AKS Quarterly Newsletter

"The Punchline"

Editorial – June 2013

As summer begins we see varying weather patterns across the country.  The disasters that occurred in Oklahoma remind us we must always be vigilant as the weather, like life, is unpredictable.  Clearly many of those in Moore, Oklahoma who had suffered the loss of loved ones and varying levels of destruction from a similar series of tornados in 1999, had built-in protection against future occurrences.  One family whose home had been completely destroyed in 1999 rebuilt in the same place.  The only difference was they also added an in-ground shelter in the event of a future situation.  The shelter proved to be a smart investment as the family emerged from it after the tornado passed to find their home totally gone.

As martial artists, we must also prepare for that potential eventuality where we are attacked by a mugger, robber or rapist.  We train ourselves to be ready for a variety of situations, all the while hoping we will never be put to the test in a situation requiring us to use those skills.  But prepare through continuous training we must.  In addition to benefiting from the peace of mind we get from knowing we can defend ourselves, we also enjoy a better and healthier life because of the exercises our training requires us to endure.

It will be this theme we will be following at our annual summer camp the weekend of July 12th.  Sensei Fred Reinecke will be instructing members on self-defense moves that are an integral part of our AKS Tiger forms.  Sensei Tom Twining will be teaching defense using various Kobudo weapons.  And lastly, I will be instructing defensive tactics using common items we all have either with us or around us.  All in all, the training will be beneficial to one and all.  Some of the things you learn and practice may be repeats of what you've done in past classes.  Others you will find will open your eyes to a variety of possibilities.  I ask you to bring an empty cup with you to this year's summer camp in order to fill it with wisdom and knowledge.

At this year's summer camp, we will unfortunately not be blessed by the presence of any of our brethren from across the ocean.  Our German AKS members will be unable to make the trip.  For those of you who haven't traveled round-trip to Germany, it can be a time consuming and tiring experience.  Germany is 6 to 7 hours ahead of us (depending on where you live) which results in “jet lag” as your body clock is thrown out of whack when your sleep schedule is altered.  That notwithstanding, the experiences one enjoys either over there or here are worth the effort.

It is to that end we hope to make a group trip in September of 2014.  This will be to the yearly AKS weekend training the Germans hold in the Hannover area.  I encourage each interested person to begin to make your plans now in order to make the trip next year.  My wife, Janie, and I are already setting money aside to make that trip.  For us, we will also take extra time to re-visit the part of Germany we lived in several decades ago.  More information regarding the dates will be forth coming this time next summer.

I hope to see as many of you in Muskegon this July as can make it.  As I've said in past editorials, getting together in Michigan, Ohio or West Virginia is always a homecoming experience for me.  I look forward to seeing old friends, meeting and making new ones, the great training we always enjoy, and the fellowship we share together.  For me this is something you cannot put a dollar value on.

Regardless of how far you may be traveling in route to the summer camp, please do so safely.  Plan enough time for the trip.  Take breaks along the way.  Do some sightseeing.  But be ever vigilant for the unexpected.

Limitations

Over the past few years, I have been told that I must have limitations, and I must live my life dealing with those limitations.  I've read this definition over and over again and have yet to see why so many people want me to adhere to it.  A definition that takes away my freedom, my will, and my drive to better myself.   A word that will gnaw on my soul until I concede to it's power.  Why?

Limitations.   Who chooses them?   You?   Your Doctor?   Friends?   The general public?   Who chooses the path you take and the life you live?   Who chooses what you do with your own body?   What you can do with your own mind?   And what your capabilities are?

Limitations.   Do you have any?   Who gave them to you or told you that you have to have them?   Who are you letting determine your life?   And why are you listening to them?

Limitations.   A word I have never taught my son.  A word that limits the mind and body.  A word that I've chosen to not pertain to me or my family.  A word that is used by those who have lost hope or have accepted the life others have chosen for them.  A word that accepts a situation as what it is at that moment and takes away the possibility of overcoming it.  Limitations draw a line in the sand that sometimes are easily washed away with determination and hard work.

Limitations.   Why?

Responsibilities of a Black Belt

I was pleased to see the list of those who will be testing this summer for various black belt ranks from 1st to 5th Dan.  It always gives me great pleasure and satisfaction to see our member's progress in rank.  This is clearly a sign people have been training hard and arrived at the next threshold in their journey down the road as a martial artist.

Whether a person is testing for the 1st Dan or higher, each level brings about a higher degree of responsibilities.  These include, but are not limited to, the continued growth of the individual in their skills and knowledge, but also to what they give back to those under them and the organization.  Being a black belt is not just about you.

Those at the first four levels of rank focus on their growth in those areas I mentioned and in training and mentoring students below them.  Those who move into the 5th dan and higher ranks take on a greater roll that includes what's already been discussed, but also adds a greater responsibility to their respective clubs and the AKS at large.  The 5th Dan level is the last rank a person will receive before earning their 6th Dan and becoming a Master Level Black Belt.  These ranks are significant, as are those at 7th and higher.  It's at this point we cannot think of ourselves, but instead must think about the impressions we make on others, both members and nonmembers within the martial arts community.

Over my fifty plus years of training and studies in karate and other forms of martial arts, I've come to appreciate the important things Samurai were trained to know and understand from an early age.  Key among what we learn is the importance for maintaining a humble heart.  I know some may have difficulty understanding this.  I've seen many black belts whose egos were so big they failed to see the negative impressions they were leaving on others.  All they saw was their own perceived greatness.  Truly, many of them were very skillful in their respective art, especially those who competed at various levels.  Yet their egos prohibited them from relating to students and others when they attempted to teach.  They were great when competing, but were terrible when it came to teaching others how they got that way.  They were also incapable of taking constructive criticism.  Their egos would not allow them to accept the possibility that they were not perfect.  Though they were a skilled black belt, they were a failure at being what a true black belt really encompasses.

The challenge for those of us who teach is to do so in a manner that puts forth the best of what we teach and who we are.  We call it leadership by example in the military.  Too many times I witnessed officers tell their troops not to do something that they in-turn did on a regular basis.   They never heard the disrespectful commentaries made about them behind their backs.  They were not respected by their subordinates, and in many cases fellow officers.

We have some very talented and dedicated black belts in the AKS.  I am proud of each and every one of them.  When you step onto the gym/dojo floor wearing that AKS black or red/white belt, you not only stand there as a person, but the direct representative of the Assistant Chief Instructors, your Chief Instructor, and our founder Ernest Lieb.  Your conduct reflects on all of us and the organization.  I know we don't always think of it in those terms, but believe me, when I tell you the higher in rank you rise the bigger the fish bowl you'll find yourself in.  By fish bowl I mean being in an area and position that puts you in the public eye every time you step out the front door, put on your gi and belt, participate in a seminar, testing or competition, or stand in front of a class you are about to instruct.  It's a tremendous responsibility one must not take for granted.  The higher you rise in rank the less you can allow your personal feelings - your ego - to rule your conduct.

Do You Have a Question?

We invite you to send in your questions regarding karate and the A.K.S. so that we may respond here in our newsletter. If you have a concern, question or suggestion, please let us know and we will address it here in the Punchline.

If you don't want your name published, please let us know and we will be happy to withhold that information from print. However, please be respectful when submitting your queries or suggestions to us by including your name so that we may understand your questions and/or circumstances.

Please send your questions to Laura Werner, and I will forward them to the person who can provide the appropriate response.

We look forward to hearing from you!

PROMOTIONS!!

This is the 9th in a series of articles by Sensei George Kirby. Sensei Kirby is a 10th Dan in Budoshin Ju-Jitsu Yudanshakai and has become friends with Sensei Mike Sullenger. Mr. Sullenger has had an article that he wrote published on the Budoshin website. Feel free to browse  this site  to become more familiar with who George Kirby is and his style.

MESSAGES FROM TWO SENSEI |  [BJJY KOKORO 10/12]

Note: A couple of sensei have asked me to start a series on how to improve teaching skills and student learning—as it applies to the dojo. So I’ve decided to launch this idea, with the hope of seeing it become a regular item in future issues of Kokoro.

Sun Tzu:   You do not have to fight/win every battle to win the war.
Sanzo Seki:   You only have one body. Protect it and take care of it.

Aging is inevitable.  But some people get older faster.  For some of us it's hereditary.  For some of us it's our environment, our diet, or how well we took care of our minds and bodies.  For some of us our old injuries have/are taking their cumulative toll and slowing us down.  What we have done as a younger person usually catches up with us.  Aging is inevitable.

I think I've been fortunate.  I've only had two serious injuries from jujitsu; torn shoulder muscles from throwing a really overweight uke improperly, and a dislocated elbow from a 10-year old kid - also my fault.  On both occasions Seki chewed me out for not protecting my body.

At the other end of the spectrum, I was in a couple of his tournaments in the 1960s.  The only rules were that you had to wear a cup, and there was no face contact.  Anything else was fair game.  It was full contact jujitsu.  As it was sort of a round robin competition, I could tap out if I knew a lock was set right; thus protecting my body to come back in another round.  Seki would then get upset with me because I didn't resist and get out of the properly set lock.  Sometimes it was a no-win situation with Seki, saved only by the grace that I would take one of the final places; although, never a 1st place.  To me it wasn't worth the physical cost and inevitable injuries.

A similar type of self-inflicted cumulative injury can occur when we get an injury [inside or outside of the dojo] and let our egos tell us that we're OK and the injury has completely healed, even though our body is still recovering.  In those cases, recurrent injuries ultimately cause more collateral damage and take longer to completely heal - which takes even longer as we age.  It's a vicious cycle, and we usually don't screw the light bulb into the socket until it's too late and we realize that our egos have caused us to fight battles we didn't need to.  By fighting all the battles, we have ultimately lost the war.

Aging is inevitable.  So what Is a jujitsuka supposed to do?  Stay off the mat until completely healed?   Probably not.  So we get back onto the mat, but what do we do?  The simple rule is do what you can without threatening the healing process or further endangering your body.  This means that you may not be able to do certain things for weeks, months, or if a permanent limitation - forever.  However, one of the major strengths of jujitsu is it's flexibility.  With patience [and a good sensei] you can usually find workarounds.  If you are a sensei, you should be able to find your own safe and realistic workarounds.   This is one of the reasons I'm still active in jujitsu.  Arm in a sling, wrist in a brace?  No problem.  Use the other arm.  Knee joint in a rigid brace or foot in a boot?   No problem.  Find movements that don't put weight or require turning of the injured leg.  Cracked rib[s]?   No matwork, hits, or quick movements.  In essence you have to take it easy.   I've usually found these owies give me the opportunity to study different techniques and aspects of the art; plus find out what my body can safely do in limited situations.

If you’re worried about what your students might think - don't!    You’re their sensei.  They don't want to see you get worse because that alternative is as undesirable to them as it should be to you.  Rely on your senior students to cover areas you can't.   If you trained them well, there shouldn't be any problems.   Errors in training can be fine-tuned after class with your senior student[s].  Don&339;t stop to correct them in class unless what they're doing is an obvious safety hazard.   You can always talk with them a after class without embarrassing [and possibly alienating] them.

Aging is inevitable.   I would still like to be able to sit in sutemi waza for promotion ceremonies, but I can't do that yet due to knee replacement surgery; although, I'm very slowly getting there.  If you plan to stay on the mat - or be an active experienced person [we experienced people don't like to use the word old] you need to follow the advice of both Seki and Sun-Tzu.   After all, your goal is to win the war, not become defeated in battle.

A.K.S. Web Address(es)

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