Holding Back Information

There are some in martial arts who will not teach you everything they know and not just because you're not good enough to understand or because you can't be trusted not to misuse the knowledge, but rather to keep knowledge to themselves. This would have been common practice in the days of Samurai or early competitive dojos, when trade secrets had to be guarded. But knowledge is still power. Again, the same reason is probably behind it - fear of loosing competitive advantage. The fact that karate is made up of many slightly different factions who split apart to form more groups, each holding tightly to their particular variations, does not help. It was refreshing to hear Jonathan Mottram saying that he would teach anyone everything he knew, but didn't fear this because he would still practice harder than them and be better! More like Jonathan please.

Martial Arts - Frozen In Time

At some point in the future, I would like to visit Japan. Firstly because it would be fascinating and I hope, fun, but also because I want to see for myself how karate is really done by Japanese in Japan. Why? Simply because karate is a Japanese invention and includes practices based on Japanese culture and tradition. Unfortunately, not all teachers do this. As in any other subject, in addition to being an expert in their subject, a good teacher should be a nice human being with a certain standard of moral behavior and awareness of current practice.   To find a teacher will all 3 things - talent, personality and up to date skills is rare. Talent and personality are very much down to the individuals hard work and nature, however keeping up to date can be done by anyone. Many believe that regular travel to Japan is essential for anyone serious about karate. This is not just to get close to the original teachings, but rather to be aware of the directions it is taking and the way it is currently practiced in a day to day manner. If a person visits in the distant past, then their practice is essentially frozen in that time. An analogy would be British Colonies behaving in a more British was than the Brits - except they are not practicing current British behavior, but rather that of a previous era. Well it can be like that in karate, with poorer instructors adhering rigidly to disciplines that have long died out in Japan or practicing them without ever really understanding the real purpose. To overcome this it is better to visit Japan regularly and develop contacts there and not to rely on second-hand, outdated information.

Knuckle Push-ups

The knuckle press-up seems to be popular within martial arts circles for strengthening the fist. It also seems to have a degree of machismo nonsense associated with it. I have been made to do these together with the rest of the class including children on a wooden floor when I couldn't even do a traditional push-up. So what's going on here?

Old style martial artists used these because they develops wrist and forearm strength more so than the standard flat handed push-up. It will also condition the hand bones to improve their strength. Overall this makes your punch more effective since the combined strength of the wrist and hand bones contributes to impact. Knuckle push-ups also exercise slightly different upper body muscles since the hand position is closer together. The problem is that it can injury the knuckles by causing overgrowth of bone or injury to the joint resulting in arthritis and limitation of mobility. This is surely undesirable even for combat ready Samurai. Additionally, it can damage developing bones, so knuckle push-ups are a good addition to training only when they are done on a padded surface and in people who have finished growing - 16 years+

Secrets In Karate - What Can We Learn From Kata?

Much is made of the secrecy of traditional Japanese karate teachers and the fact that their most effective techniques were partially or fully held back from all but the most trusted, skilled and Japanese students. To a point this is almost certainly true. I know one person today who trains under a senior Japanese instructor and he is certainly not in possession of complete transmission.

Why is this? Historical accounts suggest that there was great rivalry between schools and even earlier families who would require their best techniques to be firmly held within the chosen group. After all, 70 years ago or more, hand to hand combat was a matter of survival not there for academic interest, hobby or 'sport'.  It was a way of life and a matter of survival and maintaining status. There were also historical reasons why the Okinawans would not trust outsiders like the mainland Japanese, Chinese or Westerners. However, there had been relationships with all these outsiders for hundreds of years through trade and political alliance that would have led to the sharing of skills such as martial arts. In this way karate developed from older Chinese and possibly Indian forms. Also progress and political need led to the development of modern karate down a route different from the older forms - Funakoshi developed simple forms for school children to promote health and popularize karate practice which fitted the agenda of the Japanese government of the time. These forms did not contain the lethal moves or complexity of kata he himself had learnt as a boy. Again, moving forward the three distinct Okanawan styles of Shuri/Naha/Tomari-Te were combined and developed along more academic lines, developing body kinetics to increase power. Also differing styles have evolved and there has been the development of sport karate and multiple gradings/belts to make it more widely acceptable to the West. Along the way, the original forms while not necessarily better, have been partially lost. While I would be keen to see development of any activity for the sake of improvement, it is nice to know what went before. Additionally, the thought that we may be missing the best bits is really tantalizing. Added to that the thought that the knowledge may somehow have survived in part and be out there...

One of the sad things is that it is obvious that any effective fighting system as used by people in the old days would have been much more diverse (and possibly complex) than modern karate. After all, a major part of time would be dedicated to it - hours every day. These people would have started training before puberty and continued lifelong. For example, where are the weapons in modern karate? Where is the use of pressure points (not just the odd one or two)? Where are the adaptations for women who back in the day of Samurai were taught to defend themselves and their children while the men were off fighting? If present at all in modern karate, it is only to a minor degree.

One source of information that is open to us is kata - old kata. Within them may be the traces of some of these techniques, although very much open to interpretation now with no first hand guide. Another is the oldest forms found in China and India.

One Year Into Karate Training - Making The Moves Is Not Enough

It's a little over a year since I first stepped into the Dojo with no idea of what martial arts involved (I hadn't even seen Enter The Dragon), no interest in any sort of sport and a fitness level close to zero. While I acknowledge that I have learned a lot, I feel I've hit a wall when it comes to progress. This may be because as a beginner you have everything to learn so you learn fast at the beginning. Also, since I was so unfit, there was large scope for improvement in general fitness but, I think there's more to it. I don't think this is a natural slow down, I think I don't practice enough or correctly. When I first started, I practiced obsessively - every evening for 30-60 minutes (that's obsessive by my definition). Not now. I do practice most days closer to 30 minutes, but I practice in the same way as I did in the beginning. Quick kata run through so as not to forget the moves, a few basics, sometimes weights or perhaps focus in one kata, but what can you do in 30 minutes? Not a lot really. The point is my emphasis is still on quantity when it is the quality of moves not quantity that counts. So I'm stuck. Granted, I know a lot of things I didn't know a year ago, I'm much fitter, I can do things I never could and I've seen all the Bruce Lee movies but, I have no technique and I won't progress without it. There is only one way forward - hard work outside the Dojo.

Mushin - The State of No Mind In Karate

There is much talk of Zen in the martial arts. Mushin is a Zen concept meaning, as best as I can understand it, acting without conscious thought. Being in a state where there is no delay in action caused by having to think about your response. Zen is a concept I no nothing about, which is not surprising having grown up in 1970's Britain. I wonder if Eastern concepts such as Zen are not as mystical as they first appear to people like me. Mushin seems to refer to being on autopilot, reacting automatically to a situation such as hand to hand combat. This is similar to modern educational theory about how we learn skills: At first we are unconsciously unaware (we don't know we don't know something), then we become consciously unaware (we know we don't know something). As we decide we should learn the technique, we move into conscious awareness (as we are trying to learn the skill) and then at last we master it and move into unconscious awareness (we can do it automatically), like driving a car, it requires no thought. I think this is Mushin.

In the car driving example, it you stopped to think about every gear change, every bend or alteration in velocity, your driving would probably deteriorate. It's the same with karate as it is with mastering any physical skill. Neurologically, in conscious awareness, brain activity is cortical however, when we have really mastered a skill and have unconscious awareness, we process this at a deeper, more primitive, cerebellar level. So perhaps there is a Western scientific explanation for what those wise people in the East have intuitively known all along and we have doubted?

Gyaku Zuki

Gyaku Zuki or reverse punch is one of the first moves you will learn in karate. It is performed as part of kihon or basic technique during every class as well as appearing in kata and being of great use in sparring. It is also one of the most frustrating moves known to karate. This is because it looks easy, but nothing could be further from the truth. After a year of practice I still cannot do this basic technique well. I'm at the stage where it looks ok, but against an obstacle it has no real impact and this is because I'm not doing it correctly. It's more obvious for me since I don't have a huge amount of strength. My technique performed by a large bloke would probably be effective enough, but that really isn't the point, big or small, strong or weak you need to aspire to perfect technique even if you could defeat your opponent by simply falling on them. The underlying philosophy of karate is that a single technique is all that you need to defeat your opponent. This is not the philosophy of other martial arts and hence effective technique is of over riding importance in karate.

Gyaku Zuki like other moves, uses every part of the body, not just the arm. Not only must the back foot push off, driving the back hip forward which is the basis of the power behind the punching arm, but 5 other components beyond this add to the overall power. Firstly, a combination of tension in the lower half of the body with relaxation in the upper part. The former gives a firm stance from which to begin the generation of power while the latter allows speed. The muscles of the shoulder, neck and scapula must be relaxed so that the arm can be whipped forward without resistance. Second, rotational torque. Starting from the back foot and carried through the hip and abdominal muscles and rotational movement begins that precedes the punch landing and throws it out from the body. Simultaneously the leading hand pulls back sharply to just above belt level as an additional rotational force. Third, aim just beyond the target. Forth, speed. The faster you get, the greater the impact. Lastly, focus. For beginners focus is just thinking about all of the above, but for those who can do all that automatically and whose gi cracks in an attempt to keep up with speeding limbs, focus can add power by tapping our ability to enhance our own strength in times of emergency. Some advanced practitioners can do this at will, in the same way that some people with practice can alter their heart rate consciously. Of course, I've forgotten the most important thing - practice!

High Intensity Interval Training - Another Plus For Karate?

High intensity training (HIT) features in every gym and magazine column these days. It comprises short bursts of intense activity (30 seconds to a few minutes) followed by a lower intensity short recovery period of 30 seconds or less. It takes less time than a jog or bike ride, but you do have to work as hard as you can during those short activity bursts.

HIT was used to help people recover from heart attacks in the early 1970's, but is applicable for sports training and general population fitness. I tend to be put off by anything sold to me in a gym environment so I've tried to find out more. Gyms can be places full of the most ridiculous pseudo-science you will encounter outside of holistic therapy. Places where grains of fact are taken up by the scientifically illiterate and turned into 'treatments' and 'programs' conducted by people who drink oddly coloured drinks to 'stay hydrated'. As an aside here, over hydration with the ensuing brain swelling, kills more athletes than dehydration, a state to which the human body is quite well adapted in health. So what evidence is there for HIT? Well the HIT programs used are heterogenous and applied to differing populations (the unfit healthy, unhealthy and athletes are quite different animals), so it can be difficult to establish what the true effect is, but a trend is emerging. A meta-analysis published this month by BMJ Group reviewed 10 studies in people at risk of cardiovascular disease and supported the use if this type of training to improve cardiorespiratory fitness as measured by maximal oxygen uptake which is known to link strongly with improved survival. HIT was better than medium intensity workouts in this group. It was also safe and enjoyable.

http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2013/10/21/bjsports-2013-092576.full.pdf+html

There is also evidence that HIT is effective in healthy individuals, even if the time periods are very short indeed. Enter the 7-minute workout.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23734250

http://journals.lww.com/acsm-healthfitness/Fulltext/2013/05000/HIGH_INTENSITY_CIRCUIT_TRAINING_USING_BODY_WEIGHT_.5.aspx

When you're next in the dojo you may feel that karate training is also a form of HIT - short bouts of intense activity followed by a brief rest, then off again and again and again. So perhaps we are already reaping the benefits without the need to become trendy and join a 'program'?

What Gichin Funakoshi Had To Say On Karate Women

In both his book 'Karate Do My Way Of Life' and the second edition of his Master Text, Master Funakoshi referred both respectfully and sensibly about women with reference to martial arts training. Despite the time period he lived in, his very traditional upbringing and chosen path of following and developing martial arts, he excluded no person from his philosophy.

He seems to encourage women to develop martial arts skills for very similar reasons to why men should wish to adopt this way of life - mental and physical improvement - he does stress the beneficial effects on the female form. Quite correct, but quite possibly this could be achieved by any sensible exercise program. However, all practitioners take up martial arts with self defense somewhere on the agenda and possibly women more than men. Far from a quick fix, a walk-anywhere-alone, wear-anything-now-you're-free-to-defend-yourself attitude, any woman taking up martial arts will realize that in general we are not well placed to defend ourselves, particularly against men.

Master Funakoshi knew this and at least in the 1950's you could say it without evoking a feminist rant. His rules were as follows:

1. Don't put yourself in harms way (alter your behavior, don't walk alone late at night if you can avoid it, don't get paralytically drunk in public - he doesn't use this exact example)
2. Be alert for trouble
3. If you detect a possible threat, take evasive action fast
4. If you have to defend yourself, be prepared to do so, but remember you will not do so successfully by physical force alone
5. To successfully defend herself, a woman must be faster and more skilled because you'll probably only get one shot, not the luxury of a protracted fight that a man will get. So a woman needs to repeatedly practice different attack-defense scenarios
6. Time your response for one effective, powerful, blow to somewhere effective - give it everything you've got, because if you fail you're likely to escalate the attack against you 
7. Escape fast

Good advice now as it was then.

Karate Is A Great Activity For Unfit Beginners!

It is one year, almost exactly, since I started karate. At this time I was unfit, moderately overweight and had no habit of regular exercise. One year on, I exercise regularly, have lost 10kg, have a different (better) body shape and have improved my overall level of cardiovascular fitness as well as strength. I'm about where I should be with my karate skills - obviously still a novice, but that does not bother me since I can now do so much more than I could one year ago. In fact, I would never have imaged then that I could do what I do now.

Obviously, I liked karate and stuck with it, but karate will not be for everybody. Regardless, some of the things that helped me to persist in the early stages were firstly, not much is expected of you early on and secondly, you simply cannot do most of the class! Nobody on their first day can execute a half decent step-in back kick, or hope to learn more than a couple of the basic combinations, let alone do kata. Even pad work is slowed down while you are taught to hold the pad correctly and receive a blow. So overall, you are prevented from taking part in the strenuous work out everyone else is doing. This basic knowledge takes a few months to build up before you can make a decent stab at most of the class, still sitting out the kata's you don't yet know.

So overall, karate makes an excellent beginners activity which grows with your own ability.

How Much Energy Does Karate Burn?

Karate is a surprisingly demanding activity if done well with good power and technique. Kumite is much harder cardiovascular work then kata, but the latter is still exhausting. A study published last year in The European Journal of Applied Physiology found that half of the energy burned was through anaerobic metabolism for a single, simple kata lasting only 30 seconds and it used 61kj or 15kcal - not bad for 30 seconds work!

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22441830

Real Or Simulated Combat May Cause Stress - Better For You Than You Think?

Kata and particularly kumite are not just physically demanding, they can be emotionally stressful since both are forms of simulated combat. Well what effect does this have on us? A 2012 paper published in Sports Science Health by Benedini et al found increases in glucose, epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline) after 3 minutes of kata or kumite activity in elite karateka, with the greatest difference found following kumite.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3573715/

What is interesting about this is that firstly, it demonstrates the fast physiological changes that humans can display to appropriate mental and physical stress and that secondly, this is likely to be mediated by the sympathetic nervous system rather than hormonal systems. The levels of insulin and cortisol did not change over this time scale. The effects of this would be predicted to liberate glucose from liver glycogen for our muscles and brain to use. It would also stimulate the production of lactate from muscles which can be used by the liver to generate glucose by a separate pathway. This all makes perfect sense as a fast way for our nervous system to push out glucose to fuel a fight. However, the effects of these two neurotransmitters over a longer term on fat, muscle and other tissues, let alone their overall effect on metabolism is complex and unclear. It has been proposed that alterations in the sympathetic nervous system may predispose to metabolic disturbances such as types 2 diabetes and obesity and it is also known that exercise has a very beneficial effect on glycaemic (glucose) control in people with diabetes. Contrary to the conclusion of the authors that such activity may need to be avoided in 'dysmetabolic individuals', I suspect it may be more beneficial than most forms of exercise. See the review below if you have the strength.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs001250051341

One of the things missing from Western life is real physical stress that you can physically respond to - really put the fight-or-flight response into action. We do have an abundance of other stress - stressful jobs, frustrating traffic queues, people we can't control who control us etc. etc. Their is no physiological outlet for this and it is widely acknowledged that this is generally bad for us. Perhaps stress you can respond to is less bad, or even good? I'm not aware of any definitive medical evidence for this yet, but there are interesting articles appearing.

Will Karate Prepare You To Fight The Enemy?

Will Karate Prepare You To Fight The Enemy? Yes without a doubt, if your are able to adapt your mind and lifestyle to karate, after a lot of practice you will be well placed to do this.

But who is "the enemy"? Most of us will hopefully never be attacked if we don't go looking for a fight and we are alert to high risk situations and get away as soon as possible. If this is not the case for you, then you need to learn how to fight, by any means possible and preferably get really good at it. For those like me living a comfortable Western lifestyle, I am my greatest danger. So many of us adopt lifestyles that increase our risk of early death and disability through chronic disease and make us unhappy. We over eat, eat food that is bad for us, don't keep that active, smoke cigarettes, drink too much alcohol and get fat. We may do high stress jobs that make us prone to this sort of lifestyle and develop the problems that come with long term stress - depression, anxiety, disrupted sleep and poor relationships. This is the modern enemy that attacks us all to a greater or lesser extent and reduces the joy of being alive.

This is the enemy that adopting Karate as a way of life can help you fight. Karate gives us a way to defeat the enemy within as well as the enemy outside.

1. Karate-do wa rei ni hajimari, rei ni owaru koto wo wasuruna.
Karate begins and ends with courtesy.
2. Karate ni sente nashi.
There is no first attack in karate.
3. Karate wa gi no tasuke.
Karate is an assistance to justice.
4. Mazu jiko wo shire, shikoshite tao wo shire.
Know yourself first, before you know others.
5. Gijutsu yori shinjutsu.
Spirit before technique.
6. Kokoro wa hanatan koto wo yosu.
Be ready to free your mind.
7. Wazawai wa getai ni shozu.
Accidents come from laziness.
8. Dojo nomino karate to omou na.
Karate training goes beyond the dojo.
9. Karate no shugyo wa issho de aru.
You will never stop learning in karate.
10. Arai-yuru mono wo karate-ka seyo, soko ni myo-mi ari.
Apply karate to everything. Therein lies it’s beauty.
11. Karate wa yu no goto shi taezu natsudo wo ataezareba moto no mizu ni kaeru.
Karate is like boiling water. If not given heat, it will go cold.
12. Katsu kangae wa motsu na makenu kangae wa hitsuyo.
Do not think of winning. Instead, think that you must never lose.
13. Tekki ni yotte tenka seyo.
Make adjustments according to your opponent.
14. Tattakai wa kyo-jitsu no soju ikan ni ari.
The outcome of a fight depends on how you handle weaknesses and strengths.
15. Hito no te ashi wo ken to omoe.
Think of hands and feet as swords.
16. Danshi mon wo izureba hyakuman no tekki ari.
When you step outside your own gate, you face a million enemies.
17. Kamae wa shoshinsha ni ato wa shizentai.
Fixes positions are for beginners: later, one moves naturally.
18. Kata wa tadashiku jissen wa betsu mono.
Kata is practised perfectly, real fight is another thing.
19. Chikara no kyojaku, karada no shinshuku, waza no kankyu wo wasaruna.
Hard and soft, tension and relaxation, quick and slow, all connected in the technique.
20. Tsune ni shinen kufu seyo.
Think of ways to apply these precepts every day.
- See more at: http://www.karatebyjesse.com/the-20-precepts-of-karate-shotokan-jungle-trip/#sthash.OB3V0539.dpuf

1. Karate-do wa rei ni hajimari, rei ni owaru koto wo wasuruna.
Karate begins and ends with courtesy.
2. Karate ni sente nashi.
There is no first attack in karate.
3. Karate wa gi no tasuke.
Karate is an assistance to justice.
4. Mazu jiko wo shire, shikoshite tao wo shire.
Know yourself first, before you know others.
5. Gijutsu yori shinjutsu.
Spirit before technique.
6. Kokoro wa hanatan koto wo yosu.
Be ready to free your mind.
7. Wazawai wa getai ni shozu.
Accidents come from laziness.
8. Dojo nomino karate to omou na.
Karate training goes beyond the dojo.
9. Karate no shugyo wa issho de aru.
You will never stop learning in karate.
10. Arai-yuru mono wo karate-ka seyo, soko ni myo-mi ari.
Apply karate to everything. Therein lies it’s beauty.
11. Karate wa yu no goto shi taezu natsudo wo ataezareba moto no mizu ni kaeru.
Karate is like boiling water. If not given heat, it will go cold.
12. Katsu kangae wa motsu na makenu kangae wa hitsuyo.
Do not think of winning. Instead, think that you must never lose.
13. Tekki ni yotte tenka seyo.
Make adjustments according to your opponent.
14. Tattakai wa kyo-jitsu no soju ikan ni ari.
The outcome of a fight depends on how you handle weaknesses and strengths.
15. Hito no te ashi wo ken to omoe.
Think of hands and feet as swords.
16. Danshi mon wo izureba hyakuman no tekki ari.
When you step outside your own gate, you face a million enemies.
17. Kamae wa shoshinsha ni ato wa shizentai.
Fixes positions are for beginners: later, one moves naturally.
18. Kata wa tadashiku jissen wa betsu mono.
Kata is practised perfectly, real fight is another thing.
19. Chikara no kyojaku, karada no shinshuku, waza no kankyu wo wasaruna.
Hard and soft, tension and relaxation, quick and slow, all connected in the technique.
20. Tsune ni shinen kufu seyo.
Think of ways to apply these precepts every day.
- See more at: http://www.karatebyjesse.com/the-20-precepts-of-karate-shotokan-jungle-trip/#sthash.OB3V0539.dpuf

1. Karate-do wa rei ni hajimari, rei ni owaru koto wo wasuruna.
Karate begins and ends with courtesy.
2. Karate ni sente nashi.
There is no first attack in karate.
3. Karate wa gi no tasuke.
Karate is an assistance to justice.
4. Mazu jiko wo shire, shikoshite tao wo shire.
Know yourself first, before you know others.
5. Gijutsu yori shinjutsu.
Spirit before technique.
6. Kokoro wa hanatan koto wo yosu.
Be ready to free your mind.
7. Wazawai wa getai ni shozu.
Accidents come from laziness.
8. Dojo nomino karate to omou na.
Karate training goes beyond the dojo.
9. Karate no shugyo wa issho de aru.
You will never stop learning in karate.
10. Arai-yuru mono wo karate-ka seyo, soko ni myo-mi ari.
Apply karate to everything. Therein lies it’s beauty.
11. Karate wa yu no goto shi taezu natsudo wo ataezareba moto no mizu ni kaeru.
Karate is like boiling water. If not given heat, it will go cold.
12. Katsu kangae wa motsu na makenu kangae wa hitsuyo.
Do not think of winning. Instead, think that you must never lose.
13. Tekki ni yotte tenka seyo.
Make adjustments according to your opponent.
14. Tattakai wa kyo-jitsu no soju ikan ni ari.
The outcome of a fight depends on how you handle weaknesses and strengths.
15. Hito no te ashi wo ken to omoe.
Think of hands and feet as swords.
16. Danshi mon wo izureba hyakuman no tekki ari.
When you step outside your own gate, you face a million enemies.
17. Kamae wa shoshinsha ni ato wa shizentai.
Fixes positions are for beginners: later, one moves naturally.
18. Kata wa tadashiku jissen wa betsu mono.
Kata is practised perfectly, real fight is another thing.
19. Chikara no kyojaku, karada no shinshuku, waza no kankyu wo wasaruna.
Hard and soft, tension and relaxation, quick and slow, all connected in the technique.
20. Tsune ni shinen kufu seyo.
Think of ways to apply these precepts every day.
- See more at: http://www.karatebyjesse.com/the-20-precepts-of-karate-shotokan-jungle-trip/#sthash.OB3V0539.dpuf

1. Karate-do wa rei ni hajimari, rei ni owaru koto wo wasuruna.
Karate begins and ends with courtesy.
2. Karate ni sente nashi.
There is no first attack in karate.
3. Karate wa gi no tasuke.
Karate is an assistance to justice.
4. Mazu jiko wo shire, shikoshite tao wo shire.
Know yourself first, before you know others.
5. Gijutsu yori shinjutsu.
Spirit before technique.
6. Kokoro wa hanatan koto wo yosu.
Be ready to free your mind.
7. Wazawai wa getai ni shozu.
Accidents come from laziness.
8. Dojo nomino karate to omou na.
Karate training goes beyond the dojo.
9. Karate no shugyo wa issho de aru.
You will never stop learning in karate.
10. Arai-yuru mono wo karate-ka seyo, soko ni myo-mi ari.
Apply karate to everything. Therein lies it’s beauty.
11. Karate wa yu no goto shi taezu natsudo wo ataezareba moto no mizu ni kaeru.
Karate is like boiling water. If not given heat, it will go cold.
12. Katsu kangae wa motsu na makenu kangae wa hitsuyo.
Do not think of winning. Instead, think that you must never lose.
13. Tekki ni yotte tenka seyo.
Make adjustments according to your opponent.
14. Tattakai wa kyo-jitsu no soju ikan ni ari.
The outcome of a fight depends on how you handle weaknesses and strengths.
15. Hito no te ashi wo ken to omoe.
Think of hands and feet as swords.
16. Danshi mon wo izureba hyakuman no tekki ari.
When you step outside your own gate, you face a million enemies.
17. Kamae wa shoshinsha ni ato wa shizentai.
Fixes positions are for beginners: later, one moves naturally.
18. Kata wa tadashiku jissen wa betsu mono.
Kata is practised perfectly, real fight is another thing.
19. Chikara no kyojaku, karada no shinshuku, waza no kankyu wo wasaruna.
Hard and soft, tension and relaxation, quick and slow, all connected in the technique.
20. Tsune ni shinen kufu seyo.
Think of ways to apply these precepts every day.
- See more at: http://www.karatebyjesse.com/the-20-precepts-of-karate-shotokan-jungle-trip/#sthash.OB3V0539.dpuf

1. Karate-do wa rei ni hajimari, rei ni owaru koto wo wasuruna.
Karate begins and ends with courtesy.
2. Karate ni sente nashi.
There is no first attack in karate.
3. Karate wa gi no tasuke.
Karate is an assistance to justice.
4. Mazu jiko wo shire, shikoshite tao wo shire.
Know yourself first, before you know others.
5. Gijutsu yori shinjutsu.
Spirit before technique.
6. Kokoro wa hanatan koto wo yosu.
Be ready to free your mind.
7. Wazawai wa getai ni shozu.
Accidents come from laziness.
8. Dojo nomino karate to omou na.
Karate training goes beyond the dojo.
9. Karate no shugyo wa issho de aru.
You will never stop learning in karate.
10. Arai-yuru mono wo karate-ka seyo, soko ni myo-mi ari.
Apply karate to everything. Therein lies it’s beauty.
11. Karate wa yu no goto shi taezu natsudo wo ataezareba moto no mizu ni kaeru.
Karate is like boiling water. If not given heat, it will go cold.
12. Katsu kangae wa motsu na makenu kangae wa hitsuyo.
Do not think of winning. Instead, think that you must never lose.
13. Tekki ni yotte tenka seyo.
Make adjustments according to your opponent.
14. Tattakai wa kyo-jitsu no soju ikan ni ari.
The outcome of a fight depends on how you handle weaknesses and strengths.
15. Hito no te ashi wo ken to omoe.
Think of hands and feet as swords.
16. Danshi mon wo izureba hyakuman no tekki ari.
When you step outside your own gate, you face a million enemies.
17. Kamae wa shoshinsha ni ato wa shizentai.
Fixes positions are for beginners: later, one moves naturally.
18. Kata wa tadashiku jissen wa betsu mono.
Kata is practised perfectly, real fight is another thing.
19. Chikara no kyojaku, karada no shinshuku, waza no kankyu wo wasaruna.
Hard and soft, tension and relaxation, quick and slow, all connected in the technique.
20. Tsune ni shinen kufu seyo.
Think of ways to apply these precepts every day.
- See more at: http://www.karatebyjesse.com/the-20-precepts-of-karate-shotokan-jungle-trip/#sthash.OB3V0539.dpuf

Should Karate Be Adapted For Women?

I have commented previously that karate is not just practiced with the intention of developing fighting skills. If you want to be a good fighter you will need many different skills and disciplines of which karate is only one. Most people who practice karate do so for the overall package of benefits to fitness, mind, self-discipline and also self-defense. Also, the aim when practicing is to develop effective technique, so that if you did have to defend yourself, what you've been practicing has a realistic chance of success. To that end, women are different to men. Primarily, they are weaker and smaller and because of this, much less likely to be effective in a fight against a man - even if they are more skilled. I'm not talking controlled sparring, I mean a real fight. Most women do not engage in bravado mock fights with other women, which comprises the majority of male on male petty violence. Outside of Hollywood, most women unfortunate enough to be involved in violence, are victims of attack and frequently by people they know. The method of assault is different from male victims and the pattern of injures sustained is also different. They are much more likely to be seriously injured and sexual motive is more common. Obviously, every method to predict and avoid potentially dangerous situations and personalities should be deployed. I change my behavior if I feel it is needed - is it fair? No. Does it make me safer? Yes. Since I'm too old to change the world, or rather the less pleasant people in it, I bend a little. Your choice.

Anyway, given the ugly truth, what is the point in me learning to punch hard to the abdomen? In reality, any man ready for a struggle is unlikely to be deterred by it, let alone injured. What is says is "ok, lets make this physical." So if I can generate a certain force I had better use it effectively and direct it at the eyes, ears, neck, groin or any other soft spot that will either hurt or stun for long enough for me to run.  Additionally, we sometimes practice getting out of holds or grips as part of self-defense. In reality, some of these will only work for you with people of a certain size or strength.

So when you practice a bit of self defense in your class ask your self "would this really work for me, a 5ft, 55kg woman, against a 6ft, 80kg man?" If the answer's "no" then ask your Sensei to adapt it for you so that it's worth practicing. If you have lots of women in your class, or always get put with the size-match opponent, ask to swap, it will change your perspective of how effective you can be.

Karate, Fighting And Confusion

If you tell somebody that you do karate they immediately make a joke reference about not arguing with you given that you're now trained to kill with your bare hands etc. etc. I laugh it off - actually I'm not that trained (less than one year does not an expert make) and even if I'd done my 10,000 hours, the automatic assumption that I would be able to defend myself against an attacker or attackers would be unlikely given that - one, the free sparring I practice is a highly stylized sport designed to show control, not injure and involves little actual karate. Two, as a small women my strength would be very much inferior to a larger male (stereotyped attacker). It's strength that wins fights regardless, unless vastly out skilled. Three, I've never experienced a hostile attack, the type carried out by those capable of habitual violence and as such, would probably fail to realize the gravity of my situation until too late. When it comes to self defense, avoidance remains the best option. Failing that, talking your way out is a close second. Fighting your way out is the option of last resort. It often ends badly.

The reason why I practice karate and probably others too, is because it teaches me self control, shows me how to carry on when I don't think I can, shows me that I can do things I never thought possible and it keeps me fit. Way, way down on my list of way I do karate is that it might help me defend myself. Perhaps it can. At least I'm used to taking controlled blows through a pad, perhaps a reflex reaction may make the difference. I do hope so, but it remains very hard to explain to non martial artists that we're not all doing it to become trained killers. So, it's best just to laugh their comments off (you sound odd if you try to explain) and smile modestly, perhaps if they were a would be attacker they'll pass you by.

Apsire To Be Like Jonathan Mottram!!

Kata will always be an essential form of karate. They hold within them the basic stances, blocks and strikes requires to perform karate and also for kumite (even though few of these principals are demonstrated in modern competition sparring). This is not all however, timing, breathing, mental control, kiai and transitional movement are all contained within kata. Good kata performance is breath taking to watch - for example the recent Mottram vs Valdesi bronze medal contest

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVQVfcHS6Cg

So how to improve your kata? We all know practice makes perfect, but practicing kata badly will only perfect your imperfections, so rule number one - find the very best teacher you can  and congratulations to those in the UK lucky enough to train with Jonathan Mottram! For the rest of us, watch good kata on YouTube so you know what to look for and look around and find the best Sensei you can.

Once you've found your Sensei, develop your own system that can be applied to practice any kata. This is what I'm using at the moment:

• Learn the moves
• Master the moves - do them slowly without reference to timing so they really sink in, try it mirror image then try it backwards. Try it super fast - if you don't really know it, you'll go wrong!
• Work out the bunkai - not in PhD thesis level, just something plausible that works in your mind, practice with a friend. Now you have turned a series of moves into a number of opponents. Now you can make sense of the timing, power and when kiai is needed etc.
• Break down each opponent section and practice it in isolation with good technique, power and spirit, mentally finishing off each opponent. Visualize them
• Work out a good beginning and a good end - every performance is improved by a decent start and finish
• Perform it slowly holding each move with contracted muscles to improve your strength without thought to speed or timing
• Consider how you should be breathing
• Work on how you get from one move to the next and remember that speed and power come from your legs and hips
• Do it Tai Chi style - slowly with focus on breathing and relaxation - I'm not sure this last one really helps, but I like it!

Lastly, if you get really good, learn to ignore the screaming girls that will follow you from competition to competition

Toe Injuries And Karate

I don't want to cover the obvious here - toe nail injuries or fractures from blunt trauma. Unfortunately broken toes are quite common and there seems to be little to recommend other than wear protection, improve your technique and get faster! I'd like to cover two forms of injury I've had in the last 3 months. Firstly, turf toe - this is straightforward sprain of the ligaments abound the big toe, usually when the joint get stretched beyond it's normal range of movement. Usually, it's a sudden impact thing (at least it was for me) accompanied by bruising and immediate pain and restriction of movement which gradually subsides over weeks. The usual management - rest, ice, compression, elevation (RICE).

The problem I currently have is a little more insidious - sesamoiditis. Never heard of it? Well if you have big toe pain, close to the ball of your foot and more on the inside (medial surface) which you can press to induce pain, this may be what you have.

It may not come on suddenly and can creep up on you. Sesamoids are bones within tendons and there are two within the big toe joint to act as pulleys to allow the joint to be extended and flexed with ease. If repetitive use and unaccustomed use triggers inflammation in this region you have sesamoiditis. The same RICE treatment applies, but add in shoe pads and no high heeled shoes - how boring!

Loyalty In Martial Arts - Bow To Your Sensei!

Loyalty was central to the Samurai Code or Bushido.
Wiki link
Today, it is almost universally included in the code of conduct of most Dojo, mine included, but what does this really mean? You may think it means to be loyal, or to put a more Western slant on it, display the level of respect that is deserved by your teacher. This is not however what most martial arts Sensei would understand by loyalty. In martial arts terms loyalty is simple, you must obey you Sensei (however crazy they are).

So how far does this go? Well in a traditional sense, you may even be asked to perform tasks for your Sensei - in one example I know of, a student lived with a great master of some martial art or other, made breakfast for him and his wife, essentially in a state of servitude in exchange for great knowledge - or at least you'd hope so. Needless to say, he tired of this and went on his way. There was a price for his behavior, a great  falling out which could not be recovered. Presumably applicants for the vacancy were tested on their cooking. Another example is one I've come across more than once closer to home - a student attends 2 or 3 different Sensei in secret so that each thinks they are the unique Sensei. This is quite common. Weird isn't it? In your everyday life, normal rules apply, then for the martial arts part of your life - you're Sensei's bitch.


So far I've met 3 types of practitioner:
1 - the ones who seek out the open, do-as-many-other-classes-as-you-like clubs
2 - the ones who do secret classes
3 - the ones that suck it up and stick to one control freak

Why does anyone ever consider options 2 or 3? Usually it's because the Sensei in question is exceptionally good (at least the student thinks so) or because the student has certain inadequacy issues.

Why Are There So Many Irritating Men In Karate? There Goes Another Olympic Bid!

Controversial title and I'm not picking on men, it's just that there's so many more of them in martial arts than women - they stand out. I should define 'irritating' further. It has a variety of forms that you may recognize. For example, those with the idea that there is only one way of doing something - their way. For example, after move x in kata y the right hand should finish in a fist facing upwards. While it's quite reasonable to teach one way for simplicity, good teachers appreciate this is not the only way. It exemplifies the total failure to understand that the point of move x. If it was to, for example, block a strike to the face and the issue of importance is it's effectiveness as a block rather than where the limb ends up! This resolute adherence to the poorly thought out exemplifies 'irritating'. A further example would be the ability to disagree with your Sensei and set up your own (slightly different) club. So that over time, more and more, slightly different clubs emerge. Granted, some may be well thought through developments that are well run and adhere to strong principals, but most are founded on ego alone and second rate. The Sensei is the one who shows the way, not the one in it for themselves. This sort of irritating behavior is much more dangerous to karate since it turns the sport into an amateur shambles that has just got knocked back (again) from being accepted as an Olympic Sport. Worse, it exposes novices to bad teaching and this is much more unacceptable, particularly since to the man in the street it appears to teach violence. It's a bit like the building trade, you only need one or two cowboys to make the rest look bad.

So why is this? In part it's human nature - none of us are perfect, we all want it to be about us, our success and our importance. Ironically, this is the very opposite to the very founding principals of karate - humility and respect. There is however another truism about karate - it can be a solitary practice and solitary practices always attract those who could never succeed in team sports ie those with restricted social skills. I don't mean to imply that everyone choosing to practice a martial art is on the autistic spectrum, far from it, look at you and me, we're extremely sociable! But, it does have a higher proportion than say football. Although, on the plus side karate has avoided drugs, drink and sex scandals so far and can only look on with envy as cricketers and footballers keep making the tabloids. Anyway, back to the point, what can be done? Regulate, regulate, regulate! This is getting better, slowly and those at the top know this of course - the problem is, getting all those 'irritating men' to agree to follow one coherent plan! Catch 22.

Kata By Opponent

There are many ways to think about kata; in terms of precise movements or the reasoning behind the movement eg a block, strike etc. They are relaxing, exhausting and fun all at the same time. They were once a way of training warriors in fast, fatal hand to hand combat and a means of maintaining family honor and status. Initially, we all start out by just trying to remember the moves in sequence. After this we can move on and focus on what it's really about. After some thought I've decided that although kata is a form with many benefits, it is simply about one thing - effectively fighting opponents. A perfectly executed kata with not a limb out of place would be useless without effective power, no more than a dance. Far better to go out there with spirit and blunder through an imperfect reproduction with one or two effective moves than to dance across the Dojo. My Sensei often refers to a students less than perfect kata as 'having spirit'. By this he means it was really pretty bad, but at least you tried. However, his response to a move-only kata performance evokes a mixture of annoyance, disappointment and nausea in him all at the same time followed by a 5 minute lecture on the importance of 'technique' by which he means making moves that generate effective power. After I've learned the move sequence, I want to understand the opponent sequence and try to visualize finishing of each one.

Kata - Not Really Getting The Detail

I like kata. The problem with karate classes from my point of view is that it's easy to get stuck focusing on just the moves of the kata. I find this in my class, particularly as a beginner. In addition to the 5 Pinan katas which I know pretty well, I reliably know the moves to 2 advanced katas - Bassai Dai and Annan and intermittently know / forget 2 others - Matsumura Rohai and Seienchin. This is because I don't do enough practice. When it comes to kata practice I believe that on a non-class day even bad practice ie just walking through the moves in front of the TV is better than doing nothing - at least you remember the moves! My Sensei would be horrified! Despite this sometimes the TV or life wins completely and no practice gets done.
However, the numerous higher grades that make up the class know loads of katas, so it's easy to understand why the Sensei will go over 5-10 in the last 40 minutes of a class for the benefit of various individuals who are grading soon or doing a competition. But I can't learn them that fast, indeed it would be useless to try so many at my stage, so like others at my level, I sit out those I can't do (usually glad of the rest). Occasionally we'll go over one in really good detail and get a chance to learn it, but then it's back to making a fortnightly or monthly appearance. It's amazing how long it takes to learn a kata and how fast it is to forget it!

Separate kata classes would help, but most students prefer sparring and the bottom line it that for my club not enough students would attend to justify keeping a kata class running. Perhaps time will help and I will gradually learn more and more, but kata is not just about knowing the moves, it's about defeating opponents. 

Super-Fast Kata

I had a great class the other day - really fantastic. The decision had clearly been taken at the top to work us all hard and for two hours we did. Two men had to drop out for a rest. It was mostly the usual stuff but for longer. Lots of basics, variations on basics and featured prolonged techniques in horse stance etc. However we did something new to me - kata slow, then kata as fast as you can do it. Not a way to execute perfect technique or display kata correctly, but really hard and fun. Additionally, you really have to know your kata very well to get through it. At the end I was really exhausted. Now I do know that kata is not about going at it really quick - it's all about the opponents and effective techniques - but what a great way to exercise, try it!

Exclusivity In Karate - Why Can't I Cub Hop?

When it comes to karate clubs, you'll be in one of two types - those who let you train with other clubs and those who don't. The former say that the more experience you get and different teachers you encounter, the more you'll learn. This is undeniably true. The latter say that loyalty is of primary importance and if your club competes in competitions (and you're a competition candidate) clearly club-hopping represents a logistical problem. I see their point. So when does expected club loyalty become weird control freakery? This is not as easy to answer as it first appears. Initially as any Westerner would be, I was deeply suspicious of controlling behavior. Surely, I should be free to learn from any number of Sensei? However, the origins of karate demanded from a student deep loyalty to both their club members and Sensei and this in turn would be rewarded. The point was that karate clubs back in the day, were a bit like an old fashioned marriages - for better or for worse and till death do us part. Only in this way do you get the full reward of life-long partnership but at the expense of short term fun. Your choice, it's a hard one.

Mokuso (Meditation)

Some martial arts classes begin and end with Mokuso or meditation. Why is this a common part of club discipline when clearly in the 25-40 seconds allocated by the senior student is clearly inadequate to achieve any level of meditation? In short, I'm not entirely clear and it's not  a topic I've wanted to stray onto with my Sensei when a better use of his time is improving my technique. I suspect there are a number of reasons why we pseudo-meditate at the start and end of each class? Perhaps because it's traditional, it provides a nice beginning and end to the session, setting down a marker of where serious training begins and the rest of your life stays behind and lastly it's important in some way to developing your art and as such, should be represented within the class. So lets focus on the last aspect. There's an entire culture behind meditation derived from Zen Buddhism about attaining higher levels etc, but karate is not about religion. We know this because Gichin Funakoshi said so and he also said "The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of the participant." In setting down his principals of karate he based them heavily on Bushida (the Samurai code of conduct) and the Zen school of Buddhism where meditation is central. Meditation in simple terms clears the mind - freeing the body from the slowness that accompanies fear and tension and allowing the body to react automatically (without conscious thought) to new situations. So overall quite useful for combat. However, it can't be done in 30 seconds - even by the most enlightened and certainly not by me. So it's inclusion in most Western classes is symbolic. However, I do think it is worth doing at home on your own (it's not really a group activity) and working at it because as well as being a useful asset to martial arts training, it also will reduce stress in general and that can only be a good thing.

Dojo Etiquette - What Is It All Aboutt?

Dojo etiquette - the set of rules that most martial arts students follow while in the dojo - goes far beyond bows and kneeing at the correct time. Remember that dojo means 'place of the way' or where you learn the way. It goes beyond meditation and focusing your mind on training. It stems from the original fact that karate developed not for sport or to keep fit, but as a program to simultaneously train mind, body and spirit. It's fine to enjoy it as a way to keep fit or because you enjoy the point scoring system of sparring (which contains little in the way of karate moves), but that was not the original point. Most Western classes are run much like any other keep-fit class on the surface. You pay your money and you get a session. Martial arts classes however are not like a body pump class - there's a lot more going on besides the technique and calorie burning. It takes a while to realise this and this is often the bit many people struggle with. For example most classes are not that commercially orientated. Our sensei mostly doesn't charge as long as his costs are covered - this, oddly is very common. Training in karate (and other martial arts) requires dedication, hard work, commitment and loyalty from you to your club and sensei (within reason). While you are unlikely to be thrown out if you come when you can and don't practice in between classes, you won't really be doing karate. Look at the seniors in your club - they're probably very committed to both training and the club. The philosophy behind their training dates back to Bushido or way of the Samurai. The level of formality (kneeing etc) in a club does not necessarily correlate to the depth of its philosophy and it's important not to confuse the two. Also a sensei should not abuse his position to manipulate their students. These things said, the study of karate is a marathon not a sprint and the understanding of the ethos behind it is important and often confused.

Breathing For Karate - More To This Than Meets The Eye

Now that I'm thinking about my breathing, I've noticed two things: Firstly, nobody has ever given me any detailed instruction on it and secondly, it seems a pretty hard thing to do correctly. The second point may explain the first - breathing techniques are not for beginners. The act of inhaling and exhaling does much more than just supply oxygen and remove carbon dioxide, although in Western culture you would never know it. Eastern cultures believe that energy - the energy of the universe or Ki - is tied up with breathing. I don't understand this, but I do feel that correct breathing can intensify your power and I wonder if I was training in the East, if I would know so little about it from my Sensai. Correct breathing can help you store energy for the most powerful moves at which point to generate this power, you must give back the energy as a loud exhalation or Kiai. Most people more experienced than me still breath mostly through biological need - quick breaths at best, timed to their movements with little thought to their energy, however those much more advanced can generate additional power through correct breathing. Perhaps this is beyond the grasp of beginners busy with replicating form, but I feel it is a shame this is not more openly taught.

Breathing For Karate

Breathing is important in karate - beyond the fact that you'll collapse if you don't do it, how you breath improves your performance and makes you feel better while you're performing. I'm referring mostly to kata and basic training. Despite being well practiced in the art of breathing for everyday life, it's really hard to do correctly during kata. The rules are simple:

Slow moves - breath in through your nose and out through our mouth
Fast moves - breath in and out through your mouth

Despite the simplicity, I forget to breath during the fast bits of my kata. Breath holding holds you back! Unfortunately, by the time I've learned the moves, worked out how to get from move to the next with power and speed, I have no brain left for breathing. So I break it down into segments with appropriately planned breathing, but it still breaks down when I string all the bits together. Still practice makes perfect. I'm looking forward to the day when I can breath properly throughout the kata in a way that adds my performance.

The Power of Youtube

If you really enjoy a sport and this concept is new to me since I only started getting fit seven months ago, but regardless, it's fantastic to watch 'The Best'. In life, if you are serious about doing anything well, then get yourself as close as you can to the very best people. You may not become as good as them, but they will drag you someway closer to their level. In my case, being a middle aged, late comer to the sport of karate with only modest talent, 'The Best' will avoid me like the plague. Fair play to them, they have better uses for their time. Enter Youtube. With Youtube 'The Best' are in my kitchen with me where I can watch them, pause them, serve dinner to the kids and then watch them again. Possibly better than the real thing and undoubtedly less resentful. Now there's always a lot of rubbish on Youtube and regardless of your starting search title, after you've watched the first clip, the suggested follow on clips inevitably contain porn. If you wish to avoid this and a lot of other rubbish clips, I would suggest sticking to the WKF videos at least initially and then follow up a certain person of interest as required. It's great for kata - for example, our Sensei demonstrated the kata Annan the other day - we spent a full hour on it - one hour later at home I could remember exactly three moves in sequence and ten that definitely occurred somewhere in the kata and the other minute was a blank. If you have one of those Sensei who has a box set of DVDs and a fantastic website with video clips in your exact style - congratulations. Mine has an unforgiving sense of altruism and refuses to profit, or even generate anything that might be looked upon as money making. So I trawl Youtube for 'The Best' to do it in something near to his style, so that I can at least look like I know the moves for the next class. There's a lot of bad, no terrible, kata out there, so WKF is a reasonable starting point. As for kumite - it's great. You can memorize a sequence and try it out next session.

http://www.youtube.com/user/WKFKarateWorldChamps

No More Broken Toes?

Further to my last entry regarding the difficult time my toes have been having during sparring - I may have found a solution - Turner Sports shin and foot protectors - there are probably others that are similar on the market, but these have been perfect for me and much better than the pull on cotton ones I had been using which stop just beyond the instep leaving toes exposed. See the link below. Essentially they cover your entire foot yet the elastic is only underneath the arch of your foot leaving the heel and ball of the foot free to grip the floor. There is an additional piece of elastic which goes under your toes which I just hook over my big toe to maximize foot-floor contact. Fantastic! I feel considerably more secure when sparring now.

link to Turner Sports

Kumite Injuries - Toes

Now that I'm starting to enjoy sparring, I am also having to deal with the inevitable consequences of throwing punches and kicks at someone - pain. Invariably the person has more experience and skill than I do. This is good - the more experienced the better - an experienced practitioner is much less likely to injure you in my limited experience. However, minor injury is part of the deal. Not broken bones, but the odd bruise and in my case, sprained or broken toe. Twice now, once each side - I did my right foot, so I used my left leg more and did my left foot. Now I have two sore feet and high heels are out for the time being. Something that male martial artists don't have to consider for the most part. Fighting without kicking is not as effective and more importantly, it's less fun. I suffered a sprained finger only once and now I never leave them sticking out, but you can't make a foot-fist to tuck your toes away. Toes are just out there, tiny weak things ready to be snapped. It's not that my opponents are out to get me or lacking control, it's just that it takes very little force to break a toe. Both mine were done by people not unreasonably blocking my kicks. I'm going to invest in some more substantial leg and foot shields, but most of these devices leave your toes sticking out like the ones I've got. Until I become massively better at sparring, I'm not sure what the solution is.

I've turned to youtube. Watching good fighters is a good way to learn if you're a total beginner like me - this chap Rafael Aghayev is great to watch and he seems to incorporate judo throws which is a nice touch if you can do it. Also the sparring is remarkably controlled with both competitors trying to score the point rather than inflict damaging force. In fact looking at the WKF footage the fighters in general are very respectful of each other. Despite this, theirs toes are still sticking out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKrfJuQjTP4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0GD9kanca4

Weight Training - Is It Important For Karate?

Before I started karate I had heard of people lifting weights and I'd even seen them in the gym. Groups of tattooed, muscle-bound, men training to achieve their own particular vision of physical perfection. Not really my thing. Also muscle that looks good may not be functional and anything that doesn't help you - like fat or unnecessary muscle - will hold you back. However, there are others who lift weights to develop muscles for a specific purpose other than looking good - to help them do their chosen sport better. Karate is no different and power needs muscular strength as well as good technique. I started about a month ago after our Sensei incorporated weights into a particularly gruelling training session where we used hand held weights and replicated different types of punch and blocks. It was great! I now use small weights at home to do the same along with sit-ups, modified press-ups (still can't do a full one), planks and squats, but I'm not up to doing this with my muscular brethren in the gym. So I do think using weights will be an important part of my training once or twice a week for about fifteen minutes, but karate seems to be one of the best all over conditioning sports there is, so weight training should not be done at the expense of karate training if you have limited time, but rather as an addition.

Mawari Ashi - Turning

Moving from one technique to the next is hard for beginners like me. At first you "walk" into the next technique, rather than deliver the technique with power. This continues even after you know the moves and feel confident with them. Arriving at the next move is different from really delivering that move with power. This is really obvious in kata. Take Pinan Ninan for example - the first, simplest kata, but one it is hard to do well. To actually deliver each move correctly and with power and speed takes practice and more practice and I still can't do it, but at least I know that. When I perform kata, I sometimes catch my Sensei smiling - he's not happy, it's suppressed laughter - because the sight of poorly performed kata carried out with sincerity is almost too much for him. It took me a few months to realize that I was simply walking through the kata. Movements in a straight line are hard enough, but the real challenge is  on the turn, or mawari ashi. If you're a beginner, try the moves below on this website. They're very helpful since it is hard to do the entire sequence with good technique and power. Good luck!

http://www.shitokai.com/shihouke.php

Kiai

The "Kiai" is an essential but initially awkward component of karate. It's the shout emitted during a particularly good attack. Every kata will have a couple of kiai points. I had been suffering under the illusion that the kiai meant that you had to shout "kiai" loudly at the appropriate time. Not so. Ki is your inner strength and it is put simply a battle cry designed to momentarily stun or terrify your opponent. To a degree the kiai is a natural part of performing the technique. Once you develop even modest technique, you will feel that air is expelled from you involuntarily as you perform a technique - especially upper body techniques such as punching. Your breath is simply forced out without our control. If you build on this to add sound you have your "kiai". It could be any sound. I still shout "kiai" along with the rest of the class, but this is wrong. I don't know what my proper kiai sounds like yet, but Bruce Lee had one that sounded like a girl and he was a great fighter. His kiai certainly would have successfully distracted an opponent while they looked round to see where the small child was, giving Bruce vital split seconds to gain the upper hand.

Gradings In Karate - Why Put Yourself Through It?

I passed another grading - green belt! I'm probably not alone in finding gradings a little frightening. It is odd that people choose to do a hobby that puts them under pressure and makes them perform in front of others with the potential to fail - but most students of martial arts do exactly this. During a grading (or exam) you have to demonstrate your knowledge of the basic moves, set combinations of moves, pad work (hitting and kicking against a pad held by a partner), sparring and kata. Kata I love, but it becomes much harder and less enjoyable when you are performing alone in the middle of the dojo with everyone else looking on! Regardless, I did it about as well as I can anyway, so I was pleased. What I was most pleased about though was my sparring. I really struggle with this and I'm easily the worst in the class - until recently..... About two weeks ago I "fought" two men and was better than both. Now firstly, I must say that sparring is not fighting, it's very controlled and only the trunk is the target zone with the contact being light. Clearly either bloke could have just clobbered me hard and that would have been that. However, within the rules of sparring, I was better. The first was a white belt, just started. "So what" you may say, but I had assumed all men were just good at that sort of thing - apparently not, my limited skills were sufficient! The second encounter was with a brown belt. Yes, brown. He was new to the club and had previously trained in a club that never did free sparring (weird) and was quite unable to cope with the speed of free sparring. I'm sure he'll catch up soon, but what a confidence boost for me! It taught me that I must have learned something and with my new found confidence, I'm not too bad. My usual partner, who I've affectionately named King Kong since she's five inches taller than me and considerably stronger, was amazed. So was I. I actually scored points against her! I'm also less worried about getting hurt. I'm not sure why, time perhaps. Anyway, gradings are horrible and anxiety provoking with the potential to be embarrassing, but when you get thought one you feel good because you have achieved something openly and in front of everyone.

An Inspirational Sensei - The Art of Kata

Next week it will be six months since I took up karate. Prior to this my activity level had been close to zero - myself and exercise were like magnets that repelled, but no more. Six months ago I was 10st (too heavy at 5ft 1in), a tight size 12 and a 34DD cup. Now I'm 9st despite gaining muscle and size 10, a 32F cup and very pleased. The bust effect can only be explained by developing pectoralis major, since even karate cannot make your boobs bigger however visually, the effect is the same. Additionally, I feel happier and get to eat more - much more - presumably because my basal metabolic rate has increased from greater muscle mass and the additional calories burned through exercise. I also consume less alcohol which is good for me and assuming I don't get unlucky, I should live longer since all the exercise will lower my risk of death from cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Win, win, win.

I am eternally grateful to my Sensei who is wonderfully dedicated to the sport and to his club and without even knowing it has bestowed upon me F-cup tits. I watch him give children confidence and see the improvement in their behavior. He is also very tolerant of those who will never be good, or even moderately good. His area of expertise is kata. Sometimes watching him can be jaw-dropping. Kata done well is amazing to watch, it's not just the accuracy of the movements, it's the power. Replicating this is easier said than done. I've not written for a month and the reason is there's been nothing to tell, I'm stuck. I know the moves to six katas, but I lack what my Sensei calls 'technique'. By this he means power from the hip and probably a lot more besides. Essentially, the thing that makes kata different from dance. Without power there is no point. So this is the next challenge, because until I start to get this, I will not progress, but if anyone can teach me, he can.

Protection

I really like karate for all the reasons listed below.

• The fact that there is quite a lot of theory to learn, makes it interesting. 
• The need to practice to control your body, makes it challenging. 
• Focusing your mind and performing under pressure improves you strength of mind.
• You can practice anywhere and don't need special kit, so it is both convenient and suited to the self-conscious.
• Lastly, it makes you fit with all the benefits that come from being healthier and looking better.

These are all good things. There are for me however, two things I don't like:

• The threat of injury.
• Sparring.

I say "threat of injury", because I've never really been injured, neither has anyone else in the class, excluding bruises and a mildly sprained finger (you soon learn to tuck them away!), but I fear injury. This isn't entirely rational since as previously discussed, sparring is not fighting and in our class the body is the only target. No heads strikes permitted. You should make contact, but not hard enough to cause injury or discomfort. So the only real risk comes from error or loss of control. Unfortunately, I make errors and don't yet have much control. So here's the problem - it's the most junior people who are the most likely to get injured. I also tend to get paired with one of the other two females in the class who are like me - junior, not very good, lacking much control and not very keen on the whole sparring idea. Infrequently, I get to spar with one of the blokes. This is great for me and totally crap for him! I get lots of instruction and he gets - to be really careful. Also once you feel you're bad at something, it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Now when it's find-a-partner time, the unpaired female in the class is left like the unpopular kid during games who never gets picked for the team.

One thing that has helped is a chest guard. The blokes never mentioned these - hand and shin guards yes, boob protectors, no. We (the three women) discovered them after one of us received a blow to the boobs. Each of us now uses a different one. Mine is shown below.

The Cimax Econoguard, £25 approx. Particularly good since it has straps like a bra and fits really well. At least now I have no concerns regarding injury to the body and interestingly the blokes are a lot more relaxed, since the last thing they want to do is hurt anyone and boobs do take up most of the target zone on the front of the body. Now we can all relax.

You Are Your Only Opponent

Although a lot of thought is given over to potential opponents in martial arts - either in the form of sparring classmates or that would-be attacker - it seems more and more to me that karate is all about the person doing it and less about other people.

I have recently begun to think less about others - how I am doing vs. how they are doing - and more about what I am doing.  Sparring I now realize, is not fighting. It's about me making contact with my opponents body without causing injury or pain and not letting them do the same to me. If it were a fight, it would be a free for all, anything goes business. It is not. Similarly, training is only about me and what I do, or don't do. Carrying on in class even when my master thinks that 600 kicks followed by thirty minutes in horse stance is a normal warm up, is down to my mind over my body. Also, once shown a kata, is down to me to cement it into my mind, develop my understanding and then, test of tests, perform it under pressure. Mind and body working together. I am the only one who can fail.

What I had thought of until now as a sport practiced in order to be used against others, now seems to be a challenge for me alone. I'm not sure if this is a common feeling, but it feels quite lonely doing karate. I would add to that frustrating, but rather amazingly, I can do things now that I could not have done only four months ago. That in itself is incredible since I am not especially talented. I also look completely different then I did four months ago. I am thinner and more toned. I've dropped a dress size and feel better physically and mentally. For that I thank my master. Karate may be hard and it seems to me now lonely, but it is worth it!

Karate and Back Pain - Update

It's been about two months since I started to get lower back pain. I had hoped, in the absence of an injury, that it was caused by general strain from using new muscles and making new movements. I did three things:

1. Ensured I was in the correct stance without over arching my back
2. Did some yoga with focus on exercises for the lower back. I try to do 15 minutes most nights
3. Carried on with karate as usual

I'm relieved to find that a combination of these has worked. I now get the occasional ache after a hard session, but I'm better. So it probably was all due to being previously unfit and not having enough muscular support. From now on, I hope that being stronger and fitter along with the symmetrical focus on strengthening the core that goes with karate, will actually protect me from lower back problems in the future.

Moves Hidden Within Kata

Traditionally kata was a way of passing down sequences of moves. It is a form of combat done by one person against a series of unseen opponents with the aim of practicing fighting sequences. Each move has a meaning - it is a block or stroke against your opponents move. I'm not sure why this started, perhaps seeing and doing is more effective than text. Alternatively, it may have come about when martial arts such as karate were illegal and hence practiced in secret and could not be written down. However, over the years two things have happened; firstly, some of the meaning has been forgotten, or rather not passed on, and therefore you just have to make an educated guess as to what it was actually meant to mean. Secondly, many katas are simplified to the point that some moves are partial or only implied. Sometimes this was done to avoid exposing children to potentially killing strikes such as in the Pinan Katas which were specifically designed for children. For example a spear hand to the windpipe becomes one to the solar plexus instead. Fair enough.  However, some of the moves hidden within kata can be surprising. For example in Pinan Godan the final moves essentially comprise grabbing your opponents testicles and pulling them upwards to shoulder height rapidly whilst simultaneously thrusting your other hand down to strike his groin region, assuming the departure of his testicles was not a sufficient insult to stop his attack.

YouTube footage of Pinan Godan in a style similar to the way I have learned - the move described is at the end and repeated in mirror image - the 'pulling' hand moves very fast and is hard to see

This would be best performed with your opponent being male, naked and in horse stance for maximum ease. It does raise ethical issues regarding the appropriateness of attacking a man so described since he may not have full mental capacity. Alternatively, assuming a more typical, clothed opponent, it is likely you would pull both the clothing and groin upwards, tipping him off balance and perhaps the downwards strike is in fact to the head of your now falling opponent. That's the challenge of making up Bunkai! Either way, it is not always clear what the moves mean, but I find that if I invent an explanation, even an incorrect one, it makes the kata much easier to remember and to do well.

A Plug For Terry Pottage

I recently came across Terry Pottage - a 7th Dan Shito-Ryu - who has made a very helpful series of DVDs.

Amazon link to volume 1 - Pinan Katas

So far I've only invested in volume one - Pinan Katas. He goes through each kata at speed so that you get a feel for the timing, then slowly to give you a chance to visualize the technique and then explores some of the bunkai. Not too complex and it really helped me to understand what I was doing. He also comes across as a nice bloke.

Horse Stance, Cat Stance and Other Stances

Today I learned that horse stance is to me as stairs are to Kung Foo Panda. 

I am really only comfortable with three stances - standard, cat and horse. Cat stance, which has the wonderfully rhythmic Japanese name of neko-ashi-dachi, is hard and needs to be practiced again and again. Up and down to get the weight distribution correct (80% on the back leg, so that the front foot can be lifted off the ground without loosing balance) and the synchronous arm and foot movements. Cat stance looks obviously wrong when not done correctly. Standard stance and horse stance are much easier to adopt, but not necessarily easier to do correctly - it's just harder to spot mistakes.

This Wikipedia link illustrates how complicated my world of stances is going to become.

Stances illustrated with footprints

Stances are absolutely key in karate and probably other martial arts and fighting in general. Since legs in the wrong place inherently predisposes to instability, nothing else you do will work effectively from a bad stance. So I really need to work on these. The thing is they are knackering! Standard stance (zenkutsu dachi) can just be adopted and looks fine, but actually you should push outwards with your legs so that they are under constant tension, not arch your back, tense your abdomen yet keep your shoulders relaxed. Horse stance (shiko dachi) is a cripplingly low stance that requires your feet wide apart, knees vertically above your ankles (shin bone vertical), knees pushed backwards, bum tucked in (generally don't stick your bum out. It means your core isn't tense and increases the curvature of your spine which is bad for your back as well as appearing comic). Not too hard until asked to hold it for minutes at a time - seriously hard. However, I must be getting stronger / fitter because this sort of carry on used to result in knee pain, but now it just hurts my thighs. This is progress. Like Kung Foo Panda I have found out there is no secret, just hard work

Those not distracted will notice that this stance is too high. She still looks significantly better than me, so credit where credits due.

Does Karate Cause Lower Back Pain?

For the last four weeks or so I've been suffering from lower back pain - central and sacroiliac. In general it's not a problem I ever had before taking up karate. I had some pregnancy-related lower back pain that resolved, but never daily pain. So is karate the problem? In part yes, but only because I'm suffering from general ligament and muscular pain caused by relative overuse. Any exercise would probably have triggered this. The hip rotation and kicking used in karate tends to work the lower back hard, but not in a damaging way as long as you warm up appropriately. Also I had very poor back endurance muscles (the ones you get by lying face down on the ground and lifting your head and shoulders off and holding) and almost no 'core stability' before starting. These endurance muscles associate with less lower back pain in clinical studies and are probably more important than strength per se. In general it helps to have some level of fitness before embarking an a vigorous activity! I chose not to which has gone against me. Also I sometimes arrive with no warm-up time. This is a very bad move for older adults, we definitely need at least a ten minute warm up, ideally much more.

In order to counteract this new problem, I've started to do standard core exercises while aiming to keep my spine as long as possible - straight leg sit ups that only rise to 30 degrees etc and I've also added in some yoga exercises aimed at lower back strength. These can be done easily at home with no need to embarrass yourself in the gym. I also watch my back when I'm in standard stance which is quite wide and can lead to over arching of the back if you're not concentrating. Additionally, when practicing at home I try to be symmetrical and practice mirror image basic combinations. Once or twice I've used an anti-inflammatory gel or 'Deep Heat'. These measures seem to have done the trick and it seems to be easing off. In the long run, karate should make me better off by increasing my lower back flexibility and strength.

For an attempt at evidence based sports medicine without reading the journals, try this web site:
The Sports Injury Bulletin

Can Karate Make You Look Good?

Since I only started half way through October 2012, it may be too early to conclude anything about the effect of karate on my appearance. however, I do look different - better - since my body shape has changed. My waist is narrower (I know, I've measured). My stomach is flatter and my thighs don't wobble. I haven't lost weight, but I suspect I have more muscle and a little less fat. Don't get too excited, I won't turn heads in a bikini, my face is unchanged and I'm still 41 years old. Karate does not have the power to change that, but it can make you look better. I suspect this effect is more noticeable for people like me who were previously totally unfit - the curve of improvement is steep! Another good thing to add it that karate doesn't make you bulky in the way lifting weights would and it also develops all muscles not just one area like tennis or cycling. Overall, I'm very pleased with the effects and would highly recommend karate to all.

One thing makes me a little sad now that I have come to enjoy and be interested in karate. I am very unlikely to ever be good at it because of my age. This is true for most sports, but starting age 41 is just too late. If I ever get good, I'll always know I could have been better if I'd started at 15 or 20. Still, better late then never.

2013 - Year of The Snap?

Well it's good to have started back and I'm now learning a new kata - Pinan Sandan. There's a great bit in the middle where someone grabs your wrist and you turn into them, pulling them in towards you and striking (you really have to see it - try the link below, 3rd video in, it's also a good general resource and their downloads work).

pinan shodan (shito-rhy) with bunkai

I plan to learn no more new kata until I've really understood the moves from the three I 'know' to date. As said before, knowing the moves does not mean knowing the kata. It's also really hard to remember a sequence of meaningless moves, so you have to understand why you're doing them - ie, where your theoretical opponent is and what they are trying to do.

I continue to practice the basics daily since it takes no equipment and hardly any space (one of the things that makes karate a great hobby is it requires no special kit and no special place). It is frustrating not quite getting it as it should be. I remain challenged by my old friends poor stance and lack of hip movement (see earlier post) - particularly in reverse punching (gyaku-zuki) and punching with the leading hand (mae-ken). As for 'the snap', I can even rustle. There are children in the class who can snap with the best of them. The snap is the noise made by the cotton of the karate outfit as your limbs move at high velocity - it literally cracks the material like wind refilling a sail. I have quite a high quality, stiff outfit. No help at all. It seems skill alone can generate this noise, so this outlay was a total waste. I plan to celebrate when it happens to me, in secret of course, otherwise I'd appear odd to my non-karate friends. So for 2013 I resolve to master the hip movement and basic stances. I'll leave the snap for later.

Happy 2013! I Resolve To Avoid Self Defense

It's been almost two weeks since my last lesson due to the holiday period. For four days I did no training and felt terrible with aches, pains and worry. Worry that if I didn't practice I would regress - and I have so little to regress from. I also had an image of returning to my karate class in a much improved state. My hours of solitary practice obvious to all. Utter rubbish of course, but on the fifth day I started to train - basics, combinations and my two kata, no more than one hour a day, sometimes less and mostly in the kitchen while cooking (I am blessed with a kitchen large enough to accommodate a kata). I can't spar with myself and have so few fighting skills that I cannot practice kumite technique. Curious, I did however trawl the internet for instruction. This yielded a world of weirdness. Strange men (always men), often fat who had obviously watched "Don't Mess With The Zohan" and all of the Bruce Lee Collection too many times and believed such a character could exist for real (I know Bruce Lee was real and amazing, but most people realize he was exceptional).  Out running them would be my first tactic and probably the only one required. However, the consequence of these great lumbering beasts actually landing a punch would be devastating. To be fair, there were some decent examples of karate kumite or other martial arts, but the world of self defense if clearly an unregulated free for all, like holistic therapy is to medicine.

Looking at the examples of people (usually women) getting themselves out of totally impossible aggressive situations with other people (usually men) looked persuasive, but deep down I don't believe it. I'm five foot tall with no strength. So let's fast forward five years and assume I keep on training and turn out to be blessed with some ability. OK, I'm now a black belt with a body (all five foot of it) like iron, how well will I do with 120kg of unwanted male attention lying on top of me? I suspect not too well, except that I may have to deal with the added distress of believing I actually could and should have done something. I really want to be wrong on this one, but perhaps some self defense experts should be a little more realistic. Women have other ways of negotiating, not open to men. In some situations it may be better not to defend - after all hitting and hurting, but not actually stopping, an aggressor may antagonize them and make matters much worse. Even worse, I or you, may do things and go places we would not have done, now that we are armed with our new self defense skills, leaving ourselves open to danger we would not have otherwise encountered.

I don't know if my efforts over the festive period will be evident to my instructor, but I do know I'll never be the next Lara Croft.