Karate Talk

The 3 Cats

With many respects to my Swedish friend Chadie (link to her blog is in the left sidebar), I am reprinting a story she posted, that she heard from her Sensei. This is a marvelous story!!

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THE STORY OF THE THREE CATS

There was a samurai who had a rat in his house and could not get rid of it. He acquired a superb cat, stalwart and robust. But the rat was quicker and simply made a fool of it. Then the samurai got another cat, more cunning and astute. But the rat was on his guard and hid except when the cat was asleep.

Then a Zen monk from a nearby temple lent the samurai his own cat, the most ordinary-looking cat you could imagine, that spent all its time drowsing and napping and paid no attention to anything around it. The samurai shrugged and said the cat was no good, but the monk insisted he keep it.

So the cat stayed and slept and slept, and soon the rat grew bold again and began trotting back and forth right in front of the cat, which showed absolutely no interest in it. Then one day, with one swipe of its paw, it caught the rat and pinned it down.

This story I found in The Zen way to the martial art of Taisen Deshimaru.

First time I heard it was from my teacher in karate. He said that was the story behind one special karate kata, Meikyo.

- But what it has to do with the kata I don't know, my teacher said, and shrugged.

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I love Meikyo. It's a rarely performed Shotokan kata which is fun and challenging. But what the story of the Zen cat has to do with it, I too do not know. Meikyo means "Mirror of the Soul", and honestly, it's one of the few kata names that I've not yet been able to really "understand", in the sense of how it applies to the kata itself, or what in the kata leads to such a statement.

But I guarantee, I will be thinking about these things a lot in the days to come!!

Does Karate Suck?

Since I love my martial art, and love discussing it with other enthusiasts, I have been known to search the web for Shotokan-related websites, along with more general martial arts sites. Since I work in internet marketing in real life, I have also been known to search the stats on this blog, because I'm always curious to see what search terms led a visitor to my little karate blog.

The results often really depress me. I have been found, numerous times, by people searching under "karate sucks". I don't happen to think karate sucks, so it's a bit unfortunate for me to attract people who do. It is for them, too, since they certainly won't find backup for their beliefs on my blog. When I look at the other search results for that term, I find a number of articles, blogs, and discussion boards. Some are tongue-in-cheek, but most are not. Almost all engage in vicious karate-bashing:

"It's not a real martial art" "Less than useless" "Totally ineffective in real life" "Totally corrupted" "All about making money for those Japanese guys who teach it" "They just make fun of you while they take your money"... and on, and on, and on.

My first reaction was a combination of shock and horror, along with a fair degree of anger. Not real, huh? Not effective? Attack me in a dark alley, I'll show you how effective it can be. All about the money? The money-grubbing Senseis make fun of us to each other? How dare you say such things about my Sensei, and about Master Yaguchi and Master Okazaki and the other wonderful instructors I've had the unparalleled privilege of training with? Less than useless? I guess if you consider something that strengthens you in body, mind and spirit useless, then you would be right... but I have no clue what you would deem worthwhile if that is the case.

At first I dismissed most of it as ignorant hot-heads, teenagers who like to be outrageous and pick a fight, who love to hear the sound of their own voice. To be fair, plenty of those articles and discussion boards blasted other forms of martial arts as well. The better known the martial art, the more abuse it came in for. And there were numerous heated arguments about which was "better", and why. Once my anger wore off, I realized sadly that many of these posts and articles were by people who truly were that disillusioned and angry themselves. I had to wonder how in the world they had gotten such a horrible experience from something so beneficial to me.

I didn't have to look very far for the answer. Right here in my town, we have several martial arts dojos that we derisively (and, yes, very disrespectfully) refer to as "Buy A Belt" dojos. One guarantees you a black belt in two years if you pay $1000.00 up front. Another one bills itself as "The Oldest and Best Traditional Karate Dojo", despite the fact that our dojo has been here more than twice as long, and not only does our instructor outrank that instructor, but 3 of our STUDENTS outrank that instructor. We have one group that specializes in "Karate for Kids", which is largely putting on a gi and playing games and running around, and when the disappointed parents bring those children over to our classes, we have to strip their blue, purple or brown belts and start them off all over again, because they know literally nothing about real karate. They get discouraged and frustrated and don't last long. And those are just the local examples. One major studio down in Denver forces their students to buy all gear through them, for a nice markup, among other things.

I can only imagine the frustration of paying a lot of money, and investing two years, to get something that really was worthless. I can only imagine the frustration of a system which makes you pay for all of your gis, all of your gloves, all of your belts, and any other gear you might use, through their own store, and charges you more than you would pay elsewhere. I can only imagine the frustration of needing to use a martial art in a real-world situation, and finding that what you learned was useless.

I feel sorry for the frustration that these people feel, and doubly lucky to have fallen, pretty much by accident, into a well-established, fully credentialed, very reputable, and incredibly educational karate system. We get our belts because we EARN them, through rigorous training and testing. And you don't always pass the tests either. If you advance, you can know that you've worked hard and achieved something new.

There will always be those who refuse to believe me or think that I am deluded somehow, there will always be those who argue that their martial art is better than mine, there will always be those who argue with me simply for the sake of arguing.

To you all I say one thing: Karate does not suck.

I will go farther: NO martial art "sucks". There are some I do not practice, and some I would not care to practice. But that is not the fault of the martial art. It is due to my personal inclination, my spirit and my approach to life. If I meet someone who practices another martial art and clearly lacks skill and control, I do not blame the martial art. I might blame the instructor, I might blame the student, if I knew enough background, or more likely I would simply shake my head and avoid them.

In karate, as in life, what you get out of it depends quite a lot on what you put into it. If you feel you are putting in a lot, and getting nothing back, then it's time you took a step back and examined your organization, your dojo, your instructor, and yourself.

No Rumors, No Gossip in Karate

The motto for this year in our Mountain States region is not to spread rumors and not to indulge in gossip. Although this was specifically stated for the karate dojos, I am having the opportunity to practice it in real life as well. Unexpected occurrences at my job had question marks above my head until just a few minutes ago, and now the questions have been answered. It's the sort of major shake-up that just begs to be talked about.

Before Kangeiko, before Master Yaguchi's warning to us all not to indulge in gossip this year, maybe I would have gone ahead and told an off-site employee what was up. I hate the idea that she doesn't know. She's going to be so upset, she's good friends with the man in question. I would like to warn her before she gets the phone call from the boss with the official word so she doesn't say something she shouldn't.

The reason I have not done so is not just some blind obedience to Master Yaguchi. It has everything to do with my respect for Master Yaguchi, which led me to do some serious thinking after he passed on his "motto of the year" to us during Kangeiko. He never does anything without a purpose, and I started thinking of various karate events in our region, the nation, and worldwide, which could have led to such a caution. There certainly have been things which would give rise to a lot of talking. He said one thing that really stuck with me: "If it comes from your mouth, you must take responsibility for it."

At work, passing on this news is not my responsibility. I have no doubt that I will be discussing it with some people later on, but hopefully not in a gossip-y way. I will be watching my words, that is for certain, trying to be as fair as possible to all concerned.

This is a perfect example of how karate and life intertwine. What is good and relevant in one, is good and relevant in the other. Gossip and rumors hurt the dojo, they lead to unnecessary division and hurt feelings, it weakens the individuals and weakens the group. This is true in my workplace, where we've had too many rumors and too much back-stabbing, leading to an atmosphere of suspicion and defensiveness totally out of proportion to the small size of our company. This is true among friends and in families, where careless words wreak havoc.

I don't think I'm too bad about gossiping. But this year, and hopefully ever after, I will try to be that much more careful.

The Reality of Karate-do

Here's the truth about karate-do: It means that it is a path through life.

It does not mean that it IS your life, or that it has to be. It does not mean that karate is more important than anything else. It does not mean that karate comes before everything else.

Karate-do is both choice, and beyond choice. You choose to do karate, but once it is your path through life, you can't walk away from it, because it is part of you. In the same way, people choose to have a family, they choose a career, they choose where to live. You can walk away from any of these things, but they are always part of you. Being a parent, I am sure, changes you forever. Working in a certain career will give you experiences that you learn from, and those stay with you. If you move away from a place, you will carry with you memories.

I have chosen karate-do. I'm not sure exactly when it changed from "I do karate" to "I do karate-do". I know it wasn't an instant thing. I think that somewhere in the second or third year of my karate training I started to integrate it into my everyday life, and it became more than just a hobby or something I did for fun and fitness. I had taken it seriously before, but the time came when it was more. So now, karate attitudes, karate training, karate learning, permeate my everyday world. I strive to live the dojo kun in and out of the dojo, I strive to exercise respect and control in all areas of my life.

But all of that does not mean that karate is my whole world, and karate was never meant to be. It is part of a greater whole, which must be a balanced whole. I can have goals, hopes, and dreams for my karate, but I must never let those be more important than things like my father's illness.

I was very tired last night. I'm not so discouraged today, and I'm hopefully a little more realistic. I almost deleted the post from yesterday, but instead I just edited out the parts that didn't really pertain to karate. I left the post up because I think that an honest blog about karate will include the fact that you get discouraged, that you get distracted, that you will have goals you strive for but do not achieve, that you sometimes wonder what is or even should be the most important thing in your life.

Karate is beautiful, but it is not always simple. Karate-do will present you with choices that have no easy answers, no right answers. And this too is part of growing up as a martial artist. You make the choices you make, and you must understand that sometimes, you may end up regretting them.

Could have, should have, would have

I'm not having a great night, and it came on me unexpectedly. I am having regrets. Not over something specific, although there are many specific things I could list. It's more general. I don't know why I should be like this. I feel like a spoiled brat, whining that I don't have enough.

Could have, should have, would have.

There was a dream I had for karate this year. Maybe it wasn't very realistic, but I had it anyway, and my plan was to work for it, quietly. I'm already too late though, I'm not going to get it. It's going to someone younger, stronger, with more potential. She also has the advantage of more convenience, more opportunity. She's been training harder, has fewer injuries, lives in Denver so she can train under Master Yaguchi all the time. I am trying hard to be a mature adult about it, and to remind myself of the commitments that just simply had to come first this year. But I can't help thinking, I should have put more time in, should have done this, should have re-arranged that, should have fought through the other thing. If the goal was important enough for me to be sad over, then I should have worked harder for it. It doesn't help that I tried to turn that to motivation tonight at training, and instead, lost my legs halfway through training; I was suddenly tired and my muscles would not respond the way I wanted them to. I felt weak and unworthy. I bet if I had been training harder, more consistently, had been better about conditioning, I would be doing better now.

Could have, should have, would have.

I'm sure dad's illness is affecting me. I know I should keep a strong and positive attitude. I want to, I really do, but I know that my father is not so young, not so strong. So I fear. I don't know what choices I should have made differently in the past 10 years, but I've been so busy that I've barely seen my father, and now, I feel I should have been with him more. It distracts me from work, from karate, from everything. But I should not consider this a "distraction". My dad is more important.

Could have, should have, would have.

There is the distinct possibility that I am very tired. But I don't know the right thing to do anymore, I don't even know what to care about most. If I were really an adult, I wouldn't be thinking this way.

Could have, should have, would have.

What is Kangeiko?

I was surprised to see Chadie say that they don't have Kangeiko at her dojo, or even in her country that she knows of. Since I know that it is widespread in Japan, the United States and the UK, and not just for Shotokan, I assumed that every martial artist in the world knew all about Kangeiko and did it each year!

Since that is not the case, I thought that I would share with everyone the flyer for this year's Kangeiko in Mountain States Region, JKA, ISKF, under Master Yaguchi:

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Kangeiko 2004!

What is Kangeiko?

The purpose of Kangeiko is to start the New Year with a high level of effort, renewed excitement and spirit, and a commitment to carry on for the rest of the year. Many people from around the region and even from out of state participate. This is a great way to meet more of your fellow Karate-ka!

Winter training is a traditional way for martial artists to hone their fighting spirit by purifying the mind and overcoming hardship. In Japan, this may involve outdoor training or opening the doors and windows during class (we don't do that).

This training is in addition to your regular classes! The point is not to skip your other classes because you came to Kangeiko training this morning... the point is to make the extra effort to keep your regular schedule as well!

Students who have difficulty making it to all of the classes are welcome to come to one or two, or as many as you can. We encourage you to come for the Saturday class and the breakfast afterward -- that's the most fun!

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Although in years past I have made the full Kangeiko week (every morning training in Denver, every regular training in my regular dojo), this year, it just wasn't possible. Between injuries and other commitments, Saturday was the only day I could go. So this morning I got up dark and early, and headed out into the cold night for the long drive. It was great to be there, to see people. It felt good to hear they had missed me at the other trainings. Oded came from Israel again and I got to see him. It was a hard training, it was crowded, I got my knuckles scraped badly by someone who hadn't cut their toenails, and got my foot stepped on hard by someone else due to the crowded dojo... in other words, a very typical Kangeiko in some ways! The dojo was filled with people all trying so hard, shouts of encouragement and enthusiasm rang through the air. After it was all over we got to spend an hour eating, drinking, and catching up, then me and my boyfriend headed home in mid-morning... it had already been a full day.

I am tired tonight. When I got home, I had the opportunity to spend the afternoon with a good friend whose busy schedule prohibits many personal activities (she has 2 sons under the age of 3 and her own massage therapy business!), and spent a great afternoon getting a deep muscle massage and seeing a movie, forgoing my usual post-Kangeiko nap!

I am tired. I am stiff and sore. My knuckles hurt, my foot hurts, but none of it matters. Even from just one day of Kangeiko, I am so uplifted and motivated.

If your dojo, region, state or country does not offer Kangeiko sessions, I encourage everyone to try to get them started each January. It really is just the most amazing experience.

Kangeiko and Personal Struggles

I should have been doing Kangeiko this week. In years past I have diligently risen at 4:00AM every morning of Kangeiko week, driven through the dark (and often the snow) to get to Denver and train for an hour, then driven home as the sun rose. This year, I knew I'd only be able to do Monday and Saturday, because of my work schedule. Sunday afternoon I pulled a muscle, badly, and between that and a sore foot I missed Monday. I woke up at 4:00AM, got out of bed, took 2 steps across the cold floor in the dark, and realized there was no way it was going to happen. So I went back to bed and slept until 10:00AM. I've been pretty much not myself this past week, this is just another symptom.

It's odd, in a way, not to have done Kangeiko. I can't help but wonder if I would feel better overall if I'd had the chance to go, if I could have steeled myself to this mentally and physically exhausting, yet uplifting, experience of starting the karate year and setting your spirit. But in past years, the thought of it was challenging -- I knew I'd be tired, but it was an exciting challenge. This year, it seemed overwhelming from the beginning.

Part of me doesn't even want to go tomorrow. Part of it is because I don't want to get up at 4:00AM when it's the end of the week and I'm tired, but I'm realizing that part of it is because I will feel slightly shamed in their presence, me on my first day and them with their Kangeiko faces on, the exhaustion and triumph of completing a week of personal challenge shining. I won't get to feel that way, and I will probably have regrets.

I couldn't have done it this week though, however little I like to admit that. Even if I didn't have to be in to work as early as I do, I couldn't have done it. I didn't even make regular training Monday night, so painful were my leg and foot. I made Wednesday and gave a creditable training but far from my normal level of energy and ability. I've barely made it through work, and yesterday, my hard-won sanguinity disappeared, and I snapped at my co-worker. She had provoked it and had it coming, and she was on her best behavior after that (for which everyone else thanked me), but none of that makes me feel any better about it. Last night I was very down, upset by my father's situation, upset about the injuries, upset about Kangeiko, upset about the turmoil that's gone on this week in my workplace, and upset by my own inability to deal with it all.

I woke up at 4:00AM to the sound of my poor kitty, who has a cold, having terrible coughing spasms. They lasted over half an hour and I couldn't go back to sleep for worrying about her, and feeling sorry for her, coughing and miserable in the cold dark house. I turned on a light and talked to her to keep her company. Finally, the spasms wore off. An exhausted kitty crawled onto the bed and I allowed her under the covers, where she snuggled in and fell promptly to sleep, purring slightly as she snored. In the dark, I was warm, I was loved, and I drifted back to sleep floating on air.

I woke an hour later feeling better than I have in a week. This morning, I am myself again. I will get up and do the last day of Kangeiko tomorrow, and will be very happy I have done so, and shared even a little of it. Today, I will get more work done and be happier.

I am better, and stronger, for the struggles of the past week, and I have set my spirit firmly on a strong and optimistic path. In a way, I did have my Kangeiko this week. It just wasn't in the form it usually is.

Karate is beauty, and beauty, karate... or something like that...

Karate, like any martial art, is many things to many people.

To some, it is merely a hobby, a good way to stay flexible or stay fit, they enjoy the karate-ka they train with and consider it like being in a social club. They can train for years, advance intermittently, and never demand more.

To some, it is their workout, their way of getting or staying in shape, and they take it very seriously on a personal level, but have only personal goals, and of a limited range. They don't care about advancement or achievement so much as leaving feeling like they got a great workout, and easily bypass anything else.

To some, it is a sport, not just a way to get in shape but also a chance to compete, and to be part of a team atmosphere. They care deeply about advancing and achieving, but eventually most will burn out because the advancements are fewer and farther between, the achievements not so public and harder to attain, and rarely rewarded with the glory that other sports offer.

To some, it is a connection with Eastern mysticism, enlightenment through hard work, spiritual growth through a rigorous regimen such as that practiced by monks. They will work and work, indefinitely, absorbed in the process as much as the end goal, which can never really be attained anyway.

To some, it is something they do because their parents make them do it, or their partner does it and they want to share something with them. They may train, and train regularly, but they may never care much one way or the other.

To some, it is a path through life, something they do for a number of reasons, and something they get rewarded for on a number of levels. They will continue to train as part of what they do in life, and they will sometimes find rewards, sometimes disappointments, and continue to strive for the best they can get.

To some, it is an endeavor that they thought would lead them to enlightenment, they thought would enrich their lives on a number of levels, but it somehow fails to do so. For them, it is a disappointment, something they regard bitterly, feeling betrayed that karate failed to live up to the high ideal they set for it.

Whatever karate is to you, that's what it is to you. Just you. You can try to explain it to someone else, but you cannot force them to see it the same way or want the same things. Karate to me is karate-do, my path through life. Sometimes I get great joy from it, sometimes great frustration. I've accomplished things that are very rewarding, and battled against frustrations and disappointments in the form of injuries, poor performance, and conflicts with senseis or students. For me, the journey is its own reward, so I continue to work hard and try my best, because I feel it makes me stronger on all levels.

I know several people who do karate for social and fitness reasons. They come to the dojo to have fun, they think it's a great way to stay in shape and they enjoy the people. They don't wish to be pushed at a competition level or guilt-tripped if they miss trainings here or there. For them, this is what they want, so for me, that is all I can want for them. And I appreciate them for what they have to offer in that context.

I know other people who are all about competition, and get frustrated by those who aren't driven in the same ways, and get frustrated that a strong performance in competition does not elevate their status somehow above what it was before that tournament. For them, they want glory, so that is all I can want for them. I've seen them come and go, however, for our competitions don't offer what they ultimately seek.

I know people who expected to become some visionary, god-like martial artist, who thought that karate organizations would be completely free of infighting and politics, and who are bitterly disillusioned by the reality that people are still people, in karate or out of it. Senseis can be unfair or play favorites. Students can have personal rivalries that taint their interactions. Schisms can occur within the organization as people take sides in such battles. I too went through my period of pain and disillusionment as I realized that karate is not above such pettiness. I had to decide just why I did karate, and who I did it for. I realized that I do it for myself, as a life journey of strength and self-improvement, and the rewards far outweigh the disappointments in my eyes. I will never be an almost-godlike martial artist, but I have come a long way and hope to go a lot farther.

Whatever karate is to you (or whichever martial art you pursue), never fail to realize that it is, after all, a human endeavor, and as such will have built-in flaws and weaknesses. Do not make it so important in your eyes that it cannot survive such knowledge. But never forget that it is also a path that can offer much reward and enlightenment for those who seek patiently.

Focus in the time of Famine

The world can change on you so quickly, it throws off your center of balance. I've been so set on my personal goals for myself this year, which is all well and good, but suddenly, I've been rocked.

My father has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. So far, it doesn't look too bad, but we'll know more on Tuesday. I've read up on it a lot since finding out yesterday afternoon, and I see all the reasons not to panic. But still.

This is my dad. This is cancer.

The past 24 hours -- not even that yet I guess -- haven't been much fun. I want to be calm and positive, but I'm afraid. I want desperately to have someone to be mad at, but I can't blame this on anyone. I want it to be Thursday, before I knew, but that wouldn't change the reality which is. I've been down this road before. My best friend died of Hodgkin's Disease when she was just 28, after 3 years of hope then sorrow. I will, in some ways, never get over her loss, but my life goes on, I know this. I'm happy, I have a great life. Somehow it all fits, and it all works out as it was meant to according to some larger plan I don't understand.

So, I try to carry on my normal routine. This morning I arose after restless dreams, got on my gi, and went to training. I trained, then taught, then worked on sparring. Then I sat out by the duck pond in the sun, just like last week. Just the same. But it isn't. At weird times in the middle of all the karate today, my brain went suddenly blank. The world slowed and then stopped for a moment, to the point that it disoriented me. Keeping my focus was the hardest I can remember in a long, long time.

It's so easy when everything is going well. It's harder when it's not. But, it's still so important, and it still counts. And doing my karate routine today helped me still myself on some small level, from the panic that wishes to rise.

Karate Friends and Karate-do

One of the greatest, most unique things about the martial arts community is how it transcends all other boundaries: Time, space, distance, age, gender, race, politics, etc. Those who follow karate-do (the karate "path", or way of life) have something in common that is so powerful and deep, it creates an instant bond.

One of the great joys I've had in the past few weeks is having my karate blog read by other karate-ka and other martial artists, a few of whom have posted comments or sent me emails. In particular, I've gotten to know (through virtual reality) a woman in Sweden, who along with her husband and 2 sons practices martial arts and has for years. She's been kind enough to give me feedback, make comments, and express her own point of view, and now has written a post for her own blog (http://www.sodergren.com/chadie/english/) about some of her experiences in martial arts, and her family's involvement. I may never meet her in person, but I feel like I am getting to know her and like her, and I feel already that we could be friends. I feel this way because of what we've shared about karate, why it's important to us, and how we look at it.

I never seem to get tired of hearing other people's karate stories: Why did you start, what is your history, what have your experiences been? I love how I can compare it to my own experiences, and how it can open my mind to new ideas.

Karate, to me, is so much more than just some hobby, or some way to stay physically fit. It has been a physical and spiritual journey, one that offers me continual challenges, enlightenment, and rewards. The friends I make along this karate path are one of the greatest and most unexpected rewards.