Show Me Your Credentials...

My credentials hang on the wall (left), below a portrait of my sensei

You read a lot these days about teachers of this and teachers of that....masters every one....or so it would seem. But you have to wonder who's endorsing these guys; in a world where marketing is everything, is a person's dan rank worth the paper it's written on?

For me, it all depends on who issued the certificate. Personally, I don't place any value on a dan rank issued by a bunch of ill-trained Westerners suffering from delusions of grandeur, no matter how impressive the name of their group is, or how well that group is respected by other groups just like it. It's not by accident that such gangs endorse each other, they do it in order to set the standard as low as possible and that way they can be seen to hold their own among their peers.

An example of my (poor and limited) writing skill

I have to laugh at the "sensei" who never had the guts to be a student for long enough to learn anything worthwhile, and yet believes himself able to teach karate to others. Who speaks of conducting "personal research", when in fact he only harvests other people's work, and attends a few seminars here and there. Who travels to Okinawa as a karate tourist to be spoon fed basics for a week courtesy of a Californian businessman; only to return home and talk about his school trip as if it was a serious attempt to investigate Okinawan karate.

Today,  personal experience is no longer the prerequisite it once was when it comes to passing on what you know. So I often wonder...what credentials do self-defense teachers have? Who endoreses the bunkai master who has never used kata successfully in a real fight...or even a sporting contest for that matter? It's interesting isn't it....how these days you can become a karate expert simply by deciding you are one. The overwhelming mass of those who engage with karate today seem completely apathetic towards authenticity: 50 million karateka in the world today...I don't accept that for a moment!

The kanji, by the way, points toward something we all need in the study of karate.....

I Should Be So Lucky........

The Shinseidokan dojo - this morning

Well...I knew it wouldn't take too long to be told how "lucky" I am to have such a "nice dojo". You know, it's just as well this arrived by email, and wasn't a face-to-face comment, otherwise I may have let the owner of the remark know just how lucky he is that I am, (figure it out). The email was deleted and with any "luck" the writer won't write to me again.

You know the old saying, "I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.", well that's a sentiment I happen to agree with. But more than that, I believe when people say things like, "You're lucky"...it's a way of  distancing themselves from their own laziness and lack of direction. The implication of their comment being, that the only reason they don't have what you've got, is because they are not as "lucky" as you are.

The scene of much pleasure, and frequent disappointment

The dojo didn't just appear, I didn't wish it in to existence, and the builder didn't work for free. The dojo is an investment in me, it's a place that enhances the quality of my life, it brings me pleasure on many different levels and provides a place where I can test my resolve to adhere to the things I believe in. The dojo was deliberately kept small, I had it built with my personal training in mind, it wasn't constructed to house dozens of students.

So no...I don't consider myself "lucky" to have the dojo in my home; for there has been far too many financial sacrifices made by my wife and I, far too many hours of hard work put in by a number of the students who train with me, and far too much stress to deal with during it's construction. The dojo standing next to my home has little to do with luck; so, if you're waiting for luck to provide you with the life you want....then prepare yourself for a very long wait.

Simplicity...it's just too difficult, right?

The dojo door slides open by use of a simple handle

It's not so easy to gain entry to the Shinseidokan, I wont teach karate to people I don't like. But if you are invited inside, then you'll find a simple wooden handle, made from a fallen tree branch, is all you have to use to gain entry.

This notion that entry to an authentic dojo is somehow difficult, is just not true; the biggest barrier for most people is their own attitude. In a world where privilege and "getting what you want" is so ingrained, many approach karate training like Gollum in Lord of the Rings...."I wants it..." , and this is why they end up training with people who, for the most part, are just not worth training with.

There is a delicious world of irony waiting for people who are looking to enter an authentic dojo. Fist of all you have to find one, but they don't often advertise. Then you have to make contact with the sensei in a way that is acceptable to him, or her, but as you don't know them you have to work that out first. And if you do get past the introduction and receive an invitation to train, then you have to learn, very quickly, how to conduct yourself properly in an unfamiliar setting.

Keeping things simple, being honest, and learning to appreciate that you can't have what you want just because you want it, will allow you to realize the simple truth of karate training.......eventually!

Nothing Special...or is it?

The Shinseidokan dojo - it's not a place for everyone

You can "do" karate almost anywhere these days, shopping malls, sports centres, converted factory units, or at the local scout hall; you can join academies, and clubs, and even places with moronic names like..."The Home of Champions". You can learn from masters, and teachers, and instructors, and even shihans too if you believe in such twaddle!

But here's the thing...none of this stuff is about karatedo, none of it is about showing you anything much at all, other than how to get your wallet out. If I read one more story about karate being a "journey", I think I might just throw-up! Karate training is not a journey, it's just something you choose to pursue. You get to chose at what level you pursue it, and then you get to decide on whether or not you have the strength of character to be honest with yourself, and others, about the choice you made.

Millions of people around the world (50 million by some reckoning) have chosen to pursue karate....a somewhat smaller number are prepared to be honest about the level they pursue it on. 

The Essence of Goju Ryu Vol II

Looking to the past to find a way forward

The second book in the Essence of Goju Ryu series arrived in my mail box a few days ago. I've been looking forward to reading it since the publication of Vol I in 2011. Like it's predecessor, Vol II contains far more information than you might expect in a book of this size; information that a great many karateka will be introduced to for the first time.

As far as Goju-ryu is concerned, Vol II deals with the basics, nothing more. However, I'm a firm believer that there is no such thing as "basic" karate, only individuals who have a "basic" understanding of  it. The contents of this book highlights the many deficiencies found in the modern approach to karate training, therefore, what passes for basic training within the Shinsokai, would no doubt be considered "advanced" in a great many other schools. As always, the reader is at liberty to work on the ideas and practises they discover here, and by doing so, improve their understanding of the karate tradition they identify with.

Books like this are needed today, perhaps more so than ever; for without them I fear traditional karate training is in danger of being reduced to attending seminars. Karatedo, the way of karate, is a dojo based activity, and what you find in this book is just that: normal dojo training. Although you can't learn karate from a book, you can be inspired by the written word as well as a captured image; this book is well written, the photographs are clear, and the ideas steeped in authenticity. I can't recommend this series on Goju-ryu highly enough.

You can buy this, and Vol I, on line through Lulu or Amazon.

Good Morning Sunshine!

The dojo this morning - after training

It's winter here in Tasmania, and the mornings can be, well....a bit cool. But this past week, the crisp cold nights have given way to clear winter skies...bright with sunshine and full of promise. I revel in the peace and quiet, the clarity of the air, and the sight of birds scurrying around looking for their first worm of the day....it's always those early birds that seem to have a smile on their face.

Training this morning was similar to most mornings, junbi-undo, kigu-undo, and kata; nothing spectacular, no epoch-making moments of discovery...just training. Afterwards, my mind wondered to an interview I'd done a few years ago with a very famous Japanese karate teacher; I asked him, with his incredibly busy lifestyle, travelling and teaching all over the world, how much time he had for his own training? His answer was all too predictable I'm afraid..."None".

I think there would be quite a few people reading this who spend more time teaching karate than practising it; and more time telling others how to do things they haven't worked on themselves for years. Does that make any sense at all to you? It doesn't to me. I always figure such people need karate far more than karate needs them. I can see the day when I won't be teaching karate anymore, but I can't imagine a time when I won't be training.

"Oh what a beautiful morning.....oh what a beautiful day........"

Okinawan Seminars...the future of karate?



The Spirit of Okinawa

 I've posted before, very recently in fact, on the rise of karate/kobudo tourism in Okinawa: I don't like the idea at all; it lowers the bar and makes things easy for people, and let me remind those who may think otherwise, karate was never, ever, meant to be easy. I've made my opinion clear with regard to the tours run by a certain Californian business man; I think the karate world could do without people like him.

I now understand that a second business has emerged offering a very similar package to the first. The business plan seems only slightly different, but not as different as I first believed it to be. There is money to be made it seems, and people who wish to make it. As a result, I won't be at all surprised to see more and more karate tour companies springing into life in the near future. Actually, I can't see why karate organizations don't just arrange their own tours, and cut out the middle men.

With both the CFA tour and the Gateway seminars running at the same time in October, it might be better to attend the seminar organized by the Okinawa Dento Karatedo Shinkokai in September; you will get to train with almost all the same instructors as the CFA tour, and at meal times, you can avoid the long queues at McDonald's and KFC. Or...you might take my advice, and use the money you were going to spend on a seminar, and travel to Okinawa on your own to have a personal experience that's really worth having.

Approach people with good manners and humility, and the chances of you gaining entry to a dojo are very high. If you have no contacts in Okinawa, then try making  first contact here. Personally, I think going it alone is the only way to visit Okinawa for training, at least in the beginning. I can't get past the idea that the desire for things to be easy, coupled with the notion that you are entitled to things you haven't worked for, is what lies at the heart of the burgeoning seminar business in Okinawa. Businessmen exploit opportunities, and it's the weakness of character so prevalent in karate these days, that is providing this particular opportunity: are you sure you want to be a part of that?

As Okinawa reestablishes it's rightful standing as the spiritual home of karate, it would be a pity to see it fall on it's face by stumbling in a rush to make money. Okinawan karate and kobudo are very special activities, and in my opinion, neither should be given away lightly.