Spartacus Maximus

As in all other Japanese martial arts, there are difference and variations in Iaido. These all depend on the traditions as well as the place(region in Japan) and time of origin. Generally speaking the kata of iaido include drawing and cutting from different positions from sitting in seiza to standing, walking and everything in between. The basic idea is that a swordsman or samurai had to be constantly aware and train so that he could draw his sword from whatever position he was at the time. Never to be in a vulnerable position or unable to draw.

To answer JR137, from personal experience living and training in Okinawa and the Japanese mainland, it is neither a Japanese or Okinawan trend. the overwhelming majority use only white/natural dogi. For kobudo a few dojo use all black or, more rarely brown. Never seen colour combinations top/bottom or trims of any sort. It could be because wearing a coloured dogi or any special combinations is considered by some to be overly “showy”.

It’s really too bad that YouTube red is restricted to something like five or six countries for now. Very frustrating and disappointing for those who would enjoy watching it.

It is the same concept overall. The original is Chinese and is a fundamental of both medicine and martial arts. Both of these were spread to Korea, Okinawa and Japan where they were developed further into local interpretations and variants. The same character(Chinese ideogram/symbol) is read differently in each of the three languages suing them. Although rarer in Korean. In Chinese it is “chi” and in Japanese it is “ki”. It refers to effective and efficient breathing applied to medicine and martial arts. Definitely NOT some sort of mystical force or power as some ignorant minds might construe it.

Also forgot to mention that it should be for individual work so having someone hold it while another strikes is out. What is a double ended bag and how is it used?

If the organization is international or at least has a presence in Europe, having a rank recognized should be very easy just by presenting the certification. Shotokan is quite widespread and there are numerous associations and organizations practically everywhere. With this said it is difficult for a lifelong practitioner to understand why some put so much value on rank as to concern themselves with whether or not it will be recognized by others elsewhere. If one is honest about what one can do and how much one knows, rank should matter very little.

What are good alternatives to striking posts or heavy bags? Ideally something that can easily be set up and put away when not in use. It also should meet these two conditions: A) indoor use in a small room 9sq meters. The room is rented and on the second floor. Modification or “construction” such as fastening anything to the walls, ceiling or floor is not permitted. B) using the equipment must not produce excessive noise which might annoy neighbours above and below. So far much of the training requiring hitting some kind of equipment has been done outdoors or in other places, but it would be convenient to be able to do it inside at the regular dojo. Any ideas?

Bleached or natural(yellowish-white) cotton dogi. Nothing else allowed for training. Summer is the only exception where wearing the dojo t-shirt is acceptable instead of the jacket.

It means that the instructor’s efforts and dedication were not wasted. It also shows that the student has made significant progress in implementing, practising and improving at what has been taught thus far and to the instructor’s satisfaction. Most important of all, it’s value comes from trust and respect. The student awarded the belt may not realize his own progress. He may even doubt himself but he will accept his teacher’s judgment. Not just because the teacher has decades or perhaps a lifetime of training and excellence in skills; but because said teacher is and has always been honest. The belt itself means nothing. It’s value comes from the personal sentiment attached to it and the even more personal dedication and efforts done up to that day. It really is about the training journey and endeavour. The first thing to grasping the worth of a dan grade is to stop considering black belts as goals or milestones. They are not meant to signify an end.

That sounds like the best and simplest progression. It also was the original or earliest system before the rainbow of belts became popular for commercial and cultural reasons. Very few instructors or associations use so few ranks/colours. In some there isn’t even a common system. There are central dojo that have a different system from what the others in their association use. It can get somewhat confusing when members get together to train. Then again that is not such a big issue because it only happens every so often and when it does, it quickly becomes clear who can do what and how well they can do it. Personally, the system used is white, green, blue, brown and black. Other instructors belonging to the same organization use their own system and none have fewer belts between white and brown. Having no more than 3 or four belts is a good way to get people to focus on their own personal training and emphasize skill progression instead of percieved status or rank. It is the next best thing to dropping the belt system altogether, which would probably be extremely difficult to implement since the belt system in one form or another has been used in karate for as long as the familiar white dogi. Nowadays the majority of people who remember training without belts or gis are Okinawan and over 70 years old. Some of these karate folks trained for many years before they ever put on a belt.

Having only 4 belts including black, paying for belts is not really a big expense. It has been the norm in nearly every dojo everywhere since at least the last 20years. Probably longer. Of course there are more than a few less-than-ethical instructors who have taken advantage of this by having a full rainbow of belts for which they charge indecent fees. In most cases, colour belts cost very little and often given. The black belt and above usually has a few costs which includes the belt itself and other things related to organizing the test.

It seems that the progression is not to decreased speed or power, but rather towards economy of these and better timing. This is probably why older and more experienced martial arts experts appear to move so effortlessly. Through training they have reached a superior understanding and control of all the body mechanics used for their techniques. It means that they never use more effort than needed. In a word, they are just more efficient at what they do because they do not waste any power. This is what is meant in saying that the goal of martial arts is the mastery of oneself. Wisdom and strategy always overcomes strength and power.

The original post was more about video as a personal training tool or a private reference by instructors and for dojo members. Some instructors may have reservations about having the videos posted online or having just anyone video record a test or training session. In personal experience, spectators are very rare. During regular training, nobody ever just watches except for the odd day when a dojo member’s family stops by. Even then they never stay very long and are expected to be absolutely quiet. Test are only open for those being tested and dojo members helping with the set-up. As far posting anything online, the measure is basic common sense: always ask for permission and respect the instructor’s decision. The same applies to copying or sharing any other documents or information about the instructor, the dojo and members. In fact many dojo have a specific rule for such cases: “dojo members shall not bring shame or disrepute to the dojo or instructor by any illegal activity, immoral behaviour or unethical actions”

Skills, technique and force are of no particular significance when considered by themselves. It is only when they are bound by the practitioner’s morals, character and intent that they take a purpose. Judgement, decision and many other mental factors determine how physical movements will be used. There is always a choice to make and each choice one makes has consequences. Martial arts skills without a sound, stable mind and strong moral character is an irresponsible risk. It is wisdom, good judgment and moral character that make it right to use force. These same factors must also dictate if force is necessary and how much or what choice are morally defendable. A skilled martial arts practitioner well-aware of his/her ability can make such a reflexion. Such a person, cannot and must not have only one extreme response to every situation. People aren’t automatons. Even instinct and trained reflexes can and must be tempered by the mind.

Being able to correctly and simply summarize a concept requires a certain depth of knowledge and good depth of understanding. It is also very important to never forget that there is always more to learn and that someone else knows something more. Once this is accepted and understood, it is very easy to see both how far one has to go yet have solid confidence in how far one has come.

It is good to be able to go back and take an in-depth look at one’s past test. It is a unique reference and perspective because there are certain mistakes that are difficult to spot. Especially the ones that people do not fully realize until they see themselves doing them.

It isn’t right to deny anyone the right to earn an honest living. Having said this, what is considered an honest living depends a great deal on several factors mentioned by others here. Things like the state of the economy, the cost of living and whether or not the dojo/school is the primary source of income. Even when the instructor has other work, there still are cost for upkeep. Rent, utilities, maintenance and equipment often cost most of the total earnings. A truly passionate and dedicated instructor might even be willing to personally pay some of those costs just to keep the the doors open and continue to teach if fees are not enough. Students will never be told, though. In Okinawa, the cradle of karate, this is widespread. The majority of instructors there work full time at various jobs and run their dojo in the evenings. Very few are lucky enough to own their training space and have to pay rent and buy equipment. Things are the same on mainland Japan and in urbanized areas or large cities such as Tokyo, a small dojo(enough space for 12-15 students) can cost as much as 3000US$ just for rent. As expected, the fees match the cost of living.

Does your dojo/instructor record training or tests on video? Have you ever used video recording of your own training? It can be quite useful to help spot and fix mistakes and bad habits that would otherwise be difficult to see. Being able to see yourself in action and having it readily available to study can be very beneficial for focusing improvement.

Indeed , “reaching” or over-extending outwards is a common mistake. Perhaps the next most commonly occurring mistake is for people to “chase” incoming attacks when attempting to block. This leaves one open and worse still, takes more energy as well as robbing the technique of power making it less effective and less likely to succeed against the momentum of a powerful committed attack.

This is somewhat difficult to explain without visuals, but with little thinking it isn’t too complex. One of the fundamental principles of ukewaza(blocking, redirecting, parrying) in Okinawan Karate is that these start and end very close to one’s body. For example the “rising/high block” starts near the chest around sternum level. In the ending position, the distance between the raised forearm and one’s head is about that of a fist’s width. How do other systems or style approach and this principle(blocking/checking close to one’s body). Is it as widespread as it seems?

Adjusting explanations to the level of the listener is one of the things an instructor can only learn from experience and it is very often easier said than done. What might seem obvious and straightforward to and intermediate level, might be completely over the heads of novices or those with no prior knowledge. Some instructors have a tendency to explain a little to much in minute details. It is too easy to forget that it is acceptable to leave out certain details and explain them later when the students reach a level which allows them to understand the finer points. Early on, one simplified or simplistic explanation is sufficient.

Three days per week and weekends are semi-private. Every session is 2 hours. On weekends every one trains as a group for the first hour or so on whatever the instructor decides to focus on in particular. This is usually one or two specific kata and chosen content from these. The second hour is free individual training. Everyone practises whatever they like and the instructor goes around giving tips and demonstrates finer points. During this time the instructor is also practising and everyone is expected to keep up. The structure is very loose and informal in the traditional Okinawan style(sensei is Okinawan). This means no predetermined content so that on any given session the training will be different. There is a curriculum but order is not set in stone. For example beginners will eventually learn kihon kata, but some may start with kata 3 instead of 1.

Knowledge is just information. Wisdom is understanding what should or must be done with it in any given case. This is the reason why wisdom is not as common as knowledge. Knowledge can be learned through study, but wisdom can only come from experience. The two qualities complement and complete eachother.

The protection and defense of others is a very well developed field. As a martial arts student or instructor it would be of significant interest to look into documentation on the subject. It is not difficult for anyone to obtain books which describe tried and proven strategies. If one is really keen on it, attending a seminar or training session with a professional of the field may give valuable insight applicable to one’s training. If anything these types of seminars are more popular and easier to find than ever. Just remember to choose wisely.

Changing schools or adding anonther system would just increase the activity and would be more difficult to manage. Loyalty and dedication to one instructor for years also goes against this. Training is mostly away from the dojo at home except for one, sometimes two 2hour private sessions at the dojo.