Syracuse Jundokan - Blog

Perfect Practice - not so good?

2008-09-11T13:49:00.002-04:00

The phrase, "practice makes perfect" has become a cliche, as has the typical clarification of "only perfect practice makes perfect." But what does that mean and how is it important?

Well if your goal is to be capable of perfect form, I suppose that the sayings make sense on the surface. But is that realistic? With the complex movements of karate-do and other physically expressive artforms, is it reasonable to expect perfect form in practice? Doesn't the message of "only perfect practice makes perfect" leave you in somewhat of a paradox until you are able to practice with perfect form? Shouldn't the message be to practice with a gradual reduction in imperfections until there is nothing left to polish? In the long-term isn't it just simple guided practice, with all kinds of imperfections, that makes for perfection over time?

Well - enough of that... What I really wanted to talk about was whether perfect practice is valuable beyond the aesthetically pleasing performance of technique. Once the basics of techniques are understood and ingrained in your body and mind through diligent practice, it comes time to apply them in a combative context. Without this transition, as we all know, there is little difference between karate and dance.

The problem with perfect practice is that it encourages us to seek perfect patterns, behavior and responses from ourselves and our training partners. How many times have you been practicing some partner work and you or your partner have accidentally deviated from the "scripted" pattern? If perfect practice has been your goal, do you consider this a mistake? Do you even shrug your shoulders, apologize, laugh and start over? In fact, it could be the most valuable training opportunity possible. What better way to practice combative applications than to add some chaos into the mix.

So next time you forget the move of the kata, block with the wrong hand, grab the wrong arm, step the wrong direction, perhaps consider that this is the most perfect of practices: that which leads to applicable skills in an imperfect situation. Don't lose heart, be embarrassed or apologize - and definately don't start over. Take advantage of an opportunity to recover from a mistake and make it work anyway!

Are you looking for the perfect execution of technique, or the perfect application of technique? What is perfect practice? That in which everything goes right? Or that in which we learn to apply our skills to prevail in this random world of ours?

Besides, isn't perfection a little boring? Bring on the chaos - bring on the fun!

In Memory of Miyazato Sensei

2008-07-28T16:39:00.001-04:00

Now that Miyazato Ei'ichi Sensei's ten year memorial service is just a few months away, I wanted to take a moment to think about and share some of my memories of this wonderful teacher.

I can't claim to have known him very well, since I was only at his dojo for a couple of years and my Japanese was (and still is) terrible. However, he was very kind and welcoming to me and I am extremely grateful for the short time I spent under his guidance.

I first met Miyazato Sensei when I visited his dojo upon the introduction of Stewart Azuma. We all went out for dinner after the training session and Miyazato Sensei wanted to know about my experience. I told him that I had trained for about six years in a Japanese karate style and that I wanted to train in Okinawan karate while I was living there. He didn't know of the style I had practiced, but told me that I'd probably quit soon anyway, so I might as well try goju-ryu for a while.

The Jundokan environment at the time was 100% open-training (they have recently added some group training sessions), so I would show up every night at between 7:00pm and 8:00pm and stay until the dojo closed at 10:00pm. Miyazato Sensei would often be on the floor practicing or in his office upstairs when I arrived. Either way, he always made it a point to say hello as people entered and would come down to greet us if he heard us come in. In my case, he would assign someone to work with me, or if noone was there, he would watch me from time-to-time and give me correction as he saw fit. Every now and then, he'd review my kata and help me with some of the details. His question at the end of the training was always the same: ashita renshu? are you training tomorrow?

There are many people more qualified than I, however, to speak about Miyazato Sensei's impact on the world of karate. So instead I'll tell you my memories of the time we spent outside the dojo. We would often go as a group to eat and drink after the training. Sometimes Miyazato Sensei would join us for a short while, and for the most part he seemed happy to enjoy the company while everyone else talked, usually excusing himself after a brief while to go home. He also enjoyed the restaurants on the American bases and, since i had easy access, we would often all go to eat together.

I remember how he once took me on a trip to Ishigaki island for a competition. It was an international event, with athletes coming from all over the world and a couple of Japanese national team members in attendance. However, there were several countries, including the US, who did not send official teams. So instead, they rounded up some Americans living in Okinawa and invited us to compete. Needless to say, we all got pummeled in the first round by people much better qualified. I remember being happy at the time to be the only one who scored a point!! Anyway, this was relatively soon into my time at Jundokan and I didn't yet understand Miyazato Sensei's position in the world of karate. All I knew was that he was the head of my dojo and that he and all of his students, to my novice eyes, looked VERY VERY good. So this was the first time I had seen him among karate people outside his own dojo. He performed Kururunfa as part of the event and it was the first time I noticed how much everyone respected and looked up to him.

After I left Okinawa, I always looked forward to seeing him when I visited, and was deeply saddened to learn of his passing. I wish I had had more time to experience his kindness. There is no doubt that he successfully passed on his knowledge to the seniors of Jundokan, so I never have to worry that I will miss out on his expertise as long as I am a member of Jundokan under their care. Mostly I will miss the warmth and kindness that he showed all of his students and guests.

I hope that people reading this will take a moment to remember and pay respect to the legacy of a great karate teacher.

The Athlete's Advantage

2008-06-24T12:56:00.001-04:00

Whether or not you choose to compete, your karate training is very similar to that of a competitive athlete and you will achieve many of the same benefits. These benefits will provide The Athlete’s Advantage throughout your life.

What are the characteristics that can make athletes so successful in their endeavors? I believe that athletes possess the following traits that give them tremendous advantage:

Athletes are obsessed with self-improvement. They know how to take and benefit from constructive feedback and don’t take offense to it. They have an ability to naturally develop their strengths and mitigate their weaknesses. They will take any opportunity to self-assess including video reviews, self-correction, etc.
Athletes know what it means to be part of a team. They understand the results that come from collaboration with others sharing the same goal. An athlete is an asset to any organization that depends on solid teamwork for its success.
Athletes know what it feels like to win and to achieve their goals. While we all know that winning isn’t everything, once you’ve tasted victory through hard work, it becomes a driving force in all your endeavors.
Athletes are obsessed with goal cultivation. They understand that to achieve their goals, they must work hard and with a sense of direction.
Athletes understand the value of their health and fitness. By creating for themselves a healthy body, they are able to perform at their best in all areas of life.

So as a karate student, are there areas in which you can model the characteristics of an athlete? Maybe you’re already doing so—if not, it’s never too late to start!

The Importance of Solo Training

2008-06-16T15:55:00.000-04:00

In his writings, “The Merits of Karate,” Miyagi Chojun Sensei wrote that “A Large Space is not required” and that “It can be practiced alone.” One of the most surprising things to visitors and new students at The Jundokan in Okinawa is that, until recently, there were no scheduled classes. Solo and one-on-one training is encouraged as a way to provide an individual level of progress to each and every student.

In a structured class, slower students are forced to keep up with the class and faster students are slowed down in their progress. This interruption of personal training pace is countered very effectively by teaching each student to “self-study” under the guidance of their instructors and seniors.

Additionally in our busy modern lives, there are many times when we may not be able to attend a scheduled class, but don’t want to let our training slip. For this reason, it is very important to learn to train alone and in small groups between classes. This is difficult for new students, so at Syracuse Jundokan, for example, we have scheduled special time on Saturday for members to solo-train under an instructor’s supervision. As students become more experienced, they are able to train whenever they have space and time available, thus greatly improving their opportunity for rapid personal progress.

When solo training, it becomes much easier if you create a mini lesson plan for yourself to help you stay motivated through the session. For example:

10-min Hojo Undo

Sanchin 5 times

Kata 3 times each

Recently our open training sessions have been very well attended - let's keep the energy up and enjoy these opportunities to train and inspire each other!

A Question of Questions

2008-03-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

There are many who believe that there should be no talking in the dojo and everything should just come with repetition and one-way intruction from the teacher. Others like to have a more free-form environment where questions are encouraged and discussions are common-place.

As usual, my opinion is that we need to find a balance. While karate is certainly an activity that requires constant repetition and training to improve, there is still an opportunity to accelerate learning through a discussion of technique. However, karate is a physical activity, and muscles don't always cooperate with intellectual understanding. Conversation should never take the place of physical on-the-mat training.

I think the best way to find a balance is to stop yourself before asking a question and engaging in conversation. First try to work it out yourself either on your own or in collaborative exploration with a partner. In most cases, you will answer the question yourself; usually in a manner which leads to a much deeper and longer-lasting understanding. Conversation then becomes an exercise in polishing, verification and sharing and not as a replacement to basic learning.

Recognize that some things simply can't be explained with words - you need to do them and to feel them and sometimes just to discover them for yourself. Don't be afraid to make mistakes - if something doesn't work, that's part of the learning process. First try to understand if you are approaching it incorrectly. Then try alternative approaches that follow the same principles. Then if you're totally stumped - that is the time for the question.

Competition Kata

2008-03-20T11:40:00.002-04:00

Competing in kata can be a lot of fun and has the positive effect of forcing you to practice kata more than you might usually, which is always a good thing. It is also a wonderful training tool to help you handle public performance anxiety. However, you should keep in mind some things related to kata in competition that will prevent you from getting frustrated when you don't do as well as you would like. We should also consider that competition kata is in many ways detrimental to true karate practice.

First, kata judging is a purely subjective effort. You are at the mercy of the referees' collective opinions and, while many may be very well qualified, some are not and there is nothing you can do about it. As with many opinions in life, you can't put too much stake in what others think of you. You, your team-mates and your instructors will know if you did a good job and that's all that counts. Appreciate the wins when you get them, and try not to let the losses get you down.

Second, kata for competition tends to be "dressed up" a little. Even in traditional tournaments that lack the dramatic influence of the free-style venues, people make little changes to kata performance to make them look better. In the long-run, this may undermine the true quality of your kata as a karate training tool in exchange for a better competitive result. How far they take this sacrifice, is a decision for each athlete to make. My personal opinion is that kata should not be changed for competition purposes, but that doesn't mean you can't compete successfully with traditional kata. Depending upon the background and experience of the referees, you may do very well. Since this is outside your control, don't sweat it! Just do your best and enjoy the experience for what it is!

If you compete in kata and feel that your kata was a little better than last time you performed, that is a victory you should take seriously regardless of the medal it earned!

The Power of Softness

2008-03-11T20:08:00.001-04:00

The name of our style, Goju-ryu, literally means “hard/soft style.” This simple name is often interpreted in different ways with some people believing that the “go” part refers to punching and kicking and that the“ju” part refers to throws such as those found in Judo which takes its name from the same word.

The more prevalent interpretation, however, considers the tremendous impact that can be delivered through a relaxed (soft) technique in combination with hard muscle contraction at its conclusion. This blending of hardness and softness in the same technique is what gives Goju-ryu its tremendous power and its name.

As in most karate styles, it is taught at a basic level that the power of technique comes from the lower body: The legs kick against the ground forcing a hip rotation that then translates into powerful arm movement. Later on, we learn to use explosive breathing to initiate movement. When first learning karate, it is common for new students to try to emulate their seniors’ power by using their upper body to “muscle” through their techniques. This upper body tension actually detracts from the impact delivered by constraining and dissipating the energy produced by the lower body before it can be released into the target.

Imagine the energy of a bullet being dissipated as it travels through obstacles before hitting its target. By relaxing our muscles as we deliver our technique, we can remove any energy dissipation that occurs prior to target impact. So how do we develop the ability to relax? When you first start your training, do not worry too much about the power you are delivering in your punches. At first, focus on precision and relaxation. The relaxation will ultimately help you generate power and the focus on precision will improve your basic technique. Let the power come naturally as your technique improves. As you progress, use such training tools as chi’ishi to develop the relaxation and sudden contraction necessary to develop explosive impact in your technique.

On a final note, remember that when you rely on hardness and muscle strength to deliver power, your ability to punch hard will always be constrained by your physical strength. As you age and lose strength, your power will diminish. By developing the softness of technique, you will be able to deliver power in a lifelong progression of improvement and the impact you can deliver will greatly surpass that allowed by muscle strength alone. This is an especially difficult concept for strong conditioned athletes to grasp, since it often initially produces weaker technique. The challenge for such people is to push through this early step backwards in order to gain the tremendous increases in power that lie beyond.

Kime - Separating Karate from Dance

2008-02-24T22:54:00.003-05:00

What is it that makes karate more than just choreographed movement? There is an intensity to karate practice and performance that is sometimes difficult to precisely identify, but that you simply “feel” when watching someone perform. This is an observation of Kime (pronounced “ki-meh”), a Japanese word that describes the coordinated focus at the completion of an action.

When a karate student executes a technique, all of his or her energy is being focused into a precise target at a single instant in time. This precise focusing can be observed in advanced practitioners as a level of “reality” in their performance. In other words, when watching the kata of an advanced student, you should be able to easily imagine that they are in a fight and not simply going through a pattern of motion or a dance.

This is different from the dramatic performances of free-style karate performers, who rely on theatrics to simulate reality. Kime-based kata is an intense experience based on focus and not performance art.

Kata is a great tool for developing kime in that students have to develop coordinated movements requiring completion at each step. Once a level of kime has been developed, it will appear in all areas of practice including partner work and sport competition. In fact, the presence of kime is a requirement for a scoring technique in sport karate and competitors often use their traditional karate training as a means to develop the focus needed to be successful in sport competition.

So how do you go about developing kime? First, start by recognizing that there is a focused meaning to everything you do in karate practice and especially in kata. Never practice kata without a focused attention to proper technique and especially to the completion of each technique. Even if you are not performing kata with full power each time, still focus on precision and focused completion.

Work hard to understand the bunkai (analysis) of the kata movements. Ask your instructor if in doubt. It is very difficult to develop kime without an understanding of the meaning behind kata.

Another area to focus on is the isolation and elimination of unnecessary body movement. Don’t wiggle in your stances and work hard to remove any unnecessary moves as you transition through the kata. You should feel solid and “locked in” at the completion of each technique. Don’t move on to the next move without this feeling of completion. As your kata progresses and sometimes speeds up, you should still have this sense of completion between moves.

Aside from kata improvement, you should see many other benefits from your development of proper kime. Your technique will feel stronger in all respects and partners will feel this strength and focus when you work together. You will also develop the ability to focus on tasks and bring them to conclusion in all areas of your life.

So next time you see someone perform kata, look for kime and learn to recognize it in others. Ask yourself if they are performing an intricate dance or a kata. This will also help you develop your own sense of kime.

Goal Setting for Karate Students

2008-02-24T22:45:00.000-05:00

Before we get too far into the new year, let’s keep in mind that this is an excellent time to set our personal progress goals for 2008.

Setting goals in karate has some unique challenges in that the benefits of karate training come from gradual progress over many years and not from isolated accomplishments. While it may be tempting to set goals such as “grade advancement” this can actually work against you. Karate schools tend to experience tremendous drop-out rates after students achieve black belt, for example, because of the emphasis placed on achieving that rank.

I recommend that instead of using black belt level as a goal, you set goals based on an ever-improving set of specific abilities. For example, a beginner may set a goal of “perform ten good front stances in a row” or “perform my current kata on my own.” More advanced students may set a goal of “develop personal bunkai for a certain kata” or “figure out a new approach to a specific attack.” If you are working to develop your martial fitness, you may set a goal of “perform X number of pushups” or “sprint a certain distance in a certain time.”

It is also important to have maximum control over your goal success. In competition, it is good to have goals such as “win a national title” but there are many factors outside your control in competition. Along with the goal of victory, make sure you also set specific goals that are well within your control such as “train with elite athletes outside my own dojo at least once per month” or “develop five new attack combinations” or “watch competition videos at least once per week”.

By setting and maintaining such specific goals that are well within your control, you will journey on an ever-lasting path of self-improvement and will develop the confidence earned by taking personal control of your future.

Here are some general guidelines for goal accomplishment:

Make them SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable or Adjustable, Relevent, Time-Bound).
Remember that there are no unattainable goals, only unrealistic deadlines.
If you slip a deadline, don’t lose heart. Set a more reasonable time-frame and achieve your goal!
Go for progress, not perfection (see my earlier blog). Even if you don’t achieve 100% of your goal, are you in a better position than when you started?
When you get close to achieving a goal, make sure you set up your next goal to continue your improvement.

Remember to share your goals with others—they will help you be accountable and may be in a position to help you achieve them. As a sample, here are my personal karate goals for 2008:

Attend at least two Jundokan training opportunities.

Practice every kata at least three times each week.

Be in the best possible physical condition (back to pre-injury fitness) for the trip to Okinawa.

I hope this article sets the stage for your own goal accomplishment and look forward to see everyone’s personal progress in 2008!

Progress not Perfection - A new dojo motto!!

2008-02-19T16:04:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the first entry in my new (and first ever) blog!!

So this is something that I have been thinking about for some time now. Often in martial arts practice, we are encouraged to be perfectionists and much of the beauty of martial arts comes from this apparent perfection of movement. However, the desire to be perfect can lead to discouragement and frustration. In fact, it can get to the point where perfection seems to be so far away and unattainable that some people don't bother pursuing it at all.

The practice of karate is not a molding exercise where raw materials go in and come out pressed into a perfect shape. Rather, it is a polishing exercise, where we first try to achieve a rough shape and we then gradually refine the form over thousands of repetitions and years of practice. It is difficult to imagine the final form when working on the rough shape, but you persevere and make progress that you don't always see for yourself. In time you will achieve what you once thought would be perfection, but you'll then realize that there is still more polishing that can be done.

So I propose a new dojo motto (probably one of many to come!) and that is "Progress not Perfection." Forget about achieving perfection - give yourself patience. Just try to leave every class and training session with just a little bit of improvement. Maybe a better understanding of a punch... Maybe a more stable stance... Maybe a more smooth transition from stance to stance... Maybe a new insight into bunkai... Just a little progress... And if you can't think of anything else, leave with the challenge of a small measure of patience. Before you know it, you will surpass what you once thought would be perfection and you'll be staring at a new horizon of goals.

Consider also the practice of karate. Karate isn't something you achieve - we don't graduate from karate class. The joy of karate is in the daily pursuit of an elusive skill... The people who excel in karate are not always the ones who showed early talent, but those who stuck with it for decades upon decades, striving for small improvements over time.

Life in karate is a journey, not a destination - enjoy the journey!