Red, White and Blue

     
     I briefly touched upon this subject in my comments in response to Tony Sensei on the Child Safety issue. As Amercians we all have pride in our country. No one is less American than the person next to him. Regardless of race, creed or religion we are all Americans. A Japanese-American is no less an American than an Italian American, Irish American or Korean American. Like wise a Christian is no less an American than a Buddhist or Muslim. There were and even now times in which our allegience to our country is questioned because of our backgrounds.  Yes, at times we “blinded” by it. Reasons are numerous.

We were Americans then as much as now.

      Well let's put that aside and concentrate on Budo. It is no different in the martial arts. We all have pride in the art we follow. But this pride at times make us blind and build a wall of animosity and distrust contrary to what Budo is all about.


     Many moons ago I had told Tony Sensei about a fellow soldier who had practiced Karate in United States. I recall his style being Shotokan. He, in my mind, was fortunate to be stationed in Okinawa, the birthplace of Karate! Yet, this young man refused to practice at any Dojo in Okinawa as it was “all inferior” and that Shotokan was the only true karate. (**;) Hmmmm. Did they not teach history in his Dojo? Here as an opportunity that many could only dream of and he was throwing it away. I did try to explain to him the origins of karate, but alas, fell on deaf ears. He would not budge from the mentality that his style was the one and only supreme style of karate. Now that is believing! Many of the ills in this world are rooted in similar thinking.  Pride is one thing. To blind yourself to the rest of the world is another. Pride becomes Prejudice.

Nope! Okinawan Karate isn't the real thing! My Sensei told me so!

     Unfortunately, ypu can still see this in the world of karate. It also exists in other martial arts as well. Aikido, Kenpo, Kung Fu, etc. Now we have “reality based” or “alive” styles that promote “the real deal” and eschew so called “traditional arts”. The only martial art, that I know of, that has not been affected by this type of mentality is Judo. No separate styles, no off-shoots, no one claiming to have inherited Jigoro Kano Sensei’s Judo. Yes, there are Senseis that have their own style of teaching methods but it remains Judo. The formal Judo Katas remain the same whether it be Tokyo or Mechanicville.



Student: Sensei! Do I turn right on the opening on Heian 1?
Sensei: Ahhhhm, In U-ryu, it's left, In No-Ryu it's 30 degrees to the right, and Our-ryu it's..........

I also find "finding our roots" interesting. Being a third generation Japanese Amerian I hold Japanese traditions dear to my heart. But at the same time wearing a Rising Sun headband is not my cup of tea.
I recall a time when Japanese-Americans had a surge of "finding their roots" and we began to see these headbands on many occasions. Thank goodness kids didn't come to class in haori and hakama with two swords at thier waist! (^^)  Finding one's roots is not just visual, ity has more to do with the soul.
I dread seeing those Kamikaze head bands as well. I think there are many other ways of showing your roots.

Gaaaaah! よしてちょうだい！！

Now I can handle this! (^^)

or this

AUMMMMM. Let me be.

Competition

Ahhh, Competition. A topic that can be debated for hours, days, months, years. (^^)
競技、何時間、何日、何ヶ月、何年も答弁できる課題である。
Does it nurture mutual respect? Yes and No
お互いの尊重を養う？イェスとノー
Does it develop self control? Yes and No
自己コントロールを養う？イェスとノー
Does it nurture mental development? Yes and No
精神面の発達を養う？イェスとノー
Does it teach core values? Yes and No
基本的道徳を教える？イエスとノー
So on and so on. In Japanese we say Sanpi Yooron, literally  Yeas and Nays.
など等。日本語では賛否様論と言う。イェスとノー
     Tony Sensei and I have competed. Tony longer than I have. I have seen the best and the worst in competition. I have concluded that it all hinges on the instructor and parents. Whether competition is good or bad is affected the non-competitor. Interesting.
トニー先生と自分は試合経験がある、トニー先生は自分より長く。その間競技の良い所と悪い所を見てきた。結論を言えばそれは指導者と親の掛かっている。協議が選手でないものによって良し悪しが決まるのは興味深い。
Ooops Looks like the embeddeing isn't working again. Here's the link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTTTUBDx_28

A example of the dark side of competition. What does this teach the child?
I feel that competition can be healthy for a child or adult as well. If approached and guided correctly.
Participation should not be based on any one's ego. But then how do you compete without an ego?
Then we have to grapple with the idea that Budo is to stop conflict. Remember the Kanji? To Stop Two Halberds. Doesn't competition promote conflict? (**:) Hmmm. Muzukashii desu ne.  If we teach karate and we say "We use it only as a last resort. It is not to be used frivolously." How do we explain competition?
競技の悪い面。これは子供に何を教えるのだろうか？
自分は協議は子供と大人には健全で居れらるとおもう。きちんと指導をすれば。
参加は誰のエゴでするものではない。しかしエゴ無しで競技ができるのだろうか？
その上、武道の本来の意味「戦いを止める」との関連を考え無ければならない。
競技は戦いを前提にするのでは？難しいですね。空手をしどうし、その中で「空手は最後の手段として使う、むやみに使っては駄目です」などと教えた場合競技をどう説明するべきだろうか？

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ge9CuM1YkE
A even worse example (there is more to what you see, however......(**;)
これはもっと酷い例。（見た部分よるももっとあるが。。しかし）
***Warning*** Taking parts of a video sometimes do not tell the whole story, we often react only to what we have access to. Never the less, as a referee and a high ranking Sensei, this type of incident should never take place. Fufu. Videos remind me of my days in the Army Psychological Affairs Unit. One of our tasks was to come up with ideas on how to brainwash the "enemy". One of the things we learned was how to edit or clip a photo to tell a completely different story from the actual incident. So as in the above video we do not see the entire story and what led up to the incident. But, as earlier stated, the Sensei should not have taken such action.
注意！ビデオの一部だけでは全体の話が見えないそして見える部分でけで反応する。しかしながら、審判、高段者としてこのような行動は起きるべきではない。昔軍隊で心理作戦部隊にいたいときをおもいだす。そこでいかに写真を編集してむるっきり事実無根の話を作るかを教わった。
上記ビデオも同じように話の全部は見れない、しかし前にも書いた用に先生たる者が取る行動ではない。

Finally
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_36OpchdG6w

松の木

Bonsai  ( Miniature )Japanese Pine Tree

Sakabe Sensei, my Judo teacher, often spoke of the pine tree. He said , "Judokas have to be like a pine tree. So strong and deeply rooted that even a typhoon could not uproot it." For a very long time I thought that Sakabe Sensei was referring to our balance in Judo. That no matter how strong and skilfully the opponent was we could not be thrown. Alas! How shallow my thoughts were! So many years passed, when I realized Sakabe Sensei was referring not only about the physical attributes of a Judoka, but the mental aspects of being strong in our own beliefs, so that we would not stray off our selected paths.
柔道の恩師坂部八段は何時も松の木のことを口にした。かれは、“柔道家は松の木みたいに強く、根を深いもって台風にも倒されないように成らなければならない”。長い間自分は柔道に必要なバランスのことを言ってと思ってた。どんなに相手が強かろうが、技が巧みだろうか投げられない。なんって未熟だったのだろう。年月が流れ、ようやく分かった。坂部先生は柔道家の肉体の事をだけでなく、精神面で自分の信念を迷わずに選んだ道を逸れない事も言ってたのだ。
In Japanese there is term, "Ne wo haru"　根を張るliterally  "set your roots" In any martial asrt I interpret this as getting the Kihon or Basics down. No questioning of why. After all what is all preschooler asked"Why is A an A?" (^^) Questioning comes after you have grasped the basics. 基本は奥が深い。Basics are "deep".
日本語で「根を張る」と言う。武道に関しては基本をを身に付ける事だと思う。疑問を持たずに。保育園児が「なぜＡがＡあの？」と聞くのとの同じ。質問は基本を全うしてかれで良い。
基本は奥が深い。
Take for instance the chudan tsuki or middle punch. You first start off by just throwing in you arms out left and right, right and left. Then as you progress you start employing various muscles of you body to stabilize and make powerful the punch. You then start adding the mysterious tanden and breathing. Hmmm do you breathe out when you punch or do you make short and sharp exhales? Do you tighten the back, stomach and leg muscles in that order or was it the opposite? So you can see a punch is not just a punch. I am no scientist, I cannot write about things like velocity and such but I can tell yo if there is a difference in my tsuki with or without certain elements. So you can see if a simple tsuki is actually not simple, then think of all your other kihon wazas! 長い修行ですね。A very long road of training. (^^)
中段突きを取ってみよう。最初は両腕を交代に突き出すだけ。そのうちに他の筋肉を使い突きを安定させ、強くする。それから丹田と呼吸を追加する。付くとき息を吐く？それとも短く鋭く吐く？
背中、お腹、足の筋肉を絞める？それとも逆の順番？突きはただの突きではない。自分は学者ではないなら専門的に突進力とかは説明できない。しかし突きの違いは分かる。突きがそうだあるように他の基本技を考えてたら修行の道は長い。本当に長い。
Back to the pine tree. As mentioned above, Kihon is not simple.Then think of he mental perseverance that is required to grasp the kihon. Often times we seek the easier path or what appears to be more economical and start stripping various kihons from our curriculum. Are we doing ourselves a favor? I think not.
Would you prefer to live in a prefab structure or a well engineered and constructed structure made of solid materials? Sure a prefab would be up in a blink of an eye.  It also disappears in a blink of an eye in face of a typhoon. I always wondered why many of the houses  in Okinawa were made of solid concrete. After my first typhoon I understood.
松の木に戻ろう。上記で書いたように基本は単純ではない。基本を全うする精神力を考えてもらいたい。元楽な道、合理的な道で基本を減らす。これで良いのか？プレハブ建築と確り作られた家、どっちに住みたい？プレハブは簡単に崩れる。台風であれば一瞬の内に消える。沖縄の家はなぜコンクリで作られているのかと不思議に思った。初めての台風で理解した。
Ooops nuff rambling for this morning, Got to go search for Yuta aka Michael (Micky)'s dog food! (**:)
I say give him scraps, then we'll have a quasi-vegetarian dog! Hmmmmm not a bad idea.
今朝はこのぐらいにしとこう。雄太の餌を買いに行かねば。家の残り物で充分だと思うが。。。
そうしたら菜食主義犬になれるのに。。。悪くないと思うが。


**Note: Because of its resistance to pollution and salt, it is a popular horticultural tree. In Japan it is widely used as a garden tree both trained as Niwaki and untrained growing as an overstory tree. The trunks and branches are trained from a young age to be elegant and interesting to view. It is one of the classic bonsai subjects, requiring great patience over many years to train properly.  Taken from Wikipedia.
Hmmmm there seems to be a similarity with Martial Arts training.






          

Shin Nen (Belief)

“Men often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn't have it in the beginning.”  Mahatma Ghandi

男達は自分がどのような人間だと信じている人間に大半成る。自分が出来ないと信じたらならば出来ないようになる。しかし出来ると信じれば、初めは無かった能力でも得られる。
マハッタマ　ガンジー

This month's Kanji is Shinnen (belief). Let's do a bunkai of the Kanji first.
今月の漢字は信念。まずは漢字の分解をしてみよう。

Shin 信 The radical or root is 人（person）with 言 (speak) added next to it to make (Shin/believe) Hmmm A person speaking out his belief.
信は人偏に言。人が自分の思った事を話す。

Then we have 念。The root being 心(kokoro/heart) with 今 (ima/now) on top to make (Nen/inner thoughts) The mind of the present or now
そこに念。心の上に今を載せる。今の心かな。

So we have a person speaking out his inner thoughts or mind at present which adds up to belief.
合わせると人が自分の思いを語ると成る。

This is an important part of our Shugyo in what ever path we decide top take. Belief in ourselves, belief in out teachers, belief in the path we chose. Our training supports and fuels this belief. 
What we choose to believe, we become.  If we choose not to believe then all will fail.Our behaviour and thoughts follow our beliefs or shinnen. In martial arts we also call it the "I can" mentality.
どの道を取るにせよこれは修行に取って大事な部分である。自分を信じる、先生を信じる、選んだ道を信じる。稽古はこれを支えながら燃料となる。自分で信てそうなる。信じ無ければ敗北。
自分の行動や思いは信念に元付く。武道では”俺は出来る”とも言う。

What can help us follow our beliefs in Budo training?
武道に対する信念を何が補助するのだろう？

Accoding to Huang and Lynch in their book " Thinking Body, Dancing Mind", a process of affirmation can help us. 
フアング・リンチの本“考える体、踊る思考”の中にAffirmation「断言」のプロセスがある。
1. What I beleive、 I recieve.　信じれば、得られる
2. I am (fill in whatever reflects your direction or who you are)　自分は（自分の方向性、自己）
3. Beliefs are limits; stretch and go beyond.　信念は限界、もっと伸ばし、枠を突破すべし。
4. Fixed minds detract from potential. Flexible minds are the essential.　固定観念は可能性を妨害する、柔軟な思考が基本。
5. Visualization (Never doubt yourself and your ability to succeed) はっきりと思い浮かべる。自分の成功できる能力を信じる。

Hmmm, to translate or not to translate for Yokohama, that is the question.............
I think I'll take a java break first........and a peanut butter/marmalade sandwich on ten grain toast.
(Fufu, sound reasonably healthy enough?)
翻訳すべしか、しないか、それが問題だ。
まー先にコーヒーブレーク。。。。と十種類米パンのトーストにピーナツバターとまーまあレイドをたっぷり縫ってからするかな？（ふふ、健康的でしょう）



Child's Safety

What can a child do?

     A very disturbing act of crime took place in my hometown of Wahiawa this morning. A 59 years old teacher who was preparing for her class in her classroom at 6:30 am was beaten, robbed and sexually assaulted by two suspects. The suspects are still at large. I naively thought that such heinous crimes only took place in the "Big Cities" on the mainland. How foolish I was.
とても酷い犯罪が自分の育ったワヒアワで今朝起きた。５９歳の先生が朝六時半、二人の男に性的暴行を受け、強盗にあった。彼女はその日の授業の準備をしてた。被疑者はまだ捕まっていない。単純にこのような犯罪は本土の大都市でしか起きないと思ってた。おろかだった。
     I had just had a mini-reunion with two of my high school classmates (Class of '68) just the other day.  reminiscing of the "good old days" in our hometown. The only "hard" things that popped up were our classmates that ended up in a faraway place known as Vietnam. Crime was not in our vocabulary. What peaceful lives we had back then.
つい最近、高校の同級生とミニ同窓会があった(６８年卒）そして昔話の良き時代に沸いた。
唯一しびやな課題は誰があの時遠いベトナムに行ったかであった。犯罪って単語は無かった。
本当昔は平和な日々を過ごした。
     Naturally, after the news came out, the commentary section was filled with speculation, innuendos, dissertations on the causes, mostly based on emotions. Some even hinted guilt of the victim for being in school at 6:30 am! Such rubbish!
そして、事件が報道されたら色々はコッメンとが流れた。主に感情的な推測とか論文もどきコッメンとだった。中には朝６時半に学校に居たから先生に責任があるとまで！くだらん！
     Back to the point I wanted to make. In this case a 59 years old female was the victim. Now, what if the victim was an elementary school student?  Add to that a martial arts student. Do we really expect the child to be able to defend his/her self against an adult? Readers know my feelings about "seminars".
話を戻そう。この件では被害者が５９歳の女性だった。これが小学生だったら？それに武道を学んでいたとしたら？子供が大人に抵抗して自分を守れると本当に思うのだろうか。読者が私がセミナー類をどう思っているか知っていると思う。
Is self protection the sole responsibility of a child?  I do not think so. The best thing we can do as adults is to teach the children to be aware of danger and to quickly disengage from the situation and seek help.
It is also the parents responsibility not to drop off the children earlier than necessary before school starts or to have them wait long after school ends. Granted, once a child is on school property then it would the school's responsibility to ensure their safety. But then, what are the time limits? In this age of budget cuts and  less funding is it realistic to to expect schools to be able to do that outside of school operating hours? Sigh, so many issues to deal with. Pros and Cons.
自己防衛は子供の責任だろうか？自分はそうは思わない。大人として出来る事は子供に危機意識を持たせ速やかに危険から逃げ助けを求めることを教えることだとおもう。子供を早く送ったり、遅くまで待たせないのは親の責任でｓる。確かに構内に入ったら生徒の安全は学校に責任である。しかし時間の枠は？現在の予算削で時間外まで学校に子供も面倒を見てもらうのは現実的だろうか？色々な課題が残る。賛否様論。
       I know that in Japan, safety of kids to and from school became a major issue when several incidents of kidnapping and murder of children took place. Measures such as group movement to and from school were implemented. Parents taking turns being at the school at start and ending times, emergency buzzers attached to school bags, GPS locators became the norm for children to carry. Self Defense classes for kids popped up like mushrooms (**;).
二本でいくつかの誘拐殺害事件の後子供の安全が問われ、集団徒校が実地されている。親たちが交代で発校、退校時間に行ったり、警報ブザーをランドセルにつけたり、ＧＰＳが通常になったりした。子供の護身術もきのこのように出来た。
      What I would like to propose is to gather all the retirees in the neighborhood and form groups to patrol the campus prior to and after school hours. Provide them with com gear so that they can contact the local PD. They should work in pairs. Overt presence is a big deterrence. After all how many retirees I see at McDonald's from early in the morning drinking coffee and shooting the breeze. Make use of our senior citizens. We are not asking them to confront perpetrators, just to report suspicious activities or people on the school grounds. Leave the handling of suspects to the police.
時分は近所の退職者を集めて構内のパトロールを発校、退校時間にすればいい。無線機をもたせすぐに警察に連絡が出来るようにする。ペアーで巡回する。見える防衛手段は効果がある。
朝早くからマックでコーヒー飲みながら世間話をしている退職者は沢山いる。そのような人を動員するべきだ。犯罪者と対抗するのではなく、怪しいことや人を構内に見たら即報告するだけでいい。対応は警察に任せる。
      Yes, we can push for emergency funding and put in security cameras on campus. But unless there is a control desk where someone is monitoring the cameras, the it becomes "after the fact". It aids in apprehending the perpetrators but the crime has already been committed. Security cameras may serve as a deterrent but are not fail proof.
緊急予算を請求し防犯カメラなどを構内に置くこともできる。だが誰かか常にそれを見ていなければ“後の祭り”になる。被疑者逮捕に繋がるかもしれないが犯罪は行われたあと。犯罪防止には役にたうだろう、しかし完璧ではない。

      As Sensei Tony and anyone else in the Law Enforcement knows, the incident has not ended for the victim. The pain of going through an investigation and when  the perpatrators are caught, the pain of going through the legal proceedings is something I do not wish on anyone. In order to bring the perpetrator to justice the victim has to "relive" the attack over and over again. My heart goes out to her.
トニー先生と長年の法律執行経験者は承知のとおり事件は被害者にとってまだ終わっていない。
捜査、逮捕後の裁判の痛い経験は誰にも味わいさせたくない。有罪までにもってきくには何回もあの悲劇を体験するからである。心が痛む。

By the way...Shaka Brah!



SHAKA, BRAH!

      You may have noticed the Hawaii Kids displaying a hand sign similar to UT's Longhorn's symbol. The Japanese- American 442nd Battalion and 100th Regiment did save a group of Texans in WWII but Hawaii did not adおpt the Longhorns hand symbol. (^^)

ハワイの子供達がテキサス大学の似た手の表現をしているに気付いたかな？昔第二次世界大戦で日系舞台の４４２部隊と１００連隊がテキサスの部隊を救助したが手の表現は受け継いでうない。ふふ。

Taken from Wikipedia as follows.下記はウィキペヂアからです、

     The Shaka Sign is a common greeting gesture. It is often associated with Hawaii. It consists of extending the thumb and smallest finger while keeping the three middle fingers curled, and raising the hand as in salutation with the back of the hand facing the person that is being greeted; sometimes the hand is rotated back and forth to emphasize the sign.

シャカサインは通常の挨拶の表現です。ハワイの表現と知られています。親指と小指を伸ばして真ん中の三盆は曲げたまま、手を上げ甲を相手に向け挨拶をする。時には揺する事もある。

 

      Hawaiian locals use the shaka to convey what locals in Hawaii call the "Aloha Spirit," a gesture of friendship and understanding between the various ethnic cultures that reside within Hawaii, and thus it does not have a direct semantic to literal translation. Depending on context it can also be used to communicate notions such as "all right," "cool," "smooth," and the like. Residents of states other than Hawaii who use the shaka may describe it as meaning "hang loose," and in Florida the symbol itself is more commonly called the "hang loose" sign rather than the shaka sign. It can also be used to signal "hello," "goodbye," " till next time," "take care," or "all right!" In sign language, the shaka is one of the two signs used to refer to surfing.

ハワイの現地人は“アロハスピリット”を表現する為に使う。いろんな人種や文化が存在するハワイでお互いに友情や理解を表す。直接な翻訳や言語には繋がらない。“良いね”、“格好良いじゃん”とかを表す。他の州では“ゆっくりしようぜ”の意味もある。フロリダ州では“Hang Loose"

｛気楽に行こうぜ｝として使われている。こんにちわ、さよなら、またね、お大事に、とかにも使われる。手話ではサーヒングの意味も有る。

     The shaka sign resembles the American Sign Language letter for Y.The sign is often followed by waving as a greeting or acknowledgement. It can be used when driving as a signal of thanks to other drivers (for example, someone who stopped to let another driver onto the road from a driveway).

　　このシャカはアメリカのい手話で”Y"に似ている。手を振って挨拶や認識を表す。運転中たのドアリバーに有難うを表現する（例：道に出るさい止まってくれたドライバーに感謝するととき）

ALOHA and OSU!

Y'all New Yorkers and Hamakos (浜子）have any hand signs in your areas?

ニューヨークと浜子達、自分の地域に同じような手での表現ありますか？





Overtraining????



MODERATION! MODERATION! MODERATION! MODERATION!
or as Yachi would put it, "You're not young anymore! Act your age!!" (^^)

                        

      Tony Sensei, with his long career as a competitor, would be more knowledgeable on this topic. (^^)

I won't write physiological stuff here as I am certainly no expert on it. My good friend Hayashi Sensei just finished competing in the WTF World Poomsae Championships in Ubezistkan and placed 5th.

I know she practiced hard in preparation for this tournament and she has the qualities of a champion.

So I wonder what was the difference between her gold medal performance and this year's? I am waiting for World Poomsae Championships videos to start popping up on You Tube. Now, I am not saying that she over trained as I was not privy her training. I have seen and participated in Tamura Sensei's training for the AAU and have a good idea of the shortfalls of his training.  Now there are countless factors which affect our performance. Travel, Diet, Pressures, Injuries,  local food just to mention a few.

      I want to address injuries. Often we carry with us various forms of injuries. Some minor while some requires major medical attention. The questions arise how much do we train while carrying those injuries. Naturally if a part of your body is not capable of moving normally then common sense will tell us not to put pressure on it? But do we? Our egos often get in the way. "Heck, I'm a karateka, I live with pain, I can deal with it". Hmmm. I am guilty of it. I have to accept that pain is a message from my body to "stop and check it out".  Especially at my age, I no longer have tournaments to train for. At least here in Hawaii. How many full contact  tournaments do they have for 60 and above? So I train for the pleasure of training and try not to lose the 30+ years of Budo training. How much should I push myself?

     As some of you know I have begun a new life style starting with my dietary habits. More veges and less meats. I am also going to the gym doing weights and cardio as supplemental conditioning. This , along with my usual karate training,  does not compare anywhere to what I did in my 20's and 30's.  Reality is the adult population in my Hawaii Dojo is very limited. So basically my own training is centered around non-partner training or solo training. Yachi's work schedule does not allow her the time to train with me on any regular basis. Oh well, back to the topic.

    So, I have been feeling a lot better recently and caught myself "pushing" for more despite the little messages from various parts of my body. (**:) What I mean by "pushing" is probably better expressed as "greedy". Putting on more weights on the barbell instead of sticking to a controlled sensible routine.

Picking up the speed on the treadmill prematurely. Fufu. The little messages have now become bigger in intensity and increase in body parts affected (creaky hip sockets, inflamed knee joints, pain in the small of the back!)  It actually got to a point where just walking is becoming a an inconvenience. Now, not to worry, I can walk to the bathroom in time!  But I think you get the idea. Tiger Balm is now a "must item".  Gahahaha. To think of the days I literally "dragged" myself home from practice in my younger days, then went back the next day with little to worry! (^^) It seemed as my body adapted to the pain well back then!??! Why not now???

     Just yesterday at Tamura Sensei's Dojo,  we were practicing Saifa/Saiha( Goju Version). I just wasn't satisfied with my Morote Tsuki in the kata. My version is not the same as Tamura Sensei's competition form of kata. I have always done it with speed without the "pauses" or what I call "theatrical poses" often seen in competition Kata. Now remember that I am feeling good from my "renewal" and also was receiving those little messages from my body. My mental "High" overwhelms my physical reality but I just had to get that feeling of power in the Morote Tsukis. Something that I wanted to feel  would have knocked down a bear!  Now after a night gone by,  I am having difficulty with any type of shoulder movement. Hopefully with a good spread of Tiger Balm I will be ready to teach my class tonight. BUT, I was able to get satisfied with my Morote Tsukis! (^^). Of course at the cost of my well being. Sooooo, I can tell I am not learning from my own lessons well. (**#) 

Make sure y'all listen to your body well. Train with moderation and appropriate intensity suited for your reasons in taking up martial arts.

AHHHHH! RELIEF!!!!
(for the time being)

 

   



Budo and Business

Roushiiichi, I have been away so long don't know where to start.

First, The new picture of the month looks great! That looks like one "ruff group" group of little budo-ka. I also notice that Shihan Kimura as lost much of his "Shihan's Hara"; fruits and veggies look good on you my friend.

Second, about the actions and writings of the Kyokushin leaders on the web sites: Due to my engagement, and work, school and karate, I have not been at the computer in over a week. I have been reading this morning, trying to catch up. The one statement that resonates with me this morning, I found reading Kuristina Oyama quoting her father "When I became a leader of an organization, I could not live as (a) Budo ka", by Kuristina Oyama » Sat Oct 24, 2009 11:35 am. To me, it speaks volumes of the actions of many of the current high-ranking dans. I would like to think that all of these man and woman, started with hearts true to budo. I would also like to think that these leaders make their decisions only in the best interest of their students. In short in my limited knowledge of all this, Budo and Business do not “workout” or “work out” together. I know that Sosai, like all of us suffer from this condition we call incurable humanism with all its good and evil, but He sure did have a way of pairing things down to there true core. One of my bootcamp ladies gave me a check yesterday and said, “Tony I want you to know that this is far to little for what you do”. It was very kind. I am sure that many budo-ka the world over, just as you Roushiichi (and I hope me) treat money like food. We take just what we need, and live as modestly as possible.

I will be reading the all your writings this morning, and will then start getting back to writing …..your lost pen pal Tony…

Only in Japan

Ahhh. The commute to work. I am still amazed not only that all those bodies got in, but all the luggage!
Nothing to wakes you up better than a briefcase digging into you from the front and the back. (0_0!)
Nothing starts your day when the person squished against you obviously had dinner at "Ninniku Ya" (a famous garlic restaurant) along with lots of imo shochu! (*-*;)
あああ。通勤時間。よくもあんなに体がはいったものだ、しかも荷物まで！朝起きには前と後ろから鞄がねじ込まれるのは効くね。あとは隣の人は前の晩、ニンニク屋で夕食と芋焼酎を飲んだ時にうは。。。。
You also have to be careful where you have your hands1 (^^) Upsetting to have to sit in the Police Box trying to explain that you were not taking liberties with the gal in front of you! It was the other guy!
NO ONE would beleive me if I say, "I'm the VICTIM!!!) (0-0?) Miracles do happen you know....
それから手の置き場所に要注意！あとで交番で何で前に居た彼女に触れたかの説明はやだね。
”俺が被害者なんだ！”なんて誰も信じないだろう。まーたまに奇跡もあるが。。。




No need to call the SPCA. According to Japanese Laws covering animals, the monkeys work only two hours a day in rotating shifts. According to the story the owner brought them along to the pub and the monkeys picked up on the work on their own. Well they beat some of the waiters/waitresses in Hawaii, that's for sure!
動物保護団体に連絡は無用。日本の法律に元付いて猿達は一日二時間勤務。店主によれな猿達は自然に仕事を覚えたとか。まーハワイのウェイターよりましだね。

Hmmm. Bruce Lee and Kahil Gibran thought the same?

 I was reading through Bruce Lee's "Striking Thoughts". On the topic of teaching he writes, " A teacher, a good teacher that is, functions as a pointer to truth, but not as a giver of truth....."
ブルースリーの「Striking Thoughts」を読んでた。教えることについて彼はこうのように書いた“先生、良い先生は、真実に向ける役割がある、真実を与えるのではなく。。”
(**?) Hmmmm, I read a similar thought somewhere else.....Ahhhh. (^^)

Kahil Gibran's "The Prophet". In it Gibran writes, "If he is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind" Two different minds, different eras, one a martial artist, the other a poet. Both philosophers . Both with the same message. Interesting.

ううう、何所か同じ発想を読んだ気が。。。そうだ、カヒリル　ギブランの”The Prophet"だ。その中でギブランは書く“彼が本当に知的なら知恵の家には誘わない、そうでなく自分の思考の入り口に誘導する”実に興味深い。二つの思考、違い時代、一人は武芸者、もう一人は詩人。二人とも哲学者。同じメッセージを送っている。

Teaching, I feel, is an art and discipline in itself. Those of you that are educators may relate to this.

It is art/skill form because you need to work with various types of students in heading towards the same goal (Budo). The art of being able to mold your teaching so that all the students can get the maximum benefit from learning. Now in class, you cannot cater to each and every student one on one as that would amount to chaos.  (^^).  You need to nurture the students' desire to learn, then the rest is easy (well, not that easy). It takes discipline to teach a class full of kids ranging from 5 years old to 12 years old.
教えることは芸と修養だとおもう。先生である人は共感すると思う。いろんな違った生徒を同じ方向に向かわせるのは芸である。自分の教え方をいかに生徒全員が最高に学べるようにしなければならない。クラスでが生徒一人一人に気を配ったらもう大変な状態になる。生徒が学ぶ意思を育てれば後は簡単である。５歳から１２歳のクラスを教えるには相当ば修養が必要である。

Think if you will, the Terakoya 寺小屋 where the local samurai or priest would teach  children of all ages in one room. Or, perhaps in the old days of "The Little School House on the Prairie". Attention level and interest changes by age (my opinion) and to be able to get all of them to focus on one art, whether it be karate, flower arrangement, Zumba is no easy task. It is often said, "Two hours of preparation for one hour of instruction". Hmmm, with classes ranging from pre-school to sixth grade, that is quite a demand!
寺小屋を思い浮かべてほしい。地元の侍またはお坊さんが一部屋で年齢がまちまちの子供達を教えた。又は「荒野の小さな学校」。年齢によって集中力や興味に違いがある、それを空手であろうと、花活けだろうと、ズンバであろうと、一つにまとめるの至難の技としか言えない。ううう。保育園児から小学校６年と成ると大変だ。

Teaching karate is no different. It is not a matter of showing up and start punching and kicking. There has to be a curriculum in which one lesson serves as a spring board to another.
空手も同じだる。だた集まって突いたり、蹴ったりだでは済まない。ひとつの稽古が次の稽古に繋ななければならない。
Yes, Kihon does not change but any change in presentation and application requires planning.
基本は変わらないが、応用と教え方には準備が必要である。
With an one hour class, we need to maximize the use of the time. With Kyokushin based kihon that is easily 30-45 minutes! Perhaps with the firm belief that Kihon is the foundation, that may not be too much of concern to some teachers. But then again, when you need to practice the applications of kihon.....is there enough time to have the students grasp the concept? Naturally you keep on reinforcing the application through follow-up lessons.
一時間の稽古となればもっともな有効な時間と使い方が強いられる。極真系にお基本だと簡単に30－４５分は掛かる。基本が大事と発想から観れば大したことではないだろうが。でも基本の応用なを生徒が理解できるのに時間が足りるだろうか。まー継続の稽古で強化するしかない。
That is why I am not a strong proponent of seminars, especially "self defense" seminars. At best,  you may grasp the concept, but then you need to be able to follow-up back in your own Dojo. The only problem with that is you often do this with no guidance. After all, you most likely attend seminars because you can't receive the instruction in your own Dojo. Upon return, the seminar attendee now becomes the instructor, if you will. Has he mastered the topic at the seminar? Whether it was one hour or all day makes no difference. Just for simplicity sake, I hold a seminar on "How to fall safely" using basic Judo ukemi (break falls) Do you really expect anyone to be able to master ukemi in one such seminar. Yes, attendees will understand the concepts but to master ukemi takes time and it is foolish to think that an attendee has "mastered" ukemi well enough to go back and share it with his Dojo. (^^)
だから自分は護身術セミナーとかは好まない。良くしても、そのようなセミナーではコンセプットしな学べない。あとは自分の道場に戻り予習するしかない。だが問題はちゃんとした指導の下ではないのが現実。そもそも、自分の道場で学べないからそのようなセミナーに参加するのでは？セミナーから戻った受講生が道場で指導員の立場になる。だがセミナー一時間だろと一日であろうと本当に愛用をマスターできたのだろうか？簡単な例を書けば、自分が柔道の受身技で“安全な転び方”セミナーを開くとする。そのようなせっみなーで実際に受講生が受身をマスターできると思うか？
受講生は受身のコンセプットを把握できるだおるが完全に受身が撮れると思うのは間違えである。ましてそれを道場に戻って教えるとなると。

When you think you have it rough

We all get frustrated at times when we just can't seem to get something right. Be it a section of a kata or just in kumite. Can't nail down the deep squat and shuto mawashi uke without losing balance.
Can't shift quick enough to avoid a maegeri.
時折、何かが上手くいかずイライラする時がある。型の一部分にしろ、組手にしろ。深くしゃがんで回し手刀受けをバランスを崩さずに出来ない。前蹴りを素早く裁けない。
Well, when I get those "days", I "kick my own butt" watching performances such as above. The true spirit of "Osu!"  So when you feel down, remember there are many out there that are in far less advantageous situations but are not held back.
そんな日が有ると、上記のビデオを見て自分に“活”を入れる。本当の押忍の精神である。落ち込んだ時他に沢山自分より恵まれない状態に関わらず頑張っている人が沢山いる事を思い出してもらいたい。

Another inspirational video to get me going when I falter with the myriad of excuses. Too little time. I'm not as young as before. Been busy. On and on.
Excuses are easy, to perservere is the true spirit of Budo.
言い訳が多くなって来た時下記のヴィデオをも見て気を入れなおす。時間が無い、もう若くないのだ、忙しいとたかの言い訳。言い訳は簡単。忍んで耐えるは真の武道精神である。



(^^) Can you tell that it has been one of those days for me? OSU!
今日がそんな日であったって分かります？押忍！

婚約おめでとうございまーす！（＾＾）

TONY SENSEI AND JEN ARE OFFICIALLY

ENGAGED !!!!!

トニー先生とジェンが正式に婚約しました！！！

おめでとうございます！CONGRATULATIONS!

Report from Yokohama Dojo (^^)/

Japan's School Lunch! Yummy, yummy!

Harako Mama of Yokohama Dojo has submitted a report on Japan's School Lunch System to share with the members of the Hawaii Dojo and Kesshinkai Dojo. I hope that you all enjoy it! (^^) I did a quick translation and hopefully it is pretty much accurate. Thank you Harako Mama for the report!
The Harako family is very active in the Yokohama Dojo. Not only Harako Mama, but Harako Papa and their two sons practice together. Harako Mama is not onlyh active in Karate but numerous community and volunteer activities. She is also a member of the local "Indiaca(?)", a type of volleyball game developed by Germany. She is also the member of Yokohama Dojo's cutter boat racing team.
Well here is the report.

学校給食レポートfrom JAPAN
Report on School Meals from Japan
ハワイとニューヨークのみなさま　こんにちは。☆Hey!ヽ('ｰ'#)/ Hello!☆
今日は日本の子どもたちのランチタイムの様子をご紹介しますね。
Hey! Hello y’all in Hawaii and New York. Today I will introduce the lunch time of Japanese children..
日本の小学校には「給食」という制度があり、
ランチタイムは、学校で作られた給食を教室でクラスメイト全員で食べます。
学校の先生たちも、同じものを食べます。
There is a “Kyushoku System” in Japanese Elementary Schools. Lunch which is prepared at school eaten in the classrooms by everyone, including the teachers. The teachers eat the same meals as the students.
毎月のメニュー表は各家庭にも配られ、
材料や一食あたりのカロリーとたんぱく量がきちんと記載されていて
１年生から６年生までの全学年、メニューは同じですが、量は発育に応じて３段階に増えていきます。
A menu is distributed to families every month. Included in the menu are the ingredients, calorie per meal and amount of protein. The menu is the same for First grade through Sixth Grade, but the amount of the meal is adjusted in proportion to the children’s growth in three levels.
アレルギーのある子どもには、アレルゲンを除いた別メニューが用意されているという
細やかな配慮もきちんと行き届いています。
A separate menu which leaves out allergens are made for children with allergies, such minute details are taken for those children.
これは親にとってもありがたいことで
年に何回か、遠足などの校外活動の日はお弁当を作ることもありますが
仕事に行く前の忙しい朝、毎日お弁当を作ることなく
おいしくて栄養の偏りのないお昼ご飯をわが子に食べさせられることは何よりも安心できます。
This is a thankful thing for parents. There are several occasions in which lunches are made by parents for excursions, but it is great not to have to make a lunch during busy mornings before going to work, knowing that the child will be eating a nutritious meal at school.
給食の始まりは約１２０年以上も前。
貧困のため、学校にお昼ご飯を持ってこられない子どもたちのために、
おにぎりと焼き魚などの食事を提供したのが始まりとされています。
第二次世界大戦で一度は途絶えた給食でしたが
アメリカなどの救援を得て再開され、現在に至るそうです。
Kyushoku started almost 120 years ago. Due to poverty there were children who could not bring lunch to school.
For those children onigiri (rice balls) and broiled fish were provided. Although school lunches were stopped during the Second World War, with the United States assistance the system was revived and continues to this day.
ハワイとニューヨークの子どもたちに、日本の給食を紹介したいとのリチャード師範からのお話しを受けさっそく、拳心塾横浜道場の子どもたちが通う小学校へ取材のお願いに行くと
「プライバシーの問題もあるので、顔写真には配慮してください」という条件付で
快く撮影を許可してくださいました。
After receiving Shihan Richard’s request to introduce Japan’s Kyushoku to the children of Hawaii and New York,　I quickly approached the elementary school which Yokohama Kenshinjuku children attend. With the stipulation that face photos were not taken due to privacy concerns, the school approved of taking photos.
管理栄養士の指導のもと、きちんとカロリー計算された食事は和食、洋食、中華料理とメニューも豊富なので、その日によって主食はお米、パン、麺とさまざまです。
Under the supervision of a Nutritionist, with calories measured, a varied menu of Japanese, Western and Chinese meals are prepared. Depending on the day, bread, rice or noodles are provided as staples.
ある週のメニューをご紹介します。
I will introduce a week ‘s menu.

(月曜) Monday
☆ぶどうパン Bread w/grapes
☆ツナと野菜のスパゲッティ Tuna and vegetable spaghetti
☆ミックスビーンズサラダ Mixed Beans Salad
☆牛乳 Milk

(火曜) Tuesday
ご飯 Barley Rice
☆イワシのかば焼き Broiled Sardine
☆ひじきの炒め煮 Braised Seaweed
☆お味噌汁 Miso Bean Soup
☆牛乳 Milk

(水曜) Wednesday
☆胚芽ごはん Multigrain Rice
☆ビビンバ Bibinba (Korean Vegetable Dish with meat)
☆わかめスープ Seaweed Soup

写真②挿入







(木曜) Thursday
☆ご飯 Rice (white)
☆チリコンカン Chili Con Carne
☆海草サラダ Seaweed Salad
☆ドライプルーン Dried Prune
☆牛乳 Milk

(金曜) Friday
☆ロールパン Rolls
☆ししゃもフライ Fried Capelin (fish)
☆ボイルドキャベツ Boiled Cabbage
☆人参ポタージュ Carrot Potage Soup
☆牛乳 Milk

と、こんな感じ。色は少し地味ですが、とってもおいしいですよ～♪(＾ー＾)
The Food color may seem dull but it’s very delicious!
４時間目の授業が終わると、子どもたちは白衣、帽子、マスクを身につけ
石鹸で手をきれいに洗い、給食室にクラス全員分の食事をもらいに行きます。
盛り付けも自分たちで頑張ります。
After the Fourth Period is over, the children put on white gowns, caps and face mask, wash their hands thoroughly and proceed to the kitchen to pick up the entire class’s meal. The serving is also done by the children themselves.



Serving lunch in their classroom.



Off to get our lunch!


食前は「いただきます」、食後は「ごちそうさまでした」のご挨拶。
自然の恵みと、作ってくださったかたたちへ感謝をこめて手を合わせます。
Prior to eating they all say “Itadakimasu” and after finishing they say “Gochiso sama deshita”
They put their hands together to show appreciation to the nature’s bounty and to those who made the meals.

"Itadakimasu" "Gochisosama"

取材はいつでもどうぞ！と許可をいただいたあと、
日にちを連絡していなかった突然の訪問にもかかわらず、
なんと私の分まで用意してくださっていて子どもたちと一緒に給食をいただいてきました♪
After receiving permission to make the report anytime and in spite the fact I had gone without setting a date, they provided me with a meal so I could eat with the children.
教室中にあふれるにぎやかなおしゃべりと笑い声、
おいしい笑顔に包まれた楽しい給食の時間はあっという間に過ぎました。
Laughter and conversation filled the classroom. An enjoyable lunch time surrounded by smiling faces quickly passed by.
食後はみんなで後片付けをします。
空になった食器類を給食室へ返すときも大きな声で「ごちそうさまでした！」を言い
牛乳パックは開いて洗い、リサイクルへ。
After the meal everyone helps clean up.
Empty dishes and utensils are taken back to the kitchen and in a loud voice say “Gochisosama deshita!”
The milk cartons are opened up, washed and recycled.




Recycling milk cartons!

 このように日本の学校では、「給食」は単なる「食べること」としてだけではなく
[教育活動の一環」として、きちんと位置づけられています。
ハワイやニューヨークの子どもたちは、どんなランチタイムを過ごしていますか？
As you may have noted, in Japan’s schools “school lunch” is not merely about “eating”. It is part of education and is an integral part of it.
How do children in New York and Hawaii have their lunch time?
―以上、レポートは横浜道場の原子(HARAKO)でした　(^-^)ﾉﾞー
Reported by Yokohama Dojo member Harako (mama)
Translated by yours truly, Roushiichi aka Richard



Now it is Hawaii and New York's turn to report! (^^)

My good friend Sensei Naoko Hayashi

My good friend Sensei Naoko Hayashi is currently competing at the World Poomsae (kata in Korean) Championships in Uzbekistan this week. She, like Tamura Sensei has in the U.S. AAUs, has won gold medals in Japan and in International tournaments.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=272yjMYR_uM
I couldn't get this to embed into the blog.
Sensei Hayashi teaches in Tokyo and Yokohama. Some of my senior males at Yokohama attend her classes as well. Of course they go with a "pure heart" and intentions. (^^)
Hope to see her performance on You Tube soon.

Addition: She placed 5th in the Seniors. Otsukaresama deshita!

Different styles of teaching

My dear and good friend in Japan, Fukushima Sensei has a bevy of "champions" with his kids placing high in major Full contact and kick boxing tournaments. His emphasis is on competition and the training reflects this. From 4 years old and up it can be considered that mitt training is their "basics" followed by endless kumite. I cannot recall any of the standard kihon training normally seen in traditional Dojos.
His students do not do any Kata.

Here in Hawaii, my good friend Tamura Sensei also focuses on competition. He himself is a Silver Medalist in the recent AAU nationals. His training program is old style "traditional" of kihon, Ido followed by Kata and Point sparring. The number of techniques are limited. Kumite style is also limited making teaching simplified. His kids also do very well in local tournaments in Kata (an average of 12 tournaments a year based on WKF standards). 

My Dojo? Competition is not emphasized at all. (^^) But we do have a "Fighters" session for the upper grade and adult students for "fun" after regular practice.

Three different styles of teaching.  Full contact/Kick boxing, Point sparring/Kata and no competition training.  (Yokohama does have a competitors session for full contact).
Fukushima Sensei said to me without the competition he probably wouldn't be teaching at all. Seeing his kids do well in competition gives him his "purpose" in teaching karate.
Tamura Sensei feels competition adds incentive and goals to his kids as well as to himself.
Moi? I feel kids have enough pressures growing up and going to school. Why add more? If a kid wants to compete then he/she will have to put in the training.

All three styles of teaching provides self-discipline, self-control as well as better health to supplement the parents efforts in raising their children. As far as discipline is concerned , all three of us believe discipline starts at home and is not something that a child learns solely at the Dojo. Discipline has to work hand in hand between the home and Dojos. Parents and Instructors cannot have different standards of discipline. It only confuses the child and in worst case scenario develops the child into a wily one who at an early age learns to "play the field" or act the role depending on location. I have seen instructors "discipline" children as well as adults with smacks of the shinai (bamboo sword). I guess you could call it the "old style" of forging the spirit. On small mistake and "Thwat!". Yes, it probably gets the students not to make the same mistake. But, on the other hand it may teach a child that physical punishment or the threat of physical punishment will let them "get their way". Is this the mentality that we seek in our children?

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Smithsonian: Walk though Old Japan

The October 2010 Smithsonian has a wonderful article on The Kiso Road, A Walk Through Old Japan | Travel | Smithsonian Magazine I know you wrote me of your last trip to Yokohama included a nice walk along a old road, that you used for "walking meditation". I was trying to remember if the path was in Kamakura or if I am getting the old roads of Japan confused. The picture is from the Smithsonian.com, I can read the first three kanji

中 nake , 山 sen, 道 do/michi, to me I understand this to be the "inside mountain way". ( I understand these kanji from karate, shuto nake uchi, great mountain from Oyama, Sosai, and path from karate-do.) I am sure Roushiichi, and Willam, Shihandai have much more to teach us (me)...but thought you might like the article. It really made me want to jump the next plane to Japan (Oh MONEY and TIME!!!).

ALL YOU CAN EAT AT BURGER KING!!! (^^)

Can you believe an "All You Can Eat" deal at Burger King?
ええええ！？？バーがキングでワッパー食べ放題？

Yup, in Japan they have an "All You Can Eat" deal going on! (^^).

そー。日本でワッパーの食べ放題だとか。

Of course, there is catch to it. There is a 30 minute time limit based on your time of purchase of a Whooper Meal and you need to eat everything first (meal set) before you can get another Whooper. 

無論制限付き。最初のワッパーミールを買ったから３０分以内。メールを全部一人で食べあげてから次のワッパーがもらえるとか。

Any challengers?
挑戦者いまっかー？？



Reality/Aliveness training

Aloha and Good morning! (^^) Another fine Sunday morning in Hawaii. Just got back from dropping off "Da Boss" at work and the usual visit to the Farmer's Market for this week's vegetables. Got to support the local farmers!
Today I want to touch on the different styles of teaching. My teaching methods have evolved over the 40 some years of Judo and Karate. My military and LE experience definitely had an impact on my teaching.
In recent years you see a lot of hype using terms such as "reality based"; "live or aliveness" in an effort to pitch their particular style of martial arts. Many, not all, often pooh pahs so-called "traditional martial arts" as being far removed from "reality" and are basically useless. Many of these "gurus" of "reality" and "liveliness"
claim (note: I am not questioning their bios) having trained in a  traditional style and found it lacking.
I have to chuckle at such statements. They definitely did not train under the "traditional" instructors I grew up with.
First of all, I need to have the readers understand my basic premise of Budo. "Futatsu no Hoko wo tomeru" or to stop conflict. Through training in your chosen martial art or for that matter, any non-martial art such as Tea Ceremony, Line Dancing, Spelunking (I still remember the "panic" when I got stuck in a narrow passage way of a cave, Gahahaha), etc. you develop of sense of confidence and also the ability to respect others and to understand that nothing is gained from violence, hate, bigotry and jealously. In extension,  you follow a peaceful life and naturally do not get into situations that may harm you. Yet, in times of emergency you have the confidence to deal with issues and resolve them in a peaceful manner.
Some may say "You must be dreaming! Get real!" Well, aside from situations dictated by my military and LE careers, I have never really had the need to resort to my martial arts training.  The only injuries I received was from line of duty. So back to the topic of "aliveness/reality styles of teaching"
Way before BJJ or MMA became popular my Judo Sensei, Sakabe 8th Dan, would at times take us aside and show us the "dark side" of Judo. The techniques banned in modern Judo competition or perhaps we should call it the "roots of Judo". The various joint locks and chokes, methods of entry and escape. Perhaps his experience in the Japanese Imperial Navy had something to do with it. So when I read articles on BJJ and MMA I chuckle again. (^^) After all, BJJ origins stem from Judo/Jujitsu. I recall being at Narita International Airport and over hearing a young Japanese Judoka stating that he was flying to Brazil to learn BJJ. Hmmm. I guess there are not many Sakabe Senseis left in Japan?
When I trained in Okinawa it was certainly "alive" as it is popularly called these days.  Now I am not talking about "yakusoku kumite" or pre-arranged sets. The kicks were low and always aimed at the knee joints or groin. Head shots, well, lets just say it was yourresponsibility not to get hit. Way before Kyokushin gained popularity "full contact" existed in Okinawa. So once again I chuckle when I read comments with regard to  the "lack of reality" in traditional arts. Did you know the ankle hold/break exists in Heian Four and Five katas? Try it during a kumite session one day and you will see how much more you need to practice your kata! (^^)  Now that is what I would call aliveness training, applying techniques from kata into jiyu kumite.
One big gripe I have with Kyokushinkai. They popularized the phrase "Jissen" 実戦 or "Real Fighting".
This phrase I feel is too misused.  After all, what is Jissen. Certainly the style of Kyokushin tournament fighting is far cry from "Reality". Reality is the environment we place ourselves in, not the martial art.