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May 2013 Newsletter Goju-Ryu Karate-Do Kyokai

www.goju.com _____________________________________________________________

Toledo, Ohio Area Seminars and Grading by Dwight Scales

Friday, May 17th, 6:30pm; Black belt testing. Please remember everyone Ni Dan and above must test before Shihan or his representative. Saturday, May 18th, 12:00 noon.; All ranks seminar. The seminar will probably run 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Banquet and annual meeting at a location TBD. Starting time for the

banquet/meeting 4:00pm. Testing and seminar to be held at the Imagine Clay Elementary school, 1030 Clay Avenue, Toledo Ohio. We ask all dojo leaders to send the following to Mr. Myers and myself for those testing; name, how long in Goju, desired rank. Also we ask that all school leaders bring with them any concerns they would like addressed at the Annual Meeting. Concerns may also be emailed if unable to attend.

Fees; $25.00 for non-members, $25.00 for members - $15.00 if they have their patch.

We would like as many schools to attend as possible so we have a fantastic turnout!!!!! Note from Matt Loiselle; I have a couple open couches where visiting karateka are welcome to sleep, as well as a lot of outdoor space for anyone who would like to camp or park an RV while in town for the seminar. I'm in LaSalle, Michigan, just north of Ohio, about a 25 minute drive from the seminar location, and here's my cell phone number: 313-300-2626 I reserved 9 rooms under my name for May 17 - 18 so when people call to get one of the reserved rooms they should mention it was reserved under the name Matt Loiselle. Please call the hotel at least a couple days in advance. Rooms are $64.99/night + taxes. They're non-smoking and are reserved for 1 or 2 occupants per room. Red Roof Inn, Toledo - University, 3530 Executive Parkway, Toledo, OH 43606 419-536-0118

Cumberland Gap National Park Training Event

by Ken Maunz We are going to Cumberland Gap National Park again this year. The dates are Thursday June 6th,7th, 8th, and leave Sunday June 9th. This year there is no charge for training. We will try to get in a couple of hours training each day and enjoy the park the rest of the time. The campground is nice and several motels close to the Park. Call Ken Maunz at 734 888 1245 if you're interested or have any questions.

Did You Know? by Rich Stamper

Did you know that GKK Members receive a substantial discount on our books and DVDs? The order form for books and DVDs on our GKK Website does not specify, but when placing an order Members should use the discount amount. Yamakura Shihan books are $15 and DVDs are $20. Rich Stamper's book is $25. And shipping is free! School Leaders - please advise your students.

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Great Lakes Seiwa Kai Seminar and Tournament from Mark Cramer

This coming May 31, June 1 and 2, Great Lakes Seiwa Kai JKF Goju Kai will be hosting a series of seminars and the Seiwa Kai Tournament. The Seminar will be taught by Vassie Naidoo who is the highest graded member of the Seiwa Kai (7th Dan) and the JKF Goju Kai 6th Dan) the in the United States. He serves as the Chief Instructor of the USA Seiwa Kai, and teaches seminars throughout North America, South America, Asia and South Africa. Take advantage of this opportunity to train with one of the world’s great instructors of Goju Ryu. The seminars will cover a variety of traditional Goju Ryu katas and a prior knowledge of those kata is necessary to fully participate in the seminar session. However, the Seiwa Kai Friendship Tournament is open to our friends from other styles of karatedo. The schedule and costs are as follows: Friday, May 31 (Jackman Rd. School Cafeteria; 8008 Jackman Rd. Temperance, MI 48182) · Session 1 – 6:30 to 8:30 (Instructors and invited students only. 15 Max.) Saturday, June 1 (Douglas Road School Gym; 6875 Douglas Rd. Lambertville, MI 48144) · Session 2 – 10:00 to 12:00 (Kihon, Kihon Ido, Gekisai Ichi , Gekisai Ni, and Sanchin) · Lunch Break · Session 3 – 1:30 to 3:30 (Saifa, Seiyunchin, and Tensho) · Session 4 – 3:45 to 5:45 (Sanseiryu, Shisochin, and Seipai) · Banquette – 7:00 to ? (Location TBD) Sunday, June 2 (Douglas Road School Gym; 6875 Douglas Rd Lambertville, MI 48144) · Session 5 -- 10:00 to 5:00 Bedford Seiwa Kai Friendship Tournament Kata and Kumite (1st through 4th place metals will be awarded.) No food or drinks (except water and clear sports drinks) will be allowed into the gym area. Fees · Session 1 -- $20 · Session 2 -- $20 · Session 3 -- $20 · Session 4 -- $20 · Session 5 -- $35 (Great Lakes Seiwa Kai Friendship Tournament) · 2 sessions – $35; 3 sessions – $55; 4 sessions – $70; All 5 sessions – $80 · Family Maximum: 2 family members $ 100; 3 Family members $115; 4 family members $130 · A Late Fee of $10 is charged for applications received after May 24. · A spectator fee will be charged at the tournament. The Hotels listed below are close to the tournament site, and when I have an idea of the number of our of town guests we will have, I will book a block of rooms. Ramada Inn Comfort Inn Red Roof Inn 3536 Secor Rd 3560 Secor Rd 3530 Executive Pkwy Toledo, Ohio 43606 Toledo, Ohio 43606 Toledo, Ohio 43606 (419) 535-7070 (419) 531-2666 (419) 536-0118 School Leaders

from Dwight Scales, USA Director We are in the process of verifying our USA School Leader's records of dan rank and promotion dates. Please send a list of your dan grade members, their rank and date of promotion. Please include each member's email address. Send to; dwight.scales@imagineschools.com

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Ambler/Corinth Training Weekend By Frank Matt and Zak Zaklad

Photos by Helen Muth and Bonnie-Ann Keagy

On March 8-10, 2013, Sensei Frank Matt of Corinth, New York, and ten of his students made the trek south to Ambler, PA for a weekend of training, camaraderie, and celebration. Forty Ambler dojo students participated, led by Sensei Bill Kane; it was an awesome weekend! Friday night we started off with an informal workout, featuring working on sanchin kata posture and balance. A highlight was the sunrise/set version of sanchin. We began to notice that our two schools are very much in sync.

Sensei Kane and Sensei Matt Saturday morning, Frank and Zak led 50 students in the combined open class. We worked on basics, and found that one kata – geki sai san – was very different between the schools, and began teaching each other’s version. Zak, Frank, and Jon teach beginners

The morning advanced class was devoted to kumite. Led by Ambler’s Paul, John, and Fred, we focused on movement, basic stances, and keeping proper distance. We took pieces from kata for combat drills, pairing Ambler with NY students.

Paul and Fred demonstrate kumite techniques After a communal lunch, Saturday afternoon featured a series of rank-based seminars: whites, greens, browns, and blacks. First was white belt class, led by Sensei Frank and Ambler’s Howard Blum. We concentrated on the theme of “relax & lock” — relaxing while moving then locking down the stance. We applied this concept first to basics, then kata, then self-defense escapes. The green belt class was led by Ambler’s Helen Muth and NY’s Anthony Lugo. They led kata-based kihon ido drills, with combinations of techniques, sometimes complex combinations, stretching the mind. Anthony emphasized a geki sai drill and Helen took a piece from ukeno. We practiced moving in neko ashi dachi – balance and weight shift; and ran through all the chudan one-steps. The other black belts wandered about, helping, and offering guidance.

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The Brown belts began with Seiunchin kata practice led by Jon. Next, Bill and Frank continued work on our separate versions of geki sai san kata, this time focusing on applications, similar and contrasting. The afternoon culminated in a black belt seminar, which was attended by many of the kyu-level students who were still standing. Sensei Bill worked on refining techniques to eliminate wasted motion and increase power. He demonstrated finishing techniques properly, aligning of the fist, and timing the strike/kick with the step. Zak followed with a segment on sanchin, focusing on clearing the mind and sinking. Finally, Vic Lim took us through an excellent set of drills on soft techniques, noting that the ju is as essential as the go in Goju Ryu. The brown belts practice geri waza Saturday night 35 of us gathered for a feast at Surah, a local Korean-Japanese restaurant, ably organized by John Barton. We shared highlights of the day’s training, and got to know each other and let our hair down — well, those of us who still have hair. Howard brought a jug of sake to go along with enough beer and wine to fully lubricate us. There was only one glitch – they didn’t bring the rice until dinner was just about over. Zak ordered a very spicy Korean dish, and was “forced” to eat it sans rice. The waiter was amazed!

Our students enjoyed comparing and contrasting performing and teaching kata. For most of the katas, we were very much in sync. For geki sai san, a kata that is not part of the GKK standard katas, we learned each other’s version. For many of us, this weekend demonstrated the great value to our karate-do of being part of GKK; The expert instructors, the guidance and support, the encouragement to share & help each other, the sense of community, and the strong commitment to Goju-Ryu karate.

Ambler dojo joined the GKK about 20 years ago. We (Bill and Zak) recall the first visit by the late Renshi Brad Smith, giving us our first taste of the rich teachings and collaborative spirit of GKK. Brad would travel to Nancy Ault’s dojo in Maine with Zak as assistant, and Zak met Frank there. We remember Brad as a wonderful and kind teacher, and an example of the high character that is a part of GKK. We miss him, and his spirit is with us.

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How I Train Now That I’m Sixty by Carol Gittins

The training and conditioning I do now is different in intensity from what I did 30, or even 20, years ago, but the principles I use remain the same. I work to maintain fitness standards in the three areas of fitness--aerobic, strength and flexibility—that all Washington state public school students are evaluated on throughout their K-12 education. I crosstrain because it works for me and improves my karate skills. In karate, I continue to refine my technique so it is effective, and I visualize the application of techniques. For aerobic conditioning, I wear a pedometer and make sure I take 10,000-15,000 steps at least five days a week. In the past, I jogged three or more miles 3-4 times a week. I did strength training when I was an English teacher, but since I’ve been teaching physical education, my work keeps my muscles toned. I regularly check the strength balance of my prime movers and my antagonists (the muscles that hold the prime movers in check so hyper-extending on kicks and punches is not an issue). The balance I look for is having the antagonists 60% as strong as the prime movers. If the balance is off, I lift free weights until I’ve regained balance. I don’t worry much about lifting less weight than I did when I was 30 because Shihan Yamakura points out that effective technique is 20% power and 80% targeting/aim. For me, the component of flexibility is the one that gives me the most difficulty. I need to stretch at least 20 minutes a day just to keep 80% of the flexibility I had 30 years ago, plus, after I sit for over half an hour, I need to stretch to loosen up my legs and back. Currently, I’m having a series of deep tissue massages to remove the muscle adhesions that are limiting my flexibility. (Muscle adhesions are caused when scar tissue binds muscle strands together, preventing their normal range of movement.) Badminton, the competitive, not backyard, version, is the crosstraining I do to enhance my karate performance. I find that the state of readiness needed to compete in badminton is the same as that used in sparring. All muscles must be ready for explosive movement, but they can’t be tense; they must be relaxed, but not loose. The attacks in badminton require an explosive movement with a complete shimai of the arm motion, followed by a return to the state of readiness, the same as in kumite. Also, as in karate, badminton fosters an awareness of your environment; where your opponent is, where you are on the court, where your partner is, and where obstacles are. And like high-level kumite, in badminton, you need to plan a few moves ahead so you can set up your opponent. Singles badminton is also excellent aerobic conditioning. My karate training is not as intense as it was when I was in my 20’s and training six times a week. Now I do standing and moving basic techniques, followed by interactive training, either yakusoku kumite, bunkai applications, ippon kumite, or some form of kumite. I end with kata, always starting with Sanchin Kata and ending with Tensho Kata. I will either do all of the Goju kata, or I will choose one to focus on, doing it slow for form, at three-quarter intensity, with isolations for the parts that aren’t going well, and finishing with a full-intensity kata. When I do all of the kata, I leave Sanseiru until last because the turns and kansetsu geri leave my knees unstable. (After four knee surgeries, I have little cartilage left to cushion my joints.) I visualize applications of the techniques and imagine scenarios in which I would apply them. I read with interest Mr. Giller’s article on maintaining mental acuity and agree wholeheartedly. My efforts in this area include keeping up with technology, reading and discussing current events, scientific advances, and cultural trends. I meditate regularly, and that seems to help my focus. Overall, I think moving forward, not allowing myself to stagnant in any way, keeps me vital.

Winter Items for Sale

by Angie Monday Hello everyone. We have winter items for sale -hoodies at $35.00 each and black sweatpants (men & women's) $25.00 each. Everyone in our class has them and we all love them! I also have a few sweatshirts $25.00 each. and black ball caps $15.00 each. Everyone loves the black polo shirts @ $25.00 each. I am going to order more in the near future. If there is a size you need and would like to make sure I have it, please e-mail me at angie.monday@yahoo.com and I will make it happen! Also, if anyone would like us to stock something we don't have let me know and I will see what I can do! We would also like to know if anyone would be interested in gym bags. Please email me for details. angie.monday@yahoo.com

Karate Gis

by Joe Ordonez Our Alaska dojo has closed down and I have a number of new gis that we no longer need. I would be happy to give them away. Is there anyone interested in them? If so, please send me an email; joe@tourhaines.com

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The Point © by Bill Handren The Holy Grail, Part Two "Exercise texts often state that resistance training is valuable because stronger muscles protect the joints from injury. Electromyographic studies of many common activities show that this is a faulty belief. A muscle can only protect if it is adequately contracted in the appropriate pattern to control the imposed load....A relaxed massive muscle is almost as useless as a relaxed small muscle in protecting a joint. When the muscles are relaxed, the ligaments associated with the joint have to prevent displacement, rupture or dislocation".....Mel C. Siff, PhD., MSc, (Commenting on Specificity) Facts and Fallacies of Fitness.

was able to do double bodyweight stiff legged deadlifts at the time. This extreme level of hamstring strength meant nothing when I slightly hyper extended both knees during full power mawashi geri while wearing heavy boots. The boots altered the timing by milliseconds and the impulses to retract the foot before full extension were late. Timing

becomes exquisite when throwing techniques at maximum speed. The opposing muscles must be fully relaxed then appropriately tensed at the last instant - lock early and the motion loses speed, lock late and the shock is transferred to the joint. Find the most muscular man you can, have him relax his arm fully, grab his wrist and snap his arm down. Plan an exit strategy first, as you will injure his wrist, elbow or shoulder. Try the same thing with the puniest of students after warning them and no joint injury will occur - they will have tensed the arm and shoulder. As Dr. Siff notes above; "adequate contraction in the appropriate pattern to control the imposed load." This is why Specificity uses the term "exactly" when it refers to how one must practice. Alter the parameters as I did with the boots, without allowing adequate time for an adaptation to occur, and damage results. If one puts a sixteen ounce boxing glove on and throws a full power uraken, the elbow joint may hyperextend. One must get used to the weight of the glove and gradually work up to full speed so the timing can be reset. I mentioned in part one I do not lift weights for karate. Karate is a skill which can only be developed from the practice of karate. Although I have been a strong proponent of resistance training for a half century, and superior strength has its use in karate, it will not prevent those joint injuries which are timing related. Will weight training add much to kick or punch power? Power is mostly timing dependent. This is why some small people can hit very hard and some large people hit with inadequate power. The mis-timing of muscle tension helps to explain why many people injure themselves at the oddest times. I have had my back "go out" many times, but never during a weight training session - and I have always lifted heavy. The appropriate muscles are tensed and the pattern visualized with deep concentration when moving the weight. Yet, a slight lackadaisical turn to remove an item from the microwave can buckle a knee. Without appropriate muscle tension, joints lose stability. No one tightens their core or tenses their knees to remove a hot sandwich, although I do make some hefty sandwiches. When I was doing research for the Specificity series, I came across a few statements by Thomas Kurz, MSc. He wrote that "Flexibility can be improved at any age", and "If one has to warm up before kicking, his kicks are useless." I had Mr. Kurzs' book "Stretching Scientifically" for about twenty years, but I dismissed his dynamic stretching exercises as dangerous, particularly with my spine problems; "Some sources suggest that with extensive training, the stretch reflex of certain muscles can be controlled so that there is little or no reflex contraction in response to a sudden stretch. While this type of control provides the opportunity for the greatest gains in flexibility, it also provides the greatest risk of injury if used improperly. Only consummate professional athletes and dancers at the top of their sport (or art) are believed to actually possess this level of muscular control"....runningtheplanet.com I have been able to do full splits forward for more than twenty years thanks to Bill Wallace and an almost religious nightly session of static stretching. A hundred and sixty degrees was about my limit on side splits. But, it was the Specificity aspect of Mr. Kurzs' statement which intrigued me. I had been stretching by easing my way down. That was not a specific training method for the real world. Would it be possible to throw kicks well over six feet high cold? And could a man in his mid-sixties learn to do it? After six weeks, the answer was yes. Twice daily sets of dynamic leg swings forward and sideways added more than a foot to my cold kick height. I can now ring a bell suspended at six feet, ten inches with sokuto. Static stretch increased to one hundred and eighty degrees. I do not recommend anyone try this. Become over zealous and surgery may be needed to re-attach things. Besides, high kicks are poor self-defense choices and not part of traditional Goju teachings. Kick only while warmed up and one can kick high - when warmed up. Recondition the system to kick cold and one can kick cold. The stretching experiment illustrates how far reaching the rule of Specificity is. M. Yamakura Chairman 3763 Old Creek Road, Troy, MI 48084 chairman@goju.com Ed Myers CEO 11568 Reed Road, Whitehouse, OH 43571 ceo@goju.com Dwight Scales USA Director 1940 Bobolink Lane, Toledo, OH 43615 dwight.scales@imagineschools.com Greg Dodge GKK Marketing Director 2430 Georgetown Ave., Toledo, OH 43613 marketing@goju.com Deb Crawford USA Business Manager 5705 Northlake Road, Springfield, IL 62711 sharpda71@msn.com Bill Handren Newsletter Editor 115 West North Street, Dwight, Il 60420 yokagawa2002@yahoo.com

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