One of my 5 year-old students just told us she doesn’t think she will fight in Bob White’s karate tournament because she doesn’t think she can beat Mr. White!
2017, Bob White, & Bodhidharma
We have had a tough 2017.
Mr. Bob Mitchell lost his wife of 44 years, Diane, to liver disease on June 18th. My wife, Debbie, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Finally, my friend & teacher, Mr. Bob White, was diagnosed with both pancreatic cancer and throat cancer.
I have been honored to be able to call Bob White ‘instructor’ and friend for many years. He is a pillar of American Kenpo and martial arts, but now he’s fighting two cancers. Still, he is the model of strength and he still has time to talk about things I’m going through. He has such high praise for his wife, Barbara, who is also going through her own battles yet her major concern is him. Find out more about Mr. Bob White here.
Here are a few notes about Bodhidharma. There is a lot of legend mixed with some truths. This is some of what his Wikipedia article has to say:
Bodhidharma was a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th or 6th century. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Chan Buddhism to China, and regarded as its first Chinese patriarch. According to Chinese legend, he also began the physical training of the monks of Shaolin Monastery that led to the creation of Shaolin kung fu. In Japan, he is known as Daruma.
Little contemporary biographical information on Bodhidharma is extant, and subsequent accounts became layered with legend.
According to the principal Chinese sources, Bodhidharma came from the Western Regions, which refers to Central Asia but may also include the Indian subcontinent, and was either a “Persian Central Asian” or a “South Indian […] the third son of a great Indian king.” Throughout Buddhist art, Bodhidharma is depicted as an ill-tempered, profusely-bearded, wide-eyed non-Chinese person. He is referred as “The Blue-Eyed Barbarian” (Chinese: 碧眼胡; pinyin: Bìyǎnhú) in Chan texts.
Aside from the Chinese accounts, several popular traditions also exist regarding Bodhidharma’s origins.
The accounts also differ on the date of his arrival, with one early account claiming that he arrived during the Liu Song dynasty (420–479) and later accounts dating his arrival to the Liang dynasty (502–557). Bodhidharma was primarily active in the territory of the Northern Wei (386-634). Modern scholarship dates him to about the early 5th century.
Bodhidharma’s teachings and practice centered on meditation and the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra. The Anthology of the Patriarchal Hall (952) identifies Bodhidharma as the 28th Patriarch of Buddhism in an uninterrupted line that extends all the way back to the Gautama Buddha himself.
Karate vs. Self-Defense
What is the difference between learning karate and taking a self-defense course? Sometimes the terms are used interchangeably, but knowing their specific meanings can be helpful. Mitchell Saba provides a great explanation in his article, ‘7 Reasons Everyone Should Practice Karate’:
There is a significant difference between a karate and a self-defense course. A self-defense course is a crash course in basic techniques that if practiced regularly with periodic refresher courses is an excellent self-defense tool. Karate is much more. A karate class provides a long term class structure designed so the student can [learn] all of the components of self-defense and martial arts, theory, body mechanics, blocks, defenses, vulnerabilities and mental control. A karate class is much more because the student learns the material through much repetition and practice. Karate once learned can not be forgotten, it becomes a part of who you are.
Karate encompasses self-defense, however, it employs a long term approach for the purpose of building a foundation that makes self-defense efforts more effective.
Realistically speaking, self-defense requires not only knowledge of basic techniques, but the fitness and stamina that may be necessary to survive a self-defense scenario. Mr. Saba goes on to discuss the physical benefits of learning karate:
Karate training will improve your stamina, strength, speed and flexibility. Because of the intensity of the training karate will improve your overall fitness and body awareness. Karate training will strengthen and develop almost every muscle in your body. The question always comes up, how long will it take to…? The answer is the same regardless of the topic, it depends on how much time you put into it. Everyone’s motivations and needs are different, this is true for your training program too. One thing is certain, karate will get you physically fit and feeling great about yourself.
Another important aspect to consider is the way karate can help build character and develop confidence in adults and children, which are important for life and personal success, but also for persevering through difficult situations and (hopefully) avoiding conflicts altogether.
Mr. Roger Boggs in his article, Martial Arts and Life Skills describes these benefits:
In addition to self-defense, a good martial arts class should teach you to be respectful to others, modest and not go around starting fights or arguments, rather defending yourself when you have to. It also teaches you to commit yourself to something, rather than quitting not long after you start. It can also help you to develop more self-confidence.
Karate can offer great benefits for self-defense and much, much more. It’s never too late to begin training! Contact us to find out more about our programs in American Kenpo Karate for adults and children today.
Saba, Mitchell “7 Reasons Everyone Should Practice Karate” Willington Karate Club
Boggs, Roger “Martial Arts and Life Skills” Goshin Karate and Judo Academy March 9th, 2016
January 2017 – Basics
The philosophy behind karate is vast and complex. It stems from thousands of years of armed and unarmed combat. Techniques that were perfected hundreds of years ago are still being perfected over and over again by each new generation. Buddhism, Taoism, and the code of Bushido have all played parts in the development of the martial arts philosophy.
There are three stages of learning:
• Primitive – As a beginner, you are learning the basic movements that appear in techniques and forms.
• Mechanical – You understand the mechanics involved in the execution of the techniques, but not necessarily the flow between techniques. You can neither react very instinctively to an attack or adapt techniques to variations in the attacks (or factors such as the force of the attack or height & weight of the aggressor).
• Spontaneous: You understand both the execution of the techniques and how they flow together. You react appropriately to an attack without having to think.
• If you do not have a solidly based stance, you will easily lose balance and nothing will work correctly.
• Keep distances: stay clear from the attacker and get off the line of attack.
• Control, disarm and execute the technique: The priority in an attack is to not get hit then control any weapon the aggressor may have. Once this is done, we can run the technique to eliminate the threat of a new attack.
• Strike and check: When we strike we must control and avoid being hit with an arm, hand, or leg, the possible cons of our opponent. The check avoids exposing vital areas to the agressor.
• Economy of movement: You must not squander energy with unnecessary movements and displacements.
• Action-reaction: Each action of the opponent must be followed by a reaction.
• Instantaneous acceleration: You must be relaxed right until the moment of the impact, so that the power is maximum
Kellogg’s Karate Christmas Party – DEC. 3rd
HOLIDAY ALERT!
With all of the holiday busyness beginning to ramp up we wanted to make sure you received our invitation to attend our annual Christmas Party on Saturday, December 3rd at 2pm at our studio! We will be having a potluck, and judging by previous years, there will be plenty of great food for everyone so feel free to invite your friends and family for a great time.
If you would like to know what to bring, there will be a list of what people are bringing posted in the karate studio or you can contact Coach Ken Kellogg at (714) 863-1955.
Location:
Kellogg’s American Kenpo Karate
3420 W. MacArthur Blvd., Suite K
Santa Ana, CA 92704
For map/driving directions, please see below! Hope to see you there!