Karate-do advanced Practitioners and Instructors

Becoming an Effective Karate-Do
Practitioner and Instructor
for the 21st Century
Dr. Ranjit Abraham Ph.D
SANDAN (1995)
Shorin-Ryu Seibukan Karate-do

Presentation Structure
Dr. Ranjit Abraham Kannur April 28, 2013

Karate-do Grandmaster traits
1. Selfless (egoless)
2. Honourable and Humble (Funakoshi)
3. Sincerity (faithful)
4. Effort (give the best)
5. Self-control (calm and assertive with control
of mind, emotions and actions at all time)
6. Courtesy (respect others)
Research work by Christine Smith [2011]

Modern Karate-do History
Apologies- Shown are only a few of the very many Grandmasters and styles of Modern Karate-Do
Choki Motubo(1871-1944)
Anko Itosu (1830-1915)
Kosaku Matsumura (1829-1898)
Gichin Funakoshi (1886-1957)
SHOTOKAN, JKA
BODHIDHARMA (from Tangore, INDIA)
Chinese Kempo (Unarmed fighting method)
Kemp & Te (Okinawa), Tang- Te
Before
Christ
1800
Sokon Matsumura (1792-1837)
Kenwa Mabuni (1889-1952)
Chotoku Kyan (1870-1945)
Hiroshi Otsuka (1882-1982)
Kanryu Higashionna (1853-1916)
Chojun Miyagi (1888-1953)
Zenryo Shimabukuro (1882-1982)
Shoshin Nagamine (1907-1997)
SHORIN-RYU SEIBUKAN MATSUBAYASHISHITO-RYUWADO-RYUGOJU-RYU

Types of Modern Karate
(1) Traditional – Historical styles,
Core values, Beliefs, Principles and
Budo culture
(2) Reality-based – Application of
techniques in real-life context, offshoot
of Police & Military defensive
techniques.
(3) Sports - For competitive sporting
environment, conforms to strict rules,
modifications to older styles of Karate.

Modern versus Ancient Karate
Modern Karate Ancient Karate
Self-defence greatly influences a young exponent to
learn Karate. (This belief can lead to early student drop-outs)
In ancient karate, to employ self-defence was the
last resort.
Here, the teacher has to advertise to prospective
students and convince the student of his abilities.
The student then decides to join or not.
To study a student had to find a teacher that he had
total faith. Later, he had to prove his intent and
good character so that the teacher accepted him
The teacher often does not push his students to do
something that they do not want to do in case they
leave. He answers questions and avoids repetition
to keep interest.
The teacher expects students to obey instruction
without any questions. As the master he is
considered to know what was best for the student.
The teacher instructs on an intellectual plane. He
explains verbally over and over again and the
student does not have to think. The teacher even
places the student’s hands and feet in the right
position. The teacher gives the knowledge to the
student.
The teacher instructed at an intuitive plane of
watch, copy and experience. He repeated the move
until the student grasped it. The student took the
information from the teacher and used his mind
and body to learn. The student took his knowledge
from the teacher.

Modern versus Ancient Karate (cont..)
Modern Karate Ancient Karate
The teacher spends a great part of a lesson
constantly pointing our error after error, sometimes
not allowing time for the first error to be corrected.
Learning as a process of trial and error and making
a mistake was part of the process. Teacher pointed
out one /two serious mistakes within the training
session & the student corrected mistakes himself.
Training sessions only a few a week (1/2) and
students often do not have time to practice on their
own. To keep the interest , the teachers has to often
cover more moves and do less repetition.
Several training sessions in a week & student was
expected to practice in his own time. Students were
taught fewer moves in a session and had to practise
the move time and time again until they got it right.
Character building aspects of karate such as respect
for the dojo, instructors and fellow students
although spelt out as essential principles - very
seldom are they taken seriously by students
Etiquette and gratitude were important character-
forming aspects of ancient karate. Gratitude was
not just bowing or the lip service of thanks. Respect
for the teacher should be from the heart.

Karate & Health
1. Breathing – The quality and depth of your breathing, how
to use your breath in action, connecting breathing and awareness.
2. Resilience - Ability to survive experiences unscathed, to
make physical and mental comeback, imbibe the spirit of
continuous engagement.
3. Movement – To know how you use and treat your body, the
quality and frequency of your movement, how to practice, enjoy,
and improve, and establish the mind-body connection
4. Love - Taking good care of yourself and those you love, the
spirit of giving and protection, as well as the power of healing.
Achieving freedoms 

Karate & Goal Setting
1. Rewards – Motivation to move forward, Enjoy the journey
as much as the destination, being part of the process involving
the awarding of belts and trophies in competitions.
2. Restrictions - Even if the obstacles seem obvious, abiding
to them take them down. “We have met the enemy, and he is us.”
3. Rituals - When you train in the dojo, you are performing a
ritual to take you deeper on the Path. Becoming flexible in how
you think about and perform rituals, but include them to keep
your passion burning strong.
4. Resources – Meeting people with like-minded passions, you
learn to share and contribute. One plus one in the right
combination equals far more than two.

Qualities for a Good Instructor
1. Proper Ethical Behaviour: Not to get involved
in questionable, illegal, or immoral activities.
2. At Peace: The Instructor is focused, not at odds
with oneself, not trying to prove anything.
3. Not Egotistical: The Instructor is not absorbed in himself/herself or
ones own self image.
4. Having Love/Compassion As Main Motivation To Teach: The
Instructor does not teach out of a desire for fame, money, or ego. The
teaching is out of a desire to help the students, and does not need favours
(e.g. companionship, acceptance, friendship .. etc).
5. Knows the Nature of the Fighting Mind, at least intellectually:
The Instructor understands meditation, facing things without assumptions,
or how to enter into a situation.

Qualities for a Good Instructor (cont..)
6. Energetic in Teaching: The Instructor is tireless
in teaching and perseveres with joy under difficult
circumstances.
7. Possesses Wealth of Knowledge: not only about
his/her own art but other arts.
8. Exceeds Your Skills: Quite simply, the Instructor is better than you.
9. Skilled Teacher: The Instructor is good at communicating effectively,
verbally and non-verbally, to students.
10. Beyond Giving Up: The Instructor doesn't get disappointed at the
failures of the student, and does not ever give up on them.

Karate Benefits – for Marketing
 Karate is excellent Exercise - one of the best forms of exercise today. High
repetition movements improving cardiovascular and muscular fitness. Tends to build lean,
athletic bodies unlike weight training that specialize on specific functions. Karate focuses on
learning a skill (defence & offence) and personal development making it never boring.
 Karate improves Athletic Ability - Adults and children can improve athletic
ability while doing karate because proper posture with proper head and eye position is
stressed, improved balance, coordination, and mobility, necessary for good athletic ability.
Reflexes and fitness are improved through training. Direct benefit to other sports and games.
 Karate teaches Discipline – By focusing mind and body, student learns to use
both together to achieve proficiency in the various techniques. Student masters basic
behaviours: respect, responsibility, self-control, motivation and patience. Students must be
attentive to lessons in order to learn a new technique, and then must be motivated to practice
them to perfect it. As students progress in rank/belt, they become examples and positive
role-models to less-experienced students. Discipline learned through the martial arts is not
exclusive; favourable behaviours are frequently applied to various aspects of a student's life,
including school, family, and social interactions.

Karate Benefits – for Marketing (cont..)
 Karate instils Confidence - Helps in Positive self-image. Students who believe -
achieves the goal. Karate teaches to raise their own expectations and push themselves to
achieve them. Karate gives students the tools to handle themselves in most situations.
Activities such as self-defence training, sparring, and board-breaking teach to dismiss fear and
uncertainly, and focus on preparation, judgment, and self-awareness. As they strengthen
themselves physically, mentally, and emotionally, they begin to realize that one person's
impossibility is another person's reality.
 Karate Reduces Stress - Well known to reduce stress. Basic mental concentration
of karate training combined with energetic exercises produces activity for reducing stress.
Focusing on balance, coordination, and improvement of personal skills, karate training leaves
little room for distractions during training. The mental harmony and physical fitness which
are developed during training are carried outside the school and have a long-lasting effect.
 Karate Benefits Children - Concentrating and overcoming learning hurdles
imparts a feeling of achievement. Periodic karate belts leads to positive self-image. Karate
moves help to develop coordination, strength, and flexibility. The competitive aspect teaches
fair play and sportsmanship. Self-defense skills result in self-confidence, self-restrained child.
Karate is fun and a great way to burn off extra energy. Whether a child is outgoing or shy,
athletic or academic, karate can be an effective way for that child to grow and develop.

Running a Dojo – for Business
 8 out of 10 businesses fail within the first 5 years
 Business is war, and unless you are a warrior, you should not walk onto the battlefield.
No Title Description
1
SET THE PRICE OF
THE TRAINING /
STUDENT
You should set your price based on hard costs and how much you
want to make. Secondly, do not set your price based on what others
in the area are charging.
2
COLLECT WHAT IS
DUE FOR YOUR
SERVICE.
Pay me later / Pay me when you can ..etc - eliminated from your
vocabulary. Have good collection or billing systems in place so you
get paid for your services you are providing.
3
RUN YOUR SCHOOL
ON YOUR TERMS.
Set your teaching schedule, work hours based on what works for
you, not what you think the students needs. Be aware of activities
and people that slow you down or entangle you in wasteful activities.
4
PROMOTE YOURSELF
AND YOUR DOJO
FORCEFULLY
You must become an expert at marketing and get over the fact that
a humble Sensei doesn’t talk about how good their product and
services are. If you can’t do it, then hire someone who can
(including other Instructors)

Running a Dojo – for Business (cont..)
No Title Description
5
APPLY THE 80-20
RULE
Eighty percent of your success should come from twenty percent of
your activity. Eighty percent of a business profits should come from
twenty percent of its customers (students).
6
SPEND WISELY YOUR
MONEY.
Never waste money on something you can’t track. Demand high
value from anyone that you spend money with and track results of
any activity you pay for.
7
BE HONEST WITH
YOURSELF &
OTHERS.
When you are being honest, don’t worry about offending others.
Listen to the concerns and needs of others, especially your
customers.
8
DEVELOP
REPUTATION FOR
BEING FAIR &
TOUGH IN DEALINGS
Always do what is right for you and the Dojo, don’t lose your ability
to be the dominant force when it comes to the law of the jungle.
9
BE IMMUNE TO
CRITICISM IF YOU
ARE DOING RIGHT
If you are successful, people can get offended and talk bad about
you, because they feel jealous. Try and hang around people you
consider to be mentors and leaders.
10
BELIEVE IN THE LAW
OF ABUNDANCE
Just because you are successful, doesn’t mean that you are taking
away from others their piece of the pie. See it as an important tool
in the raising of the youth of the nation

Making of an effective Instructor
 Keep students motivated- Students gain so much more from wanting to learn
rather than being forced to learn. A favourable attitude aids in retention and the feeling of
accomplishment provides fuel for more learning.
 Keep students informed- Students feel insecure when they do not know what is
expected of them or what is going to happen to them. Instructors can minimize the
feelings of insecurity by informing the students what is expected of them and what they
can expect from you.
 Approach students as individuals - Each individual within the group has a
personality which is unique and should be constantly considered. This may be difficult in
larger dojos but its importance remains the same. A student called by name or given one-
on-one attention from the instructor has a greater sense of being, as opposed to the one
lost in the back row of a large class.
 Give credit when due -When the student does something right, let them know.
However, praise given too freely becomes valueless. But, when deserved, it pays dividends
in student effort and achievement.

Making of an effective Instructor (cont..)
 Criticize constructively- To tell students that they have made errors and not
provide explanations does not help them. If a student has made an earnest effort but is told
that the work is not satisfactory, with no further explanation, frustration occurs.
 Be consistent- Students naturally want to please their instructors. The instructor’s
philosophy and actions must therefore remain consistent. This includes the periodic grading
Grading of Judo (1950’s) set a good example
 Admit errors- If the instructor tries to cover up or bluff, the students will sense it. If
in doubt about some point, the instructor should admit it to the students. Good human
relations promote more effective learning.
 Instil a belief in moral aspects -Most students are interested in the immediate
results of fighting techniques and care little about morality, which is the foundation behind
true karate.

Finally - For the beginner and experienced practitioner
"You may train for a long time, but if you merely
move your hands and feet and jump up and
down like a puppet, learning karate is not very
different from learning a dance. You will never
have reached the heart of the matter; you will
have failed to grasp the quintessence of karate-
do."
(Gichin Funakoshi)

Karate-do advanced Practitioners and Instructors

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