H A N S H I ’ S  C O R N E R:  Lackluster Effort! 

      My subject for this post and previous KOJF Newsletter contribution is about developing a habit of lackluster energy in practice and less than stellar effort when training.  Sadly some instructors and black belts mistake the "walk through" of a karate kata or martial arts technique as serious practice or training because they simply "walked through the movements!"  This is not practice or training in earnest, rather it is simply a "walk through practice" just like you walk through the opening of  a doorway.  Easy to do with little effort involved.  Lackluster effort delivers lackluster performance which translates to lackluster probability of success when confronted in a serious engagement of battle.  Just saying.

     We are given one life to live and thus one opportunity to go through each day with stellar effort and performance to create and develop amazing skills or deliver as I sad great technique.  I met black belts who teach with a cup of coffee in their hand or a cigarette in their mouth while barking out commends.  I have also seen instructors who give insane repetitions to their students and not partake in the same practice themselves. The danger of this practice that some students of course, are not in the dojo to become insane killing machines but simply there for their health and wellness or sanity.  Some have health concerns that do not allow them to give that insane effort during practice.  Understanding the level of the students ability to participate in the trainnig with the stellar effort of those who are training as throught they were seeking world dominance, is not possible by such people.  These are not the ones that I speak of.  It is the group of black belts that should be showing those around and below their grade that the path to greatness in technical excellence is achieved through stellar and above average training.  It seems that sometimes some black belts act as though they are above the idea of continuing to train, study and learn.  They make excuses for themselves and others why they "can't train fully.  It is unnerving to see those of black belt grade that seemingly are afraid of the sweat and effort which they used to achieve their rank. (or did they? Hummm?)

     Recently I had a high level black belt indicate to me that a certain instructor in their group. for whom great respect and high rank is held, has not been seen practicing in recent years and even throwing a karate punch for that matter.  More over, not in recent years has that instructor been seen fully training in an open setting with the effort to gain true mastery or even a fairly competent level of technique that would inspire others.  I was saddened to hear such statements as it remains apparent that others are watching those of us with high dan grades in our daily churn with a desire to see exactly what a high level instructor does and thus would be the behavior they would come to expect if they reach that level.  It perpetuates poor and bad behavior and those around someone like this will believe this is common and normal expectations of them once they achieve that rank.  Is that something we really want to perpetuate?  For me, no.  I still have sensei that I look up to that are on the floor practicing and delivering technical excellence and levels I have come to expect of myself!

     I once heard or read that a good leader leads by example and when I look back at men like General Patton, General Dwight D. Esenhower and others of this caliber, it makes me come to expect that if I teach, I know my students are inspired by my own efforts and delivery of technical excellence for which I expect of them.  Am I wrong? Lackluster effort and lackluster practice are the catalyst for lackluster performance and technical delivery that is, lackluster!  Please, let's not become known for less than stellar and high level effort when training and prcaticing our Budo art.  Remember that karate is the art of self defense, not self playing!  Thus, as I have always maintained and told my students that the way your practice in the dojo is how you will perform on the battlefield.  "The more you sweat in training the less you bleed in battle!"

      Let us all reflect on our trainng and practice and let's do so with great effort and fervor that delivers great spirit as if our life depended on our every movement!  Nothing else needs to be said.

Hanshi