Author: Ash Prime

Students practicing Kobudo (traditional weapons of Karate) need to be aware of the laws around weapons and self-defence. 

In Queensland it is illegal to carry any item for the purpose of self-defence. This includes martial arts weapons such as those we use in class and other items such as self-defence pens and sprays, knives, chains etc. Even carrying a stick for the purpose of self-defence is not allowed. We have very strict laws about self-defence items. New laws allow police to check anyone at any time for weapons. This is why unarmed self-defence is important. We can’t use anything else. 

Our use of Kodudo weapons is strictly for training, fun and historical preservation. You can not use these for fighting or self-defence. Small weapons such as sai and kama should be carried to and from class in a bag where they are not visible. Don’t take your weapons out in public. You can use them at home and in class and carry them to and from class. Nunchaku in particular are classed as a restricted item. They are illegal to purchase or own unless you have a reasonable excuse such as training in martial arts. If you are ever questioned about your Kobudo weapons, you can say that you use them in your martial arts class. 

If you have any questions or concerns about this topic please contact me. 

Karate for All.

Since the creation of Enso Karate, being inclusive, accessible and adaptable has been a core value of mine. I’ve been somewhat experimental in various areas from class etiquette to grading requirements, trying to find the best way for all (there isn’t one). It’s an ongoing process and you will continue to see changes in how things are done. While there are going to be certain standards for specific things like black belt (also adaptable to some extent) I don’t want anyone to miss out on achieving their potential because of problems with the system.

I have certainly faced my own challenges in martial arts and study in general that were not always met with appropriate accommodations.

If there is anything about classes or grading that anyone is finding to be a barrier, please reach out either in person or by message/email so we can look at options moving forward.

Nothing fits everyone just right, but with an open approach and willingness to change, we can try to fit everyone.

“A thousand days of training to develop, ten thousand days of training to polish.”

• Miyamoto Musashi

I love this quote. As one of the greatest swordsmen, undefeated in his lifetime, we can put some trust in Musashi’s words.

Think about those numbers. If you were to train every day for almost three years, you would reach 1000 days. If you train just one day per week at class (that’s only 40 classes per year) it will take 25 years to reach 1000 days of training!

How about 10 000 days to polish your skills?… Training every day, this will take 27 years! At this point someone will be highly skilled.

Training one day per week at class…. 250 years! Hmmm…

Now, I’m not saying everyone should train to be the greatest of all time (I know that’s not everyone’s goal) but if you want to even just be quite good at Karate, ponder this message.

If you want to be great at anything, art, music, sport, anything…. frequent, high effort training is essential.

It’s also perfectly ok to just enjoy something and do it for fun with no particular goal, but try to know why you are doing something.

Effort and Consistency

Imagine that your belt and rank are temporary. Why? Because they represent your knowledge and skill level which are not necessarily permanent. What if at the start of every year you reset to white belt and were required to demonstrate your current knowledge and skill to re-acquire your rank? Would you maintain your previous level? Would you could go up a belt or even drop down to a lower rank?

These skills we learn, the knowledge of kata, the physical abilities, strength and fitness, they fade with time. Without constant practice and revision they can be lost. Certainly at times I have forgotten parts of a kata I haven’t practiced for a while. (There’s a lot to remember!) With a brief revision it comes back but it is so easy to lose these things that we work hard to attain.

Achieving a black belt is a great accomplishment. You will always have a black belt but you may not always BE a black belt. This applies to every belt. Effort is a choice. You don’t have to be the best that you can be, but if you want to, it’s up to you to do the work consistently.

Or just have fun… 🤷🏻‍♂️

Helping Our Homies Inc are in need of food donations to assist locals in need.

I will be collecting donations at class this week and next week if you are able to help with a few packets or cans.

Please refer to the list for requested items.

• Jams/Peanut butter/Vegemite etc
• Tea/Coffee/Milo etc
• Packet noodles
• Pasta
• Pasta sauce
• Spaghetti
• Baked beans
• Rice
• Tinned Fruit
• Soup
• Cans of Tuna
• Long life milk
• Weetbix and other cereals

Weekly Training Log

Keeping a record of your training can be very useful. It can be rewarding to see a visual representation of what you did in a week, helping you achieve goals and it can show you areas that you might be neglecting.

Using this table, you can make brief notes on what you do (kata names, number of push-ups, type of cardio…) or just tick the box or write down the duration. Write the date somewhere so you can keep track of your training over time.

Try to do at least one box every day, more if you can.

Kata: Practice kata. Many things you could focus on here. Technique, speed, power, visualization of applications.

Strength: Any strength training such push-ups, squats, lunges, pull-ups or weight training.

Cardio: Any activity that raises your heart rate and gets you breathing heavily. Running, cycling, skating, swimming, sparring, bag work.

Impact: Hitting bags or pads or doing body conditioning.

Stretching: Go through the class stretching routine.

I’ll print some out to bring to class or you can print your own.

Hi all. Class will be on this week despite public holiday.

In general, classes will run on public holidays as long as it’s during school terms.

The Enso Karate Kata Matrix

I’m always looking for new ways to help students achieve their goals. Personally, I find visual guides very helpful for getting a clear picture of information. 

I have created this kata matrix as a checklist for grading kata requirements. Students can easily refer to this guide and tick off the kata they know to ensure they meet their next grading goal. 

For each belt level, all circles need to be ticked off. For black stripe belts, the applications for the highest kata must also be known. 

Over the next few weeks I will be using this guide during class to make note of who will be ready for grading at the end of term 3. Those who I see are ready will receive invitations to test.

There’s no rush to grade. If you don’t know your kata yet, it’s best to hold off until you are very confident with all requirements. 

“There are no styles of karate-do, just varying interpretations of its principles.” Mabuni Kenwa. One of my favourite Karate quotes. There’s always so much discussion and emphasis on “styles” online. Is this style good? What’s the best style for this or that? Has anyone heard of this style?… It wasn’t just Mabuni who had this opinion. They all (the “old masters”) just practiced Karate in a way that suited them. Yes, this could be called their own style, but they didn’t intend to create a style to be exactly copied and named. I’m sure most Karateka are aware of the events surrounding the naming of styles. Humans are still very tribal and love labels so it does make sense that people get into the idea of styles. Personally I don’t subscribe to any particular style of Karate. Initially I trained in a Shito-Ryu dojo. Moving on from there I tried another Shito-Ryu dojo that was very different. Even the same style was different. Is there a better example of style being irrelevant? Since then I let go of style names and just practice Karate. You may see elements that some would call Goju-Ryu or something resembling Kyokushin…. To me it’s all just Karate. If you like naming a style, that’s fine of course, but also consider expanding your practice beyond the confines of said style. My school is named Enso Karate. While I would not label what I do as a style, the name selection was intentional. An enso represents a concept. When the mind is free to let the body create. There should be a freedom in your exploration of Karate. There is no one way to do anything. Be open. 

Hi all.
We are now in week 3.
Thanks to all who are continuing with us. It’s great to see the ongoing commitment. Your support keeps Enso Karate classes going.

Please ensure training fees are up to date or contact me to arrange payment over time.

Thanks.