Taikyoku Kata Sono Ichi
Aug. 28th, 2007 12:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sharplittleteeth(strang_er asked me to write up more of my karate stuff. Blame him, okay?)
I've been a blue belt for a week and half now. New belt = new syllabus = whole new set of aching muscles.
It's been difficult, training this last week. I'm feeling... not burnt out. But tired. Grading was such a peak experience, returning to the weekly grind feels like a let down. And that stupid infection is still with me. It's moved from my throat to my stomach and is now currently touring my lungs, making it hard to breathe.
All this is part of the journey
Yes, it gets hard. Yes, you lose focus. You just have to stick with it.
I used to think the way through it was to grit your teeth and push forward with all your strength, like a ox pulling at a plough. But strength only lasts so long. Eventually you collapse in exhaustion.
Now? Now I think it's the love that carries you forward. Love gives you the strength. Love motivates you, pushes you to reach beyond what your limitations.
I'm not talking about romantic love here. Or, not just romantic love. I'm talking about love for your school, your fellow students, for the beauty and the tradition of your art.
God. I sound like a hippy.
The first kata we learn in Seido Karate is Taikyoku Kata Sono Ichi. In Seido Karate, each kata has a meaning, a little philosophical idea that you're supposed to meditate on while you perform the kata.
The meaning of Taikyoku Kata is "Take An Overview".
They say the first kata is the hardest one to learn. Because you're not just learning the sequence of blocks and punches -- you're learning how to learn.
The trick to learning Taikyoku Kata is to realise all the moves make a big H shape on the floor. So you concentrate on that shape. If you make a mistake, don't get frustrated or upset or mad at yourself. Just concentrate on following the shape. The correct movements will come in time.
This applies to all of our karate as well. As one of my blackbelts put it -- don't let a small failure stop you from reaching a huge success. Keep your focus on the overview. When you make mistakes or don't understand, don't give up. Take the overview. Look at how far you've come. Realise how small these hurdles are, and how huge the goal. The little difficulties can only overwhelm you if you stoop down to their level.
Stand tall. Breathe deeply. Let the love be your strength.
strang_er asked me to write up more of my karate stuff. Blame him, okay?)I've been a blue belt for a week and half now. New belt = new syllabus = whole new set of aching muscles.
It's been difficult, training this last week. I'm feeling... not burnt out. But tired. Grading was such a peak experience, returning to the weekly grind feels like a let down. And that stupid infection is still with me. It's moved from my throat to my stomach and is now currently touring my lungs, making it hard to breathe.
All this is part of the journey
Yes, it gets hard. Yes, you lose focus. You just have to stick with it.
I used to think the way through it was to grit your teeth and push forward with all your strength, like a ox pulling at a plough. But strength only lasts so long. Eventually you collapse in exhaustion.
Now? Now I think it's the love that carries you forward. Love gives you the strength. Love motivates you, pushes you to reach beyond what your limitations.
I'm not talking about romantic love here. Or, not just romantic love. I'm talking about love for your school, your fellow students, for the beauty and the tradition of your art.
God. I sound like a hippy.
The first kata we learn in Seido Karate is Taikyoku Kata Sono Ichi. In Seido Karate, each kata has a meaning, a little philosophical idea that you're supposed to meditate on while you perform the kata.
The meaning of Taikyoku Kata is "Take An Overview".
They say the first kata is the hardest one to learn. Because you're not just learning the sequence of blocks and punches -- you're learning how to learn.
The trick to learning Taikyoku Kata is to realise all the moves make a big H shape on the floor. So you concentrate on that shape. If you make a mistake, don't get frustrated or upset or mad at yourself. Just concentrate on following the shape. The correct movements will come in time.
This applies to all of our karate as well. As one of my blackbelts put it -- don't let a small failure stop you from reaching a huge success. Keep your focus on the overview. When you make mistakes or don't understand, don't give up. Take the overview. Look at how far you've come. Realise how small these hurdles are, and how huge the goal. The little difficulties can only overwhelm you if you stoop down to their level.
Stand tall. Breathe deeply. Let the love be your strength.
