Power Spot Kata Challenge for Cancer Research

Prologue

In this post I would like to share with you something that I have recently been inspired to do. Let me start by telling you how I became inspired.

I tested for the 全日本空手道連盟, All Japan Karaqte-do Federation (JKF) 四段 4th Dan over the summer vacation at the 全日本空手道指導者研修会 All Japan Karate-do Instructors' Training Course held at the 空手道会館 Karate-do Training Hall in Tokyo. This is the headquarters for the Japanese Karate-do organization recognized under the World Karate Federation (WKF).

(公益財団法人 全日本空手道連盟　日本空手道会館, Photo retreived from http://www.jkf.ne.jp/map, 2016)

In preparation for this grading I spent a lot of time practicing 形 Kata. However, since the style of Karate-do that I practice, Chito-Ryu Karate-do, is not a recognized afiliate of the JKF I had to perform a different style's kata. I chose to perform 剛柔流の形 Kata from the Goju-Ryu style as, in my opinion, the stances and breathing components of this style are most similar to Chito-Ryu.

I had to perform two kata for the test. One 指定形 Shitei Kata, this is a kata from the list of designated kata recognized to represent the 4 major styles affiliated with the JKF; 松濤館 Shotokan (sometimes referred to as Shotokan-Ryu in Japan), 剛柔 Goju (Goju-Ryu and Goju-Kai), 和道 Wado (Wado-Ryu and Wado-Kai), and 糸東 Shito (Shito-Ryu and Shito-Kai). From this list I chose to perform セイパイ Seipai, a well recognized Goju kata frequently performed in competitions all over the world. The second kata was, 得意形 Tokui Kata this can be translated as a Specialty Kata. The kata does not have to be performed exactly in accordance to the Shitei guidelines, but it still needs to be a kata from one of the affiliated styles. I chose to perform 制引戦 Seiyunchin, also a Goju style kata not to be mistaken for the similar Shito kata Seinchin.

(Seiyunchin, performed by Morio Higaona Sensei, uploaded to youtube.com Sept. 3, 2009)

To help me get a better feel for these kata I wanted to see them performed by someone with a similar body type as myself. I asked my friend Richard (Ricky) Kaminski, an Australian Goju practitioner living in Fukui Prefecture (Pictured below) to film himself doing Seipai and send me a copy to help me. He abliged and it was this video that inspired me to begin a much larger project.

(The Author and Richard Kaminski Sensei, Okayama Momotaro Hai, 2013)

I will include the video of Kaminski Sensei doing Seipai later in this post. But, first let me tell you more about this project that I want to start. I will need the support of the Karate World to make it a success. I truly believe that this project can be something that brigns us together, crossing the boundaries of Ryu-ha and Kai-ha for something much bigger; Humanity. I will outline the project below and include two video examples.

Outline

I am assuming that you have heard of the "Ice Bucket Challenge" to raise awareness of ALS and the "22 Pushup Challenge" where you do 22 pushups  for 22 days  to promote awareness for veteran suicide prevention and honor military service members and veterans. Well I am proposing something similar. I would like to start a Power Spot Kata Challenge and nominate people around the world to film themselves performing their favorate Kata in a place that is special to them (a Power Spot). You can perform the kata in your Gi or in sweats, that doesn't matter. This is not a tournament and I ask that the kata not be critiqued by the public. This is not about that. It is about bringing people who love Karate-do together in a common goal. I would like to use this project to raise awareness for cancer research.

I have lost 4 people very close to me to cancer, two of whom were my Karate-do Sensei; Sensei Micheal Delaney, whom I have written about in previous posts. He was like a father to me in many ways and guided my Karate-do training since I began practicing. And, Sensei Robert (Bob) Gascoigne Who played a big part in my training from around the time of 2nd and 1st Kyu. (Both are pictured below). I have been quoted as saying that these two men were "the Heart and Strength" of the Atlantic Karate Club, where I began my karate journey.

(Micheal Delaney Sensei and Robert Gascoigne Sensei, Halifax, NS, Canada, 1990s)

What to Do

I ask that you film your kata and post it to youtube.com or facebook or some mainstream social media site. Please include a link to this blog (understanding-karatedo.blogspot.jp) and any information about cancer research foundations in your area. Of course, information on ways to donate to cancer research and donations to cancer research would also be great, but I am in no way soliciting money from you. Also, please nominate others to do the same.

I nominate...

To start this off, I nominate anyone and everyone who was taught by or who had a friendship with Delaney Sensei and Gascoigne Sensei.

Example Videos

Video 1 - Chito-Ryu Shihohai performed by the author at the Temple of Heaven, Bejing, China, 2014. The kata begins at 1:46 into the video. Video 2 - Goju Seipai performed by Kaminski Sensei in Fukui Prefecture, Japan, 2016.

Video 1

(Waterfield Shi ho hai, Bejing, China, 2014)

Video 2

 

(Kaminski Seipai, Fukui, Japan, 2016)

Links to Cancer Societies

the Canadian Cancer Society

http://www.cancer.ca/en/region-selector-page/?url=%2fen%2f

Japanese Cancer Association

https://www.jca.gr.jp/english/index.html

Japan Cancer Society

http://www.uicc.org/membership/japan-cancer-society

http://www.jcancer.jp/en

Do we Practice Bun-kai Enough?

The more I practice and teach 形 Kata the stronger I feel about the importance of also practicing 分解 Bun-kai. Bunkai, is the practical application of the various 技 Waza, Techniques in the Kata. In the Chito-Ryu system any Sensei include the practice of various forms of Bun-kai to enhance students' practical knowledge of basic 基本 Kihon including such pre-arranged movements as 体さばき Tai-sabaki, which has its roots in Judo, to more complex attack and defence sequences such as Hen-shu-ho and Jun-ni-ko. Such practice also deepens our understanding of Kata. But, how many regularly practice the specific Bun-kai to the Kata?

 

By deconstructing the Kanji for 分解, as we have done in the past, we can attain a better understanding of what 'Bun-kai' really means. 分 Bun, in this context means a Portion of the Kata. This is fairly straight forward, but Bun can also have another meaning. First let's look at 解(く) Kai also pronounced Toku has multiple meanings from untie; undo; unfasten, to solve; answer; and work out (a problem). Placed together with 分 Bun used in a different context, this time 分る Wakaru, to Understand 解 Kai which is also often used with the kanji 理 (理解) to define understanding. This tells us that Bun-kai is an integral part of Kata practice that is necessary for understanding the Kata and the unique defence and counter attack techniques therein. That is to say, we cannot fully 'understand' the Kata if we do not practice the Bunkai.

 

For the past few years, I have been spending the majority of my training time with the Senior High School (SHS) athletes at Buntoku SHS where I teach English communication and coach the Karate-do team. Our training consists mostly of preparation for high level competition 競技空手 Kyo-gi Karate and, although we practice Kihon almost everyday, we inevitably end up spending more time on Kumite than Kata. Recently, in preparing the students for their upcoming 初段審査 Sho-dan Shin-sa, Black Belt Examination I have noticed that their techniques are severely lacking in some key areas. Speed and Power along with Breathing and Timing are often focused on during the training but the techniques in the Kata are still insufficient. This got me thinking, if all of these athletes are in great shape physically; flexible, strong, and young, then why can't they perform these techniques properly?

The answer, I believe can be found in their awareness and practice of Bun-kai, or in this case, the lack of Bun-kai practice.

Health Benefits of Karate Do Training (Continued)

In a previous post, I presented some of the health benefits of Karate Do Training. The blog may have seemed a little bit one sided due to the fact that I only focused on the positive impacts of Karate Do training. Furthermore, I had to end the blog before addressing the Mental and Spiritual benefits that I stated I would. In this post I would like to get back to this thread, but before doing so I would like to clarify one important point regarding the information I provided in that post 'Health Benefits of Karate Do Training'. The information I provided was taken from a book that Chitose Tsuyoshi Sensei, the First Generation Soke and founder of Chito-Ryu Karate Do (O Sensei) wrote, "Kenpo Karate-do Universal Art of Self-Defense." He wrote this book in the late 1940s (1946 or 1947) eventhough it was translated into English by Christopher Johnston and published in 2000 by Shindokan International. (the Cover of this book is pictured below)

 

Training approaches have changed a great deal since this book was written and since it was published. The audience for which the book was intended must also be considered when we read it. It was intended for Japanese Nationals living in post WWII Japan. Many were malnourished and in poor physical health. This book was expressing the benefits of Karate Do training as a way to increase the general physical health of Japan as is stated in three very important sentences in The Purpose of Studying Karate-do where O Sensei writes, "In order to re-build the New Japan, we must first ensure that we are in good health. To begin with, to perform sound physical exercise is to study Karate-do. Initially a way to protect ourselves, Karate-do is the most complete form of physical exercise" (p. 90).

While sports training methods have grown in leaps and bounds in the 70 years since the end of WWII, the health benefits of continued exercise such as the practice of martial arts which now often includes various forms of cross training such as running and other strength training, speaks for itself. There are, however, some things that we do need to be careful of when teaching or training specific 基本 Kihon, Basics and 技 Waza, Techniques, namely the danger of injuring our joints due to the application of stress caused by unnatural twisting, torquing, and pressure. It should be noted that these injuries are not caused by the technique itself but rather by our misunderstanding of how it should be practiced. There is nothing unhealthy about Karate Do,  but the limits of our understanding often lead to unhealthy practice habits. I am no exception. I have had my fair share of injuries which resulted due to my limited understanding. However, since studying Japanese Language and Culture and after coming to Japan and developing relationships with various Karate Do Sensei my understanding has increased and my injuries have reduced in number and severity. I would have to say that only recently have I begun to practice at a level that I feel is indeed increasing my health without a high risk of injury to my joints. It took me almost 25 years to understand, but in the past 2 years I really feel that my Karate Do has changed for the better namely due to deeper understanding in two major areas. I would like to tell you about them. The first area will be the focus of this post and the second I will write in a following post. The first area deals with a more natural use of muscle combinations, focusing on contraction, stretch, and a state in between which may be referred to as neutral, natural, or relaxed.

 

Muscle Use
During my time training in Japan I have grown and and deepened my knowledge base in many ways, all of which have impacted the way I approach my personal training. One of the major epiphanies I had was the realization of how to use the muscle groups in my upper body, namely my shoulders (Trapezius) and Lats (Laissimus Dorsi) in a more natural working combination through out the movements of 基本 Kihon and 形 Kata (See photo below for muscle groups discussed).