Tuesday, June 23, 2020

My personal Sanchin kata study


The recent talk about Sanchin brings to mind the Sanchin kata I learned in Isshinryu.

 

As I was taught it, it was the last empty hand Isshinryu kata taught (out of our 8 kata). It was done with intense tension and breathing. But in those days none of our kata were discussed  as being answers for attacks. We were trained under a different and effective paradigm.

 

When I began my questioning about what kata technique could be used for, I placed no limits on which kata I would use for technique study. I simply in time addressed all of them.

 

I was training with a quite talented instructor in Shotokan, which does not contain Sanchin. Effectiveness of a system is not locked to the idea Sanchin is the key. There are different and effective paths.

 

One evening in a discussion with him and his students, I tried to make a case that Sanchin technique also could be a source for defense.

 

He literally went off on me, insisting Sanchin was for training and not for usage.

 

Of course that only made me more aware that I would whittle away at the uses for Sanchin.

 

But at the same time my other studies in t’ai chi chaun were hitting an obstacle over my Sanchin practice. The breathing with Sanchin did not work while I was learning t’ai chi chaun. I was not attempting them at the same time.

 

I hit on a personal solution and at the time I was only training youth, what I did was place my intense Sanchin practice on the back burner, and only continue soft sanchin for myself. Later when I had learned my t’ai chi chaun I learned how to separate the different breathing in my life and I returned Sanchin to how I had learned it.

 

Roll forward a few years, now I had an adult program, and a Uechi brown belt who had joined my program shared his Uechi Sanchin and Ueichi Seiean kata with me.

 

I quickly realized that the Uechi Sanchin gave me a clearer energy release in my techniques. The Uechi version as felt by me.

 

However I compartmentalized it  for myself alone.

 

Then forward many years. It finally came to me to blend each of those Sanchin kata together. I was doing so only for myself.

 

For my dan students their Sanchin remained as they were taught and as Charles Murray was frequently in the area for work, I placed their Sanchin in his hands.

 

So my Isshinryu Sanchin kata was modified.

 

1 It was performed full speed (not slow)

2 It was performed with natural breathing (not hard breathing.

3 I shifted my Sanchin strikes to strikes using the natural Isshinryu fist

 

The energy release became fantastic for me. Perhaps from decades of work on my t’ai chi chaun had sensitized me. In any case personally I was hooked.

 

I also found using my tai chi technique was a superior way to bust up an attack.

 

I did not film my self using Sanchin to disrupt all sorts of attacks. I wasn’t doing it for that,

 

Much later after my disabilities started manifesting themselvs I did film myself doing the form.

 

Here is I doing my Sanchin practice, alongside  Charles Murray doing his.
 
 

We were doing this to demonstrate the differences not to show our full practice..

 

 

 

 

1980 in Tampa Florida



Charlie Murray

Back in 1980 my good friend 'and now noted Karate authority Master Victor Smith visited me in Tampa Florida for training.
 
Vic was and is an extremely dedicated Martial Artist.
 
Of course I am blushing at this memory.

A bit of what I have learned.

 
 
 
Just a small point, I realize how little about the martial arts
I really know.
 
I have been fortunate to have associated with so many superior instructors over my years.
 
Each of them far exceeding whatever I had, I have just tried to keep my mind open and keep learning, that is the truth to this day.
 
I also have been fortunate to have had students who also exceeded my own poor abilities.
 
I am forever walking in the shadow all of them cast.

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

The Bushi No Te Isshinryu Gojushiho Source


This is a study in individual derivation of a kata.
 
The Gojushiho kata which our instructors practice

came from the Gojushiho of Tristan Sutrisno.

He taught it to them, then never ending practice begins.

                                                                                         

Tristan Sutrisno Gojushiho

 

 

 

 

His student Dave Piehota

 

 

 

 

Young Lee (Bushi No Te Isshinryu)

 

 

 

Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Just a touch of Tjimande in the Air


 



Among my various studies was I received some instruction on the Sutrisno Family version of the art of Tjimande. Not that I know much, but everything I was shown was extremely effective. As a result of that I saved many of the Indonesian martial arts articles I encountered.

 

I was looking through an old notebook holding hard copy of articles I had saved on the various Indonesian Martial Arts.  A number of those articles were  showing the Tjimande of RUDY TER LINDEN . What struck me this morning was how one of those articles applications could also be applied to a section of my Chinto kata.

 

I believe those articles were from a time before YouTube, I don’t ever recall looking into whatever YouTube video’s he had available.

 

My search found a variety of short videos showing him teach his students some Tjimande applications. They are each short but the material is well presented.

 

I am just showing one of those videos and prepared a series of screen prints showing one of the applications presented on those videos.

 
 




My screen prints of one technique series.
 






















 


 
Among the available videos of Rudy Ter Linden are:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Monday, June 15, 2020

Hyakujo



A monk asked Hyakujo, 'What is the most wonderful thing in life?
Hyakujo replied, "Sitting alone on top of the great Taiyu mountain."
As the monk bowed, Hyakujo... struck him.

This is a zen kohan, and the answers aren't necessarily anything you can logic out. I believe the classical understanding would be why are you bowing you should be booking for that mountain top, if you were enlightened.

Sunday, June 14, 2020

A long, long time ago, in a distant land….. All good stories should start that way.



 



 The other day I was reading Mark Tankosich’s paper “Karate Ni Sente Nashi” and was entranced by the story about Choki Motobu. Reading that story triggered a long lost thought of mine about me in another time.

 

When I studied Isshinryu we did not get lessons about Okinawan karate past. There was never enough time for our studies for that. Our karate studies were very focused on using our karate  with the opponent standing in front of us.

 

Then several years went by, I had been reading karate magazines (the internet of that day) and had picked up some information about Okinawan martial history.


Of course I did not know then what I know better today. And in those tender years, I tended to believe everything written in those magazines. (o’ those days of lost innocence.)

 

So what I understood has little to do with the actual Okinawan history, with a huge boost from my imagination.

 

I knew there were the current practices of karate, and a foggy idea that there was a karate before that time. I had no idea what the actual history was.

 

I knew Okinawa was conquered by Japan, and some idea karate was preserved for self defense. My imagination supplied the rest. I imagined that the conquerors were hanging around everywhere.

 

What I worked out is that the best way to make karate work was to look like everyone else. Give out no tells of what you were capable of. Then you could walk past your oppressor not appearing you were going to do anything.

 

This would allow you to strike where they weren’t looking, towards their back. For I had worked out the best answer was to strike from behind where they were not looking.

 

This is not far different from what Motobu Choki had done.

 

As time passed and I learned ever so much more about matters martial I never forgot that thought.
 

So strikes hardened on the makiwara accompanied with correct alignment, with all the possible force enhancers are among the ways such a strike to the rear could do even more damage. (I have only suggested one answer where there a whole infinity of possible answers.

 

Of course I did not teach this, for I wasn’t interested at creating individuals who would study methods of attack. And what an individual is shown as an answer how a technique should be used, it normally takes great effort so see any other answer for their studies.

 

The history was skewered but the inherent principle I worked out remains as sound today as then.

 

Striking below the opponent event horizon.




Friday, June 12, 2020

Those Okinawan's without karate were not defenseless


It might be that Okinawan's

without karate did not miss what they did not have.
 


 

 

 

I said here boy is my saifa posture correct

 
I said here boy is my saifa posture correct
boy listen when i speaking to you boy!
 


Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Those Were the Days my Friend

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


You Better Step Aside..

 
 
 
I still cast a giant shadow when I go out.
 
 As Tenessee Ernie Ford sang,
 
"If you see me coming, better step aside,
a lotta men didn't and a lot of men ****"