Block Left, Block Right

Block Left – the blocking action is to the left of one’s centerline.

Block Left

The attacker RFF with a Right Strike.

1. Step RFF (interior line of defense)(angling your center across their strike 

about 20 degrees), and parry to the left with your right palm (just before their 

elbow). 

1.a. Your left open hand rises to the front of your right shoulder.

2. Then parry out with your left palm (also just before their elbow).

3. Execute a right rolling back hand strike into the side of their neck.

4. Then the left hand slips up to press into their shoulder from behind and you 

throw a right rising elbow strike into their shoulder.

And by just changing the angle, this is the rolling backfist strike at Seiunchin 

Kata ending (all versions), just with a different angle of execution. The palm 

strikes are done with 'mumichi' or a sticky flowing movement to press out and 

redirect their strike.

This technique really flows through a strike.

If the attacker is LFF with a Left Strike.

1. Step RFF (exterior line of defense)(angling your center across their strike 

about 20 degrees), and parry to the left with your right palm (just behind their 

elbow). 

1.a.Your left open hand rises to the front of your right shoulder.

2. Step further forward and the left palm strikes into their face with a flowing 

sticky movement, turning their head clockwise and becoming a forced takedown.

The key to both of these movements rests on setp 1.a. where the left hand rises 

to the shoulder, otherwise it will never get there in time.

Block Left Extended

If the attacker is LFF with a Left Strike.

1. Step RFF (exterior line of defense)(angling your center across their strike 

about 20 degrees), and parry to the left with your right palm (just behind their 

elbow). 

1.a Your left open hand rises to the front of your right shoulder.

2.  Step further forward and the left palm strikes into their face with a 

flowing sticky movement, turning their head and becoming a forced takedown.

3.  Your left open palm presses into the jaw to rotate their head 

counter-clockwise, as your right elbow strikes to the rear of their neck.

4. The right open hand rolls out and presses the palm out and down 

(clockwise)and across the attackers neck, for a forced takedown.

Block Right – the blocking action is to the right of one’s centerline.

Block Right

               If the attacker is LFF with a Left Strike.

1. RFF (interior line of defense) with a left rising back palm deflection parry 

as it rolls back to your shoulder.

2. Then use a right rising back palm deflection parry as it rolls back towards 

the shoulder.

3. Slide forward, the left hand presses in on their chest (and/or right arm) as 

you throw a rising right elbow strike to the side of the opponent’s rib cage.

If the attacker is RFF with a Right Strike

1. RFF (exterior line of defense) with a left palm deflection parry as it rolls 

back to your shoulder.

2. Then use a right rising back palm deflection parry as it rolls back towards 

the shoulder.

3. Right arm folds into a rising elbow strike into their ribs

Block Right Extended

If the attacker is RFF with a Right Strike

1. RFF (exterior line of defense) with a left rising and then descending palm 

deflection parry as it rolls back to your shoulder.

2. Continue RFF but angle to the right and then use a right rising back palm to 

roll across their arm and in turn reach down to their left hip, as if to touch 

it. The left hand flows to their back.

3. Right arm folds into a rising elbow strike into their face. The right forearm 

moves the face to rotate clockwise, and the left hand is placed behind their 

neck.

 Last night's Block Left practice

Bujin - Seiken Tsuki

At the request of students of John Hamilton I'm sharing this article. It was referenced in my article on the Old Style Okinawan Fist on FightingArts.com  http://www.fightingarts.com/reading/article.php?id=215

 

A photo provided by Joe Swift showing the relationship of this fist to older budo technique.

 

 

Different views of Zen

CW Nicole moved to Japan as a young man and ended up studyng Shotokan Karate.

Janwillem Van de Wettering, who is also a Dutch Mystery author on note, moved to Japan as a young man and ended up in Zen Study.

  

As it turns out, each of them wrote three superb books on their studies, all of which I recommend.

 

Chinto Kata and Tai Chi’s DaLu Drill

Long ago when I was a new Sho Dan in Isshinryu I began a study of Yang Tai Chi.

I knew of Tai Chi from my readings on Chinese Arts back in college. I was interested in it and when I saw Ernest Rothrock perform it in a demonstration I knew watching it I wanted to study it. For the next two years I had a class once a week. The 6 rows of the Yang form, the Sword form, Single push hands, Double push hands were  in my study. I wasn’t concerned with martial applications just the form and assorted drills. This was not to replace my Isshinryu, just for its own practice.

Practice I did. About 8 years later a few of my students approached me and asked for instruction. I decided to do so, but separate from our Isshinryu studies. I decided to hold class Sundays mornings early on my driveway, whether hot or cold. For the next 16 years or so class was held. Until they all went their separate ways. Then I returned to the solitary practice I originally began.

Teaching was also very instructive, I began to explore the martial applications. After nearly caving in one student’s chest with Lu the Pull Back of Tai Chi, I called Ernie to ask him what I was doing wrong. He told me “Didn’t I tell you not to use that on student’s?” Of course joking for the martial applications were not our study (and of course he had them).

One practice I had read about was DaLu, a Yang exercise. In our study that had never come up. I do not know the full extent of my instructors art, as my study with him had become difficult many years ago due to distance. When video tape (pre internet) became available I finally saw the practice. First, I was shown the movements of DaLu as double push hands application studies. I began to add these drills as part of my program. Then I had a moment of understanding, that these movements were also a direct part of my Isshinryu Chinto kata study, and there were no changes needed to these movements for this to be a drill.

1.   1.       Begin in Chinto kate from the kamae where you lift your hands up.

2.   2.       Then you step away in seiunchin dachi and strike down with both your handsk,

3.   3.       Then you step forward in seiunchin dachi with the rear foot and strike inwards with both hands, the right hand as a ridge hand.

Those motions form DaLu’s techniques.

A method using stepping away to immobilize their strike and draw them down by pulling their wrist and striking down behind their elbow.

Then stepping to strike to their neck.

Of course each motion neutralizes the other as the drill progresses.  

An interesting study in how different arts are to be found within each other, abet with differing execution.

Karatedo Taikan – Nakasone Genwa

Karatedo Taikan – Nakasone Genwa ed. 1938

Visual analysis of techniques in the chapter ‘Karatedo Kata and their meanings by Gusukama Shinpan (p103 –p 152).  

Not being Japanese literate I will not let that hinder my analysis, the following represents my description s of the drawings in this section of ‘Karatedo Taikan’.

Note: the basic stance being demonstrated is a variation of a high back stance, or old style Shorin front (T style ) stance.

Technique – Right foot forward with a right high block        page 110

            Attacker Left Foot Forward Left Punch to head

            1 Right foot forward with a right high block then right front kick to abdomen

            Attacker Right foot Forward Right Punch to head

            1 Right foot forward with a right high block then left reverse punch to lower ribs

Technique – Right foot forward with a right open side knife hand block/parry while the left open hand guards your centerline.   [possible Kusanku application]  page 112

            Attacker Left Foot Forward Left Punch to Head

1        Right foot forward with a right open side knife hand block/parry while the left open hand guards your centerline

2        Right foot lunge forward with a right lunge punch to the attacker head, the left hand forms a fist and follows as a centerline defense

            Attacker Right foot Forward Right Punch to head

1        Right foot forward with a right open knife hand block while the left open hand guards your centerline

2        Right open hand rotates clockwise to press/grab the attackers right punch and move it to the side as you left reverse punch their ribs

Note in personal test, this is more the right foot steps forward into the kamae, not a block but forming kamae to allow the strike to wedge away from your center. In fact this block/parry is more a rub of their arm, not to trigger an automatic counter, but to remove their attacking limb opening the following strike.

I will continue to use the terminology ‘block/parry’ to mean forming the kamae with this hand formation in the following descriptions.

Technique – Step right foot forward and drop into horse stance with a lead left hand strike out to the right side.             Page 114

            Attack – Right foot forward with a right head punch

1                    Step right foot forward and drop into horse stance with a lead left hand

strike out to the right side, the striking area their lower chest on their right side

Technique – Right foot forward with a high open side knife hand parry with the left hand rising at the side of the head. [Kusanku Kata application]      page 115

            Attacker Right foot Forward Right Punch to head

1 Right foot forward with a high open side knife hand parry with the left hand rising at the side of the head

2 Right open hand rotates clockwise to press/grab the attackers right punch and move it to the side as you left reverse punch their ribs

Attacker Left Foot Forward Left Punch to Head

1 Right foot forward with a high open side knife hand parry with the left hand rising at the side of the head

2 Right foot lunges forward with the right knife hand striking into the attacker’s neck. The left hand chambers.

Technique

            1 Step forward with the left foot and with a high left side block

            2 Lunge forward with the left foot and a simultaneous Left high strike and a right

            middle level strike                   Page 118

Technique – Right foot forward with a right open side knife hand block/parry while the left open hand guards your centerline.   [possible Kusanku application]

            Attacker Left Foot Forward Left Punch to Head

1        Right foot forward with a right open side knife hand block/parry while the left open hand guards your centerline

2        Right foot lunge forward with a right lunge punch to the attacker head and a 2^nd left punch to their solar plexus.

Technique – Left Foot Forward with  Chinto kata’s opening mid level “X” Block

            Page 180

            Attacker Left Foot Forward mid level Right Reverse Punch

1 Left foot forward execute the mid level  “X” block using the left outside > of the “X”  for the block/deflect

            Attacker throws a mid level left lead strike as they chamber their right hand

2 Remain in left foot forward stance and use the same mid level “X” block using the Right outside < of the “X” for the block/deflect

            3. Slide the left foot in and left knife hand strike to the outside of the opponents

            Neck as your right hand rotates and grabs their arm.

Technique – Right Foot Forward with Right high side open hand block and the left open hand parallel to the right forearm protecting the center  This technique is being used as a parry.                     Page 122

            Attacker Right Foot Forward with Right Lead Punch to the Head

1.      Right foot forward with a Left high open hand side block with the right opne hand parallel to the left forearm protecting the center.

Attacker throws  a high left reverse punch

2.      Remain in right foot forward stance and use the Right high side open hand block and the left open hand parallel to the right forearm protecting the center

Technique – Right Foot Forward with a right hand lead punch, the right shoulder forward and at the same time a simultaneous left reverse punch before your solar plexus ;page 124

Attacker Left Foot Forward with a left punch, their right hand chambered.

1. Right foot forward with a righe lead hand punch being used to parry/ wedge            their attack to the right side.

Attacker not stepping throws a left mid level reverse punch

2. Not moving, the left hand parries down their right punch as your right hand

     pulls back along your head

3. Right backfist or perhaps right punch  to their head/jaw/nose as your left hand chambers

Technique – From front facing stance, raise the right knee up and angle it across to your left in a crane stance                  page 126

      Attacker front kick

1        From front facing stance, raise the right knee up and angle it across your body as a parry/block to their kick from the interior line of defense. The attackers kick is moved to the right missing you.

Attacker then throws a left front kick

2        Then shift to the right and use the same bent leg block/parry against their left kick

3        You place your foot down in front outside of their attack. Your 2^nd parry moved them to the right and you then strike their lower outer leg with your lower open right palm strike (fingers down). As you do so your left open palm strike (fingers up) strikes into their spine. The two strikes together (with the left placement) rotate the attacker away form you are the conclusion. The parry moves them and then you strike into their back.

Technique (Augmented Blocks)  page 128

From front facing stance the right steps out into a side horse stance with a right low block, the left closed hand alongside the right elbow palm up

            Attacker Left Front Kick

            1          From front facing stance the right steps out into a side horse stance with

a right low block on the inside of their leg, the left closed hand alongside

the right elbow palm up.

From a front facing stance the right steps out with a right outside block and the left closed hand alongside the right elbow palm up

            Attacker Left Foot Forward Left head punch

1                    From a front facing stance the right steps out with a right outside block

on the inside of their arm and the left closed hand alongside the right elbow palm up

Note: the drawings are unclear but appear not to have the supporting hand touching the blocking arm on the inside. This might leave that hand open for a counter attack

Technique – Step Left Foot Forward in a cat stance with a left low block and the right hand chambered.             Page 129

            Attacker Left front Kick

            1 Step Left Foot Forward in a cat stance with a left low block and the right hand

             chambered.

            Attacker puts their elft foot down and throws a left punch to the face

2                    Remain in cat stance and execute a left high outside block

Technique - (Patsai opening) Right foot forward, left foot crosses behind the right calf in kake-dachi as you execute a right high mid level augmented side block  page 130

Technique2 – Right foot forward in cat stance with a right high mid-level augmented open hand side block            page 130

            Attacker Left Foot Forward with a left mid level punch

1 Right foot forward in front stance with a r right high mid level augmented side block to their forearm

2 Slide in with that stance and deliver a right punch to their face, the left hand remaining in the center defensively

            Attacker Right Foot Forward with a right mid level punch

1 Right foot forward in front stance with a r right high mid level augmented side block to their forearm

2 slide in with that stance, the right hand  turns over to grab and deflect their arm on the biceps and deliver a left reverse punch to their side

Technique – (Seiunchin closing) Right foot forward in ‘T’ stance or front stance, the left closed fist reaches across the body and the right arm delivers a backfist strike to the face

Page 133

            Attacker – Right Foot Forward Right Punch

1        Right foot forward, the left open hand parries down on top of their punch as the right hand rises to begin the forward vertical backfist strike

2        Sliding in with the same stance, the left hand presses their attack further down as the right backfist is delivered to their nose

Technique – (possible Wansu) Standing on your left foot, your right hand chambers across your body to your left chambered hand as you right front kick  page 134

            Attacker – Left Foot Forward with a left mid level punch

1 As the right hand reaches across and grabs their striking wrist and your left hand grabs atop their hand, both hands pull their arm to your left side and you deliver a right kick to their leg (it might be front or side kick)

Technique – (Kusanku) The low deep squat on the right leg with the left leg extended as your right closed fist guards your head and your left low strike is out over your left leg.

Page 135

            Attacker – Right foot forward stepping in from behind

1 The low deep squat on the right leg with the left leg extended as your right closed fist guards your head and your left low strike is out over your left leg into their front leg.

Technique - The low deep squat on the left leg with the right leg extended as your left open hand (up) guards your center and your right  open hand  low strike is out over your right leg.  Page 136

            Attacker – Left low front kick

1 You drop down into the low deep squat on the left leg with the right leg extended as your left open hand (up) guards your center and your right  open hand  low strikes into their lower leg/ankle

Technique – Left Foot Forward in deep cat stance as your right open hand (palm up) guards your center and your left open hand strikes down over your leg.  Page 137

            Attacker – Left middle front kick

1.      You step out into right cat stance your left hand chambers as you strike down with a right open hand low strike to the inside of their lower calf and then cup our right hand under their kicking leg for control

Technique – Left Foot Forward with a left low open hand strike as you chamber your right hand

            Attacker – Left middle front kick

1 Right foot forward with a right open low strike into the side of their calf as your left hand chambers

Technique – Left Foot Forwad with a simultaneous Right High Punch and a left inverted middle punch

            Attacker – Right foot forward with a right high punch

1.      Right foot forward (you might be stepping on their right instep or stepping on the inside of their ankle. As you left high punch to their head deflecting their  punch and simultaneously right inverted striking into their solar plexus

Technique – (Kusanku Opening) Right foot forward with both hands reaching high over your forehead

            Attacker stands left foot forward with the jo (sword) to the rear

            1 you stand before them the right foot slightly forward

Attacker Steps Right Foot Forward to swing the jo (sword) above their head to strike down

2 You slide forward with your right front stance and both hands reach up to grab their forearm (right hand) and wrist (left hand)