ZDK Student Defends Her Art With Pride.

I love the technology of the internet. I wrote a while back about another tattoo I had and then went into why I had this tattoo done. I had a reader from New Zealand a girl called Shihan write a response to the post. You can read the original post called a new tattoo and some boring history.

This is Shihan’s comment:

As a female Shodan Ho of Zen Do Kai and still currently training in this style it makes me angry to see how people who once trained in Zen Do Kai can speak about it in such a manner.

Let me guarantee you that Zen Do Kai is still as hard as it ever was and in no way have standards dropped. Consider yourself lucky you only had to do 20 rounds, my Dai Shihan and Sensei (who is also my father) put me through the most grueling 6-7 hour physical test of my life for my probationary black belt.

I am only 21 years of age and have trained in many styles and Zen Do Kai ranks amongst the best. As a not so popular style here in New Zealand our club competes in many other styles competitions (including Kyokushin and Tae Kwon Do) always ranking amongst the best. I don't know how long it has been since any of you have last entered a Zen Do Kai dojo or if any of you have ever for that matter but by suggesting my style is IMPURE quite frankly pisses me off and for someone whose tattoo encompasses much of what bushido stands for you sure don't sound like someone who should even posess such a tatoo,,, IMPURE???? pfft

My father is a sensei my mother a dai sempai and all of my 4 brothers and sisters are black belts, Zen Do Kai has done nothing but good for us so I won't stand to see anyone put it down. My name is also Shihan I was named after my father’s first instructor who was a Shihan at the time.

Shihan, thanks for dropping by and offering your thoughts. This is the great part of free speech and the internet; we can agree or disagree with each other even though we are so far away.

Congrats of reaching your rank of Shodan Ho, this is something back in my day that was not accomplished by women. The highest ranked girl when I left Zen Do Kai was a green belt in the dojo, she was dedicated and trained harder then 90% of the guys.

I am sure that as a student of a martial art, that you love and dedicate yourself to being ZDK, you should say something when someone is saying that ZDK has become impure as this would insult and make you angry.

Anyone who spoke bad of ZDK or a fellow brother back when I was training would have been given a very stern warning to be very careful about what they are saying. When I was training I would defend the Zen Do Kai and also Bon Jones name with pride as it was like a family to me then.

I have taken so much out of my time in Zen Do Kai, don’t get me wrong I appreciate all that was taught to me. It changed my life in direction and also the way I conducted myself.

I didn’t really open my eyes until I finally became open handed and then when I eventually became a black belt and finally got to face the students on their journey in ZDK. This is when my journey in ZDK really started and I learnt so much.

When I was a lower belt I never really understood the katas I was doing, I didn’t understand their beauty, grace and importance or what they meant.

Finally when I started learning katas like, The Iron horse or Nihinchin passed down by the founder Soke Bob Jones, it was the first kata I mastered. I perfected it to a degree and would visualize I was defending myself against multiple attackers.

The Sanchin kata or three battles with full ibuku (tension) breathing taught me how to breathe when training. I thought I knew how to breathe but this kata taught me so much. How to be strong minded, how my body could absorb being hit and without being hurt.

I remember when I first started the Sanchin kata, how easily I could be pushed off balance, winded by a kick to the stomach, my arm pushed down with a strike. After years of perfecting ibuku breathing you became like the kata is known, ‘an iron shirt to protect your body’ and ‘iron bridges that makes your arms like steel.’

Anytime I graded and did this kata I knew I would be tested 110%, when I left Zen Do Kai many of the students didn’t know the importance of this or many katas and would hardly be touched during it.

I can still do all the katas I learnt; it was funny tonight as I was in my lounge room doing katas to the bemusement of my girlfriend. My form is not beautiful, strong or graceful anymore but I could still remember every kata from the first punch routine to the Seipai or 7 dragon ways. I am very unfit I can tell you.

I am glad to hear your sensei tested you as you should have been. A grading should be an ultimate test of the student, how dedicated, strong and determined they are. I can honestly say there was not a grading I walked away from with an ounce of energy left, no matter how fit I was.

I seen this toughness leave the ZDK style, gradings became soft. Students did not push themselves or were pushed like we were when we earned our belts. I saw this at many dojos when we travelled to join gradings.

The biggest disappointment of all to me was the way the crosses were starting to be given away. These crosses were sacramental to me. They weren’t just a piece of metal. They were years of dedication, sweat, blood, broken bones and love I put into ZDK.

They were to be worn with pride (not for show), I saw too many young ZDK students who didn’t conduct themselves in ways to deserve having one of these crosses around their neck.

ZDK students, who would have been lucky to pass their grading in my time, pass and receive tips on their belts or a cross infuriated me. This is what I considered impure. To me, my crosses were all the sacrifices I had endured over years of training and I had earned them.

Towards the end when I left ZDK I found myself being very severe on students grading, especially those who would be grading for brown belts up. Many times I found myself striking a student during the grading very hard. After warning them of a fault they were showing and they didn’t rectify this fault and failed to defend themselves’ I would make sure they knew what I was talking about. This was done with control but also had anger in it, which wasn’t good.

Shihan I am sure that there are still plenty of dojos and senseis out there in this world who keep ZDK pure, I am glad your father is one of them. ZDK is a great martial arts and I as I said, I am so grateful for what I learnt during my time studying this martial art.

This will probably sound silly, but your journey probably like mine after reaching your black belt has just begun. I again congratulate you on your probationary 1st dan black belt and your impending Sho Dan grading whenever that may be.

Again I thank you for your thoughts and appreciate you taking the time to comment. It is so good to see that some people still have this passion and love for ZDK.

Brunty