While Charlie Murray was visiting Okinawa in 1990

Charles H. Murray May 19, 2013 

 While in Okinawa in 1990, Uezi Sensei took me over to see Shimabuku Shinsho, who had taught me much while in Okinawa in 1971/72. 

The lady in the middle is Master Tatsuo Shimabuku's wife and Shinsho's mother. She was living with him at the time.

The Secret is out

How to make the new Blogger work

Help me if you can I am feeling down, As I go the world seems as if it crashing down. Help me if you can.... Help me. THis new version of Blogger does not make it easy to make posts, unlike the earlier version. When I create a new post everything is in html text, which I do not understand. The create page is difficult to use. I am feeling lost, if anyone has suggestions I would appreciate them.

Thoughts about how modern day kobudo studies may not have had a place in Toudi

Thinking about what kobudo was done in the pre-karate era of Okinawa, when I think of the potential weapons present on Okinawa how likely was it that they were employed by those toudi traditions. 

One of those glimpses of those traditions came from the book “The Secret Martial Arts of Ryukyu”. This is what I found. “ The martial artists (bushi) of the Ryukyu can be divided into five distinct groups. First of all, the Shuri bushi, who were in charge of protecting Shuri Castle. Next, the Tomari bushi, who were in charge of domestic law enforcement. Third ,the Naha bushi, who were in chages of protecting the Chinese envoys (Suppushi) as well as the tribute ships sent from Ryukyu to China. Next were the Udun bushi, who were involved in the politics of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Finally, the bushi of Naha’s Kume Village, who were in the service of Chinese imigrants.” These were not open schools for training. It was training given to young men to enter into their families obligation for service to Okinawa. 

Then compare that likely training against the possibility that the potential Okinawan kobudo weapons that already existed on Okinawa. Much of what came to become modern kobudo tradition likely had little use for their actual professions. Of course just my logical opinion, which may not be reality of what others believe. Many of the tools from the past of Okinawa can be seen in a prior post I made at

Dr. Yang Chin Na training.

Maureen took a 9 month course with Dr. Yang on Chin Na.

When she came home from class she practiced on me.

It was always very painful.

 

 

Most Chinese systems have some sort of Chin Na

 included in their training.

 

 

The Eagle Claw I studied with Rothrock Laoshi

was built on the original Chin Na training.

 

This video of Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming

shows a great deal of what Chin Na traning

can cover.

 

 

Chin Na covers material that fits very well

with karate applications

 



武警第三套擒敵拳教學版.

 

Armed police third set of enemy boxing teaching version.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Uchi-deshi Story

Years ago I had accumulated thousands of martial arts magazine.  Reading them was a pastime. But the time came when I realized most of what they contained was of little value to me. I saved individual articles that had meaning to me (many of which I have posted on my blog). And literally tossed everything else into the trash.

 

But a few I saved as examples of meaningful magazines to me. Not for specific articles but as memories.

 

I was just reading an old issue of Aikido Journal (1995 – Vol 22, No 1) and it contained an interesting  “Interview with Kazuo Chiba) which described in great detail what it was like to be an Uchi-deshi of Usheiba Sensei.

 

From Wikipedia:

 

Uchi-deshi (内弟子, lit. "inside student") is a Japanese term for a live-in student/apprentice who trains under and assists a sensei on a full-time basis. The system exists in kabuki, rakugo, shogi, igo, aikido, sumo, karate and other modern Japanese martial arts.

 

From all those magazines the words Uchi-deshi was at times shared, but little actual description of the context behind those words for the art/instructor being described.

 

Let me put that interview into my own words.

 

He became an Uchi-deshi for Usheiba Sensei about age 17.

 

The training was always very physical, even to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, I took him about a year before he could safely withstand full power technique from Usheiba, when he could take the falls safely. They were always hard, and he had the brush burns and blood from those experiences.

 

The various Uchi-deshi literally took care of every need of Usheiba Sensei.  When he traveled they took care of all the details, many most mundane, such as preparing his meals, laying out his clothing, reading to him, carrying his necessary belongings and needed weaponry.  They helped him go to the bathroom 6-8 times a night, literally learning to anticipate his needs, and most often foregoing sleep until learning to anticipate when he needed them.  That skill was perhaps among the greatest skills they would learn.

 

The training was not in esoteric skill, their training was most often identical to what other students received.

 

But they were charged to attack him with full power at any moment they felt he was open to attack, day or night (even with bokens). And what they continually experienced was he had no opening, whatever, to make an attack work.

 

This skills of serious attack to find Usheiba Sensei met them immediately without hesitation is why their presentations look so polished and pretend. Every time he was moving as they moved, Usheiba anticipated each attack and entered them to conclude the attack. This is why they appear so polished and effortless. Usheiba was always able to insert himself flowing into the attack.

 

Kazuo remarked he was uchi-deshi for about 7 years. Later in life at times he felt he could insert himself into at attack as Usheiba Sensei did, but not so consistently.

 

I sounds to me that this was the skill that being an Uchi-Deshi imparted.

 

In fact it also seems that the Uchi-Deshi imparted to Usheiba Sensei the greatest gift, allowing him to remain polished at the top of his game at all times, instead of surrendering to the ravages of age. Of course that did exist, aging was not to be wished away.  But the Uchi-Deshi gave him a method to remain his skills, a price beyond rubies and diamonds.

 

As for what Uchi-Deshi experienced in other arts,  I can’t assume it was similar.