Tai chi helps Parkinson’s patients with balance and fall prevention (Article Reprint)

For release: Thursday, May 10, 2012

Exercise is important for a healthy lifestyle but it is also a key part of therapy, rehabilitation and disease management. For Parkinson’s disease, exercise routines are often recommended to help maintain stability and the coordinated movements necessary for everyday living. An NIH-funded study, reported in the February 9, 2012 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine,* evaluated three different forms of exercise – resistance training, stretching, and tai chi – and found that tai chi led to the greatest overall improvements in balance and stability for patients with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s disease is a movement disorder that is caused by the loss of brain cells which control coordinated and purposeful motions. This cell loss results in tremor, rigidity, slowed movement (known as bradykinesia) and impaired balance (postural instability). While some symptoms, such as tremor, at least benefit from drug therapy initially, the medications currently available to treat Parkinson’s are not as effective in restoring balance. This is a special concern for Parkinson’s patients because postural instability frequently leads to falls.

Several studies have demonstrated that resistance training, for instance with ankle weights or using weight-and-pulley machines, has positive effects on balance and gait. As a result, doctors often suggest exercise or prescribe physical therapy to address problems with instability.

Fuzhong Li, Ph.D., research scientist at the Oregon Research Institute in Eugene, was part of a team of researchers who, in 2007, published a pilot study showing that tai chi was a safe exercise for individuals with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease. “We had been using tai chi for balance training in healthy older adults, “ Dr. Li commented, “and older adults and patients with Parkinson’s disease share some difficulties with falls.”

Tai chi is a balance-based exercise that originated in China as a martial art. While there are many different styles, all are characterized by slow, relaxed and flowing movements. In both the pilot study and the recent New England Journal of Medicine study, patients performed a tai chi routine designed to challenge patients’ stability and address the balance and stability-related symptoms of Parkinson’s. The routine included slow, intentional, controlled movements that maximized the swing time of arm and leg motions, and repeatedly incorporated gradual shifts of body weight from one side to another, varying the width of their base of support by standing with feet together or further apart.

With support from the NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), Dr. Li and colleagues conducted a larger clinical trial to compare tai chi to resistance training and stretching. The study assigned a total of 195 patients with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease to one of three exercise groups: tai chi, resistance training, or stretching. Patients attended class twice a week for 24 weeks. The investigators assessed balance and movement control by testing how far patients could lean and shift their center of gravity without losing balance, and how directly the patients could reach out to a target, with a minimum of extraneous movement.

After six months, the patients in the tai chi group showed the greatest amount of improvement in balance and stability. Furthermore, patients in the tai chi and resistance training groups had a significantly fewer falls over the six month period compared to participants in the stretching group.

 “There is a learning curve involved,” Dr. Li noted, adding that improvement is seen after four to five months of continued practice twice a week, and this trend is similar to what he had noted in his studies of older people.

Dr. Li described tai chi as similar to resistance training, the more commonly recommended physical therapy, in that it requires repetitive movement. Tai chi, however, not only involves shifting a person’s weight and center of gravity, but it is also practiced at a dramatically slow speed and greatly emphasizes intentional control of movement.

“In tai chi we emphasize very slow and intentional movement,” Dr. Li commented. “That imposed a lot of challenge, especially to those in the tai chi group who were used to fast movement.”

Dr. Li also noted that tai chi is very safe and can be performed without equipment and in limited space.

Beth-Anne Sieber, Ph.D., a program officer at NINDS, said that falls are a dangerous side effect of Parkinson’s disease and commented on the significance of Dr. Li’s work. “The key observation in Dr. Li’s study is that a specifically designed sequence of tai chi movements improves postural stability and prevents falls for an extended period of time in persons with Parkinson’s disease. In addition, tai chi sequences can be tailored to improve balance in a spectrum of patients with mild to moderate symptoms.” Dr. Sieber also noted that this study is indicative of a growing interest in examining how physical activity may improve symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Further research will provide additional information on ways in which physical activity can improve disease symptoms and quality of life for people with Parkinson’s disease.

- By Nicole J. Garbarini, Ph.D.

For more information about Parkinson’s disease, visit: www.ninds.nih.gov/PD.

Manage Diabetes with Tai Chi (Article Reprint)

From Mark Stibich, Ph.D., former About.com Guide Updated May 08, 2008 About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board

If you ever travel to China and go out early in the morning, you will find the parks filled with older Chinese men and women practicing tai chi, which looks like a combination between a slow motion dance and martial arts sequence. For generations, Chinese people have been turning to tai chi for its longevity and other benefits. Think of it as if it were meditation in motion.

Of course, you have to wonder if tai chi really works. More specifically, you have to wonder how it works. How does this slow motion practice slow the aging process? Does it reduce stress? Does it increase physical activity? Does it, as the practitioners believe, help balance energy and promote health? Researchers looked into this and found a surprising result: tai chi helps with diabetes.

Two small studies in Taiwan looked at diabetes and tai chi practice. The first study followed 30 people with Type 2 diabetes and matched them to 30 people with the same age and gender (but who did not have diabetes). All participants took a one-hour tai chi class three times a week for 12 weeks. At the end of the 12-week period, the people with diabetes showed a decrease in their HbA1c level -- HbA1c is used to measure how well the body can control blood sugar, an important sign of diabetes.

The other study, done in Australia, looked at 11 adults with elevated blood sugar (pre-diabetic). The researchers designed a special program that combined tai chi with another practice known as Qigong (a practice of creating and moving “chi” in the body through deep breathing and other exercises). Some of the 11 participants also had high blood pressure, obesity and high cholesterol (altogether making up metabolic syndrome). Like the first study, the participants underwent a 12-week program. Overall, blood pressure was improved and waist size in some of the participants even shrunk.

Both these studies are very small, but it is promising that such a simple practice can improve the overall health of the body. Combining tai chi with a healthful diet, other daily exercises and solid medical care could help diabetics and pre-diabetics increase their health, manage their condition and prevent further symptoms.

Tai chi can also help with the aging process by improving balance, lowering blood pressure, reducing stress and improving flexibility. Tai chi is often done in a group, so there are social benefits as well. In addition, the benefits that tai chi masters report are that tai chi balances the body’s inner energy (chi), which promotes health and longevity. Tai chi is low impact, and its motions can be adapted for people who have trouble standing. This is a great exercise for anyone, but especially for older adults.
Sources:

Shu-Hui Yeh, Hau Chuang, Li-Wei Lin, Chiu-Yueh Hsiao, Pei-Wen Wang, Rue-Tsuan Liu, and Kuender D Yang. Regular Tai Chi Chuan exercise improves T cell helper function of type 2 DM patients with an increase in T-bet transcription factor and IL-12 production. Br. J. Sports Med., Apr 2008.

Tai Chi Benefits People With COPD (Article re-print)

ByMatt McMillen
WebMD Health News

Reviewed byLouise Chang, MD

Graceful Exercise Increases Endurance, Balance, and Quality of Life

Aug. 9, 2012 -- The gentle movements of Sun-style tai chi (SSTC) can improve the lives and boost the exercise endurance of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to a new study by Australian researchers.

After 12 weeks, practitioners of this form of tai chi could walk longer distances and reported better quality of life compared to those whose treatment did not include any exercise training.

This is good news for people with COPD because it gives them more fitness choices, according to researcher Regina Wai Man Leung of Concord Repatriation General Hospital and the University of Sydney.

"With increasing numbers of people being diagnosed with COPD, it is important to provide different options for exercise that can be tailored to suit each individual," Leung, a cardiorespiratory physiotherapist, said in a news release that accompanied the study.

Slideshow: A Visual Guide to COPD

Testing Tai Chi

Forty-two people with COPD participated in the study. Their average age was 73. Half of them received standard rehab. The others, meanwhile, attended twice-weekly, hour-long sessions of a modified version of SSTC, which was comprised of 21 exercises, or forms, as well as controlled breathing. They practiced tai chi at home for 30 minutes on days when they did not have a class.

This type of tai chi, the researchers write, is an excellent choice for their COPD patients.

"Each form can be broken down into several movements which are easy to teach and learn. Compared to some other styles of tai chi, SSTC involves less difficult movements, such as less deep-knee bending and single-leg standing, which may make it more suitable for older people," the researchers write.


Each of the participants underwent several tests before and after the 12-week study period. The primary test evaluated how far and for how long they were able to walk at progressively faster speeds before becoming breathless.


The researchers also measured their balance, the strength of their quadriceps, and overall physical performance. Finally, the participants completed questionnaires to determine if they had symptoms of depression and/or anxiety and to gauge how highly they rated their quality of life.

Practice Leads to Improvements

The tai chi group showed significant improvements across the board. By the end of the 12 weeks, they were, on average, able to walk about 60 yards farther and for 348 seconds longer than the group that did not practice tai chi. They were also steadier on their feet and showed greater quad strength, both of which are important for COPD patients.

"Impairment in balance and lower limb muscle strength are common in people with COPD and are some of the major risk factors for falls," the researchers write. "Interestingly, conventional pulmonary rehabilitation has not been shown to improve balance in people with COPD."

The researchers also found that, in addition to getting the benefits of a good workout, the tai chi group was significantly less anxious and that they felt better in general than the other study participants.

"This study," they conclude, "provides compelling evidence that tai chi training achieved an appropriate training intensity and that it may be an effective alternative training modality in people with COPD."

COPD is the third leading cause of death in the United States. As many as 90% of cases are caused by smoking. In 2008, more than 13 million American adults had COPD, a blanket term for emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Both make breathing progressively more difficult. In 2007, nearly 125,000 U.S. adults died of COPD.

The study is published in the online edition of the European Respiratory Journal.

In With Learning, Out With Grade Worry Part II: Grade-less Learning

by Alan Kandel

On May 24, 2012, I penned the Baby Boomer Sensei blog post, “In With Learning, Out With Grade Worry.” Today, I introduce another aspect of learning: learning absent performance measures and assigned grades.

So, I try to imagine what training in the martial arts would be like without rank being attached to it. In my way of thinking, this would be analogous to getting an education without grades being assigned. To get a better grasp of what I’m referring to here, I liken this to instruction being conducted by schoolmasters in early 19th century America. Think one-room schoolhouses and groupings of students comprising a wide range of ages.

I make it no secret that I have entertained the thought for some time regarding what education would be like if students simply were to learn in an atmosphere where grades were non-existent. Students might feel less pressured to “pass,” anxiety or worry that can at times be manifested from such “pressure,” would likely be lessened if not completely eliminated, and cheating would be unheard of.

So, the first question you may be asking yourself is how performance and progress would be measured. My question in response to this is: Is it necessary that performance and progress be gauged? Would instruction and learning this way, that is, without quizzes, tests and other progress and performance measuring instruments, be any less effective? Radical though this may sound, I, nevertheless, think it’s a good question and an idea worth contemplating and exploring further.

Perhaps a person can think of this idea in these terms:

Ever see the movie “Castaway” starring Tom Hanks? The character he played in the movie in the jet he was flying in slammed into an ocean somewhere. Seemingly marooned on a remote and uninhabited island, Hanks’ character wound up fighting for his very survival. That Hanks’ character (in the movie) had been in the employ of a well-known package courier company, perhaps had given him somewhat of an edge in that he was successful regarding his survival. For Hanks’ character, the overarching message here is really quite simple: “Adapt or die!” As a castaway Hanks’ character survived, based upon using, quite innovatively and resourcefully I might add, the tools that were available to him, that and no doubt his reliance on knowledge he had acquired in the past, gained prior to this unfortunate soul getting into the seemingly dire predicament he found himself in. In fact, Hanks’ character had become so adept and resourceful, he taught himself how to create fire, secure food and even perform dental work on his own teeth! I realize “Castaway” is a fictional story. Nevertheless, Hanks’ character was quite motivated and determined to not only live but, as well, get off the island and back to civilization.

I realize that which is depicted in “Castaway” is extreme. But, what better example is there to drive home the message I’m trying to get across?

Okay, so I have to now ask how you would feel if you went through a training program, be it a martial arts or any other type of training regimen, and never received a grade, rank or score? Would this make you any less inclined to want to learn?

To help you perhaps better decide, consider this: People learn to cross streets safely. This is done absent grades. There is a saying: “Give a person a fish and that person eats for a day. Teach a person to fish and that person eats for a lifetime.” Bottom line is it is not important that a grade be assigned to the learning involved in feeding oneself for a lifetime, only that a person be able to fend for him or herself to keep him or herself alive.

So, keeping this notion in mind, what I have come to understand or learn is: Everyone learns, whether assigned grades for the learning that takes place or not. We learn how to hold and write with a pencil and/or pen. We learn how to hold a cup and to drink and/or sip through a straw. We learn how to walk, run, hop, skip and jump. These skills do not require assigned grades in order for these activities, skills, processes, what-have-you, to be learned and to occur.

Somewhere along the line, someone came up with the concept of gauging learning by assigning grades; learning that took place in a structured setting no doubt. I’m not saying learning in this manner is a bad thing. But, at the same time, I can’t help but wonder if learning would be any less effective and if people would be any less inclined to want to learn if the grading process were to be completely removed. That’s all.

Copyright © Alan Kandel. August 10, 2012.

Intangibles: So Important In Martial Arts and Life

by Alan Kandel

Intangibles – non-physical properties that cannot be heard, held, seen, smelled, tasted or touched – are very much real. And they are every bit as important in life as their tangible counterparts.

One intangible is pride.

As an intangible, and unlike tangible matter, pride is something that cannot be taken from someone no matter how much another may try. Think about that for a moment: Something having no physical form whatsoever, cannot be affected by another in any way, shape or form. That is a profound and powerful notion.

So let’s talk about pride for a moment.

Pride comes from the heart, as in the pride a teacher has learning that a student or former student has done well in some aspect of life, for example. Another would be a completed, do-it-yourself project that one can take pride in.

In my first Baby Boomer Sensei blog post: “Putting Karate Practice Into Words,” posted May 14, 2012, I discussed what I encountered in becoming a professional writer. So, imagine the feeling that came over me when my first article was published. I felt tremendous pride. The unmistakable satisfaction, the result of the hard work put forth in order to get that first article published and the fact the article was published at all, was all too real.

It’s no different in martial arts.

Students studying the arts are awarded in the physical sense when they receive a promotion or advancement in level or rank. And that a tangible award such as this can evoke a non-tangible one such as pride is indeed a powerful construct. Having said that, I firmly believe it is completely acceptable to feel pride from having accomplished such a goal.

Another topic I wish to bring front-and-center is winning and losing, which are also intangibles. This is extremely relevant, particularly with the Summer Olympic Games being held in London, England right now.

Master Teruyuki Okazaki – Chief Instructor and Chairman of the International Shotokan Karate Federation – in his book: “Perfection of Character: Guiding Principles For The Martial Arts & Everyday Life” (a book given me by Najib Amin, a good friend and instructor I formerly practiced karate under), notes: “When you truly understand that you are training solely to better yourself, you will abandon your concerns about winning, losing, advancing in rank, and being attached to results, and you will become a better, more balanced karate-ka and human being.”

Master Okazaki goes on to write: “Think about it: What will happen if you meditate intently before a match saying to yourself, ‘I don’t have to lose. I am not attached to the result. If I do my best, I will be proud.’ You will have unburdened yourself of any expectation, and you’ll be allowing life to flow naturally.”

When all is said and done, intangibles really do matter and on some level, I wholeheartedly believe, are more substantive than their physical counterparts – the tangible properties.

Copyright © Alan Kandel. August 8, 2012.

Be Faithful and Endeavor As A Martial Artist and in Life

by Alan Kandel


In Shotokan karate-do there are five dojo precepts and these are: 1) Seek perfection of character; 2) Respect others; 3) Be faithful; 4) Endeavor; and 5) Refrain from violent behavior. They are referred to as the Dojo Kun.


In the spirit of karate training, when entering the dojo, the world outside of karate training is to remain there, the one outside the dojo, that is, and the reason for this is so the mind can be free of extraneous, inhibiting thought. In other words, as one prepares to practice, one should clear the mind. This is important in the sense that an empty mind then becomes a medium that can facilitate learning in the most efficient and effective way possible, and this idea doesn’t just limit itself to the dojo. It is something that can have relevance in terms of learning in general, whether it’s with regard to martial arts or not.


Contrarily, upon exiting the dojo, the presumption is the martial artist has acquired new information that can now be taken and carried with them into the outside world. (As you read on, it should become clearer and clearer why this is both relevant and important). As long as the training is continued that very process is perpetuated. But what if a person suddenly stops practicing, what happens then? This in no way means that what has been learned in the dojo should be forgotten. This would be tantamount to saying that even if it no longer were to apply, everything we have ever learned over time should be forgotten too. 


Strike that last notion as it is utterly preposterous.


In an earlier post, I mentioned that I carry the spirit of my karate training with me in life, or something to that effect, and this is as it should be. Meanwhile, in another prior Baby Boomer Sensei blog post I discussed three of the five dojo kun, even if only briefly, and these were: 1) Seek perfection of character; 2) Respect others; and 3) Refrain from violent behavior. 


Today I want to talk about the remaining two: 1) Be faithful and 2) Endeavor.


I’ll be the first to admit I didn’t exactly fit that bill – being faithful and endeavoring – in every one of my academic pursuits, but as far as my vocational endeavors went, I poured my heart and soul into practically every job I ever worked. What this exemplifies is the endeavor part. Okay, let’s see how being “faithful” applies here.


One might endeavor or try to do something by giving it his or her all but if in carrying out required duties becomes futile or is done with less-than-scrupulous ideals in mind, then it makes little if any sense to continue in this vein. So, a person can endeavor to perform, say, a task at the best of his or her abilities, but if in carrying the task out satisfactorily and completing the task according to established criteria becomes an impossibility or the tactics employed in doing so are less than wholesome ones, then being faithful to that particular cause or endeavor too makes little if any sense.


Which brings me back to karate practice and martial arts. Practice what martial art you will. Practice (endeavor) with verve (with passion and enthusiasm) and perseverance (with persistence and a purpose) and be true (faithful) to your study. And, in the final analysis, if we carry with us in everyday life not only these guiding precepts (dojo kun) but the three others mentioned previously, not only do I wholeheartedly believe we will become much better people for having done this, but I believe likewise as well that the world will be far, far improved for us having done so. A win-win most assuredly!


Copyright © Alan Kandel. August 5, 2012.

Patience Grasshopper

by Alan Kandel

There are two relevant sayings here: “Good things come to those who wait” and “patience is man’s greatest virtue.” The first couldn’t be truer. As for the second, so I’ve heard, but, is it really I wonder? The word “wait,” incidentally, as used in this instance, is a relative term, meaning it means different things to different people as in “wait” for how long.

So, say a person is learning a martial art. I would say most students, either when they embark on a program of study or have been involved in such for some time already, either realize, or come to realize, respectively, that only through consistent study can proficiency through such practice be attained. This doesn’t necessarily mean, however, proficiency is guaranteed, but there is a reasonable expectation that it will happen provided enough time is devoted to such. Then there is the matter of what level of proficiency. That depends on the individual and how much work and the amount of practice put into training. Just as no two people are exactly alike, this too is different for different people.

For anyone who gets involved in martial arts training and their expectation is that a black belt will be awarded in half-a-year’s time, this is probably not being very realistic. If, on the other hand, the student has the expectation that a black belt might be awarded them after five years, this expectation is indeed reasonable and, moreover, it is certainly within the realm of possibility depending, of course, upon the student’s effort and the type of martial art being studied.

So, as you can tell, there are quite a few variables here. Take my own training, for example. There are even more variables, such as my study being kind of convoluted. What I mean by this is, I changed styles twice before finding the Shotokan style and sticking with it. I also had different instructors and studied in different states – California and Maryland. This, no doubt, added to the amount of time it took me to meet the criteria required for shodan (or first degree black belt) ranking. What’s important to remember here is, it’s not the time it took (to acquire shodan or any rank for that matter), but rather, that the testing would take place when I was ready.

From my own experience, it can be readily seen that, for me, the journey has been long and deliberate. Is there more to be learned? Count on it: learning is a life-long process.

Copyright © Alan Kandel. July 29, 2012.

College Instructor Turned Ninja?

by Alan Kandel

I consider myself to be a relatively decent writer. I stick to composing non-fiction-type material because it’s what I believe I do best when it comes to the type of writing I do. Fictional writing, … well, it just isn’t who I am.

Being that’s the case, the story presented below will no doubt astonish and seemingly bordering on incredulity, yet the events I’m about to reveal are true.

Okay. I’ve kept you in suspense long enough. Here’s what happened.

There was a time when I was teaching college in Long Beach (California). I taught in Cal State’s Engineering and Industrial Technology Department. It was a part-time gig and being that I was in the southern Calif. community for three or four days every week during my stint depending on semester worked, this, in fact, necessitated that I rent an apartment. It was either this or live out of a motel room. I opted for the apartment.

The place I rented was a former garage detached from the main house that was situated in front. The garage had both an upstairs and down. My apartment was on the ground-floor level. At any rate, it had a kitchen, bathroom and main living space, which, seconded as a bedroom. Nothing unusual there - that’s typical for studio apartment-style living. The apartment was small, yes, but it had all the comforts of home.

It was during the fall of 1987 to almost summer 1988, so, we’re talking quite some time ago.

At the time, I also happened to be practicing karate-do at not only the college, but also in Santa Monica at the International Shotokan Karate Federation dojo (training facility) located in that extremely well known seaside town.

Meanwhile, the drive to and from my home in Fresno each week got rather tiresome, rather quickly, in fact. The redeeming part of the commute, on the other hand, was that gas was affordable – none of this $4-plus per gallon stuff.

Sometime between the beginning and middle of the spring semester, I got out of my apartment contract because on more than a few weekends, someone (or someones) had helped themselves to one garage-turned-studio-apartment – mine!, presumably courtesy of whomever had an extra key and presumably free of charge, I might add. My guess is the landlord left entry keys with the occupants of the house in front. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know the place one calls home (even if it’s their home away from home as in this case), had been frequented by one or more uninvited guests multiple times, in fact. Upon my return, I would find my personal effects not exactly as I left them. So, what I did was I alerted the landlord and to remedy the situation I requested that the locks be changed.
Backtracking a bit, when I first moved in, I was issued two keys: one for the deadbolt lock and the other for the lock placed on the door below that.

I thought this was going to take care of the problem. Was I ever wrong! Instead of the locks being changed, here’s what was done. The key I was already issued that originally unlocked the bottom lock could now not only open the bottom one but could also open the top, deadbolt lock too. Like that’s really going to help! Imagine what my reaction must have been when I learned this. Pure disbelief!

To add insult to injury, it was suggested to me (and I won’t say by whom) that I pretend like I’m leaving for Fresno for the weekend but instead of doing this, I should park my car far enough away from my apartment, walk back to the apartment without being spotted, ninja- and stealth-like, if you get my drift, make sure all the apartment’s interior lights remain off, and when the unwelcome intruder or intruders showed up, surprise! Hit ‘em in the head with a baseball bat! Of all the hair-brained ideas I’ve heard, this has to take the cake!

So, with that said, and having had just about enough, I moved out. The nerve of some people!

In hindsight, if nothing else, this makes for a good story. Trust me when I tell you I couldn’t make this stuff up. Fictional writing just isn’t my forte.

And as for the landlord and the one offering the less-than-sagely advice, well if you really must know, I’ll clue you in; I am now shaking my head from side to side.

Copyright © Alan Kandel. July 25, 2012.

Studying Martial Arts To Learn How Not To Fight

by Alan Kandel

I have heard it said once that the greatest karateka (student) is the one that never has to use the karate skills learned in a real-life application. Maybe not these words exactly, but something to that effect.
This is a profound – and sound – thought. Think about it. One spends time – the better part of a lifetime for some – in study, learning one or more martial arts and then never, ever getting to apply any one or a number of techniques learned in martial arts training in real life? If this sounds counterintuitive, it’s not really.

Learning martial arts shouldn’t be for the purpose of testing out learned techniques on the street. To the contrary. Studying martial arts to learn how to avoid physical confrontation – that’s where it’s at! It is this ideal that martial artists should pursue.

Okay, but a person might be thinking: “What if there is just no other option – and that option being – to call upon and use what has been learned in the dojo (training hall or facility), expressly to render null and void what would otherwise be an unavoidable physical altercation?” All right, let’s expound for a moment.

I have heard and read about instances where people who have learned such martial arts skills have applied them in life. Some were with malicious intent, unfortunately. On the other hand, there are those times when the combative-art skills were resorted to only as a last resort and in doing so the actions were completely justified as in an act of self-defense, in other words.

Two such accounts were from students I once instructed.

According to what was shared, the techniques applied were summoned because no other method of conflict resolution proved effective and thus were used as a last resort. And that, from my perspective, is how it should be.

Still, I can’t help but wonder in the situations that my former students found themselves in, if working out whatever differences or disagreements there were could have been achieved with words alone. I really can’t say because I wasn’t there when the conflicts transpired. What I can say is that I will make the assumption based on what I was told that the two former students used good and sound judgment and the actions taken were the correct ones.

Aside from all this, there is good news and that is the situations were diffused and no one was seriously hurt. Yet, I am fully aware that working through differences using discussion rather than force is far better and the more preferable way to resolve conflict in my opinion.

Simply put, my whole message here is summed up thusly: Seek perfection of character, respect others and refrain from violent behavior. If others are respected and character perfection is sought, violence doesn’t happen.

Copyright © Alan Kandel. July 22, 2012.

The Art of Kata Competition and Communication

by Alan Kandel

How we say things can make a positive or negative impact. We see this all the time. Sometimes there is no impact, that is, the reaction (or lack thereof) may be indifference regarding what was said, that is to say, the person on the receiving end might not care one way or another. Sometimes what we say can elicit an emotional response or reaction. Sometimes nothing needs to be uttered at all - body language speaks volumes.

In case you haven’t already guessed, all this has to do with communication and how we communicate. The way in which we communicate can make all the difference in the world in terms of whether what it is we wish to get across is understood or misunderstood.

I present two hypothetical situations below. The purpose of doing such is to show how two different methods of communication are effective in getting given messages across.

Hypothetical situation #1:

Say a contestant in a karate match is competing in the kata (or form) event. Now say a mistake in the kata is made. The contestant is unaware that a mistake was made.

Now comes the scoring part of the event and the contestant learns the results. The presented scores provide an implicit clue as to how the kata was performed. Nothing further needs to be communicated unless the competitor feels compelled to ask others what prompted the score or others feel obligated to share what constructive criticism they can.

Hypothetical situation #2:

Now say a contestant in a karate tournament is competing in the kata event and proceeds to announce the name of the kata but does so incorrectly. Once again, hypothetically, the head judge repeats the kata name back to the contestant only does so using proper pronunciation. The response from the judge was an explicit one. (I don’t know that this has ever happened but it is entirely possible that it may have on occasion).

In both hypothetical situations, it was noted by judges that mistakes were made and for each occurrence judges used different approaches to convey that mistakes were made. In the first scenario the mistake was addressed using scorecards and in the second scenario the mistake was corrected through use of the spoken word.

One final word; Sometimes there is nothing more frustrating than tying to explain something only to have the person on the receiving end not understand what was being explained.

Don’t think effective communication matters? Think again!

Copyright © Alan Kandel. July 13, 2012.

Pearls of Wisdom: The Nature/Value of Experience

by Alan Kandel

Why is experience important?

As active participants in life, we are schooled, period – no ifs, ands or buts. It’s one of life’s so-called “facts.” Moreover, we encounter many people as we navigate our ways through life. That navigated or charted path is also referred to as the journey. Along that journey, we arrive at many a fork in the road where decisions, some critical (most not, thankfully) must be made. Armed with proper information the decisions made can be informed ones or lacking proper information, decisions made can be, well, for lack of finding a better way to put it, a shot in the dark. All of this can be summed up in one word – experience.

As humans, since we are experience-driven beings, the experiences we have act as lessons or teachers. They help guide us. But, more than that: They can help shape us into and help make us who we are.

Furthermore, as for the experience itself, the experiences experienced in life are the result of either happenstance or deliberateness. But, what exactly does this mean?

Situations involving happenstance as a life event – or life-changing event – and one that occurred by chance, is where the situation just happened. Hence the term “happenstance.” The long and short of it, though, is that the situation happened and, by virtue of that, it’s an experience.

On the other hand, experiences based on deliberateness are trial-and-error experiences. To give an example, a person decides they want to enroll in a martial arts training program. Before taking the plunge, so to speak, a meeting with a potential instructor and/or instructor designate could take place. The purpose of this is really quite simple: It’s so the perspective student can assess whether or not a particular program and/or instructor is right for them. Sometimes a perspective student may just want to observe the training going on before them before actually meeting with the perspective instructor and/or committing to that particular training program. Or, a perspective student, at the instructor ‘s invitation (it really depends on the situation) can join the class on a complementary basis (the duration of which is decided between the student and instructor), the purpose of which enables the perspective student to gauge the whole experience and decide whether it’s right for them or not.

Regardless of initial approach taken, if the student senses that the martial art is the correct one, the setting is appropriate and the instruction is satisfactory or superior, all this can be influential in the student joining. Not just this, but the way in which this new student is received by others in the class can also influence the new student’s decision to sign on or not sign on. This process is also referred to as “testing he waters.”

What this has all led up to is that experience is one of the best teachers and being that this is the case, there is definitely value in that.

Above and beyond this, if we are able to share such experience and help others in the process, better still.

Experience: Don’t pass on it; pass it on!

Copyright © Alan Kandel. July 4, 2012.

Old School and Proud of It!

Call me “old school.”

In high school, about the closest connection I had to any martial art was a classmate studying Tae Kwon Do, I think. Martial arts then was about as foreign a concept to me as the word “karate,” often mispronounced “car-rot-tea.”  Sure I was familiar with “The Green Hornet” T.V. show with trusty sidekick (pun intended) Kato played by Bruce Lee. I mean, after all, who wasn’t, just as I was if not more so with Orioles legend, Brooks Robinson and Colts standouts Johnny Unitas, Lenny Moore and Raymond Berry? Not only were they local Baltimore heroes, they were household names!

During that time, the early ‘70s, sports stars being all the rage, notwithstanding, I was mostly preoccupied with just getting through school and graduating (never mind that my grade point average neared negative numbers), when I was going to get my first car and, believe it or not, college. College? That’s right, college!

After high-school graduation and entering junior college and, yes, getting my first automobile, I also landed my first bona fide job (none of this “helping-my-dad-out-for-the-summers” kind of stuff or helping a school chum help his father out). What I was, was an audio salesman in a local record store (that’s what they were called back then). Having that job was so I could earn an income to help pay for college. J.c., if I remember correctly, cost about $150 per semester, books included. Perhaps there are people reading this who can relate.

The tide had definitely turned for me then. I had embarked on a new journey and entered a new phase in my life. Not only for the first time was I understanding what I was studying (electronics technology), I was actually enjoying myself in so doing, taking electives such as bowling, music appreciation and, of course, karate. Imagine earning college credit for taking a class in martial arts.

Okay, time for the $64 million question: What prompted me to take karate being my familiarity with it was virtually nil? One of my fellow students had taken or was enrolled in such at the time and he expressed how his reflexes had quickened. I was intrigued, so much so, that I had to find out for myself just what this guy was boasting about.

This was during an era when gas was 34 cents per gallon (that’s right), the Vietnam War was drawing to a close and cell phones, ipads, the internet and mixed martial arts were still to be discovered, and here I was learning how to properly don a karate gi (uniform), secure such with an obi (belt), breathe correctly and, yes, meditate. All history now, at the time for me it was, uncharted territory. The style, incidentally, I was initially introduced to was Shorinjiryu Kenkokan Karate-do. For what it’s worth, I believe I even earned an A grade in the class, a real rarity for me in those days.

Karate having satisfied a college physical education requirement, I nevertheless gained much from the training. In fact, I was motivated enough to continue after-the-fact.

Graduating j.c., with a cumulative grade point average of 2.95, this was good enough to allow myself entry into a four-year program of study at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and where I met Sensei Domi. It was through an extra curricular karate class, in fact, held on campus two evenings per week that my practice was furthered. The style I was now learning was Shotokan.

When I first joined, before training sessions got underway, I would practice techniques and kata (form) I had learned back east. The thing I remember most about the on-campus club was not so much the instruction as it was the camaraderie. Fellow karateka came from all walks of life, many, who, like myself, had prior martial arts experience, some more than others. That really mattered little because everyone, regardless of rank, trained together, like one big happy family.

Sadly, the instruction lasted but three quarters (Cal Poly is on the quarter, not semester, system). The instructor graduated. Even so, I continued to practice unfailingly with fellow students, who incidentally, furthered their own training too. In fact, in a place known as Poly Canyon, where some of the school’s architecture students created several architecturally interesting building designs, of particular note there was one house of sorts propped on a hillside whose main distinguishing feature was its rectangular shape, that and it was outfitted with glass all around. The structure, among its other uses if there were any, in one case it was used as a makeshift dojo (training facility). As such, it provided myself (a white belt) and another Cal Poly student (also versed in Shotokan and a black belt) a quite suitable place for he and I to sometimes train. Although the floor was concrete this in no way detracted from practice. What this just goes to show is that practically any place any one can visualize in one’s mind can serve as a dojo, everything from a garage and a school gymnasium to a traditional storefront building space.

Well, to make a long story shorter, my college preparation and extra curricular endeavors had taken me far, the karate training part of and parallel to my post-high school academic experience. The side-by-side journey of karate and academic study, together, whether considered “old school” or not, I would not trade for the world.

Copyright © Alan Kandel. June 29, 2012.

Competition: What good is it?!

by Alan Kandel

Competition comes in many forms. Competition can mean having the ability to choose between different dealerships offering different brands and various models within brands when it comes to purchasing or leasing an automobile, for instance. More often than not, this is perceived as a good thing. Further, competition can allow the shipper of a particular good or commodity, the ability to get the best price and/or the level of service desired when choosing from among different competitor modes as it relates to shipping those goods.

Competition also can take the form of a contest, whereby contest entrants or “contestants,” can compete against one another for a prize or monetary award. Probably the example that most comes to mind for those who are of working age is the one where applicants compete for a job. Related to this, is the competition involved in competing to get into college and/or in vying for a seat in a particular class, all done in an effort to fulfill the long-term goal of earning a degree or certificate in a particular course of study. And not to be overlooked is sports, that one competitive arena known the world over. This has particular relevance now being the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, to be held in London, England is just around the corner. Competition being what it is, has many facets or sides to it – in other words, it’s complex.

It was about 22 years ago that I found myself a neutral observer (more like spectator) who through no fault of my own was forced to listen to the debate, discussion, call it what you will, between two of my co-workers at the time, this all over which of the two could outdo who in a footrace.

The argument – forgive me – civilized exchange, intensified in both excitement and volume level. Going on for what felt like forever, the lively conversation probably lasted at most, five minutes. I couldn’t help but hear one say to the other that he would even give the other a considerable lead and even with the head-start, the one offering the advantage said he would still prevail which, I presume, is why he offered the head-start in the first place. The other (the party offered the lead), of course, insisted he would be victor, hands down. The challenge that this race was to be, should it take place at all, had transcended beyond mere competition alone; it had elevated to a matter only a bet could settle, apparently.

Not even close. Having heard just about enough, I diplomatically (I think I was diplomatic in my approach, anyway) interrupted, asking them if there was something else they could talk about.

My suggestion worked. The shout’n match ended; talk centered on something other than the incessant, if but verbal “I’m faster than you are! You are not!” slugfest, if you will, going on in my presence, although I can’t tell you on what. But bet your bottom dollar, it wasn’t a minute or two later that the dialogue reverted back to, what else?! The footrace. Who would’ve thought?!

As far as sporting competitions go, this one had all the elements: excitement, heightened, if not, high enthusiasm, competitive spirit and audience participation, albeit more of the interventionary type.

As for the footrace itself or whether or not it ever came off or who won, I have no clue; that’s not all that important. But the exchange that took place in my presence that day has obvious implications for martial arts competition.

And it doesn’t end there.

Competitive sports can help participants improve the skills they bring to the competitive event, be this in baseball, basketball, boxing, football, hockey, martial arts, soccer, swimming, you name it. Whether competitors experience victory or suffer agonizing defeat, regardless, competition, in this sense, can still be a good thing. And last but by no means least, the people who make spectator sports what they are – the spectators, meanwhile, usually feel fulfilled too.

A win-win by any measure. And, with that, let the games begin!

Copyright © Alan Kandel. June 22, 2012.

My Almost Made it to a Karate Tournament Story

by Alan Kandel

What began in the late ‘70s as a noble effort to compete in a karate tournament in Denver, ended up ending right where it began – California’s San Francisco Bay Area. To boomers (be you senseis or otherwise) this will doubtless bring back memories.

It all started in 1978-’79 when I was living in the town of Mountain View, working in nearby Sunnyvale. Home and work were a scant six miles apart. Of course, my morning and evening commutes were plagued by rush-hour traffic; what we’re talking about here is being constrained by gridlocked traffic and it taking 45 minutes to go but a-half-dozen miles. Sound familiar? That works out to a speedy 8 miles per hour. At any rate, the car I was driving then, put it this way, was not the most fuel-efficient. Not just that, who knows how many times this car changed hands before I owned it?!

If my memory serves me correctly (and I trust it does), during this period in history, if one’s license plate ended in an even number, then gas could be purchased on, not surprisingly, even-numbered days, that is, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. Motorists who had license plates ending in odd numbers could purchase petrol on, what else?, odd-numbered days, namely Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Where my memory doesn’t serve me so well had to do with Sundays; either everyone who drove was permitted to purchase gas or no one was. I would be inclined to think it was the latter case.

The adage desperate times call for desperate measures has real meaning here. I pulled out all the stops (figuratively speaking, course) and purchased a utility vehicle just so I could buy fuel seven days a week. twice on Sunday if need be. As it turns out, those owning such a vehicle were permitted to make gas purchases on at least six days a week, Monday through Saturday, anyway. That sure beat the alternative.

All that glitters is not gold, for one morning before heading to work, I noticed the gas gauge and I was running on empty. It was either “don’t go to work” or “brave long lines of cars occupied by other drivers waiting their turns to get gas.” Making matters worse during that era, it was not uncommon for some people waiting in such lines to become irritable to the point of becoming hostile. Combine long lines with short tempers and the outcome could be and sometimes was highly combustible. I remember hearing or reading about altercations were practically a dime a dozen in those days.

Getting back on point, that one morning when I was in just such a gas line, just as I reached the pump, the thing stalled. It was out of gas. Talk about impeccable timing.

Which brings me back to the tournament.

Despite conditions being what they were then, a bunch of us from the San Jose karate dojo intent on competing in a major tournament in the mile-high city were going, gas crisis or no gas crisis. For us, it was Denver or bust. Much to our chagrin, however, the lot of us didn’t make it. In fact, we only made it as far as Reno in the Silver State, Nevada. We had driven all that way just to have to turn around and go back, and that’s exactly what had happened.

As sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, in this particular case, market conditions knocked me, at least, for a loop. I can’t speak for the others.

I, for one, experienced those so-called “gas-so-lean” times first hand. It taught me a lot. Looking back, making it to the tournament would have been nice. I’m fast reminded of another adage: better luck next time.

Copyright © Alan Kandel. June 11, 2012.

Goal! Student Message Is Insightful, Inspiring

By Alan Kandel

On June 6, 2012, I was watching a nightly-news broadcast. One segment I caught highlighted a successful educational program in the New York City area. The segment reporter asked questions of students enrolled in the school about various aspects of their educational experience. One comment from one student in particular caught my attention. On giving advice to new enrollees and whether or not new enrollees should stay the course, the recommendation from the commenting student was something on the order of: even though the work is extremely difficult, in the long run the effort will be well worth it.

After allowing myself sufficient time to digest what was said, I thought, this sums up in one thought, my karate training history to a tee. How insightful, how inspiring this middle-school student must be. There is no question that this and other students enrolled at this particular school were getting quality instruction in a very conducive-to-learning academic setting!

Carrying this idea farther, what a person gets out of an endeavor is the sum of the parts put in. One must not forget that commitment and diligence are part of the equation too. Being interested in what one is involved in, well that’s an important component as well. As far as interest goes, martial arts is attractive to many in that sense. It has a tendency to awe observers, but, even so, it’s not for everyone, obviously. Those who decide to practice the arts understand that many hours of training will be required and usually, the more one puts into one’s training, from that training, the more one will take away.

Reaching a particular goal or level of achievement will take longer for some compared to the time it takes others to do the same. Even though everyone achieves at different rates, the bottom line is everyone achieves. It’s called progress. For some, there will be major setbacks. Not so much so for others.

Beginners oftentimes have a tendency to want to get to the finish line as fast as they can. Martial arts training is not a race. Training is slow but steady and its deliberate. One foot in front of the other, in other words. Some other considerations to be aware of is that some fall into the trap of putting more of their energy into practicing and perfecting techniques they know they execute well, while other techniques or areas of practice do not get the attention they need for those techniques or that area of practice, respectively, to improve. The key is to dedicate more time and effort on the areas that need more work and in the end, all aspects of training will be balanced. That way, the martial arts practitioner becomes more, well rounded. In the academic setting it’s little if any different.

Meanwhile, the role of the instructor (sensei, sifu, etc.) is to instruct, to be the facilitator of student learning and to some degree, is the facilitator of student success. But it is the student who must do the work. A person is what a person does. And, if the student is able to go the distance, that is, put in the required time and energy, that student should have every confidence that sought-after goals and objectives will be attained.

And as for advanced training, establish a foundation first and then build on that.

Copyright © Alan Kandel. June 7, 2012.

To Be Or Not To Be … In Control

by  Alan Kandel

I know little about many things. I know much about very few things. One thing I do know is that in life, exercise control.

In the world of sales (yes, I did this too - my first job and then later on in life), I learned that if I could get in front of the buyer or the buyer's designate in the buyer's absence, then that was half the battle right there. Moreover, if the product that I was peddling (in this case advertising space in a magazine) could be seen as something that had value, then chances are, I would make the sale.

In this role, I also had to be a good listener. As a trainee, even before I became adept enough to go it alone, I was versed on the ins and outs of selling: I call it Sales 101. And speaking about listening, my boss (and mentor) was so adept at selling, I remember the time he spoke before a room full of real estate agents. So captivating and mesmerizing was his message, and so precise was his delivery, he had every ear in the house tuned in to what he was saying. That was how amazing to me the experience was. The long and short of it is that my boss maintained complete control. Needless to say, deals were closed with the bulk of the agents.

In this line of work as in life itself, one has to be in control, obviously. The same is true for martial arts practice.

However, being in control isn’t always easy. Here’s a simple yet good illustration.

Summers in Baltimore, Maryland (where I grew up and where I received my initial karate instruction) can be trying. High temperatures and high humidity levels made karate practice that much harder.

At times during the summers, it was not uncommon for temperatures to be in the mid 90s with 95 percent humidity. And that was inside the dojo! At any rate, I recall during one training session I was sweating profusely. The students were instructed to get into kiba dachi (a horse-riding stance) and this position had to be maintained for an extended period of time. Good luck with this I must have thought as my gi (karate uniform) had become sopping wet with sweat, the excess winding up on the floor below. The training facility in this case was a school cafeteria and, I might add, the floor had tile.

Imagine legs extended sideways, and with each passing second, the whole body inching ever closer to the ground. I did and everyone else in class did their level best to keep from doing full side leg splits or becoming one with the floor. Holding stance was tough enough, even without the sweat. What kept me and my cohorts from losing it as it were was, you guessed it, control, that and persistence and focus.

Situation well under control? You bet!

Food for thought: There is no way to navigate one’s way through life and not be in control. It'd be like trying to grow crops without their being fed water.

Copyright Alan Kandel. May 30, 2012.

In With Learning, Out With Grade Worry

by Alan Kandel


Sensei Domi in his  book: “Baby Boomer Sensei,” in Chapter 5 “Mind, No Mind, I Don’t Mind” lays out quite well “ranking,” by listing the karate gi (uniform) belt colors and describing what these colors mean. As well, Sensei covers belt-color origin, or in other words, how the colors came to be.


In the organization through which I received my karate-do instruction - the International Shotokan Karate Federation (ISKF), there were only three colors of belts: green, brown and black. Four, if you count a white belt.


The belts provide an outward or physical sign of an intangible: progress. This is also true of grades issued to students in terms of measuring academic progress, that is, in the traditional school setting. As an instructor in the college classroom during the 1990s, I would stress to students not to dwell too much on the grade and instead concentrate more on learning the course material - in this case electronics. I shared this information with students because I wanted them to know that if they understood course content and performed satisfactorily on required tests, quizzes and homework, the respective and representative grades would be there - reflecting the knowledge that was gained as a result of the knowledge learned.


As it relates, I believe in a school setting, when the mind is not so preoccupied with worry over what grade (or grades) at some future point will be assigned, the mind is able to become a better receptor and facilitator of knowledge, the same way a dry sponge receives water when immersed in it. My presumption is in the traditional school setting, worry over grades is not so much a manifestation of trying to earn a good or passing score or grade as it is not wanting to receive a failing one. This is just my sense based on experience.

As for failure and all the fuss over it, what’s that all about?


First of all, failure is not necessarily a bad thing. It depends on how the person views such and under what circumstances failure occurs. Remember, failure is a good teacher in that it teaches us (or should teach us) to not make the same mistakes more than once. In this sense, we learn from failure.


As an example regarding experiencing failure of another type, during my junior college days in the early 1970s, for my major, electronics technology, I was required to take a course in calculus. I failed the course on the first try. Was it time to throw in the towel? Hardly. I took the course again and the second time I earned an A. Okay, so maybe it took me two attempts to grasp the material. The point is, eventually I understood it.


The lesson here is even if a karate-do practitioner can’t master a technique or pass a kyu (color belt) or a dan (black belt) examination the first go around, this doesn’t necessarily mean failure. What it tells or should tell the karateka (student), is that the technique or level of attainment is not yet there. With more training and practice, the likelihood that success will be realized is high.

Making the grade comes when learning takes place. On the other hand, worry over grades should be eighty-sixed, that is, relegated to the junk heap.


Copyright Alan Kandel. May 24, 2012.

Focus Grasshopper, Focus

by Alan Kandel


I have yet to meet a person who can listen and talk at the same time. I’m not saying that such a person doesn‘t exist, but I’ve yet to meet up with them. Can listening and talking at the same time actually be done? I, personally, don’t see how. For one, there is a serious imbalance. Two ears versus one mouth. The scales are obviously tipped in favor of hearing, but even so, my suspicion is people are better speakers than they are listeners. At any rate, even if listening and talking could be done simultaneously it would take an inordinate amount of skill, not to mention focus. Did someone say “focus“? Ah, focus. If you want to know where I‘m going with this, please read on.


At this point you may be asking yourself what all this has to do with karate training? Lots. Like a sharpened focus, the answer to this question should become ever clearer.


Who reading this doesn’t know or isn’t aware of the importance of focus in life? Focus, meanwhile, when pertaining to karate training is also important. As a matter of fact, this point can’t be overemphasized.


To use a parallel, think of focus in terms of it having to do with driving a motor vehicle. It takes diligence - meaning concentration or focus - to do so effectively. A momentary lapse in driver concentration (or judgment) and there is the potential for disaster. The same could be said for defending oneself against an adversary and it is with this in mind that focus has much meaning and relevance.


Plainly and simply, in karate training, for technique to be effective, maintaining focus is important. Maintaining control is too, but sorry; control is the topic for another post, not this one. Without focus, karate technique suffers. In other words, paying attention, or “being there” as it were, is essential. Remember, losing focus or put another way, letting one’s guard down, may be all it takes for an adversary to get the upper hand or give an opponent the edge.

Whether behind the wheel of an automobile, practicing martial arts, or just living life, focus grasshopper, focus.


Copyright Alan Kandel. May 18, 2012.

Teach Your Children Well

In school, children are preoccupied with a routine that includes recess, snack time, lunch periods, hop scotch and all the other fun stuff associated with learning (which understandably in a child's mind ranks a distant second).  

In a dojo far away from the safety of a classroom and playgrounds, the stage is set for different type of learning. Teaching straight forward with less interaction, I ignored  “why?” questions and instead asked inquisitive minds to just “listen and learn.”  Once accused of being harsh and a disciplinarian, I kindly suggested the parents to find another dojo and offered their money back.  No one took my offer (Some parents felt a need to criticize).

With that said and in as much as opinions flew about my strict style, I did not consider myself a task master.  Compared to my adult classes, I structured tamed downed versions that were fun and interesting, emphasizing goal settings, winning is not everything but doing your best is, regardless of the outcome, never say “can’t” and instead “I’ll try my best sensei” attitude; respecting themselves, parents, elders, authority figures, friends and so forth.  I also had them memorize “dojo kun”.  Saying it, making it their mantra encouraged them to strive for excellence and be good young citizens.   I also emphasized that kihon or basics is what need to be mastered, not fancy kata or kumite.  Like in school, if we mastered the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic, then when we strive for perfection as we grow older; all the hard work developing that base will pay off as we become productive adults.  

Kids also like screaming at the top of their lungs.  I told them I was hard of hearing and needed them to scream during kia and when they were required to say “os” or “hai wakirimaska” “domo arigato gozia m’sta sensei.” Of course, every once in awhile a six year old kid would scream at the top of his/her lungs, “Sensei, I have to go pee, really bad.  May I sensei, please, please, please?”  Very hard to remain stern faced when that happens.  

Though I’ve trained under many masters, if I had a teaching style, I would say I patterned myself after the late Master Richard Kim.  I no longer teach karate but still see influences of my work.  A young man who I did not recognized, stopped in front of me while I was shopping, bowed and said “os.”  Then he resumed telling me his name “Jason” which in my tenure taught about 15 of them, his successes in college, the armed forces, family and so forth.  I was touched by this and understood then that karate training is not for just a fleeting moment in a child’s life, but for a lifetime.