Tag: shi kon

ArticlesLeave a comment

I Don’t Do Nice

Steve Rowe

I Don’t Do Nice “Cover up guys and sit down….” Despite the efficient warm down, everyone ‘squelched’ as they sat. When you’ve had a really hard work out and everyone is drenched in sweat, every bit of clothing, underwear and skin is soaked.  Even using covering track gear and towels, you can see the steam rising from everyone’s head and shoulders. When they get up, they leave wet bum prints – almost like ‘rear end personal fingerprints’ on the floor. We’d had a ‘classic’ session, starting with standing basics, working on the skills of making a proper fist, use of … Continue reading I Don’t Do Nice

ArticlesLeave a comment

MMA Or Karate?

Steve Rowe

MMA Or Karate? John was bristling….  He’d been watching all the latest ‘no holds barred’ tournaments, shaved his head and left the obligatory UFC lines of hair, shaved his goatee into the ‘Chuck Liddell’ style droop moustache and had the ‘buy your cola here’ in Chinese tattooed on his arms and Maori designs on his shoulders He’d also hit the weights – but in the wrong way, he’d been bench pressing and ‘pushing’ big time, this had lifted his rib cage and separated the internal connection between upper and lower body, the shoulder development had also broken the arm to … Continue reading MMA Or Karate?

ArticlesLeave a comment

How To Hammer And Screw Your Opponent

Steve Rowe

How To Hammer And Screw Your Opponent “Sensei ni rei!”  Everyone bowed with sensei. “Otagani rei!”  Everyone bowed again. “Kiritsu!”  We all stood up. “Sonoba zuki!” We prepared to deliver a basic punch from a natural standing position. Sensei looked thoughtful for a moment and then said “Yamee”..  we all stood down. “This evening, ladies and gentleman, I will teach you how to hammer and screw your opponent.”  Sensei had that mischievous look in his eye and knew the effect that his play on words would have.  Everyone suddenly looked far more interested… “I’ve been ‘hammered’ a few times” said … Continue reading How To Hammer And Screw Your Opponent

PoemsLeave a comment

The Beast That Lurks Within

Steve Rowe

The Beast That Lurks Within What darkness lurks within the depths of man…….. Rip away the social face, Tear off the generations of social conditioning, And what do you find? The slavering beast that lurks within………. See the momentary glint in the eye as a pretty girl walks by, The violent lurch within the breast as the car cuts in front, The first tendency toward total immorality as a fistful of money is offered…… See the mob violence take over with little incitement….. Crazed soldiers committing rape and genocide in the name of their culture, Jealousy and hate in the … Continue reading The Beast That Lurks Within

PoemsLeave a comment

Diversity and Compassion…

Steve Rowe

Diversity and Compassion… I was brought up in the streets of South London, Worked in the Fire Brigade and security teams, Also on road laying gangs, And then in the Martial Arts. Always with groups of men, We ridiculed everyone, including ourselves, If we didn’t like someone, We hit them. Do you want a slap? Give him a dig, Don’t like him, Knock him out. That was our reaction to everything, Like children spitting their dummies, Losing intelligence and getting angry, Then just wanting to hurt someone. It was natural to insult everyone, Different colour, different size, Different gender or … Continue reading Diversity and Compassion…

PoemsLeave a comment

It’s Yesterday No More

Steve Rowe

It’s Yesterday No More What you think you were yesterday, You weren’t. What you think you are today, You’re not. Memories are false, They’re what you want to make them. If you’re troubled, You think they’re bad. If you’re happy, You think they were good, But everyone there will see them different, Just like witnesses at a crime scene. What you were and what you are now is not true, It’s just your opinion, What you did or didn’t do, Is being judged by someone who is biased. Biased by culture, plagued by guilt, Sometimes hurt that is hidden, Festering … Continue reading It’s Yesterday No More

ArticlesLeave a comment

Injury Prevention

Steve Rowe

“Find a space and work on your grading kata.” Working independently was a good way of making us work harder and on what we needed most.  It also gave sensei a good method of getting around to each of us and giving individual feedback and advice on what techniques we needed concentrate. “Oh Jeeez!”   Crash!  Rosie hit the floor like a sack of spuds.  We all looked around wondering what had happened as we were working on our own it was the last thing we expected. “My knee’s just gone.” Rosie was lying on the floor clutching her knee.  Sensei … Continue reading Injury Prevention

ArticlesLeave a comment

Why Karateka Can’t Make A Stance

Steve Rowe

“Junzuki hidari gamae…..  ich!” The smell of freshly starched karategi’s filled the Dojo, mixed with the incense from the joss sticks that Sensei had burned that morning at the Kamiza (shrine) during his shinto ritual, it made a heady odour that added to the flavour of our Sunday morning training. Sunlight flashed on the highly polished wooden floor, sensei’s Japanese pronunciation powered from his seiki tanden as he counted and gave commands and drove his ki to add to the mixture and invigorate the students. “Mawatte…(turn)…  ich!”  Everyone turned and kiai’d together.  There is something inherently tribal about moving and … Continue reading Why Karateka Can’t Make A Stance

Articles1 Comment

Powerful Grading Speech

Steve Rowe

I looked down the line of students ahead of me waiting to go out and perform their grading, theirkarategi trousers were quivering as a result of shaky legs… Out on the floor I could hear the call of the Sensei, “ich, ni, san, shi, go, rokku, shichi, hatch, kyu, ju!” “EEEEYYYYAAAH!” the responding kiai came from the students already out there strutting their stuff under the watchful eye of Sensei and other club instructors officiating.  I could just glimpse Sensei’s impassive face occasionally between some of the students nervously awaiting their turn to grade. Why do we put ourselves under … Continue reading Powerful Grading Speech

Articles1 Comment

Defence Against The Self

Steve Rowe

We had a ‘free’ training night in the sense that sensei let everyone work on whatever they wanted to and he came around helping people individually.  It was an excellent way of learning as it enabled us to practice and get help with what we thought we needed to work on. Bernie was not a young man, he was what sensei would call an ‘earth’ person, obsessed with the practicality of everything and unable to see the health, skill and art aspects to what we did – and it showed on his face as he watched the younger Aaron working … Continue reading Defence Against The Self