Drunken Skills

When it comes to Drunken Skill

take a drink and check out

Jackie Chan in Druknen Master

 



Surprise

This reminds me of the time when Tristan Sutrisno ended up standing on my shoulders after I stepped in with a strike, I believe this was how his Aikido drill 13 ended up from seeing it one time in 1980. 

Instead of taking me down when standing atop my shoulders, he just jumped off, flipped a side kick towards my face and landed on the ground lightly.

 When it occurred I was so shocked I could not figure out how he did it. Nor did his students watching see what he did, for they had never seen that either. 

About 5 years later watching him perform aikido drill 13 in a demonstration, did I work it out. He used the aikido technique entry to transfer my forward motion into his use for the vertical leap, and then instead of wrapping his legs around my neck chose to instead stand on my shoulders.

There is always someone who is beyond your understanding.

 

The aikido drills were not strictly aikido, rather incorporated principles from his aikido to teach a variety of entry into attack, and then used a number of other answers with them.

This reminds me on another technique.

 

 https://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/search?q=How+to+learn+to+fly+-+the+Hun+Yuan+Point

 

 

On Any Given Day......

Once upon a time in a land far, far away… I think that is how good stories are to begin.

 

I was a minor competitor in the old Region 10, which was much a part of Pennslyvania.  Individual entered Black Belt competition for many reasons. In my case not being with one of my Isshinryu instructors, and training myself, I realize that the competition was about the best way to push myself that I could find.

 

This was before the internet, back then the most informed information about the arts outside of your instructor or friends in their arts, was the internet. And of course the information there was a fraught with bad information as the internet is today.

 

The definition of what karate was (outside of your system) at that time was a bit more open than people believe in today. If you stepped on the floor and held your own, it was karate, and possibly would proper – or not.

 

I primarily competed in Kata and Kobudo. And the competition was fierce there. There are judges then who can remember those days. Pat Burns, Bruce Heilman, John Hamilton, Rom Martin among others. And the competitors with all their skill, some of them to become National Champions, by the standards of that day. They drew in other National level champions to contest against them too. It was pretty heady stuff to be on the same floor as them.

 

I just want to recall one memory that might make that point.

 

Back then when competitors tied for first place, the had to compete again. And in kobudo the competitor who only had one form to compete with was at a disadvantage. The competitor who could perform a different kata with a different weapon had an advantage.

 

Well, as I recall I was in the same division as Cindy Rothrock, and another of the competitors was a senior student of Manny Agrella  Edward Hampton (if my memory serves me right.

 

Suffice it to say, for me it was another practice session. However Cindy and Edward,

(1)That day they tied, then had to do another kata, (2)Both of them did a different form with a different weapon. Again they tied. (3)Both of them did a different form with a different weapon. Again they tied. (4)Both of them did a different form with a different weapon.  Yet another tune they tied. (5)Both of them did a different form with a different weapon.

 

That’s right 5 times they tied, and they used 5 different weapons that day.

 

The fact that they had or borrowed so many different weapons to compete, gives testimony to the lengths they took their training.

 

I am not sure who won, my memory remembers the day, but not the outcome.

 

It was a different time. Perhaps the time pushed the competitors just as well.

 

Were they the best? After seeing so many fine forms over those years I know there were many times many who were skilled. A different time, a different day and anything might happen.

 

Shimpan Shiroma and the idea of Bunkai

A Japanese English teacher and author of English/Japanese dictionaries in Japan (for students) explained to me in Japan most people would not know what you were talking about, as the term is most used in the context of a mechanic would bunkai a car to determine what was wrong. Using bunkai in a very different context. I had to explain the term to him, and while he studied Shorinji Ryu in college, they did not do 'bunkai'. He further explained it was a specialized term used by specific karate systems.

 

Originally Mabuni Sensei shared the concept of bunkai in his first work on Karate in the 1930. When Mabuni expressed the idea of bunkai for his book containing his kata Seiunchin he used the term ‘bunkai’. I have not seen reference to an earlier use of the term, which means just what I said.

 

 I questioned Mario McKenna Sensei about the use of the term ‘bunkai’ in ‘Goshin Karate Kempo’ and he described it’a use as "breakdown/apart and explanation" from his translation efforts on Mabuni’s book.

 

Many other authors in the 1930s demonstrated uses for kata technique. But for the most part they were singular demonstrations. Not going into any detail that I am aware of about ‘bunkai’. Explanations were shown initially for the use of kata from Funakoshi Sensei, from Goju kata in the karate of Motobu Sensei and others.

 

But those books were not textbooks either, Either, they were attempts to explain what karate was to the Japanese martial public (Not for Okinawan or even general Japanese public consumption) , or reference material for current/future students. And of course even for students they did not represent the entire art.

 

Now someplace along the way ‘bunkai’ was incorporated into karate training in Japan. Whether that was ‘exported’ or not at that time is an open question.

 

When I began, in my style, and everywhere I trained with in the 1970’s and into the early 1980’s, in the NE states, where I lived, was ‘bunkai’ ever discussed or demonstrated as far as I can recall.

 

I first learnt the word from an Indonesian Shotokan instructor, whose father had also trained under Funakoshi Ginchin. He explained and demonstrated the term to me, showing how it was an integral portion of his art. He also spent much time telling me he could not understand no one else was doing karate that way.

 

Now those were different days. For example there was no internet. Selling movies and later videos was still a few years away. Then the magazines (from the West Coast) began to talk about bunkai in Japan, and showed some examples. That seemed to set the bunkai ‘wave’ off and soon many were talking about bunkai.

 

But the definition I originally learned  (and I make no claims at being an expert in) was the only one that ever stuck with me. And as I have read, viewed ad infinitum on bunkai, none of there are even close to the use I was shown. (Of course that is another topic). Suffice it, it is seeming there are different definitions of what bunkai is.

 

The thing is there is extremely interesting documentation that was not exactly what was taught on Okinawa.

 

I’ll be honest even when I find a very good book about karate, it often takes me five or more years before I understand what it contains. That is true for almost everything I have read. Nakasone’s 1938 Karate Do Taiken is just one example. It was suggested back around 1998 I obtain a copy of the Japanese reprint.  That was pricey but I did, and enjoyed the photographs and drawings. So it ended up on my shelf. Then years later Mario McKenna translated it into English. I got a copy and of course read it. Meaning of course I did not fully appreciate it either. Then time entered the picture and some of what I read means far more today.

 

That book incorporated many authors, one of them, Shiroma Shimpan, added a piece on the use of karate technique. You know you look at the pictures, then the article. Seeing simple diagrams of the use of karate technique. Then as ‘you know all of that’, move on past it. I was not different, and of course I was wrong.

Now Shiroma Shimpan had credentials. Trained by Itosu, he was one of the earliest youth karate instructors in the Okinawan schools. He was very much a part of what Okinawan karate was, even from before it was karate. And what he wrote, did not disagree what bunkai that was shown by Mabuni, but went ever so much further too.

 

What he shared was not what bunkai became. It was not limited to one style, for example he chose to include technique from Sanchin and explain why its use was an important example. At one glance he did not show much, at another look he showed so much more. I believe what he explains is a better example of how Okinawan karate was meant to be used.

 

Of course what do I know. I only recommend that you read it yourself, then study. really study it. Ad of course form your own opinion.

 

The biography of Shiroma Shimpan from the Karate Do Taiken.

 

Shiroma Shimpan (1890 – 1954)

Born in Tera village, Okinawa, Shiroma received his first Karate-dó instruction from Anko Itosu. He opened his first dojo in 1915 at Shuri First Elementary School. Shiroma was referred to as warrior Shiroma and devoted most of his energies to the teaching and promotion of Karate-dó.

 

If you are interested in reading the book, the Mario McKenna translation titled “An Overview of Karate Do” is available at Lulu Press.

Memories on teaching my own children

I had been teaching youth for decades when I had children of my own,

(and of course my wife Maureen had a lot to do with it too.)

 

I once saw a baby gi at the mall,

and got it for my son Victor Michael.

Then I took him to a tournament Black Belt meeting.

He was 4 months old, and perfectly qualified,

after all he was wearing a black belt.

 

 

I always took my kids to the dojo with me.

Here he was helping supervise.

 

 

Both my son and my daughter, Caryn Alyssa,

attended with me.

 

 

 

 

 

And being around me, each eventually began training.

But each of them did many other activities,

such as dance, gymnastics, soccer. little league to name a few.

 

Always they only trained as a member of the class.

I had learned from many others

not to train them myself.

 

And yes both of them took early dance, my son too.

After all as a boy I too went to dance class.

 

In time each made their own decisions

as to what they wanted  to do.

 

Caryn in the long run found her talents lay in different directions.

 

Michael, along with all his other activities, choose to keep training.

 

 

He was a very talented student.

Eventually in college he reached Ni Dan.

 

But when facing adult choices,

chose to move beyond karate,

and keep with is flute studies.

 

 

I am very proud of the choices each of them made for their life.

 

After all that is what parents do.

 

And in part I am happy each of them was exposed to my karate.

At least they understand what that meant to me.



 

Discourse on Rank

 

 

Rank has  IMO always been fraught with problems.

It isn't Okinawan, and Japan had plenty of problems with it in karate almost from the beginning. However little is discussed about that.

American students got a short course that rank meant something, in and of itself, so their customs developed on that.

Compounded with the same problems found in Japan, compounded and compounded.

I well understand what our originators went through, and love them all the same, simple because if not for their efforts, would we be here, I doubt it.

I went from white to black, then of a friends suggestion ,from a different Indonesian system, started wearing the red, white and black belt outside so it would appear a black belt, not as a sign of rank, but of the responsibility an instructor faces each time they put it on, though others would notice only the black.

 Then the time came I was promoted and given a red and white belt to wear. I only wore it for my students on formal occasions. Keeping to my instructor obi for most classes.

Now days I no longer wear an obi, have not done so for the past 2 years. I still practice, just no longer use the obi.

At times i am reminded of something Sherman said to me,

"Too much talking, never enough time training". I always believed that applied to everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

The most important lessons from training in other styles with other instructors.

 

1. No matter how long you train with them and get a form for example.

 

    That is never the equivalent of really being their student.

    You can get a good approximation and then work the heck out of it till you develop skill.

     But it cannot be the same as being a student either.

     Never assume that you were a student. Be satisfied that you gained something.

 

2. You have the good fortune to become a beginner again. More so if the training offered is vastly different from what you study. Experience anew having to not have skill in what you are being shown. Becoming a beginner again allows you to feel what the beginning experience is all about. In turn that can be used to better understand what your own beginners are experiencing.

 

   Grasp that experience. It is most special