Happy New Year From The AOKA January 2009 By Grandmaster Mitch Kobylanski, AOKA President

Well 2009 has arrived and as we look around it is very easy to get sucked into the vortex of Martial Inspiration doom and gloom. The economy has hit a new low and many of our instructors, black belts and students are facing uncertainty in the job market. Popcorn Please Without much effort, we can all get on the bandwagon and agree that this is going to be a bad, depressing year. This is where I will have to disagree. I see this as a very good year Just Do It! for Isshinryu and the AOKA in particular. The martial art that we have all chosen, has made each and everyone of us accomplish things that none of us even conceived possible Warrior College just a short time ago. Summit

With that being said, this year will without a doubt be challenging. Many of our students or their parents will lose their jobs or have their working hours cut back. This will have a po- tential negative impact on your dojo’s membership unless you use some innovative ways to help them during these trying times.

One way could be to have a special class once a month or twice a month where these stu- dents can come at either no cost or very little cost to keep their techniques and katas honed. This could maintain their level of expertise and not lose sight of everything that they have accomplished so far. It will also keep them in the wings until things turn around. As an organization, the board has decided to divide up responsibilities so that we have a more concentrated effort. Grand Master Young will be working with international dojos interested in joining the AOKA, Grand Master Mady will concentrate on working with and bringing in new dojos in Canada and I will work with dojos in the U.S. Although we will be heading up the effort, in turn we will enlist help from other high ranking Dans.

In closing, life is what we make of it. We all should make the decision that no matter what The Makiwara is published we face, we will approach it like a warrior and fight until we win. Please join me in once every two months or as making this a year to remember. required by the AOKA. The Makiwara is property of the AOKA. Contents may not be Black Belt in Parenting reproduced or used in another By Master HC Butch McLaughlin, Rokudan, Charlotte, NC publication without express written permission from the When we think about earning a black belt we of course are reminded of the trials and rigors AOKA. Deadline for submis- that a martial arts student endures to reach that coveted prize. We might even think of the sion is the end of the month business world that has taken to using this icon of achievement to give accolade to those prior to publication. AOKA members of all levels are in- who have mastered the art of Six Sigma quality management strategies. vited to submit articles for The Makiwara. But can you become a black belt in parenting? First of all disavow yourself from any no- Please send questions, com- tion that a black belt is someone that knows everything. So with that burden gone, visualize ments or contributions to the what you would like to see your relationship with your child be like. Quality time spent Newsletter Committee to have sharing…respectful… friendly… loving… etc. In this article series you will explore what answered in the next edition:

this means, using martial arts principles of training you will earn your black belt in parent- ing. [email protected]

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(Black Belt in Parenting -Continued from page 1) and faster and, as parents, many view their children as “smarter then they.” In turn this message is conveyed to There are a number of steps to take towards these goals. the child. While it may be true in some cases the child The first is to establish a relational hierarchy. Too often does not yet possess the experience or wisdom to make as parents we let ourselves get pulled into a “friendship” decisions on behalf of themselves or other members of relationship far too soon in the child’s development. their family; therefore, regardless of the child’s IQ, the Once the relationship is solidified, the love and respect hierarchy must remain, the parent must make a decision loses the unconditional quality that exists between parent and the child must trust the parent and follow those direc- and child. When you then attempt to modify that rela- tions. Trust has to be cultivated. tionship in order to properly address punishable behavior, the respect has never cultivated and the act will cause the What If I’ve already started this habit? same grief as the loss of a friend, through a move. Break it immediately. Be very matter of fact with the In the martial arts, a structural hierarchy is used in terms child. “I’ve realized that I haven’t been parenting you as of belt ranks, as well as assistant instructors, instructors, much as I’ve tried to be your friend. As much as I love teachers and masters. In doing this the student under- you this isn’t the best way for our family to function.” stands their role at all times. The expectations of that role Then explain how things will change. Start in areas that are very clear, and it enables them to grow and flourish. often cause conflict and arguments (bed time, homework, Verses an unstructured hierarchy leads a student to ques- practice, etc.). tion authority based on incomplete knowledge. Children crave structure and despite rebelling against it As parents, if a lack of hierarchy exists, and children see from time to time they prefer it. Would you want to play themselves on the same level as the parent, it can lead to football with no rules? No officials? Maybe, as long as disobedience, disrespect, and danger to the child. Each things are going your way! As soon as problems arise, successive generation seems to gain knowledge sooner there has to be structure to restore order.

Musings on Finding a Sensei By Robert Judd, Ikkyu, Charleston, SC

Finding a Sensei can be a very trying experience. In Mar- at least for me. After beginning my Isshinryu training al- tial Arts mythology, the Sensei is a titanic individual: a most 26 years ago, I have finally found my Sensei. I have person of great strength, strong morals, vast martial finally found the person who I trust well enough to allow knowledge, great fighting prowess, and the ability to leap him to break pine boards over my arm, leg, and stomach. tall buildings. Most of the time people are disappointed when they realize that their teacher, while proficient in the Martial Arts, is not able to leap tall buildings and As part of my Ikkyu test, I was required to perform San- fight off an army angry ninjas. When the wool is re- chin kata and to have Sensei break boards over me. When moved from their eyes, these students often stop their I would tell people that I was preparing for this part of the training. They will come up with a myriad of excuses. test, they would shake their heads and ask, “Why are you However, seldom will they state the truth: reality did not letting him do that to you? Are you nuts?” At first, I did- meet their expectations. n’t pay much attention to the comments. I was too caught up in my prep. However, late at night, with my gi hang- ing near my futon, my mind would dwell on the question, I have always felt that the relationship between a Sensei “Why are you letting him do that to you?” For a couple and a student should be a two-way street. Neither should of nights, the question ate at me. I could come up with a hold ridiculous expectations of the other. The Sensei will bunch of reasons: I need to do this for the next rank; not walk on water and the student will not worship the every other Ikkyu went through this; Sensei went through ground upon which the Sensei walks. Rather, this and I have to. None of these answers really helped

quiet my mind. there should be mutual respect and trust. The key is trust, (Continued on page 3) Page 3 The Makiwara

(Musings on Finding a Sensei - Continued from page 2) also had to trust himself and his own judgment. I had to do the same: I had to trust myself. Then it hit me: Sensei trusted me and I trusted him. I know this may sound like a no-brainer, but it was a major The test went well. I still have the boards that were bro- revelation for me. For the first time in my martial arts ken over me. When people ask why I keep them, I sim- life I realized that there was mutual trust. Sensei would ply tell them that it’s how I found my Sensei. Most don’t not break the boards over me if he did not think I was understand, but one person looked at me and the boards ready. No matter how much I might have wanted it, if and said, “I know. It’s all about trust.” I nodded. Sensei thought I wasn’t ready, it wasn’t going to happen. I knew that Sensei was watching me, evaluating me, and would not let me take the next step if I wasn’t ready. I I have no unrealistic expectations of my Sensei. I know had to trust him. he is a man of great integrity, knowledge, and ability. Nevertheless, he is a man. But he is a man whom I trust with my life and my learning. I know he will challenge But he also had to trust me. He had to know that I wasn’t me, push me, and make me grow. But I know he would- just going through the motions; that I was really listening, n’t ask me to do something he wouldn’t do or that he learning, and internalizing what he was teaching. He had knew I wasn’t ready for. But I also know he trusts me. to trust me to be able to face the test and not to flinch. He He calls me his student. I am part of his Martial Arts leg- had to trust me and know that I wasn’t like most people acy. I have been grafted onto his lineage. He trusts that I who would quit if the test didn’t pan out the way I wanted will be a proper representative of him, his Sensei, and it. He had to know that I was ready to move on to the Isshinryu. next level of training—preparation for Shodan. Sensei

Martial Inspiration By Terry Heise, Shodan, Charlotte, NC

A silent moment Duty to self and mankind Introspect of a lifetime or a single moment A will to sustain tradition Focus Teaching

The quickest thought passes Dancing in a rhythm of time and space Results create movement Synchronized Destiny Timing Training

Perfection driven is work in progress Self realization follows confident direction A life long journey To understand one’s self Dedication Inspiration

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Popcorn Please! By Sensei Mark Ciprich, Yondan, Monroe, NC

After starting my classes from scratch with all beginners, outside. They fall down to a long, narrow pipe. Obi Wan it took about six months before I was sufficiently comfort- is backing up unsteadily but defending himself. Vader is able having them spar for the first time. After that first advancing like a cat, Kosa Dachi to Seisan Dachi to Kosa session, one of my adult students commented that it Dachi to Seisan Dachi. Watch it and then try walking on a “didn’t look like karate.” He had expected that a bunch of beam or a downed tree trunk, something long and narrow. white and yellow belts would magically start doing spin- It might make you thinks about the stance differently. ning heel kicks and flying side kicks and hand play so ad- vanced that stop motion photography would be necessary My current favorite is the “Sarah Connor Chronicles” on to break it all down. He was truly surprised that it looked Fox. The first season can be rented at Blockbuster. It’s like a bunch of tentative, hesitant beginners trying not to great because there are two completely different sets of get hurt. As with most people he had watched far too fight choreography going on. Any scene with the termina- much Hollywood style fight choreography and assumed tors is very over the top; big gross motor movements. that was how a real fight should look. After explaining to Strikes have the effect of moving the whole body which him what the reality of the situation actually was we dis- reinforces the robot effect. And then there are Sarah Con- cussed some of my favorite “martial arts” movies. nor’s fight scenes. AWESOME!!!!!!!

People who know I practice Karate are usually surprised Whoever is in charge of planning her fights is a genius. It that I don’t like the Jackie Chan/Jett Li genre of films. It’s is as real as I’ve ever seen Hollywood get it. Every block not that I won’t watch them if there’s nothing else on but is correct. Her targeting is impeccable: Stomping side they are only fantasy. Seeing one technique per second kicks (yoko fumikomi geri) to the knee, Palm heel strikes becomes tiresome to me and after awhile, I lose interest. to spine, (get your Bubishi and see if you can figure out Its information overload, like Charlie Brown’s teacher, the vital point), sliding under a guards M16 muzzle into a blah, blah, blah. Plausibility is the key. Maybe the situa- leg scissor. If she defending herself it’s an absolute treat tion is insane but the action has to make sense. to watch. Whoever she fights against responds correctly; there is no over exaggeration of movement in response to Let’s review notable martial art shows with creditability! her strikes. The only problem is she doesn’t fight enough.

Have you seen the prison scene at the beginning of Then there are the must see movies. I bet a few of you “Batman Begins?” The fight with Bruce Wayne taking on reading this have never seen “Enter the Dragon” with a bunch of prison ruffians is great. It’s believable, as is Bruce Lee. Watching it should be required for advance- the scene on the ice when he is learning from the evil mas- ment to Yellow belt. ter. The moves look right. The timing, the way the bodies move…. Good stuff! The action in general is believable. Then there is a movie that I can only describe as delight- Even as Batman, his strikes have an economy of motion ful, “The Seven Samurai.” Akira Kurosawa directs it. It is that makes them real. If you watch the new Batman movie long but a must see for any karate-ka. you’ll notice that he’s rearing back and telegraphing all his strikes throughout. It’s kitschy and reminds me of the old Finally, and I know this shoots my whole plausibility ar- Adam West material, I don’t think it looks as good. It’s as gument to shreds but, I like “Kill Bill Volumes 1 and 2.” I if Batman hasn’t seen his Sensei in a long time and has like the second movie better, but you have to watch both. gotten into some bad habits. The homages he does to Sergio Leone and Akira Kuro- sawa are obvious and I argue that he throws a bone to the Another cool scene is in “Casino Royale” where James Black Night from Monty Python’s Holy Grail. It really Bond fights the guy on the crane. The action takes place comes down to three scenes. Number one is the gung fu about a million feet off the ground and what are they do- master dressing down Beatrix Kiddo. The second is ing, NAIHANCHI based movements. Check it out! The Beatrix snatching the girl’s eye out with a chicken beak movie is great and that scene is the icing on the cake. strike. Finally, how can you resist a movie that culminates with a “Five finger exploding heart” technique used Another cool, but short spot is in the Star Wars “Revenge against no less a legend than David Carradine? of the Sith” movie. Towards the end when Vader and Obi Wan are fighting on the volcanic planet the fight moves “That, Grasshopper, is a rhetorical question.” Page 5 The Makiwara

Just Do It! By Sensei Bob Harris, Yondan, Wetumpka, Alabama

Why is it that some martial artists seem to have the ability So, how do you get inside someone’s OODA loop? An read your technique and know where not to be before you advanced kyu will win a competitive match against a be- throw it? I can’t recall the number of times I sparred with ginner student: the reason – training and repetition. When my Sensei and suddenly found myself in a position where advanced student explains why the match was won, the my ribs could have been crushed. Thankfully, he enjoys OODA loop is used to explain what happened. laughing at me when I acknowledge with a dumbfounded More experienced instructors have grown beyond the look on my face. OODA loop. Advanced instructors actions have become instinctive. No thought is necessary, because thinking Has he performed a Vulcan mind meld on me so that he about what to do will slow their reaction time. So how do knows me better than I know myself? Outside of his extra you get to this stage of not thinking or mushin (mind of no -terrestrial fighting abilities, he somehow realizes what I mind)? plan to do, how I plan to do it and taken the time to devel- oped and executed a plan to counter - -before I begin. A martial artist would likely have to train for many years I was reading a business article about the how companies to be capable of mushin. This allows time for combina- must be more flexible than they were in the past. To drive tions of movements and exchanges of techniques to be home the point, the article referenced a concept developed practiced repetitively many thousands of times, until they by a USAF fighter pilot by the name of Colonel John R. can be performed spontaneously, without conscious Boyd. thought.

Colonel Boyd was a fighter pilot – fighting was his busi- The legendary Zen master Takuan Soho said: “The mind ness. Getting the first punch in a fight was essential to his must always be in the state of 'flowing,' for when it stops life. Agility is the essence of strategy in war. Col. Boyd anywhere that means the flow is interrupted and it is this knew this. He knew it instinctively in the early 1950s interruption that is injurious to the well-being of the mind. when, as a young U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, cocky even In the case of the swordsman, it means death. When the by fighter-pilot standards, he issued a standing challenge swordsman stands against his opponent, he is not to think to all comers: Starting from a position of disadvantage, of the opponent, nor of himself, nor of his enemy's sword he'd have his jet on their tail within 40 seconds, or he'd movements. He just stands there with his sword which, pay out $40.00. Legend has it that he never lost. forgetful of all technique, is ready only to follow the dic- tates of the subconscious. The man has effaced himself as After researching various aerial battle tactics and inter- the wielder of the sword. When he strikes, it is not the viewing combat fighters, Colonel Boyd developed the man but the sword in the hand of the man's subconscious process of why some fighter pilots were better than others that strikes.” – how did they get inside their opponents head? The OODA loop. I’m sure we all hear an echo of the words above from our respective Sensei. We study a striking art and must prac- Observe – Orient - Decide - Act. On the face of it, Col. tice against all sizes and all abilities to become proficient. Boyd's loop is a simple processing of how human beings To not know our opponent can mean injury or death. We make tactical decisions. But it's also a framework for cre- are not born to run at birth. We have to learn how to ating competitive advantage. Operating "inside" an adver- crawl and walk before running. sary's OODA loop - that is, acting quickly to outthink and outmaneuver rivals - will, Boyd wrote, "make us appear How do I get there from here? If your goal is to become ambiguous, thereby generate confusion and disorder." better at (insert skill here) it takes training, repetitive training. It won’t happen by thinking about it. Train your The OODA loop process is what we teach beginners to muscle memory to act without conscious thought for a understand self defense or fighting situations. We may particular situation against various attackers and skill. use different names, but the concept is the same. We Once you are adept, pick another situation to become pro- teach beginners to observe or see a particular aggressive ficient. Repeat for life. One day you’ll get to laugh at action; then move or change our orientation to our advan- your student! tage; make a decision as to the best weapon; then take ac- tion. Follow the Nike slogan – Just Do It!

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UPCOMING EVENTS (source: http://www.bohans-family.com/Events/UpcomingEvents.htm Date Location Event 13-15-Feb-2009 Orlando, FL International Isshinryu Open Tournament 27-28-Feb-2009 Virginia Beach, VA Beach Blast Open Martial Arts Championships 30-May-2009 Detroit, MI Metro Detroit Open Karate Tournament 18-20-Jun-2009 Pittsburgh, PA IWKA World Championships 1– Aug-2009 Knoxville, TN Isshinryu Hall Of Fame

PROMOTIONS

Pete Williams, Rokudan, Brian Carriere, Nidan, Princeton, IL Jeff Conger, Nidan, Princeton, IL

KYU PROMOTIONS

J-F Sauriol, Nikyu, Ottawa, ON Rod Berek, Nikyu, Ottawa, ON Chris Barnett, Sankyu, Ottawa, ON Matt Morin, Sankyu, Ottawa, ON Jason Miller, Yonkyu, Ottawa, ON Greg Saxe, Gokyu, Ottawa, ON Andrew Tam, Gokyu, Ottawa, ON J. Ram Balasubramanian, Gokyu, Ottawa, ON Zoran Milojevic, Rokyu, Ottawa, ON

Effective immediately, you may nominate a deserving AOKA member for an award in the category he/she may qual- ify. Please visit the AOKA website, click on AOKA Award Nomination, to nominate a deserving member. You have until April 15, 2009 to submit the award - Don’t delay!! Don’t forget, individuals who earned an awarded in a specific category are not eligible for the award a second time in

the same category. Additionally, only AOKA members may earn an award. (Are you a current member?) Each cate- gory has specific requirements, please read the details on the AOKA website. Page 7 The Makiwara

Warrior College Summit

October 18, 2008 - Charlotte, NC saw the first in a series of regional seminars, workshops, and workouts on the east coast. Hosted by Apex Martial Arts, an afternoon of camaraderie and training saw AOKA member dojos from all over the Carolinas bring students and instructors to this inaugural event.

From beginner to black belt from youth to adult students enjoyed workshops which featured training such as - Sparring skills with Grand Master Mitch Kobylanski, Advanced bo application by Master Tim Boykin, body dynam- ics and frame control by Master Tim Grismer, Seisan Kata bunkai with Sen- sei Jon Oshita, in addition to skill development games and Aikido tech- niques for the youth karateka with Sensei Don Gyr. Masters and instructors converged to share their knowledge and start a trend of camaraderie de- signed to create stronger closer bonds between the students and instructors of the region specifically, and Isshinryu and the AOKA in general..

The next scheduled workshop is set for February 21st, 2009 in Wilmington, NC

Warrior Training Seminar When: February 21, 2009 Who: Isshinryu Karateka of all ranks Where: Cape Fear Isshin-Ryu 3301-B Merchant Court Wilmington, NC 28405 Time: Black and Brown Belts: 9:00 – 11:30 AM Remaining Kyu ranks: 1:00 – 4:00 PM Cost: $15 for AOKA members/$30 for nonmembers Instructors:

Grand Master Mitch Kobylanski Training Topics Include: Master Tim Boykin Kata and bunkai: Seisan, Master Tim Cunningham Wansu, Chinto, Urashi. Master Tim Grismer Jujitsu, Torite, Ukemi, sparring Master Butch McLaughlin strategies, pressure point Sensei Mark Ciprich applications. Sensei Bob Harris Sensei Brent Holland Sensei Jon O'Shita Sensei Don Gyr Please pre-register with your instructor NLT February 6, 2009. Class size is limited!