Full Circle

FullCircleWhat do soy sauce, my new job, and my Karate have in common?

My new job is at the community college.  I work in the building next door to where the college Karate class meets.  My hours are flexed so I can work out with that class.   It’s pretty exciting to have something to look forward to when I go to work on Monday mornings.  Don’t get me wrong, I like my new job, but you know – Monday mornings are still Monday mornings.   Monday mornings are a lot more exciting now that the first thing I do when I arrive on campus is stash my gi in a locker.

The man who founded the college’s Karate program came from Japan with the clothes on his back and a little bit of cash.  At one point he lived in his car and did yard work for people.  He came to the community college and in exchange for English lessons, he taught Karate.   He started making soy sauce to give away as gifts, and with the encouragement and help of his Karate students, eventually went commercial.  He’s now quite wealthy and a great philanthropist.  You might know him as Mr.  Yoshida.  I know him as Yoshida Sensei.  Read the full story about Yoshida Sensei here if you’d like to.

Yoshida Sensei kept working on his Karate.  Nowadays he is the head of the organization of dojos I belong to.   This organization includes my “home” dojo, the “college dojo,” and other local dojos I’ve written about before.  So there’s the connection between soy sauce and my karate.  But what about my new job?  How’s that connected to soy sauce and Karate?

I work in the International Student Programs office.  We help with just about every aspect of a foreign student’s life.  If we can’t help directly we point the students to the right people.  This office didn’t exist until maybe 8-10 years ago, so obviously the college has taken huge strides since Yoshida Sensei got his start.

FullCircleSo…  What about the title of this blog post?  “Full Circle,” what’s up with that?

My job enables me to pay all my Karate expenses.   Tournament entry fees, belt test fees, Gasshuku, motel room for after Godo Renshu, and contact lenses.  Plus whatever else might come up (hopefully never a hospital bill).  Once I reach 3rd kyu in 6-7 years I’ll have to drive three hours on a monthly basis for training at the hombu dojo, so I’m saving up for food and fuel.  I’m also saving up for my Shodan test.  The college dojo will gain another Sensei.

Full circle.

You bet I have incentive to learn how to do my job and to do it well.   It’s a busy office, there’s a lot to learn, and the work is never ever done.  My job at the front desk can get insanely busy around the start of each new quarter, but I’m a mother so I know how to roll with the times when I barely get a couple of minutes to use the restroom.  Karate has given me what it takes to listen to feedback, learn from mistakes, and grow especially when growing is hard to do.  This is easily the most challenging office I’ve ever worked in.  I’m up for the challenges thanks to my Karate.   I’m helping students who, like Yoshida Sensei, are coming to America to learn and grow, maybe even establish new lives here.

Full circle again.

 

Click!

homework-624735_640My grandfather told me when he was a young man he struggled with algebra.  I don’t remember how many tried to teach him, but he just didn’t understand.  It’s not that he wasn’t capable of understanding algebra because later in life he had a career in bookkeeping for car dealers.  His teachers weren’t bad teachers, and their teaching methods weren’t wrong.  It’s just that Grandpa needed to hear from one particular person.  I suspect Grandpa also needed time to process all those other teachings and everything came together once he received the explanation that resonated with him.

 

karate-312474_640On the spur of the moment one Saturday I went to a seminar offered by the head of another Karate organization.  He’s been kind enough to send his students to events that the organization I belong to puts on.  I figured I’d return the favor – and besides, I really wanted to know more about body mechanics.  I just wasn’t understanding the concept of throwing techniques from the body.  Who knows how many black belts have tried to teach me this.

 

I am so very glad I went to the seminar – the first five minutes alone were worth the money, the traffic, and the ridiculously inadequate parking situation. Something clicked when I watched the very first demonstration. I immediately knew this was the one particular explanation I needed. I also needed a good solid hour playing with everything, and I got exactly that! You bet I scribbled notes in my training notebook afterward.

 

I’d like to say my Karate is vastly better as a result of going to this seminar.  Alas.  OK, well, there’s been a little improvement in maybe three or four little areas.  The main thing is now I have tools to work with during my practice times and I will improve over time.  What’s more, someday, when I see someone struggling with the same thing, I have more tools in my teaching toolbox.

 

The “life lesson” in this for me is to keep asking questions, to keep seeking answers, and to be patient with myself.

Not Tired

Remember the Id and the Ego from my post, “Inner Dialogue?”  Let’s bring them out again.  (Images by yurike – yurike_go@hotmail.com)

150409_Devil“Why am I doing this?”  I ask myself as I drive to class, “I could be home napping or reading a book.  Ya know, I’m feeling a bit off today – maybe I should turn around and go home.  Recovery days are important, right?  Especially at my age…”

150409_Angel“Ignore your age – you always forget your age once you’re immersed and engaged in Karate.  Besides, you had your recovery day – Sunday – two days ago.”

150409_Devil“Ugh, I’m not gonna make it through warmups.  I hope the rest of class is easy.  I’m not sweating yet and I feel lousy.”

150409_Angel“Are you kidding?  You’re not nearly as tired as you were after Gasshuku!  Stick it out – you’ll be doing something interesting pretty soon, then you’ll feel happy!”

150409_Devil“I’ve been practicing and tutoring kata for 90 minutes and Sensei wants me to spend the next half hour sparring someone who is younger and who outranks me?!?  I’m not gonna make it!”

150409_AngelIn the case of that last thought, I had to give myself a severe scolding.  I was a guest at a sister dojo during the time they have a room reserved for practice.  The sensei didn’t have to teach me squat – he had things to work on himself.  So did the sempai.  The sensei was honoring me by having the sempai work with me on some very specific things that will boost my sparring skills.  You bet I found the energy to keep going and I thoroughly enjoyed the time.

There must be something deep within us that says that if the saber toothed tiger isn’t chasing us and we’re well fed, we really ought to hide and rest.  As enthusiastic as I am about Karate, I do have to fight sometimes to keep going.  I have to remind myself that I can do it.  I know I can keep going because I’ve done it so many times before.

The darkest motivation I can think of to persevere is simply that it’s entirely possible I’ll be attacked in the parking lot after class.  My life might one day depend on me overcoming fatigue, maybe even injury.  This thought first came to me on the drive home from my first Gasshuku.  I stopped at a rest stop and, as is my habit whenever I get out of a car, I surveyed the other people – noting where they were, where they were going, how they were dressed, and their emotional states.  No creeps.  I was barely able to drive safely home because I was very sore and tired, but I realized if it came to a fight for my life, no doubt I would find the energy.

03_Image2In contrast, the best motivation for me to overcome fatigue is simply this:  Karate is fun, awesome, challenging, empowering, and a whole slew of other positive adjectives.  Yes, I know – proper hydration and nutrition count for a lot when it comes to preventing and overcoming fatigue.  I submit that one’s mental outlook is just as important if not more important.  The instant I lose sight of how lucky I am to be engaged in a physical activity that I enjoy, I start listening to that little voice that tells me I’m too tired.

150409_AngelI’m not tired.  Not really.

 

Gender Inequality

Picture taken 5/15/17 for re-posting of this blog
black eye 2015 Joelle White
Bruises are fun!!!

Earlier this week (Week of September 20th, 2015) I failed to adequately protect my face while sparring, and yep, I have bruises.  It’s been 20 years since I’ve had a job in an office, not in a swimming pool.  I didn’t think about what would happen the next morning.  It’s a good thing my new co-workers know I’m “into” Karate.  Still, one lady was a little taken aback by a teeny tiny little bruise on my lip.  I began to think seriously about makeup.

Then I realized something.  I landed this job without makeup.   My previous job, the very first time I met the potential employer I was in a swimsuit and absolutely covered with livid bruises (talk about awkward).  Why would one little bruise on my lip make me think about something that has not been a part of my identity ever since the day I forgot my makeup and my boyfriend (now my husband) said I look just fine without it?

The answer is that all my life, I’ve been told that women have to be beautiful like the dolls I once kept on hand for when friends visited (I played with Star Wars action figures).  Don’t get me wrong, ladies – I appreciate beauty in all its forms and I don’t mind one bit if you look drop-dead gorgeous in your makeup and with your shiny long nails, dyed hair and perm.  More power to ya!  It’s just that form of self-expression is not for me – never has been except on very rare occasions.  What’s hard for me is society’s expectation that I ought to be wired the same way you are.

There’s definitely gender inequality.   If a man comes to the office with a black eye, everyone assumes he’s been doing something macho, like a bar fight or a Karate class, and it’s OK.  If a woman sports a black eye, the automatic assumption is she’s being abused at home.  Fortunately for me my co-workers can go to the building next door during lunch hour on Mondays and Wednesdays  to see that I really am a karateka.  But the complete stranger at the supermarket will assume the worst simply because I am a woman.

I know this attitude stems from concern.  I appreciate that.  So riddle me this – why is that same concern not generally extended to men?  If a teenage guy has a bruise on his face, is it because “boys will be boys,” or is his father abusing him?  Gender inequality again.

People – stop assuming.  Do ask – many a life has been saved that way.   But please – don’t treat me any differently than a guy who has a bruise.  Either that or don’t treat guys who have bruises any differently than you’d treat a woman with a bruise 🙂

Karate and the Rec Center

Box vector designed by Freepik
Box vector designed by Freepik

Karate programs can bring in a fair chunk of change to a community center, but from a manager’s standpoint, a good Karate program can be a bit “high maintenance.”  Karate doesn’t fit into a neat little box like Zumba or even swim lessons.  I suppose if one wanted a Karate program that caters specifically to the students who try it for a few months and then quit, one could smoosh Karate into a box.  After all, there’s a lot of money to be made from those students.  Such a class doesn’t need much accommodation – just a time slot and some floor space same as any other class.  In contrast, a strong rec-center Karate program (the kind that could possibly produce a world champion) needs a whole lot more from its host facility.  Because a good, solid Karate program is different from familiar programs such as Zumba and swim lessons, facility managers need to know how to support serious Karate students.  Serious students are in it for the long haul and they need a lot of support.

Karate doesn’t fit into the “get in, get out” mold very well like Zumba or swim lessons.  In Zumba, you can learn the moves pretty quickly – or not!  Anyone is perfectly welcome to just go through the motions without putting much effort into improving – and that’s all right in my book.  Most Karate instructors would like to see students apply themselves to increasing their skills and a few students are quite serious about doing so.  Swim lessons are a little bit closer to what we do in Karate.  There are different levels – guppy/white belt, minnow/orange belt – you get the picture.  There are incentives to progress – the more comfortable you are in the water the more fun you can have and your risk of drowning decreases.  Same with Karate – you have more fun as you increase your skill and your chances of surviving an attack increase. Here’s where the difference lies – six months of swim lessons and I became a “mermaid” for life.  A year and a quarter into my Karate studies I’m still taking baby steps in understanding, applying, and performing the most basic movements – and that is perfectly normal.  With our organization, it takes 8-10 years before a student might be invited to test for black belt.  Five to ten years is pretty standard across the board for most Karate organizations.  Karate is not an “everybody gets a trophy” deal – it is a challenging skill that takes boatloads of time to develop!

03_Image2In a perfect world every Karate school would be open 24/7.  Obviously this is unrealistic for a rec center.  That said, every bit of extra time that a facility can give helps.  Across the board, ten to fifteen minutes to bring in and set up equipment before class is crucial.  Kids who arrive early sweep the floor, help with setup, and practice.  Most rec centers appreciate not having to deal with kids bouncing around the halls while waiting for class to begin!  Before-class time is also time for students to report any injuries or other medical considerations that the instructor needs to be aware of.  Of course after class equipment needs to be put away and students need to gather their belongings (which include fist pads and mouth guards used during sparring).  Even more extra time after class should be made for students to ask questions and receive feedback on their performance.  This is crucial to their progress.  Not everyone takes advantage of this time, so an extra fifteen to thirty minutes should suffice.  Even better – the facility and the instructor could agree to have two or more small classes so that everyone gets some attention.  Not everyone has a back yard, driveway, or garage to practice in, so it’s good to have three or more classes per week if possible.  Serious students practice daily, so it’s a nice gesture if a rec center will allow a student to use a studio after the last group exercise class of the day.

Once a facility has given the Karate program a time slot, this time needs to be respected.  I don’t know of a single rec center staff member who would make it a habit of barging into a yoga class during meditation to go in and out repeatedly in order to fetch exercise equipment stored in the room.  Karate meditation might look like it involves more wiggling than yoga (because of the kids), but there’s really no difference in how that time should be treated by outsiders.   Likewise, coming and going repeatedly while someone performs kata by himself in front of the class is a bit rude.  I admit it’s probably a good opportunity for that person to learn to maintain focus.  However, I can’t help but think that if someone were playing a clarinet solo in front of a music class no one would just barge right onto the stage – they’d wait out of respect for the performer.  I’d hate to think of what could happen if someone tried to go in and out repeatedly in during sparring.  At the very least it would be disruptive because the class would have to halt immediately.  At worst, someone could get hurt.  I’d think even Zumba participants might be annoyed at having to dance around staff members going in and out for whatever reason.  Good manners and respect are taught in Karate, so what does it say to the kids if the facility has no regard for the class?

Hand in hand with respect is trust.  Karate teaches self control, respect, and leadership.  That reduces the risks of injuries, thefts, and out-of-control children.  If the facility doesn’t have someone on staff whose job it is to set out the Karate equipment and monitor children who arrive early (where are the parents?), the facility needs to allow at least two or three adult or teen participants to access the storage areas and open the door to the room the class will use.  It is also important for a facility to acknowledge the built-in hierarchy that comes with any Karate program.  Just like in the military, every rank has authority and responsibility over the lower ranks.  If the instructor(s) are stuck in traffic, wrangling the kids is the job of the highest-ranked student even if that student is only twelve years old.  It is also that student’s job to start class and to lead warm-ups.  Even the lowest ranks are capable of calling out basic movements for the class to practice.  Developing leadership, especially among young people, is a wonderful process.  Slapping down restrictions on who can do what because of the fear of a lawsuit sends the wrong message to these young people.  Young people don’t always understand liability – all they see is the facility doesn’t trust them and disapproves of the Karate traditions they’ve been taught.  I realize there are numerous liability issues involved in all this, but what it boils down to is does the facility trust its Karate participants or does it not?

A facility hosting a Karate program needs to be aware of many things.  Karate doesn’t fit into the standard box of most activities.  Creating time and space for students to excel will result in long-term commitment, i.e. a steady, long-term source of income for the facility that will last longer than the latest fad (for example, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” or “Karate cures ADHD”).  Karate teaches respect and leadership, and a host facility would be wise to trust that.  Accordingly, existing policies might have to be revised to accommodate the Karate class.  The impact of new policies on a Karate program need to be taken into consideration before the policies are put into place.  The rewards for all this are many.  Children learn hard work and self discipline – such people are always a blessing for the community at large.  Students commit to years of practice and excellence.  And who knows?  If Karate becomes part of the Olympics, the next world champion could very well be in your rec center.  Are you going to stifle that child’s Karate program, or are you going to help her instructor nurture her talents?