When I was a beginner in Salisbury, one of the Brown Belts who trained there was Bruce Venables. He trained under Marvin Jones who had the Laural Club of the IKC.
Times
change, reasons change, arts are born, arts die.
I
just saw a series of documentaries on Hong Kong Martial Arts that makes some
interesting points. I suggest you would lears something while watching them.
Of
course the topic is simplified for television. Details are not offered as to
which arts are extinct, but this is happening.
My
friend Ernest Rothrock, Laoshi, has told me the same over a decade ago. His own
art, Faan Tzi Ying Jow Pai Northern Eagle Claw, is facing this ame extinction in
Hong Kong. However I doubt it is just because children have shorter attention
spans. The adult reason is employment. The requirements for making a living
take more time away from lives, leaving far less time to train.
So
faced with increasing school rent fees, decreasing students with the time to
train, arts to fade.
It
is interesting the same seems to have occurred on Okinawa.
Prior
to 1972 almost all the instruction on Okinawa was for adults. After control of
Okinawa returned to Japanese hands, there was an increase in employment and
accompanying mainland Japanese practices. Work became the standard of life, and
time to train almost became non-existant. The attendance at most dojo decreased
dramatically.
Of
course things did change, For one thing in Okinawa about 1994 Okinawan teachers
with martial backgrounds began a phys. Education program in the schools based
on karate. Then teaching karate to children became a large phenomena on
Okinawa. Today there are more dojo for children than adults.
Of
course this is not well documented.
Change
occurs. Instructors who would not share with foreigners may have seen their
arts die out, as the Hong Kong story suggests. Some of the arts may have been
too vast studies for anyone to attempt in today’s world. Times do change, life
and death are part of that.
One
day my neighbor in Scranton, Fred Meurty, a Senior Judo-ka came up to me and
told me he was approached to contact all of the local martial arts schools to
invite the youth training, to attend a private showing of the new movie “The
Karate Kid”. I had no idea what it was about, but knew Fred was a Good person
and thought the kids would enjoy it.
When
the Saturday arrived it was for a 1pm show. We entered as a group and sat
together. The kids were entranced with the movie. When it was done they were
cheering, and I was too.
I
had started watching martial arts movies since the early 70’s and had seen
nothing like it. Ok, the karate wasn’t that hot, and the lack of contact rules
for a youth tournament was impossible in real life. But the premise that this
what karate was for was superb. Among the best stories ever made.
But
leaving the theater with the kids I was teaching that day, I know it would
never be better.
A
rarity. following movie was even better,
not the karate, but the story.
One
of the things that is less discussed is the use of the thumb for striking in
karate.
This
is a recollection of a personal journey, as many stories are.As I learned Isshinryu, thumb strikes were
not part of my art. Along the way I studied many systems but do not recall them
being used either.
Thin
around 1987 ot 1988, Tom Chan a
Ueichi brown belt joined our program. He fit in very well, but did so because
of convenience rather than dislike of Ueichi, which he adored. I made certain
he continued his practice before or after class. From the first time I asked to
see his Seisan kata, I noticed the thumb strikes within the palm strikes he was
doing. He asked me how I saw them I just replied that I did. That was the
beginning of this inquiry.’
A
later discovered demonstration by Kilohide Sensei showing boshiken training in Uechi.
Back
then there was no internet discussion, or many videotapes, being before youtube
where everything is available if you know what you are looking for.Many arts were unseen in many areas, Ueichi
being one of them. It was found in pockest of influence around the country.
Within
the arts were many practices, while not secrets, not often discussed with
others. The use of thumbstriking, or boshiken strikes, being one of them, I hadn’t
noticed them in the considerable martial arts literature I had collected.
Of
course that got me thinking. I had experienced bunkai strikes from Shotokan, to
the forhead at the same point Ueichi was
striking with the thumb. At the same time that point was struck by Eagle Claw
single finger strikes to destabilize an attacker.
That
got me thinking, not to try an duplicate what Tom was doing, but to consider
the obvious use of the Isshinryu fist I hadn’t thought of before.
The
firse use I saw was striking into the solar plexus with the Isshinryu fist, and
then continuing the strike by driving the thumb into the soft part of the under
jaw, a variation on Sutrisno multiple striking applied to Isshinryu.
(Caution this should only be practiced with
a partner softly because it is dangerous.)
Then I got to see the applications within the
Isshinryu roundhouse strikes.
Strikes with the thumb to the neck and the temple.
Hooking strikes from SunNusu kata to the kidneys and back and solar
plexus.
Further uses in a double strike with the thumb and
the bent index finger allowed a different variation, such as double strikes
into the neck, Absolutely no difference in standard Isshinryu execution .Just
how it was used to strike.
Then in 1988 my wife took the time to train with Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming in a 6 month clinic
on Chin-na. I was working too far away to make
it. I would arrive home and later on she came in and used me for a practice ‘dummy’
I came to understand pain a different way, especially with her finger Chin-na
training. Including the thumb. It cast thumb potential in a different light.
Dr
Yang Jwing-Ming
While I had studied Eagle Claw with Ernie Rothrock Laoshi in the past, it
was just performance of the forms (for knowledge). I really didn’t work
applications at that time. Later he went into some of them and of course they
included use of the thumb.
Ernie
Rothrock demonstratingEagle Claw
About 5 years later I began training with Sherman Harrill Sensei and after his
death with his senior student John
Kerker Sensei. There were a lot of uses of thumb strikes in those studies.
A
photo of Sherman Harrill that might be turned into thumb striking.
There are times
that karate can provide no alternative but evasion for survival. These creature
cannot be defeated with available resources…….Run is the wisest course.
Kronos
from the 1957 movie
The original Godzilla1954
Godzilla 1999
Godzilla
2000
Godzilla
Tokyo
Godzilla
Final Wars
Monster
Zero
Giddorah
Space Godzilla
This in not a
complete listing, there are many others. But facing such opponents your karate
will do nothing, unless you are a giant alien yourself.
