Parking receipt. Yesterday, I did not attend regular dojo training. I had been caught up in some technical issues with my tablet SIM at the Vodafone-BeMobile kiosk and wasted precious time. After more than 45 minutes I had lost my patience and felt like scream (or punching) the young lady who was trying to help me. At the end of the day it was simply too late to go. When I was home I had time to reflect on what had happened and how I had nearly lost my composure. Before I started learning karate, I was a bit violent, and somewhere inside it is still there. In fact, all humans have a tendency towards violence. However, through rigorous training and meditation, karatekas (and martial artists) learn to tame or contain the beast. In Kyokushin, we recite the dojo kun (oath) after class to remind ourselves of goals of self-betterment. As a senior student, leading the recital is my responsibility, and I kind of feel down that I almost forgot the oaths. Kyokushin kanji Kyokushin...
Image via www.dragonballclub.net Yesterday, we had a kanpai ; a practice that is strong in Kyokushin karate. It is the only time when shihans , senseis and sempais allow kohais (juniors) to consume alcohol. Kanpai, like Sayonara, is an essential component of karate. It is when the rivalry ends and the friendship begins. Unfortunately, I've noticed that the practice is strong in Papua New Guinea (PNG). We had a couple of beers and shared pizza while talking about the recent PNG Games that we attended as officials and athletes. It was post-mortem and a bonding session rolled into one. Sempai Bernard Soari told us about the kanpai they used to have after international tournaments. He regaled us with stories of how uchi-deshis could not refuse food or drink from their seniors or how they used to have eating competitions after the world tournaments – the rest of the world versus the Japanese. The other sempais, Samson and Sailas, also thanked the athletes and students ...
Comments
Post a Comment