"Block or Strike?"
by Jason Stanley
"Step forward, block down, ichi. Step forward, block up, ni. Ichi. Ni. San. Shi. Bend that front knee! Lock that back leg. C'mon faster, stronger... kiai!"....
I remember how often, when I first started karate, we marched up and down the tatami blocking up and blocking down with every ounce of effort we could summon from our tiring bodies. Trying to do it as quickly as possible with our Sensei barking instructions at the top of his voice like some drill sergeant with a chip on his shoulder.
We were like a bunch of mindless warriors learning by repetition. Having commands yelled at us, until the movements became natural, and embedded into our minds and bodies. There wasn't much explanation as to what we were trying to achieve. Just up and down the tatami. Ichi. Ni. San. Shi. Kiai!
Sweat was pouring down our faces, our muscles were aching and we had huge blisters on our feet from grinding and turning on the carpet floor. How I hated those sessions.
For years we were never...