I was recently
asked, when did Tatsuo start teaching his kumite drills. I know they came from
kihon and kata. I also know most if not all styles teach bunkai and have kumite
drills. I looked through my notes and found this outstanding post which was
written by my then sensei Advincula. Some points are educated guess's but I
believe he's on the money. Both Advincula and Harrill sensei said they should
be taught. I not only teach them I have sent dozens of foks copies. I am an
avocate of them and all teachings of our founder. If I weren't I shouldn't
claim to teach his Isshin ryu.
Where did Shimabuku Tatsuo Sensei get his
kumite from?
If we look at photos of Motobu Choki performing kumite against an opponent, we
can see two or three techniques that are found in Shimabuku's kumite. Motobu
breaking from a rear bear hug by grabbing his opponents testicles is similar to
what Shimabuku taught. So is the technique from naihanchi kata where one
punches to the side, but this technique comes from standard bunkai used in all
branches that have naihanchi kata.
Shimabuku taught bunkai or application of each technique in kata. Most of the
techniques in his kumite come from the bunkai found in kihon or kata. Shimabuku
when he was teaching me his kumite often said that some of his kumite was to
counter a grappling technique used in judo or jujutsu. He would say, Judo man
do this, karate man do this and show the counter.
I learned all his kumite on my first tour of duty on Okinawa.
If you look in the Photo album Kumite, you will see me perform them in Okinawa,
29 Palms, Mississippi. This is what I did at all of the demo's we had on
Okinawa. You can see one photo of Charles Connors and John Desantis practicing
Shimabuku's kumite on Okinawan beach. I was the one who taught them
Shimabuku’s kumite. Look at photo 26, this photo was taken the same time
where I perform it on my practice partner Kiaha. He was the one who I used as a
uke at all the demos we had. In the same frame, you see Connors using a
variation of the same technique on Kiaha. Look at the photo of Shimabuku
performing the toe ripping kick from Sunsu kata and me performing with one of
my students at 29 Palms, CA. Tatsuo is doing the toe ripping kick in Agena dojo
circa 1957 or 58, and I am doing it in that photo around 1967. Look at the last
photo and we can see Shimabuku doing the second toe rip kick from Sunsu on Don
Nagle around 1966. In photo 10, this technique also comes from Sunsu kata.
Photo 11 is a break from a right hand wrist hold, photo 12 is me performing a
leg swoop against a right kick and counter with a palm-heel strike on Dave
Zaslow around 1963 on Okinawa. Photo 13 is Tokumura Kensho performing a
variation of the leg swoop. Tokumura was also a student of Shimabuku on my
first two tours of duty on Okinawa during 1958-1961.
Photo 22 shows
Motobu performing a technique like the one we use in Wansu kata. Photo 25 shows
a counter against a Judo smother hold. Photo 21 Motobu shows a technique
similar to what we use in Chinto or Sunsu kata.
So most of Shimabuku’s kumite come from bunkai out of kata. How much
influence he got from Motobu in his kumite would only be speculation. One thing
we know for sure, is from Ciso, who said, that his father had told him that
Motobu told him he should open a dojo. As we know, WW2 kept Shimabuku from
opening a dojo until 1946. The rest is history.
The kumite was the last thing on the list to learn. The reason most never
learned them and the reason so many people are not teaching application
Shimabuku taught in kata. From what I see, most of the Shimabuku’s kumite
came from kihon, kata, to form his kumite. The three K’s. Kihon, kata and
kumite as one.
My answer is, Shimabuku got most of his kumite from kihon and kata. Some we
know, came from bunkai from kata he no longer taught. There is one technique
that is found in naihanchi nidan, and you know, we do not have that kata in
isshin-ryu today. AJA
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