Spartacus Maximus

Knowing and training are two different things. While training in other systems is a matter of choice or personal goals, as a practicioner of martial arts one should have a familiarity with systems other than what one practises or at least a genuine interest. Observing and comparing other systems is a valuable learning experience and greatly benefits one's understanding of the system one trains. This is most beneficial to instructors because it helps develop a good sense of analysis. There may be hundreds of different martial arts, but there are only a few ways in which the body can move. Different systems often share several core principles.

Consider these questions: How is the dojo atmosphere? Remember that discipline can take many forms and is not necessarily like boot camp. A good instructor can motivate and convey a point to students without barking at them. Training and practise are up to the individual and results depend on personal efforts. The instructor is only there to advise and guide, not police the students. How is training approached? To be effective training has to be structured with clear goals. Techniques should be taught and domonstrated in detail, instead of just copying and repeating the movement. This is especially important for the most basic techniques. Kata ought to be analyzed, studied and picked apart to understand every move; not just memorized as a block. There are of course other criteria for choosing a dojo but these depend on individual goals for training.

The UFC and other similar events are made for entertainment. They are sporting competitions and as such the aim is to win. Athletes or fighters must not only be skilled, but also maintain a certain image of themselves. Sometimes this image or "ring personality" can be radically different than their actual everyday attitude. It is very common for them to portray themselves and behave in such a way that is an exaggerated version of their true self. Even if only for a moment when the fans and cameras are focused on them. MMA fighters and any fighters who compete have to be showmen to at least some degree. Some just do it more than others. Wether or not a certain fighter has a good or a bad attitude has very little to do with what martial arts they practise.

That sounds like a very good idea for memorizing information, but for something physical like karate techniques it might be more difficult to apply. The only sure way to learn and remember anything in karate is to do it. Do it slowly and feel every detail. It takes time for the body to adapt to unfamiliar movements or using previously unsolicited muscles. All this takes longer than just memorizing what a technique is supposed to look like or where it is in a sequence or kata. Kata are themselves meant as mnemonics devices. Each move is meant to be learned independently and then put together. A kata is a set of porinciples and techniques based on these, not a single block to be memorized like a dance.

"Copied" is not exactly the term that would apply here. Although it is clear that martial arts have existed for a long time in Korea, what is more difficult to determine is in what form or what systems were practised and taught. All the Korean martial arts in their present form can be traced back to no earlier than the 1900. This marks a boom in the development and spread of several martial arts in Japan including karate from Okinawa. At the same time, Japan annexed Korea and these martial arts were brought to Korea. After the Japanese occupation ended, Koreans created a synthesis of what they had learned and the existing Korean martial arts into new distinctly Korean systems.

As far as learning the sequence and direction of moves is concerned, there is really no such thing as an easy kata or a difficult kata. Even the most complicated kata can be learned in a few hours of daily repetition. The real difficulty of any kata is in the fine points that are not immediately obvious. Things like body mechanics or fundamental principles for effective use of each technique. This is why the most difficult kata are often the ones that appear simple on the surface. Appearances are deceiving and what looks easy can be quite a challenge when one takes the time to really try to understand what one is meant to gain from training.

Shorin ryu here. The founder was Chibana Chosin and my instructor was taught by Miyahira, Chibana's senior student.

Successfully starting a dojo always seem easier than it turns out to be. I always thought that all that was needed was a place, and enough skills and experience to teach. Business sense is not really a strong point in my case, but being careful is. One can never be too careful when making decisions and a dojo or any other business is not something one can decide overnight. Support from peers and one's own teacher can help resolve many issues.

Getting back into training after doing nothing for a week or two is much more painful than actually doing it. When one stops for a while, it is very easy to forget how quickly time passes.

For the sake of sharing experiences and learning from others, I address these questions to anybody who has ever started a dojo. What was the single most difficult problem or issue you have had to overcome in the process of establishing your dojo/school? What was the solution and how did you find it?

A training space large enough for two persons to comfortably practise should ideally be around 6sq meters. In other words 3sq meters per person. In addition, a dojo space should be free of obstacles such as large heavy furniture items that might be injury risks. If the space is shared for other purposes, it should be possible to set up quickly and put away quickly.

With everything that happens in an average life, it is a wonder that an expert in his seventies has managed train daily for three or four decades, let alone teach in addition to holding a full time job. If they can do it, there must be a way to make it work.

3 years passes quickly but there can be more to learn in that short time than in 10 or 15. It depends on many things such as the instructor's skill, how and what one trains and how often. That is why I count only the last 3 years or so, but if I count the entire time spent on karate, it amounts to 15. Realizing one has been missing essential parts and key points in training after 12 years is tough to overcome. Many things now make sense when I see them done by my instructor who is also very skilled at explaining how and why. Despite my best efforts, applying this knowledge to my practise remains a great difficulty. Without my instructor's evaluation and observation, realizing my own progress or quality of technique is very confusing. I cannot tell when or if I am doing anything right.

The belt would most likely rot before it turned any colour even close to black. It is cringe-worthy to imagine such a filthy piece of cloth in an enclosed space and in a semi-tropical climate such as Okinawa. As for washing a belt, I only use very hot water and nothing else. Afterwards I hang it to dry outside if there is enough sun or inside near a window and direct, natural light. It never smells after that.

Call it "opportunities to experiment and learn" the rest is up to the individual to take advantage of it. Merely theorizing about something serves little purpose. For theory to be of any use, it requires support, trials and experiments. Those who are not able or willing to do this cannot grow or improve and usually end up stagnating in skills and knowledge.

The most sensible reason not to wash a belt, or at least not too often was that washing machine cycles can take a rough toll on intricate embroidery work. Especially the kind done by hand or with special quality threads. This of course only concerns some black belts such as one might receive from one's sensei at a milestone grading. Plain, quality cotton canvas belts can be washed and should be washed. Colours always fade a little over time, but that is better than staining a good gi.

"You move like a pregnant yak!" Not sure but it might be from Reno Williams. Chiun is the character who said it..

Defined styles tend to a set curriculum of kata. However, not all dojo practise all the kata. Shito-ryu is a good example. The high number of kata in that system makes it difficult to include practise them all and every dojo will have a few that are not taught. Instructors teach what they know as well as what they like. If one teaches something from another style it is a question of experience and personal taste. It can also be part of the curriculum established by the founder. Kyokushin, for example, has kata from shotokan and Goju ryu because the founder trained both of these. They may differ slightly, but are still very close. Sanchin is one such kata. Gekisai/fukyu kata are practised by the majority of dojo across all styles represented in Okinawa from what I have seen so far. My first instructor taught shorin ryu, but retained a Chinese form learned from a Kung fu expert. Unfortunately it is long forgotten and I cannot recall the name or origin. Only that it was very difficult because of the different movements that were completely foreign to karate.

In some instances speed alone might work, in others power alone might work. However, the aim is not to break with one or the other but to have just enough speed AND power to go through the object one is breaking. That is what requires skill.

It is a common for instructors to be challenged or have issues when trying to motivate students. To motivate others is only possible if the instructor is motivated, but that is not always easy. How does one stay motivated after years of practising, training and teaching? What is effective for pushing oneself to continue each day?

1. Good 2. Never 3. Well-earned success 4. People who assume impossibility without even trying 5. Patient determination (nintai in jpn) 6. A breeze blowing through some trees 7. Busy traffic of heavy vehicles 8. Park ranger or game warden 9. Postal worker 10. "Let's get started"

The less bracing something has, the more difficult it becomes to break it without perfect synthesis of speed, power and body mechanics such as correct alignment and muscle tension. When a board (tile or coconut etc) is held in place by hands or anything supporting it, it is braced on two sides and relatively easy to break. Even with poor form, it will break if enough force is used. When suspended by a string there is only a very slight support. To break it requires much more emphasis on correct technique otherwise the power will not go through and bounce back into the striker. Harder still is breaking something without any suspension. Such as when the object is thrown or dropped and broken in mid-air before falling to the ground. One who can do this has truly mastered their own body and has reached the level of spontanous form in their strikes. Clearly if one has to psych themselves before breaking, there is much training before being able to do such a thing.

That is exactly the point. Asking what kick is effective in self-defense is like asking what colour shoes to put on to go for a run. There can be no specific answer and it all depends on what is available. The best answer is a general guideline, not recommending a specific technique. If the kick is used effectively with the correct strategy it does not matter if it is a front kick or a side kick or whatever.

A look at the original idea of the Olympics and the history of the institution tells exactly the same story. It is no surprise at all if every single Sports federation and international sports organizations have gone the same way. Money is what makes and breaks international sports. Without the support and approval of these governing bodies, it is nearly impossible to be recognized in the world of sports. Karate or martial arts in general, should not be any different.

The question is not so much what techniques one should or should not use. It is more about the When and the How, not the What. The instructor's role is much much more than merely teaching how to punch and kick a certain way. Strategy is essential to martial arts and each style or system has a strategy. Without this, all techniques will fail when most needed. A front kick has its application , a side kick also. The situation dictates which one is applicable and learning to judge what, where and when is an important part of training.