Tsumannai-.つまんないー（＾＾）

"One becomes a beginner after one thousand days of training and an expert after ten thousand days of practice." Mas Oyama

つまんないー。Literally "Booooring" There always comes a time when a students mouth these words. You really can't blame them. Any martial art is a repetition of kihon. That is what it is about. Kihon. If a student cannot do his/her kihon properly then all the training is meaningless. Now with Dojos similar to mine which has  practice only once a week for a hour to hour and a half. Expectations for improving one's kihon is very low. 6 hours a month. 72 hours a year. How much progress can we expect from adults much less children from those hours?  So, should I let them start learning new kata before they have gotten "decent" at the preceding kata?
   I certainly incorporate a lot of non-karate physical activities just for the kids. If it helps in their gross motor skills I don't feel bad about incorporating them into practice. Certainly, kihon takes up a majority of the time.  Even so, the echoes of "tsumannai-" can be heard. (^^) It is strange that I never heard that phrase in Japan, only when I came back to Hawaii have I heard it. Is it a cultural difference?
   I do not have the luxury of splitting up the class by rank. When I am teaching by myself a group of
15 + students from 5 year old to 11 year old, I need to teach as a whole group. Of course I have the option of dividing them up anyway and go around group by group. But, kids will be kids, I cannot expect any form of adherence to self -control and concentration. (^^) The mommies are not at a stage where they can help "teach", they can assist in "organizing" the rabble, but it is not correct to expect them to teach the kids.
   So what should I do? Fufufufu. Competition is not one of the goals of the Dojo. We do not participate in any outside competition. For one, I do not know of any full contact competition for kids on Oahu. Not anywhere near the level or frequency of Japan.
   Boring is in the mind. The individual makes "boring". If one understands that kihon is the prerequisite for any physical/mental improvement, then the word "boring" will not be in his vocabulary. But then again, can we expect that of 5 years old? Fufufufu.

Makiki Dojo January 14, 2012
     Had a pretty good session with the Pokemons tonight! We used Flag football gear to work on the kids taisabaki. One thing I emphasize is to move forward vice backwards agaist attacks. One of the reasons I do not teach the classic Sanbon and Gohon kumite drills is that I feel it teaches students to move back. I prefer moving foward and ending an attack in a very brief encounter. This perhaps goes against the natural instincts of self preservation.

Flag Drill 1

If you have difficulty seeing the above here's the link:

http://youtu.be/AeXF4tOafCs

Flag Drill #2

Kicking Drill

       Bishop Narashiba is writing an article for this temple  on the relationship  between religion and Budo. A photographer took shots of the practice to be placed in the article. (^^)  Some of the Pokemons are natural characters hamming it up for the photographer. It would be interesting to see the photos later on as well as the article. It is always good to read or hear something from a third person perspective.
      
    We also experimented (or rather I should say I) with the Dojo formalities. Rather than the usual lining up, we formed a circle We just face to the front for the "Shomen ni Rei" but then faced each other in  when did the "Otagai ni Rei". I liked it. It was really an "Otagai ni Rei" as we bowed to each other rather to someone's feet in front. It also reflects the symbol for Kimura Dojo, the Enso.
円相

From Wikipedia:
     Ensō (円相) is a Japanese word meaning "circle" and a concept strongly associated with Zen. Ensō is one of the most common subjects of Japanese calligraphy even though it is a symbol and not a character. It symbolizes the Absolute enlightenment, strength, elegance, the Universe, and the void; it can also symbolize the Japanese aesthetic itself. As an "expression of the moment" it is often considered a form of minimalist expressionist art.
      Zen Buddhists "believe that the character of the artist is fully exposed in how she or he draws an ensō. Only a person who is mentally and spiritually complete can draw a true ensō. Some artists will practice drawing an ensō daily, as a kind of Spiritual Practice."^[1]
     I freely intepreted it as being the same as in pursuing Budo, thus I use the Enso as my Dojo symbol.  (^^)

Welcome to our newest member Kaiki, 7 years old. (^^).