FOUR PILLARS OF KARATE

 by Phillip Starr

There is an old Okinawan adage that reminds us that proper karate training consists of three essential parts, although they also include a fourth. These are sometimes referred to as the “Three (actually, Four) Pillars of Karate.” It is believed that one must practice all of them and refrain from neglecting any one of them. And they apply to all other martial disciplines as well...

The first pillar is Kihon (basics). Without regular (as in “daily”) practice of these, everything else falls apart. They must be practiced and continuously polished until they become a part of you. There is no end to striving to perfect the kihon. Beginning students often just lob them out into space, but this will lead nowhere. Each punch, each kick must be executed with yi (intention) and a strong spirit.

If we compare martial arts to language, the kihon are the words. They mustn't be garbled or mispronounced.

The second pillar is Kata (forms). As with the individual kihon, kata must be practiced and polished daily. It isn't necessary for you to practice ALL of the kata that you have learned every day; in fact, trying to do so would end in disaster! You'd quickly become bored, discouraged, or frustrated (or all of these) and discontinue your practice. You must FOCUS on the kata 100%. Select just one or two to practice on a given day.

If the kihon are words and phrases, so the kata are sentences and paragraphs that comprise a book. They are the ways of expressing the kihon in a coherent manner.

Kumite is the third pillar. It does not, however, refer only to freestyle sparring; it refers instead to practice routines that involve a partner. There are numerous two-person training routines besides sparring and training with them properly will develop genuine fighting skill. These include three and one-step fight, and freestyle one-step fight. Because they require a partner, such routines cannot necessarily be practiced daily, but they can and should be practiced in every class.

The Makiwara (literally, “rolled straw”) or striking post forms the fourth pillar. It will ensure that your Kihon are correct and it will polish, strengthen, and sharpen them. If the kihon are compared to using a sword, the makiwara is the sharpening stone. And it is where the blade is tempered. You wouldn't want to rely on a dull blade or one that's fashioned out of cheap iron, would you? It's better to have a razor-sharp sword made of the finest steel. And the striking post will make sure that you do.

An old friend of mine, “Sherm” Harrill once said, “Any karate school that doesn't have a makiwara is just teaching people how to dance.” And I agree. It's akin to a boxing school that is void of heavy bags...

Remember these Four Pillars. They're what your art and skill are based on.

DON'T HAVE TIME...?

by Phillip Starr

In 2016 I met sensei Hino Akira while I was visiting Japan. A world-renowned martial arts master, Hino sensei began his martial arts career in karate. Being extremely devoted and determined to learn the secrets of high skill, he practiced arduously every day, doing sanchin kata daily for up to eight hours! That in itself is a testament to his dedication! However, he realized that what he had learned and practiced wasn't going to let him improve his skill as much as he wanted, so he began going through the ancient martial arts writings with a fine-toothed comb...and he gradually re-discovered various principles that had been long forgotten. He set out to present his findings to the martial arts community and is now in demand worldwide (especially in Europe).

Although he travels quite extensively, he also conducts training in the spacious dojo that he installed in his home. In the photo below, you can see Hino sensei's beautiful home. Pretty nice inside and out, huh? It's even more impressive when you discover that HE BUILT THE WHOLE THING HIMSELF! He didn't design it and then hire people to do the actual construction. He pounded every single nail himself. And held down a full-time job to boot.

And he kept up with his training. Every. Day. Although he's certainly not a very physically imposing specimen, he has an iron will and perhaps even more importantly, an unquenchable desire to learn and improve himself. Now at the age of 75+, he continues with his daily regimen. So next time you're about to say, “I don't have time to practice at home”, consider Hino sensei...

CUTTING CORNERS

 by Yang Xuangxing

We've all done it at one time or another; tried to “cut corners”: when it came to learning or practicing a particular form or technique...right? Sure we have, and that's normal. It's just human nature.

However, we discovered – some more quickly than others – that cutting corners isn't an efficient way to truly learn or acquire real skill. It often results in injuries. Then we had to drag ourselves back to the old tried and true method of practice – endless repetitions with mental focus.

There's an old Latin phrase that tells us, “Repetitio mater studiorum est .” It means, “repetition is the mother of all learning” and it's absolutely true. But there's much more to it than just going through the motions, lobbing out one empty technique after another. I call them “empty” because they're devoid of any real spirit and intention, and hence...real strength. Thus, the mind and intention must be focused on each and every repetition.

This is why it's generally pointless to practice a large number of the same techniques over and over. Your mind gets bored, you lose mental focus and/or your legs (or other body parts) begin to ache and your attention (yi) is drawn to that part of your body. In short, although your body is doing the same outer movement(s) repeatedly, your mind isn't fixed on what you're doing.

Physical repetition must be enjoined with mental concentration if you expect to derive any real benefit from your practice. And the corners you thought about cutting? Forget it.

COMFY? NOT!

 By Phillip Starr

For what it's worth, it's my opinion that much of the reason for the overall decline in the martial arts nowadays is due to...discomfort. New students dislike it (and often drop out), instructors are afraid that students will find certain routines too uncomfortable and they don't use them, or both. Actually, this has gone on for so long that we now have instructors who have never had to endure the rigors and frequent accompanying “discomforts” that were once part and parcel of traditional training.

In the East, it's generally understood and accepted that engaging in a martial art is going to hurt a bit but not so in the West where we've been made to be politically correct (except for a few such as yours truly) and strive to prevent offending anyone or making them physically uncomfortable. The West has managed to raise a generation of wimps; many public schools have reduced or eliminated physical education and children (as well as adults) are not made to engage in any activity that makes them uncomfortable.

If little Billy's legs are sore from running around the track yesterday, he'll be excused from doing any physical exercises today. And this attitude has been carried into many martial arts schools...a great many of them no longer make students practice static postures (such as the dreaded horse-riding stance) or any training routines that are usually painful. But it is this very aspect of training that develops character, spirit, and an indomitable will; things that are not only essential for the development of martial skill but necessary for daily life as well!

Authentic martial skill simply cannot be developed without enduring a considerable amount of discomfort. But nowadays, many instructors are overly concerned that everyone is “having fun.” They fear that discomfort may result in lower enrollment and subsequent loss of income. And so it might. Martial arts aren't for everyone.

CLUELESS

 by Phillip Starr

A good friend of mine, Mr. Chris Smaby (hachidan, JKA and student of Hidetaka Nishiyama and Keinosuke Enoeda) once told me with a chuckle that “There are those who don't have a clue (as to what authentic martial arts are), and then there are those who don't even suspect.” And I must say, I've certainly seen my share of both.

The clueless ones like to think that they know what they're doing; those who don't even suspect generally believe that they're doing is right and they refuse to pay attention to what else is out there. They KNOW they're right. They've learned and/or mastered all they need. They won't look any further.

These “maladies” often result from someone reading about a particular art or technique, watching a video about it, or attending a seminar(s) about it; none of these necessarily involve any firsthand, “hands-on” training. These methods of learning can be useful in learning various aspects of, or polishing an art in which one has already been taught. But learning an art from scratch? Nah...

Before the internet, such incomplete instruction was largely limited to those who attempted to learn from books and videos. But with the advent of the worldwide web, videos became much easier to come by and the problem snowballed. Now we have a whole generation of people who, starting off as rank novices, are convinced that they have acquired considerable skill in an art that they learned online or from books or seminars.

I have met people who became certified instructors in an art that they learned entirely through participation in seminars! They missed out on the rigorous daily training that actual students of the art must endure. And of course, they lightened their wallets rather considerably to obtain their certification, which only made them more determined to believe that their skill was authentic. Tragic and foolish. Books, seminars, and videos are useful as introductory or reference material but a complete martial art simply cannot be learned from them. To learn the real art requires frequent, regular attendance in a class taught by a genuine instructor.

The real tragedy is that many of these folks become instructors who will produce another generation of clueless, unsuspecting followers.

CATCHING THE MOMENT

by Phillip Starr

Knowing and “feeling” when the opponent is about to attack. Those who are able to do this are certainly very formidable opponents for obvious reasons. This skill is usually regarded as some sort of mystical skill that may be acquired through the practice of special meditative routines.

Not true.

You can meditate all the livelong day but it will be of no real use to you in developing this special skill. And it is developed through regular, repetitive practice of one of the most basic training exercises...three-step fight! Exactly how this is to be done is shown and discussed in my book, MARTIAL MANEUVERS. There's more to be learned from three-step fight than meets the eye.

We know the brain sends out electrical signals, like a radio. A simple EEG proves this. And a radio can, with a bit of work, be turned into a receiver. The biggest problem is getting your mind to be quiet so that you can “hear” the receiver.

When someone attacks you, it occurs in stages:

1. First he has the intention to attack in some fashion.

2. Second, he determines just how he will do it and with what (punch, kick, grab, or whatever).

3. His brain then signals the muscles (via the nerves) that will be involved in making the attack.

4. The attack ensues as planned.

Now, the brain sends out signals at each of these stages. Thoughts (on your end) act like static in the receiver and you can't really pick up the opponent's signals. So, over-analyzing the process only gums up the works.

It is crucial to your practice that your partner actually has the intention of striking and harming you. This is usually the biggest stumbling block in training. You must feel his yi (intention). If he really has the intention of hurting you, his yi will be strong and you can detect it; if he's just lobbing his punch out there, there's no danger, no yi, and nothing to detect. There's no real attack. Yi is a vital key to acquiring this skill!

Once developed, you can feel when the opponent's brain gives his body the command to commence the attack. You then strike first! The opponent is momentarily helpless; to defend himself his brain would have to cancel the previous signals, determine what you're doing, where your strike will land, when it will land...and all this takes much too long. He's in an “attack mode” and cannot easily reverse himself and go into a “defense mode.” He's helpless and unable to defend himself.

The progressive training routine for developing this unique skill is tedious and can become rather boring. But you must stay the course and NOT jump ahead; each stage must be mastered before moving on to the next. I recommend getting a copy of MARTIAL MANEUVERS and learning how this is done. Take your time. Find an agreeable partner and begin. Your practice must be regular, not haphazard. You and your partner will find that building up a strong intention to harm each other (when performing as the attacker) is both mentally and physically tiring. But you must do it! Real skill isn't developed quickly...

ALWAYS WATCHING, EVALUATING, TESTING

 by Phillip Starr

I was a young newcomer to this group. I lined up and stood still, waiting for class to begin. Sifu Chen shouted the command and we all jerked our fists to our hips. The best marching band in the country had nothing on us; we all managed to move in perfect unison. But it was sheer coincidence...

And we stood still, staring forward and not moving a muscle. I wondered what was going on but something told me not to look around. I became a fleshly statue. I remember thinking that we were fortunate that we weren't in my karate class, which began with everyone sitting in seiza!

I tried to maintain a look of fierce determination. Probably looked fairly silly, but I wanted to be accepted by this teacher. I wanted him to know that I could take it (actually, I had virtually no idea of what that would entail). Sifu Chen, attired in his sleeveless t-shirt and sweatpants, walked casually around us, and seemed to be oblivious to our existence.

Then he turned and looked at us. His gaze was gentle enough but he radiated an energy that was palpable. Was he getting inside my head, somehow? He nodded slowly to himself and told us to relax. For some inexplicible reason, I knew better than to completely let go. I relaxed my arms and spread my feet a bit just to get more comfortable but I kept staring straight ahead. I stayed focused and didn't let my young mind relax very far. I knew my teacher was still watching. And in the months and years to come, I'd learn that he was ALWAYS watching.

From the moment he saw us enter his home or the training area (which was a recreation room in his basement), he watched...how we carried ourselves, how we greeted and treated each other, the condition of our training clothes, how we warmed up before class (not just what we did, but out attitudes as well). And he watched during and after class as well. He was always evaluating us, not just in terms of physical condition or martial prowess, but our spirits and what was in our hearts as well.

And he was constantly testing us, often in very subtle ways, to see how we'd respond...not only to doing our best to accomplish what was essentially an impossible task, but also how we responded to failure, criticism, and even success. He was probing, finding out who and what we really were, inside and out. Those who he judged to be worthy (in character and spirit more than mere technique), he'd spend more time and once they reached a certain level of skill, he'd show little “tweaks” - aspects of the art (spiritual and/or mental as well as physical).

When I began teaching many years later, I sought to do the same thing. It's not something that can be assimilated quickly. I'm still working on it...