Shorin Ryuu

I'd also be lying if I said I never "taught" myself a kata off of a video. For the most part, I've only done so in cases where I would have an instructor (or in the immediate future) who would be be able to correct me and show me in person how it's done. If anything, it sped up the process by not having to spend class time learning the rough pattern and movements. Instead, class time could be spent correcting and fine-tuning them. Of course, it is far easier to learn "simpler" kata like Pinan Nidan (Heian Nidan is the Japanese version of it) through videos. I have been guilty of learning much more complex kata than that via video, with instances of success and other not-so-successful instances. Even in the former category (I taught myself a very long nunchaku kata), I was able to make the usually simple adjustments without incredible effort. So I'm a fan of using videos to help you learn things for the first time provided you have an instructor or have yourself a decent enough critical eye for martial arts (although if it's something like kata, the obvious warnings apply here). I'm also a fan of using videos to help you learn even after you've memorized the movements and patterns of the kata. Video technology is amazing in that it lets you watch great people perform kata over and over again. It isn't too long ago that people didn't have this opportunity. You just have to make sure if you change something to make the way your kata is similar to theirs, you understand why you're doing it that way. Once again, you have to avoid the temptation to become a great mirror.

Obviously if you don't have a decent familiarity with the kata you're supposed to know, don't skip ahead and learn others. One of my gripes with the whole testing and ranking system is that all too often (more common in kyu ranks) in many places, too much emphasis is placed by both the teacher and the student on simply checking off the blocks on the testing checklist. Many students are especially guilty of just trying to memorize rather than learn the kata. I would be lying if I said I never fell in that category before.

Welcome back and best of luck in your training.

My personal opinion is that during the judging of a kata, the judge should be able to tell from the contestant that a particular kata will "work" in a fight. What's more, I think the judging of a kata should also include either judges being able to ask contestants about the applications of their kata (or analysis if it is more of a "training kata") or the contestant also being required to explain their kata. Obviously, the amount of contestants and the time involved for this makes this scenario very unlikely. People may say that judges will be biased and things, but if they employed critical reasoning, it would be no different than a teacher grading the paper of a student based on content and analysis rather than whether or not the teacher agrees with the conclusion (sadly, there are many teachers who do the latter). This is how you could get around the argument that people who do not practice the same style would be unable to judge kata from that style. If nothing else, it would simply help judges from other styles to judge the kata. Regardless, I'm not a big tournament person, anyway.

To answer your question directly (to be honest, I went and wrote all the stuff on the bottom, re-read your question and realized I didn't answer it)... You've already answered the long term part of your question when you said But I'm sure this isn't comforting in the short-term. The best thing to do is to have more of a positive attitude about it. Now before you say "I do have a positive attitude", let me finish. Oftentimes, there is an insidious negative attitude out there hidden because it looks positive. Many people, without realizing it (and this kind of goes for life in general), have this burning drive for improvement in their training, especially in the beginning. Unfortunately, deep inside, it is because they don't like making mistakes and want to make things perfect. That isn't bad in and of itself, but for many people, they want the perfection because they fear the opposite, which is imperfection. Even if you realize you will never be "perfect" (which you've indicated in your post), you must still make what will perhaps be in the beginning a very conscious choice to divorce completely the ego-related negativity of mistakes from the improvement-related negativity of mistakes. As with anything in life, it truly is easier said than done. I can't say I'm fully at this stage, either. Once you do that, you will be able to solve the part of your problem with getting upset over your technique. If you've truly done this, you wouldn't be getting frustrated. This will go a long ways towards the emotional part. As far as the "over-thinking" side of the dilemma in regards to technique/principle analysis using the wisdom of the mind rather than the body, that's merely something you're going to have to choose to do or not do. I recommend drawing from both pools of wisdom as they have very much to offer. Whether or not you have a "natural feel" for martial arts will certainly be a factor in how easily you can transition between these modes of thinking. The only advice I can give you is when you are using the mind, you have to expand it to include not just what you are specifically engaged in thinking about, but also everything else (As usual, easier said than done). If you do not, then you are studying the technique incorrectly anyway, because techniques involve the whole body rather than a specific part. Once again, I believe all this requires the subordination of emotion to the rule of reason. Whether you realize it or not, when you use the wisdom of the body instead of the wisdom of the mind, you're still using your mind. It's really not quite as dry and clinical as it sounds, but it is something that if you can't do it in "real life", you'll probably have difficulty doing it during practice. (And now what I wrote originally...) Many times incorrect technique comes from trying to do things too fast without having built in the proper muscle memory first. If you are doing partner drills, ask your partner to slow things down a bit, if possible. If doing solo drills to someone calling out a count, usually they will slow it down if they notice someone is lagging behind. The best way to listen to your body is doing kata. When done slower, it is easier to listen what your body tells you (Tai Chi, anyone?). There are many different things you can concentrate on while performing your kata. I think having a clear, undistracted mind is important, and that is different from merely having an empty mind. I've noticed far too many people fall into the trap of merely going through the motions, thinking that they were achieving some sort of "zen moment". If you do kata merely to meditate, that's fine by me. But since kata is a study of biomechanics, I think special attention needs to be paid to what your body tells you during kata. Therefore, rather than focusing on how fast or how hard you can get a kata done, try and just "record" what your body tells you while you do it. Usually, the things you will notice when first starting is what NOT to do (i.e., I do this, and my shoulder hurts or is straining). Later on, you should be able to feel what you SHOULD do (this configuration is more structurally sound, etc.). Just as a note, I'm not saying this is the only way to do kata. There are several different ways that I do kata, usually each with a specific emphasis.

Just so you know, many Okinawans have more of a Western diet nowadays (same phenomenon with the Japanese).

Are you sure your instructor wasn't pulling your leg?

Yes. Most people are surprised to learn that "uke" doesn't actually mean "block" (although it is only taught that way in application in some places). But things like that are good to know (truly only a most basic example, of course).

I'm going to cheat and say styles that do both...(Okinawan karate, for one...) But then again, most circular styles have linear aspects to them. And then there's always making a line with a circle or a circle with a line... So as not to hog the discussion, I'll just do a pro for each. Circular: Easier to apply soft force that the opponent has difficulty sensing and reacting to. Straight line: Quick and direct. The opponent may not have time to respond. The problem with these kinds of questions is that many times techniques are seen as linear, but are actually extremely tight circles. Also, these question assume too much of a two-dimensional world, whereas martial arts are four-dimensional.

Training with others is a great way to give you a reality check. I've started to travel several times a year to other places in the US to receive extra training or go to various camps to gain perspectives about myself and to learn extra things from people beyond my immediate training circle. As far as your self goes, you have to constantly think about efficiency. No matter how strong you are, you will lose muscle as you age. Therefore you must seek continual depth and understanding of your techniques. I don't concern myself with actual measures, I just actively train nearly every day to get better. I think in too many places there is too much of an emphasis on training rather than getting better. There are often some things you simply won't get without countless repetition. However, many people neglect the critical thought process necessary to evaluate themselves and to continually question why they do anything they way they do it. Most people simply become repeating automatons that go through the motions and train regularly, but don't improve. One of my old instructors used to tell us that there are two ways of training for thirty years. One is to train a single year thirty times in a row. The other is to train thirty different years, each one better than the last. Sadly, I've met those who've fallen somewhat in the former category.

Just a couple here and there. My instructor has some tapes of him out of curiosity. But the footage I got was from that "Hohan Soken and Students" video. You may have seen it or been shown it, as you're now as student of Ron Lindsey. I don't recall the names of the other ones exactly, but I think Kusanku Mei was one. There were perhaps 3-4 others... I think my instructor knows Chuck Chandler's teacher (Takaya Yabiku).

At times like this, I practically kiss my copy of Donn Draeger's Classical Bujutsu on my bookshelf. Classical samurai (and by this I mean around 1000-1400 AD) trained in a myriad of disciplines to prepare themselves for the battlefield. These included Bladed Weapons (Kenjutsu, Iaijutsu, Sojutsu, Naginata-jutsu), Staff and Stick Weapons (Bojutsu, Jojutsu, Tetsubo-jutsu), Archery (Kyuujutsu), Composite Weapons, Grappling (Yoroi Kumi-uchi, which means grappling in armor and is probably the antecedent of jujutsu, Hojo jutsu...the art of tying your opponent up as a captive in battle...) and other things like Bajutsu (horseback riding), Yadome-jutsu (literally the art of stopping arrows...), Suiei-jutsu (Combat in water). I was lazy and just kind of copy-typed a lot of things there...but you get the picture. They trained in quite a bit.

Yes. It is surprising how little questioning of history is done by even hardcore students of "traditional" martial arts. But, that really goes for people in all styles. It's funny, because I was just talking to someone about this exact same topic earlier today.

Try not to look too deeply into it...you may realize there actually isn't anything to see...

You can also try to do it by relaxing the knee of the leg that is moving. Rather than pushing off the ground, you shift into position. It telegraphs less than a push off the ground.

Oh man. I love politics and reading about it... (Seriously, I do. I'm not being sarcastic. In the words of Laura Ingraham..."Who says politics is boring?")

I think all martial artists have a duty to maintain their health (something my current instructor is big on, but something I've always been big on for about 6 years now). They don't have to look like the cover of Fitness Magazine, but I think it is just good for them to be healthy mentally and physically. Again, there have been many examples of a bit overweight instructors that are still phenomenal, and as others have mentioned, it's because good martial arts do not rely on physical strength. Physical strength is good for young whippersnappers like myself, but it is efficiency that is always the ultimate goal. I'm not saying to neglect the training of the body, far from it. That being said, I still think it is a martial artist's duty to stay healthy. But then again, I'm the guy who gave completely gave up junk food six years ago and is very strict on his health standards. I just think everyone should be healthy regardless of whether you do martial arts or not. I've met some individuals that are still great when it comes to martial arts and have such a wealth of knowledge to share, but their health is very poor. Some of this is due to massive overtraining that had long-term health effects. As a consequence, their individual growth is lessened because they simply aren't healthy enough to train regularly or with focus. I think they would be better off taking a break from martial arts, getting in shape if possible, and then returning. These, of course, are more extreme cases. Regardless, to discount a martial artist that is overweight is just foolish, in my opinion.

I was fortunate and didn't pay for any of my kyu ranks (not in Shorin Ryu, anyway). My first Shorin Ryu instructor only had a few students and he didn't charge for belts or lessons (he was a teacher who volunteered his time to teach at my university's traditional karate club and did not get paid). Since we were funded by the university, we could get free belts and equipment. I paid for my shodan to get the certificate from Okinawa and whatnot, but other than that, I haven't paid for any of my belts.

I like his idea too. Although he trains full time, he doesn't teach full-time (we have 3, 2-and-a-half hour sessions a week...which come to think of it, is still a lot of time) and obviously doesn't do it to make a living, so he has more flexibility on this issue. There's nothing wrong with teaching to make a living. But in order to do so, you either have to have a whole lot of students (in the 100s), charge them money often (or larger amounts less often), or some combination thereof. This results in the need for numerous kyu ranks and the like. Not because you are greedy, but simply because you need to make ends meet. Commercialization has evils, but it has good as well. Without it, most people that are taking martial arts now probably wouldn't be doing so. But if martial arts is your sole source of income, then there are slight compromises you have to make (not integrity, but usually either in quality or the expenses your students have to pay). I like the joke one of my instructors used to tell us. "How do you make a small fortune teaching martial arts?" The answer, of course, is "Start out with a large fortune." It's hard to make a living off of martial arts, which is why many instructors have a full-time job as well. Certainly kyu ranks do help with many students who require an external visualization of their achievements. But they also help the instructor pay the bills.

My current teacher only uses 2 color belts. He also does not test his students and merely gives out the belts when he feels they are ready. White brown black Most instructors in our system (Shorinkan Shorin Ryu) use the 10 kyu system with testing.

Yeah. He has a secondary job as "executive protection" that keeps him rather busy. He's actually in Afghanistan right now, I believe...

Sounds like you were a little jumpy. What distinguishes a master from a good technician of the martial arts is the ability of threat recognition and response only when it is needed. You should be alert at all times, but reacting like you did to every bit of stimulus isn't going to work. By the same token, if you're so calm that someone attacks you and pulverizes you before you can respond, that won't work either. I've heard how many masters, like Chibana Chosin, would always pause before entering a room to scan it for anything out of place. Only a very brief pause, but nonetheless, shows the true attitude of a warrior. It's hard to be constantly vigilant. As humans, we want to kick back and relax, and there are probably some situations where we can totally let our guards down (It's not a good idea to be ready to fight your wife to death in bed). Reflexes are important, but they should make sense in relation to what set them off...

Nice. Who is doing the Yamani Ryu Bo video?

So you were simply trying to block rather than get out of the way and block? Sounds awfully Darwinian to me.

Actually, Goju Ryu has a pretty strong presence on this board. It's origins were with Higashionna Kanryo who trained on Okinawa in the latter half of the 1800s and later went on to train in China. The mixture of his Okinawan and Chinese background gave birth to Goju Ryu, which his student Miyagi Chojun named and really popularized. It is one of the main branches of Nahate and combines hard and soft techniques. The interplay between Goju Ryu and Shorin Ryu is interesting, as there have been masters who trained in both. Like many of the Okinawan styles, Goju Ryu is a well-balanced style that teaches fighting at all ranges and especially close range fighting, incorporating a mixture of grappling and striking. A great style if you want to learn how to fight. I'll let the Goju Ryu people answer more on this one (Don't want to steal their thunder ).