It is interesting to sit back and listen to the stories of how martial arts came to there art. It helps give context to the personality of the Sensei and can give insight into the thinking process of the class.
This is the first blog in monthly writing that will contribute ideas and thoughts about Chito Ryu karate. As the class grows students will write there own blogs and offer their thoughts.
In 2005 I was working as a police officer in Savannah, Georgia. I had been through the police academy and had been on the road for about three years. I was often given the hardest areas due to my constant drive and willingness to get into things. The event that started my journey came from this year.
I was working on a burglary call and was checking backyards as the suspect had not gone far. I came around a corner and found a suspect hiding in a shed. The suspect came out and attacked me with a metal pipe. I instinctively threw my arms up from the defensive tactics class and attempted to grab the suspect. I could not get a hold of the suspect and fell to the ground trying to hold onto to the suspect by the leg. I was able to hold to the extent that the suspect gave up. This was the first time I had ever been attacked and my body did not know how to react despite the police training. I recognized in that moment the need for more training to help my reactions become instincts.
I remember getting online looking for martial arts classes. I saw several in the area but nothing captured my attention. At the time I was a certified master personal trainer and recognized the need for fitness in any class that I was looking for. I was at my gym, the YMCA, and noticed a flyer for karate. I read over the information, while it was a very simple flyer I remember thinking this could be something that might work. To this day I don’t remember what was on the flyer.
I remember walking into the class on the time and day posted on the flyer. I was nervous. I didn’t want to seem out of place but I had no idea what to expect.
I remember seeing students lined up in rows and wondered why.
I was then told where my position was and taught how to bow as my first lesson. Thought out the class I was just trying to keep up. All these moves, screaming and sweat. I wondered was this right for me.
When I finished the first class I felt accomplished. I had made it through.
I reflected on what I had done and realized that I had already learned things about body position, focus, and patience. I had learned to let go of embarrassment, as I fell.
I came back the next week and the moves made more sense. I began to crave the patterns. I wanted to learn how to apply them, how to push through when I am tired, how to battle my internal thoughts and see where this could take me.
I signed up for the class and became a regular member. While I didn’t have any physical one on one contact I began to see each practice punch, block or kick as a defense. I could see the attackers and would hit to the point my uniform with snap. Each class I was drenched in sweat, accomplishment and driven more.
The movements were passed down as movements. This was interesting to me as there was much explanation, as part of the process you had to learn how to apply the movements. You took the work home and studied. You came back and asked questions and bounced ideas off of other students. My sensei quickly recognized my hard work and my dedication to the art. Sensei Carpenter quickly appointed me to assist. I thought to myself what had I done that had earned me this promotion. It wasn’t a promotion of rank but rather that of the internal components of the art that most people take years to learn. The ranks came naturally but the promotion to helping others quickly became my mainstay in the organization. I would spend time after class to go over things. I would ask questions and began writing a manual or book for myself to help remember the homework.
As the instruction grew I was given more opportunities to add my training knowledge to the class and began to incorporate exercises that were fun for kids and adults alike. The ideas were to share the exercise vision but also keep the values and traditions.
When I started the class there were 7 students in the class. By the time I had been promoted to green belt we had raised the class size to 15.
I began to research martial arts and studied significantly the differences between arts. I compared karate, taekwondo, Jeet June do, jiu-jitsu and others. What I realized was the arts come from a place or a part of the world where those elements are necessary. Part of the journey of martial arts is to spread the word. No one art is better than the others, despite countless tests of one on one.
Each art possesses its strengths and weaknesses and for me, karate was the thing that I need to fill. Karate taught me patience, self-defense, dedication, hard work, values, traditions and how to help others.
I continued to rise through the ranks. I was permitted to learn weapons katas and others to start sparring one one one.
Sensei Carpenter continued to push me. Not, one class, did I attend that did not leave me sweating and at times of the floor out of breath or tired.
In 2011, I took my black belt test. The belt test was given in the style of Japanese Chito Ryu which I had prepared for. The test was a grueling battle of physical strength, mental toughness, and dedication. I succeeded in my attempt at a black belt and became one of the fastest people to obtain the rank under Sensei Carpenter.
I realized that this was not the end but the beginning of my journey. I was now tasked with opening my studio. This class had taught me so much about myself and the art and it was not time to take the next step and convey this message to the world.
I moved to Phoenix, AZ and opened a karate studio in Chandler Arizona. I worked the flyers and presentations. I was granted a beautiful studio. In one year I took the class from zero to 21 students. There is a market for a system that is traditional.
With the latest journey set, I have now moved into the Prescott Valley area and believe this is going to be a permanent home to Chito Ryu karate.
These lessons continue to serve me at work. I now expect attacks, expect to get hit,
instinctively block and hit back, serve my community and work hard at passing the traditions and values of Chito Ryu karate. M. Rodgers
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