Isshin - Concentration the Art

Sunday, April 17, 2016

From Application Potential to Application Realization

Let’s take an example of an application potential. Starting with one Mabuni Sensei shared in 1934 from Seienchin Kata.

From GOSHIN KARATE KEMPO Defense and Attack

By Master Mabuni Kenwa Published in March 1934

Translated into French by Tokitsu Kenji (February 1989)

Translated into English by Victor Smith (June 2000)

When the opponent attacks you to the solar plexus with a punch, you parry, as on the bunkai diagram parrying with the augmented block, while using the two hands.

You next seize the wrist of the opponent with the right hand, and you advance your left foot towards him as you find on the bunkai diagram.

You hit to the groin with your left fist.

This movement is in the Isshinryu version of the kata too.

However when I tried to do it I found the attackers arm was almost impossible to go over to make the strike to the groin work.

Now I had given a copy of my translation to Sherman Harill and he understood what I was missing. When stepping in with the left leg it must block/strike into the attackers right leg to cause them to sag. Then the striking left arm strikes into the groin easily.

The training to make an application effective is always comprised of such details. No doubt the Mabuni explanation was just to show a potential existed, not to become a training guide for the student.

That begins the process to move from application potential of a movement, to application realization where the application succeeds against an attack. Then there is a training methodology needed to reach that realization

Bagua or the older name Paqua It still is interesting

Bagua/Paqua.. I still find this interesting.

Masters - An older article that stll worth reading

Another article from the past worth reading.

Friday, April 15, 2016

A Stick Striking Pattern and a little bit more

Just ran across these scans, from an older magazine. I no longer know which one, or even the system I kept it because it is similar to other stick striking patterns I have seen, and like the way is shows a kick striking drill. Very interesting.

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Regarding the Heaven and Earth Gaze (Tenchi Metsuke)

This was a gift from Joe Swift quite some time ago

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

The Joy of Sumo

This book is an attempt at making Japanese Sumo understandable. It is enjoyable, and as there illustrations indicate done with a bit of fun.

Sumo was originally not a sport, but a Japanese battlefield tradition.

Bruce Tegner Jukado

Like many people in the 1960s I became aware of the existence of Karate by books written by Bruce Tegner. He became an early martial arts publishing empire. Some of those books were written by others in their own fields of study. I always liked this book as his best one.

Technique dense I am just sharing a few pages. That also reflect on our own studies.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bruce Tegner (1929–1985) was an American author and martial artist who practiced judo and jujitsu. Bruce authored several books on self-defense, including Bruce Tegner's Complete Book of Self-Defense Judo, Jiu Jitsu, Karate, Savate, Yawara, Aikido, and Ate-Waza. In all, he published some 80 titles in the United States.

Those who studied his methods found great practical self defense in easy to comprehend format at a time when martial arts instruction in the United States was hard to come by. Bantum (publisher) Books were some of the most popular books available to school-aged children via frequent book fairs; this media allowed exposure to very effective martial arts concepts in the early 1970's.

Bruce's parents were also martial artists who began teaching Bruce judo and jujutsu at the age of 2. By the age of 21, Bruce had already won California's State title and began writing books on judo, jujitsu, aikido, tai chi, karate, and kung fu. He included three types of training in his books: Sport, Classical, and Self-Defense.

In one of his books, the model posing for the techniques was Ricky Nelson, famous singer and co-star of "Ozzie and Harriet" tv show, who went on to win his black belt under Bruce's instruction. James Coburn was another celebrity pupil, as was George Reeves, who portrayed "Superman" on the popular television series.

One of Bruce’s main contributions to self defence was that he dispelled a lot of the myths about the martial arts and brought realism to the fore again. One of these myths was the myth of the “Black Belt as a superman”. In his book Bruce Tegner’s Complete Book of Self-Defence he wrote, “Contrary to popular belief, the first black belts were not deadly killers; they were skilled sportsman.”

He also dispelled the myth that only athletes should practice the martial arts. In fact, he challenged the widely held (at the time) fact that martial arts required athleticism. Who, he asked, is more vulnerable to assault – a little old lady or a strong young athlete? As a result, his self defence method relied very little on strength and athleticism.

Bruce also loved to keep it simple. Rather than have an answer for every attack he taught a few simple moves that the defender could adapt to many different situations. As Bob Rosenbaum, one of Bruce Tegner’s Jukado Black belts explained, “He told us there are no pat answers, and that the most important weapon we have is the mind.”

While based in Hollywood in the 1950's and 60's, Tegner also worked behind the scenes as a movie fight choreographer. The spectacular fight scene between actors Frank Sinatra and Henry Silva in the original Manchurian Candidate (1962) was devised by Bruce Tegner. The sequence is regarded by some as one of the classic Hollywood fight scenes. In it, both judo and karate-like techniques are used, and the on-guard stance adopted by the opponents is from Tegner's own composite self-defense system.