The Isshin-Jutsu of Victor Smith

The rice on the patch symbolized when rice matures it bows deeper.

A long time ago I began my blog (August 8, 2008) at the suggestion of Mario McKenna that I should save what I have experienced. Then a bit ago Jim Keenan told me that he believes what i have done may be unique. He knew of no other instructor who shared so much of what they experienced.

I suspect Jim might be right. The only systems I know of who have attempted something similar are Japanese ones. Specifically the one that most comes to mind is Daito Ryu Aiki Jutsu. They have recorded all their technique studies on scrolls and apparently to learn the entire system requires 30 years of constant study.

I am not a master in any case, I have just experienced a bit and taken what I have experienced to hear. As of today July 5, 2024 I have recorded 3,455 posts.

Back in 10-24-2015 I came up with the realization that soon to move to Arizona I wanted to sum up what my senior students of +35 years training had actually experienced, for their use.

So I pulled together a list of technique posts I had made, This is nothing like everything I have seen, or to a lessor amount exactly what they had experienced. I just thought this might be useful for them.

Collectively I created a name for this list, that of Isshin-Jutsu. Of course not just that primarily I was Isshinryu to the core. But what I posted was not restricted to just Isshinryu.

The choice of the name Isshin-Jutsu was a fun play on many arts. No one is the master, just an adept of the art. It was not about passing test. It was just full of efficient ways to dispatch an attacker. One of the techniques could be sufficient for any possible attack, When I pulled this together I ended up with 162 technique studies, many of them posts I had made. Other techniques which I have not recorded. Yes, this is not everything I have seen or worked on. It is just a partial list of what I have recorded.

I am freely posting a part of this list (my students received the entire list back on 2015) as I do not believe things should be hidden. That anyone could read and learn everything from my posting is extremely unlikely. For one thing none of those readers was ever trained by me. If any of those readers actually work to understand and then actualize a technique, they deserve it. On the other hand no one has the focus and time to acquire everything. All of them have their own arts.

What I am going to share is just the first 20 of these techniques. All of them are on my blog, it would take a great deal of work to get everything. And I have posted so much more since 2015.

You will find that trying to grasp a flowing stream, while getting your hand wet, the rest of the water keeps flowing.

Unusual techniques – Isshin Jutsu

 

When I decided to name what we are doing, I was already disquieted over much that was being done in the name of karate. So I borrowed a term from Funakoshi Ginchin autobiography as an Older Okinawan name for karate and called it Bushi No Te Isshinryu.

That was not the only Okinawan term for karate, such as Te, Tee,  Tode and Tode Jutsu.  There are other terms too. Of course as Japanese has been the official language in the schools since 1878 their use has fallen by the wayside, and more and more the terminology shown and developed in Japan has taken hold.

When karate was introduced in Japan they use the term Karate Do, and referred to the older karate as Karate Jutsu, implying theirs was better. I don’t prefer the Japanese traditions and in turn developed a term (without knowing proper Japanese) for my own use.

I think of what I have developed as Isshin Jutsu (or Concentration Technique) the art of Bushi No Te Isshinryu.

Over the years I have experienced numerous special techniques, most of which were one time studies. Perhaps in those styles they are more certain, but I was not a student of those systems where they originated.


1. Rising Vertical Strike to the Forehead.

One of the early techniques I got from Tris Sutrisno involved using a  rising vertical shuto to strike into the front of the forehead. This is a  stop hit. A light strike to the forehead causing their head to roll back, The following technique involved both hands grasping the blood vessels at the side of their neck and clasping them tight, causing immobilizing pain.

 

 

2. Wansu cross strike to the ribs, neck at the same time.

This is one I discovered on my own. I was showing an application from Wansu kata.

‘After the Right outside parry, The right hand cuts back along your head and the Left sword hand strikes out to the waist, this is just before the left hand grabs to the belt.

This time I was showing how it could be applied from the side on the exterior line of defense.

From the outside of a strike the right hand cuts across the neck of the opponent. And the left knife hand the lower ribs of the opponent, The two hands slicing into the neck and the ribs of the opponent at the same time.

I was showing this application in slow motion and with low power. When I did it the partner was surprised and went out. I had to grab them before they hit the floor. I did not try this again on  someone, not wishing to do such to a student.

 

3. Tai Chi’s Secret Sword  

When I learned tai chi the instruction was for the most part non-verbal. One of the things I learned was Tai Chi Straight sword. As I did not study tai chi for applications, I never paid them much mind. Decades later I started to apply tai chi and one slight movement almost broke Dennis Driscol's ribs. Interesting power there.

One aspect of sword was the reciprocal non holding hand is most often held in an unusual position. There are some moves where it could be a strike to an eye or throat. But it was Sherman who showed a different use, not a tai chi one. This was the first time I met him.

Sherman arm striking  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6gpW6URhHI 

Then I saw this possibility and Sherman added some refinements.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLTPtQ40Qoc

So we can use the hand position to:
    1. Strike into the arm.
    2. Strike into the neck, for a KO.
    3. I also see it as a way to strike into the ribs from the side, in an upward strike using a rising force.

 

Here is a scene from Heroes of the East using the straight sword with the reciprocal hand to support the wrist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LnRwWdNjx8

4. Eagle Claw Snake Strike

I got this unique hand position from Ernest Rothrock. It is used for a strike into the forehead, perhaps as a stop hit, or I can see it used to strike into the throat or groin in some circumstances.

The strike is with the longer middle finger, however it is supported on the sides by the index finger and the ring finger of the hand, both bent alongside the middle finger forming the hand position.


5.  Multiple striking  

 http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/search?q=Multiple+striking 

http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2016/09/multiple-striking-updated.html


6.  Multiple kicking in Goju Seisan 

http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2016/09/goju-seisan-toe-heel-kick-application.html



7.  Itosu’s 8 point kicking
 

http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2008/09/itosu-eight-point-kicking-drill.html

 http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2009/02/recreating-itosu-eight-point-kickin.html

 
8. Mabuni 7 point kicking  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EDmMouLBpM 

9. Kempo Goju Shark fist

This hand position came from the Kempo Goju style I studied when I trained with David Brojack. I have never seen any others use it.

The hand position had the index finger extended and the rest of the fingers bent back at their first joint. The thumb is bent at the side of the hand as in a shuto strike.

I see its possibilities as a lead finger strike to the eyes or throat and then the other bent fingers being used to grab the side of the throat.



10.. Kempo Goju West Wing kick followed by a West Wind kick

This was another Kempo Goju kicking technique. While they did a lot of lead leg kicking practices. This was another combination.

From a left lead, leaping with a lead leg  jumping outside crescent kick to the front, then follow with a rear leg jumping inside crescent kick. For a 1-2 kick delivery.


11. Past Kicking Drills

 http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2012/06/it-is-from-past-that-we-can-learn-great.html


12. It is just a front kick  

http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2016/05/it-is-just-front-kick.html


1* Kamae  

 

http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2008/09/kamae.html

http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2016/09/wansu-kamae.html


14. Mabuni Seiunchin Bunkai (from 1934) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Zot5OfjOlk 

15. Spear Thrust Nukite to the throat  

http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2016/09/dangerous-moves.html  


16. Move for the day

 
http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2016/09/move-for-day.html


17. The Wansu Throw
 

http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-wansu-throw.html


18. Shimabuku Tatsuo and the Elbow Strike
 

http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2016/09/wansu-kamae.html

http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-histoy-behind-karate-throwing.html


19 What is a weapon  

http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2016/09/what-is-weapon.html

20. Energy Projection and Aikido Wrist Techniques

http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2016/09/energy-pojection-in-aikido-wrist.html


PS. The secret to keeping your art young, is to discard working on a technique and then to study a new one.