....I would have liked to say profane, but as we had to wash Son Sempai's blood out of my doji yesterday, soiled would be a better word.
I haven't been able to train as much as I would have liked regularly so last night (Thursday) was refreshing to say the least. Actually it was a pattern-breaking day beginning with Kata and ending in ji-yu kumite- hence the sacred and profane.
If you are KWF, you will know that we have three theories of generating power: koshi no kaiten, kusshin and the combination of the two. As Kata, Kumite and Kihon are just different expressions of the same fundamentals, sometimes YS does things backwards.
As opposed to me, who often gets things backwards.
Heian-1-2-3
Recently I have been asked if I know anyone who knows the Kata Hushu (Kaze no te or Wind Hand) which is an Asai-Ryu Kata (i.e. developed by Tetsuhiko Asai Shihan). I always say, "I don't know any Kata at all. The most important Kata for 6th dan in KWF is Heian Shodan- or at least it is checked minutely by YS and IS for that grade.
Last night was a special treat: focusing on koshi-kiru and tameru in Heian Shodan while adding in blocks and punches, then a clinic on some points on H-2 and H-3.
Heian Shodan
We only did it five times but each time YS asked us to completely focus on a specfic technical point and, as it turned out, the last time, synthesise them.
#1: Relaxed and perfection: focus on extreme hanmi and then gyakuhanmi
Pull out student for good example, correct student with bad example
#2: Relaxed and then apply power using koshi no tameru and hold, hold hold the hanmi to the last instant to generate power on the gyakuzuki
Pull out student for good example, correct student with bad example
#3: Repeat with more speed and power: however focus on Kushin and koshi no tameru
Pull out student for good example, correct student with bad example
#4: Repeat and now focus on all these points plus age-uke to gyaku-zuki (x2)
Pull out student for good example, correct student with bad example
#5: Put them all together!
H-2 & 3 Clinic:
The biggest points with Heian Nidan today were driving off the hips for the initial blocks and making the shuto long and attacking. With H-3 it was driving forward with the three fumikomi. The point is that if you are like me, and like stomping, move beyond that- you should be driving forward into your attacker (remember the hip thrusts in Enpi!) and belting out the urkan; the two must be dynamically linked- it's not THUMP (stomp) (fraction of nothing) WHACK (urakan), its driiiiiiiiiiiiiveSTOMPaTHUMP. Sorry, that's the best I can do for now!
Kumite
We did 4 or 5 sets of Gohon Kumite and it was me with Son Sempai, who is old school, so I got hit on the jaw three times and kicked in the, well, yes, twice and then jiyu kumite with him, which involved, how might we put it, a fair and frank exhange of opinions, and me feeling the less than gentle administrations of the guy who regarded himself as the toughest non-sensei fighter in the old Ebisu dojo until a certain young guy called Yahara give him a whipping...and another one, and another one ;-)
Yoroshiku,
Paul.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Do Suru...? "Unsu" ...The Son of....
Sorry folks,
Following the return of Mike Dukas Sensei's sensational South Africans, we have been back to normal here, which means TOO MUCH WORK. As my better half caught a cold, I spent the weekend trying to look after Yuko (lucky she's still alive, I guess) and nursing the dark brown bruising running from my wrist to my elbow joint after Friday.
Coming up:
1. Do Suru? UNSU! Part #2 with Bryan Dukas Sensei.
Bryan Sensei sent me an e-mail yesterday saying that he will get me his writeup of the lesson he received from YS last week on Unsu.
2. Do Suru? UNSU! Part #3, which will look into the strange world of Aiful and...UNSU.
You have been warned. Those of you without a sense of humour need not attend.
3. How and how not to bend your back leg in Kushin
Yoroshiku,
Paul.
Following the return of Mike Dukas Sensei's sensational South Africans, we have been back to normal here, which means TOO MUCH WORK. As my better half caught a cold, I spent the weekend trying to look after Yuko (lucky she's still alive, I guess) and nursing the dark brown bruising running from my wrist to my elbow joint after Friday.
Coming up:
1. Do Suru? UNSU! Part #2 with Bryan Dukas Sensei.
Bryan Sensei sent me an e-mail yesterday saying that he will get me his writeup of the lesson he received from YS last week on Unsu.
2. Do Suru? UNSU! Part #3, which will look into the strange world of Aiful and...UNSU.
You have been warned. Those of you without a sense of humour need not attend.
3. How and how not to bend your back leg in Kushin
Yoroshiku,
Paul.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Getting to Grips with YS
The key message with this one, is don't- you'll end up on your head!
We did standard Kihon last night- just good standard training, which was really good for me as several of us had been out late the night before at the KWF "Shadow" Hombu Dojo, Barmian, sending Bryan Sensei off.
We had gakusei in tonight (university students) so YS focused on cleaning up their Bassai Dai. That is a post all in of itself!
We also did Jion. But to be honest, I was so exhausted, I was coasting on fumes.
A Gripping Situation
Ouch! Yowl!
About three times a year YS deals with applications that are not part of Kata bunkai. Last night, we went through some techniques and takedowns about how to deal in a Karate way with situations where a thug or a hoodie, drunk, etc. grabs you by the lapel. Usually its for leverage for the quickly coming headbutt, punch or, with a second hand coming quickly, headbutt, knee in the groin. We only did two techniques, but we did them lots of times, and YS only stopped when we all demonstrated that we could do them. Unfortunately for me, I was the aite, so now I am covered in bruises...
It's difficult to explain the moves, so I'll check Best Karate etc. to see if there are Nakayama Sensei equivalents. The most important thing, however, is to be fast- not hurried, because that's fatal, and decisive. YS says there is a huge difference in power and approach between a left hand grab and a right hand grab. Most people are right handed, so a left hand grab often means a right hand punch is coming. Unless, of course, your thug is a southpaw. So, there are no absolute truths and there are many caveats. The major thing is be cool and decisive and strong!
Enpi Attack
Assuming a right had grip, an extremely fast vertical chop down hitting the top of the arm on a spot 5-8 centimeters on the lower part of the forearm on the palm side of the forearm should, done properly, rip the hand away from the strongest grip. The point here is the point- it's difficult to explain exactly where that point is- you have to be told and you have to be hit there to feel it. Hitting it is really, really painful- it's a tsubo or pressure point. But then, the critical thing is that you use the momentum for a powerful Enpi to ribs, groin, face, throat, etc. getting inside your opponent. And I mean you really go for it- creating the opportunity for you to take the initiative. I am lucky because after years of Judo, I have taken several thugs down with Tai-otoshi, or Harai-goshi. But these days a powerful heel on the shin, ankle will do!
The most difficult part of these moves however is not to signpost and to generate power at the same time. When someone grabs you, it means that they feel aggressive and instinctively superior to you so you MUST take away their initiative immediately. Act fast, cool, decisively- so don't swing your chop back and come down, use the hips and chop vertically! Again, with your center of gravity below your opponent, don't signpost the Enpi, just smash it in, shinshuku, and up. When I did this to Goro even controlled, there was a sickening smack of my elbow and his jaw and he went flying.
Lock and Takedown
This is almost impossible for me to describe- you have to do it and either you get the hang of it quickly or you need a competent teacher to break it down with you, and build it up. Luckily I also did a year of Aikido- so while I would never pretend to be anything more than a beginner, at least I am used to doing these things. I'll see if I can find someone who knows what technique this refers to. The main thing about a wrist lock is making sure to use your whole body with your hips to draw your assailant off balance. I personally think that once you have done that, you are on the way to dealing with the situation- the next thing to do is to make sure you take advantage of your advantage!
Yoroshiku,
Paul.
We did standard Kihon last night- just good standard training, which was really good for me as several of us had been out late the night before at the KWF "Shadow" Hombu Dojo, Barmian, sending Bryan Sensei off.
We had gakusei in tonight (university students) so YS focused on cleaning up their Bassai Dai. That is a post all in of itself!
We also did Jion. But to be honest, I was so exhausted, I was coasting on fumes.
A Gripping Situation
Ouch! Yowl!
About three times a year YS deals with applications that are not part of Kata bunkai. Last night, we went through some techniques and takedowns about how to deal in a Karate way with situations where a thug or a hoodie, drunk, etc. grabs you by the lapel. Usually its for leverage for the quickly coming headbutt, punch or, with a second hand coming quickly, headbutt, knee in the groin. We only did two techniques, but we did them lots of times, and YS only stopped when we all demonstrated that we could do them. Unfortunately for me, I was the aite, so now I am covered in bruises...
It's difficult to explain the moves, so I'll check Best Karate etc. to see if there are Nakayama Sensei equivalents. The most important thing, however, is to be fast- not hurried, because that's fatal, and decisive. YS says there is a huge difference in power and approach between a left hand grab and a right hand grab. Most people are right handed, so a left hand grab often means a right hand punch is coming. Unless, of course, your thug is a southpaw. So, there are no absolute truths and there are many caveats. The major thing is be cool and decisive and strong!
Enpi Attack
Assuming a right had grip, an extremely fast vertical chop down hitting the top of the arm on a spot 5-8 centimeters on the lower part of the forearm on the palm side of the forearm should, done properly, rip the hand away from the strongest grip. The point here is the point- it's difficult to explain exactly where that point is- you have to be told and you have to be hit there to feel it. Hitting it is really, really painful- it's a tsubo or pressure point. But then, the critical thing is that you use the momentum for a powerful Enpi to ribs, groin, face, throat, etc. getting inside your opponent. And I mean you really go for it- creating the opportunity for you to take the initiative. I am lucky because after years of Judo, I have taken several thugs down with Tai-otoshi, or Harai-goshi. But these days a powerful heel on the shin, ankle will do!
The most difficult part of these moves however is not to signpost and to generate power at the same time. When someone grabs you, it means that they feel aggressive and instinctively superior to you so you MUST take away their initiative immediately. Act fast, cool, decisively- so don't swing your chop back and come down, use the hips and chop vertically! Again, with your center of gravity below your opponent, don't signpost the Enpi, just smash it in, shinshuku, and up. When I did this to Goro even controlled, there was a sickening smack of my elbow and his jaw and he went flying.
Lock and Takedown
This is almost impossible for me to describe- you have to do it and either you get the hang of it quickly or you need a competent teacher to break it down with you, and build it up. Luckily I also did a year of Aikido- so while I would never pretend to be anything more than a beginner, at least I am used to doing these things. I'll see if I can find someone who knows what technique this refers to. The main thing about a wrist lock is making sure to use your whole body with your hips to draw your assailant off balance. I personally think that once you have done that, you are on the way to dealing with the situation- the next thing to do is to make sure you take advantage of your advantage!
Yoroshiku,
Paul.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Do suru? UNSU .....Part I
Tonight was a special lesson aimed at Bryan Dukas Sensei whose tokui kata of his tokui kata is Unsu.
Great!
Basically it was a 70 minute breakdown of each move with some special jumping practice, which both Bryan and Ohtsuka Senseis had never seen before.
As Bryan is already excellent at this kata, as he demonstrates vividly time and time again, we struck a deal: he is going to write his version of the key 20-30 points YS focused on tonight and I am going to try to knit them into a narrative. So, I'll have to wait until he types out his version of events and sends them to me, which may be until after the weekend when he is recovering from the horribly long flight back to SA.
Spirit
YS commentated that of all the kata, especially in public performance, Unsu is perhaps the most difficult spiritually because it is so demanding, and the JUMP is waiting for you like the executioners chair near the end. Time and time again, said YS, people start Unsu dramatically and full of confidence, but the kata gradually defeats them as niggling little worries (did I do that well enough, that not strong enough, etc.) build up and gradually sap the confidence.
With Unsu you have to turn up dressed to impress and perform it magnificently, absolutely magnificently with brimming power and grace, passion and quietude, explosive energy and kime- or just don't bother- do Sochin or something instead. Unsu the Yahara way brings out the passion and the artist in the performer, as well as the killer dispatching enemies beautifully.
As YS explained this, his eyes just radiated passion and energy- it was incredible and awesome to be there.
Kick Strong, Jump High- not one or the other!
One of the most interesting parts was seeing the belt and pad training method. As YS explained, Unsu is a fiendish kata for eating away at the concentration of the performer- the jump is the focus but it is tempting to rush or ignore the minor mistakes that build up before the jump. But you have to jump high! And you have to kick strongly? So what's the solution?
Anyway, Brian Sensei will be filing the main content for Part II next week, I hope.
I can't wait, for one.
Yoroshiku,
Paul.
Great!
Basically it was a 70 minute breakdown of each move with some special jumping practice, which both Bryan and Ohtsuka Senseis had never seen before.
As Bryan is already excellent at this kata, as he demonstrates vividly time and time again, we struck a deal: he is going to write his version of the key 20-30 points YS focused on tonight and I am going to try to knit them into a narrative. So, I'll have to wait until he types out his version of events and sends them to me, which may be until after the weekend when he is recovering from the horribly long flight back to SA.
Spirit
YS commentated that of all the kata, especially in public performance, Unsu is perhaps the most difficult spiritually because it is so demanding, and the JUMP is waiting for you like the executioners chair near the end. Time and time again, said YS, people start Unsu dramatically and full of confidence, but the kata gradually defeats them as niggling little worries (did I do that well enough, that not strong enough, etc.) build up and gradually sap the confidence.
With Unsu you have to turn up dressed to impress and perform it magnificently, absolutely magnificently with brimming power and grace, passion and quietude, explosive energy and kime- or just don't bother- do Sochin or something instead. Unsu the Yahara way brings out the passion and the artist in the performer, as well as the killer dispatching enemies beautifully.
As YS explained this, his eyes just radiated passion and energy- it was incredible and awesome to be there.
Kick Strong, Jump High- not one or the other!
One of the most interesting parts was seeing the belt and pad training method. As YS explained, Unsu is a fiendish kata for eating away at the concentration of the performer- the jump is the focus but it is tempting to rush or ignore the minor mistakes that build up before the jump. But you have to jump high! And you have to kick strongly? So what's the solution?
Anyway, Brian Sensei will be filing the main content for Part II next week, I hope.
I can't wait, for one.
Yoroshiku,
Paul.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Stepping in, and Stepping Up to Hanmi
Well, the recovery from the Fuji gasshuku (a sort of rain-a-beer-athon with occasional views of lake Kawaguchi through the fog and lightening bolts, but no sign of Fuji at all)...
Yesterday was a national holiday so Bryan Sensei, Yoda, Makita, Hayashi, Shirakawa and Yuko and I crept into the Shirokanedai Dojo for a "secret" practice- the contents of which will remain secret until
a) I can find the time to write it up
b) Somebody buys me a pint to write about it.
Actually it was 50/50 whether Isaka Sensei would have been in there doing his own training: if he was he would have laughed and welcomed us in to do things with tetsugeta and rubber tubes...
Saturday Practice:
This was more of the same as on Friday but it was appallingly humid which meant that we were slipping and sliding all over the place, especially during Kumite.
Ji-yu (Nanbon) Kumite
As per last session but YS made the point again- when we practice this, the critical thing at distance is forget your opponent, remember your Kihon and timing. If your Kihon and timing is correct, everything will start falling into place, including that age-uke which will prevent your aite giving you a mouth full of blood, a trip to the dentist, or chopsticks up the nose to straighten it out again!
With close quarters timing, the essential part of mai requires intelligence and skill on behalf of both sides of the Kumite equation. If the kogeki side is too far, then the shinshuku-kushin from the aite is going to miss. Too close and aite might as well sen no sen! But the correct distance forces the adequate block and counter.
But at the same time the correct mai forces correct kihon kushin and shinshuku from the aite. I think this is the real test of Kihon (Nan)bon and Jiyu (Nan)bon Kumite. If the kushin isn't far enough back and down, the aite isn't going to be able to counter with gyaku-zuki. In ji-yu fighting the appropriate response in KWF karate would naturally be chudan spinning uraken, but as we were practicing kushin-shinshuku under the pressure of a full (even if yakusoku) oi-zuki, then...do it right! Right!
A Merry Dance- Jion
Today's practice was distinguished by some real back and forward stuff, culminating in easy stages to "ichi"
....jiyu-kamae to oi-zuki-kushin-gyakuzuki, leap back pivoting on rear leg to age-uke and step in oi-zuki. The instant you finished one, it's at "ni" and the instant you finish that you are already at "san." I could see YS clearly enjoying this. When people were staggering, time to switch sides!
Jion with Extreme Hanmi
I love Jion. It's just the sort of kata someone thick set like me can look good at, you know the stomping etc. Delusions of grandeur until I see myself on tape. Argh!!!! Just for that sake, I have to do Bassai Dai, which requires the performer to be both rapier as well as a battering ram. Fat chance I have. Thus it is my tokui kata until something is found that is even more of a challenge for me (like Bassai Sho).
Ready- Steady- GO!
Let me ask you a question. What is this hanmi stuff about anyway? I enjoy my dancing about in pajamas and I don't want any strange Japanese telling me what to do! Besides, we've got a picture of Funakoshi Gichin on our wall, so this must be the real thing.
We are of the belief that as sports karate is now the dominant force in the Karate Universe Jion is one of the kata of last stand, a sort of third and final fallback trench as the hoards of "phat-phatting" "shuut-pooting" sports karate robots overwhelm our position...in support of hami and shomen in Jion. I think one of the elements of huge power and beauty of Jion comes in the age-uke- gyaku-zuki, age-uke gyaku-zuki and age-uke oi-zuki sequence, but this just seems to have become a "speed and power" sequence to be banged through. The result is asinine mediocrity at best. When combined with the shoot-phatting, it makes for an experience that stimulates the tear ducts. We also believe in holding hanmi all the way through until the front foot is a good 40 cm beyond the hips in the turn sequences for the later oi-zukis.
There's no other way perform a great Jion.
By the way, I was brought up in Catford, not Lewisham. And what happened to Ladywell Baths? I still have the scars of three verruca plantaris picked up there.
Yoroshiku!
Paul.
a) I can find the time to write it up
b) Somebody buys me a pint to write about it.
Actually it was 50/50 whether Isaka Sensei would have been in there doing his own training: if he was he would have laughed and welcomed us in to do things with tetsugeta and rubber tubes...
Saturday Practice:
This was more of the same as on Friday but it was appallingly humid which meant that we were slipping and sliding all over the place, especially during Kumite.
Ji-yu (Nanbon) Kumite
As per last session but YS made the point again- when we practice this, the critical thing at distance is forget your opponent, remember your Kihon and timing. If your Kihon and timing is correct, everything will start falling into place, including that age-uke which will prevent your aite giving you a mouth full of blood, a trip to the dentist, or chopsticks up the nose to straighten it out again!
With close quarters timing, the essential part of mai requires intelligence and skill on behalf of both sides of the Kumite equation. If the kogeki side is too far, then the shinshuku-kushin from the aite is going to miss. Too close and aite might as well sen no sen! But the correct distance forces the adequate block and counter.
But at the same time the correct mai forces correct kihon kushin and shinshuku from the aite. I think this is the real test of Kihon (Nan)bon and Jiyu (Nan)bon Kumite. If the kushin isn't far enough back and down, the aite isn't going to be able to counter with gyaku-zuki. In ji-yu fighting the appropriate response in KWF karate would naturally be chudan spinning uraken, but as we were practicing kushin-shinshuku under the pressure of a full (even if yakusoku) oi-zuki, then...do it right! Right!
A Merry Dance- Jion
Today's practice was distinguished by some real back and forward stuff, culminating in easy stages to "ichi"
....jiyu-kamae to oi-zuki-kushin-gyakuzuki, leap back pivoting on rear leg to age-uke and step in oi-zuki. The instant you finished one, it's at "ni" and the instant you finish that you are already at "san." I could see YS clearly enjoying this. When people were staggering, time to switch sides!
Jion with Extreme Hanmi
I love Jion. It's just the sort of kata someone thick set like me can look good at, you know the stomping etc. Delusions of grandeur until I see myself on tape. Argh!!!! Just for that sake, I have to do Bassai Dai, which requires the performer to be both rapier as well as a battering ram. Fat chance I have. Thus it is my tokui kata until something is found that is even more of a challenge for me (like Bassai Sho).
Ready- Steady- GO!
Let me ask you a question. What is this hanmi stuff about anyway? I enjoy my dancing about in pajamas and I don't want any strange Japanese telling me what to do! Besides, we've got a picture of Funakoshi Gichin on our wall, so this must be the real thing.
We are of the belief that as sports karate is now the dominant force in the Karate Universe Jion is one of the kata of last stand, a sort of third and final fallback trench as the hoards of "phat-phatting" "shuut-pooting" sports karate robots overwhelm our position...in support of hami and shomen in Jion. I think one of the elements of huge power and beauty of Jion comes in the age-uke- gyaku-zuki, age-uke gyaku-zuki and age-uke oi-zuki sequence, but this just seems to have become a "speed and power" sequence to be banged through. The result is asinine mediocrity at best. When combined with the shoot-phatting, it makes for an experience that stimulates the tear ducts. We also believe in holding hanmi all the way through until the front foot is a good 40 cm beyond the hips in the turn sequences for the later oi-zukis.
There's no other way perform a great Jion.
By the way, I was brought up in Catford, not Lewisham. And what happened to Ladywell Baths? I still have the scars of three verruca plantaris picked up there.
Yoroshiku!
Paul.
Monday, September 22, 2008
More info: KWF International Masters Camp, Algeria
Sensei Sid Tadrist is doing a wonderful job setting up the the KWF International Masters Camp in Algeria. If you are are at all interested in experiencing the breathtaking and dynamic Budo Karate that is the KWF, this is a great chance!
Please go to the KWF HQ website for more details.
Be seeing you ;-)
Paul.
Please go to the KWF HQ website for more details.
Be seeing you ;-)
Paul.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Delayed filing of next episode
After the Kurobi Seminar tonight, many of us are going on a gasshuku in Fukushima, back Monday night; so I'll try to jot down some notes of Saturday's training between the beer and the braai and the sightseeing, etc. It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it.
Sparrows vs Swallows, fire in the hole!
Today, you will learn about the importance of the sparrow in Shotokan karate!
Friday night's class was dominated by four sets of Ji-yu-(suhon)-kumite partner training, starting off quite simply and building into full KWF Kurobi kihon kumite, and then winding down to simpler derivations. It had our heads spinning, and Ohtsuka Sensei's head nearly knocked off!
Kihon
Basic kihon last night fed straight into the kihon and ji-yu (suhon) kumite that followed.
Actually we practiced discrete parts of these movements to get used to them again and to give newcomers a chance. Now I know that that team KWF SA has been practicing these moves!
a) kihon jodan oi-zuki, gyaku-zuki, soto-uke spin uraken, whiplash return uraken zenshin
Points to focus on here:
1. Perfect kihon in oi-zuki, gyaku-hanmi
2. Soto-uke has to be strong and the kime has to be momentary, good enough to make sure the block is effective
3. BUT the soto-uke also has to be in the correct line to enable the body to achieve the dynamic spin for execution of the powerful uraken
4. Twist DOWN onto a solid base for the first spin uraken - spinning kushin!
YS explained it as a vortex spinning down
5. Explode UP when spinning back for the final spin uraken- spinning shinshuku!
b) jodan age-uke, kihon gyaku-zuki, jodan uchi-uke, spin uraken, whiplash uraken
Points to focus on here
1. Of course, maximum hanmi supporting the age-uke
2. Explosion of the rear leg and gyaku-hanmi on the gyaku-zuki
3. Forget the jodan uchi-uke at your peril!
Basic vs Kushin Kihon Kumite
Set 1:
The first set of kumite was relatively easy developing from kihon to ji-yu sanbon kumite using a subset of the above, i.e. jodan oi-zuki, kushin tsukaenagra soto-uke gyaku-zuki. Correspondingly, uke blocks age-uke with the opposite hand, counterattacks with gyaku-zuki.
Simple!
Set 2:
Kogeki: kihon jodan oi-zuki, gyaku-zuki, soto-uke spin uraken, whiplash return uraken zenshin
Ukemi: (rather obviously...) kihon jodan oi-zuki, gyaku-zuki, soto-uke spin uraken, whiplash return uraken zenshin
The trick with both sets was to develop starting off slowly in kihon-type kumite, then build up speed, distance and power. But the point is THINK! What are you DOING with each technique, and WHY.
Set 3:
Simple and beautiful:
a) Kogeki: oi-zuki, gyaku-zuki
b) Ukemi: age-uke, soto-uke, spin uraken
Set 4:
Spinning counterattack to kicking: this one really relies on the skill of the aite because if he or she is not in control, then serious injury will result.
a) Kogeki: maegeri
b) Ukemi: harau, spin uraken.
Note: this is also tricky on the distance. This seems particularly hard to contemplate because you are using spin and timing (exotically, aiki, if you believe in that) to deflect or harness the missile like thrust of the maegeri and knock your opponent or detabilize your aite so you can clock him/ her with a devistating uraken.
Q&A
1. Sensei Marius asked about knee direction in shinshuku, which elicited the classic YS explaination, which I will explain another time.
2. There was also a discussion on tanden and go-tai-ichi for Bryan Sensei, which I will also go into later.
Kata: Enpi
Again, the focus was on kushin-shinshuku, with YS getting Senseis Bryan and Ohtsuka to mirror off each other, followed by kushin-shinshuku for Enpi. For YS, the kushin-shinshuku is the defining characteristic of Enpi and the one that must be done with the most power and beauty of all the moves. YS: "You are supposed to move with the grace and power and sudden change of direction of the flying tsubame (swallow). But you know what your movements are like? They are like the flying suzume....Paul san, what is suzume in English?"
"It's sparrow."
"You are all doing Enpi like a sparrow," he said.
The role of the Sparrow in Shotokan
This did, however, lead to an interesting discussion of the sparrow in Shotokan Karate.
YS: "So, everyone, do you know when you see the sparrow in Karate?"
No Sensei
YS: "You know, when a hetaskuso (unskilled person) tries to do maegeri, and he wobbles and flutters his little wings like this."
Following that he took us all off to Ju Ju where he treated us to a sumptuous Kankoku (Korean) BBQ.
Thank you and good night.
;-)
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Two Karateka, Two Quotes
..."with Karate, you never stop learning. Sometimes you get stuck and despondent, even injured, tired, or maybe over-weight. No need to give up, though, because you can always go back to the very beginnings, and it is the beginnings that are always fresh and new. To me Karate is the spring of the soul, a quiet spring that can send up encouraging young shoots each time I feel the browns and grays of winter mould settling on me."
C. W. Nicol, Moving Zen, p. 163
"At home, I eat red meat, red meat and more red meat. When I fancy vegetables, I eat chicken."
C. W. Nicol, Moving Zen, p. 163
"At home, I eat red meat, red meat and more red meat. When I fancy vegetables, I eat chicken."
Marius Jordaan Sensei, commenting on changes in his diet while training in Japan.
It's a good thing that YS is taking us all to Ju Ju tonight then! If you want decent Korean BBQ at prices that don't break the bank, Ju Ju is just great. It's even better than the album.
This (the restaurant, not the band, d'oh!) was a regular for us when we trained under Richard Amos in Nishi Azabu dojo, just around the corner.
押忍!
Compression and Spin; Rock and Roll...
Tonight's lesson was a very light practice, but, I think most of us felt, interesting and productive. I think for those not used to this practice, tonight's session will have raised more questions than answers. And I think for those used to this form of practice, tonight's session will have raised more questions than answers!
So on to our truncated lesson tonight- no kumite tonight because we will focus on that on Friday.
Kihon: The Kihon of KWF Kurobi Kihon- Gyaku-zuki
Oh what fun we had...First of all we did basic kihon. It is the truth that you just cannot escape. But can you actually do it? I mean, can really stand there and do a lightening fast, linearly correct, no shoulder stress, perfect 65-75% front leg, 10% off-straight leaning forward, 0.2 second total kime/kiai gyakuzuki in gyaku-hanmi and then swing your hips back through to genkai-made hanmi with your rear hip over your rear leg 1.5 -3 cm lower than the front hip (i.e., showing the huge kushin compression required on the rear leg with tsumasaki mae) while keeping that spin on the same plane and accomplish that in 0.3 of a second and then whiplash that back again into gyaku-zuki...?
So on to our truncated lesson tonight- no kumite tonight because we will focus on that on Friday.
Kihon: The Kihon of KWF Kurobi Kihon- Gyaku-zuki
Oh what fun we had...First of all we did basic kihon. It is the truth that you just cannot escape. But can you actually do it? I mean, can really stand there and do a lightening fast, linearly correct, no shoulder stress, perfect 65-75% front leg, 10% off-straight leaning forward, 0.2 second total kime/kiai gyakuzuki in gyaku-hanmi and then swing your hips back through to genkai-made hanmi with your rear hip over your rear leg 1.5 -3 cm lower than the front hip (i.e., showing the huge kushin compression required on the rear leg with tsumasaki mae) while keeping that spin on the same plane and accomplish that in 0.3 of a second and then whiplash that back again into gyaku-zuki...?
Well, can I do it? Nope. But I give it the old Columbia try.
..and can you look really handsome (male) or beautiful (female) doing it?
Well, the wife can. But she's gorgeous anyway.
...And if you can, then you are on your way to mastering KWF kihon.
Funnily enough, if are migi kiki (right handed) and you are serious and you train with us, you may well find that your left side is far more talented than your right side in doing this. Because there is less to unlearn.
Genkai-Made Simple Application
Actions speak louder than words: if your hikite is not pulled to the last millimeter, if your hanmi is not to the last degree, if your oi-zuki extension is not to the last millimeter, you are amai. Bryan Dukas Sensei is no longer amai!
押忍！！！！！！
Did you ever sweat just standing in hanmi? (Did you ever get fed up with my rhetorical questions?) If you didn't, you didn't get KWF hanmi with YS on you. As the Japanese say...Irrasshai! ("welcome!")
Of course all this is pretty basic stuff. Today's main lesson was...Kushin and Gyaku-zuki and Uraken combinations. So let’s make a subtitle, and as Mentor of Arisia would say, on with it!
Kushin and Gyaku-zuki and Uraken Combinations
Today we just did two simple patterns after basic kihon. I love doing the mae->mawashi-geri->yoko-gerikekomi->ushiro-geri combi...you gotta roll with it even if that last ushro geri does tend to flop around like a bunny rabbits ears sometimes. Jusslikedat.
First YS checked Bryan Dukas Sensei's Kushin-> gyaku-zuki and asked him to work on that. Actually, this was put in as a further revision for us, and a double check of Sensei Bryan. One of the fundamental abilities yudansha must have at the KWF is a relatively simple one, but it’s actually sometimes conceptually difficult to learn. It’s the dynamics of compression and expansion off the rear leg and foot (otherwise known as....3...2...1....Kushin). You can’t get more basic than this ability, and somehow when you make it, a lot of things become clearer. It’s difficult to explain, but we see it time and time again with sports Karate yudansha who are technically proficient to, say, old Kyokai standards. The hanmi shomen hip rotation is big and dynamic and the length of the punch is great and handspeed is impressive. But by KWF standards, it just looks fast and loose- uncoordinated and amai.
Did you ever sweat just standing in hanmi? (Did you ever get fed up with my rhetorical questions?) If you didn't, you didn't get KWF hanmi with YS on you. As the Japanese say...Irrasshai! ("welcome!")
Of course all this is pretty basic stuff. Today's main lesson was...Kushin and Gyaku-zuki and Uraken combinations. So let’s make a subtitle, and as Mentor of Arisia would say, on with it!
Kushin and Gyaku-zuki and Uraken Combinations
Today we just did two simple patterns after basic kihon. I love doing the mae->mawashi-geri->yoko-gerikekomi->ushiro-geri combi...you gotta roll with it even if that last ushro geri does tend to flop around like a bunny rabbits ears sometimes. Jusslikedat.
First YS checked Bryan Dukas Sensei's Kushin-> gyaku-zuki and asked him to work on that. Actually, this was put in as a further revision for us, and a double check of Sensei Bryan. One of the fundamental abilities yudansha must have at the KWF is a relatively simple one, but it’s actually sometimes conceptually difficult to learn. It’s the dynamics of compression and expansion off the rear leg and foot (otherwise known as....3...2...1....Kushin). You can’t get more basic than this ability, and somehow when you make it, a lot of things become clearer. It’s difficult to explain, but we see it time and time again with sports Karate yudansha who are technically proficient to, say, old Kyokai standards. The hanmi shomen hip rotation is big and dynamic and the length of the punch is great and handspeed is impressive. But by KWF standards, it just looks fast and loose- uncoordinated and amai.
I don’t care how many times I have seen it, and I never get tired of it, is the KWF’s approach to rear leg work. I was taught by Richard Amos Sensei that tsumasaki mae and keeping the rear knee angle unchanged when rotating massively back to chamber for gyaku-zuki is essential. Kushin and pressure is understood in this explanation YS takes it a stage further by emphasizing the kushin, harnessing the joints and compression and twist. Frankly, if it doesn’t hurt and you don’t actually strongly need to release it, then you are amai. This is YS doctrine on the issue. That’s why if you aren’t sweating like hell, you are amai!
Kushin from Soto-Uke: What a difference 2-3 cm makes.
Next YS broke this down for us and then moved to personally work on Sensei Bryan. This was just great because it gave him the opportunity to put things together quickly with feedback. It also reinforces the body’s understanding of the relationship and importance of kushin and rear leg compression, orientation, and hip balance and vector for more advanced combinations. Obviously, soto-uke kushin gyaku-zuki is a logical step (forgive the pun, which was half intended) from hanmi-shomen.
The first critical thing here of course is the red hot poker feeling in your thighs- that’s how low in kushin you should be going. As we battled through last week, the next is keeping weight orientation forward, butt in and perfectly balanced forward to ensure maximum thrust forward for gyaku-zuki.
So how many of you move your front leg first? I’d wager a bet with the devil (I’m an atheist who is prepared to be agnostic to keep his valuable friends) that most of you move that front leg first and don’t thrust off the back!
Kushin from Soto-Uke: What a difference 2-3 cm makes.
Next YS broke this down for us and then moved to personally work on Sensei Bryan. This was just great because it gave him the opportunity to put things together quickly with feedback. It also reinforces the body’s understanding of the relationship and importance of kushin and rear leg compression, orientation, and hip balance and vector for more advanced combinations. Obviously, soto-uke kushin gyaku-zuki is a logical step (forgive the pun, which was half intended) from hanmi-shomen.
The first critical thing here of course is the red hot poker feeling in your thighs- that’s how low in kushin you should be going. As we battled through last week, the next is keeping weight orientation forward, butt in and perfectly balanced forward to ensure maximum thrust forward for gyaku-zuki.
So how many of you move your front leg first? I’d wager a bet with the devil (I’m an atheist who is prepared to be agnostic to keep his valuable friends) that most of you move that front leg first and don’t thrust off the back!
Then we moved into combinations.
1. Traditional Combination: Shizen Kamae into reverse spinning Uraken
This seemed to be thrown in just to check the basic technical level of the black belts in the class and most seemed to be able to cope with it. I had trouble with it, but that’s because I am a donkey in sheep’s clothing. But you have to keep on going...the only answer is more practice, more thinking, and more practice.
The key is to be able to twist and compress down from the front leg without moving the back leg for leverage. The compression down is essential for the WHAP! uraken. Psychologically more than ever before, think efficiency- lean, tight, clean. How else would you want your best person, that person you project in the dojo to learn from in your daily life- to be?
KWF Karate is beautiful! Poetry in motion. You have to be there and see YS in motion to see how great this move is. Ok, enough of the warm up and onto the two major kihon renshu.
2. Zenshin Extended Kihon Jodan Oi-zuki-Gyaku-zuki, genkai-made Age-uke Gyaku-zuki Kushin Soko-uke->Gyaku-zuki ...
What a beautiful set of zenshin tonight- pure pleasure to put together. If you think each time you move, the next move must be better than the last, longer, more kime, more linear motion, less waste, more relaxed, stronger and more beautiful, and each time your hips must be lower, then you love this sort of level of training! To me, it's the Karate equivalent of sinking a draft of cold beer on a hot day, or a chocolate éclair when you want comfort food and you know your blood sugar is low.
Think about it: a huge oi-zuki but the discipline of keeping perfect kihon and then the second punch (which always gives me great satisfaction, like a left cross after a jab, but this time with 10X the power and with seishin)...then going into basic, comfortable shodan kihon. KWF shodan kihon syllabus emphases the ability to produce powerful efficient genkai-made hanmi from gyakuhanmi (nidan develops the emphasis on shinshuku).
The next step is the most vital in this combination- it's the Kushin/soto-uke combination. There are several things going on here to be mindful of. The first is to make sure that your soto-uke is as it should be a weapon. In a sense, if you are inexperienced with this, you should forget the soto-uke and just go back to the basic shodan syllabus of shuto->gyaku-zuki. Why? Because by "thinking shuto" with your body, you will be able to execute Kushin.
This drill caused us (including your bumbling scribe) a lot of problems. For me extreme compression going back wasn’t the issue. When you have had YS make you do it until you are gasping and slipping in your own sweat, with the only thanks being comments like “Naniyatta-no Omae?” (What in the hell do you think you are doing, son?) or “DAME! Mo-ikkai!” (What a load of rubbish! Do it again! …and again…and again), I am telling, you don’t forget. So changing the practice to shuto was like getting on a bicycle after a long and weary stumble on stilts. But it’s the bloody soto-uke that’s the problem! Me being me, I can do one thing quite well if trained hard and repetitively enough, but getting that snap (think Asai Sensei level) with the elbow yet keeping the move to YS-level linear efficiency. But what about that soto-uke? OK- think Kushin and then think soto-uke and you should be fine.
And now for the tricky bit: Age-uke gayaku-zuki, soto-uke uraken:
This was the normal execution of going back into age-uke (no kushin) but there was a hell of a job for all of us to get that soto-uke done with snap and power, and then snap round for uraken. And the most critical thing (apart from, in my case, not falling over) is going down, twisting down through that uraken. What a night!
Kanku-dai
Tonight's kata: well it's quite obvious in Bassai-dai that that first move forward is going play a large role in dictating, at least unconsciously, an examiner’s judgment of the credibility of your kata. Did you hunch or wobble, did you vector down, were there any extraneous movement…let’s face it, if you did it in the street would get bowled over or back giving you the space and the time to give him a rapid and much nastier piece of your karate wisdom.
Well, to YS, the opening of Kanku-dai has three or four points that are absolutely critical for KWF Kanku-dai
1. Dynamic acceleration and scale of the two initial blocks
2. Correct timing in chambering for blocks and balance shifting from kushin-style kokutsu-dachi
3. Proper chambering and extreme merihari between upper and lower body for the two uchi-uke blocks and compression off the rear legs for each of the punches.
Kanku Dai- we’ll leave it for another time.
1. Traditional Combination: Shizen Kamae into reverse spinning Uraken
This seemed to be thrown in just to check the basic technical level of the black belts in the class and most seemed to be able to cope with it. I had trouble with it, but that’s because I am a donkey in sheep’s clothing. But you have to keep on going...the only answer is more practice, more thinking, and more practice.
The key is to be able to twist and compress down from the front leg without moving the back leg for leverage. The compression down is essential for the WHAP! uraken. Psychologically more than ever before, think efficiency- lean, tight, clean. How else would you want your best person, that person you project in the dojo to learn from in your daily life- to be?
KWF Karate is beautiful! Poetry in motion. You have to be there and see YS in motion to see how great this move is. Ok, enough of the warm up and onto the two major kihon renshu.
2. Zenshin Extended Kihon Jodan Oi-zuki-Gyaku-zuki, genkai-made Age-uke Gyaku-zuki Kushin Soko-uke->Gyaku-zuki ...
What a beautiful set of zenshin tonight- pure pleasure to put together. If you think each time you move, the next move must be better than the last, longer, more kime, more linear motion, less waste, more relaxed, stronger and more beautiful, and each time your hips must be lower, then you love this sort of level of training! To me, it's the Karate equivalent of sinking a draft of cold beer on a hot day, or a chocolate éclair when you want comfort food and you know your blood sugar is low.
Think about it: a huge oi-zuki but the discipline of keeping perfect kihon and then the second punch (which always gives me great satisfaction, like a left cross after a jab, but this time with 10X the power and with seishin)...then going into basic, comfortable shodan kihon. KWF shodan kihon syllabus emphases the ability to produce powerful efficient genkai-made hanmi from gyakuhanmi (nidan develops the emphasis on shinshuku).
The next step is the most vital in this combination- it's the Kushin/soto-uke combination. There are several things going on here to be mindful of. The first is to make sure that your soto-uke is as it should be a weapon. In a sense, if you are inexperienced with this, you should forget the soto-uke and just go back to the basic shodan syllabus of shuto->gyaku-zuki. Why? Because by "thinking shuto" with your body, you will be able to execute Kushin.
This drill caused us (including your bumbling scribe) a lot of problems. For me extreme compression going back wasn’t the issue. When you have had YS make you do it until you are gasping and slipping in your own sweat, with the only thanks being comments like “Naniyatta-no Omae?” (What in the hell do you think you are doing, son?) or “DAME! Mo-ikkai!” (What a load of rubbish! Do it again! …and again…and again), I am telling, you don’t forget. So changing the practice to shuto was like getting on a bicycle after a long and weary stumble on stilts. But it’s the bloody soto-uke that’s the problem! Me being me, I can do one thing quite well if trained hard and repetitively enough, but getting that snap (think Asai Sensei level) with the elbow yet keeping the move to YS-level linear efficiency. But what about that soto-uke? OK- think Kushin and then think soto-uke and you should be fine.
And now for the tricky bit: Age-uke gayaku-zuki, soto-uke uraken:
This was the normal execution of going back into age-uke (no kushin) but there was a hell of a job for all of us to get that soto-uke done with snap and power, and then snap round for uraken. And the most critical thing (apart from, in my case, not falling over) is going down, twisting down through that uraken. What a night!
Kanku-dai
Tonight's kata: well it's quite obvious in Bassai-dai that that first move forward is going play a large role in dictating, at least unconsciously, an examiner’s judgment of the credibility of your kata. Did you hunch or wobble, did you vector down, were there any extraneous movement…let’s face it, if you did it in the street would get bowled over or back giving you the space and the time to give him a rapid and much nastier piece of your karate wisdom.
Well, to YS, the opening of Kanku-dai has three or four points that are absolutely critical for KWF Kanku-dai
1. Dynamic acceleration and scale of the two initial blocks
2. Correct timing in chambering for blocks and balance shifting from kushin-style kokutsu-dachi
3. Proper chambering and extreme merihari between upper and lower body for the two uchi-uke blocks and compression off the rear legs for each of the punches.
Kanku Dai- we’ll leave it for another time.
Thank you and oyasumi!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Andre Bertel: Big in Japan
Hi folks,
Just a note to say got a very nice pat on the back from someone who is the "real deal," Andre Bertel.
We are in the same country, but at different ends- he's in Kyushu while I am in the concrete metropolis of Tokyo.
What am I trying to say here?
What am I trying to say here?
What I figured is that we are here on the ground training and you will decide whether we have anything valid to offer. You sometimes get the feeling that some people figure that being in Japan and training in Japan is no longer a necessary pilgrimage (deliberate use of religious terminology there).
In our own ways, Andre keeping Asai Bujutsu Karatedo "alive and kicking" ("hansoku!") and me here trying to transcribe what it's like to train under YS week in week out, year in year out, are allowing you to make your own decisions. You can take it or leave it, ignore or enjoy it.
I say...enjoy! ;-)
KWF INTERNATIONAL MASTERS CAMP, ALGERIA!
You lucky, lucky people: Yahara Sensei, Sid Tadrist and Ohtsuka Senseis in Algeria!
Thanks to the indefatigable Sid Tadrist Sensei, KWF is once again able to hold another premier event in (or rather near!) Europe: the International Masters Camp and Grading in Algeria, October 24-26 inclusive.
We had a great turnout in Italy this year for the KWF European Cup and International Technical Seminar in Turin, but...if you've never experienced KWF Karate before, this is another great chance a living legend, YS, in action, supported by both Sid Tadrist and Masamichi Otsuka Senseis. Great!
Please contact Sensei Sid in London for details:
Sid Tadrist Sensei
Tel: 00-44-79-58-49-75-63 or Sid_tadrist@yahoo.co.uk
Ji-yu Roppon Kumite and "Arching" Kushin
Ji-yu Roppon Kumite and “Arching” Kushin
Get the picture?
I’m gradually catching up from the long weekend here; because I run my own business I often have to work holidays and now we have the KWF SA over, things are even busier. Anyway, Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning were Isaka Sensei (IS) training, which I won’t go into now- that deserves a blog of its own. In between dinner at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan, sushi parties, and visiting Sugamo Kosoburo, I realized we need some time to explain one of the earlier sessions the KWF SA has been trying- Ji-yu Roppon Kumite.
Ji-yu Roppon Kumite.
Those of you who have seen prior videos will have caught glimpses of some excellent Ji-yu Roppon Kumite by Kawasaki Sensei. Basically Ji-yu Roppon Kumite by KWF is normally done with a partner, or, more usually, with the heavy sandbag. It consists of three parts- a full-blown Oi-zuki, followed by hard and fast punches, a huge leap back and down, and then the most powerful surge forward for the final coupe de grace Oi-zuki. BANG-ba-ba-ba-ba-WhoooahBANG!
Ji-yu Roppon Kumite.
Those of you who have seen prior videos will have caught glimpses of some excellent Ji-yu Roppon Kumite by Kawasaki Sensei. Basically Ji-yu Roppon Kumite by KWF is normally done with a partner, or, more usually, with the heavy sandbag. It consists of three parts- a full-blown Oi-zuki, followed by hard and fast punches, a huge leap back and down, and then the most powerful surge forward for the final coupe de grace Oi-zuki. BANG-ba-ba-ba-ba-WhoooahBANG!
Get the picture?
Of course, this is a great way to let off steam. But it is also an important part of KWF Black Belt training and an exercise that we have focused on for a month in 8-9 month cycles. It’s supposed to encompass everything KWF is about.
The Meaning of Ji-yu Roppon Kumite
The Meaning of Ji-yu Roppon Kumite
First of all, the Oi-zuki is supposed to be maximum length and maximum power- to smash down the opponent. This is the critical philosophy of the KWF- one powerful technique to finish the issue. All the will and strength possible should be put into this.
So why bother with what’s next?
Well, that’s the issue, isn’t it? Say you don’t manage it…say your opponent is fast and switched on and manages to get back or deflect or block, or…you just weren’t successful for some reason. This is where the follow-up punches come in, to destabilize, stun, or put your aite off balance. Of course, we are not talking about hooks or uppercuts here, but close up in the street...Once you feel that the opponent is reeling or backpedaling, you can afford the risk for the next technique, the huge spring back and rebound into the final coup de grace Oi-zuki.
Timing?
The rhythm against the bag is…"BANG!-ba-ba-ba-ba-uh-BANG!"
Distance?
The first Oi-zuki against the bag is practiced maybe two meters from the bag; the follow-up punches are close range. The lunge back onto the rear leg means that you should be at even as much as three meters from the bag when you launch into the final Oi-zuki.
The role of Kushin/ Shinshuku
As you may well have realized, this drill’s most important and dramatic and most difficult part is the lung back onto the rear leg and then the launch forward and UP and down in and arc to smash your opponent. Normally, when you go back and down to block and Gyaku-zuki your weight should be forward- but when you launch backwards and down, you should be leaning back way over your leg in a position similar to the move in Empi, except you are going to lunge back into the attack with an Oi-zuki instead of snapping the hips and blocking Gedan-barai. Get the picture. The fuss is- to generate the power and the momentum to crumple and finish your enemy.
押忍
Paul
So why bother with what’s next?
Well, that’s the issue, isn’t it? Say you don’t manage it…say your opponent is fast and switched on and manages to get back or deflect or block, or…you just weren’t successful for some reason. This is where the follow-up punches come in, to destabilize, stun, or put your aite off balance. Of course, we are not talking about hooks or uppercuts here, but close up in the street...Once you feel that the opponent is reeling or backpedaling, you can afford the risk for the next technique, the huge spring back and rebound into the final coup de grace Oi-zuki.
Timing?
The rhythm against the bag is…"BANG!-ba-ba-ba-ba-uh-BANG!"
Distance?
The first Oi-zuki against the bag is practiced maybe two meters from the bag; the follow-up punches are close range. The lunge back onto the rear leg means that you should be at even as much as three meters from the bag when you launch into the final Oi-zuki.
The role of Kushin/ Shinshuku
As you may well have realized, this drill’s most important and dramatic and most difficult part is the lung back onto the rear leg and then the launch forward and UP and down in and arc to smash your opponent. Normally, when you go back and down to block and Gyaku-zuki your weight should be forward- but when you launch backwards and down, you should be leaning back way over your leg in a position similar to the move in Empi, except you are going to lunge back into the attack with an Oi-zuki instead of snapping the hips and blocking Gedan-barai. Get the picture. The fuss is- to generate the power and the momentum to crumple and finish your enemy.
押忍
Paul
Friday, September 12, 2008
Kushin Part X of a Y series...
Friday night rolled on: YS is off Friday and Saturday and Mike Dukas Sensei suggested that Ohtsuka Sensei (0S) cover. This is a busy weekend for Japanese KWF black belts as many of them are up in Nasu for Daigakusei Gassuku. The Friday night session was restricted to one hour because hereafter OS had to get up North.
After basics, we focused on long and low genkai made Oizuki zenshin, gradually stretching it out and extending the length and power until the front leg was extended beyond the key-- yes-- THAT long. Up and down and up and down.
After basics, we focused on long and low genkai made Oizuki zenshin, gradually stretching it out and extending the length and power until the front leg was extended beyond the key-- yes-- THAT long. Up and down and up and down.
Kushin Jiyu-kihon Ippon Kumite
The standard kihon into focus on long oi-zuki was just basically a preliminary to the main event, very long distance Jiyu-kihon Ippon. The next step was going into jiyu kamai and launching into oi-zuki, then snap forward into kamae for second attack. The key was steadily lengthening and lengthening but keeping koshi in gyakuhani with iron-rod tsupari on rear leg.
First two count and then one count....the sweat is really flowing now.
The next stage was gyaku-zuki from sagari jiyu-blocks- jo/uchi/soto/ge-dan with extreme Kushin on the rear leg and then WHAM (!) gyaku-zuki. This is great, but so difficult to get right. I remember YS training me to collapse on this before the yakusoki kumite part of my shodan (before free fighting).
Here the trick is to make absolutely sure where your weight balance is.
Quote OS: Think about maegeri: you can't get a stronger kick over a long distance than this, but a maegeri is nothing unless your weight is thrusting forward from the hips. A proper maegeri will down your opponent, a weak maegeri is totally useless. The difference is where your hips are and is your weight forward. Then the trick is keeping your butt in. Then the trick is remembering that you've sunk genkai made to get maximum thrust, explosive shinshuku.
The point here is that unless you have everything correct, your gyaku-zuki is going to be ineffective. Done properly this exercise makes your gyaku-zuki transform from a counter attack to a devastating finishing blow.
Application in Jiyu Ippon Kumite
KWF likes its JIK to be done at extreme range with extreme extension with perfect kihon. If that's not all, please look great while you do it. When KWF Sohonbu does JIK, the attacker must hit the opponent, and the opponent must block the attacker. If the aite doesn't he or she should go down. If the block is weak, he or she should go down anyway. But today was at a distance.
Extreme distace JIK is jishurenshu with partner training- we are seeking perfection of technique rather than a real test (albeit with warning) of kihon power in yakusoku kumite. Because time was pressing we did sets of oi-zuki/ chudan oi-zuki/ maegeri/yokogeri kekomi and mawashigeri and then a quick partner exchange and then finish without kata today.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
YS Embu in Turin a big hit!
Yuko has just checked the web stats and found that the Turin Embu (Isu-dori) video was downloaded over 8,500 times in August.
People sometimes wonder if YS still has "it" ... "it" being the ability to move as fast as lightening and punch and kick like a thunderclap. (Strange memories of Rocky here...ho-hum...)
The answer, in the sort of lettering that adorns the opening titles of The Life of Brian is a big, biblical, YES.
Yoroshiku ;-)
Kusshin- Hot Iron vs. Heavy Metal
Kushin- 屈伸 or "compression" "bending of joints" is a core component of 伸縮 shinshuku (compression and [explosive] expansion of Yahara Karate. If you don't instantly know this deeply, then you should be reading on! Of course shinshuku is a mainstream part of basic Shotokan Karate, but Kusshin is at the joint level.
To understand what Kusshin is, imagine a sprinter on the blocks primed for the starter gun. That's kusshin.
This, however, isn't!
As a key theme of the last week with the SA team here YS (Yahara Sensei) has introduced a teaching style of checking a basic technique- for example maegeri zenshin or gyaku-zuki and then focusing on the Kushin component exclusively, breaking down the movement into its components and then building them up.
Yahara Karate is (限界まで） "genkai made "to the limit." YS believes that if your 弾き手 hikite is 1cm shallow, you are going to loose a significant percentage of power- which seems biomechanically logical (provided you are powering forward using the back muscles and the elbow snap and relaxing your shoulder muscles and breathing correctly and focusing your go-tai-ichi at the point of kime, etc...I wish I could do all that, umph!) Spiritually, if your hikite is 1mm shallow, then you are amai; missing your genkai made spirit. And that's something you don't want to be doing in front of YS.
Hot Iron:
The most critical point about Kushin is that it should be performed so deep that you should feel hot pain in your thigh muscles. "YS: If you don't feel that there is a red hot poker inside your leg, then you are amai (shallow, not doing it properly). This is not KWF Karate! TO THE LIMIT! MORE! MORE!"
And believe me, with him standing next to you, you find the extra centimeters- so that just standing there you become soaked in sweat.
From a western point of view, of course, frankly, to make sure that you are pushing yourself to the limit spiritually and physically means that you are going to get the most out of your Karate and yourself, so that you can break through. It also makes that beer or two even tastier!
Kihon Kushin Practice:
Over the last week we have been focusing on the following Kihon Kushin Renshu
a) Extreme Kusshinn (compression) down on the front leg and using it to thrust forward through the hips, hurling ourselves forward. Application- you guessed it- Empi! Points to focus on: zero extraneous movement, 100% commitment on the supporting leg to Kusshin and Tsupparu; millimeter control of hips and balance distribution (a la Isaka) to make sure that you thrust forward to smash forward without going up; focus- always remember your enemy is before you and you are going to smash him.
b) Extreme Kushin for Maegeri; as above. Those of you who are familiar with KWF doctrine know that we would rather smash down that thug coming at you with a bottle with a ballistic maegeri to the stomach- it's not flashy; it's practical. So Oigeri is one of the pillars of Shai technique at the KWF. But how to make sure that the thug doesn't catch your leg or you fall back. The answer is of course...3,2,1....Kushin!
Application: massive, ballistic forward energy in shinshuku/tsupari for maegeri: Points to focus on: don't cheat by swinging the kicking leg forward. If you are like me and not talented, you will remember the thousands and thousands of maegeri you did at the beginning and couldn't seem to get it right. If any of you have ever done Judo, you know that sometimes in competition, that Tai-otoshi, maybe once in 20 times goes perfectly, and your opponent goes over effortlessly- timing? aiki?technique?...luck?!...so with maegeri, keeping the heel back and using the snap is one of the central components of the kick. If your timing is wrong with this Kushin practice, you will find the kicking leg is actually a brake. It's also a wonderful practice to make sure your body really understands maegeri.
c) Nukite: One of our favorite techniques is the oi-zuki->gyaku-zuki->age-uki->gyaku-zuki->soto-uke->gyaku-zuki->uchi-uke->gyaku-zuki->gedan-barai->gyaku-zuki->kokutsu-dachi->huge kushin->tsupariso far back you feel that you are sitting on your back leg and WHAM->nukite...KIAI! Up and down, up and down...don't forget your breathing, collapse in a puddle when YS says "Yame."
Or in my case....."Paul-san...DAME!"
You get the picture? I was personally tortured with this one in the run up to my dan grading and now I love it. The point is that the drawback on the rear leg has to be ballistic and efficient- all the way back and down- don't think about it- DO IT! TO THE LIMIT! Oh, and welcome to the KWF. Points to watch: but in, will and focus forward, weight 90% back foot and massive explosive shinshuku/tsuparu.
d) Kokutsu-dachi: to avoid "chu (to-hanpa)-kutsu-dachi," of course! It is particularly fun to practice the opening of Heian Nidan. After 15-20 minutes focusing on Kushin, you will feel like a newly minted genius doing the opening of Heian Nidan...or if you are like me maybe not, because your fight is always to bring yourself to a higher level (in my case, get some of the basics correct....)
...vs. Heavy Metal:
I mentioned beers earlier and so that leads not to, in my case, not the Dark Side, but the stepmaster down my local gym and the Stairmaster. To keep myself going, I've relied on the 3Ms- Motorhead, Ministry, and Metallica to keep my step rate, and heart rate up. Song of the month: Metallica's Holier Than Thou
UPCOMING TOPICS
As well as a commentary on tonight's practice:
1. KWF Kihon Roppon Kumite
2. Role of gyakuhanmi in Oi-zuki
NOTES ON SYLE:
I'm calling Yahara Mikio YS from now on for simplicity's sake.
押忍
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Kata
Andre Bertel has come up with strong support for an article by Shaun Banfield on Kata and, generally speaking, on a personal and Karate level, what Andre respects and goes for, it resonates with me strongly.
Frankly, we look in Japan at the Euro sports Kata, with their efficient and fast robot actions, and those funny noises, as some sort of entertainment. But the budo and cultural roots, the grime and grim, the energy flow and the merihari and the sheer killer artistry of Kata is something that...well, come to KWF to experience it.
Sakae Ibusuki 7th dan KWF talks of his opinion about the meaning and nature of Kata from the point of view of one someone directly taught by Gichin Funakoshi and Masatoshi Nakayama.
Frankly, we look in Japan at the Euro sports Kata, with their efficient and fast robot actions, and those funny noises, as some sort of entertainment. But the budo and cultural roots, the grime and grim, the energy flow and the merihari and the sheer killer artistry of Kata is something that...well, come to KWF to experience it.
Sakae Ibusuki 7th dan KWF talks of his opinion about the meaning and nature of Kata from the point of view of one someone directly taught by Gichin Funakoshi and Masatoshi Nakayama.
KWF SA VISIT #3
OK, this is actually the third part of an installment that I will have to track back to last Friday on KWF SA and the Yahara KWF Kurobi Seminar.
Tonight started with Yahara Sensei asking us to do Oi-zuki. We did it, and we did it and we did it and we did it. So then came the evaluation. X from SA was asked what was the meaning of gyaku-hanmi at the point of kime in Oi-zuki. Y answered about compression and this became the "focal" point of the seminar.
First of all, we focused on the need for gakyu-hanmi in Oikzuki. Then we did centimeter by centimeter analysis of the movement through from zenkutsudachi all the way through balance shifting to enormous thrust of the rear leg to go-tai-ichi at millimeter focus on point of impact.
Yahara Sensei broke down the movement, with hip sinking and holding in hanmi until after forward foot balance shifting all the way to maximum extension.
The first lesson was, if your hikite is 1 mm amai, weak, it is a symptom; every action is toward total control and 100 percent efficient release of power. Realistically you have to aim at 120 percent to achieve the will to be able to deliver the majority of your power.
One cm lack means tens of percent weakness- most crucially in spirit and focus.
The second part of the seminar focused on use of the makiwara with and without focus of hips and with and without focus of back and shoulder muscles.
The third part focused on deep, deep shi-ai kamai into jodan Oi-zuki, yonhon-zuki, huge draw back so you are extremely compressed and almost sitting on your back leg and leap forward into massive Oi-zuki. I'm 41 but the sheer excitement and exhilaration of trying this is just GREAT FUN. Everyone is keyed up and Yahara is there barking orders- TO THE LIMIT! FASTER! When you do this you want to fly- even I was managing 3 meters.
Tonight started with Yahara Sensei asking us to do Oi-zuki. We did it, and we did it and we did it and we did it. So then came the evaluation. X from SA was asked what was the meaning of gyaku-hanmi at the point of kime in Oi-zuki. Y answered about compression and this became the "focal" point of the seminar.
First of all, we focused on the need for gakyu-hanmi in Oikzuki. Then we did centimeter by centimeter analysis of the movement through from zenkutsudachi all the way through balance shifting to enormous thrust of the rear leg to go-tai-ichi at millimeter focus on point of impact.
Yahara Sensei broke down the movement, with hip sinking and holding in hanmi until after forward foot balance shifting all the way to maximum extension.
The first lesson was, if your hikite is 1 mm amai, weak, it is a symptom; every action is toward total control and 100 percent efficient release of power. Realistically you have to aim at 120 percent to achieve the will to be able to deliver the majority of your power.
One cm lack means tens of percent weakness- most crucially in spirit and focus.
The second part of the seminar focused on use of the makiwara with and without focus of hips and with and without focus of back and shoulder muscles.
The third part focused on deep, deep shi-ai kamai into jodan Oi-zuki, yonhon-zuki, huge draw back so you are extremely compressed and almost sitting on your back leg and leap forward into massive Oi-zuki. I'm 41 but the sheer excitement and exhilaration of trying this is just GREAT FUN. Everyone is keyed up and Yahara is there barking orders- TO THE LIMIT! FASTER! When you do this you want to fly- even I was managing 3 meters.
In the meantime Ohtsuka and Suwa demonstrated advanced Ji-yu ippon renzoku kumite- Kihon stretch Oi-zuki tai ji-yu sabaki to ji-yu niwaza renzoku to ippon waza (kiai) tai hangeki (kiai). Suwa surprised everyone by doing the double-spin uraken combination.
This was just GREAT, watching two fine Karateka having a go at each other.
I was lucky tonight- doing Oi-tsuki-yonhon tsuki, nigeru- taosu-waza I faced Pieter. He's half my age and a lot taller. I kept on going through him- I put our distance for getting through with Oi-tsuki at 4 meters and still I went past him.
As a gentleman, he only marked me a little on return, but I could feel my ribs bounce around.
Welcome to the wonderful, wonderful world of the Yahara Kurobi Seminar!
Hello from the KWF and ShotoKan
Hi everyone,
Welcome to my very first posting on the Yahara Black Belt Blog. I am going to keep this entry quite short as what I am trying to do will emerge through the weeks and months ahead.
Initially I wanted to get this started as we have members from KWF South Africa team over in two groups this month to experience Yahara Karate and KWF Hombu Karate.
So first of all we'd like to offer a huge welcome to Sensei Mike and Bryan Dukas and members of the Mike Dukas Karate Institute for coming all the way over. We are doing our best to make them feel comfortable. For many of us, it's the best fun you can get legally!
Already we've put in a couple of monster practices and everyone is having a great (and bruising) time.
Details, photos and pictures will follow in the coming days and weeks. Keep your eyes peeled.
Paul.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)