In
1981 after training with Ernest Rothrock for several years in T’ai Chi Chaun
and having started studying a number of Chinese forms from him.
I
was not studying applications for any of them. I just wanted to learn T’ai Chi
and the form studies were because at times I was called on to judge divisions
with individuals performing Chinese forms during tournaments I attended, I
wanted to have some knowledge what Chinese form were like myself, to be a more
fair judge.
So
after a time I began to take advantage of the open workout class at his Wilkes-Barre
Pa school. There were not scheduled classes then and anyone could just take the
floor one after the other and run form aster form all afternoon long…. It was
mostly the more advanced students, instructors, and Rothrock Laoshi too.
Before
class Ernest and I used to talk about many martial arts. He would often ask me
questions about my Isshinryu. At time passed I came to realize that his
questions were guiding my thoughts about what Isshinryu could do, That became
another education it itself. He also explained many things about the arts he
was teaching.
One
of the first Saturdays there as I was running forms I was able to watch Ernest
and one of his senior students work on a self defense presentation for an
upcoming demonstration.
One
of those techniques really got to me. When his student attacked what he did was first step across his
attack, then spin on the foor that stepped out and that motion of the other leg
swept the opponents leg out from under him. Ernest then embraced the floor as
his step swept the opponent down, then he rolled over and the foot he spun on
became a roundhouse kick to the head of the downed opponent.
I
watched them several times, though I did not fully understand how he did it. It
was nothing I ever studied with him.
Then
slowly, step by step, I worked out what I thought happened.
I
had no one to work it on.It was not something I would teach to the kids at the
Scranton Boys Club. So that study was just for my own understanding.
Then
time passes. Rothrock Laoshi moved to Pittsburgh to take over the school there.
While I trained at his local schools in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, it was not
the same as training with him either. I did travel the 6 hours to Pittsburgh to
continue to train with him, of course as special as those visits were it was
never the same thing.
Then
I too moved to Derry New Hampshire. Far away from everyone I had been training
with. I did reestablish my youth program at the Derry Boys and Girls Club. I
also started my adult program there.
About
a year after I moved there, 1996, Tristan Sutrisno decided to have an
instructors clinic at my school. There were a number of different instructors
from different martial traditions who attended. This was Tristan Sutrisno’s
Bushi No Te group which held an annual summer training camp in the Poconos.And
among those attending that weekend were Ernest and one of his students from
Pittsburgh.
What
was happening was each of the instructors were sharing part of their arts with
all attended. To allow the group to better understand each other arts.
During Ernie’s presentation he demonstrated of
the techniques he showed was exactly that move which I had seen 5 years before.
And it turned out what I worked out was happening was exactly what he did.
I
would describe it as the opponent attacks and what he did was use his legs to
spin through and take the opponent down to finaly deliver a ko with his foot to
the opponents head. Or perhaps he dealt with the attacker by simply stepping
through the attack.
My
description of what happened
Against a
forceful grab with the right hand, right foot forward. (alternately a right
punch while stepping forward with the right foot equally works).
1.Take the right foot and step across the attackers right foot,
starting as soon as the enter the attack.
2. Then shift your weight to that right ball of that foot. This is
about ½ way through their attack…to consider the timing this takes place.
3. Once your weight has shifted to you right foot, immediately spin
on that foot. The spin is counter-clockwise. This allows your left foot heel to
become a reap to their attacking leg, and the timing is about ¾ the way through
their planned attack.
5. As you spin counter-clockwise and take out their lead leg causing
them to begin to topple, Fall down turning to your stomach and embrace the floor. Your hands not
breaking your fall, but simply at your chest to push off of. This then becomes
a full body breakfall as you opponent is going down on their back
6, Once you embrace the floor you take the counter-clockwise spin of
your hips to continue to use the right leg become a roundhouse kick to the
opponents head.
Of
course such a technique is situational, if there other possible attackers the
appropriateness of the move might dictate a different response.
Should the
attack be a left grab with the left foot stepping forward, do not change the
response, Of course the reap will then drop the opponent on his face, but the
ending movement will remain the same.
Regardless of
the attack the same response works, you only have to take into consideration
how the movement puts the attacker on the ground.
The point was
often you will only see something one time, but with work you can make that a
possibility for yourself.
Addendum
From
this single event I gained insight about other potential applications within
kata technique.
1. The
potential use of kata lower body movement as a weapon.
2. The
use of turning in kata as a weapon system. (45,90, 135, 180, up to 360 degree
turns).
a.
The pairing of Isshinryu Chinto and Goju Seipai as an example)..
3. When I
first met Sherman Harrill I understold what was happening by his use of
stepping as a weapon system from Naifanchi kata.
