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TRADITIONAL TRAINING VS. MODERN TRAINING "Traditional schools emphasize self-improvement and self-realization as the primary goal, with 'not losing' in an actual fight as the result of sincere training. Modern tournament schools emphasize being 'better than others,' i.e. winning and displaying trophies." - Introduction, page 12, Elmar t. Schmeisser. Over the years the discussion of traditional vs. current training as gone back and forth and back and forth with no real settlement as to the true definition but for me it happened in a way that truly differentiates them into specific categories, i.e. traditional vs. modern. The quote above tells it all and turned on a light for me which is what knowledge should and does do. This is just in the Introduction too! |
Starting Karate Training, Remember Always: Page 11 Advice Redacted: Don't gloss over the movement in the hurried desire to get to the "fun stuff." This is to your detriment in training. If you wish to train in traditional forms or modern the full understanding of the fundaments, the foundation of karate-do, you must understand them completely. You also have to remind yourself constantly. Start your training with no physical effort what so ever. What I mean is "stop the desire" of increasing efforts to get to the end but remain focused on the process. Body mechanics are vital to the effective use of karate for the internal studies and those used in self protection. It is best to learn the exacting requirements of the movement of the technique. If it correctly corresponds to the principles of body mechanics, the movement that is, and that is practiced, practiced, practiced nut you develop the proper programming in the mind/brain it will be there when needed and support your future practice and learning completely (remind yourself constantly). As your teacher I will understand and adjust to you as a unique individual with full understanding that your execution of a fundamental technique will be different from mine and others. Your body is different and adjustments must be incorporated to fit you as a person. So, in a nutshell do the movement with visualization and do it slowly and correctly over and over and over again. The due diligence in repetitive practice will provide rewards through out your efforts now and in the future. Focus on the big corrections first until they are programmed into what some like to call, incorrectly of course, muscle memory. Make sure you go back and check the corrections constantly. This may seem like a pain but if you don't it will come back to haunt you later. Remember that it is much more difficult to correct later once fully programmed into memory so make it right now not later. Leave the strength out of it. We all have this pension to muscle into things. It seems to be the male American way and even flows over into the women who train. Maybe because of the sub-conscious influences and the desire to be equal but resist all this, remain slow and easy to get the body mechanics correct now. Always add to what you know in smaller increments. This is a more natural way to achieve knowledge, experience and improvements that are correctly done and assimilated so don't bypass it. Perform the repetitive practice, "smoothly and in a way to complement/implement/program a clean and correct pattern for each technique. One reason that most Asian teachers tend to be less talkative and more into "doing" is they believe that too much explanation to fast resulted in information overloading. We as humans will only remember a small portion of what is said. Today it seems that some explanation is necessary but supplemented/augmented by demonstration and then the doing. This is followed by large corrections, etc. like explained above. Dr. Schmeisser states, "The only proof of understanding is in practice, and only continued and varied practice can deepen this understanding." Understand that as you progress, correctly, things will naturally change. Do not fall into the groove of, "It must always be done like this and never changed!" This is not the way of the empty hand. As you grow and develop in karate-do things will naturally change. Adherence to body mechanics will also change naturally as you grow, develop, learn, etc. so let it happen that way, the way nature intended. If you remember and look for it, as you progress you will find that now you do a technique and your overall approach to leaning and programming that new technique into your brain and body will show a change. Sometimes it is subtle and sometimes obvious but keep looking for them. The repetitions will show it if you remain alert and aware, i.e. one of the many things you learn practicing karate-do. One reason I tend to practice my fundamental techniques over and over again is that I realize that in the repetitive practice as I do the technique again my mind will "discover" that it has changed and often it provides me with new lessons to learn and incorporate into my practice. Bibliography: |
Train the Mind Taken for granted especially within the world of the martial arts, i.e. karate, kobudo, etc. but an aspect of training that should be foremost in one's mind when practicing and training. It is that something that should be provided to new practitioners as an intricate part of the fundamentals, i.e. the basics of the system. Before anyone should be allowed to participate in such a practice as karate-do they should have gone through a preliminary interview where the goal of the instructor is to determine the mind set of that person before the start of training/practice. This is the most difficult part for an instructor simply because the instructor in all most all cases is not a professional in this field of the mind but still has to determine if the individual has the correct mind set to take on such a huge endeavor as a life time practice of the fighting martial arts. This is not just done in any type of interview but must remain a part of all evaluations as one progresses and are exposed to the potentials of karate-do. Think of it as you would if interviewing a person for a critical job in your organization. A critical job that could make or break your organization. The type of job that one must pass through many checks and balances to remain in a trusted and sensitive position. This post as well as many others in the past are an attempt to put this mind training into a series of suggestions that any FMA could use to achieve the proper mind set necessary to take on such responsibility. How can you tell in an interview that a person meets the fundamental mental needs to allow them to practice and train under your guidance? As an instructor this may be the most critical trait you develop, the ability to see the mind set of another. You can also as a practitioner take this as one of you mental training techniques as this also is something you need to develop to "see" and/or "hear" if others are a danger or just a nuisance. Determining the mind set of a person in conflict can mean the difference between mutual de escalation/resolution or the type of conflict that results in injury (at a minimum), legal troubles, and the emotional results of battle. The first lesson that a perspective student must remember and hope to achieve is the same in reverse, they must determine if that instructor is of the mind set that is conducive to proper training in the FMA. We come back to the duality of nature where both parties must make a determination that will bring about a balance between instructor and practitioner so be achieve goals and become as proficient as possible. Before we begin there is one caveat and that is this is my viewpoint on training the mind with emphasis on karate-do but it is the way I train/training my mind to not only achieve greater proficiency in karate-do but in my life. It is my particular personal "interpretive" lens from which I write and want to "EMPHASIZE" in the strongest terms this is not written in stone and only a guide to send practitioners on their own "personal path" to achieve greater mind training. So, with that understood we begin. Oh, yea, this mind training post series is based on one who is going to or is already practicing a "self protection based" FMA. MIND TRAINING ONE: Attain knowledge! This is the number one training method that is, will, and should follow you through your entire lives and that is to attain knowledge. What knowledge? In that pursuit we must remain constantly "aware" of what is truth and what is not truth. Sometimes truth is fact that can be validated from a variety of authentic sources but sometimes, this is big in the world of karate that has little "historical data" available, those sources may be the feelings and experiences unique to each person. If I would say the most important mind set here is to remain open to the possibilities and do not "assume" anything regardless because to make assumptions as to what is truth and what is not truth can steer you in the wrong direction. Even in out-n-out falsehoods you will find grains of truth and this is also a mind training tool, teach yourself to read and research everything to find the facts/truth. This I call "data mining." We all know there is today a plethora of information out there and how do we find a starting point. I went through this for decades before I finally came to realize that what I needed to do was find out how our minds work. Not an in-depth study of psychology but how the brain works and how it functions in many basic and fundamental ways. Example: Breathing can and does trigger parts of the brain that can induce certain states of mind. A type of breathing can help a person overcome the adrenaline dump and emotional tsunami one encounters in extreme stress situations such as fighting or doing combat/battle. Police officers use it to get ready to "enter" a building where their intelligence says persons are armed, etc. Where would I recommend a novice begin, read the materials that deal with the various systems of the brain to understand, when time arrives, how certain practices can "adjust" those systems to assist in controlling, as much as any human can, those systems that tend to take over your logical side and allow the monkey/lizard side to run the show which is not always a good thing in modern society. I recommend the following materials in this order: 1. Buddha's Brain by Rick Hanson and Richard Mendius. This book will enlighten you to how the systems effect you, your emotional state and thus your mental actions, etc. 2. Meditations to Change Your Brain by Rick Hanson and Richard Mendius which is a follow up to the buddha's brain that will provide you insight into how you can do this regardless of whether you practice FMA or not. 3. The "No Nonsense Self-Defense" web site by Marc MacYoung and his wife Dianna MacYoung where you get some great insight into the violent persons mind, now they think, their strategies and tactics, etc. which will program your mind so when you encounter some situation the mind has something to access and use, etc. 4. The "Conflict Communications" web site by Mr. MacYoung and Mr. Rory Miller who both with their experiences provide some alternatives to handling conflict. This is not to be misunderstood as a way to handle violent fights but the information can be used to handle other conflicts such as arguments with others like a spouse or co-worker, etc. 5. Read "On Combat" by Dave Grossman and Loren Christensen. Even if you are never going to be involved in military actions this book provides a lot of insight on how we react in high stress situations that involve sometimes life and death where our mind determines our outcome. Knowing this is a powerful bit of knowledge that not known would lead to bad results if you ever are involved in combative situations be it on the street or actually in combat. This apples to the next book as well. 6. On Killing by the same but a perspective as to how our minds respond to violence be it acted upon us or when we are forced into taking actions that result in such drastic actions against others. Not necessarily as to taking life but how we view such acts against others as to our minds, our attitudes, and the after effects both mental and physical we all "will deal with" after. This set of suggestions are a good start for the novice. It is imperative one continually attain the knowledge necessary to really and truly "see" the world with out the rose colored glasses our lives develop from sometimes not so accurate sources, i.e. television, games, movies, and more. The world of the fighting martial arts is full of not so proficient and knowledgeable individuals trying to sell snake oil so it comes down to you gaining the correct knowledge and "seeing and hearing" reality vs. imagination. RECOGNIZE EMBELLISHMENT This mind training falls under a category that is hard to put down and actually show a specific technique but it deals with training the mind to determine if something is not real, and embellishment. Buyer beware and know that in reality based self protective training that the more complex and the more "pretty and exciting" the technique or training method is a good indication that it "doesn't work." If you are "paying" for it then accept it in your mind consciously that what was "advertised" may not be reality. If you are signing up for the sport aspect then it matters very little but if it is saying that you are learning "self defense" then buyer beware. In all likelihood it is something used to "sell" you something and may not be exactly what you expected. Embellishment is often used in books, DVD's, Magazines, etc. simply because the more mundane aspects of reality based FMA are not glorious enough nor exciting enough for most systems of practice here in the United States. To train your mind to recognize embellishments this simple axiom works for me, if it is complex; if it is excessive; if it appeals to the movies; if it is exciting to see and do then you can at least take it with a bit of caution. Once you allow yourself to be more open to the possibilities that what you see is not what you need then you can still learn it and once you do try it out to see if "it works." If it works and does not seem to be of the complexity that will disappear when you are hit with the adrenaline dump of high stress situations then its ok but if it fails the adrenaline dump physical limitations acceptability litmus test then it "does NOT WORK" and you should discard it completely. KEN-PO GOKU-I This tome of simple axioms for the FMA practitioner has always been something assigned to the more mystical aspects of the Asian Martial Arts. Train the mind to see and accept the fact that there are no "mystical" aspects of training. It is all based on the psychological, physical or physics of the practice. There are not mystical secrets to any practice of the martial arts or fighting arts and this includes the kenpo-gokui. It is merely a means to an end. It is a tool that is supposed to assist the practitioner into "opening the mind" and "seeing" more that what the mind wants to see as its tendency is to remain in the "comfort zone" of the individual. Life is not a comfort zone and closing our eyes to that fact is a accident waiting to happen. The kenpo-goui, in my viewpoint, is a set of statements that provide us an additional mind training technique that enhances our leaning of the knowledge the mind/brain needs to file away for future access in the event things get "hinkey" in life. Hinkey is also in FMA, i.e. we go into an environment/situation that could be harmful. This short tome of information is a key to open more information for the FMA practitioner that teaches the mind about balance, focus, attitudes, etc. that are not physical but are what make the physical justified vs. unjustified. The key to this mind training technique is to see that there is a key to more and to keep the knowledge flowing so the brain/mind have something to reference in all the myriad things we encounter in daily living. ACCEPT THE BRAIN CAN CHANGE It may be believed that the brain is set in stone and that once you do something or that your brain does something, i.e. emotional event etc., that it is set in stone and can not be changed. If you have followed my advice and studied the brain you will find out that this is so far from the truth that it is funny. Your brain is constantly changing and you can remove those old deep grooves you set from your past and make changes into new more productive and positive paths. Ritual, consistent and diligent ritual is the way to train the mind to go to new and exciting places. This particular technique, the first real technique discussed so far, is one of the toughest you will ever encounter. If you can get a good hold on it you will find life changing events will constantly become a part of your life. Caveat: It is "tough" and requires constant, consistent, persistent, diligent, and continuing effort and practice for you will never master it but instead make it a "ritual" that will program the computer of your mind/brain into what is more balanced for life and FMA practice, training, and application. This particular technique coupled with knowledge is the one technique of the mind that will connect to all other techniques, both mental and physical, for your entire life. Even when I provide other techniques to use to train your mind it will always come back and connect with this one to achieve success. Your brain can change, you can change, and the secret here is that the changes come from "YOU" not others, not a certificate, not a belt, not a trophy, not another person but from YOU AND YOU ALONE! Ritual, why I preach kata or forms for those are the blueprints to achieve more and the ritualistic form it is and can be practiced achieves a means for you to "consciously" focus on brian/mind training which will lead your body toward correctness/proficiency and that leads to a better way of life. Patterns and Ritual are important and when one learns more from such as the ken-po goku-i and where it leads they will find that the universe and all its myriad things are consisting for such patterns and rituals. Does not the sun and moon revolve, elliptically of course, i.e. pattern, around out Earth. Does not the Earth ritualistically revolve around the sun, yes I know there is a disparity to the last statement, forming its own pattern. See more … RECOGNIZE THE CONNECTIONS Train the mind to see where things are connected. Use symbolism as a way to understand this technique. We see things every moment and we need to makes a conscious "connection" to our practice. We train our minds to see possibilities in life but in FMA we tend to "assume" that it comes naturally and this is a mistake. Knowledge first then connect this to what the "eye sees" or what the "ear hears" or what the "instinct perceives." What the instinct perceives will depend on what you have actively programmed into your brain, i.e. conscious mind training. If it ain't there in the mind then it will be a "freeze" moment. In FMA self protection it could mean injury or even death; if in life it could be the same but in all probability it will means something else be it a bad job done or a missed opportunity because you didn't take the time to learn something. Make mental training a "conscious effort" in all your training, practice, and doing of life. JIKO NO HANASHI NO GEIJUTSU Self talk, the next important technique in training the mind. To date all the above should be the "conversation" you should be having with yourself every moment of your life. When your mind chatters or focuses on something you did, are doing, or have done then how you talk to yourself will make the difference between a positive or negative reinforcement. This is important, self talk of a positive nature is paramount to program your mind/brain for the type of action and beliefs that will make a difference. If you keep berating yourself when something goes amiss then it will continue to never change for the better. Recognize a mistake and then spend time in a positive self talk with imagery so you program your mind first so the body will follow it second the next time. Everything is a lesson but a lesson that makes a difference depends on your self talk about it so remain positive and consciously control the self talk. When something comes up negative and self destructive this technique will allow you to recognize it so you can change it until almost all thoughts come up positive and reinforcing. Self talk gets you there. When something negative comes up, recognize it, stop yourself by telling yourself to "stop" and the change the talk to a positive reinforcing talk. BREATHE Next mind training technique is to first teach yourself to recognize triggers. Those triggers that cause you to get angry; those that cause your breathing to get shallow and butterflies to fly in your stomach; those that cause your heart rate to jump from normal to hyper-speed at the flash of light. Recognition comes from knowledge as knowing what they are when they occur can help because sometimes they kick in faster than thought but even then if you recognize them and can train your reaction to be breath deep, slow, rhythmically, etc. you will trigger the counter affects from the appropriate brian system/center so it at least lessons the effects so you can "act." This is important for the mind training and the consciousness of these causes and effects in training will kick in when not in training. The ritualistic patterns you practice consistently and diligently will come in and assist when the violence hits the fan. PERMISSION TO ACT Most of us never, ever have encountered violent situations but there is always a "chance" that it may hit us so we need to consciously tell ourselves in all out training and practice that we have our own permission to "act" in our benefit of self protection. We consciously have to self talk to our minds that in certain practice situations we are giving our permission for it to be realistic and act accordingly. Even then our self talk must say to us, "this is self defense and I give myself permission to act in any way I can to get out alive." Or we can say to ourselves, "this is sport and I am limited in what I can do and must remember to keep these techniques and actions strictly to sport but remember in self protection I must use those appropriate acts to get out alive." Remember, sometimes this cannot be done so a practitioner must remember why they take up practice of FMA for sometimes the mind if not properly programmed may not be able to choose between the sport aspects and the self protective ones. Make sure your self talk and practice incorporate the consciousness of the differences. NO QUICK DECISIONS Give thought in practice to everything; give it enough time to be tested mentally and physically; do not discard anything initially even when it appears to be embellishment. Train your mind to "NOT JUMP" to conclusions; give your mind time to digest, dissect, and see if it works, etc. If we train ourselves to recognize those triggers that set us off instantly and pull ourselves back from quick decisions we can deescalate situations that could be volatile. Here again comes taking time to acquire the knowledge of it and then train the mind consciously and with intent to "see" it or "hear" it and then stop yourself from jumping. A technique would be while listening in a group conversation and recognizing it when you have this urge to jump in the middle to tell some story that you feel is pertinent to the unfinished discussion/statement. Remember the time when someone was discussing a subject to which you are familiar and you feel an urge to jump ahead of the statement and start "formulating a response" and just a quickly put it out there before the other is even done. Don't jump in, take a moment to remind yourself and say, "don't jump," and then focus back on what is being said. You will find that often what you were going to say really had nothing to do with what was being said in its entirety. So no quick decisions of any kind. This will allow you to perceive things as they really are and stop yourself from over reacting. There are always times when it is imperative to "not think" but "act" and you need to self talk and recognize these moments but in general there is no need to act quickly or make a quick decision. Its your well being and such that is in jeopardy especially in a possible violent situation. FACE AND SHOULDERS When stress comes it will be readily discernible in the factual musculature and also the shoulder musculature if you are aware of it and what it means. Another technique is to train to recognize these two area's because they are physical manifestations of the stress reactions. Your face will feel the tension and your shoulders will to by the face tightening and scrunching up and the shoulders will raise up toward your ears and the area will also tighten up. Recognize this and breath, breathing and a conscious effort to relax muscles in the face and shudders where the face feels like its loose and sagging; the shoulders will drop down and feel looser, etc. These physical actions along with the breathing you have been practicing not only result in a more relaxed body but trigger systems of the brain that counter the effects of the stress. Example: You have to spar with someone you have never sparred with before and you have heard this person is very talented so you will start to experience stress and this will cause the above body reactions so stop yourself by self talk, say for instance, "remain in the moment, nothing past or future matters, breathe deeply, slowly, feel the face and shoulders relax and assume a positive relaxed state, you are proficient, capable and will do well. Remain present, in the moment and allow training to achieve the results you know will happen, etc…. Try this, while walking take conscious notice of the face and shoulders. Do you feel the muscles, etc. tight? If you do then consciously relax them while performing the breathing techniques you have been taught. Remain focused on this until you "feel" more relaxed and notice how you now feel mentally. Everything connects, remember this and make a conscious effort in training/practice. IMAGERY (VISUALIZATION) Right after self talk is imagery or visualization. If you tell yourself what is necessary then you actually visualize yourself "doing it" in your mind then actually and physically going through it you will program and reinforce it in the brain and mind. This will come out in both practice and later, if necessary, in real life situations. When you are alone or just before you need to spar or do a kata you go through your self talk and then visualize and then kind of physically go through it with both the self talk and imagery then when called upon to "do it" it will get done. As alluded to previously this goes along with present moment mental activity. PRESENT MOMENT (NOW) Usually the killer for most when "doing it" is the intrusion of such thoughts from the past or of the future. If sparring with someone you might want to say to yourself, "This guy kicked my butt before and I almost got hurt, etc." or "I know this guy is going to kill me, etc.." you are in the past/future thinking and not in the moment. Stress is kicking in and that creates "hesitancy" at the very least or "total freeze" at the worst. You are going to get your clocked cleaned. Stop it, clear your mind and practice this often. If you are in the moment; if you trained and/or practice properly; if you don't think of anything but the exact moment you are in "NOW" none of the others can intrude and your training/practice will take over as long as you remain in the present moment and keep past and future out of your mind. You practice this techniques every moment of life. Every time some monkey thought enters you mind you recognize it, tell yourself to stop it and then return to the moment at hand. This is a hard one and most FMA instructors never recognize it as such and give it lip service, i.e. practice zanshin and then never really tell you how or what that is, etc. The best mind training techniques I can imagine for present moment awareness is to breath. If you find your mind wandering to outside thoughts of past or future then acknowledge it and then bring your mental focus on to deep, rhythmic, diaphragm driven breathing with a three or four count. You mind and visualization should be on breathing, the count, and the feeling of the air going in and out, etc. If something else intrudes then start the mental process again until you get it. This, also, requires life long constant and diligent practice. BALANCE Bring your mental focus toward achieving balance in practice and life. The technique to do this is a combination of knowledge, imagery, self talk and present moment awareness. Fundamental techniques, i.e. hand and foot, should involve full mental awareness on that technique. When you practice if you are not knowledgeable about such things as body mechanics, the stances, proper fist, execution of technique, positive relaxation, hard to soft to hard, and the application then you cannot visualize it, talk about it to yourself as you execute/practice and that means you are not fully in the moment of that technique practice. You must visualize and remind yourself about the stance that technique utilizes. You must be able to "feel" yourself in the correct alignment and posture. You have to tell yourself about what you feel and if that feels correct. You then will "see" for yourself in a mirror, etc. if you are correct and then tell yourself what you need to do to adjust then visualize/physically perform it till it is instinctive. All this is done with prominent mental focus on the what and how of doing. You have to be able to feel the breathing; muscular and skeletal movements and know that they feel and are correct. You need to achieve a balance of soft (fluidity with positive relaxation) and hardness (actual contact of the strike) and be able to feel, think, visualize, etc. every single moment entirely with no distractions/intrusions of past or future. How you did it yesterday is moot because as a human you have changed with that practice so today's is new and unique to that moment. Mentally practicing and focus on this is necessary for proficiency and advancement, etc. If your mind is not totally thinking and visualizing as you perform fundamentals and/or kata, etc. then you are getting exercise and that is all. Karate-do, mental training and then the physical training that naturally follows is the way. DISTRACTIONS The mind is easily distracted. Any number of new stimuli can cause the mind to drift swiftly away from what is more important into something that means little ergo why one strategy in combat is to create the diversion that distracts so a winning strike can be achieved. Present moment mental activity is preventing anything outside that exact moment from having the ability to distract you from your achieving a goal. A technique is to take moments when you may want to shoot the bull with other practitioners while others are practicing and turn your focus on that practice. After all, it may be something you need to know. A good technique is to participate in competitive tournaments with the goal of present moment awareness. Don't enter with any other expectations other than mental training. The crowd, the judges, the other competitors, etc. are all possible distractions. Keeping your mental focus only on the present moment especially when you move out in front of a lot of people to actually perform a kata or spar then those distractions of the mind kick in and try to pull you away from your goals, to perform in a relaxed and focused way. To recognize the myriad distractions of home, the street, driving, work, and the training facility and then to consciously recognize and then turn inward to breath and return present moment focus to what you really need to achieve. BODY LANGUAGE Don't rely on Asian mystical terms or terminology with sporadic and unrealistic translations to teach you about how the body can be perceived and how you can emanate psychological attitude through it. Take the time to teach the mind to "feel" the body, to "feel" how it should assume a posture of strength and ability. You cannot assume that what you practice does this for you automatically as all things in the FMA must be consciously considered and thought about during/in practice and training. Call it mental mind programming of the brain. Creating the circuits that come from ritualistic practice that forms a rhythm that produces results which includes how you stand, walk, and project your spirit by the way your body assumes positions, etc. Military are taught to stand up tall and straight, push out the chest and pull back the shoulders, how to hold the hands and position the body to "project" lethality which is what you need to physically and psychologically learn by doing and observing within the mind so you can assume the posture/positions instinctually. In addition this positioning of the body for positive attitudinal projection also affects your mentally by causing parts of the brains systems to release chemicals, etc. to actually change the brain toward that more positive mental feeling from within. It makes you what it makes you and it must be practiced with conscious thought. A strong mind results in a strong body and a strong, confident, proper positioning results in a strong mind. Mutually and dually effective to the practitioner of the fighting martial art such as Okinawa karate-do. Remember that the development of your mental state or mind is far more lethal and important than leaning the physical skills/techniques of karate. It has often happened that an thoroughly untrained individual has won in a fight simply because of their mental ability and to allow its training and development to proceed with out consciously taking control of that training and development is not proper to karate-do. Make/train your mind is positive; train/make your mind is absolute! FACIAL EXPRESSIONS Part of the mystique of so-called fighting with the eyes is in reality the ability to project your internal attitudes and feelings with facial expressions which also falls under the heading of body language. Facial expressions are a dual street where you project and well and detect by the facial language projected. Train on this in front of a mirror. Research photo's related to body language with specificity of facial expressions and see how that talks to those who "see" the face. As a training aid use a female practitioner to tell you what they see and perceive by your expressions. Women are far more adept at reading faces by natures rules for survival instincts. Have a female practitioner you have built trust with in practice and have them observe you through out training and practice while making notes as to what you project with your face at various points in practice/training such as fundamentals, kata, sparring, teaching, receiving instruction, etc. Have them understand that it is imperative they be brutally honest with you and you must be totally open to the idea with no judgments toward the person. If you fail they will never, ever provide positively accurate information again, ever. The person is actually training in one of the most difficult processes, being totally and brutally honest with a person they trust and respect so don't abuse this. In assisting other male practitioners to increase that ability to read facial language have them do this with each other as well. Although a lot of facial expressions can be intuitively understood in fighting, etc. it is still not fully understood and the goal here is to openly and consciously educate yourself in this area so when you do perceive it subconsciously, with present moment mind, you mind/brain can retrieve it, translate it as accurately as possible, and then allow your mind to act accordingly. Quote Time: "Life requires mental strength that enables one to cope calmly with unfortunate events. Being alert in mind and body can help you better deal with a challenging task." - Kazumi Tabata Sensei, Mind Power Book Two: chapter 1 page 41. WORDS AND DEEDS Knowledge is again a main point for this particular topic. One must take active and conscious effort to find out the effects of both word and deed for life situations and especially fighting/combat. What you say is most important for the words formed before spoken can mean the difference between deescalating or violent escalation of events. You can "literally" stop a fight/conflict by the words you use. You can "literally" avoid fights and conflicts by the assumption of body language/posture or the actions you take. Your past and current actions/deeds set the stage in those conflicts that involve a group that have knowledge of one another but your words can also set the stage in a encounter of strangers. It means you must hear what you always say and analyze it so you can determine if there was a more positive way to say things. Being aware of words "before the spew forth from your mouth" can achieve great things to include you physical and mental health. Again, ask those who train with you to observe and provide feedback to what you have spoken in training and practice. Another is a method of taking moments to be alone where you go over the things you said and did say in the last hour and truly "see" the words and "see" the affects by the facial reading you have learned to asses your words and by thought change them by some self talk to program the mind/brain to use new ways to speak words that are conducive to positive outcomes. Exercise moderation and restraint when you speak and act. If you have developed proper speech and actions it will show in all your daily deeds and words. |
Teaching/Instructing Karate The very first and important detail is knowledge of the style or system they will be teaching to me and to other students. This is natural and a gimme for any teaching profession. The issue that concerns most practitioners, beginners or advanced, is how do we determine the knowledge, experience, and proficiency of a karate instructor. In the end, and until some standardized format is achieved for all instructors, it will remain an individualized subjective decision. Outside the normal need for knowledge, experience, and proficiency the instructor who teaches karate must have a set of "interpersonal skills" so they may interact with practitioners in a manner that is beneficial to both parties, instructor and practitioner. They are: - Use of technical skills. CLARIFICATION OF SKILLS: Interpersonal communication is the manner in which information is shared or exchanged between a small number of people, whether they are same or different from each other. These can be healthy as well as harsh. Healthy Interpersonal Skills lead to creative & effective approaches to solving problems and getting work done. To the fullest extent possible, the task of the instructor is to provide the practitioner with a level of support & guidance. All practitioners have strengths and through better Interpersonal skills instructors can utilize these strengths to enhance learning. Use of Technical Skills: The latest method which is now a days used to improve interpersonal skills with practitioners is by using technical skills too i.e. ability to work with latest teaching aids like hog undo equipment, makiwara or other karate equipments. The ability to demonstrate both physically and mentally those attributes that must be a part of karate training and practice. An intimate knowledge of all the skills necessary to utilize both the physical acts as well as all supplemental training methods and devices to achieve the best outcome to practice as humanly possible. This particular skill is most important as it encompasses all other skills in "one" teaching skill most useful in guiding practitioners on the correct path of practice as well as life. This one is best said to be the teaching by example, how an instructor comports themselves with others determines the success or failure of his/her practitioners. Communication Skills: Communication skills are the most important when we talk about winning their hearts. The tone, volume, rhythm and emotions of the communicator play a vital role while dealing with practitioners. The verbal, physical, and written acts of communication must be such that confusion is limited or eliminated. Through this skill along with others the instructor promotes the atmosphere of trust and understanding where practitioners feel comfortable with posing questions and receiving concise and accurate answers. Instructors must adhere to the rule of, "If you don't know it, don't know the answer, say so and find the answer for later." Effective Body Language: Body language is the quiet, secret and a powerful tool to maintain healthy interpersonal skills. Good verbal skills combined with effective body language create interest, long-lasting impression on the minds of practitioners and of course their involvement in the discussion. It is a very delicate balance between leading and controlling in teaching. As a knowledgeable person conveying that knowledge to others it is easy to slip into a superior attitude that does not promote free exchange of knowledge so the instructor must remain diligent in keeping a balance where their language, i.e. body and verbal, must promote a relationship of trust and ease of communication, both directions. How one stands, holds their hands, moves, facial expressions, etc. all relay a type of communication that is not always conscious to the recipient. Speaking one way while communicating something totally different by your body language promotes confusion so it is vitally important that instructors master the discipline of body language. Empathy: Instructor’ messages must convey empathy i.e. the ability to communicate care and concern along with an understanding of the practitioners problem that is, the ability to place oneself in a position to view the problem from the practitioners perspective. In old schools this would come across as "NOT" but in reality creating the type of trusting relationship is critical since this particular type of practice involves sometimes close physical, somewhat violent, contact. We need to convey accurate response to mental, physical and sometimes emotional roadblocks much like in violent attacks where emotions along with an adrenaline dump causes all three to kick in for a freak our survival mode of performance. Positive Motivation: Good motivation usually produces learning outcomes. Some practitioners do not know why they should perform or study a particular technique/subject. We can show applications of that technique/subject in the areas in which practitioners are interested. Thus they get motivated and take interest while practicing/studying that technique/subject. If a practitioner cannot readily see, after verbal and physical instruction/demonstration, the need and purpose that benefits them then they may gloss over important aspects. Basics or fundamentals are a good example. Most want to just get them over with so they can move on to the more exciting aspects and must understand that the fundamentals are the foundation to good exciting aspects performance and usage. Feedback: A good instructor is genuinely interested in practitioner’ thoughts, feelings and opinions. Feedback is one way that a instructor can tell how you are absorbing and integrating the materials and lessons. This feedback calls upon the relationship you have developed with the practitioner. Communication is always a two way street. Active listening techniques are paramount to being a good teacher. Only when you listen actively and completely can you provide accurate, concise, relevant and genuine feedback, etc. Silence: The ability of a instructor to use silence is usually effective. Silence here means giving few more seconds to practitioners to respond to a query. Silence can help the practitioners as: • Correctness of their response increase What you "do not say" can be even more important that what you say. In reality silence is enhanced by the body language, i.e. body, hands, and especially the facial, will convey volumes even when no words come out of your mouth. Silence is also an important communication skill. Good Sense of humor: A instructor needs to have a keen sense of humor in order to keep practitioners learning & motivate. A instructor who can’t take a joke or give one, who can’t lighten up, who is too serious will not survive. Leave the strict military atmosphere in the military. Just because karate was brought to this country by military who incorporated military discipline into their teachings does not make it effective to a civilian oriented audience. Humor must be balanced against the need to remain in an instructor status or leadership role but still must be a trait that allows others to see that the instructor is human and foible. You cannot become their best buddy but you shouldn't become this person placed on a pedestal and worshipped or worse yet "feared." Be reflective: Remember the party game where a story is started with one person and passed along to others with often humorous distortion? We all filter and distort what we hear. This concept helps a instructor to "pay attention" and often helps the speaker stop and think about what is being said. It's also helpful sometimes to ask your listeners to paraphrase what they think you have said. This concept helps the instructor to keep the attention of the practitioner and keep them participating in discussion. This is in truth symbiotic in nature with active listening. These techniques are used by active listeners to truly hear and understand what others say in lieu of jumping in the middle to say what you think they are alluding to only to find out you are mistaken resulting in a loss of respect and hurting the trust in the relationship. Ask open-ended questions: Make it a goal to find out what your practitioners think, not just what they know. Ask for information using open-ended questions that begin with "How...," "What...," "When...," "Where...," and "Why." This strategy allows instructors to help clarify a given question for both the practitioner and itself. Use this technique to get them to talk and explain until you actively hear all and are able to respond in clarification to truly understand their needs and desires. Only then attempt to respond, answer, etc. Understand and then be understood: Most practitioners don't like being told what to do [spending time to think and formulate an appropriate response is vital to communication and clarity}. They often want a chance to have a say in what goes on in the training facility [Yes, you are the instructor but teaching and learning are a two way street and to allow their full involvement in all aspects promotes trust and they like it] and a chance to prove it will work. In solving dojo problems, it is better to [actively] listen than to direct. [Sometimes allowing for silence and active listening brings clarity, don't assume just because you are the instructor you are all knowing, you are not so listen and then inspire action] Teams can be formed to figure out solutions to problems and instructor can empower them to carry out the solutions. Practitioners who identify what should be done take on greater and greater responsibility for getting it done. Thus a instructor seeks to understand the problem from the point of view of the problem solvers [a good instructor leaves their ego at home and always remembers and reminds themselves that this is important; utilize their point of view to resolve, teach, and inspire] rather than force his own perspective on a solution to be understood. This helps to improve interpersonal skills among practitioners as well as between instructor and practitioners. Self-disclosure: Often sharing a relevant story of your own experiences in similar situations can prove helpful in opening meaningful dialogue. Be careful here and don't allow yourself to be too wordy. Keep stories relevant, short, concise and to the point. If you are just spouting out stories with out this in mind then you are allowing your ego to run wild. If you have a self-esteem issue you should not be teaching/instructing. The uses of such technical skills bind the interest of practitioners in their lesson and also keep both the instructor as well as practitioners up to date. If we look back on these skill sets we can see that teaching/instructing any subject/endeavor is a complicated but also unique way. A good teacher/instructor should encompass as many of these skills as possible while always "trying" to acquire and live as many as they can on a continuing basis. Teaching and Instructing require continued effort, practice, learning, and performing to achieve a level of mastery, much like karate! |
Presentation Skills for Instructors: Your success is and will be determined by your ability and skill in communicating your subject, i.e. karate skills. How you present those materials is complex and a craft of the teaching field. To be effective you have to express yourself in a manner that is conducive to learning by your students. Consider the variations of your presentation strategy such as audibility, pace/pitch/tempo, articulation and pronunciation, emphasis, pause, energy and enthusiasm, eye contact, gestures and movement, stance and confidence. audibility: projection of your voice; to throw it so all can hear clearly and distinctly; good diction; good articulation; enunciation; variety to aid in sending the proper message; invite practitioners to speak up if they cannot hear or understand. pace/pitch/tempo: monitor the basic speed or pace at which you speak; not to quickly; change pace to suit the meaning of what is said; musical quality of your voice; variability in pitch; upward inflection when sense is indefinite and downward when sense is finished; pitch change can indicate start of new thought; inflection supports meaning and for emphasis. articulation and pronunciation: pronounce words correctly - proper sounds, emphasis and sequence; form vowels and consonants correctly emphasis: for important concepts; changes to create varied and interesting presentation; verbal markers sot signal things of importance that are difficult to grasp. pause: allow time to think; avoid vocal pauses - "hum", "you know", "like", etc. energy and enthusiasm: inject physical and mental energy into what is said through voice, gestures, and general commitment to what you do; active words motivate. eye contact: maintain it with practitioners; don't focus on one spot; allow eyes to roam the audience and look into practitioners eyes; move eyes from person to person. gestures and movement: use as non-verbal behaviors have power; use naturally to assist in conveying the meaning; use to complement, not contradict, verbal communications; avoid repetitive gestures and mannerisms; move around the space; move in purposeful manner to enhance the presentation; keep movements simple unless demonstrating technique, etc.; don't be afraid to smile. stance and confidence: good posture; stand tall; appear in body language, dress, actions, etc. confidence |
Karate-Do Training SyllabusInstructor: Charles E. James GENERAL: It should be noted throughout this syllabus/lesson plan the previous one shall be included in the subsequent ones with a demonstration of "improvement" regardless of the level of said improvement. The improvement can be anywhere between "incremental" to "major" and is subjective as to both the individual being evaluated and the evaluator, i.e. the instructor/teacher (sensei). Syllabus and Lesson Plans shall be divided to cover generally those steps required between each level/grade in karate-do, i.e. each kyu grade/level all the way through the first three levels of dan grades. A lot of leeway is built into these documents so that they can stay fluid and allow for deviations due to individual needs and requirements. Training Facility: Open Space Web Page: http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~cejames/index.html A. Description: This is training/instruction of the Okinawan system of karate, specifically Isshinryu karate-do system, to achieve a level of proficiency in the learning and application of karate into both the individual’s life as well as ability to provide self protection. It is comprised of a physical and mental aspect that combined provides overall development that is used to educate and promote societal cohesion of the individual to the group to the overall good of society. B. Organization: This particular group/tribe is self supported with access to various other organizations for continued education in the art of Isshinryu. It efforts are all self contained but open to suggestions from others and other groups/organizations, etc. C. Course Objectives: Provide the most productive atmosphere of learning and the type of relationships that will provide both instructor and practitioner the most in learning and practice and training. D. Course Topics: Fundamentals, forms, and application of technique in action. Recommendations for outside studies that are not physical in nature but can be connected to the physical practice thus leading the practitioner to further enhancement and self development, etc. E. Required Supplies: Comfortable clothing and proper attitude. F. Promotional Evaluation Plan: Promotions, in general, will be a strictly private matter, i.e. between the individual and the instructor, where hours and effort are assessed for promotions. Actual evaluation’s will involve the practitioners log book, class participation and observations in class by the instructor, and privately conducted physical evaluations. [see attendance for hours break down, etc.;Note: Hours should be divided with a minimum of 50% spent on physical training and practice. The other 50% is comprised of outside activities to include academic studies.]
HOURS 10th Kyu: 0 hours, awarded upon start of first training session. LOG BOOK Logbook is maintained by the practitioner and presented to the instructor when requested for review, analysis, and evaluations as to individual progress. Types of information it may contain as a minimum are: A. Time, date, and total hours. B. Description of training/practice conducted. C. Description of particulars of instruction provided. D. Description of studies completed. E. Description of outside active attendance of such things as seminars, demonstrations, competitions for learning experience only; not winning or losing, etc., attending other training facilities (after brown belt or black belt achievement), etc.
ATTENDANCE Attendance is required to properly practice and learn a fighting art such as karate-do. Absences shall be allowed for which a medial or court excuse is provided. One absence for which advance notice is given by phone or in person will not be figured in the attendance evaluation. Any significant tardy, absence, or early departure will be figured in the evaluation and adjustment to the “hours of practice” for promotional evaluations shall be implemented. GENERAL Each practitioner shall obtain and maintain a training/practice log, which shall be reviewed periodically by the instructor and practitioner so that progress may be achieved and maintained in the event promotional considerations are considered. Accumulated hours for training and practice shall be as follows for each grade/level incremented. [Note: hours indicated are to be added to the previous hours accumulated to determine total hours of training and practice.] Hours recorded are to be hours spent in full participation in the training and/or practices of karate do. RULES OF CONDUCT In general the following site will provide the ultimate goals in regards to self behavior and individual comportment in the training facility as in life. http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~cejames/fundamentals/my-philosophy.html My personal philosophy is mine and is not provided here to influence others to follow my life goals but is provided as an example to the practitioner. It is not expected that a practitioner will develop a list or philosophy immediately but will develop it over time. It takes time and growth to achieve a complete, but never static, philosophy in karate-do but one that extends into every day life. This type of endeavor is very personal and will take time and self-examination which in and of itself takes great effort. A. No jewelry worn during training/practice sessions. B. Personal hygiene must be maintained at all times in the training facility. C. Mutual respect is absolute and non-negotiable. D. No electronic devices allowed during sessions unless approved by the instructor and set for silent alert, i.e. vibration, etc. E. Practice clothing must be maintained in proper condition at all times, i.e. clean, pressed/neat, etc. F. Arrive to training ten to fifteen minutes before the official session begins, dress, start warm-ups, etc. and create a mental condition that focuses exclusively and strictly on training and practice. G. Quiet in training sessions. H. The instructor teaches and instructs while all practitioners remain quiet and attentive. Questions are permitted when acknowledged by the instructor. I. All instruction and guidance is provided only by the instructor and only when requested by the practitioner to others not in an instructor status, i.e. instructor and designated assistant/associate instructor. Practitioners shall not voluntarily provide any guidance or instruction unless specifically required by the instructor or requested specifically by the practitioner. J. All absences should be identified and provided to the instructor as soon as practicable to provide planning for the upcoming sessions. A call, an email, a text message, etc. is all that is needed. If unable to notify prior to a session please do so soonest possible for the individuals needs, etc. K. Physical activities that incur contact between two persons shall never be allowed with out personal and close supervision by the instructor. Anyone found to violate this particular rule will be summarily dismissed from training permanently. L. EMERGENCIES A. Evacuation Procedures: See the posted requirements of the fire marshal. It will be reviewed periodically to ensure all persons know what to do and when in case of an emergency. B. First Aid: There is a first aid kit available in case of injures that is basic in nature. No one shall utilize it unless certified by appropriate authorities otherwise it remains the responsibility of professional emergency personnel to provide adequate first aid, etc. C. Calling Emergency Personnel: The emergency phone number is posted adjacent to the facility phone located at … D. TENTATIVE SCHEDULE Instruction, practice, training shall be provided at the training facility as follows: Mondays: [two to three hours minimum] Wednesdays: [two to three hours minimum] Fridays: [two to three hours minimum] There will be sessions outside this structure and will be announced as needed and as scheduled. Participation is highly/strongly recommended but not required. These will affect no evaluations or promotions but they will contribute to the hours of practice and training to the individual’s logbook. Detailed activities for the schedule are individualized. This means that the training and practice of karate-do is such that it is impossible to provide a detailed schedule of particular instruction. Each person has individual needs and requirements which makes this type of training ineffective, i.e. group instruction and evaluations, thus result in individual training, practice, and evaluations, etc. |
Evaluating for Proficiency In the log book hours based system part is devoted to the relationship of the instructor and the practitioner. In this relationship, much like a mentor to a apprentice, there are times when the instructor must evaluate the level, performance, expertise, and proficiency of his disciple. This is done on a completely private basis. Since it involves the uniqueness of an individual it is not conducive to growth to place them in "competition" with others in the training hall. Since belts are not necessary the practitioner who decides to "NOT WEAR" a belt will know their level of evaluation with out it having to be "compared" to others. I recommend this because I believe the practitioner "MUST" compete against only one person, themselves. No other persons opinion or supposed validation of another matters as each person has their own values and goals, etc. Each person shall be treated and trained in a manner unique to their person, i.e. gender, build, etc. and this extends into the evaluation process because each person with their inherently uniqueness requires consideration outside of the group where general group comparisons would be made for sessions with too many practitioners. In this environment the instructor would best consider creating more sessions vs. more practitioners per session so they can have more sessions with no more than four, maximum, to train and evaluate. LOG BOOK: In general the review of the log book is first to determine the total hours accumulated in practice and training. The hours spent in actual active physical involvement is to reach at least 50% of the total accumulated hours. Some additional necessary items that are considered are the gaps between training hall participation. To much time missing with out outside practice and training with observation and guidance can lead to bad habits, etc. At least 25% of the log hours must be academic, i.e. studies of such subjects as covered in the Chinese Ancient Classics, Okinawan history along with customs and courtesies, and other subjects that deal with philosophy, etc. Most training facilities/instructors will have a recommended reading list and I have one so if a practitioner chooses one there it will be accepted without question. SYSTEM EVALUATION The instructor will want to get together with the practitioner to have them demonstrate what has been learned to date. There is no time limit and there is no pass or fail from him/her. No witnesses, just the practitioner and instructor. It is understood that the syllabus and lesson plans are simply guides and that there is more to the arts then the minimum stated in those guides. If one attends sessions consistently; if one practices both in and out of the facility consistently then it becomes a mere formality, a means to verify what is already known and understood by the practitioner. ACADEMIC It is up to the practitioner how they wish to present to the instructor their knowledge and understanding of such things as the classics. What is recommended is either writing electronic book reports or such as publishing thoughts and understandings to a personal blog site, etc. Somewhere it can be shown that this study and learning is ongoing. Review the instructors blogs and web sites for examples of how it can be done but remember that in the end the practitioner can choose their own unique form of presentation, etc. FINAL Finally, it should be understood that the actual physical evaluation is done last. If a practitioner wishes to request an evaluation they can supply the means to check all other aspects before a date is set for the physical evaluation. It can also be understood that if one is using the Internet, i.e. blogs, Facebook, twitter, etc., to log their activity in karate-do simply supplying those URL's etc. will mean the instructor can do periodical reviews of their posts as often as possible, etc. Remember that all evaluations are kept quiet and private/confidential. The only way anyone will know of a increase in grade/level is if the practitioner themselves displays it via a belt color, etc. Otherwise the only way anyone can tell is by the actions of that practitioner on the training floor. It should be remembered that much like in life growth of this gradual kind can be hard for others who participate daily with that practitioner to discern, but, it is there. FLUID DOCUMENT: Subject to changes as sessions progress, etc. |