The Friendliest Rival

Erica here!

I mentioned in my earlier post that that my first competition will be in October. Even though it's months away, I'm still rather nervous. I think once you get to a certain level it's easy to forget how you felt when you first experience something.

I think it becomes a sort of emotional blur where you remember on the most dramatic and intense periods, which are relieved on a more basic emotional level. You remember the overall feeling of being nervous, or excited, but the details are lost as you come to focus more on present priorities and current goals.

So of course, while I feel tension about the competition, most of the people in the dojo tell me everything will be fine-and I'm sure it will. However, it's always awesome when you can experience an emotion at the same time as someone else. I love being able to share my difficulties and successes with the one other blue belt (she passed to!) who I occasionally practice with. Since she is the only adult that I know of that is around my level, I suppose we could be considered "friendly rivals". I think we really encourage each other because of our shared experience.

At first, she had no intention to enter the competition but then Arakawa Sensei asked her on the basis that if she didn't, I might be the only one competing(because of our lower level) and the fact that I begged her to enter too, for moral support! So eventually she gave in. Yesterday, though, she told me she was only going to do the Kata, NOT the Kumite! So I suppose I'll be going that alone. She had a good laugh at my shocked face though, haha.

Anyhow, since we often talk about our struggles, she took the time to print out a sheets that outlines different points about performing two different Kata that we will probably need to perform: Pinan Nidan, and Pinan Shodan. Plus, she took the time to handwrite all of the furigana for the Kanji on all TWELVE sheets so that I could be sure to read it.

There was so much detail! I was very touched and motivated by her effort!

It's so nice to know that support at Shiramizu is available on so many different levels and even among "rivals".

Birthday Fun

Erica here!

Recently, Sensei had his 44th birthday!

Arakawa Sensei holding a birthday gift: Flowers from the dojo members!

A large group of people from the dojo celebrated the occasion at an izakaya near Tobu-Dobutsu Koen station. While it's always inspiring to see everyone working so hard to improve their karate or kihon at our training sessions, Sensei's party was a wonderful chance to see everyone outside of their usual "karate-mode". The guys ordered a lot of beer so of course they were bursting with energy throughout the night. Everyone could see they were having a great time. Because I try to stay within a pretty tight budget, I don't go out to eat very often. Therefore, it was nice to splurge a bit and try a bunch of different foods all night. However, there were a lot of fish dishes, and unfortunately, since I have an allergy to seafood, there were so many things I couldn't try!

Eating, talking, drinking and laughing at Sensei's birthday celebration.

The most important thing was that Sensei seemed to enjoy the night. He is usually smiling anyway, but it's always good to see the person of honor having a nice time at their special event. I hope 44 is a great year for him!

Test Time!

Erica Here!


Several Saturdays ago I had my first ever Karate belt test! When I got to the testing site, I immediately realized that it probably would have been beneficial to have asked someone to take me to see one beforehand, or at least read about them on this blog. What was I thinking! I was feeling alright hours before the test, but just before it, I suddenly became terribly nervous. This was because as I was driving to the Satte Dojo (where the test was held) I misunderstood what Arakawa Sensei said about the testing process, and inadvertently psyched myself out. Therefore, I thought it would be nice if for the next intern, (and those of you just wondering), I could present a pretty thorough run-through of the Shiramizu Belt test.

First, the students are informed of the kyu test (pre-black belt) about a month in advance, and the test is conducted in groups. I'm not quite sure how the groups are divided, but I believe my group was for adults who were not black belts, and the junior high school students who were not black belts. As for the adults, there was one white belt (me), one yellow belt, and one brown belt adult. The middle school testers were all green and brown belts.

(Richard here - normally people are grouped together in 3 to 5 people at a time of the same belt rank level, which range from kyu 9 to kyu 1, with 1 being the highest. Black belt tests are done separately by Wadokai associations judges at a different time, normally one or twice a year for the whole prefecture.)

Because the Sensei come in and set up early, the students have an opportunity to practice beforehand and ask any last minute questions. In my case, I practiced my Kata and Kihon for about 30 minutes before the test.

The test is about 2 hours long from start to finish. However, my misunderstanding just before the test led me to think that everyone would be actively doing something for 2 hours, so I started panicking! But luckily, I was mistaken. Instead, the large group is divided into smaller sub-groups of similar ability and each group is then tested for a certain skill for about 10 minutes while everyone else watches. The lowest ranking belts are tested in each area first, which meant myself and the yellow belt started things off as we were tested together. I was nervous about that aspect of the test, because I had never demonstrated any of my Karate in front of a group before, and since I went first, I didn't know what to expect!

Some things to note, all of which I didn't do (or delayed in doing):
When the Sensei call your name, you are supposed to say "Hai".
Just before you start, you should turn to the Sensei and say "Onegaishimasu" doing a slight bow.
You are supposed to do Kiai (battle cry) with each karate move…not just the end of a set of 5, or 10, etc. (editor - this is dependent on the person running the test, sometimes one kiai or no kiai are required.)
When you finish that portion of the testing, you go back to sit down (walking behind others instead of in front), say "Onigashimasu" and do the deep, floor-level bow.

I'm not sure how important these things are for passing or not, but I'm sure proper etiquette factors in somehow.

(editor - the test is about technical ability first and foremost - how well someone bows after they go sit down in normally inconsequential.)

The first portion of the test was Kihon, and it is tested group by group. The Kihon differs depending on the ability of the students. After the Kihon, there was a slight break period (about 10 minutes) where we could practice for the next portion: Kata.

The Kata is also tested in groups. I wasn't sure exactly how it worked, but some people had to perform one Kata, some people had to perform two, and some people could choose the Kata they wanted to demonstrate. People in the same group did not always preform the same Kata. In my case, I did Pinan Nidan while the yellow belt did two other Kata which I am still unfamiliar with.

(editor - everyone pretty much knows what kata relate to which kyu ranks and a month prior it is announced which kata are expected of each level being tested, normally with 2 to 3 kata required, except for complete beginners like Erica who only know one kata).

After Kata, Kumite (sparring) is tested. As a white belt, I didn't do this part, but the more advanced students were paired off and faced each other on opposite sides of the room. Each pair then did a bit of sparring and that was that.

During the test, several Sensei observe in the front of the dojo, and take notes. After everyone has been tested, the Sensei take about 10 or 15 minutes to review their notes and talk with each other and after that, they announce the results to everyone, one by one, and offer some explanation, particularly for the people who didn't pass. It's a surprisingly quick process.

When I went into the test, I didn't know exactly what the Sensei were looking for. Richard told me that at my level, it's basically the fact that you know the basic commands and that you "do them with effort". I'm the kind of person likes a checklist of sorts and a clear line of passing and failure before a test, so that criteria left me unsure about how things would go right until the end. Unfortunately, I didn't really understand much of the explanations given, but I did understand one thing: I passed! That means I am now a blue belt! I was very surprised, but of course, I was happy.

I still don't have my own to wear yet...but soon!

Though I still know I have such a long way to go, I think the best thing about the entire process was knowing I could pass once. That thought gave me more confidence concerning the advancement of my Karate skills and more motivation for the future. I'll definitely need that, because yesterday, Arakawa Sensei told me I had to sign up for my first competition…which will be in October!

More Than One Way to Learn

Erica here!

One of the lovely things about the Shiramizu dojo is the variety of instruction available. The diversity of the Sensei in terms of experience and instruction style insures that I receive a variety of perspectives on my progress as I train. At this point, I've interacted with some Sensei more than others, but I'll just use this blog to talk about my experiences with a few of them.

There are two female instructors who I mentioned before, Yoshihara Sensei and Yamazaki Sensei. These ladies motivate me so much for a variety of reasons.When I first began this journey and everything was new, they really came to my aid in a very basic way: by telling their stories how they both started Karate in their 40s, how they have gotten good enough to teach at Arakawa Sensei's dojo, and how they have done well in various competitions.

On the one hand, it's awesome to know that I'm training under the umbrella of Arakawa Sensei, someone who is internationally recognized for his talent, and who has a room full of medals and awards that signify his exceptional martial arts ability. Learning under someone who is so throughly accomplished makes me feel that I am in good hands as every time I train at Shiramizu.

However, it can be intimidating and difficult to relate to someone who's been immersed in Karate for longer that I've been alive! Therefore, it's easier for me to see Yoshihara Sensei and Yamazaki Sensei as more immediate role models because of their background. Through training everyday, they developed a love and passion for karate, along with great skill. Even though they haven't practiced Karate for decades, they have a spirit of learning, and continual improvement that is thoroughly transparent and contagious, and I'm always energized by their presence and instruction.

On Sunday, we had a special "girl's only" practice and both Sensei made the experience great for everyone.

Female only Practice! The Dojo certainly smelled different that day :)

Uehara Sensei has also been a great help to me. He is very gentle, but stern in his instruction, and he has really helped me to break down many of the different Kihon. I can repeat a move over and over with him and he will continue to help me correct my mistakes until I gain confidence.

I've also recently begun training with Peter and Richard. While Peter isn't a dojo Sensei of course, I feel I really benefit from the occasional private practices we do together, not only because he speaks English, but he's also incredibly funny when he explains things, which helps me not to take things so seriously. While of course the internship is serious business, I'm also a beginner and he helps me to remember that that's not a bad thing, rather, it is something everyone has to experience to move to the next level. He is definitely encouraging as well, and because he was the former intern, I know that we have some shared experiences which helps me put things into perspective.

Training with Richard is great not only because of his own long and impressive martial arts background but also, due to the fact that I see him once a week, he is able to evaluate the changes in my ability differently than the other Sensei who see me every other day or so. When I train with him, he also gives me great insight into the reasoning behind moves and he helps me to understand what I should be thinking about and what others will be looking for when evaluating my Kihon and Kata.

All this instruction will soon culminate into my first belt test, which will be on July 9th! Last week, there is no formal Karate instruction at Shiramizu, so my preparation will be mostly self-training. I'm still nervous, but hopefully a few solo trips to the dojo will help give me the confidence I need for the weekend!

(Editor's note: Erica's belt test report & results will be the next post up later this week!)

Being a beginner in a Japanese dojo...

Erica here!

Among the many things I'm getting used to during my year here is the dojo culture. Although I've been told every dojo has it's own culture based on the style of karate and the desires of the dojo's Sensei/instructors, Shiramizu is the only dojo I've ever spent a significant amount of time in. Therefore, my observations are based on that, plus the fact that I'm a beginner.

Thus, for other beginners like myself, this blog in no way should be considered universally representative of all karate dojos, all dojos in Japan, or even Shiramizu, as I am approaching it from a beginner's and a foreigner's standpoint. I am simply trying to relay my experience and, should another Karate beginner choose to apply for the internship, they can get a sense of Shiramizu.

There are some things that even a month later I am still trying to make habitual. They are small things, but I feel that when I miss them, it's another way, on top of everything else, that I can be seen as being a beginner and a bit of an outsider. Some of these things include:

• When entering the dojo, everyone says "お願いします／Onegaishimasu" and takes off their shoes, and the other members will respond in kind by saying "お願いします/Onegaishmasu". I will sometimes forget this greeting both when I enter and when others enter the dojo.

• While stretching together, whenever the stretch or warm up changes (for example, changing from running to skipping, or stretching the right leg to the left) everyone says "Hai!" but I often forget to do it until about halfway into the warm up.

• During sparring people say "Fighto!" and other expressions as a way to encourage everyone. I'm still trying to pick up on all of them.

• When drinking water during a break, you are supposed to sit down. I didn't know this until Peter told me. As a former long distance runner, I'm definitely used to standing up and drinking quickly so I've made this mistake often.
(Richard here - I've never thought about sitting down on water breaks, but for eating something substantial, sitting down is culturally correct).

• There are various times (such as the beginning and end of practice, as well as getting ready to practice kihon) that we line up accruing to belt color/experience. Even now, I am never quite sure when I should line up and I looked to one of the Sensei's for confirmation.

• Another interesting thing that I've noticed and struggled with is the notion of making a face of confusion. In America, with every sport that I've ever done, when something was difficult or confusing the participants would usually make some kind of pained expression to nonverbal signal to the instructor our lack of understanding so that they would come and help us out. Of course, come performance time or a competition, you would hide that the best you could. I could be wrong, but it seems that in the dojo, simply doing things incorrectly is enough of a signal in and of itself, as the instructors pay very close attention to the students.

Here, it seems better to look serious and thoughtful even during times of difficulty. Of course, the amount of times when everyone else is confused as opposed to myself is so uneven that maybe I haven't had enough experience to speak to that as of yet.

However, the one thing I can do without a hitch is cleaning! :)
We vacuum, sweep and wipe down the dojo after we finish practicing.

One non-cultural difficulty about being a beginner is that I am usually regulated to practicing with one of the Sensei. This is great in the sense that they are the best resources available to help me improve my kihon, and I also know they are experienced enough that my clumsiness doesn't inadvertently harm them. On the other hand, I rarely have any interaction with other members of the dojo, so it's hard for me to socialize despite having conversational Japanese ability. However, maybe in a few months time I'll be able to join the others occasionally.

There are a host of other small things that I could speak to, but the blog would get much too long. Soon I will finish my first full month here, so hopefully I will feel more comfortable. Until then, I will continue to observe and do the best I can.

Erica's June update!

Erica practicing kata on the side of the dojo.
Picture from Arakawa Sensei's blog.

Erica here,

Well, after a few disjointed weeks in Japan, I'm slowly getting acclimated to my new life. It's been a real adjustment trying to get used to such a non-traditional schedule, but hopefully things will become second-nature soon.

As someone who's been to Japan before, I haven't had to contend with much culture shock. That's a good thing because learning Karate for the first time is enough of a challenge for me!

Being active has been something I've enjoyed for a while, so luckily, I am in pretty good shape. Kickboxing is the closest activity I've ever done to karate, but that was in college, and I'd say the focus there was primarily on fitness, enjoyment and effort. However, learning karate here, I've found much of the focus to be on technique. While my level of Japanese understanding allows me to understand the basic idea of most conversations, much of what's discussed in the dojo is about refining basic moves, and when things get that specific, it can be hard for me to understand, and most of all remember when everything else is new for me. Even remembering to keep my fist properly locked can be difficult to do when I'm worrying about if if my shoulders are relaxed or my feet are properly positioned, etc.

Because I'm forced to think about these things so often now, I feel that at the end of this year, I should be a lot more in tune with my body. I received Shingo Ogami Sensei's "Introduction to Karate" from the last intern, Peter, which is an English language book that helps explain some of the specifics. I think it will be helpful as I encounter more moves in the future.

As a beginner, it's hard not to be self-conscious when I'm essentially the only white belt in a room that's usually full of black belts. Whenever I've learned something new, it's usually been the case that I'm with others of the same level. However, at practice there is a mix of different belt levels, which I found surprising. Sometimes, it's a little lonely being the sole beginner, especially when many people I practice with seem to be younger than me. However, even though I'm just starting out, my teachers are very supportive which is quite a relief. And two of the teachers began in their 40s which makes me feel a little better!

My main focus right now is learning the Kata, which is basically a set of prearranged moves I have to remember. Yesterday I finally learned all of the "Pinan Nidan" kata, so now I have something I can do for self-practice. I have a terrible memory sometimes, so after a bit of searching I found a helpful video on youtube.

Here's Wadokai's Hakoishi Sensei performing Pinan Nidan.

Here's WadoRenmei's Suzuki Sensei performing Pinan Nidan.

And here's to another week.

Erica

Pete's Graduation & Erica's Welcome Party!

Richard here!

Pete & Erica in the front row wearing Shiramizu towels!

Congratulations to Pete being the 8th graduate of the Shiramizu Karate Internship! In addition, a warm welcome to Erica as the 9th intern! We had the Graduation/Welcome Party a week ago at a Taiwanese restaurant.

Some mischievous Shiramizu members remembered to complete the party with the mandatory natto eating contest for all non-Japanese in attendance (ahem).

Myself, Pete (with graduation certificate & Wadokai National's photo 2010) and Arakawa Sensei.

Erica and the honorary alien

The nijikai was the annual gaijin karaoke madness with an honorary alien member as well from Pete's non-karate life.

That's going to look pretty sweet on you-know-who's wall...