A brief review of my efforts in 2010 might help answer a question I continually ask, “Have I worked to double my understanding of my art in the past year?”
I also believe it helps to see where you’ve been to help guide where you’re moving to.
I have to temper this with the frailty aging has brought to my own practice. Karate is my friend not my occupation. Its practice fits the space of my life that I’ve been able to carve out and much of that is focused on my students first.
The youth program at the Derry Boys and Girls Club continues. It is extremely rewarding to take on a new group of beginners and watch them become a functioning group of students in short order. I always hold that is because of youth students of all ranks sharing class time.
We’ve slightly modified the program after our standard years of talking about how to strengthen the program. Our underlying standard for developing a sho-dan is unchanged and it takes the average youth 7 to 9 years to qualify for sho-dan. On the other hand it is necessary to acknowledge the outside world where schools promote their youth to black belt in a year or two, and our youth are attending schools with those kids too. So their friends make black belt and they’re a yellow belt (and perhaps a stronger technician).
We wonder if this affects student turnover into other activities, so we’re going to 3 degrees of youth black belt, moving advanced rank ahead of the adult structure, yet after 3rd degree youth black belt they’re at exactly the same qualifications as sho-dan in Bushi no Te Isshinryu. It will be interesting to see if this makes a difference in the long run?
To work for this program modification we’ve added another beginning kata. Our program begins with Kata Sho (an Isshinryu modified version of Fyukugata Sho). What I’ve done is now add Kyozai (an Isshinryu modified version of the Kata created on Okinawa for School System’s physical education). It’s structure is similar to our first kata, but contains new techniques. This was done to accommodate the kata studies for youth sho-dan. They go Sho, Kyozai, Annaku, Seisan, Seipai, Seiunchin, Naifanchi, Wansu and Sanchin.
What I’m realizing is that there is another sound reason for the change. Although we teach an essentially free program many of our students who begin in September do not return after the following summer, and the leading reason for that is their families are moving away, followed by they’re moving into other activities their friends are doing.
The primary purpose of the youth program is not to teach karate, but to use teaching karate as a way to help youth understand they can get better at anything by trying harder.
Most of them will move on in their lives and not stay with the program. In this we are satisfied they learn how to make choices for themselves. The ones who stay the course do so because they have found a personal reason to keep at the training.
On the other hand those who depart will have studied solid karate and learn how to perform Sho and Kyozai with crisp technique. I think this is going to help us realize our primary purpose better than ever.
Last year I had two students return, now to the adult program, who hadn’t trained with us in 15 years. Within 2 weeks it looked as if they had never stopped training. Truly a testament to what correct training builds inside one. One of them Brittni VanCuren left in August to move out west to teach 2nd grade to Navaho students at a Catholic School. She dropped in over Christmas Vacation and her karate, only with self study, had improved. She was ready to start the study of Chinto and receive her Green Belt.
Finally Mike Cassidy has fully grown into the role of the youth program primary instructor, leaving me to be the old guy who is a nuisance always pointing out things to improve for the student. Working within our shared structure it is most pleasant to watch Mike’s approach to classes and training, and he is preserving the role or using the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle in class preparation, each class being a unique event never to be repeated. Structure in non-Structure.
On the adult program it remains very small and personal, what I always wanted a program to be. Not an exercise class but an intimate study and expression of our karate.
We’re not looking for students, they have to work to find our program exists, but we don’t exactly discourage them either, trying to give them a very realistic view of what our program does do and if they’re looking for something else try to steer them towards a good choice.
All of the adults have to find a place for the training midst their family responsibility, work responsibility, etc. Those training are best described as part time students who never stop. Progression is at their pace based on the time they can spend.
I’ve always maintained the true black belt test is, Are you still training 5 years after you received your black belt. Everything in the world is finding reasons to keep you from training, but you are the one that has to find the reason to ignore those forces, when possible.
Following a methodology I learned from Tristan Sutrisno we don’t start class with warm up exercises and just focus on the study of karate. I have changed this on our Saturday morning program, where I now begin with some basic Silat Tjimande techniques. Ostensibly to warm up, for they really are a good way to open up all the joints, but always flying under the weather as we’ve recently been focusing on Chinto applications they’re finding those techniques are totally within Chinto’s application potential.
Personally I now use my Yang Tai Chi practice (empty hand and sword) for my warmup for karate. The gentle flowing nature helps me prepare for training.
Over the year I’ve continued my personal focus on studying technique application potential, finding new answers almost every class by applying a constant set of principles. There appears to be unlimited ways to apply a technique and make them work.
One of the year’s major events was the time I spent in October with John Kerker. From our short meetings I’m gaining further insight into what Harrill Sensei created, again more understanding of the underlying principles of his art. I don’t think that would have been possible without these sessions with John.
Certainly I am only a reflection of the parts of their arts my friends shared with me, but as a total they are very interesting.
All of our adult group continue to progress. If anything it brings to a head many considerations I’ve had about old time karate on Okinawa. Among them the instructor can only go as far as those who train with them permit by continuing training.
In the end we are what we train. In fact our program must do more than just teach technique and application. It has to work to develop each student’s ability to make decisions, and if they make decisions that cause them to move on, you must not be disappointed in the loss but happy that you’ve helped them understand their path through life.
As my group is small, at different times our focus on developing the current students vastly changes the nature of our studies. A decade ago we were very deep into our adjunct kobudo studies. Then people moved on and new students replaced them and the program refocuses on the current students. After years of work, we’re just beginning on adding more kobudo focus on the program, the students needs are reaching that point again. In my book long term study of our kobudo practices is critical to develop advancing empty hand skills, merging the power for the weapon to become the same power for an empty hand application.
I also had the chance to meet Patrick McCarthy in August and get a chance to see some of his students advanced skills and his teaching methodology. Most unique and worthy even if not in the direction of my own path. Unfortunately a long time ago I realized I cannot do everything….
In 2010 my ongoing research efforts continue to make progress. Among the continuing surprise is discovering what the world is sharing, mostly on YouTube. To date I’ve watched in excess of 50,000 videos on the arts. The outstanding and excellent and also Brand X and a lot in between, on every art I’ve ever heard of (and more than a few I haven’t heard of too). I continue to share my viewing finds with a select circle of friends everywhere for their own observation. Even a decade ago such access would have been impossible. And even with what I’ve seen I continue to find new good information. This does not detract from my other efforts, it’s just a subsidiary practice I follow.
I’ve made some interesting observations on Itosu and his students writings in the 1920’s and 30’s. I’ve also documented some of the principles behind kata application studies that I use on my blog, Isshin – Concentration the Art . My blog is first and foremost a reference library for my students studies..
March –
Discovery of a long forgotten yang demonstration
http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2010/03/most-private-piece-of-my-studies.html
April -
Itosu Anko – new Direction for Toudi
http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2010/04/itosu-anko-new-direction-for-toudi.html
May -
Itosu’s Reflections – The Game is afoot Watson
http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2010/05/itosus-reflections-game-is-afoot-watson.html
Itosu’s Reflections – Watson look for the smallest details
http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2010/05/itosus-reflections-watson-look-for.html
Itosu’s Reflections- It’s not BUNK…I say Watson
http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2010/05/itosus-reflections-it-is-not-bunki-say.html
June -
Crane Takes Flight
http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2010/06/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html
You’re Grounded -
http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2010/06/youre-grounded.html
August -
Meeting Patrick McCarthy
http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2010/08/meeting-patrick-mccarthy.html
On the Theory of Countering Locks and Throws
http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2010/08/on-theory-of-countering-locks-and.html
September -
Thoughts on Old Style karate
http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2010/09/thoughts-on-old-style-karate.html
October -
John Kerker http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2010/10/john-kerker.html
December - The Use of Kata Technique – the Opening of Seisan kata
Section 1 http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2010/12/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html
Section 2 http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2010/12/use-of-kata-technique-section-ii.html
Section 3 http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2010/12/use-of-kata-technique-section-3.html
Section 4 http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2010/12/use-of-kata-technique-section-4.html
Section 5 http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2010/12/use-of-kata-technique-section-5.html
Section 6 http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2010/12/use-of-kata-technique-section-6.html
Section 7 http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2010/12/use-of-kata-technique-section-7.html
Section 8 http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2010/12/use-of-kata-technique-section-8.html
Section 9 http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2010/12/use-of-kata-technique-section-9.html
All in all I’ve made some forward progress in 2010 and I think I’ve left some room for 2011 too.
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