May 1, 2010
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A bit of Poneke philosophy

I have to thank one of our Sempais for some fantastic feedback from the match fights in Auckland last week.  Even though he was fighting he was able to give me a full run down of all the Poneke fighter’s matches including strengths and weaknesses, things to celebrate and things to address. 

This feedback is incredibly valuable for Chris who, as always, has come back from Japan loaded with fresh opinion what needs to happen in the dojo on the go forward.  Sounds like he got some great insights from watching but also from Sensei Paul and others.    He also took the opportunity to ask Sempai Stephen Cujic from Aus for any advice he can offer the NZ fighters (Sempai Cujic has been through the uchideshi program, has made top 32 in the All Japan twice and has fought and is still fighting all over the world).

Sempai Cujic’s advice was ‘focus’.  What he identified as his most valuable take from the uchideshi program was to be ‘unaffected’.  When your sempai says (at some ungodly hour) ‘we go eat now’, regardless how you feel, you adopt no expession, say ‘Osu’ and you go eat.  If your sempai says ‘we train now’, regardless how you feel, you adopt no expression, you say ‘Osu’ and you go train.  When things aren’t going your way, you are tired, you are in pain, you adopt no expression, say ‘Osu’ and focus on the task at hand.  Don’t show how you feel… in fact… try not to feel how you feel!  Just be unaffected and focus.  (Note that Sempai gave Chris this advice to give to Jamie, knowing that Jamie’s first goal, outside NZ is to come after him!).

This concept is very Japanese and an everyday way to train yourself to put your instincts, preferences and weaknesses aside and do what has to be done.  This has to happen in a fight (and I’m thinking at work, school and home too!)   Actually you don’t need a Sempai to tell you what to do!  This self discipline is something you can practice anytime you know you should be doing one thing but find yourself procrastinaing, avoiding or feeling weak. It’s something white, middleclass New Zealanders, particularly Gen-Y’s aren’t likely to do naturally!

I never thought very hard about the value of being  ‘expressionless’ before, at least not beyond being conscious that certain expressions make life feel easier!  When I was cheerleading (don’t laugh!) my flatmate taught me a trick she learned at gymnastics.   When we concentrate we are inclined to frown.  When dancing we’d be told to smile!  There is a massive gulf between frowning and smiling but it’s really easy to raise/relax your eyebrows.  This small change makes a massive difference to the way you are percieved.  Kyokushin fighters should be aware judges will judge a fight based on the damage they ‘perceive’ you are taking,  AND a good fighter or corner will read your face like a book and will use that information to target your weaknesses.   It sounds crazy but grimacing can lose you the fight!

This concept goes even further because, while your brain tells your face what to do, your face can affect what’s going on in your brain!  Relaxing your face reduces tension.  I find, when I’m most exhausted, if I relax my expression, it’s like unlocking a fresh energy store.  What’s more fun still is the impact it has on other people’s psych!  Is there anything worse, when you feel like you want to die of fatigue, than seeing someone else looking unaffected or, worse still, happy?  It messes with your head and we must not forget fighting is very much a head game!  Next time you’re on youtube note how impassive the Japanese and fighters from other strong Kyokushin countries look during a fight.  It is disconcerting!

Shoot, that’s not the point I meant to make at all!  I wanted to say winning fights, particularly novice fights, is not as important as what you learn during the fight… and during pre-fight training!  Chris identified the difference between basic skills and advanced skills at the Christchurch camp.  Advanced skills are really HARD!  It’s tempting, to let them go and concentrate on basic training that will probably earn you more immediate wins.  We’d be gutted if Poneke students doubted that technical fighting is not what Kyokushin is all about.  Kancho Matsui describes kumite as a chess match.  Don’t forget it is an art, not purely a strength/endurance competition. 

Not to say basic training is not important.  I think we probably do need to prescribe more bag time, time running hills, even time doing ido geiko.  This ‘work’ is great for our focus and self discipline as well as our strength/endurance.  Perhaps we’ve assumed everyone manages that part of their training themselves  because we always have.  I’m not a well motivated person but nothing gets me out the door and up hills faster than the thought of being beaten, especially in front of friends and loved ones!

Finally, I know plenty of fighters who have won a fight and can’t articulate why or, can articulate why but have been gutted with their personal losses within the fight.  Better to be a fighter who lost a fight but can identify personal wins within the fight and new areas to work on in future training sessions.  IMHO that process is what Kyokushin is all about!