Interviews

Michael Ettingshausen

MT mid competition

"Michael (MT) Ettingshausen is a senior JKAA national team member and successful Sports professional. He has established a reputation of excellence in both the Sport and Budo aspects of Karate and his credentials are many. Michael has to his credit a consistent high level record of being JKAA national Kata and Kumite champion 6 or 7 times. He also holds a host of other major titles.

His fighting techniques are strong and decisive and his Kata is mature and convincing. More than this, he has distinguished himself by leading through example and practicing what he preaches. He is an unassuming man with a determined approach to training which is inspirational". Walter Stark JKAA National Coach April 2003

Michael, thank you for accepting our request to ask some questions and seek your opinion on some matters for the JKA Victoria website. Firstly, how did you get started in Karate and who was your first Instructor?
My brother operated a gym at the Sharks (his Rugby Team) Leagues Club and there was a Karate school that trained in the club twice per week. I used to hear them training and I would have a look in, but was to shy to go and start. One day my brother took me in and introduced me to the instructor who was Sensei Mark Ellis. I came back the next night and started with a couple of friends. That was in 1984 and I was 14 years old. I have never had a break from training since that time, and still love the challenges that I am faced with in the training today.

What are your earliest memories of training and what do you remember most?
I remember struggling with some of the moves and thinking that it looked easy. Sensei Mark was from the old school and training was always hard. I remember wanting to be as good as the black belts training there.

What does your normal routine now consist of?
Well I have been teaching Karate as a full time profession now for 8 years. I teach 18 classes per week, which keeps me busy. I then have to put aside extra time in the mornings or on weekends to fit in my own training.

Has your approach to training changed over the years?
Yes, in my busy life with limited time I have to train smarter and I emphasize quality in my training over quantity.

Do you have a model, a sportsperson or other Karateka that you try to emulate in training?
I have many, but as a Karate man I really liked the way Frank Brennan of the KUGB applied his Karate. He could do it all; punch, kick, sweep you name it. Many of today's Kumite people rely on one technique only I like to mix it up a bit.

Are you diet and nutrition conscious and if so, how do you apply it to your routine?
I try to eat well but I do believe that moderation is the best way. If my training load changes then I change my diet to suit.

What’s your idea of good rest?
My love of fishing is for me the ultimate time out. I am lucky enough to live close to the water and spend a lot of time relaxing in my boat whenever I get the chance. No phones just peace it’s a great way to recharge and contemplate.

If you could go back and change any aspect of your training to date, what would it be?
For me as a competitor I wish that when I was younger I competed more over the years. By competing more regularly I think it could have helped me gain experience quicker, and helped me achieve better results. European and Japanese fighters compete in up to 12 or more comps per year and in Australia on average I only compete in 2-3 per year. I believe if you want to get good at it you have to do it often.

Over time, what has become more important and what has become less important to you in terms of training?
It would be thinking in training. I'm sure many of us train along on occasions without thinking about what we are doing, and although we get progress it is slow. We waste a lot of time just going through the motions. Through Karate training we have a lot of repetition of techniques and that is so we can concentrate our body and mind on improving the technique, but the problem is that the mind can switch off and that is when progress decreases.

How important do you think etiquette, Dojo Kun, Sempai-Kohai relationships etc are in Karate?
Etiquette and Dojo Kun are very important. They set a base for training a benchmark for all students to follow. If these are lost then Karate will suffer a lot. I agree with the way in which JKA is taught. I have visited other schools and watched students talking and fooling around in class and I think it is a shame. On Sempai-Kohai relationships, as Australians we tend to be a little bit laid back in this department. I think once entering the Dojo it is very important to follow the traditional Dojo code. Outside the Dojo that respect should continue and not be abused.

Mike, as a consistently good competitor can you tell me a bit about your physical and mental preparation to Karate competition.
Physically I prepare for competition by increasing my training as the comp draws near, I then taper off prior to the event and work on the skill and technical points. I study video footage of my previous competitions as well as from other ones. At times I work on new techniques and spend hours getting them up to a level that I feel confident enough to use them. For Kumite I increase sparring time and set up a strategy for the competition. At times they are successful and others not, but I learn from it either way and fine-tune it for the next one. Kata I train the shitei Kata and concentrate on weak points. I use mirrors in the Dojo to watch my technique, and then I do extensive work on my tokui Kata and study all movements, timing, breathing etc.

You’ve been a member of the Australian JKA Team for over 10 years. As the “old man” do you feel any added responsibility or pressure to perform better than the rest of the team?
I have been fortunate to represent Australia at the Shoto cup five times. I have learned enormously from these experiences and it has always been an eye opener. Next year may be my last chance to represent at the Shoto Cup so I will do everything possible to prepare myself for it. I hope that I can help the other members on the team, to settle nerves and help them focus. It would be great for me to lead by example and pressure is something that every competitor must endure and be able to handle. I will make the most of it and I will be better mentally as experience helps in these big events. I remember when I first got on the team back in 1992. I was so happy but nervous and anxious. But just having the senior members of the team around made me feel stronger. They offered encouragement and were very composed, this helped me relax so I hope I have the same effect on some of the younger members of the team.

What kind of opponent (big, small, attacker, defender etc) gives you the most trouble in a Kumite match?
It depends but probably a big opponent. It is difficult to gauge their range and you need to have good foot work and work the court well. Two times at the Shoto cup I met the same German opponent who towered in at 6 ft 6. I was not even up to his shoulder, so it made it difficult it seemed as if the court had shrunk and I had no room to move…

Michael enjoying tea with teamates Brad Hoffmann left, and Rui Diz

When do you think you will retire from competition?
I suppose unlike most other competitors who do Karate more as a part time thing and have to hold down a full time job, I have the benefit of being able to live and breath Karate every day. Not a day goes by that I'm not either programming classes, reading texts, watching Karate videos, studying footage or keeping up with the latest training trends etc. I am sure that this will prolong my career more than most. But the most crucial thing will be how I feel and if I am still competitive. Rui Diz, Brad Hoffman and others were still successful at age 38 so that gives me a few more years if that’s anything to go on.

When you retire will Judging or Coaching appeal to you?
I would like to do both. I would like to become a qualified referee and be able to judge at the Shoto World Cup and other international events. I would really like to get involved with coaching the Aussie team and helping the members achieve their goals.

You come from a high achieving family, (Mike’s brother Andrew was a successful Rugby League player and now media personality) do you ever share training ideas with each other?
We have. Andrew as a professional league player had to train twice per day 5 days per week and had the very best trainers. He would share the latest training ideas with me although rugby is different to Karate some of it was very helpful. More importantly he helped me with mental preparation.

Tell me about your business “Ettingshausens Dynamic Arts”
After spending 6 months in Japan back in 1994 training for the Shoto Cup Natalie and I thought that when we returned home we should open a centre that combined martial and performing arts. Natalie has danced since she could walk and already had a part time school with her mum. So we looked for a suitable place to lease and after fitting out we opened in February 1995. It was really tough at the start but as our name spread our numbers began to grow. The business has come a long way in eight years, to the point where it currently has 22 teachers, 1 full time receptionist, over 600 dancers and 120 Karate students. This year we needed bigger premises and have recently opened a new centre. It is very exciting and like a dream come true. Who knows where it will all head.

Who are your star students?
Well we have some very dedicated students. There is great talent right through from the juniors to adults. Some of them are home grown and some have come from other areas. I think if you can keep motivated and competitive students together it will bring out their best.

What do you say to mature people, say in their 40’s or 50’s thinking of starting Karate?
I think Karate can be for everyone and I think it is OK for people starting at this age we plan to have an over 40’s class soon. The class will be run at a less hectic pace, and some of the heavy sparring sessions would not be included. As long as the people have a basic level of fitness and no major injuries I think it would benefit them. I constantly get people of the 35-40 years age group wanting to start, and I welcome them.

In teaching kids, you can run the risk of becoming a “baby sitter”. Do you encourage parents or other family members to participate?
The majority of our students are children and yes at times it can become cheap baby-sitting. But if I find the student does not really want to be there and is only there because mum or dad wants them to be, I generally have a talk to the parents and sort it out. There are a lot of families training but all children's classes are kept separate of the adult's classes. I think it is better for both.

What do you want your Dojo to be like in say 10 years time?
Well although we have 120 members training now, which may sound a lot, I see no reason why we can't double or triple that number. I am currently training up junior instructors to teach classes. If more black belts in JKAA took up the challenge to teach even one or two classes a week in a school hall etc then the JKAA would begin to grow and become stronger. I would like to have more interstate teachers come and teach seminars and workshops. It would be nice to have guest instructors from overseas to visit sometimes. It's all there waiting to happen. Even the possibility of a full time live in course, who knows…

You and Natalie (Mike’s wife) lived and trained in Japan for a time, did it take a while to adjust to the Japanese lifestyle?
Yes. Tokyo as you might know is a very busy place and we found it hardest dealing with the hustle and bustle of every day life. Living in a six Tamami mat room with no furniture, etc was an experience. We are both really glad we did it and we both learnt a lot, but we are very at home here in Aus. My main aim was to train and I certainly did that, sometimes three times per day. When I returned home I had a different understanding about Karate.

How did training there differ from that of Australia?
For a start, training 6 days per week with some sessions over 3 hours was very gruelling. I mostly trained at Aoyama Gakuin University and the JKA Headquarters. It was difficult trying to understand the teachers at times and you had to watch everything and at times guess what was coming up. At the Uni we mostly practised Kumite and fighting drills. We would do makiwara training some days and not a lot of Kata. Most universities training is geared for competition so that’s what you would do. The Japanese students were very fast and it took me some weeks to adjust. I often had toilet paper stuck up my nose to stop the nosebleeds from being hit by their lightning speed punches. Most classes we would skip for 30 minutes before training started. The Headquarters training was different. It catered more for the western students. And I was lucky to train under some really great Sensei’s.

Do any particular people or training sessions in Japan stick out in your memory?
I remember doing Kumite with Imamura Sensei (2 times Shoto World Cup Kumite winner) at the headquarters. He was like a magician. He would stop my punches just prior to me initiating them. He simply placed his hand around my fist before I moved and made them useless. It was amazing. Another time a junior instructor from Columbia was training. I drew the short straw he paired off and it was free sparring. Hajime sounded and he rushed straight in, grabbing me from the front and head butted me square on the nose. What a shock it was. We kept going but I could not see a thing. Osaka Sensei the renowned Kata champion was a very nice teacher to train under and really helped the westerners at the Hombu.

Did you notice an improvement in your Karate when you returned to Australia?
Definitely, I had never been quicker, and my timing was better. When I came back to Australia it was like my opponents moved in slow motion. This was mainly due to training at the Uni where most of the training was based on Kumite and speed drills.

Do you ever visit other Dojos in JKAA for training?
I do and have although with my schedule now it makes it very hard. Within Sydney we see quiet a bit of the other Dojos which is good. I would one day like to tour Australia and visit all the Dojos on the way round.

What do you think of the standard of JKA Karate in Australia in general?
I think our standard is great. I often have students form overseas train, and our standard is definitely up there with theirs and in some cases better. We should be proud of who we are because we can match anyone.

Do you use or teach any innovative training methods, ie music, special equipment etc?
Well apart from teaching Karate I am also a fitness instructor. I teach Tae Bo, which is a fitness class based on martial arts and boxing movements to music. Also boxing fitness classes. Some of the Karate students come to these classes as a supplement to normal training. I have a lot of equipment too. Punching bags, speedballs, floor to ceiling balls, skip ropes, medicine balls, punch pads, focus mitts, etc. We use these at times in class to add variety and to further condition the students. Sometimes we put on full body armour and spar full contact, or we wear 12-oz boxing gloves and do full contact body sparring just for conditioning. I am always looking out for new methods and training gear to keep students motivated and focused.

How do you see the future of Karate in terms of Competition and Dojo training, much change?
I think now a lot of training is based on the competition style, however there are many who train that don’t have an interest in the competition side of things. I would like Dojo training to incorporate more of the deadly attacks that can not be used in competition. And more bunkai of Kata practised not just the technical form. Competition is for the young and should be encouraged as it keeps students motivated but is should not end there.

No martial art can be perfect, what would you say, are the specific strengths and weaknesses of JKA?
Strengths; Training is well structured and progressive. Its speed and power of movements is hard to match. Its training is based on scientific principles. It develops great human qualities. Weakness; would have to be close in and ground fighting skills.

The various political splits and break-ups in Karate including JKA are often spoken of as ‘inevitable’, do you take any notice of these and do you think any good can come of such splits?
I don’t take much notice of these, Some are due to money reasons, others to do with different personality clashes and ranks. They will continue and so be it. If you prefer to be a part of a national or international organisation then of course there will be rules to abide by and that suits me fine.

The general public seems to be far more familiar than ever before with the fighting arts of the world, how would you like to have JKA Karate perceived by the average person?
As a strong international organisation that offers traditional Karate training the way it was meant to be.

The old debate about what is the “best” fighting art?” now rages more than ever. If you had time to prepare for a life-threatening physical challenge (no weapons involved) what would you do?
I would train in a grappling art, so that I could continue on if things went to the ground.

I know that you are very busy with JKA, but what other Martial Arts have appealed to you?
I have trained in Judo, Ju Jitsu and Kyokushin Karate. Out of those I liked Ju Jitsu the best because it let me use my punches and kicks from Karate but took it a step further with grappling and throws.

What are your thoughts on particular breathing methods in Karate? For example, are you conscious of any specific breathing during a Kata performance?
Well the first time I heard anything about breathing was at a seminar with Nishimura Sensei. He explained that each move we should take one breath either in or out depending on the phase your breathing was in. After practising this in training it was difficult, but it made sense. I would like to study this further.

What do you consider to be the most important thing about Karate training?
On a technical point definitely basics, the fundamentals. Often these are overlooked and students don’t take the time to study them properly. Once the student has been training for a while it is much harder for them to go back and change the bad habits they have developed in their basics.

What is your hope for the future of JKA in Australia and across the world?
I think it is all waiting to happen in Australia. Although the existing Dojos are strong I feel JKAA needs to be marketed or exposed more to the general public. We have a great style of Karate here its just a matter of getting it out there and growing our organisation. We need more people to take on teaching and opening Dojos even on a small scale. I think if this happens then JKAA will grow.

Under what circumstances would you leave JKA?
That’s a hard one. It would have to be substantial but it would depend on the circumstances. I am happy here with JKA it is like being part of a family. The friendships and people I have met in the past 20 years will stay with me forever.

You are no doubt pretty busy with your family, your business and your training, what do you do in your spare time?
My favourite past time is fishing and boating or anything on the water.

Lastly, how are Natalie and the family?
All well, Tamika turns five in August and Cody one so life is busy.

Mike, thank you very much for your time. One final question, all in all, what is the main thing that JKA Karate training has given you?
Confidence in life.

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Reproduced with the kind permission of Michael Ettingshausen.
Copyright © Japan Karate Association of Australia (Victoria) Limited 2004