I missed posting last week. Over last weekend, I did start a draft for a longer post on how my karate practice has helped me with my professional life in visual effects. However, it got lengthy, is incomplete, and also needs revisions. I hope to complete it, get a friend’s eyes on it, and eventually get it up.
For now, though, I want to write about what our karate club studied this past week, and bring this blog up to date. What did we do? We reviewed the basics!
Using Basic Kata to Improve Technique
Often we have Sensei R. on Tuesday evenings, but this past week, we did not have him. The Club did not raise as much as we needed in January. We did have an angel donor who put in more than usual, and Sensei R. also taught a week pro bono. However, we want to pay for his services, and not take advantage of his kindness. This month we planned to have him teach less. Also, he is focused on a performance: his one-man show, and we want to give him space for this.
Senpai N. covered Tuesday evening. After running kihon, she asked folks which kata they needed to review, and one of our green belts requested Pinan Sono Go. It had been a while since we’d run it, so it was great to review. Senpai N. ran through it, attempted to answer questions, and Sensei T. covered some of the finer points.
Mix it Up with Weapons
Likewise Friday evening, Senpai SL, our resident weapons expert, used simple combinations, followed by basic kata, for his katana class. First he had students name simple katana moves that they remembered, such as a basic downward slash, or an upper-cut. He chose 3 attacks and had us perform these as a combination while stepping forward or stepping backwards. Then he chose 3 blocks with the katana, created a similar combination, and has us practice until we got that down. Finally, towards the end of class, we substituted the katana attacks for punches and the katana blocks for blocks in Pinan Sono Ichi. It was a lot of fun and a great way to review and use a basic kata.
Focus on Clean, Clear Moves and Hone Techniques
On Saturday, Senpai CF, one of our youngest junior shodans, led class. After asking one of our green belts to lead the warm-up, he had several students lead kihon and led parts himself. Afterwards, he went over Pinan Sono Ni. It had been so long since we had practiced that kata! I personally benefitted from reviewing it, and the class did as well. Senpai F., monitor that morning, noted we all needed to work on our hikite hand. Also, blocks performed in kata are normally two-handed. I realized I needed to focus on clearly articulating both hands during my blocks for Pinan Sono Ni.
Sensei T. reviewed some of the bunkai associated with Pinan Sono Ni. Sensei. R had recommended and excellent book on bunkai for the Pinans: Steven Chriscole’s Okinawan Shuri-te. Here is his ad for his book:
In the book, Mr. Chriscole talks about how many of the Pinans were focused on techniques used when facing basically weapons based on 19th Century technology: rifles with bayonets, as well as sabres, katana or knives. Sensei T. touched on how some of the techniques are codes for techniques to basically wrestle a weapon from an opponent, then deliver an attack.
The book refers to the Hinans, which is the Shotokan name for what we, in Kyokushin, refer to as the Pinans. However, our karate, and our Pinans, grew out of Shotokan. Our founder, Oyama, studied Shotokan for two years in Gichin Funakoshi‘s dojo.
Always More There than Meets the Eye
Reviewing the basics will help your karate flower!
Reviewing the basics is a great way to clean up your technique. Sensei R. would often have us run all of the Pinans, reminding us to step before punching, to improve balance and give more power to our punches, focus on two-handed techniques for blocks, and remember our hikite hands while punching. For kicking, we make sure our foot position is proper, and try to kick higher and faster. Sensei M, while practicing both the kin-geri and ashiro-geri kicks, encouraged us to pull back our striking foot faster than we put it out.
Reviewing the basics is a great way to improve your karate practice.
Oyama, the founder of our style, made several references to the importance of courtesy in his writings. I am sure, given what I’ve read of his writings and based on stories heard from Senseis, that he emphasized courtesy to his students.
Our small karate club strives to follow his example in preserving courtesy and etiquette in our karate practice.
Wear Your Dogi and Obi to Class!
This has not changed for our small club, even after we’ve moved our teaching format to Zoom. The temptation over Zoom is to become less formal. At work or school, we can easily remain in our pajamas, since the lower half of our bodies is usually not visible from camera. This informality is so widespread during the pandemic that the local papers and Twitter posts abound with jokes on the subject.
During karate class, we have students working in limited spaces, where only part of their bodies are visible. Despite this, we ask students and instructors to wear gis. During the fall and winter months, even in Los Angeles where winter might just constitute two weeks of rain in January, students wear full gis. During the summer, by contrast, during a beach to work out, students can wear a dojo t-shirt or a plain navy t-shirt. Over Zoom, students are on their honor to wear full gis.
Over Zoom, we make an exception for the monitor. Since monitors cannot practically participate in class and adequately perform their duties, the club allows monitors to wear street clothes. It’s the one perk of being the monitor.
Why wear a gi for a class over Zoom?
Donning a gi for class helps put you in the correct frame of mind for karate. When I put on my gi, I represent my rank: my behavior needs to be appropriate for that rank. As a shodan, ichi kyu or any high-ranking senpai, you are expected to set an example for your kohais. This starts with appropriate attire. For high rank, your gi should be clean and neat. It may be worn or stained from years of practice, but it should not look like it sat in the corner of your closet for a week. Part of caring about our karate is caring for our karate uniforms. Junior students watch more senior ones for behavior queues, so senpais need to set a proper example. That example setting starts with the basics: wearing a gi.
If you discover your gi has come open or your need to straighten your gi during class, we have a procedure to follow for this. Within the dojo, training outdoors or over Zoom, it is customary to give a quick “Osu,” bow and then turn. You then turn away from the instructor and other students to make adjustments. Over Zoom, turn your back to your camera. Often, during a vigorous kihon, a sensei or senpai will call out “Turn around and fix your gi!” Take that opportunity to tidy your appearance: tuck your gi back under your belt and make sure your belt is knotted properly.
Line-up and Meditation
Facing Shomen
Classes start with a call to “line-up.” In a physical dojo or in a park, we would face Shomen, and organize ourselves into a line, with the highest ranking person standing to the left and the lowest ranking person on the right.
The dojo’s sensei or the highest ranking sensei stands before the line of students. In our old dojo, our Shomen was a large Kanku mounted on the wall above the large mirror. On the beach, we acknowledge the ocean as our Shomen. In a park, Sensei R. would often choose a large tree, and sometimes he’d pick an animal or a person to be the Shomen. Occasionally, with humor, Sensei R named a parent or a late-arriving student as the Shomen.
What is a Shomen?
Traditionally, in most karate styles, the Shomen is a wall within the dojo, considered the “front” of the dojo, without a door. I like Kyoshin Ryu Academy’s explanation:
“… the shomen is the proper side of the dojo and a place of respect…. there is always a focal point. This is the shomen.”
In most dojos, you will find photos of a style’s founder, a photo of the head teacher’s instructor, along with other symbols in this area of the dojo. Bowing to the shomen acknowledges and shows respect to our teachers’ teachers, as well as to karate’s long history.
Child at Salton Sea, personal photo from 2015
Sensei R., who also has roots in Native American traditions, taught that the Shomen represents the sacred. Yes, we view karate teachers who came before us and karate’s great history as sacred. Also, we view natural phenomena, like the ocean, a great old tree or or even other creatures, as sacred. They, like our founder Oyama, have the potential to teach us, as long as we have the ability to listen to and see them.
What is Rank? How to line up by rank over Zoom
Over Zoom, lining up by rank means standing in yoi, or the “ready” position, with your camera on. Even though we cannot make a physical line by rank over Zoom, we can still stand at a proper distance from our cameras, showing as much of our bodies as we can in our limited space, be still, focus on the instructor and wait for class to start. Students stand with their hands in fists, straight to their sides, or resting on their belts. The instructor and monitor will notice when students are ready.
Though we cannot stand in order of rank, rank is still important. Lower ranking students are given less responsibilities and are expected to follow along during class as best as they can. They are allowed to pose questions at appropriate times, but not interrupt class with questions. Good instructors, however, will pause class to access student understanding and ask if there are questions, giving students an appropriate time to speak up.
My oldest often says to me, “Own your rank!” reminding me to speak and behave with authority fitting my rank. She reminds me that, as shodans, we must lead by example. That example includes offering encouragement and forth right correction to kyu rank students. This can be particularly important over Zoom, when instructors and students do not see you smiling or nodding from your little Zoom window. You have to speak up at appropriate times, according to your role and rank during class.
Maturity as Part of Rank
Age and maturity are also factors in rank. In Sensei R’s dojo, he distinguished between “adult” ranks and “junior” ranks. We also had kyokushin kid ranks, whose belts differed from that of the older ranks by having a white stripe run through the colored belt. Each of these ranks, adult, junior and kid, had different requirements. In this fashion, Sensei R took both life experience as well as the developing coordination, emotional and mental abilities into account.
An advanced kyoku kid would take on a colored junior belt, skipping the white belt rank. This would take place when Sensei R felt the child was mature enough to attend a junior class, normally around age seven or eight. Prior to this, a kyoku kid might advance up to a brown and white striped belt. When younger children moved from a kyoku kid rank to a junior rank, they often start at orange, or ju kyu, the most junior rank of color.
Junior ranks moving to adult ranks, however, often depended upon the age and skill level of the student. A junior shodan is considered the equivalent of an adult ichi kyu, or brown stripe. However, younger junior shodans earn silver stripes on their black belts, rather than moving to the adult rank, until they are between fourteen and sixteen years of age. At that point, they are asked to retire their junior shodan belts in favor of an adult ichi kyu.
Balancing skill versus maturity
In the dojo, depending on the class, Sensei would have adult ranks line up ahead of junior ranks. Junior shodans, however, would line up behind adult ichi kyus. Junior shodans, after all, had performed rigorous tests similar to that of adults and thus earned their position in the line-up ahead of adults with intermediate or beginning ranks. That said, karate still dictates that one show courtesy to one’s elders, regardless of skill level. It’s a balancing act for the junior shodans: be polite to the adults, but still teach and offer correction when necessary to do so. In the dojo, students could take their queues from Sensei R, or the Nidan Sensais and Senpais. Over Zoom, that process is a bit more tricky. However, our students, taught to be courteous, have learned to offer advice and correction in a kind manner to all.
Meditations: Mokusou
Original art by my husband
We begin each class with a standing or sitting meditation, and we end each class in a similar fashion. After students have lined up, the instructor will call out “Mokusou,” which is a signal for students to start meditation. We clear our minds and typically count three breaths. Instructors may choose to shorten or lengthen the meditation period as they see fit. Likewise, at the end of a good work-out, the instructor will ask students to breathe with him or her. We normally end by bowing to the shomen, our Senseis, our Senpais and then our fellow students. When the instructor calls out, “Otagai ni rei,” i.e, bow in appreciation to your fellow students, class is dismissed.
Bowing to show respect and consideration
Note that bows are performed to all. We start by bowing to the shomen, that which represents the knowledge and consideration of those before us, who brought us karate. The shomen also represents what we each may consider sacred. We then bow to our teachers, according to rank, and end with bowing to each other. Like Sensei R. naming a student the shomen who had wandered into the park work-out late, we acknowledge that our fellow students and human beings are deserving of our kindest regard and respect. Our time together during training, as well as our time together on this earth, is sacred. We should treat it as such.
Ultimately, the rules of etiquette that we follow in karate give us ways of showing courtesy to our teachers and to each other. This includes the teachers who came long before us, who created karate, as well as our elders and fellow students. We don our gis to show respect to the karate community that we train with. Lining up by rank and age acknowledges the hard work, effort and life experiences of others. It also allows us to enjoy regard when we have worked hard to achieve a rank. This, in turn, teaches us to respect ourselves as well as others.
I’ll end with a final quote from our style’s founder regarding courtesy.
“Courtesy should be apparent in all our actions and words and in all aspects of daily life. But be courtesy, I do not mean rigid, cold formality. Courtesy in the truest sense is selfless concern for the welfare and physical and mental comfort of the other person.”
Today we celebrate my daughter’s sixteenth birthday, and it will be like no previous birthday celebration. Obviously the pandemic has changed how we observe all sorts of events. However, last night, I put together a collage of photos for today’s family birthday Zoom.
While looking through the pictures, few of her birthdays, I realized, were alike. One year, she invited thirty kids from different friend groups and wanted them all to sleep over. We told her that was way too many kids. She insisted, because she’d already told them all they were invited. I negotiated with the grandparents (remember they live in our home, too). We landed on a solution: a two night birthday event. She divided her friends into two groups of fifteen. On Friday night, several came and celebrated. Some slept over but many (mainly the boys) went home. By Saturday evening, the first shift had cleared out and the second arrived.
Another year, she wanted a beach birthday party. It was too cold to swim in the ocean in January, so we had a family celebration then, and her actual friend birthday party took place on the beach, in June. We managed to pack a Porto’s cake into a freezer bag, and had cake with her on the beach. Keeping the candles lit was a feat. A friend kindly provided a tent for the party.
Ceremony and Change
For every birthday, some things were consistent: candles, a cake, gifts. Other things shifted: family and friends celebrating together, or separately, or the place and even the time. We try to be flexible. As she grew, what she needed and wanted changed, too. As a baby, mom and dad could be sufficient. Later, toys, books and sweets mattered to her, and the presence of friends grew in importance. As a teenager, time with friends became paramount. Last night, she had a Zoom movie night with a close friend. Next weekend, she’ll Zoom with the teen group. Today, we’ll have a separate family group.
Likewise, as your skills grow in karate and in life, what you need and want from it will change. Some things will remain the same: karate can remain a stabilizing force in your life, helping to keep your focus on health and well-being. As a child, you may care about trophies, contests and tournaments. When you are a young adult, a sensei might require you to compete in tournaments and ask you to demonstrate your breaking skills for the dojo during holiday events. As you age, however, you may be more drawn to the spiritual aspects of karate: meditation, teaching, perfecting your techniques. Karate provides space for and places importance on all of these things.
What is Karate Outside the Dojo?
During the pandemic, we’ve had to alter our methods for teaching and how we perform promotions. When California first went into lockdown last spring, we took a hiatus while figuring out our next step. We scrambled to keep our community together when financial disaster struck our dojo. Like the schools, we shifted to instruction primarily over Zoom. Promotions, however, were still held outdoors, in parks, along with occasional in-person classes as permitted by the county. We could not make attendance at any in-person event mandatory, since that might penalize members with elderly parents or persons with health conditions at home. Sensei R. researched the effects of the virus and its spread; he encouraged us to purchase sports masks. During workouts, he required thirty feet between participants, and substituted hard cardio work-outs for kumite matches. He found a way for promotions to take place.
Most promotions we performed, in order to avoid attention, required participants to wear work-out clothing. We only wore belts to signify rank. As the pandemic worsened in our area, we had to reduce attendance at promotions to just the persons promoting and the judges.
Right now, our promotions do not look like those we held in the dojo. Gone are the gis, sparring matches, fellow students shouting encouragement, sharing food afterwards and big parties to celebrate our accomplishments. Here’s what’s remained: beginning and ending meditation, perfecting one’s kihon, performing rank-related kata, syllabus and exercise requirements (push-ups, sit-ups and squats), hard physical and mental exertion, the ceremony of presenting an earned belt, both praise and correction from one’s senseis and senpais.
What is Karate Without Kumite?
Kumite, long considered part of the core of Kyokushin, is a shadow of what it was in our current practice. We miss it. However, we would miss lost friends and family members, and peace of mind much more, if we permitted it, and one of our members or their families contracted the virus with devastating consequences as a result.
Water as Spiritual Strength
ocean wave, taken on the California coast
Karate teaches us that life is change. When our dojo joined the IFK, we adopted the wave as our symbol and sewed it into our gis. According to the IFK’s USA site:
The International Federation of Karate logo, worn at the top of the right sleeve of the Gi, has as its central symbol a rising wave, which is taken from Saiha Kata. This wave symbolizes the fact that no matter how great an obstacle or problem you may encounter, with patience, determination and perseverance (Osu 押忍) you can rise above and overcome it.
My daughter, by the way, loves water. When we took her to the beach as a toddler, she charged right into the surf. My husband or I needed to be right behind her to insure she did not go to deep. She loved the ocean and had no fear of it. In elementary school, she decided she would eat no fish because she, herself, must be part fish.
She still loves water and still applies its lessons of perseverance to all she does: learning and teaching karate, programming, academics and her new job as Dungeon Master.
Water as an Ancient and Enduring Symbol
Standley Lake in Colorado
Water is necessary for all life; many cultures use it to symbolize purification, renewal, wisdom, or even the flow or time or life itself; its symbolic nature is unparalleled.
The quote, “Still waters run deep” appears in Shakespeare and, according to Wikipedia, was a Latin proverb. Even the Biblical 23rd Psalm of David refers to deep water: “he leads me beside still waters” (paraphrased.)
Confucius said, “Balance is the perfect state of still water. Let that be our model. It remains quiet within and is not disturbed on the surface.”
Water is also an important symbol for Daoism, the grandfather of Buddhism, including Zen, and karate. It is used to show how the soft (water) can overcome the hard (rock). In the words of Lao Tsu:
“Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. This is another paradox: what is soft is strong.”
Since water adapts, changing its shape to fill any container that holds it, it refers to both adaptation and consistency. It takes the shape of any vessel, but remains water. Its essence is not in its shape. When heat or freezing temperatures are applied, it may vaporize or freeze. However, when temperatures are not extreme, it remains in a liquid state. In short, water changes but remains what it essentially is.
Kumite as Challenge
During our last promotion, I repeated something to my kohai that I’d hear Sensei R. say to me and many others: “On this day, you fought yourself. You had to face your own exhaustion, limitations and fear. You fought those and overcame them.”
While we do miss the ability to spar with each other, we do not find obstacles in short supply during this pandemic. The spirit of kumite: the desire to overcome any obstacle, like that ocean wave invoked by the IFK, remains with us.
In karate, and in life, we want to be like water: adapting to what we must, but holding fast to our essential nature.
Today, we are celebrating my father-in-law’s 82nd birthday. While my son was on his religious school zoom and daughter prepared to host a Dungeons & Dragons session for younger children, I straightened the kitchen. The bell rang. Still in plaid pajamas, I rushed around to find a mask. I considered running upstairs to grab a housecoat, though it was warm and my pajamas are quite modest. The ringing was insistent. I went to the door. An older man, most likely Armenian from his accent, stood with a large “tree” of fruit dipped in chocolate. The fruit tree had a balloon attached. He asked for my father-in-law. “Richard is asleep,” I told the man. I accepted the gift, and called to the man as he left, “Richard just turned 82 today!”
Who sent this fancy, thoughtful gift? This I wondered while I sprayed it with a diluted bleach solution.
Kindness Remembered
Richard has a cousin in Orange County. She immigrated to the US from Hungary, Richard’s mother’s the country of origin. Actually, she and her husband escaped from Hungary. When they left, the Soviet Union controlled it. Richard’s family helped the young couple get on their feet in the US. Richard has been close to his cousins through his adult life. She sent the gift. During Richard’s birthday Zoom, she told him, “More than anyone else, you helped me adjust to life in this country, and I will always appreciate you for it!”
Richard grew up in Detroit, attended the University of Michigan, and studied engineering. After working in the pharmaceutical industry, he chose to go into academia. During the Zoom, we looked at old family photos that relatives emailed or mailed. We reached one in which he, his wife and cousin were sitting together on a stoup. Miriam was pregnant. He quipped, “I was in a race between the birth of my first child and finishing my doctorate!” Everyone laughed, and one relative remarked, “You can’t lose in a race like that!”
He taught chemical engineering at Vanderbilt University. After retirement, he and Miriam moved to Burbank, to be with us. He currently volunteers at Cal Tech and received a visiting professorship there. He loves listening in on presentations, reviews academic papers for colleagues, and mentoring young undergraduates and the occasional graduate student adjusting to life on campus.
Wisdom in Everyday Choices
In our home, he’s constantly looking for novel uses for objects we might otherwise discard: every room in our contains an old milk jug, filled with water and sanitized with two drops of iodine, in case of an earthquake. Above the sink sits a plastic glass, from a milkshake he purchased over a month ago, that he uses every night as his water glass at dinner.
Miriam and Richard have been married for over fifty years. During his anniversary celebration, we asked them, “How do you manage to stay married for fifty years?” He answered simply, “Every day is a choice. I choose her, and she chooses me, every day.”
Perseverance and Humility
My son’s science homework, the kind of thing his grandfather helps him with!
He has taught me a lot about perseverance. When they first moved to Burbank, he contacted several schools and local community colleges in the area, volunteering his services. He just wanted to keep his mind engaged, and be useful to someone, somewhere. He spoke with our kids’ teachers, and friends of ours who were teachers. Our daughter’s preschool was happy to have him come and demonstrate simple experiment with eggs or potatoes. He counseled the teen son of a friend on studying engineering. As our kids grew older, he helped them with science projects and homework.
However, the colleges he contacted showed no interest. Though he felt discouraged, he persisted, and found individuals to help. My husband had a friend through his job, who had a relative at Cal Tech. They arranged a meeting between Richard and his contact there. The scholar he met at Cal Tech invited him to other meetings, and he found his way to his current position.
Interestingly enough, it was not his ambition to land at one of the most prestigious universities in the world. Rather, it was simply his ambition to be useful to someone, and stay engaged in retirement. Sometimes, it takes a significant amount of intelligence to see the value of those right in front of you.
Focus on Your Practice
Persistence and practice go hand and hand. Sometimes I’d wander into his office and notice scrap papers–he only uses scraps, torn envelopes, the backs of junk mail pages–scrawled with equations containing Greek letters. I’d ask, “What’s that?” He would then explain about a colleague who sent him a paper to review, and he was checking the math. If I stuck around, he’d explain about peptides or acids and bases. Like Mas Oyama, he focused on the work.
“I realized that perseverance and step-by-step progress are the only ways to reach a goal along a chosen path.”
Our humble karate club is also doing its best to stick to those twin principles: perseverance and practice. During a pandemic, after our dojo closed and we cannot meet in person, continuing to meet using only Zoom has taken some perseverance. Yet we continue our practice.
Break it down and mix it up!
Last Tuesday, Sensei R took three sequences from Kanku and used them as our kihon. He first had us practice uchi uke followed by a punch. Later, we practiced the quick junzuki turns with stabs, followed by blocks and breathing. Finally, he went over one of the more complex sequences, holding one fist above the other to one side, then doing a mae geri (front kick), followed by the simultaneous side strike with both a fist and kick, ending in a twisting elbow-strike to the hand. (This sequence, by the way, is also in Pinan Sono Yon.) He wanted us to break the longer kata down into pieces, and perfect each piece separately.
On Friday, our weapons Senpai, Senpai SL, reviewed some basic nunchuck moves, then we practiced his personal nunchuck kata. He also reviewed one we’d learned with Sensei R. Finally, he asked for suggestions, and worked out nunchuck versions of Tsuki No and Gekisai dai. In each case, he had us first review and practice the kata before attempting the weapons version. The class was fun and challenging, though much of it was review.
Finally, on Saturday, we had a guest instructor, Sensei AJ. She reviewed the hapkido stick moves that she’d previously taught. Like Senpai SL, she taught us to follow a series of steps and punches without the sticks, then we added sticks!
Choose to Practice Every Day
Whether we are pursuing karate for its health and spiritual benefits, or pursuing a career, playing a musical instrument or hoping to finish high school or college, persistence and practice are necessary to achieving most worth while goals.
I wish you persistence in your endeavors, and inspiration to practice! Like my father-in-law, focus on the work, on being a useful member of society. Keep your marriage to karate strong by choosing it daily.
“One becomes a beginner after 1000 days of training. One becomes a master after 10,000 days of practice.”
Masutatsu Oyama
Flowers in Griffith Park, taken on January 3rd, 2021, on hike with karateka kids
After events in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, January 6th, 2021, I needed to grapple with current events.
Our institutions and our world, are like a dojo. Treat them with respect.
After events in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, January 6th, 2021, I felt I needed to write something grappling with current events, even though this is mostly a karate blog with oblique references to my profession.
Personal Interest in Spirituality and Truth
I am an American. I grew up in the South. One of the most influential persons in my life was an evangelical Christian and Southern Baptist. However, I fell in love with a man of Jewish heritage who considered himself an atheist until he found Buddhism. I converted to Judaism and chose to raise my children as Jews.
But right now, I’m reading the Koran. As a student in Germany, a graduate student in physics named Nadia befriended me. Her family raised her as a Christian, but she chose to convert to Islam. Her intelligence, kindness and thoughtfulness left a deep impression on me. I have a sister who converted to Islam as well. Hence, my interest in the Koran. As student in Germany, I read the Bhagavad Gita, as well as some autobiographical writings of Mahatma Ghandi. On this blog, I’ve talked about Buddhist texts, particularly ones on Zen, which influence karate. Sometimes I make references to Lao Tsu, whose writings I discovered later in life.
My aunt instilled a deep interest in spirituality and truth in me. Reading Bible stories with her sparked my childish imagination. She instilled in me a desire to live up to her lofty values. And what were those values? Be a good person. Tell the truth. Have compassion. In short, she’d say, to the best of your ability, be like Jesus.
Oyama, too, instructed his karateka: be a good person, a strong family member and serve your community. My aunt would approve.
“One living daily in the Way carries their head low and their eyes high; reserved in speech and possessing a kind heart, they steadfastly continue in their training efforts.”
I tell you these things so you can evaluate where I come from. Each of us has implicit biases, based in our familial, cultural, religious and national heritages. This is, to a degree, part of our nature as humans. Each of us chooses to embrace and reject parts of our upbringing and heritage. As teenagers and young adults, we seek to answer the question, “Who am I? What do I believe? What do I stand for?”
That said, each of us has blind spots. We can only overcome those blind spots if we acknowledge they exist. One way to overcome them is to befriend honest, trusted people who are not like us, then listen closely to them. Those differences can be based in heritage, religion, political beliefs, age, profession, physical appearance, build and perceived abnormalities, material affluence, nation or region of origin, physical or mental diversity and abilities or lack thereof, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and socially-constructed race. In short, we need friends different from us. They can help us become better people, if we are willing to hear what they say.
Just as we have senpais (older siblings) when we practice in the dojo, a person with different life experiences from you can be like a senpai. How do we treat senpais in a dojo? We observe them, listen, and try to imitate what they do well. The world can be like a dojo if we enter it respectfully, willing to observe carefully, listen, and learn from those around us.
House of the Search for Absolute Reality
Hike in the Olympic National Forest
So again, what does karate have to do with recent political events? The style of karate that I and my martial arts compatriots practice is called Kyokushin, and it was established by a Japanese man of Korean heritage, Masutatsu Oyama. Kyokushin literally means “absolute truth” in Japanese, and the Kyokushin kai, the symbol many of us wear on our gis, means “House of Absolute Truth.” However, “truth” can also be interpreted as “reality.” From the Wikipedia entry on Kyokushin, here’s a good explanation, breaking down the parts of Kyokushin Kai:
Oyama chose the kanji of Kyokushinkai (極真会) to resemble the samurai sword safely placed in its sheath. Translated, kyoku means “ultimate”, shin means “truth” or “reality” and kai means “to join” or “to associate.” Kyokushinkai, roughly translated, means “Association for Ultimate Truth”.[“What is Kyokushin? Mas-Oyama.com. Retrieved April 23, 2013] This concept has less to do with the Western meaning of truth; rather it is more in keeping with the bushido concept of discovering the nature of one’s true character when tried.[ Groenwold, A. M. (2002) Karate the Japanese Way Canada: Trafford Publishing.] One of the goals of kyokushin is to strengthen and improve character by challenging one’s self through rigorous training.{“What is Kyokushin?” Mas-oyama.com. Retrieved October 26, 2013]
My Sensei would often refer to that nuance: truth versus reality. He also added his own wisdom: none of us should presume to own the truth, or reality, in its entirety. Our narrow experiences and knowledge limits us. We seek to improve ourselves precisely because we know we need it. Therefore, Sensei R liked to say, we are the “house of the search for absolute reality.”
Searching for Reality: Our Senses
So, how do we know what is true and real? Where do we start? Certainly our own experiences are a great start. If a brick feels hard when you strike it, you can say it’s hard.
Our physical experience in the world: what we see, hear, smell, taste and feel, is our primary evidence for what reality is.
Sometimes personal experience isn’t enough. I wasn’t in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, January 6th, 2021. How do I know what actually transpired there?
Reality Testing: When Not To Trust your Senses
But let’s take a step back for a moment. I just asserted that we should be able to trust our own experiences as mediated by our own senses. Is that always true?
My mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia when I was fourteen. She often told me about her visions. She heard voices, too. Sometimes she was aware that she could see and hear things no one else could see or hear. At other times, she was surprised to find that others had not experienced what she’d experienced.
Once she told me about a vision she’d had. She’d dated a particular man then broken off the relationship. Shortly afterwards, someone slashed her car tires. She believed he did it, because before the tire incident, she’d had a “vision.” She characterized it as such since it was in black and white, not color. However, the man in in her vision had yellow teeth. This detail stood out to her because it was the only element of color in an otherwise black and white experience. That detail revealed the man’s identity to her. She’d made note of his yellow teeth when they had been together in the past.
In this case, she knew her vision was outside of normal reality because it was in black and white, rather than color. She understood no one else but she had had this experience. She knew it was not “real” in the sense that you reading this blog right now is real. Nevertheless, it held meaning for her.
She told me about another experience quite unlike that one. As a temp office worker for Kelly Services, she’d struck up a friendship with one of the men at the office. One day, she realized he was not there.
Seeking out the judgement of others
According to my mother, her friend was there, until she realized he was not. So what does that mean? I puzzled over this for a long time. One of these two situations had occurred in reality: either my mother imagined this man, and interacted with an invisible person at the office (Scenario A), or my mother concluded that a real man, whom she’d previously interacted with, did not really exist (Scenario B). She knew enough to know that her hold on reality, at times, was tenuous.
But what was real? What actually happened with my mother in that office? How can you know, if you knew that you could not always trust your own senses? From my mother’s point of view, here’s how you might discover the truth: talk to the other people in the office. If they notice you were talking to thin air or frequently talking to yourself, then assume Scenario A, he does not exist, is likely true. However, if they note that you had made a friend, then strangely started ignoring him, Scenario B is more likely true, that he does exist.
Overcoming limitations
I learned from my mother, and her disease, that personal experiences are limited and possibly flawed. This is in line with studies conducted on implicit bias. We have each internalized the biases of our own families, communities and cultures. This is true regardless of mental abilities. However, just like a mental disability, biases limit our understanding of reality. They color what we see, or rather, remove color from what we see. Sometimes we have awareness of our biases, like my mother’s black and white vision. Other times, these biases are truly unconscious and we need honest feedback from others to bring us into reality.
In addition, there are our obvious limitations: determining what really happened at a time and place when you weren’t there. What do you do? You turn to the experiences of others to overcome your limitations.
Wednesday’s Events
On Wednesday, as events unfolded, my husband was glued to Twitter. He also followed the live reports of various reporters in the Capitol. That evening at 6pm, I tuned into the Senate debate, broadcast live by the New York Times. They debated an objection raised to certify Arizona’s electoral votes. Correspondents wrote comments in the margins of the page as different senators spoke from the floor.
Also, I paid special attention to Republican senators. Many condemned the violence exhibited that day. One in particular said she would change her vote based on the prior events, though she continued to question the validity of the election’s results. In the end, six senators voted in favor of the objection while ninety three voted against it. I didn’t stick around for the House debate.
If you lived in a small town in a rural area, and everyone you knew had voted like you, I can understand how you might assume your vote represents a majority; it may be in line with the majority in your community. However, if you have friends or relatives in metropolitan areas, you can find out how their opinions might differ from yours with a phone call. You can read the local papers from other communities in faraway places. Unless you live in a place with limited service or without freedom of media, you also can read online press releases from other countries as well as those from within your own country. This is reality-checking.
What’s True and Real
In the United States, we have a series of checks and balances set up to help prevent corruption. The balance of powers between the three branches of government is one. No one branch is permitted to hold absolute power.
The president asserts the election was stolen from him. Who stole it and how? His followers, who stormed the Capitol on Wednesday, intended to defend him. Did they defend him? What is reality?
The Courts
The American court system offers redress to people who believe they have been wronged and those accused of wrong-doing. President Trump’s legal team filed multiple lawsuits on his behalf regarding election fraud. Most of them were rejected. The few that prevailed were not significant enough to move the needle of election results in any state.
In addition, the Supreme Court declined to hear those cases on appeal and rejected one case outright. There are at least six conservative judges, three of whom were appointed under Trump’s administration in the Supreme Court. It is not likely that the Supreme Court is biased against the current president.
In our court system, the burden of proof rests with the accuser and not the accused. It was not sufficient for the Trump Administration to claim voter fraud in various counties and states. To prevail, they had to offer enough proof to convince a judge and possibly a jury.
The Congress
Congress met to ratify the votes of the electors from the states. A handful of representatives raised objections to the votes of some states; Congress debated those. As mentioned earlier, the Senate voted 6 to 93 against the objection to Arizona’s votes. The House rejected the same objection 303 to 121. Objections were similarly raised to Pennsylvania’s vote, and were rejected, in both houses, by similar margins. Vice President Pence, a loyal supporter of the current president, presided over these proceedings. Recall, too, that the current president’s party held a slim majority in the Senate. Many Senators are loyal to the Republican Party and to the current president. It is not likely that the Senate was biased against President Trump. Senator after senator, Republican and Democrat, speaking from the floor, spoke passionately about doing their jobs.
More Republican Representatives in the Democrat-controlled House voted as the President hoped, but the majority still voted in favor of certifying the states’ votes.
The courts and the Congress, then, have stymied the current president’s ambitions to stay in power. One might argue they’re simply against him. However, our government was designed with the idea that the three branches of government would keep the power of each in check. This is the more likely scenario.
For those of us who were not at the Capitol last Wednesday, we have the accounts of eye-witnesses, including first-hand accounts from senators and representatives belonging to both parties, the police, members of the press, protestors and even the accounts of rioters.
Trust the Process
When I first began my karate journey, I felt intimidated. I watched the black, brown and green belts perform katas, fight, and do kihon. They knew the Japanese terminology. I was impressed with their knowledge, fierceness and grace. At times, I wasn’t sure I’d last long enough in my studies to attain a high rank. As an older, petite woman and a white belt, I wondered if I’d ever be able to hold my own in a kumite match with any of my fellow karateka.
Once in a while, I’d give voice to those apprehensions, and one of my senpais would answer, “Trust the process.” Sensei R. would also tell the class, “Trust your training.”
Now, nearly eight years later, I know the Japanese terminology. I know kihon and many katas. I’ve broken bricks with my hands. Over the holiday break, I was even able to get through Kanku, one of our longest, advanced kata. But it took years of practice–including many days in which I made a lot of mistakes–to get there. But I trusted the process. I trained. I am not perfect, but I am much improved over where I was when I started.
Democracy is messy, but it has a process
Yes, our democracy is far from perfect. Every voter precinct has volunteers, some paid and others not, helping to run the elections. Civil servants at all levels are people. Many have significant experience while others, fresh-faced, volunteered for the first time during this past election. Do they make mistakes? Of course! But luckily, there are multiple persons present while voting, and vote counting, occurs. They have training and a responsibility to report errors if they see them.
Our process, during both the 2016 and the 2020 elections, has received significant scrutiny, and we’ve made corrections. Investigations noted irregularities, foreign influence and misinformation in the 2016 election. These did influence that election. However, despite the fact that the 2016 election had been a close one, with the popular vote going to one candidate and the electoral college going to another, those tasked with investigating these problems still concluded that President Trump had won fairly in 2016. Of course many people did not like to hear that, but this was the consensus.
Checking Reality
Our elected officials did discuss and take measures to help protect against interference in our elections in the future. The 2020 elections, as well as voters, benefitted from some of these. However, by the time the 2020 elections arrived, our country had to work around a world-wide pandemic in addition. The voting public, however, has more awareness of issues like misinformation and foreign interference.
The results of the 2020 election were not close. However, Biden’s edge in the popular vote, according to the Pew Research Center, was about 4.45% of votes cast. The Electoral College cast 306 votes in favor of Biden and 232 in favor of Trump. According to Pew, Biden’s lead over Trump in the popular vote is about seven million. Pew notes Biden’s 2020 victory over Trump in the Electoral College looks like Trump’s victory over Clinton in 2016.
Nevertheless, the current president filed legal challenges, and those challenges went to the courts. This is the appropriate place for such challenges. If the challenges fail, then the losing party needs to regroup and learn from their losses.
In politics, as in karate, we learn more from our failures than from our victories.
Violence is Not the Way Forward
Given the emphasis that karate practitioners place on kumite (sparring) and tameshiwari (breaking stuff), it may sound counter-intuitive for me to write this, but karateka seek to be masters of violence in order to avoid it.
First, we learn self-control. During kumite, advanced students know how to take and give blows without letting their emotions run away from them. We control our breath, our muscles and our minds during sparring. Often, a karate teacher pairs advanced students with less experienced ones precisely because they will both challenge and teach the less experienced students. However, senpais remain in control of themselves, so they will not injure or discourage their kohais.
When we learn self-defense, the lesson is always to keep the fight as short as possible and get to safety. The goal is not to hurt others, but rather to defend ourselves and keep ourselves safe.
Mayhem is not protected political speech
While there were many peaceful protestors on Wednesday, some engaged in vandalism. Some participated in the chaos and expressed their anger, while others acted out in mob violence. Still others had more deadly intensions: they carried weapons into the capitol, or planted pipe bombs in the headquarters of both parties. Rioters beat a police officer with a fire extinguisher. He died. In total, five people died. Rioters threatened the vice president’s life: they erected a gallows, a white supremacist symbol, and chanted “Hang Mike Pence!”
Mayhem, threats and violence are the tools of thugs, extremists and dictators. It takes no skill or courage to pull a gun’s trigger or set off a bomb.
“Personal greed and egoism are things that cause human beings to forget respect for others and to violate rules that have been established for the sake of peace and friendship.”
Do the right thing. Advocate change, but do not violate others in the process.
This nation, our institutions, and our world, are like a dojo. Treat them as such: with reverence and respect. Enter and leave them with humility, head bowed but eyes raised.
A small number of us chose to start out the New Year right: with karate! We reviewed the onerous lower twenty-one techniques, with special attention to foot positions.
A small number of us chose to start out the New Year right: with karate! I admit that accepting the teaching assignment for today was certainly an aid for me. Nothing inspires you to dust off and brush up on a particular skill set like having to teach it!
Jumping right into the Deep End: Lower Twenty-one
We decided to jump right into the deep end by taking on the Lower 21 moves today. It was a good choice, since none of the students in attendance felt secure with it. Admittedly, I was not comfortable with it until I spent time drilling it, I also practicing how I might teach it. Before falling asleep, I went over the moves in my mind. Upon waking, I found myself going over them once again.
17 Hand Techniques and 21 Lower Techniques: Background
Here is an excellent reference posted by the Kyokushin Academy in the UK:
According to the Kyokushin Academy, the seventeen hand techniques and twenty-one leg techniques were developed by Hanshi Steve Arneil, who trained under our style’s founder, Masutatsu Oyama. Hanshi Arneil founded the International Federation of Karate (IFK). When we were a physical dojo, our Sensei R. affiliated with the IFK for long stretch of time after leaving the IKO, and has deep respect for many of its leaders and instructors.
The Nitty Gritty Details: Lower 21
I found that the best way to attack teaching the Lower 21 was to divide it into sections based on both the kicking technique and the foot position. Of course, like the upper 17, we know that we start on the right side, then each technique alternates from left to right. Often, we change levels: so if you do a gedan (low) technique on the right, you can expect a chudan (belt-level) on the left, followed by a jodan (high) technique on the right. We accept and expect this pattern, so we can focus on the techniques and foot positions.
Leg techniques
Here’s the breakdown for leg techniques:
2 knee techniques (hiza, knee to the face, followed by a “roundhouse” knee)
2 “knee” kick-attacks, to the side and then we pivot to the front for the second (kansetsu geri)
4 side kicks, (yoko geri), alternating between the side and front, chudan then jodan on both sides
3 back kicks (ushiro geri, chudan on each side, followed by a complete spinning jodan back kick)
Foot positions
The foot positions can “transition” between these moves, and we are also moving through haisoku (pointed toe), chusoku (striking with the ball of the foot), sokuto (the “knife-edge,” outer side of the foot), kakato (the heel) and occasionally, teisoku, or the “inside”side of the foot. Here is a breakdown by foot positions:
3 haisoku(s) (making contact with the target using the top flat of foot, toes pointed down, techniques are 2 knees and the groin kick)
3 chusoku(s) (ball of the foot, two front kicks and the front stretch kick)
teisoku (inside of foot, technique is outside-in stretch kick)
haisoku for the inside-out circling stretch kick
sokuto (knife-edge of foot) for the side stretch kick
back to 2 chusokus ( round-house kicks)
1 haisoku (jodan round-house kick)
6 sokuto (all of the kansetsu and yoko geri kicks)
3 kakato(s) (heels, all back kicks)
Reference Videos
While trying to figure out how to teach these techniques last night, I found a few useful videos. One in particular gave important insights into both the knee techniques and foot positions.
The very first technique, hiza gammen geri, is a knee to the face. Now, if you’re reading this and you don’t know me, know that I am short: just over five feet tall. So I’m thinking, how the heck would I get my knee up that high? Well, I did see some images of karateka using beautiful jumps to raise their knees to the level of an opponent’s face. That is one way. The following video, however, demonstrates a good practice technique, holding your hands at chest-level, then kneeing your own hands. Today we did this as a warm-up between stretches and kihon.
This video also covers another point of reference: why the emphasis on the foot positions? After having his student practice hitting his hands with his knees, he goes on to explain how the foot position, chusoku verses haisoku, can direct the force of the strike. This video was shared on YouTube by Karate-Kata. Please refer to the first segment labelled “Hiza Geri.”
Section called “Hiza Geri” contains relevant information regarding exercises for knee strikes and how foot position can direct the force of a strike.
Unfortunately, the video itself appears to be a collection which does not mention who the instructors are or which dojos they belong to. I also tried to find information about the poster through their YouTube “home” page. While the poster includes links to other interesting karate pages and a memorial to Jon Bluming, I wasn’t able to find more information to share about these folks.
Zoom Instruction
Our class today was small: just my son and me, two young junior shodans, and one very dedicated adult green belt. I lead the warm-up, then had students perform the knee kicks to the hands. We started at chest level and tried eye-level, but that was definitely challenging.
For kihon, we did a round-robin: each student lead the exercises associated with a stance. Most students did twenties! So it was a hard kihon. After a water break, I had us once again do those knee exercises, then proceeded to break down the lower 21 by leg technique. With each one, though, I was careful to point out the required foot position.
Finally, after going over the 21 techniques with me, we did another round-robin. I asked everyone to go into Gallery View in Zoom. We all unmuted our mics. Then, I called out the order in which students would do the techniques, and each student led one technique until we got through all 21. If a student didn’t remember which technique came next, I helped him or her out. But most folks knew or guessed which technique came next, and many remembered those foot positions! I’m very proud of the class.
Point Needing Clarification: Ushiro Geris, two attacks or three?
We also had a big discussion about the last three ushiro geris. So, if you go strictly by what the cheat sheet shows, we might assume that the first two kicks are part of a single attack: you spin 180, then deliver a back kick with the right, then left leg, then spin 180 to complete the attack. In all honestly, for that to work, you’d have to be pretty fast in delivering those kicks to an opponent. Either that, or confident your first kick lands. Normally, we would not want to keep our backs to an opponent for two techniques. But given that the cheat sheet shows no transition between the first right and left chudan-level back kicks, this is one way to make sense of that.
Alternatively, and an equally valid assumption, would be for the karateka to know that each ushiro geri is proceeded by a turn, then the kick is delivered, and the technique is completed by a turn back to face the opponent. In this case, both the right and left ushiro geris would be separate attacks.
I emailed Sensei T. for clarification and will share his more educated opinion when I hear back from him.
Both F and S have been baking a lot over the winter break. This cake was created by F.
During the school winter break and holiday season, we are cutting back our karate Zoom schedule. My daughter F taught our last class for 2020 over Zoom on Saturday. Attendance was sparse compared to most Saturday classes. However, F found a way to utilize the smaller attendance to her favor.
She chit-chatted with students who joined on time, while waiting for some to join. S and I were outside, standing in tall clover, working out with her. She had two other students lead a hard, fast kihon: just 10 repetitions of each exercise, but we went straight through. By the time kihon was over, we were out of breath! So it was a good workout, though shorter than usual.
Interactive Shadow-boxing
Once we returned from a three minute break, she devised a shadow-boxing exercise to imitate kumite. Zoom has a setting for hiding the “windows” of folks who have their video feeds turned off. She asked everyone except for the two sparring partners to turn off their video feeds. We see only the two shadow-boxing contestants in “gallery” view. Then, F said, “Okay, everyone unmute your mikes. I want you to encourage and coach the fighters, just as we would in person!” The two shadow-boxers were instructed to try and watch what their “opponent” was doing, and react. So, if the first shadow-boxer threw a combination of punches, her opponent should block. If he then answers her with a series of kicks and punches, then she should try to block these or move out of the way.
We each had a turn shadow-boxing with another student in one of the Zoom windows. It was a lot of fun, and folks did encourage and cheer each other on, just as we would in a live, in-person kumite match in the dojo. Sometimes, a shadow-boxing student performed a particularly unexpected move. The opponent, then, feigned being hit. One would call out, “Oh, he got me! I didn’t see that coming!”
Jump-kicks and spins
The kids really got into it and a few of them performed jump-kicks and moves they might not ordinarily pull off in an in-person kumite match. That was fun to see, and exactly what we would hope for during a shadow-boxing session.
Students had great fun both watching and participating. While watching, we called out the usual, “Keep your guard up!” or “Hey, block those punches!” In addition, we would also point out to each other when a person’s normal advantage in kumite, like greater height or weight, was not a factor. My son S is pretty tall now. When one of the shorter, but very advanced junior black-belts went up against him, folks pointed that out. “Alright, Senpai K, S’s height doesn’t matter here! Get him!” Senpai K got in a spinning jump-kick on my son. Then S had to find an opening to return it.
In all, it was a great class: lots of fun and a good way to work off some of those heavy holiday meals!
As the winter break and holidays approach, I find my energy flagging and I often think, “Maybe I will skip karate or exercises today.” However, when my life is busy and my stress levels high, this is when I need my karate practice most. I know this. So, when the time comes, I put on my gi and log in to Zoom. My one concession to flagging energy levels: the kids and I straighten the living room and do our class indoors instead of outdoors.
It has been cold lately, and it is dark early. So setting up outside is more work: we setup a light in addition to the computer, so our instructors and students can see us. Usually, we warm fairly quickly–karate exercises certainly help you to stay warm–but the rustling of opossums, raccoons and mice in the yard or planes passing overhead can be a distraction.
Admittedly, seeing wildlife is fun, but if we are following a teacher, we do not want that teacher to note our lapsed attention. If I am teaching, I might mention the wild animal to my students. Then they will often share their own stories about wild visits: neighbors’ pets, raccoons, maybe a coyote for those living in the hills.
When the nights are a bit warmer, we’ll move back to the outdoors. This past week, however, it was nice to do karate indoors.
Weapons Instruction: Fun as Motivation
This past Friday night, Senpai SL, our resident weapons specialist, led class. This time, he taught kata for swords. After a quick kihon and stretches, he led us in the basic katas, but we used katana, or broom sticks, for striking and blocking. He had us do both the first three Taikyokus (basic punching katas) and the first three Sokugi Taikyokus (basic kicking katas) with katanas. It was a lot of fun, and my first time to do the kicking kata with a katana.
After going over the basic kata, Senpai SL decided we should try Yantsu and Pinan Sono Go. For these, he decided to figure out the moves on the fly. We first practiced the kata without katana, then watched as Senpai SL came up with katana equivalents of the strikes and blocks. Then we tried it with him. It was challenging! It was also impressive to watch his improvisational skills with the sword.
Occasionally he’d forget where he was at in the kata, but this was understandable. This past week was finals week! And he had agreed to teach us something fun, rather than take a rest. Like him, all of the kids, and adults, were tired and in need of a good distraction. We found it with our young weapons expert.
Karate and Kobudo Inspirations
I did some web searches and, though I did not find any IFK demonstrations with katana, I did come across a great Shotokan demonstration by by Sensei Cyril Guénet, Olivier Hentz & Jean-Christophe Bonjus. Here’s what I like about this demonstration: in the center, you see the basic karate moves for the kata. On either side, you see the modifications made for both bo staff and katana.
KATA JITTE : Katana / Karate / Kobudo, posted by mdvcommunication, maintained Sensei Cyril Guenet
I admit that, seeing Senpai SL on the schedule for weapons was a good motivator for me and the other students to log into Zoom for karate after a long, stressful week!
Festival of Lights: Respite, Faith as Motivation
Hanukia lit outside of Temple Beth Emet by members in Burbank
Last week was also Hanukkah, so on some nights, after dinner and homework, our family lit candles, said blessings and sang songs. Relatives and friends sent gifts for the kids, so we enjoyed these as well.
Recall that Mas Oyama linked karate to three goals for self-improvement: becoming a better person, family member and community member. True to his karate studies, my son volunteered to help assemble and distribute Hanukkah gift bags for his fellow religious school students. He and two other classmates, along with adult Temple volunteers, many of them elderly, set up tables in the Temple parking lot put candies, a box of candles, a couple dreidels and a prayer sheet together in a gift bag.
They were careful to wear masks and keep distance from one another. Families arrived to pick up their Hanukkah bags and drop off a new toy for the local toy drive at the Children’s Hospital. Families were also invited to light a hanukia on the front lawn of the Temple. When I arrived to pick up my son, the little table in the front blazed with lit hanukia. I took the photo above.
That night, we were glad to celebrate together. So many of the Temple volunteers were persons who live alone, or their own family cannot visit them due to the pandemic. My husband’s parents live with us, so we felt fortunate to celebrate together, as six.
Zoom Karate During Hanukkah
Over our karate Zoom last Tuesday, during Hanukkah, Sensei Robert wished us all happy holidays. We were a small class because of finals week, yet we still managed to have about eight households join the Zoom. Together we reviewed Kanku and Gecki Sai Dai. My son and I helped each other through part of Kanku, but we clearly needed more practice. Gecki Sai Dai gave us no trouble. He had exams the next morning but, like me, wanted to carve out time for karate.
I felt grateful that so many members of our karate family, despite the pandemic and financial hardships, had chosen to stick together. Also, I realized how fortunate I was to be able to study karate with my children. Karate inspires us together.
Motivation From Community
My karate community certainly inspires me. When my motivation flags, I think of my senpais and kohais. My kohais look to me as an example, so I strive to do my best. I aspire to be like my own senpais, who have set strong examples for me to follow. Finally, my karate family is also just a lot of fun to be around.
The greater community within Burbank inspires me, too. Neighbors are polite and inquire after each other’s health. My next door neighbor will text me if we’ve forgotten to move a car on street cleaning day. Last night, my husband and I went for a long walk along the bike path on Chandler. There were drawings and inspirational sayings on the sidewalk. This one stayed with me:
I thought 2020 would bring me everything I wanted. Instead, it has made me grateful for all I have.
Written on the sidewalk along the Chandler Bike Path, Burbank, CA
Inspiration in Unlikely Places
There is a dry cleaner in our neighborhood called Milt and Edie’s. Every few weeks, the owner updates the sign with a different inspirational saying. For years, I would read the sign out loud to my family when we drove past. I started to refer to that sign as “the Oracle.” Sometimes the sayings were pithy; other times humorous, and yes, sometimes a bit sentimental. Often the sayings felt relevant to something happening in our lives.
When Milt, the owner, became ill, the sign became an explicit encouragement for Milt and his loved ones. Then it displayed the sad announcement of his passing, followed by the heartfelt sentiments of family who missed him. That’s the only time I shed tears upon seeing a dry cleaner’s sign.
More recently, tonight, in fact, the Oracle’s sign is meditative:
Milt and Edie’s, Burbank, CA, displayed December 20th, 2020
Karate also teaches us to find our inner strength. Through trials like Sanchin, when our teachers and fellow students attempt to distract us through strikes and loud noises, we’re taught to focus on a single goal: completing the kata. Through meditation and kata, we strengthen our minds while kihon and exercises help us strengthen our bodies. Kumite helps us learn to control anger and stay calm in the face of conflict. Tameshiwari teaches us to recognize our own strength.
This past Saturday, we had a guest instructor: Sensei B. He has taught for us twice over Zoom, and he teaches self-defense. Saturday’s class was no different.
Sensei T led the warm-up: stretches, followed by ten of each kihon exercise straight through. He set a rapid pace, so that our kihon would not take up too much time. It was a challenging cardio work-out. F, S and I were out of breath at the end of it! Whenever Sensei B teaches over Zoom, the club normally asks participants to recruit a sibling or parent to serve as a practice partner. Roughly half of us had partners, but two students did not.
Two Self-Defense Techniques
Back-Pivot Strike
Sensei B first demonstrated a fighting technique that I found less intuitive. He says it was highly effective for him in two tournaments, and can be used for self-defense, if needed. Your opponent delivers a round-house kick. When the kick is delivered, you step closer to your opponent, into the kick, using both your hip and a sweeping down block with the arm to block the kick. Stepping in is certainly counter-intuitive. However, by stepping into the kick, according to Sensei B, you reduce its force.
He gave a simple demonstration to show how stepping into a kick can reduce its force. While throwing a punch in slow motion towards his daughter, he explained, “If you are at the end of this, you receive the full force.” His daughter stepped towards him, but to the side. “Just by shortening the distance, you reduce the momentum of the blow.”
So, after you’ve stepped in to block your opponent’s kick, uou pivot, pointing your heel at your opponent. Afterwards, you spin and deliver an elbow strike, followed by a back fist. In self-defense, you’d deliver these to the face. In a tournament, you’d choose a different target unless your opponent is wearing a helmet.
It took a bit of practice for me to get these down. F got this one pretty easily. S as well. Sensei B. spotlighted each group of participants over Zoom and coached us through, until we got it right.
Defense Against an Attack from Behind
The second technique, however, was purely for self-defense rather than sparring and far more intuitive. It is also highly useful for situations in which your attacker is much larger than you: so a good self-defense technique for children and women to learn.
The attacker comes at you from behind and encircles your chest with his arms. Coming from underneath, you place both of your hands over his hands or arms, to keep them in place.
You go into a kiba or horse-straddle stance. A lower position is better, I discovered while practicing with S, since you can potentially pull your attacker forward and more off-balance.
Careful to glance behind you so you know the location of your attacker’s head, you bash his head with the back of yours.
Then you bump your attacker with your backside and deliver a second head-butt. This basically gives you more wiggle-room.
From kiba, you step around your attacker’s leg so you have one of your legs behind his knee. Deliver a punch to the groin.
Your attacker should fall backwards over your leg. You can accelerate in his fall backwards by grabbing and pulling his other leg upwards.
It is likely that you will fall back on top of your attacker, and you should try to land on his chest. Deliver simultaneous blows to his face and groin area with both elbows.
S, F and I practiced this last technique on each other, dropping each other into the clover. We were careful not to actually hurt one another, but it was fun on top of being informative.
Other Self-Defense Techniques based in Jujitsu for Women and Children
I did some Google searches to see if I could turn up Sensei B’s technique or one that’s similar. I found two very informative videos. These focus on women’s self-defense. However, these techniques can be useful for teens, children or persons of smaller stature. Obviously when teaching children, you want to avoid frightening them.
The first is a jujitsu demonstration useful if your attacker is larger and potentially stronger than you:
From HER network: Joanna Soh
Notice that the instructor often emphasizes how the defender is to take control back from the attacker: often the defender places her hand over the attacker’s hands to take back control. Also, the fourth demonstration is somewhat similar to the technique that Sensei B. showed us. The defender drops into a kiba, then steps behind the attacker in order to trip her. Again, similar to Sensei B’s instructions, from a lowered center of gravity, she pulls on the attacker’s legs from behind to make the attacker fall.
The second is from Aja Dang with Renner Gracie from Gracie University. Notice how similar the “stong, tightened neck” or “allegator neck” is to our “last defense” in kyokushin karate:
Aja Dang teams up with Renner Gracie from Gracie University to show us self-defense techniques against 5 choke holds
In both these self-defense demonstrations, when the attacker has attempted a choke-hold, the defender goes into a kiba stance so that her center of gravity is lower than that of the attacker’s. Also, in both of these videos, the defender aims her attacks against the attacker’s joints: often the elbows but sometimes the knees.
Conclusions
In these self-defense situations, we can take away three principles. First, take control back. Second, moving into an attacker’s strikes rather than away can rob the attacker of momentum. Third, attack the joints–the weakest areas of a person.
Obviously we hope that we will never be in a situation to use these techniques. However, they are useful to have as part of a karateka’s arsenal in case we find ourselves in the unfortunate position of needing them.
Each day of good health, therefore, is a gift. Every day spent in the company of a dear friend and loved one is also a gift. Karate teaches us to strengthen our bodies so we might have more days of good health. It also teaches us strength of mind to bear pain and recognize truth.
Yesterday, I participated as a judge in a promotion for the first time. It was a truly rewarding experience.
We continue to hold the bulk of our classes over Zoom. However, about once a month, health restrictions permitting, we meet in a local park for a socially-distanced workout.
During yesterday’s promotion, Sensei T felt it was important to meet in person. He offered me a chance to attend, since, as a newly minted shodan, I should learn to judge and assist in promotions. Sensei R was our senior officiating referee. The three of us met our student and his parents at 9:00am.
Go-Kyu Test
Our fifteen year old promotion candidate, TC, had clearly worked hard. His kicks were high and targeted. He knew his required kata well: Tsuki No, Yantsu and Pinan Sono San and of course, Sanchin. He had had personal tutoring from both Senseis R and T. I’d tailored a class and taught Tsuki No kata over Zoom for him. Last Tuesday, Sensei R. went over several of TC’s requirements. He was a yellow stripe, or go-kyu and tested yesterday for his yon-kyu, or green belt. The green belt is the first rank for an advanced student.
Sensei T led the warm-up, then we alternated running kihon with TC. While one of us led, the other watched TC’s techniques. Sensei R.’s eagle eyes were on TC the whole time. TC was sharp, following each technique, and did not show signs of fatigue. Afterwards, Sensei T had him do a couple of the beginning kata to warm-up, then had him do his promotion requirements. I led him through syllabus to his rank, the fourth kyu, also discovering in the process that I need to drill these for myself. That knowledge I will take with me into our upcoming Zoom classes!
Corrections for Cleaning: Evidence of an Advanced Student
Appropriately, most of our corrective notes for him centered on details: paying attention to his hikite hand, curving his foot out appropriately for sokuto or the knife-edge of the foot. Sensei R also demonstrated techniques for making sure your sanchin dachi pose is properly distanced: if you pivot forward into the fighting stance from sanchin dachi, then go down to one knee, your foot and knee should be about a fist apart.
After these, TC was required to do sixty push-ups, sit-ups and squats. Sensei T made the last 15 squats more challenging by having him do punches after each squat, and finally ending with five jump-squats.
The Fight Against Oneself: Developing Perseverance
Karate helps us develop a steadfast, unshaken spirit
A rigorous, eight minute tabata test substituted for his kumite matches. Sensei T had him rotate through a minute of each exercise with a twenty second break in between each. It was similar to the tabata Sensei R had prepared for my Shodan and Sensei T’s nidan tests. In TC’s case, he did bear-crawls, a round of punch-kicks, mountain-climbers and birpees. Of course, this test came last, after his exercises, kihon and kata had tired him out. He did not breeze through this test, but rather came to the brink of his abilities. We saw the moment, during his second-to-last and last set, when he slowed and truly wanted to quit. He was tired, out of breath and worn down.
Sensei R basically told him, “We’re not going to give this belt to you. You have to earn it!” Of course, when you work hard to earn it, you value it so much more.
Sensei T and I both called out encouragement. We watched him hit that moment when he wanted to quit, and we watched him push through it. He did this at least twice. I told him, “You’re climbing the mountain and you’re at the summit! Keep going! Climb on up there!” TC completed the requirements, tired out, but he stood tall to receive his green belt at the end.
Remembering what Sensei R had said to so many of us, I said to TC, “Look at you! Look what you can do!” I also said, “Normally, during a green belt test, you fight others during kumite. During your test, you had to fight yourself. You did, and you persevered!”
A Karateka’s Skill Reflects His Teachers’ Skills
Later, Sensei R told us how proud he was that Sensei T and the martial arts club had trained TC so well. TC’s success was a testament to Sensei T’s leadership of our group. In fact, Sensei R could see the personal style of his own student, Sensei T, reflected in TC’s execution of his kata and techniques. Sensei R seemed touched that I remembered and echoed to TC what he’d said to me and my fellow students.
TC was elated, and his parents were very proud. We took pictures together. We congratulated TC. TC’s parents spoke about how TC works hard and excels in so many areas: school as well as karate! I admit I was not surprised in the least to learn he is an excellent student at school. Given the tenacity and intelligence he demonstrates in our classes, I would expect no less of him.
I was elated for the rest of the day. Even while returning home, and needing to work the sixth day for my job (we’re in the end-of-the-year “crunch” cycle), I could not remove the smile from my face. TC’s accomplishments, and his and his family’s joy was simply contagious.
A Memorial for a Memorable Friend
Today I had another highly emotional experience: we remembered a dear friend, MM, who recently passed away. She was in her seventies and in the late stages of dementia. She and her husband, MW, who also suffered from dementia along with other illnesses, lived in a nursing care facility near her adult daughter’s home. Both our friend and her husband contracted Covid-19 in their care facility. Her husband survived, but she died within a week of contracting the disease. He is currently quite ill.
Her two daughters organized a memorial over Zoom. My mother-in-law, Miriam, and MM were childhood acquaintances and close adult friends. She gave MM’s first remembrance. She described their brief childhood acquaintance followed by a close friendship in college. Years later, Miriam and Richard, her husband, visited MM and MW at their residence in Hawaii. They had a great time touring the islands together.
Ohana Hanai: Family by Choice
However, shortly before their departure, Richard experienced shortness of breath and pain. Unbeknownst to them at that time, he was having a heart attack. MW rushed him to a hospital–and then to a second one when the first was closing. Soon after, they had a difficult decision to make: Richard needed heart surgery. MM and MW took Miriam into their home. Richard had the surgery, then needed time to recover. During that time, MM and MW offered whatever assistance they could. These friends cared for them during a time of great need in their lives. Miriam called them her ohana hanai, her adopted family. While this is normally reserved for infants, that experience cemented the relationship between MM, MW, Miriam and Richard.
Interestingly enough, Miriam’s story echoed through the words of others. MM and MW were rainy-day friends to many. Through their lasting kindness, love, and support to many, they had lots of close friends. MM’s daughter said she was a meticulous collector of friends and she treasured them like jewels throughout her life.
In fact, when my husband and I moved to Hawaii, MM and MW acted as our island family, too. As Miriam and Richard’s son and daughter-in-law, we were welcome at family gatherings, plied with advice, food and love. We are also grateful to MM and MW for their kindness. The memorial put together by her daughters was truly beautiful and we were honored to participate.
Karate, Love, Pain and What Matters
Having these two events close together: a celebration of youthful accomplishment and perseverance, followed by a memorial for one who, through friendship, made so many people feel like family, brings me back to one of the more simple truths taught by the practice of karate.
At the heart of karate, we find that search for truth. That deepest truth in each of us is simply the truth of the human condition. We are each mortal. If we are truly fortunate to live long enough, we will experience the devastating loss of beloved friends and family members. A short life of our own would mean great pain for those closest to us. Pain and loss, then, is part of the human condition.
Each day of good health, therefore, is a gift. Every day spent in the company of a dear friend and loved one is also a gift. Karate teaches us to strengthen our bodies so we might have more days of good health. It also teaches us strength of mind to bear pain and recognize truth: since life will end, ours as well as the lives of those we love, we must cherish our loved ones now.
This and other photos in today’s entry were taken on a family trip through Oregon and Washington State
