Monday, November 29, 2010

Kumite vid on Kimura Dojo Blog

Managed to upload Vid #2 on the Kimura Dojo Blog.
Please check there! (^^)http://kimuradojo.blogspot.com/

Osu! Whew...perseverance, perseverance, perseverance (^^)

顔面有りの組手。


Decided to give it another try today......(**;) Persevere....Fufu. Definitely going to change servers.



Sunday, later in the afternoon: Not looking too good at this point. Well off to the showers and wash off the BBQ smoke. See what happens by the time I finish. (^^)  Nope, no go!

Sunday evening; I decided to challenge myself and edit the video into smaller portions. But first made sure I had a good copy of the video just in case I destroyed in it in the editing process. Well, there is first for everything. (^^)
Video editing mukyu. Gahahaha.  Now I am waiting for the upload. At least the screen looks a lot different from previous attempts! Gahahahaha.
Not looking good..............(**;) I wish there was a timer showing time remaining till completion. The unsuccessful notice comes at the end of a very long wait! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
I'll retreat for now and try again. (**#)

Monday morning! Attack! Despair not. The spirit of Osu will prevail!.............I hope (- -;)

10 minutes passed.......Perseverance, Taegataki wo tae, Shinobi gataki wo shinonde.......(^^)
Makes me hungry for a BIG GREASY BURGER!!!!!!!!
20 minutes passed.....Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
I can always mail a copy to Tony, I suppose. Yokohama has one already. Ooops I'll have to redo the comments in English on Tony's copy. Gahahaha. Oh well,  more rehab exercise for my right hand.
Sorry folks over an hour has gone by. Nuff for this morning! Gahahahaha
Better hit the books on vid uploading......Sometimes it goes so well and easy.........
No go! Sorry folks. Share the original DVD! Osu! (^^)

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Ookoshi Senpai's kumite

Hmmmm. As I battle the problems of uploading the vids, a short explanation of the kumite testing.
The portion of hand attacks to the head. This was preceded by 7 rounds of Kyokushin style kumite.
After finishing the 3 rounds , he then fought Yachiyo for another three rounds and finished off with me as a sandbag for one round. A total 14 rounds, approximately 45 minutes.
Of course he had to go through kihon Ido and Kata prior to kumite.
A very good effort by Ookoshi Senpai. (^^)
Friday, Darn, it sure is taking a long time to upload (**;)
Saturday, No luck again........(**#)
Sunday, My third attempt to upload vids this morning. Time to change server perhaps. The connection is really erratic and a good test for my patience. Come on, Clear give me my $$ worth! (^^)





Sunday, 3 hours later success with the 1st vid, now waiting on the 2nd vid. Thank goodness it is Sunday and I have time! (^^). For you action fans, sorry no lightning rounhouse kicks or spinning hook kicks. I think by this time, Ookoshi Senpai was just thinking of the beer and shochu. Besides, my feet has an averison to going above the belt! It's tiring!
     I did not use my favorite throws and sweeps as the we fought on a concrete floor convered with very thin linoleum  squares. I have practiced ukemi on this floor and the damage to the body would have been too great. Perhaps next year or the following year if we manage to raise $$$$ to purchase mats, then we will incorporate throws, sweeps and groundwork in our kumite. (^^)
     Hmmm almost time go shopping for the BBQ with Take's Dojo. His Shihan, Mitomo Shihan is in the islands. They particpated in an IKF (International Karate Federation) tournament. on Saturday. Mitomo Shihan had brought along his junior high shool Prefectural Champ. Need to catch up on the stories! Of course to EAT!!!
    All in all I had a great time at the price of a swollen hand. Gahahahaha. Hopefully Ookoshi Senpai was able to get outof his seat when he reached Haneda. I am pretty sure he will be having the standard Yokohama Dojo Critique session at "Seahorse" replenshing his immune system.
    I am looking foward to my trip to Japan and seeing everyone at Yokohama in March 2011.
   Hopefully the uplaod succeeds!.
Well folks it looks like the upload failed, Will try someother day.
Aloha

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Wokout for Jim




Konbanwa Roushiichi

I was asked by my Judo Friend, Jim Solan to give him a workout, his email was down, so I thought I might post it on the blog. I am not sure if anyone would also like it. Jim will be returning to the dojo in late December. He has added much to my understanding of Judo and ground fight, and is a true budo-ka. He has been power lifting for the last year or so, and wanted a conditioning workout, to get cardio back in shape.

1. Medicine Ball shuttle runs. I take 4 medicine balls 22, 14, 12, 10, 8lbs I have these in the dojo, so I use them. I place all four in the center of the dojo. I then start on the far right end. I run to the first medicine ball, squat and press the ball overhead, and then sprint back to my starting position with the ball. I then repeat with each medicine ball, until all are on my end. I then sprint to the far end of the dojo, first with no ball, and then come back for my first ball. I then squat and overhead press the ball and sprint to the far end of the dojo. I then repeat with each of the other medicine balls until all the balls are on the far end of the dojo, and then finally sprint back. This is a bit like the old fashion UCLA’s from High School days. I have been working on 1min timed

2. I then take one medicine ball and do body weighted squats touching the medicine ball with my butt. I do this for 3-4mins. The last 20 seconds of each minute I hold the squat in the down (seated position for a 20 sec count).

3. I then do a pyramid of push-ups with kneeling dumbbell military press. I start with 10lb hand dumbbells and now use 15lbs. Reps from 1 pyramid to 10 reps. I use a yoga matt for my knees.

4. Last one is a pyramid of burpees from 15 down to 1. I start on left end of dojo do 15 burped and sprint to the far right end do 14, I then pyramid down to one.

Friday, November 26, 2010

100th post! (^^)


After finishing the test. Contrary to the smiles we are both HURTING! (^^)

How appropriate that Ookoshi Senpais promotion test is the topic for the 100th post. And how time flies, rather,  it is amazing that I can jabber and yabber this much! (**;) To be honest, I never thought that I would do a ten men kumite over again especially on the week of my 60th birthday. 20 men and 30 men kumite was done when I was way younger and at the minimum practicing 5 days a week. Since leaving Japan, I had not done any kumite with exception of my Pokemon gang. (^^) So I would be lying if I wasn't quite sure how this promotion would turn out.
Well, it turned out better than I hoped for. My stamina did not run out, I was able to avoid or block most of the attacks. My experiment with headgear and hand attacks to the head confirmed my thoughts on kumite.
I'll write more on that after my hand gets back to normal. I'm hen pecking the keyboard for now.
But for today I want to dwell on three aspects of Budo. Of course there are more.
1. Shinnen or Belief
2. Challenge
3. Perseverance
Both Ookoshi and Iwasaki Senpais started karate in their early 50's and ended up testing for shodan in their late fifties. What made them stick to it? I believe it was their belief in our training, the willingness to accept the challenge of changing their lives at this stage and of course perseverance. Their spirit supported my spirit.
Their willingness to meet challenges bolstered my acceptance of challenge. Their perseverance solidified my perseverance. Jita Kyoei. But even before that, the meaning of Hito 人、one cannot stand alone. We are what we are because there is always someone supporting you. For this, I thank all my students in Hawaii and Japan. They all are the source of my love for Budo and keeping my candle lit.
Well, got 2 hours worth of video to edit and burn before Ookoshi Senpai goes back to Japan (^^)
I 'll post some in the near future.
Don't forget to work off all that good stuff you ate yesterday!
Osu!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Sad state of affairs in Asian Games


What is going on? Has sportsmanship disappeared?

     Strange things have been happening at the Asian Games. First, I caution readers that I am writing this based on news reports I have seen and will be the first to point out that I do not have all the facts.  But as the saying goes, where there is smoke there is a fire. In any competition, sportsmanship is foremost. Without sportsmanship there is no value in competition. More so if government efforts are made to provide their own teams unfair advantage.
1. It is reported that in soccer foreign teams were not allowed to practice on the actual field the matches were  held. Reason being that they (Chinese host) did not want the turf damaged. Hmmm, but the Chinese team had been practicing on it before. As you know, knowing the turf on which you play is critical in soccer, as it affects the speed and direction of the ball.
2. In foot volleyball ( forgot the name of the game)  in which Malaysia is a contender for the gold, the Chinese team demanded that the referees be Chinese! Powers to be ensured the line judges were Chinese. Strange that all or most calls went against the Malaysian team....(**;)
3. In kayak paddling, the Japanese team, contenders for the gold, were denied practice at the course. Reason being it was under construction. Strange that the Chinese team had access and practiced. Hmmm.
Guess who won?
4. In a soccer match, penalties were given to the opposing team to a point I think it set a world record for penalties. Guess which team didn't get penalized and won.
5. In  taekwondo, a Taiwanese competitor, gold medal contender, was disqualified while leading and clearly overwhelming her opponent on charges of illegal footwear. The WTF approved and specified foot wear had been checked and passed prior to the match. A portion of the footwear (WTF approved) was even removed prior to the match. They allowed the match to proceed. Guess who won the gold?
6. The female Judo player who won the gold looked as though she had just finished a boxing match. The North Korean player wasn't penalized once! An elbow strike was also included! The Japanese player fought her finals with one eye completed closed. The refereeing was really bad in several other matches as well.

My question is what did the governing bodies of the sports do? Isn't looking after the welfare of the players part of their job? Very strange.
I am sad that such affairs, if true, took place. Nuff said


Sunday, November 21, 2010


Think of the person's hands and feet as swords. Hmmmmmm.


I previously wrote on this back in August. Just a little different take in the same topic. (^^)

The 15th principle in Funakoshi Gichin’s “ The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate” is 人の手足を剣と思え [Think of the person’s hand and feet as swords] There are several interpretations of this. Personally I like the interpretation that the message is “don’t underestimate your opponent”. I think Tony can relate that in some domestic disturbances, the threat suddenly comes from the original victim. Always need to be on our toes. Always be prepared.

I want to take a look at this principle from a different angle. Of course, as usual, I am simplifying the concept and I can see some Senseis laughing and wondering “where did this kookoo come from?”.

Let’s start from taking the principle at “face value”. “Think of the person’s hands and feet as swords.” Hmmm. My first interpretation and reaction is “Don’t get hit”. After all, getting cut by a sword definitely diminishes your capability to protect yourself.  To take it further, if the key is in not being hit, the emphasis and focus on training should be avoidance techniques such as taisabaki, irimi and mastery of maai (distancing).

Now, let’s look at it from a full contact perspective. What is the core requirement in full contact? I believe it is the ability to take punishment. From the start we punch and kick each other to develop the body and SPIRIT to take physical punishment. Not to waver from the attack and return the favor ten fold. (^^) What is one of the requirements for testing? Kumite and the ability to be standing at the end of the 10 kumite sessions doing the famous Kyokyushin "shuffle" (^^)

So I ask you? Where did the 15th principle go to? Fufu.

Looking forward to Thursday's Junin Kumite. Hmmm I wonder if I can last? After all I haven't done any "real" kumite for since leaving Japan. (**;)  Oh well, a good way to celebrate my surviving 60 years!!
I have added a twist to the normal junin kumite. Half will be done with hand attacks against the head.
Light contact naturally. Don't have an abundance of brain cells functioning properly. Just want to try out a theory of mine with regard to Kyokushin style training (at least the ones I have been exposed to)

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Challenge

Perseverance is the key to any challenge. The OSU spirit

On Saturday, there was a promotion test at Yokohama Dojo and another special test coming up here in Hawaii on Thanksgiving Day. Our Dojo has only one promotion a year based on the fact that there is only one practice a week for an hour and a half. If the adults warm up with the kids, then they practice for about three hours. It is the same here in Hawaii. So you can imagine, if you don't pass a test you have a year's wait to challenge again. For kids that is tough to bear. But I believe it teaches perseverance.  I remember the days when it was just white and black and you found out you were promoted when Sensei told you after practice one night. We didn't practice for wanting a new color belt. Well things change.
Colored belts are not a bad thing. But even with kids, they know themselves without any colored belts whether they have been practicing or not.  Oops I got sidetracked!
One of the students tested was Iwasaki  Senpai. It has been five years since he and Ookoshi  Senpai joined the Dojo on a challenge from a mutual lady friend who had joined earlier. They had even plotted to quit after the first testing. (^^) Iwasaki and Ookoshi Senpais were scheduled to test for 1 Kyu which requires a 8 man kumite. Upon consultation with my Shihandai, William, I decided to have them test for Shodan. After all its only 2 more additional kumite sessions. Fufu. I am happy to report Iwasaki  Senpai had passed with flying colors. At 4:30 am Hawaii time, he was busy comforting his body at at our usual watering hole with his Dojo mates.
Both Senpais hold important positions in their work; Iwasaki Senpai as a CEO of a medical equipment company and Ookoshi Senpai as an administrator in the Special Investigations Division of the Tokyo Procurator Office, Ministry of Justice. The responsibilities of their positions require long hours at work. Yet they manage to still train and also support Yokohama Dojo. It is the same with Shihandai with his Medical School, Furuya Senpai with his police duties, Nakagawa and Niimura Senpais with their own family businesses. They all face the challenge of pursuing the path of Karate within their lives. They all give back to the Dojo in the spirit of Jita Kyoei.
It certainly was challenge to start Karate at the age of 53 and to persevere 5 years to take the Shodan Test at 58. Not to mention having to complete the ten man kumite at that age. And to think their Karate is just starting! Shodan is the starting line for all of us.
Students such as Iwaskai and Ookoshi Senpai provide me with the energy and desire to continue on my Budo path. Arigatou.
Otsukaresama to all those who took the test!
OSU!




Promotion Exam in Yokohama

A report from Shihandai William (^^)

Last night Kenshinjuku Yokohama Dojo had its annual belt examination. A total of 21 children and 8 adults took the exam. We started off practice with the usual routine. Meditation or “Mokusou” helps us prepare mentally before any practice to attain a calm state of mind, as well as it allows us to focus on our breathing. We then warm up and do stretch exercises. I count up to four in Japanese and the kids and adults follow with “five, six, seven and eight”. The children’s Kihon curriculum consists of tsuki (punches) in Heiko stance, Shiko stance, uke (blocks) in Heiko stance, and ashi waza (kicks). The first four moves are done slowly followed by 20 full speed reps, each with kiai.
After a short break and a 10 minute kata practice session, I administered the kata examination. White belts are required to do the basic Kihon Kata. As children go up in rank, they are required to perform different kata from the Heian (Pinyan) series. Upper classmen and black belts usually have mastered these kata so they learn the various Goju-Ryu kata such as Gekisai, Saifa, Seiunchin, Sanchin and so forth. The importance of kata is knowing applications to each movement and its practicality. Otherwise the movements will have no meaning and it becomes just a dance. I teach the kids that when posture, timing, kiai, and eye contact all come together at the right moment, we have “Kime”. The energy flowing up from the ground through our thighs, next through the center of our body, and then to our finger tips, whether it be a punch or block, will be transferred to our opponent. Any unnecessary tenseness in our muscles or lack of Shime (tightening) will obstruct the flow of this energy and the kata becomes dead.

The last part of the belt examination was kumite (sparring). Each child had to spar for one minute: 30 seconds attacking, 30 seconds blocking. The number of opponents depends on their rank. During the adult belt examination, brown belt Kobayashi-kun had to fight eight opponents and Iwasaki-san fought 10 people. Both of them were limping at the end from all the Gedan kicks to the thighs and their chests were bright red from all the punches! My hat’s off to them both!

We will try to get pictures up on the blog for everyone to enjoy. In the meantime, practice hard and play hard!
Osu! 
Yokohama Dojo Shihandai William  Fox

My comments.
(^^) I look forward to testing William and the Black Belts in March of next year!
21 kids! Gaaaaah. I have enough on my hands with my 15 Pokemons in Makiki!
Looking forward to the pics!
Mahalo for the report William!

Sunday, November 7, 2010

November Potluck


Target sticks in action. The kids love to use the sticks. Need to keep an eagle eye and make sure it doesn't turn into a chanbara session (swordfighting). (^^)


Reaction drill in session. This is when I get my workout for the month! (^^) The adult version follows below.

 

The main attraction for the Pot Luck was the BUBBLE LADY. Now, if the kids would pay as much attention to practice as they did for the Bubble Lady, it would be heaven! (^^)




Saturday, November 6, 2010

Heroes or Terrorists? A glimpse (RTK version) of Japanese history

 
Shinsengumi




For me the most exciting period of Japan was after Japan opened up to the West following U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry's visits in 1853.  It was definitely an era of political turbulence pitting Japanese against Japanese. Feudalism vs Modernization.  One political though was sonnō jōi: "Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians. Acts of murder and violence in Kyoto, the imperial capital were committed by samurai loyal to the emperor . In response the Tokugawa Shogunate formed the Roshigumi (浪士組), a group of 234 master less samurai (rōnin) led by Kiyokawa Hachirō to protect Tokugawa Iemochi, the 14th shogun who was preparing to headed to Kyoto. 



However in a twist of fate, the Rōshigumi, upon reaching Kyoto was told that there real goal was support followers of the Emperor. This caused the majority of ronins loyal to the Tokugawa regime to return to Edo while 13 of them remained in Kyoto and formed the Shinsengumi. as stated above, was funded by the Tokugawa regime. The Shinsengumi 新撰組 was originally known as the Miburo, "Ronin of Mibu, Mibu being a suburb of Kyoto where they were posted. They soon became known as the "Wolves of Mibu" 壬生浪based on early disreputable actions. The Shinsengumi members were originally also known as the Miburō meaning "ronin of Mibu", Mibu being the suburb of central Kyoto where they were stationed. However, the reputation of the Shinsengumi became tarnished quite early on, and their nickname soon changed to "Wolves of Mibu".
 
The Shinsengumi in its formative stages had its own internal conflicts in which various faction leaders were assassinated. In the final run, the Shinsengumi was controlled by Serizawa Kamo and Kondō Isami. The group was then given the task by the Aizu clan to Kyoto and counteract revolutionaries who supported the emperor against the Tokugawa shogunate.

The Chōshū clan was  forced out of the Imperial court by the Tokugawa regime comprised of Aizu and the Satsuma clan.  The Mibu group was sent to Aizu to keep Chōshū out of the imperial court by guarding its gates. This in turn created in Kyoto a power shift in the political arena in Kyoto, from the extreme anti-Tokugawa Chōshū forces to the pro-Tokugawa Aizu forces. It is believed that the name "Shinsengumi" was coined at this time for their job in guarding the gates. Shinsengumi could be translated to "Newly Selected Corps" (Shinsen 新撰 "new chosen ", gumi組 "group").

The Shinsengumi's greatest claim to fame was the Ikedaya Affair of 1864, in which they prevented the burning of Kyoto. However, their reputation had been tarnished by many reckless acts by its leaders such as Serizawa and Niimi. Rather than being viewed as keepers of peace they were feared. Niimi Nishiki, was ordered to commit seppuku (self disembowelment) by Hijikata and Yamanami. This was soon followed by Serizawa's assassination  by Kondō's faction ordered by Matsudaira Katamori.

The Shinsengumi remained loyal to the Tokugawa regime and  left Kyoto after the withdrawal of Tokugawa Yoshinobu. They were then posted as security forces in Fushimi and participated in the Battle of Toba-Fushimi. Kondō Isami was captured while fighting in the outskirts of Edo and beheaded by the Meiji government. A group of Shinsengumi men under Saitō Hajime fought in defense of the Aizu domain, and many of the others went on northward under Hijikata, joining the forces of the Republic of Ezo (Hokkaido).  1869 is seen as marking the end of the Shinsengumi.

Well, that is it in a very small nutshell. It is more interesting than this summary for sure.  In Japan the Shinsengumi is still revered and many movies, plays and novels abound about their exploits. I would recommend reading on them. I, for one, sort of see a resemblance of this group with many other groups around the world, some even labeled as terrorists. Were not the Minutemen considered terrorists by the British? Doesn't  the internal strife among the Palestinians in Gaza with the various faction transpose itself with the era Shinsengumi? Perhaps its is my imagination.

By the way, my daughter is a fan and avid follower of the current comic series based on Shinsengumi characters. Her Blog is filled with shouts of "Hijikata!!!!!" (^^) She never did like history in school!


I believe that she has already collected the entire figurine set for the series!



She is also a fan of this series. Hmmm. But then she is majoring in theatrical arts. so I guess it is a natural flow. I also heard that the job market in Japan for voice actresses is pretty slim. (**;)

To Yokohama Dojo, allow me to pass on the translation for now. ( - - ) Later perhaps.
横浜道場の皆、今回の翻訳をパッスさせてください。多分後でやりましゅー。ゴメン。ペコ








Friday, November 5, 2010

Sanchin Shime in Mechanicville's Dojo

After watching Sanchin Shime by Higaonna Sensei on Han Sensei at the Miyagi Festival in 2010, I feel awkward in posting my “checking” of Scott-san sanchin kata durning our last kyu shinsa. I am sure that Scott’s Sanchin would be better under Higaonna Sensei, watchful eye… Found this YouTube very interesting on tandan...( I also could not get the youtube to post)

YouTube - Sanchin shime Higaonna Sensei #1.MOV

YouTube - Sanchin Shime Higaonna Sensei #2.MOV