“Children don’t quit Karate, Parents do.” If you want your child to benefit or even receive their black belt and more, than you as a parent need to have a black belt commitment too.
Why do you want your child to learn Karate”
Parent – “I want them to gain discipline and confidence”
Sensei to Parent : “Then here are the things you, as the parent need to know and follow no matter what:
1. You must be consistent bringing your child to class. Schedule your Karate days and move things around them so your child doesn’t miss classes or attend sporadically. Why? Because discipline and confidence come from doing structured things, not random things.
2. When training gets tough and your child doesn’t want to go to class because it’s not “fun” you will tell them “get your Gi and let’s go” no matter what. Why? Because you can’t build discipline on your schedule, only doing what you want when you want. You also can’t build confidence by avoiding things that are hard to do or tough. Only by failing and then overcoming that failure can you grow confident. It is not easy but it is worth it.
3. When your child loses interest (which comes and goes by the way) you will say “Get your Gi and let’s go”. Allowing your child to just give up something because they have lost interest leads to teaching them how to be a failure in life. Teaching your child the value of commitment and seeing things through is part of the discipline process. The loss of interest in kids happens but then they wish they wouldn’t have “quit”. Teach your child not to be a quitter.
4. You aren’t committing to attend Karate. You are committing to get good at Karate and earn your black belt. When your child wants to quit you will say “Are you a black belt yet?” and then say “Get your Gi and let’s go”. Children who see their training through to black belt will learn what it means to truly earn something which builds confidence and discipline. This will be invaluable in their lives as they grow into adulthood (going off to college and more).
5. Karate will build confidence, discipline, focus and more BUT you have to be committed to it no matter what. You can’t just show up when you want and expect your child to gain from it. It takes work so teach your child the value of working hard. When you, the parent, are involved in their training they grow strong in their confidence and discipline. Don’t be “that parent” that just lets their kid start and quit things. Get them to the dojo and watch them develop strong, focused, driven and confident so that they can have a great life!
Things to remember from the desk of your Sensei….
ELITE KARATE ACADEMY NEWSLETTER MARCH 2018
Welcome to our March Newsletter.
This email newsletter will hopefully keep you up to date with all you need to know about what’s going on in Elite Karate Academy over the coming months. Please feel free to share this newsletter with family and friends, I hope you find it informative. Feel free to comment on our Facebook page with comments and be sure to like our page while you’re there. Sign up for our newsletter at here
News – Updates – Events At A Glance
- Elite Karate Academy Expo on April 15th, 2-6pm, Green Isle Hotel. All students including beginners will be taking part on the day, with either/both gradings and demonstrations.
- This is the last week to sign up for this year’s Sparring Competition. Registration closes 9pm Friday 9th March 2018. See below for more details.
- St Patricks Day Parade. Come walk with us. Find out more below.
- Raffle & Cake Bake Sale. Can you donate something?
- Donations for St Vincent de Paul of clothes, bedding, toys, books, household items, DVDs etc. as always may be dropped off at the dojo anytime.
- Referral Competition – Find out more below
Sparring Competition
The early rounds of this non-contact 3 points-wins tournament will take places within your child’s normal classes and is completely voluntary. With the semi-finals and finals taking place at this year’s Expo. All student’s must have their own sparring gloves, (click here), sparring boots are optional but are recommended. Only students who have graded may take part in this tournament.
Entry costs €10 per student and must be registered before 9pm on this Friday 9th March 2018.
St Patrick’s Day Parade
Once again this year the Academy will be walking in this year’s Clondalkin Parade. Students, families, and their friends are all invited to join us on the day. Assemble point is 1.30pm in the car park of Clondalkin Sports and Leisure, Old Nangor Rd on (obviously) 17th March 2018. If the weather is poor, please wear normal clothes under your karate uniform.
Elite Karate Academy Expo
Our 7th Elite Karate Academy Expo will take place on Sunday 15th of April between 2pm-6pm, in the Green Isle Hotel. Doors open at 1.30pm and there will be a full bar service available. All students will be taking part, those not grading will be involved in demonstrations. All students must wear their karate uniform. The aim of the Expo, as always, is to allowing students demonstrate their skills and abilities to their family and friends, whilst educating parents about the aims and ethos of Elite Karate Academy, in a relaxed fun environment. This event is open to anyone, so extended family and friends are welcome, this year’s Expo will include;
- Grading (Usual fee of €20 applies for those eligible to grade, payable by 31st of March)
- Club Sparring Competition (semi-finals and finals only, entries close Friday 9th March 2018)
- Demonstrations (Instructor & Students)
- Award Ceremony (Grading, Competition, and Special Awards, including Student of the Year)
- Unveiling of Elite Karate Academy’s newest Senior Black Belt
- Bake & Cake Sale. Why not bake something to bring on the day?
- Raffle (asking parents to donate a price if they can)
Grading
Those eligible to grade must pay their grading fee before 31st of March to insure they receive their certificate at the Expo. Please check with Sensei Gareth if your child is eligible to grade. Students may only grade at the expo. Students may only grade if they are eligible and hold a current up to date grading licence, which must be presented with the usual fee of €20 before 31st of March. See below if you need to get a grading licence.
Tickets
Tickets are now on sale. Buy them before 13th April to avail of the cheaper rate. Grandparents, family or friend’s tickets can all be bought before the day. Presold tickets simply check in on the day.
Tickets cost: Before 7th April On Door
Adult Ticket €8 €12
Child Ticket* €5 €8
*Current students only or under 5’s do not need to purchase tickets.
Family Ticket (2 adults & 2 children) €20 €30
Bake sale and raffle
Once again, we will have a bake sale in aid of Barretstown and a raffle. Parents/students are encouraged to bake or bring something for the day. We need your help in getting prizes for our raffle!!! Give a prize or a voucher from your work. Please donate your price before 13th of April, if possible.
Referral Competition
Our referral competition is now up and running. Which will run until the end of April. That so many of you recommend our Academy is a great source of pride for me. And I want to give something back.
Entry is easy. Simple refer a friend, child or adult, to either our Karate or Fitness Classes. They get a free trial class. If they then sign up for a minimum of 1 month. You or your child receive 1 weeks training for free… If they sign up for 3 months, you receive 2 weeks free training. Sign up for 6 months your get 3 weeks free training and if they sign up for a year you receive 1 month free training.
Cardio Fitness Boot Camp
Cardio Combat Fitness Class. New Members are always welcome. Class are suitable for all fitness levels from Beginner – Advanced. You go at your pace. This easy fun fitness class is designed to help lose weight & get fit. And features a mix of Circuits, Core, Fitness & Karate. If you can walk and talk you can do this class.
New Times Monday & Wednesday 8.15-9.30pm. Check Out Here For More Information.
Once again, we start our Word of the Week program in class. Our specially designed word of the week program teaches 14 core values to your child in a 5 minute ‘mat chat’ within their normal class. Your child will grow as people not just stronger and fitter. No other club offers this type of program.
Our 14 words are: Courtesy, Growth, Honesty, Obedience, Courage, Sincerity, Humility, Perseverance, Honour, Loyalty, Self-Control, Knowledge, Respect, Integrity.
Each week these lessons will be posted on our Facebook page or the full course can be viewed here in our blog section of our website. I strongly urge parents to get involved with their child’s learning by reading these posts or discussing after each class what they learnt.
Website
Every week we have new blogs on our website. Click here to read about them
Dojo Kun Programme – Most club’s dojo rules consist of no shouting, no chewing gum etc. Our Dojo Kun program teaches your child 25 rules of life. These rules teach your child how to follow and make their dreams come true, through hard work, passion, and dedication.
Elite Mental Training – This program teaches students the mental strategy of fighting, topics introduced can be used in all areas of life, reducing stress, and increasing mental wellbeing. Read some lessons covered in our blog section below.
Anti-Bullying Programme – We teach your child how to deal with bullying in a non-aggressive way without having to resort to violence. A great program for boosting confidence and self-belief. This starts in September.
Newer material will be shared weekly on our Facebook page, much will be of interest even to those who don’t train.
Coming later in the Year
Other events coming up this year after the Expo, will be our Karate Summer Camps and Summer Party.
Testimonials Request
That so many of you praise our Academy is huge source of pride to me. Please write a review/testimonial here. They will then be added to our website. Student / parents or both may write a review and you may write a new one if you wrote one before.
Zen Tip
Our own worst enemy cannot harm us as much as our unwise thoughts. No one can help us as much as our own compassionate thoughts.
Fitness Tip
Myth Buster – Cardio is the best method for fat loss.
Not only does strength training or our Cardio Combat add more definition to your entire body (hello, abs!), but it has a ton of other health benefits too. My favorite: It increases your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which means you’ll burn more calories throughout the day—even when you’re not working out. The result is more lean muscle mass and less body fat, and that’s something you can’t get that with just cardio.
And because I like lists, here’s one full of other health benefits you get from strength training:
- Increased bone density
- Better balance, coordination, agility, power, and mobility
- An ability to do everyday activities without worrying about getting hurt
- Fewer symptoms associated with arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, obesity, and back pain
- Improved sleep patterns, mood, and stress levels
As you can see, strength training does more than make you look—and feel—confident . And the benefits only multiply as we get older. As we age, our bodies are at an increased risk of sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass) and osteoporosis (decrease in bone density). A regular training plan can help to combat those losses. Luckily, women are starting to make their way into the weight room—so now it’s your turn.
ELITE KARATE ACADEMY NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2018
Welcome to our February Newsletter.
This email newsletter will hopefully keep you up to date with all you need to know about what’s going on in Elite Karate Academy over the coming months. Please feel free to share this newsletter with family and friends, I hope you find it informative. Feel free to comment on our Facebook here page with comments and be sure to like our page while you’re there. Sign up for our newsletter at http://www.elitekarateacademy….
News – Updates – Events At A Glance
v All students are now starting their preparation work for their grading at the Expo on April 15th. All students including beginners will be taking part on the day, with either/both gradings and demonstrations.
v Sign up for this year’s Sparring Competition closes 9pm 9th March 2018. See below for more details.
v St Patricks Day Parade. Come walk with us. Find out more below.
v Raffle & Cake Bake Sale. Can you donate something.
v Donations for St Vincent de Paul of clothes, bedding, toys, books, household items, DVDs etc. as always may be dropped off at the dojo anytime.
v That so many of you recommend our Academy is a great source of pride for me. Please go our Facebook page and write a review your club and it may be posted on our website as well, children may write their review on a piece of paper if they wish. This month we are launching our referral competition. See below for more details.
v As always parents are invited to join our Cardio Combat Fitness Boot Camp. Ask Sensei about a FREE TRIAL. Our Fitness Bootcamp class have now been rescheduled and now take place on Monday & Wednesday from 8.15pm-9.30pm. See below for more details.
v Any student above Green Belt is eligible to join the ‘Black Belt Club’. Formal invitations will be given to new students at the Expo but if your child wants to join please contact Sensei.
Elite Karate Academy Expo
Our 7th Karate Expo will take place on Sunday 15th of April between 2pm-6pm, in the Green Isle Hotel. All students will once again take part in the Expo and showcase their abilities and standard. The expo will include gradings, demonstrations by students and instructors, sparring competition, raffle, bake sale and our annual awards ceremony, where we will crown this year’s student of the year, amongst others. Tickets will be on sale in March and I will give the details in next months Newsletter
Raffle & Bake Sale
This year we will once again hold a raffle at this year’s Expo. If you can donate a prize please let Sensei know. Alternatively you you can bake something on the day for our bake sale.
Sparring Competition
The early rounds of this non-contact 3 points-wins tournament will take places within your child’s normal classes and is completely voluntary. With the semi-finals and finals taking place at this year’s Expo. All student’s must have their own sparring gloves, (click here for special offer), sparring boots are optional but are recommended. Only students who have graded may take part in this tournament.
Entry costs €10 per student and must be registered before 9pm on Friday 9th March 2018.
St Patrick’s Day Parade
Once again this year the Academy will be walking in this year’s Clondalkin Parade. Students, families, and their friends are all invited to join us on the day. Assemble point is 1.30pm in the car park of Clondalkin Sports and Leisure, Old Nangor Rd on (obviously) 17th March 2018.
Referral Competition
This month we will be starting out referral competition. Which will run until the end of April. That so many of you recommend our Academy is a great source of pride for me. And I want to give something back.
Entry is easy. Simple refer a friend, child or adult, to either our Karate or Fitness Classes. They get a free trial class. If they then sign up for a minimum of 1 month. You or your child receive 1 weeks training for free… If they sign up for 3 months, you receive 2 weeks free training. Sign up for 6 months your get 3 weeks free training and if they sign up for a year you receive 1 month free training.
Click here for a special offer to tell your friends about
Cardio Fitness Boot Camp
Cardio Combat Fitness Class. Our beginner’s Special Offer 1 Month Trial (8Classes) Only €40 has been extended till the end of February. New Members are always welcome. Class are suitable for all fitness levels from Beginner – Advanced. You go at your pace. This easy fun fitness class is designed to help lose weight & get fit. And features a mix of Circuits, Core, Fitness & Karate. If you can walk and talk you can do this class.
New Times Monday & Wednesday 8.15-9.30pm. Check Out Here For More Information.
Student of the Month
This month’s winner is Darragh Power. Click Here to read about him and leave comment of congratulations.
Character Education Program
Once again, we start our Word of the Week program in class. Our specially designed word of the week program teaches 14 core values to your child in a 5 minute ‘mat chat’ within their normal class. Your child will grow as people not just stronger and fitter. No other club offers this type of program.
Our 14 words are: Courtesy, Growth, Honesty, Obedience, Courage, Sincerity, Humility, Perseverance, Honour, Loyalty, Self-Control, Knowledge, Respect, Integrity.
Each week these lessons will be posted on our Facebook page or the full course can be viewed here in our blog section of our website. I strongly urge parents to get involved with their child’s learning by reading these posts or discussing after each class what they learnt.
Website
Every week we have new blogs on our website. Click here to read about them
Dojo Kun Programme – Most club’s dojo rules consist of no shouting, no chewing gum etc. Our Dojo Kun program teaches your child 25 rules of life. These rules teach your child how to follow and make their dreams come true, through hard work, passion, and dedication.
Elite Mental Training – This program teaches students the mental strategy of fighting, topics introduced can be used in all areas of life, reducing stress, and increasing mental wellbeing. Read some lessons covered in our blog section below.
Anti-Bullying Programme – We teach your child how to deal with bullying in a non-aggressive way without having to resort to violence. A great program for boosting confidence and self-belief. This starts in September.
Newer material will be shared weekly on our Facebook page, much will be of interest even to those who don’t train.
Coming later in the Year
Other events coming up this year after the Expo, will be our Karate Summer Camps and Summer Party.
Testimonials Request
That so many of you praise our Academy is huge source of pride to me. Please write a review/testimonial here. They will then be added to our website. Student / parents or both may write a review and you may write a new one if you wrote one before.
Zen Tip
The heart is like a garden. It can grow compassion or fear, resentment or love. What seeds will you plant there?
Fitness Tip
Remove “weight loss” as an actual goal!
While this tip may seem crazy, “weight loss is too abstract and subjective to be stated as a legitimate goal.” Weight loss is an outcome that cannot happen without action, so your goals need to include specific actions that will lead to weight loss.
Goals should be small and attainable. This will save willpower because rather than focusing on the negative — fighting the urge to say “no” to certain foods and behaviors — accomplishing smaller, tangible goals will “build confidence, which builds hope, which builds consistency.”
Why choose Elite Karate Academy
Special School Offer
If your child attends a local school and new to the Academy they can receive a special 10% discount on our 3 month term. To avail of this offer simply mention your schools name when joining and ask for the school discount. Offer ends 30th September 2018.
We are the Elite because we are the best at what we do. Elite Karate Academy in Clondalkin teaches traditional Wado Ryu Karate-Do (The Way Of Harmony), a softer style of karate. We know correct training leads to character development and self improvements in our students and is more than simply fighting. Teaching the correct mental attitude and fighting spirit of the Samurai improves your concentration levels, mind control and stress relief leading to a more positive attitude towards life.
Through your knowledge of karate you are taught Self-Defence, Self-Control, Self-Discipline, and Self-Confidence, leading to improvements in your Self-Esteem and develop the Physical, Mental & Spiritual Strength renowned of the martial arts. Classes are designed to be positive experiences, with each class alowing students to achieve a task raising their self confidence and self belief with plenty of positive feedback.
Physical Fitness
Regardless of age or fitness levels, you will benefit physically from training. Improvements in flexibility, strength, stamina and aerobic fitness are just some of the benefits to be gained.
Specialist Children Development Programs
We specialise in teaching children and you are paying for more than kicking and punching. We mentor and inspire every child, helping them grow in self confidence & wisdom. Children’s classes include 3-5 minute mat chats in every class, with a range of topics covered in our unique and specially designed programs, no other club teaches and gets the results we get. Watch your child grow in confidence and as a person.
Click here to read more about our specially designed programs.
Our Academy in Clondalkin is run with a rotating curriculum with different classes for various grades motivating students and forging Black Belts in character not just technique.
Ready to Start? Phone Sensei Gareth on 086 822 4902 or click here to contact us about this month’s special offers.
Order your equipment in time for the competition
Gloves & Boots come in Red & Blue. With limited remaining stock in other colours
And in sizes x-small, small, medium and large.
Individually Gloves €20 or Boots cost €25.00.
Buy both Gloves & Boots at the same time and receive a 10% discount. Offer ends 1st March 2019.
When listening to music. We don’t skip to the end of the piece of music because it is where all the ideas come together.
We don’t only read the last chapter of a book.
Yet in life we are obsessed with endings. Do well in this exam, to go to that college, to get this job, to reach this position. Then wonder at 50 or 60, what is it all about?
Live life like a piece of music, with ebbs and flows, drama and silences, movement and stillness. Be mindful of the music of your life, enjoy every breath by being mindful of your current moment. Be the conductor of your own symphony. Be brave. Follow your dreams and create the world you want to live in.
Student Name: Darragh Power
Age: 10
Grade: 4th Kyu Purple Belt
Class: Junior Black Belt Club
Length Training: 3 Years
Favourite Move: Side Kicks
Favourite Kata: Pinan Shodan
Hobbies: Running & Playstation
Sensei Comments: Really inspired lately. Training beginning to click. Has applied concepts outside of the drills where he learnt them. Beginning to ask really good questions. Huge improvement from acting the class clown. Hard work pays off.
People love to use the phrase YOLO (You Only Live Once). But they are quite mistaken, You Only Die Once. Each day we are born again. Each day we are given a choice to change our lives or make them better. Not everyone has the ability to pack up and live a hedonistic lifestyle travelling the world, most have jobs, children and bills to pay. Thankfully to live right, you don’t have to move. Simply change your attitude. I say simple but it takes practice, The real voyage of discovery consists not of seeking out new landscapes but in having new eyes.
Their is no reality only perception. Your life is what you see it as. Emotions are not problems to be solved. They reflect states of mind & body. They cannot be solved only felt. Do you need to justify how you are feeling?
Perception can change in 3 ways;
- See the world in a different light. Imagine looking over a city landscape as the sun comes out after a summer shower. Imagine the vivid colours, the sun glistening off raindrops and dew, the shadows evaporating.
- See the world in a different place. Friday evening stressed, stuck in heavy traffic after a long mundane week of work and routine. But Monday morning you wake you, after having breakfast, you lie all day on a tropical beach.
- See the world in a different time. You returning to your childhood family home, you haven’t seen since you where 7. The rooms look and feel smaller. Or imagine falling out with a family member, only to regret it at their funeral.
The ability to control your mind or change your perspective is a great skill to have in life or in a fight. With training you become more aware of the internal voice constantly playing in your head. Because it runs 24/7 inside your head you can become immune to listening to it. Ask yourself how you feel, if you’re sad, you’re thinking sad thoughts, if you’re happy, you’re thinking happy thoughts. Your emotions or moods are a reflection of the internal voice you are playing in your head. With the correct training, YOU can change your internal landscape irrespective of what is happening around you. Then it is possible to stop feeling lonely while at a busy party, make your opponent angry, stay calm in a crises, stop feeling sad etc.
Once you become more aware of your internal voice. You can start the process of changing how it speaks to you. All of your circumstances in life are a reflection of your subconscious beliefs. You can change your subconscious beliefs with auto suggestions. Think of someone wanting to become a homeowner. They think they’d like to own their own house, so the start saving. They change their behavior, maybe not going out every weekend, not buying those unneeded trainers. Pretty soon, they see their saving increase, and the make further changes, maybe forsaking a holiday. Then they save enough, get a mortgage and become a homeowner. The thought changed their beliefs. the beliefs changed their behavior, the behavior made them work towards their dream.
Your unconscious mind cannot process negatives. You think “I don’t want to be poor”, you brain hears, “I want to be poor”. Much better to think “I want to be wealthy”. Your brain receives 2 billion bits of information per second from your senses. Your conscious mind can deal with 5-9 per second, depending on your interest in the subject. Your brain use filters. Its why you can hear your name across a crowd room, because your brain is programmed to hear you name. Brain filters are deletion, distortion, & generalisations.
Your values determine your filters, which can be changed. Your values drive you towards pleasure or away from pain. So learn to listen to your emotions, to control the thoughts in your head, to change your behavior, practice in the dojo, every time you step on the mats, is another opportunity to improve yourself or change the world around you.
Mushin (無心; Japanese mushin; English translation “no mind”) is a mental state into which trained martial artists are said to enter during combat. They also practice this mental state during everyday activities.
Mushin is achieved when a person’s mind is free from thoughts of anger, fear, or ego during combat or everyday life. There is an absence of discursive thought and judgment, so the person is totally free to act and react towards an opponent without hesitation and without disturbance from such thoughts. At this point, a person relies not on what they think should be the next move, but what is their trained natural reaction (or instinct) or what is felt intuitively. Years of correct training to make each technique natural and instinctive is required, as well as training of the mind. It is not a state of relaxed, near-sleepfulness, however. The mind could be said to be working at a very high speed, but with no intention, plan or direction. Sensitivity and flow training combined with Zanshin practice in Kata helps train this mindset.
Some masters believe that mushin is the state where a person finally understands the uselessness of techniques and becomes truly free to move. In fact, those people will no longer even consider themselves as “fighters” but merely living beings moving through space.
The legendary Zen master Takuan Sōhō said:
The mind must always be in the state of ‘flowing,’ for when it stops anywhere that means the flow is interrupted and it is this interruption that is injurious to the well-being of the mind. In the case of the swordsman, it means death.
When the swordsman stands against his opponent, he is not to think of the opponent, nor of himself, nor of his enemy’s sword movements. He just stands there with his sword which, forgetful of all technique, is ready only to follow the dictates of the subconscious. The man has effaced himself as the wielder of the sword. When he strikes, it is not the man but the sword in the hand of the man’s subconscious that strikes.
However, mushin is not just a state of mind that can be achieved during combat. Many martial artists train to achieve this state of mind during kata so that a flawless execution of moves is accomplished — that they may be achieved during combat or at any other time. Once mushin is attained through the practice or study of martial arts (although it can be accomplished through other arts or practices that refine the mind and body), the objective is to then attain this same level of complete awareness in other aspects of the practitioner’s life. Start by being Mindful, (Obi Wan Kenobi to Luke, be mindful of your emotions, Little one), Then Zanshin (awareness) grows. Over time with repeated practice Mushin develops. Trained correctly in class, practice becomes habit, habit becomes a way of life, if the practice is correct.
The concept of Mushin is identical to the Japanese metaphorical expression “Mizu no Kokoro” or the “mind like water.” This mental attitude refers to a mind that is in total harmony with the Cosmos that it resembles a still pond of water without any ripples where the surface reflects a clear and perfectly undistorted image of the surroundings, like a mirror.
Mushin cannot be grasped by the intellect; it must be experienced. A Mushin mind has no Ego and no substance; it is pure Enlightenment and is the perfect realization of the self.
This state of mind takes years and years of practice to achieve. Mushin is achieved when a person’s mind is free from anger, fear, judgment or the ego during combat or everyday life.
Mushin thus implies a state of mental clarity, awareness and enhanced perception (sensory and intuitive) known as pure mind, produced by the absence of conscious thought, ideas, judgments, emotion (fear and anxiety), pre-conception, or self-consciousness. It is a state of total awareness and reaction not impeded by higher mental function or emotion, a mind more open and reactive to subtle sensory input, intuition and spontaneous action. It is a mind that is totally calm — a mind not influenced or caught up in events or others emotion, thus a mind more able to freely perceive and respond.
This required the non-conscious mind and the instinctive trained body to be free. No longer inhibited, slowed, distracted, or clogged, the mind was free to fully perceive, respond and commit to action. The mind is not fixed on anything and is open to everything; a mind expanded through the whole body with total awareness of and focus on everything.
Mushin is not about automatic reactions or lack of thought. Mindfulness and Mushin may appear to mutually contradictory. However, they are 2 sides to the same coin. Mindfulness in the context of karate refers to being present in the moment, aware of one’s actions and environment
If you where training kata on the mats and a door on the other side of the room was partially opened an inch, you would know instantly. This is Zabshin. Zanshin (awareness) exists with Mushin.
If when suddenly attacked or startled. One steps forward to confront the attack, rather then recoiling in fright, this could be said to be a form of Mushin.
Every technique you learn has a particular application but also has an underlying theory or concept. Lower grades learn individual techniques and over time build up an arsenal of weapons, defenses or tactics. Higher grades however use individual techniques to train concepts.
Here is an example. If you teach a student to block a punch to the face by using upper block, and then drill them in the use of that technique, it will become effective. Everytime they are punched to the face they will use the technique they know.
However if the student only knows the technique and not the concept behind it. When the attackers punch is directed to the stomach. They will block upwards and be hit.
However if the student understands the concept behind the technique of upper block, ie not to get hit. Then when punched to the face they will drop the arm to block. Thus using the concept of blocking.
All techniques have underlying concepts or principles, which can be used with different ranges, strategies or tactics in a fight. Lower (Kyu) grades when joining our Academy build up an arsenal of defensive or attacking techniques, over time. Until they get to the senior grades of brown or black (Dan) grades. where a better understanding of the concepts is introduced.
Traditionally there wasn’t much talking in a class and students where given a simple explanation and expected to understand the concepts through repeated practice. This could lead to students misunderstanding or quitting cause of lack of progress. These days along with extensive repetitions, verbal teaching can greatly increase a students understanding, as long as that student is training hard. Knowing something intellectually will not transfer it into a physical skill.
Simple Concepts include
Kicking, Punching, Blocking, Simple Body Movements, Distance, Timing, Twisting, Jumping, Ducking, Penetrating, Focus, Speed, Relaxation, Power,
Advanced Concepts include
Entering, Evasion, Deflection, Parrying, Absorbing, Flowing, Locking, Throwing, Take Downs,Focus (Kime), Awareness (Zanshin), No Mind (Mushin), Space/Timing (Ma-ai), Spirit (Kohoro), Eye Control (Metsuke), Shoshaku Joshaku, Three types of Attack (Sen), Mindfulness, Beginner’s Mind (Shoshin).
