20th December
2007 Sensei Santa is on the way ....
Merry Christmas
everyone!
Thanks to Helen
Versic for this great photo of the kids and Sensei Santa.
This week I have
been working on polishing a number of items in our Zen
Kids and Adults curriculum. I am enjoying the space to be
able to think a range of things through clearly. We will
spend time with all of the senior students and assistant
instructors going over each item to gain improvements and
acceptance.
Santa in the
form of Sempai Kate has bought our dojo 2 sets of stick fighting
armour to add to our sets of Kendo Bogu. This will allow
us to step up our Arnis practice and free form sparring with a
range of weapons. I'm thinking that these will get a real
run on Christmas day as people drop in for a visit.
Our annual
break at Yamba N.S.W. has been excellent. There is
no doubt that the ocean breeze and waves revitalise the
senses. This year Kate has cleaned up in the
family fishing competition followed closely by Jess and
Josh. Stunt Kite flying has been a new activity
added to Joshua's days here and I have had a chance to
catch up on not doing a lot ...... (rest).
Jessica swept over the
ocean waters with ease on her new Kayak. It was
also a good chance for Jess & Josh to spend some quality
time with their grandparents on what may be their last
trip to Yamba.
Our 2008 Yamba trip will
be different, as the house we stay at will be sold and
renovated for a new family. However, we have found another
terrific place to stay, which is located on the hill
overlooking the ocean and main beach . I guess
everything changes .......Here
is a video of the View
from Our Holiday Office
Print by Hokusai showing examples
of grips used by
Jujutsu-ka.
One of my Grandfathers
Favourite wrist locks
With 2008
on the doorstep of our lives I've decided to review some
of the items from our Jujutsu heritage and ensure that
they gain a solid foothold in our grading format.
Jujutsu, Jujitsu, Jiu-Jitsu...Which
is correct?
by George Arrington
Depending upon the source you will see a variety of
spellings of the name of the Japanese martial art which
is translated, "gentle art". One can see "Jujutsu",
"Jujitsu", "Jiu-Jitsu" and others. Why is there such a
variety?
The Japanese language consists of both Kanji (Chinese
ideograms) and Kana (phonetic symbols). Each kanji can
have several pronunciations and so it is often
necessary for written Japanese to include the kana to
show the intended reading. For example, the character
for "gentle" may pronounced phonetically as "jyoo". As
is the case with many Japanese words there isn't one
single kana that has this pronunciation. Instead,
several things are done to make this sound. The base
kana for this term is "chi". Two small tick marks are
then added to the upper right of the kana which "voices"
it. This results in the sound, "ji". Then kana for the
syllable "yu" is then added to the lower right of the
base kana to produce the required sound. Finally the "oo"
sound is lengthened by adding the kana for "u" to the
right of the previously described kana combination.
In the early 1950's, the Japanese government
standardized the romanization of Japanese syllables.
Prior to this time, a wide variety of spellings existed.
For example, a famous book was written in the early
1900's called The Complete Kano Jiu-Jitsu by
Higashi and Hancock.
Using the correct standard for romanization, JU JUTSU
is the proper spelling and is pronounced "joo-joots".
The "u" at the end of "jutsu" is pronounced lightly.
Also, "jutsu" should be prounced "joots" and not "juts".
I had a
great conversation with a
Sydney based
Aikido Sensei today. Sensei Mike and I exchanged a
number of ideas and techniques. It helped me cement some
of the passing techniques Sensei Roger had shared with us
earlier in the year. We also spent some time on our
understanding of the
Timeline of Karate Development in Okinawa (the Ryukyu Kingdom)
and Japan ...... I learnt heaps and hope to expand this list to
track the Lineage of Zen Chi Ryu and Kempo Jutsu, early into
2008.
A General
Timeline of Karate Development in Okinawa (the Ryukyu Kingdom)
and Japan
607
First recorded contact with the
Chinese during the Sui dynasty. The envoys were
unable to communicate with the Okinawans and returned to
China.
1372
Satto, leader of the largest of
Okinawa's three rival kingdoms, is approached by Emperor
Hong Wu of China. Satto sees the value of a
relationship with the Chinese and enters a tributary
alliance.
1393
A Chinese mission referred to as the
"Thirty-six Families" is established in Naha.
This mission becomes a major source of Chinese culture,
technology, philosophy and martial arts.
1404
Chinese sapposhi begin
visiting Okinawa. These special envoys of the
emperor traveled with a large entourage of technical
specialists, tradesman and security experts. These
visits would continue, roughly once for each new
Okinawan king, for the next five hundred years.
1609
The Satsuma clan beings a campaign
against the Ryukyu Kingdom. In May, Shuri castle
was captured and King Sho Nei surrendered.
During the 270 year military occupation some Okinawan
pechin1 traveled to
Satsuma and almost certainly studied Jiten-ryu ken-justu.
This training would have a significant impact on the
development of kobudo in Okinawa.
1868
The Tokugawa shogunate is abolished
by the Meiji Restoration.
1905
At
the urging of Itosu Anko karate training becomes a
part of the Okinawan public school system. This
began a period of modernization where the focus of
karate training shifted from self-defense to physical
fitness.
1905
Hanashiro Chomo, a student of "Bushi"
Matsumura, uses the first recorded reference of the
karate ideogram. Prior to this the art had been
referred to exclusively as "toudi" or "tode" (lit.
"Chinese hand").
1920's
Karate is introduced to the Japanese
mainland. Karate was considered uncivilized and
incomplete compared to judo and kendo because it lacked
organization, an established curricula and a formal
competition format. Karate also suffered from the
period's strong anti-Chinese sentiment and rampant
discrimination against Okinawans.
1933
The new "karate-do" is officially
recognized by the Dai Nippon Butokukai. The Dai
Nipon Butokukai was Japan's governing body for the
martial traditions. This recognition marked karate's
official acceptance as a modern Japanese budo.
1936
The phrase "karate-do" is officially
accepted in Okinawa.
1939
World War II interrupts the Dai
Nippon Butokukai's effort to formalize karate practice.
The Dai Nippon Butokukai had intended to bring karate-do
to the same level of organization and formalization as
judo and kendo.
1945
The
Dai
Nippon Butokukai is disbanded after World War II.
The organization's work on the unification of karate-do
is essentially forgotten. Karate-do to the present day
has remained a collection of related but technically
varied styles.
More to follow
...... however if we turn the clock forward to our founder
Shihan Kyoshi Tom Slaven ....
Shihan Tom was
born in Haddington, Scotland, in 1940 and began his Martial Arts
studies with amateur wrestling. After moving to Australia in
1961, he commenced training in the oriental martial arts,
studying Nippon Kempo, Kyokushinkai Karate, Tae Kwon Do, with
additional studies in Judo, Jujitsu, Thai Boxing and Ying-Ye
Kung Fu.
It was from an
amalgamation of formalised martial arts training and real-life
'on the streets' combat experiences within the security industry
in Sydney's tough western suburbs, that Tom developed a modern
"hard" fighting style known as Kempo Karate, which lead
in 1978 to
Tom formulating and founding Zen Chi Ryu.
The 70's must
have been exciting times in the development of what we practice,
learn and adapt to our own personal needs today.
This week we say
goodbye and thank you to some of our students as they will be
leaving town to start new lives in Brisbane, Gold Coast and
Rockhampton. Farewell and thanks for being such a strong part
of our Zen Chi Ryu family. I'm sure that you will all hook up
with good instructors (hopefully Zen Chi Ryu) and continue your
studies and training in the martial arts. We will miss you
greatly!
The Clements Family
- Sean, Madison and Amity ..... and Monny too
The Manahan Family
- Ruby, Tom and Joe
The Stokes Family -
Aden & Megan
With spots
available now on the mats for 2008 a number of new students have
asked to join and a few parents have reserved spots for the new
year. It is a strong vote of confidence in what we do and how
we are doing it. Thanks everyone! We may split our kids
classes next year to allow more kids to join our dojo. This
decision will be shared with the seniors and we will examine all
options to ensure we do not compromise the quality of what we
teach and the culture of our dojo.
On Thursday evening
the Adults and Teens met up for an end of year BBQ, a game of
cricket and touch football. The kids who came along had a
ball. Even the big kids! A big thanks to all of my students
who presented me with a signed piece of drift wood that marked
the half way point of the beach run from the 2007 Warrior Way.
Sempai Brad had selected the piece as he was the lead runner
with Shihan Shane. I helped a few students get to the turn
around point of the run and then carried the piece of wood back
as a present for one of the ones who really stretched themselves
on the day. Each of the adults who attended the camp signed the
drift wood and Sam's husband burnt each signature in place.
Thanks Graham and Sam it's a great piece for our dojo and it
will house many memories for us all.
Santa Sensei graced
us with a visit for the last kids class of the year. He sang a
number of Christmas songs with the kids and handed out Christmas
stockings for all the ZCR Kids and their brothers & sisters.
All of the kids had a blast and were shocked when Santa Sensei
walked in mid class. I think most of them thought that it was
going to be me or Sempai Brad playing Santa, so they got a huge
surprise! The Ogilvie Kids made up a Zen Chi Ryu photo album
and presented it to my family for Christmas. It was a lovely
gift with lots of special memories and hand written commentary
throughout .... thanks Alex, Sara and Ryan for your creativity.
To all of you who gave cards .... thank you. The best gift I
could get is to see you all safely back on the mat after
Christmas and the new year celebrations.
The adults then
burnt up the mats for the last time in 2007. It was time to act
out a little so we turned up the heat on some of our favourite
games and let fly with some wild games of murder ball with
karategi tops off. Everyone scored a few nice bruises and
had the chance to give each other some good old fashion curry.
Sempai Tomas and Andrew San have throwing arms to be proud of.
The balls left their hands like missiles in the night. Best
bruise prize goes to Darryl, with a very nice dimple pattern
from one of the balls.
We then moved on to
a little more formal kicking drills and finished off with some
wild pool noodle battles. Man those things sting when you get a
good shot away. We packed up the mats for the last time for
2007 and bid everyone farewell until the 19th January.
To the new Sho Dan
Ho's who will be working on their Fudo Shin Kata over the break,
here is a bit more background to add to interpretation of this
wonderful gift from Kyoshi Shihan Tom. Good luck with the other
task you have been set. Remember it is the journey and the
thinking within that makes this task successful for all of us.
Sempai Nigel is also available for help if required .... it is
his field of expertise and love.
Fudoshin (Japanese: 不動心) is a state of
equanimity or imperturbability (literally and
metaphorically "immovable heart" or "immovable
mind") - a philosophical/mental dimension to a
(commonly Japanese) martial art which
contributes to the effectiveness of the advanced
practitioner.
Fudoshin: A spirit of unshakable calm and
determination, courage without recklessness,
rooted stability in both mental and physical
realms. Like a willow tree, powerful roots deep
in the ground and a soft yielding resistance
against the winds that blow through it.
Fudo Myo is a Buddhist guardian deity (and
patron of martial arts) who is portrayed as
carrying a sword in one hand (to cut through
delusions and ignorance), and a rope in the
other (to bind 'evil forces', and violent or
uncontrolled passions and emotions). Despite a
fearsome appearance, his aspects of benevolence
and servitude to living beings are symbolized by
a hairstyle associated with the servant class.
The time has come
for our annual pilgrimage to Yamba in N.S.W. It is a time to
relax, reflect and regroup for what will be an exciting Chinese
Year of the Rat in 2008. Remember to take time over the
Christmas break to practice your sitting and active meditation
..... "Without Zen and kata, karate has no structure and little
benefit".
Sempai Kate I
will be working on a full review of 2007 over the next couple of
weeks for the blog and as promised will post a number of
articles which have been a long time at the end of my pen. I'm
working on a number of new weapons curriculum items and hope to
travel to Sydney in the early new year to train with my Sensei.
Over the break I
will be be working to interpret this quote in order to prepare
myself for the changes that 2008 will require ....
On gambatte:
"Forget your sadness, anger, grudges and hatred. Let them pass
like smoke caught in a breeze. You should not deviate from the
path of righteousness; you should lead a life worthy of a man.
Don't be possessed by greed, luxury, or your ego. You should
accept sorrows, sadness and hatred as they are, and consider
them a chance for trial given to you by the powers... a blessing
given by nature. Have both your mind and your time fully engaged
in budo, and have your mind deeply set on bujutsu." - Masaaki
Hatsumi
Have a safe
holiday break and enjoy every moment with your family and
friends.
The year has flown
by at a great rate of knots and I'm looking forward to our
annual break over December. It should provide a chance to get
back on top of my personal training and perhaps visit Shihan Tim
and Baldry Sensei in Sydney.
My son Josh amazed
most of us at the Warrior Way with his brick breaks. He did not
take a step back and when asked if he wanted another brick when
faced with 4 he said yes. Then without question when asked by
Shihan Tim if he wanted a sixth added to the pile he said yes
again. Joshua stepped up and amazed himself and all of us with
his courage. It was a pivotal moment in his development from
boyhood to Teenager and Manhood. Josh then had a go at breaking
7 bricks when we returned home and found time to design a better
step for his attempt. This will be the last of these for now
for Josh. His next challenge is to move to breaking free
standing Hebel blocks using a side kick.
With the Warrior
now firmly behind us we are starting to wrap the year up and
focus on making 2008 even stronger for our dojo. We only have 1
formal class left then we take a break to relax and refresh. I
have been working on a number of plans for 2008 for activities
and curriculum additions for our dojo. We will be embracing
Kendo,
Modern Arnis and more Iaido practice. We have already
purchased 6 Katana for this purpose and have started on our
first session, focusing on a Kata performed at the 2007 Warrior
Way.
Iaido is the
art of reacting to a surprise attack by counter attacking with a
sword.
An in-depth reading of the Japanese characters for iaido is:
I = being, AI = harmony, DO = way . "The way of harmonising
oneself in action”.
The Iaidoka (a practitioner of iaido) wields a sword: not to
control the opponent, but to control himself. Iaido is mostly
performed solo as a series of Waza. The Iaidoka executes various
techniques against single or multiple imaginary opponents. Each
Waza begins and ends with the sword sheathed. In addition to
sword technique, practitioners require imagination and
concentration in order to maintain the feeling of a real fight
and to keep the Kata fresh. In order to properly perform the
waza, Iaidoka also learn posture and movement, grip, and swing.
Iaido is never practised in a free-sparring manner.
Iaidoka practice to prepare for a surprise attack, where an
immediate, efficient solution to the problem of aggression is
necessary. Therefore, the technique is highly refined. Every
unnecessary movement is cut away. Technique is simple and
direct. The training method is aimed towards development of the
practitioner’s every mental and physical resources.
Iaido is an authentic martial art that proved its martial values
in a time of constant battle and warfare, that was preserved and
passed on directly from teacher to student over generations in
an unbroken lineage for 450 years. Iaidoka developed the mind
towards an ultimately peaceful, harmonious, and active state
ready to react and deal with any life situation.
The Warrior’s Way -
In 2008 I plan to
complete my management text book with the help of Kate and I
will also be writing a street based self defence workshop which
will draw heavily on
Force Continuum and the concepts of the Warrior's Way. We will
initially use it within our dojo, then look to spread it in a
series of public offerings across Central Queensland as we look
to grow Zen Chi Ryu throughout Queensland.
Here is a preview of the philosophy .....
When you have decided not to be a victim. You have embarked on
the warrior’s way. It is our hope for you that this will all
remain a fascinating but academic exercise, and that you will
never have to face an assault, attempted rape or home invasion.
Yet, in developing yourself and making the decision not to be a
potential victim, you have, in fact, adopted a way of life that
makes particular spiritual, physical, philosophical and legal
demands upon you. These rules and demands are non-negotiable.
Misuse lethal force and you may win the battle but lose the war.
By understanding and mastering the
force continuum
you can win the battle and win the war.
To summarize, the warrior
Learns
the laws under which he or she operates,
Develops
"fighting spirit,"
Develops self control, good manners, and respect for
others,
Embraces increased Emotional
Intelligence
Acquires
mastery of the weapons he or she chooses to employ,
Acquires
a range of tools along the force continuum,
Develops
a continuing situational awareness.
Fexibility
A number of my
students have been working on their flexibility and may find
this site a useful resource.
Stretching and Flexibility - "Everything you never wanted
to know" by Brad Appleton. I will be putting a lot more effort
into this myself over the Christmas break while holidaying on
the beach at
Yamba.
I do not recommend
the stretch in this video ..... however sometimes my back feels
like it could do with this sort of activity ...... amazing
stuff!
Touching
Story -
Last week I
received this image and story in an email. I thought I
would share it here as it is a touching story and shows
yet another side to a very difficult situation.
John
Gebhardt's wife, Mindy, said that this little girl's
entire family was executed. The insurgents intended to
execute the little girl also, and shot her in the
head...but they failed to kill her. She was cared for in
John's hospital and is healing up, but continues to cry
and moan. The nurses said John is the only one who seems
to calm her down, so John has spent the last four nights
holding her while they both slept in that chair. The
girl is coming along with her healing. He is a real Star
of the war, and represents what the Western world is
trying to do.
What a great
bloke. He would be welcome at my table anytime.
Well its off
home on yet another plane. I have been sitting in Brisbane
airport after flying back from Cairns as I write this journal
entry. I'm looking forward to getting home and training over
the weekend.
The 2007 Warrior
Way and Zen Chi Ryu National Titles were a huge hit with tons of
learning and excellence in Martial Arts on display. A picture
says a thousand words ...... so here are a few to wet your
appetite.
The Gladstone based
"Enabling Arts Dojo" was proud to host the Australian Titles for
Zen Chi Ryu Karate this weekend at Tannum Sands, with Dojos from
Sydney, Gold Coast and Brisbane attending. It was great to catch
up with all of our brothers and sisters from other interstate
Dojos. Everyone made the most of the Queensland Sunshine/heat++
and forged strong friendships.
Over 150
students and spectators attended the event which was run by
Shihan John Duncan, Shihan Tim Reilly & Shihan Shane Hinton, who
hold World Records for Power Breaking Bricks and Ice. They also
hold the titles of Australian and Australasian full contact
karate champions.
The weekend held
many challenges for the competitors, especially those grading
for Black Belts. All those who attended performed 500 pushups,
500 crunches, 1 hour in a deep horse stance, 10km beach run,
5000 punches into a kick shield, 1000 kicks, 250 repetitions of
the blocking & punching kihons, beach meditation, grappling work
in the sand and hours of self defence application practice
before the various belt test gradings even began. Each student
performed hours of Kata practice then sparred between 20 to 40
rounds depending on the rank that they were attempting to grade
for.
It was wonderful
to bear witness to the promotion of my Sensei, Shihan Tim to 6th
Dan and Shihan Shane to 6th Dan as well as Renshi Clair to 4th
Dan. I was honoured to be awarded Renshi status with my 3rd
Dan. My daughter Jessica also received a well deserved 2nd Dan
rank and our Dojo graded four of our students to Shodan Ho.
Congratulations
to;
Sempai
Tomas Williams - (Secondary)
Sempai
Nathan Marshall - (Adult)
Sempai Don
Anderson - (Adult)
Sempai
Brad Lee Hall - (Adult)
This weekend
challenge is called the 'Way of the Warrior' and is not for the
faint hearted. Conceive, Believe, Achieve is the motto of Zen
Chi Ryu and each student digs deep within to live and breath
personal meaning into this creed. Selected students from each
state then competed in the Zen Chi Ryu National Titles.
Zen Chi Ryu
Australian Title Winners - October 2007
All the events were
amazing to witness as tired and sore Martial Artists lifted to
their highest levels of performance. The doubles Kata display
opened the competition and was followed up with an amazing
competition of brick breaking by the under 12 Sempais, Joshua
Reilly and Ryan McDonald. With the majority of the under 12
events going to the interstate visitors the over 12
Queenslanders stepped up the pace and set a real tone for the
adults to follow on Sunday.
Sunday saw the
adult competition take place after a gruelling day in the heat
performing their grading requirements. The weapons Kata section
saw a wide variety of weapons from traditional to everyday
items. The women's Kata section was a closely fought battle
with honours going to the mother and daughter team of Jessica &
Kate. The men's Kata was awesome with Sempai Nathan performing
the fastest and most powerful 1st elbow drill I've ever seen.
The Shihans were impressed to say the least.
The brick breaking
competition was well worth the wait. Each qualifier had to
break 7 x 75mm Hebel blocks to make it through to the finals.
The Gladstone competitors, Sempai's Nigel and Brad were only
matched by Sensei Mark Jones as he blew us all away with a
terrific elbow break. In the final, Sempai Brad dominated with
a 9 brick break using his powerful overhead elbow strike, Sensei
Mark with 8 bricks and Sempai Nigel with 7 bricks broken with a
palm heel strike.
Sempai Nigel Clements 7 Brick
Break with a Palm Heel Strike
We then moved into
the grading sparring rounds with everyone working hard as the
day grew hotter and hotter. Each group of ranks bowed out after
completing much more than the required number of rounds for
their grade. With only the seniors left we moved directly into
the full contact sparring competition. Each participant removed
their protective gear and laid it on the line for all to see the
real Zen Chi.
Sempai Tomas
stepped up to a whole new level and fought an opponent twice his
age and with recent experience in beating the Japanese Kyokushin
75kg Champ in the Australian Titles. He held his own and grew
immensely from the experience. Sempai Brad fought the most
rounds covering off all interstate fighters. His descending
elbow after sweeping one opponent will be remembered by all who
witnessed it. He fought with courage, control and honour.
Runner-up -
Sempai Jessica
Reilly & Madison Clements - Gladstone
Female Single
Kata
Winner -
Sempai Jessica
Reilly - Gladstone
Runner-up -
Sempai Kate Reilly
- Gladstone
Male Brick Break
Winner -
Sempai Brad Hall -
Gladstone
Runner-up -
Sensei Mark Jones -
Penrith
Male Single Kata
Winner -
Sempai Nathan
Marshall - Gladstone
Runner-up -
Sempai
Tomas Williams
- Gladstone
Mixed Weapons
Kata
Winner -
Sempai Tomas
Williams - Gladstone
Runner-up -
Sempai
Jessica Reilly - Gladstone
Male Full
Contact Sparring
Winner -
Sempai Brad Hall - Gladstone
Runner-up -
Sensei Joe Blazevic
- Penrith
Kids Competition
Junior Male
Under 12 Brick Break
Winner -
Ryan McDonald - Northern Beaches - Sydney
Runner-up -
Sempai Joshua
Reilly - Gladstone
Junior Male
Under 12 Non Contact Sparring
Winner -
Jamie Crawford -
Northern Beaches - Sydney
Runner-up -
Jakob Newton -
Gladstone
Junior Female
Under 12 Non Contact Sparring
Winner -
Tinieka Page -
Northern Beaches - Sydney
Runner-up -
Madison Clements -
Gladstone
Junior Mixed
Under 12 Single Kata Technical
Winner -
Amelia Crawford –
Northern Beaches - Sydney
Runner-up -
Madison Clements -
Gladstone
Junior Mixed
Under 12 Single Kata Power & Speed
Winner -
Ryan McDonald -
Northern Beaches - Sydney
Runner-up -
Tinieka Page -
Northern Beaches - Sydney
Junior over 12
Non Contact Sparring
Winner -
Tori Van Vegchel -
Gladstone
Runner-up -
Beau Budak -
Gladstone
Junior Over 12
Kata
Winner -
Aden Stokes -
Gladstone
Runner-up -
Tori Van Vegchel -
Gladstone
Congratulations to
the winners and all who competed with excellent spirit and
pride. You are all a credit to Zen Chi Ryu Martial Arts and
your respective Instructors & Dojos. I have learnt a lot from
hosting this event and we look forward to challenging the other
states in 2008 ..... we will be ready again!
It was terrific to
see Shihan John Duncan travel up from Brisbane to be with us and
judge the National Titles. Everyone enjoyed listening to his
presentation at the end as Shihan John linked what we do to the
battles of everyday life.
I am so proud of
all my students from the kids to the senior adults, you all
competed with pride and heart. I'm sure when my week slows down
I will have a huge chance to reflect on just how far we have
come in a short time and post more thoughts.
I will work on the
video footage and post some amazing clips on
YouTube in the next few days ..... so stay tuned.
Looking forward to
2008 and the trip to Sydney ...... bring it on!
On a side note
check out the new HOG under Sempai Don ..... I had a chance to
take him up to Rockhampton to take delivery on Tuesday. Next
stop the GC for Sean's Fat Boy.
22nd October 2007
Time to focus & Reflect on our Journey
With less than a week to go
before we host what will be a monumental Warrior Camp I feel that we
need to focus and reflect on how far we have travelled together along
the Martial Path.
Zen Chi Ryu arrived in
Gladstone 3 years ago, however, it arrived a number of years earlier in
the form a message from my Sensei, Shihan Tim. A series of photos
were hand delivered to me by my brother John while I was holidaying in
Yamba with my family. The photos came with a quote by Ed Parker
and a message from an old friend ........
"I come to you with only
Karate, Empty Hands. I have no weapons, but should I be forced to defend
myself, my principles, or my honour, should it be a matter of life or
death, of right or wrong, then here are my weapons, Karate, my Empty
Hands.” Ed Parker
The photos and message had
a profound effect on my Martial Arts journey. My path has led me
to realise what true Martial Arts offer and what marketed hybrid
varieties fail to deliver. I have worked hard to share this
message and spread the teachings of one of the worlds true Masters
Kyoshi Tom Slaven, to any and all who would listen and take to the mat
with me. Family has been our theme throughout our thoughts,
communication and actions as we built and developed the "Enabling Arts Dojo", and all
who sail within.
Class this week was
awesome! All of the ZCR Kids were on fire and full of
concentration and excitement about the upcoming weekend's grading and
competition. We rattled through their belt level Kata then spent
the rest of the class sparring and belt wrestling. The adults
split into two groups to focus on specific items for the National
Titles. Sempai Jessica & Madison demonstrated their Fudo Shin,
Sempai Tomas blew us all away with two excellent Bo Katas, while Mark
San impressed with his new Katana form. We will give each of these
categories a real shake up. The seniors worked solely on their
Master Form with some excellent results in their performances. We
also worked some spontaneous Bunkai from a range of attack scenarios.
After class I sat back and reflected on one thought with a huge smile on
my face ..... we are ready, bring it on!!!
This week we also received a
letter form our sponsored World Vision Child, Elias who lives in
Ethiopia. It is a report card from his school with some personal
comments to our students and a report of what World Vision are doing in
his village. I have placed a copy on our
Yahoo Site for students to read.
Elias October 2007
I'm going to enjoy watching
the rest of this week race by and launch into the 2007 Warrior Way ......
We have already welcomed Sensei Mark Jones from Cambridge Park and look
forward to the Penrith men arriving on Thursday as they fly into
Rockhampton. The Brisbane and North Sydney contingent arrive on
Friday with all of the N.S.W. competitors. Zen Chi Ryu will rock
Central Queensland!
2007 Zen Chi Ryu National Title Trophies
This week Kate, Jess
and Joshua were treated to a 1 hr helicopter ride over Gladstone and
surrounding sights as a part of their mental preparation for the
challenges of what lies ahead and a shared birthday gift. They
shared this experience with their grandparents Ken & Judy.
It was amazing to be able to do this for them and to be able to share in
their joy and excitement as they were elevated 100's of meters above
where they will be sweating it out next week.
We have been busy this week
putting the final touches to most of the preparations for the 2007
Warrior Way. The trophies and medals look terrific, cabins and
motels have been booked and organised, heaps of bricks have been
ordered, travel plans have been formalised and airfares booked, all Zen
Chi Ryu students and instructors are placing the final polish on their
preparation.
This week we split the kids
up so I could work with the senior kids on their belt level Kata, Geri
Waza. Most of them have it down pat and just need to hone it to feel
more confident. Sempai Kate and Brad lead the rest of the group through
their Kata with the help of Mark San. Thanks guys, you are a huge help
with such a big and diverse class. We then moved into game mode and
invited the parents to join in for a little fun. The kids got to
teach their selected parent (or stand in adult) fighting stance, jab
cross combo and front kicks, and then dish out a few pushups for fun.
The adults worked hard all class and seemed to enjoy the impromptu
sparring technique of a fight class. We worked a range of techniques and
Kata as we weaved our way through the interruptions of a about 30 live
fight breaks. We finished off with a short session on our 8 angles of
defence and offence, with everyone looking sharp and working a wide
range of techniques. We had the ice out for several who added to
their collection of Warrior Way preparation scars and bruises.
Congratulations to Sempai
Kate and Nigel who received their Assistant Instructor badges this week.
They join Sempai Brad as part of my vision of a diverse team of
instructors as we expand into 2008 and beyond. With only one, yes
one more class before the Warrior Way I am very pleased with everyone's
sense of excitement, spirit and preparation. It will be a great weekend
for all and I'm feeling very proud of our dojo.
This week in my own
preparation and training I have been reflecting on the mottos of
Mas
Oyama the founder of Kyokushin karate.
Sosai Mas Oyama mottos give all who take the time to ponder and
reflect direction and focus.
* The Martial Way
begins and ends with courtesy. Therefore, be properly and
genuinely courteous at all times.
* Following the Martial Way is like scaling a cliff. Continue
upwards without rest. It demands absolute and unflattering
devotion to the task at hand.
* Strive to seize the initiative in all things, all the time
guarding against actions stemming from selfish animosity or
thoughtlessness.
* Even for Martial Artists, the place of money cannot be
ignored. Yet one should be careful never to become attached to
it.
* The Martial Way is centred in posture. Strive to maintain
correct posture at all times.
* The Martial Way begins with one thousand days and is mastered
after ten thousand days of training.
* In Martial Arts, introspection begets wisdom. Always see
contemplation of your actions as an opportunity to improve.
* The nature and purpose of the Martial Way is universal. All
selfish desires should be roasted in the tempering fires of hard
training.
* Martial Arts begin with a point and end in a circle. Straight
lines stem from this principle.
* The true essence of the Martial Way can only be realized
through experience. Knowing this, learn never to fear its
demand.
* Always remember: In Martial Arts the rewards of a confident
and grateful heart are truly abundant.
Early in the week I had the chance to work with one of my
students who is an absolute powerhouse when he trains. We
worked on the first of the ZCR Katas and sorted out a few
footwork and balance tricks. This student is the same
build as our founder Kyoshi Shihan Tom Slaven, so the techniques
in this Kata truly come alive when he gets in the groove.
There is nothing as rewarding as helping a fellow student unlock
their technique and find their personal keys to higher levels of
performance.
The first elbow
drill is one of my personal favourites, and it is designed
specifically for navigating the inner circle of defence.
During this
session we experimented with a non traditional relaxation
technique to help with the weight distribution components we
have been battling .... it worked a treat.
Your shout next
time Sean San.
It always amazes me what
you can find on the net. Check out the team from Ninja Burger at
www.ninjaburger.com/
they
Guarantee delivery in 30
minutes or less, or they commit Seppuku!
How do people come up with
these concepts. I laughed so hard at these guys ..... take a look
and relieve a little stress. I think that we might get this team
to cater for our end of year function and the Zen Chi Kids break up
party.
Tips for ordering from
Ninja Burger .... To ensure your safety during the delivery process,
please do not make any sudden movements. You may also wish to leave the
doors and/or windows unlocked to make our delivery easier. Also, be
advised that any large dogs or cats may need to be temporarily
incapacitated by Ninja Knock-Out Powder to protect our ninja team during
the insertion phase. Please, do not tip the ninja.
With a fortnight's break
from training to heal injuries and reenergise, I feel ready to tackle the
world again and more importantly give more energy and time to my
students. I feel as though I have not had a break from training
since we formed our Dojo, and I know I was training hard well before
that. So the break was warranted and probably overdue as my
patience was getting a little worn in places. I had even managed
to get myself in a 5 on 1 street based self defence situation, which I
should have defused long before I had the need to dominate offensively &
defensively. Stress limits your responses and impairs your
judgement. While my physical training did not let me down, my
mental awareness and ego drove an inappropriate response .... at least
in my mind with the gift of hindsight.
During the break I managed to spend some
quality time with my son Joshua and expose him to the concept of
"Rolling Thunder" and his first big bike run on the Harley.
We travelled 500km to Nambour to visit my brother John and returned the
next day. Josh got to experience the highway with a real cruising
attitude. Rolling Thunder is the sound a Harley makes when moving
through the gears and accelerating to freedom. As a child I lived
in
Wodonga Victoria in a house that was less than 100m off the Hume
Highway. At night I could hear the rolling thunder of these beasts
cruising up the highway between Melbourne and Sydney. My
imagination was fuelled with images of freedom and highway
cruising.....this became my obsession at 16 and lead me to purchase my
first Bike. It has taken many years to own the sound of my own
Rolling Thunder and I hope to pass the obsession and love onto my son.
With only 3 formal classes
left until our annual camp and national titles the pace has accelerated
for all of our students. The 2007 Warrior Way will be one to
remember for all who attend. The following categories will be
contested .........
Zen Chi Ryu
Australian Titles - October 2007
2007 Zen Chi Ryu
Australian Titles - Female Doubles Kata
2007 Zen Chi Ryu
Australian Titles - Female Single Kata
2007 Zen Chi Ryu
Australian Titles - Male Brick Break
2007 Zen Chi Ryu
Australian Titles - Male Single Kata
2007 Zen Chi Ryu
Australian Titles – Mixed Weapons Kata
2007 Zen Chi Ryu
Australian Titles – Male Full Contact Sparring
2007 Zen Chi Ryu
Australian Titles – Junior Male Under 12 Brick Break
2007 Zen Chi Ryu
Australian Titles – Junior Male Under 12 Non Contact Sparring
2007 Zen Chi Ryu
Australian Titles – Junior Female Under 12 Non Contact Sparring
2007 Zen Chi Ryu
Australian Titles – Junior Mixed Under 12 Single Kata Technical
2007 Zen Chi Ryu
Australian Titles – Junior Mixed Under 12 Single Kata Power & Speed
Our dojo will be well
represented as we are well prepared. I'm looking forward to
watching everyone push their limits to a new level. To all my students .....
your Warrior Way is on the doorstep. Less than 20 days to be
prepared for your Australian Titles and Annual Camp. If you need
help, just ask! I will be travelling to Townsville and Cairns over
the next few weeks so discuss a suitable time with Kate and we can work
on what ever is troubling you or what you may wish to polish.
Sempai Jessica and
Madison Clements are working hard on their doubles Kata demo for
the National Titles. They will be performing Fudo Shin
with
Sai and have devised a terrific way to present this
outstanding Kata.
It has been
interesting watching them sort out their program,
introduction and supporting music. I think it will be very
special to watch them battle it out with Renshi Clair Baker and
her junior partner.
The best
combination will be selected to represent Zen Chi Ryu and
compete in further tournaments in Sydney in 2008.
This week I have been
exploring some of my teaching principles and challenging some of the
classic
paradigms that exist in my mind and practice regarding the Student
Teacher Student relationship. This relationship exists within a
number of levels of my life. Here are a few of the questions that have
been a part of my reflective moments. I will post my responses in
an article or parable in the next few weeks as the currency of my
opinion becomes clearer.
Who learns from
who -- the classic Student Teacher Student relationship?
How and why do we
learn?
When do we learn
best and why?
Comfort Vs.
Discomfort to enable behavioural change - is balance the key or the
lock?
What is the
purpose of the ego in learning, teaching and assessing?
When do we truly
let go of the ego?
Sacrifice in the
learning journey ... is it essential.
This great quote from Mark
Twain smacked me in the face this week ...
Twenty years from now
you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by
the ones you did do. So throw
off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds
in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover - Mark Twain
There will be plenty of time for mooring in safe harbours when the mind
is willing but the body has cashed in its chips. Tattoos are on
the horizon again .......
The realm of possibility
exists in all of us ..... Conceive, Believe, Achieve.
16th September 2007
There are no ordinary moments!
This weekend my students
were Warriors in the true sense of the word. They pushed many
personal boundaries and inspired me with their efforts, sweat and
courage.
The Way of a Warrior is
based on humanity, love, and sincerity; the heart of martial valour is
true bravery, wisdom, love, and friendship. Emphasis on the physical
aspects of warriorship is futile, for the power of the body is always
limited. - Ueshiba Morihei, The Art Of Peace
Our purpose this weekend
was to break a few boundaries and help everyone get used to pushing hard
through a series of classic ZCR training sessions.
Friday Evening 6.00pm to
8.30pm - Horse stance for an extended period of time tested our focus
and set the stage for a weekend of pain, suffering and elation. We
pushed through 2500 strikes into a partner held kick shield. This
is half of the required amount for the Warrior Camp. We then
pushed through numerous sets of the blocking and punching Kihon to help
blow the lactic acid away. Sempai Kate & Tomas shone through with
the strongest performance during the punches. Hats off to Sempai
Nathan who drove 5 hrs to attend this session and pushed himself well
beyond the point of pain.
Saturday Morning 9.00am to
12.00md - The Adults & Teens joined in with the Kids Class and
hammered Auckland St with 6km & 10km runs. When they returned to
the dojo we worked though 250 crunches and 250 pushups. The
seniors pushed out 350 of each in their Warrior Way preparation.
The stand out performers of this session were Sempai Brad, Sempai Nigel and
Marcel San. Sam overcame a bad ankle sprain and forged out her
crunches and pushups with Marcel's encouragement. With two more
sessions left Sam San had to dig deep to continue ..... which she did!
Saturday Afternoon everyone
relaxed and regrouped with
their family. Some slept while others worked on their Bunkai
development for the grading. I blew off the cobwebs with a little
cruising on the Harley with Joshua, while Kate relaxed with old nursing friends.
Saturday Evening 5.00pm to
8.00pm - We trained at one of our favourite places - the Beach Area at
Spinnaker Park. Our numbers continued to swell with full
attendance at this session. We warmed up with a fun activity
called steal the Zen Egg. This game helped blow off some lactic
acid and helped the competitive spirit emerge for the 250 front kicks and 250 round kicks
which were the first real challenges of the session. Everyone delivered with
power, intensity and control. We then hit the sand for 1.5 hours
of Kihons, Kata and Footwork. We finished off with a short session
of stances and meditation while facing the harbour waters. When we
emerged from our state of meditation two large pelicans swam into full
view on queue. It was another perfect Zen moment.
Sunday Morning 9.00am to
12.30pm –
We moved our training to the Japanese Tea House at Tondoon Botanical
Gardens. This was a fitting place to finish off our sessions.
We warmed up with a game of Zen Contact Football using a large Swiss
Ball. It was a blast and lifted everyone's energy level. We
knocked out another 100 pushups and crunches before moving onto a final
session of Kata.
The Japanese Tea house and
surrounding gardens provided the perfect spot for further meditation
before we moved into self defence applications and sparring. Each
of us selected a rock to take a comfortable Karate stance then stated
our full names in turn as we meditated and reflected on our weekend's
efforts and the challenges that lie ahead. The sparring
highlighted how well everyone is ingraining the teaching of ZCR
techniques. Beau San sparred his heart out as he stood up to each
student without rest. The senior ladies demonstrated magnificent
targeting of one of our favourite areas when put to the test.
Tomorrow's battle is won
during today's practice. - Samurai maxim
With the main part of the
weekend over we moved to our practice of TAMESHIWARI (Power Breaking).
Sempai Brad and Sempai Nigel lead
the way with qualifying breaks for the National Power Breaking Titles later this year.
They were both outstanding breaks. Congratulations to both
warriors. A number of students performed breaks for an ever
increasing crowd that had gathered after hearing the first break go off.
I have put them together into a compilation video to whet your appetite
for more.......
Breakers include
Sempai
Jessica Reilly, Sean Clements, Christi Fanti, Mark Wooler,
Sempai Brad
Hall, Sempai Nigel Clements and myself.
Sempai Brad Hall - 5 Brick Break to
qualify for the
2007 Zen Chi Ryu Power Breaking Titles
Sempai Nigel Clements - 5 Brick Break to
qualify for the
2007 Zen Chi Ryu Power Breaking Titles
I am often moved beyond
words when I see people push themselves to new heights of performance.
I am constantly amazed at the capacity of the human spirit when mixed
with the right character development and filtered with the correct
amount of personal discipline. I was proud of everyone's efforts
and the level of camaraderie shown this weekend.
Bring on the 2007 Warrior
Way and Zen Chi Ryu National Titles .... we are ready!
Discipline has been the
hallmark of this week. I have been working hard on not engaging
with one of those annoying little matters that belittles ones character.
In avoiding this annoying issue that has been plaguing me my thoughts
have turned to Character.
I have been exploring the
concepts of character development as I prepare my lesson plans in the
lead up to our Black Belt Testing. I often refer to the thoughts
of others to assist in gauging and exploring my own beliefs around more
esoteric matters such as Character development. Here are a few of the
quotes I've been exploring and reflecting on.
“The
function of education, therefore, is to teach one to think intensively
and to think critically. But education which stops with efficiency may
prove the greatest menace to society. The most dangerous criminal may be
the man gifted with reason, but with no morals [...] We must remember
that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character--that is
the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only
power of concentration, but worthy objectives upon which to
concentrate..” -
Martin Luther King Jr.
If I apply
the thoughts of Dr King, a true black belt test must include development
and assessment of a student's character.
"Most
people say that it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. They
are wrong: it is character." -
Albert Einstein
I like to
substitute the word Scientist with SENSEI or Black Belt with Einstein's
quote.
"We
define character as the sum of those qualities of moral excellence that
stimulates a person to do the right thing, which is manifested through
right and proper actions despite internal or external pressures to the
contrary." -
United States Air Force Academy
"Character is doing what's right, even when no one is looking" - unknown
I love
these quotes as they stimulate the question - what is the RIGHT thing?
"Character develops itself in the stream of life." - Goethe
This quote by Goethe helps
me to remember that I play only a small part in any individual's stream
of life and in the end it is their decisions and subsequent behaviours
that determine the extent of their character development. However,
I turn to this quote to keep me focused on the true purpose of our
training....
"Karate-do is definitely
a martial way, and its identity lies in do or principles. Any martial
art without proper training of the mind turns into beastly behaviour." -
Shoshin Nagamine
In Class this week......
The Zen Chi Ryu kids worked
hard on their groin kicks and front kicks which were interwoven with a
few crazy relay races. We also tested their punching and blocking
speed with excellent results shown. I was amazed with the speed
shown by a number of our younger female students .... truly impressive.
Based on a request from a couple of parents we held a serious discussion
on bullying and practiced a number of self defence moves from a rear
grab.
The 3 Ninja's take to the
mat to do battle
The adults pushed through an aerobic session covering a range of blocks
and strikes before working on Zen Chi Pyramid front kicks. We finished
the class off with an hour of stand up and ground sparring work. Once
again everyone worked to push their personal performance goals.
Next week we will turn up the volume in our Warrior Way preparation with
a number of back to back sessions over the weekend. We will be
working our way through the standard format of an annual camp challenge,
but I'm sure that there will be a few surprises sprung in typical Zen
Chi Ryu fashion.
The schedule for the Warrior Way practice weekend has been set and
should provide us with a range of opportunities to push our limits in
relative PRIVACY......
* Friday Evening 6.00pm to 8.30pm (including mat set up)
* Saturday Morning 9.00am to 12.00md (joining the kid's class)
* Saturday Afternoon Relax and regroup with family
* Saturday Evening 5.00pm to 8.00pm Beach Area at Spinnaker Park
* Sunday Morning 9.00am to 12.00md Tondoon Gardens – Japanese Tea House.
I'm hoping to see a couple
of our senior students attempt a qualifying brick break for the National
Power Breaking Titles in October. We might do these at the beach
session on sunset to add to the magic of the moment. It will be
excellent to have 3 of us qualified to take on the Sydneysiders in what
has been their domain of power for many years.
Crunches have been an area
of debate over recent weeks. I have been exploring/experimenting
with a number of unique abdominal routines with Marcel Rinquet. We
hope to have these ready to go by next weekend and pass them onto
everyone as they prepare for the crunch marathon as part of our camp.
This
exercise we have explored, trains the abdominal muscles by groups. The
rectus abdominis brings the sternum toward the pelvis. The transverse
obliques and external obliques allow the torso to twist. Lastly the
serratus anterior line the ribcage and are indirectly trained as
stablizing muscles. Here is a sneak peak at part of the puzzle......
We start
with the upper portion of the rectus abdominis, then move to the lower.
The third phase of the routine involves the obliques and serratus
anterior.
For
counting purposes, we will do sets of 8 (eight). In this routine we vary
the speed and direction of your crunch, thus targeting the different
abdominal regions. Each session you complete over 300 crunches.
In
regards to speed here's the count we'll use:
SINGLE counts, (up in one beat, back in one beat), DOUBLE counts
(up in 2 beats, back in 2 beats), 3:1 (TRIPLE) counts (up in 3
beats, back in 1), or PULSES (contracting and releasing
repeatedly at the top of the movement for a count of 16).
Pulsing really burns, so we will vary it a bit. Maybe do 4
singles, and 8 pulses. DOUBLE HOLD crunch (up and hold for
2 beats, back in 2 beats), TRIPLE HOLD crunch (up and hold for 3
beats, back in 1)
It will be a big chance to adapt to this style
of abdominal work, but I'm convinced that the results and
improved spinal safety will be worth the initial problems of
coping with the change.
The world moves in
mysterious ways. One minute were flying along and the next we are
faced with what seems like a serious injury and road blocks to our
training. We have had our fair share of injuries in recent times.
So we have several experts on how to manage and work around a range of
common Martial Arts injuries. Each of us who has sustained an
injury has learnt how to manage the fall out, both emotional and
physical from these setbacks. This knowledge and experience is
invaluable and will serve our dojo well into the future.
Physicians
have described the normal course of a frozen shoulder as
having three stages:
Stage one:
In the "freezing" or painful stage, which may last from
six weeks to nine months, the patient has a slow onset
of pain. As the pain worsens, the shoulder loses motion.
Stage two:
The "frozen" or adhesive stage is marked by a slow
improvement in pain, but the stiffness remains. This
stage generally lasts four months to nine months.
Stage three:
The "thawing" or recovery, during which shoulder motion
slowly returns toward normal. This generally lasts five
months to 26 months.
The kids had a wow of a
time at their DVD night last week. I thought that they were extremely
well behaved. We consumed 18 pizzas and 50 bottles of soft drink, so a
few of the little ninjas were hyped up when they went home to bed.
We watched the 3 Ninjas and Pirates of the Caribbean-Dead Mans Chest.
I was amazed with their level of concentration in class the following
morning. I'm sure that they were on their best behaviour so we
would consider a repeat performance to watch the other two movies in the
3 Ninja series.
Our New Baby Well I guess
it's a midlife crisis ....but who cares. Kate & I have long
dreamed off owing one of these magnificent machines. My love
affair started at 16 when I used to buy the biker magazine "In The
Wind". I carefully cut our the best pictures and plastered my walls
with images of these steel monsters. I knew that one day I would ride
a HOG but it took a little longer than expected, in fact 38 years to
turn the dream into a shared reality with my wife and best friend Kate.
To those of you who dream of a Harley I have 3 words for you - you may
recognise them .... Conceive, Believe, Achieve.
Conceive
Kawasaki 250 LTD
My first Bike "Rosie" she gave me freedom and I made it
look like a Harley Hog even if I could not afford one.
Believe
Suzuki Boulevard 800cc Cruiser
After a side
diversion with a Ducati Pantah 600cc I returned to my search for
a HOG. I still fell short, even though it was a great bike
and allowed me to regain my affair with the road and freedom.
Finally the
Harley Davidson!! 96 Cubic Inches of raw power with the
most comfortable seat and riding position I have ever
experienced .... the CD and stereo is pretty cool too!
Kyokushin National
Titles
Last Sunday Zen Chi Ryu
fighters (Dave, Keiren & Khuong) trained by Shihan Shane Hinton stormed
the Kyokushin National Titles as last minute entries. It was part
of their preparation for our own National Titles which will be held at
the Warrior Way in October. Each Fighter performed well above
their expectation with Khuong the standout though in the light weight
division. He unanimously won his first fight and cleaned up the other
guy. In his second fight he KO’d Kengo Takashi in about 15 seconds with
a turning side kick. Kengo is a gun Japanese fighter who flew in to take
the Australasian title but went home with new found repect for Zen Chi
Ryu. Unfortunately Khuong lost the final bout with a split decision to a
kick boxer from Melbourne. Second place and giant trophy is OK for a 20
year old Kyu grade student. We are all looking forward to mixing
it up with these guys on our home turf.
Our preparation for the
Warrior Way is heating up with everyone feeling the pinch as we pick up
the pace and intensity in our sessions. Personally it's great to
be back in the groove and I'm looking forward to pushing my personal
limits over the next 7 weeks as we head into our national titles.
Age and injury are no barriers when your stubborn and long time friend
of pain and sweat. Bring it on!
Many
challenges present themselves within the dojo setting. Over the
last 12 months I have been challenged to address the behavioural issues
of a past friend. Today has seen a decisive solution to the
problem administered and I know that those left will all move forward
with renewed vigour and hope.
Alcoholism destroys lives, friendships and families. It is a
selfish addiction that does not become one who embraces the martial arts
as a lifestyle. It is also no excuse for inappropriate behaviour,
and is often an insight to the real character of the person -
A drunk man speaks sober mans
thoughts.
I don't need you tonight
You give me false hope you offer pseudo light
I don't want you at all
You never helped me rise only helped my downfall
If I was made to fly I would have been given wings
I no longer need this fix or any type of thing
You cant bully me and make me feel small
I don't need to use you to feel six feet tall
I don't need you tonight
I don't need you at all
Penned by: igetallnumb 27-7-2007
This week in class we
stepped up the pace to continue our Warrior Camp preparations.
Everyone trained extremely hard and pushed their own personal limits.
It was great to see Sempai Kate running on those troublesome knees of
hers. Tough Old B%$#@& was the call and she met it with pride.
We worked through a range of aerobic drills then focused on a few
special elbow techniques that are not widely known outside of our style.
The award for the best elbow of the day goes to Kristi who nailed her
partner to the ground with an excellent release of power.
My congratulation to
Sempai's Nigel, Brad, Kate & Don on your appointments. The badge
we design will be special for all of us and symbolise our bonds of
friendship and respect for each other. I'm looking forward to your
valued input as we move forward in strengthening our dojo family and
serving our style with pride and honour.
On Sunday we had the
opportunity to assist with sparring partners for a
Silat
Red Belt grading, which is similar to our Black Belt (Sho Dan Ho).
We had a great time and enjoyed the hospitality of Sensei Michael Banks
and Tony Arondale and the Gladstone Silat club. Sensei Tony gave
an excellent explanation of his style of Silat and it origins and even
allowed us to view a demonstration of some of their empty hand and
weapons forms.
The sparring skills and
inner circle defence skills of these martial artist was tremendous.
We all learnt a lot from drill sparring and the freeform sparring
activity. The student (Allan) who was grading did an excellent job
and showed tremendous spirit and skills. We all walked away with a
few bruises and treasured learning. It was an honour to help out
and we would be happy to do it again if asked.
It was also nice to touch
bases again with Sensei Doug from
Shotokan
Karate Gladstone. Sensei Doug still moves with grace, speed and
power. It's great to hear that he is grading for his 4th Dan in
Adelaide towards the end of the year.
Excitement is a
buzz in the Zen Kids class for the Zen Chi Ryu DVD and Pizza
Night to be held on Friday 24th August commencing at 5.00pm at
the Auckland Street Dojo.
1st Movie will be The Three Ninjas Rated PG (suitable for the
smaller kids) 90 mins in length – beginning at 5.00pm.
2nd Movie will
be Pirates of the Caribbean – Dead Man's Chest Rated M – 145
mins in length beginning at 7.00pm
Pizza & drinks will be served at interval...Ye Ha!
My mind has been wandering
to esoteric things this week as a form of escape and peace. I have
been exploring the concepts of Buddhism - in particular the Noble
Eightfold Path & Karma.
As
the name indicates, there are eight elements in
the Noble Eightfold Path, and these are divided
into three basic categories as follows:
Wisdom
(Sanskrit: prajñā, Pāli: paññā)
1. Right view
2. Right intention
Ethical
conduct (Sanskrit: śīla, Pāli: sīla)
3. Right speech
4. Right action
5. Right livelihood
Mental
discipline (Sanskrit and Pāli: samādhi)
6. Right effort
7. Right mindfulness
8. Right concentration
In all of the elements of the Noble Eightfold
Path, the word "right" is a translation of the
word samyañc (Sanskrit) or sammā (Pāli), which
denotes completion, togetherness, and coherence,
and which can also carry the sense of "perfect"
or "ideal".
What is Karma?
Karma is the law that every cause has an effect, i.e., our actions have
results. Karma underlines the importance of all individuals being
responsible for their past and present actions. How can we test the
karmic effect of our actions? The answer is summed up by looking at (1)
the intention behind the action, (2) effects of the action on oneself,
and (3) the effects on others.
Keep exploring, challenging training with purpose
and dignity.
12th August 2007
Our Heritage Our Gift Our Founder
This
week we hosted a visit by Sensei Harold Baldry. The gift of his
teaching will be remembered for a long time to come. Sensei Harold
is the Chief Instructor of
Kempo Jutsu
based in Sydney.
Sensei Harold was welcomed
to our Dojo by the senior Zen Chi Ryu student group. We were given
a brief history of the evolution of Zen Chi Ryu and his interpretation
of the meanings behind the symbolism we see today. The
interest shown by the students in the stories and recounts of Sensei
Harold's experiences was obvious with their attention never wavering.
We then moved on to practical demonstration and teaching where the
seniors were given the gift of a Jo and then taught a Jo Kata in
demonstration of the effectiveness of this weapon.
We were not finished yet
and the session continued with a demonstration of Tensho Kata at about
75% tension by Sensei Harold. This was impressive and more so when
he began teaching this Kata to our group. We learned this Kata
with no tension and vowed to practice the moves in preparation for a
return visit by Sensei Harold. The seniors were then joined by the
rest of the Karate Ka where we learnt self defence drills and training
drills to improve our speed, power, responses and flexibility. All
students were inspired and thoroughly enjoyed the session - not wanting
it to end. We were all so into it that I forgot to get photos ....
sorry guys. After training we adjourned for a Zen Chi Bar-B-Que,
which was organised by Sempai Kate and Jessica.
I would like to personally
thank Sensei Harold on behalf of all of the students who attended and
had the wonderful opportunity to embrace our heritage and the teachings
of Shihan Kyoshi Tom Slaven. Our task is to remember guard and
engrain his teachings in our dojo and private training every week.
The future will
continue to bring exciting learning from the Seniors of our
style We now look forward to working with Shihan
John Duncan, Shihan Tim Reilly & Shihan Shane Hinton at the
Warrior Way in October.
Planning for the
2007 Warrior Way is well advanced. We will have up to 50 people
staying at the venue and another 30 Zen Chi Ryu kids training on the
Saturday of the camp. It will be a huge event ...... I can't wait!
Congratulations to Sempai Brad who has been awarded the role and title
of Assistant Instructor. Brad has been terrific help with our Zen
Kids class and set a high standard for the adults to follow. I'm
sure we will see a huge performance from Brad at this years Warrior Way.
This
week I also held a small ceremony of cutting up my first Black Belt.
I will post a separate story about the reasons for this over the next
few weeks. To those who understand and provide support, thank you!
Keep training with purpose
... it's time to step it up for the 2007 Warrior Way.
"Winning is not normal and those who constantly
win follow
an `abnormal' path. The discipline, dedication and sacrifices are
incomprehensible to those thousands standing outside, looking in, who
are capable of joining the winning team, yet unwilling to pay the price
of admission. Winners win in a fair effort, on a level playing field,
because they deserve to win... they willingly pay their dues in full,
time after time, after time."
Our Trek To the Top of Mt. Larcom -
Saturday 28th July 2007
Hard work, lots of
sweat, heaps of team work and overcoming doubt underpinned our climb of
Mt. Larcom last Saturday. We set off from the dojo after the kids
class, full of energy and enthusiasm for the task at hand. We all
met up again in the car park at the base of the Mountain ready to go.
Walking poles were distributed to those who may need that little bit
extra and the water supply was checked.
Terry lead the early charge
and was joined by Tomas and Andrew as they displayed their youthful
exuberance. We had a number of regrouping rest stops on the way to
the top which allowed a few people to recover before pushing to the next
ridge.
Beau kept us all amused
with at least 150 questions between the bottom of the climb and the top.
All the ladies trekked well with Kristy digging deep to overcome her
self doubt and forged to the top muttering a few expletives under her
breath aimed in my general direction.
"Where there is great doubt, there will be great
awakening; small
doubt, small awakening; no doubt, no awakening."
—Zen saying
Everyone made it to the top to enjoy the view and camaraderie of what I
call a peak moment in life. Approximately 80% of the group had
never climbed Larcom before Saturday and said it was on their To Do
List, but never got actioned. For some in our group, the
experience needed to be shared with friends to help them overcome their
self imposed limitations and help them overcome doubt and reach the top.
The
Didgeridoo playing by Marcel Ringuet was a real feature at
the top. It added to the spirituality of the moment and
felt right. I have never heard the didg in a natural
environment and Marcel's skill as a player is unquestionably high.
We have
been working on a range of breathing techniques in class and
it's very interesting to see the links to
circular breathing that is used in Didgeridoo playing.
Marcel enriches my life and is
an excellent model of calm. He is one of the most
intelligent and energetic people I have ever met, and what he
brings to our dojo is priceless. On behalf of everyone who sat on the top and listened to your didg, thanks for
sharing your gift and making the trek even more special.
We will tackle Mt.
Larcom again in our lead up to the 2007 Warrior Way. We will
increase our pace and add weighted back packs to leverage the
experience.
Those who attend the
Warrior Camp will be able to draw on their Mt. Larcom experience and
place their thoughts on the cool breeze which was experienced 600m above
sea level. When the going gets tough, they will be able to
visualize the view from the top and know that they can push through
whatever challenge confronts them.
I have compiled a 10Mb compilation video of
our climb which can be seen here ....on YouTube.
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