Shorinryu Sensei

Yes, I've looked at those before. Still trying to find cheaper if possible..but that's always an option. Thanks.

Personally, I feel the cane is the besty possible "stick" type weapon there is. I like a good, old fashioned wooden cane with the hook end myself. You can do all sorts of trapping techniques, strikes of course, deflections, take downs..the list goes on. I'm presently trying to bget my class to all go out and get themselves their own canes, as one of the two that I have broke a few weeks ago and I have just the one of my own to use now. I've been looking at thrift stores in every town I go through and trying to buy up any I can find (cheap is good), but I'll tell you..they're hard to find (darn old people getting them I suppose! ).

1" is about the maximum that you want them to extend past your elbow...so they sound just right for you. Any longer, and they will be cumbersome and awkward to use. Like any tool, having the right one can make all the difference.

Yep, just come straight south on 93 to Cut Bank, Mt..hang a right on Highway 2 to Kalispell..and you're there! It's just 300 miles. Hey...I'M CAUGHT UP!!!

It all depends on how long your arm is. When you hold the sai and it runs down the outside of your arm, does it goe past your elbow...even by 1/2"? If so, that's OK. if it doesn't, you may experience a good what sometime on the tip of your elbow. I have long arms (I'm 6'6" tall) so I need a longer sai. A shorter person can use a shorter sai.

I'm glad to see Shorin Ryuu is here..I need the help to keep up!

Yeppers! Umm.... is your style anything like Aikido (I think that is the one I'm thinking of). It sounds like it because I'm preety sure they use the opponents movements against them. Well, yes...and no. We do use our opponents force against htem as much as possible and try to unbalance them. But aikido doesn't really have much (if any?) in the way of strikes or kicks. We do. Oh...OOPS! How's Babe instead? OK, you can come down to Montana now and kick my butt..especially if you're tall and single!

OK..I'm sure you know how to do this. With your right foot forward in a front stance. Take your LEFT foot and move it to the RIGHT (behind you). so that you end up facing abou 45 degrees to the LEFT of where you started, but your body has moved out of the linbe of attack. Clear as mud?? Man..my emailbox is darn near full of emails from Patrick telling me I have a response! I CAN'T KLEEP UP!!!

I need a secretary to take dictation and type these replies...I'M FALLING BEHIND!!! Do we strictly evade? No, it's more of misdirecting and avoiding your opponents force. We don't like to resist force with force. Leverage, angles, accuracy, and good technique are the main points of emphasis, as is evasion...or not being there when the kick/punch is. We liek the other guy to be the aggressor, as shorinryu is primarily (not always though) a counterfighting system. It is a major no-no to try to use your hands/arms to block a low kick. It places your head totally at the mercy of your opponent. We do several things aginst kicks like that to the thigh. One, is to block a kick to my leg with my own leg. Shins buddy...shins! Yeah, it hurts at first...but you get used to it. Moving out of the way is another method. We put out weight on the balls of our feet generally..or at least, the front foot. This allows us to move backwards very quickly because we're "primed" to push backwards if needed. Another method, if your opponent is slow and telegraphs his kick..is to move in (and angle) on him. he can't kick effectively if you're right on top of him. OK..on to the next! HELP!!!

OK..let's take a look at this. The same principle applies as with kicking. If you hit the guy solidly..no problem..you hit the guy good. But..if you miss..then what? You are overextending and leave yourself wide open if you miss. An example...you lunge at me..throw your shoulders into a punch that you just KNOW is going to wipe my face off...and you don't, because I slapped your punch to the side and stepped out of the way (your 45 degree angle that you mentioned earlier). Now your sitting there for half a second with your entire torso exposed, off balance because I made your body move sideways a bit, and I have you dead to rights. Basically..if you connect..GREAT. If you don't, and we work a lot on making sure you don't..then your butt is mine buddy! Not at all. I enjoy comparing techniques with people. Like I said, it's a whole lot easier to "show" than to describe on here. I do this a lot at tournaments I judge/ref at. Other black belts (usually TKD) ask me to show them something of what we do, as shorinryu is pretty rare in these parts, and this is generally where I go because it is usually a pretty alien concept to them.

Well, having done it this way for 30 years as of this coming January, my knees are still fine..so I'll disagree with you on that point. Maybe kicking higher than we do, it might torgue the knee more..but we don't. We don't have "tournaments" per se. People can attend tournaments if they choose to do so, but it's not required. We do full contact sparring in the dojo periodically using equipment called "Bogu" gear. Similar to kendo armor, but not as ridgid and hard. It is full contact sparring from the belt to the head, sweeps, grabbing and takedowns allowed. You get nailed with a full force punch to the head and you will see stars. Kicking to the head with this gear on is not recommended, as the grill in the front of the face mask is ridgid like a football helmet , but closer together, and it would hurt your foot pretty badly if you kicked it..especially with a roundhouse kick. I don';t know waht bogu geatr is going for now from Shoreido, but when I bout a 2 person set, it was about $400. That was probably 20 years ago, and it's still in good shape (except for the blood stains). We also angle 45 to the front, and to the rear..depending on what you are trying to do. Try this. Stand in a front stance..right foot forward...shoulders/hips square to the front. Leave your front foot alone..don't move it...and then shift your back foot straight to the right..like it was going on a straight line to the right. As you do so, launch your right hand at a strike to your opponents face turing your body and shoulders. Note that the arm will exend in reach. Now, imagine a guy lunging at you with a kick or punch, do that technique just as they move in...you want to wait until the last possible moment though, or you lose your element of surprise. If your opponent doesnt' know what you are doing, you will nail him coming in every time...and nail him hard! Timing is the key. Again, it's easier to show than to descrive. After you have practiced thsi for a while, try it on someone in your class. No to injury, yes to power and reach...but minimal. But you don't over commit yourself either. It's a tradeoff. What's more important..and safer for you in the long run?

This is true and a good point. One thing that drives a lot of people from other systems crazy when I show it to them, is our dead on, shoulders and hips squared towards you, front stance. We look like we're a really ripe target for a front snap kick or side kick...but it's all a ruse (letting a little "secret' out here). That's when we do that little "shifting" thing I was talking about earlier...and we're not where you thought we were. It's called "change of body". Nifty little "trick" really, and very effective.

Well, waht you consider good technique, we consider bad technique. Not wrong, just different. It takes time to break bad habits. Try lowering your kicks to waist height...no higher. Lock that foot in place pointing straight forward and don't let it rotate. Bringyour kicking foot straight up to the knee first..knee should be pointing straight out to the front..then launch it from the knee. Many systems/peopel I've seen launch the kick out at an angle from the floor..which is easily blocked (by us anyway). Bringing it up to the knee first, then straight out is much harder to block. Imagine kicking over a chair that is right next to your leg. We do that in practice to get the technique right, or have someone hold a broomstick at knee height and kick over it. Like I said...I like my family jewels intact, and prefer my deep, 2nd bass voice (I souind like a radio announcer I'm told) as opposed to 1st tenor or alto. Practice makes perfect.

I just love it when you explain something to someone, and the light goes on! Shorinryu is all about evading an attack and simultanously counterattacking. It takes a while to learn and perfect, and you get nailed a lot while in that process...but once you have it and get that timing down, I've found it quite devastating and effective. I've used it effectively on the street, and in the one tournament that I participated it. The other guys really get a bit "miffed" when you do it to them because they just can't quite figure out how you were there one minute, and not there the next when they had launched their attack. PLUS you nailed them at the same time! It's difficult to explain in print...much easier to show in person. There you go...now you understand what I'm talking about. Oh...don't misunderstand...we don't hold back. We just don't overcommit our techniques. Where you would use your entire body weight basically to land a kick, we use 3 types of combined power. 1. The mass/momentum of my kick to my opponent. 2. Your opponents forward momentum (his mass) used against them. 3. Turning of our bodies (different than throwing hips/shoulders) as we launch the counter technique. ABSOLUTLY!

And just a little FYI...I'm 6'6" tall, and can kick easily this way to a height in the middle of my chest with a side kick. I practice that high in basics for flexability, but NEVER in sparring. My senior student sees to that (thank God for cups!) I taught him to well I think sometimes.

And again, the difference is in the system. We don't kick higher than lower abdomen. Belt line at the absolute highest. We like our "privates" intact.

Ahhh..well, therein lies the difference between MT and Shorinryu. We don't throw our hips into a kick, nor our shoulders into a punch or block. To do so turns your body and commits your technique where it can't be withdrawn easily in case you miss, or the technique is blocked. Not to say MT kicking is incorrect for MT...but it is incorrect for Shorinryu. We don't like to over commit our techniques, as they leave you open and vulnerable if you miss, or if you opponent blocks them the way that we do. Basically, we don't thrust our hips into a kick. They may not be as powerful as your MT kicks..granted, but we don't get countered much either if they miss or get grabbed because our bodies aren't as committed to the kick. Just a different way and philosophy of doing things.

Yes, I understand that, and I have no concerns or problems with Dillman other than the claims he has made in regards to OSensei Soken and the "secret" techniques he claimed he learned from OSensei. Since I am not familiar with Sensei Oyata's teachings or system, and haven't heard of Sensei's Muncy or Moneymaker before, I'm assuming (Could be wrong here) that you're inferring that those people taught legitimate tuite techniques to you prior to your training with Dillman's organization, and because of that background, you weren't impressed with what you learned from Dillmans teachings? Is this accurate? It sounds like Dillman's story isn't really stressed or talked about in detail to much in your classes. I've read in the past quite a few storys in various martial arts magazines about Dillman and his claims regarding his training with OSensei Soken. There are also several threads on another excellent forum (ebudo.com) about this subject. None of them are favorable towards his claims. Thank you for you input.

Yes, that will relieve the stress on the hip joint, but it is poor kicking technique. Your balance is off, your hips/back will be more turned towards your opponent (whether you realize it or not) making you more vulnerable, and you are losing power kicking that way. Just an observation.

kempocos...can you perhaps shed some light on what you have been taught, or heard about Dillman's connections to OSensei Soken please? His other training with other people isn't my concern with him...only what he says he learned from OSensei is my "beef" with him.

Ryu Kyu Kempo is Dillmans system In that case...I'd steer clear of it. My beef with Dillman is his claims of where he "learned" his one touch techniques. He claims to have learned in one weekend of training with the late OSensei Soken Hohan, late head of the system I practice. It's generally accepted within my system that his claims are totally false and he has never been able to produce anything in the way of actual proof other than his word to back up his claim. Plus, anybody that knew and worked with OSensei Soken knew that he would not teach somebody that just walks in his dojo and says "Teach me these techniques". OSensei would have probably, in his mid/late 80's even, have tossed Dillman out the door! Personally, I never worked with OSensei Soken, but many of my instructors have, and they knew him well enough to know what he would...and wouldn't do. They say Dillman is full of you-know-what..and that's good enough for me. You'd have to know my instructors to really understand and believe that they know what they are talking about.

Keep in mind that pain is telling your mind that something's wrong. It's a warning system for your body. To go against it and continue could cause serious, possibly permanent damage. Listen to your body. We do 4 types of stretches. 1. Standing and swinging legs to front, back and sides. A "partner" is often used that has their hand out, palm down, and giving the "stretcher" a target and goal to reach for to slap their hand. They raise the hand a few inches after each swing to get the person to go just a bit nmore each time. 10 count with each leg. 2. Sitting like I described earlier, but without a partner. 3. Same as above, but with a partner pushing you. 4. Wall stretches with partner lifting your leg. #1 & 2 we do at the beginning of class...#3 & 4 we do at the end of class with the muscles really warm and flexible.

Your sai will give you some problems possibly if someone tries to hit you on the noggin' with a bat or sword. It could clip the end of your elbow and even chip the bone. I've seen that happen. That's why it's supposed to extend just past your elbow. *ahem*...I have a dojo..not a dojang. The reason I asked on the high block is that most TKD that I've seen do their high/upward blocks with the forearm parallel to the gound and not at a 45 degree angle. There's hope for you yet! Well hey, we landed men on the moon, so I guess ANYTHING's POSSIBLE!

Anything to do with Dillman...RUN!!! Is RyuKyu kempo Dillman's system?

Another good stretch with a partner is to sit on the floor and have someone push "firmly" between your shoulder blades as you try to go down. With legs together and straight out in front of you, have partner stand back from you and just lean on you. Have them lean as much weight on you as possible and as much as you can comfortably take. Being relaxed is important as you do this...exhaling as you go down. Also with your legs apart and going to the side (down each leg), have your partner place (going to the left) their right leg inside your right knee and push downward as you go down (opposite for other side). They need to push as hard as you can take it. If you can take more..tell them. To much, also tell them. Steady, even pressure, not "bouncing" you. It's a GREAT stretch! Also, with feet pulled up to the groin (Indian style sitting) have your partner "duck walk" with their feet up against your butt, you grasp your hands around your feet and try to kiss your feet. If you can do that easily already, try to reach your head beyond your feet and kiss the floor. Again, and always...don't let the "pusher" bounce you. Steady, even pressure is important. Push down for about a 5 count...relax back up...then down again for maybe 5 reps. I've found that both of these partner stretches (against the all and on the floor) work really great and are far more effective than doing them by yourself.