Category: Karate

Good to see it written down, after hearing it shouted so often.

Yay! (This was her looking formal and poised, thus missing the huge grin she had when she ran over to put on her newly-awarded belt.)

UPDATE: This should have posted last night, mutter mutter …

Two orange belts in the family. Huzzah!

So I took my test to see if I can graduate from yellow belt to orange belt.  Things went moderately well — I only felt mildly embarrassed at a couple of goofs, and Sensei told me I’d done a good job.

Margie and Katherine came to watch, and Margie took pictures.

I assure you, I looked just like this guy doing my kata, Heian Nidan — except I had a dashing beard.

I’ll find out how I did next Tuesday.  Katherine tests on Thursday.  Good luck, Kitten!

Katherine starts her second year of karate! Osu!

A foreign group sends missionaries to the US and the rest of the world. Over the years, there are disagreements about orthodoxy, about polity, about the role of democracy in the organization, versus being dictated to from overseas, of egos and revisionist history and cultural relativism and factionalism.  Next thing you know — schism, as some people declare independence, other people declare the value of tradition, and everyone takes up positions of righteousness.

No, remarkably, I’m not talking about the whole Episcopal / Anglican thing here, but the division between the Japan Karate Association / World Federation versus the Philadelphia-HQed International Shotokan Karate Federation, as the ISKF declared itself independent in July from the JKA, though some of the lead senseis (and their regions) in the ISKF are remaining with the JKA.  The JKA has created a JKA/WF-Americas group, and both they and the ISKF are cordially inviting folks to take sides.

It’s actually kind of morbidly interesting to watch, as both groups are remaining very Japanese-restrained about the whole thing, though you can read a lot of hard feelings between the lines.  I don’t know the story from the JKA side of things — the master sensei in the ISKF region I belong to is sticking with the ISKF, as is my local sensei, and, honestly, I follow the local guy (whom I deeply respect) on this — but from the ISKF side (per the summer edition of the “ISKF Spotlight”), it seemed to boil down to:

1. The JKA mother ship wanting more administrative control over the “World Federation” (out of apparent concern that the US-based ISKF was trying to take control over it).
2. The JKA wanting to charge significant membership fees to all members, internationally.
3. The JKA trying to pack the Board of Directors by adding in various folks from Japan HQ onto it, at the expense of other regions.

Nothing I can specifically find from the JKA side of things (though some of it seems to tie into organizational decisions made at last year’s JKA board meeting and this year’s, too), though the folks who decided to stay with them spoke of tradition as one of the key reasons to stick with it.

For what it’s worth, it appears, for all the calm dedication and flowery philosophy, that politics within the realm of Shotokan karate can be just as nasty and fractious as any other organization (including, sadly, religious ones) — enhanced, in some cases, by ego-conflicts over variations in style and teaching, as well as the normal one about who’s the boss of whom (and exacerbated by the “cult of personality” that develops around so many of the “teachers”).  Despite espousing lofty goals, too many of the participants are far too human.  Disappointing.

(For those with an interest in such things, there’s plenty of unrestrained drama and speculation here and here and here.  Maybe it’s just the forum format, but it reminds me unpleasantly of all the old CoH Supergroup online politics.)

All that having been said, it’s not keeping me from karate class twice a week.  Because, ultimately, I’m not into it as some sort of great philosophical truth, or because I’m looking for a guru to follow or a banner to march under.  I’m doing it because it’s good for me, and I enjoy it. ‘Nuff said.

So the way things in our dojo works is that (a) testing is done every other month (generally the third week of an odd-numbered month), and (b) at lower belt levels you need to train in class at least three months.  Which means (for those doing the math) that you’ll actually end up training at a belt level for four months.

The semi-unwritten rule, though, is that testing is at the discretion of Sensei.  You only test if he thinks you’re ready — in some ways, then, the test is the confirmation of what Sensei has already accepted.

The last few months, Sensei has been grumbling a bit about entitlement — mostly, though not exclusively, amongst the kid classes (and there mostly amongst the parents).  I.e., “Little Johnny has been in your class for four months now, so he’s entitled to test.” “But he’s not ready to test.” “Well, then, that’s your fault, he’s entitled to test and get his next belt.”

This is definitely not the tack to take with Sensei.

You may or may not see where this is going.  If not, I’ll end the suspense.  Though my three (four) months as a yellow belt would qualify me to test for orange next week, Sensei told me this evening that, no, I’m not ready to test.

I am, of course, disappointed — but more in myself than in feeling like I’ve been gypped or something.  I don’t know that I’m ready, and I have enough hints that I’m not to be more than willing to accept Sensei‘s judgment.  I’ve had the sense that he’s been watching me particularly for the past couple of weeks, so it’s not a whim on his part (nor is he the type to operate on a whim).  So if he says I’m not ready, considering both my respect for his abilities and my own awareness of my problems with various things, I bow and resolve to do better by next time.

Which, coincidentally, will be (chronologically) when Katherine would be qualified to test.  And it may be that the best lesson here will be for her — if Daddy didn’t get a pass into testing, then she (if she follows the logic) really needs to crack down a bit more at the practice.  Which practice is actually something we’ve been doing together of late, which has been kind of cool.

Karate is an interesting thing, really unlike anything else in my current activity portfolio.  Most of the things I do I’m pretty good at, by training or talent or both, and the things I’m not I tend to shy away from.  By getting involved in something like karate, which depends on talents I’m not graced with (coordination chief among them), and by doing it in the context of a regular class where my attendance is expected and I hold the teacher in respect, I have set myself up to — well, not fail, but certainly be challenged in ways utterly unlike anything else I’m involved in.

As I said the other day, karate teaches many things, and humility is definitely high on the list.

And, in turn, determination to continue to improve — to (as the dojo kun has it, among other things) seek perfection of character, be faithful, and endeavor.

If it were easy, anyone could do it.

So here’s the dilemma.

Sometimes, in karate, I’ll be doing my thang, and Sensei is busy looking elsewhere, assisting other folks, correcting them, providing them with feedback and the information and guidance they need to improve.  And there I am, I wish Sensei would give me some feedback and help me improve.

And other times, Sensei notices me, and begins to point out — always in a helpful, positive fashion — specifics I can improve, and things which, despite my fluster, I should be able to do better.  And there I am, Okay, Sensei, I’m ready for anonymity again.

There’s just no satisfying some people, I guess.

And for those who think that martial arts are somehow anti-Christian, trust me:  one learns profound lessons in humilty really well.

Meanwhile, Lone Tree Rec Center has posted big signs indicating that spectators for karate classes are not, in fact, paying customers, and so should stay off the track and equipment and instead stick to the designated observation area (a set of mini-bleachers with a corner view of the gym). Which kind of sucks, as walking around the track (and being otherwise polite and following the rules of where not to stop and which side of the track to walk on) was our favorite pass-time during Kitten’s karate class.  Harrumph.

In the course of describing events at October’s ISKF National Karate Tourney in San Francisco, Sensei mentioned that there were competitions in both katas and, for those over forty-four, katas at the “senior  level.”

Another yellow belt in my class — who has a daughter only a few years younger than Katherine — exchanged looks with me.  “I’m not old enough,” she said, echoing my own thoughts, “to be in a senior competition.”

Grats, Kitten on dinging 8b Kyu! Banzai!

Katherine had her test for Yellow Belt today. You go, girl!

Y’know … it’s been a while since I did 100 jumping jacks.

I did ’em, and all — I’m glad it was 200 — but … it’s been a while.

So Sensei handed out belts won at the testing last Thursday, and both Mary and I got our yellow belts.  Woot!

Of course, that means that we’ve gone from being utter greenhorns (to mix my color metaphors) to being folks who should know something of what we’re doing.  Which, in turn, also means that we now get to learn something new (i.e,, so that we still don’t know what we’re doing).

The next kata we learn, then, is Heian nidan (while still, of course, keeping up with our basics and our sparring and our previous kata).  For those who want to see how it should look, YouTube has numerous videos; the one below does a decent job (at full speed, then slower), as does this one.  If you want to know how I look doing it … imagine Inspector Clouseau practicing his moves with Kato …

And in case you’re wondering what all the point of these fancy moves is, this video goes through the kata with with at least one interpretation of actual “opponents.”

Anyway, it’s very cool being a yellow belt (it makes for nicer contrast to the white gi) — but we’re still (at the moment) the lowest ranked individuals in the class, so no delusions of karate grandeur here. 🙂

Did my test for Yellow Belt in karate this evening.  Another White Belt was also testing alongside me.

I felt like I did pretty well — no real goofs (except one basic move that, well, I hadn’t been taught — once Sensei explained what he was looking for, I felt I did okay).  Kata went okay, sparring went okay, basic moves went okay.

So, most likely, I’ll get my Yellow next Tuesday.  Later in the class, Sensei had Mary and me both training in the next kata, so that’s a positive sign. 🙂

On the flip side, Margie and Katherine were there (which was great).  Kitten took some stills, Margie shot video …

… and, um, well, that’s clearly something I need someone to do for me before my next test, because, well, my form is awfully sloppy, my stance isn’t what it should be, my sparring punches were weak, my kata punches were mushy, my blocks were goofed up, and overall it was … disappointing.

O wad some Pow’r the giftie gie us
To see oursels as others see us.
It wad frae monie a blunder free us
An’ foolish notion.

Ah, well.  Live and learn.  🙂