Category: Martial Arts

A Partner In Crime Makes For A Much Better Time…

isolation can be a difficult concept to adapt to, and even some of the most diehard advocates for being alone can admit that life is always a bit better with some other people involved. Speaking strictly for myself, I’m not exactly “Mr. social” but I do enjoy the pleasure and benefits of a few good and valued friends. Considering my background and personality, if you’re still around and I speak to you regularly, I can say that you’re definitely doing something right.

But today’s post isn’t about me. It’s about having a partner as a means of getting things done. For the most part, when we set goals for ourselves, we usually do so through the lens of someone who intends on completing said goals on their own. But in reality, there’s a lot to be said for having a partner there to help you through, keep you motivated AND keep you accountable.

One good example is using a bench press. If you’ve seen any show that features a gym, you’ll usually see a scene where someone is using a bench press and has someone standing behind them to spot them. While this is done to prevent muscle failure from causing the steel bar to come crashing down on one’s trachea, it also helps to have that spotter cheering you on and pushing you. One has a greater tendency of lifting harder when one knows others are watching.

This is mostly because as people, we don’t like to feel failure or embarrassment in front of others. Although you shouldn’t necessarily care what others think of you, this reflex can be extremely handy in reaching any goal you set for yourself. This includes fitness, dieting or even learning a new skill. Knowing that a chosen partner will ask you if you completed the day’s workout or not makes you more likely to complete it for fear of having to admit otherwise, over the embarrassment of saying that you didn’t.

Having partners within one’s own household can be especially helpful, if said partners are willing to participate and join in on whatever goal you’re trying. On the other hand, if your goal is to stick to a particular diet and the people in your house are munching away on junk food while you’re wolfing down kale and tofu, it may be far more difficult to resist temptations and reach your goals.

In some instances, a partner will be a foregone conclusion. For example, if you join a karate class, you’ll often be partnered up with other people in order to train. Take it from me when I say that even though you CAN train by yourself in karate once you reach a certain experience level, it tends to suck. Big time. Most fitness and health goals will be not only easier but more fun when done with someone else.

The important thing to remember is to find a partner who has similar motivations and end goals as you do. Choosing a friend who usually quits things or has a different mindset can be frustrating, especially if they end up quitting shortly after starting. And a negative attitude will have the opposite effect of choosing a committed, dedicated partner. Food for thought… ☯️

An Empty Toolbox Is Useless…

I chose today’s post title based on something my father once told me when I was a child. He was repairing or installing some damned thing in the apartment we were icing in, when he asked me to fetch him a certain screwdriver. Always quick to help (and since my dad had a a booming voice that brings out one’s pucker factor) I immediately ran to his toolbox in our storage closet and it took me all of five full minutes to dig through the absolute plethora of tools and gadgets, most of which I’d never seen him use, before I found the screw driver and brought it to him.

When he got it, I asked him why he had all these tools if he never had need of any of them and he said, “When I see a tool that I MIGHT use, I make a point of picking it up. After all, it’s better to have it and not need it than the opposite and an empty toolbox is basically useless. Those words stuck with me and although completely unrelated, I realized during a period of contemplation that it also applies to the martial arts.

This certainly isn’t rocket science and in fact, I’ve written about this before. Martial arts, like many things in life is a very subjective thing and needs to be chosen with care. I walked in to several dojos before finally landing on karate and specifically, Uechi Ryu karate. And as much as I’d like to claim the crown for practicing the BEST style of karate around, I know that even though it was suited for me, that isn’t the case for everyone.

As a student, it can difficult to recognize the shortcomings of one’s style. During one’s formative years, one usually toes the line and follows instructions; step here, stand this way and strike like are usually what’s on a student’s mind as opposed to asking why, which can actually be one of the most important questions in karate. It doesn’t help that some instructors aren’t necessarily amenable to being questioned during training. I was lucky enough that Sensei welcomed his students’ questions. I often just didn’t know to ask.

The thing is, although it may be important to commit yourself to one style, it can also be extremely difficult to identify what that style’s shortcomings may be, if you never venture outside of it. A happy medium of exposure to other training and fighting methods, other styles and schools, can be useful in ensuring that your toolbox will be a full as possible.

Now, it’s important to recognize the difference between dabbling and exposing yourself to other styles and actively training in multiple styles at once. The former will allow you to identify some of the shortcomings you may have in your style while the latter will dilute and confuse your overall training and prevent you from mastering any one style. But identifying one’s weaknesses and shortcomings can be extremely important, especially if/when one ever faces a real-life situation.

Let me frame it with an example that most people will understand, since everyone is obsessed with hockey for some unknown reason… Imagine a professional hockey player who has the very best slap shot and can outshoot the puck on any other player. Now, imagine how ridiculous it would be if, despite being such a proficient puck handler, that same player can’t skate to save their life. They would need to recognize that gap and take steps to bridge it. The same is true for karate.

I’ve recently come to recognize that my style has a significant gap in that most of my techniques are close in and small circle. This means that if I have an opponent who is out of my reach, I won’t attack. This is how I’ve always been taught. But in a real world scenario, closing the gap between yourself and an opponent can be extremely important. This is where my new dojo comes in. there, I’m learning to extend my stances and learn different means of performing certain key techniques, which will ultimately make me a better overall martial artists.

Don’t be afraid to branch out and explore. Even if you’ve found a style that works for you, it can be useful to examine what other methods of training may have to offer. If you’re primarily a grappling style, maybe look into something with some striking. If you only employ hand techniques, look into something that focuses on kicks or pressure points. A little variety can good. After all, an empty toolbox is useless… Food for thought… ☯️

Don’t Get In Your Own Way

One of the more frustrating things when practicing the martial arts is being held back. And this happened a lot to me as I was growing and learning. It happens far more than the average person would be inclined to believe and often for good reason. one might be inclined to ask themselves WHY this would happen… Why would a sensei or sifu hold back one of their students? That seems counterintuitive to teaching someone…

In some respects, an instructor may hold back a student for a variety of reasons including health issues, danger of injury, the student’s progress staling or stalling and in some cases, where a student hasn’t mastered the material they already have in hand so the instructor doesn’t want to pile more on until they’ve learned properly. Hell, I remember Sensei once held back someone’s progression because he found out that the student had been bullying other kids at school and didn’t want to teach him further until he could counsel them against such things.

A committed student will often be a fiery tempest of dedication, training outside the dojo environment, pushing themselves and ultimately having a constant and non-stop thirst for more learning. This can be a positive thing. But it’s important to remember that there is a balance to all things. A fiery dedication must be balanced by gentleness and calm. A big part of effective self-defence is being able to respond to one’s opponents as opposed to hammering towards them.

Take the time to study what’s coming at you. It can be frustrating to practice a technique that you feel you may not be getting right but it’s just as important to detach from yourself and become responsive to your opponent instead. once you gain calm and fluidity, you would be surprised how easily you can develop your techniques without all the frustration and discouragement. Let’s not kid ourselves; there WILL be discouragement. You’re not truly committed and dedicated if you don’t occasionally feel that discouragement. As long as you keep pushing at it. ☯️

Pain Is Not The Point

If you practice martial arts, you’re gonna get hurt! Read that first sentence again; it’s important. Martial arts isn’t designed to be gentle, although there are some gentle aspects to it. But the reality is that if you join something like karate, you need to expect that you will, at some point, get struck, bruised, experience pain, pulled muscles, potential black eyes and even bleed. After all, this is a striking art, not cross-stitch (which can still make you bleed, FYI).

The reason I bring this up is because as time goes by, people as a whole seem to have grown in their “sensitivities” and that has often translated to the dojo environment. It surprises me, blows me away, actually how so many people join a martial art then are caught off guard or are surprised when they get hurt in some way, shape or form. I can’t necessarily speak for other styles and types but karate is a striking art and you should clearly expect that a strike may connect at some point while training.

When training in karate, we develop an eye distance to help us gauge the depth of a strike and whether or not it will impact with the surface. We usually train for striking in three ways:

1. A strike that doesn’t stop when it reaches the target. This one is usually done on a mat or a cushion as to not intentionally injure a partner. The idea is to develop one’s power and accuracy and acknowledging that stopping at the surface of a target may inadvertently cause one to pull back, reducing the strike’s effectiveness;
2. A strike that touches but doesn’t cause harm. This helps to develop accuracy and control and helps a partner to acknowledge and realize when contact has been made and whether their block was effective or not.
3. Stopping on a dime, regardless of strike power. Sensei would call this “eye distance,” and it refers to being able to execute a strike at full strength but stopping right at the surface of the target without striking it. This also plays into control and accuracy and is important when learning techniques in a controlled environment.

I’m getting pretty technical and for the purposes of this post, perhaps I needn’t be. But if you read that short list again, you’ll notice that the consistent terms in all three categories are control and accuracy. One could easily argue that in a real fight scenario, all accuracy and control goes out the window. One is basically just trying to survive. While this MIGHT be true, the control and accuracy we train for in the dojo helps to develop the muscle memory that we would carry into the street, if such an unfortunate incident ever occurred.

The important thing to remember is to respect your fellow students. Regardless of belt or rank, regardless of skill level, having respect for your partner/opponent and recognizing that accidents happen and never trying to o intentionally harm them will ensure a richer learning environment for all concerned. That being said, it’s important to recognize that even the most skilled and senior of students can slip and make mistakes. If you get struck, remember that this is a striking art and all part of the overall martial arts journey.

And if you strike someone while training, apologize sincerely and carry on with the exercise (unless your partner is unable to continue). Being humble shows greater strength than puffing out one’s chest and saying something like “you should’ve blocked!” Yes, maybe I should have. But mutual respect is how we all climb the martial arts ladder. Remember this, the next time you’re icing an injury or nursing a pulled muscle. It’s all part of the journey. You want injury-free? Go join a chess club. ☯️

If Your Ego Won’t Fit Through The X-ray Machine, It Needs To Be Checked…

I’ve trained with more martial artists over the decades than I could ever possibly hope to count… Different schools, different styles and different personalities notwithstanding, not everyone views what they’re doing the same way. For example, I’ve often noticed that children and teenagers will often be quite proud of being in karate and may occasionally even brag about their skills and prowess.

But it’s important to remember that there’s a big difference between pride and ego. Ego is one’s sense of self-importance or self-esteem. It can be an important part of a person’s overall existence but becomes a problem if it inflates beyond certain healthy levels. It’s possible for one to have an inflated ego where they genuinely believe they’re better than everybody else or have greater skills than everyone else.

Honestly, there’s no room for that shit in traditional karate. I’m well aware that some school shave students like this; I’ve even TAUGHT students like this but it usually never ends well. I was reminded of this recently when I was training at. The Shotokan dojo. I’ve always been very confident in my skills, even in recent years. But I was quickly reminded that time and age are rarely kind and there will always be others who may be more skilled. Squaring off against another student who happens to be half my age and weight but skilled to the same degree was all I needed as a sobering reminder.

Another fantastic aspect that reminded me of this, is when one of the instructors came to me after class ended last week and asked me to teach him one of my Uechi Ryu katas. I was more than happy to oblige and he patiently worked through the beginnings of Sanchin, which is ironically the first and last karate that we learn. We got to discussing how, if one is willing to set aside their egos and learn, rank meant nothing and there was always something more to be gained. Especially when experienced practitioners from different styles are willing to share with one another.

It brought me to believe that I made a good choice in choosing this school as the next leg of my martial arts journey. But it also reminded me of all the times that I’ve dealt with someone who bragged they were the best and had a better style, only to get flattened when they faced me. And maybe a few times when people practicing something I thought less of, flattened ME in much the same way. There’s no room for ego.

The important detail is to go in with an open mind. Check your ego at the door and be willing to listen, learn and absorb. This is truly the only way to be successful in one’s martial arts training. As the old story goes, it’s hard to add to a cup which is already full. If you walk into a dojo with a bunch of pre-conceived notions or opinions, regardless of your rank or skill level, you’ll fail before you even begin. And THAT would be a loss to everyone concerned. Food for thought… ☯️

It’s Toe-tally Painful…

I know that it seems as though I’m often posting about negative shit but trust me when I say, it’s about the journey and the pitfalls we face, not the negative aspect. That being said, it can be easy to fill an entire book with the negative aspects of Diabetes, considering the side effects and secondary issues it causes within the human body. One of them happens to be that wounds are much more difficult to heal for someone with type-1 Diabetes. This if for a variety of reasons including but not limited to, poor blood circulation and nerve damage.

One of the nastiest and most annoying wounds that one can get, is when a toe splits open. Believe it or not, this can happen a great deal when doing karate by virtue of some of the stepping, stomping and movement performed repetitively on a hard floor over hours of class time. I recently discovered this when I noticed last Thursday night after class that my right foot stung every time I took a step. When I got my phone out to snap a pic of what was happening underneath (I’m sure as hell not flexible enough anymore to bring my foot up to my face) I found a fine cut, right the seam where the toe meets the foot.

Calloused but clean…

These types of wounds are worse than paper cuts, because they continue to constantly move and flex with every step one takes. This means that it’s all the more difficult for these kinds of cuts to heal in a timely manner because the wound can’t sit long enough for it to close up quickly (or as quickly as a Diabetic foot will permit). And of course, all the usual Diabetes-related issues will apply; poor circulation in the extremities and neurological damage will contribute to the overall length of time it takes to heal.

That being said, there are things you can do to ensure this type of wound DOES heal up, whether it takes a bit longer or not. Keeping your feet warm and dry are the first lines of defence. Moist feet will breed bacteria (yes, I used the word “moist,” get over it), which is the last thing you want when you have an open wound in an enclosed area like the bottom of a toe. Although most and covered wounds may be more likely to let regeneration happen faster in most wounds, you need to consider the totality of where the injury is, coupled with the fact that the cut I’m showing you in the photo above won’t scab. No one likes scabs, but they do serve an important role in the healing process.

Since a cut like this won’t easily accommodate a band-aid or bandages, keeping the wound site clean can be problematic, especially if you’re stubborn and will keep going to class and training with bare feet. As much as it pains me to recommend it, taking the next class or two off, to allow the cut to heal is preferable to walking and training on a floor where several parties are all bare-footed as well. Luckily, I discovered this cut on Thursday night and no longer have class until Monday night, so I should be able to let it heal.

When you’ve showered/bathed, be sure to dry the area properly and don’t be afraid to let your feet air out well before slipping on socks. If you wear slippers, remember that those bastards contain everything your feet come into contact with. So if you’ve got a pair of old faithfuls that you’ve been wearing for years and you slip them on your freshly-showered feet, you’re mashing light-knows-what into your wound that’s been collected inside them bastards when your feet maybe weren’t as clean as you’d like to think. Moving on…

Antibiotic creams or gels CAN be helpful, although the jury is out on whether they genuinely provide faster healing or not. The consensus I’ve found is that they can help to reduce the risk of infection in simple cuts and wounds but may not do a great deal for the length of time it takes to heal. The other thing to consider is if you smear antibiotic cream into the crook of your toe, as with the cut in the picture above, you’re likely going to rub it all off as soon as you start walking, barefooted or not.

This is the part where I explain that proper diet and exercise and strict management of your blood sugars level will all help with the proper healing of cuts and wounds on your feet. As with any injury, you should seek medical attention if you start to notice that it’s becoming red and angry, turning strange colours, spreading or oozing pus or fluid. Or if it’s been an extended period of time without healing. That’s kind of important, as well.

Limb amputation is the last point I’ll touch on in this post, as morbid as it may be. It’s a harsh reality that’s people will Diabetes often need to face, especially in cases where their condition is poorly controlled and monitored. When a wound in the extremities becomes aggravated or infected, there’s a greater chance that it can lead to amputation, which is why it’s so important to take good care of your feet. You only get one set, so you need to pay attention. Check your feet for wounds and sores you may not feel or be aware you have. Keep that circulation going and keep your blood sugars controlled. ☯️

You’re Not A Rattle-Snake…

“Empty Your Mind, Be Formless, Shapeless, Like Water. Put Water Into A Cup, It Becomes The Cup. Put Water Into A Bottle, It Becomes The Bottle. Put Water Into A Teapot, it Becomes The Teapot. Water Can Flow, Or It Can Crash. Be Water, My Friend.”

– Bruce Lee

I usually take “famous” quotes with grain of salt. In these modern days of the internet and misinformation, you never know when someone may be misquoting. But the above quote from Bruce Lee is Pretty safe, considering I recently acquired his daughter’s book that basically focuses on Bruce Lee’s concepts behind being like water. It’s a pretty decent read, although i haven’t quite finished it yet. But it got me to thinking… One of the bigger obstacles one faces when practicing the martial arts, is the tension people hold in their bodies while training.

In some ways, many ways, one can’t be blamed for tensing up when training in a fighting art. Regardless of one’s experience level, knowing that someone is coming at you with a fist or a foot usually has that effect. But in order to learn properly and develop one’s technique, it’s important to remain flexible and relaxed as you learn. The dojo and/or class environment is a safe space where you can take advantage of developing that POSITIVE muscle memory in a controlled environment. This is hard to achieve when one is all tensed up and inhibiting one’s movements.

Lee’s quote is basically telling you that you need to maintain the flexibility to ensure adaptability in any situation. Issues you can face from this lack of flexibility can include a number of nasty results that you really don’t want to experience in a real-fight scenario. For example, tension may cause one to hesitate. You hesitate in a true fight, you get hit. Period. Tension will aggravate and worsen your “tells,” or your telegraphing. Lack of fluidity and flexibility will cause a hindrance to the free-flow of one’s movement. this isn’t just bad in the dojo; it can be dangerous on the street.

I guess there may be some styles that differ in this view but I haven’t encountered one yet that encourages being tight and tense when training or even fighting. Unlike the rattlesnake that tenses before striking, a karateka must remain fluid and relaxed, allowing muscle memory and skill to take control as opposed to getting into one’s own head. Food for thought… ☯️

Take A Knee…

Nobody likes feeling pain and if you do, you likely run in circles that won’t have you reading a Buddhist blog. But I’m not here to judge. GENERALLY, people don’t like to feel pain and it’s no secret that there are many sources of pain outside of accidental or intentional. I’ve recently written posts about injuries and how they can be aggravated by Diabetes as well as how one shouldn’t ignore injuries or pain if they persist for long periods of time.

One of the body parts that can relate to ALL of those aspects are one’s joints. I don’t know about you but as the years have dragged on, I’ve started to notice an increased amount of joint paint. Not consistent and certainly not debilitating but just enough that it draws my notice.

Now, just to be clear because sometimes I’m not, a joint as it relates to the body is where two bones meet. Joints allow the free movement of the body, which we would be unable to do otherwise. These meetings of bones are held together by ligaments, which are strong elastic bands of tissue and movement is achieved by tendons, which are also a connective tissue that connect to the muscles that create movement.

All caught up? Good. People tend to take their joints and the respective movement they provide for granted and assume that muscles are solely responsible for proper movement. But there are many moving pieces to the process (pun fully intended). The last piece of the puzzle is cartilage. This is another type of connective tissue that serves a number of different functions throughout the body. One of the most important among these functions is coating the bones in a joint to cushion them against friction and impact.

Over time and extensive use, such as one might see from decades of martial arts training, the cartilage in one’s joints can become worn. This wear and tear can eventually cause loss of motion in the joint and pain as the bare surfaces of the bones start to rub together. This grinding of bones is called osteoarthritis, or the “wear-and-tear” disease.

It’s not always as bad as bare bones rubbing against each other. Even mild conditions can have you feeling aches and pains in the joints, especially when moving. It’s important to pay attention to these aches and pains as they can be treated in various ways but it’s obviously easier to do so before it becomes worse. Any joint pain you feel that’s sharp or acute can mean something more serious, like a torn ligament or tendon, muscle damage of bone fractures. None of those should be left untreated and you should have them checked by your medical practitioner.

Why am I writing about this? Well, the reality is that when one studies a contact art like karate, one’s joints take a terrific beating, figuratively and literally. I know that after the many decades of training hard, my joints certainly aren’t what they used to be and I would be lying if I said my knees don’t swell up like balloons on rainy days. The important thing is to keep stretching, warming up the body and ensuring that you don’t ignore consistent, chronic pain when it becomes known. Your body will thank you. ☯️

It’s Not All In The Dojo…

Yesterday, I wrote a post about dojo code of conduct and the etiquette that should be observed, regardless of what school you’re in or visiting. It’s a post I’ve written a few times over the past few years, because the concept never changes for me and merits being revisited. Plus, it’s always a good idea to provide information to potential new readers who may not have the time or motivation to read through almost 1,100 of my posts. yes, I may be bragging just a wee bit. I may be full of myself but honestly, who else would I be full of? But I digress…

When I covered a point related to not wasting your instructor’s time, I explained the concept that one shouldn’t JUST be training in the dojo. Although I kept it short (short by MY standards, of course), I think the concept merits further examination. When it comes to something like karate, it’s important to remember that it takes a greater commitment than attending a few classes a week. Although you MAY progress by doing this, the speed and level of your progress would be greatly improved by taking the time to train by yourself, outside the dojo.

When I joined karate, we had three, two-hour classes scheduled every week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It was a good spread and I almost always consistently attended all three classes. Over the years, I began to notice a trend where most students would only attend two out of three classes each week, with Friday being the most popular class to miss by virtue of the weekend arriving. For me, Friday was an easier night to train since I didn’t have the burden of homework to concern me before bed. But these absences eventually led to Sensei cancelling out the Friday classes, much to my dismay. I was lucky enough that one of Sensei’s black belts had opened a school of her own nearby and one of her classes happened to be on a Friday.

One of my many quirks (others call them quirks, I call it commitment) that made me somewhat unpopular among my friends, especially when I started dating, was the fact that I would attend class NO MATTER WHAT. This would often be a pain to others, especially during the warmer seasons when we’d be out swimming or sitting around a fire. “Oh, you can miss one class… We’re chillin’ here…” Chill away, lazy folks! Imma go build on my foundation. It sounds like I’m bragging and maybe on some level I am. The point is that I understood, even at a young age that I wouldn’t get to where I wanted to be or have the level of health I wanted to achieve by skipping out on class every time something fun presented itself.

The other problem is that I’d constantly be referencing karate or practicing outside the dojo. Again, others called it a problem; I called it commitment. If we hung out at the beach, I’d soon find myself doing forms on the sand. If we were on a road trip, I’d be using a hand grip strengthener to work my fingers and my grip. That used to drive my friends crazy, especially since I was usually the one driving. If homework was light and it WASN’T a karate night, I was still putting in a couple of hours in my bedroom or I’d go jogging or speed cycling. Anything and everything I could do to improve and increase my overall health and karate development.

It wasn’t always easy. In some ways, a lot of ways, I missed out on a lot of experiences that are considered a right of passage to some. I didn’t go to my prom. I never partied or drank alcohol as a teenager. I never travelled or participated in extra-curricular activities. I just never had the time. I always doing karate. It took me a little over ten years to achieve my black belt, even with that level of intensity and commitment. Of course, there were a number of differences between Sensei’s dojo and many of the ones you see now. Asking to be tested was not permitted; it was up to Sensei to deem when you’d be ready and to test accordingly. And a decade is pretty average in terms of obtaining a black belt in a traditional form of martial arts.

The lesson here is that there really isn’t a bad reason for joining karate, unless your reason is to beat the shit out of someone. So ultimately, if you attend your few classes every week, get a solid sweat in and learn anything, you’ll have still accomplished something. And anything is always something more than nothing. But if you truly want to learn the art, progress and grow into a proficient martial artist, it’ll take more than that. Time is one of the world’s most precious commodities. It the only one we can’t artificially produce or created more of. Giving of your own time is the greatest commitment you can make towards your martial arts journey. And it will eventually yield the best rewards. ☯️

Dojo Code Of Conduct


All the way back in December of 2019, I wrote a post outlining the proper guidelines a prospective student should follow when attending ANY martial arts school. Some of these are simply a matter of tradition, some of them are necessary to ensure that a dojo runs smoothly. Some, mostly all of them, are also a show of respect for the school you’ve chosen to attend. I think we can all agree that even if you’ve studied in a different style or have a different set of core beliefs, you should still show respect when inside someone else’s dojo. ESPECIALLY if your goal is to have it become your dojo, as well. Of course, if your core beliefs don’t align with the school you’re visiting, you likely shouldn’t be joining. But that’s a concept for a different post.

In recent months, I’ve returned to the dojo environment after a significant hiatus. My absence from any martial arts school was equal parts circumstance and COVID-19. But I’ve had the opportunity to observe some students, visitors and outsiders in the dojo I currently train with. Taking into consideration some of the things I’ve observed, I thought it would be ideal to once again share some of the basic principles of conduct within the dojo. This is never an exhaustive list and is often subjective to what’s been seen in the dojo but it’s all good stuff. Here we go:

  1. Bow when entering or exiting the dojo: This seems like a bit of a tiny detail, but it is an important one. It provides a show of respect; respect towards the instructors, respect towards the ones who trained before you, and respect towards the school. It also evokes a sense of discipline. Even though you may not realize it now, that tiny detail begins to lay the foundational discipline that should become the cornerstone of your training;
  2. Ensure your Gi, or karate uniform, is clean and pressed: This one is important not only for protocol and etiquette, but for hygiene reasons as well. And you would be surprised how many people overlook it. There’s nothing worse than someone who assumes that their last workout wasn’t intense enough to warrant laundering their uniform. Make sure it’s clean. Not only does that ensure a more “pleasant” environment for yourself and the other students, it shows proper respect for the uniform you wear on your journey. Keep an eye on the condition of your uniform. If it’s become yellowed and stained, regardless of washing, it’s time to replace it. If there are tears and/or holes, have them repaired (unless they’re unsightly even once fixed). You shouldn’t have to iron your gi but if you do, for the love of ALL that’s good and holy, don’t iron a crease down the center of your pants. Your going to karate class, not a business meeting;
  3. Stand straight and pay attention: When not executing a movement in the immediate moment, it is imperative that you stand straight and tall, heels together and thumbs tucked into the front of your belt. Keep your gaze towards the front and pay close attention to what the head instructor is saying. Try to avoid looking around and fidgeting. A big part of discipline is being able to focus long enough to build an attention span beyond that of a goldfish and if you fidget and spend your time, you may miss an integral piece of information you needed for what you’re working on;
  4. Acknowledge every instruction given: Different styles will have different ways of doing this. Some will choose a shallow bow when the head instructor provides instruction, some will answer in the affirmative by saying Hai (Japanese for “yes”) or something of the like… The method of acknowledgment will depend on the style and school you’re in. But once it’s clear that the instructor has completed providing instruction, this small acknowledgment is not only a sign of respect but provide the instructor with some cursory way of knowing that you’ve understood what’s been said;
  5. No food or drink within the dojo: You would think this one would be common sense, but a martial arts school is no place for you to sip your mocha-choca latte while your kid trains. Since the average martial arts class only lasts about an hour and a half to two hours, you can manage this easily without having food and drink within the confines of a training environment. In recent years, I’ve noticed that it’s become a bit more of a common thing for the practitioners to carry water bottles into the dojo and take water breaks throughout training. I’m pretty divided on this, considering Sensei always use to tell us to use the washroom and grab our drink BEFORE class started, because once you bowed in, you were in until you bowed out. But from a health perspective, I understand better than most that proper hydration is important. That being said, my current classes are only an hour in length and the average person should be able to make it through that short period without necessarily sucking back on a bottle;
  6. Get out of the way: If you become injured or over-tired, bow, step back and sit in seiza (on your knees) at the rear of the class. Stay out of the way and remove yourself from the flow of the class until your fatigue passes or your injury allows you to continue. Of course, if your injury is severe or serious enough to think you need to remove yourself, you likely shouldn’t continue as you could aggravate the injury further. The point is, there’s nothing to be served by standing in the way while others continue and you shouldn’t expect that everyone will stop and wait. After all, this is their time, too;
  7. Don’t show up late: This one is and always has been, a personal pet peeve of mine. Some instructors will say that if you show up late, it’s better to get “some of the workout” in rather than none at all. Although that is a great concept, showing up late can be disruptive to a class and shows great disrespect to your class and instructors. We all have busy lives. It falls to you to plan ahead and schedule things so that you may attend class. Whether or not showing up late is appropriate will be up to your head instructor, but true respect dictates that if you aren’t fifteen minutes early for class, you’re already late. A good example is a recent evening where I had to fight off a bout of low blood sugar and didn’t make it to class. I’m sure that if I really pushed it fought my way down there, I would have been able to make it only a short period after start of class. But such disrespect for the flow of a dojo’s operations shouldn’t be encouraged;
  8. Don’t waste your instructor’s time: Although you’ve likely paid a fee for your presence, the instructor(s) within the school are there to impart their knowledge and skills to you and others. If you aren’t going to put in your full effort, then you’re wasting your instructors time. Effectively, you’re also wasting your time AND the fee you paid. You’re also affecting the other student’s ability to learn properly. Karate isn’t something you can walk into a few 1-hour classes and expect to progress. You need to put in some supplementary time training outside the dojo, on your own. This is the only way you’ll truly progress and make any headway. Otherwise, you may as well join a knitting circle;
  9. Respect and train based on your partner: You will sometimes be paired with someone of lower or higher rank than yourself. If you’re paired with someone of lower rank, you become the example of what is to be taught. If you inflict injury upon your partner, you may discourage them from further learning and you will have gained nothing yourself. If training with someone of higher rank, respect should be given and you should take every advantage to learn from this person as they are in the same position you would be if training with a lower ranked belt. Granted, time has proven that there is just as much you can learn from a lower rank. It depends on how positive your perspective may be…

I’ve seen everything from kids running around, coffee, students fidgeting and looking around… In a school I no longer train with, there was even one guy who showed up forty minutes late for class with a bag of cheeseburgers and ate while the rest of us did calisthenics! Besides the fact that the smell of burgers was killing me, a karate dojo is definitely NOT the place to eating, much less junk food. Even though some of these points could be viewed simply as one’s person’s opinion, it stands to reason that tradition and respect are things that should never be ignored in the dojo.

Folks, no matter what sport or art you study, there will always be guidelines to follow. The martial arts simply have more, and that’s part of the charm. Although the above guidelines are only basic, they apply to any martial arts school you attend. Your specific dojo may have more, and this is one of those moments where it’s important to take the initiative and ask. After all, respect is a primary aspect of karate and all martial arts. Food for thought… ☯