Japanese kindergarten

Last week we decided to move our 4 year old son Ray from international kindergarten to Japanese kindergarten, called Hills Gakuen. Crazy you say? Cost was not the issue, but a lot of other factors were.

It is not that I am against international schools. in fact, we put our oldest, George, into international schools the whole way, and he is now at Yokohama International School, the top international school in Japan. I fully expect to send Ray there from grade 1 onward.


For example, many people feel the Japanese elementary school system focuses too much on rote, at the expense of creativity and individualism, and the students turn out to be cookie cutter worker ants, mindlessly obeying Japanese protocol, incapable of free thought, and doomed to work soullessly in the hive until they are replaced by the next batch.












your average Japanese office worker?

Hmmm...I don't entirely disagree. However, when it is done right, the Japanese kindergarten system is an amazing thing. Instead of trying to force children to memorize without understanding, it promotes learning through music and movement, repetition and pattern, and allows kids to be what they are - kids. Kids have boundless energy, and rather than chastise them for not sitting in their chairs all day long, a good kindergarten lets them use their bodies as learning tools - incorporating songs, dances, drills, and other play to get children to want to learn and understand. this physicality will help their bodies develop and form the foundation of good health for the rest of their lives. This approach is far better than showing that they can do worksheets just like their older siblings.

In kindergarten, I think it is most important that children enjoy school, not that they sit and do endless worksheets of letters and numbers. The most important practice they can have for elementary school is SOCIAL, not academic. This means that they should develop the habits of getting along in groups, playing well together, and being polite. Practicing a bit of tooth brushing after meals/snacks and washing hands after restroom is good, too. In a Japanese kindergarten, there will already be a class leader, whose job is to help all the students master the required skills and get along together. This is a step of maturity for the boy or girl who is ready to look after the others, and starts them on the right path of being responsible for the success of others, which is a key leadership attribute.

Far too often the international kindergartens, under pressure from overachiever parents, want to show that the 4 and 5 year old students can write letters and numbers and do worksheets. I personally think that is OK for some kids, but not nearly as good as having the kids enjoy school, have fun, and develop strong core social skills. Music and art should be learned by doing, and their bodies should be as active as possible. Letters (and worksheets) can come later.

In short, I am very glad we found such a good Japanese kindergarten. It offers good social training, active learning, and a lot of fun for the students. it's perfect.












What does this mean in the context of martial arts (this is a martial arts blog, after all)?

Practicing forms and forms and forms is not a substitute for being able to fight, and nor is it a proxy for the critical character development that good expression in the martial arts helps develop in all of us. Even if we never get into an actual fight (and I hope none of us ever have to), we can use the character development, energy and respectfulness we learn in the dojo EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Teach your children well. Don't settle for second best.

Unemployment Benefits

On September 4 I lost my job.

It was amicable, inevitable, and in retrospect probably for the best for the company and myself.

Over the past few weeks, I have had to adjust to a new lifestyle of being out of work. Here are the main benefits I found:


1) more sleep
I was probably getting 5-6 hours a night before. It wasn't enough. Moreover, I felt tired all the time, and that had an effect on my overall energy levels, my mood, and my relationships. I was exhausted. Now I am getting closer to 8 a night, and sometimes the odd afternoon nap as well. I just FEEL better. get enough sleep. It helps.

2) Control Over My Diet
Toward the end, I was not eating particularly badly. light brekkie, moderate lunch, moderate dinner. The real issue was accessibility. Because of the 7-11 in the basement of the building, I came to use them (and their processed, prepackaged mayhem) a lot more than I should have. I cook more and eat much better now, and it shows.

3) Training
Exercise makes a huge difference. I am in the gym almost every day now and rather than making me feel tired, it has the opposite effect. By training (not over-training) I feel more energetic and generally better about myself and my life. Regular exercise is an essential part of being happy.

4) Relationships
I have time to take George to the bus every morning and walk Ray to and from school. We eat dinner together at home as a family every night. My wife and I go to and from the gym together. I help the kids with their homework. WE TALK. This has really helped me to reconnect with my family. When a typical day at work started by getting up at 5 am, getting to work at 7am, getting home at 8-9pm, during the week I hardly ever saw them. I need this time. I love it. We feel like a family again.

5) Stress
I thought I would be really stressed out about being unemployed, but I'm not. I know I will have to get back to the routine at some point, but I don't dwell on it. I am enjoying the moment and taking it as a rare opportunity; a rare gift. My stress levels are very low and I feel great.

Working or not, the above are important facets of a happy life to bear in mind. The goal is always BALANCE, so that we can have sustainability and longevity. I hope I can keep these lessons even after I start back at work someday.

Until then, see you on the mats.

Getting Angry

I was reading somewhere that anger wins more fights than any training. Anger, Rage, FURY, SAVAGERY. It's probably true.

When you stop to think about it, giving in to the rage within can make all the difference. On any given day, in any given situation between two people - the angrier one often wins.

This is not what you find in classic martial arts textbooks, especially those which espouse philosophy. However, in real situations, tapping into your primal killer instincts, without remorse, can make the difference between life and death.

I do not like to fight. I LOVE martial arts, but that is precisely because I abhor violence. I think everyone should develop the confidence, discipline and self-control not to use violence to resolve conflicts. In any altercation I will choose to talk it out, if not, to walk away. However, if given no other alternative, I want to be able to unleash every ounce of rage within me, especially if that will help protect my life, or the lives of my loved ones.

Our training must make this a last choice, but a choice that is available if no other choice exists.

I have met my share of good martial artists that lack the "killer instinct", which is that ability to disconnect mercy or reason and deliver the knockout (or worse) when required. I am not sure if or how this can be developed, but for martial artists I consider it a necessary component of the training, since without it you will fail when you need it most.


I agree in daily life this is not needed, but it is a lot like fire insurance.

You may never need it, but if you do, you are likely to need it pretty damned badly.

what do you think?


"give in to your anger..."

Simple Math

It's time for some simple math....

If you want to lose weight, take in less calories than you use.

Thus, if

A is the number of calories you eat daily
B is the number of calories you burn daily

Then as long as AA you will gain weight.

The math is simple. Like most simple things, it is all about implementation. That takes willpower. It is often the case that sudden, drastic change results in a lack of sustainability.

At the extremes are starvation diets that dramatically reduce A but do nothing about B or PX90 extreme home workouts that do lots of B, but do not really address A. Michael Phelps, winner of 16 Olympic Gold medals, packs in 12,000 calories per day during hard training, but he has very low body fat due to his enormous B. As he says "eat. sleep. swim." A typical adult has a 2,000 calorie per day guideline, but many people go over this, especially in the US. Coupled with a decreasing B, this results in obesity.








you can look like this while eating 12,000 calories per day...if you swim 12 hours a day as well.

Most of us already know that the most effective, long term way to lose and keep off unwanted weight is BALANCE between A and B. Gradually reduce A and increase B and weight will naturally come off and stay off.

This is mostly true when we ourselves have control over the change (or rate of change). We feel shock and rebound. When the change is out of our control, such as loss of job/death of loved one, natural disaster, and the like, we will suffer the stress and break, or suffer the stress and adjust. Different people react differently to stress. The best way is always to control the change through small, gradual lifestyle adjustments.

This requires patience, which is a rare commodity in a modern world of instant gratification.

For body weight, it can take several weeks of implementation before the change begins to be visible. That can be the delay that causes people to stop. This happens before they see the change, reinforcing their lack of self-esteem and belief that they are doomed to fail, no matter which fad diet they try.

In a nutshell?

1. know a bit about what kinds of calories you eat
   
2. know a bit about basic nutrition
   
3. Be aware of stress in your daily life and how you respond to it
4. Make long-term goals, but short-term plans
5. start small. small changes can yield big long-term results
6. reward yourself for positive changes, rather than punish yourself for small transgressions
7. give it time - it can take several weeks before the results start to show
8. plan your work and work your plan - stay the course, be patient
   
9. balance decreases in A with gradual increases in B - make sure to plan BOTH
10. avoid extremes. too much too soon can have drastic negative effects on your health

AVOID FAST FOOD!! lots of calories (mostly from saturated fat, salt, and sugar).
"Fast food speeds you to the grave". This is probably the biggest single change anyone can make to lose weight.

Now off of work, I am eating better, exercising more, and much happier than before.

I will update my progress in my own plan to lose weight, get fitter, and increase my happiness.

See you on the mats.

A Little Motivation for the Weekend

Thanks for the post Brad.

pins and needles, needles and pins

Second session of acupuncture today...

I LOVE acupuncture. As creepy as it sounds, acupuncture does some things that massage alone cannot do. You need the needles. I am spending the next 4 months or so going once a week to get help releasing the years of pent up stress and tension in my neck, shoulders and back. We all carry stress in different places, which results in muscle tension, fatigue, pain, and general ill health. Since I am out of work for a bit, I want to use this time constructively to recover my health. Acupuncture is an essential element of this plan.


Many people have never tried it since they are afraid of the needles, don't believe it works, and so on. As a believer, I can say there is not much better at fixing general wear and tear on the body, dealing with muscle, joint, lymph, tendon troubles, and keeping energy levels high. It may or may not work for serious injuries, cancer, and the like - but in my view will be better on your body than many of the western remedies. As for the needles causing pain? Well, for me they never really "hurt". There is some discomfort when they are inserted, and sometimes when they are removed, and some strangeness when the points are stimulated, but this is far less than the benefit they provide. Especially, the following morning after your body has had a chance to adjust to the treatment - you wake up feeling great!

I am a big believer in preventative medicine. Many people only go for acupuncture when they are sick or injured. It is far better to go regularly, at least once a month, to maintain health and energy, and to develop a long-term relationship with your healer/naturopath so that he/she can get used to your body and understand your baseline optimal health. This makes it easier to spot things which are off-balance and correct them. No two people's bodies are the same, and understanding the baseline is a key part of what the healer does. Of course, this also means you should find a practitioner you like and stick with him/her.

Acupuncture is also about trust, and this is why you need to be able to have an open relationship with your healer, discuss your health, and give feedback on your treatment.

Your life as a "Human pin cushion" will be a cornerstone for good health.





Get stuck in!

Stairway to Heaven

Now don't get me wrong - I LOVE TECHNOLOGY.
I am forever amazed at our human creativity and for right or wrong, our ability to innovate and drive technology further. I suspect it is our inherent human laziness that makes us want to do less and less.

When it comes to working out, however, I advocate never missing an opportunity to torch off a few calories.

USE THE STAIRS.

I am not talking about going up 60 flights to the office, if indeed that is what you do.
However, a few flights here or there, within reason, do add up. At my gym, I find myself going up and down from the 8th floor to the 5th or 6th and back again several times a session. They designed it that way. I call it the "Stairway to Heaven". I don't run up and down them (bad for the knees), but just walking up and down is it's own little extra helper.

Try to use the stairs whenever you can - it will help you get fitter faster.

See you in Heaven!

What Martial Arts Teaches Us About Conflict

Conflict is inevitable. It is a part of all of our lives, and aspiring to live without it is unreasonable, since many times conflict is brought about by the actions of others, not ourselves.

Martial arts has as a principal benefit, the study of conflict and how to deal with it. Many people think martial arts are violent, and promote violent resolution of all conflicts, domestic or otherwise. This is simply not true.

Through our study of martial arts, we aim to better understand ourselves and our emotions, and to learn how to remain calm under stress. This helps minimize the chances that a conflict presented to us will escalate. Many conflicts arise from insecurity and weak character - that is, we fight because we feel a desperate need to prove ourselves worthy. In martial arts training we do not see fighting as a means of resolving conflict. Rather, it becomes a way of developing the confidence not to fight at all.

This has broad implications for society, and reinforces my belief that the world would be a much better place if everyone in it studied martial arts (under good teachers, of course).

1) Mutual Respect
We bow. we bow to each other, to our teachers, to our partners, to our opponents, to the kamiza. There is a lot of bowing. Respect for one another is a very important step to avoiding conflict. It is more than saying; it must be doing. I think a lot of the discord globally comes from both sides not feeling respected by the other.

2) Aikido no Ai 　合
This character means "coming together", "joining", "unifying". Proper aikido is not done "to" someone, it is done "with" someone. Shared activities foster universal understanding. Corporate trainers know this, but martial arts masters have known this for far longer.

3) Winning versus Losing --- or --- different degrees of loss
It is a shallow mind that thinks of combat as winning versus losing. Ask anyone who has ever been in war about this. Even those whose army was victorious would they say they "won". War is just different degrees of loss. Friends die on both sides and the tragedy is hardly less for either side. In conflict everyone loses. Every real warrior knows this. Good martial arts training teaches us about mortality, and the frailty of this human life we have. It is very important to consider deeply that losing less than the other side hardly equates to "victory". It is still a net loss. Doshu wrote "...the main feature of aikido is that there is no victory and no defeat".
Boxing is an interesting example. Every boxer gets hit in every fight. No one comes away without injury. The fact that we declare a winner and a loser is artificial, and because boxing is combative we consider it a martial art, when it is, in fact, a sport. Sports can have winners and losers because they abide by artificial rules. It is important not to mistake this for combat.

4) Dedication and Commitment
When we see other martial artists train, we can see their commitment to what they do, even if we do differently. There is never a need to show ourselves to be more or less dedicated than they are. In conflict, this "one upsmanship" and desperate need to outdo the other is a key reason why we see so much extremism/radicalism on both sides. Being a moderate is simply not consider "cool". In martial arts, our principal commitment should always be to the training and nothing more. All true paths lead to the same enlightened place, which makes all martial artists brothers and sisters. It would be good if nations followed this example.

5) Peace Leads to Peacefulness
A lifetime of martial arts training should yield tranquility that comes with wisdom and understanding. This way is a spiritual way, practiced with our bodies and using our minds.
"only one who truly understands war can comprehend peace".

It is my great hope that we can all live respectfully in harmony with each other.
This can only come from looking within and finding our real strength as people, our compassion, and the discipline to maintain peace together for the good of us all. It is time to put away petty beliefs and the never-ending desire for revenge. It is time for everyone to be brave enough to embrace peace.

Let's train.

It's in the mail

A brief conversation got me thinking about this...




Our lives are a direct result of the choices we make





I mean this in an objective way. That is to say, the good choices we make bring us good returns, and the bad choices we make bring us negative returns. The package is always in the post. And we must open every letter, good or bad. We can revel in the happy letters, but we must also pay the invoices, no matter how expensive.


This applies pretty much universally to our health, our jobs, and our personal relationships.





Guro Fred talked about this a lot in Hilot classes, and in our hearts, I think every single one of us knows it is true. However, we often fall victim to bad choices. Inevitably, these will result in bad things happening, we just don't know when. The package is always in the post.

Before I end up sounding like a Christian trying to guilt you into improving your life, remember that it is comforting also to know that the good choices we make (healthy food habits, frequent training, managing stress) also give us regular benefits that come when we do them. I don't know about you, but I like looking at my mailbox with anticipation rather than dread.





Make today the day that you take control of your life.


Make today the day that you think about the good and bad choices you make.


Make today the day you decide to change even one bad choice for next time.

Why do we love to see people fail so much?

I was just reading comments on Lindsay Lohan's jail time for violating probation on a DUI charge.

So many people seemed so happy to see her spend time in jail. Why? I am far from the world's biggest LL fan, and there are a large number of Hollywood personas I would add to that list (Mel just got added recently). However, it begs the question: why are we so glad when others fail? Are we jealous? Vain? Does it appeal to our fragile sense of self to see other more successful people brought back down to Earth? What do you think?

It is my sincere hope that those of us who have found The Way have used this to go beyond such pettiness. We should feel sorry for those of weak character; sorry for those surrounded by people who do not protect them and keep them grounded. There are many ways to fall from grace, and I am sure it is hard to deal with the difficulties of fame and fortune, just as it is hard to deal with not having them.

My advice to everyone is to keep on training. Always keep training, and have faith that good teachers and a good school will help us all see the importance of the smaller things in life.

My original teacher gave me a puzzle once. he drew two parallel lines of equal length on a piece of paper with a pencil. he said "How can I make one line longer than the other?" I replied instantly. "You can take a pencil and draw more onto one line." He agreed. But then he pointed out "Can I not also make one line longer by erasing part of the other line?" He continued, "Be careful that you never make your line longer than another person's by erasing their line. This is not the spirit of The Way."

I have never forgotten his lesson, and we are all wise to bear it in mind. Let's focus on our own lines and make them longer through our training.

Osu!

36 Ways to Make a Positive Impression in Less Than 10 Seconds

saw this online and had to share it...note that martial arts training will help develop many of these habits. I count about half of the below that are part of life in a good martial arts school.

Osu!

John


36 Ways to Make a Positive Impression in Less Than 10 Seconds
Posted on May 3rd, 2010 by Todd Smith

There are literally hundreds if not thousands of little things we can do to raise the bar in our professional and personal lives. So many of these things are easy to do and can be accomplished in less than 10 seconds. They just require an intentional effort.

What is CRITICAL to understand is that your ultimate success, fulfillment and happiness will come from doing the little things that matter.

As entrepreneur and best selling author Harvey Mackay said, “Little things don’t mean a lot. They mean everything.”

Here is a short list of 36 things you can do in less than 10 seconds that will make you a better person, enhance your self-image and improve the quality of your life.

1. Make it a point to say the words ”I love you” to the people in your home every single day.
2. Offer a friendly authentic smile- a great smile radiates warmth, puts people at ease and makes you likable.
3. Make comfortable eye contact- your eyes send messages; establishing and maintaining eye contact with people demonstrates confidence, respect, and genuine interest.
4. Use someone’s name – everyone likes to hear and see his or her name.
5. Acknowledge people- smile and say hi to the people around you.
6. Express your appreciation- say “thank you” to everyone who does something for you even if they are paid to do it.
7. Be unselfish and put others first- it could be as simple as holding the door open for someone.
8. Offer a word of encouragement- sometimes this is all a person needs to build confidence and take the next big step. This is big!
9. Accept responsibility when you are wrong- it’s the sign of a person with character.
10. Be friendly- it lifts the attitude of others and is the #1 factor in being likable.
11. Maintain a positive mental attitude- your attitude is a choice and that choice is 100% within your control.
12. Be kind and considerate- to people you know as well as strangers.
13. Be like a dog and be the first to greet people- it helps new people entering the room feel more comfortable and demonstrates your interest in them.
14. Offer people you meet a warm greeting- this will set the tone for the entire encounter.
15. Say please- make it a habit to use the word please EVERY TIME you ask someone to do something for you even if they are paid to do it.
16. Get up and walk into the other room to speak to someone, rather than yelling.
17. Put the toilet seat down.
18. Turn your head and cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough.
19. Improve your body posture- poor posture is an indication of low self-esteem.
20. Say goodbye- make a good last impression.
21. Offer a proper handshake- a good, firm handshake demonstrates confidence and makes a good impression.
22. Give someone a hug- a hug is a sign that you really care for the other person.
23. Proof your email, text or post- this is an important component of portraying a professional online brand.
24. Click the LIKE button on someone’s Facebook post- it’s an easy way to demonstrate interest.
25. Turn off your phone in meetings- even though your phone may not make sounds, your eyes and attention will be diverted from the other people in attendance and your lack of attention demonstrates disrespect.
26. Repeat your phone number twice when leaving a voicemail- speaking slowly and repeating your phone number will make you stand out.
27. When scheduling appointments use the other person’s time zone- this avoids misunderstandings or missed opportunities.
28. Speak with life and energy in your voice- no one likes to be around people who are “dead, dull and lifeless.”
29. Walk with a bounce in your step- it’s evidence of an energetic attitude that ultimately leads to success.
30. Turn off the notifications that are bugging those around you.
31. Write things down- it prevents you from forgetting things that are important.
32. Say something positive to others about another person- reverse gossip.
33. Congratulate your opponent- good sportsmanship is evidence of leadership.
34. Introduce yourself- be proactive and introduce yourself to people whom you have never met.
35. Look for the good in others and tell them what you see- you have the ability to bring out the best in people, especially when they may not know it themselves.
36. Hold in that fart- the pain will go away in less than 10 seconds.

As you can see, each of these tips is easy to do. They don’t require any formal education or financial investment. We can begin to incorporate them into our lives this very minute. All we need is to be conscious of them and be willing to take 10 seconds to do them.

Let me encourage you to print out this list and put an asterisk beside the ones you are committed to working on. Track your results and see how you do.

This is just a small sampling of the things we can do in less than 10 seconds to make a positive impression on others. What are some other simple things we can do in less than 10 seconds? I look forward to reading them in the comments section below this post.

About the Author: Todd Smith is a successful entrepreneur of 29 years and founder of Little Things Matter.

Related posts:

What does "Osu" mean?

(thanks to Diana for the question)

Many people have heard "Osu!" in various martial arts schools. Some students even say "Osu!" without really understanding what it is about. Here's how "Osu!" is used:

1) Greeting
"Osu!" is generally said to any higher ranking belt (especially dan ranks and instructors) whenever meeting them.

2) Acknowledgment
"Osu!" is the response to any order or feedback given. It is the response a student gives whenever any instructor announces a technique or the start of a drill, or anytime an instructor corrects a student's technique.

3) An expression of commitment (Kiai)
"Osu!" is used anytime you count out a drill for the last rep. It is also an expression of concentrated intention in the way a kiai is done in other martial arts.

OK, fine. But why "Osu!" and not "Hai-Ya!" (or any other random sound)?

Traditional Martial Arts and Militarism
Many of the traditional arts (especially aikido) have very close ties to militaristic expression in Japan. It is customary to greet senior soldiers (NCO and officers) with "Osu!" much in the way it is used in Yoshinkan aikido. This may be a shortened form of "Ohayo Gozaimasu" which is now extended to be an acknowledgment and compliance with whatever the speaker has said. Much of the post-war martial arts training in Japan is very closely linked to right-wing (and, indirectly, to support of the Emperor). Yoshinkan itself is closely linked to the Tokyo Metro Police Force, which is also a very right-wing organization.

Hard Training
"Osu" is also said to be comprised of the character for push "osu" and the character for perseverance "nin". This is a reminder to train hard, and early Yoshinkan disciples trained very hard indeed. We honor their spirit and commitment to training whenever we say "osu!". It recognizes our intention to train just as hard as they did, and to follow their example of "shugyo".

More to add? Let me know.

See you in class.

Osu!

Get Out of Your Zone

I am talking about your comfort zone.

Most of us have real trouble pushing the boundries of our lives. We are creatures of habit; of routine. We find a pattern and we stick to it. This can apply to our jobs, our relationships, our eating/sleeping/drinking habits and, of course, our training habits.

It is called a "comfort zone" for precisely that reason. We are comfortable there and generally unwilling to venture far away from that. As I have mentioned in previous posts, habits can be a critical help to your training and your health when you establish positive routines and make them into habits. These can be dietary such as drinking enough water daily, getting enough sleep, or controling your calorie intake. They can be mental habits such as dispelling negative thoughts, goalsetting, and listening. They can be training habits such as focusing during class, keeping energy level high, and expecting the most from each class.

This is all good, but we need to be always mindful of the fact that quantum leaps forward in ability very often happen when we get out of our comfort zone - we adapt, we adjust, we explore, we challenge, we investigate. These are a vital part of your training and should be a vital part of every aspect of your happy and successful life.

Martial arts is so important for this. The dojo is a controlled environment where you can push your boundries and discover new abilities. In every class you become able to do things you couldn't do before and develop new understanding. With good teachers in a good dojo, you are made to safely get out of your comfort zone and build your confidence level.

Aaron's blog had a great quote:

"If you want something you never had, you must do something you never did"

Very true. Make today the day you push beyond your limits. Surprise yourself.

See you in class.

Rasslin'

I LOVE wrestling (or "rasslin'" as it is called in the Deep South)

It is physical chess. It embodies good conditioning, strength, speed, endurance, and intelligence. Done well, it is a formidable addition to your body mastery and your fighting vocabulary.

So before you go get tangled up, what are some key things to think about when grappling:

1) Going Down
Not much can happen in grapping until you get to the floor. There are a lot of ways to get there including single/double leg takedowns, throws, tackles, scoops, lifts, etc. There are some good common sense ideas about doing so with the highest percentage of success and control. Bear in mind tip number 2)

2) Do not get your head byond your lead toes
keep your head back and down, but NEVER let it extend over your toes. Once you do, you will get pancaked or sprawled to the mats at a disadvantage.

3) Hips in, insteps down
Do not dig with your toes. A good drive will stand you right back up.
You need to have your hips driving and pushing through constantly. Keep your insteps down so your opponent cannot get under your hip mass.

4) Off your knees
NEVER be on your knees. Instead, get on your insteps, with your hips driving through.

5) Make your opponent uncomfortable at all times
You should drive your hips and ride our opponent such that he always has trouble breathing and feels your weight pushing through. This helps make him tired and keeps him from developing a good defense.

6) Take the head/spine out of alignment at the earliest opportunity
and keep it from being re-aligned the best you can. Doing this takes away a lot of strength.

7) Use large muscle groups whenever possible
Your hips/legs and back are your primary drivers in wrestling. Use them rather than your arms/chest whenever you can. You will get much better results and last longer. This includes putting on the submissions, meaning that you should use your legs and back rather than arms and chest to get the tap.Lifts, drops, takedowns, and throws should also rely and the legs and back for power.

8) Chains
Every high percentage move has high percentage escapes - which lead to other high percentage follows-ups ad nauseum. Train in chains so you can get a feeling for the fluidity and mobility of real technique chains when you wrestle. Be as ballistic in the training as you can safely be without injuring your training partner.

9) Take The Base
It is important to remove your opponent's base at every opportunity, and to keep doing so in order to ensure that they cannot recover. Use arms and legs to wrap opponent and turk the legs to keep the base offline. At the same time, you must be careful not to give your opponent your own base. Keep your hips away, and driving in and down.

10) Pane of Glass
For the takedowns, imagine a pane of glass vertically between the oppnent's heels. This pane must be broken with your foot or leg, or you have not penetrated deeply enough to load onto your hips.

Happy "pretzeling"

Basically...

Went into 7am Yoshinkan beginner class at RYA on Wednesday.

I LOVE BEGINNER CLASS!

No matter how long I do Yoshinkan, it is always great to work the basics. They just never ever get good enough (and I am sure they never will). The basic motions of Yoshinkan are designed to help condition the body with ukemi, strengthen the legs and hip with kihon dosa, unify the breathing and movement with shumatsu dosa and create the platform for all the rest of the good technique you will do as an aikidoka.

It is like a pyramid, where the amount of time spent on the basics determines ultimately how high the pyramid can be built. It was traditional to go back to the basic curriculum after every rank test and begin all over again, applying all the new things learned in the past grading.

There is always a temptation to want to rush on into "the fun stuff" and learn new techniques, new forms, and jiyuwaza combinations. However, over the long term, nothing is more important that having good basics and then working them over and over again until they are part of your muscle memory.

See you Wednesday!

OSU!

久しぶりの合気道

Got into aikido Weds 7am beginner's class after a while away.
I missed the energy of having a bunch of people together in the morning, and it was good to train with Sensei Mike.

I was asked to help Alan train for his 1kyu test on Saturday.
1kyu is a big exam, mine was 45 mins, and the last step before shodan.
By this point, your techniques should look crisp and clean, and you should be showing some of the key principles of movement, and the foundations of good jiyuwaza.

Sensei Mike's aikido has changed. His movements are smaller; more powerful. His aikido is evolving, which is great. Today we worked on hijiate kokyunage, which has a lot of things to learn.

• dynamic motion from the instant of contact
• loading uke's balance onto your hips
• hips moving on a downward angle to project uke
• extension and zanshin

All in all, it is a very interesting series.
Alan looks good. I am sure he will do fine.

I'll be trying to get into the Weds sessions more, so I can get some teaching time and work on my basics again more.

See you there!

OSU!!

This is from the Japan Times...
nb, both of my aikido teachers at RYA are Senshusei course graduates, at a time when the course was even harder than what is described below. They appear in Robert Twigger's book.

It was a riot: Carter and classmates pose for a shot with the riot police who joined them on the 11-month Senshusei Aikido course at the Yoshinkan Honbu Dojo. ANDREW CARTER

THE ZEIT GIST

Battered Briton survives aikido ordeal

Punishing course leaves Englishman bruised but hungry for more 'cultivation'

By DAMIEN OKADO-GOUGH

At the end of February, a group of international students graduated from the Tokyo-based Yoshinkan Honbu Dojo, one of the most intensive martial arts training centers in the world.

Eyesore: Andrew Carter sports a shiner after his first session at the Yoshinkan Honbu Dojo in Tokyo last year. TIES BEEK

Yoshinkan (meaning "hall for cultivating the spirit") is a style of aikido founded by Gozo Shioda after World War II. Made famous by the controversial book "Angry White Pyjamas" by Robert Twigger, the Senshusei Aikido training course was initially started at the dojo in 1957 to train members of the Tokyo riot police. In 1991 the 11-month program opened its doors to applicants outside the police force, and since then the course has attracted recruits from all over world.

One such recruit, Englishman Andrew Carter, 24, who graduated from the course this year, spoke to The Japan Times about his motivations for starting the program and his experiences over the nearly yearlong course.

"I always wanted to join the British Army's Royal Marines when I was in my teens, but in university I went off the idea of the military ― the killing people part ― but I still wanted to experience something similar in terms of the training," he recalls. Then he read "Angry White Pyjamas," and after coming to Japan as an English teacher on the JET program, he decided to sign up for the Senshusei course.

Training takes place from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. five days a week, so paying his way was going to be a challenge. Arriving in Tokyo from Nagoya with only enough money for one month's rent, he shared a four-bunk hostel room with seven other people for the first two months of the course.

"I taught English to one of the guesthouse residents in exchange for food. I ate curry udon (noodles) for almost every meal for two months. One of the other guys, an American, had only pancake mix for two weeks of the first month."

Carter could have saved more money to help him get set up, but, he says, "I believed that a hard life outside the dojo was also important for one year, so I didn't mind coming with so little money. I was willing to endure the hardships it would bring."

The Senshusei course is famous ― some might say infamous ― for the severity of the training. Injury is not just possible, it's seemingly inevitable. The first training session of the course, says Carter, was "interesting."

"It was an hour of nonstop, difficult exercises. Out of 10 of us, one guy's legs gave out and he collapsed. I collided with another guy and he went to hospital with a cut to his head; I got a black eye out of that clash. One guy's nose started bleeding due to too many press-ups."

And this was only the first training session. For the next 11 months, Carter and his fellow trainees would endure three such sessions a day, five days a week.

"We all had bleeding backs due to hundreds of backward break-falls. The cuts would reopen each day and the backs of our dogi ― uniforms ― would turn red with blood stains. You're not allowed to start a training session with a dirty dogi, so one of the guys would tape women's sanitary towels to his back to soak up the blood."

Carter had damaged his knees during running activities in school, which made certain trials in particular all the more severe.

"My knees can become very painful. It makes seiza ― kneeling in the Japanese way ― a nightmare. Two months of the course focus onsuwari waza ― kneeling techniques ― so I wore knee supports, but other students who didn't found their knees would bleed from pivoting on them so much day after day. My training partner ended up on crutches as a result of suwari waza and seiza."

And if that was not enough, Carter also suffered back injuries.

"I damaged tissue around the lower back which lasted for about a month and a half. It made walking difficult. Sometimes I would collapse in work and my boss would have me over a table massaging my back."

Despite this, Carter stuck with the course and soon settled into the rigors of it. Then, two months after starting, he and his fellow trainees joined the police recruits for two out of the three daily classes.

"They were a mixed bunch," he says. "Two of them were girls, one a mother of two kids, three young guys and two older guys. Most of them would stick out anything. One guy kept training with a dislocated shoulder for an hour.

"When one of the international students was injured, we could take time off, but when one of the police was injured, as soon as they were fit enough to return to the dojo, they would be back. And if they couldn't train they'd be watching from the sidelines while standing in some sort of stress position. They were tough."

Soon, they started to get to know each other and bonds started to form.

"They were quite friendly to us. During our breaks we would relax together, eat lunch and use each other's medicines and ointments, etc. It is a requirement for the cops to have a black belt in a martial art before the course, so they were all black belts in judo, kendo or aikido."

But the friendship with the riot police members was not confined to the dojo.

"We had three dojo parties throughout the year. We had to perform for the teachers with the cops for our first one. We had a lot of fun at those parties. Most dojo parties ended with at least one of us or a cop passed out through drinking too much."

The police training course ended before the international students' course, but that was not the last of the camaraderie between the two groups, Carter explains.

"The cops left in November, but in February they turned up at our graduation, which was really cool of them. We didn't expect it, so it was a surprise."

Another surprise was the mental toll the course took on its participants, says Carter.

"I expected harsh training, brutal teachers and pain in my knees. I also was prepared for the possibility that I would not be physically strong enough to hack the course, but I was physically able to do everything that was asked of me. What I did not expect at the start of the course was how mentally demanding it would be."

Shugyo is a Japanese word that means "commitment to a discipline," and trainees on the Senshusei course must try to get a deep understanding of shugyo.

"Shugyo makes a great impact in the rest of your life; without some form of it, real training is impossible."

Soon after starting the course, Carter came to realize that he did not fully understand this concept.

"Others were studying techniques in their spare time while I was working or resting. It soon became clear that I was the weakest in the group as I was constantly making technical mistakes. I spent many embarrassing training sessions in front of my peers making mistakes. It was during this year that I decided I needed to re-evaluate my way of approaching life if I am to ever to be worthy of my black belt, if ever I'm to fulfill my full potential as a human being."

"I now see myself as a very different person. I used to drink and socialize a lot and leave studying to the last minute, but my year in the dojo has had a profound effect on me. It teaches you that you have to be focused, you have to predict what's coming up and study it and you have to be aware constantly of your own movements as well as being aware of a strict culture and of the teacher's needs."

"At the end of the year I see so many areas that I can improve on, in both aikido and in my life. But this is not a negative thing; it is very possible that without the course I would have never come to realize this. For me the course really unlocked a desire to do my best in all areas of life, not just the physical side of it, as I originally thought this year would develop."

Despite the physical and mental hardships that Carter endured over his year at the Yoshinkan Honbu Dojo, he feels it has all been worthwhile.

"I will take the course again and I hope to improve on the areas I am weak on. This I see as an exciting and rewarding challenge that stretches ahead of me for possibly the rest of my life, and this, more than anything else, is what I will take away from my year in the 'hall for cultivating the spirit.' "