Required
Reading : http://ameblo.jp/motoburyu/entry-12235547341.html
It will help to better understand what Motobu taught.
Now I am as dense as anyone. I first saw this video 20 or more years ago, as a copy of the Japanese original.
Almost since that time I could have broken them down with screen
captures. This is something I just realized and doing so made me think more
closely about what they show.
But
having seen many videos of the Motobu Kumite, as well as various books,
Japanese reprints as well as several English versions, I ignored there is a
real difference between seeing something and knowing something.
According
to the Motobu people, there are approximately 50 Yaksuoku Kumite taught by
Motobu. In the books he published there were a dozen or so. Representative
enough to describe his karate, but never close to the whole thing either.
At
some level the idea is similar to what Shimabuku Tatsuo did developing his own
kumite for Isshinryu.
Even
though a small number they say a lot about what Motobu Choiki felt should be
shared with students.
Here
are some observations I make about what is shown. They are in no particular
order. I have included some of the sayings Attributed to Motobu Sensei.
3. Observing the attack begins is critical. Almost immediately the counter/attack is entered. Moving into the attacker dynamically.
Motobu
explained 13. One cannot use continuous attacks against true karate. That is
because the blocks of true karate make it impossible for the opponent to launch
a second attack.
From
the Motobu sayings. 1. Everything is natural, and changing. 6. In a real confrontation, more than anything
else one should strike to the face first, as this is the most effective. 17. When fighting a boxer, it is better to go
with his flow, and take up a rhythm with both of your hands.
8.”Karate IS Sente” (Here, sente means the initiative, or the first
move. c.f. Karate ni Sente Nashi – there is no first move in karate).
19. It
is OK to take two steps forward or back in the same kamae, but over three
steps, one must change the position (facing) of their guard.
Motobu
also said; 7. Kicks are not all that
effective in a real confrontation.
I
believe this caution was meant not to overemphasize kicking.
Note
Motobu said:16. When punching to the face, one must thrust as if punching through to
the back of the head.
7. Even attacks from the rear are openings to attack.
More
Motobu - 5. One must develop the ability to deflect an attack even from
behind.
Again
Motobu: 12. The blocking hand must be
able to become the attacking hand in an instant. Blocking with one hand and
then countering with the other is not true bujutsu. Real bujutsu presses
forward and blocks and counters in the same motion. 11. One must always try and block the attack
at its source (i.e. block not the attacking hand, but deeper on the arm). 9.
The position of the legs and hips in Naifuanchin no Kata is the basics of
karate.
9. Knowing is not enough. Practicing with different partners of different sizes and shapes to develop skills at reading different types of attackers.
Motobu
adds: 3. One must
develop the ability to read how much striking power any person has in one
glance.
Other
Motobu saying of importance:
4. One does not have to take care to block every
single attack by an opponent with weak striking power.
20. When I fought the foreign boxer in Kyoto, he was taller than me
so I jumped up and punched him in the face. This is effective against people
who are taller than you.
I
close with what may be seen as Motobu Choiki’s last wore on all things.
18. It is necessary to drink alcohol and pursue other fun human activities.
The art (i.e. karate) of someone who is too serious has no “flavour.”
Further thoughts on the Motobu Karate
Further thoughts on the Motobu Karate
Looking
at the Motobu contributions about what was karate in the past, the first things
that strikes me is how much he did share with us.
For
one thing, when we look at his Naifanchi Shodan kata, we see something
different from what many have seen.
The
kata was a live tool for the practitioners of the Motobu system.
It
appears simple, but they study it either beginning to the right, and also
beginning to the left. Of course the kata itself changes direction ½ way
through the kata. But doing it in differing directions you a help the mind not to
assume a fixed attitude toward the kata.
Then
the section of the kata in application are not fixed either.
For
one thing stepping in the kata, can be an opening for kicking. Something not
seen with the standard kata performance.
Then
the moves are studied for an entire range of possible application. One movement
section may have a half dozen answers, and don’t make assumptions there are not
more. What is being shown is more than a fixed number of applications, rather
that the movement opens many potentials. Again work to not assume a fixed
attitude about what a movement may be used for.
While
not as many possibilities are shown for subsequent movements of the form, the
statement the opening section is used for suggests there are more.
Anther
thing is that what is being shown are movements to be used on an attack coming
straight on towards you. The applications are not bound from attacks from the
side. Again this makes sense as most attacks would be coming right at you. Of
course that does not preclude using those sections against attacks coming from
any direction. Just you would change your orientation to face that attack with
your answer.
But the system Motobu does not just consist of
kata and its applications. There is also the Motobu Kumite.
Where
those within that tradition may have 50 or so kumite for training, We are fortunate
to have had Mobobu’s own example of 12 or so of them.
So
apparently there also was a tradition of these Kumite, showing a different tradition
from the kata. Involving an entire range of options, and this training was used
as the tool to teach them.
We
have also been blessed that the Motobu Choiki oral tradition has been
saved. Suggesting how what was shown
should be used.
If
anything I see a much richer tradition than I had previously seen.
I
look forward to learning more.
An even more observation comes to me, this juxtaposition of the
Motobu Naifanchi (includine the applications shown in this video) and the
Motobu Kumite raises some new observations.
Namely that the older karate may not have depended on just kata as
the source of the art. There seems to be a rational case, that traditions such
as the Motobu Kumite are also an important part of the karate transmission.
One can assume there was much more to the karate of the past that
was shared that was not kata, too.
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