Reflections

As I sit back and take stock of the year and my life, First, I look back and think that I am blessed to have a great wife and three awesome sons.

As I look at my life from a martial arts perspective, I also come to the same conclusion, if it was not for my wife, many things in the dojo might not get done, or be a nice as they are. My wife (Amber) is responsible for making the kyu and yudansha training manuals, I wrote them, but she designed and edited them, making them nice enough to be published. She also keeps track of the student record book and makes sure that it is up to date and she designed the menjo that we use, among many other duties she takes care of. As for my son's they are almost always on the dojo floor, training and assisting, they have picked up the slack left by the other yudansha. In fact, this year they have also taken over some of the classes, so that the students would have a more set schedule, with my work schedule, often we had a rotating class schedule. Now we have a fixed schedule. They are also on hand to assist me with seminars and are often on the receiving end, when I m working on something new.

In the dojo this year, we lost two students, that moved away, but we have also gained five new students. This makes the most students in the dojo since I closed the Carmel dojo in 2001. This year we also had a yudansha gasshuku and all but two yudansha showed up for training, some coming from thousands of miles away. My students are spreading out and opening dojo of their own, which coupled with new dojo that have joined the group, have moved us into several states and Canada. The future out look is good.

As for my personal training, I look back over the last year and feel good about it; I managed to train myself personally several hours, five days a week. I also spent a lot of time training with the boys, on our own. I was also able to train with a couple of my teachers. So I had a good year for karate.

As I look back over the last 34 years of  martial arts training, I like many others have went through many phases, there have been times, when I thought why am I doing this, why do I abuse myself in this way. Over these many years there have been ups and downs and times, I thought about hanging up my obi and packing everything away, but I persevered, trained harder, and made it through. Over all of this time, I have had the fortune to meet and share the floor with some great karate-ka; I have also met some really bad ones. I have met teachers that freely share with you and others that will charge you an arm and a leg, I have also been a part of some great association and have also found myself sucked into some really bad ones, and left holding the bag. I have had small and large dojos over the years as well. I have had students come and go, in the past, I would take it personal when I spent a lot of time with a student, and later they would quit. Now I realize that life gets in the way and karate is not for everyone. Each person will venture along the path in their own way, sometimes you will be guided and sometimes, you may find yourself alone, other times you may find that you have companions or followers. Budo is a selfish thing; you can only do it for yourself.

What I have come to realize the most, is that it is the journey and not the destination. It is the teacher and student relationship that is important. Rank is arbitrary; it only means something between teacher and student in your own dojo. I have seen Green Belts that have had more skill then 5th Dans, and 1st dans that had more knowledge then 10th dans. I have seen teachers be stingy with rank, holding on to it as if it was the Holy Grail; I have seen others hand it out like Halloween candy. While I have never handed out a rank, I have been guilty of just not testing people. Not for any reason, other then I get caught up in training and forget that someone has worn a belt or been a grade for years. I will do my best from now on, to make sure that if a student is qualified and has earned a grade that they receive it. As I get older, I understand the relationship of the teacher and student more and more, in my dojo, I will endeavor to keep that family type feeling and though I may not be qualified, I will try my best to be a good teacher.

In my personal life, there have been ups and downs as well, the financial state of things, has had its toll on my family, but we are surviving. I lost another grandfather this year, and I regret that I did not get too spent more time with him. All of my children have been hurt in sports related injuries, with some major and life changing injuries, but they are alive and I am grateful for that. My wife and I are in good health and I am grateful for that as well.

As I come to the end another year and approach the beginning of a new one, I will endeavor to be a better father and husband, I will endeavor to train harder and to be a better teacher and student.

Happy Holidays

Hello, I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

A Warrior's Training

I have trained in the martial arts since 1977, in doing so, I have had two goals to my training. 1) To be able to defend myself and survive, and 2) to preserve the traditional methods of karate. What I want to talk about today is my first goal, pleae don't confuse my comments with the new UFC craze, while it is a nice sport, it has nothing to do with what I mean.

In our lives as martial artists or Karate-Ka we do many things to grow ourselves. Much of it is presented to us by our sensei and many of us only do it when he does it again in class, or when we happen to come upon someone else who is doing the same thing. That only leaves us at the practice level. Practice is a must, but, when do we step up and train? Is there really a difference between practice and training? The answer to that question is yes. In my opinion, one must develope the mindset of a warrior and train like your life depends on it, because it may.

So how does one train like a warrior? What does it mean to be a warrior?

A warrior means many things to me. I have had the honor of knowing and working with many warriors in my life. They all share common traits. Military organizations are made up of real warriors. Police and fire organizations are full of them. I have known many  martial artists who would qualify for "warrior status".  Even though it may seem that I am only equating fighting/military/police with a warrior, I am not. Anyone regardless of profession can be one. It is a mindset.


First of all a true warrior is someone that stands by his/her principles and beliefs. It is someone that is committed to conquering his/her fears and self-limiting beliefs. It is not just about being positive but about waging the war against self-doubt and a negative mindset.


A firefighter or police officer will go into a burning building, save a family, and then say "it was nothing". A police officer will put his/her life on the line everyday without giving it a second thought. The combat soldiers that I have known have that mindset. They may feel fear but it does not consume them or stop them from accomplishing their mission. We take these people for granted, unless we share the same mindset. That is a warrior. Seems like no big deal? Well there are plenty of people who run the other way.


Training like a warrior means taking on the challenge of working hard. Of pushing yourself to the limits. The methods should be integrated, functional and in many aspects, primitive.


Military and Police type training is designed for that. It is brilliant in its simplicity and in it's functionality (for obvious reasons). Anyone that ever goes through any type of basic training starts to develop those qualities. It happens by overcoming challenges that seemed insurmountable at the onset. When you accomplish something that seemed impossible it changes you. The more you do that the "stronger" you become inside and out. You develop the habit. There is nothing like obstacle course training without sleep or  being blinded by peper spray and being made to efend yourself or fight, for making a person tough.


Traditional martial arts training can also develope these qualities. The work is hard, the attention to detail is exacting and the inherent danger keeps you focused. I can't recommend martial arts training enough for anyone looking for a great workout and greater self-confidence. It is said that a man learns his true nature in combat.


Another question is whether or not warriors are born or made. I am not totally sure. Most people never see their true potential and are not willing to put themselves in situations that would force these qualities to emerge. I think that their is a warrior in all of us. The trick is in finding the motivation to find it, dust it off and put a shine on it.


This is why I have so much respect for anyone that serves others, thereby putting the greater good ahead of their own needs. Whether you are a pacifist or at the other end of the spectrum, we all owe so much to the brave men and women that serve their country in the military or in police or fire services. They deserve our thanks and gratitude, and I am not saying that just because I am one of those people.

Now I understand that most people will not train hard, most people just want the new pretty belt handed to them and don't want to work for it. Most people will never even need the tools or knowledge provided in karate, because they will never be attacked. I have read the averages and the statistics, but do you want to take the bet that you will be one of those people? I don't, I know everyday when I walk out the door and leave for work, that it might be the last, my job is inhearently dangerous. I train on a daily basis, albeit, some days harder then others, but  always train with the mindset, that today will be the day that I have trained for all of my life.
Many of the training techniques and concepts that I am known for are based on traitional martial arts training and are great whether you are a cop,an athlete or a stay at home mom. They will develop the mindset, the warrior spirit and the physical conditioning needed to survive the chaos of combat and the unpredictability of life. Everyone that has experienced this training has found something that "spoke"' to their inner warrior.

Many of my students (and even police cadets) have heard me say that practice is for the body and training is for the spirit. That is an easy statement, that is very hard to fulfill even though many athletes do it all of the time. When you see athletes accomplishing amazing fetes that is the spirit at work. Martial artists can accomplish amazing fetes just as anyone else once they have transcended that level. So, it is that we must push ourselves to the limit, to step out of practice and into training. Are you willing to do that? How good do you want to be? Answer that not for me but for yoursef, but before you do remember, that you will fight like you train!


So are you a warrior? Are you ready to walk through life like a warrior? Are you ready to go through the tough training that it takes? If so, I wish you luck and success on your journey. It will afford you a life time of happiness and pride.

Please also remember that as you train your body and spirit, you must also train your mind, pay head to the dojo kun. Just because you train hard, and may have developed superior skills, to that of your dojo mates, there is no need for ego, or rudeness.

If you enjoyed my article, please feel free to leave a comment and please read this excellent article http://www.killology.com/sheep_dog.htm Lt. Col. Grossman expands on what I have said here and has some interesting view points.

Warrior Perception

A warrior, while engaged in a conversation, perpetually scans the area. The eyes
subtly shift, taking notice of the surroundings. This attribute is
hardly noticeable and appears to be a half-hearted disinterested glance here and
there. The peripheral vision concept is the Gan precept, and the primary tool of
any military, police officer, martial artist or warrior. It is a lifesaving
mechanism without which the warrior would be useless to himself and others. It
also must be utilized on an almost sub-conscious level, allowing the warrior to
key in on hundreds of indicators simultaneously without dwelling on one or two.
Then, when something unusual triggers a response the warrior acts immediately
with whatever action is needed to do the job. Gan is the most important survival
technique for people performing dangerous jobs.

We put aside the etiquette of what is considered proper conduct between people
engaged in conversation. Looking into someone's eyes is secondary to seeing
everything at once. The true warrior understands when another person does not
constantly keep his eyes fixed on his or her eyes during a conversation. This is
especially important in a fighting situation. During a battle, you should not
keep your eyes fixed on your opponent's eyes. There is too much to see in the
eyes: fear, anger, emotion, which are all irrelevant to you at the moment of
battle. Your main concern should be to attack the opponent if necessary. Block
or shift from his attacks and ultimately win, as quickly as possible, without
dwelling on your subject or his emotions. He is, at that moment of battle, an
object rather than a human being. You must also put aside your own feelings
during the heat of the fight, even a fraction of a second is too much time to
waste on emotional thoughts.

Apologies

I must apologise to my readers for not posting anything as of late, as I am sure all of you can relate, life seems to have gotten in the way of my writing. so to make it up to you I have decided to write an extra long article, that I will post as soon as it is done.

Thanks for reading and check back soon.

MJ

Gojuryu and Ryueiryu: The Connection?

When conducting research, it is very hard to sift through what is fact and what is fiction in any Okinawan karate style, the lack of written records, the destruction of Okinawa during World War II and the fact that much of the history was passed down by oral traditions, has most certainly contributed to the issue.  In the past two decades karate historians, such as, misters Tokashiki Iken, Patrick McCarthy, Joe Swift, and Mario McKenna, have continued to bring to light new evidence and theories, opening the doors of history, long thought locked.

For the purpose of my discussion here, I will stick with the most commonly accepted historical accounts and then provide my own thoughts, research and theories.

Higaonna Kanryo

The Goju-ryu style of Karate is considered one of the major styles of karate in Okinawa and Japan, its history is better known, so I will just give a brief synopsis of it here. The style has it’s beginnings with Higaonna Kanryo Sensei.  As a child Higaonna Sensei trained under Aragaki Seisho Sensei (Aragaki Tsuji Pechin Seisho). Later he briefly trained with Kojo Taitei Sensei of the Kojo-ryu. He traveled to China where he became a student of Ryu Ryu Ko (different years have been cited for his training under Ryu Ryu Ko 1867, 1868, 1869, 1873, and 1877), with whom he trained for 15 years (the exact amount of time is up for debate) before returning to Okinawa. After his return to Okinawa he eventually began to teach what became known as Naha-te. The man considered by many to be his successor was Miyagi Chojun Sensei, who took Higaonna Sensei’s teachings and combined them with his own to create Goju-Ryu. Higaonna Sensei also taught several others who went on to form their own ryu-ha, most notable is Kyoda Juhatsu Sensei, the founder of To’on-Ryu (an alternate pronunciation of Higaonna’s name)

Nakaima Kenri

In contrast, Ryuei-ryu is not as well known, so I will provide a little more history. The Ryuei-ryu (劉衛流,) style of karate was first introduced to Okinawa around 1875 by Nakaima Kenri Sensei (sometimes spelled as Namaima Norisato). Born of wealthy parents in Kume, Naha, Nakaima Sensei was a good scholar and, at the age of 19, went to Fuchou, China for advanced studies in the martial arts. There a former guard to the Chinese embassies in the Ryukyu Islands introduced him to a Chinese boxing teacher known as Ru Ru Ko. Nakaima Sensei was accepted as a disciple, and, after 5-6 years of training, received a certificate of graduation from the master. After leaving Ru Ru Ko, he traveled around China and collected several weapons to take back home with him. Back in Okinawa, Nakaima Sensei passed this Chinese boxing style in secret to his son Nakaima Kenchu Sensei, who then went on to teach it to his son, Nakaima Kenko Sensei (founder of the Ryuei Ryu Karate and Kobudo Preservation Society). In 1971, at the age of 60, Nakaima Kenko Sensei realized that in today's world there was no longer a need to keep his family's fighting system a secret, and so, with some hesitation, he took on a group of 20 school teachers as karate students, Nakaima Kenko Sensei passed away in 1989, leaving his son Nakaima Kenji Sensei as his heir and current Grandmaster of Ryuei-ryu, however his most famous student was Sakumoto Tsuguo Sensei

Some historians say that the Ryu Ryu Ko of Ryuei-Ryu is not the same Ryu Ryu Ko of Goju-ryu. Iken Tokashiki Sensei and Patrick McCarthy Sensei have brought forth research that Ryu Ryu Ko was Xie Zhongxiang, born in Changle, Fujian, to a noble family which lost its status in political turmoil of the time. Xie was the founder of Míng hè quán (鳴鶴拳, Whooping Crane Fist), which he based on the white crane he learned from his teacher Pan Yuban (Kwan Pang Yuiba), who’s teacher was Lin Shixian (who was a student of Fāng Qīniáng, the originator of the first White Crane martial art). He had to conceal his name and aristocratic lineage and took on the name Ryu Ryu Ko, under which he worked, making household goods from bamboo and cane. He has been teaching martial arts at his home to a very small group of students, which included Higaonna Kanryō, who they say stayed with Ryu Ryu Ko from 1867 to 1881. Ryu Ryu Ko expanded his class to an actual public school in 1883, running it with his assistant, Wai Shinzan (Wai Xinxian, Wu Lu Chin). It is also said that he had a son named Xie Tsuxiang.  Xie Zhongxiang’s current living direct descendant is his great-grandson, Xie Wenliang.
Some historians do not agree with Xie Zhongxiang identification, it's been suggested that Ryu Ryu Ko taught other styles of southern Chinese martial arts, or even that Ryu Ryu Ko was the name of the place, rather than a person. Higaonna Morio Sensei is one such researcher who disagrees with the Xie theory. Higaonna Sensei has traveled to China several  times and his current research suggests that Ryu Ryu Ko could possibly be one of the “Ten Tigers of Canton”. I for one will be interested to see how his current research unfolds.

Ok, now for my theory, Ryuei-ryu to me is technically a very interesting style, I can see hints of Goju-ryu with some add-mixtures of Shorin-ryu. Both Goju-ryu and Ryuei-ryu have quite a few kata in common, even their execution is very similar. However, I find that it is more than a coincidence that there are several kata in-common between the two styles.

If we look at the years (1867, 1868, 1869 and 1873) that are given for when Higaonna Sensei began his training with Ryu Ryu Ko and then we look at the year that has been Given for Nakaima Kenri Sensei’s introduction of his style to Okinawa, 1875, we see that there is a good possibility that Nakaima and Higaonna were both in China training with Ryu Ryu Ko at the same time. If this is the case then it is easy to see why there are such strong similarities between the two styles.  Regardless of whether or not they were both in China and training at the same time or not; the fact that the dates for both are so close, makes me think that they at least had the same teacher. So, I am not completely sold on the Xie theory either, Iken Sensei and McCarthy Sensei make strong and compeling arguments, but I am curious as to one fact. The kanji used for the first character (劉Ryu or Lui) in Ryuei-ryu was said to have been in honor of Nakaima Kenri Sensei’s teacher. In fact the Nakaima family has constantly manitained the the first kanji was from Ryu Ryu Ko’s name. If this is the case and Ryu Ryu Ko’s name is actually Liu (劉) could he be a relative of the Liu family?  If you look at the character used by the Nakaima family and the charater used by the Liu family, they are the same. Is it possible that instead of Whooping Crane, Goju-ryu and Ryuei-ryu are desendant from Feeding Crane? Could Ryu Ryu Ko be Liu Long Gung?

Due to the lack of written records and the fact that most Okinawan teachers passed there stories down by word of mouth, we may never have a difinative answer on who Ryu Ryu Ko really was or wasn’t, but it is enough to make you go hmmmm….

Now I could be spinning my wheels, it is also possible that Nakaima Kenko Sensei got some forms from Miyagi Sensei.  In an interview given by Arashiro Tomohiro Sensei, he stated that his teacher, Nakaima Kenko Sensei and Miyagi Sensei met with each other now and then. It has also been suggested that the Nakaima and Miyagi families were related.  Is it possible that Miyagi and Nakaima, trained together because they believed that they shared a common lineage?

Miyagi Sensei in his 1934 pamplet "Karate-do Gaisetsu" tells us that the Goju-ryu system was originated from a Chinese Kempo school that was established in Naha around 1828. We know some prominent masters of this school: were Higaonna Kanryō (founder of Naha-te), Arakaki Seishō, Kenri Nakaima (1850-1927) (founder of Ryūei-ryū), Sakiyama Kitoku (1830-1914), Kojo Taitei (1837-1915), Maezato Ranpo (1838-1904), Matsuda Tokusaburo (1877-1931). All who were possibly students of Ryu Ryu Ko.
It is almost apparent that a version of Southern White crane became Naha Te, there is enough similarity in Goju-ryu and Ryuei-ryu that a claim could be made that the differences were solely base on the two different men’s memory. What about the other kata of Ryuei-Ryu you say, it is also possible that Nakaima was in China longer and thus learned more, or that Higaonna choose not to include these kata. But without written documents this is all theory or assumptions. Research will continue and the future is full of possibilities.

Chinen Shinzo Sensei

Earlier today, I received sad news from Okinawa informing me of the passing of Chinen Shinzo sensei, Hanshi 9th dan.

Chinen Sensei was a master of goju-ryu karate; he was life-long student of Eiichi Miyazato sensei of the Jundokan dojo. He was also Vice Chairman of the Okinawa Goju-ryu Karate-do Kyokai.

Chinen Sensei was a great karate man, a great chef, and host. His little restaurant / bar, was a hang out for numerous Okinawan Karate-ka. The world of Goju-ryu and Okinawan karate have lost a great teacher and leader.

My deepest condolence to his family, students and friends. Domo Arigato Gozaimsu Sensei.

Kempo Hakku

The Kempo Hakku was a favorite poem of Miyagi Chojun Sensei. It was an article from the ancient Chinese text, the Bubishi. Miyagi Sensei named his method of Ti, Goju-Ryu, from the third line of
this poem.

1. Jinshin wa tenchi ni onaji. -The mind is one with heaven and earth.

2. Ketsumyaku wa nichigetsu ni nitari. -The circulatory rhythm of the body is similar to the cycle of the sun and the moon.

3. Ho wa goju wo tondo su. -The way of inhaling and exhaling is both hard and soft.

4. Mi wa toki ni shitagai hen ni ozu. -Act in accordance with time and change.

5. Te wa ku ni ai sunawachi hairu. -Techniques will occur in the absence of conscious thought.

6. Shintai wa hakarite riho su. -The feet must advance and retreat, separate and meet.

7. Me wa shiho wo miru wa yosu. -The eyes do not miss even the slightest change.

8. Mimi wa yoku happo wo kiku. -The ears listen well in all directions

My Aiki Connection.

If you asked the majority of people who know me what martial art I do, they would probably answer karate, some may even be as detailed as saying Goju-ryu. What most of them won’t know is that while I have trained Goju-ryu for over 34 years, I have also trained in other systems of karate, kobudo, judo, jujutsu, aikido and aiki-jujutsu.

My aiki connection like my karate has been multi-folded. My father (Curt Jones) was my first teacher, and we still train together even now. Even though my father is probably best known as a Gojuryu Karate-ka by his peers, anyone who has ever shared the mat with him, can tell you he has some great wrist locks and choke holds.  What most of them won’t know is that even though my father has dedicated his life to karate, he is also a practitioner of Aiki. While stationed in the Army in the 1970’s my father had the opportunity to study Tomiki-ryu Aikido with its founder, Kenji Tomiki Shihan. After his time in the Army, my father continued his Aiki training, in fact those same lessons were added into his karate classes, though most of my fellow dojo mate’s probably had no idea. My father was unique in his approach to budo, after he had taught us to a level he felt appropriate, he would encourage us to go out of the dojo and seek out other teachers to learn from. He would say go out and learn something, then come back and let me see what you learned. Most teachers would shirk at this idea today. He would also bring in guest instructors to teach at the dojo.

One of the guest instructors that he allowed to teach at his dojo was Dan Buchea. Mr. Buchea was a teacher of Jujutsu / Aiki-jujutsu and his idea of training bordered on sadism. I remember he would visit and teach sometimes for several weeks and then he was off learning and we wouldn’t see him for months and then one day he would jus show up and pick up right where he left off. Mr. Buchea was a ruff teacher; you felt everything, in fact more then once he ripped my shoulders out of socket during training. (Maybe that is why I have shoulder problems now, hmmm). For several years he was a guest instructor and I learned a lot about how to use the techniques in actual combat and also how to deal with pain and keep fighting. Mr. Buchea also introduced us to Iaido. I lost track of Mr. Buchea in the mid 1990s but have since found out that he retired from budo.

I also spent a great deal of time training with Mr. Young Park, who has probably the oldest Judo and Jujutsu dojo in Indiana.  I loved training with Mr. Park and eventually even took my children there to train with him. He is an old school teacher, but his manner of teaching was in contrast to Mr. Buchea, while he was a strict task master, he was also very caring for his students. I remember one time I came to the dojo the day after I received my Shodan in karate and he saw the obi in my bag. He said wear new obi, is ok. So I did, we proceeded to the mat and worked out as normal, at the end of class he called me out and asked me to attack him, I did so with a controlled technique which angered him. He said you black belt now, you hit me like black belt. So I did and blasted him in the face with a mawashi geri, he smiled and said again. The next thing I remember was seeing black, as my vision returned I saw Mr. Park standing over me smiling. He said “You attack me like karate man, you forget you jujutsu man also. You must seek to harmonized between your two selves to become oneself.”

In my career as a law enforcement officer, I have also had the opportunity to train in several defensive tactics systems, at the Koga Institute and with the Gracie’s. I have also trained with several other teachers of Judo, jujutsu, aikido, and aiki-jujutsu over the years, but I myself think budo is budo. There are only so many ways to punch and kick or bend a wrist. While I myself teach Goju-ryu and adhere to the teachings of Miyagi Chojun, one must remember even Miyagi himself sought out and trained with different people, his budo was constantly evolving. I am not advocating everyone going crazy and running around like nuts founding there own ryu-ha. I am just saying that there are more similarities then differences between the various factions, styles and ryu-ha. If we could just train to train and everyone could put their ego’s aside, the state of the martial arts would be in better shape. Seek your own Aiki – your own harmony with the universe.

In Rememberance

On Friday October 8, 2010 I taught the class at my father's dojo the Komakai. It had been a while since I had show up at the Komakai and taught, on this paicular day I wanted to do so, so that I could remind the students of the founder of our art and his contributions. I won't go into my lessons here, but suffice it to say, we had a good class to remember and pay tribute to a great man, Miyagi Chojun Sensei.

Kihon

Kihon (基本), which means “basics” or “rudiments,” is made up of two characters. Ki (基) which translates to “foundation” or “root.” At the bottom of the ideogram is the radical chi (土), which means “earth.” Hon (本) can mean “base” or “at the foot of.” It is made up of the ideogram for “tree” ( 木) with a dash at its bottom indicating its base. The two characters repeat a single, basic idea. This redundancy is an indication of the importance Japanese place on mastering the basic knowledge and skills of a discipline.

Japanese and Okinawan educators have traditionally believed that only by thoroughly mastering the basics can a student develop the skills and knowledge necessary to move on to more sophisticated, creative levels of a discipline. It is therefore not surprising that a traditional martial art such as karate also stresses the importance of basics. Like the two characters that make up kihon, basics in karate also work from the ground up. The foundation of all karate techniques lies in the way in which one stands. Karate stances are designed to teach students to fully utilize the lower torso in both training and actual combat. The difficult stances strengthen the legs and hips, and by perfecting them you can generate more power in your kicks and punches.

In fact, not so long ago, a beginning student of karate would not be allowed to practice anything but a handful of stances. All karate stances can be painfully tiring when held over a prolonged period of time, and the student had to learn to endure this pain and exhaustion before going on to further study. This period sometimes lasted weeks, even months, after which the student devoted an equally long period to just walking back and forth. Only after mastering standing and walking was a student taught to block, punch, and kick. As you can imagine, this curriculum tested the student’s patience to the extreme, Instructors felt this developed character and at the same time weeded out those lacking the mettle to succeed in karate.

I have heard that when Gojuryu Karate founder, Miyagi Chojun Sensei, first began his

Study of karate under his teacher (Higaonna Kanryo Sensei) that for the first six months

All he was allowed to learn was unsoku-ho (foot movements).

I remember when I first started my study of karate at my father’s dojo, for the first few months all I was allowed to do was walk from one end of the dojo to the other in Sanchin, Shiko and Zenkutsu Dachi’s, then another few months of walking in the same stances with the addition of the basic punches and blocks. I also recall that as one progressed in rank (which was not often), during the tests, depending on the level of rank one was trying to achieve, you were placed in a stance and made to hold it for a specified amount of time. When I tested for Sankyu, I remember having to sit in Shiko Dachi for 30 minutes, the same for when I tested for Shodan, it was extremely painful. I also remember that every class I attended either at my father’s dojo, Mr. Keeney’s dojo, or any of the other dojo I trained at regularly, a great deal of time was spent on the basics.

In recent years, especially in America, there has been less emphasis placed on basics. I have attended karate tournaments in the not to distant past, where I have seen some students wearing all different color of obi (belts), demonstrating advanced level kata, but they have terrible basics, in fact I have been chastised for giving low scores while judging. I was approached and asked why I was giving low scores, and I proceeded to explain my reason and critique of the basics they displayed, only to be told, hey bring your scores up we want people to come back, not everyone is perfect. Certainly it would be difficult for a proprietor of a karate school in today’s fast-paced society to attract or retain new students if all they were taught for the first few months were standing and walking. However, just as building cannot stand without the proper foundation, and as a tree will fall over without its roots, advanced karate techniques cannot be perfected without mastering the basics first. As you are taught a variety of techniques, therefore, you should constantly keep up your practice of your stances and footwork—your kihon, or base.

Training in the Cold

I got up this morning and followed my normal ritual, put the dogs out, feed the dogs, and then head out to the dojo for my daily training.  This morning when I went outside it was cold, yesterday it was chilly, but today when I went into the dojo, the thermostat said it was 50 degrees.

As I slipped my shoes off and stepped onto the cold mat, I had a few flash backs of training in my father’s dojo, over the years.  I remembered when we trained in our home dojo in the 1970s, it was all warm and cozy and we only trained outside in the summer, when we moved over to the YMCA in the 1980s, we were in a basement that was cool but not bad, it was those days in the middle of winter that he would look at everybody and say, ok take off and run around the block and come back.  People would stop to put on their shoes and he would yell, “No one told you to put your shoe’s on, move!”  Running barefoot in the snow builds character.  I also recall when we moved out of the YMCA and opened the first stand alone Marion dojo, we spent months in the winter working on it and getting it ready to open. We had the grand opening in January; the first few classes were ok and then something went wrong with the furnace, the water froze under the building.  My father continued to teach classes, everyday. It was cold, so cold. I remember one of the students asking if he could bring in some kerosene heaters and if we could wear socks, my father replied, I suppose if you want to be a bunch of pussies.  So we continued training in the cold with only our own body heat, and sweat from hundreds of repetitions to warm up the dojo. (It is amazing that we were young and no one got sick), and yes we would run laps barefoot around the parking lot.

Like a good student, I never asked my father questions, just did what I was told, but after class one day, when everyone had left, I asked him why he was training us in the cold, he looked at me and said, “Sometimes you must train yourself and your body in extreme conditions, and outside of your comfort zone. You can not always train in a warm or cool dojo, sometimes you must train in extreme hot and extreme cold, out in the rain or snow, in nature, you do not know where you maybe when you are called upon or when you maybe in need of your skills.”

He eventually fixed the furnace, and when summer rolled around we trained without the air conditioner on and that same year, we moved into the dojo to live, training took on a whole different meaning, but that is a post for another time………. 

Suffice it to say that even though it is my dojo and I control when the heat gets turned on, today I trained in the cold and felt good about it!

The Karate Creed

When I was a small child, even before I began training in Karate, my father would sometimes take me to the dojo, of his teacher, Mr. Glenn Keeney, where I would sit and watch class. I remember that they would recite what they called the karate creed.  In 1977, when I started training at my father’s dojo, at the beginning and ending of each class we recited the karate creed. In 1982, when I began training at Mr. Keeney’s dojo, we still recited the creed.  Somewhere after 1990, we stopped doing it.  I am not sure why we stopped reciting it, I never thought to ask why.  I also remember that for years the creed was engraved on a plaque that hung in the Komakai Dojo, and every time we moved the dojo, it was again hung in a place of honor, however, I do not remember it hanging in the last dojo.

My point for all of this is that I feel the creed helps to promote meiyo or honor into a class. The creed itself is simple, but the meaning that one takes away from it can be many. I am sure that each reader will read it and take away there own thoughts about it, some may look at it and say Mike you’re an idiot, others might read it and say it is profound in its simplicity.

 空手の信条 私は空手だけとのあなたに来る。 私に武器がない。 しかしもし自分自身を守るためにIが強制されれば私の主義、か私の名誉。 もしそれが生命の問題か死、権利または悪事なら。 私の武器はここにそれからある、 空手-私の空手。

Karate Creed

I come to you with only karate.

I have no weapons.

But should I be forced to defend myself, my principles, or my honor.

Should it be a matter of life or death, right or wrong.

Then here are my weapons,

KARATE – my empty hands.

In my opinion, this small creed helps to instill a sense of pride and honor into a student. Not the modern day I will kick your but attitude that some have, but a sense of here I am I don’t want to use what I know but if you force me to then I will, but only in defense of myself, my principles, or my honor. I think that these days too many people learn karate because they got beat up and want revenge, in return the teacher doesn’t care why they learn as long as he can pay the rent and over head. I for one feel a sense of responsibility to take the students I have accepted into my dojo and make them upstanding and productive members of society, I think by instilling teachings such as the karate creed and dojo kun into them and leading by example, you will provide your students with tools that will assist them in becoming well balanced and productive members of society.

Ryu Ryu Ko



Xie Zhongxiang

 Ryū Ryū Ko (ルールーコウ,, 1852 - 1930), also known as Ru Ru Kou, Ryuko, Ryuru Ko, Liu Liu Gung, Liu Liu Ko, To Ru Ko, was a teacher of Fujian Gung Fu, notable for instructing many of the founders of Okinawan martial arts which later produced Karate. There is still no consensus of opinion neither about Ryu Ryu Ko’s exact identity nor about the exact martial art style that he taught, both Gojuryu and Ryueiryu claim Ryu Ryu Ko as the Chinese teacher who taught their patriarchs, however their accounts of Ryu Ryu Ko differ.

There are a few things that are agreed apon, it is widely believed that Ryu Ryu Ko was born into an aristocratic family, and was sent to study at the southern Shaolin Temple in the mountains of Fujian Province. Due to the internal strife that threatened the feudal system and therefore the Chinese aristocracy, the family was forced to conceal their status in order to survive. For this reason, Ryu Ryu Ko, worked as a bricklayer and a builder. In later life, he lived by making a variety of everyday goods such as baskets, furniture and other items from bamboo.

Ryū Ryū Ko is mostly known from the accounts of his Okinawan students, however today he is generally identified, based on the research of Tokashiki Iken and Patrick McCarthey, as Xie Zhongxiang, born in Changle, Fujian, to a noble family which lost its status in political turmoil of the time. He was the founder of Míng hè quán (鳴鶴拳, Whooping Crane Fist), which he based on the white crane he learned from his teacher Pan Yuban (Kwan Pang Yuiba), who’s teacher was Lin Shixian (who was a student of Fāng Qīniáng, the originator of the first White Crane martial art). He had to conceal his name and aristocratic lineage and took on the name Ryu Ryu Ko, under which he worked, making household goods from bamboo and cane. He has been teaching martial arts at his home to a very small group of students, which included Higaonna Kanryō, who stayed with Ryu Ryu Ko from 1867 to 1881. Ryu Ryu Ko expanded his class to an actual public school in 1883, running it with his assistant, Wai Shinzan (Wai Xinxian, Wu Lu Chin). It is also said that he had a son named Xie Tsuxiang. Xie Zhongxiang’s current living direct descendant is his great-grandson, Xie Wenliang.

Some historians do not agree with Xie Zhongxiang identification, it's been suggested that Ryu Ryu Ko taught other styles of southern Chinese martial arts, or even that Ryu Ryu Ko was the name of the place, rather than a person. Due to the lack of written records and the fact that most kinawan teachers passed there stories down by word of mouth, we will probably never have a difinative answer on who Ryu Ryu Ko really was.

The okinawan martial artists who are believed to have studied in Ryu Ryu Ko's school were Higaonna Kanryō (founder of Naha-te), Arakaki Seishō, Norisato Nakaima (1850-1927) (founder of Ryūei-ryū), Sakiyama Kitoku (1830-1914), Kojo Taitei (1837-1915), Maezato Ranpo (1838-1904), Matsuda Tokusaburo (1877-1931).

Busaganashi: The Chinese Legend

From the research I have been able to do, I have found that the Okinawan and Chinese legends of the Busaganashi or Yuen Sam Tan Doh are basically the same. However the Chinese version has some minor differences that I will list below:

It is said that he was born during the Tang Dynasty, and that he was a gifted musician. He entered the court and took the aptitude examination and placed third but was not known to have joined the military, instead he played at the court of the Tang Emperor.

During the time he was a musician in the Tang court, a large fire broke out in the palace, and Busaganashi took charge of the Imperial Guards and put the fire out. The Tang Emperor was very pleased and gave him the title "Grand Marshall for Wind and Fire" and allowed him to live inside the Palace.

There are many regional and sectarian differences that exist in the legends surrounding Taoist deities (even in China). So it would be plausable that the Okinawan legend is one of these variations taken from another branch of Taoism.

Regardless of the ledgend or source, the Busaganashi is never the less an important aspect of Okinawan Gojuryu history. 

The Importance of Breakfalls

Recently I attended the Professional Karate Commissions International Championships, in Indianapolis, Indiana.  My wife, children and I had been present for the weekend and my sons competed in the tournament. We had a good time seeing old friends and watching the competition.

On the last day of the event, they hold the grand championship rounds, that they call the “Big Dog Finals”.  My family and I were sitting in the audience watching the kata, kobudo and kumite rounds. The competition was held on a platform that was probably four feet off of the ground.  During one of the kumite rounds, the opponents were in a clash and were close to the edge of the platform and moving fast, the corner judge, got up out of his seat and stood in the way, blocking them from falling off the platform. Of course they ran into him and they were spared from falling off and being hurt.  They were called back to the center and the judge went to sit back into his chair, however when he did so, the back legs of his chair fell off of the platform, causing him to fall over backwards. As you can imagine several people jumped up to help, several people yelled and as I got up and headed to lend my assistance, I thought for sure he would be hurt severely.

Instead to my amazement and to that of everyone else in the room, the judge who had went to sit in a chair and had fallen off of a four foot platform backwards, performed a flawless ushiro kaiten ukemi (rear rotary break fall) and came up onto his feet, grabbed his chair sat it back on the platform and climbed back into it. The room was completely silent and all he said was “Oh I’m ok, let’s continue.”

Now believe it or not it is not the first time in the last 38 years that I have seen this same man perform some amazing feasts, some times I thought for sure that he would be dead after the events, and each time he has done some amazing stunt maneuver and survived.

After the match was over I asked him , “Dad are you ok” and his reply was “Yes, son, haven’t I told you 100 times or more why it is important to practice break falls”.

Busaganashi: The patron saint of Goju Ryu

 

 

The Busaganashi is a martial arts lesser Taoist deity (kami) venerated by many Goju Ryu practitioners in Okinawa.

According to Miyazato Sensei of the Jundokan, Miyagi Chojun (as a Shinto) venerated the Busaganashi Kami every day. However, in the Okinawan air raid during world war two, Miyagi's picture of the Busaganashi (which he acquired in China during his travels with Gokenki) was destroyed along with many other possessions.

Reportedly, sensing his teachers sadness, one of his students, who had previously made a sketch of the Busaganashi, journeyed to the Philippines to have a three dimensional statue made of the Busaganashi. The student then presented the statue to Miyagi. Apparently, the gesture was so overwhelming that it brought the karate master to tears.

The statue now rests in the Jundokan Dojo in Okinawa and is pictured to the left.

But what are the origins and legends surrounding this lesser deity or Saint? The Busaganashi is found in the Bubishi which is the most influential martial arts book in Okinawa. The Bubishi is a Ching (1644-1911) dynasty White Crane and Lohan Kung-Fu manual. Busaganashi means "my dear respected kung-fu warrior" but the formal name of the deity is the: "Grand Marshall of Wind and Fire." In Chinese the name is Yuen Sam Tan Doh.

The Busaganashi is the local Fujianese and Taiwanese god of business, art, music and wealth. He is worshipped in martial arts schools and amongst musicians and especially Chinese Opera performers.

During the Ching empire when Martial Artists were outlawed because of political unrest, many of the Martial Artists hid in the Chinese Opera troops. In Chinese Opera there is always the figure of a bearded warrior, and martial arts plays an important role on the stage. Because of the close relationship between opera, music and art in general and Kung-Fu, the Busaganashi became the patron saint of Martial Artists and martial arts schools (Guan) in Fujian.

This deity is particularly found in shrines in White Crane or Five Ancestors Kung-Fu schools. Pictures of Busaganashi are also found in restaurants, businesses, and market places.

The Okinawan Busaganashi Legend

In ancient China a young girl gave birth to a baby boy. With no father to take care of him the family decided to abandon the child in a bamboo forest. But after some time the family had a change of heart. When they returned to collect the child they found that the child was being protected by the trees themselves. Seeing this as a sign they decided to take care of the child as well as they could. The child grew up to be very intelligent and although from a lower class, he was able to come in third at the yearly Mandarin aptitude tests. This gave him the opportunity to join the military where he acquired his martial arts skills and excelled.

One day, a tower caught on fire and risked spreading to the rest of the city. Seeing this the Busaganashi used his dynamic martial arts breathing to put out the fire with a simple exhale. By doing this he saved the city and was given his title as the “Marshall of Wind and Fire” and honored by all.

Welcome

Hello and welcome to my blog page.  I have been using Yahoo groups, but think that this may be a suitable substitute and will give blogging a try. Here I will discuss Okinawan Karate-do and my thoughts on the subject, I will also post up coming events for the Gokenkan dojo, IGKA and OGKK.  I am sure that most people who will arrive at this page will be my students, or students of my students, but for those of you that are not, let me introduce myself.

My name is Mike Jones. First and foremost, I am a student of Okinawan Gojuryu following the teachings of Eiichi Miyazato Hanshi and Koshin Iha Hanshi. I am the Owner/ Chief Instructor of the Gokenkan Dojo located in Swayzee, Indiana. I am the Indiana Shibu-cho for the Okinawa Gojuryu Karate-do Kyokai and the Pan  American Chief Instructor / Chairman for the International Gojuryu Karate Association. I started my Gojuryu karate-do training under the guidance of my father in 1977. I have continued to train ever since and have trained under some highly respected karate-ka. Please see my web page for more information http://www.gokenkan.com/

Thank you for your visit and taking your time to read my thoughts, please feel free to leave me a comment.