When I learned
Isshinryu it was within the paradigm of Isshinryu taught by Tom Lewis.
Among many
things applications were not studied for kata technique (for the most part).
Now before we go
further I am going to ask you to turn off your purity of Isshinryu tests based
on the paradigm you studied. For one thing I strongly believe in the strength
of all the different paradigms within Isshinryu. I would be a fool not to see
the power they evidence, and I am not a fool. But this is my story in part.
At much the same
time Charles Murray taught me Kusanku kata, he also told me of the story that
Shimabuku Sensei could see Kusanku as a Night Fighting kata. I had no reason
not to believe him. He was my senior under Tom Lewis, he was training me, and
he had trained at Agena when stationed on Okinawa in the USAF. I just accepted
what I was told.
In any case
specific applications of kata technique were not part of the training.
And when I began
to study with other people I did not find any of them using the term ‘bunkai’
either, either in their schools or at the tournaments I attended.
However many of
those schools trained in specific ‘wazza’ as they called them, or specific
attack responses. I learned whatever I could.
Then in 1980 I
took up another friend’s offer, Tristan Sutrisno, and began visiting his
program. In turn he allowed me to understand how his students were being
trained. On that first visit for one thing I learned the aikido defense drill,
one I later taught. After a while he began to discuss that he never saw anyone
at tournaments do bunkai for their kata. Then he began to explain what bunkai
was to him. That was the first I had ever heard of the term, I also learned
that the study began at ShoDan and continued
with very specific applications though GoDan in his father’s system (that of an
Indonesian Shotokan Instructor). Around a year later his own students started
becoming ShoDan’s and his explaination became clearer as I shared in their own
studies.
About 1982 the
karate magazines picked up on the term ‘bunkai’ as used in Japan and before
long articles about kata bunkai became the norm. Later I recall reading
Americans who returned to Okinawa started asking their instructors about
‘bunkai’ and those instructors did not know what the American’s were talking
about. But shortly after they got the idea and began showing ‘bunkai’ for the
kata. [Note: this was not about Isshinryu but other systems from Okiawa.]
As I understood
the Sutrisno paradigm for ‘bunkai’, one different from other uses that I see
from anywhere around the word, I developed a fondness for use of ‘application
potential’ as ’bunkai’ had come to have a very specific meaning for me. Later I
realized ‘application potential’ was just the beginning. The larger study was
moving from ‘application potential’ to ‘application realization’. But that is
another story.
So for about 8
years I studied with a wide range of people in many different styles, acquiring
some knowledge how to enter an attack and disrupt it in many different ways.
Finally having
some understanding how a technique could be used, I began my own study of
application potential. And of course at first I began small, and that was a
wide range of studies.
Now feeling I
had some grasp as to how to find use for a technique, the next idea I tackled
was that story about Kusanku Kata having night fighting potential.
I never
interpreted it to mean that the fight was group of attackers being fought
continuously with the kata. Rather that movements from the kata could have
value in night (low level lighting) conditions.
Understand the
idea of night does not mean total darkness. Actually night means a variety of
different light conditions. From total darkness at one end to daylight bright
moonlight at the other, and a whole range of conditions in between.
For one thing I
remembered the military used to train soldiers to close one eye when a
starshell exploded to retain visual purple and night vision in one eye. The
bright light temporarily destroys night vision (visual purple) in the other
eye. Not relevant to Kusanku perhaps,
but illustrative that night conditions often require different awareness.
Then it helps to
understand that in low light conditions, people often respond to pattern
awareness for attack. That means holding
still can be a way not to be noticed. And then again sound can be use to
distract someone moving in the dark, and you can use that to your advantage.
Before you discount this as illusionary allow me a brief story.
When I was
living in Scranton I hears a story about an instructor, of a large school, that
used to have a summer camp for his students. Took them to a campground and they
played ninja warrior at night. (and I have participated in some things very
similar). But this story had a caution. It seems one of the students sneaking
about in the dark, noticed what they felt was another student crouching nearby.
Sneaking up on them, they decided to give them a strong front kick (and knowing
what some students are like, I can believe it.). To make a longer story short
he discovered it wasn’t a student, but a boulder. And he broke is leg.
Additionally that instructor terminated his summer camp program.
When I began
considering night applications for Kusanku, I started with the beginning
section were I was taught to stamp the rear foot on the ground, and then strike
in that direction. Using holding in
stillness to discourage pattern recognition. Then the stomp of the foot to be a
distracting sound, when hearing someone move toward that stamp a strike into
their body (or a double strike)
Thus one low
level lighting use.
The next likely
use I saw was in the section of Kusanku near the beginning where you are moving
forward with knife hand strikes. I saw it this way. When in a low level
lighting situation, you begin slowly searching your way in the dark. Instead of
the standard shuto strike, you begin slowly reaching out with the back hand of the shuto strike (or a
haito movement if you prefer), ending that by slowly turning your hand over
into the shuto position. Then you slowly step forward and repeat the process.
Finally a 3rd time you step forward again, but this time the back of
your hand lightly touches another arm. Your hand swiftly turns over in a
grasping shuto, using the descending pressure of the shuto formation to draw
their arm forward. At the same time you step forward with your right leg
quickly, and using the force enhancement of that step to drive your ascending
right palm into their arm (to hyper-extend their arm), followed my an immediate
collapse of that right fist to become a rapid shuto strike into their arm pit.
Now those were
the primary night fighting applications I saw for Kusanku.
No I haven’t
forgotten the drop in Kusanku, rather I consider it a special technique.
I don’t advocate
dropping to the ground in the middle of a fight and then popping up a little
while later to continue to fight.
At the same time
I have to ask myself why Shimabuku Tatsuo changed that movement from the way
most in Shoin Ryu in the Kyan Lineage do it? Of course I have no special
insight into what Shimabuku Tatsuo thought.
For myself I
have never thought very much of the way those stylists do that technique. Of
course being Isshinryu it is clear it is not my way after all.
Perhaps the
simplest answer is because Shimabuku Sensei thought this was a stronger
technique. As simple as that.
That section
before the drop, where you step out into horse stance with a side strike, and
then crescent kick your hand to finally drop down to the floor. I have seen in
a variety of different ways.
There are the
dramatic high jumping crescent kicks then the drop.
There are the
more standard crescent kick to the hand and then the drop.
As I began to
explore the uses of that kick, I saw a wide range of possibilities. First a
kick as toward their hand/arm (which I considered and discounted as unlikely in
a combat situation. Or more likely a crescent kick into their side, more likely
when under stress of an attack. But going deeper I began to realize a much
lower target, one about 6” above the floor. The use of that crescent kick to
strike into their lower leg to distract them, even to the possibility of
breaking their leg as a option.
Now to be honest
none of these potentials are confined to night combat. But my logic for that section
began here.
Concluding the
crescent kick that leg can come down between their legs, to be used in a
takedown to conclude that attack. A solid reason for grounding an opponent in
any case.
Then when on the
ground you might look around to see if there is anyone else.
Continuing that
the leap to change direction allowing you to look in a different direction also
can make some sense.
But to be honest
I see, this as more a potential possibility. A lesson in awareness building,
than something actually to be used. (Everything was a possibility)
But when I saw
one of the variant versions of Tristan Sutrisno’s senior students working their
Nijushiho Kata, which included a crescent kick to the hand and then a drop to
the floor (This is not the standard in JKA shotokan, so I just chalked it up to
a family verson). I could clearly see the same in our Isshinryu Kusanku kata.
But this new
version threw in a twist, for the crescent kick was not to strike a hand, but
to launch you up and deliver a rear leg thrusting back side kick in the middle
of the jump, the possibilities for that movement in Kusanku kata sung out to
me. And after that kick was delivered you landed lightly on the floor (as in
our Kusanku Kata). Following that you spun clockwise rising from the floor into
a left kamae (or preparatory movement).
I learned from
observing that movement use.
Further more I
had experienced a bit of another of his family arts, namely from his tjimande
tradition. Going to the ground was a large part of the way they responded to
any attack, day or night, to fight from the ground, or to ground, respond and
then to rise to continue against a new attack.
His ground work
was very effective, I learned that the hard way. When you have not faced
someone so schooled you might well consider such foolish.
Over my years I
did learn a few things, I remember one movement where for a kamae I spiraled to
the ground to deliver a back heel thrust kick to the groin, then I spiraled
counder clockwise to resume my kamae position.
The use of
extremely low positions 1) offensively 2) defensively 3)waiting and observing then
rising when appropriate is a definite sign other martial traditions use a
similar concept.
Of course much
of the techniques of Kusanku also are appropriate for anytime use.
This brings to
mind so much criticism attached to what some styles use a bunkai.
I do not believe
any training is worthless, just perhaps not in the way you just see them as.
It is just that
everything is not instantly needed for the student.
Skill takes time
to acquire. What is often seen as bunkai for kata is just that skill development
for the student to move to a higher level of potential.
If you have time
to develop potential (and I am aware there there are a world of different needs
out there) then there is time to use kata as a lesson for other things. One
cannot do everything at once after all.
But in today’s
world where everyone wants instant answers, the reality that every student is
simply not ready to learn some things is ignored, by design or perhaps unintentionally)
What I did was
teach the kata, then share the story.
Much later to
explore those potentials. How and when became an art form requiring closely
following the students potential development.
Never did I
concern myself by sharing everything I saw. Even with the black belt. Each
student had different needs, within their environment.
Of course if had
to train a group of night fighters I might have a different answer.
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