Oshiro on Sai

Going through my hard copy files I discovered this piece. No longer sure where it came from. I think it is worth preserving.

Response from Robert Smith

One time in 1997 I wrote to Robert Smith about questions I had on one aspect of esoteric training I had received Much later I receiver this response. While he didn't offer any suggestions on my training question his response showed what a nice person he was. His place in the early transport of Chinese Martial Arts to the United States is documented through his many fine books and articles.

Dr. Gyi on Bando

The complete Controling the Neck from 2001

This was originally written pre 2001, with further additions as time passed. I had published the ending previously, but just discovered the original piece on hard copy, hence it was scanned in.

 

 I had originally published the last section as

http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2013/09/controlling-neck-revised-information.html

The following articles on FightingArts.com could be additional information

 

http://www.fightingarts.com/reading/article.php?id=203

 

http://www.fightingarts.com/reading/article.php?id=204



From 2002, a Study in Chinto Application

On Saturday morning, while driving to class, in 2002, a new way of considering some of Chinto’s application potential presented itself to me.

 

You draw the right foot back and twist your body clockwise into a right cross stance as you perform a double rising wedge strikes. [feel free to derive a better term!].

1. Then your left foot steps forth (with a crescent step) and you perform a simultaneous left low strike and right high strike.
2. Next your right foot steps forth (with a crescent step) and you perform a simultaneous right low strike and a left high strike.

 

My application analysis for this section has never been one I’ve been totally comfortable with, and the various studies I’ve completed have never fully taken these techniques into account.

 

Sure the obvious ‘missing’ front kick (a real hidden technique possibility) between movement 1 or 2 presents itself.  For movement 1. the potential for double blocking similar to boxing rope-a-dope is there. Charlie Murray was shown how this movement could be used to trap an arm during his stay in Okinawa, but on the whole, I still wasn’t very satisfied.

 

What came to me was one series of potential against grab and yank situations. Perhaps many of us don’t worry about such, feeling our size or power make it unlikely that such will occur.  But such attacks do exist and the more we understand our kata potential, the more complete our response capability becomes.

 

Several other opening thoughts.

 

First, if you’re being grabbed and yanked, its unlikely you will draw back into the cross stance as Chinto shows. I choose to explore the stepping out into the cross stance (akin to its use in Seisan kata) as I perform the double rising blocks.

 

Second, when moving into the stances it is necessary to orient yourself to take advantage of the application potential. That means you aren’t necessarily moving straight forward as in the kata, but perhaps on an angle, yet the finish of the stance and technique are as clean and precise as doing Chinto alone. This requires you use your full body potential. Keep your weight centered on the balls of your feet to finish your body alignment correctly and use your knee release in your technique to fully exploit your body’s power.

 

Your skill in performing Chinto kata is fully required to draw forth these applications effectively.

 

1. Opponent grabs your left wrist with their right hand and pulls you sharply forward.
1. [First Movement} You step across with your right foot and twist your body clockwise to form the right cross step. Doing this you execute the double rising wedge strikes, by first turning your left hand (palm side) in towards your chest and drawing your right fist across your left forearm, then pulling your right hand back and turning your left palm away from you as you finish the double strikes.  This movement separates their grab with the action of your right arm.
2. [Second Movement} You step forward with your left foot, but when you place the ball of that foot down, and you shift your weight onto the left foot, your body rotates counter-clockwise as you set into left foot forward Seisan Stance but so your own chest crosses their arm about 20 degrees.
3. As this takes place your right hand opens and you rotate your right forearm so your palm faces away from you (though not called for, this pressing motion could be an opening for an arm grab too.) The other half of the motion is a left descending hammerfist strike. [For safe practice strike into your opponents lower left (as you see it) abdomen.] There are a variety of targets of opportunity such as the left hand little knuckle striking into the point 1” below the male left chest nipple, by my all time favorite is to slice across the side of the ribs where there is no meat protecting the ribs, just lots of nerves and bone underneath.
4. [Takedown] Such as strike itself isn’t often enough. By grabbing their wrist and then stepping across their line of attack with your left foot, and striking (rolling across) their biceps tendon you can force the opponent down into the ground.

 

2. Opponent grabs your right wrist with their left hand and pulls you sharply forward.
1. [First Movement] You step across with your right foot and twist your body clockwise to form the right cross step. Doing this you execute the double rising wedge strikes, by first turning your left hand (palm side) towards your chest, and drawing your left fist across your right forearm, then pulling your left hand back and turning your right palm away from you as you finish the double strikes. This movements separates their grab with the action of your left arm.
2. [Third Movement (skipping the second movement) being creative], Draw your weight back on your left foot allowing you to step forward with your right foot. Your body will roll counter-clockwise during the right stepping motion but then roll clockwise at the completion of this section.
3. As this takes place your left hand opens and you rotate your left forearm so your palm faces away from you (though not called for this pressing motion could be an opening for an arm grab too.) The other half of the motion is a right descending hammer fist strike. [For safe practice, strike into your opponents lower right (as you see it) abdomen.] There are a variety of targets of opportunity such as the right hand little knuckle striking into the point 1” below the male right chest nipple, but again I favor slicing across the side of the ribs.
4. [Takedown] Such as strike itself isn’t often enough. By grabbing their wrist and then stepping across their line of attack with your right foot, and striking (rolling across) their biceps tendon you can force the opponent down into the ground.

 

 

3. Opponent grabs your left hand with their right hand (cross hand grab)
1. This grab doesn’t allow the previous techniques to work as well, but we can readily defeat it by drawing on the kata in a different manner.
2. [First movement] You step across with your right foot and twist your body clockwise to form the right cross step. Doing this you execute the left arm rising strike, by first turning your left hand (palm side) towards your chest, and using your right rising strike, to smash into their wrist, freeing your left hand
3. You can then complete this section as shown in number 2 above.

 

4.  Opponent grabs your right hand with their left hand (cross hand grab).
1. Your response is the reverse of above

 

A note on 3 and 4, the cross hand grab does not come free with the double rising strike, but striking into the wrist will readily effect release from the grab.

 

5. Opponent grabs your left shoulder (or upper left arm) with their right hand.
1. [First movement] You step across with your right foot and twist your body clockwise to form the right cross step.
2. While doing this your rising left strike opens their right arm to the left.
3. At the same time your are striking upwards with your right fist into their solar plexus. This creates one heck of a shock into the opponent.
4. Alternatively, you could be doing a right uppercut underneath the opponents jaw.

 

This last technique reminds me of the shocking energy developed in Hsing I kung fu, and similar strikes from Tai Chi

 

I don’t see this analysis as even close to completely describing this section of Chinto’s application potential.

 

My studies also point out these are very skilled responses. Simply knowing Chinto kata does not mean one is prepared to sell these applications. By way of example, this training would never be part of my kyu curriculum, and where I have a group of experienced Dans training with me, most of them would not choose to sell these applications during conditions extremis. In their case they would likely choose a different response.

 

But being trained in application and choosing not to respond with a technique series, is vastly different from not knowing its existence.

 

Anatomy of the carotid sinus nerve and surgical implications in carotid sinus syndrome.

This article accompanies these posts  http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-carotid-choke.html and http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2014/08/oyata-old-way-saved-article.html

The strike to the carotid sinus does not shut down the brain, what it does do is stop the heart from beating as the strike increases the blood pressure and the heart stops to reduce the blood pressure. Especially in older people this might kill. The difficult to read lower articles go into detail.

Anatomy of the carotid sinus nerve and surgical implications in carotid sinus syndrome.

Toorop RJ, Scheltinga MR, Moll FL, Bleys RL.

Author information

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The carotid sinus syndrome (CSS) is characterized by syncope and hypotension due to a hypersensitive carotid sinus located in the carotid bifurcation. Some patients ultimately require surgical sinus denervation, possibly by transection of its afferent nerve (carotid sinus nerve [CSN]). The aim of this study was to investigate the anatomy of the CSN and its branches.

METHODS:

Twelve human carotid bifurcations were microdissected. Acetylcholinesterase (ACHE) staining was used to identify location, side branches, and connections of the CSN.

RESULTS:

A distinct CSN originating from the glossopharyngeal (IX) nerve was identified in all specimens. A duplicate CSN was incidentally present (2/12). Mean CSN length measured from the hypoglossal (XII) nerve to the carotid sinus was 29 +/- 4 mm (range, 15-50 mm). The CSN was frequently located on anterior portions of the internal carotid artery, either laterally (5/12) or medially (6/12). Separate connections to pharyngeal branches of the vagus (X) nerve (6/12), vagus nerve itself (3/12), sympathetic trunk (2/12), as well as the superior cervical ganglion (2/12) were commonly observed. The CSN always ended in a network of small separate branches innervating both carotid sinus and carotid body.

CONCLUSION:

Anatomical position of the CSN and its side branches and communications is diverse. From a microanatomical standpoint, CSN transection as a single treatment option for patients with CSS is suboptimal. Surgical denervation at the carotid sinus level is probably more effective in CSS.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE:

Some patients suffering from CSS ultimately require surgical carotid sinus denervation, possibly by transection of its afferent nerve (CSN). This study was performed to investigate the anatomy of the CSN using a nerve-specific ACHE staining technique. Microdissection demonstrated a great variability of the CSN and its branches. Simple high transection of the CSN may lead to an incomplete sinus denervation in patients with CSS. Surgical denervation at the level of the carotid sinus itself may be more effective in CSS.

Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE): Quality-assessed Reviews.

Carotid sinus nerve blockade to reduce blood pressure instability following carotid endarterectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Review published: 2007.

Bibliographic details: Tang T Y, Walsh S R, Gillard J H, Varty K, Boyle J R, Gaunt M E.  Carotid sinus nerve blockade to reduce blood pressure instability following carotid endarterectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery 2007; 34(3): 304-311. [PubMed]

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Local anaesthetic infiltration into the carotid sinus during carotid endarterectomy (CEA) has been recommended to minimise blood pressure fluctuations but its use remains controversial. The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine whether intra-operative administration of local anaesthetic reduces the incidence of haemodynamic instability following CEA.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A search of the Medline, Pubmed and Embase databases and the Current Controlled Trials register identified four trials, which met the pre-defined inclusion criteria for data extraction. Pooled odds ratios with 95 per cent confidence intervals (c.i.) for the development of post-operative hypotension and hypertension were calculated using a random-effects model.

RESULTS: Outcomes of 432 patients were studied. Local anaesthetic blockade of the carotid sinus was associated with a pooled odds ratio of 1.25 (95 per cent c.i. 0.496 to 3.15); p=0.216) and 1.28 (95 per cent c.i. 0.699 to 2.33; p=0.428) for the development of post-operative hypotension and hypertension respectively. Although none reach significance there was a trend towards increased risk of developing a complication in those patients who received local anaesthetic.

CONCLUSIONS: There are insufficient data to determine the role of intra-operative local anaesthetic administration in reducing post-operative blood pressure lability following CEA. Conversely, the possibility of harm cannot be excluded on the basis of the currently available data.

 

David Evseeff's book on Isshinryu Karate lists Isshinryu Karate-Do Formal Upper Body Techniques

I always thought this technique listing was interesting.

David Evseeff's book on Isshinryu Karate lists "Isshinryu Karate-Do Formal Upper Body   Ippon Kumite Techinques", but doesn't credit the source.

Listing from David's book.

1. Inside Block, reverse punch (solar plexus)
2. Inside Block, reverse uppercut.
3. Inside block, reverse punch
4. Outside block, reverse punch
5. Outside block, reverse twist punch (head)
6. Open-hand upper block, nukite strike (throat/eyes)
7. Inside reverse forearm block and grab, inside spin, elbow strike
(solar plexus)
8. Outside reverse forearm block and grab, outside spin, elbow
strike (kidney)
9. Step into attack (horse stance), lunge punch
10. Inside block, "Chinto pivot", reverse haito (throat)
11. Outside cross-body block, "Chinto pivot", reverse haito (throat)
12. Outside shotei block, step into opponent, reverse multiple haito
strikes (groin)
13. Inside haito block and pull, reverse punch (solar plexus)
14. Haito cross-body block and pull, reverse twist punch
(neck/mastoid process)
15. Step into attack, outside upper forearm block, reverse punch
(face/throat)
16. Step into attack, inside upper forearm block, reiken strike
(face/throat)
17. "Kusanku sidestep" avoidance, "Chinto pivot", reverse punch (head)
18. Inside reinforced block, reverse reiken (head)
19. Outside reinforced block, upper cut (head)
20. Outside cross-body haito block, pull away, escape.
21. Outside reverse cross-body shotei block, reverse grab, reverse tettsui (throat)

22. Outside cross-body shotei block, reverse grab, lunge reiken (head)

23. Outside cross-body shotei block, reverse grab, elbow strike (head/throat)

24. Inside block, step in, post head, eye gouge

25. Drop to knee, reverse punch (groin)

26. Cross-body shotei block, reverse punch (head)

27. Rising head block, reverse punch (solar plexus)

28. Rising head block, lung reiken (face/throat)

29. Shotei cross-body block (stepping into a horse stance), double hook punch

30. Inverted outside forearm block, reiken strike (face/throat)

31. Inverted inside forearm block, reiken strike (forearm/head)

32. Outside Shotai block, “Chinto pivot”, haito strike (head/throat)

33. Hip reinforced empi block, reiken strike.

34. High kiai, lunge punch (head)

35. Double inside rising haito block, double eye gouge.

36. Double inside rising block, double hand head grab, head strike.