Saito’s Secret to Really Internalizing Techniques

Cris Eyza
Cris Eyza
Nov 4 · 2 min read

This methodology will greatly increase your skill in fights and sparring and will offer you a glimpse of Zen.

A couple years ago, I came across the following anecdote (by Gakku Homma):

“Posted outside of the outhouse was a makiwara (a wrapped padded post used by karateka for punching training). During a seminar Saito Shihan held in Denver one year, he told us that when he was young, he used to practice karate. I asked him why the makiwara was posted outside of the outhouse. He told us that as part of his personal training regiment, he would hit the makiwara ten times each time he went in to use the facility and ten times each time he came out.”

And now, I have finally found a way to apply this story from the life of Saito Shihan.

Every time I come back from the bathroom, I practice the same technique ten times. You can do it, too. A striking combo or a soft technique (like kotegaeshi, iriminage, etc.).

Because, if you want to be able to do a technique in a fight, you need to repeat it many times, and not just during formal class. You are your daily life, and if you want a technique to become a part of you, it must become a part of your daily life, as well.

“But I don’t want to fight!” you may say.

Me neither. But if I must, I am able to.

Repeat the same technique ten times when you return from the bathroom, and in sparring or in a real fight, you will be able to do the technique with mushin (empty mind).

You will be able to do the technique without thinking about it. You will watch yourself do the movement instinctively, while time slows down and every second becomes an eternity.

It is a great feeling, I can tell you.

Now, Saito Shihan punched the makiwara with a fist.

I have practiced with a master who did knuckle push-ups on the asphalt every time he trained. But when he had been hitting the pads for half an hour, his knuckles were red and swollen, nonetheless.

So, I wouldn’t do fist punches if I were you. I would strike with the palm of the open hand.

Osu!

-Cris

About the author: Cris Eyza is the instructor at Self-Defense Aikido and he has written two books: “Self-Defense Aikido” and “Self-Defense Aikido for Women”, available on https://www.amazon.com/s?k=cris+eyza&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

Anecdote source: http://www.nippon-kan.org/history-of-nippon-kan/a-day-in-the-life-of-the-founder-morihei-ueshiba-april-1968/

Picture source: https://i2.wp.com/www.karateobsession.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/sensei-makiwara-punch.gif?fit=812%2C768

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade