text:
I have written on this subject before, but would like to make the point again.
I do not like patches and we do not wear any in our dojo. I do not like any brand symbols on my gi. I remove them and urge my students to do the same.
I do not like writing on my belt. I wear a plain black belt. When it gets tattered, I buy a new one. My sons prefer to wear no belt at all.
I do not like snappy gi. The sound hurts my ears!
I do not like to associate my dojo or my understanding of Karate with any symbols, colors, designs, patches, names, sayings, dojo kun, or the like.
Karate is in the training. What counts most is the relationship between the Sensei and his or her students (not associations or organizations). If my Sensei is kind enough to consider me his student, that is more than enough for me -- and I feel extremely lucky for it!
Karate training is more than enough, without embellishment.
If you train well, you need nothing else. If have everything else (the embellishments), but do not train well, is that really Karate?
If you need a patch, let it be your character.
Charles C. Goodin
No Patches
I have written on this subject before, but would like to make the point again.
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Thursday, February 28, 2008
Learning can be frustrating. Frankly, it usually is.
I have almost always been frustrated from the time I started learning Karate over 30 years ago. I always want to do my best, and I always feel that I am not doing it. At first, there is so much to learn. But over the years, as you learn more and more of the curriculum, there is so much room for improvement. It is not a question of simply knowing a certain number of kata or techniques -- it is being able to do them properly. And even then -- when you can do some things somewhat properly -- there is room for refinement.
At all phases, there is room for more, room for improvement, room for refinement... room.
So it can be frustrating. I realize that this word has negative connotations. Perhaps a better word is "challenging." Karate training can be very challenging.
If you feel frustrated or challenged, that is a good thing. If you don't, if you are simply content with your Karate training, that is probably not a good thing.
I have never met an extraordinary Karate sensei who was content with his ability. In fact, such sensei are usually the most demanding of themselves, the most challenged by their Karate training.
If you are trying to get to 10, 9 feels pretty good. But if you are trying to get to 1,000, 9 is really frustrating! And if you are trying to progress beyond numerical measurement, then...
I am not saying that we should feel good, great, or extraordinary. Who can say if this is true, and who knows is they are right? But we can say that our effort is good, great, or extraordinary. We can try to try harder than anyone else.
Actually, Karate does not challenge us, we have to challenge ourselves. A little frustration can be a good thing.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Striking Range
Some measures for striking:
If you can reach the attacker with your outstretched foot, you should run away.You must be able to strike through the attacker. Striking his outer surface will do little or nothing. When you strike the chest, you have to aim through to the back. That is why you must be pretty close to strike. You are not aiming at the front -- you are aiming at the back.
If you can reach the attacker with your outstretched fist, you should kick.
If you can reach the attacker with your outstretched elbow, you should punch.
If you can reach the attacker with your shoulder, you should strike with your elbow.
When you are extremely close, it helps to know how to grapple.
My Sensei explained to me that when you punch, you should have the feeling (or idea) of crashing your body into the attacker's. Another way to express this is to say that you punch (or strike) with your body, not your arm.
Most people do not practice crashing into each other. This is much like taking hard falls in Judo or Aikido.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Saturday, February 23, 2008
Chinese Martial Arts Lecture -- Feb. 28th
I received the following announcement from my friend and senior, Stanley Henning, an expert on Chinese martial arts. I have been to his home, and he has as much or more material on Chinese martial arts as the Hawaii Karate Museum does on Karate... really.
I have spoken to Stan many times about the connection between Chinese martial arts and Karate. To learn about early Karate, we need to examine Chinese martial arts. Stan practices the art of Hsing-i.
I plan to attend Stan's talk and am looking forward to it. Here is the announcement:
HSPLS - OAHU TEEN PROGRAMSPlease let your friends and fellow martial artists know. I hope to see you there!
Stanley Henning, an independent scholar, has studied the history of martial arts for many years, both in the United States and in China. Henning will discuss Chinese martial arts, a major element of Chinese traditional physical culture over the centuries, to present day. Chinese martial arts have served as a source for the modern martial sports of Japanese Judo and Karate, and Korean Taekwondo. This one-hour program is suitable for ages 16 to adults.
99-143 Moanalua Road
Aiea, HI 96701-4009
Thursday, February 28, 7:00 p.m.
Ph. 808-483-7333
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Saturday, February 23, 2008
906th Post
It is hard to believe, but this is the 906th post of this blog.
Thank you very much to all the readers, around the world, and to all the excellent guest writers. I appreciate all the kind words of support I have received.
I feel very fortunate to be able to learn, teach, and write about the noble art of Karate.
Charles C. Goodin
Weight Placement and Pivoting -- Part 10
This should be it -- really.
The shape of the drop is not linear. The weight usually drops in a spiral.
If the weight drops in a vertical line (straight down), it will bounce back in another vertical line (straight up). If it drops in a spiral, it will bounce back in a spiral, which is easier to redirect.
The drop is made using the koshi, which has a rotary motion (not simple rotation in a horizontal plane). The shape of the koshi motion translates into a spiral drop. You can sometimes see this in the movement of the knees.
I hope that this has helped to make the subjects of weight placement and pivoting a little clearer. I should add that I would not teach this to beginners or even intermediate students. I would wait until the student was fairly advanced. In my opinion, it is best for beginners to develop clean and strong linear basics first.
Charles C. Goodin
Weight Placement and Pivoting -- Part 9
One thing about dropping the weight -- it is not necessary to "drop" very far in order to bound or float. Whether you drop an inch or a foot (12 inches), the reduction in weight is the same (as long as the speed of the drop is the same).
The more skilled one becomes at it, the smaller the "drop." That is why it is so hard to observe this in advanced students and instructors. The drop is not obvious, particularly when it is integrated with horizontal movement, body shifting, and koshi dynamics. Advanced students and instructors can drop with little more than a flex of their knees.
Charles C. Goodin
Weight Placement and Pivoting -- Part 8
Sorry, I thought of something that is essential to add to this discussion.
One of the first things that Shinzato Sensei taught me is that "you cannot move freely if your mind is fixed."
Many people who move like robots believe that they are supposed to do so. Perhaps that is how they learned or how their seniors move.
You cannot fly like a bird if you think that you have to hop like a toad or crawl like a snake.
Before you can move freely, you have to let go of the stiff (fixed, rigid) attitudes you hold in your mind. Really. This is one of the most profound things I ever learned.
By extension, you cannot move freely if you are hung up on rank, titles, championships, money, power, etc. How could you?
"You cannot move freely if your mind is fixed."
Charles C. Goodin
Weight Placement and Pivoting -- Part 7
So that, in a nutshell, is how to move on the center of your feet.
I find it easiest to teach this to my students when they are practicing bo (Yamani-Ryu bojutsu). The bo gives the students a greater appreciation and recognition of the centerline. When you move off the centerline, the bo pulls (like a gyroscope). Hmmm, the bo does spin like a gyroscope.
I cannot emphasize enough that movement and koshi are connected. They are not two things.
When I initially drop, I do not just relax my knees. My koshi is connect to my knees. It is as if my left lat (latissimus dorsi) is connect to my right knee and vice versa. In order to bend my knees to drop, my lats will pull on my knees. This is not simultaneous. I will pull on the knees one after the other, not at the same time. In this way, there is greater potential for direction.
We almost never do two things at the same time. Two things that appear to be simultaneous usually are not.
My lats pull on the opposite knees. This creates a tension in my koshi and this tension is usable.
The energy used to "drop" creates energy for movement and striking (or blocking). One thing fuels the other. And the strike (or block) also creates energy for another technique or movement. One movement fuels the next. It is like perpetual motion, but not quite.
This will complete this subject, which is a brief overview. I must admit that I have only begun to be able to express this in words in the last few weeks. I could move like this, but could not come up with the proper words to describe it.
I am the type of person who needs to be able to articulate something. I do not like to teach by example only. I like to combine example with explanation.
Some students respond well to a physical example. Some need words. Some need "hands on" to put them in the right positions.
I also want to add that I have not made this up. I am not that talented. I am very fortunate to have an excellent Sensei who has taken a great deal of time to show me how to move and generate power. I am one of those students who needed an example, words, and hands on to bend me into position. In short, I was probably the most difficult type of student... but I keep working on the things that I learn.
If I have described things correctly then it is to the credit of my Sensei. If I have described things incorrectly, it is entirely my fault.
OK, try this. Stand as if you are about to shoot a free throw in basketball. When you bend you knees and bring the ball close to your chest --- MOVE!
Charles C. Goodin
Weight Placement and Pivoting -- Part 6
In my last post I stated:
The opposite is also true. When you move down (drop or sink), initially there is less weight on your feet for a moment, but then there is more weight, followed by a bounce (momentarily slightly less weight). It is good to move when there is less weight on your feet and good to strike when there is more.This is one of the keys to movement. You cannot easily pivot when your full weight is on your feet. By dropping, you reduce the weight on your feet and can easily pivot on the ball of your foot, your heel, or even the center of your foot. And when you pivot on the center of your foot, you will not shift from side to side -- you will be able to maintain your centerline as your advance or retreat. So, so, so, so!
Shinzato Sensei refers to this dropping as bounding. This is not a word we use very much in English. I think he means bouncing, but I am not sure.
Shinzato Sensei teaches that a controlled drop can be used to initiate and enable movement. This is combined with "falling" or overloading your weight in the direction you would like to go. Movement can be in any direction, not only forward. This is why the weight is usually placed on the center of the feet.
The feeling I get is that the center of the foot is sort of like a suction cup. There is a natural arch to the foot. You need to try to make your whole foot make contact with the ground.
Then, when you pivot, you do so on this center part of the foot. You could not do so if it did not make contact with the ground. There has to be some contact in order to pivot. Otherwise, you would have to jump (no ground contact).
When we drop, the body feels lighter. From one point of view, you drop. The resulting feeling is one of "floating." When your body feels lighter, you could say that you are floating. When you are floating, it is very easy to move your feet.
This is a simplified view of things. You do not simply bend your knees and drop you weight. You could do so, but the resulting change in weight is not that useful. If instead, you drop your weight and also set up a squeezing feeling in your koshi (as if you are pressing down on a large rubber ball in your koshi and also as if as your koshi drops, it is pressed from the ground up), then the resulting tension is a very useful thing!
Your koshi is integrated with dropping your weight, the initial feeling of floating, the following heaviness on your feet, and the resulting "bounce." I believe that this entire process is what Shinzato Sensei calls "bounding," but I am not sure about this.
When I ask Shinzato Sensei about what we should call something, he often says, "perhaps you could come up with a term for it."
Getting back to moving, when you drop you can pivot on the center of your feet. When your weight hits, you can use that energy to initiate movement in any the direction your desire. And when the following bounce hits, you can move (forward, backward, right, left, etc.).
This takes very little time and can be hidden. All this movement can be concealed inside your gi. As such, people who do understand this form of movement will wonder how you are moving so easily without pushing off on your feet.
It all starts with a bounce, even a little bounce.
Charles C. Goodin
Weight Placement and Pivoting -- Part 5
As you move forward, there is another consideration (in addition to unintended side to side movement).
If you move from a low stance to a higher stance, you put more weight on your feet.
If you move from a high stance to a lower stance, you take weight off your feet.
Try it. It helps to move briskly.
I want to repeat this because it is so important:
If you move from a low stance to a higher stance, you put more weight on your feet.This applies whether you are standing still or moving. When you move up (rise), you press down. When you move down (sink or drop), you weigh less.
If you move from a high stance to a lower stance, you take weight off your feet.
This affects how you can pivot on your feet. When there is more weight on your feet, it is more important to pivot on the ball of your foot or heel. It is hard to pivot on the center of the foot. When there is less weight on your feet, you can pivot more freely -- on the ball, heel, or on the center of your foot.
There is another consideration. When you move up (rise), there is a moment at the top of the movement when you become lighter. At that moment, you are less stable (unless you also have movement is a horizontal direction).
Try this. Stand comfortably. Now jump up a couple of inches. At first, you press down on your feet. But at the top of your jump, you become weightless for a moment. And then the weight returns to your feet.
The opposite is also true. When you move down (drop or sink), initially there is less weight on your feet for a moment, but then there is more weight, followed by a bounce (momentarily slightly less weight). It is good to move when there is less weight on your feet and good to strike when there is more.
So the timing of your movement (in the horizontal plane) and the effectiveness of certain techniques are great affected by vertical movement (rising or sinking).
In fact, vertical movement can and is used in our Kishaba Juku form of Shorin-Ryu to initiate movement or boost the power of techniques. I am sure that it is used in other styles as well. But in Kishaba Juku, vertical movement is elevated to an invisible "ballet" of sorts that takes place during and in between all of our movements. We are always moving in three dimensions, externally and internally. (By internally, I mean inside our body -- not metaphysically.)
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Saturday, February 09, 2008
Weight Placement and Pivoting -- Part 4
In Weight Placement and Pivoting -- Part 2, I wrote:
"If you pivoted on the balls of your feet, you will now be to the left of the line. If you pivoted on your heels, you will now be to the right of the line. Either way, you are no longer on the line. Your body has shifted.I thought of an example to demonstrate this. Imagine that as you step forward (either shifting slightly to the right or left of the line), you hold a spinning gyroscope near your stomach (hara area). If you move straight ahead, you will not feel the gyroscope pulling you either to the left (as you move right) or to the right (as you move left). Remember that the gyroscope resists in the opposite direction of your movement.
Now that is OK if you intended to shift, but if you did not, what happened?
Either way (shifting to the left or right of the line) it took energy to move off the line. It would have been more efficient to move straight on the line."
The gyroscope will also resist your forward movement, but this would happen whether you moved straight ahead, or ahead and from side to side.
If the gyroscope resists side to side movement, your body is obviously subject to some resistance as you do this. It is more efficient to move straight ahead.
There is a saying in bojutsu that you should hide behind your weapon. I first heard this from Sensei Toshihiro Oshiro, but the same applies in weapon arts such as sword and spear. As you face your opponent, the point of your bo (sword or spear) should be aimed directly at his centerline. If he moves toward you, he will be stabbed by the point. To attack your centerline, he will have to deal with your point first.
The same principle applies in empty hand arts (you should hide behind your block or strike). When you move from side to side while advancing, you are changing this line of protection and attack. A skilled opponent could exploit this.
Of course, lateral movement may be used to avoid or slip an attack. If this is the intention, then such a movement makes sense. But you should not move from side to side unless you intend it.
Otherwise, there will be inefficiency and resistance.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Saturday, February 09, 2008
Weight Placement and Pivoting -- Part 3
How you pivot is affected by your weight placement.
If your weight is on the balls of your feet, it is hard to pivot on your heels. If your weight is on your heels, it is hard to pivot on the balls of your feet.
Try it. In order to pivot (either way), you have to shift your weight first. This takes time and a skilled person can see your movement. It telegraphs your intentions.
And if you are going to pivot half-way on the ball and the rest on your heel (or vice versa), you have to shift your weight twice. This is even harder and more obvious.
So it is not simply a matter of pivoting one way or the other (or a combination). You also have to consider your weight placement.
Charles C. Goodin
Weight Placement and Pivoting -- Part 2
Should you pivot on the ball of your foot or on the heel?
In Shorin-Ryu, I have always assumed that we should pivot on the ball. However, in Tai Chi and Gung Fu (which I studied in high school), I distinctly remember that we pivoted on the heel. When you pivot on your heel, you can trap the attacker's foot with your own (the ball and mid part of your foot would rotate on top of the attacker's foot).
How you pivot will affect the line you take. Imagine a straight line extending on the floor in front of you. Take a jigotai dachi (or similar stance) on the line with your right foot forward. You should now be facing to the left. Adjust your position so that the line runs through the center of your feet (between the toes and heel) and your body's side sechusen (centerline). The balls of your feet should be to the left of the line and your heels should be to the right. Do you have it?
OK. Now pivot on your right foot and step forward into a left jigotai dachi. You should now be about one body space forward.
Look down at your feet.
If you pivoted on the balls of your feet, you will now be to the left of the line. If you pivoted on your heels, you will now be to the right of the line. Either way, you are no longer on the line. Your body has shifted.
Now that is OK if you intended to shift, but if you did not, what happened?
Either way (shifting to the left or right of the line) it took energy to move off the line. It would have been more efficient to move straight on the line. Shifting off the line makes you somewhat vulnerable to being thrown or pushed one way or the other. And if you are using a weapon (such as a bo or spear), you would have lost your line of attack.
Shifting on the balls or heels of your feet requires you to move off the line.
Of course, you could pivot half-way on the ball and then switch to the heel, but that is a little difficult to do. Doing so, however, would keep you on the line.
Is there an alternative?
Charles C. Goodin
Weight Placement and Pivoting -- Part 1
This is a subject that has bothered me for many years. When I say "bothered," I really mean it. I wrote an article about body mechanics for Classical Fighting Arts. It was intended to be a three or four part article but I reduced it to only one part. The reason was that I was stuck on the second part. Writing about koshi and body dynamics in general did not give me a problem. It was the second part that stopped me. The second part was on the placement of the weight on the feet and pivoting.
When you stand in a Karate stance, where do you place your weight -- on the balls of your feet, your heels, distributed equally on the soles of your feet, or something else? Try it. Go through any kata and feel your weight placement.
For myself, I have always assumed, first as a student of Matsubayashi-Ryu and later as a student of Kishaba Juku Shorin-Ryu, that the weight was placed on the balls of the feet (or at least mostly on the balls of the feet). I can't remember my sensei over the years telling me this, exactly, but it was something I took as gospel.
Perhaps I learned this as a Judo student. I remember learning that you should be able to place a piece of paper under your heels when you are doing Judo. You slide your feet, with the weight mostly on the balls. However, in Judo you are grappling with an opponent who is in front of you most of the time, grabbing you by your collar and sleeve. You are trying to avoid being thrown. Placing the weight on the balls of the feet makes sense in this situation. But Karate involves a greater range of movement, and we are usually not engaged in grappling, particularly when performing kata.
I believe that the weight is also placed on the balls of the feet (mostly) in Kendo. Again, the opponent is usually in front of you. Motion is usually forward, which is facilitated by placing the weight on the balls of the feet.
In Karate, we have to be able to move in any direction. There is not only one opponent. We could be attacked by multiple opponents from any direction. We have to be able to move in any direction, as quickly as possible.
If we are poised to move forward, it will be harder for us to move backward or to the sides. When we place our weight on the balls of our feet, we typically lean a little forward. To move backward, we have to first shift our weight back, which takes time.
For the above reasons, I have recently come to question my belief that the weight is supposed to be on the balls of our feet (or mostly). I may have misunderstood this principle from the beginning, or latched on the a rule that best applies to beginner and intermediate students. I am not sure. But I now believe that there is a better way to position the weight and to move.
I will discuss this more in the next part of this post.
Charles C. Goodin
Extinguishing A Candle
A while back, one of my sons was trying to extinguish a candle by punching the flame. The candle was on a table and he was punching diagonally down toward the flame. He was having a hard time.
I walked over and extinguished the flame with an uraken (back fist). My son looked a little surprised but I explained that there is more wind with an uraken so it is naturally easier to extinguish a flame.
If someone offered you money to extinguish a candle with one punch, you could just punch the wick and squash it into the liquid wax. That would put the flame out!
People tend to be fascinated with things like extinguishing candles. There is some skill to it, but it is mostly a trick. You could develop good focus and control by practicing striking a hanging towel or piece of cloth.
If you really want to extinguish something, you should work on extinguishing bad habits! (Me too.)
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Barefoot Okinawans and Stone Structures
On his last visit to Japan, my good friend, Professor Kimo Ferreira, brought back a book entitled Natsuhashiki Okinawa (Remembrances of Okinawa), by Katsuo Notamura. November 23, 2000. 160 pages. Japanese language.
The book presents photographs that were taken during the visit of a Japanese gentleman to Okinawa before World War Two (looks like the 1930s). It contains two photographs of Kentsu Yabu and one of his students practicing Karate.
There are many photographs of the scenery, architecture, and people of Okinawa. I found a couple of things to be very interesting.
The first is the architecture. Okinawans lived in very modest houses. Okinawa was the poorest prefecture in Japan before the war, and it showed. However, the castles, tombs, and bridges were usually magnificent stone structures. It appears that most of this stone was coral rock (as opposed to the volcanic rock we have here in Hawaii). The Okinawan carved the stones with straight edges and fit them together like beautiful puzzles that remind me of some of the walls seen in the temples of Mexico and Central America.
It was the contrast that was so striking. Many people, particularly the poor, lived in simple wooden huts. But nearby would be a magnificent stone bridge. And the people buried their dead in stone tombs (and caves). The tombs cost many times the price of a house.
Many of the stone structures looked very old. They were most likely constructed during the Golden Age of Okinawa, when the Kingdom prospered as a hub of trade between China and Japan. Only a wealthy government could invest so much money in its infrastructure.
The other thing that I noticed was that just about all of the common people were barefoot -- not just the children, everyone. Of course, for formal photos where the visitor to Okinawa was wearing a suit, the Okinawans tended to be better dressed and wore shoes or slippers. But in the candid photos, the people on the roads and in the villages were all barefoot.
I mentioned this to my mother, who was born and raised in Fukuoka, on the Island of Kyushu. She said that as a child, she always wore shoes (she went to a Catholic school). But during the war, all the children went barefoot. This was to show support for the soldiers who were fighting in the war. The public had to make sacrifices.
But in Okinawa, it seemed that going shoeless was more a factor of poverty. We often hear that the ground in Okinawa is very rocky. I noticed this during my two visits. Despite the rocky terrain, the people wore no shoes. They must have developed very strong feet and toes!
I wonder if this is a reason why we kick with the tips of our toes in Shorin-Ryu? For people with callused feet and toes, this would make sense. I have worn shoes all my life. In Hawaii, you would say that I have "haole feet." The local people here also went barefoot much of the time and developed tough feet. "Haole feet" means that one's feet are tender.
Some of the Okinawans who did wear footwear, wore getta. With getta, you have to grip the center strap with your toes. This also strengthen the toes.
Whether because they were barefoot or wore getta, Okinawans probably had much tougher feet than we do today. This would have enabled them to kick with their toes and the edges of their feet.
Today, modern Karate schools tend to teach the use the ball of the foot and the heel to deliver kicks. Is it because we have tender feet (or because we would usually have to kick while wearing shoes)?
Just a couple of things I noticed in that book of old photos from pre-war Okinawa.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Emphasize Peace
Because of my work with the Hawaii Karate Museum and the articles I have written, I am sometimes consulted by people in various aspects of the media about my views on Karate. Most of this is never reported.
I get all kinds of questions. Who was the best fighter? Who had the strongest punch or kick? What was the best weapon? Who defeated the most opponents? The list goes on and on, but you are probably catching the flavor of the questions. There is an element of violence in most of them.
Most of these questions cannot be answered properly. They are subjective. Was Choki Motobu the greatest fighter ever? How could we know?
Whatever the question may be, I try to redirect the subject. I typically say the following:
Karate is a civilian art of self defense. It is not a fighting art. It is an art to defend yourself and loved ones. The greatest virtue in Karate is to avoid violence. When violence cannot be avoided, Karate techniques are used as a last resort, and then only to the extent necessary to escape and protect life.
If you ask me who was the greatest Karate man, one name I would mention is that of Shosei Kina. In the ending days of the Battle of Okinawa, he risked his life to go out and speak to the advancing American troops. The Americans suspected that Japanese soldiers were hiding in the village. If so, they would have the village bombed or targeted for artillery. Kina Sensei was an expert of both Karate and Kobudo. We went out and met the Americans. An interpreter was called. It was a young man who had been born in Okinawa but raised in Hawaii. The interpreter instantly recognized Kina Sensei as his former Sunday School teacher.
Because of Kina Sensei's bravery, the village was spared. He risked his life -- it was known that other Okinawans who ventured out to speak to the Americans were killed.
Kina Sensei was a great Karate man because he risked his life to save the lives of others. He was great because he placed peace above violence.
One of the maxims of Karate is that "The hand is a treasure in the pocket." Gichin Funakoshi often said that "There is no first attack in Karate." Sokon Matsumura said that "Karate teaches one how not to use the hand and feet in a fight." How not to use.
The greatest Karate man is one who could avoid violence and preserve life. The greatest Karate man is one who valued peace.
As Karate students and instructors, we should always emphasize peace. When violence cannot be avoided, then Karate techniques must be used to the extent necessary. But this is a last resort. Karate people should not be looking for an excuse to fight.You can see why my quotes don't usually make it into shows about Karate.
Who is the best fighter? Perhaps it is the person who can fight against injustice, bigotry, and discrimination.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Hitting Pads
We purchased three large football blocking pads/dummies for our students to kick and punch in our dojo. The pads/dummies were for children, so they are not quite strong enough for adults to hit hard. But they still are very good.
I have noticed that children get pretty excited when they get to kick and punch pads. Many adults do too. It appears to be a combination of fun and a release of aggression. Of course, everyone is different.
Here is my point. I do not get excited at all when I hit pads or the heavy bag. To me, it is just like hitting a makiwara or anything else. I guess that the excitement and aggression lessen with age and years of training. I guess that I do not have any excitement or aggression left.
When I hit, I feel "cold" and controlled. I am neither happy nor sad. I expect that a real situation would be different and that emotions would be harder to control. But I believe that this control factor is an important part of Karate training.
I often tell my children (three of whom are adults) that if they ever have to hit someone, they should feel neither good or bad. It would simply be inevitable. If you have to hit, you have to hit. You should try to avoid it, but once it becomes the last resort, then you cannot hold back.
When you have to hit, you have to hit. You should feel neither excitement nor aggression.
Charles C. Goodin
Some Thoughts About Alcohol Abuse
I have to admit that some of the Karate instructors I have met over the years were heavy drinkers. Drinking seems to have been an accepted thing in Japan, particularly for businessmen.
However, abusing alcohol can lead to illness and even death. As Karate students, we should be careful to avoid behaviors and things that are bad for our health or can lead to unsafe situations. Here are some things that might be avoided by not drinking alcohol:
- You will not get drunk. You will not wake up the next morning having forgotten what you said and did the night before. Even if you forget, others will remember. Some people might forgive your drunken behavior. Others will remember it and hold it against you.
- You will not get ticketed for drunk driving and lose your license. You will not drive drunk and endanger others and yourself. Even if you only injure yourself, your injuries could make you lose your job or have to drop out of school.
- You might avoid dangerous locations. Places where people drink can easily become violent. One of my son's has two friends. Not long ago, they were attacked by twelve mem outside a nightclub. One of the old time Karate students here in Hawaii told me that his Sensei always warned him against drinking for this reason.
- You will not get into a situation where drunkenness diminishes your discretion. It is not possible to estimate how many young women become pregnant due to drunken behavior. Teen pregnancy does not only affect the young woman. It also affects the father, the couple's families, and the child. Unprotected sex as a result of drunkenness can also lead to sexually transmitted diseases, some of which could even be fatal.
- Here is a story. A high school girl got drunk and as a result got pregnant. She was extremely smart. However, due to the pregnancy she dropped out of high school. Her boyfriend dropped out of school too and took a low paying job. Neither got to go to college and had a hard time making ends meet. They could not provide for their child in the way they would have liked to -- in the way they might have if they had been able to stay in school and get better jobs. Don't let this be your story.
- You will save a lot of money. Alcohol is expensive. It is better to save money for your education.
- You will not progress from one form of alcohol to another, and to drugs. Beer can lead to hard liquor. Alcohol can lead to marijuana and hard drugs. Drug use is illegal and can lead to a criminal convictions. The best way to avoid alcohol and drug abuse is not to start.
- You will not neglect or abuse your family.
- You will not have to make excuses and miss work.
- You will not have to spend time with a bunch of friends who drink all the time. If you drink because your friends do, perhaps you should think about the company you keep. You should not have to become a drunk just to be with other drunks.
- A limited amount of alcohol consumption, by adults, at the right time, under controlled situations, may be acceptable. But how much, when, under what situations? Karate students are not "normal" people. Experts in self defense and "fighting" have unique, dangerous skills and must avoid losing control. It is not possible to maintain such control when drunk.
- You will not set a bad example for your own children. We had a guest speaker come to our dojo in November 2007. He was from the Coalition for a Drug-Free Hawaii. One of the things he said stuck in my mind. He said, "what is your child supposed to think when the beer is in the refrigerator next to the beer?" That's right. What is your child supposed to think? If you were that child, what would you think?
- You will not spend time drinking and can use that time for healthy and productive activities.
Please visit our Karate-No! Program (Karate students say No! to drug and alcohol abuse) website.
Charles C. Goodin
50 -- One More Thing
I forgot. When I turned 50 I also got to join AARP. And there is an article pending about my research for the Hawaii Karate Museum in the HMSA's Island Scene journal. I think it will come out in the summer. For those of your outside Hawaii, HMSA is a medical insurance company.
Charles C. Goodin
Getting Older
I mentioned that I turned 50 last month. Even though 50 is the new 30, I have since experienced two things that remind me that I am getting older.
My doctor has scheduled me for a colonoscopy. Turns out that it is a right of passage when you hit 50.
This morning my wife could not open a jar of salsa. She tried and tried, and then asked me to open it. I tried and tried, but it was really stuck. So my wife asked our 18 year old son, Cael, to try and pop! -- he opened it on the first try.
Growing older is inevitable, but Karate training can help to keep us younger for as long as possible.
As a side note, I probably could not have opened that jar even when I was younger. My sons are much stronger than I ever was.
Charles C. Goodin
Excellent Post on Naihanchi Shodan
Sensei Bill Lucas of the Tallahassee Karate Club recently posted an article about the Naihanchi Shodan kata entitled The Kata We Practice - Naihanchi Shodan. He describes how and when Naihanchi Shodan is practiced in his dojo.
He mentions that in his dojo, new students with no prior Karate experience learn Fukyugata Ichi first. If new students have prior experience they learn Naihanchi Shodan first. In our dojo, all students learn Naihanchi Shodan first. We teach all three Naihanchi kata before introducing the two Fukyugata kata. I believe that many Kishaba Juku schools skip or omit Naihanchi Sandan.
I believe that the Naihanchi kata teach koshi while Fukyugata Ichi can be used to teach the hanmi (slanted) body alignment.
I agree with Lucas Sensei that "There are so many obvious self defense techniques in Naihanchi that a practitioner could train in this kata exclusively for their entire karate life and never get bored."
I once asked Shinzato Sensei what three kata he would practice if he could only practice three. His first choice was Naihanchi Shodan.
At the end of Lucas Sensei's post, there is a link to a video of Shinzato Sensei performing Naihanchi Shodan. I'm sure that Shinzato Sensei is uncomfortable with that video (excerpted from the Uchina Kibun television show done a few years ago). However, I feel that any video of Shinzato Sensei is still very instructional and inspiring.
Most of us would be extremely happy to be able to move the way that Shinzato Sensei did 20 years ago!
I would also like you to view another post in Lucas Sensei's blog. See: Thinking of Okinawa: In the Dojo. There is a great photo of Shinzato Sensei at his dojo in his home in Yonabaru, Okinawa. He is standing with Sensei Paris Janos (on the right). Please click on the photo to enlarge it and look at Shinzato Sensei's expression (and Janos Sensei's too).
That's how people look when they truly enjoy practicing and teaching Karate!
Charles C. Goodin
Beautiful and Terrifying Kata
Today I mentioned to a Karate student that I considered the Yamani-Ryu version of Sakugawa Nu Kun to be the most beautiful bo kata I have ever seen, and Shirataru Nu Kun to be the most terrifying.
In a similar way, I would say that the Tomari version of Passai is beautiful, while Rohai and Chinto are terrifying.
To me, Kusanku and Wankan are nice, while the Naihanchi kata are deep. The Pinan kata are primarily derivative of Kusanaku, with a little Passai, and thus are nice.
Ananku is essentially Pinan 6.
Wanshu and Gojushiho are a bit unusual.
Fukyugata Ichi is like origami, while Fukyugata Ni is a bit odd (because it is a Goju-Ryu kata that has been modified to the Shorin-Ryu format).
Sakugawa Nu Kun and Passai could be done as dances without modification.
These are just my impressions.
Charles C. Goodin
Old Style or New Style?
In our school, we practice a form of Shorin-Ryu known as Kishaba Juku. The roots of the art can be directly traced to such leading figures as Sokon Matsumura and Tode Sakugawa. In this regard, we could say that we practice an "old" style of Karate.
However, I would also say that our form is very modern -- incredibly modern. Our form of Karate evolves moment by moment. It is not fixed. We are not doing things the same way that Sokon Matsumura and Tode Sakugawa did. Even if they were great, even if we could go back in time and observe their movements, I feel that we would not be content to simply mimic their movements. Even if they are greater than we could ever be, we should not only try to copy them. We should strive to be the very best that we can be and never be content to rest on what we have or anyone else has accomplished.
Our art evolves moment by moment.
I am confident that my Sensei would be critical in the afternoon of the progress he has made that morning.
Charles C. Goodin
Our Styles Are Almost The Same
Sometimes when I observe other styles of Karate, I mention to the other students that our styles are almost the same. Our movements generally begin and end the same -- it is just that everything in between is different.
If you took photographs of our movements -- the beginning and ending positions -- and made a book, our styles would look very similar. But if you watched the actual movements, they would look very different.
Are styles are "almost" the same.
I'm using the term "style" here for convenience.
Charles C. Goodin
Teaching Koshi
Last week I was teaching a segment of Fukyugata Ni to four students. Fukyugata Ni is a challenging kata. Designed by Goju-Ryu founder Chojun Miyagi, the kata, as we practice it, is a Shorin-Ryu interpretation of a Goju-Ryu kata, done with Kishaba Juku body dynamics. To me, it is a fighting kata, not merely a collection of basics.
The dynamics of Fukyugata Ni are challenging, and I spent some time on it with the students. Of course, it will take months and years for them to really feel comfortable with the kata, and we will have to continue to work together.
After we finished, I mentioned to the students that with four of them I could teach body dynamics. If there had been four hundred students, I would have had to teach the kata in a very basic and linear manner.
Koshi, and koshi powered body dynamics, are best taught in small groups or even one on one. They must be taught in a hands on manner. That is why our type of Karate is almost always found in small classes.
Even our Sensei, who is way beyond all of us, usually teaches only a small group.
Success in our art is not measured by the total number of students in our classes. Quite the opposite! One student who can move well is a great accomplishment!
Charles C. Goodin
Sensei Toshihiro Oshiro
Today I had the opportunity to stop by and pay respect to Sensei Toshihiro Oshiro, who is visiting Hawaii to conduct bo and sai seminars for Sensei Kiyohisa Hirano's Japan International Karate Center. In recent years, I have observed Hirano Sensei's students performing Yamani-Ryu kata in local tournaments.
Even if only briefly, it was a real pleasure to observe Oshiro Sensei teaching. I also admire how dedicated the instructors and students in attendance were to learning the beautiful art of Yamani-Ryu bojutsu. I hope that they realize how fortunate they are to be able to learn from such a fine instructor as Oshiro Sensei.
Charles C. Goodin
I have mentioned this before, but it is worth repeating. When you watch a DVD or video, you do not know how many times a scene was repeated to get it right. The final version looks perfect. But there may have been 10 or even 20 outtakes that you did not get to see.
Demonstrations usually look perfect because the demonstrator knows exactly when and how he will be attacked.
Real life is not so predictable and we do not get to delete the outtakes.
I watched a demonstration. The performer looked so great and strong! But when he walked of the stage, behind the curtain, he started panting for breath. The audience could not see this.
We are all human. It is easy for you to realize that you are human. But you also have to realize that all the "great" Karate experts and celebrities are also just as human. Don't let the gloss of rank, titles, or fame blind you. Karate is a skill attained through hard work, not a super power or magic.
If he or she can do it, so can you!
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Friday, February 01, 2008


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Solving The Problem Of Internationalization
17 Dec 2010
Our vision at Geni is to solve the problem of genealogy by empowering genealogists all over the world to work together and create the world's single family tree. Of course, to solve such a large problem, there are many smaller problems that must be solved first.
It's almost a certainty that one of your ancestors lived in a different region and spoke a different language than you speak. In fact, there's even a great chance that one or more of your close relatives doesn't even speak the same language that you do.
As our community grew, we realized that a significant portion of our users spoke and wrote in languages other than English, but Geni was an English-only site. For us to truly realize our vision, it became obvious that we must allow people that read any language to use our product. We needed to implement a translation solution.
Existing Translation Solutions
There were several third-party options available, including the i18n support for Ruby and Facebook's Translations app. We decided that i18n was not a realistic solution; Geni changes too frequently and the support for outdated translations was prohibitive.
Facebook's option, while very attractive, forces users to have Facebook accounts because it is built on the Connect platform (great for Facebook, but not good for people that don't use Facebook). In addition, with Facebook, all translated text is stored/owned by Facebook, and it is all rendered after the pageload using JavaScript. This can be slow and messy, and it doesn't truly solve the problem of internationalization because (most) robots will only see the site in its original language. If a search engine can't read your site in various languages, how can it direct users of various languages to your site as a resource?
Ultimately we decided that the existing solutions weren't good enough, so we decided to build our own. This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone familiar with the origins of Yammer.
Introducing tr8n as Open Source Software
The solution we created is so dynamic, and it has worked so well, that we have decided to make it available for use as an open source project. Today we officially announce our release of tr8n to the Ruby development community.
Tr8n is a Rails engine plugin that provides a framework for crowd-sourcing translations into hundreds of languages. The power of the engine comes from its intuitive and friendly user interface that allows site users and/or professional translators to rapidly translate the site into supported languages.
The flexible and robust rules engine that powers tr8n allows for any combination of language specific rules in any translatable sentence. Translators can create rules for phrases and sentences that depend on gender rules, number rules or other rules supported by the engine. The language specific rules can be configured by the language managers for any language.
The engine comes with a set of powerful administration tools that allow site admins to manage any aspect of the engine; including the enabling and disabling of its features and the monitoring of the translation process. Tr8n translation engine is based on a robust and flexible pluggable architecture where language rule types and the syntax of the "tr" tokens can be configured or extended by RoR developers for any application deployment.
tr8n on Geni
Our implementation of tr8n has been an enormous success, with over 150,000 translations in 70 languages. To experiment with tr8n, stop by Geni.com, sign up for an account, and you'll immediately be able to use the translation tools:
Clicking on the language drop-down displays the initial tr8n dialog, where you can choose your language and opt to use the translation tools.
After enabling tr8n translations, all content on the page that has been properly wrapped will appear with green links. To edit a word, phrase or sentence, right-click on it and you'll be provided another tr8n menu that allows you to view current translations, vote for them, or add your own:
tr8n Resources
There are several resources available for developers that are interested in tr8n:

subset: commoncrawl


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CHANEL Horlogerie Introduces 5 Exceptional Watches CollectionCategories:Jewelry & Watches
CHANEL Horlogerie showcases some exceptional timepieces, a luxury watches collection featuring the excellent movements, charming jewelry appliqués and artistic crafts of the French high-end brand.
Skeleton Flying Tourbillon
The graphic design of its flying tourbillon, that is characterized as a charming comet, is enriched by a skeleton dial come up in line with the signature watchmaking traditions of Chanel. See also Behind the Scenes: Gucci Jewellery and Watches Ad Campaign Holiday 2016.
CHANEL J12 Skeleton Flying Tourbillon Watches
Elegant contrast, as a perpetual back and forth between the light of day and the mystery of the night, the flying tourbillon stylized valuable comet lights up the deep black of a skeleton movement and reveals a refined time a unique look.
Openwork Flying Tourbillon
Free dial, this watch represents the successful combination of fine watchmaking and symbolic codes of the Maison CHANEL. Embellished with sparkling diamonds, its enchanting tourbillon fleet stylized swirl as if by fascination. Don't miss also Michael Kors Sable Watches – The Luxe Women's Timepieces Collection of the Season.
CHANEL Première Openwork Flying Tourbillon Watches
The precious flying tourbillon shaped camellia, Mademoiselle Chanel's favorite flower, highlights an openwork dial of deep black. As a floral sculpture, it also magical than air flying tourbillon reveals a diamond camellia heart offering the unique look.
Première Flying Tourbillon With Diamonds
Conformed comet or camellia, each flying tourbillon beats while retaining and almost in secret at the heart of J12 and Première watches. Combining graphic lines and endearing symbols to Mademoiselle CHANEL, these luxury timepieces are coating the way for new concepts of remarkable female watches.
CHANEL Première Flying Tourbillon Embellished with Diamonds
Between sweetness and purity, power and femininity, the stylized flying tourbillon camellia dresses in yellow gold, beige or silver and featuring sparkling diamonds. The first of this exceptional diamond-paved case subtly combines the art of watchmaking perfection and spirit of Chanel fashion house. Dolce & Gabbana SOFIA Watches Collection: The Ultimate Hoiday Gift Guide for Her.
Rétrograde Mystérieuse Tourbillon
A perfectly round watch, devoid of side crown, hiding in its uncompromising design an unexpected concentrated horological innovations. The Tourbillon Retrograde Mysterious and combines technical perfection and aesthetic revolution.
CHANEL J12 Rétrograde Mystérieuse Tourbillon
Concentrate horological innovations and cutting-edge design, the watch J12 Retrograde Mysterious invents an original reading of time. In its white gold dress and high-tech ceramic hides a treasure of mechanical ingenuity in the service of unprecedented aesthetics.
Calibre 3125
A prestigious automatic movement, a case of a rare graphic perfection, pure dial of an exemplary finish. Behind the simplicity of its lines and its mechanical excellence, the watch J12 Calibre 3125 hides an unusual character.
CHANEL J12 Calibre 3125
Its high-tech ceramic case and matte 18K yellow gold gives it a sophisticated and refined style. Through a high quality sapphire crystal, the watch J12 Calibre 3125 unveiled its balance bridge crossing a gold rotor and wearing black ceramic. The successful marriage of style and the exception. Discover also the refined details of Slim d'Hermes Watches – Luxury Hermes Timepieces Collection.
Tags: Chanel watches Introduces Horlogerie Exceptional
comnum(0) tbcount(0) tbcount(409)
Dior Introduces Several Brand New Bag Styles on Its Spring 2016 RunwayCategories:Other Brands
Let's get this out of the way up top: the bag that made the biggest debut on the Dior Spring 2016 runway is going to remind you of the Saint Laurent Sac de Jour in certain ways, which, in turn, already reminds many of you (and me) of the Hermès Birkin. Or, at least it does as presented on the runway.
The design struck me as a curious choice (even though it's as beautifully finished as any other Dior bag), but when you look closely at the detail shots, the bag appears to be a little more complicated than it was presented. Based on the photos, all of the bags closures are magnet-based, with a top flap that was folded back (and presumably held that way by another set of magnets on the bag's rear) on all the versions the models carried.
A top flap (or at least the one I'm imagining) would make the bag more reminiscent of a Birkin than a Sac de Jour, but there's no telling until we get to see the bag in all its glory. Take a look at it, as well as the other new additions to the Dior lineup, below.
Tags: bag Dior New Introduces Several Brand


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Fighting For Your Rights
The law is interpreted – sometimes to our favor, and sometimes not.
The NCSF believes that sexual behavior between consenting adults that does not result in serious physical injury should be legal. However there are those that have a differing opinion and will intentionally interpret the law in an unfavorable way. That's why it's extremely important to have an understanding of the laws that may affect us.
Event/hotel negotiation
The purpose of this material is to assist SM/Leather/Fetish groups who are considering hosting an alternative lifestyle event. The goal in presenting this material is to assist in developing a positive relationship with local hospitality venues.
How to choose an attorney
Choosing a lawyer can be difficult, especially if you have to do it at the time you are arrested. If at all possible, establishing a working relationship with an attorney whom you trust before the need for an attorney arises, is obviously the most desired and beneficial route. The lawyer you decide to retain should be compatible with your personality and manner of handling pressure.
Find someone you can talk with and trust. Schedule a preliminary interview and have several questions prepared. (See sample questions below) Choosing a lawyer simply because he or she understands or is sympathetic to alternative sexual expression may lead to later dissatisfaction. Lawyers should be selected for their expertise and experience in specific categories of cases. You can always contact the NCSF, and if we know of lawyers in your area, we will refer you to them. There is also a website that lists, by state, kink friendly lawyers, and other professionals. The website may be accessed through the following link www.ncsfreedom.org/kap.
PDF Coming Soon
Police Interactions ? What to do when you deal with police
Police Interactions ? What to do when you deal with police
Your basic legal rights and responsibilities may not always be clearly defined by law enforcement officials. If stopped or
detained, politely ask the police officer "why" in a manner that is not confrontational. Remember, your priority should be to
alleviate or minimize the potential charges and/or use of excessive force against you. In some states, there are no clear
statutes or laws which delineate the use of deadly force by law enforcement officials. In theses instances, the courts will
decide, on a case-by-case basis, what is considered deadly or excessive force.
Child Custody & Divorce: Considerations for Alternative Lifestyles
Child Custody & Divorce: Considerations for Alternative Lifestyles
The problems that arise in child custody disputes between spouses and partners create special concerns for members of the SM/leather/fetish/poly communities. In addition to the general tribulations that arise with privacy and personal security, these issues also require difficult decisions at a time of great stress. These choices often require making priority assessments between personal and family considerations. This presentation provides a framework for
evaluating choices and seeking advice and counsel.
Doing SM Related Legal Research
Doing SM Related Legal Research
The law is interpreted – sometimes to our favor, and sometimes not. For example, while the NCSF firmly believes that consensual SM activity between adults is legal, there are those that have a differing opinion and will intentionally interpret the law in an unfavorable way. Therefore, it is extremely important for the SM- Leather-Fetish communities to have an understanding of the laws that may affect us. Knowing relevant laws will greatly assist our communities in safely organizing and maintaining SM-Leather-Fetish activities and functions.
There are numerous laws, ordinances, and regulations at all levels of government - federal, state, regional, county and city. It's not easy to locate all of the laws that may affect us, but it's very important. You should make every attempt to thoroughly research your laws if your activities may come under the scrutiny of law enforcement or local authorities. In addition, NCSF recommends that thorough legal research should include consultation with a knowledgeable attorney, state Attorney General, local prosecutor, or other legal authority, familiar with the current interpretation of the law for the jurisdiction in question.
Obviously, it is impossible to provide a comprehensive list of every law and its interpretation for every jurisdiction, so this material is designed to give the reader a basic understanding of legal research and the tools to get started.
Protecting Your Event
Protecting Your Event
There are many considerations organizers must contend with when planning a large event. Large events include educational and social conferences, leather contests, weekend play parties, vendor markets, swing events and club run0s. In light of recent attacks by religious and political extremists, here are some suggested guidelines for protecting your event and attendees.
Protecting Yourself Legally
Protecting Yourself Legally
Members of the SM/leather/fetish communities have always had some level of concern regarding the issues of privacy, discretion, and personal security. The Radical Right, employers, ex-partners, and others may pose threats to these concepts. Many times their motivation comes from ignorance, but new motivations like custody of children, and revenge are also becoming commonplace. This presentation provides tips for protecting yourself legally for various circumstances.
CONSENT and BDSM: The State of the Law
BDSM activity, even where clearly consensual, can be and frequently is prosecuted under state criminal laws dealing with assault, aggravated assault, sexual assault or sexual abuse. Such criminal prosecution can arise in various circumstances, including:
- The BDSM "scene" turns out to be more intense or painful or harmful than the submissive participant anticipated, and she or he goes to the police.
- Injury is caused that is sufficiently serious or sufficiently visible that it is brought to the attention of the police by an observer, by hospital personnel or by a friend or relative of the submissive participant.
- The police raid a BDSM event and observe conduct that they interpret as unlawful.
- A BDSM relationship ends, leaving the submissive partner with bad feelings, and he or she complains to the police about assault or abuse.
- Someone with a grudge against a participant in the BDSM scene or relationship makes a complaint to the police.
- Or pictures, videos, emails, film or sound recordings of BDSM conduct somehow come into the hands of the police.
The Critical Issue: Consent
The nature of the criminal offense here is that one person causes physical harm—injury and/or intense pain—to another person. It is important to understand that the law sees this as causing harm, not engaging in mutually beneficial conduct. This means that the law treats BDSM as violence, not as sex. That explains why the issue of consent is different in BDSM cases than in rape cases. In a rape case, the sex act is not viewed as criminal unless it can be shown that one party did not consent. In a BDSM case, however, the causing of physical harm is, in and of itself, criminal. The question is whether and to what extent the law will allow such criminal conduct to be excused by the fact that the injured participant consented to have harm done to her or him.
As long as courts and lawmakers put BDSM practice in the same category as criminal assault—which is a view that the "Consent Counts" campaign will try to change—it is not surprising that they will be reluctant to allow consent as a defense to anything more than minor harm or injury. And sure enough, that is the pattern shown by the court cases, even where a court is interpreting a statute that seems on its face to allow consent to be a defense in any case where there is "serious" injury. Moreover, the courts' reluctance to allow consent as a defense is undoubtedly influenced by the general public's misunderstanding of and adverse reaction to BDSM as a "perverse" or even "immoral" practice.
The State Statutes—Consent as a Defense
The definitions of assault, abuse and other such crimes involving infliction of physical harm, as well as the provisions (if any) dealing with consent as a defense to such criminal charges, are matters of individual states' laws. There is no federal law in this area. The laws vary from state to state, and many state laws on assault do not mention consent as a defense.
There are, however, a number of state assault statutes that do provide for consent as a defense. Such statutes invariably place limits on the consent defense, both in terms of the degree of harm and in terms of the way in which consent is given and the types of people who cannot legally give their consent. Many such laws closely follow the language of the Model Penal Code's (MPC) section on consent:
§ 2.11. Consent.
(1) In General. The consent of the victim to conduct charged to constitute an offense or to the result thereof is a defense if such consent negatives an element of the offense or precludes the infliction of the harm or evil sought to be prevented by the law defining the offense.
(2) Consent to Bodily Injury. When conduct is charged to constitute an offense because it causes or threatens bodily injury, consent to such conduct or to the infliction of such injury is a defense if:
(a) the bodily injury consented to or threatened by the conduct consented to is not serious; or
(b) the conduct and the injury are reasonably foreseeable hazards of joint participation in a lawful athletic contest or competitive sport or other concerted activity not forbidden by law; or
(c) the consent establishes a justification for the conduct under Article 3 of the Code.
(3) Ineffective Consent. Unless otherwise provided by the Code or by the law defining the offense, assent does not constitute consent if:
(a) it is given by a person who is legally incompetent to authorize the conduct charged to constitute the offense; or
(b) it is given by a person who by reason of youth, mental disease or defect or intoxication is manifestly unable or known by the actor to be unable to make a reasonable judgment as to the nature or harmfulness of the conduct charged to constitute the offense; or
(c) it is given by a person whose improvident consent is sought to be prevented by the law defining the offense; or
(d) it is induced by force, duress or deception of a kind sought to be prevented by the law defining the offense.
Model Penal Code § 2.11
For our purposes the key provision in section 2.11(2)(a), which allows consent as a defense to the infliction of bodily injury where the "injury…consented to is not serious". Thus the question that courts must decide in any given case is what is meant by "serious" injury. And on this point, the MPC offers in Section 210.0 (3) a definition that, if courts would only apply it literally, is quite helpful in the BDSM context:
Section 210.0 Definitions…
3) "serious bodily injury" means bodily injury which creates a substantial risk of death or which causes serous, permanent disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ.
Read literally, this would allow consent as a defense to most forms of BDSM practices. Breath control and certain other play might be seen by a court as creating "a substantial risk of death". And scarification and some other forms of "extreme" or "heavy" scenes might be found to cause "serious, permanent disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of {a} bodily member or organ." But a literal application of the MPC standard would permit consent as a defense in most assault or abuse prosecutions based on BDSM practices.
The problem is that the courts—not just some courts; all courts—consistently classify as "serious" almost any injury, no matter how slight, and even in some cases interpret the causing of significant pain, even with no physical injury, as "serious injury" to which consent cannot be given.
The Cases—Courts Refuse To Accept Consent as a Defense
To date, there is not a single appellate court decision anywhere in this country that has accepted consent as a defense in an assault or abuse prosecution arising from BDSM conduct. The following overview, from Consent to Harm by Vera Bergelson, 28 PaceLaw Review 683, at p.691, is a good summary of the case law:
Since any harmful act that does not fit into the "athletic" or "medical" exception is, by definition, criminal, unless the inflicted injury is not serious, assessment of the seriousness of the victim's injury determines the outcome of many cases involving consensual harm. A typical penal statute classifies bodily injury as serious if it "creates a substantial risk of death or causes serious, permanent disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ." Pursuant to this definition, any short-term, non-life-threatening injury should not be deemed "serious." Yet, as the MPC acknowledges, the assessment of the seriousness of harm is often affected by judges' "moral judgments about the iniquity of the conduct." Courts tend to inflate the risk and harmfulness of an activity they want to denounce. For example, any injury caused during a sadomasochistic encounter has been consistently classified as serious.
28 Pace Law Review 683, 691
An early, and typically bad, example of a pure "consent is no defense" ruling is People v Samuels, a 1967 California decision. In that case, Martin Samuels was convicted of assault based on his conduct in a film of an apparently consensual BDSM scene. The court not only rejected the consent defense, but also appeared to hold the view that any such consent would be "some form of mental aberration":
Even if it be assumed that the victim in the 'vertical' film did in fact suffer from some form of mental aberration which compelled him to submit to a beating which was so severe as to constitute an aggravated assault, defendant's conduct in inflicting that beating was no less violative of a penal statute obviously designed to prohibit one human being from severely or mortally injuring another.
People v. Samuels 250 Cal.App.2d 501, 514, 58 Cal.Rptr. 439, 447 (Cal.App. 1967)
The Samuels decision was cited as recently as 2006, in People v Febrissy. In that case, the defendant's lawyer sought to invoke the doctrine enunciated by the Supreme Court in Lawrence v. Texas, which held (in a sodomy prosecution) that, absent a compelling societal interest (and moral disapproval is not such an interest), the government cannot make private consensual sexual activity a crime. That argument was rejected.
An argument based on Lawrence v. Texas was also rejected in the Nebraska case of State v. Van, 268 Neb.814 (2004). Van was convicted of first-degree assault on the basis of an extended imprisonment and extremely intense BDSM/torture of a gay male submissive. The submissive initially consented to practices that were quite intense, but the evidence was in conflict as to whether he later withdrew that consent. On appeal, defendant Van argued that this was a case of "two adults who, with complete and mutual consent, engaged in sexual practices common to their homosexual, BDSM lifestyle" and as such was protected under Lawrence v. Texas.
Rejecting that argument, the court made three points. First, it noted that the Lawrence opinion contained a phrase that its doctrine only applies "absent injury to a person". Second, the court emphasized that the evidence on the issue of consent was not clear-cut. Finally, and most fundamentally, the court held—citing the other decisions discussed in this paper—that consent is not a defense to a charge of assault:
Our statutes defining first and second degree assault include no reference to consent…This court has held that "all attempts to do physical violence which amount to a statutory assault are unlawful and a breach of the peace, and a person cannot consent to an unlawful assault".
In most BDSM assault cases, the testimony of a complaining witness (the injured person) is central to the case, and often there is conflict on the issue of consent between the defendant and the complaining witness. However, even where both participants agree that the acts in question were consensual, the courts have held that consent cannot be a defense. Thus, in Commonwealth v. Appleby, a 1980 Massachusetts case, the court said:
"Grimm's consent to assault and battery upon him by Appleby by means of a dangerous weapon cannot absolve Appleby of the crime…"Commonwealth v. Appleby, 380 Mass.296, 311, 402N.E.2d 1051,1061 (Mass. 1980).
In Iowa v. Collier, there were wildly differing accounts given of a BDSM incident, but the judge refused to let the jury consider the question of consent. The Appellate Court upheld the conviction and ruled that consent was not a defense. Significantly, the Iowa law on assault was in most ways similar to the Model Penal Code.
Provided, that where the person doing any of the above enumerated acts, and such other person, are voluntary participants in a sport, social or other activity, not in itself criminal, and such act is a reasonably foreseeable incident of such sport or activity, and does not create an unreasonable risk of serious injury or breach of the peace, the act shall not be an assault.
The court's moralistic tone in rejecting the consent defense is a good illustration of the type of thinking that seems to underly most judges' handling of BDSM assault cases:
The foregoing discussion compels us to conclude that, in the present case, the legislature did not intend sadomasochistic activity to be a "sport, social or other activity" under section 708.1. We are hesitant to give a precise definition of this term and believe it is more appropriate that its meaning be interpreted on a case by case basis. However, it is obvious to this court that the legislature did not intend the term to include an activity which has been repeatedly disapproved by other jurisdictions and considered to be in conflict with the general moral principles of our society. In fact, the statutory provision in question specifically excludes activities which would "create an unreasonable risk of serious injury." There can be little doubt that the sadomasochistic activities involved in this case expose persons to the very type of injury deemed unacceptable by the legislature. Were we to follow defendant's broad interpretation of "social activity," street fighting, barroom brawls and child molestation could be deemed acceptable social behavior, since such conduct is considered acceptable by some segment of society.
State v. Collier 372 N.W.2d 303, 307 (Iowa App.,1985)
People v. Jovanovic was a New York case involving an intense scene between a man and a woman who had previously engaged in extensive Internet discussion of their BDSM interests. The scene apparently went bad, and the woman went to the police. Mr. Jovanovic was tried and convicted of assault, sexual assault and kidnapping. The Court of Appeals, although it reversed the convictions on evidentiary grounds, very explicitly stated in a footnote that consent, while available as a defense to the charges of kidnapping and sexual assault, was irrelevant to the assault charge:
There is no available defense of consent on a charge of assault under Penal Law §§ 120.00[1] and 120.05[2] (contrast, Penal Law § 120.05[5] [where lack of consent is an element]). Indeed, while a meaningful distinction can be made between an ordinary violent beating and violence in which both parties voluntarily participate for their own sexual gratification, nevertheless, just as a person cannot consent to his or her own murder (see, People v. Duffy, 79 N.Y.2d 611, 584 N.Y.S.2d 739, 595 N.E.2d 814), as a matter of public policy, a person cannot avoid criminal responsibility for an assault that causes injury or carries a risk of serious harm, even if the victim asked for or consented to the act (see, e.g., State v. Brown, 154 N.J.Super. 511, 512, 381 A.2d 1231, 1232; People v. Samuels, 250 Cal.App.2d 501, 513-514, 58 Cal.Rptr. 439, 447, cert. denied, 390 U.S. 1024, 88 S.Ct. 1404, 20 L.Ed.2d 281; Commonwealth v. Appleby, 380 Mass. 296, 402 N.E.2d 1051; Iowa v. Collier, 372 N.W.2d 303).
People v. Jovanovic 263 A.D.2d 182, 198, 700 N.Y.S.2d 156, 169 (N.Y.A.D. 1 Dept.,1999)
It is important to note that the Jovanovic court cited the Samuels, Appleby and Collier decisions, confirming that the prevailing view is that there is a settled precedent, established by a series of decisions in state courts across the country, that consent is no defense to a charge of assault arising from BDSM practices.
A Few Rays of Hope
Despite the consistent refusal of state courts to recognize consent as a defense to BDSM-based assault prosecutions, there are reasons to hope that a long-term, carefully planned Consent Counts campaign can reform this area of the law.
For one thing, the U.S. Supreme Court has created a doctrine of privacy that, at least in some areas of sexual behavior, now insulates consenting couples from criminal prosecution. While the doctrine ofLawrence v. Texas (mentioned earlier in this paper) has not been applied in the BDSM context, the principle of privacy is a powerful one that works in our favor.
The Model Penal Code's quite favorable definition of "serious injury" also has the potential for use in changing the trend of court decisions. At the very least, it gives us the starting point to argue that the consequences of BDSM should be treated no differently from other injury-causing activities.
Finally, while no decision has yet explicitly accepted the defense of consent in a BDSM-based assault prosecution, at least two courts have reversed convictions on evidentiary grounds in ways that suggest that the consent of the "victim" may have played a role in their thinking. Thus, while the Jovanovic footnote states that consent is no defense to assault charges, the court's reversal of the conviction was based on failure to permit the use of evidence of consent, and the court reversed not only the sexual assault and kidnapping convictions (for which absence of consent is an element of the offense), but also the assault conviction.
And, a recent Rhode Island decision, State v. Gaspar, reversed a BDSM assault conviction on evidentiary grounds that related in part to the issue of consent. While the court did not discuss the issue of consent with any specificity, the decision contains the following assessment of the central issue in the case:
The evidence adduced at the trial of this criminal case included testimony concerning a multitude of unconventional sexual practices but ultimately presented only one question for the jury's determination: did the events of the night in question constitute a mutually consensual sexual encounter between two adults or a brutal sexual assault?
State v. Gaspar 982 A.2d 140, 141 (R.I.,2009)
This is, in fact, the core issue we face in the Consent Counts campaign: Can the courts and society be brought to understand what we in the BDSM community know to be the case—namely, that what we do "constitutes a mutually consensual sexual encounter between adults" and is not "a brutal sexual assault"? If we can get that point across, then perhaps we can persuade courts and legislatures that injuries caused by BDSM should be prosecuted only when not consensual or when the injury is so severe (the Model Penal Code definition) that it constitutes an abuse of BDSM practices.
Other Legal Models for BDSM Cases
Prosecutions that grow out of BDSM incidents are generally brought under the assault statutes. This is one of the reasons, perhaps the major reason, that courts rebel against allowing the defense of consent. The essence of the crime of assault is the attack on one person by another. The concept of consenting to such an attack is, to some extent, counter-intuitive.
Some cases arising from BDSM incidents, however, have been prosecuted under the criminal charge of battery. Battery, unlike assault, does not necessarily involve an attack by one person against another. The crime of battery is injurious touching or striking of one person by another. Thus, in battery cases, there is an issue as to the context in which the injurious touching or striking occurred. As the Court of Appeals of Indiana stated in Helton v. State, 624N.E.2d499(1993) at 514, n.22:
Consent is connected with the harm or evil sought to be prevented; therefore, if the victim consents to the defendant's touching, that touching is not rude or insolent and should not be considered unlawful unless it meets one of the exceptions to the general rule.
The exceptions to the general rule (in Indiana) that consent is a defense to battery, and specifically is a defense available in cases "involving sexual overtones", are as follows:
(1) Where the defendant goes beyond acts consented to;
(2) Where it is against public policy to permit the conduct or resulting harm even though it is consented to, as, as where there are no sexual overtones and the battery is a severe one which involves a breach of the public peace, as well as, an invasion of the victim's physical security;
(3) Where consent is ineffective as where it is obtained by fraud or from one lacking legal capacity to consent;
(4) Where a deadly weapon is employed;
(5) Where death results; or,
(6) Where the battery is atrocious or aggravated. [Helton 624 N.E.2d at 514, citing Jaske v. State, 539N.E.2d 14, 18 (Supreme Court Indiana 1989).]
The concept here is that touching or striking, unlike an attack, is not inherently criminal. (Similarly, the conduct underlying the offense of rape - sexual intercourse - is mutually pleasurable conduct when consensual, and becomes criminal only in the absence of consent.) Thus, when that conduct is consensual, even where some injury is caused, it is more palatable to find that such consent prevents the conduct from being a criminal offense.
Our communities certainly do not view BDSM as an attack by one person on another. Rather, we see BDSM as mutually pleasurable conduct, the details of which are negotiated in advance and generally subject to agreed safe words and other protections. If we could persuade courts to adopt that view of BDSM, we might also persuade them that such cases are not appropriately prosecuted as assault, but rather as battery. Thus consent would normally be a defense—as is true in battery cases with "sexual overtones"—subject to the exceptions listed above.
This would not necessarily eliminate the moralistically motivated tendency of courts to seek reasons not to allow consent as a defense, however. In Govan v. State, 913 N.E.2d.237 (Indiana Appeals Court 2009), the defendant (Govan) was convicted of both assault and battery, based on a BDSM incident in which he "punished" the victim (A.H.) by branding her with a hot knife and whipping her with an electrical extension cord. The appellate court rejected Govan's argument that A.H.'s consent was a defense to his conduct. First, it ruled that consent could not be a defense to the assault charge. Second, although the court acknowledged that consent was a valid defense in a battery case having "sexual overtones", it found that the use by Govan of a knife invalidated the defense:
Turning to the case at hand it is undisputed that it involves sexual overtones. Notwithstanding those overtones, A.H.'s consent is not a defense to the crime because Govan's actions involved a deadly weapon,...namely a knife, and therefore A.H.'s consent is not available as a defense to battery. Govan, 913 N.E.2d at 242-243.
In summary, one approach that could increase our communities' access to a consent defense would be to persuade the courts that BDSM incidents should be prosecuted, if at all, under battery statues rather than as assault. Even in battery cases, however, we need to find ways to deal with the moralistic prejudices that lead courts to stretch for reasons to reject consent as a defense.
The DSM Criteria—Changing Psychiatry's View
It is important to note that, in parallel with the Consent Counts project, the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom is working to change the way BDSM is understood by the psychiatric profession whose views influence the attitudes of the public and the courts toward our communities. Until 1994, BDSM was classified in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (the "DSM") as a form of mental illness. With the adoption of DSM IV in 1994, this classification was modified so that today BDSM—along with cross-dressing and fetishism—is a mental illness if it is determined that you are suffering "clinically significant distress—i.e., your BDSM behaviors: 1) are obligatory, 2) result in sexual dysfunction, 3) require participation of non-consenting individuals, 4) lead to legal complications, or 5) interfere in social relationships.
The Association is currently engaged in a new revision, referred to as DSM V. NCSF is actively involved in this process, working to further reduce, if not remove entirely, the stigma attached to BDSM. Importantly, this new revision may result in a distinction between consensual and non-consensual BDSM. This, of course, would be consistent with and would give impetus to our political and social advocacy in the Consent Counts project.
Copyright, NCSF, 2010. NCSF grants permission to reproduce this document, provided it is reproduced in its entirety and distributed free of charge.
Best BDSM Practices
The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF) believes that the most important issue facing the BDSM/Leather/Fetish communities today is the consistent practice of courts and law enforcement officials to prosecute BDSM as criminal assault, with no defense of consent permitted. We know that BDSM is not assault, but rather is pleasurable, loving adult erotic activity, as long as it is mutually consensual.NCSF is leading a major national campaign – Consent Counts – to change the laws and police practices that our communities now endure, and to establish that consent is available as a defense in criminal BDSM prosecutions.
Best Practices in the BDSM/Leather/Fetish Communities
The practice of BDSM (Bondage, Discipline, SM) consists of intimate mutually pleasurable erotic activity within the scope of informed consent. The following "best practices" have been developed by our communities to ensure that the standard of "safe, sane and consensual" is met by all BDSM participants:
Guiding Principles
All participants are knowledgeable about the techniques and safety concerns involved in what they are doing, and all act in accordance with that knowledge.
Knowing the difference between fantasy and reality, and acting in accordance with that knowledge.
All participants understand the nature of the activity in which they will be engaged, and the limits imposed by each participant, and respect such limits at all times.
Best Practices
Each participant should fully understand both the desires and the limits of each other participant. Such understanding may be based on long familiarity with the other participant(s) or, where participants are new to each other, on a full discussion in advance of the BDSM activity.
- Consent must be clearly given to all aspects of planned BDSM activity and such consent must be freely given.
- Each participant in a BDSM activity is free to withdraw previously given consent at any time.
- Each participant should fully understand any limitations on another participant's ability to understand and consent fully to the planned BDSM activity, such as age, diminished mental capacity or use of drugs or alcohol.
- A means should be provided - normally a "safe word" - for the "bottom" to signal clearly her/his desire to terminate the activity.
- Relationships among BDSM practitioners should be fully respected by others. It is the responsibility of each person to make clear to others any relationship that imposes limits on that person's participation in BDSM activities.
- At parties or other events, the use of monitors may be advisable and rules should be clearly displayed.
- The more intense and physical the BDSM activity is, the more important it is to ensure clear understanding of and consent to the planned activity.
- Participants must recognize that BDSM activity resulting in serious bodily harm or that goes beyond the expectations of one of the participants may be deemed criminal, even where consent was initially given.
Established in 1997, theNational Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF) is committed to creating a political, legal and social environment in the US that advances equal rights for consenting adults who engage in alternative sexual and relationship expressions. NCSF aims to advance the rights of, and advocate for consenting adults in the BDSM-Leather-Fetish, Swing, and Polyamory Communities. We pursue our vision through direct services, education, advocacy, and outreach, in conjunction with our partners, to directly benefit these communities.


text:
I've been cursed with blemishes that will not disappear. There's three in total. Two on my forehead and one to the left of my lips – same spots, always. No matter how much drying lotion or salicylic acid-based treatment I use, they always come back. And the timing is suspect. These blemishes have cropped up in a perma way these last few months, which have been some of my most busy and stressful. Enter Murad Acne Clarifying Wipes, an on-the-go version of the brand's renowned acne line. I've been using these wipes for a few weeks and am finding these stubborn blemishes are going away faster.
These wipes aren't a traditional cleansing wipe, and I like to use them on clean skin once a day. They have this phenomenal cooling sensation on the skin and make me feel like my skin is truly clean (not stripped, though). Look for witch hazel (a natural form of salicylic acid) to tighten pores, algae extract to regulate oil and grape seed extract and vitamin E.
I'm hoping with regular use and a trip to see a professional for extractions, I can finally get rid of these pests once and for all.
Murad Clarifying Wipes just launched last month, $18 for 30-count. Available here.


text:
American President Barack Obama will host a meeting Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas in an attaempt to lay the groundwork for renewed peace negotiations.
The three-way meeting will take place immediately after Obama meets separately with each of the two leaders, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Saturday, according to the AP. It will seek "to lay the groundwork for the relaunch of negotiations, and to create a positive context for those negotiations so that they can succeed," Gibbs said, according to AFP.
Shortly after the announcement, Netanyahu's office said the prime minister "responded positively" to the invitation.
Special Envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell said the meeting is another sign of Obama's commitment to comprehensive peace. The meetings will take place in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting.


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October 29, 2011-More Durban Projects
wingssail imagesOur track
It should have been a 2 hour job but it turned out to be a week of work; par for the course for boat projects.
When we decided to put in the new Raymarine X5 Autopilot (after carrying it as a spare for several years) we found that one thing led to another: open up the autopilot hood and we found that we had to remove the instrument cluster. Remove the instrument cluster and we had to get into the main hatch. Once into the hatch we should sand and paint it.
So we did.
One week later the hatch is done and the autopilot is installed.
Time for sea trials,or... calibrate the new autopilot.
So we went out, did a few circles, discovered that due to a miss-wiring, right is left and left is right, (fixed that) and almost ran aground during the "Learn" phase where the auto pilot takes over for a few minutes, and got past that too. But you can see from our track that we went every which way.
And finally success! The old Autohelm 4000ST-GP was good, and was still working, but after 15 years, we felt we could risk the upgrade, and now we have it.
The "Bose" is Back!
Speaker work
Pierre noticed it first; one day off the Sumatran coast when the sailing was good and we thought we needed a little loud music we turned up volume on the outdoor Bose speakers (the Bose 251's that the crew bought for us in Singapore).
Pierre said, "Hey, what is that?" They sounded like crap; very weak and totally muddy. We were shocked. I used to think they were pretty good. I guess the deterioration had been gradual and I hadn't really noticed it or maybe I just hadn't tried them much for a few months.
On the Indian Ocean crossing we couldn't do much except fiddle with the equalizer settings, cranking up the treble and turning down the bass, so the speaker fix waited. After the autopilot upgrade was done this week I decided on a speaker upgrade too. A new amplifier helped but the sound was still weak and muddy so we took a closer look at the Bose speakers themselves. Once the covers were off it was obvious: they needed new drivers (sorry team).
Off to A-1 Radio I went to buy some new drivers.
The Bose is Back!
It took all day to rebuild the Bose speakers with the new "twiddler" drivers and another day to re-wire the nav station for the amplifier and the new switches but in the end it was successful. The Bose speakers are again good, clean, and loud; the "Bose" sound is back and louder than ever!
Mercedes Benz Heater fun
Mercedes Benz
Boat work is constant but if you have a car, car work is constant too. The '94 Merc W124 is a great ride but while most of the other things work fine the heater has never worked since we bought the beast. A few false starts on fixing it later and I finally got under the covers pretty good. Hoses off, wires ripped out, parts on the sidewalk and some new ones, heater solenoid valves (used) installed, a bucket of water added and a short hose, and finally today I rebuilt the heater water pump. I'm not sure what it was but now the heater will burn your toes. Finally I got heat.
That is good, however it is now late spring here and heaters are not much in demand. Air con is more likely the feature that will sell the Merc when we head out in January. Well that works too, like a dream.
Now that everything is fixed, we just need to get to Cape Town
Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Durban
Labels: Africa, boat work, Durban, Mercedes Benz, South Africa