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Digging Deep

Staring at the blisters on my hands from what seemed like hours of digging I came to a strange realisation... gardening is like kata!

I spent the best part of a weekend tending to the garden, broken only by the odd break for 'a light refreshment'

Looking at the garden on Monday morning it doesn't really look any different despite all my toils, although it obviously is. Often after spending time in the garden I feel that I have actually done or achieved very little when in reality the work and it's effect is still there.

Kata is the same, I put in many hours of practice (digging), corrective training under Sensei George (weeding), exploring bunkai (planting) and teaching kata (sowing seeds)

When performing/practising kata one cannot expect an immediate result in ones performance, the same as when I plant some new flowers they grow very gradually to eventually fill out the bed. After many similar weekends when I look back in years to come my garden will look very different.

Andy Barker
©2011 Okinawan Traditional Goju-ryu Karate-do Association All Rights Reserved
  • Home
  • Sensei Andrews
    • Youtube
    • Private Lessons
  • Goju Ryu
    • History
    • Kata
  • OTGKA Dojos
    • Honbu Dojo
    • Basildon Dojo
    • Brentwood Dojo
    • Cambridge Dojo
    • Dansankan Dojo
    • Harlow Dojo
    • High Wycombe Dojo
    • Hillingdon Dojo
    • Reading Dojo
    • Slough Dojo
    • Swansea Dojo
  • Courses
  • Articles
    • Archive >
      • About
      • Photos >
        • Gallery1
        • Gallery2
        • Gallery3
      • Course Reports 2010
      • Course Reports 2009
      • Older Articles
      • IOGKF European Gasshuku
      • Budosai
      • Poems
      • Goju Ryu & Karate
      • The Marble Factory
  • Instructors