Kudo grading and seminar poster

Important dates in 2015

Kakizome

Thank you very much to Umehara sensei for conducting a kakizome calligraphy session at Sobukan on January 10. Under Umehara sensei’s patient guidance, a number of members were able to skilfully brush beautiful characters to illustrate a personal theme for 2015. Some included ‘improvement’, ‘learning’, ‘challenge’, ‘discipline’, ‘motivation’, ‘choosing path’, ‘kumite’ and ‘Kudo’, etc.

Grading

I thought this was going to be a small grading. We had 20 members testing for their next grades! Many passed their grading test outright, and a few will complete their grading shortly. All have demonstrated great commitment to their training and development, and have opened doors to their next stage of learning. Well done everyone, I am very proud of you all for your effort in preparation and courage to stand in front of the group and demonstrate your skills.

Kudo seminar and grading with Paul Cale
Saturday 28 February – Kudo / Daidojuku seminar
Sunday 1 March – Kudo / Daidojuku grading

Who is Paul Cale sensei?

1) Kudo Daido Juku Branch Chief (Shibucho) for Australia.

• Appointed Shibucho by Jukucho Azuma Takashi 9th Dan, the founder of Kudo.
• First ever Australian Kudo Black Belt and graded in Japan by the founder.

2) International Kyokushin Budokaikan Branch Chief (Shibucho) for Australia

• Appointed Shibucho by Kaicho Jon Bluming 10th Dan, the founder of the IBK
• Graded to Shihan in Kyokushin Budokaikan by the founder

3) Yoshinkan Aikido Branch Chief under the International Yoshinkai Aikido Federation

• Bestowed with the dojo name Renshinkan by Soke Gozo Shioda 10th Dan, the founder of Aikido Yoshinkan

4) Additional Black Belts held in:

• Tomiki Aikido
• Kodokan Judo
• WTF Taekwondo

5) Graded to Brown Belt in BJJ by 6 time world champion Prof Robert Drysdale

• Graded to 4th level Brown Belt by Prof Richard Norton 4th Degree Jean Jacques Machado Black Belt

6) Founder of Kinetic Fighting Integrated Combat

• A Commando and veteran of multiple combat tours with Australian Special Forces
• Rewrote SF Close Quarter Fighting Course
• Creator of the Infantry Integrated Combat (IIC) Course and the Special Forces Integrated Combat (SFIC) Course
• Creator of Extreme Close Shooting (ECS) techniques

https://sobukan.com.au/kudo/

Yagai geiko

Recently a small group of Sobukan members interested in entering Kudo/BJJ/Karate/MMA competition have been meeting on Sunday mornings for conditioning training. This high-intensity training will test you, and we have enjoyed some lovely outdoor weather! We have been meeting at Goodwood Oval, but future sessions may be held anywhere: the beach, the military obstacle course, etc. If you are interested, please let me know.

This is what we did this week:

• Slow jog followed by stretches
• 400m sprints x 2
• 1 x min rounds of push ups, sumo squats, crunches, burpees
• 5 x 3min rounds on Thai pads
• More running
• 20 x pike chin ups
• Impact conditioning training – kicking and punching each other for 10 mins
• Pummelling, hip throws, arm drags
• Sprints pushing the car – approximately 500m
• Light jog
• 6 rounds of light sparring

Training camp

I am planning to hold a gasshuku training camp for all members, children, adults and families, at Aldinga Beach Holiday Park. We would start Saturday morning and stay until Sunday afternoon with training sessions throughout the days. We would hold multiple sessions throughout the day in kata, kumite, tegumi, jujutsu etc and also request Kensei to teach Iaijutsu (sword art) and ask Umehara sensei and Takumi to teach various aspects of Japanese culture, such as Japanese calligraphy, dance, games, language etc. Paul Tsiavlis (Marko and Christopher’s father) has offered to teach Amok knife fighting. There would also be beach, pool, and play time. There has been some interest in watching the Miyamoto Musashi movie, perhaps we could do that on the Saturday night. The camp would likely cost in the vicinity of $75 – 100 for the weekend per participant (might be able to find family discounts), depending on numbers and activities. Are you interested?

Below is a draft schedule for the gasshuku.

T-shirts for summer

Summer is here! Feel free to wear Sobukan t-shirts to training when it is too hot to wear a dogi, or when we have beach or outdoor training sessions.

Men:                        http://www.cafepress.com/sobukan.1265187466

Women:                                  http://www.cafepress.com/sobukan.1265187460

Children:               http://www.cafepress.com/sobukan.1265187454

Kotowaza – Fall down seven times, get up 8

七転び八起き（七転八起）

Nana korobi ya oki

I believe this was the very first kotowaza that I introduced a couple of years ago. It is one of my favourite Japanese sayings, and a timely reminder. Last month I wrote about goal setting. Setting, planning and executing goals is very important, but in order to succeed in your pursuit of challenging goals, resilience is essential. You must overcome adversity, and the best way to do so is to learn from setbacks and continue towards the goal. Easy wins do not make you stronger. When challenging yourself, you never lose. You either win or you learn. As Alfred said to Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins: ‘Why do we fall, sir? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up.’

Technical lesson – konohagaeshi/kotegaeshi

Incorrect hand position

Correct hand position

One of the most common ‘wrist locks’ is not actually a wrist lock!

Konohagaeshi (in Hakkoryu Jujutsu) or Kotegaeshi (in Aikido and many other jujutsu systems) turns the wrist to control an attacker to the ground. Most schools teach students to place the thumb on the little finger side of the back of the hand and twist the wrist to cause pain compliance in the attacker. However, this is not the optimum way to apply this technique, and offers the attacker an easy pathway to a rear naked choke. The correct way to utilise this technique is to allow the thumb to extend past the opponent’s middle knuckle and make contact with the base of the thumb – not the end of it! Turn the wrist over in a large arc, then straighten your arm and trop drop the opponent’s elbow to the floor using gravity and the weight of the arm. Maru-chon!

Keep your back straight. Leaning over will only reduce the effectiveness of the angle. Use the natural arc of the arm as it drops past your side. Your other arm can give the opponent a nudge to complete the destruction of their balance.

Ensure that the opponent’s hand never drops below their elbow – that will remove the effect of the technique and expose you to a counter.

Here is a step-by-step example:

1. Block a right haymaker punch with shuto uke and stick to the opponent’s arm.
2. Circle the opponent’s arm in an anticlockwise direction without gripping their arm.
3. When the arm passes your centre line, your fingers will cross the forearm, hook the base of the opponent’s thumb with your pinky, ring finger and middle finger. Your thumb will float past the opponent’s middle finger.
4. Continue the anticlockwise circle until the opponent’s hand is above their shoulder.
5. Straighten your arm so that the base of your thumb locks the opponent’s arm into position.
6. Drop the arm straight down in an arc towards your hip. Keep your back straight.
7. Use the other arm to topple the opponent if necessary.

Do:

• Relax
• Use the force of gravity and the weight of your arm
• Keep good posture
• Focus on the opponent’s elbow

Don’t:

• Force or rush the technique
• Squeeze or twist the opponent’s hand
• Try to hurt the wrist
• Let the opponent’s hand drop below their elbow

Happy New Year! I hope you have enjoyed a couple of weeks rest. We kick off again on Monday 5 January. I look forward to seeing you there!

Important dates in 2015

Kakizome

Umehara sensei will host kakizome from noon on Saturday 10 January. Kakizome literally means ‘first writing’ and is an opportunity for you to brush a Japanese character or word that symbolises your theme for 2015. Please give some thought to what theme you might like to choose and Umehara sensei and I will help translate them. Junior students are very welcome to attend the dojo for this ceremony, we might go out for some lunch afterwards.

In the past I have used:

2012 – 初心shoshin – beginner’s mind. Back to basics, to remember what it is like for students starting a martial art.

2013 – 養うyashinau – cultivate. To cultivate great martial artists.

2014 – 進むsusumu – progress. To develop all aspects of Sobukan dojo and our members.

For 2015 I have selected koujou, literally to ‘face or move up’, or to improve oneself.

向上

Grading

The first grading test of the year will be on Wednesday 21 January. Juniors will start from 6pm, but please be early in order to pay the $25 test fee in advance, and to get in some last minute practice. This should be a smaller grading, so we should wrap up more quickly than usual. If you are unsure of any of your grading requirements, please ask in the first lessons of the year.

There will be no regular classes on the night of the grading, but everyone is welcome to come and self-train. Partners will also be required, so advanced students can certainly assist, and beginner students should see this as an opportunity to familiarise themselves with grading test procedures. Photographers are also required!

Kudo seminar and grading

Paul Cale, head of Kudo Australia and holder of black belts in Kudo / Daidojuku, Judo, 7^th dan Kyokushin karate, 7^th dan Aikido and a brown belt in BJJ also heads the combat sports program (judo and boxing) for the AIS Olympic teams. He is a former special forces sergeant who trains US and Australian military units. You don’t want to miss training with him!

Saturday 28 February – Kudo / Daidojuku seminar

Sunday 1 March – Kudo / Daidojuku grading

https://sobukan.com.au/kudo/

Training camp

I am planning to hold a gasshuku training camp for all members, children, adults and families, at Aldinga Beach Holiday Park. We would start Saturday morning and stay until Sunday afternoon with training sessions throughout the days. We would hold multiple sessions throughout the day in kata, kumite, tegumi, jujutsu etc and also request Kensei to teach Iaijutsu (sword art) and ask Umehara sensei and Takumi to teach various aspects of Japanese culture, such as Japanese calligraphy, dance, games, language etc. Paul Tsiavlis (Marko and Christopher’s father) has offered to teach Amok knife fighting. There would also be beach, pool, and play time. There has been some interest in watching the Miyamoto Musashi movie, perhaps we could do that on the Saturday night. The camp would likely cost in the vicinity of $75 – 100 for the weekend per participant (might be able to find family discounts), depending on numbers and activities.

Are you interested?

Below is a draft schedule for the gasshuku.

T-shirts for summer

Summer is here! Feel free to wear Sobukan t-shirts to training when it is too hot to wear a dogi, or when we have beach or outdoor training sessions.

Men:                       http://www.cafepress.com/sobukan.1265187466

Women:                 http://www.cafepress.com/sobukan.1265187460

Children:               http://www.cafepress.com/sobukan.1265187454

Kotowaza – New Year’s greetings

In the lead up to, and including new years day, greet people with ‘yoi otoshi o omukae kudasai’. This can be shortened to yoi otoshi o for close friends.

良いお年をお迎えください

Once the new year has begun, greet people with ‘akemashite omedetou gozaimasu’. This is also often shortened to akemashite omedetou or even to ake-ome!

明けましておめでとうございます

Technical lesson – goal setting

A valuable lesson I have learned as a result of martial arts training is how to set and achieve goals. I believe the belt system is a great way to break a big goal into smaller, progressive parts. In addition to the dojo, I have applied this lesson successfully to language acquisition, university studies and work.

One of the most accepted goal-setting mnemonics is SMART. When considering your goal, ensure that it is:

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Relevant

Time-bound

For example: ‘I will obtain my black belt at Sobukan by 31 December 2018’ fulfils the SMART criteria, whereas simply stating ‘I will get a black belt’ does not, as it is not specific enough, nor time-bound. Once you have decided upon your goal, consider using the GROW model to help you achieve it.

Goal                         Where do you want to be? Decide your goal according the abovementioned SMART criteria.

Reality                         Where are you? Consider your present situation, barriers, challenges and your strengths. You might wish to use the SWOT mnemonic (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats).

Options                 How can you achieve your goal? Brainstorm options.

Way forward             Lets do it! Choose from your options, plan your success and implement it! Break your long-term goal into short and medium-term goals and calculate what you need to do to achieve them. Make allowances for setbacks (injury, illness, large bills, etc). Tell supportive people about your goal and implementation plan to build accountability. It is easy to fall behind if you only answer to yourself.

So back to our example: If your goal is to achieve a Sobukan black belt by December 2018, and you are currently an orange belt, you may plan to achieve your green belt by June 2015, your blue belt by June 2016, your brown belt by June 2017 and your black belt by December 2018. This timeframe is realistic and allows enough time for minor setbacks, but you will need to work out what to do on a daily and weekly basis. You may plan to attend 3 classes per week, practice kata and watch the syllabus videos on days off, and read one martial art book per month or search youtube once a week for martial art techniques. Purchasing KU DVDs and attending at least one martial art seminar per year is highly recommended. You may wish to compete in Kudo, Karate, Judo, BJJ or MMA as part of your preparation. You will need to schedule by when you need to learn each drill, and be proactive in asking for assistance in learning them.

Your goal need not be a belt colour or a competition result or even related to martial arts at all. However, without concrete goals people tend to achieve less. Proper goal setting can help you achieve financial, professional, academic, health, family, creative and/or social goals and improve your life. Fail to plan, and you plan to fail!

End of year dates
The last day of training will be Monday 22 December and we will resume classes on Monday 5 January. Please enjoy a safe, healthy, happy Christmas and New Years break with family and friends.

Christmas party
This year, we will have a joint Christmas party with the Judo club, who will provide a BBQ and bouncy castle. Please RSVP by Sunday December 7.
When: 11am Sunday 14 December
Where: Oaklands Estate Reserve, just behind the old driver training centre on Oaklands Rd, Warradale. Enter from Oaklands Road at the lights opposite Hendrie Street    
Bring: Party food, drinks, sunscreen, games – BBQ and salads will be provided
Activities: Bouncy castle, suika wari (watermelon smashing) for the kids. Food, drinks and company for the adults.

T-shirts for summer
Summer is here! Feel free to wear Sobukan t-shirts to training when it is too hot to wear a dogi, or when we have beach or outdoor training sessions.

I have removed the camoflauge kids t-shirts due to quality issues. If you have experience any issues with Cafepress items, please contact them for replacement or refund.

Men:                       http://www.cafepress.com/sobukan.1265187466
Women:                 http://www.cafepress.com/sobukan.1265187460
Children:               http://www.cafepress.com/sobukan.1265187454

Kudo seminar and grading
Cale sensei holds black belts in Kudo / Daidojuku, Judo, Kyokushin karate, Aikido and a brown belt in BJJ. He heads the combat sports program (judo and boxing) for the AIS Olympic teams. He is a former special forces soldier who trains US and Australian military units. Further details to follow soon. You don’t want to miss training with him!

Unfortunately due to other commitments, Kudo Australia head Paul Cale had to postpone his visit.
The new dates are:
Saturday 28 February – Kudo / Daidojuku seminar
Sunday 1 March – Kudo / Daidojuku grading

Training camp
I would like to hold gasshuku training camp for all members, children, adults and families, at Aldinga Beach Holiday Park. We would start Saturday morning and stay until Sunday afternoon with training sessions throughout the days. We would hold multiple sessions throughout the day in kata, kumite, tegumi, jujutsu etc and also request Kensei to teach Iaijutsu (sword art) and ask Umehara sensei and Takumi to teach various aspects of Japanese culture, such as Japanese calligraphy, dance, games, language etc. There would also be beach, pool, and play time. There has been some interest in watching the Miyamoto Musashi movie, perhaps we could do that on the Saturday night. The camp would likely cost in the vicinity of $75 – 100 for the weekend per participant (might be able to find family discounts), depending on numbers and activities.

Are you interested?

Kotowaza

逃げるが勝ち
Nigeru ga kachi
‘Escape is a win’

This kotowaza reminds us that it is in everyone’s interests to avoid unnecessary violence. This is reflected in the Hakkoryu Jujutsu philosophy of ‘do not challenge, do not resist, do not injure’.
挑まず、逆らわず、傷つけず。

It is reasserted in Sobukan’s self defence stages of:

1. Avoid
2. Escape
3. Negotiate
4. Fight (physical defence)

If you avoid violence, you do not need to escape. If you escape, you do not need to negotiate. If you negotiate successfully, you do not need to fight. If you fail in stages 1 – 3, then you should take the initiative and respond to the threat with a level of violence appropriate to the situation.

This lesson is reflected in Sobukan’s fight exit strategy. Again escape is the first choice:

1. Get out
2. Knock out
3. Choke out
4. Arrest (depending on occupational or situational requirements, skill level, and level of violence faced)

There is no shame in choosing not to fight. Possessing fighting skills does not mandate you to use them. There are no winners in using unnecessary violence. Even if you emerge unhurt, often the legal, moral and financial battle has just begun. If you truly have no choice, fight hard. If you have a choice, choose to avoid violence.

Technical lesson – palm heel strikes 賞底当て
Martial artists often practice punches, but open-handed strikes are often preferable for self-defence, especially when striking the head. Punches can damage your opponent, but your fist is also vulnerable to the impact. If you break your fist before you have escaped the violent situation, you are in trouble! Open-handed strikes blend well with trapping, clinching and grappling techniques.

The palm heel strike is one example of an effective open-handed strike. Power generation and deliver is very similar to punches, but lock the hand back to the wrist and strike with the heel of the palm, which should be aligned with the strong bones in the arm. When striking the face with a straight-line attack, keep the fingers raised vertically. This keeps the fingertips close to the opponent’s eyes for additional damage if necessitated. When striking the body the fingers should be horizontal. The risk of striking the body with vertical fingers is that if the opponent slumps forward from the impact, they may unintentionally wrist lock your striking hand. A punch is often a safer weapon when striking the body.

Naruto demonstrates the wrong way to palm heel strike the body.

Please find additional resources for learning more about palm heel strikes:
http://www.shinkitaikarate.ca/Scona/Glossary/S/shoutei%20ate/shoutei%20ate.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT4KKDastjI

T-shirts for summer

Summer is almost upon us! Feel free to wear Sobukan performance dry T-shirts or kids Sobukan yin yang t-shirts to training when it is too hot to wear a gi, or when we have beach or outdoor training sessions. When ordering, please keep in mind that they are quite big sizes, as a guide I wear a small size.

Men:                        http://www.cafepress.com/sobukan.1265187466
Women:                  http://www.cafepress.com/sobukan.1265187460
Children:                http://www.cafepress.com/sobukan.1265187454

Dojo mats/carpets

The dojo owners will be doing some renovations over the next week, including new carpets and maintenance of the air conditioning. Therefore we only have half the mat space for the next week. Sorry for the inconvenience in the meantime.

AsiaFest

Thank you to everyone who participated in the AsiaFest demonstration on October 5. Information and pictures available at:                  https://sobukan.com.au/2014/10/06/asiafest/.

Fight for Life

Jo Purvis and I participated in the Fight for Life event on October 12. A lot of fun was had, and $2500 was raised for cancer research. Unfortunately I don’t have any photos, as I was busy teaching and training, but it was a lot of fun and raised the awareness not only of cancer, but also of Kudo. There are a number of local judo, karate, kenpo and jujutsu clubs interested in competing.

Kudo delay

Unfortunately the head of Kudo Australia, Paul Cale, is contracted to shooting a TV show and will need to delay his visit to Adelaide for the Kudo seminar and grading, which was planned for November 29/30. I will continue to communicate with him to schedule new dates early in 2015. Watch this space…

Annual form reminder

Just a reminder to provide a new Goshin judo membership form when paying your annual membership. Thank you to all who have paid their annual fee, but the judo club requires the form, and I need it to identify what fees are payable to the judo club. I have attached the form just in case yours is outstanding.

Kotowaza

柔能く剛を制す

Ju yoku go o seisu (Soft often beats hard)

This is immediately applicable to martial learning. Soft techniques (jujutsu) often beat hard (karate) ones. This is true, especially at the most advanced levels. However, I would contend that you are best learning the hard first. Too many people learn only the soft and this rarely prepares them for the realities of violence. You need to understand the hard to apply the soft.

Another possible loose translation is ‘honey catches more flies than vinegar’. A gentle approach is often far superior to an aggressive approach. There is more chance of you finding violence if you walk around flexing your muscles and scowling at everyone than if you appear friendly and confidently.

Last week we experienced a powerful thunderstorm. The next morning, there were large branches on the road that had fallen from strong trees. However, the roses in our garden had barely lost a petal. 柳に風yanagi ni kaze (wind in the willow) and 柳に雪折れ無しyanagi ni yuki orenashi (willow does not break in snow) are two other kotowaza that express the same concept.

As Bruce Lee would have said ‘Be water, my friend’!

Technical lesson – Kesa gatame escape

Kesa gatame (scarf hold) is just like a headlock on the ground, and can be a really tough position to escape from.

In addition to holding your neck or head, the opponent will usually try to control the arm on the close side. Ronda Rousey recently used this position to great effect in the UFC, inspiring more interest in learning how to use it.

There are three basic, yet great escapes from this position. The common points are to protect your close arm and to keep your opponent off-balance, throwing them in the direction in which their balance is broken.

1. If the opponent is holding you down tight in a right-side kesa gatame, drop your right elbow into the ground close to your body. Brace your left hand against the back of their right shoulder, and bridge strongly into the opponent, pushing and rolling the opponent’s shoulder forward. Their right arm will often hit the ground to prevent the opponent falling face first towards the ground. This will create enough space to slip under their right arm and to take back control.
2. If the opponent is sitting upright in a right-side kesa gatame, turn into their body and reach around their back with your left arm. Grab your own arm and squeeze hard into the opponent’s floating ribs. Shift your hips underneath your opponent and bridge hard to your left, throwing them over your shoulder. You can then transition to your own kesa gatame.
3. If the opponent is leaning back while holding you in a right-side kesa gatame, hip escape to the left and turn into the opponent. Swing your left leg over the opponent’s head and close your fit around their neck. Swing your body legs down and sit up on top of the opponent.

Youtube sensei provides further instruction below, courtesy of Stephen Kesting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Im8IKc8NeY

Yesterday we demonstrated martial arts in the Japan section of the first AsiaFest. This was a massive event and a huge success. There was a wide range of community members from all corners of the globe, and the event was very well organised. In fact, I think the popularity of the festival surprised even the promoters and stall holders, many of whom sold out! Umehara san, Kensei, Takumi, Gandalf, Satoe and some of our other members were at the festival from morning to evening all three days participating in many cultural events. It would not be an overstatement to say that these people held the Japanese quarter together. Many long days and nights of preparation went into this festival.

Thank you very much to Shanelle Franklin, Greg and the rest of the AsiaFest promotion/management crew who have done a wonderful job of bringing together this festival in a short period of time. Not only have they done an excellent job in their very first year, but Shanelle managed to keep a smile on her face the entire time, and took time to talk to everyone (even taking care of Satoe for a while during the Bonodori dance). She made it look easy – despite her radio and two mobile phones constantly keeping her busy! Security took initiative and fast-tracked demonstrators and parents through the gates who otherwise would have missed the show.

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in our demonstration at AsiaFest yesterday. I am so lucky to have so many dedicated students and supporters. In particular, thank you to Umehara san, who was not only responsible for our invitation, but despite a very hectic schedule, participated in our demonstration and threw me around with some great jujutsu moves!

A huge shout out to Pacey – my lieutenant – who has given so much to the club and is always there when I need him. Also to the ever-reliable Raghu, who never misses an event, whether a competition, demonstration etc. Big thanks to Jo and the Purvis family, who are some of our keenest members, who came complete with all their Sobukan merchandise and even helped look after baby Tai.

Thanks to Gandalf, Max, Jayrell, Arian, Neysan, Marko, Christopher, Dylan, Joel, and our Karate-bu members Aiko, Meg, Satoe, Kazuya, Shunyo and Lennon for their constant efforts and for often introducing new students to our little dojo. Of course a huge thank you to my son Sei for being a dojo leader and always wanting to do kumite and wife Miho for helping out! Many of our children handed out flyers yesterday. Fingers crossed that these lead to more members! A round of applause to the parents who bring their children to each class and wait patiently while their children train, and also taxi them to these events. Finally, thank you to the others who did not demonstrate, but came to AsiaFest and took photos or just lent support. You are the best bunch!

A massive THANK YOU so much to everyone who has supported Sobukan over the past 3 years, especially to our present, past (and future) members and their families! Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate our 3^rd year anniversary, despite the AFL inconsiderately arranging to have their grand final on the day of our anniversary celebration.

It was perfect picnic weather at Himeji Gardens yesterday, and three weddings and a family of ducklings only enhanced the atmosphere. We ate, drank and smashed a huge watermelon with a wooden sword. Later a group of us went to Sakura Teppanyaki for the delicious food and entertainment of watching our friends drop eggs and pancakes on the floor. After dropping a raw egg and not catching some cooked egg in my mouth, I almost redeemed myself by catching two – and very nearly three pancakes!

This anniversary has encouraged me to revisit my motivations for establishing this dojo. The seed was planted in 1992, while I was preparing for my black belt in Shito-ryu karate. After dedicating 7 years of my life to my original martial art, became aware of its limitations. I began wanting more and started searching for a new dojo. I visited and trained with many people in a very broad range of martial arts. I sought a dojo that was safe and friendly, taught brutally effective and comprehensive martial skills, and was headed by a sensei that inspired me. I had a soft spot for Japan, so if the dojo taught Japanese martial arts, I would have considered that to be a bonus.

A brief training trip to Japan in 1993 and a violent encounter in Australia fuelled my desire to find the most effective training available. I desperately searched for a traditional yet progressive dojo that taught realistic self-defensive techniques and tactics, physical conditioning and pushed me to my limits. The dojo had to teach functional striking and grappling, and tactics against weapons and multiple attackers. I found several dojo that fulfilled many of the criteria, but none that fulfilled all of them. I decided that if I couldn’t find the ‘perfect’ dojo, then I should build one. I then dedicated the next two decades to researching the best martial arts on the planet and establishing the kind of dojo I yearned for.

I trained extensively in many martial arts in Australia, Thailand and of course spent 6 years, plus many short trips training in Japan. I have studied several styles of karate and jujutsu, judo, wrestling, escrima, pangamot, boxing, kickboxing, muay Thai, shooto, BJJ, MMA, krav maga, Koryu Uchinadi Kenpo Jutsu and of course Kudo. I also attended seminars and trained with friends in other systems.

The result is Sobukan Martial Arts. Our training combines the physical conditioning and solo combat effectiveness of Kudo with the kata of Koryu Uchinadi Kenpo Jutsu, the sophisticated and traditional arresting techniques of Hakkoryu Jutsu, the submissions of BJJ and self-defence tactics from Krav Maga. Our motto is healthier, happier safer. Our mission is to produce quality martial artists with broad-based skills to enable them to protect themselves and their families in a wide range of situations. We try to contribute to the development of young people by providing a vehicle to build confidence, concentration and discipline, and to teach them how to set and achieve goals. I am very proud of our traditional yet progressive little dojo and I am very pleased that it has attracted so many like-minded individuals. Our black belts will be skilful in all fighting ranges, and good community members. I hope that in 20 years from now, Sobukan will have contributed positively to many lives, and that many of our current members continue to be a part of our dojo.

 
Grading results
Well done to everyone who tested for a new grade on Wednesday 24^th or Saturday 27^th. Sobukan now has a new range of coloured belts, including Sobukan’s first ever blue belt, awarded to Steven (Pacey) Pace on Saturday! I was very proud of the effort that our members had put into their preparation. It was very clear who had spent hours at home reviewing and practicing their grading criteria. Some have already received their new belts and certificates (these are new!), and other results will be announced at lessons over the near future. Congratulations to those who have passed outright, and good luck to those who need to finish their gradings at a later date.

Important dates
Sunday October 5            AsiaFest demo
Sunday October 13          Fight for Life training day
Saturday November 29   Kudo seminar
Sunday November 30     Kudo grading

AsiaFest

A brand new 3-day Asian festival hits Adelaide in this year, and it is complete with Sumo wrestlers and all! Thank you to everyone who has advised of their availability.
http://www.southaustralia.com/info.aspx?id=9012513
Where:                   AsiaFest – Rymill Park Adelaide
When:   Sunday 5^th October at 2pm (meet at 1:30pm)
Who:      All available Sobukan and karate-bu students

AsiaFest Demonstration schedule

Fight for Life
Come and train with SA’s elite instructors and raise money for cancer research – sounds like a win-win to me! Last year was a lot of fun and for a very good cause. My own father is battling cancer, so this has special significance to me. Your support will be highly appreciated. I will be teaching Kudo on the day.
https://www.facebook.com/events/738726102850178/
Where:                   LeFevre Community Stadium, Port Adelaide, South Australia 5014
When:   Sunday 12^th October 9:30am – 3:30pm
Who:      All available Sobukan and karate-bu students over the age of 12
What:    Train with 10 different instructors in different martial arts for cancer research
Cost:      $50

Kotowaza
虎穴に入らずんば虎児を得ずKoketsu ni irazunba koji o ezu

Literally ‘You don’t catch a tiger cub without entering the tiger’s cave’. In English we might say ‘without risk there is no reward’. This is handy advise to those who may be reluctant to pursue a goal for fear of failure, whether it be a career, starting a new business, quitting a job, getting married, entering a competition or trying a grading test. It is better to challenge yourself and fail than to regret not even trying when it is too late.

 
Technical lesson – escaping from mount using the broken table principle
Although not limited to the mount position, the broken table principle is one of the most important lessons for escaping from the mounted position. Think of a table with four legs. It is stable all round. Even if you nudge it, it should remain standing.

What happens when you remove one leg?

Well, it may remain standing, but it is no longer stable and placing weight on the table, or pressure from the side may cause the table to topple over. So, what happens when you remove two legs on the same side? That piece of furniture is no longer functional. The weight of the table alone is sufficient to upside it.

OK, but what can Ikea teach me about martial arts? Well, imagine that an opponent mounted on top of you is a table. Trap an arm and leg on the same side of the body. Give the slightest of nudges, or better yet, bridge and roll in the direction of the trapped arm. Now you understand one of the two most important principles for escaping when trapped underneath an opponent.

Mount position

When trapped in the mount position:

1. Keep your elbows and feet close to your body, with your hands in front of your neck and face.
2. Buck your hips up to off-balance your opponent. If their weight is high, bump them with your knee.
3. Trap one arm against your chest using two hands. Hook the foot on the same side with your anke.
4. Buck and roll over your shoulder on the side of the trapped arm. That’s it – you’re out!

For detailed instruction, please see the following instructional clip on youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPzMbTEHwZE

Grading

Sorry – I made a mistake in the last newsletter. The grading date will be Wednesday 24^th September. Grading tests are $25 per person, payable before the test. Please bring your grading syllabus. 

Juniors will start at 6pm, but please come early if possible. I will be there from 5pm. I hope to start the senior grading test at 7pm, but please be prepared for some delay. Please note that regular classes will not be held due to the grading, but please come along even if you are not testing. Not only will it be good practice, you will be helping your club-mates out.

Karate-bu students will have a grading test from 12:40 on Saturday 27^th September.

通常の空手部レッスンの代わりに、９月２７日１２時４０分からは昇級試験を行います。添付したシラバスを印刷して、ご持参下さい。試験を受けない生徒さんもどうぞご参加ください。当日はスタンプを押しませんが、試験を受ける生徒さんは＄２５の試験代を請求します。試験を受けない生徒さんは当日無料です。 

If you are unsure of anything in your grading syllabus, please be proactive and ask me – or a higher belt – to help you learn it. Much of the grading syllabus is also now available on video if you bring me a USB. Good luck with your preparation!

Anniversary

Lets get together on Saturday 27^th September at 3pm at Himeji Gardens for a picnic to celebrate the 3^rd anniversary of Sobukan! These annual Himeji Gardens picnics are becoming a bit of a tradition, and the gardens themselves are beautiful. Please bring something to share. There is a new Japanese izakaya in Hyde Park I would love to go to afterwards if we have a few takers.

９月２７日昇級試験の後、総武館３周年記念日ピクニックにどうぞ参加してください。３時ごろお集りください。

Australian Kudo Championship

Kudos to Raghu, who travelled to Gold Coast to compete in the Australian Kudo Championship. It was a late decision, with only a few weeks preparation, which exemplifies the courage of the Chennai Warrior. Raghu showed great commitment and courage travelling all the way to the Gold Coast to fight in one of the world’s toughest and most complete combat sports – and achieved his goal of gain experience against tough competition. He was also graded to 7th kyu in Kudo/Daidojuku. We are proud of you Raghu!! The head of Kudo Australia will be holding a seminar and grading in Adelaide over the weekend November 29-30, more information to come on that soon.

AsiaFest

A brand new 3-day Asian festival hits Adelaide in this year, and it is complete with Sumo wrestlers and all! We had such a great turnout and demonstration at the Adelaide Sports and Fitness Expo in May, and I hope we can do something very similar for AsiaFest. Please confirm your availability via email so that I can start planning.

相撲試合もあるアジアフェストで演武をしますので、総武館＆空手部の皆様もご参加ください。参加出来るかどうか、是非ご確認ください。

Where:  AsiaFest – Rymill Park Adelaide

When:  Sunday 5^th October

Who:   All Sobukan and 空手部 students

What:  Kata, kumite, tegumi, quadrant, skit

http://www.southaustralia.com/info.aspx?id=9012513

Fight for Life

Come and train with SA’s elite instructors and raise money for cancer research – sounds like a win-win to me! Last year was a lot of fun and for a very good cause. My own father is battling cancer, so this has special significance to me. Your support will be highly appreciated.

https://www.facebook.com/events/738726102850178/

Important dates

Wednesday September 24 grading test

Saturday September 27 – 3^rd anniversary (and karate-bu grading test)

Sunday October 5 – demonstration at AsiaFest

Sunday October 13 – Fight for Life training day raising funds for cancer research

Saturday November 29 – Kudo seminar

Sunday November 30 – Kudo grading

Kotowaza

進まざる者は必ず退き、退かざる者は必ず進む

Susumazaru mono wa kanarazu shirizoki, shirizokazaru mono wa kanarazu susumu.

Those who do not progress will undeniably regress. Those who do not regress will undeniably progress.

One of Japan’s greatest educators, Fukuzawa Yukichi, advises that there is no such thing as maintaining level. You are either getting better, or worse. In which direction are you heading?

Technical lesson – Rear Naked Choke (RNC)

This is the king of the chokes. Called Hadaka Jime in Japanese and Mata Leao in Portugese, this easy choke will put anyone to sleep. Junior students are not taught this technique, and certainly don’t not try it at home. Also, please do not allow your children to do a internet search for Rear Naked Choke – that is inappropriate for many reasons.

Putting someone to sleep is the only way to guarantee that an attacker cannot continue with a dangerous violent attack, and to the best of my knowledge there are only 3 non-chemical methods of achieving this:

1. Knock out
2. Choke out
3. Play Brahms Lullaby

There are several categories of chokes:

• Blood chokes – prevent blood flow to the brain
• Air chokes – prevent air flow to the lungs
• Gi choke – garment used to constrict the neck
• Naked chokes – no garment required to constrict the neck

The RNC is a naked blood choke applied from the rear of the opponent. Blood chokes are much safer and faster than air chokes. The lack of a requirement to use a garment means that this choke can be applied in more scenarios than a gi choke. As this is applied from behind the opponent, it is much safer than if you were standing in front of a violent attacker. There are many variations, and today I will explain the ‘sleeper hold’ method, which is arguably the most effective.

The biggest challenge to apply the RNC effectively is getting behind your opponent. Arm-drags, duck-unders and all sorts of wrestling moves are used to achieve this. Once you get there, you need to be slightly higher than your opponent. If you are on both on the ground, this is easy. If you are standing, a stomp to the back of the knee will achieve the desire result. Your armpits need to be at the height of the top of the opponent’s shoulders. 

Wrap your right arm around the opponent’s neck tightly with your elbow directly in front of the opponent’s chin. Place your right hand on your left bicep, and your left elbow in front of the opponent’s left shoulder. Karate-chop your left hand to the back of the opponent’s neck, with the back of your hand against the back of their head. Lock your chin down on top of your left hand. The choke should already be tight at this point, and all that is left is to constrict. Breathe out and collapse your body towards your opponent, removing all space between your bodies and squeezing your elbows together. Then take a deep breath, continuing to constrict your opponent’s neck. It should take no more than a second for them to lose consciousness if you do not let go, so please take great caution in practice and be ready to release immediately when your partner taps or makes gurgly noises. 

Again, I repeat: This technique is not for children and should not be practiced without great care and supervision!

Video tutorial by Clark Gracie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDaq6Fu1vGc

Grading

Less than two months until the grading, which will be held on Saturday 27 August. If you are unsure of anything in your grading syllabus, please be proactive and ask me – or a higher belt – to help you learn it. Much of the grading syllabus is also now available on video if you bring me a USB. Good luck with your preparation!

Anniversary

Lets also celebrate Sobukan’s 3^rd birthday!! Boy, time has flown! What would you like to do to celebrate? A dinner? Movie night? I am willing to hear ideas, my only stipulation be that it is family friendly. Previously we have had parties at Himeji (Japanese) Gardens.

Australian Kudo Championships

I will be travelling to Brisbane and the Gold Coast on the weekend of August 23/24 to attend the Kudo Australia Championships to research the art/sport, meet the other Shibucho and learn how to hold competitions here in Adelaide.

Survey

Thank you to everyone who participated in the SurveyMonkey survey, the results are very interesting! The most striking result is how even the responses have been!

But which art have most people listed as their favourite? Hakkoryu Jujutsu!

And what is the favourite skill to learn? Striking!

Yes, I realise that these results appear to contradict each other, but they are very close…

Movie competition

Competition? Well, I guess you have to be fast – Thank you to the generosity of Universal Pictures, I wil have 5 double tickets to give away to see LUCY. This action movie is not for kids. I have seen the trailer, and it looks great! Just send me an email to chris@sobukan.com.au. First in best entertained. Current members only!

From La Femme Nikita and The Professional to The Fifth Element, writer/director Luc Besson has created some of the toughest, most memorable female action heroes in cinematic history. Now, Besson directs Scarlett Johansson in Lucy, an action-thriller that tracks a woman accidentally caught in a dark deal who turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic.

Lucy also stars Academy Award® winner Morgan Freeman and is produced by Virginie Besson-Silla for EuropaCorp.

Release date: In Cinemas July 31


URL: FACEBOOK.COM/UNIVERSALPICTURESAU

URL: http://www.lucymovie.com.au
©

2014 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved

AsiaFest demonstration

A brand new 3-day Asian festival hits Adelaide in this year, and it is complete with Sumo wrestlers and all! They asked us to demonstrate each day, but I understand that sort of commitment is not easy for families, and have agreed to demonstrating on Sunday October 6 only. We had such a great turnout and demonstration at the Expo in May, and I hope we can do something very similar for AsiaFest. Please confirm your availability via email so that I can start planning.

http://www.southaustralia.com/info.aspx?id=9012513

Fight for Life

Come and train with SA’s elite instructors and raise money for cancer research – sounds like a win-win to me! Last year was a lot of fun and for a very good cause. My own father is battling cancer, so this has special significance to me. Your support will be highly appreciated.

https://www.facebook.com/events/738726102850178/

Important dates

Saturday September 27 – 3^rd anniversary and grading test

Sunday October 6 – demonstration at AsiaFest

Sunday October 13 – Fight for Life training day raising funds for cancer research

Kotowaza 一刀両断

Ittou ryoudan

Translation of characters:

一 one

刀 sword

両 both, two

断 cut, refuse, sever, absolute

You might guess that this kotowaza means ‘double-edged sword’, but means to take decisive action without hesitation – an essential skill in self defence. So how can we become more decisive? Action is quicker than reaction – one of the best techniques is to visualise yourself in various self defence scenarios until you can see yourself winning. Regular visualisation will help you build a bank of contingency plans for defending yourself or your family.

Confidence in your skills is also essential for decisive action, and this only comes through regularly challenging yourself outside of your comfort zone. For children we do this by facilitating a series of successes in progressively difficult conditions, which the belt system provides the ideal framework.

Finally, maintaining awareness of your situation is essential to proactive action. We talk about the Cooper Colour codes, which is a universally accepted standard of alertness levels. Walking around listening to loud music on headphones while playing games on a tablet or smartphone is asking for trouble. Don’t be an easy target! Be aware, act decisively and keep safe.

Technical lesson

Train to hit, train to be blocked, train to miss.

To know is not enough. You must do it – and do it regularly enough to develop muscle memory. If a technique is not second nature, you will waste micro-seconds considering a move before using it when it really counts. Repetition, while it can be boring, is truly the mother of skill. 

Most people in the martial arts train to hit a target, or at least intend to. Many do not realise that they are actually training to miss – which is also an essential skill. Some forget to train to be blocked. All of these are essential – and in proportion. A great many modern karate schools almost soley practice punching the air. Their primary training tools are the 3Ks – kihon, kata and kumite. There is nothing wrong with this approach, but I take issue with the training methods. They train kihon (basic techniques) purely by punching and kicking imaginary targets. They only practice kata (pre-arranged patterns) against invisible opponents. And they practice pulling their punches and kicks an inch short of the partner’s face in kumite (sparring). This actually programs the mind and body to miss. Practising to miss is important, but must be done in context. If all of your striking practice was against a heavy bag, you would likely throw yourself off balance and expose yourself to a counterattack the first time a real opponent avoided your strikes. Practicing kihon in the air trains us to maintain balance and guard in the inevitable event that 100% of our strikes do not connect. You learn to pull the power at the end of the strike and quickly prepare yourself for your next move. In a one hour class, I think it would be prudent to spend 10-15 minutes on ‘missing’. 

The first time an opponent blocks your punches or kicks, the impact may take you by surprise. Okinawan karate-ka spend hours conditioning their bodies for the impact. So do Thai boxers, judoka and every other combative athlete. If your purpose for training is self defence, you don’t need to condition your body to that level, but you do need to have a certain level of preparation for the impact you are likely to receive. If professional fighters like Anderson Silva break bones when their techniques are blocked, then so may ours. Koryu Uchinadi Kenpo Jutsu two person drills and medium contact sparring are great for teaching your body to safely absorb impact and maintain the composure to continue to defend yourself. Lets spend another 10-15 minutes of the hour training this. 

Finally, the ultimate goal is to make contact when we hit, and therefore we must spend the most time training this. Any Okinawan karate master will advocate the utility of the makiwara, or punching pad. Decades of pounding a cushioned, yet solid object turns soft hands into deadly weapons. What is more important that the toughening of the hands though, is the ability to safely generate power and deliver impact to a target. Fortunately we don’t have to rely on straw targets anymore, we have far more effective and safe training tools available to us: focus mitts, Thai pads, kick shields, heavy bags, speed balls and floor-to-ceiling balls all move and absorb impact in different ways, enabling them to replicate the human body much more effectively than the stationary makiwara (which is still a great training apparatus). We also need to practice hitting people, in order to develop our ability to select and strike targets and to address the psychological components of hitting another human being. We do this in a controlled environment using boxing gloves, shin pads, Kudo headgear and other safety equipment. The remaining 30-40 minutes of the hour should be dedicated to practicing hitting.

Of course, I have only discussed striking in this article. At Sobukan we also throw, sweep, wrestle, choke, submit, arrest, lock, disarm etc. However, the concept remains that training the body and mind requires significant repetition. In an emergency situation, you will recall what is in your short term memory first, and in a violent conflict, every microsecond is precious, so regular training in relevant skills is essential.

Competition? Well, I guess you have to be fast – Thank you to the generosity of Universal Pictures, I wil have 5 double tickets to give away to see LUCY. This action movie is classified MA, so is best suited to our adult members, or parents of children who an arrange babysitters. I have seen the trailer, and it looks great! Just send me an email to chris@sobukan.com.au. First in best entertained. Current members only!

From La Femme Nikita and The Professional to The Fifth Element, writer/director Luc Besson has created some of the toughest, most memorable female action heroes in cinematic history. Now, Besson directs Scarlett Johansson in Lucy, an action-thriller that tracks a woman accidentally caught in a dark deal who turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic.

Lucy also stars Academy Award® winner Morgan Freeman and is produced by Virginie Besson-Silla for EuropaCorp.

Release date: In Cinemas July 31
URL: FACEBOOK.COM/UNIVERSALPICTURESAU
URL: http://www.lucymovie.com.au
© 2014 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved