Karate Front Kick and the "38 Special"

Something you don't see emphasized outside of traditional martial arts much are good basic kicks, especially front kicks, which can be especially devastating. Just ask Vitor Belfort after Anderson Silva unleashed one on him.

The 38 Special is a pretty cool kata developed by Sensei Bill Glasheen, Uechi-ryu 8 Dan. It demonstrates the various kicks used in karate, especially the front kick. The kata starts about 1:20 into the video. It is not the best quality but you can really see the crispness and good form.

Coaching Soccer and Teaching Karate to Kids

Both the Fall soccer season and Fall/Winter karate session started up a few weeks ago. This will be the first time I have coached and helped teach karate simultaneously. Needless to say I have been very busy. And though the teaching methods are a little different in the beginning, the goals of each for working with children are very similar, including teaching responsibility, decision-making skills and discipline to name a few. 

In karate, there is not much room for creativity, other than in sparring. In soccer there is actually a lot, but up until recently it hasn't really been promoted at the children's level. There is usually a lot of drilling and a sort of submission to the coach. You can see this difference in soccer styles by watching Major League Soccer games vs. La Liga or Série A. You can also see which is more successful.

As most of you know, Martial Arts students begin to learn by mimicry while the teacher(s) demonstrate, correct, fine tune and answer questions. At first there is not much room for creativity, but that is by design for reasons of safety and to make the fundamentals easier to learn for the students. I love both. For children the goals are similar but for adults they are very different, self-defense versus playing a game at a high level. Still, working with the kids is pretty rewarding

I coach under-12 boys in a "house league" that follows the coaching guidelines set by the Virginia Youth Soccer Association and US Youth Soccer. The league is competitive but the overriding goal is to foster and instill an enjoyment of the game so that the children will hopefully continue to play recreationally, professionally if they are very good and very lucky, into their 30s and 40s. I'm not sure how that's tracked but it's a great goal. Do I need to keep tabs on them...? :-) This is a similar goal in martial arts though I have never seen it written anywhere. Karate is a lifetime pursuit. By making it fun and interesting for the kids, you hope they will continue on when they get older as well. This is the tough part, especially when there is not any wiggle room for 'play'.

In our soccer coaching certification sessions we were encouraged to have the boys at this level play 'games, not drills and to "coach without coaching". That is, let the 'games' teach the techniques and offer points and ask implication questions throughout practice. For example, a player is defended by two players and tries to dribble out of trouble but can't and loses the ball. You can ask him what he could have done differently. Let him answer or if he can't, suggest he pass to an open teammate, etc. Then compliment him on something and keep the 'game' or scrimmage going. You put the kids in situations where they have to decide for themselves, not look to a coach or an adult for help or to ask if something was right or wrong. This style takes some getting used to but it seems to be working for our team so far.

I'm coming to the realization that all children should play a few years in an environment like this (having played it, basketball offers the same aforementioned opportunities for coaches and children but I don't know the philosophy currently used to teach it). This setting compliments how Martial Arts are taught, and compliments other sports and activities by really getting the children to think for themselves and to try new things without fear of repercussions (laps, sprints, etc.).

Soccer is a perfect medium because there is constant action that provides multiple decision-making opportunities for each teammate at a fast pace. Whereas football and baseball (both of which I played and enjoyed) are essentially played in short bursts with lots of down time.

Children at this age really show growth and eagerness in their learning. Providing safe, fun and competitive environments are starting blocks for their continued learning and interest in sports and Martial Arts.

Guess who I like?

Impressions from a Rank Promotion Test

Sunday's rank promotion test went off without a hitch. The candidates were ready to roll and the volunteers running the RPT did a fantastic job. My son received his 5 Kyu and is now ready for some bunkai, kotigitae and kyu kumite. Unfortunately, I could not watch him perform the whole time as I was judgng one of the other candidates in his group. I did get to see his sparring and that was fun. I was pretty impressed with how well a lot of the students performed, especially the beginner ranks. There were lots of good fundamentals on display.

Judging was a treat. It was my first time on the test board and I have to say I really like it. It was nice to see some old friends who were there on the test board and as candidates, one who was promoted to 1 Kyu. Judging is also difficult. You need to be fair. And some performances were a bit shaky in parts. For example say someone testing for 7 or 6 Kyu makes mistakes they shouldn't be. How do you handle it? Mark them down, maybe fail them? Probably/maybe if it's an adult. Our school has pretty strict standards, I know from my own testing experiences. But what if the candidate is 7 or 10 years old? They certainly are nervous, you can see it in their eyes. But you also know they are ready for the next level, having seen them in class. So would you fail them? In the end it's a judgment call and I learned a lot about judging and scoring from Master Folta, 7 Dan and the 1 Dan who I sat next to on the board (FYI, I don't use names from my school unless it's pre-approved by the person in question). Oh, no one failed. :-) We also had some really good free sparring at the end.

We were very lucky to be able to have the RPT as the worst of Hurricane Irene just barely missed us. We had a lot of rain and high winds - and sticks for my son to pick up. I know many people who were hit very hard by the storm in the Southern and Eastern parts of Virginia and Maryland. Luckily no one was seriously injured. We all wish for a speedy restoration of electrical service and all repairs. So count your blessings and help out your neighbors and fellow martial artists caught in the storm's path. Get more information here.

Zengu - Martial Arts/Boxing Equipment Wholesalers

There is new martial arts wholesale site online now. It's called Zengu and is part of the team from Karate Depot. It combines equipment for owners of martial arts schools (Karate, BJJ, TKD, etc.) and Boxing gyms. (Side note - it's funny how we tend to seperate Boxing from other MA styles even though it is a Martial Art).

There is a good selection of equipment on the site and prices are pretty good as well. It seems a big feature draw is the ability to create lists of equipment that you need for various events. I do like the system they use for further filtering your search results with links on the left side of the page, it reminds me of the system used on Puma's website -- BTW, I'd love a gi from them; I may need to create a Puma-based MA style to justify it. :-)

I cannot test Zengu's ordering system as I am not an owner and can't prove that I am one. They do restrict membership by having you send them a copy of your business license and a copy of a brochure from your school. I don't know how or if they verify this information.

Zengu.com looks like a great resource, espcially for the selection and pricing. There is more information on their site here and on the Ikigai Blog.

Another RPT Coming Up

It's Rank Promotion Test time again. It's Summer so there are fewer students overall going for their next rank, but there are more younger kids and "lower" ranks testing. My son will be going for his 5 Kyu. A little work on the history of Uechi-ryu and I think he'll do well.

It's also nice seeing the kids I helped teach in the no belt - 8 Kyu class earlier this year move up the ranks. They have definitely improved. We'll see how they do in a few weeks.

Product Review - Breakable Boards and Focus Targets

I will be reviewing products from time to time for Karate Depot. I do not receive any compensation for the reviews but do get to keep the item(s) that I review. I purchased a few things (sparring gloves) from Karate Depot before I started my blog. I was pleased with the products at the time and considered my experience to be a positive one.

I received four products this time and was able to test them out with my son and wife (she took Karate and Kickboxing for a few years). I will be including links to the products and some pictures, etc. from me.

The first two items are Rebreakable Boards by KD Elite. These are strong plastic boards that are made to be more resistant as you progress. You can purchase boards that are harder to break as your strength and technique improve. See the product description on the web site which includes a good how-to video, especially on putting them together for the first few times.

The boards are strong and you can tell the difference between the levels. I received the “White Belt” and “Yellow Belt” boards (the two easiest ones). My son, who is a 6 Kyu, was able to easily break the white board but had difficulty at first with the yellow one. There is definitely a difference in the resistance levels. He was able to easily kick through them both. My wife could break the white one, but not the yellow; she even got a small bruise on the palm of her hand. But that had more to do with her not having trained in a while. In my opinion they may not be for true beginners, not all martial arts schools teach breaking right away.

Beginners should not attempt to break these with a seiken strikes (full-fisted punches). If not done correctly, you will hurt your hand, wrist or arm. It’s better to start with an elbow or palm strike. Talk to your instructor first before trying this at home.

Seiken

I liked the rubber padding on the back of each one that makes easier to maintain your grip while holding them. I also like the fact that they are durable and from the look and feel will keep their resistance and last for years. If price is not an issue or you are buying this product for your school, then these boards would be a great option for you.

The third item is the Elite Vinyl Focus Target: Double by KD Elite. This target can be used for striking and kicking, but mostly kicking. The target is easy to hold and the wrist strap stays on and does not get in the way. The padding is good and it makes a loud popping sound when kicked hard. I’d say this target is better suited for children due to its size though more advanced students would get good some really use out of it too. The striking area is 8”x11.5” and it is well padded and feels very sturdy for its size.

The last item is the Square Hand Target by KD Elite. This target measures 10”x9”x3.5” and is a great target. It’s got thick padding and the straps are easy to get your arms through to hold it. We all had a good time striking this one over and over. I would definitely recommend this.

 I hope these reviews help you, leave comments if you have any questions.

Book Review- The Little Bubishi: A History of Karate for Children

It's been awhile but I think I have a few interesting posts coming up this week. First is my review of a children's karate book. This is a rare book topic, at least in the U.S., and Little Bubishi does a pretty good job of entertaining and teaching.

There is really nothing like this book on the market for children. The only books that I found are Karate for Kids (Martial Arts for Kids) and Karate (Illustrated History of Martial Arts).  I have not read them but from quickly glancing at them they seem too skew to an older demographic.

The editorial review on Amazon.com says that The Little Bubishi "is essential reading for all young karate enthusiasts." I wouldn't say it is essential but it does provide a wealth of moral stories similar to Aesop's Fables that should appeal to children, and they did to me as well. You could almost compare the stories to Norse or Roman versions of the creation of their peoples which morph into actual ancient history. The chapters on the Twenty Precepts of Karate-Do, Karate Terminology and Dojo Etiquette/Rules are well written for children and many adult practitioners could benefit from should reviewing these as well.

This was a little difficult for me to review. It is a children's book and I am not used to reviewing them, much less reading them anymore. So I enlisted help from the target audience, a youth karate-ka. We'll hear from him later.

The folktales that start the book are descriptive and let the imagination run wild. The morals focus on good vs. evil, and using karate with restraint, and never for offense or petty issues. The author continues this theme throughout the book and reinforces them in the final chapters on defense and dojo etiquette.

The stories also begin telling the basic history of karate. This is done concisely - the chapters are very short. The author thankfully does not get bogged down in the different traditions, styles, politics, etc. that you find in many "adult" martial arts literature.

The precepts of karate at the end of the book are a great summary of moral, martial and personal values that are prevalent in all societies but tailored for Karate and based on Japanese culture. Reading these along with proper reinforcement by the karate instructor, and parents, should help any child instill these values in his or her life.

Though this is a children's book, there are a few small things I want to comment on that caught my attention. The writing style caught me off-guard and may affect the book's success with children. It felt like the fairy tales were translated into English by a non-native speaker. So the flow of the stories, and some chapters, were choppy. Perhaps the author intended it this way for it to feels more "authentic". I could be wrong but to me and the aforementioned youth, that was not the affect.

This may be nitpicking but I could not stand the font of the chapter titles. They were painful to read. I suppose you could give your child a pat on the back for successfully reading the titles on the first try. But it was very distracting to me.

Children love pictures. Unfortunately, there aren't many in this book and compared to the cover artwork, they are very anime - think of the kids from Pokémon.

Now for the youth review. Being a typical kid, he kept it short and sweet. In fact he gave me bullet points. So here are his thoughts:

Liked

• Lots of useful information
• the stories
• Some stories are freaky

Didn't Like

• Some really short chapters

I couldn't coerce more out of him so this is what we get...

Except for a few issues not related to the content, I do recommend this as a gift to your beginner karate-ka. Read it with him and discuss the stories, reinforce the morals and let their imagination run free. Just don't let them fight a typhoon or hurricane. A rain storm created from a garden hose will work just fine.