When is a McDojo not a McDojo?

 

This is the third in a series of blogs, starting with Kata, what is it good for?", and followed by "How do your Students grow?".   These are in response to a critique of what I have done to now, and an assertion that I was trained in a McDojo.  There seems to be a genuine difference of opinion at the base of this, which I think is worthy of some discussion.  

So lets start off with what might constitute a traditional dojo or "martial arts school", dating back to say the 1960s in origin.  

1. Introduction might be to do 40 knuckle press ups.
2. Basics only taught a lower levels.  Not learnt slowly but at the proper speed and force.   This includes kicks, blocks, strikes and above all stances.  Speed makes no difference with regard to understanding what a punch or block is.
3. When Grading take place, it is the student's choice to take them, and if not good enough they should be allowed to fail.
4. No concessions in general should be made for acknowledged medical conditions.
5. Forms or Kata not taught until a higher grade is reached.  Once the basics have been learnt to a degree, then simply linking them all together as a form or kata will not require doing things slow.
6. Kata of forms can be learnt a stage at a time but never in a slow way.  
7. No separate classes for minors in training.

Then let's take what might be commonly agreed on as signs of a McDojo.  

1. Very large classes with not enough instructors to give attention to detail for individual students.
2. Head instructors who never instruct.
3. Self defence (as  opposed to self awareness / protection) instruction that is totally non-contact.
4. Cases where all students grade at exactly the same time and nobody fails
5. Schools with 6 year old Black Belts
6. Schools promising to unlock "the hidden secrets"
7. Schools promising the ability to defeat anyone by unlocking the "power of chi energy".
8. Ultimately, schools where money is God

Any thoughts so far?  I certainly would never assert that a "traditional" school is a MacDojo, although maybe some of the teaching methods could possibly improve with the inclusion of ore modern techniques.  Then, we have the massive space of the middle ground, that could incorporate: 

1. Sports martial arts
2. "Modern" martial arts, with a more inclusive approach and perhaps less stringent teaching methods to accommodate
3. Non combative martial arts, such as Tai Chi, which concentrate more of the mental and physical health aspects
4. Genuine self awareness, protection and defence classes

Now, as far as I am, concerned, the dojo where I received my training sits firmly in the "Modern" category.   The features of that dojo include:

1. Warm up exercises are done for approximately 20 minutes prior to the lesson starting formally.  This may include traditional elements such as press ups, trunk curls, planking, squatageris, star jumps, sprints, shrimping, along with other exercises.  Varies from week to week.
2. Gradings take place regularly, but Students aren't allowed to take a Grading until the Sensei think they are ready.  
3. Kata are taught at an early stage, along with the basics.
4. Students learn the kata in chunks, at first slowly then faster as they improve their techniques and confidence.
5. Pad work solo and paired drills, light sparring are practiced.  Ground work is emphasised as well as upright techniques.  These are all set against breaking out and implementing techniques from kata.
6. Lessons often end with cool down kata.
7. Kobudo drills are taught for Bo and Nunchaku as an element of some classes, both Cadet and Adult.
8. Modifications to drills and kata maybe made for students with acknowledged medical conditions.

So, then set this against the opinion of one "traditionalist":

1. To explain what a McDojo is would take ages.  A very big subject that covers many things.  For example everyone at a McDojo club will pass their first few student grades because the instructor does not want to lose a paying customer.  A traditional old school will not do that. 
2. Some karate clubs do it <kata> slow without it being physically demanding so students don't leave.  Same with the basics.  No effort, all nice and slow.  And they say it is so students can learn things better that way.  Hence the term go slow first.
3. A McDojo class is all about keeping students and money coming in.  Hence everything is soft and slow.
4. McDojos have separate classes for younger students.

The bottom line is this is that the dojo in which I trained was judged as a McDojo against these criteria and in part at least based on what I do.  Much of the material I learnt during Covid and beyond is off my own bat, and what I use it for works for me.   In this case I would conclude that there are valid instances of what some would consider to be a McDojo to actually be the real thing.  My conclusion is that the term "McDojo" is distinctly subjective as opposed to objective on the basis of this.

This is meant to be a conversation starter, so all responses welcome.

REY 20/01/2023

How do your Students grow?

 

In my previous blog Kata, what is it Good for, I contrasted how kata are taught and used between "Traditional" and what I would call "Modern" dojos, such as the one in which I learnt.  Now I want to contrast how students develop in the different environments.

Traditional

In traditional dojos, students start off with the basics, improving their understanding of these and honing their techniques as they progress. Kata or forms are not introduced until the higher grades, when basics have been mastered.  Techniques are practiced at full speed, not slowly.

There are no separate Children's or Cadet classes, however from the age of around 8 upwards, children can take part.   They do exactly the same syllabus as the adults, and grade in exactly the same way.   Concessions are not made for the age of the student in what they have to learn.

Regular grading examinations are held, with students choosing when to participate, not instructors. Students are allowed to succeed or fail on their own merits.

Concessions are not generally made for a student's medical or physical limitations, but might be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Modern

In modern dojos, as with traditional, students start off with the basics.  However, Kata are introduced at an early stage, along with their interpretation.    Paired and solo drills, along with pad work and light sparring are also included in lessons.

There are separate Children's and Adult classes.  A typical split might be Shisa (4-6 years). Junior (7-12 years) and Senior (13 years upwards).   Where I was taught, the Shisa had grades of a kind, but these did not carry over into Junior.  The proper grades started from Junior classes onward.

As with Traditional dojos, regular grading examinations are held, but these are by invitation only, when the instructors believe you are ready to grade.

 Concessions are made for medical or physical limitations, including adaptations of drills or kata where necessary.   Some dojos run classes specifically for people with disabilities and limitations,

Since Covid-19 especially, some dojos now offer online training to students as well.  

Comparison

It can be argued that the traditional methods are more rigorous, and certainly would only allow technically proficient students to progress.  They probably produce good physical conditioning for those that stay the course, and their training methods and results will be more satisfactory to the purists of the martial arts world.  However, such dojos may not offer much in the way of financial reward to the dojo owners, and the wastage rate among students is possibly quite high, due to the demanding standards expected.

The more modern dojos tend to be more inclusive and attuned to the differing ages and level of ability of the students, if well run.  However, the risk of more dubious practices is higher than with the traditional dojos, as has been evidenced in the past with exceptionally young "black belts" being produced and more than a few, myself included, have scepticism about training that is non-contact that professes to be a form of karate for example (I personally exclude the likes of tai-chi from this categorisation where is non-contact expressly taught for physical well-being, relaxation and meditation).

That said, anyone who has seen or invested time in working with handicapped students for example, cannot doubt the efficacy of the confidence building and improvement in physical well-being that it can offer.  Here I would cite the works of John Johnston’s Adaptive Karate and Les Bubka.  But this is specifically tailored and makes no outrageous promises about what is being delivered.

In the middle of this sit most modern dojos, who offer some tailoring to meet the needs of their students and are not aggressive in their gradings.  Some traditionalists may look down on these dojos, citing their lack of rigour, and money orientation.  However, for the likes of myself, who would never have taken an interest in martial arts otherwise, they open a preciously closed door to a level of personal development we would otherwise have never experienced.

Thank you if you have taken the time to read this.

REY 29/01/2023

Shu Ha Ri

 Events towards the end of last year disheartened me somewhat, and as a result I felt little inclination to post blogs or record videos.  However, I never gave up doing the core that I use for my own purposes (relaxation, clearing the mind and breathing).  As a part of my New Year's resolution, I decided to get back to doing what I enjoy and start increasing the amount of training I do to start getting back to a healthy level of fitness.

In the first instance, I intend to do this by increasing the amount I do based around my core kata.  For those of you that are perhaps reading for the first time, these consist of Naihanchi, Sanchin and Tensho, based on the work I did for CBT to improve my mental health.

Naihanchi - (mostly Shodan, but as I increase the amount of work I do, intend to extend to Nidan and perhaps Sandan, though this isn't one of the kata I formally learned at my original dojo).  This I use for body awareness, how my body moves and the positioning of body elements during the execution of the kata.

Sanchin for body tensioning.

Tensho for deep breathing in a relaxed manner.

What persuaded me to do this was a friend who said that although still I was a novice, my use of kata for these specific purposes was something I had made my own.  As he termed it,  Shu Ha Ri, which I take as a pretty big compliment.  I still have so much to learn, and know that to advance my knowledge in a practical way, I need to return to the dojo.  Family circumstances still preclude this just now, but it is what I aim for.

In the mean-time, that somebody I respect tells me what I have done is of merit is enough for me.

REY 22/01/2023

January Covid blues

 

January Covid blues

January 2021, speaking politely was a mixed bag, especially emotionally.  Being really honest, it was pretty awful, with a struggle to find any motivation in the midst of it.  At least I had the luck of having two anchor points, my work, which was very demanding, and karate.

Given the inclement weather for training outside, work rather that karate was my "turn to" at many points, especially that month.  This was probably what resulted in all the neck issues I had around that time.  Karate usually provided a healthy counterpoint to work, but when the  balance switched, I think my body decided to tell me was being neglected. 

By this point I had effectively in lock-down for the best part of 10 months , with minimal physical interaction with anyone outside the immediate family in that time (i.e. the people in the house).   It took a toll on my mental health from the start, and I sought and found some help for that.   One of the big pluses was the advice that I should lock on to karate and keep on going.  That is what I tried to do.  

I think one of the hardest things to admit for many people is the need for a degree of separation.  In pre-Covid times, this was easy to achieve as most people who worked were separated from those at home for the duration of work and travel at least.   Working from home and being at extreme risk denied me and my family that separation.

I was not one of the gainsayers about Covid-19, it was a confirmed super-killer to anyone with my conditions, so there was no choice from my perspective other than to work from home to survive.  Some of my friends who contracted Covid gave me hope if their recoveries, but as the sole earner in my family I couldn't take many risks.  However, January 2021was probably the worst month during Covid, with respect to being able to keep home issues separate from work.

The two started to overlap and that was hard to cope with for me.   The coping mechanisms  for me cope had been a fair bit of kata and a few too many bottles of wine. The former has to be the preferred route, but becoming somewhat stale and so the second had started to come more into play; not good.   Enter PJ Broomy, with a demonstration of one of his dojo's kata.

I have suffered from stress related mental health issues, bordering on depression and have struggled at times with my temper, as well as my heart and lung conditions.  My best answer to all of those has always been to learn something new.  I think I frustrated my Sensei at times in this, as I should really have been drilling my fundamental kata.  I totally agreed with them that as only a blue belt in our discipline, I needed to practice, practice, practice. 

However, the physical needs also needed to be tempered with the mental.  Learning a new kata for me was a mental as well as physical challenge, which while I felt I was under mental siege was an important release.   I was not trying to learn different bunkai, because all I needed to know is in Naihanchi.  It's a codex for many of the brutal strikes you can make, and for a last resort, if all other things have failed, that's perfect.

PJs school of Karate, Bu-Kai is based primarily on the Goju Ryu style.  I had previously gone through the basics of Seisan with him, and this time around he was showing me the basics of Sanseru.  Both are derivative of Sanchin, the base kata of Goju-Ryu.  My interest started in this school when I was shown how to use Tensho as a kata to help with breathing.

 First of all PJ contributed to an online lesson with my own dojo during Covid, and opened the door to more kata from the same school as Tensho.  It was a door which I happily went through and have been learning from PJ ever since.  My own research has shown me that the divides between schools such as Shorin Ryu and Goju Ryo are historically artificial.

The bottom line in my mind was, I had to practice the fundamentals; my core kata and drills, but I also needed mental challenges.   This gave a focus away from home and work and in so doing, helped me create my own mental "separation", in place of the physical one that is impossible to achieve in lock-down.

The material from another school of karate provided me with just the mental stimulus I needed to  keep me challenged.

Hope this all makes sense and thank you for reading.

04-01-2021 (re-written 01/09/2023)

Kata, What is it Good for?

 

A series of recent conversations made me question what I do.  There was more than just Kata covered, but this is indicative of a whole train of thought.   To deal with it all in one go would be difficult, so I intend to look at the elements strand by strand, starting with Kata.

I hope that it is understood that originally Kata were developed as an aide memoire for the body to remember the moves associated with combat, developing them to a point that they become muscle memory and burning them into the subconscious to be used as a "flinch" response.  They are not necessarily intended to be pretty, their intention is to be brutal, to defend yourself as second nature.

That said, there are differing opinions on how they can be taught, and ultimately I believe what they can be used for apart from their initial intent.

How Kata is taught

So firstly I would like to consider how Kata is taught for the original purpose.  

The traditional (as I had it explained to me) mechanism is that Kata should not be taught until all the basic moves of the system you are learning are fully mastered.  This includes kicks, blocks, strikes and above all stances.  From that point you should be able to learn Kata.  This should be simply a matter of putting the elements in sequence.  The sequence can be learnt in stages, but should always be practiced at full speed and with full intent, as the moves are already ingrained.

The method by which I learnt my first kata is different.  Although Kata was not included in my first grading, the first one was included in the third grading.  The elements of the Kata were taught alongside the basics, along with an understanding of how the elements were intended to be used.  This doesn't mean that you use the strikes, blocks and kicks in the sequence drilled, but you understand what they represent.  Kata are learnt in stages, but you learn them slow at first, then build them up to full power and speed.

Learning Kata from a video gives you none of this.   However, I would suggest that if Kata are used for purposes other than the original intent, then this may be a reasonable mechanism by which to learn.  Provided of course it is backed up by other tuition in the purpose for which you are using it.

How Kata can be used

So the obvious use for a Kata is to learn techniques for self defence.  This is the traditional purpose espoused by the likes of Kung Fu and Okinawan Karate.  There are obviously other martial arts that use similar techniques but these are the two I am using as reference points.

For other uses, let's start with the big Negative if introduced as a part of school education, they can be used as a tool for mass indoctrination.  This is precisely what the Pinan or Heian Kata were developed for, to fit into the Education system and develop good soldiers for the Japanese War machine.

That said, I believe they can be effectively used as a form of physical exercise.  I worked with a couple of Sensei to develop my use of Kata as mild cardio and breathing exercise, so I believe that is a legitimate extension of their use.

Kata can also be used as a form of meditation and reflection, as I found when I undertook Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to help mitigate stress and depression.  I use one Kata for feeling a sense of position, another for tensioning and a third for relaxing (same as I use for deep breathing).

Kata can be used for competition, to demonstrate physical competence in execution and if taken to the limit, artistic grace in interpretation.  Not my cup of tea, and my co-ordination is such that I couldn't perform as they do if I tried, but it is certainly beautiful to watch and takes a lot of skill and effort to perform.

Finally, I actually find it fun to try to learn new Kata (at least the framework), as it is both a mental and physical challenge to me.  

I honestly believe that you can use Kata for what you want, so long as you understand the intent and what you do is fit for the purpose you intend.  For example, sports kata are probably not worth learning if you want to learn self defence.

Any comments are much welcomed.

REY 24/09/2022

The anatomy of the bo practice kata

I recently had a session working with my friend PJ Broomy in Australia, that convinced me it could be worthwhile to document how I worked out the practice kata that I use.  I based them on one I was shown for Sai, from a person on Facebook who cared to share.

From my practice with PJ Broomy

The Starting point

There are six Kihon that I can remember, I did start to learn more but these are what stuck.  I also started to learn the opening of Shushi no kon, bur since I haven't been back in the dojo since 2020, it seemed like a good idea to link together what I do know in a more dynamic form of practice.   These are the six Kihon Gata I can remember (sorry Ben if they are not in the right order).

Bo Kihon 1 and 2

1. Left foot forward, guard. Back foot up, front foot to Cat stance strike up. Back foot back, strike down. 2. Right foot forward, guard. Back foot up, front foot to Cat stance strike up. Back foot back, strike down.

Bo Kihon 3 and 4

3. Left foot forward, guard. Front foot back into to Cat stance strike up. Back foot back, strike down. 4. Right foot forward, guard. Front foot back into to Cat stance strike up. Back foot back, strike down.

Bo Kihon 5 and 6

5. Step out into Shiko dachi, look right, rotate bo left and follow tip with eyes. Look left, rotate bo right, follow tip with eyes. 6. Step out into Shiko dachi, look right, rotate bo left and follow tip with eyes. Step left into Zenkutsu dachi, strike. Back to Shiko dachi. Look left, rotate bo right, follow tip with eyes. Step right into Zenkutsu dachi, strike. Back to Shiko dachi.

The Practice kata.

This was my objective (with a little addition of a vertical block after each strike in Kihon 6).  I also deemed Kihon 5 to be a subset of Kihon 6.

Kihon 6 with vertical block after strikes.

Kihon 1, Kihon 2, Kihon 1, Kihon 2

Back foot moves round into Shiko dachi

Kihon 6 with vertical block after strikes.

Kihon 3, Kihon 4, Kihon 3, Kihon 4

Back foot moves round into Shiko dachi

Kihon 6 with vertical block after strikes

I started out working on the basic steps and transitions as per the below video and description:

Bo Practice kata - Stage 1

Hand and stance transitions. Step out into Shiko dachi. Left foot forward into Zenkutsu dachi, strike, back to Shiko dachi. Right foot forward into Zenkutsu dachi strike, back to Shiko dachi. Left foot foward, guard, Right foot forward guard. Left foot foward, guard, Right foot forward guard. Front foot as pivot, back foot moves round into Shiko dachi. Left foot forward into Zenkutsu dachi, strike, back to Shiko dachi. Right foot forward into Zenkutsu dachi strike, back to Shiko dachi. Left foot foward, guard, Right foot forward guard. Left foot foward, guard, Right foot forward guard. Front foot as pivot, back foot moves round into Shiko dachi. Left foot forward into Zenkutsu dachi, strike, back to Shiko dachi. Right foot forward into Zenkutsu dachi strike, back to Shiko dachi.

Then I added in the Cat stance elements as per the below:

Bo Practice kata - Stage 2

Then finally I added in the strikes and recieves as per the below:

Bo Practice kata

Bo practice kata in full

Shiko dachi with bo level, look to right then rotate 180 degrees left.  Step left into Zenkutsu dachi, Bo and hands stay is same position then thrust. RH drops into vertical parry.

Back to Shiko dachi, turn bo through 180 degrees whilst watching the striking tip.

Step right into Zenkutsu dachi, Bo and hands stay is same position then thrust. LH drops into vertical parry.

Back to Shiko dachi, then Left foot forward, LH forward. Back leg up, go into Cat stance, RH upward strike under chin.  RL back, strike down. 

RF forward, transfer bo so RH forward.  Back leg up, go into Cat stance, LH upward strike under chin.  LL back, strike down. 

LF forward, transfer bo so LH forward.  Back leg up, go into Cat stance, RH upward strike under chin.  RL back, strike down. 

RF forward, transfer bo so RH forward.  Back leg up, go into Cat stance, LH upward strike under chin.  LL back, strike down. 

Turn 270 degrees into Shiko dachi, bo level. Step left into Zenkutsu dachi, Bo and hands stay is same position then thrust. RH drops into vertical parry.

Back to Shiko dachi, turn bo through 180 degrees whilst watching the striking tip.

Step right into Zenkutsu dachi, Bo and hands stay is same position then thrust. LH drops into vertical parry.

Back to Shiko dachi, then Left foot forward, LH forward. Front leg back, go into Cat stance, RH upward strike under chin.  L leg forward, strike down. 

RF forward, transfer bo so RH forward.  Front leg back, go into Cat stance, LH upward strike under chin.  RL forward, strike down. 

LF forward, transfer bo so LH forward.  Front leg back, go into Cat stance, RH upward strike under chin.  LL foward, strike down. 

RF forward, transfer bo so RH forward.  Front leg back, go into Cat stance, LH upward strike under chin.  RL Forward,  strike down. 

Turn 270 degrees into Shiko dachi, bo level, look to right then rotate 180 degrees left. Step left into Zenkutsu dachi, Bo and hands stay is same position then thrust. RH drops into vertical parry.

Back to Shiko dachi, turn bo through 180 degrees whilst watching the striking tip.

Step right into Zenkutsu dachi, Bo and hands stay is same position then thrust. LH drops into vertical parry.

Finish.

It's all still al work in progress as far as I'm concerned, but hope some find it of interest.

REY 20/08/2022

Video diary, January to June

 Starting as I mean to go on.......

04 01 Kata Kihon Quadrant Drill

08 01 Practice

First three Pinans

Punches and kicks

Kihon, Quadrant Drill, punch kick combinations

Bo Nunchaku Sai

First Outdoor Kata of the year

Kata Kihon Sparring Bo

Just Killing Time

Waiting to hear..

Working on a routine..

18 04 Practice

The Great Outdoors

Kusanku Upper Body Kata

Got my Garden Back

Hooking Heel

Kobudo on the H Embusen

26 06 with PJ

REY 14082022

Kobudo and the H embusen

Although the Covid pandemic is now considered to be over, I still feel it is safer for me to train alone for the time being, but that doesn't mean I stop training or trying different things.  Some while back, a FaceBook friend shared a video of him doing a simple Sai kata based loosely on Pinan Nidan.   I've been practicing that for a while now, but not doing very much with Bo or Nunchaku.

I remember a few of the basic kihon for Nunchaku and Bo from the dojo, but these are fairly static,  We did some work on kata as well, but my memory of those is so sketchy it wasn't worth trying to recreate.  I found practicing Sai in a simple kata far more rewarding than doing the basic Bo and Nunchaku kihon on their own, so I came up with the idea of applying these kihon to the basic Pinan H Embusen, as was shown to me with the Sai.

I have documented what I have done below, both in video and written form.  I was also asked to show what I was doing by my friend PJ Broomy.   That demonstration is included after the written description of the Bo Kihon on the H Embusen.  Hopefully some of you find this of interest.

REY 02/07/2022

Sai kata

Turn left into Zenkutsu dachi, LH Gidan uke with Sai extended.  Step forward, LH retract Sai, RH punch with pommel of Sai.

Turn Right 180 deg. in to Zenkutsu dachi, RH Gidan uke with Sai extended.  Step forward, RH retract Sai, LH punch with pommel of Sai.

Turn left into  Zenkutsu dachi, LH Gidan uke with Sai extended. 

Step forward, LH retract Sai, RH Jodan uke with pommel of Sai.

Step forward, LH Jodan uke with pommel of Sai.

Step forward, RH Jodan uke with pommel of Sai.

Turn left 270 degrees into Zenkutsu dachi, LH Gidan uke with Sai extended.  Step forward, LH retract Sai, RH punch with pommel of Sai.

Turn Right 180 deg. in to Zenkutsu dachi, RH Gidan uke with Sai extended.  Step forward, RH retract Sai, JH punch with pommel of Sai.

Turn left into  Zenkutsu dachi, LH Gidan uke with Sai extended. 

Step forward, LH retract Sai, RH punch with pommel of Sai.

Step forward, LH punch with pommel of Sai

Step forward, RH punch with Sat extended, Retract Sai.

Turn left 270 degrees into Zenkutsu dachi, LH Gidan uke with Sai extended.  Step forward, LH retract Sai, RH horizonal cut with Sai extended.

Turn Right 180 deg. in to Zenkutsu dachi, RH Gidan uke with Sai extended.  Step forward, RH retract Sai, LH horizontal cut with Sai extended.

Retract Sai and turn left to finish.

Nunchaku Kihon on H Embusen

Turn left into Zenkutsu dachi, LH hammer down with base of Nunchaku, touch left wrist then LH behind left shoulder.  RH release to guard, LH figure of Eight 5 times.  Trap with guard hand and transfer.

  Step forward, RH punch with base of Nunchaku.

Turn Right 180 deg. in to Zenkutsu dachi, LH taking back one of pair.  RH hammer down with base of Nunchaku, touch right wrist then RH behind right shoulder.  LH release to guard, RH figure of Eight 5 times.  Trap with guard hand and transfer.

Step forward, LH punch with base of Nunchaku.

Turn left into  Zenkutsu dachi, RH taking back one of pair. LH hammer down with base of Nunchaku, touch left wrist then LH behind left shoulder.  RH release to guard, LH figure of Eight 5 times.  Trap with guard hand and take that one of pair.

Right leg forward into Zenkutsu dachi, RH hammer down with base of Nunchaku, touch right wrist then RH behind right shoulder.  LH release to guard, RH figure of Eight 5 times.  Trap with guard hand and take that one of pair.

Left leg forward into Zenkutsu dachi, LH hammer down with base of Nunchaku, touch left wrist then LH behind left shoulder.  RH release to guard, LH figure of Eight 5 times.  Trap with guard hand and transfer.

Step forward, RH punch with base of Nunchaku.

Turn left 270 degrees into Zenkutsu dachi, LH taking back one of pair.  LH hammer down with base of Nunchaku, touch left wrist then LH behind left shoulder.  RH release to guard, LH figure of Eight 5 times.  Trap with guard hand and transfer.

  Step forward, RH punch with base of Nunchaku.

Turn Right 180 deg. in to Zenkutsu dachi, LH taking back one of pair.  RH hammer down with base of Nunchaku, touch right wrist then RH behind right shoulder.  LH release to guard, RH figure of Eight 5 times.  Trap with guard hand and transfer.

Step forward, LH punch with base of Nunchaku.

Turn left into  Zenkutsu dachi, RH taking back one of pair. Raise Nuchaku above head, RH higher than left.  RH release to guard, LH downward forehand cross stroke, backhand cross stoke, upward stroke, downward stroke, forehand cross.  Trap with guard hand and take that one of pair.

Right leg forward into Zenkutsu dachi.  Raise Nuchaku above head, LH higher than right.  LH release to guard, RH downward forehand cross stroke, backhand cross stoke, upward stroke, downward stroke, forehand cross.  Trap with guard hand and take that one of pair..

Left leg forward into Zenkutsu dachi. Raise Nuchaku above head, RH higher than left.  RH release to guard, LH downward forehand cross stroke, backhand cross stoke, upward stroke, downward stroke, forehand cross.  Trap with guard hand and transfer.

Step forward, RH punch with base of Nunchaku.

Turn left 270 degrees into Zenkutsu dachi, LH taking back one of pair.  LH hammer down with base of Nunchaku, touch left wrist then LH behind left shoulder.  RH release to guard, LH figure of Eight 5 times.  Trap with guard hand and transfer.

  Step forward, RH punch with base of Nunchaku.

Turn Right 180 deg. in to Zenkutsu dachi, LH taking back one of pair.  RH hammer down with base of Nunchaku, touch right wrist then RH behind right shoulder.  LH release to guard, RH figure of Eight 5 times.  Trap with guard hand and transfer.

Step forward, LH punch with base of Nunchaku.  Turn right and finish.

Nunchaku lesson, kihon on the H Embusen

Bo Kihon on H Embusen

Shiko dachi with bo level.  Step left into Zenkutsu dachi, Bo and hands stay is same position then thrust. RH drops into vertical parry.

Back to Shiko dachi, turn bo through 180 degrees whilst watching the striking tip.

Step right into Zenkutsu dachi, Bo and hands stay is same position then thrust. LH drops into vertical parry.

Back to Shiko dachi, then Left foot forward, LH forward. Back leg up, go into Cat stance, RH upward strike under chin.  RL back, strike down. 

RF forward, transfer bo so RH forward.  Back leg up, go into Cat stance, LH upward strike under chin.  LL back, strike down. 

LF forward, transfer bo so LH forward.  Back leg up, go into Cat stance, RH upward strike under chin.  RL back, strike down. 

RF forward, transfer bo so RH forward.  Back leg up, go into Cat stance, LH upward strike under chin.  LL back, strike down. 

Turn 270 degrees into Shiko dachi, bo level. Step left into Zenkutsu dachi, Bo and hands stay is same position then thrust. RH drops into vertical parry.

Back to Shiko dachi, turn bo through 180 degrees whilst watching the striking tip.

Step right into Zenkutsu dachi, Bo and hands stay is same position then thrust. LH drops into vertical parry.

Back to Shiko dachi, then Left foot forward, LH forward. Back leg up, go into Cat stance, RH upward strike under chin.  RL back, strike down. 

RF forward, transfer bo so RH forward.  Back leg up, go into Cat stance, LH upward strike under chin.  LL back, strike down. 

LF forward, transfer bo so LH forward.  Back leg up, go into Cat stance, RH upward strike under chin.  RL back, strike down. 

RF forward, transfer bo so RH forward.  Back leg up, go into Cat stance, LH upward strike under chin.  LL back, strike down. 

Turn 270 degrees into Shiko dachi, bo level. Step left into Zenkutsu dachi, Bo and hands stay is same position then thrust. RH drops into vertical parry.

Back to Shiko dachi, turn bo through 180 degrees whilst watching the striking tip.

Step right into Zenkutsu dachi, Bo and hands stay is same position then thrust. LH drops into vertical parry.

Finish.

Naihainchi, Sanchin and the heel trip

Sanchin and Naihanchi look very different, but both are considered core kata for different schools. The reason being, that although different on the surface, they contain a lot of similar elements and applications. This is one of them....

Both Naihanchi and Sanchin have an arced stepping motion that brings the heel either out then in, or in then out again, and though at different angles Naihanchi Dachi and Sanchin Dachi are basically the same structural stance.  The leg movement in Naihanchi is part of a cross step that is often expressed as a knee strike, whilst the description I heard for Sanchin was that arcing motion protects the groin whilst moving forward.

Both schools I have learn from,  Shorin Ryu and Bu-Kai, also show this arcing movement can be used for takedowns.  The simplest is a heel trip, and guess what, ity's not just a karate technique.  In fact, I never even  thought of it as such until a recent converstion with my Sensei from both schools.

This is why......

When I went to senior school, I started off being bullied as I was one of the academicly brighter but not so physically strong students.  Fortunately I had some good friends at school who sorted out the bullies for me, but it still carried on away from school.  One day, a newish bike I had bought for me was taken away by a gang.  One of my sisters (older than me), went and sorted them out and returned my bike.  She was studying Judo at the time......

She decided to teach me one simple trick, the heel trip.  Basically saything that if I could avoid a first punch and stepped forward with a slightly arcing step so that my heel was inside their front leg, they would probably step back and fall over.  Little did I know she was teaching me what I now recognise that she was teaching me a bit of Naihanchi and Seisan, along with the concept of taking space! 😊😊😊

I suppose the penny started to drop when I read a book by Simon Keegan that emphasised the similarities between Judo and specifically Naihanchi, but more recently I also remember reading a couple of articles by Andreas Quast, picking up on a simalr theme with the Satsuma involvement with Okinawan martial arts.  The penny was just a long time completing its drop.

Strangely enough, once word got round that my big sister was capable of sorting things out, nobody really bothered me again until I was in the 6th form.   Then, one of the lower year's would be playground bullies decided to make his mark by taking out a 6th former, namely me.  The first time he stepped in front of me to punch me, I swayed back then stepped forward with an arcing step,  down he went and scuttled away.  Two weeks later the tried the same thing, with the same result, who says bullies learn quickly?  Another few week went by then he tried again, I was fed up by this point and took the initiative by stepping forward and landing a straight jab on his nose.

From then on, he resorted to shouting insults at long range. Job done, thanks to what I thought was Judo, but it would seem that good techniques are nothing to do with the marital style, more to do with the effectiveness of their application....... 

REY 12/06/2022

Covid and the Mind

 

A collecting together of all the blogs between January 2021 and March 2022 relating to Covid, mental health and in a small way karate.

January Covid Blues

february-turmoil-something-positive

beware-ides-of-march-and-april-showers

kata-covid-and-mind

suicidal-thoughts

kata-and-cbt

living-with-consequences

the-waiting-game