Learning to Breakfall

Recently I spent some time this weekend with my Uncle Pat; we had a good old time and reminisced about when we were growing up.

When I was little, Pat spent a period of time living with us and studying karate with my father. Pat actually started karate a few years before me and was my senior for several years, we have always had a very close relationship, almost more brother like then uncle and nephew.  Pat took some breaks from karate along the way, due to family obligations and work obligations, but he always comes back around.

I have a lot of stories about Pat and I, but one of the earliest I remember was when we were younger and we were upstairs at our home and Pat asked me, if I knew how to break fall, I said yes, dad has showed me, Pat then shoved me down the stairs and as I rolled to the bottom and landed all sprawled out at the bottom of the stairs, I remember him saying, well you didn’t learn very well, come back up here, so you can try it again.

This is just one of the many things that Pat did to me over the years, I took many an ass whooping from him while we were growing up, and hated fighting him, but I was determined to give one back to him, and continued to come back time after time, I remember when we were both brown belts, that I finally stood my ground and gave him a beating as good as he gave me that day. He just looked at me and said I am proud of you, I have been kicking your ass for years, it is about time that you kicked mine.

Pat was the one that drilled me over and over on basics, he was the one that continued to be tough on me and never let me settle for less than my best, while my father was my teacher, Pat was also instrumental in helping shape me as a young man and in helping me develop who I have become today, for that I am eternally grateful.

Thoughts on Bunkai

I have always wondered why many instructors either do not do bunkai, or only use the punch, kick, block method.  Then there are the instructors that teach the old, you have four people around you and they are attacking you one at a time in the order of the kata. Really?

I personally feel the pattern of the kata is not essential to the bunkai and that more than likely the whole kata is against one person.  My father was never really big on teaching bunkai, neither was Keeney Sensei.  In contrast Lloyd Johnson Sensei liked to teach bunkai.  I remember working with Kimo Wall Sensei once in Peoria, Illinois and he told me that he taught 5 levels of bunkai kumite for his katas. Terou Chinen Sensei also has some very nice bunkai applications for the kata.

One of the things I like to do is get the yudansha together and pick a series out of the kata and just kind of round robin the ideas. Have each of them tell me what they think the bunkai could be. I personally try to find the most effective and devastating applications that I can find. In my job, I deal with life and death situations, so I want to find the nastiest, meanest applications I can. I want it to be quick and devastating.

I attended class this evening at my father’s dojo and we did the usual training, but then he turned to me and said, we need to do more bunkai, like you do at your dojo. They really need to know it. So we worked on it.  

I really have a lot more to say about bunkai and my thoughts on the matter, but It will have to wait for another time, as I have other matters that I must attend too.

Correction and Apology

It has recently come to my attention that in my book, I have used material from Mr. Garry Leaver and his book “Wondering along a Dark Path” and that I failed to give him proper credit for it. In the section on the Dojo Kun, there are sections that was a significant amount of the text that was not properly cited.  I used several sources and I tried my best to reference those materials and give credit to any works or sources that were used. I did cite both of his books in other sections, but failed to do so in this section, I did not intentionally seek to use the information without giving credit or intend any dis-respect for his excellent work and I would like to apologies to Mr. Leaver for my mistake.

Sincerely,

Mike Jones

Shodan

Shodan, or what is commonly referred to as the 1^st degree black belt, does not actually mean first degree black belt at all. Shodan literally means 1st level (or step). It implies that a student is officially at the first level. To the Okinawan and Japanese Sensei, all the obtaining of a Shodan means is that one is now ready to learn. Too many people receive their “black belts” and think they are now qualified to teach, or that they even know enough to comment on budo. They think that the “black belt” is the equivalent of the Holy Grail or some such non-sense.

I have heard my father tell his students (hundreds of times) the following “You have no opinion about anything until you reach Shodan, and then you only have an opinion about the kyu grades”.  I also once heard him tell another yudansha (holder of a dan grade) that when he had 25 years of training, that he would consider listening to his opinion. Now I know someone is going to say something about what an ego, or something derogatory, but what he meant by that is that until one has spent 25 years of austere training, on the dojo floor, that they have not earned the right to have an opinion.

When I was in the 8^th Grade, I lived in Phoenix, Arizona with my Mother. While there I had the opportunity to learn karate from several teachers, Robert Trias, Jiro Shiroma, Al Sadler. I remember going to my Father’s to visit for the summer. After he picked me up at the airport, on the drive he asked me about how my training was going and what I had learned, we had a nice conversation and when we arrived at the dojo, he asked me – Do you remember   Seiunchin, do you know it?”  Seiunchin kata, was my favorite at the time, and I practiced it every day, so I replied “Yes, I know it”, his reply threw me a little; he said “Really, because I have been practicing at it longer then you and I still don’t know it, I know of it, but I don't know it”.

It really wasn’t until years later, that I truly understood what he meant. Since then as I learn something, I have found that even thought I have been doing Gekisai Dai Ichi and Sanchin for almost 35 years, each time I practice them, I find something else hidden with-in, I peel away yet another layer of it.

Today, I see to many dojo ran by people that have only trained for a few years, when you consider that the average person now gets their shodan in 2 or 3 years, then they run out and open a dojo. My father trained under his teacher for 10 years before he was allowed to open a branch dojo, I trained for 17 years before I opened my first dojo. People today are in too much of a hurry to get to what they consider the end.

This may be harsh but shodan’s need to just keep their mouths shut and train. As a shodan, you have not even been shown anything of substance yet, let alone do you have any authority to offer an opinion on anything. Karate (or any martial art) is and should be a lifelong endeavor. Pace yourself and enjoy the view, because it takes years to see any real knowledge. I have been at it on a daily basis for 34 years and 10 months, and I still don't "know" anything, I know of it, but i am not sure I will ever truly know it.

Little Gems of Wisdom

Every once and a while, when surfing the web, I will stumble on something that I find worth while.

Recently I stumbled onto a blog written by Mr. Giles Hopkins, a senior student of Kimo Wall Sensei.  Hopkins Sensei has some interesting thoughts and at least for me, some of his writtings have invoked some deep thought. If you get a chance I would suggest that you take a look and see what you think.

Goju ryu Blog

Junbi Undo part 2

The late Seikichi Toguchi Sensei, a student of both Chojun Miyagi Sensei and Seiko Higa Sensei, further developed the junbi undo he taught within his Shoreikan dojo, adding several yoga like exercises to form what he called, Daruma Taisho.

The junbi undo is the first in long process towards martial arts proficiency. It is critical, at the beginning stages of training, for a student to attain a full understanding of his or her body. Further, it is essential that a practitioner adapt his or her body to meet the particular requirements of the art, which they have chosen to study. The warm up, when performed correctly, is an ideal training tool to accomplish these needs. Put simply, the warm up contains a methodology for training a student in the ways of their chosen art.

You should remember that before you can exert yourself, you must warm the body up. When exercising, do so correctly and with purpose. Your frame of mind here will affect the rest of your training for the session. If a particular exercise causes pain to an injury, seek out Sensei advice on how to modify it. Remember each person has different levels of fitness and flexibility. Listen to your body. This is especially so as a beginner and after an illness.

Stretching must be done in the following order

1-body joint mobilization

2-static stretching (floor first, then standing)

3-developmental stretching (done after body temperature has risen, i.e., after exercises)

During junbi undo, movements should be slow and with maximum control of body weight and movement; slow, passive, controlled three stage breathing should be used. Stretching should be stopped immediately if any sharp pain occurs.

To me, Junbi Undo is very wonderful contribution to the art that evolved from Naha-te. Miyagi Sensei was way ahead of his time when he developed Junbi Undo. Even when I do not feel well, or my batterd body is revolting against me, I can alsway count on junbi undo to get me on the right track. To this day I still do these exercises regularly (every day); I love the way it makes my body feel. Starting from the feet, making their way up the body and up to the neck, loosening the joints, stretching the muscles, coordinating the movements with the proper breathing raises the pulse and it opens the body so one is ready for Karate training or any kind of training. Particularly as we age it is important to keep the body fit for life. Junbi undo can be a great contribution.

I was suprised that Glyn Jones on his Shinkenkan Blog also was writting about Junbi Undo, his is an excellent article and I recommend that you give it a read. Glyn Sensei was kind enough to point out that I had not cited some of my source. In my defense I had written the junbi undo article as a whole and at the last minute decided to split it in half. The article is taken from my book "Entering Through the Gateway of Gojuryu" and in the book I did cite my sources but I failed to do so when posting here, so please accept my appologies, part of the article is from (and credited too) Higaonna Morion Sensei - Traditional Karate do- Okinawa Goju Ryu- Fundamental Techniques 1.

While I am on the subject there are currently two other books that give a detailed explination of Junbi Undo those are "The Art of Hojo Undo" by Michael Clarke Sensei and "The Essence of Gojuryu Vol. 1" By Richard Barrett Sensei and Garry Leaver Sensei. 

Junbi Undo part 1

準備 運動

Junbi Undo (preliminary exercises) is the warm up exercises of Goju-Ryu Karate-Do. It consists of a full body series of exercises systematically designed to warm up, strengthen, stretch, condition, co-ordinate and prepare the Karate practitioner's body and mind for the challenges of traditional karate training.

The Junbi Undo exercises were compiled and developed from 1917 to 1921 by Master Chojun Miyagi after years of research and consultation with physicians and other sensei (14). Contained within these exercises are a variety of methods to further develop karate kihon (basics). Junbi Undo exercises also develop Qigong, pronounced "Chi Kung" (practice of internal and external universal energy) and Kokyu-Ho (inhale/exhale breathing method).

These preliminary exercises serve not only to limber up the muscles but also serve as a basis for perfecting the student's karate techniques. Moreover, these exercises were developed with a great deal of consideration for the needs of the human body. Doing strenuous karate training without the preliminary exercises could cause damage to the muscles. The student will also lack speed and flexibility of movement.

It is important to start with light exercises to warm up the muscles, to limber up all the joints of the body, and to get the blood circulating. After these preliminary exercises, your body is prepared to start hard training. These simple exercises help to improve one's karate techniques and also to arouse one's enthusiasm. These exercises are meant to serve as a lifelong form of mental as well as physical training.

The preliminary exercises begin with a stretching of the joints of the toes, and then continue with stretching exercises for the ankles, exercises for the Achilles tendon, moving up through the legs, the torso, and upper limbs, finishing up with exercises for the neck.

The latter exercises are to build up physical strength and stamina. Students who find themselves lacking in physical strength and/or stamina should do these exercises repeatedly to help them develop their muscles, physical strength, stamina, and also to help them strengthen their joints. Students should make sure to exhale and inhale correctly while doing each exercise. Doing the exercises with correct breathing helps to improve the blood circulation and strengthens the internal organs, as well as aiding muscles development. Thus, for these reasons, doing the preliminary exercises before starting the formal karate training is important.

More to follow.....

Keep on Keeping on

I must apologies to those of you that follow the blog, I have been MIA as of late. While I have been busy at work, with some cases and investigations, I have also just been busy training and working on my own karate-do. While I use the blog to express my thoughts and own opinions about karate-do and my own training, and also to update those people that belong to my dojo and inform interested parties about my books and other activities, sometimes you just have to take a break and do your own thing.

With all of that being said, I have found that the last few weeks, I have spent a great deal of time thinking about what it is that I am doing. Where I came from, where I have been and where I am going, as far as, my karate is concerned.  While I am still thinking over some things, I have also decided a few.

In the next few weeks, I will redesign the Yushikan website and move it over to a new server, I may even see about merging the blog into the new site, but am still up in the air on that.

As for karate-do, I have been spending time working on the applications from Sanseru and Seisan, mostly in the context of how to use them in relation to my job. In class we have worked on some kata and have spent a great deal of time working on the tuite and shime-waza found with-in some of the kata.

In the past 34 years, I have trained in many different systems; Judo, aikido, Jujutsu, Kobudo, and several different styles of karate-do. My first style and the one I train in constantly is Okinawan Gojuryu, even gojuryu is divided into several kai-ha (association/factions) and I have cross trained in many of them, but the main lineage I have studied in the most is the Miyazato (Jundokan). 

The older I get and the more years I spent training, the more I find that I could spent another 30 years and probably still not understand everything that is contained in Gojuryu.  If one were to really think about it, it may seem a daunting task, seemingly impossible and you might say, why would you subject yourself to such things? All I can say is that I cannot imagine not doing it.

I am sure that it drives my students crazy that we still do junbi undo, kihon, kata, kumite, kakie in the same manner and that I continue to train in the same things they learned on day one.  Just the other day, I was going through Gekisai Dai Ichi, and one of my son’s said to me “Dad, you have been doing that kata for over three decades, it might be time to work on another one”, I simply said your right but I’m not sure I understand it yet, I thought his jaw was going to hit the floor.

While it may be true that I have learned a lot since I first stepped in the dojo in 1977, I still feel like I have a long way to go, so I guess for now, I will just keep on, keeping on.

The Perfection of Character

"In our society today, it seems principles and honor are things to be toyed with…right or wrong; emotions to be decided by the individual on the basis of what benefit themselves. We, as Karate-ka, should strive to overcome these weaknesses…only by putting principles and honor before the fear of death can we truly live life. "

Glenn R. Keeney

"A true karate-man is one with the God-like capacity to think and feel for others, irrespective of their rank or position, one who possesses ideals so lofty, a mind so delicate that it lifts him above all things ignoble and base, yet strengthens his hands to raise those who have fallen- no matter how low. The ultimate aim of karate, therefore, lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants. "

Gichin Funakoshi 1869-1957

As I read these words, and the words of other karate-ka, such as, Miyagi Sensei, Mabuni Sensei, Nagamine Sensei, Higashionna Sensei, etc... I find that while even though most of them are known for their technical abilities or their martial prowess, they were all concerned with the development of their character more than anything else.

In today's society the virtues of honor and moral principles seem to have taken a backseat to a rude world. Today it is deemed acceptable for people to curse in public and just go on the verbal assault for even minor little incidents; people just seem to have lost control of their emotions and value systems.

It is my belief that as karate-ka, we should not act this way, we should adhere to our principles and honor, and we should act accordingly. Now I am here to tell you that I have made mistakes and am by no means a perfect person, but I try. I try to live a good and honest life; I try to maintain an honorable life style, one that would make my parents and grandparents proud.

My wife has a saying that she tells our children all of the time, "If you wouldn't do it in front of your mother, then you probably shouldn't do it". I think this is great, think back how many things have you done that you would have been ashamed to do in front of your mother?

Back in 1990, Mr. Glenn Keeney gave me an award called the small double axe award, at the time I really didn't know what it meant, or really what it was, I just knew that not very many people had it in our dojo and even fewer still could award it to someone. I went on to be given the award two more times, by my father and by the awards founder, Mr. Phillip Koeppel. (You can find out more about it here) The award is based off of Buddha’s "Four Noble Truths" and "Eight Fold Path".

The Eight Fold Path

The Eightfold Path, like the Ten Commandments, is a code to live by; but unlike the Commandments, which are held to be equally true and binding for all men at all times, the Path is a set of rules to be followed in ascending order; until the first step has been mastered, one cannot expect to succeed in later steps.

1. The first step in the Eightfold Path is Right Understanding. Man must know what he is about if he is to win salvation; he must know the Four Noble Truths.

2. The second step is Right Purpose: he must aspire to reach salvation.

3. The third is Right Speech: he must not lie and must not commit slander, for both arise out of the will to perpetuate individuality, and thereby shut the aspirant off from salvation.

4. The fourth is Right Behavior, toward which the Buddha offers five precepts: Do not kill; do not steal; do not lie; do not unchaste; do not drink intoxicants.

5. The fifth is Right Means of Livelihood: one must be engaged in an occupation conducive to salvation - preferably the monastic life.

6. The sixth is Right Effort: one must exercise will power if he would succeed.

7. The seventh is Right Awareness: one must constantly examine one's behavior and, like a patient in psychoanalysis, trace it to the cause, trying to understand and remove the cause of misdeeds.

8. The eighth and final step on the Path is Right Meditation: one must ponder often and deeply on ultimate truth if one is to find salvation.

Now understand that religion aside, this is a map for being a good person, I think that if you heed these words and also study the Dojo Kun, it will go a long way towards behaving correctly. 

Also don’t get me wrong, I still train my body and practice techniques, kata, bunkai, two person drills, all in an effort to become more proficient if or when I need them, but I also believe that it is equally important to train your mind, as well as, your body, and that you should behave properly and with honor.

Komakai Karate

What is Komakai Karate you might be thinking, well the best way I could describe it is to give a historical account of the dojo that lead to it.

The Jundokan of Indiana was established in 1964, by Larry Pickel.

Mr. Larry Pickel studied gojuryu karate, under Master Eiichi Miyazato at the Jundokan dojo in Asato, Naha City Okinawa, while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was in Okinawa for a total of 13 months; he was promoted to Shodan on February 14, 1964. Mr. Pickel said that he would go watch cock fighting with Miyazato Sensei and that, Miyazato Sensei would always ask him to bring him some Aqua Velva and Golden Wedding Whiskey from the base. Mr. Pickel also recalled that Koshin Iha taught a lot and that on occasion Morio Higaonna and Terou Chinen would train with him.

After his discharge from the Marines, Mr. Pickel returned to Chesterfield, Indiana. Upon his return, he began teaching; his first students were Glenn Keeney, Larry Davenport and Jerry Brown.

The dojo moved a few times over the years, but in 1966, Glenn Keeney, Jerry Brown, Mr. Pickel, and Larry Davenport purchased the John Chambers Judo Academy. For a short time, the then Jundokan of Indiana was known as the Anderson Gojuryu Karate Club, but soon became the Komakai Academy of Judo and Karate, after Mr. Pickel picked the name out of a Japanese dictionary. Later the judo program was dropped and the dojo became the Komakai Academy of Karate.

Mr. Pickel joined the dojo to the USKA in 1966 and began attending tournaments.

Over the next few years, the other three sold their interest in the dojo to Mr. Keeney. Mr. Pickel was the first to sell in 1967. Mr. Pickel appointed Mr. Keeney as his successor and by 1969; Mr. Keeney became the sole owner of the Komakai. Mr. Keeney, continued his education by training in shorei-ryu (shuri-ryu) under the direction of robert Trias and Phillip Koeppel.

There were several Komakai branch dojos, opened by Mr. Keeney's yudansha. I will list the dojos and their instructors, at times the instructors changed, I will also list those instructors as well.

Upland (Taylor University) Komakai (est. 1968) - Mr. Dwight Jacobes

New Jersey Komakai (est. 1970) - Mr. Dwight Jacobes

New Castle Komakai (est. 1972) - Mr. Keeney, Mr. Larry Hoyel, Mr. Alan Goff, Mr. Paul Bridges

Alexandria Komakai (est. 1974) - Mr. Keeney, Mr. Larry Davenport

Fairmount Komakai (est. 1974) - Mr. Mike Cox

Franklin Komakai (est. 1975) - Mr. John Connell, Mr. Ron Rollins, Mr. Ross Scott

Gas City Komakai (est. 1977) - Mr. Curt Jones

Marion Komakai (est. 1982) - Mr. Curt Jones, Mr. Mike Jones

Bern Komakai - Mr. Mike Cox

Atlanta Komakai - Mr. Paul Bridges, Mrs. Kim Bridges

Indianapolis Komakai (est. 1992) - Mr. Curt Jones, Mr. Mike Jones

After 1970, the dojo taught the Jundokan Gojuryu brought back from Okinawa y Mr, Pickel and Mr. Keeney became a leading figure in the USKA, he began learning the Shoreiryu (shuriryu) as taught by Mr. Robert Trias and Mr. Phillip Koeppel.  The karate at the dojo slowly became a mixture of the two systems which resulted in the following list of kata being mainly taught in the dojo from 1970 to 2004;

Gekisai Dai Ichi

Gekisai Dai Ni

Saifa

Seunchin

Shisochin

Empi Sho

Bassai Dai

Nifunchin

Dan Enn Sho

SanChin

Sanseru

Go Pei Sho

Seipai

Nan Dan Sho

Kanku Sho

Tuse Sho No Kon

Sai Jutsu Ichi

Chatan Yara No Sai

Some students also learned Anaku, Wunsu, Chinto, Rohai, Kururunfa, Seisan, Suparenpei, Sanchin Ichi, Tensho, Naifunchin Ni and San. After a student earned their shodan ranking, they were allowed to go out and learn from other instructors and bring things back to the dojo.  It might be of interest to know that even though two arts were taught in the dojo and one might learn a Goju and Shuri kata for the same rank, Mr. Keeney maintained the separation between the systems, teaching both Goju and Shuri kihon waza.

It was around 1991 or 1992, that the term Komakai Karate or Komakai system was starting to be used, besides maintaining the two karate ryu-ha, the Komakai was also heavily influenced by Kumite and was a power house not only in tournaments but also in full contact matches.  There may be some individuals that trained under Mr. Keeney that will say there is no Komakai System or Komakai Ryu, but all I have to say about that is translated the kanji located on the Komakai Menjo (certificates) it clearly states Komakai System!

Mr. Keeney closed his dojo and sold it in 2004, however he has yudansha who operate dojos under their own names with his full blessing. Such as Mr. Curt Jones in Marion. My dojo and Mr. David Dobbs Eishinkan Houston.

Update

I have had some technical difficulties with the Blog here as of late, but I think everything is back up and we are back in buisness, I had to open a new account and basicly rebuild everything, not sure what happened for sure.

Now that I have completed my book, I have started working on the next one,

I will try to add some new content soon.

Tensho

Recently I have had a nice discussion with the Garry Leaver of Gojukenkyukai on his face book page regarding Sanchin; the two versions, the naming and the yoi. This discussion got my wheels turning and got me thinking about Tensho kata.

Why is it that there seem to be two distinctly different versions of the kata Tensho?  Unlike Sanchin, Miyagi Sensei never identified a Tensho Dai Ichi or Tensho Dai Ni, he only taught Tensho.

If you take a look at the various groups that teach the kata Tensho, you will find that there are two distinctly different versions that are taught over a wide and diverse grouping.  So let me break it down like this,  lets for the sake of clarification call the katas A and B (this in no way says one is more correct then the other) Kata A starts from Yoi and performs Morote chudan Uke, the left hand is chambered and the right hand begins hiki uke and runs through the Tensho hand movements, while Kata B starts out with three steps like Sanchin kata before going into the movements associated with Tensho. I know someone will say well kata B is the Sanchin-Tensho demonstration kata, but I do not think it is as simple as that.

If we look at the groups that practice the kata, I think we will discover a few surprises;

Kata A is used by the IOGKF, Gojukai, Kimo Wall’s Kodokan, Kyokushinkai, and Shito-ryu

Kata B is used by Jundokan, Jundokan International, Shoreikan, and Shodokan

Now what is interesting to me is that the IOGKF is from the Jundokan lineage and Kimo Wall’s Kodokan is from the Shodokan/Shoreikan lineage, so why do they teach different versions of the kata then their teachers?

Join me over on facebook and lets discuss the subject http://www.facebook.com/index.php?lh=c9330270fcc1e3d5b372fa5eb449a368&eu=YJ8JFMmpktsYV8gTzMqmjw#!/pages/Okinawan-Gojuryu-Yushikan-Jones-Dojo/169351469770436

Uke Naga Waza

This is a small drill that we do in my dojo called Uke Naga Waza (Block flow drill), this was filmed at a recent work out at my father's dojo. My partner was my son Alec and we were just playing around, but you can get the gist of the drill.

New Book Now Available

My book is now complete and ready to be sold. There are several ways to order the book, directly at Lulu.com, or you can click on the picture located to the right, visit the book store on this blog, the store on www.yushikan.com or http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/CMichialJones

"This book could very well be one of the best publications for anyone looking for a solid introduction into the art of Gojuryu Karate-do." - R. Choji Taiani Hanshi 9th Dan

"The time spent reading and studying Jones Sensei’s writings are well worth the effort, and I highly recommend this book to the worldwide Goju-Ryu community." - Col. Roy Hobbs Hanshi 9th Dan

"A valuable source of information on the art of Gojuryu" - Dennis May Kyoshi 8th Dan

I hope that if you order the book, that you enjoy it and learn something from it.

Thank you to all of the people that have already ordered a copy.

Elitism

Recently I was contacted by a visitor to the blog and my website, the individual wanted to know where I got off by restricting membership in my dojo and how I could talk about morally correct behavior when I am an elitist karate snob. I have to say, I had to read his message a couple of times, to make sure that I was reading it correctly. Furthermore this individual never asked about membership in my dojo or even about visiting it.

On my website, I have the following statement; “We are a small private dojo therefore, all prospective students must apply for membership and due to the size of our dojo, we often have a waiting list. Visitors may not stop by without an appointment. To find out more about visiting or to initiate the application process, please contact us.”

Now someone please correct me if I am wrong, but it is my dojo and I am the Kancho of that dojo, so by all rights I should be able to decide who comes and who goes from said dojo, right?

I do not have a commercial dojo, nor do I want one, I have been down that road and find it counterproductive to teaching old style karate. I limit the number of students I have, because I don’t want a lot of students, I want to be able to give one on one instruction and not teach the masses.

I do not consider myself an elitist karate snob. The methods of instruction in my dojo are not for everyone, we train hard, we train seriously, most students that are accepted do not last long, even though they know up front that the training will be difficult, most do not make it past 5^th kyu.

So you may ask what my criteria are for allowing a student into my dojo, they are pretty simple;

1.       A sincere desire to train.

2.       Seriousness, Commitment and Devotion.

3.       Be a good person

Now having said that here is the true test, the meat and bones of it;  I will not allow anyone into my dojo, that I would not allow into my home or around my children. So if that makes me an elitist karate snob, then so be it.

New Book

'Entering Through the Gateway of Gojuryu' is now completed and submitted to the publisher. I received a draft copy and I just need to do a final read through and careful check of the book, and if all goes right and I find no mistakes,  it will be available as of next week.

The book will be sold in two versions, one for the general public and an extended version aimed directly at the students of my dojo, that will include an additional 50 pages. The work will include several topics, such as, History, Biographies, karate morality, kihon, kata, kumite, kakie, self defense, junbi undo, hojo undo and related topis. There are forewards by Phillip Koeppel, R. Choji Taiani, Roy Hobbs, Dennis May and Len Pellman.

A big thank you to my wife, Amber, for being so patient and understanding and helping me with editing.

I hope that you will enjoy the book and it will become a welcomed addition to your library. As soon as I approve the book I will publish a link to the store on both this blog and the website.

Budo Road Trip Day 2

I didn’t sleep much through the night, I never do, when away from home. I don’t think Jason had any trouble though. Anyway, I fell asleep sometime after 3 am. I woke up when the phone rang at 8 am. I answered the phone and it was Perkins Sensei, he said that they would be at the dojo at 8:30 and Tokumura Sensei had agreed to train Gojuryu with us.  Awsome!

After I hung up the phone, I realized that Jason was not in the room and had gone for his morning run. So I decided to get myself ready and find him after.  I hurried to get ready and pack up all my stuff, Jason came in and I told him we had 15 min to get to the dojo, so he went on a whirl-wind trip to get ready and packed.

We arrived at the dojo and were a little late, but our good fortune had it that Perkins sensei had taken Tokumura Sensei to McDonald’s, so we beat them to the dojo. We sat around while sensei ate and he told us many stores about Miyagi, Shimabuku, Miyazato, Akamine and Matayoshi. Some of which I had never heard before.

At this time I presented Tokumura Sensei with an appreciation letter from my police department and a uniform patch, he read the letter and smiled, bowing to me several times. I then presented him with a pair of handmade teechu that I had tried my hand at, he took them and looked them over, he told me “Nice, nice. Good grip” and then handed them back to me, I tried to give them back but again we were having some language issues, luckily Perkins Sensei stepped in and told him that it was a present, to which he said “Oh, presento, presento” and took them.

We then all got dressed in our Keiko-gi and headed for the mat. After we bowed in I asked Tokumura Sensei  “Onagashimasu gojuryu karate-do” (please teach me gojuryu karate-do), to which he agreed. We started with Seiunchin. Jason went first and I have to say I knew what the outcome was going to be before it happened, as this was the first time Jason had ever trained with an Okinawan Sensei. First let me say this, Jason is a Brown belt in Gojuryu, but his particular lineage has modified the kata for tournament competition so when he started to demonstrate his kata for Tokumura Sensei, he was answered with “No, no, no, no, no”. Unfortunately for Jason, he heard this phrase a lot (much to my amusement) but he took it in good stride and I think he really enjoyed the opportunity. At one point Tokumura Sensei asked me if I taught him the kata and of course I answered “No sensei”, to which he replied “Me see, you do”. So I showed him my Seiunchin to which he made one small correction to a hand position.

Next he observed Seipai, Seisan and Kururunfa. In Seipai, toward the middle of the kata where you perform the Suri-ashi movements on the 45 degree angles, he advised me that I needed to slide further. (Something I knew, but something I have struggled with the last few years since I got ran over) After he made the comment, I again performed the kata with the suri-ashi and he was pleased. On Seisan, after you do the last sukui uke and turn to the right side, performing the grab, two punches, low block, kick combination. I was doing the grab at the lapel level, and Sensei instructed me to do it lower at about the solar plexus level. He made no corrections to Kururunfa. After I was finished, I asked him what he thought and he told me “Chikara Chiro no Chan Chan Ichiban” (I think I am spelling this right) I asked him what that meant and he said Strong, fast, springy, number one, and then added “Nice, Very Good”.  So I was happy.

We then had some more history lessons and then we took Sensei out to lunch. At lunch we were meet by IGKA Canada Shibu-cho Wayne Currie. I had invited Wayne over to meet Sensei and I was glad he could make it. We had a good lunch and I think everyone enjoyed the chance to get to know each other further and get time to talk with Sensei and hear some more historical information from someone that has been training since 1957. After lunch Sensei decided he needed a nap, so Wayne, Jason and I went to a local pub and had some nice conversations until it was time for the seminar.

At the seminar, Tokumura Sensei went back over Tokushin no Teechu and then taught us Tokushin No Eiku. We divided up into four groups and rotated through picking up a Nunti and Tekko kata as well. The seminar was a little over 4 hours long.

All in all I had a great time and meet some new friends that I hope I will get to train with for years to come. Unfortunately right after the seminar, we had to head straight back, as my boss was going on vacation and I had an interview scheduled at 8 the next morning. So after the photos and good byes, we hit the road and had to drive through the worst rain storm I think I have seen in years, but we made it back home around 2 am and I was up and ready for duty a few short hours later. In fact I have been super busy since I got back and that is why it has taken me so long to write about the trip.

Budo Road Trip Day 1

Back in June, I was fortunate to get an invitation to attend a seminar by Kensho Tokumura Hanshi, the Headmaster of Tokushin-Ryu Ryukyu Kobudo. Then shortly before the seminar, I was given another invitation to come to a semi-private class taught by Tokumura Sensei at the Okinawan Budo-kai dojo of Jeff Perkins Sensei in Livonia, Michigan.

On the 26^th of July, my traveling partner Jason Thompson (my kohai, and a student of my father’s) and I got all of our stuff packed into the car and started out on our little road trip up to Michigan. I have to admit that I was off to a bit of a slow start, after having worked the majority of the night on a pretty big bust, but it didn’t take long before I was fired up and ready to train with Tokumura sensei.

We got some breakfast and I went to my wife’s work to tell her good bye, and off we went, enjoying the drive and talking about what else – Karate and Kobudo. We were almost to Ft. Wayne when my son, Alec, called to tell me he had found my Sai case and Tokumura Sensei gift still at the house, so we had to turn around and go all the way back home. But after the minor detour, we still managed to make the trip in just a little over 4 hours.

Once we arrived, we got checked in at the hotel, who advised us that they could not honor the on-line arrangements we had made and that the room would cost more. Let’s just say that after a meeting of the minds they came to see my way of thinking. As soon as the room was taking care of and our luggage was unloaded, I called Perkins Sensei and let him know we had made it. Perkins sensei advised me that they would be at the dojo around 6 and we could come at that time. So Jason and I had a bit of time to kill and went for some lunch and to check out the local mall and book store.

We arrived at the dojo at 6 pm and Tokumura sensei was teaching the kids class, we were directed to the back room, where we changed into out keiko-gi and meet with Perkins Sensei and a couple of his yudansha. After the kids class Tokumura Sensei came in and introductions were made. As is the custom, when I spoke with Tokumura Sensei, I presented my business card to him while bowing, I think this surprised him as he hurried off and got one of his cards to give to me, but he had a big smile. I tried to talk with him about Goju-Ryu, but he really didn’t seem interested in talking about it, so I decided to wait it out and concentrate on Kobudo.

Class Started at 7 pm and after we bowed in, there was a small presentation of a Boar Spear from the dojo to Tokumura Sensei. Then Tokumura Sensei made a “presento” to Perkins Sensei, by promoting him to Kyoshi Hachidan in Tokushin-Ryu Kobudo.  After the presentations were completed, we started off by warming up with Sanchin kata (Sanchin Dai Ni). Tokumura Sensei went around and made some corrections to the group, when he came to me, he asked me to do my breath again. I had used the method of long inhale and long exhale. He advised me to breath with a long inhale, long exhale, quick inhale and quick exhale. When I asked him about this further, he advised me that it was more beneficial. We then moved on to Kobudo. Perkins Sensei took a group of us tto breath with a long inhale, long exhale, quick inhale and quick exhale. When I asked him about this further, he advised me that it was more beneficial. We then moved on to Kobudo. Perkins Sensei took a group of us that included Jason and I out the parking lot and instructed us in the Teechu kata. Tokushin No Teechu. After working it for about an hour, we went back inside and performed it for Tokumura Sensei, who made some corrections and he seemed pleased with our progress. He had us do it a few times and then explained the bunkai of the kata to us. He then had us do the kata again and gave us the complement of “Good, Good”.

After Class was over, we were invited to go out to dinner with Tokumura Sensei, Perkins sensei and a couple of his yudansha. As we were getting dressed and ready for dinner, I attempted to ask Tokumura sensei about Gojuryu again, I was answered with “You like my Kobudo?”, which I answered yes too and gave up on the Gojuryu questions. I asked Perkins Sensei, if maybe I was losing something with the language barrier, but he said no, and that I should ask again later.

At dinner, we went to a nice restaurant/bar, where we talked about budo and police work, since Perkins sensei is also a Lieutenant with the Detroit Police Department. We had a nice time and it was a great way to end the day. As we were leaving, I made arrangements to take Tokumura Sensei and Perkins Sensei to lunch the following day. In the parking lot, I made one more attempt to bring up Gojuryu, by asking Tokumura sensei about a movement in the Kobudo kata. When he demonstrated the kata he performed it in a specific way and it reminded me of Muchimi (or Mumichi), so I asked him if this was that was the correct method. Typical of Okinawan sensei, Tokumura Sensei then gave us a small lesson in the parking lot.

After that we went back to the hotel for the evening and Jason and I worked a bit more on the kata and made some notes before calling it a night.

The Meaning of a Black Belt

There is a Zen parable that was given much discussion when I was coming up through the ranks. It is about how, in the heyday of the Japanese martial arts, a person used only one obi (belt) during practice-from the time he was initiated into the arts until he became a master.  The point of the parable is to show that changes in the color of the martial artist's belt over time are symbolic of advances in his degree of insight.

For those unfamiliar with the parable, it goes something like this. At the beginning you have a white belt.  It symbolizes the beginner's mind, pure and unfettered.  There are no questions about right and wrong and no hesitation because the beginner hasn't enough skill to intentionally do anything wrong.   He is all innocence with intentions as clean and white as the belt around his waist.

Gradually, as the novice trains, his belt becomes stained.  First, it turns green from grass stains.  Then it becomes brown as dirt stains are added to them.  Finally, after years of staining, the belt begins to take on the black hue we now associate with mastery. But the parable tells us that this is really the middle of a true martial artist's journey.  At this point he is in the darkest and most dangerous place in his journey toward mastery.  It is when he has more skill than wisdom.  His intentions are tainted by his ability to hurt people.

In the third and final stage, the belt ages along with its wearer.  It becomes frayed and eventually is a tattered white belt as its wearer learns the difficult lessons about being seduced by anger and hate.  It becomes white again as the martial artist's intentions become pure again.  Experience deepens his insight, and he now knows when it is right to fight and when it is not.  His journey comes full circle in mastery. He has the skill of a great fighter, a clear and unfettered mind to guide his use of it, and a white belt around his waist to symbolize it.

The parable offers a great lesson in the development of a martial artist, but I believe the strength of this story is that it shows us the real meaning of a black belt.  A black belt indicates expertise (in fighting).  Anyone who wears one should be able to easily beat people within the focus of his art.  In other words, a karate shodan (first degree black belt) should be able to easily punch and kick an opponent into submission, and a judo or jujutsu black belt should be able to easily take an opponent down and choke him unconscious or break his arm.  But this is not enough.

The parable shows us that attaining a black belt is the middle of a journey toward mastery in the martial arts, and it is the most dangerous part of that path.  It is a black time in two respects.  First, it is when the martial artist possesses great skill, and if he is not careful, he is also capable of great sin.  Second, it is the time when he is truly "in the dark" about when it is right to fight and when it is not.  At this point his martial skill is relatively new, and he hasn't the life experience to know how to use it judiciously.  This is the middle of a journey toward mastery because martial skill does not automatically lead to wisdom-even if it does require us to seek it.

So if you've ever wondered whether your black belt means anything, you should ask yourself two questions. The first is, "Can I fight?"  If the answer is "no", then the belt is just a fashion accessory to a pair of Japanese pajamas, and there is no moral dilemma to master.

But if the answer is "yes", you should ask yourself a second question, "Can I swallow my pride and look for guidance?"  If the answer here is also "yes", then your black belt means a great deal.  It means you are on your way to becoming a white belt again.  It means you are on your way to becoming a master!

Now having related this parable, please no one run off and drag your obi behind the car, or throw it under the lawn mower, to make it look old!

Growth

Someone asked me recently what I thought about the growth of the Yushikan as a dojo and as an organization so I thought I would share my thoughts on this with you and please feel free to share your thoughts on the matter.

As for the Yushikan main dojo, my dojo is a closed dojo, which means it is not open for anyone to walk in and sign up for a class. The criteria for being accepted into my dojo is not necessarily about being over selective, but more about being sure that the student is genuinely serious about studying the Art, whilst being one who is sincere and respectful. I keep the classes small on purpose so that I can maintain the quality of instruction, I have considered adding more students, but we will see. 
 

I would like more participation from my yudansha, some give a lot and train a lot, and others I see once a year, but again we will see. I am pretty sure that I will not ever open a commercial dojo again. Over the years, I have had a few and some nice ones at that. The current dojo is located on the same property as my home, so there are no distractions that would occur in a commercial setting and I like my little backyard dojo with its pond and garden, where I can teach and don't have to worry about handing out belts to keep students. My dojo is dedicated to training in Okinawan empty-hand and weapon martial arts. Our goals in training are the development of the practitioners’ body, mind, and spirit and the improvement of self-defense skills through the practice of traditional Okinawan martial arts. We train in a non-competitive environment; each member works not only to improve him or herself, but to help the other members improve as well.

My training method using junbi undo, hojo undo, kihon, kata, kumite, kakie, and conditioning drills does not take long to weed out the class, in the last year I have admitted 5 new students, none lasted more than a month before the stopped training, it isn’t that I abuse or work them to death, but I do expect them to work and train, we do lots of repetitions and maybe they get bored because they aren’t learning all the flashy kicks, I don’t know.

As for an organization, I belong to and am in a director position for a few, so I focus on those, but as for the Yushikan growing into an organization, I suppose that will happen, but growth will depend on the yudansha, which means that yudansha students who move should consider beginning karate programs at the local YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, local Church, City Recreation Departments, and or in a park. Teaching in this way contains no financial risks for the instructor as they do not have any overhead. Also there are those people who are black belts from other groups that come to me, I have had several, but to date I have only accepted a couple into our group.

So yes, I would like to see growth, but I want it to be good quality, what good is having a large group if they suck? So I guess a small steady growth is better, perhaps my approach is not the best for growth, because I do not promote often and we train over and over on the same things, but I would rather have one excellent student then 100 mediocre students.

The Importance of Kiai

No I am not talking about the high pitch scream or useless non-sense being done at the modern American karate tournaments and let me tell you I have heard some strange ones, or the little girl that uses “AAaaaaaaaa” and holds it for 60 seconds, no not what I mean at all.

A kiai is a Japanese term that is a combination or compound of two kanji, namely "ki" meaning mind, will, or spirit and "ai" being the contraction of the verb awasu, signifying "to unite". Students of traditional martial arts such as karate, kendo or judo (or related arts such as taiko drumming) use kiai to focus energy when executing a technique. It is a short yell that some martial artists shout before or during a fight or technique. In koryu bujutsu, it is usually explained as being linked to the inner amassing of energy released in a single explosive focus of will.



In karate kata, a kiai point is utilized in at least two places throughout each kata; there is a small number of kata that utilize more.

Throughout the history of the martial arts there have been numerous legends regarding the effectiveness of the Kiai. Two of my favorite’s center around the founder of Japanese Gojuryu Karate-do and the Goju-Kai; Gogen Yamaguchi


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Yamaguchi Gogen Sensei 1985



The first one center’s around Yamaguchi Sensei involvement in WWII. It has been said that the Japanese government had sent Yamaguchi to Manchuria on secret business, and whilst conducting certain negotiations he was captured by forces of the Kuomintang (The Chinese National Peoples Party) government.

They shipped him off to a labor camp where he was treated very badly and suffered great hardship and deprivation. Although a model prisoner who did everything he was told, Yamaguchi's captors were wary of him. There was something in his demeanor, the way he walked proudly and the way other prisoners held him in such high regard which caused the guards to be almost afraid of him. The normal day's routine for prisoners was to eat whatever was available, which was never enough, and then lounge about either sleeping or gossiping. But Yamaguchi did not behave as the other prisoners. When he was allowed out of his cell, he would run around the exercise area and practice all manner of kicks and punches hour after hour. In his cell he would sit and meditate for long periods. Yamaguchi refused to bow down and be broken by the conditions of his imprisonment.

The guards began to see this proud Japanese as something of a superhuman being or a wizard. He always looked fit and healthy unlike the other prisoners, and yet he ate the same starvation diet. They began to think of him as a demon and their fear grew. News soon reached the camps commandant's office of this strange prisoner. On further investigation it was discovered who he was and orders were issued that at all costs he must be broken, so that he would lose face before the other prisoners. Yamaguchi was placed in solitary confinement and his rations would have barely kept a child alive. For twenty hours a day he sat in his cell in total darkness. The cell was so small that when he sat cross legged his knees touched the wall. Daily beatings by the guards still failed to affect him or break his spirit. Each day he would practice his special breathing exercises and then put himself into a trance like state so that he felt neither pain nor hunger. The prison officials could not believe that one man could withstand such harsh treatment and still remain fit and unbroken. By now rumor was rife around the camp about the demon man whose very name seemed to frighten the guard's when it was whispered by the prisoners.

The commandant finally ordered his men to go capture a tiger, once they did, they caged it and starved it for a week, then they began poking it until it was crazed. They then dragged Yamaguchi out of his cell and walked him across the compound to the cage containing the half-starved tiger. Laughing, the guards pushed him into the cage and ordered the whole camp to watch the Japanese man be eaten alive. As Yamaguchi entered the cage, a strange look came into his eyes. He adopted a karate stance and with an ear piercing yell he attacked the tiger. The animal was stunned by the shout, so allowing time enough for Yamaguchi to kick it in the ear and then jump on its back and apply a strangulation technique from behind. In the process he let out another screeching yell right into the tigers ear and then pulled back on his arms, using every bit of strength in his body. Moments later the tiger slumped to the cage floor, dead. The guards looked terrified and ran off, leaving Yamaguchi in the cage overnight with the dead tiger.

The next morning he was let out of the cell and allowed to rejoin the other prisoners. Less than two weeks later he was exchanged with another political prisoner, thus facilitating his release. The guards at the camp breathed a sigh of relief when this demon man left the camp. Some say that this is the reason Yamaguchi sensei was referred to as “The Cat” later in life.

The second story was related to me that several of the neighbors around the Goju-Kai Honbu Dojo (The Gojukan) were becoming worried because they kept finding dead birds around the dojo. They expressed their concerns to Yamaguchi Sensei who reportedly stated he did not know of any reason for the birds to be dying. A few days later Yamaguchi Sensei was doing his morning training and running kata, when an older lady came to the dojo and asked Yamaguchi Sensei to stop yelling as he was killing the birds, Yamaguchi Sensei was surprised by her comments and asked her to explain what she meant. The older lady ask Sensei to come outside where she saw a bird sitting in a tree and asked him to perform the yell as he had done before, which he did. As he let loose his kiai, the bird fell out of the tree and fell to the ground.

Now I am not sure how true these stories really are but many karate-ka over the years have commented on how fierce a kiai Yamaguchi Sensei had.

So why is a kiai important you asked, well here are 5 things a Kiai is used for;

1. A psychological effect on your enemy.
   
   
2. A psychological effect on yourself, so-called "amping yourself up".
   
   
3. To provide an escape route for exhalation of air.
   
   
4. To keep air pressure in your body balanced (holding your breath while taking impact from a kick, punch or the ground can cause injury).
   
   
5. To rapidly contract the transverse abdominal and other core muscles, to provide support for striking techniques and protection to the
   internal organs.

So see that silly little yell has some uses after all. One of the issues I have is getting students to kiai, they think it is silly or sounds funny. So that is why I decided to focus on this topic today, maybe it is silly or does sound funny to some, but to me, I think it is another tool in my arsenal to use when my life depends on it, so why souldn’t I practice it? I do and have for 34 years and will continue to do so. Why? Because I have utilized kiai in the street, in combat and it has saved my butt.

So just in case the stories of Yamaguchi sensei are true, I will keep trying my hardest to kill that darn bird that keeps pooping on my car with my kiai and if he does fall over dead, then I might venture on to trying to scare a tiger!

Forging a Karate Mind

Karate is not a game of points, weight classes or showy demonstrations. It is a martial art and way of life that trains a practitioner to be peaceful; but if conflict is unavoidable, true karate dictates taking down an opponent with a single blow.

Such an action requires strength, speed, focus, control. But these physical aspects are only part of the practice; they are just the vehicle, not the journey itself.

True karate is based not only on the physical body, but also on moral philosophy or Bushido. In true karate, the body, mind and spirit—the whole person—must be developed simultaneously. Through kihon, kumite and kata we learn to control our movements. But more importantly, we learn to give up control too. We can perform the techniques without thinking about them, and remain focused without having to concentrate on any one thing. In essence, the body remembers how to move and the mind remembers how to be still.

This harmonious unity of mind and body is intensely powerful. Even the greatest physical strength and skill are no match for the power of wholeness.

The result of true karate is natural, effortless action, and the confidence, humility, openness and peace only possible through perfect unity of mind and body. This is the core teaching of Zen, the basis of Bushido, and karate philosophy.

While most karate-ka are probably familiar with Gichin Funakoshi sensei's 20 precepts, or even the Matsumura Makimono or the seven virtues of Bu, I would suggest that perhaps you may find some of the teachings of Sidhartha Guatama (Buddha) beneficial to your moral or philosophical training such as the Noble eight Fold Path or the Four Noble Truths.