Lunge Punch

This was from our recent promotion demo where 2 people demonstrated for green belt and 2 people demonstrated for their first stripe. It was a good promotion demo. I say "promotion demo" because, this is how I look at it. People pass and fail tests. Promotion demos, however, are only given to people who are ready. Unlike a test where people have a chance of failing, it is very unlikely anyone would fail a promotion demo, because they don't do it until they are truly ready.

Plateaus

One of the sure things about practicing the martial arts is that every practitioner is eventually going to hit a plateau.

For some, a plateau may occur after they get their black belt. For others, it may be after they feel that they have reached a goal they were shooting for, like having confidence that they could defend themselves, or maybe meeting a weight loss goal. Plateaus can truly happen at any time. Some students may reach a plateau after their first test, others may not plateau until long after they are a black belt.

Reaching a plateau can cause a student who has been very excited about his/her martial art to suddenly feel disenchanted with the process. Some students may even quit.

The wise student looks beyond the plateau to the long term benefits of practicing. If the student perseveres, he will be rewarded over the long haul.

Home Dojo

Having your own personal dojo space at home is important to staying motivated to train between classes. All you need is an area that is big enough to do a kata and maybe a few supplemental training devices you can make yourself.

Just follow these steps and you'll be ready to train in no time:

Step 1: Pick a place to train
Finding the right place at your home to train will be a key factor in whether you actually make use of the training space or not. If you have a room that you can dedicate to only karate training, fantastic, but this is not necessary. In the past, when I did not have a dojo to train in, I used my garage as my dojo. Garages make excellent dojo, but be prepared for the weather and bugs.

Your personal dojo should have the following elements:

• Enough room to practice kata
• No safety hazards
  
• Privacy from observers

Step 2: Outfit your Dojo
To practice karate you really don't need anything but the space and the time. You may, however, wish to outfit your dojo with a few supplemental training devices to enhance your training experience. Here are just a few...

• Mirror
• Interlocking mats
• Free standing bag and/or makiwara
  
• Small, free-swinging target such as a tennis ball on the end of a clothes line
  

Step 3: Pick a time to train
This can actually be more difficult than finding a place to train in your home. Try to find a time when you will have as few interruptions as possible. If you live somewhere with a hot summer climate, you may wish to pick a time later in the evening or early in the morning when it's cooler. Maybe you're a morning person? If so, then get up extra early and train then. A night person? Train before bed. Have some time at lunch? Maybe lunch is the right time. The point is, pick a good time you can be consistent with.


Step 4: Just Do It!
Now that you have created your personal training space, and found a good time to train, it's time to start training.

Enjoy!

In it for the Long Haul...

Karate is an skill that is best acquired over time. Being in a rush won't get you there any quicker. Learn all you can and always be prepared to begin again.

Flexibility: Part 1 - Body Flexibility

Getting and staying flexible is probably one of the most important things you can do to have and maintain good karate. It's good to arrive at the dojo a few minutes early and stretch. After class is over, you should take a few moments to stretch again.

When you're at home, watching TV, sit on the floor and stretch.

Stretch all parts of your body as often as you can.

Don't over stretch, though.

Here's a good article I found with some accompanying videos on stretching...

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stretching/HQ01447

Taking Notes

Taking notes about karate training is very important.

My Sensei suggested to me a very long time ago that I should always keep a notebook with me when I go to the dojo or karate training events so I can write down the important thoughts. I have tried to follow this advice ever since. I usually have one with me at all times and I try to capture as much as I can about what I learn.

I find years later that these notes are invaluable. They provide me insight into the stage of development I was experiencing at the time. They also help me remember details about a technique or principle I may have forgotten or since then. Sometimes, they even help me to make a leap in understanding or a small revelation.

I usually don't write long detailed entries about a subject, but rather organize my thoughts by bullet items or short statements where I try to get to the heart of the matter. Then, I try to supplement these with sketches and stick figures.

I always write in the first person and try to note other things that were happening at the time in the world. This helps me remember the time-period better than a date, although I still date each entry.

Sometimes I don't finish an entry because I got busy with something else in my life. Then, a few years later as I'm reading my entries, I will try to complete the entry as best I can from memory. I read my entries often and write notes about how my understanding of the subject has changed. I think this is very helpful.

I have pages in my karate journal that I have left intentionally blank to put pictures relevant to the event. I have the pictures, but I just haven't put them in yet.

Don't get me wrong, I may sound like I'm very disciplined at journaling, but I'm not. I have far too many journals, notebooks and sketchbooks that I have started to write in but then lost only to be found again years later in a box or on a shelf. As I said, I don't always finish an entry or a thought.

The important thing is that I always have one with me when I'm training in case I need to write down a thought.

Arches

Arches are strong. Observe the cables of a suspension bridge, the arches under a Roman aquaduct, or the curve of a bow being pulled just before the release of an arrow.

Angles and straight lines are not as strong as arches. A tall straight tree will easily break from a strong wind.

When doing kata, cultivate the arches in your stance, in the position of your arms, in the motion of your whole body.

New Students

We've had several new students join the class recently. I just wanted to welcome you and say I'm glad you joined our class! You are helping to keep our art alive in Tallahassee!

Guest Post: Learning from Injury

This post comes from Donald, a green belt at our dojo. He wrote this a couple weeks before he had surgery on his toe. I thought it was good and wanted to share it. Donald is recovering from his foot surgery and back at class training once again after a short absence.



When things are going well, I have a tendency to take them for granted - whether it be my studies, my work, or my Karate. The same holds very true for my body. I just don't notice things when they work well, and when they don't I seem to be unable to remember how things were when I was well. Due to a recent injury, my ability to participate in Karate class has been limited. This is not a first, nor will it be the last - but it is the first time I have learned something about Karate from my injury, well, consciously anyway.

I have been injured several times in my Karate studies - mainly while taking another style. They weren't anyone's fault, things were just done improperly. I have broken toes, cracked ribs, and bruised a bone pretty badly, but I continued to attend class to at least watch and learn so
that I could practice harder when I got better. My current injury is to the big toe of my left foot, I can put very little pressure or torque on the toe without being in severe pain. At first, the most obvious repercussions occurred to me - keeping others from stepping on the toe, as well as keeping myself from bumping into things or pushing it the wrong way. As a result, I find myself paying more attention to my surroundings, being more cautious, thinking things through more and moving more gracefully to keep from bumping that toe against anyone or anything - all principles of good Karate. While at class tonight, I even had some principles from kata occur to me to be applied from this injury.

I have learned lately that Karate is not just taught or thought of on the mat or in the dojo, but is a way of life, of being. I have now also learned that Karate is not just something done while healthy, but is something that can be learned from our infirmities too. Just as my injured toe has taught me about weight distribution, each little tendon in my foot, and movement; so too can other ailments teach us about our Karate - be they temporary like broken bones, or more permanent like a weak knee or asthma.

Nonetheless, I look forward to being well again, so I can practice further what I have learned.

-Donald