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There are 6 sai kata in the system. Each one developing upon the last (not a collection of various Sai); each of the first five being named by levels of Ryukyu police officers (Chiku [think like Fukyugata kata], Saji, Chikusaji, Wakichiku, and Ufuchiku). Over time Chikusaji and Wakichiku had other various names. From what is passed down in our tradition, Kanagusuku Sanda Ufuchiku did not have kata, just waza. One of his senior students, Tokashiki Saburo, developed the Ufuchiku and Wakichiku kata from the most commonly used of Kanagusuku waza. His student was Kaishu Isa, my teacher, and Tokashiki and Isa developed Chikusaji (Kiichi Nakamoto learned it from Isa Sensei in the 1980’s and calls it by the old name, Tokashiki no Sai). Isa later made two more “stepping kata” Chiku and Saji Sai. There is another advanced kata that uses more relaxed Ti based movements with a single sai called Tiichi (Okinawan for “1”) Sai. Although we have always trained partner drills from the kata, lately Isa Senseo has focused more on heavily combination and partner work from Tiichi Sai. I just wrote a huge FB post on this very subject. Kina Shosei trained saijutsu with Kanagusuku Sensei but had previous training with family and neighbors (and maybe even Yabu Kentsu and Hanashiro Chomo) and he developed Sai I, which later was called Ufuchiku no Sai or Hanagusuku no Sai by others in Matsubayashi as Kyan Shinyei was Kina’s student and taught those kata. Kyan taught those directly to the Shima-ha Matsubayashi group like Oshiro and Nishime Sensei so they call it Kyan no Sai. This kata contains a few Kanagusuku Sai waza but a lot from his previous Sai training (Kina that is). The second Sai kata; known as Sai II by Kyan and Kina, became known as Kyan no Sai by others because Kyan often performed it in demos while Kina performed his Sai I. However, not sure why, Nishime Sensei refers to this as Nakandakari no Sai. Looking more into that second Sai kata, it is an adaptation of Nakamura Shigeru’s Nakamura no Sai which was adapted from the first Sai kata of the Nakaima family of Ryuei-ryu which Nakamura’s teacher Sakiyama or Nakamura himself learned from the Nakaima family. Not sure how or why Kyan Shinyei used that kata, but Fusei Kise of Matsumura Seito also had an adaptation of the same kata. Of note, Toma Shian of Seidokan must have learned the kata from Kyan Shinyei because his version is almost identical to Kyan’s and Kyan is older and was already training/performing that version. It is known as Toma no Sai in Seidokan. Neither the Sai I or Sai II of Kina and Kyan Shinyei are trained or taught in Isa Kaishu’s Ufuchiku-Den kobudo as they are not from Tokashiki Sensei and use different shouts methods. Both, mostly armed but we also use in our karamiti (Ryukyu Ti) against unarmed to apply locks and joint manipulation. Now, I want to point out that there are 4 distinct groups using the term Ufuchiku kobudo. 1. Kyan Shinyei to Matsubayashi. Kyan Sensei knew saijutsu from Kina Shosei but his Bojutsu was Yamanni-Ryu from Oshiro Chojo, a student of Chinen Sanda, and Izumikawa Kankoof Yamanni-Ryu so his kobudo is from various lines. 2. Kina Masanobu, Kina Shosei’s nephew, and head of Reigokan dojo. Robert Teller’s teacher. He also trained karate and sai with Kina, and he trained Yamanni-ryu Bojutsu with Izumikawa, Kama with Irei Sensei, and nunchaku from men in his village (Shimabuku village of kitanagusuku). So his kobudo is a mixture of lineages with only saijutsu from Kina. 3. Nakamoto Kiichi of the OkinawaKan. He was a direct student of Kina Shosei and later in 1980’s also trained done with Isa Sensei. He would later be VP of Kyan Shinyei’d kobudo group and took it over after Kyan’s death. It also has Taira-ha Ryukyu Kobudo and Matayoshi Kobudo kata in their curriculum. A mixture of Kobudo lineages. 4. Isa Kaishu, karate student of Kina Shosei in Shorin-Ryu and successor to Tokashiki Saburo, a senior student of Kanagusuku Sanda who learned multiple weapons over many years from Kanagusuku as well as a form of Ti, we call karamiti. He is the actual Sandai (3rd) Soke of Ufuchiku-Den Ryukyu Kobujutsu awarded in a public ceremony in the 1970’s and awarded Menkyo Kaiden listing all the weapons mastered. All the teacher listed above are/were excellent karate and kobudo masters with a strong tradition and effective techniques. I am simply trying to point out facts that are often overlooked.

Congrats, @camotheman; well deserved!!

I keep the NHL tab open nonstop, but during slower hockey nights I like checking football action too, so I usually visit the official website of RubiScore to peek at live scores and stats. It scratches the itch for fast updates the same way hockey does, especially with those instant match alerts. It’s a fun way to stay plugged into another sport without missing any NHL talk.

Hey all! I’m looking to buy a new Gi, what are some of your favorites that you’ve used over the years? I’d really like a heavyweight gi that can take some abuse. Preferably cotton, but I’d be open to some sort of blend. I’ve looked at Shureido, but I wanted to get your input before I made a decision. Thanks!

Thank you @Patrick @KarateKen! I’m very happy to be here!

Well done

Hey all, Thank you for visiting KarateForums.com. We recognize one member every month as the KarateForums.com Member of the Month for their positive contributions to this community. Our honoree this time, during our 25th birthday celebration, is... @camotheman! Beginning in 2004, this marks the 256th time that we have selected a Member of the Month, and the 192nd individual member that has been honored. camotheman, it has been great to see you become more active this year, and I've enjoyed reading your contributions. Thank you for being a part of our community. Patrick

What a banger of a game to start the series. Carolina scores 25 seconds into the game, first shot of the series is a goal, and then they add another one to go up 2-0. However, Vegas did what they have done all post season, they got better as the game went on. They got the next three goals, then Carolina scored to tie it at 3-3. Back and forth all night. IT was 4-3 Vegas, then Carolina tied it after an icing call that Vegas was furious about. The game winner was by Hertle and Vegas wins the first game, doing it in comeback fashion on the road. If this game is a sample of what this entire series will be, it will be a wild SCF. Game two is on Thursday and even though puck drops in under 48 hours, that feels like a long time from now!

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup goes to my Knights with a final score of 5-4 on Hurricane ice!! WHAT A GAME!! GO KNIGHTS!!

With game 1 tonight I decided to dive back into one of my favorite topics...ticket prices. The upper deck seats for tonight's game start at 789 dollars each. When it shifts back to Vegas it doesn't get much better, with upper deck seats for game three starting at 702 dollars per ticket. Tickets that go on the resale market will be higher, and tickets sometimes get more expensive as the series goes on, so the same seat that is 789 dollars for game one could be well over 1,000 dollars for game 7. The most expensive seats, you ask? Tickets close to the ice in Raleigh were on marketplace still for over 2,475 a ticket, and 3,300 dollars a ticket in Las Vegas. However, a local news outlet in North Carolina found a single ticket priced at r 17,418 dollars. Note that these are the prices of tickets that were still on the market. It is possible that cheaper or more expensive tickets were available at one time and already have been sold.

That Myles Garrett trade was quite the deal. They are all-in on this year. Hard telling how much longer Stafford will play, but he is playing at a high level. The only thing that is concerning is that both him and other teams are only looking at him in one, possibly two year windows, which isn't great for franchises that are trying to build beyond that. It will be interesting to see if his level of play tails off this year, or if he keeps going. I didn't see anything to make me think he's going to tail off in production, but father time does funny things to people. Wasn't shocked at all about the AJ Brown deal. The Patriots made a great run last year, playing a historically weak schedule, though, and this year will be different. We'll see if they can repeat a modicum of last year's success, and if Brown can play half a season before becoming pouty.

Suppose I should check this one out.

6/1/2026 Strength Training Leg Press: 245x10, 285x10, 305x10, 305x10, 305x10. Press: 45x5x2, 85x5, 105x5, 105x5, 105x5. Lat Pull-downs: 127.5x10, 127.5x10, 127.5x10.

Yes, if I wanted to go to the swimming pool. I don't enjoy doing so all that much anymore. But I agree that it is beneficial.

When I'm teaching DT, I'm big on making sure they keep pressing forward or at angles, and don't back up. Backing up is when we step off curbs, out into traffic, or backwards into a ditch. Falling down into the ditch is the best of these scenarios; stepping backwards into traffic is the worst. Neither are good. So I'm constantly making sure they keep pressing and not retreating.

This is the last of my series’s on key factors about Shindokan: 1) We never block an attack 2) We want to get behind our attacker 3) We want to be very close to our attacker 4) We don’t back up So far, and in no particular order, I’ve briefly discussed key factor #1; We never block an attack, and key factor #2; We want to get behind our attacker, and key factor #3; We want to be very close to our attacker. Today, I’d like to briefly discuss Shindokan key factor #4; bold typed above: We don’t back up. Why?!? To maintain balance and control. If I had eyes in the back of my head, then we’d have no problem with going backwards. There’s far more places that one can go other than backwards. Sure, backwards is option, however, it’s only as a last option. There’s avenues of transition that present themselves that allow me to get behind my attacker, and if not immediate, I can get us close until I can get behind my attacker. Backing up can create unwanted space for your attacker to exploit. We all have seen at tournaments during Kumite the endless amount of practitioners that do backup, ending out of bounds. Only reason I can think of why that’s their only option is because they’ve not matured in their techniques. Sure, I’ve also seen practitioners back up just enough to draw their opponent in for a turn around roundhouse kick, for example, or some other devious move. Nonetheless, the former is often chosen as a safe haven. Backing up compromises your balance which make it easier to for your attacker to either attack or counter you.Remaining grounded increases your stability and readiness for an effective response. Backing up can send signals of you being uncomfortable in an uncertain situation which can cause your attacker to press their agenda making you even more uncomfortable. Be proactive and stand your ground or sidestep or pivot. You’re a MAist, and I’m more than sure that your style teaches you to be effective in your lateral movements, which helps you in your agility, adaptability, and ability to deal with situations. Forced Corner: One drill that I teach, more than any other training drill, to my students, which is very effectively useful. Initially, I put them in a corner, instructing them to get out of the corner, by any effective means. Inadvertently, the students only reaction is to try to escape by retreating backwards. At first, the corner is about 10 feet behind them. Then, my attack begins in a blitzing fashion. But of course, the student backs up immediately, of which, I’m already upon her/him. At each retreat, I move them closer to the corner. I repeatedly attack them in a blitzing attack over and over , and as before, I’m upon her/him again. Again and again. By now, the student’s back is at the dreaded corner; there’s no escaping from me but by transitioning away through any effective angle away from me. I’ve closed the back door and the only way out of that corner is through or around me. Backing-up is no longer an option for them. Before the student even knows it, they’re getting out of the corner and getting behind me without backing up. I’m not saying that one will never ever back up ever again because things happen where you need to back up. Just minimize your backing up to the best of your ability. Maintain your ground and control distance. Remain Aware of your surroundings: Being astute as to your environment helps prevent unwanted retreats. If you know what’s behind you, you can avoid backing into things. Topographic conscious is a constant force that you can’t control because you didn’t have anything to do with whatever Mother Nature created. Uneven ground, roots, holes, branches, trees, bushes, rocks, and whatever else Mother Nature threw on the ground to make your fight one main pain in the you know where. Practice Forward Movement: Baking up is a bad habit if that’s all one can do. The more one practices a bad habit, backing up in this case, the harder the bad habit will be to break because the bad habit becomes part of ones muscle memory. Concentrate on drills that emphasize stepping forward instead of retreating. Sparring can focus on this concept without the full pressure of a full fight. Ever played Green Light, Red Light?? Don’t laugh. That simple child’s game teaching forward movement in a very proactive way. This too strengthens muscle memory. Control The Distance: Use protective stances to manage the space between you and your attacker. This helps you to stay grounded and ready to counter. Kiba-dachi, horse stance, is a very protective stance. So much so, that MAists world wide use kiba-dachi far more than any other stance. Stay Calm and Confident: Nerves get everyone from time to time. How one can control them makes the difference between life and death. Scattered nerves can lead to instinctive back up, like one sees at the dojo and tournaments. When that happens, one can find it difficult to reel calmness and confidence back in. To stay calm during a fight, BREATHE. Control your breath, confidence returns. When you’re not calm, you tend to choose to fight-or-flight. That’s why I prefer to utilize resistance training because you need to experience the pressure of what a real fight might be. That’s why I love to do blitzing drills where that pressure is right there immediately, and before you know it, the student is angling away. Drills can help to overcome the tendency of excessive backing up. Always move forward to your opponent’s center, not away from it. It’s best to have your attacker backup. IF you have to back up, don’t back up straight back; work the angles. Should you retreat, throw something, like a knee, as your advancing; never flight away without striking. Control the distance and push your attacker back as you’re advancing. Some Drills That Might Help: PRESSURING > >Get in a stance, of your choice >Shadow-sparring while advancing FORWARD, DO NOT BACK UP >Add lateral steps as though you’re circling your attacker >5 minutes rounds…keep your hands up while moving FORWARD ANGLES> >Have a partner stand opposite you >You step FORWARD AND TO THE SIDE (at an angle) instead of retreating backwards >After 2-3 steps, cut the angles once again >Work on punching and kicking or whatever as you move in In closing, backing up is a natural thing for anyone and because of that it’s a habit. Habits that are counterproductive can be difficult to break, but doable. Let me freak you out…Not all backing up is bad. Whenever possible, I love to back up a step or two in order to draw my attacker in for my counterattack. If my attacker doesn’t show me that they’d not be willing to come to me, then I will not try to bait them. Back up, go ahead, I’ll eat you up quicker than you can say…WHOA…so will your attacker!!

I've always enjoyed your contributions here at KF, @Revario. You're right, rank's not important and I respect your attitude towards rank. I too love the Ninja Turtles. Thank you for the interview.

Naka, to me, is always solid on the floor.

Always fun to see the stats after a long stretch of time!

I really like Tatsuya Naka, his videos with kuro-obi world on Youtube are always entertaining.

Thank you for being a part of our community and for sharing with us, @Revario. It's great to get to know you better through this interview.

For our 25th birthday celebration, we're publishing an interview series with members from our community. Member Profile @Revario (View Profile) Joined: February 26, 2023 Posts: 43 Interview Where are you from? I was born in Haiti. Moved to Gatineau, Quebec, Canada before I could walk. Why did you get started in the martial arts? I started at a very young age. To be quite honest, probably to be a Ninja Turtle. I was 4. Why have you continued to practice them? At first, because it gave me what it promised: I became a Ninja Turtle. I did take a break in my teens and came back to a different art than Karate because I wanted to try something new. I didn't like it. Then took another quick break. I was introduced to another art in my early 20s, and I went because of my lifelong interest in martial arts in general. I simply liked what I saw, and its methodology but mostly the teacher. After deep analysis, I came back to Karate in a new and different way. My time away helped me truly understand it. Please briefly describe the styles of martial arts that you have taken. As implied before, I did a few. First was Chito Kan Karate. The teen period was a Kung Fu of what I can only assume now was knowledge of mixed origin, not one specific style. Early 20s, I discovered Krav Maga and came back to Karate but Chito Ryu. What is your grade or level? Not high. Official grade is 2nd kyu. I don't train for belts, however, and my sensei knows this. Hence, I get to learn kata from up to 3rd dan. Only and specifically the ones I have interest in. Again, I don't train for belts and promotion but for skills and understanding of movements for purpose of self-defense. Something @sensei8 said has stuck with me: The proof is on the floor. I understood that one's knowledge, understanding, and application is much more important then level or rank. I do sound bitter when it comes to this topic, as I learn in unorthodox ways and have lots of issues with ranking systems. Do you teach? I try to teach. Specifically offering free lessons and seminars to interested people in my area and to dojo in my community. So far, the interest has been quite limited as I am not good at promoting. What are your first memories from training? I started very young, I was 4 years old, so my first memory is learning the rolls on a gym mat. Not spectacular or anything great, just a very far and muddled memory. What has been the highlight of your training? I would have to say that is the moment when it all clicked and made sense as one. When I was able to see, visualise, and understand that kihon, kata, and kumite are truly one. From there, my approach to Karate took a very sharp turn and remained on that path. What do you do when you're not training? Stimulate my mind via movies, readings, and video games. What do you do for a living? I work in Customer Service. It pays the bill. Who are or were your martial arts heroes? The few that stand out are the ones that I follow the teachings of. In no specific order: Tsuyoshi Chitose, Motobu Choki, Mas Oyama, Yamaguchi Gogen, and, of course, my sensei. What are your favorite martial arts films and/or shows? The Raid series. Gangs of London. I will answer this by saying action directed by Gareth Edwards. He knows how to make an art shine as well as the artist and brings great brutality to his action. I am quite confident anyone who has seen any of his work can confirm, he changed martial art action cinema and what can come out of it. (I think we all secretly would have wanted a Mortal Kombat done in the same fashion as his Raid movies). Where do you see yourself going in your martial arts journey in the next few years? I am quite uncertain to be honest. I would ultimately like to have either an established school or be a travelling teacher giving practical seminars in dojos around America. Do you remember how you found KarateForums.com? Why did you join? Yes, via a simple Google search with those exact words, Karate forum, and it worked. I joined because it was exactly what I was looking for; a community of people into martial arts. People that were not keyboard warriors but true martial artists who had real insight to give with no ego or pretentions. I think people here speak from experience and have nothing to prove to anyone. Such intelligent communities seem to be rare in the midst of all social media. Why did you stay? Despite not having constant updates, pictures, videos and comments like other social media platforms, there is highly educated content and intelligent conversations. How, if at all, have you used KarateForums.com in your classes or training? Inspired by peoples comment and methodologies. Are there any members here who have had a particular influence or impact on you? @Wastelander. Because when I initially had that spark and idea in regards to practical Karate, he is the first person I found online who was doing it seriously. In all honesty, at the time, I didn't know he was involved here or that his handle was Wastelander but his logo was unmistakable. So not necessarily via here or this site but on other media, he has been an inspiration and beacon when it comes to practical Karate. (There may be others who have also inspired me elsewhere that I simply don't recognize their name/handle here). Can you share a memorable moment within the community where you received great advice or an experience that really affected you and your martial arts journey? In one of my most recent interactions, I figured and understood I may not be as alone as I once thought I was on the path I have chosen. It is good to know and understand that (a.) I'm not that special, lol, and (b.) Others have dealt with similar situations, continued, strived and succeeded in their martial arts path. That there is no reason to give in or give up and as hard as it can be to take a route that is not often taken, it is absolutely rewarding and worth it. That is something that has, does, and will continue to affect me forever. Knowing that this place exists, in and of itself, has had a positive impact on my training, not just one piece of advice.

It is an incredible testament to Bob's contributions to our community. Yes, this has happened one other time, as @Zaine was honored with Member of the Year in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Thanks Ken, Bob, and Brian. My pleasure.

If this thread has already been discussed, I apologize. Today, yes today, my wife and I watched Black Belt: Kuro Obi. Here’s my brief opinion. This movie was released in 2007, and directed by Shunichi Nagasaki. No special effects; no flying and the such. The leads in this movie are Tatsuya Naka, a JKA Shotokan 7th Dan and Akihito Yagi, a Meibukan Goju-ryu 7th Dan. Also, Yuji Suzuki, a Kyokushin 1st Dan, co-starred. To me, the leads karate was pure across the board. There were no long drawn out fighting scenes, which was refreshing to see. The lead’s technique’s were right to the point and effective. The last fighting scene at the very end pitted the two leads against each other, but that’s understandable considering of their equal rank; it’s expected to be as I thought. I don’t like to watch MA movie because I don’t watch the movie for the entertainment value because I watch any MA movie as if I’m watching a Testing Cycle, hence way I’ve no watched this movie until now. Some parts of the movie are predictable but when it came to the karate of the two leads, pure true karate and very effective. This movie can be found on Prime. If you’ve watched this movie or will give this movie a try, please let me know what you think!!