Darkening Strike

 

Translated from the French with Bing Translate

https://medium.com/@motobu715/frappe-de-la-p%C3%A9nombre-4d113c67b6ce

Darkening Strike

Motobu Naoki    Translated by Jean-Charles Juster.

 

The dim light strike, kasumi uchi, corresponds to the technique called in modern karate "haishu uchi hand strike". In Motobu kenpō, the first movement after the kōsa dachi position of the Naihanchi kata is interpreted as this half-light strike.

 

In the photograph above, Motobu Chōki can be seen teaching this technique to women, as a decomposition of Naihanchi. In Itosu Ankō's Naihanchi, instead of the back of the hand, or uses its inner face, to parry in haitô uke, but Motobu Chōki and Yabu Kentsū used the penumbra strike in this kata.

 

It is often said that "karate katas all start with a parry", but in classical Naihanchi, it starts with an attack. Or at least, that's what some had interpreted.

In recent times, research into classical karate has flourished, and it is less and less rare to read the statement that "kata defenses are attacks." However, I believe that the basis of this argument comes from quotations from Motobu Chōki books or texts reporting his words.

Was this kasumi uchi dim strike unique to Motobu Chōki? In fact, in Motobu Chōyū's Motobu Udun dii, this technique is also used.

 

Therefore, for the brothers Chōyū and Chōki at least, the dim strike was not an uncommon technique. Wasn't it perhaps a common technique to some extent of classical tii and karate?

 

The original article was published on April 4, 2020 on the Ameba blog.

One day a lecture was scheduled by a Dr. Tamesue,

doctor of medicine and a surgeon

 

 

Andreas Quast

In 1999 I took part in a Goju-ryu Kata seminar in Sanyo Sports Center, Nara prefecture. Besides practice, everyday evening lectures were given. The organization was very good.

 

One day a lecture was scheduled by a Dr. Tamesue, doctor of medicine and a surgeon, who was flewn in from Tokyo. He was 80+ or 90+ years old. The lecture was labelled "First Aid in Martial Arts". He turned out to be one of the earliest members of Ritsumeikan University Karate Club (did you know Miyagi Chojun's original student Yogi Jitsu'ei was active at Ritsumeikan?).

 

His lecture covered the parts of the body, the respiratory system, the organs, ripped tendons, broken bones and so on. He also gave mathematical descriptions of what is actually happening. For this he used the math of mechanics, of course.

 

He had an interesting story about the tools used by surgeons during his younger years. During Meiji era, he said, and as everybody knows, Japan adopted medicine, surgeon tools and techniques from Germany. He said these had been good tools. Later, he explained, the Japanese began to produce their own tools. He remebered that the Japanese clamps for shutting off the kidney artery occasionally would jump off. As the pressure of the kidneys‘ blood-vessels are under high-pressure, the blood would shoot up right up to the ceiling. He found this was very amusing.

 

After 2 hours or so he finished his explanations on First Aid in MA, obligatory closing by asking, "Any questions?"

 

So I asked something about the history and origins of Goju-ryu and while asking I saw a gleam in his eye. He began to explain, writing the board full several times, drawing connection lines all over it, wiping everything away, only to start again. Everybody was amazed by this man. He nearly choked the translator while showing a brutal application of Tensho, changing from Dr. Jekill to Mr. Hide to become a terrifying martial artist.

 

The lecture continued and continued. Some listeners were already snoring but he finally came to an end. He finished by asking, "Any questions?"

 

As I inhaled for my next question everybody in the room in perfect unison swung their heads around, glaring at me with the promise of immediate fatal attack in their eyes. I was still quite flexible in mind at the time and remained silent.