Pain – a pleasure!

Giving one's body for demo use... It almost sounds like a medical experiment and in a way it may well be true, because:

On both Jujutsu course 2 and Jujutsu course 3, I had the pleasure of being Kimu Sensei's partner when there was a demonstration, and when I now use the word pleasure, one can question my motives or why I think there is pleasure in feel pain or by being thrown over and over again, by being strangled or lying in an armlock and gasp!

Hm.. I can hear it myself - I must have been environmentally damaged or I have become a masochist!

But there is a difference between rehearsed demonstrations where you know what needs to happen and demonstrations where you as a partner do not know what needs to happen. This lack of knowledge about the next move makes it impossible to prepare or take precautions, and precisely this makes the demonstration much more clear and it produces a real realism that comes out very clearly - also in the pain.

But pain or no pain, there is something hidden here!

I was on the course to learn and I actually think it was a pleasure because it was really cool and very educational to feel how much control Kimu Sensei had in his techniques, how he was able to translate techniques and movements into it total flow I felt from start to finish and how close to the limit he could go without it going wrong - also despite the pain.

Pure intensity.

In addition to the techniques and flow that I was a part of in the demonstration, the most significant thing was the very great and pure intensity that each demonstration contained, an intensity that was so strong that in the end I could not remember exactly what the demonstration was about. I just had to pull myself together and calm myself down, after which I could replay the process like a little movie inside my inner consciousness.

In order to maintain the maximum intensity, there needs to be a constant and uninterrupted flow, and in order to have a constant and uninterrupted flow, there needs to be optimal technique and that you can supply and boost with energy, so that you merge or gets stuck – even without wanting it to! This is what Kimu Sensei showed me in his demonstrations.

It may sound strange, but the way I can best describe how I experienced the intensity Kimu Sensei inflicted on me is the feeling of strong shock-like electrical pain that spread through the arm, over the shoulder blade, further into the spine and up the neck, where it eventually my breathing stopped and I just followed along.

Why did I follow along? Was it because I wanted to or maybe because I didn't want to not? Maybe I couldn't help it... It also sounds strange, but my experience was that once I was in it, ie. attack and defense were going on - then I could only follow along.

Regardless of whether it was one or the other, I'm very happy that Kimu Sensei had control of his techniques and only went to my limit - maybe just a little bit overJ

Fear of death - when does it occur?

One of the techniques we train in Jujutsu course 3 is strangulation and here too I had the pleasure of being a demo partner for Kimu Sensei.

Let me just state that when the strangulation was put in at maximum intensity and flow at level 3 by Kimu Sensei it was very short time before I found myself at my limit. Of course, I could feel that he could be completely merciless - and this is where the fear of death arises.

At one point I remember hanging over the floor only the strangulation where I thought - now it's crossing the line and right at that moment I felt the floor with my knees and could feel the relief that it didn't continue washing over me. I had given myself body and trust to Kimu Sensei, put my life in his hands and yet I arrived at the point where the fear of death arises.

Why does it happen? In short, because strangulation is the ultimate chance to experience yourself with life in someone else's hands - life or death that's where the line is, it's black or white!

How do you feel afterwards? You can both laugh and cry, yes you are relieved - very relieved that it wasn't now!

And as a demo partner you have to have trust...

I experienced the impact in three intensity levels:

• Level 1: Before my limit where I had severe pain but where I could keep up, was proven and had open eyes.
• Level 2: Just before and at the limit of what I could handle, where I was in excruciating pain, where I wasn't sure I could keep up, alternating between being proven and standing still and having my eyes open.
• Level 3: On the border where I was paralyzed, in excruciating pain, where I didn't realize how I was following, alternating between being stuck or unproven and had my eyes closed.

What are we going to use this for?

Training this technique is incredibly important for several reasons. First of all because it is deadly and we must understand how it is used so that we can avoid this dangerous situation and we must learn to respect how dangerous it is to end up in a strangulation grip.

But it is equally important that we have to learn something about ourselves: It is not enough to know the technique, we must also be able to perform it – without hesitation!

We must be clear about the following:

• Can you if necessary - be merciless? It is important to know about yourself!
• How do you react when you are on the edge and experience the fear of death?

The essence

After completing Jujutsu course 3, I have reflected on the context of Shindenkan's course and it is very clear that the gradual competence building complements the curriculum in a very intelligent way, so it becomes clear why Shindenkan focuses on a whole "Pizza" instead of a single "pizza slice".

It's not just something we say - it's something we do! - That's why we know we're good!

Shindenkan karate really focuses on a full "pizza" through normal training in Karate techniques supplemented with competence courses in weapons distance and close combat (Kenjutsu and Kotachi-jutsu), unarmed close combat (jujutsu) and task fighting courses.

The main essence for me that culminates in this course is like a pearl on a string, i.e. each competence course and curriculum course constitutes a process of clarification, like small pearls on the common thread. Pearls that lead towards an overall process of clarification based on yourself and taking responsibility for yourself:

• Start with yourself, get to know yourself and be good to yourself.
• Follow the common thread in Shindenkan – have faith.
• Practice having continuous flow
• Train with Maximum intensity and setting
• Train to master the 12 principles and 8 powers

Learning

When I came home after Jujutsu course 3 I was very tired and exhausted and it took me 7 hours before I stopped shaking both externally and internally - that tells you something about how intense an experience it was for me.

But despite the exhaustion, I was also happy because for me Jujutsu course 3 was a very developing experience and the learning I got was through feeling the flow Kimu Sensei used, the intensity he applied to his techniques.

My learning is the understanding of how much intensity and flow there must be in my own techniques, that it must be brought into my own area of development and the realism I must strive for. How close I need to be to my maximum performance!

That it is necessary for me to move in the area just before the border, on the border and just above the border both in relation to myself and in relation to others and not least the ruthlessness or mercy that necessarily comes with it.