Farewell.

Studying greater minds than my own, I know that I do not know much and, while my study into these lessons that I began with explorations in previous posts will continue, I do not feel that I know enough to keep writing about them, at least not publicly.
I will maintain these things in personal journals and share with whomever is interested, although I am certain they will bring more to the table than I will and it would be a humbling honor to learn from them, whomever they may be.

I am going to cease contributing to this blog as I am not really certain it does anything, other than give me a platform for my own ideas and ideas are meant to be worked.
Writing may be a form of working them, but it feels as though a public exercise such as this only serves to prop one up and cry out ‘over here! Notice what I have to offer!’
It IS all within, but I have nothing to offer for others that they often do not already know and I know there is a great deal which I do not know, I would rather spend my time there, it is more of a challenge to learn than it is for me to write.

Thank you for reading and if you got something out of it, great! I hope you find what you do not know from someone great and keep discovering, keep working, keep sweating and toiling away.
What I have offered here is meager and ultimately self-centric from my own experiences about which I am only beginning to understand.
I am no one and will one day be forgotten. So this is all just trivial.

Arigato.

Lessons From The Kihon Kata #3 - Movement Pathways.

Maybe this is an ‘aside’ or a ‘backtrack’ and ‘correction,’ but still very much part of this deep dive adventure beginning with the Kihon Kata.
I have to remember that the Kihon Kata were made specifically for school children and had a lot of the ‘higher force’ techniques omitted and a lot of what was taught with them, as far as two person drills, were created towards those same ends and, often, later.

So the Education given was specifically starting with Kata, not with Application (and it is doubtful that application itself was ever incorporated, judging from the state of sport Karate).
No real skills were taught beyond punching, kicking, and blocking, all done at unrealistic ranges in unrealistic ways.

Does that mean they are useless or useful? Just because something was not explained or highlighted does not mean it is not present.
How do we fix this? First, the opponent, forget the idea of ‘opponent’ and start thinking more of an ‘assailant’ and forget about doing a specific technique against a specific attack, the ABC method is out the window because it sucks and does nothing to prepare people to face assailants when or if they should have that displeasure.

How does the assailant move? They are certainly not going to assume a position akin to Zenkutsu Dachi in a Gedan Uke ready position with their attacking hand in chamber so that you know where it is coming from and what they are going to attack with so that you can apply your cookie cutter response.
Karate does not begin with Kata, it ends with Kata. Training should not be based on training, it should be based on creating competency, skill, and strategic thinking ON THE SPOT!

Taking this into account, you are slammed into a wall violently, maybe even jerked back up with one or two hands on the scruff of your shirt or jacket. What skills do you employ?
Me? I would likely move with it and head but the guy, assuming he is taller it would hit the nose region or just under with the combined momentum of his jerking me up and my push into it. Shoot my hands up center and out to slam his arm or arms away, pop him a few times in the abdominal section then sweep his arm through while he is still disoriented so that I gain the flank and he is either hitting the wall or passing to one side giving me the position of advantage.

See that? I aggressively stepped forward to close the distance while using it to assault his face then bring both arms up to get his hands off me (Morote Kamai from Gekesai Dai San, Gekesai, Kakuha).
Gaining the flank and allowing him to pass through maybe be further bolstered if I just help him along the way by adding momentum with a weight drop while grabbing the back of his neck to pull him down either face first into said wall or follow up with an interesting arm crank or a takedown. Same type of sequence as shown in Gekesai Dai San, but same movement as the previous post? Maybe? What skills is this teaching as opposed to the previous?

We have taken into account the ways in which an assailant will move or assault you in one instance, what they do is not as important as how they do what they do or, in other words, the feel of it.
They are going to jerk you around, grab and tear at clothing and skin, they are going to be bigger (possibly, at least in my case), and they are not going to leave their arms out for you to apply anything, they are going to do everything they can to stop you from applying anything.
What skills are useful with this? Sensitivity and blending, using what the opponent gives you is not just in or on their bodies, but in the movements themselves, the jerking and thrashing, the momentum, the back and forth.
What YOU do may not be what I do and what WE do will not looking like Kata, nor should we strive for that.

What else? Striking to disrupt and disrupting to strike and closest weapon closest target, head butt with a punch combination follow-up while on the inside, what this also tells us is that the inside is dangerous because all of their weapons can still reach us, so keep moving and causing damage vying for a dominant position.
This segment also teaches us entering aggressively, closing the distance and throwing off their timing by taking their initiative away from them.
Next it teaches us to clear their arms and allow them to pass through with whatever defense they muster so that we gain the better position by flanking them, taking at least half their weapons away by means of positioning.

We then continue the motion with a weight drop and forceful pull using the hand on the neck (Koken Uke) as a delivery system for the downward and backward force of the whole body.
With this we can use the wall to hit them, in this scenario it shows us that the environment is a weapon too, but this is not specifically called out in Kata, thus, this illustrates what one limitation that is seldom addressed.
It shows us using our whole body with momentum of the assailant and the importance of mobility with stability and elevation within footwork.
(Pretty sure I can word that better)

The main points, as you can hopefully see, are not in the techniques, but what they are meant to illustrate and to work those principles rather than perfecting and getting attached to technique.

More to come. Thank you.

Lessons From The Kihon Kata #2- Sensitivity, Flowing, Locking, and Striking.

How often does the sequence ‘stepping forward into Sanchin Dachi while performing Chudan Uke’ appear throughout Goju Ryu? It does not matter the lineage, the answer is A LOT.
It is in every Kata, whether it be open handed, closed fisted, it does not matter save the context, which means it is a primary principle of the system, indeed, it seems to be a primary principle in just about every incarnation of Karate in one form or another (an interesting aside is that Jodan Uke is not particularly prevalent in Goju Ryu as a whole and is seemingly a secondary principle that utilized similar mechanics to Chudan Uke - in my view the Kihon Kata are primarily for teaching, not for application, as such this seems to be a way of telling the student to be mindful of different elevation zones).

After the initial movement (in Toguchi Goju Ryu) there is a half step at a forty five degree angle with a pivot to the right whilst performing a Jodan Uke.
In Kata performance this seems choppy and broken, but if we take that out it would show a seamless flow from one to the other with a ‘spinning top’ principle at play.
What does this say? What is the context here? In my view it is to train sensitivity to a changing situation, as is prevalent throughout Goju Ryu also as a primary principle, while also training clearing, striking, and lock/flow in response to how the opponent might react after the student has put them on the defensive.

Clearing the initial attack the student gains the flank on the opponents’ right side while moving in and taking the center.
While footwork they also assault the legs and lock; the opponent may freak out and step back, pushing or attempting a strike or guard with the other arm.
In clinch or near clinch range contact is maintained in order to feel these responses as the ‘feeling’ sense is faster than what the eyes can capture, at least at close range.

The main point is to feel the shift and respond, basic infighting; as the arm is presented the student shifts, clears it through overhead (Jodan Uke), grabs and rolls their ‘punching’ arm through into an arm at.
Yes, this all seems rather formulaic, but again, the underlying principles are the important point of focus here.

Sensitivity.
Clearing.
Flowing and Locking.

Wait. Where are is the striking? In a previous post I pointed out that the mechanics for what we often call Punching in Karate are not really conducive to good Punching. Yes, one can punch if they choose or if a punch is called for, but generally the striking occurs in transition (at least what I have found).
This is something else the Kata calls our attention to. In the ‘clearing’ sections of Chudan Uke and the transitional ‘clearing’ to Jodan Uke one can find many strikes moving towards the centerline targeting the softness that is the general area of the throat or beneath the jaw line (striking hard to soft and employing closest weapon to closest target).
There are also forearm strikes to the assailing and pushing arms (attacking the weapon) with a sweet spot halfway between the elbow and the hand on the outside of the opponents’ forearm (think Kotekite).

These things can, and should, all be trained in isolation THEN re-deployed in conjunction within free-form ‘play’ (a Rory Miller term).

More to come. Maybe going to take all the opening sequences from each of the Kihon Kata and see how context changes from Kamai to Morote Kamai and dictates either Jodan Uke Principles or Koken Uke Principles, both from a Nissan Dachi and Shiko Dachi weighted principle and how these work.

Thank you for tuning in with me on this journey. It will take some time, a lot of training and visualization, a lot of back tracking, a lot of correcting, and a lot of Coffee.
Hopefully I can add some pictures soon to show more of what I am talking about from a visual medium, but I hate drawing on digital programs, so maybe not and this forces us all to use our imaginations.

Thank you.

Lessons From The Kihon Kata #1 - Opening Movement Analysis (Single Kamai).

The notion is to get beyond thinking about the shape our bodies take at the end of a movement, which we now call ‘technique,’ but to get at how those principles can function strategically towards an end goal.
The first movement in the Kihongata series is a step into what is called ‘Kamai’ (probably not spelling that correctly) and what many take as a ‘ready position,’ but we have to examine this deeply in order to get at the essence of it without getting too hung up on it.

I would NOT guard my head with only one hand up at chest level and one hand in chamber, so what is going on here?
First, when practicing solo we tend to do things against our own imagination which assumes our own approximate height and weight, so the chest level movement against a larger opponent might adjust to a higher level or even a wider level, within reason as there is a point beyond which the movement loses its’ applicability.
The solo form or the training form is an ideal to teach the principles, not necessarily something to expect. Rather like Tsuburi Training in Kendo.

The movement itself is not just a movement of the arms, but of the whole body in a specific way that encompasses each ‘zone’ as part of the whole.
Stepping out into a crescent shape with the feet while moving the left arm to meet the right in the center, then completing with right arm out in what we call a Chudan Uke. The body itself DOES perform a slight weight drop then rises up into the ‘final’ shape of the first position.

What is the opponent doing? Perhaps an attempted grab or shove? Perhaps an attempted sucker punch? A general idea leads to insight regarding the strategy, but it is not dependent on one specific act of the opponent other than the opponent is moving on you from the front somehow.

Taking this into account we move to implementation:
Closest Weapon/Closest Target coupled with Aggressive Forward Pressure and Clearing.
Attacking the Posture by rotating via leverage or attack on the arm while assuming a flank on the outside by the very rotation implemented.
Couple this with the footwork, stances are NOT static positions, they have a purpose. With aggressive forward motion we, at the same time, lock-up the leg of the opponent as a point of leverage in the overall attack.
Chamber hand is part of the overall movement as well, taking place and near Clinch or Clinch range, it is generally a grab and pull coupled with the motion of the opposite hand - the application of Yin and Yang as complimentary forces.

The success of the first motion is not guaranteed but also not ruled out which is why the Kata continues, the main point is to steal the initiative/steal the opponent’s mind and put them on the defensive, at the very least, but to END the altercation first and foremost.
There are other aspects in the motion that include striking the arm of the opponent with the offhand as it meets the right hand in the middle, which then catches and rotated the opponent, plus a small kick implied in the step for Sanchin Dachi before catching, trapping, and locking... The kick would be the set-up to get the necessary leg, otherwise a legitimate attack as feinting is not an option.

This movement can be examined in even greater depth from various angles that can fill volumes upon volumes of books and that is just one movement.
The movements themselves are only few, and the principles employed are even fewer, as we waddle things down we can see that Martial Arts are really only a few principles applied in varying ways with differing goals.

Take away for me here is;
1) Aggressively Close Distance.
2) Closest Weapon/Closest Target. All Zones.
3) Get to Flank.
4) Disrupt with pain to gain leverage or rotation points.
5) Attack posture.

The main point. Get the other person to defend.

More to come, possibly on this, maybe on the next movement, maybe both with some corrections for myself.

Introduction - Lessons from the Kihon Kata.

Approaching this subject I have chosen to view Hookiyu 1 and 2, Gekesai 1,2, and 3, Gekiha 1 and 2, Kakuha 1 and 2 all as part of the same set of strategic principles with an emphasis toward variation within those principles.
Basically they are all the same Kata, they are not meant to be separate, but progressions. Originally created as a means of Physical Education for Okinawan School Kids, they are simple in what they have to present as far as lessons, yet not completely devoid of what makes Karate effective as a means of self-defense.

Toguchi Sensei built upon the groundwork started by Miyagi Chojun Sensei by creating additional Kata in progression, which is the beauty of the approach he passed on to those of us that study these, yet they were meant as an introduction to principles, not as a means themselves.
Kris Wilder Sensei once explained to me that these Kata were like the first steps in writing basic alphabet and grammar while the Koryugata were more along the lines of cursive. Perhaps that is true, but maybe a more apt view would be as learning the rules of mathematics, then applying the rudimentary skills, then moving on to algebra with a good base in fundamentals.

The take away I have from this, while I continue my deep dive, is that there are really only a few base movements in Karate, a few base principles, these principles are worked differently or varied depending on the problem presented.
It is not merely X does Y so you should respond with Z, it is in Z itself taking different forms within a sentence structure in order to formulate a word.

The basic movement of Jodan Uke is not fundamentally different from a Hammerfist strike, the context changes certain things, but the fundamentals of the movement remain the same.
Open hand versus Closed Fist is not a matter of Advanced versus Intermediate either, the principles remain the same, the only difference is the context, which will require one or the other, nothing more.

Ultimately there are sweeping principles, swinging principles, clearing principles, striking principles, projecting principles, sensing principles, positioning and timing principles, and control/neutralizing principles.
This list may change, but this is what I have found for myself in this deep dive and I feel these do not fundamentally differ from Kata to Kata, they are the same things applied in different ways.

These first Kata show us aggressive advancement into near clinch range in order to flank and neutralize, sometimes with simple projections.
The feet are involved as weapons throughout as well as the upper body, including the head and torso. The main point being continuous aggressive movement attacking from all levels systematically utilizing sweeping, striking, sensing, locking, clearing, Timing, positioning, ect.
All are present in their most rudimentary form.

Each aspect can be isolated and trained, indeed, months, even years can be spent working each aspect of strategic principles to proficiency, but months and years are not necessary for effective application right away so long as one does not get caught up in the ‘preservation of Tradition’ mindset and work from a strictly technique or form oriented approach.

Each in this series of Kata are meant to cover differing variations of the same problems, albeit the variations are meant to maintain the upper hand based on the many ways an opponent/assailant will react, though not exhaustive.
Another key point would be mindset, quite likely the key most principle, aggressively getting ahead of the curve and stealing the initiative in order to put the opponent/assailant on the defensive.

This is a brief introduction and I will go in more depth later. I will cover each principle I have mentioned with further explanation based on what Kata presents us.
A key to remember is that the Kata are the culmination of lessons that should be learned, they are a tool to give us some direction, but are not the means or even the end and as new lessons are learned perhaps new Kata should be created to illustrate what may not have been previously taken into account.

More to follow.

Musings on Principles Based Deep Dive.

Deep diving into the notion of Principles Based Training has really brought some new angles to light and raised some really great questions.
These questions may not be appreciated by everyone, but ultimately that cannot be helped and, regarding reactions, may give rise to more questions within each that reacts, questions like 'why do I feel this way about what he just said?' or 'Why is this causing such a reaction within myself?'

To start... We tend to focus on the end result, or shape, of each principle and label that as the primary thing, like Jodan Uke, rather than taking what the whole body is doing into account, or even what our opponent is doing.
'Jodan Uke' is a label given to classify something that was not previously isolated and classified, isolation of an end shape may be the ideal shape we wish to achieve, but it is not important in the grand scheme of things.
Does it work? How? If not, then why? In what context did it work and in what context did it not work? What is the 'it' to which I am referring? Is it the end shape or the total movement as it is happening?

In conflict there are no 'end shapes' other than the end goal, which is to end the conflict and/or escape the situation altogether.
If something works to that end then it is correct, if it does not, then it is not correct. Whether it LOOKS the way it is supposed to look is not the point.
Are standards imposed from the outside important? Maybe to a certain extent, but more as guideposts, not as the immutable rule, mainly because everyone is different and the lessons learned for each person, even from the same principles, will be different.

Preservation of a system for the sake of preservation is not really doing the system justice, and maybe we need to stop thinking in terms of systems in the first place because such a thing implies 'programming' or 'programmable' responses, which are counter-productive to effective application.
Going along with the answers being within, there is nothing to teach, but lessons to learn, and this begins with learning the lessons, not with how someone else learned the lessons.
What would the role of a Teacher be in this instance? As a guide, to pose the questions and get the student to think, to question, to understand what it is the moment has to Teach them about particular principles being worked.

I tend to agree with Patrick McCarthy Sensei and many others in that Kata are a culmination of principles, first learn the principles, learn what those principles mean to YOU, then check out the Kata, but don't get hung up on it.
What do Kata include? The lessons can be isolated insofar as one focuses on principles rather than 'snapshots' or 'end shapes,' because these really miss the point. Mabuni Kenwa Sensei even stated that there are no 'static positions in Karate,' so this idea MUST be thrown out because it was never an original part of it.
Karate is NOT a system, it may contain schools with different approaches, some having different Kata representing different lessons learned, and this is fine, but these are not the main focus, nor, even, necessarily of any real importance beyond being tools to lead towards one's inner way and manifesting THAT into the world.
What good is preserving a System or Tradition if it is not used to Educate (to draw out) what is within?

Belts are an artificial method of measuring progress and, more often than not, just a commercialized device to gain more revenue for the school or the Organization.
Tests, as they are practiced in Karate today, require the memorization of rote forms, single and two person, great if you are just training to test, not so good if you are training for practicality, functionality, and even personal health, it is not really a good approach.
BJJ, Judo, and similar arts have a system that basically requires students to perform principles in matches against resisting opponents, albeit there is some memorization of 'techniques,' the shape of the technique has little to do with the successful application of the technique, at least when it comes to looking EXACTLY like the technique.
Something different needs to give in Karate overall. Performance and function need to determine good form, form should be functional and effectiveness coupled with experience and understanding should be the measure upon which we recognize an individual's growth... Perhaps belts should be thrown out altogether, at least for adults, the kids like them.

This is just the tip of the iceberg as far as my deep diving into this stuff, more to come, next article I will focus more on my discoveries in the principles of Kata, starting with Hookiyu Dai Ichi and Dai Ni (Toguchi lineage).

Good day.

What Is Already Present.

There is a point where one really has to look at what they are doing, what they have been taught, and really ask themselves why?

When we break things down to their base principles three hundred things become two, maybe three things and that is really all one needs in order to be safe, to defend and get away, even to take it to a level of putting someone down if necessary.

It is not complicated and, deep down inside, we all know this as we are the product of many generations whom have effectively applied this in order to stay alive long enough to pass on their genes.

None of this is new, it is already there within, maybe a jumbled unfortunates mess and atrophy if we have not been forced into situations that require these things (and many haven’t), but they are there nonetheless.

Striking. Grappling. Throwing/Takedowns.

Awareness. Assessment. Engagement.

My own take is that we train to hone skills already present on a barely conscious level and these are not just physical skills.

Most approaches are as though they are ingraining something not yet ingrained, rather than waking something up they are building something up.

Perhaps both approaches may be valid? Maybe. What I am most concerned with is cutting through to the core that can be readily used.

Training three hundred responses to one thing might be fun, but is it useful? For me it would be more useful to bring out what is already there, to get to know the principles, and not really care what the assailant does other than getting the assailant down and getting away.

For this I only need to know maybe two or three things and maybe I do not even really need to know them on a conscious level because thinking is often too slow and stands to get you maimed or murdered out there.

In contrast I am also a Kata guy; I find great value in analyzing those principles, maybe I find the exercise to be a lot of fun, but fun is how humans internalize things. Very similar to how baby animals play fight.

They do not learn a specific way of doing things, no techniques, they just learn to flow and the principles tend to come naturally.

These two things seem mutually exclusive unless you START with free play, move to examine the principles of Kata, then go back to free play and really start to see some amazing things happen.

Break it down and focus on specific things, I do not just do rote Kata for the sake of performing a pattern to perfection as I am not a tournament player.

Focus on locking principles one week, focus on striking another, muchimidi another, practice against a wall, around tables and chairs, with stuff strewn all about the floor, sucker punched or attacked from behind, ambushed rounding a corner, practice escape and running.

All very important stuff, shift back to Kata with new eyes, then shift back to play.

Some might prefer a more technical or technique based approach, which is fine, some might prefer something else.

I once heard a story of an Okinawan Karate Sensei that would teach simply by saying ‘do this’ in whatever language it was and then demonstrate, straight to the point.

Drills and routines serve as tools to hone our understanding of principles, which are nothing more than physics in action. 

Some train to fight, some train to compete, but when you remove both from the equation what is left? A predator is not looking for a fight, they are looking for an opportunity. We are not Samurai, we are not Kung Fu Killers, most of us are just people looking to survive and navigate a world that can be very treacherous, although not always.

So while I do train Traditional Drills and Kata, interspersed with some other things I pick up and notice to fill in the holes, I do not train to preserve a Tradition. I train to put things to use and, I feel, this is how the Old Dogs would have wanted it.

Shihan Roseberry preserves his Teacher’s Teachings and built upon them, even creating new Kata based on what he had come to understand.

His Teacher, Seikichi Toguchi, had done the same prior to him. Roseberry Shihan’s last great lesson that I took away from his last International Convention, besides spirit and endurance through extreme fatigue, was ‘If it makes your Karate better then use it.’

Words to live by. It is and always has been MY Karate. Dascenzo Sensei, Roseberry Shihan, Todd Sensei, Iller Sensei, and Wilder Sensei only guided me to what was already present.

Gassho.

The Strategic and Savage Mind.

One thing that comes up when studying the works of people like Myamoto Musashi or Yagyu Munenori is that their focus was not on proper technique, but on what would give them the upper hand in achieving their goals...Victory.
It always started with strategy, the circumstances would determine the proper tactics, the goal being to control the circumstances in order to remain several steps ahead of their opponents.

They understood, via experience, what it took and, quite often it was a messy ordeal that required more of a savage, yet strategic, sort of mindset rather than perfect technique.
One would be hard pressed to find this sort of person in a modern Dojo prancing around in clean white go working requirements for their next colored piece of cloth... These sort of things carry little meaning for someone that has been in situations where they actually have to fight, tooth and nail, for their next breath.
There are exceptions, of course, but generally arts like Karate have become nothing more than a peculiar pastime where students march up and down a floor in neatly pressed Gi punching and kicking air or playing games of tag with one another calling it Kumite.

Most times, if one were to ask about the strategy of a given Karate School, no practitioner would be able to give a straight answer, let alone how tactics within each Kata outline specific strategy of said Kata not how these outline the school’s overall strategy.
There are some out there who can, but overall there is very little written on it as far as Karate is concerned and most get their strategic education from Japanese Swordsmen, which is not necessarily the same thing (although these can yield some insight into how one should think strategically).

Some study Judo in order to better understand, some study Kendo, some study Jujitsu, all of which are great additions to a core art, but one has to remember that Karate is Karate and all of these have different approaches to achieve different strategic ends, albeit with SOME overlap.
Yes one can say that the end is victory, but in a strategic mindset the way to victory is dependent on the moment, this is true, but understanding tactics provides a clear picture of what one needs to do should a situation change in a certain way.
Ultimately none of these matter when all is said and done, one has to abandon the idea of schools and styles in the heat of the moment otherwise become bogged down and overloaded.

The point of understanding tactics and strategy is not to be mired in the mess of Tradition, but to know something so deep that it no longer requires conscious thinking, it is part of you and you know how and when to deviate from one method to another without having to think or assess.
Shu is where we start, Ha is where we learn, Ri is where we get savage and break away from all of it and apply.

In Karate we are not following this and most methods are actually counter productive when it comes to fostering this mindset - we have lost our way in the name of preserving Tradition, becoming even more lost when our minds are more set in an ‘us’ versus ‘them’ attitude.
Do we really even know why something is done a specific way when we say ‘this is how WE do that?’ Doubtful.
It is nothing more than a story we tell ourselves in order to defend our own position because it makes us feel great to be part of a Tradition.
Ego stroking aside, when we have to defend ourselves or our families our assailants are not going to care.

What does each Kata bring to the table? What are they each trying to tell us? Which Kata show us how to enter? Which show us how to respond if a person does a specific thing to counter? Where does Kata lack in vital information and where do we find that information in order to make up for what is lacking?
Karateka of old were not static in their approach and they did not name techniques the way they are named now.
They had descriptions like ‘man carries water’ to describe specific principles and there was no one proper way to employ these principles because everyone is different and plans never survive their implementation when the rubber hits the road.

One has to continuously analyze (Bunkai) in order to apply (Oyo) while being prepared to vary (Henka) when an opponent does something not necessarily expected.
The overall strategy remains the same, the tactics employed are not altogether changed, in essence, but in application and there will be NOTHING pretty or stylized about any of it.

What are the strategies of Goju Ryu? Does it matter? Strategic thinking does, strategic awareness does, but the school does not.
If you are primarily a thrower then you are going to employ tactics to that end and any striking you utilize will support that, this is where it ends.

Karate is, primarily, about striking, any other aspect is in support of that or secondary to it.
However, such a statement is too much of a blanket statement and does not account for the individual, whom will ultimately come to their own understanding through training and experience.

This should be encouraged. To show the strategy and use this as a point of departure down the path of true self discovery and actualization, where strategic thinking permeates all aspects of life.

Context, Concept, and Mechanics.

When we finally get beyond ways of thinking and training that are set in concrete standards of classification and can get beyond any sort of stylistic notions we may truly begin to find what is useful within what we are doing.
Approaching from a conceptual standpoint, with an open mind, yet grounded in context with respect to basic laws of motion nd the focus/intent behind each within said context will do FAR more for understanding than approaching from a technique oriented mindset for the sake of technique and style preservation alone.

Because 'Sensei says' is far too often a mantra in Dojo that purport to teach self -defense and this really does a disservice to students who leave thinking they have any understanding at all when no real explanation has been given... No real instruction has been rendered.

Going through mindless repetitions of choreographed drills only does so much and really only shows that one can memorize choreographed drills.
When these drills become more important than actual skill you can rest assured that you are no longer studying a self-defense oriented system.

Are we thinking about the mechanics behind what we are told is a punch or are we just accepting this at face value?
Look at a punch in context, what does an effective punch look like? We would be drawn more towards boxing style punches as effective and start to realize what we are doing is not necessarily inclusive of effective punching mechanics.
This is true of we are only taking certain aspects into account, forgetting the chamber hand, body alignment, and footwork, nevermind the formation of the fist, which can also seem like a grip.

Context, concept, and mechanics are more important than rote memorization of technique names and choreographed drills.
As Karateka we need to get out of this trap and start growing in order to make Karate what it once was.

Building Bridges between Chaos and Order.

I have been absent from writing here for a while as I took some time to think, learn, and grow in the wake of Shihan Roseberry's death.
My practice has continued, my teaching has continued; these last few weeks have been full of insights as far as Karate is concerned as well as life in general.

To start off I would like to just dive right in...

Life is seldom neat, life is seldom orderly or categorized. Each person walks their own way, at their own pace, with their own attitude.
Why should there EVER be a one size fits all approach to anything? What does it mean to do something correct? Why is THAT way correct and THIS way incorrect? Yes, there are universal principles across the board because we all have two arms, two legs, one head, a neck, and a torso, but it gets complicated after that.
Do we seek to be defined by what we do or do we seek to define what we do by who we actually are? Who are you? Do you even know?

When training, do we think of Jodan Uke as a block or as something else? Why? Is it because we are told this is how it is based on what we have come to call it? How did this come about?
In a time, not long ago, there were no names, no techniques, just principles, and they had variations from person to person based on things like body type, taking into account injuries or other sort of mobility limitations.
In short, things were not so neatly packaged in a commercially branded box for consumption by all with the actual meaning of things completely lost, but not forgotten.

Yes, the path does have to begin somewhere. Yes, there IS a proper way to do things and YES learning at the feet of a Teacher IS REQUIRED (you cannot just pick this stuff up on Youtube or via Video at any given time and actually think you are following the way).
HOWEVER, that being said, do we continue to walk a rigid cobble-stone path or do we take what we learn and dive deep within ourselves to learn what is there? Do we even know how to do this? There are some that do and, giving respect where it is due, we can learn A LOT from people who spend their time focusing on principles in ROLLING practice utilized in Brazilian Jujitsu, among other arts.

Keep it simple. Keep it practical. These are the words of Shihan Roseberry. Do we simply mouth the words as a Mantra we do not fully understand or even practice or do we put those words into practice as actual principles to live by?

The idea is to actually forge ahead, to grow, to meet yourself at every turn, to overcome that and become better, to incorporate what is there, to brave the chaos inside in order to bring out the best of ALL aspects of yourself.
Not simply to carry on a cookie-cutter Tradition, a dead Tradition is not a Tradition at all. It is simply going through the motions.

A couple things to impliment...

1) Forget the names of techniques or stances and zero in on the principles behind them, not just looking at one single aspect (ie; the arm), but taking the WHOLE BODY into account and really digging deep into those mechanics (Taisabaki).

2) Implement a practice that forces you to move without thinking, see how you respond and start to put things together in a Kata that is YOUR Kata. Utilize other Kata as Teaching aids, guides for proper movement and function. Gage your progress by how you respond spontaneously and whether or not it is in-line with what Kata and your Teacher have been teaching you.

3) Utilize your heart and mind as one. Practice bag work, utilize your heart and mind in each strike so that each strike can be a knock-out strike. Each movement can be devastating.

This is nothing new. This is nothing special. It is just getting back to the roots of what we actually do, at least in my own opinion, based on my own observations in regards to the state of things both within myself and in others.

Take it for what it is or leave it. The choice is yours. 

Blunt Force Trauma.

If one does not begin their training until later in life can they make a claim that someone is their lifelong Teacher? If they had spent their time speaking very unflatteringly of their Teacher and others within their lineage, in private, would they be able to claim themselves as true to a teaching they claim someone else is also not following?
If some central tenants of a Teaching are to 'keep a disciplined mind' would it be considered a breach of that teaching for someone to freak out over something trivial and to behave in a manner unbecoming someone within a school that touts Courtesy and Manners as part of its' school name and central teaching?


There have been many unflattering things said in private, while presenting a different face in public, although most seem aware of a certain loss of trust and a certain pencheant for the dramatic on the part of the other party.
Certainly aware of the artful embellishments of this party when they write out what they have to say.
A person that can, like a chameleon, move from circle to circle and insinuate themselves into things with skilful use of words, charisma, a skill for making connections with people, sometimes at the expense of other people.
It is a wonder they ever had the trust of their Teacher at all, for the face they present in public is different for each circle and FAR different than the face that is presented in private.


I suppose that is par for the course, however, it is best to be wary of people like these, for they are only out for their own gain and will stop at nothing to gain at the expense of those around them.
They will place themselves in positions of high esteem with a lot of pull and use that pull to do whatever is best for them, they will make threats, they will also follow through with some of those threats if it benefits them to do so, sometimes it doesn't and they will switch strategies.


One person I know if likes to talk a big game, they sometimes put down the skill of others, even though they barely had any skill of their own when they COULD actually train.
They are great with words, and therein lay the possible reason they did not have the full trust of their Teacher and the reason they barely spoke. This person was only continuing with their partnership because it was an investment, not because they actually cared or acted in the same spirit as a man who would often place the wellfare of others above everything else.
Some within the Dojo could not afford dues and were feeling that they could no longer train because, unlike their Teacher, this person was more business minded and less compassionate.


A lot of talk and zero follow-through in regards to ANY of the central Teachings, with even less skill in ANY of the aspects of training on the floor.
It is a shame that these types are even able to make it through the door, but again, anyone can step on the floor, not everyone can actually walk the path laid out before them.


That is all.

The Answers Are On The Floor.

Shihan John Roseberry is someone I, personally, will never forget, indeed, whom has been in my thoughts even before the news of his passing yesterday.
I am truly grateful to have known this man and even further grateful to have had the opportunity to share the floor with him one last time this passed June at the Sho Rei Shobu Kan National Convention in Lincoln Nebraska, at the Dojo he founded, the original Hombu Dojo of the Organization prior to his moving it to Virginia.
New faces, old faces, a long time coming home, and we were all there for one reason, to see Shihan, even though he practically put us through torture while sitting down, his voice barely above a whisper as he gave directions.

Many would say that Shihan was less concerned with the business side of running an Organization and more concerned with simply Teaching and helping people.
One student at the LMAC had been showing up to class every single day, all classes offered, for many many years, the direct result of Shihan Roseberry's influence.
Shihan had brought this guy in off the street, an older gentleman with a developmental disability, and invited him to train, the man loved it so much that he continued to just show up, even though he would not be able to learn a lot of the aspects, he is now a Brown Belt in the Organization, having been promoted this last summer during Convention, much to his own surprise.

Shihan began his training in Karate under Seikichi Toguchi in 1955 while stationed in Okinawa during his time in the United States Marine Corpse.
A friend of Masanobu Shinjo, Dojo Brother of Yoshio Kuba Sensei, and Teacher of many many other people, one of the first to bring Karate to America at a time when Karate itself was not so well known.
A Champion Boxer, Alternate of the 1964 US Olympic Judo Team, Student of the Blues Guitar, Motorcycle Enthusiast, among many other things, one could not possibly box this guy into a single category, but it all goes back to simply being who he was and helping others to become, more fully, who they were meant to be.

A man of such influence, one would expect to find him plastered all over the internet, but that is the beauty of it.
While many out there have their faces all over the internet in promotion of their various Organizations, Seminars, Videos, ect., one would be hard pressed to find anything on Shihan, other than a few blurbs here and there, but if you ask people like Yoshio Kuba Sensei, or Kris Wilder Sensei, you will clearly see just how far reaching the influence of this man was.
You will not find his Kata on Youtube, you will not find videos extolling his ideas or theories, he had nothing to prove to anyone and did not really care who accepted his ideas, because he knew their value and he knew they would get to the right people at the right time to help those people.

I was one of those people. I first met Shihan Roseberry when I was eleven years old at the Dojo of my Teacher, Michael Dascenzo, the original Senior Student of Shihan Roseberry, and participated in a seminar put on by Shihan Roseberry during that visit.
Another occasion I was traveling with the Olympic Martial Arts Center's Tournament Team to AAU Nationals in Chicago, I was twelve, and we stopped off in Lincoln where Shihan put us through the ringers at his Research Center before we all broke from training to go swim at a Pool where he worked as a lifeguard.
That night we all stayed at Shihan's house before breaking back on the road the next day toward Chicago.

Shihan had come up to Washington again and, this time, we were training out of Olympia where I also acted as his Otomo and Uke on the floor.
He threw me from strange positions, twisted me into a pretzel many times over, picked apart each of my Kata, really pushed me on so many different levels, I came out of it with a better understanding of myself, especially considering I was extremely physically ill through the whole ordeal.
That seminar was more wide ranging, considering we also had Aikidoka in attendance. One would think he would focus on Karate and Aikido, nope, he went into some old school Japanese Jujitsu training.

The man was full of surprises, yet very humble in his approach to everything. I do not feel that one could do him justice by simply classifying him as a Karateka, a Judoka, an Aikidoka, or anything of the like.
He practiced EVERYTHING with the same fervor he had for Budo as a whole, absolutely everything, it was all to be done with full attention, it was all important, every single moment of life was worth living, from the trivial to the important, as nothing was trivial and nothing was more important than anything else.

This is what I have taken away from my encounter with this man, directly, and through his Student Michael Dascenzo.
In coming months it will be interesting to see where things go, I hope that people can hold it together and others can leave their egos aside or keep their mouths shut, but ultimately that has nothing to do with me or my own training, I will simply follow Shihan's constant advice and find the answers on the floor.

Legacies in New Moments.

Class this last Friday was focused solely on breaking down Jodan Uke and applying it in a more functional manner, with focus specifically on the 'off' hand as it moved through the center line.
This was done partially in the vein of a recent visit I made, in June, to the Lincoln Martial Arts Center for the Sho Rei Shobu Kan's Convention put on by my Teacher's Teacher, Shihan John Roseberry.
He took a Kata he created, Gakusei No Kata, and broke it down into sparring drills that we worked for eight hours, from beginning, to end, which really shed some light onto not only the applications there-in, but approaching application of Kata in general.

I had worked a twelve hour shift off of Graves, from Midnight to Noon, and had stuff to do throughout the day, so I had finally laid down for bed when my phone went off asking what time Karate Class was, since it was Friday.
My body said, 'No class today,' but a voice in my head said, 'You have to get up and work with these kids,' so I told the person that Class would be around six o'clock and took about an hour nap, then went to teach.

Class started off with a grueling warm-up, myself and my students performed what I call 'frog sprints' and a quickened 'lizard walk' both of which contain elements of various other exercises meant to work multiple muscle groups at the same time, with a focus specifically on the core.
Some kids were having a hard time with it, some were getting it, but still missing elements, so we took some time to go over proper form and the reason for proper form in all things, which lead to the next focus of class, Jodan Uke.
We started off just standing in Sanchin Dachi performing Jodan Uke, then moved into partner work with specific focus on Ude Uke to the center line as one partner quickly reached out with open hands to tag the defender in the center of the chest, or the head, targeting was random.
Again, the focus was on the reason for proper form and how it feeds the functionality of the technique and, in turn, shows that the target does not matter, the function of the movement is the same.

We ended with the last portion of Jodan Uke turning into a strike after the initial Ude Uke, with a pull in to Chamber and a forearm strike/hammerfist follow-through to the head.
After this more about form and function were stressed as we moved in to closing. The classes are not specifically formal, I simply have them sit and focus on a spot on the ground, then we have a Q and A session and class is over.

I went home and crashed hard, slept for a few hours, then woke up feeling rested, but a different kind of rested, something had changed.
I went back to sleep again after spending some time with my kids, then woke up to the news that Shihan John Roseberry had passed.
It was not really a surprise, I somehow knew, but regardless, it hit many, including myself, pretty hard.

The above is to illustrate the legacy that Shihan left behind, this is how we honor his memory, this is how we continue his legacy.
Who is senior? Who is his successor? These things really don't matter because we are all successors to aspects of what he taught and THIS is how we move forward, by not getting caught up in our own sadness, by continuing as we always have.
Ultimately death is a natural part of life and is not something to be viewed in a negative light, it is something to be celebrated and welcomed, to be accepted for what it is.
Shihan is not gone, he has just entered the next phase of his journey.

Keep finding answers on the floor. Until we all meet again. 

Closed Door Traditions vs Mainstream Karate.

Over the years I have found myself wondering about the true history, form, and nature of Karate as a whole.
We have the mainstream history that most schools espouse, unique to their own respective 'lineages,' but often these histories are called into question and there remains quite a bit that has been left out (like all the Political nonsense, the bickering, the backstabbing for personal gain that has gone on behind the scenes that many like to pretend never happened and still does not happen).

I was recently introduced to a term I had never heard before in a Group discussing Ryukyu Martial Arts; it was termed as Tijiichakaya or Tigaya, something that does not show up on Google Searches or anywhere else, which automatically calls it into question, but the person who used the term referred to it as a group of people who 'shaped the history of Ryukyu Martial Arts in a very specific and purposeful way.'
Yeah, it seems a bit on the side of conspiracy theory, like a small group of people who have a hand in developing mainstream things as they see fit while keeping the truth/real stuff hidden within the confines of a small group of people.
The person that used the term stated they are a group of four people on Okinawa and, while they do teach a number of people, they only pass on the complete teaching to one successor each, per their tradition.

It was an interesting topic of discussion, but coming from only one source I still have not been able to verify it beyond that, which I find interesting because NO ONE seems to have shared anything on it that is showing up ANYWHERE other than from this one individual.
I am not going to dismiss it outright, if it can be verified, great, if not, then it is no big deal, but the mere fact that SOMEONE has stated something like this just goes to show how much of history can be called into question; history is subjective, often written by the victors... What he have is hardly the whole story.

In the same topic of discussion I had called into question the very idea of Karate as originally Ryukyuan.
My reasoning for this was simple; by the time Karate, as we know it today, was developed it was already the 20th Century and the former Ryukyu Kingdom  was now Okinawa Prefecture, a part of Japan, it was in the process of assimilating to Japanese society and culture, with the majority of Okinawan Martial Arts Teachers onboard.
Miyagi himself went to great lengths to solidify his brand of Karate with the Japanese Governing Body of Martial Arts, even going so far as to expressing his piety towards the Japanese Emperor by saying only the Emperor could award a Black Belt or Dan Ranking to anyone.
(Which calls into question where his own students actually got their Black Belts and authority to award Black Belts to anyone since they did not receive this from their own Teacher).

The underlying point was that Karate, once Ti, or Tou Di, was an Uchinaaguchi expression for 'China Hand' or something akin to that, and became 'Empty Hand' with a predominantly Japanese pronunciation.
We learn Karate using Japanese terminology, whether you are on Mainland Japan, Okinawa, or anywhere else in the world, it is primarily Japanese in its' expression, from the terminology, to the uniforms, to the ranking system, to the very structure of the classes (albeit classes in some schools on Okinawa are less structured).

This point lead me to question whether or not the practice of Kata was actually originally part of the Ryukyuan Martial Arts at all and not just a more modern addition to it using a Japanese concept.
Forms were, and are, certainly part of Chinese Martial Arts, and they were, perhaps, a part of Ryukyuan Martial Arts (we will possibly never know), but not really to the point of having them as anything more than a training aid.
The very word 'Kata' is Japanese, and I have yet to find anything similar in Uchinaaguchi that expresses the same concept, in point of fact what I have discovered about Ryukyuan Culture is that it is not as formal as Japanese Culture... There is an expression I once heard that 'nothing in Okinawa ever starts on time,' which is the exact opposite of Japanese Culture, where everything is about etiquette, timing, propriety... Everything in Japanese Culture seems to be one long ritual pattern, or Kata.

There was a story of Miyagi and two Students visiting a Master of Ti, they asked him to show them his secret of fighting and he obliged by dancing, to which Miyagi's Senior Student attacked the old man and ended up being thrown on his ass.
I am obviously not telling it exactly as it has been told time and again, but the story demonstrates a separate Ryukyuan Martial Art that is outside the mainstream and that is not considered a part of what we now call 'Karate,' something a bit more deeply rooted in the Ryukyuan Culture itself.
The story ends with the trio leaving the old man in disappointment because they did not understand what had just happened, they could not comprehend the secret of the old man's school (which further illustrates a disconnect between their generation and the older generation that was more deeply rooted in the old ways of the culture which their generation was forsaking in the name of assimilation).

This is not to disrespect those that came before, but to look at things with a more critical eye.

One might feel they should dismiss all this outright as nothing, but there are many examples of 'closed door' traditions throughout many cultures of the world, especially in China, Japan, and India.
Even here in the United States, where we have people from many different cultures, there are examples of cultural ties through 'closed door' traditions that only members of said culture, or those with extremely close ties, are privy to.
Good luck ever getting in with these groups, they are extremely guarded and tend only to pass on their ways to their own people.

Just food for thought. I found the following description of 'Kata' in a search I was doing as I was attempting to find an Uchinaaguchi equivalent to 'Kata' as a word and concept;

'Kata (型, 形, or 方 literally: “form”) is a Japanese word describing a form or a way of doing something, and is completely generic in usage. …  Kata, in the Western parlance, is a detailed choreographed patterns of movements practised either solo or in pairs. Kata are used in many traditional Japanese arts such as theater forms like kabuki and schools of tea ceremony (chadō), but are most commonly known for the presence in the martial arts. Kata are used by most traditional Japanese and Okinawan martial arts, such as aikidō, iaidō, jōdō, jūdō, jūjutsu, kenjutsu, kendō and karate.'

The Devil is in the Details.

Karate is a life long journey in which the destination is unimportant, goals may be made, but they are only there to provide direction and people tend to focus on these so much that they forget to focus on each step of the journey.
Some people chase rank and collect all sorts of things under their 'belt' as a sign of authority, really it is just to puff up the ego, some people have taken the time to really study and these people can truly perform, they do not get caught up in things and everything seems to fall in place naturally, whether they are of high rank or low rank.

There is so much to be gained from even a single movement if a Karateka has the patience to really pay attention.
It is never about quick learning, it is always about the journey, and even in a single movement is a lifetime of study.

Tonight I was focusing on the Morote Chudan Kamae, a position that so many of our Goju Ryu Kata take as a starting, the first movement after the bow and Yoei.
One person with whom I am acquainted is a long time student of Kayo Ong Sensei who states that Kata are a Mandala and they begin with Prayer, as expressed in the intention behind this movement, which does have some validity, depending on one's reasons for training, but I feel this is something that can be applied regardless of reason.

In my own practice, today, I was working on the mechanics of pulling back, punching, and returning to Kamae, fairly simple stuff, at least on the surface, but the mechanics are profound in the fact that these must be done in a way that is harmonious with the way the body is built.
Pulling back into Chamber, leading the motion with the breath, followed by the elbow, the forearm, the fist, then extending outward leading with intent, breath, fist, elbow, and the shoulder rotating slightly forward.
Returning to Kamae, rotating the shoulder back slightly, pulling the elbow into position, the hand following and slightly rotating back into position.

Adding to this the rest of the body, from the ground up, pushing with the heel and pulling with the ball of the opposite foot, shifting from pulling with the front foot and pushing with the back foot to pulling with the back foot and pushing with the front, depending on whether you are pulling to chamber, moving into a punch, or returning to Kamae, all the while rooted with the foot as if they are clay mashed into the ground.
Moving upward from there you have the knees, thighs, and hips adding to the motion, the spine straight as a current to the arms that carries the intent/energy in a flow that executes technique in such a way so as to expel the most power without losing energy and maintaining stability of the entire frame.

This has to be understood for each and every movement before one can move on to the quicker performances in Kata such as Seisan, Kakuha, Gekiha, Gekisai Dai San, Suparempei, or in anything that utilizes mechanics, which is to say ALL of Karate as a whole.
My own Sensei used to have us perform certain things at a Tai Chi like pace and another of his Students, a Sempai to me, Kris Wilder Sensei, always says to go slow in order to learn fast.
These days people tend to go straight to the quick and explosive stuff without truly thinking about, let alone focusing on, what it is they are actually doing, and this is true of any art.

This is why it took so long to learn even a single Kata in Okinawa Te before the onset of modernized and Japanized Karate, which is fairly modern and mostly seen as a sport.

Empty of Definition, Filled with Everything.

Karate is a very subtle art with focus more on aspects that cannot readily be discerned; this effectively removes it from the realm of combat as most who wish to learn would expect to learn something they can use right away.
Certainly one can gain this from Karate, but as a whole Karate is the long way, there are other things out there a person could study that do not take near as long to understand in order to apply and many of them are able to be directly applied.
That is not the point of Karate, the point is much deeper... Will Karate work? Yes. Again, is that the point? No.

Karate is a core focus that can and should be applied to everything, from cooking and cleaning, to sports, to the way one behaves and, finally, to combat.
If that is the main focus why would a person look at the mechanics of a single punch, or posture, in Sanchin Kata, or the rotational aspects of Seipai??
These things are training tools and meant to focus on different things that can carry over to combat.

The focus many have on Karate is strictly as a Martial Art, or a Civil Defense Art, the latter certainly applies, but they get stuck here, they begin to identify as what they are doing rather than looking at it as something they do to improve themselves, to ground themselves.
The idea is not to limit oneself to a certain thing or a certain identity or to limit what one is doing to a specific focus, but to allow it to exist as it is and allow it to do the work it is meant to do.

At the same time a deeper aspect is to unify with it, to become the center, the dancer and the dance, while at the same time not identifying AS the thing or as SEPARATE from the thing.
Internalizing what you are doing will come out when thought ceases, when expectations cease, when everything is allowed to fall into place rather than forcing something to do a specific thing you think it should be doing... That is like trying to pound a square block into a round hole.

These days Brazilian Jujitsu and Muay Thai are very popular through MMA Training, trends come and go because people have these expectations and these are not wrong, but they do show a lack of depth as one thing comes and another goes.
Enrollment in Karate is at a low in some areas, a high in others... At what used to be our Hombu Dojo Karate is no longer the main attraction, most go for Judo, Jujitsu, and MMA type stuff, these things pay the bills while Karate exists as an aside, which is a much better way for it to exist because it is allowed to be what it is meant to be rather than a means of keeping Students walking in the door in order to pay the Dojo bills.

Karate is a path of peace and self cultivation... You study the kick and punch in order to understand the hug and handshake, to shut conflict down before it even starts while at the same time you have the tools to deal with things should confrontation be the only possible option.
This is not just Physical Conflict, this is all aspects of Conflict, and this is certainly lacking in many Dojo these days, but it takes more than just physical conditioning and skill, it is mostly a mental thing.

Focus.

The Spirit of Okinawan Karate.

I once met an individual of Korean decent who was a Firefighter in his spare time,  but had taken a part time job with our Organization for the summer travel season.

At the time I was the Shift Lead for an Organization which sent Students abroad on International Education Oriented Trips all over the World and I was tasked with training this gentleman in our procedures and Case Management,  so we spent a lot of time chatting.

At some point this individual noticed our display for Japan, complete with the image of the Red Rising Sun, at which point he began talking about Korean sentiments towards the Japanese,  remnants from the occupation in World War 2.
Many Koreans,  evidently,  view that symbol in much the same way as most view the Swastika, a symbol of racist ideology, racial superiority,  and oppression.

Today we think of Japan in a very different light,  but it is true that, not long ago, Japanese Nationalism was aligned with Hitler because they shared similar ideals and identical aims.

Today we see Dojo that practice Okinawan Karate using Japanese customs, terms and phrases,  philosophy,  and practices; right down to the Gi and belts that are worn.

Many Dojo have displays of Samurai Katana, walls lined with Bokken on Weapon Racks, Shomen in similar fashion to Shinto Shrines, ect.
Little to nothing in this,  aside from the actual Art, seems to actually be Okinawan and this is not surprising considering the great lengths to which Japan went in order to suppress Okinawan language,  culture,  and Religion in order to make Okinawa more Japanese.

Most forget what happened to many Okinawans at the end of the war and it is a wonder the Okinawans would welcome assimilation at all, considering their treatment as second class citizens in their own country,  but many did promote assimilation, including many Karate Men of the time.
One could speculate on their motives, but who is to say?

The Japanese utilized their Education System in order to indoctrinate many of their colonial territories and it seemed to work,  even now there are not many Sensei who are knowledgeable in the Okinawan aspects of the art they practice and teach.

This is no fault of their own,  nor their Teachers,  many of whom grew up in an Okinawa that spoke Japanese and had adopted many of their customs.

Okinawa has somehow remained unique from the Japanese mainland and retained much of their identity, along with their close family/ancestral ties and Shamanistic Matriarchal Religious Practices and Customs.

The Okinawans have a concept called Mabui which is similar to Western concepts of Soul,  Spirit,  and Mana; it is the essence of a person and, according to their beliefs, it can be lost through various forms of trauma.
It is, they say, the reason for depression and anxiety,  among other things.

To regain one's Mabui can be as simple as sleeping in one's own bed or as complex as to require the services of a Noro Priestess in a Ritual depending on the severity of the loss.

It would seem that the Mabui of true Karate has taken a very serious hit along with the rest of the Okinawan spirit that is only now beginning to mend after many generations.
Maybe this is not even true as many seek out Karate in Okinawa only to find, what I term, tourist Karate as many great Karate Men have either died or left,  and then died in an adopted land.
Furthermore,  it begs to question,  is the Karate we now have the true Martial Way of Okinawa?
It would seem much has been fabricated and, fabricated in such a way,  as to make it more Japanese than Okinawan.
It makes sense when looking back on their culture as these are a spirited and,  traditionally,  long lived people who defeated the Mongols and were willing to fight to the last man against the Satsuma Samurai until their King begged them to remember that life was a jewel.

Would they not,  after all they have endured, guard closely the Mabui of ALL their cultural ways?
Their economy had suffered greatly, but many forsaw commercial opportunities that could support their families by teaching Karate, which capitalized more on the Japanese notion of Bushido and Bujitsu than it did on Okinawan culture,  for that is something sacred to them.
Even to this day outsiders are not allowed to even view Okinawan spiritual rituals,  this includes Japanese living in Okinawa.

There are many mysteries I do not think we will ever be fully privy to.
Do I feel that the form of Karate we have received is authentic? Sure,  but it's spirit has been swapped out and guarded against further transgression.

Below is a link to an interesting read,  one among many.
I hope you find it informative.

http://www.uchinanchu.org/uchinanchu/history_of_uchinanchu.htm

Foot Work.

Lately I have been thinking about Footwork versus Stances after going over some basic Aikido footwork in the eight directional diagram.
There is a basic 'Guard' called Hanmi one takes up and moves through at various points, but really no stances, just Footwork.

This is where Karate is confused, I feel, because there was the imposition of standardization from outside which inhibited the natural way of doing things, thus, things became more rigid and we ended up with various names for things in order to accommodate standardized syllabus.
The Japanese love their Standards and the Okinawan Karateka were very keen to be seen as fully assimilated to Japanese Culture rather than be shunned, some of them even receiving payment for their loyalty and efforts to promote assimilation into Japanese Culture and Customs.

This is not meant to be an Anti-Japanese rant, that is there to light the way back in order that we may understand just what it is we are doing as, obviously, the way of Aikido is a Japanese way based on Japanese Standards and is NOT as rigid as Karate had become, thus leading one to feel that the Okinawans were a bit over zealous in their efforts.

What happens when we remove the word 'Dachi' and replace it with something like 'Ashi' similar to the way Aikido utilizes terms like 'Ayumi Ashi' to describe a principle of motion, like stepping, or Tenkan for turning, or Irimi for stepping inside, or Irimi-Tenkan for stepping inside with immediate turn??
What happens when Sanchin Dachi is no longer seem as a 'thing' but a 'process??' Does this take away from Karate or add a deeper level of understanding?? Most would cry foul because it is 'not a traditional way of looking at it,' to which I argue it is a deeper level of understanding a VERY traditional concept.

What happens when Zenkutsu Dachi becomes just a long forward shift and you look at it more in terms of, say, Irimi??
Saifa, for example, has an example of where it is utilitzed as Irimi with partial Tenkan into what we, presently, call Musubi Dachi before dropping into Shiko Dachi.
Drop the 'Dachi' and find another way to describe these movements as less static and rigid, more dynamic and alive, more to do with the movement of the Center, or Hara, and not so much as 'fixed positions.'

Sensei once said someone about the 'formless form' and had pointed me towards a book called 'Kodo: Ancient Ways' written by Reverend Kensho Furuya, a Zen Priest and Aikido Sensei.
This was my first introduction to the idea of Shu, Ha, and Ri... One learns to emulate, one learns to variate/deviate, then one breaks free and is no longer bound by outward forms, but internal Principles that have become their own.
In this way ALL ways become one way and there is no differentiation because they all apply to one another to varying degrees based upon the manner in which they are applied by each individual.

Coil/Uncoil.

Looking closely at the coiling/uncoiling principle within Kata, namely Gekesai Dai Ichi and Seipai, after going through some Aikido Footwork both Irimi and Tenkan aspects and feeling that 'coil/uncoil' there as well. 

The coiling aspect, for me, comes from Sanchin and is meant to work with Posture for Power Transfer (Atifa) and proper mechanical application, ie Tension, at the very end for just a split second (Chinkuchi) drawn from the ground up through the hips and the core first (Gamaku).

Having gone through this slow a few times just to feel the timing and the nature of each within these two very different Kata it is like a bow-string pulled taut then released and snapping back (taut again for just a split second on the opposite end).

The stances in Karate are too emphasized and should really be de-emphasized in favor of looking more at the actual movements themselves rather than some cool looking position that really has no meaning at the 'end' other than where you should end up. 

Gekesai Kata was meant to be a training Kata, very basic, but also very brutal if understood correctly, the name gives you exactly what principles and characteristics the Kata focuses on... To Attack and Smash or Destroy. 

As Such the Kata is full of various attacks that are straight forward Punches with tension applied for proper effect, with smashing attacks like Elbow Strikes (which also double as entering head guards), upward smashing attacks (Jodan Uke) and downward dislocations/breaks (Gedan Barai), Mid-level manipulations (Chudan Uke) in set up for a nicely placed Heel-kick to the knee (or there-abouts) of the lead (or rear) leg of the opponent BEFORE delivering the Elbow. 

At the beginning is that coil/uncoil, the delivery is very different depending on the blow. Punches are meant to act upon the water aspect of the body, causing Hydrostatic Shock and recoil in the opponent, thus the slight and quick tension on the end, Elbow Strikes are meant to Smash... I am sure you get the idea. 

Seipai is a very different Kata in its' characteristics, its' Nature is not quite so direct and aggressive, although no less effective. 

It plays more on the coil/uncoil element throughout with A LOT of circular movements and linear movements that play off the circular (similar to Gekesai in that respect, but quite different at the same time).

The beginning coils up and drops down with a caption and strike/lock on the arm/neck area following through with a Shihonage-like/Aikido-like techniqe that leads into a break (when I say Shihonage-like I mean to say it can be applied as such, but can also be applied to the head and would make a lot more sense considering it ends with a drop into Shiko-position).

Lots of coil/uncoil in that movement, then it leads into an interesting sweep-attack with the foot into a weird back-leaning position, one arm up, the other sweeping down, both open-handed. 

It can be a redundancy follow-through from the previous movement as almost an Ashi-Barai where the foot does not leave the ground, one hand pulls back as an anchor while the other sweeps through to take down. 

In all this, the main point I always come back to is the Hara.... My Sensei used to say to pretend I had no arms and that all movements are connected directy to the Hara.

These things are far less effective without a thorough understand of how the Hara is applied in each, how it moves, raises, sinks, spins around the axis, ect. 

I once watched a video of a Karteka against an Aikidoka and they used some sort of computer program to trace the movements of their center through Shihonage. 

The Karateka tended to rely more on his strength and his Hara stayed on a straight line, almost unused, while the Aikidoka did not have brute strength to rely on and utilized a linear movement combined with a well-timed drop of his Hara to apply the technique. 

There was a HUGE difference in the movement and it says a lot about the state of Karate today... Many need to go back to the floor and REALLY look at what they are doing with their Hara, take some lessons from Aikido and Judo. 

In the end there are really only a couple of things to master... A few techniques and how to move from your Center... 

You do not need style to do this, you do not really need anything but a few movements and you can go from there. 

Seipai and Gekesai are just fancy ways to go about it... Really my goal is to simplify and shorten so that the focus is only on a couple of things. 

Listening to Seipai.

This morning was spent on some basics... Jodan, Chudan, and Gedan Uke with an emphasis on exploding from the core with proper alignment, coordination, and mechanics.
The point is not in the technique utilized, but what underlies the technique that cannot necessarily be seen or easily explained.
Technique, for me, refers to these underlying principles as stated in previous posts, what looks to be a Chudan Uke is only meant to draw attention to something happening at the mid level, some kind of reception of energy and the proper muscle groups/alignment principles to train for that specific kind of reception of energy.
Take the above and change the word to Jodan, or even Gedan, or change it entirely and apply Uchi or Tsuki, which often seems to confuse and limit the possibilities and potentials actually inherent in those specific flows.

My basics work tends to be drawn directly from Kata so there is more going on than just standing in place counting in Japanese with endless reps of Jodan, Chudan, or Gedan, nor am I simply marching up and down a floor doing Oi Tsuki or Gyaku Tsuki... Granted I do practice these things, but not as often.
The rest of the time was spent breaking down Seipai and really looking at the whole body... Breaking down, starting with the feet I directed my attention to the motion rather than static stances and postures, moving from the center and checking out the principles of timing in shifting of the weight and utilization of hands, ect.
Moving from the center first with emphasis on this, especially, as the primary aspect of each movement with proper application of Gamaku, or core muscles (rather than just Koshi/Hara) with culmination in Chinkuchi, or suddenly/brief tension, before moving to the next flow.

Not really sure how to word any of this that interests the reader or gives a proper mental illustration of the principles in action, for myself, and it will likely be different for everyone due to small nuances in each Karateka, but it is always good to have a starting point.
My Sensei used to point out the angles of the Kata as important, and we would train these a lot, but it was not until later than I began to think that maybe it was not the angle itself he was drawing my attention to, but training proper weight shifting technique and really keeping mind in the center for good 'weight under side' in the movement, or what the Okinawans called Muchimi.
He did not really over explain a lot and left quite a bit for me to figure out on my own, but I do believe that was the point...

Working on portion of Kata got me thinking more about the foot sliding in as an attack, a throw or takedown similar to what people might call a 'Russian Leg Sweep,' which gives an idea on what portions of the body are playing a role there-in.
The Leg Sweep idea is not as important as the mechanics to which it points, it could be a Leg Sweep, it could be something else entirely, depending on the imagination and inclination of the Karateka, which is how it should be.
Yes, I do believe there are proper applications, but these are only to be found in the mechanics, which allude to the proper application by way of Physics, you can only do so many things along certain lines... So naturally the applications ARE finite and are NOT only limited by the imagination, but there are possibilities.

It was a very good workout that yielded a lot of insight. Next Sunday Katasse Sensei and I are supposed to start training Aikido on a regular basis again, so this should add even more insight to everything else.