Master Jules

Ive been training in Katsugo Ryu AikiJujitsu for about 12 years under Grandmaster Torres, the founder of the system, who is officially a member of the world Soke federation. I hold rank of 3rd Dan from 1998. For about the same time, I have also studied Close Combat Jujitsu. My teacher was a close friend of mine who was a Green Beret and taught me the system they train in. I hold rank of 1st Dan from 1996. Although you may not (as most people make this mistake) believe, Traditional Okinawan Goju Ryu is STRONGLY oriented around grappling. All of the blocking methods of Goju are designed to blend with incoming attacks using the Chi Sau (sticky hands) part of the system, and the locks and breaks (and throws) are all part of the Shaolin Chin Na (seizing and grabbing) part of the system. I currently hold 5th Dan rank in Okinawan Goju Ryu. From 31 years of training in a variety of systems, both stand up "punch and kick", and grappling systems such as Aikijujitsu, Jujitsu, and Aikido, one of my masters and I created a system known as "CQB Tactics", which stands for "close quarter battle". There are no katas, only the practice of the most severe, most devastating "in close" techniques from these systems, based on years and years of deep study of Bunkai, Kaisai, and Oyo. In a nutshell....it can best be described as " the fastest, most devastating way to take out an opponent in the shortest amount of time possible".....mind you now...this system doesnt concern itself with legal ramifications, it is strictly a military application system. It does, of course, also contain the use of and defense against weapons of all kinds. I hold the rank of 5th Dan in CQB Tactics from 2003 as well, as working on its creation was actually a portion of my Master/Renshi test.

Id have to say that I generally choke a person out by first choice....Ill go for the throat and do a combination air/blood choke, just in case you have someone who can hold their breath for a while....nobody can deal with the loss of blood flow to the brain....6-10 seconds...out like a light. Actually, thats how I earned the nickname "The Sandman" as a bouncer.....I generally put them to sleep....when you think about it, it is the most "humane" thing I can do, other options being punching or kicking someone and knocking them out the "hard way".....As far as submissions in a fight, whether it be street or otherwise....yeah...they work....I know from 20 years experience as a bouncer. I have no "favorite" submission hold, just the one that presents itself best during the fight, whether its a wrist lock, armbar.....whatever is given to me....I take and exploit to the fullest.....I prefer to grapple while standing, which is what Goju Ryu promotes, but Im equally comfortable on the ground, bottom or top....in fact, not that I mind the good old "square off, punch and kick" type of fight, but Id rather have someone grab me.....it just makes my job that much easier. I find that when Im grabbed, its like a gift.....and I just luuuuuuuv presents....lol

Man......and I thought I left a better impression ! LOL.....

Before Naha-Te, Higoanna studied with Ru Ru Ko, a Fukienese master of white crane, as well as Pakua, and Hsing-I

Now THAT was a great post !

"If you can dodge a wrench.....you can dodge a ball ".......--Patches O'Hoolihan

Paying $15 isnt really that bad....but you dont want a private lesson at this point....more important to get a feel for the class as a whole, its a totally different energy.

Yeah .....happens all the time....ever notice how you seem to get an awesome workout on some of the days when you dont even feel like you "have it" ?

The GKR website lists katas needed for rank promotions, and the katas are all Goju Ryu and Shotokan forms, unless he changed them....Im not to happy about that "non-contact" karate as was said on the GKR website either....what does that mean ?.....how do you NOT have contact ?.....I dont know.....either way....you said you have a Goju Kai dojo 10 minutes walk.....go to all of them....and then see how they compare.....all teachers are different too....its not just about you going to class.....youre gonna develop a relationship of sorts with the teacher over time, so maybe you chose which dojo you go to because of how you "get along with", or "feel about" the instructor....any good dojo should let you at least sit in on, or actually participate in a few classes to see what you think....and it shouldnt cost anything either.....so beware of those dojos who are just looking to "sign you up" right away.

Ill go with Mente here....definetely go work out......use that excessive energy in a positive way.....Stress can drive you into a really hellacious workout.....always good to have one of those from time to time

Dont lose hope You may wind up having range of motion problems in your neck, as far as looking from side to side....and the occasional pain in the neck and upper back/shoulders. I have very similar injuries due to car accidents, and 31 years of training. I have a bulging/herniated c-5, c-6, and c-6,c-7, as well as a bulge in T-10, and T-12, and a bulging/herniated L-4,L-5, and L-5,S-1 Admittedly, I am not quite as flexible as I was when I was younger, and I do get lotsa back and neck pain, but to be honest......Ive just gotten used to having it, so I dont notice it that much any more. Depending on the severity of damage that you have Goedikey, it will improve...things always do.....but the question is how much..??? The body recovers from injuries in its own way, and whatever you can do to help that (like taking the supplements that youre taking, or going to a chiropractor) is always a good idea.....I see a chiropractor regularly and I have found it to be very helpful with my injuries. As far as martial arts goes....you shouldnt have much limitation, again, depending on your injury. I have noticed that my injuries fluctuate from good day/bad day kinda thing......maybe some annoying back spasms, or a tightness in my neck and/or shoulders. Seriously consider seeing a chiropractor a few times a week if your insurance covers it.....youll be glad you did....I am.....

K.... Since sanchin training focusus on both chi gung and zen, you should definetely be "feeling something"....tough to describe with words though.....just a "buzz" kinda feeling....like you can just feel your energy pumping through you. I dont "visualize" anything really....I just seem to kinda "fade off somewhere" after I bow in.....Ive been told that I have a glazed look in my eyes....anyway.......thats it for me......for you....please dont stop practicing your other katas....Goju Ryu is a system thats designed to be connected, from the most basic techniques to the most advanced. Every kata is a step along the common thread that runs through the system.....sanchin.......sanchin is the basic thread that runs through Goju Ryu.....when checking ANY body positon in ANY kata, you can always refer back to Sanchin for the answer. Remember....this system teaches you how to be "hard" and "soft" at the same time....thats why its such and advanced system. And every kata has its own unique breathing pattern, again, likes steps to the top these breathing patterns are a series of chi gung excercises that give your body the internal "balance" to be "hard" and "soft" .....at the same time.....dont neglect their practice. They have purpose aside from just being a kata......for example....the kata you say you are practicing now, besides Sanchin, is Sanseiru.....or "36 hands". This kata is also about psychic projection. Seisan is "13 Hands".....it is a "fire" kata, and shapes part of the system, the same way that Pechurin (108 Hands) wards off evil spirits, and is always done as a blessing ceremony.....for Pechurin, when you bow in to start the kata, you bow in all 4 directions, not just fowards. Point is Neo.....the whole system will give you what you want....not just one small part of it.....Sanchin is an excellent kata to practice constantly, and some of the older masters reportedly were taught nothing but Sanchin for years into their training.....but you need the "whole" of the system to gain its rewards, like the iron shirt, or the internal health of the chi gung excercises, two great benefits of studying the system. So please study the rest of your katas as well......they are equally important.

Unfortunately, I lost my dojo during a hellacious divorce about 5 years ago.....I still teach privately, anywhere there is enough space....You are still welcome up here though, and if I ever make it down to the great state of Texas, I would be more than honored to visit your dojo, thank you for your invitation.

I would also like to add that at VERY advanced levels of practice, Sanchin Kata teaches the practicioner how to actually withdraw the testicles upwards into the body cavity to provide protection against groin strikes. Higoanna sensei was challenged by another Okinawan practicioner (name escapes me at the moment) to a public showing of whose sanchin was "better"....they were both examined by a doctor as they went through the form, and the testicles were withdrawn into the body. Toguchi was famous for being able to do this, but the downside was that repeated practice of withdrawing the testicles into the body led to sterility, which Toguchi wound up suffering from in later life....hence, that was the reason why he had to adopt his son.

You are correct in your assumption. Sanchin is both a form of standing chi gung, and moving zen. It is known in Chinese as "Sam Chien", or "Sam Bu Den". It is a version of iron shirt training, also known as "Golden Bell". The tensioning of the muscles and the "Lock" is a form of protection against pressure point fighters, and body strikes in general. As you know the 3 "major" locks are tanden 1, the chi center, 3 fingertips below your belly button, tanden 2, your kidney area, and tanden 3, the back of the neck. It is generally believed that with diligent practice, it takes a minimum of 3 years to perform this kata "correctly". Sanchin means "3 battles", or "3 conflicts"....they are....breath, body, posture, as well as mind, body, and spirit. The purpose of the kata otherwise, is to promote internal health. Originally, when taught to Miyagi by Higoanna, founder of Naha-Te, Sanchin kata was taught the "Chinese" way, as Ru Ru Ko taught it to Higoanna, with opened hands, and with a much faster breathing pattern, In this form, the idea of the form was to express the more deadly aspect of open hand and fingertip striking, and with the hands being open, for the practicioner to actually allow his energy to exit his body and injure his opponent. With the help of a doctor, Miyagi changed the form to closed hands with a slower type of breathing pattern to keep the energy inside the body, and facilitate more of the health aspects of the form, as well as the defensive aspects of iron shirt. You will note that at the end of the form, when the hands snap open and "flick" out, that is to allow the body to expell excessive energy which has built up during the form. That is also why the practicioner steps backwards at the end, so as not to step up "into" the expelled energy. Tensho kata, which means "change of grip", "circling of grip", "cloudy misty hands" "power and strength in your hands", was designed to also facilitate internal health, as it too is a form of standing chi gung and moving zen. However, with the use of the open hands, this form allows for the body to develop the ability to project energy outwards and into your opponent. In regards to your question of "how to train for it".....you already know the answer.....constant repetition. The key to practicing these two kata is the breathing......typically, Sanchin breathing is done WAY to hard by most people....the idea isnt to create so much tension that your blood vessels are ready to pop out of the side of your head, and like wise....many people breath way to soft in Tensho kata......The difference in the breathing isnt that far apart. We have spoken before K-Neo.....I believe you to be a faithful and diligent student of the arts, and I am more than sure that your attitude towards your training will guide you successfully in your goal to realkly "get" these two forms. As usual though.....I will assist in any way I can.

PAL...... That is a very thorough and quite accurate post. I highly agree with your assessments and opinions all the way through.

P.A.L....... Sorry.....the last thing I wanna do is start one of those "mine is better than yours" kinda thing....I meant you no offense......I think you know that Im not "that guy"...... Kobayashi Shorin Ryu descends from Shaolin, and is one of the few systems to have really kept a strong lineage to the Chinese ways,making it also a very "complete" style.....I will openly admit that I dont have that much exposure to it, so I may have "overspoken"....if thats even the right term.....again....I meant no offense.

Pardon my ignorance but what does that actually mean? Tournament Karate? I don't want to enter any tournaments, I just want to learn Karate. It'd be great if somebody could explain this to me. Thanks again Master Jules.... I may have asked you before but do you know much about Shotokan? Would that incorporate the high kicking, striking and everything else I've been wanting to learn? Sorry for all the questions...you just seem to know your stuff and it's better than creating a new thread. Take your time in answering if time is an issue. Thanks. Shotokan was founded by Gichin Funakoshi. It is what is typically known as a "hard" system. It doesnt really incorporate the high kicking that you would mostly find in TKD for example. Most, if not all of the Okinawan/Japanese disciplines rarely kick above the waist. There are some very advanced applications in Shotokan kata bunkai. If one were to examine some of the old pictures of Funikoshi, he is seen demonstrating kata applications which involve pressure point grabbing. Again though, being a "hard" system, the blocking methods dont really allow for any sticky hand applications, making it very hard to blend with the incoming techniques, and subsequently trap and lock, as in Goju Ryu. It is definetely a system worth studying though. I believe that Goju Ryu is probably the most advanced of the Okinawan systems, but if I had a second choice of arts to study, I would probably go with Uechi Ryu, another Okinawan system that comprises a tremendous repetoir of fighting techniques. Goju Ryu descends from Fukienese White Crane Kung Fu, and if you examine the White Crane form (Hakutsuru), you will see elements of every Goju Ryu kata, as well as the applications to those kata. The Crane form is VERY long, probably 3-4 times as long as any single Goju Ryu form. It is (if performed by someone with skill) an incredibly beautiful and graceful form to watch.

Aloha Pineapple !.....welcome to the forum

We were a little leary about applying a choke hold to the guy, for the simple reason that he was trying to bite anyone that came near his head.....I dont know how you feel about it, but I dont want to get bitten....its not the pain that would concern me, but the risk of some serious type of bacterial infection....the mouth is a lot dirtier than most people realize.

Thanks for the response... I studied both systems as well....after my dual sensei test in 96, I decided to leave the Japanese system behind and put all my efforts into the original Okinawan ways.

In 1973, my dad took me to see Enter The Dragon. After coming home from the movie, I immediately stuffed the laundry bag with pillows and began punching and kicking it, making all of Bruce Lee's noises.....mom though it would be a good idea to put me in a program......31 years later....Im still punchin' and kickin'.....and everything else too.

As for fresh air.....Ill just stick my head out the window.....of my car....lol.

Informer.....you seem to speak with a slight tone of authority, and Im just curious as to what your background is. Im not trying to start an adversarial conversation with you, but Id like to know what educational background you are drawing your conclusions from.....again.....your posts seem to have an authoritative air to them, and Id appreciate knowing why that is. Thank you.