Sho-ju

Doesn't Kenpo mean Chinese fist? If that's the case, then Chinese kenpo is Chinese Chinese fist?

I'd like to learn more about kenpo forms, history etc. Any good sites, perhaps video?

The author puts forward the idea that circular movements (blocks and tai sabaki) lead to too many steps, the purpose of the body guards of the King was direct contact and cause as much damage as you can with one strike.

***THIS CONTAINS 'SPOILER' ELEMENTS, MEANING, I'M GIVING AWAY A FEW OF THE MAIN POINTS OF THE BOOK.*** I read the book almost in one sitting, it was that good of a read. Fantasy and fact mixed together to make one heck of a story. The first 4 or so chapters had me hooked, the middle was stretch and then the ending was a good read that catch my attention again. The comments in the book about Chotoku Kyan are very interesting, the author makes him out to be 'the most over trained karateka' in the world. He also puts forward that Kyan was a bitter person. The story goes something like this, shotokan was a highly stylized verison of Chinese chuan fa used to protect the Okinawan King in his chamber room. It was used to stop the enemy with one punch, attacking as many as possible in a short time, giving the King time to get out the back door. Matsumura, Itosu, Kyan (not Chotoku but his father) Azato and a handful of others created the idea's used in shotokan. The idea was to knock someout with one punch instead of trying to nail atemi waza points or grapple. It's hard to hit points in a crowd and you sure as heck can't grapple in a crowd. That's it. I say buy the book and read it, it's well written and presents a lot of possible reasons to explain why shotokan is the way it is today. The book has a lot of info on translations and the effects the US had on Okinawa during the 'openning up' of Japan by Perry.

PS: Ever see le canne? Those guys NEVER stop moving! lol

I don't know what it is, sometimes when a martial artists picks up a weapon to study they just know in their heart 'this is the one.' It's been like that for me and the cane...I make them, I even studied work working methods just to learn how to improve my cane designs! I work with a cane 5 or more times a week, it's become a passion. I use Vigny's book and have access to an arnis guro as well and a Okinawan kubudo sensei, my Vigny looks a little different. I also use the glancing blows as found in Irish bhata. I did Cane Masters for a while with a black belt from CM, I didn't much like it, it was ok to get started but it's very stationary. Vigny's method shouldn't be so rigid, it's based on western sword play, when my dojo meets to work on cane we move the whole time, trying to flow as they say. The circling guard is a great example of how not to be rigid and that's one of the basic's in his book, suggest to your student to seek further study and sources on the subject...example the 3 wagon wheels. I hear you can now buy VHS tapes on it. I found that arnis strikes in general can't be applied to the cane with the same effect as the Vigny method. Arnis was designed around a short sword, Vigny used a 38" or longer walking cane. Don't get me wrong, arnis stick grappling is far better but the strikes and the pokes can't be used with the same speed and power as a short 28" stick can. We also use jo and hanbo grappling methods while using the cane...there's no limit. sj

Which combative styles does everyone here use for the cane? I've been working shillelagh, goju shorei, arnis, hanbo and the Lang/Vigny method. http://www.the-exiles.org/manual/lang/lang.htm

Good to see you here Ted, I've visited your site a couple of times via uechi-ryu.com.

Our Grandfather wushu uses a deeper stance then naihanchi, the reason being to build power in the lower body, etc.

Make your own for under $10 bucks, be picky with the wood and use a good finish. It's a bo, use it and use it hard, do contact drills with it along with kata. peace

http://karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=11397&highlight=canes&sid=a04c4d57f38e0efad1f1e800f9ffac5b http://karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=12489&highlight=canes&sid=a04c4d57f38e0efad1f1e800f9ffac5b http://karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=11059&highlight=canes&sid=a04c4d57f38e0efad1f1e800f9ffac5b http://karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=10875&highlight=canes&sid=a04c4d57f38e0efad1f1e800f9ffac5b http://karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=11060&highlight=irish&sid=a04c4d57f38e0efad1f1e800f9ffac5b http://karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=10881&highlight=irish&sid=a04c4d57f38e0efad1f1e800f9ffac5b I hope these thread offer more on the topic.

PS: If you want a cane, a good cane that will hold up, pm me and I'll tell you how to go about making one for less then $15 bucks! (But you'll be under oath, by pain of death not to give away the method and plan.) kidding.

A topic after my own heart! Don't forget Cead Bua (Fighting Faction) bhata. It's a very well rounded foam of Irish Stick play that has roots in the faction fights of 1800's. Here's a few links on the topic, if you have any questions I'll try and help, I'm not an expert or anything like that, just a person who has spent the last year really working with canes and bhata's. http://ejmas.com/jnc/jncart_barton-wright_0200.htm http://www.geocities.com/glendoyle/bata/index.html http://www.the-exiles.org/manual/lang/lang.htm http://ahfaa.org/civilian.htm The cane is by far the best (legal) weapon you can carry. IMO

Mine changes all the time. The tekki's I guess.

PS: Here's a kata online, http://home.wxs.nl/~poel0383/tekko_kata.html

Know anyone that weilds? I had a bunch of them made cheap, something $2 bucks a set.

Anyone read this title? Can anyone suggest titles of books on bunkai or kata history?

Without 24fightingchickens aka shotokan planet, what do we do? What other sites should I look at?

Which kata do you use to grade from white to shodan?

I've had the book for a couple of days now, it has to be one of the best (the best I have) on kata. I learned bassai sho in one sitting (will clean it under direction of my sensei ), good investment.

He tours N.A., if you email his site you should be able to find a sem near you. I find he's big in the shotokan circles, those who seek the meaning behind shotokan kata.

http://www.karatedoshotokai.com/interview/index.asp More on Yoshitaka and the development of karate.

I think you give me more credit that I deserve... I was beginning to get the sense that Shorinryu Sensei had a bit of "grass hopper syndrome" going on. Good stuff. sj

I'm in Ontario, close to MI.

I've only been in contact with shorin for 4 or 5 years now, my experiance is limited to Canadiaized Shorin and within the last 3 years traditional matsubayashi. How similar is shorei to tomari te?