Dec 25, 2008 While this is an older post I believe it is still relevant today. Some of my opinions about Tatsuo Shimabuku are modified today as I have continued to add more and more. But I stand by the intent of this post. I might make you think!
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An ever popular question in Isshinryu discussion and across the internet is the one raised here, should Children be Black Belts. The question is rhetorical because each program actually does whatever they will (as the only true rule about karate is there are no rules).
So we like to hear “We do award children black belts”, or “We don’t award children black belts” or “We give them ‘pretend’ black belts”.
For the record training young people for 30 years now I’ve never awarded a child any rank, I only teach karate-ka, not children, not men, not women, just karate-ka. The content I teach everyone is the same, adjusted for their ability whether they’re 7, 17, 27, 37, 47, 57 or 67. I don’t give the young access to more than two classes a week and the average time for children to reach sho-dan is 7 to 9 years (my son started at 7 and he reached sho-dan at 18). But I have no restrictions and if the student’s merit calls for sho-dan examination they would receive it, just because of what the past has done does not restrict my future.
The two very best sho-dan examinations I’ve ever attended was the day Tom Lewis’ 11 year old son Rob and Dennis Lockwood’s 12 year old daughter Anna took their examination. They had the technical skills, they had literally tons of kumite experience in tournament against their own age groups, and at 13 Anna took first place in black belt weapons at Harold Long’s tournament wooping all of the ‘old’ men competitors.
Young people have the potential and can develop the ability. That they’re normally not pressed into combat situations (in our country) really isn’t a important consideration, for does the 57 year old sho-dan candidate have the ability to be pressed into combat either. It always depends, and in turn is just a dojo objective, not a ‘universal’ operating principle.
One of my friends who teaches a very complex set of Chinese arts about 15 years ago changed his standards for their sho-dan equivalent from 6 years training to 3 years training. I questioned him about that, whether he was weakening his art and his reply was if it motivates more of those people to reach 6 years training (as the course content at 6 years hadn’t changed) he was creating more competent students.
I understand his logic because it hits on the key idea about what a black belt is, IMO.
The entire concept of black belt is fascinating; it is one of the most powerful tools we have in the martial arts, capturing the students mind and is a driving force in its own right. Unfortunately that can be limiting too if the focus is only on the cloth, or the number of strips it can maintain.
If reaching sho-dan drives the student to keep training and push for greater knowledge and ability is it important what the age requirement is?
I guarantee you if you teach young people you will loose almost 100% of them to life as they grow up. Perhaps a few will stay around for a lifetime of training, but statistically I bet they’re a very small % of students. Dangling their own dojo and an income before them is hardly justice because the more important thing is they must keep pushing their own training. But school, military service, work, marriage and all of life’s other offerings are and will be more important for most.
The training you offer them becomes a piece of their lives, and only when they can control their life can they give a lifetime to training. That’s part of the reason I don’t let the young train more frequently because they’re not in control of their lives, their parents are. But if they stick the 7 to 9 years they’ve reached that decision on their own, even if it means shortly after sho-dan they MUST move on.
The entire topic started me thinking and I did a small bit of research through the CyberDojo.
There is no evidence that Kyan awarded anyone a black belt, he never even gave a name to his system of teaching.
It is also well documented that Miyagi would not award anyone a black belt even when his students kept the pressure on to receive them. Even though the Japanese martial establishment had awarded him the highest title of the Okinawan’s teaching in Japan, he didn’t equate that to dan rank. The speculation is that he was against the Japanese meddling with the Okinawan arts.
The development of gi and dan ranking occurred in Japan as Karate transplanted there pre WWII and changed the art structure to match Japanese sensibilities. It does not seem to have had the same penetration back on Okinawa. I imagine the old Okinawan training of people doing sanchin in their undies had much to do with removing their clothes to keep them clean and dry, and not having a gi production infrastructure to provide alternatives.
It appears that after WWII it was Japanese influence that caused the Okinawan groups to start using dan ranking. All of the students of Miyagi appear to have ignored his wishes and Goju developed dan ranking. Likewise group after group did so.
Shimabuku Sensei adopting rank was no different from every other group, but as I don’t believe he belonged to any of the groups, he had no obligation to follow their standards of what rank meant. It meant whatever he felt it meant.
Which takes us back to whether Children can be black belts. In Shimabuku Sensei’s environment children didn’t study karate (where today on Okinawa 75% of the karate-ka are children – previously documented on the CyberDojo too).
So we see things change, they always do. We each felt the importance of reaching sho-dan and how it drove us in part and can use it to effect for our students. Hopefully we work with those same students to understand sho-dan is irrelevant, the true value is that we keep training, studying and working forever.
Long ago I wrote that I always felt the true black belt examination was not the sho-dan test, but whether after 5 years that black belt was still training hard, and after 10 years and after 20.
IMO, if promoting young people to sho-dan helps their growth in the art, then it’s a good idea for those programs.
A more interesting question for anyone with a long term program is of your adult students what is the average time they keep training after acquiring sho-dan?
My program is small so this may not be fair, but currently the average adult reaching sho-dan has stayed training over 15 additional years. They still leave, but they’ve had a fair run.
Another interesting discussion from the past - 1995
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Recently I've been researching and studying some varieties of technique, very similar to some of the aikido studies I've undergone, and working them with my students, in turn I discover some very interesting parallels to some of our kata.
As I learnt Aikido technique, it was in the form a fixed series of drills against punching attacks, readily usable against grabs as well. This small series of techniques are taught beginning at green belt, not to make my students aikido-ka, but rather to give them a basic vocabulary in grabs and projections. The basic concept with skill in a very formal setting, eventually if they find themselves in the right space at the right time, those skills can be another option for them to use.
The technique I'm going to discuss is a simple release for a grab to your chest. In this case the attacker with their right hand grabs the left side of your gi on your chest, while you're standing in parallel stance.
You're response is:
1. Take your left hand and grab their hand.
2. Rotate their grabbed hand counter-clockwise, as they're still holding you.
3. Step forward with your right foot (actually your foot pointing inward across their center line, and press your right forearm down across their arm, just below their elbow. [This isn't a strike.]
4. Pivot counter-clockwise on the balls of both your feet, keeping hold on their turned wrist, and press downward with your right forearm as you rotate.
5. This rotates your opponent down to the ground.
A nice, simple effective grab counter drill. Structurally related to aikido's kote gseshi, outer wrist turn, and most likely one of its thousands of variations.
After everyone worked it successfully I began to show how this could be applied against a driving strike (or grab).
So the attacker steps with their right and strikes with their right hand (or grabs with it)
You're response is:
1. Step inward with your right foot and parry across (inward) with your right open hand.
2. Roll the right hand down counter-clockwise, spiraling their arm around with your hand.
3. As their arm rolls around, their wrist/hand rolls into your left hand.
4. [This is where I vary from using this for the normal outer wrist turn.]
5. Your left hand rolls their wrist over counter-clockwise, as you place your right forearm across below the crease of their elbow.
6. Pivot counter-clockwise on the balls of both your feet, keeping hold on their turned wrist, and press downward with your right forearm as you rotate.
7. This rotates your opponent down to the ground.
A simple variation. Where the standard kote gaeshi would have both hands grabbing the attackers wrist for the throw, and that pulls their center to their wrist for the takedown, in this case the arm across their forearm pulls their center to that location. In fact you could use a knife hand on their wrist, below their grabbed hand for a different shift of their center. In any case the rotation pulls their center towards you making the throw/takedown much easier.
But the really interesting aspect of this, when you lay your forearm across their arm, when you rotate your foot, you begin to take advantage of part of Kusanku kata's opening. You rotate your feet 90 degrees, chamber your left hand (which is holding their turned wrist), and your right punch becomes the sliding of your right forearm across their arm for the takedown power.
In fact, this is also the way the Annaku Kata we use opens. The same shift of the hips and feet, to make the turn, the one hand chambering and the other striking.
So working an Aikido technique can draw on Kusanku or Annaku to assist in the execution, too.
The major factors of course 1) rotation of their wrist counter-clockwise and 2) the rotation of your center counter-clockwise, too.
Where in the basic kata you're striking, there is a significant parallel to the locking/takedown too.
Pleasantly,
Victor
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I am very familiar with this technique, and have a question. How do you deal with movement on the part of the attacker during this technique?
Between pulling the hand away, shifting in too close, or even just wrapping his other hand around your neck and taking you with him as you throw him,I've found it very difficult to perform this move without including a very significant stunning move to neutralize any reaction from the attacker. This tends to come either before step 1 or as part of step 3 as follows:
0. Strike the attack to stun them.
or,
3A. As you step in, use your shoulder and torso to slam into the attackers body, throwing them off balance and stunning them.
I also have come to prefer using the technique as a breaking throw as opposed to just a rolling throw. Its hard to practice this of course, but I find it a better focus for the technique. For this, instead of turning the attackers wrist down, you move forward and behind him at a 45* angle, while keeping his wrist at about the middle of your chest. This twists up his entire arm, and will dislocate various parts before the movement and pain unbalances him, throwing him to the ground.
Sam Weiss
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Hi Sam,
Well you've addressed the classical Usheiba. In his pre-WWII texts he first nailed the swell old guy and then executed the technique. This fits my basic philosophy, the lock/takedown should follow the initial strike/parry/bock which is done as hard as possible.
On Saturday we were working just on basic technique execution, a starting skill development. But in the long run the movement is useful when you fit into the right space, hopefully precluding their trying to stop you.
You've mentioned an interesting approach using the shoulder strike (shades of Tai Chi Chaun). You can also step atop their foot as you perform your movement. Think what that does to their takedown.
Victor
Hi Again Sam,
After last nights work and some additional thought I’d like to return to your question, “. How do you deal with movement on the part of the attacker during this technique? “
I’d first like to begin with Usheiba’s concept of “ATEMI”. At one level this could be considered a vital point strike, but it’s not necessarily the hardest strike you can deliver. If it was you wouldn’t be following with the lock/projection. Instead it’s a strike to shock, a stop hit to create an opening.
In the technique I was discussing if the person is striking with their right and you shift to roll their arm with your right counter-clockwise into your left, before you use your right to press down into their arm, the right can deliver an ‘atemi’ strike into their middle right chest area. It doesn’t take much of a hit to take the starch out of their sails, and then you can use your full kusanku ability to drop them with the wrist turn/punch effect.
BTW, striking into the right chest area while they’re trying to strike with their right, is a very open area. Harrill Sensei showed this on my first meeting with him and I feel because the individual’s focus is on their strike they’re very open to counter-attack underneath their arm I that side of the body (personal opinion).
But there are several other layers of ‘Atemi’ available. You could use your right spear hand for a light spear thrust into their neck to control their mind. Or you can flick your fingers towards their eyes, and take advantage of their ‘flinch factor’ to enter the aikido takedown.
While those are fine stop hit options, having trained with Tris Sutrisno, I’m more than aware of his abilities to sell a technique without using that either. Part of the difference is incredible movement dynamics, but part of the answer is the different way he enters the attack and controls them during the opening.
So after working the Atemi options, I began to work on the opening. All attacks create open zones to enter them, that is the essence of counter–attack. What I began to notice was the manner in which I rolled their arm into my left hand can vary. If I spin them flat the opponent does have a chance to counter me. But if I spiral them, their arm is rolling across their body making it very, very difficult to allow their other hand to counter, and then the speed of entry from the left hand grab and the application of the right hand.
Then you can step in with your right, shortening the time of your response, or you can step back with your left as you do the technique, opening more distance for their potential counter to cross.
As you see just trying to look a the options for one technique creates many layers.
But, the manner in which Kusanku inserts itself in the ending of the technique makes a great deal of difference. In my experience, the aikido version would normally be softer in flow throughout. But with the choice to utilize Kusanku’s power in the technique, you can dramatically change the speed in which they’re downed, too.
Pleasantly,
Victor
Once I demonstrated the spiraling version of the takedown. The 50 black belts in that class asked to experiernce themselves. I took on attacker after attacker and when I was finished there were 50 black belts on the floor.
Of course I was a bit spin dizzy from doing that, but I did my best not to let that show.
When I was a Speech Major at Temple University, my interests moved to General Semantics and Lingustic Philosophy. One of the course I took was on the Language of Religion, and that was where I first learned of Taoism.
I was so intrigued that I undertook my own independent study of Taoism, in turn that was where I really learned about T'ai Chi Chaun. I was just about reading about T'ai Chi, but I was very interested in it.
Now roll forward a few years. I really never had the chance to study T'ai Chi. When living in Salisbury and working as a construction laborer, on days when I could not work because of rain, I often went to the Salisbury State College to read about Taoism and T'ai Chi,
Then I saw an advertisement for a book by David Carradine, who I knew of from the show Kung Fu, and the book presented David showing how to perform T'ai Chi. I was intrigued and ordered a copy sent to me.
Now reading about Taoism and T'ai Chi is nothing like gaining a qualified instructor. After all the words where there, 'T'ai Chi', that seemed enough for me. Then there were photos of the form being done.I felt that was accurate enough for me.
While I knew of other martial arts, at that time I was studying nothing.
So reading the book I decided to teach myself T'ai Chi Chaun.
I worked at it for weeks and gradually I was able to perform a piece of the form being demonstrated. Rather I was able to place myself in poses resembling what the book showed.
I am quite sure that nothing I was doing actually resembled the practice of T'ai Chi Chaun.
I discussed this with no one, even my wife, I just did it.
Then I learned about the Salisbury Karate Barn and then started my own study of Isshinryu.
I stopped my self study of T'ai Chi Chaun. Practiced Isshinryu and forgot this episode.
About 6 years later, then a new black belt who was also running my own Issshinryu program, I learned of Ernest Rothrock teaching tai chi in his Pai Lum program in Scranton. I approached him and he agreed to take me on as a student. Then the real study began and I kept at it to this day.
MyT'ai Chi Chaun study was nothing like what David Carradine presented.
I have not thought of this in almost 50 years, then the other day I discovered that there were VHS videos on YouTube where David Carradine presented his Tai Chi program.
Back in 1974 I did not know of those VSH tapes, even if I did I did not own a video tape player, it would be years before I got one and at that time I was so into Isshinryu.
Of course I now see this as a way for Carradine to make some money off of his Kung Fu tv show.
One of the David Carradine videos is below.....
David Carradine's Tai Chi Workout
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSDB2flS_Qk
And yes, I got this very, very wrong back in 1974.
Although this video is very, very bad, you can still make out the younger brother of Tatsuo Shimabuku, Eizo Shimabuku (at times he went by the Japanese pronuncation "Shimabukuro") performing Seiunchin kata.
It is of course the Tatsuo Shimabuku version of the form. Not what other students of Chojun Miyagi practuce, which makes one question if Eizo acthally trained with Miyagi.
While Eizo taught "Shorin Ryu", not "Isshinryu" it seems to make the point he got a lot of his karate from Tatsuo.
Eizo Shimabuku Seiunchin Kata
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_q-hM8J05E
Back about 1982 after learning the Yang T'ai Chi Chaun 108 form from Earnest Rothrock and a number of other Chinese forms from him (the Chinese forms to become a more knowledgeable judge in open karate tournaments). Those forms were from Pai Lum, Northern Tai Mantis, and several Eagle Claw beginning forms of the Chin Wu association.
I asked Ernest if I could try an Eagle Claw form. He first obtained permission from his instructor Sheum Leung, then he proceeded to teach me the form Hon Quen (at least that is how I heard it).
He told me it is one of the 3 major forms of the Fann Tzi Quan Ying Jow Pai system. The form consists of 10 rows of techniques, actually all of the techniques found in the other Eagle Claw forms (the other forms were Eagle Tames Tiger and Lin Quen (the 50 rows consisting of every possible way to use the techniques in Hon Quen).
It was quite a challenge, I never filmed myself doing the form. The following form is a very close variation of what I studied.
When you think about it, this form was more complex than any karate system (abet with different techniques).
Eagle Claw Fist –
Ying Zhao Pai Hong Quan -
Leuong Wo Wong
This is a long and advanced set requiring a lot of energy and good fundamentals. Ir is top develop your stamina and strengthen your skills.
It uses a variety of special kicking techniques including two very specialized kicks of Eagle Claw: the low groin kick and the reverse into low bow kick.
1st section
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8iHmQwZ-xY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD1GFkIUyZc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDa8FHyp410
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBdRyUJDtZE&list=PLuEsQ5yd4Ao2L0NOcKqWgfDpc8meGM0BE&index=24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2GD3PJeB_Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yww0x7baxzU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmNpKiO60ik
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrlZ8oq6248
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rTPKKo9_p8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0JVTnb4Njg
I never became an Eagle Claw expert, of course that was never my intention. I did learn more about the Chinese systems from my studies with Rothrock Laoshi, and that was always my intention.
Self-Defence Aikido VHS Obata
Renowned martial artist Toshishiro Obata, uchi deshi (live in disciple) under the late Gozo Shioda, relocated from Japan to America in 1980 and began development of a research organization called the "Aikibujutsu Tanren Kenkyukai" or abbreviated as Aiki-buken. While Mr. Obata was uchi deshi in Japan, he also taught at the Yoshinkan honbu dojo, universities, the Metropolitan Riot Police and the Japanese self-defense army.
Obata created the Aiki-buken to accurately rebuild concepts and techniques from the older styles of Aikibujutsu and Edo Torimonojutsu used during the feudal times of Japan. This is an ongoing process including the softer styles of modern Aikido.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6evcDQWl99A
Morihei Ueshiba - Asahi Shinbun Video (1935)
AI enhanced, enriched with commentary and explanations, this is the ultimate version of the Asai Shinbun footage, the best video we have of Ueshiba's aiki.
Tokimune Takeda's on the Asai Shinbun footage
According to Ellis Amdur, Stanley Pranin showed Budo to Takeda Tokimune as well. After watching the film, Tokimune sensei’s comment was "Wow! He was doing Daitō-ryū after all!"
Consider the implications of this: the oldest Daitō-ryū film we have, so recognized by Takeda Sokaku's son, is this film shot by Takuma Hisa for Morihei Ueshiba.
In 1936, Sokaku Takeda appeared in Osaka, and took over instruction of the Asahi Shinbun group from Morihei Ueshiba. Takeda taught at the Asahi dojo through ca. 1940.
Of all the surviving documents from the prewar era, perhaps the most important is the 1935 film on Morihei shot at the Asahi News company in Osaka. This film was shot with sound in 16mm format and runs just over 14 minutes. Morihei demonstrates numerous techniques of suwariwaza, hanza handachi (hanmi handachi), tachiwaza, multiple attacks, sword and juken. His partners are Shigemi Yonekawa and Tsutomu Yukawa. There are brief appearances by Takuma Hisa and Rinjiro Shirata.
Most of the techniques retained in this film are advanced and are performed in a fluid style that builds up to a spectacular final multiple attack! One is struck by the modernity of many techniques and the "ki no nagare" like style of execution. The visual and aural impact of this film is outstanding and provides a window into time on Morihei's wonderful techniques of that era.
The influence of Daito-ryu techniques in this film is much less obvious than the techniques contained in Budo Renshu and the Noma Dojo photos, the latter series taken very close in time to Asahi's film.
For quality Budo books visit: https://therannetwork.com
The background related to the discovery of this rare film
This is how Stanley Pranin describes his re-discovery of the Asahi Shinbun film.
"I had known about the existence of Morihei's 1935 film for several years. Some of the elders had actually seen the old Asahi News documentary and spoke of it in terms that fueled the imagination. Why was this precious document being kept hidden?
"Since the film had stopped being shown and was out of circulation, my only hope was to find an outside source. It was a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack. However, I accepted the challenge with myself to find it. One day, a Japanese friend discovered something that looked promising. It was a certain prewar film languishing among thousands of others in an archive in Tokyo. It seemed to contain some old Jujutsu footage and was titled simply 'Budo'. There was not much to speculate on, but it was an interesting find nonetheless.
"In 1979 a private screening was arranged for me. I sat in the viewing room while the cameraman threaded the film into the 16mm projector. After that, the lights dimmed and the projector began to spin, making a loud noise. The titles darted onto the screen accompanied by a rather grandiose musical theme, and I sat in my seat holding my breath.
"At that point, a short, muscular man with a bald head quickly approached the tatami and bowed to his students. I felt tears come to my eyes, for at that moment I realized that I was looking at Morihei at the age of 51! I felt as if I had stepped into a time machine and was watching the Founder's extraordinary technique in a trance-like state.
"Within a few weeks, the precious film had been snatched from the jaws of oblivion and made available to Aikido practitioners around the world. It was a moment of deep satisfaction for me on a personal level."
The Asahi Shinbun film is the result of Takuma Hisa’s efforts. Takuma Hisa was a prominent Japanese martial artist, early student in Daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu of both Sokaku Takeda and aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba.
Hisa recalls seeing the film 44 years later:
“(…) to tell the truth I completely forgot that I had even taken the film, let alone where I had put it. But recently [1979], an American named Stanley Pranin, who is researching various things about Ueshiba’s aikido, discovered this film and brought it to show me. I was quite surprised at the opening credits where all of a sudden my name appeared, “Asahi News Film, directed by Takuma Hisa.”
"Before long I was amazed to see myself as a young man! I watched this together with Yonekawa, one of the top students from the Ueshiba Dojo. We two old men sat there watching and couldn’t stop chuckling and teasing each other about how young we both were in the film. It was like riding in a time machine!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Clz8ZEMbF3Q
Aiki-Jujutsu - Atemi-Nage No Kata
Atemi-Nage No Kata is an Aiki-Jujutsu kata presenting some atemi waza used to throw the opponent performing different types of traditional attacks.
The origin of this kata remains unknown. It might have been created by Georges Parulski for his teaching (To Be Confirmed).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtdXf5kax2E
Koichi Tohei -
Principios conceptuales fundamentales y Curso elemental
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is0EmLRWaBw
