Living in New England, winter weather can sometimes create disruptions in schedule. The last couple of weeks we have been hit by a record amount of snow and this has cancelled some of our regular training. But while it is a bummer to miss training together, it is also an opportunity. Of course it can be an opportunity to skip training all together and catch up on other things, spend some time at home, and relax, but of course that is not what I am talking about. One of the best things about our practice is that it does not require a lot of space, or a lot of equipment. A snow day is a good time to train at home alone. Figure out what you can do without the dojo, and without other people to help you along. You are in charge of your training anyway, so don’t not train just because the dojo is closed for the day.

When I was a bit younger on occasion we went out and trained in the snow. I will always remember the pink footprints from doing sanchin in the snow and getting little cuts on my feet from the thin layer of ice on top. Good memory, probably not the smartest training ever. But while you don’t need to head outside to train on a snow day you should take the opportunity and run your own training. If you are not doing that regularly, you are not really training our arts anyway!

I have seen a fair number of demonstrations over the years, and afterwards there is the inevitable de-brief. Most of the time this consists of a minute examination of exactly what the group in question has done wrong. Poor mechanics, sloppy organization, no contact, unrealistic application, poor conditioning, lousy tactics, bad posture, improper grammar, the list seems endless. Often these criticisms are valid. I have seen people teaching exercises that were so bio-mechanically incorrect I wanted to run into their class and cry out for everyone to stop before they damaged themselves. I have seen kata done so poorly I wanted to cry, and I have been told to do things visiting a class that were so absurd I have simply refused. So after seeing or experiencing these things it seems the conversation is inevitable: “how can they do that?!?”, “why do the students stay?”, “doesn’t the teacher know any better?”. All accompanied by a gratifying sense that while we may be making some mistakes at least we are doing better than….

But while this is pretty common it is also something I try to limit in myself. A number of years ago I went to a demo with two friends. The groups were all pretty bad- bad mechanics, a hilarious lecture on how to stay out of the center of mass attacks followed by the lecturer demonstrating by jumping right between two attackers, and a number of groups who got stage fright and lost track of their presentations. Most of the participants were pretty young, but one group had an older (probably early 40s) member who gamely followed along with the rest of his dojo. During the after-demo conversations, while we took the various demos apart one of my training partners said something along the lines of: well, that older fellow was doing well. He remained un-flustered when his group got lost, worked hard, and showed that someone in their 40s can train with college kids.

Out of what was admittedly a sea of pretty bad practices he had found something good to say and in the years since I have tried to take that lesson to heart. It is sometimes hard, but most of the time you can find something good in just about anyone’s practice. They get a good workout, the dojo has a safe and welcoming atmosphere, specific elements of their movement or application are unusual and interesting, there is almost always something.

Finding those good things and noticing them is important. On a practical level you are far better off training yourself to see what a potential opponent does well than what they do poorly; it’s what they do well you need to worry about. But more importantly, what you pay attention to is an indication of who you are. Are your arts teaching you respect for other human beings or are they teaching you to be critical and dismissive? Do you spend your time figuring out ways you are better than everyone around you, or are you comfortable with yourself and more interested in what others are doing well, what you can learn from them? Can you simply be happy for someone else doing something they enjoy, or do you have to degrade any part of it that you do not think is the “right” way to practice?

I’m not suggesting that all practice methods are equal, they are not. I’m not suggesting anything everyone does is just wonderful; sometimes it sucks. But I am suggesting that constant denigration of other peoples’ practice Is both unnecessary and often subtly self-destructive.  So next time you see a demo try to see the good side of what people are doing before criticizing them. It feels different, gives you a different perspective on what you are seeing. It opens up alternative areas of examination and can limit the self-importance that often comes with criticism. It can make watching or trying out someone else’s practice a much more enriching experience. And since karate begins and ends with politeness, shouldn’t we pay attention to what our mothers told us and if we can’t say something nice….

What purpose does rank serve? This is not a rhetorical question, I would really like an answer that makes sense. So far I don’t have one. Rank is so deeply imbedded in the culture of the Okinawan martial arts (interestingly enough even more so in the West than in Okinawa, but that is another topic) that it is impossible for many people to conceive of the arts without it. But remember, rank in Okinawa is a pretty new thing. Funakoshi awarded his first dan rankings in 1924 and those were probably the first in any karate system. It took a while, really until after the war, before they became common in Okinawa. So they are not very old. And in all seriousness, what purpose do they serve?

Some people say that they help in teaching, letting the instructor know where the student is supposed to be. To that I reply that if your teacher does not know where you are at, go somewhere else, they are not paying attention. And if classes are so large such a system is needed you are not learning real karate anyway.

I have heard that they give people motivation for learning. OK. That may be good, for kids. But not for adults. In my opinion one of the main points of karate training is self motivation, and self discipline. If you have those you don’t need an external measure to keep going. Indeed, striving for such an external measure runs contrary to the ideals of the art.

But they are really really popular. People invest a lot of themselves in their rank. So much so that some people lie about it, switch teachers just to get rank, and do a variety of other things that say that the rank is somehow the real goal. They display it, insist on being referred to using it, and often seem to think that it says something about their personal attributes and ability, even outside the dojo.

But does it? Rank in one dojo seems to be unrelated to rank in another, at least in terms of ability. Certainly there is no universal measure of what any rank means. What about an out of shape former yudansha who has not trained in 10 years? Is his higher rank a measure of his greater ability compared to someone who has been training regularly the last 5 years? If rank is a measure of skill shouldn’t it be tested periodically and then shouldn’t people who have slipped in skill lose rank? If that is not the case (and I have never seen that done) then it is not a measure of skill. If it is a measure of time training couldn’t we just skip the idea of testing and give people a new rank every x years? That would make more sense anyway. I have literally seen a black belt get hit by a lower rank and say “you can’t hit me, I’m a black belt”. Really? Your rank now means more than the reality of training?

So rank doesn’t help with teaching, is not a real indicator of skill, and is not universal. I still can’t see the point. It seems to breed ego, and can hold people back, letting them think their rank defines what they can do along with what they should be able to do. I can’t think of any way rank makes things better, and honestly we would probably be better off without it. I have trained in arts that do not have a ranking system, or have a much simpler one (instructor and student, for example). In many ways they are clearer training environments. The only measure of status is skill, which can only be demonstrated on the floor. The teacher is the teacher because he or she can both do and teach, and because they have earned the student’s respect, not because they have more stripes on their belt, or a cool title, or some other nonsense. That makes more sense to me. It strips away a layer of obfuscation and puts it out there- what can you do, not what rank are you.

Isn’t that more important anyway?

It was a great 10 days training with Liu sifu. The weekend seminar went well, and the private and evening class trainings were also good- plenty of sweat, new (and old) things to work on, and of course getting to spend some time with a friend and teacher. As usual everyone helped make the visit go off well. Thank you to everyone who turned out to train with us, and to everyone who helped make the event go so well. Special thanks to Corey Tedrow and Jim Baab for helping make Sifu’s stay comfortable, to Mirakian sensei for hosting the seminar in his dojo, and of course to Liu sifu for coming this far to work with us. It has been good as always to see him and I’ll miss him between now and his next visit (or mine there, depending on which happens first) but I am glad he is headed home to spend some much needed time with his family after a long trip.

But while the visit was great and it is always good to see a friend and teacher I am really looking forward to a very special event tonight. Tonight is….. regular training at our dojo! Special events and visits like this are a wonderful part of what comes with pursuit of an art like ours. They help us correct our practice, give us things to work on, and can both introduce new ideas and give a different perspective on what we are already doing. They also give us a chance to spend some time with friends from far away- from Taiwan for sifu, but from a variety of places for our other kung’fu brothers and sisters. This too is a wonderful benefit of martial practice. But while the special events are great, and time with one’s teachers absolutely necessary for improvement in any martial art, the meat of it, the day in and day out sweat, pain, and joy of practice, happens here at home. In the dojo or in the backyard, basement, or park, this is where it happens. I am really looking forward to seeing dojo mates and students and just practicing. That’s the real stuff!

We had another great weekend training Feeding Crane with Liu sifu. Interesting material, excellent instruction, and a great group of people to share it with. We had folks from as far away as Colorado join us, as well as people from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and around Massachusetts, including Belchertown and Rockport as well as folks from closer in to Boston. One fun thing about these seminars is that we also get a real mix of styles here- people who train in Uechi Ryu, Goju Ryu, and a couple of different Chinese arts were here, among others. Some have a good deal of background in Feeding Crane, some none, but everyone worked hard, and brought what they already knew to the table (in a good way!). It was especially nice to see some new faces and introduce them to the system. We always have a group of committed people at these weekends, and this was no different- the energy and focus in the room was great to be a part of.

Feeding Crane Seminar, Watertown, MA November 2014

Thank you again to Liu sifu for his instruction, and to all the folks who came out for their effort and energy. I am already looking forward to the next time!

Liu sifu is in town and we’ll be starting the Boston Feeding Crane seminar tomorrow morning at 10. Looking forward to seeing all our kung-fu brothers and sisters, and to a great weekend of training!

Hello all,

just a reminder that it is 2 weeks until Liu sifu is here! If you have not gotten me your sign-up paperwork, or at least let me know you are definitely coming, please do! It is going to be a great weekend, and I am looking forward to seeing and training with everyone, and to Liu sifu’s instruction!

We just had a really fun weekend with the OKDR folks. The training was excellent and I always look forward to seeing everyone when we get together. Neil Stolsmark sensei does a fantastic job leading the group, and the rest of the group is just plain good people- fun to train with and fun to hang out with afterwards. (Just don’t ask about the cow joke.)

Weekends like this also remind me what a great group we have here in Boston. I’m lucky, and honored, to have such great students; their hard work speaks for itself. I am even more lucky to have such good friends and training partners.

Looking forward to the next get-together, and especially to training here tomorrow night!

Hello all,

Liu sifu’s seminar here in Boston is just a month away! As usual, it will be a great weekend of training- good people to work with, interesting and challenging information, and of course excellent instruction from Liu sifu. The seminar is open to both experienced Feeding Crane practitioners and first-time participants- there is plenty in the power generation (ji bei gong) and sensitivity training alone for all levels to work on, and the seminar will also be covering other material, including application, reaction training, and forms.

Ka tsen application

If you have not signed up yet there is still space. If you have friends or training partners that are interested please feel free to pass the seminar information (it is here) on to them. The seminar is limited to 35 people, so if you have not signed up yet please do!

Looking forward to seeing everyone for a great weekend of training in November!