Arnott Kenpo Karate

01/28/2025

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02/08/2024

I've been lately hammering on the need to commence practicing Black Belt Control early on, as a White Belt (and all the other belts of many colors) - in every class, as we spar and work techniques, and very specifically in the pass-it-down exercise that ends every class. It is necessary and it takes practice.

We are practicing a martial art, contact is essential and unavoidable. The majority of folks here on the mat are not in favor of getting hit a lot and work right hard to prevent that, as much as is reasonably possible. Given the fact that you are on a dojo mat, getting hit is an unavoidable part of the process. Even a necessary part of understanding the process. Rule #1 here is don't quit when you do get hit. Rule #2 is don't get hit.

Rule #1 is one of the main things we practice in pass-it-down. We practice also marriage of gravity, timing the kiyai, and yup, Black Belt Control. You take the hit, you don't flinch or block or turn away. You meet the hit with your kiyai, recognizing that sometimes that's all you got. That's what it's about for the hit-ee. As the hitter you are practicing something equally necessary and valuable.
As you go up in rank you will be using more and more dangerous weapons, and striking to more vulnerable targets. Cripes, actually, that's not remotely true. The first technique for most every White Belt is Delayed Sword, featuring a kick to the groin and a handsword to the neck. Neither target is one I care to risk.

From the very start you must be practicing contact. And with contact, control. You have to trust your partner. Trust your partner to not fool around or make you the recipient of their bad day, and you have the offer your partner the opportunity to practice the technique with contact to something that'll survive the moment. Like maybe your hand. Or sometimes only your kiyai. But allow them contact.

For anyone watching our recent and most extraordinary Black Belt tests, you will have no doubt of the power of high rank here at the dojo. And at the same time there is nobody safer to spar with than our Black Belts. They come in fast, hard, with real power, and many months, years of practice at hitting in as far as they aim to. That is Black Belt Control. That is what you practice in the pass-it-down line at the end of class. A full-power hit to the gi covering the belly. If you want to practice taking a hard hit (and some time you must - it is the only way to truly know you can take it), you must ask for it. Ask for a strong hit. Ask your neighbor it hit in a couple inches deep. Otherwise, it's Black Belt control to the surface.

08/10/2023

The deepest joy of running a dojo will always be the people in it. What they bring to it, what they find in it. What they give back to us all. Mr. Chinn will be testing to Black in November. Since he started with us back in 2018 he has been chronicling his steps with his paintings. It is unavoidable to be awed by the beauty of such heart and talent.

07/23/2023

Congratulations to our newest adult Blue and Green Belts - Zoticus and Owen (and their teams that helped make it happen) - two students exemplifying the power and grace of this art. Well done, gentlemen. You set a high standard.

07/11/2023

Essien is off to the Jr. Olympics. We will miss him on the mat, but the life of a champion is chockablock with choices, with challenges to meet and sweat to sweat. Well done, Mighty Essien. https://sanmarinoweekly.com/track-field-comeback-essien-gagnon-headed-for-junior-olympic-championships/?fbclid=IwAR079dV7KuV4YTbTrFMiPSEhOPCdMINNYjiT2YYDLaNDm5BMXZAzFeTRFP8

After missing the end of track season and the opportunity to qualify for CIF due to an injury, Essien Gagnon, an incoming junior at SMHS, came back strong competing in AAU and USATF sanctioned race qualifying himself for both the AAU Junior Olympic Games in Iowa and the USATF National Junior Olympic...

07/03/2023

We will miss you all on the 4th, closed as we are, but we are looking forward to a July filled with challenge and triumph. And while I'm looking, I'm noticing I've been incredibly laggard in congratulations to folks who have indeed met challenge with triumph. So yays aplenty to all of our newly ranked color belts, and our newly graduated Mighty Tiger. Bravo to Willa and Marcello and Charlotte and Marcelo (Z) and Phil and Stella and Amidah and Xenia and the mighty Dan and Keaton and Violet and Madeline and Sebastian - you all make this dojo a better place, and make me right happy to know you.