Kid's, go play outside ... this ain't for you!
What does Ikken Hissatsu mean? 'To kill with one blow.' This is a controversial topic and there's a whole lot of stuff on the internet about it. This is just my personal take.
Most karate students will know that class begins from the moment they step across the threshold of the dojo door on the way in and does not end until they step across again on the way out. Arguably, training does not end when you walk out of the dojo and therefore, the next time you walk back in, it's not really another beginning, just a continuation from where you left off last time.
To some, the attitude appears to be that the karate training does not begin until the warm up has concluded. This is incorrect. Most instructors are aware of their students deficiencies; they are also keenly aware of their students attitudes by observing the way they carry and conduct themselves before, during and after class. There's not much that goes unnoticed.
In his book, Meditations on Violence, on the subject of Sudden Acts of Violence, Sgt. Rory Miller says,
"... skill at fighting is the least likely to affect your survival in a sudden assault. It's better to avoid than to run; better to run than to de-escalate; better to de-escalate than to fight; better to fight than to die.
This has been adapted from my blog at http://shotokankaratedo.org.nz/2011/08/20/never-complain-never-explain/.
Occasionally, prior to class, I get approached by a student who proceeds to describe in great detail an injury or ailment they are carrying and without meaning to sound heartless I find myself thinking, "Why are you telling me this? I am a karate instructor not a physician. If you are that badly injured, don't train." I suspect the reason for the upfront explanation is that we all know what is expected of us in a training session. It requires effort and commitment. That being the case, why come and ask me for a permission slip to take it easy for the night.
