Tjimande basic drills

Tristan Sutrisno began learning these drills from his father when he was four. They were never filmed by me but  always have been an integral part of my practice and shared with my students.

           The key is turning the torso to drive the strikes, not the arms.

           The stepping and moving should remain light, 

       allowing the use of the turn to generate the force involved.

 

Opening Attack – RFF Right Lunge Strike (Grab)

 

1. RFF double rising front to rear (counter-clockwise) double palm strike.
1. Simultaneous strike to face and then arm
2. The right foot can step across the attackers foot and this can become a variation of Aikido’s heaven and earth throw.

 

2. LFF double rising front to rear (clockwise) double palm strike.
1. Simultaneous strike to arm
2. Simultaneous strike to head and arm

 

3.  LFF double rising front to rear (clockwise) double palm strike, then RFF double rising front to rear (counter-clockwise) double palm strike.
1. Parry arm aside, if arm goes under their arm, then 2^nd strike step through into their ribs.
2. Parry arm down, if arm remains on top, then 2^nd strike step through to the head.
3. Variation on where you step when you strike on the 2^nd one.

                                 i.      To the side 90 degree takedown

                                 ii.      Straight in, a KO strike to the head, straight back takedown

                                 iii.      If your initial step rolls into the right, and then steps through with the 2^nd stroke, it becomes a variation of the Aikido irmi nage (entering throw)

 

General Note:  Techniques 1, 2, and 3 describe use of Chinto Kata technique.

 

4.  RFF double rising front to rear (counter-clockwise) double palm strike. The left hand grabs their right wrist (from the inside) as you turn 90 degrees and the right elbow strikes straight back into their ribs.
1. Then pull their arm down for an over the shoulder for a very painful arm lock.
2. Then pull their arm down for an over the shoulder throw takedown.
3. Or step behind 180 degrees with the left foot then turn 180 degrees counter-clockwise and pull their arm down across your shoulder for an over the shoulder throw takedown.
4. Either a. or b. can be enhanced by dropping to your knees during the throw.

 

5.  RFF double rising front to rear (counter-clockwise) double palm strike. The left hand grabs the attackers wrist as the right forearm lays across their forearm. The left foot steps off to the right side as you rotate counter-clockwise pulling the left arm down and just laying your right forearm across their forearm. [This makes their balance point shift to their forearm and their center does not support it. You then focus their balance to your control.] This is a rolling layered takedown, a spin down.

 

6. RFF double rising front to rear (counter-clockwise) double palm strike. The left hand grabs the attackers wrist as the right knifehand lays across their wrist. The left foot steps off to the right side as you rotate counter-clockwise pulling the left arm down and just laying your right knifehand across their wrist. [This makes their balance point shift to their forearm and their center does not support it. You then focus their balance to your control.] This is a rolling layered takedown, a spin down.  Very similar to the last one, it creates a different throw/takedown as their center of balance shifts further from their true center, to their wrist.

 

Movements 5 and 6 can be found in Chinto Kata too.

 

7. As they punch, LFF turning 90 degrees clockwise. Your right arm crosses their arm, grabbing their wrist, your left open hand flows into their face causing their head to turn away. You immediately lock them across your body, their arm one way their face/head/neck the other.  This is a little more fluid version of Aikido Drill 9. It is done as one movement, not in steps.

 

8. LFB, you rotate 90 degrees to your left (counter-clockwise) as you step away, your right hand flowing over their arm and pressing down and away. Then you step LFF, 180 degrees to the right (clockwise), your left hand flowing over their arm and pressing down against their chest. This movement away and then reversal in form very fluid levered takedown.

 

9. LFF (deep outside their strike) as your right hand parries their strike aside (and strikes into their face), then follow with a right rising crescent kick. You don’t kick them, rather your leg passes over their head/neck and when the crescent kick descends down on the other side of their neck, the inward descending pressure of you’re leg rolls them down and in.

 

Attacker LFF Left Strike

 

10. RFF turning 90 degrees to the left as you step forward, both arm outstretched from your sides. Then your left foot steps behind 180 degrees to your rear. You rotate counter-clockwise as you continue to step behind. The arms remain outstretched, but you’re turning torso cause a windmill effect, rolling your attacker down.

Double Supple Dragon - an advanced brown belt practice

One of the facets of the Bushi No Te Isshinryu program is that we have additional form requirements honoring friends I have trained with, and additionally adding another dimension to our practice.

 

Long ago I first studied with Ernest Rothrock Laoshi, and often observer his students studying a Pai Lum form Supple Dragon. I requested Ernest to share it with my students to allow them to touch his training. That did not make our students kung fu stylists, but it did expose them to another form of training.

 

No question Isshinryu snuck in there as time passed. We are not Pai Lum students after all. However it add a dimension to our potential. Also, it gives my students a reason to hate me forever. A challenge.

 

In this video Andrew Ware and Luke Hodgkins are performing the form in different directions. This is more difficult. This was taken on 12-2-1995.

Some Seisan Kata Application Potential

On December 2, 1995 Ernest Rothrock Laoshi visited my school to give a clinic in a 2 person form he teaches from the Ching Woo association. We also spent time sharing other material. A few of his other arts to allow my students to see them. And some examples of what we were also working on.

 

I gave him a demonstration of the application potential I saw for Isshinryu Seisan Kata.

 

This is not how we study application potential, That is quite different.Moving from understanding potential applications, which use a basic attack.

 

And that is misleading for the punch is also a defense against a grab, just a faster target for training.

 

The study moves through many types of attacks. A layered long term study till application realization happens. But everyone must start somewhere.

 

So this was a demonstration of some of the range of Seisan kata.

 

This isn’t very clear, but I believe this shows what I see, I am abusing Jed Kurkowski and Young Lee is showing the form.

Great Discovery

I thought this was lost, but just discovered it. The tape would not upload into YouTube, so I filmed the TV and uploaded the movie file.

From a local tournament in 1993, what were then brown belts, Andrew Ware, Dennis Driscol and Tom Chan performing our version of the Bando Stick Form for brown belt studies. This is 1/2 of the form The Hidden Stick.

Breathing to Slow Down

 



There are many things that you discover along the way.  For example when you have a down, miserable day at work, a hard workout and you find at the end you are not tired any longer, rather you are refreshed and renewed.

 

Along the way, I made this discovery with my Yang Long Fist Tai Chi studies.

 

Along with the study of the Yang Form, there are a set of drills you study to get your body in shape for your tai chi practice. You learn the Yang form, first as a slow study. The drills isolate portions of the study and work them to help slow your respiration and movement for the form.

 

Those exercises are also a way to slow you down from the pace of life.

 

Of course the form itself works the same way. Theoretically it does the same thing.

But there is always more that can be done.

 

After about 10 years into my own Yang study one day I was reading Tai Chi Magazine and it had an interview with one senior Chinese Tai Chi instructor. It it he described his favorite drill. I was struck by the simplicity of the drill. I decided to give it a try.

 

 

The Drill

 

1.     Begin with your hands at your bodies side. Fingers extended.

2.     Begin inhalation, as you slowly breath in your arm rise to just about level with your eyes. The fingers are hanging slightly down with no tension.

3.     Begin exhalation, as you breath out your arms return to your sides. The fingers slightly rise till the hands are straight.

4.     Ever more slowly start another inhalation, as you more slowly breath in your arm rise to just about level with your eyes. The fingers are hanging slightly down with no tension.

5.     Begin exhalation, as you breath out, continuing to do so slowly, your arms return to your sides. The fingers slightly rise till the hands are straight

 

Repeat many times. Each time you go slower. Timing your respiration to the rate of rise and fall of your arms.

 

This breathing exercise slows you down for the strongest way to enter the flow of tai chi.

 

While this is a tai chi drill, it also is a great way to slow down and clear your mind and body before karate practice.

Karate Kids

The last photo isn't of karate, but keeps with the theme.

Aikido Drills

Youth students of Bushi No Te Isshinryu

 



These are not Isshinryu Drills. They came from my study with Tristan Sutrisno.

They are a portion of the drills my students learn.

Not to become Aikido-ka, Rather to develop skill entering into an attack, which later helps train in the application study of Isshinryu we use in Dan study.

Of course they are real techniques in their own right. The more important part of each technique is the way you learn in enter and exploit the space around an attack coming at you.