A long time ago
I spent a lot of time considering that there was a core Seisan kata. Perhaps
best expressed as a “Seisan-ness”.
I looked at
Seisan (Sesan and variant spellings) from many perspectives.
3. Uechi Seisan
4, Shorin Seisan
5. Shotokan Hangetsu
Considering that
there might have been a Seisan Prime which all might be linked to.
Of course
Logical Analysis only goes so far, and in and of itself is never ‘proof’.
But back when
the internet was new to me, I discussed the possibility many places, and found
some interest in the idea.
Then I proposed
a clinic to discuss the idea from several perspectives, and found a few in New
England were interested. I put the following clinic together, these are my
notes for that clinic.
The clinic was a
one off, more for myself to pull some things I was working on together.
I realized most
would not retain much because of the technique of no technique. They were not
my students, but I still hoped this would prove useful to them.
Now this later
day, I still believe it is interesting, and I follow with a blog post and a
video that I made several years later. Some of this is seen there too.
SEISAN KATA CLINIC
First demonstrations of various Seisan
Kata,
Both from my experience, and what others
did too.
My Basic Theories of Application
Analysis
(or ways to consider what any technique means)
First explain the difference between using
The internal line of defense and the external line
of defense.
1. Basic
Application Study – a method to introduce the new student to a reason
Techniques in kata could
be used.
2. Kakushite
– Hidden strikes not seen in the kata.
(eg, a strike that folds the elbow to become an
elbow strike)
3. Hidden
Hand – Sutrisno style applications studies
which have nothing to do with the kata per sae.
More a mnemonic to remember the application string
of techniques.
4. My own effort of logical analysis
Discussion
of how Tai Chi Chaun techniques could be applied
for the first section of the Yang 24 (from Dr. Yang
Jwing-Ming)
1. Every movement could be seen as
striking Pressure Points
2. Every movement could be seen as
Locking (Chin Na)
3. Every movement could be seen as a
Take down
Isshinjitsu
(a theory I developed to explain how kata technique could be used)
Each Block can be followed by a lock which can be
followed with a strike
Which can be
followed by a take down.
I would refer to this as
a method of Movement Flow Analysis
Take the
Next Step (my theory) where after each technique the following step of
A kata would be used as
a take down. You control what the kata technique consists of.
(ie. Starting in the
middle of a ‘movement’ to conclude in the middle of the following
movement.)
Angular
Displacement
The kata technique does
not change, rather you shift to perform the
Movement say on a 20
degree across the line of the attack.
Examples of
Sherman Harrill Analysis I had experienced
Those theories
of application study were explained.
Drill Studies
1. Left Foot
Forward then Left strike (Block)
a. LFF Left Side block
i. Right Foot Forward
(internal line of defense) with a Right Punch (options)
Strike into
the Arm.
Strike with
the middle knuckle into the biceps
Strike into
the tip of the shoulder
Strike to
the head with a back fist
ii. Right Foot Forward
(external line of defense)
and a Right
Punch then the right foot sweeps their
leg
turning into a levered take down
iii. Left Foot Forward
(internal line of defense)
Shifting 20 degreEs across the line of attack and
deliver a right
Back fist to
the head.
iv. Left Foot
Forward (external line of defense)
followed by a left punch
Striking
into the attacking arm
Striking
into the armpit
Striking
into the ribs
3. Left Foot
Forward then Left Strike (block)
a. Above with the addition of a
Reverse Punch
i. Isshinryu Thrust
Punch
ii. Isshinryu Snap Punch
iii. Shotokan Twisting
Punch
b. Shifting
20 degrees across the attacking arm for all of the above
Principle of Angular
Displacement
(from Fire Dance
by Steve Barnes)
Movement
forward is faster than movement backward
But shifting
20 degrees shifts you out of his attack.
“that this comes from a book of fiction does not
make it wrong”
The vertical strike (punch) excels
when the ridge of knuckles is used as the
primary striking object.
3. Left Foot
Forward Left Side Strike (Block) Right Reverse Punch
a. Right Foot Forward Right Front
Stance (Isshinryu)
b. Right Side Strike (block) Right Foot Forward Right Front Stance (Shotokan)
Principle of Take the Next Step
Every
kata application just using the following lower body motion as part
of the technique application (almost
always involves a takedown/throw)
For example: (Isshinryu version)
The Attacker steps Right
Foot Forward with a Right Punch
1. Shift 20
degrees and the left arm side strikes the attacking arm
The the right vertical strike to the solar
plexus
2. Step
Right foot forward in Seisan, the fook stepping used
as a
sweep to their right leg as the foot is placed down.
3. As they drop take the following left foot forward
step to break
their
elbow as you have retained control of their arm as they fell
breaking
their arm.
I concluded showing a several technique
analyses of Sherman Harrill
All
working against an attacker stepping in with their Right Forward and throwing a
right punch.
1. (interior line of
defense)
Left hand parries the punch, while the right
hand strikes behind
the
elbow (bending the arm). The left arm
circles clockwise,
rolling the arm over to the right. This locks the
attackers arm
And opens the attacker up for a right punch to the
face
(becoming a rolling takedown,
2. (interior line of defense)
Right hand punches across the attackers arm
while the left hand Punches
into the attacker’s right side (low).
Then you left strike their arm with a
right backfist
(or
their jaw/body or the attacker’s left arm.. whatever you chose)
Conclude with a right reverse punch. [timing 1,2
and 3]
3. (exterior line of defense)
Right punch to the jaw, then turn their neck for
a takedown
4. (exterior line of defense)
Right punch into the thigh resulting in a charly
horse for a
take down.
The
purpose of this clinic was more on principles I was using for application
analysis. It was not designed to go into the greater study which is movint
towards martial application realization. That is something else all together.
The
analysis and understanding a movements application potential is just that.
But
everything sharts somewhere.
This video explains a bit of some of what I have
seen as the soft side of Isshinryu.
I know you have
seen karate as having soft and hard.
I recognize the
force and power within our strikes and kicks.
However there is
much more, IMO, and I am sure everyone knows more than I do, but I have seen
very little of it being demonstrated.
Now, to me, soft
not without power, fluffy like a cloud. Rather soft is using the flow of the
technique to end an attack. It uses great force, but perhaps in more subtle
ways than the hard side. And the force is not from percussive force, rather
from redirecting their attack and using other ways to end it.
In part my study
of Tai Chi, Tjimande and Aikido opened my eyes to what was also possible, then
I looked to the Isshinryu kata in a
different way.
The first key is
intense work on your kata, paying particular attention to the force enhancement
of breathing, body alignment, stepping and movement flow analysis. Becomig
aware how rotation of the opponents neck and limbs can work with the kata movements
too.
Using the first
1/ of Seisan kata I demonstrate:
1.How
take the next step completes a defense.
2.
How shifting 20 degrees increases the effectiveness of a movement
3.
That a double rising block deflects a strike and the stop hit to the face each create a space to work, then taking the
next step and turning downs the attacker.
4.
How isn’t the exterior line of defense with the movement from the kata moves the attach
allows the next step to down the attacker, by forcing their neck to rotate and further
enhanced by shifting further.
5.
A more unusual application from the ‘Seisan arm break’.
Just a few
considerations of a much larger body of knowledge.
Not superior
just a tool allowing appropriate choice for the attack.
No comments:
Post a Comment