Wisdom from Sensei AJ: we each need physical, intellectual and creative stimulation in our life. This entry also includes reflections on how the pandemic has changed my sense of time.
About two weeks ago, Sensei AJ was our guest instructor. We met in a park close to Griffith Park for a sword or katana class, the Betty Davis Picnic Area. It was our first time to visit this park, though it is close to where we live.
Drawing in dirt, 2018 Burbank
While Sensei AJ explained sword techniques, a nearby group of families were holding a sing-along for small children. The leader of that group, a woman with a guitar, sang distinctly and encouraged a batch of toddlers to pretend to be trees or animals. I learned a song about being a little apple seed, in addition to how I might most effectively drop a heavy Samurai sword down on an opponent. It was a disconcerting, though enlightening experience.
Sensei AJ has small children, herself, though hers are in elementary school. It took me back to the days when mine were little. I remember their daycare caregiver teaching them all sorts of fun songs: “Baby Beluga,” “Buggies Go Home” or the alphabet song. The toddlers seemed interested in what we were doing, too. After all, we were all dressed in white and wielding toys. We synchronized our motions with these toys, too. At least one toddler came our way to explore, though the baby’s parent was fast on her heels.
But there it was: life and death, next to each other, in the park, sharing shade from the same trees. It felt profound and silly all at once.
Teens and Preparing for Professions
While we were packing up to go, one of the karate moms and I were discussing high school pressures with Sensei AJ. Most of Sensei AJ’s class that day were teenagers at the end of middle school or beginning of high school. We discussed the hard choices that teens have to make: how to pursue a passion but also take courses that prepare them for college, or a good job, without having them burn out.
The karate mom with me also works in visual effects, and she’d been encouraging her daughter’s passion for acting. However, her daughter was coming to the realization that a career as an actor might not be realistic. So we talked about how acting does not only mean you become a famous film star, or you’re not an actor. Community theater, improvisation, and voice acting are activities that provide a fun, creative outlet without necessarily being one’s primary profession.
Just as purple, yellow and white balance visually in this flower, so we need physical, mental and creative aspects in our lives. Photo taken during trip to Colorado, 2019
At that point, Sensei AJ volunteered this gem (paraphrased): “I tell my students they need to have these three things in order to feel fulfilled:
the physical, engaging their bodies
mental, challenging their brains
creative, for the soul
You don’t have to get all these from your job, but you need them all in your life.”
We all agreed her sage advice works for adults as well as teenagers. Each of us want that in our lives.
Time in the Pandemic
That experience in the park, feeling sandwiched between the beginning of life (toddlers) and the end of life (Samurai) has inspired me to think about time differently.
This week, rather than doing my usual exercises in the morning, I’ve taken the week “off” to meditate. At Sensei R.’s suggestion, I break my routine and do not do push-ups, sit-ups and squat every fourth week. In order to “hold” that time slot, I generally meditate for ten minutes instead. This week is my “meditation” week.
For the past several weeks–I honestly don’t recall when it started–I have had the sense of time being accelerated. This morning, I realized it is the unity of days that makes me feel time has sped up. What does that mean? I notice I am doing doing exactly the same thing at the same time today as yesterday, and the day before. Granted, this was also the case before the pandemic. Somehow the pandemic has made me–and just about everyone else–more aware of it.
Time “Hills” flatten to “Plains”
The pandemic has cut down on the amount of things we do, particularly travel. There’s a loss of spatial movement. Traveling to work is now moving from the kitchen to the makeshift workspace in our bedroom.
Photo from Colorado trip, 2019
I remember, pre-pandemic, feeling as if time and the events filling it were hills to climb. These hills represented activities, like work deadlines, karate promotions, kid birthday parties or Temple holidays. For example, Temple holidays entailed organizing parents to bring food before hand, at least a week in advance, decorating the space on the morning of the event, holding the event at the specified time and cleaning up afterwards. On the way up the hill, we prepared for an event. At the top of the hill, we experienced it. Heading down the hill, we’d clean up, put things back in order, and hopefully got some rest. But as soon as one big activity was behind me, I could see the next on the horizon.
Friends’ farm in Utah, 2019
These hills have flattened out into a fairly consistent, rolling plain. It’s full of weeds and a bit overgrown, granted, yet easier to race across. Meditation has taught me to meander a bit.
Many of us are perhaps bored with the same flat, weedy timescape. I am not. I’m well rested and not intimidated by the next peak traveling my way or fearing descent into the valley. The consistency gives me peace of mind.
Peace Versus Pain
I do worry for family and friends who feel isolated and disconnected from the people and activities that they cherish. My son misses his friends. They are not keen on Zoom, though they text and play Mindcraft. My oldest will walk to see friends, but misses parties and activities with peers.
I reassure my kids and other friends, “The end is coming. Just hang in there!” When it does come, I intend to bring some of that grassy plain along.
Tree that survived fire in the Angeles National Forest; Nin Jitsu practitioners wear black uniforms, reminiscent of the ninja
We had a special treat for Saturday morning’s karate class: Sensei B, a teacher who has studied Nin Jitsu, taught us self-defense moves. Over Zoom, he has been teaching for us roughly once a month. Granted, teaching self-defense over Zoom is no easy feat, but he makes it fun. We normally attend class with partners.
He started with a technique used to defend against a punch that was basically a joint attack. You catch the punch, step into your opponent, come down on their bicep with your forearm while pushing the fist forward to make your opponent’s elbow bend. And you step behind their leg/knee to trip them. While your opponent is off balance, bring your elbow to their face. This set of moves was more complex and took a while for us to get properly. Also, my son and I had a small debate about whether this was the first move or if I’ve confused it with the second, so if he is correct, my memory may not be accurate.
Sensei B watched each pair over Zoom and coached us through the techniques. Usually after some coaching, most of us were able to perform it adequately.
Breaking a Choke Hold
The next one was more straight-forward. In both, you are breaking a choke-hold. In the first, you grasp your attacker’s right hand with your left, twist the hand off you and push it towards your attacker while striking with your right hand. Twisting the hand while pushing the hand/wrist towards the attacker can force that person to the ground, since he or she will naturally try to prevent damage to their elbow.
My son and I practiced this technique on each other during class, and you really feel it (ouch!) when the other person gets it right. Sensei B had us do the techniques very slowly so we would not hurt each other. That one, which involved the hand/wrist twist to control an attacker through the arm, was very straight-forward.
The last one involves breaking a chokehold by raising your arms straight above your head, pinching the attacker’s hands between your shoulders, then bringing your arms down on their elbows. Sensei B taught us to go from the outside of the attacker’s arms, but while practicing, S and I found it works pretty well from the inside, too.
Do these Fancy Moves Really Work? A Self-Defense Spoof
The internet is a great resource, so I did a few searches to see if I could find a demonstration of some move similar to the ones Sensei PB taught us. On my post from December 14th on self-defense, I posted some useful videos.
I also found a pretty funny, but also disturbing, video of a self-defense spoof. A young man in a white gi runs around, ostensibly to demonstrate self-defense techniques, but actually demonstrates their antithesis. He starts by approaching another young man, most likely a friend, then describes him as an attacker. His “attackers” half-heartedly comply, or just watch him with a clueless expression. He usually refers to them as “drug dealers” or “muggers.” He begins with a defensive move likely modeled on a legitimate one. Then he pulls a gun out of his gi and “subdues” his opponent with the gun. I think I chuckled at the first one–but also found it disturbing. His “opponents” looked like ordinary kids, which added to the humor. It was an effective spoof.
That raises a question: does self-defense really work? That depends on the situation as well as your skills. Defending yourself is better than not, even in the face of a weapon. If you believe your life is in danger, understand that compliance with an attacker is no more likely to insure your survival than fighting back. People who fight back tend to fare better. Fighting back, even if you fail, will certainly feel better later if you survive.
Basic Self-Defense
Wild Orchids, resilient though they may look delicate, photo in the Angeles National Forest
Long before I started studying karate, I took a self-defense class aimed at survivors on the advice of a therapist. Attending this class were women who had survived sexual assault and violence as adults, as children or both. While the classes’s particular focus was on survivors, many of its principles are generally useful. These ideas can be useful for men as well as women and children. We are not accustomed to thinking of men as victims. However, men and boys are also vulnerable. When they are victims, they are often overlooked and misunderstood. In high school, a close male friend of mine was a sexual assault survivor. Just as we know from the “Me, too” movement that many survivors do not talk about their experiences, this applies to male as well as female victims. All victims deserve support, understanding and care.
These principles, I hope, will be useful everyone. Yes, many are simply common sense. However, our sense of propriety or a desire to avoid conflict will sometimes make us ignore what is right in front of our eyes. Sensei R. always says the most important part of self-defense is to recognize and accept you are in a fight.
Six Simple Common-sense Principles of Self-Defense
I still find these rules from my first practical self-defense class useful. These are also useful for martial artists, but you do not need to know karate to observe these.
Avoidance is the Best Defense
Pay attention to your surroundings, particularly when you are alone in a public place. Notice where other people are and whether or not they see you or pay attention to you. Notice if anyone is behaving erratically. Steer clear of erratic persons or people paying undue attention to you or others. Alter your course if you need to.
Be cognizant of your personal space and preserve it. A person asking you for directions does not need to come near you. If a stranger approaches you, order him to stay back. Do so loudly. If he doesn’t respond appropriately, take evasive action: move back, run, get in your car, cross the street, go into a building, etc. A person who really just wants directions will stop and ask you from a distance.
Recognize when you’re in a fight, and respond appropriately
If you fear an attack, use your voice. Be loud: “Stay back! Get back! Go away! Leave me alone!” Yell to bring attention to the situation. In my class, the instructor suggested we yell “Fire!” and not “Help!” Her logic: people run away when they hear a scream for help, but will run to the source when they hear “Fire!” This was in the mid-90’s in Michigan, so that might not hold in fire country, i.e. Southern California. Whatever you yell, yell it loudly. You want to call attention to your situation.
If you are attacked, fight back. Recognize there is no “fair fight” with an anonymous assailant. Your assailant has already taken an unfair advantage by choosing this time and place to attack you. Use every means at your disposal to defend yourself: go after the attacker’s eyes, throat, genitals, knees, feet. Remember joints are often used for take-downs, so attack theirs. Also: often perpetrators want easy victims. If you put up a fight, they may move on to look for an easier target. Keep fighting: your life may depend upon it.
Keys, cellphones, a purse or bag, your shoes, a car door–any of these can be used as a weapon.
Listen to your gut: each of us is born with an instinct to survive. Your unconscious, animal brain will access your surroundings and your situation much faster than your reasoning brain. Follow your instincts; they can save your life. I recommend great book on this: Gavin de Becker‘s “The Gift of Fear.“
What about using my Smart Phone to record a potential attacker?
Once, in a public parking lot with a friend, we were approached by a man who believed we’d “stolen” his parking space. He yelled insults at my friend and was headed straight for us. It was broad daylight in a covered garage in Los Angeles.
My friend whipped out her cellphone and start recording. She made it clear she was recording him. “So you want to tell this to a judge or a police officer?” He continued to curse for another minute or two, but did back off and leave. Recording with a cell can be a good deterrent if you have the time and space to make the attacker aware you are recording his actions. You can also dial 911. However, placing your attention on your phone removes it from your surroundings and your assailant; this could give him an opening to reach you. In my friend’s case, I was next to her and could act. It’s a judgement call, particularly if you are alone.
Conclusion: Preserving Your Life is the Objective
Finally, no simple set of rules will apply to every situation. Listen to your own instincts. If you are attacked and survive, seek help afterwards. Get medical attention if you need it, and therapy, too. Survival–not winning–not avoiding the loss of dignity or property–is most important. These others may be restored later.
After Sensei B’s class, I did a bit of reading on Nin Jitsu and its relationship to historical ninjas. On a website called Way of Ninja, I found an interview with Eric Shahan, who has translated many historical Japanese works on martial arts and warriors. Regarding self-defense, I found one of Shahan’s quotes regarding the ninja particularly relevant. According to Shahan, a shinobi’s (or ninja’s) use of martial arts differed primarily in the goal:
“The main difference there is that your priority is to get away, not to defeat the opponent.”
According to the Way of Ninja site, ancient ninja were primarily spies and less often assassins. Therefore, surviving to share the information they’d acquired was paramount.
If you ever find yourself in the unfortunate position of needing to use your self-defense lessons, remember your goal: living. Like the ninja of old, you must survive in order to share your knowledge.
So at the beginning of February, I was thinking about how karate had helped me with my professional life. Of course, it’s fun to have a cool hobby to discuss with your coworkers. Karate certainly fits that bill.
However, on a philosophical level, my karate practice has aided me in more fundamental ways. I work in visual effects. As an industry, visual effects is basically the intersection between the technology sector and the film industry. Neither of these have a reputation for being easy for women to navigate. In fact, during my twenty year career, I’ve never worked for a female visual effects supervisor. They exist: I’ve seen or met three. Of the three, only one worked on a large projects with lots of 3d animation. The other two worked primarily on smaller, indie films with less computer graphics.
Seeing the success of others similar to ourselves reminds us of what is possible to achieve. My cat and his inspiration.
Once, at Dreamworks, I worked on a film with a female director. The vibe with a female at the head of the picture was a bit different, but not terribly different. For those of us for whom it is rare to see a woman in a position of leadership, she was an inspiration. She was also an Asian woman–so for persons of color, particularly Asian women, it was cool to see her at the helm. When we see ourselves in another who has achieved a great success, it reminds us of what is possible. She did a great job, too!
Work Life is Competitive
Fitting In and Standing Out
Not a Wallflower: flower photo made during a trip to Colorado in 2018
Male friends have told me it’s not easy for them to succeed, either. At least as a minority, you stand out. People remember you because you are a rarity. My male friends feel like wall flowers. Our industry also employs folks from all over the world. Coworkers from other countries experience difficulties, too. Often English is not their first language; this adds communication and cultural barriers for them. Many of us have reasons to feel like we don’t fit at work. Gender, race, nationality, religious expression, sexual orientation or identity, heritage, age, physical or mental abilities, education level and emotional challenges–this is not a complete list. Often, the things that make us unique can also make us stick out, for better or worse. The inverse is also true: fitting in too well can make us feel invisible.
Relocating, Long Hours: Understanding Your Problems Aren’t Unique
Moreover, visual effects is highly competitive. We often work long hours. More recently, folks were expected to relocate for jobs, sometimes to different countries. This has the effect of reducing the number of older people in the industry: once you’ve bought a house or had children, moving to another state or country is much more complicated. Interestingly enough, with the pandemic making it possible for more of us to work from home, that may changed. I certainly hope it will.
Visual effects, however, is not unique. Many industries ask employees to relocate, and feel competitive for workers. I was surprised, but not really, to read about how much pressure workers experience in warehouses run by Amazon. Not long ago, the LA Times ran an article about how shoppers and drivers for services like Instacart feel squeezed by both employers and the customers utilizing those services. My sister is a child therapist. About a year ago, her company converted her and others to contractors. During any given week, she doesn’t know if she will work forty hours or less. She and others like her have lost their benefits, like health insurance or paid vacation.
Working for a living, for the majority of us, is not easy.
How Can Karate Help?
How can karate help? Certainly, it provides exercise. It emphasizes both strength training and cardiovascular fitness. Keeping your body fit is a major advantage, and a fit body helps promote a healthy brain with balanced emotions. That said, I find karate’s philosophical underpinnings helpful, too. Here are lessons I learned from karate which help me in the workplace.
1. Remember to Kiai!
What is the most important part of the kiai? That it be heard! When we practice kihon, break boards or perform some particularly difficult feat, we kiai. Kiais have a twofold purpose: to focus your attention, and bring the attention of others to what you are doing.
First, a kiai is a “spirit call.” You can use it to focus your energy towards the task at hand. You give a shout, channeling your all into what you are doing at that moment. We are trained to kiai the second our hands or feet slice through objects. This forceful shout gives us a singular focus and helps us channel all of our mental and physical energy into a particular goal, be it a blow to a brick or a punch to a formidable opponent.
When you reach a milestone, let others know! Photo taken during trip to Colorado. I’m sure this goat’s buddies knew of its accomplishments.
The kiai also teaches us to claim our space and make our voices heard. This is particularly important for white belts. Newer students are often shy. They try not to bring attention to themselves. The kiai quickly teaches them to let this shyness go. The kiai announces to the rest of the dojo that these students are here, making a focused effort, and pay attention to them!
This is helpful in the workplace, too. Speak up about what you do. Claim your space at work; tell others what you are working on. Certainly let them know when you’ve accomplished a feat or reached a milestone. Let your voice be heard! This, too, is a kiai.
2. Follow Truth
For Kyokushin, “truth” is in the name of our style. In the dojo, we seek to find that truth: the truth of our own strengths and limitations, the truth that these are not fixed points, but rather marks influenced by diligent effort.
In order to improve ourselves, we must also be honest with ourselves, and each other, about where we are right now. The entire kyu-rank structure helps us mark progress by setting attainable goals. In order to advance to the next level, you learn certain kata and syllabus, do a fixed number of exercises and fight a certain number of rounds. Each kyu rank increases in difficulty, but the student, too, becomes stronger, tougher and more capable.
Part of the pursuit of truth, then, is being honest regarding your own capabilities and progress. You do this by performing tests, and submitting your skills to the assessment of others. As an advanced student, you may help judge others. You must also practice on your own, and assess your own skills. How many push-ups can I do on my toes and fists? Am I maintaining what I need for my rank? If I want to advance, how many do I need to do for my next rank? The goal of these assessments, both those we give to ourselves and to others, is this: help individuals improve.
Objectivity and Benchmarks
Note what is happening here: we agree upon objective benchmarks. For example, performing five of the pinans and yantsu correctly, sparring for six two-minute rounds, and doing sixty push-ups, sit-ups and squats, along with learning the fourth kyu syllabus are the requirements for a green belt in our style. When we hold a promotion, candidates know the requirements. They perform these as tests in the presence of others. During promotions, we demonstrate whether or not we can meet the benchmark for a particular rank. In short, we attempt to find objective measurements for progress.
You can do this in the workplace, too. Push for clearly defined, attainable goals. Encourage coworkers to do the same. Offer objective assessments couched in encouragement to others. Make self-improvement your goal and help others to improve themselves, too!
3. Defend Yourself
We hope that, most of the time, the workplace is a friendly, encouraging space where everyone is able to do their best. Often, though, this isn’t the case. Self-defense is one of the pillars of karate. Since truth is important to us, we recognize that the world can be a dangerous place. Sometimes others are intent on doing harm.
“Self-defense… begins with the belief that you are worth defending.” Our karate club’s publicity wonk texted this quote from the Jiu-jitsu master Rorian Gracie just last week along the link to a Zoom karate class. This sense of self-worth is fundamental to karate: your own life, health, well-being and improvement must be of great importance to you–or there might not be a you!
Sensei R. often tells us this: when you are attacked, the first thing you must recognize is that you in a fight. At that moment, the fight is your current reality and you need to deal with it appropriately. Often, people will not see the evidence before their own eyes and will choose to pretend everything is okay when it is not. Sometimes they mistakenly believe that if they simply act normal, life will go back to normal. This is denial, and it’s dangerous. Karate teaches us not to seek conflict, but it does gives us tools for dealing with conflict when it finds us. If you’re in a fight, fight back with everything you have: your skills, smarts, strength and spirit: kiai, kick and punch!
Appropriate Defense at Work
In the workplace, I hope, a physical altercation would be less likely. If you feel you are under attack, first assess the nature of the attack. If you are engaged in a fair battle of ideas, defend your ideas! Also listen to the defense of others’ ideas. Relax: sparring over the best approach or the best solution to a problem is a good thing, and can make you stronger regardless of who actually wins. Look for benchmarks or objective criteria in order to find the truth. Let objectivity bring you and your coworkers to the best solution. Enjoy the kumite match!
Work can feel rugged; put on your hiking boots! Defend your ideas, but listen to others. Try to keep perspective. Photo of Utah from 2019.
If you feel a coworker is questioning your judgement, state clearly your beliefs and list evidence for them. Also state your qualifications for making those judgements. Sometimes your coworkers may not be aware of your background and qualifications. They may not know why you made certain decisions. So tell them clearly. If you hear your work being scrutinized, listen to criticism, but analyze what is actually being said. What benchmarks or objective criteria are at play? Did you know about these criteria beforehand? If not, point this out. Do any of the criticisms have merit? If so, you have an opportunity to make improvements. Own these. If not, propose objective criteria.
In short, answer criticisms. Engage your critics. Defend your work. Do not let fear interfere with your self-confidence. Finally, remember we all have room for improvement.
4. Own Your Rank
Karate teaches us to own our rank. As white belts, we listen, observe and imitate. White belts bring enthusiasm to karate. Likewise junior employees or interns in a company offer enthusiasm and a fresh perspective, but they are also expected to listen and learn. Advanced karate students will ask the Sensei about finer details of karate; they help instruct less advanced students. If you are a senior employee or someone with a lot of experience, that’s your job: mentor those younger and less experienced coworkers, pay attention to the finer points that you know to look for, and point these out. Accept the responsibility that comes with your level of experience.
Time is Money: Respect it
As a woman working in an area with fewer women, I often find myself in a situation in which people assume that I know less than I do, or that I have less experience than I do. I’m short, too, and sometimes people unconsciously associate being young (inexperienced) with being small. Before I studied karate, I would listen politely in my desire to be considerate, convinced the other person is simply trying to be helpful. I might let someone explain a procedure to me that I actually understood well. After studying karate, I do not do this. I recognize reality: the company’s money is at stake. Survival for a company depends upon judicious use of money. My time is the company’s money. His time is, too. I politely interrupt now.
In a dojo, it’s easy to own your rank. We don our belts and line up by rank. It’s clear who is a shodan and who is a mu-kyu. At the office, it isn’t clear. You may have to tell someone what your position is. It doesn’t make you a jerk. On the contrary, it means you respect that other person’s time as well as your own.
Life is Short
My son’s drawing of Buddha for a school project
Karate encourages us to live in the here and now. Meditation, breathing exercises, kumite: all of these teach us to be present in the moment. Take that awareness to work with you, then bring it back home. Recognize that, if you are fortunate, you will live long enough to see changes at work, at home, in yourself and in others. Some of these changes will be good ones and others will not. Be patient with others and yourself. Empathize. When you are home, let go of work and be at home. Seek peace.
This morning, Senseis R, T, along with Senpai Angel and I met in Griffith Park for Senpai MP’s brown belt test. I parked at the wrong lot, attempted to walk to the location, only to realize driving work better. By the time I arrived, Senpai MP’s test had started.
Who’s got your back? Angel of Strength
I should mention that Senpai Angel, who holds a shodan, is disabled. He has severe autism, and, according to his parents, his mind is more like that of a twelve year old, though his body is that of a tall young man nearly twenty. After training with Sensei R at the dojo in Burbank for many years, he performed a modified shodan test, which he passed. He was Sensei R’s first student with severe disabilities, but not his last.
Senpai Angel opened that door for many of us, giving us a glimpse into the world of persons with differing mental and physical abilities, forcing us each to consider our own abilities and deficiencies. He had many obstacles to overcome to achieve his rank, and his accomplishments were an inspiration to us all. His continued dedication to the martial arts, as well as his friendship and kindness, continues to inspire our martial arts club.
Senpai MP’s help was vital to Senpai Angel’s own shodan, so it was only fitting that Angel would be there for MP, to call kata for him. In fact, Angel’s presence was a wonderful testament to Senpai MP’s own accomplishments. MP had tutored Angel on countless occasions, gave him rides to the dojo, checked up on him, encouraged him and corrected him. He stayed in touch with Angel during the pandemic.
Strength of Character
Fragrant plant found in Griffith Park
Of all the strength, skill and prowess demonstrated by Senpai MP today, perhaps his greatest accomplishment was this: his remarkable strength of character. He demonstrated this through his coaching of Senpai Angel. Senpai Angel’s own accomplishments and improvements were in no small part due to Senpai MP’s gentle encouragement and dedication.
And let me give you a brief description of Senpai MP, just to put all of this in perspective: over six feet tall, he towers over most. He’s solid muscle. His calves probably weigh more than me (granted, I’m a feather-weight.) Yesterday, Sensei R told us a story. While MP was doing his breaks–boards, mind you–he broke the cinderblock intended to help steady his boards. Senpai MP was our dojo’s primary tournament fighter for a good stretch of time.
So yeah, he’s a very strong guy.
His strength of character, however, rivals his considerable muscular power. He has an equally big heart. His dedication to both Senpai Angel and Sensei R showed this today. While he does put significant time and work into training his body, he puts equal time into his mind and soul. Through his interactions with his senseis and senpais, he displayed his still in this area, too.
Testing and Overcoming Weaknesses, Facing Fear
Sensei R has told us that every kyu rank constitutes a personal test. During the test, Sensei R will try to get into the students’ heads, make them nervous and uncertain. This is to force them to face and overcome those insecurities.
Senpai MP made his share of mistakes, but he persevered. Even when he seemed a bit rattled by corrections, he pulled himself together and kept going. He had clearly studied and practiced his kata. His foot positions were beautiful and several of his kicks demonstrated power and skill. He forgot a couple kiais. Senpai Angel noticed a move he forgot and called it out. Sensei R had him redo a couple of his kata. MP simply complied, with focused, improved technique.
Killer tabata
What was his weakness? Tabata! Few persons could best Senpai MP in a fight. This test was perhaps more difficult than one he might have faced in a dojo. In an actual kumite round in a dojo, he could deliver a powerful punch or kick to his opponent, and win a moment to catch his breath. Not so during this test.
Given the pandemic conditions, Sensei R had him do several rounds of tabata, an intensive cardio workout. He performed a two minute round of tabata representing each fight. You are not allowed to stop and catch your breath during bear-crawls, mountain-climbers or birpees. You are allowed to stop between rounds, for thirty seconds or so, then you have to be ready to go right back at it.
In Senpai MP’s case, the Senseis and Senpai Angel delivered some blows while he performed bear-crawls. He was not allowed to flatten any opponent with a powerful punch or kick; he did not stop and catch his breath, unless Sensei R or N allowed for it. At one point, he did become white and Sensei R allowed him to stop, but just long enough for his color to return.
Why do you train? What does your kata mean?
Stough Canyon trail view
At one point, to encourage Senpai MP during his kata walk, Sensei R said, “Why do we do kata? Each kata can be a battle, and the moves are your responses to a conflict at work.” Suddenly MP’s kata moves became much more pronounced, full of power and precision. Sense R continued, “Kata can be a meditation, an expression of your religion. It can represent your joy in life. What is it for you now?” For the next kata, MP’s moves flowed more gracefully. It was a wonder to just watch the influence of his words.
Once his test was over, Senpai MP thanked each of us. He said something interesting to me. I’ll do my best to paraphrase. “I realized I had previously kept my personal training and my karate separate. I know that makes no sense. Now, that I’ve gotten older, and I can’t train every day, but every other day, I find myself practicing a kata on those days.” In short, he now integrates karate into his every day life.
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.
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.
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
On Saturday, Senpai DT led class. Though it was a small class due to the holiday weekend, it was challenging. She focused on both stretching and balance.
For balance, she had us do a series of kicks on first the right, then the left. During the kicks, you are not to put your kicking foot down but go straight from one to the next. Also, we completed each kick, so you could tell one kick from another. We also focused on foot position.
For example, for the first exercise, we did a kin geri (low groin kick, with toes pointed), followed by a mae geri (front kick using the ball of the foot), yoko geri (side kick using the “knife-edge,” or side of the foot with the big toe pulled back), followed by an ushiro geri (back kick, using the heel.) She also had participants name kicks, then had us do a new series of kicks, on both sides, based on the order that we named. Over Zoom, she spotlighted each student and gave each person a chance to demonstrate their mastery of the techniques.
Balance in a Narrow Space
I found that exercise particularly challenging–definitely good for balance, strength and precision. It did not help that I was trying to perform the kicks in a narrow area of our dining room, sandwiched in between the dining table and a shelving unit full of kitchen equipment!
Normally we do karate outdoors. Over the Thanksgiving holiday, it was cooler than usual. We also had a packed schedule. Short on time, I started the Zoom class on a computer normally used for monitoring. That computer has a larger screen, but the space where it is located is not ideal for a workout. That day, I had a number of activities and errands planned. I was just happy to be able to squeeze a few minutes out of my day for karate.
Balancing Health Against Other Obligations
Readers may have noticed I missed a weekend updating this blog. If you are a weekly visitor, I apologize. Last week, I experienced the return of an old nemesis: tendonitis. As a digital artist, I spend considerable time on the computer, even when I am not housebound and forced to do everything over Zoom. My work-life is spent in front of a monitor, using a mouse to perform fine-motor motions. When we’re refining moving geometry for a shot in a television show or film, we will often need to select and change the positions of small components, or vertices. Using these, artists refine the shapes seen on screen over time. Unfortunately, doing this work without taking appropriate breaks, for too long, can lead to tendonitis.
Three weeks ago, I started a new job. The company, itself, requires employees to take appropriate breaks and even puts those breaks into the company calendar. During the lunch hour, for example, you are not to contact a fellow employee through chat, email or phone calls. (Since we all work from home right now, walking over to someone else in the kitchen, at a desk or in a common area is not an option.) The company wants to avoid burn-out and injury, and has implemented appropriate measures for this.
Consequences for Lacking Balance
At my last job, I’d slowly transitioned from doing less artist work to more coding. At this new job, I was getting to do shots–so back to primarily artist work. However, I feared I was rusty at the work and too slow. So, I ignored required breaks. Anxious to get the work done both well and quickly, I worked through lunch. I took fewer breaks. Since I’m working from home, on the honor system, there was no one to chastise me or remind me to take those needed breaks. No one, but me, knew I was not taking those breaks. The result? Within a week, my tendonitis was back.
I paid a price for letting fear and insecurity get the best of me: pain. The tendons at the base of my right hand, close to my wrist, swelled visibly. They are larger than those of my left. I sometimes experienced twinges while getting dressed, or doing the dishes. During the week of Thanksgiving, I switched to doing anything I could with my left hand. I even did my ten minute writes using my left hand. For mousing on the computer, I used my left hand.
Years ago, when I had a lot of issues with tendonitis, I habitually switched between my left and right hands, so this is not the feat that it sounds. I even spent time trying to figure out the optimal time to spend using a particular hand, and landed on a week. Once the swelling in my right hand disappears, I will return to this.
Karate Emphasizes Balance
Photo taken on camper trip, July 2019
In karate, we normally do exercises on both sides. We want to improve strength on our weak side, and flexibility on both sides. Alternating the left and right sides is simply part of kihon. Many katas also require the karateka to perform a series of motions on both sides. During ren raku or syllabus, we also coordinate punches on the same side as a kick or the “leading” leg (the leg forward), but will also practice coordinating punches on the opposite side of a kick or leading leg. Balance in strength and dexterity is built into the study of karate.
House of the Search For Ultimate Reality: A Kyokushin Dojo
I feel a bit ashamed that I needed to re-learn the lesson of balance through the pain of an avoidable injury. As an imperfect human, however, with plenty of room for enlightenment, I also need patience with myself. When fear comes, I need to ground those fears in reality.
One defines Kyokushin as “ultimate truth.” In our dojo under Sensei R., we prefer the more Buddhist-based translation of “ultimate reality.” The idea is simply that we want to understand reality, or truth as reality. We assume that reality, because of the tricks of an individual’s mind, or habits or culture (including unconscious bias), is not obvious. Seeing what is real takes time, thought and effort.
Putting Karate’s Teachings to Work
How does this apply to me and my work situation? Well, obviously by having prescribed breaks, along with frank discussions about burn-out at work, the particular group of people I work with now are concerned about balance. On the day before Thanksgiving, our supervisor asked at a meeting, “How are you feeling? Who is burned out? Please be honest with me. I care about each of you.” Each of us answered that question. I punted, pointing out I was still in the “honeymoon phase” and hadn’t been with the company long enough to feel burned out. This was true, but of course I didn’t mention the tendonitis. Of course, this company wants employees to work hard and be focused. However, they do not want to over-work anyone and certainly do not want anyone injured or burned out. That is clear to me now.
I was not seeing that reality. Instead, I saw my past: I remembered people who, over the years, had said I needed to “pay my dues,” or who’d told me I had no business trying to work in visual effects while raising children. The schedules simply didn’t permit you to be a good parent, according to one friend. So, instead of hearing what was actually said, I heard ghosts, along with my own fears.
