Z-Ultimate San Rafael Blog: Hawaii

Hey all!

Sensei Jordan left for Hawaii today! He will be out for then next week and a half or so. While he's gone, Sensei Brandon will be coming on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. You oldies out there may remember him from a couple years ago when he taught at this dojo.

We have a Weapon's Seminar scheduled for March 13th! Anyone interested in learning how to use a Bo Staff, or increase your repertoire of Bo material? There will be a seminar a couple hours long, and after you will have two extra lessons that can be scheduled at your convenience. Talk to Sensei if you are interested!

Also, we have to big events coming up in the next few months: The NorCal Tournament and Summer Camp! NorCal Tournament is going to be April 18th, so start practicing now and make sure you are ready to show your stuff. We will have more information as we get closer to April. As for Summer Camp, all kids ages 5-12 can participate in our dojo day camp where we do fun activities such as movies, park adventures, water games and pool trips and much, much more!

The Way [Beta]
The point of this is going to be to give you a 2000 year old poem that says the same thing that Sensei tells you almost everyday. Maybe it will help. The Way is a series of poems/passages/sayings (no one can really decide what exactly they are) that were written by the eastern philosopher Lao Tzu. The series is known as "The Way" or, more formally, Tao Te Ching. The version we use is an interpolation by Peter Merel, there are many different interpolations out there by many different people - we will stick to this version for consistency.

63. Difficulty

Practice no-action;
Attend to do-nothing;
Taste the flavorless,
Magnify the small,
Multiply the few,
Return love for hate.

Deal with the difficult while it is yet easy;
Deal with the great while it is yet small;

The difficult develops naturally from the easy,
And the great from the small;
So the sage, by dealing with the small,
Achieves the great.
Who finds it easy to promise finds it hard to be trusted;
Who takes things lightly finds things difficult;
The sage recognizes difficulty, and so has none.
- Lao Tzu

For the most part, these poems/passages/sayings are for your own interpretation. I am here explain how it relates to you and the Dojo! When Sensei teaches you a new form, be it your first or your tenth, there are several ways to go about it. On your first attempt, or your first practice, you can do it with minimal attention to detail and minimal effort towards doing it the best that you can technique-wise. Of course, there is a "justifiable" reason for this: you want to get the moves down, you want to have the form memorized. On the other end, on your first practice, you can do it completely gung-ho, full power, completely into it, putting as much energy as possible into the from. Another "justifiable" reason: you want to do what you think looks best. So, ask yourself, do you do one of these? Do you think one of these is the correct way to go about practicing for the first time? What is more more important than getting the moves down, and what is more important than getting full power and full energy, is getting the technique right. The first time you practice should have the following: bent knees, full recoils, controlled hands, good posture, knowledge of the targets, knowledge of the strikes, 4 moves to every kick, etc. All of these things can, and should, be done on the first time, so that we don't spend countless lessons afterwards correcting basics. "Deal with the difficult while it is yet easy; Deal with the great while it is yet small." Both of the previous examples of different ways of going about forms is not for a lack of effort, but effort not put into the most efficient areas.

A form should not be memorized, it should be learned. A form doesn't need speed and power until it is understood. If you get anything out of the previous paragraph, it should be those two sentences.

If a form is practiced without this mindset, and is instead focused on superficial details, the form, instead of being improved upon immediately in technique, will have to be corrected on its basics. Acknowledge and understand technique first; memorization, speed and power, as you learn it, practice it, and master it will come to you naturally.

Notice how I have been saying "form". The easiest and most accessible way to explain this is through form, but this concept applies to every part of your training: sparring, techniques, moves, strikes, improv. Everything.

Food for thought.

Thanks for reading!