Monday, June 30, 2008

The Chronicles of KarTia (Leg-pain) - The pain! The pain! The pain!

Erm.. it seems I am hobbling around alot these days. I wonder if I will become a permanent cripple.

Seow asked if I will be interested in competing in the Pesta Sukan. I think I answered, "Maybe.." I guess the reason being I think I am going to leave the kumite to the younger ones and I might want to fight for a place in Kata. There are no senior kata players around anymore and since we have so many up and coming kumite fighters, I might as well have a head start in the area of OLD MAN KARATE.

Traditional karate and competition karate katas are slightly different in the sense that competition karate are more flowery and flowing *(Power and speed is a given constant hor).

Traditional karate katas have a more practical feel to it and involves a lot of bunkai practice. Important note on this is that I think we should always preserve what our masters' legacy. As time goes on, we should pass these katas on in their purest forms to our next generation. As for bunkai we should spend time observing how it corelates to our changing times.

No longer are we dealing with empty hands or samurais with katanas... Modern conflicts involve brutes with plastic chairs, beer bottles, metal rods, stilleto blades, parangs, choppers, oversized ego and common sense of a roll of toilet paper.

We don't deal with opponents who show honour and courage by competing in individual combat but rather we are faced with "Ah Bengs" and " Ah Sengs" who turn up in the truckloads, they poke you in the chest and ask you for your *number (For those not in the know, number means which gang you belong to and so can call everyone in the gang who is not watching the Euro finals at the moment to turn up at an appointed time to "Pia Chiu!"-"Gang fight".

In this type of confrontation, it is no longer a matter of whether I will prove myself the better martial artist, it becomes a matter of survival... by virtue of doing the right things... like the ability to swallow our ego and pride by apologizing to the little bastard who happen to think you are staring at him.... even though you are really just looking at how ugly he is. Therefore, humility training in karate is very important and a very neglected part of our curriculum.

Next, the 10 kilometre run we do regularly is also very important because when you apologised and failed to appease the little bastard, RUN. Let's see that little bugger chase after you for the next 10 kilometre... well, if he manages to chase you that far, stop, turn around and beat the living daylights out of the remaining few who arrives.. wahahaha!!

Another school of thought for those who are reading this blog, BUNKAI WORKS. Whether you believe it or not, it works, so please practise deligently..over and over and over and over... you get the idea...

Well, if I limp so more, I guess there is nothing more I can do except maybe run for the presidency of SKA?

~Outz

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