Seishin Tanren  

“Spirit Forging”                     

Term II 2010 

Osu!   Term II is upon us – Daylight savings has ended and the autumn weather is unseasonably dry for Auckland. But don’t get despondent - we have a bumper edition of our Club newsletter for your entertainment.  There’s something for everyone - read the wonderfully descriptive articles about recent events as well as Sandra (1^st kyu) contribution about her training methods for getting ready for a senior grading. (phew!) For the kids, there’s a picture for you to colour in. And, to end with “the past”, Senpai Master has allowed us to reprint some articles he wrote in 1995 for the club newsletter. Enjoy!  OSU.

What’s Happened?

Yoga @ the dojo: Well done to everyone who participated in the series of yoga classes. Cheers to   Vivian (4^th kyu) for the idea and then organising the classes! A special thank you to Senpai Colleen for being a wonderful yoga teacher. Every class had a different emphasis and everyone always   tried their best to tie themselves into knots. The monies raised from the classes will be put towards something special for the dojo.

February 13-14:  Wellington dojo celebrated the opening of new dojo.Check out the YouTube video                      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SajnBxEEO2s

 February 27:  Lantern Festival in Albert Park celebrating Chinese New Year – demonstration by                        Auckland Seido Karate – read the stories from Senpai Andrea and Eleanor below. 

March 12-14:  Nelson Dojo annual Karate Camp – Brent, 1^st kyu attended the camp and by all accounts, it was up to the usual high standard of Nelson Camps. Well done Brent!

March 27: Morningside General Grading – read Chloe’s thoughts below.

 March 29: Special General Class – read the story about Alex and his awesome achievement

Easter Weekend – Dunedin dojo celebrated 30 years of SeidoJuku karate. Read S. Helen’s story below. 

 On the Horizon!

April 23-25: North Island Black belt Clinic. Tauhara Centre, Taupo

      June 26 (Saturday): Morningside dojo General grading. 8.30am start.

July 2 (Friday): Term II ends. No kids classes during school holidays

August 14-15: North Island Seido Tournament - Adults compete on Saturday. Children competition on Sunday. Everyone should think about participating!  Watch for details on notice boards.

August 21 (Saturday): Te Awamutu dojo – celebrates 20 years – watch this space for detailsMake a habit of checking the wall planner and notice board every time you come to the dojo so you know what’s happening. 

Chinese Lantern Festival 2010

Senpai Andrea Kerr and Eleanor write about their experiences at the Auckland Chinese Lantern Festival, held in late February as part of Chinese New Year celebrations.

part one…  Having not attended the Chinese Lantern Festival before my only expectation was that there would be Lanterns and fortunately there was, so I wasn’t disappointed.  It was fun to be part of the Seido Demonstration team (slightly smaller than we would have liked). Sensei Clive took us through a brief practice at the Dojo and off we went carpooling to Albert Park. Fortunately we had car parking passes otherwise parking would have been a nightmare.  There was a big crowd at the park and a good sized audience watched out display. Many of us stayed on afterwards and watched the displays of some of the other Martial Arts clubs from Auckland. This was a real eye opener and very enjoyable. While we love Seido it is still interesting to see the skills and focus of other clubs. Senpai Helen, Eleanor and I gave up trying to get food at the festival and went to the Asian Food Court in Ponsonby for a delicious dinner on our way back to the Dojo, after looking at the Lanterns of course. It ended up being a long hot afternoon but one I will definitely put my hand up for again next year. Osu Andrea

part two… At the Chinese Lantern Festival, both the Morningside and Devonport dojo’s put on a demonstration. About 12 people showed up so we look tiny compared to the Aikido group (who seemed to have bought the whole of their dojo) but we still put on an awesome performance.  After successfully getting lost twice, we finally got to the demonstration ground. Our demonstration started with the basic punches and block while the person with the microphone behind us commented in how important repetition was in karate.After that, we moved into kata and then basic self defenses. Sensei Clive (short one) was attacked by Senpai Shane (tall one) as they did three of their bo self defenses. The audience seemed to enjoy this as it was the most Jackie Chan-ish type display. Later on, we saw people doing these really amazing weapon kata’s. Then the group wearing the black gi’s came out and did this really incredible demonstration with lots of dive rolls and weapon fighting. That told the story of the origin of their martial art. Osu Eleanor. (5^th kyu)

   Dunedin Dojo Celebration

Senpai Helen writes:    Osu!    At Easter weekend, I attended the Dunedin dojo’s 30 year anniversary celebrations.  I trained for a year at this dojo as a blue and yellow belt back in 1996. It was great to catch up with all the people I trained with, take the time to renew some friendships as well as celebrate the rich history of the Dunedin dojo. Their Black belt honours board has nearly 80 names and is a veritable roll call of fine NZ Seido karateka. 

A number of karateka had travelled for the weekend’s celebrations  including Jun Shihan Ben from Wellington, Jun Shihan Mike from Te Awamutu and Kyoshi Bu from Mt Cook dojo.The weekend’s celebrations started with a social gathering on the Friday evening at Kings High School which I didn’t make as I was still on the plane heading south. On the crisp (for an Aucklander) Saturday morning, about 40 people gathered in their gi’s at the first Dunedin Seido dojo for the “historic dojo” run. There were some stories told about the start of Seido in Dunedin as well as memories shared of the training and the dojo and then everyone performed Taikyoku Kata sono ichi.  The group then jogged/walked around a 3.5km circuit to six of the seven other sites used as Seido dojos over the last 30 years. Again at each dojo, more stories were told followed by a group kata.

There was one very memorable story at one site about the class doing kata with their eyes closed and everyone was so intensely concentrating that one karateka punched out a window on his final punch.  In fact, the guy telling the story was the guy that punched out the window!! The historic run ended at their current dojo in King Edward Court Building with Seido Kata sono Go followed by deliciously warm hot cross buns and cup of tea.

Saturday night saw approx 80 people gather at Knox College for a sumptuous “Reunion Banquet” evening. Hanshi Renzie had arrived from Christchurch in the afternoon and Jun Shihan Mike Higgs came from Timaru with a carload of karateka for just the evening. After dessert, the formal part of the evening  began with interesting speeches by Hanshi Renzie, Jun Shihan Ben, Jun Shihan Kevin, Kyoshi Kelvin and Sensei Sean. I read out a message on behalf of Jun Shihan Danny who couldn’t make the celebration - he was training in Dunedin at the time Seido club formed in 1980. I told you Dunedin Seido had a rich history!!

Hanshi Renzie also read out a few emails on behalf of past students which made for very interesting listening. There was also the customary acknowledgement of key people by the sharing of gifts.

Sunday afternoon saw about 25-30 people gather for a class at the present dojo –  it was advertised as a punch, kick and kiai session and that’s what Jun Shihan Ben made us do. He also taught a couple of excellent combinations that I have since used in my Thursday beginner class!The whole weekend was one of warm fellowship and friendships as well as remembering a journey shared by so many, even if it was for a short time by some. Overall, for me, it was simply another Seido celebration that I will remember for a long time.

FACT FILE:  Further information can be read about Dunedin dojo at www.seidosouth.co.nz  - they hold a few records – most southern-most Seido dojo in the world as well as (sometimes and often in winter) the coldest dojo - although every single club member has the warmest welcome.  Osu Helen. 

Chloe , 4^th kyu writes about the March grading from her perspective…..Grading is the part of karate we both love and dread. Or maybe just dread. As hard as it is to imagine enjoying a grading, the immense satisfaction you feel upon completing it is something very few things can provide. Dying your belt into a brand new colour, like many of us had the pleasure of doing after the March 27^th General Grading is something we all look forward to.

Everyone did brilliantly, with many commendations after the grading going out to a wide array of Karateka, from beginners to coloured belts. Exceptional effort showed through in both technique and stamina, and everyone passed with flying colours. Theo and Rueben (now 3^rd kyu) and Jess (now 2^nd kyu) also successfully finished through the sparring fights necessary to complete their grading, showing off their control and determination through one of the hardest parts of obtaining a senior grade.

At the end of the grading, Sensei Patrick acknowledged the sheer number of children and young adults striving to continue karate. This is something we are proud to associate with Seido – the wide range

of ages, races and genders. Over the years it has become apparent that Morningside is far more than just a Dojo, it is a giant community. Even though we are small compared to the likes of Honbu, our dojo has a familial closeness that is hard to find in any other sport. So next time you see a knee-high kid with admirable persistence towards getting their Mae Geris correct, encourage them. One day they might be a Kyoshi teaching the next generations of Karateka how to kick properly.  We would all like to give a big thank you to everyone who came along to watch – your support is always greatly appreciated.

All in all, March grading was a good one and congratulations once again to those who bit the bullet and put themselves out there on the floor. The success is all yours! Also, grateful acknowledgment to everyone, in front of, and behind the scenes, who do their bit to make each grading day so organised and special.  

  Special Class held to celebrate Alex's Achievements 

On Monday 29 March, all club members were invited to attend a special general class at 6.30pm. The other adult classes were cancelled. One explanation given was to get all the club members together to just “do some karate” and there was a great turnout despite the class following hot on the heels of the Saturday general grading.  However, the main reason for the class was to celebrate a notable achievement by Alex , 8^th kyu.   This was kept as a surprise to Alex and a big thanks to Bridget and Garry (Alex’s Mum and Dad) for getting him to the dojo without giving the game away.Alex recently won a National Achievement Award which was presented to him by the Governor General at a “high tea” function at Government House on Friday 5^th March.  These awards are made in recognition of the achievements of people with Down Syndrome during 2009. Alex’s award was made in recognition of his public speaking prowess in 2009 which included speaking at events in Hawaii, Canada, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand. The class date also tied in with World Down Syndrome Day which is celebrated on 21 March. The date was chosen to signify the uniqueness of Down syndrome, in the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome, hence 21/03. Sensei Patrick took an excellent class with lots of basics and combinations and some sweaty exercises.  A bit of yelling and leaping around also featured. Congratulations Alex on your achievement – as Sensei Pat said - you are a remarkable kiwi just getting on and doing great things with a wonderful attitude. OSU!

Osu everyone – Jess has asked me to write up an article about my training regime for my grading to 1^st kyu in September last year so, for your illumination and entertainment, here it is folks.  Before I started my build up for grading, each week I was doing three classes, running 30km and my favourite home workout, (if I hadn’t done anything else that day), was three sets of 30 press ups followed by 4 mins in plank to the Dixie Chicks ‘Not ready to make nice’. (I never said I was cool).

I worked out an 11 week training plan which I ran past my instructor Sempai Steve before I started. It didn’t go totally to plan as I had a chest infection for 3 weeks so ended up with a build up of around 8 weeks. I got on top of my syllabus prior to this build up, so I could spend the 10 weeks focusing on polishing technique, and working on the curly stuff like syllabus on the reverse side. My training programme was roughly as follows.Working around family commitments, I made it to my kyu grade class, the Saturday morning pad class, plus two other classes each week. I would fit in at least one sprint session, e.g. 2 x 400m plus 4 x 200m, or 10 x 100m a week, and have a ‘press up day’ where I did press ups every so often during office hours. I built up to doing 15 press ups every 15mins over 8 hours, much to the bemusement of my work colleagues. I would generally also do a couple of 7km runs per week. If I couldn’t get out of the house to run, then I’d lay out 10 raisins, do 100 mae geris, eat one and so on until I’d no raisins left and had done 1,000 mae geris. It works really well if you are looking after a two year old at the same time and you are likely to lose count.

I spent quite a bit of time in the dojo whilst my two year old watched Shrek DVDs on loop on a laptop. This was incredibly useful as I could focus on the things that I needed to work on and scrutinize technique in the mirrors.  I also spent a lot of time going over syllabus at home. When I wasn’t training or at work I had a glazed expression and was going over syllabus in my head, which as Sempai Fiona says is the next best thing to doing it.            

 I found it really useful going to class knackered, having already done a sprint session or a long run, as that’s how it’s going to be in the grading – digging it out when you are really stuffed. Jacinda and Paul both spent time with me going through partner work and I wouldn’t have managed without them and our fantastic instructors. Sempai Helen and Murray Hames put me through some pretty grueling work outs on Saturday mornings. The Saturday morning pad class is a fantastic thing for your karate fitness. I also made it to the occasional boxing fitness class for a lunchtime workout. Just being in a different scene is sometimes good for morale and useful if you can’t make it to class at the dojo.

 I competed in the sparring and kata events in the North Island tournament in Wellington in August part way through my build up. Tournament is great for putting you under pressure in front of lots of people. There are lots of great reasons to go to tournament – it’s really inspiring to see the top people in our style in NZ do their thing, but it also gives you a reason to really hone in on a couple of katas as well as your sparring.    The toughest stuff for me was the longer sprint sessions as they got a bit lonely and they just are really tough and they are also not what I’m good at. But I think I made the greatest gains from doing them in terms of improving recovery time. You have to work at what you are not good at. Do the stuff you are bad at first, or you will find a reason not to get round to it. Thanks again to everyone who helped me through these weeks and on the day itself.Have fun with your training. Osu Sandra  

Quote of the Term 

~Karate-do may be referred to as the conflict within yourself, or a life-long marathon which can be won only through self-discipline, hard training, and your own creative efforts ~  Shoshin Nagamin 

Etiquette

Below are a series of articles written about etiquette in the dojo by Senpai Master in the 1995 Auckland Seido Karate School newsletters. Thank you Senpai for permitting us to reprint them again – 15 years on, the message is still relevant...osu.                        

Seido Karate is strongly founded on self respect. This is developed through good etiquette and the way we respond in the Dojo, for example, entering and leaving the Dojo with a loud “Osu”, greeting everyone senior to you with a strong, respectful “Osu” and responding to instructions in the class in the same way. Saying “Osu” in this way helps us to concentrate and ensures that our mind is on what we are doing, and not drifting off to something that is not relevant.                Through this strong focus and ability to concentrate, we are able to give our 100% effort, not only to our training but to other things that surround us. This enables us to be proficient at whatever we are doing and helps us to maintain a strong sense of self-respect.                The way we conduct ourselves in relation to the Dojo is a very important part of Seido Karate. When entering the Dojo we should ensure that we remove headwear and overcoats and before entering any training area, our footwear must be removed. It is important in being a good Karateka that we take an active interest in the upkeep of the Dojo. This includes ensuring that it is kept clean and tidy and that if you see rubbish lying around, or things out of place, please make an effort to remove them. This not only helps to develop our awareness of the place where we train and learn so much, but also helps instill in us a respect for this special place. Unlike a gym or sports club where you simply go and participate in an activity, the Dojo gives us the opportunity to be part of the process of growing and developing people. 

Humility           In the beginner’s mind there are many options; in the expert’s there are very few. We come to Seido Karate to open our minds and take away the obstacles we have created within ourselves during our lives. Being humble is something many people find hard to do in this day and age. Many things and people around us are promoted as being first, best, most attractive, the fastest, or better for you than anything anyone else has. This puts a constant pressure on people to keep pushing themselves forward and to be noticed, in order to progress in their environment. When we enter the Dojo and bow and say “Osu”, we are leaving those things behind. It is important that as we say “Osu Shihan”, or “Osu Kyoshi”, or “Osu Sensei”, we are saying it with no barriers or pre-determined conceptions in our mind. Humility is about accepting, without barriers, what you are learning. Humility is about taking away the want to consistently interject and push your views forward, and failing to hear what is being said.Many customs practiced at the Dojo, for example, letting senior grades go before us, holding a glass with both hands while it is being filled for you, will assist us in developing our humility. Sometimes we hear people saying that they think they are due to go for a Black belt promotion; I have been a Brown belt for a long time and why haven’t I been asked to go for promotion. They forget that perhaps during that time they may have had a break away from training, or have not yet developed the focus and spirit that is required for a Black belt promotion. If they focus their energies into their training, when they are ready, they will be asked.