MatsuShinshii

In looking at the different arts (Okinawan and Japanese) you will find that some study many (possibly too many) and some study a few. History tells us that one Kata (Hsing) was the culmination of a total art. It also teaches us that some of the founders and pioneers only studied a few Kata through their life time and others studied one Kata for anywhere from 5 to 7 years before moving on to the next Kata. Others studied one for a life time. On the other hand there are arts that started out with a few, and have through the years, built up to a staggering amount of Kata. So what is your opinion? Is it better to know a lot of different Kata or study a few and know them well?

My mother and grandmother are/were highly superstitious. I on the other hand have never been and in fact would push the boundaries of their superstitions to prove they had no basis in reality. Yes I was a rotten kid, but it taught me to not fear the things that made no sense to fear. Oh, and nothing adverse ever happened to me. Actually now that I am much older it kinda gives me a chuckle thinking about all those superstitions.

I don't think of my art as a game and as such I don't play games when teaching it. As far as gamesmanship in the arts goes, this is another way of saying lets play fair, where as I see no reason to play fair when it comes to combat.

Imagination can be a good thing. I read a quote some years back that was very true concerning looking outside the box when studying the Kata and it's other possible meanings. Practical applications if you will. The quote went something like - Instructors, bring years of knowledge and skill that have been taught to them and therefore sometimes tend to wear blinders and not see other ways. A beginner brings nothing but their imagination and can often see what the experienced can not. I have experienced this throughout the years of teaching students. Most would not admit to this due to ego and position but for me I have learned much from my students. There are things that I would never have thought of. My Shinshii has said the same. So imagination can be a good thing. Having said that too much imagination and not enough reality is a disaster waiting to happen. Most of us live in the real world and as such can identify the truth. Those that live in the imagination world seldom find the truth. I figured I'd drop a little Zen vibe on you guys today.

This is what I reference it to. I've also been told the off-hand pulls back for the "equal and opposite reaction" aspect of the technique, which I heard more now that it perhaps isn't that applicable in that sense. I have heard this through the years as well. My personal thoughts are it is not needed as the rest of the body generates the power. Hip rotation is the major factor as well as rooting the feet. Pulling the "chambered" hand does nothing IMHO to assist in the generation of power. If you leave it up or down and execute the proper body mechanics no power is lost. Again just my personal opinion and I understand it's not a popular one on this subject. We utilize the Fichidi (Hikite) along with the Kosa as one fluid action to brush/deflect the attackers arm and seize and pull it back while striking with the other arm. It may not be popular but this is what I have been taught and it's what I teach. Other arts I have dabbled in tell us the Kosa is merely there so you have some protection if you do not get your blocking arm up in time to block the strike. Everyone has their methods and rationale for what they do or for doing something a specific way. There is no wrong or right you just do what works best for you and what makes the most sense. I have also heard that the chambered hand is in actuality an elbow to an attacker behind you. I have heard many theories of what something represents. If you start talking about applications and what the meaning of a posture or specific move within the Kata represents with 10 instructors it's very likely you will get 10 different opinions. Who's to say who's right. If it works for you then it's right. That's my 2 cents.

Calm by nature and explosive if needed.

Self discovery. Because I discover something I didn't know about the art or about myself every year. I've been studying the arts for 41 years and my chosen art for 35+ of those years. I see no reason to stop now.

One of my all time favorites. It relates to not only war but also business and every day interactions with people. Awesome read.

Great book, great strategies.

That's awesome. Love the humor!

Very true and you are correct. I just meant that what we call ground fighting and what most now days calls ground fighting are two different things. It's the focus and goal of the technique that I speak of when I say terminology.

You are referring to what the Japanese call Hikite and the Okinawans call Fichidi. We would call it the pulling hand. The so called chambered hand is used to pull the opponent or control the opponent. Most think this is only to balance the body when striking, however the hand/arm is not stagnant. It is used to pull or control the opponent so that you can effect a finishing strike. Is this what you are referring to?

Great point. I agree.

That is awesome. Hope you have fun.

Welcome to KF!

The Japanese and Koreans focus is on building their organizations IMHO. The more students the better. Not all but the vast majority. Besides a few, most Okinawan and Chinese schools that I have trained at are small in comparison to Japanese and Korean schools. They tend to like smaller number of students and more direct contact with their students. Again not in all cases but in most. The organization (if you can call it that) that I belong to had less than 500 students in all of the states our instructors are in before it broke up. What is left is less than 400. My Shinshii never taught more than 10 students at a time. It's more personal. This is their way. I personally prefer the one on one experience of teaching or learning. My mother always said if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all. I have nothing good to say so... No one is a student of the founder of traditional arts. They are all long gone. As far as them being a student of the arts hierarchy - it's a possibility but not a certainty. This is true. Finding an organization does not guaranty quality, knowledge or skill. In fact I'd rather learn from a true practitioner of the arts with no ties to an organization than most of the so called legitimate organizations out there. Do a google search and you can find huge organizations that claim lineage to the founder but their instructors couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag. They claim huge number of students. This is great but does not guaranty that the instruction is good but there are a lot of students that fell pray to con artists. Just because you belong to an organization does not mean your getting taught anything of value. There are benefits and draw backs to belonging to an organization. The benefits are legitimacy, access to things you can't get with an individual, etc, etc. The down falls are politics. IMHO the biggest issue are those that gain power and position and make changes not consistent with the founders ideals . There are 1000's of reasons to belong as well as there are just as many reasons not to belong. It really comes down to the individual and what their needs are. I personally find no real reason for or against. I think its a balance of good with bad.

I guess if you're speaking of competition.

Well said. I never put two and two together but you're right. I do this all the time.

I am sure there are other ways in which you can extend your respect. And I understand what you are referring to as far as being forced as it sometimes feels that way in some schools. We bow at the door, to the instructor and to the founders before class begins and after class ends. There is no excessive bowing (in fact none) during class. If Shinshii calls upon you to demonstrate something you do not bow and neither does he. However we are quite informal in our approach to teaching. Some schools I have been too bow before and after every thing they do. This to me is taking it way too far. Again I think this plays into ego or what you are referring to as the God complex. This reflects on the instructor or what they learned from their instructor. Me personally, I find no reason to bow every time you do something in class. I expect students to train not bow every time they move or transition to a new exercise. I actually get no satisfaction from my students bowing to me. I get what you are saying. Bowing being a foreign practice it would be better suited for Americans to have their own customs. However this is an intricate part of the arts (really most arts). Not sure how you totally do away with it. Let me know what you come up with.

Yes it is to a point. This is in some instructors cases, a reason to slow down, slack off and take it easy. However just because you don't take a test doesn't mean there are not requirements to meet. Teaching, contributions to the art (could be anything from producing high quality instructors to research to writing articles to sitting on the board, etc.), etc. The grade is not given without the board feeling that you are deserving of it. It used to be that Shinshii would determine these grades personally. There were a lot fewer slackers back then. All curriculum is learned and tested for by Rokudan. Some like me continue to study the art further but others, like I said, use this as a permission to slack off.

As with most things time is subjective. The part that always bothers me about claims of time to proficiency is that the student is the factor and only factor that dictates this. If your naturally athletic, have a high IQ, and can memorize and learn very fast then your time will be much quicker than the average person. Of course then you have to define proficient. Does this mean that you can hold your own against an average thug or does it mean you can step to a trained fighter and hold your own? Time and proficiency is dependent upon the student. There are some arts that take a life time and others that take years. It really all depends on what you wish to get out of it and accomplish. Oh and there is one more factor - what they are teaching? I have watched and also taken "self defense" classes and these are subjective as well. In fact I do not think some actually qualify as teaching actual techniques that could be used against a live person and are basically a waste time. Inn this example I thing a minute and you've learned everything you need to from that instructor.

That is great news. Congrats!

I think it's just a difference in terminology or the definition of the terminology. But to your point, yes it's a strategy thing more so than a technique thing.

There is no minimum time in grade for us. You must meet skill and knowledge requirements before being considered to test. Once the instructor feels they have met these requirements and is ready to test they will inform the student. Unlike the Mudansha gradings where the instructor already knows they have passed, the Yudansha grading's are in front of a panel and the instructor does not have a say in whether their student passes. Our Shodan and Sandan grading's are the hardest tests to pass so an Ikkyu will take the time they feel they need to prepare before telling their instructor they feel they are ready. There is no guarantee that the student will pass these tests. Its not up to the instructor but rather up to his instructor and other Kodansha that make up the testing board. Yes and no. Some testing board members will use a tally sheet and others do not and base it on what they feel qualifies for that grade. Yes. The student must research and write an essay prior to testing and must meet before the testing board to answer questions prior to the skills portion of the test. The test can take up to 3 days depending on the student and their endurance level and how many breaks they require. To say the least it is a grueling ordeal. And again there are no guarantees. About 40% of the students that attempt the test for the first time do not pass. As far as Nidan, Yondan to Rokudan - the test is a 6 to 8 hour day and not as demanding. Nanadan and above do not have formal grading's. Mudansha grading's like I said are not so much to determine if the student deserves the grade, as the instructor has already determined that they have. It's more about the student gutting it out and getting through it so they feel a sense of accomplishment and more important so they prove to themselves that they earned it.

I agree with you Sensei8 and on the other hand I also slightly disagree. Yes credible lineage is important but you have that lineage whether you belong or go out on your own. You are a product of your teachers and theirs before them. This can not be revoked by an entity. History as they say can not be erased if there is documented proof of it. It happened and as long as you can prove it, no organization can make it un-happen. And therefore lineage is credible whether they wish it to be or not. Other than that distinction I agree with you.