Old Man ?

 

Shutō Uke

 

Motobu Naoki

When I posted the English translation of “Shutō Uke in Old Style” that I wrote in 2018 this week, I received a variety of responses from overseas karate practitioners. For example, it was pointed out that the photos I presented as “shutō uke” might be a mistake of “haishu uke” (back hand block).

 

To tell the truth, this is the first time I heard the term “haishu uke.” I looked it up on the Internet and found that some schools and organizations, such as Shōtōkan, use this term. These schools distinguish between shutō uke with the palm facing downward and haishu uke with the palm facing to the sideways. The reasoning seems to be that the uke (block) with the palm facing sideways is actually to block the opponent’s thrust with the back of the hand, not with the shutō (the side of the little finger).

 

It is certainly a reasonable distinction. In Okinawa, however, they did not make this distinction and regarded them all as “shutō uke.” For example, in Karatedo Taikan (1938), edited by Nakasone Genwa, there is a photo and an illustrated explanation as follows.

 

 

Figure 30. Shutō Uke

 

The person in the photo is Gusukuma Shinpan (1891–1957), a student of Itosu Ankō. He wrote “shutō uke” below the illustration on the right. Gusukuma Sensei also introduces an application of shutō uke as follows.

 

Figure 31. Shutō Uchi Uke (shutō inside block)

 

This is the shutō uchi uke (inside block with the shutō) which the opponent’s thrust is blocked with the shutō. In this case, the back of the hand is used to block the opponent’s thrust, but it is called shutō. He also gives an example of soto uke (outside block) with the shutō.

 

Figure 33. Shutō Soto Uke Henka (shutō outside block variation)

This is a “shutō soto uke henka (variation of outside block with the shutō),” which has been transformed into a grabbing hand after being blocked with the shutō. Thus, shutō uke…

Inverted Punch (270 degree Punch)

  

– Ernest Rothrock

 

https://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2022/09/inverted-punch-270-degree-punch-ernie.html

 

Awhile ago in perhaps I was taking advantage of the Saturday afternoon free practice at the Shaolin School in Wilkes Barre. I had been studying tai chi and a variety of Chinese forms with Ernest Rothrock Laoshi, As I was working out I saw Laoshi working with one of his senior students and they were performing a punch I had never seen in karate. I recognized the power of that strike. Noted it and then went back to my own training.

 

Run forward maybe 15 years an my mind went back to that strike. As I was living in NH and he in Pittsburgh, I sent him a message inquiring about that strike. What follows it his response.

Kumite

 

 

The original kumite gear from Lewis Sensei’s day

 on Okinawa, as seen in his Salisbury dojo.

 

Motobu's twelve kumite (1926)

Kumite (組手) literally translated means "grappling hands" and is one of the three main sections of karate training, along with kata and kihon. Kumite is the part of karate in which a person trains against an adversary, using the techniques learned from the kihon and kata.[1]

Kumite can be used to develop a particular technique or a skill (e.g. effectively judging and adjusting one's distance from one's opponent) or it can be done in competition.[2][3]

Types

Since the word "kumite" refers to forms of sparring, it covers a vast range of activities. In traditional Shotokan karate, the first type of kumite for beginners is gohon kumite. The defender steps back each time, blocking the attacks and performing a counterattack after the last block. This activity looks nothing like the jiyu kumite (or "free sparring") practiced by more advanced practitioners, which is far closer to how karate would look if used in a real fight, especially because it is not choreographed.

Types:

* Ippon kumite - one step sparring, typically used for self-defense drills
* Sanbon kumite - three-step sparring, typically used to develop speed, strength, and technique[4][5][6]
* Gohon kumite - five-step sparring, pre-arranged attack and counter exercises
* Kiso kumite - structured sparring drawn from a kata
* Jiyu kumite - free sparring
* Jiyu ippon kumite - one step semi-free sparring

Delivering strikes

Many schools feel it is important that karateka "pull their punches". Karate training is designed to give its practitioners the ability to deliver devastating power through techniques like punches and kicks. Often the aim of training is that each single strike should be enough to subdue the opponent. However, this clearly would make it difficult to train due to the possibility of injury. Many beginners, while sparring, will be instructed to develop control and accuracy first, then speed and power later. In doing this, it may seem like the student is pulling his punches, when actually, he is developing technique first. For injury purposes, certain targets are discouraged, like strikes to the knee and face contact for low ranks. Many schools prohibit strikes to the groin, while others allow it completely. Some schools might limit contact to light contact all around, while others may employ power usage at higher grades.

 

A karateka wearing a chest protector

All types of sparring allow the martial artist to develop both control and experience in delivering powerful strikes against an opponent. In full contact karate, punches are often "pulled" to some slight extent in training, to minimize the occurrence of injuries that would interrupt practice. However, some karate schools use protective gear in free sparring, so that strikes can be delivered closer to their full power. Most karate clubs and most styles of karate combine some controlled full-contact sparring and some sparring with protective gear (from gloves to feet pads and up to full head and even chest guards such as in Tae Kwon Do).

However, a few more traditional clubs that never use protective gear for sparring (except groin and mouth guards that protect against accidental injuries) argue that a karateka will not be able to make their most powerful strike when sparring in the dojo (against a friend whom they no doubt do not want to injure) even if this opponent is wearing protective clothing. Therefore, the karateka will still be using some level of control, as is obviously necessary, and cannot truly capture the spirit of one lethal strike whilst sparring. Except for a life or death self-defense situation, the spirit and power of the single lethal strike can only be achieved when a karateka does not have to avoid injuring their training partner. The traditionalists therefore argue that there is no benefit to sparring with more forceful strikes.

However, in Kyokushin Karate no padding[7] is used and fighters don't "pull their punches" as fights are finished by knockdown.

Competition

In some forms of competition kumite, punching ("tsuki") and kicking ("geri") techniques are allowed at the head ("jodan") and abdomen ("chudan"). In some tournaments, face contact is allowed, sometimes limited to senior practitioners. One example of a scoring system is that the first competitor to take eight points in three minutes wins the bout.

Kumite is an essential part of karate training, and free sparring is often experienced as exciting, because both opponents have to react and adapt to each other very quickly.

In tournaments kumite often takes place inside of a 'ringed' area similar to that of a boxing ring. If a karateka steps out of the ring, they are given a warning. If they step out of the ring two times, the other person gains a point. Many international tournaments use a "point sparring" form of kumite that requires control ('pulling punches') and therefore warnings can be dealt for excessive force on techniques to the head, or sensitive areas. Full contact is permitted to the torso area of the body only. Some tournament rules allow for light contact to the head, whereas other rules do not allow this.

Kumite also includes a series of guidelines that, if followed correctly, result in a clean and safe fight. These are some of those guidelines:

* A karateka must remain in some form of proper fighting stance and in the "kamae-te" position (hands up, ready to fight position)
* A karateka must be aware of all obstacles around him/her
* A karateka must never deliberately endanger themselves by turning their back to their opponent
* A practiced and well trained karateka must concentrate on stance and footwork

For the last point about stance and footwork: it is often taught that a karateka who wishes to be fast and agile while competing in kumite should always be 'pulsing'. Pulsing is where the karateka remains almost bouncing on the balls of their feet to maintain minimal frictional contact with the ground, allowing them to move quickly.

Another aspect of kumite which is often seen in international tournaments, as well as many local competitions is what is referred to as clashing.[citation needed] Clashing is where both opponents throw techniques against each other at the same time, often resulting in both getting hit with the techniques. This creates a problem for referees as they are unable to make out which technique was quick, on target and recoiled - all the things that constitute a clean technique that is scored. Because of clashing, most modern day karateka are taught to practice kumite in a 'one for one' situation where one attacks, then the other attacks and so on. However, due to the speed of these techniques, and the speed of the footwork of each karateka, to the casual observer it may appear that they are still clashing when in fact they are not. When opponents are considered to be clashing, the head referee should declare "aiuchi" which means "simultaneous hit". When a winner is decided, the referee will announce "~ no kachi" which means "~'s win".

The tournament rules of full contact or "knockdown" styles of karate often don't award any points for controlled techniques delivered to the opponent. In fact, they usually don't award points for full-force techniques delivered to the opponent either. Instead, points are only awarded for knocking, sweeping, or throwing your opponent to the floor. Kyokushinkai and its "offshoot" karate organizations are the styles usually known to promote knockdown tournament rules. They believe this type of tournament competition is closer to "real life" personal combat, although still in a tournament setting with rules.

There are three criticisms to date. First, is the quickness versus skill argument. The tournament fighter learns how to shoot in quickly but deliver an unimpressive strike that gains him or her a point. Also, the question of discoloration of face due to contact, which can allow for disqualification. It is often difficult to gauge the true intensity of the attack, so this could cause questioning. Last, it is seen as sport and sport alone. Traditionalists may dismiss it as "useless", but modern dojos often band with other dojos to form organizations that utilize a tournament circuit as a way to promote their dojos.

Points

Most high school karate associations use the following point scheme:

1 point: punching to chest and stomach.
2 points: Back Slap Kick.
3 points: face slap kick.

International competition under the World Karate Federation also includes the following point scoring:

2 points: punching or kicking the adversary's back.

How what how I learned what Bunkai meant.

 There is a story in how I came to understand what Bunkai meant and then I went beyond the accepted definition.

 

 Bunkai

 

“Bunkai (分解), literally meaning "analysis"[1] or "disassembly",[2] is a term used in Japanese martial arts referring to process of analyzing kata and extracting fighting techniques from the movements of a "form" (kata). The extracted fighting techniques are called Oyo.

Bunkai is usually performed with a partner or a group of partners which execute predefined attacks, and the student performing the kata responds with defenses, counterattacks, or other actions, based on a part of the kata. This allows the student in the middle to understand what the movements in kata are meant to accomplish. It also illustrates how to improve the technique by adjusting distances (Maai), timing, rhythm (Ritsudo) and fluidity (Nagare) in combat properly, in order to adapt and adjust any technique depending on the size of an opponent.

Some kata have another layer of application that is taught using an Oyo Bunkai, an "application of the kata in ways other than the standard bunkai."[3] Different practitioners will learn or discover alternative applications, but the bunkai, like the kata, varies based on the style and the teacher.”

 

 

Back in the mid 1970s when I was a student bunkai was never mentioned. Except for occasional basic explanations of kata moves, the application of kata was not part of my studies. Then when I made black belt and was on my own, even training many places in many systems mention of bunkai was not mentioned, nor at the many tournaments I attended. Likely the first reference to form movement explanations was from Ernest Rothrock in than the many forms I studied had but one application for the movements. Of course those systems had many times many forms, so they had a great deal of applications to learn. My studies were not in applications.

 

 

 

When I met Tristan Sutrisno as a competitor and became friends over a year competing together, only when I started visiting and training with him did I hear him about bunkai. Most often remarking he did not believe the masters he met did not know what bunkai was as he studied it.

 

 

 

To be completely honest, it could be that those I visited just never showed those studies when I was there, as I was a  guest. I have no idea, just that I never heard the term uttered. But I had noticed all the magazine articles on Okinawan instructors always had them demonstrating uses of kata technique. That did get me wondering. There was no definition of bunkai in those articles.

 

 

 

After a while training with Tristan I learned how bunkai was defined for his system. I have gone on about that before on this blog, suffice it to say it was a unique paradigm, explosive and effective, and was dan study. Kyu did not study bunkai having many more important stills to acquire.  The simplest explanation of that paradigm was no one observing a kata performance could ever intuit what the bunkai was. And at each of his family’s system there was an entirely different bunkai for each movement point in their kata.

 

 

 

I was shown some, but nothing like the full thing. Just enough to make me aware of what was there.

 

 

 

Time reference, it was about that time Seryu Oyata became known with is arts, and shortly George Dillman began his own path. Just about that time all the magazines had articles defining bunkai (similar to the above description) and showing examples from Japan.

 

 

 

Bunkai was becoming the buzz word for karate. I remember articles about Americans hearing of Bunkai from the Japanese systems, began to return to Okinawa and ask their original instructors about why they were not shown bunkai.  The article said at first the instructors didn’t recognize the use of the word, but quickly began to show bunkai. More out of politeness they began to use that term.

 

 

 

Historical note – When Mabuni Kenwa  began to write in Japan about karate, he first explained uses of the movements from Seiunchin kata as bunkai. I have translated that book from the French edition. It is plausible that his descriptions later influenced other Japanese systems to use that term.

 

 

 

Now back to me. So I was being instructed in ‘bunkai Sutrisno, which had little relationship to what others were calling bunkai.  As Tris defined the word first to me, his definition was the only ‘bunkai’ definition for me.

 

 

 

But I also realized while he shared much with me, I was really not a student of his way. Especially after I moved to NH I began to have a different thought. I realized how incredible what he had was, but I also had great faith in my own Isshinryu. So slowly I began to take all the skills in many systems I had acquired and work on what the applications for Isshinryu could be. I started easy, then deeper and deeper study on just one movement, the opening of Seisan kata, and before long I had over 100 ways to use it to disrupt any attack.

 

 

 

So  step by step I took my understanding that was growing of what kata technique application could be and worked and worked. About 5 or so years later one who would become a friend that I had met at a local tournament came to visit my school. He participated in our adult training and observed that what I was doing was much like his current instructor Sherman Harrill was doing. He then demonstrated several examples and later invited me to attend a clinic that he was having with Sherman on Isshinryu kata applications that he was having.

 

 

 

The first thing I discovered was my instructor Tom Lewis had been friends with Sherman back in Agena when they trained with Shimabuku Tatsuo.  Then I was blown away by the clinic Sherman held, countless kata application studies. Really amazing, it did resemble what I was doing but 40 years advanced from where I was. After that Garry Gerossie and I co hosted a series of annual seminars with Sherman for many years, and I attended whatever clinics with him across New England that I could travel to.

 

 

 

My students and I became friends with Sherman. For the next few years I probably spent 50 or 60 hours at his clinics learning whatever I could from him. I was permitted to film the clinics I hosted, and made copious notes from the others. He definitely influenced what I saw kata applications could become.

 

 

 

Over the next 9 years I attended and helped hold as many clinics with him as possible. Always realizing as he told me they were not the same as being trained by him. I learned so much, and it definitely influenced my own studies, which had never ceased. But even great clinics come with a price. There was so much shared but I very strongly believed in my adult program and much that I saw never had the time to enter my program.

 

 

 

Then the unfortunate reality struck and Sherman died. I was filled with grief and as a result spent 3 months collecting and typing up my notes and viewing every scrap of video I had of Sherman and transcribing those tapes by kata. I ended up with a literal encyclopedia of Sherman clinics. Discussions, over 800 different kata applications, principles Sherman used to find those techniques, and much more. While I had never met his senior student, John Kerker, I sent him a copy of what I had written. His reply was thank you and that was most likely correct, but not containing maybe 500 additional techniques from his classes.

 

 

 

It was so much yet only a small part of what Sherman meant to me.

 

 

 

So I continued on my own. I participated in various internet discussions which often got around to bunkai. I came to feel what I had seen to date was nothing like the use of the term bunkai that people were discussing.

 

 

 

5 years later I finally met John Kerker at a clinic in Chicopee, Mass. What I saw was so different from Sherman at his clinics. The uke John was using was struck repeatedly harder than anyone I had ever seen anyone strike another and each time his uke rose to attack and be struck again. I really saw what it was to be a true student of Sherman.

 

 

 

As the years passed I attended annual clinics John held in Chicopee. And learn so much Sherman hinted at about the training of his students. John filled in so many gaps. And I continued to learn so much more. That first clinic I attended later that night I wrote up my notes and sent them to John.

 

 

 

In many ways my understanding changed. I began not to use the term Bunkai as I was not doing the Sutrisno version I had first been shown. And I was not really doing what others were doing. So I derived my own description of what I was doing.

 

 

 

I considered the first step to understanding kata application potential to look at every possible use a techniques could be used for. But this was just the first step.

 

 

 

The next step was working  towards kata application realization. The more difficult study to actually apply that to any attack and conclude that attack.

 

In a very real sense that kata application became almost an infinite study..

 

Starting at Sho Dan the student would focus on say 50 applications for the first movement of Seisan kata and of course developing skill to use all of them. After that there was no set order, it just moved forward, focusing on the underlying principles behind the applications.

  

Movement after movement, kata after kata. A very long range study.

  

Not to know a thousand applications, but to gain experience so that the first movement could be used to stop any attack, then more and more an open ended study.

  

The goal was to be eventually able to take any movement at all to conclude any attack. Which was of course also maximum unpredictbiality.

  

Did I succeed?

  

The goal was never to finish rather to keep moving forward and learning, never stopping.

The Uniform is the most important part of Kung Fu

This is the full article - an interesting read = LOL

 

https://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-uniform-is-most-importat-thing.html

A magazine of questiolnable kung fu cashing in on the movies and tv shows of the late 1970s.

Bob Bremer leading class at the Honbu dojo.

 

One of the exercises was to run around the dojo to warm up. 1969.

 

When Charles trained in Okinawa,

he was told Bob Bremer was the most advanced Chinkuchi student of Shimabuku Tatsuo.

Sensei Lewis continued this tradition in our classes in Salisbury.

At times he would have the class run around the outside of the dojo while chanting US Marine cadence calls.

From “Doka: Poems of Usheiba Morihei

  

 

There are several Aikido techniques that move directly into the attack, avoiding collision, and emerging behind the attacker. There is a similar teaching in the Shinkage-ryu sword school. The poem reads:

 

Furikaburu tachi-no shita-koso jigoku-nare

Mi-o-sutetekoso ukabu se-mo-are

 

Beneath the raised sword/ is like hell,

Throw yourself away/ there may be a way out

 

“It is like Hell standing beneath a raised sword, be willing to sacrifice yourself, there may be a way out.”

 

One can imagine the poet watching a leaf flow downstream only to be pulled into the rapids and then appearing later below the falls. Could this be “irimi-ho,” the entering method?

 

A poem that reflects the fundamental element of martial art is probably the following by O’Sensei Morihei Ueshiba:

 

Fusei Kise

  

Mike  Cassidy and I once attended a seminar on Okinawan weapons

Hosted by Greg Lazarus on the coast.
Greg’s instructor Kise Fuise was also there. I also attended several Pa. tournaments where he was there too.

 

 

Grand Master Kise has been training for well over 45 years. He holds a 10th Degree Black Belt in Kenshin Kan Shorin-Ryu and is the President of the All Okinawan Shorin Ryu Kenshin Kan Karate and Kobudo Federation. He is also a 9th Degree Black Belt in Okinawan Kempo and a 10th Degree Black Belt in Shorinji Ryu Karate. Grand Master Kise has Dojo’s (Schools) all over the world. His headquarters is located in Okinawa City, Okinawa Japan. Grand Master Kise makes trips to the United States once a year and also travels to other countries as well to teach the art of Kenshin Kan Shorin Ryu as well as Kobudo (Weapons)

 

Training. Kise Fusei, Hanshi Bio

 

MASTER FUSEI KISE was born on May 4, 1935. He began his study of Karate in 1947 from his Uncle Master Makabe. In 1955 Master Kise became a student of Master Nobutake Shingake and receive his SHO DAN.

In 1958 Master Kise began studying under Grand Master Hohan Soken, the third successor of Shorin Ryu Matsumura Seito Karate-Do. In 1960 he was a student of Grand Master Shigeru Nakamura, Okinawan Kenpo Karate-Do Federation and qualified for his 7th Degree Black Belt. After five years of training, Master Kise became a shihan or Master on January 1, 1965 when he passed the 7th Dan examination under Grand Master Shigeru Nakamura. At that time Master Kise taught and practice Shorinji Ryu Karate-Do. Also during this time he was studying Shorin Ryu under Grand Master Hohan Soken

 

.On January 1, 1957 Master Kise switched completely over to the Shorin Ryu Matsumura Seito (Orthodox Karate- Do). On January 3, 1972 Master Kise qualified for the Hanshi title by passing the 8th Dan examination held by Grand Master Hohan Soken and Master Makabe. Sep 1st 1976 Master Kise qualified for his 9th Dan by Grand Master Hohan Soken. In 1977 Master Kise founded the Shorin Ryu Karate Kenshin Kan Karate and Kobudo Federation. On Oct 25 1987 Master Kise was promoted to 10th Dan by Master Shigaru Tamaiya.

In 2001 the Government of Japan gave there Seal of Approval to the accuracy of Master Kise’s book. They have stated that he (Grand Master Kise ) is the sole true heir to Matsumura Orthodox Karate, being passed down to him from Soken Sensei. This has been entered into the official Government Archives. This means there can be no more disputing the Lineage of Matsumura Orthodox Karate. It belongs to our Grand Master

 

HAKUTSURU-DAI (SEKO HIGA HAKUTSURU)

 

 

In November 1999 Sensei John sells presented the video 'Secrets of the white crane' through a small private producer called the martial source having as a partner to sensei John Bartholomay, at that time both belonged to the style seito shitō-Ryu .

Video work was divided into two parts, where part 1 contained:

1. Introduction and history of the white crane.
2. Words of hakutsuru-Sho & Bunkai.
3. Kata Hakutsuru-Dai & Bunkai.
4. Words of matsumura hakutsuru & Bunkai.

Part 2 contained:

1. Introduction and history of the monk's style.
2. Cut Hakucho & Bunkai.
3. Kata Papures & Bunkai.
4. Katawando & Bunkai.

I acquired the 2 VHS and by observing the kata i emerged doubts regarding the name that were given to them and their true origin, so I ask directly to sensei John sells but as at that moment he was very sick who answered me was sensei bartholomay And he told me the following:

" the names of the kata presented in the first video were changed to help their learning... the kata called in the video hakutsuru-dai was taught inside the dojo of master seiko higa who was a student of kanryo higaonna and gokenki, in that Dojo was called simply hakutsuru, Sensei John sells with the intention of distinguishing it from other versions called it hakutsuru-dai, although it should have been named higa no hakutsuru..."

 

 

Scientific Unarmed Combat

IMO the wig is a give away that this must have been an important book. LOL

Tadahiko Otshuka and his kata

The Tou-on-ryu Gokenki Nipai (Shouting Crane's 28 movements / Ershiba) form

 

 

For those that haven't seen a clear or full demonstration of the Tou-on-ryu Gokenki Nipai (Shouting Crane's 28 movements / Ershiba) form, this rendition comes via Sensei Ohtsuka Tadahiko's (大塚忠彦) Gojukensha (剛柔拳舎) school.

 

Very unlike extant Shouting Crane Ershiba forms in both arrangement and details of primary sequences, this could represent either an earlier "Luohan" prototype, or a personal arrangement by Gokenki or Kyoda Juhatsu.

 

Note: the crane "whipping" energy has been replaced with the Okinawan power model.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmXDbWnn_7o

 

Translation of the YouTube description

 

December 1, 1996 Naha City Civic Hall Large Hall Hiei Naoshi Memorial Commemoration Of the Third Anniversary Of Karate and Kobudo Enbu Tournament Part 2 Invitational Enbu Gojukensha Ichimon.

 

Mr. Tadahiko Otsuka, who was also the president of the All Okinawa Karate Federation, was awarded the only ranked officer on the mainland, and in order to lead the group and show the research results of his theory of "Learning of Sanken", Nahate, Gojuryu "Kururunfer",

 

We held a memorial service for "Hapolen," the prototype of the three battles of Nahate and Gojuryu, Nahate "Naepai" which was in danger of being lost, Shurite and Kobayashi-ryu "Pinan", Shurite Kobayashi-ryu "Passai University" and "Chen-style Tai Chi" which is a direct story of Hisatoshi.

 

 

 

Fred Lohse Russ, I am reminded of correlations between power generation and application in FC, and Jigen, actually and for some reason. A random thought- since certain techniques will not work well with different power perhaps changes to sequence or movement are pushed at least in part by the different "engine". If the technique is a total fail with the power you use, wouldn't you remove and replace it?

 

Burinkan Martial Arts Fantastic point...although you may be giving more credit than due. Excellent food for thought.

 

Fernando Portela Inst-Stokastos This is one of the katas that absolutely does not work. Pure waste of time. Kyoda probably smoked opium at the back of Gokenki's tea shop. Do not want to miss with respect ...

 

Burinkan Martial Arts Really do enjoy the Gojukensha body mechanics, though, regardless of the reasoning for the form's drift.