Basic #3 - TAN （胆 ）Grit/Determination 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 third tan power: grit, determination, guts, tenacity, an indomitable spirit that won’t back down.



Sometimes you just have to ask yourself the question,



"How bad to you want it?"



Technique alone won't win you a fight or get you out of a tough situation.



We've seen it so many times in competition, the best fighters don't always win. It's not just about your speed, power, technique or even how well you understand the strategy of the game.



"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog."





---- 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 third element of ichi gan, ni soku, san tan, shi riki - grit & determination.



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: Moving forward Martin today, we are moving on to San Tan but I dare say without Ichi Gan Ni Soku, this won't be all that much fun.



Martin: Yes, there's a reason this is number three. Although it's incredibly powerful and it can carry you a long way forward, I think it definitely worked best when you've got those foundations of the first two elements in place.



Sandra: I guess Ichi Gan Ni Soku tend to I guess, position yourself, prepare yourself, creating that always ready feel about you. This is what really takes it to a whole lot new level and drives you towards wherever you want to go.



Martin: Yes, it turns it up a notch, doesn't it?



Sandra: Yes, and as we probably would learn very, very soon, it does enable you to do bold attacks. Whether it's in life or in a Dojo, makes it very, very possible when we add this element.



Martin: Yes. It certainly does. May be we should explain what it's all about.



Sandra: Yes, sure thing. We have San Tan, should we just read this from...



Martin: Going back through it, so Ichi Gan, first, the eyes, Ni Soku, second, the stance or the legs, San Tan maybe we've coined it as grit and determination, which you kind of see from this explanation we're about to read out. This is from Soke's teaching manual the kyohon. Could you do the honours there?



Sandra: Yes, sure thing. "Tan refers to the liver. Tan power is the foundation for cultivating ki power, will power, perseverance, and endurance. By cultivating Tan power, spirit sickness (Shikai), and other such weaknesses are gone. Correct judgment ability results and bold attacks are possible."



Martin: Yes, there's a lot there hey. A lot there. I'll just get back to the very first part as I mentioned previously, Tan refers to the liver. I've done a little bit more research on this one. It's not specifically liver as an organ, but it's literally that colloquial term "the gut" when you have that gut feeling or somebody shows guts. Liver is probably a little bit of a misnomer there.



The other one is probably worth repeating once again, is Tan is a different thing to Tanden as a term we hear here in the Dojo quite a bit. Tanden refers to the energy center located in the lower abdomen. While it's very much related to Tan power, they're not one and the same. They're two different things. Let's carry on anyway.



Sandra: All right. Let's take a very different perspective on this one compared to what we have taken with Ich