A while ago I was sitting at the Front desk at my Dojo when a gentleman came through the door with his son. He told me the boy was six years old and had just been given his Black Belt in Taekwondo and now the Dad was thinking about having him join my Dojo to learn Karate. The next question was “can he keep his belt”. I told the father “of course he can keep his belt, but he must keep it at home”. Some schools believe that they should award a Black Belt after two years of study, regardless of the students level of skill or achievement. I am not of this mind. I see no reason to award a rank until a required degree of proficiency can be demonstrated. Consequently, the students in my Dojo have to train long and hard to achieve promotion through the ranks to Black Belt and beyond.

A parent recently told me that she had watched a karate class at another school and was impressed that the thrust punches they were doing seemed more powerful than the punches she saw her son performing in our classes. One of the challenges I face as the Chief Instructor is educating the parents and students on how our system works. The biggest problem with the classical Karate thrust punch is that it is easy to hyperextend the elbow and hurt the joint. This is especially true of children and beginners who may tend to execute the strike incorrectly, even following instruction and correction on the technique. My style of MuDoKai is based in a contemporary scientific approach to training, rather than a classical tradition. I pointed out to the parent in question that the power in any punch originates in the legs and is aligned through the torso. The arm is just the method of delivery and because of the risk of hyperextension in a punch or a kick, I insist that the students learn to execute their techniques with correct body use, appropriate head-neck alignment and correct breathing. My method is based upon my forty-eight years of martial arts training. During that time I’ve also drawn on my studies in the Alexander Technique for the attainment of poise. If you Google F.M. Alexander you can read about his revolutionary work in the field of correct body use. Our Karate Tigers and Little Dragons programs for preschool and kindergarten aged children draw on some of the work of Glen Doman, particularly his book on “How to Make your Baby Physically Superb”. If you Google Glenn Doman or The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential you will be able to see the massive contribution he has made to our understanding of how to teach both healthy children and those unfortunately afflicted with neurological damage.

MuDoKai is a scientifically based method of training so our practice does not always look like other schools. Unfortunately, many of the key principles and skills that we teach our students are not necessarily visible, and the results may not be immediately obvious. I was reminded recently of a story I was told by a parent regarding her son who fell off a swing in the park and broke his arm. I believe he was about eight years old at the time and had been training for about three years. He walked home from the park and informed his mom that they would need to go to the hospital because his arm was broken. Sure enough, after an X-Ray his arm was put in a cast by the doctor who asked him how come he didn't cry during the procedure, when he must have been in quite a bit of pain. He told the Doctor and his mom that he had just been “doing what Sensei said in class and breathing away from the pain. Scott went on to become a State Champion in both Forms and Sparring competition and a Gold Medalist at the Junior Olympics. As a twelve year old Brown Belt he beat all of the Black Belts in his age group to win the “Advanced Division” on the Florida  Martial Arts Events tour (FAME) which at that time combined Brown and Black Belt ranks. What Scott learned in class that allowed him to excel in competitions and deal with a real world injury was based in lessons that were mostly invisible to his parents, or anyone watching him train. They were inner growth processes that taught him self control and perseverance, focus and confidence over time.  This is very practical knowledge, but it cannot be acquired quickly and easily, and the process of acquisition may often not be obvious.

Last week I spoke to a young man who was visiting our Dojo while his friends trained in class. I heard the office manager ask him if he was interested in training himself. He said that he had trained before, for three years and achieved a Brown Belt in another school. He added that he had quit training because the Master Instructor was mean. When I asked him what he meant by that he said that the Master would yell at the students all the time and on one occasion had thrown him against a wall. I asked why he had stayed so long with an abusive teacher and he said that the school had an aftercare program that picked him up from school, so it was convenient for his parents. The truth is that Karate training, like life, is not always convenient, but it need not be mean and destructive. Not all Martial Arts schools are the same, so I hope that parents and students alike will strive to learn what makes our MuDoKai Martial Arts system here at the University Karate Center the best way to train for fitness, self-defense and competition.

Winston Wins Kentucky Tourney

 Congratulations to Sensei  Laraine Winston who won First Place in Creative Forms and Second Place in Traditional Forms at the Bluegrass Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky on June 19th.

Black Belt Visits

Sensei Brian Sguros and Sensei Chris Ramos have trained at the karate school this summer. It is always good to see Black Belts even when they move away from the area.

 Breathing and Centering in the Martial Arts

 Inhale, exhale, in and out, over and over again, every moment of every day of your life.  Breathing is one of the most natural function of our bodies, and one that we often take for granted. In spite of its importance,  many people develop shallow and uneven breathing habits that can effect their life and their health, often in ways they have never even considered. Effective breathing can make a measurable difference in the development of martial arts skills, and the breathing habits learned in the Dojo can be extremely useful, invigorating many aspects of our life outside of the training environment.

When you inhale, or breathe in, the air you take in goes through a multi-step filtering process before reaching your lungs. Specialized lung structures extract oxygen and transfer it into your bloodstream, where it travels to various oxygen-hungry tissues, including the brain and the large muscles. This cycle occurs tens of thousands of times each day, unnoticed, until you really push yourself in martial arts class and discover how much work breathing can be. With additional exertion, the process picks up speed trying to accommodate the body’s increased demand for oxygen. The heart pumps faster, attempting to meet the demands of muscles engaged in high activity for oxygenated blood and the removal of waste carbon dioxide.

In class you will be trained to exhale strongly with every punch, kick and block that you execute. The inhalation will happen naturally between these exhalations. When we breathe out strongly we stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. As a consequence your blood pressure will go down and your heartbeat will slow, despite the exertion of the exercise. As you exhale strongly with each move you should also tense your abdominal muscles to center yourself and strengthen your strikes and blocks. We are most vulnerable to a counter attack when we are executing our own technique, and tensing our abs as we exhale provides the strength we need to bounce off from a counter that might otherwise wind us. This training also helps to reverse the “startle reflex” that most people develop by breathing incorrectly. If you are startled and your reflex is to inhale and freeze, rather than exhale and center yourself, your self defense ability will be compromised.

Regular deep breathing can train the body to allow the development of improved oxygen uptake. When you exhale strongly you create space for fresh air to be drawn deeply into the lungs. This leads to greater stamina and strength as well as improved mental focus, all of which are hallmarks of excellence in the martial arts.  A full appreciation of the “life force” can be acquired by paying attention to the breath. Life is after all, just a breath away.

© 2010 Shihan Robert H. Mason

Be Still and Know

As much as the movements involved in karate training are difficult at first, being still and not moving is sometimes much harder. When students line up to bow in at the beginning and end of class the command in Japanese is kiyotsuke, which is the military equivalent in English of “ATTENTION”. What this command requires is that students should stand up straight with their heels touching and their hands by their sides. Blinking and breathing should be the only movements discernable. While this exercise is very difficult, it is important that students should do their best to practice. Sitting in seiza (kneeling) also affords a similar opportunity to practice stillness.

In music there are  rests between notes and pauses between movements. In karate practice there are points of essential stillness within certain combinations and between techniques, that create the dynamic balance essential  to the rhythm and timing involved. This is especially evident in kata practice, where a good rule of thumb is to pause for one second at the end of each combination, and for two seconds at each kiai. The more absolute the stillness at these times, the more effectively it sets off both the movements that preceded it, and those which come afterwards. Effectively, the message is, that in order to understand and benefit fully from movement, you must understand and comprehend the benefit of stillness.

In our everyday lives it is not just what we do that defines something of who we are. It is also a matter of what we do not do. Our search for self knowledge may be assisted by an awareness of  how we do all of the activities that we are involved in on a day-to-day basis. The general rule we can observe is that “how we do one thing, is how we do everything”. This is the yoga of everyday life: a practice of being at one with ourselves in action. We can also  benefit from investigating how we are when we do nothing: when there is no activity. How well can we be still and conscious and awake at the same time.

This can often be a very challenging exercise. We are becoming so used to continuous stimulation, from phones, computers, TV and other distracting influences, that we have perhaps had little or no practice at the experience of stillness. It is hard to perceive value in a process we associate with boredom or an absence of “something to do”.

Certainly in terms of a student’s progress in the Martial Arts, I measure them not only by their competence in action, but also by their competence at attaining and maintaining a state of stillness. I’m reminded of the motto of the University of Sussex in England, where I read (studied) psychology. “Be still and know”. There is something in that if you can practice it.

© 2010 Shihan Robert H. Mason

Martial Arts:  A Course in Courtesy and Respect

Martial Arts is many things to many people however, throughout all cultures the development of courtesy and respect among members of the military and martial community has always been of high importance. Courtesy in every class at the Dojo is symbolized by the bow we perform on entering and leaving the Dojo, the bow at the beginning and end of class and the bow we make to our partner before we engage in prearranged sparring or free sparring. Showing respect in this way; however, only has meaning if we utilize the motion as a trigger to inspire what we could call the “courtesy mindset”. This is the mindset that balances our aggression with self-control and our intensity with our awareness. Without these appropriate restraints students would only be trained in  combat techniques, and these could just as easily be used for street fighting or bullying. I am not interested in training someone who enjoys finding potential conflicts and diving in with both feet so as to demonstrate their prowess as a thug.

I recently caught an episode of a show on MTV2 called “bully beatdown”. The concept is that men who are being bullied call up and complain to the MMA host who then  meets their bullies. Arrangements are  made for the bully to be matched in the ring with a professional Martial Artist who will fight them within a strict rules framework and give them a chance to experience some of their own medicine. The consequence of the matches I saw was that, following being submitted and knocked down in the ring, the bullies had more understanding of the experience of their victims, and seemed prepared to cease their bullying behavior and be respectful of them. Fighters in all Martial Sports often embrace at the end of a match as a sign of mutual respect that develops out of striving earnestly to win against a strong adversary.

Respect is having regard for the rights of others, refraining from interfering with others, and also adhering to the traditions of a particular environment so as to support the order necessary to have a civil society. While respect and courtesy are essential to the development of civilization, that does not mean that some people will not try to get by without them. Over time Martial Arts training develops a high level of competence to handle aggressive or violent situations; thus, the confidence of the Martial Artist develops very strongly. This confidence allows Martial Artists to experience an advanced and ordered state of development in which it becomes natural for them to be polite, considerate, courteous, and thoughtful of others.

© Shihan Robert H. Mason 2010

A British Chef  Visits America on a Quest

Jamie Oliver, British Chef well-known for introducing healthy food into the  school menu in the United Kingdom, is on a quest here in the U.S. Having read  government statistics that named Huntington, West Virginia as the most unhealthy city in  America Oliver decided to launch a “food revolution”. The TV show has been airing on ABC and is called “The Food Revolution”. Previously Oliver had persuaded former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to subsidize a healthier food menu for British schools; now he is in America to help change  our public school menus to better options, i.e. food cooked from scratch for each meal, rather than processed food substances, of questionable origin, reheated and passed off as food.

As you can imagine, all did not go smoothly for the enthusiastic Oliver, who opened Jamie’s Kitchen on the Huntington main street to teach free cooking classes as part of his effort to educate the community. Oliver was given the  go ahead to introduce his own brand of cooking to a local elementary school, where he discovered that the “milk” offered at lunch was of the pink (strawberry flavored) and brown (chocolate flavored) varieties, meaning that they contained more added sugar than a soda. When Oliver questioned the food supervisor he was told that  “It is more important that the children get their calcium than how much sugar is in the milk.” His response that...“We should give the kids what they should get, and what we think they should have; and if they don’t like it, they will get used to it” brings up an important issue for educators and parents. It is this: Once we have decided on a course of action, or a standard of behavior for our children, it is important that we follow through and “if they don’t like it they will get used to it”. This is not currently a common philosophy. Much of the time I hear stories from households where the children appear to be in charge rather than the parents. Now I’m not at all opposed to the idea of giving children the opportunity to accept age appropriate responsibility for their lives. In fact, I believe this should be encouraged; however, left to indulge themselves and do just what they like, and rarely be called upon to accept anything they dislike or are uncomfortable with, is an abdication of responsibility by an educator or a parent.

Many years ago, when my daughter was in pre-school, it was prohibited for parents to bring in any food that contained sugar as the teachers noticed its  negative effect on the kid’s behavior. One of the blogs at the ABC website from a teacher, across the river from Huntington, West Virginia in Eastern Kentucky noted that: “As for the students? Well, there is no denying the plethora of behavior issues. I feel this is because of the carb overload and lack of activity. We have 30 minutes total for arriving at lunch, acquiring it; sitting; eating; and whatever time is left we get to walk for about 5-10 minutes IF we are lucky”. Schools need to schedule time for what is important, and that includes time for a nutritious lunch. Here at the Dojo we offer an appropriate amount of time each evening for our Junior students to train. Given the current school convention of limited time for PE and sports, I encourage parents of children aged six and older to bring them to class here often. We can help them the most when they are here often. Ask at the Front Desk about the upgrades available to allow more training as part of our 30th Anniversary promotion .

© 2010 Shihan Robert H. Mason

To be a Master of  Yourself

“Everything that has been achieved is merely a preliminary exercise for the achievements to come, and no one, not even one who has reached perfection, can say he has reached the end.” This quote from Eugene Herrigel touches on an important theme for martial arts students. The experience of perfection, or completeness in martial arts, often only occurs after many years of practice and thousands of repetitious movements. Sometimes, however, it can be experienced by a complete beginner. Herrigel wrote “Zen in the Art of Archery,” and as a youngster I remember taking a girlfriend to practice archery with me. I showed her how to draw the bow and loose the arrow. Her first shot went straight to the center of the target, the gold. I was thrilled, as she was, at the experience of everything going “just right.” The moment was complete, perfect. Of course, this joy of the novice at a flash of perfection, while wonderful, does not mean that mastery has been achieved. Mastery requires consistent high level performance over time.

Repetition often leads students to feel bored. Getting just as excited about a punch or kick on the twentieth repetition, as you were on the first attempt is often difficult. Repeating the move for the five hundredth time can become a rote performance, containing little of the zest, intensity and quality necessary to achieve perfection. Yet, only after many thousands of such  excellent repetitions can the move become so smooth, relaxed, reflexive and energized that it feels perfect.

Within the Mu-do-kai curriculum, I have done my best to disguise the repetitions.  I have placed the fundamental exercises into different contexts at each belt level, in order that the students can see them with fresh eyes. I understand that new gold belts usually think that when they can roughly get through Pinan Nidan, that they “know” the Kata. These students find it incomprehensible that a Black Belt student, like top rated World Tour competitor Sensei Laraine Winston, may be performing the same Kata now as she was when she won her first Trophy at a Shiaii three years ago. What is more, she is getting the most out of the Kata now, and performing at the highest level. For Black Belts, this is the way to mastery, not just of karate, but of themselves.

Remember, knowledge is the result of combining the correct information, with correct practice, over time. Sometimes just a glimpse of perfection can be sufficient inspiration for us to pursue knowledge. It is through the acquisition of knowledge that we can learn to master ourselves.

© 2010 Shihan Robert H. Mason

New Junior Black Belt

Congratulations to Miss Brianna Houser who was awarded her Junior Black Belt by Shihan Mason on April 14th. Miss Houser completed her technical grading on April 11th, demonstrating all of the basic and combination techniques from all of the ranks, a wide variety of self defense skills, including defense against knife attacks and attacks with a club. She also demonstrated eight form routines (Kata). For the sparring aspect of her grading Miss Houser sparred with ten successive opponents.

Demo At People and Planet Fair

On April 17th Shihan Mason gave a public demonstration of MuDoKai Martial Arts at the People and Planet fair in Fort Lauderdale. Several students assisted Shihan with the demonstration including Sempai Scott Gordon and Sempai Gianna Sciorilli, along with Harrison Leonard.

New Junior Brown Belt

Congratulations to Jesse Hutchinson who was awarded his Junior Brown Belt by Shihan Mason following his successful completion of his belt  graduation and sparring six consecutive.

“Rise and Rise again

 until lambs become lions.”

Robin Hood

Congratulations

Sensei Laraine Winston competed at the Ocean State Nationals in Rhode Island on April 10th and won First Place in her Black Belt Women’s division for Creative Forms. Sensei Winston is currently the highest rated competitor in her division on the North American Sport Karate Association World Tour.

Rule #1

from the MuDoKai Curriculum

The student should strive to concentrate only on the martial arts when in the Dojo and to leave behind any problems, animosities, etc which could be counterproductive. If any problem in doing this arises, a confidential consultation with the Sensei is urged.

Simple Dojo Rules:

1. Do everything the Sensei tells you to do, the best that you can.

2. Don’t do anything the Sensei did not tell you to do.

A Time for Reflection

One of the reasons Martial Arts training brings so much satisfaction is that it teaches a way to look at things as well as a way to do things. To be sure, our complete training program involves all the technical moves you’ll need to advance through your training to Black Belt and beyond. On the other hand, a true Martial Artist cannot expect to make much progress without changes in character to complement physical training. The development of strong character has come to be known as the development of a Black Belt attitude.

Courage

What then, are the qualities associated with Black Belt Excellence? Let’s begin with a familiar (though rare) character trait: courage. You may think of courage as daring, or the ability to do things that people find scary or dangerous. Some dictionaries even define courage as “the ability to disregard fear.” Courage within the definition of Black Belt Excellence is something else entirely. It is the capacity to overcome fear. It’s one thing to pretend you’re not afraid of something (to “disregard” it), it’s quite another thing to face a frightening situation and do what you can to overcome the fear and follow through to do what must be done. Also, it takes real courage to tell a friend that you don’t want to join them in an illegal, unethical, immoral or inappropriate activity just because they think it would be a “cool” thing to do.

Self Control

Another quality of Black Belt Excellence is self-control. Self-control is the ability to stay on top of your emotions when it might be tempting to get mad or frustrated. When you lose control of your emotions in a sparring match you give power to your opponent. Even when you’re so mad you can barely hold yourself back, remember that losing self-control is exactly what your opponent hopes you will do. When you lose control of your emotions in any area of your life you become vulnerable to forces outside yourself that may be beyond your control. Sometimes our only chance of overcoming an overwhelming situation may rest on our ability to control ourselves. Self-control allows you to respond consciously to a situation, rather than just react to it.

Respect

Finally, Black Belt Excellence includes the essential quality of respect. Respect is the attribute by which you honor yourself and demonstrate that you honor others. Bowing to your opponent, and treating a weaker opponent with compassion are two ways to demonstrate respect during a sparring match. You’ve probably already noticed that respect is partly about how you treat others. Being respectful will earn you the respect of others, and will help you to develop a lasting respect for yourself. You may have also noticed that the three attributes of Black Belt Excellence are related. For example, it takes courage to maintain self-control, and at times it takes self-control to show respect for others. This is why we say that Black Belt Excellence is about the development of character. When you achieve Black Belt Excellence, you’ve built a foundation that’s an appropriate blend of courage, self-control, and respect.

Tournament Team

Strikeforce on CBS

ISKA sanctioned “Strikeforce MMA” will air live on the CBS Television Network 9:00pm on Saturday Nov. 7 , and will include four bouts. Showtime, Espn2 and Sunshine Network also air ISKA events. Shihan Mason is the World Commissioner and Chairman of the ISKA. www.iska.com

Baby visit a Highlight

“You must have long-range goals to keep you

from being frustrated

by short-range failures”.

In a recent interview about her hectic schedule Secretary of State Condi Rice was asked how she maintained her health and fitness while traveling. Her response was that she did not miss a day no matter where she is in the world. Exercise is part of her schedule and so she is committed to maintaining her fitness, in spite of a busy life.

It is important to continue healthy habits even when we are stressed with the demands of our daily life. One of my most enthusiastic adult students was a very successful and busy attorney who was interested in training but thought he was too busy. He would bring his son to class and express a desire to join. He eventually decided that he could set aside regular time to train, even putting the karate classes in his work appointment book.

When people do physical exercise endorphins are released into their system and a feeling of well being is experienced. Using this energy, and taking time out from the immediate demands of a stressful schedule on a regular basis, a person can build physical, emotional and inner strength with which to better deal with the demands of modern life. This all round fitness strengthens the immune system, decreasing the likelihood of illness and increasing our energy and motivation. Many people who have not trained in the Martial Arts do not realize what a thorough workout our training can provide. The benefits include improved flexibility, stamina, agility, balance, coordination, cardiovascular fitness and proprioceptive awareness.

During his two week visit to England in November Shihan Mason taught five seminars. Here he is pictured next to Sensei Chris Kent (Blue gi, back row) who arranged the sessions.

In Martial Arts it is important to develop the ability to move from perception into action without passing through cognition. This means responding to what we see, hear, feel or sense without thinking about it. Thinking about anything in our usual way takes time, and in a situation where one’s life may be on the line, time is of the essence. The problem for most of us is that we think in words. For example, beginners in karate, when questioned about how they are considering a technique will admit that they are talking their way through it, thus: “step back with the left foot, raise the right arm, twist across the body with a blocking movement and follow up with a reverse punch, not forgetting to twist the hips.” While this process works enough to let them struggle through the elements of the movement in roughly the right order, it completely negates the experience of harmonious movement in action. A better strategy altogether is to make an internal movie, a visualization of the whole move, based upon the example of the instructor. They need then just run the inner movie a few times, imagining how it would feel kinesthetically to move like the mental picture and they can begin to practice with ease.

Thinking in pictures allows the Martial Artist to take all of the elements of a situation into account simultaneously, and at the same time, anticipate extentions or other specific variables as they arise. On a neurological level, normal verbal thinking takes place in the left hemisphere of the brain, while visulaization is a function of the right hemisphere. Activity in one hemisphere tends to inhibit activity in the other. By paying attention to visualization and visual thinking, the Martial Artist automatically takes attention away from the linear sequential, inner talking process of the left hemisphere, while at the same time, focusing attention on the functions of the right hemisphere. Controlling one’s mind in this way, it is possible to learn more quickly and excute more precisely the skills of the Martial Arts.

When we consider the question, “what is thinking?,” many of us might assume it is like talking to ourselves inside our heads. Most thinking may follow this pattern, but there are other ways to think. Perhaps the most obvious alternative to inner talking is inner picturing or visualization. Thinking in pictures has some distinct advantages over thinking in words. At the same time, teachers and parents sometimes discourage this mode of thinking, giving it the label “day dreaming,” and thus, stifling its development. The major problem with verbal thinking is that it limits us to having one thought following another. Just as you would not be able to read this sentence if each letter was printed one on top of the other, so, to think in words, you must think one word after the other to make sense of the sentence. Thinking in pictures, on the other hand, allows us to consider several variables and their relationship to each other, simultaneously. This kind of thinking is essential in karate training.Sometimes a student will try to talk their way through a move and I notice that the attention that they give to the detail of the movement usually reduces the other elements of the technique. The result can be a robotic caricature of what they should be doing. A student who is working, even at a reduced speed, from an accurately visualized perception of a move, can execute the technique smoothly with an all inclusive harmony of form and power.

During a sparring match, the inner talking student can fall into complete disarray as his mind jumps around wondering, “what punch should I do?, should I kick now?, what is he going to do?, what will my friends who are watching think?,” etc. The visualizing student concentrates upon picturing connections and patterns of movement relative to himself and his opponent. He is simultaneously aware of his stance related to his opponents, the play of distance between them, the timing and rhythm of his opponent’s movement relative to his own, and the messages his opponent is sending him through his body language. As a result, the visualizing student is in touch with himself, his opponent and other environmental variables simultaneously and in the moment. The verbal thinker, on the other hand, is stuck in conceptual abstractions that obstruct and interfere with his perception of what is going on. His responses may be slow and robotic, and limited to the specific analytical moment he notices at the time. In short, he is out of touch and easy to defeat.

Visual thinking can be seen to be essential for success in karate training. It is important in many other areas of life as well. Think about it!

Most of us are familiar with competition. Throughout our lives, at school, at work, or in sports, we have competed. For many people, the way that they perceive "getting ahead" in life is through successfully competing with their peers. One of the problems with competition, however, is that when you beat someone at something, they usually experience being beaten. That is, if you win, they lose. It is often the case that the experience of losing in competition is much more frequent than the experience of winning. This losing experience can be very unpleasant leading a person to become depressed or to completely withdraw from the activity in question.

"Those who have lived out their days

have had a long life"

There is an old Chinese saying, “The stalk that carries the most grain, bows the lowest.” I think this carries into the martial arts philosophy in that most of the time, the best warriors of all, are usually the most humble. This follows a natural principle called “The Law of The Farm”. Everyone knows that a farmer plants his crop in the spring, works it all year and gets to harvest in the fall. This natural law is true in business, personal relationships and basically anything you want to achieve in life.

The truth is that you need to pay in advance, full price for anything you get. Many people are raised today thinking they can get things now and pay for them later based on the way our society has become, but in all important things, you must give first and then you get.

This is especially true with respect. Respect is something you must earn, not demand from others. Once you start showing respect to others, then respect will start coming back to you. In traditional martial arts, the senior students respect and take care of the beginning students as well as the senior students because they know that each position is very important in the overall scheme of things. The teacher respects the students, because without them, he would not have any position to teach and the students respect their teacher because they know what he is teaching is priceless and will change their lives forever. This mutual respect is the foundation of black belt excellence and what each martial artists should strive for.

Respectfully, Sensei Terry Bryan

Sometimes parents, especially the parents of very young children, mention to us that the kids complain about coming to class. The parents acknowledge that the kids like the class once they are there; yet they think maybe the child is losing interest.

In many cases, the child is not telling you they doesn’t like their classes. Often, they are demonstrating that they are “present focused.” At early stages of development, kids are not always able to project their thinking into the future, or weigh the potential for future enjoyment. For example, if you offer a young child a dollar now, or five dollars in a week, they probably will choose the dollar now, and the immediate gratification.

To deal with this, first of all, understand that the child may be delighted with the lessons, and still demonstrate this “complaining behavior.” Secondly, talk with your child… not when they are complaining, but at a later time. Explain to your child that you will no longer accept complaints about this commitment to karate… that if they have a specific complaint, they should speak to their instructor. By doing this, you are eliminating any complaining that is just complaining; at the same time, you give your child the opportunity to address any real issues.

Next, follow through! If your child complains again, hold up your hands and say, “Wait! If you have complaints about your classes, let’s set up a time for you to speak to Shihan Mason!” And when your child does come without complaining, let them know how much this pleases you.

Sensei Max Balzano's love of fire companies began in preschool, when a field trip took him to a Florida volunteer fire department. "I was impressed by it," Mr. Balzano remembered. "I said to myself, that's what I want to do." Now 18 and a senior at St. Mary's High School, the Annapolis resident is a firefighter and emergency medical technician at the West Annapolis Volunteer Fire Company Station 40. "I like to be able to help people; I've always liked doing it," he said. "It's a great feeling to know that you made a difference in someone's life."

Understanding where the boundaries are is fundamental to comprehending almost any situation. I have recently taught several self-defense classes, some at our Dojo and others at facilities like BCC and St. Gregory's school. Some of the classes were restricted to adults, while others were specifically for Girl Scout groups. One of the key concepts covered in all of these classes was the idea of “establishing and maintaining boundaries”. When someone approaches us in a way that we perceive as menacing or inappropriate we must establish a boundary for our safety. If we yell “STOP! BACK OFF!” while thrusting our palm heel towards their chest we define a boundary. Should the “attacker” continue to advance, we are under attack and must respond.

During my classes with the Girl Scout groups I talked about how their parents established boundaries at home, and how, while respecting those boundaries, they should recognize that they will be involved in ongoing discussions with their parents to redefine theses boundaries as they develop as young adults and assume more and more adult responsibilities. The point under discussion was, that while we must understand where a boundary lies at the moment, we must also be prepared to negotiate for recognition of a new boundary, based on changing circumstances. With children the obvious times for such discussions may be birthdays, i.e. “now that you’re eleven years old your bedtime will be 9:00 pm rather than 8:00 pm. Another obvious time would be at the start of a new school year, i.e. “now that you’re attending High School you could look for a part- time job on the weekends”.

In nature some boundaries seem absolute, though we are constantly striving to push them back. The space program is an illustration of this as we strive to explore beyond the confines of the Earth. What sometimes makes self-defense difficult is that the boundaries are not always absolute or obvious. Predatory attackers don’t always dress up as Ninjas and attack us with swords. More often they dress up to look like a harmless neighbor, then sidle up to us while we’re putting groceries in our car and try to abduct us without warning to do us harm. That’s when it’s useful to have some basic practical skills. Many of us saw the video a few years ago of a teenage girl in Sarasota who was abducted in broad daylight while walking home from a friend’s house. As she walked through a gas station the security camera picked up her attacker grabbing her by the wrist and dragging her off. An awareness of boundaries and some basic self– defense skills could have saved her life.

One of the principle qualities for which a Martial Artist should strive is the quality of leadership. However, leadership ability is not a talent that can develop in a vacuum; it comes from the internalization and practice of other qualities. Sun Tze, the ancient philosopher and tactician said, “leadership is a matter of intelligence, trustworthiness, humanness , courage and sternness.” To be a leader does not mean to boss others around, to be obnoxious or impolite, but rather to exude confidence in yourself and demonstrate the qualities which Sun Tze recognized so long ago. It is not enough to be proficient in one aspect of leadership while ignoring other elements that are involved in being a leader. The ability to lead - that is getting others to follow you - comes from a careful balance of all the essential qualities of leadership. There are plenty of people who are very intelligent, and an equal number who are confident and courageous, but only a very few who can temper their courage and intelligence with trustworthiness and compassion. These are people who don’t just dictate, but lead.

As stated before, being a leader means that others have a desire to follow you in the things that you do. In the words of Confucius “there is a good leader when those who are near are made happy, and when those who are far are attracted.” As you develop your leadership skills, you may find that you are not the natural leader in all aspects of your life. Being a leader does not mean that you always have to lead, but that you have the ability to lead when necessary. In fact, one of the principle aspects of leadership and intelligence is a quality that lets you know when it is time to lead, and when it is time to follow.

Students and parents sometimes ask me how I feel about karate tournaments. They wonder whether or not it is necessary to compete to progress in karate. Let me offer some insight into the sport of Karate and how it relates to Martial Arts (MuDoKai).

Some students do well in tournaments and have fun, while others are less happy with their performance. Florida enjoys a very high standard in Martial Arts, and competitions often attract the best practitioners from the schools around the state. Not all events are well run and not all officials do a good job. Sometimes opponents are not well controlled. All of these possibilities lend an element of reality to tournament sparring in particular, that can make it more like a real fight than it is supposed to be.

In addition to the positive media attention that results from tournament success, the sport aspect of Martial Arts also serves to inspire some students in their training. Sometimes the goal of entering a competition in Forms or Sparring encourages a student to train harder and more frequently with the result that their practice improves. Motivation is a major factor in the training regimen of most students. If tournament performance inspires good training habits, it is obviously a plus.

While the UKC students, who choose to compete, generally do very well, the majority of those who train here never enter a tournament. Much of the training that we do for self-defense does not have a legal tournament application, being too dangerous to be permitted in a contest; and we are not specifically a tournament oriented school. Beyond the sport and self-defense applications of Martial Arts principles, the deeper purpose of the MuDoKai style is in training for personal growth and development. To quote from the Tao Te Ching (Lao Tzu), “He who overcomes others has force he who overcomes himself is strong.” The idea of learning to overcome, or be in control of oneself through Martial Arts training, provides a major reason for students to continue to practice, even beyond the Black Belt level.

Allowing children to quit before they reach their goals, is a course of action that some parents unfortunately take these days. It seems a convenient way out for those parents who do not want to struggle with the challenging behavior of a child who does not want to follow through on what they have started. Not all learning experiences in life are easy, and some children may rebel when they are required to confront what may seem to them to be a very challenging situation.

Unfortunately, what we teach children when we allow them to quit something that they have started, is that quitting is okay. We send a message that quitting is acceptable and that quitting is a viable option. This is not a good lesson for life.

In the movie Apollo 13 there is a scene where the Mission Control Coordinator has to figure out what to do in response to the Apollo capsule malfunctioning in a way that will prevent re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere. Unless the ground crew can accomplish what seem to be impossible tasks, and solve the problems that face them within a very limited time frame, all will be lost. What did the person in charge tell his anxious and flummoxed staff? To quote the movie, he said that “failure is not an option”. This man was not a quitter.

Many years ago a junior student had been given three red stripes on his belt and was ready to test. The child was given his paperwork stating this and then a very strange thing happened, he told his mother that he had lost interest and that he wanted to quit karate. He was actually just scared to take the test. His mother let him quit. At the same time another student had also been given his third stripe and was ready to test. He also wanted to quit but his mother insisted that he finish what he started and even paid for a set of lessons that would take him through the testing date (his membership had expired one month before the date set for graduation) so that she could support his following through to his goal, achieving the belt that he was ready to test for.

The different between these two similar situations is crucial to the development of each child’s character. In the first instance the mother allowed her child to quit before he completed the process of graduating to the next belt, thereby ensuring that quitting became an established habit. He subsequently carried this habit into his teenage years when he also quit high school despite being a gifted student.

In the second instance, the mother used her parental influence to insist that her child complete what he started, so that child not only took his belt test and passed it, but went on to achieve Black Belt, having faced the challenge before him with appropriate parental support and guidance and succeeded despite his performance anxiety.

Not everyone will necessarily train in karate throughout their life, though some students will. Most students however can achieve the goal of Black Belt. We are a Black Belt school. Aim for your goals and practice hard to realize them and you will succeed. Just because you are afraid of having to perform, or otherwise feeling foolish or humiliated is no reason to give up. You can succeed with a winning attitude, and your Sensei will help you gain that attitude with the assistance of your parents bringing to your classes.

© Shihan Robert Heale Mason 2008

“Everything that has been achieved is merely a preliminary exercise for the achievements to come, and no one-not even one who has reached perfection-can say he has reached the end.” This quote from Eugene Herrigel touches on an important theme for martial arts students. The experience of perfection, or completeness in martial arts, often only occurs after many years of practice and thousands of repetitious movements. Sometimes, however, it can be experienced by a complete beginner. Herrigel wrote “Zen in the Art of Archery,” and years ago I remember taking a girlfriend to practice archery with me. I showed her how to draw the bow and loose the arrow. Her first shot went straight to the center of the target, the gold. I was thrilled, as she was, at the experience of everything going “just right.” The moment was complete, perfect. Of course, this joy of the novice at a flash of perfection, while wonderful, does not mean that mastery has been achieved. Mastery requires consistent high level performance over time.

Repetition often leads students to feel bored. Getting just as excited about a punch or kick on the twentieth repetition, as you were on the first attempt is often difficult. Repeating the move for the five hundredth time is often a rote performance, containing little of the zest, intensity and quality necessary to achieve perfection. Yet, only after many thousands of such excellent repetitions can the move become so smooth, relaxed, reflexive and energized that it feels perfect.

Within the Mu-do-kai curriculum, I have done my best to disguise the repetitions. I have placed the fundamental exercises into different contexts at each belt level, in order that the students may see them with fresh eyes. I understand that new gold belts usually think that when they can roughly get through Pinan Nidan, that they “know” the Kata. These students find it incomprehensible that a Black Belt student, having been many times a champion, is performing the same Kata now, as he attempts to win his next title, as he was when he won his first. What is more, he is getting the most out of it now, and performing at the highest level. For Black Belts, this is the way to mastery, not just of karate, but of themselves.

1. Basics and Combinations – Make sure you have practiced and that you know your basics. You should also rehearse your combinations until you can do them repeatedly without missing a step.

2. Attitude – Realize the value of a positive attitude. You must always strive to impress your Sensei with your winning and positive attitude.

3. Kata – Practice your kata, and take time to perfect each move, within the context of each combination of moves. Visualize the whole routine.

4. Self Defense – Again, during routine practice, you should practice your moves and make sure that you understand them. Stay on task in class and be sure that you are are doing all of your pairs techniques properly. Ask the Sensei if you have any questions so that you can be sure you are practicing correctly.

5. Energy Level – Make sure you are well rested and have had a high-energy, healthy snack (fruit, granola bar, etc.) before going to the Dojo. Keeping your energy level high will ensure that you perform to your highest potential.

6. Focus – Focus is extremely important. As all Martial Arts experts know, the body cannot work alone. To maintain focus means keeping your mind sharp and concentrating on the task at hand.

“Fortune favors the prepared mind”, so prepare yourself using these steps before your graduation, and keep them in mind while you are in the learning process. This will make your journey to Martial Arts Excellence a consistently rewarding experience.

When we are learning anything it is fundamentally important to develop a winning mind-set. While it is often assumed that “superior ability” is a key to success, over thirty years of research has indicated that an overemphasis on “talent” or “intellect”, along with the implication that these are fixed, innate traits, leave students feeling fearful of challenges, vulnerable to failure and unmotivated to learn. All of the research indicates that our abilities are not fixed and can be developed and improved upon throughout our lives. Even geniuses and the most talented people have to work hard and persevere to accomplish their goals. What we endeavor to teach students at the Dojo, is the “growth mind-set” that asserts that abilities are developed, intelligence is malleable and that, with persistent hard work, skills will improve and problems can be solved. In short, students of Mudokai learn how to learn, and develop the learning skills that will enable them to use this mind-set to utilize hard work and their love of learning to work towards success in all of their endeavors.

When people have a “fixed mind-set”, they get upset every time that they make an error. They “feel dumb” perhaps because they could not perform the move the Sensei showed them. This attitude leads to a lowering of self-esteem and will likely be reflected in their job, at home, or at school in the case of young students. One of the benefits of training in Mudokai is that we can address this issue directly. All students are encouraged to see the acquisition of skills and techniques as something everyone can learn. Our curriculum is designed so that all new beginners will be able to learn the blocks strikes and kicks through the process of instruction, practice, correction and improved practice. As students achieve higher ranks and learn more advanced skills they realize more and more that, just as they can improve their balance, flexibility, strength, agility and fitness through persistent effort, that same effort applied to their job or their schoolwork will allow them to improve their skills in those areas. A major consequence of the development of a “growth mind-set” is improved confidence. When we realize that we can learn anything we set our mind to, and achieve results by virtue of hard work and effort, we see any errors we make as useful feedback that will allow us to hone our skills. We see the development of new skills as a challenge, to meet with energy and enthusiasm. Because Mudokai training is so technically specific, the Sensei can offer praise for the students accomplishments at every stage of the development of each new skill. By focusing students on the actions that lead to success we can foster motivation and confidence.

In 1982 when the University Karate Center moved into its first permanent studio space Sensei Neal Fleisig had already been training with Shihan Mason for two years. Having trained in Japan and received his Black Belt in Shorin Ryu Karate prior to beginning to train with Shihan Mason, he was on hand to help out with teaching classes as soon as the school opened. Shihan Mason was teaching a full schedule of private lessons at the time, which meant that he was frequently out of the Dojo. Sensei Fleisig, who is also a Psychologist, was able to step in and teach classes at a critical phase of the Dojo’s development.

Sensei Fleisig is a “Board Certified Behavior Analyst. He is also trained in cognitive-behavioral therapy and biofeedback techniques and has worked as a clinical therapist. Mr. Fleisig serves as a consultant to hospitals, schools, and community based facilities that work with individuals who exhibit severe aggressive and self-injurious behavior.”

In addition to his training in Shorin Ryu and MuDoKai Mr. Fleisig is an accomplished student of Tai Chi Chuan, and taught this class at the Dojo for several years. “These combined experiences have provided Mr. Fleisig with a unique blend of highly refined skills in body mechanics and movement. In addition, his training has resulted in a heightened sensitivity to issues that emerge when one individual physically intervenes with another.”

One of the hallmarks of Professional Crisis Management is that it “does not involve the use of pain to control or de-escalate aggressive behavior. All of the procedures in the system have been carefully developed and selected so as to avoid joint manipulation or awkward positioning. Professional Crisis Management procedures are eloquent in terms of body mechanics and are all physically "painless." Nevertheless, the procedures are powerful and effective and sufficient to contain and control even the most dangerous behaviors.” For additional information visit www.pcma.com. Shihan Mason wishes to thank the Professional Crisis Management Association for their contribution to this article.

At the karate school we teach children self-discipline, self-confidence and self-esteem as part of our program of personal growth and development by letting students learn how to do these tasks themselves. The Junior level is distinguished from the Dragons and Tigers by the degree of independence that we expect from the children.

For example, in the half-hour Little Dragons class the staff fills out the attendance card for the child and the parents are allowed to bring the child into the facility and to shepherd the child to and from the classroom, helping the child put away shoes if necessary.

In the forty-five minute Junior class the child is expected to be capable of doing these basic tasks, or of learning to do them, on their own. As parents and educators it is important that we all work together towards a common goal: providing opportunities for the children in our care to learn how to be self-sufficient.

Abraham Lincoln was once quoted as saying that “we don’t help others when we do for them what they could and should do for themselves.” At times people are confused about how children learn competence and confidence and how this relates to self-esteem.

Children can pick up on adults’ anxiety and learn to fear “failure”. Their natural ability to learn, which is fostered in a relaxed environment where trial and error is nurtured and encouraged, is shut down under the well-meaning guise of parental protection and involvement. Self-esteem is based on, and built through, learning how to be competent in life skills, according to Dr. Martin Seligman, a leading pioneer in the field of competence and depression. He says that we teach our children to be helpless when we prevent them from learning life skills, whether technical, emotional, financial, physical or intellectual in nature, for themselves. As parents we can give our kids opportunities by placing them in structured learning situations (with appropriate supervision) and supporting them in their efforts to learn, by letting them go through the process on their own.

Seligman’s book “Learned Optimism” explores this topic in detail, with research and empirical data compiled through years of observing the American process of child rearing. As adults we need to make the proffering of “rewards” (praise is a reward) contingent upon the delivery of reasonable, correct behavior from the child. Self-esteem is best developed when the child actually learns how to do something correctly, and that happens only through the process of trial and error on the part of the child.

I encourage you to view our classes at any time through the windows. Many parents bring chairs to sit and watch their children train. Since the repair work is now finished on the roof of our neighboring building, the wood partition has been removed and we can once again enjoy the bright outlook, as well as use the parking lot to the rear of the center if we wish. This is a big improvement as I personally found the wood partition rather oppressive.

While visiting the world-famous Hippocrates Health Institute recently in West Palm Beach I listened to a short talk by its Director Brian Clements, who has studied health and diet and exercise for over forty years. His speech was interesting and informative; it was surprising to hear him say that the most important element in recovery from an illness is the patient’s belief that they deserve to get well. Similarly, a young person’s belief that they deserve to be safe and strong is important in defending themselves in a close encounter with a potential assailant. “I am safe; I am strong” was imprinted on the front of the special tee shirts that Girl Scouts wore at the Jamboree and it makes a good motto for our young students too.

Who is the boss? Who is in charge? This is often how we perceive who has the power in a situation. We don’t want to be bossed around. In a society where “the customer is always right” there is often the idea that the consumer of a product or service is “in charge.” In Martial Arts it does not work that way. The Sensei is in charge. He is dominant. The students, starting from the most senior among them, form a hierarchy beneath the Sensei, based upon their rank. Where that rank is equal, they are encouraged to be modest, humble and deferential towards each other. The real test of their ability to be respected as dominant, lies after all, in their ability to perform rather than push.

While Martial Arts teaches respect for everyone, it also teaches the importance of winning, of being dominant, where issues of real importance are concerned. Additionally, self mastery is held to be of more value than dominating others. Respect is a by-product of this dominance hierarchy. For example, if a lion cub does not respect a male lion, he may end up being hurt, or even killed. Similarly, if a person does not respect a judge in court, they may end up going to jail for their attitude of contempt. Judges rule in their courtroom.

September is the start of the new school year, a time when parents and kids have to regroup to deal with busy schedules, changing schedules, and priorities. There is only so much time and energy in one 24 hour day so the question really becomes: what are the most important things that must be done each day. There are obvious choices such as school, homework, job, eating, sleeping and travel time; then there is what we do with the time that we have left, assuming that there is some leftover time. Often this is where things get tricky as this is the area that is not mandated and so this is the area of free choice, such as it is. This is where our values determine what choices we will make-an indication of what is truly important to us, where the rubber meets the road.

In talking recently to parents of new students some issues have come to my attention. Many parents are initially fearful of enrolling their children into our program. Usually this is because they have never had any experience themselves of a karate school before. Sometimes it is because they have had a previously negative experience with another school. Some karate schools at the present time, and many in the past, were set up on a para-military basis, with the goal of teaching students "blood and guts" fighting skills. Since I began teaching in Plantation in 1980 my goal has always been to make personal growth the major focus of our program. This is based in my belief that if students acquire their martial skills within a context of healthy physical, emotional and psychological development, they will derive the greatest all-around benefit. In the last few years in particular, martial arts studios around the country have finally begun to adopt the language of approaching martial arts in this fashion; however, the University Karate Center remains, as far as I know, the long term pioneer in this method of teaching martial arts to students of all ages.

It is often a good idea for concerned parents to come and watch a class first to see how we train. I appreciate the efforts that all the students make to refer clients to the school, and would encourage you to tell your friends and acquaintances about our program. We anticipate that "the proof of the pudding is in the eating" and that by seeing what we are doing, and by experiencing our program first hand, they will be convinced of its merit.

All students, but kids in particular, can use their martial arts knowledge to resolve conflicts peacefully, by talking rather than resorting to violence. The training gives them the confidence to be able to speak with someone who may be threatening them physically, rather than cave in to a bully’s demands, or lash out in panic as an untrained individual might. Since they have developed their practiced skills, they can remain cool calm and confident, while opting for the civilized solution. Essentially, Mudokai Martial Arts teaches practical peace.

Martial Arts is both a discipline and an art form. It is martial, therefore it lends itself well to regimentation, as does the military. It is an art, and as such requires the students to explore the mental and emotional aspects of themselves. Karate Do, the way of the empty hand, balances the right and left hemispheres of the brain by engaging the rational and the intuitive aspects of the mind simultaneously. This is the function of regular training in basics, strategy, and kata, essentially simple actions, that are developed through repetition and practice, to crystallize into a profound understanding. It is this reconciliation of discipline and freedom, of structure and creativity, that allows for the development of a mature integration of being. This self-knowledge develops a touchstone within, a capacity to do the “right thing”, and also the wisdom to realize the discipline of freedom through practice.

© 2007 Shihan Robert Heale Mason

When I was growing up I went to bed at 7:00 pm every night and got up at 7:00 am in the morning until I was about eight years old. My bedtime was extended to 7:30 pm from age eight to ten and then extended again to 8:00 pm from age ten to twelve.

When I went away to boarding school, right before my twelfth birthday, I recall complaining in letters home to my parents that I was not getting enough sleep. Lights out was at 9:00 pm and we got up at 6:45 am, just nine and three quarter hours, rather than my usual eleven hours. Of course, I got used to the schedule which was extended again when I was about fourteen to lights out at 9:30 pm, which was my bedtime until I left school at age sixteen. This regimen allowed me to get through my growing years with plenty of sleep, and as a result plenty of energy for my daytime schedule.

In order to train properly it is important to have the pant leg hemmed just above the ankle. This insures the student’s safety, so that they do not trip over their feet, and also gives a better overall look to the student’s appearance. In Japan students often wear karate pants hemmed to the mid-calf to keep them completely clear of the ankles for kicking.

A clean, wrinkle-free uniform is considered essential by none other than Sensei George Sfetas, who was my teacher when I was at University. Mr. Sfetas was famous for ironing his own uniform, a heavyweight Tokaido, and also for turning students away from class if their uniform was unsuitable, wrinkled or dirty.

So be “fashionably fit” for class by planning ahead. A second uniform is always a good idea, (one for the wash and one ready for class). Also, always remember after class to hang up the uniform (rather than stuffing it in a bag for the next time).

Martial Arts came originally from the Military Arts, where a well turned out, clean, sharp and complete uniform is always considered essential. Looking good in every respect is all part of our Martial Arts form.

(L) Sensei George Sfetas sparring with Mr. Mason (R) in 1980   World Forms and Weapons Champion Sensei Jeff Liotta demonstrates stillness in action

~Zen saying