An interesting aspect to the transition of Japanese martial arts into world-wide activities has been the challenge of transmitting the various techniques and philosophies through the barrier of different languages.  I’ve mentioned before, that among the early American karateka who studied under the first Japanese sensei’s, there were some who were fluent in Japanese.  This presented a distinct advantage in being able to understand what the sensei was trying to impart, beyond just the basics.  The first Japanese instructors, having a limited command of the English language, often had to rely on  exhortations like “Fastah!”, “Deepah stancu!”, “Moru Hipu!”, and…well, you get the idea.  At least, if the student had some fluency in the Japanese language, the sensei could comfortably explain the techniques in more detail and since a number of the early students were kibei (Japanese Americans who had been sent to Japan as children to truly learn the language and culture), even deeper, more nuanced explanations were possible.  Yes, language could be a real challenge.  In spite of this, lessons will usually involve a sensei demonstrating skillful technique which students strive to emulate over many thousands of repetitions.  Practice, practice, practice is always the best teacher.

Recently, I heard an amusing story about one of my old dojo friends, the late Sensei Stan Okano.  Back in the 1960’s, when he was training under legendary Shotokan master, Hirokazu Kanazawa, he had a question about stances.  Of course, there are the Zenkutsu-Dachi, Kokutsu-Dachi, Kiba-Dachi, Sanchin-Dachi, Fudo-Dachi, etc…actually over a dozen different stances.  Over time, he wasn’t able to understand what one particular stance referred to.  In the old days, students were even more reluctant to ask questions of the sensei than today.  Finally, he couldn’t stand it anymore and sheepishly asked, “Sensei, what is the fu-ranto stance?”  He was both amazed and a little embarrassed to discover that  Sensei was referring to…the front stance.😊  Indeed, the language barrier can work both ways.

In a similar vein, I remember my old Aikido sensei, “Koa” Kimura, watching us execute a technique using too much muscle strength and not enough Ki.  He would then exclaim, “Chikara No Good!”  At least, I thought that’s what he said.  I understood him to be saying that relying on muscle strength alone was not good.  I just found out that he was really saying, “Chikara wo nuku!”…properly releasing power or tension when one meets an opponent’s resistance.  Although I had gotten the basic idea, I missed out on the nuance and deeper meaning of his short exclamation.  At least I finally received Sensei’s lesson….fifty-five years later.

Hopefully you folks don’t have as many such challenges, seeing as how we all speak English eh?  So – if you ever have a question, please don’t hesitate to ask us.  We’ll give you the answer, if we know it.😉