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THE
EQUATOR
Around
your middle
You
may recall from your early school days that the center of
the earth is mark by an imaginary line, known as the
Equator.
From
this point at the middle of the earth, the world is
divided into two distinct parts, the Northern Hemisphere
and the Southern Hemisphere.
No
this is not a geography lesson, so you can relax, my
point is this.
Like
the earth, all karate students have a middle, but in
their case it is one that is very clearly marked by a
visible coloured line, known as an "obi" or
"belt". Like the earth's Equator this line
divides a student's body into two distinct parts, the
upper half and lower half.
Now
in the early stages of their karate training most new
students will spend the better part of their time paying
far more attention to the top of their world than they
will to the bottom. The simple fact of the matter is that
is far easier for a new student to focus on developing
hand movements then it is for them to get a firm grip on
a kiba dachi, or a kokutsu dachi.
I
know I did.
I
can remember in my case, however, that it was not long
before my sensei noticed the lack of attention my lower
extremities were receiving. Not one to miss an
opportunity to correct what he considered an unacceptable
situation, sensei quickly wandered on over to where I was
practicing and proceeded to make it very clear to me, in
no uncertain terms, that everything south of my belt was
of equal, if not greater importance than what was going
on north of my belt.
Longer,
lower, not so narrow, not so wide, all become familiar
phrases, and then one day it happened.
Out
of the blue, and for no apparent reason that I could
fathom, sensei said to me, "Now start using your
hips".
"My
what"?
"Your
hips, lad, your hips"!!
At
which point he firmly grabbed my belt at a point on
either side of my hips and he started twisting right,
then left, then right, then left again.
"Your
hips, lad, use your hips, karate is nothing with out the
proper use of your hips"?
My
world was never the same after that.
Hips,
hips, and more hips, became the battle cry throughout the
dojo.
In
basics, in kicks, in kata, in kumite, "Use your hips"
he would shout.
To
this day, even after more than 28 years of training, his
voice still rings clearly in my ears.
This
morning at class a student came up to me and said, "Sensei
would you please watch my side kick and tell me what I am
doing wrong, it doesn't feel right". After one kick
it was clearly evident what the problem was, but I waited
until the student had done five or six kicks, and then I
walked up to her and I whispered .........
I
hope that for her sake in the years to come that the
sound of my quiet voice will also ring loud and clear.
Remember
Be
careful what you ask for,
you
might just get it.
- Part
the clouds - see the way.
-
- "The
objective of karate-do is to contribute to the evolution
- of
the human spirit through physical and mental training."
- Sensei
Peter Lindsay
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