Isshin-ryu's Specialized Small Person Techniques

The Isshin-ryu style was developed by Tatsuo Shimabuku. Shimabuku was a student of Chojun Miyagi (founder of Goju-ryu Karate-do), Choki Motobu (Motobu-ryu Karate-jitsu), and Chotoku Kyan (Shorin-ryu). Kyan was particularly small even by Okinawan standards, so he had modified the traditional kata Chinto with specialized movements for use against larger opponents. Shimabuku was on the small side of average for an Okinawan (about 5' 4", roughly 135 pounds). However, he had found himself in the Phillipines training Japanese military how to fight against their larger American opponents. (The "official" story, in a letter from Angi Uezu, Shimabuku's son-in-law, is that Shimabuku was in the Phillipines as a geisha – by which I assume Uezu meant entertainer – and that he "loved" Americans.)

The insights of his teacher Kyan were clearly invaluable in solving the American problem, and they are evident in Shimabuku's Isshin-ryu style, a style which truly favors small person's techniques for use against much larger opponents. Ironically, in the U.S., Isshin-ryu is more of a "big man's" system, owing to the large stature of the original pioneers, men like Steve Armstrong, Harry Smith, Harold Long.

This video mini-blog shows the use of a signature Isshin-ryu technique from the kata Kushanku.

Full mat!

The mat's looking pretty full nowadays. With a large class it's starting to get cramped during warm-ups:

Warming up with some breakfalls

And it's really full when everyone stretches out:

The class at rest

Kata, Hyung tonifies the body

I was asked to do Pyung Ahn Oh Dan yesterday. In fact, I offered as it's a hyung I need to practice, so I executed it three times: once to the count, twice without a count and boy did I know about it! I'd forgotten how many different stance changes there were, and of course...the jump.

In any case, I felt like I'd had a real workout by the end of it! A martial arts lesson for us all I think: kata or hyung can really tone up our bodies if practised assiduously.

As I searched for Pyung Ahn Oh Dan I came across the shotokan equivalent (or vice versa you may argue!) pinan godan and found it interesting to juxtapose the videos of the forms.

The first one is classical Tang Soo Do hyung. The second one seems almost shotokan in its delivery but still intended as Tang Soo Do. And the third one is definitely karate Japanese (Okinawan) style kata. But all in all, similarities run through them all I find.

Using Traditional Movements Continues (on and on and...)

I'm back to answering Ken's question about the use of traditional movements.

Sumo wrestling in Mongolia

Interesting article on the BBC website about sumo in Mongolia and the training that these women undergo for their martial art.

"Sumo wrestling has taken Mongolia by storm. Its male wrestlers have reached the peak of the sport in Japan, from where it originates, and in recent years, more and more women have been entering the ring."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11566529

Sparring

Good sparring session last night so I came away tired and feeling good, having dispensed of some energy and learnt a lot. As we don't use sparring gloves my knuckles came away a bit red and sore but this, at least meant I scored a few hits and blocked what otherwise would have knocked seven shades of stuff out of me.

The sparring session was built up well by sensei TO and we investigated some key points of distance and timing and assessing how your sparring partner reacts to your movement. In addition I was prompted by MH to relax more (easy for him to say: he's bigger, stronger and more experienced!), but I don't think he meant for me to stop being more jittery. I took from this remark that in order to move in sparring with speed and deliver meaningful and strong attacks, this has to be done from a fluid and relaxed state (with obvious power at the end of the technique).

Point duly noted.

I wish we had worn sparring gloves though...ouch!

Isshin-ryu's "O-uchi"

Here is a Video Mini-Blog about a technique from Isshin-ryu (and Ryukyu kempo and Tai Chi)