Kusotare

Definitely, he was a very special martial artist.

I'd say they were always worth buying, if you can get hold of them. There really isn't that many decent publications / productions on Wado full stop, so I would try to get hold of whatever's out there. As well as Ohgami's books have you considered Roberto Danubios books and DVDs. They are more recent productions and to a very high standard. Regards K.

You are welcome, but believe me, compared many others, I know next to nothing on the subject! K.

Just to be clear, I wasn't trying to suggest that the teaching of Koryu schools was a public affair, far from it. They were actually quite secretive, with members often having to take a keppan or blood oath swearing never to divulge the teachings to anyone (amongst other things). The mokuroku or catalogue of techniques was kept very secret and often in code - known only to members of the ryuha! All this was there to support the transmission of the tradition from master to student on a perpetual basis. This was quite different to the ways of the okinawan traditions. K.

I’ve heard it suggested before that Goju-ryu is considered to be a “Koryu” by some, but I think this is somewhat tenuous. Not trying diminish the provenance of such schools, but their raison d’être is different from that of the martial Ryu-ha of feudal Japan. Application aside, it is my understanding that in order to qualify as a registered “koryu” (although opinions differ), there needs to be recorded history clearly denoting the transmission of the tradition (from one teacher to another etc.) that originates back to prior to the Meiji restoration. Essentially it comes down to formal records of names, techniques and a structured syllabus that can be evidenced. As I understand it, karate was taught and transmitted in a much more informal way in Okinawa. The above said it doesn’t detract from the art at all. K.

I've had good and bad experiences with both Japanese and Western instructors alike. To an extent, if you were planning on training in a Koryu , I could understand your reasoning (however my Koryu teacher is British so that doesn’t hold much water for me either). Karate is however a gendai art that is practiced globally by the good, the bad and downright awful and Japan is no exception. You say you want to train with a Japanese sensei... Are you bothered what grade he is or what his teaching qualifications are? If you work from home and you are flexible, have you considered moving to Japan to get the full experience? I'm not suggesting you are one of these folk, but I know a lot of people that train with Japanese sensei just for the kudos! K.

As you say, it depends what context you are using it in. In kihon, we tend to practice it with the foot straightened (toes curled under) making contact with the top of the foot. This is probably because it is an effective way in Shiai kumite as it increases reach and is relatively safe. Although this method carries some merit in a SD situation, again, depending on what you are trying to do and where you are trying to hit etc. a kick with the ball of foot (foot at 90 deg to shin) could be more appropriate. Another area of importance is the very base of the shin/top of the ankle joint. This is often the preference for full contact fighters as it is a happy blend of the two. But ultimately yes, the technique behind the kick must be good, and your choice of foot position has to minimise the risk of damage to yourself. K.

I don’t think that by training with a Japanese instructor I will narrowing down my field at all. I think that I will expand it! What brilliant opportunities are you talking about? The chance to train with instructors who may be able to offer you more than their Japanese counterparts. Don't automatically assume that being Japanese makes them the best instructors. Also consider the following: Is the style the Japnese instructor that you find the best for you? Just because the instructor fits your desires the art may not. Will the Japnese instructor be able to dedicate as much of his time to you (bearing in mind they can be in high demand seminar wise)? Are you happy trading off with things like frequency of training and travelling distances/times. These can often cause problems that can derail your training in the long term. K.

Why Japanese instructor specifically? By narrowing down your field that way you could miss many brilliant opportunities. K.

This guys grasp of special needs education was interesting to say the least! Sure, it was an impassioned speech (if that's what floats your boat), but most of the content was factually incorrect. Show that to any trained educator (with proper qualifications in the subject) and they will most probably laugh! Like my wife just did, who is a specialist senior teacher in an autistic and special learning needs school. In fact she watched it laughed and said "is this another one of those Master Ken skits" Sorry to disappoint. K.

Nice find Shorikid! I think McCarthy's hypothesis is entirely reasonable in this respect. K.

On the surface yes. Underneath.... not really. As others have suggested, it depends on what "type" of fighting he wanted to learn. They are very different and require quite different skill sets. K.

There's a reason why dojo masters of old used to advocate training in other styles / schools. We all pretty much learn by rote (even if we think we don't) and sometimes it takes a look from a different perspective to make that penny drop. K.

I'll be honest, the cynic in me thinks that it's just another belt to charge money for. But than I'm old - and grumpy k.

Indeed... the "do" or way in Karate-do is the key K.

Well, that's what "ryu" do. I wrote about this before. The important thing is that the core principles remain intact! Kata is only a way to transmit this. Kata doesn't = style / school. K.

In this respect, aren't we are talking about different styles interpretation of the kata rather than the definition/etymology of the word? K.

Sorry, some more musing... The western mind is such that we like set measurements, defined shapes and definitions (quantitative data) in order to help us understand and internalise techniques. Traditionally however, Japanese martial arts are taught/learnt by observing and doing from a qualitative perspective. Ask a Japanese instructor how wide a stance is or what is the foot position and chances are, he will demonstrate it in front of you and say – “like this”. What he is saying is observe and copy (and if necessary I will correct) rather than “it is a shin and two fists wide with feet turned out at 45 degrees” Don’t get me wrong, I understand why we utilise data and names/descriptions assigned to techniques, but at the end of the day, they are only aids to learn the way our instructor wants us to move, but ultimately they are never "set"! K.

But... at the end of the day what one dojo calls Kiba-dachi another will call Shiko-dachi. It's really down to the instructor to define exactly what it means (within the context of the martial art you are practicing). That's the nature of Japanese martial arts - it's not unique to Karate either. But I quite like these differences - it goes to show that Karate is an organic process. K.

Indeed, the feet alignment is there to facilitate body movement, posture and positioning. The kanji for Shiko 四股 can be read literally as "four, thighs", however in the context of Karate, it is more likely the name derives from the "Shiko" ritual. 四股 in this respect is the "irregular reading" that refers to the professional name of a Sumo wrestler. Kiba dachi 騎馬立 literally means "horse riders" stance. I see the difference in the direction of the feet and the amount of bend in the knees. Think of a horseman with his feet is the stirrups. He would not ride with his feet flared out at 45 degrees and his legs bent at the knees to the same extent as in a Sumo's stance. Jigo-Tai 自護体 literally means defensive body posture. I hope that helps. K.

You are correct. Funakoshi Gichin adjusted the nomenclature of the pinan kata reversing Nidan and Shodan. K.

Nice thread Credo-te. It’s good to see variations on a theme, but generally, we are all talking about the same thing. I like the way you and others have shown the foot positions but of course, the position of your feet is determined by the stance your body is in – not the other way around (Tachi - meaning to stand etc). Understanding some the origins of the stance names can also be useful. For example Shiko-dachi (Sumo stance) is named after the ritual exercise two Sumo wrestlers do at the beginning of each bout. This ritual is called “Shiko” and when you watch the guys do it you can understand it application to Karate Tachikata. K.

Wado-ryu for me all the way! It's not so much about what your hands and legs are doing - its a study of core principles that, in themselves, come from old schools japanese jujutsu and are uba cool. Wado is multi layered and will keep you thinking and developing until the day you die! It's why it is often referred to as the thinking mans Karate! K.

Amen to that Bob. As with most things in life, it's about achieving a good balance. K.

So, you’ve been born – you didn’t have any say in that! Get your head down and forge through life as best you can. Procreate. Then you have done your job – so you can die!!! The trick is however - to have as much fun on the journey as you can .  K.