karatepastor

There advantages to both ways. I used to teach Karate using a specific curriculum and test times. Because of a move and COVID, I took some time off teaching and will restart later this summer. I've spent the last year training 4-5 days a week in BJJ. We also have been sparring once a week at a friend's Tae Kwon Do school. I've learned a lot. The advantage in BJJ, in this regard, is that the instructor is free to promote in a kind of Budo Spirit of the Samurai way. The trouble is, when you do it by feel, there are unclear expectations. No tests means its subjective. That means it can feel arbitrary. The idea seems to be to nullify the focus on belts and stripes but for some people it can make it feel unfair. I'll be modifying my teaching style but still using a test and known timeline. I just won't feel as obligated to make my curriculum rigid. We're training to get better and master basics. But the testing won't be exactly 17 techniques demonstrated, that sort of thing.

I’ve done a lot of martial arts over the years, most extensively in boxing and karate, though with a little aikido. Now I’m doing Brazilian jujitsu 4 to 5 days a week with my sons. I was a United States Marine. I’ve messed around quite a bit in different kinds of self-defense techniques and martial arts. I don’t think you can effectively learn a grappling art on your own. I just don’t think it’s really feasible. You can however do pretty decently with some instructional videos and some heavy bag equipment, perhaps an online training curriculum in karate or boxing. Better to have a partner to spar with and do drills with, but if I were going to go out alone with instructional videos and anything I would certainly be doing karate from durable martial arts online or something like that and then practicing in a very disciplined way. But grappling? I just don’t think it’s practical at all to learn on your own, regardless of how good the online or video curriculum is. You could get down some fundamentals but it just would seem to me to be a really ineffective plan. Whereas, you could probably do pretty well for yourself if you’re very disciplined and a good learner with striking arts independently. I still wouldn’t recommend it as your primary means. You’d want to at least get together with some like minded practitioners to pressure tested occasionally.

I hear what you're saying because I've trained quite a lot of Pastors, and not just Pastors and their kids that I wasn't a member of their church, but Pastors and their kids that I WAS a member of their church. I once even had a satellite dojo AT one of the churches I was a member of until the Pastor moved away. I never sought them out, they came to me of their own volition, and I didn't teach all of them that came to me because, imho, they weren't serious in their tone. It was a pastor who got me doing karate specifically. He had amassed a really large group of homeschool kids, including 2 of mine. He said to me one day, “You we’re a Marne rght? Didn’t you say you did Aikido or something? You’rea boxer? Can you help me teach?” … he did a bunch of privates to get me up to a level in Tang Soo Do where I could help with the younger kids.. then I was hooked and took it further.

As a pastor, I am the only one in my church besides my own sons who train with me. So I kind of stick out like a sore thumb in that way as I use martial arts analogies and sermons occasionally. Then I have a secondary friend group that is made up mostly because of the martial arts training. There are a lot of really great spiritual analogies that come from the Martial Arts, though I try to use them someone sparingly because a lot of my congregation do not have a background in the Martial Arts.

I had a very seriously considered it. Because I was using a curriculum for a rather distinctly Christian Karate program, or a man has really created a system to use the Karate as a means of Bible memorization, while engaging the kids physical bodies. It was providing a good avenue for ministry in my churches, and simply wearing a black belt while training the kids through a colored belt system was working fine. However, as my own sons were advancing through the belt structure, they wanted to also advance into more technical and more intense martial arts training. I realized that I would like to do the same thing. So, we’re now training Brazilian jujitsu in addition to our karate practice and we restructured our curriculum and aligned with an organization that allows me to get Dan rank promotions, as well as for my sons and any future students that advanced to that level. So my point is this, I think it really depends on your purpose and your program. Like a lot of other people have said, if you’re a part of a system or a curriculum or an organization where to advance me on Shodan is a part of the system, well then advance beyond that rank. And if your purpose in teaching or practice or competition or whatever would benefit from advancing to higher degrees of black belt, or it meets some kind of personal goal and it’s legitimate and not ego driven, then do that. For me, how do I simply continue to teach that same curriculum, there would’ve been no need for anything other than simply saying I am the professor, I am the teacher, but as we have advanced our goals in karate have changed.

In my limited history with aikido that’s what I found. However, in their defense, many of those wrist techniques hold the real potential of breaking joints without compliance by uke.

Absolutely. Thanks! I'm connected 4-5 times a week, along with my sons with a GREAT BJJ Professor. In time, I'll keep my eyes open for a similar relationship with Karate specifically. Only so many hours in the day is the trouble! With all things, I agree completely, we should be a student, a practitioner, and a teacher if we want to fulfill all aspects of a journey.

I like your point here. I think most religious organizations, regardless of what their particulars are, believe in some sort of connection between taking care of the gifts that we are given. I can say with certainty that the major world religions do, at the very least. If our bodies and our time here is a gift, then we we should take steps to care for these things and keep them healthy. That's some good perspective you're bringing to the MA scene in your area. For Sure.

I don't know if this is just my perception because of where I live, but it feels like most of the ones I encounter are faith-based in some form. When I was looking for a new dojo earlier this year, 3 of the 4 that I considered where faith-based. I ended up choosing the one that wasn't because it had the most similarities with what I already knew. I think more-and-more faith-driven people are realizing the similarities in the discipline that is typically called for in both martial arts and having faith and are therefore coming to martial arts with the goal of incorporating that devotion into their lives.I think you’re right. I know for me, I feel like martial arts training at the church or when Christians are teaching martial arts and not hiding the fact that they are a person of faith, I feel like in these contacts we can bridge day gap, what I believe it to be a really wide gap, among many Christians between their faith practice in the mind body spirit connection. All throughout the New Testament, and especially in Paul’s writings, we see constant reference both with regard to spiritual warfare as analogous to real warfare, and analogies which I think are more direct than our often given credit for, between disciplining the body and the discipline of faith.

I’ll check it out. I know he was one of the Power Rangers!

Welcome to KF, karatepastor, glad that you're here!! Thank you! I’m glad to be here.

All good points. A lot of variables. Difficult to say a black and white answer on this. I’m heavily engaged in BJJ. I can’t imagine learning Jui Jitsu online. With the exception of the Gracie combative belt with a good training partner. I’ve learned a lot of Karate and other arts in person class. But I think you can do a lot in an online format, again entirely depends on the person, the art, and the purpose of the learning. For example in my thinking: Jiu Jitsu difficult. Karate depends. Tai Chi yes.

Exactly. Especially in Jui Jitsu.

Demura Sensei is a good instructor. Unfortunately, he has been going through alot of health issues over the last few years. I ment to mention something you may have already seen. It is a documentary called (I think) "The Real Miyagi". Either Netflix or Amazon Prime has it if I remember correctly. It is a nicely done documentary on Demura Sensei and his history. Would be of special interest to you and your boys and good general viewing for anyone interested in the martial arts. We’ve watched it! In fact, we’ve watched everything we could find on him in the process of choosing a curriculum to emphasize in our school and personal karate training. I just contacted his organization to register through zoom for a seminar with him and some other masters later this month.

Well...define how you are using the term kumite please... Do you mean open style karate tournaments where all different types of styles compete (usually "fighting" or "sparring" for points, weapons kata and empty handed katas) or more traditional "fighting". Normally, if you are speaking of open style tournaments, then they are typically state or regional based. For instance, when I lived in TX, the big "organization" then was the AOK or Amatuer Organization of Karate. I would reach out to some local or semi-local martial arts schools and supply stores (physical supply stores). The latter, in particular, usually has flyer information on all sorts of tournaments. You should be able to lock something like that up. By the same token, if you are looking for a more traditional type of kumite, do a web search for your style or similar ones and give them a call. I am sure most of them would love to be able to pass along any information. Lastly, I would look to asking these similar schools if they would be interested in creating a more informal type of inter-school competition. This was something that we were able to do fairly successful in TX. Meaning, your school meets with another to compete against one another in a rules based and FRIENDLY (sometimes this has to be explained, re-explained and then explained again! LOL) competition. Have some fun with it and good luck! Yes Sir. Point tournaments is exactly what I was referring to. I’ll do exactly as you’ve suggested. I found one school that had an annual meet up not terribly far away but they put it on hold for Covid. I’ll reach out to some others as you suggested.