The weekend of May 6-7, 52 SKA karateka—12 white belts, 12 brown belts, and 28 black belts—gathered in Chapel Hill and Durham, North Carolina, for the 41st annual Spring in the South—the “annual” part having been disrupted by three years of pandemic shutdowns. The event coincided with the 45th anniversary of the Chapel Hill Shotokan Dojo, founded by Larry Lazarus in the spring of 1978. Participants came from Curaçao and Canada, from Memphis and Massachusetts, from New Mexico and New York (both upstate and downstate), from Pennsylvania, Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia. Most importantly, SKA president David Lechuga came from California to lead a practice that was demanding, educational, and firmly rooted in tradition and fundamentals.
Between the two Saturday practices and during Saturday night’s banquet at La Residence in downtown Chapel Hill, there was plenty of socializing between old friends and new.
Two white belts—Spring in the South first-timers—and one seasoned SKA nidan put together some thoughts on the weekend.
From William Ragin, nidan transitioning from the Memphis dojo to North Carolina
The past few years have introduced changes for many of us. We have developed a greater appreciation for practicing with those in our dojo while taking advantage of the opportunity to practice with seniors throughout the country via Zoom and learning to train on our own.
This year’s Spring in the South was very educational and filled with comradery. Each time I have practiced under David (Dave) Lechuga’s leadership in the past, I’ve taken away little gems of information. It is not uncommon for Dave to pass on critical information from Sensei, sharing his own learning process as he overcame past mistakes.
Early on, one of the key concepts that many of us have absorbed is the importance of leadership. Dave exemplified this concept as he led us through practices in kata, kihon and kumite.
Our kata practice focused on the Heian kata, Bassai, and Jion. During this educational and sweat-filled session, we practiced each kata in its “regular” format. Then, to enhance our understanding and to dig deeper into each kata’s meaning, we were encouraged to also practice using variety of methods, allowing us to focus on hips, kime, and our opponents. The methods included:
- Minimizing tension. Form isn’t important here. Dave jokingly referred to this exercise as “drunken” kata;
- Proper form while maintaining lightness;
- Now, returning to the kata as we normally perform it;
- Lastly, focusing on fluidity.
Dave emphasized the protective nature of stance and proper form.
During kihon practice, working our way up from basic blocks with gyaku-zuki, Dave introduced exercises integrating combinations and footwork. He also had us use the wall for stability as we did slow kicks, which also ties to conditioning—25 kicks each leg (front, side, roundhouse).
During kumite practice, Dave pointed out the ample practical applications found in kata that serve as a bridge to kumite and emphasized the importance of hip movements, understanding ma, and conditioning, as preparation not only for tournaments, but for real combat as well.
Whether focusing on kata, kihon or kumite, we were reminded of the importance of what may be considered “little” things. This includes the tightening of the pinky finger when we make a fist, the position of our hands when executing a technique, and even our toes being in alignment when performing kata. There were many other items learned during Spring in the South. To put it simply, the educational sessions were designed to help us be must more focused martial art practitioners.
Not only was this Spring in the South enlightening, it was also the 45th anniversary of the Chapel Hill dojo. The members there are so very humble, which is a reflection of their leadership—Larry Lazarus and Rob Clark. Although they had ample opportunities to discuss the anniversary, they did not. Instead, each member of the dojo focused on our host and each practice at hand.
It was an honor to participate in this year’s Spring in the South. It was great reconnecting with old friends and making new ones as well. Regardless of where you live, try to take advantage of such gatherings. The COVID-era has taught many of us something valuable: enjoy life and do NOT take the simple things for granted.
The past few years have introduced changes for many of us. We have developed a greater appreciation for practicing with those in our dojo while taking advantage of the opportunity to practice with seniors throughout the country via Zoom and learning to train on our own.
This year’s Spring in the South was very educational and filled with comradery. Each time I have practiced under David (Dave) Lechuga’s leadership in the past, I’ve taken away little gems of information. It is not uncommon for Dave to pass on critical information from Sensei, sharing his own learning process as he overcame past mistakes.
Early on, one of the key concepts that many of us have absorbed is the importance of leadership. Dave exemplified this concept as he led us through practices in kata, kihon and kumite.
Our kata practice focused on the Heian kata, Bassai, and Jion. During this educational and sweat-filled session, we practiced each kata in its “regular” format. Then, to enhance our understanding and to dig deeper into each kata’s meaning, we were encouraged to also practice using variety of methods, allowing us to focus on hips, kime, and our opponents. The methods included:
- Minimizing tension. Form isn’t important here. Dave jokingly referred to this exercise as “drunken” kata;
- Proper form while maintaining lightness;
- Now, returning to the kata as we normally perform it;
- Lastly, focusing on fluidity.
Dave emphasized the protective nature of stance and proper form.
During kihon practice, working our way up from basic blocks with gyaku-zuki, Dave introduced exercises integrating combinations and footwork. He also had us use the wall for stability as we did slow kicks, which also ties to conditioning—25 kicks each leg (front, side, roundhouse).
During kumite practice, Dave pointed out the ample practical applications found in kata that serve as a bridge to kumite and emphasized the importance of hip movements, understanding ma, and conditioning, as preparation not only for tournaments, but for real combat as well.
Whether focusing on kata, kihon or kumite, we were reminded of the importance of what may be considered “little” things. This includes the tightening of the pinky finger when we make a fist, the position of our hands when executing a technique, and even our toes being in alignment when performing kata. There were many other items learned during Spring in the South. To put it simply, the educational sessions were designed to help us be must more focused martial art practitioners.
Not only was this Spring in the South enlightening, it was also the 45th anniversary of the Chapel Hill dojo. The members there are so very humble, which is a reflection of their leadership—Larry Lazarus and Rob Clark. Although they had ample opportunities to discuss the anniversary, they did not. Instead, each member of the dojo focused on our host and each practice at hand.
It was an honor to participate in this year’s Spring in the South. It was great reconnecting with old friends and making new ones as well. Regardless of where you live, try to take advantage of such gatherings. The COVID-era has taught many of us something valuable: enjoy life and do NOT take the simple things for granted.
From Marah Smith, yonkyu from the Rochester, NY dojo:
So many fun tips—I felt like this weekend was made just for me! We focused on all Heian katas and lots of Bassai, as well as some Kwanku and Jion, starting with a count, then twice slow and twice regular speed. When practicing Bassai, right before the second kiai, I found the advice to twist my fist to face up as if gripping with traction while punching down with the opposite arm helped keep my elbow tucked and chest from being too open. I love how this simple adjustment gave me a more connected feeling in the hips.
In kihon, we practiced blocks with gyaku-zuki and worked up to footwork for tobikomi (jumping in attacks). We also learned the five-point enpi (elbow attack) warm-up drill.
For kumite, we did one- and three-time attacks and slow jiyu kumite (including with eyes closed). In one exercise we took turns as attacker with the defender using gyaku-zuki as a counter (both sides had same foot forward).
It was super special to have the yodans’ and godans’ feeling in movement around me. Money can’t buy that kind of training, only time and commitment from the soul. I feed on that! Priceless.
The people in the SKA community inspire me to keep up with my personal training so I can keep up with and enjoy the wonderful group energy together with them.
From Christopher Robinson, an unranked new member of the Columbia University dojo: A Hockey player “Checking Out” SKA Spring in the South
We arrived at Raleigh-Durham International Airport and were immediately greeted by an SKA member who took time and effort to provide a friendly welcome and transportation. Dinner was with local members and SIS attendees from other dojos. This is where, as an outsider, I started to get a better understanding of what the SKA community is like. This took the edge off my anticipation of the practices ahead and made the experience of my first SKA event a bit more personal and about the people who were there to participate.
The first day of practice there was electricity in the air that reminded me of check-in day at the elite hockey camps I’ve attended. In those camps you’re surrounded by friends and players you’ve competed with in the past, and you know the battle is about to commence. It felt as if everyone was excited to get started with the practice, engage, and showcase how they had improved and what they had learned since the last time they’d been together.
A few claps brought the room to attention, and everyone quickly lined up, like a regiment responding to a superior officer. It was right then and there you could see the tradition play out in the respect given to seniors due to their knowledge and time spent within the practice. It was a recognition of accomplishment and wisdom.
I felt inspired in a few different ways throughout and after the experience. I found inspiration in the mentors, in the similarities between hockey and karate, and in the community.
Spring in the South was led by a charismatic and seasoned practitioner, David Lechuga, who came with an extremely thoughtful lesson plan for each practice. He created and maintained an atmosphere of intention and focus. He also showed me, an unranked white belt, what the discipline and practice has to offer outside of just combat training. This is where I started to see the similarities between hockey and Shotokan karate.
Another similarity I saw had to do with the organization’s focus on fostering the character of its members. Like my hockey organization, SKA seemed to put as much emphasis on building character as it does on developing skills. The next resemblance was the importance of daily practice for the sake of a goal. In SKA I’ve noticed that being diligent in your understanding of the katas is of utmost importance and that members are expected to carve out the time required to deepen this understanding. It is a lifetime goal to improve, knowing that you’ll never reach perfection. However, perfection is not the goal: practice with intention is. A further correlation between my lifelong sport and my understanding of SKA is that you use what you’ve learned in the dojo out in real life. Life has different forms of battles, and it’s important to take what you’ve learned in your practice and apply it to the way you handle those battles or difficulties.
The last major similarity I picked up on was the sense everyone present seemed to have of belonging to a chosen family, bonded by the principles and teachings of the art. I felt an overarching sense of community within SKA. Throughout this community, everyone supports one another in developing their ability to engage and grow within the practice. This community made you feel invited to learn and lets you know you will be supported throughout your journey. This seemed to be one of the more unique and special feelings that I took away from Spring in the South.
The saying that best describes the overall experience would be “people never forget how you make them feel.” The event had a feeling attached to it. It was a feeling of purpose, intent and acceptance. The feeling was created by the discipline of karate, the leaders, and most of all, the community. The combination of these three key ingredients creates an intense experience that makes you want to dive even further into the ocean that is SKA. It was an honor to be invited and welcomed into this space with these amazing people.