Chinese TV Show about Goju-Ryu

The following Youtube clip is a complete 45 minute TV show that focusses on IOGKF Goju-Ryu, the style which I study here in Liverpool. The show is called "Legend of Kung Fu II incursion 05: Rigid and Flexible crane".

It was originally broadcast in Hong Kong on the Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) Network on 11th February 2012. The show is in traditional Chinese, so if you are in The West you will simply have to enjoy the language as it was broadcast.

Enjoy.

Etiquette in the Dojo

A friend of mine came along to his first karate class yesterday evening and seemed to do very well. I spoke to him for a little while before the class began, to tell him some of the little "do's and do not's" that might crop up during the evening's proceedings. Then the class began and I realised that I had not impressed upon him about the very formal opening (and closing) ceremony aspects of a Goju-Ryu karate class, which include bowing, kneeling down and meditating for a while and so on.

As such I have been doing a little research (both for the use of new starters as well as for people who have been partaking in martial arts classes for years, such as myself) and I have compiled a short list of dojo etiquette tips that will hopefully help to make things a little clearer with regards to what is expected during a normal class.

These tips are for people such as myself who train in a karate dojo in The West. I am sure that there are many other things that would be expected of someone who enters into a dojo in Japan or China, but let's not worry about that too much today, okay! So here is a short list of the things when you first join a karate club and the procedures that you might run into during your stay.

Training Hall "Rules" - AKA Dojo Kun

Here is a set list of "dojo rules" that was devised by the Chief instructor of of style of karate, Morio Higaonna Sensei. These rules are in a set order but it is important to understand that each of the rules is as important as each other - they all matter as equally as the rule before it or the rule that follows.

• Respect others
• Be courageous
• Train your mind and body
• Practice daily to protect traditional karate-do
• Strive to reach the essence of Goju-Ryu
• Never give up

I teach at a children's karate club here in Liverpool and we have recently started to introduce the Dojo Kun concept to the kids who take part in our "advanced" class (we have 2 classes, one for beginners and one for intermediate and advanced students). Sensei reads each of the rules allowed and the children repeat them. Then we discuss one of the points, going into some detail about the possible meaning behind it.

I think that a lot of the rules in the Dojo Kun are quite obvious and self evident. However a few of them might seem to be a little far reaching to new students, perhaps even to the point where they seem grandiose. For example the rule to "Protect traditional karate-do" or to "reach the essence of Goju-Ryu" are quite deep concepts, they are almost certain to need further explanation to elaborate on the particular meanings behind the use of the words "Protect" and "Essence". The other rules might also need some further explanation too. We have started to teach the Dojo Kun to children who are of an appropriate age (roughly 10 years and above) and who are about a certain grade (3rd kyu/brown belt). We hope that it helps them to adopt a responsible mindset when it comes to their karate studies, as well as in their daily lives and dealings with people who they meet in the world.

Also worth noting - the Dojo Kun is not a list that begins with Rule number 1 and ends with Rule number 6. Each rule is considered be numbered as "1" - to signify that each rule is as important as any of the others in the list.

Commonplace Dojo etiquette

Bowing (Rei)

There are many small things that come into play when you first join a karate club, especially for a Westerner. At first they will seem quite foreign, literally, what with all the bowing to one another - and to objects. But this should all make sense after a little bit of personal research into the Japanese culture. We bow to one another as a sign of respect for our fellow students, and we bow to our teacher in a similar way. I personally make a point of bowing to fellow students whilst keeping my eyes firmly looking towards them, but I sometimes find myself bowing to my teacher as though I am bowing to his feet, looking at the floor during the bow. Of course, this is not always going to be an obvious thing, especially to an on-looker, but it is just an example of taking a form of etiquette and looking into the thinking behind it. In Japanese culture bowing is an everyday thing, whereas in the West we shake hands. So in a traditional Japanese-style dojo in the Western world we will often bow to one another quite formally before training begins, and then the same again afterwards - but then if you are good friends with your training partner you might also then shake hands or even perform a short shoulder-to-shoulder hug (after a lively bout of sparring for example). But to clarify, the most important aspect is that the bow is not rushed, nor is it performed with disrespect (be aware that it is not ever to be just a bowing of the head, no matter how you value your opponent). I remember seeing, many years ago, a senior karate master being given an extended lesson in how to perform a proper bow, as shown to him by another senior karate master during a very important international seminar. Bowing really is that important.

A formal bow is not only performed to other people though. It is also something to be performed to objects and even to places. We are expected to bow when we first enter any dojo that we might visit. We also bow to the dojo as we leave the hall as well - even if we are leaving the area, only to return to the same place a few seconds later. This practice is quite strictly adhered to at our dojo in Liverpool - if Sensei happens to spot a student who enters (or leaves) the dojo without bowing first, that student can expect to be given push-ups as a reminder to help them to remember to bow to the dojo in future. We also bow to training equipment before and after it is used during training. This never made sense to me when I first saw other karate students doing it... why would you bow to a makiwara or a chi'ishi? One of my teachers then explained to me that we bow to all of our equipment as a sign of respect, just as we bow to our training partners before we "use" them to practice our karate training. In this respect all of our training equipment is as important as any other piece of equipment that we might use during a training session, including the other people in the class. Yes, this means that other people could be considered to be a sacred piece of training equipment that you use in order to make yourself a better karateka (and so also a better person) - so bear in mind that this is how you might be considered by them!

Speaking Japanese

A regular karate class at our dojo begins with everyone being called to line up in order of grade ("Shugo!" / Line Up!) and then the senior student recites a set of instructions to tell everyone else in the dojo that they should kneel down and meditate for a short time. This process is also performed at the end of a session, signifying the end of the mindset and that one is now ready to leave the dojo. The vast majority of the instructions and directions given during this portion of the class, as well as the rest of the class that follows, are spoken in Japanese. The reason that we don't say it in English is because of the structure of the karate organisation that we are a part of and that it is based in Okinawa, Japan. Many of our Master instructors speak Japanese as their first language and some might not be able to speak any other language. So if you were to take part in an international Gasshuku (training camp) with a Japanese instructor - and these things do happen quite often - it is good to be prepared for such an occasion by keeping all of the formalities in the original language, Japanese. That way we will all be able to understand the set procedure of etiquette when the senior student at a class with possibly 1,000 people from several different countries (and therefore several different languages too). It is also why we refer to many of the techniques used during a karate class (kicks, punches, blocks and so on) in Japanese. A student who is learning karate is also, in effect, learning a lot of Japanese terminology along the way. Admittedly this might not help you to order a skinny latte if you visit the Starbucks coffee shop in Shibuya during your Japanese travels, but it will certainly serve you well if a Japanese karate Master asks you to step back with your left leg and then punch to the side at chest height using your right hand. And be assured, you will get used to the language barrier soon enough - if you practice karate at a dojo similar to ours for long enough you will soon find the terminology that you hear will become second nature to you.

Mokuso

As mentioned in the section above - we start a class and then also end the same class with a formal meditation procedure. This is known as "Mokuso", and it is something that is observed in karate classes all around the world. Once everyone in the class is in place we kneel down on our haunches in a stance called "Seiza" and then the senior student calls for everyone to meditate together by saying "Mokuso". At this point you should rest your hands on your thighs and also close your eyes. Keep your head looking forward and try to maintain a good posture with your back as straight as you can. Then you simply breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, slowly and regularly. The idea is to empty your mind of all your worries before you begin training. This period of meditation can be very short, literally a few breaths, or it can continue for several minutes. It would seem that the length of the meditation depends both on the judgement of the class's senior student and also the significance of the training session. Sometimes Mokuso can last for what seems like 3 to 5 minutes on an international course. I have also heard a tale that once a class took place and when everyone knelt down for Mokuso the senior student forgot the Japanese to say "Meditation complete" - which by the way is "Mokuso Yame". So the entire session of 2 hours consisted of a room of people kneeling in total silence until the Sensei finally stopped the class and left the room.

If you take a karate class and you have not got very good knees it is acceptable to kneel down during Mokuso but not to then sit back into full Seiza position. Furthermore if a student cannot kneel down at all or is confined to a wheelchair, meditation can also be performed from a standing or seated position. There are also exercises to practice Mokuso meditation whilst laying down. The formal version of meditating in Seiza position is traditional but it is not exclusive.

Saying "Thank you" in the dojo

The opening (and closing) ceremony performed in a karate class involves more bowing, this time from a kneeling position. Firstly we meditate (as described above), then meditation ends and we are instructed to face towards the front of the dojo and bow. This signifies bowing to the dojo itself, but also can be seen as bowing to the instructors who have gone before us, as well as our Chief Instructor. This is a traditional procedure. Next we face toward the teacher who is present in the dojo and bow to that person. If there is more than one teacher lined up at the front of the class they might each be bowed to individually at this point.  When we bow to the Sensei we say the following phrase: "Arigato Onegaishimasu". This roughly translates as "Thank you and please teach me". At the end of a session, when we repeat the same ceremonial procedure, we will then also bow to our training partners. This is why we like to have an even number on the first line of students in a class - so that we are not left with one person on the end of the line with nobody to bow to at the end of the session. We bow to our partner at this point and say the following phrase aloud: "Arigato Gozaimashita". This translates as "Thank you for training with me." Don't worry if you don't get it exactly right first time, it is acceptable simply to say "Thank you" in your native language if you are at all unsure. As our instructor keeps telling us, it is better to say "Thank you" rather than just bowing and mumbling some undecipherable gibberish into the floor.

Also, both of the Japanese phrases mentioned above could have began with the word "Domo" - which means thank you. However "Arigato" also means thank you too.... So if you should bow to somebody in the dojo and then use the phrase "Domo arigato onegaishimasu!" you are in fact saying "thank you" to them a couple of times in a row. But this is very much an example of how the Japanese etiquette system works; it is a very humble and formal set of rules, almost overly so at times.

There is much more that could be covered here with regards to etiquette. To begin with perhaps you could just try to remember that you are expected to bow both on your way into the dojo and also on your way out. I would say that, of all the things I have just mentioned here, this one piece of etiquette will probably save you from doing the most push-ups.

Further reading on the subject of etiquette in the dojo:

http://www.southwestlondonkarate.co.uk/about/dojo-kun.php
http://www.jkaindia.org/_Final/Dojokun.htm
http://www.kendo-guide.com/terminology_onegai_shimasu.html
http://www.taishikai.com/markssecond.htm
http://karatedo.uga.edu/protocol.html
http://www.masutatsuoyama.com/dojoetiquette.htm

Childwall Dojo - 13 Feb 2012

We had 2 new students at the dojo last night. They certainly picked a night to start! The class was all about moving basics (mainly kicking techniques) and then moved into some sparring drills to be practiced with a training partner. Very nice class.

(Sorry to be keeping this update short but sweet, but lots to do!)

Chances of Success

An interesting image that I saw over on FB. (Credit belongs to whoever put it together!)

Childwall Dojo - Kumite - 4 Man Attack

We had a very lively kumite (sparring) class at our dojo in Liverpool tonight.

Sensei has constructed an elaborate sparring circuit that incorporates 1 person fighting against 4 assailants. Each of the 4 incoming attacks are different from one another, so each defence is set-up in advance (and so can be slowly perfected to the point where each attack can be blocked and countered in succession). This kind of "4 man attack" drill is a common place training tool in our club, it is used regularly to practice kata bunkai - applications of set forms, split into individual attacks and then organised so that one person can defend against a wave of assailants. Tonight's class was slightly different as the attacks and the defence against them have all been devised by Sensei Roy Flatt (rather than taken from Goju-Ryu kata as we would normally practice). Sensei has come up with a brutal set of defence/counter attacks against several different punches and kicks.

I don't want to go into to much detail with regards to the exact nature of the combinations used in this exercise, as I think Sensei has plans of cultivating this and turning it into an advanced karate demonstration to be performed somewhere later this year. I also don't want to write down the sequence as it is only being worked out at the moment and it is likely to change!  So apologies if the following list of attacks and defences seem a little vague, I just don't want to elaborate too much (in case I get myself in trouble and give the game away). For now I am happy to write just a little about it, so that you can get an idea of what the sequence looks like and also I can look back at this page and then try to recall the sequence of attacks. For the record, once again, this is all the work of Sensei Roy Flatt.

Note: The attackers do not all attack at once! The order of attack is as follows: North, South, West, East, then back to North for the next round of attacks. Once all 4 attacks have been performed, repeat the entire sequence another 3 times. No pauses in between the attack and the counter attack, or between each successive attack from different assailants.

First wave of attacks and the defences against them:

Attack #1: Left hand jab (Kizami zuki) - Defence: Left hand open handed block, drawing your hand upwards to meet the punch, then a left hand shuto strike to the face, then body shot combo, finally a kick to lower body.

Attack #2: Right foot roundhouse kick - Defence: Double-handed block, drawing the kick down and pulling attacker off balance so you are behind him. Combination is a low kick, gyaku zuki (reverse punch) to rear of head and finished with body shots to targets on opponent's back.

Attack # 3: Right foot straight kick (mae geri) - Defence: Right hand open handed block, drawing your hand downwards to meet the kick. Left foot mawashi kick to attacker's right thigh, then head/body punch combination, then a right foot mawashi kick to attacker's torso.

Attack #4: Left hand gyaku zuki (reverse punch) with right foot forward - Defence: Right hand soto uke (forearm block), then kizami zuki (jab) with same hand, then a body-shot combo, then finish with kick combination to lower body and torso.

There is also a 2nd wave of attacks, but I will leave that for another time.

The rest of this evening's class was a matter of practicing many different kumite applications with a training partner, interspersed with some light randori (free sparring) followed by yakusoku kumite (pre-arranged sparring). So it went something like this: Pre-arranged sparring for 5 minutes, free flowing sparring for 2 minutes... repeat. That was a lot of fun. My training partner for this class was Sensei Ben Yuen, who has a naturally strong gedan (lower level) block and a great gyaku zuki (reverse punch) too. Thanks for the bruises Ben!

IOGKF News: Nakamura Sensei at Russia Gasshuku

This Youtube clip is taken from a Russian news program this week: The audio is in Russian.



This shows the opening of the new IOGKF Russia "Honbu Dojo" (the main dojo in the country). The dojo has been called "Higaonna Dojo". The grand opening was held during a gasshuku (training camp) and the guest of honour was Nakamura Sensei (IOGKF Canada chief instructor).

It looks like a really nice dojo. I hope to visit there one day maybe. Congratulations to Sensei Bogdan Kurilko (IOGKF Russia's chief instructor) and all involved in the construction of the new dojo.

Childwall Dojo Class Plan: 30/01/2012

Tonight's class, run down:

It was sub-zero here in Liverpool after the sun went down, so the dojo was something of a tomb. No worries, Sensei had a plan.

Junbi Undo: Quick and to the point, the warm-up at the start of tonight's class was exactly that - a super efficient demonstration of how to raise your skin temperature by a few notches. From toes through to the neck and head, this evening we went from shivering to thoroughly sweating in roughly 15 minutes. Warm-up concluded with knuckle push-ups, straight leg kicks ("leg raises"), stamp thrust kicks ("reverse cycle kicks") and stomach crunches ("fingertips over the knees").

Kata: Continuing with the body warming exercises, we performed Gekisai Dai Ichi kata 4 times in quick succession. Each time the kata began in a different direction - West, South, East and finally North. Sensei kept a count so that everyone moved together, like a mass "team kata".

Yakusoku Kumite: Pre-arranged sparring with a training partner. Began with a few "warm-up" kihon (basic) exercises before this section of the class got into full swing.

We worked on 3 main attack/defence combinations, the 1st was defending against a kick, the 2nd defending against a "kizami zuki" jab attack, the final combination was a defence against an incoming mawashi geri (roundhouse kick). I won't go into elaborate detail, but here is what the block and counter attacks went like:

#1
Attack: Mae Geri (straight kick), right foot.
Defence: From long stance, left foot forward. Block downward (gedan) using right hand and pivot on the left foot at the same time (bring your right foot around behind you so that your body turns so you are facing to the right). Your training partner will land with their right leg in front. Counter attack: Left kick to the right leg (aimed at lower though/hamstring), right hand gyaku zuki (reverse punch) aimed at head/temple, left hand ura zuki (short punch) aimed at rib cage under attacker's right arm.

#2
Attack: Kizami Zuki (Jab punch) from left hand, left foot in front.
Defence: From long stance, left foot forward. Block incoming left hand using your right hand (downward block, open handed). Using the same hand, aim a gyaku zuki at your opponent's chin (or land it on their chest if you lack control for a chin strike). Follow with a quick-paced left hand ura zuki / hook punch aimed at their right rib cage, then either a left leg mawashi geri (at their front leg, underneath) or a right leg mawashi at their left femur bone, with that kick descending to it's target. Black belt students can try a combination of left mawashi followed by right mawashi - one attacking the femur from below, the next kick attacking the same leg from the opposite side above.

#3
Attack: Front leg mawashi geri aimed at rib cage (starting with right leg forward)
Defence: From long stance, left foot forward. As the attacker steps their back foot up (before they perform the actual roundhouse kick at all) lunge forward and punch using your left hand into their lower stomach wall - this would be considered a gedan zuki (lower level punch). Make sure the punch is heavy, so to push the attacker back while he is standing on one leg. The attacker should have their mid-riff tightened up in order to absorb a strong punch aimed in that area. Follow the punch attack with kick combination.

Kata: The class moved on to kata practice. Dan grade students focussed on Kururunfa Kata during this session. In groups of 3 we practiced the bunkai (applications) of Kururunfa with alternating attackers for each successive attack. As it was still quite cold in the dojo we made sure to keep the pace lively throughout this part of the class.
Brown belt students practiced Seiyunchin Kata with Sensei Roy instructing.

Good session.

Spinning Kick Practice Session

Needs work, but this is early days indeed.

(I have no need for a critique or breakdown of this video, but thanks in advance if you felt the need to leave a comment and put me right on my poor technique okay!)

Many thanks to the great Sensei Damion Wood (the current kumite English champion / EGKA & IOGKF) for his invaluable instruction... and his endless patience.

Childwall Dojo 23 January 2012

A run-down of last night's class at our karate club here in Liverpool:

This was a small class (in attendance) but included three 5th dans, two 4th dans, two 3rd dans and a shodan black belt. Plus 4 brown belt students... All training with Sensei Roy Flatt, IOGKF 7th degree black belt.

Junbi Undo - Followed by 50 push-ups, 50 stamp kicks, 50 straight leg raises, 50 crunch sit-ups.

Kihon - Using movements taken directly from kata.

Moving Basics - Using movements taken from kata

We began by stepping in long stance (Zenkutsu dachi) across the width of the dojo, performing a double handed punch after each step. Another technique (double handed hammer fist strike) was then added to the combination after many repetitions, and so on. All of the movements and techniques used are in fact from kata.
Other kata sections used for moving basics: The "4 palm-heel strikes" section of Shisochin kata. Practiced by one half of the class and observed by the other half of the class. Each person was given one other person to watch and give advice to. Everyone performed this section of the kata several times.

Kata - Focussing on Saifa kata

We worked a lot with Saifa kata this evening, or "The forgotten kata" as Sensei called it. This kata is both a short one (often confusing the fact that it is 'short' with the belief of newer students that it must also be 'easy' to master) and also the first of the traditional kata (from Naha Te) that is taught to students when they attain green belt standard. Saifa is a very tricky kata to perfect: With lot of twists and turns, stepping from low stances (shiko dachi) directly to stances standing on 1 leg (asagi dachi) and then performing double-handed blocks and quickly performing knee strikes and kicking techniques; it also includes several short pounding techniques (tetsui uchi, aka "Hammer fist"), plus a very sneaky punch levelled at the throat that in fact begins as a finger strike (nukite uchi). Finally finishing with another lightning fast body turn and then a whip-like block in yet another stance. All compacted into a kata that takes less than 45 seconds to perform.

As in the 'moving basics' section of the class earlier, Sensei had us break the kata into sections and then practice each of those sections again and again. I was paired with a very capable gentleman this evening, Sensei Guy Keen. I always enjoy training with Sensei Guy, his experience of martial arts is quite different than mine so I always learn a lot from him given the opportunity.

Kumite drills - Training with a partner

1) Sensei had us practising open handed blocks for the last part of the class. Performed whilst facing a training partner who, from parallel stance (heiko dachi), delivers punches towards the center of the chest (chudan zuki). The block that we used to defend is similar to the open-handed block performed in Sanchin kata - Block downward and then deliver a counter punch using the same hand (block and punch with the same hand) then draw that hand back to the position where it started from, ready to continue. Sensei emphasised the point that your elbows stay relaxed when using this block. If you have tension in your elbows when you perform this block you are stifling your technique; Sensei used the following analogy: "Imagine a race car driver trying to make his vehicle go as fast as possible, but he has the handbrake on. It wouldn't work. So relax your elbows and you'll also take the handbrake off, a faster technique".

2) Attacking partner (semete) begins from a long stance, then steps forward and delivers the same chest height punch.

Defending partner (ukete) steps from zenkutsu also; he steps to the outside of the incoming punch, blocking it with the opposite arm (left arm blocks a right hand punch) using a soto uke forearm block. Then counter-punch at the attacker's face using the same hand (in this example, a left hand block followed by a left hand face jab). To continue the combination, and while the attacking partner is still stood with his right arm forwards, the defending partner delivers a further 2 punches into the ribcage area and finishes up with a kick from the trailing leg - the kick is either delivered straight (mae) into the groin or leg, or roundhouse (mawashi) into the stomach area or perhaps even to the face.

Both training partners take turns being both the attacker and the defender in this simulation.

Childwall Dojo, 19 Jan 2012

Instructor back from his trip to Japan, we had our 1st training session at the dojo tonight.

Training drills included:

Moving basics (kihon),
Kata Gekisai Dai Ichi (with modified timing),
Sparring with a training partner,
A"boxing" style combinations circuit,
A "4-man attack" kata bunkai circuit,
Sanchin kata (with modified timing)

Great to see Sensei Roy back and with lots of new stuff to tell us about from Okinawa.

Tonight I am aching all over after a beast of session yesterday with my dear friend Sensei Damion Wood. We partook in a "core stability" work-out in the afternoon, including some sparring drill incorporating "Ushiro Mawashi Geri" techniques... spinning reverse roundhouse kicks.

I have never really had that kick figured out but Sensei Damion showed me the correct footwork to get the most from it. The kick seems better suited to be treated as though you are throwing your leg around as though you were swinging a baseball bat, a very smooth motion with your foot passing through the object and not stopping as it connects. I think we did about 20 minutes each of constant spinning kick repetitions, enough to send anyone dizzy.

After that I went across for an evening training session at EGKA Heswall Dojo on the Wirral Peninsular. 6 black belts and 2 white belt students, we went through kata (and "Chokusen Gekisai" straight-line kata too), then some kakie training later on in the session.

As a result of a day of excellent training I woke up this morning aching all the way from my hips to my toes, plus a sensation of pain in the lower abdominal area. It feels both horrible and fantastic. This is all in preparation for Damion's upcoming European Championships attempt in Glasgow this May. Plus it is good for overall training.

Got to get my diet in order next, so I can keep up this level of training for more than 2 or 3 days in a row!