Thursday, October 31, 2019

When you really learn


 
At the time I began to go out an train when possible with many other martial instructors, nobody expected that I would gain anything from it. For myself I just wanted to work with adults (none available for me at that time and I knew I needed adults to have some work with) and none of those instructors were but being nice allowing me to train with them. They never attempted me to learn their systems.

 

But learn I did, for I had been taught by Charles Murray’s instruction to learn and then work to retain what I was shown even once. And in some part I did.

 

I saw many things which were not shown in the Isshinryu I studied. Found them interesting, and then worked to understand how they worked on my own to make them my own. No doubt not always the same as the original, but if I could make them work that was more than enough for me.

 

Let me give an example during the time I was studying t’ai chi and some Chinese forms with Ernest Rothrock, one Saturday afternoon I was at his school working on my forms. While there I saw him working with one of his students for a demo they were to do. Now applications of those forms were not what I was studying and found his demo interesting.

 

I vividly remember one attack where he just walked into the attack, spun taking his attacker down and ‘completing’ his defense on the floor ending the attacker. I had never seen anything like that before. I had no idea what happened and right before my eyes. But I did know it occurred.

 

I did not immediately work on it. Years later I retained the memory of it happening. Then I went to  work as to how he could have done that. We were close friends by that time, I could have asked, but I wanted more than works, I wanted to know it, own it, and be able to perform it. In time I worked out an answer for myself.


And at that time that was all it was.



Several years later he was in Derry along with a group of martial artists who then worked out together and shared. That afternoon I saw him perform that defense again, and what I worked out was pretty much the same thing. It was part of my personal understanding of how things worked.

 

I have so many examples of my working out things I did not understand from him, Tristan Sutrisno and many other people. What things, my own memories after all. Some shared with my students when it made sense, some never shared because the right time never came up. But that is just what happened.

 

The real lesson is that I saw, I thought and then went to work 
to make what I saw possible for me.

 

What you gain by working it out for yourself, is more valuable than just hearing the answer. You took the effort to make it yours.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Dr, Yang Jwing-Ming a memory of the man

 
 
I was not a student of Dr. Yang Jwing-Mang. But I observed his influence on many martial matters over the years, and thought a reminiscence of what I saw might be useful.

 

First off Dr. Yang came to America to study engineering and became a Doctor of Engineering I believe at  Perdue. He had served in the Taiwan armed forces and had been a student of several martial arts there. I believe on viewing the American martial arts seen he likely felt he could offer information that many would find valuable. He taught Yang Tai Chi and other Chinese arts.

 

He worked to contribute new martial information than many might find useful. So he began publishing books on what he knew. And as time went on more and more of them. When I saw his Advanced Tai Chi 1 @ 2, what attracted me was not the historical tai chi knowledbe, rather his description of the martial use of t’ai chi and the manner in which he presented that information.

 

IMO he set the template many could use for their own martial investigations. Every movement was shown from 3 different uses contained there in:

 

1.       How that movement could be used to down an enemy.

2.       How that movement could be used to strike in a cavity (I understood that as a vital point)

3.       How that movement contained chin na control over an opponent’s attack.

 

It made a great deal of sense to me.

 

My own studies in the Chinese Arts was more a study of forms, including my T’ai Chi studies. Never deep enough to study such matters. O’ I was shown how to apply some movement at times but that was not the focus of my own studies in the early 1980’s.

 

His books and then video’s on Chin Na became more involved. I think he rethought how to present Chin Na knowledge. He logically restructured what he was presenting in a manner in which an engineer might think.
 
 
Chin Na for the fingers, for the wrist, for the forearm, for the elbow and so forth. Grouping those studies by area to be affected. Extremely logical and not necessarily in the same order the original art(s) presented that material.

 

Then the books got more involved, and video tapes to become dvd’s followed. A very impressive body of knowledge.

 

I had noted how there was a similarity to the aikido I studied (aikido studied to prepare for advanced karate application studies. Then as I lived somewhat in the neighborhood of his school outside of Boston, I was able to see him perform a few times. From my wife’s studies with him, I got to feel his Chin Na on the receiving end.

 

Several years later I was able to attend a 2 day weekend seminar with Dr. Yang in his school. It was on Tai Chi Sword and Chi Kung. The sword he presented was not what I had studied and I am sorry to say that did not stick with me. But he also talked about what he as doing with his books. Many of them on various Chinese aspects of the arts. What he did whenever he returned to Taiwan, was to buy as many Chinese original books as he could afford, those books became the source of much of his translations on many topics.

 

I got a bit more out of the Chi Kung presentation. For I recognized several of the drills, except what Ernie taught them to me, they were linked together. Then it was a drill his eagle claw instructor, Sheum Leung, used to being and end every class. I just did not know that drill was Chi Kung [Side note  I still practice that drill to this day, in fact several times a day as it is incredible to loosen my shoulders.]

 

That was the extent of my meetings with Dr. Yang.

 

But there is an alwful lot that pertains and appends to our study of karate, should you use it.
 
Without question it is difficult to obtain information from books. I never truly understood many of them. For example it is said a great book on T'ai Chi can contain 50 years of information, but it can take 50 years to understand what is in that book.
 
But I suggest that Dr. Yang has tried his best to make so much available to use, even if we can't be his students.

 
I have written about Dr. Yang several times before on my blog.







 

 

 

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

An adjunct study to increase your martial effectiveness



 
 
 First make it clear I am not a Chin Na expert by any means.

 

For about 5 years after Shodan I trained with as many people to learn a bit about their arts.

 

Among my studied I trained with Ernest Rothrock first to learn the Yang Long Fist T’ai Chi Chaun form, and then to study a variety of mostly Northern Chinese forms to better understand what their forms were doing. Studying those systems applications was not my focus with him. I did learn a few things but that about sums it up.

 

I also trained with Tristan Sutrisno in his family Shotokan, his use of aikido principles to prepare for his Shotokan bunkai and a few other things. This presentation of aikido for karate did give be a basic understanding what aikido could do.

 

At that same time I became aware of the writings on the Chinese arts by Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming .  His texts on T’ai Chin Na were so well done  that it is likely he set the template for many to follow in their own application work (a different use of bunkai than I had been taught from the Sutrisno tradition. Even more impressive were his works on Chin Na, where he incorporated the Chin Na of several different systems and then presented the material in a very progressive manner.

 

So many books he wrote, so many video tapes then dvd’s on so many things. He recognized karate could use what he was presenting.
 
 

Most if not all, Chinese systems have their own chin na aspects. Some more and some less. But they are all ways to work an opponent’s openings against the opponent.

 

After I moved to NH and had reestablished my program, a friend invited me to a 3 style clinic where Dr. Yang was one of the presenters. I recognized what he was showing because of my earlier aikido studies. ( That is not to suggest aikido is chin na, rather they share some similarities.)

 


My wife, Maureen, was partnered with my friend. He was having difficulty understanding how to perform the tecunique. Dr. Yang was wandering around assisting various peoples when he saw his difficulty. He came to attempt to show the lock more detailed to assist, and he asked my wife to try and apply in on him, so he could explain what was happening. My wife had been trained in the Sutrisno Aikido version of the technique. Dr. Yang had huge, quite red, forearms and wrists from decades of work at his own chin na. My wife applied the lock and Dr. Yang immediately dropped to his knees.

 

Now long story short, my friend, contracted to have Dr. Yang teach two courses (each one a 9 month course once a week in Yang Tai Chi and Chin Na. My wife signed up for both of them. Because of work I could not be home in time for the classes. The first class was Chin Na, and when Dr. Yang saw my wife come in, he laughingly backed away from her.

 

She enjoyed those classes immensely. And as I was home when she came from class, I was nominated as her practice dummy. (Not that I had any choice.) she learned to apply those moves with extreme pain, mine. But I came to really appreciate what Chin Na study was about. Especially learning not to ever grab my wife.

 

But I also found that from his books and videos, the techniques were so clearly shown, I could immediately apply them.

 

I always had so much to teach there was no time in include formal chin na study.

 


 

But once a year, in my adult class, with long term students, I would take the Comprehensive Applications of Shoalin Chin Na to class. Then randomly select a page, and we would work whatever techniques were on that page. To let everyone see and feel they could also use that for a reference for other study. My idea was not to have them self study Chin Na, rather to intimately understand what else there was, to feel how much was in common with our training. And an idea where self-growth could come from.

 

Let me give one example, now you may already have this in your studies, but this can be seen as an adjunct study to your karate.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA_rFAs_Q-E&list=PL6A5147A54B8802E3

 

There are so many books by Dr. Yang and so many YouTube videos to choose from. Some videos are long, some are quite short.

 

More possibilities to consider.
 


 These are but two youtube videos I might suggest.

 



                               

caveat emptor (Let the Buyer Beware)


Caveat emptor (/ˈɛmptɔːr/; from caveat, "may he beware", a subjunctive form of cavēre, "to beware" + ēmptor, "buyer") is Latin for "Let the buyer beware". Generally, caveat emptor is the contract law principle that controls the sale of real property after the date of closing, but may also apply to sales of other goods. The phrase caveat emptor and its use as a disclaimer of warranties arise from the fact that buyers typically have less information than the seller about the good or service they are purchasing. This quality of the situation is known as 'information asymmetry'. Defects in the good or service may be hidden from the buyer, and only known to the seller.

I have been and will be sharing old magazine articles from the 60’, 70’s and 80’s with martial artists kata performances.. About a decade ago a friends pointed out to me something you should keep in mind.

When those magazines were published it was well before videotape, dvd and all current internet resources. When you saw them, you had no other convenient reference to check them against.

What was explained to me that some of those presenting those kata, were following an older Okinawan tradition for public performance. That being of intentionally altering a kata performance in public, so one watching that performance could not learn the ‘real’ kata. After all the performance was for enjoyment not for instruction.

On Okinawa after all instructors had no obligation to give the crowd but a performance, not the real kata after all.

What my friend explained was this was done to enable them to identify at tournament who learned the kata from the magazine as opposed to those who received actual instruction.

Of course the technique execution of the presenter is still real, if only inspiration is derived there is value to such articles. But I would suggest if you are driven to attempt the form itself perhaps you might check a half dozen versions on You Tube from that performer’s system to try and make sure the form shown is not an altered version.

So when you see these articles now or in some future, remember Caveat Emptor. Let the Buyer Beware.

 

Thursday, October 17, 2019

When fiction hits the metal it gets real.

 



 
Back when I was a beginner I used to enjoy reading Destroyer Novels (written by Murphy and Sapir), in fact I still do. In one of those books the hero (an American assassin) declined to shake hands with someone,  my paraphrase of that was’ he stated  shaking hands means I trust you and that was something he did not do.’

 

I always remembered that and several years later when I began teaching karate to the young through the Scranton Boys Clubs it remained in my mind.

 

To begin with I understood the underlying theory behind that statement. When we learn most movements we are young, have some difficulty learning them, often falling when we were little, and then when we got it down that motion became automatic. Meaning that after that we would most often do that motion without regard for our surroundings.

 

One of the oldest jokes (of course funnier for the observer than the object of the joke), was when someone was going to sit down and then their chair was pulled out from under them. No chair…fall down…go boom… observer laughs (of course often because it was not them who were made the target of the joke).

 

The fault of the target was they were sitting down on automatic, not being sure the chair remained where they thought it was.

 

Now extend that to shaking hands. Someone extends their hand to share hands. But that is because they expect the other person to then take their hand and shake it. More done on automatic expectation the other person will shake hands. But, their placing their hand out to shake, really is creating a path to their center where they are not really observing what could be happening. That can be taken advantage of.

 

Now I was not an assassin, but that possibility could be used for a valuable training experience for my students.

 

The reality teaching karate there is a great deal you can’t do, because the student does not possess the technique or knowledge to do much for years. One of the lessons I felt most important was to make each person aware of how open they were to possible attack, Awareness development the goal. And this was not the standard karate training.

 

So thinking about how to get the lesson across I remembered that old story. And that gave me an idea.

 

When any student received a promotion I decided that would be the lesson.

Part of the promotion was that I would shake their hand to congratulate them.

 

So what I did was extend my open hand as to share theirs. Then they would extend their open hand to shake my hand, Instead my open hand slapped the palm of their hand and instead my hand formed an Isshinryu fist to strike them in the solar plexus.

 

Now I had very good control and those strikes were not hard, just enough sting to know they were hit, and of course they would register surprise on their face and have something to think about. Of course the rest of the class laughed, not realizing in time it would then be their own turn.

 

In time when I went to share their hand they had learned not to automatically extend their own hand. The lesson was learned.

 

Then when I visited other schools I trained with , also with adults, and someone their received a promotion I would give them the same ‘treat’ on their promotion. Spreading what gifts I have freely.

 

In time I also began teaching adults, and I continued to use the same handshake with them, but with greater body mass I would sting harder. So they would really know they were hit. It rarely worked after the first time.

 

But the logic was sound, without constant vigilance of your surroundings you are more open to a chair being pulled from under you, or a far more serious attack. And that was what I was really training them to avoid if possible.

 

Years later I had a young woman join the program. At the end of the first night she asked me what to do if she was attacked by somebody in a car. My response began; first you don’t get into cars as doing so can be deadly. It was not what she thought I would say and was a bit disappointed.  Then I discussed the issue further explaining often attacks happen from someone you know, and so forth. So my beginning response was an accurate one.

 

So as you can imagine my students rarely shook hands with me, They would often try to stop me making it more fun when they attempted to do so.

 

I kept my instructor world separate from my real life but for one time.

 

A vice president where I worked was making the rounds to say goodbye as he had accepted another job at a nearby company. When he got to me and reached out to shake hands, I lightly tapped his palm and then flowed a strike to his solar plexus. A very fast strike, of course I stopped it right on his shirt with no penetration or feeling from the strike.

 

When it registered that he was so open to an attack, well he did not react well. Immediately he began hyper-breathing  from the pretend strike. He got over it of course. In one sense it mattered not as he was choosing to leave the company (which could be considered a joke after all), but I learned a valuable lesson, not to play with civilians.

 

The strike works.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Think about what Advanced means.


 
I recently shared on an Isshinryu facebook group one of my blog posts, which showed the February 1990 Black Belt magazine article ‘ SUNSU, Isshinryu Karate’s Most Advanced kata”,  I had posted that article to preserve it for my students, http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2014/07/an-article-on-sunsu-kata.html.

 
It has been a long times since I have re-read it.

 
But on reading that article I began thinking what the word advanced means.

 
To be clear I realize Sunsu (SunNuSu) was the kata Shimabuku Tatsuo created and that it normally is one of the last empty hand kata taught.

 
I love the form for it contains so many lessons and allow us a glimpse into the thoughts of Shimabuku Sensei.


Although the form is learned in a few short weeks and practiced hard for years, it was only about after 20 years of work on the form that I really began to be comfortable with the form. It’s breathing pattern, timing, balance shifts and the like.  I suppose in a way that might be what an advanced form represents.

 
Then when my senior students were a the same 20 year study of SunNuSu I remarked to them about my own experience.  Whereby one of them remarked he was feeling the same idea I expressed. (Though almost identical in their studies with me, they also had their own specialties or focuses, one of them on the kata and one of them on the kobudo.

 
So that is another  definition of advanced.
 

But I have placed my thoughts on another idea, that being are the techniques of SunNuSu (Sunsu) more advanced than the techniques of the other kata, certainly some are different, but are they more advanced?

 
Let me begin with the opening movement of Seisan kata (setting aside the definition of what that movement can represent). With more that a few years of work I identified about 100 different ways they could be inserted into an attack and disrupt that attack,  In fact where I started my shodans studies was just there. The most important thing about that study was to understand how the underlying principles led one to all those application. The working to those applications realizations was something else all together.

 
And if you take those same underlying principles and apply them to the opening movement of the other kata, you will end up with about 100 different way to use those movements, too. So whether Seisan, Seiunchin, Naifanchi, Wansu, Chinto, Kusanku, Sunsu or Sanchin. Each kata presents almost the same potentials for use. Certainly there are some principles which may not apply every time, but that more becomes a moot point.

 
And the same can be said for almost every other movement from each other kata.  Leading one to question are any of the moves really advanced.

 
In summation what you want to see as advanced might be the correct answer for you.

 
 
The following posts from my blog expound on some of the themes expressed above.

At the same time I doubt anyone will work through them, even my students who lived all of this.

 





Another possible source would be the notes of Don Bohan on the website for him.

 

Bushi No Te Isshinryu notes on kata SunNuSu (Sunsu)


Sunsu – SunNuSu – SuNSu (and all other variant spellings)
 
I put this together in 2008, though I could share newer videos I believe this is still sufficient.
 

I think Shimabuku Sensei’s vision for his Isshinryu shared several layers of development. (I’m not bringing his kobudo into this discussion at this time.) Over more time I acquired more knowledge about the history and development of this form. But I still feel these notes are sufficient for what I taught.

 

First were the style specific generalizations he chose:

1.      He chose to use a variation of Sanchin Dachi for his front stance.

2.      He chose to use vertical striking as his primary strike for much of his time, though he did return to the twisting strike for a number of years in the early 60’s, due to the influence of his older Okinawan students who had no desire to change from his Kyan days.

3.      He chose to use flat ‘blocking’ strikes instead of twisting ones.

4.      His kata often had the stamp of his thinking.

a.       Seiunchin kata with technique reversals from Miyagi’s Seiunchin kata.

b.      Naifanchi kata beginning in a left direction instead of a right direction used by most systems. Interesting Motobu taught it both ways (as shown in his son’s school), though his books showed it starting in a right direction.

c.       Kusnaku Kata dropping to the floor with the side block, quite different from Kyan’s version.

5.       Some of his kata were relatively unchanged except for the basic Isshinryu changes.

a.       Seisan kata

b.      Chinto kata

c.       Kusanku Kata

6.      I’d bet Wansu was one of his first test beds to try his ideas. His kata is a variation of Kyan’s but the last 1/3 of the kata is his own thinking.

7.      Then there is SunNuSu

a.       In the last century most of the instructors spent their time building beginners kata. Shimabuku Tatsuo did not do this as Itosu’s Pinan, Nagamine’s Fyugata, Miyagi’s Geseki kata and perhaps Tensho. Instead he created a complex fire breathing one, the Okinawan panel in the mid 30’s that created 10 basic forms documented in the 1938 Nakasone Encyclopedia of Karate, never formally used (but I studied through Shotokan).

b.      Most instructors were content to play with the forms they studied, changing techniques, execution flow and timing, etc, but rarely touching the embusen of the kata (perhaps this was the true unchanging core as all of the Seisan variations seem to touch on the same basic embusen and additions).

c.       SunNuSu is a combination of familiar Isshinryu kata techniques, techniques from Kyan kata not in the Isshinryu system, and most importantly unique techniques to Isshinryu alone, such as some of the raking kicks, or the elbow/forearm striking combinations not found in other systems kata.

 


Observations on the crafting of SunNuSu – How I source the kata’s technique acquisition.

 

  1. Opening from Sanchin. In my practice Sanchin is designed for one purpose to break people up if attacked
  2. Next section (knife hand and spear hand strikes and the turn) from Kyan Patsai Kata.
  3. Chambering and Side Kicking from Shiambuku’s Wansu kata. Note there are number of kicking variations I’ve seen.
    1. Goju Style side kicks to the knee
    2. Front Front kicks to the side done with the ball of the foot.
    3. Front Front kicks to the side done with the blade of the foot.
    4. Knee strike front kicks to the side
    5. Modern high side kicks
  4. The flowing spear hands of Kyan Gojushiho Kata
  5. Kusanku Kata turn, pivot and strike and front kick
  6. Descending double strikes as from Patsai
  7. Turn twist down side/front stomp kick as from Patsai. Motobu Chokoi included the application of same in his early 1930’s text on karate published in Japan. Joe Swift obtained a reprint copy for Harrill Sensei after he had pointed out Motobu did it.
    1. The kick can be front or front raking kick or  side stomp or AJ Advincula’s version (similar to the rare Tou’on Ryu version)
  8. The U strikes from Kyan Patsai
  9. Squat Kicks – IMO unique to Shimabuku Tatsuo. Possiblity they were a variation of Patsai Kata kicking.
  10. Unique inside elbow striking sequence
  11. Unique Outside elbow strike sequence
  12. Turn with kamae, stepping double palm striking – could be variations of Kyan Kusanku kata technique.
  13. Turning back elbow strike (unique to Shimabuku Tatsuo?)
  14. Wansu dumping throw (reversed as to balance the version for the Isshinryu krarate-ka practice).
  15. Bent forearm parry down – Pinan San dan parry
  16. Backfist – step across double under hand grab
  17. Raking Kick (variations)
    1.  Front raking kick toes down through the groin
    2. AJ Advincula’s kick similar to the rare Tou’on ryu front stomp/kick
    3. Front Kick
  18. Double palm strikes, knee strike, reverse punch - ?unique to Shimabuku Tatsuo
  19. Step away front kick – Kyan chinto variations?
  20. Conclusion – Kusanku Kata.

Important the real thing isn’t the source of the techniques, but the process that the form added to Isshinryu karate. It is much more than the movements, the pattern flow, technique execution, etc. are very advanced study and in my experience are decades of work before you begin to understand the rhythm of the kata’s potential.
SuNuSu (Sunsu) Kata                      Notes from 1990

 

This kata was invented by Master Shimabuku to use the techniques he felt were strongest in the Okinawan Karate systems. Sunsu means ‘Strong man’ which was his nickname. He incorporates moves from Isshinryu kata Wansu, Chinto, Kusanku and Sanchin as well as techniques from Shorinryu’s Passai, Gojushiho and  Gojuryu’s Katas Shioshin.

 

This kata is a unification of all the Okinawan systems Shimabuku Sensei studied. It has unique moves such as the squat kicks and the obi wazza (belt grabs) before the elbow strikes.

 

12:00     . Rei

. Hide weapon, close down

                . Cross arms, open

                . Step forward with the left foot into front stance while executing a double outside block

                                . the right hand chambers and then executes a lower right strike to the centerline

                                . the right hand then slides up the opponents body to conclude in its opening outside

                                  block

                                . the left hand remains in the opening block position

                . Step forward with the right foot into front stance while executing a double outside block

                                . the left hand chambers and then executes a lower left strike to the centerline

                                . the left hand then slides up the opponents body to conclude in its opening outside block

                                . the right hand remains in the opening block position.

                . Step forward with the left foot into front stance while executing a double outside block

                                . the right hand chambers and then executes a lower right strike to the centerline

                                . the right hand then slides up the opponents body to conclude in its opening outside

                                  block

                                . the left hand remains in the opening block position

                . Remaining in left foot forward front stance, both hands open and slide down in an “)(“ motion

                  For a double lower outer palm strike

                . Pull both open hand s back into chamber

                . Step out with the left and slide the right along into left front stance as you perform a double palm

                  Up spear hand strike to the lower ribs, then turn both palms over and press down and out

                  [Note. This can be done with a grab after the spear hand strike.]

                . The left foot steps back forming a right front stance as you execute a right outside block, follow

                  With a left then right strike.

 

09:00     .Turn head 90 degrees to the left (9:00).

                . Pivoting on the ball of the left foot, you turn to 9:00 as the right foot slides in alongside the left

                  And then steps out with the right foot into horse stance . Double open outside palm strikes, the

                  Palms are facing out as you drop your elbows.  (could be interpreted as breaking a choke hold)

 

06:00     . Turn 90 degrees to the left (6:00)

                . Pivoting on the ball of the right foot, the left foot steps in and then out in a crescent step to form

                  A left front stance while performing a left descending open palm strike to 6:00.

                . As the left hand chambers, the right open hand (palm in) strikes in an inward knife hand, then

                  Presses down on the left side. This is followed with a left spear hand, over the right hand, to the

                  Opponents throat.


 

12:00     . Pivoting on the ball of the left foot, turn 180’ clockwise to 12:00, ending in a right front stance. 

                  As you turn throw a right descending palm strike, followed by a left spear hand strike to 12:00

                  Palm up  (now done as a straight spear hand strike)

                . Stack both hands on the right side chamber, and left front kick to 9:00, ending placing the left

                  Foot down in front (still facing 12:00)

                . Stack both hands on the left side chamber, and right front kick to 3:00

. ending placing the right Foot down, remaining in a left front stance facing 12:00, and raise both

  Hands in a left on guard (kamae).

. step right foot forward into a right front stance as you thrust to 12:00 with a right spear hand

. Slide forward with the right foot and deliver a staggered left then right spear hand thrust to 12:00

 

06:00     . Pivot left 180’ on the right foot into left front cat stance while chambering both hands stacked on

                the right fist.

                . Step forward with the left foot into horse stance while throwing a left back fist to 6:00

                  [this has been changed to step forward with the left foot into front stance]

                .pivot counter-clockwise on the left foot into cross stance while twisting into a left high open hand

                  Block (thumb down) and a simultaneous right knife hand to the opponents neck (this section is

                  The same as in Kusanku)

 Right front kick to 6:00, step down in right front stance while executing a simultaneous right    

  High Block and left descending strike.

                . slide forward, with a simultaneous leftt high block and a right descending strike, then follow with

                  right high block and a left descending strike

  [This has been changed. The blocks have been reversed. After the front kick we now use a

    left high block and a Descending right  strike... then reverse the following two sequences

    (the last being a left high block and a right Descending strike).]

 

12:00     . Turn 180’ to the left, pivoting on the right foot, into a left foot forward front stance. Both hands

                  Are raised on guard in kamae.

                . Twist on the left foot into left foot forward cross stance, while the left hand blocks a punch

                  Inward and the right hand parries down over the left (both hands in closed fists) as the left hand

                  Moves to guard the solar plexus

                [ This section opens a sequence Harrill Sensei found in Motobu’s self defense techniques.

                  Harrill Sensei uses this section to stop a horizontal elbow strike.]

                {Viewing AJ Advincula’s kick it strongly resembles the Tou’on Ryu leg technique, more a

                strong stomp – more Isshinryu variation}

                . From the left foot forward cross stance, execute a right thrust kick towards 12:00

                . Place the right foot down into right front stance as you double strike, right to the face, left to the

                  Groin

                . Right foot steps back alongside the left

                . Step left foot forward to front stance as you double strike. Left to the face, right to the gorin

                [ The shuffle back with the right has been dropped. Now we step with the right and strike,

                   And then step forward with the left and strike.]

                . Slide backwards into left foot forward cat stance [now a front stance] with a double rising block

. Step out deep to the right, chamber both hand stacked on the right hip, then left squat kick to 12:00

. step out deep to the left, chamber both hands stacked on the left hip, then right squat kick to 12:00

 

03:00     . Pivot 90’ to the right on the left foot ending in a right cat stance. The right open hand parries

  Alongside the head (palm out), while the left spear hand (palm up) strikes towards the groin

. Shift to right front stance while you deliver a right outside horizontal back arm strike 

. Slide forward with a left horizontal forearm smash, followed by a right horizontal forearm smash

 

09:00     . Pivot 180’ to the left on the right foot, ending in a left cat stance. The left open hand parries

                  Alongside the head (palm out) while the right spear hand (palm up) strikes towards the groin

. Shift to a left front stance while you deliver a left outside horizontal back arm strike

. Slide forward with a right horizontal forearm smash, followed by a left horizontal forearm smash.

 

06:00     . Pivot 90’ to the left to left foot forward front stance. Both hands rise in kamae

                . Right foot forward with a right horizontal forearm smash

. Slide forward with a left horizontal forearm smash followed by a right horizontal forearm smash

 

12:00     . Pivot 180’ to the left, ending in left foot forward cat stance, both hands open in chamber, fingers

  Down

 

09:00     . As the right foot steps foward into horse stance facing 9:00, the left open hand grabs a punch 

                  (sliding Down as you’re ½ way through the movement), as the right hand slides up underneath

  And behind their elbow while you’re concluding the movement

 

03:00     . Spin 180’ left on the right foot, into horse stance facing 3:00. both hands perform throw as you

  turn, retract the left hand to execute a left backward elbow strike as you conclude the turn

 

12:00     . Pivot 90’ to the left on the right foot, shifting the left foot back in a left foot forward cat stance. 

  The left open hand at Chamber fingers down, the right open hand blocking at the head

 

03:00     . Step with the left foot to 12:00 into horse stance facing 3:00, as your left open hand strikes the

  Opponents groin and your right hand strikes their throat, then both hands grab

 

09:00     . Pivot 180’ to the right, pivoting on the right foot, concluding with the right hand in chamber

  And the left hand pressing downward (this is the reverse of the Wansu ‘throw’)

                . turn head to 12:00, then the right arm, the hand staying in chamber, begins an inward right

                  Elbow block.  To do this the right knee is released and the body sags counter-clockwise to

                  Parry inward with the bent arm/elbow.

                . After the parrying motion reverse back to the initial position and execute a right backfist

                  Strike to 12:00

 

12:00     . The left foot steps over the right (towards 12:00) into left foot forward cross stance, while

                  Grabbing the opponents belt, and then the right foot does a scrape kick.

 

                [ Today I would describe this as a double grab of the opponents arms during grappling.

                  There is no change to the technique, just the underlying description.]

 

                [ the Scoop kick is a variation of the front thrust kick.  Beginning as a front kick chamber

                  The foot thrusts out so the ball of the foot strikes into the groin, and then concludes with

                  The toes raking down in a pawing motion across the groin. This is a circular technique

                  That concludes with the kicking foot coming to knee chamber. ]

                {Viewing AJ Advincula’s kick it strongly resembles the Tou’on Ryu leg technique, more a

                strong stomp – more Isshinryu variation}

09:00     . Pivot 90’ to the left on the left foot, and place the right foot down to form left front stance

                  As the stance is formed you execute a right ridge-hand thrust to the groin, followed by

                  A left palm strike to the head

                . the left hooks around their neck as you execute a right knee strike to their groin.

                . As the right foot returns to the left front stance, conclude with a right thrust strike into their

                  Abdomen

 

03:00     . Pivot 180’ to the right on the left foot, and place the right foot down to form right front

                 Stance. As the stance is formed you execute a left ridge-hand thrust to the groin, followed by

                  A right palm strike to the head

                . the right hooks around their neck as you execute a left knee strike to their groin

                . As the left foot returns to the right front stance, conclude with a left thrust strike into their

                  Abdomen


04:30     . Step back with the right foot into left cross stance. While you do so execute a right low block

                  To 4:30 With the left hand at solar plexus

                . right front kick to 4:30 (on the inside of the right groin block)

 

10:30     . Place the right foot down  then Pivot 180 to the left on the right foot,

                . Step back with the left foot into right cross stance. While you do so execute a left low block

                  To 10:30, with the right hand at solar plexus

                . left front kick to 10:30 (on the inside of the left groin block)

 

12:00     . Place the left foot down in left front stance facing 12:00, raise both hands in guard kamae

                . Step right foot forward into front stance, both hand in guard kamae

                . step the right foot back alongside the left

                . close down and rei

 

               

Addendum:

 

As all of the notes with these kata came from my 1990 understanding of it’s origins.

 

The origins aren’t terribly important, except for the fact Shimabuku Sensei was tying together various studies he along with his own ideas. Perhaps this is a continuation of the process that began in Wansu’s additions. Perhaps not.  It is unique in that most of the Okinawan systems focused on crafting beginner kata in the past 100 years as opposed to a senior kata.

 

Major souces outside of Isshinryu appear to be Kyan’s Passai and Gojushiho kata. One of the sections from Passai also can be found in Motobu Choiki’s writings, showing the application of that section.

 

The timing is complex and takes many years to understand from my experience.

 

The changes, to the kata described above, were done in 1995 to prepare for a clinic that Sherman Harrill was doing in our school, and subsequently remained the way the kata is practiced. They were done to move closer to his version of the kata allowing the application analysis study to be more productive for the group.

 

 

 
SuNuSu Kata Versions

 

Shimabuku Tatsuo – Sunsu Kata



 

Isshinryu, Sunsu Kata, A.J. Advincula


 

Sunsu Kata - Shinshinkan Karate Do - Japan 2007 – Uzeu Angi lineage


Shinshinkan Isshin Ryu Karate - Sunsu no Kata – Japan Sensei Minoru Yasuhara



Shimabuku Tatsuo walking through a few self-defense techniques with Steve Armstrong


 Sunsu Kata OIKKA Tournament


karate sunsu kata isshin ryu


Nick Arndt performing Sunsu Kata. The Grandmaster Angi Uezu version—1990