Shodan- The Beginning Not the End

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2010-10-20T04:13:00.001-07:00

Shodan- The Beginning Not the End is closing down transferring to Shodan The Beginning, Not the End

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皆様に宜しくお願いします

Paul.

Part I: Sticking Your Neck Out

2010-09-19T03:30:00.000-07:00

Apologies for not posting so much recently as we have been busy trying to sort out things for the future and we have been practicing Nijushiho and Gojushiho-Dai. I would like to write up a technical report on this later, but frankly at shodan I am not competent to comment on either of these kata really. I can write up how Ibusuki Sensei teaches them, but I am sure this will cause trouble!

Also we are very excited about Oleg Larionov (online name is Oleg Takumi)* who is coming on Sunday to film Ibusuki Sensei for posterity. Yuko and I have maintained a great friendship with Oleg over the years and we were very complemented that he wanted to interview Ibusuki Sensei for the record. As one of or the only (I can't verify this, so I won't stick my neck out) student of Funakoshi Sensei still teaching Karate, this man, we think, is an living piece of Karate history.

OK this blog is going to be in two parts. In this Part I: Sticking Your Neck Out... I will stick my neck out and relay some of Ibusuki's commentary on Karate. In Part II: Not Sticking Your Neck Out, I will talk about a simple revelation I had that is really helping me recover my form. But I'm so thick, and it's so obvious, you've probably guessed what it is anyway.

So this entry is all about sticking your neck out, and the next one is about doing the opposite. And what the hell, eh? When I see moronic statements like "Today I saw true oi-zuki." think these people need to get out more often!

Returning to Ibusuki Sensei, his opinions on Karate are bound to stir the pot and I am sure that there are many who won't welcome his perspective. Harry must be laughing his way all through the miserable northern winter though ;-).

In a nutshell Ibusuki Sensei feels that the JKA really destroyed Funakoshi Sensei's Shotokan Karate when it introduced competition.

Don't misunderstand, Ibusuki Sensei was personally retaught the Nakayama Sensei "instant orthodox" Kata and personally great respected Nakayama Sensei. But it ain't what Ibusuki Sensei learned!
However, Shotokan needed a brand, and identity, and standardization, so Nakayama Sensei basically stuffed what was a very different Shotokan into a rigid Japanese box.

Deforming Kata to fit Nakayama Sensei's ideas of what Japanese orthodox Karate should be, including the nonsense of having to end up in the same place is fine as a training tool for Ibusuki Sensei.

But he believes that much modern Karate is a very deformed and stunted version of the original art; that Shotokan Karate is really a different beast. In fact, Ibusuki Sensei finds modern Karate ridiculously oversimplified.
Main issues:
- The cult of oi-zuki and maegeri as ippon attacks. Karate is a fluid art, with many different attacks from different angles
- The cult of ichigeki-hisatsu: this is particularly wrong because keeping at multiple techniques was of primary importance. Without strong ippon waza, Karate is ineffective. However it is a distortion to teach the idea of ichigeki-hisatsu in a modern context. In fact, when it comes to using Karate in a modern context, technique should be mastered so as to cause the minimum effective damage.
- The cult of extreme hanmi and shomen that was introduced as a training tool by the JKA, but has been turned into some cult-like fetish that totally alien to original Karate...

...I myself have seen a picture of a supposedly perfect deep oi-zuki with hips NOT in shomen, that is advertised by some as a "true" oi-zuki. What is this, North Korea or something?!

But some of these are straw men easy to shoot down out of context, so I'll try to explain in more detail in a different post.

To escape from the rigid ideas of younger Japanese....this is why Ibusuki Sensei was so happy to see Andre Bertel Sensei back earlier this year. Ibusuki Sensei considered Asai Sensei as the most talented and innovative Karateka of his generation, and probably of post-War Shotokan. He said to me last week:

"I was very disappointed by the differences that emerged in Asai Sensei's JKA. Frankly, most people thought that Mr. Matsuno's JKA would win, because all the really talented Karateka were with Asai Sensei, while the other side were very good, but lacked that genius element."

So when Andre Bertel Sensei started running around showing Asai Sensei's techniques, it was like a breath of fresh air for Ibusuki Sensei (and certainly for Yuko and I).

OK, I have to get back to work, so the next installment will be a very different kind of beast...soemthing like a tortoise, I predict.
Yoroshiku, Paul.

Kicking Back with Nijushiho

2010-08-28T22:28:00.000-07:00

Kicking Back with Nijushiho with Andre Bertel Sensei

We were very privileged to have a guest in the rather vertical form of David Kremin Sensei from Philadelphia, comes to Japan each year with his family to spend time...with his Japanese family. I am very honored to have another "guest" article from Andre Bertel Sensei on a wonderful new addition my Karate life, a certain Kata called Nijushiho...

OK, first of all to the first half last Sunday's morning session:

Because Kremin Sensei comes from a "non-traditional" background, in that he is an accomplished Tang Soo Do Shidoin and champion as well as an excellent Karate teacher, he has all sorts of insights into Karate from his Shotokan Sensei, primarily but certainly not exclusively, Okasaki Sensei. So it was a great pleasure for us to have him train on Sunday in Ibusuki Sensei's class. It was also a good opportunity to sweat some of the beer, ramen and french fries consumed in disparate bars, restaurants and hostelries in Tokyo and Yokohama visited by us over several days!

The Holy Trinity

Today's practice introduced something new: dealing with people who grab you from behind

a) rear empi, driving elbow back

b) rear empi, spin uraken

c) rear empi, spin uraken, gedan kick to the knee

In Kihon, one of Ibusuki Sensei's favorite moves is sonoba maegeri, yokogeri and ushiro-geri. But how to deal with someone grabbing you from behind. First of all a reality check- having been bottled from behind and severely beaten by baseball bats with the first blow I couldn't stop being from behind, I am acutely paranoid about people getting behind me. Apart from rear headbutting and heel smash on ankle, Ibusuki's Sensei's empi, uraken and gedan kick is a way to go. The first thing is that the empi is really about smashing back, don't use your elbow to poke in the ribs, smash and twist like you are berserk. The rear shove and attack should work as a loosener, then you smash head and knee. Ibusuki Sensei believes that in any attack you should have at least three attacks lined up to discourage your opponent along the idea of if the first and second don't get him, the third will. We didn't ask him about a fourth.

In any case, Ibusuki Sensei believes, and we all know this really, that ippon waza is nice if you can do it, and we all strive for that, but you'd better have plenty in the tank. To me it all comes back to jab, cross and hook. I love it when you see Kyokushinkai derivatives that...have reverted to ....boxing. Nothing wrong with that, but...! Hum!

In any case, Ibusuki Sensei calls this "three pronged" approach The Holy Trinity of Karate. He actually started laughing as he said that. Halleluja, Gloria in Excelis Dojo.

Nijushiho

The great and highly pleasant surprise of the lesson was suddenly we did Nijushio, in stages, then gorei then individual with corrections. It was great! We were supposed to finish of the Heian Kata, but Ibusuki Sensei decided that we would do something to welcome David Sensei.

Key points

a) In the JKA in Nakayama Sensei's time, Nijushio was considered kata to be taught and perfected at 3rd and 4th dan and not really before

b) It looks easy but actually is highly subtle, requiring tremendous merihari (contrast) in speed and power

c) Other people might have different opinions, but Ibusuki Sensei said that he felt the most important points about this Kata where the rapid directional applications and shifts, in particular combination with naname waza.

d) Ibusuki Sensei always makes a point about who he thinks is a role model for kata and said that in his opinion the person who had really mastered it was Asai Tetushiko. For Unsu or Bassai Dai, sure, YS. For Kanku Dai, IS, but for Nijushiho, without a doubt he said it was Asai Sensei.

Of course, if you love Asai-Ryu Shotokan like we do, naname hoko is a joy- particularly in Kakuyoku Nidan- oh I do love that sequence. If only I could do the whole kata properly. Actually Andre Bertel has a clip from one of his renditions of Kakuyoku Nidan. Just that sequence brings a smile to my face!

The biggest technical point out of the session that came out of it was that in the Nijushiho taught by Nakayama Sensei you do not kick jodan. Your leg should be parallel with the floor at the point of kime. In Ibusuki Sensei's opinon, people who kick jodan are not only showing off, but making a nonsense of the kata, because the point is the lightening speed and brutality with which you switch directions and attacks in this but compact and ridiculously beautiful "dance."

So we went home and consulted the Asai Sensei video on this. (When I say the video, I don't mean this version, which is wonderful, I mean from the series Asai Sensei produced later featuring Amos and Yamaguchi Sensei assisting when he was Chief Instructor of the Matsuno JKA).

Having now "practiced" Nijushiho I am in total awe of what I saw. We were both struck by just how magnificent Asai Sensei's rendition is. Yuko isn't really one for showing amazement, but even she said "Wow!" Sure, I am almost certain that there are purists who could maybe achieve more crispness on individual moves. It's like this for me; hell, I am sure there are people who could make Heien Sandan look somehow better than YS. However, when you see YS do H.3 in the JKA videos, you are left in now doubt that YS version has megaton yield. And that chimpira hair bouncing up and down. Quite a performance.

Anyway, back to the subject at hand: When I saw Asai Sensei's version, after about ten years, I realized the elements of power transition and spin and fluid motion were just...out of this world. They took my breath away. After watching Asai Sensei's Nijushiho, I felt I really understood why they called him "the storm."

So I asked Andre Bertel Sensei about this and this is the reply I got:

"Asai Sensei’s explanation of Nijushiho:

According to my late karate teacher Tetsuhiko Asai the name Nijushiho is in reference to the 34 hidden and lethal applications within this kata. Of course the name Nijushiho literally translates as 24 steps… So this initially may seem rather unusual. Sensei admonished that traditionally there were 24 clean transitions in the original Nijushiho, which is still known as Niseishi on Okinawa (and by various other ryuha such as Shito-ryu and Wado-ryu, here is a Wado-ryu version), hence the name.

The second and deeper combative meaning is that there are 34 traditional applications, which come from the numbers one, two, three, four, six and eight (as in 24 multiplied by one equals 24, right through to eight multiplied by three equals 24). Hence, even the name Nijushiho itself has both omote and ura highlighting its advanced content…

And yes it is extremely advanced, and just like all of the other jiyu-gata, is usually far beyond the ability of those performing them, especially when considering the respective oyo/bunkai-jutsu. As Asai Sensei said “this is no problem if kata is merely for sports karate, as performance is all that matters, and therefore, kata are merely considered more advance, by their outward form. However, this runs in stark contrast to the JKA, which emphasizes form for optimal function.” Returning specifically to Nijushiho, Asai Sensei stated at the 1994 Gasshuku (in Gifu, Japan) “If Nijushiho is performed heavily, why not do Jitte or Sochin?” What he was emphasising in this case was `the loss of character amongst the kata’.

Asai Sensei AKA Nijushiho:

Asai Sensei truly loved Nijushiho, and as you will well know, it was the Shotokan-ryu kata he was most famous for. His heart, mind and spirit were immersed in Nijushiho, and when he performed it, "HE WAS NIJUSHIHO. "According to Mrs. Keiko Asai, Nakayama Sensei said just prior to his death “Mr. Asai is the only one who can execute Nijushiho properly”. The Nijushiho in Nakayama Sensei’s `Best Karate Volume 10’ is reflective of this.

My socho-geiko experiences of Nijushiho with Asai Sensei: During socho-geiko (morning practice), and when I assisted him in seminars, he never once failed to blow my mind with his performance of this kata.., and I can’t overemphasize the danger when he applied its actual oyo-jutsu. Often he would request free attacks and then `reactively’ apply the kata on me. If I did not attack hard enough or in a predictable manner he would get impatient and really `educate’ me. So I always tried to attack him with all of my energy. Even so, because of Asai Sensei’s extreme level, he sometimes thought I was holding back, and I’d cop it anyway! This was the case even less than a year before he passed away at 70 years old!

Spellbound by a legend: Anyway, performance-wise, seeing videos of him performing Nijushiho is mind blowing enough (if you comprehend authentic traditional Japanese karate), but everyone who saw Sensei perform Nijushiho right there front of them in person, just stood there gaping in awe… Totally stunned... In Tokyo I’ve seen today’s most senior instructors spellbound by Asai Sensei’s Nijushiho such as Mikio Yahara Sensei, Masao Kagawa Sensei, Akihito Isaka Sensei, Toru Yamaguchi Sensei and others.

Technically speaking Asai Sensei emphasised the importance of `action-integration’ and continuous flow of varying forms of power. Initially this was from Nijushiho and then later permeated throughout his karate-do. This fluidity and smoothness, as opposed to stiff, heavy and robotic movements were heavily influenced by his exposure to White Crane Chinese Boxing. Sensei primarily employed this art to return his technique to pre-competition `martial art karate’ as opposed to what he regularly referred to as "constipated motion". Another point worth mentioning here was Masatoshi Nakayama Sensei’s interest and exposure to Chinese martial arts and this cordially resulted in his full support of Asai Sensei’s way, and led to his position as JKA (Japan Karate Association) Technical Director..."

(Editors note: constipated motion ! Great! Having discovered Asai Sensei's Nijushiho, I realized that I lacked the vernacular to do credit to what I saw in the depth of the performance. I am starting to realize that Asai Tetsuhiko was loose at such a deep level that he was able to generate enormous power and vitality within his body. I perceive tremendous energy flow within his movements, which has been another tremendous discovery for me. The only other advanced Sensei I know devoted to such internal dynamics is Isaka Sensei through his slow motion training! Frankly, having seen Asai Sensei's Nijushiho, others look "stiff" both inside and outside...make sense? mmm....ok, back to Bertel Sensei...)

"...One special point that Sensei emphasized to me in Nijushiho was the lightness of his chudan yoko kekomi. I quickly discovered that his transmission of power was bone breaking… I won’t say any more… Let me just seriously emphasise `the lighter and more precise, the deeper the impact’. Another point with this technique, is that the kick can be done in three ways chudan yoko kekomi, gedan yoko kekomi (kansetsu geri) or as fumikomi. The fumikomi version alone is the original version, but the practice of the horizontal keriwaza will lead to a superior `up and driving down’ fumikomi from the hips/application of bodyweight. Ironically the yoko kekomi was added by Asai Sensei and his senpai, Okazaki Sensei. Another point was the haishu-uke or back hand block, which no one seems to do properly. A good hint I can offer to anyone is to closely study videos of Asai Sensei. After basic coordination of hands and feet note the forearm action, and the `special posture'. This is correct, not the kihon shisei. It is based on triangular power, which is a very deep subject, and can make all of the difference between a slap and a knockout!

I could go on and on about my teacher's Nijushiho all day as his execution was seamless and had such extreme technical depth. Add in the memories I have of oyo-kumite, many of which people have seen on the internet both photographically and in video, and you will begin to get a taste of Tetsuhiko Asai Sensei’s karate, which was literally spring-boarded by Nijushiho in the late 1950’s. There is much more to this story, and whilst I’ll always practice Nijushiho, when I do so I feel a great wave of total inferiority. From Sensei’s personal words to me on this kata, my direct study under him, having to attack him for application training, and just seeing him perform this kata.. I will never be able to call it my own based on this literally untouchable technical level, but will always be inspired by it."

--- So there you have it folks. For me, as a shodan, this Kata was revelatory of a whole new vista of Karate that I can now dimly perceive, but will I ever be able to appreciate this Kata. YS commonly says that to master the "simplest" technique, a Karateka must initially practice it 10,000 times. I figure at age 43, I might get round to completing my basic training for a nidan in the next ten years, which leaves me in my 50s to spend a decade trying to get to grips with Karate like this.

I would like to give my profound thanks to Andre for taking his very valuable time to provide those insights into not only Nijushiho but Asai Sensei's philosophy on this intriguing and impossibly beautiful Kata.

Yoroshiku,

Paul.

To Hanmi or To Shomen - Jun Kaiten vs Gyaku Kaiten...Let's Twist Again

2010-08-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

Hanmi and Gendan Barai: Co-authored with Andre Bertel Sensei

Had a long conversation with Andre Bertel Sensei on Sunday about quite a few things, and as usual I learned so much it made my hair stand on end. Well, I happen to be bouzu at the moment... but let's not get lost in ironic translation, shall we?

Anyway one of the many interesting things that came up was the difference in ideas behind hanmi; specifically the importance and role of hanmi. Now I am not taking sides here, as there are no sides- only different and highly relevant perspectives on this technique. The point is, if you are going to execute a technique, make sure you do it properly.

So let's explore this- to Hanmi or to Shomen - Jun Kaiten vs Gyaku Kaiten

...or as you might say, Lets Twist Again...

The origin of this entry is in the Heian Shodan that Ibusuki Sensei says is the original Heian Shodan he was taught, back in the late 1940s, which had no hanmi. Ibusuki Sensei has quite an opinion on Shotokan hanmi as he sees it as something that was introduced by Nakayama Sensei and the JKA as a muscle and hip strengthening exercise.

What is clear is that rigid rules, and some would argue, some very rigid stylistic channels and mindsets were introduced in the JKA, whereas before things were literally and metaphorically more fluid and dynamic and, let's face it, less dogmatic before the 1950s. Of course they didn't make it up as they went along...

No Hami - Ibusuki: Practical Grab and Smash

So in Ibusuki Sensei's Karate, Heian Shodan has no hanmi, so it seems half way to Taikyoku Shodan. The reason for the lack of hanmi is the basic idea that there is no block in Shotokan- the block is an offensive weapon that should be able to stop your opponent, or be part of an immediate attack. In H.1 there is no block, you basically try to get inside your opponent as quickly as possible, preferably grabbling the leg and smashing through with a punch, headbut, elbow smash, whatever the distance, timing, dynamics call for. This means that you don't block with a hanmi and then counterattack, but that you go at your opponent straight in so you defend with one hand and attack with the other simultaneously.

Of course, this makes perfect sense: the hanmi gedan barai, gyaku-zuki combination, are you really going to use this in a fight? Ji-yu ippon kumite, for sure or perhaps ji-yu kumite, because the other person is doing Shotokan Karate with its well-known patterns of attack.

Extreme Hanmi - Yahara: Twist and Smash

On the other hand this idea of no hanmi Heian Shodan is total opposite of KWF Heian Shodan, in which extreme hanmi, to the point where the rear hip is lower than the front, with compression on the back leg, is paramount. In Yahara Karate, the oi-zuki is supposed to be the blow that knocks your opponent down and you want to generate power through compression in hanmi to do this. In fact basic KWF yudansha ido kihon is based on the principle of maximum and extreme holding of hanmi to the last possible instant before unleashing an oi-zuki. It's built into Isaka Sensei's slow training and built into ido kihon.

Taking this idea to the KWF limit, you'll often see in the black belt class kihon going right back to what you should have been taught as a white belt, correct movement through the hips. So in the KWF you will move forward in extreme hanmi until the last possible moment before the oi-zuki making sure you are putting your full body mass and power behind the punch.

No arguments with that, right. And Ibusuki Sensei doesn't believe it's "wrong" at all- he loves Yahara Karate because it's so damn fine!

But for Ibusuki Sensei, this is just YS "brand" to suit his own philosophy. And you have to look at things from different angles: what are the downsides?

Well certainly one potential disadvantage is the time wasted with the extreme chambering could have been used to rip your opponent up; you could say, don't waste time; if he gets his leg anywhere near you bundle him off balance by smashing into him as quickly as possible.

And for those of you who are like me, only slighty above feeble and all techniques are hanpa, the Ibusuki Way makes perfect sense. I haven't got the speed. I'd be an idiot to block a leg with an arm. I should get out of the way, tai-sabaki, grab the offending limb, and get inside anyway.

On the other hand YS extreme hanmi also makes sense to me. The decisiveness of the hanmi means that you have huge amounts of energy to quickly attack your opponent, and the power generated through the hips makes the block all that stronger.

Twist and Shout: Hip Vibration

One of the first things I was taught by Richard Amos Sensei was to always flick the hips away driving down and back when blocking with gedan barai. This is supposed to make the block stronger. This so-called double hip movement or hip vibration was built into nearly every move: for example sonoba chudan-tsuki would have us wiggling our hips like itchy snakes.

So this is where I hand over to Andre Bertel Sensei to get a professional opinion, and make some sense of it all: This is what he wrote:

"My late teacher Asai Tetsuhiko interchangeably utilised jun-kaiten and gyaku kaiten for all of his techniques. This brightly highlights a key fundamental difference between Asai–ha Shotokan-ryu and majority of other Shotokan methodologies in the karate world. Quite simply he did not believe in the unalterable gospel of form that is typically enforced by many organisations. What I am trying to convey here is that he didn’t have a `set in concrete method’, but rather used the method, which was best, at any given time.

For example sometimes Sensei would perform the gedan barai in Heian-shodan employing a `to the limit hanmi’ yet other times he would wind up in the opposite direction and rotate towards the technique finishing in shomen. Another method he employed and can be nicely illustrated is in the first movement of Heian-sandan and Heian-godan (hidari chudan uchi-uke). This double hip action is sometimes referred to as hip vibration as it is a coordinated combination of jun-kaiten and gyaku-kaiten.

Asking Asai Sensei about such differences in basic hip rotation and he explained to me that everything depends on the target of practice or the situation. He explained to me that (Please note I have paraphrased these):

(a) ==> Gyaku kaiten into hanmi is superior for halving yourself as a target, and countering most powerfully with the hikite;

(b) ==> Jun kaiten into shomen is strongest and faster for immediately going in and attacking;

(c) Hip vibration allows for a stronger defensive measure than just a standard hanmi but is not as fleeting. However it does permit the maximum counterattack from the hikite which is perfectly equal with hanmi and although not previously mentioned, the gyaku-hanmi, which naturally torques the body for lead hand/arm techniques and hiza-geri or mae-geri with the rear leg (for example Heian-nidan, Kanku-sho etc.)

I cannot emphasise enough that Asai Sensei stressed physical understanding of karate, and decisive adaptability, which he claimed is necessary for reliable self-defense. Therefore, how Sensei executed his techniques in kihon and kata, at any given moment, would depend on what he was working on. And in kumite, it would depend on how his opponents attacked, and how he reactively responded in accordance to the situation. Much of this of course depends on ma. What I personally learned from this was how restricted one is, if they cannot use their hips in all ways, because each way has its advantages and shortcomings."

The message is clear- Karate is not a broken record: it's poetry in motion- and you author the script to fit the audience.

Ma-ii-ka!

The only thing is, keep your Kihon King- if you are not bothered, there is always Kyokushinkai or kickboxing and MMA.

Yoroshiku

Paul.

Ibuki Tawara starts Blog in English

2010-08-16T05:03:00.000-07:00

First of all, I would like to acknowledge that August 15 was the anniversary of the passing of Asai Tetsuhiko, a superb Karateka whose genius has created a worldwide following and whose legacy lives on in a wonderful new generation of Asai-ryu Karateka such as Andre Bertel Sensei and of course many others around the world. It's really impossible to overestimate Asai Sensei's impact on Shotokan Karate technically with his beautiful, flowing, dynamic and practically useful Karate. After mentioning Andre Bertel as a key part of the future of faithfully transmitting, rather than copying and miming his Karate and repackaging diluted elements, I would like to turn this blog over to another key part of transmitting the Karate of another master- Mikio Yahara.

So after a little to do with a hell of a lot, let's turn to another element of the future: Ibuki Tawara Sensei, who working with other excellent Sensei such as Bryan Dukas and Sid Tadrist Senseis (and of course Masamichi Otsuka Sensei), will play a key role in transmitting Yahara Karate.

Those of you who read this blog and are familiar with the KWF can't fail to know about Ibuki Tawara (Tawara Sensei) who is currently a kenshusei under Yahara Sensei (YS)

Well it is resoundingly agreed on by people who know far more about Karate than me and who are still training week in, week out at the KWF ShotoKan that Tawara Sensei is already developing into an awesome Karateka, even though he is only in his mid-20s. It's often said that you don't have to be a great Karateka to be a great teacher, and I thoroughly agree with that.

But it also helps IF you can really walk the walk as well as talk the talk. Right?

I first got to know a young bloke called Ibuki back about 5 years ago when he first started training at the KWF Honbu taking time out of Kokushikan University, where he was in the Karate Club. Remind you of someone?

Anyway, Yuko and I were genuinely impressed by this very

pleasant, modest, polite and clearly intelligent young man who had superb Karate. Don't misunderstand me for a minute. He's as tough as nails and can turn it on in an instant if he needs to.

It is no exaggeration to say that Tawara Sensei was born to be a Karateka- his uncle is Shihan Tawara, who is a superb Karateka from Nagano-ken who is just about the most modest guy you'll ever meet, and a super role model. About four years ago we were driving back across town from Nihonbashi with Kawasaki Sensei after a meal with YS and I asked Ibuki what his first memories were- he has no memories of before being a dojo!

It is also no exaggeration that everyone who trains with Tawara Sensei say that his Karate has grown from being superb to frightening, which is the result of week-in, week-out private training and teaching as a Kenshusei under YS. Not to be too harsh, it does seem that speed is more important than power as the pressure to accumulate plastic trophies and win competition gradually dilutes Shotokan. So when Tawara Sensei first came to KWF, his Karate was a bit sporty, if anything. It's safe to say that YS has beaten all this out of him!

Tawara Sensei wears his skills well. He has already developed the gravitas and maturity to command respect through his bearing and attitude and his super Karate.

But the other major thing about Tawara Sensei's attitude is that it's essentially positive. He wants to teach and to learn as much as possible. He is setting up is own KWF training sessions under the KWF and now I am 100% certain he will grow into being a brilliant teacher.

In pursuit of dealing with teaching and networking in today's technical environment, he has started his own blog in English. Don't expect any Pulitzer prize winning analysis of x, y, and z yet. But if any of you have an interest in being trained by this exemplary young Sensei, please do what you can to support him.

So as far as the future of Yahara Karate is concerned in the international dimension, Ibuki Tawara Sensei and Bryan Dukas Sensei and Sid Tadrist Sensei, the latter two being non-Japanese who train regularly with YS and really understand his Karate, are the way forward. I'd also like to point out that there are some wonderful people that I haven't mentioned in various countries around the world.

Anyway....back to writing about reentry capsule technologies and the International Space Station. Great!

Yoroshiku,

Paul.

Koken and Gedan Harau

2010-08-08T18:17:00.000-07:00

Well special Sunday night training with Ibusuki Sensei was just great, as we went back to basics, covered Heian Shodan, Nidan and Sandan as taught by Funakoshi Sensei, and revised Hangetsu. We also practiced Koken/Kakuto in Ju-Ippon Kumite.

The interesting thing about yesterday's session was Ibusuki Sensei breaking down some of my inbuilt conceptions about Karate. I won't say they are misconceptions, because the point is that Karate is not a cult to be practiced by robots ossing themselves to stupidity. It's evolved. There are are many copies. Of course I wouldn't want to single anyone out. The other side of the coin is how much of what I learned in the KWF is obviously "correct" (and great!)

In terms of through the looking glass, I do stress that I am only trying to honestly discuss my own lack of knowledge- what might be revelatory to me might me cringingly obvious to others. So apologies in advance.

Kihon:

Basics were the same as standard Ibusuki Sensei kihon (see last week) but 注意点 chui-ten were

a) Remember to cover the crown jewels when kicking maegeri- the course of the knee is always protecting the groin, otherwise, well, the resulting weakness can be a painful lesson. Ibusuki Sensei kicked me so that I just felt enough pain to remember the point. Thank you for that ;-).

b) As any competent instructor will tell you, getting your leg back is critically important, unless you are turning maegeri into oigeri and following through with a tuski, headbutt, elbow smash, whatever. In order to make things interesting, Ibusuki Sensei started trying to catch my leg. Once I'd been dumped on my arse a couple of times, I soon got back the hang of it. Key point- smash in and whip back!

狐拳/ 鶴頭 (koken/ kakuto) "fox fist/ crane head" Ju-Ippon Kumite

This was just great and quite revelatory to me on a number of levels, because (a) it's bloody good and (b) I am astonished how far "standard" Shotokan I learned has come from common sense.

First of all we loosened up breathing and exercising, loosening our shoulders by practicing whipping up and down and hitting each other with fox fist. Ouch! Nick Gardiner sometimes demonstrates this, and whipping is an elemental part of Asai-ryu Shotokan as demonstrated by Andre Bertel Sensei. But it's always quite shocking how much more painful getting hit by, and how much easier and faster it is to whip someone with koken/kakuto than seiken or shuto.

After warming up and getting the hang of what I can only call controlled whipping, we practiced two Ju-Ippon drills used as kuzushi-waza:

a) Uchi-age-koken, whip koken uppercut against face punch

This started off pretty formally as an adaption of age-uke gyakuzuki, except use koken against the jodan-zuki and smash into the chin with koken instead of gyakuzuki. The key point is almost that the move is sen-no-sen... the split second you see the attack you go to smash opponent. If linear isn't working, go in at an angle and use koken-haito and get inside, finish up with elbow smash or headbut.

b) Gedan harau, headbut against stomach attack

This was actually closer to a standard kuzushi-waza that I am sure would have made Enoeda Sensei light up like Christmas! Any attack to stomach is basically whipped away to throw opponent of balance then in and up like a ballistic missile and headbut launching up into the chin. Ibusuki Sensei said to me very politely "please refrain from being nervous and remember to deal with your opponent....um....decisively...." which, translated from a very polite and sage 80-year-old gentleman into south London English is ... well...I won't go there!

Commentary: Gendan Harau Part I

I deliberately used the term gedan harau as opposed to gedan barai because Ibusuki Sensei believes that gedan barai is not a block and it is not done in hanmi (more on this later!) At least that's what they used to do in Shotokan until the JKA changed things!

Until the low kyus, for beginners to get the kihon ugoki, gendan barai is fine being taught as a block. But almost as soon as some basic kihon movement is understood, then gendan barai should be used as a harau, and if possible as a kuzushi-waza. Basically you sweep the leg or grab it and then smash forward into your opponent with a rising headbutt or elbow smash, haito, whatever distance and timing in the split second you have works!

Heian Kata

Today was H.1-3 and revising of Hangetsu

Summary:

H.1: Gedan Harau in Shomen = Taikyoku Shodan

As far as Ibusuki Sensei is concerned, Heian Shodan is Taikyoku Shodan, i.e. there is no hanmi. Secondly, as I was taught originally, the sequence is bang, bang-bang! for the three age-uke (all in shomen) and for the three oizuki.

H.2:

Same as KWF/ JKA

H.3:

One point I had forgotten is that the fist fumikomi stamp is preceded by a turn into the stamp. The second is that I have become so enamored with YS JKA version (as in the video) of H.3 that I tend to use snap uraken instead of going over the top.

Gendan Harau

Ibusuki Sensei is adamant that gedan barai if taught as a block to kicks is ineffective. He also says that the switch to hanmi from shomen was brought in by Nakayama Sensei for training purposes. Ibusuki Sensei said that gendan harau is to sweep away or help avoid a leg and it is stupid to try to block it- which is more powerful- an arm or a leg?

Or Pieter Van Wck.

However, teaching it as a block is ok for beginners just to find a rationale for them to use it. However the use of gendan barai is for decisively avoiding or sweeping and going inside an opponent. The other major point is that hanmi is weaker than shomen and creates unnecessary distance. In particular the KWF use of Hanmi is just YS brand and part of his philosophy but would be unrecognizable to Gichin Funakoshi. That's not a criticism of YS, just a fact.

Hangetsu Revision:

1. Avoiding Darth Vader breathing: Ibusuki Sensei said a very little noise is OK in the opening sequence.

2. Weak Stance: again, common sense to the rescue. Ibusuki Sensei pointedly said that Hangetsu datchi is very important to do strongly. He is very very reluctant to criticize others, but he said "Abe-kun's front leg is too much at an angle and easy to kick." I didn't say this folks. Don't shoot the messenger

3. The maigeri, gedan, tsuki and age-uke sequence is a sold bang-bang-bang-bang as taught to Ibsusuki Sensei before the JKA.

OK that's it for today! I think next week's post will be on "Why Shotokan and Not Krav Maga."

Yoroshiku,

Paul & Yuko

Vintage Armagnac

2010-08-01T01:09:00.000-07:00

Vintage Armagnac

Well, well, well, like fine Vintage Armagnac coursing through the veins, a session with Ibusuki Sensei just makes you feel great. Today's session, the first session Ibusuki Sensei has taught since January, had quite a bit of background as we heard some stories from him about several things that might surprise many of today's Shotokan practioners, particularly those that have been brought up on a narrow diet of Karate.

Today's practice consisted of Ibusuki Sensei's version of Kihon, which brings us back to moves and combinations of techniques practiced pre-Nakayama Sensei/JKA, together with his own Kihon, and work on Kanku-Sho and Hangetsu.

"Today we'll do Hangetsu, because it is the last of the Kata; next time, we'll start from the beginning with Heian Shodan" said Ibusuki Sensei.

Before I go on to explaining the training a bit, I'd like to open with some of Ibusuki Sensei's philosophy and understanding of Karate, as related to us this morning.

Orthodoxy and Stupidity: Seiza is Punishment, Not Art

So Ibusuki Sensei believes Karate can evolve, but he is only interested in what works. The first point is that today he believes a lot of energy is misplaced. One example is adherence to traditions that are plain silly. For example Ifrah Sempai told us a story about how he knows a 92-year old woman who has won tremendous respect for her commitment to 修行 shugyo, aesthetic training. The lady in question was a devoted 茶道 sado (Tea Ceremony) specialist who would spend up to 7 hours a day in 正座, seiza, dragging herself along on her knuckles, perfecting and refining her movements. The result was that she developed huge 拳蛸 kendako that would make a Karateka proud.

Now I guess the vast majority of Karateka, and Karate-otaku reading this respect the Japanese concept of 道 do. And, well let's face it, a lot of us enjoy the masochistic elements of this, the idea of self-discipline, purification, idea of getting stronger, etc. etc. (As YS says, most people who belong to the KWF are 奇人変人, kijinhenjin, weirdos and cranks, in fact he regards it as a badge of honor!) So a lot of people might respect the idea of of our lovely old Japanese lady punishing herself for her art. How splendid, right?

"Nonsense" said Ibusuki Sensei. "Many Japanese people forget their own history. Seiza was originally a punishment forced on criminals and scoundrels to torture them. Later it was appropriated into various Japanese shugyo, particularly in the Meiji Era" (no doubt to control people!) Basically too much seiza is bad for the knees, lower back, circulation and only fools would punish themselves with some sort of blind devotion to seiza. So there you go!

Commentary on Shotokan Karate by Ibusuki Sensei:

1. Oi-zuki

- First of all, oi-zuki is almost useless in a street fight because its so obvious. In fact most of modern Shotokan as expressed in shiai or competition is useless because it's so obvious. Most street fights are decided at short range with headbuts, hooks, kicks to the knee, gouges and spinning and circular techniques "not the ridiculous jumping around and competition Karate of today."

2. No Kumite in Original Shotokan Karate Training

He said "Funakoshi Sensei said that he didn't like Kumite fighting because it immediately distorted Karate from its original meaning." Kumite was brought in by post-war Japanese students and Funakoshi Sensei was really unhappy about this.

3. 狐拳/ 鶴頭 (koken/ kakuto) "fox fist/ crane head" and forgotten techniques

Much of the Shotokan Karate today is a grossly simplified version of Shotokan as practiced before JKA. A major example is the forgotten use of 狐拳, "fox fist" which is also known as 鶴頭 "crane head" was often used for block and counter attack in Shotokan, but somehow got edited out. This is very interesting for us as we love Asai-Ryu 鶴翼 (kakuyoku) "crane's wings" kata.

(BTW, I've noticed some hillarious stuff out there, for example "Kakioku Shodan", which brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. Kaki in Japanese is 蠣 which means oyster, or 柿, which means persimmon. The idea of the Okinawan peasants basing their self-defense strategies against arrogant sword-head Shimazu on flying oysters intrigues me. Or perhaps they chucked fresh fruit at them? I think I need an 泡盛 ;-)

...and oku means "deep" or "inside." So perhaps this is "profoundly philosophical oysters kata."

But it's lovely to see our first, and forever wonderful Sensei Richard Amos in the Kakuyoku Shodan video. Pity about the title though. And "Bonkai." What on earth is that?)

If you are angry, I am, in fact, half-joking.

4. A Block is an Attack

While blocks have become systematized and formalized, in original Karate the block was always designed to contain an attack.

I realize that many of these points will be known to more experienced Karateka and might be new to others, but I just wanted to get these main points in.

Today's Kihon

1. Maegeri, three-count and then two-count

- Main point: protect Crown Jewels at each point in kick, never open up knee. How many times have I forgotten this? Donkey!

2. Maegeri, yokogeri, ushirogeri, one-count

- Main point: any kick above chudan in a streetfight verges from risky to nonsense, attacking the knee and shin "discourage" opponents

3. Zenshin chudan hiji-uchi

Main point: smash into your opponent, it doesn't matter about looking good as long as you keep your balance low, then you can follow up with something very dirty

4. Zenshin chudan hiji-uchi kara ballistic jodan hiji-uchi

Main point: smash face, throat after winding or smacking ribs, through your whole body and centrifugal force into it. Basically take your enemy's head off!

5. Kibadachi kara uchimawari uraken

Main point- generate huge centrifugal force and whip out. A thug won't know what you are up to if you master this so spin and smash.

6, Kibadachi kara uchimawari uraken, gyakumari uraken

Main point: have a really smashing time!

7. Kibadachi kara soto-uke, instant snap uppercut choku-zuki

Main point: this is an "Ibusuki original", whip the soto-uke into a vicious punch to the throat or uppercut to jaw, nose, etc.

8. Kibadachi kara uramawashi uraken, gyakumawashi uraken, juji-uke tsuki

This one gets the blood going- the main point is turn the juji-uke into a throat attack- you should smash the opponent down.

Kata

1. Kanku-sho

Teaching Point: Original Kanku-sho kick is from conventional Kiba-dachi and chudan and, whump! go straight down: NOT the massive amount of leaning over and the theatrical spin you see today. Sports Karateka love making a meal out of this one, but none of this existed before the JKA.

2. Hangetsu

a) Breathing is deep, calm and dignified and NO NOISE breathing throughout the whole kata. First uke is inhale deeply 吸って sutte (inhale deeply) through nose and then tsuki is 吐いて haite (exhale) through mouth making NO NOISE. You can see that people who do not understand or have not been taught properly pass some sort of weird Darth Vader breathing off and on as Hangetsu. This is, in fact nonsense.

I asked specifically asked Ibusuki Sensei about "making noises" in Hangetsu and he looked confused by such a silly question. He said "Meat eaters who adopted Karate are very strong." And in his eyes was laughter. Bit of an evil glint, actually.

You can purse your lips a little, but a competent Karate instructor will be able to see that you are breathing correctly without you doing some sort of Darth Vader impression.

b) The final hiite (ryote hikite) is done exceptionally slowly and always keep your neko-ashi dachi as low as you can.

OK that's if for today folks. We are holding a dinner party tonight and yours truly is the chief cock. (Cock in Japanese means cook! None of your sarcastic comments please.) Meanwhile Yuko is across from me practicing Kanku-sho. She was deeply irritated by discovering some people think they are practicing kakioku shodan- "what are they, idiots?"

Well, Yuko, you tell me. I can't do Heian Shodan properly yet. Because as I am finding out, Shodan is only the beginning. ;-)

Yoroshiku!

Paul.

MigueL's Dynamic Karate Blog

2010-07-31T16:30:00.001-07:00

Just a quick message before today's Ibusuki Sensei Session. In the year I wasn't filing to this blog, quite a few things happened of course but another consistent diarist, MigueL Harker, is doing a good job of recording his experiences of the KWF SA at his blog, Shotokan: My Karate, My Way.

Which is different from My Way....(ahem)....Yuko said that Sid Vicious was an even worse singer than me. But she hasn't heard me attempting Shoot to Thrill at Karaoke yet! The less said about that, the better.

MigueL is affiliated to the KWF and his primary connections are to Bryan and Mike Dukas Sensei, who regularly travel to Japan and train directly under YS and IS Sensei. In fact, you can't keep Bryan Dukas Sensei away, and he is really regarded as one of the KWF Hombu family. Some people think he has KWF DNA written into his chromosomes!

Anyway MigueL kindly informed me that my links to him were out of date (i.e. dead, ahem) so I have corrected them - many apologies, MigueL. Old fuddy duddy here linking to hyperspace ;-)

Ossu

Paul

Back in the Saddle- Andre Bertel Inspires Ibusuki Sensei's Return!

2010-07-30T18:25:00.000-07:00

Well Yuko and I are already getting excited about this- Ibusuki Sensei, 80 years young, has decided to start teaching again tomorrow and we just can't wait!

This is a long post, so bear with me. I have only just started collecting my thoughts on a number of issues after a long break, so I am breaching many themes that I will attempt to come back and revisit in more logical and digestible forms later. But I am having so much fun at the prospect of returning to training...

First of all, for those of you who don't know and care about these things, Ibusuki Sensei is one of the very few living Karateka who was taught by Gichin Funakoshi.

In Ibusuki Sensei's case it was at the (then) famous Waseda University Karate Club, one of the elite clubs that formed the early hubs of Shotokan Karate before the war. In the post-war chaos, the university clubs played a key role in maintaining a network of sempai and kohai in loose alliances that was the reality of Shotokan Karate before the JKA took over. As for Ibusuki Sensei himself, he rose to become captain of Waseda Karate Club, then after a few years, "retired," built a business, got rich, and then was invited back to Karate by Nakayama Sensei, who personally taught him the "JKA 26" Kata. After teaching off and on in the JKA, Ibusuki "retired" again, until Yahara Sensei (they are old friends) invited him back to teach at the KWF, so people could get a flavor of what Funakoshi Sensei's Shotokan Karate was like. Then last year Ibusuki Sensei retired again on doctors orders to take it easy for a while.

So what's tempted Ibusuki Sensei out of retirement again? Well, to cut a long story short- two words:

Andre Bertel

In the video Andre Bertel Sensei posted, you can't actually see Ibusuki Sensei, who came to teach the second session on Sunday. But he was there on the second day and he was so impressed by Andre he said that he'd like to come back to teaching again!

With so many people out there with moderate, sometimes very moderate, sometimes ok Karate passing themselves off as "Japan trained" or "Shihan" (a word that is rarely used by real Japanese instructors, the vast majority of whom are fine with plain old "Sensei," including YS) it's difficult to get a sense of really how great Andre Bertel's Karate is. I am afraid that while my own Karate is a very poor shodan level, I know what I like.

So I view Karate in terms of how it measures up to the standards of my main teachers- those being in date order: Richard Amos Sensei, (briefly, for one year, Koike Yutaka Sensei): the wonderful, wonderful Kawasaki Norio Sensei (Ibuki Tawara Sensei as partner) Otsuka Masamichi Sensei, Ibuki Tawara Sensei, and last but definitely not least of course Isaka Akihito and Yahara Mikio Senseis. I've also been taught by Asai Tetsuhiko Sensei- now that was just magic!- Abe Keigo Sensei and once, memorably, by Tamon Pemba Sensei, although he mainly seemed interested in beating my rear leg with a shinai ;-).

Having spent four years week in, week out in the KWF black belt class with YS breathing down my neck, and I mean literally, scary, like feeling you are the Turkey and tomorrow is Thanksgiving, I just about managed to struggle to be able to cope with some basic elements of Karate.

"Haita!!!!" (for all you IS students out there!)

So Yuko and I were intrigued when Andre Bertel Sensei said he would like to come up and "train with us" in our private sessions in Shibuya this January. As Ibusuki Sensei was feeling a lot better for six months rest, we decided to ask him if he was interested in watching. He said "yes," and also invited some good friends- Nick and Takane, Scott, Pieter "I bring screwdriver" Van Wyk along for the ride. We figured any person willing to pay to come up to "train with us" deserved a turn out.

So how does Andre's Karate measure up? Well, let me put it this way. In a word, it's awesome. Takes your breath away!

To say we were impressed would be the understatement of my 12-year Karate career (still wobbling down the track while the rest have already packed up and headed for the bar). We were shocked by just how good Andre is. His Karate is brimming with power and energy and danger. Andre has what I would call the Yahara factor- when he puts on a dogi, you can sort of feel that "brimming over" energy that's inspiring. You could call him a walking, talking Karate weapon.

On the other hand, Andre is a gentleman, although it's plain that he doesn't suffer fools and frauds lightly, as I have noticed on his recent Facebook forays ;-).

Andre's long experience of teaching all-comers and running successful dojos means that he has the ability that some Japanese teachers don't have, and that's what I would call multitasking.

By way of background, I used to go off translating for YS on foreign seminars, and he'd have the same problem time and time again. The local Karate organization would be looking for insights into Unsu or something, but YS would take one look at the Karate and realize you had "5th dans" with kyu level kihon. So there is a lot of misunderstanding out there with Japanese Sensei teaching abroad when the Japanese Sensei spends a lot of time on kihon. It's because he's instantly understood that the local Karate organization is doing what YS calls "copy Karate." Which is a polite way of saying their Karate is crap. Unfortunately foreigners who have quid pro quo kodans, which I will call KKs (Kitanai Kodans) and run their local Karate empires based on money don't like this, so they tend to invite Japanese Sensei over who will give them what they want, not what they need.

Andre, however, obviously has that ability to be able to recognize what different people need and tailor his approach accordingly. So you have a highly intelligent teacher who actually has killer Karate. It's enough to make you weep! Thank the Karate Lord that such people exist! Of course, KWF has its own home-grown talent in the younger generation- for example the magnificent Bryan Dukas Sensei, who I would say is the Yahara Karate equivalent to Andre's Asai Karate. And then the KWF has its latest weapon waiting in the wings, Ibuki Tawara! It is said that Ibuki Tawara is developing Monster Karate. Clearly in terms of magnificent Yahara Karate Dukas and Tawara Senseis are the guys to watch! Dukas Sensei is also one of the few elite Senseis who can walk the walk who also understand IS karate too. Great!!!

Anyway, back to Andre and Ibusuki Senseis. When he came to teach us, he thought he might run through some Asai Sensei moves and Asai-Ryu kata.

All I can say that it was just magnificent- eye opening stuff. It was so good it still makes me laugh thinking about it now. In terms of lesson dynamics, we found Andre teaching logically and systematically in an intelligent and positive fashion, meeting the needs of people in various stages of their Karate careers and skill and ability levels. In reality, this means that Andre could teach Asai-Ryu Shotokan Karate to Nick at 3-dan level (Nick is talented and has physical ability) and Paul at Donkey Shodan (Paul has no talent and no physical ability, but has doryoku) and we all felt we got something out of it. Behind that, he was dynamic, inspiring, funny, self-deprecating, scary and FUN.

On one basic level, what I am trying to say is can Andre walk the walk as well as talk the talk. The answer is a gigantic

YES

that should be placed in bloody great monumental stone blocks the ancient Egyptians used to build the Great Pyramid of Giza.

The other point is though as Ibusuki Sensei was watching the second session, I could see the old glitter coming back to his eyes. The thing was that much of Asai Sensei's fluid and whipping and snapping, sabaki and kaiten waza are much closer in philosophy to the Shotokan that Ibusuki Sensei remembers before Nakayama Sensei and the JKA started getting all rigid on just about everything. When Ibusuki Sensei taught following Andre's morning session, you could see that there was very much a meeting of minds, especially in terms of fluid motion, whipping and snap, short range fighting and sabaki. Afterwards we all went out for a meal and Ibusuki Sensei told us that he thought Andre had the best Karate he'd seen in 20 years.

Ibusuki Sensei's Return

Privately, Ibusuki Sensei said that after seeing Andre, he'd like to start teaching again. This was three or four months ago, and Yuko and I had to do several other important things before we could get back to Shibuya and re-establish our schedule here. It looks like Ibusuki Sensei will be looking at teaching at least once or twice a month, and more like weekly if he can, so we'll keep you posted.

I do hope to offer some insights into the teaching and approach of this magnificent gentleman going forward, for the record, and for posterity, before this particular part of living Karate history moves on. I hope this blog will be of interest to some of you.

Ossu,

Paul (and Yuko).

Not Quite in the Glue Factory Yet

2009-07-09T20:51:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen (and Marius),
Apologies for the lack of cover. Tawara Sensei keeps on telling me about what great training they are having under Yahara Sensei, but I just now have to take a break. So what I will be doing is taking the best from the rest. My backup plan was Pieter, but he's now buried in physics and charms of the orient...so backup plan 3 is to start to get Ibuki Tawara to fill in.

There are a number of things that I would like to post, including Mike Dukas Sensei having a frank and fair discussion with a large and taciturn pile of masonry. So all yee who enter here, don't quite abandon hope yet...

Yoroshiku,
Paul.

Miguel Digging the Dukas Dojo Action

2009-06-17T05:59:00.000-07:00

Well folks, after pains in my heart last week I went back to kind Dr. Ryuji (龍神）(DragonGod) at Tokyo Kyosai hospital....

...by the way, how can you not like having a doctor called DragonGod. I mean, how good is that?

"Excuse me, Dr. my life is in your hands, can I have more pills, please..." Thunder and lightening, very very frightening! And certainly a much more impressive name than that of another old friend, my proctologist, who is an old friend of Kanazawa Sensei also sometimes KWF Taikai Doctor.

So Ryuji Sensei put me through my paces, including more CT scans and X-rays, and told me to take another month's rest.

As I can't train, and Pieter is busy with his physics studies at Keio University, I thought it about time to feature KWF training abroad- and what better than Miguel's Dynamic Karate Blog!

(Somehow Miguel's picture always reminds me of a Front 242 concert I attended in Belgium...but we won't go into that...nor the rabid police dogs either...)

The latest installment features a recent lesson by the brilliant Bryan Dukas Sensei, and it makes for great reading. Another one of my favorite people, and another brilliant Karateka, Andre Bertel Sensei also has a message about Bryan on his blog.

I think Bryan should buy me a drink for all the PR I am giving him, but looks like I may have to make do with a whiplash Yahara Reaper.

A big thanks to Miguel!

Yoroshiku ;-)

Paul.

Mike Dukas Sensei in The Shotokan Way

2009-06-06T21:42:00.001-07:00

Mike Dukas Sensei (link here) from KWF South Africa has just been featured in The Shotokan Way. Fantastic! It's a long and detailed interview with Sensei Mike who has never sought out the limelight but whose Karate speaks for itself. I can say without blushing that Sensei Mike inspires all that meet him, generating loyalty that lasts a lifetime. And that speaks for itself. While I enjoy prolixity, in this case, less is more.

Yoroshiku,

Paul.

KWF Wales

2009-06-04T00:46:00.000-07:00

Stu Needham, KWF European Champion, has drawn our attention to the revamped, refurbished, revised and refreshed KWF Wales website, (was that enough Rhys?) and it's a cracker- nice photos, nice layout, good news and no hokey pokey Japanesese chop suey type letters, which, IMO, are best left to the 1970s.

Oh, not least because it links to our humble little blog here ;-)

And take a look at Stuart's Kumite in the videos above- great, no-nonsense KWF Karate.

Yoroshiku,
Paul.

Yahara UNSU in Shotokan Karate Magazine Special 100th Edition!

2009-05-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

For it's 100th Special Edition, Shotokan Karate Magazine's redoubtable mastermind and editor John Cheetham has given "TEN POINTS IN KATA UNSU: By Sensei Mikio Yahara" top billing. For those of you who don't know the magazine, SKM is required reading and continues to be a flagship source of news, reviews, insight and intelligence about Shotokan Karate.

The key point about this special edition for us is that this is the first time we know of that YS has explained his take on Unsu to a wider and non-Japanese audience. In other words, this is a major first in the western Karate press. (Bryan Dukas Sensei has been personally taught Unsu by YS, though).

In fact, this is Unsu from the eye of the hurricane. Did I mention a storm? Well, inside YS not only talks about technical aspects of Unsu, but also his philosophy behind it.

For copies of SKM's 100th Special Anniversary Edition, please check out the website HERE. Thanks so much, John!

You can also see several versions of the YS Unsu in the video bar up top of this blog.

Enjoy!

Yoroshiku,

Paul.

Memoirs of a Grasshopper - Planet Hopping, Stargazing...

2009-05-20T21:33:00.000-07:00

A fascinating (and beautifully put together blog) has been drawn to my attention and I took one look and thought- "Great!" It's written by Krista de Castella, who has the wonderful experience of training at Sensei Morio Higaonna's dojo in Naha. The stuff of legend! Oh Happy Daze!

Memoirs of a Grasshopper has a very different take on things, so for me it's highly refreshing. It's a bit like this: most people know Holst's Mars: Bringer of War but I love in particular listening to all the suites, in particular, Jupiter, which is simply one of the most exhilarating and uplifting pieces of music I know.

I once knew a young man of very fixed and rigid ideas who told me solemnly that the only "true" Karate was Shotokan Karate. I really didn't know where to begin with him, because such a statement predisposes emotional and academic inexperience that can only be unlearned, hopefully, over time. On the other hand, with Goju-Ryu Karate, I find the Kata in particular awesome. I often think if or when I can get to my sandan, say when I am in my 50s or so, I would LOVE to cross train with our Karate cousins. It certainly helped YS Karate.

So why get stuck on Mars when you can have a great time on Jupiter or Neptune, or Saturn...? We orbit around the same son. (The critical question is, then, if each planet represents a major Karate school, which one is represented by Uranus? That's a place I do not want to delve into ;-) ).

I was first introduced to Goju-Ryu by Sensei Higaonna's son Eric, who came to train under Yahara Sensei for a year to study Shotokan in 2005. Here is is demonstrating for the KWF in one of our Nationals a few years back. He tried to teach me Sanchin, and I can still feel the sting of his blows, even though I know he was being nice to me! I'll stick to Hangetsu until I can get my leg over without wobbling first though...

We sometimes talk of asking permission and forging links and going down to train in Okinawa, you know, the KWF equivalent of "Roots" or something. Unfortunately or otherwise, the only times I have made it to the main island was on business for a conference. All the other times we have just been straight down to Miyakojima and into the surf and awamori!

So the meantime, I'll be checking out Memoirs of a Grasshopper for beautifully presesented insights on something extraordinarily precious.

Yoroshiku ;-)

Paul.

KWF North African Seminar June 27-28, 2009!

2009-05-18T16:38:00.000-07:00

The 4th KWF International Seminar, North Africa (Tunisia)

Following on from the highly successful previous outing to North Africa (you can read the report HERE) it's time again for the latest KWF North Africa Seminar hosted by Shihan Sid Tadrist and headed by YS. The details on the picture are self-explanatory. However, if your screen hasn't got sufficient resolution, here are the details:

Date: June 27-8, 2009
Theme: Kata Bunkai

Contact details:

1. Abdelkader El Fendri:
Tel: 00216 20505435
E-mail: atktfendri@hotmail.fr
2. Sid Tadrist:
Tel: 0044 7958497562
E-mail: sid_tadrist@yahoo.co.uk

From what I know about YS Kata Bunkai, YS tends to dispel complex explanations about lots of Kata moves and brings things back to their original simplicity. Those of you who are aite, be prepared to get knocked flat or hit by YS masonry-like fists and iron bar arms and legs. Ouch! (Part of the fun, of course...)

Sensei Sid says every effort is being made to make the arrangements as pleasant and affordable as possible and everyone is welcome. I am sure it's going to be a "knockout" event, like Sid Sensei's Ippon!

BTW, take a look at this blog's VIDEO BAR (up top!) to see KWF Algeria in action.

Yoroshiku ;-)
Paul.

New Angles on Kakehiki Kusshin- "That's the Spirit!"

2009-05-14T15:27:00.000-07:00

Well yesterday's practice was just unbelievably good: after the warmup it was 80 minutes of kusshin-kihon, kusshin-kumite, sen-no-sen kusshin hangeki, kakehiki kusshin, kusshin, more kusshin, and ...you guessed it....yet more kusshin. There was no break, just time to recover your breath, and then Kanku-Dai.

All this was especially hard on me because a) it was the first training for me in a month following influenza then pneumonia and a gammy leg and b) because of its pace and c) because my partner was Pieter. The consequence is that I even have bruises on the palm of my hand! The spirit is willing. Pity about the body!

1. Kihon Basics
Before we went into compression (kusshin) training we did some very basic warmup Kihon
a) From shizentai kumite kamae smash forward with maximum extension gyakuhanmi go-tai-ichi oi-zuki -> come back into kusshin kamae
b) From shizentai kumite kamae smash forward with maximum extension maegeri -> second maegeri

2. Diagonal Compression (Kusshin) Training
Then we realized we were in for a treat: did compression from shizen kamae on the back leg into age-uke ==> followed by gyaku-zuki
==> then compressing diagonally to the back, on the left and then right sides, gedan barrai followed by gyaku-zuki.
Begin with two count, then go to one count. Fortunately for my stamina we didn't do the three Kusshin/defense=> counter on one count!
Key points with this are:
a) Kusshin means going down to maximum compression on the rear leg and then the counter attack (hangeki) gyaku-zuki is from the rear leg
b) Koshi no kiru --> really "whaak" your hips into hami and then use shinshuku off the rear leg to drive the gyaku-zuki
c) Merihari (contrast): remember, big decisive movements- imagine yourself like a huge spring, compressing yourself so it's unbearable and releasing and explosively expanding

3. Diagonal Kusshin and Applied Kihon
Then we did some moving kihon. Forward with oi-zuki, returning with mae-geri. This was followed by applying the first part of the training into moving kihon (age-uke->gyaku-zuki, diagonal gedanbarai-> gyaku-zuki).

4. Diagonal Kussin and Applied Kumite
Then we applyed this combination into kumite, with the opponent attacking jodan oi-zuki-> mae-geri-> mae-geri.

5. Yahara Tai-Sabaki-> Hangeki (Avoid and Counterattack) I, II, III
Just as we were really hammering each other, YS changed the pace of the lesson and we moved into tai-sabaki->hangeki drills

Drill I: Standard twist tai-sabaki
Simply from hips twist back and compress into Kusshin and then counterattack of your own choice from the leading arm (twist back left or right)

Drill II: Sen-no-sen tai-sabaki and counter
This was really fun- twist into the attack to avoid and simultaneous counter. For example, YS for anti-clockwise forward twist left arm block and leading right hand for teisho counter WHAK- scary stuff! I instinctively prefer enpi! ;-)

Drill III: Sen-no-sen tai-sabaki --> instant Yahara Reaper!
Oh boy this was fun! Fortunately we didn't do this on each other. The committment required for these makes them just too dangerous.

6. Tai-sabaki -> Hangeki Kakehiki Kihon
Yet more fun! Next we applied this to Kumite: Sen no sen, exploding forward to opponent's mae-geri block one hand gedan while simultaneously countering with a kisami-zuki, or compressing on the back leg blocking the mae-geri with a two handed block following with a counter.
Kakehiki:
The point here was that we were trying to trick each other about the timing to try to throw our opponent off. However, this really did not work for Pieter and I because I was exhausted and Pieter, while he is getting faster, because I am still expecting it, I can see it coming.

7. Tai-sabaki -> Kakehiki Hangeki Kumite Ji-yu-Ippon Kumite
These techniques were then applied into kumite, with the opponent kicking mae-geri. This was repeated 5 times. After this we did jiyu-ippon-kumite with two jdoan, two chu-dan, two mae-geri and two mawashi-geri on each side.
Kakehiki:
See above! Although Pieter the sod tricked me by dipping his jodan mawashi-geri into my ribs, giving me a very hard time getting up from the futon this morning ;-).

8. Kanku-Dai
Key points:
1. Koshi no kiru on gedan block
2. Bunkai on high crossblock, like why don't I snap your arm off at the shoulder?

It was a great session with pacing just enough to get us tired but when YS saw people (guess who) getting tired, he would crack a joke or get us to bend and stretch out the knocks. Specifically for me, the session, while hard for me trying to bounce back after a pretty rocky month, was just the sort of jolt I needed.

All in all, it reminded me why I do Karate- there were a couple of times when things were spinning a bit, but the positive energy of pushing yourself and moving in a larger world than your own grumbles and insecurities was just GREAT. Great people, great training, interesting techniques, switches and logic, and watching a master in action- YS.

Yoroshiku ;-)
Paul.

KWF North African Seminar June 27-28, 2009!

2009-05-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

The 4th KWF International Seminar, North Africa (Tunisia)

BTW, take a look at this blog's VIDEO BAR (up top!) to see KWF Algeria in action.

Yoroshiku ;-)
Paul.

IS Fundamentals (a) Sit Down Lesson Part 4/10: Yokogeri

2009-05-09T22:56:00.001-07:00

Folks, as I am not able to train this week, I thought I would take a look at Isaka Sensei's double-yokogeri. The first essential thing to point out is that this is not the same as kai-kyaku (開脚) open legs stretch, or the splits. This sit-down is double-yokogeri. Right?

Right!

So what am I saying? Well, understanding this point is pretty essential in understanding Isaka Sensei's training. Anybody worth their salt in Shotokan Karate will know, to one degree or another, that kicking from the hip, or however you want to put it, is essential. It's a core part of kihon, it's a core part of Shotokan, and therein lays its strength. This is why Budo karate fighters don't go flapping thier legs around (or at least they shouldn't, right?)

But, moving on, when you are doing this stretch, please imagine yourself doing two yokogeri kicks from the hips. The second essential thing here is that the angle of your legs is not initially all that important. It's the angle of your legs relative to the vector of the kick that counts. In other words, you might find an uncomfortable truth. Some of you may get real shock, if you have only stretched with your feet up.

Yah, so if you just stick your toes up vertically, you will probably find you can open a lot wider. Please now try to touch the dojo floor with your toes. This "turn of events" is, as I said, essential to the exercise, which is getting your body instinctively tuned up for a great yoko-geri with correct sokuto.

As an aside, while IS and YS praise flexibility, jodan kicks are not seen as necessarily desirable by YS- only effective kicks with proper technique are desirable. YS would rather you do a great chudan kick leaning forward into the kick, with proper sokuto, than a jodan which has you leaning backwards. The lean backwards in a ke-age or a mawashi-geri is a potentially fatal weakness, right?

So the critial point in this move is sokuto- as it is with the kick. You must angle your foot forward so that your instep is touching the dojo floor, mat because you are performing the sokuto of a side kick! Now prepare for a shock if you are able to do a wide splits normally. It is better to close the angle in a little and point your feet forward.

OK, I have been able to move quite comfortably for the last two days for the first time in ten days. We went to Meji Jingu this morning for (in my case) a limp around and I got a real shock trying to gently do Isaka Sensei's kihon. I haven't been able to move much for ten days and I had shooting pains running up and down my nerves in my legs. This reminded me to say, more than ever, take it easy with these stretches, always. Never get some fool to force you into a position you body says "no" to, never force yourself to do something you know is too painful, and never, ever worry about anyone else. Keep a calm mind and breath deeply and...enjoy!

Yoroshiku,

Paul.

Crocked Again- Tendonitis

2009-05-06T01:31:00.001-07:00

Well it's been 9 days now and things are getting better. After more trips to the hospital (I am up to 6 in the past 8 weeks) I was diagnosed with tendonitis and have to take a complete rest.

Meanwhile the swelling that turned the bottom half of my left leg into something out of the Elephant Man, has gradually moved to my foot, so now I can't put on shoes. Great, eh!

I'll try to update Isaka Sensei's lessons this week, focusing on double yoko-geri.

Yoroshiku,

Paul ;-)

KUGB VISIT #2: Kusshin- The Pressure Drop- You Gonna Feel It!

2009-04-25T02:43:00.000-07:00

Ah Well, you could call KWF Karate Twist and Shout, but it seems that Saturday's session with the KUGB visiting was more a case of spring has sprung (ignoring the unseasonal weather...or was that the Pressure Drop?)

"Cause a pressure drop, oh pressure

Oh yeah pressure drop a drop on you

I say a pressure drop, oh pressure

Oh yeah pressure drop a drop on you

I say when it drops, oh you gonna feel it

Know that you were doing wrong..."

Your humble diarist couldn't make it today, so Pieter submitted the following report, rendered incomprehensible by me....

OK, as last Tuesday's session with OS focused on kaiten (hip rotation) YS seemed to take the session to Kusshin (compression). Actually, just before the session Pieter popped in to pick my camera up. I said to him, we have visitors, so please report on what was taught today." Pieter laughed.

About three hours later he came back saying "excellent, excellent, excellent" about the session.

Here is Pieter's report, which he delivered at midnight, Saturday night:

Hello Paul! How are you doing? Here are the headlights of Yahara Sensei and Isaka Senseis black belt training today:

Yahara Sensei started by asking everyone if they thought what they had been training up until now was really "Karate," he then asked what is the difference between Karate and other martial arts.

When nobody could properly answer his question, he gave them his simple explanation, "Karate means to kill with a single blow."

He then moved on to the question of creating a body capable of delivering a killing blow, which led to the theory of using the rotation of the hips or the compression of the back leg genkai made (everything to the limit). Yahara Sensei demonstrated a few of his techniques (gyaku-zuki & kaiten uraken) on Ibuki Sensei to show how this rotation, or compression, was applied to actual technique.

But first! Before we can learn about hip rotation & leg compression, it was important for everybody to understand the concept of the center of gravity, which was were Isaka Sensei's training session began. We did the basic slow motion center of gravity movement training in kiba-dachi, kokutsu-dachi & zen-kutsudachi.

Yahara Sensei continually pointed out that it was crucial to compress the back leg to the limit, in order to control and move your center of gravity.

When Isaka Sensei made sure everyone had an idea of "special use muscle slow move spin go feeling," he gave a demonstration to show how it should be done.

This was followed by Yahara Sensei's training session, which again focused mainly on the compression of the back leg. We did the gyaku-zuki training where you start from zenkutsu-dachi, compress back, and then explode off the back leg. We did repetitions with age-uke gyaku-zuki, soto-uke gyaku-zuki, and gedanbarai gyaku-zuki.

After this Otsuka Sensei and Ibuki Sensei demonstrated how this training was applied in Jiyuu Ippon kumite. Then we did the compression combinations again.

We ended off the training session with Enpi with Yahara Sensei again emphasising the expansion of the back leg.

I think the theme of the class was Yahara Sensei's theory of using all the joints & muscles in the body to their absolute limit, in order to create maximum power when you strike your target.

A big thank you to Pieter!

Yoroshiku,

Paul.

Otsuka and Tadrist Senseis in Action

2009-04-24T23:38:00.000-07:00

Just found some more interesting videos, these ones just put by Alex (Chichvarin) of KWF Russia. I just hope he doesn't mind these as they show a good Russian fighter against Sid Tadrist Sensei and Masamichi Otsuka Sensei.

1. Sid Tadrist Sensei's Ippon!
YBBB watchers will know that I personally rated Sid Sensei's ippon as one of the highlights; I'd just muttered to Sid that I only have an oi-zuki and I am too old, slow and readable for it to be any good in a Karate competition, whereas Sid has any number of techniques in his arsenal. So he said, "Oh yes, I use Oi-zuki when necessary"....for example, against big tough fighters he wants to get out of the way?

In fact, KWF Karate London has posted an impressive collection of Sensei Sid Tadrist's work here. Please take a look!

2. Otsuka Sensei in Action
The records will show that Otsuka Sensei didn't win the KWF World Cup, etc. etc. but that doesn't change the quality of his Karate. I have still shots of him attacking and defending and his moves are perfect kihon. A year after coming back to Karate, Otsuka Sensei's Karate is, well, just great, lookey here!

Yoroshiku,
Paul.

New Old Videos of Yahara Sensei and Asai Sensei

2009-04-22T19:49:00.001-07:00

Robert Sidoli Sensei just came across some videos on You Tube featuring Yahara Sensei and Asai Sensei, and also a fascinating video of Isaka Sensei doing Kihon. It's hard to believe that this was more than 10 years ago, and I was struggling with Heian Nidan under Richard Amos Sensei (who can be found demonstrating Kumite here.)

Come to think of it, I am still struggling with Heian Nidan ;-)

I don't know what these were shot on, but for me the weird color and muddy focus only add to the charm. Click on the bold hyperlinked title to see the videos!

1. Isaka Sensei Kihon Demonstration, Paris 1997

What I love about this video is that it clearly shows an earlier stage in the evolution of IS slow-motion training to the level he trains at now. One of the things you have to remember with IS is that kicking fast and high is easy. Kicking slow is a different matter. As an aside, just before we went off to Norway, I saw IS walk up to the bag at the other end of the ShotoKan. He lurked in front of it and then suddenly POP! out came a fast as lightning left jodan mawashigeri that hit the top of the bag. He then turned around and wondered off absent-mindedly as if he was thinking about his lunch or something. That's Isaka Sensei. No matter what you think he's thinking, he's thinking something else. You think he's going to kick one way, but he's already somewhere else.

This reminds me of Asai Sensei- he seemed to have a temporary anti-gravity button. With Isaka Sensei, it's a sort of appear where you don't expect him. Difficult to explain, you just have to see it.

2. Knives, Nunchacku, and the odd Kick or Two!

Here we can see YS with knives, Asai Sensei looking very deadly with nunchacku, and a rare ushirogeri from YS. The big point for me is that this was apparently filmed back in 1980, and yo can see the early elements of YS spinning techniques that became so important later.

3. YS LONG EMBU

Just take a look at this. Most of this will be familiar to YS watchers. But there is a lovely surprise at the end.

4. Asai Sensei and Yahara Sensei Demonstration

Here is a full chance to appreciate a couple of Asai Sensei's Budo techniques. What a pity there aren't more. It's just a delight to watch. And some clips of Isu-Dori as well ;-)

Enjoy!

Yoroshiku,

Paul.

Welcome to the KUGB

2009-04-22T18:20:00.000-07:00

We were delighted to have a party of KUGBers over on Tuesday Black Belt trianing under Otsuka Sensei (YS is in New Caledonia until the end of the week) and it was nice to get back in the saddle. I've been laid low with pneumonia but it was, right, get the asprins and caffeine in and go for it!

My gosh it felt good to be back in the saddle, although my stamina has been badly impacted personally, it was best kick (or in my case, get the foot out, at least) forward.

Getting a Kick Out of Basics

Our guests lead by Nick Sensei are a really nice bunch and with a good atmosphere in the dojo, OS in their honor decided that we should do basics, and more basics and more basics. There's an expression in the UK that says, "Tired of London, tired of Life." Those people never lived in New York or Tokyo!

I say, "tired of basics, tired of Karate," so just go and do kick boxing instead ;-)

But what I really liked about Tuesday was that OS observations were aimed at all of us. For good reason in some cases, Japanese instructors are sometimes criticised for not explaining things enough. But it definitely depends on the instructor. OS decided to do a diagnostic in the first half and then work on a couple of points on the second. And you can guess what those were!

Kihon: Hanmi and Shomen
OK there is no doubt that a lot of us delude ourselves about our hanmi and shomen. And there are arguments that KWF 's movements are unnessarily extreme. But what Tuesday's lesson boiled down to was trying to get people to logically understand why we have hanmi and shomen in Shotokan Karate, and while the scale and technical correctness of these movements is fundamental.

Tuesday's key points:

1. The vector of an oizuki without gyakuhami actually has the wrong vector
2. The mechanics of the kick dictate that oi-geri and mae-geri must be done from shomen/ gyaku-hanmi
2. A weak hanmi in a block is nonsense; why give your opponent a bigger target, and why sabotage the scale of your hangeki
3. With all blocks, age/soto/uchi/gendan uke, you block with and from your body, not your arm
4. Lack of (3) particularly sabotages shuto-uke. Actually it's quite obvious who understands this and who doesn't. People who don't get it look like they are dancing. People who do get it, well you get hit in the head with one of those and it could well be lampshade time.

Point 4 is a big point with me because YS patiently re-taught me this point 5 or 6 times in the run up to my shodan: shuto is done from the hips, that's where the whiplash and power comes in. Until I was taught this by KS and YS personally (I am so dense that sometimes the only way to drive in a point is the old fashioned way, to beat it in) I used to regard shuto as a bit of a joke. KS gradually ground into me the the scale and then YS the whiplash. Now, at least I feel that I am competent (on a good day) on this beautiful, beautiful basic technique! :-)

Of course there were a lot of ohter points, and others may have different takes on the session, but that was my takeaway.

Giving 100%
Well, that was a very difficult session for me to get through personally because I seem to have lost lung capacity. I wouldn't give up, but I did get a bit wobbly. OS kept on asking if I was OK. He would say things like, "Paul san, that's an interesting shade of grey you're going!" Despite the fact the session was a very light one, I wouldn't give up.

But actually it's OK to stop in the KWF. YS expects you to put in 100% -total committment; but if you can't take the pace, you are free to rest. The instructors know who is doing what and I can guarantee whenever you think you are not being watched, you are being watched like a hawk!

Down the Aldgate
Any excuse. In order to celeberate our guests arrival from England, and in order to help their total emmersion into Japanese culture, Nick Gardiner and I took them down The Aldgate, a fine establishment serving traditional Brit ales and grub in the middle of Shibuya. The group will also be training at the JKS over in Sugamo and then back to KWF on Saturday! We wish them an enjoyable trip and excellent training in Japan.

Yoroshiku ;-)
Paul.

Pneumonia

2009-04-13T03:55:00.000-07:00

Now I finally understand why we were sweating away and I was coughing up blood for the last week- I was officially diagnosed with pneumonia by nice Dr. Yamada today who was kind enough to phone me at work this afternoon.

"Take rest," he said. Get stuffed! I'll rest when I am on the beach next month!

This might also explain why I have felt so dull and tired and ill the last few weeks. Caffeine-laced genki drinks and pills are extremely effective, in fact I got quite fond of some of the pills supplied by Okada Sempai, but you know, you can't really lie to your body about these things. I sort of knew something was wrong when I started coughing up blood when we landed in Japan!

This means that all Karate is off this week while I recover- last week was off because I had pains in my lungs, moving to my back. The gym staff were quite worried when I wobbled off the exercise bike last Monday and staggered over to the balcony and starting wheezing and cacking up like some old traction engine. Here is a nice shot of me doing ido kihon. Note the kiai at the end! The blood started the day after.

Doing Karate you expect a ribbing now and again. But you don't expect your own body to have a go at you as well!

Given that until last year I used to be a smoker, all those white smudges on the chest X-ray over the Saturday got me thinking.

I will try to update Isaka Sensei's Sit Down Basics this week, but I'll try to use the time I can't go to Karate to catch up on work!

Normal service (whatever that is) will be resumed next week!

Yoroshiku ;-)

Paul.,

Marcus, our Scots Rover

2009-04-12T22:38:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to introduce Marcus (the tallest of a bunch of distinguished gentlemen in the picture) who is a Honbu Student no matter where he chooses to lay his designer shirt.

You know, I have this guy's number in my keitai (mobile phone) and it's a safe guaranteed bet, like Red Rum in a donkey derby, that whenever I am in the middle of a deadline haze, a critical meeting or answering a call of nature, Marcus will call me on that Keitai.

The question is, what part of the world from? Wherever you think he is, he is somewhere else. You think he's in Australia, and actually he's in Scotland. You think he's in Scotland, and actually he's in the pub about 300 meters from the dojo.

One day he will call me up with his friendly Scots burr and say, "Hey Paul, I am just at Moonbase Alpha," but I'll see you at black belt practice on Saturday. Look, I know you gave up drinking, but just one for old times sake, yeah?"

Just the one, Paul.

...oh yeah! ;-)

Yoroshiku-ne!

Tawara Sensei's Kenshusei Ceremony

2009-04-12T20:59:00.000-07:00

Ibuki Tawara can't remember a time before he was in the dojo. This is what he told me when I asked him when he started Karate when we were driving back from a BBQ with YS- oh about a year or so ago. Of course, he wasn't (as far as I know) born in the dojo physically, but metaphorically you could say that he was born into Karate, that it's in the blood, with both his uncle (Tawara Shihan) and his father (Tawara Sensei) both important mainstays of the KWF in Shinshu and Nagano.

And you'll never meet a nicer person. Ibuki Tawara is always the gentleman, has a mischievoussense of humor, is bright and intelligent and modest. It's always interesting to see him when his blood's up though because he loves combat but always has perfect control. If Bruce Springsteen was Born to Run, then Ibuki Tawara was born to Karate. What better could you ask for, really?

Ibuki Tawara has also come through a very character building experience- in his third year at university, some idiot grabbed and fell on his leg, badly damaging Ibuki's knee. Getting him back in the dojo was a long and at times very painful experience involving keyhole surgery and bolts. (I have two in my neck).

I guess only 20 years ago it would have been a career-ending injury. You could tell that being able to move and not being able to train were much, much worse for him- you could see how well he was coping with frustration that he could not practice and compete at what should have been the crowning years of his student Karate era.

Luckily he was able to start training at nearly full power about three weeks before the World Cup so he was able to get some badly needed practice in!

Well, Ibuki Tawara joins Masamichi Otsuka as our second Kenshusei (trainee instructor) and his induction ceremony to the KWF was held on Saturday. Unfortunately I couldn't train; I was finally diagnosed as having pleurisy which may explain my sluggishness and exhaustion for the last month and why I was coughing up blood in Norway (I assumed I had taken a punch I hadn't seen at all) so I just went along to watch and record.

The ceremony was simple: Tanaka Rijicho made a speech and then YS told him what he was up for. He said that for the next two years his most important duty was to keep cheerful and smiling whether he'd had no sleep for days, or was covered in blood. YS said "it is the manner in which you confront and overcome the darkest and hardest moments that will make you grow." So it was more than saying "never give up," rather that's simply understood. It is the manner in which you conduct yourself in front of others, setting yourself as an example, that makes you a leader and makes you command respect. This element of "heijoshin," control, both in karate technique and spirit, is highly prized by YS.

This was followed by a super rendition of Tawara Sensei's trademark- Sochin, with which he won the KWF World Cup Kata last month. Great!

Isaka Sensei just peered at Ibuki Tawara over his glasses, skeptically. If you have ever seen IS looking skeptical, you will know what skeptical means.

Will we couldn't ask for better people to represent the new generation of the KWF. YS said that Otsuka Sensei's Karate has clearly evolved into great KWF Karate and he has successfully made the transition from Zenkuren and nearly half a decade layoff. Ibuki Tawara is steeped in Shotokan and KWF, and now YS will polish (or grind, if you prefer) him up!

We feel refreshed to have two younger generation Karateka who are talented and capable and nice guys.

The division of responsibilities looks like Ibuki Tawara will be the guy you talk to most. He's very open and quick on the uptake and learning English at a rapid rate of knots. Please remember that at Kokushikan University, he spent all day doing Karate, with academic subjects basically just cursory. However, there is one thing that Ibuki Tawara isn't, and that's "Karate Baka."

Yoroshiku ;-)

Paul.

Kusshin, Kihon & Kumite

2009-04-10T02:29:00.001-07:00

I was actually searching for something else when I found this, highlights from the first World Karate Championships and was, well bowled over.

If you can't wait, just "scroll forward" to about 2:00 minutes and take a look at the fights. The stances (although not perfect of course) and the distance (not the distance we in the KWF are supposed to fight) is pure KWF- or what KWF should be. In fact, especially from a couple of the Japanese fighters, their stances and movements were just showing kusshin.

But these days with bouncy bouncy this and chudan-jodan mawashi-geri combo that, this Karate looks even a little bit unusual. But its what KWF Karate is. What a difference from the sports university Karate you see in Shotokan tournaments these days!

Of course, it might be as obvious as night and day to all you experienced Karatekas, but YS says that he is trying to bring KWF Karate in terms of it's technical approach back to its Nakayama Sensei 原点 (genten = origin) and in terms of spirituality and attitude back to its Budo genten / 精神 (seishin = spirit/ attitude/ philosophy).

In a recent interview I translated for Karatenomichi Venezuela YS said that the KWF is actually going in the opposite direction to most Shotokan organizations are doing. Of course for this YS has been castigated by others, especially those who have never even met him face-to-face. Look, I know it's psychologically appealing to some personality types to want to belong to some sort of "true believer" cult minority, but when thrust comes from spin, we are just doing traditional Shotokan Karate.

Anyway, it just goes to show to an increasing number of people, that we are doing the sort of Karate of a bygone era, and, to tell the truth, I am really PROUD of that!

Yoroshiku ;-)
Paul.

Back from the World Cup!

2009-04-09T21:01:00.000-07:00

Well that was that- Yuko and I are just starting to get back into the swing of things after an exhausting World Cup. I was coming off a long bout of flu and Yuko caught mine right in the thick of things. Oh what fun we had!

Many, many thanks to David Barker, Bob Sidoli and Kristiansund
Well there were many highlights and hardships, but before anything, I would like to offer our deep appreciation and thanks, on behalf of everyone here in the KWF HQ, for David Barker in particular for his wonderful work in making this event happen. And of course to Robert Sidoli Sensei, who is an old hand at conjuring up magic solutions from his dogi. And right behind them was a small army of KWF Norway students, and sponsors and local people of Kristiansund. Fantastic.

Kristiansund is a beautiful town with great people. Have I gushed enough? Have I ever! We were made to feel very at home and we really appreciate all the work of all those who worked so hard.

All's Well that Ends Well
I may be writing up a formal article on the event later, so this is just a very informal take. OK, make that a personal take. Before anything else, I would like to say congratulations to all the competitors. I can't give myself a pat on the back because (a) my left shoulder seems permanently incapable of full movement and (b) my right ribs are restricting movement with my right hand and (c), the real reason, because I sucked.

As I quite get a thrill from Shiai, despite my decrepitude, I have promised myself that for next year I will enter that strange and complex world of tactics!

Personal Highlights
Highlights for me were getting kicked around by high-level senseis, not getting kicked around too much on the mat, and eating reindeer burgers and enjoying the local revelry. Above all else it was meeting fine people from all over the world.

Personal highlights as they happened (roughly)

1. Shane Dorfman Sensei's mawashi-geri Seminar.

Those of you familiar with Sensei Shane- I have been lucky enough never to have been on the receiving end of a beautifully executed kizami-zuki or mawashi-geri will know what I am talking about. As Darth Vader would say...."most impresssive..."

The other great thing behind all that power is control, which seems to be particularly valued by Yahara Sensei and Isaka Sensei. It's really easy to hurt people (seriously) if you are wearing those 2-3mm thick KWF knuckle pads. The quality comes in the control. (SEE BELOW).

2. Having the "Mori-kick" done on me by YS in the Judge Training Course.

I was supposed to be translator, but I also turned out to be aite (partner, aka dogs body). So this meant whenever someone had to make a point, they did so on me. Much to my surprise, YS asked me to throw him. Well, it's not often you get a chance to throw YS over your shoulder, so I went for it...it's been a long time since I did a left hand ippon-seoi-nage and BONK!!! he promptly kicked me in the side of the when he landed, just like that famous shiai with Mori Sensei. My jaw is still aching from that.

3. Having the YS Kani-Basami done on me.For those of you not familiar with this particular move, it's it's crab claws takedown. I was standing there when all of a sudden YS popped under my radar. I felt these sort of steely things trapped around my legs and then a fraction of a second wobble and BANG! "DONG!!" "DONG!!" I went down like a ton of bricks then YS kicked me in the side and then the head. I briefly got a very close glimpse of the ball of YS foot- it's sort of been imprinted in my memory since.

4. Having IS hurl me backwards.

Now this was really very unsettling. Can you imagine standing in the sea and looking out on the horizon, and then suddenly out of nowhere a wave knocks you flat? IS was demonstrating about how to control space and asked me to face him. Suddenly, like some sort of mini-space warp I felt his fingers on my throat and then WHHAANG! I was down backwards.

This was very peculiar because it was like Aikido. One second IS was somewhere, the next he in my face, and at the touch of his hand I went down. It wasn't at all painful and he barely made contact with me- certainly not enough to throw me back and down. The only other times I've had this experience is with my old Aikdo sensei Saito Sensei (7th dan) who could throw me across a room just by touching me.

A few days later we were walking toward the restaurant in Copenhagen where we were going to have an evening meal and for some reason me, the worst, weakest and most feeble guy in the group by a considerable distance, was entrusted with carrying the valuables. IS asked me if I was OK with this and I said fine, but I felt sorry for anyone who mistook IS for some elderly gentlemen easy victim target in a mugging. IS turned around to me and said in English, "No Paul san, I no hurt, PEACE!" he said with a big grin.

"Oh yeah?" I thought.

6. Sid Tadrist Sensei's Oi-zuki Ippon

I am a big fan of Sid Tadrist Sensei because apart from having consummate skill, he has such a varied arsenal and seems to be able to switch from offense to defense, stalk and trap opponents. Anyway, "win or loose" he's always in complete control. The funny thing was just before one of the semi-finals I think he was talking to me, saying "I don't use oi-zuki much, only when necessary," and in the next shiai POW! out it came, a picture perfect peach of a punch! It made me so happy to see such perfect technique. The sports Karate people just don't understand this.

7. Masamichi Otsuka Sensei's Gojushiho-sho.

Actually he placed second to Ibuki Tawara's Sochin. Both kata looked great to me. But I have seen Ibuki's Sochin for years, whereas Otsuka Sensei was asked just a couple of months ago to switch to Gojushiho-sho instead of Unsu. (You should see Otsuka Sensei's Unsu- it's a masterpiece!) Not bad for a guy who hasn't competed for six years...

8. Shane Dorfman Sensei's Enbu

Now this was awesome- the budo power and control- control being an essential quality, I am learning more and more- of this display was breathtaking. IS turned around to me just as Shane Sensei had launched a breathtaking jodan tobi-geri and just touched the face of the aite. IS grinned ear-to-ear and said "That was a great display of control."

9. Being upgraded by SAS! ;-)

Look, I only judge people by the way they treat me: I like polite intelligent people, and I don't like rude, stupid people. Simple. IS was flying Economy Extra and the nice staff at Oslo decided to upgrade him to Business Class. I walked up to them and thanked them so much because IS was a famous Karate master we really appreciated it. She gave a big smile and promptly upgraded the rest of us to Economy Extra, which is roughly equivalent to what Business Class was a decade a go. Free champagne all round!

10. Friends, Karateka and Kallender

Above all else, it was really great to meet old friends. You know who you are!

The Lowlights:

If there was one lowlight of the trip it was the so called "pizza," an absolute abomination disguised as semi-edible comfort food at Oslo airport. This truly is a foul culinary blot on the fine crisp Nordic landscape that should be bulldozed out onto the tundra.

If you arrive as we did after a long-haul flight in luggage class, you may well be deceived by the seemingly succulent wafts of cheese and oven baked crust wafting through the airport. So you have been awake for a day and you just couldn't face that anemic plastic half frozen "roll" on your sad little tray. You are starving. What better than a pizza?

...nonononononoNO! Geen! Nein! Rein! DA-ME!

In Oslo airport, it's what's worse than their pizza: you pay a fortune for a huge circular blob of bland cheese with nondescript chunks of used tires, dead frozen mystery animals and ...things I just don't understand...

OK, apart fromt the dreadful, dreary, disgraceful pizza, the rest of our nordic experience was awesome!

Back to normal service soon...

Yoroshiku ;-)

Paul.

IS Fundamentals (a) Sit Down Lesson Part 3/10: Yokogeri

2009-03-22T02:51:00.001-07:00

The third major stretch of the basic ten stretches of Isaka Sensei's sit down practice is easily understandable, and very easy to cheat on as well; it's the sit down Yoko-geri stretch.

There are a number of points that are quite a challenge to this stretch. The main thing is beginners should never overdo it. The second main thing is that the stretch actually should occur in two places; one is obviously using the floor and your body to lever the leg to introduce flexibility to the hip. The second though is within the pelvic girdle, actually helping to ease a stretch inside the pelvic girdle, using the non-extended leg.

N.B.: It's very easy for youngsters or well meaning people to do things like stand on the hip that's being extended. As well as being anything from painful to excruciatingly painful, doing this can be really damaging and dangerous. Don't ever fool around with this stretch!

Dos and Don'ts with and the Inside Story with Sit Down Yoko-geri

The key things are; keep your back straight and don't lean forward- i.e. cheat. Also, push the leg out gently from the hip. Imagine the feeling of pushing the leg out along the floor is one of the most important parts of loosening the hip. Remember, this is not a stretch so much as loosening (cutting the chains as IS puts it) of the hip.

Now we get to the less obvious but very important stretch: the position of the non-kicking leg is very important; if you can, you should keep the heel in front of the center of your hips. Just like a perfect Tobi-geri! Just like Yahara Sensei!

Top Tips: (No relation to Viz)

Do lean into to the "kick" and if you are up to it, get a partner to GENTLY either push you a little or pull you a little. But the partner should never force you. If you are a beginner or very stiff, it is likely that you will have to practice this for a few months before you can even begin to appreciate just how good this stretch feels!

The next big thing is the toes. Or "TOOZ" as Koike Sensei always used to call them! (:-) It is vitally important to keep the sokuto correct in order to (also) stretch all the tendons and muscles in the leg, but what will really bring out the best is keep the toes pointed up!

If you are feeling really advanced, then you can also finish off the stretch by then lifting the heal up as well.

Remember, don't try to force the leg out and your position to the vertical; relax and imagine it and gently work toward it remembering to breathe and relax.

Hope you are already getting the "special feeling!"

Yoroshiku,

Paul.

Bash Street Kids: Kumite Night IV

2009-03-20T21:39:00.000-07:00

I wasn't able to attend last Tuesday's sessions- spent last week all week with a cold that moved from the throat, by which it certainly had me, to my chest. What made it grimly fiendish was the fact that my hacking cough was helped by the stabbing pain in my ribs with each cough, which only added to the comic nature of it all for Yuko.

On Thursday I thought "it's time to go to the mat" with my cold- it was either it or me was going to emerge, so I loaded up on four aspirin and drank two "genki" (energy = caffeine and vitamin B-laced) drinks and hit the dojo floor. Fortunately not literally.

The highlight for me personally came early in the session: as we were warming up, YS said to me "ah Paul-san, you are getting looser" at which point I collapsed in a wince on the dojo floor. This amused YS.

Kumite

Thursday night was basically an hour of kumite finishing with Heian Shodan. We did a bunch of kusshin drills first, then kizamu-zuki, gyaku-zuki drills in kihon then teamed up with partners for Jiyu Ippon kumite for sen-no-sen

a) Kogeki jodan, aite must kizamu-zuki, gyaku-zuki

b) Kogeki chudan, aite kusshin, gyaku-zuki

c) Kogeki jodan or chudan, aite can kizamu-zuki-> gyaku-zuki or kusshin-> gyaku-zuki or sabaki-> gyakuzuki

d) Kogeki jiyu, hangeki jiyu

All at your own pace, as many attacks as you want/ can in 45 minutes...

Shiai

18 matches or so, six each by different senior black belts against Otsuka Sensei, Ibuki and Kimura-chan.

Kata

Heian Shodan, once, to the best of our abilities et oh-la-la, c'est la fin!

Yoroshiku,

Paul.

IS Fundamentals (a) Sit Down Lesson Part 2/10: Koza-zuwari

2009-03-17T04:59:00.000-07:00

Koza-zuwari (交差座り) (Cross Legs Sit Down Position)

Hello and welcome to the second fundamental loosening exercise that is part of Isaka Sensei's (IS) sit down lessons. This one is particularly enjoyable if you like the idea of loosening up your hip joints and your lower back.

NB: be careful though- remember these exercises are never mandatory and should never cause undue pain. If you have prior injuries of conditions that make such exercises painful, IS will never expect you to do them. In fact, all the exercises on IS curriculum are mypace.

This practice makes sense if you just remember the more conventional standing version of it, koza-dachi, which IS demonstrates here on the right. As

you can see, conventionally we use it as the preparation position in kihon for a yokogeri-keage or kekomi; now in IS slow motion positions, the kosa-dachi is pretty extreme. The sit down version of it, as you've now guessed is a great way to build the flexibility in the pelvic curdle to get good at these kicks. Also it's a good note to let you know if you are overweight. If you are too fat, you can't cross your legs, so you'd better shed the lard, or you are kidding yourself. Sorry if this isn't very PC, but there you go.

OK you can start right over left or left over right.

Again you can go mypace but the best way is to

make sure you are getting into the right position is to lean forward on all fours, cross one leg back over the other and then sit back, like this. Then best thing to do is sit back slowly into the cross legs position, this way you can gradually use the leverage of the knee to act as a lever. Again, it is really important to keep the lower back (in fact the entire back) straight and upright. Let's face it, yokogeri kicks with people leaning over forward too much look really ugly, don't they?

The next stage if you want to is to stretch in a circle; you can stretch forward and then to the sides like shown here, but remembering proper breathing. While I am not exactly supple (I have gone from being horrible to normal over the years) I couldn't even stick one leg over the other properly when I started. Now I can lean over a little. I feel like a champion. For me, it isn't getting a medal, its finishing the race that counts! These movements really provide the value add. Note, if you have any enthusiastic people who want to give you a shove, tell them to back off. These exercises should be done at your own pace and to your own limits. You will be surprised however how your horizons will expand after a few months.

Oh happy times!

Part III: Kata-ashi yoko-geri-zuwari

Yoroshiku ;-)

Paul.

Bash Street Kids: Kumite Night III

2009-03-17T00:49:00.000-07:00

I had intended to publish this last week but felt like a big bit of cod in a Catford chip shop- battered. Of course it wasn't that bad, but I am basically a superannuated salariman.

This is what I wrote on Friday night, feeling a bit under the weather:

Well, the small knocks that you pick up in kumite are starting to rack up; on Friday I went to they gym at 07:00 to try to shake off the feeling that I was actually a stack of broken crockery find that I can't now do fukkin (situps): nice set of brown patches over my chest and ribs these days.

Kinetic Kimura and Kokushin Kicks
Thursday's Kumite was dominated for me by two themes- Kimura and Kyokushinkai. First of all, Kimura chan, who works for YS bodyguard/security company, is steadily being weaned off Kokushikan University sports karate. This means that she needs to learn to really start hitting people. To do this she needs a large target to practice on:
..."PAUL SAN..."

YS is piling the pressure on her because she is used to sports karate and tapping people with big kiais and hikite to impress judges to score points. None of this will wash in the KWF, where you have to hit people- with control of course.

On the other hand this was good toughening up training for me because YS didn't let her off the hook while she was steaming in (in the first set of practices, the aite can't evade or block)..."deeper!" "NONONONO" "LONGER" "NONONO, HIT HIM!" until she was knocking me back each time- that's 50kg of motivated figher slamming into me. YS noticed I was wincing or staggering after each one, so then he said to her "NOW JODAN!" I looked at YS to say "I am up for it," Kimura looked at him in horror, YS said Yame, and we moved onto MY turn ;-).

I suppose this is all to cover for the fact that I was battered up by a 50kg woman. Which goes to show you how effective a proper oi-zuki is.

Kickboxing Time
We have a really nice guy training with us called Faisal Zakariya from Sudan who fights K-1, Shido-Kan, Kyokushinkai type fights and likes to learn from YS, who likes him because he is (a) polite and (b) very, very big (he must be 110kg) so great practice for Otsuka Sensei (about 60kg). You can see the sort of thing Faisal gets up to here!

As you can see, Faisal is fan of YS spinning techniques. I can't resist putting a couple up here. I've had a couple on the ribs- an experience I won't forget in a hurry.

So it was quite funny when they squared up for Shiai- Faizal doing all these sort of Kyokushinkai things so Otsuka Sensei just smashed into him with oi-zuki. It reminded me a bit of the scene with Naka Sensei in Kurobi playing the character of "Taikan" vs. that bloke who does all the kicks and Taikan just oi-zukis him on the chin. The scene I am referring to is here. But of course, Otsuka Sensei is a gentleman.

YS keeps on telling Faizal that if he only learned how to use his body, he'd be really incredible, but Faisal's world is a very different one. We occasionally have people from Kokushinkai or related organizations over, usually by introduction, without a problem. You find that quality people are quality people who understand etiquette and appropriacy, no matter what their style is. We've even done Kyokushin style kumite to accommodate guests, on occasion. It's so radically different and I instinctively want boxing gloves!

Butting Heads
A-HEM. Which brings us back to...At last I had my chance to show what sort of stuff I was made out of during Shiai, when YS lined me up against...you guessed it....Kimura chan! Actually no- the real story is that YS likes to use Pieter and I as sort of charging gaijin against more skillful fighters so they can experience what it's like to have big "enthusiastic" foreigners have a go at them.

Kimura is so fast and I am so slow that she can hit me, go back to the edge, have a glug of iced lemon tea and check her makeup before I even guess what's going on...but this time I wasn't going to have it. I said to myself, "Paul son, show a bit of pride here" so I tried to imagine myself on "fast forward" and low and behold, I didn't do too badly on the first couple of exchanges. But when I physically picked Kimura chan up on her feet like a gentleman, she gave me a dirty look. Oh-oh, I thought to myself, I'm up for it.

Then the next move in we were locked together. YS stopped and called "Yame" and said, so what do you do now?" Well, there was no option for it- the "Glaswegian Kiss." I have never headbutted a woman before, and the sight of an indignant Kimura chan so inviting close to me was irresistible. "GOKKKU!!" The sickening sound of bone on bone.

While it was perfectly controlled, a sort of silence settled over the dojo. Ishigoro Sempai giggled and I looked at YS, who had a broad grin over his face. "IPPON!" he shouted.

But you should have seen the look on Kimura chan's face- it would have curdled milk. It certainly scared the hell out of me!

Yoroshiku,
Paul.

Yahara Sensei Aged 26

2009-03-16T05:32:00.000-07:00

I have been really under the weather since Sunday morning (nothing to do with Saturday night, which was early to futon) and I had to work through the whole day putting together a survey of x86-based server penetration in PC-based cluster computing in Japan's HPC market.

Oh what fun I didn't have.

Yep. You are already leaving, I can tell. Anyway, working my way through flu while munching aspirin until my mouth was foaming (ok, ok, it was rabies, I admit it) yesterday and today has been a real and literal pain. Added to that, every time I cough I get a sharp pain in my left ribs. Thank you, Ibuki-san! (Here he is against Sid Tadrist Sensei)

Anyway before I limp off to the futon, grumbling about this and that, I thought I would post this to cheer up all you Yahara fans out there. My word, they don't make 'em like this any more.

Enjoy!

Yoroshiku

Paul.

Too Much Japanese

2009-03-12T23:43:00.000-07:00

Notice of complaints that I am using too much Japanese have reached me indirectly, so I am going to change my policy on Japanese use.

One of my objectives with this blog is to represent Karate the way we experience it here in Japan, with Japanese instructors. I also wanted to introduce genuine Japanese expressions commonly used in Karate every day that might be of help to people interested in training over here.

However I realize that:

1. I am using a lot of potentially extraneous expressions that come as natural to me or people who train in Japan under Japanese instructors in Japanese dojos that people without this experience may consider redundant and,

2. Some people with limited PC skills may not be able to change the settings on their browsers to read Japanese characters, and

3. Some people may regard Japanese characters as confusing or an irritant, either psychologically because they don't want a Japanese lesson, or think they are being patronized, or in terms of making the narrative difficult to understand...

...and so on.

At the same time, there are some boundaries that I will impose. For example, an oi-zuki (or oi-tsuki) will stay an oi-zuki/ tsuki because I have no idea what a "lunge punch" is. So names of techniques and some basic Japanese will remain.

I had hoped to inspire people with an interest in basic Japanese by showing them something of the real flavor of training here, but there are always drawbacks, caveats and unforseen consequences with new enterprises.

So I am going to try to make the blog more user friendly for people by reducing the number of Japanese expressions, while continuing working hard to try to bring the sweat, smiles, winces and occasional blood and tears that are part and parcel of Karate training at the KWF HQ.

So, best punch forward, let's think of the largest common denominator ;-)

Best regards,
Paul.

Bash Street Kids: Kumite Night II

2009-03-10T21:12:00.000-07:00

Kumite, more Kumite, yet More Kumite and some more Kumite

"Oh what fun we had, but at the time it seemed so bad...."

It looks as though Tuesday nights are Kumite nights. Sorry, I missed last Thursday's session because of a meeting. It sounded very spirited in the dojo and my mind really wasn't on administration.

Partner Kumite

After warming up it was find a partner and ju-yu kumite: half speed with correct Kihon. But you know what that is like- particularly in the third or fourth bout when the blood is pumping. YS always makes sure to calm and slow things down if people, particularly large SA gentlemen get a bit excited. For YS, heijoshin（平常心) remaining calm and focused, is the most important thing. Do not feel emotion, stay cool and never signal your intentions to your opponent.

I was lucky enough to have both Sadig (5th dan) and Otsuka Sensei, which was quite a challenge. YS said to me to really have a go at him actually..."Paul, YARE! Enryoshaide!"

Of course, easier said than done. My main memory of Kumite with Otsuka Sensei is tumbling over backwards in a flurry of punches ;-)...After four or five partner swops it was time for Shiai practice, so on with the knuckle mitts and line up for two minute bouts.

KWF Shiai

KWF shiai are timed for two minutes but they should never usually go on for that long. If either of the fighters can't pick up two waza-ari or an ippon between them in that time, then it's just poor technique (my issue) or wrong attitude. KWF Shiai are not about totting up points over a time period, or the person with the most points after a certain period is the "winner."

This is KARATE. The purpose of Karate was to put that Shimazu guy down before he pulled his sword and chopped your arm off! So while you have to control your karate in Shiai to avoid really hurting your opponent (I mean, these people are my friends, I like them) in the KWF you just don't go hopping up and down and tap them. This is why my ribs are so sore and covered in blotches.

Roll Up, Roll Up

It was really fun, because we all got a chance to have a go at Ibuki and Otsuka Sensei ;-). Basically, they alternated and we just lined up to have a go. I actually managed to sweep Otsuka Sensei, who was on his fourth fight in a row, only to find his knuckle pad in my face. Mind you, this is not surprising. It's pretty easy for a hunter to swipe at a trundling rhino.

I was really looking forward to going into Shiai with Ibuki but YS actually stopped me. I was pretty tired, so he sent in Pieter instead. Pieter is (a) young (b) very tall (c) very "positive" in his attitude (basically charges forward) so basically YS kept on throwing him until his mitts were bloody!

The lowlight for me was fighting Kimura chan, a Kokushikan fighter. As many of you may know, Kokushikan was YS's university.

Every time I tried to move in on her, she was in and out before I got a chance- ba-BAM! "Sorry Paul-san" she said, with a smile. Kimura chan is as sweet as she is fast. I really don't stand a chance.

Kata: Jion and Gojusho-Sho

Jion practice focused on koza-dachi elements and Gojusho-sho was focused on checking to see that we were assimilating the focus points in the prior lesson, particularly effective blocking.

Yoroshiku ;-)

Paul.

IS Fundamentals (a) Sit Down Lesson Part 1/10 : Seiza

2009-03-10T00:35:00.001-07:00

Sit Down Pracitice is a Real Stretch!

1. Seiza （正座）

There is no doubt about it; mention to Isaka Sensei that this lesson is like Yoga or get into some esoteric stuff about energy channels or ki energy and he will give you a pitying smile. After 40 years of this, I don't think IS gives a hoot about claims others make for his sit down lessons. But I can tell you from extensive experience that IS

sit down lessons have a semi-miraculous effect on the body and spirit. Many a fuggy Sunday morning have been cured by 40 minutes of IS training particularly when he stretches you.

That Special Feeling
He calls it that "special feeling."Veterans of IS classes will know the familiar refrain:

Isaka Sensei: "Paul-san: Do you have.... .... special feeling?"
Paul San: "Gmmpphhhffff."
Isaka Sensei (big smile on face): "Ah, yes!"

Kihon within Kihon
What I will do over the coming weeks is try to focus on the first ten "sit down lesson" positions as IS calls them. IS regards these as "Kihon within Kihon." Personally, I am not interested in Yoga this or mysticism that, and IS doesn't give a hoot about any of that, as I indicated. But these stretches are something that he has concluded are highly effective after 40 years researching human movement to add strength, speed, flexibility and fine tuning to his own body, and if they resemble fashionable things done by housewives on fancy stretch mats in expensive gyms, so be it ;-). No bandannas or incense candles at the KWF, I am afraid. (We used to have a beer machine though, fully stocked and ready for action 24/7. Unfortunately, that's gone.)

All I can say is that these deep, deep stretches and breathing do seem to calm you down and pep you up- calm you and energize all at the same time. Of course, some of this may well be psychosomatic rather than physical, but if you feel a lot better and emerge more relaxed and looser, it's got to be a result, right? The other thing is that doing these stretches do seem to really set up for moving more fluidly. I am not saying anything more than intelligent folks could consider adding parts or all of these movements to their stretch routines if they notice benefit.

So let's go to the first stretch: Seiza （正座）

For those of you don't know, but anyone familiar with budo culture must know this as sort of first lesson, (正座） seiza and　（礼） rei, or bowing, are essential building blocks of Japanese culture. Actually, before I get on my high horse, it was Sensei Richard Amos who first taught me to bow properly. Bowing too much and saying "Ossu" to everything, what I would call "out-Japaneezing the Japanese" are two things enthusiastic foreigners sometimes do. All that is called for is respect and politeness and what I would call social intelligence (aka basic courtesy and common sense).

OK there is an entire culture surrounding the importance of the posture of seiza, and of course it's very important in Karate for a number of reasons, not least
a) the lineup (整列）
b) correct posture for mokuso (黙想）c) having your coccyx tucked up and leaning forward a fraction so you can kick maegeri or block without getting up (this was often shown as a kihon kick by Asai sensei)

d) knees together for women and slightly apart for men

e) hand position mid way up thighs... ...etc.

However, this is not about sitting up correctly, it's about using the stretch to loosen up some vital parts of the pelvic girdle, back, knees and shoulders.

The Seiza Stretch Itself:

When you sit in seiza, keep you back straight and lean forward. As your chin gets closer and closer to the floor remember to AVOID bending your back in the slightest. If you bend your back, this stretch's effectiveness is mainly voided. By keeping your back straight as possible, you will get a deep, deep stretch out of it. As you go down forward slowly, remember 吸って　(sutte) (breath out). With your arms stretched out in front of you, palms down on the dojo, keep your head up and neck parallel with your back and continue to breath out and push/ pull yourself deeper. Keep on breathing and when you breathe out, stretch deeper and deeper.

You should take this seriously but not make a meal out of it; it's not going to take you to Nirvana, but with the other nine patterns we do in sit down lessons, they certainly do make you feel better.

Timing: Keep on doing this stretch for a good few minutes. Essential: Keep back straight as possible and bend from hip, keeping back straight, keep breathing fluid- failure to do any of these will heavily discount the effectiveness of the stretch of the lower back, shoulders and knees. Advanced: (a) Use hands to track left and right as far as 45 degrees- this really is useful for adding in flexibility for the hip joints (b) have a partner GENTLY push your lower back, timed with your breathing out.

Next Time: 交差座り　（Kosa-zuwari) (Cross Legs Stretch)

Yoroshiku :-)

Paul.

Shurely some coincidence

2009-03-06T04:30:00.001-08:00

...to be said in a Sean Connery vintage James Bond accent

This was from Jody in South Africa...

Actually, Yuko did escort Quentin Tarantino around Shibuya when Reservoir Dogs was being shown at Cinema Rise there; she found him quite pleasant and oddly deranged. He was obsessed by the games center behind the cinema (it's still there) and collecting fluffy UFOs, whatever.

完璧おたくーな！ (What a total otaku (nerd!))

Mmm.

Yoroshiku ;-)

Paul.

Bash Street Kids: Kumite Night

2009-03-03T18:05:00.000-08:00

Kumite Night

Yesterday morning when I woke up with brown patches on my left and right ribcage and a swollen left hand (and inability to make a fist) I thought....mmm, last night's kumite was great!

Tuesday was Kumite Night, the first time we were allowed to cut loose for a long time and I think we all had fun. Goro came up to me and said "Your wife's fists are very painful!" Last week, Yuko tried one of the self-defense techniques against Chikan and rammed her knife hand up between my legs. I can't actually remember much for about 20-30 seconds; just a sort of vague circular haze crumpled up in front of our door. She was deeply apologetic of course. I didn't have much say in the matter either way ;-).

Anyway, kihon was a bit different on Tuesday: we basically did static shodan kihon syllabus plus kusshin- ake-uke=> gyaku-zuki, soto-uke=>gyaku-zuki, uchi-uke=>gyaku-zuki, gendan barai=> gyakuzuki (compression->explosion, compression -> explosion). Just as you were becoming like some sort of steam hammer, YS would raise the pace...then maegeri- just maegeri, up and down, up and down.

Then suddenly, Kumite...then more Kumite....then more Kumite

....45 minutes of Jiyu-Ippon Kumite in three stages

a) Aite performs just basic defense (block and/or tai-sabaki, jiyu/tekito-ni), 5-7 minutes each of one partner just attacking with favorite techniques unlimited number of attacks-> swop (5-7 minutes, mypace, as many as you want, non stop)

b) Aite defense and (block and/or sabaki- hangeki -> same as above but aite can have a go back (5-7 minutes, free, mypace) then swap (same time restriction)

c) Both moving one or double triple attack (aite defense then hangeki) (5-7 minutes free non stop) then swap....

Sorry I am not sure about the individual timing because all I know was that by the end I was dragging myself along. The critical thing with ji-yu-ippon/nihon/sambon kumite is kihon and if your opponent does not defend, he or she is going to get powerfully hit.

Note on Japanese

From feedback I am getting, I realize sometimes I assume that people understand all the Japanese I am throwing out. If you train in Japan for a few months, or have a teacher who was trained or has extensive experience in Japan, then most, but all of these expressions should be second nature. If not, just in case!

Mypace

Mypace is a Japanese shoryaku (省略）(abbreviation) for "at your own pace, in your own time." As many of you may know, Japan is full of abbreviated loanwords or Japanese originals; for example pasacon means "personal computer" and of course the most well known I guess is anime (animated cartoon).

Hangeki (反撃）"Counter Attack"

Self explanatory, I think

Tekito-ni (適当に) "Appropriately, depending on the situation, as needed...."

Ninzubun (人数分）

This is special Japanese known to few foreigners: ask Bryan Dukas Sensei ;-). He has had extensive training in this technique by the Honbu Dojo, including optional exercise extras provided by Shirakawa san.

Bash Street Kids

Then YS pulled out OS and Ibuki san, and we all lined up to have a go at them! Oh what fun we had.

I steamed into OS like a myopic rhino (Yuko has said I don't so much resemble a donkey as a rhino, which for me is a step up, I suppose) to no avail of course by the time I was trying my sneaky second attack I had already had a fist in the face and a boot in the ribs and was going backwards, all with perfect poise and control from OS and, unlike with Pieter, pain free defeat!

Then Kata

1) Jion: Chu-i　(take care) （注意）points;

a) Length, power and kanshin on maegeri ->oizuki, gyaku-zuki

b) Extreme hanmi, tame-tametametameru (hold, hold, hold, hold,WHAKspring! hips) to gyaku hanmi

c) NEVER raise hips when going into gedanbari- in fact in the turn, your hips should be going down

d) Mesen awareness- look your opponent in the eye

2. Gojusho-Sho: Chu-i (注意） points (Here is YS checking out Oht suka Sensei (OS) and Ibuki doing Gojusho-Sho in the photo below.)
Note: Junban (order) is as in Nakayama Sensei's Best Karate!

1) Move 24:Yonhon nukite- remember the first strike is oi-tsuki with perfect shomen. Easy, right? Never forget, right? Well, check again, OK! Ah-ha, not sure now, right? Get the picture.

2) Extreme koshi tame, tame, tame is required before the switch back to oi-zuki.

3) Move 15, repeated elsewhere, e.g. 20: Hidari Nukite Chudan Uke: Remember that you are using the shuto before the sambon nukite to block a coming oi-zuki; you deflect the block by drawing the punch away from you. A lot of people just wave their hands, or thing they are doing something similar to Bassai Dai.

4) Move 61: Ryoken Koshi-ni Kameta-mama: the hands on hips swivel block has to be thrust from the hips and be powerful as much as speedy- really go in and attack with it, and expand off the back leg when you do it. Mentally I thought "Yeah, give the bugger the elbow!"

3. Sochin: I am sorry, at my level I just followed the others. Fortunately I next to Ibuki- so I had a great role model to copy. YS gave Ibuki a clinic on Sochin while the rest of us watched. The main thing was to make sure that the ke-age kicks are strong without loosing momentum or snap. It's very easy if you are young, fast and talented (the three critical areas that I am most deficient in, gumpf) to whip out the kicks for show. Now I am not saying that Ibuki did that, but after he was told, the kicks certainly looked as if they would knock my block off...

Warm down: I felt my left hand already blowing up, so I decided to do as many press-ups on my knuckles as I could - about 35- before my left hand gave out. Ouch ouch ouch... It was a bit of a bugger yesterday, I couldn't even open a carton of milk with it. Much better today though and the bruising has taken on a nice brown/red color and I can move my thumb again. I can't make a fist, so I guess it's time for a big dose of aspirin tonight.

Yoroshiku ;-)

Paul.

Fist of Fury: Putting your Back into It....

2009-03-02T04:37:00.001-08:00

YS made a comment a few months ago about a the picture of a fist on a certain highly reputable Karate publication, calling it 情けない or nasake-nai ("piteable") so we thought we'd put YS back into it.

----------------------------------

FISTS OF FURY UPDATE: He wasn't of course criticizing the Karateka or the publication. Actually YS is a bit of a fan of that particular publication, which is why we are doing an exclusive for them as soon as we can get YS to sit down in front of 40-odd questions.

Actually last week Yuko and I were at a big dinner party with him (something like 400 guests) and we were sitting opposite a couple of o-jo-sans (o-jo-sans are well brought up Japanese women in their late 20s looking for rich husbands) and the restaurant owner introduced YS to them.

Then one of them looked at his hands and nearly dropped her glass in shock. I nearly dropped my own glass of brandy laughing at her, the poor pathetic thing. Then I looked at YS gnarly bricks that are hands with the half golfball sized battered first two knuckles and the crust and scabs hanging off them and I thought...mmm- scary!

；-）

I have gotten up close and personal to those hams and I can tell you you just don't have to worry. It's either stinging pain or flat out blackness, so you can can always rest assured of the result.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BTW, YS said last week that he still hasn't mastered IS's back training. IS said that YS is the only person he has ever met that doesn't need it! So there you go.

Yoroshiku! ;-)

Paul.

Shane Dorfman Shihan Enbu Added to KWF World Cup

2009-03-01T22:42:00.000-08:00

Here is great news for people hoping to catch Shane Dorfman Sensei's Karate; Dorfman Sensei has been asked by YS to demonstrate Enbu at the KWF World Cup in Norway.

This is a high honor awarded by YS- the only other people peforming Enbu at KWF are YS and IS themselves. For those of you who may not know about Shane Dorfman Sensei, he is not only a multiple KWF World Champion, but was All-Shotokan World Open Kumite Champion 2005- and that was only one of the many high honors this fine Karateka has won.

OK, ok, twist my arm; here is a summary:

- Triple KWF World Open Grand Champion (winner of both Kata and Kumite) 2007 (Tokyo, Japan), 2004 (Tokyo, Japan) and 2002 (Miami, U.S.)
- All-Shotokan World Open Kumite Champion 2005 (Chicago, U.S.)
- Elected to the KWF International Shihankai (Master Panel) in 2007
- Awarded 6th degree black belt in 2004 by Yahara Sensei and the international grading panel of KWF at age 29

- KWF Japan Open Kumite Champion 2001 (Chitose, Hokkaido, Japan)
- JKA World Kata Champion 2000 (Wales)
- World All-style (WKF) World U19 Grand Champion 1993 (Hungary)
- World All-style (WKF) World U21 Kata Champion 1994 (Australia)
- Captain of the KWF World Team Champions 2000 and JKA World Team champions 1996
- African Cup (UFAK) U78kg Kumite Champion 1994

If that wasn't impressive enough, of course, Sensei Shane has also done pretty well (might the phrase be "cleaned up" ;-)) nationally as well.

Here is Shane Sensei demonstrating Kata at the ShotoKan opening ceremony.

The KWF World Cup and Seminar looks like it's shaping up to be a hot event. Just hope that if I am allowed to fight, I don't get someone of Shane's caliber, otherwise my personal championship will last seconds ;-)

Yoroshiku,
Paul.

IS Training: Introduction to a long, long series!

2009-03-01T21:34:00.000-08:00

OK, it's time.

I have been meaning to start reporting on Isaka Sensei's training ever since I launched this communicative enterprise last autumn. IS is a real-life human genius and literally one in ten million; how many men do you know can do a jodan yokogeri keage with 5kg tetsugeta on. How many 67-year-old men do you know can do it?

Anyway, I have particular respect for this man as my own father died, a pot-bellied, alcoholic mess aged 64, the very same age when IS started taking an interest in me.

Some difference, eh?

Aside from his extraordinary physical capability and his excellent Karate, IS is also distinguished by

his 40-year study of movement and his undying enthusiasm to continue teaching. Yuko and I promised him several years ago that we would begin to carefully record his techniques, opinions, teaching methods and practice styles and this, today, I suppose is the MC's announcement before raising the curtains and describing the first basic renshu patterns.

IS has written up for us over 50 pages of preliminary notes, but when do we get the time to write this up. At the moment this blog is being hammered out in lieu of a quarterly statistical report on the Japanese econonomy. I can tell you all about that but let's summarize: in brief; it's going to the dogs.

Now we got that out of the way, it's time to switch back to the KWF. ;-)

Just a few words first. YS last week at a management steering committee called IS a sennin （仙人) which translates as "immortal mountain wizard (in Taoism); mountain man (esp. a hermit); (2) one not bound by earthly desires or the thoughts of normal men..."

Spot on, I would say!

Only the immortal part is of course out of the question; IS knees and legs contain the marks of a career in Karate, and so does, if you look carefully, his nose. But to follow up, YS also said "Isaka Sensei's training is an essential part of KWF Honbu Karate; if you can't do IS Karate, then you can't do Yahara Karate."

In fact, he repeats this mantra time and time again, and as the years go by, IS genius appears to become deeper and deeper. And through the years students come and go, enthusiasm waxes and wanes, dojos open and close, organizations grow and split, but IS is there, day after day, kick after kick, flex after flex, sweat dripping off him as he prizes another discovery out of Kanku-dai or Meikyo, rewires another circuit in his nervous system, moves left, but actually appears on the right ;-) with a big grinning smile on his face.

Very, very few people have really computed what is going on outside the Honbu: one of these is, however, Bryan Dukas Sensei, who has had intensive personal instruction from IS. So if you get chance, ask Bryan Dukas (when his back is better!) Here he is doing back strengthening exercises under the tender mercies of Yuko during private training with IS at the ShotoKan last year.

Over the coming weeks I will attempt to go through Isaka Sensei's

- Basic balance and spin techniques

- Basic balance, spin and fast techniques

A LOT of this can be summarized by the expressions

"MORE DOWN!"

or...

"Are your legs wracked with a feeling of intense, hot pain?"

"No?"

"Then you need....

MORE DOWN!!"

- Basic Kumite

- Basic standing stretch in

a) Kibadachi

b) Zenkutsu hanmi/shomen

c) Heikodachi

d) Kokutsudachi

e) Shikodachi

-Basic tube training

-Kusshin tube training

-Basic tetsugeta

-Basic tetsugeta kicking

-Basic pressups

-Adanced pressups

And then, maybe next year, we'll get into the Kata.

Next First installment later this week.

Yoroshiku!

Paul.

Tanjun-na Kogeki Renzoku Waza III

2009-02-25T04:45:00.001-08:00

There is almost nothing like the feeling of having that stalking brooding presence around you when you are warming up. Being at the bottom end of the black belt lineup, this means I am always nearest YS when he warms up. It's enough to make you forget instantly the pain in your knees and it certainly raises the hair on the back of your neck.

Generally speaking the YS warmup is pretty simple and you are usually guaranteed two highlights- half a dozen swhooshing mawashi-geri, or him just bashing the bare makiwara with a POK! POKK!! POCK!!! What's funny about these is that the "POCK" sound reverberates around the whole ShotoKan. I can't only imagine what those knuckles do to bone- I've been wrapped like a mummy in bandages for weeks. You could call it a cracking good time. Still, I face enough ribbing about my Karate already.

YS teaching style is dependent on the person. If he thinks the person is secretly arrogant, he will praise them before deflating them brutally later. I am afraid that if you are just stupid, then you will have to learn to be smarter. If you have absolutely no talent but put in a 100%, he will move heaven and earth to teach you. If your Karate is great, then he will expect you to figure things out yourself and only correct you on the basics. But it's case by case. In YS class, dedication is everything and try not to be a moron really, really helps.

That aside, Tuesday's class was Tanjun-na Kogeki Renzoku Waza III with some touches before and during the last two classes

a) Extreme hanmi on static gyaku-zuki practice. YS went around and corrected posture sometimes moving people a few millimeters that made all the difference.

1. The drawback into hanmi is huge, but the countersnap forward has to be really ballistic

2. Proper movement and posture will prevent unnecessary tension in forward shoulder in hanmi which acts as a break

3. YS corrected my over-extended shoulder

b) Power in maegeri- length over weight

c) Zanshin 残心 which in this context I would call "being always prepared." It's really easy when you think you know what is coming- but yesterday YS would suddenly vary the count or just add another ten.

So the question is, were you lucky not to get caught out and able to change instantly, or were you instantly able to continue or change because you were ready at any point. I am proud to say that in my case it was the latter. If it wasn't, then I wasn't mentally "there." And if I wasn't mentally there, why bother?

4. Lots of extra Kusshin drills. NICE ;-)

5. We did extra long partner drills with 3,2, and 1 count Jiyu-Ippon Kumite with follow through attacks ending in oi-zuki; I was extremely lucky that Ibuki Tawara, pictured here

is back training after long-term injury. He always modestly puts himself below me in the line, basically because he is half my age (he's 21) but his Karate is outstanding. I won't have it. Anyone who earned their adult black belt before me is my sempai, even if they are teenagers. I feel very embarrassed that he should be so modest. But it means that I am lucky enough to have to have an excellent, excellent partner and someone who is twice as fast as me without even trying. It's a very "trying" experience for me.

Apart from having an excellent role model so close- can you imagine it, YS on one side and Ibuki on the other- Ibuki really gets into things and so do I, this means we are always running away with 気合い（kiai). Pretty soon I am going to get into the groove where I just fall over. Mind you, I do that anyway ;-).

Yuko's comment - 「煩い！！！！」"Urusaiiiiii!!" (= noisy buggers!)

Like a broken record, all this is wasted without gyakuhanmi / kihon in the oi-zuki

Kata: Jion

Focus on length and power of punches and extreme hanmi to gyakuhanmi in block through to attack.

Next week- Sabakiwaza

Yuko and I have to attend a function on Thursday so I will try to get Goro to write a memo of the class.

Yoroshiku,

Paul.

Tanjun-na Kogeki Renzoku Waza II

2009-02-21T22:33:00.000-08:00

Update: Saturday's session was a repeat session of Thursday with one hugely important difference: the first third was Isaka sensei's practice. We were also very happy because we have some guests over from France and I will post some photos soon(ish) ;

Because we had guests YS also went through basic movements showing IS movement into Kihon and Kumite. A lot of people just don't "get" Isaka Sensei's training, so there is nothing like seeing it being demonstrated by YS to see what's going on and why. YS regards Isaka Sensei training an essential component of his Karate and we all do benefit from it.

(Below: Ohtsuka Sensei and Shirakawa Nomikai Shihan in IS training)

I can see three major reasons why people don't "get" IS training:

a) It's counterintuitive; how can you be fast if you train so slow?

b) It's actually very, very, very difficult to do properly and it's very, very, very easy to cheat

c) Many Shotokan karate people rely on "snap" and handspeed and have lost (or in so many cases are completely clueless) about getting their weight and body behind a technique- which is why training the heavy bag is so useful, right!)

I will try do address these points soon; but it's Sunday afternoon I have to cook dinner for Yuko now so it's going be absolutely delicious ;-)

Yoroshiku,

Paul.

Tanjun-na Kogeki Renzoku Waza

2009-02-19T06:24:00.000-08:00

Ah, what a great, great feeling to back in the black (belt) class after ten days or so on the rocks! YS was in good form tonight and tonight was Kumite and Gojushiho-sho. Way to go!

Oh my God, if you are talking about Karate this man Yahara is the MAN! Yahara is sheerly unbeatable. It is sheer pleasure to be taught by Yahara.

単純な攻撃連続技: Tanjun-na Kogeki Renzoku Waza (Simple attack patterns)

Tonight was basic kumite practice and it was just like getting back in the saddle:

a) Static hanmi-> shomen gyaku-zuki practice as normal

b) Static maegeri

Ido Kihon I: Oi-zuki to Oi-zuki Pattern

c) Gedan-barai-> jiyu kamae-> massive extension genkai made (to the limit) oi-zuki-> kusshin -> relax

d) Same, but add in gyaku-zuki (from the hip!)

e) Same again but add in gaku-zuki and then renzoku attack with any waza you like- 2-3-4 but end in BANG perfect kihon final ippon attack with oi-zuki

Ido Kihon II: Oi-geri to Oi-zuki Pattern

Repeat c), d), e) but starting with gedan-barai -> jiyu kamae -> massive extension oi-geri

Kick Clinic - Getting a Secret Kick out of it!

I am sorry folks but this happened- we literally got a secret kick out of this lesson. If you want to find out what it was, you have to train at the Honbu!

Ido Kihon III: Secret Kick to Oi-zuki Pattern

Repeat Ido Kihon II but using the secret kick ;-)

Partner Training I, II, II

Repeat Ido Kihon I, II, III but attacking your partner

Tanjun-na Kogeki Renzoku Waza Kumite

The senior ranks lined up and we took turns at attack them and being attacked in yakusoku kumite as in Partner Training I, II, III focusing on initial Ippon, and final Ippon.

So what was the logic of all this: Kihon in Kumite

1. The first oi-zuki should be devastating, must be perfect

2. Smash your opponent in a blizzard of attacks, or just one or two but....

3. Finish him (her) with a perfect oi-zuki.

This was classic KWF; oh what a sheer pleasure to practice beautiful Karate and generate the speed of the sports Karate but the power of Kihon.

Gojushiho-sho:

We focused on stretching and huge extension and compression under gorei and then Okada, Ibuki and OS got personal instruction from YS on fine points.

Next week- Sabakiwaza

Yoroshiku,

Paul.

Sick and Tired

2009-02-17T14:44:00.000-08:00

Sick and Tired

Been sick and tired here- not of Karate, I should hasten to add: instead of Karate; business meetings until 22:30 last night and been working an eight day a week schedule. On Saturday afternoon I sat here in front of my PC thinking about all the issues wracking up. Adding to my misery, my bad shoulder's sullen aching, the pain of which comes and goes in waves that no hospital here has been able to explain, had turned into angry throbbing with sharp twinges. (To fight that I got METI to give me a better chair and stacked my monitor up near the ceiling, making me push my shoulders back to stop the hunch forward.)

Compounding that, last week my left lower leg decided to seize up- the bottom calf muscles all the way up decided to lock up in an on-off semi-permanent cramp. Oh the irony last week when I did manage to put in a practice, we were focusing on Heian Sandan. Being 80kg I sure can stomp!

Compounding that, it was past 16:00 and we'd already missed Isaka Sensei's class.

Misery! ;-(

There is nothing more frustrating than feeling like a total loser because you feel sick and you missed practice, and yet you want to practice, but you think if you do make the effort, it's wasted because you are sick and you can't get the most out of the session. Then, you remember Moving Zen- you walk on that dojo floor and you must accept the rigors and responsibilities of the grade you accepted.

At about 16:30 I found myself trapped in a classic double bind conversation with myself: if I go now I might injure myself, or just feel ashamed I can't do my best. If I don't go, if I give up, I can compensate by working or studying to use the time I didn't train, but...

So you can guess where the argument is leading. One of my oldest friends James, who is a 3rd dan in Kendo (his wife Aki is former UK Kendo Champion) once told me what his Sensei at the Noma Dojo had told him...

....feeling sick? Go to the dojo.

....feeling tired and down? Go to the dojo.

....hangover? Go to the dojo.

....don't feel like going to the dojo? Go to the dojo.

....no time to go to the dojo? Go to the dojo!!!

So we went to the dojo.

Got in late, rushed into my dogi and immediately walked into trouble; straight in, no warm up. The first half hour was hell; left leg cramping, left shoulder so painful can't lift arm above shoulder easily.

No rest for the wicked.

Why do I bother with this I am thinking?

Ibusuki Sensei says "Too weak Paul-san, stronger!" and then focuses on me nearly every technique.

I feel like garbage- I am embarrassed because I pride myself on my work rate and commitment (making up for lack of skill) and my lack of stamina- I am sweating and panting away like I have just run a marathon, not a paltry 30 maegeri. Just keep on going....

...and going...

Half an hour later, I am banging along like an HGV in the overtaking lane with the pedal to the metal- my gosh I may not be a Honda NSX but the sun is out, the sky is blue, I am in the groove and, well, it's almost too good to be true.

I can't ever say that Karate is a solution to stress or psychosomatic illness, or even a dose of old fashioned self pity: I found a solution by just getting on with it- and the discipline of putting your best foot forward (or your left, in the case of going into zenkutsu-dachi) in the dojo is priceless. Before I started Karate, I would have gone down the pub. Now at least I go down the pub feeling great after at least trying my best at Karate.

The old bromides are the best ones? Yosh!!!

Yoroshiku,

Paul.

Kusshin & Shinsuku on The ShotoKan Way

2009-02-04T18:15:00.001-08:00

Well, Yuko and I finished up last night our translation of the first part of "Kihon" from Gekkan Karatedo, ("Karate Monthly"), which is Japan's major traditional Karate magazine.

This one is for The Shotokan Way run by Shaun and I think it might be the first time we've managed to start translating local media for an international audience. There is so much going on here, but unfortunately so much information on Japan and instructors seems to be filtered and sometimes badly distorted.

Gekkan Karatedo seem to love YS- they are always at us for more articles- they have done three specials with the KWF over the last 14 months or so.

But the only issue with the media I have is that it's static. Yuko and I are often asked when we are starting the multimedia presentations we promised, and they will be coming this year. This means that even a relatively short explanation requires dozens of stills; in the upcoming Part I, we have something like 50 stills just to explain a few simple movements.

We will be trying to transfer as much of the material that is being published in the Japanese media about YS and the KWF into the Western media particularly favoring quality publications such as The Shotokan Way and Shotokan Karate Magazine this year. So stand by!

Anyway, keep your eyes peeled for KWF in Shotokan Karate Magazine and The Shotokan Way this year. We are going to be busy, and have lots of fun.

Yours from the emergent KWF noosphere ;-)

Paul.

Submarine Slider

2009-02-03T16:56:00.000-08:00

Well, by the amount of skin ripped off my toes and feet last night I can certainly say I gave it the good old college try- what I call the submarine slider, which more exactly I suppose is ji-yu-ippon kumite from a static ji-yu kamae from which you are expected to slide into your opponent from a range of about, well, an intermediate range ballistic missile, or about 4 meters, whichever you can do.

However, unlike an IRBM, you are not supposed to follow an up-and-over ballistic parabola, you are actually supposed to slide in and under and up into your opponent, submarine style. When you opponent is somelike Pieter, who is about the size of a stretched Norman cathedral, this is fine. When you are facing someone the size of Makita, this is ....interesssssting.

This is what Ibusuki Sensei said to me when I did my first competition, which I think was the 2004 KWF Nationals, as a 3rd Kyu. I was facing some 4th dan (thank you, KS ;-)) who immediately clobbered me with an oi-zuki and knocked me down. This meant I faced the rest of the shiai on automatic- I couldn't see out of my right eye very well and things were extremely hazy, but I did my best to attack. Afterwards Ibusuki Sensei came up to me and congratulated me on my spirit (spirit, mind you, not my Karate!) and I will never forget what he told me: "Paul san, you must learn to slide into your opponent, slide in like a submarine!"

Me? Still where there is a will, there is a way.

Submarine Slider

The main points of Tuesday were as follows:

Kihon:

a) Remember to focus on pushing off back leg, explosive thrust from hips rather than handspeed in gyaku-zuki

b) Always move from hips in maegeri

c) Distance and thrust more important than height

d) Age-uke hanmi should be to the limit just as with gendan barai, even when doing age-uke-> gyakuzuki

f) Draw hand up well beyond face, imagine wrapping round the back of your head before thrusting out for shuto, that way the hips will follow...

Jion:

a) Make sure that that the maegeri is long and then powerful and decisive oi-zuki after landing

b) Hikite and extremely long and powerful punches for the followup punches

c) Must make sure of strong age-uke and then off the hip for gyakuzuki- go from genkai-made hanmi to gyaku-hanmi gyaku-zuki

d) Double blocks are off the hips

Kumite:

a) Always go down and into opponent

b) Despite 4-meter distance, you must have perfect kime and stance in oi-zuki: can you really do this with your hips 50 cm off the deck!

c) Slide in and up!

d) Don't worry about your skin shredding off- it grows back ;-)

Sadig told me that in his dojo in Sudan, as well as knuckle press-ups, they actually bounce on the kuckles up and down the dojo. The floor is made of concrete. I forgot tiny bits of caked blood on one of my toes.

Yoroshiku ;-)

Paul.

Ibusuki Sensei Black Belt Class- Jissen ("Ouch!")

2009-01-31T18:33:00.000-08:00

Well Saturday was mainly spent hauling parts of my company office around Tokyo. Fortunately I had a rather fit South African gentleman called Pieter to assist, and as soon as we had finished we rushed off to Ibusuki Sensei's class.

This was a real treat, because I usually don't take this class; the fact of the matter is I usually get hauled into a meeting or some sort of admin issue, and when I don't I am usually too exhausted after black belt training. Because of my very modest abilities, I put everything I have into one class and there is not much left in the tank for having people kick me in the knees or smack me in the side of the head with their elbows...

Which is a good segue into Ibusuki Sensei's class!

The Good Old Days: Post-War Waseda

...you know when people start talking about the "good old days" either they're on their fifth drink or they are not focused on making the best of today. Which is why Ibusuki Sensei is so refreshing- he never says the Karate he learned at Waseda is better or more authentic than the systematic and systemic refinements introduced and standardized by Nakayama Sensei. If you read Ibusuki Sensei's article in The Shotokan Way, you'll see what I mean. He is particularly interesting on Kata.

In fact, as an aside, Ibusuki Sensei and YS do seem to differ on Kata. YS regards Kata as actual battling an imaginary component. He is ruthless about stripping out anything that he thinks detracts from the efficiency of this. IS regards Kata as culture and subject to interpretion. Both are strongly against the fut-phooting robotic sports-type Kata. Personally, give me folk dancing over robotic sportsmanship anyday.

OK, moving ahead...

...Away from Kihon Mania
I decided to sumit this entry as an antidote to the last entry. We are not wedded to Kihon and sometimes we put in the reps. Mind you, after about 150 shinsuku, you've got to be hurting whether you are an athelete or (like me) a donkey. If you aren't, you are just cheating yourslf. So what's the point, go home...

But KWF Honbu has another secret weapon- Ibusuki Sensei. Training with him is a taste of what Shotokan was like before Nakayama Sensei systematized it. Remember, Shotokan was a wilder, looser, snarling animal before the JKA.

For example, yesterday's kihon was just great! It actually made Onnitsuka san, who is a graduate of Boeidai (Japan Defense Universy) sick.

Double Trouble Drills
Here is an example of the "Non-Standard" stuff we got up to yesterday

*Shizentai kara, chokuzuki-nikai, kamae
This is really difficult to explain, but Ibusuki Sensei karate is what I would call double trouble. He says, in English, mind you, "Disagreements should reach settlment by ippastsu, but if not, make sure to deliver a follow-up." That's to say, Ibusuki Sensei believes that you should hit twice, just in case the first hit doesn't deliver the message as effectively as you had anticipated. To avoid disappointment, or disagreement, hit again! Well, that's a real hit with me, anyway ;-)

* Maegeri nikai, jodan chudan (later we just did nidan geri anyway!)

* Chudan sote-uki (empi) rib smash leap and empi-head smash.
Oh god, I love this; this reminds me when Lenny McClean shouted at me when I was trying to learn how to work the bags at the Craven-on-the-Hill, "Get stuck in son, put the elbow in, and if that don't work, the 'ed!" Ibusuki Sensei wants us to really launch into that second elbow smash.

* Soto-uke => Kizami-zuki => (optional headbut) ushiro-geri
Oh what fun we had; the thing about this is that the soto-uke is actually an elbow smash and then the kizami-zuki is palm up. Ibusuki Sensei then suggests that if you are close you grap and headbut then as you push them down, kick them to make sure

* Soto-uke => ushiromawashi-uraken => crossblock throat smash (optional headbut)
If you don't get to ram into the throat, steam in with a headbut!

* Knee strike to groin, overarm chin smash, headbut

You get the idea!
We finished off with Jutte and Gankaku.

Not your average day in the dojo

Yoroshiku ;-)
Paul.

Yappari Kihon: Kazu Sukunai Kara

2009-01-28T04:27:00.000-08:00

This entry may be counterintuitive to some people, but I thought I would catelog what happened on Tuesday where YS basically watched us while Shin Sensei (SS) taught.

Arriving ShotoKan in a rush about ten before the hour, we were really pleased to see YS top-of-the-range Mercedes gleaming in the ShotoKan car park. I mentally rubbed my hands in glee..."this is going to be hard..." I thought.

If you like Kihon, like I do, there is never a dull moment in the KWF. Because we were expecting YS to come down at any moment, SS led us through kihon, then more kihon, and then more kihon. I'll go into it later, but the upshot was after we were all shooting the breeze about the session and everything else up in the reception area, SS came up to me and said, "Gomen ne, Paul san, kyo wa kihon dake!" (Sorry Paul, we just did Kihon tonight, basically, right?) and I said (in Japanese) "No no, I love kihon, you can't give me enough of it. The harder and simpler it is, the better!" SS broke out into a grin and said, "Yes, it's good fun to do Kumite, but with Kumite you can cheat yourself" (then he mimicked my poor Kumite skills, to guffaws) ...Oh THANKS!

Yappari... Kihon! Kazu Sukunai Kara....

Which brings me onto Tuesday. Pieter has finally returned after years sitting in a hole studying like crazy. He passed Keio. Amazing! Good stuff. Now it's time to work on the Karate. It was very, very forbidding to have YS just looking at us during the session. I put everything I had into this week and now there hardly seems a part of me not hurting. I'll do a nice IS stretch and have a warm bath. Tomorrow I will be as right as rain.

"Kazu Sukunai Kara"

Whenever YS or a Sensei says this in the dojo, you know that you should give it everything. Kazu sukunai (Ka-zuu sookoo- nai) means "not many" and kara (in this case) means "because." So the teacher is saying "Because we aren't doing many..." which means "put all you have got into making them as powerful and refined and as perfect as you can! This means the 40-50 best maegeri/ oizuki/ uke-tsuki/sabaki-hangeki kumi you can-- make them the best of your life!

Yappari, Kihon!

This week we have been focusing on the most difficult and complicated techniques: oizuki, ageuki-gyakuzui, sotouke-gyakuzuki, shuto-gyakuzuki and Heian Shodan, as befits an advanced class.

Tuesday's session with YS just watching- Ugghhhmmpppffff - was a return to the basics of the basics:

a) Chokuzuki focusing on relaxed shoulders, koshi no tameru

b) Koshi no tameru focus:

...Starting at shizentai

1. -> (3- count) (40 reps) "Ichi!" step back age-uke, keeping koshi shomen until the last possible moment then snap to genkai-made hanmi hold hold hold "Ni!" kusshin and shishuku making sure that the gyakuzuki flies off the rear leg to chudan gyakuzuki "San!" return to shizentai focusing on keeping the hips tucked.

2. -> Repeat (2-count) (40reps)

3. -> Repeat (1-count) (40 reps)

Repeat 1.-3. with soto-uke->gyaku-zuki

Repeat with uchi-uke->gyaku-zuki

Repeat with gedan-barai -> gyaku-zuki

and then the icing on the cake and the hot-rod in hips

Repeat (shuto->gakuzuki) remembering you are launching back and down so you could even be sitting in your shuto and you are powering off the back leg for gyaku-zuki

5. Maegeri from heisokudachi (3 count, 2 count, 1 count) (40 reps each)

6. Move to zenkutsudachi -> maegeri, (3-count, 2 count, 1 count) (40 reps each)

If I were to dress this up, I would term all this "koshi awareness raising" because any moron can march up and down the dojo until they drop (erm, did anybody mention a typical gakusei gassuku) but it's a question of quality not quantity. At least, at 42 that's what I tell myself.

It's very easy to slip back into gliding through the simplest of exercise by going through the motions. I think one of the worse possible crimes you can do in Karate is just go through the motions. Budo isn't about beating up on a bag: its about living and breathing that moment in each of your technique- giving it everything, making it as beautiful and meaningful as possible. In these exercises we are constantly encouraged to think about using the power of the hip and the softness and rigidity of the body in every single centimeter of motion.

Ido Kihon

Repeat all above in Ido Kihon

Koshi no Tameru: Ido Kihon

Back to white belt class, go up and down the dojo in zenkutsu and shuto at 1/5th speed (IS) training until you drop.

Kumite: None

Kata: 8 or maybe 10x H1

Huge focus on the shuto and alternative versions adding gyaku-zukis after blocks to focus on hanmi-shomen practice.

...No time to break down Thursday this week: more kusshin and ji-yu-ippon kumite: old dobbins here was on his knees and I could hardly get out of the futon on Friday, so time well invested.

Yoroshiku!

Paul.

If you are bored with Kihon, you are bored with Karate! Do something else- go boxing or mountain biking!

Bassai Dai (Briefly)

2009-01-19T05:19:00.001-08:00

Bassai Dai has been a Big Thing in my Karate life for the past few years when it was chosen for me as my black belt kata- I personally would have preferred Jion and now I want to learn Empi (have you ever seen an elephant fly?) but Bassai Dai now seems to be hardwired into my Karate DNA.

Which is a good thing, as YS likes to teach it a lot! Last week in order to help the gakusei who were taking their Shodan tests, we focused on fine points that YS says he noticed people don't seem to understand.

The first thing I want to say here that this Bassai Dai is the KWF Bassai Dai. YS intensely dislikes any unnecessary or ornate movements. The basic rule of thumb seems to be, whenever you think there is a complex explanation for a move, YS comes out with something simple. Then you are guaranteed to get a long explanation about something you assumed had no meaning.

Here are the points YS went through:

Move 18. Tsukami Uke: Open-hand inside block: (a) do not just turn your heels into front stance; your movement is swift to begin and dynamic and your left leg will automatically go left to make space for your block. The conventional explanation about turning on your heels is totally insufficient. Your whole weigh balance is moving from Kokutsu-dachi to Zenkutsu-dachi and you move linearly so your hips never rise; (b) remember as your right arm block draws backward to LOCK in the 45 degree position. This "lock" is important, otherwise you are just posing.

Move 19. Side thrust kick to the north at knee height: (a) remember never forget your basic maegeri training and hip thrust to make sure that you are bale to smash your right knee up through the triangle made between your arms. Never raise your hips. Your knee should actually if you can touch your chest. When you thrust kick you should have the power of ripping your opponent up; (b) remember hikite on your kick just before you swivel round into shuto in the opposite direction- this point is so often missed.

Move 23: Hasami Uchi: Sometimes this move is interpreted as a block- well it can be, but it should actually be thought of as a powerful twin blow to the ribs; YS thinks that stinting on this move is a fundamental mistake. So make sure when you move both fists out and round that you visualize giving a powerful rib-cracking blow to your opponent. And the next thing to remember is that you should be a powerful Fudo-dachi...why? Because...

Move 24: Your oi-zuki is off huge explosive extention off the rear leg: actually, this move, under pressure, is a real test to see if you really understand basic shinshuku; a lot of "copy-karate" has this move with the front leg coming forward. Actually the front leg is redundant until it forms a solid base for go-tai-ichi (all five points together) for kime.

Move 25b: The rear Heian Godan block after nukite is a work of art. Remember in the nukite you have perfect shomen koshi, and this move should have been huge and fast; now as you draw the hand back, it should done in an elegant arc because

Move 26: as elegant as it was the next gedan and fumikomi must be done smashingly fast. When you twist round, you must not have any extraneous movement on the right hand, which must smash down along a linear diagonal vector. Also, you should not have a defensive blocking feel about this gedan, you should be smashing down into your attacker and moving into them- this is a vicious, fast, aggressive move that, in turn, is deeply contrasted by

Move 27: the slow, purposeful and graceful extension of the arm to the open palm for the crescent kick, which should be performed just at the point when the palm is open and the move of the arm finished.

Points dealing with Yamazuki:

(a) Chambering for yamazuki requires setting koshi in extreme hanmi

(b) Remember that you must keep hips paralell and in extreme hanmi; having your leading hip significantly lower than your rear hip means your jodan yamazuki kime will leave you unbalanced while neglecting hanmi leaves more of a target

(c) KWF does NOT stop- it's tempting, but the energy is going into the fists, not the feet, so you should be thrusting your whole body and hips into the twin punches, not the stop. Think about it- a stomp means your energy and power is going there. NO STOMP, NO STAMP- go into your opponent. If seen it time and time and time again; by the time the person next to me has stomped, I have punched. Yeah, even me. It's faster, more efficient and more effective to slide. Don't believe me, try it out.

(d) Your head should be tucked in and looking up at your opponent- your yamazuki punches are jodand and chudan, not jodan and gedan and

(e) Remember, as in point (b) your back should be just off vertical, not leaning too far forward. If you are leaning forward more than a little, you are unbalanced. Mind you, that's probably better than being mad ;-)

Points dealing with Scooping Blocks

(a) Great scooping blocks look magnificent. Piddling scooping blocks make you look small. Remember you are scooping away a maegeri; start from the vertical and go and scoop away the kick before the revolution

(b) Move ends in gedan, not chudan and mesen is straight ahead.

Finishing Off: don't forget to take your time in preparing for the final shuto; it makes the final cut a real strong treat.

If I have time, I'll go through the first half of the YS Bassai Dai at a later time.

Yoroshiku ;-)

Paul.

Kagamibiraki and Dan Shinsa

2009-01-19T04:41:00.000-08:00

Dan (Kyu) Grading

Well that was a busy weekend; unfortunately I was wrapped up in business on Saturday so I couldn't attend the seminar but I did manage to catch the Kyu/Dan Shinsa.

It was good to see so many people there; among the highlights: Shin Sensei graded 7th dan; Ohtsuka Sensei (OS) graded 4th dan and Oshima Shacho graded shodan.

My personal highlight was watching Ohtsuka Sensei's Unsu. It was just magnificent; not only technically excellent but well; how you describe something that is brimming and vibrating with power and menace. Ohtsuka Sensei's Unsu was good 12 months ago, but it has clearly moved into new territory.

YS Unsu was famous for its vibrancy-- every move brimming with power; but what I personally noticed was that YS had the ability to float- as if momentarily slowing time down- at the height of the apex of his jump. Well, OS has got it. I was grinning at the sheer pleasure of watching a really great Unsu when OS performed it, but when he floated through the apex and looked as he'd jumped over a mountain it was just pure pleasure. Paradoxically, after that supreme effort, OS Bassai Dai looked a little tense!

The other highlight was watching Scott Foster, my great personal friend, grade to 8th kyu. Congratulations! For years I went on and on about Karate and YS to him, and eventually he joined the KWF ShotoKan as an executive member- probably to shut me up...

Kagamibiraki

Sunday was given over to our Kagamibiraki and one of the highlights was meeting new people and old friends. It was a pleasure to meet Okazaki Shuitsu Sensei, our Kumamoto General Manager, who seems to like British people a lot, and from the vast northland wastelands of Kyushu, Yoda Sempai, from Fukuoka. The main embu today was Bassai Dai, which was good to watch.

People are always impressed by how clean and luxurious the ShotoKan dojo is and how much like a nice family we are. Well, of course, we are the KWF Sohonbu. Did you expect anything less than the best?

Dan Shinsa Points

In what is quite rare at KWF Honbu, all the gakusei passed their shodan and the last couple of sessions that I have attended have been helping them pass. The key things to emerge with YS overall hyoka (evaluation) were as follows:

1. Each and every move has to have the appropriate spirit and focus (this is the only thing I have going in my favor- kiai cover!)

2. Heian Shodan is the key that demonstrates a Karateka's understanding and ability with Kihon

3. Focus for Shodan is koshi no kaiten; Nidan is shinshuku; Sandan is both!

4. Kumite is Kihon and Kihon is Kumite.

Yoroshiku,

Paul. Next: Bassai Dai!

Baka-na Osu ni Taishite

2009-01-06T04:33:00.000-08:00

馬鹿な「押忍！」に対して:礼儀は必要

Baka-na Ossu ni taishite: Reigi wa Hitsuyo

Well, I am particularly looking forward to this first Karate week of 2009: Thursday will be 1st practice with YS; Saturday will be the 鏡開き (Kagamibiraki) and then on Sunday I'll watch the Dan Shinsa; I might get into having to fight some of the brown belts (no doubt to make them look good, eh!)

Kaiten Kumite

We had a great last session of the year and I am sorry that I have been so busy not to write it up permanently. Just think of the four major spinning techniques applied to yakusoku then ji-yu ippon kumite and you will get the picture. And if you don't watch it, you'll get your head knocked off! Doing kumite with kaiten waza is very dangerous for the blocker- if (s)he isn't up to par, it can be a bit of a knockout experience. The first jodan block has to be an intelligent one; that's all I can say, because the fist is a lot smaller than a foot, and it's coming a LOT faster, while the gedan is an opportunity for a test of who actually is controlling their center of gravity- the immovable object against the irresistible force. After that the next jodan block is the major area of trouble because that fourth spin is coming at you (or should be) like a tornado!

It was therefore very interesting to see Yoda vs. OS; there were a few of the sickening "smacks" of knuckle against skull, ribs, but fortunately both are complete gentlemen. I certainly would have gotten clobbered. In kaiten waza, the instructions are clear: there has to be commitment and if the defender doesn't, the defender gets clocked.

馬鹿な「押忍！」に対して

Baka na na Ossu ni Taishite

And now for the main thing on my mind before training for this year (for me) (officially) (in the dojo that is) begins. A bunch of us went up to the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan where I am a member for dinner on December 24th as an excuse to entertain Ibusuki Sensei, who is 78 years young and one of the only men still around who is still teaching Karate who was actually taught by Funakoshi Gichin Sensei!

If you read the article on him The Shotokan Way, you will get a sense of where he stands on several issues. I am not sure about the other tables in the FCCJ overhearing our conversations about the best headbutting tactics women should use and how to practice them in the dojo! But apart from Karate that works in the street, Ibusuki Sensei wants people to approach their Karate

(a) Intelligently, because any thug who is loose can throw a mawashigeri

(b) Beautifully, particularly with Kata- for about a year Ibusuki Sensei focused on Yuko and getting her to do a beautiful Gankaku!

But Ibusuki Sensei was saying that's always what YS has been about. And I am sorry to say this, but YS doesn't like stupid students. He also doesn't seem to get on all that well with what I would call the Baka "OSSU" culture. (Baka means "silly" or "stupid," etc.)

Everybody with an elementary understanding of Japanese knows that Ossu is "spelt" from the characters "Osu" (押）push and that favorite of dilettantes of all stripes Nin 忍 (shinobu). Many will happily tell you that its the Nin in Ninja（忍者）while most Japanese people will tell you it's the Nin from Nintai (忍耐）which means patience or perseverance, or for the really masochistic, suffering. What most people won't tell you is that it can also mean a woman's hairstyle or even a species of fern!

But what I bet you didn't know is that the meaning of Ossu as Ibusuki Sensei understands it as O as in the honorific "O-"...as in Ohaiyo Gozaimasu ("Good morning") and "Su" as in sumimasen ("excuse me.") That's because "Karate begins and ends in courtesy and the proper spirit, and that's what Ossu is supposed to mean," said Ibusuki Sensei.

One thing I have noticed is that YS never really says "Ossu." He will reply with an "Ossu" sometimes if someone says "Ossu" to him, but he seems to have a low tollerance of Ossu replacing communication. For YS, answering with "Ossu" is not important. That's because replying "Ossu" is NOT a substitute for communication. It's not a substitute for communication. But it is sometimes an excuse for stupidity or even blind loyalty.

This was brought home to me a few months ago when he put a couple of university students (gakusei) through some Kata. When we have university students train with us, sometimes the session becomes what I might call an "Ossufest." No this isn't some sort of heavy metal event, but it does get very loud in the dojo having a bunch of young blokes very highly pumped on adrenalin shouting "Oss" at everything.

"Stretch forward" "Ossu!"

Stretch back "Ossu!!"

"Side stretch" "Ossu!!"

"Bed Bath and Beyond....er....Ossu!"

While all this enthusiasm is appreciated, it is no substitute for intelligence and communication and YS teaching style relies on breaking things down into its basic parts, getting people to practice them, then going to the next stage. It isn't rocket science, it's just a commonsense feedback loop. But it all breaks down if the person is what I would call an "Ossufanatic."

He was trying to get these two guys to work on merihari in Bassai Dai and it was pathetic and comical at the same time. For example:

YS: "OK, what is the meaning of the first move in Bassai Dai"

Gakusei: "Ossu"

YS: "What do you mean 'Ossu?'" Do you know what it means?

Gakusei: "Ossu"

YS: "Don't say 'Ossu', answer the question."

Gakusei: "Er, Ossu, Wakarimasen (don't know)"

YS: "So OK, you don't know, that's OK, but just don't say 'Ossu."

....Gakusei bellow "Ossu" of complete loyalty and understanding...

The irony of this was that the two guys involved in this, whose names shall not be mentioned in order to protect the guilty are actually very bright young engineers at one of Japan's most highly regarded electrical engineering unversities.

Looking at them and us, and them, and us, and YS...we seemed to have entered some kind of tear in the communicative space time fabric where intelligence and meaning would disappear...YS eyes rolled and we roared with laughter.

About a month later they were doing Bassai Dai again and it was much better. There is nothing like the fear of YS to buck your ideas up!

....and the moral of this story is as follows: ff you are visiting the KWF Honbu, remember you are in YS kingdom.

It is his lair.

What he says goes.

He expects 100% commitment.

He expects 100% effort.

He expects courtesy at all times.

His presence and his Karate demand this. But he also expects intelligence and communication: eye contact and intelligence are far more important than just barking out "Ossu."

Next Post: building rear leg compression and expansion drills- some fine tuning...

今年も宜しくお願いします。

Kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegaishimasu!

OSSU!

Paul.