Crafting a Class – Shotokan July 2nd 2005 Shotokan East – York Pa.

 

Ever wonder what to do when you are asked to teach at another school? This is  what I did one day in 2005.

 

Last week my visit home allowed me to drop in on Don Gladfelter’s Shotokan East school in York, Penna. Don and I rarely have time when I get home to do more than say hi and I get the fun of working with his students. The class ranged from white belts (ages 6 to 70 I think) through his black belts.

 

Quite a few years ago my father introduced me to Don, who lives a stone throw away from Dad’s place, as a karate instructor. In that I had been training with Tris Sutrisno in Shotokan for a number of years at that time, I began sharing a bit with Don and his son Boomer and eventually hooked him up with Tris (who he is associated with to this day).

 

The interesting thing is, we’ve had much instruction that was different from each other.  Tris’ art is so encompassing, without 20 years of non-stop training you only see the fraction that is being presented on a given day, and our experiences were not the same.

 

After a brief discussion with Boomer I decided I would try and focus on one of Tris’ teachings I experienced, euphemistically the Masters Level Heian Shodan (notes follow).

 

I realize how much you can and can’t accomplish in a brief hour and a half. Too much and everyone loses everything. Too little and it’s boring, and I wanted to engage everyone at multiple levels, so the novice would gain something as well as the most experienced students. That is a real challenge to provide multiple levels of sharing at the same time.

 

With that as my challenge I met Don on Saturday and asked him one question, whether they had been shown the Sutrisno multiple striking drill (the 5 count) I had learned, and they had not, giving me another idea.

 

So here’s how I moved into the class.

 

First I have everyone relax, as I only teach in a relaxed environment.

 

Second I showed them how to move through the Faan Tzi Ying Jow Pai standard class Chi Kung drill, a nice way to open up the body before class.

 

Then I demonstrated of Tai Chi and Tai Chi Sword, really just the first row of each form. To engage their minds as to other arts, to see how tai chi is different from karate, and working multi level to allow the dan’s to understand a point about the use of weapons training as a tool for empty hand training. I even allowed one of the brown belts present to feel a bit of what Yang Tai Chi’s ‘press’ can do. 

 

Don asked a question about the tai chi ‘hidden sword’ with the empty hand and that led to a discussion about Oyata and Dillman’s finger tip neck KO’s, how I worked it out from my first Sherman Harrill clinic (it being the use of the hidden bent ring and little finger knuckles) and then explained how the KO worked and why not to practice it on each other, rather arming them with the knowledge why they didn’t want somebody to strike their necks.

 

Next I tried to explain that the art I teach, Isshinryu strikes differently than the Shotokan strike. Involving a different brown belt (I didn’t see Boomer then, alas) to experience the difference between the Shotokan style strike and the vertical ridge of knuckles I choose to use for Isshinryu’s strike.  Really done as mild strikes, but he could attest that there is a different impact involved. It’s always nice to make a point about Isshinryu that those who don’t practice the system tend to miss, our basic way of striking is quite efficient as their method of striking is.

 

Now it was time to put everyone to work, with the Sutrisno multiple striking (front punch to backfist to descending palm strike to rising forearm strike to fingertip strike). I find it interesting it was one of the first things I saw studying with Tris and I’ve practiced it faithfully for what 27 years, and all my students use the study too, almost from their first day. The technique shows how one strike can automatically flow into another strike. Besides they’re working the Shotokan version I showed them the Isshinryu variation I use, and some of the differences of how they would be applied (but didn’t stress the application, too much in too short a time).

 

I also took it to the next level and showed them how I made it more than a drill by incorporating it to replace the strikes in our variation of Fyugiata Sho, having my son Victor Michael demonstrate it. This engaged the dans because they would readily be able to adopt it to their own basic kata if they choose to, after seeing the demonstration.

 

At that point I began instruction on the ‘masters level Heian Sho-dan’, teaching it for everyone by pieces, and interrupting them with some discussion to help them bind the teaching from short term to long term memory.

 

Sure the beginners couldn’t remember it, but I pointed out to them they could easily borrow it from the black belts any time they saw it being practiced, having experienced it today.

 

The engaging thing about this kata drill (really an extension of heian sho-dan with multiple techniques) is it inter-relates to the multiple striking drill. For the dan’s I discussed how the extended kata is a balance and speed drill and discussed the role breathing played with those uses, depending on where a technique series was defined, and the role of inter technique breathing versus intra technique breathing.

 

Not too bad for an hour.

 

For the last ½ hour I was asked by Boomer to instruct the brown and black belts in Sanchin. I took the time to explain and demonstrate what I was originally shown in Isshinryu, and how and why I practice it differently today as a way to tear into somebody. But at Boomers request I showed the ‘huff and puff’ version, and still proceeded to show how I would use Sanchin to break into somebodies attack with some disruption.

 

Finally to totally confuse everyone I had my son finish the class with a demonstration of our ‘Lung Le Kuen’ (Supple Dragon) form.

 

Of course after class I was fair game for questions. One green belt wanted instruction on the secret sword and I disappointed him by telling him what he really needed was to work on his own studies.  Such techniques can’t really be taught instantly. And one of the black belts had further question about how to apply Sanchin technique, and I sidestepped that with the reality, how many of my secrets do you really get in one day after all?

 

After all all we did was:

 

Eagle Claw Chi Kung

Demo Yang Tai Chi and Yang Tai Chi Sword

Explain the use of the Secret Sword hand

Teach the 5 count multiple striking drill

Teach the master level Heian Sho dan

Teach Sanchin kata

Demo Lung Le Kuen

 

And I was able to engage multiple layers of instruction for everyone at the same time.

 

But leaving the class remembering what I experienced engaged me too.

 

Some times you really don’t know what you’ve been shown.

 

Over the years I’ve tried hard to document my studies. This class made something kick into gear, and from what I discussed started to link diverse Sutrisno Studies together.

 

At separate times I had been shown several version of m.l. Heian Shodan, as well as how other basic kata could have layered techniques embedded in them for advanced balance and other drills.

 

Likewise I have various ‘advanced’ kihon drills using multiple techniques such as in the m.l. Heian Shodan, and I have some of the advanced Sutrisno bunkai of those techniques.

 

What I now see is they’re more than just separate practices. The multiple technique kihon drills lead to the multiple technique basic kata drills (more complex due to the turns, etc. in  the forms), each of which offer how to increase speed in technique execution, making the kata technique bunkai work.

Fascinating I never linked this together before, but I more clearly see the 1^st through 3^rd dan methodology in the Sutrisno method to increase speed and where it goes. Of course after 3^rd dan they change the entire formula by eliminating most of the technique and just moving to the ending (as well as changing the breathing methodology too), also vastly increasing speed in technique (which is consistent in their other practices too).

 

So I had some fun showing what I rarely have time to teach. My advanced students have studied all of this, but most is not central to our studies. Perhaps Shotokan East will find it of some lasting value, perhaps not, really their business.

 

But I also have a lot more to think about, the art of teaching being the art of learning.

 

There is solid reason to record everything one does.

 

Masters Level Heian ShoDan (Sutrisno)

 

This is an advanced training drill from Sutrisno family Heian Sho Dan.

 

Facing 12 o’clock

 

1. Rei facing 12 o’clock
2. Turn to 9 o’clock , stepping LFF into Left Front Stance with a left low block followed by a right low block.
3. Step RFF into Right Front Stance with a right low block followed by a left low block.
4. Turn 180 clockwise to 3 o’clock, pivoting on the left foot, into Right Front Stance with a Right low block
5. Pull the right foot back alongside the left, turn 90 counter-clockwise to 12 o’clock and deliver a right side descending hammer fist strike towards 3 o’clock.
6. Pivoting 90 degrees clockwise to 3 o’clock on the right foot, LFF into Left Front Stance with a left low block followed by a right low block.
7. Turn 90 degrees counter-clockwise to 12 o’clock, pivoting on the right foot, stepping forward with the left foot then a left low block turning into left high block, turning into a left high knife hand block.
8. RFF into Right Front Stance with a right high block, then right middle inside block, then a right low block, then a left high punch, then a right middle punch finishing with a left low punch.
9. LFF into Left Front Stance with a left high block, then left middle inside block, then a left low block, then a right high punch, then a left middle punch finishing with a right low punch.
10. RFF into Right Front Stance with a right high block, then right middle inside block, then a right low block, then a left high punch, then a right middle punch finishing with a left low punch.
11. Turn 270 counter-clockwise, pivoting on the right foot, stepping into Left front stance to 3 o’clock with a left low block followed by a right low block..
12. RFF into Right Front Stance with a right high punch then a left middle punch.
13. Turn 180 clockwise to 9 o’clock, pivoting on the left foot, into Right Front Stance with a right low block followed by a left low block.
14. LFF into Left Front Stance with a left high block then a right middle punch.
15. Turn to 6 o’clock , stepping LFF into Left Front Stance with a left low block
16. Step RFF into Right back stance with a right inside middle strike then a right outside middle hammerfist strike, and a following left reverse punch.
17. Step LFF into Left back stance with a left inside middle strike then a left outside middle hammerfist strike, and a following right reverse punch.
18. Step RFF into Right back stance with a right inside middle strike then a right outside middle hammerfist strike, and a following left reverse punch.
19. Turn 270 counter-clockwise to 9 o’clock, pivoting on the right foot, stepping into Left back stance with a left open hand outer middle strike and an accompanying right open hand middle cover, then a right open middle hand outer middle strike and an accompanying left open hand middle cover.
20. Pivoting on the left foot, RFF to 10:30, stepping into Right back stance, with a right open hand outer middle strike and an accompanying left open hand middle cover, then a left open hand outer middle strike and an accompanying right open hand middle cover..
21. Pivot on the left foot, and turn to 3 o’clock, stepping into a Right back stance, with a right open hand outer middle strike and an accompanying left open hand middle cover, then a left open hand outer middle strike and an accompanying right open hand middle cover..
22.  Pivoting on the right foot, LFF to 1:30, stepping into Left back stance with a left open hand outer middle strike and an accompanying right open hand middle cover.  then a right open middle hand outer middle strike and an accompanying left open hand middle cover.
23. Step back into a closing Rei.