Okinawa Karate & Kobudo Blog

Tradition in the dojo

2008-09-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

Before I lived in Japan I was very much what you would describe as a "traditionalist" - kneeling bows, heavy use of Japanese terminology, shinden, etc. But after living there for an extended period, learning the language, culture and customs, I came to have an opposite view on the whole matter.

I find most non-Japanese have little understanding of the customs and rituals they are performing in the dojo. And in some cases, I find they take these customs to excess. These adopted customs and language seem to provide a pseudo Asian environment and social structure that is not provided for in Western Society. It is sort of escapism in many respects. Now, whether this escapism is constructive or not is up to the individual dojo and its respective teacher, but as I mentioned before, I find most dojo and teacher do not understand these customs well.

Case in point, the act of bowing is often explained as an exchange of courtesy or respect, much the same as a handshake in the West. This is completely inaccruate. This is Western values of egalitarianism being applied to Japanese culture. It simply does not exist. A bow in Japan has a very different meaning, at its fundamental level it means that some "superior" to yourself. It is an act of subordination. Taken from this perspective, bowing is the antithesis of a handshake in many ways.

A second point of interest for myself is the use of the shinden /kamiza. I'm sorry, but a kneeling bow to the shinden is an act of worship, despite how others may explain it. Whether this meshes
with one's religious or personal beliefs is an entirely different matter, but to state that bowing to the shinden is simply a way to show "respect for the dojo" is grossly incorrect.

I find it bizarre that non-Japanese adopt these practices so easily and without question, yet when other cultural pastimes are introduced to Japan from other countries they take on a uniquely Japanese tone and practice.

At any rate, I am rambling now, but this is a subject of interest for me and I am apt to agree that Ed Parker might have been right in his view that one should teach in the culture and language of the target country. Isn't this what the Okinawans and Japanese did? More on that in another post...

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

2008-08-26T16:29:00.000-07:00

All of us who practice karatedo are familiar with the term "rei"(礼). We hear it at the beginning of class when we face shomen, when we face our partner as we start to practice with one another, before we start kata, and the like. The term is so ubiquitous that it permeates almost all aspects of our karatedo training. Outside of Japan, "rei" is commonly translated as "bow", and although this English word captures the outward physical action of "rei", it fails to capture its inner meaning.

To understand what "rei" means, we can look at a common phrase used in Japanese and in karatedo circles, "rei wo tadashii" (礼を正しい). Crudely translated this phrase can mean, "be proper", or "show respect", but readers should not assume that this means respect in the same way as a European or North American does. Those notions of respect have strong egalitarian qualities attached to them which simply do not exist in its Japanese counter-part.

If re-examine this sentence (rei wo tadashii), we can understand "tadashii" easily enough. It means proper, or correct. "Rei" however refers to showing deference and courtesy based on a person's position. "Rei wo tadashii" then would be better interpreted as "showing the proper courtesy and respect with regards to a person's status". This should not come as a surprise. How many times have we heard our sensei say to "respect our senpai (seniors)", or "be kind to our kohai (juniors)"? Quite a few times I would hazard to guess.

These admonishments from our sensei stem from the notion of "rei wo tadashii". Rei or respect forms the bedrock of any dojo. It elevates the simple brutality of karate technique, giving us a method to practice karatedo with purpose, meaning, safety, and humility.

Kata or Kata

2008-08-23T09:16:00.000-07:00

Some karateka might be aware that there are two Chinese characters (kanji) that can be used for "kata" as used in the context of martial ways (budo).

形　Is generally used when referring to a shape, form, or the appearance of something.

型　Is generally used when referring to a mold, model, template, or pattern.

I have seen both characters used in Karatedo to refer to the solo forms of practice commonly used across all styles, but it is honestly hard to decide which one is correct. Indeed, there was a written debate between Nagamine Shoshin (Matsubayashi ryu) and Nakazato Joen (Shorinji ryu) published in Japanese in Hokama Tetsuhiro's book, "Karatedo Shinzui". Perhaps one day I will get around to translating it, but in the mean time I leave it up to the reader to decide which one (if either) is the correct usage.

What's Wrong With Goju-ryu? Part III

2008-08-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

As I stated in my last post, it is important to examine outliers, so let's take a closer look at Miyagi Chojun. Miyagi was the only student of Higaonna Kanryo that laid claim to being Higaonna's successor, and it was only Miyagi that passed on the nine kata that comprise modern Goju-ryu: Sanchin, Saifa, Seiunchin, Sanseru, Seipai, Sesan, Shisochin, Kururunfa, Suparempei. This is in contrast to other Higaonna students who did not pass on these kata, and students from other traditions who propagated their teachers' kata.

Why the difference? I would argue that Miyagi assumed the title of Higaonna's successor and that it was never given to him. I would also contend that it was Miyagi who expanded and consolidated the Higaonna method. Indeed Higaonna's connection to Miyagi's Goju-ryu is tenuous. Miyagi organized his Goju-ryu almost two generations after the death of his teacher in the 1930's. While in contrast Itosu Anko developed and propagated his method during the time of Higaonna.

Why this generation gap? What occurred in Higaonna's circumstances to create this gap? Kinjo Hiroshi and Nagamine Shoshin have stated that perhaps Higaonna was despondent because unlike Itosu's Karate which was accepted into the Okinawa School system as part of the physical education curriculum, Higaonna's Karate was rejected as being unsafe. This supposedly left Higoanna depressed to the point of alcoholism, but I find this unlikely.

There is also the story that Higaonna was uneducated and was unable to articulate clearly what direction his Karate was to take. Again, I find this unlikely. Literate or not, Higaonna had a clear idea of what his Karate was and what direction it would take - one only has to look at the act of him opening a dojo.

More likely I think it was Higaonna's personality. Much like Uechi Kanbun who came a generation later, I think Higaonna had little interest in propagating his Karate. I will argue that Goju-ryu is predominantly the creation of Miyagi Chojun that encompasses Miyagi's own methods in conjunction with the teachings of Higaonna Kanryo.

What's wrong with Goju-ryu? Part II

2008-08-07T19:15:00.000-07:00

If we are to believe the students of Miyagi Chojun, then it was only he who propagated the system of Higaonna Kanryo. Other students like Kyoda Juhatsu only taught four kata from Higaonna: Sanchin, Sesan, Sanseru, and Pechurin. And still other students like Mabuni Kenwa and Shiroma Shinpan were reportedly taught only Sanchin. While older students such as Yoshimura were taught Sanchin and Pechurin.

When you look at these facts some inconsistencies emerge. Why was Miyagi considered Higaonna Kanryo’s successor? Because he knew all the Nahate kata? Perhaps, but I am still not convinced that all these kata came exclusively from Higaonna Kanryo. Still the idea of Miyagi being Higaonna’s sole successor is somewhat at odds with Okinawa culture at the time. Put simply, the tradition of naming a successor did not exist on Okinawa, and certainly wasn’t something that occurred in other traditions including Shurite and Tomarite. Is it more probable that Miyagi took it upon himself to continue Higaonna’s tradition? Perhaps other students thrust it upon him? Perhaps both?

Here is an observation. Why is it that many of the men who trained with Higaonna Kanryo also cross-trained and incorporated kata from other teachers, but supposedly not Miyagi Chojun? Let's make a list: Mabuni Kenwa, Shiroma Shinpan, Kyoda Juhatsu , Chinen (Chitose) Tsuyoshi, Funakoshi Gichin, Oyadmari (Toyama) Kanken, etc. And these are just the teachers that immediately come to mind. In fact, one could go through a book like Hokama Tetsuhiro's "100 Masters of Okinawa Karate" and find the vast majority of them having cross-trained with other teachers. Indeed, many of the students that I listed were also students of Itosu Anko who passed down Itosu’s kata. In this context cross-training was the norm and therefore we can infer that Miyagi's situation would be considered an anomaly by having absolutely no outside influence. And like any good researchers, we should always look at outliers....

What's wrong with Goju-ryu?

2008-08-03T09:59:00.000-07:00

Here are a few observations which I think need to be re-examined in Okinawa Goju-ryu Karatedo.

Goju-ryu Karate-do is essentially the brain-child of Miyagi Chojun based upon the physical education model of karatedo initially popularized by Itosu Anko. Despite this educational focus, Miyagi left no information about his Goju-ryu project with respect to its origin, his experiences with Higaonna, his training methods, etc. This is the result of both external factors beyond Miyagi's control, but also his own personality which limited his ability to (re)formulate them.

Miyagi never established two-person sets about the application of Go-Ju theory on self-defense, the technique structure and their application, or on kata performance. Instead there is a loose canon of kata that is understood and interpreted differently by each of his students and their subsequent students. The bottom line is that Miyagi's teachings on kata application are not unified into a coherent theory. This run's in contrast to contemporaries of his time which did provide such information such as Itoman Seijin, Mabuni Kenwa, Oyadomari Kanken, etc.

Some if not all of Miyagi's junbi undo are most likely contra-indicated in the context of modern sports science.

There is an unnecessary over-emphasis of "shime" when training San Chin kata, the long-term health effects of this are completely unknown.

Inoue Kobudo

2008-07-29T14:16:00.001-07:00

I find it peculiar that the Inoue' group's suruchin and nunchaku kata do not bear Taira's name via "Maezato no ...". Interestingly Inoue categorically stated that all his kata came from Taira and there is no reason to doubt him. That said, it could be that these kata for suruchin and nunchaku were works in progress (all one has to do is look at Taira's Japanese language book for a prototype nunchaku kata) that he ultimately abandoned. My honest guess is that Inoue was exposed to these prototypes and to the final versions via Taira's Okinawa students, but ultimately rejected them.

One thing that I really respect and like about Inoue's curriculum is its structure - including a very specific set of basics for each weapon. To the best of my knowledge, no other students of Taira really pursued this with the possible exception of the bo basics developed by Akamine, but beyond that there is really nothing.

When I started learning kobudo from Minowa sensei and Yoshimura sensei when I lived in Amami, I simply practiced kata. I think this method works for small groups, but I noticed when I came back to Canada and started teaching, that Canadians needed and wanted a more structured
approach. So, with the permission of Yoshimura sensei, I ended up adopting a modifed version of the 10 bo basics from Akamine.

When Yoshimura sensei came to Canada in 2005 he thought that the first 5 bo basics were more than enough. He has also altered the original curriculum that he learned from Minowa sensei and introduces paired basics much earlier on.

Higaonna Kanryo

2008-07-29T08:46:00.000-07:00

Here is a translation of Tokashiki Iken's research into the life of Higaonna Kanryo (the founder of Nahate) exerted from the 1987 Gohakukai yearbook, page 122. It provides a counter-argument that Higaonna lived and studied in China for over a decade as other authors (Nagamine, Kinjo, etc) have put forth.

The grandson of Higaonna Kanryo stated that,"My grandfather was against the Ryukyu Kingdom becoming part of mainland Japan. He traveled to Fuzhou with others with a petition to the Ching government requesting assistance and support for the Ryukyu Kingdom. He stayed in China for three years where he worked as a bamboo craftsman and at the same time studied Toudi. My father in-law told me this story."

To confirm this story, Gohakukai members met Urasoe city library, curator, Dr. Kurayoshi, and Naha City Culture Promotion Division's Mr. Tana. We wanted to hear their expert opinion on the historical background of that era. Dr. Kurayoshi and Mr. Tana stated that during 1877 (Kanryo's era), traveling to Fuzhou to study was restricted. Only individuals who traveled for other reasons were allowed to leave - reasons other than studying Toudi.

That is, there were many people of the Ryukyu Kingdom who were loyal and opposed the the Ryukyu Kingdom becoming a part of Japan. These men left the Ryukyu islands and traveled to Fuzhou, China, and petitioned for help. Under these circumstances Higaonna traveled to China with a letter from Yoshimura - a man who was known to be pro-Chinese. Therefore, it is probable that Higaonna's grandson's story is true.

Effectiveness

2008-07-21T09:18:00.000-07:00

I have heard people say that karatedo is a very "effective" method of self-defense, and at other times I have heard people say that it is completely "ineffective". Obviously there is a discrepancy and contradiction between the two statements, but why is this?

In my day-job definitions are extremely important in helping us allocate resources to different programs. One set of definitions we use is that of "efficacy" and "effectiveness". Efficacy refers to the ability of a program, treatment, etc. to produce a desired positive effect when used by an expert under ideal conditions. Effectiveness on the other hand refers to the ability of a treatment, program to produce a desired result under actual conditions.

If we take these definitions and apply them to karatedo training, then we can assess it more appropriately. If we think of our training in the dojo, then we can consider the techniques and practices we go through as having efficacy - or if we want to be pretentious we can say they're efficacious. That is, the techniques and training produce the desired effect in a highly controlled "ideal" environment. When we think of the effectiveness definition and our dojo training then we are able to identify gaps in our training and understanding of karatedo. Would our technique(s) and training, etc, hold up under actual conditions - less than ideal?

The dojo represents a testing grounds of sorts - an ideal and controlled environment that allows us to experiment and test techniques before we might actually forced to use them in the outside world. But at the same time, the microcosm of the dojo strengthens and steels us so that we will never have to use such techniques. In this sense karatedo and its founders embraced both aspects of training - efficacy and effectiveness.

To Daiki (Tang Daiji)

2008-07-19T09:56:00.000-07:00

I was rereading Tokashiki Iken's research last night. This is what he has to say about To Daiki:

"To Daiki (1887-1937) was from Fuzhou. In 1915 he came to Naha and opened a tea shop (Showacha-ten) with his cousin To Daisho (Japanese reading of his name).

To Daiki became familiar and acquainted with many people interested in learning kenpo. In his home town, To Daiki was known for his strong character and determination to win. He was the strongest person in his village. Bujutsu was extremely popular in his village and every year the bukan (martial hall) would invite a teacher to instruct there. To Daiki learned Kotou boxing (Jap. Tiger Post). To Daiki's teacher was from present day Yong Chun.

Koutou kata includes (Japanese reading): San Chin, Shi Mon (four gates), Shou Da/Na(?) (spear capture), Ju Hachi Tou (18 towers), Go Ko Chouyou (five tigers morning sun - Totals 108 steps, ie. Suparempei), etc. It has been argued that To Daiki learned Go Soken (five ancestor fist), this is the result of people mistaking [the kata] Go Ko Chouyou as a Go Soken [kata] I think."

Exerted from the 1990 Gohakukai year book, pg. 125.

More things to think about....

Aragaki Seisho

2008-07-18T17:30:00.000-07:00

I've been neglecting writing about kobudo for a while, so today I'll talk a little about Aragaki Seisho's kobudo. According to Nakamoto Masahiro Aragaki Seisho was the founder of Aragaki-ryu and created the following kobudo kata Urasoe no kon, Sesoko no kon, and Tsukenhantagwa no sai. Additionally, his Aragaki-ryu also contained the kata Aragaki no sai and Shokyu no kon.

Source: Okinawa Dento Kobudo: Sono Rekishi to Tamashi, pp. 150.

Tiger Tales

2008-07-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

Mawashi uke is a common technique found in all Nahate based systems (Goju, Uechi, Tou'on). In Tou'on-ryu this technique is found in the traditional kata San Chin and Pechurin. It is an extremely powerful technique that is often applied as a strike. This is a completely valid application of the technique, but expresses only one dimension of it.

An alternate name for this technique is Tora guchi - the mouth of the tiger. The choice of name is quite interesting as it evokes a rather terrifying image of a tiger consuming its prey. But why this name? As you are probably aware there are superficial (omote) and deeper (ura) applications of techniques in Karatedo, and this includes Tora guchi. In this light, the striking application can be seen as an omote application, but a deeper or ura application would be the use of Tora guchi in some other manner.

I think most people who practice Nahate systems have thought of this and may even have stumbled onto a few alternative uses for Tora guchi during their practices. But I would encourage the reader to delve deeper into it. Indeed there are countless Jujutsu-like applications for Tora guchi: locks, throws, sweeps, traps, etc.

I suspect that if your background is sports-based Karatedo, then these applications may not be readily apparent, but with a little effort and experimentation outside of a sports Karatedo context, then they will reveal themselves to you little by little. Of course it helps if your teacher is knowledgeable of these techniques, but it is not essential - at least not in the beginning.

I mentioned that Tora guchi has grappling applications to it because of specific teachings that I learned in Tou'on-ryu. In the Tou'on-ryu Tora guchi, the arms are not extended out to project energy as you would as if trying to strike (this is more apparent in the Uechi-ryu interpretation and less so in the Goju-ryu version but still present), but instead the arms (especially the elbows) are kept close to the body. Also the position of the palms are quite different with the upper hand in front of the collar bone and the lower hand in front of the groin. From this position one can easily "devour" an opponent.

In closing I will leave the reader with a kuden to contemplate about the meaning of Mawashi uke - "the tiger always gets its prey".

Meitoku Yagi

2008-07-03T12:20:00.000-07:00

Exerted and translated from, "The Life Drama of the Man, Meitoku"
PP. 132-134

I think it was around 1927 when the [Toudi Kenkyu Kai] dojo closed due to financial problems, and for a while we continued practice at the Naha high school where we used it on breaks and holidays. Sensei had moved from Wakakusa township to a house behind city hall and was living on the second floor. We used the garden to practice in which was about 20 tatami mats in size. At that time there were only 4 or 5 of us who would come to practice. Nowadays people use the terms Nahate, Shurite, and Tomarite for Karate, but back then we didn’t say Nahate, we simply said Toudi. Compared to Nahate, other styles taught the advanced kata in succession, but Chojun sensei would make students practice preparatory exercises (junbi undo), weight lifting (hojo undo) and basic kata for several months. I felt that Miyagi sensei had few students because he taught the advanced kata so sparingly. Sensei would frequently say that a Lioness would throw her cubs off a cliff and only those strong enough to survive she would raise.

Miyagi sensei’s way of teaching was a little different. After the day’s practice, he would tell you what date and day to come back. On that day you would come and he would tell you to move that stone in the garden, plant that tree, or fetch some water… Then he would say, “You must be tired. Go in the house and have some tea”. He would go on to say, “You must be tired. That’s enough practice for today”. Then he would tell the student to come back on a particular day and date. He often would teach this way, 30% training and 70% conversation. After I graduated from Junior High School and before I joined the army, I practiced as much as I could. And even in the army where I had no time or space to practice, I would practice Sanchin and Tensho kata in the toilet.

After my term in the army finished, about three years later, I returned home. Around 1937 while I was studying for the patrolman’s exam I would go by myself to sensei’s home to practice. I keep this up until I passed the patrolman’s exam and was posted to Itoman. There weren’t many buses that ran from Itoman so I would practice by myself at home and travel to sensei’s house 2 or 3 times a month. Once when I ask sensei, “Please correct my kata”, he praised me when he replied, “There is nothing to correct in your kata, just continue to practice sometimes at home and that will suffice.” Sometimes he would say, “Let’s have a game of Chunji (Chinese chess). So we would sit in sensei’s house, have tea and play a game of Chunji. I am a confident Chunji player, but I always had the feeling that sensei was a better player than I. As was the well-known crane master Go Kenki. Afterwards, I didn’t go to sensei’s house so much, but would receive a letter at least once a month telling me to come and visit, there I would be asked my opinion about different things.

Sankaku Tenshin Part 2

2008-06-27T13:46:00.001-07:00

In a previous post I talked about sankaku tenshin or triangle footwork. In that post I described the basic mechanics for advancing in neko-ashi at a 40 degree angle to practice avoiding an opponent's attack and then moving in to occupy his space. The next part of the drill is moving backwards. It is essentially the same drill in reverse, but with a bit of difference with respect to which foot moves first.

Again, using the most rudimentary form, start from migi neko-ashi dachi (cat stance with the right leg forward). Maintaining that position, you shift behind you to the right at a 40 degree angle starting with your right foot. Note the difference now - that the right foot initiates the movement. You should now be in hidari neko-ashi dachi (cat stance with the left foot forward) and at a 40 degree angle. To complete the sequence, pull the left foot back at 40 degrees followed by the right. You should now be back in migi neko-ashi dachi (cat stance with the right foot forward) with the hips square and facing forward. The whole process is then repeated until you come to the end of the dojo or hit the wall - which ever comes first. A few pointers when practicing this drill. First, as you pull your leg back make sure you step through using a crescent step as you would when you practice San Chin kata. This does several things, it protects the groin and centre line, as well as helps in maintaining balance. Second, do not bob up and down as you step. This compromises your balance, telegraphs your motion, and makes it difficult to use proper body mechanics to transfer force through your technique.

Research

2008-06-22T16:20:00.000-07:00

The more I read of Tokashiki Iken', Kinjo Akio's and others research the more I scratch my head and wonder. I must commend their efforts of traveling to China to try and discover the "roots" of Nafadi and believe their motives are sincere. However, with that said, it is obvious that they have some serious limitations as field researchers: 1) not conducting primary research in the Fuzhian language, or even standard Chinese, 2) relying on Fujian interpreters, and most importantly 3) is dependence upon the Fuzhian Wushu Association for their primary means of information WITHOUT secondary sources of corroboration. I take most of their "research" as speculation, wild speculation sometimes, but still find it interesting. On the other side of the coin, they are both very strong and skilled teachers of Goju. In the case of Tokashiki sensei I had the pleasure of learning some of his technique (insert painful yelp here) way back in 1988 when I trained at his hombu dojo for 6 months. I must have been out of my mind....

Identity Crisis

2008-06-19T13:34:00.000-07:00

Consider weaponless combat techniques on Okinawa 150 years ago – we’ll call it Karate. Think about what methods, equipment, training routines, philosophy, etc. were used. Now imagine that throughout the years parts of this tradition are discarded, and other methods, etc are embraced but we still call this Okinawa weaponless tradition Karate.

Now the twist, suppose (for argument sake) that someone was able to retain all these older discarded methods and assembled them back together. Is this the same tradition? If the this original tradition had discarded all of its methods in favor of new ones all at once, we might hesitate to call it Karate. But since this has been a gradual process over several generations, we might say that it is indeed the same tradition – Karate. However, if we place them side-by-side they appear quite different. So, which one is the original Karate? Both have a reasonable claim to saying that it is the “original”.

Bushi & Kensei

2008-06-17T11:48:00.000-07:00

Although they use the same term, "Bushi" (武士) on Okinawa is not the same as "Bushi" on the Japanese mainland which is synonymous with term "Samurai" (侍). Bushi refers to someone skilled in karate. Mr. Charles Goodin wrote an excellent article on this last year in the magazine "Classical Fighting Arts".

Another peculiar term is "Kensei" which is commonly translated as "Fist Saint". The characters that comprise this term are "ken" (拳) or fist and "sei" (聖) or holy. This is actually a fairly recent term that is borrowed from mainland Japanese bujutsu term using the same pronunciation. The mainland Japanese term is "ken" or "sword" (剣) and "sei" (聖) or holy - commonly translated as "Sword Saint". It is important to point out that these terms are not official titles on either Okinawa or Japan. They are simply terms of respect given to people whose exploits lived on long after they passed away.

Triangle Footwork - Sankaku Tenshin

2008-06-06T13:03:00.000-07:00

A little white ago I introduced a basic footwork drill done in Tou'on-ryu called "Ten-I-Happo". The next drill I'd like to talk about is sankaku tenshin or triangle footwork. Its something that I learned in both Tou'on-ryu and in my Goju-ryu days, and is common in many Okinawan Karatedo schools.

In the most rudimentary form of sankaku tenshin you start from migi neko-ashi dachi (cat stance with the right leg forward). Maintaining that position, you shift off to the left at an angle of 40 degrees or so. The next part is to step in at 40 degrees again with the right foot using a heel-toe step. At the completion, the hips are square and facing to the front again. Below I've also inserted a diagram of the position of the torso relative to performing the footwork.

Sankaku tenshin is not an overly complex drill, but it is extremely important for beginners to learn, understand and internalize. In basic terms, it teaches efficient, non-telegraphed evasion, explosive power, and how to occupy an opponent's space.

As I mentioned earlier, many Okinawa Karatedo schools practice a variant of this footwork drill, and if you do, you should try to watch your teacher when he/she demonstrates it. You will always learn something.

Back to Japan

2008-06-04T11:37:00.000-07:00

Last month I returned to Japan for ten days with my wife to attend my sister-in-laws wedding. It was a wonderful time to reconnect with family, friends and of course my Tou’on-ryu teacher Kanzaki sensei. Having only ten days my schedule was very tight, especially before the wedding, but I was able to “escape” as it were and make the trip to Beppu to visit and train with Kanzaki sensei. Before Beppu, I made a side trip to Fukuoka, but I will save that for another blog entry.

At any rate, I must confess to having a mix of emotions as I rode the bus to Beppu. I was elated to be visiting my teacher, but was nervous about what he would say about my karate – he never misses even the smallest of errors in your kata or technique. I arrived in Beppu in the early afternoon and made my way to Kanzaki sensei’s house. The heat was intense, but it was still early on in the summer so fortunately there was very little humidity yet. I zig zagged my way through the streets and made my way to the front door of Kanzaki sensei’s house and rang the doorbell. Behind the door I heard a familiar voice, “come in”, it said. I opened the door and there in the doorway stood Kanzaki sensei. I bowed respectfully and excused myself as I took my shoes off and stepped into the genkan.

At the age of 81, Kanzaki sensei looked great – but admittedly he had slowed down somewhat compared to when I had seen him two and half years ago. Regardless, I hope that I am as active as he is physically and mentally at that age. We chatted for several hours and I also demonstrated kata for him. At around 5:00 pm my senior, Ikeda sensei came by to take us to the dojo. It was at the dojo that the real scrutiny began. As I said, nothing escapes his sight. I was told that my basics were fine (strikes, block, kicks, footwork, basic drills, etc) which made me extremely happy, but this was short lived. When I began the classical kata the corrections came – and they just kept coming for the next three and half hours….. The corrections on Kanyu no Sesan weren’t so bad - some minor changes to stance, timing, etc, but when it came to Sanseru I hit a road block.

As hard as I tried, I could not get past doing the leg grab and break technique in Sanseru. The technique requires a tremendous amount of agility and lower body strength to explode forward, and at one point during the technique you are flying forward with both feet off the ground! Needless to say, I was not doing it as well as I should have been. Kanzaki sensei did not mince his words, “you used to be able to do this technique much better before…”. Ikeda sensei stood off to the side nodding in agreement. Needless to say, I was upset, but didn’t let that show on my face. I simply did all that I could do, I apologized to my teacher and just kept working the technique over, and over, and over again until the end of practice.

We finished the evening’s practice with Sanchin, changed, and jumped into the car. Ikeda sensei had made reservations at a traditional Japanese restaurant for us. All the students went. The restaurant had a nice atmosphere and it was a lovely meal of “kisetsu ryori”. We chatted, laughed, and discussed so many things in those hours the time just flew by. I learned that Ikeda sensei was now a Shihan and the chief instructor for Tou’on-ryu. Considering there are only two other Shihan in Tou’on-ryu, this is a major accomplishment. I was so happy to hear this news. Ikeda sensei had also traveled to Spain earlier this year to teach seminars in Tou’on-ryu. I will save this story for later as it is quite funny. All in all it was wonderful to see and catch-up with everyone.

With the evening meal over we drove Kanzaki sensei home first. I was so happy that I was able to see him, but saddened that I had to leave so soon. Would I see him again I thought…? I bowed deeply and thanked him. Ikeda sensei brought me to the hotel I was staying at downtown, in the course of our drive there I invited him to Vancouver next year. He said he would think it over, but I’m pretty sure he will accept. I thanked him as well, got out of the car and made my way back to my hotel for a hot shower and some sleep.

The next morning, I was so stiff and sore I could barely get out of bed! I certainly made the bus ride back to Nagasaki interesting…..

Big Trouble - Meiwaku

2008-05-31T09:29:00.000-07:00

One day, while I was still living in Japan, I was watching TV and a reporter was interviewing a parent about what he wanted for his children's future. His reply was interesting and contrasted sharply with what a North American parent would say. He replied, 迷惑をかけないように ("meiwaku wo kakenai yo ni"). It roughly translates as "not be a bother anyone". Of course, no parent want's his/her child to cause grief or trouble to anyone, but it was interesting that this was the first thing that this Japanese parent replied. Why, because it underscores the importance of maintaining balance and harmony among people - a very notable characteristic of Japanese society.

But how is this relevant to your karate training? Well, the first thing that should enter your mind when you hear this phrase is your own teacher, seniors, juniors, and dojo itself. You should strive in your training as hard as you can, but at the same time you shouldn't create difficulties for others and especially your teacher. In other words, you are maintaining a good relationship which furthers the teacher's ability to instruct and the student's ability to learn. Perhaps this is an extreme example, but I remember at times holding back commenting about another student, myself, or refraining from asking my teacher a question because it would have caused difficulties. So, when you train you should bear in mind the phrase "meiwaku wo kakenai yo ni"

Suparempei

2008-05-27T13:32:00.000-07:00

My apologies for not posting in the past few weeks, but I had a short trip to Japan and was able to visit with Kanzaki sensei and Ikeda sensei of Tou'on-ryu. I will write about my trip in the days to come, but in the mean time present some ideas about the kata Suparempei.

To the best of my knowledge there is little technical difference between the different schools of Goju-ryu and the performance of Suparempei (e.g. Meibukan, Jundokan, Shoreikan, Senbukan, Shobukan, ect). That said, Suparempei is considered an incomplete kata in the sense that some researchers theorize (eg. Tokashiki Iken, Kinjo Akio) that Suparempei represented 1/3 of a much larger and more complex kata. There is some credence to this idea as Itoman Seijin lists Suparempei has having Dai / Sho versions, and Pechurin as being a separate kata in his 1938 publication "Toudi-jutsu". Unfortunately, we may never know the actual technical content of these forms and they may be lost to time.

Ishi

2008-05-09T11:24:00.000-07:00

There are always mitigating factors which come into play at the dojo, but I honestly feel the vast majority of these are simply out of the control of the teacher. It may be cliché, but as an instructor one has to focus on running the class and training the students. The occasional bump of a student not keeping up with material or not paying dues on time shouldn't deter from meeting this goal.

The dojo really should have the consistency of granite; it should be a "rock of support" which anchors the students and the teachers in a common goal. Unlike the dynamic changes, stressors and decisions we face in our day-to-day lives, the dojo is somewhat like an oasis. It is an unflinching, unchanging and uncompromising focal point and before we step onto its floor we must "check our baggage".

There is a real joy in human movement and this reminds me of quotes by two very divergent teachers, Higaonna and Shinzato. Paraphrasing here, I believe Higaonna is quoted as saying in the BBC documentary that when he trained in kata it was very much like grasping at a cloud and most times he would come up empty-handed (no pun intended), but always he would find the will and effort to come back to it; i.e. there was something intrinsically motivating him. While Shinzato in a local Army Broadcast on Okinawa said something to the effect that every time he trained in kata he got something, however small. What they may have been referring to is that joy of movement, but I think the joy and energy of that movement creates a stepping stone to something above that – a transcendence. Hence the notion that our art, which is based in movement, can be a spiritual activity.

Testing and Grades

2008-04-29T23:48:00.000-07:00

Shokyu and shodan shinsa (昇級・昇段審査) are terms that I have encountered when I lived in Japan for tests that are typically conducted in modern budo. The terms “kyu” and “dan” I’m sure most people are familiar with, but the “sho” character does not mean “first” as in shodan (初段). The “sho” in this context comes from the on-yomi (Chinese reading) for the verb “noboru” (昇る) which means “to ascend or climb”.

My worst and most challenging grading was probably my Gohakukai shodan test. I was 18 years old and it was a typical affair, basics, yakusoku kumite, kata bunkai, self-defence and free fighting. It was all a very rough affair, especially the kumite in which the first person I was paired with was XX-san, a guy who outweighed my puny frame by about 30 kg. I still remember skidding across the dojo floor after being hit by him.

Nidan was pretty much the same, but in the kumite section we had to sit in seiza for quite a while and then the juniors were made to spar with us, but we were only allowed to be defensive. Not pleasant either, but less painful than shodan. Sandan was surprisingly painless. Essentially consisted of kata performance and some basic bunkai.

As for To'uon-ryu, there are no gradings. I think it uses the older model per se. You are simply promoted when the teacher sees fit. But the use of grades in To'uon-ryu is a recent addition used by the current headmaster Kanzaki Shigekazu. Grades were first issued in the early 1960's when he started teaching. Ironically, he himself, nor any of Kyoda's students during that era have any kind of formal rank.

Now that I am a teacher myself, I understand a little more clearly the purpose of grading in Karate – that it is not only about the student, but also very much about the teacher. For the student, a grading provides the opportunity for testing the student on his/her knowledge and on being promoted. Equally important for the teacher is the recognition of all the time and effort the student has invested in his/her training. Each grading let's the student ascend the mountain a little higher, and to see a little farther.

Ten I Happo - UPDATED

2008-04-17T15:16:00.000-07:00

I apologize ahead of time as I am not the most artistic person, nor am I the most computer literate person either.

To the left is a diagram of a basic stepping drill used in Tou'on-ryu called "Ten I Happo" or roughly translated as "Stepping the eight directions". It was a drill purportedly made by Kyoda sensei and one of the first things he taught Kanzaki sensei, who in turn taught it to me. Starting with the right leg, the person steps to the first point into a right zenkutsu-dachi (forward stance), then returns. Then steps out to the second point into a right zenkutsu-dachi and returns. For the third point, the person steps out with his right leg horizontally into shiko-dachi (horse stance). At points 4 to 6 you pull the right leg back into a left zenkutsu-dachi. For point 7, you step out again as in point 1 into a right zenkutsu-dachi. For point 8 you turn180 degrees counter clock-wise to the rear into a right zenkutsu-dachi. Then the drill is repeated with the left leg, but stepping in the opposite direction. Confused? Maybe to start with, but it's certainly not rocket science, and I'm sure you will get it with a little practice. This practice is interesting in its ability to capture essential movement and convey it through a simple drill. In many respects it is similar, but a little less complicated, than a drill developed by Mabuni Kenwa and published in his 1938 book, "Karatedo Nyumon" or "Introductory Karatedo".

The drill doesn't end with simply stepping. As the student progresses, striking, kicking, and sweeping techniques are added, along with variations in stances. After that, the drill is repeated with a partner. With enough practice, and time, the steps and techniques become second nature and can be used in more open ended type training. For myself Ten I Happo, along with Sankaku Tenshin, are two of the most important drills I have ever learned and still practice them to this day.

Karate as a Weapon Art

2008-04-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine argued that old style "te" was weapon based much along the same lines as perhaps Filipino Arnis or some Silat systems. I do not doubt, that at least with the old mid level Pechin's, that weapons were a part of training as they acted as law enforcement officials, palace guards, etc. However, I have not come across any literature so far to support the primacy of weapons training in the old Ryukyu kingdom among the Pechin. It appears that there was probably a balance struck between both IMHO as most weapons masters of old were also noted for their empty hand and kata skill.