This Friday we had a special practice session at the dojo. Sensei was talking with us about the two first codes of Isshinryu. 1. A person’s heart is the same as Heaven and Earth. 2. Blood Circulating is Similar to the Sun and the Moon. These codes represent Master Shimabuku’s views on life and the practice of the martial arts. …
Week 13 – David Brezinski
Mind without mind – Mushin Over the years of my training and the special code of karate class I attended last Friday, Sensei Oliver has shared the meaning and its relevance to developing as a student of Isshinryu. While I can understand this conceptually, actually achieving this mental state of “no mind” is much more challenging. As with many things, …
Week 12 – David Brezinski
“Pain and pleasure like light and darkness, succeed each other.” – Lawrence Stone Sunday sparring and accepting the pain. It is what it is! As Ike-san, Dirk-san and myself took turns sparring, my final round for the day was an attempt on my part to get in a step-in right fist hook punch on Dirk-san. I saw the opening! Crunch…as …
Week 12 – Dirk Herfurth
This Saturday there was a welcome change to the routine. My son and I attended a sword casting class at the dojo. Throughout the morning we learned what different types of swords there were throughout antiquity. We decided to cast a xiphos, a double-edged one-handed Greek short sword. We built the mold with sand and then cast Aluminum in it. …
Week 11 – Dirk Herfurth
Quick update on my progress. I have done ¼ of needed quantity for both the pushups and the crunches. For Kata I am almost a third down. Over the last few weeks the mileage counter was low a little bit due to the weather and travel. However, now that the sun is coming out more bike rides are on the …
Week 11 – David Brezinski
“A true friend doesn’t have guts; they beat you up and later plead with you to beat them back.”― Michael Bassey Johnson Today I am going to write about friendship and camaraderie. I believe both of these are interwoven and for me they have been a significant part of my karate training (and black belt) experience. In the dojo there …
Week 10 – Dirk Herfurth
Little update on my progress. All of the push-ups and sit-ups numbers are doing well. I am on course. Issues so far? My left shoulder joint hurts a little from all the exercise. I counter that with some turmeric/ ginger capsules. The use of turmeric dates back 4000 years in India and made it through China to the rest of …
Week 10 – David Brezinski
War, conflict and the anxiety it causes. As I sit here and write this post, terrible things are happening in Ukraine as Russian forces continue to battle their way into taking control of this country and people who like us, the majority just want to live their lives and be free from tyranny and autocratic rule. While it is all …
Week 9 – David Brezinski
1000 mile journey..some on the slopes Some may wonder what alpine (downhill) skiing may have to do with my black belt training. I think there are many relatable aspects to the experience of skiing; the physical parts, the spiritual parts and the essence of being at some level of risk but seeking to find balance with control, choices and knowing …
Week 8 – David Brezinski
If you get tired, learn to rest, not quit – Anonymous After 5 rounds of sparring this morning with Dirk-san I feel sore & tired, but also a deep sense of satisfaction knowing I am actively working and progressing on my black-belt objectives. This past week has been an active one (like most weeks); I skied for 3 days in …