Friday, May 6, 2011 by C. Michial Jones
In the West, we often use the term “student” loosely. But in traditional Japanese and Okinawan arts, there is a profound distinction between a Soto-deshi (outside student) and an Uchi-deshi (inside student).
An Uchi-deshi is a live-in apprentice. They do not simply attend class; they serve the teacher full-time, assisting with everything from cleaning and secretarial work to the physical maintenance of the dojo. This is a 24-hour immersion into the art, the history, and the psyche of the Master.
More than a Son
Some might argue that because one of my primary teachers was my father, Curt Jones, our relationship naturally fulfilled the role of apprentice. While it is true that we lived together for many years and that he speaks of little else besides Karate-do, the “Uchi-deshi” experience I am referring to was something far more literal.
In January of 1990, my father, Pat Mitchell, and I opened a new branch of the Komakai. To maximize our focus and commitment, my father made a radical decision for the betterment of my training: we moved into the dojo. We gave up our home and committed ourselves entirely to the four walls of the training hall.
The Reality of the Mat
Living in the dojo is far less “cool” than a cinematic montage might suggest. It is a life stripped of comfort and personal space.
- The Bed: We slept on the training mats, rolling out sleeping bags around midnight once the day’s work was finally done.
- The Conditions: For a long stretch, we had no hot water, no kitchen, and no heat. There were even times when the running water was cut off, and we had to carry buckets back and forth from the fire station next door.
Our schedule was relentless. We held classes six days a week, both day and evening. Sundays were reserved for traveling to tournaments. When we weren’t teaching the public, we were training with each other. We covered everything: kihon, kata, kumite, kobudo, and tuite. We studied the philosophies of the masters alongside the hard science of bone and muscle structure.
Subconscious Mastery
One of my father’s most “creative” teaching methods involved the disruption of sleep. He believed that the subconscious mind could be reached more effectively if the body was in a state of exhaustion.
Frequently, he would wake me from a deep sleep in the middle of the night to teach me a new technique or a complex movement. I would perform it while half-awake, then be allowed to crawl back into my bag. The real test came the next morning. If I claimed I hadn’t learned the technique yet, he would produce a Shinai (bamboo sword) to provide the necessary “motivation” for my memory.
He was right—the lessons learned in those midnight hours, when my ego and conscious resistance were stripped away, became some of the most permanent parts of my karate.
Fond Memories of a Hard Path
Eventually, the toll of dojo living led us to move back into a proper house, but the mindset remained. Whether in the dojo or at home, the “mood” for practice could strike at any time.
Looking back, those years as an Uchi-deshi were a fundamental turning point. You cannot learn the soul of Budo through a two-hour class twice a week. You learn it by living it—by breathing the dust of the mats and finding the technique even when you are too tired to stand. It was a 24/7 ordeal, and I remember it fondly as the forge that made me the martial artist I am today.
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