Niju Kun Part 5

Niju Kun Part 5
by Dan Blackmore

31 Aug 2015

Welcome to my final piece in my continued investigation into Shotokan’s Niju Kun, or “Twenty Principles.”  Check out Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 for the other 16 principles.  The Niju Kun were originally penned by O’Sensei Gichin Funakoshi to give guidance to his students as they continue to train.  Karate is about self-discovery, wrapped in self-defence training; you will develop both physically and mentally as you grow.  It is important for each karateka to reflect upon what training means for him/herself.  I think that some time spent delving into the meaning of the Niju Kun may serve as a good jumping-off point to help facilitate this self-discovery.  For this piece, I will look at the following principles:

  • Ready position for beginners and natural position for advanced students.
  • Kata is one thing.  Engaging in a real fight is another.
  • Do not forget (1) strength and weakness of power, (2) expansion and contraction of the body, (3) slowness and speed of techniques.
  • Devise at all times.

 

Ready position for beginners and natural position for advanced students.

To me, this principle alludes to the natural evolution that one should face as they progress in their training.  When we are first introduced to Shotokan, we are given a mold to fit into – our instructors and senior students tell us what to do and how to do it.  Kyu rank requirements are a series of basic exercises that are meant to train the body and develop coordination, flexibility, and strength.  Starting out, we might feel a little uncomfortable in our own skins as we learn this different way to move, but that is the norm.  We will receive a lot of correction and guidance from our senior ranks along the way!  At this stage we strive to perfect technique and form.  We may not have a lot of understanding, but so long as we endeavour to improve, we are doing just fine.  As we get more used to getting a feel for our stances and techniques, we begin to form understanding in the motions we make.  Over time our strength and skill increases such that we no longer need to think whether we are doing things right all the time; proper form has become built-in to our movements.  After years of training, working with fellow dojo members, receiving examinations, and practicing on our own, we have made some headway into understanding what the style is all about. 

As we gain good experience, we are not meant to be micromanaged as we were at white belt.  Instead, we must become increasingly responsible for ourselves.  If your instructor were to constantly adjust and correct you all along the way on everything, then the pressure is taken off you to get your own feel for it all.  Sensei is not going to be with you in a fight, controlling you as a puppet!  We need to be able to figure out our own bodies to progress with learning.  In following this natural progression of self-correction, “karate” is no longer a mode that the individual must switch to, but has become the normal state that he/she lives in.  To facilitate this evolution and learning of the core principles, beginner students are given “Ready Position” and a mold of techniques and stances to fit into.  The kihon and kumite exercises and focus in kata are kept simple so that students have less to think about, rather than having their minds flooded with all the different variations and applications from the get-go.  As students become more advanced, the need to keep lessons at the basic level falls away, allowing them more agency in the way they experience training.  “Natural Position” means that after years of being coached to fit the mold, the student more naturally maintains the core principles while developing his/her own signature stance/fighting style.  It is at this point when the student may begin to exercise their own understanding and interpretation when looking back at past lessons anew.  Returning to the basics certainly sharpens your sword, but your experience teaches you how to cut with it.

 

Kata is one thing.  Engaging in a real fight is another.

Let’s first review what kata is before comparing it to a real fight.  The kata of Shotokan illustrate all that the style is about.  This series of prearranged forms serve two main functions: to pass knowledge of the principles of Shotokan to the new generations, and to serve as a base to expand training for students.  Karateka must play the role of anthropologist and treat each kata as a skeleton that must be studied and preserved to form understanding.  As we gain knowledge, we can begin to put meat on the bones to get a more detailed picture.  This is done by developing applications and practical self-defence methods from the movements in the kata.  So long as we maintain the teaching of the original “skeletons,” we can do no wrong in proposing our own interpretations of each kata.  As in the science of anthropology, our findings are all subject for peer review, so we must ensure that they make sense practically, or in context.  In karate we collaborate with fellow students and instructors to experiment and physically hash-out our proposed interpretations; we cannot just imagine/visualize an application and expect it to hold water practically.  In short, kata comprise the framework that we need to train karate – all the principles are contained in their movements, and through collaboration with others, we can extract interpretation of the movements for use in training exercises. 

So, study of kata is good karate training and contributes to being prepared for self-defence, but kata training stems from the fact that everything is prearranged.  Both attackers and defenders working on kata application know the attack, the defences, and the end results to each encounter.  This foresight is not present in a real fight.  Even if you have trained a routine hundreds of times, a real fight is less predictable, and attempts to execute a more precise or complicated sequence may not always prove to be successful, especially when under stress!  You must not form a “plan” or routine in your head when faced with a real opponent.  If you do, you will find yourself constantly focusing for an opportunity to perform what you imagine, and ignore other options.  This will create hesitation, and failure to miss other opportunities as you think to yourself, “Oh, I should’ve gone just then!  Okay, next time he does that… ah missed it again!”  Further, as you distract yourself with your thoughts, you run the risk of getting caught off guard by your opponent!  Above all else, stay relaxed and in control of yourself in a fight – continue to breathe and fall-back on what you know from training. 

I believe a component of controlled kumite included in regular training will help develop a more well-rounded self-defence.  In kumite, the defender does not know what may be coming, and focus is shifted away from training what to do and towards training how to read your opponent.  Here we can further develop advanced self-defence skills such as our senses of distance, timing, and connection to our opponent in the safety of the dojo.  We learn how to properly perform technique through drills, but we will learn how to apply technique, as well as develop our perceptive skills, through experience in kumite. 

 

Do not forget (1) strength and weakness of power, (2) expansion and contraction of the body, (3) slowness and speed of techniques.

Slowness?  Weakness?  Surely karate is only supposed to be strong and fast, right?  No!  This principle says there can be just as much value in slow, contracting, or weak techniques as can be found in fast, expansive, or strong ones.  The key is in keeping an open mind to learn under what context something may be effective, rather than rejecting an idea at first glance.  Karate is not exclusively about developing the strongest, or biggest, or fastest techniques.  If it were, we’d all just train to master thrust kicks and reverse punches and call it a day.  Instead, we train a wide variety of techniques to be well-rounded and better prepared for when defending ourselves.  There is no need to strain ourselves in trying to go for the knockout and using overkill when blocking or striking.  Time and energy are precious resources in a fight, so we must focus on what is most efficient or economical.  A well-developed sense of distance and awareness of our surroundings will help us to know which approach to use.  In a real situation, it doesn’t matter how strong you are, just how effective you are at defending yourself and subduing an attacker, or escaping.  Survival is key.  As we train, we add more and more “tools” to our repertoire that may work best for specific jobs in offence and defence.  Some are powerful; some are not as strong.  Some are fast, and others need time.  Some require lots of room to execute, while others can be done in a small space.  The only way to develop a sense about where to apply each method is to train with partners in various circumstances. 

The lesson to learn in all of this is that we must keep an open mind, and not be so quick to dismiss something before we give it a chance.  Sometimes people like to argue or proclaim that the style that they personally train is superior to all others.  They may even attempt to attack or put down a technique/approach from another style, saying how impractical it is or that it would never work.  I’m sure we’ve all seen this around, or even participated in a little bashing of our own in the past – I know I did a little as a child.  If an individual is shown only one way to approach a problem, then he/she is likely to develop a bias towards that approach when later asked to suggest solutions.  For instance, if you’re told only strong techniques are important to incapacitate an opponent, then a short, little poke using a pinky finger won’t even be considered; probably seen as laughable!  It is true that the little poke won’t cause any bruises, or break any bones, or knock the wind out of an opponent, but if it is aimed at the opponent’s eye, it can do great damage.  If you’ve closed-off your mind to learning, then even if you make an attempt to learn something new, your bias will only prevent you from giving it a fair shake.  This type of willful ignorance won’t get you anywhere but deeper into the rut you’ve created for yourself.   Why even call it an “attempt to learn” if you were only looking to prove yourself right, and not to gain a new perspective?  It may come down to the quality of instruction – there is some truth in the idea that poor teachers produce poor students – but if something doesn’t seem right or is unclear, then the onus is on you to question it and seek clarity, especially if you are a higher rank.

By remaining open and allowing ourselves to see things from a different angle, we have the potential to create something new.  One important thing to remember here is that Shotokan karate is a combination of two different styles of Okinawan karate: Shorei-ryu, and Shorin-ryu.  Shorei-ryu is the root of Goju-ryu and Uechi-ryu styles that are practiced today.  The focus is on body conditioning, deep and rooted stances, and training in both the “hard,” linear attacks and “soft,” circular controlling techniques.  Shorin-ryu focuses on natural breathing, shorter, higher stances for mobility, and on the “soft” circular movements, rather than direct attack.  Neither style may train exclusively on its respective focuses, mind you, but we must appreciate that Shotokan is a compilation of techniques from these two different approaches to self-defence.  If O’Sensei had kept a closed mind to learning, then there would be no such thing as Shotokan, and we might all be doing something else.

Keeping the idea that Shotokan is comprised of two halves in mind, we can see that there is value in training a wide variety of techniques.  There will be times when we need to use brute strength, and times when finesse will win.  We must sometimes spring forth and expand the body, and other times draw in and contract the body.  Slower, more flowing techniques can be as effective as quick, darting ones.  We do not know what situation we will need to prepare for, so our training provides for us a full set of tools for self-defence.  The terms “correct” and “incorrect” have no meaning when defending oneself, only the terms “effective” and “ineffective” count.  This is why we must shed our preconceptions from time to time and put effort into reevaluating what we have been taught.  Perhaps we will find value in something that we didn’t see before, or find vulnerability in what we thought was unbeatable.  By doing this, we can remain more balanced in our skills, our attitudes, and our humility.

 

Devise at all times.

To devise is to contrive a plan; to build on existing principles.  This principle nurtures independence because it encourages us to be inventive and tells us not to constrict ourselves to precisely following the patterns learned in our training.  In the moment of a fight, you cannot stop to worry if you’re doing things just like Sensei, or like how you read in that book, or what you saw in that video!  Just do what comes naturally to you.  Everyone of us is different with our own strengths and vulnerabilities, our own areas of interest, and our own motivations to continue training.  Because of these differences, there is a lot of potential for creativity in training in groups.  Occasionally students will be invited to get creative and deviate from the normal drill when defending in an exercise.  This is important for discovering something new, or finding a new spin on something.  An intermingling of minds can produce several different adaptions of a principle that suit each individual’s understanding and goals. Also, partners can provide helpful constructive criticism where needed.  When you boil it down, this principle says that each one of you have the power to adopt your own flair to Shotokan and to create.  We train hard in class to condition our bodies and to learn the basic building blocks for strong self-defence, but to progress, we cannot limit ourselves by trying to fit perfectly in the mold all the time.  As we advance we must get comfortable with ignoring all the years of advice that may be buzzing around in our heads and surprise ourselves with what naturally comes out of us while in the moment.

Adaptability is an important skill when defending yourself.  It is impossible to predict what specific circumstance we may find ourselves in when we face an attacker, or group of attackers.  We cannot treat what we learn in class as a manual with answers on how to defend and dispatch every possible outcome that may arise in a fight.  Instead, we train to give ourselves building blocks for a good defence – a set of stances, blocks, strikes, kicks, grips, and throws and a set of guiding principles to knit them together.  Our training must leave us with experience to remain connected and strong for our techniques and stances while quickly and fluidly moving to adapt to a changing situation.  If we do not get comfortable with acting on the fly, and devising from our experience, we run the risk of getting stuck on ourselves, and being overtaken in a fight.  Besides, by devising on the spot, you will make yourself harder to be read by an opponent.  If you can surprise yourself, then you can surprise your opponent!

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

Brief Overview 

When we start out as kyu ranks, we stew ourselves in the basics, and focus on maximum power, and full motion of limbs and body.  We use big movements that use full expansion and contraction as we step, strike, and block.  The purpose of the kyu ranks is to condition our bodies and give us a solid base of self-defence.  As we approach shodan, we must build on to this experience by developing advanced techniques and strategies.  Individual study and working with partners are both needed to help learn the pros and cons of one attack, block, or strategy over another.  Experience will help you to learn how to stay solid and connected, but fluid as you constantly adapt to the changing situation in an encounter.  You must develop a sense or feeling of knowing when to bolster blocks/strikes with dynamic and static body shifting techniques, and when to evade or disrupt your opponent with a quick technique to gain the opportunity to follow-up with more powerful strikes; you don’t have time to think about things.  I believe that it is important to both train to preserve the art/style, and to train under a looser set of restrictions for practicality.  For me, kihon and kata training would fall under the preservation category, while bunkai and kumite would fall under the practicality category.  Each one of us must train in both contexts to get the full picture of what karate training is all about.  Self-reflection is an important ingredient for personal growth and maturity, both inside and outside the dojo.  Your spirit is as much a reflection of your confidence in your abilities as it is a reflection of your strength of character.  We are told to show a strong spirit, especially in tournaments and examinations, but your spirit does not go away after you change out of your belt/karategi and into your regular clothes.  Instructors and senior ranks will always offer guidance and (hopefully) strive to be positive examples for students to follow, but ultimately you determine what karate means to you, what type of person you are, and what kind of spirit you develop.  Be strong, confident, and true to yourself. 

 

This concludes my investigation into O’Sensei Funakoshi’s Niju Kun and what they mean to me.  Thank you for reading!  I hope that you have been inspired to discover what the twenty principles mean to you, and to think about what significance karate training can become in your own life.  Until next time!

 

Niju Kun Part 4

Niju Kun Part 4
by Dan Blackmore

29 June 2015

Welcome to Part 4 of my continued discussion of the Niju Kun, which are Gichin Funakoshi’s twenty guiding principles to keep in mind while training karate.  Check out Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 to see what I have explored so far.  The remaining principles seem to be focused on technique and strategy.  This piece will investigate the following principles:

  • Victory depends on your ability to tell vulnerable points from invulnerable ones.
  • Move according to your opponent.
  • Consider your opponent’s hands and legs as you would sharp swords.
  • When you leave home, think that millions of opponents are waiting for you.


Victory depends on your ability to tell vulnerable points from invulnerable ones
.

Karate involves the element of maximizing efficiency.  We do not want to waste any time or energy by wildly striking, by requiring great strength, or by striking ineffective targets.  Simply put, we train our bodies to develop strength and speed, but it is crucial that our efforts are not lost by targeting poorly.  Just as in hockey, a goal is not a goal if the puck strikes the crossbar, post, or is stopped by the goalie.  The shot must make it through an opening; a vulnerability in the defence.  Through karate training we need to acquire some knowledge of the human body, and where “soft spots” can be found.  These soft spots are often nerve centres that register higher pain levels with minimal applied force.  With proper targeting, we should not have to have hit the gym and gained 30 pounds of muscle to defend ourselves from an opponent.  Instead, direct the strength you do have to where it will be most effective.  Likewise, we also learn what targets on the body are more resilient to attack and are best to be avoided, given better options.  We must develop knowledge and skill to help overcome or subdue any physically dominating opponent.

I would also extend this principle to not only mean any vulnerable/invulnerable points on the human body, but also to mean vulnerable/invulnerable points in our techniques or tactics themselves.  Sometimes certain techniques, like a wrist or arm lock, may only work if performed correctly, and applied in the appropriate situation.  If you are unsuccessful in your first attempt, you could face harsh retaliation on the street, but receive constructive feedback through your experiences in the dojo.  We will benefit from the experience of working with different partners.  By training with people of different heights and sizes, we can discover what targets or tactics may or may not work across different situations.  For example, if our opponent is taller, then we may not be able to reach the face/head as easily as an opponent matched to our height.  Here, we might aim for weak points found lower on the body, rather than trying to stand up, raising our centers of mass, and becoming more vulnerable to being unbalanced.  Also, we can learn where and when we may show vulnerabilities to our partner so that we can tighten up our movements.  If we were paired with a quicker opponent, we may learn if we are losing time in delivering counter attack.  We all start-out moving more slowly to learn the action, but we must not meander in low-gear for too long.  Perhaps we discover that we drag our leg, pause too long on the finish of each technique, or lose connection to the floor.  Without training in high-gear, we might not realize these vulnerabilities in ourselves.  We must be encouraging as we train to seek out any vulnerabilities found in ourselves and each other so that we may work to minimize them.  Posture, stance, distancing, timing, and speed must all be working properly, and together, to support the action of the technique or tactic applied.  We benefit from facing many different types of opponents in the dojo to discover when and where a particular technique or tactic may be applied to maximize its effectiveness.


Move according to your opponent
.

Developing a sense of your opponent’s movement is crucial to maintain proper distance and timing, and to anticipate his/her intent.  This principle says to move according to your opponent, but that is not to say that you allow the opponent to control the situation.  Whether your opponent wants to move all around, or be stationary, you control when you both are within striking distance.  In this way, even though you may allow the opponent to lead the rhythm of the encounter, it will be on your terms.  The idea here is to be like a shadow, not a mirror.  A mirror reflects the object, so if you move towards the mirror, the reflection moves towards you.  Likewise, if you back away from a mirror the reflection moves away.  To be a shadow, you move to stay in-step with your opponent.  An opponent who backs away may be uncomfortable engaging at closer ranges, so follow to maintain distance and keep pressure on him/her.  If you mirror, and move back, you give relief to your opponent and essentially hit the reset button; you must now work to again close the distance.  Similarly, if your opponent moves in to close distance, be ready to move to maintain distance.  This will disrupt the opponent’s judgement of distance and timing, and you will have a chance to retaliate.  Be weary of moving straight backwards in closed spaces, however; it may be prudent to shift sideways to get off your opponent’s line of attack.  The goal in shadowing would be to maintain distance to your opponent and goad him/her into attacking first.  It is far easier to defend and counter than to attack first.  Only allow the distance to your opponent to close when you are able to successfully deliver a strike.

When it comes to grabs or holds and pushing/pulling, shadowing avoids creating clashing forces.  To paraphrase Newton’s First Law of Motion: a body in motion stays in motion until an external force is applied, and a stationary body will remain stationary until an external force is applied.  The Second Law implies that the bigger the mass of the body, the more force will be required to accelerate/decelerate it.  The Third Law states that for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction.  It is important to remind of the three Laws of Motion because you should not be concerned about being the source of that external force that will push or pull around your opponent.  Instead, let your opponent exert him/herself to move, push, or pull, and you simply assist the motion.  If you are being pushed, pull; if pulled, you push.  You do not want to have a push/tug of war or wrestling match.  By shadowing your opponent’s motion and force, you contribute to their established momentum, and this can result in pushing or pulling your opponent off-balance and gaining control with minimal effort.  After you break their stance, follow-up with a counter attack. 

For striking an advancing opponent, mirroring your opponent may work over shadowing.  By moving towards an advancing opponent, you increase the total kinetic energy.  If you strike while both of you are in motion you can increase the power of your strike.  Be mindful that this tactic reduces the available time you have to defend, as well!  A quick uraken or kizami can be more effective in this head-on collision situation, just be sure to either be out of the way of their attack, or be faster than your opponent!  Also know that having good connection on the point of contact is even more important, due to the increased reaction forces.  A muscle that is not fully engaged can create a point that absorbs the shock of the impact, such as a raised shoulder or an improper fist.  Follow-up the initial strike with an appropriate finishing technique, or escape while the attacker is phased.

No matter what the situation or tactic used, it is better to follow the lead of your opponent in order to control the distance between you both than to try to take the lead and show your intent to your opponent.


Consider your opponent’s hands and legs as you would sharp swords
.

The big lessons one learns from training with weapons are to get out of the way of the attack, avoid clashing forces when blocking, and to end encounters as quickly as possible.  When dealing with bladed weapons, you would not block the weapon itself, but the arm swinging it.  You would prioritize grabbing and controlling the arm wielding the blade, and/or attacking the person’s vulnerable spots directly.  You must close distance to the attacker to achieve proper blocking and controlling of the arm, effectively tying him/her up, and delivering counter attacks.  You would want to conclude the encounter as quickly as possible because the longer it goes on, the more swings and jabs the attacker can perform, and the higher the risk of you getting slashed or stabbed multiple times.  The stakes are higher when an opponent is armed; generally speaking, a fist can cause injury while a weapon can cause death.  You would want to end the encounter as quickly as possible because you are fighting for your life against an armed opponent, not just for your health.

The first lesson is to get out of the way.  Often when encountering an unarmed opponent, some may rationalize being able to absorb a strike or two to deliver their own attack.  This is a flawed rationale as a normal tactic.  First, if you are able to absorb a few strikes, so could your opponent.  If this is the case, then getting hit to deliver your own “absorb-able” attack does nothing to gain any advantage.  Second, we lose sight of what karate is about if we allow our pride to convince ourselves to bank our safety on how “tough” we see ourselves to be.  Never underestimate what an opponent’s strike can do to you.  At the end of the day, karate is about not getting hit, not about how much punishment you can take before you tap out.  By believing that we can intentionally take a few strikes, we stay more passive, and fail to fully commit ourselves to our own defence.  We should not be focusing on preparing ourselves to get struck and mitigating injuries.  Instead, imagine everything were a blade or spear.  Now the stakes are higher.  See how quickly we can move to get off the path of incoming attacks now!  By focusing on body shifting to avoid getting struck, the block becomes secondary to protecting yourself, and can instead become a controlling technique or strike.  When we do shift out of the way, we want to put ourselves at an advantage and prevent the attacker from being able to strike again.  You do not want to leave the attacker with enough space to readily follow-up with more attacks.  This generally means closing distance to your opponent and using in-fighting techniques, such as elbows, knees, grabs, or takedowns, to end the encounter.

For the second lesson – to avoid clashing forces – picture some swashbuckling movie with swordfights in it.  *Clang* *Clang* the characters repeatedly strike sword-to-sword.  All this does is damage the swords, putting large dents and blunting the edges, not to mention that the fighters remain unharmed.  The duel gets to continue its back-and-forth.  This may achieve some dramatic purpose for the story, but in reality it would be exhausting and show that the fighters are focused too much on the swords, and not enough on the opponent swinging it.  Getting back to karate: if we focus too much on hard blocks, we are giving-up opportunities to control and/or attack our opponent.  Instead, focus on redirecting the path of the attack.  To achieve this, picture the hands or legs of the incoming attack as blades, with the leading surface being the sharp edge or point.  When we apply a block, do not touch the leading edge or point, but apply pressure to the side.  By doing this we will redirect the path of the attack, and reduce or eliminate any energy that would be delivered to our bodies.  By applying pressure to the backside of the attack, such as applying a scooping block to an incoming maegeri, we help the limb to further accelerate.  We might stretch out the attackers stance, disrupt their balance, or enable ourselves to run them into an object or bring them to the ground.  If we perform a hard block, the opponent realizes the attack was stopped and just rebounds with something else.  By redirecting, it takes longer for the opponent to realize something in their plan went wrong.  Ideally, the opponent would  be struck, or on the ground before he/she knew what happened.  Do not spend all your power on the block; save it for the counterattack.

For the third lesson, we must end the encounter as quickly as possible.  We do not want an armed attacker to have more chances to swing the weapon, so we must arrest the attack.  This involves controlling the distance between you and your opponent.  You have two choices when it comes to weapons: you must either be too far out of range for the opponent to reach, or be too close to allow the opponent to attack effectively.  You do not want to stay in your opponent’s range of attack.  If you back out of range, your first priority would be to escape and run away, of course.  If you move sideways and maintain distance, the attacker can attack repeatedly, and you’ll be kept busy with blocking.  If you move in, you must act without hesitation, and gain control over your opponent.  The goal would be to grab the arm/wrist that is holding the weapon tightly while striking an available vulnerable point, and then conclude the encounter with follow-up attacks or some controlling technique. 

Think of the distance between you and your opponent as having three tiers: escape range, attack range, and in-fighting range.  Once again, it would be ideal to stay out of range in the first tier, but that may not always be achievable.  If the opponent is determined to keep advancing, you will eventually be in the second tier, attack range.  In karate, both opponents are able to attack each other in this range.  If your opponent has a weapon, chances are that his/her reach is much longer than yours, so you can be struck or cut before being able to deliver an attack.  Here, you must either retreat back into escape range to let the weapon swing past, or close-in to the third tier to intercept the attack before it swings.  Whichever tactic you choose, you must not hesitate, and move quickly, especially when closing the distance.  Once you are in in-fighting range, you must quickly end the encounter with a counter attack.  To get back to escape range from up-close, you would have to pass back through the attack range, leaving yourself vulnerable.  The only safe way to conclude the encounter from this point is to take down the attacker, usually controlling him/her to the ground.  Elbows, knees, arm and wrist locks, trips and sweeps, choke holds and throws – whatever best suits the situation. 

To summarize: you are relatively safe in tier one, escape range.  You want to avoid staying in tier two, attack range, because you are under fire there.  While in attack range you have the option of retreating back into tier one, or moving forward into tier three, but either way, you must devise and not hesitate.  If you move in to tier three, in-fighting range, escape is no longer an option without endangering yourself and you must end the encounter as soon as possible.  Ideally, you’d want to close distance early enough to stop your opponent from even swinging; this would require sen no sen timing to move before your opponent does.  Alternatively, you could shift back out of range to allow an attack to miss you before advancing in to counter (go no sen timing), or move forwards to attack while parrying (tai no sen timing) before following up with a takedown or control.  Whether shifting towards or away from your opponent, always try to get off the line of attack.  Disruption of your opponent can allow you to take control of the situation.


When you leave home, think that millions of opponents are waiting for you
.

This principle is not meant to make us feel paranoid about going outside.  It’s true that by imagining that there are a million opponents in the crowd, you will pay a little more attention to the people around you as you try to suss-out who would be “waiting to strike.”  We do not want to live in constant suspicion, however.  Maybe save that level of suspicion when walking alone in risky areas, but we’re talking about the normal everyday.  This principle is a reminder that maintaining awareness and remaining in a ready state is the first step to self-defence.  If you’re ever caught off guard to an attack, that’s it; sometimes there will be no second chances.  This is the same as being a defensive driver while on the road – stay vigilant and aware of other drivers and pedestrians, and focus further down the road ahead for any potential problems.  In terms of self-defence, we must stay vigilant and aware, and face the world with confidence.  When we fear being attacked we become tense, and freeze-up when faced with a real attacker.  Panic sets-in, and we become defenceless.  By imagining that a million opponents wait to attack you, you realize that attack would be inevitable, so you might as well be prepared!  One simply cannot live in fear of something that is inevitable.  It would be like fearing the rain: it will eventually fall, no matter your fear, so you’d best come to terms with it, and buy an umbrella or raincoat.

One mental exercise that I recall involves walking through a crowd or street, imagining that people walking towards you will strike suddenly as you both approach each other.  Your goal is to imagine defending by covering their hands with yours, preventing a sucker punch.  You do not stare and assume a fighting stance or any of that, but you keep your core firm, walk with good posture, and keep your limbs relaxed.  You look ahead and scan with your eyes, but do not focus on anything specific; keep a wide view.  Pick an oncoming person from the crowd and assume that he/she is your “opponent.”  Now, as you walk past your would-be opponent, you imagine your hand repeatedly darting out and touching his/her arm as if to prevent a strike from being performed.  Once the opponent has past, pick a new “opponent” and repeat – one side, alternating sides, or both sides simultaneously.  You do not actually reach out to touch anyone – this is a mental preparation only!  The idea is that if one of these people actually did strike out, you would have already prepared yourself, visualized blocking the strike, and not be caught unawares.  The whole point is to attempt to avoid being shocked, where we would be stunned, tense, and unable to move.  This exercise can be simulated in the dojo: form two lines facing each other, with an ally in-between.  An individual will walk through the ally, from one end to the other.  As the individual walks, he/she will mentally (not physically) pat-down everyone’s hands, as if in the crowd.  The students in line will either stay still, or choose to tag the walker.  No one tags the walker from behind.  There will be passes through the alley where the students are told not to tag at all, and where they may tag at will, but do not have to tag.  Regardless, the walker will continue to mentally prepare to block everyone, respond to any real attempted tag, and continue walking along to the end.  Try some passes without the mental pat-downs to see if response time is any different.


This ends Part 4 of my look at the Niju Kun.  Think about how you interpret the Niju Kun and how they can apply to your training.  Only four principles remain, and I will cover them in my next piece.  Until then, safe training!

Niju Kun Part 3

Niju Kun Part 3
by Dan Blackmore

22 May 2015

Welcome again to my continued exploration of the meanings behind the Niju Kun.  The Niju Kun are Twenty Instructions that O’Sensei Gichin Funakoshi penned in 1938.  They were written to guide students along as they train karate.  Check out Part 1 and Part 2 of my interpretation of eight of the Niju Kun.  For this piece, I will present my interpretations of the following principles:

  • Karate is a lifelong training.
  • Put Karate into everything you do.
  • Karate is like hot water. If you do not give heat constantly it will again become cold.
  • Do not think you have to win. Think that you do not have to lose.

 

Karate is a lifelong training.
Karate is not something that you can master over a weekend.  You might learn some moves, but, like anything that you want to get good at, you must stick with it and train.  To stay sharp, you must continue to train/practice; there is no real finish line.  Generally speaking, when we start karate, it becomes about earning our next rank, perhaps in anticipation of being able to learn the next kata and set of techniques.  As we continue to train, we gain skill, learn, and develop.  For those of us who stick with it, we will earn our Shodan, and beyond.  After Shodan, or perhaps Nidan, you may have realized that it’s no longer just about earning that next rank, or getting a black belt.  It becomes about what you wish to achieve with your rank, and what you can help others to achieve in their own training.  Maybe for others, having a black belt just satisfies their karate itch, and they have no interest in earning Nidan.  Even then, they would have to maintain their skills through training.  Along the way many of us have paused our training for a period of time while focusing on other priorities in our lives.  Yet, some months or years later we have come back to training to get our skills back up to snuff, and perhaps to continue to progress.  As we all grow and change through time, our karate training can follow, if we keep it in our lives.  Some karateka train to compete, some train for the art of it, others for learning self-defence, and still more train for fitness.  Our thoughts, opinions, attitudes, physical conditions and abilities, and desires constantly change as we age.  In turn, karate training can adapt to suit the ever-changing individual; we each get out of karate what we put into it.

Another way to look at this principle is to realize that there is no finish line – we are meant to continuously endeavour to improve ourselves.  We must always maintain the attitude that we are students, open to learning.  Be weary of the feeling that you have achieved mastery.  Having pride in your accomplishments and confidence in your abilities is a good thing, but take care not to reach the point where you feel like you know it all.  If we were to let our pride get in the way, see ourselves as masters and not acknowledge that we have any weakness, we might just choose to stop training those techniques or kata that we already know, or those that challenge us.  We would end up just sticking with what feels comfortable and familiar and, naturally, get good at what we do.  However, by narrowing our scope to phase-out anything that challenges us, we have fooled ourselves into believing that we have achieved “mastery.”  True mastery would involve losing your ego, staying honest with yourself about your own abilities, and never shying-away from attempting something new.

Speaking for myself, I have a sandan rank, but know that despite having much to teach, I have much to learn as well.  I am not talking exclusively about any techniques or kata I have yet to be taught, but also about returning to everything I have learned thus far and trying to find something new.  I would like to think that even if I were to earn 4th, 5th, or any further dan rank, I would still believe that I have great progress to make, and continue to strive to achieve it.  This falls in line with another principle – “First you must know yourself. Then you can know others.” – you must know your strengths and weaknesses, which will change over time.  We must all acknowledge that we have more to learn as we train to find our limits and push ourselves to overcome them.  No matter anyone’s individual size, physical condition, or age, we can all maximize our techniques and strategies through training.  If anything, we should train-up what we find to be difficult in order to maximize performance, and to find alternatives where necessary.  If we do not adapt our training to be in tune with our personal goals and physical abilities, we will not be setting ourselves up to make progress.

 

Put Karate into everything you do.
I see three sides to this one: move deliberately to inject supplemental body control exercises into your daily actions; be mindful and aware of your surroundings and the people around you; and bring the philosophy of karate into the way you approach other challenges in your life.

For the first point, we must learn to be aware of our bodies when training karate.  By staying mindful of how we move, we can turn our daily actions into ways to train ourselves.  For example, we should all maintain good posture, breathing, and connection as we sit, stand, walk, lift and carry objects, navigate around objects and people as we walk/run, etc.  If we get into the habit of maintaining the connection between mind and body, intention and action, then we become more adept at controlling our bodies.  Further, by transforming mundane, repetitive motions into training exercises, the more reps we complete throughout our days.  The more natural it becomes for us to use control and body connection, the more natural it becomes to perform karate.

Secondly, we must always be aware of our surroundings and the people around us.  I am sure Funakoshi could never have dreamed of the future that is today: personal computers and devices on-hand, 24-7.  A person might wear headphones or earbuds to experience their own music and block out the noise of the outside world.  Similarly, a person can focus their attention to the phone or digital device in their pocket, messaging, playing a game, watching a video, checking the weather, etc.  Though they serve a purpose, they can also serve to be distractions.  The devices and applications themselves are not bad, but they require a certain level of personal responsibility for an individual to use safely.  Have fun and use your gadgets, but don’t let them become preoccupations while you’re walking, running, biking, or driving.  Turn the volume down, both to protect your hearing, and to be able to hear what’s happening around you.  Don’t look at your phone while driving – whomever is at the other end can wait a few minutes or so until you safely get to where you’re going.  While walking, step aside and pause to type your message to avoid tripping over unseen objects or holes.  Overall, just scan with your eyes to see anything that might become a problem before it does.  Maybe you’re driving too closely to the vehicle in front of you.  Maybe someone else walking towards you doesn’t see you because they are distracted by reading or viewing something.  Maybe that person driving is looking for an opening to make a right hand turn on a red light and doesn’t see you starting to cross.  Maybe there’s someone hot/cute walking nearby.  Maybe there’s a guy running towards you, swinging a stick, haha!  The point is that you must be aware of your surroundings and be a little cautious because not everyone else around us is.

For the third point, consider the rest of the niju kun, and the dojo kun.  A great deal of the principles introduced have to do with endeavouring to improve oneself, acknowledging one’s own weaknesses, developing good habits, having respect for oneself and others, staying humble and confident, never ashamed of being a student, adapting to the situation, being prepared, knowing/understanding an opponent or problem – all encouraging the development of positive virtues in ourselves.  Karate is not just about learning self-defence techniques – that’s a welcomed bonus – but it’s far more important that karateka are shown a path to self-discovery, and given a positive example to follow.  Individuals are given the responsibility to make judgments on how they conduct themselves with their newly developed skills.  The overall hope is that karate training has produced more sensible people in the world who will make better-informed decisions when faced with adversity.  This culture of self-discovery and improvement is the essence of karate that can be injected into everything else that we do in our lives.

 

Karate is like hot water. If you do not give heat constantly it will again become cold.
To me, this one is pretty straight-forward; to stay sharp you must train.  There is no substitute for physical skill training; you must train on the dojo floor.  There is no substitute for training the mind, you must study and absorb other peoples’ perspectives to further develop your own philosophy.  There is no substitute for developing your spirit, you must work with your peers to enhance and further each others experiences and skills in karate.  Even if you are fit, you must still train karate properly to keep your skills up.  Exercise and karate are different activities.  Yoga, running, aerobic workouts, and the like all have benefits to improve your overall fitness, which can supplement your karate training, but they are not substitutes for it.  Likewise, karate training will give you some level of flexibility training and body conditioning, but you will also benefit from supplemental exercise outside of the dojo.  For example, deep, long stances help build-up muscle and increase flexibility, but are not meant to be how one moves to defend oneself practically.  I would recommend working both karate and exercise into your regular schedule to maximize achieving your goals for both fitness and martial arts skill development.

 

Do not think you have to win. Think that you do not have to lose.
This is a reminder that karate is about self-defence.  By definition, competitions must have a clear winner above other participants, but one must be careful not to let competition shift their focus from self-defence.  Kumite exercises and participation in tournaments can be important tools for us to develop our abilities, but reality is very different.  The essence of self-preservation is to get out with minimal harm.  In competition, you must pursue your opponent and attack to win.  In reality, you should either try to keep your distance, or strike to cause damage and shock to your attacker and find/create an escape.  Do not let the ego drive you to chase victory, because you may catch defeat instead, or cause undue harm to the attacker.  What if a child was swinging a stick and attacking others, for example – would you aim for the knockout? To break a limb? To get a good choke hold?  Or would you simply disarm and control the child safely?  How about if someone pulled out a knife – would you attempt to close-in to disarm the attacker?  What if a bunch of guys surrounded you – would you attempt to defeat them all?  You must use your head to avoid and deescalate dangerous situations.  If not, then look for creating an opening to escape.  You don’t have to “defeat” anyone assaulting you, and you should not waste any time trying to gain a position to do so – defend yourself and get out of the situation as fast as you can.

 

This concludes Part 3.  Part 4 in my series of discussions on the Niju Kun will be arriving in the near future.  Thank you for your time!  I hope these pieces encourage you to think about what you believe karate to be and to find your own interpretations of the Niju Kun; feel free to sign-in to the website to leave comments.

 

Niju Kun Part 2

Niju Kun Part 2
by Dan Blackmore
31 Mar 2015

In Part 1 of my interpretations of O’Sensei Gichin Funakoshi’s Niju Kun I discussed four of the principles.  For this piece, I will look at the following:

  • First you must know yourself.  Then you can know others.
  • Spiritual development is paramount; technical skills are merely means to the end.
  • You must release your mind.
  • Misfortune comes out of laziness.

First you must know yourself.  Then you can know others.
Strong karate comes from a connected body: the arms, legs, hips, torso, and head must be in sync to perform an effective action.  Each individual trains to acquire this body connection, no matter their shape, size, or levels of athleticism and flexibility.  Everybody has their own set of strengths and weaknesses.  As you train independently and with partners, you learn which techniques and tactics work best for you and your body.  Knowing your weaknesses allows you to focus on reinforcing or supplementing them in your training.  Self-improvement is good, but it is also important not to lose perspective on what changes have occurred that brought along the improvement.  For example, was it a change in your tactics, your form, or in your body conditioning/flexibility that improved your performance?  By discovering and recognizing the reasons for your own improvement you can begin to detect signs of vulnerability in others.  Knowing why something had failed for you in the past will allow you to apply pressure to an opponent’s vulnerability, giving you the advantage.  In the context of training with partners, the intent of applying pressure in this same way is to allow the partner to discover his/her own vulnerabilities for future improvement.

This principle reminds me that although we need the benefit of training with our student peers, progress cannot be measured against others; it is measured against oneself.  It can become easy to judge others, but unless called for, doing so holds little benefit for anyone.  It is more difficult to judge yourself, but understanding your own strengths and weaknesses helps you to focus your training and to form a stronger base from which to offer constructive criticism when called for it.  People need to make sense of things for themselves and to organically discover what they can get out of karate.  Although intentions may be good, calling out your fellow students on flaws or areas of weakness often comes out as being condescending.  The best way to help out your fellow students is to respect them by allowing them to discover things for themselves.  You accomplish this by improving yourself and by being on-target and appropriately swift during partner exercises.  If you must verbalize, acknowledge successes, rather than what needs improvement – “Ah, good, you caught me on that one!” or “Nice kick!”  Poor targeting, timing, connection, or distance are things that don’t need to be verbalized because you will come to know yourself whether a technique or tactic you employed was good.  No need to beat yourself up over every little flaw you come across within yourself, but be mindful of things that keep recurring.  Keep training under the guidance of your instructor and senior students, and work with your peers to round you out as you improve – to me, this is how Shotokan training works.

Spiritual development is paramount; technical skills are merely means to the end.
Training karate is more than just repeatedly practicing blocks, kicks, punches, and kata.  Imagine a dojo where there is only body conditioning, kihon drills, technical perfection of kata, and no discussions.  Such an environment may encourage a feeling of isolation in each student.  Interests will wane and students will attend training less often, until they won’t return at all.  The ones that do stay form a tunnel-vision about their art.  Attitudes get more extreme about what body types and levels of toughness or aggressiveness are required to “get good” at karate.  Asking questions or proposing alternatives are seen as an affront to the knowledge and experience of the senior students and instructors, and is often discouraged – “Just get back to doing the drill!”  Focusing only on the physical motions will eventually leave practitioners unfulfilled and under-prepared.  We need something more.

A dojo must feed the mind and spirit along with the body.  The keyword is “spirit” – it is a general term that can be applied to many different things, but it represents the feelings of confidence one has for him/herself.  A healthy sense of self-confidence is paramount to attempt to accomplish anything.  Further, a healthy self-confidence tempers successes and failures so that our ego doesn’t inflate too large when we succeed, and that we are not discouraged from continuing to move forward or from trying again when we fail.  It is for this that the physical aspects are far less important, because they can always be worked on at any point, but the attitudes one forms for oneself and towards the art can have much larger impacts on the individual outside of the dojo.  Let me put it this way: interchange the Shotokan techniques that we train with Aikido, or Judo, or anything, but maintain the dynamic of the dojo and keep the same individuals.  Over time we will learn the new skills if we keep at it, but will we change as individuals?  Are the techniques that we perform what determines the kind of people we are?  Of course not – the dynamic established in the dojo acts as a framework for relationships to form and interactions to occur among students and teachers.  This framework influences the way in which people develop their spirit in the dojo, and their self-confidence outside of it.

You must release your mind.
Releasing your mind comes two-fold: first, as we train and perform karate, we must be able to calm our thoughts, and second, we must always be ready to learn.  A calm mind is crucial for good karate.  If we spend too much time and concentration on trying to analyze the position and timing of every muscle as we learn a technique, and exhaust every tactical possibility that may lay before us in a fight, we end up not moving well at all, and most often with a slower reaction time.  Engaging the mind while performing karate adds an extra step in the process and diminishes the chance to imprint the physical motions to your body.  If you were to try to consciously control every motion of your stride while walking, you might end up tripping over your own feet.  Likewise, if you were to spend time in a fight trying to form a scenario in your mind and then analyzing your opponent to find the opportunity to act the scenario out, you might end up being caught off-guard instead.  There is just no time to engage the mind while performing karate!  The mind must be used to reflect upon one’s training and exercises after their completion, when we have the time to do so.  While in the moment of executing an action, we cannot pause to think.  Like crossing a road, if we choose to hold back and not cross it, we’re safe, and if we choose to cross at a good opportunity, we’re safe.  We’re not safe if we go partway, then pause to analyze our decision or to judge how well we are crossing the road because traffic is coming!  There is no doubt that we must use our minds to analyze our performance and to absorb lessons from others to better our karate, but when we are in the moment, our minds must be free.

With regard to being ready to learn, you might have heard the phrases “Emptying your cup.” or “Going back to white belt.” in your dojo.  Both of these phrases allude to the same thing: if you see yourself as already having full knowledge of a subject, you can’t learn anything new.  This is not to say that you just chuck everything you know out the window and start from scratch.  No, instead you need to be receptive to teaching to experience learning.  A teacher doesn’t magically stuff knowledge or understanding into your brain, he/she lays the information out in front of you and builds a framework for education.  It is you who must go through the experience of learning.  Like leading a horse to water, only the horse can take the drink.  As we grow as martial artists, and as individuals, it is important to have the ability to empty our cups to remain receptive to learning to facilitate further development.  As discussed earlier, you can miss out on a lot when you focus only on the physical aspects of karate.  Releasing your mind while engaged in the art/act allows your body to respond better, and releasing your mind to remain receptive to learning allows you to benefit from someone else’s perspective and experience.

Think about how we learned how to walk.  When we’re babies we don’t have the mental faculties to think about how our own limbs move and how best to manipulate them to stand up, gain balance, and begin walking.  Despite this blissful disconnection from intent and action we all learned how to walk just the same.  Our bodies and brains almost automatically trained themselves, through trial and error, how to coordinate the muscles, nerve responses, and motions of our limbs and begin a new method of locomotion.  Now that we have matured, we have many more mental tools at our disposal that helps us greatly as we attempt to learn something new, but they can be misused, too.  We must not let our knowledge and experience close ourselves off to learning.  Too much focus and micromanagement of every motion as we go through them can end up slowing down our progress.  Also, even knowing what is wrong does not automatically mean we solve the problem – our bodies must still be trained.  Like with walking, the body must be able to perform unconsciously.  Allow yourself to relax the mind and give the body the chance to learn through repetition.  Use the mind afterwards to analyze yourself, along with the guidance of your peers, senior students, and instructor to improve for next time.

Misfortune comes out of laziness.
To me, this principle ties in very nicely with the others discussed in this piece.  We have discussed that karate is not about the techniques; that spiritual development and humbleness are key traits to have for true success in martial arts.  One’s education in karate must involve the training of the mind, the body, and the spirit.  To me, this is an uplifting thought – your physical stature or condition does not limit your success in learning a martial art.  So long as you put the effort in, show improvement in yourself and your ability, and endeavour to improve, you’re succeeding on a personal level.  However, this principle also reminds us that we must take care not to become lazy on either of these three fronts, not just the physical one.  Again, like the horse to water, your peers, senior students, and instructor, who are there to guide you, cannot make you drink; you must take the steps to achieve all on your own.  Some diligence and discipline are required on your part to strive to improve; to endeavour.  It can be said that there are no bad students, only bad teachers.  In the beginning, this statement may hold some truth; the way that you are taught and the dynamic that is established between student and teacher are the responsibility of the instructor.  However, as you rise in rank and experience, and begin to take the reins over your own education, you also take the responsibility for the quality of what you produce in your art.  This principle is a gentle reminder that failing to endeavour to develop the mind, body, and spirit as you train may one day catch up to you.

That’s it for Part 2 in my series of discussions of the Niju Kun.  I hope these writings inspire you to form interpretations of your own!  Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for Part 3.

Discourtesy in the Martial Arts

Discourtesy in the Martial Arts
By Bob Davis (Edited by Dan Blackmore)
12 March 2015

Recently I have been thinking about the Niju Kun, and this has lead me to reflect upon some personal experiences I have had throughout my years of training in different arts.  O’sensei Gichin Funakoshi wrote the twenty precepts to guide karate practitioners as they train.  One precept states “everything begins with rei and ends with rei”.  This goes beyond just bowing.  Bowing itself is a sign of respect.  Respect for each other, the art, and for oneself.  Some recent events have compelled me to write on the topic of the “loss of courtesy” in the Martial Arts.  Sensei Egami wrote “He who would follow the way of karate must be courteous, not only in training but in daily life”.  This brings in another precept of O’sensei Funakoshi, “karate is not only dojo training.”  The lessons we learn in the dojo, carry over into how we live and act in our daily lives.  The responsibility and respect that you give and are given in the dojo reflects the way you behave outside the dojo.  Courtesy and respect need to extend past the dojo walls.

Within Martial Sports like Tae Kwon Do and Judo, there is a certain amount competitiveness.  The desire to win comes along with competition. You view your opponent as someone who needs to be defeated.  A little competitiveness can be good but the ego can take over if not guided properly.  In the pursuit of the win, sometimes poor sportsmanship or a poor attitude is excused for someone who possess a high degree of skill.  A coach or sensei might excuse these students’ behaviours as a necessary evil to place high in competitions.  They establish that cultivating an ego is what hones the competitive edge and gives the competitor his drive.  I do not believe that a sacrifice in the personality of the competitor is necessary at all.  I would go so far as to say that the more contact there is in an art and the greater the chance of injury, the more courtesy has to be maintained.  The competitors bow to enter the ring, give their complete focus and control to outmatch their opponent, and bow to exit the ring and return to being comrades.

The loss of courtesy is not exclusive to the sport side.  The focus is on self-defence in Martial Arts like Aikido and Karate, with less emphasis on competition.  Still, the ego can become inflated if not kept in check.  Sensei Stanley Pranin coined the term “Macho Cruncher” for those who show a lack of courtesy in Aikido practice.  There will always be some minor injuries in all practice that has contact, but whenever these individuals are involved, injuries tend to be more frequent.  In my Aikido-training days, I have encountered my share of these individuals.  Often this person a senior student, sometimes a sensei, and usually male.  In a dojo that I visited often there was a senior student that loved to twist students’ wrists too far, slam them to the ground very hard, and often wore a gi that was too small so it would come flying open when he practiced.  Luckily, Aikido tends not to attract too many non-courteous folk, as the art is non-aggressive in nature; blending with your opponent instead of meeting with force.  Still, the prospect that these “elbow straighteners and shoulder expanders” are in the senior ranks of dojos, is a little concerning because they are supposed to be the example for students to follow.  Nurturing healthy attitudes throughout a student’s journey in the martial arts is the best way to prevent bigger problems down the road.

The appearance of the “macho cruncher” is even more prevalent in more aggressive arts, like Shotokan karate.  Within the karate circles, a new term has arisen; the “Karate Douche”.  Once again, they tend to be males within the senior student and sensei ranks.  Karate is very self-defense oriented but there is a certain amount of competition as well.  I remember once asking a senior student a question about Ashi Barai (leg sweeping) techniques, only to have my legs kicked out from under me repeatedly without any explanation or assistance in break falling.  Needless to say, I didn’t ask that question again.  This same senior would also use any opportunity in class to punch and kick students a little too hard when they were used for demonstration.  He never did this in kumite or kumite drills, where there was a chance of reprisal.  This particular dojo seemed to applaud this type of behaviour, and in fact had 2-3 seniors just like this.  The attitude became that you had to be tough enough to handle it, because that’s what makes strong karate.  There is a line in a Macklemore song that rings true here: “If you preach hate at the service, those words aren’t anointed, and that Holy Water, that you soak in is then poisoned”.  The lessons in the dojo flow from the sensei to the seniors to the juniors.  There were derogatory remarks made of females, differently-abled students, and other martial art styles.  I have personally been the recipient of disparaging remarks about tattoos, piercings, being “too courteous” in nature, not blocking or hitting hard enough, and had more injuries than I can count.  You will find that once this behaviour is ignored or approved of by the seniors or sensei, it will spread like a virus.  The students that accept this lack of courtesy, they will replicate it, and the students that reject it, will leave the dojo.  The only reason why I tolerated any of this was because of the good seniors and sensei also in the dojo.  Find me a dojo that has no children, no colored belts, no females, or differently-abled students, and I will show you a dojo where “courtesy” is not part of the curriculum.

Courtesy should carry over into our day-to-day lives outside the dojo.  Once you have made karate a way of life, it becomes part of your personality.  Unfortunately, poor attitudes and behaviours that are tolerated or even promoted by your seniors, may become a part of you as well.  If you have an elevated position in karate because of your rank or tournament success, you have a duty to those who look up to you.  You have influence over the next generation of students in the way you present yourself.  The example you present, has an equal chance of breaking the “Cult of Karate” as well as perpetuating it.  To earn your rank or success and then show a lack of courtesy is inexcusable, even if it is tolerated in your dojo!  Bad behaviour begets bad behaviour.

The internet has become a big influence to students outside the dojo.  Very early on I developed a profound respect for what this technology could do: share information on a world scale.  Just because something is digital and your audience is not physically present, doesn’t make them any less “real”.  Facebook is a great social platform and it can do a lot of good, but it seems to have become the pulpit from which senior karate people are choosing to be discourteous.  I have had to separate myself several times now from seniors making disparaging remarks about other organizations, styles, philosophy, people, and the “correct way” of doing things on Facebook.  Not necessarily because of the content of the remarks – I might agree or disagree – but because Facebook is not the right venue to debate anything.  In the end, it accomplishes nothing, and becomes a “flame war” between two sides.  All that happens is you may lose a little respect for someone who goes a little too far, or people may lose some respect that they had for you because of the way they act online.  The written word is the written word, regardless if it is a book, a newsletter, a website, an email, a blog, or a tweet.  Once something is out there, it’s out there forever.  If someone has seen it, you can be sure someone has saved it, taken a screen shot of it, shared it, forwarded it, or tweeted it.  You now have the ability to reach a million times more people, and therefore do a million times more bad or good, depending on how you act online.

I think the problem here is not only the lack of courtesy, but a failure to understand what courtesy actually means.  Karate is not merely technique and courtesy merely bowing.  O’sensei Funakoshi was a great philosopher as well as a great technician.  He did not establish the Twenty Precepts of Karate and the Dojo Kun for them to be ignored by future generations.  These principles are based on Bushido and Zen, and form the guiding principles to practice karate.  O’sensei Funakoshi wrote: “The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of the participant”.

In some karate dojos, the students recite a version of the dojo kun either when bowing in or bowing out for each class.  The dojo kun includes: seek perfection of character, be faithful, endeavor, respect others, and refrain from violent behavior.  It would be wise to remind yourself and all of your students of this important element.  Have your students recite the kun in class, research it, and write about it.  Once it is perfected in the dojo, along with the techniques, it will spill over into their daily lives.  As O’sensei Funakoshi said “the spirit of karate would be lost without courtesy”.

References:
http://blog.aikidojournal.com/2011/09/01/aikido-and-injuries-by-stanley-pranin/
http://www.metrolyrics.com/same-love-lyrics-macklemore.html
http://www.shotokai.com/ingles/gallery/introbeyond4.html

Niju Kun Part 1

Niju Kun Part 1
by Dan Blackmore
10 Mar 2015

Father of Shotokan, Gichin Funakoshi wrote for his students a list of twenty principles to keep in mind while training karate.  These are known as the Niju Kun; “Niju Kun” literally means “Twenty Instructions.”  They were first published in 1938 in a book titled, “The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate.”  In the text, each principle is listed as “Hitotsu” or “first,” which signifies that no one principle is more important than the others.  Karateka are meant to reflect upon the Niju Kun to discover what karate means to them.

This entry will be part one in a series of blogs about the Niju Kun.  It would be too much to present all twenty at once, so I will break them up, in no particular order:

  • Karate is not only dojo training.
  • Don’t forget that Karate begins with a bow and ends with a bow.
  • In Karate, never attack first.
  • One who practices Karate must follow the way of justice.

I will discuss my interpretations for each principle.  These are not the definitive interpretations, just some ideas to get some thoughts flowing.  Everyone is encouraged to reflect on what the Niju Kun means to them as they train.

Karate is not only dojo training.
Several ideas come to mind when considering this principle.  First, the lessons learned throughout your training are carried with you outside of the dojo.  Yes, we all gain skill through training that may be applied in real life, but we may also gain some insight about ourselves that may be applied in a number of situations.  We may gain confidence in ourselves and a healthy sense of pride in one’s abilities.  We can increase our physical condition and flexibility, which can lead to better health.  We build relationships in the dojo and build a sense of kinship.  Such personal development, both in the body and mind, will always stay with us.

This principle can also mean that one’s development does not solely come from within the dojo.  One must also be both introspective to discover what karate means for him/herself and extrospective to use resources outside of one’s own dojo to gain perspective.  Of course everything starts in the dojo with the training, support, and guidance you receive from your sensei and fellow students, but as you grow, you gain more independence.  Nowadays there are many resources available to feed curiosity and nurture that independence – books, articles, and editorials to read, training seminars to attend, many videos found online or distributed on DVD to watch, and sometimes other dojos to visit to observe, chat, and participate.  These resources are especially helpful as you make the transition to Shodan, and beyond.  They can supplement your dojo training and help you in your personal development.

Thirdly, the idea that karate is not just a belt/uniform that can be put on and removed; it should always be present in oneself both inside and outside the dojo.  If karate were a switch, it should never be turned off.  Not to say that one must be always on “high alert” as we go through life, edging on paranoia.  Let’s say that karate is more like a dimmer switch where the intensity can be raised or lowered, but it should never be turned off.  Be aware of yourself and your surroundings.  Pay attention to the world around you as you walk/run/travel – try not to deafen yourself with headphones and too-loud music, and keep your eyes focused ahead and not preoccupied on a phone, for example.  Be cautious of treacherous/slippery ground.  Be alert when walking at night, and avoid secluded, closed-off areas.  Also, watch out for others, whether to avoid suspicious individuals or to keep an eye out for friends, family, and passersby that might need a little vigilance.  Being aware of yourself and staying alert and connected to the world around you, is the first step in self-defense.

Finally, looking at the bigger picture, a karate/martial arts dojo would not exist in your area without support from a larger network/community.  A considerable amount of preparation and organization has gone into each dojo that exists, from the big to the small.  The content, or “dojo training” taught in a dojo may be different than another – Shotokan, Aikido, Judo, Jujutsu, Kobujutsu, etc. – but each dojo must face similar logistics problems and investments of time and money to come to fruition.  Thus, it is crucial for the leaders of the art to consider more than just the content.  For the art to persist into the future, there must be a means or structure to train the next generation of instructors and organizers to take the reigns.  If everyone focuses only on the dojo training without regard for educating the future dojo leaders in the organization and governing processes, everything would come to a halt when the current leaders stop.  Without a mechanism for renewal, a dojo will eventually perish.

Don’t forget that Karate begins with a bow and ends with a bow
.
To me this is a reminder of dojo etiquette, and that whether training or competing, the bow is a sign of respect and recognition that the dojo floor or tournament mat is a place where you give your complete focus and attention.  While down the road the goal of training and competing is to simulate real aggression, there should be no hard feelings harboured among students, competitors, and sensei.

In the context of a class, the bow signifies mutual understanding that the student is here to be open and receptive to learning, and that the sensei will do his/her best to teach.  In the context of a partner drill, or competitive fight, the mutual understanding is that each person will be fully focused and controlled while engaging in the exercise/bout.  Generally for exercises, the attacker adjusts him/herself to the level of the defender by starting off slowly and the intensity/speed increases as progress is made.  Deliberately punching/kicking off-target does not help you to better learn proper control, focus, and distance, and it does not allow your partner to learn how to properly defend.  It all breaks-apart if you are at all hesitant about executing a technique.  You will not gain confidence in your skills if you train without trust in yourself and your partner.  The bow is a sign that everybody is participating equally for their own development as for the development of their peers.  At the end of class, exercise, or fight, the bow signifies the return to reality, where there are no “enemies” – we can leave any drama behind and reflect on any lessons to be learned from the experience.

In Karate, never attack first.
Philosophically speaking, this is a lesson that the skills learned should only be used in self-defense; never as an instigator.  To strike first is to become a bully.  In the original “Shotokan” – the house of Gichin Funakoshi – only kata was trained.  There are still some groups today, such as the Shoto-kai that maintain the philosophy that kumite has no place in karate.  The main reason is because kumite is seen to encourage both competitors to chase and defeat the other, leading to aggression.  Also, kumite is seen as artificial because the competition rules do not permit the use of any dangerous or lethal moves.  While I can respect these positions, I believe that kumite and competition can be great tools for one’s development.  Even though one is limited to a set of acceptable techniques in kumite, the same senses of distance, timing, synching-up with your opponent, and application of footwork are still required.  It’s a safe arena for karateka to gain some live experience with many different people to further their skills in these areas.  Additionally, the rules of competition can be made to assign an attacker and defender to more clearly distinguish that, in the end, karate is all about self-defense.

Tactically speaking, this principle reminds us that we are vulnerable during the transitional phase of our attacks.  This is because we are entering into the range of our opponent, and we do not know how he/she will handle our advance.  Meanwhile,  we have shown our hand and committed ourselves to an action.  By attacking first, we have given the advantage to our opponent; he/she can detect our path of travel, shift out of the way, and counter.  If you move-in first you are less likely to land a strike and more likely to receive one (or two, or three, or more).  Takano Sazaburo was a sword master from the 19th Century that said, “Don’t win after having struck, but strike having won.”  In the context of sword fighting, random motions can lead to death.  More often than not, the stakes are lower with karate than with live sword fighting but the lesson is clear: you either land a strike or you don’t, and a prepared opponent will most likely not be there when you chase with attack.

One who practices Karate must follow the way of justice.
This is not meant to say that you become a form of super hero after taking some karate training.  No, to me this is a statement that while anyone of any age can train karate, karate must be reserved to individuals who are decent citizens that can control their tempers.  No dojo of any credit will keep supporting the training of students who are violent troublemakers.  Some dojo are non-profit and some are for-profit, but all have the right to refuse membership to individuals who act as thugs or criminals, in or outside the dojo.  In the same breath, I believe in second chances, and individuals who have shown reform after having been expelled due to behaviour may be accepted back in the dojo – it depends on the situation.

For us good citizens, this instruction is a reminder that although we are gaining skills in something violent in nature, we must keep our heads.  There may be situations where we might have to defend ourselves, or even feel that we could help someone in trouble.  We must do all we can to prevent a situation from escalating to violence before having to resort to it.  Avoidance, talking, or running are alternatives to fighting; use your better judgment, and always call the police when it is appropriate.  If a fight cannot be avoided, then one must not be hesitant to defend him/herself.  While defending yourself, always do what is necessary, but refrain from use of excessive force.  Perhaps you’re facing a violent child – still a threat not to be taken lightly, but would any adult be looking to knock a child out with fists?  Maybe there is no call to pummel an attacker’s body and face if they can be thrown or controlled to the ground.  Once an attacker is subdued, that should be the end of the fight – seek an opening to escape and get out of there.

Here’s an anecdote from the book “Moving Zen” by C. W. Nicol that I think is relevant to this topic: Nicol recounts the three years he spent living in Japan and training karate full-time.  He points out that at the beginning of his journey, he was quick to anger and less likely to turn away from the opportunity to fight, and has since mellowed himself and lost some of his foolish pride.  After having earned his black belt, he came to realize that he can do more damage than he could before and that he must be more responsible in controlling his impulses.  His method to steady himself when facing any rude, belligerent men was to imagine the full consequences of using his new skills to punch the guy out – the broken bones and blood, the calling of the ambulance and police, having to go to the police station to file a statement, to be in a holding cell overnight, having to go to court, spending time in prison, being away from loved ones, and losing their respect – and ask himself if it would all be worth it.  The answer was always to seek another way to deal with the problem, of course, and never to pick a fight.

These four points are enough to think about for now.  Be sure to reflect upon these, and the rest of the Niju Kun during your own training.  Stay tuned for Part 2 at a later date.

Dō and Jutsu

Dō and Jutsu
by Dan Blackmore
Published in the NL Shotokan Newsletter Vol 1, Issue 3, Winter 2014

Many different self-defence systems distinguish themselves with the suffix “dō” or “jutsu.”  The general consensus seems to be that “jutsu” indicates a functional system of techniques, while “dō” indicates a more philosophical pursuit.  This distinction comes from the interpretation of the kanji for “dō” and “jutsu.”

道 “Dō” can be translated as follows:
course; district; journey; moral; road-way; street; teachings
http://jisho.org/kanji/details/%E9%81%93

The translation of dō being a journey or a teaching conjures the idea that one practices the self-defence system for reasons other than learning the techniques themselves.  Dō is also used to denote a district, and in context, a group that practices together.  Whether the reasons to practice are to build character or discipline, to improve fitness, to belong in a group, or to compete in a sport, the word “dō” does not indicate a focus on the perfection of technique to obtain maximum power.

術 “Jutsu” has several meanings as well:
art; magic; means; resources; skill; technique; trick
http://jisho.org/kanji/details/%E8%A1%93

Interpreting jutsu as a skill or technique translates into distinguishing that the training is focused on perfecting the technique.  The jutsu student strives for picture-perfect form with proper timing, focus, and force for maximum power; seeks perfection of the art.

Dō training is often identified as being on the sport side of self-defence.  Students train to improve their performance of kata and kumite under tournament rules.  The nature of how the sport operates can sometimes diverge from the military/warrior spirit of the original system, to those who self-identify as jutsu.  To those people, jutsu training means preserving the original techniques: not to become “showy” or compromise on form and power.

To me, the interpretations of dō and jutsu are not so cut-and-dry.  Perhaps the goal of the journey in your dō training is to become effective at taking care of yourself, should you be assailed in your life.  For this, you would need to have training that leaves you with a reliable set of techniques that better prepares you for reacting to attack.  This philosophy surely follows a warrior spirit.  Similarly, all the time spent perfecting skills in jutsu training could all be for nothing if you panic in a real situation or on a tournament mat.  You must train the mind to be prepared for attack as well as your body.  If you focus too closely on the technique itself, you may lose sight of the big picture: the “why.”

Is dō training merely a philosophical pursuit that may diminish the quality of self-defence skill and jutsu training the choice for strong techniques?  Could dō training be a journey towards truly effective and practical self-defence skills and jutsu training be an endless pursuit of perfection, which leaves students unable to see the forest through the tress?  No matter how you interpret these terms individually, perhaps it is better to consider how better the concepts of dō and jutsu may be applied together as we train: endeavouring to improve oneself and one’s skill through the pursuit of strong and effective techniques, and understanding how to shift gears between training to preserve an art and training a practical form of self-defence.

Shotokan Dojo Kun

Dojo Kun
by Dan Blackmore
29 Sept 2014

The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate” is a book that was published in 1938 that outlines Gichin Funakoshi’s Niju Kun (twenty instructions).  In Shotokan styles, five dojo kun have been derived from these principles, and are recited at the end of each training session in some schools.  ”Dojo Kun” literally means “training hall instructions.”  It is interesting to note that each rule is listed as being the first principle, signifying that all rules share equal importance.  As one trains seriously in any martial art, it is important to reflect upon the guiding principles of the style.  The following is an outline of the Shotokan Dojo Kun, and a short discussion/interpretation of each of principle.

Shotokan Dojo Kun

  • Seek perfection of character.
  • Protect the way of the truth.
  • Foster the spirit of effort.
  • Respect the principles of etiquette and respect others.
  • Guard against impetuous courage and refrain from violent behaviour.

Seek perfection of character.  This indicates that karate training is meant to reach beyond improving just the physique; the mental and spiritual attitudes of the individual will also endure training.  In the end, karate is meant for self-defence, but the individual learns how to put power into technique with intent to harm the target.  Without a moral/ethical compass, this violent practice might overtake your common sense.  You might feel the impulse to face confrontation with physical violence, even if there are alternatives to fighting, like reasoning, or just getting out of there.  While many can relate to the feeling of wanting to “try out” your skills, including myself, that’s no reason to put yourself in a more dangerous situation.  Even if you win a real fight, it doesn’t end there – you might have to call an ambulance and the police, submit reports, go to court, face fines, anger management, community service, or even jail time.  This is why it is important to keep your character strong to counterbalance the violence involved with martial arts training.  You need to be able to keep your ego in-check and stay in control of your impulses, and have better judgement.  In the meantime, use your karate training to your benefit – if you want to strike something, the makiwara is available.  If you want to feel accomplished, register and compete in the next tournament to see how you fare.  If you win, great!  If not, then face defeat with more motivation to improve your skill for next time.

Protect the way of the truth.  This is about honesty.  I interpret this to mean not only to be honest in the way you carry yourself, but also to stand up for truth for others around you.  Support ideas that you believe in, whether you are voicing opinion/feelings or voting on matters that affect yourself and others around you.  Voices that fairly criticize or praise should be heard equally, and if you feel that that isn’t the case, speak out.

Foster the spirit of effort.  To me, putting forth your best effort in everything you do leads to a healthy sense of pride in your accomplishments.  Success in karate is not based solely on results.  For example, in a grading, sometimes pass or failure is judged by how well you can demonstrate the techniques in kihon, kata, and kumite, and by your cumulative efforts in the dojo.  Your sensei and peers notice the attitude you demonstrate regularly while training.  You choose for yourself whether you want to be a positive or negative example of a student who is putting in effort.  Oftentimes it becomes easy to compare your performance against the performance of your peers in the dojo.  While a healthy spirit of competition might be a good motivator, this can also lead to negative results if left unchecked.  You may judge yourself to be better than others, inflating the ego, and leading to the idea that you don’t need to try as hard to stay ahead of everyone else.  You may judge someone else to be better than you, leading to jealousy, or even to the feeling that you could never catch-up, de-motivating yourself.  Good leaders do not compare students against each other; instead a student is compared to his/her past self.  Simply focus on improving yourself or your rate of progress and realize that karate is not about which individual is the best, instead it’s about each individual presenting their best attitude and performance.  Strive to lead by example.

Respect the principles of etiquette and respect others.  This simply means to be polite and respectful – I am sure that we are all encouraged to act this way everywhere we go.  In almost every situation, there are certain acceptable codes of conduct, which are sometimes unspoken/unwritten.  In the dojo we are given rules, which is what this discussion is all about, but there are other forms of proper dojo etiquette that are not always explicitly defined.  In general, you must respect your sensei and higher ranks by paying attention to what they have to show, and you respect your peers and lower ranks by allowing them space to train/develop.  Also, as a senior student, following instruction without adding your interpretation and advice to lower ranks is a sign of respect to your sensei at times when you need to focus on action, and not discussion.  There shall be opportunities when discussion and interpretation are encouraged, but too much all the time just takes time and focus away from performing repetitions when working on an exercise.  Follow the lead of your elder ranks, and allow your fellow students to develop their own ideas as you develop your own.

Guard against impetuous courage and refrain from violent behaviour.  This simply means to keep from acting impulsively, and to avoid being violent wherever possible.  Gaining control of your emotions and impulses requires thinking before acting.  I am talking about the situation that precedes a fight; once the fight has already begun, you must act in self-defence.  Perhaps someone is being belligerent, rude, and/or insulting.  You may just want that person to settle down, or go to away.  Your first impulse might be to match his/her attitude in your words/actions, and then you have started escalating the situation into a physical altercation.  In any case, you must first become aware of yourself in such a situation – you must be ready to defend yourself, but not eager to do so.  Perhaps you could just walk away from the situation without incident – always look for an escape route.  Then again, if you cannot, you must assess how well you think reasoning might fare if you were to talk to the person; how many people are around you; how dangerous is the individual/group; whether the police need to get involved; whether or not somebody is being threatened.  Again, if you must defend yourself, you must not hesitate to do so, but it might be more appropriate to control the attacker to the ground instead of using strikes/kicks to subdue him/her.  Also, don’t forget about using words to try to control and calm the situation, not to escalate it or to goad anyone into continuing to fight.  Thinking about the consequences before speaking or acting will help you to make better decisions and reduce acting impulsively.

Overall, these five rules can be applied equally to conduct both inside and outside the dojo.  The fact that they are listed in no particular order means that they share the same importance, and should be considered equally and simultaneously.  Ultimately, karate is not merely training self-defence techniques; it is aiding in the development of the individual to be able to become the best version of him/herself.  We learn how to use techniques that can prove devastating when applied in reality, but we must also learn for ourselves how to stay calm, keep our wits together, and to use better judgement.  We must balance our ability to perform violently with the ability to think responsibly; what we learn in the dojo is carried with us outside of the dojo.

Benefits of Weapons Training

Benefits of Weapons Training for Karate Practitioners
By Bob Davis
Published in the NL Shotokan Newsletter Vol 1, Issue 2, Fall 2013

There are many benefits to Kobujutsu (weapons training). Regular training will improve both your health and your karate.

Kobujutsu and karate have many things in common. Both arts are broken down into kihon (basics), kata (forms), and kumite (fighting). They both share blocking and striking movements such as soto uke (outside block), uchi uke (inside block), uchi (strikes), and zuki (punches). As well, they share some of the same stances, zenkutsu dachi (front stance) and neko ashi dachi (cat stance). Principles such as ma-ai (distance and timing), kime (focus), tai sabaki (body shifting), atemi waza (vital striking points), and mushin (calm mind) are all principles that both weapons and karate training share.

Like karate training, weapons practice is demanding and will improve your endurance. Weapons like bo, sai, tonfa, and kama all weigh a pound or more. Regular practice with them will help develop muscle strength and coordination. Kobujutsu and karate use a lot of the same muscles; the warm-ups and callisthenics are the same. Both weapons and karate classes begin with push-ups, sit-ups, stretching, and core exercises.

Weapons training will improve your reaction skills and bring balance to your techniques.   Mistakes in weapons can be dangerous and therefore safety is very important. Like karate, “getting out of the way” is always the first order of business. Kumite in Kobujutsu, always has a designated attacker and defender. There is always a natural tendency to have a “good side” in karate. To improve the weak side, you may have heard the phrase “twice on the left and once on the right”. Practice with the bo is done on both the right side and left side. As well, after mastering the bo, you will move to the study of sai and tonfa. These weapons are used in pairs, one in each hand.

Learning Kobujutsu kata will introduce karate students to new stances, as well as offer greater understanding of Shotokan Kata you have already been practicing. Stances like Neko ashi dachi (cat stance), Shiko dachi (square stance), and Kosa dachi (crossing stance) are used regularly in Kobu. Some of these are also found in Shotokan but in higher-level katas. Neko ashi dachi (cat stance) shows up in katas such as Gojushiho – Dai, Unsu, and Hangetsu.   Katas such as Jitte, Enpi, and Meikyo have elements of bo in them. One of the first things that I was asked to do in Kobujutsu, was to take a kata from Shotokan that I knew and perform it with sai. I chose Hein Shodan. It was amazing how easy sai fit into the kata!

Training in weapons can also be fun and exciting! It can give a karate student that has gotten bored, a renewed interest in training. Kobujutsu has its own grading and belt rank system. Starting as a white belt can let an advanced karate practitioner become a beginner again.

Training for Shodan

Training for Shodan
By Bob Davis
Published in the NL Shotokan Newsletter Vol 1, Issue 1, Spring 2013

I started training in Shotokan Karate in 2005 and tested successfully for Shodan in 2012.

After I reached brown belt, I had two years to prepare for my Shodan grading. In the first year I concentrated on learning the required kata, Kihon, and kumite for the exam. You will have to know Bassai Dai and Tekki Shodan and one other Heien kata. Know them all well! You have to get to the point where the kata are natural to you. Understanding not just what comes next but also what the techniques are for and the timing of the kata.

In my second year of brown belt, I started working on conditioning as well. Important things to work on would be; core strength, flexibility, and cardio. On top of your karate classes, add in a day or two of cardio a week. Biking, running, swimming, and hiking. Don’t wait until a few months before the exam. With exercise, come injuries. You don’t want to get hurt and be sitting around for weeks waiting for things to heal. Better to suffer the injuries earlier on and over come them. As much as possible, try to replicate karate-training conditions outside the dojo. Make sure to warm up properly. Create routines with bursts of explosiveness and make the routines last an hour to begin and then two hours later on. Wear a jogging suit the same weight as your gi. Drink water before and after your workouts, and not during like a regular class.

Once your conditioning is where you want it (about 6 months), find a buddy to train with. Find another karate guy that is going for Shodan or training for a higher rank. Do an hour of cardio and conditioning followed by an hour of karate. Work your kata and then your sanbon and kumite, just like the exam. Start with the advanced kata and then work backwards. Nothing will help you with your kumite besides more kumite. Train to the point where you can relax in the middle of fighting. Create openings and then capitalize on them. Pressure your opponent, get him to make mistakes and leave openings.

Gradings are usually done at a yearly seminar during the summer, although they can also be done in class. The seminars tend to be 6-8 hours with the grading component at the end. I would recommend going to the one the year before your grading to check it out. There is a break in the middle for lunch. I would recommend bringing two gi’s with you. After lunch you will be able to change into a fresh gi. Drink lots of water before, during lunch, and after the seminar. Dehydration causes dizziness, fatigue, and confusion. Eat food that will give you sustained energy for the seminar and grading without making you sluggish. Avoid coffee and soda as they will dehydrate you.

The Shodan grading is a big milestone in your karate training. Dan gradings are longer, requires more stamina, advanced kata, and kumite than kyu gradings. Keep in mind that Shodan maybe the end of the kyu ranks but it is only the beginning of the dan ranks. If you prepare for it properly, you can be a success at your Shodan grading.