The Seido Journey

Interdojo Tournament--Kumite and Team Kumite

2009-05-12T12:12:00.000-07:00

So, with kata out of the way, I was feeling a lot less nervous and actually looking forward to the kumite portion of the tournament that happened last week Friday and Saturday.

On Friday, I left work at 5 pm again and headed to Honbu to meet up with my brother who had to bring my green belt to me that I left at home earlier that morning. I was in such a rush to leave that I left my belt in my smaller gym bag when I put everything in my larger gym bag I use for kumite. My poor brother had to come to the city (I bribed him with lunch, get my keys, stop by my place in Forest Hills and pick up my belt, go back home to Jamaica to get ready and then come all the way back to the city. Whew! He really saved my butt. Of course, I could have used a loaner belt but I don't know...isn't that bad luck? Yeah, I'm a bit superstitious, haha. After I had my belt safe in my hands, I changed and loosened up for the individual kumite event at 6 pm. I wasn't quite sure how to warm up for a kumite event so I just did some stretching and tried to mentally prepare myself. I warned my brother that I'd get pulverized as I had only been fighting 6 weeks or so. I guess a part of me was afraid of looking completely ridiculous. I clearly expected more competition so I was prepared to lose my first match. Well, it turned out to be only four competitors in my division (green/adv. green belt women), which meant two matches. I won my first match much to my surprise and I waiting to fight in the finals before I knew it. Believe me, two minute rounds go fast (little did I know the rounds on Saturday were going to be 30 seconds) when you're on your way to winning the match. The downside is when you know you are in all odds not going to win a match, 2 minutes can be a long time. It was such with my second match. I fought a really amazing point fighter who I have never been able to score a point on yet. The final score was 4-0, as in I scored 0 points. Well, I finished in 2nd. Won one, lost one. Not bad for my first kumite tournament. The fact that it was such a small division kinda hinders my ability to assess how well I fight in terms of green belt women but the upside is I received a ton of valuable feedback and encouragement.

Going into Saturday's team kumite event, I had some idea what I needed to do though I expected to fight more matches. 7 teams, including ours, showed up for this event. Max and I were a little late (long story...short version: Max thought his car was towed or stolen for the second week in a row when it turned out to be parked right down the block from the apartment building, hot coffee spilled on me, we parked far...) as in we can about 15 minutes before the 2 o'clock event was scheduled to start. I quickly stretched and had a quick huddle with our team. And naturally, my first match was against the person I lost to the night before ;) I didn't score again so being the first of six 30 second fights, I put my team at a disadvantage by losing 5-0. In th end, we got beat 20-5 but it was such a fun experience in all honestly. In fact we got a second chance to fight and we actually won our next team match (I actually scored though I lost 3-1). And finally, we fought a third time for 5th place and the funny thing was I one my first match of the day 3-2 but my team lost the match placing 6th.

All in all, it was a priceless experience. I got lots of good advice and feedback on my sparing including my favorite piece of advice coming from Sei Shihan Michael: 'You're fighting in slow motion and you need to speed it up'. I know now that I definitely need to be quicker. I was also told by others that I fight too close to my opponent and moving back will give me an advantage.

After the tournament was over, we went next door to Limerick's to celebrate Max's b-day for like the 3rd time that week...lucky punk :P It was a grand old Seido time with a couple dozen people eating and drinking together.

Well, can't wait until future Seido events. I'm most likely going Seido summer camp this year in July and of course there is October tournament, which prompted me to start this blog in the first place.

Danielle

Interdojo Tournament--Kata

2009-05-07T08:02:00.000-07:00

Last night was the kata portion of Interdojo Tournament and all color belts from advanced white to advanced brown participated.

Now going into this, I was my usual nervous nelly self. My stomach hurt all day and I was edgy at work. I left work at 5 pm since the tournament started at 6pm and I could feel my nervs rising like a tide. I did my best to talk them down because I remember all too well what they did for me in February promotion. Also, I had to mentally talk down the fear I had of failure. Last year, I came in last and I felt terrible that night. But what a difference a year makes! This year I wasn't even concerned with placing. Considering I had just received my belt on March 12th (after a couple of weeks of make-ups following the February 21st promotion), I wasn't expecting to perform a flawless kata.

After picking up Max's birthday present (a brand new heavyweight gi which I dropped off to the cleaners at 9 am that morning to sew the Seido patches on), I hurried to Honbu to go over my kata a bit more. I had written it out earlier to get a mental grasp on the kata but I quickly realized my nerves might be a problem when I couldn't even hold a crane stance I was so shaky.

I must say though, I had plenty of encouragement from different black belts while I practiced downstairs. And once I went up at six, I quickly realized that I was surrounded by my friends, instructors, and peers. Not to mention, there were less than 40 competitors all together and the intimacy of it all was truly charming. I had to laugh when I realized I was the only green belt woman competing (though later another green belt woman from the 14th street dojo arrived). I mean this gives new meaning to "competing with yourself"...literally. Well, naturally, I was the first person in my ring to do my kata (it figures). I bowed to all my seniors and the judges before starting Pinan 4 and once again it was over in a blink (whew). It wasn't perfect by a country mile but I was pleased that I was able to stick moves I couldn't just a half hour before when I was practicing. My kiai was loud for like the first time ever, haha. I received pretty much all 8s and one 8.5 but my highest and lowest score was dropped so I got an even 40 out of 50. Meaning, it was okay-good but could use some improvement, which is what I plan to do regardless.

The competition itself was about an hour but we spent the second half of the tournament doing kata in groups and individually for Kaicho and the judges without being scored. And I must say that that was the most fun I've had in a while :) I did at least 5 katas last night and doing them with my peers who I train with everyday and getting feedback from seniors who have been studying since my parents were my age was a priceless experience.

At the end, we were all given certificates. I received a 2nd place certificate for the green belt women's division kata (there were only two of us, haha) and Max received a 1st place certificate (he was the only brown belt, haha, but I think his kata, Seido 4 I think, which scored a 45 out of 50 was awesome :)). After that we sung "Happy Birthday" to Max who turned 29 yesterday and had a raffle (you know one of those magical raffles with strange odds where one guy won three times, haha).

Well, Friday is individual kumite. I fully expect it to be more competitive as in more competitors. And finally, there's the team kumite, which I am looking forward to a great deal :)

Danielle

Kumite Team Complete, Pinan IV Rocks My Life :)

2009-05-01T07:34:00.000-07:00

In the two weeks since I've posted something up, I've registered for Interdojo Tournament and helped to put together a team with Max. The team is as follows:

Green Belt (Female): Danielle (me, no ring name, lol, I'll leave that to you guys)
Green Belt (Male): Tae aka "The Brooklyn Warrior"

Brown Belt (Male): Max aka "The Ukrainian Punisher"
Brown Belt (Women): Sharlene aka "The Finisher"

Black Belt (Male): Senpai Kwan aka "Mr Lightening"
Black Belt (Female): Kelly aka "The Teenage Wonder"

Blame the excruciating World Wrestling Entertainment style names on me, the team has no part in this terrible joke, ;)

Well all jokes aside, I am happy to be on a team with such great people who really embody the Seido spirit. Looking forward to Saturday, May 9th!

Pinan IV...that kata rocks my life for real. I'm doing Pinan IV for the interdojo tournament kata division. I learned the kata only about 6 weeks ago but I think that I'm at the point where I can do it at tournament. It won't be perfect but it will be a good opportunity to get some feedback and see others do it.

Well, this next week will be pretty busy but I'm looking forward it :)

Danielle

Intermediate Self Defense Is Tax Free: That's Why I like It :)

2009-04-15T07:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it's official: I'm spending this whole week working on intermediate self defenses 1-3 (4-5 can wait, I can barely remember the first 3). Last night, in senior review, I got my first taste of the intermediate self defense techniques on my green belt syllabus and it was bittersweet--bitter being the frustrating attempts that resulted in awkward movements that looked more like I was trying to pry open a wooden crate and sweet being the end of the class when I was able to do some techniques that actually resembled intermediate self defense. You know, for me it's the directional aspect that is so hard. Moving 45 degrees to the left or right while trying to execute a block plus a punch and on top of it a sweep...I mean can you say overload?

Well, I'm hitting up color belt class tonight at 6:30 and senior kata tomorrow.

Happy Tax Day :) Osu!

Congrats to Black Belts Promoted/This Week

2009-04-10T13:53:00.000-07:00

First off, congrats to all the black belts that were promoted. I'm really happy and proud that a lot of my friends and instructors/previous instructors were promoted :) Senpai Luke Mayes is now Sensei Luke and Sensei Marc Ravage is now Kyoshi Marc. There were so many senpais (3rd degree black belts) promoted to sensei...don't ask me to name them all. Also, Kyoshi Paul Williams was promoted to Jun Shihan Paul, Senpai Maya and Senpai Donald are now senseis as well.

Well, the week is over and the weekend is practically here. I made it to 3 classes this week. Monday (Kaicho's green belt and up class) was a bit of a train wreck considering I was so tired but I made it through. I was pretty discouraged that I couldn't do many of the harder combinations too well but I'm not giving up. Tuesday, I did kumite, that was okay. Another class functioning on very little sleep but I was able to fight some good rounds. Thursday was perhaps the best class (hint: I was able to sleep a reasonable amount of time the night before). I took Kaicho's senior kata class and was able to finally make some breakthroughs in my green belt katas. Props to Heather and Samantha (two other green/adv green belts) for helping me before class with Seido 3 and Gekisai Dai. Us green belts did Gekisai Dai for almost the entire class and I came out of it feeling way more confident in the movements. I think by next week I can take it to the next level of polishing my katas.

Tomorrow, I plan on doing my usual kata and endurance double header 12 and 1. Maybe kumite at 3 since Saturday is the only day I can take classes and not worry about being tired from work or having to get up early the next day.

Tired Beyond Belief, Interdojo Tournament One Month Away

2009-04-06T11:38:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's because I haven't been getting enough sleep or maybe it's because I've been trying to do too many things in one day (I work full time now and I recently started playing music everyday again) but lately, I am tired ALL the time! It's definitely taking its toll on my training. While I've been training regularly, many classes I am so physically exhausted I find myself dragging through kata exercises halfway through a one hour class. Fighting classes aren't too bad for the simple fact I'm forced to stay on my toes to avoid being pummeled and even in those classes I find myself focusing on blocking punches/kicks and not throwing them...this is bad, I know. I really need some energy!

Tonight I am taking Kaicho's 7'o clock evening class. I've never taken this class before but I've heard that it's a great class and Kaicho is a great instructor who I have not had the privilege of taking very often. The class is in 4 hours and I figure I'll get some wind before then...my spirit is definitely there (for karate at least, in terms of other aspects of life, that's another story), I just hope my body will hold-up. You know, tonight, I'm going to get to bed by 11 (or 12 the absolute latest!) because if I don't get a full 8 hrs or even 9 hrs, I'll probably fall apart as in my arms and legs will fall off...

I think once I get more sleep I should be okay really. And it's especially important now because I have to get to class and continue learning my new material (since receiving my green belt nearly a month ago) and I have to prepare for the interdojo tournament exactly one month from today. It's not so much about placing as it is about the experience (which is very fun :)). This year I get to do kumite but we'll see what that looks like in the next few weeks but I'm doing kata for sure. I'm working on Pinan IV, which is a cool kata (my favorite so far) and the one I know the best out of the three green belt katas I have on my syllabus.

You know last May, I placed 7th out of 7 adv. blue belt women and I was pretty torn up about it but I learned a pretty strong lesson about sportsmanship and dealing with being "last". I learned not to take it so hard even though I've always been the last kid picked for dodge ball or any team for like my whole life. I'm almost 23 tears old so I think it's honestly time to let that go. The I-can't-do anything-right-I'll-never-be-good-at-anything mentality...It's a hard mentality to rid yourself of when it's been a part of you your whole life. But I am dealing with it and that's all I can do if I expect to over come it. I mean in I promised myself I wouldn't quit and back in the October tournament, I placed 5th out of 8 yellow belts and I was super happy because I overcame my fear and had fun. I hope to do my best kata yet this tournament especially since I am really beginning to breakdown the technical aspects in my katas.

On a final note: I MISS YAI :( My work schedule is just too tough right now but when things settle, I hope I can make it regularly.

Happy Training,
Danielle

Promotion Results

2009-03-09T12:59:00.001-07:00

The day after my last entry, the promotion results went up. I was promoted to green belt with 3 make up classes (kata, meditation, and blind class). I'm in the progress of completing those now. I completed the blind class on Saturday (an intense experience blind-folded that frustrated me but also gave me a new appreciation for my ability to see), kata on Sunday (Kyoshi David's kata class, probably one of the most challenging kata class I've taken to date), and this coming Thursday night I will take meditation class (which I honestly think I should take more often anyway).

I'm not sure how I feel just yet about leaving yellow belt. I'm excited of course but also I am aware of the level of frustration I've experienced everytime my belt changes color. I'll try my best...osu...funny that I haven't thought of that definition for the word "osu" since white belt. I should more often.

February Promotion--Over!

2009-02-26T07:55:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow the results go up--they typically go up on the following Friday. Last weekend had to be about the most interesting promotion yet. I honestly don't believe it was the best one I've done for sure but I wouldn't label it a total disaster. After the expected quiz from Max on my stances and techniques on the ride to Honbu, I was full to the brim with Japanese terms I prayed Kaicho wouldn't ask me to attempt to pronounce correctly :o I arrived about a half an hour before the promotion, warmed up, and in no time it was time for our group to go up. What struck me is as odd (and make me a bit uneasy) was the small group of advanced yellow belts. I thought more of my peers would go for this promotion too but this is the point where many students put the brakes on. Before at blue belt it seemed like if you weren't going for promotion, you were the only one (I myself took an extra month at blue belt)and the farther along you go, where things get more technical and the learning curve flattens out, the more erratic each person's promotions become I guess. However, it did seem like every blue belt in NYC period decided to take February promotion but it was 5 of us.

The written test was fair. I expected it to be a bit harder. I'm definitely seeing a progression toward a specific format as you test for a more advanced belt level. Can't say it's harder but I think it's suited to my personality because I like to write :) I'll embrace the idea of more essays as long as Kaicho doesn't have us write them in Japanese. Still, the hardest written exam for me personally was from advanced blue to yellow back in June.

You know I honestly tried to ignore my mounting nerves as we started the physical test. We started with the dreaded "who has an injury?" conversation. I debated whether to let Kaicho know about my knee as I wasn't sure whether it would seriously impede a successful promotion. My left knee has the tendency to pop out of the socket and it can be a painful experience kicking at times but other than that I am pretty healthy. After this initial conversation, the physical test began. Overall, it was a fair one. I had trouble with the one handed push-ups (as in I couldn't do one correctly) but other than that, the material we were tested on was very familiar and some challenging combinations were thrown in.

My nerves hit a roadblock during the Sanchin kata testing and I got very upset but now that I look back at it, it wasn't so bad. I missed a step or two but was able to regain my footing as I practiced this kata a fair amount of times. It was over in no time--or at least it seemed that way because my ridiculous nerves shut down my ability to feel time at a normal pace. I mean it felt like 20 minutes! After it was over I was pretty upset but when I came down from the anxiety, it hardly seemed like a terrible promotion. In fact, it was pretty decent.

Seido Honbu Promotion Feb. 2009 This Saturday

2009-02-17T11:50:00.000-08:00

It has been a month since my last entry and I though I have been training regularly I just haven't had as much time as I would like to update The Seido Journey. Nevertheless I will continue my reflections when I do get the time.

In less than 4 days I will be taking promotion for my green belt. My application is completed and was signed by Sensei Marc. All I have to do is attach the picture, fee, and get it in before Thursday evening's deadline.

It's been a long road to get to this point (mostly mentally--even wanting to give up during uncertain/frustrating times) and all things considered, I am pretty confident in my material. I still train 3 or 4 days a week and I try to mix my classes up with pilates and endurance classes for conditioning and Kata, color belt, and step by step kumite classes to practice/review my material.

Max and I went snowboarding and skiing over the holiday weekend and we both got a little banged up--Max trying to not to hit someone cutting in front of him and me stopping myself from going off a trail (way too advanced for a first time skier--I didn't know this at the time because of misleading opinions from certain people...)and going off a 20 foot drop :O We're both taking it easy this week but I do plan on going in on Thursday for blue and yellow belt class.

All in all, I am definitely excited about promotion but I am nervous as always. It's like you know what's expected on many components (e.g. the written test, group sharing at the end, etc.) but then again Kaicho and Jun Shihan Walter always have new tricks under their sleeves.

2009 First Impressions (Kagami Baraki)

2009-01-16T11:34:00.000-08:00

We are a little more than two weeks into the new year. Kagami Baraki--a spirited new year's workout with Kaicho and Nidaime that takes place annually--is behind us as well. This was my second Kagami Baraki and I must say that this event seems to hammer home the idea that a new year is finally here and the old is gone.

I've got a lot on my plate in the next few weeks. I am hoping to go for my green belt in 5 weeks and I am planning on making a bigger commitment to the YAI program. On top of it, I just started a new job. It's tricky balancing a new job, which if I do the right things can get me into my dream career and, something I love doing such as karate. I try to make at least 3 days of classes a week, usually Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. But with work ending at 6 pm, I'll have to opt for an altered schedule.

I'm work hard in preparing for the "big leap" or the promotion from advanced yellow belt to green belt. Though I must admit that it's coming up quicker than I imagined.

Seido from the start

2008-12-23T11:35:00.000-08:00

I think it is great to have a Seido blog. This is my first contribution to any blog.

My journey in Seido began in 1994 when my therapist told me that I should take up karate to learn how to yell. I don't know how serious he was, but since he went on a vacation the next week, I decided to look into karate. I visited several dojos around NY. Seido seemed too big so I joined a small dojo near my office. I stayed for a few months, but found it disorganized. I went back to 23rd street and watched a class there. It felt much clearer and focused. I joined and have been here ever since. I yell better now and also am much more in touch with myself on many levels.

I found it very challenging at first since everything was so new. I watched other people learn faster than me. Once I learned to focus on myself and to stop comparing myself to people half my age, I found that I was, in fact, learning. Starting karate as a 49 year old, age has been a factor for me, but less so as time goes on.

As I moved through the belt levels, I continued to be challenged and to acquire new skills. Kumite was terrifying, and there were many locker room tears in the process. However, someone told me that the only way to get better was to come to kumite every week. The fear is gone now and although I am not to best or most skilled, I do have some skills.

When I promoted to black belt, a YAI student was part of our group. His perseverance was inspiring so I got involved in the YAI program for developmentally disabled students. The students are wonderful people who have varying skill levels, but each of them shows up and does their best. To see them improve over the years is rewarding and they really appreciate the classes and the volunteers.

My Seido Journey thus far

2008-12-21T07:50:00.000-08:00

It has been a little over two and half years that I have been with the Seido program. I have just received my brown belt about three weeks ago but I still remember the first time I stepped into the beautiful Seido Honbu dojo and took the introductory class taught by Sensei Mark Lefkowitz (who has since moved to the Bay Area). I did not know what to expect and was pleasantly surprised to find out all of the intricacies of Karate, and see that it is not as linear as the image I had in my mind from watching the movies.

From that class on, I was hooked. I would come in and train 10 classes per week and I would work myself into exhaustion. Blisters would constantly form on my toes and soles and my muscles would be sore for days. I did not mind that though, because I just really wanted to get good.
I was pretty slow to pick up things, so I reasoned that if I took up a large amount of classes that my learning would accelerate. The terminology alone was quite hard, since there was so much of it, but I soon devised a method to learn it. It was very simple. I would just learn one new word per day. I would constantly repeat the word in my mind in both Japanese and in English. And after about a month I knew all of the terms.

I am a huge fan of Bruce Lee, I just love his style and just the incredible shape he is in. One of the first Martial Arts books I have read, other than Kaicho's Autobiography, was called "The Ultimate Training for the Martail Arts". In that book one of the passages was about Lee's training regimen. In that passage he said that getting into the top shape conditioning-wise would allow you to become a better practitioner. And I figured that if that was the case, I could concentrate more on my technique rather than on just trying to keep up with the physical strains.
So that is what I did. I would take up all three endurance classes per week and I would also do some light jogging in the mornings.

Getting into the whole endurance training was not easy though. I was so out of shape when I first joined Seido that I was nearly thirty pounds overweight. My first conditioning class that I ever took happened to be taught by Senpai Angel. As it turned out, that was probably the most physically demanding class that you could take. I felt incredibly winded and I had a very painful feeling around my kidney area. I had to stop for a minute because I just felt paralyzed.

Over time I saw that my technique improved. One of the most constructive tips that I received came from Senpai Jorge. I remember one time where I was stretching out on the side and talking to him and he pointed out one of the students in the class, and told me:
"See how low her stance is? That is how it should be done". From that day on, I would sink into the lowest stance possible. I must admit, it hurt a lot, but after a few months it was not so bad, and I would realize how much stronger my legs became. It took a lot of concentration and constant reminding to work on maintaining my stance low and just making sure that every bit of my technique was correct.

Kaicho always says that Karate is not just about physical training and kicking and punching, but I feel like the training does go a long way about teaching about other aspects of Karate. I feel like it has made me grow as a person in many areas outside of my training. I feel more confident, more focused, more aware of my surroundings, and also more giving, and the list goes on.

I feel more confident in the fact that I can give my opinion when in the past I would feel more timid because I would be afraid to express myself.

I feel more focused on the tasks at hand, whether it be at work or just in my daily rituals. And I also feel more focused about my long term goals.

Whenever I walk around or go for a drive, I feel like I know where everything is around me. I think the dojo etiquette of bowing to seniors and knowing their ranks and just knowing when and where they are on the floor has a lot do with it.
The Saturday Kata class taught by Nidaime has definitely taught me about being aware of my physical surrounding especially when you are wedged in between a pole and three other Senpais.

The feeling of giving is true because I love to share my experience with people and pass down what was taught to me at some point. I know it may not be much, but I do what I can.

That being said, I do not think that I have learned everything. It's quite the opposite. Every day that I step into the dojo I try and have a beginner's mind. I know I have to not only learn new material, but I have to remember everything that I have learned up until now. I need to constantly keep reminding myself about lowering my stance, polishing my technique, saying a loud Osu every time an instructor gives a command and having a loud Kiai.
It is Ren-ma (constant polishing) which is one of the fundamental principles of training. And it also helps to examine the things that you think you know. You need to think about why you are doing those things? Why are you in this stance or that stance? Why are you doing this strange combination? Why does this block seem weird to you? How can I apply this one technique in a situation? What are those situations? Why is the Kata called that name? How does that name apply to the Kata?
Those are the type of questions I constantly ask myself.

This is only a tip of the iceberg on my journey thus far. I do want to say however, that being part of Seido Juku it is important to think about the fundamental principles that you learn as a white belt and carry on with you on your journey.

Love, Respect and Obedience.

Those three words are what I always think about during my Journey and I try and take them to my heart and make them become a part of myself. The more I train here, the more I begin to understand and realize the meaning of those words. It is no accident that their symbol is actually sewn onto the sleeve of your gi.

All of this is very important, but I feel like if you are serious about Karate and want to become a better Karataka, the most important thing that you need to remind yourself is that the training never stops. It is a life-long journey and you can never reach the end.

Keep on training! Osu!

Walking Meditation 2008

2008-12-12T14:09:00.001-08:00

On Wednesday evening, Seido Honbu hosted the annual Walking Meditation, where Seido students and instructors walked to the local shelters to deliver clothing, toys, and dry goods to those in need. At least 30 of us showed up to participate. It was quite a mixed crowd with Sei Shihans, Jun Shihans, Kyoshis, and Senseis as well as color belts of all different ranks. After a couple of pictures upstairs, Kaicho, along with Nidaime,led the procession into wet and rainy streets of downtown Manhattan. The first stop was a co-ed church shelter that couldn't be more than two avenues down 23rd street and half of the group--each with a bag in hand--delivered their goods to the appreciative residents. My group walked ahead to a shelter for women on 30th street to deliver clothing such as winter coats, sweaters, pants, and scarves to its residents. I must admit, I was not prepared for what I saw when I got there. I thought that it would be dropping the bags off in the lobby and going on my way but we were all met by at least a dozen women hovering around the entrance eagerly receiving these donated goods (some very gently used designer garments, some of the ones I donated still had the tag on them as I never wore those pieces). It was definitely an experience to make another person's day, especially when I wasn't expecting my participation or donations to really make a big difference. For those of you that missed the chance to share some holiday cheer, there will be another walking meditation on Dec. 18th (yesterday's 2nd walking meditation was postponed due to extremely nasty weather) when more clothing ,and this time, toys for children will be given to local shelters. I encourage all who can to take advantage of this unique experience and if you can't make it, to donate something!

Seido 2009: Some Thoughts on the Coming New Year and Kagami Baraki

2008-12-10T12:35:00.000-08:00

It seems like just yesterday I was white belt sweating it out in Kagami Baraki--the traditional new year workout with Kaicho where at least 200-250 students and instructors of all ranks were on the dojo floor training together 8 am on the first Sunday in January. This year it's on the second Sunday in January 2009--the 11th. I am now an advanced yellow belt, still training, still learning new things and trying to improve past material. This year, Kagami Baraki means that there is evidence of the principle of everything coming full circle. A great 2008 has come to a close. We have all worked hard and now we greet a new year where we are beginning fresh. A new year and the journey continues. Hope to see everyone at Kagami Baraki!

Osu!

November Madness--Jun Shihan Walter: International Man of Mystery's Surprise 60th Birthday Party and other happenings at Honbu

2008-12-03T14:40:00.001-08:00

Osu guys, as many of you know, things have been quite hectic for the last month so I haven't been available to share as many posts as I had planned in the month of November. However, I have plenty of great post for December :)

So, let's start December off with a long over due recap of last month!

Jun Shihan Walter, a much respected veteran instructor at Honbu, was given a surprise 60th birthday party on Thursday, November 13th. There had been much of a buzz around the dojo all week prior with instructors--including Kaicho himself--telling their students and students each other that there would be a surprise celebration for Jun Shihan Walter. Considering just how many people study at Honbu, I was a bit skeptical that this news would travel from person to person without reaching Jun Shihan Walter himself but surprisingly it didn't and those of us who attended were part of a pretty awesome surprise.

After I got out of blue and yellow belt class at 7:30, I changed and headed upstairs. Despite the fact that a senior belt class was going on as normal, anyone could see that a party was in the makings with small clumps of people working on decorations and coat racks quickly being filled. Kaicho cut the class 15 minutes short and jokingly encouraged everybody to hurry up, get changed and "put on their make-up" for the party. At 8 pm on the second floor of the dojo (Kaicho's meditation class is usually held up here on Thursdays at 8 pm)at least 100 people wrapped themselves in a blanket of hush and waited for Jun Shihan Walter, who thought he was expected at 8 pm to attend dinner with Kaicho and his wife. After a few minutes--and a couple of stragglers and false alarms--Jun Shihan Walter arrived to a chorus of "SURPRISE" and a non stop round of cheering and applause.

I must say that it was much bigger than I expected it to be and a lot of planning went into it so congrats to those who put it together. Everything from the glossy pictures--posted on the columns and mirrors of the dojo--of Jun Shihan Walter with the hilarious speech bubbles inserted and the two cakes with trick candles, all the way to the great assortment of snacks and drinks and birthday card that showcased the "many personalities" of the Jun Shihan.

Also, in the month of November, I began my training as an advanced yellow belt. I was presented with my stripe on election day (a day that felt like a million bucks already) and participated in my first step by step kumite class, taught by Senpai Luke. Though there is no contact for advanced yellow belts, I must say that I was nervous but after a couple of these classes (I've done 3 so far), I am more comfortable with the techniques such as back fists to the head area and reverse punches. I do need to work on my kicks as I'm starting to see just how difficult it is to move around and kick. I think that's something that I can develop over time so I will try to make this class--which meets Tuesday, once a week--as much as possible as it is the only kumite class I can take until I reach green belt. I have decided to make YAI classes at least twice a month so I'll probably alternate each week.

Overall, I've been training steady about 3-5 classes a week and my focus is improving my kicks (technique, balance, strength of kicks, etc.) because as Kyoshi Billy says, technique can get worse over time instead of better--a surprise to many who may believe that by merely coming to class they will get better. That's a reality check that merely going to class and learning the techniques without really aiming to do them accurately obviously isn't a good habit. In my opinion, it is a waste of time and I have been guilty of going through a class, so exhausted from earlier in the day, that I tend to drag my techniques without the best effort. In fact, while there are many classes running back to back available to color belts, I typically take one because I'd rather pool my energy and focus into one hour long session as opposed to two or even three classes where I know I may be too tired to really apply myself fully in those classes. I congratulate all of those warriors who take 2-3 classes in one night--it takes a great deal of energy and focus. Maybe one day I'll be there too, but for now, with the exception of Saturday back to back kata and endurance (too good a workout to miss), I'm going to do a class at a time.

All in all, December will a busy month at Honbu, especially Saturday, December 13th where promotion and the Honbu Holiday party will take place all in one day (as well as Kyoshi Billy's Xmas party happening at Body Evolutions that same evening. There will be a modified schedule to get used to after Christmas. Don't ask me to recall it all! I'm just glad to be able to stay in shape and train with all of the holiday dinners, drinking and parties!

Finally, congrats to Max who received his brown belt on Monday after working hard to complete several weeks of make-ups :)

The Seido Karate YAI Program: A First Look

2008-11-10T13:04:00.000-08:00

Osu Everyone,

Recently, I've taken time to familiarize myself with the Seido Karate special programs and in this three part series, I'd like to introduce you to the Seido Karate YAI program. This month, you will get an overview of the program itself, meet the instructors, the students and learn why you should get involved.

For those of you who know little about it, The Seido Karate YAI program serves the New York City Community by teaching adults with some form of mental disability Seido karate. Located at the Young Adult Institute, in the heart of downtown Manhattan, the Seido Karate YAI program has been in existence for over 20 years and is run week to week by a group of dedicated Seido karate volunteers (who range from color belt students to high ranking black belt students). Currently, the program is host to 18 students--who exhibit some of the strongest spirit I have ever seen in their training--on Tuesday and Thursday each week.

Last week Thursday, I had the pleasure of volunteering at my first YAI class. I first heard about the program through Max, who has volunteered as an instructor for quite some time. In addition, I met Senpai Barbara--a senior instructor for the program--as well as many of the students at the October tournament. Putting this all together, I needed little convincing to volunteer :)

First off, I must say that this is truly a crucial part of Seido training and I understand why it is required for all individual promoting to senior color belt levels. The experience of teaching another person is a learning experience in itself that is greatly underestimated. Have you ever tried to teach anything else to anyone else even if it was as simple as making a sandwich? Well, by breaking down something you've come to do more or less fluidly to help another learn how to do it, you are simultaneously a.) teaching that other person, b.) re-learning it from a different angle, and c.) getting to know that person and d.) under going a pretty deep self reflection process. Despite all of that happening at once, a certain peace and harmony accompanies the process and you accept it as it is in the here and now.

Secondly, the YAI group is a very focused group. And its a powerful feeling to be in the room with a dozen a half students who are giving it all they have. Their eyes do not waver from you if you are right in front of them--and this can be uncomfortable to people who are not used to being front and center--but you eventual realize that they are showing their appreciation and respect for you and for what they are learning. And this was a point for me when I re-learned the word "osu" and why I said it--which is important because for many of us, "osu" may ebb to a mere mumble while moving about the dojo at points in our training. And on that same train of thought, while assisting the Senpai and color belt volunteers in leading the stretching (a first for me) and learning to do things mirror image (reverse of students I am facing) I made a few mistakes. I was a bit ashamed, afraid I let the students down but I was amazed and humbled by the patient glances I got from the students that said "We understand, its okay" and the encouragement they gave me, being new to YAI. It was a special thing that you have to experience. And it was the embodiment of the term "osu".

I plan on volunteering at YAI this coming Tuesday and I will have much more to write about--as well as some photos. The next YAI article will focus on the interviews I have had with YAI instructors and hopefully a few words from the students. At the end of the month, I will have an article that is dedicated to you--yes, YOU--and why you should join! In addition, Max Gubin, who is now a contributing author for The Seido Journey blog, will share his experience as a YAI volunteer.

Osu

October 2008 Kyu Promotion at Honbu

2008-10-26T10:28:00.000-07:00

It's the day after kyu promotion at Honbu and I'm feeling pretty good minus the stiff neck from the fender bender that Max and I were involved in last night while on the way home (nothing serious, we're fine, I just got a bit of whip lash but luckily we were wearing seat belts and the driver wasn't going too fast).

Yesterday's promotions kicked off with the white belt promotion at 11:30 and at 12:30, blue through advanced yellow--the group I was part of--began their promotion. Firstly, I couldn't help but notice the size of this group compared to prior promotions. There had to be 45-50 of us at least and we were packed along the sides of the first floor of the Honbu dojo like sardines when I came in around noon. The Saturday kata class instructed by Nidaime was going on so there wasn't much room for stretching until we were called upstairs. Yet, we were quite the ball of energy--blue belts, advanced blue belts, yellow belts, advanced yellow belts--attempting to stretch, doing short, modified versions of our katas, and speaking in nervous and excited voices of what was to come in just 15 minutes. I myself was off to the side stretching my legs when Nidaime authoritatively cut short the discussion of the boisterous group. The group, now very quite and some a bit surprised because they had no idea that they had had gotten so loud was called upstairs a few short minutes later. Upon going upstairs to the second floor of the Honbu dojo, we began the written portion of the test. For me, the written test for yellow belt was fair enough--I was lucky to recently start visualizing all of my material mentally from start to finish with all of tournament practice as this test was in my opinion more descriptive. But enough about the test, those of you who have yet to take the yellow belt test will just have to find out when the time comes ;) and those of you who have taken it however long ago may be able to see where I'm coming from in my assessment :)

Next was the hour long physical portion of the test (The promotion is roughly 2 hours). For me, I found this promotion for me to be challenging enough and I really pushed myself in this one--as I try to push harder with each one. There is sometimes this tendency when engaging in any periodic event to relax too much after enduring a couple of them and develop a fatigue about the activity but I can honestly say that I was very focused and stayed on my toes regardless and many of us testing that day can definitely say the same. Because once you allow yourself to develop a nonchalant fatigue about your training and promoting, it will affect your motivation, your physical skill/progress and mental growth from the activity. As a person I respect very much once said with many things in this world, "If you pay for it, you'll get it"--so really, it's up to you to make the most of it, give your best and give it some type of meaning. Some martial arts schools (whether it's karate, mma or tae kwon do) have fell into the pitfall of becoming highly commercialized and consumed with keeping students at all costs and generating a high profit even if it means compromising the integrity of the style or way. Now, I won't bury my head in the sand when it comes to Economics 101 as I went to b-school but there is a point where people must understand that this is karate, that it is something that is beautiful and strong and has been around for hundreds of years and that they owe it to the style itself (and ultimately to themselves) to learn and do their very best and grow from it. And I feel that Kaicho, other senior instructors and Seido karate in general is reinforcing this principle.

After the physical test for promotion ended, we all gathered around Kaicho, Jun Shihan Walter, and other very senior members of Seido and had a brief but intimate group discussion that was very much a mirror of the spirit at Seido Honbu and Seido dojos everywhere. Before I knew it, it was all over! A flurry of yellow and blue belts heading downstairs while the physical portion of the green through brown belt promotion started (Max tested today for brown belt :))

Well, promotion results go up Friday, October 31st for all kyu belts so I will know the official results of my test to promote to advanced yellow belt. It was an eventful day and it was over way too soon. Stayed tuned for future entries that include pieces on the dynamic Seido YAI program and notes from Seido instructors and Seido students all over the world this coming November!

Osu Everyone,
Danielle

The Seido Karate 32nd Anniversary & Benefit Tournament

2008-10-19T14:55:00.000-07:00

The Seido Karate 32nd Anniversary & Benefit Tournament held yesterday at Hunter College proved to be an unforgettable experience for so many of us in the Seido family and I can definitely say that I am one of them :)

Yesterday morning, I woke up at 6:50 am and my first thought was, it's morning already?!, as my sleep the night before was short and shallow because of all the jitters and mental rehearsals of my Pinan II. And my second thought was, I have a 8 am meeting at Hunter College for tournament volunteers! So after getting ready in record speed, I quickly threw together two fried egg whites with onion and tomatoes on an everything bagel and Max and I hoped in the car and somehow made it to Hunter College just past 8 am. By the time I got there, the gym was buzzing with life and it was safe to say that nobody in their right mind would have tried to rob Hunter College that morning with the place so densely packed with karateka. I checked in and headed to the gym to attend the meeting that Senpai Barbara was holding for volunteers in her group, got a quick tutorial in scorekeeping and timekeeping and headed to the locker room and proceeded to get lost in the miles and miles of locker rows before settling a locker and getting changed. Kyu kata started at 9:30 am and so that was less than an hour away.

I did some stretching and reviewed some parts of the kata mostly the side thrust kick out of crane stance which I was afraid I would lose my balance on and the basics such as returning to stance correctly at the end of my kata. Other than that, I made some rounds and spoke with others I saw from class (see below). Despite being mortified of making a fool of myself, I was in good spirits with all of the festivities to come (see below). Even Max was in good spirits despite having to practically park in Canada--not really but it was far! (see below).

The announcement for kyu kata came all too soon and myself and a half dozen other women participating in the yellow belt division were called over to ring 2. I was a bit afraid that I'd go first I must admit but I was ready either way as there was no turning back. I thanked all the luck stars in the entire milky way galaxy when I was told I would be going 3rd. In addition, the judges told us that the first three participants would not receive scores until after the three of us completed our kata and that lessened some of my anxieties. I believe this call was made--and I'm not privy to the reasoning exactly--because the judges wanted to create a solid foundation and an appropriate rubric for scoring all 8 of us participating in this division and the seeing the first 3 without scoring yet would help to foster this. Many of us who have went early in the kata division of a tournament (I was 2nd to go in May) know that being one of the first three up isn't always the best spot to be in because a) it's nerve-wrecking, b) you haven't really seen anyone else do their kata yet so you perspective of how it looks in the ring from a spectator view isn't available and c) the judges haven't seen anybody else do their kata yet either.

Well, I was ready by the time they had called me. I approached the judges, bowed, gave my name, my dojo and, my kata. And in no time at all, I heard Yoi! (meaning "get ready") and Hajime! (meaning "begin"). I started a bit off mostly because the floor was slippery (ask anyone doing kumite in the tournament) but quickly gained my bearing and was able to do a half way decent kata afterall. I nailed the first kai (yell that is designed to release energy and break down your opponent's nervous system) which I was happy about because my kai is pretty weak mostly, I kept my balance on my kick and on the last move, an upper block, I almost forgot to kai but remembered a split second later and added it (better late than never). After I finished, the judges spoke for a little bit and called each of us to receive our scores. When I was called up I received mostly 8's and after dropping the lowest and highest score, I received a 40.5. Overall, I finished 5th out of 8 women in my division but I was pretty happy because I had a great time, had worked pretty hard on learning one of the more difficult Pinan kata, and had overcome my fear of getting back up there after coming last (7th out of 7 women) in the May tournament. With my kata over, I was free to get some more pictures and some movies of Max in the kumite portion where he came in first place in the advanced green belt division :)

I finally got a chance to get in on some kumite action later in the day when I was timekeeper for team kumite. It was my first time volunteering and I had a blast. After a quick bite to eat I was back to watch the children's tournament. I must admit that seeing 4 and 5 year olds doing kata is the cutest thing that I've ever seen in my life. Following the children's tournament, there was a children's demonstration including a portion by the Seido junior black belts. These kids were great as they broke boards and wowed the audience with jumping side kicks over 4 of their peers, breaking a boards. One moment stuck out to me though. A little girl who was part of the junior black belt demonstration attempted to break a board with her elbow and as all of her peers broke their boards, hers was only one that didn't. After another attempt, it did not break and the little girl began crying. I was way high up in the bleachers watching and I could hear her and it really bothered me to see her so upset because even at 22 years old I could relate to that feeling all too well. But with help and encouragement from Nidame and the audience she was able to break the board after a few tries. The audience erupted in a thunderous applause and I was cheering her along with them because it was very brave to continue to try when it would have been so easy to give up. That is what makes Seido Karate such an amazing thing to be a part of. Other inspiring moments included the special demonstration where students from the Blind program (for visually impaired students) and the Young Adult Institute program (for students who have various disabilities). Also, Nidame Kyoshi Akira received a ceremonial belt from Kaicho who gave a brief speech expressing how proud he was of Nidame and how hard has worked.

Later that day, we saw more amazing feats in the breaking competition where black belts not only broke wooden boards but baseball bats and concrete slabs. One participant broke two concrete slaps with his forehead as well as two concrete slaps with his hand which scored him a 49.5 out of 50 and another participant broke a wooden board with one finger as well as another board via a spinning heel kick. Kyoshi Paul, who scored an amazing 49.9 and finished in first place broke one baseball bat with his hand and two baseball bats with a single kick. The black belt action didn't end there but culminated in the final fights which crowned two new grand champions (one man and one woman black belt) and the presentation of the SOGO awards for men and women black belts who competed in kata, kumite, and breaking.

At around 7 pm, the tournament came to an end and exhausted but happy, I called it a day. My first Benefit Tournament was an unforgettable experience and now I am ready to continue training and I look forward to what's to come :) This coming Saturday is promotion and I'm going for advanced yellow belt. I am fine tuning everything for promotion and I hope it's a successful one. Anyhow, I'll write following the promotion.

The Eve of the Seido Karate 32nd Anniversary & Benefit Tournament

2008-10-17T09:02:00.000-07:00

I have less than 24 hours until I participate in the Seido Karate 32nd Anniversary and Benefit Tournament and I am feeling a couple of things right this very moment. Excitement, of course, because I'll be there with so friends and special people in my life and there will be plenty of new faces from Honbu as well as other from other dojos here in New York as well as from other parts of the world. Some anxiety because there will be so many people watching (I heard a rumor that nearly 600 tickets were sold...don't know if it's true) including Kaicho and all of the highest ranking seniors in Seido and because during the Interdojo Tournamnent this past May, I scored poorly coming in last place (7th) in the advanced blue belt women's division. I remember how upset I felt that night. 5 and a half months have passed since then, now I am a yellow belt and I can definitely say I trained and prepared much more for this tournament so I hope that I do much better. I have a bit of a different mindset. Before I was competing (and coming in last, I felt like I lost) and tomorrow I will be participating, meaning I am taking advantage of being part of something great, over-coming the fear of performing my kata in front of hundreds of people and, hoping to become better as a result of my focus, dedication and spirit. And getting that far should feel like winning no matter what place I come in.

I am doing Pinan II, a really beautiful kata with lots of fancy techniques. I have practiced it about 75 times outside of class. I have Honbu instructors like Kaicho, Jun Shihan Debra, Kyoshi Billy, Sensei Marc, Senpai PJ and as well my yellow belt peers, Max Gubin (3rd kyu, advanced green belt), and others I'm probably forgetting to thank for watching me practice my Pinan II kata over the past month and offer advice on technique overall, stances, strikes--anything, you name it--as well as answering my dozens of questions even when they had others things to do. I've made it this far--training for the tournament and actually taking the up the opportunity to participate again despite a poor showing in the May tournament--because of the support of so many at Seido Honbu. Best of luck to everyone competing tomorrow and hope see many faces tomorrow at Hunter College!