As described on the previous post, I recently attended a Shito-ryu black belt testing. This is my evaluation of Shito-ryu and the differences I saw between Shito-ryu and Taekwondo. Granted I only saw a portion of the students from just one school, but the school was taught by a master of the art and the testing had senior color belts and other senior black belts participating.
Hand Techniques
Of course, the most obvious difference between Taekwondo and any style of karate is karate’s emphasis on hand techniques. Shito-ryu is no exception. Shito-ryu teaches and uses kicks but stress hand attacks; just as traditional Taekwondo teaches and uses hand techniques but stresses kicks. There is nothing wrong with either method; it is simply a matter of style preference. However, as I have stated in TKDTutor.com, while kicks are deadly, hands can kill you in numerous ways. Therefore, the most effective fighter is one who defends well against kicks, uses kicks when opportunities present themselves, but primarily uses hand blocks and attacks.
Kicks
That said, the Shito-ryu kicks I saw used by all the fighters, regardless of age or rank, were weak when compared to Taekwondo kicks. The karate side snap kick is an annoyance, similar to a jab. It keeps the opponent at bay and too busy to set up an attack, but it is not a threat to an opponent unless you get in a lucky shot or you hand a lot of them in the same location. A sliding side kick performed by stepping the trailing foot across in front of the leading foot is a useless movement, and yet, from what I saw, this is the preferred way to perform a sliding side snap kick in Shito-ryu. This movement is similar to executing a reverse punch behind your lead arm guard instead of in front; it ties up body movement and slows and weakens the technique. A sliding side snap kick would much more power by stepping behind the leading leg instead of in front.
Fist Chamber
As I have stated in TKDTutor.com, patterns are an expression of the art part of a martial art and have little relevance to the martial part of a martial art. Shito-ryu, as has Taekwondo, has its share of techniques used in patterns that are aesthetically pleasing but practically useless in applications. However, even though most of the techniques used in a pattern are not used in sparring or self-defense, the techniques should still be natural. When chambering the non attacking hand, it should pull back naturally to the waist or hip just under the rib cage, depending on a person’s body structure. It appears that Shito-ryu uses the high chamber, where the fist is chambered high next to the upper ribs. It takes a conscious effort to pull the fist up to this location and keep it there. Teaching a student to chamber naturally at the waist is much easier than teaching them to chamber high, and the high chamber has no significant advantage over a low chamber.
Patterns
Shito-ryu students kiai when executing each techniques in their patterns. I love this! It shows determination and focus. They use breathing sounds and facial expressions to acknowledge the imaginary opponents they are fighting. Pattern performance gets high marks in my evaluation of Shito-ryu. However, I do not remember a single kiai used by anyone while sparring. Hey guys, there is a reason the Indians yelled while attacking the quiet cowboys.
Hip Action
As stated above, Shito-ryu emphasizes hand techniques; however, I saw no hip movement in their techniques. Hand speed was quick, but there was no power behind the punches, it was all arm action, with no body rotation, hip snap, or even body dropping. The kicks did not use hip thrust, hip roll over, or high tight chambers so the only power generated was from the leg itself. All the kicks I saw from all ranks were unimpressive.
Weapons
Shito-ryu teaches traditional weapons. This is a matter of style and taste. If you want to learn a weapon, that is fine, it is a part of the art of a martial art. My only problem with learning impractical weapons is that they use up a lot of your valuable training time that could better be used in perfecting the practical aspects of your martial art.
Sparring
Shitoryu sparring is similar to traditional Taekwondo sparring. As usual, no matter the style, when it comes to sparring, people revert to what works, basic kicking and punching, Shito-ryu is no exception.
This was a black belt testing I was watching, so the testee had to spar all ranks and exhibit appropriate control for the rank and ability of each person being fought. Since it was a testing, opponents were supposed to challenge the testee’s ability, but they were also to remember it was the testee’s day to shine, not theirs. Students who spar a testee at a testing are there to bring out the best, or expose the worst, in the testee’s sparring abilities, not to show off their own abilities All the color belts and lower black belts at this testing did this. They made their matches tough on the testee but they did not try to show off and one-up the testee. When the testee sparred his sensei, the sensei was relentless, but his techniques were well focused and he did not try to take advantage of or embarrass a tired student who had been testing for two hours.
However, there was one exception. As a spectator at a testing, I saw the usual group of dedicated black belts who were at the testing to participate in the testing process and to welcome another student into the black belt ranks. However, amongst all the black belts, a sixth degree black belt stood out because of his size.
After the testee had tested for two hours and sparred ten different people, he sparred this sixth degree, who was a foot taller, 70 pounds heavier, and had a much longer arm and leg reach than the testee who was obviously at the limits of his energy reserves. One would expect the sixth degree to spar appropriately to the circumstance, and I expected to see Shito-ryu techniques performed at their best. However, this was not the case.
Instead of exhibiting humility, the sixth degree strutted around as if he were the king of the mat. On the command to fight, he attacked with a frenzy of swinging punches and kicks reminiscent of a wild kid in a playground fight. There was no control, no focus, and no precision of technique; just a big man trying to whip up on a much smaller, tired opponent. The out of shape sixth degree burned out very quickly and was gasping for air, so the frenzy of attacks stopped. Then he just strutted around, posturing as if he was the biggest and baddest kid on the playground, while using his extreme reach advantage to stay away from any attacks from the testee, which, even though weak and slow due to fatigue, were still getting in.
I did not see a sixth degree sparring a student to test the student’s abilities; I saw an egotistical jerk out to impress the spectators for his own glorification. I not only was unimpressed with his techniques; I was ashamed, not just for his behavior but also ashamed for the testee, for the school, and for the art of Shito-ryu.
Lower belts look up to senior belts for guidance and inspiration. They want to be black belts, so they think that if they emulate a black belt, it will aid them in their quest. God help any student who emulates this black belt. He exemplifies all that we teach students not to be: arrogate, egotistical, and a bully.
Conclusion
Shito-ryu is one of the many styles of karate and, overall, does not appear to be unique; it is just another version of karate. This particular school has very good students, probably attributable to having an outstanding sensei, Bill Daniels. If I were seeking a karate school in the Forsyth County/Davidson County area of North Carolina, I would probably choose—Bill Daniels Karate.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Remembering My Roots
I first trained in traditional Shorei-ryu Karate before switching to traditional Taekwondo where I stayed for 25 years except for some short excursions into other traditional martial art styles. For the last few years I have been involved with the commercial side Taekwondo where the traditional curriculum has been weakened by the need for schools to survive as businesses. As a result, I have neglected my traditional roots. I have not forgotten my traditional roots, but I had forgotten the position of honor the black belt holds within the traditional martial arts community.
Commercial martial arts strive to please the masses and not offend anyone in anyway, so parents will keep bringing their children to classes. Whereas, the traditional martial arts tell the masses, “This is the way it is! Take it or leave it!” Instead of weakening their standards to accommodate the weak, they strengthen their standards to weed out the weak.
Commercial martial arts strive to test large numbers of students. To accomplish this in a reasonable amount of time, the time to complete individual student tests must be short. This means the rank testing requirements must be few and able to be completed quickly. Technique demonstrations, pattern performance, step-sparring, and free-sparring are performed in groups. Breaking is not required or requirements are few. Individual students are only on the mat for a few minutes. Students, including black belt testees, tend to view their rank tests as just another rank test.
Commercial martial art testings spectators tend to be mostly family members of testees. Non testing students rarely attend testings or award ceremonies. The whole testing process is a business, similar to that of an academic school. You attend class, behave properly, listen to the teacher, barely pass the test, and you are promoted to the next grade.
Today, November 19, 2005, I attended a black belt testing conducted by Bill Daniels Karate where my cousin, Chris Wilson, was testing for his first degree black belt in Shito-ryu. I was expecting a standard commercial style testing—I was wrong—this was a traditional testing!
The testing was conducted just for Chris. Each student testing for black belt has his or her own testing day. There was large group of spectators, less than ten were relatives; the rest were there to support the school and to show their respect for the testing process. There was a large group of students there to watch, participate, and help in the testing. There were numerous senior black belts there to judge, participate, and to honor the testing process. All this for just one student!
Chris was on the floor constantly testing for over two hours with only short breaks for water. He had to perform every stance, every hand technique, and every kick required of each color belt, occasionally being required to explain the technique and it usage. He had to perform all one-step sequences and all kata required of each color belt. He had to perform bo and sai kata. He had to perform all the board breaks required of each color belt.
He had to spar a round with one student of each color belt rank and display an appropriative level of force for the rank, age, and sex of each student. Then he had to spar a round against two simultaneous brown belt attackers and another round against three simultaneous brown belt attackers. Then he had to spar rounds against three individual black belt students. He then had to spar a round against a sixth degree black belt who was a foot taller and sixty pounds heavier. Then, finally, he had to spar a round with his sixth degree instructor (video clip [26MB], this was Chris’ last round of sparring after two hours of testing so he was tired, but then Sensei Daniels is 70 years old, so it seemed a fair match up). Then, as a surprise, Chris had to perform a palm break of five cement blocks (video clip [4MB]).
After he finished the test, Chris was covered in scratches and cuts, had two black eyes, a swollen cheek, a swollen ear, cut knuckles, and a dislocated nose. It was a tough two hours, with no pity shown, and not expected.
For Chris, to receive a black belt from his mentor would be the greatest honor, so he had trained very hard and was committed to doing his absolute best at the testing. When he bowed in at the beginning of the test, he appeared to be an intense, determined man who was ready to take on anything, and, when he bowed out at the end of the ordeal, he still appeared to be an intense, determined man who was ready to take on anything. From his behavior, you would never know he was tired or injured. As a warrior, during the testing, he never acknowledged his injuries or the hits that caused the injuries. Every technique he performed was crisp and powerful and performed with a spirited kiai, showing no sign of weakness. After the testing came the time to rest and lick his wounds.
This was a tough, serious, well-constructed, and well-run black belt testing that showed proper respect for the black belt and what an honor it is to be awarded one by a master who cherishes awarding it as much as the awardee cherishes earning it. Surprisingly, even with its tough, demanding, non compromising curriculum, the school is a financial success; probably because of Master Daniels’ dedication, not just to his students, but also to his art.
As a finishing touch to the testing, one of the master’s own black belts was ceremonially passed from student to senior student until the master received it and presented it to Chris. It was an emotional moment for Chris, Sensei Daniels, and the spectators. It was a moment Chris will always remember, and it was a moment I will always remember, not just because I got to see Chris earn his first black belt, but also because I got to see a real black belt testing again. I remember my roots again, and I miss them. A black belt is not just another belt!
Commercial martial arts strive to please the masses and not offend anyone in anyway, so parents will keep bringing their children to classes. Whereas, the traditional martial arts tell the masses, “This is the way it is! Take it or leave it!” Instead of weakening their standards to accommodate the weak, they strengthen their standards to weed out the weak.
Commercial martial arts strive to test large numbers of students. To accomplish this in a reasonable amount of time, the time to complete individual student tests must be short. This means the rank testing requirements must be few and able to be completed quickly. Technique demonstrations, pattern performance, step-sparring, and free-sparring are performed in groups. Breaking is not required or requirements are few. Individual students are only on the mat for a few minutes. Students, including black belt testees, tend to view their rank tests as just another rank test.
Commercial martial art testings spectators tend to be mostly family members of testees. Non testing students rarely attend testings or award ceremonies. The whole testing process is a business, similar to that of an academic school. You attend class, behave properly, listen to the teacher, barely pass the test, and you are promoted to the next grade.
Today, November 19, 2005, I attended a black belt testing conducted by Bill Daniels Karate where my cousin, Chris Wilson, was testing for his first degree black belt in Shito-ryu. I was expecting a standard commercial style testing—I was wrong—this was a traditional testing!
The testing was conducted just for Chris. Each student testing for black belt has his or her own testing day. There was large group of spectators, less than ten were relatives; the rest were there to support the school and to show their respect for the testing process. There was a large group of students there to watch, participate, and help in the testing. There were numerous senior black belts there to judge, participate, and to honor the testing process. All this for just one student!
Chris was on the floor constantly testing for over two hours with only short breaks for water. He had to perform every stance, every hand technique, and every kick required of each color belt, occasionally being required to explain the technique and it usage. He had to perform all one-step sequences and all kata required of each color belt. He had to perform bo and sai kata. He had to perform all the board breaks required of each color belt.
He had to spar a round with one student of each color belt rank and display an appropriative level of force for the rank, age, and sex of each student. Then he had to spar a round against two simultaneous brown belt attackers and another round against three simultaneous brown belt attackers. Then he had to spar rounds against three individual black belt students. He then had to spar a round against a sixth degree black belt who was a foot taller and sixty pounds heavier. Then, finally, he had to spar a round with his sixth degree instructor (video clip [26MB], this was Chris’ last round of sparring after two hours of testing so he was tired, but then Sensei Daniels is 70 years old, so it seemed a fair match up). Then, as a surprise, Chris had to perform a palm break of five cement blocks (video clip [4MB]).
After he finished the test, Chris was covered in scratches and cuts, had two black eyes, a swollen cheek, a swollen ear, cut knuckles, and a dislocated nose. It was a tough two hours, with no pity shown, and not expected.
For Chris, to receive a black belt from his mentor would be the greatest honor, so he had trained very hard and was committed to doing his absolute best at the testing. When he bowed in at the beginning of the test, he appeared to be an intense, determined man who was ready to take on anything, and, when he bowed out at the end of the ordeal, he still appeared to be an intense, determined man who was ready to take on anything. From his behavior, you would never know he was tired or injured. As a warrior, during the testing, he never acknowledged his injuries or the hits that caused the injuries. Every technique he performed was crisp and powerful and performed with a spirited kiai, showing no sign of weakness. After the testing came the time to rest and lick his wounds.
This was a tough, serious, well-constructed, and well-run black belt testing that showed proper respect for the black belt and what an honor it is to be awarded one by a master who cherishes awarding it as much as the awardee cherishes earning it. Surprisingly, even with its tough, demanding, non compromising curriculum, the school is a financial success; probably because of Master Daniels’ dedication, not just to his students, but also to his art.
As a finishing touch to the testing, one of the master’s own black belts was ceremonially passed from student to senior student until the master received it and presented it to Chris. It was an emotional moment for Chris, Sensei Daniels, and the spectators. It was a moment Chris will always remember, and it was a moment I will always remember, not just because I got to see Chris earn his first black belt, but also because I got to see a real black belt testing again. I remember my roots again, and I miss them. A black belt is not just another belt!
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Huh!
When driving on the freeway, you never notice the number of PT Cruisers on the road until you buy one, then you notice one everywhere you look. You have never paid any attention to the mole on your arm until you see a television show about moles that are precursors to cancer, now you look at the mole on your arm many times every day. There is so much information around us that we tend to ignore all of it except that in which we have a piqued interest.
While in training, students of the martial arts are hammered with the same phrases, theories, claims, etc. repeatedly. Their minds tend to gloss over and they perform as zombies, regurgitating the standard gibberish as if it were the truth. To help them break out of this cycle, students need to have a seed doubt planted in their minds so they may begin looking around and seeing new things or seeing the routine things in a new light. As the students begin to question the status quo of their teachings, the seed of doubt may grow into a total rejection of the status quo or into a rejection of just a part of the status quo or it may grow into more support for the status quo. TKDTutor tries to implant these seeds of doubt.
Status quo is insidious; it infects your mind through constant exposure. Think about some of the names of popular locations or businesses in your city or town. You have heard the names all your life, but if you are similar to most people, you do not think about the actual names, where they came from, or what they mean; you just repeat the names without conscious thought. If you ever have cause to consider the names, many times they do not make sense.
After each class, martial arts students should stop and consider what they just learned, not just blindly accept it because the “master” said it. During their consideration, they should:
While in training, students of the martial arts are hammered with the same phrases, theories, claims, etc. repeatedly. Their minds tend to gloss over and they perform as zombies, regurgitating the standard gibberish as if it were the truth. To help them break out of this cycle, students need to have a seed doubt planted in their minds so they may begin looking around and seeing new things or seeing the routine things in a new light. As the students begin to question the status quo of their teachings, the seed of doubt may grow into a total rejection of the status quo or into a rejection of just a part of the status quo or it may grow into more support for the status quo. TKDTutor tries to implant these seeds of doubt.
Status quo is insidious; it infects your mind through constant exposure. Think about some of the names of popular locations or businesses in your city or town. You have heard the names all your life, but if you are similar to most people, you do not think about the actual names, where they came from, or what they mean; you just repeat the names without conscious thought. If you ever have cause to consider the names, many times they do not make sense.
After each class, martial arts students should stop and consider what they just learned, not just blindly accept it because the “master” said it. During their consideration, they should:
- Consider the source. Look at the credentials of the source; for more information on this, read this link. Even if the information is coming from a credible source, do not blindly accept it. Many famous, important, and highly educated people have far-fetched ideas and beliefs that are so far out of the mainstream that they are borderline psychotic
- Question the source to see if the information may be stated clearer or more proof offered.
- Consider what other credible people have said about the same subject.
- Consider whether the information is logical, reasonable, and makes common sense.
- Consider the science surrounding the subject.
E=MC²
Everyone has seen Einstein’s famous formula, E=MC². One aspect of the formula is that as an object approaches the speed of light, its mass increases enormously. A corollary of this increase in mass is that time slows as the object approaches the speed of light. Even at the relatively slow speed of the space station in relation to the speed of light, when astronauts return to earth from a long mission, they have aged a few milliseconds less than their counterparts on earth have aged.
So, how does this relate to Taekwondo, it means that if you punch and kick very fast, your hands and feet will have greater mass and thus hit harder—and you will have younger hands and feet.
So, how does this relate to Taekwondo, it means that if you punch and kick very fast, your hands and feet will have greater mass and thus hit harder—and you will have younger hands and feet.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Om
Meditation involves sitting quietly and focusing upon breathing or an image, sometimes while thinking or saying an innocuous word such as "om." Sara Lazar of the Harvard Medical school used MRI to study the effects meditating may have upon the brain. She found a thickening of the pars of the brain involved with memory and attention, areas that shrink with age.
In another study, Bruce O’Hara of the University of Kentucky found that 40 minutes of meditation did better on attention tests compared with their own performance after reading for 40 minutes. In another study, Richard Davidson of the University of Wisconsin found meditation produced a jump in brain waves associated with vigilance and attention.
Research has show that meditation works, but it also shows that it works irrespective of any religious connections. All you have to do sit quietly, empty the mind, and focus on something meaningless so the mind does not begin thinking about the thing. All the religious beliefs are superfluous. As usual, people exploit a natural phenomenon and confuse the issue. Use your brain; do not let others use it.
In another study, Bruce O’Hara of the University of Kentucky found that 40 minutes of meditation did better on attention tests compared with their own performance after reading for 40 minutes. In another study, Richard Davidson of the University of Wisconsin found meditation produced a jump in brain waves associated with vigilance and attention.
Research has show that meditation works, but it also shows that it works irrespective of any religious connections. All you have to do sit quietly, empty the mind, and focus on something meaningless so the mind does not begin thinking about the thing. All the religious beliefs are superfluous. As usual, people exploit a natural phenomenon and confuse the issue. Use your brain; do not let others use it.
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