Happy Brithday, Sensei!

My mom needed some eye surgery (which went great, by the way) so I was taking her to and from the surgicenter, and it took us passed a small shopping center.  Though the façade had changed, the sign was the same, and I recognized the place where I had first begun my training in March or April of 1970.  In that little shopping center had been a downstairs dojo.  (Interestingly, it is a martial arts school today, a WTF dojang.)  Needless to say, this had me going down memory lane.

Sensei George Dillman is turning 70, so I have also been thinking back to when we met.  It was 1988 (as best I can remember).  At the time, I had been training 18 years, and held nidan in JKA-Shotokan (proud to say that I was flunked in a dan exam by none other than Masatoshi Nakayama, and that I was passed in a dan exam by none other than Masatoshi Nakayama), and sandan in Isshin-ryu/AOKA.  My experience at the time was that I found myself in various seminars and trainings not really learning anything because I already knew it.  I remember how strange this felt, and how I missed the feeling of being a white belt – the feeling of enthusiasm and excitement.

The exception to my "I already know it" experience back then was trying to do stick work with guro Dan Inosanto.  Stick drills give me a headache (partly because I have no rhythm.) Even today, I have the same problem training Arnis with my friends GM Ken Smith and GM Gaby Roloff [Gaby, who reassured me, over my protests, "Oh, Chris, your not a white belt"]. 

Jack Gustafson (an old acquaintance from the Shotokan organization I had been part of in the 70's) invited me to a Dillman seminar he was hosting.  I attended with another Isshin-ryu practitioner (my kohai, for those of you who understand the meaning and implications of the word).  When sensei saw our mizu-gami (the emblematic patch of the Isshin-ryu style) he exclaimed, "You're Isshin-ryu.  You know this move from Seisan?"  Yes, we responded.  At which point, sensei grabbed my kohai and knocked him out.  

After training we went to a Chinese restaurant.  I sat at a table near sensei, and waited.  I knew someone would bring up one of my recent articles in published in Black Belt.  Sure enough, and sensei overheard.  "You wrote that?"  He asked.  "Yes, and I would like to write an article about you," I replied.

I have just revealed a secret to you, if you care to pay attention.  If you want to learn from a great teacher, you need to figure out how to gain access.  Writing, I had learned, would give me unprecedented access, and I was never shy about that – I was determined to learn.

I remember how I felt going home after that first seminar – wonderful, like a white belt again, with so much to learn.  But, the remarkable thing is that, today, nearly a quarter of a century later, I still feel the same way (ok, maybe more like a green belt), still so much to learn.

After that first meeting, I trained with sensei whenever I could and began to write about him immediately.  When I sought to become his student, I did not expect him to accept me at sandan – I fully planned to put on a white belt and earn shodan under him.  But, he simply told me, "You already know more than other sandans."

My fourth dan promotion came in my basement.  We had finished a day of shooting pictures for one of our books.  Sensei started to privately show me some new material, and said, "This is what I want you to work on for yondan."  I thought he meant that I was to work on it to achieve yondan.  But, what he really meant (which I found out when the diploma arrived) is that he was showing me what he wanted to work on as a yondan.

I don't really remember being promoted to 5th or 6th dan, but I do remember 7th.  I found it to be an unsettling indication of my own ego, how quickly I became accustomed to wearing the red belt.

In the early 2000-sies, sensei asked me if I wanted to be an 8th dan.  My exact response was, "Why would I want that?"  He promoted me anyway, at his 60th birthday celebration in November, 2002.  My promotion to 9th dan came October, 2010 (though it wasn't publicly presented until May of 2011).

Sandan – December 15, 1988

Yondan – August 1, 1991

Godan – July 25, 1993

Rokudan – September 29, 1996

Nanadan – January 15, 1998

Hachidan – November 23, 2002

Kudan –  October 8, 2010

42 years of training – 24 of them with Sensei Dillman.  Rank-wise, I've gone far enough by a long shot.  And, if sensei told me today, that he was reorganizing DKI, and wanted to knock me back to white belt, I wouldn't care.  I got into this to learn, and I've learned more than I ever imagined was possible – with so much to go.  And I've gained far more than just knowledge, I've gained wonderful friendships, and an extended family.  And for nearly a quarter century, I've been able to count George Dillman as my dear friend, and my family – and that is maybe the best part of all.  

Funny how life works, how pursuing a passion brings so many unexpected blessings.  So, I wish George Dillman a Happy 70th Birthday, and my love, and my thanks.  And I wonder what this journey has yet to bring.  Whatever, comes, I know one sure way to face it – just keep training.

So, thanks for reading.

Now, go train.

Chris Thomas

Just Doing What I was Taught

Sometimes a student will come to show me a technique he's worked out.  "Excellent!" I'll tell him.  Then, about a half hour later, the same student will come back and say, "You taught me that, didn't you?"  And, he's correct, I did teach it to him, usually about 3 years prior.  But, when I taught it to him, it was my technique he was trying to learn.  When he "discovered" it, it was his technique.  This is what true learning is all about – discovering for oneself what someone else has already taught you.

Of course, the same is true for me.  All of the techniques I've "discovered" really came from my teachers.  For example, I have a practice of Naihanchi kata I call "Shiho Naihanchi.."  Shiho Naihanchi is a Naihanchi linking form that has a square for its performance pattern (embusen).  I developed Shiho Naihanchi to help myself work a bunkai concept that I learned from my teacher, sensei Dillman.  For me, Shiho Naihanchi is derivative in it's very being.  Sensei said that looking to the side meant that I was to orient myself sideways to my opponent.  So, when I did my bunkai, I stepped and turned to the side.  One day, I wondered how my kata would be if I did the same thing in the solo performance, what the kata would be like if I simply made what was implicit into something explicit.

Anyway, nothing special, just me following sensei's teaching.  Students saw me practicing once, and wanted to learn it, so, I taught them.  Suddenly, their understanding of the bunkai greatly improved because they were practicing the concept explicitly.  Cool.  But, suddenly they had an impression that somehow, I am some kind of martial arts genius.  Hardly.   I'm just doing what I was taught.Now, no teacher has ever thrown my punches or kicks.  Only I can do that.  No teacher ever did my training for me.  But, all I have ever done is what I was taught to do.  I get credit for doing it, but not for inventing or creating it.  

This is why I am always stunned by martial artists who act like they didn't learn what they know.  They act as if they somehow created it on their own, as if they are God's gift to the martial arts.   It's like these ridiculous zillionaires who act as if they are self-made men, when in fact, they inherited from daddy.

Here is my truth, I am the product of my teachers, without them I wouldn't be much of a practitioner.  If I had never met sensei Dillman, I would still be working on my blocking skills, and wondering how to approach with grace the realities of being an aging martial artist.  

I guess this is a sermon of sorts – a sermon based on these words from Deuteronomy 8: Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God... otherwise, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived in them, and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God... Otherwise, you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’  But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth.

This insight applies to all of life.  Nothing I have, nothing I have accomplished, nothing I have "discovered" is somehow on me.  The knowledge and skills came from somewhere else, from someone else, from someOne else.

So be ever mindful, grateful and respectful of your teachers.  Never pretend you have gotten anywhere on your own.  And remember, no one can throw a kick for you.

Thanks for reading,

Now, go train.

CT

My Backyard

Now, go train.

A Little Parable

Once upon a time Mr. Rock wandered into a bad neighborhood, where he was attacked by members of the Paper Gang and beaten badly. As a result, he decided to study martial arts. He visited a nearby school, which offered classes in rock-jitsu. As he began training, he found that rock-jitsu fit him beautifully, and he threw himself into practice. However, when he once again found himself facing members of the Paper Gang, he lost again. This was very difficult to accept, because rock-jitsu seemed so right for his body and personality. But, having experienced defeat again, he could only conclude that there must be a "real" martial art out there somewhere. So...

Mr. Rock went in search of a suitable dojo. First, he visited the school of sensei Scissors, but he was not impressed. Sensei Scissors' techniques seemed completely useless to him. In fact, though he was too polite to say so, he was pretty sure that, with his prior training in rock-jitsu, he could easily defeat sensei Scissors' scissor-jitsu style. So, he left and never returned.

The next school he visited was led by sifu Paper who taught paper-gar-chuan style. Rock was stunned by the ease with which sifu Paper handled him. Every one of sifu's techniques overwhelmed him. Clearly this was the school, for he had discovered the ultimate martial art.  Training was quite difficult for him, not natural, not comfortable, but the techniques were so effective, it seemed the obvious choice.


And, one day he found himself in the wrong part of town – again – facing the paper gang – again.  Gamely, Mr. Rock tried out his entire repertoire of paper-gar-chuan, but all that happened was that he briefly held off the gang, soon, he grew exhausted and began to fall back on the rock-jitsu he learned first, but he was as ineffective ever.  But, just as he was about to succumb to another humiliating beating, Sensei Scissor happened by.  Seeing Mr. Rock's peril, Sensei Scissor sprung into action and shredded the paper gang with ease.


Grateful, but confused, looked at Sensei Scissor, and said, "Thank you.  But, I visited your school, and your techniques didn't work on me at all.  Yet, you have easily defeated the paper gang.  I don't understand."


Sensei Scissor just smiled.  "Roshambo," he said.  "Roshambo."  And with that he walked away.

Upcoming Trainings and Seminars

Life can be crazy. I am just days from a weekend seminar here in Madison, WI. But I wanted to post some info of up-coming trainings.

On April 28, my sensei, George Dillman, will be teaching a seminar in Illinois. I hope you can attend (but don't look for me, I'll be performing a wedding that day).

In June, I will be teaching in Germany. On June 2 & 3, I will be teaching with Gaby Roloff in Hamburg.

The next weekend, June 9 & 10, I will be teaching in Oberkirch (hosted by Manfred Zink).

I have met so many great martial artists in Europe. I hope to see many of them when I am there again. So, please,

thanks for reading, now come and train.

2012 Annual Gathering

For some years now, we have held an annual training event in Madison, WI, which we call the Annual Gathering. Our 2012 event is coming in March. Click on this link to read the flier. On the link page, there is a button to register and pay.

We also conduct our annual Sandan Board Exam on Friday during the day (before the Gathering begins). Interested/qualified candidates for this year's test should fill out the test registration (ignore the fact that it still reads last year's dates, and remember, there is a one-time cost for the testing is $300). If you are curious about our testing process, you can read this previous blog post on the subject.

Thanks for reading,

Now, come train.

CT