Know when it is time to go to the Tigers!

Surviving Multiple Attackers

 

A frequent topic is how to survive multiple attackers, along with which art(s) is better to equip you to survive.

 

Let’s be honest this is a good reason to choose to run. It is flight not fight. But flip answers aside what is a rational choice.

 

Can any art work against many attacks? I believe the rational answer is it depends. First lets categorize the attacks as unarmed vs armed.. Of course there are many combinations of those categories. On the whole I do not believe it is likely to take on multiple armed attackers. But the unarmed attacker offers potentials to consider.

 

Much depends on how you have been trained, what force multipliers you employ to make your technique most effective. Broadly separating karate technique into two categories, percussive and grappling the main thing to consider is that your technique selection places the opponents you down between you and the other attackers.

 

More specifically has your impact training (i.e. makiwara) been sufficient to down an opponent with each strike? Do you have sufficient power behind the grappling you chose to employ to down an opponent where you choose?

 

The technique employed is less important in those cases.

But for the grappling control of an attacker you might consider Chinto kata as one option.

 

I MO it is not so much the system as the training regime where you prepare your abilities.

 

If so pressed, move swiftly, move surely, plan to succeed. But in any case do so as a reasoned response to evade, escape or attack as needed.

On Finding an Old Pair of Kama

In an old box I was going through I just came across an old pair of kama from a long time ago.

 

I had studied kama with Tris Sutrisno starting in 1980. Those kama were the lighter common Okinawan variety. The two kama forms I studied, Chosen No  Kama Sho and Chosen No Kama Dai were forms that built complexity to the forms as the progressed.

 

The weapons of the Sutrisno tradition all worked the same way. In  that the forms were progressive in nature each one building on the subsequent one. At that time I had studies 2 kama forms and 4 bo forms, while not the complete Sutrisno kobudo tradition they were representative as an approach to weapon instruction.

 

In those hand held weapons (kama, sai, sticks and tanto) a characteristic of the handling was continually changing the weapon handling from along side the arm (or closed position) to held pointing away from your body (or open position). Thereby making it confusing for the opponent to keep track of the weapon. This builds significant handling skill and is difficult to do.

 

In my program these kata are reserved for instructors to push their abilities. At the same time I have to admit they are beyond me. There is no way I can continue to do the kama position shifts these forms require.

 

As it turned out in 1983 I attended the Bando Summer Camp at the Maryland Boys Scout camp. The Bando people invited friends to attend.

Mr. Lewis sent me an invitation, and there were Bando Seniors I had met, Bob Maxwell and Rick Nemera through Mr. Lewis.

 

I was attending by myself, there were some students there from Mr. Lewis’ dojo and Reese Rigby’s dojo. Also in attendance was Mr. Don Bohan and a group of his students. This was the first time I had met him, but being a solitary 3^rd dan I am sure I did not make much of an impression. My main focus that weekend was the depth of the arts shown, and I also had the chance to  learn the Bando stick for, The Hidden Stick.

 

I remember this very clearly because Bohan Sensei had some weapons for sale, and that is where I purchased the kama.

 

These kama were very different from the other ones I had. They were very stout, and the blades almost a ¼ inch thick. In construction they were so sound you could easily use them to dismantle a car.

 

It was impossible to do the kama kata I studied with these kama. Their size did not permit the same handling.

 

Time progresses. I was never a kobudo weapons kata collecter. Content to work on what I had, But once YouTube became available, that most Okinawan Kama Kata (but not all) did not use the same handling technique. I observe many of the kata use the kama held open in the hands. Which is logical in its own right, in an actual combat situation.

 

So I created a simple exercise to work many those motions with kama.

I never gave it a name, it was just a personal drill.

 

 

 

 

Now having found those kama, it seems a good fit for training for me. A way to preserve my strength.

 

I am not sure if there is a large lesson here. Just a memory that translated into a new way to train for myself.

 

But each time I touch these kama, I travel back to that Bando Camp, reviving memories of many people and finding new incentive to train anew.

 

 

Kobudo for the Disabled – a Work Progresses

It it is an interesting time.

 

As a force enhancer to counter the weakness I have experienced with my disability I have begun working on using two hand held sticks to do Seisan kata.

 

I chose Seisan kata as the one I have been practicing longest.

 

At first I borrowed the term tecchu because I was using Okinawan kata with tecchu as an inspiration. The format was using the template of kata Seisan.

 

I looked at the following kata, many of which gave me ideas. Of course the weapon they are using is not exactly the same as I am employing, but the ideas are there.

 

Much that Kensho Tokumura is demonstrating makes more and more sense to me.

 

 

I was also inspired by the kata Jifa by Gushi Sensei

 

 

 

However I was not content to try and imitate kata from video.

 

Here is an early example that I came up with.

 

Eventually I discarded using the name of an Okinawan implement. For one thing I don’t really know the Okinawan language and do not want it to appear that I do so. What I am doing is just for myself  not to teach to others, so names are far less important, But if I was going to teach it I would not pretend that I had the name right.

 

At first the attempts were just doing the kata with sticks in my hand. Then gradually I made adjustments to use the weapons potential as I came to understand it. It still resembled Seisan kata, but a  little different too.

 

The more I worked with the sticks I came to understand more of their potential such as Tokumura Sensei utilizes. The fact that striking with both sides of the hand became more important.

 

There was less need to remain exact to Seisan, and more utilization of the stick potential.

 

I then began to explore what other kata could offer me in their movement potential for the sticks.

 

I began to look an Naifanchi Kata with Sticks and SunNuSu kata with sticks. The more I tried the less I was relying on one movement pattern and gaining greater understand what the Force Enhancer of the Sticks could represent.

 

Stating the obvious, I strike harder, And the stick does not feel the impact. There is more to learn.

 

This is still a work in progress

 

 

And remember earlier days too

 

 

From Okinawan Toe Tip kicking as seen through the Chinese Tam Tui Training

A recent discussion about how one time individuals were looking toward a Chinese practice of the form Tam Tui as a possible link to Nihanchi kata, because it was performed in a linear manner. This was long before youtube changed the paradigm of research. I discounted this theory because I had actually been trained in the practice of Tam Tui, and recognized that assumptions were being made by those who had not seen the form.

 

Today, I do find a relevance to the that training as an adjunct to a part of Okinawan training. Not from a historical point of view, but from a practical one.

 

Kicking with the toes creates a very penetrating type of kicking. There were different methods that Okinawan toe kicking utilized. But for many systems those methods have been discontinued. Other kicking traditions were used, and not less effective. Yet there are those which retain the training, such as Ueichi Ryu.

 

However, outside the dojo, in the modern world, across the world, often in extremely hostile environments, removing ones footware do deliver those kicks is problematic to say the best. Of course in the movies Billy Jack first took off his boots. But what looks good in the movies does not pray so well in real lift.

 

But kicking with the toe tips of one’s footwear remains a potential possibility.

 

Taking this into account is where the method of delivering those kicks through Tam Tui style kicking becomes more reasonable. 

 

The training was done wearing footwear. Often the Chinese stylist wore boots.

So it more resembled the practices of today’s world. Then the kicks were delivered with the ankle extended to deliver more impact with the kick

 

There are various kicking heights used in various Tam Tui practices. Myself  I was trained with kicks into the ankles, shins, thighs or groin area were the targets. Most practical for defensive uses. The shod foot is a great force enhancer for these kicks.

 

Yet another version of the kicks involves dragging the toes across the floor, and then using the angle, to deliver kicks upward for greater effect. Of course this is situational.

 

The form is not difficult to learn, It might be worth your time to explore for the advantages it offers.

 

Just a small paradigm change.

 

This is close to the version I studied.  Chin Woo Tam Tui https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=divSJKUHaZ4

 

 No longer where this came from but I think you will find it helpful 

Tan Tui

Now here's the rub, based on my interpretation all CMA is Circular. Not because there are curved techniques but because they are continuous. Some arts are considered linear because of a pattern or tempo that moves and stops. Like a rhythm on a drum, block, kick, punch, kick, move in, move out. Kung Fu never stops until you are finished like circular breathing on a wind instrument. Not to say that there aren't round circles of power, and straight lines of power, all martial arts have these. But in CMA one thing leads to another, to another so a punch leads to the elbow, shoulder body and turns into a throw, continuously until you are done.

In our system of long fist, Tan Tui is the first set of three forms. Tan Tui, Pao Chuan and Cha Chuan. It might be said generally that Tan Tui teaches straight lines, Pao Chuan teaches angles and Cha Chuan teaches circles. Not the rule, just emphasizes these things.

Tan Tui can mean springy legs or flicking legs but the emphasis is on kicking long from a deep stance. Some people will drag their foot along the ground like striking a match when they kick. The form emphasizes long kicking but that too is deceptive. In CMA kicks and steps are not separate. Many times in Tan Tui the kicking is actually a set up for a throw like a diagonal leg cut. People often say that long fist means long range techniques and focus on long range high kicks. This is of course, another gross generalization. Long fist, like all styles of CMA cover all ranges and techniques.

There are at least 3 forms of Tan Tui I know. All have similarities and differences. They can all be broken down into lines. Two have ten lines and one has 12. A line is a section done on both sides, or one right handed, one left handed and another right handed. Then you turn and begin another section. The reason people say roads is because you don't have to stop after three rep's. You can just keep going on a section until you have run out of space, than turn and do another section. They might say a road because you do about a mile or kilometer of each section before turning. Tan Tui is a great method for building foundation and root.

You might also say that Tan Tui has 3 levels. After you learn the movements you learn power by adding a grinding step and more focus on chan su jin. Than you learn applications. There is a second side of Tan Tui to complete a two man version but that's just icing on the cake.

Naifanchi (Nihanchi – Naihanchi and all variant spellings)

 

After I made blue belt I began my study of Nihanchi kata with Dennis Lockwood. There were no explanations of what the kata was,  just the study and practice, practice, practice. Another puddle of water on the dojo floor.

 

And after many years yet another instance that nothing that my instructors taught me was ever found to be wrong. Their classes were not history lessons, just the study of Isshinryu. And for the most part I kept the same path.

 

Only after black belt were there ever occasional discussions about other things. That left to the individual a choice to pursue Okinawan history or not. It did not have much to do with our actual practice.

 

You might note I do have a lot of history on my blog. This is so they do not have to begin where I did, if they find an interest in the subject, but it is totally voluntary.

 

When I began reading what was available, I accepted that almost everything I read was true. Then studying more, I found I had a lot of unlearning to do too.

 

When I learned Nihanchi kata, I was amazed that there was something that matched what I experienced in reality. In those days I was a construction laborer. You know someone who digs footers for foundations, one who totes things, etc.

 

One of the experiences I had was to move across mats of rebar laid out for concrete floor pours. Now one way to cross rebar was to walk atop the mats, stepping carefully not to trip and fall. Another method was to step in between the rebar and step laterally between the steel.

 

 

This is what I recognized. Interesting that Okinawans developed this method of stepping. Carefully stepping high to cross the rebar sections and into the next free space. Of course I never mentioned this in class, just did the kata.

 

So when later I read a variety or reasons the Okinawans developed this form, stepping across rice patties was something that made some sense to me. Not that I paid much attention to the story, nor did I teach it. Much later learned Okinawan rice was not grown in that type of patty. At least from what I have read.

 

The other stories did not concern me much, then again I never was teaching anyone to defend attacks outside a wall.

 

What the stories did inspire me was to use challenges to Naihanchi training for the adult students. At times we did Nihanchi kata on balance beams. On sections of a tree cut into pieces, forming a place to practice stability stepping between those tree sections.

 

Isshinryu’s Nihanchi kata is one that begins stepping towards the left, however I learned to to the kata mirror image so it would make it easier for all my students to see me moving the same way they were moving. Of course I taught this to the instructors I developed.

 

Which eventually led me to realize that it really didn’t matter which way you went, you were still doing the same kata. Then the adults started working the kata both ways.

 

Another drill was to do Nihanchi in a stack, one behind the other.

Variety of practice making life more challenging.

Likewise the theories that Nihanchi was teaching lateral movement for defense. It makes sense from one point of view as you are moving laterally, and many applications can be found for that movement in certain situations that can be encountered.

But, there are NO rules as to what application potential can be, meaning that you can move in externally of internally turning towards the attack, and you can move away externally or internally turning towards the attack, and use movement from Nihanchi kata to defeat an attack. The upper and lower body movements provide potential, much potential that can be used.

 

Back in the early 1980s I trained with Carl Long, a Shorin Ryu stylist. He taught me several Nihanchi practices that I have also done from time to time.

 

The first one was Nihanchi kata as a speed drill, seeing who can go the fastest under say 10 seconds. Always doing full technique at the same time. It is an interesting practice.

 

The other practice is more interesting, It is doing Nihanchi with a series of turns. Start as normal but after the initial elbow strike, chamber, low block and then strike across the body, when you step across you pivot 180 degrees toward what had been your rear, and then continue the kata normally. Again when that section repeats itself again step across and again pivot to the original front of the kata, and close as normally.

This version of Nihanchi open new potentials of application.

 

Then I had teenage students with too much energy. So I began a teen brown belt practice, Doing Nihanchi kata with jumping spinning crescent kicks. Slake off their extra energy. And though they do not admit it, it became a fun practice for them, with the jumping spinning crescent kicks.

A version for older more dignified karate-ka was to do the form with grounded stepping and turning crescent kicks.

 

When you train people for a long time it helps to find new ways to keep working at the kata.

 

I realize Nihanchi is something of a holy grail for some karate-ka. Finding it integral to their art. In some ways I agree with that. But personally I find Nihanchi kata has a different role.

 

I see Nihanchi kata as a basic training too preparing the core strength for better Chinto kata practice. The use of the side to side strikes strengthens the core for the spins in Chinto kata. That spin uses the same core muscles, and to me Chinto is far more important to my black belt practice.

 

A long time ago, before youtube made so much available, a topic was floated that the origins of Nihanchi kata was the Chinese form (and System) Tam Tuie.   Those proposing that had never seen the form and were relying on written descriptions that the form was performed side to side.  The form was in my studies with Rothrock Laoshi, and it is performed side to side, but not the same way Nihanchi kata was. It turns you to face the side head on and perform the form head on that way. A different thing all together. (Tam Tuie is a very worthy study in its own right)

 

The Nahanchi form in the Itosu lineage is also thought to have been a predecessor for the lateral movement in the kata studies Nijushiho and Gojushiho. Which by coincidence we have included in our training. But not the source version of the Shotokan Tekki ShiDan (their version of Nihanchi).

For further reference there are several groups that include Nihanchi starting to the left.

 

 

 

 

These days I just do the form several ways. As seen below and a version just stepping out, No crossover stepping. I also do the form with short sticks in my hands for force enhancement.

 

I have not begun to plumb the depths of Nihanchi.

Note: I chose the varied spellings for Nihanchi (Naihanchi- Naifanchi, et al) as ways I have seen the kata spelled at different times. All of which refer to the same kata. At this point in time, I tend to use whatever spelling comes to me at the time. My Isshinryu has never been a spelling challenge.

Super Foot Bill Wallace

Bill Wallace, a unique presence for his time. He really could live up to the title of Super Foot.

 

When my wife and I attended a clinic with him in 1976  in York Pa. he was extremely engaging. Part of the reason I was there is because it was near my hometown. For reasons never clear to me, almost no one attended, In fact if Reese Rigby had not brought a group up from his school in Dover. But there was a small group and he worked us.

 

First there was an hour of stretching, Drill Instructor style. He pushed us, and pushed us. We found out his daily routine was to spend 3 hours stretching every day. It became clear that this was what he did for life.

 

The next 2 or so hours we kicked. Three kicks. Round kick, side kick and hook kick.. Over and over, all on the same foot. Each of the kicks were to be thrown from the same chamber, one where the leg to kick was bent and held against your chest. So the center of gravity for the body was a straight line from the knee to the foot on the floor.

 

And how he did kick. From that chamber he could throw hundreds of kicks without putting his foot down. Fast ones, slow motion ones, in innumerable combinations. I recall one of those drills, he had us throw a hundred round kicks, not letting us put our foot down. By the end our round kicks were inches off the floor. And the whole time he was screaming, exhorting us to do more, as in boot camp.

 

 

Then he allowed us to try and block his kicks. He would tell you which combination he was going to use, show you first in slow motion. Then come at you with speed. And nothing you  could do would stop them.

 

Now I was just a blue belt, and my wife a yellow belt. So not being able to stop them was not much. But Reese Rigby was a regional fighter and good, He also had no chance stopping those kicks. Most impressive.

 

And if when he was walking around the floor he noticed your hair had come down, why in slow motion he would lift up his foot and use a hook kick to slowly brush it back into place.

 

For years I worked on what he shared. Too soon I was on my own as it was. But it didn’t take. I did not realize that my body type was not one for that style of kicking, nor as I observed many times over the years, how few people could successfully adopt those strategies.

 

It was worth the experience training with Bill Wallace, if only for the stories you could share.