Useful Pain and Quotes from the Master

I feel compelled to share just a little more information and a few stories/anecdotes about my teacher,
Taika Seiyu Oyata. I believe he was one of the best  martial artists on the Earth, but I am a little biased.
 You have to understand that Taika was truly great-He was a proud man, proud of his heritage and proud of his martial arts-He was willing to perform techniques on anybody/anytime!
If you didn't believe him, he would show you!


Pictured below, taking one for the team at a seminar is Mike Cline. Mike  is a large, strong man and an excellent martial artist himself. We were all dust in the wind, clay in the hands of the Master. It did not matter how fast, strong, tricky or cool you were-you were going to the ground in an instant, usually yelling in pain!
This technique is the Okinawan version of the body slam, with a side strike. I remember this day/moment and this technique vividly. It was quick and devastatingly painful, like everything Taika did.
As much as I hate to say it, the truth is I was glad it was Mike and not me. He truly got jacked up!

I believe pain can be useful in some instances. It certainly reminds us we are still alive, there is an existential quality to extreme pain-you are really living and feeling life at that moment!
 It can also be used as a training aid  by a Master to keep  martial artists in line.




I have a signed copy of this issue-A blast from the past. Taika Oyata on the cover of Black Belt
magazine, inflicting extreme pain on  black belt Rocky Leavitt.These were never staged, probably one of several takes for the perfect shot-Ouch.
 Taika Oyata appears to be almost smiling-why not? It was his job and no one was better at it.

Found this on YOUTUBE-I was never one for recording things, I was more interested in hands on training.
This is a short video of Taika Oyata doing neck strikes on black belt Peter Polander. For some reason,
Taika Oyata did a lot of  techniques on Peter Polander. Peter is an excellent martial artist and has a high tolerance for pain.

 

Taika Seiyu Oyata has a large, loyal following. This picture could barely fit the group that came to train and celebrate his 60 years in the martial arts. I am seated in front of him at a direct angle to his shoulder-

The reason I am telling you this is  that he told me to sit there- he wanted to know where I was and what I was doing.Strangely enough, people sometimes feel I might be up to something. Seated behind me is my instructor/ senior black belt Greg Lindquist. There are some wonderful people and some absolutely dedicated martial artists in this photo.

Now for the lighter side of things-Our teacher did have a great sense of humor. He was a pretty funny
guy when we weren't training. He also had some famous phrases we got to hear over and over again.
I would like to share some of these quotes and my rough translation/understanding of them:

"GODDAMMIT"-this plays on a never ending reel in my head-no interpretation necessary.
I hear this in my sleep to this day or especially when I am training.

"Why  no can get up"?-After he knocked you out, or threw you down or while he had you pinned, writhing in pain. He was politely asking why you could not get to your feet in the usual fashion, usually with a grin. It was always a lot funnier when it was happening to someone else.

" I no baloney teach"-You asked for it, you got it, hard and physical training,  involving pain of some sort.
"I kick ass"-somebody was in trouble, said something , did or didn't do something. Sometimes he was joking, but if he was serious-look out- Asses would be kicked!

"doodle movement"-little movement, subtle motion.
"I tell now"-shut up and listen-he was going to hit you with some knowledge.
"You want easy teach, I no easy teach"-no explanation necessary.
"Arms no hurt, feet on floor"-Somebody made the mistake of saying their arms hurt during training, our penance for this crybaby was 1,000 punches and 1,000 kicks or something similar.

Not!No!-both meant the same thing, you were not doing it right or not answering him correctly.

"How did it"?-He wanted you to tell him how he did something, for the record-nobody was ever right.
I privately referred to this mental torture/game as "You Can't Win", nothing I said was right, even when I was right I was not phrasing my answer correctly or using the correct terminology. I still
was wrong yet continued playing for many years.


For anybody interested in his life, his personal thoughts, philosophy and views on martial arts,
Taika Oyata wrote an amazing book:Ryu-Te no Michi-The Way of Ryukyu Hands.
I highly encourage anybody interested in martial arts, history or the story of a truly unique human
being to look for this book online.

Lessons from the Master

Here I go again. My Tree Truth blog isn't always going to be about trees.
Occasionally I have a story to tell-This is one of those times.

I consider myself lucky enough to have crossed paths with Taika Seiyu Oyata.
He was the most technically skilled martial artist I have ever seen. I was able to
experience his extremely painful techniques on a weekly basis for many years.
He was also a man of great vision and incredible earthy wisdom. He was hard on people,
tough but fair. I met him at a time in my life I needed some guidance and although I do not
necessarily believe in Fate, things sometimes  happen in life that make me wonder.
There is a famous saying in martial arts-"When the student is ready, the master will appear"
I will always be grateful for the training I received and for the life lessons he shared.

1990 Black Belt Test-Brad and Seiyu Oyata

One funny story-I swear on a stack of bibles this is true!
I was a brown belt, training hard and working towards my black belt test.
In the good old days, it took a minimum of 5 years to achieve a black belt.
I was invited to come train at headquarters in Independence, Missouri with the other black belts
and instructors. This was quite an honor, a chance to prove myself!
The first night was brutal-we trained for 2 hours, basically non-stop. Most of the night,
Taika Oyata stood 2 feet away from me, staring at me with his arms crossed, not saying anything.
He took a quick break from watching  me to kick one of his black belts in the thigh, the black belt collapsed and stayed on the ground holding his leg for several minutes. Mr Oyata said to him" I tell you lower stance, you no do-I no tell again".
 I instinctively lowered my stance and continued training, sweat now pouring off of me! He came back and stood in front of me, now smoking a cigarette.
I was waiting any minute for a neck chop or thigh/groin kick-it never came.
As he was walking away, watching other black belts, his back was to me, I wondered for a brief instant if I could sneak up behind him and kick him! (yes I am that ornery and was that stupid)
The instant I though about it, as God is my witness, he sensed my intent. He whirled around to
face me, his dark eyes boring into mine! To this day, I have no idea how he knew, but he knew what I
was thinking. He quickly walked over and now stood 1 foot away from me- glaring at me. I was close to pissing my pants! He stood in front of me until class was over. At the end of class, he called my instructor, Greg Lindquist over and said-"Greggy, this your student", Greg said I was his student.
Mr. Oyata said-"Something funny about him,(he was correct) but I think he black belt material, kata,technique o.k."
Hell yes! A man could go to his grave with less praise than that!
I learned a valuable lesson that night -The  true master senses intent!



Some interesting anecdotes involving pain-
Just so we are clear, I always thought Taika Oyata was slightly more than human.
He was always 2-3 moves ahead of whatever his opponent was doing.
I watched him drop (knockout) a guy that was 6 feet, 7 inches tall and weighed 325 pound by hitting him in the neck with his fingertips.
 I saw him punch someone in the stomach so hard and so fast, the poor guy's feet
shot out 3 feet in the air behind him, he was out cold when he hit the floor.
During a demonstration, I punched as hard and fast as I could at him-He grabbed my arm and twisted
it so hard and fast, I did a flip in mid-air, screaming as I flipped. It felt like I was caught in a carnival ride and my arm was being ripped apart. When I came to, he was laughing and said "Good job!"
One of my friends said-"that was awesome, I didn't know you could do a flip" I replied that I
did not know I could do a flip either, my body responded to keep my arm from snapping.
Or the time he hit me so hard in the jaw I was cross-eyed for a little while,  also causing my eyes to bleed/ broken blood vessels in my eyes-Good times!
I could tell you about the time he broke a thick board with his thumb!
There are a million stories about his technique and they are all true.

Taika Oyata and Brad in Okinawa 2002

I have a never ending reel of him in my head yelling "Godammit"  or him telling us
"you guys not human beings, human beings can do what I teach" .
He used to mutter "Teppo mimi". I learned it means rifle ear (in one ear, out the other). 
Or him chasing us in a cab while in  Okinawa, flipping us off from the backseat of a taxi, wearing his cowboy hat,laughing as the taxi peeled out after running us off the road.More Good times!
I have a lot more stories about my teacher and they are all true.
Taika Seiyu Oyata is no longer with us, but his teachings and wisdom remain.
It might just be wishful thinking, but there are times when I am training intensely, I feel like he is watching, either waiting to punch me, yell Goddammit or God Forbid-tell me what he only told me twice-You're pretty good.
A man could go to his grave with less praise than that!

The Cedars of God and the Tree of Life

I am not going completely biblical on you, these are some interesting tree stories and pictures.
As you probably know, I have an intense interest, some would say a gravitation towards historic or unusual trees.

The Cedars of God-
The name for a group of 400 ancient survivors, remnants of a forest that once covered mountainous
Northern Lebanon.

This old growth Cedar of Lebanon forest is all that remains of a massive forest that was plundered throughout early history. Cedars of Lebanon were prized for their wood/grain. The ancient Egyptians used them for ships, as did the Phoenicians. The wood was also prized by the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Persians. King Solomon used these trees for construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem.
Luckily, they are now protected, named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Several of these historic Cedars are 2,000 to 3,000 years old.



The Tree of Life-
This is an interesting photo, a tree growing in the middle of the desert, growing where nothing else can or wants to! This picture reminds me of Summer in Kansas, or a tree growing on the planet Mars.

This Mesquite tree is believed to be at least 500 years old. Growing in the middle of a desert in
Bahrain that is devoid of all other  trees for hundreds of miles.
There is no rational reason for this tree to be so massive or to be able to support itself in this harsh environment.The only explanation is that the roots have found a water source that no one else can seem to find.
The legend of this tree, believed to be true by many in the region, is that this massive, old Mesquite tree marks the  location of the Garden of Eden.

Mantis Mania- A Tale of Sex and Horror in the Insect World

 Generally sex in a headline get's peoples attention, we will get to that horror story soon enough, but
first, a touching photo of my insectoid assassins, my young protege's , my little minions of destruction.

Trying to get young praying mantis to pose for a group photo is like herding cats.
As photogenic as the mantis are, they move incredibly fast, even at this tender young age.
I am nurturing and encouraging these young varmints,whispering softly to them they will soon taste of victory, will crush their enemies on the field of battle. Of course I have named several of them-Socrates, Leonidas, Achilles, Hannibal, Alexander..etc.Each of these young insects is a masterpiece of Nature.
When you watch them, study their movements and behavior, you realize what spectacular
creatures they really are.

In China, there are two systems of martial arts created from watching the attack and fighting
motions/strategies of the praying mantis. Southern and Northern Praying Mantis Kung Fu are
both very popular and effective fighting forms in China.

Praying Mantis can turn their heads and  look quizzically over their shoulders.
Their two forelegs are covered in spikes in which prey are caught and trapped.
They are fast now, when they get a little older, they will move so fast when catching prey, their
movement is a blur. They will be 2 times faster than a fly.
They make great pets, if handled properly and frequently, they won't bite.

There are 20 species of native mantis in the United States.
When young, they will eat each other if not fed properly, but prefer small flies, mites and small crickets.
When mature, they will eat flies, beetles, crickets-any other insect. Believe it or not, they will also eat
frogs, lizards, snakes, birds, fish and small scorpions.


Depending on your outlook or sex, here is where it gets interesting or horrifying.
Females are usually quite a bit larger than males and can be very aggressive (really? that's weird)
When mating, with the male in a dominant position, the females will often turn and bite the males head off
and then feed on his body.(Hmmm.......)
Other times they will do this after mating(Men-does this sound familiar?) According to scientists -
the most dangerous point in mating for the males is when they dismount, they are at their most vulnerable
to attack by the females(this does sound familiar)
And here's the kicker-the males seem to be o.k. with this. Other males that observe this behavior do not seem to be bothered or deterred from mating nearby.(Yes, we are that dim-witted)
It figures-males of all species may be the stupidest beings of all times when it comes to sex.
"Oh, you're going to bite my head off afterwards, o.k.", or " I might be killed after this? sounds good to me"!
Yes, like lemmings marching to the sea, males seem genetically programmed to accepting this sort of fate.

*Evidently this  male doesn't mind being eaten by the female after coitus or if he does, nobody can hear him complaining. Strangely enough, Scientists have also been unable to hear the mantis females complaining before or after sex.

And honestly, Mantis and Man alike, we can't help ourselves- If God made anything more beautiful, sexy and mysterious than a female, he kept it to himself.
A note of caution for Men- If your female turns her head around to look at you at a certain time, Look Out!
and certainly be careful, Mantis and Man alike, we are all extremely vulnerable during and immediately after
dismount.

Praying Mantis-(Do it like a Ninja)

Praying Mantis-The Silent Assassins of the Insect World

I wanted to share this picture-a cocoon of my minions hatched today.

Praying mantis are a silent, efficient killer of  harmful insects.

I consider them  the Ninja of the insect world. Like the Ninja, they remain unseen, quickly strike and fade back into the shadows. If you are having re-occuring insect problems,

order 5-10 cocoons of praying mantis and place them in your trees and shrubs.

Once they hatch, you will have very few issues with mosquitos, flies or

anything else. I am a fan of using natural methods to treat problems whenever it is feasible.

Sometimes you have to be patient for Nature to work her magic.

( I have named this particular minion Hanzo, in honor of the famous Ninja Hanzo Hattori)

I know it's weird, I don't care.

Cool Tree Photos-Trees of Kansas City

A few of the better photos I have taken over the last few years.
Some of the more interesting trees/areas, and of course every tree has a story!

Pictured below are two Oaks we pruned on the Plaza. These are nice trees that provide excellent
shade/screening to these building. I love the sunlight shining through the canopies.
See if you can find the Arborists in the trees.

 

 This is a photo taken from an article in the Kansas City Star. The article was about the importance of hiring tree care professionals. VanBooven Arborist John Cox is pictured in a large Shingle Oak. This picture is great-I love the shades of green, all the green leaves and the feeling you are up in the tree.

I love this picture and I love this tree. One of the largest English Oaks in Kansas City. Located in Loose Park/Arboretum. We had just finished pruning this tree, part of our contract to prune Arboretum trees.
We did some great work and treated these old trees with all the respect they deserve.

This is an interesting Elm tree. It was severely damaged in a tornado/microburst. Parts of the tree are dead, limbs that are green are split/damaged. Quite a bit of the wood was split-ripped and twisted. We pruned out
the damage. Before picture-

After photo- 2 years later, tree still looks rough, but you have to be patient.The first pruning is damage control, like a triage or emergency room, you are trying to save the patient! It will take more time, most likely several years-more pruning to have a decent tree again

Northern Red Oak in Prairie Village. This tree has an amazing vase-shape. One of the cooler looking Northern Red Oaks we care for. What an awesome tree.

Historic Bur Oak in Bonner Springs. This tree is easily 250 years old and had developed a large split.
We pruned out large deadwood and installed multiple cables. Several other tree companies had advised the
owners to remove this tree. In a large, historic tree like this, every effort should be made for preservation.
Three weeks after we cabled this tree, there was a storm with 75 mph winds. This tree was unscathed!

I really like this photo-It's Spring, green grass, colors of smaller, understory trees.

One of my favorite trees in Kansas City. This Bur Oak is massive and very old.
We have been caring for this tree a long time and truly love this old guy.

I have hundreds of photos, these are some of my favorites.
I hope you enjoyed them.  Will post more in the future.

Prometheus and Methuselah

Prometheus was the name given to  the oldest tree on our planet-And we killed him!
Perhaps this tree was aptly named. In Greek mythology  Prometheus was horribly punished for giving fire to man.Chained to a rock and having his liver torn out every day by an eagle was no picnic. The Greek Prometheus was immortal, the Bristlecone Pine named Prometheus lived a long time and

was ultimately killed for being old looking, like he was on his last legs so to speak. (I hope this doesn't happen to any of us when we get old looking and people begin to suspect we might be on our last legs).

Now that I hopefully have your attention, I would like to share a couple of quotes that seem fitting.

"But these are foolish things to all the wise, and I love wisdom more than she loves me,

my tendency is to philosophise on most things, from a tyrant to a tree"- Lord Byron

"Yet each man kills the thing he loves"-Oscar Wilde

Methuselah

Bristlecone Pines (Pinus longaeva) grow in the arid mountains of six states in the U.S.,

stretching from California to Colorado. They seem to thrive in almost impossible conditions-

extreme altitude, scant soil and very little moisture. Perhaps this is the secret to their longevity-all things in moderation. In fact, the oldest trees are found in California at elevations of 10,000 to 11,000 feet.

Between 1954 and 1955, a student of dendrochronology (study of tree rings/events), Edward Schulman

 was studying Bristlecone Pines in the White Mountains, California.While taking core samples to determine tree ages, he discovered some very old Bristlecone Pines. He found one tree he knew to be at least 4,000
years old , a Bristlecone Pine he named Methuselah.

This tree was further studied and in 1957 was found to be 4,723 years old.

Prometheus

With the international attention focused on Methuselah in 1957, there was another area of the U.S with

old, massive Bristlecone Pines. Wheeler Peak, located on Nevada's eastern border, was home to

some colossal Bristlecone Pines. A local group established the Great Basin National Park Association.

They were trying to focus state and federal attention on what they knew were champion trees. They believed these trees were as old or older than the Pines in California. They had already named some of the larger, more interesting looking trees-"Buddha", "Socrates" and "Prometheus". 

In 1964, a young geography student named Donald Curry was working on a project toward his

doctorate. He was studying the movements of glaciers with an assistant when they stumbled upon

these very old Pines. Taking a core sample from one of the oldest, gnarliest looking trees, they discovered

how very old this tree was. As fate would have it, their coring tool broke. Excited to finish the  project,

and running out of time, they asked and actually  received permission from the U.S. Forest Service to cut this tree down! (The reasoning seem to be this was not the famous Methuselah grove and the tree looked rough-

old and gnarled, probably near death's door).

It was Prometheus. They cut down one of the oldest trees on the Earth.(Death by dumbass)
To put this in perspective, this  tree was a seedling when the Great Pyramids were being built

and was maturing when Jesus Christ walked the earth. 

Dendrochronologist Don Graybill later determined the exact age of Prometheus at 4,862 years.

Prometheus was older than Methuselah.

The following pictures  illustrate all that is left.

Here is the stump of Prometheus-Not a fitting tribute

Radial cuttings  of Prometheus at the University of Arizona-Dept. of  Dendrochronolgy

Fittingly,there is a legend that many believe to be true. There is a curse attached to people who cut or handle

the wood from Prometheus. Donald Curry, the man who cut down this tree, died very young. 

A U.S. Forest Service worker who was helping him died while moving the wood from Prometheus.

 Even Edmund Schulman, who discovered Methuselah, died at a young age.

 There have also been incidents/injuries with people  handling the wood from Prometheus.

What can we take from all of this?

Evidently, being named Prometheus seems to guarantee some sort of retribution by Gods or Man.

My warning to all-Do not name your trees or children Prometheus.Whatever their intentions, it will not turn out well.

Equally evident, if you are old and gnarly looking-watch out. People might think you are on your last legs and want to get rid of you, or the U.S. Forest Service may tell them it's o.k. to get rid of you.