tatsujin

Towards the end of last year, I had the opportunity to "meet" (in the online sense) Sensei LM Vellucci. I had run across him and his Kobukan organization due to my interest in Hakutsuru-ken (白鶴拳) or White Crane Fist. As an Okinawan based martial artist with a couple of decades of Goju-ryu under my belt, this is something that I have been looking into and researching for a while. He has a video product available that I picked up and we then chatted back and forth via email and a few phone conversations. He ended up inviting me to a small gathering or "camp" that he was doing this past weekend. I ended up going and thought I would post about it here. I have been around the martial arts long enough to recognize if someone has any skills or not when I see them move. Certainly Sensei Vellucci did when I saw him on video. But, I have also been around long enough to know that martial artists (especially those of higher ranks) can be self-absorbed jerks. So, to be honest with you, I was sure what to expect when I got there and figured I would just go with the flow so to speak. Immediately after walking into the training room at the hotel, Sensei Vellucci knew it was me. This wasn't a gasshuku (合宿) or training camp like many of you might have been to. It was really more of a get together of students for a little martial fellowship as well as testing/grading within their own organization. It was a much smaller and intimate setting (like 15 to 20 people) and I was actually the only person there that didn't really know the other folks. Immediately, I knew things were going to be alright...Sensei Vellucci greeted me warmly with a smile and a big bear huge. We had a good time and I had alot of fun. On the first day, as some folks were going over their testing materials, I got to go over Naihanchi (ナイハンチ) Shodan with Sensei Vellucci and some really good and practical bunkai. I had the opportunity to add a little to the conversation with regards to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and vital point usage. My contributions were welcome and well received and (for those that don't know), this is not always the case when training with other different (and higher ranked) folks. Due to some scheduling changes, there was some additional time that popped up during the training day on Saturday, so I was very fortunate to be able to give a little instruction myself. Based on some conversations we had the prior day (Friday), I did a very brief introduction to the preliminary qigong exercises of Omoi Te (重い手) or heavy hand (think along the lines of iron palm or tie zhang - 鐵掌)...but, it does have other uses. Unfortunately, due to the number of health issues I am currently facing and going through, I don't believe I presented very well. But, it was warmly received nonetheless. Just by way of an FYI, Sensei Vellucci is an Okinawan stylist with a background in Shorin-ryu through (I believe) Nakazato Shuguro Sensei and Oshiro Nobeyuki Sensei on Okinawa (Sensei Vellucci is a former Marine and lived on Okinawa) and has a background in Hakutsuru through Sensei Chuck Chandler and Yabiku Takaya. He holds an 8th dan and a hanshi teaching license. We also went over the kata Ryushokan pretty heavily and got into just a bit of the bunkai for some of the moves. This kata was new to me and I very much enjoyed it. I just wish that my health issues had allowed me to be able to perform the movements better. Most of the folks there were ex-military and current law enforcement, so all of the bunkai was specifically what I was looking for...that being reality based. Another of the great folks that I got the chance to meet and form a good bond with was Sensei Greg Poitras. He holds, I believe, a 7th dan and kyoshi teaching license in Matsumura Seito Shorin-ryu as well as high yudansha rankings and teaching licenses in Hakutsuru-ken, Matsubayashi Shorin-ryu and Yamanni-ryu Kobudo. He is ex-Navy and a LEO who also lived and trained in Japan and Okinawa. Sensei Poitras gave a very good demonstration on the tonfa from the Yamanni-ryu tradition and assisted with a good deal of the teaching. In addition to the above, Sensei TJ Gentry gave a training session on koryu jujutsu and Sensei Vellucci also did a short training on the self-defense use of the knife (and everyone received a free folder training knife). All in all, I had an absolutely great time. My first day there (even after a 7.5 hour drive) was good for me (health-wise). But, after that, it sort of went downhill quickly. But, everyone there was very kind and understanding of my limitations. And, after another ride back home on Sunday, I am really hurting today. However, it was certainly worth it. Should you ever find yourself in a position to be able to train with these folks, I would very much recommend that you do so. Thanks for having a look!

Ah! Too bad this was and April Fools joke! If you are ever interested in setting something like that up, I have the tools and platforms that can help you with that. Had me really excited there for a minute! LOL!

If I may, what are the circumstances or frame of reference that the question is being asked? Meaning...are we talking about a self-defense situation or something else? For me it does, hence my question above... Kicking with the top of the foot (in a self-defense) situation can be a really bad idea (depending upon the target). The bones of the end and top side of the foot (phalanges and metatarsals) can be fairly easy to break or otherwise damaged (been there, done that and got the t-shirt). Likewise, the shin can be quite painful if it is not be trained on a regular basis. My emphasis is on self-defense types of situations. Therefore, I tend not to throw any sort of a kick above waist level in most situations. I prefer the ball of the foot as the main impact area, just as I would use the first two knuckles (pointer and middle finger) when punching. I've trained my shins quite a bit in the past and they do make good striking surfaces for kicks into the leg of the opponent (thigh and calf). There was something that I learned from my Taijiquan training and I'll do my best to articulate it...maybe playing around with this concept will help you in reference to your comments about the front kick... As you are training and playing with things, treat each step as a potential kick. Actually, it might be more correct or better to say that you should treat each body shift (tai sabaki - 体捌き) as a kick. What I have found is that in training in "karate", most people really only go "empty" in one side or on one leg when specifically training the kick itself. Therefore, it is a bit like a setup. Meaning, there is a forethought to doing the kick and in a dynamic kinetic situation, that is not always going to be the case. If, however, we train each step or body shift to go empty, then the "setup" is done already and it is easier to apply the kick with the appropriate amount of power each time...regardless of what kick may be used. This is one of the great benefits of training in Yiquan (or I Chuan - 大成拳) standing stake exercises...especially when you move into the one leg standing stake (zhan zhuang - 站桩) postures. Hopefully that made sense (and helps).

From a historical perspective, there is no doubt that weapons bans in ancient Okinawa have taken place. As to the "origin stories" of the various weapons, those are much more questionable. Is a weapon like the eku (櫂) an oar? Pretty sure that it is. Is the kuwa (日本头) a hoe? Again, pretty sure that it is. Is the tekko (鉄甲) really developed from a horseshoe (or two) and/or a stirrup? I don't know. I guess I could see someone "putting 2 and 2 together" and coming up with something like that. Did they? No real way to know. One thing to keep in mind is that the historical people that did pass down the more mainstream weapons were of the shizoku (士族) or pechin (親雲上) classes. These were not the types of folks that are going to be dealing with horseshoes, stirrups, grain flails and the like. I think it more likely that we have a contribution from the warrior/royal class (both native and imports from other countries like China) and more indigenous sources. But, there is still a lot of nonsense out there in the history of such weapons. Like fighting against samurai. Look, using something like a tonfa against a katana is near to suicide. Even a crappy katana is going to go through a tonfa like a knife through butter. Those sorts of things can be dismissed pretty quickly.

If you were going to read a review of a book on a martial arts related topic, what are the criteria that would be important to you. Keep in mind, this would be for fiction, non-fiction, instructional, informational, etc. Really anything in printed or ebook format that is in any way related to the martial arts. So far, I have the following: Quality of Writing: Is the writing on the given topic flowing and easy to understand? Does it break down difficult topics well? Is it dry and boring or does it keep your interest and attention? Uniqueness of Information: Is this a rehash of information that is already in the public domain or new and unique? Physical Quality: If printed, is it well put together and constructed...quality paper, well bound, good cover, durable. If an eBook, how is the formatting of the text, quality of images (if used), etc. Format Availability: Hardback, softback, ePub, Kindle Price: How much does it cost (in whatever format) when compared to other books in similar categories AND in comparison to the value of the information it contains. Intangibles: Anything else important to the author of the review that should be pointed out to the reader that does not fall into the other categories above. What do you think of the criteria above and what others would you add? Thank you for your input.

I am really NOT trying to be flip here, so please don't take it that way. They can justify this because they are a business and they are in the business of making a profit. I have seen some of the craziest things in (and out of) the martial arts world. So, you always have to remember that they are there to make money...NOT to teach the martial arts. They make the money by teaching martial arts. There is an old saying in the business world that there are things you can do and things you should do...and the inverse of that is true as well. This is one of those things that they can do, but shouldn't do. In my personal opinion, it makes them look like money grubbers. And, I am a die hard capitalist. Do you have anyone close to being in the position of having to pay this additional monthly fee? If not, then you have time to work some "magic". Also, if they pay this fee, what does the student get in return for it other than being able to get the rank? Extra training? One on one training? Special classes? Anything for the cost? Lastly, do you have any sort of employment agreement that CLEARLY outlines what you can and cannot do? Meaning, if you had someone in that situation, would you get fired for testing them and promoting them on your own time outside of the school? The guy who owns the place may not like it, but...you still might get fired depending on what state you live in and how hard you wanted to press them legally. This is one of the many, many reasons why I have never run a commercial school. The world, your school and your students all look very, very different when you don't have to view things from the perspective of money. You are not being asked to do anything illegal...just distasteful. You have to decide for yourself what you can and cannot live with. You do need to make a living. So, is this the hill that you want to die on?

Congrats to you and welcome back after your layoff!

So, an old student of mine sent me a video of someone (who will remain nameless) who had done a training video on the use of the knife. At the beginning of the video, this person pulls out what appears to be a fixed blade (single edge) in a tanto style that is about 5" long (just the blade). He states on the video that it is insanely sharp and then begins to wave it all around his uke's arm, chest and neck! Over and over for a little over an hour, he is just waving the thing around like it is a toothpick or something. The email response back to my old student was to run from this idiot and don't look back! This is not some kid trying to make himself look "cool". This is a guy my age or a little older. And, he carries a hanshi title in karate. My old student apparently did not agree with my assessment of the guy (which makes me seriously question HIS judgment now!). So you good folks here give me a reality check...am I wrong here? I am ALL about reality based training. But playing with a live blade to, seemingly, make a video is NOT what I am about. I am not going to tell you that I haven't worked with live blades and other people before, but it was under a very specific set of circumstances with a tremendous amount of checks in place to reduce any and all risk. And it wasn't done to make a training video. What say you?

So...I have to admit...I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with kumite (組手). Sure, with newer students, I understand the potential benefits of kumite, even though you are using a compliant partner in an non-combative situation. But, by the time you progress to jiyu-kumite (自由組手) or "free fighting", it generally has just devolved into a hot mess that is pretty much worthless. Along those lines, I came across an article dealing with kakedameshi (掛け試し) or “testing through kake” and kake-kumite (掛け組手) "meeting of hands in kake/hook". Note....this is NOT kakie (カキエ) that you might be familiar with from an art like Goju-ryu. As it was described (and if I am understanding correctly), kake-kumite is the "drill" just like sanbon kumite (三本組手) is a drill. Then kakedameshi is like a "challenge match" between non-compliant partners. As described, the challenge is between students in the school or just two random folks on the street. Either would consist of striking, grappling, seizing/controlling, takedowns, etc. So, I am curious to know...anyone have any experience with this? Or potentially more information? I was hoping that Wastelander might since there is supposedly a strong relationship to Motobu-ryu (and Motubu Choki) and he has a connection to Motobu-ryu. Any information would be greatly appreciated as is a potentially very interesting area of study and research. Thanks!

Awesome response sir! Thank you for taking the time to go through it all.

I was just curious... Has anyone had any experience with Okinawan or Japanese sensei that have or follow the more Chinese Hong Bao (红包) or "Red Envelope" protocols? Not necessarily cash, but just the formality of the process? Thanks.

I have always seen the opening move to be a bit of a double strike. In most circumstances, the left arm is setting a wedge type of block (that is used as a strike) against an incoming right hand punch (straight or hook) and the right arm is a strike into the head and/or neck area of the attacker. Within esoteric Mikkyo traditions, the kuji-in (九字印) or Nine Hand Seals does have a mudra or hand seal called zai (在) that looks very similar to this. And there is a similar type of practice that comes from Taoism. Actually, many folks believe the tradition started with the Taoists and it made the trek from China to Japan with other arts and traditions. But, I have serious doubts that it made it into the opening of the kata from there...but who knows I guess.

I was just curious as I have never seen or been involved in a "street fight" that was done in such a way as to be "kick for kick" as you describe. Back in the day, I did see plenty of Bill "Superfoot" Wallace competitions that went like that. And, I would recommend to most to do a technique in a "street fight" that involved turning your back to your opponent.

Well, the hand salute that he is referring to is the Bao Quan Li (抱拳礼) or salute of the wrapped fist. And, odds are, the "secret society" he is referring to is the Tiandihui (天地會) or the Heaven and Earth Society from Southern China (Fujian). While it is historically accurate that the hand signal was used by members to be able to identify one another. The actual roots of the gesture go back much further than that and is, I believe, originally Confusion in origin.

I assume you are referring to competition?