That told me that this whole thing about connecting other people, and bringing together like-minded practitioners is such a powerful thing. In a lot of schools, its designed to be that way, and I'm proud that I have that to reflect on. Tell everyone where to find you, the things that you're doing, and just tell us all about the Karate Nerd. Don't just do things, but think about what you're doing, why you're doing it, how you're doing it, and when you should be doing it, because I know so many people who just go to their martial arts school. About the Author: Colton Woodard is a 7th Degree Black Belt in Kuniba Kai Karate Do and holds the title of Kyoshi as well. Excellente article. Yeah, and these guys, they were from separate parts of the world, and the fact that I just stood there and I thought to myself, Man, I did this. If you have " mastered" a particular style like traditional karate then start learning and training in Aikaido, Judo, or Kobudo. But because it's the #1 way to reach next level in your journey as black belt. Its funny we spend years striving to achieve a high level in Karate. Anyway, I'm about to fight this Russian guy, and I had no idea what he could do. So, the Karate Nerd Experience happened, and it was a success. I could remotely feel their sense of proud and satisfaction. Great insight. Yes. Common names for the dan ranks are thus: 1.Il dan - first degree black belt (also known as cho dan) 2.Yi dan - second degree black belt 3.Sam dan - third degree black belt 4.Sa dan - fourth degree black belt 5.O dan - fifth degree black belt 6.Yuk dan - sixth degree black belt Lost. Martial arts like BJJ still gave a tight grip on the belt system, but even Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is headed the same way as Taekwondo, Tang Soo Do, Kempo and even Okinawan styles of Karate and Kobudo. To some people, it might seem like I'm living a very limited life, like I don't enjoy other stuff. When we went there the first time, we stayed at this masters house, which is also his dojo, and he also has a Karate museum in this house. Anyway, so I'm there. I've written some blog posts about him. If I'm at the dojo, but not actually in the class, he will call me onto the mat to help out. We get back on. A great point. What is tradition? His mother, Silja Enkamp is his sensei. Miko Eric Oliver Enkamp (born August 10, 1991) is a Swedish mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight division of the Bellator MMA. What do you think about belts and styles? Some schools stipulate a minimum of four to five years of training before a student can earn a black belt, while others do not. That's a slick answer to a changenlilg question. I did always feel a bit sad that over time I forgot all my katas! Itsoundscrazy, but I really wanted to be her! Getting attacked by this "pure and innocent" tori forced me to be even closer to perfection as he could not "help me out of my bad moves. Lets welcome him to the show. Well, then I kept doing that year after year, and I think about a year ago or so, I actually invited Master Ken as the Secret Sensei, the secret guest of my seminar. At events, I demo our shin guards by shin kicking door frames - full force. Thatjourney he made really resonates with me, even though I blog instead, but I guess he would do the same if we had blogs back then. "The Karate Nerd". Me and my friends, when I was younger, we used to play that we were in the Drunken Master. Hat's off to Jesse Enkamp for bringing different styles of martial arts to us. That's my story, I guess. Not because you're forced by your sensei. You do a lot of writing. I felt like I was right there with you. They don't improve for 10, 20, 30 years. I like to keep it simple, and fun, and informative, educational, but entertaining as well. When did you first realize that you could be completely, not just satisfied, but enjoy your life if it was end-to-end Karate? And I have to say, I did! You can find our show notes at whistlekickMartialArtsRadio.com, and that's also the easiest place to sign up for our newsletter. It was like a vacuum. Thank you for being here. I love that title, and its something that I myself am a martial arts nerd. 1/4-turn, 1/2-turn, 3/4-turn? I now am 2nd kyu and heading towards 1st kyu and eventually that coveted black belt and the more I train on my own in front of the mirrors I can see all my flaws so clearly that it's disheartening. If this is your first visit, read my Free 7-Day Karate Nerd Guide. Thank you Jesse san! I'm "The Karate Nerd", #1 Amazon.com best-selling author, entrepreneur, traveler, athlete, educator, carrot cake connoisseur and founder of Seishin International. You wont find that content anywhere else, and its yours free, just for saying, Hey, I want to know what's going on with you guys. Were not going to spam you. Of course, if you send your kids to you school, do you want them to learn how to kick each other in the nuts and poke in the eyes? I even went back to his dojo in Okinawa last year, and hes so proud of me because, I guess, a lot of people visit him but never come back, but seeing how I've grown and my journey, and knowing that he influenced me from the beginning, I think, is a big deal for him. You can follow us on social media, too. Sometimes I don't even know what I'm going to do tomorrow. Hes one of the most underrated guys in the history of Karate. Imagine being acomplete beginner again; uninfluenced bypolitics, competition, styles bullshit, organizations and dojo dogma. Best thing I ever did. Yes, even a part time involvement in karate just did not fit into my life. Sensei Jesse Enkamp is the host of Karate by Jesse and a self-proclaimed Karate nerd. . Oh, interesting. I don't think so, and that's why these things had to be removed. Id like you to think of a time in your life that made you look on your black belt test, or in some other way you used your martial arts experience to get through that tough time. Great article Jesse-san, thank you, it's what I needed to hear today. I think you hold the title so far of furthest guest. At a young age, Jesse earned a black belt in karate and he also taught karate in his parents' dojo. Sensei Jesse Enkamp is the mind behind all of those wonderful things coming out of the Karate by Jesse camp, and hes as passionate a martial artist as weve ever had on this show. But it would be really interesting to hear what he would think about the way Karate evolved thanks to him, and I guess that he never even saw it coming. And about those black belts. And yes, maybe that's a very nice state to be in. Check them out, whistlekick.com. A lot of people use tradition as an excuse to do stuff in an old-fashioned or outdated way, but that does not interest me. all the seniors help out in our dojo! Beginners mind is a beautiful thing. Hat's off to Sensei Seagal for showing . Needed to be challenged by words like these! Keep up the good work :). You can download the transcript below or download here. In the world of survival we have a saying " the more you know the less you have to carry". I know my visitors would value your work. Here on Martial Arts Radio, all of our listeners know its about stories. He throws me and he immediately catches me in a kesa gatame position, also from Judo. These days, I don't even read Karate books that much, because it feels like I read most of them, to be honest, so I try to expand my knowledge into other domains. In the beginners mind, Karate is full ofamazing opportunities and unique questions. A lot of people from different countries around the world decided to help me make this seminar a reality, and in return they would get videos, because I had a professional guy record this whole seminar. My story starts in the dojo. Belt width 4,5 cm (1.77 inches) provides maximum waist support. So, there's this other metaphor that tradition is not about preserving the ashes, but about keeping the flame lit, and that really resonates with me. There's not really one book, because there are so many different versions of his notes that people have put together into books, but the publishing company is called Tuttle, and that's where I suggest you get them. You've had the opportunity to train with a lot of people, and a lot of people have been fortunate enough to train with you, of course. Lately, I've been given the opportunity to teach to young white and yellow belts. Now, you mentioned Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen. He had no idea of what my defenses would be. Seishin is the name of my Karate lifestyle gear company, which basically is a way for me to make awesome products related to Karate that other people can enjoy as well. Highest quality premium cotton covered by white silk. Its self-discovery and self-development, because you want to be able to face bigger challenges, to compete in the bigger leagues, which means that you have to train not just harder but smarter as well, which means that you start thinking about a lot of things. The kids remind us of the "Student's mind", once we loose that, there's no reason for us to continue. If you do a little bit of research, you'll see that the number of pages he wrote in a relatively short period of time is just staggering. That's why I call myself a karate nerd. That idea, it turned out great, and people asked me how long I planned it. I never fail to be amazed at his ability to gauge my character and training requirements. Chantal,its a bit of a case of "the grass is always greener". Keep on training, never give up :-). The self-proclaimed karate nerd talks about his past, his goals in the martial arts and why he cares so much about what he's doing. To me, competing is just a vehicle, or a tool, something I use for a different purpose than just the trophy at the end, because a lot of times, the biggest lessons come from when you don't even get that trophy, when you fail or lose, and you have to look yourself in the mirror and think, Hey, why didn't that go as planned? That teaches you a lot. Generally we call this traditional Karate and sport Karate, but to me, you should have both. I do that pretty often in my Dojo, and it is so refreshing & unwinding. Then, immediately following that kick, he steps in, he headbutts me, so I start bleeding. Thanks for the heartfelt article! Because he wrote a lot of stuff. That's my experience. People don't know this, but if there were blogs back when Bruce Lee was alive, he would be the greatest blogger alive, because he wrote down so many things related to philosophy, history, tradition, and all of these things that were still talking about today. If someone is willing to take you up on that and they want to start exploring his books, is there a place you would suggest they start? The Bubishi, or Wubei Zhi in Chinese, is pretty important because it is the first documented connection between southern China, Fujian Province, and Okinawa, which means that we have evidence or proof that these techniques in this combat manual, this ancient manuscript, were transmitted from China to Okinawa, and lay the foundation or the roots of what would later become Karate. The idea that martial arts can continue to progress, but its still within tradition because there is so much knowledge there. You've really raised the bar with that. However, I am not so much into exams and belt colours, I just want to learn and be able to defend myself (due to an incident couple of months ago). Over, done . I'm finding it difficult to train because all of the knowledge I have gained makes that next step seem insurmountable. So, for me, that's like a metaphor of standing up to the dinosaurs. To me, its now a natural part of my life, but to others it might seem strange, but the whole thing about being a karate nerd is that it never gets boring, because when you're a nerd, you're not just focused on one part of your obsession - which is Karate, right? The very next day I felt awfulI felt like I didn't know a thing about being a Black Belt and wanted to just hide.my belt and myself. Only in the second half of the class did it dawn on me, when my senior instructor took it upon himself to try and correct some of my many basic faults: the point of my helping the novice was as much about me having to consider whether I had learned the basic techniques I was expected to help him with as it was to 'teach' him! We were talking before we started recording a little bit about competition. The perception that earning a Black Belt means mastery of the martial arts has created schools in which the martial arts are little more than a sport or form of exercise rather than a means of self defense and a way of life. I am not THE Karate Nerd, though. I publish educational content and teach seminars around the world, in an effort to elevate the collective consciousness of Karate - regardless of style, age or experience. It's about Jesse Enkamp: Swedish, 27 years old, 4th Dan black belt. Were not going to sell your address. Couple that with my sensei(s) repeatedly telling me I need to stretch more and improve in areas I am already aware of week after week , it feels like a battle that has already been lost. BR, Senthil. Not to mention, we put an extra layer of foam right over your tibia - that's your shin bone - so you're sure to survive those brutal shin clashes. Your shins will thank you, and I thank you, too. I decided to compete because I like challenging myself. Welcome! If you haven't shared an episode of the show with your martial arts friends, this would be a great one to share. Little details such as "imagine we are entering a small play room where the ceiling is 5 foot high" goes a long way First thing I notice, they all move with their head steady and low, doing perfect zenkutsu dachi transitions. I'm what you could call a slow learner and you know what, I like it. Of course, the Karate Kid movies, they're classics, but for example, I really enjoyed Drunken Master with Jackie Chan. In my style, Sensei is a title earned with a third-degree black belt and extensive study of all aspects of martial arts. They didn't know anything about each other, but there they stood, with their pink belts on, banging each others arms like crazy, laughing, crying, screaming, and then finally hugging. Not to mention we put an extra layer of foam right over your tibia - your shin bone - so you're sure to survive those brutal shin clashes. Hopefully that's okay. I didn't realise it until I started teaching the kids that changing direction in a Kata is sooooo complicated, clockwise or anti-clockwise? - but the whole 360-degree perspective, so I'm all about the theory, and the practice, the culture, the language, the terminology, the history, the traditions, the sports science, and you know, practically speaking, kata, kihon, kumite, bunkai, kobudo, the weapons, self defense, all of these things that are in Karate that most people only scratch the surface of. The journey of Karate isnt so much about becoming anything. They go to the dojo, they go through their moves, they wipe the sweat off their forehead, and then they go home, and nothing happens. It wassurreal. Sure there are different levels of understanding this but sometimes you just need to let go. We only talk about the people who came to mainland Japan after him, and they were his students, like Funakoshi, or Mabuni, or their brothers from other styles, and this was before styles even existed. Yeah, so my main website is KaratebyJesse.com, and the reason its called Karate by Jesse is because it is based on my experience and filtered through my brain, so its not thetruthaboutkarate.com or anything like that. I think he would be pretty satisfied, because the way Karate has exploded since that time, especially now that its becoming an Olympic sport as well, is nothing short of outstanding. Are they your favorite martial arts actors, or is there somebody else that you haven't mentioned? Its midday here, and evening there, and I appreciate you giving up some of your personal time after work to talk to me. What martial art I don't even know how to phrase this question for you. I do a lot with Seishin these days, and there's a lot of exciting things going on with that, because I like to look good, because when you look good, you feel good, and when you feel good, you do good. Awesome. I just ran out of the dojo, and then I came back later on with some When I cleaned up my eye, and continued fighting, but that was a true test for me, fighting someone who was much older and wiser than me, being a kid. Okay. Well link to the episode with Master Ken, and if you haven't listened, there's a surprise in there as, not too far in, Master Ken, Mister Matt Page, and I realized that we actually have a much stronger personal connection than either of us knew until we were in the middle of that episode, so that was fun. What is it about that that really resonates for you? I think you're right, and its true. I appreciate your time. Salute you. Training a few more times with the painful realisation I truly DID suck and was nowhere near where I pictured myself, I went back to that discussion and realized a few words of a famous physician: I like to keep an open mind but not open enough for my brain to fall out. I'm sure a lot of our listeners out there will recognize your name. For listeners that maybe are new to the show, or haven't checked that out, well put some links over on the show notes for this episode. He was, I guess, this typical Russian guy, just silent, and just walking around with a deadly, killer face. so once you get your "black belt" all it means is that you now have enough of a foundation to actually start learning your art. part. It's particularly satisfying when one of my oldest students, who has an immense, learning does so well against her peers. For whatever those thoughts are worth Maybe just walking over to another school for a while does the trick? Jesse Enkamp ("The Karate Nerd") explains the Karate black belt meaning, grading systems and Japanese terminology Sensei Seth is a Karate teacher and ki. But, they're less sweaty than others and they actually stay in place. For a lot of folks, they'd stop. We get stuck in all the "traditions", we get stubborn and slowly start missing and forgetting the essence of Budo. Everything is difficult before it becomes easy. This is how I believe the circle of karate and or in this case simplicity of the punch becomes enjoyable and pure. I loved putting on the white obi and being awkward as I learned the throws. What is taekwondo black belt? When I have ideas, I usually execute as fast as I can on that idea. Its about unbecoming everything that isnt you. No style, no competition, no pressure- just the pure fun of learning a new art taught with the heart and spirit. Arigatou gozaimasu Jesse-san, keep up the great work look forward to seeing you in Cambridge Canada again soon! But because itsthe#1 waytoreach next levelin your journeyas black belt. I try to read a lot of stuff, not just Karate and not just martial arts. That's a great story. If you don't like competing, I think that it would give you even more, because there's probably a reason you don't like it, and facing stuff we don't like usually turns out well, because that teaches you something about yourself. Wow. This is so true! Right now, I am in training for the first belt exam but I am not sure if I'll be in shape until early February. I am also a beginner at Karate, I hope I stay like that my entire journey. Good read. Being a nobody white belt again was truly great. Okay. Do you hate clashing shins when you're sparring? Now, anybody that's seen your online content knows that you're really passionate about the traditional aspects of Karate. I started studying Japanese. Another fantastic article, Jesse-San! I'm all about progress, so I use tradition and the wisdom of the past to propel myself forward, and to go into the future with an even better understanding of what I'm doing, why I'm doing it, and how it should be done, in order to progress to higher levels and elevate my understanding and the collective knowledge of people around me as well, because a lot of people don't have the ability to research the old ways or the traditional ways. :). Do take heart and keep training. 'Unless you become as a little child again, (Beginner's Mind)you cannot enter the true Way of Karate.' SiGung (Chinese) - Teacher of Teachers - This is a very senior practitioner who is awarded this title by the system founder or head of the family - usually 7th degree or senior. That gives you a new perspective. When I opened my dojo, I said that I didn't want to teach kids, but quickly changed my mind, not because someone said "the kids will pay your bills", but because as you said, you really do reach the next level. This really resonates with me. It made all my errors come out instantly. It was all or nothing, and that's why, of course, the stronger man won, because I didn't have that physical capacity that was needed to go all-in against this particular opponent. I had this guy from Brazil, who was like 20-something, and then this other participant from, I think it was from South Africa, and they had never met before. In Japan, as martial arts became more popular, they decided to limit black belt rank to just 10, keeping Judo, Karate and Jiujitsu the same, with only 10 levels. You're entering the competition season in Europe right now. Were able to reflect on that experience for the rest of our lives, especially when things become difficult. After too many years away, I was thrilled to begin training in Goju Ryu at a fantastic dojo. The other side loves competition. My name is Jesse Enkamp. Welcome. That you're - maybe hoping is a little bit too diminishing of a word - that you are going to accomplish. Let's welcome him to the show. If I had to pick Karate or martial arts books, first of all, the Bubishi. It feels like that's like a metaphor for all of my work, constantly not fighting, but having to prove myself to others who are more established, or have more credibility in this whole martial arts world, specifically Karate because, again, going back to tradition, the whole traditional thing is so strong, and people love to do things the way they've always done them, and I like to do things in a new way. It takes years of work to reach and not any black belt can automatically declare themselves one. I'm keeping an eye out for the opportunity, and I'd suggest you do the same, even if Karate is not your chosen art. Learn why participants at KNX: The Karate Nerd Experience always wear pink belts and how McDojos watered down the traditional meaning of belts and titles. You see, when you teach a beginner . I was fortunate enough to get a [board 36:17] smashed through my face. All content copyright whistlekick.com and Whistlekick, LLC. We can look back at it and say, This is tough, but my black belt test For a lot of us, that's one of the most difficult things well experience. i like your style of writing..could feel the energy, and the message gets delivered very clearly! Oss. Yeah. Quick-Rip Tag makes it easy to manually remove the size tag. I had to make a conscious effort to be precise, clear and slow-down in the execution of my techniques so that the novice member of the class could follow Jesse Enkamp is a popular YouTuber and karate athlete. "The 3 types of Bunkai (Omote, Ura & Honto)." KaratebyJesse. I'm a passionate "Karate Nerd", who loves helping people improve their Karate. To teach a beginner is to think like a beginner. I like that, the way you put that. I like that. So yes, forget your belts and teach and work with lower ranked karatekas and you will see how much left you need to perfect! Then, after we did that seminar, we shot this whole fun thing for his YouTube channel as well, which is the video you're referring to, where I'm supposed to teach the audience how to break a board, but he ends up breaking the board on my face instead. We like to make sure that what you get out of our newsletters has value, so were going to do everything we can to make sure that they're worth your time. I felt empty, like I'd won a cheap $.25 prize at a carnival. Is there one book in particular? After that I just decided to go on with my life, raise my kids and spend my time on my work and family. I would have to go with Itosu Anko. Why? Well, the whole thing about being a Karate Nerd means that I don't do anything else. I have a blog based on the same subjects you discuss and would really like to have you share some stories/information. These are not my words but I have them always in my mind. I have have always believed that one should branch out to other forms of martial arts drastically different from their main art of study.