Who's Made It Through The Dragon Years?

[Shinobi Teikiatsu]

Just a quick thought, if you've only been training for two months, and let's say you've been training three times a week, and possibly doing some practicing at home, then you're probably proficient enough to name your base techniques and apply them in a fairly competent fashion. However, short of you being a prodigy, you're probably not proficient enough to adapt them to new situations, and probably get a little fuzzy in some aspects of the core principles of your school (this is assuming a best case scenario in which you're getting some form of training at least 5 times a week)

That said, how can taking an injury that will cripple you for months at a time help you at all? Back when I trained in Taijutsu, I broke my hand (an unrelated event) and was forced to train on my left side exclusively. Did it help my left side? Yes. When my hand came out of the cast, though (six weeks later), I felt it more like dead weight,and could hardly use it any techniques, simply because for those past six weeks, I had to treat it like a baby and make sure it didn't get touched or dirty, and then once it came off, it was a foreign object to me. And this all happened within my second year of training, when I had already gotten a pretty good grasp on the basics of training and could run through all the techniques and ukemi with my eyes closed.

Point is, putting yourself in a situation where you could get crippled is not only unhealthy, but detrimental to your training, this early on. I'm not saying a Shihan should put himself in this kind of situation, but if he did (and that is entirely his choice), then he is probably more readily able to adapt to the injury (as far as training with it goes) than a kyu level student would be.

Just my two cents.

 

[lost_in_translation]

On the name "Dragon Years". I train in Japan and my instructor is the sole student of one of the Shihan who was present at that time. I asked about the term "dragon years" and got laughed at. They just called it ....get this "training".
On the topic of busting up your students, my instructor teaches us the way he is taught, i.e hurt your students but don't injure them! Injuries are from a lack of control.

Hope that helps.

 

[George Kohler]

Strange that "Dragon" is used. When using that term it usually symbolizes "wisdom" while the term "tiger" symbolizes "strength".

 

[Chris Parker]

Yeah, that's what I was getting at when I said it was badly chosen from a Japanese perspective. Thanks, George.

 

[Dale Seago]

It's essentially training the way soke Hatsumi did 30-40 years ago, they didn't practice soft.

To the extent that this occurred, more than one of the Japanese shihan who were training with him while Takamatsu sensei was still alive and shortly after have stated, in recorded interviews, that it was this way because Hatsumi sensei hadn't yet figured out what Takamatsu was trying to show him and, out of frustration, was trying to make it work using things like speed and force.

 

[jks9199]

To the extent that this occurred, more than one of the Japanese shihan who were training with him while Takamatsu sensei was still alive and shortly after have stated, in recorded interviews, that it was this way because Hatsumi sensei hadn't yet figured out what Takamatsu was trying to show him and, out of frustration, was trying to make it work using things like speed and force.

Interesting ...

It makes sense. While I don't train in BBT, I look back at the energy and effort I used several years ago to accomplish things and think about how I do it today, with a deeper understanding, and I can really see how that could be.

 

[kungfu penguin]

in the hawaiian art kajukenbo there was a time that was extremely hard core and if you did not come back the next day then you were a wuss. I thank god my teacher does not teach like that anymore. granted there is contact but not the extreme "you'd better bleed before class is over" kind of training. my old body could not take the the good old beatings they used to deliver

 

[Kevin Geaslin]

lol, the dragon years just sounds like business as usual in the Genbukan!

 

[Mr Dave]

It was interesting that this type of training from the "old days" was discussed by the Shihan at the recent DKMS at Ayase on the last day.

I shall have to get the DVD when it comes out to refresh my memory as it's fading already! (must be a combination of age & jet lag )

I'm certainly beginning to see more in the kihon techniques, especially over the last few weeks of training with Peter K. There are subtlety's in there that I have missed by trying to use to much speed and power.

 

[Indagator]

I trained in Muay Thai for four years and during that period I had a number of bones broken (particularly ribs) during training. I was never hurt in the ring, but had two ring0fights with ribs already broken.
First time I broke my ribs, I had never expereinced bone breakage before and so I thought it was just severe bruising, I continued to train (very hard, our sparring was so hard guys from other gyms would train with us and complain that their trainers would never let them go so hard).
I had a broken rib from November of 04 until August of 05, as it was never able to knit due to getting hammered all the time.
The only good thing to come out of this was now I know I can keep my hands up and keep going with a busted rib.
There was no technical benefit of any kind.

Now in ninjutsu my teacher will apply locks or choke holds hard enough that I can feel the pain, but not stupidly hard. In the case of chokes he stresses the importance of experiencing the effects of a choke hold as in real life you will begin to shut down, and it pays to develop a knowledge of the process your body will go through &c. in order to be able to work with it when it happens for real. This sort of thing takes place under very controlled circumstances, and at any time I can tap to signal to him that I want out.

There is some pain, but no damage[/i[ being done to the body. I think that's the key difference. There is no reason for a teacher to damage his student's body or anatomy - especially at a beginner's level.

Anyways, that's my .02 long-time lurker, first-time poster.

Howdy y'all.

 

[ElfTengu]

I think I have found the answer, thanks to my mate Mike, a mechanic:


Every generation
Blames the one before
And all of their frustrations
Come beating on your door

I know that I'm a prisoner
To all my Sensei held so dear
I know that I'm a hostage
To all his hopes and fears
I just wish I could have told him in the Dragon Years

Crumpled bits of densho
Filled with imperfect thought
Stilted conversations
I'm afraid that's all we've got

You say you just don't see it
He says it's perfect sense
You just can't get agreement
In this present tense
We all talk a different language
Talking in defence

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye

So we open up a quarrel
Between the present and the past
We only sacrifice the future
It's the bitterness that lasts

So Don't yield to the fortunes
You sometimes see as fate
It may have a new perspective
On a different day
And if you don't give up, and don't give in
You may just be O.K.

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye

I wasn't there that morning
When my Sensei passed away
I didn't get to tell him
All the things I had to say

I think I caught his spirit
Later that same year
I'm sure I heard his echo
In my training pain and tears
I just wish I could have told him in the Dragon Years

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye