Teaching Children - the role of Bushi No Te Isshinryu

Scranton Boys Club Members from the past

It was Labor Day Weekend in 1977 when Charles Murray moved to the Scranton area to become the pastor of the Providence Full Gospel Tabernacle. I received a phone call from him and he told me he just moved here, before my phone hit the ground I was in my car riding to see him. I had one mission to convince him to take over my training in Isshinryu. In that, painfully for me of course, I succeeded.

Shortly thereafter he began a youth karate program in his church and I was helping him with the class as well as being his student. That continued through April 1979, after I had received my sho-dan from Mr. Lewis and his Isshinryu Karate Club association. That April Charles returned to his career in the USAF and I took the remaining students and continued to teach them at nearby McDade Park until I could take the program to the Scranton Boys Club.

That program lasted until 1984 where I had to move to Derry NH for work. Along the way I also ran three Northeastern Pennsylvania Youth Karate tournaments, and was instrumental in being the first program to bring young women into the Boys Club as members.

With previous experience through the Boys Clubs I was immediately granted permission to begin a program at the Derry Boys and Girls Club in 1985 and have continued to run that program ever since. I guess that means I’ve been training young people for 35 continuous years now.

Once in Derry I also was able to establish a small adult program that has also continued since that date.

Regardless of which program, they both have the same technical content and youth and adults are taught every part of the program in the same order of progression. The youth program does not teach kiddie karate, nor is it a baby sitting service. All my programs are an in depth study of my Bushi No Te Isshinryu.

The major difference between the youth program and adult study is that the young cannot make the personal choice to train, they’ re dependent on family support. The average time for youth to move from beginner to Sho-dan is 7 to 9 years. The main reason is we only offer 2 classes a week at the Club and most of the youth are in multiple activities that frequently they only train once a week at different periods in the year because of activity conflict.

While the study of Isshinryu is the prime tool of the program that is not the reason we run it. Most of the young people who join and stay a bit last only one or two years. The study of karate is valuable but the underlying principle of the program is to teach them that they can learn from their own efforts, and that this applies to every activity they will engage in life. We only take new students one or two times a year keeping the class roughly a constant 20 students, but when new students begin and they see them not able to have the skills they have developed the lesson starts to take hold.

Those individuals that find the interest to remain training to Sho-dan have each been a unique individual but by that time they’re also already to graduate High School and then each of them moves on in life to far more important activities than staying training with us, so in the end we appropriately lose every student to life, which is most appropriate.

When I first began training youth almost every friend, fellow competitors and instructors I knew tried to tell me I was crazy to spend my time with kids. They didn’t understand I was focused on doing what many adults in my own home town were doing when I was young, sharing their lives with different youth activities. Actually much of the idea came from walking around Scranton and seeing so many dance studios, and once I started the program I realized in the long run most karate schools would have to do the same for increased cash flow. Of course most didn’t believe me. Once again I understood where the future was going.

Several years ago a father who had previous training was watching his daughter’s first class, especially seeing me cover the critical need of chambering correctly. He approached me after class and said “What are you doing, you’re teaching them karate. The other programs we looked at aren’t doing that.” I replied “Well I only know karate and I teach the same for everyone.”

Decades of training youth have given me experience with every sort of student. Special needs, ADHD and all the rest. The truth is everyone young or old is the same, they each have to train according to their individual needs. I do have infinite patience, and never give up on a student’s ability to eventually learn at their own pace and develop self control.

But I have developed a number of control mechanisms. For example if a student cannot keep themselves under control I will give them pushups on the spot (usually 10) because nobody likes doing pushups and when they get off the floor their focus is on not having to do that again. On their first night they hear me tell the rest of the class, drop and do 10. I then explain that pushups are not punishment but a way to get your focus back on training. What doing pushups accomplishes is make them stronger so someday they can knock me down . But I also explain that if that doesn’t help their focus to return they will be dismissed from class and have to go downstairs in the club to play. I won’t permit their inattention to disturb the rest of the class that is there to train.

It is frequently years between the instances when I have to dismiss a student for the night. If they’re in karate they want to train and learn, and such tools simply help them focus on the right things.

I never punish students. If the instance came where they cannot keep control I would simply help them and their parents understand this training is not for them and they should look for another activity more appropriate to their needs.

What I have learned from teaching the young is not to water down Isshinryu and teach it with the same focus and exactitude as the adult program. But what I have done is increase the kyu course content 20 years ago by roughly doubling the kata content of the program, sharing different forms from other systems shared with me by friends to keep each minds focused during those 7 to 9 years. The same content is used for the youth and adult programs.

IMO Karate seems to have been developed on Okinawa as a means for sharing with the youth of the Elite families, rather than because of a societal need. Okinawa seems to have been a quiet place and what I see youth need is the same tool a means to share with their seniors and a way to help guide their personal growth.

Learning from many great instructors in many systems my understanding of the program potential has grown. It took me 15 years but we have moved the program away from ‘sport kumite’ as the primary tool, the practice is still retained for the young but we wait about 2 years before they begin and in turn with far better technique, kumite becomes a stronger tool for their development. The study of kata application potential is not a goal of the kyu program which is focused more on movement dynamics development. Kyu students learn focused self defense technique skills to learn ways to enter an attack. They’re continually shown a range of application potential for a technique, and study many of them but they’re not a kyu requirement. When I was a student application potential was not studied at all, either in my Isshinryu nor in most of the friends programs I have had occasion to train with. Today the study of application potential is one of the most important long range studies I teach and practice but that does not begin until after sho-dan training begins. I find it better to have solid skills to use and then worry about how those skills can be utilized. A large part of this direction is because Derry is a relatively quiet place and self defense in not a primary goal. In a different time and place, if needs compelled the program would be adjusted appropriately.

The fact of the matter is I see the study of karate is just that the study of karate. It’s not a physical fitness program, it’s not a sport program, it’s not self defense focused. They’re all some of the components (and certainly not all) of Karate study, but instead of a specific focus we just work on the karate and let those parts develop as time passes.

All karate has infinite ways to approach training. When dealing with infinity whatever choices you make there are infinite things you cannot do at the same time. One cannot deal with infinity, instead work to make the choices you use sufficient for the student and for yourself.

The truth is the longer I train youth the more I learn about karate from working with them. Working with their development in a gradual and steady manner you discover there is nothing that they cannot do and that each individual, regardless of their age, will learn in their own natural time and manner.

Derry Boys and Girls Club members from the past

It's All My Isshinryu!

Occasionally I receive a private communication questioning why I spend so much time writing and researching topics outside of Isshinryu instead of focusing solely on Isshinryu itself.

Each time I receive such an inquiry I try and explain all of my studies relate directly or indirectly to my Isshinryu studies. At the very least understanding what other systems practice gives concrete examples to work for defensive engagement.

As I’m in surgery recovery mode at this time perhaps my current studies and thoughts will explain this more clearly. Since I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in January and then Colon Cancer in May I’ve realized what is keeping me going is the lifetime of martial study and have been using the tools I’ve learned to rebuild my body to make my life strong.

In February I choose to begin a new study to push myself back into training harder now I knew what had been holding me back the past few years. I choose a form from information shared a decade ago by Charles Joseph Swift, the Tomari No Rohai of the Gohakukai. About 5 years ago I met Mario McKenna who had studied in the system and viewing my efforts he proclaimed I was doing a nice Isshinryu version of the form, not understanding the hip shift they use, which he told me is very hard to get. As I was just trying to understand the form for my own purposes I wasn’t interested in trying to do more. But when I need a physical challenge this year I choose this form because of the kicking requirements to push my training. I understood I wasn’t going to be doing the original but it was sufficient to build my health. Then with two months time I even competed with the form and made it work for me.

Now I’m recovering from surgery and rebuilding myself further, having lost 60 pounds since February, I know an new challenge is required so I’m selecting another form I admire, within my physical abilities and beyond my understanding the Aragaki Sochin, with it’s complicated hip shift use. This time I have a credible series of youtube video showing me both the form keeps changing with the time and performer, but also clearly shows the large motions being used. My purpose is not to pretend I can do the original but to push myself again. There is a side benefit I strongly believe that the Aragaki Sochin hip shift is related to the Tomari No Rohai hip shift and if I have any success will help me understand the power of that form better too.

What I have found so far is that I do understand and use that shift, It’s been present in my Yang Tai Chi Chaun study for 34 years in the Roll Back/Press section, and I have that done well. On the other hand to try and move it to the Aragaki Sochin movment is not a simple task, but at least I already have a guide to work with.

Can you learn from self study without an instructor? Sure with great effort and a lot of subsidiary experience. But my goal is not to teach this, but to push myself into a new study.

All of this caused me to look at my Isshinryu instruction a new way. I was originally taught Isshinryu was to be done with Crescent Stepping and don’t recall the issue being discussed there after. About 25 years ago I came to realize good Isshinryu was being done with Crescent Stepping, partial Crescent Stepping and Straight Stepping. Mr. Lewis had retired from active participation at that time. Mr. Murray was full time in his Air Force career and I was somewhat in inconclusiveness of what was right. I finally settled that I trusted my original instructors and was going to follow their original teachings to the letter for the rest of my life and use of the crescent stepping in all kata and kobudo became my standard forever.

In time I realized the many different force multipliers incorporated in movement and found the compression and explosion contained within crescent stepping were sound principles to base my art upon, but even though you teach for precision (on the principle the greater precision in training the more you have to draw upon in conditions of extremis) it’s easy to not see everything happening.

What I discovered last week is how the use of the crescent stepping incorporates a subtle hip shift in its use, just wasn’t paying attention to that until I started breaking the movement into fractals a subsidiary to my current looking at the Aragaki Sochin.

As I said everything I study ties back into my Isshinryu studies too.

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Next my searches discovered Bob Maxwell posted a video of the Bando Horesdeman Bo Forms – Bohan/Nemira Memorial tournament in 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aa2km5r1ks

I practice and teach this form, which I first learnt in the late 70’s. I was trained by Charles Murray who obtained the form from one of my seniors Reese Rigby who studied it at a Bando summer camp and later used the form in regular competition alongside his Isshinryu bo.

These Bando versions are +90% of what I practice, a somewhat different flow and some of the techniques have been modified a bit. My practice remains exactly what was taught, and Mr. Rigby one took first place at the Bando Nationals with his form. It’s interesting to observe the tidal flow of form over the years.

What I find interesting is that the Bando staff form incorporates some of the movement flow of other Okinawan staff forms and IMO eliminates my desire to study further. Of course I no longer worry about kobudo for self defense and consider it a supplementary necessary practice to build stronger skills for kata application study over your decades of work.

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Several examples of my current study.

A Glimpse at Bubushi Escape Techniques

scan from Mabuni Seipai No Kata (1934)

[Note a Presentation I originally prepared in 2003]

It seems a long time ago now I began to look at the Okinawan Bubishi, its translations and possibilities of meaning to its text. I always found its existence interesting, but I also came to the conclusion it is almost universally ignored when it comes to training practice.

Of course almost none of us can hope to read/translate the original text. That leaves us to deal with specific translations. It’s practices may or may not be reflected in our own studies. Sure the Big ‘8’ for Isshinryu came from there, but which version?

I’m going to take a little time to look at one section of the ‘Bubishi’, Methods of Escape. My source will be the recent translation of Funakoshi Ginchin’s ‘Karate Jutsu’, translated by John Teramoto.

My reason was Funakoshi was first to share the Bubishi’s existence to outsiders, and he included this material both in his original book and later in his Karate Do Koyan, but left it in the original Chinese. One wonders if the emergent JKA from Funakoshi Sensei’s teachings ever paid attention to what was shared?

Methods of Escape

1. If you want to attack east, first strike west.

This section is an obvious reference to the use of diversion. If your enemy is looking to the east they may not be checking out the west, leaving them vulnerable.

I attended a seminar by a senior Judo-ka, long ago. He presented a technique his Japanese instructors waited 20 years to show him, but he didn’t keep the same restriction. While grappling, he would use both hand to really pull the opponent downward to the right.

The opponent would automatically counter pull to the left, and then he fell backwards throwing them over his left shoulder. First East then West.

2. If you want to stamp forward, bring up the rear foot as much as possible.

I interpret this as inching forward on your opponent. Keep your front foot stable as your rear foot inches forward. That means you have to cover less distance when you stamp forward and can do so more quickly.

Kata leads us to standardize our technique, but when facing an opponent subtle shifts and deceptive openings to set up our response are useful, even if not formally seen in the kata.

Of course I may be assuming too much, such that the stamp is with the back foot, it may be the front foot. In that case sliding the rear foot forward actually places your center closer to the attacker allowing the front foot to reach in further.

What does stamp mean? Is it a cross stomp kick?. Stamp might be interpreted just as is says, a stamp to the instep of their foot. Trying to break it and paste them to the floor. That stamp may be accompanied with upper body technique done at the same time, and becomes a force multiplier among other uses.

Even more simply, the stamp might be nothing but a big owie, creating a distraction to escape (keeping with the section title.

3. If you want to rotate your body, intensify the soft power.

Keeping your body rigid inhibits your ability to rotate, slows you down and decreases the power that can be emitted from the technique. A great example are the turning techniques in Naifanchi Kata. Keeping the torso soft allows quicker rotation.

In fact the turning technique developed in Naifanchi is the same turning technique used with greater rotation in Chinto.

Rotation is much more subtle than the large turns. It also involves the smaller turns used in technique movement. An example are the rotations of the knee during knee release to move a technique into the optimal zone of entry to an attack Reinforcing that soft becomes hard.

Interesting choice of words, intensify the soft power? Sounds like a contradiction doesn’t it.

4. If your hair is being pulled, use kyogeki (literally a large halbred. Kyogeki here might mean “Spear Hand”. Another suggested reading is “Thumb Attacks”.)

Several time’s I’ve been shown how to press both hands on the hand grabbing your hair to neutralize their grab, but putting your hand into their throat works for me Thumb attacks seem too complex when your head is being jerked around, imo.

5. If you want to strike your opponent, destroy his tenchuu (Ch: tianzbu, this is central supporting pillar, ... here the meaning might be to attack the opponent’s center line.)

Again sound advice on how to strike. I was shown no matter where you face an opponent find the centerline of their body and strike towards it. At times trunk rotation can spin off attacks to the bodies outsides, but the center line as a target remains true. You also have a great many targets of opportunity on the centerline.

6. When the opponent falls to the ground, pin his head face down and you will win.

A common approach in many arts is that an attack isn’t countered until the opponent is immobilized on the ground. Face down, kneeling on their arm is a good way to conclude their attack. One of the Sutrisno Aikido concepts is as the individual is going down, utilizing a wrist lock to roll the opponent into that position no matter which way they originally fall.

7. When you fall to the ground, take advantage of your opponent’s sense of superiority.

There are so many variations of the lower body combinations. The one I began with included kicking from the ground with front thrust kicks and side thrust kicks. If you’ve been downed, they have to reach down to get you, and if they didn’t ride you down to remain in control, their inexperience can be used to counter them.

8. If grabbed from behind, attack to the rear with your elbow.

All chambering is a rear elbow strike. The double roundhouse strikes in the upper body combinations (from the Lewis lineage) are as much double rear elbow strikes as roundhouse strikes.

9. If grabbed from the front, attack his testicles.

Works for me.

10. If someone grabs your [head], attack his throat. (v.s. - perhaps related to concept 4.)

Note there is a principle here. The throat is extremely unprotected.

11. If your opponent forces mud into your mouth [as a final insult after your defeat], attack his throat.

An opponent who is using defeat to punish is making a amateur mistake. If they were professional they would just finish you off. If they haven’t their hubris might be used against them, and the action described might well leave their throat open for attack.

12. In close combat, use your elbows.

One wonders if the addition of elbow/forearm strikes in Wansu and SunNuSu were specifically added for this reason.

13. In distant combat, use a reverse stamping kick.

The reach of the leg being a deciding factor to use the kick. Note the use of stamping, as if the use of the kick is to immobolize the opponent. It really reminds me of the kick being used in the To’on Ryu Seisan Kata. A whole body leg stamp, very different from any other style.

14. If you want to damage the opponent to your right, lower your right arm.

I presume this is tactical thinking. If your opponent is on your right, lowering your right arm might be an invitation for them to attack a perceived weakness. In turn you create that weakness to counter that attack. More a tactical theory than a tactical lesson.

15. If you want to stamp forward, use the spear hand.

This is similar to the concept shown to me in our version of Wansu. In this case the spear hand would appear to be too short for a scoring stroke, but a following leg underneath the arm has a much longer reach if they go to attack against the spear hand.

16. If you want to kick high, first bring your rear leg up as much as possible.

I think this might be interpreted in the sense where the knee points the foot follows. So to kick higher the higher you first raise your knee, the higher the foot will go.

17. If your hand is twisted, bend your elbow.

This is advice how to counter a grab. Grab’s work when they are applied in a very specific angle of attack. Often bending the elbow will remove that line of attack, allowing further counters.

18. If someone grabs your sleeve, use gekisho (literally, tip of halbred).

I would suggest a counter fingertip strike to the throat against an arm grab.

19. If someone grabs your hem, use your knee to escape.
20. If he tries to stomp you, just use a strike.
21. If you want to kick him, by all means use your knee.
22. If he is short, do not use your legs.
23. If he is tall, then slip inside.
24. If grabbed from below, attack him from above.
25. If grabbed from above, lower your body immediately and attack from below.
26. If he pulls your hair, raise both arms as if removing armor (and seize him by his pressure points).
27. If he is choking you, attack with shuto (spear hand).

28. If someone approaches with shoulders swaying, be prepared to block his kick.

I see this as interpreting the swagger as a sign an attack is coming. Professionals work not to give out signs, so there is less chance of counter.

29. Your hands and feet (stance) must never fail to be aligned in the proper direction.

I find this most interesting. This is the crux of the alignment theory we follow, to increase the power of our techniques, to give no sign of weakness for the opponent to support. This doesn’t just apply to the hands and the stance, it covers the entire range of motion potential. Even the eyes looking in the wrong direction affect a correct technique.

I don’t find this a surprise. My own understanding arose from my tai chi studies and then was applied to my Isshinryu. But the secret is just doing Isshinryu 100% correctly every time.

Each imperfection decreases from your power. Kata then becomes the most important tool to help craft our shape in response. But it still is just a tool and other tools are required, that and never ending work.

So some sound tactical theories, IMO, from the Bubishi.

A Lesson with Tristan Sutrisno

I just learned an old friend and instructor, Tristan Sutrisno will be stopping by this evening.

I thought I'd share an early lesson I received from him in 1980, where one evening I was taught his first 12 basic Aikido drills. This exercise is found in his book "Becoming A Complete Martial Artist" and represents the beginning of Aikido Drill No. 5 (resembling the more commonly known Heaven and Earth Throw of Aikido). The ending is now shown because as the throw continues the defender drops to their right knee and locks the attacker to the floor completing the technique.


I've discovered my students do not like being on the receiving end of this.

The technique flow is from Aikido, but with a different dynamic is also the application of the first Siliat Tjimande drill I learned from him.

The movement flow is also found in Isshinryu Chinto and Kusanku Kata and forms useful application studies there too.

The Forge of Karate

The term "forge" can also refer to the workplace of a smith (borrowed from Wikipedia).

I be the Smith, and the workplace is I.

At age 63. I stand today as my own instructor or guide. For 38 years I’ve been fortunate to forge my karate studies by my efforts and developing understanding.

In January I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes and discovered many of the physical experiences of the past few years I was chalking up to age were my own fault of bad eating habits and slipping exercise. By June I had dropped 40 pounds , was walking 2 miles 3 to 4 times a week, and had refocused my karate training with new focus, training myself in my own version of Tomari No Rohai, as a push study.

Unfortunately in May it was discovered I had colon cancer and in June I underwent a colon re-sectioning, which I’m now in recovery building my strength. I’ve returned to my training the past two weeks, Yang Tai Chi Chaun an important method for recovery of movement potential, my kata studies beginning to build strength, balance and power (abet very lightly to date) and I have begun my walking regime today, about 1/8 mile.

But as earlier this year I know I need more, some new iron to be placed in the forge, to build a new practice and of course meld with the other studies.

These additional practices are personal, not for my students, but a way to increase my understanding of others in karate and their practices.

What I am selecting as a challenging kata the Aragaki Sochin by Aragaki Isumu .

There are two YouTube performances of him doing this form.

The older http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBsrAnJGTAU

The newer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbhD-GiYJvs

They are not identical though the performer is the same. It appears to me that the older shows more technique, but there is a turn in the newer performance (also found in the Kyudokan Sochin at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdoVoqeemXM though the Kyudokan performances does not use the same body dynamics.)

There is an issue of variable versions or perhaps explicit changes for public performance.

I’m not planning on teaching it and to begin I’m using the older performance as a guide. I just fully know I’m not going to be correct, but the exercise will be useful for my own development.

Add another bar of iron into the forge and I will continue to emerge.