I was never trained directly in the Shimabuku Kumite. At one of Sherman Harrill's clinics he shared a list of what those Kumite covered. Years after his death John Kerker shared a video of Sherman presenting those Kumite at a clinic. From that video I worked up these notes. Of course any errors are all mine.
Shimabuku’s Kumite – Notes
D:\Victor Files\Sherm-pedia\Sherm-pedia source\14 Miscellanous
01 How to counter basic grabs
02 How to counter punching attacks
03 Striking the back of an attacking fist
04 Special blocking techniques
05 How to grab and control the attacker
06 How to counter the Gi Grab
07 How to counter the Full Nelson
08 How to counter the Bear Hug
09 How to counter the Devil’s handshake
10 How to counter chokes (including from the mount position)
11 How to counter a straight stab
12 How to counter an ice pick stab
13 How to counter a straight stab with both hands up
14 How to counter a straight stab leaning forward
15 How to counter double knife stabs
1. This section is dealing with hand grabs
a. Left hand hold right wrist (Straight hand grab)
From Seisan, pull the hand back to the release position and strike to the solar plexus.
In Chart One, as taught by Tom Lewis, Number 5 was Right Foot steps back as you deliver a left side block, followed by a right punch [Which is a reversal of the opening of Seisan kata.]
Against a left grab of your right wrist, Shimabuku Tatsuo technique simply stepped back with the right foot and chambered the right hand, which pulls it right out of (or away from) that grab, and followed with a right front punch into the opponents chest.
The stronger your kata practice, the more precise your chambering movements in the kata, the stronger your release from their grab.
Two hands hold one wrist
Step in and grab your hand from the top, drive the elbow up to the chin for a strike followed, with a backfist. This can also be done by going underneath grabbing your fist stepping forward into Seiunchin doing a elbow strike reinforced with the other hand.
For the first counter, after they’ve grabbed your wrist with both their hands, you reach across the top of their hand and grab your own wrist. As you step forward (with the foot of the hand grabbed) as you drive your elbow up, the arm crossing across their arm becomes a lever into their arm, and the combination of your driving force, and the pressure of the crossing arm bearing down, you strip your arm free, opening the backfist into their face.
For the second counter, after they’ve grabbed your wrist with both their hands, you reach underneath their arms and grab your fist. Then the foot of the hand grabbed, steps in and the forward (with a crescent step) into Seiunchin and you do a cross elbow strike into their arm.
Alternative choice, for the third counter, after they’ve grabbed your wrist with both their hands, you reach underneath their arms and grab your fist. Then the foot of the hand grabbed, steps in and the forward (with a crescent step) and out in Seisan, as you use the re-inforced block section of Seiunchin to pressure both their arms from the inside out. This will break the grab and put them in a twisted controlled position, ready for a counter-attack.
Left hand hold right hand, from side position (hand grab from side)
From Chinto, hand grab is from over the top, trap his hand and go into a hand bar.
When you’re right hand is grabbed from the side with their left hand, as in a mirror image of Chinto’s opening, your left foot will step back as you shift into right cat stance to the side. Your right hand will circle clockwise away your hand staying on your centerline, and then continue the circle shifting back towards the opponent. As you do this your left hand grabs their wrist.
The wrist grab and turn towards them, presses their hand down between your wrist grab and your right hand pressure. You slide your right palm down their palm and lock it in, then press their hand back (into a hand lock) which I believe is the hand bar in question.
Alternatively you can do this by bringing your left hand up underneath their arm, and just use it to pressure their wrist/hand. Of course this is more pressure sensitive skilled, and prone to escape if not perfect.
Right hand hold right wrist (Cross Hand Grab)
Thumb on the top, bring the hand to the outside and over the top striking to the throat with a shuto strike. The left hand will go underneath the right arm in a open palm to protect the ribs.
This is against a cross hand grab, grabbing the side of your wrist. Using a motion such as in Kusanku kata’s ‘feeling in the dark section’ or the double knife hand kame of Wansu, your right hand (thumb on top) rolls over the top of their hand (at the thumb) releasing their grip, and then you strike into their throat with a shuto strike. As this occurs your left hand goes underneath the right arm with an open palm to protect the ribs.
If they’ve used the grab to grab your sleeve, you use your left hand to grab their wrist, weakening the thumb and then you proceed as above.
This can also be done with a larger motion, by bringing the right hand back to your left ear, as your left hand presses across their right arm. Then follow with your right shuto strike.
Right hand hold right wrist from top (Top of the hand cross grab)
Grab comes from over the top, from Seiunchin reinforced block traps the hand and goes into backfist strike to the nose.
One choice would be to begin using the motion of Seiunchin kata’s re-inforced block. They’ve grabbed your hand from on top, your left hand grabs their wrist and presses down. That grab weakens their grip, and your right hand rolls down and clockwise out, to backfist into their nose.
Alternately, when grabbed your hand circles clockwise, your left hand presses into their hand as you do the re-inforced block to the right. This rolls their arm over and you continue with the kana and step through, your right hand grabbing their arm as your left hand strikes into their nose.
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2. Defenses against strikes
a. Outside block, punch inside
Attacker right foot forward, right hand punch.
Defender steps back, right foot back side block, reverse punch to the solar plexus.
This is a case as you step back with your right foot, you left arm uses a dragging Side block (interior line of defense) , where you block out, and pull the blocking hand back to the waist to draw the opponent forward with the ‘blocking’ effect, creating the opening for the standing fist knuckle reverse punch to the solar plexus.
Inside block, punch side
Attacker right foot forward, right hand punch.
Defender steps back right foot, inside block, reverse punch to the ribs.
In this case as you step back with your right, you strike inside with your blocking arm (external line of defense), deflecting their strike away creating an opening for a standing reverse punch to their ribs.
Step forward, punch
Attacker right foot forward, right hand punch.
Defender ( from the end move of Naihanchi) steps back into Naihanchi and punch.
Your attacker is driving into you with their strike. Your left foot steps back and you rotate 90 degrees counter clockwise. Your left hand comes up with a deflection, as your right punch strikes into their face (the double side strike from Nihanchi Kata).
Shoulder block
From Sunsu attacker steps forward lead punch, block then backfist.
Your attacker is driving forward with their strike. Your left foot steps back and you rotate 90 degrees counter clockwise. Your right hand chambered at your waist as you elbow block across during your turn, deflecting your attacker to the outside. You finish with a backfist to their face.
Grab arm, elbow
From Sunsu attacker steps forward lead punch, defender steps in grabs the wrist
steps around breaks elbow, then elbow strike to back.
Hook wrist from over top, arm bar then elbow strike.
Open palm deflect fast spin around with elbow strike.
As in SunNuSu Kata
Your attacker is driving in with their strike. Your left hand grabs over and pulls down, as your right hand strikes up immediately behind their elbow. This has the potential of an elbow break, or dislocation.
Then your right arm hooks under and over their arm as you spin around (further compounding the pressure on their arm) and conclude with the other elbow strike into their spine.
3. Striking into the attacking arm/hand creating an opening for other counter-attacks.This series uses the principle you can always hit your own hand, and your shifting gets your other hand on the oher side of the arm/hand being struck.
a. Punch back of hand
Attacker throws twist punch, defender down strikes to the back of the hand, the same as knocking on a door. Use cat stance from Seiunchin backfist for punch or kick.
Against a twisting punch towards your center, your left foot steps back (as you are in right cat stance), your left hand flows under their punching hand as your right hand backfist strikes down onto the top if their punching hand. The possibility of a following kick from your cat stance is always possible.
Punch back of hand side
Isshin~Ryu punch attacker right foot forward, right lunge punch. Defender left foot back, backfist with right hand.
Against a standing right punch from your attacker, step away with your left foot, rotate your body counter-clockwise 90 degrees, and with your left hand sliding behind their hand, strike into their wrist with a right backfist. You’re working an interior line of defense.
Punch back of hand knuckle
If the attacker steps in with left punch strike with knuckles of fingers on the back of the fist.
This can also be use to strike on inside of the wrist.
Against a left lead strike, you step away with your left foot, rotate your body counter-clockwise 90 degrees, and with your left hand sliding behind their hand, strike into their arm/hand with the knuckles of your right fist.. This knuckle strike contains great deadening power. You’re working the exterior line of defense.
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Countering Kicks
a. Knuckle block for kick, counter kick
Attacker kicks from right leg, defender steps back down block with knuckle strike to the Shin then counters with a kick with the right leg.
Against a right kick, you step back with your left foot (into right cat stance), your left hand slides down and behind their calf as you deliver a right knuckle strike into their Shin, and then counter with a right kick into their leg. This may be an interpretation of the stacked hands and front kicks at the end of Wansu kata.
Cross arm block
From Chinto kata X block, blocking with the back hand and knuckle strike with the lead hand.
Against a right kick, step in with a left low back hand block to their leg with a knuckle strike from the lead hand following, into their shin.
Left hand push right leg inside counter kick
Heel palm block leg across (close out) then counter kick to groin or inside of leg.
I see this as from Chinto Kata. When the attacker leads a right kick at you, your right foot steps back into Left Kake dachi, as your left hand heel palm blocks across (inside to outside) deflecting their kick to the exterior, then you counter with a front kick to the groin or inside of the supporting leg.
Alternatively, as you step back with your right (to distance yourself from the kick) the left hand could sweep across with the palm heel, moving the person’s leg to your right side, and you then kick under their leg to the groin or the inside of the opponent’s supporting leg.
Knee block, kick
From Wansu kata, knee bump the leg across then counter with a kick.
As the opponent kicks with their right, you rotate your torso to the left (releasing the left knee and dropping your center), as you do so your right rising knee strike becomes an inside counter strike into their kicking leg, and then counter with the right front kick to target of choice.
Grab leg, grab Adam’s apple, trip punch
From SNT hook the kick, while grabbing Adam’s apple, drive knee into the groin while Keeping control of the trapped leg then punch.
From Sherman October 2001, Attacker throws a right front kick (one of Shimabuku Sensei’s Kumite)
You shift to the right (interior line of defense) hook your left arm under and up outside their kick, then your right hand strikes into their throat, and your right leg hooks behind their left. They are now set up for a big takedown. Drive your right knee into their groin, while keeping control of the punched leg, and with the hand grabbing their Adam’s apple, punch it into their throat.
Using the Attackers Arm to counter another technique
a. Hold arm, use against punch
Trap lead punch with both hands as the attacker punches with other hand jerk
the arm to the inside of the body.
Left kick
Same as (a) arm will be jerked towards the kicking leg.
Right kick
Same as (b)
Twist
The attacker attempts to spin out and around, bring their arm up and over the shoulder into a arm bar.
6. Gi Grab Defenses
a. One hand hold gi, grab, twist, kick
From Sunsu the first toe rip. The attacker grabs your gi, grab thumb and wrist rotate, toe rip.
Two hand hold gi, push kick
From Sunsu the second kick, toe rip or heel push. The attacker has a judo lapel cross grab, reach up underneath as in the kata and kick.
Trip two feet kick
The same as a and b except you sweep the leg out and follow up with a kick.
7. Defenses against the full nelson
a. Full nelson, karate cut groin
From Sunsu hands go up and out to the sides (little fingers facing out)
bump with the hips then strike to groin.
Attacker applies headlock from behind, under armpits and behind head.
You press both hand tops to your forehead. Then step out into Seiunchin and drop your elbows to break the lock…….. THIS IS AS IN SunNuSu.
Full nelson,grab leg, heel kick
Same as a except after the bump step to side grab their left leg, keep your Right leg in close to their left leg and do heel stomp into the groin.
Full nelson, grab both legs, karate cut groin
After the bump slip leg behind them, grab and bring both leg into the air release one and strike to the groin.
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Back neck breaker and choke hold, cut groin
Point hand into air while striking to the groin. You can also just grab a hand full.
8. Defense against a Bear Hug and Head Lock
a. Bear hug waist, hands free, grab one finger, break or hit back of hand
Grab one finger or thumb and hit your hand with a open hand, if you kant Grab a finger just rap on the back of the hand until they let go.
Bear hug around arms and waist, grab groin
Sensei said to dust hips off, each time striking to the groin while moving leg to the inside. You can also step to the side grab the leg and do as in 7 b.
Head lock, grab groin and one shoulder break
Attacker has you locked with his left arm, reach in and grab the groin with your right hand while the left hand grabs the front of the gi by the neck, step in with your right leg in front and dump followed with a
a counter.
Same grab, left hand hooks behind the leg at the knee while the right hand goes over the head and with the index finger under the nose pull back and raise the leg sticking the groin with right hand.
Head lock, knuckles in side
Take knuckles and grind into the sides until they release.
Head lock, jerk shoulder up kick legs out in front
Throw arms straight up in the air, drop straight to the ground, punch to the Groin and kick to the mid section.
Attacker applies headlock from behind (as no. 37). Master Shimabuku’s favorite answer.
You jump out to the sides and drop in Seiunchin, as your both hands reach straight up.
You then drop to the floor (on your butt) and fall back between their legs. Finish with a right punch straight up in to the groin.
The Devil’s handshake is often a MP or Police come-along lock.
a. Devils hand shake, grab your fist , pull, kick
Pull your hand to your center and hold on as you kick (push) the leg
out SNT then counter.
Double devils hand shake, twist over, elbow kick
Have to be a young person to do this. Step forward to make the attackers hold on tight then flip over and counter with a kick and elbow strike.
Attacker Applies Devils Handshake
You reach across with your other hand and press across at your elbow, relieving the pressure, and then your closer leg delivers a heel slash across their calf ‘pain’.
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10. Choke Defense from a MOUNT position.
a. Two hand straight choke, break, grab Adam’s apple
Attacker is setting on top and has a choke hold. The defender reaches inside with his left arm at the their elbow, at the same time bring the right arm up inside and grabbing the throat. Pressure is applied to their right arm and throat while rolling over onto your side, holding their right arm down and controlling them with the choke.
Same attack as above except they are choking with their left and attempt to strike you with their right hand. Defender brings right hand to the inside and blocks their right hand strike as you go for the choke. Finish the same as 10 a.
Cross arm choke, one arm and shoulder up between his arms and grab Adam’s apply Judo cross arm choke. Same as above.
Smother hold, knuckles in side
Judo cover from the top down with attacker holding onto your obi.
Knuckles into the side until they get off.
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Knife Defenses
11. a. Straight stab, grab hand and wrist, twist, kick, trip, kick
Attack comes from below the waist up with right foot forward, right hand stab.
Step back with right foot, left hand to inside of the wrist, right hand comes up
Twist joint to the outside, kick, sweep leg and drop down, heel stomp and punch. This can be done with out the sweep, just take down with the joint lock.
12. a. Ice pick stab, block across, kick
Knife is raised high above the head in a down strike with right hand and right foot forward. Step back right foot, left hand open ark sweep, right hand chop to the neck. Right foot kick to the groin. The person can be taken down with a sweep, heel stomp and a kick.
13. a. Straight stab, both hands up, karate cut block, kick Coming in with knifes in both hands, hands raised to high port, down strikes And apart as in Sanchin then kick.
14. a. Straight stab leaning forward, grab hand with both of yours, pull, trap at elbow then they Lunge in with right hand and right foot forward, step back deep deflecting with the left hand grabbing the wrist with the right then left hand grabs. Pulling them to the deck as you turn and place your left knee on the back of their arm (rub point) right hand has the wrist control or break at elbow.
15. a. Two knife straight stab, squat kick
Person attacks with both knifes, same deflect as 14a squat to the side and kick.
Other Technique from Sherman Harrill October 2001
Attacker RFF Right Punch (one of Shimabuku Sensei’s Kumite)
Your left foot steps forward (exterior line of defense). And deliver a left inner horizontal elbow(forearm) strike across their striking arm. Your right foot then circles clockwise, your left hand flows down and up inside their arm, and you finish with a right rear elbow strike into their spine… [Almost identical to a similar Eagle Claw technique.]
Attacker RFF Right Punch (one of Shimabuku Sensei’s Kumite)
You raise your open right palm to the interior line of defense, forming a high block. You then pivot counterclockwise and drop a descending vertical palm strike into their closest clavical (trying to break it). Follow with a knee strike into the groin (Variation of Kusanku)
Against an attackers RFF Punch (Using Shimabuku Tatuso’s Chinto response (and an original TS Kumite technique)
Your rising X block stops with the attackers arm on top of the “X”…
Your right hand (behind the left) circles the attackers arm down clockwise, as the left arm (open hand) crosses your right biceps. You can then left backfist to the side of their head, or alternatively left shuto their neck.
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