In this Issue
:: Leadership Skills
:: The Importance Of Honing
:: Monkey See, Monkey Do!
May 17th 2007




Leadership Skills


Good leadership skills are extremely potent. The information on leadership I share today is not only relevant to you as a GKR instructor, but you as a person; for example, leading your children or family, or leading people at your work if you have staff you are responsible for.

A good leader should apply the karate principles of Go Ju (hard and soft).

Let’s examine this principle: To be a good leader, a person must be likeable and have the ability to draw others to them. You could call this the ‘Ju’ or soft side of leadership.

On the other hand, a good leader must have strength of character and resolve. They need to be decisive. This could be seen as the ‘Go’ or hard side of leadership.

Just as it is in karate, we must aim to develop both the Go and the Ju. For example, whilst people are aware their leader is open minded (a soft principle) they should also be aware that their leader will not let them ‘off the hook‘ or become soft when reprimand is necessary.

To be well developed in only one side will help you only so far.

For example, an instructor who is everyone’s ‘friend’ will have a big class. But if they lack the fortitude to discipline the class (because they want to be everyone’s friend), will find their big class will not run to schedule, quality will drop, students will fail gradings and will eventually drop out. Now they have ‘friends’ they no longer ever see!

In contrast, the instructor who is too hard and lacks likeability, will cause students to drop out because it is your warmth as well as your instruction they come back for.

It is important at this point to look at human nature. Any one can develop into a leader, but I feel natural leaders are in the minority. Let’s assume that only one in ten is a natural leader, are disciplined, self-starters; they look ahead, they plan, are persistent etc. That means that 90% of most people are not natural leaders. The good news is that the 90%, whilst perhaps not natural leaders, can develop into great leaders through desire and persistence.

Why Developing Into A Leader Is Important
Most people in life are subconsciously screaming out to be lead (kids especially). Human nature being what it is; generally has people opting for the easy option, the soft way out, the escape route. By our nature we are lazy and want maximum results for minimum effort. Deep down we know that is not the way life really works.

This is why leaders are so valuable, they show those who are not natural leaders the way. They encourage and set the right example, which draws a follower forward so in the end, the follower will see fruits for their efforts in life.

As an instructor, you will find yourself in this position, even if you are not developing up other instructors, although that will happen too if you are teaching good, enjoyable classes. At minimum you are leading your students, they look to you for three things:

As an example of technically good karate
As an example of good attitude
As an example of good discipline
Self-Discipline And Organisation Are Important In Leadership
There are many facets of leadership that are important, but most stem from your ability to be self-disciplined and organised to run your class to the GKR format. Starting class dead on time, the proper balance of time allocation to kihon (basics), kata (forms) and kumite (fighting), the proper balance of running a fun class and getting down to some hard work and sweat, the proper balance of praise, encouragement and yet constructive feedback so they can improve.

Questions For Your Own Appraisal:
A leader should take responsibility for their actions and position in life…. do you?

You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make it drink, but the good news is that you can lead it to water…every time! In other words, a leader is always encouraging and leading no matter how often it seems their efforts are not working - they never give up on their followers… do you?

A leader cannot expect their followers to tread where they have yet to tread, and continually tread – therefore they always work harder on themselves and their own development than they do on their followers (students)… do you?

There is a saying in leadership, “What you are speaks so loud I cannot hear what you are saying.” With this in mind a leader should be a living example of what the follower ought to be: self-disciplined, positive, solution orientated etc…are you?

It’s been enjoyable sharing these life truths with you.


Kancho Robert Sullivan
Founder and Chief Instructor




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The Importance Of Honing

I think it’s fair to assume that the majority of people who begin their journey in Martial Arts begin tentatively, unsure of how they may go, but really wanting to become a black belt. People deep down know that this black belt achievement means more than the material around your waist. It is years of dedication, patience, persistence and ecstasy.

I think one of the most important mindsets we need instill into all our students (ourselves included) especially those that have been training for some time, is the understanding about the need for honing.

As with the axe or blade, an implement can be shaped, and it will look like what it is supposed to look like; but it may not be effective, i.e. a blunt axe, still looks like the piece of equipment but doesn’t really work that well.

The same applies to your karate. You most likely have had your Regional Instructor talk to you about honing your skills. You see, after training in karate for a year (you are probably around green belt) you pretty much know all that a black belt knows (aside from a few kata). The only difference now is hundreds of hours of honing the skills, gradually ‘polishing’ away the imperfections to your technique. This slow deliberate process of improvement does take time. ‘The sharpest swords are forged in the hottest fires.’


“The difference is hundreds of hours of honing the skills, gradually ‘polishing’ away the imperfections to your technique”


When our instructor says to us, “Keep doing what you’re doing”, they are implying: ‘keep honing your skills. You are improving, but the blade is not quite sharp enough yet’.

Take a few seconds and picture your favourite sporting team or individual; see what they do and how well they do it. I’m going to use a tennis example. If you know the likes of John McEnroe, Andre Agasi or Roger Federer, you would most likely agree they can play tennis. You can play tennis. What is the difference between us? They have practiced their art. They have honed their skills. I can hit the ball, just as they can; however there is one small (or major) difference. They make fewer mistakes because they have honed away the ‘rough edges’.

There is a law known as the law of forced efficiency. This law states that an activity repeated becomes more efficient as the individual repeats it. Hence you will hear your Sensei saying (repeating) to you over and over “repetition, repetition, repetition”; “perfect practice makes perfect” and “repetition is the mother of skill.” All these sayings are longstanding because they are true.


“There is a law known as the law of forced efficiency.
This law states that an activity repeated becomes more
efficient as the individual repeats it”


We need to take pleasure in improving, no matter how small. These small changes to us are quite large to those around us. For example, when an individual trains, they may not feel they have progressed much from being a white belt (no matter what their rank) but an outsider watching will notice a great difference. Their skill has been ‘honed’ over time.

When we understand this for ourselves, we can pass it on and become better instructors. Honing is a consistent thing, constantly sharpening and polishing your technique is essential if you and your students are to reach their karate goals.


Sensei Antonie de Bruin
Senior Instructor, NZ



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Monkey See, Monkey Do!
Being a karate instructor for GKR is a very responsible and rewarding position. Having the attention of a class full of students with you being their role model is amazing. Whether you like it or not, or whether you think you are worthy or not, they think that you are the best.

You are their role model and you have a responsibility to make sure you are setting the right example, or at least a good enough example. Sometimes we go through stages in our karate training where we think we are not improving - but you have to remember that we are always one step ahead of our students.

Karate promotes humility, honesty, integrity etc, and we as instructors have to show the way, but above all we have to believe in these ourselves first. Contradiction would be completely unforgivable. For an instructor to say, “do not do that", and then go and do it themselves, means you risk losing credibility. Be honest and sincere in your quest to helping others gain some great qualities out of this fantastic art.

Lead the way! Teach good etiquette - show good etiquette.

There is a saying that can help you understand a little more about your students and the way they copy and mimic you as an instructor / sempai and that is:

'MONKEY SEE, MONKEY DO!'

How many of you have students that spar like you, hold themselves in stance like you, or even have the same little idiosyncrasies as you? This is because they copy what they see, and obviously, you are 'SENSEI' and what they see is correct in their eyes.

We have to be aware of the impact we have on our students and we have to work it to our advantage. Demonstrating every technique with precise, correct form will improve your own karate. Being aware of a certain technique you do, which you may feel weak or sloppy, will help you to concentrate more on perfecting it - a definite advantage.

We should also be aware of the way that we describe techniques to students (usually in kata). Using the correct wording is essential, and this obviously comes with experience. When you are teaching a kata in class and you ask the students to do a move, and the way you asked them was "step up and do a reverse punch", but what you should have said was " step forward and do a reverse punch", this simple difference in terminology will affect their momentum in that particular kata.

The word up will aid a rise in the stance.
The word forward says to keep the same height but move forward.

Go through some kata on your own and describe every move to yourself as you are going along, and then ask yourself - did it make sense?

Here are some more examples of this:
Taigyoku Shodan (2nd move) - step up and punch or step forward and punch
Bassai Dai (3rd move) - step down and block or step forward and block
Seiunchin (10th move) - step back and strike or step up and strike

Sometimes we have to re-think the words we use in our explanations to get the correct results. Sometimes we can explain the same thing, exactly the same way, to two students - one will understand it and the other one will not. Why is that? Some people are more visual, ie they like to be shown. Some people are more auditory, ie they like it to be explained. Some however need both. Sometimes if you just use different words and/or explain it differently, more people will understand.

It all comes down to experience - the more you teach, the better you get. The more experience - the more of an arsenal of words you will accumulate to cater for everyone and every situation.

Quote: Expect people to be better than they are - it helps them to become better. But don’t be disappointed when they are not - it helps them to keep trying!



Sensei Neil Thomas
Regional Instructor, UK


H

Thanks for posting this H, theres some interesting stuff in there!

Tom.

Well that doesn't say a lot about the black belts!



I guess I'll just hand my class onto one of my green belt students then

Cool, that means I can open another and start a franchise.

Mike

I know of one class exactly like this!!! Fits the entire statement.






Like it or not, you are NOT the best and are therefore misleading impressionable students.

A good leader should never think of themselves as being THE BEST. There is always someone better from which you should be seeking your own leadership.

Haha.. so what he is really saying is that Robert Sullivan has the same skills and knowledge of a 1 year student... haha I agree with him on this one!

This statement shows very clearly the limit of knowledge in GKR. To draw a comparision, most okinawan/ japanese masters have been studying karate for the majority of their entire life (60, 70, 80 years). And if asked if they know the entire system they would of course state NO! so either GKR has some advanced 'turbo' learning system or they can only teach up to 1 year student level.

So that is a fuller quote then.

In a vain attempt to defend how poorly this was written and expressed, at a GKR black belt grading, exactly the same list of strikes, blocks, kicks and stances are tested as at a green belt grading, after perhaps a single year of training.

It might be interesting to be in a different school where each increasing grade level had to know a progressively increasing number of techniques and things, until at 10th Dan it took a full three days to cover what you are expected to know. That last bit was me being cynical, really. And I would hope at the "different school" that the quality and application of techniques from last grade and the previous grade and previous one improved also.

I suppose some people expect that "something else" happens as they rise through the ranks of a martial art. At GKR you learn quickly about the range of things you will get taught, and then polish them. Even the 4th and 5th Dans have to stand in line and throw punches at the air!

Mr Warrick Dawes,
There is more to a syllabus than basic techniques. A long list of techniques does not mean your school is superior. ( i beleive this is what you are trying to say?) and I agree with you. However the are more advanced techniques that you should learn as you progress. These are not necessarily a new technique, for example: <BB do seiken, >BB do Ippon ken. But ways of using your existing techniques better.

For the first few years you should be taught the basics and a simple method of how to use them. for example:

Technique: Seiken (4 knuckle closed fist punch).
1. Possible Application: Uke steps into your range, you strike with seiken to solar plexis.

Later you should be taught how to create a more effective technique (eg, Faster more powerful)
2. Use Koshi (hips)
3. Use Hara (abdomen)

Later you should be taught a more effective use for the same technique.

4. Use taisabaki and strike seiken to floating rib.
5. Use Sen no Sen with Taisabaki and seiken.

and the list goes on. So it is not about merely adding new techniques or kata, it is about making them work better. You can not learn these by standing in line punching air.

I'm actually quite interested in your interpretation of this, being from the Goju side of things:

There are endless interpretations of the meaning of GoJu (hard / soft). Even between high ranking practitioners. Some suggest "strike hard, receive\defend soft", some relate it to breathing, others relate it to age, and others relate it to a synergy of relaxation and tension during a technique.

I do not think that the author here is suggesting this is the reason why Miyagi Sensei named his sect goju ryu, however I believe this statement is primarily meant to educate the novice instructors of GKR in a way to promote better business and has nothing to do with karate. Be nice to you students otherwise they will leave, be a good leader otherwise they will think you know very little and leave.

Mr GojuSeishinseii,

This is getting long so I'll try to be brief.

Yes I was inferring that a long list on techniques does not a superior style make. We agree.

Yes I was implying that higher rank means better / different / extended application of technique. We agree.

Yes, I agree that progression in performance of kata also is necessary. The kata required to grade at green belt will be tested again for a black belt assessment and they are technically "the same" - they will not look "the same."

This was merely a vain attempt to make something that appeared on the surface to be so utterly stupid that people would take cheap shots at it, equating a green belt rank and black belt rank. It was perhaps my intemperance at the "hahahaha" style replies that made my own reply so poor.

My apologies.

I think all agree it was a pretty appallingly phrased comment (green belts know what black belts do etc) easily taken at face value.
Shows one should carefully when imparting words of wisdom lest they be thought the one lacking in knowledge.

(ie - think before you speak... man ONE DAY I will get the hang of that.... maybe )