HIS Karate-Do

Well, we (mostly my wife) recently completed a 10-day stretch of babysitting our one-year old grandson while his parents attended a convention on the mainland.  Frankly, we’d forgotten about a toddler’s high level of energy and curiosity. At this age, they pass through so many development stages, so quickly, it’s hard to keep up.  Right now, it’s the listen to Elvis CD/buy helium balloons/go outside/blow bubbles/fly to the Superman theme song/eat MumMums/drink through a straw/drool through many bibs/and so on – stage.  It brings back to me, something that my uncle often said about filial duties and responsibilities – “Why are we here?”  It’s a simple philosophy on the parent-child relationship – parents should always be willing to sacrifice their time and financial resources for their offspring; else, why did they ever have ’em in the first place? He can’t quite talk yet…he gestures and makes various sounds to get his point across.  I laugh each time he leans forward and points to the outside, pursing his lips together to make his unmistakable vibratory, “BBBBbbbb!!….” sound, his “word” for bubbles.  Recently, he learned how to vigorously shake his head as a way of indicating “No”.  As he does so, he [...]

I can’t believe it, but summer is on our doorstep (I know this because my daughter and my daughter-in-law, who are both teachers, just went on summer break).  Summer is one of my favorite seasons, longer days, more sun, and more oama and papio (if I ever have time to go fishing ;).  Where does the time go?  Is it just me, or does it seem as if time goes faster and faster, the older one gets – or do we just appreciate it more?  As an AJA, I know I’m approaching one of the honored (or dreaded) milestones in a “mature” Japanese man’s life, celebrating one’s 60th year – the Kanreki.  It was kind of a neat thing, nearly twenty years ago, celebrating my Yakudoshi (“My, you look so young for 41 years!”) – I remember brushing off such remarks and compliments, still feeling (and kind of looking) like I was in my twenties, haha.  But the Kanreki is different; the Kanreki feels so….old.  I remember my Dad’s and my father-in-law’s Kanreki’s – I was in charge of the program and “entertainment” for both parties.  At my father-in-law’s party, his eldest brother (passed away a couple of years ago at 95) gave the toast.  He [...]

“Shoulders down! Shoulders down!”, my old Aikido instructor, Kimura Sensei, used to bark at us regularly. I remember being constantly reminded of the importance of the “One Point” (tan tien, hara, or the center of gravity located 2 inches below the navel), the fallacy of relying on “Chikara” (too much strength or tension), and his familiar “Shoulders down!” command. Today, over 45 years later, in a different training hall, teaching a different martial art, I often talk about one’s hara and the problems with over-tensing the wrong muscles at the wrong time. You will often hear me tell students not to let their shoulders “float”, especially at the point of impact while executing technique. Man, I hate to write too much about technique because one cannot avoid getting too detailed or analytical; as in boring, haha. The best way to learn to technique is always through practice, practice, practice…though it’s gotta be done correctly and with purpose. However, it is possible to enhance a foundation of good, focused practice by a (small) serving of the sensei’s perspective – even if it means I have to write a few paragraphs. I like to use the rather mundane image of squeezing a [...]