Summer of 2007 - Karate Week

Sensei Doug's Week of Karate

For the next 10 days, you get to come along, virtually, on my journey of Shotokan Training. Out of the blue, I've come upon the... opportunity... to work from Winnipeg for the next week-and-a-half - and, while I'm here, I'm going to take advantage of some intensive Shotokan karate training at the headquaters Dojo for Western Canada.

Here's some of my karate training goals as I start off the week:

Review and practice all Senior Kata

Learn Junro Shodan

Study how to teach my intermediate students to create "Drive" in their stances

Video Tape and publish video clips of each training session within Sensei's Office on MyShotokan.

Monday evening. After a seemingly endless 6 hour drive from Atikokan to Winnipeg, I was treated to a special evening training session with Sensei Don DeGrow, a Shotokan Yondan, and my Sister Jill, who is a Shodan. This is the monday of a long-weekend, and there wasn't a normal karate class scheduled. We started off at the beginning and practiced each of the Heian Kata, then the three Tekki Katas. I noticed a small change in Tekki Sandan - I'll have to review the videos to verify.

As we started our review of the senior kata, we practiced them in groups. Bassai Dai, Kanku Dai, Empi and Jion are needed for someone testing for Shodan. I found that I recalled Gankaku, Jutte, and Hengetsu - but I was a bit rusty at them, and had to watch Don and Jill in a few parts. After a few more repetitions I'll be able to start asking about practicing applications.

Next we reviewed Sochin, Bassai Sho and Chinte. I could follow along for these, but they were distictly more rusty, and will require more than just a couple times through each kata to get them back in my repetoure. Kanku Sho and Nijushiho are at about the same level of disrepair.

Unsu and Gojushiho Sho were another step down in proficiancy for me.

We practiced Junro Shodan 6 or 7 times and I'm starting to recall the first 10 moves or so before I get lost... I'll have it by the end of tomorrow.

I only did a short introduction to the stretching routine Alanna has been working our club through. I'll need to write out a short list of the static-active stretching routine so I keep to the schedule of long periods of relaxed stretching after each training session over the next 10 days.

Through the week I'll need to find an instructor to help me learn Meikyo, Wankan and Jiin from scratch - but I'll leave them for a couple days.

Following the extra training Don gave us, Jill and I were invited to his home for dinner. An oriental influence is evident in the decor and garden of their delightful and cosy home.

In order to re-inforce all the kata information Sensei Don reviewed with us, I'm going to take a few moments to stretch and watch some of the Shotokan Kata Videos.

Planning your Karate Training

It's important to have a clear goal for your Shotokan Karate training. This is especially true for a karate instructor, but still very important for every karate student as well.

If you have a clear goal in your mind - a goal that you are passionate about achieving - then you are more likely to attend every karate class and participate fully. What's more, you are likely to pick up a few mornings of stretching training each week so that you can get to your training goal more quickly.

However, if you have some vague plan... even if it's a good one - then your training results are going to be vague too.

One of the best ways to clarify your karate training goals, is to write them down. Once you can state them clearly on paper, you will be able to repeat them to yourself. Think about what it will feel like to have already achieved your goal - imagine it with all the clarity that you can, and the passion for that goal will grow.

Soon, the passion for your goal will encourage more consistent and effective training sessions. You will be able to say NO to skipping class because you will have a greater YES burning inside you.

So - get out a piece of paper - and write your karate training plans!

Don't worry about HOW you will achieve it... if it gets you fired up and excited - write it down as one of your goals.

Remember, the most important aspect of karate training is your attitude. Try to step back from yourself from time to time and take a look at your own attitude toward different things.

For example, what is your attitude about you achieving the goal of doing the full splits? Is you attitude positive or negetive? Compare your attitude against the universal truth that 'you get back what you give out' - and it's easy to see that if you think you cannot achive the goal - that's what you get as results! On the other hand, if you repeatedly and consistantly have a positive attitude about your goal - that's what you will get as a result!

Now - get busy and write your plans and goals for your karate training! Even if you are a student in a strict Dojo - set your own training goals and train a bit before and after class and at home while you monitor your own attitude.