Each year when I attended, I was only able to attend for 2 hours because of the distance from my home in Derry NH. John permitted me to film him, and I have those videos.
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John began with an analysis of the t-stance and the cat stance. In his practice the t-stance has his body ½ turned making it easier to deliver a rear elbow strike. Mr. Harrill after much research replaced many of the cat stances for this reason. Research the cat stance in my own tradition.
Then, he worked with everyone on what I refer to as the flaws in alignment or basic uke stances.
Next he developed the use of two different striking techniques in Seisan kata. By striking downward or upward (into the body) there is a greater effect. The other striking technique is the straight punch.
Following that he worked on a basic drill. As I cannot take notes, I videotaped many of the drills and exercises. Here is what I have.
1 Angling the attacker's body.
2 Description of why seisan punching works
3
4 Theory of the Seisan Punch
5 the theory of seisan punching 2.
6 more on striking theory
7
8 two handed Blocking drill- and why
9 one handed blocking drill.
10 two handed blocking drill and he knot on the obi.
11 the measurement of the knot on the obi
12 single handed drill and he elbow.
13 explanations of little movement close become larger at distance.
14 mechanics of small movement becoming larger
15 the use of the t stance in striking.
16
17 the block and rolling lock.
18 form exterior block and strike rolling lock and strike.
19 the block from the drill and rolling lock and strike
20 the block from the drill and rolling lock and aikido 3 takedown
21 kick - block and strike - rolling lo headlock and strike.
22 Another explanation kick- block from drill to headlock
23 different stances and the block
24 long - I don't know wrestling or boxing use of the makiwara.
25 bang then bang.
26 hit and strike
27 Hit and strike 2
28 slap and strike for your partner
29 if he strikes with the right, it is more serious for the punch and strike.
30 exterior block n'strike then pull back lock.
31 exterior block n'strike then pull back lock with stance shift.
32 exterior block n'strike then pull back lock with stance shift 2.
33 exterior block n'strike then pull back lock with stance shift 3.
34 exterior block n'strike then pull back lock with stance shift 4.
35 exterior block n'strike then pull back lock with stance shift 5.
36 John and I
37
38 exterior block n'strike then pull back lock with stance shift 6
39 why the drawback
40 exterior block n'strike then pull back lock with stance shift as a 5 count drill
41 exterior block n'strike then pull back lock with stance shift as a 5 count drill2
42 the difference of stances
43 exterior block n'strike then pull back lock with stance shift - be careful
John on the T-stance
The key to this victor is the position of the hips, how the cat allows a pull and draw back type of thing, distancing away at angles....the T is versatile in straight line back and forth (IE seisan bridge of nose series) and because the forward foot hip is pointing the same direction as the front foot it gives the front hand a great range for forward striking
john
T stance
while facing forward, take you right for and point your toes 90 deg from the knot on your obi. Take you left heal toes pointing forward (same direction as knot on obi) and place the left heal against your right arch. Move your left foot out 1 length of your foot and place you heal were toes were when placed against the arch. Left hip should face same direction as left toes. knot on obi same direction as right foot. cat stance is same height as seisan.
cat stance
stand feet together toes straight. Turn right foot on it's heel at a 45 degree angle. Move left foot straight forward two of your feet lengths and up slightly on ball of foot, knot on obi should turn direction of back foot, 90 percent of weight on back foot, 10% on front. knot on obi should be over instep of back foot, same height as hook stance.
Hope that helps...there is really a big difference between the two John
John.
Where we turn it goes into cat stance, and then steps up to a stance with no name, the right foot directly behind the left for the backfist ,and then steps back into cat stance before the crossover step. Close but not the same.
I then looked at Harrill Sensei’s kata to see your stance. Next, I looked at Lewis Sensei’s Seisan kata on the web. And it wasn’t the kata I was taught.
Over the year’s I just normally don’t look closely at the many different variations of Kata; Instead, I focus on commonalities and just work on my own versions. That and trying to control the different variations my students come up with.
This is the result of Mr. Lewis didn’t often teach the beginners and I was taught mostly by Mr. Lockwood. Each senior when they would help teach from my beginning had their own version, and Mr. Lewis permitted each of them. So we would practice whatever version was being shown.
It turns out Mr. Lewis used to teach as Shimabuku Sensei did, reserving most of his instruction for the advanced students. He did teach Seiunchin as a group kata in exacting detail, and I’ve always followed that instruction. Then last year I saw Charles version of Mr. Lewis practicing Seiuchin and it was nothing like what I was taught and have practiced neigh these 50 years.
Class in Salisbury when I trained there was ½ kata and ½ tournament kumite. There was a smattering of other stuff, Body Hardening drills, self-defense techniques. Etc., makiwara wasn’t discussed but there was a poor one, no give, in the corner. Very different from your training I’ sure.
Years later when I trained with Charles, he used different kata versions, but didn’t change my early kata (Through Chinto). He explained that he and Don Bohan would get together with each returning Marine and learn the newest variations that Shimabuku Sensei was teaching, they remarked how Shimabuku would often train different people in different versions and then Mr. Lewis would teach that version, thus his own studies would be the source of variation in the dojo. He didn’t place one version over another version. As a black belt I would attend discussions where he would suggest changes of various reasons. In time I did not make the changes.
I did not follow this pattern of teaching believing a stable kata base more important. I have made a few changes over the years. Most of the time the earlier version of a kata is focused on beginner development then as a student advances, they are moved to more original versions to me.
As I began to study application possibilities, I had less reason for other changes.
On the other hand, where you have the t-stance, I have a side cat stance in our Annaku Kata, that has many of the same potentials I believe.
John Kerker variety from 2012 - YouTube
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