Shisei: Posture

Shisei: Posture

                It’s funny to read through so many blogs and find that the term Shisei has been misused in a few of them because the writer was saying it meant “Attitude” which in a way it does, but not the way they think. Shisei is posture or the way you hold yourself, which can be called Attitude if you look at the definition of “posture” some call it the bodies attitude…meaning how it is held…so I get the confusion, but the authors I was reading were going for the “Attitude” as in Taido…or emotional attitude…which is obviously not correct.

                When I grade students in Kyu level rankings I look for both Shisei and Taido. Of the two Taido is something that grows with time as students become more comfortable in Karate and learn to express themselves while performing Kata and Kumite. However Shisei should be taught from day one. It is often the missing link between what a student is showing you and good Kihon waza.

                When I teach good Shisei I always work on the two planes that the body work through when moving backwards and forwards. I tell my students they must maintain the Ear-Shoulder-Hip line to keep from leaning in or back and truthfully leaning back slightly is okay. When you lean forwards you end up A)Closer to the fist of the person punching you and B) losing power from the back leg. It also limits you to moving in and out and does not work well for side to side movements.

                The other plane that I work with on students the lateral plane. Students tend to lean side to side a lot when moving laterally during Tekki and when stepping sideways. The idea I tell them is that they need to keep their nose-chin-belly button in line. If they lean sideways the hip tends to jut out and you lose your momentum and power. This is a hard one as most people try to gain ground rather greedily when making a side step movement. You have to convince them that controlling Ma-ai and maintaining potential power is much more important than stepping long across the body…that can be a challenge.

                The two biggest mistakes I see are normally easy to fix once you give the student the idea and the exercises to fix them. The first is leaning in when attacking. This is normally caused by students throwing their shoulders in and sticking their butts out! The reasons and the ramifications are different. The reason I normally see is the “Boxers mentality” we have in the west. We think to have big power in our punches we need to throw our shoulders into each punch and on a straight punch that means throwing it straight forwards. The student cannot generate power from the back leg and hips/torso when they do this. To fix this issue I often put my hand on their lower back and push in, or on the back leg to illustrate were the power comes from. I also use their belt to pull them and let their shoulders “fall back”. When they attack this makes for stronger base power and they can generate more push or drive from the back leg.

                The same can be said of retreating and leaning forwards. The problem with leaning forwards as you retreat from an attack are similar to when you are moving in. You limit your ability to move laterally or on an angle and you also are much closer to the attacking weapon. It slows your ability to retreat properly and it also limits your ability to continuously move. When you starting doing Jiyu Kumite you will see that you are always on the defense and losing the matches to someone that is not that much faster to you. If you can keep your hips “under” your head you will be able to move more successfully and also defend and counter properly. This problem, as well as when attacking, is best worked out by using a Shinai and  a few extra belts. Sensei Dingman showed us this trick for teaching good posture years ago, he will tie the Shinai into the students belt in the back and then tie a belt around the students head and the top of the shinai. He then does three step or five step…or 25 step with the student monitoring and giving feedback about their posture. Once they are comfortable with the shinai Posture training he will take the stick away and guide them through proper posture while moving in and back to ensure that they don’t form bad habits again.

                Shisei also is affected when kicking, especially Yoko Kekomi and Mawashi. For some reason the students lean forwards at the waist while kicking and this greatly affects balance. During the side thrust and even side snap kick, some students will lean forwards to try and throw their leg up higher and in the Mawashi geri they will do the same. The leg may gain a few inches of height but the loss of balance and power greatly affects the efficiency and power that you can generate. Try and maintain as upright a posture or at the least as aligned a posture as is possible.

                Shisei is a great way to tell a persons skill level. If they have not been practicing they will have poor posture, and if they have had poor instruction they will reflect that in their posture. It is important to always teach proper posture, especially in very basic Kihon like Oi zuki. Keeping good Shisei will help with Balance and with power generation but it also helps with health and limits the chances of one getting injured during the work outs or kumite.

                When someone is teaching, or training, focus on shisei should always be on proper body alignment and on proper use of posture during movement, or when stationary. Bad habits will lead poor body dynamics and then to injury or to slower movement and lack of power. Shisei is truly the missing link in good Karate!

How to stop students from leaving the Dojo!

How to stop students from leaving the Dojo!

 

We have all been there as instructors, you see a kid come in and you pour your time into making them much better at Karate than they were the first day they came in. You spend hours correcting them, fixing up form, talking to them and working with them to make them the best they can be…then they play Ninja and they are gone…what did you do wrong. Well sometimes you did a lot, others a little, and most often…nothing at all!

 

If you own a martial arts club, in a gym, standalone business or a functioning program in a community center you will notice that it takes a lot of effort to get people in the door. There is actually a mathematical equation that business people use to describe the effort and finances used to bring in new students, it’s basically that 25-40% of your income will/should go back into brining in new members or contracts. So if you bring in $10,000  a year that’s $2,500 -$4,000 should be spent on marketing, getting your name in the local paper ext…..that’s a lot of money for a recreational program! How does that apply to an instructor and why should we care…well it shows how much money and effort goes into developing a student base and why throw that away by not paying attention to students who are leaving your club…they are a visual reminder of the money and effort you are dropping to stay viable.

 

Let’s look at the things you are “Selling” to the students then.  Well, we are selling the art, the curriculum, the teaching ability, character of the instructor, the “Fun factor” (which will be different for each student) the clubs environment, the elements of personality and interaction with other students (so their character as well), and many other little factors that can make or break a student’s experience in the club. Let’s face it most students are there to have fun and enjoy Karate or whatever you are teaching,  Some dream of having a black belt and others dream of just being part of a group. There are as many reasons that students join Karate as you have students!  So, how do you make them all happy?  First thing is to get to know the students and to tailor their experience in the club.

 

Let me get one thing straight however, there are many reasons that students join…and then there are many reasons that students leave Karate. Even if you are selling a high quality art like Shotokan, the instructor can teach like a mad man and the Dojo is so new it still has that “New Dojo smell” (which means no sweet filled classes yet) you may still lose students…..and probably will lose students for a variety of reasons…all of which can be countered to some degree.

 

First before we dig into the reasons why students join and leave let me outfit you with some of my ideas on how to initially counter the whole issue. The first thing you need is a solid administration policy to contact AWOL students. You MUST call them within 2 weeks of not being at a class.  This is the short time bandage. Most students who leave for short periods have valid reasons for not attending classes, but if you did not know that Uncle Ted died or that they are financially getting hit hard you cannot help them or show you care. Sometimes it is the start of a student moving away from a club because they feel unwelcome or like they don’t belong; your phone call can counter that. If they don’t respond send an Email or even write out a letter and drop it at their home. You MUST prove to them that you miss them. Students are not just like clients or customers, I like to think of them as extended family, their dues help keep the doors open, but lets face it I would teach for free in my basement if I had to, they just help keep the lights on…..CALL THEM!

 

The second tool I like to use is the “Note on the file” the note on the file should be “why they joined” or “how they heard of us”. This is a great tool for working out marketing ideas and seeing what really worked to get them in the door. Equally important the “Why they left” note.  This can be very VERY important when you are looking at writing a letter to invite back old members. If it was “Student did not have the funds to continue and would not work with us on funding” well you probably can get them back after they get the financial stability they needed…or might be able to. However if its “student had bad attitude and left after a fight with junior instructor”…well skip the letter of invite and hope they have a better time at someone else’s Dojo. This “Exit note” can also help you fix issues in the club that you were not sure of previously. If the student felt uncomfortable as an instructor under your program makes them feel uncomfortable due to sexual advances or over aggressive behavior you know you have an issue that needs fixing NOW and you can probably fix it and get a few students back…and avoid issues with a poor instructor down the road.

 

Now lots of money has gone into researching why people leave the martial arts and how many have trained in it. It’s a staggering number to be frank. In Canada nearly 35% of adults and children have trained in a Martial art (this includes Karate, Kung Fu, Judo, Tae Kwon Do and others) and only 1.8% of the people are currently training in the Martial arts…so what does this mean numbers wise. Well we have 35.16 Million people in Canada ( as of 2013), that means nearly 12.26 Million people have taken martial arts (give or take a few) and only 630,288 still participate across Canada in ALL martial arts. WOW that’s a HUGE drop in participants. But it is important to point out that the biggest number of drop outs is at white belt! So they dip their toes in and for one reason or another…they leave.

 

Roughly 86% of students who attend your classes will drop out! That’s a CRAZY turnover rate. However it’s also very important to note most will drop out as a white belt and NEVER be contacted by an instructor or admin….so the reason they leave is often they feel like they don’t exist in a club. Most admins and instructor I talk to say that they felt that the financials of training or the time needed to train was just to much were they the people left. Unfortunately this is NOT TRUE at all. Research shows that the top reason a student leaves the club is not finances really, its that they had more personal or job commitments that came up and they had to leave training for work or for family.

 

This is no surprise as we see it in the instructors who have sudden bumps in their work schedule. The easy fix to this has always been to be flexible…have enough classes that they can attend once a week for a few months till things quiet down…or make things easy for them by having different programs all around the city so they can go and train for an hour and de-stress…oh, and it’s so important to point this aspect out to the students to. The major killer of men and women in their 40s and 50s today is STRESS!

 

The next reason that students leave is moving away from the Dojo. So they used to live 5 minutes from the club, now its more like an hour. Well if you have a working relationship with other clubs around the province then you can always direct the student to a new instructor….why don’t instructors do that….well its pride and ego mostly. I have no issue with sending students to other instructors if they can’t train at one of our clubs. I have referred students to great instructors I know if they are moving out of town…why not. I’m not able to keep them and if I ever cared about them I would prove it by setting them up to continue training, hell they may come back to your town at some point and instead of that long layoff they are that much farther ahead…its really a win win for you.

 

The next reason they leave…they lost interest. To counter this, which is only 18% of the people who leave by the way, is to find out why they signed up in the first place!  In general the majority of the time (54-60%) of the time people leave for things that are beyond our control, but we can still help them and possibly get them back in the end if we are smart instructors. However that leaves about 35-40% of the time that an instructor can adjust and help the students out.

 

Roughly 18-20% of the time students just lose interest. They stop wanting to train because classes are to hard, or not hard enough…far too serious or not serious enough. The instructor should have a variety of programs set up to help those that want different things. In the old days we had “all levels and seniors” and that was it. Now clubs have “sport track, All levels basics, seniors training, Tiny Tigers, kick fit…” and a tone of other programs. In my mind that’s to much. However the instructor should be open to suggestion and watch the students, they need to pay more attention to the students and try to work to make them happier.

 

One encouraging aspect of learning why students quit training is that most of them stop when the “Program ends”.  Basically this means they sign up for a 10 week class and when it is done they are as well. They don’t have options to move to a real club and continue training. They wanted to dip their toes into the Martial arts pool and that was enough for them. We can’t do much about this and statistically it’s a blip, nothing we should worry about, but it does drive the numbers up. Keep in mind that if you DO have a 10 week program it should be used to promote the regular program and you need to be aggressive about this from the get go or you will find that your 10 week program is just a money grab, not something you should strive for if you need long term gain and really care about the students.

 

One other encouraging thing is that only 5-7% of students drop out because of financial reasons. This means that A) your classes show they have value and B) the thought that you are charging to much is unfounded. I have had conversations with students about the cost of classes and our Dojo, after a bit of research…is drastically under charging for classes, and we don’t mind this. Other clubs charge kids $109 a month to train three to four times a week, we charge about $40 on average and they can train often 5-6 times a week. Now this has no effect on our classes to be frank. I don’t know if we raised the prices if we would get more or less students…but it’s a great counter to the Admin that says “Oh, they won’t buy that or come because it’s too expensive”.

 

That mentality has been proven wrong again and again. The one thing however is that statistically it’s not true, but some students will fall back on it as an excuse…when you dig a bit more you see other things are the real reasons. One time we were having a hard time selling Dojo bags and I asked around to students as to why we are not selling them well. Of the 10 I asked five initially said “to expensive” the others said they did not need one. I went back and re-asked and probed and to the person they said that it was not really the expense but that we sold similar product year round and the design was not exciting to them. A different approach was then taken and we sold different articles and tried to change up Tee shirts…they sold like hot cakes when presented properly.

 

So now for a bit of math…or an algorithm for success….a successful school will attract a positive number of new students each quarter, they will lose a minimum of students each quarter and they will gain back old students each year. Lots and lots of money goes into drawing in new students. Your very life as an instructor depends on this. Next, you have to keep your students happy and training and of course if they leave…you need to get them back! That’s basic Dojo 101 recruitment and retention!

 

Here is another equation you can do to see if you are working in the positive or need to do more work…..Take all the students that you had at this time last year, add all the new students who enrolled in the 12 months. Compare that sum to what you currently have for students. You are doing very well if you see a less than 35-40% difference in the numbers.

 

The retention program will serve as your success factor in your Dojo. A good retention program starts off the minute that your student signs up by asking them specific questions on the form and ensuring it is filled out…even if its after by you. Find out why they started. IF they say they want to be an MMA star…well don’t expect them to stick around. If they say they wanted to get in shape and learn some self-defense…well they will probably stick around for a while. Now, once they leave…find out why and mark it down. The most common reasons for leaving are that they lose interest, but keep in mind that most students don’t want to hurt your feelings, so dig a bit deeper and let them know you are trying to be better yourself, you can only do this with their help.

 

Some other factors you can work on without the input of students right off is to add extra training days or to put in extra classes on the days you are teaching, if you have a standalone Dojo. This allows for at least one argument to be squashed. By adding the extra classes and possibly a variety of different classes you will increase the available time to train. This is the principle of 24 hour gyms as well. To increase membership and counter arguments that there is not enough training flexibility you simply add classes and to do so you may have to bring in or up instructors to do so, but it will pay off in the end.

               

Variety in teaching is another way to help build class retention. I learned a long time ago from Dingman Sensei that you need to attack the same subject over and over again…but from different angles. If you are working a lot on Hip rotation you can do it with drills, reps, point it out in Kata and Kumite or you can just go at it from use in self-defense situations. Our style is big on practice of Kihon, but that does not mean that we ONLY do Kihon. Make the classes different and exciting and you will develop a following. Also, remember not to become a university professor and lecture the whole time. Yes, tell stories but NO Don’t go on and on and on….I hate those classes myself!

 

Another aspect that most instructors seem to forget is to build a positive relationship with EACH student. This means talking to them and getting to know them a little. Take the time to get to know something about each student in your class and be supportive, encourage them and talk to them as humans. Far to often I see instructors blow into a club, hide in the corner or office, come out and dictate a class then disappear again…and Yes, I am an introvert so this has been an issue with me as well. I make the effort to talk to students and get to know them and even socialize when I can with them…which is not often enough.

 

Also, try and have a POSSITIVE relationship means complimenting them, giving them positive feedback along with constructive critiques. Instructors are often feared because we are the “Bad guy” in the club. This should not be the case, we should be the inspiration and positive role model, not the guy that yells a lot and puts them down. Also, you need to let them know you are invested in their success. Its what makes you different from the other sport activities. Lets face it if a Little League coach did not see the same kid next year…probably not going to break his heart. But for you it should! And you should let the student know this. Heck…Gym management 101 is to push memberships once a year then pray that you don’t see them again till you send out the year end reminder to them…in a Dojo it does not work this way at all.

 

Some last things to look at would be to really build special events into your yearly curriculum. Hold annual events like special training, seminars, a year end wind up and other events. This build comradery and allows you to show your appreciation of the students and volunteers in your program at least once a year. Seminars and special training events are great ways to focus on progress in students. This is a great way to push a goal oriented process and not seem like you are just taking money for a work out class. Also, monitor students and be careful when approaching problems in your club. Talk to them and find out what is going on.

 

The last thing you need to focus on to have a good program and retain students is Ranking or Promotion. Too often clubs become belt factories and you see students race up to black belt and then disappear. Also, I have seen were ranks are given out to only males or grading is so strict and ridiculous that you lose members simply because you are pushing far too hard. You need that balance; strict standards and strict time limits, but not so strict. One idea is also to make upper level ranking probationary. Not my favorite but some clubs will give brown belts a probation period or Dan ranks a probation period so they don’t get a rank then jump ship. Again… not my favorite.

 

So, as you can see, Retention and Recruitment work hand and hand and the only way to be successful is to be open minded, talk to students and most importantly listen and take notes. Your Dojo depends on you being proactive and not reactive to membership numbers. Set up a solid marketing program and a solid retention policy with your admin and yourself and push to gain more than you lose! That’s the true focus of a successful Maratial arts program.

 

 

The story of Ito, Soto and Sakukawa: or why Kihon is important

The story of Ito, Soto and Sakukawa: or why Kihon is important

                When I was younger and had my own club that I taught at ,I used to have a dedicated “Kids” class, not a Tiny Tigers class but an under 16 class that was very popular. I had a fair amount of younger kids that wanted to goof off and do “Karate tricks” all the time and did not understand why we did so much work on basics. I had read or been told a story a long time before that about why Kihon waza was so darn important, but I could not find it when I went looking. So, as a writer I figured I would just make up the story. It was so popular that I ended up telling  it at summer camp every year as a fun moment with the kids classes.

                I figured that it would be good to post this one so that any future instructors who have a lot of kids in a club could use it as well, and you fully have my permission to take it and use it, use parts of it or what have you. The important thing about this story is that you are very animated when doing it, the kids will LOVE it if you can do it well!

 

The Story of Sakukawa Kanga and why Kihon is so darn important!

                One day in the Kingdom of Ryukyu on the island that is now Okinawa a pirate from Shanghai, who was shipwrecked, came upon a small village called Chatan. Chatan was well known as a peaceful fishing village outside of the capital of Shuri in what is now the capital Naha. The head man was Imura Peichin who was a great friend of the teacher of the royal guard in Shuri, Takahara Peichin.

                The Pirate Chan had been known for his cruel nature and his penchant for challenging others to duels or fights. He had studied martial arts from several masters in China and had even studied for a time at the famous Shaolin Temple under Master Po! His spirit and ferocity in battle was well known and he was a man to be feared!

                When he happened upon the village the first thing he did was go to the local tavern and order food and drink that he knew he could not pay for. He ate all the food and drank till he was full and no longer thirsty. When the bar made came to request payment he put his hand up and said, “I do not have money, but I will challenge and beat any man in here and the rest can cover my expenses as a payment for the entertainment”! No one took the bully up on his challenge so he started pushing the others in the bar and bullied the owner. Finally he found someone that would challenge him, a local fisherman that had enough of his bullying.

                Chan took the man outside and a crowd formed around them. The fisherman was much stronger than Chan but the fight was over quickly as Chan had years of training in martial arts and the fisherman had none. When it was done and the man was unconscious on the dirt street, Chan went about taking all his money and his clothing and left the man in his underwear on the street. Chan repeated this process at each of the businesses up and down the main street of town. He had bested 12 men by the time the day ended.

                The town finally went to Imura Peichin and complained of the barbarian Pirate that stole the men’s clothing and money. Imura Peichin sat and was told the stories of how Chan would walk in and eat or try on clothing, get his hair cut or whatever service the business was giving and then instead of paying he would challenge anyone in the room to a fight for the payment. By the last business his pockets were full of money and he had a large bundle of clothing with him. Many men had to run home almost naked to their wives and family with no money and having to explain the embarrassment they felt to the family.  Imura needed to act, but he was an old man, most of his day he was busy doing administration and paper work, he had not protected the town in many years from any one. And it was Chatan.. a peaceful village! He knew he needed help!

Imura Peichin wrote a quick note to his good friend in Shuri to send help immediately. He wrote a letter to the great Master Takahara Peichin, the master who taught the imperial guard and body guards how to fight. He was wise and even at his advanced age he was known to be fast and powerful, surely he could come and put Chan in the stockades and see him off the island on the next ship to China! Imura Peichin sent the letter off to Shuri with the fasted courier he could find!

 

The letter reached master Takahara Peichin in his Dojo in Shuri. Tahakara was teaching his three pupils in the court yard when the runner came in and bowed deeply, handed Takahara the letter and then turned and left. After reading the letter Takahara called his three students over to talk to them.

Takahara first read the letter to the three, he read “Takahara Peichin, we are in need of your assistance with the horrible Pirate Chan who has been plaguing our village. Chan will beat up the locals with his martial arts skills and then take their clothing and money. We need your help!”.  Master Takahara put the letter down and turned to his students and asked which of them he would send to the village.

Of Master Takaharas students he had Ito the nimble, Sato the grand and Sakukawa Kanga, who was not known as anything but Sakuakawa Kanga. Ito was fast, explosive and had dynamic techniques, he would strike the hanging bag and kick hanging makiwara that were well above his head. Sato was large, powerful and could crush brick with his mighty hands; he used the makiwara post daily and would wrestle with local Sumo to challenge himself.  And last was Sakukawa Kanga, Sakukawa would practice all day basics and did not fight or wrestle.

                Takahara Sensei asked again who would go and Ito the nimble jumped up and bowed deeply, “give me the honor O-Sensei” said Ito in a quick and nimble move. Takahara bowed deeply to Ito as Ito spun and rushed out the gates to go to Chatan to face Chan! Ito was full of confidence because he knew he was the fastest man on the island and he had amazing form and techniques that shocked and entertained everyone.

His techniques and jumping were well known all over the island and many came to watch his public work outs because of his flying movements and his ducking. His favorite Kata was Wanshu (empi) and he would shoot in and the back, jump high and duck down low, his movements were often so fast it was said that Ito the nimble would move faster than the eye could see. He knew he could beat Chan and send him back to China.

                As he flew down the path to Chatan to face Chan he jumped up on tree stumps and flipped in the air to land and sprint off, ducked under over grown tree foliage and then sprung up on his hands to finish his vaulting over a puddle. His moves were nimble and he was quick as the wind. He was very confident this would not take long and he would be back for dinner. He spun in the air and landed at the opening of the trail on the edge of Chatan. He could see the whole main street with its small huts and then the larger huts as the town opened up to the sea and business pocked the open ground, placed specifically  like that so fishermen were tempted to stop in and spend their pay on their way home.

                Ito the nimble pulled at his pants and knocked off some trail dust from his jacket, finally adjusting his Obi as he took his first step into the township he was there to save. Full of pride and ego he walked towards the huts that served as the bar district, he could hear a commotion as he approached and knew it was probably Chan making short work of some slow and unskilled fisherman! Ito became excited thinking about the great battle he was about to win and add to his legend in the annals of the Ryukyu Kingdome! He would be the greatest warrior in all the land!

                Ito came upon a group in a circle and noted that they were totally oblivious to his presence. He stuck his head in between two large drunk fishermen and what he saw was amazing. A Chinese man was beating a large fisherman with a drinking cup! The fisherman was lunging with a boning knife and missing every time as the Chinese would pivot and move away from the larger lunging man then counter by smashing the cup into his hand or head. The fight was a farce as the Chinese was soundly beating the larger man.

                Ito took two steps back and launched himself off of a tall box he had half climbed onto the backs of two of the observers and then flipped in the air, landing in the circle and half crouching, he looked like a wild beast as he crouched with looking at the ground for dramatic effect. He said “Chan! I am here to arrest you in the name of the King of the Ryukyu Nation”. He paused for dramatic effect and then looked up.

                Chan had dispatched the fisherman and was now standing with his hands on his hips and a look of entertainment about him. He was scoffing at Ito and kicking some of the dirt that made up the road they stood on. “oh, finally, some real fun….I was afraid that the town had dried up of all those that could challenge me! And whom are you sir”?  Chan shuffled about a little, not as if he was nervous, actually it was the opposite! He was excited and a tad impatient to get on with the fight.

                “I am Ito, the nimble from Shuri Castle, here to arrest you and bring you to justice for your crimes”. Ito said standing and now trying to mimic the cool and calm nature that Chan was projecting, both men alive with anticipation on the inside however. “I will arrest you and give back the money to these people, and their dignity” he said looking at a few men who were now almost naked, and then looking over to the pile of clothing that Chan had obviously collected.

                “hmmm, if you can best me then not only will I come with you to the castle to be arrested and tried, I will give back the money freely as well as the clothing and bow deep to these men with the utmost respect for Ryukyuians!, However, if you cannot best me, I will take your money and your clothing and continue to see the Ryukyu kingdom as the weak men of Asia!” Chan said with a glint in his eye.

                Both men took up fighting postures. Ito with his high low guard and Chan with a casual single hand extended and his other hand on his hip, Ito then flew at him throwing punches and kicks in a blurring of lines. Each movement snapped out and then a second was following right behind it, the movement shot up and down and then the spinning and jumping began as Ito moved in a moment from fully standing to on the ground sweeping the legs of Chan and then standing back up and jumping.  But each time he moved Chan was countering and moving around Ito all at one level, he shifted and brought his leg up to avoid being swept, then blocked kicks and punches with his extended hand and never once was he struck.

                Ito tired and just as he felt the fatigue of his style of fighting taking affect, Chan countered a beautiful jumping front kick by catching Ito and dropping him firmly on his back. The air rushed out of Ito and he realized he had lost. Chan had bested “Ito the nimble” by using angles and patience and not trying to counter speed with speed, but rather having better distance and timing. Ito could not breath or move, he simply felt Chan take his Obi, his money wallet and his shoes off. Chan took his fine silk jacket and finally removed the last of Ito’s clothing.

Ito was embarrassed and now had to go back to master Takara and show that he could not beat Chan and he had let down the school and his master. He now walked back to Shuri slowly with his head down, crushed in body and spirit by the Chinese pirate Chan!

 

Master Takahara was told of the defeat before Ito got back to Shuri, he was surprised and sad to hear that Ito had lost such a battle against the Chinese pirate.  Master Takahara had never faced such an issue before. Normally his students were fantastic magistrates and brought in whomever they were sent to arrest. He paced back and forth in his private quarters for some time and then sat and called for his students and some Tea.

Sato and Sakukawa came into his sitting room and knelt before Takahara to await their master’s orders. Takahara told the two of what had happened to Ito and how one of them must now take on the task of arresting Chan for the good of the village and the Ryukyu kingdom!

While Sakukawa sat silently and pondered the situation, Sato jumped up and puffed out his broad chest and said “The choice is obvious, is it not?”, He flexed his large upper body with each word he uttered “Ito was to tiny and had no strength, I am the strongest here and I will go and destroy this Chan fool with my power and strength, I will wrestle him to the ground and tie him up, he will be in Shuri Castles Jail come morning!”. Takahara nodded and Sato’s large bulk bowed deeply and then spun and out the door he went!

 

Sato “the Great” Lumbered down the same Trail that Ito had jumped and skipped down the day before. His hulking frame knocking over smaller foliage and brushing aside tree branches. He even stopped to remove a tree that had fallen on the trail. His large hands clasping the tree and then wrestling it back and forth he broke the trunk of the tree and tossed the rest of the tree aside.

Sato moved as quickly as his large frame allowed him and small animals shot out from under brush and then ran away in fear of the large man’s heavy footed advancement down the trail.  He day dreamed of getting Chan in a bear hug and squeezing, listening for the sharp snapping of ribs, the cry of pain and the gushing of air as it exited the Chinese man’s lungs. Then when the Chinese pirate was unconscious he would tie him up and bring him to the castle. He would prove that strength and power was more impressive than a little speed. What a fool Ito was to think his tiny frame would be able to work on the Chinese pirate. Sato would crush him.

Sato came to the same clearing entrance to the town that Ito had been down the day before, but Sato took a lot longer to get down that path. It was morning now and the sun was coming out from behind some clouds, the fishing village was coming to life. Small children helping their mothers getting the ready for the men to leave for a day of fishing, the men stirring and starting to prepare for a hard day on the ocean. Satos large frame stopped many of them in their path.

Sato crossed the large open area, moving smoothly but not quickly. He found a small village restaurant and sat down, ordered tea and breakfast for two, his appetite often was MUCH more than the locals would normally have. While eating his breakfast he noted that a small Inn looked abandoned, it was unusual for these Inns not to be full and bustling this time of year. After paying his bill and drinking the last of his tea he stood up and walked over to the Inn. The front door was wide open and the owners were busy serving the soul guest, a Chinese with his back to the door. The food that sat on the table was expensive and the Chinese seemed to pick at it as if he was board! Reading a book and ignoring the scared Inn owner “Chan the pirate” was the only one in the room.

“CHAN the Pirate, I am Sato the Great and I have come to arrest you and take you to Suri Castle” Sato said hulking up his body and spreading his shoulders out to illustrate his mass. “Come with me if you know what is good for you…but I would much rather teach you a lesson before you come”! Sato said to emphasize that he wanted to fight the Chinese pirate.  “I will beat you, I will crush you and then you will give back the money you have stolen and that pile of cloths will go back as well” pointing to the clothing pile that was in the corner of the room.

Chan, without turning, said “hmmm, if you can best me then not only will I come with you to the castle to be arrested and tried, I will give back the money freely as well as the clothing and bow deep to these men with the utmost respect for Ryukyuians!, However, if you cannot best me, I will take your money and your clothing and continue to see the Ryukyu kingdom as the weak men of Asia!”. He then got up and turned to look at the Hulking frame of Sato, and a glint appeared in his eye.

Sato pivoted, hitting both sides of the door with his massive shoulders, and marched out into the street. Chan followed with a bit of a skipping step. A crowd had formed because the Inn owner had run out and caught many of the men leaving to fish for the day, and they formed a circle around the two men. Sato took off his top and showed his massive frame, with his powerful muscles flexing in the sunlight. Chan kicked up some dirt and threw back his jacket to form a deep fighting stance.  Both men circled each other for a few minutes, then Sato lunged in trying to grip the Chinese pirate, who for the most part would zip just outside of Satos grip and throw snappy kicks at Satos elbows or legs.

After a short while Sato was getting tired and sweat was pouring down his back and face. The large man could not grab ahold of the allusive Chinese and his energy was starting to wane. His body was slick with sweat and he began to gasp and gulp air. Every time he lunged in the Chinese would slip out of reach and kick him in the elbow or knee and these little strikes hurt and caused him to wince.

After 20 minutes Sato was exhausted, all his extra bulk and strength was nothing compared to Chans ability to keep him at a distance and his speed. Finally in one last attempt to get his hands on Chan, Sato dug down deep and lunged out with all his strength and flailed his arms in a scissor motion to try and grab ahold of the smaller man, he caught air and the felt the ground rush up and meet him. He was spent, his energy was gone and he could not even roll over to face his opponent.

The Chinese pirate laughed and went about taking Satos rich silk clothing and his money purse. Sato was embarrassed and exhausted. His body ached and his head swam with disappointment and embarrassment. He would make the long walk back to Shuri later that day and he would have to face his master. But for now he simply laid on the ground defeated.

 

Back in Shuri Master Takahara received word that Sato had been defeated by Chan and was on his way home, with no money or clothing. He was very upset and began to prepare to face the Chinese outlaw himself. He walked out into the court yard and saw young Sakukawa practicing Kata. His Kata was not as flashy as Ito, it had a very basic feel to it. He also was half the size of Sato and did not present an overly powerful frame. But Sakukawa had always been a diligent student, not flashy or powerful, but very dedicated to polishing basics and understanding movement.  While Sato would travel around doing his wrestling and challenging others, Sakukawa was at the Dojo hitting the Makiwara, doing Kata and putting in hours of Kihon work. While Ito was out partying and then showing off with his flashy dynamic movements, Sakukawa was at the Dojo polishing his very basic movements and cleaning the Dojo for the master.

Takahara knew that Sakukawa was a great student, but could he better someone that had made Ito the nimble and Sato the great both fail and be embarrassed?  Takahara decided he must send his last student to face Chan or he would have to do it himself. Takahara sat and took up a position watching Sakukawa perform his very basic Kata and work on his basics. Finally he called him over, “ Sakukawa, go to the village were your brothers went and take Chan into custody if you can. This is very important for us so please capture him and bring him in”.

Sakukawa stopped and put his broom down, he had just been finishing taking the sand off of the Tatami when Master had called to him. Sakukawa bowed deeply and turned and left the Dojo. He brought with him only the cloths off his back and some money to eat while out of town and he walked carefully down the path on his way to Chanan. Sakukawa partially meditated along the way, he thought of what had already happened and why the others had failed. Sato was large and powerful, infact he had crushed Sakukawas strong hands once in a hand wrestling competition and Ito….well Ito moved like lightning. How would he face this challenge. Surely he could not be stronger than Sato and faster than Ito…

 

Sakukawa came to the same clearing that opened up into the town, the same clearing that Ito and Sato had come into. He stood for a short time and took in the view, the boats on the bay all fishing and the families rushing around getting groceries and goods so when the men came in they had something to eat. This was truly a nice small village.  Sakukawa walked towards the tea house and sat on the outside porch waiting to see Chan make his appearance.

At first Chan seemed rather jovial and playful, he danced with the children of the village and he only mildly accosted the ladies. Sakukawa watched as he jumped around and then ran up to children and poked their nose. He had good speed and he was strong enough to jump very high, but Sakukawa did not think he was as fast as Ito or as strong as Sato, it must have been his style of fighting that made him best the other two. 

After a short while Sakukawa stood and paid his bill and marched off in the direction of the Pirate Chan. Once he was in ear shot he politely asked if the gent before him was Master Chan of China?  The startled Chinese pirate spun on his heels then caught himself and chuckeled as he bowed very dramatically “guilty of this my friend” he said once again standing straight up. “And I suppose you are another magistrate sent to calm the village and remove me to your kinds home for holding until a boat can take me back to China”?  Sakukawa politely bowed and nodded to indicate that this was correct.

Well, I will give you the same deal I gave your friends and others that have come here after me. If you can best me in combat I will give everyone back their clothing and money and follow you to the stalk aide and away being sent home. But if you cannot…I will take your money and clothing and add them to my collection. With that Chan jumped over a barrel of water and stood in a fighting crouch waiting for Sakukawa to attack. For his part Sakukawa simply walked over and bent down, picked up some dirt and then tossed it to the ground.

Chan circled Sakukawa and tried to size up the law man. He was not overly tall, nor did he look very strong. Sakukawa did not have the large muscles or quick frame of his counterparts. This would indeed be a interesting puzzle to solve. As he found himself behind Sakukawa he launched himself at the magistrate and attempted to kick him directly in the spine….but all he found was air. The foot lunged past the Okinawan and landed hard on the ground, Chan felt the pain of the ground meeting his foot come back at him. Sakukawa had simply side stepped the attack. And it began.

The fight lasted much longer than Ito’s had and less than Sato. The more Chan attacked the less that he landed. Finally Sakukawa threw a perfectly timed front kick and it landed square in Chans chest, he followed it with a beautiful reverse punch with the single knuckle landing again in Chans solar plexus. The air wooshed out of Chans lungs as he barked and pulled for air that was not coming. With the exhaustion of the fight he needed the oxygen and finally he simply just passed out.

Sakukawa had won using the first kick and the first punch he had ever learned. The waza that he repeated every day thousands of times over and over again. Finally Sakukawa woke Chan and offered him some water. The Chinese took the water and bowed deeply. “there will be no need to bind me master, I will come along of my own free will having been beaten by you soundly.” And with that Chan the horrible pirate followed Sakukawa back to Shuri castle to await the boat that would take him home.

               

With the arrest of Chan, Sakukawa Kanga had developed a solid reputation and upon returning to his master he was achnowledged as one of the best Karate men in Okinawa. He was given the name sakukawa Tode or as we know him now…”Karate Sakukawa” and he became the master of Matsumura Sokon who taught Azato Anko….who was in turn the master of Funakoshi Gichin, the founder of Shotokan Karate.

And the moral of the story is you must practice the very basics of Karate until they are natural and flow from you. Don’t get to fancy or rely on strength to dominate a opponent. If they have mastered the true art of Karate…the very basic foundation of Karate…you will not beat them and they will expose your weakness every time.