Comments

As we close out 2010 I'd like to make a point about comments for my blog.

This blog is primarily a way to leave a record for my direct students.

I appreciate comments positive and/or not positive if they be when someone signs them directly

I don't hide who I am and in turn do not respond to Anonymous comments.

If you have something to say stand up and sign your name.

I always do, never using pseudonyms either.

Merry Cristmas from Bushi No Te Isshinryu

Windham Flute Ensemble Christmas 2010
Carol of the Bells

Look who's NOT coming to Dinner

For a number of years we've had a flock of Turkey's in our neighborhood. Last spring we saw one Mom and her babies walking through our backyard frequently.

The other Sunday I looked out and there they were.

Walking through the back yard, no longer babies but full sized.

They may have been listening for I think we were talking about having a Turkey Dinner for Christmas.


Next thing we knew they were moving on.





Guess they weren't hungry.

They won't be visiting for Christmas dinner this year.

Merry Christmas!

The use of Kata Technique – Section 9 Concluding Remarks

This as been a study of some of Sesian Kata’s opening movement application potential. It is not of course complete. Many of the sub-variations of each technique described using different principles and force multipliers have been left out. There are also many other answers not shown. It does, however, show a significant way to look at Seisan potential, the first step towards developing Seisan realization, where it truly works if pressed.

Kata practice gives use the physical study of our art. Understanding how to find and develop the application potential is the mental study of our art. Finding the will to believe in the application and making any of them work against any attack requires the spirit of our art to manifest ourselves in our lives.

The main focus of my blog is to preserve material for my groups instructors and students. I’m freely sharing this with all, but am not looking for converts.

Actually this material is what I present to my sho-dan students to learn how the underlying principles and force multipliers being used determine which application potentials can be used.

I do not formally teach application potential to kyu students. They’re continually exposed to them to help shape their kata study, but not as a formal way to use kata. The role of the kyu is to develop their technique.

For the Dan material is not studied as a linear study. The study of these techniques and working on their effectiveness is normally spread over years to life. I first put this study together 5 years ago and re-working that material has shown me myriads of other answers today. I’m unconcerned if anyone can do all of them, just that they have an answer that stops anything, and don’t care which answer that is.

For those who’d like to study with me I don’t do clinics on my material because I only do this with my own kata movement flow. Students are certainly welcome to join our program but I start everyone at the beginning regardless of their background to learn our technique execution and movement flow, all of which underlie our studies. If do decide to move to Derry and train I’m sure we’ll get to this in a few years. That depends on you.

If you want to understand how the late Sherman Harrill influenced my studies I suggest you train with one of his qualified students, such as John Kerker. You would not regret it.

If you want to understand how Ernest Rothrock influenced my studies I suggest you train with him. Of course you have to move to Pittsburgh and train full time in his art, and in time you’ll forget my material because you’ll be having so much fun with his.

If you want to understand how Tristan Sutrisno influenced my studies I suggest you train with him. Of course you have to move to Scranton and train full time in his art, and in time you’ll forget my material because you’ll be having so much fun with his.

And for those who figure out you know what I have I only suggest you remember I do this with every movement of every form I study. It only takes 20 or 30 years to get somewhat beyond beginner.

Good Luck.

Note: there are no mistakes in this presentation. If however it varies from what I teach I still expect you to make it work. In the end it’s not the mental of physical it’s your Spirit!

The use of Kata Technique – Section 8

Special techniques

Opening Seisan Kata 106.01 – Working outside the kick

Attacker executes a right front kick to your center

Seisan Response - Technique 1. to 1.1

1. Step your left foot into alongside your right foot.
2. Continue to step forward with your left foot crescent step.
3. Your left arm crosses your body and moves under the attackers kick.
4. You rotate your body counter-clockwise and execute your left side block. This rolls the attacker’s kick counterclockwise.
5. When your left side block reaches the standard side block position you execute a annaku pivot 20 degrees across their attack line and continue to roll your block down counterclockwise to execute a projection to the ground, for the attacker.

This seisan application works the exterior line of defense to an interior line of defense.

Force multipliers to consider

1. Correct body alignment. Your center must roll to the left as your left hand begins to block/roll the kick, and it must then continue to follow your arm as it rolls to the right for the projection.

Opening Seisan Kata 106.02 – Countering grabs from the front

Attacker grabs your wrist from the front. This works for straight attacking hand grabs, cross attacking hand grabs and double grabs of a single hand or hands grabbing both hands.

Seisan Response - Technique 1. to 1.1

1. Step your left foot into alongside your right foot.
2. Your left arm crosses your body and moves under the attackers grab.
3. Continue to step forward with your left foot crescent step and side block to break the grab.

The use of Kata Technique – Section 7

Just going outside doesn’t mean you have to change the technique.

Opening Seisan Kata 105.01 – Working outside the attack

Attacker drives forward with their right foot and strikes toward you with their right fist.

Seisan Response - Technique 1. to 1.3

1. The defender moves the left foot to the center alongside right foot, as that happens the arms cross before your centerline, right on top. Then the left foot continues to step forward.

2. Then the left foot continues to step forward toward their shoulder with the left crossed arms before their centerline, the hands open palm out.

3. The left palm intercepts the attackers punch at a circle 8” before their shoulder and slightly deflects it. The right palm continues to press forward allowing the body alignment to make sure the left palm block deflects their strike. (the right forward press strengthen the palm block.

4. Shift the weight to the ball of the left foot. Then

a. Slide the right foot out to the left or

b. Step the right foot alongside the left then drive it back

c. You end in left foot forward Seisan dachi your centerline 20 degrees across their line of attack.

5. As you shift you simultaneously

a. Strike into the side of the attackers head with your left back fist that then

i. Grabs their forehead

ii. Grabs their collar

iii. Grabs their left shoulder

iv. Presses into the other side of their neck

v. Grabs the other side of their neck with an Isshinryu fist grab ** note this may conclude the attack itself **

b. The right hand slices across the top of their striking arm sliding down into a wrist grab

6. Pull them backwards down atop your knee

This Seisan application works the exterior line of defense

Force multipliers to consider:

1. Body Alignment to strengthen the cross hands parry
2. Use of the chambering slice strike

Opening Seisan Kata 105.02 – Working outside the attack 2

Attacker drives forward with their right foot and strikes toward you with their right fist.

Seisan Response - Technique 1. to 1.3

1. The defender moves the left foot to the center alongside right foot, as that happens the arms cross before your centerline, right on top. Then the left foot continues to step forward.

2. Then the left foot continues to step forward toward their shoulder with the left crossed arms before their centerline, the hands open palm out.

3. The left palm intercepts the attackers punch at a circle 8” before their shoulder and slightly deflects it. The right palm continues to press forward allowing the body alignment to make sure the left palm block deflects their strike. (the right forward press strengthen the palm block.

4. Shift the weight to the ball of the left foot. Then

a. Slide the right foot out to the left or

b. Step the right foot alongside the left then drive it back

c. You end in left foot forward Seisan dachi your centerline 20 degrees across their line of attack.

5. As you shift you simultaneously

a. Strike into the side of the attackers head with your left back fist that then

i. Grabs their forehead

ii. Grabs their collar

iii. Grabs their left shoulder

iv. Presses into the other side of their neck

v. Grabs the other side of their neck with an Isshinryu fist grab

b. The right hand slices across the top of their striking arm and then chamber your right fist

6. Pull them backwards and the right fist strikes into their target of opportunity such as their kidneys.

This Seisan application works the exterior line of defense

Force multipliers to consider:

3. Body Alignment to strengthen the cross hands parry
4. Use of the chambering slice strike

Opening Seisan Kata 105.03 – Working inside the left attack

Attacker drives forward with their leftt foot and strikes toward you with their left fist.

Seisan Response - Technique 1. to 1.3

1. The defender moves the left foot to the center alongside right foot, as that happens the arms cross before your centerline, right on top. Then the left foot continues to step forward.

2. Then the left foot continues to step forward toward their shoulder with the left crossed arms before their centerline, the hands open palm out.

3. The left palm intercepts the attackers punch at a circle 8” before their shoulder and slightly deflects it. The right palm continues to press forward allowing the body alignment to make sure the left palm block deflects their strike. (the right forward press strengthen the palm block.

4. Shift the weight to the ball of the left foot. Then

a. Slide the right foot out to the left or

b. Step the right foot alongside the left then drive it back

c. You end in left foot forward Seisan dachi your centerline 20 degrees across their line of attack.

5. As you shift you simultaneously

a. Strike into the side of the attackers head with your left back fist that then

i. Grabs the back of their head

ii. Grabs inside their collar

b. The right hand slices across the top of their striking arm before it chambers

6. Pull them forwards with your left and strike

a. Strike into the side of their ribs, or

b. Strike into their left abdominal area with your strike tilted to 1 o’clock

This Seisan application works the exterior line of defense

Force multipliers to consider:

1. Body Alignment to strengthen the cross hands parry
2. Use of the chambering slice strike
3. The angle of attack of the fist

The use of Kata Technique – Section 6

Looking at the faster response as proposed by Shiroma Shimpan and my frieinds.

Opening Seisan Kata 104.01 – If it’s good enough for Chosin Chibanna

Attacker drives forward with their right foot and strikes toward you with their right fist.

Seisan Response - Technique 1. to 1.2

1. The defender moves the left foot to the center alongside right foot as that happens the arms cross before your centerline.

2. The defender then drives that foot outward into the left front stance. The arms uncross the left arm parries the opponent’s strike.

3. At that point the blocking arm performs a counter-clockwise circular technique before it strikes into their head. (the striking punch to 11 o’clock).

This Seisan application works the interior line of Defense.

Force multipliers to consider

a. Striking area is the side of the neck or the side of the head..

b. Makiwara long term study to develop a strike to drop the opponent every time

c. Crescent stepping to compress and then explode the movement dynamics to make the resulting parry to strike stronger.

d. Timing is not 1-2 not 1-1/2 but 1-1/4

Simply turn the block into a strike. (if less than perfect you have the rest of seisan opening to draw upon.

Opening Seisan Kata 104.02 – Jing Do borrowed from Ernest Rothrock

Attacker drives forward with their right foot and strikes toward you with their right fist.

Seisan Response - Technique 1. to 1.2

1. The defender moves the left foot to the center alongside right foot as that happens the arms cross before your centerline.

2. The defender then drives that foot outward into the left front stance. The arms uncross the left arm parries the opponent’s strike.

3. At that point the blocking arm performs a counter-clockwise circular technique and palm strikes into their head.

This Seisan application works the interior line of Defense.

Force multipliers to consider

a. Striking area is the side of the neck or the side of the head..

b. Makiwara long term study to develop a strike to drop the opponent every time

c. Crescent stepping to compress and then explode the movement dynamics to make the resulting parry to strike stronger.

d. Timing is not 1-2 not 1-1/2 but 1-1/4

Simply turn the block into a palm strike strike. (if less than perfect you have the rest of seisan opening to draw upon. The Jing Do short range striking is a series of immediate follow-up techniques to ‘blocks’ that allow a very quick response to a limb moving quickly in your direction.