Isshinryu Kotekitae

 

There was another white belt who used to show up an hour before class. We used that time to train together. We would first work the charts, then we worked on something else we were shown. The body hardening drills. First we the arm and body striking partner drill called as we understood it “Toe Tiki Tie” which today I recognize as Kote Kitae (of which their variable spellings).  The set of arm and body striking was to learn how to have the body tighten when struck. Allowing the body, in effect, to strike back against a blow.

The 2-person drill began slow but with each repetition of the drill we would strike harder and harder, learning how to deal with the pain of being struck back.

Along with that drill there were other drills to accomplish the same thing. There was taking roundhouse kicks with the top of the foot into the abdomen (for beginners we learned to hold your back hand in front of the groin (as beginners often could not kick high enough. Another version involved holding your back hand against your ribs for a side kick into your ribs. Both of those drills had the same purpose allowing you to get used to taking a kick.

In time for me it worked. I remember one class I was working with Dennis Lockwood and we were showing a new group of beginners how the drill functioned. 

Well, working with one of my instructors I was not going to back down. We began the drill. And slowly increased the power in our strikes. Then Dennis realized I was not going to back down and he increased the power of his strikes. I did not back down and went toe to toe with him. Eventually we finished another round, and he slapped his hands together and exclaimed “STOP” which I did. I felt I had accomplished something that day.

The two-person drill

Kotekitae

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkFZ9KEchNE

The two drills used by Lewis Sensei, I've never seen anywhere else. One was for single person practice and the other was for partner practice.

The two-person drill, with both people facing each other in Seiunchin Dachi, hands in chamber on both hips, they are simultaneously executing this pattern. [note the area to strike on the opponent is as you are looking at them. The direction 'right pec or right pectoral' refers to their left pectoral from the opponent’s point of view, and the right is from your point of view.]

1. Right mid-inside strike

2. Continuing with the right, right lower strike

3. continuing with the right, right mid-outer strike

4. Left mid-inside strike

5. continuing with the Left Left lower strike

6. continuing with the Left, Left mid-outer strike

7. right vertical strike to the opponent’s upper right pec.

8. left vertical strike to the opponents' upper left pec.

9. right flat knuckle slap (with the palm side of the knuckles) to

the side of the opponent's abdomen.

10. left flat knuckle slap (with the palm side of the knuckles) to the

side of the opponent's abdomen.

11. right vertical strike to the opponents lower right abdomen.

12. left vertical strike to the opponents lower left abdomen.

- ** Repeat again

CAUTION, do not strike on the opponent’s centerline. Your body strikes are to the large muscle masses of the pectorals, the side of the abdomen or the lower abdomen.

We were also instructed in a single person conditioning drill, as well as used abdominal kicking with top of the foot roundhouse kicks to develop the ability to take kicking impact.

Training with a partner, start off soft and up the power each time through, till you and/or your partner reach their limit. In time you'll be surprised how far that limit extends.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9-MR889SUo

Charles Murray demonstrating the single person drill from Lewis Sensei’s program.

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Prior blog posts on Isshinryu Kotekitae

https://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2009/01/kotekitae-art-to-isshinryu-body.html

https://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2013/08/kotekitae-kotikitate.html

https://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2016/10/kotekitae-kotekitae-kotekitae.html\

https://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2009/01/kotekitae-art-to-isshinryu-body.html