Karate Teaching and Fatherhood

Teaching karate to a preschool boy in Sparta Arena, Mandaluyong

Karate is a very disciplined martial art and quite demanding physically and intellectually. To teach a child, particularly a boy below 7 years of age, is quite a daunting task. One has to go down and explain in words that they can understand and you have to be particularly patient in showing them how to move their limbs. Being a father (or a mother for that matter) of young children does help in being able to teach these young kids. Teaching girls in this age is a different story compared to teaching boys. Girls can actually focus more at this age and can learn karate faster. Boys' attention span is quite short when they are this young. Their motor skills need work and everything has to be fun for things to progress.

It is a difficult task but once they get the hang of it, these kids make for amazing karatekas.

Moving to Sparta

We're moving to my new dojo at Sparta Sports and Recreation Training Arena.

Karate in 2015

The first karate class in 2015 will be on January 3 at trainstation studio.

This year, i plan to continue the development of strong and enlightened karatekas practicing karate for the love of karate. Slow and steady makes for stronger and more durable joints while speed training will prepare them for more explosive techniques. Strength training can be done anytime later.

See you all at the dojo!

Trainstation Moves

Trainstation Studio moves up to the second floor of the unit in Fun Ranch, across Tiendesitas. It is just a minor move. Trainstation Studio is also now a registered club with ISKF. Now that is a major move. Hopefully, more students will come and learn with us.

The teacher's karate

In a recent blackbelt practice where we had a kung fu instructor as a guest lecturer, i realized that karate has a lot more to offer than just self defense. The kung fu instructor was sharing healing techniques which karate has already been teaching. I know for a fact that the chi energy has been developing in my students and as the student progresses, so is their awareness and strength in chi. My brown belts can feel and project chi energy.

I also realized that not all instructors are the same. A fellow blackbelt never realized how to use chi and how to properly kiai. I'm glad that we got to talk and she was happy to be enlightened.

My karate is the same as that of the others but my understanding and awareness makes it different. I thank my senseis who have shown me the way as we all travel towards the same direction. I also thank all the people who have shown me things which allows me to understand karate in an even deeper sense.

New Train Station Studio

My classes will now be held at the new Train Station studio in SM Hypermart beside Tiendesitas in Pasig City. It is right in front of C5. The floor is cushioned and the mirrors are of a good size. I hope this works out for the owners since everyone worked hard to make it work. Check out details at TrainStationOnline.com

on belts

Somehow, with how one goes up in ranking while studying karate, one starts to put a premium on going up in ranks. Belts show proof of that rank. A few weeks ago, my wife talked to me about it and she made a pretty good point. Belts and ranks mean nothing. What you know counts more. She tried to learn karate but didn't want to take the tests. She said that if she learned her lessons for her belt, cant i not teach her the next lessons? This reminded me of the time i was practicing Aikido. There, i didn't really care if i took the test or not. The lessons for white, blue, brown and black were the same. It only changed according to your skill. As a white belt in Aikido (being already a blackbelt in karate), i learned fast to the point that the lessons i was learning in Aikido was the same as that of the brown belt. I could roll and fall like the best of them. Given that, i didn't feel the need to advance in belt because i was already advancing in skill.

In my class, if a person learned his lesson for his belt, i could not withhold the next lesson from him. It made no sense to keep teaching the same thing over and over if the person already knows it. Mind you, i keep my standards high so if i teach you the next set of lessons, it really means that you fulfilled my criteria to consider you ready. I have a sharp eye and i notice the littlest mistakes specially when i have my eye just on you.

I digress. In the end, what is a belt really? A sign of your rank or just a sign to help the teacher know what to teach you? If a teacher knows you and pays attention to you, will your belt matter? If a child like my student Urie knows her katas up to 2 levels higher than her supposed rank, do i limit her to just the kata for her rank or let her practice what she knows? If a student like my regular adults learn fast and is hungry for more, do i limit their knowledge or expand it to include that which is considered beyond their rank? .... If a child wants to learn, wouldn't you be excited to teach him more and more?