Basic #1 - GAN （眼 ） The Eyes Karate 4 Life

In the episode we continue going deeper into ichi gan, ni soku, san tan, shi riki as we take a deeper look into the first element the eyes.



The eyes are the most important of all the basics and the way we use them will effect everything else that follows.





---- Transcript ----



Martin: Hey everyone, this is Martin & Sandra Phillips and welcome back to the Karate 4 Life Podcast.



Sandra: Today we want to dig a bit deeper into the basics of karate and life, taker a closer look at the first element of ichi gan, ni soku, san tan, shi riki -the eyes.



Martin: We've noticed that everyone faces challenges in life, some big some small. But not everyone has a way to navigate these problems.



Sandra: It’s not always easy, but we’ve found that we always keep coming back to what we’ve learned from our years in the dojo.



Martin: And that’s what this podcast is all about...



Sandra: Helping us all find the solutions to life’s problems. Or even better yet, to remove the problems before they arise.



Martin: This is Martin & Sandra Phillips and welcome to the Karate 4 Life Podcast.





Sandra: Martin, are you ready to do this today?



Martin: I think so. I think so. We've been spending a little bit of time collecting our thoughts and doing a bit of a brain dump. Every time we look at this we seem to find new angles and new ways to approach things and go a little bit deeper, so we'll see how we go pulling it together.



Sandra: Yes, and I guess for those who have been doing martial arts for a long time, and especially those who are way above our time in the Dojo. For myself personally, I know for you too, every time we discuss Ichi Gan with students of various ages, levels, it always seems to have a similar message, yet also very different. Different angles of how we actually attack those-



Martin: Depending on the audience.



Sandra: -conversations. Yes. Again, this could really blow out, really....



Martin: Yes, it could go so many different directions, maybe a list to help focus, we'll get back to that. The text from Soke's teaching manual, I might let you read there if that's okay.



Sandra: Sure thing. Okay, so... "Ichi Gan, it is said that the spirit of a person is shown most through the eyes. In Budō, Gan represents the power of insight into the movement of the opponent's body, spirit, etc.



Martin: Oh, wow. This is really looking at it from a technical point of view, and I guess to hear the saying, "The eyes are the window to the soul," as looking, not just at their physical body, but their emotional state and their mental state, and looking at how we do that. Perhaps, we'll get onto that in a little bit. Maybe we'll get back and look at it.



Sandra: Yes, let's go really simple.



Martin: We'll go really simple.



Sandra: Really simple, and just think, okay, if we just go back to ourselves as individuals, so we look at as far as how we use the eyes for ourselves.



Martin: As an individual, when I think eye focus, I think, "Where are my eyes fixed? Am I looking down? Am I looking up? Am I focused on something? Am I just in a bit of a daze?" Just by aligning the eyes, looking forwards, that in turn, helps to align the posture and creates a position of personal power. When the head comes down, when the eyes come down, the head comes down, the posture collapses. When you hold that for any extended period of time, you start to feel a little bit depressed.



Sandra: Yes, low energy, not much flowing through you.



Martin: Then, just by opening that up, opening it up, fixing the eyes off into the distance, looking forwards rather than backwards, it allows you to create that feeling of strength within yourself.



Sandra: Yes. Would you also say that with that feeling, it tends to also help correct the posture?



Martin: Oh, absolutely.



Sandra: And create greater stability and balance...?



Martin: Yes, one feeds into the other. The eyes feed into the posture, the posture feeds into th