When I'm 64

When I get older, losing my hair, many years from now
Will you still be sending me a valentine, birthday greetings, bottle of wine?
If I'd been out 'til quarter to three, would you lock the door?
Will you still need me, will you still feed me when I'm sixty-four?

Well today I am 64. When the Beatles first sang this I never realized it would be about me.

Been a heck of a year.

Last January diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. So daily blood tests, started walking (try to do 1 to 4 miles a day depending on weather) and increased my karate and tai chi workouts. I taught myself a new kata “Tomari Rohai” and even competed with it.

Then in March diagnosed with Colon Cancer. Surgery, Radiation and continuing chemotherapy. Still walking and practicing. Taught myself Aragaki No Sochin.

Finally in January diagnosed with Myasthenia gravis, a neurological disorder causing facial muscle weakness interfering with my speech. So I’ve been working with a speech therapist and taking new medication. I need to learn a new way of speaking.

While recovering from surgery I began my analysis of early Karate writings and posted those results on my blog.

I have a never ending list of projects I’m working on for my students. I recently completed an analysis of Mutsu’s applied techniques I refer to as “there is no first strike in Isshinryu” which is awaiting revision as we work on them. I’m currently re-editing my notes on the late Harrill Sensei’s 1995 clinic on 85 applications from Kusanku kata working for greater clarity for my students. The list I have is endless and much of it too private for my blog.

Michael Cassisdy is the primary instructor for the youth program and he’s doing a super job with them. I end up with the advisory role where I get to yell at them for mistakes (OK I exaggerate as I don’t really yell but I do try and help their progress. It’s a great learning experience for me).

The adult program continues, but the major student is me. Having a very small group, and tough economic times taking their toll on everyone to keep their jobs leave them a lot less time for karate.

I was fortunate to spend some time last year with everyone who has trained me (Tom Lewis, Charles Murray, Tristan Sutrisno, Ernest Rothrock and John Kerker) and that was special. I hope this year allows more meetings. So far Charles Murray has been visiting for a few brief visits.

And my wife Maureen is working, my son Michael and my daughter Caryn, both work and attend school. So the family is fine and healthy.

Well,

Send me a postcard, drop me a line stating point of view
Indicate precisely what you mean to say, yours sincerely wasting away
Give me your answer, fill in a form, mine forever more
Will you still need me, will you still feed me when I'm sixty-four?

Bushi No Te Isshinryu Kobudo

Weapons practice is an important part of the Black Belt study in Bushi No Te Isshinryu.

Not as much as for defensive use but for the secondary skills the training provides during the years of practice. Over 15 or so years the fingers, hands, arms and entire body as strengthened as the weapons study progresses. This increases application study, as if you grab an arm and move it down as if striking with a sai.

In our dojo we practice the Isshinryu weapons kata as practiced by Charles Murray. We also study version of Bando practices for staff and stick as they were shared with me. Additional studies for kama and tanto derive from Tristan Sutrisno, which are restricted to the senior practitioners.

Am example of Bo is Michael Cassidy performing Urashie No Bo




Then Michael Cassidy & Young Lee practicing


Chantan Yara No Sai



Or Young Lee performing our version of the Bando form the Hidden Stick. This version was shared with me by an instructor at the Bando Summer Camp in 1994. Their stick was considered a back up weapon for use if the primary weapon was lost. It has obvious use for self defense.



These presentations are not meant to be perfect presentations but are representative of the craft we work at.

Brown Belt-itis

Let’s discuss one of the reoccurring diseases that result from Karate training, being Brown Belt-itis.

I first discovered it in my students close to thirty years ago, and despite efforts to stamp it out, the disease keeps popping up in my students. It’s not restricted to brown belts, it can occur at any rank, though rarely is it seen in White Belts. Even more awful it can occur in Black Belts. I’ve even suffered it myself.

It has many symptoms, the cause is known as well as the cure.

The symptoms, well I’ll give some examples. They’re real examples but the students names are withheld, though they may recognize themselves, simply because the disease is real.

In kata studies, it most often occurs as Brown Belt level. It’s where a student concentrates on the new and neglects their prior studies. They lose sight that they must continue to keep progressing on everything. Part of their advancement is that they have to become more responsible for all their art.

At times techniques change in the kata, at sometimes a regular rate of chance, say30% of the students make the same change, a movement that was never taught. This symptom is so regular it may be the way some nervous systems work, but it needs to be conquered.

Another kata challenge is the Brown Belt study of Kusanku Kata. In Isshinryu it is our longest kata, for that reason students get ahead of themselves in the practice of the kata. Thinking of the next technique they forget to finish the technique they are on. Thus blocks become less than slaps and weak or punches become pushes.

For all of the above, the cure is correct practice. I even warn the students that this will occur to stress vigilance. But Brown Belt-itis still lurks.

Another symptom can occur in kumite. The student having developed some technique begins to feel they know more about what they need, often with interesting results.

One student had super kicks and really enjoyed going to the head. After receiving repeated instruction that this wasn’t the best idea at tournaments would still follow his heart. It took repeated tournaments where he got kicked in the groin (with attendant pain) before he could accept that we had a reason for our cautions, and it wasn’t his ability to kick, it was instead when to kick.

Another student was working out with friends who were boxing. He came up with the idea that mixing boxing and karate kicks was the way to win at tournaments. Even with repeated attempts to dissuade him he held to his game plan. Simply put at a karate tournament it didn’t gain points and afterward it was another instructor who made it clear to him. The same message he had heard but couldn’t hear, Brown Belt-itis.

I once had a group of newer students that I spent the evening showing a simple aikido technique, one of the first movements that I had learned from Sutrisno Sensei many years before. We did a lot of drill and
I explained it’s many uses. Later during a free practice period, another student with many different brown belts behind him was impressing them with his jumping spinning crescent kicks, and all they felt they could do was back up. I an older and much slower instructor took the opportunity and told them they were missing the obvious answer. I then stood before the ‘brown’ belt and asked him to let me have it. He started his attack with speed and accuracy, but I didn’t stand there, instead I stepped in and reached out. He went flying 15 or so feet into the wall (the intent of perceived pain the cause). All I did was the same technique I was showing them earlier. They weren’t Brown Belts, but Brown Belt-itis was the cause.

I’ve suffered it myself. Among my earliest studies with Sutrisno Sensei were two of his simplier Kama kata studies (Chosen no Kama Sho and Chosen No Kama Dai). His family kobudo traditions are unique and the forms build on the same core and the kata in the series advance. What makes them unique are the continual handling shifts the kata require. I’ve not seen similar complexity elsewhere. In the early 90’s my studies with Sutrisno Sensei came to an end. Over the years, with arthritis and aging I became convinced that the purpose of the shifting was simply to build handling skill and under no circumstances would it be utilized for real. Then a few years ago I pulled out an older video tape of Sutrisno Sensei working Chosen No Kama Dai with me. There I saw his technique a veritable vegamatic of movement. Where for me it was exercise, for him it was reality, and this wasn’t his most advanced kama study.

 

 

 

 

Study isn’t videotape to me, and I neglected to review what I already had.

Essentially Brown Belt-itis occurs when we ignore our instructor’s lessons, intentionally or unintentionally. The cure, correct practice.

Be ever vigilant.

January 2012

Some of the youth class members

“Judo InsideOut , a Cultural reconciliation” by Geof Gleeson

In 1983 “Judo Inside Out” was published, the book the creation of English Judo-ka and Psychologist Geof Gleeson. It is one of the marital texts of the modern era that offers insight and wisdom for the instructor. Not a Judo-ka, not an issue the book can be restated to whatever art you practice and it retains all of it’s value [Note: this does take work!]

I’ve been through the book many times and each time it offers great value. For an example from the chapter ‘Some Differences between Skill and Technique’, page 21.

1. An efficient fighter always assumes he is the weaker in skills (not the weaker in determination to win). It may not be true, but in this way he will not underestimate his opponent.

2. Accepting an inferior – but temporary – relationship makes the necessity of correct analysis more pressing and essential to get right.

3. Being weaker than the opposition is a common relationship often found in any fighter’s career, yet seldom discussed. For some strange reason it is always suggested that the fighter should assume he is the better in any championship there is only one winner, the rest are losers, so there must be a lot more ‘weaker-relationships’ than ‘stronger-relationships’.

Because by definition skill is the adaptation to an ever changing set of circumstances, it is impossible to describe any specific skill in general terms…..

It’s chapters include:

Chapter 1 Some Differences between Skill and Technique

Chapter 2 Countering Skills

Chapter 3 Let’s Start Again

Chapter 4 The Psychology of Competition – or How to Make the Most out of Very Little

Chapter 5 A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Chapter 6 A Summing Up

I would suggest if you can find a copy it will be worth your effort.

Some of the Gang

Don, Mike, Victor and Rabiah

Bushi No Te Isshinryu Technical Studies - Kicking techniques

Note; most of the following kicks work to a wide range of targets of opportunity. Nor are the set up techniques described, nor angles of entry, etc.

 

Isshinryu basics

1. Rear Front Snap Kick (front) ball of foot
2. Rear Front Snap Kick (side) ball of foot
3. Front Front Thrust Kick (front) heel thrust knee high
4. Rear Front Snap Kick (front) ripping toe kick
5. Rear Front Thrust Kick (on the floor on your back) - heel
6. Side Snap Kick knee height 45 degrees front – blade of foot
7. Side Snap Kick knee height to side – blade of foot
8. Side Snap Kick knee height 45 degrees rear – blade of foot
9. Side Thrust Kick (on the floor on your side) – heel
10. Bottom foot hooks behind leg and Top foot Side Thrust Kick to the knee (on the floor on your side)
11. Cross Kick (stomp) – heel
12. Cross Kick (stomp) - instep
13. Crescent Kick Inner (front) – shin
14. Crescent Kick Inner (front) - instep
15. Knee Strike to front
16. Knee Strike to front cat chambered first
17. Rear Kick with heel (foot vertical) to groin
18. Jump Knee Strike then Opposite Jump Front Kick – ball of the foot
19. Double Jump Front Kick – ball of the foot
20. Step to Side Squat Kick (roundhouse kick 45 degrees off the floor) – ball of the foot
21. Roundhouse Kick (old style) ball of the foot
22. Roundhouse Kick (new style) ball of the foot
23. Back corner side kick with one foot followed by a rear kick with the other foot
24. Back corner side kick with one foot followed by rear kick with the same foot

Isshinryu advanced

 

25. stepping – on top of opponents foot / stomping
26. stepping – hooking behind on the interior line of defense
27. stepping – hooking behind on the exterior line of defense
28. stepping – stepping on the opponents instep
29. stepping – hurried stomping on the opponents instep
30. stepping – sweep
31. stepping – inner knee check/thrust
32. Front Kick – striking behind the calf on a returning heel
33. Front Kick – shin kick to the inner thigh
34. Front Kick – instep kick with the ball of the foot
35. Front Kick – striking with the inside ball as the foot retracts
36. Naifanchi – inner foot slice to inside of leg
37. Naifanchi – cross foot slice to front of leg – inside to outside
38. Naifanchi – cross foot slice to front of leg – outside to inside
39. Naifanchi – outside ball of foot reverse round strike to outer calf

Other kicking

 

40. Front Kicks top of the foot
41. Round Kicks top of the foot
42. Ankle Kicking with Toes in shoes (Tam Tuie)
43. Inner Leg Toe Kicking with Shoes (Tam Tuie)
44. Outer Leg Toe Kicking with Shoes (Tam Tuie)
45. Lower Abdomen Toe Kicking with Shoes (Tam Tuie)
46. Uechi style Toe Kicks
47. On Floor, rolling scissors to leg – trap – takedown
48. from Seiza – front thrust kick and return to Seiza
49. Outer Crescent Kick
50. Reverse Roundhouse Kick
51. Jumping Front Front Kick
52. Jumping Outer Crescent Kick
53. Jumping Inner Crescent Kick
54. Jumping Outer Front Crescent Kick followed by Jumping Inner Rear Crescent Kick
55. Jumping Inner Rear Crescent kick followed by Jumping Inner Front Crescent Kick
56. Step and Crescent Kick
57. Rear Side Kick above waist to front with heel toes angled down
58. Front Side Kick above waist to front with heel toes angled down
59. Back Turning Rear Kick
60. Back Turning Side Kick
61. Back Turning Inside Round Kick
62. Back Turning Outside Crescent Kick
63. Back Turning Jumping Rear Outside Crescent Kick followed by turning Inside Crescent Kick
64. Back Turning Jumping Knee followed by turning Inside Crescent Kick
65. Axe Kick (heel striking outside crescent kick)
66. Back Turning Jumping Axe Kick
67. Turn away – drop to knee and place both hands on the floor – rear foot back turning side kick from the kneeling position – return kicking foot to original position – rotate and stand to original position
68. Spinning Wheel Kick
69. Turn away – drop to knee, and place both hands on the floor – spin counter-clockwise with a wheel kick (calf high)

Sparring kicks

 

70. The normal range of sparring kicking and combinations

Specific Combinations

 

71. Cross over stomp kick followed by front kick with the other leg
72. Front Shin Kick followed by Rear Shin Kick
73. Rear front Thrust to inner thigh and retract with cut kick to inside of other knee
74. Squat Kick to outside ribs and follow with cross stomping kick on their inner knee
75. Step in spin counter-clockwise and Swing Kick directly to rear hooking their ankle
76. Step outside spin clockwise and Swing Kick directly to the rear hooking their ankle
77. Back Side Kick to Front follow with back turning side kick to the front then place foot down and rear leg outer crescent kick
78. Step Past the attacker and rear leg chamber heel pawing strike to groin

Ghost Techniques

 

79. Private range of Chinese lower body maneuvers for evasion and turning using the stepping as an attack

Kicking Drills

 

80. Kihon Ni-Dan

 

Beginning LFF Left Front stance and a Left middle double guard

1. Left middle roundhouse kick
2. Left high round house kick
3. Right reverse punch
4. Right front kick (place foot down in front)
5. Spin 180 to the left in horse stance and deliver a left neck high spinning shuto to the front.
6. Pivot into kusanku block and strike
7. Right roundhouse kick (place foot down in front)
8. Spin 180 to the left on the right foot and deliver a right low open hand parry
9. Right low side kick, end in horse stance
10. Right open side parry from horse stance, step in with the left and right side kick followed by left hook punch
11. Turn left and left open side parry from horse stance, step in with the right foot and left side kick followed by a right hook punch
12. Step in with the left foot (alongside the right)
13. Pivot to the right on the left foot and right outside crescent kick
14. Jump double front kick (left then right)
15. Jump off the right foot, spinning 360 to the left with a left outside then right inside crescent kick
16. Land in horse stance
17. Jump up jumping right front kick
18. Drop to the floor (a collapse) with a right front kick
19. On the floor right thrust side kick.
20. Turn over to the right (Scissoring the legs) and then left side thrust kick
21. Rise on the left foot (sitting on the right knee)
22. Double jumping front kick from the kneeling position
23. Turn and close.