A huge amount has been written in the last few years about emotional intelligence(EI), its importance in living a fulfilled life and how EI can be developed.

Daniel Goleman defines Emotional Intelligence as: 'The capacity for recognising our own feelings and those of others , for motivating ourselves, for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships.'

This first definition already begins to reveal how the practice of Karate-do can have an impact on how emotionally intelligent we are. We are all familiar with the feelings that can emerge in a 'stretching' practice, the self-defeating internal dialogue that tries to interfere in our performance and how this internal conversation and the feelings that result can have an impact on our motivation. We are all also aware that if we don't manage these thoughts and emotions we can not control ourselves and the possibility of harmonising and blending with another becomes almost impossible.

Emotional Intelligence is really the combination of 2 parts:

• 'Intra-personal' intelligence - how well I know and can manage myself and
• 'Inter-personal' intelligence - how aware I am of the emotions of others and how intelligent and flexible I can be in modifying my behaviour to influence and build relationships with others.

This idea is explained by the diagram below:

In the practice of Karate-do we learn to be present. When we are present we can be aware of our feelings and states. Our practice teaches us not to be drawn into these states, not to label these feelings and not to focus on them. For example a feeling of 'panic' is not conducive to a relaxed body and an open state of mind! Instead through repetition and experience we learn to control our attention and our bodies to shift our state to one that we 'know' is the most appropriate.

So inherent in our practice is not just self awareness but self management too. This is 'Intrapersonal intelligence' in action. The capacity to recognise what's going on inside and make changes so that we can be more effective in the situation in which we find ourselves.

Our practice also teaches us to connect with others. This requires us to be sensitive to another person, their body, their breathing, their tensions, their movement. We learn to recognise when a person is really there and when they've disappeared inside themselves. We cannot recognise this in others until we can recognise it in ourselves. So our ability to be aware of others is dependent on our ability to be aware of ourselves.

Once we have awareness of ourselves and others and we can manage our emotions and states we are in a strong position to build relationships effectively. To think of it another way, in order to really dance with another person 'my' rhythm has to become 'our' rhythm. I cannot continue to operate from my own internal world and expect to dance elegantly with my partner.

In order to harmonise effectively with another I have to be able to apply my intra-personal and inter-personal intelligence. This intelligence is not a conscious or logical process. It is much more about sensitivity, awareness and flexibility of thought and behaviour, all of which we develop through practice. In order to blend my energy with another I ensure I'm in an open and aware state, I increase my sensitivity to external inputs and maintain a sense of fluidity in my own body. As my partner moves I harmonise with that movement and allow myself to become a part of it. Our energy blends together and attacker and defender become one.

The practice of Karate-do is no doubt a means to improve our emotional intelligence. However, our practice at the Shotokai College is much more than that. it's a means to create something even bigger than you or I, its an opportunity to create a community of learning, sharing and growth.