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Writers Write II

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quill
quill

This one is going to piss a few of you off.

I made peace with that. Understand that this is MY OPINION and you are welcome to disagree with me. Hell you can even completely ignore this entire post. That is your prerogative. Still here? Good. Strap in and lets go. If this one raises your hackles or if you feel the need to illuminate me on the error of my ways…I direct you to the comment section below.

There is no such thing as writer’s block.

Barring depression and or anxiety which are real things and can stand in the way of your writing (and if you suffer from these I strongly urge you to seek medical help) the other reasons that writers come up with to attribute to writer’s block sound like so many excuses.

For every ‘reason’ out there that has stopped a writer, there are countless others who have had the same(or worse) setbacks and have continued to write. It’s time we let go of the crutches and get to walking on our own.

Take ownership of your writing. Stop ascribing near mythical properties to these challenges in your life.

Not enough time? Reevaluate how you spend yours.

Demanding Job? Do what needs to be done then get to writing.

Family responsibilities? Meet your responsibilities and then get to writing.

Death of a loved one? Grieve, grieve some more. Remember that you are still alive and choose life. Use your writing as a catharsis if you must, but get back to it.

Lost your desire? Remember why you started writing in the first place… and then start again.

Dont fall into this trap. Dont make excuses. Dont put it off.

Develop the discipline to see it through and FINISH WHAT YOU START.

BE COURAGEOUS.

<rant over>

I’ll leave you with a quote that sums this up for me.

“Write every day, line by line, page by page, hour by hour. Do this despite fear. For above all else, beyond imagination and skill, what the world asks of you is courage, courage to risk rejection, ridicule and failure. As you follow the quest for stories told with meaning and beauty, study thoughtfully but write boldly. Then, like the hero of the fable, your dance will dazzle the world.”
― Robert McKee

Writers Write.

Comments are open if you so feel the need.

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The importance of perseverance

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hands conditioned
hands conditioned

To the untrained eye these hands looked wrecked. They certainly  aren’t appealing or attractive. however if you practice a striking art, you would recognize these hands as lethal. These hands belong to Morio Higaonna who is currently a 10th Dan in Goju Ryu, one of the styles the art I practice derives from. I have seen videos of Higaonna Sensei practice his art and it still fills me with awe. He is now in his seventies and still trains. One of the videos I saw had him being interviewed and he said something which resonated deeply with me. He said that only now was he beginning to understand the depth of his training and that it was now that he was seeing the deeper aspect of Karate.(my paraphrasing) This is after 60 years of training.

This spoke to me as a person who has been training for less than half that time that it all comes down to staying on the path.Whether it is karate or writing or anything else in your life that requires excellence. This was brought home to me recently when one of my students, an advanced green belt(which in our school represents five years of training) shared that she was thinking of stopping her training. She is nine years old and quite fierce.

So we sat down and had a conversation as to why she wanted to stop her training. Her initial response was that it wasn’t “fun” anymore, which I understood. She has entered the phase of her training where more work is required and more is expected of her. There are less moments of “fun” and more moments of work and rigor. I told her I would respect any choice she made provided that she gave it some real thought and not just give me a quick answer. I requested that she go home and think it over and give me a list of pros and cons and whatever decision she made I would honor it.

She went home and gave it some serious thought I am told by her parents.

Here is her list written by her without any help:

Today I will be listing and telling you why the reasons I want to stay and not stay:

Pros:

I have made lots of friends at karate and I don’t want to leave them.

The karate staff and dojo has become part of my family.

If I leave now all my hard work will disappear.

If I quit now what if later I need to defend myself.

Karate grew into my heart.

Once I quit it I might miss it.

Cons:

I don’t exactly love kumite because I always get hit in the stomach at am out of air.

Karate isn’t always fun all the time like in class on Sunday. 

When I read this list I was humbled. Keep in mind that this is a nine year old sharing these  profound statements. It made me reflect on my own years of training.

There have been many moments that were not “fun”.  But like this student my karate family has grown exponentially. More importantly, like her I know the importance of training. If we neglect our training or stop, all our hard work will disappear. Karate, our training, is no longer something we do. It is part of who we are. It defines and shapes us. If we remain on this path we will see, like those who came before us, that our training  and our lives can only benefit.

As for her cons, I agree. Very few people “love” kumite. The day will come when you will get hit in the stomach and you wont be out of air. I can assure you. And yes karate isn’t always fun, but it is always good for you. Stay on the path, I look forward to tying a black belt around your waist one day and then speaking to your students about their instructor.

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Nascent Novel & Creative Warriorship- A Blog Redux

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Orlando Sanchez
Orlando Sanchez

Welcome to the Nascent  Novel redux ( I enjoy that word so this was a perfect excuse to use it).

After a snafu with my previous hosting company I discovered that my last site, nascent novels is down. As in any situation involving two or more parties there were several different versions of what happened. Let me cut to the chase, they said an email was sent notifying me of the impending closure and I said no email was sent. End result? My site is down. The bad news? Many posts are now in limbo and missing and the site has lost continuity, which I am told in this day and age of short attention spans is the death knell for a blog.

The good news? I have all my posts backed up and will over time be restoring them to this site. This was also an opportunity to take the blog in a different direction.

Initially I had three active blogs. One on martial arts, one for writing, and one for my photos and daily life observations. When I shifted my attention to my writing blog I neglected the other two.  Over time I realized that this was a mistake. I’m not only a writer or a martial artist or a person who enjoys photography. I, like each of you am an amalgam of many interests and pursuits. By trying to compartmentalize who I am, my blogging suffered. This site will address that. It is not strictly a “writing blog”. I will discuss those things which make me, me.  Some of that will resonate with you and some will not. That’s okay. I’ll do me and you will do you.

Here you will find posts about writing, books I enjoy, movies and video games. You will also find posts about martial arts and martial philosophy, being a practicing martial artist for close to three decades makes it impossible to separate this aspect of myself from everything I do. It is a filter which shapes my life and actions. You will also see pictures of things I find interesting and my family. My family and fatherhood is the source, my source of strength and my greatest adventure. The good thing is that I have many large families. I have my immediate family, blood of my blood. I also have a large dojo family which is blended with my immediate family. This is a natural progression. My other family is the writer/reader family which grows and is growing by leaps and bounds daily.

So as you can see the aspects of me are diverse and complex and exciting. I do live a blessed life. If you go back into the history of this site you will find the old posts from the other sites now comprise the body of this site. That was intentional. Take a moment to go through them and read. I am certain you will discover something fascinating or something to disagree with me about. I enjoy and invite all kinds of discussion and interaction. Leave a comment and let’s talk.

So what have I been up to? Well I’m currently in the midst of edits for my third book in the Warrior of the Way series. I had the first book edited by my excellent editor, Lorelei, (if you are a writer and need an editor go here NOW) which required her to use extensive editorial kung fu to make into a coherent story. The end result is impressive. The second book, The Ascendants, is being soft launched and I haven’t given it much publicity. It is now available on Amazon, Smashwords, and Nookpress.

I also had the covers to several of my stories redone. Here they are:

Spiritual Warriors Revised 2015
Spiritual Warriors Revised 2015
A Blur Short
A Blur Short
WOTW book 2 Digital jpeg
New Book now available!!

These great covers were done by Derek Murphy. A few things about Derek. He is a talented and gifted cover artist.  This means he is also in demand. If you want amazing covers by him be prepared to invest time and money. You can find his site here

I have been also speaking with writers, martial artists and fathers( moms too) about guest blogging here on this site. I look forward to the different voices that will be showcased here.

So why Creative Warriorship?

Throughout history warriors have always been known to be creative. I find that it is within the warrior nature to be creative. If I look at my own life and those of my fellow warriors I find this to be true. In the dojo alone we have writers, architects, graphic designers, painters, performance artists, dancers, calligraphers, musicians and singers among both the adults and the children. This is not an accident or coincidence. I truly believe that the warrior spirit is also a creative one.  Creative warriorship to me is not a dichotomy or paradox. Rather it is the expression of warriorship in its full sense. A warrior knows that life is balance, light and dark.

It is my sincere intention to make this blog a weekly event. Whether with my own posts and observations or those of others. They wont all be this long, (although I cant guarantee that) but they will all be an expression of  what I consider relevant and important to my life.

Leave a comment share your thoughts and say hello!

Sign up for Nascent Novel Nation Newsletter!

Thank you for visiting!

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Do you ever teach?

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Those who cant do teach. That is the prevailing thought, especially in the sports world. This is not the case in the martial arts world however. This came to mind when I was recently asked by a parent upon my entering the dojo, “Do you ever teach class?” It was fair question, most people prefer to get taught by what they consider the highest ranked student of the school. When I am in a the dojo I am teaching whether I am in the class or not. I occasionally meet with each instructor before class to discuss what needs to be covered in the class and with whom.

Then I realized it goes further than that. In the same manner I am constantly learning the same applies to my teaching. I am always teaching. It is not something I just do at certain times of my week, but rather a state of being student/teacher is a natural way for me. I was not disturbed by the question. Our school has grown to the

point that there are students who have not seen me teach their class. I do however  make it a point to try and visit every class at some point during the month. When we started at the location we are now, I did teach every class since I was the only instructor there were no other options. But as time passed and the school has grown we now have several instructors and many more training to become instructors. One of my driving philosophies in having a dojo was the furtherance of our style. Continue reading Do you ever teach? →

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How important is rank?

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Due to other time constraints I haven’t written in some time I will maintain this as a bi weekly blog until I can devote more time to posting here. Thank you for following!

This post is going to make a few of you upset. Feel free to comment below.

The rank you possess is artificial.

It doesn’t tell me who you are as  human being and it doesn’t inform me as to your level of skill. It doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things either. If the prognosis is you have six months to live-your first thought is unlikely to be “But I’m a black belt!”
If your child is in danger, your rank isn’t (or shouldn’t be) at the forefront of your mind. Your rank is not a determining factor if you get assaulted. No would be criminal is going to ask you your rank at gun or knife-point (it may actually work to your detriment).

In fact outside of the microcosmic world that is your dojo, your rank is virtually irrelevant. This is evidenced by the differing of opinion in what a rank means among styles and occasionally even within the same style but differing schools. I know this may be news to some I have to confess it took me a long time to learn. Continue reading How important is rank? →

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Why the dojo is not a gym

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 Its January so let me wish you a Happy New Year. This is the time of year where many people rededicate themselves to physical fitness. It is the time of New Years resolutions.
In our school January is the month of Kagami Biraki, the start of a new year. We usher it in with hard training and pushing ourselves past our perceived limits.Cultivating new energy for a new year.

Its very similar to what is happening in many gyms at this time of the year.. The dojo however is not a gym. Let me share my thoughts and show some of the similarities and then I will explain the differences. In both locations the purpose is to go and stress the body. You can work hard in both the gym and dojo.  Both places are designed to transform your body. Both require a commitment on your part. Both can be social settings and both produce results.
On the surface they seem interchangeable as if one is just an expression of the other. It would be a mistake to think so.
Let me explain the differences between the two.

A dojo is a sacred space.
This is the definition of sacred in the context of something that is worthy of spiritual respect or devotion, not in the context of any of the worlds religions. When you enter a dojo you respect the space because of what it symbolizes in your life. When you enter a gym, at least when I enter one there is no sense of the sacred demonstrated by me or that I can witness by the members of the facility.

A dojo is a place of transformation.
You will be transformed in a gym. If you are consistent and train with regularity your body will change. In a dojo the transformation runs deeper. When you train in a dojo you are faced with who you are at your core. The transformation takes place on an incremental level, subtly. You wont always be aware of it occurring, but it is happening.  You will experience the outward of transformation of your body like in a gym, but you will also experience an inward transformation. Your entire demeanor will change, you will acquire patience, with yourself , with others and with the process of growth. You learn to embrace the journey as opposed to being focused on the destination. This is a very different mindset from being in a gym where the goal is what matters.

Training in a dojo requires hard work
Training in a dojo is hard. It requires a level of commitment not usually seen in a gym. You must be willing to push yourself beyond what you think your limits are on a consistent basis. This is not to negate the hard work required in a gym, however the hard work required in a dojo transcends the physical and enters the spiritual. You are not only working on your body but your entire being as a whole, spirit mind and body are impacted.

Ego has no place in a dojo
There is no room for your ego in a dojo. It only serves as an obstacle to learning. You cant bring your ego into a dojo and expect to progress because it will constantly remind you of what the other people in the class are doing how much better you are or how much worse you are than those around you. It seems to be quite the opposite in a gym where ego gets fed on a regular basis. I can lift more than the next person, my body looks better and so on.

The dojo is a community
You may be a regular at a gym and even have training partners which make the training in a gym easier. When you commit to training in a dojo you become part of a community, a family. You learn not just be concerned about yourself but about the journey of your fellow classmates. The social setting in a gym is one of isolation in most cases. In a dojo your are on an individual path as well. The difference being that you are connected to those that came before you and after you. The sense of connectivity is what creates a dojo family. We have all walked the same path some have started before others, but we are still on the same path.
In a dojo you come just the way you are and are accepted. There is no ideal you need to measure up to. The only limits that exist are the ones you impose. The only comparison that exists is when you compare to yourself of the past. Each person in the dojo serves each other. We spur each other on when our energy wanes. When we think of quitting we reach out and extend a hand to help you continue.

Though they may be similar but, a dojo and a gym are not the same. They each serve a purpose and it depends on what you seek in your life and in your training that will determine where you invest your time and energy.

strong spirit-strong mind- strong body
Sensei Orlando

P.S. I wanted to share with all of you that I just released my latest book and you can find it HERE. It was a pleasure to write and I hope you enjoy it as well. If you do pick it up please leave a review.

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Who do you face in the Dojo?

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The Forge

I recently had a conversation with one of my senior students. It reminded me that we are all walking the same path, the only difference is our location on the path. We were discussing what happens when our training is neglected. How difficult it can become to return the dojo because we perceive there will be judgement or we don’t measure up to a certain standard.

When I suggested to the student that all that needs to be done is showing up at the dojo and training, I was subjected to the reasons why this was difficult. Let me know if this sounds familiar: “I’m out of shape.” “I have other commitments.” “What will the other students say, I’m a senior and wont last the class.” “I’m embarrassed.” 

There were a few others, but I’m sure you get the idea. When I suggested the student just show up and train, the defiance arose within the student. I was subsequently told, “I cant believe I’m being defiant with you.”
I had to laugh (and I did) because this student thought the defiance was being directed at me when in reality it was being directed inward. I told the student that my position as a teacher is to stand in and for the potential contained in each person. The same way it was done for me when I began. My teachers did not see the awkward student who couldn’t perform techniques correctly, but rather the student I would become if I dedicated myself to the training and practice.

My own version of the above went this way:
I had reached shodan( first degree black) and I told my then sensei, who is still my present day sensei, I think I need to take a break. I had trained hard for four years and felt I deserved a break after getting to black belt. His response still resonates with me today. He said “At shodan, you are just starting. This isn’t the time to take a break, this is the time to train harder than you have before.” I didn’t want to hear that. Not only did I not want to hear that, I couldnt hear it at the time.
What I wanted to hear was ” You’re right, you have trained incredibly hard these past four years, why don’t you take some time off and relax?”

I walked away from that conversation, frustrated and angry. Determined to do what I wanted to do. I took off two years from training. For two years I didnt train. I didnt visit a dojo, practice kata or engage in any activity that could be considered martial. Two years later I started visiting my sensei, who when he first saw me made me feel like two days had passed not two years. His first question was, “When are you coming to train?” 

My responses were very similar to what the student told me. I needed to get in shape, I’m a senior and what will the juniors think of me, I don’t wan to embarrass you (this one is by far the most destructive-Ill get to it later), My techniques are rusty, I don’t even remember half of them. And so on went my reasons. He listened patiently and waited for me to finish. “Just come to class.” was his response. And I did and haven’t stopped since-over 22 years later.

Where do these responses come from? Why do we say these things went confronted with a situation like this? The easy answer is fear. We make commitments and excuses to cover our fear. I made sure I was so busy during those two years that any time I had would be occupied doing something else. Its a ploy to mask fear. The other answer is ego or saving face.

We remember where we were and are loathe to return to a state where we may not look as good, to be a beginner again. That is ego driven thinking. The comment about not wanting to embarrass my sensei is destructive because not only does it play to my ego, but it implies that his ego is as inflated as mine.

You have heard me say many times in the past that the dojo is a forge. It burns off impurities and you leave the dross of your character, techniques and spirit on the dojo floor. However a forge is only useful if you enter it. You must place the metal INSIDE the forge. The same way you have to ENTER the dojo.

The dojo is also a mirror, because the only person you face when you are on that floor is yourself. Its the you from last class, the you from last month, last year. You are always facing yourself on the dojo floor. There is always something to be polished, some technique that can be performed better. That is the ongoing state of the dojo and the student-regardless of rank.
The next time you step on the floor, it doesn’t matter where you are, remember that the greatest challenge lies within.

Face Yourself
One final note:
Thank you for following this blog.

I’m currently working on several book projects and so will take the holidays to restructure my new year schedule, train, and spend time with the family.

This will be my last post of the year.
Thank you all for the follows and the comments.
I wish you all a Happy Holiday Season and a Wonderful New Year!
 
 
 
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The power of community

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 This past weekend we had a promotion. One of the many things I realized about our school is our sense of community. Every rank that advanced demonstrated a strong spirit, perseverance, determination and courage. We had some moments of levity especially with the children, because children will give some of the most creative answers. The promotion took place over two days. Initially we did them all in one day  and ended up with very tired children and wilted parents. Going through the requirements for several ranks in one day makes for one long day a very tired students. We decided to separate the ranks and test them individually. Also the children and adults test on two different days. It makes for two very long days for the seniors but they support the test because of their commitment to the school and the students. 
The pictures you see in this post were taken by two seniors I would like to acknowledge ( Senpai Elena and Senpai Joshua). Thank you for your great photos! (Scroll to bottom to see pictures)
This is only a few out of 400 pictures that were taken over two days. I tried to show the overall spirit of unity we have in the pictures. Picking the ones to showcase was difficult because every picture showed something amazing. Some of the things the pictures do not show are the fortitude the students demonstrated when the test became difficult. One of our seniors-Senpai Mark make a comment which stayed with me. “Each rank is raising the bar- this is amazing!”   
 It was true, each rank kept amazing us. With their command of technique and precision. It was inspiring to see the progression skill. We started the morning with white belts and worked our way through the day until evening with the advanced yellow belts. In each group we could see the techniques get sharper. One of the things that came through the most was the intent behind the techniques. In the white belts we could see the idea start taking hold.
 By the time we were looking at advanced yellow belts there was no doubt in our minds that they had internalized the concept of intent behind the technique. 
 I want to express a heartfelt thanks to the Seniors who helped make this promotion the extraordinary event it was. Senpai Mark who made sure the intensity was ever present. Senpai Elena who made sure the precision was not forgotten.
Senpai Orlando who gave the students a sense of security and comfort.
Senpai Joshua who gave the students a map to follow during their kata making sure no one got lost.
 
 I also want to thank all of the parents who stand together with us in their children’s lives as partners for their martial path.  
Thank you for taking the time out of your incredibly hectic schedules to make time to bring your child to class. I know that there may times its not easy, or convenient and yet you manage to make it. That is our community in action.
 The inception of most the groups started with tears. Even before they were on the floor, there was nervousness about knowing material and fear of the unknown. I had several conversations with members of each group and the recurring theme was the fear of the unknown. After a few moments and they had calmed down they would enter the dojo and they each excelled. 
To highlight the feeling of community one little boy said something very moving. He told me he didn’t want to take promotion because he didn’t want to ruin it for his group and give them extra push-ups. I assured him that there was no way his group would avoid push-ups. More importantly I stressed to him that the only thing that was expected from him or anyone testing that day was that they did their best. He put on his uniform and entered the dojo after that.
 That is what I always expect from the students. We set the bar high, they met and surpassed the bar. Each group moving it higher for the next.
 The other facet of promotion that they only experience on the day of is the breaking aspect-tameshiwari. We only do it during the promotion. For many of the parents it may seem like this is an easy task, break a quarter inch piece of wood with your hand or foot. For the students testing it may as well be a cinder block. Its not easy and they demonstrate an incredible amount of mental fortitude that leaves us speechless. 
There is a deep sense of accomplishment when they do manage to break that is palpable right after the break and they get their pieces of wood. The ones that don’t manage to break their wood get to take it home. I always enjoy hearing the stories at the next class of how they went home and broke their boards. Most of the time they come back to the dojo holding their pieces of wood as evidence.
 Board breaking in itself is not indicative of great physical prowess. Although its not easy, by any stretch of the imagination. What it does is show them how much power they have in a visceral way. It shows them that they are getting stronger, not only physically but more importantly mentally. If you have any doubt as to the difficulty get yourself a few one inch pine boards and punch through them. It requires a certain kind of mindset to accomplish. 
The last group (advanced yellow) had one added dimension to their promotion. They had to spar. If the promotion is stressful fro the other ranks imagine that stress being ramped up ten times as much with the introduction of kumite or sparring. To say they did well would not do them justice. They fought exceptionally well. One young man had recently suffered a broken arm. We were taking precautions so he not re-injure the arm and in one exchange he fell on the arm that was recuperating. The fact that he came back in to finish even in the midst of fear and pain that he may hurt himself again is a testament to his strength of character. They fought  until they thought  they couldn’t  stand  any longer and then they fought some more. When I tied their belts around their waists each one was beaming with a sense of having achieved something larger than themselves.
 The next day we had the adults and Senpai Mark prefaced the promotion by letting them know that the bar had been set by the children the previous day. It was a grueling and intensely physical promotion. They were tested beyond what they thought was possible. They withstood heat and exhaustion. The mental and physical fatigue was a constant throughout their test. Those that fought had to dig deep to find another reserve of strength after a four hours of testing. They found their reserves and surpassed any and all expectations.  You were all incredible.
I am humbled and honored to know you and to walk with you on this martial path.
strong spirit-strong mind-strong body
Sensei Orlando
Adults One dojo family
Adults new ranks (foggy lens!)
Blue/Adv Blue getting ready
Blue/Adv Blue push-ups
Adv Blue Kata
Blue belt seiza
Blue belt seiza
8am before we begin
White belt kata
White belt Tameshiwari
New Blue Belts!
New Adv Blue/ Yellow belts!!
Yellow belts ready
Yellow belt kata
Yellow belt tameshiwari
Yellow belt Tameshiwari
Yellow belt tameshiwari
New Adv Yellow belts!!
Adv Yellow kata
Adv Yellow Tameshiwari
New Green Belts!!
Adults ready!( Notice the smiles)

 

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Practical Application

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One of the great facets of training is that it forces you to think. Let me clarify. You may be studying an art that is ancient, but you still have to make it work for you. It has to work for your body type, your height your reach and other physical compositions. One of the places this is expressed is in kata. Kata is not dance, its not an imaginary fight against a series of would be attackers. What kata is, is a mnemonic device recording movements to use in close quarter combat. One of the best ways to understand this is through the use of bunkai.

First what is bunkai?  Bunkai is the deconstruction and practical application of techniques found in kata. In other words it means you analyze and apply the technique you are using in your kata. Many schools do not engage in this or feel kata are outdated and unnecessary. It is a shame many feel this way, since the study of bunkai adds a dimension to training that is not replicated by anything else. Through bunkai you can get to the heart of the style you are studying. Bunkai will take you through the history of your art into the minds of those who created the techniques.  Bunkai forces you to think. This bears repeating. In order to learn and apply bunkai you must think. What is this technique doing? Which way does this technique achieve the intended goal of stopping an altercation? It makes you look at kata as a device for the practical application of every technique.

So let me shock you a bit here. There are no blocks, or kicks or punches or anything else we have given names to. There are simply the movements a body can execute.  For example you will hear this often in our self defense class ” All arms bend the same way, bodies are built the same way.”  This is a simplification of course, but what it means is that we are all bio-mechanically the same. So in kata when I execute an upper block as we call it, if I take that same movement and smash it into an opponents throat as I grab the back of their head, it ceases to be an upper block and becomes a fatal blow. Same exact technique.

This freedom of expression in your art is what you must endeavor to discover. Is a lower parry actually parrying a lower kick or is it a hammer fist into the knee or thigh? Is it a sweep? Or all of the above?

The other mindset that seems to be circulating is that bunkai must hold the okuden or secret techniques of a style. Therefore it can only be shown to the most senior students. This must be conducted in a veil of secrecy and those students must never reveal the bunkai to their juniors. This sounds so outlandish I have a hard time believing it, but I have experienced it firsthand. Suffice to say I disagree with this point of view. Bunkai should be shared early and often, it gets students to think. When you stop a kata and ask “What technique are you doing there? ” Most students will just give you the name of the technique they have always done. If you go a little deeper and ask ” Well show me how that would work.”  At what range and from what angle?  What is your off hand doing? Is it really an offhand or is it holding something?
Why are you standing that way, is that the way you would really stand? What if you modified that a bit would it still work?

When you start asking these questions and more importantly when the students start asking these questions, it deepens the practice of the art and makes the kata come alive. These are the questions we need to be asking. These are the exercises we need to teach our students.  We need to spur them to dig deeper and make their practice profound.

If you wish to go further into the study of bunkai, or its not offered where you train I suggest you visit Iain Abernathy’s site.  You can find it here: http://www.iainabernethy.co.uk/article/basics-bunkai-part-1
this is a good place to start. Iain is well known for his practical application of basic moves. His site is full of useful information and is a great resource for learning. He is also accessible and a friendly individual, willing to share of his time and expertise if you reach out to him.

A little quiz:  The photo in this blog is one of the bunkai of the last move of which Pinan / Heian kata?  Let me know what your answer is.

strong spirit-strong mind-strong body
Sensei Orlando Sanchez

sensei.orlando@yahoo.com

class, coaching, creating, greatness, ideas, karate, life, martial arts, mind, pain, philosophy, thoughts, tradition, zen

Instructor Interview-Sempai Orlando

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This week I will post our first instructor interview. Each month I will interview one of our instructors so that you can have a glimpse into some of the inner workings of our school and the people that teach and train there.

This weeks interview will be Sempai Orlando. In addition to being an instructor in our school, he is also the off site director for our after school programs which is currently taking place in two New York City public schools. On average between the two schools he is teaching karate to 30 children every week.

EH: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview, I know you have a busy schedule between teaching and being a full time college student and trying to have a social life.

SO: Thank you for letting me be part of the blog. I read it often and really like it. Most of the times its a continuation of the conversations I have with the sensei.


EH: OK so lets begin. Lets start with your age. How old are you ?

SO: I’m 18 years old.

EH: What are your goals in college?

SO: Well this is my first year so its been a big change for me. My goals are to be a physical therapist ( I enjoy working with people) and also to learn stage and film combat. I have choreographed a few fight scenes and did one for a short film my older brother filmed.

EH: Do you have any specific challenges training at your age?

SO: I think the biggest challenge right now is balancing my school work and my training and teaching. I usually have to wake up very early to do my own personal training, then I have to get ready for school. I have a heavier load of school work now so it means I have to be very conscious of how I manage my time.

EH:  How early do you start your day and what does your training consist of ?

SO: On the days I can train in the morning I’m up at 4 am. My training consists of a lot of conditioning ( I punch and kick trees to toughen certain areas), I also work a kettle-bell routine and then I finish with body weight training-what we do in our classes: push ups, sit ups, squats.

EH: How long have you been training?

SO: I have been training for 13 years. My first dojo was our garage, when I was real young. The class size was pretty small since it was just me, after a while my younger brother joined us.

EH: Why did you start training?

SO: I started training because I saw my dad always training and I wanted to be just like my dad.

EH: Was your dad your first instructor?

SO: Yes, I started when I was five so he was my first teacher. I have also trained with Sensei Orhan from a Kyokushin school in Queens. I’m still beginning so I haven’t had that many teachers.

EH: Why do you continue to train?

SO: I continue to train because it has become my passion.

EH: Have you ever wanted to stop training?

SO: When I was younger I wanted to. I felt that it was too hard and that I wasn’t very good at it.

EH: Why did you continue?

SO: Honestly? My dad. He just kept telling me I would get better. That it would take time and that if I didn’t give up he wouldn’t give up. Also if I gave up, he still wouldn’t give up. After a while I did get better and I started to like it.

EH: What part of training do you enjoy the most ?

SO: I enjoy the energy I feel in a class filled with people that are willing to push themselves past their limits. It pushes me to try harder and to push myself as well. It reminds me of one of the characters (kanji) we have on our main wall, ren ma-it means keep polishing. Training like that is part of the polishing. I also enjoy kata, except when I have to do it in front of the sensei, it always feels like I just learned it when I do it with him.


EH: What part of training do you least enjoy?

SO: The pain my body feels when I do certain exercises, even though I’m used to them. Getting hit when I fight the sensei. I definitely enjoy that the least.

EH: Why did you take on teaching?

SO: I teach so I can share my knowledge and experience with others. Also I love working with other people.

EH: You have competed in several tournaments and done well. You have also expressed that you will no longer compete in tournaments can you tell us why?

SO: I think tournaments are good for what they are-contests with rules. For me my practice is about being a warrior.When we fight we punch to the head, we also grapple, kick to the thigh, use joint locks, submissions and do ground work. I was disqualified from one tournament because I tapped my opponent on the nose and he bled a bit. It wasn’t right or wrong, those were the rules, but it was not the way I learned to fight so it was difficult for me to adapt.

I train differently than most people I know my age. I don’t think tournaments are bad, but they aren’t for me and they don’t reflect what I have been taught. I usually see a lot of pride and egos at tournaments, which to me is the opposite of what training should be. Also I have seen some kata tournaments and it doesn’t look like kata at all, its more like dance moves and back flips choreographed to music with kiais that last about two minutes. I would never be a part of something like that.

EH: Any advice for someone just starting on their martial path?

SO: If you feel that a martial art is something you want to pursue, begin and don’t stop. You’re going to face a lot of challenges along the way but the payoff is worth it. Keep on training, ask questions learn as much as you can inside and outside the dojo. Sensei is always giving me a book to read, its usually related to martial arts but sometimes its not. Always try to better yourself, its never a competition with other people.

EH: Thank you again for giving me the time to interview you.

SO: You’re welcome and thank you for letting me be part of the blog.

Sempai Orlando comes across as a very reserved (and older than his years) young man. In the dojo he is known for his affable manner and tough classes. I hope with this interview you have gotten some more insight into one of our instructors.

strong spirit-strong mind-strong body
Sensei Orlando

For questions or suggestions on future topics contact: sensei.orlando@yahoo.com