3 Keys to Creativity

"Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere." - Albert Einstein

We all have imagination, but sometimes it's hard for us to get our creative mojo working when we want it to. 

Here are some of the ways I kick my imagination into gear. 

1) Music 

For me music has always been my greatest source of inspiration. I barely get anything done without something playing in the background.

My favourite pieces to listen to include: 

Beethoven's 9th Symphony

Queen's Don't Stop Me Now

Van Morrison and Michael Buble's Real Real Gone 

2) A Drink 

Studies show drinking alcohol increases creativity. 

Concentrating too much can impede your ability to think imaginatively. Alcohol relaxes you and as a result boosts original thinking.  

3) Pen to Page

When trying to inspire ideas, I believe its important to let them grow naturally. 

I prefer a blank page. I don't like lines; they disrupt the creative process. Their rigidness traps me. 

I listen to the music, sip my drink and let my stream of consciousness float me towards inspiration.

With that said, sometimes the best way to accomplish that "Eureka!" moment is to step away from what your working on and do something completely different: watch a movie, go for a walk, work out. 

The key to creativity is to enjoy the process. Nothing is fun when it becomes work. 

Relax, experiment and have fun. 

Why Do We Practice Zen Meditation in Western Dojo?

Surprisingly, there is a connection between martial arts and Buddhism, specifically the Zen tradition. In the following it will show the historical connection lying between these two seemingly oppositional practices, through understanding the use of zazen, sitting meditation, within the dojo, martial arts training hall, and martial arts as a form of meditation in itself, specifically in relation to Japanese training systems. To begin, Zen meditative practice will be outlined, so it may be contrasted to martial arts later in the text. After this, the purpose of meditation will be demonstrated through the meditative states of mushin, isshin and zanshin. From here, examples of Zen mediation within Japanese budo literature, such as Hagakure and The Unfettered Mind, during the 15^th to 16^th century will be shown. Next, the influence of Samurai Zen practice in Japanese martial arts due to the Meiji Period will be acknowledged, then potential reasons why Buddhism, zazen and its meditative states continued to be practiced in modern Western dojo.

Image source:http://galleryhip.com/zen-buddhist-art.html

First, the practice and purpose of Zen meditation will be outlined, so it may be compared to Japanese martial arts practices.  The meditative exercise for “students begins by regulating their breathing”, which can be done “lying down”, “kneeling (seiza)”, or standing (Friday 158). At the same time “correct breathing, called abdominal or tanden breathing” is accomplished by “inhaling deeply, flexing the diaphragm...drawing the breath into the seika tanden (centred on a point located about five centimetres below and three centimetres to the interior of the navel)” (Friday 158). The meditative practice is correctly done by “collecting the breath in the abdomen, then releasing it slowly and rhythmically” through the nose and out the mouth (Friday 158).  Here, meditation is described as a breathing method and demonstrates that one needs to focus on how one breaths in order to do this successfully.  Also, meditation in this case is not limited to a single position, but can be done in seiza, a formal sitting position, lying down or in a standing position. The first form of meditation that will be looked at is zazen, sitting meditation because it applies to preparation for martial arts training in the dojo.

            Next, the purpose of the practice of zazen will be described.  One explanation of the purpose and practice of zazen in relation to martial arts is demonstrated in the text Meditation and the Martial Arts.  The text says “for the Zen warrior... desire is the only enemy” because “from desire springs both fear and hatred, the true sources of any conflict” (Raposa 80). In this passage, desire is the only true enemy for the warrior, in addition to all human kind, because this is where fear and hatred, two main concerns of the fighting arts, stem from. After this, the text goes on to say “the principal strategy for defeating this enemy is persistence in zazen” (Raposa 80).   Here, the basic meditative exercise of zazen is deemed one of the main ways in which to overcome the hindrances of desire.  Accordingly, the purpose of zazen “is not the cultivation of some experience or condition separate from the discipline itself: the purpose of zazen is zazen” (Raposa 80). In this case, the purpose of zazen is to practice zazen and as a consequence of this “one can transform the self in such a way that this manner of sitting, breathing, and paying attention is rendered thoroughly dispositional” (Raposa 80).  In other words, only through practicing meditation for its own sake, not for enlightenment or to reach a meditative state, will one paradoxically achieve enlightenment or a meditative state.

Hence, the practice of zazen is also its goal, consequently leading to meditative states useful in martial arts. Here, the meditative states utilized in zazen as a meditative exercise in the Zen Buddhist tradition will be shown. One purpose of zazen is to reach “a state of ‘no mind, no thought’ (munen muso)”, which can also be understood as ‘mushin’ (Friday 155). Another, aspect of Zen meditation is isshin, which is translated as ‘one mind’, an act of complete, undoubted concentration on a single thing (Raposa 78). In addition there is a mental state known as zanshin, or ‘remaining mind’, which denotes a type of awareness, that is “a manifestation of mushin: watchful, waiting and unattached” (Raposa 78). From here, the meditative states of mushin, isshin and zanshin and their purpose will be explained within Zen Buddhism.

Image Source: http://aikido-dojo.org/the-dojo/faqs-of-new-students/

First, the term mushin “is formed by two characters in the Japanese signifying the concept of ‘no’ or ‘nothing’ (mu) combined with the idea of ‘mind’ or ‘spirit’(shin)” (Raposa 75).  When practicing zazen with the attempt to accomplish mushin, one must stay within the present moment, demonstrating detachment of the present, permitting it to pass by, not grasping to future or past; in this sense “every moment is dying” because “the self is real only in the present moment” for when that “moment is experienced the self that then existed is no more” (Raposa 79). Hence, by practicing zazen, one accomplishes detachment of self and fleeting experience, which is an important virtue in Buddhist practice.

The second term mentioned earlier, isshin, is a significant aspect of Buddhist meditation as it demonstrates focus on a single objective. It is by using the single point of focus that one can accomplish mushin because it is only when one puts their whole self into an action, for example zazen, that he or she can extinguish their desire. Another way of looking at isshin is as the full experience of each moment that passes.   This element is important because “to live fully in each moment but cling to none of them is the essence of freedom, a freedom from desire and the suffering it brings” (Raposa 79). In short, isshin is to encompass all of ones being into a single moment and once that moment has past to release it.

In contrast to isshin there is zanshin, which as mentioned earlier can be described as awareness. The purpose of this mental state is to remain conscious of ones psychological, physical and spiritual situation whilst practicing zazen. In other words, one does not allow themselves to be distracted by a single moment, but to acknowledge each element of their conscious being. In doing this, one can maintain detachment and thus stay calm in any given situation.

 Thus, the Zen meditative practice of zazen is significant as it promotes detachment from the self, via the three meditative states of mushin, isshin and zanshin. Also, it is through these states that one can realize calmness, focus and awareness, useful virtues when facing death like the Samurai would have. According to William Scott Wilson, the translator of The Unfettered Mind and Hagakure, Zen’s denunciation of life as a special form of desire “had much to offer the warrior” (Wilson 19).  Hence, “meditation is one of the practices in which martial artists engage in order to prepare for combat” (Raposa 2). From here, the meditative states of mushin, isshin and zanshin will be exemplified in literature written by swordsman of the 15th and 16^th century, in terms of its usefulness within martial arts.

Image Source: http://www.thedojousa.com/iaido/

 The two texts that shall be looked at in terms of it martial understanding of Zen Buddhism is Hagakure by Yamamoto Tsunetomo, a retired Samurai and Buddhist priest of  the 1700’s, and the Unfettered Mind by Takuan Soho, a Zen master and swordsmen of the 1600’s. In one part of Hagakure, it reads:

Meditation on inevitable death should be performed daily. Every day when one’s body and mind are at peace, one should meditate upon being ripped apart by arrows, rifles, spears, and swords, being carried away by surging waves... or committing seppuku at the death of one’s master. And every day without fail one should consider himself dead.

(Tsunetomo 72)

In this aspect of the text, meditation is deemed a way of desensitizing oneself to the horrors of war. Also, by facing the fear of battle within one’s mind a Samurai is able to come to terms with their death caused by others, or even through ritualistic suicide ‘seppuku’. With that said, in this passage it exemplifies an extraordinary amount of detachment on the part of the Samurai, as he should “consider himself dead”, as he meditates. The act of meditating on ones death can be considered a form of one point of concentration within the meditative process, to create detachment from the desire to live or die. In accordance with this text, this must have been a significant ritual to follow as Tsunetomo believes it should be practiced every day in preparation for battle as to die within battle was the greatest honour for the Samurai.

            Another example of meditation can be seen in Soho’s text, particularly the meditative state of isshin. In the text it says “when killing, [the warrior] kills with complete concentration; when giving life, he gives with complete concentration’ means that in either giving life or taking life, he does with freedom in a meditative state that is total absorption” (Soho 82).  Here, the “total absorption” Soho refers to is one point concentration.  In this context, the passage emphasis’ complete commitment to whatever one does, whether taking a life or giving life, Samurai should be completely absorbed in it.  The text goes on to say “the meditator becomes one with the object of meditation” (Soho 82).  It is through this form of meditation that the Samurai can become one with the opponent, helping to perceive the opponents reaction. The idea of being absorbed by the target can be further explained by looking at archery.  One can see the relationship between battle and Zen because “the warrior expands the target and places himself within it before releasing the arrow” and it is because of this “there is no place that is not the target, the arrow or missile cannot miss its mark” (Friday 156). The example of archery is exactly the same as Soho’s passage, as it is only by being completely absorbed or practicing isshin, that one can precisely hit the target, whether with sword or arrow, as if the individual wielding the weapon is a part of the target, one cannot fail. Hence, isshin helps to insure accuracy within battle, at least according to these Japanese Medieval texts.

Image Source: https://www.pinterest.com/areshuan/kyudo/

            Another meditative state mentioned is mushin, as depicted in continuity with the Buddhist ideal of emptiness in Hagakure.  In the text Tsunetomo speaks of a priest who invoked the ideas of no mind, he says “what is called ‘no mind’ is a mind that is pure and lack complication” (Tsunetomo 30).  The idea of no mind is then compared to the way of the Samurai when he quotes one of his Lords “in the midsts of a single breath, where perversity cannot be held, is the Way” (Tsunetomo 30). Hence, if the mind ‘lacks complication’ with mushin, it cannot hold any meaningless thoughts and this according to Tsunetomo is ‘the Way’ of the Samurai.

 Furthermore, the meditative state mushin is also promoted in Takuan Soho’s text. In the text it reads “for the striking sword, there is no mind. For myself who is about to be struck, there is no mind. The attacker is Emptiness. His sword is Emptiness. I, who am about to be struck, am Emptiness” (Soho 37).  At this point, the passage suggests that it does not matter if one is on offence or defence, there should be mushin, ‘no mind’ because everything is emptiness.  In other words, the mind should not be detained by any given moment during a dual, such as the sword, the person wielding the sword or ones eventual death, as all things are subject to dissipation, as implied by the word ‘emptiness’.  The idea of emptiness that is achieved through mushin then allows the warrior to walk into combat without fear, making it a highly useful mental training tool.

An additional example of meditative states in budo literature can be seen through zanshin, especially with The Unfettered Mind. In this part of the text, Takuan Soho explains where the mind should be in order to be prepared for combat; “If the mind moves about the entire body, when the hand is called into action, one should use the mind that is in the hand. When the foot is called in to action, one should use the mind that is in the foot” (Soho 31). Hence, the mind should not be in any single point, but ready to be used at any given moment. It goes on to say “but if you determine one place in which to put [your mind], then when you try and draw it out of that place, there it will stay. It will be without function” (Soho 31-32). At this point it explains if one is determined to use one part of the body before one can know it is necessary, one will not be able to defend oneself and be without functionality. It is for this reason Soho suggests the mind should be “put nowhere”, so it “will be everywhere” (Soho 32).  Thus, zanshin is emphasised in this passage, as it suggests to be functional in terms of battle one must let the mind flow freely, in order to stay aware and ready.    

            Consequently, it can be seen there is a significant role of Zen meditation within Japanese martial arts literature during the 15^th-16^th century. However, the meditative states exemplified within the literature was not just due to the practice of zazen, but the transition from sitting meditation to “moving meditation” in terms of “the physical exercises that constitute much of the discipline of the martial arts” (Raposa 2).   In other words, one can achieve the meditative states of mushin, isshin and zanshin via martial arts, as demonstrated in Takuan Soho and Yamamoto Tsunetomo’s understanding of martial arts as Swordsmen and Zen practitioners.

            As a result of the Japanese cultural writings such as Hagakure and The Unfettered Mind the virtues demonstrated in part via Zen meditation became a part of Japanese nationalist identity.  In the Meiji Era of Japan, there was change from feudalism to democracy and the Samurai class faded away (McCarthy 52). Yet, there was a fear that foreign influence would dismantle the national identity of Japan, hence it encouraged modern Japan to “perpetrate old traditions” such as “feudal-based ideologies” whilst instilling the “development of many new social pastimes” like “bugei (martial arts)” and “became an instrumental force in shaping modern Japanese history” (McCarthy 52).  Hence, martial arts as recreation began to take on “spiritual convictions” based on budo culture of feudal Japan, which can be seen in modern day martial arts such as Kendo, Judo and Karate-do (McCarthy 52). It is due to the influence of budo culture, that martial arts dojo acquired the ritual of spiritual elements such as practicing zazen before and after every class, even in the West.  

            Subsequently, one must wonder why dojo around the world have acquired and maintain the religious practice of Zen meditation. One reason that Zen meditation is still encouraged is due to tradition. Another reason meditation is still practiced is because in some cases, the combative nature of martial arts no longer needs to be consider, hence spiritual and psychological improvement is emphasised. Thirdly, the reason meditation is still maintained is because it improves one’s ability to defend themselves.

            In relation to tradition it can be noted that the term dojo has its own religious significance. The word can be separated into two Japanese terms, do meaning ‘the way’ and jo meaning ‘place’, thus meaning ‘the place of the way’. It is important to note “the term dojo originally meant a place where religious instruction was conducted; only later was its use extended to other forms of training”, but in either case “in all forms of practice, not simply the martial arts, dojo took on a semi sacred character” (Cameron 179).  At first, ‘the way’ referred to the way of the Buddha, as it was the place of religious instruction, then as it transitioned it became a place for the way of the Samurai, then the way of Karate as this martial art adopted Japanese budo philosophy. Accordingly, the word dojo from a traditional perspective always had a spiritual significance, which was maintained as Karate, as well as other Japanese martial arts, were being practiced during the Meiji restoration. Not only this, but according to Taisen Deshimaru a Kendo instructor and Zen priest of the 20^th century, “the martial arts traditionally were and ought to be spiritual” (Cameron 4). Here, the “tradition” Deshimaru invokes, is the idea mentioned earlier of spirituality found in Samurai literature.

            To continue, another reason Zen meditation is continued within the modern day dojo is because some feel the need for a higher purpose outside learning combat. In one text it suggest “many practitioners of martial art, largely freed from the burden of combat, urged a higher purpose for their inner activities” which included “to discover ones innermost secrets, develop a heightened degree of mental awareness, and even achieve enlightenment” (Cameron 70).   The transformation of martial arts into a spiritual conquest, as mentioned before was due to the transition of Japanese culture during the late 1800’s. Once the feudal era departed, many warriors were no longer needed to fight because, as was the tradition, many warriors chose a life of Priesthood, like Tsunetomo for example, and saw their martial arts practice as a way to reach enlightenment.

            Furthermore, Zen is still maintained within the martial arts because it aids in students ability to defend themselves.   As shown earlier, aspects of Zen meditation promoted a Samurai’s ability to overcome anxiety during battle and to become a better warrior. The ability to overcome fear in the face of conflict is arguably still useful when practicing martial arts today because “unlike an athlete”, a martial artist “cannot afford slumps, or days off, or even off moments. He cannot allow his performance to be compromised by fear, excitement, fatigue or even by illness, injury or intoxication” (Friday 151).  For practitioner of self-defence, one does not know when he or she will be attacked, hence one must have “the ability to perform at one’s peak at any time in any place, and under any circumstances” (Friday 152).  Therefore, the martial artist must reach a type of self-perfection, not necessary in other type of extracurricular activities, because one must be spontaneously functional at any instance.

            At the same time, it is self perfection where meditation helps a martial artist to become increasingly lethal.  It is through meditation a martial artist “eliminates any perception of separation between body, mind and spirit”, which emulates the goals of Buddhism, such as “enlightenment and transcendence of worldly cares”, yet the bugei seek this “for an independent reason: to achieve proficiency in combat” (Friday 152, 156).  Consequently, by shredding the separation of body, mind and spirit that students of combat can escape from worldly desires, but he or she does not just for spiritual benefits, but to become a better fighter as well.  Hence, many practitioners of Japanese martial arts, like Karate-do, Kendo and Judo, believe “a martial art is an active form of Zen meditation; it should be a vehicle to transcend self” and not just “a means to defeat others” (Cameron 82).  Here, martial arts are explained as a form of Zen meditation and is useful to overcome the self in addition to opponents in combat. It is by engaging in martial arts for its own sake that it becomes a form of meditation similar to that of zazen as “all life’s practices should be transformed into zazen, so that it does eventually come to represent a way of being” (Raposa 82).  As a result, martial arts can achieve the same meditative states of zazen, like mushin, isshin and zanshin. Also, the pursuit of self-perfection as a psychological, physical, and spiritual being encourages one to seek excellence in their every action. Specifically for the martial artist, perfection in ones technical skill, thus increasing ones efficiency in combat.

            Even though the meditative elements of martial arts can promote ones accuracy, one must be aware of the excessively stressed relational elements in Western modes of understanding meditation and martial arts.   It has been noted “the religious elements, especially Zen Buddhist elements, can be overstressed in both swordsmanship and archery”, as well as other Asian combative art forms (Cameron 198).  At the same time, “although Zen influenced the manner in which once deadly combat techniques were transformed into vehicles for self protection and competition, there has been, especially in the United States, a tendency to read far more religiousity into the activity than facts permit” (Cameron 198). The passage here, suggests that in the West there has been a greater emphasis on the spiritual aspect of Japanese martial arts, than there might in fact have been in its original context. In the text Clouds in the West by Dave Lowry, a martial arts writer and practitioner, one can see the reasons for spiritual exaggerations.  In Dave Lowry’s book he says the east Asian martial arts “were attractive” due to the fact that they were “more exotic” (Lowry 166).  In the text Lowry cites one example, writing “in the fifties, Judo was utterly exotic. Outside of some Japanese-American enclaves it was little known and less practiced and taught” (Lowry 166).  Here, the text suggests that Japanese martial arts were deemed “attractive” because they were foreign and mysterious. Not only this, but along with Japanese martial art’s attractive exoticism came infused romanticism.   According to Lowry, “popular novels and movies have glamorized ‘Samurai Swordsmanship,’” and through national association, other Japanese martial arts. Thus failing “by a lack of reliable information” to place “these art in realistic historical context” leaving “a gap that romantics have been free to fill in with their own notions of chivalry, derring-do” and in the case exemplified thus far, spirituality (Lowry 167).  With that said, even though the spiritual aspect of martial arts in the West may be over-emphasised, one cannot argue against the connection between Japanese martial arts and meditation, the fact is the connection does lie there.  

Image Source: http://rookerville.com/2013/10/17/retroactive-review-last-samurai/

In conclusion, Zen meditation demonstrates a significant influence within Japanese martial arts.  The connection between meditation, specifically zazen, and martial arts first lies in the meditative states of mushin, isshin and zanshin because it is these states ordinarily reached in zazen, that can also be accomplished in martial arts practice. The connection can be seen via Japanese budo literature from the 16^th century with The Unfettered Mind and the 17^th century with Hagakure, which demonstrate the usefulness of meditation when facing battle.  Also, these Japanese budo texts, influenced the development of martial arts as a spiritual conquest during the Meiji period, allowing Japanese martial arts such as Karate-do, Kendo and Judo to be viewed not just as a way of combat, but a way of self-perfection, physically, mentally and spiritually, even within the West. However, one must keep in mind the over emphasised elements of spirituality in the West, even so, the link between martial arts and meditation can certainly be seen from a historical perspective.

Work Cited

Friday, Karl F., Seki Humitake. Legacies of the Sword: The Kashimashinryu and Samurai Martial Culture. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1997.

Hurst III, G. Cameron. Armed Martial Arts of Japan: Swordsmanship and Archery. London: Yale University Press, 1998.

Lowry, Dave. Clouds In The West: Lessons from the Martial Arts of Japan. Connecticut: The Lyons Press, 2004.

McCarthy, Patrick. “History and Philosophy”. The Bible of Karate: Bubishi. Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing, 1995. p. 23-57.

Raposa, Michael L. Mediation and the Martial arts. Charlottesville, Va.: University of Virginia Press. 2003.

Takuan, Soho. The Unfettered Mind: Writings of the Zen Master to the Sword Master.   Translated by William Scott Wilson.   Tokyo: Kodansha International. 1987

Tsunetomo, Yamamoto. Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai.   Translated by William Scott Wilson.   Tokyo: Kodansha International.  1979.

Wilson, William Scott. “Introduction”. Hagakure The Book of the Samurai.  Tokyo: Kodansha International, 1979. p. 15-23

The Road Less Travelled Is Not Always A Road

“There are many paths to the top of the mountain...”

One night, I had a dream that I slid down a mountain and I was about to fall into the Ocean. Before I hit the water, I caught onto something and started to climb back up. At this point, there were other people around me—most of which were people I loved and respected—and they were climbing faster than me and with bigger loads on their back; some were even carrying other people as they climbed upwards.  I was constantly losing my footing and slipping; I was afraid to fall, anxious to get to the top and frustrated that everyone else was doing better than me.

Then, I noticed a river flowing down the mountain beside me and a long time friend said to me, "Let’s swim up, it's easier that way." He jumped into the river and swam up, reaching the top before anyone else.

I was afraid to follow because the current flowed downwards, but because I trusted him so much, I jumped in anyway and began to swim. I wasn't sure in what style to swim in, because my friend reached the top with front stroke, I tried his way, but I went further down. So I started swimming doggie paddle; still didn't work. Then, I went with breast stroke and found that I reached the top before everyone else. 

Although unorthodox, I realized that by jumping into the river, I didn’t have to be afraid of falling anymore, because one cannot fall while in water. And even though I had to fight the current in the river, it was easier to flow upwards than if I had followed the methods of the people around me and I need not compete with them, because it is only through my own technique that I may reach the top of the mountain.

“.. But there is only one moon to be seen for those who achieve its summit.”- Chinese Proverb

Rolling by the River: A Week with Sensei Paul Lopresti by Josh Stewart

Please pardon my hiatus. I moved to Calgary from Mississauga and found my time spent either looking for work or finding time to eat. Originally, I had intended my next post to be conversations with my Mother. Then, I realized the conversations I have with my mother might be too offensive. Luckily, there are other talented writers and martial artists I can turn to for worthy subject matter. Today is a featured article by Sensei Josh Stewart of the Chonin Kan Karate Club, head Instructor of my home dojo in Mississauga. Josh took the time to train with the recently promoted Renshi Paul Lopresti in New Jersey, in order to have a better understanding of Aiki Kempo Jujitsu. Without further or due I present to you Josh Stewart's "Rolling by the River: A Week with Sensei Paul Lopresti."

During the first week of July in 2014, I had the opportunity to train under Sensei Paul Lopresti (Koryu Uchinadi Kenpo-Jutsu, Aiki Kenpo Jujutsu, Shotokan karate) at his dojo, Lopresti’s Mixed Martial Arts, in Sewell, New Jersey. While I’d had the pleasure of training with Sensei Paul previously at a few different seminars and the annual Koryu Uchinadi (KU) Gasshuku, this time proved to be a little different from those previous experiences. I was a guest at his house and his dojo, so this was much more like a week in the life of Sensei Paul. The fact that I was participating in his regular teaching/training regiment meant that I would have to hit the ground running, which proved to be no easy task.

The Schedule:

In the five full days that I stayed with Sensei Paul, I attended five classes, three of which were dedicated more towards Aiki Kenpo Jujutsu (AKJJ) skills, and two of which were oriented more towards KU. The AKJJ classes were two hours each in length. The first hour was dedicated to practicing drills and refining technique, while the second hour was exclusively rolling with a variety of different partners. We finished those classes with five to ten minutes of high intensity core conditioning, which would have been challenging even if we hadn’t already gone live for an hour. The Monday evening class was done with a gi, while the Tuesday and Thursday night classes were no gi.

Wednesday and Friday during lunch hour, we trained for about an hour and a half, primarily in KU curriculum-based drills. These classes were a more intimate environment, with only a few dedicated students in attendance.

Selling Style, Teaching Substance:

I got the impression that Sensei Paul’s classification of styles for his classes was based more on the idea of appealing to particular markets than it was based on the contents of his teachings. The AKJJ/MMA class contained a higher percentage of young and competitive martial artists, whereas others who trained in more mainstream, “traditional” martial arts (including a group who practiced at the same facility) tended to stay away. Conversely, the classes that were labeled as KU attracted students who had trained previously in other traditional karate systems, particularly Shotokan, and were looking to add some teeth to their pre-existing practices.

However, there was a great deal of similarity – not just conceptually, but technically – in what was taught in all the classes, regardless of their stylistic focus. For instance, we started the first KU class with an exercise in using full body pressure to trap an opponent against a wall. While this has immediate self-defense relevance as well, this skill is also often associated with cage fighting practices, and would thus be more commonly found in an MMA class.

Similarly, Sensei Paul showed me some two-person flow drills he had been utilizing which apply Shotokan’s Heian kata – including their unique I-shaped enbusen. This served the dual purpose of introducing his students to KU’s common two-person flow drill learning format, as well as utilizing their background knowledge to help acclimatize them within their new system of learning. If this weren’t enough, Sensei Paul also mentioned that he was working on synthesizing a similar two-person application flow drill for the kata Naihanchi (Tekki Shodan) – but that the entire drill would take place on the ground. These samples demonstrated how well Sensei Paul is able to bridge the gap between stylistic restraints and transcend the cosmetic appearance of techniques to get at the underlying concept that makes it work.

Screwing Around:

Sensei Paul emphasized to me personally several times, above the number of times that he had already told all his students, that understanding the underlying principle is always more important than simply being able to perform a technique correctly. In keeping with KU’s conceptual structure, he also spent a lot of time illustrating how all techniques utilize the five ancient machines (the lever, wedge, wheel and axel, pulley, and screw). On the ground, we especially looked at how to utilize the concept of the screw to improve our execution of techniques.

Just like the mechanism you put into your wall, Sensei Paul showed us that simply doing a twisting motion was not enough; there also has to be pressure applied into the screw head. In martial arts, this translates to the act of rotating as well. There has to be pressure, typically down, on the opponent’s body as you rotate. The concept of rotating one way to release pressure (loosening the screw) and rotating the other way to increase pressure (tighten the screw) was also employed in looking at how to most effectively apply sankaku jime (the triangle choke) and escaping an americana armlock when your opponent is in side control. Illustrating these how these concepts apply made the execution of a lot of these techniques much more effective when it came to rolling.

Of course, there was also an adequate amount of humour attached to this. Our instructions at one point were, “You have to screw your partner. Then he’ll be screwed.”

Making It Work:

In addition to giving us technical advice and illustrating the principles on which that advice was based, we also had lots of time and opportunity to work what we studied against resistant partners. Against the wall, we were fighting back against each other at full resistance within the first minute of class. On the ground, with a full hour of rolling, we eventually ended up facing most of the situations that we had drilled earlier.

From the first moment, you had to find a way to make it work. Of course, this also meant that it inevitably wouldn’t work as designed or planned, and you had to find a way to make Plan B work for you instead. This is not any kind of flaw in the technique itself, but rather the individual’s application of it. In case you needed reminding of this, the more senior students demonstrated the correct execution of those techniques very effectively, i.e. painfully. This reminded you that there is nothing wrong with the technique itself.

In addition, Sensei Paul also rolled with the students for the whole duration of the allotted time, giving everyone, no matter how senior or junior (including a couple students who came for the very first day) the chance to test their skills against his. His thinking is that improvement in unlikely to occur unless the students are pushed to (or perhaps past) their limits. If they can hold their own with him, they should be able to do fine in grappling competitions or cage fights. So far, that has proven to be the case.

Pathways – All Roads Lead to Victory

The ability to flow is one of the most vital aspects to any effective method of self-defense, but it seems to be one that many learners – myself definitely included – find difficulty to achieve, especially on the ground. Sensei Paul was quite adamant that there was no way that his trainees should lose. His thinking on this point was simple: “If A happens, you should win. If B happens, you should still win. If C happens . . .”, etc.

This approach is premised largely on knowing how the opponent will counter particular techniques and how to prevent those counters from being effective. However, that is still not enough; if the counter is effective and you lose the technique you were attempting, you also have to be able to recognize that immediately and identify what other techniques would be effective in that position. Again, if you know the counter that’s coming, you should also know the opportunities that the counter leaves.

This was most evident the night that we worked on what’s called in AKJJ fushiogamu hotoke (kneeling to worship the Buddha) or, in its BJJ terminology, the omo plata. We began by looking at the correct entrance into the technique from a guard, which included how to pull the arms down, where to trap the arm, how to push the face, how to control the hips in transition and how to flatten the opponent out if they maintain some space between themselves and the ground. All of these tidbits made it a lot more difficult for the opponent to counter.

However, if the opponent does manage to counter the initial omo plata attempt, we looked at a number of possibilities to find an alternative pathway to victory. If the opponent attempts to counter by posting up and looking up to the ceiling, you can still throw the other leg over and switch into sankaku jime (triangle choke). If the opponent identifies that, he or she may try to reach across and grab the arm that’s being attacked. In that case, if you switch the direction that the leg is over the head, you have an armbar on the other side already in position.

In addition, the main counter that we experimented with for the omo plata was when the opponent rolled forward to escape. The obvious idea is not to let the opponent roll by controlling their hips as the omo plata is set up. However, we also looked at other failsafe techniques in case the roll occurs. Sensei Paul’s first solution was just to step over into a mount once the person finishes rolling. This may not be the flashiest possibility, but for someone to go from being on their back to being in a mount represents a definite change in advantage.

When the person begins to roll, it’s also possible to hook the near leg (from the crotch towards the feet – otherwise, it is possible that the person will catch you in the omo plata if they’re able to finish rolling) and log roll to the side.

This allows you to take the mount again, or simply to keep the arm trapped and front roll yourself to end up back in the omo plata. This solution bookended the exercise: if you attempt an omo plata that doesn’t work, you counter with an omo plata.

The Point of No Return:

For all of the submissions that we worked, and the corresponding escapes and reversals, Sensei Paul reminded us as well that you eventually reach a point of no return, where the submission or lock is being put on so well that there is no longer any window left through which to escape. This idea only reinforces the idea that being able to identify and react to situations immediately is vital to effective execution; hence, all the spontaneous practice that we did to develop those instincts.

I found myself being taken to that point of no return many, many times during our training sessions, which reminded me of why I decided to make the trip in the first place: it’s being taken to a place outside of your comfort zone that the opportunity for learning occurs. Being open to going to the point of no return is a skill unto itself, and a difficult one to maintain as we become more practiced at the martial arts. Often we get caught up in what we are supposed to know and ignore or forget what we are supposed to learn. This trip was a nice reminder for me not to do that.

Whether it was application-based practices for the Heian kata or different entries into the omo plata, Sensei Paul’s strength is his ability to move seamlessly between techniques of all kinds and apply the immutable principles of correct execution to all of them. He was very encouraging and positive throughout the process, and very direct about what needed to be done, which is a quality that I value as a student; there is no ambiguity to his teaching. Having worked with Sensei Paul previously, this experience differed in many ways, but the value of his instruction was every bit equal to those other experiences.

The Web Master: Spinning Concepts with Sensei Paul Lopresti

            With the increasing popularity of mixed martial arts and Brazillian ju jitsu (BJJ), thanks to the popularity of UFC and other televised tournament fighting, the average karate practitioner can no longer assume their attacker to be ignorant to fighting techniques. The average sports fanatic with some athletic ability will have the functional knowledge to apply an arm bar, choke or double leg throw without ever setting foot in a dojo by simply getting a little surly with their friends and typing in: “how to do a arm bar” into YouTube and applying techniques; something our karate forefathers never had the opportunity to do or deal with. I make this point in order to address the common idea that the majority of the karate practitioners rarely practice going to the ground—not  just a common theme in the popular fighting arts today, but a common theme in fighting, period! Now, more than ever, knowledge of ground technique is rather essential to the self-defence repertoire since being dragged to the ground is a common situation to find oneself. At Sensei Paul Lopresti’s Aiki Kenpo Jujitsu (AKJJ) seminar in Georgetown, Ontario—hosted by Sensei Helen and Sensei Brian Sakamoto—we addressed different situations and ways of transitioning to submissions on the ground. Sensei Paul is not only a fantastic grappler with a 5^th Dan in AKJJ, an MMA Coach, and a Shidoin in Koryu Uchinadi, he also has a keen understanding of Shoto Kan kata, as it was the style he originally started at seven-years-old.  Throughout the seminar, Sensei Paul spun connections between the body mechanics of techniques we would do while standing, like within a kata, and applied these same movements to the ground, opening the group’s eyes to what I have come to call the “Web”: an interconnection of solo movements to their applications and the free flow of seamlessly connecting one application to the next.  Using the idea of the web in connection with biomechanics, I will explore how striking and ne-waza come together within this seminar with particular attention to the bottom position.  

            Coming from a Shoto Kan background myself, I find one of the most hated stances is kokutsu dachi (back stance). On many occasions I remember having to sit in my kokutsu dachi for extended periods of time; legs burning, knee’s shaking—and not in the cute Sensei-just-told-me-I’m-awesome kind of way. Not only is it extremely uncomfortable, but it is extremely impractical in its usual application. However, Sensei Paul revealed the back stance’s true colours. A simple grappling exercise starting from the knee on belly position; in this position while facing the opponent, your closest knee cuts across the opponent’s hips, with minimal weight on your foot. The other foot is in line with the opponents head, but not directly beside it. Through the following visual one can see the physical similarity between the formally known kokutsu dachi and the knee on belly position.

Photo from http://shotokankarate-magpie.blogspot.ca
/2009/11/stances-launching-pads-or-landing-gears.html

Photo from http://thejiujitsulab.wordpress.com
/2011/06/26/knee-on-belly-%E2%80%93-part-i-chokes/

All the weight is positioned on the back leg, the heels are lined up in the “L” position, while the other leg is out for support. In Shoto Kan, kokutsu is usually practiced for the sake of making the leg stronger or when one gets pushed back, but just like the spider spits its web, it reaches much further than we imagine when the same mechanical position is applied to grappling.  If the opponent were to struggle against this position one would notice the stance of the top person would obviously change to maintain the knee on the opponent’s belly. The position then changes, shifting between front stance and back stance to adapt to the opponents movements. Hence, both classical Shoto Kan stances, usually annoying and impractical whilst learning kata, have a far more extensive application, than creating power for oi-tsuki and stepping back to evade an individual’s attack.

            Another standing technique found in karate and other striking arts is the hiza geri (knee). If someone is properly executing a hiza geri with all their body weight moving into the technique with the hips driving forward, one can very much see the similar body mechanics of the hips with shiko-walk (See example by Sensei Avi Nardia here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koI2gb8asZY). The shiko-walk is a common solo grappling technique used in the application of a double leg take down or passing the guard. An example of an application for the solo-knee is the knee cutter pass to gesa-gatami, in which you press your knee onto the inside of the opponent’s thigh to get passed the guard (please refer here at 2:42 for example of knee cutter pass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6OXHhvKaSA). 

With that said, Sensei Paul spun further applications of hiza-geri through his presentation of a ground drill of his own creation, completely committed to the bottom position called Ura Ne-Waza. Based on my understanding, the creation of the drill was a type of critique against common grappling practice’s, mainly because most BJJ clubs teach grappling initially from a superior position of being on the top and very rarely address ways of being successful while on ones’ back. Ura ne-waza was inspired by one of Sensei Paul’s female students, who constantly found herself on her back against bigger opponents; the type of opponent a woman is most likely to find herself against. With ura ne- waza, one can protect themselves against larger opponents using various holds and restraining techniques, as well as ways of entering submissions from their back, which includes kimura, guillotine and ude gatami  to name a few.  

Here we see Ray Scott applying the knee in guard
position with Sensei Josh Stewart

One position in the drill called "knee in guard", which uses the exact same body mechanics of a standing knee strike or shiko-walk. In this position, you stick to the opponent’s upper body by under hooking the right arm with your left arm, grabbing the opponents left wrist with your right hand and pressing your right knee into the crevice of the elbow and bracing the bottom of the right foot on the left side of the opponent’s hip. In doing the "knee in guard" position, you prevent the opponent from attempting a series of punches towards the head, while simultaneously acts as a potential transition into a multitude of submissions, such as omo-plata or the kimura. Through these controlling positions found in Sensei Paul’s ura ne-waza­ I learned, as the opponent struggles against the position, much like the prey within the web, you have a better sense of where they will turn next and can, with functional spontaneity, capitalize on their position.

 Not only are the body mechanics of a knee seen in ground work, but through our hip rotation, as well. The hip rotation used to generate power in all striking techniques and strongly emphasised in Koryu Uchinadi Kenpo Jutsu (See example of a kata here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0lKLQVBX2E) can also be used to create space to escape holds and to transition into other submissions. For example, in order to transition to the guard when someone is in the mount, explosive hip movement is paramount to accomplishing a hip escape, and that movement is very much the same as expanding into any striking technique standing. The feet are planted on the floor, as the arms push the opponent’s knee out while the force of one side of the hip drives forward and other side retracts back, just like a gyaku-tsuki.

 Furthermore, the strength of hip and core rotation is a necessity for all transitional movements.  Transitioning is the ability to gracefully interweave a series of movement that make up the web of fighting, meaning it is the point at which you move into your arm bar or your kimura from the guard that determines ones success, because with movement comes the potential for space, and with space comes the potential for the opponents escape or defence. Space in grappling, like in Star Trek, is “the final frontier” because knowing how to create it and limit it is fundamental, as I learned while going through Sensei Paul’s arm bar and kimura series. In the arm bar and kimura sets, Sensei Paul taught several different ways of getting into these techniques, in doing so, we learned to recognize very specific situations that could be used to transition from the guard to our desired submission. When we are given several different options from a single position, this is only where the web starts. As we move from the guard to our submission, we integrated a hip swivel like a spider winding down its web, demanding us to rotate our hips just like in our usual standing practice. 

Cassandra Langdon applies kimura on Tina Langdon

Sensei Anthony Woodward applies arm 
bar after moving from guard position

Throughout the seminar, Sensei Paul not only demonstrated his understanding of the body mechanics of ground techniques, but also demonstrated his ability as a teacher and coach. Sensei Paul taught individuals of varying backgrounds, such as BJJ, wrestling and karate, and explained techniques in a way that could be understood by individuals of any martial arts background. He is both patient and highly intellectual in his approach to teaching a group or an individual. I feel one learned the most from Sensei Paul in one of two ways, the first is through rolling. At the end of the seminar we were given the opportunity to experiment with the variety of different techniques we had learned throughout the seminar via two minute grappling sessions with our colleagues. Something under-represented in most karate practice is realistic “practice.” While rolling we were told to go at different intensity levels, for example 60 per cent, so everyone could practice in a safe and fun manner. The other and most simplistic way in order to gain the knowledge of a teacher is to ask questions. In Sensei Paul’s seminar, he says he always gives everyone the opportunity to ask questions about their experiences, and what worked for them or didn’t work for them in the past and in the rolling session. In this way, Sensei Paul can tweak the techniques taught to fit the individual style, strength and size of the student. 

Although, most karate practitioners do not pursue ground techniques, their standing technical knowledge maintain the same body mechanics of ground techniques. The connective thread between standing and ground techniques are demonstrated through kokutsu dachi and knee on belly position, knee strike in comparison to both shiko-walk and “knee in guard”, in addition to the hip rotation while doing a hip escape from the mount or transitioning to an arm bar from the guard. The body, of course, can only move is so many ways, it should be expected how we generate power standing and evading others can be applied the same on the ground. Despite the fact common sense dictates principles of body mechanics and physics are applicable no matter the position one is in, standing, ground or otherwise, many karate practitioners continue to turn a blind eye to the importance of ground work and grappling. The concepts found in our standing repertoire cannot be completely understood unless both teachers and students experiment and play with the preconceived notions of what is karate: a form of self-defence. To claim the art as self-defence and not address all the Habitual Acts of Physical Violence allows ignorant individuals to be caught in their own web. Hence, all martial artists must explore the concepts found in their systems with a critical gaze in order to completely comprehend the web we weave.


For more information on AKJJ, Sensei Paul Lopresti, please visit: 
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What you can look forward to next: Conversations With My Mother