The Poor Man’s Dojo:

Published: 1/8/2016

By Spencer sensei

When the American service men began training on Okinawa after the end of the Second World War, they did not have the polished wooden floors, rubberized tatami, and the engineered training equipment we have today. Sensei Fumio Demura a Japanese karateka, during an interview, spoke about the nails that would work their way up from the training floor and cut their feet as they moved up and down the dojo floor. Master Harold Mitchum was asked, at a seminar in Phoenix, how the training on Okinawa, in the early days, compared to training in America today. He chuckled and said, “With all the beautiful facilities in the states, training is a much better experience.” He gave us an example about what it was like training in the early days. Master Tatsuo Shimabuku’s dojo was outside and surrounded by a high fence. It gets very hot in Okinawa, so when the packed earth was unbearably hot Shimabuku sensei would spray a little water on the ground to knock down the heat. This did not work well, so the students went from training on hot ground to training in hot mud. Prior to WWII karate schools used jars (nigiri game) to develop their grip and strengthen their forearms and iron sandals (tetsu geta) to strengthen their kicks. Early karateka were innovators. Before karate became an industry, training facilities were crude and instructors had to be more creative in their approach to their student’s development.

When I began training several decades ago, we did not have water bags, weight machines, stretching machines, or any of the fancy equipment found in dojos today, but I did have clever instructors. They discovered household items that could be used in a students training. Foundational keys to karate training are balance, focus, and control. These are difficult things to teach beginners, but by using a paper sack, box or paper and string the beginning student can practice and perfect these things at home. Below is a selection from the AOKK training text volume eight. Okay… I know this is supposed to be for AOKK Black Belts only, but I like to reminisce a little sometimes. I hope you can use and enjoy some of these outdated training drills.

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23. Drill: Paper Sack / Cardboard Box Punching (Focus Drill)

Not all training devices are expensive or elaborate. One of the best devices to learn focus is a paper bag. Today these are rare, but when I began training, they were everywhere. A small box can be substituted if a paper sack cannot be found. One problem all beginning student have is a lack of control. This can be hazardous when performing ippon kumite (one-step fighting) or Tiger Boxing. Another problem with controlled fighting is that speed, by the attacking student, is often sacrificed to protect their opponent. Simply placing a paper bag on a countertop or table and you can practice delivering your response or attack with speed and focus. Striking the bag too hard does not result in a busted lip, black-eye, or worst. Eventually you’ll be able to punch the paper bag with only the slightest of contact at full speed. Some instructors hang a piece of paper from the ceiling attached to a string for this purpose. This drill can be practiced on the makiwara or heavy bag, but we have a tendency to over punch when we use the makiwara and not focus stopping at the surface. It is also a good idea to place a target in the center of the paper bag, box, sheet paper, or makiwara. The target develops the student’s ability to hit where they aim. Focus and speed training are foundational pieces of developing the karate student. You can spend a lot of money on specialized equipment or do it the old-fashioned way and use a paper bag.

Lead-Hand Practice:

• Assume a fighting stance.
• As fast as you can flick your lead-hand forwards and strike the bag. Next pull the blow back as fast as you snapped it out.
• Step back into a fighting stance.

Note: You should hear a slight pop each time the bag is struck, but the bag should not move.

Note: During this exercise, your rear hand moves upwards to cover your chin. Press your chin into the shoulder or whichever hand is punching. Also lower the chin to protect the throat. This is not kata. The chin is held erect in kata to show confidence and awareness.

Lead & Power -Hand Practice:

• Assume a fighting stance.
• As fast as you can flick your lead-hand forwards and strike the bag. Next pull the blow back as fast as you snapped it out.

Note: Your rear hand moves upwards to cover your chin. Press your chin into the shoulder or whichever hand is punching.

• As fast as you can drive your rear-hand forwards and strike the bag. Pull the blow back as fast as you snapped it out and back and cover your face.
• Step back into a fighting stance.

Note: You should hear a slight pop each time the bag is struck, but the bag should not move.

Ippon Kumite Practice:

This paper bag can also be used as method to develop better training partners. Ippon kumite (one-step fighting) is ritualized to protect the student. The most important part of ippon kumite is the attacking student. He/she must be focused on target, and unflinching or the defending student cannot safely practice their response. A punch or kick must be delivered on target and then the student must momentarily freeze to allow the defending student to perform the predetermined technique. The undisciplined student punches to the side of his/her opponent or pulls their hand back too quickly for the defending student to respond. The attacker’s only purpose in this exercise is to deliver the prearranged blow allowing the defending student a target to practice against. In a real fight the defender must learn to protect their head, solar plexus or any centerline target. If contact is made, it should be very light. Focusing the blow simply allows the defending student to know they would have been hit had they not moved, blocked, and countered the attack. The attacker should only slow their attack with very new students. Speed should gradually be increased even with beginners. A defending student needs to see the blow at full speed or they will not be prepared for the speed of real fight. The attacking student’s focus must be even greater than the defending student. These skills can be gained through practiced using a simple paper bag.

The most common defense practiced, in ippon kumite, is against a lunging reverse-punch. Attacking using this technique is a good skill to develop. This develops the attacking student’s ability to close ground quickly, and at the same time it teaches them how to judge distance between them and their opponent.

• Step back into zenkutsu-dachi or forward stance and execute a low block.
• Step forwards to close the gap and strike the bag with a reverse punch.

Note: There needs to be a mark in the center of the bag showing the student where to punch.

• Step back into zenkutsu-dachi or forward stance and execute a low block.

Note: You should hear a slight pop when the bag is struck, but the bag should not move.

Note: This can also be done with a second student telling you when to execute. Do not move until he/she kiai (battle cry). This improves the karateka’s reaction time.

Note: With every iteration check your stance. Adjust your feet placement if it is incorrect. As mentioned, several times in the AOKK texts, stances are only transitional positions. Movement is fluid while stances are static. Movement is broken into steps to build the body-mind connection. Momentarily stopping in these positions trains the mind to know what it feels like when your form is correct. Eventually your form will be correct with each attempt.

Kicking Practice:

This drill is also valuable to the student that would rather kick than punch. Kicking with focus in free style kumite (Sparring) is most important. Blast too many training partners in the face or groin and you’ll run out of training partners. Again, the paper bag, box, or sheet of paper can help you develop focus.

Round Kick:

• Step into a forward or fighting stance.
• Kick to the paper bag and touch it slightly and then return the foot to the floor.

Note: The leg must return to the floor as quickly as it went forwards. The natural reaction of an untrained fighter is to grab your kicking leg. Skilled fighters will grab the leg and drive you into the ground. It takes two points of contact with the ground to have good balance. You can grab an opponent, tree, or wall to create these two points and kick, but when you’re on one leg you are vulnerable, and your balance can be broken in any direction.

Note: Change the height of the table supporting the paper bag to increase the height of your kicks. Traditionally we do not kick above the waist, but if I can kick you in the face I can more easily drive a shin into your thigh.

Snap Kick:

• Step into a forward stance.
• Kick to the bag touch slightly and return to the floor.

Note: This is the easy way to learn to kick with the ball of the foot without breaking toes.

Note: The kick must return as quickly as it was thrown just like a punch.

Note: Check your stances.

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The message here is you don’t need polished floors, mirrors, water bags, stretching machines, and oriental ambiance before you can train in the martial arts.  Sometimes the simplest items can teach the greatest lessons. One cannot truly begin to learn the martial arts until they develop, speed, balance, and focus. A paper bag can be the key to perfecting these foundational skills without spending a lot of money.