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