HIS Karate-Do

Training classes are good in that they help one to work out and learn something new – left to our own devices, most of us would probably not spend an hour or two stretching and exercising our minds in this way. There are, however, some alternative things one can do to further one’s understanding of Karate-Do that don’t involve punching and kicking. Fortunately, there’s a lot of information out on the internet that can help flesh out and deepen one’s appreciation for what we often do by rote. Since I’ve been talking about kata recently, I thought it appropriate to share a decent article regarding theories on the origins and evolution of the basic katas that you all know and practice – the Heian katas…previously named the Pinana katas…possibly before that, named the Channan katas. A couple of old photos in the article show the very recognizable opening moves in Heian Nidan (performed by the Founder), along with a fairly recognizable photo of the “morote-uke” from the same kata (performed by Choki Motobu). Generally, the Heian katas are said to be the creation of Anko Itosu, one of Funakoshi’s senseis, for application in the Okinawan school system. The article goes [...]

I’ve mentioned before that my dad was a treasure trove of old trite sayings. While I often chuckled at the triteness, there was usually a lot of truth in what he said. In particular, when I was still in elementary school, he often lectured us (my sister and me) about the importance of education and book-learning. I can still hear him proclaim, “Wesley, I cannot emphasize enough, the importance of the three R’s…Reading, Writing,…and Math!” Well, two out of three ain’t bad.😏 Looking back, he was totally right, of course. All three R’s are systems of two-dimensional alpha and numeric symbols. Between the ages of 3 to 5 years old, we begin the process of learning how to interpret and use these symbols in increasingly complex ways. Each of us advances to where we don’t even “see” the individual letters, words, sentences or phrases. Whole visions, actions, and conversations effortlessly take shape within our minds. Through reading, we unlock the thoughts, philosophies, and concepts of great scientists, historians, statesmen, and novelists. We can engage the minds of philosophers, gone hundreds or thousands of years in the past. Through writing, we can express our opinions and analyses of reports and studies [...]

Many years ago, I remember coming home from school and my mom asking me the question that every mom asks of their child, “What did you learn in school today?” This is standard maternal interrogation that all of us, as young kids, experience during the first few years of elementary school. My kindergarten and first grade classes were held at Jefferson Elementary School – right across the Honolulu Zoo, on Kapahulu Avenue. The following year, re-districting found me at Ala Wai Elementary School, where I began the second grade, sharing a table with four other children, including another young student – today, you call him Sensei Peter – we were just six years old when the semester started and actually learned the rudiments of grammar and arithmetic together.  Amazing to think that just a dozen years later, as college freshmen, we’d be learning the rudiments of karate together. In similar fashion, I can recall the day that Sempai Dave walked into HISKF to sign up himself and his six-year-old son Daylen, in an attempt to pique the young boy’s interest in karate. Back then, little Daylen was more interested in drawing and talking about airplanes. Many years later, and he [...]