Training times.....

Training at two in the morning might seem a little odd, but not so much if you're a shift worker.

Sometimes when I go back onto days my body clock is so far out of whack that bada boom bada Bing, I'm wide awake in the early hours....

I hate training in the morning anyway. My body has usually seized up and it's hard to get moving, I'm also more prone to injury (history shows)  and besides, unlike those in professional jobs or white collar workers (no insults intended) I have to be up at five and on the road by quarter to six to be at work on time when I'm on days.....

My job is mentally and physically demanding anyway, and on the occasion I have trained in the morning ( usually 4 to 5 am) by the end of a twelve hour shift I'm absolutely wasted.....not good for the body......

I've got two of these....
Great for training the
Fingertips and hand position
For Hiraken....fore knuckle strike

My Karate is always better in the evening....I'm loose and keen to engage with whatever arises.

I've heard/been told, more than once, that an hours training in the morning is worth two in the evening.  Personally, having done both and at unholy early hours of the morning (very early) I think this train of thought is a crock of the old proverbial to be honest; that's my experience in the matter.

Karate isn't about continually regimented times for training anyway...it's about blending with your life style.

Tonight for example, prior to writing this for the blog, I trained for half an hour with two different Makiwara, and half an hour of Hojo Undo.....
Why? Well, that's what I fancied doing.....
The next session could be any time and doing whatever comes to mind.

More fore knuckle training...

What I never do though is let Karate Training affect my Job or home life......Work is work.
Home is home and karate is karate. When these things affect one another then there is something very wrong somewhere, an imbalance.

I wrote in the first blog of finding myself in a unique position. With renewed enthusiasm I move forward based on experience, and whilst not perfect, nothing ever is, it's far better than any alternative.

Refined Artwork....

How were Kata developed?

When was the last time you had the opportunity to explore a Kata with a
partner ? ....

Does Kata actually work ?

I miss the opportunity to explore Kata with a live partner. This was a real highlight for me during my time as a student in a small private Dojo.....I could of trained for hours exploring Kata and the bunkai principles particularly with a non compliant partner, but understand that there were other things that are required too.

My regular training partners of Rope, Log on a Rope, Kakitae Bikae and Sagi Makiwara are certainly a huge help, but you cant beat trying to physically manipulate a person.
So many missed opportunities before the start of a session then.....I realise now.

Sagi Makiwara and
Log on a Rope....
Great training partners 

Yes, Kata does work....well the bunkai does. It's just a question of trying to understand what the creator is trying to show us. I have trouble in this area, as do many. But what a fantastic reward once you find it.

And back to the first question.
By a couple of guys working together with attack and defence techniques exploring their Art. Creating something out of nothing.

Kakitae Bikae....
Another great training
Partner....

I read something a while ago now stating that Karate was not an ART...... but I think the Art is defined by its very creation.
Is not creating something an ART.....particularly the Kata. Understanding the Kata is then an ART in itself and it's principles a refined Art.

Stuff...

I was sat quietly the other day, thinking about all things Karate over a cup of black tea.
I couldn't believe that it had been almost eight years since I was trekking through the Cataract Gorge in Tasmania maintaining a very careful 30 odd meters behind my then, Sensei.

The Cataract Gorge foot bridge..

We navigated the hardest route possible.....and two thirds of the way through the trek I thought I was going to throw up.
To say it was arduous is an understatement and Sensei's pace relentless. Neither fast nor slow he just maintains one speed and to get through, it was a case of focussing the mind else where......

The same goes when I was playing Basketball at Premier league level in England.
The training could be very hard, long and exhaustive, to the point of throwing up.
But this being said the Cataract Gorge trek had a whole lot more going on in terms of lessons in Budo and Karate.....

Back to Karate....for nearly three years being on the K.U.G.B. Central England squad under Sensei Frank Brennans watchful eye also saw its difficulties.
And although the world's of Budo and Sport karate are very different in their approach to training and the type of training undertaken, there are similar core principles to be found in each.....

Squad Selection was always well attended.

So, I'm then sat thinking about all the 'stuff that is added to karate that really need not be there......

Expectation....what the Sensei expects of the student and the student of the Sensei.
......all that is needed is respect (both ways) and commitment (from both)
And that is all. A subservient nature by the student is not required.

Commitees......
Really, this is one that becomes toxic.....say something out of place seniors don't like, then watch the fall out. The so called leaders/leader do what they want anyway. Total waste of Karate time.

Money.....
Paying for a place to train, the upkeep of a Dojo or for equipment is one thing.
To make Sensei or Senseis boss wealthy, well, this kinda goes against what karate is about.
I've seen a 3rd Dan grade to 4th and he didn't know his Kata. His $400 was accepted and he was told after receiving his new rank "learn them". Having seen this and prefilled in certificates it really opens the eyes to the making of money through karate.

Teaching .....with no credentials.....
This is normal.
A cog in the money making gearbox of the machine. The machine being the Organization, the gearbox the club and the cog 'You'...

Many organizations who see a student progress will put pressure on them to teach.
They will compliment them, offer insentives like free training, invite them to higher grade sessions and fill their heads with fanciful ideas, all in an effort to feed the ego to get them to do what they want.....and its hardly a hard sell either.
I have seen this happen from Green belt upwards.
Again really........if you cant see what is wrong with this then there's a problem. Especially if teaching encroaches on your regular job and affects the people around you......
I find it ironic that these Karateka? think they are following the path of a Budoka,  when in actuality it is the complete opposite.

The' NEW Junior instructor' as they will be known, has had no formal training to teach, no formal training in leadership and rarely even holds a first aid certificate, let alone anything else to show a qualification of any type. And yet here you are receiving instruction from them whilst at the same time dictating when THEY rock up to teach ' you '  and not the other way round....
I'm pretty sure that's not what you're paying for, nor is it right that it's you who are pandered to. But that's the way of commercial Karate. Far far away from the tenets of Budo.

There is a myriad of 'stuff ' that is welded to the fabric of Karate. Stuff that does nothing for it, and certainly does nothing for you.

Even with small private Dojo there can be things you don't need attached to the Karate that is simply wanting to be explored and/or absorbed, with a little guidance from the Sensei to keep you straight and true.

You won't find this Karate Training
In the high street club...

I don't have all the answers but what I have learned over the past eight years (see previous post) is this.....its just simply about you and Karate-do. The training therein and absorption of.  The reason you started, not the reason for all the 'stuff ' that is added to it by those of whom you didn't ask to add a thing that has very little or indeed nothing to do with Karate itself. ....KAIMOKU.

Environmental Health.....

Bubbles, I like bubbles. They're soothing to watch.
Tranquil and serene...

My Fish Tank....
Soothing...

My Fish, 'Anderson', always looks Angry.....(you will either get this, or you won't)
.....He's not of course, he just looks it. He looks the opposite of the reason I bought him, and enjoy having him.

Anderson the Angry.....

I've tried keeping Fighting Fish before, but without too much luck. Because in keeping a Fighting Fish there is no luck about it.
I came to realise that there are certain things you must do to keep their environment safe and habitable for them.
So before buying the whole set up....you know....a package deal. I bought and read a book on how to...
I could then go out and buy the CORRECT package deal for what I wanted, but moreover for the fish I was to buy. Now known as  Angry Anderson......or as I prefer ....Anderson the Angry.....

As simple as it might seem, it takes a level of responsibility....pretty much like anything you want to do, have or to keep in good shape.

If Anderson's environment started to become "toxic" then it wouldn't be long before he would begin to suffer. It could even reach a level where it was that harmful that he could die.

My Regular Training Environment
My Kaimokukan Dojo.....

The Karate environment you choose to train in is important. To begin with though you have no idea what that environment is.
You have nothing to base it on. But over time and a little bit of experience things change.

Your training environment should be healthy..... physically clean, and mentally free of anything Toxic.

And environments change.
Training at a Gasshuku in the same environment where sometimes it's just you and your Sensei is not the same. The experience is very, very different.
The one on one environment is a very special place to be as opposed to a sports hall of several hundred, or even a Dojo of a handful.

Some Environments connect
You with nature.....

Your training environment is important. It needs to be something, that like Anderson, you can thrive in...
The moment you feel you can't is the moment of realization that maybe it's time for a change.

Like my good friend who used to be a firefighter that I mention in a previous blog...
He moved on......

The real World...Fact or Fiction...

Impact training, body/joint conditioning whatever you wish to call it (rarely done in club karate) is painful. The sensations attached to it unpleasant, to begin with at least, but never the less, in this Karatekas opinion, very necessary.

Ude Kitae...the toughest of teachers...

Having gotten a couple of years of this type of training under your belt, facing the problems it presents becomes a little more bearable. When training, the mind, instead of focussing on the severe feelings, can begin to wander......

After a typical session

Half way through my standard set the other day facing the Ude Kitae, I began to think about
' experience ' and what it means to have it, and once you've got it, what do you do with it?

I've have been schooled, grew up on the streets of Birmingham, had a small roll in security for a while (door control) played Basketball at premier league level, studied music and had two fantastic careers ( still enjoying my second one )
besides my martial art background.
All this adds up to factual experience. Experience that encompasses lots of different things and situations.

My Fighting Fish 'Anderson'
Actually knows nothing
of fighting.

I find it ironic that some people who try to teach life lessons, guide us, council us and decide what we need or indeed don't need, actually have little experience of that of which they purport.
They know of school, and learning, books and other people's ideas, but in my
' experience ' don't know much of the real world or of what it takes to live in it well and is the reason they regularly quote others, or relate other people's experiences in their conversations.

Real world experiences are what help shape us, and whether at the time we realise it or not, help us cope better with life's difficulties as we move from day to day.

Using the word
 ' experience ' throughout the blog is something I will do regularly, for this is what the blog is based upon. My experiences and my own thoughts that have arisen from these experiences.

More fore knuckle training
More experience....

So, keep you karate real.
It's not a good idea to be sucked in by those who have little knowledge of what they speak.... like the karateka teaching kumite, who has in fact, never stepped on to a competition mat. Or the Sensei who speaks of self defence, who has never had to defend themselves.
Or those who talk of karate tools with little understanding of them or know how they are used.....

If you recognise people in your club or Dojo like this then maybe it's time to move on. Even in other areas of your life, like work for example. It might be time to start questioning that which is presented to you, as people like this certainly aren't doing you any favours. All they are in fact doing is filling your head with unsubstantiated personal ideas based on nothing.

Change and Contentment....

So, as I'm ageing my training focus is changing. I am, these days, focussing more on karate for my health as opposed to that of Budo. Whilst some of the more basic elements of Budo are present, like training with a sincere mind, and that of action far out weighs intention, for me at least the new focus is refreshing.

One of my two Tachi
Makiwara.....
Keeping me in check for nearly
Two decades.....
Even though this is number 9

Almost eight years in the Budo, certainly in its physical sense has taken it's toll.....but this said my impact training is still prevalent, and I guess it always will be.

 I was facing a Makiwara some ten years before any training in the Budo, and is something I hope I can continue into old age. My karate now fits in with my body, where as before I was trying to fit my body in to karate, which wasn't working terribly well.....

Stepping away from Karate for almost 10 months, or at the very least dumbing it down, gave me time to breathe, time to miss the thing I love doing and to come to an understanding of what was good for me and what wasn't......

I get that we all have to do things we don't necessarily like, and finish the task at hand, even when we have had enough, it's character building at the very least and defining at the most. To finish a thankless task with a smile on your face and a sense of achievement is a great feeling.

The following is a quotation from the late Bruce Lee....

Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is essentially your own.

The Havamal
Life lessons and how
to conduct yourself...

Whilst during my training  hiatus, I did lots of reading.
I read more of Budo, The Havamal (Norse Text) articles my Sensei had written and thought about things my upbringing as the Son of a Serviceman had taught me.


I realised I was no longer content, and I am a great believer in being content as opposed to being happy. Happiness is short lived, a snap shot, a moment within the moment. Out of contentment true happiness is borne.....a happiness that is not short lived.

I have seen the Toxic side of karate, the double standards of those I have had the misfortune to train with, and the subservient nature of Senior Karateka towards their Master....

My other Tachi Makiwara
Or wooden mirror
as I like to call it.
Contentment.....

.....I can't unsee what has been seen....

So do that which makes you content, not that which makes you happy. There is a difference......and it's a big one.....

Leadership...being set up to fail.

A close friend of mine used to be a retained Fire Fighter.
Retained, in so much that he would be on call whenever he was not doing his regular job that provided for himself and his family. A good bloke then, offering help and skills he had acquired through hard training  to the community in his time off between his shift work.

He has since however, resigned from his firefighting position. You see, he has morals and integrity and being surrounded by Liars didnt sit well with him. Being set up to fail, didn't sit well with him and working under seniors with no integrity didn't sit well with him.

The Sagi Makiwara
Will not set you up to fail
But failing is an option 

When those in charge or even those who are your peers, can not be sincere with those they lead or work along side then the outcome is always inevitable.

Poor leadership stems from poor character, crappy values and inner weakness and is fuelled by large egos.

But in the same token people only have authority over you if you give it to them.
Where the loss occurs is when someone who has been an asset walks away from something that, at it's core is good.

I found myself in a similar position regarding Karate not all that long ago which gave rise for me to assess my situation.
I was at a Gasshuku where a fellow student set me up to fail.....asking a question of which I wasn't quite certain of the answer....
Long story short....I found out later that he knew of that of which he had asked...so he was testing me and my response. I didn't fail per sey because I didn't give any kind of definitive answer.
Now having my awareness for such behavior on Red alert I also began to notice " double standards"  too, from so called seniors no less....ummm.

Me and ' Groot' ...
No ego from GROOT
He's just quite simply... hard...

I really don't like this kind of behaviour and from that moment on the other guy and myself were done.

I've been in the situation before and I'm not too sure what kind of kick or advantage the other person's perceives that they get.....a power trip, maybe? .
It even happened at work the other day, though the circumstances were different the end result the same.....

Setting someone up to fail, to me at least, shows really poor character, it also shows an inner weakness and a very big ego.
It also has no place in a Karate Dojo......or at your place of work, for that matter.
It's something I don't miss about training in groups... that one person who quite simply " doesn't get it" ...

More of my SINCERE  Karate Training Partners.....
They lead....I listen... though
I sometimes miss the point 

Karate-do that is to say the way of karate, needs to be conducted with sincerity, integrity and honesty. All things that are free to anyone.
That so many can't even find these things within themselves to live their lives by, or in the leadership of others is really sad and far from constructive in this Karatekas opinion.
But as I said, others only have authority over you if you give it to them......

Who's who ?

I mentioned to a Karateka the other day that it was sad to hear of the passing of Kanazawa Sensei...... who's that ?  was the reply.

Serenity....as I see it...

When studying anything, the whole thing should be looked at, and not just some of it.
A bit like the black belt I mention in my recent post
' Fake ' .....
.... it's no good just learning the physical aspect of Karate. An understanding of where, why and how it came about should be sought as well.

At the beginning of my study I was a Shotokan man, but I still knew of the other prominent Sensei of other 'styles'. Even of styles I had never heard of, because that's what study does. It broadens knowledge.

Without academic study and only knowledge of the physical, then training in the Art of Karate-do is incomplete. To know of the guy on YouTube demonstrating Kata and not of the forefathers or of the Sensei that disseminated Karate across the globe is really quite sad but is a common enough story in karate today.

I've have been training in Okinawan Goju Ryu now for nearly 8 years, not long by any means, but this said, I have not forgotten where it all began. My KUGB roots in Shotokan are still there, though over shadowed now by my Goju Ryu training it was, for me, never about the style but moreover, about Karate itself. Beginning Goju Ryu opened my eyes to other aspects of training long since abandoned in Shotokans methods. One of the many differences between Japanese and Okinawan Karate yet borne out of the same beginnings.

I will be forever grateful at the opportunities presented  and the generosity that was extended to me by those whom I have been able to call Sensei.....generosity that I will never be able to repay other than in that of trying to be a good student.

I now enjoy the serenity of the uncluttered Karate I practise and enjoy....a serenity similar to that depicted in the wall hanging, pictured above.

With Karate as it is today it needs good students. ( what is a good student? More on this later ) It needs it's history to be kept alive.

"To search for the old is to understand the new, the old the new, this is just a matter of time." .....Funakoshi wrote....
Funakoshi, who's that ? you ask....   Never mind !

Kaimokukan....open the eyes

My Dojo is currently under refurbishment. The outbuilding it is situated in doubles as a work shed..... which is found to be amusing by some....  I guess you either get it or you don't.

The Shomen [Altar]
In the Kaimokukan Dojo...

The Shomen in my Dojo is kept simple and uncluttered.
With just a couple of things (gifts) I have received from very generous karateka sit on the shelf underneath my Dojo Kun to the left, and also a simple reminder of humble beginnings to the right.
In the middle hangs the Dojo name.....KAIMOKUKAN..... meaning the place where the eyes are opened. Rather appropriate after meditation and what karate, training and the experiences there of have done for me....

I have trained in many Dojo both as student and guest and practised under many different Sensei and teaching styles; faced many Karateka from all walks of life and also learned many lessons, some obvious and others, well, not so much.

My Dojo Kun, like many others in many Dojo around the World, is based on simple principles that have, and indeed continue to serve me well.
That's right, there are many Dojo Kun. Don't be misguided that there are only those of Shotokan, Goju Ryu and Kyokushin Kai, for as well known as they are, they are by no means exclusive to the Art.....

Karate needs to be experienced on many levels, and whilst you can be loyal to a sensei, you can also be limited to the Karate exposure you have. Training with others and under others is eye opening and in this Karatekas opinion a must in a student's development.

A Gift from my Wife

A while ago now I hosted an event that came to be known as ...All Shotokan Day ...but was inclusive of other Ryu as well. Four instructors from different organizations teaching one and a half hours each over a full day of karate do. It was a fantastic event enjoyed by many until the focus on money took over which then saw me done, and I never taught or trained at another one. The event fizzled out.

Karate has a dark side, corrupt and toxic but there is also a purity and honesty to be found within the Art that is hard to find anywhere else....  In opening your eyes,  to all it has to offer, it is possible to navigate a path full off highlights and riches as a reward for the hard work put in..... KAIMOKU.....

Karate, Nature and New Dimensions

Karate these days, and many other martial arts for that matter, are usually done within the confines of a building. Ok, we've all seen the beach training photos posted on Facebook, which Is why I said usually.
Karate is also mainly practiced barefoot.

This however, was not always the case, at least the indoors part.
 Miagi Chojun for example, would teach his karate to students outside in his garden. They would also lift rocks for strengthening exercises and use various Karate tools.

Occasionally I train at my local
Duck Pond.....

Training outside is an absolute joy. It connects your Karate with its surroundings, and adds a new dimension and feel for what you are engaged in.

My Dojo as it was.....

My Dojo at the moment is in a bit of a mess compared to the photo above.  But, it has served me well for the past 10 years.
There never used to be any of the authentic Okinawan karate tools that take their place along the Shomen (front wall) . These appeared about 8 years ago upon my acceptance into an Authentic Goju Ryu Dojo.....

Fortunately many of the tools can be used outside....

Most of the tools are portable.  Ideal then to be used in the outside training area; which brings me to the point of bare feet.

So, training is normally done on a smooth flat floor without the need for shoes.

My outside area is paved in bricks that I had lying around. This falls directly in line with the Okinawan way of making use of what you have. To train in barefoot would be ridiculous as they would be shredded in no time. So this gives rise to the opportunity of wearing footwear.

The bricks of the outside area
are extremely abrasive.

Karate done in footwear on an outside surface of almost any description, shines a whole new light on your training. Certain things are more difficult to do, whilst other things are easier. Bio mechanics of what your comfortable with have to change in order to become comfortable again, and the surface you are now on is not very flat or smooth and adds another important dimension to practise.

The various Makiwara helps me connect with my surroundings too. I made them myself, again from materials I either had spare after a job or had, once again, lying around.

I like.....old school...... I like adding different elements to my Karate, and I love training outside and daring to be different from the
' Norm ' ..... Dare you?

Buyer Beware.....

I was sat watching Scott Adkins latest movie the other night....
I think he has come a long way as an actor and I particularly like his martial art skills, if you haven't already then check out
 ' avengement ' .....anyway I digress....In a conversation today with a friend who has a training background in Iaido (the way of the sword)
I discovered that we're pretty much on the same page regarding training, belts and many of the aspects it takes  to train in a martial art....

As a result I got to thinking about the first time I stepped inside a Dojo.....a jiu jitsu dojo....

Martial arts don't, imho, teach you how to fight, but martial art training does equip you with certain skills to be able to fight better than if you didn't have them.
Makiwara training further develops your skills with the added bonus of conditioning the brain to pain......and not just the Tachi Makiwara either, but the various ones that are used for different reasons.

Various Makiwara adorn the outside Dojo.....

If the Dojo or club in which you train doesn't allow contact, or indeed limits it, then surely you would have to ask the question " what martial art is this that I'm doing".

MARTIAL ...Definition:- pertaining to war.....

You see, real fighting is messy, aggressive and is very unpredictable. There is no ' if you do that, then I will do this'  in a street fight, like that which is taught in a club, its simply a reaction game.....

With blackbelts these days being handed out like candy, and certificates simply for training being awarded just because you rocked up for an hour or two, then it's no wonder the Martial scene is in a bit of a mess.

Not something you will
find in a Club.....
No matter how traditional it is...

If you're inspired by the Movies and fight scenes choreographed to exploit martial skill, and feel the urge to take the first step to train then by all means do so. Just remember, not all Dojo are the same, most will tell you they are traditional
( yeah right ! )  not all present you with the opportunity to fail, and not all teach you the necessary skills that you might be able to use to defend yourself. But what they All will do, is take your money, so Caveat Emptor ....
Buyer beware......

Your Own Karate....Karate YOU Own.

It is said that there are more than a million Karateka in this World......a million.

I consider myself privileged to know some of them. From all walks of life and cultures we have sweated, shared a joke and at times even bled together...

My Training partner
GROOT.....

Engineers, School teachers, Writers, Bottle makers, Glaziers, Painters and Decorators, Doctors and even Baristers, the list of diversity goes on.

For the past, almost 8 years, I have spent less time in the company of others when I train, thankfully.

The Sagi Makiwara
Hanging in the centre
Of the Dojo.....

The Sagi Makiwara is one of those training partners that very much, lacks forgiveness.
It's heavy, it's hard and when swung a full tilt is extremely difficult to handle.
The thing is though, it's always ready, never complains, is consistent and will always show you where your flaws are.....
It won't try and set you up to fail though failing is an option, it won't base what it teaches you on what others teach and certainly won't try and embarrass you, as it's easy enough to do that on your own.

It's these last three things I don't miss about training in a group, large or small.

Fore knuckle strikes
On the Sagi Makiwara 

Taking ownership of anything you do, not just karate has benefits and rewards that can be reaped for a very long time.
And you most certainly don't need others to be able to do it.