The end of this blog

That's right folks, I'm ending this blog. I've decided that there's nothing more for me to say here.

...So I'm starting a new one.

Hahaha.

I was thinking about waiting for the new year, but I decided I'd just get started on creating a new blog account this month. The only real truth is that I was getting bored with the layout of this blog. Not much room for customization. Or at least not customization in the way I want it. I started another blog on WordPress and I like the layout of that, especially how I can choose my own photos for the header. So I figured it's time to switch.

I can't believe it is December already. I started this blog in March during my last weeks in Detroit. So many things have happened since that time, karate and non-karate related.

My search for the kind of karate I want isn't over yet. I'm looking for a combination of something that is physically healthy and also trains realistically. More broadly, I'm looking to deepen my understanding of kata, as that is the heart of this art. So far that search has taken me to places outside the world of karate and I am sure it will continue to expand even further. My concern with karate isn't with "styles" or "teachers" or "techniques". My interest with karate has to do with "how things work". As the author and martial artist Rory Miller says,  

"...A mechanic that knows every tool in the tool box but doesn't know what an engine looks like...this is endemic to martial arts..."

Well, I ain't lookin' to be just another incompetent mechanic. I'm looking to gain an understanding of the thing so that the thing starts to make sense. I'm tired of looking at the words on the page struggling to make sense of how they sound, how they flow together, how they make meaning. I'm interested in learning the alphabet of karate so that I can learn how to read, write and speak karate. I'm tired of being an illiterate karateka.

What's interesting is that, in my heart of hearts, what karate is about for me is gaining confidence in self-protection. That's why I walked into a karate dojo in my mid-twenties, that's why I'm attending Rory Miller workshops, that's why I'm searching like I am. I'm not interested in tournaments, demonstrations or even "tradition". What I care about is overcoming fear. I'm not looking to have some kind of macho MMA image. I don't care about my identity associated with doing martial arts. I don't care if people think I'm too old to be a martial artist (gonna be 31 at the end of this year). I'm an artist, period. How I interpret and manifest the various streams in my life is up to my imagination.

And that's what the karate world and the rest of the world needs right now...

Some goddamn imagination.

Anyway, I'm gonna keep on searching for what I need. Keep on trying out things to see how they fit. This upcoming year should prove to be very fascinating to say the least.

If you're interested, here's a link to the new blog: http://thequantumkarateka.wordpress.com/

Take care.

Elbow SMASH!

- Hiji Até

"The acorn requires a mentor"

I just got back in from Mill Valley, CA where my friend and I went to see the mythologist and storyteller Michael Meade give an all day presentation (9 to 5) about a great many things that can be summed up in the title of the workshop, "Personal Myth: The unique story trying to live through you".

If you don't know who Michael Meade is, click here.

I hadn't really known of this man or his work until rather recently. It was in fact this same friend that turned me onto him. Meade had done work with James Hillman (Soul's Code author), the poet Robert Bly and even Joseph Campbell; all authors that I had been avidly reading in the past couple years.

Of course all this kind of metaphysical research that I have been doing since before Detroit has brought me into an awareness of this kind of language and of the kind of people who speak this language. So Meade is definitely someone I considered checking out. What's cool is that he was doing this workshop in Mill Valley, which is only about 40 minutes from where we live in Oakland, even though I believe him and/or his organization is based in Seattle, WA. The Bay brings a lot of cool people here. Relevant people. Anyway...

So I was at this thing and of course there were some profound moments. What's significant is that I stood in line to speak with him briefly because I wanted to ask him this question about mentorship that has arisen in me lately. And certainly Meade would be the man to ask on matters of this kind. So my question was basically, and this came after reflecting on what Hillman speaks to in The Soul's Code (which is the title of this post), does the person seek this mentor or does the mentor seek you?

And his answer struck me as being profoundly obvious:

The mentor does no seeking. You must go out and seek one.

I mean he didn't say it exactly like that, I'm kinda "Yoda-fying" it. But I said, "thank you", and he said "good luck" and that was the blessing and answer I needed to keep on going, to not lose hope. Simple as that. It was the same kind of blessing from an Elder that I received from Madeleine Schwab, the woman who gave the workshop presentation that I took on March 4th (forth) of 2012 that kick-started me on the path to going to Detroit. Blessings from the right Elders are powerful for young people. It is a very deep affirmation of their soul and that journey it is on. It is so life affirming and exciting that I cannot even begin to tell you the hope it brings. Obviously I'm saying more young people need that affirmation from their Elders. But as Meade said during the workshop, growing older does not necessarily equate growing wiser. Therefore, it is the Elders that know and speak this metaphysical language that need to do the blessing. Otherwise, you get older people saying to you, "WTF?! Are you crazy?! You need to get a JOB! Stop dreaming!". That kind of language is so damaging and hurtful because it comes from not seeing the genius within.

So anyway, the mentor I am seeking has to do with the martial arts. With karate in particular. But maybe in the search for that I'll discover that that isn't the case. And in fact the mentor is for a whole new discipline altogether. I don't know. I feel like there were some very profound things I began researching and reading on in Detroit about Okinawan karate in particular which is what has motivated me to start this blog for one. But also motivated me to keep seeking out the kind of martial arts teachers who could help to clarify this more for me here in Oakland. I haven't found that yet and I can tell you it has surely been disappointing, not to mention frustrating.

But so yeah. Onward now. Keep on seeking the "karate truth" that I'm seeking. The tagline for this blog is "In search of a living karate". Not just karate of course. This really is "bigger than just karate dude". But this is an art-form that also speaks to the deep ancestral roots which I carry with me today. And I believe that it is important that we not only maintain our traditions but we also adapt them to fit the ever-changing world we live in so that they may remain relevant and valid for future humans. In my humble opinion.

Elbow SMASH!

- Hiji Até

Mentor

I think in some way I am looking to be mentored.

As James Hillman writes in The Soul's Code: "...the acorn requires a mentor." (pg. 116). If you don't know what the heck an "acorn" is then you obviously need to read the book. Acorn refers to "genius". And this genius lies in each of us. I find it particularly fitting that I now live in OAK-land, which is so named because of the oak trees that grow in this region and of course, from what does an oak tree originate from? I like how the Oakland Unified School District's logo (at least the old version) is of an oak tree and two little acorns (which I've seen on vehicles used by Oakland Unified).

But mentorship in what exactly? I'm still not sure of that one.

I recently met with a friend visiting from Detroit. Even she asked if I had a mentor. 

Where does one find a mentor?

Does one seek a mentor? Or does a mentor seek you?

I feel the latter, but I also don't have a clue. Maybe both?

But anyway, clueless as I am, I'm still being as real as I can with what I do and just keep doing what I do.

What else can I do?

Elbow SMASH!

- Hiji Até

Mediocre martial artist

I'm still sweatin in my clothes as I write this.

Just got home from judo class.

BLEH.

On some level I realize that a person has got to be good at something if they wanna have some authority with it. With martial arts, it's easy to hide behind a black belt. People believe in the belt. But if you can't do what you talk about, then you are a FAKE ASS martial artist.

That's me. FAKE. I say I wanna be good at karate. I say I wanna understand the art. BLAH BLAH BLAH.

If I really wanted to understand the art I'd be training much more damn harder than I am now. Right now I'm doing "hobby martial arts"; "weekend warrior" type bullshit.

If I really wanna be good at it, I gotta train it. Daily.

If there's no teacher around, then I'd have to teach myself.

I'm a lazy martial artist.

There is so much bullshit in the martial arts world. And there will probably continue to be bullshit for as long as human beings like to bullshit.

On some level I feel like an "anti-bullshit" martial artist. Searching out people who think like me. Who can see through the martial veil covering their eyes.

But if I wanna be "anti-bullshit" then I gotta back that up with some real skill.

How does one acquire that skill?

Gōngfu 功夫

There is no other method so tried and true to human kind.

Until I can say I put my ass to work acquiring that kind of skill, then I'm just a talker. A BLAH-ger.

So for now, blah bLAH BLAH!
  

Elbow SMASH!

- Hiji Até

Having fun

The kids at East Oakland Boxing Association are really liking this new "game" we've introduced. John (the Phys Ed Coordinator) calls it "drops". Basically it looks like a stand-up version of wrestling. Since I've been doing judo the past two months, I've been calling it that. But I'm realizing now that it's more along the lines of kumite. Not the modern sport karate version of it, but rather the literal translation of the characters: "grappling hands". And honestly, it's not something foreign to kids. I mean, have you ever wrestled around with your brother or sister? Have you ever grasped the clothing/limbs of another kid and pushed and pulled them? This is like that, except with some very specific rules to make it as safe as possible (like no grabbing the legs, no hitting, no poking, choking, etc). I think what makes it so fun is that it's so physically invigorating for them. I mean, as an "adult" it's also invigorating (like doing randori in judo). And it's also "non-technical". Meaning that, you don't need to learn "basics" before you do it (like endlessly repeating stances or punches or blocks). You just need a willingness (or the guts) to wrestle with some other kids your size. Of course, I'm thinking to throw in some drills before hand that get them to be conscious of tucking their chin to avoid hitting their head and also perhaps some rolling/falling drills. The thing is, I'm not going to introduce any over-the-body-type throws. That can get too dangerous I think (especially since we're only using tumbling mats that cover concrete). Save that for if they want to join an actual judo school. Basically this kind of kumite is employed in order to teach them the principle of kuzushi. So we're not really doing "Kodokan judo" but rather a bastardized version of it to fit our needs of getting them to be physically active and engaged in this after-school program. In order to make it more challenging of a game, I am going to look through the Kodokan judo book I have and pick out techniques that seem appropriate for kids their age (7-10). A couple of them were already doing versions of osoto-gari. What I was gonna do is pick out a few easy techniques (standing and ground) and the goal will be that they can only use these techniques to play. So I think foot sweeps are good. Hon-kesa-gatame is good. Stuff like that.

What's significant about this to me is that we're still having them be a part of "karate club" (John, who is an Uechi-ryu practitioner created the club; basically the kids can choose from a list of clubs to participate in on a daily basis). Of course, it may not look like the stereotype of karate, which can be referred to as "punch-kick" karate, literally. I like to think of this as a more holistic version, one that incorporates things like grappling. I think what's most important though is having the kids learn principles of body mechanics through what seem like fun games.

Right now the kids are just wearing their regular clothes. John and I were thinking of trying to get judo/karate gi donated. Or at least just have two uniform jackets that they rotate, don't really need the pants. That way they can also wear a belt which can further help them to understand principles through visual aid (like explaining to them how to throw someone by positioning their hip below the other person's belt) or by utilizing the belt to optimize a technique. We did tell a few of them to start bringing in their hoodies or sweatshirts so that they can grab the clothing. It might get too hot for them though. I am worried that one of them is going to fall badly or bang their head too hard. We already had a few close-calls. The thing is, it's hard to avoid any hurt at all when doing this kind of stuff. Gotta make sure they sign the waivers and that we structure the game so that they are being supervised constantly.

It's cool too that EOBA is a rag-tag kinda place. I mean, martial arts is not the focus, boxing is. Therefore there is license to experiment because nobody really understands what we're doing. I could demonstrate a throw and call it karate and overall it would just look like "martial arts" to the uninitiated (or un-indoctrinated). I just like the idea of being able to provide a doorway into the martial arts in places that would be considered "under-privileged". I like being able to use my privilege to provide that privilege. If that makes sense. It's what I was introduced to doing in Detroit.

But anyway, I think next week when I go back I'm going to start introducing this game as "tegumi":

"The Okinawan name for our style of wrestling is 'tegumi', and should you write the word, you would use the same two Chinese characters that are used to write karate's 'kumite', except that they are reversed. Tegumi is, of course, a far simpler and more primitive sport than karate...Unlike most forms of wrestling, in which the participants are lightly clad, entrants in tegumi bouts remain fully clothed. Further, there is no special ring; the bout may be held anywhere - inside the house or in some nearby field...." - pg. 124

 

Elbow SMASH!

- Hiji Até

What am I doing?!

Just gonna process out loud here...read it if you dare.

I've come to the decision that I do not want to continue Danzan-ryu jujutsu at the Suigetsukan dojo I was attending since the summer. That's also the same dojo I had initially gone to for Wing Chun lessons. It's nothing necessarily bad. I mean, I like Sensei Mike as an instructor; he's down to earth and honest with his teaching. I think I've just become increasingly disappointed with the lack of fitness involved with their training curriculum (as well as the lack of realism). I mean, that's a subjective assessment of course. For some people, maybe the 10 minute warm-up we do before class is sufficient. I guess I'm saying I personally like things to be a bit more physically demanding. Otherwise I feel like my money isn't being well spent. You know?

For the past two months I have been doing judo at a place that's about 15 minutes from where I live. It's more like a club than an actual school but the two main sensei who run it are experienced judoka (it's called Oakland judo). I had initially come across it by "accident"; I had been waiting around to meet a friend and I was drawn to the awning of a business that read "The Taoist Center". Curious, I looked inside and then noticed a guy in white judo pajamas walk by in the back. Turns out that the physician who helped treat me in the ER when I had my hip injury is one of the black belts there. I remember him telling me the place where he did judo after mentioning to him that I did karate. For whatever reason I didn't make the connection that the place he trained at was right here in Oakland.

Judo class is Tuesday, Thursday. I was going to jujutsu Monday, Friday. I've decided that it's best to stick to the thing that's most helpful fitness-wise (randori = good sweat) as well as martial arts-wise (it's helpful to know and practice throwing principles that are a part of some of the Okinawan kata).

I'm planning to use the two days that I'm no longer doing jujutsu to finally implement a karate regimen for myself. I was sort of haphazardly practicing kata after Wing Chun class over the summer but I have not actually done any kata practice since. I've been very disappointed with that. And I know that if I do not implement this soon my retention of the kata I learned will diminish. Not good. The whole point of my seeking out these other arts was to further my understanding of karate, not lose it. My task now is to find a quiet place to train. I did it in Detroit. I can do it here.

I just need another job first.

Elbow SMASH!
- Hiji Até

Weekend seminar photos

So what would a blog be without photos? Boring right? Anyway, I stole some snapshots from the Soja facebook page to post here (Soja is the name of the school where this was held). Thanks mostly to Peter Ajemian who I believe was the one taking these. Peter is the founder and chief instructor of Soja. Many thanks to him for having the insight to bring Rory Miller here to Oakland. I can't tell you how much fun I had this weekend. It was a great group of people to work with. Can't wait to do it again!

This was from Friday night's talk/lecture covering "Conflict Communications". Basically a whole college level course covered in about 3 hours.

A snapshot from Monday night's "play date". We were going over potential responses to a Threat with a knife.

From Saturday's 8-hour workshop. We were practicing the "drop-step".

Rory teaching.

This is what you can expect from a Rory Miller seminar...utter chaos! Rory had us do a one-step drill in the stairwell at Soja. You don't see me cause I'm being crushed underneath the guy in the white t-shirt.

Group shot at the end of Sunday's 8-hour workshop.

-- 
Elbow SMASH!  
- Hiji Até