By Jens Hanshi-dai, 2012

The day had arrived and I were to attend the first TLUS POMW C in the history of Shindenkan. I really looked forward to this creative and unique Team Leader Development Meet, where Kimu Sensei would pass on his experience, served with essence on a silver platter – directly to me.

Shindenkan Shooting Manual.

POMW TLUS 1 is a course divided into POMW, which is the theory, history, Menouchi Sensei and attitude, and POMW B which is about safety and training in the essence – which is the Shindenkan Shooting Manual, with air guns.The Shindenkan Shooting Handbook or the essence, is of course the basis, exactly like in all other shindenkan training, where we build step by step, beginning with the simple, study the simple, coordinate the simple – find the rhythm and there after program your self, so it feels natural and as a part of your self.After POMW B we were all asked to train the Shindenkan shooting basics for 30 minutes every day, the 3 weeks before we met again at POMW C.

POMW C1 – Range shooting.

I have to say, that it was with high expectations that I showed up this day, and with high expectations, there is of course a chance that you will be disappointed!After level of experience was established – meaning, that we all were divided into groups based on how much we had practiced since last time – we started up the range shooting.First we shot at a short distance, and then gradually the distance was increased. It was clear that all had gotten much better at range shooting.Even though the challenge grew with the increasing distance, all did well and proved hereby that the Shindenkan Shooting Manual with the basic and simple focus was 100 % effective.

POMW C2 – Shooting with transitions

The next training session was about shooting at different targets, and here we shot at two targets, first at will, then timed, which increased the challenge some. Again we started out at a short distance which then increased gradually. We were all challenged in our shooting technique.In this session we used both Air guns and Laser guns, which was very instructive, and again the result was better if I kept to the learning from the Shooting technical Manual.

POMW C3 – Shooting in motion with transitions

There after we moved on to shooting in motion with Air guns both forward, in retreat and side ways in both directions. Now the challenges began to grow. Also Laser gun shooting at 6 targets.It ended with a 32 target IPSC stage, spread over 400 Kvm with both, normal targets, IPSC targets, poppers, and magazine changes done with Air gun.Here my accuracy fell dramatically and this must really be trained and improved upon, but the adrenalin was high and the pressure was on.It was all super well planned and totally cool to be part of.

Post reflection

After the POMW course, there were some experiences that reflected in my mind. Bringing up questions like: what is a dojo? What is my attitude? What is it, that POMW gives me?
A dojo, is the place, where I am enlightened – it is the place where I learn about ME!

What did I learn about ME?

My attitude can be improved upon, and this will help me much – instead of reacting in well known patterns where no improvement takes place. Patterns where I live high on my senses, and if that is not enough, I compensate by being fast, which is good if the technique is good enough to pull it off. But if the technique is not so good, then the result will be really bad. And if I disqualify it also affects my judgment and self esteem.Is this a tendency that I can recognize in other of my training situations or work situations – to turn up the energy, in stead of developing situational awareness? Well. I will have to say yes to that – yes, I have all the great assets, such as impatience, self judgment, I can do it better myself.. – as well as the more flattering assets, such as empathy and love 🙂 But this is good, because then there is something to learn, and that is exactly where POMW comes in!

How do I best optimize?

My attitude is everything – in everything that I do – so commit myself 100 %, to everything that I do, anything else is a waste of time. So in other words, the optimum gain is directly proportional to my attitude to learn.The wheel and the deep plate has, as all know, already been invented, so I must learn from the people who came before me, take their experience and make it my own.

What is the perspective in relation to Karate?

Will I spend my time in POMW – the answer is that POMW is a TG/TG3 KYU competence, that must be build equally with the other KYU competences, and it must therefore have the focus now, and until the competence has been build.If I am to understand POMW, then I must build the competence, or I would not be qualified to make statements about it. By understanding the weapons of the modern world, through gaining competence, I give myself options.This is also true about Karate – to understand Karate, I have to build up knowledge and competence, or I have no grounds for an opinion.It is completely the same with my inner evolution – to understand myself, I have to get to know myself, or I can have no opinion about myself.The Shooting Technical Manual works 100 %, and the gain is dependant on my attitude. Is my attitude 100 %, then dry training can be used with everything else, and the hole world is suddenly my dojo – that is a super cool perspective – that I think was underlined by the Shooting technical Manual.Was I disappointed, with the high expectations that I had for POMW C? – No, definitely not – it was a super cool, exciting and well planned development course, that I could feel the effect of in all my further training.POMW is Shindenkan’s test of the Minouchi Sensei theory – and what does that mean for me?Does it in reality mean, that the whole world is my dojo, if I have the right attitude!

Now I look forward to POMW 2…