In 1983 the Okinawan Goju-Ryu group finally merged with Goju Kai in mainland Japan and this was a historically significant event. Gogen Yamaguchi Hanshi instructed the entire worldwide Goju Kai to assemble and as many as 15-20 countries sent teams to Japan to convene and celebrate including Australia, USA, Canada, South Africa, England, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Mexico, Italy, Sweden,
All leading Hanshis, Kyoshis and Shihans of the Goju Kai were present. Tino Ceberano Shihan was a leading organisational figure in the Goju Kai at that time, in fact the most senior foreigner, and it was important that only did he take a good team over but put on a top quality demonstration that would capture attention and demonstrate the quality of training from Down Under.
On the night, Tino Shihan has his Victorian team with him, all well trained and rehearsed for their part in the demonstration you’ll see in this video. The team performed their routines in shopping malls for many months beforehand and had to really work to raise funds for the team to make the trip, also managing to obtain sponsors that were displayed on their track suits and smart blue blazers. It was a coordinated seven to eight month preparation.
In the video, the Victorian Goju Kai team is seen performing a medley of kata, simulated combat and bunkai. In the best attempt to identify the group while they perform the kata, we can identify (front row) Garry Fraser, Steve Gunnaridis, Noel Griffith, (next row), Clemente Christophole, Paul Ceberano, Andrew Constandinitis and team captain Brian Curren.
The demonstration was widely applauded and attracted a lot of attention to the Australians. Tino Shihan choreographed the routine and the precision was performed and executed as they had carried out in many hours of practice of throws and break falls. A routine like this must flow and each black belt had to be able to roll, fall and recover without hesitation or injury.
Tino Shihan recalls taking his green belts to the park in Nth Balwyn where they would do break falls over and over, sometimes to the beach and often on the wooden floor. His own Marines training involved learning to land from a twenty foot drop in parachute training when a chute can suddenly fold and let you down very quickly and heavily. The old training regime involved repetition after repetition and making it to an international team meant you’d made the grade.
On May 27th 2017, Matt Kendall a student of the IGK Toowoomba club became the first student to grade in Tino Ceberano Hanshi’s Goju Kalis.
This included being tested on his proficiency in the traditional Goju system as per Hanshi Tino Ceberano’s Goju curriculum, and Hanshi Ceberano’s Kalis (Filpino weapons ).
Being the first at anything is a double-edged sword; while it’s a privilege to be the first it brings with it a certain weight. All of which Matty has taken on board and used to propel his training in the direction of Hanshi’s vision of combining the two disciplines to bring about a devastatingly fluid warrior.
Like all of us who train with Hanshi it is the love of training and training with Hanshi himself that overrides all and any self-doubt and spurs us on to do better.
Remco Spreekenbrink Renshi and I are proud of Matty and what he has achieved. We are also incredibly proud of having the pleasure to be associated with and learn from Chris Clayton Shihan, who has been instrumental in keeping the Kalis system going in the Toowoomba region for the last ten years.
Kata is a set or pattern of pre-determined movements which consists of defensive and offensive techniques, or attacking and blocking techniques, performed in a particular sequence. Each movement and technique in a kata is made up of selected elements suitable to circumstances of real world fighting. In Goju the sanchin kata plays a major role in conditioning and tradition.
History
The basic kata Sanchin has existed a long time, and has developed into many variations. Sanchin is the foundation for all other kata and is generally considered to be the most important kata to master.
The generally accepted history of Sanchin is that the form was brought over from China to Okinawa, where it was integrated into the indigenous art known as Te. It appears to be of Southern Chinese origins (Fujianese) and is the core of several karate styles including Okinawan Goju Ryu. The Okinawans then made changes to the kata as it became part of their training repertoire.
Sanchin is believed to have been brought back from China by Kanryo Higaonna after which it was modified by Chojun Miyagi. It is written that Miyagi took the open hands of the form and closed them to fists. Miyagi then took out the turns in the form his instructor Kanryo Higashionna taught to create another version of the kata. Miyagi also changed the breathing taught to him making it more direct and less circulatory in nature.
New students came to Miyagi and he would often train them for three to five years before introducing them to Sanchin. He would make them train very hard, and many of them quit before learning sanchin. Miyagi’s sanchintraining was very harsh, and students would often leave practice with bruises from him checking their stance.
Throughout his life Gogen Yamaguchi Hanshi spent long periods of time training on Mount Kurama. During these training sessions he would subject himself to the pounding waterfall, under which he practiced Sanchin kata, in order to develop his mind and body.
It has been understood historically that you master karate only if you master this kata. There is also a saying that karate begins with Sanchin and ends with Sanchin, and karate fighters should practice Sanchin every day, three times.
Three Battles – Mind, Body, Spirit
Sanchin translates as “Three Conflicts” or “Three Battles” and is usually interpreted as the battle to unify the mind, body, and spirit. There are many interpretations.
This kata is a sort of moving meditation, whose purpose is to unify the mind, body and spirit. The techniques are performed very slowly so that the student masters precise movements, breathing, stance/posture, internal strength, and stability of both mind and body.
To the classic practitioner of Sanchin kata, none of these perspectives—mind, body, or spirit—excludes the others. It is a challenge to develop all three at the same time. Many Senseis believe that Sanchin represents the true essence of Karate-do, both spiritually and physically and leads to ki (chi) development.
Although Sanchin is a superficially simple drill, performing it correctly requires understanding on many levels. Some say this understanding takes many years of practice if it is ever attained.
“Each conflict can be seen as a dull unpolished stone, that through the practise of Sanchin each stone abrades the rough surface of the other, until three jewels emerge.”
The Mind
Kata Sanchin aims to remove internal chatter to allow the mind to function more efficiently achieving mushin (no-mindedness). Sanchin acts as a strict Zen exercise of breathing and induces calm, awareness and egoless confidence.
It is the discipline of concentration that clears the the countless random thoughts
that constantly distract us. Therefore when studying Sanchin we refrain from internal verbalizing and concentrate on experiencing the feelings instead. This is the state of mushin.
Tino Ceberano Hanshi says that the state of mind has to be mastered before the body movements can be considered.
The Body
Your centre drives all motions. Your centre is a tucked pelvis locked in place by strong abs and hip muscles, supported by spring-like legs, on the balls of your feet keeping you perfectly balanced. The torque, or energy, or impulse you generate in your centre is the soul of any block, strike or joint lock. The real power comes from the centre, with the arms serving mostly as conduits. To serve this function, the lats must lock the shoulders down, and the elbows must be locked down and in.
Constant repetition combined with self awareness corrects poor body alignment and brings control to erratic body mechanics. It restores the bodies natural balance and posture. Natural strength is developed in favour of excessive tension or relaxation.
The body of armour is commonly referred to a ‘Iron Shirt’, and is the effect whereby the body is able to absorb and withstand blows. This is done by developing and utilizing the muscles, bones and tendon throughout the whole body to absorb and dissipate the force, much like a giant shock absorber.
The Spirit
Whether you call it the soul or spirit, it is an abstract concept that the average person may have difficulty relating to. It is often said that the conscious mind and physical body will eventually give up the fight once fatigued, out of breath and running out of puff when in a fight and confronted by fear and aggression.
Your very survival depends on reaching deep down and focusing on your strength of spirit to get your second wind or that last reserve that can make the very difference to your outcome. Until you face that stressful situation of fear, confrontation and battle, you may not know how quickly you can become fatigued from adrenaline, lactic acid build up and the need to exert a lot of energy quickly.
It is the staying power that you must find an depend on that the Sanchin kata is said to help develop by focusing on breathing, muscle contraction, energy flow and quietening the mind.
Stance & Posture
Sanchin uses the sanchin dachi or the sanchin stance named for the kata. Practice of Sanchin seeks to develop the muscles and bones of the body to help the practitioner withstand blows from an opponent, while drilling the basic mechanics of a strike that depends on a stable base.
Karate posture is created by the Sanchin kata. It is important to have a stable posture when fighting. A practitioner has to be able to stand firm when attacked, and be ready to attack back.
The beginning of a correct technique is correct posture, which is to straighten the spine, pull in the chin, and tilt pelvis up. This posture will enable you to receive blows from any angle.
The width between the feet should be the width of your hips. Your toes should be gripping the floor by spreading the toes as far as possible and grip the floor like the roots of the tree.
The front foot should be turned inward, and the knees must be bent directly over the toes. The knees, as in all stances, must be pointing in the same direction as the toes.
The only stance used in Sanchin is Sanchin-dachi. When in Sanchin-dachi, the shoulders must not be lifted, the spine must be straight, your chest must be open and your stomach muscles must be tightened. Your chin must be drawn slightly towards your chest, this enables the wind pipe to be most effective when inhaling and exhaling.
The gluteus maximus (buttocks) muscles must also be tightened, but do not make too much of the often exaggerated lifting of the pelvis. This lifting in itself causes the shoulders to cave in, thus again affecting the breathing. There should be no unnecessary restriction placed on the body, e.g.: hips not on the same plane as the ground (horizontal).
Breathing
Kata Sanchin’s origin has been said to be related back to the stationary breathing exercises performed by Buddhist monks at the original Shaolin monastery.
Power is created in a combination of correct respiratory breathing and correct posture, which creates tension. The mind should be in a stable normal state, and actions should always
be taken in a stable mental state. It is not possible for a peak performance if the mind
is unstable when preparing for a fight. The respiratory technique of sanchin is how
you learn to stay stable.
The muscles of the body must be tense during the entire duration of the kata and the breathing must be coordinated with all foot movements. Proper breathing is important to both the mindset of sanchin (mushin) and the body mechanics of the strikes.
Sanchin breathing seems (and sounds) difficult at first, but it’s actually very simple. One wants to be “hard on the outside” and tighten the stomach, to help connect the upper and lower body and defend against attacks. But one should also be “soft on the inside” and able to breathe comfortably.
Doing both simultaneously gets to the heart of what “three conflicts” means, and Sanchin breathing will add to the meditation experience of the kata. Abdominal breathing replaces restrictive thoracic (chest) contraction and expansion that manifests as shallow chest breathing. This enables the tension in the upper body to be released from the chest and is pushed down into lower abdomen (hara).
Checking the kata
In some styles, when a student is tested on Sanchin, an upper rank delivers multiple blows to the student’s body whose muscles are tensed, this being to check strength, posture and limb concentration during the performance of the kata. This is called shime–te.
This involves a range of techniques from hard strikes and slaps to check the tone of the student’s muscles and overall strength to very soft and slow pushes and pulls to test the student’s ability to react in order to maintain his position.
Fundamentals
Short stance: protects against kicks to legs and groin. Retain mobility. Allow both legs to be able to kick swiftly
Shoulders locked down: transfers power of body to strikes and blocks and maintaining protection of the ribs
Elbows in: transfers power and guards the body. The 90 degree bend of the elbow is the strongest position for the arms
Sanchin back: hips tucked under and spine straight along with Sanchin stomach connecting upper and lower body transferring power of the legs to the arms
Sanchin breathing: a tight stomach and quick breaths guard against contact to the gut and provide connectivity between legs and arms
Narrow stance: guards against kicks to groin
Chin tucked: so it doesn’t get knocked off
Mushin: see your surroundings with awareness and take in your opponent from head to toe. Keep a clear mind for combat
Front leg turned in: for stability in striking or blocking
Hind leg slightly turned in: powerful quadriceps push in direction of strike; with foot turned out they point 90 degrees from direction of strike
Applications
The basic step can serve as a throw, the basic strikes can be aimed at a variety of targets, and the circular motions have many applications in grappling, joint locks, and breaking holds.
There are many variations of applications and bunkai for kata Sanchin evidenced by the many videos able to be found with each style focusing on different applications. Perhaps the most essential ingredient is that ‘every block can be a strike and each strike may be a block’. What appears simplistic watching kata Sanchin represents a basis for many techniques emanating from the simple block or strike you see – one needs imagination to understand how varying the technique slightly can turn a block into a grab, lock or a break when followed through.
Summary
A well executed kata Sanchin is said to display these qualities…
Gripping the ground. This is interpreted as using the ground to generate power in holding one’s position or striking power.
Skeletal architecture. The alignment of the bones to provide static strength.
Muscular tone. Using conditioned muscles to move the body swiftly and in a way beneficial to the technique being done.
Moving the Ki or Qi (universal energy). Using intent and bioelectric energy to assist in movement.
Regular practice of Sanchin Kata conditions the body, trains correct alignment, and teaches the essential body structure needed for generating power within all of your karate movements. Many karate practitioners believe that Sanchin Kata holds the key to mastering the traditional martial arts. Though it can be one of the simplest forms to learn, it is one of the most difficult to perfect.
Sanchin kata is given a place of honor and respect within our training. It is practiced from early on in one’s training and it is often considered that it takes many years to fully understand and acquire the skills to execute it well. Its potential applications are many and it seems the more you study it the more deeply it reveals its secrets.
If you had to use whatever what was at your disposal to defend yourself, how adaptive could you be in the moment? Is it possible being confronted in the confines of your own home or bathroom, you could grab the nearest object to assist you, even it it was a towel or piece of clothing?
There are many ways to use a rolled towel, a scarf, cape, jacket or cardigan to trap, ensnare or deceive an opponent. Whip off your belt if you need allowing you to block, parry, trap, throw and choke someone.
Imagine you are walking a dog and you use the leash. It’s already there so use it. Your dog might not be as helpful as you wish so you better adapt quickly. If it’s a small dog, it might only offer a small moment of distraction until it is disabled and you’re on your own. What can you quickly grab that’s on your person to give you an advantage?
How about the strap of your shoulder bag? You have a great weapon right there. A man in a suit could be wearing a tie – rip it off and use it. Even a cord of an electrical device that is lying around in the kitchen or bathroom can be adapted if needed. Think of extending your reach and using something you can grab and snatch a limb with giving you some leverage to disarm and throw.
A rolled towel can be used as a partial defense rolled around your arm if under a knife attack allowing a small but partial added layer of defense to your wrists.
When the timing is right, the rolled towel can be applied to grab and snatch a punch or kick, throw the opponent then choke if necessary.
There are no end to the techniques you can use. We all know what a wet towel can do when flicked. How about flicking it at the eyes or face to inflict damage, perhaps the groin?
Use it as a whip then strike the sensitive areas. Throwing the towel in the face could provide a moment of distraction to simply escape and flee.
The action of trapping and grabbing a limb is derived from the mawashiuke circular blocking technique using two hands moving in different directions.
If both hands were gripping either side of a towel, the applied action quickly twists the towel around the limb thrust towards you, being a wrist or foot, allowing you to then use your body torque to pull the attacker off balance into a throw, take-down or slam into them into a wall.
The same circular mawashi uke is used in applying a choke hold where the towel is quickly placed around the neck instead of a limb and the body will surely follow where you lead the neck.
These all fall into the category of flexible weapons. In every culture the kerchief, bandanna or accessory of clothing has been used as a humble piece of cloth to assist defense. Putting a quick knot in its centre would generate a choking tool like a garotte.
The Indonesians, Bruneis and Filipinos would often wear a sarong or sash and there is a long cultural history of techniques used with the sarong in Silat and Kali. The ninjas were renowned for using many soft or flexible weapons seemingly pulling them out of nowhere.
A sap is weapon where a heavier object is loaded into a flexible weapon and swung. Grab any solid object, wrap it in the centre of the towel or scarf and you’ve increased your reach. A good strike in the temple could disable your opponent or break a wrist coming at you.
Tino Ceberano Hanshi demonstrated these techniques on daytime television for many years in the days of the Roy Hampson Show, the Bert Newton Show and In Melbourne Today. His motto today remains as “Be armed to stay unharmed” even it as simple as using a towel.
It could take some years to develop enough proficiency, awareness and skill to successfully ward off an attacker with only your hands and feet. There is no code of honour that states a karate-ka cannot adapt and use anything about his/her person as an improvised weapon. After all, the traditional Okinawan weapons were simply farm tools or implements that were used daily.
The nature of self-defence dictates that there is no restriction to one’s training requiring a limited use of techniques or skills. Tino Ceberano Hanshi maintains that adapting everything you’ve learned and physical objects around you to the current situation is necessary for survival. The better you can adapt your martial art to the situation, the better for your welfare.
Carrying a weapon for self-defence is illegal but a walking stick, magazine, ballpoint pen, keys, wine bottle, penlight and many other items can be used with some improvisation. The walking stick or cane has been used throughout the ages. It is mentioned in the Bible, was used in ancient Egypt, was toted by Asian monks and carried by Zulus. In 18th century London, a license was required to carry one.
Baritsu is known as the martial art of gentleman. Created by William Barton-Wright, an English railroad engineer, Baritsu is, practically, the art of self-defense with the walking stick. As early as 1900, the London Free Lance reported that the new school was crowded with students, as follows.
“At the school in Shaftesbury Avenue all the most telling strokes that it is possible to make with an ordinary walking stick are explained, illustrated and taught, and the pupil is shown how to best tackle the man – say, a street rough – “who comes at you anyhow with a stick. ”
“Personally, I am of the opinion that every young fellow ought to learn Baritsu, for it appears to be the one the mode of self-defense liable to prove of practical use to any man and at any moment, even to the man who lives, moves and has his being only in this prosaic city of London.”
Canne de combat is a French martial art. As weapon, it uses a cane or canne (a kind of walking-stick) designed for fighting. The French developed the walking stick into a formidable self-defense tool that became known as la canne. Adopted into the traditional savate training halls of the 1800s, it’s remained by the side of the kicking art for more than 200 years.
The walking stick and its close cousin, the umbrella, are favourites of Tino Ceberano Hanshi and he has demonstrated the effective use of the walking stick for many years at demonstrations at Melbourne’s Moomba, Chinatown at Chinese New Year celebrations and on TV back in the days of the Roy Hampson Show on Channel 0 and later the Bert Newton Show on Channel 10.
Many of the skills and principles of the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) and Japanese weaponry can be applied to the walking stick. Techniques includes throws, locks, strikes and take-downs. Also known as a combat cane, the walking stick with its many style and designs including the handle is an effective weapon in the hands anyone who takes the time to learn its uses, regardless of their age or gender.
Arcanis is the art of the cane. Arch or Arco is the cyclic movement of the object in motion. Cane or Canias hence when relating to its use as an effective weapon or aid to defend…’the Art of the Cane’. Largo Mano means long hand or extended arm and is an important principle of stick fighting.
The cane is an extension of your hand and acts to extend your range. It provides a defensive shield in the radius of your new extended range providing a new enlarged defensive front with an increased reach. Think of it as a feeler, like a blind person finding his way around or much like a crayfish or lobster might use its appendages, essentially using the largo mano principle.
Importantly it acts as a deterrent to someone entering that range with an intended or even unintended provocation. Simply lifting the stick with a pointing action loudly signals a defensive action as a security measure, simply saying “Stop, I have a weapon” to the aggressor.
It’s no different to any animal which makes a noise or alters it body language in answer to the near proximity of a potential predator. Other animals understand the action and take note, or ignore it at their peril then suffer the consequences.
The walking stick is versatile. It can help you to right your balance and you can use it for a slashing downward horizontally or upward swiping blow across bony surfaces. The ability to poke or prod with the stick can cause devastating harm to soft, vulnerable areas allowing real penetration to delicate areas.
The walking stick handle can be used to hook or grab a limb or the neck allowing control of the aggressor. The grappling effect around the ankle to trip or grab a limb has many variations and you’d be surprised how effective this simple weapon can be.
Tino Ceberano Hanshi was shown by his father how to use the walking stick as a weapon at a very early time in his life and stimulated him to explore the diverse use of such a simple instrument. He explored and developed his skills with the walking stick over many years.
His mentor and fellow master in the Philippines- ‘Siok Glaraga‘ who was a very well versed FMA practitioner of the Amara Arcanis system asked Tino Hanshi to use the word Arcanis in describing the method he established as a training system adopted in his practice and teaching of IGK.
Tino Ceberano Hanshi is quick to point out that age is not a barrier to learning to use the walking stick. As well as its self-defence uses, it is helpful in providing balance, stability and an extension of one’s own self as a longer arm or feeler. Even elderly folk who are stiffer and less agile can gain confidence, a sense of security, enhanced mobility and improved balance when instructed to use a walking stick properly.
The IGK is developing a Senior Citizens Training course for exercise and self-defence with its own research development team. This will form a part of the new Goju Kalis section of IGK’s weapons training. It is just one part of the progressive evolution of martial arts development that Tino Ceberano Hanshi has provided for over 50 years respecting but not being rooted to tradition.
Pinoy martial art begins with the weapon training using wooden sticks.
You watch a Jackie Chan flick, and you laugh while simultaneously being amazed by his high-flying, death-defying nimble moves. You get into more kung fu movies after that, dreaming at the same time of becoming a martial artist someday. Then you found out about Bruce Lee, and the deeper you get to appreciate this ancient art. The discipline, the philosophy, and the power that come with martial arts fascinate you no end.
The next thing you thought of doing was getting formal training. You choose from countless martial arts available in the “market,” deciding whether it’s going to be Wushu or Taekwondo or Muay Thai or Judo or Karate, and the list goes on and on and on. In the middle of all this you start to wonder, “Is there no martial art that is originally Filipino?”
There is.
Thanks to Republic Act 9850, more commonly known as An Act Declaring Arnis as the National Martial Art and Sport of the Philippines, our country finally recognized an official fighting style that is truly Pinoy.
Filipino Elusive Warriors
And one group is working doubly hard to promote not just Arnis, but Filipino Martial Art (FMA) here in the Philippines and in the whole world: the Filipino Elusive Warriors(FEW).
Starting out as Pilipino Dulasang Mandirigma in 1983, this group of martial artists headed by Pangulong Guro Tino Ceberano dreamed of developing and promoting FMA in order to highlight the Filipino culture, strengthen both body and soul, preserve our heritage, and bring to the forefront of the martial arts world our very own sport.
He also dreams of including FMA in the school curriculum as part of the Physical Education subject. Furthermore, the FEW envisions the country to finally have its own formal training ground or school for FMA, like dojos in Japan or shaolin temples in ancient China, where professional mandirigma or martial artists can train future generations in this discipline.
Martial Arts Equality
To those who doubt the efficacy of this home-grown martial art, Ceberano has this to say, “There is no such thing as one style better than the other.”
He narrated how Americans, in the late 1800s, noticed the fighting style of those Filipinos who fought in the war with just a bolo. The grace of the movement, the strength of the attack, and the fierceness of the warriors proved to be a beautiful but lethal combination even for the colonizers.
“It’s not the style but the man,” Ceberano adds.
Bruce Lee, although long gone in this world, still has wisdom that perfectly jibes with Ceberano’s philosophy. The legendary martial artist once said, “To me, the extraordinary aspect of martial arts lies in its simplicity. The easy way is also the right way, and martial art is nothing at all special; the closer to the true way of martial arts, the less wastage of expression there is.”
Weapons Training
One of the big differences of FMA as compared with others is its “holistic approach.” Training starts with the use of a weapon, most commonly the Kali sticks. This will be done together with proper footwork, which is vital in making quick and powerful motions for the attack or defense. Once the martial artist becomes fairly grounded with his weapon of choice, that’s when he begins to learn fighting empty-handed.
Ceberano explains that getting used to handling a weapon will give the warrior’s hands, eyes, and feet some familiarization with the basic stance and movements of FMA. Once you learn how to fight with a weapon, it will now be easier to learn how to do the same thing with your bare hands.
Of course, practice makes perfect.
“Use a lot of brain first before brawn,” Ceberano insists, adding that martial arts should be used for the good of mankind. There is a “code of respect and courtesy” that is present in any form of martial arts that any serious artist should abide by. Likewise, FMA should teach a baguhan how to protect the weak and nurture the health of the body and the spirit.
This article is reprinted from http://balikbayanmag.com and was written by Steno A. Padilla April 2012.
The IGK Victorian Spring Camp 2017 held at Eumeralla Scout Camp in Anglesea from Oct 13th-15th 2017 was a wonderful success. The camp was well attended with IGK Tasmania members visiting for the weekend. Perfect weather, plentiful food, strong training with lots of new information made for a great event. For the Victorians, it was great to train with IGK Tasmania, renew old friendships and make new ones.
There were plenty of training sessions including a Sunday morning early beach training at Point Roadnight on a mild, windless morning on a beautiful ocean beach where we practised awase kumite and Sanchin kata before a hearty breakfast.
Thanks to John Ross Shihan & Lambros Kallianiotis Shidoin from IGK Headquarters Victoria for a wonderful camp at Anglesea this past weekend. A big Osu for the organisation, catering, Goju training and inspiration. There is no doubt about the value of the intensity and concentration of knowledge and training obtained at a camp so all efforts should be made to attend.
Thanks to IGK Tasmania led by Noel Peters Kyoshi for making the trip across the paddock to join in and bring their strong Goju spirit. We all look forward to joining IGK Tasmania for their Winter Camp in 2018. See the camp photos taken by attending members.
Ever wondered what it takes to become a karate black belt? Explore the life of 56-year-old Hobart bricklayer Noel Peters Kyoshi to find out how more than 40 years of perseverance and 13 hours of training a week helped him climb the ranks and become Tasmania’s top Goju-Ryu karate master.
Noel Peters Kyoshi has devoted his life to Goju-ryu karate and he’s passing on the secrets of the martial art which has been centuries in the making.
This excellent article can be read at ABC News. There are some great photographs by Aneeta Bhole and Gregor Salmon at ABC and the production is magnificent. The news release is titled “Karate calling: What does it take to become a martial arts master?” and is excellently written by Aneeta Bhole at ABC on 2nd Oct 2017.
Noel Peters Kyoshi (top left) of Sandy Bay, Tasmania has been a bricklayer who has practiced Karate for forty years. He is now the highest ranked Tasmanian in IGK Karate, a ‘Kyoshi’. He told Melanie Tait of ABC Radiothat he came to karate originally to learn how to fight, but forty years on it’s become an integral part of his Zen lifestyle, bleeding into all parts of his life.
By day, Noel works as a bricklayer, a job he credits karate with giving him the patience for, and the fitness. “You need strength of character to be a bricklayer”, says Noel. He explains that Karate and bricklaying work well together though because being a bricklayer is a hard job where you have to work sometimes in bad weather, hot or cold and you need self-discipline to see out the day.
As far as his health and fitness are concerned, he believes he probably couldn’t have stayed in bricklaying so long without his ongoing devotion to karate – it definitely helps his back as Karate keeps the back flexible. Noel says there’s Zen in bricklaying, the rhythm in laying bricks isn’t unlike the focused movement of Karate.
In the interview with ABC Radio HOBART, Noel describes how he’s managed forty years of training, how it keeps getting better and how he sold a beloved car to fund the club’s new ‘dojo’ (training centre) in Sandford, Tasmania.
Sourced from Become a Bricklayer, Sept 8th 2017. by Ian Stoneman.
Many young Australians grow up training in one of the martial arts and many give it away before choosing it as a healthy lifestyle choice for the long term. In this modern digital age with more hours spent lazily at the computer, there are more reasons than ever to consider the many health benefits of regular martial arts training and the pitfalls of sitting for endless hours on your bum!
Total body workout: Martial arts are a high-aerobic workout that uses every muscle group in the body. Your stamina, muscle tone, flexibility, balance and strength will all improve through martial arts. By participating in martial arts, you can greatly improve the amount of muscle mass you have in your body. The more muscle you have, the more toned your body will look.
The higher your muscle mass, the higher your metabolic demands will be, and subsequently the more calories you will burn each day, thereby helping prevent obesity and even leading to potential weight loss. High levels of muscle mass also lead to increased agility, thereby preventing falls as you age. Falls are one of the highest risks of death for aging people.
Healthy lifestyle: Due to the total-body nature of a martial arts workout, tons of calories are burned during every class. However, you’ll also find that your natural eating signals become better regulated, so food cravings will disappear and you’ll eat less as a result.
Self confidence: Due to the goal setting, positive encouragement and respect for values that are part of all martial arts programs, the greatest benefit usually reported by martial arts students is greater self-confidence. You become more comfortable in all situations – whether you’re in danger or simply doing a task that takes you beyond your comfort zone — and you’ll discover you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.
Improved cardiovascular health: Research has found that the only real way to improve the status of the cardiovascular system is by participating in activities that stress the heart, such as martial arts. One of the most important exercise benefits associated with martial arts is an improvement in your cardiovascular health.
Your cardiovascular system is composed of your heart, as well as the veins and arteries that transport blood. A weak cardiovascular system can result in shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, and in severe cases can even cause a heart attack. Research has found that the only real way to improve the status of the cardiovascular system is by participating in activities that stress the heart
Weight loss: A one hour session of moderate intensity martial arts can burn up to 500 calories.
Improved reflexes: Research has found that by participating in martial arts, you not only improve your reflexes while performing the activity, but actually experience faster reaction times during all activities of your life. This is very important in a number of daily activities, such as driving.
Focus and stillness: As Bruce Lee pointed out, behind the punches, kicks and knees, a true martial artist learns to sit with himself and see where his weaknesses are. As a martial artist, your will learn what it is to be still, challenged and focused.
Teaches great morals and values: Martial arts wisdom has it that after consistent practice, one becomes less impulsive and aggressive towards others. Our own dojo kun speaks of honour, respect and chivalry to remind students of the right attitude, frame of mind and virtues to strive for inside and outside the studio.
Muscle tone: By participating in martial arts, you can greatly improve the amount of muscle mass you have in your body. The higher your muscle mass, the higher your metabolic demands will be, and subsequently the more calories you will burn each day, thereby helping prevent obesity and promote weight loss. High levels of muscle mass also lead to increased agility, thereby preventing falls as you age.
Better mood: Researchers have found that participating in a regular exercise routine is one of the best ways to improve your mood. Performing martial arts is not only a good way to relieve stress and frustration, but may actually help to make you happier. The endorphins released by physical activity appear to be active in your body for as many as four hours after exercise.
In summary, there are many great reasons to regularly practice the martial arts, such as
Improve your physical and mental health
Build self-esteem and strengthen your self-confidence
Improve your academic performance by raising your level of energy, focus and concentration
Learn and master self-defense techniques
Make friends in the many IGK dojos available in Australia
On May 27th 2017, Matt Kendall a student of the IGK Toowoomba club became the first student to grade in Tino Ceberano Hanshi’s Goju Kalis.
A rolled towel can be used as a partial defense rolled around your arm if under a knife attack allowing a small but partial added layer of defense to your wrists.
Baritsu
Pinoy martial art begins with the weapon training using wooden sticks.
And one group is working doubly hard to promote not just Arnis, but Filipino Martial Art (FMA) here in the Philippines and in the whole world: the Filipino Elusive Warriors (FEW).
The IGK Victorian Spring Camp 2017 held at Eumeralla Scout Camp in Anglesea from Oct 13th-15th 2017 was a wonderful success. The camp was well attended with IGK Tasmania members visiting for the weekend. Perfect weather, plentiful food, strong training with lots of new information made for a great event. For the Victorians, it was great to train with IGK Tasmania, renew old friendships and make new ones.
