The major kata and form studies I had over my years.
** Unfortunately I neglected to include
Shotokan Nijushiho and Nijushiho bunkai on my list
anf Nijushiho is one of our supplemental studies for
brown belt students.
Those in blue became supplemental studies for my students.
At various levels of training.
Those in green were just for me.
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I was a very green Black Belt. My instructor had shoved the entire Isshinryu system into me. Of course that alone would take decades to mautre. There are no short cuts to getting something right.
In order to remain in Isshinryu, far to early I began teaching youth through the Scranton Boys Clubs. I also pushed my self by competing in Karate tournaments (and not known then to me they were some of the best in the US_.
At tournaments I met other black belts, and they invited me to drop by to train. And I did.
Nobody ever told me you can’t learn, so whatever was shared with me I worked on. The average week along with teaching 2 classes, I was training regularily at 4 other schools (and randomly changing which ones I visited. More importantly the only rule that had been given to me was ‘Black Belt’s Don’t say Can’t’.
So I began to acquire many forms, and was regularly practicing them (but never to teach them all out, for no one had the time
One of those instructors, Ernest Rothrock, who became my Tai Chi instructor, and later taught me a wide variety of Chinese forms, when I began I saw him practicing a large number of forms every day, and a different set of forms at that. Behind his desk he had a list of maybe 300 or more forms he was working on, (But he was not teaching them out. At that time he was only teaching Pai Lum). A year of so later he took the list down, it intimitaded his students.
So daily he would practice 3 or 4 hours, a different set of forms on different days. I remember one time he picked up his straight sword, and for an hour or so, ran form after form.
How he practiced became an inspiration for me to use.
Also when I would judge, I was often able to understand the variation of the kata by the system standard I had learned. That also became a tool for me.
Then when I began training with Tristan Sutrisno, it seemed as if Ernie and he were in a competition to see who could force more into me.
Of course over the decades situations change, for one thing I had more responsibility at work requiring more time. I became a little depressed at having to set some things I had learned aside.
Ernie Rothrock set me straight, he explained over time different priorities took over, and yes you would set forms aside, but more importantly, you would not forget that you had learned them, and the knowledge of them would remain part of what you were.
Nobody asked me to do this. Nobody cared that I did this. I did this for myself, because I could and did.
There is a lesson, the limits we place on ourselves can define who we are.
You will find you have greater potential than you realize.
To infinity and beyond.
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