Describing Karate using the laws of thermodynamics!

 

 

                Yes, you read that correctly! I will be attempting to describe Karate to you using the laws of thermodynamics. Well Actually I will be using thermodynamics to answer some of the more common questions I get about Karate from people that are looking to Join Karate or those observing different Shotokan groups and wondering why they see what they see…and also its kind of geek cool to look at it using this.

                Before I go there I have to do some quick review  with you about the laws of thermodynamics and then you will start to see how they apply to the vast differentiation of styles, both personal and systematic in Karate. The laws also start to show how and why this occurs and explains why it is PERECTLY NORMAL AND OKAY to have different ideas, different techniques and how being creative and different is good. I will also start to throw in some ideals that I learned growing up in Karate to show that the idea of creativity is important in Karate and how our more modern practice of conformity is bad for Karate and stifles our potential.

 

                The laws of thermodynamics define the fundamental physical quantities that characterize a thermodynamic system. This closed thermal system is kind of like  a Dojo or auditorium that has Karate black belts training in it, let’s say doing Kata. The laws explain some very interesting things that can be applied to different sciences outside of Thermodynamics; such as genetics, but for our purposes we will be sticking to Karate.

                So Thermodynamics have three laws that we will look at Zeroth law, and the first and second laws. The Zeroth Law states “if two systems are both in thermal equilibrium with a third system, then they are seen as in equilibrium with each other. Basically if your Kata looks like another students Kata and their Kata looks like the instructors Kata…then your Kata looks like the instructors Kata….simple right. Well only to a degree. Basically its more of an overall for Karate. If my Kata looks like our national instructors Kata and his looks like the world instructors Kata then my kata is the same as Ueki Sensei’s kata…probably not but it’s a gross generalization that we are looking for anyways and we found it using this.

                Basically the Zeroth law is how we form systems and styles in Karate and to a certain degree how we form Karate vs Kung fu or other systems that have forms in them. Our Karate looks like Karate, so if your Karate looks like someone else’s Karate…well its Karate. That’s a grand scale kind of thing.  Think of it this way, if you have a room full of Karate people all from different styles you will be able to tell the difference between the different styles as an observer from a medium distance, but once you go into a faraway view of the room and watch them all doing Kata you will see one thing…Karate! If you were to  introduce a Kung fu person in white doing a slightly different form you would see him no problem as being different, from further out however you would see a vast sea of white movement and think “ah, Karate”.

                The damage occurs to this closed system in equilibrium when you start moving in on it and analysing the different movements of the individuals. You would first see the Kung fu guy and then the Goju guys would look different from the Shuri style guys….then the differences of Shito and Shoto groups would come into view, then finally you would see the difference in Asai style guys and JKA or SKA Karate ka. 

                Basically this law states that when observed the similarities of one to the next is only confirmed when you view the similarities of those two to a third body. So the root JKA stylist will look similar to a ISKF guy and a IKD guy will look similar to an ISKF guy so the IKD guy is similar to the JKA guy. That is the law of Zeroth in a confusing little nut shell that you can forget now.

                Now I am going to use the second laws to describe why variation is a good think in Karate and how it actually benefits the greater good over conformity of style and training. Its also why having multiple instructors with different skill sets and different approaches excites me as a student and why I feel, as a head instructor, its important for students to be exposed to different ideas and different teaching….after they have a solid base and foundation in training.

 

                The first real law of thermodynamics has to do with energy and its very important in Karate…but not in what I am trying to write here, nor is the third, which again is really cool and can be applied to Karate (see what I did their….no…ready about the third law and you will chuckle) so I am going to jump to the second law and how it applies to Karate and the growth and creativity we need as individuals in Karate.  

 

                Before I get into the second law of thermodynamics let me explain a key component to the understanding of this law and how it applies to Karate…Entropy. Entropy is a degradation of the matter and energy in the universe to an ultimate state of inert uniformity. It’s a process of degradation or running down to a trend of disorder. In essence it chaos from order! Easy enough eh! No?  Okay think of it this way, the natural trend of things is to start off very ordered, the system is in perfect harmony and all objects or structures are not just similar, they are the same! Then over time and as things progress they degrade and start to change, sometimes big changes and sometimes small changes and then you have “chaos”. 

                First thing we need to address is that “Chaos” is not a bad thing, well in some instances. Chaos is the defining component of creativity and change! Chaos is another way of saying Randomness or without pattern or predictability. In Biology Chaos is often called Evolutionary Synthesis. Let’s face it that’s a good thing! Without randomness in evolution we would not be here! As Hominids we grew out of lesser Bipeds and continued to evolve into…well us. Without the random selection of genetic selective in our evolutionary path to “us” we would still be clubbing dinner and not yet figuring out how to read or do math, sciences or even cook proper Yorkshire pudding!

                So, what the heck does Entropy or Chaos have to do with Karate and our evolution to what we train in now….well its about selection and changes, personal spins on ideas and growth and development of basic fundamentals…then learning to express them in specific ways. Entropy and chaos are not absolute however, and this is very important.

When you have complete chaos and complete variance on key fundamentals in biology you develop a runaway body that is acting against the purpose of the cells that it in habits, or cancer! In Karate you have off shoots that don’t look anything like the original at all, like Shuri Te! (note, I am NOT comparing Shuri Te to cancer…not really….its nothing like Cancer!).

Entropy and Chaos must be introduced in small doses for it to be effective and for the alternative system to survive and prosper. So in this case when Shotokai and Shotkan gave burth to the SKA system under Oshima it was similar enough to both and held the same principles that it looked rather like Shotokan and rather like shotokai but unique enough to be different, but survive. When Kanazawa or Asai changed their system of Karate to be variations of JKA system Shotokan they survived because they were similar enough to the origin that they looked and sounded like Shotokan but they broke several rules to become separate systems.

In mainstream Karate and even more so in Shotokan style Karate the level of entropy is minimul, you will see some change between an ITKF student and a JKA style student or a ISKF black belt and a JSKA Student but if you compare them to a similar style like Shito Ryu you see a massive amount of entropy. Get them to do Bassai Dai/Passai Dai and watch the differences! If you put the Shito Ryu student in with people who are ITKF and JKA you will see the vast differences in the Shito to Shoto guys, but strangely the level of entropy from the ITKF/JKA students seem minimal. Now remove the Shito student and have the two students do Kanku Dai. The Entropy levels seem to raise…but its perception.

                Entropy means change with in a closed system. In this case Karate is one system, Shuri Te root style would be the next enclosed system and then Shoto styles the last. Entropy is not a bad thing. It’s the minor changes in Kata, the changes in approach, Kihon changes or the dynamics of a system, even the way that they are presented that create variance that we see as Chaos but really should be seen as creativity.

 

                Okay, now that we kind of understand Entropy/Chaos and how it’s a good thing lets look at the second law of Thermodynamics and how it can directly apply to Karate and our training. The second law of Thermodynamics basically states that the entropy of the universe is always increasing. So entropy of any isolated system increases spontaneously and evolves towards thermal equilibrium. For us I will break it down. The alterations and changes in Karate will continue to develop and grow until new systems and ideas develop that break away from the normal standard and established system. This…is a good thing.

                One way to look at this is that a system that is constantly changing in a vacuum that has no access to the root system will continue to change unabated until it’s a new system.  In the law of thermodynamics it states specifically “lack of order or predictability; gradually decline into disorder.  In essence it is inevitable when you add unknown quantities to a system , like the individual and unique thinking and perspectives of individuals, that the system will adapt and change and subsystems will grow out of the root system that look similar but often have unique qualities that make them different. This is how different sub systems are created and why not everyone is doing Shotokan and JKA system Karate or why we are not all doing Shorin ryu or some other ancient style.  Entropy and specifically the second law of thermodynamics explain why evolution of the systems exist.

 

                Entropy in Karate, on a much smaller scale, is seen in one’s conformity, or lack thereof, to individual training. When you start in karate you are given a series of principles, a foundation in the system that you train in as it were. Then you begin to develop and train and understand your training, you internalize the training and begin to play with different ideas. You go from Ippon and Gohon Kumite which drills the fundamental ideas to Jiyu Ippon and Jiyu Kumite to help build your own style after working on the core believes and system specific strategies. After a while you begin to bring your own ideas to the table and your Kumite changes and shifts to be more developed for your body and more in line with your skills. After a while you realize you don’t move like your instructor taught you to as a Kyu level student and you have now demonstrated Entropy and the second law of thermodynamics at work.

                When you move into a Dojo view and watch the black belts develop different systems and skill levels and movement patters the entropy in a Dojo becomes much more noticeable. I always say YOU SHOULD NOT LOOK LIKE ME WHEN I DO KATA OR KUMITE, but the fundamentals should be the same!  At a Dojo level the instructor should be managing the entropy and to a certain level encouraging it for variety and to help the individual in Karate train to their maximum potential. If we all looked the same, like those cookie cutter Dojos we all know about, then we are stifling creativity and the individual is going to find that they get bored being forced into a specific mold.

                I want to be clear here however in that the fundamentals of a system the Kihon and to a very specific level the dynamics of a movement should be all the same, it’s the application and the unique way that a student develops their expression of those core principles that you are trying to encourage.

                If you take a dojo full of black belts and randomly have six of them do Bassai Dai at their own pace…it should be Complete Chaos, each of them doing Kata at their own pace and with slight variations on Bassai Dai…but all Bassai Dai! However the fundamentals and core principles will all be the same, this means they are doing the same style but expression of that style is unique to the student. This is true Karate Entropy.

                Now an interesting thing happens with Entropy in a large scale enclosed system like the JKA organization. When you compare it to itself you should technically see different seniors doing things differently, but when you compare it to other groups like KWF or SKI you will see that the similarities are greater with in the single enclosed system like the JKA. The JKA takes it a step farther however and tries to make everyone look as close to the same as possible, but I will get to that later. ON a larger scale however the differences should disappear when you compare the large enclosed system to another large enclosed system.

                To really see how entropy works watch a single person doing a kata in your club. The performance should fit into specific criteria to be seen as “Shotokan” or “JKA” Style Kata. The individual will have to perform specific movements in a specific way to meet a fairly moderate set of rules. Then put two or three people in the same situation and you will see that even with the moderate parameters being met by all three…the three Kata will look different slightly. Add more Karateka doing more varied Kata. Take the spectrum of performers now and find two people that are at different ends of the spectrum and have them do the Kata side by side. The differences will make them look like different organization based students, but because the two ends of the spectrum are close enough to the norm or middle, they are the same…thus the first law of thermodynamics is used to say they are the same.

               

                I am about to make a GIANT leap here and jump from thermodynamics to Karate theory, but I will bring it back around. Don’t think it’s a different paper you are reading, this is going to make sense…I hope.

 

                In Karate we have a Theory or explanation of how students grow in Karate…or are supposed to. When a student starts in Karate they begin learning to perform movements that are rather unique and foreign to them. The system is not natural and they must study hard to incorporate it into their movement systems. The basics are drilled and the instructor tries to manipulate, teach, cajole and push students to do the movements correctly. We create a “cookie cutter” environment and we push them to capitulate and not be creative. However there are reasons for this….to create power most people are not moving correct, or they are limiting their ability to increase speed with horrible movement dynamics. We have to teach people how to use their body correctly…which in some cases is funny because I have students joining at 40 who don’t know how to use their body…they have been using it wrong for 40 years! Well, wrong in the sense that they are not able to defend themselves, they can walk and they know how to eat and move their arms, but they lack the fundamentals of movement dynamics to effectively use their body.

                In the Karate vernacular we call this level of training “SHU” or to “Obey” its learning fundamentals, Techniques and its about traditional wisdom or the learning that my instructor went through. A perfect example of the “Shu” level of training is line work in Kihon or basic Kumite and Kata work. You line up and a senior or your instructor counts, you repeat the movements over and over and try to increasingly build up the “Same looking and acting body dynamics as your instructor and senior”.  This level of training is illustrated in Sanbon Kumite. You step in three times and perform a specific movement, and then you step back and do the same movement. The instructor/senior makes a few corrections and hopefully explains what was “wrong” and then you do it again till you get it “right” and hopefully you improve and move towards the norm.  Thus you are fulfilling the first law of thermodynamics in your Karate.

                Now the “Shu-Ha-Ri” concept of stages of learning or mastery is supposed to have different levels and the masters, instructors, and seniors should ALL be encouraging this, I was lucky enough to have a instructor growing up in Karate who saw that uniqueness is a gift, creativity and freedom of expression is the way to create better Karate and make things more pliable and applicable to the individual….not all instructors get this and some…I fear most….discourage this! To some extent I see big organizations trying to cookie cutter the hell out of student practice and stick the students under Shu from white belt till they leave or till they are beaten over the head with conformity so much that they end up avoiding the next two levels for fear that they won’t grow as individuals.

 

                The next level after Shu is “HA” or Detachment from self. “Ha” training is when you notice that a student is starting to use the traditional and the level of conformity is complete. They are doing the Kata the way they were taught exact and now they have perfected the ideals an concepts. And some would say they have “made them their own” but I say that the system has taken over the student and they are conforming 100% to the system. In some cultures this is seen as bad….”oh, conformity is bad” but for Karate its actually a necessary step and one that can be seen at Shodan and Nidan level.

                The student has now made his body work exactly like his instructors and he has adapted, to the best of his ability, his instructors methods and ideas. In terms of Kata he strives, and to the most part, meets the requirements for the system and is now doing what the “Ha” level best provides for…understanding and study of the system.

                The student now has the opportunity to work on improving his foundation, but more importantly he is learning why the foundation was set up that way, what the concepts are is part of Shu, Ha is the why and how. The student now is working on understanding the why and how of hip rotation, Kime, body movement and dynamics and the multitudes of other ideas and concepts that the system has, he has gone from what…to how and why! This is a huge leap and some never make it. Most students who fail to make this leap do so because of poor instructors or jealous and ego driven instructors not wanting to share the why and how and keeping the student in the dark. They want to have the student regurgitate what they were taught and that’s all, doing it well, understanding why and how is of no interest for fear that the student may start to make the leap to the “Ri” level.

 

                “Ri” is the level that most people at Sandan or up will reach, most…some will maintain at Ha and stay their due to issues with change or wanting to conform and fit in. “Ri” is about creativity and moving beyond dogma. It means “Transcendence” at this level you see that the constructs of the system disappear and you can now create new and dynamic movement styles and your overall skills become unique and creativity sets in, you experiment and bring new elements into the training. Its about expansion of your understanding. Now that you have a solid base of understanding and you know your body better as it pertains to movement patterns you can create new ones and experiment with developing new concepts or encompassing ideas from other systems. In essence you create a new twist on the old ideas to make a new system.

                The Ri level of learning is something that you should naturally move into, not to soon or you will fail to create something new and just be melding together different systems that are not your own, in essence you are stuck in Shu or Ha but putting together two systems incompletely without mastering your own. If you don’t go to the depth of one style and conform, understand and get hardwired with the ideals and concepts then you should not go to another to try and bring parts of it to your system you are currently studying.

                I have seen people try and make the leap to soon and the training system that comes out of it is a mess, also the student regresses in their understanding by trying to mix to many concepts to soon and the worst part is they don’t see it. The result is a “Student of several styles” at the Shu level who has no hope of moving forwards and who begin to develop an ego issue. The system they create for themselves is a mish-mash and not complete, they don’t get to the point of mastery before they begin to dabble in other systems and the resultant system is weak and ends up being two separate systems instead of a single system with a deep conceptual grounding and additions or alterations that make it unique.

 

                Having said all that I have to say that I am all for students dipping into other systems, being creative and reaching out to find new ideas, exploring different ways of moving or different systems to see if you can take some aspect from that and apply it to your Karate….but you have to understand your Karate and the concepts well enough before you make that leap and try this or it will hamper your progress.

 

                The idea of being different, of moving different, of exploring and creating new systems and new movement skills/patterns is fairly new to modern Karate. It was an excepted norm in the past when masters would go from one style to the next in China and study forms of fighting, train daily for hours and study them meticulously and then move to the next master…then they came back to Okinawa and created a system that was then designated as a new fighting art. Take for instance Sakakawa Kanga or Sakugawa Satunushi (Tode Sakukawa)…..all the same dude just three ways of saying his name. HE was born in Akata village on Okinawa and studied Tode with Peichin Takahara, he then studied under Kussanku in Chun fa. He had mastered Tode when he began working in the Chun fa system and created Te or “Hand”. His student Matsumura Sokon studied Te for many years and then studied Jigen Ryu (sword fighting) and merged the movement system of this system…and then learned from a Chinese sailor named Chinto or Annan. The system he learned was a crane style system and he built his style out of this. 

                Both men took systems they were deeply trained in and then built new systems that looked similar but had new aspects of movement to them. The idea of being different was good, as long as it worked in a real fight….did I mention that both men were royal body guards that were tasked with protecting the royalty of Okinawa during a time of great violence with the Satsuma clan?  These men knew that expanding their ideas and skills was very important, being creative but effective was very important. Matsumura once said that he took from Annan some of his movement patterns that made Annan untouchable when they were fighting, but he also discarded much of the movements that were of little to no benefit.

               

                The ideal of Entropy is one that should be explored more by heads of Karate organizations. The fact that our evolution as a species relied on entropy to develop is a sign of its worthiness as an approach. We should foster a practice of teaching our system to students using this three level approach, first we teach them and force them to comply to our standards and systems and then we move to helping them understand why, this seems to be the most effective way to present your system to new students, not to much talk…just lots of practice and then explanation as to why. Then we encourage them to expand their training and figure out what works for them, what outside ideas assist them and teach them how to critically look at the subject of movement patters, defensive skills and Dynamics and let them grow as individuals. In essence learn my system, make my system yours and then create your own system. With the first law of thermodynamics as a rule to follow the student will stick with in the standards of the enclosed system even at the third stage and will create a new twist on the old style that is still recognizable as the original but masterfully manipulated to be more effective for the individual expressing the art.

                In the end the base model is the same as the new model, but with extras or with things removed that are not needed. My style of Karate is different than my instructors because he encouraged me to study and develop my own ideas after I had focused for more than 20 years on his style of teaching and training, while we were built differently I got the idea of Kihon-centric training from Dingman Sensei and modeled my training after this. The idea being that all Karate should be focused on having the best possible Kihon. And also not to skimp on Kihon to try and gain a “point” in Kumite or to make a Kata look more dramatic. You have to focus on scoring points in Kumite with good form and you have to do your kata with good form.

                However My karate also takes some aspects from Aikido and Judo as well as from my brief study in Itto Ryu to study movement patterns. I also put a great deal more science and specifically kinesiology into my training and studies, I understand the body differently and the mind of my students from a different point of view from my instructor. This brings a new perspective to my students who will hopefully follow the same path as me and create a system that suits them better as well.

 

                Through the study of the laws of thermodynamics, at least the first few, you can gain an understanding of the idea of entropy and how variance in the norm is a great way to build a solid system and work towards the future. I think that its important to maintain tradition, but its also important to make tradition work for you!

     

Funakoshi and the “two styles” lie

 

                I have an issue with another piece of History….In Karate it is a part of the dogmatic history that Funakoshi Sensei brought his version of Karate to Japan in and around 1922 and set up shop on the big island teaching “Karate” that eventually became “Shotokan Karate”. It is also well known that he HATED that name and felt giving Karate a name for your specific style was pompus and ignorant of what Karate is/was.

                It has also become common historical dogma that he “created” his style out of Shorei Ryu and Shorin Ryu, two very different “styles” of Karate. I call poppycock on this! First of all I have had countless instructors  and it became a truth that even I told people! But recently I started looking into this and its not as cut and dry perhaps as we think.

 

                So the story goes that Funakoshi, a school teacher from Okinawa, came to Japan and merged Shorei Ryu and Shorin Ryu together to teach his style of Karate…which became known by his pen name as “Shotokan” or house of the wavy pines…his pen name being Shoto or wavy pines. The story goes that he A) hated that name and B) would not use it….but shouldn’t the story also be that he did not actually train in Shorei ryu itself?  Okay, I am getting ahead of myself.

 

                Okay, So it is well known that Funakoshi Sensei had three main instructors, Anko Azato, Anko Itosu and he also trained a bit under the great Matsumura Sokon (who taught both Azato and Itosu). A great more history can be dug up as well from just a quick google but this is the gist of it…he trained extensively with these two first instructors and what may be said as a bit with Matsumura. The way I see it is he trained with Azato for most of his Karate training and moved to Azatos friend, Itosu, when is master died.  He was also brought to their instructor to train as he had great potential and was seen as worthy of training with the great master….Okay that last bit is a bit of an over reach. But who were these masters?

 

 

                First we have Anko Azato or Azato Yasutsune in Japanese.  Azato lived from 1827-1906 and was not only a Karate master but a great sword fighter and horseback rider (an art in Japan).  He trained exclusively with Matsumura Sokon in Shuri Ryu or the hand of Shuri, a royal martial art style that was light, quick and focused on power development through rapid movement.

                As the story goes, Azato trained under Matsumura and served as a palace/royal guard.  Azato came from a Tunchi or hereditary town chief family and was part of the upper class.  He was recruited to work as a royal guard, not like a military position but more of an advisor and body guard to the royal family. His training included lots of weapons training, Shuri Karate  and Jigen Ryu Kendo. He was also an exceptional Scholar.

                By all accounts he was smart, wealthy and seen as “upper crust” in the grand scheme of things. He served as the official body guard of King Sho Tai till Okinawa was taken by Japan in 1872 and by all accounts he retired and lived out the next 34 years teaching Karate, not a lot is written about his later life other than through the telling of his students life, he only taught Funakoshi Sensei and his son, who is lost to history.

                Azato taught a very strict style of Karate based on Shuri ryu and his training in Kendo, this is why a lot of our Karate can merge so well with the strict linear approach that Kendo and Kenjutsu holds in their training. Apparently even though Azato and Itosu were friends, they did not share the same style of Shuri Karate, which is one reason that Funakoshi’s Karate looked very different than his contemporaries.

 

                Anko Itosu or Itosu Yasutsune in Japanese….and possibly Ichiji Anko in Okinawan dialect, lived between 1831 and 1915 and was a contemporary of Azato Anko’s as both served as Royal advisors/body guard. Anko Itosu is a bit of a different guy from Azato. Where Azato trained in Kendo and exclusively with Matsumura in Shuri Ryu, Itosu trained with Matsumura for much less time and most of his studies were done with Nagahama Chiludun of Naha. From all accounts Nagahama taught a style similar to Shuri te and not the Naha Te you would expect…however I have my doubts. 

                The story goes that Anko Itosu left training under Master Matsumura because Matsumura called him slow and insulted him regularly. He went and found training under Nagahama and worked hard to master his style. But when Itosu got older he told his students he had been wrong and Nagahama had told him on his death bed to go back to Matsumura and beg to be taken back as he was all wrong with his Karate and Matsumuras style was much better. Again, I have my doubts about this.

                The story suggests heavily that Nagahama A) said his own teaching was flawed and wrong….Something that I doubt he would admit to a senior student and sending him back to a task master figure like Matsumura…well kind of out there and B) it heavily suggests that someone from Naha was training in a Shuri style of Karate. Assuming that the story is accurate…and again I see MAJOR holes and Gaps, it would suggest that Itosu learned a flawed system from the Nagahama and then went back to Matsumura after this master passed away, so how much of his teaching was flawed?

 

                Matsumura Sensei was the source of a lot of the early generation Karate. He was a palace guard/body guard and advisor to the king and by all accounts a Shuri master without equal. Born in Yamagawa Village Shuri Okinawa he began training under the great Sakukawa Kanga, the original Karate master. Matsumura Sofuku, Matsumuras father was a Shikudon or high level Pechin in the gentry rank and asked that his son follow in his foot steps and serve the royal family. Matsumura started out his life as a bit of a trouble maker and through hard training (and probably realizing his lively hood relied on this) became more conservative and eventually a bit of a task master.

                Matsumura served under King Sho Ko and eventually married Yonamine Chiru, a martial arts master in her own right. Matsumura became the chief instructor in martial arts and governance to the royal guard and served under kings Sho Iku and finally Sho Tai. He traveled a great deal to both china and Japan on behalf of the Okinawan Royal family and studied Chun Fa in China and sword fighting and jujitsu in Japan.

                Matsumura was described as both blindingly fast and a “terrifying presence” by his students. For our purposes he is credited as learning and helping to develop early Shuri ryu. Matsumura never trained in Naha te that we know of and was seen as a bit of a purist and militant purist in his training. He was harsh and did not really give way to new ideas easily.

 

                Before we move on let me explain or describe the two styles that are often attributed….wrongly…..to Funakoshi…first Shorin ryu.

 

                Shorin ryu is the style that was developed by Choshin Chibana, which he learned from Anko Itosu. Chibana was the last of the pre-WW2 students and the first student to establish a Japanese Ryu name for an Okinawan style. He called Itosus style Shornin Ryu or “Small forest style” in 1928, six years after Funakoshi was teaching in Japan.

                The system was based on what Itosu was teaching at the time, and as we know Itosu was a minor instructor in Funakoshis’ training life. His system was Shuri Te and from all accounts a poor version that he had to change back to Matsumuras system later in life….So the Shorin ryu style is NOT what Funakoshi Sensei used to merge to create his system…I get it, but it was Shuri Te…semantics at this point. But if you are going for accuracy…then its Shuri Te.

 

                What about Shorei Ryu then. Well that is a term used to refer to Naha te style. It’s rare and it name means “the style of inspiration”.  Shorei ryu was greatly influenced by Shuri te it is said…wait, what. So the HARD/SOFT training precursor was greatly influenced by the Shuri system…that’s like saying Shotokan greatly influenced Goju ryu…it didn’t…but that’s the equation you can make. But there is a logic in it….sort of…and I will break it down and apart in a second……

                So, Higashionna originally trained in Shuri te with Matsumura Sokon and then traveled to China and studied with  Xie Zhongxiang and Wai Xinxian…..however you will be hard pressed to find an awful lot of info on his training under Matsumura. From what I can gather from information readily available to me Higashionna trained in Okinawa with Arakaki Seisho who also studied with Wai Xinxian also known as Ryu Ryu Ko or Xie Ru Ru…so IF Higashionna studied Shuri te…it was short lived, not very important and not all that influential on his life in Karate as he taught almost exclusively what Ryu Ryu Ko taught him in China when he came back to Okinawa.

               

                Now unlike today, it was very normal for masters to share around students and get them to go train with other masters at that time. It is entirely possible that Funakoshi trained with other masters and actually it is suggested in many places that he did.  But the reality is that his main instructor was Azato and it is much more likely that he took his training under this master and this master was his greatest influence. He learned a few Kata and such from others but really the focus of the training was Shuri Te style training.

                It is also important to note that the masters before Funakoshi all trained with other masters and learned Kata from others. My suggestion is that Funakoshi taught Karate that Azato taught…period. No merging or mixing of styles just Azato style Karate. It explains why he teaches some “shorin” and some “Shorei” ryu style Kata as that is what Azato taught him. The merger was done a generation or more  before Funakoshi brought Karate to the mainland.

                Unlike some of his contemporaries he trained almost exclusively with Azato, who had no other students really. His interactions with Itosu appear to be limited and only after his master died did he move his training, in a limited way, to his new instructor…who for the most part is adiment that his training changed greatly from working with his primary master but came back around to Matsumura later on.  My suggestion is that the Merger idea is just rhetoric that is used to make it more interesting or to explain the holes in history.

 

Difference Diversity and the art of teaching Karate

Difference Diversity and the art of teaching Karate

            Over the past 30+ years I have trained with many different instructors in the Dojo and at seminars. Some I came to know very well and others I observed from deep in the throngs all training at a seminar. I have observed all of their teaching methods, Tokui Waza and their ability to reach other others when teaching. Some were phony and came across as plastic and over practiced while others stuttered and fell over words trying to deliver basic commands.  My view on instruction and my skill set as a teacher came from all of these sources as well as the teaching skills and styles of countless school teachers, university professors and those that I have studied under in collage.

            It stands to reason that my instructor has had the most impact on my ability and teaching style as I have trained under him the most. But when he watches me teach he has told me that I don’t remind him of his style of teaching. At first I was kind of hurt till he told me that diversity in approach is what students need to find their own Karate!

            Years ago Sensei posted a sign on the door going from the mens change room to the training floor it read simply….”SHU HA RI” and that was all, Hand written in black marker on a white paper. He did not really explain it to us, not that I was told, but it just sat their for a while every time we left the change room screaming “Look me up” at us. I think I was one of the few that went and found a book at the library that said something about it….this was before the internet…Yes I am that old….

            Shu Ha Ri stands for “Protect”, “Detach” and “Separate or leave”. It’s a very Martial arty philosophy that I have taken to guide my teaching and growing new instructors in our The idea behind Shu Ha Ri is that an instructor or student starts off learning the core priciples of a style. They study under a master/instructor for a long time and they come to understand and practice the core of a system. They grasp onto and covet the teachings of the instructor and they make the practice part of them. Then they student/instructor will move to detach themselves from the system and they will start to remove that which does not fit their personality and personal style as it has developed from exploring the system deeply. And finally they leave the system all together and show their personal style exclusively.

            This makes no sense to some who read this and think one of two things “its all just kicking and punching that makes no sense” or “why do they bother training in a system then make their own”…and while both seem valid…they just show the level of complexity of the Martial philosophy.

            Think of it this way….you enter a school to learn a trade or Musical instrument and KNOW NOTHING about how to use the tools of the trade. You study under a teacher and build your skills.  After a while you start digging around other ideas, skills or tools and start to build your personal skills and ideas. You work with trial and error and build up both your knowledge of the instrument/skill trade and find new ways to get to the same spot that seem to be more purposeful for you. After a while you can abandon the skill sand techniques that were taught to you and do your own thing…but your goals are still the same.

            To be more clear let me explain my walk through Massage school.  When I got to the school everyone told me I was a natural massage”er” and that I should get into it…but I had no skills really, I thought I had but I did not. I studied the techniques of the instructors I had and I practiced like crazy, studied books on anatomy and physiology and worked every day to getting better. I slowly began to master the strokes and compression techniques that the instructors taught me and I became very good at repeating the prescribed techniques that they taught.  This is the Shu part of the learning process.

            After a while I started watching Youtube videos and videos and experimenting with different things, but still working the traditional strokes and techniques. I practiced and merged different techniques together to try and get to the same outcome and then built off of this and started expanding my tool box. This is the Ha part of training. I was breaking from the traditional way that was taught to me and exploring a bit, but still keeping the traditions in mind.

            After I graduated and had a lot of practice I began to leave some of the traditional stuff behind, I hated doing some movements and found them unpleasant to do and less than impressed when I had them done on me. I took aspects of the traditional stuff and tossed it out the window.  I had transcended the old traditions and created a new style for my massage. And then it became tradition and I was back to Shu!

            So, how does this apply to teaching Karate?  When you start out teaching you should first look at what your instructor’s current style is. What art they teaching, how are they getting the message across and what do they focus on!  Then repeat it in classes, let that style set in but then try and add your own personal swerve on it. Begin looking around at others, implement changes to your system, your style and your techniques of communication. After a while you will notice that while you still hold the core values of what is being taught you are totally different than your instructor.

            Eventually you will find your style is now your tradition and at that point you should start exploring again, finding new ideas, new systems and new communication avenues and then bring that in to refresh the tradition and finally create a new one.

            In my current club we have about five different instructors who all teach a variety of classes. One of the things that I try and impart on the students is that they should try and train with as many different instructors in the club as possible because we all have our own point of view and styles for teaching. I try and tell the instructors that they need to be different from one another and not try to cover the same things the same way. Some are newer and still in the SHU phase of learning and teaching and look at me like I am crazy. Others are already in the curve of learning, adapting, changing and relearning and get it.

            What we are teaching may be very similar or even the same but how we teach it should always be our own ideas, our own views and our own ways of doing things. We will focus on different things and we will impart different ideas to what we are doing. That is the correct way to learn and teach martial arts. 

Karate and Occam’s razor.: Critical thinking in Karate applications from Kata.

 

                Occam’s razor is a problem solving principle that was penned by William of Ockham, an English Franciscan friar and scholastic philosopher and theologian who lived between 1287 and 1347.  Essentially the principle states “among competing hypothesis, the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected”.  So, what the hell does this have to do with Karate….a great deal if you are asking what a Kata interpretation or Bunkai is!

                In Science Occams Razor is used as a heuristic technique (Discovery tool) to guide scientists in the development of theoretical models, or rather…to use my own words it’s a way tool that scientists use to set up educated guesses about things they don’t have “proof” of.  It is not a result but a hypothesis as to outcomes. Ockham did not invent the theory, he just mastered its use. He also had some very important things to say about creation of multiple hypothesis around specific questions. He said “entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity”  or Don’t create to many hypothetical answers to a single question.

                So, again…what the heck does this have to do with Karate. Well take into account the number of Bunkai for each movement in kata. Some clubs teach nearly 20 Bunkai for each Kata move, its borderline ridiculous and most of them are far stretches from the plausible intent. But how to argue this without reverting to “I think its stupid cuz it is”. Well, Occam’s razor has an answer for this. First off you have to deal with the number of bunkai being spewn out by the “masters of bunkai creation” and let them know that multiple applications is not necessarily the best way to go, a few is okay, but 20 for a down block…well that’s excessive.

It’s important to also note that it’s not wrong, or stupid, it’s just a lot to learn and not the intent of bunkai training to be frank. However when teaching a standard class and introducing the idea of application to a student, its best to only focus on one or two applications per move. If you introduce more you tend to confuse a student and the strength of the work is limited. When learning Bunkai you should be shaving away the applications that don’t seem very applicable and don’t serve ton confuse the situation.

When I started Karate there was no Internet, we simply went about our day without cell phones and internet access and for Karate we actually had to go to the Dojo and train and listen to what the Sensei said, he told us what his instructor had told him, who was teaching what his instructor told him, along the way some personal insight was thrown in and the style grew a bit. But with the advent and implementation of cell phones and the internet ON cell phones I have seen the implementation of personal ideas into Bunkai Grow exponentially till its much like a competition to see who can create the most interesting, dynamic and completely different applications to show insight and creativeness and all it has served to do in my mind is create confusion with the students and an opportunity for some to thumb their nose at tradition and insight and kind of create a new dogma or ideology saying that they are right because they know better. Its bunk not bunkai!

Occam’s razor has gained a lot of notoriety in fields as far apart as mechanical engineering and theology, from medical deductions to astrophysics. And I use it in Karate a lot to try and figure out what is the best way to train, learn and teach specific ideas and movement skills, to interpret Kata bunkai and to expand my understanding of human movement and interactions in dynamic movement. The scary part is not that there is a huge amount of variation in Karate and movements skills, it’s the lack of thought and analysis that goes into a personas approach to Karate. People tend not to be practical or pragmatic when it comes to Karate and movement skills, they see out fancy and ineffective movements and replace the simple and effective with them.  If a student were to use the razor in their though process then they would see that often, not all the time, the fancy moves they throw or the crazy applications they come up with are a hindrance, not a help.

                One thing that the razor does that ticks off Karate people is that it does not state that your application is WRONG, it’s says it’s not likely to work, or less likely to work in real life as opposed to this other application. That’s is simply something that Karate people don’t get. The thing in Karate is one master will offer up their “understanding” of a Bunkai and then the other will come along and say “No, that’s crap, the application is this”! and there you have the black and white approach to Karate. The Razor suggests that there are multiple “correct” ways for something to be used, but that one is “more right” than another…now you just lost 90% of black belts! They were taught yes and no, right and wrong…not right and left sometimes but right and wrong for sure…and the answer is that they are right…ergo everyone else is wrong…or was that Ego?

                Now like some well-known “anti-Razor” philosophers I will admit that some of the Bunkai I have seen would make me say “even if they are not true, they are well conceived”.  Getting down to brass tacks, when you do a Kata you should be looking for a few applications you can use to identify what you are doing….my suggestion is to get a partner and a good senior or instructor and go over your ideas, see if they work, to what degree to they work and can you replicate them easily? If so, they have passed the Karate version of the Occam’s razor.

               

 

 

The Basic Rules and regulations of the JKA of Manitoba; a rather incomplete guide!

The Basic Rules and regulations of the JKA of Manitoba; a rather incomplete guide!

 

                It’s been pointed out to me over the last few weeks that some people don’t know the proper etiquette in a Dojo. I mean they get that it’s a special place and you can’t act like you do in the outside world, but one of the junior instructors said that students do not understand we have some specific rules they have to follow, despite us trying our best to let them know that we have some specific rules, people ignore some, fain ignorance on some and just plain break other rules of etiquette in the clubs.

                We don’t really have a lot of rules that we cannot bend in the JKA/MB but we do have some very specific rules that should be followed. Here is my take on the rules we need to enforce and why…and which can be “bent”….

 

Going on and off the floor

                When a student enters the training area or leaves it is proper to bow towards he Kimaza to show respect for the training area, the instructors in the club and the students who will help you learn.

 

Arriving late

                If at all possible it is suggested that you don’t arrive late, but if you do you should sit in Seiza at the entrance of the training area, preferably off the floor but your instructor must be able to see you. Raise your hand to call attention to yourself. The instructor will call you to join class when he is ready to have you safely join.

 

Lining up

                When you are called to line up, do so quickly and according to rank. If students are both the same rank or the same belt color and you don’t know who is higher just fit into the line anyplace that is appropriate.  Not moving quickly makes this process take longer than it should and takes time away from training.

 

No talking in class

                Once class starts it is important to hear instructions and details on what you are doing. For safety reasons you need to know exactly what is expected of you and those around you. Talking and not paying attention could lead to issues and injury. Also you will miss out on what you are doing and the instructor may have to repeat themselves.

 

No jewelry, watches, earrings, rings. Tape those that don’t come off.

                NO jewelry when training. Any rings that cannot come up must be taped well and any Medical alert bracelets must be taped as well. NO necklaces or earrings. If earrings cannot come out they MUST be taped to support them from being caught on anything and causing injury!

                I had someone fight me on this one once; she said she had a right to keep her ear ring in when training and it was her body. It told her the two stories of people wearing ear ring in training I was part of. One was a stud earing that got imbedded in the bone behind the ear (mastoid) when a person was kicked accidentally and I had to remove the stud from the bone with a pair of needle nosed plyers. The second was an earlobe that was ripped off when an ear ring caught on a person’s Gi, if they still want to wear the earing have them wright a note saying they won’t sue and they take personal responsibility for the ear ring.

 

No chew gum or have candy or food in the mouth while training.
                Eating or chewing gum, candy while training is a great way to encourage choking. We don’t allow people to eat or have candy on the DOJO floor because of safety concerns.  Not only can someone choke on the gum or food, but if it falls out of your mouth or if you spill, drop it, we get the honor of walking in it. NOT COOL. If the “galley” for watching students is on the dojo floor as it is with one of our clubs we also don’t let people eat in the galley area.

 

Karate students must follow the instructions of their seniors and instructors, quickly and respectfully.
                When an instructor or senior asks you to do something in the club, like move to a different spot, or give a command to line up you should do so quickly and quietly. This is something I stress to student because it helps us run an efficient and effective class, however I had one student say “I am paying for this class so I will move when I want to”, I told him that was fine, and he could move out of class and come back with a better attitude or not at all. Some fail to realize that half of the orders we give are to ensure everyone has a good class and the other half is for your safety. One more thing…you are not the only one paying for the class, the other 20 people waiting for you to smarten up have paid for this class as well, so if you don’t want to listen, the door does open to let you out.

 

When changing positions in the dojo, do not walk through the rows. As much as possible, walk around the outside or between rows.

                Its funny, half of the accidents I see in the dojo are from people running “between lines” and trying to make it out of the way of oncoming traffic. When you move in the Dojo make sure you do so in a way that gets you out of harms way and not like a character in Frogger!

 

When adjusting or tidying your gi, bow and face away from the dojo shrine. Do not adjust your gi during an exercise unless told to do so.

                Its one thing to pull at the bottom of your jacket and correct a rising up issue, its another to take your belt off and fix yourself up in the middle of Kumite ext. The most extreme form of this I saw was a guy who took his Obi off and adjusted his pants right there on the Dojo floor, we saw every wrinkle and mole he had on his upper torso and while he may not have body issues, and was very open…others were uncomfortable. I have also seen ladies do a similar thing with a sport bra on, again…while you don’t have issues…most of us would feel uncomfortable to say the least.

 

Karate students must have the instructor's permission to leave class before it has ended..

                One of my pet peeves as an instructor is when people go missing during a class…..especially a very hard one! I tend to watch and see if students are looking a tad green and then if they are missing I will go looking for them. If you feel ill don’t leave class, sit next to the garbage in case of you getting sick, but don’t leave. I have had one student leave class and pass out in the girls bathroom….it was far more scary for me than her! A rule, if its just a pee break…let me know and realize if you are gone for longer than normal…someone is going to come looking for you.

 

Say OUS when asked a question

                “Ous” is a strange word that take students a while to get used to. There are many stories about what Ous means or where it came from…and none of them really matter. The use of this affirmative term shortens the use of talking in the dojo and thus adds to training time. Keep this in mind when being asked questions. If you know or will do what is asked “ous” the person….or “oos” depending on who you ask. If you do not want to answer in the affirmative then just say no…someone will ask you why no and you are good.

 

Care for your Gi and obi

                I cannot state how important it is enough to keep your Gi clean. Obi’s will fall apart, but dirty, torn up Gis should be cleaned or replaced. Not only is it gross to have to smell someone else’s stench, especially if its week old pizza sauce that is molding on your Gi pants, or to spar with someone that is filthy…but holes in gis and ripped parts are weak and can be torn more or lead to injury…or over exposure. It also shows a complete lack of pride to have a Gi that is so filthy that its horrible to be near that person.

 

What can I put on my gi/Obi

                A patch over your left chest, nothing more unless its your name written on the pants and jacket….lower down on the jacket and up high on the pants. The point being that it’s as clear of stuff as possible. I have seen some pretty funny Gi’s with patches all over the place in my time, they look cluttered and horrible to me. I have seen Gi pants so done up with patches that the pants barely bend! JKA rules are basically to be as minimalistic as possible.

 

Sensei, sempai or what?

                Perhaps the most confusing part for new students, but should be the most clear cut for seniors. When you first join you only really need to know who the instructor is…that’s “Sensei”…the rest are “Sempai” but we forgive you if you call us by our first names or Mr/Mrs., and personally I don’t mind if you call me anything that is not an insult right off. However as you go up in levels you realize who is who and you should use that title in any environment that is appropriate unless corrected not to.

                My rule of thumb is similar to my bowing rule of thumb, when in doubt…use the title you think they are (I always call black belts Sensei unless I find out they are lower rank or equal to me…or not an instructor). Respect is key…that’s the most important part.

 

Who to bow to?Bow to Sensei!

                Much like the use of titles in the Dojo, bow to EVERYONE. It’s not rude to bow to a junior, try to figure out who you are to bow to can be insane and difficult. Remember that bowing is much like hand shaking, one is enough per person and make sure you just bow when you feel it would be polite, when you think it appropriate…oh, heck just bow and everyone will know you are trying.

                It is especially important to bow to Dingman Sensei and the seniors in the association. They have created the format and frame work that you are training in. its only respectful to bow to them and let them know you appreciate it.

 

Cleaning up

                Cleaning up after a workout normally means running a wet rag across the floor to clean it of perspiration and any other fluids (I mean blood) that may be on the floor. Over the years it has become less and less understood. To put it plane it basically is a way of showing respect to the next class that comes along. If you note a senior is not doing the floor, chances are they will be mopping up, dusting or vacuuming the club after you leave, don’t worry as you get up in rank your responsibility grows, it does not diminish.

 

What if you don’t show up for a while?

                Okay, here is the deal….some instructors will say its horrible because they rely on your funds to keep the doors open, For me I say that’s crap. Yes they do rely on your funds to keep the doors open and to earn a wage, but its also their responsibility to draw in more students so they can afford to keep the doors open. For me it’s the lack of upward mobility you get when you are off for a while. We care, or should care about you and your progress in Karate, time off means lost learning time and a slide back in what you retain. Just think of just about getting to a rank, taking three weeks off and starting from scratch. My only concern if you are off for a while or planning a vacation from the Dojo, let me know so I am not worried you got hurt or something.

 

Use of inappropriate Language

                I swear A LOT…ask my wife and mom…I swear to much…ask my sister and Dad….And when I swear its often ear burning and can be offensive at times…ask any of my friends or extended family…but to be frank…I don’t think I have ever sworn in a Dojo in my life! The Dojo is not the right place to use swears or inappropriate language. I recall one senior making comments about a student and commenting on his thoughts on her “physique”…..TOTALLY in what you should be doing in the club. The Dojo to me is much like church, behave the way you would think acceptable in a Church and be on your best behavior. Don’t comment on inappropriate things and don’t swear or use any kind of language that may be offensive. I try my best, but the odd “Damn” will slip out…but nothing to blue! Oh, and I get embarrassed saying Butt or bumb!

 

No fighting in the dojo,

                I would love to say that this is a no brainer, but in the last 37 years I have seen at least 6 real fights in the dojo from meat heads that don’t realize its not a Testosterone match!  If you start to take it personally walk away, if the person won’t stop, go to the instructor.

 

No spitting or No lying about

                Again, some may say that this is a no brainer, but I have seen people laying around the club…kids mostly…a lot, and on the odd occasion I have seen people spit on the floor. Its GROSS and it happens. Treat the Dojo well and you can learn their, learn respect and proper attitude. Treat it poorly and you are showing you are not learning anything.

 

Keep your nails short and trimmed, CLEAN feet ext

                I have had two times were NAIL CLAWS have racked me up and damaged my shins or almost cut my wrists….its not pretty and strangely its not the ladies that have done this…no they generally just stomp my big toe and rip my own nails off. It’s the men! They don’t cut their toe claws and then I get shin scrapes and cuts and I HATE THAT.  Cut your nails.

                Also, stinky, dirty feet gross me out, and Im not alone. If I cannot stand next to you for fear my eyes may water…wash them! Also, when you lift your feet up and they are dirty before you come on the floor…you better…wait…you guessed it…wash them. Same goes for other hygiene things. Clean hair, nails trimmed, not smelling like you have not changed your Gi or washed it in a month…not helping your cause to stay on the floor.

 

Proper safety gear in good shape. Safety string for glasses

                My favorite conversation with students “do you have the safety gear….” , them….”yes!”….me “put it on”!!!...them “its at home!”….Me…”So you don’t have the safety gear…”. Its one thing to have the safety gear, its another to bring it with you. Each student needs to have proper hand pads and mouth guards at all time and any other safety gear that you need, like strings for glasses…especially those made with glass lenses.

 

No Shoes in the Dojo

                Again, you would think this common sense, please don’t walk on our training floors with your shoes so we get to walk on your dirty left overs with our bare feet! Common sense but I have seen people with winter boots on walk out on a beautiful hard wood floor and track muck, sand and salt onto the floor and we have had to mop it up! I have also seen dog poop tracked onto a floor in a Community center by a parent that was not careful in what they stepped then argued that they did not know…but they still walked on the gym floor with their shoes on, had they taken them off we would not have had an issue….well much of one.

 

 

Anyways, that’s pretty much the rules and I hope they make sense! As you can tell 99% of the rules we have are just common sense and the key thread in any and all of them is that respect factor.