Karate Concepts: Enter Form, Exit Form

Karate Concepts: Small Details

Karate Spirit

I once asked Master Kanazawa, "What is the most important aspect of karate?"  He answered, "Seishin".  "Seishin" means 'spirit', not in the religious sense, but in the sense of personal identity and of what we represent in life.  This video tries to explain the concept of spirit and how it relates to karate.

Behavioral Congruency

The idea of Behavioral Congruency is not a new one but it is one that is based on sound logical principles.

In mathematics the word congruent means something that is exactly the same size and shape.  Therefore in terms of behavior, congruency means acting in exactly the way necessary to achieve a desired outcome.  So, in other words if you can align your behavior with those who have already achieved your desired result or outcome (and are still achieving it) then you too can obtain the same result.

Let me give you an example with your karate practice that will illustrate this concept more clearly.  Probably over 90% of people who start karate would answer “Yes” to the question,

“Do you want to become a Black Belt?”

However we all know that nowhere near 90% of students actually make it to the black belt.  The number is actually quite low.  So how can we increase the number of students who make it to the black belt?  Well we can start by looking at behavior.

So what did black belts do before they were black belts and what are they still doing now that defines their success in karate?

Well the good news is that black belts don’t really do anything that is extremely difficult or radically different to the average student.  I think I can boil down their behavior to three simple things:

1. They come to class regularly and consistently.  I personally recommend twice a week.

2. They always give their best effort during class.

3. They stay focused on their goal until they achieve it.

Obviously there are other things you can do too to make sure you become a black belt such as practicing at home and reading and studying about karate from books, magazines, DVDs and the Internet.  However the three crucial behaviors are to come to class regularly, to train hard and to stay focused on your goal.

If you are someone who “wants to be a Black Belt,” I suggest that you ask yourself honestly if your current behavior, in terms of your karate practice, is congruent with the behavior that I just described.

If it is, then you are well on your way to becoming a black belt, if not then it’s not too late to change!

The same simple question can also be asked about other important aspects of your life...

Enter Form, Exit Form

There is a saying in Japanese martial arts that translates as “Enter form, exit form”.  When you first see these words they don’t really make much sense as there is no context in which to place them.  However the meaning should become clear during this short article.

The phrase refers to the process of learning that we go through during our journey along the path of martial arts.

First of all we walk into the dojo on the first day armed with a sense of excitement at trying something new as well as a little bit of caution because we don’t know what to expect.  At this initial stage of our training most of us know very little about fighting but despite this lack of refined fighting skill, we possess something very useful.  We possess natural reactions because of our survival instinct as humans, we have the element of surprise because the people in the dojo have never seen us before and therefore know nothing about our ability, and we are also unpredictable for the same reason.

So we come to the Karate dojo possessing “no form” and then we are put into a rigorous program of teaching us technique after technique, form after form and sparring drill after sparring drill.  At this point we are “entering form”.  After a couple of years of this training we no longer look like, react like or move like the person who entered that very same dojo two years earlier.  In fact we have become quite proficient at executing all of the different techniques, we know several different “forms” and our sparring skills seem to have improved dramatically.  What’s more, that white belt we were given to wear has now changed color to purple or maybe even brown.  By anybody’s standards we’ve come a long way.

The problem at this stage of our training is that we are so immersed in “form” that when faced with a spontaneous attack that isn’t pre-arranged (like the sparring drills we practice) oftentimes our mind is so confused by choice as to which technique to use against the attack that our defense actually is ineffective despite our good technique.  This is a common occurrence at this level of training because of the vast amount of new material that our minds have had to take in over the past two years and unfortunately for us this process will probably continue for several more years as we continue to accumulate knowledge about the martial art and try to integrate it and assimilate it into something meaningful and natural.  This requires many hours of practice.

Finally we accomplish a higher degree of understanding and we now start to break away from “form” and we begin to slowly “exit form”.  This process of “exiting form” also lasts for quite some time and is full of inspirational moments when we gradually start seeing things on a deeper level and from a different perspective.  Simple things that we thought we already understood suddenly open up and show us something we had never thought about before, thereby giving us additional skill and knowledge.

Finally we fully “exit form” and essentially return to the beginning, to that same person who walked into the dojo on the first day possessing natural reactions and the elements of surprise and unpredictability.  The only difference being (and a big difference it is) is that we now have a very refined skill base and an extremely deep level of understanding that just reacts to whatever situation it is faced with in an appropriate manner without thinking.  Essentially all of the skills that have been practiced for years and years have now become second nature and we have finally reached the highest levels of the martial arts.  This is what I believe is meant by the phrase “Enter form, exit form.”

Truth or Belief?

I started karate at the age of eight on an extremely cold dojo floor in the North-east of England on a January evening in 1982.

My truth that night was that my feet were freezing cold like blocks of ice; my belief was that karate was extremely hard and unforgiving.  I cried after the class and wanted to quit before the next lesson.  Despite my initial experience, I stuck with karate.

At the age of 10, I passed my brown belt after failing two previous gradings.  My truth that night was that I was a tough young boy; my belief was that I was actually good at karate.  I answered my parents doubts that night and was brimming with confidence.  Thanks to my newfound confidence, I stuck with karate.

At the age of 14, I passed my first degree black belt after spending four long years as a brown belt, after failing two more gradings, after trying to convince my parents that their money was well spent on my karate training, and after almost giving up on karate altogether.  My truth that day was that I was a very stubborn individual who had reached a goal; my belief that day was that karate was in actual fact very difficult and that maybe I should quit now while I was ahead.  Instead of quitting, I stuck with karate.

At the age of 22, I graduated from university, left England and went to Japan and enrolled in Master Kanazawa’s Headquarters Dojo in Tokyo.  At the time, I was a third degree black belt in my previous style, well-versed in my new style of Shotokan and had experience in Ju-jitsu and Aikido.  My truth that month was that I finally had some bona-fide experience on which to build.  My belief was that I could actually be successful in karate.  Thanks to my fearless decision to move to Japan, I stuck with karate.

At the age of 26, I left Japan as a third-degree black belt in Shotokan, awarded directly by Master Kanazawa.  I had spent three hard years in Japan learning the art of karate and experiencing the melting pot of culture shock, intense training sessions, and strange yet rewarding experiences that I will never forget.  My truth in that moment was that I didn’t really know who I was, or what I wanted in life; my belief was that it didn’t matter because I could do anything that I put my mind to!  Thanks to the inspiration of Master Kanazawa, I stuck with karate.

Over ten years later and many many hours of hard work and a lot of help from family and friends, I am responsible for teaching well over 100 people this art of karate on a weekly basis.  As a fifth degree black belt I represent Master Kanazawa’s worldwide organization and do my best to promote his message of harmony and strong spirit through my teaching.

In some people’s eyes I have made it as an instructor.  The truth of the matter is that I have a very long way to go before I can even begin to claim some measure of success.  My own personal truth at this stage of my karate journey is that I have come a very long way since first stepping out on that freezing cold floor in England, and that my study of karate has revealed many personal weaknesses that I have had to face along the way.  The process of trying to correct these weaknesses, both physical and emotional, is never easy but it is necessary if we are to continue growing as a person.  My belief at this point in time is that I truly can achieve anything I set my mind to, regardless of how difficult it may seem at first.  Thanks to all of my experiences, I still do karate!

My instructor, Master Kanazawa, once said that one of the reasons to practice karate is to learn how to “make the impossible possible”.  This simple phrase sums up the difference between truth and belief very well.  The truth of our current situation or of a goal that we want to achieve may very well seem impossible, but our belief that we will ultimately be successful is what propels us forward and drives us through the invisible barrier in front of us.

Time and time again in my own life I have come up against very difficult challenges that seemed insurmountable at first.  Yet with determination, perseverance and self-belief, the challenge gradually changed from being impossible to being very difficult to finally becoming imminently achievable.  I suspect that all of you reading this have had similar experiences throughout your own lives.

So what have all of these different experiences and my karate training taught me.  Well, I think that after searching for truth in everything I do, I have finally come to the conclusion that it is not the so-called truth of our situation or challenge that really matters; all that actually matters is our belief and how we handle it!

The Benefits of Failure

To use the words “benefit” and “failure” in the same sentence probably qualifies as an oxymoron.  Like any good lesson in life, however, the things that we are afraid of the most often give us the best insights.

I have come to realize that we all avoid failure as much as possible.  It’s almost a kind of taboo subject that gets swept under the carpet.  In our culture nobody wants to admit that they made a mistake or that they were wrong.  Why is this?  Is failure really that bad?

It seems like it is bad.  After all, who can deny the feelings of disappointment and disillusion when something doesn’t go our way, or even the harsh feeling of despair and regret when we really crash and burn.  Why does life treat us so badly?  Don’t we deserve better?

No we don’t!  We deserve absolute honesty in everything we do.  If that means failure instead of false praise, then so be it.  If that means that we have to admit that we lost, or that we were sub-standard, then so be it.  If that means that on that day we just missed out, then so be it.  Don’t gripe, don’t moan, don’t throw a fit!  Be happy that you have just received a lesson that you need to learn!!

I received this lesson for the first time when I was 9 years old.  I had been very successful at school, passing every test, getting top grades, being on the sports teams, getting praise from the teachers…

I thought karate was going to be the same...until I took my green belt test.  I stepped forwards when my sensei called my name, expecting to receive my belt.  Instead, I was shut down and demoralized with that one word, “FAIL!”

Absolute shock!  I was still an orange belt, I had to wait three more months to test again, I was not good enough!

This was the first time that I had failed at anything, and as it turned out I failed in karate three more times on my way to the black belt, before I finally made it on December 5th, 1987 (a day I will never forget based on the hardship that led up to that occasion.)

How could I fail? I thought I was better than that.  Well, as it has turned out, karate has shown me over the years that I’m not really that good at anything.  I just get ahead of myself at times and think that I know something, which basically means that I am a little stubborn, and that on occasion I can be a little too self-confident.

I needed to learn humility!  Karate continues to teach me this quality.  My failures along my karate journey were exactly what I needed, and they have definitely taught me some very valuable life lessons!  Thanks to these hard lessons, I have come to realize that failure can actually be a good thing, despite the fact that it doesn't feel very good at the time.  As long as you learn the lesson that failure brings, the experience is valuable, but if you stubbornly refuse to face up to yourself, then the lesson will have to be repeated again and again until you notice.

When I first met my most influential sensei, Master Hirokazu Kanazawa, he wrote a piece of calligraphy for me that has inspired me in my life on so many occasions I have lost count.  What he wrote in Japanese translates as,

"Never be afraid of failure, if you try your best."

I am very thankful for my sensei's wisdom and I hope that his words will inspire you too.

What's the Difference between a Martial Art and a Sport?

This article focuses on an issue that is often written about in martial arts circles and will no doubt continue to be debated for years to come.  It is the basic question about whether karate is a martial art or a sport and, if you can definitively categorize it as one or the other, then what in fact is the difference between a martial art and a sport?

The article is going to start by defining what a martial art and a sport actually is and then it will discuss the difference between the two.

So first of all, what is a martial art?  A martial art in the original sense of the words is an art that involves military strategy, sometimes weaponry and the idea of some kind of life-or-death situation that must be faced either on a battlefield, in warfare or in a personal dangerous encounter.

The ultimate risk in a traditional martial art is the loss of one’s life at the hands of your opponent and therefore much emphasis is placed on spiritual growth, strength of character and moral fortitude during the course of one’s training.  Training in a martial art is often very rigorous and demanding and is certainly not for the weak of heart.  The structure of the training is often very regimented and repetitive and requires a high degree of self-discipline and effort.

Consequently the goal of a traditional martial arts practitioner is not necessarily to win each battle but rather to not lose any battle.  Although ‘to win’ and ‘to not lose’ are essentially the same thing, the focus is different.

Moving on to the question of “what is a sport?”  A sport is an activity usually involving two or more individuals, sides, or teams, each one trying to win a game or competition as quickly and by as greater margin as possible.  Despite the strong element of competition and the emphasis on winning we should include the concept of fun as being a central factor in the overall goal of sport.  We often see high levels of intensity and passion displayed by the players, especially at the top levels of competition, but usually everybody goes home at the end of the day friends and with a feeling of refreshment looking forward to next week’s game against a different team.

These are basic definitions of a martial art and a sport and it used to be fairly easy to separate the two but over the years of development of both kinds of disciplines the differences are not so great and there is a lot of overlap between the two.  So let’s now try to address some of the differences.

First of all a sport in general is fun with a serious side to it called competition.  The competition aspect is usually hotly contested by both sides with one of the sides coming out a winner and receiving some kind of prize.  There is often a little over-exuberance, sometimes injuries, but most of the time the game or match is an enjoyable spectacle with, as stated before, everybody going home friends at the end of the day.

A martial art on the other hand is very different to this.  Although there is now the competition aspect of martial arts, this of course also includes team events, a martial art is predominantly an individual pursuit.  The goal of the practitioner is to hone one's skills by constant never-ending practice, week-in week-out, through a very regimented schedule and a very structured syllabus.  The martial artist follows a path of growth, which begins the first moment he or she steps into the dojo, and in many cases continues for the rest of that person’s life, or certainly way beyond the competitive career of most sportsmen and women.

Along this journey of self-discovery and growth the martial artist not only tries to improve his or her technical ability and prowess, but also focuses on becoming a better person in every other aspect of his or her life.  By a better person, it is meant that the path of a martial artist is one of constant polishing and refining of one’s technique, which through repeated practice develops the good habits needed to improve one’s abilities in coping with everyday life’s challenges and tasks.

The ultimate goal of the martial artist is to have mind and body unify as one, and then function harmoniously with the outside environment and surroundings, always trying to create positive values for others through leading by example and utilizing the principles of respect, hard work and effort, self-control and self-discipline.

Although a sport has many of these benefits and qualities, I think a sport is by nature too specific and focused on one dimension to adequately provide the rounded, balanced dimensions that a martial art offers.

I believe a martial art is intrinsically more rewarding than a sport and ultimately becomes a way of life for those who practice its teachings seriously.

In closing I think that nowadays karate is both a martial art and a sport but the sport aspect is just a small part of the overall martial art rather than the martial art being a small part of the sport.  For both to coexist effectively we need to recognize the importance of each with respect to the other.

The Blocking Myth

I have always been fascinated by languages, so much so that I majored in German and minored in Japanese for my Bachelor’s Degree.  During my studies, I had to learn translation and was given passages in the foreign language that had to be translated into English and vice versa.  What I found was that most words such as apple, road, house, dog, etc. usually translated directly from one language to another.  However, many other words and phrases could not be directly translated, as there are cultural and idiomatic differences in the way words and phrases are viewed through the eyes of the host culture and the foreign culture.

After studying Karate for over 25 years, three of which were in Japan, and after studying the Japanese language, I have found the same to be true in many of the English translations of the different Japanese technique names.  One of the most interesting discrepancies that I have found is the Japanese word “uke” and the usual English translation of “block”.  You see, the word uke is from the Japanese verb ukeru, which means “to receive.”  If we think about the English word “block” for a minute then it brings synonyms such as “stop”, “deter”, “halt” and “obstruct” to mind.

So if we now compare the word “receive” with “stop” or “halt” or “obstruct,” then doesn’t it seem like we are talking about antonyms rather than synonyms?  Doesn’t it seem like one has the opposite meaning to the other?  Why is this?

I first noticed this linguistic difference over ten years ago and initially I just thought that it was interesting and left it at that.  Since then I have started to delve deeper into the various words that are used as the technique names in Japanese and English and I have found many differences.  Through living in different foreign countries, I have realized that it is not always wise to judge everything by your own cultural beliefs.  Often it is better to be a neutral observer and to ask, what is the reason and what purpose does it serve?  So how can two words, “uke” and “block,” represent the same set of techniques yet mean opposite things when directly translated?

The answer lies in the true purpose of the technique!

What I am about to say might sound a little controversial but bear with me for a little while.  A “block” is not meant to “stop” an opponent’s attack, but instead it is meant to “speed up” an opponent’s attack in preparation for a devastating counter attack!  What do I mean by this?  How can I use the words “speed up” in conjunction with the word “block”?

Let’s go back to the Japanese word “uke” which means receive.  When you receive an opponent’s attacking move, whether it is a punch, kick or strike, what you are really trying to do is to deflect and redirect the energy of the attack so that the opponent is temporarily thrown off balance and placed in a more advantageous position for a counter attack.  So by “receiving” this attack you can now send the blow on its way in a different direction and then immediately deliver your counter with appropriate timing for the most effect.

Let’s look at a couple of different scenarios to try to explain the conceptual difference in the English word “block” and the Japanese word “uke.”

Scenario 1:  Imagine that our attacker is coming at us with a front punch to the body.  If we “block” the attack in the English sense of the word, then perhaps we use an outer forearm block (soto ude-uke) that attacks the opponent’s punching arm at a 45 degree angle away from us and stops his forward momentum.  After successfully halting the attack we deliver a counter attack such as a reverse punch (gyakuzuki) to the rib cage to finish off our opponent.  The end result of this encounter is that we used the majority of our energy in stopping the opponent’s punch, and consequently his forward momentum, and then we had to deliver as strong a punch as possible to inflict damage to a stationery opponent.

Scenario 2:  Now imagine that our attacker is once again coming at us with a front punch to the body but now we are “blocking” the attack in the Japanese sense of the word.  We are now “receiving” the punch.  So as we execute our outer forearm block we change the angle from a 45 degree angle away from us to a 45 degree angle that draws the opponent towards us and deflects his punch past our body, thus “speeding up” the attack in preparation for our devastating counter attack of a reverse punch to the rib cage.  The end result here is that we used minimal energy during our block, thus conserving the speed and momentum of our attacker towards us.  However, we redirected the punch in such a way that we placed our opponent in a disadvantageous position that put him off balance as we delivered our finishing blow.

So based on these two scenarios, we must now ask ourselves what are the main differences between the key nuances of the English word “block” and the Japanese word “uke?”

The first difference is based on velocity.  Remember that velocity defines not just the speed of an object (in this case a punch) but also its direction.  At the beginning of the attack in each scenario the velocity is clear.  The speed of the punch is as fast as possible and the direction is towards the defender’s body.  However, at the point of blocking both scenarios change significantly and this is the point at which both languages show their actual meaning.  In the English example, the velocity of the punch decreases because the block “stops” the attack and sends the punch away from the defender.  But in the Japanese example, the velocity increases because the block “receives” the attack and draws the punch towards the defender but “deflects” its momentum past the defender.

The second difference focuses on the impact of the counter attack.  In the first scenario, the impact is as if the defender is punching a stationery object because the speed of the attacker’s punch has been nullified by the defender’s block.  In the second scenario, the impact is like a head-on collision as the speed of the attacker’s punch has been amplified by the defender’s block.  So although, the first counter attack can still be very damaging, there should be no doubt as to the efficacy of the second counter attack.

The final difference is found in the purpose of the two blocks and this is what I was alluding to earlier in the article.  In the first scenario, the emphasis is on the block rather than the counter attack as the true purpose of the block is to not get hit.  However, in the second scenario, the emphasis is on the counter attack rather than the block, as the true purpose of the block is to place the attacker in the most vulnerable position so that the defender can deliver a truly decisive and finishing blow.  Therefore, the first use of a block still allows further chances of attack by the opponent, but the second use of the block coupled with the counter punch renders any chance of a follow-up attack highly improbable.  This should remind us of the classic Karate concept of ikken hisatsu meaning “to kill with one blow”.  Surely the Japanese meaning of “uke” allows for this outcome more so than the English meaning of “block.”

So as you can see, a simple linguistic translation of a technique can lead to much ambiguity in the meaning and application of a technique by its practitioners.  It is therefore very important in my mind that we do our best to research not only Karate techniques, but also the terminology and the culture behind the techniques.  In this way, we can better preserve the legacy of our respective arts and also improve our own understanding of and ability in the art.  The translation of “uke” to mean “block” is just one example where an understanding of both languages and cultures can lead to a breakthrough in understanding technique.

Harmonizing with your Opponent

The process of learning kumite (sparring or partner work) in Shotokan karate can be a long and arduous path.  Usually a practitioner begins by learning the introductory kihon of our style such as punches, blocks and kicks and then basic partner work drills are introduced such as  gohon kumite (five-step sparring) and sanbon kumite (three step sparring) at the beginning level and then kihon ippon-kumite (basic one-step sparring) at the intermediate level.  By the time the practitioner has reached the brown belt level the partner work drills have progressed to jiyu ippon-kumite (free one-step sparring).  So essentially the first two to three years of a karate-ka’s practice are focused on learning set drills that progressively lead the karate-ka to a better understanding of basic technique and how those techniques can be used against an opponent.

            Many instructors introduce jiyu kumite (free sparring) in the midst of all of this drilling of basic technique to break up the monotony of set partner work and to try to encourage the practitioner to loosen up and not be so rigid.  I think this is a good idea especially at the intermediate levels of 6^th – 4^th kyu.  I believe there is great value in systematically introducing partner work drills through set sequences that build upon one another but it is also important to encourage freedom of movement and creativity through free sparring.  With a structured combination of these two methods practitioners can gradually be given the necessary tools at the beginning and intermediate levels to lay the foundations for rapid improvement in their overall kumite skills at the brown belt levels and beyond.

            If we look at the systematic training methods that Shotokan offers we can see that gohon kumite and sanbon kumite are essentially partner work drills that focus on repetition of offensive and defensive techniques.  Kihon ippon-kumite offers different applications of each basic technique and emphasizes the “one chance” mentality and the importance of effective counter attacks under stress.  Jiyu ippon-kumite takes kihon ippon-kumite training to the next level by introducing the concepts of distance, timing, range and the element of surprise.

            This article assumes that the reader has already mastered the prerequisites of basic technique along with set partner work drills and is looking to take his or her kumite skills to the next level through a deeper understanding of what Master Hirokazu Kanazawa, Chief Instructor and President of the Shotokan Karate International Federation, refers to as “harmonizing with your opponent.”  According to Kanazawa-sensei, if you can harmonize with your opponent you will never lose an encounter, whether physical or verbal.  At the highest level this concept essentially means that you will never be drawn into an encounter in the first place because you will be able to read the intentions of your opponent and appropriately diffuse the situation before any hostility and conflict can arise.  From the perspective of actual kumite practice, however, there are several key concepts to understand.

            Within the overall category of harmonizing with your opponent, which Kanazawa-sensei calls “wa no sen,” there are three sub-categories of defensive strategy.  These are called “go no sen” (counter attack), “tai no sen” (same-time attack) and “sen no sen” (pre-emptive strike.)

            The first of these strategies, “go no sen” (counter attack) is both the easiest to understand and also the easiest to execute from the practitioner’s point of view.  Most beginning kumite drills focus on counter attacks as the main form of defense.  This means that as the attacker moves in with their chosen technique the defender blocks and then counters with an appropriate technique.  In the simplest form, the attacker steps in with a head punch and the defender blocks the punch with rising block and then counters with a reverse punch.  This is the easiest form of defensive strategy as all the defender has to do is to get out of the way of the opponent’s attack by using footwork and an appropriate block and then counter with some kind of strike.  At the beginning level there really isn’t much need for anything more advanced than this kind of strategy but when faced with a more skilled opponent the basic strategy falls apart as the counter attack is subsequently blocked and countered again by the initial attacker causing the defender to ultimately lose the initiative.  Another problem with this counter attack strategy is that there is no harnessing of the attacker’s power and forward momentum by the defender as the blocking technique is aimed at nullifying the attack and then the counter attack must be delivered with 100% effort and power from the defender to be effective.  Essentially a ‘tempo’ has been lost by the defender.  This can be likened to a chess player putting his queen into play too early without adequate protection and having to backtrack on the move, thus losing a ‘tempo’.

            The second strategy, “tai no sen” (same-time attack) is much more effective but is consequently more difficult to pull off.  This strategy is where the defender is able to see the attack coming and counter at the point that the attacker is most committed.  For example the attacker comes in with a head punch and the defender, seeing the attack, resists the natural reaction of moving back, and instead moves in to the attack ducking the head out of the way and delivering a solid punch to the ribcage with perfect timing.  The resulting effect of this defense is twice that of the counter attack because the defender is meeting the attacker in a head-on collision thereby making the impact twice as effective.  This type of defense is one of the most useful because, as Kanazawa-sensei clearly explains in many of his seminars, “tai no sen” strategy allows a defender to conserve some of his energy by using only about 75% of his total power, but when combined with the 100% commitment of the attacker the resulting effect is far greater than a 100% counter attack against an already completed attacking technique, as in “go no sen” strategy.  The drawback of this type of defense is that you are still betting on your superior speed, timing and technical ability against your opponent.  On those occasions when you meet up with a superior opponent you will quickly see your ideas of “tai no sen” strategy revert back to “go no sen” strategy.

            The final strategy of harmonizing with your opponent is called “sen no sen,” which could be translated as “pre-emptive strike” or “advance attack”.  As the “Do” of “karate-do” suggests, we have a moral obligation to use our art as a defensive art and not as an aggressive attacking art.  Master Gichin Funakoshi echoed this sentiment with his precept of “karate ni sentenashi”, which is very often translated as “there is no first attack in karate”.  Quite frankly speaking though, would you stand still if someone drew a knife against your child and wait for them to strike first?  Would you wait for someone who was cursing at the top of their lungs at your wife to take the first shot before you reacted?  Would you allow someone with a broken bottle to take a swing at your face?  I hope not!  Sometimes the actions of your opponent require immediate action on your part without any thought or second doubts.  It is at this point that you are able to “read” your opponent and sense their ill-advised intentions and react both pre-emptively and appropriately.  This is “sen no sen”.  So back in the dojo this is characterized by that moment between two opponents when one is about to strike but the attack hasn’t yet happened.  This moment is sometimes referred to as “the gap” between intention and action.  Your job is to utilize “yomi” (reading of your opponent) and take decisive and immediate action before your opponent is able to follow through.  If done correctly it really doesn’t matter what precise techniques you use because if you deliver them in the split second of opportunity, your opponent will be completely overwhelmed and defeated.  This type of attack relies heavily on the “ikken hissatsu” (one strike, end of story) philosophy that is so often romanticized in our beloved karate legends, but as always you could add several additional counter strikes to make sure the job is done properly!

            When you have all of the above defensive strategies in your kumite arsenal you are on the way to being able to fully harmonize with your opponent.  Once again your ultimate goal is to avoid potentially harmful conflicts as much as possible but in the times when decisive action is necessary, your kumite drills should reappear as naturally as your knee-jerk reactions of bowing to your sensei, saying “osu” in class, or yelling out your “kiai” at the climax of your kata performances.  The difference is that your well-honed kumite reactions might just save your life!

The Importance of Having a Beginner's Mind

As a karate instructor or high-level practitioner of the martial arts it is often useful to remember where we came from and how we got to where we are.  Our journeys were not always easy and our students deserve to hear about our own mistakes and experiences to show that we too are human and that we went through many of the same struggles that they are faced with.  Here is one such story from my own development as a martial artist.

One hot and humid summer evening’s lesson during my stay in Japan, Ichihara-sensei (one of my instructors) was teaching us oizuki (front punch) when it suddenly hit me like a sledgehammer.  No, not the punch thankfully, but a realization - I guess you could call it a moment of inspiration.  I had been training in Karate for about 14 years at the time and I suddenly realized that I had been making a basic error in the execution of the front punch.

It doesn’t really matter anymore what the mistake was as I have since corrected it, but the real lesson I learned that night was something much more than a minor technical adjustment.  That night under the watchful eye of Ichihara-sensei I was reminded of the importance of having a “Beginner’s Mind.”

It happens to all of us periodically and usually when we least expect it.  I’m talking about those moments when our confidence along with our egos takes over and suddenly we feel like we’re invincible.  We have mastered a particular skill and now, knowing everything there is to know, (or so we think) we become self-proclaimed experts, willfully demonstrating the infallibility of our technique to others.  Right at that moment something happens to bring us back down to Earth.  For example you’re a good golfer and suddenly and inexplicably you hit an “air shot” or you’re playing soccer, and faced with an open goal just six yards out you completely miss the ball and fall flat on your behind with the grace and poise of a one-year-old just learning how to walk.

Back in the dojo, a senior ranked student performs a front kick and slips and falls over for no reason.  He gets up really quickly hoping nobody saw and mutters about some undulation in the perfectly flat wooden floor.  Trust me, I’ve seen this kind of thing happen again and again and it always reminds me of the importance of having a “Beginner’s Mind.”

If you watch any serious beginner in any activity you usually see great concentration, heightened awareness and a real drive to succeed.  Although they know their techniques aren’t perfect, their mistakes are usually due to a lack of knowledge rather than a lack of focus.  We “experienced” practitioners of Karate should learn from this and should try to think back to that special feeling that we also had as beginners.  That exciting feeling of learning something new, of learning the next sequence in a kata, of successfully blocking an opponent’s attack, and of ending a fight against a black belt and being able to say you were on the floor just five times instead of the usual ten, or better still that you actually put the black belt on the floor too!

A “beginner’s mind” means that you still realize you have a lot to learn, it means that you’re open to criticism, but maybe more importantly the next time you fall flat on your face, you’ll get up with a smile rather than an attitude!

What is Karate really all about?

This question seems like a very innocent and fun type of question to try and answer but the truth is that it is not an easy question to answer at all.
“What is karate really all about?”
Is it about learning some punches, kicks and blocks? Is it about memorizing endless forms? Is it about self-defense? Is it about health and fitness? How about making friends and socializing? What about all of those buzzwords such as self-discipline, self-confidence, self-control, self-esteem and all of those other ‘self’ prefixes that cater to our already aggrandized egos?
Some of us have already done our research on this topic to find out what karate is all about and we have found many answers. Conventional martial arts wisdom tells us that karate is about perfecting our character, being truthful and honest, never giving up, building strong spirit, trying our best at all times, adhering to strict discipline and etiquette, following “the path” or “the Way”, and reaching our potential in life.
I can guarantee that if I put this question to a room full of students that all of the above answers will be suggested and probably some more in addition.
The point of this somewhat long-winded introduction to this article is that karate is about all of the above and none of the above and it all depends on who you are talking to. The problem however is that the difference between most people’s words and actions can be quite great. For example, saying that karate is about focus and discipline and then demonstrating weak technique and bad manners while being easily distracted tells me that someone isn’t really being honest. Saying that karate is about health and fitness and then driving straight to McDonalds after class for a Big Mac meal with extra fries might not qualify you as painting that picture. And by the way, I’m not exempt from all of this hypocrisy as I’m a proponent of it too and have eaten fast food after class on more than one occasion!
So “what is karate really all about?” I’d say it’s all about YOU and it’s all about what YOU make of it. You can make it a fun and challenging hobby and family activity by participating with your family members. You can make it a really worthwhile physical activity by training hard and improving your health and fitness. You can also make it an incredibly boring and frustrating pursuit that becomes potentially harmful to both your self-confidence and character by not trying hard and feeling like you are “no good” compared to everyone else in the class. Or, as I have done, you can make it a lifelong goal to try to capitalize on the strengths that you were born with and gradually improve the weaknesses that you inherently have one day at a time through the honest and fully committed practice of karate.
Perfection of character doesn’t mean that you never make a mistake, trying to be truthful and honest doesn't mean that you never catch yourself being a hypocrite at times, and nor does trying your best mean that you’re never tired. What is most important from all of this is your self-awareness. Through the template of karate we should be able to constantly polish the stone that holds all of our skills so that we can clearly see our own reflection in all its beauty and ugliness. Gradually through consistent effort and practice, and knowledge of ourselves, we can tip the balance of our life’s scale to positive nourishment and self-improvement, in order to ultimately help others and find our place in this world. Karate, although not complete in and of itself, holds many keys towards this goal.

Piecing Together the Karate Jigsaw Puzzle

As a young kid I used to enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles. Like any other person who has put together a jigsaw puzzle, I soon figured out that I had to create a system to understand the mass of jumbled and disconnected pieces.
The system first involved turning over all of the pieces so they were face up. Then I found the corners and the edges and started piecing those together to make the framework of the puzzle. Next I found like-colored pieces and put those together and gradually other pieces started finding each other with the help of my system and my frequent scanning of the whole jigsaw puzzle and resorting and regrouping.
Finally the jigsaw was solved and I could see the full picture that it revealed, despite already knowing what it looked like previously, thanks to the picture on the box!
I use the jigsaw analogy from time to time in my weekly Karate classes to try to show that the process of learning Karate also uses a systemized method of arranging techniques, organizing content, piecing together combinations and sets, building a framework of skills and gradually understanding the different shades of technical nuances of the general curriculum as you go through the ranks on the way to the Black Belt and beyond.
The main difference between a standard jigsaw puzzle and the puzzle of learning Karate is that there isn’t a clear picture of the Karate outcome when you first start the process of organizing the pieces of the overall puzzle. It is the job of the instructor to gradually introduce the pieces one by one, and to give hints as to where the pieces fit in to the overall picture. It is the job of the Karate student to capture those pieces from each Karate lesson and to place them in his or her personal puzzle.
The reason for this is that the ultimate picture of every individual’s Karate puzzle is different and will also change over time as details are modified and improved upon. This can be very confusing and frustrating and this is why it is important to focus on the journey rather than the destination. The journey of course is the process of solving the puzzle and the destination is the end picture that the puzzle reveals.
So what does the Karate puzzle look like? Well, like I have said already everybody’s puzzle is different and it would be foolish of me to try to explain what your personal Karate puzzle looks like. Instead, I should try to explain what the puzzle is made up of and what my own picture is beginning to show me. In very simple terms the framework of the Karate puzzle is made up of the three Ks, Kihon, Kata and Kumite. Kihon, of course, represents the punches, kicks, blocks, strikes and stances of our style. Kata are the forms within our style that show us how the basic techniques fit together in natural combinations, and kumite represents the partner work drills that show how our style can be applied in one-on-one situations and also in multiple opponent situations
So let’s get to the picture part of the puzzle.
I often thought that solving jigsaw puzzles was a little fruitless when you already know what the picture looks like, so sometimes I would ask my parents to give me just the pieces without the box so I could figure it out for myself. Maybe that’s one reason Karate is so satisfying for me because I still don’t know what the final picture of my puzzle that represents my Karate journey will look like! Yet, I have had many satisfying glimpses into the beauty of the images and checkpoints along the way.
This is the way it is supposed to be! But I still have to ask myself what does my current picture show and how does this help me improve.
I believe that my current Karate picture shows a fully integrated matrix of information that represents the Shotokan syllabus as a whole, and that it shows vital cross links between individual techniques, the different kata and bunkai combinations, as well as a whole host of kumite techniques, options and arrangements that now come naturally during teaching and demonstration. However, despite the matrix that is shown to me in my mind of everything gradually coming together, I also see several weak intersections within the overall matrix. I see some unanswered questions and some dark areas that maybe I shouldn’t venture along yet. Certainly not as an instructor, maybe only as the innocent student in search of information! These gaps represent the many questions that I haven’t answered yet. They represent the missing pieces of my own Karate jigsaw puzzle that my sensei gives me every time I train with him. What I have also learned is that filling the gaps in my knowledge is not only dependent on my sensei but is also dependent on my students. The questions asked by my own students often force me to learn and improve just like a seminar with Master Kanazawa does. Which brings me to the next question, “Do you ever stop learning?” I think Master Kanazawa said it best in his book Karate, My Life, when he described his ascent up the mountain of Karate learning,
“The more I know, the more I climb, yet the mountain just gets higher. The more I try, the more I focus, the depth is limitless. There is no end in sight. That is karate, my life.”
The Karate jigsaw is not meant to be solved so that there is a final outcome or final picture that we look at for a few seconds, grunt disconsolately as if to say “Is that all there is?”, and then move on. The Karate jigsaw puzzle is a living and a creative endeavor. The picture it depicts changes over time as we progress and mature and as we gain knowledge of our art and ultimately of ourselves.
Our Karate jigsaw puzzle and the problem-solving strategies that we gain from it can act as a template for our lives. It can show us how to find confidence when we need it, inner and outer strength, perseverance and endurance, compassion and tolerance, and self-belief based on honest values.
If we ever see the true and beautiful picture of our Karate puzzle, then we will have mastered not only our art but also ourselves.
For me, that’s enough to keep putting the pieces together and to keep training hard! How about you?