Cultivating a life, an excellent life. Are you a cultivating person or are you something other? Seeking change in your life or are you letting it pass by? Are you looking at the small things? The large things? The difference makers or the things on the margins that you can change for the better? Your goal of that change should be to live a better life and help others that are in your orbit live a better life through your acts.
Coach Says
One way to look at this is a coach I heard one time say, “If you’re not coaching it you’re allowing it to happen.”
Is the thing that’s happening that you’re not coaching a good thing? If it is a fine thing then you let it be. But there was a discerning eye placed on the thing, to decide if it fell into that category needed to be coached or not. I’m not going to suggest a way to do this.
To analyze this and make this change there are tons of materials out there. There are programs, books, apps, Pinterest, you can find all sorts of things that will help you. The choice is yours in discerning what you think needs to be changed in your life and how can be done.
So, the quick recommendation is to do an ad hoc, freewheeling analysis and ask a modest question or a version of it. “Is this a good thing?” “The best thing?” “Is this good for me and those around me?” if it’s good allow it, let it happen, if it needs improvement go to that end, make sure you address it.
Comfort and Regularity
As humans, we seek comfort and regularity. Rhythm and regularity are soothing and they are important. The regularity and rhythm of a bad thing, well that’s less than a positive act. And yes, we do less than positive acts. When you look at these acts you should couch them in terms of being a cultivated person.
The Cultivated Person, A Cultivated Life
When you look at things in the cultivated person manner, acts begin to take on a new flavor. Think about that cultivated person. That term implies that it’s not an instant change but change that takes place over time. Here’s another phrase that might help you see this, “Whatever you are not changing you are choosing.”
Kris Wilder is a martial artist based in Seattle Washington. He has authored many martial art books, including the classic, The Way of Kata. Making no apologies for his obsession of Football he can be found telling any who will listen about the nuances of the Canadian Football League.
The world prefers you’re organized and organizing. The ordering of one’s life, putting your world in place is important but I would argue that it’s essential.
We talk about organization regarding productivity. Productivity and organization are critical to a successful business and a successful life. The price you pay for being disorganized is expensive, and here’s a couple of examples.
Banks Are Not Your Friend
Banks are counting on you not organizing well. Financial institutions like you to be late with your payment, to do an overdraft, to exceed the benefits that they provide.
I’ve seen some statistics that have said that banks make upwards of 40% of their income on fees for their services. Banks set a threshold for your failure and with that keep people continually financially violate.
Society prefers you to be organizing your life. Organizing and staying on top of your world is keeping you from getting fined. You get fined for not filing your business taxes on time. Even if you didn’t owe business taxes you still need to file. You can see the penalties that are built around these types of things cost money.
Cheat Yourself
You show up late to an event and you cheat yourself out of the moment, it’s expensive. Organization, even in its smallest forms changes your world it changes things instantly.
There’s a phrase today we are using, it goes, “Make your bed.” The first thing you do is make your bed. This is the first act of bringing order to your day and it scales up to the world.
Discipline is doing what needs doing even if it’s not enjoyable. Where and how to start? There are one billion different systems out there to choose from. Adopt a system and use it.
Creative Scheduling
It’s what a friend of mine did. I pointed to her appointment book, and I identified her system by name. She said, “Yes, but I changed a little to suit my needs.” Brilliant. You start and then you adapt and change the color, the pages. Do it however you need to do it to organize your world. You can do it on your phone or you can do it on paper. Know it’s about developing a successful method that suits your needs and also your brain type.
Eat The Elephant
You see you can’t eat the elephant in one bite. We know this and to simply start is an understanding. You will acknowledge your bites are going to be small but eventually you’re going to eat the elephant.
Being disorganized is expensive. It is expensive in money and it’s expensive in lost moments. We want to keep as much of those as we can and enjoy our lives. We want to enjoy our money and enjoy our time, our experiences.
The World Prefers You’re Organized, It’s Elemental
If you’re not organized you need to start getting organized. If you’re good at organizing go ahead and start reviewing your system. Review because you change, the world changes, and your system should probably reflect that as well.
Recommending something to do, yes get starting on it today. Even the smallest of steps toward organization count.
Kris Wilder is a martial artist based in Seattle Washington. He has authored many martial art books, including the classic, The Way of Kata. Making no apologies for his obsession of Football he can be found telling any who will listen about the nuances of the Canadian Football League.
Lack of effort is an error. Mistakes are part of life they’re part of business, they’re part of our advocations, our games, every aspect of life has mistakes encoded into it.
John Bonham
The greatest drummer from Led Zeppelin. John Bonham was known for his attacking of the drum kit, his alternate rhythms, and his extraordinary effort in how he was playing his drums.
Decades after dying in 1980 his drumming is still studied. Bonham was part of arguably the greatest rock band that ever walked the face of the Earth. Now I know that other people would argue differently, but John Bonham decades after his death rings in the earbuds of new generations of fans.
Bonham’s effort was based around strength and syncopations and rhythms and he was extraordinary, and sometimes he was off time. His drumming was not matching the beat of the song, subtle yet present.
Lack of Effort is an Error
This error is…well, it’s human, it does bring a flavor to the music, humanity, and emotion. We forgive Bonham for this error, that is if we even perceive it. We also are seeing the error being completely swallowed by his efforts.
Mistakes they’re expected in music and in life however, when we make a mistake well an apology is in order. It’s part of the formula, but the formula has a part that was said earlier and that is that you get to take ownership of your error.
Nobody should question the effort you put in, even though it was an error. So, making mistakes is expected. Lack of effort, never.
Kris Wilder is a martial artist based in Seattle Washington. He has authored many martial art books, including the classic, The Way of Kata. Making no apologies for his obsession of Football he can be found telling any who will listen about the nuances of the Canadian Football League.
Monotony can be confusing. Monotony can often be jumbled randomly with boredom. They can cross-pollinate each other. However, boredom and monotony are two different things. Monotony is a large part of life.
Boredom
As for being in a boring situation. If you claim to be bored it’s because you are lacking. Lacking in creativity. You’re lacking a sense of exploration, or a tinge of adventure.
As for monotony, it’s difficult to endure monotony when it’s without purpose. If it is purposeless monotony it does become horrible. But with those observing monotony, they see the goal or the objective. It doesn’t become purposeless. The losing of purpose disappears, the monotony takes on a new sensation that’s a thing called fruitful monotony.
Fruitful Monotony
We should integrate into our lives the idea of fruitful monotony. You see fruitful monotony is having a target. Then properly moving toward that target. Being ready, willingly engaging in the inevitable monotony that is going to come. Monotony is known. It’s in the observing, and it is expecting it to arrive. Like I said, monotony is a large part of life.
Viktor Frankl
Fruitful monotony is what separates the failures the also-rans, the losers from those that are successful. Knowing the monotony exists and approach it from a mature viewpoint. As long as we have a goal to that monotony then we can endure it, it becomes a fruitful monotony. Viktor Frankl in writing in his book, “Man’s Search For Meaning,” wrote these powerful word, “Those that have a why to live can bear almost any how.”
Kris Wilder is a martial artist based in Seattle Washington. He has authored many martial art books, including the classic, The Way of Kata. Making no apologies for his obsession of Football he can be found telling any who will listen about the nuances of the Canadian Football League.
The Sanchin kata testing was dynamic. After the examination, we gathered around the new Godan. The finger imprints from the teachers slapping the new Godan shoulders resonated red. The fingerprints appeared buried deep in his sweat-covered skin.
Being freshly minted black belts, we worked our way around his torso, calling out, “Look at this one!” We discovered with reverence more marks left on his body from the test. Later I would come to learn, I had bought into the falsehood that these marks indicated good, strong karate.
Sanchin Testing
Shime testing is a two-person drill. Shime testing serves as a way of seeing a practitioner’s ability to apply the strategies and tactics of Sanchin kata.
The idea behind the testing is to have the practitioner placed under a load, to see their structure. To do this we use shime testing. The testee will be performing the kata. Then there will be a second person who is testing their body.
The testing involves putting pressure on the testee’s body. Further, the intent is to find the weak spots in the structure. The goal being discovery, so the practitioner can correct a weakness.
What is seen as classical testing, striking the testee with impetus, is a modern affection. As a result this form of testing is incorrect in its application and also its goal.
To gather some perspective around the idea of shime, take a look at the word. Shime translates to mean: to lock, tighten, or shut.
Shime is used to judge the practitioner’s ability to lock the body down. This locking down or tightening shuts off the areas of vulnerability. Further the locking down also provides a strong platform from which to strike. The fact is shime is all about the performer of the kata and conversely little to do with the tester.
Sanchin Striking Force
Percussive striking forces the body and mind into a form of triage. Triage is a medical term. Triage is a means of analysis that determines the priority of treatment. The analysis is ordered by the severity and survivability of the injury.
The body will instinctively use triage to address the force of the strike and not analyze the test. In fact the body wants to figure out what threat gets addressing first? The body takes that threat and using triage puts a threat to number one about importance. Structure, education, exploration, information, go to the bottom of the order.
The goal in Sanchin testing is the betterment of the student and not a display. When betterment is the goal then the method of percussive striking is not helpful. It is difficult to analyze and understand the feedback of a quick strike in a meaningful fashion.
More on this with an example you can apply, but before that here are a couple of quotes to underscore the point:
“Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.”
“To build may have to be the slow and laborious task of years. To destroy can be the thoughtless act of a single day.” – Winston Churchill
“Wisely, and slow. They stumble that run fast.” – William Shakespeare “Somebody asked me – you know, how come it took you so long to win a national championship? And I said, ‘I’m a slow learner; but you notice when I learn something, I have it down pretty good.” – John Wooden
The Slow Pace of Sanchin Kata
The percussive method of testing a person’s Sanchin Kata is of little value. It’s as they used to say. “All show and no go,” or “All hat and no cattle.” Excessive slapping, kicking, punching may only constitute 1% of good testing of Sanchin. It looks great – too childish eyes.
Sanchin kata is performed at a slow pace allowing for an audit of movement. In turn, the tester should honor this pace. The slow pace allows the testee the building of an overarching and unified structure.
Example of Sanchin Kata Testing
During the performance of the Sanchin kata, the tester will often station themselves behind the testee. From this rear position, the tester will place both hands on the Trapezius muscle.
The Trapezius muscles run from the base of the skull to the lower thoracic vertebra on both sides of the body. For our purposes, the Trapezius muscles serve as a shelf to place the tester’s palms.
Testing involves placing the tester’s palms on the testee’s shoulders (Trapezius muscles). Once the hands are in position the tester slaps down hard several times.
Experience and education are poor in this example. The actions are percussive force, and not load. A load is a weight or source of pressure by a person on the testee.
The second, and preferred method, is to place the hands on the shoulders. Then pushing downward trying to drive the person into the ground. One element being tested is the flexibility of the spine.
The spine should have no flexibility. The bones should be stacked allowing for the transfer of energy. The is transfer should go into the ground in this example of testing.
This method of adding load to the practitioner allows them to audit their stance. During this testing, a weakness, for example in the lower spine, can be fixed with realigning the vertebrae.
By striking quickly and hard on the practitioner the experience is less favorable. In response to a strike, the testee will compresses and springs back into place using triage. This method allows no time for subtlety, study, or remediation.
Steady pressure
Similar methodologies are used by IKEA, the home furnishing company. IKEA will test a chair with a machine that slowly and repeatedly sits down on the chair until the chair fails.
These two examples of product testing countermand the popular Sanchin testing method. The explosive and percussive methods of testing Sanchin, are not used by Underwriters Unlimited (UL) or IKEA. UL and IKEA both seek information and not a broken object. Sanchin testing should carry the same reasons and methodologies.
Learn Slow to Learn Sanchin Kata Faster
The percussive striking of modern-day Sanchin testing is an affectation. Dynamic striking of the testee is not a pathway for success. Using percussive striking as a primary means of testing lacks understanding of the goal of shime testing.
Another way to put it is, you want to use the time on the floor well, and get as much information as you can to the student. It’s a form of honoring the moment and all involved.
The old method of testing Sanchin kata is that of a building load and not percussion. The testing is about allowing the student to study their body and the teacher aiding the student.
When you are assisting a student. During the auditing of the testee you will address the cardinal points of the compass. (North, South, East, West) The other four intermediate directions are also used. These points are also known in their classic Japanese terms; Happo Kuzushi. These are the traditional eight directions of imbalance.
Sanchin Training Tips
As the practitioner performs Sanchin kata, use your fist to give pressure in a direction. For example, from front to back, (North to South) on the practitioner’s chest. Increase the pressure until you feel the practitioner losing their structure. Then hold that position allowing them to adjust their body to meet the load you are placing on them. Above all this is subtle and cooperative.
This is where wisdom and instruction come in. It is the tester’s responsibility to aid the testee. By adding corrections, and pointing to discoveries the testee is gaining better performance.
As you can see, the entire process of shime for Sanchin kata is about cooperation and study, and not brute force.
Sanchin is practiced in a dojo, “The hall of the way.” The testing should be seen as co-education, not a competition. Study and learn. Adopt methods, sometimes old methods, study, learn, and improve.
Stay with it until you get what you want, and then exit. I trust it is to your liking.
Here is a little extra.
A brief selection from The Back Channel Podcast, the topic Consistency. Consistency is an element of good karate practice and is a corner stone to Sanchin kata practice. Sometimes we all need a boost and here it is.
Quote Sitting, that’s a term I just made up but I’m going to show you how it works and I think you’re going to find value in it.
On any social program any social platform you’re going to find quotes that are tossed out like chicken feed cast on the ground with little thought and the chickens eat it as quickly as possible with no thought.
Quotes, Quotes, and More Quotes
If you ignore a majority of quotes that come across your social media feed and I believe you do you’re not reading them you’re not engaging in them and they are nothing but chicken feed cast out on the ground with little thought to what they mean and little thought on the reception.
What happens though when you see that one quote that really hits you, you know just one of those stunners what action do you take with that? Do you write it down? Do you screenshot it or pause and re-read it? How do you deal with it when it hits you?
Well, I have a suggestion for you. Here is my recommendation when you find that quote. Take a moment and dive into it and hear what it has to say.
John Steinbeck
Here’s how this works in an example. I love the quote from American author Steinbeck. “The final weapon is the brain, all else is supplemental.” Now here’s the process as I engage with that quote. Each word is seen separately and then it’s placed back in context.
As an example, “final.” OK that’s the last, that’s the end of the road, that’s the last stop there is nowhere else to go. Then I moved to, “weapon” well that’s a tool that’s used in defense or offense to stop or injure an opponent. That’s what a weapon is for. Then the brain, the brain is the driver of the body, and supplemental means that everything else is in a supportive role of the brain.
The Beginning of Quote Sitting
When I get done reading this, I look at it and I say, “My brain is the initiator of all of my behavior and it should be treated as such and especially when I am using it in a weapon like manner. Whether it’s defensive or offensive my brain is what separates me.
I understand that it is my intelligence, my cunning, and ability to build and use all the supplemental things of my body or in my environment to suit my purposes. That is how I read that quote. The results of quote sitting.
So, the next time you come across a quote that means something to you take a moment and break it down and digest each word. What does each word really mean? Then once you’ve done the breakdown, you’ll have that quote integrated into your thought process and soon your behavior process as well. You don’t sit too long, but you quote sit.
Here is a back issue that you may find interesting as it deals with words and their meanings: Word Salad Tastes Terrible
