At my last training session there were also two beginners, one for whom it was the first lesson. My body doesn't want to do what it needs to do because I'm not flexible, yet no matter how much stretching and cross training I do, there's no progress. I love this! Of course, I jumped to it -- but not without thinking to myself why had my senior instructor called ME out to help? Jesse Enkamp is a popular YouTuber and karate athlete. We like to make sure that what you get out of our newsletters has value, so were going to do everything we can to make sure that they're worth your time. I don't know what to expect or what to do, and I just throw a low roundhouse kick - a gedan mawashi geri in Japanese - and he doesn't even flinch. That's a slick answer to a changenlilg question. Nice article Jesse Sensei. We have some buttons on the website that make sharing easier, or you can just tell people, Hey, listen. I think i know what you mean. Every child is an artist. I'm "The Karate Nerd", #1 Amazon.com best-selling author, entrepreneur, traveler, athlete, educator, carrot cake connoisseur and founder of Seishin International. I have had the pleasure of being a white belt twice! That you're - maybe hoping is a little bit too diminishing of a word - that you are going to accomplish. Little details such as "imagine we are entering a small play room where the ceiling is 5 foot high" goes a long way First thing I notice, they all move with their head steady and low, doing perfect zenkutsu dachi transitions. Then, after we did that seminar, we shot this whole fun thing for his YouTube channel as well, which is the video you're referring to, where I'm supposed to teach the audience how to break a board, but he ends up breaking the board on my face instead. I don't think so, and that's why these things had to be removed. Designing cool t-shirts, and hoodies, and bags, and all of these Karate lifestyle things that don't really exist is something that fires me up right now because I love to be creative, I love to have fun, and I love design. Oh, for me, its not so much about the traditional aspect, but more the contrast, or the way that you can combine the traditional aspect with the modern world, with our todays society, because there are some You know, there are generations of Generations of masters have come before us, and to not use their collective knowledge to improve our current understanding and practice of Karate would be foolish, in my opinion, so that is why I am interested with the traditional side of Karate, because there's so much knowledge there that I think we still have not unpacked, because it has not been properly transmitted throughout the years, throughout the evolution of Karate. And about those black belts. Well, I think if I had to give a parting piece of advice it would have to be to Don't be a martial artist. You know what? Never have I learned that much as in the beginner's classes. Excellent article! I ended up inheriting the responsibility of teaching the beginner and early level students in my dojo because a long-time friend and fellow Sensei went to college and eventually moved away. So many people are looking at you in admiration! There is no right or wrong in karate since the only time we ever find out if it is effective is in reality, the rest is practice. I'm all about progress, so I use tradition and the wisdom of the past to propel myself forward, and to go into the future with an even better understanding of what I'm doing, why I'm doing it, and how it should be done, in order to progress to higher levels and elevate my understanding and the collective knowledge of people around me as well, because a lot of people don't have the ability to research the old ways or the traditional ways. Of course, weve had Master Ken on the show, and that took a while to make happen. There's nothing more I can tack onto that. To pass my blue belt, I needed a tori to attack me but no blue or higher belt was available, I asked an orange belt to be my tori. Br, Senthil. Thank you Jesse-San for a wonderful article. Thank you for this wonderful reminder to always keep a beginner's mindset! But then later on, since Karate was what I fell in love with, I decided to mainly keep up with the karate training and the related stuff instead of the more modern full-contact martial arts that my brother then decided to do instead. I had participants from 25 different countries coming there, and I bet they didn't even know that it was the first time I ever did a seminar outside of my own dojo, and in English because English is not even my first language, so it was a big deal for me. What is higher than sensei? If you spend any time on social media looking at martial arts content, you'll know todays guest. I wanted to be a good fighter. Why when I click on "articles" It doesn't load all articles, so I never saw list of all articles that you wrote. Until we reach a point where we get fed up. Thanks for a really thought provoking piece, Jesse-san, yet another article that I can tell comes straight from the heart. Since that day, I went back many times as I got older as well. Once again I donned a white belt despite my sensei telling me that I may wear my black belt with a white stripe. Please keep the articles alive. Great article Jesse-san, thank you, it's what I needed to hear today. Of course I do, but I enjoy Karate even more. . I mean, you've probably read dozens in the last few months. Of course, the Karate Kid movies, they're classics, but for example, I really enjoyed Drunken Master with Jackie Chan. If you study sport karate or mma take up escrima or Silat. Check out our shin guards, whistlekick.com. When I opened my dojo, I said that I didn't want to teach kids, but quickly changed my mind, not because someone said "the kids will pay your bills", but because as you said, you really do reach the next level. It's particularly satisfying when one of my oldest students, who has an immense, learning does so well against her peers. If I'm at the dojo, but not actually in the class, he will call me onto the mat to help out. whistlekickMartialArtsRadio.com, in case you missed it the first time. And me confirming it was ok. You should have seen the glow in their eyes. When you think of all of the people that you've trained with, and I want to take out whoever you consider to be your immediate instructors - I think that's your parents from the way you've talked about it - who has been the most influential person? He is an agonist, a sportive karateka - among other things, has a fifth position at the absolute European kata, in 2011 in Zurich - and an instructor. I laughed out loud when he took you out. I just ran out of the dojo, and then I came back later on with some When I cleaned up my eye, and continued fighting, but that was a true test for me, fighting someone who was much older and wiser than me, being a kid. And so it goes. I guess I was a young guy when I got black belt, so I was maybe 15, 16. Good read. Its not just a sport, or a hobby, or a business, but it is truly my way of life, which means that I have the privilege of, for example, going to Japan, or Okinawa, thebirthplace of Karate, to do my own research and to be the Karate Nerd that I love to be. That was like stepping into a different world. Then, immediately following that kick, he steps in, he headbutts me, so I start bleeding. On asking how she remembered, she said that she puts her arm up for the block (kihon-kata) and turns by following the direction of her elbow. My senior instructor knew this would be a challenge for me -- which is precisely why he did it. From the moment you pass a test, you are back a beginner, ready to start to learn something new. He throws me and he immediately catches me in a kesa gatame position, also from Judo. I'm like, Oh my God. Weird story, but your words where more accurat than you probably realized. Keep up the good work :). In the experts mind, its full of absolutesolutions and definitive answers. In other words, he looked great executing the techniques on his willing partners. Fortunately, I've got a long way to go. I'm not a nerd that does Karate. I think that's pretty much a classic as well. Generally we call this traditional Karate and sport Karate, but to me, you should have both. 2016. You do a lot of writing. It's all the same, right? Well, good. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Years, and years ago I tested for Shodan and passed. That is a very interesting question, because its hard for me to give you the answer you are searching for, because honestly, I don't even know what my end goal is, other than enjoying the journey, and maximizing all of the opportunities that are presented as I go along on this or climb on this road up Mount Karate, like I said before. Some schools stipulate a minimum of four to five years of training before a student can earn a black belt, while others do not. Well, you've got to understand that back in the days, the whole original purpose of Karate was self defense, and Itosu Anko was a pioneer, in the sense that he saw a different purpose for Karate. Im very grateful with the all experience but I admit that, like you write in this article, some days I miss that feeling of simplicity of my first days in the karate world.Thankfully, when I return to train with my Sensei, I feel a bit more calm, as when I started practicing and my Sensei used to tell me "Dont talk, just do; then Youll understand". Hopefully that's okay. I decided to compete because I like challenging myself. I was fortunate enough to get a [board 36:17] smashed through my face. So, there's this other metaphor that tradition is not about preserving the ashes, but about keeping the flame lit, and that really resonates with me. What do you think he would How do you think he would feel about the way Karate, and martial arts overall, is done today? Wow. So, the whole idea behind tradition is interesting in itself. I learned all the requirements of Isshin Ryu Karate, and passed each one. If you don't like competing, I think that it would give you even more, because there's probably a reason you don't like it, and facing stuff we don't like usually turns out well, because that teaches you something about yourself. We get back on. And we certainly will. so once you get your "black belt" all it means is that you now have enough of a foundation to actually start learning your art. Simple Since that day, I went back many times as I got older as well. Hi Jesse, you know what,you can easily become white belt again, just not many people swallow the pride and ego to swap their black belt for a white one and stand up somewhere in an unknown dojo for a month training, where you will be corrected from people with red, purple or green Belts, and kids with 2dan black belt ;) Would you do it? I enjoy your writing and dedication, so just a word to the wise "keep doing what you do", Shoshin shogai, Jesse-san, shoshin shogai. How you overcome obstacles tells you a lot about yourself, so its a way to discover who you are. However, I am not so much into exams and belt colours, I just want to learn and be able to defend myself (due to an incident couple of months ago). This is a tradition passed by Taishihan Hiramatsu through our Renshi, and it is to get again a grasp of that same feeling: to remember how it was to not know it all. Body now slowing down at the age of a retired 64 and training in a tiny dojo once a week with 'lower' grades, I felt like giving up and just doing home practice. Every black belt should teach beginners and kids. Welcome. This is how I believe the circle of karate and or in this case simplicity of the punch becomes enjoyable and pure. If you've ever wondered what makes this guy tick, you're about to find out. I felt empty, like I'd won a cheap $.25 prize at a carnival. They would say, Hey, I've done what I came here to do. But you're still going strong, so I'm guessing there are other things you're hoping to accomplish. Alright, and what if people want to read your blog posts, and things of that nature? This is expressed in another Japanese saying known as Bun Bu Ryo Do, which means basically, The pen and the sword together will guide you on the way.. Two young fighters demonstr. There's a few of you joining each and every week, and we appreciate that. My name is Jeremy Lesniak, and I'm your host as well as the founder here at whistlekick Sparring Gear and Apparel. You see, when you teach a beginner . If you've ever wondered what makes this guy tick, you're about to find out. i like your style of writing..could feel the energy, and the message gets delivered very clearly! To me, its now a natural part of my life, but to others it might seem strange, but the whole thing about being a karate nerd is that it never gets boring, because when you're a nerd, you're not just focused on one part of your obsession - which is Karate, right? I'm imsdspeer. I've got a feeling it does, because I think the universal experience that you talked about with these two individuals who had never met, who had come together because of martial arts, and developed a friendship, but a very different kind of friendship than most people outside of martial arts are able to make, they're experiencing pain with education, with their development, and using each others bodies to do so. Well, the whole thing about being a Karate Nerd means that I don't do anything else. So yes, forget your belts and teach and work with lower ranked karatekas and you will see how much left you need to perfect! Web. I had to be in full control. I am delighted when I see the kids improve, and it's a joy to work with them. Each individual belt is called a 'Degree' of Black Belt (1st Degree being the lowest). Lets talk about competition. When it came down to the last part of the black belt test, we had something we call [jisin 18:34] kumite, which means that were basically fighting without any rules. When did you first realize that you could be completely, not just satisfied, but enjoy your life if it was end-to-end Karate? You should also check out our Facebook group, whistlekick Martial Arts Radio Behind the Scenes. What a lovely sentiment, and I agree 100%. Kao. Over, done . It was not about building strong kids in schools. Trying to explain it in a way they understand. It stops loading when I click a couple of times. Feeling like that made me depressed and confused cause of all the 7 years study, hard work and practice I'd put in. I have been training irregularly for forty years now, am 65 years old and got my shodan last year only because I wanted to teach what I think I know. Amazing and beautiful article. You've really raised the bar with that. Every real black belt should try that challenge as this is the ego test,please share your experience afterwards,it would be interesting maybe as another article? It feels like that's like a metaphor for all of my work, constantly not fighting, but having to prove myself to others who are more established, or have more credibility in this whole martial arts world, specifically Karate because, again, going back to tradition, the whole traditional thing is so strong, and people love to do things the way they've always done them, and I like to do things in a new way. Of course, eventually they quit because they don't see any progress, but if they just had used, or if they had just had the mindset of thinking a little bit more about what they were doing and not just following what their sensei said, but perhaps having a little bit of critical thinking, not that you should tell your sensei that he or she is wrong, but think about, Is this right for me? Because as an instructor myself, I know that everyone in the dojo, everyone in the class, will be different. Teaching and coaching pulls me out of my head and my own hangups about my performance and helps me focus on helping other people. That's a great story. They're just different phases of your development as a complete Karate practitioner, especially if you want to become an instructor as well, because you have to be able to teach both, so I consider them like brother and sister. This class forces me to return to basics, and rediscover rhe art once again with these parents! You can download the transcript below or download here. Maybe that reinforces some of the things that you've done, but when you lose, there is a whole bunch more that you can pull out of that. About Jesse. This was the first time they ever met. Check out this Karate black belt grading in the traditional dojo (martial arts center) of Jesse Enkamp, a.k.a. So, KaratebyJesse.com is where you'll find my blog, and many of my other projects and videos and stuff, and of course I'm on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter as well, and you could include those links in the show notes. What martial art I don't even know how to phrase this question for you. I call it liberating. When I have ideas, I usually execute as fast as I can on that idea. I usually have this metaphor that Karate is like a mountain, but to see your own mountain better, you have to climb the mountains around it, right? Its hard for me to say, but I guess when Like most young men, when you finish high school, around that age, where people want you to decide what to do with your life, that's when I decided to go to Okinawa, the birthplace of Karate. What do you think about belts and styles? That idea, it turned out great, and people asked me how long I planned it. . Beautifully written. He had no idea of what my defenses would be. Sensei Jesse Enkamp is the host of Karate by Jesse and a self-proclaimed Karate nerd. Yeah, because like I told you earlier, I had this Like the first story I told you about the Karate Nerd Experience. I found out that when they notice that you train with your heart and soul, they will help you along the journey since they are as passionate about karate as you. Do you hate clashing shins when you're sparring? Jesse-san, when confronting you with my hikite-theory, or mind blowing revelation I thought, you looked at me and said: ok that's good, but I just try to keep it simple. Whoa. If you spend any time on social media looking at martial arts content, you'll know today's guest. Yeah, those are two of my favorites. Don't just try to copy everyone else and just go through the moves mindlessly, but put a little bit more effort into thinking about what you're doing as well, and that whole combination of theory and practice will get you much further. We get stuck in all the "traditions", we get stubborn and slowly start missing and forgetting the essence of Budo. If you do, you should check out our shin guards. Leave a comment and join the discussion! Hi Jesse, Yet another anecdote. I enjoyed it. This really resonates with me. BR, Senthil. I had to make a conscious effort to be precise, clear and slow-down in the execution of my techniques so that the novice member of the class could follow I like that, the way you put that. You've got a lot going on, and I'm not even going to try to tell all the listeners about everything you've got going, so that's your opportunity to do that. It wassurreal. I am glad to have earned a Black Belt, and wouldn't have wanted to miss the experience and challenge of those years. When numbering the dan ranks, Sino-Korean numbers are used. But people call Hokama Sensei a master, of course, and he is a 10th dan, 10th degree black belt in Okinawa. That is why Im a karate nerd, because it never gets boring. Usually, when I have projects or things that I want to do, its not something I've been thinking about for a long time. a punch becomes just a punch again! and I guess the hope that the sheer wonderment of everything karate will return, huh? It is just, that you think you'll never get it. I would say something that I'm thinking about now that you mention it is in 2014, I organized my first international seminar, and I did it in Germany, because when I did some research, I saw that a lot of my website hits came from Central Europe, Western Europe, and Germany is pretty much in the center, so I decided to do a seminar in Germany. Black belts in Tae Kwon Do are achieved in degrees, with the practitioner able to earn the first-degree black belt within three to five years. SiFu (Chinese) - Teacher - usually 2nd-degree black belt or senior. So, I agree with you completely: teach as you taught; the circle returns and you will get to discover exactly where you are in that process. Dear Sean, dear Francis, In the beginners mind, Karate is full ofamazing opportunities and unique questions. They may know you in a couple other ways, and were going to get into all that as we go on. The simple solutions are often the best ones IMO. Okay. I totally understand about teaching beginners and kids. love it. I've learned (re-learned) so much technical dynamics from teaching kids, especially the little ninja's (4 - 7 year olds). The color Black represents Unification and Darkness or Night. You've worked hard. As a thank you, were going to send you our Top 10 Tips for Martial Artists. SiGung (Chinese) - Teacher of Teachers - This is a very senior practitioner who is awarded this title by the system founder or head of the family - usually 7th degree or senior. That's a pretty important book. I'm finding it difficult to train because all of the knowledge I have gained makes that next step seem insurmountable. It seemed like most karate uniforms were not made for practitioners who enjoyed every aspect of karate; including kata, kihon, kumite, bunkai and self-defense. I do that pretty often in my Dojo, and it is so refreshing & unwinding. Do you hate clashing shins when you're sparring? Consult a health professional before engaging in any exercise or martial arts program. In fact, Dan's response is most accurate the time needed to get black belt depends largely on the student. KISS Yes. I think Karate should be a highly personal journey, and you should do whatever you like, or whatever you want to do, and if that involves competing, good. I have, because Karate is my life. I resolved those feelings in time and came to understand that my whole journey was based on curiosity - not on some kind of love of martial arts. Its self-discovery and self-development, because you want to be able to face bigger challenges, to compete in the bigger leagues, which means that you have to train not just harder but smarter as well, which means that you start thinking about a lot of things. You can follow us on social media, too. After failing, I think, five years in a row, I was finally accepted to the national team, and I started competing internationally, and of course in my own country, but that gave me the opportunity to see the world, and that was before I was a Karate Nerd, you could say, because I didn't have I didn't write books like I do today, I didn't teach seminars, I strictly did it for myself, and I kept it silent, because for me, competing is not for others. It was probably a hard decision for him to do that, but if you want to make an omelet, you have to crack a few eggs, right? He really influenced me with the way they practiced, and his whole character and his spirit, because like I said, I had never met a real master before, unless you count my parents, but I guess they would never call themselves masters. I am not THE Karate Nerd, though. Great insight. When you think you can punch, your sensei explains: ok, very good but now start learning to get this or that into your punch(hip movement, whatever). - but the whole 360-degree perspective, so I'm all about the theory, and the practice, the culture, the language, the terminology, the history, the traditions, the sports science, and you know, practically speaking, kata, kihon, kumite, bunkai, kobudo, the weapons, self defense, all of these things that are in Karate that most people only scratch the surface of. Excellente article. A great point. [2] Background [ edit] Karate [ edit] Enkamp grew up with martial arts as his family runs Combat Academy - a martial arts center in Tby - where he himself started training already at a couple of years old. But the first time one of the kid's faces lit up, it had me hooked on teaching the newbies. What is it about that that really resonates for you? Itosu Anko, for those who don't know, was the man responsible for spearheading the campaign of introducing Karate into the school system back in Okinawa, which of course later on meant that Karate could become a national sport or martial art in mainland Japan, and later on the world as well. I started studying Japanese. He loves to teach Karate, Kobudo . Yes, I learn even if I'm teaching unenthusiastic kids whose parents just dumped them into Karate for whatever reason (usually because the kids outgrew the child care room). Martial arts gives us this wonderful gift, especially those of us that have achieved a black belt. He saw that it could be used as physical education as well, to improve the motor intelligence, of kids especially, by introducing it to schools. You certainly do a lot of reading. It was like a vacuum. In my style, Sensei is a title earned with a third-degree black belt and extensive study of all aspects of martial arts. Long story short, Dan the Wolfman sent him a FB friend request and started to pimp up his Black Belts, YouTube videos and other stuff, Jesse unfriended him, Dan the Wolfman took it personally, called him out on YouTube and challenged to a fight, "The Karate Nerd" commented on the video and apologized (for nothing) and the Wolfman kept on . I respectfully declined and insisted that I need to learn this style from the beginning. There's not really one book, because there are so many different versions of his notes that people have put together into books, but the publishing company is called Tuttle, and that's where I suggest you get them. It all started in the dojo. Then, with my blood, flowing from my eye, he throws me with a throw known as harai goshi in Judo. Itsoundscrazy, but I really wanted to be her! (Well, one kid asked me if I had the permission for participating in the holiday training because she saw I was a white belt and she had her blue one alreadybeing a white belt makes you feel a bit 'naked'.) Exactly, Paul-san! I try to read a lot of stuff, not just Karate and not just martial arts. Is there one book in particular? At first I was assigned the students and was really hesitant. Hailing from Sweden, he's made a career out of promoting traditional Karate and the values he sees in training traditionally. Are there any other hobbies, or sports, or things that you're active in? When we went there the first time, we stayed at this masters house, which is also his dojo, and he also has a Karate museum in this house. The journey of Karate isnt so much about becoming anything. Well, this has been a lot of fun. I publish educational content and teach seminars around the world, in an effort to elevate the collective consciousness of Karate - regardless of style, age or experience. I made these people connect with each other on such a deep level. That bond They're still friends to this day, and that was in 2014. Thats why every black belt should teach beginners and kids. Oss! I now am 2nd kyu and heading towards 1st kyu and eventually that coveted black belt and the more I train on my own in front of the mirrors I can see all my flaws so clearly that it's disheartening. After ripping through yet another karate gi, Jesse Enkamp - international karate ambassador and entrepreneur - discussed with his student Marcus why there was no better karate uniform out there. I'm a passionate "Karate Nerd", who loves helping people improve their Karate. At whistlekick, we make the worlds best sparring gear, and here on Martial Arts Radio, we bring you the best podcast on the traditional martial arts twice each week. Sempai/Shidoin/Sensei. People know who you are. It was a special thing when I visited him there last year again, but I have a lot of other mentors and people who have influenced me as well, but the first one, I guess, outside of my own dojo would be Sensei Hokama Tetsuhiro. You have a great way with words Enkamp-san: succinct, coherent and to-the-point. It's about Jesse Enkamp: Swedish, 27 years old, 4th Dan black belt. Be a SMARTial artist. Shin guards are going to be sweaty, and ours, they are too, but they're less sweaty than the others, and unlike a lot of them, ours stay in place. I know I do. Only in the second half of the class did it dawn on me, when my senior instructor took it upon himself to try and correct some of my many basic faults: the point of my helping the novice was as much about me having to consider whether I had learned the basic techniques I was expected to help him with as it was to 'teach' him! Yes, 15! The very next day I felt awfulI felt like I didn't know a thing about being a Black Belt and wanted to just hide.my belt and myself. My point is, don't beat yourself up with nostalgia. And I have to say, I did! At each step I wondered if I could pass the next test but wondered how far I could go. I appreciate your time. Common names for the dan ranks are thus: 1.Il dan - first degree black belt (also known as cho dan) 2.Yi dan - second degree black belt 3.Sam dan - third degree black belt 4.Sa dan - fourth degree black belt 5.O dan - fifth degree black belt 6.Yuk dan - sixth degree black belt I'm in a bit of a transition at the moment so your words resonate with me. Sometimes I don't even know what I'm going to do tomorrow. I wish I could go back to the days where I didn't have so much pressure to improve and to be able to start again and learn things in a better way but alas, what do we do when we fall off the horse?