Professor Bloom Breaks
 Bricks on Fire

From the time young boys and girls have reached the age of six, seven or eight it is likely they will have become engaged in some form of organized sports. T-ball is often the first sport for a boy, while soccer has become the sport of choice for the youngest girls. But before long, and often before the parents are even aware, several years have passed and the children have advanced into other sports, like softball, baseball, basketball, flag football, and football, although soccer continues to be played at all ages by boys and girls.

No matter the sport, each participant wants to be able to perform well and wants to improve in their play as time goes on. This is only natural.  As the children mature and begin to think in terms of high school and college, the possibility of sports scholarships come into play. The desire to play adequately is replaced by the desire to excel, which often becomes the dominant emotion. Whether or not, this becomes the driving force, everyone wants to play to the best of their abilities and this is usually enough of an incentive to make participants work as hard as they can to achieve their goals.

For young children, the first responsibility of the coach is to teach the children how to play the game and particularly, how the coach wants the game played. Each position in every team sport requires that the player in that position have a distinct set of physical attributes and skills that might make them particularly suited to that position. For example, in baseball, a first baseman, a pitcher or a catcher need not have the running speed that an outfielder should have. A six foot tall ten year old would more likely play center on a basketball team than play point guard, and a slow footed but sure handed person would do much better at goalie on a soccer team than they would playing forward.  Based on each candidate’s attributes, the coach must assign everyone a playing position. These may change in time, so these considerations remain part of what occupies the coach’s time and energy.

Coaches do their best to bring out the best in each member of the team. At the younger ages, the coaches are usually volunteers who have had little formal training in how to get the most out of their players. Sometimes the team is lucky and gets a coach that can achieve a great deal. More often, the best of intentions cannot make up for their lack of knowledge and skill and as a result, the coaching is ‘good enough’ but doesn’t always bring out the best in the players.

In addition to teaching the game and the fine points of the various positions, the coach has many other teaching obligations. The coach must teach the players to play as a team, to be respectful of the other players on his or her team, but also the players on the other team. Some of the players will take on leadership positions while others must learn to follow and cooperate with the leader, or speak up respectfully if there is a dispute about something the leader has done. This represents only a partial list of a coach’s responsibilities so it is a fortunate team that gets a really competent coach.

Often in the attempt to win at the intermediate ages, winning itself becomes the overriding objective. How much each player actually plays and in what positions is determined by the coach who bases he decision on the player's skill and resulting contribution to the desired "win". How the players are treated often defines how these young athletes perceive of themselves. The player left out often feels inferior while the player that plays most of the time begins to feel superior to the others. It is possible that the less capable child is developing more slowly and will get better, even as the season progresses. It is important for the coach not to let the good player become over confident and perhaps over bearing while the other child loses confidence in him or herself and thereby does not take advantage of his or her capabilities when they do develop

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.  Fortunately, there is another activity in which young people can participate that is more individualized and allows each inividual to develop to the level at which he or she is capable at that person's age and stage of physical and mental development. There is no competition as to who will get to play in the game, for how long and at what position. It does not require specialized training as determined by the sport and the position played in that sport. Everyone learns the same thing and many ways to accomplish what is required. This allows the teacher to concentrate on the same lesson while exposing all the participants to many concepts and aspects of the lesson. The teacher can focus on each student's cababilities so that positive attributes are brought to light for everyone to share and from which they can all benefit. All students can learn from watching and practicing with other students and from helping others as they proceed through the lessons. That activity is Karate.
 
Learning Karate       
Level of Commitment to make a difference
Karate can be learned in parallel with playing other sports. It concentrates on all of the critical physical and mental aspects of becoming a good athlete and a team player. Two hours of class and an equal number of hours of practice per week, should be enough to provide a discernable improvement in the play of any young person participating in any of the organized sports being played today. The following discussion elaborates on what the karate student learns and why it will help make him or her a better athlete, and a better student.

Instructor Qualifications
To begin with, all of our karate instructors are trained to instruct in that discipline.  These formal instructors have attained the level of Black Belt and much higher.  This requires at least four - five years of training during which all aspects are taught. Students must be certified as being worthy of their Black Belt by a board of Master Black Belts. Master Bloom was certified by such a board more than 35 years ago. For more information about Master Bloom’s training and the board that certified him, click here. [link to Master Bloom’s story.] The attributes of discipline, self discipline, respect and self respect are instilled in the student from the very outset. The result is our instructors are not only good leaders and role models but are a true example of how people work together to get the best results.

 How Karate is Taught
Learning Karate involves much more than learning to punch, kick, grapple and block. Instead, students first learn how to stand still, clear the mind of all distractions, find their center, and establish their balance. From there the students learn to bow as an acknowledgement  of respect for self, others and very importantly, respect for the training area and what it represents to them personally that is, the opportunity they have to train. They then  stand again, this time progressing through all the basic stances. From there they begin to learn how to fall, forward and backward, in such a way as to minimize the likelihood that they will get hurt from the fall. They then learn  how to execute the various complex positions, moves, techniques, strikes, kicks and blocks. Combinations of these replicate the moves they  make under various circumstances in all sports. Once these combinations have been absorbed, through knowledge, application, and repetition, the student will be able to handle him or herself much better than they would have otherwise in all situations whether in sports or even physical threats to their person.

In the training process, each action is given a name and combinations of these actions are learned in forms, onesteps or combos. Each of these are also given a name. The starting position in a form is called “Chumbae” and involves nothing more than standing at attention with the student’s arms and fists placed in a certain position. The student takes this position at the command of the instructor. The difficult part of the position is not getting into it, but rather the fact that there is to be no movement until the next command is given. If the student has an itch on his nose, or any other distraction, not reacting to the situation becomes a test of self control.

The next command might be “fold for a high block”.A smooth transition to the placement of arms, hands, body and feet is to be made as swiftly as possible, while not appearing to jerk into place. This command will be followed by other commands to move into other positions. Each action called out by name requires immediate recognition and a smooth response.

At first, the command recognition is not immediate and the response is not smooth or quick. But with time and repetition the response becomes more immediate and the repositioning movement more fluid and precise. Much like learning a new language, individual words are recognized first, then with frequent use the words become able to be put together in smooth sentences that eventually generate complete thoughts and concepts. This can be accomplished once students have taken on the new language as their own. 

As stated above, combinations of moves are organized into particular sequences called forms. Although the instructor calls out the sequence of moves when teaching each form, the student must learn the sequences by heart so that when executing a form the student can anticipate the next move and mentally prepare himself for that move. It also allows for practice without the instructor being there. In addition to repetition, learning each form requires great concentration. When executing the forms, not only must each move be executed in the proper sequence, entailing timing, breath control, power, speed, balance, inflexion of rhythm and intent, finesse, a diversity in tension, soft and hard, e.g. explosive techniques, but equally important, every part of each movement must be exactly correct. For example: the position of your thumb when you make a fist, the angle that your fist is turned, the exact height of your arm as you deliver your technique at the projected target, the exact position of your feet, do they point forward or at some specific angle, how far apart are they, how is your weight distributed. These are only a few aspects of a form where position and movement must be accurately mastered. 

Learning to Concentrate
The ability to stay focused on the task at hand (staying motivated) while not getting lost in negative thoughts.
As students get more advanced some movements become more complex, so that they involve all parts of the body. Until students have learned to concentrate to the exclusion of all other thoughts, they cannot succeed in progressing through the full list of requirements. The ability to concentrate and focus the mind is vital to accomplishing this.  The movements themselves are designed so that there is no strain on the muscles and so that the movement can be made smoothly, swiftly and with strength, if necessary. There are many movements in sports where they must be both swift and powerful. These include such things as throwing or hitting a ball, in baseball, blocking another player in football or soccer or intercepting a hard pass in basketball.

 Importance of Coordination
Mind, Body and Spirit. Upper body and lower body. Hands and feet. Footwork and technique.
In every position in every team sport like baseball, football, basketball or soccer, as in  individual sports like tennis or golf, the player must coordinate all the movements of his or her arms and hands, legs and feet, body and head so that they move in perfect coordination. Even the player’s eyes and ears must be coordinated with the rest of the body. An outfielder who can turn and run to where a ball will come down as soon as he hears the crack of the bat and then raises his gloved hand at just the right time to make the catch, is demonstrating the kind of coordination that is required for all sports and is the kind of coordination that is developed when training for karate.
 
The effects of this coordination development is demonstrated in an activity that occurs at the culmination of testing at every belt level. It is 'board breaking' and each successful student should be able to accomplish it. One, or more boards, each about a foot square and three quarters of an inch thick, is held out for the student to break. Using the techniques that had been learned, up to that level, the student will demonstrate the ability to split the board in two with a single blow. This requires coordination and concentration and if properly executed, not too much strength. The action is taken from many different positions. However balance demonstrated before and after breaking is also a must. This requires additional skills.

The Importance of Balance
Power and speed come from the ground – up. A low center of gravity allows the athlete to move more efficiently with more power and speed, if necessary, while remaining calm. 
Sandy Koufax, one of the best baseball pitchers of all time, developed a pitching style that was based on moving all parts of his body,  the foundation of his left foot which was placed solidly on the ground up to his finger tips. Every other part of his body, as it worked its way up, acted like a single spring, culminating at the tips of his fingers where he let go of the ball. Without perfect balance, he would never have been able to maintain that effect and would never have been able to become the great pitcher he was.

The same princples maintain in Karate.  In order to execute any technique properly, being able to retain your balance is of utmost importance. Learning to balance yourself is an integral part of many of the forms that are taught. This requirement is fairly obvious when one thinks about the motion of kicking. Less obvious, but just as important, is the need to be balanced, even when standing, or moving about, with both feet on the ground. The various stances and moves as you progress through the required forms build in the practice of retaining your balance throughout the process of executing proper tecniques. Similarly, your feet and your body must be in the correct position as you move from one position to the next, or the desired smooth flow required of proper execution will not be achieved.

Awareness
Body position in space.
As an integral part of remaining in balance, the student must be subliminally aware of what his or her position is in space.  Is he leaning too far forward or is she leaning too far backward to keep the proper weight on either side of the established center of gravity. Either case will cause the body to have to expend extra energy to counteract the imbalance. This is wasted energy that will not be able to be applied to the object of the move or technique.

In training karate a student may find him or herself while working against two oponents, delivering  a technique while in the air, being taken to the ground, while spinning, changing up on the move originally intended, blocking the other opponent, while reversing the attack of the first attacker and turning a potentially dangerous fall into a roll to regain balance  All this happening simultaneously while maintaining complete control so as not to harm his or her training partners and so the entire class can avoid 25 push-ups – this is awareness   

Martial Faulk, one of the greatest runners in football, would visualize how he would react under various situations of being hit by opposing players. He would repeat the situations over and over in his mind so he could visualize how his body would react under each of the circumstances he could concieve of.  He credited this process for significantly contributing to his success.

Emotion
Behind every movement there is a feeling
Being emotional, even passionate. about how a student reacts to what he or she is learning can be either positive or negative.  It is good to really enjoy what the students are learning but the emotions must be kept under control. Although students are taught a great deal about speed and power when executing any of the forms, he or she must also learn that there are times that a slower and more deliberate pace should be used. 

Watching animals fighting or playing provides a good example of how they change their approach to one another, depending on the situation. The student should not just capture their motions – strikes –and – defenses,  but also capture the emotion of that animal's spirit, Each animal possessing a different fighting style but more importantly, a different spirit. When integrated into the martial artist's training, he or she will not only posses better skills but also a much better recognition of what situations he or she may face..

In a competitive setting, if your opponents lose their cool and begin to react on emotion, they will be easy to defeat. Hence the athletes that let things come to them, not get to them, will not become concerned with their weaknesses, but will react to the situation with clairity and strength.  

Finesse
Subtleties of play and being able to think on your feet
The ability to think on your feet and apply the “light touch” at the right time, is critical to success in any sport. Karate training includes sparring sessions that foster the opportunities to learn the subtleties of how and when to use the light touch rather than applying maximum power and speed. The object in these sessions is not to injure your partner or yourself while practicing self defense skills. With practice the student learns to achieve his or her purpose using either method.
 
Team Play and Leadership
Setting a good example and great sportsmanship leads to great things
While learning forms and the basics of karate, students practice individually. As the student advances, more skills are employed and there are more opportunities for students to work together and help each other. While learning a form, a student may notice that another student is having a problem with some aspect of the form.

 The student who noticed the problem is encouraged to help the other student get it right. This cooperation is encouraged and often begins to identify those students who will become leaders within the group. This process is easier to accomplish in karate than in other sports because all students are learning the same thing, not specific moves for different positions, and each student is in a position to see in the mirror what the other students are doing.

In another activity, students team up in pairs so that one student plays offense and the other defense. In the scenarios they develop, they practice going through a pre-planned series of steps that show that they have captured the action necessary at both sides of an attack. No one gets hurt, but they are each able to show how well they have learned their lessons.

Finally, all students root for one another and are encouraged to support one another’s efforts.  The foundation for this attitude comes from the original lessons involving respect for others and themselves.

Fitness and Confidence
Agility, Strength, Speed, Power, Endurance, Flexibility and Posture
Can do attitude. Ability to remain calm and have a clear thought process under pressure

If all the activity described above seems exhausting, it is only because it is. That is why conditioning is most important if the student expects to learn enough of the lessons taught in a karate training program to have him or her benefit in the sport of their choosing.   Progressing from the lowest level to the point of having learned much of the  program will generate enough activity that the student will be “in condition” by the time he or she gets through with the part of the course that has been selected. Once that part of the total course is completed, the student may decide to complete the full course required to qualify for testing for black belt.  But whether of not the latter course is selected, students will have learned to concentrate better, be better coordinated and will be in better condition than they had ever had been in their lives. The result is a building of confidence that will serve them well in any sport and in whatever endeavor they pursue in life.


by Professor Bloom