By Mathis Isaksen, Member until 2017
Recently, the first Task Fighting 3 course was held. Led by Søren Renshi (4th/5th dan Joden) and Martin Renshi-dai (4th dan Chuden Hiden), we were driven through 2 times 3 hours of intensive training. And it was definitely worth the trip! My experience is that it is on Shindenkan's courses that you meet the greatest learning progress. Especially in the 'higher' degrees. It is new concepts and new challenges that enable you to find new areas of work!
In this article I will try to give a picture of some of the things that have gone through me in connection with TF3. And so I will first turn my attention to one of the most discussed topics among students in TG3 (4th-1st kyu). Exactly setting! We like to say, between brown belts and aspiring brown belts, that the only thing that separates us in these degrees is the setting. Setting, setting and setting. But what kind of a size is this 'setting'? TF3 is also about a lot same setting, but the truth is that at no time has anyone defined for us what exactly that entails. (In that case, I have been sick).
Task fighting 3 is kumite. It's combat, it's freestyle, it's realism, it's reality. At least as real as we can make it now. You face your opponent and you have to either attack or defend yourself or both. You have a setting, which says that when you attack, you cannot avoid hitting. And correspondingly, when you defend, you cannot possibly be hit. It's life and death we train, and we wanted to survive so we can fight another day. So when you step into the dojo, it's about being on. Your setting will have to be that you have to be focused and aware of what it is you are doing. At least if you want to learn something, and thus be good to yourself. The motivation for e.g. going for a run or eating healthy or being dead focused for 3 hours won't magically appear by itself if you wait until the next day. It is something you have to work on yourself.
In TF3, and in reality, there are consequences if you fail to do this. Everyone who participated in TF3 was affected at one point or another. Sometimes harder than others. In any case, the instructors ensured that this was the case by starting by placing a tsuki in the chest/solar plexus of each participant, albeit with a protective vest in between. It just had to be tried. But during the training itself, it was at least clear that it was not always that you were 100% focused. Anyway, I would venture to say that any TG3 participant who managed to be 100% focused throughout the course would be able to parry any attack.
The most intensive minutes I had during TF3 were when I ended up with Jens Kyoshi as a training partner. However, a more accurate designation would be teacher. After seeing that Jens Kyoshi was training with the course, I was smart enough to ask him about 'when he had time?' during the randori exercises (free sparring). I was even lucky enough to hit the time when the instructors announced “80%!” and “100%!” intensity. Let me describe it. The meeting with Jens Kyoshi, The Good, The Bad & The.. First of all, it must be said that Jens Kyoshi was in the role of teacher. When we first meet, it's completely obvious that he completely bares his kamae. "Fine" I think. I've learned that my setting has to be 100%, even in attack, so I'll have to attack with full intensity every time he exposes himself. Jens Kyoshi allows himself to be hit (it is noted that there was only semi-contact during the entire course) 4-5 times, but then the attitude also changes. As he said afterwards, I had shown that I wanted to fight, and an action leads to a reaction. So now he went on the offensive. Several times a well-placed tsuki lands me in the chest and I'm on the retreat. I am pressured, and no longer manage to do the things that we have worked on on the course. All the while Jens Kyoshi is shouting that I should get my act together and move. As I said, an intense experience. But I knew this was what I was getting into. And although I was obviously under a lot of pressure, I felt that I could handle it better afterwards than I had been able to before. Which I was happy about, although there were a few worried looks from the other course participants.
After this the course ended slightly anti-climactically as I must admit I was well used. But it was a great course, no doubt about it! Although you get a few scratches here and there. I am currently starting with the Shindenfight courses, where we really immerse ourselves in the things that TF3 introduces. You keep developing, and that's how it should be. Fortunately, there is plenty of room for improvement.
