Mario McKenna visits Derry, NH

  

One week Mario McKenna was visiting friends in Massachusetts and found himself free for a day. He contacted me and I drove down to Cambridge and picked him up for a visit to me for the day. 

 

After taking him   to my home, lunch and watching some martial video together I took him over to the Boys and Girls Club to let us have a bit of a workout. Of course it was the hottest day of the year, as as the club was closed there was no ail conditioning that day. But we did not let that stop us. Here are my notes of that day.


1. Asking whether we do To-ki-tie  I and Michael demonstrated the Lewis/ Isshinryu version.  Mario’s opinion – this was the most advanced version he’s seen.

NO Tomari No Rohai
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_w9qwWi1Dw
 

2. Watching my Tomari Rohai Mario explained that I turned it into an Isshinryu version – something expected of course.


  a. First for the initial section this group actually uses a rolling hip pull back and thrust forward on two different planes.  Mario demonstrated how to do this and explained how in 10 years never really got it down. Essentially the hip rolls in two planes during the execution. As the hand pulls back the hip pulls back and the rolling thrust of the hip forward occurs before the strike is completed (sort of an add on force of the koshi movement).


 b. For the initial strike, the open hand (fingers raised goes out) and then must fold to an initial knuckle strike that goes straight inward, finally rolls to strike downward.


 c. For the Step Back to crane stance. First the right forearm rolls into an inner block, and then the hands separate to the high low block. The right rolls in and then down as one motion. IMO very Chinese as you’re using the drawing rolling inward motion do draw the attacker forward, then sweep them aside with
the separated hands block.


 d. Following the Step Back, you have the simultaneous Stomp – Press Down and Throat grab/strike. With the throat grab the lead hand must strike sideways (sort of an eagle claw throat grab) instead of the palm strike to the jaw I was doing.


 e. For the vertical open hand parry, first parry, then clearly press down and grab (an arm from above), and only then throw the uppercut strike into the lower ribs. These movements must be kept distinct.


 f. On the forms ending after the crescent kick, when the left foot draws back the right open palm comes into the right forearm, and a rolling crane strike (an arm break) similar to Goju Sanseiryu / Supreimpe ending.

Gohakukai Tomari Rohai
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8elbtgefTQ
 

3. Toon Seisan Kata (toe-on pronouncation).

 a. Mario first ran the Toon Seisan

 b. Then he focused on the leg technique done in four directions
   i.  First lunge forward (and leaning forward) with a double hooking strike into the opponents ribs.
   ii. Chamber both hand  (retain the lean)

   iii.Raise the entire front leg as a unit (retaining the lean)

   iv. Then Stomp the entire leg down in a forward driving motion (check the .avi to verify if there is a double punch or not too)

   v.  Mario then proceeded to demonstrate it as a smash into Michael’s leg dropping him. It can target the lower leg or the inside of the hip.
   vi. Mario mentioned this application was somewhat similar to Isshinryu’s pawing SunNuSu kick.


 
4. Mario demonstrated two bo forms and a tonfa (hama higa).
He agreed with me Chantan Yara No Sai was likely all anyone needed.

5. My son Michael demonstrated
 a. Bando Stick (1/2)  - I then demonstrated the complete form
 b. Seisan Kata
 c. Lung Le Kuen
 d. Nijushiho   I then demonstrated the Sutrisno Nijushiho Bunkai.

6. I demonstrated
 a. Chosen No Kama Dai (Sutrison origin)
 b. Shi Shi No Kon No Dai (Isshinryu)
 c. Chia Fa (Isshinryu)
 e. Tanto Drills (Sutriosn orign)

7. Specifically Mario was able to review
 a. Ernest Rothrock/Fred video
 b. Tris Sutrison video’s
 c. Sherman Harrill Video’s

8. I presented him with a copy of the Yamaguchi Goju Waterfall Black Belt.

Mario responded when I sent this list to him.


In a nutshell, yes the movement of the Tomari Rohai is a double-hip action done through the entirety of the kata - much like the Sochin clip I gave Russ and Dan Kogen .  

Aragaki Sochin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW93zVdDIcI
 

It is very difficult to do correctly and consistently.  Needless to say when I practiced Tomarite in Gohakukai - we started off with Naihanchi doing this type of motion and it made the transition through the other kata easier.

Mario


Thanks for that confirmation. Extremely interesting, I was playing with it this morning, having that reference Aragakai No Sochin.mpg where I can see what's happening.


I understand the hip action somewhat from my tai chi work on the hip roll, though different from the Gohakukai motion. What I see is different from most of the other style hip technique i've seen. The technique chambers, the hip rolling starts, the strike/technique starts, the hip rolling completes and then the strike/technique completes.


It seems to me that they're using the roll to get the  body alignment as correct as possible and completed before technique delivery to be structurally behind the strike/technique.


But because I don't have the system wide usege of it, I don't believe I'll explore it in my tomari rohai work, so in that I guess you're 100% correct I'm doing an Isshinryu (ore more correctly a Victor Smith isshinryu influenced) variation on the gohukukai tomari rohai.


Still is interesting for me. I appreciate your commentary.

Victor