tatsujin

I learned the kata as a part of the Matayoshi Kobudo lineage...not sure where you got yours... With that said, are you talk about right after the kiai and you have moved quite a bit? If so, then no. In the version that I learned, you have the kiai and then you do the grip change as you are turning. You are then moving straight back...so the turn is from front to back with a straight ahead movement towards what was your rear. Hmmm...I am beginning to think we might be talking about different katas. So, just to ask again...this is Matayoshi Kobudo? And, also to be clear, when you say kosa-dachi (交差立) you are referring to the cross or crossing step...like in Naihanchi? I only ask because the version of the kata that I learned had no kosa-dachi. It is possible that you or your sensei learned it differently (assuming Matayoshi). I do know that Matayoshi Sensei showed things differently to different people. Let me ask you this...in the version you are referring to, are there any (or alot) of low level cuts to the attacker's legs (the back of their legs)? If so, a different kata. Sorry I could not help more, but I am willing to help more if I can get on the same page with you.

Thanks! I had found that one in my searches, I just don't know the guy or where he was getting his training, so I had him in the "maybe" pile...LOL! Thanks much!

As a personal friend of mine for many years, Glenn wrote about alot of things... With Glenn though, you almost needed a decoder ring...he wrote the way Hatsumi Sensei talked at times...riddles wrapped in enigmas and then a touch of Glenn thrown in. Have you read all of Glenn's books?

I was wondering if anyone here knows the kata Ryushoken? If you do, I was wondering if you might be willing to shoot a video of it? Slow to be able to try to get the general moves down. I am going to an event the last week in March and they are going to cover this kata. I'd like to get a little head start and get the basic moves down. Lastly, if anyone happens to know where I can view or even purchase a video of it being done (a reputable source), that would work too. Much thanks!

Hopefully this is alright to post, it is not any sort of affiliate post or the like... I found out early on (and the hard way) that when it comes to martial arts gear, it is usually the best bet to more money to get higher quality. In terms of a gi, back in the day that was Tokaido (and even really nice black belts too). Back when I live in FL, we went through two back to back hurricanes (one year and then the next). Both of them wiped me out to a large degree when it comes to personal possessions (and that is why you should ALWAYS have the right kinds of insurance for where you live...it's like a gun....you never need it until you do!). Prior to that, I had not needed to purchase a gi in...well...I don't know how long. It was a really LONG time. I committed to some travel to a seminar at the end of March and now needed one. My last sets of uniforms were all Juka Gold level. I think I had one Silver in the mix. But, I loved them. I had full sets in black and white as well as single gi tops to go the kuro-shiro (黒白) route as dictated by Matayoshi Kobudo protocols. Anyway, reached out to their US rep and due to supply chain issues, they had nothing in my size. I searched around and was reminded about the Meijin brand. I talked to the owners wife on the phone and was able to confirm sizing and even got some custom embroidery done. BANG! It was amazing. I had it on my door step in about a week. They actually run a little big for anyone that is interested. My size 7 Juka Gold fit like a glove. My size 7 Meijin Pro was much bigger. Fortunately, a wash in very hot water and a tumble dry at high heat took care of most of that. I think I will need to have the length of the pants tailored a bit as they are a little long. Anyway, if you are looking for a VERY well made gi, I do recommend this brand. The Pro version is 14oz cotton canvas and just has a ton of features that make it very nice. If you need something lighter or not as expensive, they do have some other options available. If you have bought Juka in the past, I would recommend this as a good alternative. You can get you name embroidered on the lower corner of the top (I did) and, depending on your style, you can have that done in kanji on the right breast of the top. Mine was thrown in at no cost. Anyway, I hope that this is of some help to anyone that may be looking or searching the forums for something.

Pretty sure that I did unless you sent something else more recently. I did get that book you were talking about. It is in the "pile" to read. I usually have 4 or 5 books going all at once. His is tough because it is all PDF files. But, I'll get to it. Looking forward to becoming invisible!

It always pays to know the laws where you live...self-defense laws, laws regarding blades you can can carry as well as other types of weapons, etc. In my home state of TX, we have what is called the "Castle Doctrine" and it is some of the strongest set of laws in the nation when it comes to the rights of someone to protect their life and property. But, it is a set of laws and you do need to be familiar with all of them to best protect yourself. As I always tell people, if you are involved in an incident and the law gets involved, the best thing to tell them (AFTER you get a lawyer, you should ALWAYS invoke your Miranda Rights to not speak to anyone until you have a lawyer in place!) is that you were in fear of your life. Just keep repeating that over and over at every instance that you can.

Well, I have numerous "similar" training knives, but I still prefer to work and train with what I am using as an EDC knife. Yes, there will be some minor differences after dulling the blade. However, we are talking differences so minor that they fall into millimeters or less. Same with the weight of the knife. However, everything else will be virtually identical. Anything "similar" will be very much different. Also, when you look to some of the high end knife makers, they do make trainers of their very popular blades. It is an inexpensive knife, so dulling the blade is not a big deal at all.

When it comes to the Okinawans, I think alot of what you see in regards to the outside training was more before WWII and just after WWII. Prior to WWII, there were not "commercial" schools. So, most of the training was done outside...typically at the home of the instructor. After WWII, most of the island had been destroyed, along with homes and other types of buildings. So, again, most of what little training that was happening was outdoors. Also, in more modern times, you have to keep in mind that you are dealing with an island. So, real estate is at a premium. By and large, most dojo are small due to that. For the ones that are popular and have lots of foreign students, outside training is often a must because they just don't have the room. Plus, it is a beautiful area. So that helps as well. The Japanese are somewhat the same. In some of the koryu (古流) arts, the dojo proper is more for special events rather than regular or daily training. Some of these types of dojo also had separate entrances for the students and instructors. In both the Okinawan and Japanese dojo, the shomen (正面) or "front" is important as well as the kamidana (神棚) or shrine (if used) and kamiza (上座) or "seat of honor" (if used). Wooden floors are more the norm nowadays. With the advent of the different types of mats, those arts that have people going to the ground will take advantage of them. All of that being said, I am not aware of more specialized names other than what is used above. In specific terms of "decoration", the kamidana and kamiza are the big things. Also, as a part of the kamiza, photos of the instructors as well as the dojo kun (道場訓) or school rules or principles are usually posted as a part of the kamiza or at the entrance. Along the lines of decoration, some dojo use a nafudakake (名札掛け) or "name plate rack". Basically, the names of the dojo members are done on wooden nafuda (名札) or name tags in order of rank (highest to lowest). Sometimes there are separate nafudakake for the instructors and students. There is no set design (or placement) for the nafudakake. There are folks on the interwebs that make some very cool designs that you should be able to find. All of the way from dojo to individual types of designs. One of the big seminars we did, we had custom "mini" nafudakake made for the instructors that taught. They were 5 panel wood nafudakake plaques done up in a frame that were a HUGE hit. Anyway, hope that is of some help to you.

UFC 271 kicks off tomorrow...anyone excited about it or watching? What are your picks and why? In the main event, I think Izzy will probably win. I am, however, rooting for Whittaker. Other than Jon Jones, I don't think anyone out there is capable of creating such crazy angles and being able to spontaneously be innovative from seeming horrible positions and/or situations. "Bobby Knuckles" has some really ugly technique sometimes, but THEY WORK! If you have ever seen some of his head kick KOs, he wouldn't be graded in a Taw Kwon Do school very highly, but they go to sleep! LOL! But, he has been training with an outstanding striking trainer (boxer). So, hopefully his punches won't be the big usual wide looping shots he takes...and his punches won't be coming from the ground like they have in the past...and, for goodness sake, hopefully he learns to keep the off hand up and not at his waist! When it comes to Whittaker, there is alot of fight in that dog...and Izzy has shown that he can get hurt by the bigger brawlers. Not too excited about the down card...the co-main? Meh...not a huge fan of either guy...although their post-fight antics are sometimes funny. Lewis has shown some recent improvement in technique and a very little bit in his endurance. I am going for a "shoey" and taking Tuivasa. Cannonier vs Brunson might be a decent fight. Going with Cannonier on that. Poor Roxy Modafferi might be in for another beating...I hope not! I will be pulling for her! Other than that, meh! How about you?

Thanks! I am glad that you found some benefit from it. As to your other comments above.... Well....ummm...yes....sort of... So, with no other context set, if we are in a "perfect" world, then yes...function should follow form. But, that is not always the case. An example (and yes, I will TRY to keep it brief)... A fellow came to me for some specialized training...he was a Shotokan yudansha..a shodan or a nidan...I don't remember. But, I knew his instructor and he made the proper requests/introductions, etc. and we set to it. He had very nice looking Shotokan technique. Big double shoulder wide zenkutsu-dachi (前屈立), crisp gyaku-zuki (四本拳突), crisp oi-zuki (追突) and to (what I would call the "untrained eye") he visually had good kime or focus (決め). That lasted until we got to the makiwara (巻藁) which I love as a training tool. Instead of doing a tsuki (突き), the hand was leading the punch. NOTE: In the Japanese and Okinawan arts, tsuki is referred to as a "punch". The word actually means "to thrust". So, the punch is not really a punch...especially the way that more Westerners think of a "punch". But, that is a bit of a different topic. When you put something in front of tsuki (like gyaku), it changes to "zuki" but means the exact same thing. Japanese is a fun language. So, tsuki = zuki. Anyway, he thought he had great technique and power. So, I got him all lined up in his stance and showed him how to get the right distance. I told him to hit it at about 10% to 20% power. LOL! I thought he broke his hand! From there we got into correct power generation and delivery. The point here in my long winded example is that he did absolutely look beautiful in his technique. And, coming from a somewhat traditional Shotokan dojo, that is what they were concerned with. They did kumite (組手) or sparring, but it was all things like ippon kumite (一本組手), sanbon kumite (三本組手), etc. So, a very, very compliant uke (partner or receiver) and no one was trying to really "tag" the other person. I could take someone that I had trained for 6 months and have him have better functional punches (and other techniques) than this black belt. So, in this case, the pretty form did not equate to actual function. If this black belt were to get into a fight and my 6 month in mudansha (無段者) were to get into a fight (either against each other or against different opponents), my money is on my student all day long. In this case, function beats out the form. I also have to say, for the sake of conversation and friendly debate, I am a bit biased. I practice a "martial" art in the actual sense of the name. Combative...life protection or preservation. I am not concerned about "polishing the spirit", becoming a better person, enlightenment, moving meditation, etc. Even though I do teach Taoist based skills that can result in better health, longevity, mental clarity...even enlightenment....that would be icing on the cake. All of those trainings have combative applications and that is the primary reasons they are included in my curriculum. Back to the topic...Yes, as an instructor, you should be training your students to have good form. Especially the new(er) students. And, there should be a progression of good form as they move up the ranks. And once they hit shodan, that form should be pretty good and they then begin to work on refining that form. By and large, by the time someone hits shodan, they have been taught the vast majority of the techniques they need...with the exception of some specific or specialized techniques coming out of the more advanced kata of their system. I am on a rambling roll this morning, so let's keep going for a minute.... Look at this whole situation in reverse....and another hopefully quick story... Several years ago, I got to attend a private seminar that was held with a gentleman from China who was a lineage holder in Baguazhang (八卦掌 - Eight Trigram Palm). He was quite old. Well into what we would call elderly. When he was demonstrating walking the circle and palm changes didn't look all that great. I don't mean that as an insult to him. His student (who was probably 40 or 50 years younger than him) "looked" much better. Good form versus not so great form. HOWEVER! Once I got to do push hands (推手 - tuishou) with him, it was a VERY different story. He told me (through a translator) to come at him with power. I did. First time he shot me about 4" or 5" off the ground and backwards about 5 feet. So, his form was not all that great due to age. But his form? Literally some of the best I have ever felt. The point of the story here is to remember that we start "yang". Young, strong, fiery, etc. But as the concept of yin and yang (or in and yo if you prefer), we end up back at yin. Old, slower, etc. But, there is always yang within yin....and yin within yang. Over time you may loose form. But, if you have been correctly trained, the function will remain...the yin within the yang...sorry, getting all Taoist on you. To close (FINALLY! Right?)...I put function over form. You or your instructor may have different goals or outcomes when form is the predominant desired outcome. However, I do want form as well. But, if form is following function, that is OK...as long as I am seeing a progression of both. Again, I want the yang (function), but I need to see yin (form) in that function. Ramble mode off...sorry, it's Friday and I am feeling really good today. Hopefully something in there is of worth to you.

Interesting question as there are certainly a number of different ways to look at the situation. I have had circumstances where I had no published curriculum or grading requirements. Students tested when I told them they would and the passed or failed totally on my own decision. I have had circumstances where I had published requirements and you could test at any given grading. I let the students decide when they could test, but if I felt they were "off the mark", then I let them know that privately. Again, it was my sole decision as to who passed and who did not. Both of those instances were in a non-commercial school environment and were very small numbers of adult students. I have seen instances where someone would come into the school with prior training and rank from a different school or style. They thought they were going to breeze through all of the things they thought they knew or could already do and didn't not train as hard or often as others. So, in essence, they were not "eating bitter" like the other students were. Whenever I had published requirements, I always included something about attending a minimum number of classes. In my old Shotokan days, one of my first dojos had you sign in and they kept track of it. You also had a membership card that had to be updated when you paid your monthly dues. Not current? No testing. For instructors with published requirements, they should always have something in there that addresses "intangibles" or some kind of instructor discretion. There are "black swan" types of situations that can come up and the instructor should have some sort of latitude in being able to deal with it. And, that latitude should be known to all PRIIOR to the testing event to avoid hurt feelings. At the end of the day, if anyone meets any published requirements or minimum, then they should get the promotion unless there are some sort of mitigating circumstances. In the case you describe, I think it would also depend a bit on what the goal of the school is. If the school is about self-defense or combative types of situations, then just being "pretty" is not going to cut it in my opinion. In that scenario, what they are doing is just basically dance and they can go to the dance school down the street for further training. If they are a school that is competition oriented (like doing forms) or a school more concerned with "perfection of character", then it is more form over function and they might well qualify for the promotion (albeit, a hollow one in my personal opinion). In rapidly approaching 5 decades in the combative arts, I think I have seen almost everything...LOL! I have been in a situation where the head instructor just approached me one evening before class, handed me a belt (higher than current rank) and told me to put it on. I have also had gradings where I jump to grades instead of one (happened twice, different instructors). As I have aged, I tend to take a more "traditional" approach to rank. I am actually promoting someone to the next level I want them to be at...they grow and learn into the new rank. BUT...I do have to be clear that I don't and have not ever run a commercial school. AND, I only teach adults. And the vast majority of those adults usually have prior training (including well into the yudansha rankings. So, it may not be situation the would apply to everyone. Not sure I have specifically answered your question, but maybe I have given you something to think about...

I have been having a great time reading through the blog of our very own "Wastelander". As I joked with him privately, I didn't know that we had someone here who is "internet famous"! LOL! I would like to impose upon him a bit more by asking some questions. Since I thought it might be of interest and/or benefit to others, I am doing it here. I did get his permission to do so and also got permission to link back to his blog so folks can see the first hand source material that I am referencing. In particular, what I am asking about is located here: https://www.karateobsession.com/kishimotodi Just as a general disclaimer, it would be important to state at the outset that I am in NO way questioning Wastelander or his art. On the contrary, I am hugely interested in it and am just seeking clarification on things that jumped into my mind and things I am just curious about. You refer to KishimotoDi as a "style". Since we are discussing an Okinawan combative system using English words, I just want to make sure that I am ascribing the correct meaning of the word here. Or, I guess, I want to make sure I am thinking of the meaning of the word "style" in the same way that you are in using it. So, when I think "style" (in the terms of any combative art) I am thinking of a "complete system". Hmmm...no...the wording could have the wrong connotations. Sorry to anyone reading this for any confusion. I tend to write as I am thinking. So, sometimes my ramblings do get confusing. I am thinking of a style as being a "standalone" set of teachings that is not a set of principles or techniques that are designed to be applied to another more complete or whole curriculum. I still don't like the way that I worded that, but hopefully you (and others) can see what I am trying to ask. There is a reason that I ask that about being a "style". You go on to state that Kishimotodi only has four (4) katas (Tachimura no Naihanchi, Nidanbu, Tachimura no Passai, and Tachimura no Kusanku). On one hand, I am struck that there are so few of them. On the other, I do see (based upon the reading of historical figures of the Okinawan combative arts of the past) that this does tie into how they taught. At least in the fact that many of these past historical figures only taught (at most) a handful of katas. Nowadays, even someone that would be "very traditional" like Oyata Sensei had a total of nine (9) kata in his system (while I think it accurate to say that he "knew" many more). And, if I am not mistaken, Soken Sensei taught 12 kata in his system (someone correct me if I am wrong here please...I have never trained in any version of Shorin-ryu). Of course, move outside of the realm of Okinawan and you have something like Shotokan that can have katas that range in the area of 20 to 30 (depending on the specific "flavor" of Shotokan) and then something like Hayashi-Ha Shito-Ryu that has like 50 or more kata in their system. OK, so in terms of the kata commentary above, I guess the specific question would be: 1. In my mind (perhaps incorrectly), kata that "you" teach should contain the combative principles that define "your" system. Would that be how Kishimotodi looks at things and those four (4) kata encapsulate everything? 2. When it comes to Tachimura no Naihanchi, do you consider that to be a primarily "grappling" kata? In watching the video of Sensei Karlsson showing the combative applications, I do see both striking and grappling in it. More general questions... 1. Are kyusho (急所) specifically taught in Kishimotodi? In this case, I mean at a more indepth level than just "hit here" type of thing. I am curious in that case because as an Okinawan version of te or di that (I am assuming) was not directly influenced by the Southern Chinese arts like others were, it would be interesting to know if the concept of kyusho was already present or not. 2. In the question above, I kind of made the assumption that Kishimotodi did not have an influence from the Southern Chinese combative arts the way that other versions of te/di did. Is that a correct assumption on my part? Did Kishimotodi remain "pure" in its palace art origin or was there any Chinese influence at all? 3. While I was never fortunate enough to meet Uehara Sensei while in Okinawa, I was exposed to others in Motobu Udundi and also have some really old footage of him. Is there any kind of "crossover" between Kishimotodi and Motobu Udundi? 4. If I am correctly reading what you wrote, at least certain aspects of Kishimotodi were kept private or considered hiden (秘伝)? Or is/was the entire art taught that way (hiden)? I ask this in particular due to the "argument" among martial artists of all stripes that say things were not hidden in the martial arts and those that say the opposite. I can say that this is the case in some instances. A personal "for instance"...I know that Matayoshi Sensei of Matayoshi kobudo fame never demonstrated the "real" hakutsuru (白鶴) kata from the Kingai-ryu lineage (金硬流) in public. He said that it was "close", but he only taught the "real" kata "indoors". OK, I will leave it at that. Thank you so very much for taking the time to read all of this and provide any answers that you can. I am VERY interested to learn more. I know that it is difficult to say in the ever changing world of COVID that we are still living in, but are there any gatherings or seminars being scheduled for Kishimotodi in the US for 2022? I would absolutely love to be able to make one if so and learn more in a hands on setting! Anyway, thank you again for the opportunity to ramble here and ask you some questions. EDIT: I added additional information to #4 above that I accidently left out.

Ah! Thanks for that! That pricing is actually pretty incredible! Most places I have been getting quotes from is well in excess of $200. Do you mind me asking how many your order was? That and also the size of the patch seems to be the two big "kickers" here. I did find a company called Netpro that I might end up going with. They are indicating your level of pricing and they can get them here within the timeframe I need them by. They are based out of China. We will see how it goes. I did, however, find a company called ColorPatch. They don't do embroidery. It is a dying process. According to what they are saying, it is longer lasting (even on a martial arts gi that gets washed alot) and the detail of the patch is greater. AND...the price is about half what has been quotes me...even with very small runs. I may end up ordering some from them just to see what they do look like as they have me curious about the process now. I am off to check out your recommendation now. As always, you are a gentleman and a scholar! Thank you.

Some of you may have seen the new design I did for a gi patch and website logo. I need the patches made now (small run). Man! Patches are expensive nowadays! LOL Can anyone here recommend someone that can do this? I only need a very small run, but will buy their minimum if I have to. Just trying to get the best quality at the best price. If you can, I would appreciate it. I can post an image of what it looks like if necessary. Thank you for your time and consideration.

True, but I am a firm believer that if you are going to carry a knife, you should train with that knife. So, when I find something that is going to become an EDC knife, I want to use it in my training. While I have done live blade training, I am too old and too slow to consider it now! LOL! But, I want the carry, draw, open, etc. to all be the same. Your mileage may vary... Nope...and I think at least two states have outlawed me owning any kind of powerful tools!

I have got a few myself (martial arts related) and am designing a new one!

Congrats and well deserved!

Great and interesting article! Thanks for sharing it with me in another thread. Alot of what you discuss here is right along the lines of what I have learned and teach with a couple of small exceptions. The "no going backwards" is an interesting area to really analyze and discuss. Hopefully tomorrow I can jump in here more fully. There is a very interesting correlation between what you have written here and what I mentioned about the shiho (四方) and peng, lu, an and ji from the eight gates or bamen. Even in the bagua diagram it shows the five stepping methods (wu bu - 五步) that very closely ties into what you were discussing. Very, very interesting! I am just not sure where to post! LOL! It may not totally tie to this article (and I don't want to hijack it) and it doesn't necessarily apply to the other thread either (don't want to hijack it either). Maybe a new post all together? Decisions, decisions! LOL! More to follow tomorrow for sure!

Thanks for the kinds words, it is much appreciated. But I still ramble at times! LOL! I will definitely go have a look at your article! Still being a relative newbie here, I was not aware there use to be a section for that...nor am I privy to why it went away. But, it seems like it would be nice to have that. Anyway... On topic... I actually kind of cheated in my explanation using the quadrants. I did so just to make it the easiest way to explain a more difficult concept in the written word here. The quadrant concept I was attempting to convey in the earlier post actually works best when applied to locks and grappling. So, the quadrants applies to a means by which you can get the most "bang for you buck" in such a situation. Additionally, when using this line of thought, there are four (4) more quadrants on the back of the body. When you are getting more into what I think you may be referring to as "space management", then we have a different set of concepts that would best be identified through the following symbol: You have probably seen a symbol like this before in the martial arts or heard it discussed in various different styles. The easiest way to describe it is Happo no Kuzushi (八方の崩し), meaning 8 directions (or all directions) means of unbalancing an opponent. But, in the art that I teach, that isn't really the way that we look at it. Kuzushi (崩し) literally means to pull down, level out, demolish or destroy. So, within that definition you could have unbalancing. But, you could have much, much more as well. Within that, you also have the shiho (四方) or four directions. Where we (the art that I teach) takes a bit of a different turn than most that use this concept is in how it relates to the eight ( gates of primarily] Taijiquan (八門 - bamen. Those gates (or powers are peng (ward off - 掤), lu (roll back - 履), ji (press - 擠), an (push - 按), cai (pull down 採), lie (split - 列), zhou (elbow - 肘) and kao (shoulder - 靠). Those gates can be seen expressed in the bagua or 8 triagrams image: NOTE: There is some additional information listed in the diagram as well that would not necessarily apply to this conversation... It you apply the first image of the 8 lines or directions over top of the bagua symbol, you'll see everything laid out nicely. And, the four most important of them (peng, lu, an and ji) correspond to the shiho (四方) or four directions. If you saw the images of the school patch that I was working on, you'll see the happo and shiho directly incorporated into the design. Hopefully this all made sense and maybe gave you something to think about or consider. I am off to read your article and I am sure that I will have questions for you after I do. Thanks again!

Assuming that you are referring to the Northern Shaolin Temple.... It would be difficult to quantify all that is and has been taught at Shaolin. In recorded history, the have been (I believe) of 1,000 arts recorded at Shaolin. Obviously, not all of them are still being taught and some of them have died out over the many years they have been around. That number is much smaller now and would consist of empty handed, weapons and qigong work (in, of course, addition to Chan Buddhism - 禅 as well as Traditional Chinese Medicine). Shaolin seems to be a bit of an umbrella that took in most martial systems and it has even been written that Shaolin was the "mother" of all martial arts. Often you will read or see folks making a difference in Chinese martial arts referred to as neijia (內家) or internal arts and waijia (外家) or external arts. Many define this distinction as having to do with whether or not the arts are "internal" as in the use of qi or "external" as in the use of li (physical skills or force/power). While this can be correct in specific contexts, the division really has to do with whether or not the arts are internal or external to China. The arts from Shaolin (and comprises almost all arts taught in China) are considered external as the original skills developed at Shaolin were based upon knowledge brought to China from India. Who did this is a whole other can of worms, so I will leave that one alone! LOL! Neijia, by the way, would be primarily the arts Taijiquan, Baguazhang and Xingyiquan...as well as arts that developed from them (i.e. Yiquan from Xingyiquan). Some add other arts like Bajiquan, etc. But that is another topic for discussion and debate. Basically, those are the internal (to China) based arts with direct links to Taoism. If you are looking for specific arts taught at Shaolin, then the two oldest would probably be Luohanquan (羅漢拳) which is Arhat Fist (Arhat being in Buddhism a person who has reached a state of perfection and enlightenment) and Hongquan (洪拳) of Flood Fist/Boxing. And even that system is broken down in sub-systems. When you say you are looking for an equivalent to the mini curriculum you posted, do you mean you are looking for something that might have directly influenced your art or are you looking for an art from Shaolin that has a similar type of break down? Maybe if you were to post more specifically as to what you are looking for, I or someone else could help you further. Most Chinese martial arts are going to be broken down into the kinds of categories that you list. Jibengong (基本功) would be similar to kihon as those are the basic fundamental skills. They also have taolu (套路) or forms/katas. Free fighting would fall under sanda (散打) or combative methods (more along the lines of oyo combined with kumite if you will). Some have weapons included some have weapons only, so akin to kobudo. And most include some form or another of qigong or kiko (energetic work). And, all of those things are going to be style specific. If you are looking for an art that is going to be a specific influence on your art, then you would need to look to Southern China. The arts taught there would be a more direct influence on Okinawan arts (and therefore Japanese arts). While the arts taught there may share a history with those taught at the Northern Shaolin Temple, they would still be some changes and variations. I don't know of any of the old Okinawan masters that ever made it out of Southern China and had exposure to strictly Northern based arts. Perhaps someone can correct me on that. So, again, knowing what you are specifically looking for would be of more help I think. My knowledge and information on Chinese arts is limited mainly to the neijia or internal arts...with the exception of being a bit of a history buff and reading alot. If you can be more specific, I'd be happy to take another swing at answering you or reaching out to folks I know that are much more knowledgable. Sorry to not be of more help to you.

This is one of those instances that the written word is difficult to use... Just by way of noting, my yondan in Shotokan (many, many moons ago) comes from the line starting with Asai Tetsuhiko Sensei (who had trained with both Funakoshi Gichin and Nakayama Masatoshi) and was, at one time, the Technical Director of the JKA. This line, my line, is directly from Kenneth Funakoshi and the Karate Association of Hawaii. All of the differing versions of Shotokan out there nowadays can teach things differently. First off, would I be correct in that you are taught (as an oyo or combative application of this move) that you have both of your hands/arms inside of your opponents...in a defense/counter to a grab or choke? And then probably follow with something like a mae geri or "front kick"? This is very common. For a number of reasons this usually won't work, but that is a different conversation. Asai Sensei taught that this move was done more like a flinch response or startle reflex. So, for the sake of simplicity, let's just say a quick responsive move. Use the following diagram to help understand what I will attempt to communicate. So, for the moment, let's assume that we are working on a grappling to a lock or takedown AND that the attacker is coming in with some sort of advancing two handed attack...push, grab, whatever. You do the technique in a reflexive manner, attacking the incoming arms from the outside in. If you, in this case, angle back and to the right, you left foot is in quadrant II and your right foot is in quadrant IV. So, from this position, quadrants I and III are where the holes are. Tracking so far? The "holes" (meaning empty spaces on this quadrant image) are I and III, right? So, that is where you want to take the attacker to. Quadrant I is going to be the fastest and easiest to get to. With the left foot forward (in your question) you are going to have the right hand forward, correct? Hopefully so or I am completely missing the question being posed. From what I have described above, see how you can transition into the next move of the kata. It does not have to fit and won't always fit, but just see. If not, look at how you can...your hips are now going to need (in this case) to turn to the right in a snap or twist motion (remember to turn the shoulders WITH the hips). The right hand (that was forward with the left foot) makes a drawing back or hikite (引き手) type of movement. This is literally drawing the attacker into that "empty" quadrant I. What is the left hand doing? Depends on "what you have got" at the moment. Many times you can execute a tsuki (突き - thrust - often incorrect translated as a punch) type of motion (with or without their hand or arm in your grasp) and effect an attack to the elbow (or the shoulder if you "know what you are doing"). Play with that and see if it does anything for you at all. Of course, you can reverse that such that your right leg is in quadrant I and your left leg in quadrant III and it works much the same way. And, you can get into either of those positions by moving (shifting) either forwards or backwards. Or, it could be that I misunderstood the question and just gave you a whole bunch of rambling gobbley-gook that applies to nothing! LOL! As to the original intent of the creator of the kata, the simple answer is that we will never really know. Most folks way smarter than me say that the kata comes from the Okinawan kata Niseishi through Aragaki Seisho. We know that Aragaki went to China and he studied martial arts there. The only real reference we have to a Chinese teacher is Wai Xinxian. Other smart folks indicate that it (the kata) originated from Lohanquan (羅漢拳 - Monk Fist Boxing). Regardless, it was changed as it was taught in Okinawa. It was learned by several folks who later taught it in Japan where it was changed again. With a lack of written history, the "original intent" is lost. OK, ramble mode over....hope that is of some help.

Well, I don't know the full width and depth of what you may be referring to here, so what follows may be implicitly implied here. But, I think it is worth stating to be clear... When you refer to asanas, then I am assuming that you are speaking more to the more "modern" use of the term (descending primarily from that hatha tradition and then more modern versions). I only make that distinction because the original use of the term was referring to seated meditation poses. Not saying that anything is "right" or "wrong" here, but just trying to clarify for the purposed of framing everything correctly. The asanas are certainly good for "stretching" the muscles, tendons, fascia, etc. Even, to an extent, the nadis (नदी) or the jingluo (经络) for those of us from a Chinese persuasion (meridians). And, this is good in a micro sense. Meaning, there is nothing wrong with doing them in and of themselves. The problem is when this is all there is to it. Sorry...I am writing this as kinda of a brain dump as I go and I am afraid I am not making sense here. My apologies to you and everyone else reading this if it seems a bit disorganized or scattered...let me keep going... As I understand what you are talking about (and I may have it wrong) and what is generally taught in most kundalini traditions (especially the more modern ones) is that the asanas are taught and then the move directly into the work to open the chakras (more or less, I am just trying to cover the high points here). The problem is that you need a more broad foundation than just that...to be safe and prevent potential problems. A "for example" situation... From my Taoist studies, I can teach you just breath work (kokyo-ho - 呼吸法 - for the Japanese/Okinawan karate folks). This alone can make you healthier and/or feel better. It can make your martial arts better. It can help with mental clarity and acuity. Many, many benefits. But, it is just a portion of the foundation. I can also teach you meditation work (meiso-ho - 瞑想法). Again, as a standalone skill, many benefits. But, again, also just a part of the total foundation. The point here is that the asanas are just one of the building blocks that you need to start down that road. If you are not utilizing all of those building blocks, then you run into the potential for "danger". Another example...I don't know the specific tradition or school you are following for the chakra or kundalini work, so it may vary slightly. One of the first main things you should want to do is open or activate the Sushumna nadi (सुषुम्णा). To do that, you first have to reach a balance or equilibrium in the Ida (इडा) and Pingala (पिङ्गल) nadi. To do THAT, you have to activate the smaller nadi (nadikas) that attach to the Ida and Pingala nadi. So, you start with swara sadhana (स्वर साधन) which are, at the most basic level, breathing exercises. If, in part, all of the above is not done or done correctly before moving on, than the kundalini shakti (कुण्डलिनी शक्ति) is either not going to move upwards OR, if it does, will cause you all sorts of problems. AND...all of what I just went through was just a small part of the overall pranayama (प्राणायाम) methods. SIDE NOTE: All of what I am speaking to above is based on exposure to Kalaripayattu (or just Kalari) of India (Northern and Southern). Because of my interest and work in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and, in particular, the application of the associated vital points to the martial arts. Ayurveda is a part of Kalari. Ayurveda is divided into eight categories (Shalyatantra) and Marmashastra (the science or use of marmas) is one of them. Again, for those not familiar, the marmas are what you would think of as the pressure point or vital points that lay along the lines of the nadis or meridians. Your mileage may vary. But, if it does, then you might have more information here to follow up on. It is! Remember, qigong (気功) or kiko just means energy work. So it is very generic without more context...like wuxing qigong (五形気功) or five element energy work. There, it is refined down a little. Well, Hung Ga is a Southern China martial art. But, I have never read anything that indicated that this particular art was an influence on Okinawan "karate". I would suspect that the white crane arts...in particular Mínghequan (鳴鶴拳) Whooping or Crying Crane, Monk Fist Boxing (Luohanquan - 罗汉拳), Five Ancestors Fist (Wuzuquan - 五祖 拳) and, more recently proposed Incense Shop Boxing/Fist (Xiang Dian Quan - 香店拳). Wow...I really went into ramble mode here! LOL! Sorry, too much coffee this morning I guess. Hope it is of some benefit to you.

Not alot of folks do outside of the Chinese community do. But hey! Like I said, it is a good reason to have 15 days of celebration! LOL! I follow a particular school of Taoism and, more directly, train in a school of Taijiquan. So, it applies a little more directly. As far as your sign goes, the Chinese take zodiac based birth signs to a little deeper than we do in the West. If you don't mind sharing your birth year, I can post up some information for you about it. I am not saying that I believe in such things or that other should...but it is interesting to read. Thanks!

Thank you sir!