Kata and CBT.

I'm currently undertaking an online course in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to help me unravel the Gordian knot described in "Suicidal thoughts".  Part of this is to practice three sets of techniques each day to help with mindfulness and relaxation.  Basically you have:

• Awareness, going through each part of your body in turn to explore what you can feel
• Tensioning, tensing and relaxing muscles to help relieve tension
• Breathing, feeling each breath to bring you into the now and focus on the present

This reminds me of a lot of the techniques I have learnt through Karate, such as the relaxation and cardio slow kata learnt with Robey Jenkins, the tensioning in Sanchin from PJ Broomy and the breathing learnt from Noah Legel, in Tensho.

As a result, and due to my need to get back into deliberately practice every day, I decided to see whether I could combine the two.  So I perform Naihanchi Shodan, Sanchin and Tensho in sequence.  Naihanchi, I perform slowly, paying attention to how my body moves and feels.  Sanchin, I am currently experimenting with tensioning on 1 rep in 2 and 1 rep in three for the whole body and relaxing in between.  In Tensho, it is a case of using the breathing much as is done in Mokuso, to empty the mind and come into the present.

The two videos shown are from the last couple of days, one with the 1 in 2 Sanchin, the other with the 1 in 3 Sanchin.  Very much a work in progress, but ironic that I chose without thinking the three kata labelled as fundamental kata to Karate by Miyagi Chojun.  I didn't even think about that until it was pointed out by PJ Broomy.  

Will document how it goes in a later blog.

Suicidal thoughts

 Probably one of the hardest things to talk about, but I have contemplated it a few times over the last three or four months.  Two times I've held a long bladed kitchen knife to my stomach, once I made a hangman's noose and the last time I got it back out and thought about it.  Once with the knife the police were called by my sisters, as they couldn't get hold of me after a comment on Facebook, and the last time my son walked in on me with the noose in front of me.

There are a number of problems in my life, some are financial worries, other are family issues which I have to work on, or other members of my family.  Any one on their own can be worked on, but then came Covid-19 and a whole new host of worries.  Prior to Covid-19, my health was largely under control through the use of medication, but Covid-19 changed that, as it now makes them potentially immediate killer conditions (heart and lung issues + Covid-19 is not a happy combination).

We were recently warned about having to go back to work full time, and told to prepare mentally, and I thought I had,  However, when it came the message hit me with a bigger  effect than I thought. The first bit was in two weeks time, one week in three which allowed a bit of breathing space,  the second actually the official update was that it would be the following week, but the trigger for events was the third update, which was that we would have to be using public transport.

Whilst I have been back to work in the office a couple of times in the last 20 months, it was always using a cab.   The thought of using public transport hit hard.  In my own group at work, social distancing and the use of masks is still in place, but travelling by train is a whole different thing.  No rules, no masks and people around you who have no consideration for others.  I just went numb, but with the feeling of a massive weight on my shoulders.

The common thing that I have noticed in the last two years, is that when a situation has arisen to which I am struggling to respond, all the other issues which I have been trying to deal with one by one rush in as well. giving a feeling of overwhelming helplessness, with no way of unravelling it.  A Gordian knot if you will.   With no obvious way out, that's when the feeling of helplessness followed by the contemplation of suicide kicked in.

My son's intervention got me to speak to the doctor and am now going to undertake a course in CBT accompanied by some counselling to help untangle the knots.  Family, messages from friends and the ability to train online with some of them have also been a great help.  I felt I needed to write this, just in case it might help some others.

REY 13/11/2021

Neko ashi dachi and Kokutsu dachi, compare and contrast.

I am lucky enough to study with two Sensei from contrasting styles, which occasionally allows the comparisons I am making here.  The two kata in question here are Pinan Shodan and Heian Nidan, by root the same kata but by practice somewhat different.   Pinan Shodan is a kata originally created by Itosu Ankoh, for introducing ito the Okinawan school system.  Heian Nidan is the version developed by Funokoshi Gichin, to help introduce Karate in the Japanese mainland.

There are many contrasts between the two, but I wish to concentrate on the transitions, as these seem to me the most fundamental difference,  I have discussed this with both Sensei, and this is what seems to be their consensus.

Kokutsu dachi and Shuto

Heian Nidan is conducted in Kokutsu dachi.  The weight is mostly on the back foot, but the front foot is also firmly planted.    By the interpretation  have, this is where facing an attack, you rock back, but need a solid framework to counter the threat.  Any attacking from this stance is done more naturally from the upper torso, or requires a transition to bring the lower torso into play.

Neko ashi dachi and Shuto

Pinan Shodan is conducted in Nekko ashi dachi.  Although again the weight is on the back foot, the practitioner should be "sitting down" in posture.  The front foot is then free to use in attacks without transitioning, however the framework is less stable until an attack is made.  Nekko ashi dachi lends itself to sweeps, knee strikes, foot traps, throws or sprawls.  If the next movement is forward, after the likes of a knee strike or sweep, the stance leads to the opportunity to press down on the opponent and take them to ground.

Pinan Shodan

All in all, although Itosu Ankoh is said to have taken much of the offensive capability out of Okinawan karate, it seem to me that is was more done by Funokoshi Gichin, in his interpretation of the kata for the Japanese audience of the time.  I have included my work in progress versions of each kata for the sake of completeness.

Heian Nidan

Than you for reading, hope you find it of interest.