The day was over and I had to participate in the first TLUS POMW C in Shindenkan's history. I was very much looking forward to this innovative and unique Theme Leader Development Convention, where Kimu Sensei would pass on his experience, served with the essence on a silver platter - directly to me.
Shindenkan Shooting Technical Handbook.
POMW TLUS 1 is a course divided into POMW A, which is the theory, history, Minouchi Sensei and setting, then POMW B, which concerns safety and training of the essence – namely the Shindenkan Shooting Technical Handbook, with airguns.
Shindenkan's shooting technique handbook, or the essence, is of course the basis, just like in all other training in Shindenkan, where we build up step by step, starting with the simple, studying the simple, coordinating the simple - finding the rhythm and then programming oneself - thus that it feels natural and like a part of yourself.
After POMW B, we were all asked to train Shindenkan's Basic Shooting Technique 30 minutes every day for the 3 weeks until we met again at POMW C.
POMW C1 – Range shooting.
I must say that I arrived with very high expectations on the day and with such high expectations there is a chance of being disappointed!
After establishing the level of experience – that is, we participants were divided according to how much we had trained since the last time – we started with range shooting training.
At first we shot at a short distance and then gradually increased the distance and it was clear that everyone had become much better at shooting on a range.
Although the challenge increased with the distance, everyone did well and proved that Shindenkan Shooting Technique Handbook with the basic and simple focusing worked 100 %.
POMW C2 – Shooting with transitions
The next training session was about shooting at changing targets and here we shot at two targets first to our own rhythm and then to time, which made the challenge somewhat greater. Again we started at a short distance and then gradually increased the distance and we were all challenged on our shooting technique.
In this session we used both Airguns and Laserguns and it was very educational and again the result was better if I kept myself in the shooting technical handbook.
POMW C3 – Shooting with movement and transitions
Then we switched to shooting in motion with Airguns both forward and backward as well as sideways in both directions and now the challenges started to get really big. As well as lasergun shooting against 6 targets.
It all ended with a 32 target IPSC stage spread over 400 m2 with both regular discs, IPSC discs, poppers, magazine changes along the way done with Airgun.
Here my accuracy dropped drastically and this really needs to be trained and improved, but the adrenaline was high and the dish was taken.
It was just super well thought out and really cool to be a part of.
After reflection.
After the POMW course itself, there were some experiences about myself that were rattling around in my head. Questions like what is a dojo? What is my setting? What does POMW give me?
A dojo is the place where I am enlightened - it is the place where I learn something about myself!
What did I learn about myself?
My attitude can be improved and this will help me a lot - instead of reacting in familiar patterns where there is no development. Patterns where I feast on my senses and if this doesn't work, I compensate by being fast in my movement and this can be very good if the technique is good enough to carry it. But if the technique is not good, the result will be really bad. And if I am disqualified, it also affects my judgment and my self-esteem.
Is this tendency something I can recognize in my other training situations or work situations – to turn up the energy, instead of developing an overview? Well, I have to say yes to that - yes, I have all the cool qualities like impatience, self-blame, I can do better myself - as well as the more flattering qualities like empathy and love 🙂
But that's good because then there's something to learn and that's exactly where POMW comes in!
How do I get the most out of it?
My attitude is paramount - and this applies to everything I do - stand for what I do 100 % everything else is a waste of time and why. So, in other words, the optimal benefit is directly dependent on my attitude to learning.
As you know, the wheel and the deep plate were invented and it is about learning from those who have gone before myself, taking their experience and making it my own.
What is the perspective in relation to karate?
Do I want to spend my time in POMW - the answer is that POMW is a TG/TG3 KYU competence which must be built up on an equal footing with the other KYU competences and therefore it must be the focus now and until the KYU competence is built up.
If I am to understand POMW, I need to build up the competence, otherwise I cannot comment on it. By understanding the weapons of the modern world through the acquisition of a skill, I give myself options.
This is exactly the same with Karate - to understand Karate I need to build up a competence, otherwise I can't comment on it.
This is exactly the same with my inner development - if I want to understand myself, I need to get to know myself, otherwise I can't speak about myself.
Shooting Techniques Handbook works 100 % and the yield depends on my setting. If my setting is always 100 %, dry training can be used for everything else and the whole world suddenly becomes my dojo - that's a super cool perspective - which I think was emphasized by the shooting technical handbook.
Was I disappointed with the very high expectations I had for POMW C? - No, I definitely didn't - because it was a super cool, exciting and well-planned development course, which I could feel the effect of in my subsequent training.
POMW is the Shindenkan's test of Minouchi Sensei's theory - and what does it really mean to me?
Does it really mean that the whole world is my dojo if I have the right attitude!
Now I'm looking forward to POMW 2…
