Special Martial Arts Gift Ideas
It’s that time of year again. Time for Martial Arts Santa to make his appearance!
For those of you who remember the previous exploits of Martial Arts Santa, thanks for sticking around the blog for so long! This year he’s going to focus on that wonderful tradition of gift-giving.
As opposed to normal martial arts gifts like a new bo or a copy of “Karate-Do: My Way of Life” (great book btw), M.A.Santa is going to dig a little deeper and try to recommend some resources and items that the martial artist in your life may not have heard of.
Whether you need some fresh ideas for yourself or a loved one, check out these M.A.Santa approved items:
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In 1609 the Shimazu Clan of Satsuma, Japan staged a bold takeover of the Ryukyu island chain. Unfortunately, most karate resources briefly mention the event, state that the Shimazu reinforced weapons bans on the island, and move on. This excellent book delves deeply into the details of the conflict, exploring the military capabilities of both the Japanese and the Okinawans. |
Richard Kim is a very well known researcher and practitioner of the classical arts. He had a large impact on the development of western martial arts. In this book, Kim Sensei tells a series of stories that illustrate the character, skill, and mindset of classical individuals throughout our collective martial past. Included are stories of Funakoshi, Musashi, Higashionna, Miyagi, and more. |
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When I first began my sword training, my instructor recommended this book to me. It was a real game changer! The author, Dave Lowry, is a highly respected researcher and storyteller in the realm of Koryu arts. In this book, he explains the unlikely circumstances of how he met a true Yagyu Shinkage Ryu Master and became a disciple of the art. |
If you’re in the first few years of karate training, or would just like to establish a better understanding of history, “Okinawa: Island of Karate” might be a good choice for you. This DVD, presented by George Alexander Sensei, provides a quality walkthrough of karate and kobudo history. Also featured are unique video clips from old masters, and a trip through Okinawa’s Budokan Museum. |
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It’s quite likely that this is my favorite martial arts documentary of all time. “Budo, the Art of Killing” was filmed in the late 70s and features high level experts in a multitude of Japanese and Okinawan arts. The thing that makes this documentary special is that it touches upon the heart of each art and doesn’t get caught up in gimmickry. |
Bill Hayes Sensei tells an amazing story in his book “My Journey with the Grandmaster”. This book provides discussion of concept, mindset, and spirit, mixed with personal experiences of the author on Okinawa. If you are interested in acquiring a copy, please print out this order form or contact Hayes Sensei directly with a book request. |
These are all top shelf resources and I hope you’ve seen something here that you’ve never seen before.
Happy gift giving!
1 Easy Way to Stay Humble
One of the best ways to stay hungry for improvement and stave of complacency is to get exposed to high level martial artists.
Observing top practitioners of any classical style can quickly fill you with a mix of emotion (admiration, uncertainty, self-consciousness, inspiration, etc). It can also be a surefire way to stay humble.
If you think about it…a martial artist who trains with 10-15 people will eventually start to base his/her sense of ability on how they perform against those other individuals. If said martial artist starts to dominate, he/she could easily lose perspective and let ego grab hold.
If that pool of people were much bigger and included some top practitioners, the artist would be much more inclined to keep perspective.
I’m fortunate in that I have the Heilmans and their four Kyoshi to keep me in check routinely. But this last weekend’s IKKF Annual Training served as a reboot for every student present.
At our annual gathering we get a chance to train under premiere instructors like Bill Hayes (Shorin Ryu), Jody Paul (Motobu Udundi), and Miguel Ibarra (Aikijujitsu). But this year we also had the pleasure of hosting some of most senior Okinawa Kenpoka such as George Epps, Larry Isaac, Vic Coffin, and Al Louis (some of whom also brought senior students from their respective dojo). Put that together with the Heilmans and their Kyoshi and what you have is a gigantic soup of experience.
While all the teachers no doubt enjoyed reconnecting and sharing with each other, we (the students) were the lucky ones as we could not turn around without seeing or learning something interesting. I was in attendance for all three days and still couldn’t attend a seminar by every instructor.
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If you find yourself training in a vacuum, constantly re-convincing yourself that you know enough and are the keeper of “the truth”, I highly recommend making an effort to connect with other respectable martial artists. They can be within your own style, or from something completely different.
The key of course is to use such connections to enhance an already strong foundation. Being a seminar jumper or video collector without a core operating system results in a lot of surface level, superficial understanding. But, when done right, such experiences can help you keep that classical mindset of humility and curiosity.
Interview: Bill Hayes, “Old Student”, Okinawa Shobayashi-ryu Karate-do (Part 2)
This is a continuation of the interview with Bill Hayes Sensei. Part 1 can be found here. Hayes Sensei is a senior practitioner of Shobayashi-Ryu Karate-do and a keeper of the old ways of Okinawan study. His personal experiences with Eizo Shimabukuro Sensei and the United States Marines (retired Major) have given him unique insight into the Ryukyuan Arts.
Hayes Sensei is a martial historian, subject matter expert for the U.S. Marines, and applications expert. He can often be found providing advice and insight to even the highest ranked instructors around the world. He refers to himself simply as “old student”.
And now the conclusion of the interview.
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Broken Kata, Bunkai, and Allowable Differences
Hayes Sensei discusses how Eizo Shimabukuro Sensei would consider certain student’s kata “broken”. This often occurred after long periods of time away from training on Okinawa, and sometimes after the ego of the practitioner had gotten ahold of his art and changed it for the worse. Also discussed are the matters of bunkai, oyo bunkai, and tichiki, the varying levels of application of kata. The final topic is that of hacho, allowable differences in order to make karate unique and effective for each individual.
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Grandmaster Book, Hinkaku (Special Dignity), and the Power of Nature
There are very few texts available that accurately portray old style training of karate on Okinawa, and Hayes Sensei is the author of one of those books. My Journey With the Grandmaster provides us with a unique glimpse into the culture, training, and philosophy of “te” as Hayes Sensei intermingles personal stories with technical and historical knowledge. This book is not available via standard resell. If you are interested in acquiring a copy, please print out this order form or contact Hayes Sensei directly with a book request.
Also discussed in this video is the concept of Hinkaku, a special dignity that only the highest gentleman (or gentlewoman) karateka can attain. The last topic mentioned is the power of nature in our training, and how to integrate it with meaning.
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Diet, Wellness, and Longevity
The Okinawans have been studied for years due to their unusual longevity and quality of life. Okinawa is a Blue Zone, and a combination of fitness, diet, community, and low stress has created a society of virtually no crime and strong, happy living. Hayes Sensei has spent much of his life adopting the ways of the Okinawans and figuring out ways in which western culture might successfully integrate some of those “good ideas” and apply them in their own lives.
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Personal Regiment, Hojo Undo (Body Conditioning), and Your Vision for Karate
In this final video Hayes Sensei discusses his own personal training. He describes how training can change as one ages and improves in skill level. He also mentions how he utilizes hojo undo, the classical method of Okinawan body conditioning. The video is finished with a discussion regarding his vision for the Okinawa Shorin Ryu Karatedo Kenkyu Kai Shobayashi-Kan, and how he would like to positively effect those who train with him.
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Many thanks to Hayes Sensei for his participation in this interview and for his tireless efforts in spreading “the way”!
