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.
Last night (October 4, 2013) the students and families of the Cheshire karate branches got together for a dinner at Toro Sushi in Cheshire CT. Great times were had by all and I wanted to share it on here in appreciation of those who came and to share the experience for those who couldn't.
The folks at Toro Sushi were kind enough to give us a separate area to have our dinner via a couple Japanese paper wall dividers. The students, families, and myself all began scanning the menus, experimenting with chopsticks, and catching up on many aspects of our lives; some karate related, some not so.
As always, the food was great and I was glad to see everyone, even young students, trying new foods especially something as healthy as sushi.
Some of the conversation was serious and centered around possible futures for classes in Cheshire. We definitely have options. I plan to review the options and go with the option that is best for the students and their families.
Another conversation that I was glad to hear/take part in was discussion about the role of a healthy diet in karate training. This is a huge part of our training that often gets left out in many American karate organizations because of cultural differences among other things.
Great times were had by all it seemed and everybody went home smiling. That's a win as far as I'm concerned.
As a side note: If anyone took any pictures I'd be happy to
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.
Something that is important to realize in karate training is that it is not about defeating an external opponent. Your greatest rival is yourself. It really matters very little if you best your dojo brother/sister in a sparring bout, or if you defeat a tournament opponent. What matters is that you are a better martial artist today than you were yesterday.
I've said in previous posts and in class that goal setting is a great motivator in karate. If your goals involve other people, then you are somewhat missing the point.
To think about this try thinking of yourself as a martial artist one year ago. How much have you learned/improved in the past year? What are areas of your training that need improvement the most? What is a reasonable goal to set? You have now focused your training.
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!
I recently read on the news that an eight year old boy survived a vicious attack from an adult attacker mostly due to his skills in karate. This happened in Maryland on 9/9/13. I won't post a link to the news article since kids visit this website but I'm sure you adults can google it easily enough.
Any responsible martial artist goes through their training learning deadly techniques and hoping that they never have to actually use them. Aside from students I've taught who have then gone into the military, most students have managed to avoid life threatening situations and I'm very glad about this.
Whether or not karate is involved, it's always great to hear a story like the one I'm referencing rather than one of tragedy in the news.
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.
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.
Parents! Please send in photos from karate to update this website. I'd like to include at least a few photos from each of the classes that are taught in order to represent our dojo as a whole on this website. This can include promotion photos, pictures from training, etc.
I plan to have an optional "class photo" taken over the next week in each class.
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.