PRO-KARATE SCHOOLS
Martial Arts, Fitness, MMA, Boxing, Kickboxing
Why I am in Karate and what Karate means to me
By Jilian Rakow - 6th Kyu Essay 7/9/10
My interest in Karate began with my son. He is a very physical child and had been excited by the idea of martial arts since he was very tiny. After searching for the right Dojo and Sensei for him, I enrolled him at Pro-Karate Rockford. I loved watching him in Karate and enjoyed every minute being in the Dojo. I then enrolled my nephew and my Daughter. I was at the Dojo 4 days a week and I reveled in the success of the children and what their time in class brought to them. It was so much more than just an outlet to their physical nature and more than discipline. I was invited to take an EZ-D self defense course with Sensei Redding for myself. Though my exposure to Karate began as an outlet for my son's physicality, it has now become something I share with both of my children and the path that has helped me find my way back to a place of confidence and strength in my life.
To understand how far I have come since beginning Karate, it is necessary to share where I was "at" as a person before. I gave birth to 2 (very large) babies in less than 2 years and after several years of extreme back pain due to injury, I had come to a point of total complacency. I had become resolved to the "fact" that I would have pain for the rest of my life. I had come to terms with the thought that I would never be the physically active person I used to be, ever again. I had gained a lot of weight due to inactivity. I thought that the best I could do for myself was to just try to be the best mother to my children that I could be. I felt an enormous disconnect between the person I used to be, the "me" I liked, and who I had become. I felt no real sense of "myself" in the body I was in.
I also walked through my life with anxiety and trepidation. I knew that if something "bad" were to happen, I would have no ability to protect myself or my children. I used to be a very brave and adventurous soul. I drove cross country from California to Michigan by myself with only my dogs and what belongings I could fit in 2 Rubbermaid totes. I was an avid rock climber; I would take off camping all over California with just my dogs for company. I rode horses almost every day, I helped re-train off the track Thoroughbred horses, and I was an active dog trainer and competitor. I worked, was in school, and went dancing with friends 2 nights a week for many years. To find myself stuck in a pain filled body with no sense of self, at just 35, was a place that I was unprepared to be. My role in life had become to mother my children, foster the needs of my husband, and do only for others with no room for myself and what used to be important to me. The only thing that I retained of my “old self” was my love of dogs but I was no longer competing, camping, hiking, or doing anything with the dogs. There was no,”Jilian” any more, only the roles I played and what I did for others.
I began taking Karate classes after Sensei Redding challenged me to simply try. She asked," why?’” I was so sure that I could not do Karate, or anything else for that matter. I had become so used to hearing my limits and what I couldn’t do, that it had never occurred to me that I could.
It is now over a year later; I am 30lbs. lighter, and in better physical shape than I have been since before I had children. My back and knees very rarely hurt me at all and certainly don't limit my activities.
Karate allows me to concentrate on the building of physical strength, balance and precise motion. It gives me an awareness of my body and how I use it, as well as preparedness for self-defense. The warm-ups and physical exercise involved with the practice of Karate, Kata, and Self-Defense have allowed me to build strength.
Through Kata, Karate affords me the opportunity to focus on myself, my body motion, and how to move my body. It provides knowledge of my physical and mental weaknesses as I learn. Kata gives me the chance to focus, practice, and to build strength in the areas where I discover weakness. It also allows me the time to focus on just myself and look inward. Kata challenges me to not battle myself, to come to peace with myself, and to overcome my frustration. Self-Defense strategies learned in Karate are a wonderful outlet, they have built my confidence in my ability to protect myself and those I love if necessary, and... It is just plain fun most of the time.
The journey I began in Karate as an attempt to re-gain physical strength has become the avenue in which I have found my way back inside of my own skin. I have begun to re-connect with the confident and outrageous being inside of me that I had thought that I had lost a long time ago. Rather than being complacent about what I think I can't do, I look ahead to challenge myself to see what I can.
Jeremy Cortright 5th Kyu Essay 7/9/2010
The basics of karate are very important for many reasons. We work on them in class more than anthing else. They are probably the most key element in learning karate.
When you first start karate. Basic techniques are the first thing you start to learn. To me it was like relearning to walk. Durring the first months of karate or years if your me. You learn several different stances. The front stance is a forward motion stance. That conditions you physically so you build muscles you normally don’t use if your not in karate. Which is a major factor for balance,power and having the strength to punch and kick correctly. The cat stance which is mainly used when you are moving backwards. The horse stance is a stationary stance. It strengthens your legs or is used for torture for sensi’ s amusement. There a two basic punches we use and incorporate into our stances. They are the jab and reverse punch. When used together we used a push and pull motion to increased power and speed. There are four basic blocks. The middle block,low block,forearm block,and the high block. We use these with our stances and used the same push and pull methods as with punching. There are three basic kicks. The front kick,roundhouse, and side kick. They all require good balance and technique to be effective.
The basics of karate are important to me so I can maintain good techniques ,balance and strength for the future skills I will need. We use them in every class I attend. They are a great way to keep in shape. Someday if I ever need to use karate for self defense. Hopefully somebody other than me will get there but kicked!!
When I had first joined karate I had been a temperamental teenager and I didn’t know how to control my anger. Karate had helped me to release these frustrations and control my anger better. Karate also gives me the confidence I need to get through the day without getting angry at the small things. Everyday I use the small things that karate teaches me to get through life, it helps me to control my anger and control everything that was a problem for me before I had joined karate. Karate to me is not only just a way to stay physically fit, but also a way to control myself and others if needed. I learned to control the outcome of a situation if harm is inflicted upon myself or my loved ones. Karate taught me self defense against many situations, like the four color stages. Green means go, yellow means whoa, orange means no, and red means go time. Karate to me had always been a place where I could go and have a fun time with the people there and be active at the same time. Karate has been very helpful to me and my family. It makes me feel more secure about myself. Also it makes me feel like I could protect myself and my family. From being in karate I learned how to respect my elders, how to control myself, how to control the outcome, and how to defend myself if needed. Throughout the whole time of being in karate I have learned many things that will help me in many situations that I will need throughout my life.
Nicholas McNeill Essay, 6th Kyu 4/2/2010
At first I had joined karate because I wanted to be good at something. Karate was something I used to do in 6th grade and I was quite good. But now I believe I joined karate to learn the discipline and respect that karate teaches to its students. Karate had been more than I had expected when I had joined Pro-Karate Rockford with Sensei Redding. I had expected it to be easy like the karate I did in 6th grade, but I had under estimated it.
Why am I in karate? I was seven years old when I attended my first karate class, I had no idea what I was doing, my parents wanted me to have an afterschool activity. We ended up moving to Germany so I had to stop training karate, it was a big deal to me because I fell in love with the martial art and I wanted to continue training. After a while passed we moved to America and I was back in karate I had to go to a few different schools until I found the right one. But one of the main reasons that I m in karate is because its in the family most of my mothers side of the family is high rank in shotokan karate and I had to keep it in the family. I love this sport and it means allot to me because it keeps me out of trouble and on the right path. Karate helps me stay focused and everyday I push my self to get up off the couch and go to karate its not easy, most people think its easy to stay consistent and karate helps me do that. The main part of karate that I like is the discipline it is one of the most well rounded sports that I know and that’s why I like it so much.
Brian Bleeker
2nd Kyu Brown Belt/Black Stripe
The Benefits of Kata as They Relate to Realistic Self Defense
Kata, which is literally translated “form”, is defined as a set of detailed choreographed patterns of movements that is practiced either alone or in pairs. Many martial artists see the Katas as irrelevant remnants of ancient training practices that have little practical application for real self-defense training. What they fail to recognize is that Kata is not only a tradition, but, when used properly, can also help strengthen the martial artist’s basic movements, improve balance and strength, and prepare for combat situations.
Kata, which is literally translated “form”, is defined as a set of detailed choreographed patterns of movements that is practiced either alone or in pairs. Many martial artists see the Katas as irrelevant remnants of ancient training practices that have little practical application for real self-defense training. What they fail to recognize is that Kata is not only a tradition, but, when used properly, can also help strengthen the martial artist’s basic movements, improve balance and strength, and prepare for combat situations.Kata was developed as a response to the oppression of the Okinawan government in the ban on private possession of weapons. This ban caused the farmers and townspeople to focus more on empty handed combat training that was secretive. They developed Kata as a way to practice series of movements that could be applied to a combat situation. The applications of these Katas were often not even taught to the students until they had earned the trust of their instructors. Since these students couldn’t practice these Katas with the practical applications in mind, one might ask how they were useful.
The idea of practicing Kata, even outside of knowing how it might apply to a combat situation, stems from the popular Karate teaching- that all movements used in self-defense are essentially the same. With this in mind, one can see that practicing the push-pull movement associated with strikes and the general weight shifts that are involved in each movement can help instill the basic motions that help make all self-defense application successful.
In addition to teaching the core movements necessary for Karate training, practicing Kata helps by building up the muscles that are used in combat situations. While the long stances and weight shifts that are associated with each Kata may not look practical for real combat situations, they do work leg muscles that are used for proper balance and strength for striking in combat.
Kata can be useful for teaching movement and gaining strength and balance even without knowing the practical application for each Kata. Practicing Kata with a practical application in mind makes it even more useful for self-defense application. However, one can go wrong in assessing the value of Kata if they try to view each Kata as having one literal application. The value of Kata comes not in learning one set of movements that can be used for a very specific set of attacks and responses, but in learning how to apply the basic movements of the Kata to various attacks. For example, what may be interpreted by one as a blocking movement could also be used as a strike in a different situation. For this reason, one should focus on analyzing each movement as having multiple possible applications.
When Kata is practiced in “Bunkai” form, which literally means “analysis”, it’s practicality for self-defense can be more easily seen. In Bunkai form, Kata movements are applied to a fighting situation with a partner. The series of blocks and strikes can be seen as responses to different attacks by an opponent rather than a strange combination of movements in the air. Again, while a specific application may be taught to students, the lesson to be learned is not that this is the only way to use the movements in the Kata, but that this is one of many possible applications. For this reason one might come across multiple interpretations of the same Kata in different instruction settings.
Overall, Kata is an ancient martial arts tradition that still has practical uses for realistic self-defense training. It not only helps ingrain the basic movements used in real combat, but helps strengthen the muscles used in these situations. It assists in teaching that these basic movements and patterns can be applied in numerous ways to defend against real opponents, and its relevance to realistic combat training should not be underestimated.
AHCENE MEDKOUR 6/14/06
AHCENE MEDKOUR6/14/06 2ND KYU ASSIGNED TOPIC:
WAYS TO IMPROVE FOCUS AND PRECISION OF TECHNIQUES
IN MY OPINION, FOCUS AND PRECISION CAN BE IMPROVED BOTH MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY. A FEW ELEMENTS HAVE TO MEET TO ACHIEVE THEM.
THE NUMBER ONE ENEMY OF FOCUS AND CONSEQUENTLY PRECISION IS DISTRACTION. TALKING ABOUT MYSELF, WHEN MY MIND IS ELSEWHERE IN CLASS, FOR WHATEVER REASON, MY MOVES BECOME SLOPPY, AND MY TECHNIQUES LACK COORDINATION AND PRECISION. I ALWAYS TRY, EVEN IF SOMETIMES WITHOUT SUCCESS, TO EMPTY MY MIND OF MY DAILY PREOCCUPATIONS DURING TRAINING. I BELIEVE THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT REMEDY TO LACK OF FOCUS AND PRECISION.
THE OTHER MENTAL ELEMENT IS TENACITY. ONE HAS TO BELIEVE THAT NO TECHNIQUE IS IMPOSSIBLE; GIVING UP IS SO EASY, BUT SHOULD NOT BE AN OPTION. MY PHILOSOPHY IS THAT IF I PERFORM POORLY ON A TECHNIQUE TODAY, I MAY GET BETTER AT IT IN A WEEK, A MONTH, A YEAR, OR EVEN MORE, AS LONG AS I KEEP WORKING ON IT REGULARLY. PERSEVERANCE IS THE KEY. ONE HAS TO HAVE THE WILL TO BETTER ONESELF.
MANY SACRIFCE PRECISION FOR SPEED, BUT HOW USEFUL IS SPEED IF FOCUS AND PRECISION ARE MISSIG? NOT MUCH. IT IS IMPORTANT TO START AT A COMFORTABLE PACE, THEN PROGRESSIVELY WORK ON SPEED.THE GOAL OF PRECISION SHOULD PRECEDE THAT OF SPEED, BECAUSE THE LATTER, AS MENTIONNED EARLIER, HINDERS THE FIRST.
FLEXIBILITY IS ANOTHER PHYSICAL ELEMENT THAT IS NECESSARY FOR PRECISION, BECAUSE WITHOUT IT, SOME TECHNIQUES CANNOT BE PERFORMED PROPERLY. ONE HAS TO IMPROVE IT CONSTANTLY.
THE SAME APPLIES TO FITNESS, WITHOUT WHICH, MOST TECHNIQUES WOULD BE DIFFICULT OR EVEN IMPOSSIBLE IN SOME CASES.
THESE ARE THE MAIN ELEMENTS TO IMPROVE FOCUS AND PRECISION OF TECHNIQUES, AND THE SECRET FOR IT HAS NO MAGIC IN IT, IT IS WORK, WORK, WORK!
How I Maintain Focused and Motivated in my Training By Angie Smith I have been working out at Pro-Karate since I am raising my son on my own, he is the most important part of my life, and I will always put his well-being first, and he is doing so well and even loves to come along with me to Pro-Karate. Without getting into details, I have had to fight for the well-being of my son, as well as for myself over the past five years, and I have won. I know what it is to have to fight for something no matter what gets thrown at you, to put all my heart and sole into a fight for something that I believe in, and I know how difficult and draining it gets emotionally, spiritually, and even physically to do that. When I was a yellow belt I went to one of Sensei Yamashita's seminars and I will never forget something he talked about. I'm paraphrasing so it may be a little off, but he talked about being in a fight where you are all bloody and exhausted and you don't think you can fight anymore and you call on your "incarnate spirit" to take over and keep you fighting. I believe this is what has kept me fighting and going in my life. God energizes my spirit, keeps motivating me to not give up, to enjoy life and experience life to it's fullest, no matter how beaten down I get inside sometimes. I believe it is God that is motivating me to train harder right now, because there are spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical elements He wants me to learn about myself through my training in karate. Most of the time I am a very energetic and positive person, but a couple of weeks ago some things were bothereing me and I was feeling rather down after work. I was laying in bed for a while, which I rarely ever do during the day, and my son came in my room and said,"Get up Mom don't you need to go to karate?" I had no intention of going to class that night, but my 7 year old son sees I don't just really like it, I need it, so I went to class that night. I missed both karate classes but I got to kickfit, because of Noah, and I did feel much better after I worked out. Noah even teaches me things, and he sees that training in karate is an enjoyable physical rush for me, an outlet for me to put my energy into, and keeps my stress level down. I have experienced (as many of us have in some form or another in our lives) brokenness, disappointment, loss, and rejection, and in those times I felt sadness, hurt, and then sometimes anger and frustration for a period time. However, God always heals me and uses those emotions to make me stronger, and they motivate me to keep moving forward in my life without fear and not give up, and not fall into a downward spiral of depression. Karate is becoming something for me beyond the physical transformation that my body is going through in training, it is becoming something that is reaching deeper. I have discovered through the last four years that for me karate takes a large amount of not just physical energy, but emotional and spiritual energy as well to progress in it. Moments when I feel emotionally and spiritually depleted I have a difficult time focusing and nothing really seems to sink in. The people I have come to know in karate have also contributed to my motivation and focus in training. Although each person may experience their journey in karate differently, it has been motivating and inspirational to me to hear, watch, and get to know some of the people at Pro-Karate. Like Amanda, who once told me she first started learning karate in the basement of a church, and when she starts teaching a class you wouldn't think such a loud demanding voice was coming out of such a small person. I know karate has much to offer because otherwise there wouldn't be so many that have a passion for it, and want to share it and pass it on to others. It's not just something they do it's something that's a part of their life and embedded in their heart. When I first started at Pro-Karate I was fascinated on several occasions watching a 10 year old red-headed girl do kata on the carpet by the play room. Her Dad was in a karate class that was going on at the time, and there were kids and adults making their way around her. I was fascinated by her intense focus on what she was doing, as if no one else was in the room except her and being in the middle of that kata. Kaley is now 14, told me she has been coming to pro-karate since she was 4, and I work with her often in class and she teaches me things now. It didn't surprise me when she told me her favorite thing to do in karate is kata. Hopefully that will rub off on me because right now kata is not my favorite. I have difficulty with attention sometimes and I often loose focus in the middle of a kata, and it's rather frustrating to me at times, but it's just another challenge I'm excited to work through and conquer. I once was frustrated with sparring too, and it's now one of my favorite things to do. We may be motivated to try and do new things when we don't know people, and that is often how it starts, but it is often the people we meet during these experiences that contribute to inspiring, motivating, and keeping us going. A lot of people may come and go into our lives, but others I think God places in our lives to have an impact on us. I think some people are there to not just teach us new things, but to help reveal and see things about ourselves that perhaps we didn't know were there, and are important. That motivates me in karate because I think the people I have come to know in karate can do this for me, and maybe I will even be able to to do that for them in some way. There is a very diverse community of people at Pro-Karate, different ages, backgrounds, ethnicities, and personalities, and Sensei Lentz obviously has a gift for being able to connect with so many different people and inspire them, just as he inspires and motivates me. He has passed his passion for karate onto so many people, and then they in turn pass it on to others, and I just think he's a really nice person. Sensei Baker has the heart to see into the depth of the soul of a woman as beautiful as Sensei Redding, and cause her to grow to a place in karate where it became a passion of hers, and has enriched her life. Even with the challenges she has had she keeps going in karate. Joey wholeheartedly passed his passion for karate on to Wendy who is passing it on the others now. I get so excited when someone teaches me something new in karate, and it fascinates me, and I can't wait to get back to it and work on it. Like right now I'm working on training my hands to stay up and never get tired, if it is even possible. It carries a meaning for me beyond needing to keep them up in fighting in karate, but to keep them up so I'm ready for whatever more I've got to fight for in life, because I never know what its going to throw. That's just the way life is. I was curious of what the definitions in the dictionary were for "train." My favorite one was "To cause to grow as desired (~a vine on a trellis)." I am entrusting that those "training" me are going to cause me to grow in the ways they desire me to, and I'm going to try to follow that instruction as closely as I can. I am not always perfect at following instructions, and my intention is not to be defiant. I try to pay close attention and I am honored by the time given to me to teach me anything in karate, but there's times where my mind wanders off in a different direction unintentionally. It's not severe, but it's enough for me to call it a burden sometimes. In my mind, I will hold onto all these things that motivate me and keep me focused in my training, with the intention that I may gain and take to heart all that it is that God wants me to learn from the experience. I know when I put my heart and soul into something it takes me to a new level of understanding, and I think karate can do this for me. I love music and different types of music have inspired me in different ways. There is a song Scott Stapp wrote that moves me and inspires me, and it just so happens to be called "Fight Song." His lyrics reflect for me what has been a part of my journey over the past five years. Now I'm left with a scar to reverse... Yes another burden to fight... I guess I made it this far so I know things will be alright... I won't lie... I will survive... (Fight Song, The Great Divide)
The Importance of Basics
By Billy Spencer
An old adage says “The longest journey begins with just one step”. Some interpret this to mean that to accomplish anything you have to start the process while others interpret it to mean that even the most difficult tasks begin with small steps. Both are good interpretations and for this essay my journey is learning the art of karate.
When I was young (ok, sometimes now) I would often try to imitate the moves martial art stars would do in movies. The famous one inch punch of Bruce Lee, the spinning crescent kick of Chuck Norris, and the “Jean Claude Van Dam I’m good” helicopter kick were all moves attempted with feeble results. Sure I could punch a board with my fist only an inch away from it, but it never broke. I could spin around with my leg sticking out, but that grace and power Chuck’s kick had was nowhere to be found and we’ll just say my attempts at the helicopter kick taught me more about gravity than karate. But even with my infinite karate movie knowledge, I couldn’t figure out what the problem was. In my eyes I was mimicking every thing those guys were doing, yet my results weren’t even close to theirs. So naturally I surmised their feats were simple camera tricks and with that I moved on to other interests.
Eventually, though, I began taking real karate lessons and learned what I was doing wrong. In fact it was an easy explanation – I was simply doing everything wrong. Apparently, there was a correct way to punch and kick that the actors did not disclose in their movies. I never noticed the push and pull movements in punches or the common parts each kick shared. Nor did I know there was a “proper way” to breathe and step. Fortunately, I now know these and other basics are essential to making karate an effective and practical art.
So, like most things, to master karate you must first master the basics. As a white belt we we’re told that a kick has four parts. You bring the leg up, extend it out, bring it back, and set the leg back down. We’re told that when we punch one hand goes out while the other hand pulls back. We learn four types of blocks, how to step in a circular motion, and to exhale when we strike. For weeks this is repeated to you so much that sometimes you feel like this is all you’re ever going to learn and in a way it sort of is. Sure we learn different kicks than just the basic front, side, and roundhouse. We eventually learn how to do a back kick, crescent, hooks, and others. However, the basic up, out, back, and down mechanic is in each one. We go on to learn different hand techniques, but the basic push/pull movement is always there. We start learning katas but the same stepping motion and breathing techniques we learned as a white belt are utilized in each.
Karate teaches us many things such as confidence, self control, and respect for others. Yet its core essence is self-defense. The last thing one wants to be thinking when someone attacks is how they should kick, block, or punch. We want the technique to be an effective reflex so the attacker is sufficiently weakened or disabled when we hit them. The technique, in effect, has to become an instinctive reaction. To do that we must repeatedly practice throwing each technique using the basics we learned in our beginning days of training.
There’s no doubt one’s karate journey will be long and challenging. It will take patience, determination, and perseverance to earn a black belt. While the longest journey does indeed begin with one step, it will get a whole lot longer if you keep tripping on that first one.
Brian Bleeker
6th Kyu Green Belt Testing
Why I am in Karate and What Karate Means to Me
Ever since I was young I’ve seen movies and television programs that contain action sequences involving martial arts. One of my favorite of these was the Karate Kid. In particular, I was drawn to the scenes in which Mr. Miyagi was forced to fight. I enjoyed them because he never wanted to fight like many of the other characters. He only fought when he had to defend himself or Daniel. While the movie can be overdramatic and unrealistic, something about that old man caught my attention. He did not flaunt his abilities or take pride in what he was capable of, yet he understood the usefulness of self defense. I am in Karate because I would like to learn this self defense and gain this sense of confidence and well-being that comes with learning this art and staying in shape.
It isn’t that watching the Karate Kid was all that inspirational to me, but I saw in Mr. Miyagi the attitude that I hope I can maintain while learning Karate. To me, Karate is a tool that enables us to defend ourselves and possibly protect others. As I hope to go into a law enforcement career, this is important to me. I’ve seen several people who have been involved with martial arts who think they need to show everyone exactly how tough and skilled they are. I would hope that as I learn more Karate, I will seek to use it only as a way to defend myself when I have to and for the service of others.
In addition to being able to defend myself and others with what I learn, I see Karate as a way to build confidence and self-assurance in myself. This confidence comes not only from being able to defend myself in tough situations, but also from the physical fitness that results from training a few times a week. When I stay active, I feel better physically and mentally. Karate helps me do this.
In conclusion, learning Karate is to me a way for me to learn how to aptly defend myself and others, and is not to be used rashly or to show off. It is also a way to build confidence through learning the ability to defend myself. Lastly, it increases my sense of physical and mental well-being by helping me stay active. It is for all these components, in addition to my future career as a police officer, that I chose to learn Karate.
STEVE GRUBBS
The path that lead me to the eve of testing for my green belt started in the fall of 1999. A few guys from here invited myself to join them on their annual trip to the Steelers home opener. At the time I was going to a health club but it had become a boring routine with no real goal in site. I found out that all were participating in Karate in various degrees. Back in
Being the sensitive type, I pondered for quite sometime before I started my Karate journey. After committing to the program I realized and was very thankful that people at the school seemed to actually care about the other students succeeding. This has been very helpful as I was quite old to start at the bottom rung of any endeavor. My main goal is to be seen and not heard at the school but early and often I have failed miserably (Sorry Doug), but attempt to learn and move forward.
Karate for me has been an incredible physical workout combined with constant mental gymnastics. While it is a fight with both my body and mind I am always amazed how good I feel after every class.
I started Karate about one and a half years ago when my dad mentioned the fact that he was getting into it. I decided that Karate would be a great thing for me to do because it would keep me in shape and it would teach me self-defense essentials for when I may need them in the future. By knowing Karate I will be able to defend myself in any dangerous situations that I may encounter. Not only does Karate teach self-defense, it teaches discipline which can be defined as using self-control when it comes to fights. If someone wants to fight, you should do your best to relax the situation (discipline) and if the person still wants to fight then your karate defense skills and techniques are justified. Karate can not just be thought of as a hobby because it is a sport that you must dedicate yourself to. The skills, lesson and morals taught in Karate will remain with you for life. By taking Karate I am dedicating myself to all the skills, lesson and morals that it teaches. I am looking forward to learning more in Karate throughout the future.
WHY
WHAT KARATE MEANS TO YOU
Pro Karate
Heather Pelletier
Ever since childhood where my Grandpa would talk about Judo and watching Karate Kid and other martial arts movies; I have desired to join a martial art. What attracted me was not the fighting, although it is rather glamorous on television, it was the growth and richness it inspired in a person. It was the meaning and the purpose. Coming to Pro Karate was quite serendipitous given the external connections to my life and I have already grown to feel like I have found a niche here. I couldn’t dream of going anywhere else to receive training. To say it quite simply: Karate is a way of life. In it I can find parts of everyday life to take with me outside the Dojo.
When people ask “why are you in Karate?” the simple answers reveal little about what that means internally. Easy answers to that question are that it teaches self defense, keeps me in shape, karate pushes me. People walk away satisfied with those answers but still not really quite understanding. Karate develops the self. In using Karate to develop the self, defending that takes on a whole new meaning.
Karate as a lifestyle and a means of developing my self means many things. Every aspect of Karate comes home with me. Karate reflects a philosophy of life. Keeping physically fit is important in a healthy long life, helps me be ready for danger, helps me move forward in Karate, and assists mental functioning. Conditioning and discipline helps me make good decisions in Karate but also in my personal life. Learning control is important in using good technique and pulling punches, but when I take the control I learn in the Dojo home, I find it easier to control my mind and external influences. Making improvements to my technique and movements helps me become more self aware. Questioning and analyzing myself and using that to make adjustments is critical in growth in Karate and growth in life.
When I notice that aspects of Karate have affected my life and that I can see my own progress, I feel a sense of personal gratification and accomplishment. Knowing that there is more to learn and so much more growth to take place is a driving force that provides motivation and determination. Karate provides confidence from the feelings of accomplishment. That confidence translates to other arenas of life. I start to carry myself differently and relate to others differently.
Another important aspect of Karate that is important to lifestyle is a sense of enjoyment and fun. When my body is tired and I would rather crawl into bed or turn on the television than drive to Karate, I need only think about that gratification and the pure enjoyment of the art of Karate. Seeing relationships and friendships grow out of connections with the common philosophies builds a camaraderie and connection that is fun and rewarding. Wanting others to succeed instead of fail makes the competitive nature in me subside. Developing respect for other’s skills and history reminds me of humbleness.
Perhaps the most important thing for me personally about an aspect of Karate that I wish to integrate continually in my way of life is focus. I struggle with external pressures and needless worries affecting my focus. I see this on testing day, when I am personally challenged at an aspect of Karate that I am not as skilled in, when I know Sensei is watching (or talking while I spar J ), etc. Staying focused on the purpose and meaning of things in both Karate and life helps realize the futility of pointless worries. I have already seen improvement in this area but hope to always find ways to integrate better focus.
All of these dimensions of Karate come together in a dynamic reflection of my journey through Karate and life. Karate emulates a way of life, a lifestyle. It will be a path of continuous learning, growth, and enrichment. WHY The reason for basics and why we do them. Essay by Doug Harris for 5th Kyu Green/stripe 10/22/06 Basics for the martial arts can be viewed in a number of different ways. Each viewpoint implies an opinion on how the person feels about the repetitious activities that make up “basics”. During the last two years I’ve heard and experienced a number of attitudes on this subject, ranging from boring and routine to an opportunity to hone the various skills required. Basics are considered the foundation of what techniques actually make up the art of self defense or martial arts. If you don’t know how to perform a well executed punch or block, odds are you’ll either not stop your opponent or you’ll get hit . What’s most interesting, is the attitude towards basics when voiced by the various ranks. The higher the rank you talk to, the more they feel that you can never do too many of the same basic techniques. While moving up and down the floor you have several things to concentrate on all at the same time depending on the technique involved. Moving your feet in a crescent shape, maintaining an excellent stance (because that’s the only type we have) performing your punch/block the way you should, remembering the Japanese term for the stance/punch/block/height and wondering, when sensei points out something he sees that he shouldn’t, if he’s referencing you. All this, while trying to keep up with the count. Basics are simply more than learning a punch/kick or block and doing them over and over and over. They are truly an opportunity. An opportunity to comprehend not only the technique itself but how to effectively apply it when and if the time comes. An opportunity to acquire the self discipline it takes to grasp all of the items detailed above and continue to work on them. An opportunity to show others in your class or other dojos that you wish to apply yourself in learning not only the more advanced “fun” things but the mandatory fundamentals as well. While each technique has it’s specific reason for being performed it’s the proficiency in which you can perform them that drives the need for the repetition. Over time you feel that you’re getting better, maybe, only that you recognize the term to the technique or that you can stay in a low horse stance longer than before and it’s in better form. You find yourself getting more and more comfortable with what you’re being asked to do and you want to do it better without thinking too much past how you can be doing it better. Life itself is made up of basics. You find yourself doing the same things repeatedly day in and day out because daily activities demand it and you automatically look for better ways of getting them done. The basics that we practice here in our dojo are more of a personal type, for personal improvement. What we practice here, the discipline to perfect our skills here, gives us the opportunity to carry those same basics into our daily lives . The higher ranks do have it right. Not only can you not do too many basic techniques but you’ll never get it quite right, there’s always something else to learn.
5 Generations
Brown belt essay, Doug Harris
Chosin Chibana is considered the founder of our style of Shorin Ryu and named his system of Karate Kobayashi ryu, based not only on the growth and development of te (hand) but with the anticipation of introducing it internationally.
There are some that claim he passed down the Kusanku Dai and Gojushiho katas. Sensei Chosin was also one of the founding committee members of karate masters that agreed that the translation for karate should be “empty hand”.
During a lifetime spent studying and teaching this art of defense, he was also instrumental in turning this particular style into “one of the most stable organizations in the martial arts of
Shugoro Nakazato studied under Sensei Chibana and eventually became his assistant in January of 1954. He also spent a large portion of his life “teaching and perfecting” the style of Shorin-Ryu and weapons study from as early as 1935.
Believing that Sensei Chibana had continued to teach the original style (as he had learned from Sensei Anko Itosu) without altering it and felt that it lacked any fighting techniques, Sensei Nakasato implemented the Kihon and Fukyu katas.
Through his many travels around the world he has continued to spread his talent and skill and the art of
Shorin Ryu thru demonstrations and televisions appearances.
Tadashi Yamashita apparently was a violent young man growing up
Sensei Yamashita created a fighting system called “Suikendo” which translates to something like “fist flowing like water”. When I first saw this technique I thought it was little more than a tai bo technique, like the ones you see on the TV ads.
Seeing it actually applied in class and demonstrated by Sensei in one of his seminars leaves little to the imagination. If applied correctly, it can be very devastating with little effort and doesn’t resemble the typical karate moves at all due to its “non stopping flowing system of fighting”.
Brian Lentz, the hardest of the people to cover with this essay, as it would be far too easy for me to be considered brown nosing. But here it is. Sensei Lentz has had a direct impact on what I learn and how I learn it, and thanks to a great opportunity, the way I help teach it in the kid’s class.
There are the techniques, the katas, the discipline and self-confidence that I witness on a weekly basis. The way he conveys this experience and his lively hood into something, (that many of my co-workers consider insanity), that I willingly come back to week after week because I’ve learned that I can do this, I can eventually learn this.
Doug Harris. Each of the above Sensei’s have contributed directly to what I continue to learn whether it’s through the name of the style, the development of some of the katas, the various fighting/teaching techniques or devotion to the perfection of an art that will never be considered perfected.
It’s been a very long road from when I originally started, almost 23 years ago, and I’m now five (well, very shortly I hope) belt ranks past when I left off the first time. Over those years the dojo has changed its name but the instructor remained, which says a lot in today’s day and age.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, so far, from this experience, is that if I can do this, anyone can. I’ve learned a degree of patience; that growing older and learning karate is NOT a bad thing; to always be encouraging and be willing to do your best, then, to pass those things along whenever possible.
This test is for my brown belt. My goal, when starting these classes was to earn my black belt. Almost there, and time to start re-thinking my goal.
Slow and Focused vs. Fast and Sloppy
What a topic to be assigned for an essay for my purple belt. Everyone knows that slow and focused is best. Sure. Then why don’t we beginners take that advice to heart? I think I have it figured out. We watch Sensei and others who have studied and practiced the martial arts for years as they go through the Kata and we are impatient to be just as good. I’m not sure though, at least in my own mind that I acknowledge that I have only been at it a relatively short time when I go through the Kata, not years or decades.
I like this quote by Confucius: "It does not matter how slowly you go, so long as you do not stop". This quote emphasizes the importance of putting one foot ahead of the other and keep on moving. At the same time it de-emphasizes the notion of having to be fast and take large steps. This is, of course, a familiar idea in learning. To take it slow and to repeatedly go over the material fixes it in our mind and at the same time builds muscle memory so that each time we go through a Kata, we imperceptive improve. The effect is cumulative.
Fast and sloppy, on the other hand illustrates how we often go about learning, our ability to concentrate, and perhaps how we view personal relationships. Taking it slowly is about quality: quality of work, quality of learning, and quality of relationships. We seem to think that the faster we go, the more time we have to do other stuff, not realizing that the “stuff” we have already done is inadequate and results in the condemnation of others. There is a prejudice on the part of many people that paint deliberation and slowness as lazy and lackadaisical, but that’s not true. True slow movers are every bit as competent and eager as those who live like cannonballs. The difference is one of values and quality. Deliberate and slow moving people living the slow lifestyle care about quality in all aspects of their lives - work, family, play, food, travel, you name it. There is no substitute for quality, and if you get there first but don’t enjoy it along the way, what have you gained? Time without the quality is just wasted time.
Slow and Focused vs. Fast and Sloppy
What a topic to be assigned for an essay for my purple belt. Everyone knows that slow and focused is best. Sure. Then why don’t we beginners take that advice to heart? I think I have it figured out. We watch Sensei and others who have studied and practiced the martial arts for years as they go through the Kata and we are impatient to be just as good. I’m not sure though, at least in my own mind that I acknowledge that I have only been at it a relatively short time when I go through the Kata, not years or decades.
I like this quote by Confucius: "It does not matter how slowly you go, so long as you do not stop". This quote emphasizes the importance of putting one foot ahead of the other and keep on moving. At the same time it de-emphasizes the notion of having to be fast and take large steps. This is, of course, a familiar idea in learning. To take it slow and to repeatedly go over the material fixes it in our mind and at the same time builds muscle memory so that each time we go through a Kata, we imperceptive improve. The effect is cumulative.
Fast and sloppy, on the other hand illustrates how we often go about learning, our ability to concentrate, and perhaps how we view personal relationships. Taking it slowly is about quality: quality of work, quality of learning, and quality of relationships. We seem to think that the faster we go, the more time we have to do other stuff, not realizing that the “stuff” we have already done is inadequate and results in the condemnation of others. There is a prejudice on the part of many people that paint deliberation and slowness as lazy and lackadaisical, but that’s not true. True slow movers are every bit as competent and eager as those who live like cannonballs. The difference is one of values and quality. Deliberate and slow moving people living the slow lifestyle care about quality in all aspects of their lives - work, family, play, food, travel, you name it. There is no substitute for quality, and if you get there first but don’t enjoy it along the way, what have you gained? Time without the quality is just wasted time.
Franz Kafka points out “That the meaning of life is that it stops.” How true. No matter how fast we go, how much wealth we accumulate, how much we learn, eventually we die and if we have lived without quality in our lives, it has been a wasted life. An unfinished life. Surely our species has learned something in the 50,000 years or so that Homo Sapiens has been around. But we have brain that is still held captive by the survival instinct, even though more than 70,000 years of evolution have allowed us to develop the tools to achieve balance and perspective. The survival instinct kicks in when we don’t even realize it. It’s called competiveness or getting ahead. We still see that large animal behind us that is higher on the food chain than we are. When the survival instinct kicks in we just move and move quickly. Deliberation and slowness takes too long when we are faced with a perceived emergency.
Somehow, our brain often kicks into a “survival” mode when doing our Kata and we end up hurrying through the moves as if a large animal is just behind us. The discipline of karate teaches us that even in the face of danger, deliberation will pay dividends. We beginners have not achieved the balance and perspective of those who have been at it for years. We beginners need to remember that deliberation and slowness are the means to mastery of the Kata.
Slow and focused are our objectives when we practice our Kata. When we take our time and deliberate our next move, we demonstrate to others that we care about ourselves, our craft, and our relationships. We build muscle memory and we slowly learn the correct moves and no hint of sloppiness enters into our movements. Once we reach that goal, we have learned Sensei’s lessons and internalized the beauty of Shorin Ryu.
NICK VALLE
What Karate Means To Me
I joined Karate for a number of reasons. I've needed a physical outlet for a long time. The traditional outlets such as Softball,or Pool, etc have never really interested me as much as karate.
I felt inspired to join Karate after watching my daughter do so well in the kids class. I did however take my time deciding to join, because I wanted to be confident that I was going to stay a member,and not just a flash in the pan.
Karate means more to me than I ever thought. My life now seems to revolve around it. I workout now when ever I get the opportunity to. I've found that whenI can't make a practice, or workout I don't feel right.
The people I have met as a member of Pro-Karate, seem to be the nicest and most helpful group of people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.
SYDNEY VALLE
Five Generations
There are five generations of martial arts I am going to tell you about today. Sensei Shugoro Nakazato has been involved in martial arts nearly his entire life.He began to study Judo at age thirteen and started his karate instruction under Chosin Chibana in 1933. After twenty years of training under Chibana, Nakazato was promoted to ninth dan. Chibana also presented Nakazato with his own black belt, which is one of the greatest honors. Upon Chibana's death in 1969, Nakazato became president on the Shorin-Ryu Shorinkan Karate association and was promoted to tenth dan in 1980.
The next generation is Sensei Yamashita he has dedicated more than 40 years of his life to Shorin-Ryu Karate. He studied martial arts under Sensei Nakazato and he was the youngest seventh degree black belt in the history of
Sensei Brian Lentz is the third generation of Shorin-Ryu. He is a seventh dan and studied under Gordon Gravelyn. He is still involved in martial arts by instructing the adult classes at Pro-Karate. He has been very successful with martial arts. He also has made some pretty big accomplishments.
The next generation of martial arts I am going to tell you about is Sensei Lisa, she has been in martial arts for a good portion of her life. She is still greatly involved in martial arts by teaching the junors as a fourth dan at Pro-Karate.
I am the last of the generations I am going to tell you about. Through my past three and a half years in Shorin-Ryu karate I have learned so much. I have found out that the only physical limitations I have are the ones that I put on myself. I am very pround of the achievements that I have made and I hope others are as well. That is the last of the five generations of martial arts I can tell you about for right now.
