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Isshinryu
Tatsuo Shimabuku Isshinryu No Megami Kenpo Gokui Code of Conduct Empty Hand Kata Kobudo Kata

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Wednesday, August 20 2008 @ 07:44 AM PDT

Effective Training

Tuesday, February 12 2008 @ 02:30 PM PST
Contributed by: cejames
Views: 88

There are six important area's within training one must adhere to if training is to be most effective. They are observation, memory, experimentation, imagination, language, and broad-mindedness.

Observation:

This one is the most critical as this is the mainstay of learning waza or technique. All the verbiage in the world will not teach you the technique yet action does teach very well. What I mean by observation is the students ability to see the technique in the practice of others.

As students of budo we must be most observant when training by seeing others who are of equal skills, and especially those of superior skills, as they practice the waza we are currently learning.

To have a technique briefly explained helps us to relate the physical with the mental, initially, and then by practicing the waza four or five times, initially, causes the muscles and mind to store the waza in memory. Then we must continually practice with an eye on observing ourselves for improvement and thus when we observe others we have a point of reference to see ourselves and make appropriate adjustments.

This does not mean that Sempai and Sensei will not help you by physically adjusting what you do but also by their own actions in practice provide you with a frame of reference as to the path you should be taking in the practice of budo.

This requires a good deal of deep reflection.

Traits of a Sensei

Thursday, October 18 2007 @ 01:51 PM PDT
Contributed by: cejames
Views: 284

Traits of a Sensei

"Some say that my teaching is nonsense. Others call it lofty but impractical. But to those who have looked inside themselves, this nonsense makes perfect sense. And to those who put it into practice, this loftiness has roots that go deep." -- Lao-Tzu

Let me start by saying that the following is not a hard and fast rule or list of what makes a good Sensei. These may be the traits one should have in part or as a whole to become a good Sensei. The true hallmark of a good Sensei is the results seen within their students especially after leaving the Dojo.

Tenshin and Tensho

Wednesday, October 03 2007 @ 01:54 PM PDT
Contributed by: cejames
Views: 294

Tenshin: An Okinawan term relating to the movement of the body in relation to an opponent by shifting away or into a persons space with a focus on the transition of the feet. A practitioner would use this as a part of their shifting from stance to stance in relation to the moment in combat while performing ma-ai as a result of shifting into or away from the opponent. Taught as a fundamental to the kata. Used to develop non-telegraphed, efficient, and rapid movement. Many students are first taught the different stances used within their style which are used in kata practice. Then they are taught how to move properly resulting in tenshin practice. This helps the student to develop proper movement along with body alignment, balance, hyoshi (tempo), ma-ai (distancing), and timing.

Following the Path

Monday, September 10 2007 @ 07:44 AM PDT
Contributed by: cejames
Views: 203

Training should be grounded in morality, proper use of power, leadership and responsibility, compassion and evil, and how the messenger (teacher) passes the essence of the message through training and practice. The relationship between teacher and student is paramount in proper training and practice of karate-do or any martial art. It is the moral obligation of the teacher to become a model of what it means to be a true man or woman not only in the dojo but more importantly in the world. When a student reaches the point where they are to go out there into the world that the most important goal they must strive to attain is in what they will bring back with them into themselves so that when their time comes they will transfer that which is gained within to those they teach. Seek harmony and balance, convey that to your students. Reach for honor, true moral values, proper use of power, solid leadership, complete responsibility, compassion, and recognition of evil. Let your message be uncorrupted in transmission. Be a honorable messanger.

Why the Vertical Fist

Thursday, May 03 2007 @ 09:50 AM PDT
Contributed by: cejames
Views: 73

Shimabuku Tatsuo Soke, after many years of practice and teaching, decided that the best punch to use was the vertical punch. One of the reasons, as is known by stories told today, was none of the students used the twisting punch in kumite. There is a bit more to it than that.

Soke taught the mean of punching. The mean being that middle road that is less likely to result in injury to the practitioner and results in a more economical technique. There are a lot of complicated movements in a punch and this provides for more opportunity of a break down in delivery. If not done properly injury results because of the movement with the strain on tendons and muscles if not done properly.

The vertical punch is considered the neutral position of the fist in relation to the elbow, forearm (the two bones; ulna and radius), wrist, and finally the fist. When you think of all that has to happen to reach that focal point in a punch where the two knuckles impact the target you begin to understand how things can go wrong.

Stiffening the forearm is essential along with other factors that result in an optimum punch. This is only a small part of the overall picture of punching. In order for the punch to work a practitioner must use the torso, or hara, to transmit force along with using the proper stance anchored to the ground which creates a driving force from the ground, up the legs, into the torso combined with the torque of the torso, into the upper body, to the shoulder, and finally down into the arm where that force is transferred from the end of the fist into the opponent.

This simplified explanation of the mechanics of a punch gives one an appreciation for the complexity of movement and the degree of force that is moving through each joint. If not timed properly along with proper form, posture, alignment, and rhythm so all are contributing exactly what is needed to strike properly then problems arise.

If the hara is not utilized along with anchoring then the force can not be transmitted properly causing a bad punch and a bad punch can result in injury to any 'one' or 'any number' of spots along the power path.

This is why Soke felt that the optimal punching position was a neutral one vs the pronation of the wrist in a twisting punch. We all know that we use a variety of punches in karate yet we have this one primary punch, vertical fist/punch, that is chambered in a neutral position from start to finish. This is the main stay of the Isshinryu punching system. Remember that in karate-do we stress all techniques be based on an economy of motion for maximum effect ergo the tate-tsuke (ta'tay skee) in Isshinryu.

Bibliography
McGill, Stuart, PhD. Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance, second edition.
Advincula, Arcenio J. Isshinkai Yahoo Group; isshinkaiKarate@yahoogroups.com: May, 2007