So for the past few weeks I have been contemplating what the best martial path for me to take is. Because I have not found any qualified "practical karate" teachers in the Bay Area, I have been considering whether or not to continue my Wing Chun training or Danzan-ryu jujutsu. I am giving myself this month of July to figure these things out. I have spoken with both of my instructors on this matter and have received different answers. The only thing that has become clear through all of this inquiry is that the kind of training I am looking for must be created by me. I'm not talking about having my own school; I'm talking about the specific way and methods in which I train. I'm also not saying there's not someone out there that doesn't offer what I want and need, it's just that they may not be local or accessible.
Although it isn't the end of the month yet, I can say that I am leaning towards focusing on Danzan-ryu jujutsu with Sensei Mike Esmailzadeh. This is sort of an unexpected decision for me in that I initially wanted to begin training in Wing Chun because I thought it might help me to better understand practical karate and that's the first thing I sought out after arriving in Oakland. Ironically enough, the Wing Chun classes were being held at the Suigetsukan Dojo which is where Sensei Mike teaches. On a whim and out of curiosity I decided to check out the jujutsu classes because I saw that as being something integral to my understanding of karate. Although the same disappointment arose in me with regards to the fact that the attention of the classes focused more on skill/etiquette/culture without any attention paid to fitness, I saw that I had a good connection with Sensei Mike as a person. And I think that's been an important consideration for me as a student; whether or not I am able to connect to the teacher/the school/and the students, let alone the art itself. What is interesting about the art of Danzan-ryu, historically speaking, is that its founder (Sensei Seishiro "Henry" Okazaki) incorporated elements of Okinawan karate into his system. And when Okazaki sensei initially moved from Japan to Hawaii in his childhood, they settled in Hilo, which is where my grandparents used to live. And funny enough too, the name "Danzan" is Chinese in origin and translates to "Sandalwood Mountain", which is what the Chinese used to call Hawaii; Sensei Okazaki used this term as a way to honor one of his teachers who was Chinese. The other hilarious thing too (is that just me?) is that I took up judo for five months while still doing karate in the hopes of finding an art that complimented the 1/4th of my Japanese ancestry (my dad, uncles and cousin all did/do judo so I thought it was the perfect art to connect with). Well, perhaps I've finally found my own way of connecting to that part of me.
So my point with highlighting all of this is just to say that, not only do I have a connection with the teacher (which is important), there is also a connection with the art itself, its founder and even the name. This is gonna sound silly but because my partner is Chinese I saw Wing Chun as being the perfect complement to that. But this 'Chinese connection' is still maintained in the fact that the name is Chinese in origin. That sounds almost silly but it helps to give me some meaning. It's like those little road signs along the way that let you know you're in the right general direction. And fitting too in that the signs you're reading don't always point in the direction you think.
Whatever the case may be, this is the current martial path I am about to step on. Where it leads me I'm not sure. The thing about Wing Chun is, I really like it. It not only looks cool, but at a high level of skill the Chun is just wicked man. Its methods are brutally practical, simple, and direct (much like how karate once was practiced). There's no beating around the bush; the strategy of Wing Chun and its tactics are clear (hit the head or neck; and if blocked, remove obstructions to keep hitting the head/neck). But I have to accept the fact that I'm obviously not in this to look cool. What's important is whether or not that martial path can lead me to accomplishing my goals. Looking "cool" is just a side effect....hahaha.
Elbow SMASH!
- Hiji Até
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