Today’s class was easy on our poor overworked muscles as there was no warm-ups (other than what we did on our own before the class) and no push-ups, or anything else. Right from the start it was all action. We learned Shiro Matsu No Kon. Shiro Matsu is the name of the person who created the kata back in the umpteenth century. No Kon mean it is a Bo kata. It means “The Bo kata of Shiro Matsu” or something like that. The Bo is a wooden staff similar to a broomstick but thicker and stronger at about an inch and a half in diameter. Mine, and most people’s are about 6 feet long. It was part of an array of weaponry made from seemingly harmless everyday items or farming tools used by the people of Okinawa. They were not allowed to possess anything that looked like a weapon so they learned to use their tools as weapons to defend themselves. The Bo is like what Little John of Robin Hood fame used as a weapon.
In our style, the weapon (any weapon) never leaves the hands for even one second. In the movies (and in some martial arts displays and tournaments) they make it look really pretty, tossing it into the air and spinning it around and generally wasting time, energy, and control in favor of a Hollywood style of display. This doesn’t work in the real world.
So we learned some good things during this session. In the second half, we learned a new karate kata, a black belt kata that we were privileged to learn from the Shihan himself. It is called Chin Pa and although very simple, incorporates a lot of nuances that I certainly can’t get a grip on yet. But I do know the basic steps, and who knows, in a few years I might even be able to perform it well.
I hope we get to train with the Shihan again. But even if we don’t, at least we have many other talented Sensei. The Shihan did say that Okinawan weapons was a dying art because many styles, even in Japan, have dropped it in favor of sports karate. He said that Ireland was a strong center of Kobudo and that he wanted to make Alberta another strong center because we have here in Alberta more than a few who have graded to kobudo. I am skipping the details as to who and how because I don’t know them well enough to put into writing.
Next karate is back in Devon on Tuesday. OK I am so tired I am getting punchy so bye for now…