Yesterday afternoon, I was training with my children at home and the topic of progress was discussed; My 18 year old daughter (whom some of you know) is reluctantly preparing for her shodan test. Yes, reluctantly. Two years ago, she had all requirements needed and was ready then. She informed me that she was absolutely happy with wearing a brown belt, so I didn’t push the issue for fear of pushing her away. The last couple of years, she’s trained and continued to grow in skill, so i brought it up to her again in March; I told her that I would really like for her to test for her black belt in front of Takamiyagi Sensei when he visits in October. Again she balked, stating that she was ‘nervous’.
Ok, that’s fine, let’s change subjects, I said.
So, are you excited to be a senior in high school? She flashed a huge grin, Yes, I’m SO excited!
i replied: “Yes, you certainly have worked hard over the past 12 years, and you’ve earned the right to graduate; are you nervous about graduation? ”
No, she replied..maybe a little, but I’m just excited, and can’t wait! I’ve worked hard, stayed up late so many nights doing assignments, and I’m ready to graduate.
“But, you love being a senior, right “? Yes sir.
“So, why not just tell your teachers, counselors, and principles that you are happy right where you are?” She looked at me like I was crazy. “Surely your teachers would understand, right?” No-sir. That’s crazy talk. I’ve already earned enough credits to graduate anyways. “So, because you already meet the requirements to graduate, you think you should move up, and move on to the next step of your education? ”
She looked at me in silence as her mind began to register my longest analogy ever. She grinned, and her face became a little red.
‘I see what you did there, dad.”

My daughter began her formal basic education and her martial arts training as a 6 year old girl. After 12 years of study, hard work, and intensive practice, she is now ready to take the next step in both area, for she has now acquired her basic level of education in both school and the dojo.
Some students walk in the dojo craving that black belt from the first day, but they don’t want to put in the work. Others work quietly and shun promotion and recognition.

There is no ‘1st Dan’ in karate. Sho-Dan means “beginning level.”  You aren’t a master of anything except yourself. By shodan, you will have mastered the discipline to work hard and learn the basics required to begin your next step.  Nothing more. Nothing less.

Don’t be afraid of the shodan..the beginning level black belt. It is simply the next step after 1-kyu. It’s a way for your teacher to recognize that you’ve worked hard and learned the basics. Embrace it, accept it, and continue training.

G.Parker.

Preservation.

You have your reasons and I have mine; sometimes they overlap, often they’re the same. Still we train. We train for improved health, improved skill, peace, and balance. There are literally a plethora of other reasons that we train.

After gaining sufficient skill, some of us begin to teach, we take on students in order to pass on knowledge to the next generation.

This is a responsibility that should not be taken lightly.

This is a responsibility that should not be taken lightly. 

THIS IS A RESPONSIBILITY THAT SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY.

Yes, you read it correctly; it was written three times because this is important.  It’s important that every teacher understands the larger scale responsibility that we’ve accepted when we agreed to be called ‘sensei’.

Beyond the personal rewards of watching our students growth and progress lies the larger reward of preserving our art.   This reward often comes with little or no recognition, nor should it be expected. The reward is that the art is being preserved for the next generation, and that is enough.

2014 has brought exciting changes to our dojo for the advancement and preservation of our art.  Takamiyagi Hanshi will be coming to the United States as the featured instructor for our 15th Anniversary Goshukan Gasshuku.  Our first student in the Goshukan-Ryu Yudansha Transition Program is on track for certification by the end of the year. Plans have been set for the first Okinawa Goshukan-Ryu Honbu Dojo Training Trip for summer/2016 where our students will be exposed to intensive private training at the Honbu Dojo in Okinawa.

While these are all exciting and rewarding in different ways, the primary focus is simply to ensure preservation of our art.  As a teacher, this is my duty; this is my responsibility.

G. Parker

This is primarily for my own students, as there is already a plethora of information on this topic; if anyone else gets anything new from this article, that’s great as well.

In the dojo, there are earned titles, given titles, and forms of address.  Americans often blur the lines and confuse them all. This article is meant to clarify what is, and what isn’t acceptable- from an Okinawan Native viewpoint.

Sensei:  If you have students, you are a Sensei.  At 2-dan or 10-dan. Period.  Sensei isn’t a title, it is a descriptor or a designation. That’s it, nothing more.

Senpai/Kohai:  Everyone in the dojo has a designation as Senpai (senior) or Kohai (Junior). Again, this is a designation, not a title, and isn’t limited to the dojo (in Japan).  From primary school to executives in the boardroom- you will always hear people referring to Junko Senpai, or Higa Senpai.  You address your Senpai as such, but you do not address your kohai as ‘kohai’. It is already understood, but if necessary, one may refer to a kohai in conversation for clarification. In some dojo, the highest ranking student under the teacher is often designated Dai-Senpai; again, this is only a designation, not a title. A title will always have paper (menjo/shojo) to authenticate the title.

Renshi/Kyoshi/Hanshi:  These are all formal titles that denote different levels of mastery; The lines are blurry on this, especially in the West. It is uncommon and generally unacceptable to address someone by their title in Okinawa/Japan.  It is acceptable to include formal title on letterhead, business cards, announcements, etc.  It is taboo for anyone to EVER refer to themselves by their given teaching title or designation.

Shidoin, Shidoshi, etc:  These are entry level instructor titles, and aren’t used by all dojo organizations.  Again, these are titles on paper, nothing more.  Not a form of address by students or instructors.

Kancho/Kaicho:  These are designations for heads of styles or  heads of organizations:  These designations are descriptive and do not have any bearing on the rank or teaching title.

Shihan:  This is so different from dojo to dojo and within different organizations, that it’s difficult to describe with continuity. Again, it is not a traditional level of teaching title; it’s a descriptor for the teacher: In our organization, Shihan is the designation of a dojo owner in the rank of 5-dan or higher. It is not a form of address, but again, can be used as a descriptive term on some documents.

Master, Grandmaster, Professor:  These titles have absolutely nothing to do with Okinawan Karate. End of story.

Proper Etiquette:  DO NOT refer to yourself or sign your name, email, etc. as any title or designation.   DO refer to any teacher as ‘Sensei’. This is always acceptable.  Referring to one’s own teacher as Sensei in and out of the dojo, is always the right way. Referring to any Senpai by first name is frowned upon and usually unacceptable in dojo setting.  In personal settings it’s ok, if the Senpai/Senior has insisted on being called by first name only.

SUMMARY:  In the Dojo:  Parker Sensei is ok.  Izumi Sensei is ok. Keith Senpai is ok.  Parker Shihan or Parker Renshi is not ok.  Takamiyagi Hanshi is not ok (and he will definitely laugh at you before making the correction).

Outside of the Dojo:  Hey Garry (if I’m your teacher) is not ok.  Yo Keith! may be ok, if Keith has said to call him by first name outside of the dojo.

Introductions:  Hi my name is Garry Parker. ok.  Hi, I’m Shihan/Sensei/Master Garry Parker.. NOT acceptable.

Hi, this is my teacher, Takamiyagi Hanshi..OK.  Hi, This is my friend, Ron Davis Shihan.. OK.

This is just a brief reminder for my students, and again, this is based from the source, not my own opinions.

G. Parker

For the past few months, thoughts have swirled and memories have surfaced.  I’ve reflected and even questioned the effectiveness of time spent over the past decade and a half.

Have I done too little, or not enough. Have I been overbearing, or at times too soft?  Have my admittedly harsh principles and standards driven students away, or even attracted others to stay and train harder?  Have my teaching methods been sufficient to transmit both physical and mental understanding of the details of our art to my students?  How have I come this far, and how much farther will I be able to go?

In a time when most would be enjoying this milestone in their martial arts life, I find myself questioning a lot of things.  My first thought is:  Am I sufficiently passing on my teachers’ art to my own students.  Takamiyagi Sensei entrusted to me the propogation of Goshukan-Ryu Karate in the United States when he urged me to begin teaching in 1998.  I didn’t feel qualified then (I argued that point with him profusely before finally conceding) and I’m only slightly more comfortable now with the fact that my teacher had enough confidence in me, and saw a future that, to me, was unimaginable at the time.  Fifteen years later, I feel that I haven’t done enough; I’m both humbled and driven by the heavy weight of responsibility that was bestowed to be as the first American representative of my teacher and his style.

As I write this, I’m struggling with putting the words down; I intended for this article to be a nice, reminiscence of my first fifteen years as the owner/instructor of my dojo.  But as I began writing, my thoughts began to change in mid sentence.  Perhaps I’ll write another article on the subject, but for now I’m going to continue to write about what I’m feeling at this moment, so please be warned, if you enjoy my articles for the encouraging undertones, you may be disappointed with this one.

Lately, I’ve noticed the trend of karate students/teachers ‘shopping around’ or jumping from dojo to dojo and even across different systems, styles, and organizations all for the pursuit of paper promotions, titles, and recognition.  Although this is becoming increasingly common, I have no tolerance for this type of behavior.  What I have become as a karate-ka (karate practitioner) and a sensei (teacher) can only be attributed to two elements.  ONE: My teacher’s guidance, leadership, direction, sharing, and tough love (boot in the rear) when I needed it.  Takamiyagi Sensei is responsible for my first day as a teacher. Without him it would’ve never happened. TWO: My  loyalty to my teacher and dedication to practicing and preserving the ways that he taught me. This loyalty has kept me on the path; no matter where I go from here,  it all started with my teacher who cares for me and trusts me enough to represent him and his art.

Over the past fifteen years, there have been extremely challenging economic hardships that would have forced most dojo owners to close their doors; I’m both stubborn and loyal, so I (and my family) endured those tough times and the dojo stayed open.  I owe a debt to my Sensei that can never be repaid, (This is called giri in Japanese) but I am duty and honor-bound to continue teaching and sharing for as long as I am able.  This hasn’t always been easy or practical; the physical location of my dojo has changed many times over the past fifteen years, and during the most challenging time, we went from dojo to a recreation center, city park,  and my backyard, within one year.  Times were hard then, and only the most dedicated students stayed; these are the students that understand giri, and the ones that will eventually be entrusted with the responsibility of passing our art to the next generation.

Over the past fifteen years, I have not accumulated a large number of students, nor one single plastic trophy.  I have, however, been blessed with a handful of dedicated students; they are my trophies. Their loyalty and dedication to the art, the dojo, and to me shine brighter than any plastic and chrome, and I am so very proud of them.  I have also been blessed with a handful of very close friends, fellow teachers, and mentors that share my passion for the old ways; these people are my support system and shining examples for everyone to see and appreciate.

Over the past fifteen years, I’ve been blessed with a supportive wife and children that have been involved with so much more behind the scenes that most people never see, and rarely appreciate. Although a couple of my children don’t share the same passion for the arts that I do, they never complain, and they make me proud every single time they put their gi on and tie that obi around their waist.   There have been times that I have been so discouraged and would have quit teaching if not for my wife’s encouragement and intervention. For such a small, quiet woman, she has been a tower of support to me in ways that are unfathomable.

Thank you Takamiyagi Sensei for teaching me, guiding me and having faith in me to see what I couldn’t see in myself.  Thank you Izumi for being my rock and my unseen warrior in the shadows; thank you for always staying right beside me and only falling behind just to push me enough to make it over the hills and roadblocks.  Thank you Erika, Lisa, Kaori, and Kenji for being wonderful children and fantastic students. You are an encouragement to me every day, and I love you all.  Finally, thank you to each and every student that have ever allowed me to teach you; it is a duty and responsibility that I do not take lightly, and I’m looking forward with anticipation to your continued growth and development both in the dojo and in life.

Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

G. Parker

Here in the Southeastern United States, the leaves are changing to vibrant hues of yellow, orange, red, and brown- the final stage of glorious beauty before the leaves drop to the ground in preparation for winter.  Along with millions of other people, I embrace the Autumn here in West Georgia; my wife and children all share the excitement of transforming our home into a showcase of colors, smells, and tastes of the season. The chrysanthemums in bright yellow, orange, and burgundy adorn the patio and the front lawn planters, while inside our home you can’t go into any room without smelling pumpkin, apples, or cinnamon; The festive bales of hay adorned with pumpkins, ornamental squash, and corn stalks remind us that the Autumn is time to celebrate the harvest- the reward for all the hard work and growth during the summer/growing season.

Then comes the revelation.  As the leaves fall, the bare branches are revealed and remind us that growth has stopped until spring. IF we look carefully though, we will notice the signs of growth from the now-bare branches. The length and thickness have increased – if we have properly watered and nurtured the trees.
What does this have to do with martial arts?  When we strip away our uniform and belt; when it’s just our bare talent thatis on display for the world to see – are we showing growth?  Have we made improvements from last year (or last week). Underneath the traditional trappings of the dojo, under the uniform, rank, and titles – lies the truth.  Either we are training and growing, or we have become stagnant.
If we continue to grow, that’s fantastic! We are reaching goals!  If not, it isn’t the end of the world; make changes now.

While nature is preparing to sleep for the winter, take your training to the next level; continue to train and grow!

The Price of a Hero.

Memorial Day 2013. 0345.
As I begin to write this, my thoughts are still swirling in my head – as they’ve been for the past few hours. No sleep, no rest, no shutting down my mind at this time when most people are sleeping. Thoughts of my brothers in blue, green, ACU’s, ABU’s, and in times past of Khaki, OD green, and BDU’s. My brothers and sisters whose very blood has created the foundation of America, my brothers and sisters who voluntarily gave ALL they had to ensure our freedom in America. My brothers and sisters – the Soldiers, the Sailors, Marines, the Airmen, the Heroes, the Patriots, the reasons that I have the freedom to write this, and the reasons that you are reading this in English.
Some of you that do not know me personally may be wondering why I am writing this on my Karate blog and website. The answer: because I can, I enjoy the freedom to write what I want, where I want, only because of the freedom that is upheld by the Constitution of our great United States of America. The same freedom that has been protected and paid in full by every single drop of blood shed by our American Military men and women that died fighting for our freedom. This means more to me than most will realize. I am an American Veteran.

For those who still don’t understand: You are reading this ONLY because of my service. Had I not served, I wouldn’t have been stationed in Okinawa, Japan. I wouldn’t have trained, taught, or written this blog.

If I had to choose a favorite holiday, Memorial Day wouldn’t be the one; Holidays are normally associated with happy and festive occasions, and to me, Memorial day is not festive. However, it is the most important holiday to me as an American.
For every single American Military man and woman that served, shed blood, and died for the defense of our country- they lived as you and I, but they died a hero. Whether or not they were awarded purple hearts, silver stars, or even the Congressional Medal of honor is of no great concern. Medals will eventually be corroded and return to the earth; A hero’s actions lasts forever.

Let us always remember why we enjoy the freedom that we enjoy in America; Remember today the lives that were given, as we celebrate today with our friends and family. Remember to start the day by honoring and remembering our American Patriots; remember those that lived as men and women and died giving all that they had. Our heroes sacrificed all that they had; they left behind their own families – spouses, children, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters- To the surviving family and friends, this day is very somber, and will always be a personal reminder of their own personal hero that paid the ultimate cost.
America’s freedom is bought and paid for with the blood of our heroes. Let us never forget.

God Bless our men and women serving today; God Bless America.

G. Parker