Mike Flanagan

Hi Montana You describe 2 different types of instructor. I've known both. When I started training the po-faced surly so-and-so seemed to be the norm. Sadly I think there are still people around like this, who manipulate the teacher-student relationship to their own advantage. I can think of one whole organisation where this type of behaviour is probably encouraged in its instructors. Happily I've also met the other kind, who hasn't been duped by the size of their own ego. These are warm, genuine people who don't need the titles and hero worship to feel good about themselves. These are the only type of instructors I'll train under nowadays. Mike

Its not so much a question of 'dont work' or even 'cant work'. We can always find examples of where they have worked for people in self-defence. The question is, are they the safest, most reliable thing you can do under the circumstances? Imagine the Kyokushinkai fighter being shoved from behind by his opponent's mate just as he's throwing a kick. How much more disruptive to his balance would it be if he's throwing a high kick at the time rather than a low kick? Imagine that, instead of fighting on a clean flat mat, he's in a bar in which the floor is wet in patches with spilt beer and occasional bits of broken glass? Imagine that the penalty for going down on your posterior is not that the fight is momentarily stopped by the ref, or even that the opponent wins the match, but that the assailant and his mates close in and kick you unconscious or worse. And so on and so on. The gist of it is that the requirements of self-defence are very different from those of the sporting arena. The two scenarios require very different tactics. Mike

Hi sojobo Although I don't do Wado anymore myself, its always a pleasure to hear of people still practising it as I remember it from my childhood. That seems to be something of a rarity these days! Mike

Maybe so. I can only say it as I've seen it from my standpoint in the UK in the 1970's and 80's. I'm willing to concede there may have been other influences than Taekwondo over the years. Mike P.S. Really got to say that I agree wholeheartedly with Montana's points.

I suspect brickshooter is right. Certainly in my time training (from the mid 1970's) I've seen Karate being influenced by Taekwondo. When I started in Wado Ryu there were only 4 kicks: front side round back No ushiro-mawashigeri etc. Side kick was perfected at knee height before moving on. The other kicks were primarily practiced in chudan. Things in Wado are very different now, as with other Karate styles. Its clear to me that (in the UK at least) this is a direct result of karateka seeing people from other arts (eg. Taekwondo) do sexy flambouyant kicks and thinking 'I have to get a piece of that action'. Going further back I don't think there's really much doubt - kicking above the waist was the exception rather than the norm in Okinawan Shorin Ryu. Every style of Shorin that exists now and hasn't jumped on the competition bandwagon reflects this method of training. Mike

Ah OK, it sounds like maybe its one developed internally within your organisation, inspired by either the Pinan or possibly Taikyoku series of kata. Mike

Hi JusticeZero, I have to say that I think you have this wrong to a degree. In the old Okinawan kingdom students of Karate would be more likely to be authority figures in society, not fugitives or outlaws. There was of course the king's bodyguard & security detail. But there were also lower ranks of shizoku (nobility) who acted as policemen. These all trained in Karate and would all have needed skills in control and restraint, as well as decisive boshing techniques. Regardless of that, if you want effective self-defence skills you have to consider the nature of real violence, in which humans instinctively close to grappling range. Even matches between skilled strikers tend to deteriorate to this, if the rules of the match allow for it (and often even if the rules don't). The nature of violence hasn't really changed much in 150 years so the Karate masters of the past recognised the need to deal with grappling and therefore have some grappling skills themselves. And so you'll find kata is replete with joint-locks and takedowns, in addition to the more obvious striking techniques.

Hi holley As Wastelander said, it really depends on what group you're in. I've never heard of kihon kata godan. I suspect its what I know as Pinan Godan. After that the progression will probably include Naihanchi, Passai, Chinto, Gojushiho & Kusanku in roughly that order. There may be others thrown in there too. Mike

How you look at kyush-jutsu I think should depend on how accurate you want to be in your book. If its an adventure novel then I suspect you don't need to be terribly accurate in your account of vital point striking? In which case just look up kyusho and tuite on the internet. You'll find lots of stuff that is in reality a load of baloney but would probably be just the sort of thing to give a little martial pazazz to a novel. Mike

if the joints are worn down and you use weights, you will damage them further... its best to go to the doctor and ask what to do Which is why I finished with the statement "Of course, I could be completely mistaken in your case, a physical examination is a must in making any sort of diagnosis. Without that, its all just guesswork really". Minor aches and pains in one joint are far more likely to be due to minor ligament/muscle/joint damage than, say, major degenerative disorders of the joints. However, its obviously worth getting it checked out by a qualified medical professional. Of course, you're unlikely to be offered MRI for a problem causing minor pain, but you might get a referral to a physiotherapist which could be very helpful. Mike

Weight training may actually help. The stronger the muscles are the better they are at supporting the ligaments in their role of holding the joints together. However, you would need to increase the work you do very gradually and incrementally over months (and even years) to avoid aggravating whatever problem is already there. The possibility of tendonitis makes it even more important that you increase gradually and listen to the feedback your body gives you. Of course, I could be completely mistaken in your case, a physical examination is a must in making any sort of diagnosis. Without that, its all just guesswork really. Mike

Funnily enough I've just been looking for exactly that today myself. I've found a lot of rubbish. I've also found some stuff that had potential but there was still something missing or not quite right. Here are the best ones I've found. http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=52C0C0E21707E95F Mike

Indeed! That's because the basic karate method of practice usually does nothing whatsoever to stop the second (or third) punch coming. But that's what you've got to do in reality. You've got to move in, break the attacker's posture and stifle his movements. The basic blocks can help you do this, but not in the way they're usually practiced. Mike

Or better yet, would you use it. Same thing. If its robust and workable then I think the chances of it being convoluted are slim. If I find a technique can work with a good degree of reliability then, by definition, it will be one that I feel comfortable with and would therefore use it. I'm very much a believer in making the kata work for you, not you working for the kata. Mike

A karateka learns about joint-locks. He gets over-excited and sees them everywhere he looks. A karateka learns about kyusho. He gets over-excited and sees them everywhere he looks. A karateka learns about throws. He gets over-excited and sees them everywhere he looks. None of that means these things don't exist in kata or in karate. Over time the karateka learns to see them in the appropriate context. They're not everything there is to know about karate, but they are a significant part. Interesting point about the opening of Oyadamori Passai. However, it should also be remembered that this is just one of many versions of Passai. I have a thick ring binder full to the brim of old versions of this kata. Even the Tomari Oyadamori version shown does not do the obvious jodan block and punch that GOM describes. I'm not saying that version is not valid, simply that it is one of many. Looking at this technique across the different versions it is clear that the people who modified the kata had many different things in mind. It seems likely that even they did not all agree with each other. But it is also obvious that there are many possible applications. What it really boils down to IMO is whether you can make your version work against realistic attacks. Mike

Hi Neil IMO all the basic movements (the strikes as well as the blocks) all just express principles of power generation. They can be used in different ways - to block perhaps yes, but also to strike, to choke, to lock, to throw. Too few karate people understand this. Even those that have had their eyes opened often still insist on repeating some of the ritualistic practices of their earlier training (eg. keeping the hand on the hip when its not doing anything useful). Consider this to get you thinking about it. Start from the premise that whenever you chamber your fist at your hip you've actually got hold of the opponent with that hand (often, but not always, by grabbing his wrist). Now what would you do with the movement the other hand is doing? Its a shame you didn't manage to train with Vince Morris when he was still teaching in Nottingham. He would have certainly answered your questions on this subject. However, you can still get to train with members of his organisation at South Normanton. http://homepage.ntlworld.com/dave.hague/index.htm I'd highly recommend you pop down there and check them out. Even if you can't make it on a regular basis you could try the 6 weekly training sessions they do. What have you got to lose? You may decide its rubbish so you've wasted a few hours training, or you may find it revolutionises the way you do karate. Mike

IMO kata without bunkai is a relatively pointless exercise. What good is a kata if you can't apply it? Of course nowadays many people have jumped on the bunkai bandwagon. Some people have come up with brilliant interpretations of kata, others are ludicrous, and of course there is very shade inbetween. When you look at any suggested bunkai I think there are vital clues you can spot which will help you decide whether the application has any real validity: 1. Is it straightforward and to the point? I rarely find any applications that involves 4 or consecutive movements to be of value. Usually 1 or 2 should be sufficient. 2. Does practising the kata actually help ingrain the necessary skills to help you successfully carry out the application? 3. Does it require specific responses from the attacker (eg. he blocks and responds with a particular technique)? 4. Does it require the attacker to use a ritualised karate/martial type of attack? Personally I measure all bunkai I see against what I consider to be the core principles of combat. It it fails on the majority of those then its not a technique I want to use, no matter how like the kata it may appear to be. Mike

Indeed, I think it can give the wrong impression even when that isn't the intention. Mike

I know one such Professor who, if memory serves correctly, is a little uncomfortable with oriental honorifics such as hanshi, soke etc. - these titles not really being part of his culture. And given how popular the oriental terms are with self-promoted 'grand-masters' I can see why he might be uncomfortable using them. Mike

It sounds to me like your instructor is more concerned with money than your advancement. And maybe he has little choice if it is his living. As for all the things you want from MA, I doubt you'll ever find everything under one roof. I think you'll need to go and train with different schools to get good tuition in the areas you're interested in. Then its up to you to put it all together. As dan grades I think we need to be responsible for our own education. If you have a good teacher to guide you then great, but otherwise you'll need to go out and find the tuition that you need. Mike

I think its a bit on the sensible side to train with something that you can actually legally carry. I personally carry a large umbrella with me quite often. Its not much good for swinging blows but you wouldn't want to be jabbed with the point. Its also handy for holding along the length of the forearm to reinforce it. I'm sure the curved end of a can could be quite handy, although I've not considered the few Korean techniques that I've seen demonstrated to be especially practical - that may be more to do with the basic method of practice however, rather than the effectiveness of the techniques themselves. I'm sure you could use those ideas yourself anyway, for your own exploration. Another art to look at too might be the cane system attached to French Savate. I don't know much about it but what little I've seen looked potentially useful. There are of course other alternative to the standard cane. How about this one: http://www.ltspecpro.com/91was.html Who could possibly say no to a solid polypropylene knobkerrie? Mike

Mike

This seems to be the nub of the issue. I think you've just got to take it on the chin. Smile and thank them for their advice. If you're sure its you that actually understood the teacher's instruction and the green belt missed it, just carry on according to your understanding. It may take months for some students to appreciate that actually you're a) pretty handy and b) not on a 'my style is better than you're style' trip. Some of them may, for a while, find it difficult to rein in their ego and continue to insist on 'correcting' what you're doing. Such is the joy of training in a new style. It will fade in time as they get used to you and they go up through the grades. If they're jealous of your presumably rapid progression then that's their problem, not yours, even if they try to make it your problem. Mike

Hi cross I drill bunkai in various ways. Almost any realistic technique practiced against a partner can be considered bunkai of some kata or other. In our club we may explore various themes in any one training session, eg: - looking at applications from a particular kata - looking at different ways of defending against a particular attack - taking one principle from a particular kata and using it in different, and so on. Such techniques are always practiced from realistic (not ritualistic) starting positions and with realistic assaults - which isn't to say that we're always going full pelt, just that the attackers techniques are not ritualistic karate techniques. Mike

Another technical point you may want to look at, which may effect the combination you're doing in this particular kata, is make sure you're re-chambering correctly. In most kicks the kicking foot should chamber at the supporting knee both before AND after the kick. As someone already pointed out, that doesn't mean you have to hold the chamber position but you should make sure that the kicking foot 'visits' the other knee on both the outward and return journeys. This will ensure that your kick is more stable. Mike