Teaching Children

This session I've been taking a class with my son. Most of the students are kids and beginners - from "no belts" to 7 Kyus. As a higher rank student, I'm helping out as a Teacher's Assistant (TA) along with a few others. Teaching is a completely different experience from learning.

I may know my martial art at my skill level but this doesn't mean I know how to teach it. One of the things I have learned in karate over the years is that observing and following along really work when you are learning new things. My teacher is very good working with kids so I am trying to emulate some of the ways he instructs. I'm also learning from whichever Black Belt is in class and the more experienced TAs. It seems to be coming along pretty well.

Working with kids and beginners presents some challenges that I understand theoretically but are difficult to overcome in practice. It was almost painful at first to just work on the basics. I am used to working on kyu kumite, multiple katas and sparring. Demonstrating in slow motion forces me to concentrate more on my form and I'd better do it right or the kids may be performing some goofy Sanchin.

While we teach and demonstrate we keep an eye on the students to help correct form or just get the correct foot or hand in front. As you slowly go through the motions, you can see that this way of teaching works. Their eyes are watching you and they are trying real hard to copy you. They also ask good questions. One unexpected comment from a little boy was how I look like his uncle except that he has grey hair. He may need some work. :-)

So what's it like teaching your own son in class? I don't know. Any TA who has a child or spouse in class is not supposed to instruct his relative. It's a good policy. My son gets enough instruction from me at home...Plus he gets the benefit of learning directly from a Black Belt, usually a 7 or 3-4 Dan. So there is no sense of special treatment. It also helps him to work with other students who are not a foot an a half taller than him. We are both enjoying this session. My son likes karate again and will be testing for his next rank soon. I am able to take on a different, yet useful role on the school while my back is healing. It's a great way to give back and I look forward to continuing it.

Situational Awareness: Gunmen Storm Orange Line Train, Beat and Rob Passengers

It was reported to the Unsuck DC Metro blog that six masked, armed men attacked and robbed riders on the DC subway on back December 23, 2010. The whole event is pretty horrible, especially considering that Metro is a pretty safe public transportation system. But this is not a great area either. Read the article here.

Other than this act of violence, the thing that stood out to me is the "...witness said some people didn't even seem aware of what was happening." Situational Awareness is so important, but it can be difficult. I'm amazed at how the child noticed this. Seats on the trains face front and back and many trains have mini see-thru barriers between the entrance doors and the seats. It is not the best design. In my experience the New York, Boston and Moscow trains are designed much better, with open spaces. Still, they are not ideal, especially during rush hour, and special/sporting events. I hope the police catch these guys. 

Light Capacity

Jam Packed

Experience Okinawan Culture through Uechi-Ryu

When you study traditional martial arts, you expect to learn about fighting and self-defense. And in most programs and schools, that's exactly what you get. One of the things I like about studying Uechi-ryu Karate is that you can get more out of it than just the self-defense.

Uechi-ryu allows for experiencing the culture of Okinawa. The history of the islands is fascinating and in the DC-area there are good opportunities to observe and take part in Okinawan and Japanese cultural events. Many teachers incorporate parts of the culture in their classes, especially those that have studied for extended periods of time in Okinawa. Many TMA schools make periodic trips to study and train in Okinawa and there are events in the US to check out.

There are many local events sponsored by the Japanese Embassy and by Okinawan organizations. One of the bigger ones here is the Shin Shun Kai Spring Celebration in Annandale, VA. My Uechi-ryu school participates yearly by performing karate and applying it in traditional and non-traditional ways in a 10-minute routine. It's a good way to enjoy and experience the culture and to entertain the crowd. Below is a recent performance video. Keep training and learning.

Do You Look Like a Victim?

Over the Holidays, I received a book called The Little Black Book of Violence: What Every Young Man Needs to Know About Fighting. I put it on my Amazon.com wishlist after reading "Meditiations on Violence". The subject matter is very similar though the authors have different backgrounds.

Both books tell you that the best way to win a fight or confrontation, is to avoid getting into one in the first place. This falls in line with most martial arts teaching. There are excellent examples in both of what has a high chance of working for you. One, which seems obvious, can be dificult for many people to pull off. Carry yourself with confidence. That is, don't look like a victim or an easy target.

There is more involved, including situational awareness, to help you keep clear of such situations and both of these books are great for learning more about avoidance. I try to to keep higher awareness in certain areas to help avert any possible threats. Luckily, most of where I commute and travel is pretty safe. But I recently had an enlightening experience with this.

I bought a walking cane for my mother-in-law after she had injured her leg. I had to carry it home on the subway. The train was a little crowded and after a few minutes, someone tapped my shoulder from behind. A young lady offered her seat to me which I declined. I couldn't figure out why for a few seconds. Then it dawned on me - the cane.

Even though I was not limping, showing no signs of pain or even actually using the cane, someone perceived that I was injured (I was holding the cane in the same hand as my lunch bag while reading "Little Black Book" in the other).  I wasn't worried at the time because I "know" the area and crime is practically non-existent there.

But what would a thug have thought? "Great! An injured guy, I can take him." Or would he have noticed that I actually showed no signs of being injured and could possibly use the cane as a defensive weapon? Luckily that's a situation I didn't have to deal with. It just goes to show that you can never tell what people are thinking about you. Stay safe.

Guide For TMA Newcomers - Part 2 - Man this Kata is Hard

In most martial arts schools and always in a TMA dojo, you will learn kata. Kata is a set of pre-arranged movements that incorporate strikes, blocks, kicks and other elements of your style. You can get overwhelmed when you first see a kata demonstrated at full-speed by your instructor or senior students. Others, like Sanchin, seem deceptively easy at first. I remember thinking about Sanchin, "Hey, you just walk slow, throw some strikes, rinse and repeat and you're done". That was wrong.

In Uechi schools, you will learn kata Sanchin first, and throughout your training. As you progress through the ranks, there will be new dimensions taught and self-discoveries for you. Most instructors will then teach you katas Kanshiwa and then Kanshu. They do look difficult, but as you focus and practice more it will all come together for you. What is the best way to learn a kata? Everyone has different methods to learn them. The following ones help me with learning my katas.

Keep a notebook. It's easy to forget the many things taught in class. Write in it after each training session. Anything that strikes you as useful, unusual or just 'cool'. Of course instruction and tips from your instructor should be recorded. With kata, breaking down the individual steps on paper can help you visualize it better when practicing it at home.

There are many kata videos on the Internet. I only recommend utilizing these as you progress in rank. There are some issues with them that can negatively impact your learning. The performer could be performing with poor technique or showing a version slightly different from what you are being taught. For example, there are plenty of Kanshiwa and Kanshu videos to watch. But none are exactly like what we learn in my school. If you are having trouble remembering your kata's movements, then only use these to help visualize the the order of the movements; and only if the performance's basic steps are just like your kata. This can be hard to determine as a beginner.

Practice. A lot. Then some more. Practicing will help you learn and perform the movements you have visualized or written down. Once you don't have to *think* about the movements, you can work on your technique. It can be difficult at home, but try to practice in a room with a mirror or two so you can watch your technique. In my room I have two mirrors on one wall and use the reflection in a TV at the opposite end of the room. Dojos will have lots of mirrors so use them as much as you can in class.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. About anything. If you don't understand or forgot how to turn in your kata or want to know how a strike or series of moves is applied (bunkai), just ask. You'll get an answer and each one will help build your knowledge of the kata.

Implement the feedback you receive from your instructor and senior students. In TMA they will earnestly help you. The senior students were at your level not too long ago and they remember the good advice and instruction given them by their senior students. I sure do.

Try these tips and see what works for you. If you have something not included, please comment and share. I hope some of this can help you learn your kata and be a better TMA practitioner.

Guide For TMA Newcomers - Part 1 - What to Expect in a TMA Dojo

For newcomers to Traditional Martial Arts (TMA) - Welcome. I hope you have first well researched and taken some free or discounted classes at different schools. You need to do this to see if you like and are are willing to spend a good amount of your personal time with a TMA style and instructor. If not, I suggest you read this article on what to look for in a TMA school. If you see this guy, run.

What do you do after you pick a school and instructor you like? You should get some type of written or oral explanation from the instructor on expectations and specific behavior in the dojo. Follow them If you are in a respectable school, these rules are geared toward your safety, self-control, respect for everyone, and learning. If there are higher ranks of students in the class, ignore them, unless they are teaching part of the class or demonstrating with the teacher. Keep your eyes and ears on the instructor and yourself.

You are learning your new style from the teacher or sensei, so you need to focus on him or her. As you learn from your sensei, watch yourself. There should be many mirrors in the dojo. They are there for you to watch yourself when performing katas and practicing techniques.

Most importantly, go at your own pace. Never try to rush through an exercise or kata to show how fast you are. There's a 100% chance you did it completely wrong. Everyone is different and we all progress at different rates. Go at a rate you are comfortable with and can do. This is about you learning a fighting art. It is not a competition. Have some fun too.

Back Injury Update

After visiting my orthopedist I have decided to have an epidural steroid injection (ESI) as the course of action I should take for now for my back and sciatica pain. ESI is the only non-surgical treatment option that allows me to function normally for the long-term. My previous one lasted nearly two years. However, it does not and cannot address the root cause of the problem.

I have a herniated or degenerative disk that is compressing the sciatic nerve that runs down my right leg. Any pain related to the compression of or damage to a sciatic nerve is called sciatica.

Before the nerve became an issue, I just had the back pain due to my disks. I was able to knock out the pain with Chiropractic treatment. The nerve pain came a little later and Chiropractic could not treat this. I could have continued but did not see the point. The primary issue was now nerve pain and the treatment could not help me in this regard. I have a great Chiropractic doctor who admitted as much, he is a rare one who will tell you when it cannot help you. I do recommend him for normal adjustments if you are in the Vienna, VA area.

Before I initially saw an orthopedist the first time I had this problem, my primary care physician prescribed physical therapy and some muscle relaxers to help with the pain.

Physical therapy was to strengthen the core muscles in order to help support the spine. I can't really say that it helped much. However it felt really good. Especially the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). After massaging the back the therapists would place a TENS device with four electodes on my lower back and cover it with a heating pad. The TENS unit uses electric current to stimulate your nerves. This treatment lasted about 15-20 minutes. It felt great. But 10 minutes after I left the clinic, the nerve pain returned.

Meds are for short-term pain management and can make life easier when you are on them. But they also didn't help me much. My muscles felt really good, or not at all, but it didn't do much for the nerve pain. I did get some temporary pain relief but only used them when it was nearly unbearable. And of course you can't take these during the day without looking and feeling like you are in the Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem band. So I take some Advil as it and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) do help with the inflammation around the disks.

ESI is essentially long-term pain management and an anti-inflammatory treatment. It can be effective anywhere from a few weeks to a few years and it's recommended to have not more than three injections a year. Long-term effects (good and bad) are still under study. My first one worked for nearly two years. Other than ESI, surgery is the only option I can consider. But I am very leary of that right now and do not want to be laid up for a month or so.

I will miss the last quarter of my current Uechi-ryu training session. And contrary to a certain myth regarding Uechi Kanbun (I am not affiliated, nor familiar with, the group in the link), Sanchin is not the only position/posture where I feel no pain. Sanchin is actually very painful in this condition. With ESI, you can pretty much get back to normal/exercise in a day or two if you have no complications. I look forward to that and starting the next Uechi session in January. I am bummed as I thought I may test this session, but hey, it's my back.

I'll have an update on this later next week.