Internals in Karate

[Radok]

Shorin ryuu, do you know Gojushiho? If so, how internal do you think that Kata is? I should be leanring it within the next 6 months.

[Shorin Ryuu]

Yes, I know Gojushiho and I believe there are internals in Gojushiho. I believe the Gojushiho we practice was not actually taught by Chibana, as he did not teach it (although I'm sure he knew a version), but Nakazato teaches a version that he learned from another teacher (whose name eludes me at the moment). It may have even been borrowed from Goju Ryu (despite my posts in the other topic, I still believe there are many things to gain from Goju Ryu...).

 

The internals in Gojushiho are perhaps easier to notice, as it is decidedly more Chinese in orientation than some of our other kata.

 

However, the more I study internals in karate, the more I find them in everything we do (hopefully that isn't just wishful thinking).

 

Doug Perry says he teaches kata on many levels, to include strengthening the body, application, breathing, mechanics, energy (and I could swear there was one or two more but they escape me at the moment) and the like. Therefore it is not surprising to believe that there is internals in everything.

 

Yuchoku Higa, (who trained with many people, ranging from Shorin Ryu to Goju Ryu) remarked that Shorin Ryu was a natural style, "like walking along a road". "Hard is all right for youngsters, but not for those of a mature age" and warned against the dangers of too much weight training. Getting to the point, he used an analogy which I like, comparing the relationship between hard and soft in Shorin Ryu. "Actually, the soft contains hard and is represented by a circle with dots around the circumference; the circle represents the 'soft', the dots are the 'hard'; this is the principle behind all martial arts."

[markusan]

One of my old shotokan teachers gave me a bit of insight into kata. He'd studied okinawan karate for many years. He said next time you do anything, like cooking or gardening or making something in the workshop, watch your hands very carefully. That's it, just watch your hands carefully. It showed me that it's not so much the kata but the attitude. I think some kata flow or progress better than others, and it is easier to maintain that focus through the kata.

[47MartialMan]

Its all in the mind.

[Sasori_Te]

Bio Feedback is the Western equivalent to chi gung. Obviously that's an over simplification, but in order to use chi gung you need excellent concentration and visualization skills for a start.

[47MartialMan]

Bio Feedback is the Western equivalent to chi gung. Obviously that's an over simplification, but in order to use chi gung you need excellent concentration and visualization skills for a start.

 

Interesting.....

 

You gave me something to further research

 

Thanks

[Master Jules]

I would have to agree.

[XVampireX]

Im sorry to tell you, but Karate is too rigid to contain almost any internal power. I've been doing Kyokushin for the past 5 years, i've sparred and beat black belts, and i wouldnt say they had any kind of internal.

[Master Jules]

Sorry to disagree with you, but I started in Kyokushin in 1973, so Im speaking from empiracal knowledge here.......KYOKUSHIN karate is to "rigid".....other forms arent, such as Goju Ryu.

[XVampireX]

That's what i basically meant...