When you Think of Long Term Training

 

One aspect of Karate and Kobudo training that is really very little discussed is what occurs after a decade, then the second decade and then the third decade and then further.

 

I mentioned one aspect of that when I wrote, the Rule of 10. https://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-rule-of-10.html  But the reality is there is so much more.

 

When you consider the older training of Te/Todi the goal was to make the adept able to function in their group role, of which their training was only a part of their responsibilities.  I have seen no aspect of what their further training (on the job so to speak...) consisted of.

 

But having trained adepts of my own over 35 years in actual training, I have experiences what they have gone through as well as experiencing it for myself.

 

First, such matters are irrelevant for newer students. They are incapable of understanding what decades of training can do. You are working to build basic competence or what is necessary to allow them to compete in tournaments basically against others with the same short term training.

 

None of which is easy, and when you develop those who can be successful at tournament that tends to grasp their idea of what karate is. And that is very far from what karate can be. (not to say that is easy, but working to make a panel of judges happy with their performance at any level, is very different from what I am describing here.

 

I described one aspect of this when I wrote the Rule of 10. And understanding requires you yourself undergo the process, then your students.

However so much more can be involved.

 

For example you discover decades of work with kobudo enhances your karate to.  The continual repetition of weapons work is not just fo Kobudo combat potential. Each kobudo kata practiced over the decades builds strength and skill in the same movements found in Karate. And when aging occurs (and it will occur) the developed force enhancement from that training, continues to add power and potential to fight against the aging process. It allows you to continue your power you developed for a longer time.

 

The continued effort of breathing developed with your kata practice is another force enhancer to resist age’s decline.

 

Decades of work to understand the application potential of kata movement  potential and the work to reach that same kata  movement realization continues to offer more understanding to share with your advancing students.

 

Of course this is not a complete list, in fact I keep realizing there is more to be understood and shared.

 

Consider how much the instructor keeps learning working with those he developed and continued to share with over the decades.

Or what the decades of training beginners changes as experience grows.

 

Karate and Kobudo offer so much more than just learning kata. But those realities are so often not discussed.

Then again that which I do not share publically on my blog just might also be interesting.