Wa Bu Do Academy Blog

Simplicity and Day One

2011-01-28T10:12:00.001-08:00

I wanted to talk about something today that I’ve encountered quite a bit in my travels. When I first started my journey on the path, I was amazed by the wonder of what was in front of me. I can remember that first class so vividly. My Nephew had already joined this dojo, and I was at the time in Ballet and Jazz, Musical Theater, TV Production, Stage Management, Acting and other things theater and he had asked me to come down and watch a class.

He was so exited at this new activity. I hadn’t thought at all about Karate, nor did I have any interest in it, but I wanted to support my nephew. We were very close in age, and raised more like brothers than we were like Uncle and Nephew. I was 13 at the time, and he really wanted me to come and check it out, so I went to the dojo to watch one of his classes.

The organization was sharing space with an Auto Workers Union Hall. The floors were tile, not the soft kind, and the building was sparse. I went in and greeted my nephew. He had this smile on his face a mile wide and just seemed happier than I had seen him in a long time. I sat down in the metal chairs they had at the back of the hall near the door and his class began. They started with the warm ups and the basics I expected to see, punching and kicking, stretches and running the dojo floor to get the cardio up.

Then, at the end of the warm up, the Instructor clapped his hands. Here was a smaller guy, and I hadn’t thought anything about it until he clapped his hands. It echoed through the hall loudly and I thought.. “Wow.. that guy has some power there”. When he clapped, he said “Straighten Gi’s and Belts!” and the whole class said “SIR!”. They turned away from the front of the hall and straightened their belts and gi’s to become presentable again after that hard warm up that obviously got people warm, they were already sweating.

The class turned back around, and he said loudly “Mokuso!”, again greeted with “SIR!”. The class then lined up from left to right by rank. Highest ranking to the left, and the lowest ranking to the right. I thought, “What the heck are they doing?” Then a peace came over the hall, and the instructor who was standing front and center facing the line, closed his eyes and began to meditate. I thought, “Well they all must be meditating then I guess”, but the hall that had been so loud, was now silent. I could feel the energy in the room of young minds trying to quiet themselves. I didn’t know how I could understand that without being told what was going on, I just somehow understood. It was a clarifying moment to me, that this was more than a physical activity.

When the Instructor opened his eyes, he scanned the line briefly, checking that all students were focused, and he quietly said “YAME” (Ya - May). He then quietly told everyone to line up and began the first drills.

Later in the class, the instructor gave them all a water break of 5 minutes and my nephew came over to the water fountain, which was right behind me. He said, “Watch this next part, we’re going to do Kata”. I smiled and said “Sure, this is really cool”. When they got back out on the floor and the instructor came over to break the students up into smaller groups for this “Kata” of which he spoke, my nephew went over to a section of the floor and one of the assistant instructors began leading the group in unison with a series of moves much resembling a dance. I thought, hmm.. I could like that.. there was strength with the blocks and strikes balanced with smoothness and fluidity of movement and transition from one move to the next.

During the course of my watching this, the Chief Instructor approached me. He had been in the office while the class instructor was leading the class. He introduced himself and we spoke briefly as he explained what was taking place in the class with more depth and detail. I really liked what I heard, and when he found out that my background included Ballet, he expressed how the Martial Arts could be an extension and natural progression to what my training had been up to that point. He began to tell me about how the Martial Arts was a journey of self discovery and depth. How the technique was a vehicle to finding inner peace and discipline, and how ballet for all those years would lead naturally into what they did if I wished to expand my personal journey in life.

First let me say, that when I met this man, Jerry Devine, I felt very calm. He carried himself with a calm strength that I couldn’t put my finger on, but he seemed so “balanced”. Somehow he put forth this feeling that there was power and strength beneath the surface and that he could snap my neck if he wanted, but was peaceful and calm. This was something I saw in some of the best Ballet dancers and teachers that I’d had the privilege to work with in the past. It was a sense of “Completeness”.

I went home and asked my parents if I could start taking karate, and I handed them all this literature I was given by Mr. Devine. They asked me, well what about Ballet? I said, “I don’t want to do that anymore, I think I’d really like to take this to the next level.” “What about Baseball and Soccer?” I don’t want to do that anymore either. I can do karate year round, and I really want to do this.

In a moment of brilliance, my father looked at me with this little smile he had and said, “Ok, when do you want to start?” “Mr. Devine said I can start tomorrow if I want, and he has the equipment I need, all we need to do is go down and fill out the paperwork". My father chuckled and said something to the effect that I’d already thought the whole thing through, and that once I got my mind set, there was nothing he could do but go with it.

This would be a day that would change my life forever.

I tell you that rather long story to tell you this. On my first day, in a fresh new white belt and gi that I had no idea how to tie, I felt something. It was a smallness and a hugeness all at the same time. It was a wonderful feeling that I was on a path that would somehow help me to find that inner strength and peace that I had witnessed from Mr. Devine. I began my first kata that day, Taikyoku Shodan, and although it seemed simple in form, there was so much to keep in mind while performing it. I had to watch my shoulders stayed square, I had to watch my punches, I had to make sure my block was positioned right and that it started from the right place and so much more. How could I think about all this and still lose myself in the kata? I knew from my Ballet training that this was possible and I had felt it before. There is so much to think about in Ballet, yet you’re still trying to lose yourself in the movement. I loved it.

All these years later, I’ve been a student, a teacher, an organizer, a planner, a mover and a shaker. Still to this day I fall back on my Taikyoku Shodan. It’s my way to take the most basic thing I learned, and lose myself in it. I’ve learned many katas, very complex and technical, but I always fall back on Taikyoku Shodan. It brings me back to that feeling on day one, that I know nothing.

So often, I’ve met Martial Artists, many of them very senior people that like to tell me all that they know, and all that they’ve done, and what their favorite kata is. Funny thing, usually I get the answer that their most technical and advanced kata is their favorite, and it always just happens to be those same folks that like to tell everything that they know and all the advanced things they can do. I’ve met lots of them that don’t possess that same inner peace and calm that I met on day one. Their technique is good and their strength certainly impressive, but to me, it seems out of balance with what I’ve sought since day one.

Don’t get me wrong, These people are not any less impressive as a result, these are merely my personal observations. These folks offer much to the Martial Arts, and I don’t think any less of them in any way. That’s the beautiful thing about the Martial Arts, everyone’s path is individual, and we all seek something different.

What I do notice however, is that the folks I’ve met along the path that posses that inner strength kept firmly in balance with outward calmness are also the same ones that speak with me about their day one experiences and how they have kept that focus on chasing the feeling of day one during the course of their path. The simplicity.

Whatever one’s path is, it is theirs, and should be respected. The commitment that one makes when they undertake the pursuit of the Martial Spirit is a lifelong one. Where that takes them is a benefit for them, and what works for one, might not work for another. We all share a common bond wishing to pursue strength of character, personal growth and discipline. This is what makes the Martial Arts such a wide and positive journey.

I encourage you all to find your simplicity. Just for a day, put a white belt on and work through your day one again. Truly put yourself back in time and take advantage of all you’ve learned to take that first basic kata to a new level. Don’t rush it, take your time and some deep breaths to let go of all the craziness of your day. Lose yourself in the kata and allow yourself to feel nothing and everything all around you at the same time.

I’d love to hear some of your results and to share these feelings with all of you.

Yours in the Martial Arts,

Politics and Budo

2010-10-04T13:03:00.001-07:00

Hello again everyone. Today I would like to talk to you about a very sensitive subject in the world of Budo. Politics. We all try to stay out of it, because in many peoples’ view, including mine, politics can really ruin the pure pursuit of the Martial Spirit.

This, however is unfortunately a very slippery subject, and very few people truly understand that what they’re doing is engaging in politics.

Let’s start with those that openly engage in politics. They have a feeling that if they “Play the game” then they’ll be able to accumulate rank and therefore power. This is of course the most transparent of actions. There are many power circles within Budo, even in the most traditional of circles. It’s sad to think that an art form, because that’s what we’re looking at, the Martial ARTS, could be perverted in such a way that one’s sacrifices on the floor and all the time put into a hard fought pursuit of honor, integrity, purity and above all, “Mu Shin” or “No Mind” can be short cut to obtain rank and stature. This is purely a political approach. There is no way to get around that one.

Second, let’s look at those who don’t realize that they’re engaging in politics. This generally occurs when one is a new or lower black belt rank and they don’t realize that they are being political. It’s something that can happen when one attains a black belt, and in many dojos, more responsibility is thrust upon them.

This puts them in a strange position. They feel the responsibility, and if they’re not kept in check by seniors, the new responsibility can go to their heads, and because now they are helping to shape the future of the dojo and having real input and responsibility for planning events, training camps, etc. this can become harder to keep on the path of their own personal training.

Also, many schools have more lax standards on how often Black Belts need to be on site for training. I know that in my youth, the dojo was compulsory for all belt levels. Lower belts had to be there minimum twice a week, Brown Belts were required to be in class 3 times a week and Black Belts had to be there at least 3 times a week. This is not always the case in more modern or sport dojos.

This can start to cause dissention among the ranks. The standards when loosened, can cause those younger belts to not look up to the Black Belts as much as they used to, and it can ripple into a discipline issue as well. If they don’t see that the Black Belts, the leaders of the dojo have requirements to be there and train hard, why should they?

I mention that Digression because all those factors can add to the political problem with younger Black Belts feeling that because of their new found importance, and combined lack of oversight, it can cause politics to creep in to the environment without them knowing it and before you know it, it can cause real problems both for the individual and the organization.

Now lets talk about those that know they’re engaging in politics, but swear they’re not. This one is extremely frustrating to all involved except the one engaging in this activity. These tend to be very senior ranked folks that have much experience in the manipulation of messages. I’m not trying to be disrespectful at all, and most senior folks truly are treasures of knowledge, understanding and spirit in the Martial Arts.

There are those however, that have been able to snow unsuspecting folks into believing that they’re not political, all the while conducting themselves in the opposite manner. They claim to be pure of heart, and humble all the while, yet I have known many that bring to mind the saying “Methinks thou dost protest too much”. I find them talking about being humble and pure, filled with humility and create sayings of their own deep thought to make themselves sound deep and meaningful, all the while engaging in back door politics.

When you call them on it, they tell you that they aren’t political and should not be dragged into such filthy conversations, and they’re appalled at the mere thought of all that mumbo jumbo and they detest becoming involved in it. Don’t get me wrong, there are those that actually do detest becoming involved in such discussions and topics, but those are not the folks I’m talking about.

The folks I’m talking about have been around a long time. They know exactly what they’re doing and they can be the most destructive to the true pursuit of the Martial Spirit. They build alliances, make others look bad to increase their own image in the mind of others, drive wedges between long held friendships between students and teachers all the while knowing at the end of the day, they’ve gotten exactly what they want regardless of the wake they leave behind.

They are not enlightened beings sitting on a cushion that floats in mid air, with their supporters hanging on their every word, they are an unfortunate side effect of the Martial Arts.

I wish no harm to anyone, I provide this information to you merely to help you with your own journeys. As we learn throughout our path, it is our responsibility to share with others in hopes that they might avoid certain pitfalls that we have found. They will of course have their own pitfalls, but to share the knowledge of the Martial Way is the responsibility of us all, and in doing so, we become that much more connected as a large community of Martial Artists.

Staying out of politics is a very difficult task, but if your intention in the arts is to help foster growth and to serve from a place of good and unselfishness, you’re on the right track. Hopefully this information will help you to see it coming if it comes your way and be able to side step it for your own personal growth and development. :)

Yours in the Martial Arts,

Adam Christopher Fox

Ronnie Colwell – President Wa Bu Do Academy

2010-07-15T14:50:00.001-07:00

I have been so fortunate to meet a man that would change my life. I have traveled the path in pursuit of the Martial Spirit for most of my life. I began my training at the age of 13 and quickly fell in love with the more philosophical and traditional aspects of the Martial Arts. The lessons of self development and seeking the inner strength we all posses, while using the technique as the vehicle to obtain it really appealed to me. I was at the very beginning, like all karatekea, not to mention a young man, always looking forward to the next belt. That's the natural order of things.

When I was awarded my San Kyu Brown Belt, I began to see that there was something more than the next belt, or the next kata to learn. I heard all the lessons my instructor, Jerry Devine, would teach regarding not needing to know a lot of kata to truly understand the deeper meaning of the Martial Spirit, but couldn't comprehend that until then. I began to understand what the true path of the Martial Arts was, and how incredible the journey could be. Just think of it, not worrying about what's coming next, merely embracing every day and enjoying the surprise on a daily basis!

I was training 5 days a week at the dojo, and on the weekends at remote locations with seniors and leading my own groups as well. I was absolutely consumed with the training, it became my life. I thought, spoke, ate, drank and slept Karate. All my friends around me just thought I was crazy for putting so much time into this.

Along my path, I've had ups and downs. I've hit rock bottom, and stood up in the Rocky Mountains doing Sanchin breathing in the clean air in quiet with not a sole near me feeling the most intense feelings of being one with all around me.

In the early 90's I separated from my instructor of the last 10 years, and began my road education not knowing what I would find, or who I would meet. The people I met helped me to take those all important steps at the beginning of the journey that would determine what type of Martial Artist and person I would become. I completely pulled myself out of the petty politics and federations that had come to rule the world of the Martial Arts, and had begun to muddy the clear waters of purity that I had found as my focus on the path.

I learned, continued teaching and sharing the most fundamental precepts as I understood them without the politics of rank and who's belt has more stripes on it, who's school was bigger than the next, and stuck to my guns. I knew I was in the minority, but knew that it was ultimately important to maintain my course and not allow others' politics to dictate my direction. Politics in the Martial Arts do not make you punch better, or do a better kata. Politics in the Martial Arts, turn Humble people into those that are so blinded by their own ego, they truly think they seek truth and honor. Rank is irrelevant to whether or not these individuals are or can be affected by the negative aspects of power and over all control.

These are the things I wished to avoid, and still to this day refuse to engage in.

In 2009, I met a man that would restore my faith in the Purity of the Martial Arts. While on Facebook one morning I received a friend request from "Ronnie Colwell". I didn't know who he was, but saw that he was a Martial Artist and quickly approved him. He happened to be on line at the time, and I popped in to chat and thanked him for his request, and that I looked forward to getting to know him.

He and I struck up a conversation that would change my life. He told me of his vision and asked me to help him build a non political Federation that would encompass the best virtues of the Martial Arts. The sharing and fellowship of individuals making up something that is more than the sum of its' parts. I jumped at the chance and that day, The World Kobukan Federation Facebook Page and web domain were created. I threw myself into this, because the goals of unity for all Martial Artists regardless of style under one large roof with no political bickering or lust for power appealed so strongly to me. In the best traditions of Reishiki, I offered all I was able to do to Colwell Sensei as I quickly realized that this man was a true treasure of the Martial Arts.

He's been there and done it, and has the wisdom and compassion that are so lacking en mass in today's busy and interconnected world. A voice of calm and rationale in a world of as he likes to call them, "Budo Babblers".

I am honored to know him, and honored to have him be the President of the Wa Bu Do Academy. He provides so much guidance and counsel to me and anyone he meets, and does so freely and without pretense.

I wanted to share this story with you, because I know it is not the only time it has been told by others whom Colwell Sensei has met and shared his time with. Below you will find a brief description of Colwell Sensei, and thank you for indulging me in the telling of my story instead of just seeing the same resume style description of Colwell Sensei that can't scratch the surface of the depth of the man.

A.Fox

Ronnie Colwell is a legendary figure in British Martial Arts. He is one of the founding fathers of British Karate and British Ju Jutsu. Indeed he held the post of first chief instructor to the British Ju Justsu Association, the governing body for Ju Jutsu in the UK.

Colwell's life has been spent in the study of the martial systems of Japan. From a young boy in the back streets of Liverpool to today, he has tirelessly devoted himself to pursuing excellence. A renowned International instructor, Colwell has taught throughout the world. He is known as a very direct and straight talking budoka who doesn't suffer fools gladly. In Colwell's own words "I live my life as I train, always getting straight to the heart of it. Life is too short to waste on superfluous or wasted action. This is as true in the dojo as out of it.".

World President of the WORLD KOBUKAN FEDERATION
Chairman of the Board WORLD KOBUKAN FEDERATION
Chairman of the Technical Board WORLD KOBUKAN FEDERATION
Patron of the DISABLED MARTIAL ARTS ASSOCIATION
President of the JAPAN INSTITUTE
President of the SEI-BU-KAN KOKUSAI KYOKAI
President of the TRADITIONAL SHOTOKAN KARATE ASSOCIATION
President of the SEN-NO-SEN KARATE and JAPAN CULTURE INSTITUTE
President of the MIYAGI SCHOOL OF GOJO RYU KARATE, SOUTHPORT
President of the KOKUSAI KOBUJUTSU JYU JUTSU KORYU KYOKAI
President of the SHOTOKAN KARATE SCHOOL of MALTA
President of the LIVERPOOL FREE STYLE KARATE ASSOCIATION
President of the MUSHINKAI
Chief Supervisor of the World Union of Karate do Organizations Technical Commission
Technical Advisor for the European Ju Jitsu Union
Technical Advisor for Kobudo to COMBAT MAGAZINE

Technical Advisor to Martial Arts Illustrated

Click Here to Visit Colwell Sensei Online

Mushin “No Mind”

2009-06-02T18:07:00.001-07:00

Mushin, No Mind - No Technique

Mushin. The concept of no mind. The point in life and the practice of our art that the technique and the mind become blank and fluid. No thought, no prearranged series of technique leading to an eventual opening, no making sure your hand is in the right position for the teacher to see, no thought of belts and promotions, politics and that next tournament.

How does one reach that point? Ahh.. Now that's the question. Many times in the Dojo and during exercises we are consciously trying to find that spot of no mind and perfect focus. I'm sure if I describe the procedure that runs through your head while looking for the opening in your partner or watching their hands to see what their doing, you'd know exactly what that feels like and you've done it a thousand times before.

We meditate to quiet the mind, surely there we will find our peace and blank white void which is the state of Mushin.. Oops I'm thinking about the traffic.. Darnit.. Now I'm thinking about thinking.. ARGGHH! Okay, let me tell you a little secret. Mushin is a state of mind, not something to be attained. Confused? I hope so, it's a lifelong path to find that state of no mind and no technique.

You will have slivers of it and give yourself a wonderful preview of what's to come, "Oh wow!, that just flowed like water and now I'm standing over here looking at my opponent on the ground! How cool is that?" That's Mushin.

As your development progresses the moments will become more frequent while the technique becomes muscle and neuro memory allowing you not to think of the physical actions that makeup the techniques and clear the mind. The battle will unfold in front of you. All the while, you and your partner are in complete Do Zen, (Moving Meditation) and for every attack a perfect defense, for every defense another shot at a possible opening and yet another block, the cycle continuing until a break in one persons concentration allows the other to seize the opportunity and thus the battle ends.

This goal of the no mind state of mind while practicing is a goal of every Martial Artist in every style, sport or otherwise motivated. Think about it, if you're a traditionalist, and your study includes the more staunch ethics and ultra hardcore dictatorial Dojo environment, you seek the true spiritual enlightenment that accompanies Do Zen and Mushin respectively.

It is something instructors weave into their talks when seeing one's technical prowess starting to pull away and become out of balance with the mental focus and the particular Zen aspects required to follow that path. If you're a traditionalist and only seek the self defense and combat actions, you still wish to find that point where your technique is so polished, that it is purely instinct and you will strike with the strength, power and unstoppable force of your particular fire element, and be grounded in the earth immovable, with clear mind and prepared for the next exchange if there happens to be one.

I could certainly categorize the different styles and how they apply to this formula, but I'm sure you get the point by now. It's something that is universal in the Martial Arts, and life in general. The proper honing and application of this state of mind is a very powerful tool indeed. Imagine being able to sit at your cubicle and be so focused on your job, that the day flies by and your more rested than if you'd stayed home sitting by the pool in the sun. I can't think of anyone that wouldn't like to be done with the more mundane parts of their respective days, but I mean truly making your days no longer mundane.

You do have the power within you to change the frequency of the energy you put out to others and that they receive. That in turn makes the energy in your body re-organize itself and changes the way that your metabolism and your body clock run. I don't think I've used an alarm clock in years, I simply Biofeedback the information into my Body program and after the data has time to be worked into the routine, the information will run on your own internal operating system, your own internal Windows Vista or OSX :)

The exercise for this is simple. If you follow a few simple steps, you can start to bring the focus into your life, that will become the foundation for your future Mushin. The mind must be quiet and disciplined to to attain the state of Mushin, and it's easier to get your own mind there. Here we go. Every day, and this is the important part, EVERY DAY upon waking, sit quietly for five minutes with no radio, no clock ticking, no cats or dogs at your heels, nothing. You must find this time, it is essential in giving yourself the opportunity to clear the mind and be void of outside influence.

Sit quietly and breathe deeply in through the nose and by use of the Diaphragm, and out through the mouth and completely out until All breath is exhaled. At first, while the practice is new, imagine a soft white of endless reach. All directions, All dimensions white. Sit until you feel like its' been the right amount of time to calm you, not the right amount of time to make five minutes. I know that trying to put a "Right Time" on meditation is hard, but for each individual it takes a different path, so just use your best judgment, and remember the scale to use, is calm, not time.

Repeat this process also RIGHT before you climb into bed, not before you brush your teeth, remember the idea here is to be sense-dep, no outside influence, so if you still have something left to do in your nightly routine, you have something more to focus on, and thus the entire exercise would be in vain for clearing the mind at the end of the day.

Of course in the morning, you have things to do, but as this progresses, you'll understand that there are different energies for different times of the day, hence in the Indian tradition, a Morning Raga and an Evening Raga have a different feel and sound because they stimulate different energy centers in the body.

Once you have tried this, and incorporated this into your life, it is hoped that you will feel more balanced and able to handle the uploading and downloading of information to your body on a daily basis, and I feel that soon you'll be, much like myself, finding those opportunities to close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to find your white in the elevator, after getting out of that stressful meeting, waiting in line at a traffic light, and hopefully you'll find the peace of mind to let someone go ahead of you at the four way stop, truly showing you're in such command of your schedule, you have no need to go first, you can wait. That's step number one. What a wonderful benefit from the pursuit of a void of nothing. :)

Good luck!

Sensei Adam Fox

Chief Instructor

Wa Bu Do Academy

A New Beginning

2009-06-02T18:06:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the Wa Bu Do Academy Blog. Here I will share my writings with you, the students of the Wa Bu Do Academy and will provide a great opportunity to have an open discussion forum.

I ask that the conversations we have remain on topic. I am happy to expand these writings into group discussion. It’s a great way to foster deeper understanding of the material.

Enjoy :)

Sensei Adam Fox

Chief Instructor

Wa Bu Do Academy