Hara is a Japanese martial arts concept referring to the belly. I read that it can be translated from Chinese or Japanese into "red field," or "golden stove," and is considered the location of "ki" energy. It is located about three fingers below the navel and two fingers in.
Mikio Yahara (get it.... "Yeah, Hara"... uh boy) is one of the Japan Karate Association's most amazing athletes. Here he is as a young man, kickin' Japan Karate Ass'n.
And here, he is as an older man kickin' Japan Karate Ass'n.
I love to watch Yahara Sensei's spinning movements. Attack from this side, then like lightening attack from the other side. His techniques are quick and powerful because they come from hara, from the red field, golden stove, or just the core.
CrossFit strength and conditioning effects the hara area, the core. Many mixed martial artists love crossfit training for this reason.
I love crossfit. Love shotokan too. The two re-enforce each other multiplicatively. For a treat, watch this clip of Yahara's hara in action! Be sure to turn up the volume. If you aren't inspired to get right up and do kata or hit a heavy bag, check your pulse.
February 22, 2010
February 19, 2010
Better than Sin
The dojo kun, or training hall motto that we recite at the end of each workout in shotokan starts with these words from our school-teacher Okinawan founder, Gichin Funakoshi: "Seek perfection of character." What does this mean?
I prefer to interpret it as striving to get better and that that is good enough for now.
The noun perfection and the adjective perfect have at least two connotations. Perfect in the sense of not possible of further improvement, without any flaws or defects, and perfect in the sense of complete, or fitting, or unmitigatedly conforming to some ideal, as in perfect gentleman. It is this second meaning to which I think we are referring in the dojo kun.
Pursuit of perfection in the former sense is the devil's call. It is tempting a person to commit the sin of pride. Be perfect so you can be worthy of Christ. It is sneaky and dangerous. During Lent, I am thinking about what a huge undertaking it is to "seek perfection of character," especially in my case. But the good Jesuits taught me that the first sin, the sin of the angels against God, was all about pride. You mean you're going to lower yourself and enter history to save humans, asked Lucifer of God in disgust. Adam and Eve, our first parents, thought they knew better than God what was and what was not authorized.
Then, our sins. How trivial they are compared to the sin of the angels and our first parents, observed St. Ignatius in the Spiritual Exercises. And how awful. Dante taught me in l'inferno to hate the sin not the sinner, as when Virgil discusses the pitiful sight of Paolo and Francesca whirling around in hell. Sin keeps Christ nailed to the cross. How unjust. How unfair is sin.
But then there's grace, the free gift from our loving Father in Heaven. And what grace means to me is that striving is pleasing to God. The "arriving" is up to God; the "striving" is my freely given response to God's love. And in this sense, seeking the perfection of character means keeping open to trying, even though I stumble, even though I fall, I get up and keep heading in the direction I know is right. I keep trying to be true to my nature. Keep trying to do a correct reverse punch. Or, a (nearly perfect) gyaku zuki. And to live virtuously.
Because getting better is good enough for His children. And so it is good enough for me.
I prefer to interpret it as striving to get better and that that is good enough for now.
The noun perfection and the adjective perfect have at least two connotations. Perfect in the sense of not possible of further improvement, without any flaws or defects, and perfect in the sense of complete, or fitting, or unmitigatedly conforming to some ideal, as in perfect gentleman. It is this second meaning to which I think we are referring in the dojo kun.
Pursuit of perfection in the former sense is the devil's call. It is tempting a person to commit the sin of pride. Be perfect so you can be worthy of Christ. It is sneaky and dangerous. During Lent, I am thinking about what a huge undertaking it is to "seek perfection of character," especially in my case. But the good Jesuits taught me that the first sin, the sin of the angels against God, was all about pride. You mean you're going to lower yourself and enter history to save humans, asked Lucifer of God in disgust. Adam and Eve, our first parents, thought they knew better than God what was and what was not authorized.
Then, our sins. How trivial they are compared to the sin of the angels and our first parents, observed St. Ignatius in the Spiritual Exercises. And how awful. Dante taught me in l'inferno to hate the sin not the sinner, as when Virgil discusses the pitiful sight of Paolo and Francesca whirling around in hell. Sin keeps Christ nailed to the cross. How unjust. How unfair is sin.
But then there's grace, the free gift from our loving Father in Heaven. And what grace means to me is that striving is pleasing to God. The "arriving" is up to God; the "striving" is my freely given response to God's love. And in this sense, seeking the perfection of character means keeping open to trying, even though I stumble, even though I fall, I get up and keep heading in the direction I know is right. I keep trying to be true to my nature. Keep trying to do a correct reverse punch. Or, a (nearly perfect) gyaku zuki. And to live virtuously.
Because getting better is good enough for His children. And so it is good enough for me.
February 17, 2010
Bar Fist
My hunch is that the human hand, no matter how strong or well conditioned, would be damaged if used to strike a human face. Though non-contact in theory, those summer shotokan clinics in Sugiyama Sensei's Chicago dojo in the 1970s and 1980s had frequent accidental encounters between fists and faces. I remember seeing noses in places where they weren't meant to be. But I also remember seeing the offending hands in a damaged state as well.
I wonder if gripping the iron bar in the lifting exercises of CrossFit makes the fist stronger in shotokan karate, not in the sense of being able to withstand the boney content of the human face, but in the sense that striking the MAKIWARA board becomes easier. By the way, watch this woman hit the makiwara. I would want her on my side in a fight.
My makiwara is stored in the garage. I must set it up somehow. But where to anchor? I'll figure something out. Because I remember Sugiyama Sensei asking during those grueling clinics in humid Chicago, "Oh. How many strike makiwara board today? (No hands raised) Oh. I don't have any karateka in dojo today."
I wonder if gripping the iron bar in the lifting exercises of CrossFit makes the fist stronger in shotokan karate, not in the sense of being able to withstand the boney content of the human face, but in the sense that striking the MAKIWARA board becomes easier. By the way, watch this woman hit the makiwara. I would want her on my side in a fight.
My makiwara is stored in the garage. I must set it up somehow. But where to anchor? I'll figure something out. Because I remember Sugiyama Sensei asking during those grueling clinics in humid Chicago, "Oh. How many strike makiwara board today? (No hands raised) Oh. I don't have any karateka in dojo today."
February 11, 2010
Nijushiho Power Clean
We did skills work last night at CrossFit Works on the clean and jerk. Two reps at the top of each minute for 15 minutes, for a total of thirty clean and jerks. Of course, I always do a split jerk because it reminds me of zenkutsu dachi (front stance).
During rests I walked through the moves of that most magnificent kata, Nijushiho, which means the twenty-one steps. Wonderful kata. I love the ageuki-empi (rising block-elbow strike) sequence followed by the slow, sweeping movement of the arm. I can still hear Nishiyama Sensei's voice in my head saying "go catch" as fifty of us would perform this sweeping movement in the Chicago dojo during one of his clinics. May God smile on the face of Hidetaka Nishiyama.
My power clean and jerks are getting better. Can't imagine clean and jerking almost 600 lbs. like Mr. Leonid Tarenenko did in the clip I linked to above. But I sure can do a front stance like he does, though my legs don't look like those tree trunks. And whenever I do Nijushiho I always say in my mind during the sweeping move, "go catch!"
During rests I walked through the moves of that most magnificent kata, Nijushiho, which means the twenty-one steps. Wonderful kata. I love the ageuki-empi (rising block-elbow strike) sequence followed by the slow, sweeping movement of the arm. I can still hear Nishiyama Sensei's voice in my head saying "go catch" as fifty of us would perform this sweeping movement in the Chicago dojo during one of his clinics. May God smile on the face of Hidetaka Nishiyama.
My power clean and jerks are getting better. Can't imagine clean and jerking almost 600 lbs. like Mr. Leonid Tarenenko did in the clip I linked to above. But I sure can do a front stance like he does, though my legs don't look like those tree trunks. And whenever I do Nijushiho I always say in my mind during the sweeping move, "go catch!"
February 8, 2010
Snatch Kata Part 1
I am blessed. At karate training Saturday, I mentioned in passing to my Sensei Enrique O. that the Olympic lift called the snatch was a "mystery movement" to me, not unlike the golf swing. It turns out Enrique Sensei was a Mexican national champion in Olympic lifting.
Because he knows both karate and Olympic lifts, he can draw from both to teach one or the other. After training was over, out in the parking lot, he made up a snatch kata to illustrate how the hands/arms should move quickly to the overhead position. I imitated and got that part of the snatch drawing on that part of my brain devoted to countless repetitions in karate, but this time applied to a different objective.
He also demonstrated what he called the S-shaped curve for the body's route during the snatch. This was easier to watch than to do, but it is helpful to have the image of my karate sensei doing it in my mind's eye, there in the sunny parking lot on a Saturday morning. Can't wait to attack snatch again during CrossFit training this week. That is, if we do it. We may not. CrossFit exercise variation is great. Part of what I enjoy so much about it is its variety.
But it is certainly a blessing to be around so many knowledgeable people. Sensei Enrique O., Dave S., Jen H., and Carl W. I am so grateful to know them.
Because he knows both karate and Olympic lifts, he can draw from both to teach one or the other. After training was over, out in the parking lot, he made up a snatch kata to illustrate how the hands/arms should move quickly to the overhead position. I imitated and got that part of the snatch drawing on that part of my brain devoted to countless repetitions in karate, but this time applied to a different objective.
He also demonstrated what he called the S-shaped curve for the body's route during the snatch. This was easier to watch than to do, but it is helpful to have the image of my karate sensei doing it in my mind's eye, there in the sunny parking lot on a Saturday morning. Can't wait to attack snatch again during CrossFit training this week. That is, if we do it. We may not. CrossFit exercise variation is great. Part of what I enjoy so much about it is its variety.
But it is certainly a blessing to be around so many knowledgeable people. Sensei Enrique O., Dave S., Jen H., and Carl W. I am so grateful to know them.
February 6, 2010
Jitte and PVC Pipe
I continue to work on improving my Jitte kata. CrossFit training is really helping. To do the Olympic lifts, especially snatch and clean and jerk, one needs shoulder flexibility, among other things. I love the three-move sequence in the middle of Jitte in which the karateka executes a fumikomi (stomping kick) while holding the arms over head, and twists the body core in a one-two timing movement, with shoulders and arms just behind the landing of the foot and the snap of the hip.
The snatch is really a mystery movement to me now. Mine really suck. I need to work on basic form. CrossFit makes use of PVC pipe lengths to help get proper form without weight. I will get some PVC today to help improve snatch form and thereby, Jitte.
What a great feeling to do this sequence well. What a gift to move the body, seeking to have it conform to some ideal. Striving to do kata well, the way it "should" be done, reminds me of how we're hardwired to seek some standard. We're heading somewhere, and we have to figure things out for ourselves. But we have help. We're made in His image and likeness.
The snatch is really a mystery movement to me now. Mine really suck. I need to work on basic form. CrossFit makes use of PVC pipe lengths to help get proper form without weight. I will get some PVC today to help improve snatch form and thereby, Jitte.
What a great feeling to do this sequence well. What a gift to move the body, seeking to have it conform to some ideal. Striving to do kata well, the way it "should" be done, reminds me of how we're hardwired to seek some standard. We're heading somewhere, and we have to figure things out for ourselves. But we have help. We're made in His image and likeness.
February 5, 2010
IF Trial
Tonight I begin a two-week trial with IF, or intermittent fasting. The regime will be three days of fasting per week. The fast will be 18 hours long. Assuming I finish dinner at 8pm tonight I will then fast until 2pm the following afternoon, and consume the second meal for that day within six hours.
I plan on consuming approximately the same amount of food as normal, only on fast days in two instead of three meals. There is some evidence that intermittent fasting has some positive health effects.
I will estimate sleep, stress, energy, and recovery levels on a daily basis. I am especially curious to see if there is a change in either CrossFit and karate performance during this trial period.
I plan on consuming approximately the same amount of food as normal, only on fast days in two instead of three meals. There is some evidence that intermittent fasting has some positive health effects.
I will estimate sleep, stress, energy, and recovery levels on a daily basis. I am especially curious to see if there is a change in either CrossFit and karate performance during this trial period.
February 3, 2010
Diminishing Returns
I'm not a whiner, at least I don't think of myself as one. Occasionally though, I complain. Before complaining I feel I need to say that I think the world of my crossfit grandmaster, Dave. He is wonderful. He has a degree in physics from the University of Chicago and brings scientific precision to his approach to fitness instruction, and has given me so much information on how to get more fit that I will be forever in his debt.
Last night we did 20 rep max for back squat, adding at least 5 more pounds from last week. I did 20 back squats with 175 lbs., 10 more than last week. Progress. Cool.
Then we did 150 situps for time. Dave urged us to attack these and not hold back. The penalty for stopping was 5 burpees. I didn't stop, but slowed down considerably after the first 50. I wondered as I was wearing a hole in my butt if this exercise was doing my gut any good. Was core fitness happening?
My hunch is that after about 75 situps, the body gets mechanistic and subtly starts cutting corners and taking the easier, shorter path, and that diminishing returns sets in. Does exercise have diminishing returns, I wonder. Do big sets translate into big gains? What is the relationship between number of repetitions and results?
Last night we did 20 rep max for back squat, adding at least 5 more pounds from last week. I did 20 back squats with 175 lbs., 10 more than last week. Progress. Cool.
Then we did 150 situps for time. Dave urged us to attack these and not hold back. The penalty for stopping was 5 burpees. I didn't stop, but slowed down considerably after the first 50. I wondered as I was wearing a hole in my butt if this exercise was doing my gut any good. Was core fitness happening?
My hunch is that after about 75 situps, the body gets mechanistic and subtly starts cutting corners and taking the easier, shorter path, and that diminishing returns sets in. Does exercise have diminishing returns, I wonder. Do big sets translate into big gains? What is the relationship between number of repetitions and results?
February 2, 2010
Grappling
Last night we did 'Grace', or 30 clean and jerks for time. Prescribed weight is 135, I did scaled 115 in 7:42. Then we did 3 rounds for time of 8 chest-to-bar pullups, 12 pushups, 15 air squats in under 5 minutes. My time was 3:47. Happily, my kipping pullups are back.
After workout Chauncey and I mixed it up with some ground fighting. He definitively whooped my ass, choking me out after, oh I don't know, 457 nanoseconds. Thanks Chauncey for the lesson. I hope you will show me more grappling techniques.
Shotokan practitioners are turtles on their backs. To be well rounded, we need to practice wrestling, grappling, take-downs, reversals, holds, and escapes. Several of shotokan's techniques are applicable on the ground, but need practice.
After workout Chauncey and I mixed it up with some ground fighting. He definitively whooped my ass, choking me out after, oh I don't know, 457 nanoseconds. Thanks Chauncey for the lesson. I hope you will show me more grappling techniques.
Shotokan practitioners are turtles on their backs. To be well rounded, we need to practice wrestling, grappling, take-downs, reversals, holds, and escapes. Several of shotokan's techniques are applicable on the ground, but need practice.
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