Sauzin

Question: In your style what is the minumum time reqiurement (total amount of time spent in the art) and age for the following ranks: Shodan Nidan Sandan Yondan Thank-you for your time. -Paul Holsinger

The Issinryu version of Seisan sounds similar to the version I practice in Okinawan Kenpo, so I'd like to talk about that. Everything from the superb offline then back online stepping with mid-blocks and reverse strikes to the throws done when turning to the ending "U" punch then windmill block are extremely effective. It's hard to see when you're in the "block, punch, kick, step block punch kick" mentality. Think outside the box a bit. In a fight two guys aren’t going to stand a foot apart and punch at each other like in a sparing match. There will be grabbing, elbows, knees, and a lot of hooks. Seisan works with all these factors. Ask yourself, "What are my hands doing while I'm transitioning? What could I be grabbing? What might my opponent be grabbing? What happens if I move my foot here while his foot is there and I turn?" You know play around; there's all kinds of stuff there. For example get into a position before any turn in the kata and have someone grab you. Perform the turn and the technique. See where stuff goes.

Some very nice looking peices. What is the long of the staff made out of? Do you do custom work?

Power is an interesting term here. When I speak of power I think about transferable force. Hips are important but they are not the end all. In fact the body part used is not really even all there is to it. Many people say to use the hips but how they use them is not always optimized. What I have found is that every strike is the culmination of an effort exerted by the entire body. Put simply every muscle group must move as close to the same direction as possible, at the appropriate time, unrestrained by opposing forces (tensed muscles). Any motion that does not align with this singular direction deters from the total applied force. Likewise this alignment also serves to create a solid structure which prevents reciprocal force from bouncing back. Following this concept, it is not enough just to pivot the hip. The hip must be pivoted in the direction of the strike and for only as long as the pivot maintains the direction of the strike. Timing is very important as well. Learning how to transfer the power from one motion to the next is a close second to producing power. Add to that unrestrained and relaxed motion with a solid stance and you have one mean punch, strike, or kick. -Paul Holsinger

Breathing is a prerequisite for proper kata, the real question lies in asking what is the best way to breath. Loud breathing can accomplish several things. It makes sure that breathing is a controlled and emphasized act. It tenses muscles. And perhaps most importantly it allows your instructor to listen to what you are doing. A good instructor can listen to a loud breathing exercise and know if you are breathing deeply from the diaphragm or not. Silent breathing is more natural. It does not prematurely or artificially tense your body. It is less obvious to an opponent. However many silent breathers simply forget to breath at the appropriate times. Correct silent breathing is not as obvious to the instructor. Also it does not train dynamic tension the same way loud breathing does. So really there are gives and takes. If your current instructor wants you to breath loudly in class then do so. Realize that it is likely an instruction aid that will allow him to correct you. When practicing on your own, do whatever feels comfortable. Whatever you do, just don’t altogether forget to breath.

I once was invited to view a Ninjitsu class and what I saw was very interesting. Most of the techniques that I saw being performed looked very similar to jujitsu. Lots of foot grabing, twisting, locks, falls, and throws. They also performed 4 Sanchin forms/exercises. As a class they stood in a circle and repetitively practiced these movements. It was very interesting, and I have never seen anything like that since. This guy claimed to have learned out of California and I forget the further specifics he gave. I have no doubt that there are legitimate Ninjitsu practitioners out there, I was lucky enough to see a group. However for every legit guy I've met there are at least 5 who weren't. Good luck!

Yea but they were executed a lot of different ways. I do believe that high kicks are a recent buzz though. There is nearly no mention of them in any historical accounts I have read. Really when you’re talking about older arts the question of effectiveness is just plain ridiculous. Do you think a martial art is going to be practiced for 200 years and not work? You think people know how to fight now days? Try back when there were no guns and fighting was a matter of day to day survival. Things had to work back then too, only back then the ones who practiced things that didn't work died. Likewise there was a much smaller array of non-combat applicable defense systems as a result. Think about it, if it was practiced in the day when your life constantly depended on it, it had to work. What makes people think that a 1000 year old tried and tested way of fighting isn't going to work now? Are people doing new things? Has someone found a new way of punching? Do people come with 3 arms now instead of 2? I don't think so. The only two things that stand between an effective art and one that isn't are a tradition to draw knowledge from and the mind to practice it.

I couldn't agree more with Jussi Häkkinen. While using weapons with empty hand kata may seem to bring to light new applications, truth be told, little of it will yeild practical weapon application with the weapon. Simply put, weapons change the dynamics. There are many things specific to each weapon that must be a certain way. Simply putting a weapon in your hand while doing an empty handed kata will not show you these specific refinements. Even if you know these specifics, to apply them to an empty hand kata you would need to change it to the point of being nearly unrecognizable. Even then the technique could probably be done better without trying to conform to an empty handed kata pattern in the first place. Now there are defiantly some commonalities between empty hand and weapon techniques, but to be practiced with practical application in mind, the two must remain distinctly separate.

I would like that, please do update this topic when you get that information. On another interesting note, there has been a lot of hesitance lately among high ranking Okinawans when asked if you can have your picture taken with them. You may be referring to one of the infamous pictures that caused this.

So how many seminars did he take from Oyata? How many private sessions did he have? What did they discuss or practice in those sessions? So far I have been unable to get specific instances, numbers, and accounts of these things from anyone who has spoken directly with Dillman. I would appreciate it if you could provide them. -Paul Holsinger

They are not all done with just open hand. Infact Anan has some closed fists in it as well (though not many). If you are refering to the begining, both Haiku and Paiku (sp?) start with a sequence of open hand blocks then two punches instead of a palm heal.

I would be interested in hearing your account if you were there. If you are getting your information directly from Dillman, then I have hopes that you would know him well enough to know that he gives slightly different variations depending upon who is in the room and when you catch him. Lately he has become a bit defensive when asked questions about this subject. -Paul Holsinger

I discussed this thread with a student of Dillman's who had several private conversations with him and his wife. He stated that in private Dillman claimed to have taken 4 to 5 seminars and 2-3 private sessions from Oyata within a year and a half period. Of course this is different from the account I got from Oyata's student who claimed that Dillman simply completed a couple of seminars and never had any private sessions. Either way, from both accounts, Dillman most definitely was not a regular or even really an irregular student of Oyata's. How would any instructor feel if someone attended a few seminars, spoke with you in private, and then went around claiming he learned a martial art/pressure point system from you? Heck, I can't imagine an instructor wanting to be used as a reference unless the person has attended regular classes for at least a couple of years. When someone asks me for my references I don't spout off every person I've attended a seminar from or spoken with in private. Really I don't understand why anyone uses Dillman’s name in the same sentence as Oyata's. At best they knew each other for a period of time, but Dillman was never Oyata's student. He simply shouldn't use Oyata as reference. The way I understand it, Oyata just doesn't want his name used in reference to what Dillman teaches or does. Really the two are nothing alike and in the end have very little to do with one another. There may be other personal things going on as Oyata hasn't taken kindly to many of Dillmans statements, but to compare it to a father and son relationship is grossly inaccurate. From Oyata's perspective, the two barely met. -Paul Holsinger

On another note, I cannot praise Oyata's kata and understanding of weapons enough. He is truly one of the last Okinawan legends still alive.

While I wasn't there to see it, and I don't want to ruffle any feathers, I think it is important to state that this is a matter of some dispute. I have corresponded with current students of Oyata and their account was that Dillman successfully completed several seminars but was never in regular attendance of any of his classes. Oyata to this day does not acknowledge any relationship with Dillman including that of student-teacher. This is not disputed, and is likely to be a more accurate regarding the primary origin of his pressure point knowledge. -Paul Holsinger

To my knowledge the two have very little to do with one another. Now I have to admit, I don’t know much about Zen. As I understand it, it is Japanese in origin and has had a strong influence on Japanese sword art practice and on martial arts stemming or related to this (Aikido, Jujitsu). If Kobudo has any influences other then its Okinawan roots, they are Chinese. Kobudo and Japanese weapon arts have done very little intermingling. Kobudo is not taught in the same format as the Japanese sword. Because most of those who practice Kobudo have practiced some form of karate, it is taught in the same format. You may as well ask whether or not Zen has any connections to Karate. My answer would still be, not really. As far as Kobudo’s origins go I would suggest reading Unante by John Sells. That book really lays it all down. Hope this helps some, -Paul Holsinger

I couldn’t agree more with what you are saying. Please allow me to theorize as to why this is. There is a vast amount of beginning and intermediate level students coming to the states and becoming instructors. Often it occurs in a style or system that the founder never reached much further then an intermediate level under his sensei and it is taught from person to person, no higher then this. Many styles have lost their more advanced kata practice. I believe it is truly important to practice kata slowly, step by step, movement by movement until a very solid foundation and understanding of the movements is obtained. Eventually it should be practiced as though one were actually fighting. Perhaps what truly differentiates this method of kata practice is the lack of individual step by step motions. Really the only way to obtain the correct “speed” is to flow one movement into the next as efficiently (without excessive motion) as possible. The reason kata is separated into separate movements or techniques is because it is very important to learn how to finish a motion before starting the next. But at an advanced level the motions are finished by flowing or rebounding into the next motion instantaneously. This has the appearance of speeding the kata up tremendously and looks entirely different then the standard “one, two, three” step by step kata practice. I don’t think it is always that they are moving faster though. I think they are simply not stopping. In many tournaments this would not get you very high marks. Long dramatic pauses and smooth slow motions sprinkled with quick bursts seem to be the standard high scores now days. Of course kata were not designed to make high scores. -Paul Holsinger

I don’t know if I would classify my instructor as scary or demonic when instructing but he definitely gives his fair share of angry stares, shouts, and he is very good at making someone feel like sh*t. The reasons, as he explains it, are simple. He believes that shouting and harsh instruction motivates learning. He doesn’t think that people are able to realize the need for change unless you startle them and force them to recognize that what they are doing is wrong. He also believes that a student must first feel like he knows nothing before he is ready to learn. In short, he is a big believer in negative reinforcement. Coincidently he spent over 20 years in the military. People have told him that he is an a$$hole. He is not welcome in several dojo’s. Most (99%) women refuse to train under him. However, here in Boise, Idaho I honestly believe he is the best martial artist in the state, hands down. He is probably one of the best weapons practitioners in the world. When a weapon is in his hands he moves with such power and precision you would think he was born with it attached to him. He is phenomenal, but his attitude is such that he has only about 5 active students. But if you’re lucky and determined enough to be one of those 5, I honestly believe you are getting some of the best instruction in the world. Only problem is you basically have to hate yourself to put up with it. Personally I agree with what everyone said. People shouldn’t have to put up with this kind of treatment. And they don't. But I have stuck with my instructor for a little over 6 years now and I would not be half the martial artist I am today were it not for him. I guess a nice personality and great skill don't always go hand and hand. But I don't go to his class to learn how to be a good person, or because I like his personality. I go to his class because I refuse to learn martial arts from anyone but the best I can find. -Paul Holsinger

Correct bo training will likely teach you the most about stance, body movement, and timing. All very important things to learn before you go on other weapons. Sword training is great, but I believe it to be a dedication unto it'self. Not something I would suggest to most color belts.

Idaho gives residents the right to kill anyone who breaks and enters your home. A friend of my sensie used a pair of tonfa which worked very well. They were small, didn’t need a lot of space, and they were very effective and ridding the attacker’s ability to use his knee. He was able to respond with non-lethal force with this weapon and considering where he was attacked (on a military housing unit) this was a good thing. No body likes damaging government property (the person who was attacking was enlisted) more then is necessary. Personally I would use my sais. They work well in closed spaces. They are accurate, fast, deadly, and people don’t often see them coming.

I agree with most of the points above, except for the farmer fighters who fought over holes. That’s ridiculous. Most Okinawan fighters were not farmers, and even if they were Shotokan’s deep stances were a modification that was made in Japan by a school teacher. They believed in sacrificing mobility for better stability thus offering a more forceful punch. Goju’s Japanese side followed Shotokan’s example and cross-pollinated a bit. The Okinawan Goju practitioners were greatly influenced by Miyagi’s Southern Chinese instruction, though their primary stance, sanchin-dachi, is not a low stance. This is true of Japanese Goju as well they just seem to emphasize low front and squat stances a bit more. I would like to add that the difference between a fighter that is forced to the ground and one that can choose is his stance work. Even an elongated front stance works well when you have an opponent bent and elongated over your knee. In these cases mobility is not the issue. There are times when you need to be very low to the ground and rooted and there are other times when you need to take flight. There’s a stance for all these occasions. Having a multitude of deep and also more mobile stances gives a fighter the ability to adapt and find balance in any position. -Paul Holsinger

I was not trying to douse a student's natural curiosity. From her first statement it sounded like she had an instructor who either wasn't able to or wasn't willing to teach her a kata and she was going to try to create a kata herself. All I wanted was for her to work with an instructor. Since she is doing that, I wish her the best. There are undoubtedly others out there that do not have instructors and would like to learn the bo. I would implore them to find someone with at least a passing familiarity to show them some basics, otherwise they may seriously injure themselves. You would not believe some of the injuries that board aspiring martial artists out here in Boise, Idaho get when they are fooling around. No brain impalements yet, but anything could happen. There is a misnomer that the bo is just a stick and therefore you can play around with it and not hurt anyone. I'm just trying to bring awareness to the potential implications of its misuse and encourage people to seek out qualified instructors. A side note: I would also suggest that any beginner be taught the basics and stay under close supervision while “making a kata”. I have personal opinions as to how wise this teaching method is but I will keep them to myself. (*still shaking head*) -Paul Holsinger

1 red oak 6ft bo 1 rattan 6ft bo 1 purpleheart 6ft bo 1 purpleheart jo 1 white oak 3ft bo 2 bloodwood tan bo 1 hard rock maple eku 1 shureido red oak eku 1 shureido red oak nunchuku 2 shureido sai 2 shureido red oak tonfa 2 shureido red oak kama 2 shureido tekko 1 red oak super heavy boken

Yes with a "bo staff". A bo is a serious weapon. Sure as kids we all play with sticks, but you start swinging a 6ft oak bo around and you'll find some additional dangers. First the length of the stick causes any vertical swing to come very close to your knees. In a wide stance it is very possible to end your days as a martial artist by nailing your knee with the other end of an over head strike. Secondly if you don't know how to do a side strike it is very possible to injure your ribs, fracture your arm, or bruise the side of your hip bone. Then there's the given potential for injury to others if a proper grip and control is not maintained. People like to swing the thing around "In one hand then out the, wait were is that other hand?" kind of situation. Next thing you know someone is missing an eye and the brain that it was connected to ain’t doing so good either (worst case scenario but certainly possible). Weapons can hurt people. A bo is a weapon, like a sai, a kama, or a gun. Don't just pick it up and expect to swing it around and figure it out. Someone will most likely get hurt. Usually it's not the bad guy. It may be that injuries are less common with bo’s then say kamas, but it only takes one. I would prefer that people without weapon instructors not chance it. If they feel that they must then I would highly suggest that they go at it with a rattan and they keep the movements slow. However I fail to see the point. I personally do not believe it possible to learn a bo technique with a degree of proficiency that will actually be of benefit without qualified instruction, especially at a beginning level. -Paul Holsinger

*sigh* (shaking head) Find an instructor. Don't hurt yourself.