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Last one on cancer for a while.
I read a report that people undergoing treatment for cancer who have a support network (family and friends), live longer than people who do not. Both receive the same treatment but those with a support network live longer.
I believe this to be true. When I have seen people undergoing treatment who have someone with them, they seem more positive and healthy. It is not just the help they receive, it is the love and encouragement. Also, having someone else helps when navigating the sometimes confusing and always frightening treatment regimen and options.
This is my way of saying that we should do our best to support our loved ones and friends when they are in need.
Charles C. Goodin
Support Network
Last one on cancer for a while.
Curly Hair
Continuing on the subject of breast cancer, in the last few months my wife has sometimes complained that her hair has grown back very curly in places. When she does this, I remind her that there was a time during chemotherapy when she had no hair. Her head was actually shiny because there were no hairs at all!
So curly hair is not such a big problem, at least it is hair.
And even with no hair, she still looked beautiful!
This is what I mean when I say that something like breast cancer can change you perspectives.
Hair is such a little thing when you are worried about life itself.
Charles C. Goodin
Co-Survivor 2 (And Counting)
Recently, I attended a Susan G. Komen luncheon with my wife, Nayna. If you have been reading this blog for a while, you will know that she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007, and underwent a lumpectomy, chemotherapy and radiation. She continues Tamoxifen treatment. The good news is that all test have shown her to be cancer free!
At the luncheon, my wife wore a name tag with her name and "Survivor 2." Other people in the room had name tags with "Survivor" and a number but some had "Co-Survivor" and a number. The event had started earlier in the morning and I only attended the luncheon. As a result, I did not get a name tag. But I learned that I was a "Co-Survivor 2." I am a Co-Survivor for 2 years of my wife's breast cancer.
Being diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer was a life altering experience for my wife. It was for me too.
My wife has told me several times that I have become a better person because of the experience. I always told her "no no," but actually, I have to agree with her. I have become a better person.
Cancer really stops you in your tracks. We all have to worry about business, finances, school, etc. But with cancer you have to suddenly worry about living. My family had to deal with the real thought of losing my wife. I have always tried hard at work and to save money. Don't get me wrong, money is a very good thing to have. It helps to be able to afford medical treatment -- which can be very expensive, even with insurance. But we often hear about rich celebrities or politicians who suffer and die from cancer and other diseases. It is not a matter of money. These people have access to and can afford the best medical treatment in the world. But with cancer, there is a big unknown. You can only seek the best treatment possible and hope for the best.
Hope and pray. I don't think I ever really appreciated prayer until my wife's cancer. I prayed a lot. Worried, studied, prayed, and worked out. Our family and friends offered their prayers. But even strangers, when they saw my wife with no hair and wearing a scarf or hat, would come up and pray for her. It was amazing.
And it helped.
I discussed with my wife how I seemed to be a better person as a result of her cancer. She always tells people how I was always there for her and tried my best to help her through the grueling, frightening, and confusing medical process. To me, that is what any spouse would do (although I learned that some spouses cannot handle it and even leave their loved one when the diagnosis is made). Trying my best was nothing special. My wife would have done more for me.
But as a result of the process I did change. I have become more patient, perhaps because cancer puts things in a different perspective. Things that seemed big before cancer don't seem quite as big now. I have also become more sympathetic for people who are suffering from illnesses or diseases, such as cancer.
I have written this before and it may sound strange. My second son bought a Toyota Tacoma. It was a great truck. Suddenly, we noticed lots of Tacomas on the road. They seemed to be everywhere. Because our son had one, we noticed them.
After my wife was diagnosed with cancer, we suddenly noticed other women with breast cancer in particular, and people with cancer in general. It was like seeing Tacomas on the road. Of course, the people were always there, we just didn't notice or perhaps did not want to notice. But with my wife's cancer, we discovered many people who had suffered from breast cancer and others who were currently under treatment.
I have to say that I think we did not want to think about cancer because we were afraid that thinking about it would make it happen. Ignoring cancer, to the extent possible, was our superstitious way of warding it off. You can't ignore it when it is in your own family, and of course, you shouldn't ignore it anyway.
I can't tell you how much I suffered for my wife, while at the same time trying to be strong for my children, mother, and extended family. Like I said, I worried all the time, then I tried to research all the time (while worrying), while also keeping up with work. In desperation, I turned to working out more as a way to escape. When I could not take worrying or researching any more, I would lift weights, ride a stationary bike, walk on a treadmill, all while still teaching and practicing Karate. Thank goodness for my sons who exercised me. Otherwise, I think I would have stressed myself to death. And thank goodness for our extended family and friends who all pitched in to help and just be there for us.
So as a result of seeing what my wife went through, and what I went through trying to help her, as well as what our family and friends went through, I am much more sympathetic when I hear that someone or their loved one is ill or suffering from a disease. I can feel for them, not just intellectually acknowledge their situation.
I feel bad that it took something like my wife's breast cancer to make me a better person. That is why I have taken so long to write about it. I feel that we should always try our best and work on our character. But I have to say that life tests us and in the process we learn and change. I am better because of something that happened to my wife.
I am a Co-Survivor 2. I hope to see that number grow larger and larger. And I hope the same for all Survivors and other Co-Survivors.
And for the husbands, boyfriends, sons, and fathers out there, when I have gone to breast cancer events with my wife, there are too few men! Breast cancer does not only affect women. Men can get it too. But for those of us with wives, mothers, daughters, loved ones and friends with breast cancer, we have to be there for them.
Men should not feel awkward going to a breast cancer event. Take it from me, Survivors, Co-Survivors, and the great people who work in organizations such as the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the American Cancer Society, are the nicest people you could meet. You don't catch breast cancer by going to these events, you catch humanity.
For everyone who has asked, my wife is doing great! And I'm not as stressed out anymore, but still work out. I just got a Total Gym 1700, but that's another topic.
And for anyone out there with cancer or any other disease or illness, my prayers are with you.
Charles C. Goodin
Knives You Don't See
One of my hobbies, one that most people do not know about, is collecting knives, folding knives in particular. No, I am not a hardcore collector, like my son's good friend Darin who got me started. But I do have several knives of different sizes (from 3 to 9 inches when open) and types (lockback, liner lock, credit card, etc.).
Many knives can be easily opened and even closed with one hand. And these are not even spring assisted or butterfly knives (which are illegal in Hawaii). These are just regular folding knives.
So what is my point? It does not take much skill or training at all to conceal a folding knife and open it very quickly. A regular knife does not even have to be opened.
If a person wanted to attack you with a knife, you would not be able to see it coming. Unlike television shows and Karate demonstrations where the knife attacker makes big, slow motions, a real knife attack will probably be lightning fast and at close quarters. No big slashes or swings. The knife will be opened and the attack will be made, almost certainly before you can see it. A twitch of the wrist and you will be cut... and skilled knife fighters know where to cut do the most damage in the least time. You could be cut several times before you could even react.
One of my Karate teachers also taught eskrima. He often warned us to be extremely careful when an attacker brushes back his hair, rubs his neck, or reaches for a back pocket, because these could all be movements to get a concealed knife. He taught that you have to react to the movements of the attacker, not to the knife itself. By the time you see the knife -- if you even see the knife -- it will be too late.
You have to react to the attacker and it would be prudent to assume that he is armed whether you know it or not.
I know that this is difficult. I am not saying that you should use a regular Karate-type block to defend against a knife. The teacher I mentioned above used to teach us how to use folding chairs and other items for defense, even umbrellas. You have to be aware of the environment and alert to things that could be used for defense.
As much as we practice Karate, there are other martial artists who train with knives and other weapons. You have to assume that they can become as skilled as us! If you think that you are good at Karate, can you imagine being attacked by someone just as good (or better) at knife fighting? That is not a pleasant thought!
It doesn't matter that you are skilled at Karate if you are wounded or killed before you can use it. Therefore, being aware of the situation has to be the most important part of Karate, because without awareness, there will be no opportunity to use any techniques at all.
Sometimes I see martial artists who are cocky about their fighting skills. Confidence is a good thing but overconfidence can make you miss things... like a concealed knife.
Just to be clear, I collect knives and use them for utility purposes (like cutting plants and cord). I do not carry knives. That does not mean that other people don't carry knives... you have to assume that at least some do.
In Karate we learn to defend against an unexpected attack. That attack could be with a knife, a knife that might not be seen until it is too late.
Charles C. Goodin
One Of Six
Sensei Mitsugi Kobayashi told me that when he went for his first meeting with Sensei Seko Higa, there were five other prospective students. They all started training together. One by one, however, the other students quit, leaving Kobayashi alone to train with Higa Sensei.
When I first heard this, I thought it was pretty amazing. Out of six students, only one remained?
But then I realized that for every Sensei, there may be dozens, even hundreds of students who started training but quit. For very senior Sensei, there could have been thousands of students!
Those of us who teach Karate, at whatever level, are the ones who did not quit, who stuck it out. In my case, I am certain that I was not the most talented, intelligent, or physically gifted student. Certainly not! I might just have been the most determined or even obsessed student, and also was lucky enough to have a family and lifestyle that allowed me to continue to train.
My dojo is small. We usually have only about twenty-five students and not all attend every class. But those students include several yudansha. When I see them, I do not just see one yudansha, I also see all the students who had trained but quit. Each yudansha represents so many students! When we have ten students and four or five yudansha at class, the dojo seems positively crowded!
Think back to when you started learning Karate and all the students who have come and gone since then. Ten? Fifty? A hundred? A thousand?
Charles C. Goodin
The Best Teacher...
This is a story.
A rich man and woman brought their 12 year old son to Miyagusuku Sensei (a made up name), who was regarded as the best Karate teacher in all of Okinawa. They arranged for their son to live and train with Miyagusuku Sensei for one year.
A year passed and the parents returned, anxious to see their son's progress. A demonstration was quickly arranged. To their surprise, it appeared that their son had learned nothing at all.
The parents were shocked and confused. Finally they asked, "Miyagusuku Sensei, you are the best Karate instructor in all of Okinawa... how is it that our son learned so little?"
"I do not know if I am the best Karate instructor in Okinawa," said Miyagusuku Sensei, "but I am certain that your son is the worst Karate student!"
Even a great Sensei needs a great student. The Sensei can set the plate, but the student must eat and digest what he is taught.
No matter how great the Sensei is, the student must also exert great effort to learn and refine his Karate.
Charles C. Goodin
Ring, Ring, Ring!
This is a story.
A group of Karate students were practicing kumite. Because space in the dojo was limited, they were in close proximity. These students trained hard and were pretty good at kumite... but they all wore jewelry.
Sally executed a flying side kick. Her toe ring got caught on David's earring. As Sally landed on the ground, David's head smashed on the cement floor. Sally tripped over his body and hit June in the back. June's necklace flew up and her pendant poked her partner Sam in the eye and became snagged on his eyebrow ring. When Sam reached up in pain, it tugged June forward. She bent forward and Sam flipped over her back, landing on Sally and David, who screamed in pain. Their Sensei, William, came running. Because by now there was blood on the floor, he slid into the group, his tongue stud becoming caught in Catherine's watch. Catherine had come to help too. As she tried and tried to pull her watch off her Sensei's tongue stud, her belt flipped up. A medal on her belt (earned at a recent tournament) popped loose and the sharp pin beneath it poked her Sensei on the nose. Just then, Bob showed up and started trying to help people up. Because everyone's jewelry was tangled, they yelled in pain. Sally pushed Bob to try to stop him from lifting her up. She hit him with such force that his heavy black ear gauges flew out, right into Sally's mouth. She instantly started choking.
Finally, the twisted mass of injured, bleeding, snagged, and poked Karate students got to their feet, but fell out a window right into a volcano (because they were here in Hawaii).
The moral of the story is... if you wear jewelry when you practice Karate you will fall into a volcano.
Charles C. Goodin
No Jewelry
Sometimes I repeat things that I think are important (or because I have forgotten that I already said them). Here is another repeat subject.
When you practice Karate, you should not wear any jewelry. This is primarily for safely issues but also out of a sense of modesty and austerity.
Would you like to wear earrings when you train? If so, how will you feel when your earring gets stuck to someone's gi and your earlobe is ripped off or torn? How will you feel with an ugly scar? How will you feel when you have to pay for it?
Would you like to wear a ring? If so, how will you feel when you scratch your partner's eye? Or when your ring gets caught on your partner's earring and you rip his/her hear lob off? And then, when the blood is dripping from your partner's ear, how about when he/she goes into shock, passes out and hits his/her face on the corner of a wall and knocks out some teeth? It happens.
Would you like to wear a necklace? I think you see where this is going.
And with any injury there is the issue of blood. Let's just say that in today's world, another person's blood is the equivalent of toxic waste -- don't touch it.
When you train, you should wear no jewelry at all.
And when you wear your gi in non-training situations, you should not wear any jewelry either. It is just not right. Your gi is not a Halloween costume. When you are dressed in your gi, you are dressed for training, so wear no jewelry. Are you afraid that you will look less attractive? Why are you worried about this when you are wearing your gi? Shouldn't you be worried about developing skill, refining your character, assisting your Sensei, and helping your fellow students?
I don't wear a watch or ring. The only metal I wear are my glasses. Why no watch? Because my cellphone always has the time.
I don't wear any jewelry because in my mind, I am always practicing Karate.
Man, woman, boy or girl -- wear no jewelry when training and/or wearing your gi.
Charles C. Goodin
Our Logo Is...
Our dojo has a logo. It is "no" logo.
Our dojo has a patch. It is "no" patch.
Our belts have special writing. It is "no" writing.
Our dojo has a dojo kun (sayings). It is "no" dojo kun.
When someone asks, "What is your Karate?" I say, "What?"
When someone asks, "Where is your Karate?" I say, "Where?"
When someone says, "You've said nothing." I say, "That's it!"
Karate comes down to skill, conditioning and character, not logos, patches, sayings, or writing on the belt (or all over the gi). Everything in Karate is inside you. If you can buy it -- that's not it.
If someone attacks you, will you be wearing any patches or logo? I don't think so. And even if you are wearing patches or logos, will that deter the attacker?
This is a joke. I saw a Karate student wearing a plain gi with no patches. I thought to myself, "he must belong to my dojo!"
Charles C. Goodin
Guest Post: About Not Hitting Women
I received the following comment from Fiona regarding my last post, Do Not Hit Women. Fiona has her own blog, gai.ninja. Thank you very much Fiona for your perspective!
Hi Sensei,I hope you are well.I have a comment in response to your latest post, so thought I'd send it over.I also feel that women should not hit men, unless it is self-defence. There is an increasing number of cases of violent female partners, where women take their anger out on their partners, who are powerless to defend themselves, not wanting to hit a woman.I used to fight with my sisters all the time when we were kids. I usually won so before I was old enough to know it was wrong and get a grip on my ego I used to do it all the time. But my mum always said people used violence as they weren't smart enough to use words, and when I was old enough to understand that, I changed my ways.I feel everyone should try and attain that standard - solve problems with words, not violence - and not just men.Thank you, as always, for your blog - I really enjoy your wise words :) And many congratulations on becoming a grandfather.Kind regards,Fiona
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Sunday, October 25, 2009
Do Not Hit Women
Sometimes as Sensei we have to state the obvious.
Men should not hit women. This is particularly true for Karate students.
If a man is angry at a woman, he should walk away rather than resort to violence. Even if the woman starts a fight, the man should try his very best to avoid contact.
Husbands should not hit wives. Boyfriends should not hit girlfriends.
Of course, the reverse is also true. Women should not hit men. But in modern society, there is something of a presumption that the woman is the victim.
OK, if a group of ninja women were to attack a man, I would say that the man could fight back. I would. But how often do you hear about this? It is much more common to hear about a man getting mad and punching or choking his wife or girlfriend. Alcohol and drugs are often contributing factors.
My daughter has three older brothers who are martial artists (and pretty big) and me as her father. We tend to make it clear to young men that she is to be treated respectfully, or else.
Again, as Sensei we need to state these types of this things. You never know, some of our students may come from homes with domestic violence. Young men might grow up seeing the men in the family hitting or abusing women. We need to make it clear that this is wrong and not something a Karate student should do, or tolerate.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Saturday, October 24, 2009
Capernicus Was Wrong
Capernicus (Nikolas Capernicus, 1473-1543) was wrong. The Earth is the center of the universe. To be more specific, wherever my granddaughter is on the Earth is the center of the universe... at least for my family
Charles C. Goodin
Karate In A Sentence
A person came to interview me a few weeks ago. At one point he asked, "Can you describe Karate in one sentence?"
I said "no." He looked a little surprised and asked if I could do so in a few sentences. Once again, I said "no."
I explained that anything I could say would be incomplete. I could say something that sounds nice, but what good would that be?
As I have gotten older I have learned that sometimes the answer is, "no."
Charles C. Goodin
No Categories -- A Mugger
This is a story.
A Karate student who had trained for only a couple of years was walking down a deserted a street on a dark night (you know this is bad already). Out from behind some bushes, a mugger jumped out and demanded the student's money.
"Wait," said the student. "Let's talk first."
Since this is just a story, the mugger agreed.
"First," said the student, "I weigh 140 pounds and I'd guess that you weigh 225."
"250," said the mugger.
"So you see, we're in different weight categories. You can't mug me."
"I don't follow any rules," said the mugger as he prepared to punch the student.
"Wait," said the student. "I have been practicing Karate for a year and a half. How long have you been a mugger?"
"About 10 years confessed the mugger."
"So you see," said the student, "I'm just novice. We're in different divisions. You can't mug me."
"I told you that I don't follow any rules," said the mugger. "I don't care about your weight or years of Karate experience."
"Well," said the student. "You can understand that I am not ready for this mugging. Can you give me a couple of weeks to prepare and then mug me? By then I'll be ready."
"Nope," said the mugger. "This is not some tournament or test you can prepare for. I'm mugging you exactly because you were not ready for it. What an idiot you were to walk down this street on a night like this."
"Well at least let me warm up!"
"Forget it," said the mugger.
"This is so unfair," exclaimed the student.
"You think that's bad," said the mugger, "I've got a knife in my pocket and two friends standing behind the bushes who are even bigger than me!"
There are no categories, divisions, set times, or rules in self defense. You have to be ready for an unexpected attack from someone who might be bigger, stronger, more skilled at fighting than you, and even armed. And there may be more than one of them!
It is really unfair, but that is how it is. That is why when Karate is used as a last resort, anything goes.
Charles C. Goodin
Who Is Your Teacher?
This is a story.
A Karate Sensei went to a seminar and observed a young adult black belt student. The Sensei noticed that the student had ten stripes on his belt and could not imagine what this might represent, so he asked the young man.
"Oh these," said the student, "these are names of the ten associations I belong to." "I have been certified and approved by ten ranking and review committees. My Karate is authentic. I am a real Karate man, not an amateur."
"Ten associations," replied the Sensei, "who is your Sensei?"
"Uh, my Sensei, er, I, well, I used to..., but then, you know... I belong to 10 associations! That means something!"
"I'm sure it does," replied the Sensei.
"It must," said the student, "it's costing me an arm and a leg!"
We learn from our teachers. This is a personal relationship. You don't wear your Sensei on your belt -- you live the lessons he has taught. Having a good Sensei means more than being a member of 100 associations!
Charles C. Goodin
Kata Appropriate To Level
I believe that it is important to teach the student each kata thoroughly and deeply. That does not mean that I would show the same body dynamics and applications to a new student and a san dan. There is "new student deep" and "sandan deep".
In particular, I would not show certain applications to newer students (who I do not know well enough yet to trust) or to younger students (who should not yet learn certain dangerous techniques).
Karate should be taught appropriately based upon the age, experience, and level of the student.
And even if a student learns a kata thoroughly and deeply, that does not mean that he will not be taught variations and deeper mechanics and applications as he progresses over the years. Just the opposite is true! The more advanced the student becomes, the more he will learn the kata he already knows.
I have written this before, but it is worth repeating. When you have Windows installed on your computer, you will periodically receive updates. Various aspects of the operating system will be updated to keep it current.
We do the same in our dojo. One change to a movement in a kata will apply to all other identical movements in other kata, and to all other similar movements in other kata. A change in hip motion (koshi) could apply to just about every movement in all the kata. It is like updating the Karate operating system.
The Sensei will not show each change to each movement. That is up to the student -- and this takes intelligence, motivation, and hard work. You can spoon feed some students and they will not get it. You can give just a hint to other students, and they will catch the idea and run with it -- and apply the principle to all their techniques.
Teach appropriately based upon the age, experience, and level of the student.
Charles C. Goodin
Shallow Kata -- Deep Kata
This is a follow up to my last post, Shodan Kata? In that post I wrote:
"In particular, I feel that Kusanku, Chinto, Gojushiho, and even Passai and Wanshu should be reserved for more advanced students..., maybe even Wankan."A reader asked what "Wankan" meant. Looking back, I realize that the use of the term was a little ambiguous. "Wankan" is a kata practiced in our system. It is fairly common in Shorin-Ryu schools, and is also known as "Okan". It is a Tomari-Te kata (at least it is they way that we practice it).
Now the follow up.
In my experience, if a student learns many kata too quickly, it will be almost impossible for him to ever learn the kata properly and in depth. If you start shallow, it stays shallow. It is possible for a student to move to the depths of the kata, but this takes a great deal of introspection and effort. Also, there will be many errors to correct.
But if a student learns fewer kata and learns them in greater depth, then he will probably go on to learn all kata properly and in depth. And if you think about it, many of the movements in one kata are common to others. So if a student learns one kata in depth, he will be learning movements that will also be present in other kata. When the time comes to learn those kata, he will already know the common movements... already know them in depth.
But a student with a shallow understanding will rush on to other kata. The mistakes of his first shallow kata will be repeated in the later kata. The first kata will be shallow and the others will be too. Shallowness will infect the kata.
The idea is not to learn many kata -- there is no benefit to this -- the idea is to learn to move properly and defend yourself. Kata are not like trophies or medals. They have no value unless you understand them well.
In some schools, kata are the basis for rank. Some schools will have different training days and times for certain kata, or level of kata. So to train in a certain class, the student will have to learn all the earlier kata that are a prerequisite for the more advanced training. I can understand this approach, but I do not follow it. One kata is as good as the next (except for Naihanchi Shodan which is like a cornerstone upon which all other kata are built in our system).
In some schools, more advanced kata are given a higher degree of difficulty in kata competition. There is thus an incentive to learn these more advanced kata. I do not follow this approach either. All kata are difficult and all kata are easy. There are no degrees of difficulty. Is Chinto harder than Fukyugata Ichi? I have heard some senior instructors say that Fukyugata Ichi is more difficult because there is no room to hide -- a seemingly simple kata is actually harder to do well. Any mistakes will be obvious.
I have written this before -- and it is true (to me). If a student is very good at the Naihanchi kata, then all subsequent kata will have a Naihanchi flavor. They will look very strong. But if a student has a weak Naihanchi, the subsequent kata will be similarly weak. The Pinan kata should look like Naihanchi, not the other way around. I am mentioning this because some instructors treat Naihanchi as a very basic kata (with a very low degree of difficulty).
If you can do Naihanchi well, that is enough. The remaining kata are basically just to entertain you.
Back to my original post. In my school, shodan are not expected to know 18 kata. How many should they know? It depends on what I feel (and my second son feels, since he is the dojo cho). We do not have specific requirements.
This brings up another issue. In some schools, students are expected to know specific kata for each rank (dan and kyu). In these schools, you will sometimes find students who say, "I know Pinan Sandan now so am I a green belt?"
I feel that it is important not to tie kata to specific ranks. Instread, it is important to tie kata to specific skill sets, specific body mechanics, specific applications, etc.
Of course, I have a small dojo and do not teach commercially. I have the luxery of trying to craft "custom" students. I could not teach the same way with 500 or 5,000 students -- there simply would not be enough time.
In any event, I recommend that kata not be rushed -- it is far better to learn a few kata deeply rather than many kata shallowly. If you know a few kata deeply, you can easily learn many kata. But if you only know kata shallowly, no matter how many kata you learn, it will not help -- actually it will only make things worse.
Charles C. Goodin
Shodan Kata?
I am often surprised by how many kata a shodan (1st degree black belt) will know in different Karate systems, including my own. When I ask a shodan how many kata he knows, the answer will often be, "all of them." This is often said with the connotation of, "why all of them, of course." Like why would I even ask?
Should a shodan know all the kata of a system or ryuha of Karate? I know that this is up to the Sensei, but in my dojo, I do not expect shodan to know the 18 empty handed kata that we practice. In particular, I feel that Kusanku, Chinto, Gojushiho, and even Passai and Wanshu should be reserved for more advanced students..., maybe even Wankan.
Of course, it is easy to learn these kata. They may be longer than many of the other kata. That is not the point. Anyone can learn just about any kata. I could teach Chinto to a brand new student -- that doesn't mean that he will be able to do the kata properly, with the correct body mechanics, and with a proper understanding of the possible applications. Just copying the form of the kata means very little. That would be like memorizing a speech in a foreign language without understanding the language.
To me, it is better for a shodan to concentrate on the core basic kata of a system. This does not mean that they are beginner kata. The first kata a student will learn in my dojo is Naihanchi Shodan. That does not mean that it is a beginner's kata. In fact, it is a beginner kata, an intermediate kata, and an advanced kata. It is a kata that the newest student will practice and the most advanced students and instructors will continue to on.
When I hear that a shodan knows many kata, I will think that he knows them in shallow sense. In my experience, this usually is true. When a shodan learns a more concentrated curriculum, he usually knows the material more in depth.
Knowing many kata means nothing at all in and of itself. Knowing even one kata very well means a lot.
Quality, not quantity.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Thursday, October 22, 2009
Two Week Birthday
Today is my granddaughter's two week birthday. Happy birthday Madeleine!
More and more people have started calling me "grandpa."
Coincidentally, a guy came to the office to see my wife at her travel agency (my wife and I share offices). She was out for a few minutes, so I took his name and told him that she would call him.
Later, he spoke to my wife and said that when he came to the office, he met the "older gentleman."
So now I am the "grandpa" and the "older gentleman."
Charles C. Goodin
Flu Precautions
I just sent the following email to the students in our dojo:
- fever
- cough
- runny nose or stuffy nose
- sore throat
- body aches
- headache
- chills
- fatigue or tiredness
- diarrhea
- vomiting
Tournament Kata -- Prancing
I was recently watching footage of a "traditional" Karate tournament. Where and when is not really relevant. But the main thing is that it was a traditional tournament with traditional kata.
A competitor walked out to the center of the ring, where she came to attention and shouted out the name of the kata. I have written before that I dislike the shouting of kata name. But that's another blog subject.
What got me about this performance, was the way the young woman (gender is not the issue here, but the person I watched was a woman) pranced (or strutted) out to the center of the ring. She almost looked like a gymnast preparing to do a floor routine. Her steps and arm swings were precisely coordinated and elongated. Her toes and fingers were pointed.
My point is that even the act of walking out to the center of the ring was ritualized. It was not a natural walk. The competitor was already trying to impress the judges and the audience.
Like shouting out the name of the kata, I really dislike this. I have used the word "dislike" because children may be reading this.
Karate should be a natural thing. We are preparing for an unexpected attack. While walking down the sidewalk, someone jumps out from the bushes and attacks. Bam! We must defend ourselves. We are walking down the sidewalk... not prancing.
I don't think we would say to ourselves, "Look, a mugger in the bushes up ahead. I think I will prance so that he will be scared and not attack me."
And don't get me wrong. Men prance too. The tournament format seems to encourage an artificial, ritualized walk.
It should not be surprising that a system that does this to the simple act of walking, does pretty much the same thing to the kata itself. The kata become ritualized, crystalized, exaggerated, posed, staccato, stiff, punctuated by theatric kiai, etc. The crowd loves it!
Again, don't get me wrong. The competitors are doing exactly what they have been taught and coached to do, and they are very good at it. They are in excellent shape and their movements are amazingly precise.
But is this Karate? Is this how Sokon Matsumura did it? Is this how Kanryo Higashionna did it?
And if not, why not? Are we doing it better today than they did?
I always think that the place to do kata is inside an elevator, crowded with other people. No room to prance.
Given a choice, I would always pick ugly kata over pretty kata.
Charles C. Goodin
Do You Understand? (Really?)
Today I went to lunch with my good friend and senior, Sensei Pat Nakata, who officially became a senior citizen (65 years old) last week. I hope that in 14 years, I will be training as dilligently as he does!
I took the lunch opportunity to ask Nakata Sensei to explain to me the subtleties of the the word "understand" in Japanese. Although I am half-Japanese and my mother was born and raised in Japan, I speak Japanese only well enough to mess it up! I eat Japanese (except natto), not speak it.
Nakata Sensei was kind enough to explain this to me.
If your Sensei teaches you something and asks you if you get it, you might say, "Yes, I understand."
In Japanese, there are different ways to express this. The two main words for "understand" are "wakarimasu" and "shirimasu."
I did not know this. I only heard the word "wakarimasu" when learning Japanese in elementary school (as part of a language program at Misawa Air Force Base) and thought it would be used whenever you wanted to say that you understood, comprehended, or got something.
But according to Nakata Sensei, "wakarimasu" and "shirimasu" have different connotations, which are very important for Karate students.
If your Sensei shows you something and asks if you understand, you would use "shirimasu" if you get what was taught -- that you have seen or heard what was taught. It is almost like saying, "yes, I received your instruction."
You would only use "wakarimasu" if you got what was taught and understood it experientially. That is like saying, "yes, I received your instruction, understood it, have grappled with it intellectually and experientially, and can say that I get it... and perhaps can do it."
See the difference? Do you understand?
Most of the time, we students should probably use "shirimasu" rather than "wakarimasu." I know that I certainly should.
Sometimes I will tell Nakata Sensei that I have heard or read what he has told me, but am still thinking about it and working on it. I "received it" but do not yet "get it." It is almost like saying, "yes, I heard you, and I intellectually understand the words that you used, but I do not yet get the whole concept and cannot apply it physically."
I have to admit that when my Sensei over the years have asked if everyone "gets it," I have often been the lone student who raised my hand and said, "No Sensei, I'm sorry but I do not."
The difference between "wakarimasu" and "shirimasu" are relevant in English. When your Sensei asks if you understand something, you have to be careful about your word choice. If you say "yes," he might think that you mean that you understand the subject experientially (which you probably don't).
Let me use an analogy. If a farmer gives you a tree seed it would be one thing to say, "I have received the seed." It would be quite another thing to say, "I received the tree seed, planted it in my yard, watered it and fed it for many years, and now can take a nap under its majestic branches and leaves on a hot summer day!"
Now let's apply this to Karate. Your Sensei shows you a koshi method. Your Sensei shows you how to osae (press) during a kata transition. Your Sensei shows you how to relax. Do you get it? Or have you observed and received the instruction and will work on it? Do you get the words, or the meaning? Do you get the words or can you do it?
Nakata Sensei told me today that sometimes when he is doing kata, he will realize something about a movement and say to himself, "Chibana Sensei, wakarimasu!" He now understands something experientially that his Sensei taught him over 40 years ago. Until then, he could have said "shirimasu" but not "wakarimasu."
Perhaps we could say that "shirimasu" indicates a work in progress while "wakarimasu" indicates a sense of completion.
For me, Karate continues to be a very enjoyable work on progress.
Do you understand? Really?
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Monday, October 19, 2009
Testing Alert
OK, this actually is a testing alert for students in our dojo.
We will be conducting kyu and dan testing. So please train hard all the time, both in the dojo and in daily life. Help the other students. Try to improve yourself, both in technique and character.
Be a good student and a good son (daughter), husband (wife), father (mother), friend, worker...
Remember that you are tested all the time, even when no one is looking.
Whatsoever you do, try your best. As such, make sure that the things you do are worthwhile.
Remember that with skill and character, rank does not matter. And without skill and character, rank is irrelevant.
So get ready for the test!
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Monday, October 19, 2009
Heavy Koshi
Back to mechanics.
In Kishaba Juku dojo, we work hard on body dynamics. That is an understatement!
Sometimes I say that we are like racing car mechanics. We are trying to customize our students (and ourselves) for maxim speed, power... dynamics.
Sometimes I will see a student who has worked on developing a good koshi movement, which essentially is the use of whip-like (core driven torque) mechanics in all Karate movements. But some students are like a firecracker that sizzles -- just a dud. The whip is there but there is no power (or very little).
Most of the time, the reason for this lack of power is because the student has not yet learned to put his weight behind the block, strike or other movement. The "crack of the whip" is there, but it is just fluff.
It is important for our movements to be light and heavy. We move lightly, but at the moment of explosion and power transfer, all or much of our weight should be behind the movement. This is usually accomplished by shifting weight in different ways. Imagine a whip with a hammer at the end.
My point is that koshi is just part of the formula. It is an important part, but not the whole thing. Usually, when an advanced student has struggled for years to overcome the limitations of linear mechanics, koshi is the answer... at that particular moment. But it is the coordination of movement principles (body shifting, weight shifting, body alignment, delay, koshi, etc.) that leads to results.
Move lightly but hit heavy.
Charles C. Goodin
Soke Detector
By profession, I am a real estate attorney. I prepare documents to convey real property from one person to another. So I spend a lot of time reviewing real estate contracts. Because of the nature of my work, I am always reading and also looking for errors.
One term found in the Purchase Contract generally used here in Hawaii is "smoke detector". If a property includes smoke detectors, this item would be checked. But I recently realized that with the deletion of a single letter, this term would become "soke detector."
"Soke detector?" That got me thinking. How many soke, hanshi, and/or 10th dan of Karate are there in the world? Of course, some people could have one or more of these titles.
I honestly don't know the answer to this question, but I would bet that there are quite a few. Perhaps 20 to 30? Even more? 100?
Now how many soke, hanshi, and/or 10th dan of Judo and Kendo are there in the world? While I believe there are several hanshi, I do not believe there are any living 10th dan. I think that they stopped giving that rank. And I do not think they generally use the soke term either.
So why has Karate garnished so many high titles and ranks? And I have only scratched the surface on titles. There are so many... and countless variations and combinations. And each organizations seems to be free to bestow their own brand of honors.
Well, so far there is no N0bel Prize for Karate. Hawaii did well this year with the peace prize. Perhaps one day we could win the Karate award too!
In my book, the highest and most esteemed title in Karate, one we should all work very hard all our lives to deserve, is "Sensei."
It is funny how the first five letters of this Japanese word spell "sense" in English.
Charles C. Goodin
What I Would Like to Remember
Yesterday, I wrote about How Would You Like to Be Remembered?
I would like to confess that when I leave my office for an appointment, my wife and/or my paralegal ask me three questions:
- Is your zipper up?
- Do you have your cell phone?
- Do you have any aluminum foil on your shirt buttons?
When Shoshin Nagamine came to Hawaii in 1996, he gave a very special speech at the Kahala Hilton entitled Karate and World Peace. I was fortunate to attend the speech and the formal dinner that followed, and had to purchase a new suit for the occasion. Halfway through the dinner, I realized that I had not removed the tag from the left sleeve of the suit jacket!
So it is important to do good things so that you will create a legacy and be remembered. But as we age, it is also important to just remember!
I am convinced that Karate training stimulates our brains and helps us to think quickly and to remember things... but maybe not about foil covered buttons.
Charles C. Goodin
How Would You Like to be Remembered?
I wrote recently about Honoring A Sensei.
I am a Sensei. You may be a Sensei too, or you may assist your Sensei. One day we will all pass away. How would you like to be remembered?
This is a serious question. It is one thing to honor a Sensei when he or she passes away. That is a good thing. But at that point, it would be good to ask yourself, how would you like people to remember and honor you? And if you would like people to remember that you did certain things, then you will have to do them!
What I am saying is that we have the power to create our own legacies. We can work at it. Our legacies don't have to happen by accident. From this moment, and in every moment of our lives, we can do something meaningful... something worth remembering.
Of course, good deeds are noble and worthwhile whether people remember them or not. I don't mean to say that we should try to pile up accomplishments just so that we will get credit. The reward for a good deed is the action itself.
Not too long ago I went to the funeral for my second son's girlfriend's grandfather. Jamie is the eldest of 10 grandchildren. At the funeral, a video was shown. Each of the 10 grandchildren said something, shared a memory, of their grandfather. They each had something good to say. It was obvious that they deeply loved their grandfather.
I thought to myself, "That's the kind of grandfather I want to be!" (This was before my granddaughter was born.)
The grandchildrens' memories were not earth shattering. For the most part, they were of special moments with their grandfather... going on trips, driving somewhere, just talking at the house. The special moments weren't special because they were spectacular, they were special because they represented quality time with their grandfather.
We have the opportunity to create special moments, to be part of quality time with our loved ones, friends, and students.
Or we can just let life pass us by.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Friday, October 16, 2009
Announcing Our Next Testing
I wanted to announce the next testing schedule for our dojo. Oops! I can't since we do not have any scheduled or formal testing. We just observe the students all the time and when it seems shameful not to promote someone (because they are so qualified), then we might do so.
We do not charge to test, or to issue a certificate, or to maintain rank from year to year, or for a belt...
In fact, when a student becomes shodan we ask them to kindly stop paying the $5 per month tuition.
Boy, we sure don't know how to run a business!
Charles C. Goodin
Brazilian Ju Jitsu
During the last year or so, my third son, Cael, who is an assistant instructor and ni-dan in our dojo, has taken up the practice of Brazilian Ju Jitsu under Terrence Matsuno at Shoot Fight Hawaii. He also recently started practicing at O2 Martial Arts Academy. Cael is 20.
I could not be happier! Cael did not have the opportunity to study Judo for very long when he was young, and I am grateful for the opportunity for him to learn about grappling and to develop his "ground game." This has already made him a much more well rounded Karate student.
If Cael decides one day that he wants to teach Ju Jitsu, I will be very happy. To me, martial arts are all good... if the person practicing it is good. Karate is good. Ju Jitsu is good. Actually, Cael went to Kendo practice last night. He has practiced Kendo too. Kendo is good. All martial arts are good... if the person practicing it is good.
Some people might wonder why I don't want Cael to only practice Karate since I teach Karate. When I was younger I practiced several martial arts. I limited myself to Karate only because I did not have the time to continue the other arts. Also, multiple arts presented the risk of multiple injuries, particularly as I got older. But I really like all martial arts. If I had the time, I would also study Escrima, sojutsu, Ju Jitsu... I respect other martial arts and the people who teach and practice them.
Cael is young and he seems to be able to handle the rigors of practicing Karate and Ju Jitsu (as well as weightlifting). I am very proud of him, and I want people to know that I respect Brazilian Ju Jitsu. I am really impressed with its ranking system. A purple belt in Ju Jitsu is really skilled. A black belt seems to be the equivalent of a 4th or 5th dan in some Karate schools.
Cael has a tournament this weekend. Gambatte Cael (and be safe)!
Charles C. Goodin
My Granddaughter Has Potential
I just got back from my son's house where I visited my newborn granddaughter, Madeleine. I think she has good potential for Karate because she kicks very well!
Charles C. Goodin
Honoring a Sensei
Sometimes I am asked by students what the best way is to honor a Sensei who has passed away. Over the years, I have heard and seen different approaches.
One is to raise a monument to the Sensei.
Another is to promote him posthumously.
Another is to have a magnificent ceremony.
Another is to write books and articles about him.
But the way that I would recommend is to sincerely practice what he has taught. Monuments just take up space and birds will make a mess on them. Posthumous promotions are irrelevant. A ceremony is good, as long as it is a celebration of the Sensei's life and accomplishments rather than a political event. Books and articles may be good, again if they celebrate and document the Sensei's life and accomplishments.
Sometimes, students try to build up their Sensei in order to build up themselves. I have even been asked if the death of a Sensei automatically results in the promotion of all students by one level. Of course not!
When a Sensei dies, we should honor his life and memory by practicing what he taught, both in the dojo and in our daily lives. That is the greatest tribute.
Before he passed away in 1998, I had the privilege of meeting Sensei Tomu Arakawa only one time (at the Blaisedale Center during an Okinawan expo when Mr. Nakasone from Shureido was visiting). But today I get to meet him every time I meet and train with his senior students, such as Sensei Alan Lee and Sensei Kyle Nakasone. Because they carry on his teachings, I can meet Arakawa Sensei through them. They honor their Sensei each and every day by their actions. This makes me think that Arakawa Sensei was truly a great Sensei. His students are his monument!
One last thing, you certainly don't have to wait for your Sensei to die to do this. While he is living you can honor him through your sincere and dedicated practice.
Charles C. Goodin
Promoted to Grand...
I am very happy to announce that on October 7th I was promoted to... Grandfather!
My granddaughter, Madeleine Sunahara Goodin, the first child of my eldest son, Christopher, and his wife, Michelle, was born. Our family could not be happier. The photo above shows my wife Nayna, and me, with Madeleine.
I think that I will begin to teach my granddaughter Karate when she is about five.
I apologize for my lack of posts recently. I began intense preparations for the Hawaii Karate Museum exhibit at the University of Hawaii in April/May, had the exhibit from July through August, immediately had another exhibit at the Okinawan festival in early September, and then had to prepare my office (which includes the museum) for renovations in the next month or so. Plus we were very consumed in the weeks leading up to the birth of my granddaughter.
I finally feel like I can breathe!
Well, I am going next door to see my granddaughter (my son and his wife live right next door to my house)!
Charles C. Goodin


text:
BEULAVILLE � Tim Jenkins is back at East Duplin High School, where he started his teaching and coaching career in 1996.
BEULAVILLE � Tim Jenkins is back at East Duplin High School, where he started his teaching and coaching career in 1996.
And the 40-year-old Jenkins was content with just being at the school following his move to Beulaville last week after a one-year stint at South Lenoir. He was happy returning to East Duplin as a teacher and an assistant football coach after being at the school for five years before later working at other schools.
�I�m just glad to be here,� Jenkins said. �I started out here in �96 and my first job here was doing in-school suspension. I�m just glad to be here in whatever capacity. I was here for five years and I met a lot of people in the community. I just enjoyed it here.�
It didn�t take long, however, for Jenkins to take over a head coaching job for the Panthers.
He was named East Duplin�s head baseball coach Thursday, just two days after his first official day as an East Duplin teacher. Jenkins replaces Scott Lewis, who resigned last Tuesday to accept a teaching job at Sampson Middle School.
�I�m excited about it,� said Jenkins, who will also teach physical education. �When (a teaching position at East Duplin) opened up, I had no idea we would be talking about coaching baseball. I found out about the baseball situation after coach Lewis had resigned.
�There�s excitement, but also a little bit of nervous energy because we are a little behind. We are getting ready to start in two or three weeks and I don�t know any of the kids. So there�s a lot of things going on in a short amount of time.�
East Duplin athletic director Robert Ross is glad to have Jenkins on board.
�He�s a good fit for not just as a baseball coach, but a good fit for the community,� Ross said. �Baseball-wise, he did a great job with the program at South Lenoir. He�s a good fit all the way around for the athletic department, from football to baseball, to teaching to being someone positive in the community.�
Jenkins, married and a father of three children, previously worked at East Duplin for five years, serving an assistant football coach, head JV baseball coach and head varsity baseball coach during different time spans.
He went on to teach and coach at James Kenan High for two years before being at Wallace-Rose Hill High for nine years and South Lenoir for one year.
He was South Lenoir�s head football and baseball coach. The Blue Devils� baseball team last year went 18-7 overall and shared the East Central 2-A Conference title with Topsail at 11-3 before losing to Whiteville in the second round of the NCHSAA playoffs.
Last football season, South Lenoir was 1-10 overall and 0-7 in the ECC.
Now, Jenkins hopes to develop a relationship with his new baseball players as they prepare for the season. The Panthers, who went 10-13 overall and 6-8 in the ECC before losing to North Pitt in the first round of the playoffs, open official practice Feb. 13 and the season March 1 at Wallace-Rose Hill.
�I�ve had two meetings with the kids,� Jenkins said. �We can�t do anything the last five days of the semester because of exams, but we will come back after we start second semester. We will have some workouts with eight at a time so I can get to know them as best I can over a short amount of time. We will go from there.�

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Monday, 15 March 2010
Thirty years on - the babies judged negatively by their mothers
Elsie Broussard and Jude Cassidy recruited twenty-six adults in the area of Pittsburgh, whose mothers had signed up to a longitudinal study up to forty years earlier. Back then, in the 60s and 70s, the mothers had been asked to rate their one-month-old babies on factors like crying, spitting, sleeping, feeding and predictability, and then do the same for the 'average baby'. Twelve of the babies were judged to be at risk because their mothers had rated them more negatively than an average baby. Back to the present, and the researchers interviewed the adults using the Adult Attachment Interview, which includes questions about memories of their childhood, their memories of separation and loss and whether they felt affected by their parents' behaviour. Based on these kinds of questions, the participants were classified as being securely or insecurely attached, the latter classification suggesting that they have ongoing problems forming healthy emotional attachments to other people.
The key finding is that 9 of the 12 adults who, so many years earlier, had been perceived negatively by their mothers were today classified as insecurely attached adults, compared with just 2 of the 14 adults who'd been positively perceived by their mothers. '...These findings reflect transmission from one individual's representational world to that of another,' the researchers said. In other words, the researchers believe that a mother who views her baby negatively has attachment problems and these problems tend to be passed onto that baby, even affecting his or her attachment style thirty or forty years later.
How could a negative attachment style be transmitted in this way? Apparently, earlier work in Broussard's lab showed that 'mothers with a negative perception of their infants had limited awareness of their infant's states, had difficulties recognising their infant's signals, and lacked a flexible and effective range of responses.' Moreover, the researchers surmised, babies with mothers who perceive them negatively may fail to come to see their mother as a secure base and may come to feel 'rejected and unloved, feelings that may contribute to an insecure state of mind [in adulthood] with respect to attachment.' Given their results, Broussard and Cassidy suggested more professional support be given to new mothers, especially during the critical early period between hospital discharge and the next contact with medical staff.
As with so many studies that look for effects of parenting on children, this study contains a serious confound that's barely touched upon by the researchers. The effects that Broussard and Cassidy attribute to parenting and attachment style could well be genetic. We're not surprised when the children of tall parents grow up to be tall. Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that the children of insecurely attached parents grow up to be insecurely attached themselves.
Broussard, E., & Cassidy, J. (2010). Maternal perception of newborns predicts attachment organization in middle adulthood. Attachment & Human Development, 12 (1), 159-172 DOI: 10.1080/14616730903282464
Post written by Christian Jarrett (@psych_writer) for the BPS Research Digest.
9 comments:
- Simon said...
I can't access the full article at the moment, and I realize that it's a longitudinal study started in the 1960s, but why is there still this total focus on mothers in attachment studies? What about fathers?
- 8:51 am
If I'm to believe my book on Emotion (Oatley et al), they have looked at the genetics of attachment, and found that more of the variance in attachment style is attributable to environment (and the interaction I believe) than to genetics - that it does not sewem to have a heritable component - but this is not my area of research so I'm not up on the primary literature. Temperament seems to have a strong genetic component, but how that would affect a parents rating is not clear. THere seemed to be a relative rating (my kid is... compared to average kid...), so there is the perception of what an average kid is like, and where that comes from, but one could think that a parent who was reactive may also think that babies just ought to be reactive, so their baby is just as one could (etc).
I do think they look at attachment for all types of attachment figures these days - fathers, mothers, daycareproviders, adoptive parents. Its a bit hard to change a longitudinal study, but I certainly get info on attachment to fathers also when I do the introduction to development lecture.
- 10:59 am
Look up the Oxford Fathers Project. Led by Dr. Paul Ramchandani.
- 4:53 pm
- Picktwang said...
It does not sound like a comparable attachment inventory was taken of the mothers. The mothers' negative perceptions are not synonymous with insecure attachment, so we can not assume a genetic trend simply with this data.
It sounds likely that maternal attribution (negative perception) is a result of insecure attachment in these mothers, but this assumption should be tested.
- 8:23 pm
Do the authors of the study consider the possibility that there is something about the particular one-month-old babies involved that is objectively repellent - and that the mother's negative estimation of her child is correct and realistic, rather than a symptom of some maternal defect like "insecure attachment"?
- 5:12 am
As I understand it, attachment is mediated by hormones, and low attachment may indicate low hormones, which could have significant long-term implications. For one thing, hormonal activity in the mother directly influences the hormone behavior in the child, which has long-term effects on brain structure. For another thing, a person's typical hormone production tendencies may indeed be heritable, meaning the child may have similarly low levels of the attachment hormones as an adult. Furthermore, the mother-child interaction is not confined to that one-month period. Long-term interactions between a mother and child will continue to be mediated by hormone levels, meaning persistently low levels will entrench the poor relationship established early on, while changing levels might ameliorate the early damage.
- 3:41 pm
Oh, fantastic, another study interpretable as an excellent way to make sure mothers have *another* reason to feel like shite on a shingle because *whatever they do* might harm their baby *forever*. Based on a sample of 26, 12 of whom had apparent attachment problems in later life.
Judas priest on a pogo stick, why promulgate this particular study?
Vinaigrette Girl
- 11:33 am
- Camilla said...
My two sons couldn't be more different from each other, and the fact of their enormous personality difference was obvious when the younger was a week old.
I'm going to go with "babies with difficult personalities can cause maternal depression and attachment problems" rather than blaming it all on the mother.
- 2:23 am
- Mrs Gosling said...
because it presumes they were the primary caregivers.
- 5:02 pm


text:
The USDA has been taking extra steps to meet the needs and ensure the success of some of its most important customers - U.S. exporters.
"Overall, U.S. farmers and ranchers are experiencing their best period in history in terms of agricultural exports, and USDA's support is an important part of that success," said Rebecca Blue, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. "To ensure continued success, APHIS took a hard look at where it can improve processes to serve its many stakeholders, and facilitating exports was an obvious choice. Through flexible approaches, such as the approval of temporary export facilities, APHIS has adapted to meet the needs of animal exporters while maintaining its high standards for animal health and welfare."
Responding to a surge in demand in 2011 from Russia, Turkey and Kazakhstan for live cattle exports from the United States, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service approved seven temporary export inspection facilities, or EIFs, to supplement the work done at the Agency's approved permanent facilities. These facilities reduce the distance animals have to travel prior to export and help exporters meet strict shipping deadlines.
With the establishment of EIFs, APHIS has been able to keep commerce moving, adapting to a level of cattle exports that doubled in 2011 on top of a 50% increase in 2010. Last year, APHIS processed 25 shipments - totaling about 17,000 head of livestock, mostly dairy cattle - through a temporary EIF in Turner, Maine. In December alone, APHIS' new approach helped facilitate shipments of more than 7,100 cattle from Galveston, Texas, to Kazakhstan and Russia. The Agency is continuing to work with exporters on upcoming shipments of cattle.
Animals that are approved through temporary facilities are inspected by APHIS personnel and must meet the same animal health and welfare standards as animals exported through permanent facilities.
Yesterday, USDA forecast fiscal year 2012 agricultural exports to reach the second-highest level on record, maintaining a robust trade surplus and supporting more than 1 million jobs. The forecast for livestock, poultry and dairy was increased $1.9 billion, paced by demand for cattle from Russia and Turkey.


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No, this dump is NOT valid! Very few of these questions are relevant, or correct!
Microsoft.certkey.70-243.v2012-11-08.by.Rajeev.77q.vce is very good source, although there are a few incorrect answers.
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Gilmat Door Design, 2017-11-03 17:19:22.In general, the location of your bedroom closet and the amount of space available in the room will determine the most appropriate closet door type. No matter the style, though, you will always want the door for your closet to provide an easy access to the contents inside while reflecting the look and style of your home. Today, we will share some of the most popular closet door ideas you can consider installing, Just don't forget to tailor the closet door dimensions to fit perfectly in the space you've provided.The traditional hinged swinging closet door or double doors are common in traditional homes. It's a simple option you can optimize to increase the storage capacity of your closet by mounting racks, pockets, or hooks to the back of the door. However, since this swings outward, you should have anything in the way which makes it a less suitable choice if you live in a smaller space as it can create traffic flow issue.But traffic flow is not an issue for sliding closet door. Coming as a standard for many reach-in bedroom closets, sliding door is available in a wide array of finishes and styles. From raised to mirrored panel, from translucent to frosted glass, you have many options to ensure the sliding door can fit the interior. For your small bedroom, fully mirrored sliding door can also help make the room larger. However, limited access is a main drawback with sliding door for closet.As an alternative to sliding closet door, you can consider bi-fold doors instead. They are installed to fold back to either one or both sides, thus you can benefit from a full width to access the contents of your closet. Unlike swinging door, this one only consumes half as floor space. Even so, it is important to note that bi-fold doors utilize twice the number of moving parts compared to sliding doors. This means twice the opportunity for the doors to bind or fall off the tracks.Those three closet door options, however, are not the only ones you have. Get creative with your options so you have a feature that can provide you function and practicality without disrupting your lifestyle. For example, you can install pocket doors if the closets are open most of the time. Hanging fabric panels or curtains can also make a brilliant choice for inexpensive solution, even in your small living place.
Gilmat Interior, 2017-11-03 14:26:48.Plenty furniture stores offer Xq that looks so attractive and inviting. Before you decide to buy a captain bed, you may want to read this. Today, we're going to share some tips for do it yourselfers who are interested to build their own captains bed. Probably, once you finish this article you'll be motivated to build one instead of purchasing the captains bed. But, why should we consider having this captain bed? If your bedroom is having limited space especially for storage, the presence of captain's bed will be really helpful.Captains bed is a bed that has storage under the bed. A small bedroom will look so impressive with this multipurpose furniture. To build a great captains bed, you need to own great carpentry skills. Besides, you also need to make captains bed plans that ease you in designing and building the bed. First thing to remember when you build your own captains bed is making some different types of joints. Joints are crucial since they determine the secure of your bed.Crucial Guides to Build Queen Captains Bed SuccessfullyYour captains bed will be built from plywood sheets and lumber. Make sure that each piece of plywood you buy is already square. If you can't find square woods for your captain's bed, you can trim them by yourself. Before you start cutting the woods, you must measure them several times. At least, you need to measure your bed frame and all the woods twice. Measuring everything twice will ensure you there is no mistake before you cut.We need to use hinges for the doors of the doors of the storage under the bed. The best hinges for those storage doors are piano hinges since piano hinges can be attached easily and they give best support. There is a requirement for every do it yourself who wants to build captains bed: a skill to use every tool needed to build this unique bed.We're going to use many tools to build a captains bed. Before you start building the bed, make sure you know how to operate each tool and practice using them before you use them to build the bed. If you think you're not so good in using all of those tools, you can take woodworking course that helps you improve your skills in using tools to build a wooden bed with storage properly. Do you think you're capable to build a bed with under bed storage? If you're not sure, then purchasing one will be better.
Gilmat Interior, 2017-11-03 14:18:46.A futon bed can make a truly affordable and practical solution if you have an overnight guest coming over. Even if you live in a small house with limited square footage, the Japanese futon bed will never find it difficult to be simply useful. It is easy to store too. Either double or single futon bed, futon is now available with more options for frame, cover styles, and mattress support. And if you are about to buy a futon, you need to consider these tips to guide you.Just like with any decision related to furniture purchase, it's always important to consider how and where you will use the futon bed. This question will affect your choice of cover style, mattress, and frame. Keep in mind that futons tend to be extremely large when they are unfolded. Therefore, always measure the space to account for the size of futon, both unfolded and folded. This will help you tape off the "shadow" of any potential new furniture piece, so you can see visually how much space the futon will take up in your room.The type of frame you choose will affect the amount of required space for the futon bed. Some frames must be placed 8 to 12 inches away from the wall for the bed function to accommodate, and some are designed to fit up perfectly against the wall. Remember that a frame option with arms will consume more room, either folded or unfolded.Whether you plan to use the futon bed as your regular bed or for an overnight guest, it's never a bad idea to invest good sum of money on good quality mattress. In general, though, selecting mattress for a futon is similar with one for standard bed, but there are some additional things to consider. In general, though, you will always want to prioritize flexibility, especially if the futon is planned to be used less frequently as a bed. But on the other hand, a comfortable mattress for a restful sleep is always what you desire too.Covers for your futon bed play an important role to help you change the look of your room easily and instantly. When you are buying one along with your futon, consider how often you will want to change the decor. Purchasing some affordable covers can allow you to change the look seasonally. But if you wish to commit to only one style, we recommend you to invest in a high-end cover that can last longer.
Gilmat Interior, 2017-11-03 14:16:22.The toddler bed rails are used to protect your little tot or older child from falling out of his or her bed. The good bed rails, whether they are universal toddler bed rails or toddler bed rails for full size bed, will also help your toddler transition effectively from crib to big kid bed in a no-fuss and safe way. The safety bed rail or bumper arrangement can also be set up for a secured co-sleeping configuration at any age.When you are choosing toddler bed rails, always remember that the safety of your child is always the main concern. Cue from the rule to thumb following: The smaller your baby, the stricter the safety measure you will have to think of when choosing, buying, and installing the bed rail for your kid's bed. It is important to choose the right safety bed rail since there is also a chance when the young baby is getting stuck between the mattress and the bed rail, which may be fatal for your little one.Pay attention to how the toddler bed rails are attached to your bed. Generally, a large part of the bed rail material has to slip under the mattress, preventing it from crashing down. Even better, you need to have a sturdy attachment on top of the baby's mattress to avoid any gap from presenting, which as mentioned before can be truly fatal for the safety of your small baby.For your convenience, consider installing toddler bed rails which standing-up part can be folded down without having you to uninstall the whole thing once the bed rails are installed. This is a truly convenient feature for bedtime, such as when you sit on the bed with your toddler to read before sleeping, or when you have to change the bed sheets. And even though it's not an essential feature, you can go for rails with extra pocket on the outside you can use to put in book or small toy.The placement of your toddler bed also can make a significant difference to the safety of your little tot, thus optimizing the function of toddler bed rails. The key is to place the bed against the wall. The open side is thus then protected by the rail itself, while one side is already covered by the thick, sturdy wall. But if you have to safe wall for the bed to lean against, a double bump arrangement can make a great alternative.
Gilmat Interior, 2017-11-03 14:30:25.Home decor is just like the soul of your home interior. Anything you do to the decoration, it will definitely give a direct impact to your feelings. When you do it rightly, then you can feel comfortable. However, it is not only about your personality as you are not the only one who occupy the home. So, if you want to build western home decor amazingly, then you need touches that make everybody loves including your guests. This is indeed challenging. But, it doesn't mean impossible.First, when you are planning about western home decor, you have some choices for the finishing. You can select pure western style, rustic western home decor or even country and western style. There are still other choices outside. The finishing touches will follow what you want for the final result. It needs a deep intuition to find what you really want to add.Second, you will decide whether you want to do it yourself or ask a professional. If you have a set of skill in decorating your home with western home decor, then it is not a problem if you do it yourself. Or else, it is good idea to ask the help. Here, you don't think you cannot personalize the room with western decor just because you ask the help of a professional. The reason why he or she is called as a professional because he or she can work impressively to make the decor looks great as what you want.A professional understands so well how to combine your personalities and the main elements of western home decor. He or she will blend your personalities, favorite accents with main elements of the western style home décor as well as with the western accessories. Here, if you want to do it yourself, you need to blend all feelings with the main decoration. This is where the result of the decoration can be loved by everyone as it is not only about your personality but also the true elements of the western decor.The last is about the final touches. It is the true elements to complete the decoration. To get the true elements of western home decor, you need to buy the main components starting from the furniture to the accessories. This is crucial as it is really important to furnish your western home interior with western furniture style and western accessories. It doesn't matter if you shop online or order custom designs. It is good idea to ask your professional about the best choice to furnish and accessorize the home interior decoration.
Gilmat Interior, 2017-11-03 14:32:53.Indeed, primitive home decor is more than just a style. You can say it is a lifestyle. It is because when you want to have a home with primitive decor, you will not instantly jump to look for old home decor for sale. Otherwise, you are going to look for ideas and tips to transform your current home decor into primitive decor. So, that is why you are here. Although you buy an old home with primitive decoration, it still needs touches to meet your own style and personality. That is why this is more than just a style.What you need first to build primitive home decor to your home is about your intuition and skills. As long as this is about your lifestyle, either you want to ask a help of professional or not, you need to decorate the home interior with your personalities. Your personalities are your lifestyle. So, it will be indeed more comfortable as what your feelings want. Your intuition and skills will lead you to do something you need to do to decorate the home interior with primitive decor.Your intuition will give you incredible ideas to make strong accents of primitive home decor in everywhere. Your creativity or skills will complete the finishing touches such as adding crafted accessories. You can instantly buy the crafted accessories to finish the decoration. You can shop online or offline to hunt the treasures to finish the decoration. You may find primitive curtains, quilted bedding, braided rugs and many more. The crafted accessories are so precious here.Each store has a huge collection of accessories for primitive home decor. So, you will not need to worry about accessories. But, you need to worry about ideas to display the accessories for the home interior decoration as what you want. It is because you need to differentiate between country or rustic primitive decor or even pure primitive decoration. This is why you need to follow your intuition to decorate the room interior as your feeling wants.If you are a type of creative person, then ideas for primitive home decor will not be a problem including when you are decorating the home with primitive style on budget. You can pick unused objects in your home to create something creative and beautiful to complete the decoration. It means you can make your own crafted accessories from unused objects. It will be much cheaper than your purchase all accessories.
Gilmat Interior, 2017-11-03 14:21:54.An upholstered bed looks and feels so comfortable. This bed is also giving elegant touch to our bedroom. But, to keep its elegance stays in our bedroom we need to maintain it properly. Maintaining upholstered bed and other upholstered furniture is not so difficult. Before we start sharing our guides to help you maintain your upholstered bed, you need to find the right bed with the right fabric first. Choose fabric upholstered bed that is able to extend your bed's life and looks appropriate for the lifestyle of bedroom owner.When choosing the fabric of upholstered bed, consider synthetic fibers. Synthetic fibers upholstery is especially great for a bed that will be used oftentimes. If you love staying on your bed and do anything on it, pick a bed that's upholstered by synthetic fabrics. But if you live with your pets and your pets are allowed to access your bedroom freely, pick a bed that's upholstered with special fabrics that don't have too many textures or loose weaves.Proper Maintenance to Keep the Elegance of Your Upholstered Bed FrameNow, since you have purchased the upholstered bed that has the right fabric, you need to pay attention to the proper maintenance so that your upholstered bed will last longer. First guide to maintain your upholstered bed is treating the bed with water and/or soil repellents. If the factory of your upholstered bed already treated your bed with the repellents, you don't have to treat it with the same repellents but you may want to treat your new bed with mildew inhibitors.Those repellents will help you maintain and care your upholstered bed by preventing your bed upholstery fibers from absorbing any spill. Even though those repellents prevent your upholstered bed from absorbing the spills, you need to clean up any stains or spills as quickly as possible. Your upholstered bed comes with the manuals or instructions from the maker; follow the instructions to maintain your upholstered bed properly.It is also important to vacuum your bed routinely. At least, you need to vacuum the upholstered bed once a week since this will help you cleaning your bed and removing the surface soil properly. Vacuuming your upholstered bed will also keep your bed fibers away from dirt. If you can't vacuum the bed, you can just brush it gently to whisk away the dirt. But, you need to use the right brush with soft bristle to avoid snagging your bed's fabric.
Gilmat Interior, 2017-11-03 14:38:08.How will you enjoy your time in the home? There is nothing more fun to enjoy the time in the home but spending the time together with family. So, where is the favorite room of your family? Most of us have a room where there is a fireplace. Fireplace will add certain decor to the room interior due to the design of the mantel decor besides it will warm the room atmosphere. You will not focus on the fireplace only but also for the fireplace mantel design and ideas.What you add to the fireplace mantel can make it more wonderful depend on how you will decorate it. You have so many ideas including ideas to personalize the mantel decor. If you can find the right ideas as well as apply the ideas so wonderfully, the mantel including the decoration will become the focal point of the room. It means you can enjoy the design of the mantel beside the fireplace. So, the room can be more entertaining because of the fireplace and mantel design.It is right that applying mantel decor is challenging. But, if you can execute it properly, you will have a new focal point that looks really beautiful. You can look at the images of mantel decor. See how the ideas of the mantel decorations can have a big impact to the room interior. It is just like the opposite, when you cannot execute it properly, the look of the mantel can be disturbing. You will not feel comfortable as the mantel design disturbs your view.Here, you can go with any ideas you want including for DIY ideas. Your creativity in decorating the mantel can make it more beautiful by your own feelings. It means you can feel more comfortable for the mantel decor that is finished by your own hands. Even the result can be more satisfying as you do it yourself. If this is just the first time you will decorate, you don't need to worry. Just think about what you like most to add to the decoration.If you have no idea at all, you can think about themed decoration. If this is for fall, then you can look at the images of fall mantel decor. The mantel decoration looks like welcoming the fall season. You can also try other themes for the special day that will come. There are many wonderful ideas for themed mantel decor. Just think about personalization.
Gilmat Interior, 2017-11-03 14:24:46.Some Hollywood stars, hotels, and mansion have at least one unit of round bed. This round shaped bed is designed for people who love something unconventional. So, if you are eager to make your bedroom look unique and more impressive replace your rectangular bed with the round shaped one. Only few people put a round bed in their bedroom. But now, since so many furniture stores such as IKEA offer round bed for sale in lower price, many more people are interested to complement their bedroom with a round shaped bed.Round bed looks extremely special and it was designed for special bedroom only. Before you kick your rectangular bed out and replace its position with a round shaped bed, you need to get your bedroom measured first. Round shaped bed needs a big room. This round shaped bed allows you to access the bed from any angle you want. So this needs spaces in all sides of this bed. It means you must provide enough spaces around the bed.If your master bedroom is too small for a round bed, it is better not to buy one and squeeze the round bed to your very small bedroom unless you want to make your tiny bedroom looks ridiculous and silly and sure uninteresting at all. Usually, the mattress diameter of a round shaped bed is about seven feet. If your master bedroom seems too tight for this bed, forget your dream of completing your bedroom with round shaped master bed.Important Considerations before Considering the Round Bed PriceActually, the price of round bed is not the main element you should consider. When you're hunting a new round shaped bed, you need to find the right time and prepare enough budgets to complement this special shaped bed. Bed sheets for king sized bed, queen sized bed, and traditional full bed won't work for round shaped bed. Even finding comforters and blankets for your round shaped bed can be so challenging.Some people spent more expense to get customized bed sheet and blanket just to complement their round shaped bed. Probably, you also need to make customized bedding for your round bed, so you must prepare extra budgets not only to get the bed but also to complete it. So, do you think you're ready to get a round shaped bed in your master bedroom? Just manage your budgets first and carry your plan once you get your budgets ready.
Gilmat Interior, 2017-11-03 14:35:41.The glorious beauty of peacock has been known for centuries. The colors, patterns, and details are just like miracle. This beauty is describing glamour, luxury, and other classy descriptions. Therefore, you will see the beauty of peacock is also used for wedding dress, jewelries to the home decoration. If you want to bejewel your home, peacock decor is the perfect idea to add. You can decorate your home impressively with the glorious beauty of peacock colors, patters and details.You need your creativity in decorating your home with peacock decor art. Your creativity will lead you to the incredible ideas to apply to your home interior. So, any touches you make from this peacock decor, it will not only enhance the room interior but also it can be a focal point. Besides that, hundreds to thousands accessories inspired by peacock colors, patterns, and details can be found from the market needs your artistic ideas to bejewel the room interior. Your creativity means a lot here.You may need inspirations to add peacock decor to your room. It can be added to any rooms from your living room, bedroom and even bathroom. Each room needs certain ideas to make it more wonderful. For your bedroom, look at the images of peacock bedroom ideas. You can be inspired from those ideas. You can decorate the wall space with peacock wall decor. The corner space can be enhanced with big vase that has the picture of peacock. Just think about personalization if this is for your bedroom.For living room, you have plenty of ideas with peacock decor or accessories. There are a lot of pictures of wonderful ideas related to these beautiful peacock accessories. Almost any ideas of decor you pick can make the room more beautiful. However, other accents like the paint color and room interior decoration needs to be well considered. So, between this peacock decor and existing room decoration will not fight. They need to be well coordinated.So, it is a good idea to mix and match before you put this peacock decor to your room. Once again, your creativity will become the first idea you need to have in mixing and matching this so glorious decoration to your room interior. It is like your intuition will be like how a room interior designer will do his project in decorating the room with peacock accessories. Don't limit your creativity since there are many accessories and decors you can buy.
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