Generating Power in the Isshinryu System

 September 14, 1988

When a new Sho Dan, I immediately found myself on my own and forced to make

my own way training myself. I searched everywhere took the good and the bad
and worked hard to understand what Okinawan Te was about.

Ron Martin

 

While competing at a tournament, in the Black Belt kata division, a senior
Goju Ryu dan gave me a very low score. Later I questioned him as what I could
do to improve. This instructor turned out students who where exactingly crisp
in their own technique. He basically told me "Your Stances ******!", then
proceeded to elaborate on his thoughts as to what Isshinryu was doing wrong,
in general.

Tom Lewis

I started observing the best Isshinryu whenever I found it. Universally, all
great Isshinryu practitioners had great stances. I don't know how they were
trained, or how they trained their students, and was too humble to ask my
Sensei about why his own stances were so good, so I just began to concentrate
on developing stronger stance.

Likewise to my students I concentrated on any stance imperfections. Harped on
it, in a friendly manner of course, but never permitted bad stance to
continue. As time passed my stances got better and my students consistently
were doing a better job.

Of course there are offensive and defensive reasons for SUPER Seisan Stances,
et. al. Just commenting on Seisan, Offensively if the front leg is too
straight (a very common Isshinryu Black Belt situation in my years of
observation) you can't use the power of you legs and hips for power
generation. Instead you use only your arms, and that weakens the power
tremendously. Defensively, a straight front leg in Seisan is a target of
opportunity waiting to happen. I love to train my Dan's to look for that and
attack that point as a structural way to drop someone.
From this beginning in structural observation I've developed further
principles which affect the generation of Isshinryu Power.

In the use of the crescent step, I observe, most people use a constant
acceleration throughout the entire stepping process. I eventually began to
see another opportunity. The Crescent Step if done correctly by my way of
training, draws the back foot up alongside the front foot. It moves the foot
into the centerline, and then pushes off the centerline to move forward to
complete the step.

I saw an opportunity here. If you take 2/3's of the stepping movement time to
draw into the centerline, and then explode from there with 1/3 of your
movement time, you are gathering your energy into your center and then
exploding out of there. Your kata movement become more powerful.

Then I began using the centerline for everything. When making a turn, such as
90 degrees to the left. The left foot draws into the center line (2/3's of
the movement) and explodes 1/3 from the centerline, again.

So far I've commented on stance and movement. Next comes the role of
breathing and timing.

Originally the only instruction on breathing was the use of Ibuki breathing
in Sanchin and the way we practiced Seiuchin. But I have been working on a
different use of breathing to control the timing of the kata.

I now define breathing as INTRA TECHNIQUE SERIES BREATHING and as INTER TECHNIQUE SERIES BREATHING. Sounds like a mouthful doesn't it.

A Kata TECHNIQUE SERIES, is an instructor designation. It may be one move
(such as step forward and Block) or it may be a series of moves (such as
Block, Punch Front Kick, Double Punch). There are various ways to break any
kata down as a series. That isn't good or bad, just one of a number of
options to consider.

INTRA Technique Series, means what happens during the series in question.
Inter Technique Series, means what happens between the different Technique
Series.

INTRA TECHNIQUE SERIES BREATHING, I've found for speed enhancement, this
should be done as one continuous exhale. This is regardless of whether a
single technique, or a series of techniques. Inhalation during the technique
series (T.S.) will slow the series down. Never a good idea for power
development.

INTER TECHNIQUE SERIES BREATHING, Is where I inhale between Technique Series. This is for air replenishment as well as the means to control the timing of
the kata.

By exhaling INTRA TECHNIQUE, you can concentrate on increasing speed in the
series of technique(s). By controlling inhalation for INTER TECHNIQUE, you
can control the timing of the kata, and not let the speed get away from you.
Did you ever loose it in CHINTO and finish faster and faster. I've found
concentration on INTER TECHNIQUE breathing will help control the speed of the
entire form, yet still permit blasting on the techniques themselves.

There's nothing to say my principles are correct or the only answer. However
I and my students have been following them for the past 20 years and I'm more
than satisfied that I can make them work.

So you have Stance, the method of stepping, the method of breathing and
control of timing affecting power generation. How to make them an effective
training device.

Just jumping into a kata such as Seisan, can be a very daunting task with so
much to consider. What I suggest is to take a basic H type pattern kata (I
use Fugyata Sho myself, but which one doesn't matter).

A basic kata allows for good training in these principles. You can change
where the sequences start and stop (Is it A - Low block then B 0 Stepping
Punch or is it A-Low Block Stepping Punch). You can concentrate on this
stepping movements themselves. Stress driving off of the center line. Look at
the regulation of breathing and timing. Then when you start seeing progress,
they can begin to take the same principles and concentrate on One Isshinryu
Kata. Then work through the kata one at a time. Only when a kata is perfect,
go to the next and so forth. This is not a fast process and will take years.
But I am certain it will increase power.

Is this everything? No, of course not. Can you get the rest? That's an
interesting question.

I don't know if this is the answer. Truthfully it just works for me and mine.
Unfortunately no one gave me this, I had to work it out on my own piece by
piece.

Why should you address this issue. Well I see the study of kihon and kata, as
the practice of karate. Then I see the practice of Bunkai as the DOING of
Karate. If you can develop more and more energy in the practice, and
correctly perform the DOING of Karate, you will learn how to tap that larger
amount of power and utilize that when you DO Karate.

 

Keep looking to improve.