On Dropping your Center and thereby increasing your Power

 

Bruno Ballardini‎ to Karate di Okinawa

Another basic principle that Okinawan karate shares in common with the Chinese martial arts is “to “sink”, in order to receive the push from the ground and to put this energy into the technique.

Victor Donald Smith – more plainly this means releasing the knee, to drop your weight, allowing the power generated to move into the technique execution.

 It was in the book by Aragaki Sensei, years ago, where I first learned of the knee release. I have found it is a major player in generation of force from movement.

Russ Smith "Releasing the knee" is an important and powerful movement concept, particularly when attempting to move under contact with an opponent.

Timothy Rodgers This is very much true in that, if the legs were straight or locked the ability to push, and project movement would almost be non existent.. Also the term Shimuzu is another reference to the (internal sinking),starting with relaxation of the body by the rounding of the shoulders and allowing energy to descend, or (sink) to the hara. This would be a prelude to all movement. I believe these two, are intertwined,,,and a basic foundation of the Chinese contribution.

Jim Keenan - one place isshinryu suffers - across the board - is legs. isshinryu practitioners (most Okinawan style practitioners, really) have weak legs. I forget how long ago it was (but it was at least from my time in Israel), I started working on ways to increase leg power in Isshinryu without completely breaking the style. Using the leg in the way you pictured is one of the ways I came up with.

 

Victor Smith

Very astute analysis, Decades ago Ron Martin (Goju) pointed out to me how weak my stances were, I then noticed how strong all his students stances were, Then looked at my original instructor, Tom Lewis, and how strong his stances were. Then i began my own crusade to strengthen my own stances. Stance development became a real mission with my own students. That continued for decades.

Personally, they did not know how to focus on stance development, and perhaps just did not teach it, even when they had it themselves. I noted while Sensei had great strength, it was not taught that way. A year after Ron's comment, I saw Charles and he commented how strong my stances had become

 

On Okinawan Translation

 

Hello Everyone,

 

I hope that everyone is doing well. I apologize for the seemingly lengthy absence as I have been doing a few things:

 

1. Translating a letter written in 1932 by Miyagi Chojun Sensei to one of his students.

2. Translating the Umuru Uso-chi

3. Learning to play the Sanshin 

4. Reading Okinawan Poetry and Songs in Uchina-Guchi

5. Learning more about Uchina-Guchi (Okinawan Language)

6. Karate Training (I guess I should have put this first)

 

As I learn more Uchina-guchi, I feel the urge not to talk about it too much on the internet. The reasons are many, but here are the major reasons:

 

1. Some of what was written by "historians" seem to be a bit strange when one learns more about the Okinawan language.

 

2. Do people really want to learn or is it a novelty. The reason I am learning is to learn more stories from my teacher and my teacher speaks the language.

 

3. Some people may take some words and use them to make up their own style to make it seem more Okinawan.

 

Some people know about the phrase, Tee Chikate Mani. This phrase was made popular in a book written by Toguchi Sensei of the Shoreikan. I have seen other people use this phrase when talking about "old style" kata training. However, there are a few things that stand out when learning the Okinawan language. For starters, there is a huge absence of "e" and "o" sounds in the Okinawan Language. This does not mean that the "e" and "o" sounds do not exist in Okinawan but for the most part it is not common. 

 

Tee is perhaps phonetic for "Ti-" or"Tii", this is usually written by Ti by others but really it is an elongated "i" sound and not just a short "i" sound. Ti- in the majority of usage means hand but can sometimes also mean skill. 

 

Chikate does not seem correct as it ends in a "e" sound. This is probably the gerund form of the verb Chikain which means "to use". The gerund form of this word is "Chikati"

 

Mani is the same as the Japanese word "Mane" which basically means copy. Note the change of the "e" to "i" from Japanese to Okinawan.

 

Tee Chikate Mani (Ti- Chikati Mani) can be translated as "copy of the use of the hand/skill".

 

There are more examples of people using Okinawan language in recent times and discussions but no one seems to question their authenticity but will almost use these things as sources. To me this is very strange.

 

Some might state that this detail is not really important and has nothing to do with Karate. However, I will quote my teacher, "Imitation karate is the absence of the small details"

 

Respectfully,

 

Robert Orozco

 

Breathing Patterns

 

An example of One Breathing Pattern

 

 With breath life begins, without breath life ends, with efficient breathing life thrives.

 

I had (and still have) a student 35 years ago who would not breathe performing kata. He would get redder, and redder as he performed his kata. He was so focused on rembering the movements that he would forget to breath. Constantly he was reminded to just breathe as he practiced his kata. It took years, but eventually he got it.

 

Any system of martial art (and any other human endeavor) has breathing at its core, but it is so fundamental that many times people don’t recognize it is there.

 

This is not as simple a topic as Sanchin breathing is the answer. I know great practitioners who do not use Sanchin in their practice.  There is not one answer.

And in effect you cannot increase your performance by switching back and forth between methods. That does not mean there is no value discussing them, but the discussion must be tempered with reason, as you consider what can be gained.

 

I can think of about 10 or so different breathing practices I have encountered over the years. In each of those practices there are great technicians using them to effect.

 

At the core, in connection with form practice you might consider technique sequences define inter and intra breathing practices. Using the opening of Seisan kata (Isshinryu version) as a starting point, Inter technique sequence breath can be used to control the speed of a kata. Where intar technique sequence breath can be used to control the speed of a technique series (one movement, or a sequence of movements done as one movement.

 

So here is a sample analysis:

1.     (Inhale), Left foot forward Left side block (exhale), (inhale), right reverse punch (exhale)

2.     Left foot forward left side block (inhale), right reverse punch (exhale)

3.     (Inhale),Left foot forward left side block, right reverse punch (exhale)

4.     (Exhale), Left foot forward left side block, right reverse punch (one continuous inhalation)

      5.     ---- (Exhale) Left foot forward left side block, right reverse punch; Right foot forward, left reverse punch; left fot forward, right reverse punch (all on one continuous inhale sequence)

 

This gives the basic idea. Whatever the pattern chosen, under black belt performance there is no reason to consider another choice. Instead continual improvement using the first choice is the goal.

 

Where there are strategic reasons to consider other breathing patterns, their use becomes a permanent shift in one’s training at that choice. Which is why those who are making those choices in their personal training , are not good choices for training beginners at this stage of their training.

 

Example: One system I know does not alter the breathing pattern until 3^rd Dan, and then it is a change for lifetime practice. Switching from normal breathing to reverse breathing in the practice, the purpose to confuse the opponent, who are timed subconsciously to react one way on hearing an inhalation, and not expecting quite the opposite performance.

 

Another example of reverse breathing is found in tai chi practice, but the systems that choose to use this do not change back and forth no matter which practice they use.

 

Consistent practice, it can be altered, imo, but once chosen it has to become standard practice to become effective. For when you are in conditions extremis, you can’t choose, it has to be natural or you are dead.

 

A different aspect of breathing is that some techniques perform best with inhalation and some with exhalation. It does not have to be steady state.

 

A movement like the heaven and earth throw of Aikido, works better in inhalation allowing you to adhere to the opponent, when you are taking control of their center and making the technique work. That does not mean exhalation won’t work, but it works differently. This is where you have to explore the potential use of different breath patterns.

 

When you consider technique sequences you control what they mean for you. When done with one continuous inhalation or exhalation the series can be performed faster and faster. One of the systems I know uses this in one kata taking a long sequence of movements and performing them very fast with one contioious breathing pattern. Taking a breath in the middle of the series, would slow your technique.

 

The possibilities of breath are greater than what I have experienced. It is a serious topic, For with breath there is life.

Sitting Chi

 

Living with multiple disabilities required me to make many changes to my arts over the years.

On the whole I can get around, but when I take my walks outside I use a 3 wheeled walker for safety. I can get around in the house, abet taking care.

But last night I touched my tai chi practice while sitting. I can still perform some of my moving tai chi, but my disabilities stopped my former performance. It took my a year after the onset of my disabilities to work out how to perform it.

And while I walk outside about 1 hour a day, take some trips to lapidary to work on rock, when it fits my wife's schedule, or work on my blog, reviewing my email, much of my day I remain in my powered reclining chair.

Watching way too much television. some reading and I also spend considerable time thinking.

Perhaps it would be reasonable to explain how I got to this point.
 

I began my Yang Tai Chi practice with Ernest Rothrock in 1970.  I completed learning the form with 1/2 hour classes over 2 years. A wide variety of basics, 3 times learning the entire form.

    First the basic form
    Then relearning the form with Tai Chi Breathing
    Then relearning the form with my eyes following a moving focus point.

Additional learning Yang Tai Chi Sword, single push hands, single moving push hands, single moving turning push hands. Additional the double push hands versions.

At that point a decade of practice. Most of the time I was apart from Ernest. Then one day at a clinic both of us attended, we performed the first 3 rows of the Yang form together and I found my performance was exactly as he had taught me.

A few years later I began teaching my own group of students.

A few years later Ernest demolished my Yang performance with a single light touch that dropped me to the floor. Then he proceeded to show me how to stop that happening. He showed me Energy Point Alignment.

With practice my Yang performance greatly improved. Additionally I discovered that energy point alignment also allowed me to improve my own karate, and of course my students.  Likely one of the most important things I have ever learned.
 

Several years later I met Jim Keenan.  Among other things he shared his 5 Bows Tai Chi training practice. I understood what he shared, however while similar to the Energy Point Alignment I had previously been shown. I did not see the need to adopt it.

More time passed. Over the years Ernest studied Wu Tai Chi Chaun with Sheum Leung, his Eagle Claw instructor. Wu consists of 2 forms, the Teaching form and the Fast form. Both were subtle variations of the Yang form.

 

Then one years on a visit to me, Ernest began teaching me the Wu Teaching Form. It was both similar to my Yang form, but quite different.  Perhaps the most impressive was how I felt the Wu palm felt to me.

It was similar to how me Yang hand felt after I received energy point alignment.  In some impressive ways even feeling better. Much later I realized how similar to the Hand Bow Jim Keenan showed to me long before.

 

Again back in my chair, I start a simple exercise. Forming my Wu Palm in both hands, both palms with my fingers pointing down then my arms begin to rise, as in Inhale. Then I reach a point above my eye line, Slowly my fingers rise slightly and both of my palms begin to descend, of course then I slowly descend as I Exhale my breath.  When they return to their beginning position my Exhale concludes.

I repeat this motion of palms rising and descending, over and over. Each time my breathing slows.

As this repeats, again and again, I more strongly enter my Tai Chi chi feeling.

There are many other exercises that accomplish the same thing,  At times I move from one exercise to another to mix things up. Of course this is unnecessary. I also can use my Eagle Claw chi kung drill the same way using the Wu palm.

As I perform the exercise,
I breath in,
I breath out.
My chi continues to flow.

 

 

 https://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2025/01/tai-chi-palm.html

 

https://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2013/10/tai-chi-palm.html 

https://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2024/12/tai-chi-walking-and-to-sleep-perchance.html

https://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2021/03/life-lessons-from-john-dingers-passing.html
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Secret Art of Old Karate "Throwing Feet and Dance Cutting"

 2020-06-19  Motobu Ryu site

  

In an article last week, Asato Ahn cited a statement about the art of foot, but Asato also said: 

  

Modern translation 

  

There are various uses other than kicking, such as the foot of the foot (ingeashi) and the dance (Fumikiri). In this way, the use of the foot is different from time to time. 

  

In the quote above, Asato says that there is a secret technique of the foot other than the kick. It is "foot throw" and "jumping". It is a word not found in modern karate terms, but what are these techniques specifically? 

  

The foot is probably the use of the foot used in the throwing technique. In the headquarters Gotente, the other party's foot may be caught and thrown at the time of the throwing technique. 

 

  

  

Kiyoyoshi Uehara, Manzage, 1963. 

  

When introduced in the video, it is the following technique. 

  

  

  

In addition, as seen in the following video there is also a usage to break by hooking the other party's foot. 

         

    

 

  

  

Judo also has techniques such as ogai cutting, but in fact, there is a description in Tobe Ryohei's Oshima Writing (1762) that the minister also used a technique similar to this foot. 

  

  

Modern translation 

  

One year ago, a man named the Master of Union Art [Which seems to be a Kenpo described by Takebishi] brought a large number of disciples and came to Ryukyu from China (Qing). The technique is the art of holding down the milk by one hand in the left and right hands, using the technique with the other hand, and making 扨 feet work well. It is said that even if the person of the great power is forcibly exchanged, it was defeated as it is though the public minister was a person who looked very thin and weak. 

  

According to the above, there is no description that the minister actually used the thrust and the kick. He showed off his throwing technique, and at that time he used 扨 a foot technique called "sasuashi" to defeat the opponent. 

  

The "combination" of the union art is the state in which it was gripped by each other. In other words, like modern karate, it is a different kind of martial art that ends in a kick from a state away from each other. It is not possible to say whether the foot of the public 扨 and Asato is the same kind, but there is a possibility that 扨 foot was handed down to the old class karate as a secret art. 

  

What is Fumikiri? I think that the leap crossing is a guess character of the railroad crossing, but the level crossing has the following meaning. 

  

(2) Kick strongly on the ground for jumping. "-The timing is not right." 

  

Source: Dairibayashi Therefore, it might be a word which refers to the use of the foot at the time of jumping or the jump itself. Motobu Asaki was able to jump over the stone wall by one hand on the stone wall which was about my height. In addition, in the headquarters Goten hand, "stick high jump...."