Can you believe there's only a week until 2022? Time really does fly when you train week-in week-out and surround yourself with good people. There were plenty of ups, and also a number of downs, nevertheless, another year we should all be grateful for (even though COVID has finally been let loose here in Australia). In daily life, in the dojo, or sitting on the toilet, throughout the year there have been many karate related & random thoughts which have quickly appeared in my head and vanished just as quick. I like to call them ‘scribbles’. All these awe-inspiring Nobel-prize winning ‘whatevers’ running through my mind that never made it as a blog post. Maybe because it simply just takes too much time and effort sometimes to put things into writing. Anyhow, scribbles it is……no order, no over-thinking, and hopefully no offense to anyone.
1) At what point do you stop correcting the same mistakes when the student knows and understands what they are supposed to do? After a month? A year? Or never – it is the sensei’s role to constantly remind them. Or does the student need to take more responsibility?
2) If a new student with zero karate experience picks up things very quickly, is a natural, and has say 150 sessions during the year, opposed to someone with a karate background with over 30 years’ experience and must unlearn and only trains once a month, who would you consider to be the one with more understanding of what is being taught? Would the more experienced person feel discouraged or embarrassed having to train with a rookie who on the outside seems like they know what they are trying to achieve? How would they feel training together? Would the more experienced karateka be disheartened if corrected by the skilled newbie?
3) It is near impossible to teach the stubborn. Better to teach someone with no arms and legs but listens than someone who just doesn’t want to change their ways.
4) More toe injuries can occur training on bouncy mats than kicking a brick wall! A big sneeze or a fart in the morning can put out my back, but a kick to the same spot does no harm.
5) The positives of training with injuries are it allows you (or not allow you) to move and understand your body in different and more detailed ways.
6) Ex-training associates and sempai can laugh at you for starting a branch dojo, yet for them, following the same sensei who have only ever had that one tourist trip to Okinawa is considered the mightiest of all mighty. Never disregard a youthful age. Then again, we aren’t so young.
7) STRETCHES: Why do leg raises when you haven’t stretched? Or is a leg raise a stretch in itself? Is pulling your hand back with fingers up, the same as pulling your hand back with fingers down?
8) There isn’t always an answer to everything. Too many times we seem to overthink things, especially foreigners. Karate - Simple!
9) Is Okinawan Karate the only thing where you are constantly training physically and mentally, but not for any kind of competition? Can you think of any other activity like that?
10) Why ask about things when you haven’t tried or thought about it for yourself?
11) How can some instructors just talk and talk….and talk? In contrast, maybe they would think to themselves, how can some instructors just do and do..…and do?
12) Never expect anything from anyone, not even a little “thankyou”, for you will only be disappointed when it doesn’t happen. No expectations of anything in life or from anyone = No Disappointment! However, when someone does do something surprisingly positive for you, the appreciation is so much more magnified.
13) Teaching Karate can have results like COVID. Your mistakes can be mutated and multiplied ten-fold in students! And just like scientists coming together to gain further understanding, we too must regularly get together, train, and understand the same thing as one.
14) When training, does looking at someone wearing a soft flimsy gi bother you? How about extra-long belts that almost touch the ground? How would extra-wrinkled scrunched up gis in the bag from the week before make you feel?
15) Absences are fine – be it a month, a year, a decade, but long-drawn-out essay-like reasons on why one cannot make training….Nah - should be paid to read such texts.
16) There’s no rush in how long it takes to improve one’s karate. But if there is no improvement in the first few months, first few years, or even the first decade, what hope is there really of improving? Yes, a good heart and being a decent person is always more important, but a balance of the two would be welcomed 😊
17) Heavy rain will always weed out the most dedicated students from the half assed ones. “Let it rainnnnnnnnn, let it rainnnnnnnnnnnnnnn” (Sung to the tune of LET IT GO)
18) The three of us have rather different personalities and temperaments, yet when together for training, talking shit, discussing important matters in life, or whatever it maybe, most things seem to balance out and complement each other. And balance is what I need more of in life. Thanks always gentlemen!
19) I was rather surprised to see a video made on Youtube by a well-known author of many Okinawan karate and history books asking why Ryuei-Ryu groups are not allowed to participate in the World Okinawan Karate Tournament. If you have a relationship with any Okinawan Sensei regardless of Ryu-ha, you will know exactly why. If not, ask. Have you ever been to the Karate Kaikan? More subtle digs to satisfy your curiosity and info can be found there too. While at it, ask the Okinawans how they feel about Ohan-Dai Kata 😊.
20) Speaking of Ohan-Dai – anyone notice how many competitors performed it at the Olympics? What other sport can you compete in the Olympics by simply learning it from youtube? Kiaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
21) A proud “get-the-students-to-think-of-a-bunkai moment” - A throat was squeezed, balls flicked, and hair pulled. Not one punch was thrown. The beauty of no-rules. Fighting and rules?? You want me to make you a ham and cheese sandwich too?
22) A random observation – Firstly, good food and wine is my religion. Ok, now that that’s out of the way, regardless of race or sex, it seems that the older the karateka becomes and if an illness or injury of some sort is present, the more in line they are with adopting Buddhist related beliefs and practises without explicitly knowing it (or maybe they do). When was the last time your Christian karate mates read about Matthew, Mark, Luke or John opposed to embracing some Zen like activity or practice? Interesting huh?
23) How can OGKK branches around the world and even in Okinawa be so different? Same but different…how does that work?
You want a 10-part video on how to improve your reverse hook kicks, 360 jump spinning kicks, and how to gain the competitive advantage in tournament sparring? Well, OGKK offers that 😲!
Would you like to start each kata incorporating the mainland Japanese Musubi dachi to heiko dachi motion? Well, another OGKK branch offers that too 😲!
How about learning how to make maximum profit and get tips on how to select the best location set-up for your dojo (all viewable on Youtube) OGKK offers that as well 😲!
I think I better stop……
24) Always enjoy reading karate and martial arts related blogs and articles by random people and friends throughout the world, but the Karate Blog Post of the year hands down goes to:
“No Point Having A Good Teacher If You’re A Bad Student”.
The title says it all. Congratulations - a medal and participation certificate will be sent out shortly.
25) Knowing what you know now about karate, kobudo and the different styles, do you think you would still choose your present one? Karate for me – A HUGEEEE yes. I couldn’t imagine myself using a one finger pick your nose position technique, nor would I be able to do a back jump one legged military-like salute without laughing (No disrespect to any styles by the way). As for kobudo – I would definitely NOT have chosen what I do now. Seeing the differences out there, Ryukyu Kobudo would have certainly been more my cup of tea, and suited my body and hips so much more. Anyway, like I’ve mentioned in previous posts, be proud of whatever style it is you do.
And there you have it ladies and gents….. my scribbles for 2021!
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