Maintaining Tradition by Augmenting our Training

Talent and creativity are often judged on how the next generation uses the tools made by the previous generation. So the question is, how are we going to use the tools available to us now?
In the Karate-do Dojo these days there is often a mixture of traditional and sports training. There are training tools, 運動道具 Undo Dogu, that we can use to augment our regular training and facilitate  development in a number of areas. Although I have used both modern and traditional training tools in my personal training in Canada and Japan, I do not consider myself an expert.

In Canada we often practiced drills using common training tools such as ladders, pylons, focus mitts, heavy bags, etc.
In Japan I was often encouraged to think of ways to use the traditional training tools, such as 据石 Chi ishi  巻き藁 Makiwara and 握りがめ Nigirigame with little to no guidance (See Photo below). Even though I am not an expert, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce a few of the traditional Okinawan training tools and suggest that you research this topic further as a way to augment your training and maintain some of the traditional approach to Karate-do strength training.

(Some of the Traditional Training Tools at the Chito-Ryu Honbu Dojo, Kumamoto, Japan, 2015)

This type of alternate training is called 補助運動 Hojo Undo. 補 Ho by itself means assistant, learner, make good, and supplement. 助 Jo also pronounced 助ける Tasukeru is created by combining the characters for Power 力 and Eye 目 and means help, rescue, and assist. Put together, Hojo translates as assistance, support, and aid. I believe that this is how we need to approach this kind of training; as a method to assist us in our regular training.


In order to use these tools well; to positively impact our training, a technical foundation is very important. Okinawan Karate-do masters still regularly exercise using these tools. If given the opportunity to train with these masters using these traditional tools we must make the most of it (please see, "The Trinity of Proficiency in Karate Do: Technical, Cultural, and Linguistic Ability" for advice on how to make the most of your training time in Japan).

During my research on this topic I came across the following video of some examples of Hojo Undo performed by Higaonna Sensei (Published on youtube.com, Feb. 19th, 2009) watching this can give us some ideas on how to approach Hojo Undo in our personal training.

However, we must be very careful, especially when beginning. I recommend that you try to begin this kind of training under the guidance of an instructor experienced using these tools. After developing our 基本 Kihon Basic technique of this supplement training we should apply our own unique approach to it and explore our creative interpretation. But, we must never drift too far that we forget the basic technique. I believe that this is important in each aspect of our karate-do training.

武道四戒

Kendo and Karate-do share many philosophical concepts because both Karate-do and Ken-do are grounded in Bushido. The same can be said for many other Japanese martial arts such as Judo and Aikido. Taken to their metaphorical application, most of the philosophies can also be applied to such Japanese arts as Shodo, Sado, and Ikebana.


In this post I would like to talk about a concept that is very important to our daily training, competitive success, and quality of life in general.


Recognizing this changes everything!


驚・懼・疑・惑 (Kyou, Ku, Gi, Waku) This is the 武道四戒 (Budo Shikai), This may be translated as the 'Four Commandments of Budo'. However, I prefer to think of them as 'Four Warnings of Budo' or the 'Four Cautions of Budo'. Deepening our knowledge of this concept and developing our awareness of these traits in our training and in our daily lives has the potential to bring the quality of both to higher levels.

The Profound Impact of Experience

In the Summer of '69 Brian Adams bought his first guitar. In the Summer of '96 I travelled to France for the first time. How are these two things similar? At first glance they don't seem to have anything at all in common. But, I believe that if we look closely enough at seemingly unrelated events, eventually we can find something that they have in common. The example given above is no different. Both events profoundly changed the lives of the individuals involved and impacted the lives of many others there after. I  don't mean to compare myself to a famous musician or imply that we have made the same global impact. However, the chain of events that have occurred since travelling to France in 1996 has shaped who I am today just has finding the guitar in 1969 did for Brian Adams. And, to be honest with you, I just wanted to find a way to use "in the Summer of '69" and "in the Summer of '96" in some meaningful way. The rest of this post will be more serious, and this will connect to my point, I promise.

Our Lives are Shaped by our Experiences
It is no secret that our experiences shape us. Our training in the martial arts makes us aware of this fact more quickly than someone who has never trained because training in the martial arts is really a process of self-cultivation that develops, among other things, our levels of self-awareness. With our heightened sense of self-awareness we are able to take away important lessons from our experiences and productively apply them to our lives. Through the process of 心技体 Shin Gi Tai; developing and strengthening the connection between our mind and body through the repetitive practice of specific techniques we develop, not only stronger bodies but also a stronger sense of self. The more I reflect on my past experiences the more I am able to get out of them, making their continued impact more profound to me.

(Shin Gi Tai, written by the Author, 2014)

To Not Inspire is to Fail our Students

I experienced something yesterday that disturbed me. A young man who is a former student at Buntoku, the school where I teach, came to do his practicum as a student teacher this past Month. He was energetic and hard working, a member of one of the very first classes I've ever taught at this school when I first started here. Of course, I want him to succeed and wish him all the best. Unfortunately, it became very clear yesterday during his demonstration lesson that his supervising teacher here failed him! I know this blog is designated as a vehicle to share ideas on the philosophies and concepts of the martial arts and karate-do specifically, but I believe that the education process is a very relevant topic of discussion that relates and impacts our lives on many levels and therefore, I would like to share with you some of my views of what educators should do to avoid failing their students. Perhaps some of the ideas shared in this post will resonate with you as well, in your personal or professional context keeping in mind that we are all somebody's teacher.
 

Let me start by telling you what I think the bottom line is. You can agree or disagree with me, but at least this way you know where I am coming from. Whether it is in the classroom or in the dojo, I believe that it is the instructor's duty to inspire the students to strive for more. We do this by assigning tasks that are appropriately challenging for the students' levels both individually and as a group or a team. If the task is too difficult they will become unmotivated and give up. In the same respect, if it is too easy they will become bored and quit. Assessing the appropriate levels is not always easy and definitely requires developing a relationship with our students. The deeper the relationship the better we can assess the level of the assigned task. This takes time and effort, but the results are so very rewarding.
 

James Allen, in his book, The Eight Pillars of Prosperity (1911) wrote that, "A teacher is a sower of seed, a spiritual agriculturist, while he who teaches himself is the wise farmer of his own mental plot. The growth of a thought is as the growth of a plant, the seed must be sown seasonally and time is required for its full development into the plant of knowledge and the flower of wisdom" (p. 5).

I believe that this statement outlines the healthy dynamic between teacher and student. The best students are those who take an active role in their learning and personal development and the best teachers are those who can provide the right conditions for the 'seeds' to grow; appropriate support and opportunities for the student to learn and realize their potential. This is what is done in the majority of the dojo that I have seen and visited. However, some teachers cannot seem to apply this in the classroom, especially the Japanese English classroom. Even after they are given the tools and the experience, they either choose not to or just don't care to change their teaching approach from 'read and repeat' to a more communicative based, student centred learning approach.

 

As English teachers in Japan we are not just teachers of English grammar and vocabulary. We are promoters of English based cultures and should therefore also promote general self-development strategies. As professional  educators we must inspire our students, not just teach the material in the text books, but urge them to think original thoughts based on the materials introduced and to take an active role in their own personal development. We must try to do this in each and every lesson.

In order to achieve this we must ask ourselves the following questions:

What will the students get from this lesson?

What skill sets am I trying to help them develop?

How will they grow as a result of being introduced to the information and material in this lesson?

 

Of course, it will always be the choice of the individual to take what they've learned and how to apply it in their lives. or not. We cannot and should not try to force them to make the choices that we want them to. I think this also relates to parenting, personal relationships, and coaching. We can only give advise based on personal experience and research how making a particular choice may affect the potential for future successes positively or negatively.

In my 15 years of experience with the Japanese education system, Japanese English teachers still spend far too much time and energy developing only one skill set in their students; that of memorization and not nearly enough time or energy developing free thinkers.

To be effective educators, no matter what the subject may be, we must be passionate about what we are teaching; both the material and the process. Martin Luther King Jr. did not inspire Humanity by saying, "now repeat after me, I have a dream." He inspired people with his passion and his conviction and everyone remembers his words even though they didn't repeat them in chorus three times on that day!

The message I wish to send in this post is actually a request. Teachers, please don't fail your students. Inspire them to reach their full potential, give them opportunities to show you what that is and they will take care of the rest.
 

 

'Ukemi' Can Break More than Just Our Fall!

It's not What we do in the dojo that counts, but How we do it.

 

Why do some people excel while others do not when training under the same guidance, in the same dojo and using the same menu of exercises and drills? this is a question that we must all consider as both students and teachers of Karate-do. Of course there is no excuse to flat out training wrong. I am not talking about this. I am talking about those who are training to better themselves and who's approach to training is based on a strong foundation, but end up progressing at different rates. As a teacher this is troublesome and if you are the student progressing more slowly it can be very discouraging.

 
As a student I always tried to do the best I could, as I am sure every student of Karate-do does. Some of the things I did to get better were, watching the movements of my Sensei and Senpai and copied them. I listened to their advice and thought about what this advice meant to me. Since coming to Japan I have had to deal with language barriers and personal physical limitations, but my approach to learning karate-do has not changed. I continue to play an active role in my learning. Over the years I have enjoyed many successes as a result of simply being present and engaged. But, over the years teaching children of many ages I have noticed a shift from students being actively engaged in the process of learning to being passive and disengaged. Therefore, my approach to teaching has changed.

There is a word that I would like to talk about in this post. It carries a lot of weight, you might have heard before, 受け身Ukemi. When you hear this word you probably think of the various kinds of break falls in Judo and Karate. And if you did you were not wrong. But, there is another way to use this word that I feel in its definition has huge impact on the way we learn and teach. In many of the well-known martial arts this is indeed a term used to describe "the art of falling safely." However, as a linguistics terminology this same kanji means "the passive, passive voice." Moreover this is commonly used in Japan to describe such things as being on the defensive, having a passive attitude, and passiveness in general. As a school teacher I have seen this passivity in the classroom and it is very disheartening to see young people with so much potential so uninterested in their self-betterment. I stongly feel that karate-do training can help inspire students to become more inspired about learning, but it is up to the Sensei to recognize this debilitating quality in their students and guide them away from forming the habits that will keep them passive.