Mind, Technique, Body - Which Is More Important? --- Chief Instructor's Blog April 2024

 

In last month’s blog, I discussed the traditional Japanese learning process of mastery.  And while there is a learning process to mastery, there are also pillars of mastery that I have described in various blogs over the years: Mind (or Spirit), Technique, Body.  The Japanese phrase for this is Shin Gi Tai.  For each of these pillars there are several different aspects to each of them.

Shin – The Mind (or Spirit)

There are three main characteristics to this pillar.

One is being focused to the learning process itself.  This includes not wavering even when you are challenged in learning a particular technique or concept. Trying to learn faster or thinking you must learn faster can actually end up resulting in you taking longer to learn. 

A second aspect is training to have a strong mind that allows you to push through fears, physical limits, or anything else that might hold you back from learning.

Shin also refers to your consciousness and being aware of how you are performing the techniques (e.g., are you aware where your elbows are at all times).  It is also being aware of your body, its strength and limitations.

If we get caught up in just training the mind, though, we may have the mental fortitude but will lack the skill or physical capability.

With all this said, if you do not have a strong mind and unwavering desire to learn and to stick with the learning, then it is easy to stop.  So, of the three, I would say the Shin is the foundation to build the other two pillars on. 

Gi (The Technique)

There are three main attributes to this pillar as well.

Mastery of the technique refers to performing the techniques precisely, so they are most effective and efficient.  This is the skill aspect of the pillar.

Mastering the technique also refers to understanding of why the technique works.  This is the knowledge aspect of the pillar.

Gi also refers to adapting techniques to your body and making them work for you more effectively.  This is the experience aspect of the pillar.

 

Tai (Body)

There are two main aspects to this pillar.

One is the physical aspect and developing the endurance, physical balance, flexibility, power, agility of the body to perform the techniques.

The second is to integrate the movements with the technique so you are utilizing the entire body and not just focused on one piece of the body.

In the beginning we tend to focus on the technique over body and this is important since performing techniques with a lot of power, as an example, without the techniques being solid can lead to injuries. However, if we focus too much on the details of the techniques and not pushing the body, the techniques will never be truly effective or mastered.

While each of these pillars are important to master none are more important than the other.  Without all three, mastery cannot be obtained.  Some of us are drawn to one pillar over the other, or during our training we can get interested in one of these pillars over another and get hyper focused.  And it’s okay to focus on one over another for a brief period of time, but in the end, all three pillars are necessary to master a martial art and not one is not more important the other.

 

Regards,

Kelly

"A one-sided martial artist is a blind martial artist" ~ Unknown

The Three Stages of Mastery --- Chief Instructor's Blog March 2024

 

I came across a term I was not familiar with: Shu-Ha-Ri.  It is based on traditional learning process in Japanese culture of traditional arts including martial arts.  It describes the phases to mastery.

Shu is the foundational phase.  In martial arts this is where one learns all the foundation to be technically proficient.  It consists of learning all the techniques and details around those techniques exactly as taught.  This is a time to absorb and learn, repeat, and perform mechanically exactly what is being taught.  During this process you should be able to mimic exactly what is taught, every motion, every inch of a technique, have a mental model that can clarify each of those details and that continues to refine that mental model until know all the fine details.  One article I read stated, traditionally one would spend 3 to 5 years of training in this phase. In the modern world of training a couple of days a week, it is 5 to 10 years.  In this phase, it is mainly repetition of techniques, being mindful of how one is performing them and make the corrections one is told.  When one can start self-correcting, then one also knows one is progressing in this phase. The exercise to write down how to perform techniques and the hyung is a good exercise to support one in and through the Shu phase.

Ha is the understanding phase.  In the Ha phase, a student of martial arts learns and understand the application and principles of the techniques.  In this phase, one comes to understand how and why techniques work, how one technique relates to other techniques, and in what situations (when) the application of the technique is most effective. In this phase, one starts to learn all the variations of techniques and applications and not be stuck in one way. This is an exploration stage and one must be willing to try and see what works, work with multiple partners to gain deeper understanding of the why, how, and when techniques work.  In this phase, one will be able to determine what techniques are best for the individual and under what situations. One article I read stated, traditionally one would spend 5 to 15 years of training in this phase. In the modern world of training a couple of days a week, it is 10 to 20 years. 

Ri is the mastery phase.  In this phase you embody the principles and express them.  In this phase, one will be able to use any and all techniques as needed and react without thinking.  In this phase, one is in complete control of any situation physically, mentally and emotionally.  This phase can take a lifetime to master.

These phases are a journey.

There is a famous story about Yagyu Matajuro, who was a son of the famous Yagyu family of swordsmen in the 17th century feudal Japan. He was kicked out of the house for lack of talent and potential, and sought out instruction of the sword master Tsukahara Bokuden, with the hope of achieving mastery of the sword and regaining his family position. On their initial interview, Matajuro asked Tsukahara Bokuden, “How long will it take me to master the sword?” Bokuden replied, “Oh, about five years if you train very hard.” “If I train twice as hard, how long will it take?” inquired Matajuro. “In that case, ten years”, retorted Bokuden.

 

Regards,

Kelly

 

"Learning a technique is not the end in itself, it merely indicates where you need to start." Masaaki Hatsumi (1931-present), Togakure-ryū, a historical tradition of ninjutsu, grandmaster

How Can You Incorporate Practice in your Day to Day Life --- Chief Instructor's Blog February 2024

 

In my previous blog, I said you should practice every day.  You may think that is impossible or you do not have the time.

 

There are so many things you can do every day to incorporate your martial arts practice in your daily life, especially keeping in mind that martial arts, at its core, is a physical, mental, and energetic/spiritual practice.

Physical

Here are some examples of ways to incorporate practice the physical in your day-to-day life. 

• Practice cat stance while you are brushing teeth or in line at a store.  This does not mean have to be a deep formal cat stance, but the practicing principles of weight shifted onto one leg and little to no weight on the opposite leg.
• When moving heavy items, use horse stance and use your hips.
• Use a knife hand to push through a door or a front kick motion to push through a heavy door.
• Use a Spear hand or a knuckle punch to open boxes (at the seams).
• Sliding feet like attack stance if walking in a dark room (also lets you avoid tripping on things).
• If at the gym and running on the tread mill or riding the bike, you can practice upper body techniques (I actually do this sometimes when I am out hiking).
• Always walk grounded. Always be grounded. 

Mental

Here are some examples of ways to incorporate practicing the mental aspects in your day-to-day life.

• While watching TV shows or movies (or news clips or YouTube videos of altercations), analyze the situations on what they did well or what they could have done better.
• Instead of watching TV, mentally go through the basics, hyung, sparring.
• Instead of watching TV, mentally go through various scenarios of what you should do under what conditions (what if a family member or friend is with you? What if you are blocked in?  what if you are injured?
• Always be aware of your surroundings.  Situational awareness is the key to self-defense.

 Energetic/Spiritual

Here are some examples of ways to incorporate practicing the energetic/spiritual aspects in your day-to-day life.

• Practice deep long breathing in any physical activity you are doing (running, swimming, biking, hiking, yoga, etc.).
• Be conscious of your energy (and energy body) and consciously choose a form that is appropriate for the situation (e.g., direct or indirect; hard or soft; hot, warm, cold; normal, extended or collapsed, or combinations).

1. If needing to make a point at work or with family, you may choose direct or hard.
2. If you are trying to comfort someone or be sympathetic, you may choose warm and soft.
3. If at a crowded mall, you may choose to extend so people felt it and get out of your way.
4. If late for that meeting with executive leadership, you might choose collapsing your energy to slip in unnoticed.

The above are just examples. What have you come up with to practice every day?   If you have not, or if you have just been focused on one aspect of martial arts, I encourage you to come up with actions you can take to incorporate martial arts in every aspect of your day-to-day life.  Because in the end, the true essence of martials arts is not something you do, it is a lifestyle.

Regards,

Kelly

 

“Kung fu lives in everything we do. It lives in how we put on a jacket and how we take off a jacket. It lives in how we treat people. Everything is kung fu.” ~Mr. Han, played by Jackie Chan (1954-presnt, Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman) from the movie The Karate Kid (2011)

How Often Should You Practice? --- Chief Instructor's Blog January 2024

 

How often should you practice?  Answer:  Every day.  Yes, every day. 

Does that mean you need you need to go through the basics and hyung every day?  Will you lose your physical skills if you do not practice every day.  No, not necessarily.  

There are lots of studies out there on how long you can take a break before significantly losing or see a reduction in physical attributes.  Most studies are consistent in that you will lose significant physical attributes like strength and endurance if you take weeks or months off.

You may think I am talking out of both sides of my mouth, because I said you should practice every day.  Something keep in mind is that while you may not lose significant strength or endurance in weeks, there are many other attributes like balance, coordination, timing, reactions speed, etc. to consider.  Also, if you need to use your martial physical skills, most likely you will need to be ready in an instant.  This is not something that you will be able to do if you do not practice consistency.  So, unless injured or ill, I would suggest you include the physical practice every other day at a minimum. 

Also, remember martial arts is a way of life and it is not just about the physical.  The mental and spiritual side of the martial arts should definitely be part of your day-to-day life.

Gichin Funakoshi said it very well in his eleventh precept “Karate is like boiling water: without heat, it returns to its tepid state.” from his book, The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate.  Master Funakoshi states: “Only in continual training will you be able to obtain, in mind and body, the fruits of the Way.”

And, if you also think about it, it actually takes less energy to keep water boiling once already boiling or already hot compared to starting from warm or cold water.  So, a little every day is easier to maintain then starting and stopping after days or weeks.

As we enter 2024, I encourage you to find a way to include some aspect of your training (physical, mental, spiritual) daily.

Regards,

Kelly

“Learning through practice is like pushing a cart up a hill: if you slack off, it will slip backwards.” ~ Japanese proverb

Why Should You Continue to Practice The Kibon Series --- Chief Instructor's Blog December 2023

 

It is nice to learn something new.  And sometimes we think if we are learning something new (e.g., technique, concept, principle, hyung, etc.) we have mastered a technique or hyung and are ready to just move on.  This is most likely not the case.  You should not sacrifice practicing the details and gaining more depth of skill of known techniques for something new.

In fact, the basics are not as basic as you might think they are.  It can take years to become effective even with what appears to be the most basic of our techniques or hyung and even longer to master it. 

As an example, to master any one hyung, you will need to be able to do the following every time:

1.      Perform each technique and transition mechanically precise

2.      Perform each technique and transition linearly

3.   Maintain ground throughout the form, including during the transition of stances

4.   Focus your energy and movements in one direction at all times

5.      Perform each technique (including transitions) such that each micromovement has a purpose and can cause damage

In addition, for each hyung there are specific, unique challenges to master.  The below table lists those challenges in the kibon series.

Hyung	Challenges to Master
Kibon Hyung	Effectively turn in Attack Stance Make use of a turn in an Attack Stance
Kibon One	Effectively rotate and turn in cat stance Make use of a turn in a cat stance Linear transition from Cat Stance to Attack Stance Lower the Cat Stance to match the height of the Attack Stance
Kibon Two	Linear transition from Cat Stance to Attack Stance Staying level in the transition from Cat Stance to Attack Stance
Kibon Three	Make use of a turn in a cat stance Maintain set in Cat Stance Keep shoulders and hips square Control and manage the power of the kicks outward and retracting
Kibon Four	Control the rear leg kick and set it into attack stance

As you can imagine, the items above can take quite a bit of time to master.

So, am I suggesting not learning anything new until you have mastered the previous techniques or hyung you have been taught?  Not at all.  What I am suggesting is there is still a lot to master even with what appears to be simple like kibon hyung.  You should always continue to practice what you have already learned and not just move on to new techniques or hyung.

Regards,

Kelly

 

“In the past, it was expected that about three years were required to learn a single kata, and usually even an expert of considerable skill would only know three, or at most five, kata.” ~ Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957), founder of Shotokan Karate

 

 

 

Making your Techniques “Lean” --- Chief Instructor's Blog November 2023

 

More is not always better.  Sometimes, less is better.  I am sure most of you are aware of the Lean Principles of the Toyota Production System (TPS) that were created to eliminate waste and be as efficient as possible. So, one might wonder, how these same principles could be applied to make our martial arts techniques as efficient as possible.  

The three terms associated that are used in the TPS to describe wasteful practices to be eliminated are Muda, Mura, Muri [Ref. 1].  Let’s looks at each of these and how they may apply to martial arts techniques.

Muda is any activity that consumes resources without creating value [Ref. 1].  So, you have “muda” in executing your techniques if you have any additional movements or actions that are taking away from the speed or force of your technique or even putting yourself more at risk.   Some examples include:

• Slight backwards hitch before throwing your forward punch. That slight backward is taking more time and expending energy in the wrong direction.
• Moving your front foot first in jump kicks.  This is taking time to plant the foot and puts that front foot at risk.
• Tensing your shoulders or raising your shoulders in high block or knife hand.
• Any technique that is not linear.  As, we have discussed many times, liner techniques are the shortest path to your target, so takes less time and results in most forceful.

Mura is an unevenness in an operation [Ref.1]. So, you have “mura” in your techniques (1) if you are not moving from one technique to another in a smooth, even way or (2) if you are not keeping your energy constant versus going up and down.  Going up and down is inefficient and does not ensure all your energy is being able to be focused in a singular way and forces you to constantly redirect it which expends energy that does not go towards your technique. In addition, you may have “mura” in your techniques if you are not balanced or have improper posture.  Some examples include:

• Uneven weight between your feet in horse stance.  Horse stance is most effective when have weight evenly on both feet.
• Shoulders not over hips in attack stance. 

Muri is overburdening the equipment or operator [Ref. 1]. So, you have “muri” in your techniques (1) if you ae going faster than your physical body can handle at this time and you are not in control, (2) if you are throwing more force than your body can handle at this time and you are off-balance, (3) if you are trying to blend techniques and not performing them one then the other, or (4) you are only using internal energy and not external energy.

To make your techniques leaner, think about each of these principles and systematically apply them one by one to each of your techniques, incorporating them into your hyung, sparring, and self-defense.  Making your techniques lean will result in more effective techniques, and more effective techniques will keep you safe.   

Regards,

Kelly

“It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.” ~ Bruce Lee (1940 –1973), American-born Chinese Hong Kong martial artist, actor, and founder of Jeet Kune Do

 

Reference:

1. Muda, Mura, Muri - Get a Quick Introduction | Lean Enterprise Institute, retrieved 10/21/23

 

Value of Training with Variety of Partners --- Chief Instructor's Blog October 2023

In my last blog, I described key concepts to embrace in order to walk away from and survive any attack.  Embracing the concepts are one thing, but you also need to ensure your training provides an environment that allows you to practice these concepts as much as possible. 

One of the best ways to do this is to ensure you are practicing and training with a variety of partners with different strengths, heights, sizes, technical skill levels, and different intensity levels.

Every person attacks differently, so by practicing with a variety of partners it will help you experience the randomness nature of attacks.

By practicing with different partners, you really learn how to apply techniques, so they are effective.  Good techniques should be effective against almost anyone.  If you only practice with the same people with the same skill levels, you may not learn what really makes the technique work well.  And while you are learning this, if a technique is not working, you get the opportunity to practice not stopping and trying something else until it is effective.   

Training with partners of different heights will allow you to train at multiple ranges (close in, kicking range, weapons range, etc.).  This will also teach what techniques are more effective against taller people or shorter people. Training with partners of different heights and sizes also provides another opportunity to experience randomness since fighters tend to take advantage of height or size and fight differently than say smaller or shorter people.

Training with partners with lower technical skill will train you to stay focused and not underestimate an opponent.

Training with more skilled partners may provide the opportunity to practice not stopping and trying something else if at first the technique was not effective.

Training with partners with higher technical skill can provide an experience to practice deep breathing.  Sometimes when people train with higher technical skill, they get nervous or anxious and their heart rate goes up.  When this happens, this is an opportunity to practice that deep breathing to stay focused and in control.  Similarly, by training at high intensity levels you have the opportunity to practice deep breathing.   

It may not always be possible to train with a variety of partners but take advantage when you can.   

Regards,

Kelly

"You should not have a favorite weapon. To become over-familiar with one weapon is as much a fault as not knowing it sufficiently well.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi  (c. 1584 –1645) - famous Japanese swordsman, the author of The Book of Five