Knee Release Progress Report – Memorial Day 2001

 

Spending the weekend with a bad knee strain, I've been thinking on my research into the knee release this past week. Apparently I've stumbled on something which has been relatively undocumented. Such that those who address this haven't been going out of their way to let the rest of us in on it. Not that I find this surprising, for I believe most of the important areas of martial study are undocumented for public consumption. Frankly this is what I live for, to try and gain a new layer of understanding gaining a little more depth into my art. I've been discussing this on my own discussion group, Bunkai Unlimited, and also with the Koshi-People Discussion Group. I think it might be helpful to summarize the content of this research to date. First off I wish to state I'm keeping this focused on the one aspect of the knee release. Frankly in all of these studies, there are many other valuable items to consider and I expect we'll continue to discuss them as this study progresses, but I suggest them as spin off discussions at this time. I also believe we may work up a better set of terminology than knee release as we progress, be it Japanese or something more descriptive in English, too. Initilization of the Process March 2001, Sherman Harrill at a clinic in Rhode Island, made some general comments regarding use of the knees to generate power. He also presented an interesting application for a section of kata Wansu. In April when I was working on that Bunkai, I discovered by applying a knee release, I was rotating myself naturally into the technique without body shifting. I then shared my findings with the Bunkai group. Contributions Rich Boyden discussed how an aikijutsu instructor demonstrated knee relaxing punching for a relaxed effortless punch. He discussed how the knee release ("yurumu") action was also used to reverse a shiho nage, as well as how Oyata Sensei used this motion to crank up a joint lock. Rich also suggested similar technique may be viewed in Bob Orlando's "Indonesian Fighting Fundamentials" (Panther Video). Hank Prohm, also suggested the knee release was being used as a `Force Multiplier'. Another friend who practices Daito Ryu and a related system of kenjutsu, suggests that they spend 90% of their time working on this. That Wado Ryu's founder Ostsuka Hironori in his book `Wado-Ryu Karate' show shift as part of Pinan #1 when he says "Sink Your Weight". He also suggested in Daito Ryu they also use a unique body alignment with the sinking knees to generate more shocking power in their strikes. Joe Swift then threw out a translation of a book by Aragaki Kiyoshi "Okinawa Budo Karate No Gokui" where he based the book on the "Kuden" (oral transmission) that he received on Okinwan Karate as a young man. He discussed "Hiza wo Kuku" (releasing the knees) to generate power while moving instead of pushing off of the back foot. Will Bill Johnson (from Koshi People) made worthy suggestions about practicing slowly and safely, as the counter and counter of counter potential can quickly drop your uke. He also suggested the term ofr the spiraling descending power is `uzimaki', and the application of the knee release to locks was `jugoku otoshi (drop to hell) where the lock is applied in conjunction with a weight displacement and the power is applied right at point of broken balance. George Donahue (Kyoshi People) discussed the need for correct alignment to avoid self injury, and increasing the force generated. He also suggests watching Oshiro Toshihiro in his "Uchanidi" video tapes. My current research suggests the following, too. 1. I've been long aware long term practice allows the body to naturally relax in a technique, causing the center to drop and the power generated will increase. Frankly I'm stunned it never occurred to me that you can assist this development with the knee release, too. 2. Ernie Rothrock, teaching my students a very small piece of the Eagle Claw Principles last year stressed dropping the knees when applying the eagle claw locks. Unfortunately that went no further in my/our thinking at that time. 3. The use of knee release in our kata will be a further source of study as time progresses. 4. The only documentation I seem to have found comes from Gozo Shioda's "Total Aikido", where he describes something like the knee bending when generating a move forward. Not necessarily the same as we've been discussing, but worthy of further study. 5. The fact I haven't found such documentation regarding Judo and Baguazhang, arts I suspect as well as Aikido which must use this principal too, does not mean it is not present. This is an area for further study. 6. I know this is present in my Tai Chi studies, too. I've been unable to locate similar references in my tai chi library, but I'm still searching here too. In fact, from open to close, the knee release is present 100% of the time, and it is how tai chi movement generates. Pushing Hands drills stress this in correct power generation and neutralization practice. Summation of Knee Release Options for Study My group then took these suggestions and ran with it. A simple synopsis would be we are further investigating: 1. How the knee release is used to generate more offensive power. 2. How the use of the knee release generates torso rotation to generate offensive power. 3. How the use of the knee release generates torso rotation to generate defensive placement. 4. How the use of the knee release becomes a force multiplier to crank up a lock or takedown. 5. How the use of the knee release can counter strikes, locks and takedowns. 6. How the use of the knee release can counter counters. One thing I have noticed, finding my way through this body of material, its easy to become a kid loose in a candy store. Especially in the defensive counter and counter-counter knee release we're most likely dropping too far (perhaps 2 or 3 inches), having fun with this knowledge. I surmise as we advance this study, we will find a lesser drop will suffice, and allow us to move into our follow-up faster. We are beginning at looking at an Aikido Linking Drill we use to practice various Aikido locks, also as an Aikido countering exercise. We are working at softly applying and countering these techniques, learning how to feel the correct drop for countering application. I expect as we progress we will study kata Bunkai along with the potential of using the knee release as a potential counter of same. I find it interesting how little has been written describing countering locks. Dr. Yang did some of this in his Chin Na Instructors Manual, and there is an Aikido book describing Tomari Aikido (purple cover) which goes into explicit countering of the techniques taught (perhaps consistent with Tomari's aikido free sparring). But as shown, the release of the knee does not appear to be the principle they are using. It seems to me we're working with a fundamental underlying principle of the arts. A target (offensive or defensive) presents a sphere of opportunity to move against. Any technique is most effective perhaps on one plane that touches/intersects that sphere. Defensively if you release the knees you drop yourself out of the attackers plane of opportunity, making their efforts less effective. Offensively to make the available plane work for you, you need to 1) be quicker on the attack to effectuate your movement before they can respond or 2) you need to be able to adjust yourself (through your own counter knee release) to maintain that plane of opportunity as their sphere changes location. Now isn't that a mouthful. But, it might explain why some Okinawan's I've seen perform kata do so incredibly quickly. The issue is the same with striking, and speed is of fundamental importance. Sure I'm borrowing on the concept of the Dynamic Sphere of Westbrook and Ratti, but I believe this is a different manner than which they use it. The further I look the larger this topic becomes. I look forward in you joining the research and helping define this more fully in the future.

 

"Hiza wo Nuku" (Releasing the Knees)  Joe Swift translation

Aragaki Sensei says that modern karate movement, especially the
mainland Japanese styles, use the knees and legs incorrectly when
moving. He states that most use the back leg to "kick" or push off the
ground in an effort to move forward. This is akin to the human action
of running or jumping.

Old Okinawa karate, however, does not do this, he says. Instead, they
"release the knee" (i.e. relax the knee) of the front leg. When one
does this, one will naturally fall forward. In order to compensate
this falling momentum, the back leg naturally steps forward, and
viola, you have the forward stepping motion. The idea is to use the
natural gravitational effects to "pull" you forward. This is akin to
our natural everyday walking style. He goes on to say that one can
also use this idea to move backwards, on angles, and even side to side
(as in Naifuanchi). One of the advantages of this movement principle
is quicker movement with less telegraphing.

 

Sepai kata by Sensei Aragaki

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfOn3ZR825E

 

From Wikipedia

 

Arakaki Seishō (新垣 世璋, 1840–1918) was a prominent Okinawan martial arts master who influenced the development of several major karate styles.^[1][2][3] He was known by many other names, including Aragaki Tsuji Pechin Seisho.^[4]

 

Arakaki was famous for teaching the kata (patterns) Unshu, Seisan, Shihohai, Sōchin, Niseishi, and Sanchin (which were later incorporated into different styles of karate), and weapons kata Arakaki-no-kun, Arakaki-no-sai, and Sesoku-no-kun.^[3]

 

While Arakaki did not develop any specific styles himself, his techniques and kata are obvious throughout a number of modern karate and kobudo styles.^[1][3] His students included Higaonna Kanryō, founder of Naha-te; Chōjun Miyagi (宮城 長順), founder of Gōjū-ryū; Funakoshi Gichin, founder of Shotokan; Uechi Kanbun, founder of Uechi-ryū; Kanken Tōyama, founder of Shūdōkan; Mabuni Kenwa, founder of Shitō-ryū; and Chitose Tsuyoshi, founder of Chitō-ryū.^[1][2]

Some consider Chitō-ryū the closest existing style to Arakaki's martial arts,^[3] while others have noted that Arakaki's descendants are mostly involved with Gōjū-ryū.^[1]