Sifu, the teacher

Sifu, The Teacher:

Unique among modern folding knives, the Sifu (top knife in photo) from Round Eye Knife And Tool, aka REKAT, has often been referred to as the "Mega-folder." The Sifu has a 5.75 inch long blade and an overall length of nearly a foot. The ATS-34 blade is a graceful recurved design with a nicely beveled spine. This was among the last knives produced by REKAT and today specimens are extremely difficult to find. It took me many years to acquire one of these intimidating folders.

The locking mechanism is reputed to withstand a test load of 500 pounds, which is more than ample for any self-defense use. The scales are a finely checkered micarta like those found on many Benchmade knives. The grip is contoured with five finger grooves. The extreme length of the handle allows the user to shift his hand rearward, for greater extension, or choke up on the handle for greater grip strength. The opening and closing is smooth and the lock up is solid. Most impressive with a blade this long is the fact that there is no side-play in the joint. I own three REKAT knives and they are all extremely well made and exceedingly sharp. If you have the opportunity to add a any model REKAT folder to your collection you will not regret it.

Folders of this size were quite common in the Mediterranean. Known sometimes as Navaja, carried most notably by Spaniards, they were often as large as the average Bowie knife and used for work, to preserve their honor, or to settle some vendetta. Some European and British cutlers also manufactured folding Bowies. Most of these had a blade that extended past the handles when folded, necessitating that it be provided with a sheath. When closed, the owner possessed a small knife for utility purposes, and when opened, an intimidating fighting knife. A knife of similar construction is available from Laci Szabo called the "RAD." Check out Laci's website at Szaboinc.

Like a Wooden Puppet

"Be Like a Wooden Puppet"

How many times do you feel that a technique must work successfully before you can consider yourself an adept? Yagyu Munenori had a number of things to say about this in the family book of strategy called the Heiho Kaden sho.

“No matter what you do, if you do it single-mindedly, trying to control your mind correctly and not allowing it to be distracted (unfocused[1]), you will end up becoming muddle-headed. You do something right once, so you think you are good enough; but then you do it wrong. You do it right twice and wrong once, so you may be pleased that you have reached a point where you do something right two out of three times; but then you do it wrong twice in a row and find everything confusing. All this is because you are determined to do something well.”

This is a part of the learning curve in most endeavors. If the subject is history or grammar the consequences of errors can be minimal. If your study involves an empty hand martial art, mistakes could get you seriously injured. Mistakes involving a weapon such as a knife, sword, or staff may be terminal. So paying attention is important. But isn’t Munenori saying that too much attention may actually be detrimental?

The Yagyu clan was famous throughout Japan for their muto dori (no-sword) techniques. In fact it was a demonstration of these moves that eventually gained them the honor of sword instructor to the Tokugawa Shoguns. Despite this, Hiroaki Sato states that “after working hard at the art of no sword he (Yagyu Muneyoshi) reached a stage where, without a sword, he could defeat ‘six or seven out of ten armed men,’ or defeat one armed man ‘six or seven out of ten times[2].’”

This admission comes from one of the most skilled exponents of muto in all of Japan. Was Muneyoshi satisfied with that percentage? I doubt it. After all, that means that in actual combat he would be killed 3 to 4 times out of ten encounters. Getting killed more than once is sure to be discouraging. So, this suggests that there is no end to training, no such thing as good enough, that muto dori is not infallible, and a 60 % success rate is not acceptable in single combat.

Munenori writes that you must train diligently until you become like a wooden puppet.
[1] my addition
[2] The Sword and the Mind Hiroaki Sato pg.100 footnotes

Finding a Teacher

If this paragraph sounds familiar it is because I copped it from my first book. Having re-read it I felt that I could not improve upon it substantially.

“There are many things that you can only learn by training with an instructor, so take the time to find a good one. Videos and books will only take you part of the way. In fact, I recommend using these training aids as secondary sources to reinforce your primary training with an instructor. Too often it is impossible to make the necessary leap of understanding from one still photo to the next in a book. The techniques may be confusing or impossible to duplicate because of this gap in the illustrations or in your understanding. I am sure that this book will have its share of similar shortcomings. Videos may show techniques from one angle only, or neglect to tell you to watch the feet or the hips where the real power is being developed. This is usually not an attempt at hiding techniques. There is just too much to remember, and sometimes too much is taken for granted. Even a highly skilled instructor may overlook the basics that a technique was built upon. Remember that they have performed the techniques tens of thousands of times until that apparently missing basic ingredient is ingrained into the way they move[1].”

Do not be misled or romanced by an instructor’s title. Too often those teachers who insist upon being called master, guro, datu, professor, shihan, hanshi, etc. have very tenuous, or even spurious, claims to the distinction. Instead of spending your time reading the certificates plastered on the walls, watch to see how the teacher moves. Not only when executing techniques, but see how he or she moves among the students. Do they show fear or respect for the teacher, and is that respect freely given or extorted? I have known too many students who began martial arts at an early age and were easily intimidated. As they grew older they found that what they thought was respect for their teacher was in reality fear. Once they outgrew the fear their respect soured into disrespect. Despite the lost admiration and general dissatisfaction, they often continued to stay with the school because of the many years they had invested. Sometimes it is necesary to admit you made a wrong choice and leave, rather than stick around expecting things to change. If you find that you advance in rank only because other students continually come and go, making you senior, then that ought to be your sign. It is never too late to move on and find a new teacher and get a fresh start! Trust me on this.

There is another side to this. Do not expect your teacher to be a master of every art! If you make expectations of him that he cannot live up to then you have done him a disservice. An honest teacher will tell you when he reaches his limitations. A good teacher will send you to someone who can advance your training. A lesser teacher will not admit to being unskilled in any art. To maintain his student base he will attend a seminar or two and proclaim himself the master of yet another art. He never admits to the students that his mastery consists of eight hours of standing around watching, combined with some training, and four hours of beer drinking afterwards. If you think that sounds too cynical, then you need to take a dose of reality and call me in the morning.

David Decker

[1] Exerpt from The Rhythm of One, http://therhythmofone.blogspot.com/