November 2017 is a month that has offered rain and signs of winter weather. But it is also a month that offered OBC 3 with a content that showed that the value "You can do much more than others and you yourself command" really came into its own. OBC 3 contained the competences KGK-Karate history, JJ3 – Takedowns and strangulations, TF 3 – Kumite of reality, Tai Chi – Chinese martial art, Shiatsu – Japanese massage as well as the fantastic IK1-3 – Instructor training seen through the glasses of reality and coherent in a common thread.
OBC3, just like OBC1 and OBC2, was developed by Yamana–Itotani-Sensei, and in order to create greater understanding of OBC3, SOPROG had the honor of helping to plan the content, within the framework so that it could also be understood in SOPORG and carried out into reality.
It is always incredibly instructive to be part of a work process with Yamana-Itotani-Sensei and SOPORG had no doubt that this would probably be good for everyone, because the content of OBC3 was about what reality looks like right now and what can be done to be prepared for the future reality. In other words, it means that one should learn from the past, prepare for the future and be right in the present.
During the work process, all the situations that the instructors in the individual schools have been confronted with were looked at. This applies to both the positive and the negative - lessons can be learned from all situations. In OBC 3, the IK1-3 courses are reviewed and everyone who has participated in an IK1-3 course knows that the content is adapted to reality and the situations you may encounter here. All the cases that were prepared for the OBC 3 course were all based on situations that have been experienced in the individual local Shindenkan schools within the last few years and thus very relevant for the present and for the future.
When all confrontations are now looked at, it is after all to find out how the instructors of today and the future can best be dressed, so that the confrontations can be resolved as best as possible. It is exactly the same way it is done in terms of following in the footsteps of the old samurai and learning from their techniques. It is simply adapted to modern society and the challenges that come with it. And this is where the IK1-3 courses constantly develop, because it is on these courses that the members of Shindenkan really test what it means to be an instructor.
It may sound dangerous, but it is not at all, because it is basically about taking responsibility. Responsibility for oneself and responsibility for others. At the same time, it is also a lesson in how to react in situations that can be a little difficult. And of course it is not reserved for the dojo. No, to that extent it can also be used outside the dojo. All learning in Shindenkan is learning that can be used everywhere in life, if you want it. This is why martial arts is not about training twice a week. week, but is a way of living with associated values and learning principles – they are on page 1 of the curriculum handbook 🙂
Yamana-Itotani-Sensei started OBC 3 with a brief review of the history of karate from World War II to the present day. The development which may in reality not only concern karate, but perhaps all martial arts that we know of today. A development which has meant that martial arts from Japan have become widespread throughout the world and which everyone knows about to varying degrees. There is just a big difference in the way martial arts are trained and worked in Shindenkan and elsewhere. In Shindenkan, it is an entrance to a place where there is room for everyone – elite as exercisers.
After this review it was time for IK1-3. 3 dojos were built so that 3 areas could be formed for learning. In each dojo, the same case was reviewed and carried out. Each round was divided into 4 cycles so that optimal learning could take place. In the first cycle, a Deputy Chief Instructor came into the fire - then it was an instructor - then it was the Chief Instructors who then showed how it should be done and finally it was again the Deputy Chief Instructor, who could then take learning from the other three cycles with him and thus learn the most . This method was carried out with a total of 4 cases, which were extremely relevant for the organization and all local schools.
During each case, pressure was put on the person in the fire and thus every opportunity for the true me to come out - and it did, for better or for worse. That's the reality, and it's the reality you have to deal with and not a glossy image that you create yourself.
At the end of IK1-3, Yamana-Itotani-Sensei had created 3 cases which were supposed to put the Chief Instructors under pressure and thus create optimal learning for both them and for the rest of the participants who had to watch - and it worked to that extent 🙂 When situations are synchronous then it can be a little easier to handle, but when they become asynchronous, it's a completely different conversation, and that was exactly what the three cases were - asynchronous in the same way that kumite against several people will be. Whoa, what does IK1-3 have to do with kumite? Everything, because there is no difference if you can see the essence of it all 🙂
After an absolutely fantastic IK1-3 lesson, body, mind and spirit just needed to get in touch again. This was done through a review of the Tai Chi form that we train in Shindenkan. Then it was time for JJ3 and TF3 where Yamana-Itotani-Sensei showed how effective strangulations and locks can be. And even though it was late in the evening and everyone was marked according to IK1-3, not much space was given around the individual participants 🙂
OBC3 ended this Friday with a guided meditation where everyone was guided to relaxation by Yamana-Itotani-Sensei. It is absolutely fantastic to feel how the body and mind calm down and how the breathing affects the whole body.
As everyone has probably become aware, there is nothing random in Shindenkan – no, not even in this OBC3 course. To that extent, IK1-3 are connected to the rest of the content in a common thread, which has probably become significantly clearer in this OBC3 process. During IK1-3, the reality of the participants showed itself very clearly on several fronts, and it is now up to the individual to take the learning with them so that a fantastic future can be created for both themselves and for Shindenkan. And remember that the future is created by your actions, not by what you say and think you will do.
