Every so often, we all need a little recalibration. Recalibration of the body, mind, relationships, and in particular, karate. This means that one grumpy old man is required to guide an even grumpier young man (or three) along the appropriate path. To lead accurately and purposefully in the right direction, this fearless mentor should possess a PhD in Closed Armpits, and/or a degree in Tucked Elbows. In the absence of such, any karate calibration is simply not attainable.
It seems that training alone for a long continuous period of time, without the presence of an instructor watching over you or your kata, lousy and lazy habits may creep in, and extra moves added. Throughout this entire phase, we may believe what is being done is the correct way, but in reality, quite the reverse. Comparable to devouring what you thought was battered barramundi when the whole time it was grilled.
Karate is simply not about performing a technique alone accurately, but more about the connection between one move transitioning into the next like a smooth 2015 Margaret River Merlot. Many movements in kata should feel like you are dropping and heavy just like after having consumed a meal and a pint of Guinness at an Irish Pub. Should the body be over-tense or moving backwards instead of down, this may trigger nasty dojo side effects such as an uncontrollable bladder, and having to rush to the toilet whilst training. The body needs to be relaxed in the same manner as the post-consumption of chamomile tea, but not to such an extreme loosened state, where wet paper in a pant-pocket can shed easily into tiny bits off freshly washed clothes and onto the dojo floors.
This blog may or may not make much sense, but it is you who needs to make sense of your own karate. Without making sense of it, you might as well make a hot pork sandwich for your mate. Thank you Sensay Crark, K. and “Marcus”. Time is precious, and to offer that to a combo of grumpy-shingles-infected-overweight karate executives like us, now that is deeply precious - Thank you!
