Over the years I've seen many people become disheartened, frustrated, or even angry when struggling with a new concept, technique, etc. I've been giving it some thought and it's likely because they see their instructor or even more experienced classmates either perform the technique with ease.
As I've posted on here in previous blog entries, it's not about comparing yourself to other people. At least it shouldn't be. Your progress should be gauged by comparing yourself today, to yourself yesterday. If you look at it this way you will see your martial arts journey as a developmental path rather than a series of competitions.
We've all been in that position. We learn a technique and then struggle with it, or perform it awkwardly until practice does its work and it is then done with grace and power.
With the unfortunate end of the classes in Cheshire coming up I want to prepare some of you who may be choosing another karate school. Please know what you're looking for. I hope that you all continue your training and I'd like it to be with me, but I understand that location can be a big deciding factor for some. As I've said in person, I harbor no hard feelings for anyone who chooses to try something different. As your sensei I simply want what is best for you, your health, and your training.
Not all dojos are created equally though and at a glance they may all seem to look the same. Here are some things to look out for.
Belt factories.
These are dojos in which gaining promotions is both very easy (in fact, some places just require a certain number of months of attendance, not necessary any gain in skill), and very expensive. In many of these dojos there are formal "tests" which parents pay for. Essentially the sensei wont consider them for a promotion without this payment, and as your rank increases so does the price. I've heard of students paying over $1000 for their blackbelt test. As a sensei myself, I understand the need to make money. Unfortunately, running a dojo is expensive between insurance, travel expenses and everything else. These belt factories take it to a new level. Frankly I see it as little more than extortion and giving students a false sense of their ability.
The Kobra Kai
You may think that the villains of the original Karate Kid movie is fiction but unfortunately these people are out there and they're more common than you'd expect.
If you encounter a dojo that even remotely resembles this, I implore you to run the other way as quickly as possible. These are often very militaristic. They will say that "your child will learn discipline."
The discipline learned in true karate is having discipline over one's self, not being dominated weekly by an emotionally abusive sensei.
A dojo should be a family. It should not be boot camp for kids!
The Sensei Who Shouldn't Be
You don't need a college degree to become a sensei. There is really no governing system over who does or does not teach karate. As a result there is very little quality control. Here are some things to look for in a sensei who shouldn't be...
Does the sensei constantly strive to improve his/her skill? All too often we see someone earn their black belt, think they've "finished training" and then go on to open a dojo without ever working to learn more. Trust me, earning your black belt is not the end of your training, and if you think it is then you've missed the point.
Is the sensei 50+ pounds overweight? I respect people of all shapes, sizes, etc. but a sensei should be an example of healthy training/living for students. In our style we use the term "life protection" rather than "self defense." This is because a good sensei will teach you to protect yourself from a lot more than that rare occurrence that you are physically attacked. They'll teach you to protect yourself from heart disease, obesity, etc.
Does the sensei participate in class? This may seem like a silly question, but there are so many sensei out there who simply stand in the corner barking orders while students and "assistant instructors" do everything. Even Osensei, who is older than my grandmother still participates in every class that he teaches.
Also, find out about how knowledgeable the sensei actually is. There are far too many people out there who fool dozens of students and their families by being able to simply throw a few high kicks.
Even when staying a member of the dojo, students will often switch classes for several reasons. They could be switching to the adult class, they could be changing because the time/day of the other class works better for them, the classes themselves could change (this is rare, but it does happen). Since these things do happen, I decided to do a little write-up about switching classes. The benefits, the drawbacks, and things to keep in mind when deciding.
Can I make it to the class? This is a pretty major question. If you can't make it because it's too far away, or the day/time isn't right, then you shouldn't switch to that one. Luckily the "too far away" one won't be an issue since Sensei Pytel and I will be staying in the area for the foreseeable future.
Who is the instructor? While there have always been great benefits to working with different instructors, if you have a connection with a certain Sensei, or enjoy their teaching style you may want to switch to a class that they run. At the same time, don't be reluctant or intimidated to work with another Sensei in our dojo. They each have different strengths to pass on to you.
What do I need from a class? Some classes are designed to fit the needs of beginners or people just trying out karate classes (I.E. once a week afterschool programs, the intro classes, etc.). Some are for students who have been introduced to Shobayashi-Ryu and want to devote themselves to more serious training (I.E. The teen adult classes). Seriousness, skill, and maturity have a lot more to do with your readiness to join the teen adult class than your actual age. See my previous post on this subject.
Luckily, one aspect that students of our dojo don't have to worry about is what will be taught in the classes. In our dojo we teach all aspects of Shobayashi-Ryu to students. In many other dojos there is a specific night for kata, a specific night for sparring, etc. This is sometimes a problem because imagine you go to karate twice per week. Monday and Wednesday. Monday is kata night, and Wednesday is sparring night. Now let's say you have to miss Wednesday nights for three months because of football or another sport. This means you haven't gotten in the ring for three months!
I look forward to seeing each student in each of the classes!
Unfortunately, times have changed much since the birth of karate and it has had an effect on the way dojos are run.
Hundreds of years ago Masters wouldn't charge tuition fees to students, and they would only take on students who were committed to working hard and sticking with karate long term.
A Sensei became like a member of that karate-ka's family.
With rising costs of keeping a dojo, equipment, insurance, etc. dojos have had to become much more commercial in order to stay open. In my opinion, some have taken it too far.
You will see dojos out there that charge huge amounts of money, make you sign a contract saying you'll stay there for a certain amount of time, expensive "belt test" fees, and any other number of money making strategies.
In our dojo we charge enough to cover our costs as well as some compensation to each Sensei, but no Sensei in our dojo is making their living exclusively from teaching karate.
We strive to make the dojo more of a family than a business, which is good because I'm not a very good businessman. Not only does this work because it fits my personal philosophy and style, but it also teaches the students valuable lessons about life. Help others whenever you can, people are more important than profit, etc. Hopefully this is
This is a question that many young martial artists ask themselves. When is it time to leave the kids class and move on to a teen/adult class? Many
There is no set age for this. There used to be when I first started, but the various Sensei in the dojo realized that age wasn't the best factor in deciding this. It depends on the individual person and various factors such as ability, maturity, size, and social factors. Here are a few questions to ask yourself.
Do I constantly feel like I'm reviewing in the kids class? There is less repetition in the teen/adult classes because most of the students tend to practice at home more consistently so there is less need for review.
Am I ready for a slightly more serious dojo experience? While both classes are fun and exciting, the activities in the teen/adult classes will be slightly more advanced and will require deeper concentration.
Am I the biggest kid in class? If you're a foot taller than every single student in the kids' class, you may want to upgrade.
Are my friends ready to move on to the adult class too? Your karate friends will be very valuable throughout your life. Sticking together is important. If you are considering moving on to the teen/adult class you may want to discuss this with your close karate friends as well.
Does the different time work for me? It's funny to think of it this way, but one of the biggest difference between the two classes is the time. Does this work with your schedule? I had to delay switching classes for a year because of my football schedule. There's nothing wrong with staying in the kids class a little longer if it works better for you and your parents. We're just happy that you're still training.
That being said, there is one way to figure this out that may be even more valuable than these questions. Come down to the teen/adult class and try it out! You can make up a class there if you missed a class, or simply come down for a class or two just to see if you're ready.
This article will cover the various types of clothing that you will see in the dojo during karate.
For those of you who don't know, the outfit worn at karate is called a gi. As an underbelt (anyone under blackbelt) you will wear an all white gi with the proper color belt indicating your experience level. During the summer months (May-August) you may wear the informal summer gi. This means your usual white gi, but without the gi top and a plain black or white t-shirt instead.
When a karate-ka gets their black belt, a few options open up. If you are the top (or only) instructor in a class you may wear all black. If not, you may wear half-and-half. Most black-belts choose to wear black pants and a white top, but the reverse is completely acceptable.
If you are leading a class you have to wear the full gi. The summer gi is just for students.
It is wise to bring your gi top with you to class even if you aren't planning on wearing it because certain techniques such as grabs, throws, etc. are best done with a sturdy gi top to avoid stretched out our ripped t-shirts.
Some karate-ka choose to roll up their sleeves to just below the elbow as seen in the pictures of Hayes Sensei and Motobu Sensei above. This is acceptable, especially in warm weather. There are also practical reasons that a more advanced martial artist would want to wear their gi this way for certain types of training.
Master Motobu is wearing the gi pants in the style that is often worn in Okinawa, especially before karate adopted the Jiu-jutsu gi as their official uniform. They are essentially shorts that end just below the knee. Remember, Okinawa is a tropical island.
Just remember that your gi should be comfortable, loose fitting, and worn properly to facilitate your training.
At least once per karate class I demonstrate a technique on a student. Usually the students then take turns practicing the techniques on each other.
Many people (especially parents) ask a great many valid questions about this. Is it necessary? Will they get hurt? What's the point? Etc.
In order to understand how a technique works, one should experience it from both sides. We all know why you have to practice performing the technique, but sometimes we learn even more by having the technique done to us. Knowing how your opponent will feel/react/move when a technique is done to them is valuable in completely understanding how/when to use a technique.
Having techniques done to us (properly and controlled) also toughens up the body over time. There have been many martial arts documentaries showing how parts of the body karate-ka use to strike and block actually get more calcium over the years which leads to a sturdier martial artist.
Actually practicing the technique on another human being also helps students develop a sense of timing. This is one of the main reasons for sparring. Only a small fraction of the techniques in our style are legal in sparring, but we practice sparring regardless because it gives students a sense of timing that will make all their techniques more effective.
The very important question: Is it safe? Yes and no. The only reason I include the, "no" is because nothing is fool proof. There is always a chance of injury. But I say "yes" because in our dojo we minimize risk as often as possible. We wear plenty of protective padding so that we can train hard every week. If we did sparring without gear, we would only be able to practice it a few time per year. I've been teaching karate for over eight years. I can count the number of injuries worse than a bruise on one hand.
A question that I am asked quite often by new students is, "Do we learn how to break boards?"
I have a variety of responses that I give to this question, but the short answer is, "No."
This article will cover many other questions regarding this such as, "Why not?"
*NOTE* Do not try to break boards! It's a silly thing to do!
Why don't we break boards? It's not that we can't. We have the strength and technique to break boards, but like the picture shows, there really isn't much point in it. Most board breaking that you see involves a martial artist winding up for sometimes over a minute before letting out one powerful strike. Against a living opponent, winding up for a minute is not an option. An effective Shorin Ryu martial artist should be able to completely finish a fight in far less than a minute.
Also, blocks of wood and concrete will never try to attack you. So learning how to fight them is pointless. The only time that I have heard of a student utilizing their karate against an inanimate object has been from firefighters and military personnel that I have trained. They have used our techniques to knock doors down with great effectiveness, but they always trained against people and punching bags.
From the research I have done there are only two lessons to be learned from board breaking (and these lessons are learned just as easily in the normal way). The first lesson is to aim through your target. You want your strike to penetrate 3-6 inches into your opponent in order to push them backwards. The other is that you want to align your bone structure correctly when striking.
Board breaking also carries a high probability for injuries that can significantly shorten your martial arts life. The Grandmaster would not be training into his late 80s if he spent his youth pounding slabs of concrete. In karate, we take care of our bodies so we can be effective and train for a lifetime.
*Repeat* DO NOT TRY TO BREAK BOARDS! THE LIKELIHOOD OF INJURY IS SIMPLY TO HIGH TO EVEN GIVE IT A TRY!
My name is John Opalenik. My students know me as Sensei O. I am a Sandan in Shobayashi-Ryu and have been training for over 20 years.
I am a teacher and a writer in addition to my responsibilities as a Sensei.
Be sure to check previous articles even if you've already read them. I edit the articles to add and include information newly discovered by the author.
*Note* Karate is an art that for many reasons has a lot of information and misinformation out there. While I don't post anything on here unless I get it from a credible source, don't feel argumentative if you have heard information different from what's on here. I in no way consider myself to be anything close to the end-all, be-all of karate knowledge.