NEWS FROM SENSEI
NEW LOCATION MARS HILL COLLEGE GYM. ENTRANCE WILL BE MADE THROUGH THE DOORS TO THE RIGHT OF THE MAIN ENTRANCE ON LOWER LEVEL. ADULT CLASSES WILL BE HELD ON THAT FLOOR. THE CHILDREN'S CLASSES WILL BE HELD IN THE RACKETBALL COURTS. CLASSES START AFTER THE NEW YEAR...STARTING JANUARY 5TH.
Karate-ka
As you probably know, I received a promotion recently from my Sensei Jim Baize. My rank is now Yondan (4th Dan). I am very proud of receiving this rank, but at the same time very humbled by it. As you may also know, this allows me to test and promote up to Sandan (3rd Dan) within the United Shotokan Karate Federation. That is Sensei Baize’s organization. At last count, Sensei is Godan (5th Dan) ranked under Sensei H. Nishiyama. I do not know if Jim will pursue any further rank or not, especially with Sensei Nishiyama gone.
My pledge to you is the same as always, I will continue to try to teach traditional Shotokan Karate to the best of my ability. For a multitude of reasons, I will not attempt to change the principles or methods that I have been taught by what I would consider to be some of the best Karate practitioners in the business (or formerly in the business).
We will not be very involved with other schools in the area unless we find some traditional Shotokan schools around or some move here. All styles have their strong points and their weak points. My knowledge comes almost entirely from very well grounded Shotokan schools. My involvement with other styles has been and will continue to be fairly minimal.
I want to personally thank you all for making Mars Hill Shotokan a very successful school. Our numbers are not extreme, but our quality is just fine. I look forward to a very long and fruitful journey with each of you as you pursue your Karate goals. My greatest hope for you is that your Karate goals become very closely aligned with all of your goals. It works well when that happens.
We will be in for some changes in the next year. I will be giving you more detail as it develops. At any rate, the traditional style will NOT change. You will be presented with Shotokan Karate the way I have learned it.
Thank you in advance for giving me the support to help reach the goal of perpetuating such a wonderful art form.
Sensei Don
SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO KEEP IN MIND
Our first objective here at Mars Hill Shotokan is to teach Traditional Shotokan Karate and further advance our understanding of Karate through its practice. Since this is our main objective we make every effort to keep the cost to the Karate-Ka (students) as low as possible.
MONTHLY FEES: Will be handled directly with Sensei all fees are expected on time thanks.
EQUIPMENT: Gloves, shin pads w/ metatarsal protection, mouthpiece, cup for boys, chest pad (optional), headgear (optional), forearm/elbow pads (optional) it is important to remember that equipment can be ordered through Sensei. This equipment is typically cheaper than retail usually including the shipping fees. Shipping fees are significant however. Equipment will only be ordered after it has been pre-paid for and Sensei can always answer questions concerning the equipment that is needed (as well as sizing).
INTERMEDIATE CLASS: Intermediate class will begin on Nov. 1 at 6:30 pm. We want all Little Tigers with rank at or above 2 yellow stripes in there as well as kids over 11 years old. If there are any questions or individual needs/concerns, please speak with Sensei.
ARTICLES OF INTEREST
HIP MOVEMENT
by Bruce Clayton PhD I want to introduce hip technique at a relatively high level because something about the traditional way of explaining these skills handicapped me badly for many years. I had to dismantle my idea about koshi waza and start over. Let’s look at the technique and figure out how to teach it. The hip on the power side (same side as the technique) is the “power hip”. To throw the technique, the performer drives the power hip sharply in the same direction as the technique, which in most cases is straight forward. (Sometimes the power hip generates force upward, or sideways, or to the rear, or even downward, depending on the technique.) Bruce D. Clayton, Ph.D.
First, it is a given that koshi waza depends on balance, posture, pressure reaction, etc. This forum is about hip motion channeling power into hand and foot technique for explosive focus.
I think the traditional terms and ideas are flawed... not the technique but the way we talk about it. We speak of hip "rotation," hip "vibration" and "pendulum action" as if they were three different things, and I think this confuses students. It certainly confused me for about two decades.
So I propose a more generic definition of koshi waza:
The hip on the opposite side is the "supporting hip." The performer should think of this hip as remaining stationary, to serve as a fulcrum for the power hip.
I have recently had very good results teaching koshi waza in Bassai Dai using this explanation.
Warning: It is a very bad idea to mention “hip rotation” to students. Hip rotation is the outer visual impression one gets watching a person do koshi waza. It isn’t what is happening inside. "Rotation" is a very misleading idea.
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Shihan Randhir Bains once put my class through a koshi waza drill that taught my students isolated control over one hip at a time. Standing in natural stance, arms relaxed, Bains had us drive the right hip forward hard (as if punching) and stop. Then snap the hip back to the neutral position. Repeat several times.
Then the same drill with the left hip. Drive the hip forward hard, all by itself, and snap back to neutral position each time.
Then he surprised us by reversing the motion. Take your right hip and drive it powerfully backward, straight to the rear. Snap back to neutral and repeat. Switch to left hip; drive backward hard and return to neutral.
Bains’s final step was to connect the pieces by having the right hip drive forward AND the left hip drive backward at the same time. Then reverse it, left hip driving forward and right hip driving back. Voila, “hip rotation.”
I have developed a less thorough but more practical variation of this lesson. Last evening I was trying to teach hip technique to a brown belt who just wasn’t getting it. He seemed baffled by the idea until I stood close behind him and knocked him out of stance by slamming my right hip into his butt.
Once he had the idea, I had him stand in natural stance, hands down, and drive the left hip forward and focus, then snap back to neutral position. We repeated this maybe twenty times until he caught on. Then the right hip; drive forward hard and focus, then snap back and try again.
Then left inside block, concentrating on driving the left hip forward hard and focused beneath the blocking elbow... driving forward power into the block. I made him overcome resistance to the block by pushing forward, not sideways. We kept going until he got the hip/arm timing right and could put forward drive behind the block.
Then the right side, same thing. Drive right hip forward under the inside block. Repeat until concept understood, if not mastered.
OK, now, set up for left inside block. On the count, do the left inside block with hip action, then flow directly into the right inside block with hip action.
You should have seen him. The light dawned and the kid did the prettiest and most powerful “hip rotation” you ever saw. Then I taught him the first few inside-block clusters of Bassai Dai and he looked great.
I never mentioned anything about hips “rotating” or a hip going “backward.” All he needed was an awareness of what the power hip had to do, and the rest took care of itself.
Copyright © 2010, All Rights Reserved.
Shotokan's Secret, Expanded Edition.
INTERESTING FEATURES
(AREA WILL BE UPDATED WITH ARTICLES OF SENSEI'S CHOICE)
History and Definitions
Although today there are many different Karate sports, originally there was only one.
The first or Traditional Karate (Karate-Do) was the original Karate from which these
later sports borrowed the name “Karate”, as it is commonly and widely used today.
Karate has its roots in “Tode” – a weaponless self-defense system developed in
Okinawa, influenced by Chinese martial arts with more than two thousand years of
history. In mainland Japan, it was established as a part of “Budo” (Japanese martial
arts) system; “Traditional Karate” therefore is a general term for Karate that follows
Budo principles.
After World War II, Karate’s value for self defense, physical fitness, competition, and
overall mental and physical development came to be increasingly recognized.
However, as a martial art, it necessitated long and repeated careful study. Because the
practice of Karate soon came to approach the semblance of a “boom” in popularity, the
requirements of long and repeated careful study came to be overridden by the
demands of today’s world for more rapid results and quicker development. The result
was the emergence of many new sports using the name of Karate. To avoid confusion
with these new sports, the public began distinguishing the original Karate as
“Traditional Karate”.
The international governing body of Traditional Karate is the International Traditional
Karate Federation (ITKF), which is composed of Traditional Karate national federation
from each member country. Each member national federation is the governing body for
Traditional Karate in its respective country. Worldwide, members of ITKF practice many
different “styles” of Karate (such as Shotokan, Goju-ryu, etc.). These “styles” are
comparable to schools or academies and have their own unique training systems
developed by Karate masters over many centuries. However, even under the same
style, groups affiliated with ITKF pursue Budo Karate while others not belonging to ITKF
practice so called “karate sports” which are merely punching / kicking games with no
Budo principles.
- The purpose of Traditional Karate is to develop well-balanced mind and body, through
training in fighting techniques. Traditional Karate also shares the ultimate aim with
Budo, which is to cultivate great human character of a higher class that prevents any
violent attack before an actual fight occurs.
Budo originates in the practice of physical fighting; however, it has a significant effect on
the spiritual and physical development of a human since Budo philosophy and ethics
are absolute requirements for the study of techniques and improvement of skills.
Elements such as manners and etiquette were not adapted from outside elements nor
are they independent from the physical training, but existed within the system since the
origin of Budo and were integrated to the technical improvement:
- Seriousness:
- Budo training must be done in a serious manner, because its techniques are derived
from severe life-or-death situations, where one must win the fight in order to survive.
This is why Budo practitioners are required to have a serious mind set. Only in such a
condition can one possibly achieve extreme levels of mind and body far beyond ordinary
levels. This is apparent in competitions. For example, a Kumite (sparring) match is
carried out in Ippon-shobu (one perfect “finishing blow” determines the winner) format.
Because only one definitive technique can conclude a match, competitors are driven to
learn the importance of serious attitude.
- Humility:
- To achieve a higher level, Budo requires a practitioner to keep a humble mind and
behavior. This allows one to always learn something from anyone. Once one thinks
that he or she is better than others, the possibility of improvement ceases. This is the
basis of the high importance of respecting instructors as well as training partners in
Budo.
- Calmness & Discipline:
- As already mentioned, the original Budo techniques were designed for the critical
situation where one may or may not survive. Under such a condition, it is difficult for
anybody to keep a calm mind; the ability of clear judgment or physical reflex slows
down, and often one may find himself immobilized due to nervousness. Therefore
keeping a calm mind is a crucial concern in Budo practice, and this is why a training
session begins and ends with a period of meditation. In addition, Budo’s rigorous and
disciplined training makes a practitioner confident about his techniques and gain
mental stability. According to the recent research by sports psychologists, this method
is recognized as most effective in avoiding mental fluctuation.
- Skillfulness:
- In Budo, the proper technique and power are generated by skill, rather than relying only
on muscular strength. Techniques are delivered from the center of the body so that it
can utilize a quick and efficient reflex of the entire body. In the same way, Traditional
Karate requires an integrated physical action controlled by the center of the body,
starting from the feet on the floor. Proper training develops a body with each part
moving in proper sequence without unnecessary moves, and as a result, allows one to
build a well-balanced body.
- Acknowledging the above described values, it is easy to see why such physical and
mental training became the basis for the concept of Budo and Traditional Karate
demanding unlimited seeking of total human development.
Copyright © 2007 International Traditional Karate Federation. All rights reserved.