Shorin Ryuu

Wouldn't 7 years of practical nunchaku training beat 7 years of flashy nunchaku training? In other words, you say at least the flashy stuff gets you familiar with the weapon, but if you spent those 7 years learning practical things, then you wouldn't merely by familiar, you'd be extremely good. You admit you could build bad habits, but downplay their effects. Don't... It would be like saying you get familiar with the sai by watching daredevil...the only thing you would get famliar with would be poor sai technique... Sorry, I just saw that big hole in your logic and decided to jump in...nothing personal.

I've seen two theories on this. One theory is that the bo should be about a fist length or an inch or two above the head, the other is that for an adult, it should be 6 feet long. The first one is more of a customization issue (I certainly wouldn't force your son to use a 6 foot bo). The second stems more from tradition in Okinawa. When the Satsuma samurai re-inforced the weapons ban in Okinawa, they even extended it further and more strictly to the royal guards, policemen and the like. This included cutting the naginata like weapons the guards carried at the six foot mark. The weapon before this was basically a staff with a blade at the end, which was like a spear or the japanese naginata (closer to a sword blade at the end). Therefore, the six foot mark is seen to be sort of a traditional length of the weapon they trained with. That being said, the Okinawans also trained in the jo, which ranges between one to two feet shorter than the traditional (rokushaku) bo. (Rokushaku just means 6 "shaku", which was a measurement of length about a foot long). They also train in the nintonbo, which is a about two foot long. Different lengths for different purposes. Short answer: Tradition or customization. In this case I go with tradition, simply due to the many techniques that were designed to have a six foot bo length in mind. This doesn't mean they won't work with differing lengths, I just like it to be that way... Of course, since I am 5' 11'', it is rather a moot point for me.

Are you saying that they CAN be done with no contact or that they CAN't be done with no contact...I kind of read the sentence both ways at once... Could you clarify to me your thoughts on the matter?

I had a pair of Shureido sai handmade for the North American head of our style (Doug Perry, see the other sai post) that he let me buy (he kept trying to forget he sold them to me so I had to keep pressing the money on him...) and the wrappings were black. A year or so before that, I bought one and the wrappings were purple...I felt the same way, but got over it (especially since I got that pair with black wrapping now).

For excellent hand made traditional wooden weaponry, I recommend both the Weapons Connection, Crane Mountain and Murasaki Kobudo, all located in the states and all very reputable and reliable. I've had people purchase weapons from all three of them and say nothing but good things about them. They are reliable, but handmade to order and of extremely high quality. I've ordered a bo and eaku from Crane Mountain, although it is still being made (most of these orders take about 2 months to fulfill, as the utmost care is given to them). I can personally voucher for Murasaki Kobudo. The former owner (Doug Perry, who I've mentioned off an on in various posts) was the same one who I mentioned even had to put correct Shureido about their sai... Anyway, I know for a fact he was never in it for the money, and he made sure that his successor in the company (he passed it on because he didn't feel like dealing with the money issues, as he has a lot of other stuff to take care of) felt the same way. I have a pair of purpleheart tonfa, ash tonfa, purpleheart nunchaku, ash nunchaku and ash nitonbo from Murasaki and I am incredibly pleased with the quality. http://www.murasakikobudo.com/ http://www.weaponsconnection.com/ http://crane-mountain.com/ I thought these would be good resources for those who are willing to spend more money for a weapon to literally last them a lifetime. They're not too expensive, but more so than cheap mass produced ones.

Yes, Shureido sai are pretty much guaranteed to be balanced. The criticism that was to be had was that Shureido for a brief time was starting to take shortcuts and put a slight bulge where the tines connected to the handle. This bulge wasn't as big as the mass produced ones, I'm told, but was big enough to cause problems. This bulge is bad because in proper sai technique, the thumb should press against the section of the sai where all the pieces connect during certain movements. With the bulge there, it makes it difficult to apply the proper force/energy transfer necessary. It also interfers with the proper wrapping of the fingers in other movements. I think Shureido has long since corrected this problem, I believe. But yes, there should be no worries about the balance. You will notice an incredible world of difference between using mass produced sai and the hand made ones. I do want to emphasize getting a pair of sai that fit you. There are varying ways of doing this, and no one agrees exactly, but everyone is pretty similar. One way is to measure from your elbow to the tip of your index finger. Then add 1/2 of an inch. This half of an inch takes into account the bottom end piece of the sai (the knob so it doesn't slip out of your hand and probably has to do something with the balance of the sai as well, I'd imagine) and the slight bit that extends past your elbow. Anyway, Shureido is not the only manufacturer to handmake them. Weapons Connection makes them here in the states and are quite reputable as well. http://www.weaponsconnection.com One warning about the "energy sai" though. I have never used them, but one of my instructors (I consider him my main instructor, but we are now separated in terms of distance) bought some and a person I trained with over the summer bought them as well. Both of them mentioned that they were good, but were weighted a bit heavier than most (not necessarily out of balance). This doesn't mean that if you don't use them you are "wussing out", it is just a compromise between speed and weight. If anything (once I get more money), I might try out this type of sai, but I prefer quicker techniques since this is meant to be a quick offensive weapon, in my opinion.

No problem. I'm glad I could help. In terms of pure nutrition information and concerns about healthy living (and aging...I'm far to young to be reading books about aging it seems, but I figure I should start because I'm young, not in spite of it), I'd recommend the Okinawa Program. I don't follow the structured program they have in their book, and some of it seems to be a stretch. However, they have very sound nutrition advice and knowledge in there. Even if you don't follow the program, it has a lot of "good to know" information, in my opinion. Some of it you might know already, but it also goes into the aging process, which you may or may not have studied. Lastly, best of luck to you in your training and your nutritional pursuits (geez, I just made it sound like a hobby). You obviously have the common sense not to get caught in the latest "fad". Quite refreshing, in my opinion...

I agree that there should be some knowledge withheld from beginners to ensure trust and proper skill level is achieved. However, the questions I told him to ask about the punch, the yoi position and the "chamber" are really things I believe that a vast amount of styles teach out there in a very simplified or mistaken manner. By that I mean that they don't understand why they do it or have never thought about it (this stems perhaps from a heavy emphasis on not questioning tradition, perhaps). I'm interested first in what his teacher responds with though, then we'll do a discussion of my opinions on it... As far as knowledge to be withheld, I believe that certain things, like advanced pressure point theory that will render an enemy unconscious by shutting of blood flow or kill someone is the kind of stuff that should be withheld from beginners. Basic stuff like the yoi position, the chamber, and the punch is stuff I think they should teach completely openly without holding back from the beginning. Even more advanced concepts like tai sabaki (body change) and the like should be incorporated from square one honestly to give time for the beginner to develop it, even if he or she does not fully understand it. I understand your sentiment, I just didn't think it applied to this case. Lastly, this is a karate forum, so I thought it would be appropriate to share as much (safe) knowledge as possible.

Traditional Okinawan bo have tapers on the end to decrease the surface area when the tip is used to strike the opponent (which eventually should become almost all the time). I'm a fan of this kind of bo because I take Okinawan kobudo and it makes a lot of sense to me logically. I would use this kind in self-defense practice. I prefer purpleheart wood, simply because it is a high-quality wood that improves with age, just like fine wine. This wood is pretty expensive though. For competition, I personally would use this same bo, as I'm sure judges would be looking more for proper technique, and it would be something I would be used to. I'm just not a big competition person anyway, so I haven't even participated in traditional competitions, even purely kata competitions. I've watched some, but never done them (but have talked a bit with judges, since I was never the one performing). That being said...if your judges look for flash, get a lighter, thinner bo (um, aluminum, plastic, whatever I guess) since it is easier to twirl. I am not a fan of this, but you might be so it is your call. Get something with "pizazz" if that is your thing. If you want flash but can't bring yourself to use something other than wood, than ash is a pretty light wood that is still pretty stable and I would recommend that. For demonstration, just keep in mind your audience. If you are doing a demonstration with the sole purpose of looking flashy, use the bo with pizazz. If you are trying to show people legitimate self defense, use the tapered one. The tapered one isn't completly necessary, it is just what I prefer personally for self-defense.

I've only signed a contract once, and that was when I was first starting years back. Looking back, it was a crap McDojo (term we use for places looking to improve the size of their wallets, not your ability to defend yourself). Since then, I've had instructors that taught for free and instructors that have simply charged monthly dues. These instructors were what I would call legit, though. That being said, what does this contract entail? If it is merely some safety thing, then I wouldn't worry (although I've never been forced to sign one other than my first dojo, and you can guess what my impressions of that one are...). If it is a contract saying that you will come for 6 months and pay X amount of money upfront, non-refundable, then you may want to consider something else.

I'm of the opinion that you need a balanced sai in order to do techniques properly. I don't do "freestyle" sai and train in them in traditional kobudo. I have a pair of handmade sai by Shureido (inspected by the North American head of our style, Doug Perry because he confided to me that for a while, Shureido's standards were slipping a bit until he gave them a stern "talking to"). All instructors I have had in various styles told me they believe the sai should never extend beyond the elbow (or if it does, only by a centimeter or so). The reason for this is that the sai was never meant to be a defensive weapon per se. It was meant to be used as quickly as possible to detain criminals or attackers (in the case of policemen or bodyguards, as the sai weren't something that everyone had). It could certainly be used for defense, but its mainly supposed to be an offensive weapon... I had an overly long Shureido one for a while, but have since discarded it for a more practical, shorter one. Long explanation = Balanced sai is necessary for proper use and avoid the use of an over-long sai. That being said, don't buy one so short that it makes you look like Raphael when you hold it...

3% is the commonly accepted value (for males) as the minimum body fat level that is necessary in order to stay healthy. Few people get to this level, although wrestlers, boxers (I used to be one) and the like often pass this. It is not healthy to do so, as it is necessary to have the fat to pad internal organs (including the brain) and serves other functions to ensure proper workings of the body. You say that experts are generally full of crap on this subject...In that case you have to separate "experts" from experts. It is accepted in medical circles that 3% is the minimum healthy level (as somewhat of a health junkie, a former boxer, and former roommate of a biology major, I've done quite a lot of research on this topic). Now experts on dieting...a lot of them are kind of suspect, if that is what you are referring to... I am naturally around the 4 1/2% body fat level (I was born three months premature), although this dips a little lower from time to time. Part of the reason for this is also because I place a great deal of emphasis on the health content of my food (I don't eat any processed sweets at all or junk food in general). So much of your health has been proven to be weighted more towards diet and lifestyle as opposed to genetics (even though this plays a part as well, it is not anywhere near as important). Your body can tell you if it is too much or not. When I was a boxer, I was around 2% and was miserable. One of the reasons I stopped (plus long term health concerns which make me wish that boxing wasn't a sport for anyone, period) was because of this unhealthy emphasis on cutting weight, although to be honest, there were quite a few of us who decided that they would fight in their own natural weight class. But I digress... Bottom line, don't think about going past the 3% mark. As everyone's body is different, you might want to avoid going past the 5% mark, just to be sure. Either way, don't overdo it.

Ask what the "chambered hand" is really used for. Ask what the "yoi" position in your kata is used for. Ask what the lineage of his style is (he should be able to tell you several teachers back). Ask how big a part does pressure point theory play in advanced levels (should be pretty big). Do you do three-quarters rotation punch or a full rotation punch? If you do a full rotation punch, ask why and see if this is only for beginners (until black belt or something). Traditional schools use three-quarters punch for a variety of reasons (There has been several 3/4 vs. full rotation threads in the past here). If he can't (or won't) give you better reasons than "Its just always been done that way" or "This represents your empty hand", than it may not be the best school. He might be suspicious or curious why you would ask some of these (deeper) questions right off. Just be honest if he does and tell him that you heard that Shorin Ryu had some certain characteristics and you were genuinely curious. And a note, it is "gi" not "gui's". If he rarely if ever uses the internet, I'm sure he doesn't make Graphical User Interfaces on a regular basis... Let me know the answers and I'll tell you, but it will just be conjecture as I'm not the one there observing your class...

Read my post on ninjitsu vs. jujitsu, as it sort of relates to the topic...

Really, almost anything by Robert W. Smith and Donn Draeger are good... Donn Draeger focused on hoplology (study of weapons, not country specific) and writes much on Japanese arts. One of the most prolific and respected authors in these fields. Robert W. Smith was originally a judoka, but has studied many Chinese arts as well in numerous trips to the orient. He is also highly respected, and was one of the first to write legitimately to the West about the Chinese arts. Therefore he would be an excellent person to read for Chinese developments (read below for Martial Musings, which is excellent in general). Below are the ones I've read pertinent to the question and would recommend... Classical Bujutsu by Donn Draeger (Classical Japanese styles) Classical Budo by Donn Draeger (Modern Japanese arts) Chinese Boxing by Robert W. Smith Unante by John Sells (I think the most in-depth, well-researched and legitimate book on the development of Karate, Both Okinawan and Japanese. It may be too knowledge-intense for some people though.) Okinawan Karate by Mark Bishop (easier read, but much less detail) Zen and the Way of the Sword (Excellent book on why Zen is such a big part of Japanese martial arts) by Winston L. King. Martial Musings by Robert W. Smith (Martial Arts in the 20th century, excellent resource and great read, even if you aren't a martial artist just because I think his flavor really shows through in this work)

For me, training with another person really helps me out. I had a friend start training with me four years ago in a style and we both kept with it (starting at about the same experience level). It really helped to have someone to talk theory with, train with, and test theory against. Plus, both of us want to learn as much as possible about everything, so it helped us in our learning process. The military being as it is, we have since moved to different states, but I still keep in contact with him.

Bingo.

No problem. Just jump high in the air and twirl your bo with one hand. It helps if your bo glows in the dark. Oh, and while you are at it, play some loud music in the background... Or you can follow the advice of everyone and learn real bo technique and theory in class... It does get fun, especially when you learn the advanced grappling applications with it.

I find inhaling while going down and exhaling while going up helps. It is much easier for most people to generate power while exhaling than it is for people to generate power while inhaling. It gives you a good rhythm and ensures plenty of oxygen for prolonged exercise...

Traditional Okinawan karate is highly circular. More modern sport derivatives or Japanese styles are much more linear. In effect, Okinawan styles developed from China and Japanese styles developed (in just the last 100 years, many of them much less) from Okinawa. Okinawan styles feature much more natural stances while Japanese styles feature deeper and rigid positions. In other words, Okinawan (traditional) are closer to their Chinese roots. In some cases, some of these styles are softer than quite a few Chinese systems. All the same, they can be considered a mixture of internal and external concepts. China's schools are divided into two: External and Internal. The external is "harder" and relies upon a lot of physical training (although some of these styles incorporate less of this). This group composes nearly all of what people think when they hear the word kung fu, as most styles are External. It attempts to use several attacks rather than one attack to dispatch an opponent. It also is heavy into strategy and tactics constructed around this philosophy to include the ability to give and receive blows. There are only three true "Internal" styles: Bagua (Pa-kua), Xingyi (Hsing-I) and Taiji (Tai Chi). These are the soft styles, rely more upon internal strength and attempt to defeat the enemy with very few attacks or even one attack. Not that it is any lighter on strategy or theory, but the theory centers upon defeating the enemy with taking any blows yourself. These are all broad generalizations for a very broad question...

Some styles rely more heavily upon it that others. Obviously, it is not a direct dominance of the art by Chinese principles. As I mentioned before, the art of "ti" is actually much softer than Shaolin schools, I believe. Furthermore, a lot of the weaponry reflects more of an Okinawan bent, which although many people trained in China, they also developed their own family systems on Okinawa and the surrounding islands. It obviously was adapted to the situation they faced (Since the 1300s, there was a weapons ban imposed by the Okinawan king, far earlier than that of the Satsuma samurai who arrived later). In terms of transition of the Bubishi to karate, it wasn't so much individual techniques (although you might be able to see some) as some concepts (I think pressure point theory was already in existance in Okinawa, but probably not to the extent in the Bubishi? This is merely speculation on my part). As all good martial artists did, the karate masters of old took what they believed would help their own styles (I do mean personalities, not ryu) and adapted them. And while we are on the subject of China's influence on karate...here is some info that I like to remind people every once in a while. Early in the 1300s, the Ming Dynasty (I believe, I'm too lazy to check my history books) set up a cultural exchange with Okinawan. During that time, a group of Chinese nobility and families moved to Okinawa and shared many aspects of their culture (to include the martial arts of course). This mixed with the already indigienous arts... Orignally, the art we know as karate today was simply called "te" (ti in the Okinawan dialect). It was also called "tou te" or "Uchinaa te". "Tou" referred to Tang Dynasty (just a way to refer to China, I believe the Tang Dynasty was long gone by then) while Uchinaa meant Okinawa in their dialect. Later style, it was referred to karate, where kara referred to China once again. The first verifiable use of the term "karate" was not until the early 1900s. It wasn't until 1936 that the name was officially changed to "karate" where the "Kara" meant "empty". It was sort of a Japanese pride thing (and there was no way in heck they would call it the "Chinese Hand" or the "Okinawan Hand").

No, I mean literally, he was ranked last in the roll roster according to skill. It was shown to Donn Draeger (perhaps one of the most respected writers in the martial arts world, his word is not to be doubted).

Most all Goju masters (I believe there is one or two exceptions) have died very early deaths (60s) whereas other, more softer styles, the typical age is 80+. At any rate, I find it interesting that Chojun Miyagi's style is so much more harder than that of his teacher Higashionna, whose teachings were incredibly light and more soft. Many teachers on Okinawa warn against, as you said, Sanchin as there are many high blood pressure related illnesses and premature death that can result. When blocking, the thumb side of the fist is forced sideways towards the forearm, causing pressure to be exerted on a vital point at the side of the wrist. This may result in various lung complications. Forceful closing of the anal sphincter is practiced and may caused haemorrhoids if practice much too hard. Indeed, Higashionna in his early training in China once peed blood due to his overtraining. Perhaps the most reliable health detriment is the fact that certain blood vessels are shut off at the limb joint and blood is unable to flow freely and correctly. This causes strain on the heart, blood vessels and internal organs. Now you said, if people don't practice them quite as hard, I suppose that might be a way to mitigate its effects... At any rate, the fact that the following, who are clearly recognized masters, died so much earlier due to health problems than their counterparts in other styles is undisputable: Kanryo Higashionna, age 63 Chojun Miyagi, age 65 Seiko Higa, age 68 There are more, but there names did not stick out at me...

Yes, Shorin Ryu's name itself is a direct Japanization of Shaolin. Okinawan karate is far more Chinese than Japanese karate (as Japanese karate was developed FROM Okinawan karate). Therefore, there is a much more internal approach (even though it derives mainly from the "External" schools of Southern China) than the Japanese karate. At any rate, the Bubishi (basically a White Crane training manual) is considered an incredibly important part in the heritage of Okinawan karate. The development of karate on Okinawa is a mix between indigenous arts and that of constant interchange with China, due to its substantial use as a trading center in that region of Asia. This makes the Chinese influence very unsurprising. Interestingly enough, the art of the royal bodyguards, which is called "ti", has developed not quite independently of karate but much more so and is a lot softer. Sokon Matsumura, the recognized "founder" of the Shorin Ryu styles practiced ti, but passed the much more Okinawan characteristic style of Shorin Ryu. At any rate, I believe there is some bleed over between the two. Long post, as usual...

There is certainly quite a bit of internals in Karate. What is your system? Some are more overt than others, such as Matsumura Shorin Ryu that has White Crane kata as an integral part of their system while others are less. I find White Crane kata to really help bring out the energy in my other kata, as you start to view them from another perspective.