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.