I sometimes compare the open pavilion where we conduct our karate training to working out in a park.  All around us are trees, open green space, complete with sun, tradewinds, and singing birds.  Of course, it’s not quite the same as training out on the grass – and there is a group that does use those environs for just such a purpose.  Every once in a while, on an early weekend morning, I’ll be driving past some quiet park and notice a group of folks slowly moving about in what appears to be synchronized dance.  Generally, they’ll be dressed in regular, comfortable clothing, with an average age demographic that is several decades removed from high school.  You’ve probably seen such groups in the park before – you know them – the tai chi practitioners.

Let’s face it, many of us think of tai chi as some “old folks” activity, usually found in such parks, community center elderly programs, or hospital rehab programs.  The truth is, it’s a very excellent program for conditioning, mind-body-chi development, cultural appreciation, and especially for the elderly – aids in fall protection.  It also seems to be on the opposite end of the martial arts spectrum from karate.  Yes, karate; where all the students wear the obligatory white gi’s and various-hued belts.  Karate; highlighted by large, noisy tournaments and competitors vying for trophies and large medals.  Karate; featuring lines of panting, conditioned members, delivering fast/focused “air” punches and kicked, delivered with loud sudden kiai’s.  Karate; where opponents tirelessly spar and often leave with bruises and welts earned through the training session.  Yes, karate; which one never finds in the beautiful, quiet park.

Shotokan, in its modern form, is young – it’s about the same age as me…modern Tai Chi, has been practiced with emphasis on health for a century and more. Both disciplines are descended from centuries old martial arts traditions.  Both find their origins in practical systems that were borne out of the basic necessity of self-defense in times long-past.  Each has evolved into a something else.  The tai chi we’re familiar with today, has an emphasis on health, balance, and the development of Chi.  Its deliberate, graceful and silent movements, flow well within the environs of a quiet, peaceful park setting.  Like Yoga, its popularity seems to grow with our ever-expanding “baby-boomers” generation.  Its value to general well-being among our kupuna is indisputable.

By contrast, modern karate seems to have split into sports karate, hard core conditioning/self-defense karate, cultural worship karate, and Mcdojo karate for kids.  Each is a valid modern form, focused on its own area of expertise.  The value of each venue depends upon the quality and effectiveness of the senseis and whether it meets your needs.  What flavor of karate does our group practice?  Well, through the process of elimination, let’s see what we do NOT emphasize: Generally, we don’t train for, nor enter tournaments; we don’t push our students to the brink of passing out; we don’t worship Japanese culture, and our senseis all volunteer their time.  Yet, ironically, this is the very dojo potting soil that your senseis grew out of.

We each gained invaluable skills and knowledge through years of hard training in this environment.  With the passing of time, however, our bodies, minds and attitudes have undergone gradual changes.  None of us have competed for many years, the elite physical conditioning we once possessed in our youth is gone, we certainly respect but don’t blindly worship our culture of national origin, and none of us have the slightest desire to make a living or even “side-money” from sharing the art.  Very simply; we ENJOY sharing the art with others, we believe in karate-do as a positive and worthy endeavor, we believe in a balanced approach to life with some time set aside for Shotokan.  Rather than growing a technical elite, we’d like to help each person to achieve his or her potential through the Do.  Finally, as a demographic, our group (especially the second class) averages somewhere around the sixth decade in age.  Wouldn’t it be great if we could all continue to practice karate-do safely into old age, and continue to reap its benefits?  Hmmm….are we talking about karate or tai chi here 😉 ?

For some years now, each of your senseis have been trying to find a way to make the karate we learned, more amenable to everyone, not just the elite.  The challenge is not to dilute the spirit, technique and dynamics of the art; while providing a valuable training environment for young and old.  Shotokan, in its modern form and syllabus, really solidified in the late 1940’s, with great emphasis on power, speed, martial spirit, and hard conditioning.  It was truly a young man’s art.  In recent decades, however, with all of the first and second generation hard-core practitioners reaching their 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, I believe that the art has begun a new phase of maturation.  While a Shotokan karateka may never resemble the stereotypical Tai Chi student or master, exercising their Chi…perhaps one day, we’ll have our share of elder karateka, practicing a quieter version of the art, somewhere in a beautiful park.