Essence and Perception

Is Shotokan karate merely a stodgy, quaint, stiff, impractical court dance done in funny white pajamas on expensive wood floors? Has the aloof, tradition-bound, self-evaluating shotokan system been eclipsed by cage fighter-tested Brazilian jujitsu, grappling, and the merit-based systems which UFC champions practice? Or is Shotokan karate a powerful system of self defense? Is it useful, dynamic, effective, evolving? See this article for more on this.

I think the answer to all these questions is yes. There is both an essence of Shotokan karate and a perception of that very same Shotokan karate. The essence for me is three decades of trying to get kihon, kata, and kumite right. It means meeting, befriending, and working with people pursuing versions of the same goals that motivate my training. People ask if I've ever used my karate. I say yes, three times this very week. In the dojo. Will karate save my life in a dark alley confrontation someday? Probably not. Might karate make a marginal difference if I had to defend my wife? Perhaps. Has it enriched my life, made it better? Certainly yes.

Shotokan karate is sometimes perceived as irrelevant, old news, lacking in fighting effectiveness. The remake of The Karate Kid for example employs Jackie Chan's kung fu rather than Okinawan-Japanese karate.

The essence of Shotokan karate has roots in Okinawan unarmed combat. It is made up of approaches to executing strikes and parries with an emphasis on timing and distance and body mechanics. It has been systematized into a body of standardized instruction under its Okinawan then Japanese caretakers from Itosu to Funakoshi to Nishiyama and now to current Brazilian experts like Lyoto Machida. Mr. Machida is a third degree black belt in JKA Shotokan karate. He is featured (see front cover image above) in the latest issue of Shotokan Karate Magazine.

Does this mean the perception of Shotokan karate will change? Not for me or the people who love Shotokan karate, but maybe perceptions will change a bit in the eyes of non-practitioners. Will Shotokan karate be the Rodney Dangerfield of martial arts, not get any respect because it gets whoped in the brawling research laboratories of the UFC, or will it continue to flow on because its essence is true, and beautiful, and dangerous too?

Again, the answer to all these questions is yes.

Rank and Credentials

Credentialism is a term that describes the use of certification to signal job or social status. Some employers for example require a college degree to indicate desirable job skills, like showing up more often than not, the ability to follow directions, and perform tasks. Some credentialism is silly, like requiring it for hair dressers; some is not, like requiring standards for medical degrees. Credentials can be used to restrict supply in some occupations.

Shotokan karate has a reputation of being strict in awarding rank. Pursuing the black belt was a big motivator for me in my early years of training. Shodan and nidan were important for the status these ranks conferred among my karate peers. Now, rank seems like a way to mark training time and progress. After achieving sandan, I am now training to improve my ability to communicate the basics of shotokan to anyone interested in practicing it. Yodan for me is more of an internal goal, a way to mark progress in pursuing the goal of becoming a better coach. I'm in Mr. Koyama's region and Mr. Olivers's dojo now, and pursuing 4th dan is really opening up a dialog between a master, a sensei, and an aging karateka who thinks he might be a good coach some day. And, the black belt holds up my gi pants quite well.

I've always admired my kung fu colleagues. There is no formal, outward indication of rank in kung fu. When I trained briefly in this system, people assessed your kung fu skills by watching you perform kung fu. If you were any good, it was obvious. Didn't need a signal. You saw it in the movements.

Last weekend I attended a two-day intensive Level 1 trainer certification seminar in Scottsdale, Arizona sponsored by CrossFit headquarters. The content covered all basic aspects of this fitness system, in my view, the finest on the planet. We learned the essence of CrossFit's definition of fitness as constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity, that it specializes in non-specialization, seeks broad fitness across all ten areas of physical skills, believes in paleo and zone nutrition, how to perform the nine foundational movements, and lots and lots of other stuff.

We did several challenging workouts. Traditionally, this seminar has its participants do Fran: 21-15-9 thrusters and 21-15-9 pullups, as quickly as possible. Instead, we did a harder version of Fran: 21-15-9 95# thrusters (in 95 degree heat outside) and 21-15-9 burpees in ten minutes or less. Ouch.

Then we took a written test. Some passed this, others did not. Fortunately, I passed. What does this mean? It means I have a certificate that signals I have some understanding of CrossFit and some ability to perform reasonable versions of the basic movements and some elementary knowledge of how to teach them to others. For me it means I have marching orders. I need to work on increasing my work capacity. I can do kipping pullups, but I need to increase the number I can do non-stop. I need to work on doing butterfly pullups, to get my first muscle up, to increase skills in doing the olympic lifts, more workouts done as prescribed. In other words, I need to do common things uncommonly well. I'm a CrossFit whitebelt.

And now I need to give back to my gym, CrossFit Works. Loyalty is valuable for building trust and community. One year ago CrossFit Works proprietors Jen and Carl took me from being out of shape, overweight, and unskilled in the ten domains of fitness and have literally changed my life. Through skilled coaching efforts and time investments from Jen and Carl and their trainers Kate, Bryon, Jenny, Andres, and Mateo, my capacity to move large loads over long distances quickly has increased. Their efforts and personal example probably have lengthened my life. Their efforts and example have most certainly improved my practice of Shotokan far better than I would have been able to practice it without the fitness level acquired via CrossFit. Their efforts and example have most definitely helped me in launching The Freedom and Prosperity Academy.

They've done equivalent things for my wife.

If my newly acquired credential can help them in any way, it will be a good thing. To me being a Level 1 Certified CrossFit trainer means I've gotten closer to being a model client of CrossFit Works. It demonstrates my gratitude and acknowledges a debt owed to my trainers for their sacrifices, support, and coaching.