Now that Bill and I have been working more regularly with the white belts, I find myself trying to think of different things to do than what has generally been taking up the white belt's time - that is, something more than just going through Heian Shodan as a group, splitting off those people who are having troubles with the turns and assigning them to purple or brown belt assistants to work with, and then going through Heian Shodan again with the rest of the group.
And again.
And again.
And, well, we have a few more minutes so let's do it again.
And hrm, well, how about... BASICS! Yah, we'll do yellow belt basics.
And again.
And again.
I was getting bored of this, nevermind some of the poor kids who take 9-18 months to get their yellow belt because of their attention spans or motor skills already!
So, this most recent class when I was in charge of the kids, I split them into 3 groups of three, had two assistants help me by taking two of the groups while I took the third, and we went through bunkai (application) for Heian Shodan.
Of course, there are many different ways one could teach bunkai for any kata at all, so I'm not saying my way was THE way, and I really wasn't even concerned whether the assistants were teaching anything that looked consistent to what I was doing. The point was just to do something different with the only things we really can work with the white belts with, and have it be educational and interesting.
I didn't get a chance to talk to many of the white belts about whether they enjoyed it or got anything out of it, but I know two of the three kids in my group loved it for sure. The third kid... I'm not sure if it's just that he's right at puberty and working with me is difficult for him for various reasons or not... but he doesn't seem "in" to it like the other two were. Ah well, a white belt doesn't need to be intense, and he'll stay if he wants to.
It all worked out just great, and I think if we do it a couple more times maybe we can find some white belts who click together who could do a little demonstration in front of the class or maybe even at a Christmas karate demonstration or a tournament itself. Maybe.
We'll see!
Friday, November 25, 2005
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Tournament: Bonding with fellow karateka
Tournaments are great, even better when they're out of town like our recent one was. It's those sports trips where I always really got to know people... and I never knew really who it would be on most trips, because who knows what situations life will present you with that'll trigger bonding events anyway??
So, recently there was a tournament in a town 2 hours drive away from home. I rode out and back with two other black belts I've known for the past 10 years and spent a lot of time with those two. We had a great time, we all get along wonderfully and there was a heck of a lot of laughing and horsing around, that's for sure. It was cathartic for the two I was with because they've been working really hard for long hours lately and the tournament was their first "break".
Of course, a tournament is far from being a break... there are officiating seminars to attend before the tournament date and the tournament itself tends to be long... and while it's interesting and fun, it's exhausting as well.
We got into the city early enough to visit the hotel and check in, then sit down for a shot or two of scotch in the hotel room before heading out to get something to eat prior to the official's seminar, so we did just that.
Unfortunately, it seems that I got food poisoning from the seafood stir fry I ate! Before we had even started the seminar I was knowing that I really wasn't feeling well, so one of my karate mates took me back to the hotel to lay down before returning to the seminar himself. I spent the next 6 hours quite ill, but when I woke up in the morning I felt just fine.
I think I'm glad I didn't have to compete after that night, however... it would have been fun to give it a go but I would have tired easily as well, I believe.
So, as a result of not going to the officiating seminar, I wasn't able to demonstrate my centre judging ability to our head Sensei so I wasn't able to centre officiate during the tournament, either. That's okay, I worked the corners and despite having other officials in the group with me being nidans and sandans, I was definitely one of the most educated and sharp officials in the corners. I expect that I'll be centre officiating in January at the latest.
As for the actual competition, it went really well - there was no blood (we're a non-contact karate form, by the way, but when you're doing freestyle kumite, things happen fast and accidents happen) and nobody lost a fight for too many excessive contact penalties, either. Usually there's someone with bad control who socks opponents too often and gets disqualified, but it was all good this time.
The students in our dojo did really well at the tournament, too. Not only did they get medals but they were very good sports and respectful karateka to their opponents, the tournament going on, and the officials running the tournament. And of course, in being those things they were also demonstrating respect and reverence for their dojo and their instructors who taught them how to behave at a tournament.
It all worked out great!
It looks like we might have another tournament in December. I won't be able to compete most likely as I'm having minor surgery this Wednesday, but I hope to be able to officiate somewhat. Maybe I'll work at the tables instead of as an actual official if moving around a lot is still going to bother me by that time (the incision will be just below where my karate belt likes to sit when it's tied). We'll see.
So, recently there was a tournament in a town 2 hours drive away from home. I rode out and back with two other black belts I've known for the past 10 years and spent a lot of time with those two. We had a great time, we all get along wonderfully and there was a heck of a lot of laughing and horsing around, that's for sure. It was cathartic for the two I was with because they've been working really hard for long hours lately and the tournament was their first "break".
Of course, a tournament is far from being a break... there are officiating seminars to attend before the tournament date and the tournament itself tends to be long... and while it's interesting and fun, it's exhausting as well.
We got into the city early enough to visit the hotel and check in, then sit down for a shot or two of scotch in the hotel room before heading out to get something to eat prior to the official's seminar, so we did just that.
Unfortunately, it seems that I got food poisoning from the seafood stir fry I ate! Before we had even started the seminar I was knowing that I really wasn't feeling well, so one of my karate mates took me back to the hotel to lay down before returning to the seminar himself. I spent the next 6 hours quite ill, but when I woke up in the morning I felt just fine.
I think I'm glad I didn't have to compete after that night, however... it would have been fun to give it a go but I would have tired easily as well, I believe.
So, as a result of not going to the officiating seminar, I wasn't able to demonstrate my centre judging ability to our head Sensei so I wasn't able to centre officiate during the tournament, either. That's okay, I worked the corners and despite having other officials in the group with me being nidans and sandans, I was definitely one of the most educated and sharp officials in the corners. I expect that I'll be centre officiating in January at the latest.
As for the actual competition, it went really well - there was no blood (we're a non-contact karate form, by the way, but when you're doing freestyle kumite, things happen fast and accidents happen) and nobody lost a fight for too many excessive contact penalties, either. Usually there's someone with bad control who socks opponents too often and gets disqualified, but it was all good this time.
The students in our dojo did really well at the tournament, too. Not only did they get medals but they were very good sports and respectful karateka to their opponents, the tournament going on, and the officials running the tournament. And of course, in being those things they were also demonstrating respect and reverence for their dojo and their instructors who taught them how to behave at a tournament.
It all worked out great!
It looks like we might have another tournament in December. I won't be able to compete most likely as I'm having minor surgery this Wednesday, but I hope to be able to officiate somewhat. Maybe I'll work at the tables instead of as an actual official if moving around a lot is still going to bother me by that time (the incision will be just below where my karate belt likes to sit when it's tied). We'll see.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Upcoming Tournament
"Tournament time" is generally springtime, but there also tends to be a fall tournament or two most years.
This year is no exception, and the tournament is this weekend and it's in a nearby city a few hours away from home.
I actually prefer tournaments that are out of town vs the ones that are in town - when I can retreat to my own home afterwards, I'm much less prone to be social with anyone, whereas when I'm stuck in a hotel somewhere (even if I have my car with me), I have nowhere to hide and no computer to while my time away on anyway, so I socialize, and that ends up making the whole experience a lot more fun.
I didn't really start to compete on a regular basis until I had attained the rank of 3rd kyu, brown belt, because my original club (where I trained to 5th kyu, purple belt) didn't have a group that travelled to tournaments, and therefore I only went into one tournament, at 7th kyu (orange belt), because it came to our city. It was only when I moved into a larger centre and started training at a much more advanced dojo that I started entering into 3-5 tournaments a year.
Not only did I get involved in competing (both in kata and kumite), but I also got involved in officiating, because at 3rd kyu brown belt, I was high enough rank to participate in the seminars and actively act as a corner judge during tournaments for colored belts, right away. And, as with any volunteer position, there was always plenty of need and practice for me every tournament.
Now that I've attained shodan/black belt, I can increase the level of my officiating capacity to include corner judging for black belts and centre officiating for colored belts, and since I've done about 10-12 tournaments strictly as a colored-belt corner judge, I'm looking forward to these new challenges.
This tournament, competitively, is the first time I've entered as a black belt as well, which is another reason why this tournament is going to be an interesting one for me. I'm competing with a kata I've never done in competition before (Jutte), against people I may never have competed against before, and I'm making the jump from brown belt kumite (fighting) to black belt kumite as well. This jump is a huge one psychologically from my visual experience of comparing brown belt fighting to black belt fighting.
From what I've heard, political BS that is going on between a few different clubs in our association may cause attendance to be poor at this tournament which would suck, but we'll see what happens. Politics are always around us and have been particularly charged for the past 8 months, I'm so glad that although I know full well what is going on, it really doesn't affect me directly like it does others close to me in karate circles.
So, wish me luck, I'll be sure to report back on how it all went :)
This year is no exception, and the tournament is this weekend and it's in a nearby city a few hours away from home.
I actually prefer tournaments that are out of town vs the ones that are in town - when I can retreat to my own home afterwards, I'm much less prone to be social with anyone, whereas when I'm stuck in a hotel somewhere (even if I have my car with me), I have nowhere to hide and no computer to while my time away on anyway, so I socialize, and that ends up making the whole experience a lot more fun.
I didn't really start to compete on a regular basis until I had attained the rank of 3rd kyu, brown belt, because my original club (where I trained to 5th kyu, purple belt) didn't have a group that travelled to tournaments, and therefore I only went into one tournament, at 7th kyu (orange belt), because it came to our city. It was only when I moved into a larger centre and started training at a much more advanced dojo that I started entering into 3-5 tournaments a year.
Not only did I get involved in competing (both in kata and kumite), but I also got involved in officiating, because at 3rd kyu brown belt, I was high enough rank to participate in the seminars and actively act as a corner judge during tournaments for colored belts, right away. And, as with any volunteer position, there was always plenty of need and practice for me every tournament.
Now that I've attained shodan/black belt, I can increase the level of my officiating capacity to include corner judging for black belts and centre officiating for colored belts, and since I've done about 10-12 tournaments strictly as a colored-belt corner judge, I'm looking forward to these new challenges.
This tournament, competitively, is the first time I've entered as a black belt as well, which is another reason why this tournament is going to be an interesting one for me. I'm competing with a kata I've never done in competition before (Jutte), against people I may never have competed against before, and I'm making the jump from brown belt kumite (fighting) to black belt kumite as well. This jump is a huge one psychologically from my visual experience of comparing brown belt fighting to black belt fighting.
From what I've heard, political BS that is going on between a few different clubs in our association may cause attendance to be poor at this tournament which would suck, but we'll see what happens. Politics are always around us and have been particularly charged for the past 8 months, I'm so glad that although I know full well what is going on, it really doesn't affect me directly like it does others close to me in karate circles.
So, wish me luck, I'll be sure to report back on how it all went :)
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Progression of teaching, progression of students
So, it's been a couple of weeks since Bill and I, now with the support of Assistant Sensei Don, have been more strict on some of the dojo rules that used to need to be relaxed a little many years ago, but now have relaxed too far.
Bill and I alternate for the handling of the white belts, so I handle it one class and he handles it the next class, which allows us both a break from the task and an opportunity to train at an intermediate (orange-purple) level with the other colored belts as well. We still train when we're working with the white belts for about half of the time, but we're also doing a fair amount of standing around counting while the white belts go through Heian Shodan and their testing basics for yellow belt.
Last class was my turn to be Sempai (that is, primary assistant to the instructor or Sensei) and it seems that every class is getting better and better - the kids are getting better at knowing what to expect and because I have trained next to all of them for a few months or even a year or more, and I wear a black belt (and I'm an adult), they seem to enjoy working with me as their instructor and seem to demonstrate respect, which is one of the key focuses of karate.
There were still a couple of new students who started in September who were having problems with the turns in Heian Shodan so the two 'assistant to Sempai' students I was assigned were given those two students to work with separately from the group. The rest of the group stayed with me and we went through Heian Shodan at various speeds thinking about a few different things (lengthening stances, looking up, not down) during the kata. After a while I approached my assistants to see how things were going there, and then we all formed one big group again and went through Heian Shodan a final time before it was time to merge the entire class again.
Bill and I are introducing things that the white belts haven't had to deal with for the last few years - things like staying in second position (what's the name of the standing-up, ready to do Heian katas stance?) and staying STILL whenever they are being instructed on something. A key I focused on was how they should be able to stay in second position for 15 minutes if that's what it takes, if I go over to the other side of the gym to ask Sensei a question and it takes forever for me to come back, by the time I DO come back, they should all still be standing in exactly the same spot in second position, focused with their eyes forward but aware of their surroundings.
Yah, probably a hard topic to teach some kids, but everyone is 8 and over in this particular class, and really, out of the 10-15 white belt kids we have, only two of them have attention/being silly problems so that's manageable.
There used to be a third kid that was difficult to handle, but he's settled down a whole bunch this fall and rarely needs to be called by name to pay attention or stop fooling around during class. Now we just have to teach him that he influences other kids with his defiant behavior BEFORE class, and he'll be rockin' in the attitude department as well as the participation and technique ones.
I really enjoyed going through Heian Shodan at full speed with the kids, because they were VERY responsive and I was really impressed with their kata as a whole group. I think they're appreciating this specialized approach to training as well because there's less time for them to get distracted by other things.
After class, Bill, Assistant Sensei Don and I went over to our dojo's Head Instructor's place to visit. This was the first time Bill and I were seeing our instructor after his oral cancer surgery, so neither of us really knew what to expect. Sensei had obviously had surgery that requires a lot of healing time, but he was in good spirits and glad to see us, and offered us drinks right away (Bill was DD so he had Coke :) ), and we visited for about an hour before Bill said he had to get back home, so our group carpool departed. I'm going to call tonight to find out how Sensei's most recent test results came back, as he was supposed to get that information yesterday.
Send all the good vibes you can towards my Sensei. He's an awesome guy with awesome integrity and life experience; reliable, caring and intelligent.
Bill and I alternate for the handling of the white belts, so I handle it one class and he handles it the next class, which allows us both a break from the task and an opportunity to train at an intermediate (orange-purple) level with the other colored belts as well. We still train when we're working with the white belts for about half of the time, but we're also doing a fair amount of standing around counting while the white belts go through Heian Shodan and their testing basics for yellow belt.
Last class was my turn to be Sempai (that is, primary assistant to the instructor or Sensei) and it seems that every class is getting better and better - the kids are getting better at knowing what to expect and because I have trained next to all of them for a few months or even a year or more, and I wear a black belt (and I'm an adult), they seem to enjoy working with me as their instructor and seem to demonstrate respect, which is one of the key focuses of karate.
There were still a couple of new students who started in September who were having problems with the turns in Heian Shodan so the two 'assistant to Sempai' students I was assigned were given those two students to work with separately from the group. The rest of the group stayed with me and we went through Heian Shodan at various speeds thinking about a few different things (lengthening stances, looking up, not down) during the kata. After a while I approached my assistants to see how things were going there, and then we all formed one big group again and went through Heian Shodan a final time before it was time to merge the entire class again.
Bill and I are introducing things that the white belts haven't had to deal with for the last few years - things like staying in second position (what's the name of the standing-up, ready to do Heian katas stance?) and staying STILL whenever they are being instructed on something. A key I focused on was how they should be able to stay in second position for 15 minutes if that's what it takes, if I go over to the other side of the gym to ask Sensei a question and it takes forever for me to come back, by the time I DO come back, they should all still be standing in exactly the same spot in second position, focused with their eyes forward but aware of their surroundings.
Yah, probably a hard topic to teach some kids, but everyone is 8 and over in this particular class, and really, out of the 10-15 white belt kids we have, only two of them have attention/being silly problems so that's manageable.
There used to be a third kid that was difficult to handle, but he's settled down a whole bunch this fall and rarely needs to be called by name to pay attention or stop fooling around during class. Now we just have to teach him that he influences other kids with his defiant behavior BEFORE class, and he'll be rockin' in the attitude department as well as the participation and technique ones.
I really enjoyed going through Heian Shodan at full speed with the kids, because they were VERY responsive and I was really impressed with their kata as a whole group. I think they're appreciating this specialized approach to training as well because there's less time for them to get distracted by other things.
After class, Bill, Assistant Sensei Don and I went over to our dojo's Head Instructor's place to visit. This was the first time Bill and I were seeing our instructor after his oral cancer surgery, so neither of us really knew what to expect. Sensei had obviously had surgery that requires a lot of healing time, but he was in good spirits and glad to see us, and offered us drinks right away (Bill was DD so he had Coke :) ), and we visited for about an hour before Bill said he had to get back home, so our group carpool departed. I'm going to call tonight to find out how Sensei's most recent test results came back, as he was supposed to get that information yesterday.
Send all the good vibes you can towards my Sensei. He's an awesome guy with awesome integrity and life experience; reliable, caring and intelligent.
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