ESA-Shotokan

Talking about feeling awkward. I started in karate in 1980 and yet when I joined the ESA this year, I have felt awkward since. That is not a bad thing, just me learning how to do things correctly

I can agree with that too. I have of late been training in two different organisations and at the end of the day, the quality of the karate comes down to the sensei and the pupils in the dojo. I feel (and I have been guilty of this) that people tend to get bogged down a bit too much with tradition and how it should be done correctly.

Hmmm but do you hit eachother to the point of broken bones, fractures, etc? That's the type of force I am referring to. A hit is nothing, we can all take it, but what if I kicked you in the solar plexus at full pelt or in the balls quite hard? If I say stand there while I just ram this into your face, I have a feeling there has to be a point where you have to say "No" ? Maybe I am wrong here.

Oh yes, I know Gigo was the guy who brought in the longer stances of shotokan - in effect, he developed the strength of shotokan compared to Gichin, his dad. I agree with you aefibird, I am not a huge fan of Gichin Funakoshi but Gigo, on the other hand, made it into a better system. As for Nakayama, it was he who invented sports karate and that is the thorn in the side I was referring to.

One thing I often wonder is why karateka allow their sensei to demonstrate techniques on them. Is it right that your instructor be allowed to thump you hard with a punch or kick while you are standing there as a punchbag, having to accept the hit? Yes, if you are being given the opportunity to block then so be it, if the technique lands then at least you had a chance to defend yourself against it. Also yes it is okay to hit with control but I am talking about a real hard thump to a vital area of the body. How many of you agree with this unecessary act which is conducted by so many sensei?

I love techno. My favourite DJ's are Carl Cox and Mistress Barabara for this genre, to name but two. Good stuff!!

Doh!! I just saw your reply SaiFightsMS

I always thought this style was related to ninjutsu?

Okay, under the what I learned last night banner. Has anybody ever thought what the very last move in bassai dai represents? That is, the bringing of the fist to the open palm. The last double step shuto is an attack to the collar bone of an attacker, the attack being blocked by the kamae of the shuto action as you step forward. After delivering the shuto strike, you grab hold of your opponent by the back of the head and woomf! Fist goes into their face as you pull them down towards it! I totally did not know that!! Similar applications apply with bassai sho and Jion/Jitte. Good...very good stuff!

If you are just putting together a set of blocks and attacks then really, that is just a combination. If you are going to realistically design a new kata, then I guess you first have to be wanting to demonstrate a particular technique which you may have found in another style which could be incorprated into karate or the such. The kata then would be used to demonstrate this technique; if you see what I mean?

I think it is good that people are questioning so much of how karate is taught now. Since I joined the ESA, I have been learning Shotokan as it was taught by the Funakoshi's and not Nakayama's JKA karate. I have been studying JKA flavoured karate via the KUGB for many years and I now see how flawed it is. My current ESA Shotokan lineage is me=>Alan Armstrong=>Sensei Kase=> Gigo and Gichin Funakoshi. Whereas my KUGB lineage was me=>sensei(s)=>Enoeda=>Nakayama=>Gichin Funakoshi The ESA lineage is more pure and true to the Shotokan style and it does indeed include a lot of take-downs, throws and the such from the bunkai and application of kata. I heard quote recently that, had Gigo Funakoshi not died young, then Shotokan would not have got to Nakayama and the JKA and God-knows sports-karate would not have arisen as it did. I am quite confident that Gigo Funakoshi would somehow have frowned upon tippy-tappy karate. It would have been so interesting to see how shotokan would have developed across the world under the influence of Gigo. Maybe we are getting a taste of it.

If you work on kata bunkai oyo then you are indeed designing your own defined kata application, so that is a legit way of creating your own kata. Think of how many combination sof oyo you could create? The options are endless. Of course, they should be of realistic use and not just a load of rubbish thrown together.

Best to try and keep the hips square; try to get the feeling of pushing in with the opposite hip to the foot you are kicking with but do push forward with both hips. As for the supporting foot turning slightly, this is not a major error but you will then find you can't drive yourself forward as fast. Try doing the front kick and keep your balance afterwards; hold this position. Then continue to step down into a forward stance (zenkuts) and perform oitsuki punch. If your foot is turned out, you may find yourself sort of hovering there for a moment as you gather your momentum to perform the punch. Instead, always work on keeping that supporting leg bent and also try (hard as it is) to not even raise your hips from the starting position - in fact, try to lower the position slightly to accommodate the action. Then kick and step forwards.

Something I have noticed a lot in many karate classes is the absence of knuckle press-ups in any of the sessions! Does your dojo include these as start or end of lesson exercises? If not, do you do them yourself and again, how many per day; per week? I do them every day but only about 50 at a time. If you ever want to give your hands a good punishing, do sets of 20 knuckle press-ups followed immediately by some bare-knuckle bag work; say 50 punches on each hand, hard into the bag. Then straight back into more press-ups. It certainly toughens the hands BUT not recommended for a new person as you will simply injure yourself.

Yup, Kihon Kata (Taikyoku Shodan) for me too. Even now, I constantly work on the first gedan-barai, oistuki combination - trying to attain top speed with good form; it's a good one. Also the gedan-barai turn after the first kiai! One day I will master that to a point I feel it is exceptional. Every now and then, there is a quiver and my front foot will slip or the stance nto be wide enough. Even the most basic kata have lessons for us all to learn. Good stuff.