The Okichitaw is an indigenous martial arts system based on the traditions of the native Cree warrior societies living in the Canadian plains (Okichitaw Martial Arts, 2015). The aggressive combat movements embodied in this system are grounded in the ancient Cree custom of preparing warriors for battle by teaching them the tactics used to overpower adversaries under often brutal war conditions using traditional weapons such as the tomahawk. While its techniques remain somewhat unchanged, the aim of teaching it has changed drastically since the old days. Today, the underlying principle behind teaching Okichitaw is instilling courage and self-confidence by encouraging the students to face their fears and limitations under controlled conditions. The secondary benefits of this system include physical fitness, mental strength, safety and self-defense, and weight loss (Lepine, 2015). The Okichitaw is the first aboriginal martial arts system to arrive in Canada. Its founder is George Lepine, who also doubles as the chief instructor and the director of the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto (NCCT) martial arts. He has trained in various types of martial arts since he was 13 years old and his experience exceeds 30 years of practice. He is a recognized holder of the 6th Degree Black Belts in Hapkido and Taekwondo (Lepine, 2015).
Attending one of the Okichitaw training sessions was an educative affair as it offered insights into the intricacies of the skill. The exhibit session included two students engaging in a mock combat while an instructor explained their movements to the guests. Unlike other martial arts, the Okichitaw employs a direct approach to combat where the goal of the martial artists is to use skill and strategy to quickly take down the opponent and end the confrontation by expending the minimum effort, energy, and time possible. The students use traditional weapons that vary with their level of mastery. The basic training for novices involves the use of the knife, the gunstock war club, the plain daggers, and the short and long lance. Advanced students use the tomahawk. These weapons were common in North America during the European colonization period since the aboriginals needed them for self-defense against invasion and seizure of their native lands. While weapons are essential in mastering the skill, the students must first learn to fight bare handed before they can practice using their weapons of choice. As part of the exhibit session, the two martial artists first fought bare-handed and then with weapons, while standing up, crouching, and rolling on the ground as an aspect of mounting an attack or a strike on the opponent. The movements of the students were aggressive as they hit each other hard and repetitively if it served their purpose. The intensity of their attacks increased as the fight progressed. One student would turn a potentially painful strike by blocking the opponent and turning it into a counter attack without breaking momentum. If the opponent is caught unaware, he cannot avoid the hit by turning away of defending since the skill delivers more power than other renowned martial arts. For this reason, it is common for martial artists to sustain injuries during the training session. Therefore, the knowledge of body mechanics, applied force, leverage, and aerobic fitness are pertinent to successful mastery.
Overall, the session was enlightening and educational. The aboriginals are people whose daily lives revolve around their rich cultural heritage. This attribute is evident in the way they relate to each other, integrate modern education with traditional precepts, ingrain in each native member the knowledge of their ancestry, and convene community events. This aspect of the Aboriginal worldview was reinforced during the training session. For example, each of the weapons had a corresponding native name in the tribal dialect of the Plain-Cree people. The knife is the ‘mokumon’, and the gunstock war club is the ‘notini towin mistik’ (Okichitaw Martial Arts, 2015). While the extensive entwining between aboriginal culture and the Okichitaw was not surprising, the aggressiveness of combat, the antiquity of the weapons, and application of body mechanics was unexpected and insightful. The Okichitaw martial artists pack their strikes and attacks with more force than other martial arts, thereby increasing the chances for physical injuries during training. Other arts such as taekwondo and hapkido emphasize graceful movements where the opponents spar for longer durations before one overpowers the other. This technique is opposite to the Okichitaw, which adopts a hard-style stance and the quick subjugation of an adversary. Thus, for some, the art may seem too violent. Usually, most people believe that martial arts and science are separate subjects. It was interesting to learn that concepts such as applied force and body mechanics were key in mastering the skill. The instructors teach their students how to use their weight, positioning, strength, anatomy, and terrain to their advantage. With the added benefit of weight loss and physical fitness, one need not go on a diet or enroll in a gym.
New perspectives also arose from the session. One, whereas the Okichitaw teaches hard-style combat, it stresses peace as its cornerstone and its endgame. Grasping how the two opposing concepts can exist simultaneously can be a daunting task. Aggressiveness is necessary to subdue an adversary or protect oneself or loved ones from danger whereas peace is the outcome of a quick, successful confrontation. The philosophy of the art is that of a peaceful warrior – one who aims at transforming a discordant situation into a peaceful one (Okichitaw Martial Arts, 2015). This interpretation adds an almost altruistic quality to the art. Two, human beings are deeply connected with nature. This assertion manifested in the philosophy of the art which attaches meaning to the four compass directions – the north, south, east, and west (Roseblade, 2015). The east symbolizes the sun or fire. It means locating an opponent and developing an appropriate attack plan. The south represents water, and it signifies the aggressive challenge posed by an enemy. The north represents air and suggests using the element of surprise and force to control an adversary. Lastly, the west represents the earth and means taking down an opponent before moving on to other adversaries.
The broad concept of aboriginal education revolves around instilling a sense of cultural heritage among the community members to ensure the survival of the indigenous traditions and customs (Darville, 2011). The Okichitaw martial arts fits into this bigger scheme of things by expressing the war customs of the natives and assisting in addressing the reasons behind the push for self-governance among the aboriginal tribes. It also teaches essential qualities such as courage and self-discipline that help individuals lead healthy, balanced lives. Going into the session, I assumed that the Okichitaw would be similar to other martial arts and that it would have nothing new to teach me. On the contrary, the experience was very rewarding, and I felt inspired to take responsibility for my wellbeing.
In conclusion, the Okichitaw is a well-rounded art with deep spiritual and cultural ties that enhance its uniqueness. It is increasingly becoming popular among the young and older generations due to the diversity of its functions and benefits. Its essential features include hand-to-hand combat, use of traditional weapons, and the impressive goal of balancing aggressiveness with peace. Successful students become martial artists and earn the honor of being the ‘warriors of peace’ in their daily endeavors. Furthermore, it is an effective method for achieving physical fitness, mental strength, and spiritual stability simultaneously. For this reason, it is somewhat superior to conventional wellness programs that lack in any one of these principles. These attributes, coupled with the charismatic stewardship of its founder, will ensure that the art survives for years to come, both within and outside the Canadian borders. Besides, it will help entrench the aboriginal tradition in the Canadian culture.
References
Darville, J. (2011, May 30). Okichitaw Isn't Native Tae Bo. Retrieved March 26, 2016, from http://www.vice.com/read/okichitaw-isnt-native-tae-bo
Lepine, G. J. (2015). Okichitaw Martial Arts Program. Retrieved March 26, 2016, from http://ncct.on.ca/okichitaw-martial-arts-program/
Okichitaw Martial Arts. (2015). Welcome to OKICHITAW! Retrieved March 26, 2016, from http://www.nativemartialarts.com/
Roseblade, K. (2015, June 26). Okichitaw: Canada's only (Ab)original Martial Art System. Retrieved March 26, 2016, from http://www.academieduello.com/news-blog/okichitaw-canadas-only-aboriginal-martial-art-system/
