Salisbury Dojo - Class 2 and Class 3

 

Class 2

The next week after my first class I went to the dojo as soon as the doors were opened. That was about an hour before class. There was another beginner that came at the same time.

After we changed we went to the back of the dojo, stood before the charts and worked on the Upper and Loser Body Combinations before the class. Gradually other members of the dojo arrived, also changed and began their own practice on the dojo floor.

Back then the kyu ranks were White-Yellow-Green-Green-Brown-Brown and Brown.

The class warmup was led by Dennis Driscoll and consisted of stretching, various kicking drill (mostly sparring type kicks) such as front kicks, front front kicks, roundhouse kicks, front leg roundhouse kicks, and a variety of side kicks All of those kicks were really new for me. I worked up a good sweat finishing with a 6' puddle of water on the floor around me (that would continue for months until I got that under control). After warmup was over I was told to get the mop and wipe up for everyone's safety. I then did so.

While there really was no average class, most classes were about 1/2 kata practice and 1/2 kumite practice.

Dennis Lockwood gave me my first kata instruction. I was taught that for Seisan kata. I was shown Seisan stance, I was shown the left side block, then I was shown the vertical punch and how to step with a crestent step and then to strike with a vertical punch at the conclusion of the step.

After being drilled in those techniques, I was shown how to perform the first row of Seisan Kata.
 

Bow,
LFF Left Side Block, then Right Reverse Punch after the block was completed.
RFF Right Reverse Punch
LFF Left Reverse Punch
I then continued to practice that for the remaining kata practice, over and over.

 

Then kumite was called.

 Around the class groups of two students were formed and began to fight. Things were being run by Sensei Lewis, Mr. Lockwood and Mr. Bailey.

Not knowing what was happening I just stood at the back of the dojo and watched what everyone else was doing. I remember the one brown belt was taking on a green belt and working him over. Likewise various other green belts were working over yellow and white belts.

 

Not really understanding the rules or the techniques being used, unexpectedly Mr. Lockwood called me out and then assigned Kathy a green belt to spar with me. I stood not understanding what I was to do. I was told to raise my hands before me and then heard the command "Hajamie!"

Standing there not knowing anything Kathy began attacking me. Somehow I attempted to place my hands before her, but suddenly she slapped the side of my face with a roundkick, I was not hurt but certanly knew I had no idea what I was doing.

Mr. Lockwood told us to separate and begin again.

After that Kathy continued to attack me, driving me from one side of the dojo to the other with continual roundhouse kicks. Nothing I tried stop her worked..

Finally Mr.Lockwood  shouted "Yame" (Stop) and we rei'd to each other. My humiliation was over and I went back to standing at the rear of the dojo, watching the others kumite.

Class finally ended and Sensei Lewis rei'd us out.

I gathered my belongings and went home, realizing how little I knew.


Class 3

What I endured the last class made me resolve to try to learn more.

Again I showed up as soon as the dojo opened for that evenings' class.

There were many black belts I had never net present and they were meeting in Sensei's office.

Mr. Lockwood again led the warmup.He rei's us in and the warmup was just stretching exercises.

When we concluded Sensei Lewis and the other black belts came out of the office, he began to speak to everyone,

He explained that he just received a telegram from Okinawa. It told him Master Shimabuku had died. As everyone heard that it got very quiet.  Sensei then told us that for this class there would be no instructions. Everyone was just told to work on their kata.

Mr. Lewis then just leaned back against the wall and observed what everyone did.

Now I, a beginner and I guess a white belt, was standing at the rear of the dojo.  I really only knew the beginning of Seisan kata.

So I began
 

Bow,
LFF Left Side Block, then Right Reverse Punch after the block was completed.
RFF Right Reverse Punch
LFF Left Reverse Punch
 

I then returned to my beginning point and then continued to practice that for the remaining kata practice, over and over.

That is all I knew to do for about 2 hours. Over and over and over.

I watched some people stop after a while and just stand a bit, but that was not what I did.  I just kept repeating first row of Seisan kata.

Finally Sensei shouted "Yame" and everyone lined up. He had us down on our knees, instructed us to close our eyes and gave the command to meditate.

That was the end of class 3

Note:

Over time I realized that every class in Salisbury was a unique experience. No two ever repeated themselves. While Sensei Lewis occasionally ran the class, most of the time there were man different black belts who dropped by and helped out. The  Salisbury regulars were Dennis Lockwood and Al Bailey.  But many others had opened their own IKC dojo on the Eastern Shore of Md. and Del. Then at different times those instructors and their black belts would drop in to visit, teach or train.

Later I came to realize that 3rd class was closest to the manner in which Tatsuo Shimabuku ran his Agena dojo. He would sit on the side drinking tea and observe everyone, Whether they trained on not. senior students often taught junior students, but most were free to train or not as they wished. So that day when Sensei Lewis just observed everyone's efforts was akin to what Shimabuku did.

I worked this out over many years. Asked for Charlie's opinion as he had also trained in Agena. Then sought confirmation from Sensei, and he agreed that is own approach for his dojo procedure was influenced by how he was taught in Agena.