Environmental Karate Training

Karate is not a thing of uniforms and special training halls. It happens anywhere people gather to train.

 

I have practiced in the ocean, on camp grounds anywhere, at Disneyworld, innumerable locations.

 

In gi’s. in shorts. Winter gear, fall gear, whatever. Barefoot of boots and walking shoes.

 

I have taught Naifachi kata standing atop three sections, of cut tree trunk, taught Chinto Kata on narrow paths, and on a narrow bridge, I have also taught Kusanku Kata at Night, in the rain and at mid-night. With my 18 month old son at my side asleep in the rain in his bassinet. I have taught Tai Chi outside for over 18 years, in minus 20 degrees f. and at 115 degrees f. During blizzards, all sort of snow storms and on ice sheets on the ground. Hillsides, at night, in fog, whatever the weather. I even studied kama in the rain.

 

You only learn the adjustments required doing it wild.

 

In the not too distant past, geologically speaking, surviving in a low light environment was definitely a focus of training.  I imagine in those times there weren’t street lights, just lighting from homes along the way. When the karate of legend was taught in an instructors back yard or in the woods privately after dark.

 

Back around 2000 one weekend Tristan Sutrisno was visiting and he held a workout for my students in the back yard. During that afternoon a sumer storm came up. We moved the group for a while to my garage in the basement, then when the rain passed returned to the back yard and continued there.

  

Where people are, Karate is.  This is in memory of all those times.

 

For the summer class is in my backyard on the grass.

 

I practice outside every chance I get.