Training Weekend in June

Come on, come all! This is a training event that you will not want to miss. If you are having trouble reading the image of the flyer, have questions, or want to register, please call 805-931-0683. [Note: click on image of flyer to see it in a larger, more readable size.]


Many of you have enjoyed and greatly benefited from Sensei Gillilnd's training weekends in the past; this one should be even better, and will cover a broad range of topics including weapons, sparring, kata bunkai (applications), self-defense, effective judo throws, and more.

While this seminar is primarily designed for students and instructors in the Keichu system, students of other styles are welcome as well.

Updated Belt Test Guidelines

The following has been updated, yet again, to reflect the most current guidelines as of June 2008.

Here are some important guidelines to help you prepare for your next belt test:

1. Review our belt test information, beginning with our article on belt testing and including our blog posts on belt testing.
   
2. If you are testing for yellow belt or above, you will need to arrange for a classmate to be your uke for your test. This person should preferably be close to your rank or above. (In some cases, size may be a more important consideration than rank.) You may want to set aside some practice time to work with your uke, both in and outside of class, although this is not required. Try to attend at least one Test Review class together prior to your belt test. Open gyms are also important. In addition, if you are a BasicPlus or BlackBelt Track member, you can arrange with Sensei to schedule additional practice times in the dojo.
3. If you are testing for blue belt or above, prepare yourself for an increasingly long test that will include sparring and possibly grappling as well. It is highly recommended that you attend as many Fight Classes prior to your test as possible.
   
4. Make sure your uniform is in order. If your gi is beginning to look shabby or small, you will need to have a new one in time for the test. Everyone should arrive looking sharp, with the proper patch in place, and the gi clean and pressed. If you are testing for an intermediate or advanced rank, please wear the appropriate gi.
5. Know what is expected of you at each rank, and prepare accordingly.

In addition to the guidelines on our website, here are the special testing requirements at each belt level:

• Striped Yellow and Yellow Belt --- Student needs to demonstrate all required material at the proper level and with confidence.
• Blue Belt --- In addition to testing on all requirements, candidates will be required to spar and may be required to grapple. (This also applies to Jr. Orange belt candidates.)
  
• Green and Purple Belts --- Candidates for green belt will be required to test in front of Sensei Gilliland. All candidates may be asked to spar or grapple, and may also be asked to demonstrate a weapons kata. (While weapons training is not required below black belt level, it is included in our optional/bonus material and can increase test scores as well as earn gold/silver stars.)
  
• Brown Belt Candidates:
• Sankyu --- All brown belt candidates will be tested either orally or in writing on the basic history of Keichu Ryu and general martial arts knowledge. Sparring and grappling is required at all brown belt tests. Students should be prepared for a long test that will require them to work hard. They should also prepare for surprises. Some of those surprises may be more fun than others. In preparing to advance to this rank, students need to demonstrate a high level of dedication and a readiness for leadership and service. Sankyu candidates will be required to test for Sensei Gilliland.
  
• Nikyu --- Students should be prepared to spar, grapple, scrapple, work hard, and demonstrate everything that they know to the best of their ability.
• Ikkyu --- Be prepared for a long test...a very long test. Once the candidate begins testing on the ikkyu requirements, the test will be closed to anyone but family. Testing for ikkyu is a huge step and requires a great deal of commitment. This will not be an easy test by any stretch of the imagination. Be prepared for anything. If you have ever heard any rumors about Sensei being "old school", you will discover that they were all understatements.
• Black Belt Candidates --- You will be informed at or after your ikkyu test about how to begin the final preparations for black belt. You will be required to write a thesis. During the last six months of preparation before the pre-test, you will be working many long hours. Sensei will give you a checklist of what needs to be accomplished before setting the date for your test, which will take place with Sensei Gilliland on the panel.
  

When you are preparing for a belt test, know that we will evaluate more than just your technique. The correct attitude is essential, and becomes even more crucial as you advance in rank. Your physical appearance at your belt test communicates your level of respect for the testing panel, the importance you place on advancing to the next rank, your degree of self-discipline, and your dedication to Keichu.

Remember that it takes three things to be a good student at Shinjin Karate. It takes respect, ultimate focus, and hard work. That is also what it takes to do well at a belt test.

Training Weekend

As expected, we learned a lot, and we had fun. Those of you who weren't there have no idea what you missed out on. Next time I'm sure you will not want to be left out.

A few pictures:

Preparing for belt tests

[Please see the most recent guidelines here.]

A special guest at our dojo

At Five Cities Keichu-Do, we encourage our students to "train hard and train smart". One of the things that I have noticed from observing classes at other karate schools, from watching martial arts instructor training videos, and from conversing with other students and instructors, is that there is a lot of "martial arts fluff" out there. We believe that Keichu-Do is an excellent, effective system, and that it should be taught and practiced effectively.

Over the four years that we have been teaching in Grover Beach, we have had a number of students transfer to our dojo from other styles. The majority of them have been surprised to discover how much more we require of our students, and how much more our students learn. Some of them were not at all used to the concept of "training hard" or "training smart"; their previous training had never taught them to do techniques effectively; sometimes they had zoomed up several belt levels without learning a single kata or without even learning to kick and punch correctly.

This past Thursday in class, our guest instructor, Sensei Gilliland, helped show us that there are some areas where we need to train harder. That is, in many ways, what Keichu is all about: we are constantly seeking to improve our dedication to training and, most of all for Christians, our dedication to Jesus Christ. I've met few students who want to be mediocre martial artists. If we want to be the best, we need to train the best that we can.

Sensei Gilliland instructs the 5:00 class.

Horse stance training!

If you think the 4:00 and 5:00 classes were hard, they were nothing! You should have seen what we had to do in the 6:00 class. We decided not to post the pictures of us kicking over chairs, or trying to kick with our partners' belts tied around our legs, or any of the other stuff we had to do. If you missed it, you missed out on the fun.

Updated info about Keichu Kai memberships

UPDATED TO READ: The following is outdated and is included only for its "historical value". The organization mentioned no longer exists. All Keichu Kai Lifetime Memberships have been updated to AKKKDK lifetime memberships. For more information, call or email.

There has been a slight change to the Keichu Kai Lifetime Memberships, which are available to students of all Keichu styles: Keichu-Do, Keichu Ryu, Keichu Hoshin Jitsu, or any other recognized Keichu style.

From now on, membership in the Keichu Kai will be required of all Keichu-Do students in order to advance in rank. Soke has announced that there will be no more dojo rank certification, but that all rank certification is to come directly from him.

What are the benefits of a Keichu Kai Lifetime Membership?

• Membership certificate
• Required for Rank Certification from Soke Marx, Founder of Keichu
• No charge for rank promotions (except black belt fees and any dojo/material costs)
• Lifetime Membership Patch
• All monies not used for membership materials directly benefit the founder of our system, Soke Marx, who has labored tirelessly on behalf of Keichu for over 45 years.

What this means for Five Cities Keichu-Do:

1. New students will pay the $75 Keichu Kai Lifetime Membership Fee as part of their enrollment fees.
2. Current students who are not yet Keichu Kai Lifetime Members may wait until their next belt test to pay the fee.
   

Keichu Training Weekend was great!!

Last Friday evening and most of Saturday, Keichu martial artists crowded into Soke's dojo in Santa Maria, assorted weapons in hand, to take part in a special Keichu Training Weekend. Our guest instructor was Sensei Danny Gilliland, 6th dan in Keichu Ryu, who had come all the way from Louisiana to teach three kobudo sessions and one kata application session.

Friday's session was all about the bo, or long staff. Sensei Gilliland taught Keichu no Bo, with emphasis on the bunkai or application of each technique in the kata.

Sensei Travis Christensen, an instructor in Santa Maria, acts as uke to Sensei Gilliland.

Performing upper blocks as part of the kata:

On Saturday, the morning session continued with long weapons. We worked some more on Keichu no Bo and then the advanced students began learning the eiku kata. By lunch time, we were definitely hungry and ready for a break.

After lunch, the next session answered the question, "What does kata teach us about self-defense?" as we explored the different levels of bunkai found in open hand kata. While I love training weapons, this session was one of my favorites. I hope that my students were equally inspired, and that they will never train kata in the same way as before.

Then it was on to the final session: short weapons. We spent most of the time on the tunfa, learning the kata and application. Several different uke "attacked" Sensei Gilliland so that he could demonstrate the various techniques. Here Mitch Jan from our Santa Barbara dojo wields his bo.

The last part of the session was spent on the sai.

By the time it was all over, we were tired! One attendee said that his head felt ready to explode with all the new things he had learned. Before we said our goodbyes and headed out to dinner, the diehards who had managed to stay to the very end posed for a picture.

We are very thankful to Sensei Gilliland for taking the time to travel here and teach us. I'm also thankful that several of our students had the opportunity to take part in such an exciting training opportunity. Everyone seems really motivated to continue working on what we learned.

Kata

Saturday was the day for kata. Sempai Miriam was quite pleased with her second place, behind Sara Vance from Sensei Gilliland's dojo.















Team kata


Kristin Gilliland performs her kata in the senior black belt women's division.


Sensei competes in kata.


Angelical Drexel, a Keichu stylist from Sensei Gilliland's dojo, competes in the Grand Championship run-off.


Just after the exciting announcement was made: Angelica Drexel will face Joe Dupaquier in the Grand Championship Finals for Black Belt Kata!

Hanging out at Rapides Karate

We have spent some fun days in Tioga, enjoying the hospitality of the Gillilands. The kids have also enjoyed the wide screen TV, with its wealth of more channels than one could possibly watch in a lifetime.

But we've not just been couch potatoes. One day, a friend of Sensei Gilliland showed us his collection of antique Japanese swords; another day we visited a pawn shop and picked up a couple knives. Benjamin has even made himself useful at the trophy and t-shirt shop, helping get things ready for Worlds.

Late afternoons and evenings, of course, were spent at the dojo. During the first class on Wednesday, after warm-ups and basics, Miriam, Benjamin, and Daniel enjoyed having a wide variety of people to spar and grapple. The class ended with some kata work. We then watched the white belt class work on basics and pre-sparring drills, while "Sensei's Girls" practiced their competition team kata. After training basics in the third class, we worked on kata.

That night, the Gillilands' home was full with overnight guests in anticipation of getting up before the crack of dawn in order to head to New Orleans.

At the dojo

We tore the children away from cartoons on Monday so that we could have lunch and head down to the dojo. Until 5:00, we had the dojo to ourselves, and used the time to practice rather leisurely for Worlds.

It was hot. In fact, it was very hot.

Unfortunately, we had no idea how to turn on the air conditioner. Just as we were about to expire, a helpful soul dropped by and rescued us by resetting the dojo thermostat. Not that much later, Sensei Gilliland came, noticed that the air conditioner was only functioning halfway, and remedied that, much to our great relief.


At 5:00, the first class started. I stayed on the sideline, taking pictures, while everyone else (mostly green and purple belts) went through their paces, training basics, doing bag work, and then sparring. Although the dojo was much cooler than it had been earlier in the day, we simply aren't used to sparring in that climate. "Hot? Why, it's downright cold in here," someone remarked, while teasing Sempai Miriam for how red her face had become.

I think we're spoiled by the mostly cool weather on the Central Coast.

The Keichu dojo

Sensei Linda McCoy expressed so eloquently the relationship between student and teacher in a Keichu dojo. Here are some excerpts:

This is not just another karate school. This is a dojo, a place for learning the way. The Way of Keichu has evolved through the years, and is always evolving...At first some things you will learn might seem meaningless or even silly; but if you do your best to learn them anyway, then the understanding will follow. You will learn to take pride in your dojo and in what it will come to mean to you. You will change...

This is not just another karate school. This is my heart I share with you. You have come to me because you want to learn what I can teach you. By allowing you to become part of my dojo, I have accepted the responsibility of teaching you what you need to know. By becoming part of my dojo, you are accepting responsibility to learn what I have to teach, and I have a lot more to teach than just [how to] kick and punch.... I am here to share with you my way of life; there is no way you can buy that.

This is not just another karate school. This is not just a class, it's a family. ... This dojo is a household, and is related to other households with whom we share the family name of Keichu, and a common way of life.

This is not just another karate school. This is a Keichu-Do dojo. Keichu means "devoting oneself entirely", not to your sensei or your dojo, but to the way of life we share. Devoting yourself entirely will mean doing your best at everything, all the time ♠ at school, at work, at home, in the dojo ♠ so that you can become the person you want to be.

Being involved in Keichu-Do is, I believe, an extremely valuable use of one's time. However, like anything else, the effort one puts forth and the commitment one makes determines how much benefit that person receives. Those who come to "try out" a class for a week or so may leave thinking that there wasn't a whole lot to be gained from training. However, they have not invested enough time and effort to make a fully informed decision about the benfits of Keichu. It took many of us years of training before we began to appreciate all that we were being taught.

Someone once likened the study of martial arts to an onion. At first, you may think you know a lot about the onion, as you view it from the outside. However, as you continue on your study of the martial arts, more and more layers are revealed, layers that were completely obscured previously. And so it is with the martial arts. Some never see past the punching and kicking to all the rich layers of what there is to learn from the martial arts.

Stick around. The best is yet to come.

Loyalty and Family

Some recent perusing of the websites of various martial arts schools and organizations turned up many instances of "loyalty" and "family" as being values taught and held dear by many martial artists. In fact, these are often referred to as being foundational values. The history of the martial arts is full of blood oaths of loyalty, of practitioners being inducted into families, of martial artists being willing to lay down their lives for their dojo mates.

That was, of course, another day and time ♠ even if some modern day black belt ceremonies still involve oaths and tattoos.

I am not one for oaths and vows and binding covenants. The last vows I took were during my marriage ceremony. I do not take these things lightly. I agree with Jesus' words, "Let your yes be yes and your no be no." I am thankful that Soke did not require any vows of allegiance from me during my black belt ceremony.

At the same time, the lack of loyalty and family sense among many martial artists disturbs me. I don't expect beginners in the martial arts to have a sense of loyalty; many of them are still "trying out" the martial arts. They are products of our American culture, which is more and more consumer-oriented and driven by felt needs. As long as the martial arts class "meets their needs", as long as it is fun, they will come.

For quite a while, "family" has been listed as one of the core values of our dojo. I've stressed the importance of family, not only our immediate family, but our dojo family, and our extended Keichu family. I sense, when I talk about these things, that most of my students think I am a bit odd to go on and on about "family members" they have never met. So what if this guy also does the same art in some other dojo somewhere? What is that to them?

One former student went so far as to say, "If I hear that guy's name one more time, I'm gonna scream!", referring to a Keichu instructor and impressive competitor. When there is exciting news to be shared about someone within the Keichu family, I share it. That's what family does. This student was simply annoyed. She thought our dojo should be more about her than about people she'd never even met. She didn't understand her place in the grand scheme of things. She didn't understand that this young man was her sempai, her senior within Keichu, and that she owed him her respect.

But, then again, she didn't see us as family either.

Students come and go. When do they actually become family? Is it when they first put their feet on our floor? Is it when they sew on their Keichu patch? Is it when they advance to a certain rank? Or is it when they recognize the kinship and bond that should exist among all Keichu practitioners?

And what about loyalty? What does it require of us? Does it fit within today's martial arts community, where too many students view martial arts simply as an alternative to fitness centers or team sports?

I don't need loyalty oaths to bind me to Keichu-Do. I don't need vows to recognize that those who train under the banner of "Keichu" are my brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, sons, daughters, and cousins, and that Soke is our father. That is what Keichu has become to me. It is my family. It is my way of life. It is my home.

All of this, I'm sure, sounds odd to beginners. "But it's just a martial arts class!" I can hear them say. Well, yes...for you. For me, and for many others, it is something far more.

I've been rethinking this whole "core value" thing, trying to put into words and distill the core values of Keichu that were handed down to me. Something seemed a bit amiss with the list we've been working from in our dojo. I ended up working on a new list, which at first was almost endlessly lengthy, echoing the Keichu Character Traits that we studied when I was coming up through the ranks and almost everything I could remember Soke emphasizing in his talks at the end of class. But who wants to be overwhelmed by two pages of "core values"? What values are really at the core of what Soke teaches?

This is what I finally came up with:

• Dedication (of course...that almost goes without saying!)
• Discipline
• Respect
• Honor
• Humility
• The Keichu Attitude

Wait a moment! What happened to loyalty and family? Ah, but that is what dedication and respect and honor and, in fact, all the core values are about. Loyalty and family are but a part of those values, an important part, but just a part.

I believe that the bonds of family are forever. It is a great privilege to be part of the Keichu family. May all of us grow in dedication, discipline, respect, honor, humility, and the Keichu attitude. May we be worthy of the name Keichu.

Just train

On Saturday afternoon, during a break between the end of competition and the beginning of finals, Sensei Danny Gilliland and Sempai Kristin Gilliland took the time to critique some of Miriam's and my weapons and empty-hand kata. I was tired from judging, from competing, and from a long day after a late night. My back hurt. The last thing I wanted to do was wave some metal weapons around or attempt to move. Since I was going on to finals, I was ready to give myself some sort of lame excuse about needing to rest and conserve what little energy I had.

I'm glad I didn't flake out.

Instead, I reminded myself of how little time I have to receive direct instruction and how frustrated I've been over my sai kata. Here was the opportunity I'd been almost desperately awaiting. I wasn't being asked to go through some grueling, lengthy class. Just do a kata or two...

Afterwards, I felt rejuvenated. I had a list of things that I needed to work on. I'd had a number of corrections pointed out and suggestions given for ways that I could improve. Techniques had been explained to me. I felt as if I'd been given not only new information, but new tools.

The day before, two high-ranking black belt women had drawn me aside and given me some excellent advice for improving my bo kata.

This year at Nationals was not only fun, but I think that, at least for me, it represented the vision that Grandmaster Trias had when he originally founded the United States Karate Association---that martial artists of different schools and even styles would come together and learn from one another.

One of the things that I enjoy as a judge is the opportunity to "give back". Just as I've benefitted, and continue to benefit, from those who take the time to offer me suggestions for improvement, I try to do the same for others.

It was tempting to stay in bed this morning and not go to any seminars. But I knew I would regret that. I've never regretted training. I've never regretted learning something of value.

Just train. In season and out of season. Whether you feel like it or not. It's always worth the effort. Just train. Hhhhmmmm...maybe someone should put that as a slogan on the back of a t-shirt...

Keichu Training Weekend

Sensei Gilliland hosted a great training weekend in Louisiana on October 22 and 23rd. Soke Marx traveled there with his son Dustin Marx and Matt Hickman, a black belt from the Santa Maria Dojo. Miriam and Rebecca Prewett represented the Five Cities dojo.

We were privileged to meet some of the Keichu legends we've been hearing about for years. We also got in some great seminars, watched an exciting belt test, and returned home inspired to train harder and teach more effectively. We have pictures in our photo album.