Maliwara users?

[Freddy]

Were tsukis performed in an other way back then?

[JimmyNewton]

for every article admonishing it, you can find others to counter its effectivness.

it is a very effective tool for not only punches, but knifehands, kicks, hammerfists, etc.

[Traditional-Fist]

Egami's Shotokai seems to have an internal chinese "feel" to it, eventhough its influences seem to be shall we say, internal Japanese.

In the internal styles there is no external conditioning exercises, it is all done through chi (or Ki) development using internal concepts of power generation. External conditionning is even seen as an hiderance to internal progress as differente concepts and theories are used in delivering punches.

One will see this when one observes a kung fu punch performed in lets say a Shaolin monks' demonstration and compares it with a typical karate punch. Even the forms (katas) are differente where the chinese ones look softer in general and are more flowing that than their japanese counterparts, eventhough there could be exceptions of course. Note that many Shaolin styles are considered to be on the hard side by some "softer" practioners such as those of Hsing I and Tai Chi.

I have seen a Shotokai class and the katas did indeed look "soft" and the movements flowed and this is in sharp contrast to the Shotokan schools that I have seen myself.

What am I getting at? Well according to kung fu philosophy, an internal punch is more powerfull than an external one. Its power penetrates and damages the internal organs and its effectiveness is relatively unaffected by the opponent's muscle mass or clothes. The external punch can cause damage but the energy does not penetrate in the same way as the internal.

Egami did have a very powerfull muscular body and he absorbed the blows that were delivered very well and was not hurt by them (of course he was not punched in the face). He was more hurt emotionally because he had expected and hoped that the karate punchs would have been more powerful than he had experienced, after all many of the people that had hit him were karatekai with years of experiences and yes even years of makiwara training under their belts, and black ones at that.

He researched and his research took him to the conclusion that "internal" power is what it is all about. For the most part it seems that he did not use the Chinese arts as his example but the Japanese arts and philosophies.

Important note. He changed the typical two front knuckle karate fist to a Dragon Fist which is not so easilly practised on a makiwara.

Anyway, that is my take on Egami and his karate as it relates to Makiwara training. There are more details in https://www.shotokai.com

I personally believe that Makiwara practise is usefull and it has been practised for a long time by many great masters. I suppose it comes down to how it is practise and details such as the type of makiwara; the way it is hit - including the punching technique itself used in the training....I.E. You can train "internal" punches on a makiwara as well.

[unknownstyle]

no it beneficiary

[kivikala]

Master Egami's comments are very interesting... Having met him, I believe that what we see here is the omote side of his training or at least his comments. What is not said is the ura part of the training. This is what is visible but unspoken and unacknowledged. The man was a genius, subtle, and very deep. Master Egami was changing the concepts of karate, he had to break with tradition so he could be unfettered to allow his teaching grow/evolve to the new level.

sidenote: The more I dig around on this website the more fascinating things I manage to come across.

[Zaine]

No its not, unless you get hit by someone thats been using a makawari board,lol, but if your using it the wrong way, like say if your going out and hitting every a lot every chance you get, then yeah, but if you use it right, then it can be better for your karate

[Fish]

Won't a heavy punchbag be just as effective if used correctly?

[SenseiMike]

No a heavy punching bag would not be as effective, still a lot better than nothing, but not the same.

The makiwara has survived for 500 + years for one reason, it works.

try it, after a few weeks you'll see that it works.

[knarfster]

What is the difference between a Dragon fist? and a "regular" karate fist?

[Killer Miller]

It seems that Egami was doing more of "soul searching" of a life long journey of dedication. If you practice one concept all the time, without variation, you either do not develop properly, or learn improperly with bad habits. I wonder if he trained with the Makiwara so much in in life that he develop more of trying to power through it. Thus, the concept of "lightness..." Many of us experienced Karate-ka go through this internal challenge at one point of our lives.

I think his reference to relaxation and lightness is very accurate. I too progessed bounds in Karate when I worked on relaxation for speed, then speed for power. Then you actually feel a lightness in your technique. However, I think the spiritual aspects he refers to is really the understanding of the concept of "breathing timing" that I often refer to and once understanding your own, you understand your oponents. When two karate-ka works on relaxation and breathing timing together, the two of you become one and react to each others body movements and actions - internal and external.

His writings were very interesting to me, but I don't think that he truly understood what he was experiencing in his development in terms of what is truly understood in todays technological society.

- Killer -