and honest. And that when it is time for them to move on, that they will have the integrity and confidence to look me in the eye and say goodbye. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I used to think that was not a lot to ask. I have learned that it is.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As for myself, I am still trying to figure out what my expectations are. All I know is that they are high. High enough that I often have to drag myself up to the dojo to practice. With no colleagues to hide among and no students to teach, I'm all alone there on the dojo floor. Me, my perfectionism and I.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lesson #1: Beginner's Mind is NOT... </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">avoiding practice knowing you'll always fall short of your own expectations.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This week I had the privilege of substituting for one class of a Karate/ Martial Arts Instructor Course. The Head Instructor asked me to teach about my style. Once i accepted, it didn't take long for the demons to catch up with me. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How could I possibly represent my style? All I could do was run mental clips of George Donahue, Paris Janos, and Chris Walton, not to mention Shinzato-sensei and think: "Look at that. I can't do that. I'm still a Beginner (6-7 years later); how can I show them anything?"</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After far too much time worrying, I finally got to teach the class: relaxed, enjoyable. No problem. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I started with a little history of Okinawan karate to help them understand the context of the art, in particular how it is related to Shotokan karate, the style most of them represent. We ran through some concepts: moving from and through the center, koshi, Figure 8s, arches, compression, torque... and did some exercises that play with those concepts. And I threw some of Sensei Rosati's Yakusoku Kumite at the end, just for fun. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In other words, there are, in fact, some things that I know and some things I can do. I don't know them or do them nearly as well as my teachers, but I still have plenty to show to people who either don't do them at all or haven't had the opportunity to focus on them as I have.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lesson #2: Beginner's Mind is NOT.... insisting that you still don't know anything.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, today, I was ruminating about what to practice. That's Something you don't have to worry about when you run--- Just turn on the music and run. And it's something you don't have to worry about when you go to class. Someone else does the worrying for you. When I finally managed to skirt around all the obstacles I threw in my path and got upstairs to practice, I decided to practice Naihanchi. And Naihanchi. And Naihanchi. And Naihanchi....Over and over again.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not my first kata. Not my fanciest kata. Not even a wall-to-wall run-through of all of my kata. Just the one kata that, according to Kishaba Juku, serves as the basis for rediscovering and revitalizing them all.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think I may know what I am looking for every time I climb those stairs up to the dojo. I'm looking for a mini-epiphany. I have had so many of them since I began to practice Kishaba Juku that I am thoroughly addicted. I expect at least one every time I practice. Totally unreasonable. What teacher could possibly meet an expectation like that? And, because I am alone, the teacher that I expect to be that brilliant every time s/he steps on the deck...is me.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, I have plenty of meditation and spiritual practice ahead on taming my Ego. Tormenting myself doesn't seem to work. Neither does selling myself short...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And, about that epiphany? Yeah. I had one. Something about the looseness of the arms, the snap it creates and changing directions. I've already started worrying about whether I'll be able to remember what it was next time I practice.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Addiction-1, Reasonable expectations-0. And counting.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>senseijshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441036421028721802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6453406094593606360.post-89113371737107913942011-12-02T14:27:00.001+02:002011-12-03T20:12:59.269+02:00Lessons from Silence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can't speak. Really. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had something brewing in my throat BEFORE I spent four hours teaching self-defense to a group of 30 Immigrant and Volunteer Soldiers in a northern base. And then I taught them to break cement blocks. I stood next to each one of them, running through the physical technique, getting them to YELL, yelling with them as they raised their fists and, then, shrieking with joy as each one shattered her block and, along with it, her illusions of what her limitations were. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I drove home, I tried to make a phone call. My voice was gone.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next morning, still no voice. I taught again. Two hours. I whispered my way through it. As the day went on, I starting feeling worse and worse. I headed for bed. In the morning, I still had no voice... but I also had zero energy, total body ache, a headache and my cough was worse. So much for the flu shot.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I woke up this morning feeling better but still, no voice. I was supposed to teach at a Shorin- ryu Family Seminar-- the first ever, today and tomorrow. I couldn't even make the apologetic phone call. My husband did that for me.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No voice.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now, let's assume for a moment that I was a "normal" karate instructor. From a "normal" style. Teaching a class without a voice would be do-able. Definitely. In fact, in some ways, it would be an advantage. I could just strut up there confidently, do the first few moves of a form or grab some unsuspecting student ,indicate that they should punch, intercept and twist them into a pretzel. Maybe once. Maybe twice. And then, mouth the words: "Do that." In Japanese.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Several rounds. Walk around. Make a few wordless corrections like grabbing someone's hand to say: "Right hand, not left" or pushing them into their opponent to say "Move in".</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And make them do it over and over again. Change partners. Over and over. Throw in some serious calisthenics. Watch from the front.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fake it the whole way. Two hours would fly by like nothing.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And you know what? They'd love it. I'd be hailed as a true master--- since I had mastered the typical Japanese model of instruction.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But I would feel like a jackass.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Without being able to explain, without being able to adapt to the mentality and well as the physicality of the students, without creating analogies that could help them recreate the feeling of the mechanics of their own bodies--- what would I have done? Given them a few new ideas? A little karate-based entertainment. Maybe.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But I would not have lived up the the example that my teachers have given me. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I find it very challenging to represent my teachers in the public arena. I know that, at best, my karate is a pale shadow of theirs. But I feel if I can stimulate a fraction of the excitement I feel when I manage to pick up some minor piece of what they are trying to teach me, then I have will have done something amazing. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, like my teachers, I use the entire toolbox: demonstration, analogy, explanation, cognitive behavioral therapy, black humor, whip-and-chair, carrot-and-stick...anything. As long as it works. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While my physical workout suffered this week--- illness this time--- my mental and emotional workout was in full swing all week. Preparing for this seminar. That I can't attend. Because I have no voice.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Karate would be so much simpler for me if all I thought it was a couple of hours of calisthenics and permission to whack people. Teaching would be so much easier for me if I didn't have such incredible role models to imitate. And life would be so much easier if I thought that No One was watching. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But I know better. And that makes all the difference.</span><br />
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</div>senseijshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441036421028721802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6453406094593606360.post-6568627957958925482011-11-27T21:24:00.001+02:002011-11-27T23:34:48.157+02:00Minimizing Maximizing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I would like to blame last week's lack of training entries on my sore foot ( that might cover me for the first half of the week), but the fact is that the only thing I can blame it on is my schedule. And THAT I can blame on a couple of my personality quirks.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I Am A Maximizer: I can not run an errand without trying to figure out how many additional errands I can run along the way and back. If I have 10 minutes before I have to leave, I have to do nine-minutes worth of tasks to fill the time. And, apparently, I can't drive all the way to Ashkelon to teach self-defense for two hours and not agree to teach another two-hour class while I'm there... even though I am already scheduled to teach two more classes--- one hour each, later in the day.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Faced with an opportunity for a quick and easy fix of efficiency, I forget about the driving, the preparation for each class and everything else. I forget that I need and deserve time to stop, to reflect, to meet my own needs. My practice time is almost always one of the first "needs" to fall by the wayside.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I lost my next best chance to work out to my difficulty in saying "no". Someone begged me for a favor. I was good; I said no. Then she begged and pleaded. So I gave up an entire Thursday preparing a lecture, driving 2.5 hours to the Dead Sea, giving a one hour lecture/class to 12 terrific women (not "80" as previously predicted) and driving home- a mere 1 hour and 45 minutes this time. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fortunately, sometimes my personality quirks work in my favor. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last Thursday, for instance, after I finished working out alone, one of my students called and asked if she could come by to work out with me. I was tempted to say no. I was tired. It was cold and rainy... But how could I say "no" to a student who wanted to work out? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I worked out a second time that day. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then, last night, several of my students were free for a workout so, being a true Maximizer, I finally got around to sweeping and washing the dojo aka porch floor and started working on hanging mirrors and other maintenance tasks I had failed to address during the week. And then we worked out for an hour and a half. Targeting, shield work and takedowns. All the things that I never get to do when I work out alone.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All of this reminds me of this past summer when I went to George's house to hang out and work out. One of the MANY corrections he made was to watch out for winding up. That tendency to pull your shoulder a little further back, push the elbow behind the body, wind the arm around behind your neck or throw the upper body into your kick. All that, just to get "the feeling of more power". I say </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"the feeling of more power" because there are much more efficient ways to produce power--- arches, compression and torque to name a few--- that don't put you at risk by slowing you down or dropping your guard.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That "little extra pull back" may seem efficient, but, in the end, falling into that habit robs you of the opportunity to explore much greater sources of power.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I really need to get those mirrors up on the wall so, when I work out alone, I can catch myself when I wind up. And apparently, I need to hang a mirror in my mind so I can see myself when I begin to relapse into my habits of over-scheduling, under-valuing my worth, my time or my peace of mind. </span>senseijshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441036421028721802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6453406094593606360.post-85200731292529617162011-11-17T02:11:00.000+02:002011-11-17T02:15:36.912+02:00On One Foot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhokBGbQv4el-9wQuYQPMB9xkwuzkEViPgBg_lQzAfBYVHTCcXgdcz6w0AnIvJYZ3Lq7t0oE9iU_sHLA_Qz3CRi0xW4UJMl74NckRkY89BqnNzquaD6YdmpsdFbsofrkldZPp82nU7MvVA/s1600/Japanesecrane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhokBGbQv4el-9wQuYQPMB9xkwuzkEViPgBg_lQzAfBYVHTCcXgdcz6w0AnIvJYZ3Lq7t0oE9iU_sHLA_Qz3CRi0xW4UJMl74NckRkY89BqnNzquaD6YdmpsdFbsofrkldZPp82nU7MvVA/s320/Japanesecrane.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">... So there I was running along the grassy median, ostensibly to provide extra protection for my joints, when I stepped off the curb and... owww! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And being a True Warrior, the second thought to enter my mind--the first is unpublishable-- was " Damn! Rohai!".</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now, for all of you non-Shorin Ryu-people out there, Rohai is the name of a Tomari-te Shorin-ryu kata. Its name means something like "Vision of a Crane". You know. The kind with feathers.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Crane is one of the Five Animals of Southern Chinese Kung Fu and Chinese Medicine. Okinawan karate is an amalgam of a native Okinawan fighting called "Te" and Kung Fu transmitted through forms or "<i>katas</i>" that arrived on the island from China via travelling merchants.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway, the point is that the signature move of this kata is a pullback into a one-footed stance. What goes up must come down, so the foot we lift has to get back to the floor. For that, we have basically two choices: the smart way and the lazy way.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The smart way is to bend the knee of the supporting leg, loading it like a spring, and to gently place the foot down. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The lazy way is to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">slam the foot down as quickly as possible and get on it. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Guess which way most of us do it.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now guess how I injured my foot when I stepped off the curb.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today's workout involved a bit of Passai and, needless to say, a lot of Rohai. I was pretty limited in turning and direction changes because of the pain in my left foot, but I figured it was worth it to do it slowly and reinforce doing things the smart way as opposed to the lazy way.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then I noticed it. It had never occurred to me that all four times in the course of Rohai that we do that one-legged stance, we raise the right foot and use the left as the supporting leg-- which hurt, by the way, but that is not the point. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The point is that I can do Rohai from now until Tuesday and not learn to lower myself by bending my <i>right</i> leg so my <i>left</i> leg will land softly. That kind of learning doesn't cross from one side of the brain to the other. I either have to do a mirror version of Rohai that forces me to reverse my stances (as if I am aware of when I use my left and when I use my right) or find some other section of some other kata that helps me reinforce the right habit.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And that's one heck of a bad habit to tackle. As a right-footed runner, I have lived my entire life pushing off with my right and leading with my left. As a <i>new</i> runner, I haven't slammed down my left foot and caused myself nearly enough pain to have learned my lesson that way. Not yet, at least.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSnsxRU2b8ee-EkBqUPlKk_esCR1BTVNcukZIEwRZNFBh1Av0bCC8Ii82fGcM_q3sTFT_Lo3pmJ-f51DgYSVOYjaZsjah0TNaz8gQmCnTDLl0RH0I_-ju-VZtkKAIEc4aYY823pyTZcp4/s1600/ostrich-picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSnsxRU2b8ee-EkBqUPlKk_esCR1BTVNcukZIEwRZNFBh1Av0bCC8Ii82fGcM_q3sTFT_Lo3pmJ-f51DgYSVOYjaZsjah0TNaz8gQmCnTDLl0RH0I_-ju-VZtkKAIEc4aYY823pyTZcp4/s320/ostrich-picture.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So what's the solution? Just unmitigated, unrelenting mindfulness? AGAIN?? Just sort of makes me want to bury my head in the sand... But that's a bird of a different feather...</span><br />
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</span><br />senseijshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441036421028721802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6453406094593606360.post-59838299604266026472011-11-12T23:20:00.001+02:002011-11-13T01:44:08.862+02:006 Steps To Running Like A Warrior<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I took my run yesterday, i was reminded of how completely things can change. For the last 40+ years of my life, I have been telling people how much I hate running. I played all kinds of sports, but running? Not for me. "I only run to things and away from things," I would say. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then, this Spring, at the age of 52, I started running and I have been running three-times-a-week ever since.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Basically, the truth is that I never understood what running was. I thought it meant </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">racing a stopwatch to meet some arbitrary standard. Or </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">pushing yourself with your lungs exploding so you wouldn't be teased the way the last kid in your class to cross the finish line always was. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This Spring I discovered that running, with a warrior mindset, can be an addictive and healthy personal challenge. It requires no special preparation, has meditative qualities and can do wonders for lifting your mood and working off stress.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So here are six lessons I have learned for running like a warrior:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1)<b> <u>Start Slow</u>:</b> I followed the </span><a class="l vst" href="http://www.healthyutah.org/downloads/pa/walkrunprogram.pdf" style="background-color: white; color: #6611cc; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial, sans-serif; white-space: nowrap;">Easy <em style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">12</em>-<em style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">Week</em> Walk/<em style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">Run Program</em>! GET ACTIVE!</a> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and found it easy and satisfying. Whenever I missed a run or if I didn't feel ready to move on, I took the time I needed to stay on track and within my limits.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2) <b><u>Consider Barefooting It</u>: </b>I fell in love with <a href="http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2009/05/07/vibram-five-fingers-shoes/">Vibrams Five-Fingered Shoes</a> after buying my first pair for practicing karate outdoors. Then I went to <a href="http://www.alderechburma.com/en/home/">Al Derech Burma</a> and tried on my first Komodo Sports. I stood up and practically ran out of the store with them. Vibrams free your feet and allow you to use muscles in your feet and legs you never knew you had. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3) <b><u>Try Nasal Breathing:</u></b> Are you a natural overachiever like me? Then try doing your runs while breathing <a href="http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/RunningBarefoot/message/15292">only through your nose</a>. This will leash your natural tendency to overdo and stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system, calming the mind and rejuvenating the body.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4) <u style="font-weight: bold;">Think Form:</u> As in the martial arts, good form maximizes efficient use of power and minimizes the chance of injury. Keep your head slightly tilted forward, eyes on the horizon, shoulder blades down, hands unclenched, lats dynamic and body upright. Shorten your stride to get maximum use of your body's large muscles- the quads, hamstrings and glutes and minimize pressure on your knees and lower back. Lift your knees only as high as you need to to keep moving forward and keep them soft (i.e. slightly bent) always, always, always.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5) <u style="font-weight: bold;">It's About Time:</u> I run for time, not for distance. Running for time means I can run and walk as hard or as soft as I like, uphill or down, wherever I choose. It means i can pay attention and adjust to how I feel. It keeps my eyes on the prize, a long-term commitment to my physical and mental health, and not on pushing myself or competing with others. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6) <b><u>Make It a Discipline</u></b>: Making running a regular part of my life, with plenty of rest and room to adjust to my ups and downs, has added a great deal to my life in general and to my warrior identity in particular. Karate is primarily an anaerobic activity, the eye of a hurricane punctuated by powerful explosions of motion. Running, at least the way I do it, is practically the definition of aerobic . Practicing karate is all about concentration and the details. Running is the "big picture" to music. Maintaining the balance between these two disciplines, helps me maintain my inner sense of power in balance.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The third part of this triad, meditation, I will discuss at a later time.</span></div>
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</div>senseijshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441036421028721802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6453406094593606360.post-88900383386269654332011-11-10T20:02:00.002+02:002011-11-10T20:02:27.427+02:00Getting Past The First Move<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-N393ROcRlwky0ZkKtQJz5xUVoiANfr9LSj7_wFddGGD01vh3tRP6nYveA3HBxoV7TvcUG8JPJo6anbwSCqL-2g19jPShJFOM8ivIohRBA1FefywNZNB2udmZ0xc5lo6IZA_16DNrwJo/s1600/Workout+Buddy+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-N393ROcRlwky0ZkKtQJz5xUVoiANfr9LSj7_wFddGGD01vh3tRP6nYveA3HBxoV7TvcUG8JPJo6anbwSCqL-2g19jPShJFOM8ivIohRBA1FefywNZNB2udmZ0xc5lo6IZA_16DNrwJo/s320/Workout+Buddy+001.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First of all, allow me to introduce you to the newest member of Dojo AISH. I used some pre-workout energy today building this eminently punchable being on the basic plan that I featured in the <a href="http://senseijs.blogspot.com/2011/11/you-too-can-be-replaced-by-old-coat.html">last posting</a> with a few twists.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First of all, I already had a small punching bag hanging from our speed bag platform. I just dressed it up with an old jacket. As I was filling the arms with old newspapers, I decided that something in lieu of a bone structure might be helpful for arm bars and such. I took a thick cardboard roll, similar but heavier and longer than the kind you find in paper towels. I cut it in haf and then divided each half into an upper- and lower-arm by cutting most of the way through but not separating the parts.Then, I filled the arms and gloves with bunched-up newspapers and taped the gloves to the arms.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Presto! Instant Bad Guy.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixff0hSzPEuvoNoKza2yMjzR8bB8aWaP0ZOtFI2mbWVC78bpxJKGlnur_JShT9FDRvAsxEt_uJ24Gi9fFwjAqZbGY4cHU_xhhrAXM7DzJ4YoVFKpcJd_11W39JFPlPrNIavz9XCzkUTRM/s1600/Workout+Buddy+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixff0hSzPEuvoNoKza2yMjzR8bB8aWaP0ZOtFI2mbWVC78bpxJKGlnur_JShT9FDRvAsxEt_uJ24Gi9fFwjAqZbGY4cHU_xhhrAXM7DzJ4YoVFKpcJd_11W39JFPlPrNIavz9XCzkUTRM/s320/Workout+Buddy+002.jpg" width="240" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I started out the more official part of my practice day on a wobble board. A wobble board, in my case, is two boards joined together unevenly along their lengths. You can also make one by wrapping tape thickly around each end of a 2 X 4. The idea is to make a standing surface with limited stability. If you stand on it and strike without centering and lowering your center of gravity, you fall off.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The wobble board/ Training Buddy combo was equally satisfying and humbling.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then, as I was practicing kata, I occasionally wandered over to my New Friend to try combining striking and grabbing techniques from the kata. Hey, its not as much fun as twisting a student's arm and a takedown but, hey, you can't beat the patience and availability, not to mention the quiet :-).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kata practice today was a mixture of Fukyugatas, Pinans and Wanshu. Still working on picking up the new material on Wanshu and then transposing the lessons learned to lower kata. For example, in Fukyukata Ni (Geikisai Dai), that sweeping, dramatic <i>shuto-uchi </i>sword strike on each end of the kick-elbow-downblock-punch combo? Well, with a little imagination, it can start out as an elbow strike and do all kinds of nasty things on the way to its ultimate destination. Try it and see.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, as I was watching more of George's videos, I started calculating how much time was spent on the First Moves of the katas. Sometimes when I work out with the Kishaba Juku crew, I get the feeling that we will never get past the first move. And, if the first move is so bad that it needs 3 hours of work, how good can the rest of the kata be?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then it came to me. If you can't beat'um, join 'um. So i finished up today's session just practicing opening moves for each kata, full speed, full power, first on the left and then on the right. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Try it yourself. I'll be doing more of that for my next session so I should have plenty to say about it next time.</span>senseijshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441036421028721802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6453406094593606360.post-15721509384123499022011-11-08T21:32:00.003+02:002011-11-08T21:32:57.940+02:00You Too Can Be Replaced... By An Old Coat<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Always searching for new training ideas, I was online Googling do-it-yourself training equipment when I came across the following creative idea posted by D'Arcy Rahming, Senior Instructor at Modern Bujustu Inc. Miyama Ryu. Now, I don't know Mr. Rahming and I am not familiar with his art.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, I love the simplicity and creativity of his "homemade training partner". </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And I truly appreciate his generosity in offering his guide to training alone, including the following "training buddy" directions, for free </span><a href="http://www.miyamaryu.org/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">on his site</a>.<br />
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Deep bow (((((((, Rahming-sensei.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPX8S0FZJJ2D9PEizwoxiVBFlzOApQ5e5R0o6mSM-Gmk9uip65sipVD3CxnUcWcZW01B5oaMOMMAmY_h0Nu4qGv9skcGGB4sA9TRbHFwUZwAnDdjxq5CHEJ0gNxd1KeNa60fyN9l6gYIg/s1600/Training+Buddy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPX8S0FZJJ2D9PEizwoxiVBFlzOApQ5e5R0o6mSM-Gmk9uip65sipVD3CxnUcWcZW01B5oaMOMMAmY_h0Nu4qGv9skcGGB4sA9TRbHFwUZwAnDdjxq5CHEJ0gNxd1KeNa60fyN9l6gYIg/s1600/Training+Buddy.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How To Build Your Own Training Buddy</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What you need:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• An old coat</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• A sturdy hangar with a swivel neck</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• A pair of shoes</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• A soft rubber ball</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• A pair of gloves</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• A tree, pole or ceiling hook</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">• Some newspaper or old clothes for stuffing the various parts of the coat</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How to build your buddy:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tie or sew the gloves to the coat. Lightly stuff the sleeves with newspapers or old clothes and stuff the gloves to add some bulk to them. Put the rear legs of the chair in the shoes. Hang your buddy from a pole, tree or ceiling. You can also use electrical tape to identify vital areas of the body. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So go ahead. Practice your striking techniques. Work on accuracy and speed. The swiveling hanger will alway your buddy to turn so be ready for counterstrikes.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now that you are striking, try following up with a wrist break:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhs-FIPSvSxbBQ07QwvkofKaTuv7T77SeSGM1ywxMOym1aiv-S-PFwRnDCOryjkom9k2yLtwkbbxpbH1sLapMWpJ-H4UKDGcTf1wTgXPfDtQfePZFI2lPtdEl-K0xnkc3FYDkPsX5wdyM/s1600/WristTechs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhs-FIPSvSxbBQ07QwvkofKaTuv7T77SeSGM1ywxMOym1aiv-S-PFwRnDCOryjkom9k2yLtwkbbxpbH1sLapMWpJ-H4UKDGcTf1wTgXPfDtQfePZFI2lPtdEl-K0xnkc3FYDkPsX5wdyM/s1600/WristTechs.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then, how about adding some joint locks?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZiEArTIVBRaHuT5mXbIrWjS5NKZSnFa1ZoYbdGQ15iB3o9juv0UulDZ4znvBIZyHgwsXhxwSDr7LlGyNBhmDPzdzyzvK16gcW-vW4WiOhJ81GJ3eqr-MO_rhI8QW9vRThNh-S_9dcC8/s1600/JointTechs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZiEArTIVBRaHuT5mXbIrWjS5NKZSnFa1ZoYbdGQ15iB3o9juv0UulDZ4znvBIZyHgwsXhxwSDr7LlGyNBhmDPzdzyzvK16gcW-vW4WiOhJ81GJ3eqr-MO_rhI8QW9vRThNh-S_9dcC8/s1600/JointTechs.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Your training buddy won't resist like real-life training partners often do, so injuries should be rare to nonexistant. It will be ready and willing if you feel like training early in the morning or late, late at night. And you can work out with it as often as you like. It will never complain.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now, THAT will be a new experience...</span><br />
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</span>senseijshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441036421028721802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6453406094593606360.post-49291826881641882622011-11-04T12:37:00.000+02:002011-11-04T12:37:14.959+02:00Lightning, Thunder, Wanshu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/5aV8O48SzXM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last night, inspired by my work on Washite, I set about the task of working on Wanshu. This was kind of a big deal for me because there are some significant differences between the Kishaba Juku way of doing Wanshu and the way I originally learned it. It felt like one of those neglected closets that you keep promising yourself you'll get around to straightening out someday. Someday had arrived.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Armed with the video above, I walked up to the dojo and went to work. Ah, that opening move! As most often happens with me, I understood and appreciated what that perfect storm of not-so-hidden moves was meant to accomplish. Elbow, palm heel, grab, reverse direction, turn and downblock. I finally got into a rhythm of executing that series, on the right side and the left side, over and over. As I worked on developing it into some kind of flow, another flow began: a deluge of rain, complete with thunder and lightning. So, now, I was practicing and mopping up, practicing and mopping up.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And in walks Abi, more than a little damp, to join me for a workout. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I showed her what I was working on. The strange dramatic yoi that seems to leave the ribs vulnerable to attack. Elbow, palm heel, grab, reverse direction, turn and downblock--- all while standing on one foot. I showed her the rest of the kata and explained the points of difference between what I had originally learned and what I was trying to do. Then ,we got into a kind of free- association. In what other katas do we meet similar situations: standing on one foot with dramatic arm movements that might provide more off-balance opportunities for elbows, backfists, palm heels, grabs. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We got into the opening moves of Pinan Shodan, the work with the backfist that I had been doing in my previous workout and whether the elbow might also be useful in application. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then we started working on Rohai with all its dramatic one-footed stances and what the "hidden" arm and hand work might be there. That led us to a new discovery--- that Abi had never learned how to move through the center in Rohai in order to generate power for all those fancy moves. We started with that and then went back to the section of Pinan Shodan that leads to the kicking and punching series and worked on generating power for the kicks by angling the <i>kosa-dachi </i>so the back knee catches the ligament on the inside of the front knee.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The rain ended before our session did. I noted the places where drops had leaked in and started thinking about how to seal the vulnerable areas. I already know what it will take to seal what I learned into my body and mind. Practice, practice... did I mention "practice"?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And thus I closed the closet door on Wanshu for the night.</span>senseijshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441036421028721802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6453406094593606360.post-53950461944646193992011-11-01T22:15:00.000+02:002011-11-03T16:36:26.970+02:00Washite: Holding On, Letting Go<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Thank God there are people around like Christopher Caile, the editor of </span><a href="http://fightingarts.com/" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">FightingArts.com</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">. He is a connoisseur of traditional martial arts, a dedicated student of Internet technology and, in terms of stubborness, at least, more than a match for the elusive George Donahue. That is the only explanation I can offer for the number of articles he has managed to squeeze out of George on a number of practical and fascinating subjects related to the martial arts.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">For today's workout, I re-read the article: <b><i><a href="http://www.fightingarts.com/reading/article.php?id=690">The Martial Grip- Washite, the "C" Grip</a> </i></b></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-left;">by George Donahue. </span><br />
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In his article, George explains that <em style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">washite</em> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">("wa•shi•te, rhymes with “laundry day” and means, literally, “eagle hand”") is o</span>ne of the martial arts' most useful gripping techniques. Featured <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> in numerous kata, including Rohai, Wanshu, and Passai, </span> <em style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">washite </em><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">is often called a "C" grip, because it looks like the letter "C".</span></div>
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<tr><td><img height="150" hspace="2" src="http://www.fightingarts.com/content06/graphics/martial_grip_washite-1.jpg" width="225" /></td><td><img height="150" hspace="2" src="http://www.fightingarts.com/content06/graphics/martial_grip_washite-2.jpg" width="225" /></td></tr>
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From the side, basic <em>washite, </em>with fingers together, looks like a “C.”</div>
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</td><td valign="top"><div align="center" class="caption" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold;">
Basic <em>washite,</em> “C” grip, palm view.</div>
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<i>Washite</i>'s open grip allows us<em> </em>to use leverage and focused force to convert our hands into something like the kind of can opener used to punch a triangular hole in the top of a can. It also allows us to change the fulcrum and leverage points from the thumb to the finger tips and back again ( can you spell p-a-i-n?) or to pair only one or two finger tips with the thumb and free the other fingers to attack other pain points.</div>
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In terms of attack,<em> Washite</em> can be used to drill into vital nerve points, separate muscle from bone and connective tissue, and apply leverage to limbs. Logical, right? </div>
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But it also has another function, he says. It helps us let go.</div>
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George writes: "When we grab someone with vigor or urgency, we invest a lot of ourselves in the grab. We tend to hold on for dear life, even when it’s counterproductive to do so. If and when it becomes clear to us that it would be better to let go, there is always a delay that’s proportionate to the intensity of the grip—the release is often dangerously slow. </div>
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Interesting isn't it? I find it natural to associate the martial arts with power and tenacity. Yet, in some respects the closed fist is weaker than the open hand. And, just as learning how to "hang on" is a warrior skill, so is it a warrior skill to learn how to let go.</div>
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So tonight it's Rohai, Wanshu and Passai, learning how to hold on and learning how to let go.</div>senseijshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441036421028721802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6453406094593606360.post-78470889357793916902011-10-29T21:36:00.000+02:002011-11-09T21:46:14.046+02:00Whipping It Into Shape<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ntknMDp-7Ek?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Deciding to work out is fairly easy; deciding WHAT to work on is the tricky part. These videos of George Donahue that Mark Belluscci has been posting giv me a good starting point. Even this one, only 3 minutes long has too many possibilities for me to work on at once. I select from among the comments and corrections he makes and figure I'll watch it again sometime and find something else to work on.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In this case, I decided to start with the whipping motion George talks about in relation to <i>Pinan Shodan</i>. The koshi will get there first, he explains, so what's furtherest from the koshi, i.e. the wrist and hand, will get there last. Therefore, it should snap into place last like something on the end of a whip.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The other thing that caught my attention was the idea that backfisting from the arm in the <i>age (jodan) uke</i> eliminates the tendency or need to wind up for the punch. Really?... Yeah. Really!! Cool!!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, I played around with the mirror in the dojo until I had a reasonable view and got to work. I went through the full kata only 5 times but, in between, I was talking myself through the opening move: "Ok.Wrist snaps into place last. Then BACKFIST into the punch."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I also reminded myself to keep the hikite hand dynamic (remember that from last time?). After all, the only way for me to progress is going to be learning how to hang on to as many of the things I am working on as possible </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and to apply them to as many things as possible. So, I worked through Kyan No Sai a few times, working out some of the kinks and trying to apply the same principles. Then I worked on Passai, once again, trying to apply the same principles: whipping, eliminating wind-ups and putting the hikite hand to work. I did five full repetitions of Passai and worked on pieces in between.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I got stuck towards the end of Passai when I realized tat there was there was this one part that I hadn't felt comfortable with for a long time: the cut kick-stomp-punch down combination. I worked on the timing to get more power out of the punch. That helped but I have a long way to go.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And plenty of workouts ahead, I expect.</span>senseijshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441036421028721802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6453406094593606360.post-60564859184680057362011-10-26T23:07:00.000+02:002011-10-26T23:07:59.843+02:00The Discipline of GratitudeI started out the day at a boarding school helping form the teaching team for the IMPACT-School self-defense program. I taught the first in a series of five self-defense classes to a group of Older Women in Nes Ziona. I enjoyed the companionship and the professional fulfillment of advancing a year-old project to its pre-pilot stage. I enjoyed sharing an energetic hour with a group of bright, lively and challenging women. However, I can't say that I experienced "gratitude" while attending to either of these things.<br />
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When did I feel truly grateful today? When I got home from the IMPACT-School meeting and finally sat down to a late breakfast (more like "brunch). When I actually lay down for a delicious hour-long nap before setting off for Nes Ziona. When I came home with the time, energy and desire for a half-hour sunset run.<br />
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The things that gave me the most pleasure were not the high-profile, atteniton-getting events of the day. They were the mundane, sweet pleasures of living---food, rest, exercise.<br />
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Soon, I will ascend the stairs to end my day with one of my favorite non-activities: sitting down on my meditation cushion for 20 minutes of being truly present: upright, breathing, and grateful. Just grateful.<br />
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And every night as I ascend those stairs I start coming up with a dozen reasons why I shouldn't meditate that night--- too tired, too late, too much on my mind, etc. etc. The only thing that gets me down on the cushion and allows me to experience the pleasures and benefits of my daily meditation is simple, down-and-dirty discipline.<br />
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It's the same with running. With karate practice. And, especially when times are tough, with gratitude itself<br />
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In his Blog post, <a href="http://www.becomingminimalist.com/2011/10/26/gratitude-discipline/">Learning To Consider Gratitude a Discipline</a>, Joshua Becker reminds us to stop thinking of gratitude as a random emotional state. Like other deeply beneficial practices, gratitude is a discipline that can be cultivated and nurtured. And its fruits are sweet and substantial: less stress, more happiness and healthier relationships. A truly worthwhile body-mind-soul investment.<br />
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<br />senseijshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441036421028721802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6453406094593606360.post-8364724351507649842011-10-21T02:38:00.001+02:002011-10-21T02:40:51.168+02:00Alone Together<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The holidays are over. It is time to begin...again. This open training journal is here to serve as a watering hole of ideas for all those of you who are actively engaged in traditional warrior training on your own. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sometimes by choice, sometimes in response to circumstances beyond our control, we find ourselves alone. It is my hope that through this Blog, we can create a sense of community so that, even in our aloneness, we can be together.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Being a traditional martial artist did not make me a warrior; being a WARRIOR made me turn to the martial arts. But I am also a social worker, writer, karate & self-defense teacher, mother, grandmother, runner, musician, spiritual seeker, meditation practitioner... There is nothing about me that is not lit with the fire of my warriorship.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And that is a source of joy and inspiration for me.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Today, Day One of my latest journey, I was exploring the hikite ("returning"or "pulling") hand in the first two Pinan Kata (aka Heian Kata in Japanese styles).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Like many others, I tend to get caught up in the drama of my striking hand and forget to pay attention to that withdrawing hand. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Funny thing about that hand. Not only does putting energy into it actually ADD to the power of the striking hand (who'd a thunk?). It also creates all kinds of creative and powerful opportunities for grabbing, striking, controlling and otherwise introducing the opponent to his/her well-deserved fate.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://hikite%20--%20the%20pulling%20hand/">This article</a> by Charles Goodin gives a "nice" introduction to some crunchy hikite ideas.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Warning: Philosophical musing- How often do we undervalue things in our lives with enormous potential we are enraptured by the 'bells & whistles'? Let's not leave the power of subtlety and process unexplored...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hikite and I will be spending more time together in the near future. A Mental Health run is next on the docket. And so is a good night's sleep.</span></div>senseijshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441036421028721802noreply@blogger.com0