Cedar Ridge Begins The Black Belt Challenge

I have just started a Karate training program at Cedar Ridge that I am calling the 'Black Belt Challenge.' Throughout the entire history of Cedar Ridge, we have taught the students Karate. At times we have allotted more hours to the endeavor and at other times we have lightened up the training. Whereas we have, for the most part, managed to get students to participate in the training, not all students embrace the discipline. The Black Belt Challenge does not diminish in any way the regular Karate class which stands in good stead and is an adequate offering along with many other sports/exercises that we have available. However, much more can be done developmentally for many of the students who come here.

Karate at Cedar Ridge has always been adjunctive to therapy. The Black Belt Challenge will play a more central role. Students who struggle to organize themselves, who struggle with emotional dysregulation, who are anxious and fearful, who struggle with depression, who might be recovering from past trauma, or who would like to lose weight are well suited for this offering. Any student who is seriously interested in the Black Belt Challenge is welcome to join once they have settled into the program.

In order to participate in the Black Belt Challenge, a student must volunteer to join, be recommended by a consultant, or have parents solidly behind the endeavor. Because of a pretty packed schedule at Cedar Ridge, training will cut into other activities and expectations, so the students require a high level of support from parents and consultants. One of the goals of the training schedule is to optimize the workout to stimulate brain development (neurogenesis). Another goal is to thoroughly train the student in mindfulness and provide the extra training needed to move expeditiously towards attaining a Cedar Ridge Black Belt.

From its inception, Cedar Ridge Therapeutic School promoted training in Karate as a means of assisting our students' growth. I have long felt a strong motivation to utilize karate as a means of helping further the physical, emotional and spiritual growth of those who participated in the discipline of karate.

"The Ultimate Aim of the Art of Karate lies not in Victory or Defeat but in the Perfection of the Character of its Participants," Gichin Funakoshi

When I informed other professionals in the field that I planned to utilize Karate as an adjunctive measure to facilitate the therapeutic goals of Cedar Ridge, I remember many of them raising eyebrows. Lacking the understanding that I had about the benefits of Karate training, the other professionals expressed concern that Karate would reinforce aggressive tendencies to youth who already had issues with aggression. I knew from years of personal experience that, properly taught, the opposite would occur and aggression would decrease, and now after 16 years I have a strong track record to substantiate this.

Prior to starting Cedar Ridge in 1996, I cited outcomes of consistent Karate training such as increased self-discipline, heightened self-confidence, respect, and an increase in self-control. I knew that exercise in the morning prior to school would calm students down and would improve their mood. I now can refer to research that specifically states that exercise increases both seratonin and norepinephrine in the brain, neurotransmitters that are associated with feeling better. Furthermore, we now know that exercise actually creates brain-derived neurotrophic factors that promote the creation of new nerve/brain cells (neurogenesis). We all are capable of growing new brain cells when the conditions are right. Exercise of a sustained level, one that produces a light sweat, stimulates this neurogenesis. Ideally, the workout should last a minimum of an hour and a half or one ultradian rhythm cycle. In addition to exercise, novelty and enrichment combine synergistically to stimulate neurogenesis. All three of these conditions are present in a properly conducted karate class. Exercise is a given. Properly taught, karate produces an enriched environment that generates a lot of team spirit (Ki) and the positive peer culture that ensues from this. Combining that with the "novelty" of learning new motor skills, optimum condition are present for neurogenesis to occur and for those new brain cells to be placed in use.

Recent research now connects aerobic exercise with neurogenesis in the hippocampus region of the brain resulting in improved memory and cognitive processing skills. Spatial memory, navigation and the ability to stay on task with relevant thoughts instead of getting sidetracked are also functions of the hippocampus. These advances in our understanding in neurogenesis support what I have seen come from diligent training in Karate.

At a conference I attended about eight years ago, the keynote speaker specifically mentioned Karate as being beneficial for issues like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. That statement caused heads to turn toward me. The speaker stated that karate was specifically good for stimulating development in the cerebellum. The cerebellum is responsible for voluntary motor movement, balance, equilibrium and muscle tone. Also known as the 'Little Brain,' the cerebellum plays a role in cognitive functions such as attention and language and in some emotional functions such as regulating fear and pleasure responses. In another conference shortly thereafter when another keynote speaker touted Karate as being beneficial developmentally, specifically mentioning Karate as being good for the population of students we serve by helping them function better neurologically.

Traditional Karate training stands out as being uniquely designed for this type of neuronal growth. The presenters above specifically mentioned the value of kata. Kata is a prearranged assortment of movements designed to teach the method of self-defense. Kata is a fairly sophisticated form of working through a spatial orientation to arrive back at the point of origin. Combining kata with someone counting the cadence allows for a continual process of execution of movement technique with the self-control required to hold a stance. (Prior to any insight derived through research, advanced practitioners would comment that by having someone who counted cadence added a dimension in the training that wasn't present when they performed kata on their own.
A few years ago, I participated in a panel discussion with my professional peers at a conference in La Jolla, California to discuss how the discipline of Karate training implemented mindfulness at Cedar Ridge. 'Mindfulness' and its roots lie in Zen Buddhism. The outcome of me participating in a presentation on the subject of mindfulness was that I kept this topic constantly (mindfully) at the forefront of my teaching.

"To search for the old is to understand the new." Gichin Funakoshi

This led me to reviewing the books written on the subject of Karate and I started realizing that the legacy of mindfulness in Karate training is deeper than I was aware of and that much of what seemed like formality in Karate has deep underpinnings of Zen concepts and that, due to lack of understanding, many contemporary martial arts schools overlook the value of Karate-do or the way of Karate and how it incorporated mindfulness extensively in the form "Mushin Mind."

Mushin mind, sometimes referred to as mind/no mind refers to a state of mind that is free from thoughts of anger, fear, or ego involves conditioning the mind to attain a non-judgmental state; this is so the practitioner can be ideally prepared mentally to react to an aggressive act from someone else. Mushin mind is similar to miso no kokoro or "mind like water." Often described as water without any ripples, perfectly reflecting what is around it. A more elegant description of this concept as well as the connection with the Buddhist concepts of mindfulness is as follows:

To master Funakoshi, karate was a martial art, but it was also a means of building character. He wrote: "As a mirror's polished surface reflects whatever stands before it and a quiet valley carries even small sounds, so must the student of karate render its mind empty of selfishness and wickedness in an effort to react appropriately toward anything he might encounter. This is the meaning of kara, or 'empty,' of karate." (Nakayama, preface)

From the inception of Cedar Ridge, I talked about the goal of teaching students to "Center." This is a concept taught in the martial arts. Physically, centering involves keeping the core muscles somewhat firm and placing oneself in a stable posture. Tension is out of chest and shoulders. Centering also has the emotional/mental component of Mushin Mind. I suggest that a third component of Centering, developing a strong "Spirit" starts to grow out of the fertile conditions created by the first two elements of centering. In Karate, spirit is often combined with the word fighting and stated as "Fighting Spirit." Similar concepts are used in the United States when we talk of "team spirit" or "in the zone." With intentional directing of this energy, the force of spirit rises to a more esoteric level in the Japanese and Chinese culture and is referred to as "Ki" and "Chi" respectively.

In Karate class and in some group settings, I often demonstrate that when students center themselves, they will struggle to feel upset. If a person adopts a resourceful posture, they will feel more resourceful. Through studying kinesiology/acupressure, I learned that the meridian that services the brain, also services the stomach as well as the abdominal muscles. An upset mind is commonly connected to digestive disturbances and a reduction of energy servicing the core muscles. Untrained people who get nervous tend to overuse the muscles in the chest and shoulders. Proper use of the core muscles of the body, the abdominal muscles being one group, has a positive affect on the way a person feels. With training intentionally directed at pairing good fighting spirit in with performing the movements of karate, a student can use centering to quickly recover from a whole host of negative feelings.

The Black Belt Challenge training will optimize the conditions for neurogenesis. Mindfulness skills will be a prevalent part of the training, thus enhancing the student's ability to focus and concentrate. Self-awareness will be enhanced. Students will be prompted whenever it appears that they are starting to place judgment on themselves or others. Students will learn how to stay centered emotionally and work toward a mindset that will serve them best if a threat of some sort presents itself. Students will participate in physical conditioning directed at gaining endurance and strength.

In the 1990's a form of therapy fashioned for people with issues common to Borderline Personality Disorder became popular. It is called Dialectical Behavioral Therapy or DBT. Mindfulness became a core concept in DBT practice. Whereas a relatively small number of students at Cedar Ridge fit the criteria for BPD, a large number exhibit many of the criteria that, although the severity doesn't warrant an Axis II diagnosis, the appropriateness of the interventions still apply. These students usually fit the description of "Emotionally Disturbed." These students struggle with emotional regulation. These students often show excessive impulsivity. Many of these students come to Cedar Ridge with a history of poor interpersonal relations. By not feeling confident that they can secure solid friendships, some of these students employ a variety of strategies to guilt others to stay loyal. Others easily and unconsciously reinforce these strategies through giving sympathy, not realizing that they are unwittingly reinforcing these behaviors. My experience working with students with these kinds of issues is extensive. Because DBT usually requires a lot of homework, getting the student to do the homework can be difficult. I have been more successful when the students engage in learning the skills experientially. The Black Belt Challenge is the ideal medium for this. Because of my experience, I can adjust to each student's therapeutic needs within the scope of the Karate training.

Robert A. Nielson is the founder of Cedar Ridge Therapeutic Boarding School. With nearly fifty years of training and experience teaching traditional Karate, and with over twenty years as a practicing therapist in a treatment setting, Mr. Nielson offers a profound depth of understanding in the therapeutic execution of traditional Karate training.