THE MASTER

 by Phillip Starr

Kitaro is a world-famous Japanese musician/composer who has been named as one of Japan's National Treasures by the Emperor. His music is truly remarkable. Labeled as “new age”, it calls to mind images of wind and surf, of trees and bamboo swaying in the wind, of ethereal beings soaring through time and space. It is truly remarkable music and he's one of my favorite musicians. He says that his art is inspired by a desire for harmony with the universe and alleges that much of it “comes to him” from heaven. I can believe that.

So, what does this have to do with martial arts? Well, hold on for a bit... When Kitaro conducts a concert (or records a piece of his genius), he naturally employs some of the finest musicians in the world, including Western players. A while back a documentary was made of Kitaro; his life, and preparation for an upcoming concert. Many musicians had been employed, including a number of Americans. “Everything you do comes from nature”, he explained. And it is this very things that we, as followers of the martial ways, also seek...but getting to that point is anything but “natural.”

One of the Americans explained, “Usually, when I play with a band, there's no limit to what I can do.” But this wasn't to be as long as he was in the employ of the legendary Japanese musician. Kitaro knew precisely what he wanted to create and he was no more interested in the improvised “jamming” of the Western musicians than a karate sensei has in the “insights” that a novice finds in, say, a front snap kick. This really made the American musicians uncomfortable; they weren't permitted to “add their own creativity” to the music at all.

Moreover, when practice ended for the day, Kitaro remained somewhat aloof. Although he was invited to “go out with the boys” and enjoy a few drinks and perhaps admire some of the lovely ladies, the master returned home alone. The Westerners didn't understand this behavior. “When we finish practice, he's just one of us”, one band member complained. “We're all the same...” Not so with Kitaro. The Americans were acting and seeing things through their American eyes and they'd been raised in a culture that is very different from that of Japan. The Americans regarded him as rather “uppity.”

What they failed to understand was that according to the tenets of Confucianism, the student-teacher relationship cannot allow them to regard themselves as equals. And the Way of the master isn't based on a 40-hr. work week with time off and numerous other benefits. The Way of the master is a way of life itself. Contrary to the Western notion of a “master” who teaches class and then goes out with his students for a few beers or to flirt with the ladies, a master is considered to be a true master only when he is a “shihan”; a model for his students. While he may socialize and be a bit informal with them, he is always the teacher and this creates a certain distance between him and his pupils.

Ultimately, the band members came to understand Kitaro and see him in a very different light. One of them remarked, “He speaks of things like wind and mountains...of natural things instead of the electronic things that we're used to.” Kitaro saw directly into the heart of things rather than frittering and fussing with petty gadgets and musical accroutrements.

“I've practiced this musical piece at least 200 times”, one member noted. “always the same, over and over and over. But I finally realized what Kitaro is after...simplicity. And the simpler the music is, the harder it is to do.” Exchange the word “music” for “technique” or “form” and you can see what insights can be gained in the presence of master.

He sees everything from a different perspective than most. He sees into the heart of things. No fanfare, shouting, or cursing while jumping up and down. No need.

THE BREAKING TECHNIQUES

 by Phillip Starr

     I think it was in 1962 that I witnessed my first board-breaking demonstration.  I watched in awe as the black belt instructor cut through three one-inch boards with his knife-hand.  That was really incredible!  In a single blow he split those boards as easily as if they were papier-mache.  Such demonstrations were typical of most karate exhibitions at that time and they remained so until fairly recently.  It would seem that many contemporary martial arts practitioners feel that such displays of strength are beneath them.

     The Japanese word for this art is tameshiwari, which refers to testing one’s strength and technique by attempting to break various things like boards, bricks, and even stones.  Masutatsu Oyama, founder of the legendary Kyokushin style of Japanese karate, once remarked that karate without the breaking techniques is like a nut with no meat…and to some degree, I’m inclined to agree with him.  There’s more to tameshiwari than meets the eye - more than most people suspect.

     Many karate, taekwondo, and kung-fu novices begin practicing tameshiwari by testing their techniques against wooden boards.  I still remember breaking my first inch-thick board.  I thought I was Superman!  I quickly fell in love with the breaking techniques and I’ve practiced them regularly throughout my martial arts career. At first it was all just a huge adrenaline rush…but as I got older and more experienced – and being the philosophical sort that I am – I started to really think about tameshiwari and what it meant. 

     The mechanical aspects can be daunting.  For instance, wood doesn’t really “break.”  It tears.  Bricks, concrete slabs, and stones break.  This can be an important piece of information for those who are seriously interested in mastering the breaking techniques.  The intended target must be struck in the center and the distancing must be exactly right.  Otherwise, you’ll just end up “pushing” against your target instead of delivering a sharp blow.

The standard board should be about an inch thick and measure 12”x12”.  This used to be the standard size for board breaking.  The idea was that if you could cut an inch-thick board, you could just as easily break a human clavicle (which requires about 16 lbs. of pressure to fracture).  If you could split two inch-thick boards, you could shatter a human arm or rib.  And if you could break three inch-thick boards, you could kill a man in a single blow.  At least that’s what the Kyokushin school taught back in the day.  Mind you, these boards were placed flat atop each other – spacers were never used and if anyone had attempted to use them I’m sure he would have been laughed out of the building.  Spacers allows you to break a single board several times…you see, if one board has the resistance of 1x, then two boards (placed flatly together) are 2x, three boards are 3x and so on.  However, if the boards are separated, they all retain their single 1x resistance…so you are breaking a 1x, then another 1x, and another 1x…which is not nearly as difficult as breaking them if they're placed flatly on top of each other. The same is true for any other material (brick or concrete).

     Additionally, some people have been known to bake their boards, bricks, or concrete, making them extremely brittle and easy to break.  I once saw a so-called “master” inadvertently drop a couple of boards prior to a demonstration and they broke cleanly!!!

     In time, I moved to breaking inch-thick bricks and then to full-sized red bricks.  I would split them with my knife-hand or with a punch.  This is no mean feat and requires a great deal of practice.  Eventually, I was able to cut a paver brick (about 1 ½” thick, these are used to pave patios and the like) with my spear-hand.  Moving through these stages of breaking boosted my confidence considerably and I began to realize that there was more to me than I had ever considered.

     And let me tell you, if you really want to feel like a superhero – take up breaking stones!  There’s nothing like it!  It’s a super confidence-booster but you absolutely must learn how to do from a qualified instructor.  My best break was a large stone that weighed nearly 25 lbs.  My right hand shook uncontrollably for three days afterwards…and that worried me (I never tried such a stunt again) but it did wonders for my confidence and spirit.

     I reasoned that if martial arts masters of old could do it, I could also do it – which is a pretty dangerous assumption, but God was with me – and I’d try almost anything.  I think my favorite was the arrow-catch, which involves having an (highly skilled) archer fire an arrow from a recurved bow at your chest from a distance of about 60 paces... and as you turn out of the line of fire, you catch the arrow in mid-flight.  This isn’t something that I recommend you try and it’s a technique for which you must train regularly for a considerable time…but I was finally able to do it and used to demonstrate it at special exhibitions.  I mention it only because it is actually considered a form of tameshiwari (even though it doesn’t involve breaking anything).

     My point is this- training in tameshiwari will build spirit and an inner strength that simply cannot be developed through any other means.

• All martial arts practitioners want to test their techniques and themselves.  They want to know if their techniques will really work but they also know that it is unethical and immoral to go out looking for a fight.  Tameshiwari gives us the opportunity to test ourselves without having to resort to physical violence; they act as a sort of barometer by which the power of our blows may be measured. Having said that, I must say that some of the most effective self-defense techniques are not suited for tameshiwari. 

• From the outset, the student learns that in order for the break to be successful, he or she must aim at a point past the surface of the target.  This is often a student’s first exposure to the principle we call “extend”; where the yi (intention) goes, the qi/jin (power) follows. 

Unfortunately, most of them never realize the implications of this seemingly basic principle.  WHERE YOUR MIND/INTENTION GOES, SO ALSO GOES YOUR STRENGTH!  Or…”As a man thinketh, so he is.”  Think about it.

     If you want to succeed at anything, you must first have the intention and commitment to do it.  Your mind must DO IT first.  Your body will follow along naturally.  Thus, the mind “does the thing” in the unseen world…and that brings it into the physical world.  From unreality to reality (as we perceive it)…

Here is an addendum to the aforementioned principle…if you really want to be sure of your success in a given break, you must first actually see yourself doing it successfully!  Then strike without delay.  You’ll succeed.  If you want to fail, see yourself failing or just worry that you won’t succeed.  Your failure will be pretty much guaranteed.  This applies not only to breaking bricks and boards, but to life as well…and that’s the lesson that must be learned!  You’ll see (and acquire firsthand experience) of how this principle works for tameshiwari – and it’s easy to take it to the next level and apply it to life.  What you see, what you visualize, is exactly what will happen! 

     Why? 

     Because it’s already taken place! At least your mind thinks it has.

    The old adage, “You can do anything if you just set your mind to it…” is very true but lacks instruction.  Just how do you set your mind to do whatever it is that you want to do?  Tameshiwari teaches you the “how.”

*When you determine that the time is right, you must strike without the slightest hesitation.  If your spirit is in disorder, your strength will be scattered.  Focus your mind and fully gather your spirit, then COMMIT yourself 100% to the task at hand, giving no thought to anything else.  There is no possibility of failure!!!

*Then realize that in many cases, the break you performed is not physically possible.  A brick is much harder than a human hand, which is made mostly of water.  How could you possibly shatter this object with your bare hand?  You could not do it - not just with your hand alone.  There is more to you than you can see.  What does this mean?  Consider it.

*Through continued practice you develop a strong spirit, an indomitable will, and a courageous heart.  The weak-willed, those whose resolve is flagging, and those who are timid or withdrawn, are doomed to failure.  They can become stronger but only if they determine that they will put forth the required effort.

* Through extended practice you will overcome a fundamental human fear; that of getting hit or of hitting something forcefully (they’re basically the same thing).  Whereas breakfalls help you overcome a different basic fear (the fear of falling down and hurting yourself), tameshiwari helps you overcome the fear of striking something with your full strength.  Many modern martial arts practitioners disdain the breaking techniques, saying that they’re not really martial arts or that they have little to do with real technique but I think you can see how very wrong they are! 

     They’re fine, so long as they punch and kick the air or maybe a cushy heavy bag…but place a couple of boards or a brick in front of them and they freeze up.  They experience FEAR and they hate to admit that they fear anything.  Sometimes the truth hurts.  Literally.

     Martial arts should help us SEE our fears (and other weaknesses), ADMIT them to ourselves (and sometimes, others), and then OVERCOME them.  If we fail to do this – and many martial arts practitioners fail because they’re afraid to face or admit their own fears - we’re just “playing” at martial arts like young children “play” at being soldiers.  It isn’t real.

     So next time you set up a single board and chamber your fist, remember that this is where it starts. You’re not training your fist. You’re training your mind and spirit.

TEACH OR TRAIN?

 By Phillip Starr

Over the years, I've heard several martial arts instructors remark that they like to “work out” in the classes that they teach and/or that they use the classes as their own workouts. I think this is a very bad idea for two reasons...

First, it cheapens the instruction received by the students. If the teacher is focused on himself and his own workout, he is not able to closely observe what his students are doing. If he had to stop periodically to make corrections here and give encouragement there, or explain a particular principle or concept, his workout would be constantly interrupted. If he really intends to work out, he must be wholly attending to what HE is doing rather than on what the students are doing.

Secondly, if the instructor allows his personal workout to be constantly interrupted, he isn't able to focus completely on what he's doing. It's really not much of a personal workout at all.

Using class as his own training time takes away from the quality of instruction received by the students and also ruins the teacher's workout as well.

I have told teachers (who informed me proudly that they simultaneously utilize class time as their own workout time) that they really must stop doing so. I told them that in class, they should devote themselves to TEACHING and pay attention to the students. Their own workouts must be conducted separately, on their own time. Class time is intended for the students. Period.