Wednesday, October 12, 2016

A study in Fractals


 

It might be interesting on looking at the technique which I first realized there was more than one answer. Later on I realized I had found Fractals of the movement were techniques in themselves, and openings to entire chains of techniques. This is perhaps the simplest of answers to something much, much more complex.
 

I had be working with the opening of the Isshinryu Chinto kata, where the hands cross. Now I had learned two different ways to perform the technique.

 

I was taught the kata opening  by Lewis Sensei just prior to leaving Salisbury in 1976,

 
Then returning for vacation the next summer I learnt the rest of the kata. Then in September of 1977 Charles Murray moved into my area of Scranton.
 
Among the first things I noticed was his Chinto was somewhat different from mine.
 
 
At different times Lewis Sensei taught many variations of the kata, and people varied according to what they learnt at the time he first taught them. All he was concerned with is you did what you knew the best you could do.

 

Charles made things simple by telling me  to keep the versions I had originally learned in Salisbury and the remaining kata I should do his versions.

 

However, regardless of the version, the opening involved both hands crossing at a high post.



While my instruction back then was not based on kata applications, I was told that the crossed arms would be a block up with the upper part of the crossed hands.  And I having that answer for the movement, I did not look further for many years.

 

After training with quite a few different people in many different systems, acquiring some knowledge, eventually I started to apply my questing and knowledge to explore Isshinryu Karate potential.

 

The thought came to me that perhaps there was more to discover about the rising “X” block.

 

I began simply. The hands formed an “X”, logically focusing on the top of that “X” structure. What were the other potentials to the “X”? There was a “V” but there was also an “<” and a “>” formed on the sides, and then a “^” on the bottom. All of which seemed to have application potential.

 

From the idea the “V” of the “X” could drive a striking arm up, then that left hand could parry that strike out and the right could strike into their groin.

 

I began with the  Exterior Line of Defense using the “<”. Using the right side of the “X” formation became a parrying block to the outside. Then the top hand could continue the kata  section and strike into  the groin of the attacker. The concluding left backfist could then strike over their arm into their face.

 

Next logically I began to consider the Interior Line of Defense, using the “>”. The left side of the X” formation also could be a parrying block in the other direction. Likwise the top hand could continue the kata  section and strike into  the groin of the attacker. Followed with  the left backfist either pressing into their upper arm to drive them backward, or to strike into the side of their face.

 

For the potential of the “^” I borrowed some knowledge I acquired from the form Pai Lum Kuen. In that form the “X” is formed by moving from above down, and you are striking down with the “^”. I saw that a srike could be knocked down by that “^”  and then that left hand could parry downward as the right struck into their groin.

 

Of course there is much more to consider, For example the variations of breathing (inhalation vs. exhalation. Or the manner of setting into the movement of the stance as a power enhancer, and the different moments that this can be used. Or you could consider the other technique chains that might be useful. There are no end of the variables within the movement to study.

 

Also realize that exploring the Application Potential within the move is not the same as the work required to find Application Realization, where it actually works for you. A larger study.

 

On the surface they seem similar opportunities. As long as you are restricting yourself to the kata. But the value resides into you can pick the variation that fits the space their attack offers. Much more than one answer.

 

Then starting to think outside of the box. You might consider that from any of the answers you could use them for an opening to draw the opponent into the ground using the a parry and a grab and a downward pull.

 

This is but one movement and some of the potentials fractals offer.

 

Other posts I have made on the topic follow:

 




 

 

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