Advanced Skill Drills of Triatan Sutrisno family Shotokan

Note I had named my program Bushi No Te Isshinryu well prior to my beginning training with Tristan Sutrisno (I got the idea from some of Ginchin Funakoshi's writings.) A bit after I began training with Tristan he decided to form a group with other martial artists to have occasional camps and training sessions to share their arts. He named that organization Bushi No Te, which was a coincidence for my use of the term.

As Sutrisno students advanced towards Shodan he had a series of drill which were complex to execute, to develop advanced skills. I always found them unique to what other programs used as far as I could see.

Today I took a trip back in time to the early 1990’s and a clinic Tristan Sutrisno held for my students in Derry. It’s really eerie how much it was like a personal lesson today.

Tristan was first presenting the basis of his advanced karate movement execution. In his system about 3rd dan there are fundamental changes made to execution of technique for increased speed, along with many other changes such as changing to the old-style fist and reverse breathing (inhaling while striking and exhaling in the reverse order from beginning study).

For this clinic he focused on using kata Taikyoku ShoDan – the basic ‘H’ pattern form.

The essential technique principle behind these drills is to eliminate chambering before technique execution.

He was having our group use Isshinryu technique, not trying to confuse things using Shotokan style technique execution.

[note: while Tristan was really trying to explain where advanced training in his system would begin, the Bushi No Te experience did not follow that path for many reasons. The drills he presented, however, are good ones if the group is advanced to the point where they fit training needs.}

The drills stand by themselves, but the principles that they are being used to study are also very interesting.

Tristan also follows a very old principle of his father’s and teaches using the technique of no technique. He shows a technique once or two times, and then corrects what the student is doing to be more efficient but does not explain what they’re doing isn’t the same as what he shows. I note frequently I’m trying to point this out to the group. Of course it doesn’t work.

The basic rule for a clinic attendee is to first really look at what the feet are doing. If you can get your feet to the same place that is being demonstrated, the rest of the technique tends to flow along. Most people, however, focus on the hands because the hand techniques are closer to their eyes, and as a result different stepping ensues.

So, while teaching (and often more to me than the others) he’s also testing everyone all the time, each and every time. He works to make what they do effective but is not holding anyone’s hands to make sure they got what he was showing.

A challenging experience.

The beginning study advanced drills:

1. The beginning low block does not start with the block beside the ear, instead the hands just explode into the completed block position. The initial use of these blocks was to deflect an attack and this was just initial training, not the full range of what the system of training would do.

This was coupled with a knee release before moving 90 degrees to the side. This lowers the center so your more quickly moving to the blocking position without taking the time to lower the body as you do so.

Then with the punch there is no pull back from the strike, more akin to a thrust.

Turn left with left low block

step with right foot to right punch

Turn 180 to right with a right low block

step with left foot to left punch

turn 90 to left with left low block

step with right and right punch

step with left and left punch

Step with right and right punch

Turn 90 degrees to the left with left low block

Step with right foot to right punch

Turn 180 to right with a right low block

Step with left foot to left punch

turn 90 to left with left low block

step with right and right punch

step with left and left punch

Step with right and right punch

Turn 90 degrees to the left with left low block

Step with right foot to right punch

Turn 180 to right with a right low block

Step with left foot to left punch

The purpose of this drill is to explode into the flow blocks and the strikes.

2. Next he showed his 2nd technique, turning to the left with a left back stance (not in Isshinryu and for those who don’t practice it, it takes some time to get used to) and a left open knife hand strike to the side.

The drill then continued using the ‘H’ pattern kata but it was left back stance and left outside knife hand strike and then step through with right punch

3. Next he demonstrated turning into a front stance with a vertical backfist appearing middle block (again for faster execution than blocking across the body).

This drill continued with the ‘H’ pattern form but used a side kick to the front.

turn 90 degrees to the left into front stance with the vertical backfist side block,

chamber the leg as for a front kick as you raise both hands in a kicking chamber, pivot on the ball of the left foot and throw a side kick to the front, then land in front stance

** continue the “H” pattern kata using that side block and the side kick to the front **

Principle of kicking to the front, Sutrisno style.

Tristan used the rest of the basics training to focus on his front kicking drills.

All of the chambers begin as if a front kick would follow, but in turn he’d throw the front kick, the side kick, the roundhouse kick and the back kick to the front with the correct pivot, and then land in a front stance.

His kicking technique was to mask what kick was coming with the initial chamber as well as mask which type of kick was landing.

These “H” pattern drills are a great kicking workout. This is not kicking for the beginner, but for those wanting to develop one set of advanced kicking skills.

4. The next technique series was shifting 90 degrees to the left in a back stance with an outer knife hand block with the left (right hand in chamber). This was followed by chambering the knee as both hands form kicking chamber, and then pivoting to throw a back kick (striking with the heel) to the front. Finishing by landing in front stance.

5. Turning into a left front stance with an exploding left high block, then shifting into right chamber and finishing with a right roundhouse kick to the front and landing in front stance.

6. Of course this wasn’t enough of a workout, so Tristan made it much more interesting by adding jump front kicks.

Turn 90 to the left with a left front stance and a left low block

shift the left foot back into cat stance as both hands rise for kicking chamber

Left front jump kick followed by a right front jump kick

land in a right front stance keeping both hands in kicking chamber

Turn 180 to the right with a right front stance and a right low block

shift the right foot back into cat stance as both hands rise for kicking chamber

Right front jump kick followed by left front jump kick

land in a left front stance keeping both hands in kicking chamber

Turn 90 to the left with a left front stance and a left low block

shift the left foot back into cat stance as both hands rise for kicking chamber

Left front jump kick followed by a right front jump kick

land in right front stance keeping both hands in kicking chamber

Left jump front kick to stomach

Right jump front kick to head (13-14 are a double front kick sequence)

land in right front stance keeping both hands in kicking chamber.

Turn 270 degrees to the left with a left front stance and a left low block