A little horrible poetry

Mirror

I stood and stared and saw myself
But what I saw was not me
It was not the self I had come to know
But was the self I’d came to see.

I paused and looked and saw her there
Lying on the cold tiled floor
Wiping her blood from my cheek
I raised the axe once more.

I chopped and cleaved and carved her up
Her head rolled by the door
I saw her lifeless eyes stare at me
Saying she was my wife no more.

Speckled there upon my face
Crimson droplets ran their course
Emerging from the once white lace
Which will forever adorn her corpse.

My madness left, the realisation came
I hated what I had become
I saw the pieces of my beloved
And I knew what I had done.

She ran and fled to another man
What anger drove her from my bed
I picked up my axe in a rage
And then removed her head.

I stood and stared and saw myself
But what I saw was not me
It was not the self I had come to know
But the monster I’d come to be.

Kato Sensei Comes Again

It was St. Patrick's weekend and despite the harsh winds and flurries of snow, people from all over the country descended on Tuam to attend a seminar with Shihan Kato (8th Dan). Some brave souls from England decided to undertake the journey across the water to the wild west of Ireland. They drove all night and then came straight into the dojo for training. Their dedication to the cause had to be commended. Sensei started off the Saturday morning training by teaching a special class just for children. He guided them through the basics of karate and corrected their postures and positioning.

The second class began at the end of the children's class and training began with some kihon exercises using some often neglected stances from karate such as sanchin dachi, musubi dachi, uchi-hachiji dachi and heisoku dachi. After various exercises focusing on the correct use of the body in punching from these stances, Kato Sensei went on to instruct us in the proper use of the hips and feet when trying to move forward and backwards with a hip thrusting motion. Next we moved on to the kata Rantai, which involves a myriad of leg techniques and unique foot work and proved to be quite a challenge. After going through various sections of the kata it was all put together and performed several times. This marked the end of the first day or training and the start of the celebrations of St. Patrick's day. A very enjoyable evening was had by all. Familiar faces got together and resumed where they had left off and new friends were made.

Sunday morning training began as the previous day had left off with the black belts performing Rantai. After instructing us on some of the finer points of the kata, Kato Sensei taught us the applications and we practiced them with partners. In doing the kata really became alive and each time the kata was performed we were able to visualize what we were doing and why. At the end of the hour the junior grades joined the class and each one was given a black belt to practice with. Kato Sensei showed them different foot movements to close down a variety of distances when sparring with an opponent and then allowed them to practice this with their partner. Kato Sensei then taught them how to use these foot movements in conjunction with kicks with each juniors grade aided by their partner. The class was then broken up and the appropriate level of kata was taught to the relevant grades. The class then finished and one member of the Sei Bu Kan dojo in Cork city successfully graded to shodan.

The feedback from the weekend was very positive and everyone seemed to have had a great time and enjoyed the training and getting together on this Irish holiday. I would like to thank Kato Sensei for coming to my home town and sharing his karate with us, Sensei Brian Toomey for all his help and support on the weekend and everyone at Tuam Karate Club for all their help during the weekend.
Osu!

Choices

Someone asked me recently why it is I am making the choices that I have made. To do the difficult thing and leave all I know and love behind. To make the changes that I am making and to go to the places that I intend to go; perhaps never to return. I tried to answer the questions they put forth to me, but my answers were not sufficient. It was this evening, at this very late hour of 4:22am that I stumbled across the work of the slam poet Big Poppa E. There was one poem which caught my attention and held me spellbound as he read it out. I listen to it. Then I listened to it again and then again. It held the answer that I wanted to give. It captures the way I feel about life and better yet…the way to live it. And so I present that poem here so that I can look upon it every day and when next sometime asks me why I have made such a choice, I will point and let them read.

Scars, Part Two

By Big Poppa E

There comes a time in every kid’s life when they must be allowed to discover this truth: the plumpest berries are in the very heart of the sticker bush. It’s the scratches that make them sweeter.

A Me without scars is evidence of a life unlived.

No one can tell you the stove is hot, you must be allowed to touch it. Children protected from playing in the dirt grow into sick adults unable to fight simple infections. Parents can’t possibly redeem themselves for past bad choices by forcing their children into closets for safety, this will only make them blind and afraid and vulnerable and it will make them hate you.

Give me a life full of rope burns and splinters and heart-felt advice I’m allowed to ignore. Give me shins scraped by pavement and cracked front teeth and elbows bloodied into stories worth telling. Then bury me in the ground bruised and imperfect with skin tattooed by a life well earned, well-lived, etched with cautionary tales, drenched with tears and laughter. Every mistake, every stumble, every lesson reflected in my defiant smile.

At the end of my life, the last thing I want to see is a long series of safe choices and measured steps. Give me instead a life filled with triumphs, fuelled by countless lovely missteps and wonderfully painful bad choices. Please God, please let my last dying breath be scented with gentle regret for things I had the courage to try and none for the things I dared not do.

I have learned so much and still I have skin left untouched. I still have work to do, I still have life to live.

The only lessons worth learning are the ones that leave a mark.

To listen to this piece as it should be read I point you to the poet himself, as he brings his passion and defiance into every word. Click here to here to listen.

To find out more about Big Poppa E and his work go to his website: www.bigpoppae.com

One Perfect Day

I sat on the stone wall that separated our garden from the field at the back of our house. It was July and I was about thirteen years old. I let my feet dangle loosely over the edge of the wall and I closed my eyes and felt the warm rays of the sun bathe my face. A gentle summer breeze blew the warm summer air against it. I opened my eyes and looked out across the golden field and listened as the breeze made the long grass rustle. I remember it was especially silent that day. There were no cars rushing past on the main road, no lawnmowers trimming the grass and no loud screams of other children playing in their gardens. There was just me, sitting on that wall, on that fantastic day. There was nothing special about that day, nothing wondrous or amazing happened and yet thirteen years later I can still close my eyes and feel that same warmth and hear that rustling sound. I remember sitting on that warm stone wall and thinking this was perfection. I felt so relaxed and so happy. I choose at that moment to remember it forever. Whenever things get on top of me I can always go back to that special time and remember the things which are important to me. All I have to do is close my eyes.

I am not sure what compelled me to write this but I feel all the more relaxed for doing so. Everyone needs that special place for themselves, their own private space. That space that while you can tell others about, they can never join you. For that place is yours and yours alone. A place where you can go and forget about all the inconsequential details that bog us down in our day to day existence and concentrate on what is really important for you. For me it is that one perfect day.

If indeed there exists an afterlife, and it was different for all of us, then I would choose to be sitting on that wall again, without a care in the world, feeling the warmth of the sun and listening to the rustling grass. That would be my heaven. My perfect day.

Training in Japan

I can only imagine what it must be like to be enrolled on that course. At first there must be excitement and certainly some nerves. I am sure I would think it was going to be tough, but I think I could not possibly know what to expect. You can read the writings of others and hear their experiences, but knowing about the experiences of others does not mean you have experienced them yourself. To endure the Instructors Course in Japan must indeed be one of the toughest things there is. From what I have read it is not so much to attend, take part and participate in the course but rather endure, suffer and survive. To dedicate yourself to the perfection of your technique and adopt this extreme and cruel lifestyle really says how committed you are to developing your karate.

There is only hard work on this course. It is relentless, brutal training day after day for two years under extreme pressure. Training along side your peers and having to give it your all or suffer the consequences. One small mistake, one lapse in etiquette and your senior will let you know by a beating. This lifestyle applies to both inside and outside the dojo. For the kenshusei (trainee instructor) there is no let up, there is only constant pressure day after day.

Can you imagine the dread that you would feel walking into training everyday knowing that today might be the very day that you get badly beaten for some infringement. This kind of environment forces you to change, to become better, faster and stronger. Either that or you just do not make it through. Simple as that, sink or swim.

But graduation does not mean that your training is finished. In a recent Shotokan Karate Magazine (SKM) interview written by Scott Langely about Takashi Yamaguchi (6^th Dan), Yamaguchi Sensei says:

“So after you graduate, it doesn’t mean you stop shidoin geiko (instructor training), in fact that is when you start shidoin geiko properly. In karate there are no ends, only beginnings. Starting karate is a beginning, Graduating for the course is a beginning. There are no ends, The only end is death. This is Shogai karate, it means from beginning to death.”

Yamaguchi Sensei still trains on this course every day and the results can really be seen in his karate. His speed is amazing and his technique is so sharp. He is inspiring to watch and at the same time I found him to be a gentleman both inside and outside the dojo.

For a first hand account of what it is like to train on this course I refer to you to an article written by Scott Langley, he also being a graduate of the Instructor’s Course. The link to the article can be found on the JKS Ukraine website.

It was during my trip to Switzerland last year with two of my students that we had the opportunity to train with Sensei’s Yamaguchi and Ishimime. It was truly fantastic. These instructors are in their prime and when you see them move they make it look so easy. But there are no shortcuts in karate, there is just dedication and hard work.

Until next time, Osu!

Kime and Zanshin

To start an explanation of kime let’s look at the first line of the wikipedia definition:

“Kime (in Japanese 決め) is a Japanese martial arts term. In karate it can mean 'focus' - the instantaneous tensing at the correct moment during a technique.”

In his “Best Karate” series Masatoshi Nakayama (former Chief Instructor of the JKA) defined kime as:

“…an explosive attack to the target using appropriate technique and maximum power in the shortest time possible.”

From this you can begin to form an idea of what kime is about. When practicing a karate technique with kime, physical and mental focus must exist. When the technique lands on the opponent it must be like a surgical strike in its precision and delivered with maximum power. All elements of the technique must be controlled at that instant and they must all work in harmony with each other. The breath and technique are combined and the result is a devastating attack to the enemy. This concept stems from the ideal of “ikken hissatsu” which means to “kill with one blow”. The best representation of this ideal can be seen during kihon ippon kumite or indeed jiyu ippon kumite. Two opponents face each other and one attacks and one defends. The encounter is very fast and the defence and counterattack must be strong enough and precise enough so that the ideal of ikken hissatsu is upheld.

This then leads us on to the idea of “zanshin”. One again let us look at some sections of the wikipedia definition to enlighten us:

“Zan·shin (Japanese: 残心) is a term used in the Japanese martial arts. It refers to a state of awareness - a state of relaxed alertness. The literal translation is remaining mind.”

And

“In karate, it means staying alert and focused and does not necessarily involve the direction in which one is looking, or even the condition of having just "finished" a fight; it also means being aware of the possibility of being attacked at any time whatsoever.”

When practicing karate, the practitioner must be aware at all times of what he/she is doing and at no time let their mind drift. For example when engaging in kumite you must be relaxed and yet ready for anything that your opponent may throw at you. When you are relaxed it means that you can react quickly and appropriately by applying a sufficient defence and delivering a decisive technique. Elimination of all unnecessary tension in your body is important for quick movement but your mind most also be relaxed and not focussed on any one course of action. In this way you can freely react to any situation and allow your training to come to the fore.

So in order to have an effective karate technique one must have both kime and zanshin. Once the technique is delivered the karateka must still be in a state of readiness and aware of his surroundings, ready for whatever may come next.

Perfection

We enter the dojo and don our gis and as we step out onto the floor we feel the familiar sensation of wood against the soles of our feet. When you first start karate the notion of training in your bare feet is alien, but after a few years it is almost a comfort. Students take up positions in various parts of the dojo, stretching and loosening their bodies, readying themselves for the task at hand, the practice of karate. Every time you come into the dojo you hone your technique, making it sharper in the same way a craftsman polishes his tools, for how can anyone do the work they need to do if their tools have been neglected? The karateka looks at the minute details of a technique, eliminating any wasteful movements to ensure efficient and effective application of their weapon to the opponent, the only weapon that a karateka has…his/her body.

My mind is always drawn back to the mental images formed by an article written by Dave Hooper which contrasts training in Japan with training elsewhere in the world. To quote from his article “Karate-do: The Way versus the Cul-de-sac”:

A Karate Class — somewhere in Japan

“Ichi…ni…san…shi…”

To each count, a group of dan grades execute gyakuzuki. The sweat running down their impassive faces reveals the degree of effort and concentration that their practice demands. The sensei briefly interjects to re-emphasise the importance of keeping the shoulders relaxed during the movement. The rhythm of the count remains constant, almost hypnotic; undisturbed by the kiais that contrast so sharply with the otherwise inaudible breathing. As each set of ten counts is completed, so the next begins: a never-ending sequence to be eventually halted by the sensei’s call of “yame.”

To me the Japanese method of training presented in that article seems so pure. So hypnotic as Dave Hooper puts it. The students just stand there and polish their techniques, again and again without complaint, refining them until their techniques become so fast and powerful that they can seem superhuman. But it is not superhuman. It is just hard work, dedication and an attention to detail which produces such quality. Each time I line up on the dojo floor and training starts, it is this image that I have in my mind; the perfection of technique and an understanding of it which is gained only through countless repetitions and study. This is the art of karate.

This is the endeavour to which we dedicate ourselves. It is not easy, often frustrating, but ultimately rewarding. We keep coming back, donning our gi and stepping out onto that wooden floor once more. There is nothing else I would rather do.

Sneaky Students & Stalking Dogs!

Recently I decided to register on Bebo.com and have a look around and there to my surprise I found a photo with me in it on one of my student's profiles. The internet is such a sneaky place and so to further compound the problem I am now posting the same photo here so it can be enjoyed by anyone around the world who happens to pass through this blog. Let me tell you that we get viewers here from Los Angeles in the USA to Beijing in China and everywhere in between. So now these sneaky students can see themselves here as well.

In other news I think my dog has become a stalker after the argument we had recently about his payment for modeling work he had done. If you have no idea what I am talking about check here and then here to see how the story has developed. Anyway I was working away here in front of my computer and I heard the very soft patting of paws on the landing behind me. Turning around I caught the rogue trying to sneak back down after getting out of the sitting room somehow. It is important to note the Max is not allowed up stairs usually, which leads me to conclude that he is indeed a skilled spy. See how he has his body pressed to the ground, trying to stay low under the radar and evade detection. What was he doing up stairs? What plan could he possibly be hatching? I am not sure but I am a little afraid to use the toilet in case he has rigged it to explode or something! Keep watching this space to find out how this tale of domestic terrorism plays out!

Sneakiness abounds! Either that or I am becoming more paranoid in my old age. The pets of the world are plotting against us!

A Night Mooring Near Maple Bridge (枫桥夜泊)

To the right you will see the beautiful scroll which adorns the wall in my room. It has been hanging there since Christmas and I never get tired of looking at it. It is a thing of beauty. All the more so since I it was written especially for me by Lailai's mother as a gift. Using an older style of Chinese calligraphy she wrote Zhang Ji's (张继) famous poem "Night Mooring Near Maple Bridge" (枫桥夜泊). Zhang Ji was a famous Tang dynasty (唐朝)poet and there is a bridge in Suzhou was has been made famous by this poem and while I was in Suzhou last year I did not get a chance during our brief visit to see it. Perhaps next time. In traditional Chinese writing such as that seen here the characters are written with a brush and the words are to be read from top to bottom, starting at the right hand side and progressing left.

I have included the text of the poem as it would be written using modern simplified Chinese characters, pinyin and of course and English translation.

Simplified Characters:

张继 Zhang ji

月落乌啼霜满天，
江枫渔火对愁眠。
姑苏城外寒山寺。
夜半钟声到客船。

Pinyin:

枫feng1 桥qiao2 夜ye4 [泊bo2;po1] 张zhang1 继ji4

月yue4 [落la4;lao4;luo1;luo4] [乌wu1;wu4] 啼ti2 霜shuang1 满man3 天tian1 ，

江jiang1 枫feng1 渔yu2 火huo3 对dui4 愁chou2 眠mian2 。

姑gu1 苏su1 城cheng2 外wai4 寒han2 山shan1 寺si4 ，

夜ye4 半ban4 钟zhong1 声sheng1 到dao4 客ke4 船chuan2 。

English:

Moon sets, crows cry and frost fills all the sky;

By maples and boat lights, I sleepless lie.

Outside Suzhou Hanshan Temple is in sight;

Its ringing bells reach my boat at midnight.

The English does not do the poem justice. It captures what is being said but the feeling is in the sound of the Chinese words. There are other English translations available which might be more literal but I think this one captures the feeling of the poem nicely. Other more liberal translations add too much to the poem and take away from its simplicity and economy of words. The poem is peaceful and tranquil and at the same time possesses a hint of loneliness. All the same I really love this poem and it is one of my first exposures to some of the great works of poetry that China possesses.

If you would like to hear how this poem sounds when spoken in its native language then go to this page: http://kid.baby.sina.com.cn/2004-11-15/4054.html

我要谢来来妈妈，她给了我这张绘画. 谢谢!

Wrecked!

There is really nothing like a good hard basic kihon session when you are training karate and that is just what we had today. The sweat was pouring off people, running down their faces and stinging their eyes. They pushed themselves hard and kept going and going, trying to give it everything they had, not knowing when the end was coming, trying to maintain a good technique, while at the same time doing the combinations at speed and with full power. All the while they were being watched and corrected, they were under pressure. Do it faster, stronger and better. Their hearts were pounding and their muscles screaming and then it came. The call to stop. They held their positions, unmoving and breathing heavily. Eyes fixed to the front, focused, ready for the next command. It was at this point they were given a break and allowed to get water. They collapsed on the ground exhausted and rested themselves while they had a chance. They knew it would begin again soon.

Good learner, bad learner

On one of my usual mooches around the internet I cast an eye on a blog called nihongojouzu which deals with learning the Japanese language and the resources available. I often look at this site to give me ideas on how to learn Chinese more effectively. The author of the website posted a video recently that he uses at a JET programme recontracting conference each year which shows the differences between a good learner and a bad learner when it comes to studying the Japanese language. The video contrasts one student who, while living in Japan, speaks English most of the time, watches English TV programs, reads English language publications and speaks only to English speaking friends; and the other student basically does the opposite and totally immerses himself into the language and interacts with people wherever and whenever he can. It is a funny little video but it highlights some of the mistakes that people make when studying a foreign language in the country in which it is spoken. However I am not so sure I would go so far as bothering people eating their lunch on park benches or anything like that! hehe

The link to the video can be found on the blog above or on YouTube here.

That's all for the moment!

Chinese Idiom #1: 一枕黄粱

一枕黄粱

Meaning:
The phrase can be translated to mean "Dreams of grandeur" and it means dreams that cannot come true.

Character Meanings:
黄粱 is a type of foodstuff, millet.
枕 is to rest your head or sleep.

Story/Background

The story behind this phrase comes from the Tang Dynasty(唐朝) and involves the scholar(读书人) Lu Sheng (卢生) on his way to sit the civil servant exams(赶考) in the capital city. Along the way he mets a Daoist priest(道士) at an inn and he asks him to teach him the secret to great success, great riches and gaining a high position(荣华富贵). The priest tells Lu Sheng to rest his head on a pillow and sleep. It is not long before he is dreaming. At the same time the inn keeper is preparing them some food, all the while Lu Sheng dreams of great riches, having a beautiful wife, five sons, ten grandchildren, living until eighty years of age and attaining a very high position in the government. Just as he woke from his dream all of his riches disappeared, the inn keeper was still steaming the rich which was not cooked all the way through and Lu Sheng was without all his wealth and titles.

So from this story the phrase "一枕黄粱" was generated which means a dream that cannot come true.

To explain it in Chinese: "黄粱"就是小米, "桢"指睡觉. "一枕黄粱" 指不能实现的梦想.

As with a lot of Chinese idioms the meanings can be very obscure unless you know the story behind them.

Usage:

To put it into context and how it can be used I will use an example from a conversation that I had today with Lailai. Two years agoI had attended a conference which was in Japan and I just found out that it is in Hawaii this year. It is on at this very moment and unfortunately I am unable to go. It was at this moment that Lailai gave me the perfect example of the use of this idiomatic phrase when she expressed her desire to go there right now.

她说了: 我梦想去Hawaii,但是不可以,真是一枕黄粱

She said: I dream of going to Hawaii, but I cannot, it really is "a dream that cannot come true"

That sentence is just to give an idea of how the phrase can be used in conversation.

In the future I hope to put up more Chinese Idioms and their origin. Watch this space!

Learning difficulties and Chinese

This morning I saw a program on adult literacy in the UK which detailed the programs and methods by which people can learn to read and write well. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to try to get around in the world these days without being able to read or write, but I had to admire the courage that these people have in seeking help to overcome this barrier. It was extraordinary to think that some of the people featured on the program were at one time labeled as stupid and retarded because of their learning difficulties. It was like people had just given up hope on them immediately and abandoned them. For some though there was a light at the end of the tunnel and they managed to overcome their difficulties and master the written word. Inspiring stuff. There are many groups and resources available now today to help the adult learner and it is a far cry for the state of affairs that labeled people with learning difficulties as "unhelpable".

A reading group was featured and two members of the group were singled out on the program. They were brought to bookstores and libraries and they were presented with different books. One of the group members, a lady, wanted something that she could read to her grandchildren . The other member, a man near seventy, was extremely difficult to please and was very fussy about what he wanted to read. He said that he often never gets past the second page because he gets bored. It was rather easy for the lady to find something she wanted to read but the other group member took some persuading. He was shown a machine that can scan in the page of any book and read it back to him. After scanning a few pages he was excited enough about what he heard to give the rest of the book a go by himself. It was still a struggle to read an entire book from cover to cover but there was a great feeling of accomplishment when they had done it!

This brought up in my mind once again the importance of the material being used for language study to be relevant to the student and being available in a variety of formats. From the viewpoint of studying Chinese the same ideas ring true. Not only has the material to be interesting in order for the student to stick with it when it becomes more difficult but it should be available in many different forms. Students should be able to see it written, hear it spoken and speak it themselves. What works for one person may not work for another and this is perhaps why schools have such mixed results when it comes to language learning. New technologies and resources should be exploited by schools and in that way new avenues of learning can be opened up to students.

The same issue of how languages are being taught in schools was raised in the blog article Changing how we learn by Ken Carroll on the Praxis Language website. With the British government announcing that they want to ensure that non-European languages are going to be studied in schools, you have go to ask the question: Is it going to make any difference when they are still using outmoded language teaching methodologies?