What does our club’s name mean?
In Japanese martial arts, the concept of “shu-ha-ri” refers to the process of learning, consolidation, and mastery.
In the stage of “shu”, practitioners follow a particular method, learning the shapes and movements, largely copying and working on what the instructor teaches. This is largely the stage of the kyu grades (who wear the coloured belts).
In the stage of “ha”, practitioners begin to follow less of a rules-based approach, start to experiment more, and gradually understand better how to make your practice your own. This is largely the stage of the dan grades (who wear the black belts).
In the stage of “ri”, practitioners have usually broken free from the shackles of rigid thinking and codified shapes, and have the skills and knowledge to conduct their practice in an evolving fashion that suits their own evolving needs, as well as sharing relevant and helpful information with others.
There is no single grade level at which this stage is typically achieved, nor a single threshold of years of practice by which time it can be achieved; people who continue to practise in a thoughtful way may find themselves in this stage, and it can take different people a different length of time to achieve.
We teach our beginners in the “shu” stage, we guide our practitioners in the “ha” stage, and we all hope to reach the “ri” stage in time.
The club opens on Tuesday the 1st of July at the St Mary’s Millennium Centre in West Derby. (And the opening session will be free of charge to everyone.)
We would love to see you there! Please suggest this to any of your friends who might be interested. You would be welcome to give it a go.