Tag: martial arts

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One Foot In Life And One In Death

Steve Rowe

One Foot In Life And One In Death The scent of spray starch is one of the more pleasant changing room smells as the senior karate grades get their ‘heavy’ karategi’s out of their bags.  Mixed with the scent of White Horse Liniment, Ralgex, Tiger Balm and smelly feet, it makes a heady cocktail warmed by the softer students using the warm air hand dryers to warm up their cold gi’sbefore putting them on…. Once the cold, heavy cotton karategi is on and tied, the changing room obi tying ceremony takes place, the belt is folded in half and the … Continue reading One Foot In Life And One In Death

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Working Together

Steve Rowe

Working Together It was a warm night… With three children’s and an adult beginner class previously, the air was quite humid.  Sensei had worked this class through a good ‘warm up’ and some highly corrected basics before it was time to work on kata… Sensei had divided the class up into small groups with a black belt in charge of each group as this class would be followed by the dan grade session, we had quite a few black belts in already – and the kyu grades could get almost private instruction from them, with Sensei moving between the groups. … Continue reading Working Together

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The Old Days

Steve Rowe

The Old Days They were a lively lot tonight, most of the students were in their teens and playing off each others energy, but as young energy has a wont to do, it faded all too quickly, leaving a large group of flushed, animated but physically tired teens. “Sit down”…  Sensei recognised this and realised that this was a perfect ‘window of opportunity’ to inject a little wisdom. “Any questions?” – a good coaches ploy to get the students to start the conversation… Sensei looked along the line of young, flushed and animated faces… The hands shot up… “Jamie?” “Sensei, … Continue reading The Old Days

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Translation Of Uke

Steve Rowe

  Translation Of Uke “You win battles by knowing the enemy’s timing, and using a timing which the enemy does not expect.” – Miyamoto Musashi Iaido is the ancient samurai art of self-defence where you draw the sword immediately against an enemy’s sudden attack to win at the moment the sword leaves the sheath.  I was taking my weekly private lesson with Sensei and working on application to the basic Seiti Kata…. “Uke Nagashi!” Sensei called the name of the third kata.  Wearing a hakama requires quite a bit of skill.  Hakama sabaki is hakama (the Japanese divided skirt trousers) … Continue reading Translation Of Uke

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In Memory Of Alan Emery

Steve Rowe

In Memory Of Alan Emery “Why do you let that man train?” “What man” I asked politely. “Alan.”  Alan was one of our ‘special needs’ students.  “Whenever we’re doing our form he never moves in time with us, he’s always bumping into us, when we’re doing our exercises he’s always making strange noises and passing wind – it’s disgusting!” “I don’t just let him train; I actually sponsor him to train here.” “Why on earth do you do that?” “To help people like you become more tolerant.”  There was no answer to that.  The student coloured up and left quite … Continue reading In Memory Of Alan Emery

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Religion And Karate

Steve Rowe

Religion And Karate Jane was the life and soul of the Dojo, She had only trained for about a year but as an attractive, happy and friendly girl she had endeared herself to everyone very quickly and took part in and helped out in all the Dojo activities.  It was strange to see her preoccupied and a little troubled….. Normally she trained so enthusiastically and positively that she glowed while putting her heart and soul into everything she did – enchanting all around her and making it a pleasure to do any work with her.  Since her first days she … Continue reading Religion And Karate

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Both Sides Of The Brain

Steve Rowe

Both Sides Of The Brain “Sanchin!” Ahhh ….  My favourite…. Sensei can be a bit intense teaching this kata, it’s when we get on to principle number seven, the internal system.  Our version of sanchin appears to be soft, in fact very Chinese in comparison to many other karate styles.  It’s the pivotal point in our karate system where we go from external to internal at 5th kyu, the half way point from white to black belt.  Sensei was giving correction to Tim, a slightly nervous guy who doesn’t take correction too easily…. “Tim, straighten your back, that’s better, now … Continue reading Both Sides Of The Brain

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Martial Parenting

Steve Rowe

Martial Parenting The energy from the children’s class is powerful.  Twenty happy, flushed smiling faces, all wanting to talk at once and tell sensei what they’ve been up to since the last lesson creates a level of chaos that frightens lesser instructors and leaves them depleted after their struggle to contain and direct the chaos for 45 minutes. But sensei has a different method, it’s almost like he is one the kids, but maybe the leader of the gang, he immerses himself gleefully into the sea of energy, floating easily within, and almost imperceptibly guiding the flow….  Often it seems … Continue reading Martial Parenting

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Martial Chakras

Steve Rowe

Martial Chakras “Chakras?  What are they all about then?”  Ray was always the sceptic. John answered “the word ‘chakra’ means ‘spinning wheel’, and it refers to the spinning wheels of energy on the microcosmic orbit.” “Microcosmic orbit?” Ray jeered, is that out of Star Trek?  “Is it further than the Milky Way?” “As far as your understanding goes,” said John, “it might as well be…” “Fill me in dude, fill me in…” Ray wasn’t going to let go, “I need to know about ‘chakras’ and the ‘microcosmic orbit’..” Ray changed his finger ‘quote marks’ to the ‘live long and prosper’ … Continue reading Martial Chakras

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Disguised Buddhism

Steve Rowe

Disguised Buddhism “I went to a business guru meeting over the weekend, it was really motivating!”  Dan was telling the other black belts as they sat on the floor stretching, waiting for the Instructors class to start…. “How to win friends and influence people eh?”  It appears that Geoff was not so impressed. “And get rich quick!” Francis decided to join in the fun. “No, no, no,” said Dan, “that’s all very 1960’s!” “Not if you read the martial arts magazines and my spam emails it ain’t” said Geoff. “Seriously,” said Dan, “these people have grown since the early days, … Continue reading Disguised Buddhism