Shodan to Godan

By Erik Hofmeister

As with every rank, there are expectations of yudansha for time in rank, class hours, learned techniques, and improved techniques.  There is also an expectation of WYKKO event attendance and contribution to the dojo and organization. In addition to all these requirements, I imagine several differences among the ranks of yudansha.

 

Shodan to Nidan is Precision

To me, the primary difference between Shodan and Nidan is precision of technique.  The nine new forms required for Nidan have to be nearly flawless, unlike every promotion before, where the new kata merely had to be acceptable to good.  The foot position for each stance has to be precise, the hand techniques clear and clean. There are a lot of kata at this rank to help emphasize the precision of each of the techniques.  This is a rank to get everything clean and smooth, similar to how I see 4th kyu.

 

Nidan to Sandan is Understanding

Once you have precision, what more is there to achieve?  Obviously the Nidan student has not achieved perfection, but all of their older kata should be performable to a very high degree.  What the Nidan student now learns is understanding. Why do the kata do what they do, what is the bunkai for all the kata, and how can that information be best imparted to others?  All of these questions and others should dwell in the mind of the Nidan student. They should seek understanding of the motions, and universal principles which can be applied throughout their martial arts.  They should understand why the technique is done one way and not another, and how to maximize their efficiency of motion.

 

Sandan to Yondan is Depth

Once you have begun to question your karate, you find there are unknowable depths to plumb.  Thinking about karate becomes part of your everyday life, and the philosophy inside the dojo and outside the dojo become one.  You have been doing karate for so long, and in so much detail, that it becomes an important, integral part of your being. You think of yourself fully as a martial artist.  You explore the history and talk to others endlessly about karate and martial arts conundrums. No longer are you satisfied by what you can learn in class- you seek depth of understanding in all things karate.

 

Yondan to Godan is Completion

In most martial arts, there is no curriculum above fifth degree black belt.  Once you achieve Godan, you have learned all of the official content of the martial art.  Obviously there is more to improve and other things to learn, but there are no more kata, no more weapons, no more paired exercises to learn.  Therefore, Yondan is your last opportunity to learn everything you can about the style. You need to ask any high rank you can about the techniques, their interaction with each other, the applications, etc.  Obviously after Godan you can still ask these questions, but once you have achieved Godan you will be expected to know the full content of your style.

 

These differences among ranks were the path I walked, and the one I think best suits most students.  Many students probably walk many different paths. I believe these expectations create an appropriate pattern of growth for the Yoshukai yudansha, and lead to the most adept, mature, and well-rounded student.  They provide clear goals for the student to work toward, in addition to all the written expectations.

Yoshu

By Erik Hofmeister

The actual translation for Yoshu is hard to come by, but it is at least approximately “continued improvement”, which is how we use the word in Yoshukai Karate.  It’s easy to “keep getting better at stuff”, particularly in karate. You always continue to learn in karate, even at very high ranks. Keep coming to class and you keep getting better.  It’s a simple recipe. Yoshu, though, can and should be applied to your out-of-dojo life.

It is my opinion that human beings should continue to get better as people over time.  “Better” is subjective and may include physical, intellectual, spiritual, psychological, etc. development.  This improvement should translate to improvement in your life- in your happiness and contentment. I am always sad when I encounter older people who are angry, discontent, and clearly not enjoying life.  They have, in my opinion, missed the point. You should be “better” at 30 than you were at 20. Better at 50 than you were at 30.

Getting better is hard.  It’s hard in terms of time and cognitive burden.  People resist change, because there is an implicit judgement that how we are right now is not acceptable.  There needs to exist a dual perspective- being happy with who you are but nonetheless wanting to improve. This requires no judgement of your current state- so that you can be happy- and simultaneously motivating yourself to improve without that judgement.

It’s a difficult balance to strike.  Many people have concerns about their physical being, such as being overweight.  It’s unhealthy to be depressed or despondent about being overweight. However, blithely accepting being overweight without any desire to improve is also counter-productive.  People should seek a balance, where they can be accepting of themselves as being overweight while also wanting to improve. Acknowledging the truth without judgement (“Yes I am overweight and I am happy with myself but I still want to get my weight down”) is a healthy step in the right direction.

While it is a comedy website, Cracked has addressed this in ways far better than I can.  I encourage you to read the article below and continue to contemplate: how can I be better than I am now by next year?

 

4 Simple Changes That Instantly Make You A Better Person

http://www.cracked.com/blog/4-simple-changes-that-instantly-make-you-better-person/

 

The 4 Kinds of People (And What You Can Learn From Them)

http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-4-kinds-people-and-what-you-can-learn-from-them/

 

3 Things You Don’t Get Any Better at With Old Age

http://www.cracked.com/blog/3-things-you-dont-get-any-better-at-with-old-age/

Why Learning Japanese Matters

By Erik Hofmeister

For the test to Shodan, there is a written component which includes questions about Japanese terminology.  Athens Yoshukai has written tests starting at blue belt expecting a basic understanding of karate-related Japanese words.  Commands in advanced classes and tests are given largely in Japanese. Why? Couldn’t the command just as easily be “right leg front kick” as “migi ashi mae geri”?

Yoshukai is a traditional martial art.  One of the elements of that is learning, understanding, and respecting the cultural origins of the style.  Language is a major contributor to culture. Learning the little bit of Japanese we do helps us to understand the Japanese culture and pay homage to it within the context of karate.

In my opinion, traditional arts require a mental or cerebral component in addition to the physical aspects.  It’s not enough to be able to DO karate, you need to understand and KNOW karate. The language requirement helps to highlight that cerebral component and requires effort studying.  Before a test, a student can’t just run through kata and techniques- they also need to study written material.

Finally, our organization is tightly associated with Yoshukai Japan.  Students may be called upon to understand a Japanese speaker giving commands in the dojo.  Some students may travel to Japan, and having some rudimentary understanding of the language is helpful.

Learning Japanese can be frustrating for some students.  This is particularly true if you don’t understand the utility and need.  Demonstrating your understanding of Japanese for karate can be a point of pride- look at this cool piece of information you have for communicating about karate!  For anyone who has tried to learn martial-arts-related Korean, Japanese is a breeze, so be thankful you don’t have to learn Korean!

Karate Should be Fun

By Erik Hofmeister

My wife put off trying karate for years.  When she finally agreed to try it out, she said, “I’ll keep doing it until it’s not fun.”  I thought this was a terrific philosophy. I think some people may object because they think karate should be hard, or painful, or a struggle.  Some classes, or even stretches of time, are unpleasant. I don’t disagree-anything worth doing is hard. But shouldn’t it also be fun?

Something fun is something we find enjoyable.  Something enjoyable gives us pleasure, which is a state of being happy or satisfied.  There are many ways to achieve happiness or satisfaction, but scientific studies suggest five major contributors: pleasure (sensation), engagement (absorption of an enjoyed yet challenging activity), relationships, meaning, and accomplishments.  Karate touches on all five of these.

Although training can be hard, and sometimes suffering is involved, ultimately being active and athletic gives us a positive, euphoric sensation.  If karate is constant suffering, or we do not experience that pleasurable component after working hard, something may be wrong.

Engagement is achieved through performance of repetitive actions, kata, and other activities which allow us to be purely in the moment.  We don’t need to worry about work, or significant others, or similar distractions. We can be focused, similar to purposeful meditation. A class period passes and it seems like just 10 minutes elapsed.

Although karate is not a group sport, relationships are extremely important.  I believe most karate students continue with their training because they make friends in the dojo and have positive social contacts.  Working with peers, going to events together to have shared experiences, and talking with fellow students before or after class or at social functions all help to foster positive human contact.

Meaning is provided by students contributing to the growth of the dojo, teaching other students, participating in WYKKO events, and feeling that they make a contribution to the school and organization.  Opportunities for meaning need to be carefully cultivated. It is easy for a student to just show up, do class, and go home, without thinking of how important they are for the dojo or organization.

Accomplishments are obvious in martial arts- we have a rank system, with a clear hierarchy, which provides a visible confirmation of accomplishment.  In addition to the rank system, individual skills can be small accomplishments- executing a break perfectly, or perfecting a kick, or learning an entire kata.  Accomplishments abound in karate.

Doing karate should be fun.  All five characteristics that contribute to happiness can be present, if the student and the instructor are mindful and careful to cultivate those characteristics.  Even after having a hard class, where you sweated and suffered and groaned and even hurt a little, it should still have been fun.

If karate isn’t fun for you, reflect on why that may be.  Are you not able to be engaged, due to too much stress or the exercises not being appropriate?  Do you have some physical pain which makes activity not pleasurable? Do you feel socially not a part of the group?  Do you feel that you lack meaning, or that your participation is not appreciated? Do you have a hard time identifying your accomplishments, or are you too focused on rank-based accomplishments to not appreciate other accomplishments?  In any of these circumstances, you should talk to other students and the instructor. You should be happy doing karate, but you may need to take some active steps to overcome any barriers you have to that happiness.

Taught by the Master

By Erik Hofmeister

I have read blogs that insist that you should make sure you will work with the head instructor before joining a school, and some which suggest that a school which asks students to teach is taking advantage of them by not paying them.  I obviously disagree with both of these stances, and here is why.

You don’t need to learn from the head instructor.  You don’t need to learn from a blackbelt. You need to learn from someone who knows more than you and, sometimes, someone who knows as much or less than you.  In educational psychology, studies have shown that peer teaching is as or more effective than learning from a lecturer. Maybe the student can be more relaxed and hence receptive, maybe they feel more invested in the educational process, maybe the more junior teacher can identify more easily with the student.  This is not to say that less experienced teachers are objectively better, but that students may learn as well from others who are closer in rank and experience to them. Ultimately, it is up to the head instructor and blackbelts to make sure that the techniques are all correct and well executed. All of the instruction, however, does not and maybe should not come from the head instructor and blackbelts.  Doing so may hamper student learning.

As has been mentioned before, students learn by teaching.  In my opinion, not allowing students to teach is detracting from their own education and progress.  Asking students to teach is to their benefit as much as it is to the dojo’s benefit or the learner’s benefit.  Once a student starts to have their own classes that they are responsible for in a commercial school, the issue is somewhat different.  In that case, some compensation should be considered, as the student is directly helping the bottom line of the school and relieving the head instructor to do other (hopefully money-making) activities.

I have heard veterinary students complain during surgery labs about being taught by residents.  These are individuals who have finished vet school, an internship, and started specialty training in surgery.  Such people are more than qualified enough to teach a student basic surgical techniques. They do not need a board-certified surgeon to teach them how to tie a basic knot.  I feel the same with martial arts students. A white belt does not need a third degree blackbelt to teach them how to punch. They can be taught the basics of punching by, say, a blue belt.  This is not to imply that the blue belt has mastered a punch. But a white belt does not need to master the punch. They just need the basic elements, which the blue belt knows.

Commercial vs. Free vs. Club

By Erik Hofmeister

A commercial school is one run to be profitable.  A free school is one run where students pay no tuition.  A club school is one where students pay a minimal tuition, and is usually associated with another organization, such as a city’s parks and recreation department or a YMCA.  They each have advantages and disadvantages which are important to realize as you consider opening your own school or joining a dojo.

 

Students

Commercial schools almost always include kids classes, since kids bring in the majority of income.  Club and free schools have more freedom, limiting student enrollment. The students for commercial schools are partly motivated because they are financially invested, whereas for free and club schools, the students come to class only because they want to, as they have little to no financial commitment.  Most commercial schools have no caps on the number of students they take, and the general drive is to constantly get more students, as more students equals more income. Some club or free schools may have student caps, since beyond a certain point, more students is not always better.

 

Classes

Commercial schools offer more classes, at more times, since that is the primary employment for the owner.  They may incorporate other styles, to appeal to a broader market base. They usually also include daytime classes to capture more demographics. Free and club schools offer fewer class hours- usually 2-3 a week is a minimum.

 

Administrative Time

Commercial schools require significant administrative time, both in planning and execution.  A business plan, location, lease, business incorporation, and similar steps need to be taken before opening.  During execution, commercial schools require more administrative time (specifically billing, filing taxes, and similar money matters) and large amounts of time dedicated to marketing.  Free and club schools require some administrative time, but are generally less than a commercial school.

 

Costs

Commercial schools usually occupy a commercial location, which is a substantial expense.  Club schools usually use another organization’s facilities. Free schools have a variety of locations, but are usually low-to-no cost, such as the instructor’s house. Organization costs and liability insurance are similar among school types.

 

Income

Obviously, the greatest difference among the types of schools is income.  Commercial schools generate money for the owner, whereas club and free schools generally do not. Some club schools may generate some income, but it may not exceed the expenses.

 

Risk

As anyone who has ever invested money should know, with greater risk comes greater reward.  Your tolerance to risk should be clear. If you are highly risk averse, a commercial school is a terrible idea.  A significant amount of startup costs makes it a huge problem if the business fails, and if you don’t also have a primary job, you’ll need to be able to pay yourself.  A club or free school has less risk and, hence, less payoff in terms of financial return.

 

Satisfaction

When it comes to the three pillars of motivation: purpose, autonomy, and mastery, each is satisfied by running a school, regardless of the type.  This is probably the most important idea I can impart: you can feel great satisfaction from running a school of any type.

 

If you can tolerate a high degree of risk, have the initial money for investment, and need the income, a commercial school might be for you.  Otherwise, a club or free school may be the best way to go.

Yoga & Karate

By Susan Elrod

My first time teaching yoga was to Sensei Hofmeister’s karate students.  This was years before I started training in karate myself, and I assumed the students would find my curriculum unchallenging and even boring.  Thirty minutes into class, these extremely capable martial artists where puffing, sweating and in serious need of a break.

Once I started training in Yoshukai myself, I was surprised at how much my yoga practice had prepared me for traditional karate.  As I continued teaching yoga in our dojo, I began to select particular poses and stretches that I found to be especially helpful to karate training.  The series of posts below are some of those poses, grouped by the karate techniques I find they best correspond to.

Yoga for Beginner/Intermediate Kicks

Yoga for Intermediate/Advanced Kicks

Yoga for Stances

Yoga for Hip Stretches

Yoga Philosophy and Yoshukai

A couple things to remember if you decide to try these poses for yourself: 1. If anything you try causes sharp pain, especially in the joints, stop.  Every body is different, and some of these poses might not be helpful for you.  2. These poses are by no means comprehensive.  If you’re interested in trying yoga on your own, you’ll find almost all yoga practices develop the strength, flexibility, and body control that are beneficial to martial arts.  Finally, if you have any questions or want any more information, please feel free to contact me through the athensy.com website or find me at our next Yoshukai event.  Osu and namaste!

Continued Improvement

By Megan Lyn Powell

I began taking karate classes in the Fall of 2012 in the Tate Student Center at UGA. I had never been an athletic person, so this was all new to me. I was there to learn a few things, have some fun and workout. Mostly I just wanted to have fun!

Right away I learned some need-to-know basics such as punches, blocks and kicks. When it came time to learn inside and outside center blocks, one word described me: uncoordinated. Just when I thought I did it correctly and tried to replicate it, something would go awry. Sensei Dawkins was patient. It took me about two or three weeks of classes to finally get the hang of the blocks, but I finally conquered them!

Fast forward a few weeks and I was learning kata (Nijushichi No Kata and Kihon Kata Shodan). We had class twice per week and I wanted to practice more. One of the topics discussed during warm up was practicing on your own. Sensei Dawkins emphasized how useful it was to practice more. My thought at the time was, “…but I don’t want to mess up and learn it the wrong way.”

Soon enough I began practicing in my apartment. I cannot say I always did my kata correctly. I am quite sure there were times when I messed up the order of the blocks in Nijushichi. Or I probably had my feet in the wrong position in Kihon Kata Shodan. The most important thing was just that I was doing it for myself.

Slowly but surely I began to notice that karate was helping me. I soon noticed that I could perform the correct block, punch, or kick the majority of the time. The most important lesson I have learned is Continued Improvement. What does it really mean?

Continued improvement is a common thread that is tied to almost every aspect, if not all, in the WYKKO. In testing to 4^th kyu we learn that Yoshukai really has two meanings (Strive for Excellence and Association of Continued Improvement). We all have some aspect of Yoshukai that we strive to improve. We want our kata to look sharp, our fighting to be top-notch, etc. We may aim for a stronger mae geri, becoming more efficient with nunchuka/sai, and so forth. This gives us that drive to want to improve. There is always a technique or kata that we can become better at executing, or teaching to other students. This is what helps us to continually improve and grow as martial artists. It also can impact other facets of our lives. School, work, parenthood, working out, etc. are just a few examples where we can always aim for continued improvement. Taking what we learn from martial arts and applying it to everyday life helps us as human beings to constantly progress.

Continued improvement really just means to always aim to be better than you were yesterday or the day before. Whether this be in the form of martial arts or not, it is an important lesson that we can all learn.

Rikki Hitatsu!

Working Out on the Go

By Hali Serrian

There are times in every martial artist’s life when they can’t be at the dojo. Maybe you’re on vacation, interviewing for a job in another state, or just away for whatever reason. You can still practice karate, even in a hotel room! And it’s good to keep up your practice so when you return you’ll be able to jump back in right where you left off. In this post, I’ll be focusing on some exercises you can do in a hotel room, or anywhere there’s not as much space as we have in the dojo.

Kata

You can run forms in a small space, it just takes creativity and a bit of flexibility. Try to find the most open space you can and get started. Once you reach a wall (if you’re doing the I-Forms this will probably happen somewhere going up or down the “I”), just scoot back a couple steps and keep going. It can be a bit weird at first, but you’re still getting practice for the form in.

Kicks

Kicks are fairly easy to practice on the go because they don’t take up much space. The same applies for punches and blocks. If you’re looking for a different way to work on your kicks, try the exercise where you hold one hand on a wall, chamber for your kick, and extend out and in without putting your foot down 10 times. Then on the last extension, hold your leg out for a 10-count. This can be quite a workout, and it helps you with your kicking form without having to worry about balance.

 

Balance

You can work on balance while you’re away, like the drills that you do while practicing at home. Stand on one leg (Ippon Ashi Dachi) while you watch T.V., brush your teeth, or talk on the phone. For a tougher version, try moving your leg up and down, side to side, or in a circle, all while keeping the 90 degree bend in your knee. Then try straightening the leg without setting it down. Lean forward and backward on one leg, and then shift your weight side to side. If it gets too tough, focus your gaze on one spot. If it gets to easy, let your gaze wander or close your eyes completely.

Calisthenics

If you don’t feel like working karate specifically, you can simply do some basic exercises, most of which don’t take up a lot of room. Pushups, bodyweight squats, lunges, crunches, dead cockroaches, jumping jacks, shadow boxing; the possibilities are endless. Anything that gets your heart pumping and your blood moving can help you in your martial arts training.

There is plenty to do for your training even when you’re not in the dojo. Keeping up your practice is what helps you continue along a steady path even if you can’t always have steady attendance.

Body Conditioning: Toughening Up

Body conditioning is a part of traditional Okinawan karate. Body conditioning is the practice of taking hits to the body or hitting something fairly tough in order to strengthen one’s ability to “take a hit”. It is supposed to make the body stronger, but often it’s mostly the fighter getting used to being hit. When fighting, blows don’t hurt as much because they’re used to it through body conditioning.

In our dojo, we typically introduce the idea of body conditioning around blue belt. We might have blue belts work their targeting by punching their partner in the stomach instead of a pad. Both partners would alternate. Obviously, we wouldn’t be using our hardest punches right off the bat. As with any new exercise, we start slow and easy and work our way up.

My first experience with body conditioning was with me acting as the conditioner to some black belts. They were working conditioning by being punched in the stomach by yellow belts. We yellow belts were working on being able to hit people with some actual force.

In Okinawan tradition, makiwara, or punching boards, are used to toughen up striking surfaces. These are exactly what they sound like: boards that you hit in order to toughen up. Trees and poles are acceptable makiwara substitutes.

Working with our heavy bag is akin to working with a makiwara. It’s tough against the hands, and can hurt the wrists if you aren’t punching properly. Proper technique is absolutely necessary before you attempt to condition that body part.

Body conditioning sounds a bit scary and intimidating as a concept when you’re a white belt, and even when you’re a blue belt. But body conditioning is built into training. Sparring is a form of body conditioning. The more you punch, the tougher you’ll get, even if you’re not consciously focusing on it. However, focusing on body conditioning helps it get that much better.