Part 1: Introduction
Mention the JKS or JKA instructor course to anyone who has trained seriously in Japan or outside Japan with one of the few graduates sent on international teaching assignments, and they will tell you stories of the unbelievable brutality endured by the trainee instructors and of the high standard of karate of all those who manage to graduate from the course.
Kenshusei actually means trainee instructor (referring to the person, not the actual course.) However, because in the west we refer to it as the Instructor Course, many people have vague ideas that in-depth body mechanics and the “secrets” of karate are being taught. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. As a kenshusei, life is a constant hell of intense, brutal training, followed by supporting one’s sempai (senior) whilst they are teaching (i.e. the kenshusei is the punch bag) and usually followed by long drinking sessions, again with one’s sempai, were one is kept up until the early hours, forced to drink ridiculous amounts of alcohol and is usually the butt of all jokes. After an all too brief sleep, the kenshusei must be up and at the dojo before anyone else, and prepare for the morning training, which starts at 10.30am.
The training is relentless. It is also very tedious – or at least I am sure most westerners would describe it as so. Usually training starts with gyaku tsuki practise (maybe a hundred on each hand) followed by mea geri practice (again a hundred with each leg). This is usually done in front of the mirror, with the most junior at the front, and all the sempai standing behind, keeping an eye on their kohai’s (junior’s) every move.
Once this is finished, kihon is practised. Usually twenty of each technique is done up and down the dojo. All techniques are very basic, with the biggest combination being maybe three techniques.
Part 2: Kumite
After kihon (which usually takes between 45 minutes and an hour) training moves on to kumite. At first never-ending repetitions of gohon kumite is practised. This is followed by free-style kumite drills, and to finish off jiyu-ippon or jiyu kumite. Kumite training tends to last about thirty minutes.
Depending on how the sensei is feeling we may get a rest at this point, we may not. But, either way, a little kata training for about 10-15 minutes usually follows it.
Part 3: Dangerous Times
The most dangerous time during the day is usually before or after the session. At these times any of one’s sempai can “invite” you to do some jiyu kumite. During this practise the kenshusei is at the complete mercy of their sempai. For example if the sempai feels that the kenshusei has not tried their hardest during practise, them it is the duty of the sempai to make sure the kenshusei realises the consequences of not training at 100%. The consequence, of course, is a severe beating by one’s sempai. You may be thinking, then, that the simple answer is to train as hard as one can, therefore, avoiding the punishment beatings. This is completely true, however, not all the beatings have such clear reasoning behind them. At times kenshusai can be training as hard as possible, but a slight mistake in etiquette, or a simple foot out of place, and one can expect the wrath of one’s sempai.
So what is the point of this constant beating? Well, it is true that no one can take beatings on a daily basis, but the whole course is set up like terrorism. The Chinese define terrorism as “kill one – scare a thousand”. No one has ever died on the course, but the point is that whilst training, kenshusai know they are going to get beaten up. At first it is on a weekly basis, then maybe after six months, or a year, on a monthly basis… Eventually getting better towards the end on the second year, when the beatings virtually stop. However, it’s the “not knowing” that is the real pressure. Kenshusei are constantly aware that today could be the day they get really hurt (everyone gets very badly beaten up at least once on the course), and as days and weeks go by when they haven’t had a serious beating the pressure mounts.
They know that if they try their hardest, then the beatings will be less severe, but they also know they may run, but it is impossible to hide. Once they step into the dojo they relinquish all control. In fact the only thing they can control is how hard they train. So under this constant pressure from one’s sempai, candidates push themselves to their extreme, the end result being that they improve at a remarkable rate. A little story to illustrate this point follows below…
Part 4: Last Legs
During one particularly intense practise in the summer of 2001, we had been practising kumite drills for about twenty minutes. These drills were pretty severe, and I always knew that one small mistake, one ill-timed block and my sempai would be very unforgiving. This training had been preceded by an hour of solid basics, and as I was moving down the line, changing partners, I could feel my energy slipping away. I always found it difficult training in the heat of the Japanese summer, and this day, at 36 degrees Celsius, was no different.
I was on my last legs , but fortunately found myself in front of my only kohai in the dojo. We were attacking from freestyle, kizami tsuki, gyaku tsuki and then stepping forward oi tsuki. I attacked with what I thought was speed and power, and my kohai stepped back and blocked. Kagawa sensei, who was standing behind me, watching, shouted to do it again, this time with speed and power. However, my energy was spent. My body had no more to give. I knew the session would be over soon, but I really had given it my all.
I did the combination again, but unfortunately not to Kagawa Sensei’s satisfaction. He shouted “yame”, and everyone stopped and stood up. He walked over to me and without warning hit me full force in my face. I went down like a sack of potatoes and found myself looking up at the dojo ceiling, counting stars. He kicked me in the ribs (I don’t remember how hard) and told me to get up and do it again, but this time with speed and power. I was faced with a pretty obvious choice – do it again, but this time find some extra reserve of energy and make Kagawa Sensei happy, or do it again the same and face his wrath. I don’t know how, but I found the extra energy, did it again to his satisfaction and survived to the end of the session.
Part 5: Conclusion
The
point is that under such extreme pressure candidates are forced to
go beyond their normal limits. Most people are forced to stop by their
minds long before fatigue forces their body to stop. However, when
faced with extreme pressure the mind is faced with certain option,
either continue training or put oneself in danger (i.e. Kagawa Sensei’s
wrath). 99% of the time the body is more than capable of continuing
to train, as social conditioning has made us use only 70% of our physical
strength. Under such pressure we go beyond those normal social boundaries,
are forced to do that little extra and our karate improves exponentially.
The photo above shows Scott Langley and his 'doki' Yashuisa Inada. Doki literally means classmate. Scott Sensei and Inada Sensei both started and graduated the Intructor's Course at the same time.
This article © Scott Langley 2002
