200,000

 

It boggles my mind that this blog has had over 200,000 visits since it began. The blog really is something I created just for my students, a way to pass along some of what I have experienced, so it is not lost

At the same time I am not of the opinion this material should not be shared. Should others take the time to work on what is shared, they  will have earned it the old fashioned way, with their own sweat equity.

I do have material that is not for those outside my students. I pass it privately.

But to respect so many who have visited, I remain humbled.

Victor Smith

Here Comes the Judge

When I was the Judge.

 

 

I am in the center, and on the right end is Gayland Aston from the Wilkes-Barre Shaolin School.

A photo is worth a Thousand Words

Some good technique execution from long ago.

 

 

 

I am no longer sure, but this may be Jon Bonner Sensei

Old Style Training

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Often in warm up for class, Sensei would have us do leg  lifts

 

  Repetition 1

          1. Lying on the floor, raise your legs 6 inches off the floor.

          2. Then open up your legs to their fullest extent, maintaining the 6  inches off the floor.

          3. Then close your legs, bring them together, maintaining the 6  inches off the floor.

          4. Then as one, slowly place the legs on the floor.

  Repetition 2

          1. Lying on the floor, raise your legs 6 inches off the floor.

          2. Then open up your legs to their fullest extent, maintaining the 6  inches off the floor.

          3. Then close your legs, bring them together, maintaining the 6  inches off the floor.

          4. Then as one, slowly place the legs on the floor.

  Repetition 3

          1. Lying on the floor, raise your legs 6 inches off the floor.

          2. Then open up your legs to their fullest extent, maintaining the 6  inches off the floor.

          3. Then close your legs, bring them together, maintaining the 6  inches off the floor.

4. Then open up your legs to their fullest extent, maintaining the 6  inches off the floor.

          5. Then close your legs, bring them together, maintaining the 6  inches off the floor.

          6. Then as one, slowly place the legs on the floor.

  Repetition 4

          1. Lying on the floor, raise your legs 6 inches off the floor.

          2. Then open up your legs to their fullest extent, maintaining the 6  inches off the floor.

          3. Then close your legs, bring them together, maintaining the 6  inches off the floor.

4. Then open up your legs to their fullest extent, maintaining the 6  inches off the floor.

          5. Then close your legs, bring them together, maintaining the 6  inches off the floor.

5. Then open up your legs to their fullest extent, maintaining the 6  inches off the floor.

          6. Then close your legs, bring them together, maintaining the 6  inches off the floor.

          7. Then as one, slowly place the legs on the floor.

 

The opening and closing of the legs could be repeated as the instructor wished. This exercise is of course to strengthen the abdominal muscles.

 

But a special twist was Sensei walking across everyone, stepping on their stomach as the feet were being opened and shut.

 

For a long time we did this with the kids too. But used the kids to walk across each other.

An Alternate Way to Teach Stick

Once upon a time I decided to share some stick technique with my students. But I didn’t want to have young people thinking about striking people with sticks.

 

I found a different solution. Long ago one friend told me about how when he was a Brown Belt in his art, and he had to often walk around New York City. So he used to carry a rolled up newspaper in his hands, to use to strike into an attacker if that occurred.

 

That gave me an idea and I shared some stick training with the kids using rolled up newspapers. This was just for a New Years Night Sleep Over at the Club for the kids. I often offered one time unique forms from other systems for those training sessions. And that is what I did that time.

 

Now without reinforcement the training in time, is left behind. And this was not part of the curriculum they were learning.

 

But it makes a point how variable short stick is. Literally anything you can hold in  your hand, Stones, Books, bottles, cans etc., can be used as a weapon. And the empty hand can also be used as a stick.

 

A truly variable study.

 

Even with a rolled up newspaper.

 

 

When I was young.....

 

At times I walked different paths.

 

 

 But at my heart I am Isshinryu

 

 

The Salisbuty Dojo of Tom Lewis

 What is a dojo?

 

It is a place to train.

It is the people who train there.

It is where the attitude to succeed is forge.

 

When I began the dojo was the dojo of Tom Lewis.

 

I know before my time, it was located in many places. But for me it was the Karate Barn that was the place I trained.

 

 

 In those days, I was there to train, not take photos.

But sometime after I received my black belt in 1979, one of my trips back there I took some photos. So between 1979 and 1984 this was what Salisbury looked like, just as it had been for me.

 

Then when you entered the first thing you would see was the people on the floor training.

 

In this photo Dennis Lockwood is crossing the dojo.

In the alcove off the main floor Lewis Sensei maintained his kobudo weapons.

 

Here is Mr. Lockwood in the dojo office.

 

At times the instructors might relax there after class.

 

But it was the place Lewis Sensei used to maintain the program.

 



He also kept some of his awards and dojo trophies there too.

 



The Dojo of Tom Lewis