I sure am glad I don't have to organize Karate clubs anymore. The gym bookings, the ads, the association paperwork all sucks.
The worst part is the money.
There is the yearly association fee to be collected from each student. For the ISKF, that is $40 per annum. Of course, there needs to be enough money collected to cover everyday costs. Our club is collecting $30 per month for this. Whenever there is a big instructor in town, expenses have to be covered. They also normally receive an honorarium. For the one this week, the club is collecting $30 per person. Mustn't forget testing fees. They run about $25 each.
It isn't the amount, it's the endless collecting. The nickel-and-dime effect.
Let's say somebody trains all year, and attends 3 seminars, and tests 3 times. This would work out to being $565 per year, collected in 19 little piles.
I used to do it differently. To collect the same $565, I'd change the system to a single $140 dollars each 3 months. The club used to pay the association fees, the seminar fees, and the testing fees. No extras at all. For some people, it was too much all at once, and for them I'd collect $50 per month. Most preferred the 3 month deal.
Heck, why not collect all $565, and call it even for the year. Or a ten-year $5650 deal.
I hate repetitive collecting, or paying. I currently pay my club dues a couple of months at a time before they come due.
But at least, in Karate, we save money on shoes.
I am a 68 year old retired teacher living on the west coast of Canada. I spent over 30 years as a student of Karate until my knees stopped liking it. My current passionate activity is Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, which I've been at for about 13 years.
Tuesday 31 May 2011
Monday 30 May 2011
Selfish
Testing for our coloured belts on Friday. I don't really know which are going for it, and which are not.
I can think of maybe three White Belts who are ready, and maybe a Yellow or two. Maybe our Green will try, too. Not a big grading, even if I've forgotten a person or two.
I expect a respectable pass rate.
I do hope that Dixon Sensei is not as polite this time. He had all three of our Black Belts sit at the examiner's table with him. The usual purpose of this is so he can make verbal comments to the club's instructor, or to ask questions about a candidate. If a club's instructor cannot be there, a stand-in Black Belt should be. No reason for all of us.
I bet he wanted our Sensei there for these reasons. I had been the club's Sensei up until almost that date, so he probably had me there so I wouldn't feel insulted and left out. With two of us there, it would have been rude to have excluded Armando.
If I get to sit at the side with the rest of the club, I can make discrete written notes to pass along to candidates later. I can also talk to people, and encourage, and answer questions. At the side, I can do some good. At the test table I can do none of these things. One must sit, and be reasonably still, and be totally silent unless spoken to. Can't even take pictures or video.
If I were Sensei, of course I would be at the table, but I'm just one of the guys in the line. If we had ten Black Belts, we wouldn't all be at the table.
Just in case I'm put at the table, I'll bring my iPad along with a good movie on it.
Just kidding.
I can think of maybe three White Belts who are ready, and maybe a Yellow or two. Maybe our Green will try, too. Not a big grading, even if I've forgotten a person or two.
I expect a respectable pass rate.
I do hope that Dixon Sensei is not as polite this time. He had all three of our Black Belts sit at the examiner's table with him. The usual purpose of this is so he can make verbal comments to the club's instructor, or to ask questions about a candidate. If a club's instructor cannot be there, a stand-in Black Belt should be. No reason for all of us.
I bet he wanted our Sensei there for these reasons. I had been the club's Sensei up until almost that date, so he probably had me there so I wouldn't feel insulted and left out. With two of us there, it would have been rude to have excluded Armando.
If I get to sit at the side with the rest of the club, I can make discrete written notes to pass along to candidates later. I can also talk to people, and encourage, and answer questions. At the side, I can do some good. At the test table I can do none of these things. One must sit, and be reasonably still, and be totally silent unless spoken to. Can't even take pictures or video.
If I were Sensei, of course I would be at the table, but I'm just one of the guys in the line. If we had ten Black Belts, we wouldn't all be at the table.
Just in case I'm put at the table, I'll bring my iPad along with a good movie on it.
Just kidding.
Sunday 29 May 2011
Lord Voldemort
I got my Green Belt late in 1983. Shortly after that, we had a seminar with a different sort of guest instructor.
This was the third seminar we'd had, I think, but this time it was a Japanese instructor. His name was Sakurai Sensei. He was the instructor in Montreal, and was doing a visit to Dojos in BC. I have no idea how we'd wrangled to get him up north.
He scared us all to death. Back then his English wasn't great, and we had to try hard to understand what he was saying. It was doubly important as he didn't say much. He also never smiled. Not once. Not even a glimmer.
He pushed us incredibly hard. Exhausted and blistered, we tried to keep going. He had us do a few new things, but we couldn't do them, which I'm sure frustrated him. As our bodies faded we did worse and worse. I was frustrated, too.
But we made it. Nobody died, and the scary Japanese man went away.
Later, he moved to BC, and visited us quite often. His English became top-notch. As it turns out he smiles all the time, almost. He isn't scary at all.
But back when I was a Green Belt, I swear he was Voldemort... or worse.
This was the third seminar we'd had, I think, but this time it was a Japanese instructor. His name was Sakurai Sensei. He was the instructor in Montreal, and was doing a visit to Dojos in BC. I have no idea how we'd wrangled to get him up north.
He scared us all to death. Back then his English wasn't great, and we had to try hard to understand what he was saying. It was doubly important as he didn't say much. He also never smiled. Not once. Not even a glimmer.
He pushed us incredibly hard. Exhausted and blistered, we tried to keep going. He had us do a few new things, but we couldn't do them, which I'm sure frustrated him. As our bodies faded we did worse and worse. I was frustrated, too.
But we made it. Nobody died, and the scary Japanese man went away.
Later, he moved to BC, and visited us quite often. His English became top-notch. As it turns out he smiles all the time, almost. He isn't scary at all.
But back when I was a Green Belt, I swear he was Voldemort... or worse.
Saturday 28 May 2011
Sweat
I've been a summertime runner for many years. It was a healthy thing to do, but I just couldn't force myself to run through the off season. Call me wimpy.
About five years ago, I started running year round. I don't run on workdays, but get out on all the rest. I was proud of turning into a more serious runner. Of course, there are many folks out there my age or more that do it better.
Two years ago, I replaced our second car with a bike, and have ridden it to work ever since. I also use the two-wheeler most of the time as my non-work transportation, too. I am proud of being a biker rather than a driver. So now I was a running, biking fool. Still, I am bested by many other old guys.
Last November, I returned to Karate training. I typically attend three classes a week. Now I am a biking, running, Karate dude. Can't imagine all that many old farts doing that particular combination.
Oh, yeah. I can dance, too.
About five years ago, I started running year round. I don't run on workdays, but get out on all the rest. I was proud of turning into a more serious runner. Of course, there are many folks out there my age or more that do it better.
Two years ago, I replaced our second car with a bike, and have ridden it to work ever since. I also use the two-wheeler most of the time as my non-work transportation, too. I am proud of being a biker rather than a driver. So now I was a running, biking fool. Still, I am bested by many other old guys.
Last November, I returned to Karate training. I typically attend three classes a week. Now I am a biking, running, Karate dude. Can't imagine all that many old farts doing that particular combination.
Oh, yeah. I can dance, too.
Friday 27 May 2011
Bedard
Bedard Sensei was here tonight.
It was darn near perfect. Nothing new or revolutionary, but lots of stuff we haven't been doing. There is so much.
For example, he did the warm up stretching differently. Maybe Bolognese Sensei will adopt some of them, maybe not. What is good is that she might. Stability is good, but so is change.
He also explained the same old stuff in slightly different ways. Yes. Fabulous.
He also acted as outside eyeballs, and corrected us as a group on some common weaknesses.
This is what a seminar is supposed to do.
He also seemed really happy to be with us. 4th Dans don't do many seminars, so it was likely a treat for him, too. Higher belts sometimes exhibit evidence that they are going through the motions. None of that tonight.
And it was fun that he beat up Wade so much.
It was darn near perfect. Nothing new or revolutionary, but lots of stuff we haven't been doing. There is so much.
For example, he did the warm up stretching differently. Maybe Bolognese Sensei will adopt some of them, maybe not. What is good is that she might. Stability is good, but so is change.
He also explained the same old stuff in slightly different ways. Yes. Fabulous.
He also acted as outside eyeballs, and corrected us as a group on some common weaknesses.
This is what a seminar is supposed to do.
He also seemed really happy to be with us. 4th Dans don't do many seminars, so it was likely a treat for him, too. Higher belts sometimes exhibit evidence that they are going through the motions. None of that tonight.
And it was fun that he beat up Wade so much.
Thursday 26 May 2011
Real Reflections
It is very hard to work on Kata, solo. It is nice to have a highly-experienced instructor to give feedback.
I don't have one of those right now.
No problem. I know what the moves are, and how they are SUPPOSED to look. I can help others to attain correct form. To work on my own, I need eyeballs outside of myself.
Simple enough. The technology has existed for a very long time.
Mirrors. A wall of mirrors, or even two walls of mirrors....or mirrors all around. Wheeeee!
It can't happen in a rented school gym. Could try and find one or two portable ones, but they'd have to be portable. If portable, they'd have to be indestructible.
I've never heard of portable, indestructible mirrors.
I don't have one of those right now.
No problem. I know what the moves are, and how they are SUPPOSED to look. I can help others to attain correct form. To work on my own, I need eyeballs outside of myself.
Simple enough. The technology has existed for a very long time.
Mirrors. A wall of mirrors, or even two walls of mirrors....or mirrors all around. Wheeeee!
It can't happen in a rented school gym. Could try and find one or two portable ones, but they'd have to be portable. If portable, they'd have to be indestructible.
I've never heard of portable, indestructible mirrors.
Wednesday 25 May 2011
Teeth
Here's a news flash from a guy who has been in Karate for decades.
Punching hurts.
Betcha didn't expect that.
Practice punching doesn't hurt. Hitting empty air is perfectly painless.
Hitting stuff hurts. Stuff like punching bags, focus targets, kicking shields. It all hurts.
Not right away. Not the first hit, or even the tenth. Do a hundred and you'll see what I mean. This is assuming, of course, that you are hitting with enough force to simulate decking an opponent.
Good old Newton taught the world that hitting something means that something is hitting you back. The impact is equal, and goes both ways.
Hit the bag really, really hard, and it hits you back.
You can get used to it, just like you can get used to the dentist. I have crappy teeth, and go to the dentist more than most. I'm pretty used to it. I tend to fall asleep while the dentist is working away. I've gotten used to hitting stuff, too.
I don't like dentist visits, but I've got bitchin' teeth because of it. I don't like the feeling of hitting stuff hard, but I like being able to do it.
You can put up with a lot to get good teeth, or to gain a skill.
Punching hurts.
Betcha didn't expect that.
Practice punching doesn't hurt. Hitting empty air is perfectly painless.
Hitting stuff hurts. Stuff like punching bags, focus targets, kicking shields. It all hurts.
Not right away. Not the first hit, or even the tenth. Do a hundred and you'll see what I mean. This is assuming, of course, that you are hitting with enough force to simulate decking an opponent.
Good old Newton taught the world that hitting something means that something is hitting you back. The impact is equal, and goes both ways.
Hit the bag really, really hard, and it hits you back.
You can get used to it, just like you can get used to the dentist. I have crappy teeth, and go to the dentist more than most. I'm pretty used to it. I tend to fall asleep while the dentist is working away. I've gotten used to hitting stuff, too.
I don't like dentist visits, but I've got bitchin' teeth because of it. I don't like the feeling of hitting stuff hard, but I like being able to do it.
You can put up with a lot to get good teeth, or to gain a skill.
Roots
Suddenly, we are hip deep in high-level instructors. At least within the next few weeks.
Keep in mind that we are a club with three Black Belts, but all are 1st Dan.
First up, on Friday, a friend of Bolognese Sensei will be dropping by. He is a 4th Dan. Two weeks from today we have a 6th Dan coming to do belt exams.
At the end of June, 9th Dan Yaguchi Sensei will be in Vancouver and 7th Dan Cline Sensei early in July.
The short time we have with these people is really too brief to do any deep, profound learning.
We can pick up a few specifics. Maybe we can pick up a move, or interesting combination, and bring them into our club's routines. Maybe not.
Sometimes, we can be astounded. Not always.
What we can always get, is a sense of community greater than just our own little club. We are doing fine, but it's nice to feel the roots going deeper.
Yaguchi Sensei has been training in Karate since before anybody in our club was even born. Talk about roots.
Keep in mind that we are a club with three Black Belts, but all are 1st Dan.
First up, on Friday, a friend of Bolognese Sensei will be dropping by. He is a 4th Dan. Two weeks from today we have a 6th Dan coming to do belt exams.
At the end of June, 9th Dan Yaguchi Sensei will be in Vancouver and 7th Dan Cline Sensei early in July.
The short time we have with these people is really too brief to do any deep, profound learning.
We can pick up a few specifics. Maybe we can pick up a move, or interesting combination, and bring them into our club's routines. Maybe not.
Sometimes, we can be astounded. Not always.
What we can always get, is a sense of community greater than just our own little club. We are doing fine, but it's nice to feel the roots going deeper.
Yaguchi Sensei has been training in Karate since before anybody in our club was even born. Talk about roots.
Tuesday 24 May 2011
Kata
I like Kata very much.
A Kata is a string of Karate moves. They were developed many years ago. The moves must be done in the correct order, and done properly, and done with appropriate speed and power.
They are hard to do, or at least to do well.
They also develop variations over time, as even the most dedicated students often learn the movements incorrectly, or they learn them correctly, and later start remembering them incorrectly. I do this quite often I'm sure. Many Karateka deny that they are ever wrong.
Some moves tend to attract disagreement more than others. Movement 7 of Heian Nidan is one such trouble spot. One either steps up to do the kick, or steps halfway up to do the kick, or one does the kick on the spot.
I maintain that the correct way is halfway step. I've been taught all 3 ways, but the halfway step method makes sense to me in application, whereas the others do not. Does this make me correct? Nope, at least not outside of my own mind.
Typical.
I like doing the higher Katas even more.
In Kanku Dai, the same move I was talking about above happens twice. In this Kata, the first time you do the halfway step. The second time, you do the kick on the spot. Doing them the same twice is an error. How confusing is that?
I am a little strange, in that the Katas I like best are the unpopular ones. I like Wankan, and Meikyo. Many don't. I think they are entitled to their opinions, but they are boneheads.
Kata practice is where I can occasionally attain a state of Zen. Doing the Kata, doing it right, and not thinking at all. Can only do this with one that is very familiar, and rarely even then.
Without Kata, Karate would just be hitting people.
With Kata, Karate is hitting people with a flourish.
A Kata is a string of Karate moves. They were developed many years ago. The moves must be done in the correct order, and done properly, and done with appropriate speed and power.
They are hard to do, or at least to do well.
They also develop variations over time, as even the most dedicated students often learn the movements incorrectly, or they learn them correctly, and later start remembering them incorrectly. I do this quite often I'm sure. Many Karateka deny that they are ever wrong.
Some moves tend to attract disagreement more than others. Movement 7 of Heian Nidan is one such trouble spot. One either steps up to do the kick, or steps halfway up to do the kick, or one does the kick on the spot.
I maintain that the correct way is halfway step. I've been taught all 3 ways, but the halfway step method makes sense to me in application, whereas the others do not. Does this make me correct? Nope, at least not outside of my own mind.
Typical.
I like doing the higher Katas even more.
In Kanku Dai, the same move I was talking about above happens twice. In this Kata, the first time you do the halfway step. The second time, you do the kick on the spot. Doing them the same twice is an error. How confusing is that?
I am a little strange, in that the Katas I like best are the unpopular ones. I like Wankan, and Meikyo. Many don't. I think they are entitled to their opinions, but they are boneheads.
Kata practice is where I can occasionally attain a state of Zen. Doing the Kata, doing it right, and not thinking at all. Can only do this with one that is very familiar, and rarely even then.
Without Kata, Karate would just be hitting people.
With Kata, Karate is hitting people with a flourish.
Monday 23 May 2011
Maps
I am deeply a technology geek. The affair started about 1980, and continues to this day.
Can you guess the technology I have a special relationship with? A hint is hidden in my name, Gordon Paul Stromkins.
That's right. My initials are GPS. I've owned a string of these things ever since their price dropped to the po' folks range.
I have one on my bike, to keep track of my speed, and the distance I travel. I have a wrist model to track my runs. One in the car, too, of course.
Car models are great. They figure routes so very painlessly. Sadly, on this trip, our car GPS lost its brains.
How did we ever get back from the Cariboo without technology? It is a very easy route. Leave motel parking lot, turn left and go 400km, turn right at Hope, then board the ferry when the road runs out in 175km.
The job of our car GPS is to entertain me. It keeps me up on how far until the next town, and stuff like that.
It made me think how upset I would be if we were someplace I didn't know. Back to using maps? That would suck.
I am pretty old, but I don't want to do without technology. Maybe I should talk more like some of my friends. You know the ones. "Kids these days don't even know how to fold a map let alone read one."
I can fold a map, and read them, too. I just don't wanna.
Can you guess the technology I have a special relationship with? A hint is hidden in my name, Gordon Paul Stromkins.
That's right. My initials are GPS. I've owned a string of these things ever since their price dropped to the po' folks range.
I have one on my bike, to keep track of my speed, and the distance I travel. I have a wrist model to track my runs. One in the car, too, of course.
Car models are great. They figure routes so very painlessly. Sadly, on this trip, our car GPS lost its brains.
How did we ever get back from the Cariboo without technology? It is a very easy route. Leave motel parking lot, turn left and go 400km, turn right at Hope, then board the ferry when the road runs out in 175km.
The job of our car GPS is to entertain me. It keeps me up on how far until the next town, and stuff like that.
It made me think how upset I would be if we were someplace I didn't know. Back to using maps? That would suck.
I am pretty old, but I don't want to do without technology. Maybe I should talk more like some of my friends. You know the ones. "Kids these days don't even know how to fold a map let alone read one."
I can fold a map, and read them, too. I just don't wanna.
Pigs
Up at 5:30, and grabbed a lovely Super-8 motel breakfast, then on the road south out of Williams Lake.
Bit later, I stopped to pee in the bushes.
Fog for 50 miles, BC can be so random.
Gas in Cache Creek. Even a Prius can't go to Williams Lake AND back on one tank.
Short stop in Hope, as they have a Dairy Queen, and it was time. We were powerless to prevent it.
Hit the ferry terminal in time for the 1:30. Would have been home half an hour ago, except we had to stop once more to pick up guinea pigs. Did I mention about things being random?
Bit later, I stopped to pee in the bushes.
Fog for 50 miles, BC can be so random.
Gas in Cache Creek. Even a Prius can't go to Williams Lake AND back on one tank.
Short stop in Hope, as they have a Dairy Queen, and it was time. We were powerless to prevent it.
Hit the ferry terminal in time for the 1:30. Would have been home half an hour ago, except we had to stop once more to pick up guinea pigs. Did I mention about things being random?
Saturday 21 May 2011
Finishline
I fear I am doomed, and it's all because of holidays.
Don't misundertand me. As a teacher, I am blessed with vacation time that most people only ever get to experience as schoolkids. I would never dream of wanting more time off.
The problem is pacing. Teaching is a pretty draining activity. I always manage to get through, collapsing the instant vacationtime starts. No reserves left. Just inch over the finish line, and done.
This long weekend we have gone to Williams Lake for a family affair. Should be great. It does, however, feal suspiciously like summer. Back home, even the sunniest of days have been bloody cold. Here in the interior, it's turn-on-the-air-conditioning hot. Stinking hot. Sweaty hot. Peel-off-layer hot.
I feel my body already deciding it's summer, even though it is not. Back home real soon and back to work. Back to work with June 30th being the last work day, and my sorry self all shut down prematurely.
Body to self, "Can't concentrate, or walk with a zing in my step, or speak in sentences...for summer meltdown has already occurred."
Damn you, Williams Lake.
Don't misundertand me. As a teacher, I am blessed with vacation time that most people only ever get to experience as schoolkids. I would never dream of wanting more time off.
The problem is pacing. Teaching is a pretty draining activity. I always manage to get through, collapsing the instant vacationtime starts. No reserves left. Just inch over the finish line, and done.
This long weekend we have gone to Williams Lake for a family affair. Should be great. It does, however, feal suspiciously like summer. Back home, even the sunniest of days have been bloody cold. Here in the interior, it's turn-on-the-air-conditioning hot. Stinking hot. Sweaty hot. Peel-off-layer hot.
I feel my body already deciding it's summer, even though it is not. Back home real soon and back to work. Back to work with June 30th being the last work day, and my sorry self all shut down prematurely.
Body to self, "Can't concentrate, or walk with a zing in my step, or speak in sentences...for summer meltdown has already occurred."
Damn you, Williams Lake.
Friday 20 May 2011
New Guy
Another new student is joining today.
I love watching their journeys. Sometimes the trip is very short. Some give it a try, and it’s just not for them. Some make it a month, so the fire didn’t catch.
How long should a quest be? My first Karate step was in September of 1981. I believe that is thirty years, or it will be in a few months.
How much sweat has that been? How much blood?
I have trained with friends, and with legends. It is impossible for me to imagine how many people I’ve shared a training floor with. Each person had a different experience, that it was my privilege to briefly share.
I have learned so much. Some obvious, some not.
I’ve learned to punch, and to teach, and to control a packed gym with the inflection in my voice.
I’ve learned a few words of Japanese, a little Zen, and applied physics.
Watching the new students, I wonder where Karate will take them.
I love watching their journeys. Sometimes the trip is very short. Some give it a try, and it’s just not for them. Some make it a month, so the fire didn’t catch.
How long should a quest be? My first Karate step was in September of 1981. I believe that is thirty years, or it will be in a few months.
How much sweat has that been? How much blood?
I have trained with friends, and with legends. It is impossible for me to imagine how many people I’ve shared a training floor with. Each person had a different experience, that it was my privilege to briefly share.
I have learned so much. Some obvious, some not.
I’ve learned to punch, and to teach, and to control a packed gym with the inflection in my voice.
I’ve learned a few words of Japanese, a little Zen, and applied physics.
Watching the new students, I wonder where Karate will take them.
My New Suit
My highest-quality, best-fitting gi is going to Karate tonight. Big holes covered the back/neck area caused by extreme old age.
A friend from work offered to fix it. A newer gi was sacrificed as an organ donor. I am most grateful. The work is a minor miracle.
I don't know why this suit holds so much meaning for me, but it does. It was part of a special order from the finest manufacturer in Japan. It has my old association's crest embroidered onto the left breast.
This is not the correct crest for my new association. It isn't even the correct crest anymore for my old association. It's an emblem of historical vintage.
I think Sensei won't say anything, unless I try and wear it when out-of-towners come to visit. I never would. It's my private, home-dojo-only gi.
It's funny the things we decide are important.
A friend from work offered to fix it. A newer gi was sacrificed as an organ donor. I am most grateful. The work is a minor miracle.
I don't know why this suit holds so much meaning for me, but it does. It was part of a special order from the finest manufacturer in Japan. It has my old association's crest embroidered onto the left breast.
This is not the correct crest for my new association. It isn't even the correct crest anymore for my old association. It's an emblem of historical vintage.
I think Sensei won't say anything, unless I try and wear it when out-of-towners come to visit. I never would. It's my private, home-dojo-only gi.
It's funny the things we decide are important.
Thursday 19 May 2011
Big Bang
A sparkling sort of day.
Work was normal. After work it was Dentist time. Need to get those babies buffed up. Ended up with two more appointments.
Then it was sushi supper with Helen and a friend. Our dear friend has been retired for a couple of years, and always inspires me towards that goal.
Our dinner complete, it was ride home in the stunning, warm sunshine time. Didn't mind the killer hill at all. Perhaps the electric motor helped with that. Nah.
Now it's double-episode of Big Bang Theory time.
Need I explain what made today so sparkling?
Work was normal. After work it was Dentist time. Need to get those babies buffed up. Ended up with two more appointments.
Then it was sushi supper with Helen and a friend. Our dear friend has been retired for a couple of years, and always inspires me towards that goal.
Our dinner complete, it was ride home in the stunning, warm sunshine time. Didn't mind the killer hill at all. Perhaps the electric motor helped with that. Nah.
Now it's double-episode of Big Bang Theory time.
Need I explain what made today so sparkling?
Wednesday 18 May 2011
Exams
Belt tests can be a pain.
I don't mean the exams themselves, I mean getting them organized. A club needs to have them every 3 months or so.
Even then, that's a bare bones thing. Suppose you are having exams every 3 months like clockwork. A wonderfully skilled student is ready to test, but can't come on exam day. Their next chance will be in 3 months.
Easy to say, "Be patient", but why not have exams more often?
Wouldn't monthly be better? Students would still have to have 3 months in, but if they miss an exam, they get it the next month.
The problem is logistics. Exams require an examiner. I believe we have one in the province, although I could be mistaken. A Dojo has to book the examiner, and set up a time and place, collect test fees, make sure association fees are paid.
Logistics.
I had to deal with all this in my club up north. To make it worth while, exams were always part of a weekend-long seminar event. Had to cough up air fare, hotel and food costs, as well as 3 days of the guest instructor's honorarium.
The club I used to run in Sechelt was better. We used to go do gradings in Vancouver. Somebody else did all the figuring out.
Of course, I did always have one big advantage over the present system. In my old association, every Dojo's instructor had the power to do exams for kids as far as Green Belt. That simplified things greatly. I used to do exams every month.
Near the end of my time in the old association, the decision was made to allow Dojo instructors to do low-level adult exams, too. I forget how high, but at least to Orange, maybe Green. I never took advantage of this, as by then the trips to Vancouver had been an accepted and appreciated part of club life. Never had a situation that required me to bend our unspoken club rule.
Often I did adult exams, anyhow, even before the rule changed. Sometimes a student would fail, but not severely enough that the examiner wanted them to wait until the next exam opportunity. These would often be 3 or 4 months off. I would be told what parts of the test to re-administer, and exactly what I was to focus on. I was told when to do the re-test.
In this way, I have done exams clear up to Black Belt. Not including Black, of course. That's a different kettle of fish.
It was also my honour to sit at the exam table many, many times. The examiners always told me exactly what they were doing, and seeing, and expecting. I tested my kids to this standard, and trained my adults to meet it. I suppose that was exactly what the examiners wanted me to get out of being at the table with them.
ISKF seems to have no provision for Dojo-level examinations. I have no problem with this in principal.
It does make things harder to set up.
I don't mean the exams themselves, I mean getting them organized. A club needs to have them every 3 months or so.
Even then, that's a bare bones thing. Suppose you are having exams every 3 months like clockwork. A wonderfully skilled student is ready to test, but can't come on exam day. Their next chance will be in 3 months.
Easy to say, "Be patient", but why not have exams more often?
Wouldn't monthly be better? Students would still have to have 3 months in, but if they miss an exam, they get it the next month.
The problem is logistics. Exams require an examiner. I believe we have one in the province, although I could be mistaken. A Dojo has to book the examiner, and set up a time and place, collect test fees, make sure association fees are paid.
Logistics.
I had to deal with all this in my club up north. To make it worth while, exams were always part of a weekend-long seminar event. Had to cough up air fare, hotel and food costs, as well as 3 days of the guest instructor's honorarium.
The club I used to run in Sechelt was better. We used to go do gradings in Vancouver. Somebody else did all the figuring out.
Of course, I did always have one big advantage over the present system. In my old association, every Dojo's instructor had the power to do exams for kids as far as Green Belt. That simplified things greatly. I used to do exams every month.
Near the end of my time in the old association, the decision was made to allow Dojo instructors to do low-level adult exams, too. I forget how high, but at least to Orange, maybe Green. I never took advantage of this, as by then the trips to Vancouver had been an accepted and appreciated part of club life. Never had a situation that required me to bend our unspoken club rule.
Often I did adult exams, anyhow, even before the rule changed. Sometimes a student would fail, but not severely enough that the examiner wanted them to wait until the next exam opportunity. These would often be 3 or 4 months off. I would be told what parts of the test to re-administer, and exactly what I was to focus on. I was told when to do the re-test.
In this way, I have done exams clear up to Black Belt. Not including Black, of course. That's a different kettle of fish.
It was also my honour to sit at the exam table many, many times. The examiners always told me exactly what they were doing, and seeing, and expecting. I tested my kids to this standard, and trained my adults to meet it. I suppose that was exactly what the examiners wanted me to get out of being at the table with them.
ISKF seems to have no provision for Dojo-level examinations. I have no problem with this in principal.
It does make things harder to set up.
Tuesday 17 May 2011
Hot
The weather got sunny. I am most pleased.
The temperature might have even snuck up a degree or two.
My morning bike ride was very nice, and the afternoon cruise home even better.
My ideal world would have no rain. This would be unfortunate, as it would mean the end life as we know it, but the first month or two would be swell.
I also like it hot. We often got to Vegas in the summer. It's a great vacation, but only if one likes things hot beyond human understanding. It does cool off at night to an icy 25 or so just before dawn. By the time I do my 7am run along the strip, it's back above 30. Then things start getting warm.
We also do Florida in the summer sometimes. Hot there, too, but the 500% humidity makes it different. If you get thirsty, you can inhale and strain some water out through your teeth.
Somehow the gods have decided that I be Canadian. It's a fine choice in many ways, but the weather thing isn't a perfect fit. They were nice and let me live on the coast, where real cold is a rarity.
As a joke, they put me in Ft. St. John for a decade.
At least it didn't rain much.
The temperature might have even snuck up a degree or two.
My morning bike ride was very nice, and the afternoon cruise home even better.
My ideal world would have no rain. This would be unfortunate, as it would mean the end life as we know it, but the first month or two would be swell.
I also like it hot. We often got to Vegas in the summer. It's a great vacation, but only if one likes things hot beyond human understanding. It does cool off at night to an icy 25 or so just before dawn. By the time I do my 7am run along the strip, it's back above 30. Then things start getting warm.
We also do Florida in the summer sometimes. Hot there, too, but the 500% humidity makes it different. If you get thirsty, you can inhale and strain some water out through your teeth.
Somehow the gods have decided that I be Canadian. It's a fine choice in many ways, but the weather thing isn't a perfect fit. They were nice and let me live on the coast, where real cold is a rarity.
As a joke, they put me in Ft. St. John for a decade.
At least it didn't rain much.
Monday 16 May 2011
Melted Hills
My bike is a dandy.
I've ridden it to and from school every day for two years, except when there was snow, or the bike was in for servicing.
The batteries are getting a bit old, but they still do the trick.
The bike senses how hard I pedal, and either does 33% of the work, half of the work, or two thirds. Hills melt away.
I usually ride with my trusty steed on the lowest setting to preserve battery juice.
Lazy, you say. Yup, says I.
I've tried riding a normal bike to work, but have never managed to make it work for more than one day. I've used the electric to do 4000km just going back and forth to work. It is also my 'car', and I use it often to go into town, or just to pleasure ride. Let's call it 5000km to be on the conservative side.
I admit that it's not as healthy as riding sans-electric, but that isn't the choice. It is between 5000km where I only do 2/3 of the work, and having a car. I think I've made the right choice.
I haven't been able to find any electric shoes to assist me in my running. That I have to do on my own.
I've ridden it to and from school every day for two years, except when there was snow, or the bike was in for servicing.
The batteries are getting a bit old, but they still do the trick.
The bike senses how hard I pedal, and either does 33% of the work, half of the work, or two thirds. Hills melt away.
I usually ride with my trusty steed on the lowest setting to preserve battery juice.
Lazy, you say. Yup, says I.
I've tried riding a normal bike to work, but have never managed to make it work for more than one day. I've used the electric to do 4000km just going back and forth to work. It is also my 'car', and I use it often to go into town, or just to pleasure ride. Let's call it 5000km to be on the conservative side.
I admit that it's not as healthy as riding sans-electric, but that isn't the choice. It is between 5000km where I only do 2/3 of the work, and having a car. I think I've made the right choice.
I haven't been able to find any electric shoes to assist me in my running. That I have to do on my own.
Sunday 15 May 2011
More Belt Nonsense
I never liked belt exams, but Karate is kind of like old -time school. Don't pass the first grade, and you get to stay behind while your friends go on and learn new stuff.
Did my belt tests whenever I had my time in, and an opportunity presented itself.
Getting my Brown Belt felt very cool. I think it took me two years. Tell somebody you are a belt of some brighter colour and they usually don't know what that means. People seem to know what Brown Belt is.
In Shotokan, there are three levels of Brown. You can settle down for a year or more wearing Brown. You keep the same belt. It becomes an old friend. There is nothing that indicates which level of Brown you are. I liked that.
I would have liked taking a little extra time at Brown to get happy with my own technique. My Sensei left, and I became the instructor. I felt I owed it to the club to try and progress as quickly as possible, so no slower pace for me. I passed the two Brown tests on schedule.
For those two exams I had no feedback during the months of training as to how I was doing. Sensei was gone. I guess I was doing OK, as I kept passing. I really hated those tests, and expected to fail each time.
While walking off the floor for one of those tests after completing the basics component, I was positive I'd failed. My Kata and Kumite saved me.
The examiner on my other Brown exam decided to have me free spar, which wasn't part of the normal test procedure. They can do that, or pretty much whatever they want. I fought the other Brown Belts one after the other. I'd made it through 4 or 5 of them, when the last guy cracked my melon really hard. There was blood, but I passed.
The only failure I had was for my Black Belt. Nothing dramatic or noteworthy. Just didn't pass. Passed on my next attempt. I hated both of those.
In my new club, the other two Black Belts are keen to go for their Second Dan exams. They have been told they may do so in the summer that is a little over a year away. They really want me to test, too, though I don't know why.
Unlike coloured belts, different Dan Black Belts do not get you access to a higher level of training.
Some people use exams as motivators to their training. I already train 3 times a week, plus the odd Vancouver visit. I am already motivated.
There are also dangers to such exams. No biggie if I fail, or if we all fail. What if I'm the only one to pass? How would it make sense to lower belts if the highest Black Belt is not the instructor?
I like my rank, Shodan. I like my role, guy in the line who happens to have a Black Belt.
And I don't like tests.
Did my belt tests whenever I had my time in, and an opportunity presented itself.
Getting my Brown Belt felt very cool. I think it took me two years. Tell somebody you are a belt of some brighter colour and they usually don't know what that means. People seem to know what Brown Belt is.
In Shotokan, there are three levels of Brown. You can settle down for a year or more wearing Brown. You keep the same belt. It becomes an old friend. There is nothing that indicates which level of Brown you are. I liked that.
I would have liked taking a little extra time at Brown to get happy with my own technique. My Sensei left, and I became the instructor. I felt I owed it to the club to try and progress as quickly as possible, so no slower pace for me. I passed the two Brown tests on schedule.
For those two exams I had no feedback during the months of training as to how I was doing. Sensei was gone. I guess I was doing OK, as I kept passing. I really hated those tests, and expected to fail each time.
While walking off the floor for one of those tests after completing the basics component, I was positive I'd failed. My Kata and Kumite saved me.
The examiner on my other Brown exam decided to have me free spar, which wasn't part of the normal test procedure. They can do that, or pretty much whatever they want. I fought the other Brown Belts one after the other. I'd made it through 4 or 5 of them, when the last guy cracked my melon really hard. There was blood, but I passed.
The only failure I had was for my Black Belt. Nothing dramatic or noteworthy. Just didn't pass. Passed on my next attempt. I hated both of those.
In my new club, the other two Black Belts are keen to go for their Second Dan exams. They have been told they may do so in the summer that is a little over a year away. They really want me to test, too, though I don't know why.
Unlike coloured belts, different Dan Black Belts do not get you access to a higher level of training.
Some people use exams as motivators to their training. I already train 3 times a week, plus the odd Vancouver visit. I am already motivated.
There are also dangers to such exams. No biggie if I fail, or if we all fail. What if I'm the only one to pass? How would it make sense to lower belts if the highest Black Belt is not the instructor?
I like my rank, Shodan. I like my role, guy in the line who happens to have a Black Belt.
And I don't like tests.
Do it right !!!!!
I am often wrong. It rarely comes as a surprise.
People a lot smarter than me are often wrong, too.
Isaac Newton was wrong about a lot of things. Very wrong. Fundamentally wrong.
Albert Einstein was wrong, too.
Just pick somebody. I bet they were often wrong about things.
Suppose somebody tells you something, and you are in a group that encourages you to believe them. What do you do? Also, let’s make it be a situation where you can’t really ask them for proof, or evidence, or an explanation. What do you do?
If it’s me, I listen and accept it for now. If it makes sense in terms of my general understanding of the universe, I’ll just plain-old accept it.
But what if it doesn’t fit at all? Or it might fit, but I can’t tell?
The only answer that will work is to find the truth.
The other day, I saw somebody do something wrong at Karate. It was something they probably learned their first day as a White Belt student a long time ago. They would have been doing it ever since. I learned it as a White Belt, too.
What I had learned was different. It wasn’t one of those difference-of-opinion things, or one of those variation things. It was fundamentally different.
One of us was wrong. Seriously wrong. Technique-not-workable wrong.
How could this be? Didn’t the wrong person get corrected by their Sensei? The only answer is that somebody’s Sensei was doing it wrong, too, and maybe the Sensei before that.
This is the big danger in Karate; the unquestioning learning. The learning that only comes from one source. Learn it, accept it, and pass it on unchanged.
The founder of Shotokan was Gichin Funakoshi. He started training as a young schoolboy in Okinawa. He studied two different styles. He taught one, which was not a copy of either. He created Shotokan, which he took to Japan in 1922.
He clearly did not practise unquestioning learning that only comes from one source. He didn’t even choose from one or the other of his two original styles. His Shotokan does things quite different from either.
The next head of Shotokan was Masatoshi Nakayama. He started training the year he turned 19. He went to live in China between the ages of 24 and 33. I’ve never read of any Karate instruction he received while there, so let’s call it self-training. He returned to Japan in 1946, and when the JKA was founded, he was made its Chief Instructor in 1949. This guy, with 5 years of instruction before the war, and 3 years after the war, was the Chief Instructor. Funakoshi was a 5th Dan, and young Nakayama was a 2nd.
Did this young, 36 year old, with Nidan rank, and 8 years of instruction dedicate himself to passing on verbatim the teachings of his Sensei?
Nope. Almost immediately the JKA began to change even the most basic Karate movements. The very first thing many people learn is front stance, and it was one of the first things to be modified. Nakayama introduced an entire new kick, called reverse roundhouse, that he'd picked up in China. That's right, a Chinese kick. Funakoshi was not impressed with all the changes, but they happened anyway.
I question things all the time. I've found tons of things that don't work, or ways to make them work. I see flaws. Not being a Newton, or Einstein, I don't always find cool workable answers.
The rigid teachers think that this is wrong, and that we should all do Karate exactly like Funakoshi and Nakayama.
Which is what I’m doing.
People a lot smarter than me are often wrong, too.
Isaac Newton was wrong about a lot of things. Very wrong. Fundamentally wrong.
Albert Einstein was wrong, too.
Just pick somebody. I bet they were often wrong about things.
Suppose somebody tells you something, and you are in a group that encourages you to believe them. What do you do? Also, let’s make it be a situation where you can’t really ask them for proof, or evidence, or an explanation. What do you do?
If it’s me, I listen and accept it for now. If it makes sense in terms of my general understanding of the universe, I’ll just plain-old accept it.
But what if it doesn’t fit at all? Or it might fit, but I can’t tell?
The only answer that will work is to find the truth.
The other day, I saw somebody do something wrong at Karate. It was something they probably learned their first day as a White Belt student a long time ago. They would have been doing it ever since. I learned it as a White Belt, too.
What I had learned was different. It wasn’t one of those difference-of-opinion things, or one of those variation things. It was fundamentally different.
One of us was wrong. Seriously wrong. Technique-not-workable wrong.
How could this be? Didn’t the wrong person get corrected by their Sensei? The only answer is that somebody’s Sensei was doing it wrong, too, and maybe the Sensei before that.
This is the big danger in Karate; the unquestioning learning. The learning that only comes from one source. Learn it, accept it, and pass it on unchanged.
The founder of Shotokan was Gichin Funakoshi. He started training as a young schoolboy in Okinawa. He studied two different styles. He taught one, which was not a copy of either. He created Shotokan, which he took to Japan in 1922.
He clearly did not practise unquestioning learning that only comes from one source. He didn’t even choose from one or the other of his two original styles. His Shotokan does things quite different from either.
The next head of Shotokan was Masatoshi Nakayama. He started training the year he turned 19. He went to live in China between the ages of 24 and 33. I’ve never read of any Karate instruction he received while there, so let’s call it self-training. He returned to Japan in 1946, and when the JKA was founded, he was made its Chief Instructor in 1949. This guy, with 5 years of instruction before the war, and 3 years after the war, was the Chief Instructor. Funakoshi was a 5th Dan, and young Nakayama was a 2nd.
Did this young, 36 year old, with Nidan rank, and 8 years of instruction dedicate himself to passing on verbatim the teachings of his Sensei?
Nope. Almost immediately the JKA began to change even the most basic Karate movements. The very first thing many people learn is front stance, and it was one of the first things to be modified. Nakayama introduced an entire new kick, called reverse roundhouse, that he'd picked up in China. That's right, a Chinese kick. Funakoshi was not impressed with all the changes, but they happened anyway.
I question things all the time. I've found tons of things that don't work, or ways to make them work. I see flaws. Not being a Newton, or Einstein, I don't always find cool workable answers.
The rigid teachers think that this is wrong, and that we should all do Karate exactly like Funakoshi and Nakayama.
Which is what I’m doing.
Saturday 14 May 2011
Internal Myth
Every so often something happens in Karate that just might become somebody’s lasting memory. Today could have been such a day.
We were all partnered up, working on pre-arranged drills. After a bit, we were all rotated to other groups. I headed over to a pair consisting of Armando, the assistant teacher, and a big, athletic, young white belt named Cody.
Armando’s back had had enough, and he asked me to go with Cody, but the words he used were, “could you spar with Cody?” Did you catch that? He said spar. I asked, “What kind?”
He shrugged. I got out the free fighting gloves.
Usually it is quite a while before one free fights. Not real fighting. Not supposed to hurt each other.
We started. Cody mimicked the way I moved, which was a very good idea. Sensei saw us, but let us go on. She did, however, yell for everybody to quit what they were doing and watch.
Mostly, I let Cody do stuff. I threw just enough to make it feel real for him. He did very well, and we both ended with a smile.
This could be one of those events that was only a big deal for one person in the room. He might not remember it for more than a week or two, but it could also become one of his internal Karate myths. His first time sparring, and it was with a Black Belt. Will he recall nuances that held great meaning, even if they really didn’t?
We were all partnered up, working on pre-arranged drills. After a bit, we were all rotated to other groups. I headed over to a pair consisting of Armando, the assistant teacher, and a big, athletic, young white belt named Cody.
Armando’s back had had enough, and he asked me to go with Cody, but the words he used were, “could you spar with Cody?” Did you catch that? He said spar. I asked, “What kind?”
He shrugged. I got out the free fighting gloves.
Usually it is quite a while before one free fights. Not real fighting. Not supposed to hurt each other.
We started. Cody mimicked the way I moved, which was a very good idea. Sensei saw us, but let us go on. She did, however, yell for everybody to quit what they were doing and watch.
Mostly, I let Cody do stuff. I threw just enough to make it feel real for him. He did very well, and we both ended with a smile.
This could be one of those events that was only a big deal for one person in the room. He might not remember it for more than a week or two, but it could also become one of his internal Karate myths. His first time sparring, and it was with a Black Belt. Will he recall nuances that held great meaning, even if they really didn’t?
Kata Collection
In Shotokan Karate there are 25 Katas, but some include a 26th.
Each is an entity unto itself, but they are also grouped into levels.
The first group of six is the easiest. They are also each required as part of the six first belt tests. Passing the last of these six tests earns a Brown Belt.
After earning a Brown Belt, there are two more exams which earn higher levels of Brown, and then a third that earns a Black Belt. The student gets to pick the Kata they do on these tests from a group of four. These are more complicated than the earlier group. They also have cool names Bassai Dai (to storm a fortress), Kanku Dai (looking at the sky), Jion (a proper name that refers to a temple), and Empi (flight of a swallow)
After these first ten Katas, there is another group of five. All 15 together are known as the basic Katas. These five are Tekki Nidan, Tekki Sandan, Hangetsu, Jitte (ten hands), and Gankaku (crane on a rock).
The last ten are the advanced Katas. Gojushiho Sho, Gojushiho Dai, Nijushiho Sho, Chin te, Soichin, Wankan, Meikyo, Unsu, Bassai Sho, and Kanku Sho.
The 26th Kata is named Jiin. Some instructors consider it one of the advanced group, while others don’t include it anywhere.
I don’t know Jiin, nor do I know Gojushiho Dai, Soichin, Unsu or Kanku Sho. I can do the other 21 Katas.
Nobody at our club knows the ones I do not, so I can’t learn them there. The nearest other Shotokan clubs are in the Greater Vancouver area. If we bring in a big instructor to our town, there is no way they’ll be teaching a Kata that would only be appropriate to me. I can go in to the city, but there is no guarantee they’d be doing a Kata I desire. It could be years before my collection is complete.
I don’t mind. It’s a goal, hovering on the edge of consciousness.
Maybe I should focus on a Kata I already know and try and do it very, very well. That could be nice, too.
Each is an entity unto itself, but they are also grouped into levels.
The first group of six is the easiest. They are also each required as part of the six first belt tests. Passing the last of these six tests earns a Brown Belt.
After earning a Brown Belt, there are two more exams which earn higher levels of Brown, and then a third that earns a Black Belt. The student gets to pick the Kata they do on these tests from a group of four. These are more complicated than the earlier group. They also have cool names Bassai Dai (to storm a fortress), Kanku Dai (looking at the sky), Jion (a proper name that refers to a temple), and Empi (flight of a swallow)
After these first ten Katas, there is another group of five. All 15 together are known as the basic Katas. These five are Tekki Nidan, Tekki Sandan, Hangetsu, Jitte (ten hands), and Gankaku (crane on a rock).
The last ten are the advanced Katas. Gojushiho Sho, Gojushiho Dai, Nijushiho Sho, Chin te, Soichin, Wankan, Meikyo, Unsu, Bassai Sho, and Kanku Sho.
The 26th Kata is named Jiin. Some instructors consider it one of the advanced group, while others don’t include it anywhere.
I don’t know Jiin, nor do I know Gojushiho Dai, Soichin, Unsu or Kanku Sho. I can do the other 21 Katas.
Nobody at our club knows the ones I do not, so I can’t learn them there. The nearest other Shotokan clubs are in the Greater Vancouver area. If we bring in a big instructor to our town, there is no way they’ll be teaching a Kata that would only be appropriate to me. I can go in to the city, but there is no guarantee they’d be doing a Kata I desire. It could be years before my collection is complete.
I don’t mind. It’s a goal, hovering on the edge of consciousness.
Maybe I should focus on a Kata I already know and try and do it very, very well. That could be nice, too.
Won't
Helen often has very full weekends.
She goes to her music group on Friday night, and often has something else along that line during the daytime Saturday. Sometimes Sunday is booked up, too.
I like my time off less structured. A perfect weekend to me will only have 1 ½ hours of Karate on Friday night, and another hour Saturday afternoon.
This time around Helen has almost every second spoken for. My time is normal for me, plus going to a dinner dance with Helen Sunday evening. I like dancing.
This leaves me plenty of time to improvise. It is a little before 6am Saturday right now, and I might head out for a run soon…or maybe I won’t. Might pop into the car for a Starbucks coffee, or maybe I’ll ride my bike…or maybe I won’t. I might put on pants soon…or maybe I won’t.
Or I might just stay in my chair all day doing nothing at all…or maybe I won’t.
She goes to her music group on Friday night, and often has something else along that line during the daytime Saturday. Sometimes Sunday is booked up, too.
I like my time off less structured. A perfect weekend to me will only have 1 ½ hours of Karate on Friday night, and another hour Saturday afternoon.
This time around Helen has almost every second spoken for. My time is normal for me, plus going to a dinner dance with Helen Sunday evening. I like dancing.
This leaves me plenty of time to improvise. It is a little before 6am Saturday right now, and I might head out for a run soon…or maybe I won’t. Might pop into the car for a Starbucks coffee, or maybe I’ll ride my bike…or maybe I won’t. I might put on pants soon…or maybe I won’t.
Or I might just stay in my chair all day doing nothing at all…or maybe I won’t.
Friday 13 May 2011
Ready
I am extremely ready for summer.
There will be 3 parts to it, maybe in many small pieces or maybe in just 3 big ones.
We will spend some time at home. We rarely do this, and I’m looking forward to it. Doing things we like in a place we love.
Part of the summer will be visiting good friends up in Vernon. Summer there is hot, and dry. We’ll river raft, restaurant eat, shop, giggle, and go wine touring. They are our best friends in the world.
The last chunk of time will be in Victoria, the city where all of our family lives. We will visit mom daily in her care home. We’ll also visit with my sister, and her husband. Likely we’ll stay with Helen’s brother, his wife, their three kids, dog, and cat. It’s fun there.
In Victoria, I have a pre-paid one month membership to a hot yoga place. That’s where you go and do yoga, and they heat the room up to a zillion degrees. Many people hate this, and purists call it a gimmick. I look forward to a zillion degrees. I want to sweat like a pig.
Might go train with the Victoria Judo Club. They started in the 1950s. Talk about tradition. It is also about a block from mom’s place, and a block from a heavenly pizza place.
Our electric bikes will go wherever we go, and I love running while home, and in Victoria, and in Vernon.
One of my very favourite runs anywhere is in Victoria along Dallas road from Clover Point to the Breakwater, and back. The time to do this is pre-7am. The light rocks, and the sea views are beyond compare. I have to use the car to get there, but it’s worth it. No Starbucks on Dallas Road, but many on the way there.
I told you I was ready for summer.
There will be 3 parts to it, maybe in many small pieces or maybe in just 3 big ones.
We will spend some time at home. We rarely do this, and I’m looking forward to it. Doing things we like in a place we love.
Part of the summer will be visiting good friends up in Vernon. Summer there is hot, and dry. We’ll river raft, restaurant eat, shop, giggle, and go wine touring. They are our best friends in the world.
The last chunk of time will be in Victoria, the city where all of our family lives. We will visit mom daily in her care home. We’ll also visit with my sister, and her husband. Likely we’ll stay with Helen’s brother, his wife, their three kids, dog, and cat. It’s fun there.
In Victoria, I have a pre-paid one month membership to a hot yoga place. That’s where you go and do yoga, and they heat the room up to a zillion degrees. Many people hate this, and purists call it a gimmick. I look forward to a zillion degrees. I want to sweat like a pig.
Might go train with the Victoria Judo Club. They started in the 1950s. Talk about tradition. It is also about a block from mom’s place, and a block from a heavenly pizza place.
Our electric bikes will go wherever we go, and I love running while home, and in Victoria, and in Vernon.
One of my very favourite runs anywhere is in Victoria along Dallas road from Clover Point to the Breakwater, and back. The time to do this is pre-7am. The light rocks, and the sea views are beyond compare. I have to use the car to get there, but it’s worth it. No Starbucks on Dallas Road, but many on the way there.
I told you I was ready for summer.
Wednesday 11 May 2011
Hobos
I like thinking about fantasy vacations. I don’t mean sky-is-the-limit kind of things. What is meant are trips we could really choose to do. Probably won’t, but we could.
If we’d gone the Japan in the 1990s, we would have had a place to stay provided by my Karate instructor, Sakurai Sensei. We never took him up on it. We have since been out of contact for a decade, and although we’ve recently exchanged emails, I can’t count on free accommodation now.
Still would love to go to Japan, and get smacked by the best Karate people around. Even without martial arts I’d love to see the country as a tourist. Would be very cool to go there after retirement to learn to speak Japanese. I wonder if Helen would like to learn Japanese. I know she doesn’t want to train in Karate.
Flights are not cheap, maybe $1200. I’ve heard hotels are pricy, but Travelocity has a ton in Tokyo for under a $100 per night. That would make the basics for a month be $5400 for Helen and me without food. Have to find a cheaper way than that. I think we’ll want food.
Maybe we could be hobos.
If we’d gone the Japan in the 1990s, we would have had a place to stay provided by my Karate instructor, Sakurai Sensei. We never took him up on it. We have since been out of contact for a decade, and although we’ve recently exchanged emails, I can’t count on free accommodation now.
Still would love to go to Japan, and get smacked by the best Karate people around. Even without martial arts I’d love to see the country as a tourist. Would be very cool to go there after retirement to learn to speak Japanese. I wonder if Helen would like to learn Japanese. I know she doesn’t want to train in Karate.
Flights are not cheap, maybe $1200. I’ve heard hotels are pricy, but Travelocity has a ton in Tokyo for under a $100 per night. That would make the basics for a month be $5400 for Helen and me without food. Have to find a cheaper way than that. I think we’ll want food.
Maybe we could be hobos.
Tired
There is an idea in physically trained activities that fatigue makes for good technique.
You know the idea. In Karate, it can be mean that after a few hundred punches, or kicks, or whatever one gets really tired. So far, no problem. When extremely tired, the theory goes; one’s body will eliminate every extraneous motion, leaving only perfect technique behind.
Cool theory. I just can’t buy it. “What is your opposing theory,” you might say? I don’t have one. I have observation. You know, Scientific method.
I’ve seen people doing very large numbers of kicks. Let’s say it’s front kick. The first few are the best that the person can do. Posture is good, form is correct. As fatigue increases, form fails. The head starts pulling down on each kick. The precise leg action turns into a flail. The flaws increase until the person literally cannot continue. No period of perfection occurs.
You’ve seen it, too. Watch boxing. Those guys get really, really tired. You’ll soon find some guy that starts out looking really sharp. 12 rounds later, he’s throwing looping punches. When he does connect, half of his power is gone. His fine defensive form is gone, and his hands are down around his knees.
I guess my theory is, get tired and you’ll move like a tired person.
If you want to disprove me, it should be easy. Get a few people and tape them doing something technical. Wear them out doing it. Look closely at the recording when they are fresh, and when they are ready to drop.
Beat me with observation if you disagree.
You know the idea. In Karate, it can be mean that after a few hundred punches, or kicks, or whatever one gets really tired. So far, no problem. When extremely tired, the theory goes; one’s body will eliminate every extraneous motion, leaving only perfect technique behind.
Cool theory. I just can’t buy it. “What is your opposing theory,” you might say? I don’t have one. I have observation. You know, Scientific method.
I’ve seen people doing very large numbers of kicks. Let’s say it’s front kick. The first few are the best that the person can do. Posture is good, form is correct. As fatigue increases, form fails. The head starts pulling down on each kick. The precise leg action turns into a flail. The flaws increase until the person literally cannot continue. No period of perfection occurs.
You’ve seen it, too. Watch boxing. Those guys get really, really tired. You’ll soon find some guy that starts out looking really sharp. 12 rounds later, he’s throwing looping punches. When he does connect, half of his power is gone. His fine defensive form is gone, and his hands are down around his knees.
I guess my theory is, get tired and you’ll move like a tired person.
If you want to disprove me, it should be easy. Get a few people and tape them doing something technical. Wear them out doing it. Look closely at the recording when they are fresh, and when they are ready to drop.
Beat me with observation if you disagree.
Tuesday 10 May 2011
Wrong
Something is seriously wrong with our Karate club.
Tonight there were nine of us present, several out for health reasons and two on a vacation. In come four brand new beginners.
How can this be? We’ve had no advertising blitz. It isn’t the start of a term, or even of a month.
September is normally the best month for beginners by far . People look for a fall activity. Usually, very few join up at other times. We’ve frequently gotten new people since our start up last November.
I wonder how many we will get in September. A hundred? A thousand? Probably not that many. The September people will be joining a club with a mature rank structure. We should have lots of Orange and Yellow Belts, and even a Blue, a Brown, and three Blacks.
That kind of club is the best type to join. People are often intimidated about asking a Black Belt for help. I guess we are too scary. Asking somebody only one or two levels above seems to be much less daunting.
It is also really good for the higher belt to have to explain something. They have to verbalize and demonstrate what they have learned. This makes them understand on a deeper level.
It is all going so well that feels unnatural.
Tonight there were nine of us present, several out for health reasons and two on a vacation. In come four brand new beginners.
How can this be? We’ve had no advertising blitz. It isn’t the start of a term, or even of a month.
September is normally the best month for beginners by far . People look for a fall activity. Usually, very few join up at other times. We’ve frequently gotten new people since our start up last November.
I wonder how many we will get in September. A hundred? A thousand? Probably not that many. The September people will be joining a club with a mature rank structure. We should have lots of Orange and Yellow Belts, and even a Blue, a Brown, and three Blacks.
That kind of club is the best type to join. People are often intimidated about asking a Black Belt for help. I guess we are too scary. Asking somebody only one or two levels above seems to be much less daunting.
It is also really good for the higher belt to have to explain something. They have to verbalize and demonstrate what they have learned. This makes them understand on a deeper level.
It is all going so well that feels unnatural.
Sunday 8 May 2011
Time
I love this time of year.
There are only 6 weeks of classes left. Few enough, but I so like playing games with even such a short time.
How about this? There are only 5 weekends between now and the end of classes. On one of them, Helen and I will be away, so that’s really only 4 weekends left.
Must not forget that one of those weeks has Victoria Day in it. I love Victoria Day. For many years in the city of Victoria, residents would dress up in period costume. This has faded to nothing, and never spread to other areas. I love this, and it has left a cozy spot inside me for the day off in May.
It is expected that I will ride to school on every one of the remaining days. I only have 300 km left to pedal.
Before that last Friday, I plan on running 55 km. I only have to run that far to make the year end. I wonder if I could do that in one day. Probably not.
To fill the remaining time, I have 16 Karate classes to attend. We have a 4th Dan dropping by in May to tell us how spiffy we are.
My new computer is supposed to arrive this week. I didn’t want to have to buy it, but now that it’s coming I should be happy. It is a step up, and shiny. Shiny is good.
I love Lego games on the Wii. The new one is Lego Pirates of the Caribbean. It will ship on May 10th, and I have a copy pre-ordered.
Every day, the temperature is squeaking up. The rainy season is abating. Every day, twilight comes a few minutes later. Long evenings make me euphonic.
After the last day comes, there are still nine work days left. Tons of final exams, provincial exams, meetings, report cards, and cleanup. Somehow, it is different enough from teaching as to seem a fresh role. I love teaching, but I love the pace change of late June. There is time to talk to peers, and time enough to actually think about what we are doing.
Sometimes it’s good to think.
There are only 6 weeks of classes left. Few enough, but I so like playing games with even such a short time.
How about this? There are only 5 weekends between now and the end of classes. On one of them, Helen and I will be away, so that’s really only 4 weekends left.
Must not forget that one of those weeks has Victoria Day in it. I love Victoria Day. For many years in the city of Victoria, residents would dress up in period costume. This has faded to nothing, and never spread to other areas. I love this, and it has left a cozy spot inside me for the day off in May.
It is expected that I will ride to school on every one of the remaining days. I only have 300 km left to pedal.
Before that last Friday, I plan on running 55 km. I only have to run that far to make the year end. I wonder if I could do that in one day. Probably not.
To fill the remaining time, I have 16 Karate classes to attend. We have a 4th Dan dropping by in May to tell us how spiffy we are.
My new computer is supposed to arrive this week. I didn’t want to have to buy it, but now that it’s coming I should be happy. It is a step up, and shiny. Shiny is good.
I love Lego games on the Wii. The new one is Lego Pirates of the Caribbean. It will ship on May 10th, and I have a copy pre-ordered.
Every day, the temperature is squeaking up. The rainy season is abating. Every day, twilight comes a few minutes later. Long evenings make me euphonic.
After the last day comes, there are still nine work days left. Tons of final exams, provincial exams, meetings, report cards, and cleanup. Somehow, it is different enough from teaching as to seem a fresh role. I love teaching, but I love the pace change of late June. There is time to talk to peers, and time enough to actually think about what we are doing.
Sometimes it’s good to think.
Saturday 7 May 2011
Self-defense
So I’ve been off Karate for a while. Can’t substitute biking or running either.
This meant I didn’t dirty up any uniforms, so they are all out of the laundry. All nice and white and dry and folded so they won’t wrinkle.
I’ve also had time to think about technique. There are tons of them. Offhand, I can come up with 9 basic kicks, and I bet I forgot some.
Each one has several variations. For example, round kick has 3; hard powerful basic style, snappy sparring style, and heavy from-the-floor style.
Some variations are easy to do, some are difficult. Each has its own practical applications. Some variations are harmless to use, while others play havoc on the body of the thrower.
Karate movements are designed to deliver speed, or power, or defense. They are not designed to be kind on the Karateka’s body.
Even the stances can be murder on the joints.
Logically, the danger in a combat sport should come from the combat. Not true. Injury comes from both the combat, and from the basic movements’ effect on the joints and back.
I don’t spar all that much, and I’m experienced enough that there isn’t any untoward risk. Accidents can happen, but are not worrying.
As I am getting ancient, I’m more concerned with self-inflicted damage.
My resolution is to use the least stressing version of each potentially damaging technique. No more classic side thrust kick for me.
And my uniforms are nice and clean.
This meant I didn’t dirty up any uniforms, so they are all out of the laundry. All nice and white and dry and folded so they won’t wrinkle.
I’ve also had time to think about technique. There are tons of them. Offhand, I can come up with 9 basic kicks, and I bet I forgot some.
Each one has several variations. For example, round kick has 3; hard powerful basic style, snappy sparring style, and heavy from-the-floor style.
Some variations are easy to do, some are difficult. Each has its own practical applications. Some variations are harmless to use, while others play havoc on the body of the thrower.
Karate movements are designed to deliver speed, or power, or defense. They are not designed to be kind on the Karateka’s body.
Even the stances can be murder on the joints.
Logically, the danger in a combat sport should come from the combat. Not true. Injury comes from both the combat, and from the basic movements’ effect on the joints and back.
I don’t spar all that much, and I’m experienced enough that there isn’t any untoward risk. Accidents can happen, but are not worrying.
As I am getting ancient, I’m more concerned with self-inflicted damage.
My resolution is to use the least stressing version of each potentially damaging technique. No more classic side thrust kick for me.
And my uniforms are nice and clean.
Never Fall
I was watching a documentary show about people doing a martial art. They were explaining a philosophy about fighting that was sensible enough, until they started to talk about being down on the ground. They said that if you ever go down when fighting an opponent (singular) in real life you will (always) instantly be attacked by a mob (plural) and will be killed. Really? If a drunken brother-in-law pushes you down, ten more brother-in-laws will attack, resulting in your death?
This reminded me of a recent visit to our Dojo by a high-ranking instructor. He spent some time telling about how, “we don’t go to ground.” Never tried to say why, just that we don’t do that.
What is it about many martial arts that makes the ground an intimidating place?
It used to be for scary for me. In Karate we spend endless hours practicing standup fighting. Suddenly, somebody tackles you, and you are pretty much back to square one. Strictly standup fighters don’t last very long in mixed martial arts matches.
The High School where I teach used to have a wonderful wrestling team with a topnotch coach named Clint Fox. For a couple of years I went along to help out. As expected, it was nothing like Karate. Wrestling isn’t about self-defense, but is all about putting people on the ground, or being put on the ground. Rolling around like that gave me a modicum of skill. More importantly, I no longer fear fighting either clinched, or on the dirt.
I’m not saying I’m very good at it, just that I am comfortable.
People sometimes argue, asking if I want to roll around on concrete, or gravel. I do not want to, but I’d be happier there than the other guy.
This reminded me of a recent visit to our Dojo by a high-ranking instructor. He spent some time telling about how, “we don’t go to ground.” Never tried to say why, just that we don’t do that.
What is it about many martial arts that makes the ground an intimidating place?
It used to be for scary for me. In Karate we spend endless hours practicing standup fighting. Suddenly, somebody tackles you, and you are pretty much back to square one. Strictly standup fighters don’t last very long in mixed martial arts matches.
The High School where I teach used to have a wonderful wrestling team with a topnotch coach named Clint Fox. For a couple of years I went along to help out. As expected, it was nothing like Karate. Wrestling isn’t about self-defense, but is all about putting people on the ground, or being put on the ground. Rolling around like that gave me a modicum of skill. More importantly, I no longer fear fighting either clinched, or on the dirt.
I’m not saying I’m very good at it, just that I am comfortable.
People sometimes argue, asking if I want to roll around on concrete, or gravel. I do not want to, but I’d be happier there than the other guy.
Friday 6 May 2011
Ken Burns
I adore Ken Burns documentaries. They all have a gentle pace and rhythm.
The music is impeccable, both the period stuff, and the new materiel. The photos and film clips are outstanding.
Somehow, his style isn’t quite perfect in his work about baseball or such. About big events, he gets it absolutely right. Sad, and respectful. I’m thinking of his The Civil War epic, and his Second World War series called The War.
He also has his finger on the American pulse, both modern and historical. I wonder if he could do as well with a non-American point of view.
Could he do a Canadian Second World War? Could he tell of the British view? Would a German telling be possible?
I wish he would try.
The music is impeccable, both the period stuff, and the new materiel. The photos and film clips are outstanding.
Somehow, his style isn’t quite perfect in his work about baseball or such. About big events, he gets it absolutely right. Sad, and respectful. I’m thinking of his The Civil War epic, and his Second World War series called The War.
He also has his finger on the American pulse, both modern and historical. I wonder if he could do as well with a non-American point of view.
Could he do a Canadian Second World War? Could he tell of the British view? Would a German telling be possible?
I wish he would try.
Glacier Bay
Helen and love to travel, but we really haven’t been to all that many places. We do to some spots over and over, and have a list of new ones that we get to slowly.
We went to Germany once. Stuttgart has a swell downtown, with a long pedestrian mall surrounded by palaces and old churches. There is a nearby town on the commuter train line that has an accessible city wall. Both would make wonderful morning runs.
Passau is the cutest little medieval city you could ever imagine. The lanes are too crampy to make a decent run, but there are rivers all around. Running alongside of those would make a swell 3 km loop.
Vienna would be a runner’s paradise. The center is very pedestrian friendly, and surrounded by the Ringstrasse (Ring road) which is a 5 km circle. About a half mile away is Prater Park. Green zones are always good. The city is home to many palaces and their palace grounds. Can’t beat jogging past and through the history of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
North American cities often hide their gems under a layer of late 20th century car dominance. They all must have fabulous runs somewhere.
None spring to mind in Florida, except along Miami Beach. Sand running, however, is an acquired taste.
California is much the same. I would love to run from San Francisco’s fishermans’ wharf area out to the Bridge and back. How about out and across the Bridge and return. Then sourdough bread full of chowder for breakfast. I could do that.
I love running the early morning Vegas Strip. There are a fair number of runners, all sparkly and bright, and tons of folks still up and not quite so wide-eyed.
I love tons of other places in North America, but their runners’ haunts haven’t been obvious. I adore Kissimmee, Palm Springs, Disneyland, San Diego, and Monterey. All are tourist meccas, but where does one run?
My wife and I fantasize about a round the world cruise after we retire. Wouldn’t it be swell to do at least a short jaunt at each port, and be able to claim that I’d run around the world.
It would be like the time I swam in Alaska’s Glacier Bay. Granted, I was in the Cruise Ship pool when I did it.
But still.
We went to Germany once. Stuttgart has a swell downtown, with a long pedestrian mall surrounded by palaces and old churches. There is a nearby town on the commuter train line that has an accessible city wall. Both would make wonderful morning runs.
Passau is the cutest little medieval city you could ever imagine. The lanes are too crampy to make a decent run, but there are rivers all around. Running alongside of those would make a swell 3 km loop.
Vienna would be a runner’s paradise. The center is very pedestrian friendly, and surrounded by the Ringstrasse (Ring road) which is a 5 km circle. About a half mile away is Prater Park. Green zones are always good. The city is home to many palaces and their palace grounds. Can’t beat jogging past and through the history of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
North American cities often hide their gems under a layer of late 20th century car dominance. They all must have fabulous runs somewhere.
None spring to mind in Florida, except along Miami Beach. Sand running, however, is an acquired taste.
California is much the same. I would love to run from San Francisco’s fishermans’ wharf area out to the Bridge and back. How about out and across the Bridge and return. Then sourdough bread full of chowder for breakfast. I could do that.
I love running the early morning Vegas Strip. There are a fair number of runners, all sparkly and bright, and tons of folks still up and not quite so wide-eyed.
I love tons of other places in North America, but their runners’ haunts haven’t been obvious. I adore Kissimmee, Palm Springs, Disneyland, San Diego, and Monterey. All are tourist meccas, but where does one run?
My wife and I fantasize about a round the world cruise after we retire. Wouldn’t it be swell to do at least a short jaunt at each port, and be able to claim that I’d run around the world.
It would be like the time I swam in Alaska’s Glacier Bay. Granted, I was in the Cruise Ship pool when I did it.
But still.
Thursday 5 May 2011
Harry Potter
I am out of action.
Nothing big, but really can’t do anything more physical than microwaving a burrito. It will only last a little while.
No bike for a few days. No running on the weekend. No Karate for a week.
It doesn’t matter, but is annoying.
If we are lucky, we get ourselves hooked into little patterns of good behavior. My bike saves me having a second car, and is healthy. Running is good for me, too. Karate is healthy, sort of, and I really enjoy doing it.
My patterns are down. My rituals are scattered.
It can be all to easy to let a break, become a full stop. Surely you’ve known somebody who was on a diet for a while, or trying to quit smoking. One slip and they throw up their hands and the entire effort is off.
Broken patterns should just mean you are on pause for a wee while. If the phone rings while you are watching a recorded movie, do you erase Harry Potter because you had been forced to put him on pause?
Harry Potter would never do that to you.
Nothing big, but really can’t do anything more physical than microwaving a burrito. It will only last a little while.
No bike for a few days. No running on the weekend. No Karate for a week.
It doesn’t matter, but is annoying.
If we are lucky, we get ourselves hooked into little patterns of good behavior. My bike saves me having a second car, and is healthy. Running is good for me, too. Karate is healthy, sort of, and I really enjoy doing it.
My patterns are down. My rituals are scattered.
It can be all to easy to let a break, become a full stop. Surely you’ve known somebody who was on a diet for a while, or trying to quit smoking. One slip and they throw up their hands and the entire effort is off.
Broken patterns should just mean you are on pause for a wee while. If the phone rings while you are watching a recorded movie, do you erase Harry Potter because you had been forced to put him on pause?
Harry Potter would never do that to you.
Wednesday 4 May 2011
Computer Meltdown
I have three laptop computers, or maybe I have none.
One isn’t really mine. It belongs to the school district I work for. It is a bottom-of-the-line Macbook that I really don’t like using. I far prefer Windows 7. So sue me.
My newest machine is only a year or so old. It is a seriously underpowered pink netbook. It cost almost nothing, and is the smallest and cutest computer I’ve ever used. It’s perfect for hauling around. Sadly, I spilled coffee on it a couple of months ago, and it’s never been the same. She still works, but is no longer reliable.
My favorite is my Toshiba. This baby is long in the tooth at 3 or 4 years if age, but still has twice the processing power of the much newer Macbook, and 6 times the power of little pinkie. This baby is set up exactly how I want a computer to be. Today, my best computer has developed problems that make it intermittently unstable. The writing is on the wall.
Repair on the Toshiba would easily cost more than a replacement’s price would be.
I suppose it’s good news that computer prices are extremely low these days. It would be about $400 to buy a new computer.
This is less than I spent recently on an iPad, and even less than I spent on my iPod Touch, but it’s still galling.
This week Helen us up a lottery ticket. The drawing was a couple of days ago. A win could bring up to $7 million. Guess we should check it.
I could then get 17 thousand new laptops. Bet I could get a bulk discount.
One isn’t really mine. It belongs to the school district I work for. It is a bottom-of-the-line Macbook that I really don’t like using. I far prefer Windows 7. So sue me.
My newest machine is only a year or so old. It is a seriously underpowered pink netbook. It cost almost nothing, and is the smallest and cutest computer I’ve ever used. It’s perfect for hauling around. Sadly, I spilled coffee on it a couple of months ago, and it’s never been the same. She still works, but is no longer reliable.
My favorite is my Toshiba. This baby is long in the tooth at 3 or 4 years if age, but still has twice the processing power of the much newer Macbook, and 6 times the power of little pinkie. This baby is set up exactly how I want a computer to be. Today, my best computer has developed problems that make it intermittently unstable. The writing is on the wall.
Repair on the Toshiba would easily cost more than a replacement’s price would be.
I suppose it’s good news that computer prices are extremely low these days. It would be about $400 to buy a new computer.
This is less than I spent recently on an iPad, and even less than I spent on my iPod Touch, but it’s still galling.
This week Helen us up a lottery ticket. The drawing was a couple of days ago. A win could bring up to $7 million. Guess we should check it.
I could then get 17 thousand new laptops. Bet I could get a bulk discount.
Tuesday 3 May 2011
The Back is Back
My body and I normally get along just fine. It’s never let me down in any big way.
However, every so often my back gets interesting. There never seems to be a reason, so I can’t predict when it will happen. It doesn’t get caused by lifting or twisting or any of those things that are supposed to set backs off.
Sometimes I just wake up stiff. Today it wasn’t even that.
I was walking around the school getting ready for my day, and noticed that my back was doing its thing. No serious pain or anything like that, just a stiff feeling that means trouble. My back was just fine on the bike ride to work. See what I mean? Unpredictable.
So I popped down some over-the-counter back pills, which do a pretty bang up job of relieving things. I walk with my back extra straight.
Now I’m home, with a heating pad strapped on. I like my heating pad. It’s warm. I feel like a kitten sleeping in the sun.
No Karate for me tonight or I’ll certainly be off work tomorrow. The concept of pushing through is one that doesn’t work with this back of mine. It’s like double dog daring it to lay me flat. It will.
So it will be a few days of back pills, heating pads, and walking like I have a stick up my butt.
It’s nothing, not really.
However, every so often my back gets interesting. There never seems to be a reason, so I can’t predict when it will happen. It doesn’t get caused by lifting or twisting or any of those things that are supposed to set backs off.
Sometimes I just wake up stiff. Today it wasn’t even that.
I was walking around the school getting ready for my day, and noticed that my back was doing its thing. No serious pain or anything like that, just a stiff feeling that means trouble. My back was just fine on the bike ride to work. See what I mean? Unpredictable.
So I popped down some over-the-counter back pills, which do a pretty bang up job of relieving things. I walk with my back extra straight.
Now I’m home, with a heating pad strapped on. I like my heating pad. It’s warm. I feel like a kitten sleeping in the sun.
No Karate for me tonight or I’ll certainly be off work tomorrow. The concept of pushing through is one that doesn’t work with this back of mine. It’s like double dog daring it to lay me flat. It will.
So it will be a few days of back pills, heating pads, and walking like I have a stick up my butt.
It’s nothing, not really.
Monday 2 May 2011
Me as a 7th Dan
In our club, we have a Brown Belt. She was away from training for several years. Since we started up in November, she’s been working hard.
She wants to do her next test by Christmas of 2011, and that one will be for her Black Belt.
It is a tough test. And people have to do extra to prepare.
When I was working towards my own, I did tons of extra practice. I also started running, and joined an aerobics class. This all went on for months. As the club’s instructor, I didn’t get much of a workout during class time.
I failed my first attempt. I hope that our Brown Belt won’t experience that. I was my own Sensei, while she has 3 Black Belts in the class who can help her. She is also planning on training in the city once month with even better instructors. That is a really good idea.
It’s funny how much respect one gets from non-Karate people as a Black Belt. You also get tons of respect from lower belts, too. Really, Black Belt means that you’ve finished Kindergarten, and are ready to be a beginner.
A shiny, fresh belt is a good signal that one is new. It takes about 5 or 6 months before a new satin belt will condescend to stay tied properly.
A few years after attaining first degree Black Belt (Shodan), one normally tests for second degree (Nidan). This continues up the ranks, with increasing periods in between. There is also an age requirement to insure maturity.
If I had been ambitious, and tested at the maximum rate, and had opportunities to do so at the appropriate times, and by some miracle had always passed, I could be a 6th degree (Rokudan) by now. If I hadn’t taken off so many years, I could be a 7th degree (Seichidan). Perhaps pigs would be flying overhead. More realistically, I might be about a 3rd (Sandan).
I am, in fact, Shodan. A mere 1st degree. After gaining my rank, I put all my effort into preparing my senior students for their Black Belts. After that, I ended up in a University program that allowed me no spare time. We moved to Sechelt, and I worked on starting a new club, and a new job. We also could only test above Shodan with Mori Sensei. For the next ten years, he never visited us. To visit him, we had to go to New York. My wife and I had other trips we’d rather do. Then I took my long break.
The result is a very long-winded explanation that nobody wants to hear. Did you enjoy reading it?
I think I’ll just switch to something almost as accurate. When people ask me, from now on I am going to put on an enigmatic expression and say, “I don’t like tests”.
Which is true.
She wants to do her next test by Christmas of 2011, and that one will be for her Black Belt.
It is a tough test. And people have to do extra to prepare.
When I was working towards my own, I did tons of extra practice. I also started running, and joined an aerobics class. This all went on for months. As the club’s instructor, I didn’t get much of a workout during class time.
I failed my first attempt. I hope that our Brown Belt won’t experience that. I was my own Sensei, while she has 3 Black Belts in the class who can help her. She is also planning on training in the city once month with even better instructors. That is a really good idea.
It’s funny how much respect one gets from non-Karate people as a Black Belt. You also get tons of respect from lower belts, too. Really, Black Belt means that you’ve finished Kindergarten, and are ready to be a beginner.
A shiny, fresh belt is a good signal that one is new. It takes about 5 or 6 months before a new satin belt will condescend to stay tied properly.
A few years after attaining first degree Black Belt (Shodan), one normally tests for second degree (Nidan). This continues up the ranks, with increasing periods in between. There is also an age requirement to insure maturity.
If I had been ambitious, and tested at the maximum rate, and had opportunities to do so at the appropriate times, and by some miracle had always passed, I could be a 6th degree (Rokudan) by now. If I hadn’t taken off so many years, I could be a 7th degree (Seichidan). Perhaps pigs would be flying overhead. More realistically, I might be about a 3rd (Sandan).
I am, in fact, Shodan. A mere 1st degree. After gaining my rank, I put all my effort into preparing my senior students for their Black Belts. After that, I ended up in a University program that allowed me no spare time. We moved to Sechelt, and I worked on starting a new club, and a new job. We also could only test above Shodan with Mori Sensei. For the next ten years, he never visited us. To visit him, we had to go to New York. My wife and I had other trips we’d rather do. Then I took my long break.
The result is a very long-winded explanation that nobody wants to hear. Did you enjoy reading it?
I think I’ll just switch to something almost as accurate. When people ask me, from now on I am going to put on an enigmatic expression and say, “I don’t like tests”.
Which is true.
Sunday 1 May 2011
BC rules the universe
Our club is a newly joined the BC branch of the ISKF. We get access to all the visiting high-level instructors that come to give seminars. We’ve already had 9th Dan Yaguchi-Sensei, and Kline Sensei, a 7th. In June, Yaguchi is back, and in the fall, we get 10th Dan Okazaki. This is very cool, but why are they so nice to BC? We don’t really have a big population here, so why do they bother so much with little old us?
I counted up all the ISKF Dojos in the States, and it turns out they have 180. In the entire USA they have less than ten times as many clubs as BC. Yikes! It seems we’re pretty big.
In fact, only two states have more clubs than BC. The biggest is Pennsylvania, which has 32. This makes sense. The association’s leader, 10th Dan Okazaki, is based there. The state also has 3 times BC’s population. For our population, we actually have more clubs.
The other state with more clubs than BC is California, which has 23. That’s only 3 more than BC, and California has a population greater than the entire country of Canada.
The other 48 states average less than 3 clubs each. Many have none at all.
No wonder they like being nice to BC.
And I’m here, of course.
I counted up all the ISKF Dojos in the States, and it turns out they have 180. In the entire USA they have less than ten times as many clubs as BC. Yikes! It seems we’re pretty big.
In fact, only two states have more clubs than BC. The biggest is Pennsylvania, which has 32. This makes sense. The association’s leader, 10th Dan Okazaki, is based there. The state also has 3 times BC’s population. For our population, we actually have more clubs.
The other state with more clubs than BC is California, which has 23. That’s only 3 more than BC, and California has a population greater than the entire country of Canada.
The other 48 states average less than 3 clubs each. Many have none at all.
No wonder they like being nice to BC.
And I’m here, of course.
ISKF
Got all snoopy the other day. I don’t like taking things on trust if I don’t have to.
Our Karate club joined the International Shotokan Karate Association, known as the ISKF. They have been welcoming, and their Karate is top notch.
They are a USA based group, and are strong in much of that country. I wondered how successful they were in Canada.
Not counting us, there are 19 Dojos in BC. That is impressive, but how about the rest of Canada.
Alberta has 15 clubs, but Saskatchewan has only 2 and Manitoba 4. In the North, there is 1 in the Yukon, and 1 in the Northwest Territories, but none in Nunavut.
So far, about what I’d have expected in relation to the BC numbers.
In Atlantic Canada, New Brunswick has 4, as does Nova Scotia. There is 1 in PEI and none in Newfoundland.
It gets weird in Central Canada. Quebec is a hotbed of Karate, and her population is about the same as BC and Alberta put together. So how many ISKF clubs? Only 17.
Ontario has a population greater than all the rest of Canada put together, if you leave out Quebec. Karate is very strong in Ontario, but there are only 8 ISKF clubs.
BC is the biggest province in ISKF terms.
How about internationally? I got lazy and didn’t want to do all the research so I just looked into the big Karate countries in Europe. Britain has 8 clubs, France 1, Spain 1, Italy 1 and Germany 7. I find that pretty petite. BC has more ISKF clubs than all of those countries combined.
It seems that the ISKF is truly a North American group.
Nothing wrong with this, but good to know.
And by the way, they have no clubs in Japan at all.
Our Karate club joined the International Shotokan Karate Association, known as the ISKF. They have been welcoming, and their Karate is top notch.
They are a USA based group, and are strong in much of that country. I wondered how successful they were in Canada.
Not counting us, there are 19 Dojos in BC. That is impressive, but how about the rest of Canada.
Alberta has 15 clubs, but Saskatchewan has only 2 and Manitoba 4. In the North, there is 1 in the Yukon, and 1 in the Northwest Territories, but none in Nunavut.
So far, about what I’d have expected in relation to the BC numbers.
In Atlantic Canada, New Brunswick has 4, as does Nova Scotia. There is 1 in PEI and none in Newfoundland.
It gets weird in Central Canada. Quebec is a hotbed of Karate, and her population is about the same as BC and Alberta put together. So how many ISKF clubs? Only 17.
Ontario has a population greater than all the rest of Canada put together, if you leave out Quebec. Karate is very strong in Ontario, but there are only 8 ISKF clubs.
BC is the biggest province in ISKF terms.
How about internationally? I got lazy and didn’t want to do all the research so I just looked into the big Karate countries in Europe. Britain has 8 clubs, France 1, Spain 1, Italy 1 and Germany 7. I find that pretty petite. BC has more ISKF clubs than all of those countries combined.
It seems that the ISKF is truly a North American group.
Nothing wrong with this, but good to know.
And by the way, they have no clubs in Japan at all.
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