Wastelander

Well, the real test is happening all the time, in every class. The official test is really a test of will more than anything. My shodan test took 6 hours, which included a written test, a physical workout with hojo undo equipment and calisthenics, kata performance, kata bunkai, self defense techniques, yakusoku kumite drills, and finally kumite (basically MMA-style) to push you to want to give up. Now, in my previous style, a shodan test was much more involved. First, you had to submit three essays on the history of the style, a biography of an important figure in karate, and a topic of the chief instructor's choosing. Then, you took a very long written test, which takes several hours. Then, the next day, you had to meet physical fitness requirements, which take several hours to get through. Then, the next day is spent relentlessly drilling the people testing on kihon, kata, three types of formal bunkai (being attacked for every move in every kata, verbally explaining the applications for every move in every kata, and "point method" where you use gestures to explain to a partner how to attack you for every move in every kata), kobudo kata, and three types of yakusoku kumite type drills (one type is for power, one is for speed, and one is a combination) done in up to eight directions with partners. The testing panel is incredibly strict during this, and everyone testing generally has to redo every kata and drill several times for minute imperfections. Sparring only happens if they pass the test, and is typical competition point-fighting.

Congratulations!

Haha, yes, we agree with you on that! It is "complete" in the sense that it covers applications for every movement in the kata, but of course, nothing is ever truly "complete" Thanks, Bob!

Thank you very much, Patrick!

Welcome to the forum!

Welcome to the forum!

Welcome to the forum!

Hello everyone, I'm not sure how many folks here practice a version of Wansu, but it was one of the first kata that I ever learned, and I've been playing with it over the years, trying to make it more like the older versions and working out applications. There is a sequence at the end of the kata where you take up an open-handed jodan/gedan posture, like that seen in Seiyunchin, then strike forward with both hands, then turn the body and rotate the hands. In the version of the kata I was originally taught, the hands actually lifted up into a yama-uke before turning. The application I was shown for this was a judo-style kata guruma (shoulder wheel) throw: Since then, I have tweaked my Wansu to be more like the Seibukan/Zentokukai version: I have been surprised to find, over the past several years, that there don't seem to be many other interpretations on this sequence of movements. Pretty much everyone seems to agree that it is intended to be a kata guruma, aside from this application from Angel Lemus Sensei: Certainly, there are verbal (and, if I recall correctly, some written) suggestions that it is intended to be a "shoulder throw," and of course, kata guruma is certainly effective and useful. In researching karate history and kata applications, however, I found a number of techniques--including other "shoulder throws"--that fit the sequence. Specifically, the "single shoulder throw" shown by Itoman Morinobu in his book, The Study of China Hand Techniques, as well as the katawa guruma (cripple wheel) and yari dama (spearing through) throws shown by Funakoshi Gichin in his books. Since my Sensei and I release a weekly technique video, I decided to share a variation of those throws as an application for this sequence, today: I'm curious to see what others think of these variations for this sequence, and what other applications you might have?

I was once told that "lineage only matters in music and martial arts." Of course, the person who told me was a martial arts instructor AND a music teacher . Lineage can be a very handy tool for tracing the history and development of a style over time. It can also be a decent indicator of the quality of the material up to a certain point. For example; we have historical records and first- and second-hand accounts of the skills possessed by masters like Matsumura, Itosu, Chibana, Motobu, etc. This means that we have a decent idea of the quality of material they knew, and would have tried to teach. That doesn't guarantee that the students picked it up very effectively, and that holds true all down the lineage. My sensei is very knowledgeable, with a high level of skill, and teaches effective material, but if I don't internalize it or put in the work, that doesn't help me all that much.

While I like a lot of the material, and the general approach, I'm often not fond of the drills. The intent is good, but I find that the drills require a bit too much "drilling for the sake of the drill." By that, I mean that there is a lot of memorization and practice just to get good at the drill, and the drill itself is too strictly structured for my tastes. That said, my only exposure to KU has been videos and articles online, so I admit that it is entirely possible that I simply don't know enough about it.

Chito-Ryu is a bit of a strange one, because while it is Okinawan in origin, it was heavily influenced by Japanese culture and practices. It really is an Okinawan-Japanese system--not one or the other, but both.

Which direction is this/that?? If I might ask. He is being more open about teaching kata applications, and focusing more on having people perform kata based on application and not aesthetics.

When you teach, do you teach by yourself or do you co-teach with another instructor. Those are classes that I teach by myself. I will assist or co-teach 1-3 more, on average.

I usually teach 3-5 classes a week, although I also assist here and there with some others. Mostly, I teach classes for kids, or all ages.

Nakazato Shugoro Sensei is certainly a 10th degree, and he is 95, so I'm sure that's who your Sensei is talking about, but as Spartacus mentioned, he has largely retired. His son, Nakazato Minoru Sensei, was promoted to 10th degree and has taken over running the organization. So far, we have been quite happy with the direction that he is taking things.

I'm a Shorinkan member, for what it's worth. Shorinkan is an organization that teaches the (Kobayashi) Shorin-Ryu passed down from Chibana Chosin. It isn't really a style, unto itself, although Nakazato Shugoro added a few things to the curriculum.

Haha, yes, of course my instructor is the most influential, to me! Eventually, I'm sure he will be considered one of the most influential people in the martial arts world, generally. Right now, though, our realm of influence is rather small And if your realm of influence remains rather small, for whatever the reasons(s) might or might not be, will you all continue on your journey, nonetheless?? The reach of my instructor's influence isn't the reason I train with him . Of course, an expanded influence would mean more opportunities for him, and for me, but neither of us will stop training if it doesn't grow.

Haha, yes, of course my instructor is the most influential, to me! Eventually, I'm sure he will be considered one of the most influential people in the martial arts world, generally. Right now, though, our realm of influence is rather small

There are really too many to name, considering how many arts are out there. Iain Abernethy and Patrick McCarthy, certainly, are among the most influential people in the karate world, right now. I would also say that Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming should be included when looking at Chinese arts. Maul Mornie takes that role for the Silat world, I believe. Buakaw Banchamek and Tony Jaa in the world of Muay Thai/Boran. Hakuho in sumo. Ronda Rousey in MMA. Etc. I appreciate the vote of confidence, Nidan Melbourne! I would hardly consider myself to be influential, though!

We have a section of a wall covered with mirrors, and they definitely have their benefits! That said, they can also be a distraction, particularly to younger students. I honestly wonder if it wouldn't be better to have the mirrors covered the majority of the time, and only uncover them for specific times to have the students check their form. When they can see the mirrors all the time, they can often be caught watching themselves just for entertainment, or perhaps narcissism.

Having followed Jesse early on, I think that his success was largely due to his charisma and humor. Prior to his blog blowing up, he was really just a dedicated karateka with a good competition record and a family history in the martial arts. It was his humorous, down-to-earth writing style that got people's attention in the beginning. Once his material started being shared, he just had to follow marketing templates from any number of companies that make their money by advertising to readers. Iain Abernethy is a bit of a different case, in that he built on his teacher's popularity through teaching, rather than writing. Peter Consterdine was already a well-known figure in the UK, when it comes to self defense and karate, and Iain's relationship to Peter helped give him a leg up, locally. He has good material, of course, and a down-to-earth manner that makes him likeable. The more he taught, the more word spread about him, and he was able to put out videos and books for sale, which allowed him to become more well-known worldwide. In my opinion, both of them were able to do what they did because they are in smaller countries. Sweden has only 9.5 million residents, which means that there are likely fewer instructors to compete with. Jesse's parents are both long-time figures in the Swedish martial arts community, so he already had connections to become well-known locally. Once you are well known throughout the community in your country, it's much easier to launch globally. Although the UK is more more populous, with 64 million residents, it is still much smaller than the US, which has nearly 319 million residents. With a population that large, it is going to be difficult to stand out on a national level, which means you are going to have more competition for attention. If you look at it from an international perspective, if you are looking at bringing someone from another country in for a seminar, you are more likely to book a seminar with the top instructor of another country than with the 10th best instructor in that country, right?

There are a lot of implied kicks in kata, but yes, explicit kicks are few and far between. In Shorin-Ryu, as you noted, we mostly only have front kicks and stomps, although my style also has a crescent kick in Passai Dai, and back kicks in Kusanku Dai, and some styles include side kicks. Roundhouse kicks are really the odd man out. Old-school karate really didn't rely too much on kicking, to begin with, unless it was low-line kicks to damage the legs, or kicks to vulnerable targets that were made to be low and open. Roundhouse kicks tend to be attrition techniques, that work best to slow and damage your opponent during a long, drawn-out confrontation. That isn't really what karate was going for. Additionally, you need more distance to use a roundhouse kick. Sure, if you get a good hit to the liver, spleen, solar plexus, or head, you can put them down, with a roundhouse kick, but when you're already engaging at nearly-clinching-range, there isn't much space to throw a roundhouse kick. Kicks to the knees, on the other hand, will work just fine!

Welcome to the forum!

Chito-Ryu is a bit of an odd style, being an amalgam of methods from teachers of different styles, and having kata that were created specifically as expansions by the creator of the style. There are some kata that you will find are similar to Matsubayashi-Ryu, but there is a lot that is different, as well. Here is an example of Chito-Ryu kata:

It's true, I have no clue how available they are. I want to say KI/Mugen has a fairly decent reach in Europe, though. As far as the cut goes, I always take mine to a tailor or seamstress to be hemmed, anyway.