Grading

The grading event was quite something. I was surprisingly nervous, but it was much more of an ordeal for others. Being the most junior in the class, there are only a few things I can do to be judged on. From the outset the instructor, who had arrived with additional black belt back-up, made it clear that this was a different set up. No talking, no messing about (like we would) and total focus would be required. He adopted an extra serious face. We worked though basics, combinations, pad work, fighting and kata. I was very thankful I only know two katas and spent at least 20 minutes sitting down during the other ones, as I was pretty tired by this point. Although I hate to admit it, since this is just an exercise class which I'm only doing to get fitter, I was really anxious. This did affect my already basic performance level and more irritatingly this would have been obvious to any trained eye. Overall, it could have been worse - I passed along with my white belt pal. Job done. As for the others, they varied from confident, clearly eager to display their skills, to disabled by the pressure. All levels were being graded, even black belts. I had to perform pinan ninan in front of the class and am very pleased that I did not do too bad a job of it (although I am now very aware it was far from perfect). While I know that my technique is not perfect, the most frustrating thing is that I cannot control it. One time the blocks have an incorrect wrist position and a stance is incorrect. Another time it's something different. The fact that I cannot control my movements irritates the hell out of me, since if I consistently made an error, I could try to correct it, but inconsistent errors are a much harder thing to rectify.

What I hadn't realized is that the black belts have to wait five years before they can try for another dan. In reality this means that if you start as an adult, unless you go for every grading as soon as you can, you may not live long enough to get above 4th dan. It's a good job my aspirations are rather limited. However, one of them is coming to pass - I am getting fitter. Today I jogged up eight flights of stairs at work and could still talk at the top - success! My next challenge, the press-up. I can only do the down bit. Press-ups can feature heavily in a class depending upon instructor mood and class level of attention. I am the only one in the class who has special dispensation to do press-ups on my knees. Everyone knows these are not proper press-ups and nobody else (woman or child) has this dispensation. It was granted by the instructor after a few minutes of observation who must have felt that something was better than nothing. I want to be able to do five convincing press-ups and I hope this should also improve my punching. There's only one thing for it - training. I'm going to try to do 100 punches and kicks every day.

Flexible In More Than One Sense

Karate seems at times to be quite paradoxical. You need to be relaxed, yet strong and flexible, yet decisive. These are words that come out of my teachers mouth and until recently I didn't get it. Now I get it, but I can't do it - that's going to take ages, years possibly. For example, if you are relaxed when you punch or move, you are much faster (don't forget to tense the fist when it actually meets its target). Also, since you don't have your own muscular tension holding you back, so you are not just faster, but stronger too. This is demonstrated really well by Inoue Yoshimi, an amazing Japanese man with a great smile, who looks deceptively harmless, in the links below.

Inoue Yoshimi demonstrates the power of relaxation

Additionally, while kata is fixed - there is only one correct move down to the angle of the wrist, ultimately it is a demonstration of combat and combat is not predictable. Here Inoue demonstrates the first three moves of pinan shodan and how they can be adapted in a combat situation. Remember, 'I was adapting it for a combat situation' will not do in the dojo, it still has to be perfect!

Pinan Shodan - flexible in the hands of a master

The Kata Solo - More Mind Than Body

As previously mentioned, I know two katas; pinan ninan and pinan shodan. My performance is far from perfect, which irritates me, a lot. I cannot seem to make my body consistently repeat a series of movements precisely. If the moves are close to correct, then the power is missing. Alternatively, I get the power in, but the feet aren't in the correct stance, or a wrist is angled incorrectly. Sometimes I actually forget the moves because I was concentrating too hard on my stance! It all seems to come down to the stance i.e., the position of your feet, body weight distribution, direction of pressure you exert with your legs and hip position. Without this everything else falls to bits. It makes sense - in Shukokai standard stance, the back leg must be a fixed distance behind the front with the foot angled at 45 degrees so that the hips are at the diagonal to the front foot which is facing forwards. Outwards pressure is applied to the legs so that the feet grip the floor. This allow maximum force to be generated when striking with the foot or hand moving forward. Each time, one move leads onto the next, the stance must be correct. If not, the next move works less well or you loose balance. This is all obvious to an experienced eye, meaning that I can only detect half my mistakes!

Sometimes we'll spend a session dedicated to kata. During these a single person or a couple of the same grade are singled out for a solo performance. This happened to me for the first time the other day. It's quite different from performing in the anonymity of the group. At my stage - stage zero - it's not really done to improve technique. Frankly, where would the instructor start? In fact, the higher the grade, the more severe the correction - they can take it. It seems to me that the real reason for doing this, is to teach performance under pressure. Clearly combat is not relaxed and a person may understandably become stressed if they have to fight for real. I become stressed in a fake fight. This strength of mind is a feature of karate. The mind and body must be controlled and work together. It seems that karate is a long journey, what a shame I left it so long to start.

Am I Addicted To Karate?

I've noticed two things since I started karate; firstly, six weeks into taking up regular exercise and I look a bit better. I'm not lighter, but less bulgy. It's not just me, the secretaries at work have commented and nothing passes them by. Also a friends husband remarked and that counts as formal bloke recognition of improved physical status. Secondly, I don't want to miss a session. I had aimed to do at least one per week, two ideally, but given work, one would be OK. For the last two weeks I've done three - two on one day, plus extra practice i.e., four hours in a day. This is odd because two months ago I did no exercise at all (excluding sex and walking to the car) - so on one level I'm really pleased I can manage it without vomiting. However, there is dark side. I've colluded to acquire play dates for the younger children when the extra lesson is on and called on my husband to do the childcare while I'm out. This is starting to sound like addictive behavior. I also dislike the long gap between lessons - I'm craving karate. I don't want to go for  a swim or a jog, I just want to do more karate. I do it in the kitchen, while things are cooking. Frankly, I think this is excellent practice since it's damn hard to do karate on a wooden floor in tights and a tight skirt. I'm not sure why it's so addictive to me - perhaps it's the combination of intellectual and physical stimulation, I don't know, but I do enjoy it.

It's All In The Hip Movement

I thought I knew all I needed to know on the subject of hip movements in a completely different context from karate. It appears I was wrong. The hip movement is central to the Shukokai style. Whenever you start something which requires a high level of skill, and therefore practice, before expertise can be accomplished two things happen. Initially you are pleased with your efforts - the kick culminated in your foot making contact with the pad - job done. You are convinced that with a bit of practice you will improve in no time. Clearly progression to black belt is just a factor of time and practice. Then stage two arrives (I hate stage two); the realization that everything about your kick was wrong (apart from the fact you used you foot). The kick and as it turns out, like every move in karate (apart from one hand movement which simulates the head i.e., a token movement), involves every part of the body. No really, it's true. A punch for example does not involve punching from the basic stance, but instead you pull back with your leading hand, driving your opposite hip forwards and propelling your punching hand while pushing up with the ipsilateral back foot. A punch delivered in this way is much more powerful than simply driving the fist forwards. If considered in terms of body kinetics, it makes perfect sense. Unfortunately, this is a crushing realization to the novice. Now every movement is highly complex and involves doing more than one thing at once with more than one limb. The kata I thought I knew (and was wondering why I didn't just learn a few more) is now complex beyond comprehension. This is where I'm at now. I know the kata moves, but now I know I am performing them incorrectly, like a dance routine and not like effective combat moves. Now I understand why it takes two decades to be competent and that the black belt is only starting their journey. I now the work begins - there is clearly another arena for hip movements.

Pinan Katas

Remarkably, I have my first grading approaching in a few weeks. If I pass, I get to trade in my white belt (called obi) for a yellow one and become 8th kyu. I get the impression that this is more a marker of staying power than skill at this stage, but I'll be pleased to be rid of the white belt. Additionally, I now know what type of karate I'm doing - Shitoryu/Shukokai. This is a big breakthrough since I can now google the combinations and kata moves I cannot remember. The internet is a wonderful resource! 

This is a club website which I found to have excellent basic resources - lists of the combinations and U-tube kata demonstrations.

Essentially, all I need to know for the grading is combinations 1-5, but I think there is a bit of pad work (punching and kicking the padded block or pad) and by now I'm expected to know pinan ninan - the first kata - and pinan shodan. Towards the end of the class the katas start. Sometimes nine or ten, one after the other, starting with the simplest first. By number three people are dropping out until only three or four people remain. The last is always spectacular with aerial turns and high kicks. As well as being good to do, kata is fantastic to watch, especially when performed simultaneously by a group. It speeds up then slows down, is powerful then graceful and always controlled. It has all the beauty of dance, but with a purpose.

Perhaps what has surprised me is that I find karate, and kata in particular, very relaxing. To an expert this may be a cardinal sign that I'm doing it wrong and I haven't confided this to anyone at the class, but it works for me. The repetitious practice of punches and kicks at the start of the class have a similar effect on me. It's like yoga with meaning. The thing with kata, at least for me, is that I really want to understand what I'm doing and why. I want to know exactly what it is my imaginary opponents are doing to direct my moves. Many people don't seem to know this and I'm amazed that they can learn a string of moves which have no apparent purpose. Most of the senior belts know and the instructor knows everything. However, talking in general is not permitted, so it's not always possible to ask. What I'd like to find on google, is a kata with the opponents fighting as well, but in slow motion - not much to ask. 

Fighting - Not All Bad?

There are a number of reasons why I don't like fighting:

• I could get hurt
• Someone else could get hurt
• I've been taught since childhood that's it's wrong 
• There are more constructive ways to resolve differences
• I'm not any good at it and have no expectations of ever being so

However, there is a time an a place for fighting. If not, then why all the expenditure on defense? Why are we proud of our Armed Forces? Essentially if someone, usually a man, is prepared to put themselves at risk to protect me and my family, I'm grateful. On reflection, it is only indiscriminate, abusive or disproportional use of violence that is wrong. By extension, it cannot be wrong to prepare for combat under appropriate circumstances. 

If I set aside the comedy image of a middle aged, slightly overweight, very unfit woman 'preparing for combat' - since this is ridiculous - and consider a more plausible example, then I can begin to see the that fighting is an art. To fight someone involves the automatic, rapid, physical recollection of complex skills - a far greater variety than for a game of tennis. For most people, this knowledge in itself will take years to acquire. However, it's application needs to be instinctive and this will involve predicting the opponents behavior while being several moves ahead yourself and continuously adjusting for change. This is also true for sports like tennis, except the speed, close quarters and stakes are greater in combat.

It's this second part of fighting that deserves admiration, since this is what makes fighting an art. We can all learn skills, physical or mental, given enough practice. 10,000 hours is generally the time it takes most people to become an expert in something - that's about five years of working a 40-hour week. However, the application of the skill is a different matter. In most areas; teaching, plumbing, nursing, playing the piano etc., 10,000 hours will do it. You may not be fantastic, but you will be competent. Unfortunately, being an average fighter would mean that you would be injured or killed by half of your opponents. In this situation being competent is not good enough. 

On he other hand, something is better than nothing. If I were ever attacked, any fighting skills might give me a chance to get away. If fighting is as hard to master as I suspect it may be, then the best someone like me can hope for is a head start.

Combinations

Combinations are are a set pattern of moves referred to by number, e.g., combination 1a; step in, punch to the face and thrust. Combination 1b - as per 1a, but with the punch performed balancing on one leg for reasons that aren't clear. So it goes on up to ten and beyond. I can't remember these. I have improved a little; I can now remember them for the class, but not by the time the next class comes around. Even by the time I get home I've forgotten. This has brought out the student in me and I've surfed the internet (u-tube mostly) in an attempt to find them demonstrated clearly by number. Unfortunately, just as karate is only one martial art, there are also different styles of karate. I don't know which one I do which is not helping the search - I did ask, but I quickly forgot the Japanese reply - but I do know it's not Shotokan. It seems that each style is afflicted by it's own, individual combinations and these continue to remain a secret. To add to my discomfort, the children in the class (the more talented children are allowed into the 'adult' class) pick these up really quickly, effortlessly it seems.

I suppose one expects children's brains to be brighter and faster, but I'm feeling challenged by the other end of the age spectrum. Most the brown and black belts are older - 50 plus, some in their 60's. Obviously, they are highly skilled practitioners of The Art, but what is amazing is how quick they are. Unless I've been doing nothing but drinking alcohol and injecting drugs for the last 20 years, which I haven't, my reflexes should be way faster than theirs, but they're not by a long way. It's amazing what training can do, because these older people defy the normal rules of physiology!

So I'll just have to keep working at it. I enjoy the movements, the combinations and katas. I still don't enjoy the fighting; it feels unnatural and awkward. Perhaps, I am a little fitter, but regardless I'm very glad I'm trying something new.

Exercise Can Effect Your Mind

When I first started to exercise it didn't feel very good. Admittedly, I was pleased I could manage it at all, but each class was accompanied by the odd ache or pain and I felt tired and a bit shaky afterwards. Now I'm comfortable that I can get through the class without too much difficulty and the heartburn has stopped. So I'm back to having a drink. However, something new has happened - I feel good. Not stronger or fitter particularly, the seven flights of stairs at my workplace still pose their usual challenge, but I do feel happier. This seems to be the first positive thing to come from my journey into fitness. I hadn't expected this and I remain slightly skeptical. Is this a genuine effect of increased activity or just coincidence? If real, the effect is mental rather than physical - nothing much has changed physically. This is not surprising since I've only been doing any exercise at all for a fortnight. I still weigh the same and have no hope of fitting into two of the three pairs of jeans I own (the third most be worn with a baggy top to avoid displaying an unsightly role of fat bulging over the waist band), but today I thought I looked better in my swimming costume. I don't of course, but I feel like I do. This is powerful deception and I attribute it to my happier state of mind.

link to a short article on the psychological benefits of exercise

   

As a consequence, I also want to exercise now. I'm still embarrassed about being middle aged, out of shape and a novice at karate, but I care a little less about these things.

Exercise For Body and Mind

No sparring (kumite) today. I'm pleased because I can't get the hang of play-fighting people; I am no good at it, I find it embarrassing and I strongly suspect that I won't improve over time. This is not a good self-defense strategy, particularly when you are a poor runner like me, but I still feel extremely uncomfortable even in a mock-combat situation. 

Today's new experience was kata - pinan ninan to be precise. Katas are fight routines practiced by an individual against multiple, invisible opponents. I had not expected to progress to this so soon because they look fiendishly complicated. The sight of the class performing synchronized kata is very impressive. The "pinan" katas, however, were developed to teach to school children during the early 20th century in Okinawa, Japan. Pinan means "peaceful mind" and when you have leant the movements, it actually is a very relaxing thing to do!

Time To Reflect

Having completed the first week of my journey into fitness, it's time to reflect. After three classes, I've discovered that I can be active for 90-minutes without anything bad happening. One week ago I would have seriously doubted this. While this is a hugh relief, my out-of-condition body is not entirely a trouble-free area. Firstly, I develop a new musculosketetal symptom after each class and secondly, I get heartburn. It would appear that my lower oesophageal sphincter is as flabby as my other muscles. So, I'm feeling the burn in more ways than one. This has led to an new, unforeseen health benefit; I've reduced my alcohol intake to zero. 

Another area of discomfort is the journey from the changing room to the studio, where the class is held. It's embarrassing, or rather, I perceive it as such. There are no lines of athletic people, staring at me with piteous eyes, but I feel awkward. In the studio mirrors, my large suit looks like a square of white. A dark coloured belt would certainly help to define the waist and improve my changing-room-to-studio confidence level. Unfortunately, this is a far away dream. Ironically, the people with brown and black belts are already fit, so the slimming belt-effect is lost on them. 

When the heartburn's biting, it's time to reflect on why I should keep doing this. Below are links to the UK Governments Physical Activity Guidelines. The first is on the risks of a sedentary lifestyle and the second, on evidence based exercise targets. 

http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_128225.pdf

http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_128210.pdf

Is My Journey Into Fitness Turning Into Self-Defense?

Karate is my planned route back to fitness and every journey starts with a single step. Two classes survived, pain moderate and enthusiasm maintained. A good outcome by my standards. Although, I admit, they are standards set quite low. I am hoping that the key to my fitness success, is continued slow progress, rather then a quick burst of activity that cannot be sustained. Session two involved "sparring" or fighting. As a stranger to the class and martial arts in general, I was the only person in the room (dojo) who found the concept of hitting another person odd. For now, I stand by this point of view. However, it was a requirement of the class that I got over it and get going. Reassured by the instructor, who stated clearly for my benefit, that a white belt was not a true opponent, but rather someone to be instructed, I got going. First, I was paired with a a nice boy of around 11 years of age with a green belt, who kindly showed me a few block-strike combinations. Obviously, neither of us hit each other, but it made sense and I could see how it would work, as long as your opponent remained stationary. Next up, an adult brown belt. He had finger strapping visible under his protective mitts and suggested that I get over my fear of hitting him, by hitting him. I suspect that it was this approach that resulted in his hand injury. I did hit him, since it was obvious that I couldn't do anything, short of producing a gun, that would actually injure him and also, under the rules issued by the instructor, he couldn't hit back. Despite this, hitting him didn't feel good or release any stress, but I did realize something; my fear of hurting other people is equal to my fear of being hurt - at least in the absence of real threat. This is odd, since it must be a basic instinct to protect yourself and the people close to you. Is it just a gender thing? I, like most women, have grow up with little direct experience of violence and the assumption that violence is a mans job, in circumstances of last resort. What a nice world, but what if my world gets less nice? Now the gender issue can't be the whole story, but if it's part of my reticence, aren't I leaving myself open to any would-be attacker? When I say that I have not experienced violence, I do not mean that I haven't been assaulted. There were a handful of occasions when I was younger and went out more, that I would be groped, followed or verbally threatened. Most were frightening, one required a sharp get-away, but none actually resulted in harm. I suspect many women have experienced similar scenarios. Clearly, these outcomes were chance and I could have quite a different and unpleasant story to reveal today, if I had not been so lucky. Although I don't feel threatened in my everyday life, my answer to the question, "would you be prepared to hurt someone who attacks you?", is "yes, absolutely". Surprisingly, this class has revealed not only my physical inability to do this, but also my mental inability too. So, regardless of any fitness drive, I need also to change my mental attitude.

New Start For Karate Mum

Please don't get the impression that I'm an expert in karate. I'm not. Neither am I willing to enlighten you with an image. Use your imagination - it's generally better than a picture. So for starters, I'm middle-aged, a mum (obviously) and not very fit. All perverts and thrill seekers click away now, you've gone badly wrong. Like many other people I used to be fit, in a physical rather than image sense, and enjoyed exercise and looking as good as I could. Back in the days when I had the time. Before motherhood and a mortgage. Now, I'm not going to launch into one of those "before I had the kids" speeches, that by implication suggests that anyone without kids has loads of spare time on their hands. I chose my path and I am both grateful and busy as a consequence.

Anyway, the situation at present is that I have become rather unfit with all the usual excuses. A decade has slid past without any action on my part to increase my physical activity and I have come to realize, I don't really enjoy exercise. I've had the odd hour at the gym - we joined as a family when the kids were young, so that exercise would always be part of their lives - but exercise continues not to be part of my life. So what has changed? Well a bit like an alcoholic who finally realizes they need to stop drinking, even though it feels good at the time, I've finally realized that I need to give up sloth, even though I enjoy it. What caused this transformation of Damascene proportions? Three things: opportunity, my children are now older; fear, that if I leave it much longer it will be too hard to do; and knowledge, of the benefits of exercise on health and longevity. I'm particularly interested in the latter. From my middle-aged perspective, with no siblings and both parents long dead, I'm quite aware I'm the next in-line for a date with death.

I had initially intended to take the Thai (or possibly Korean, I'm not sure) kick-boxing class. This offered two advantages: first, that is was not held at the pink-lycra-festooned gym already mentioned; and second, that I knew nobody who went. I am grateful I only went to observe. The class was fantastic. It contained 12 of the fittest people I have ever seen in my life. Not glamorous, just fit. What followed would have been classed a punishing by olympian standards. Nobody vomited, but I knew that I would have and I have not returned. Now I come to the karate option. This is held at the gym and does contain people I know. The first class was alright and I hope that if I stick at it, I'll slowly get fitter. Let's see.......


The history of karate

some evidence that karate is good for you from the British journal of Sports Medicine