Pechurin Dai

by Steve

No I would never make a video of it. I am not asian, nor famous, nor do I head a ryuha. Also due to my promise to Matsumura Sensei of never bringing him into the limelight how in the hell would I explain it? He personally told me that Miyagi Sensei taught it to him. Her in is the problem, did Miyagi create it, did he learn it from Higaonna, did he see some kata in China that he derived it or based it on, did Gokeni teach it to him, and the questions go on and on. I cannot address them nor answer them, especially now that Matsumura Sensei passed away. Introducing this kata would open myself and him up for what reason or benefit? I consider the kata a gift. It is much more difficult that the standard Pechurin. It has moves and techniques not found in other kata, but it certainly fits the theory, principles, and concepts of Goju best. A Shuri stylist would look out of place running this kata. A Uechi stylist or Goju stylist would look within the realm of their art doing it. Personally, I love the form.

An interesting note, he also said that in the Pechurin we all know, the 360 degree spin when you kick your hand using a mikazuki geri, was originally done in the AIR! It changed because almost nobody could do it.

So no, there will be no video forth coming. You will have to visit me to see it, or I will teach it to all of you if we ever have that researchers reunion....

Steve

>An interesting note, he also said that in the Pechurin we all know, >the 360 degree spin when you kick your hand using a mikazuki geri, was >originally done in the AIR! It changed because almost nobody could do it. Interestingly enough, one of the bunkai for this technique that Sakai said Higa taught him was essentially a parry or joint dislocation with the palm of the foot- the spin- and it could be done in the air, as one movement. In the air or not it was immediately followed by a forward moving nidan geri- no height, two kicks at knee/groin/inner thigh/etc level, with very deep projection- in kata it moved over 6' forward with as little height change as possible. The two techniques together formed a very smooth set of movements, with a loading sense as the weight change, but no kime or locking stances down as found in most versions of the kata I have seen. His kata, with the exception of the long low ni dan geri, looked like most versions, with a lock after the mikazui geri, but not that particular bunkai.

thanks again for sharing,

 

Fred,

Fred I think you've made some excellent point here...I have had that dilemma. I learned a "Hakutsuru" form from a long-time friend of Patrick McCarthy, however this form seems to be the cause of some controversy between PM and Yabiku (Chuck Chandler's teacher).

Apparently they each say that the other stole the form, which Yabiku calls Kohokakuken. PM has told me that he learned this form from Xie Wen Liu, which is odd considering that it's not on the short list of forms that supposedly comes from Xie RuRu's lineage.

On the other hand, there are a number of questionable stories that come from the Yabiku / Chandler lineage as well. So, either way you look at it, the form has a "shady" past (for lack of a better term).

But, and here's my point, the form has some really great stuff in it: broom sweeps, kansetsu waza, throws, ear claps, and the list goes on and on. It has some elements of Saifa, Shisochin, Kururunfa, Seisan, Suparinpei, just off the top of my head.

So, I've decided to keep the form because of some of the great things it teaches. I've given up on caring where it comes from.

Russ

Ron - Passing things on

I think that there is a difference between passing something on so it is not lost and presenting it to the general public. Matsumrua taught me a second Pechurin. I in turn will also be teaching it. As such, it is saved and passed on, just not to everyone.

Matsumura Sensei had very strong feelings about karate, organizations, money, claims to fame, etc. To him, karate was personal not public. He never ever had even one Goju student, so he taught nobody. He taught family members personal protection and some Shorin. He was a Hachi-dan in Jo-Do. His instructor asked him to succeed him, Matsumura Sensei said no. He could have become famous in Shorin, Goju, or Jo-Do,
instead he kept all of them to himself. He did not study in order to teach. He studied for himself. Some people choose to become teachers and the head of Ryuha and others choose never to open a dojo or accept students. This is a personal choice. He loved art and was an art appraiser into his 70's. He practiced some bo and arrow (kyudo). He was a good horseman and had his own horses until around 72 years of age. In other words he had a lot of interest, many of them martial or martial related. Appraising required him to travel all of the time so he couldn't have a dojo or students as he would be absent too often.

Also, he really sincerely believed that Yagi, Toguchi, and many others made up stories and greatly exaggerated their training and time with Miyagi. He did not think Miyazato was very good at Goju. He respected Itokazu, Shinzato, Aragaki, and Higa. He very strongly told me that Yagi was an excellent student from age 17 to around 21 and then he NO LONGER TRAINED WITH MIYAGI EVER and became involved again after
Miyagi's death. It irritated the hell out of him that Yagi tells a different story and that the Government made him a national treasure.

He says this occurred because the Government is of a new generation and that they were not there and do not know, they just go by what people tell them. He thought Yagi was unrightfully arrogant and he did not like him, so some or all of Matsumura's opinion may be personally biased. He personally felt that Yagi's kata was horrible and full of flaws, which he says came from so many years between when he trained and then resumed training/teaching.

To Matsumura's credit, he does have a very good way of evaluating Miyagi's personal students and their ability, Sanchin. He says that if they do not have good Sanchin then they did not train with Miyagi long enough or their Sanchin would be good and correct. He told me to watch Yagi's Sanchin myself. The elbows are too far away from the body, the arms are held too high, and the breathing is not one tenth the depth that Itokazu Sensei did.

I personally can testify that Matsumura's breath was much deeper (uncanny) than Higaonna Morio's, Miyazato's, or Miyagi An'ichi's.

Anyway, I began rambling, sorry. He does not want caught up in all of this political shit, fame, argument, lies, deciet, etc. It does karate no good, period. If I expose him to the world, he is in it whether he wanted to be or not, it's that simple. However, I share his experience, knowledge, words, and other info with you guys (for the new guys, read old post, lots of info & check files section) and with my students so it is being passed on to some extent.  

Steve

Kimo Story

I have a Sandan student who dated Teruo Chinen's adopted daughter for years and who trained with Chinen. He also trained with Kimo in karate and kobudo. He primarily trained in Shorin Ryu (Seibukan) for around 15 years or so. However, he visited my dojo once a week for around three months and then joined.

He shared with me that Kimo shared with him personally, that when Miyagi went to Hawaii Kimo's father trained with him and learned a second Pechurin, which Miyagi created to leave as a gift to the Hawaiians. Kimo now does and teaches this kata and he taught it to my student. It is NOTHING like the one Matsumura taught me. It kind of
looks like some Sepai, Sanseiru, Kururunfa, etc. put together.

The above story sounds bogus as hell to me... Then again I'm a hertic. Any Kimo students able to shed some light on the above?

Please do not take offense, but it appears to me from the above and from other stories and train of thought, that Kimo seems to be very imaginative, is a story teller, or just fibs to substantiate what he is doing. Any feedback or opinion?

Steve

Hey Steve,

this kata is a sticking point for me as well. Kimo sensei has called it Pechurin, and also Paranku. he has said that it was taught in Hawaii by Miyagi, and that it was taught by Kina Seiko. Personally, I feel it is a kata Kimo sensei created. It reminds me most closely of Toguchi's series of forms, and has a feel in some techniques that simply remind me of Kimo sensei. I think this is a case of insecurity. I have great respect for Kimo sensei's technique and teaching ability. I also think that he is, at heart, a good guy. However, he also has some personality quirks. I feel that many of them are rooted in his Vietnam experience, but am no psychoanalyst. This kata came to light a few years after he showed some of us the papuhaku bo katas he made. He also showed them to Matayoshi, who said they were nice, but didn't like the idea Kimo had of marketing them as a Kobudo intro so that the rest of the system could stay "in-house" but there could be some market presence in the manner of other systems. In the years following that, Matayoshi, Kina, Higa, Toguchi, and a number of Kimo sensei's seniors died. He was removed from the Matayoshi system, around the time Sanguinetti was made more of a honcho, which bothered him (I also see a huge ability difference, but also a political one- Kimo is not good at having a boss.) At one point in here, he mentioned to me that he felt "Now
i will never become a master") He was referring to grade and public recognition- the teachers who knew him and put up with his personality traits were gone. No others were going to take him at face value, if he didn't conform to their take on things, and continue to promote him. I think he took a creation of his own, and decided no one would like it if it came from him, and put a story to it. Its too bad. I don't really like the kata much, but I respect the work that went into it, and its better than many of the other training kata I have seen from Toguchi and Yagi.

Kimo sensei's history is not set in stone. It is not his main concern, and he, I feel, lives by the Irish saying that a story can be truer than the truth. This has been very frustrating to me over the years, as I am a stickler for the facts. So on one level, yeah, he fabricates stuff. On another, he tells the truth as he believes it. He also picked up some of this from Matayoshi, who told me once that he thought changing kata and making up origin stories at public demos was a hoot- those really interested would stick around and learn the truth, and the public would get some good entertainment in the mean time.   Go figure.

Fred

Isshinryu Class Structure in Agena

 

John Bartsuvces, an early Isshihryu Karateka who used to serve a the association secretary for Master Shimabuku.

 

Here is a rough idea on the overall training that i trained in and then later would teach my Students.I learned early that just like in the Marines,same in Karate.In the Marines you have the Planners and the Op Order writers,never get their Boots dirty.Then you got the Field Marines that carry out the Mission at all cost,sometimes you get a Planner and a Doer.Very rare.In Karate you will get the Kata Man or you get the Fighter.Ideal is to have a Balanced Skilled Karate-Ka.

 

Practice Kata Correctly

byKenwa Mabuni

Translation by Mark Tankosich, MA

 

This translation originally appeared in Vol. 29, No. 1 of the Hiroshima University of Economics Journal of Humanities, Social and Natural Sciences.

Translator's Introduction

          Over the course of the relatively short history of karate in the West, one of the most debated and discussed aspects of this martial art has been that of kata training. Practitioners have both solicited and put forth opinions on such things as whether or not practicing kata is an effective way to learn to defend oneself, how prominent a role kata practice should play in one's karate training, the number of kata that one should "know," and whether or not the practice of kata is even necessary.

 

          One voice that can speak with some authority with regard to this topic is that of Kenwa Mabuni, the founder of the Shito-ryu school of karate and one of four Okinawans typically given credit for introducing karate to the Japanese mainland (Iwao 187-211). Mabuni learned from such legendary figures as Anko Itosu, Kanryo Higashionna, Go Kenki, Seisho Aragaki and Chomo Hanashiro (McCarthy 1-37), and reportedly knew nearly every kata in existence in Okinawa (McCarthy 11; Iwai 207, 210) (1). Not only that, but venerated karate sensei (and Mabuni contemporary) Hiroshi Kinjo told McCarthy that, whenever someone - including the famed Gichin Funakoshi - wanted to learn, to have corrected, or to better understand the applications of, a kata, it was to Mabuni that the person went (McCarthy 25). Clearly, the Shito-ryu founder was an expert (if not the expert) when it came to kata.

 

          In addition to his expertise with what some might term the "theoretical" side of karate (i.e., forms practice and analysis), Kenwa Mabuni apparently also had some experience with the more "practical" side of the art: McCarthy states that one of Mabuni's leading students, Ryusho Sakagami, described his teacher as someone who had had his share of street encounters while working as a police officer. McCarthy also goes on to note that Mabuni's son, Kenei, "said that his father often told him how his karate-do had helped him as a street cop" (McCarthy 24) (2). In a similar vein, Noble reports that Kenei wrote:

 

In his younger days many people would challenge my father to 'kake-dameshi' (challenge match or exchange of techniques)... He accepted these challenges... Each contestant would bring a second. There were no special dojo like there are today; we used to train and fight on open ground. There was no street lighting so after dark we used to fight the challenge matches by the light of lanterns. In this dim light the contestants fought, and then after a period the seconds would intervene and stop the fight... Such challenges were often made to my father... (Noble) (3)

Thus, Mabuni could hardly be considered a "paper tiger" who excelled only at kata: Given the accounts noted above, the Shito-ryu founder would seem to have also known the nature of "real fighting" and self-defense situations. Clearly, his thoughts on the role of kata in karate training are worthy of examination.

 

The Context of "Practice Kata Correctly": Karate kenkyu

 

          Mabuni's short essay being translated here, "Kata wa tadashiku renshu seyo" ("Practice Kata Correctly"), appeared in the book Karate kenkyu ("Karate Research"), which was first published in 1934, and then later republished in 2003. The book is a collection of essays and other writing by a variety of authors. In addition to "Practice Kata Correctly," Mabuni also contributed his two-page "Kumite no kenkyu" (4) ("Research on Kumite") to the publication. Some of the other titles found in Karate kenkyu include: Gichin Funakoshi's "Seikan wo ronjite do-sei itchi ni yobu" ("Discussing the Concept of Calm Observation: Action and Stillness Together") (5), Choki Motobu's "Karate isseki-tan" ("An Evening of Talking About Karate") (6), Kanken Toyama's (7) "Chibana-shi no Kusanku" ("Chibana's Kusanku") and Hoan Kosugi's "Karate-den" ("Karate Stories") (8). Among the other pieces in the book are such varied titles as "The Fist and Virtue," "The Effects of Karate-jutsu on Blood Pressure and Urine," "Zen and Kendo," "Foot and Hip Issues," "A Girl Karate-ka" and "The Current State of the Karate World." In total (and excluding the mention of the opening four pages of photos), the table of contents of the 135-page Karate kenkyu lists 36 essays and other items (9).

 

          The editor of Karate kenkyu was a man named Genwa Nakasone. Though perhaps not very familiar to today's practitioners, Nakasone was involved with various karate-related publications in an editing, writing and/or publishing capacity during his lifetime. The 1938 Karate-do taikan, for which he served as editor, was, according to McKenna, "out of all the early works on Karate-do published during the 1930s, one of the most comprehensive and important..." (McKenna 28). Kobo kempo karate-do nyumon, which Nakasone co-authored with Kenwa Mabuni, has been described (again, by McKenna) as, "... one of the most detailed texts on Karate-do ever written" (McKenna 28). On a somewhat different note, McCarthy states that Nakasone is remembered for organizing the so-called "Meeting of the Masters" in 1936 (McCarthy 30) (10).

 

          It is interesting to note that, although Karate kenkyu has thus far been referred to here as a "book," it would more accurately be described as the first issue of a journal or a magazine of sorts. In an editor's postscript at the very end of the publication, Nakasone writes: "I am at last able to present the first issue of Karate kenkyu" (11). He then goes on to explain that, "At first, I wanted it to be a monthly publication, but upon looking into this in various ways, I came to see that it is still too soon for that.... For the time being, I'd like to make it a quarterly..." (Nakasone 135) Unfortunately, it would seem that no subsequent issues of Karate kenkyu were ever released, but the original intention to publish such issues regularly provides a more understandable context for the aims spelled out for the publication on one of its first pages:

1.     To be a mechanism for comprehensive research for the purpose of the development of our country's karate-do, with all "styles" included

2.     To be a mechanism for technical research for those who train in karate-do, and, at the same time, to be a mechanism for their mental / spiritual cultivation

3.     To be a mechanism for cordial communication between karate-ka

4.     Karate kenkyu shall also carry materials regarding other budo, forms of exercise, etc., that ought to serve as both direct and indirect sources of reference for karate-ka

The page then ends with the statement that:

Karate-do is the budo which is best at cultivating the new Japanese bushido spirit. (Karate kenkyu 7) (12)

We can only wonder what further valuable and informative pieces of writing would have been left to karate historians and modern karate-ka had the plan to publish Karate kenkyu regularly been brought to fruition.

 

Translation of Mabuni's "Practice Karate Correctly"

 

          In karate, the most important thing is kata. Into the kata of karate are woven every manner of attack and defense technique. Therefore, kata must be practiced properly, with a good understanding of their bunkai meaning. There may be those who neglect the practice of kata, thinking that it is sufficient to just practice [pre-arranged] kumite (13) that has been created based on their understanding of the kata, but that will never lead to true advancement. The reason why is that the ways of thrusting and blocking - that is to say, the techniques of attack and defense - have innumerable variations. To create kumite containing all of the techniques in each and every one of their variations is impossible. If one sufficiently and regularly practices kata correctly, it will serve as a foundation for performing - when a crucial time comes - any of the innumerable variations.

 

          However, even if you practice the kata of karate, if that is all that you do, if your [other] training is lacking, then you will not develop sufficient ability. If you do not [also] utilize various training methods to strengthen and quicken the functioning of your hands and feet, as well as to sufficiently study things like body-shifting and engagement distancing, you will be inadequately prepared when the need arises to call on your skills.

 

          If practiced properly, two or three kata will suffice as "your" kata; all of the others can just be studied as sources of additional knowledge. Breadth, no matter how great, means little without depth. In other words, no matter how many kata you know, they will be useless to you if you don't practice them enough. If you sufficiently study two or three kata as your own and strive to perform them correctly, when the need arises, that training will spontaneously take over and will be shown to be surprisingly effective. If your kata training is incorrect, you will develop bad habits which, no matter how much kumite and makiwara practice you do, will lead to unexpected failure when the time comes to utilize your skills. You should be heedful of this point.

          Correctly practicing kata - having sufficiently comprehended their meaning - is the most important thing for a karate trainee. However, the karate-ka must by no means neglect kumite and makiwara practice, either. Accordingly, if one seriously trains - and studies - with the intent of approximately fifty percent kata and fifty percent other things, one will get satisfactory results.

Acknowledgments

The kind cooperation of the publishing company Yoju Shorin is gratefully noted. The translator would also like to express his thanks to his wife, Yasuko Okane, and to his colleague and friend, Izumi Tanaka, for their Japanese language assistance. In addition, he would like to acknowledge the role that Sensei John Hamilton and Senpai Michael Farrell have played in sparking his own fascination with kata. As always, any and all errors are solely the fault of the translator.

About the Translator

Mark Tankosich has dan rankings in both Sho-ha Shorin-ryu karate and Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei jodo. He reads, writes and speaks Japanese, and has lived in Japan for close to 15 years. Currently he and his wife reside in the city of Hiroshima, where he works as a university teacher.

Notes

1.     Mabuni's son Kenzo stated that his father knew "over 90 different kata" (Fraguas 178). It is unclear if this figure includes those forms that Mabuni created himself.

2.     It is unclear exactly when or where the statements that McCarthy attributes to Kinjo, Sakagami and Kenei Mabuni were made, as McCarthy does not provide these specifics. Who Sakagami and Kenei Mabuni made their comments to is also uncertain, though it seems that it may have been to McCarthy himself.

3.     Unfortunately, Noble does not give his source for this quote.

4.     The title that appears on the piece itself, on page 28 of the book, is "Kumite no kenkyu," while what is listed in the table of contents is "Kumite kenkyu," sans the "no." The meaning of these two titles is essentially the same. Variations in other titles in the publication can also be found.

5.     For an English translation of this, see McCarthy and McCarthy.

6.     For an English translation of this, see Swift's "Karate Ichi-yu-Tan." (Although this title which Swift suggests - "Karate ichi-yu-tan" - seems conceivable, it is this translator's understanding that "Karate isseki-tan" is the correct reading for the Japanese characters making up the title of the essay.) As Swift notes, although the author of this piece is given as Motobu himself, "...the actual writer was a reporter..., presumably Nakasone Genwa," who visited Motobu at his dojo in Tokyo (Swift 49).

7.     Kanken Toyama's original surname was Oyodomari (Hokama 37). It is under this original name that "Chibana's Kusanku" was written.

8.     "Karate-den" was originally published in the June, 1930 issue of a Japanese magazine before being reprinted in Karate kenkyu. For an English translation, see Swift's "Hoan Kosugi." Kosugi's name may not be as familiar to the reader as the others mentioned here, but his contribution to the history of karate is a rather unique one. Apparently a famous painter in his time, Kosugi was the student and friend of Gichin Funakoshi who provided the illustrations for what is said to be the first book ever written about karate, Funakoshi's Ryukyu kempo karate. He also designed the now well-known tiger drawing that has become the symbol of Shotokan karate. (Teramoto 15; Cook 65, 98)

9.     All comments made regarding the book Karate kenkyu are based on the 2003 reprinted edition. It is assumed, however, that this edition is essentially the same as the 1934 original.

10.                        For an English translation of the minutes of this meeting, see McCarthy's "The 1936 Meeting." For a group photo of most of the masters who attended, see Kim (5).

11.                        In the publication there are / were also other indications of Karate kenkyu being an inaugural issue.

12.                        The translations of the "aims" and Nakasone's words that are presented above them are this translator's.

13.                        "Pre-arranged" has been added here. Mabuni himself does not explicitly use this word, but it seems clear from the context that that is what he means. One would assume that his usages of "kumite" later in the essay also have this meaning as well.

Bibliography

Cook, Harry. Shotokan Karate: A Precise History. Norwich, Eng.: n.p., 2001.

Fraguas, Jose M. Karate Masters. Burbank: Unique Publications, 2001.

Hokama, Tetsuhiro. 100 Masters of Okinawan Karate. Trans. Charles (Joe) Swift. Okinawa: Okinawa Gojuryu Kenshi-kai Karate-do Kobudo Association & Karate Museum, 2005.

Iwai, Kohaku. Motobu Choki to ryukyu karate. Tokyo: Airyudo, 2000.

Kim, Richard. The Weaponless Warriors: An Informal History of Okinawan Karate. Santa Clarita, Calif.: Ohara, 1974.

Mabuni, Kenwa. "Kata wa tadashiku renshu seyo." Karate kenkyu. Ed. Genwa Nakasone. Ginowan, Jap.: Yoju Shorin, 2003. 15.

McCarthy, Patrick. "The 1936 Meeting of Okinawan Karate Masters." Ancient Okinawan Martial Arts Volume Two: Koryu Uchinadi. Comp. and trans. Patrick and Yuriko McCarthy. Boston: Tuttle, 1999. 57-69.

McCarthy, Patrick. "Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: The Mabuni Kenwa Story." Ancient Okinawan Martial Arts Volume Two: Koryu Uchinadi. Comp. and trans. Patrick and Yuriko McCarthy. Boston: Tuttle, 1999. 1-37.

McCarthy, Patrick, and Yuriko McCarthy, trans. "Seikan." By Gichin Funakoshi. Funakoshi Gichin Tanpenshu. Comp. and trans. Patrick and Yuriko McCarthy. Virginia, Austral.: International Ryukyu Karate Research, 2002. 50-54.

McKenna, Mario. "The Life and Work of Karate Pioneer Nakasone Genwa." Dragon Times Vol. 23: 27-29.

"Mokuhyo." Karate kenkyu. Ed. Genwa Nakasone. Ginowan, Jap.: Yoju Shorin, 2003. 7.

Nakasone, Genwa. Editor's Postscript. Karate kenkyu. Ed. Genwa Nakasone. Ginowan, Jap.: Yoju Shorin, 2003. 135.

Noble, Graham. "Master Funakoshi's Karate: The History and Development of the Empty Hand Art. (Pt. 2)" Hawaii Karate Seinenkai Homepage. 28 Feb. 2006 (http://seinenkai.com/articles/ noble/noble-funakoshi2.html)

Swift, Joe, trans. "Karate Ichi-yu-Tan: A Night of Talking about Karate." By Choki Motobu. Classical Fighting Arts Issue 2: 48-49.

Swift, Joe. "Hoan Kosugi: The Man Who Created the Tiger." Dragon Times Vol. 19: 26.

Teramoto, John. Translator's Introduction. Karate Jutsu: The Original Teachings of Master Funakoshi. By Gichin Funakoshi. Tokyo: Kodansha, 2001. 13-19

THE DIRTY SECRET THAT KATA WORLD CHAMPIONS DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW (!)

By Peter Damen

-----

 

According to Jesse Enkamp, Karate Nerd of the famous website KARATEbyJesse.com, the snapping movements of many kata world champions are insanely impressive.

 

I agree with him.

 

For instance, Rika Usami, female kata world champion, has tremendous speed and kime in her techniques.

 

But how do these champions get that crazy snap in their techniques?

 

Apparently, Jesse had the same question.

 

In an article on his website titled ‘How to “Snap” Your Karate Techniques Like Rika Usami’ (http://www.karatebyjesse.com/rika-usami-karate-technique-s…/), Jesse explains that the snapping techniques can be compared to the sound of a cracking whip.

 

Later on in his article, he explains that according to Yoshimi Inoue, the sensei of world champions like Rika Usami and Antonio Diaz, three distinct principles provide an optimal technique, namely; speed, timing and balance.

 

Jesse then tells at the end of the article that if you want to snap your techniques, you have to focus on correct technique (speed, timing, and balance) in order to generate enough power to crack your body like a human bullwhip.

 

Great advice.

 

Some time after reading this article, I saw an interesting video on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2WyOBRDNBo) where karate techniques were explained, and the aforementioned world champion Rika Usami demonstrated the beginning of kata Pinan Nidan.

 

That's when I noticed something VERY remarkable!

 

The snap that should come from the first technique in Pinan Nidan, a technique known as "otoshi uchi" (at 7:15 min in the video, and again on 7:21 min), did not seem to come from the technique - but from a slap of her right hand on her left forearm shortly before she executed the technique

 

Unfortunately, it went so fast I could barely see it!

 

In order to examine it better, I subsequently downloaded the video, and observed the corresponding movement frame-by-frame (see figure 1) and my suspicion was clearly confirmed.

 

While turning to the left to make the otoshi uchi, it is clearly visible that during this process, Rika slaps her right hand on the sleeve of her left forearm (red arrow in figure 1) before very quickly bringing her right hand to hikite and making an otoshi uchi with her left arm.

 

Incredible.

 

Subsequently, I checked a number of other videos of Rika Usami (in which she performed katas like Kosokun Dai and Chatanyara Kushanku) and noticed, after frame-by-frame analysis, that the snapping sound was often not the result of the execution of a correct technique (with speed, timing and balance), but the result of slapping the gi in various places.

Jesse Enkamp

 

When I saw this, I started looking at other top kata athletes on YouTube.

 

My discoveries may surprise you...

 

For instance, I found a video on YouTube in which the Vietnamese top athlete and former world champion Hoang Ngan Nguyen performed the kata Anan (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=362xQmlj1zA).

 

Using a frame-by-frame analysis, I saw that her techniques were often accentuated by striking with a completely flat hand on her karate gi.

 

This is particularly evident in figure 2, in which a number of consecutive images around the time point 0:49 min are shown.

 

In the sequence in this figure, it is clearly visible that Nguyen, before pulling her left hand to hikite while performing a shotei uchi (palm strike) with her right hand, slaps her flat left hand on her karate gi at the height of her abdomen (red arrow in figure 2).

 

That's not all!

 

Take a look at the following video of world champion Antonio Diaz (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxTMP5_kA3Y), which shows him performing shuto uke (knife hand strike) in kata Chatanyara Kushanku (around the time point 0:50 min). Look closely.

 

Antonia adds an extra slap on his chest before every shuto uke technique (see figure 3).

 

But the movement seen in photographs 1 to 5 of figure 3 is completely unnecessary, since the shuto uke is performed in photographs 6 to 8!

 

From a budo perspective, this is a completely irrelevant movement with the sole purpose of generating a snapping sound in order to create the impression that this snap comes from performing a shuto uke.

 

I think this is remarkable to say the least.

 

Undoubtedly, there are many more examples of elite karate-ka in the international field of kata that perform this type of slapping on their karate gi, and since the above mentioned people are at the top of the international kata world, they are obvious role models for many karateka. For this reason I have mentioned these top kata performers in this article.

 

But I would like to emphasize that these international players are obviously exceptionally skilled athletes, who have trained for many years to achieve international excellence in kata.

 

However, I find it disappointing that they use these kinds of "tricks" to enhance their performance, because they should not need to use these tricks. This is to say, they are very talented and can compete at the world top even without it.

 

This trick, slapping your karate gi, is in my view comparable to the loud exhalation many Shotokan karate-ka performed a number of years ago during kata competitions. Just like slapping, some breathing may be heard in support of your technique - but it should not be given priority over the correct execution of a technique.

 

Now, some people might think that what is discussed in this article is a distant reality, only carried out in international kata competitions.

 

Wrong.

As I pointed out above, these international athletes are role models for many karateka. They are admired, and hence copied, by local kata performers all over the world on a daily basis.

 

To illustrate this, I would like to refer to the following two videos, in which the same local kata performer can be seen in 2011 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tydAa?yXU4E) and a couple of years later, in 2014 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRzZSzhD9gM).

 

When the execution of these two kata is compared, it's clearly visible that slapping the karate gi has been learned in this period of time, from 2011 to 2014.

 

Moreover, even in the karate schools where I teach, I have to deal with students that emulate, or want to emulate, this slapping behavior. It's very difficult for me as a teacher to prevent students from doing this, since, as they say themselves, it scores during competition.

 

In conclusion:

 

I think the snapping sounds that are heard and seen in the above mentioned examples have nothing to do with a correct, fast execution of a technique or kime - but solely with slapping the forearm, chest or side of the body.

 

In my view it is strictly a show element, theatrical support, which I think does not belong in karate.

 

Moreover, it de-valuates real kime - and this fact should be included into the final decisions of trained referees.

 

Judges should take due account in their assessment since it is clearly defined in the kata rules of the World Karate Federation, WKF, (cf. Article 5), that the "Use of audible cues (from any other person, including other team members) or theatrics such as stomping the feet, slapping the chest, arms, or karate gi, or inappropriate exhalation" is counted as a foul.

 

Kata is not a dance or theatrical performance, and fortunately this is also clearly stated in the competition rules of the WKF.

 

Therefore, I sincerely hope that this kind of theatrics will disappear from the kata discipline, so that I (and others) can concentrate on teaching the proper execution of kata, in which the martial values and principles prevail.

 

Finally, I hope that this article will motivate judges to assess kata correctly regarding the theatrics described above, and will give a positive contribution to the kata discipline of karate - which for many karate-ka is so much more than a sport alone.

 

 

 

 

Victor Donald Smith Everything old is new again, Way back in 1974 when I was a beginner, my seniors used to describe this happening to me, for understanding how the world works. I imagine way back someone figured it out as a way to pop up public performances. Not really new, but you can get new articles out of republishing old ideas too.

 

 

Jim Keenan For those who value kata as performance art, performance enhancers are natural additions. 40 years ago, one of the nationally ranked weapons competitors privately shared with me one of his secrets for bo kata. He taped cardboard sheets against his ribs. When he did his hits, they made a loud "crack!" Very impressive to the audience (and judges).

It's useful for actual martial arts practitioners to know about and understand how these things work. (They are show tricks, rather than indications of martial skill.) I can tell you exactly how to alter your gi to get amazing CRACK! on your gestures. I can tell you exactly how you need to alter your movement to maximize that noise. For me, though, this is all wasted and off the point. It causes people to focus on something other than martial skill and can create both short term bad habits and long term injury.

I do not practice or teach kata as a dramatic performance