Judo's Itsutsu no Kata

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From Wikipedia  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itsutsu-no-kata

Itsutsu-no-kata (五の形, "forms of five") is a kata (a set of prearranged techniques) in Judo. It consists in five techniques, known only by their number. Although popular media generally claim that it was developed by Jigoro Kano,^[1][2] recent scientific research has conclusively shown that the kata predates the foundation of Kodokan judo and that Jigoro Kano took it from Tenjin Shinyō-ryū jujutsu and merely imported it into judo after he made minor amendments to it.^[3] The kata is considered unfinished. However, a completed performance version of the kata, expanded to ten techniques, was recently presented under the name Tō-no-kata (十の形, "forms of ten").^[4] The techniques of Itsutsu-no-kata are composed of gentle movements evocative of natural forces.

Techniques[edit]

• Ichi - direct concentrated energy - direct push
• Ni - deflection - avoid and use Uki otoshi
• San - circular energy or whirlpool - using form of Yoko wakare
• Shi - action and reaction - as the sea sweeps clean the shore
• Go - the void - using form of Yoko wakare

 

 

A Question Answered

 

After having Joe Swift’s book “The Essence of Naha-te” for 5 years again I worked out what a treasure it is to me. I have found whenever I purchase a great martial arts text, it takes me at least 5 years before I realize why it means so much to me.

 

It certainly has much more to do with me than the value of the text. I realize I had much more to learn over that 5 years to appreciate what was written.

 

What caught my eye was an autobiography of Yoshimura Jinzai and his description of the martial  education he received, first at the direction of his father, then what he received from the various instructors he  trained with.

 

I have long wondered at what martial education  on Okinawa was prior to 1900 and Joe’s translation give us such an account.

 

Not that this means it was the Okinawan standard, just what one young man experienced. I am just going to focus on the training revealed. For the rest of the story, well I will let Joe’s translation tell that.

 

His father directed he begin his studies from the family accountant Ishimine somewhere between 11 and 12 years of age. He studied Naifanchi and Passai kata. He admits he was dragged into the garden for classes. That training continued for 2 full years, but he also admitted he often wheedled his way out of training.

 

On reaching adulthood of age 17 he began his serious martial training. It was with Bushi Matsumara and was held at Nan’en. He traveled there 3 times a month with his older brother and another to receive training in Gojushiho and Kusanku kata. While there he also received sword training , Jingen ryu, from Ijuin  of Kagoshima.

 

When he was 22 or 23 he traveled to train with Hiagonna on the beach across from his house.  Later for a year on their estate in Shuri, Hiagonna traveled there to train him daily, in all weather , even on rainy and windy days.The training began at 6pm and continued untio 10pm, when Hiagonna would take a palanquin to travel home.  The training was on the basics of Sanchin and then Pechirin kata.

  Hiagonna referred to the art he was studying as Toudi.

Hiagonna Sensei admonished against “Jissen” or actual combat training.telling him “if you are going to fight, then fight with me.”

 

As a young man among his other studies, he began horsemanship at age 10, It seems to have been serious training and lasted for at least a decade.

 

He certainly studied much more to become a whole person.

 

I offer this brief summation as the only account I have seen on earlier Okinawan martial training.

 

Joe Swift deserves our thanks for translating this book.

This is but one of the treasures contained herein.

 

 

Another look into the possibility of "Seisan-ness"

 

One does not truly know the past origins of what today we refer to as karate. Like an onion, layers are constantly being turned back as new source are revealed.

 

It might be fun to resort to logic to determine a logical answer, remembering that being logical does not mean it is true.

 

But let us have some fun and consider if kata Seisan came from a single source form. The search for "Seisan-ness”.

 

In the above video we have four different versions of kata Seisan. Of course from very different sources and different lineages. While often claimed very different origins, I still see a commonality between the different versions.

 

Of course the execution, timing, etc. are quite different. Each has movements not in the others. This also is not all of the Seisan options out there on Okinawa.

 

However I feel if you set those things aside searching for Seisan-ness a potential core kata exists, if only in my mind.

 

There are a set of 3 techniques going forward.

There is a turn to the rear.

There are a set of 3 techniques going forward in the reverse direction.

And there are a set of at least 3 techniques toward each side  (some are similar, some are different)

 

3 turn 3 3, interestingly if you count that up you come up with the number 13.
(Of course this is proof that I can't count for the rational person knows it totals 10. It was not the point however that this has something to do with 3 techniques, just a bit of irony that came to me. Of course depending what one count's as a technique it might come up to 13 anyway, or any other number one choses.)

 

It is possible that if you go back far enough there might have been a common core.

 

Perhaps this effort gives us more reason to think and train together, allowing up to gain more understanding of a form we have in common.

The Challenge

 

I am no longer actively teaching. I do care about what currently dojo’s of every sort are experiencing.

I taught for free, but always through the facility that the Boys and Girls Clubs offered to me. I was always doing so as a service for my community and helping youth develop stronger wills to succeed at whatever they eventually chose to do.

I started my program back in 1979 when focused instruction for youth was not the norm. I faced many instructors in many arts who thought I was crazy for 1. Teaching for free, and 2 teaching kids for everyone knew real karate was for adults.

 

 I never listened to them.

 

 I originally got the idea from working in Scranton. When I would walk around town over my lunch hour I discovered school after school for dance around the town. I realized all of those schools were fulfilling a need and also making a living doing so. That gave me the idea of teaching youth karate.

In fact I told many of those same instructors who thought I was crazy that the future was in youth karate especially if they wanted to keep their schools open.

 

Time proved my vision was right.

So now everyone is in a fix, even that free youth program at the Boys and Girls Club  back in Derry. For they stay open because of continuous fund raising done by parents of the town who believe in the Club. They have lost at least 3 of their biggest fund raisers this spring, and that means they are in the same boat.

This morning I listened to a discussion about how the CDC is working on guidelines how to safely re-open schools. Not suggesting the answer is that each district is left to their own to work out how to do so.

 That also makes me reflect on each youth karate program which logically needs to answer parents how they are going to do the same. And if those programs do not have logical answers such as what schools are going to do, then….

The issues is not that you can reopen your program, nor is it adults can choose to return to training. The largest issue to me is how you can demonstrate to parents that what you are doing is going to keep the children safe.

When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d

When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d

By Walt Whitman

1
...

When lilacs last in the dooryard bloom’d,
And the great star early droop’d in the western sky in the night,
I mourn’d, and yet shall mourn with ever-returning spring.
Ever-returning spring, trinity sure to me you bring,
Lilac blooming perennial and drooping star in the west,
And thought of him I love.

2
O powerful western fallen star!
O shades of night—O moody, tearful night!
O great star disappear’d—O the black murk that hides the star!
O cruel hands that hold me powerless—O helpless soul of me!
O harsh surrounding cloud that will not free my soul.


 

 

The King's Speech

 

 

A bit of irony today, for I just re-watched “the King’s Speech” on Netflix. It was about how King George VI dealt with his speech disability. The movie is simply brilliant.

The irony begins back when I was in college.  I was a speech major. The department at Temple University had two undergraduate specialties In Speech. Rhetoric and Public Address and Speech Science dealing with treating speech disabilities. Each major studied a bit of the other.

My interest was on the Rhetoric and Public Speaking side of the business, about 5 undergraduates out of 30,000 students. The department was mostly a graduate school. Personally I became more involved with linguistic philosophy as I went on.

Roll forward decades and when the movie came out about 2010,

I understood  what was happening with the King.

Then roll forward again about 2013, I developed several disabilities. One of them was a general weakening of my musculature, even to my facial muscles. Making correct formation of speech most improbable including most unintelligible on the phone.

I had speech therapy for a while but my condition did not improve. I understood what was being tried, essentially my thoughts moved about 5 or so times faster than my speech. And trying to catch up made my words unclear.

To be understood I know I had to speak so slowly and appear that I was different than what my brain was doing.

But I was retired, and because of my other disabilities not around many. So I wasn’t speaking much daily. Makes it difficult to work on clearer speech in any case.

But that is me, it does not make the movie less brilliant. The King worked and eventually was able to overcome his difficulty.

It inspires me to work harder at speaking.

 

 

Kyan Chotoku Kata Applications

 

This is a picture of Mr. Kyan doing applications from kata.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's on display at the Okinawa Prefecture Karate Museum.