Learning from your mistakes and loving this deadly art.

My Saturday morning started a bit different than normal. I got to the dojo at the regular time on Saturday, which is 7:30 am. Driving into the parking lot, I am met by being the only car in the lot. Instantly I backtrack in my head to see if I may have missed something Sensei had said. Did he say there was no class on Saturday? No. Hmmmmm… I wonder what’s up this time. As I sit and wait, I’m thinking over and over to see if there was any clue of him not being here today. Since I have no phone numbers I can’t call either. No one had left me an email saying there was no class. It’s now 7:52. Then I see John pull into the parking lot, he gives me a wave from his spot. Then I see Tom… Okay, Tom has a key, maybe something came up and there was no time to shoot anyone a quick email. Tom opens the door and him and John go in, I’m still fumbling with all the stuff I’m bringing to class. Having my arms loaded up with my gei, bo, sai case and sai, nunchaku and purse, once I know everything is secure I head towards the dojo across the parking lot.

Tom is busy turning on all the lights as I get inside. He’s talking away about what we’re doing today, saying since Sensei’s not going to be there, we will do review of all weapons and go from there. Since it’s close to the official start of class, I went into the change room and got into my gei.

Grabbing my bo, we all got onto the main training area to bow in. After doing a quick warm up using the bo, Tom also did some drills across the floor to get some cardio to start our blood moving. After that, Tom decides to incorporate into our drill the new move that I will be executing in my Tsue Sho Bo Kata. It’s a complex technique that when looking at it as an outsider, resembles a helicopter motion over the head, with a downward strike, another helicopter motion over the head and switching the side you’re striking on. We walked across the floor getting this technique down.

Being over zealous in the martial arts sometimes is a bad thing, especially when practicing your weapons. With any technique, you should go slow, concentrating on the technique before you try to be an expert at it without laying the foundation. Over confidence is also a bad thing. Executing this move across the floor and walking seemed to come naturally after repetition. So I decided to pick up some speed. Making the pretend helicopter whirl… BAD MOVE! As the bow came over as I stepped, my hand wasn’t in its spot from the last move, which caused the bo to richochet off the side of my head close to my ear. Yeah… that was really smart!! When getting hit your automatic reaction is to react. Well I tensed my neck muscles and felt my whole neck spasm. So as I type this, my neck is very sore, not just on one side, but along both of the muscles that lead to my back. It will go away after much TLC.

After getting this move down to Tom’s satisfaction we incorporated it into the bo form, Tsue Sho, which is a brown belt requirement. With everything thus far, I have come to realize that what is taught to me has another application that makes it even more difficult to execute. That is why we do the baby steps, learning the more complex things to add onto more complex things. We practiced the form to my last stopping point, then added this new element, which I will refer to as THE HELICOPTER technique. After doing my last block, Tom shows me the next sequence of moves, just telling me to watch. His foot pivots out from side horse stance into a front stance but it’s deeper, looks like he’s lunging (leopard stance) as he does this the helicopter technique is executed, as his knee drops and becomes stationary he executes the first strike, then whirls the bow to the other side of the body for the other strike. He turns to me and says, now you’re turn… I’m still in head shake as he says this. As I start, I’m looking to him for guidance, he walks me through the sequence by talking to me as I do it. Coaching me with his words. Telling me to pivot my foot, getting into front stance, then dropping my knee, starting the helicopter, striking, as my knee stops, then doing the reverse helicopter over my head and striking again. I DID IT!!! He tells me to practice these sequences to build muscle memory.

He leaves me for a small time to check on Tom and Karla. Without him there, I feel my achy head throbbing. When you’re doing something the pain goes away so I start to move, practicing until he comes back. Tom and I have grown to know each other quite personably, we always question each other about the techniques, always wanting to know why… so of course, when he comes back I have questions. Why do we do this, what is the bunkai for this, etc. As I have him stand in front of me while executing my new taught sequence, I’m aiming at his body as I try to gain a better understanding of why. Doing the first strike, slowly, I tap his knee, then finish executing the sequence, he grins at me and says, you know if you would have been going faster with more power, my kneecap would be on the other side of the room, with that little tap I felt it go up my body.

This particular style is so beautiful, it has become an art form to me, but with much practice, proper training and a bit more strength and power, the martial arts can be a deadly adversary to have on your side.