Don’t read this unless, you realize you need a means of maintaining physical, mental and spiritual well-being in an increasingly hostile world – – – – and – – – – you’re are ready to be solely responsible for your own such well-being. With that being said, here’s a sneak peak into my latest project.
The start of a very exciting summer heralds the start of a new project. This project will continue my Jiriki Kata-Do (self-wellness through kata) dynamic ideology. Jiriki Kata-Do was launched in 2009 with my Sanchin Kata manual, “Sanchin Kata: Gateway To The Plateau Of Serenity” and DVD.
Sanchin Book Front Cover Art
Now, almost a decade later and tens of thousands of hours “Thinking, Sweating and Experimenting” ™ with kata, a second, updated installment is underway.
My concept of Jiriki Kata-Do (“JK-D”) brings the benefits of select karate kata to the general public, without the need to study a full karate curriculum. The kata are practiced not from a martial perspective but from a moving meditation perspective. By undertaking the practice of JK-D, the average person can experience not only the physical health benefits of dynamic, moving meditative rituals (called “kata”) but also realize the mental, emotional benefits of such meditative rituals. Additionally, the practitioner begins to understand and appreciate the manner in which the world, one’s external environment, affects and interacts with these physical and mental processes and vice-versa.
JK-D differs from other non-active forms of mediation called zazen, or seated mediation, in that, well, you are physically active during the JK-D meditative process. Unlike other endeavors, such as yoga and tai-chi, which have not only lost their meditative aspects in favor of physical exercise but also become commercialized though fashion, JK-D only requires the use of your own body and mind. There are no special clothes, accessories, classroom and the like. JK-D remains within you at all times, wherever you are. The benefits of JK-D are , therefore, available to you anyplace and anytime.
Memorial Day 2015 – Sanchin Kata footprints, North Truro, Cape Code, MA
At present, I am preparing the manuscript and scripting the videos. It is my hope that both will be finished by the end of summer. The plan is then to film photos for the manuscript and video for the DVD in Cape Cod. MA in early September. The release date would then be mid-November for this long awaited continuation of the JK-D project.
Scouting video locations
Check back often for more information, and maybe a few teasers from the manuscript and test videos.
For a refreshing and innovative discourse on kata and bunkai, please feel free to visit Sensei John’s Kata Laboratory and “THINK * SWEAT * EXPERIMENT” using this convenient link: https://senseijohn.me/kata-lab/
You may wish to view my other blogs – my fishing blog which includes my fishing journals and the interrelationship between martial arts protocol to fishing http://flyfishingdojo.com
and the Goshin-Do Karate blog at http://defeliceryu.com
I was simmering and never knew it.
In fact I was not alone.
Both I and my wife were simmering.
Actually for us, simmering is a normal everyday occurrence. My wife and I constantly, hold hands, hug, give each other small kisses and similar behavior. Then, one day while watching t.v., we learned that such conduct has a name, to wit: simmering. So what is simmering? A quick google search revealed that simmering is part of a nouveaux trend –
A core sex therapy technique that helps couples cultivate sexual arousal even when they don’t have time or energy for sex. It involves simple hugging, kissing, holding hand, gazing into your partner’s eyes and other similar conduct.
“Well, what do you know,” I said to my wife, “We’re trend setters!” To us, this was simply normal behavior for us; even after over twenty years together, we simmer.
Then it occurred to me – “What other behavior that I consider routine behavior was trendy?”
For decades, I have long advocated that not only should Karate-Ka (practitioners of karate) practice Sanchin Kata at least once a day, but everyone, even non-martial artists (what heresy!) should learn and practice Sanchin as a form of daily moving meditation. In fact, that idea is what started this blog. For example, this link provides a series of articles offering methods to practice Sanchin Kata regularly https://senseijohn.me/category/a-sanchin-pilgrimage/
It was (and still is) my belief that Anybody (male/female, young/old ,rich/poor) should practice Sanchin Kata Anytime (no special clothes required, no extra training equipment) and Anyplace (indoors/outdoors, work/play). Here’s one video example of Sanchin during a motorcycle ride
With that said, daily Sanchin is a means of Kata-Simmering. In addition to having benefits in and of itself, such daily practice of Sanchin stimulates the desire to practice your other kata both in and out of the dojo. Not only does this kata-simmering stimulate the desire to practice your other kata, it also stimulates you to innovate.
Here are two video of my own Sanchin innovations:
Four Direction Sanchin (filmed in the cooling waters of the Lower Salt River, Arizona)
and Shobu-Sanchin (filmed with vultures)
My Kata Laboratory project ( https://senseijohn.me/kata-lab/ ) was, perhaps stimulated by my own personal Sanchin-simmering. It fostered a desire for me to “Think – Sweat – Experiment” ™ with Sanchin, and eventually all my other kata.
So, give Sanchin-Simmering a try. Use it to build a desire for not only more kata practice but also more innovative, imaginative ways to enjoy your kata – in other words to – “Think – Sweat – Experiment”
Respectfully submitted,
Sensei John Szmitkowski
For information on my “no-risk”, kata seminars, please visit the seminar page using this convenient link https://senseijohn.me/seminar-kata/
My seminars are the ONLY seminars that allow you to pay at the conclusion, thus insuring your complete satisfaction!
For a refreshing and innovative discourse on kata and bunkai, please feel free to visit Sensei John’s Kata Laboratory and “THINK * SWEAT * EXPERIMENT” using this convenient link: https://senseijohn.me/kata-lab/
You may wish to view my other blogs – my fishing blog which includes my fishing journals and the interrelationship between martial arts protocol to fishing http://flyfishingdojo.com
and the Goshin-Do Karate blog at http://defeliceryu.com
My Kata Lab posts, representing my almost five decades of experience, are shared here free. If you would like to donate to help defray costs, your generosity is appreciated. Thank-you & THINK-SWEAT-EXPERIMENT with kata.
$5.00
“You could not step twice into the same river; for other waters are ever flowing on to you.” – Heraclitus
Background:
This is the only Kata Lab that will be be able to complete. You will fail at the objective. Not for lack of skill, or desire. It is utterly impossible to perform this Kata Lab. There is a maxim in karate-do, “Perfect your kata.” Many teachers and masters utter this to their students who do no more than nod their head like a bobbled head on a car dashboard. The students then go and set about to perfect their kata. What rubbish. I submit that you can never perform the exact same kata twice. Thus, a kata cannot be perfected. You can perform a reasonable facsimile of the same kata. “Top-rated” tournament kata practitioners may achieve a level of performance similarity in their chosen one or two tournament kata. But, they too, will fail in trying to perform the exact same kata twice. The unsophisticated kata practitioner, particularity those that train one or two kata for tournament similarity will disagree, perhaps vehemently with my statement. Why? “Does not the fact that they consistently win trophies with their few chosen tournament kata demonstrate that their level of performance is homogenous? Perhaps, but only to those who only understand kata superficially.
If you understand kata within the context of the three aspects that I submit are present in kata, then you can see how it is utterly impossible to perform the same exact in the exact same manner twice, even in a lifetime. Also true is the idea that performing a kata that is mostly (90 percent or more) similar is a profound accomplishment.
Experimentation:
You may wish to video tape yourself performing this experiment. After your practice, you can then refer to the video and take notes as to each performance. You should note any dissimilar areas during each performance. The less dissimilar areas, the closer you are to having performed the same kata twice. (Alternatively, you may wish to take notes after each kata performance for your later review.) Select your favorite kata to practice; Over a period of a few days or a week, practice the kata two or three times, trying to perform a kata exactly the same way; After doing so, analyze each performance. Take notice of those areas of the kata that differ from one performance to the next. How close did you get to performing the same kata twice?
Regardless of whether or not you notes indicate that you came close to performing the same kata in the exact same manner (very few notes as to dissimilar areas). You utterly failed this kata lab. Worse is if your notes indicate that all areas of the kata were similar on at least two occasions; for you truly do not understand my three levels of kata.
First and foremost (as my father would say), “I bet you a dollar to a donut” that your list only addresses the physical movements of the kata. A block or strike that may have been off target, a stance that was less than perfect or a kata cadence that lacked the correct timing. As such, you only understand and thus, addressed one-third of the overall kata experience. (You may wish to pause and refer to my article on the three aspects of kata using this link: https://senseijohn.me/2013/05/20/kata-lab-101-three-states-of-bunkai/
Second, my spiritual aspect of kata (the manner in which kata affects your state-of-mind, emotions and psyche and vice-versa) is fatal to your performing the exact same kata twice. Our mental state is too much in flux to maintain it through various kata performance. Yes, you may convince yourself that during your kata you maintained all the applicable martial arts mind states. Sure, you may feel you achieved, Mushin, Zanshin, Nenjuushin and all the other “shins” of kata. But, you’re fooling yourself. Your emotions and psyche change from one moment to the next within a single kata performance, let alone from one kata performance to the next. (Endnote # 1 describe an example)
Third, my environmental aspect of kata (how the external environment affects your kata and vice-versa) will frustrate your attempts to perform this kata lab. If you practiced your kata in different locations, then by definition, you did not perform the exact same kata twice. If; however, you performed this lab in the exact same location, you still performed in in a different external environment and therefore failed to perform the exact same kata twice. You cannot control the temperature, humidity, dust and dirt on the floor, clothing (yes, different clothes affect you kata, even your gi, which may be dry at the start of practice and soaked with sweat at the end will produce a different performance).
Now, having the benefit of the above, try to perform the exact same kata twice and see how utterly impossible it is.
Conclusion:
You can perform the same kata twice, but no two will ever be exactly alike. This is not an error, but a unique phenomenon of kata. Thus, you can never perfect your kata. You can; however, achieve a goal set by Coach Vince Lombardi for his Green Bay Packers football team, “We will strive for perfection knowing full well we will never achieve it, but in the process we will find excellence.” So, rather than perfect your kata, excel at your kata.
In a lifetime no kata will be exactly the same. To perform a kata the exact same way twice, you must repeat, without change all three aspects: physical aspect – all movements performed with kime intensity, speed, tempo, etc; spiritual aspect – all movements performed with the same emotion (at the same point in the kata each time), with the same state of mind, with the same transition from emotion to emotion or state-of-mind to state-of-mind (this may even be required by the specific kata) environmental aspect – the environment within which your kata is performed must remain constant (absent a “clean” room) this is impossible – air changes and flows, light changes, temperature varies even slightly. Even if such factors are “controlled”, nature will win out (for example, it takes 8 seconds for a photon of light to leave the Sun and reach earth, therefore, lighting for each kata will be different.
The key of this Lab is to understand that each and every kata performance is as fleeting and rare as each and every moment of life itself. You cannot take a kata for granted. The same is true of each and every moment of life.
Please remember, the mandate of the kata laboratory is
Cum superiorum privilegio veniaque (“With the privilege and permission of the superiors”)
Sensei John Szmitkowski
Featured video from my “Underground Bunkai” series:
For information on my “no-risk”, kata seminars, please visit the seminar page using this convenient link https://senseijohn.me/seminar-kata/ My seminars are the ONLY seminars that allow you to pay at the conclusion, thus insuring your complete satisfaction!
I’m no genius. I am; however, curious. Since I was a youth my curiosity led me to books and a love of reading. Now with the internet there is a wealth of resources at my fingertips. I’m almost as addicted to reading as I am to kata. Both are an integral part of my day, and therefore myself. It seems I can’t simply enjoy a book, or for that matter, watch a video. While doing so, my mind invariably begins to incorporate what I’m reading or watching into my practice of kata and the philosophical and ideological beliefs derived from same.
When I first began my Kata Laboratory project over a decade ago, I set forth a simple mandate – “Think – Sweat – Experiment” with kata. The thinking part comes from not only internal sources, namely my own mind, through a process called “Bunkai” (analysis). “What is the practical application of a kata sequence?” “How does this kata make me feel?” “What impact does a kata have on my state of mind?” “What would it be like to do a kata in a snowstorm, at the beach, or in the rain?”
The thinking part is also stimulated by external sources. For me thats what I read or watch. To this end, many karate-ka disregard, or are unaware of the impact of other disciplines, on their kata experience. By disciplines I do not mean other martial arts or styles of karate. Rather, I mean disciplines like science, philosophy, psychology and others.
I find it extremely intriguing and rewarding to incorporate ideas and concepts from the sciences and arts into my study of karate. Thus the second and third aspect of my Kata Lab motto – “sweat” and “experiment” (try new things). The results of which I sometimes write about but mostly, perhaps selfishly, keep to myself.
If I choose to write about it, particularly here on this blog, I do so by “inviting” the author to my Kata Laboratory. One such “guest” was the eminent physicist Dr. Richard Feynman. Now, of course, Dr. Feynman did not actually visit my Kata Laboratory. In fact he had already passed away; but, his concepts were “invited” and applied to kata and especially, bunkai (analysis) of Kata. Here are two of his visits. The first is when Doctor Feynman and the chess grandmaster Emanuel Lasker “visited” to add insight int the fleeting nature of kata bunkai – https://senseijohn.me/2015/09/28/dr-richard-feynman-visits-senseis-kata-lab-part-1/
So, after fulfilling my 2017 GoodReads challenge of reading 36 books last year, I drew up a “Guest-List” of invited speakers. I’d like to share not only that list but also some of the topics that they may, or may not provide insight on. Incidentally, I highly recommend each and every book. All are truly insightful on a wide range of subjects – and, I submit ALL can provide deep insight into your kata. In other words using these resources to help you “Think” you will most certainly be motivated to “Sweat.” Those two independent processes will encourage you to “Experiment” and find new, untapped, hidden insights into kata. At least they did so for me (and still continue to do so). Hey, if you read these authors and have your own insights, let me know, we can compare notes. Or, you can keep doing the same old thing that has been done for centuries in the martial arts because that’s “tradition.” But then again, at least your doing something other than the majority that sit home on the couch eating Cheetos while surfing the web.
So here’s the guest list:
Eckhardt Tolle and his book “A New Earth” (Penguin Books, New York, New York, 2005, 2016);
Shelly Kagan and his book “Death” book (Yale University Press, 2012) and video lecture series;
Victor Frankl – “Man’s Search For Meaning” (Beacon Press, Boston, MA, 2014)
Jospeh Campbell – “Myths To Live By” (Campbell Foundation, San Anselmo, CA 2011);
Neil De Grasse Tyson – “Astrophysics For People In A Hurry” (W.W. Norton & Co. New York, NY 2017)
Adam Frank – “About Time” (Simon and Schuster, New York, NY 2011)
In addition, I’m deepening some of my thoughts in light of seeing a video of the very esoteric Gassho-No-Kata of Goju-ryu.
So look for these gusts to appear in my Kata Laboratory in the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, “Think – Sweat – Experiment” with your kata!
Featured Video:
Respectfully submitted,
Sensei John Szmitkowsski
For information on my “no-risk”, kata seminars, please visit the seminar page using this convenient link https://senseijohn.me/seminar-kata/
My seminars are the ONLY seminars that allow you to pay at the conclusion, thus insuring your complete satisfaction!
For a refreshing and innovative discourse on kata and bunkai, please feel free to visit Sensei John’s Kata Laboratory and “THINK * SWEAT * EXPERIMENT” using this convenient link: https://senseijohn.me/kata-lab/
Sensei John is now on Facebook, under – FLY FISHING DOJO, you are invited to send a Facebook friend request.
You may wish to view my other blogs – my fishing blog which includes my fishing journals and the interrelationship between martial arts protocol to fishing http://flyfishingdojo.com
and the Goshin-Do Karate blog at http://defeliceryu.com
My Kata Lab posts, representing my almost five decades of experience, are shared here free. If you would like to donate to help defray costs, your generosity is appreciated. Thank-you & THINK-SWEAT-EXPERIMENT with kata.
$5.00
“As a scientist I’d rather have questions I can’t answer than answers I can’t question.” – Max Tegmark, Physicist (appearing on “How The Universe Works,” Season 6, Episode 1: “Are Black Holes Real?”)
Kata is always within you. In fact, you intentionally train to have kata within you. If a time comes when you are confronted by an attacker, kata rises to the surface and you can successfully defend yourself. The kata sequences that you instinctively use in your defense will vary based upon a great number of circumstances. This kata lab explores that actuality.
In September 2017, had my annual visit to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. As always, I combined my vacation with training, writing and video of kata. I decided to spontaneously create a kata that would represent my feelings being on Cape Cod. As you can see in the video below, the bay that day was calm; however, the day before was windy and the bay was filled with white caps. I wanted to perform a kata to capture that feeling.
The easy choice would have naturally been Seienchin (“Calm in the storm / Storm in the calm”) but that would not have been a spontaneously created kata. I did; however want to incorporate a movement or two from Seienchin but not let it over-power the kata created. I thought I would uses sequences from Sanchin, Suparunpei and Seipai Kata to round off a symbolic kata. A deep breath and – P’Town Kata (for Provincetown where I was staying) was born. I hope you enjoy the video.
Now, how to do the – – –
Experiment: (To assist you I have a video that follows the protocols):
Review my comments in above, use it as a guide to formulate what you hope to “accomplish” in performing the kata.
Do not pre-select a specific kata for this lab; rather think about a few sequences from kata that you may wish to randomly group together;
Do not “spontaneously” perform your “favorite” kata. To do so defeats the As you go about your day be aware of the fact that your kata is brewing inside you,waiting to let itself out;
At a random point in time (you may also use a timer as in previous kata labs), let the kata out. Group the sequences that you had thought to combine – just let i it flow! For now don’t worry about symmetry or positional coincidence. Just let the kata flow;
The kata that bursts forth from within you should be as random as possible based upon your physical and psychological needs at the time.
Conclusion: This Kata Lab is designed to bridge te gap between the Introductory Kata Lab contained in the “Background” and a more advanced Kata Lab (which will be released at a later date).
I think it will be fun and challenging and give you a look in to my Kata Lab motto of – “Think-Sweat-Experiment” with Kata
This week’s featured video provides another example of spontaneously performing kata. It is a kata I created on cold morning during my 2013 road trip from Arizona to New Jersey. It is the first kata on the video below and was filmed by my truck’s headlights; enjoy.
Cum superiorum privilegio veniaque (“With the privilege and permission of the superiors”)
Sensei John Szmitkowski
For information on my “no-risk”, kata seminars, please visit the seminar page using this convenient link https://senseijohn.me/seminar-kata/
January 4th, 2018, the east of coast of the United States was experiencing what the media was calling the snow “bomb cyclone;” a snowstorm of epic proportions. In between shoveling the mounting snow, I was working on my Kata Lab project.
Using video I shot over the summer on Cape Cod, MA, I was finalizing a three part series on my idea that, at all times, kata resides within you. Kata percolates waiting to be released. The ultimate expression of this release is a completely spontaneous kata. Released sua sponte, without rehearsal. I had filmed an example on the shores of Cape Cod Bay. As I worked on the project, I took time out from writing and editing to perform the kata that I improvised that day. As I performed the kata again and again, I found that I was transformed back to that warm, grey morning on the shore of Cape Cod Bay. The sand was again underfoot, the smell of the ocean was in the air. A Taste of salt on my lips and the sound of waves softly lapping the shore brought me back to the Cape.
For a few glorious minutes I was transported. Away from the snow “bomb cyclone.” I was once again, warm and comfortable. Thanks to – kata. Once again.
Here’s a sneak-peak at the video that warmed me that day and for many days to come. Soon I’ll post the Kata Lab (Lab # 3250 – Kata Within You – Intermediate). You can; however, few the introductory article (which is part one of the series) using this convenient link. https://senseijohn.me/2017/08/30/kata-lab-2250-kata-within-you-introduction/
Until the Kata Lab is ready, remember that you can use your kata as a means of remembering people you trained with, places you been and other good memories from your past.
I hope you enjoyed the video, look for the Kata Lab soon. Respectfully submitted,
Sensei John Szmitkowski
For information on my “no-risk”, kata seminars, please visit the seminar page using this convenient link https://senseijohn.me/seminar-kata/
For a refreshing and innovative discourse on kata and bunkai, please feel free to visit Sensei John’s Kata Laboratory and “THINK * SWEAT * EXPERIMENT” using this convenient link: https://senseijohn.me/category/kata-laboratory/
You may wish to view my other blogs – my fishing blog which includes my fishing journals and the interrelationship between martial arts protocol & ideology to fishing http://flyfishingdojo.com
and the Goshin-Do Karate blog at http://defeliceryu.com
For as long as I can remember, I ride my motorcycle every day regardless of weather. Not; however when the roads are covered in snow or black ice. But give me clear asphalt and I’m on two wheels logging the miles. Even if its “just” my daily commute, the trip is always something new.
Dojo (Winter) – circa 2001
Still, I find myself missing a nice long road trip. A few days on the road, nights in a cheap motel meeting people along the way, changing scenery. When I lived in Arizona, I logged at least two road trips a year to New Jersey to work or see family. Since I’ve moved back to my home state, that “need” is gone.
Yup, I’ve got the itch to burn the miles. Unfortunately, its the busy season at work and a few days off is impossible. So, what to do?
The answer – Kata!
My last road trip was the return trip back to New Jersey after the Arizona house sold. I made that trip alone as my wife flew out ahead of me and my road companion Chloe had passed.
Chloe on the road – circa 2006
I started the trip the Monday of Thanksgiving week 2014 and arrived in New Jersey Thanksgiving Day. Too late for either Thanksgiving dinner or pumpkin pie. But it was another safe road trip in the books.
Naturally I used kata along the way to enhance the pleasure of being on the road and to refresh myself physically and mentally during the four day, 2,600 mile trip. As I knew it would be my last long trip for a while, I videoed my kata and journey. Looking at my videos, I realized I can again enjoy the memory of the journey through my kata. So, Monday of this week, I began to perform my “On The Road Kata.” As for this writing, I’ve completed the first two days (Monday and Tuesday) kata and am working on day three (Wednesday) as this is posting. Tomorrow, I’ll symbolically end my journey.
Come along, try a kata or two (some I recreated based upon my needs during the trip) and watch the videos. Here’s the journey:
Day 1: Monday – San Tan Valley, Arizona to Shamrock, Texas ( 789 miles)
1. Takiyouku Shodan modified to use Sanchin Kata method on the blocks – last kata performed in my house
2. Wansu Kata – Route 66 Casino/Truckstop west Albuquerque, New Mexico
3. Seipai Kata – slow to stretch my muscles Flying C Ranch Truck-stop, west of Santa Rosa, New Mexico
4. Sanchin Kata Hybrid – Best Western Motel, Shamrock Texas
Day 2: Tuesday – Shamrock, TX to West Memphis, Tennessee (1,169 miles traveled)
1. Hybrid Kata – using Seienchin, Suparunpei and Sanchin Kata to get the “blood flowing” (5:30 a.m. illuminated by truck headlights)
2. Ananku Kata – Truckstop Shawnee, Oklahoma
3. Fuku Kata – Rest Area, Altus, Arkansas
Day 3: Wednesday – West Memphis, TN to Salem, Virginia
1. Hybrid Kata 5:30 a.m. using Suparunpei and Hakutsuru Kata)
2. Kunchaba Kata – my weekly Wednesday Kata tribute to Shihan Wayne Norlander filmed at Loretta Lynn’s Country Kitchen, Hurricane Mills, Tennessee. (See Endnote # 1 for a video which includes a touching soundtrack by Warren Zevon).
3. Gekisai Kata (Deconstructed) – Comfort Inn Motel, Salem, VA. Kata on the road like this led to my “Kata Laboratory.”
Day 4: Thursday, Thanksgiving Day (2014) Salem, VA to Bergen County, New Jersey
1. Sanchin Kata (Shobu version) at a gas station on highway I-78 in Pennsylvania.
Thanks for reading and watching. Have a really Happy Thanksgiving, 2017.
Sensei John Szmitkowski
For information on my “no-risk”, kata seminars, please visit the seminar page using this convenient link https://senseijohn.me/seminar-kata/
My seminars are the ONLY seminars that allow you to pay at the conclusion, thus insuring your complete satisfaction!
ENDNOTES:
1. My video tribute from the road to Shihan Wayne Norlander featuring the song, “Keep Me In Your Heart” by Warren Zevon. I miss the Karate-Do training we shared and motorcycle rides we took.
For a refreshing and innovative discourse on kata and bunkai, please feel free to visit Sensei John’s Kata Laboratory and “THINK * SWEAT * EXPERIMENT” using this convenient link: https://senseijohn.me/category/kata-laboratory/
You may wish to view my other blogs – my fishing blog which includes my fishing journals and the interrelationship between martial arts protocol & ideology to fishing http://flyfishingdojo.com
and the Goshin-Do Karate blog at http://defeliceryu.com
My Kata Lab posts, representing my almost five decades of experience, are shared here free. If you would like to donate to help defray costs, your generosity is appreciated. Thank-you & THINK-SWEAT-EXPERIMENT with kata.
$5.00
Try a FREE mini Kata Lab Course – Kata Analysis Using Time As A 4th Dimension Of Distance. Very innovative, exciting all for FREE in the comfort of your own home, using your system’s kata! Enroll for FREE using this convenient link: https://kata-rx.teachable.com/p/course-1-kata-laboratory-introduction
This article is a continuation of my exploration of time as a fourth dimension of distance. For those unfamiliar with this concept there are several video and other resources in Endnote # 1. Simply put, most martial artists think of distance as a function of the three dimensions of length, width and height. To do so omits the all important fourth dimension of time.
Time as a fourth dimension of distance is easily appreciated when you practice your kata. Exploration of the time dimension is facilitated by expanding your kata bunkai (analysis) to include consideration of time. How does time affect kata and its application is a subject limited only by the imagination of the karate-ka (practitioner).
Kata bunkai is a continuing on-going process. It is limited only by your imagination. The within article is a good example of that process. I was practicing my Fuku and Gekisai Kata by modifying certain interim movements. Specifically, I was exploring the block, lunge punch block sequence (see Endnote # 2 for a full discussion of this concept). Traditionally, the three movements are performed with kime (focus). To facilitate my study, I found it helpful to perform the last block in the series not with kime, but, with breathing and dynamic tension as in Sanchin Kata. I was studying had the corollary effect of modifying the rhythm of the sequence.
In the past, I had briefly explored a modification of kata rhythm using the Seienchin Kata as an example. (See Endnote # 4 for a video of same). This exploration was but a fundamental step in my on going process. I began to utilize the opening of the Goshin-Do Karate Seisan Kata to explore how the concept of time as a fourth dimension of distance can result in a corollary rhythmic modification of a kata. (See Endnote # 5 for a video of the Seisan Kata and a bonus – historical footage of Hanshi Frank Van Lenten performing Seisan!). Using the opening of Seisan Kata, I began to understand the corollary rhythmic modification. To illustrate the concept, the abbreviation “K” will signify that the movement is performed with kime (focus- hard and fast). “S” will signify the movement is performed with Sanchin breathing and dynamic tension. Using the photos below you can see the time modification of combining the block and counter and the resulting corollary rhythmic modification.
As this series is repeated three times in the Kata, the resulting rhythm is:
K-S-K / K-S-K / K-S-K
In the time modified sequence, whereby the block and counter is combined into one move, we can see the corollary rhythmic change:
Move # 1 (move # 1 and # 3 combined) : Open hand ridge hand block with simultaneous reverse punch (K);
Move # 2: rotate hand and “grab” (S).
The corollary rhythmic change for the three move sequence is then:
K-S / K-S / K-S
Exploring how the change in rhythm affects not only the kata but your bunkai (analysis) is full of possibilities. For the inquisitive practitioner it affords the ability to see into the full range of bunkai available from not only a physical aspect but also a spiritual and environmental aspect. (See Endnote # 6 for a full discussion of the three aspects of bunkai).
Understanding the fourth dimension of time as a component part of your kata will provide you with a rich and more complete understanding of not only your kata, but, also yourself. It is fertile ground limited only by the boundaries of your own imagination.
Respectfully submitted,
Sensei John Szmitkowski
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This article is a continuation of my exploration of time as a fourth dimension of distance. For those unfamiliar with this concept there are several video and other resources in Endnote # 1. Simply put, most martial artists think of distance as a function of the three dimensions of length, width and height. To do so omits the all important fourth dimension of time.
Time as a fourth dimension of distance is easily appreciated when one practices their kata. Such, practice, may require modification of the kata sequences. The within is one method of modifying your kata to appreciate the time dimension.
Interim kata movements (the starting posture of the next movement) can be modified to achieve a time advantage over your opponent. How does this work? Let us look at a typical three move kata sequence found in many kata. That of a block, a counter strike and a block. This last block is actually not a “block” but a continuation of the counter attack. In the Goshin-Do style of karate, this sequence can be found, inter alia, in the Kata Fuku and Gekisai, (See Endnote # 2)
As the sequence is the same for both Fuku and Gekisai Kata (only the blocks change) let’s take a look at the sequence as it is normally performed in the Fuku Kata (See Endnote # 3 for videos of both the entire Fuku and Gekisai Kata)
Move # 1: High Block
Move # 2: Step forward, lunge Punch to chest
Move # 3: Step back, low block
To explore how an interim movement (the cover for the third block) can be used to achieve a time advantage, simply modify the movement. In the case, you speed up the cover for the block. Normally after the lunge punch you would step back to a half-way position and then cover the low block. You then complete the step back (to a side stance in the Fuku & Gekisai Kata) and complete the low block. To achieve a time advantage, perform the cover simultaneously with the punch as shown in the photo below. Again, you then step back to the completed position.
Move # 1:
Move # 2: Time modified – lunge punch and cover for low block simultaneous:
Move # 3: Step back, low block as usual.
You can and should practice your kata with this time adjustment. When you are comfortable with the movement, conduct bunkai (analysis) with a partner and see how the cover actually becomes a continuation of the counter attack (as in the case of the completed low block). In the time modified sequence, you will have gained an advantage by counter striking your opponent twice (once with the punch and simultaneously with the counter).
Exploring the fourth dimension of time as a component part of your kata will provide you with a rich and more complete understanding of not only your kata, but, also yourself. It is fertile ground limited only by the boundaries of your own imagination.
Respectfully submitted,
Sensei John Szmitkowski
For information on my “no-risk”, kata seminars, please visit the seminar page using this convenient link https://senseijohn.me/seminar-kata/ My seminars are the ONLY seminars that allow you to pay at the conclusion, thus insuring your complete satisfaction! For a refreshing and innovative discourse on kata and bunkai, please feel free to visit Sensei John’s Kata Laboratory and “THINK * SWEAT * EXPERIMENT” using this convenient link: https://senseijohn.me/kata-lab/
2. The basic sequence, block, strike, block, is sometimes obscured. For example, the sequence is found within the Taikiyoku kata series. A block is followed by a lunge punch, a turn is then performed during which another block is executed. The turn obscures the third block in the sequence. Removing the cloud of the turn opens the idea that the third block and turn is in fact a continuation of the counter strike. However, that concept is for another article in this series.
3. Here is a video of the entire Fuku and Gekisai Kata of the Goshin-Do Karate style.
My Kata Lab posts, representing my almost five decades of experience, are shared here free. If you would like to donate to help defray costs, your generosity is appreciated. Thank-you & THINK-SWEAT-EXPERIMENT with kata.
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Ah, I’ve just returned from a long weekend in Provincetown, Cape Cod. This annual sojourn gives me the time to think. And what better topic to think about than – time. Not the scientific concept of time, but time as it relates to martial arts.
Time is an ignored element of the martial arts. It is almost never considered in kata bunkai (analysis). Whether they realize it or not, most martial artist think in terms of distance as three dimensional. Distance is only defined as a function of the three dimensions of length, width and height. In reality, there is a fourth dimension that mandates exploration – time. Please see the resources in Endnote # 1 for an introductory discussion of this topic.
Exploration of the time dimension is facilitated by expanding your kata bunkai (analysis) to include consideration of time. How does time affect kata and its application is a subject limited only by the imagination of the karate-ka (practitioner).
The following two videos provide two examples.
The first is from the Gekisai kata. In the video the kata sequence whereby an open middle block followed by a front snap kick is manipulated. You can see how time is manipulated to gain an advantage over your opponent. This is commonly referred to as “speed.”
In the second video you see a sequence whereby a reverse punch is followed by a front snap kick; a very common sequence in many kata. In so far as one’s leg is longer than one’s arm, there is a distance problem (see the video). This is overcome by manipulating the timing of the punch and kick as show. Again, while the dimensions of length, width and height traditionally determine range to the target, the fourth dimension of time must be accounted for.
Once you begin to analyze your kata and practice kata with an awareness of time, you may be confronted with kata sequences that are not so readily manipulated. This results in a necessary change to the sequence of the kata to overcome the limits of the time dimension. An example may be found in the Kanto Kata of the Goshin-Do Karate system. (See Endnote # 2 for a video of this unique kata) Kanto translates as “Fighting Spirit.” It was created by Hanshi Frank Van Lenten to illustrate the techniques and ideology of the Goshin-Do Karate style. Within Kanto Kata there are sequences which are difficult, if not impossible, to achieve maximum time efficiency. One such sequence is as follows.
Move # 1: Stepping forward on a forty-five degree angle, a middle block is performed.
Move # 2: The blocking hand then executes a jab to the opponent’s nose.
Move # 3: This is then followed by a reverse punch.
To achieve maximum time efficiency in any kata, a block and a counter should be executed simultaneously. (see Endnote # 3) So in the above sequence, if not for the jab, it would be simple to execute the middle block and reverse punch simultaneously. The jab causes a problem. It is impossible to block and jab with the same hand simultaneously. To be sure, you can perform these two movements as fast as possible, but never at the exact same time. Further, if you perform the middle block and link the jab and reverse punch to hit simultaneously, you have achieved time efficiency with the two counter attacks, but you still have not linked the block and counter as simultaneous. To overcome this problem, you must modify the sequence itself.
You step forward and perform the middle block and reverse punch simultaneously (moves # 1 and # 3), then,
You perform the jab (move # 2)
In modifying the sequence, you will now counter attack as quickly and as efficiently as possible. Thus achieved efficiency in the fourth dimension of time. This concept can readily be applied to your other kata. I’ll soon post an article extending the concept to Seisan Kata.
You should strive to include the fourth dimension of time into your kata bunkai (analysis). I not only do this when I have a partner available to apply my bunkai, I also do this when practicing alone. I perform my kata using the traditional sequences and then perform the kata using the time modified sequences as above. In this manner you are performing bunkai solo while simultaneously performing your kata (more on this at a later time).
If you subscribe to the training maxim that kata is one tool that will help you achieve maximum efficiency in a self defense situation, then you must include this type of practice into you regime.
Respectfully submitted,
Sensei John Szmitkowski
For information on my “no-risk”, kata seminars, please visit the seminar page using this convenient link https://senseijohn.me/seminar-kata/ My seminars are the ONLY seminars that allow you to pay at the conclusion, thus insuring your complete satisfaction! For a refreshing and innovative discourse on kata and bunkai, please feel free to visit Sensei John’s Kata Laboratory and “THINK * SWEAT * EXPERIMENT” using this convenient link: https://senseijohn.me/kata-lab/
1. Use this convenient link for a basic understanding as to how the three dimensions of distance – length, width and height apply to all karate technique and the necessity of understanding the fourth dimension of time – https://senseijohn.me/2015/11/23/underground-bunkai-sneak-peak/
2. Kanto Kata video
3. Those familiar with the five responses to attack will understand that transitioning from a block followed-up by a counter attack to a block and counter as one movement is a transition from the state of GO NO SEN (after, later-before): block & counter attack to a state of SEN NO TE (before-hand): block and counter attack are in one movement.
My Kata Lab posts, representing my almost five decades of experience, are shared here free. If you would like to donate to help defray costs, your generosity is appreciated. Thank-you & THINK-SWEAT-EXPERIMENT with kata.
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A dream is an answer to a question we have not yet learned to ask. Fox Mulder, The X-Files, (Paper Hearts episode, S4, E 10)
Background: Kata is always within you. In fact, you intentionally train to have kata within you. If a time comes when you are confronted by an attacker, kata rises to the surface and you can successfully defend yourself. The kata sequences that you instinctively use in your defense will vary based upon a great number of circumstances. Nonetheless, your training in kata will pay dividends in an actual street scenario. This kata lab explores that actuality. This Lab also functions as an introduction to the advanced concepts contained in Kata Lab # 4210: Kata Within You – Advanced. Experiment:
Do not pre-select a kata for this lab. Your kata should be as spontaneous as possible;
Do not “spontaneously” perform your “favorite” kata. To do so defeats the purpose of this Kata Lab.
As you go about your day be aware of the fact that your kata is brewing inside you, waiting to let itself out; At a random point in time (you may also use a timer as in previous kata labs), let the kata out;
Perform the kata as you require at that specific time. For example, in Kata Lab number 2230, you performed the kata in a “life and death” scenario. This time, perform the kata as your specific needs may require, examples include, performing the kata to rejuvenate yourself if you are tired, or performing the kata to “stretch your legs” and “get your blood flowing” if you’re lethargic;
The kata that bursts forth from within you should be as random as possible based upon your physical and psychological needs at the time.
Conclusion: This is a very basic kata lab to acquaint you with the idea that at all times, you are your kata and your kata is you. As you go about your day, kata simmers within you waiting to be called forth to help you through your day. This lab also provides a firm foundation for Kata Lab # 4210: Kata Within You – Advanced and for other more advanced labs that follow. This week’s featured video is
Bonus video from my new “Underground Bunkai” series:
Cum superiorum privilegio veniaque (“With the privilege and permission of the superiors”)
Sensei John Szmitkowski
For information on my “no-risk”, kata seminars, please visit the seminar page using this convenient link https://senseijohn.me/seminar-kata/
Memorial Day soon approaches. It is a solemn day of remembrance for everyone who has died serving in the American Armed Forces. The holiday, originally known as Decoration Day, started after the Civil War to honor the Union and Confederate dead.May 24, 2015
With that in mind, I propose that in addition to your BBQ, parades, picnics and other activities, you engage in one solemn practice. For martial artists, I sugeest you dedicated one kata in memory of those that have died serving in the American Armed Forces. From Memorial Day, 2015, my Sanchin Kata footprints, North Truro, Cape Cod, MA:
Session Parameters:
Date: Memorial Day, May 29th, 2017
Time: any quiet time during your day;
Location: any location, but, as you know, I prefer an outdoors in nature;
Salient Points:
During kata, reflect upon and remember that have died in the service of our country. Through your honor, their memory will not be lost.
Thank-you for your participation,
Sensei John Szmitkowski
For a refreshing and innovative discourse on kata and bunkai, please feel free to visit Sensei John’s Kata Laboratory and “THINK * SWEAT * EXPERIMENT” using this convenient link: https://senseijohn.me/kata-lab/
You may wish to view my other blogs – my fishing blog which includes my fishing journals and the interrelationship between martial arts protocol to fishing http://flyfishingdojo.com
and the Goshin-Do Karate blog at http://defeliceryu.com
Today, in the far reaches of my backyard, New York City, marks the start of the 2016 World Chess Championship. The defending World Champion, GM Magnus Carlsen will defend his title against GM Sergey Karjakin. Photos from Wikipedia.
GM Magnus Carlsen, defending World Champion
GM Sergey Karjakin
In the past I have posted a few articles on the similarity of kata and chess. Kata being a form of physical chess. My posts were inspired by my own kata practice and various chess tournaments and matches. I am sure this coming word championship will provide fertile ground for more inspiration. In the meantime, here’s a link to some of earlier articles and videos inspired by kata and chess.
Kata, My Curse? This post was inspired the 2014 Sinquefield Chess tournament. https://senseijohn.me/2014/09/22/kata-my-curse/
Chess fans may wish to visit http://nyc2016.fide.com This site has exceptional coverage on the match, links to live feed of the games, and much more.
Enjoy the match. Respectfully submitted,
Sensei John Szmitkowski
For a refreshing and innovative discourse on kata and bunkai, please feel free to visit Sensei John’s Kata Laboratory and “THINK * SWEAT * EXPERIMENT” using this convenient link: https://senseijohn.me/kata-lab/
You may wish to view my other blogs – my fishing blog which includes my fishing journals and the interrelationship between martial arts protocol & ideology to fishing http://flyfishingdojo.com
and the Goshin-Do Karate blog at http://defeliceryu.com
My Kata Lab posts, representing my almost five decades of experience, are shared here free. If you would like to donate to help defray costs, your generosity is appreciated. Thank-you & THINK-SWEAT-EXPERIMENT with kata.
$5.00
Background:
Summer. Two months when most students leave the Dojo for summer vacation. More likely than not when the students return from vacation, they forgot at least one kata. Except one summer and one student, whom I’ll call Jacqui. She taught me a lesson. That lesson led to this Kata Lab. Jacqui was away at camp all summer. She was a relatively good student though a bit lazy. Her first night back at the Dojo, I wanted to gauge how much she forgot. While her kata were a bit awkward, I was amazed that she did not forget any kata. I told her that I was happy she found time to practice while at camp. To my surprise, she told me that she did not practice any kata the whole summer. Rather, she informed me that “lights-out” was rather early and she often laid in her bed bored and unable to sleep. To alleviate her boredom, she thought about her kata and mentally “practiced” them. With that conversation with Jacqui, the seeds of this kata lab were planted. Before the next summer, Jacqui stopped training. Her “legacy” lives on.
Experiment:
Notwithstanding the motto of my Kata Lab, “Think * Sweat * Experiment”, this kata labs involves very little sweating. For this lab you should:
Find a quiet place to sit comfortably. My preference is always an outdoor location; however, the first time you try this lab, you may wish to preserve a “martial atmosphere” and do the lab in your Dojo and while wearing your gi. Now, mentally perform your kata as if you were performing it physically:
• Strive for technical perfection; • Speed and power should be as appropriate within the kata; • Timing of breath, inhalation and exhalation must be accurate; • Kiai where called for and in the appropriate manner; • Maintain the proper focus and mental attitude as if you were physically doing the kata.
Once you are comfortable with this kata lab, move your mental practice outdoors. Concentrate on:
• Visualize how the different terrain affects your mental kata. Should you be aware of slippery surfaces? Is the kata being visualized going up or down a hill, if so, what is the effect? • Is the air temperature hot, cold, raining or snowing? Visualize the effect
Conclusion:
Not only is this kata lab a fun mental exercise, but as Jacqui did, it allows you to remember your kata in a convenient manner. You can mentally practice your kata any place and any time. It also provides a convenient introduction into the spiritual aspect (state-of-mind, emotions and psychology) of kata.
Please remember, the mandate of the kata laboratory is
This weeks featured video:
Cum superiorum privilegio veniaque (“With the privilege and permission of the superiors”)
Sensei John Szmitkowski
For information on my “no-risk”, kata seminars, please visit the seminar page using this convenient link https://senseijohn.me/seminar-kata/
You’ve heard it in the dojo, you’ve read about it in books, magazines and blogs. It’s mentioned in videos on You-Tube. Heck, I even posted an article concerning the idea that “Practice makes perfect.” https://senseijohn.me/2010/07/19/practice-does-not-make-perfect/
Well, I say “Do NOT ‘perfect’ your kata!”
To ‘perfect’ means to, “make (something) completely free from faults or defects, or as close to such a condition as possible.” Kata is one “something” that it is utterly impossible to perfect. Consider the following.
First, let’s start with the kata itself. I submit it is impossible to perfect a kata. Initially, how is a perfect kata to be defined. Is it one that is technically correct, free from faults or defects? If so, then a perfect kata is one that is merely pretty and lacks any functional utility. It must be remembered that kata is a dance, the highest form of dance in my opinion, but a dance nonetheless. What differentiates kata from all other forms of dance is one crucial element. Kata has at its core a martial purpose. It is designed to facilitate self-defense (see endnote # 1) So, to consider a kata as perfect merely based upon technical correctness of the performance is incomplete. Surely, a performer that performs a perfect kata in the dojo or a tournament but cannot defend him or her self with the sequences and techniques from the kata is but a perfect dancer.
Second, kata exists merely as a concept. It is enlivened only through the actions of a performer. In so far as the performer is an imperfect being (as is all humans), the kata can never be perfected. As to this point, I am reminded of a saying from one of my instructors, “Kata is to be thought of as clay in a mold.” Even assuming, arguendo, that the mold (the kata) is itself perfect, the clay (the performer) contains individual imperfections. Through the performance of the kata, repeatedly subjecting the clay to the mold, one hopes to remove as many perfections as possible; however, given the nature of flux of the imperfections, this is impossible. (See Endnote # 2)
Third, as regular readers are aware, I steadfastly maintain that kata contains three individual aspects, a physical aspect, a spiritual aspect (the manner in which kata affects your state-of-mind, emotions and psyche) and an environmental aspect (the manner in which kata is affected by environment and vice-versa). When most teachers talk of “perfecting” your kata, they limit themselves to only the physical aspect of kata. By doing so, they avoid the most difficult aspect, the spiritual aspect. This aspect is difficult on several fronts. To start, I submit each kata contains within it a specific state-of-mind required for the performance. A full discussion of this point is beyond this article; however, you may gleam an idea of a specific kata’s proscribed statement of mind from the translation of its name. Examples include, the Kanto (Fighting Spirit) kata of Goshin-Do Karate, Taikiyoku (To build the body and the spirit) Geikisai (To Destroy) and Seienchin (Calm in the storm / storm in the calm). Thus this state of mind must be “perfected” within the kata – a monumental task at best. One’s mind, states thereof, including emotions and psyche can never be “perfected.”
In addition, even though a kata is relatively short in duration, it is exceeding difficult for the human mind to maintain itself in a “perfect” mental, emotional and psychological state for such a duration.
Fourth, looking at my environmental aspect of kata, two points must be borne in mind when considering the notion of “perfecting” your kata. It must be remembered that a kata was once a creation of its inventor. You can easily research the inventor’s physical characteristics at the time of creation. You may also discover insight into his general mental state (such as whether history tells us he was depressed, quick to anger, starving as in the case of a few post WWWII masters, or an alcoholic). You may not be aware of the impact of the creator’s environment on his kata creation. The kata would have been created taking such terrain into account. As such, the only way to “perfect” such kata is to perform it in its intended (read “perfect”) environment. Not sure? Take any of the various Kobudo oar kata as an immediate example. Most contain sequences involving using the oar to throw sand and /or soil into the eyes of the kata opponent. True, the kata can be performed in a dojo; however, such performance can not be “perfect” unless sand or soil is actually thrown and not merely simulated. Additionally, while you may “perfect” a kata within the sterile environment of a dojo, you may not be able to duplicate such perfection outside of the dojo, on uneven terrain, in clothes and shoes, with variations of temperature and climate.
So, if, as I say you should NOT “perfect your kata,” what then should you do. Let us turn to that great “master of Okinawa football” (hey, now-a-days, if it isn’t Okinawa, it’s not “authentic”), Coach Vince Lombardi of the Greenbay Packers (the team was originally from Okinawa and imported by US servicemen after WWII). 😇
Coach Lombardi once told his team,
We will relentlessly chase perfection knowing full well we will not achieve it, but we will relentlessly chase it and in the process, we shall find excellence.
Applying this to kata, I urge you to forget “Perfect your kata” and instead, “Excel at your kata.” To excel takes into account all the variables contained within my three aspects of kata. You can excel at kata regardless of your age, health and physical limitations. You can excel at kata even if you are not in an ideal mental or emotional state. In fact, I submit you should use kata to modify your dilatory emotional state https://senseijohn.me/2013/10/06/kata-lab-221-kata-as-an-emotional-modifier/ You can excel at kata in any physical environment, terrain or climate. By doing so, you will understand not only the martial aspects of kata and be able to defend yourself (with kata sequences) in the process, but also the “life-giving” aspects of kata. (See Endnote # 3)
So, stop accepting axiomatic advice and “Think * Sweat * Experiment for yourself. Don’t perfect your kata.” “Excel at your kata.”
This week’s featured Kata Laboratory video:
Bonus video: Here is a sneak peak at the newest video series “Underground Bunkai” which features my senior black belt, Sensei Jimmy DiMicelli, Go-Dan, Karate-Do NO Renshi.
Respectfully submitted, Cum superiorum privilegio veniaque (“With the privilege and permission of the superiors”)
Sensei John Szmitkowski
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My seminars are the ONLY seminars that allow you to pay at the conclusion, thus insuring your complete satisfaction!
For a refreshing and innovative discourse on kata and bunkai, please feel free to visit Sensei John’s Kata Laboratory and “THINK * SWEAT * EXPERIMENT” using this convenient link: https://senseijohn.me/kata-lab/
ENDNOTES:
1. Within the concept of self-defense, I include not only the obvious defense against an aggressor, but also physical health, and mental and emotional health.
2. This concept is the same as a chapter in my Kata Laboratory Book that addresses my concept that it is impossible to perform any kata exactly the same way twice. As of this writing, I have not released a free “teaser” of this chapter. This chapter discusses the multitude of variables and state of flux referred to in the article in great detail.
3. I draw a kata analogy to a concept from kendo (the art of the sword), “Satsujin no Ken (the sword that takes life) and Katsujin no Ken” (the sword that gives life”). I submit that the same applies to kata; Satsujin no Kata and Katsujin no Kata.
Sensei John is now on Facebook, under – FLY FISHING DOJO, you are invited to send a Facebook friend request.
You may wish to view my other blogs – my fishing blog which includes my fishing journals and the interrelationship between martial arts protocol & ideology to fishing http://flyfishingdojo.com
and the Goshin-Do Karate blog at http://defeliceryu.com
For a refreshing and innovative discourse on kata and bunkai, please feel free to visit Sensei John’s Kata Laboratory and “THINK * SWEAT * EXPERIMENT” using this convenient link: https://senseijohn.me/kata-lab/
my fishing blog which includes my fishing journals and the interrelationship between martial arts protocol to fishing http://flyfishingdojo.com
the Goshin-Do Karate blog at http://defeliceryu.com
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