What-I'm-Reading-Wednesday

This week I finished volumes 3 and 4 (Kumite) of the Best Karate series by Masatoshi Nakayama.

Am I glad I read them? Yes.

Will I read them again? Absolutely, but not until I get a good bit farther down the path of karate-do.

Reflections? At this stage, I've only just been re-introduced to karate, so much of the technical discussion in the books were beyond me. Each section however, began with a discussion of a particular principle, as well as an introduction to a different karateka (presumably members of JKA). Sort of a "Who's Who" in the Japanese karate world at that time. I found those interesting, and fun to read. It also made these books quick reads for me, as I skimmed most of the technical examples.

Recommended? Yes.

What-I'm-Reading-Wednesday

This week I finished volumes 3 and 4 (Kumite) of the Best Karate series by Masatoshi Nakayama.

Am I glad I read them? Yes.

Will I read them again? Absolutely, but not until I get a good bit farther down the path of karate-do.

Reflections? At this stage, I've only just been re-introduced to karate, so much of the technical discussion in the books were beyond me. Each section however, began with a discussion of a particular principle, as well as an introduction to a different karateka (presumably members of JKA). Sort of a "Who's Who" in the Japanese karate world at that time. I found those interesting, and fun to read. It also made these books quick reads for me, as I skimmed most of the technical examples.

Recommended? Yes.

Machida vs. Evans

I was pumped that Lyoto was going to get his shitle tot against Rashad Evans. I still couldn't believe Evans took the belt from Griffin a few months ago. I was SO happy with how things went down on Saturday night.

The glimpses into the locker rooms before the main event were telling: Evans with his headphones on, jumping around constantly, while Machida sat relaxed, yet focused, finally warming up (stretching a little) right before the fight. I don't know how many times Lyoto got hit, but it wasn't much. He folded Rashad like a dishrag in round 2. I was thrilled that traditional martial arts were so well represented, and that such a humble, respectful fighter won. We've been hearing about the weaknesses of TMAs since oh, around 1993. Hopefully the Dragon's victory proved that it's more about the fighter than the art, and that the arts that have been around for a century or more still have something of value to offer us.

Machida vs. Evans

I was pumped that Lyoto was going to get his shitle tot against Rashad Evans. I still couldn't believe Evans took the belt from Griffin a few months ago. I was SO happy with how things went down on Saturday night.

The glimpses into the locker rooms before the main event were telling: Evans with his headphones on, jumping around constantly, while Machida sat relaxed, yet focused, finally warming up (stretching a little) right before the fight. I don't know how many times Lyoto got hit, but it wasn't much. He folded Rashad like a dishrag in round 2. I was thrilled that traditional martial arts were so well represented, and that such a humble, respectful fighter won. We've been hearing about the weaknesses of TMAs since oh, around 1993. Hopefully the Dragon's victory proved that it's more about the fighter than the art, and that the arts that have been around for a century or more still have something of value to offer us.

Karate-Do 5-25-09

Pat was kind enough to give up part of his Memorial Day to let me get a couple of extra lessons in. Nothing earth-shattering in Karate-do today...we just worked on kihon the whole time, which was excellent for me - I need to get these techniques into muscle memory (this was only my second karate lesson with Pat).

Pat also reminded me of a couple of bunkai principles he's told me about before:

• A closed hand is not always a punch - it could be a grab. The withdrawing hand could be pulling something to me (by the hair, for instance)


• A block may actually be a strike

Karate-Do 5-25-09

Pat was kind enough to give up part of his Memorial Day to let me get a couple of extra lessons in. Nothing earth-shattering in Karate-do today...we just worked on kihon the whole time, which was excellent for me - I need to get these techniques into muscle memory (this was only my second karate lesson with Pat).

Pat also reminded me of a couple of bunkai principles he's told me about before:

• A closed hand is not always a punch - it could be a grab. The withdrawing hand could be pulling something to me (by the hair, for instance)


• A block may actually be a strike

What-I'm-Reading Wednesday, 3/18/09

I just finished Dave Lowry's book, "The Karate Way; Discovering the Spirit of Practice".

Am I glad I read it? Yes.

Will I read it again? Probably in about a year.

Reflections? This is the first of Dave Lowry's books that I've read, but I don't think it will be the last. I really enjoy reading conceptual (as opposed to technical) martial arts books. This was a good mix for me. Out of 29 chapters, only a handful dealt with technical aspects of the art (one chapter on the front kick, another on the side kick, etc.) The themes of the chapters seem to skip around almost randomly, but it works in this book. I really enjoyed the chapter on taisabaki, and I think it was helpful to me in my Aikido practice. Sometimes I judge how good a book was by how many times I highlighted something while reading it. I did a good bit of highlighting in this one. Another thing I liked about it was how short the chapters were: only 3 - 5 pages each. Very digestible. I wasn't sure I would enjoy it at first, as Mr. Lowry's writing seemed a bit elitist...almost snobbish in places. However, he is a restaurant critic, so it may just be his style, haha. In the end, I found I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I think my cries of "snob!" were premature.

Recommended? Yes, even if karate-do isn't the art you practice.

What-I'm-Reading Wednesday, 3/18/09

I just finished Dave Lowry's book, "The Karate Way; Discovering the Spirit of Practice".

Am I glad I read it? Yes.

Will I read it again? Probably in about a year.

Reflections? This is the first of Dave Lowry's books that I've read, but I don't think it will be the last. I really enjoy reading conceptual (as opposed to technical) martial arts books. This was a good mix for me. Out of 29 chapters, only a handful dealt with technical aspects of the art (one chapter on the front kick, another on the side kick, etc.) The themes of the chapters seem to skip around almost randomly, but it works in this book. I really enjoyed the chapter on taisabaki, and I think it was helpful to me in my Aikido practice. Sometimes I judge how good a book was by how many times I highlighted something while reading it. I did a good bit of highlighting in this one. Another thing I liked about it was how short the chapters were: only 3 - 5 pages each. Very digestible. I wasn't sure I would enjoy it at first, as Mr. Lowry's writing seemed a bit elitist...almost snobbish in places. However, he is a restaurant critic, so it may just be his style, haha. In the end, I found I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I think my cries of "snob!" were premature.

Recommended? Yes, even if karate-do isn't the art you practice.

Karate-Do 3/14/09

Today was my first official karate lesson with Pat. We've been talking about it for a long time, and finally got around to fitting it in. We're going to try 2 karate lessons per month - one in lieu of a Judo lesson and one in lieu of an Aikido lesson. I did miss doing Judo today, but I had a blast with karate. Even though I'm only going to be doing a couple lessons per month, I should be able to train extensively at home on my own time. Solo training in karate-do is easier to manage than in Judo or Aikido.

I'm pretty much brand new at karate. We started with a discussion on how to make a fist (seiken) and sword hand (shuto). Pat covered kiba-dachi (horse stance), zenjutsu (front stance), and kokutsu (back stance). Today we worked on the following kihon (both from a stationary horse stance and moving forward and backward with front and back stances, as appropriate):

Low block

High block

Outside block

Inside block

Middle punch

High punch

Hook punch

Sword/Spear hand strike

Next we practiced tennokata, followed by and introduction to the very simple taikyoku. Pat recommended I practice taikyoku gedan, chudan, and jodan (lower, middle, and upper levels block and attacks, respectively).

We ended the class by working on Heian Shodan and its bunkai. This was an introduction to bunkai for me, so I'm certain I'll need many reviews of this lesson before it all "clicks".

A few things I need to remember about kata: 1) I can experiment with "linking" some of the steps, like how we played with tegatana no kata in Aikido today. 2) The "yoi" position has a bunkai too! It can be used to create space if an attacker bear hugs you. 3) Kime makes kata look strong and cool, but there is debate as to whether it improves your kihon. Some people think it may actually weaken your kihon. 4) Bunkai: any fist in the kata could be a grasping hand. Any punch could be a push, any block could be a strike or a pull.

Karate-Do 3/14/09

Today was my first official karate lesson with Pat. We've been talking about it for a long time, and finally got around to fitting it in. We're going to try 2 karate lessons per month - one in lieu of a Judo lesson and one in lieu of an Aikido lesson. I did miss doing Judo today, but I had a blast with karate. Even though I'm only going to be doing a couple lessons per month, I should be able to train extensively at home on my own time. Solo training in karate-do is easier to manage than in Judo or Aikido.

I'm pretty much brand new at karate. We started with a discussion on how to make a fist (seiken) and sword hand (shuto). Pat covered kiba-dachi (horse stance), zenjutsu (front stance), and kokutsu (back stance). Today we worked on the following kihon (both from a stationary horse stance and moving forward and backward with front and back stances, as appropriate):

Low block

High block

Outside block

Inside block

Middle punch

High punch

Hook punch

Sword/Spear hand strike

Next we practiced tennokata, followed by and introduction to the very simple taikyoku. Pat recommended I practice taikyoku gedan, chudan, and jodan (lower, middle, and upper levels block and attacks, respectively).

We ended the class by working on Heian Shodan and its bunkai. This was an introduction to bunkai for me, so I'm certain I'll need many reviews of this lesson before it all "clicks".

A few things I need to remember about kata: 1) I can experiment with "linking" some of the steps, like how we played with tegatana no kata in Aikido today. 2) The "yoi" position has a bunkai too! It can be used to create space if an attacker bear hugs you. 3) Kime makes kata look strong and cool, but there is debate as to whether it improves your kihon. Some people think it may actually weaken your kihon. 4) Bunkai: any fist in the kata could be a grasping hand. Any punch could be a push, any block could be a strike or a pull.

One More Thought About Kata

I just read a really interesting interview Pat did of Marc "Animal" MacYoung. It reminded me of something else Pat was saying about kata and bunkai on Saturday (I'll paraphrase) -

"In most of the books, all you see of the kata are the positions you end up in at the end of each move, as if that's the most important part. What they're leaving out is how you get to that position...what happens leading up to it. That's where the good/important stuff is."

One More Thought About Kata

I just read a really interesting interview Pat did of Marc "Animal" MacYoung. It reminded me of something else Pat was saying about kata and bunkai on Saturday (I'll paraphrase) -

"In most of the books, all you see of the kata are the positions you end up in at the end of each move, as if that's the most important part. What they're leaving out is how you get to that position...what happens leading up to it. That's where the good/important stuff is."

Bunkai Discussion

After our Aiki session on Saturday, Pat and I discussed kata bunkai for a little while. At the risk of repeating myself, my upbringing in striking arts (Tang Soo Do) taught that the kata or forms were meant to practice against imaginary opponents. Period. Nothing more. To be fair, I was a kid, and maybe that's just how they taught the stuff to that age group. So I'd practice low-blocking attack after attack from imaginary opponents while running through my forms at home.

I had always heard how these old karate masters "hid" their secret techniques in kata. "Hah!" I thought. "I don't see any hidden techniques! It's just a bunch of blocks and strikes!" (now I'm older and realize what "hidden" means).

I didn't realize until recently, as I'm getting interested in karate again, that there is definitely more than meets the eye when it comes to kata. In addition to the not-so-obvious applications of the particular techniques, Pat was talking about how the kata were devised partly as mnemonic devices for solo practice of more than just the kihon that were displayed in them (wrist releases, hair pulls, off balances - you name it!).

After our conversation, I'm starting to think karate kata have more in common with tegatana no kata than I originally thought. In tegatana (our style of Aikido's solo kata), none of the motions are actual techniques. Instead, each movement is an opportunity to practice certain types of motion...certain principles that get applied during paired kata, randori, or self defense situations. However, I suppose in karate kata, to paraphrase Sigmund Freud, sometimes a punch is just a punch.

Bunkai Discussion

After our Aiki session on Saturday, Pat and I discussed kata bunkai for a little while. At the risk of repeating myself, my upbringing in striking arts (Tang Soo Do) taught that the kata or forms were meant to practice against imaginary opponents. Period. Nothing more. To be fair, I was a kid, and maybe that's just how they taught the stuff to that age group. So I'd practice low-blocking attack after attack from imaginary opponents while running through my forms at home.

I had always heard how these old karate masters "hid" their secret techniques in kata. "Hah!" I thought. "I don't see any hidden techniques! It's just a bunch of blocks and strikes!" (now I'm older and realize what "hidden" means).

I didn't realize until recently, as I'm getting interested in karate again, that there is definitely more than meets the eye when it comes to kata. In addition to the not-so-obvious applications of the particular techniques, Pat was talking about how the kata were devised partly as mnemonic devices for solo practice of more than just the kihon that were displayed in them (wrist releases, hair pulls, off balances - you name it!).

After our conversation, I'm starting to think karate kata have more in common with tegatana no kata than I originally thought. In tegatana (our style of Aikido's solo kata), none of the motions are actual techniques. Instead, each movement is an opportunity to practice certain types of motion...certain principles that get applied during paired kata, randori, or self defense situations. However, I suppose in karate kata, to paraphrase Sigmund Freud, sometimes a punch is just a punch.

Heian Shodan

The only katas that really stuck with me from my days practicing Tang Soo Do are (the Korean versions of) Taikyoku Shodan and Taikyoku Nidan. One of the karate-do katas I'm trying to get familiar with on my own time at home is Heian Shodan. So far, the couple of things tripping me up are the things that differentiate this basic kata from Taikyoku 1 & 2.

First, there's a hammer fist or back fist, or something, as the fourth technique of the kata. This was never among the things I worked on back in the day. Same with the other thing that's most awkward to me - the sword hand blocks at the end of the kata. I think in a couple weeks Pat and I are going to do a karate lesson, so maybe it will get cleared up then, or in a subsequent lesson.

In the meantime, here's a video of the kata, for my reference:

Heian Shodan

The only katas that really stuck with me from my days practicing Tang Soo Do are (the Korean versions of) Taikyoku Shodan and Taikyoku Nidan. One of the karate-do katas I'm trying to get familiar with on my own time at home is Heian Shodan. So far, the couple of things tripping me up are the things that differentiate this basic kata from Taikyoku 1 & 2.

First, there's a hammer fist or back fist, or something, as the fourth technique of the kata. This was never among the things I worked on back in the day. Same with the other thing that's most awkward to me - the sword hand blocks at the end of the kata. I think in a couple weeks Pat and I are going to do a karate lesson, so maybe it will get cleared up then, or in a subsequent lesson.

In the meantime, here's a video of the kata, for my reference:

What I'm Reading, 3/3/09

Another day, another book completed! To be fair, it's another technique book (lots of pictures), and not a very long one...and I did start on it before I finished Karate-Do Nyumon.

It's Best Karate, Volume 1; Comprehensive by Masatoshi Nakayama.

Am I glad I read it? You betcha!

Will I read it again? I will definitely refer to it constantly, at least in the beginning of my karate training.

Reflections? I actually like this book way more than Funakoshi's Nyumon. The pictures and descriptions are more accurate and easier to follow and understand. I also like the size of the book better, but that's a small issue...it's just more comfortable to hold.

Recommended? If you're looking for a beginner's text / introduction to karate techniques, absolutely!

What I'm Reading, 3/3/09

Another day, another book completed! To be fair, it's another technique book (lots of pictures), and not a very long one...and I did start on it before I finished Karate-Do Nyumon.

It's Best Karate, Volume 1; Comprehensive by Masatoshi Nakayama.

Am I glad I read it? You betcha!

Will I read it again? I will definitely refer to it constantly, at least in the beginning of my karate training.

Reflections? I actually like this book way more than Funakoshi's Nyumon. The pictures and descriptions are more accurate and easier to follow and understand. I also like the size of the book better, but that's a small issue...it's just more comfortable to hold.

Recommended? If you're looking for a beginner's text / introduction to karate techniques, absolutely!

Kata Study

Until I formally begin training in karate-do, I'm working on a few of the techniques on my own. As I said in a previous post, I've mainly been working on parts of tennokata omote. I'm about to begin studying Heian Shodan, Tekki Shodan, and Sanchin at home, to get started. I'll mainly be using the Best Karate series by Masatoshi Nakayama as a reference.

Kata Study

Until I formally begin training in karate-do, I'm working on a few of the techniques on my own. As I said in a previous post, I've mainly been working on parts of tennokata omote. I'm about to begin studying Heian Shodan, Tekki Shodan, and Sanchin at home, to get started. I'll mainly be using the Best Karate series by Masatoshi Nakayama as a reference.