Women of Uechi, D.H. Lawrence and politics

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Shelly King

Women of Uechi, D.H. Lawrence and politics

Post by Shelly King »

Hello ladies, and gents, I have to say, I'm finding I do prefer to practice with men than women. I feel they tend to demand, at least, more from my reflexes; even if they are trying to "take it easy on me" sometimes. What is really surprising me though, that despite my aggressively competative nature, I'm not getting upset with how slowly my training is coming. Being an engineer, most things have always come easily for me (excluding my painful, sleep-deprived years at college). This is something that isn't "clicking" right away and I'm actually OK with that. I still grumble to myself when I can't get a certain move down, but it really doesn't bother me other than to try harder. I wonder if the majority of female martial artists are women who chose to work and play in male dominated areas even outside the dojo...sorry, had to do some actual work for a minute and have now lost my train of thought...I think where I was maybe going with this eventually would be asking for any tips on how to develop that "killer instinct". I've noticed when I practice after a really bad day at work, my kata looks and feels better. I think because I'm imagining our production manager lying broken and bloody at my feet...or something like that. All advice welcomed.

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Shelly
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lori macleod-doyle
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Joined: Tue Aug 03, 1999 6:01 am
Location: lr.sackville n.s. canada

Women of Uechi, D.H. Lawrence and politics

Post by lori macleod-doyle »

HELLO ALL,
I AGREE WITH SHELLY ABOUT WORKING OUT WITH THE GUYS. YOU CERTAINLY DO TEND TO GET YOUR REACTIONS TUNED UP IN A HURRY.
THE THING TO REMEMBER SHELLY, IS THAT YOU WILL NOT MASTER ANYTHING QUICKLY IN THE MARTIAL ARTS. IT IS A GRADUAL SERIES OF SMALL
ACCOMPLISMENTS.I STILL FIGHT WITH MY STANCE. SOME DAYS EVERY THING FEELS GOOD. THE NEXT DAY YOU FEEL LIKE A WHITE BELT AGAIN.IT'S TRUE WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT WORKING OUT AFTER A BAD DAY .THERE ARE NIGHTS I LITERALLY HAVE TO DRAG MYSELF TO THE DO-JO. THESE ARE OFTEN MY BEST WORKOUTS.MAYBY IT'S THE SUBCONCIOUS MINDS WAY OF ALEVIEATING THE DAYS STRESS.I DON'T KNOW, BUT OFTEN IT'S EXACTLY WHAT I NEED. I DEAL WITH THE PUBLIC EVERY DAY ON A PRETTY PERSONAL LEVEL( I AM A HAIRSTYLIST) AND I CAN CERTAINLY RELATE TO YOUR VISUALIZATION OF YOUR PRODUCT MANAGER BROKEN AND BLOODY.THE MARTIAL ARTS ARE THE BEST FORM OF STRESS RELIEF I'VE COME ACCROSS.KEEP WORKING ON YOUR BASICS AND EVERY THING WILL COME ALONG IN TIME. WHEN THINGS START TO FALL APART ON ME I ALWAYS GO BACK TO THE BASICS.
IT IS TRUE WHAT THEY SAY, ALL IS IN SANCHIN.

LORI M-D
Shelly King

Women of Uechi, D.H. Lawrence and politics

Post by Shelly King »

Thanks Lori M-D

I might have to start thinking twice before I use my stylist as a shrink next time. I bet he does get tired of everyone telling him about their bad day. Have to say karate has done wonders for my stress level. When I started, my stress level was so high I was one step away from randomly mowing people down with my car. Now, setting in traffic for 45 min. doesn't even bother me. Gives me time to learn the hojo undo (sorry about the spelling. Now the only time I really get worked up about anything is if something comes up at work that will make me miss class. I've already moved one business trip to next week because I refused to miss this Wednesday's class. Special guest and all that. However I will miss next Monday. Anyone know a dojo in Omaha, NE? I don't know if it's the woman or engineer in me, but I'm facinated (and determined) with perfecting each single element of kata. Right now the hardest thing about the pace, is putting up with my husband's ego. He's starting to get a little cocky for a white belt.

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Shelly
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lori macleod-doyle
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Women of Uechi, D.H. Lawrence and politics

Post by lori macleod-doyle »

hi shelly,
i really do enjoy hearing what goes on with my clients.i love my job and most days are fun and interesting,but we all know what people can be like. it only takes one to ruin a perfectly good day. i'm sure your stylist is the same way and is interested in what you're doing.just remember to ask him how he is from time to time.i'm sure he'll apprecieate it.
as far as your kata goes, like i said, it is a gradual thing.you just have to keep at it. don't get frustrated. keep a clear mind and don't over think it. as soon as i start to think about what comes next i screw up.work on your basic movements as much as you can. i can't tell you how many times people have walked into our staff room to find me working on an elbow strike or a jump back. i've gotten a few very strange looks while sitting in traffic and working on a particular hand movement.people must think i'm nuts!!!but i get obsessed with certain movements.i really love the fluidity of the katas and when you can combine the strength , the speed and the fluidity together it is a beautiful feeling.
i just wish i could get it all together more often.but that is what keeps us coming back to the do-jo.the search for perfection. i'll tell you a secret,there is no such thing as a perfect kata. but by god i'm going to try to get as close as i can!!!!!
as far as your husbands ego goes, don't worry. eventually he'll get put in his place.
there is always someone smoother,faster, stronger or whatever.everyone seems to go through an ego stage.i find that most people get over it fairly quickly ,thank god. if they don't there is usually someone who is willing to help them.do you and your husband work out together? my husband and i figured out very early on that we shouldn't pair off in the do-jo. neither one of us took criticism very well from the other.it really works well for us and also keeps the peace at home.good luck and i hope you enjoy your class wenesday night.special guests always make for an interesting workout.

LORI M-D :-)
Shelly King

Women of Uechi, D.H. Lawrence and politics

Post by Shelly King »

Lori M-D

You are either in a distant time zone or you are one big night owl. I'm only up because one day a week I get the honor of supporting 2nd and 3rd shift at our plant.
I have developed a habit of photocopying in Sanchin. And yes I have gotten some really weird looks. Not to mention half the plant thinks I'm a battered wife because of my bruises.(no I'm not getting hit too hard in class, it is that wonderful German paleness and I'm sure some vitamin or mineral I'm lacking in my system, the whole family bruises really, really easily). It is also a good thing we don't use video cameras at work. The warehouse makes a really nice place to practice.
Sensei split us up when working in class, best move he has made yet. We were constantly nagging at each other. We do good as long as we only practice kata together. Anything else, and it gets ugly fast. Yeah, I'm waiting for someone to knock him down a few notches. A little humble pie isn't going to hurt him any.
I definately know what you mean by over-thinking the next move. In Kanchiwa kata(I know bad spelling), I never get the conversion from Sokuto geri to shiko dache which throws off the whole elbow strike. I'm thinking about getting that one move right from the moment we bow up to the point I screw it up. All I do is end up behind all the way through. I know, I know, one tiny step at a time.

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Shelly
Robb in Sacramento
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Joined: Fri Sep 25, 1998 6:01 am
Location: Sacramento, California, USA

Women of Uechi, D.H. Lawrence and politics

Post by Robb in Sacramento »

Lori M-D: I love your observations, especially about San Chin. My wife chides me that I can't yawn without turning it into some movement from a kata. I am not sure she is exagerating.

Shelly:

If you are an engineer, your mind and spirit have already been tested. So now, learning karate is just a matter of letting your body take over. Bright Uechi students sometimes make this art a bit too cerebral. Most great karate masters were farmers. Perhaps it has something to do with being in touch with the earth and in touch with themselves (I am from California, I can't help the touchy feely reference). It probably also has something to do with staying in rather good physical shape.

In all seriousness, the biggest obstacle to learning karate for most professionals is they spend too much time thinking and not enough time just doing. If you think about the kata or a movement, it is not the same as feeling the kata or movement. My first teacher use to say that after seven times through the kata one should have the movements. After that, it was a question of feeling the movement and perfecting the form.

Karate movements can be intimidating because many of us bring an expectation of some kind of performance and application to our learning the movement. We think we need to get it right the first time so we can use it if we need to. Except for the exceptionally gifted, few of us get a movement the first time through. Most of us are lucky if we are figuring it out a few years down the road. The Shotokan instructors are fond of relating a story of Funakoshi on his death bed doing rising blocks and proclaiming that he was finally mastering and understanding the technique.

As millions of Tae Bo students are learning though, if ones only expectation is exercise, karate like movements can be incorporated into a pattern of movements after a few viewings. Don't let the expectation of application or of perfecting a movement get in your way of doing the movement. Have fun. This is fun stuff. Enjoy. Peace.

Robb in Sacramento
Sue
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 1999 6:01 am
Location: Victoria, B.C., Canada

Women of Uechi, D.H. Lawrence and politics

Post by Sue »

Hello all, I've just signed up. I find this forum facinating. I've just read through the responces to the original question and subsequent flow of topic. This topic does seem to stike a cord with many, resulting in many most elequent responces.
(please forgive spelling, I'm lost without my spell check Image)
I'd like to add my two cents to the original question. Because it's been almost 15 years since I first became involved with martial arts, I've had some time to ponder this whole issue. I feel the study of martial arts in general and Uechi-Ryu in particular, by women, has a role and effect in many areas.
The first area is personal. This I don't think is very different for men and women. People start practicing karate for many reasons; health, fitness, self defence, fun, social contacts, self confidence, stress management, and so on. If people keep studying the art, the reasons often change, but remain meaningful to the student. There may be some reasons more common to women, others more common to men, and of course many reasons common to both.
The second area affected is in the dojo. This effect is often influenced by the Sensei, and other senior students. As many of you have found (by your comments), the Ueichi-Ryu style seems to have developed into/maintained? leaders and instructors with a generally open and supportive attitude toward anyone showing good spirit toward the study of the art. Having women training in a dojo with this attitude only enhances the (I think) fundamental concept of respect for another student based on their spirit, commitment and courage, independant of physical, or mental abilities.
The third area affected is the community, and generally society. I feel, on a basic level, that the perception a person has of their ability to defend/protect themselves physically, has a strong bearing on the person's self confidence and ability to be assertive. There are of course exceptions, however there is research which shows girls involved in sports and regular fitness activities demonstrate increased self confidence through their teens as compared to their inactive peers. Through personal experience I would have to agree with this, having started practicing karate when I was 16. Women involved in karate can support the image of women as strong, fit, physically skilled, and confident,(among other things) without being masculine. This can only be a good thing. As well, as more men with less than open minds about women's role in society meet and interact with karate trained women, we can hope attitudes in general will keep changing.
This was more like a Canadian Toonie, than two cents...
I have more thoughts and would love to hear yours, so I'll be back.
Take care,
Sue
JohnC
Posts: 202
Joined: Sun Sep 20, 1998 6:01 am
Location: Florida

Women of Uechi, D.H. Lawrence and politics

Post by JohnC »

Robb and others:

Very apt comment about over intellectualizing karate and making it too cerebral. I have this tendancy, too. Questions, wondering, this forum, etc, usually beyond my measure of study.

Maybe the early years with the GI's in Okinawa/Japan got the best training from Okinawans - grunts, hand signals, simple commands "lower" " Do again" "Makiwara"
etc. no over intellectualizing here! Just plain, hard repetitive practice with taskmasters.

One of my martial arts teachers repeatedly tells me to just " do it"


JohnC

[This message has been edited by JohnC (edited 08-18-99).]
Lori
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Joined: Thu Sep 17, 1998 6:01 am

Women of Uechi, D.H. Lawrence and politics

Post by Lori »

This is really turning out to be a great thread! I'm thrilled to see so much participation from the women of Uechi-ryu - and as usual - the guys are adding much to the discussion!

This thread is getting a little long and unwieldy - so I've clipped it at what seems to be a good place and started a new one - please continue the discussion there!

Peace,
Lori
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