Ms. Tuff has the Right Stuff!

Yesterday, Antoinette Tuff, a bookkeeper at Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy in Decatur, Georgia rescued hundreds of children, teachers, staff members and a deeply troubled gunman from a horrendous potential tragedy. She didn’t throw a punch, draw a firearm or even threaten the 20-year old gunman, who is apparently mentally ill and had burst into the school armed with an AK-47 assault rifle. Without regard for her own safety, she remained calm, used her intellect and empathy to create a bond with the troubled young man, who responded well and heeded her pleas that he put down his weapon and surrender. When the emergency was over, we learned that at the moment of greatest need an ordinary citizen saved hundreds of lives in superhuman fashion by exhibiting the following Seichou Pillars of conduct: courtesy (2), courage (3), compassion (5) and complete sincerity (6). Gandhi would have been VERY proud of Ms. Tuff and so are we. That’s why we’re naming Antoinette Tuff our Person of the Month. OSU!

Dojo Fighting vs Streetfighting

At Seichou Dojo we practice contact free-fighting because we want our students to learn to defend themselves.

However, if we agree that street fighting is often barbaric, then we need to ask ourselves how Dojo fighting is different from street fighting.

Street fighting results when communication fails and people are unable to use their intellect to resolve disputes. Each blow or martial technique that is employed in a street fight emanates from a desire to evade, incapacitate or injure an adversary.

In the Dojo, our purpose is not to injure our partner but to improve our own technique and to help our partner learn how to defend against a strong attack.

In this way, Dojo fighting and street fighting are completely different. OSU!

How Do Martial Arts Benefit Us?

I am always gratified to hear from adult students how much they benefit from Seichou Karate^® training.

The reasons people come to us vary. Some people come to learn self-defense; others come to learn about Japan, for physical fitness or to relieve stress. Whatever a student’s initial motivation, the benefits are often more expansive than he or she considered before walking through our door.

Here’s why. In Seichou Karate^® class, we practice exercises and karate techniques that build strong, flexible muscles. So, right off the bat, our training will give you the power and endurance to study, work or play hard for long periods of time.

Next, Seichou Karate^® is rigorous. So, during class when your muscles will tire or you’re out of breath, you’ll want to take a rest. At those moments, your brain should override the natural tendency to quit. Your brain becomes stronger each time it overrules your body. This exercise of self-discipline reminds us how powerful we are and motivates us to push harder for the things in our lives that are important: family, friends, career, or whatever.

Finally, the path to developing great physical strength and powerful fighting skills at Seichou Karate requires us to receive mentoring from caring senior students and instructors. During this process, we cannot help but discover that although they are stronger than we are, they are gentle and totally committed to our personal growth. This example inspires us to be good companions, mentors and fiduciaries in all areas of our lives.

This is the most important way in which Seichou Karate^® and other martial arts benefit us. OSU!

How to be a Great Teacher

From 1980 to 1985 I taught at my instructor’s dojo in Manhattan. One morning, my teacher poked his head into class as I was teaching. After watching for a few minutes he told me to see him after I finished class.

I'd been pushing the students hard when he'd walked in, so I was pleased with what he'd observed. After finishing class, I knocked on his door and entered his office. "What was that," he pointedly asked. Surprised, I answered sheepishly that I'd been teaching free-fighting technique. "No, you weren't teaching. You were training. The two are not the same," he barked.

He was right. I'd been leading the students through a regimen that was helpful to me, but it did not address the needs of the students in attendance. That was a good lesson because it taught me the importance of focusing on the needs of each student in class. In fact, today I know that a great instructor seamlessly addresses even divergent needs of students in the same class.

At Seichou Karate® we make certain that every student in class gets what she or he needs to make meaningful progress toward the achievement of personal goals. That’s what sets us apart from our competitors and, so, we’re very proud to make that promise.

OSU!

Finding Ourselves through Karate

The other day the father of a student mentioned to me that he was impressed that students’ “real character” become apparent during Seichou Karate® class. I couldn’t agree with him more.

People come to Seichou Karate® for many different reasons. Some want to lose weight; some want to learn defend themselves; others are new to town and want to get into a group activity. These are all valid reasons and, in fact, Seichou Karate® welcomes any student who enrolls with a wholesome motivation.

However, by far the most interesting aspect and one of the most exciting facets of my life as a Seichou Karate® instructor is observing students refine themselves or discover a side of themselves that they never knew existed.

Free-fighting is one area in which students learn a lot about themselves because we punch and kick our partner and our partner punches and kicks us. Striking and being struck is unnatural and connects us with a primal need for survival. In this dynamic, newcomers confront new feelings and identify strengths that they never knew they possessed. The result is personal growth.

There are other opportunities for personal growth in Seichou Karate®. For example, every so often we get a new student who is an unusually fast learner. However, sooner or later, he bumps into a technique or movement pattern that is particularly challenging and – perhaps – frustrating. At that moment, he must let go of his inclination to race through the syllabus and, instead, take the instructor’s advice to slow down. By slowing the process down, he will master the troublesome technique and learn a valuable new skill that benefits him other areas of life. Again, the result is personal growth.

Here’s what fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto is getting from his karate training. We’d like to know what you’re getting out of your martial arts training. So, blog it out below. OSU!

Higher Side of Human Nature

Any sport in which the height of expression is characterized by the term “ground and pound” cannot be said to appeal to the higher side of human nature. So, why is it that so many people whom I like and respect (including some family members) love to watch ultimate fighting on TV?

It could be that they enjoy seeing two highly trained athletes pitted against each other in a contest that almost always ends with a convincing victory for one or the other. Or, perhaps, it’s cathartic to watch two human beings beating each senseless. Whatever their motivation, fans flock to MMA events in about 34 states where the professional events are sanctioned.

However, New York, one of the most important sports jurisdictions in the country, is NOT among them. This opposition dates to 1997 during the Pataki administration. At that time, UFC President Dana White applied for a license to promote MMA events in the Empire State, but Governor Pataki successfully blocked the application because he believed that MMA was “barbaric.”

Not one to take “no” for an answer, Dana White is back in New York this month to lobby the legislature to support his MMA application. This time, he’s got a powerful ally in current NY Governor Paterson who is desperate to close the state’s huge budget gap. The question in New York is whether budgetary concerns will outweigh the underlying moral dilemma that MMA presents. Namely, is it right to promote Roman gladiator-style pugilism.

The Marist Organization reports that New Yorkers do not support sanctioning MMA in their state. Read more here.

What do you think? Weigh in here at KarateMind, an official Seichou Karate blog for adults. OSU!

Promotion Tests are Exciting!

A good martial arts school promotes humility, but it should also provide students with opportunities to demonstrate their growing skills and maturity. Promotion tests are perfect for achieving this goal because students are encouraged to strut their stuff boldly!

The weeks before a promotion test are especially exciting because students who have become restless with their current rank stretch themselves to the brink to prepare for promotion.

It’s customary in Asian martial arts to measure progress by belt color designation. In Japan advancement is slow and incremental. However, many schools in North America hold promotion tests each month!

Seichou Karate® takes the Japanese approach because we believe that 30 days is not enough time for real growth to occur. We hold regular promotion tests in fall and spring because, as the seasons dramatically, it is appropriate to also move forward in our Seichou Karate® training.

Join us tomorrow, November 21, for our Fall Performance Promotion Test. We encourage guests to watch friends or family members take the test. Here’s the schedule: 10:00 AM - Warm-up Class for all levels; 11:30 AM - White, Blue & Yellow Belts; 12:15 PM - Green, Purple & Brown Belts

OSU!