Kobudo training with Sanguinetti Sensei

Today I had the pleasure of training in Matayoshi Kobudo with Franco Sanguinetti Sensei whilst he was in the UK teaching seminars.  Sanguinetti Sensei was a student of Matayoshi Shinpo Sensei at the Kodokan dojo in Okinawa.  He is also a practitioner of Goju Ryu karatedo and iaido.

Sanguinetti Sensei made a point to personally introduce himself to each person in attendance, and took time to speak with them about their training history.  This seemingly minor detail spoke a great deal to people who were receptive enough to notice.

The bulk of the training was spent practicing the various hojo undo exercises for the kon, tuifa and sai with Sanguinetti Sensei taking great care to instill a sense of urgency and intent in their application.  Time was also spent practicing tuifa kata dai ichi, and a particularly enjoyable period practising nage waza (throwing techniques) with the sai. 

I am not particularly skilled at kobudo and have only limited experience, so it was a good chance for me to be able to go over the basic techniques for these weapons, and try to improve my understanding of them.

Sanguinetti Sensei spoke throughout the training about the relationship between karatedo and kobudo, and how they share many of the same principles.  Much time was also spent talking about subjects such as yoi, ma’ai, zanshin and sen, stressing their importance in relation to martial application.  In my opinion, if you take away these concepts from the martial arts, you often take away the martial element, and are left with a hollow shell of a fighting art.  It was refreshing to hear somebody talk about these concepts with such enthusiasm.

Something that particularly stuck in my mind, was how Sanguinetti Sensei took care to explain the Okinawan terminology for many of the strikes and target areas.  Like hojo undo, Ugchinaguchi (the native Okinawan language) is something which is in real danger of becoming a thing of the past.  This is as much a part of our martial heritage as kata or striking the makiwara, so it is important to try to preserve what we can.  Inspired by this, I will take steps to try to research Uchinaguchi and apply it to the terminology that is used in my dojo, so that at least there will be a basic awareness of this heritage.

In conclusion, it was a very enjoyable afternoon spent practising true budo with a humble and dedicated teacher.  I strongly recommend that if ever you are in southern California you stop by his dojo.

More information about Sanguinetti Sensei can be found on his website at http://www.bushikan.com/

Kamae

The importance of kamae (posture) is often overlooked in relation to self defence.  Through the effective use of kamae it is possible to either avoid the confrontation escalating to violence in the first place, or if that option is lost, you are able to put yourself in a strategically superior position to that of your opponent, giving you a better chance of coming out victorious.

In my opinon there are 3 different types of kamae relating specifically to unarmed self defence;

1.  Making yourself appear physically stronger, mentally tougher, and more capable of winning than the opponent, in an effort to psyche him out.

2.  Making yourself appear weaker and more frightened than the opponent in order to lull them into a false sense of security.

3.  Adopting a posture which leaves open a particular target so that you can anticipate the opponents most likely option of attack.  Also adopting a posture which allows you to exploit the opponents most vulnerable area for attack.

Options 1 & 2 can be likened to Go and Ju, hard and soft.  By appearing hard against a soft opponent, or soft against a hard opponent you are often able to secure victory without having to resort to physical confrontation.

Option 3 would be more relavant against a trained opponent.  Many koryu schools of bujutsu teach tactics where you will intentionally leave a target open.  The rationale for this being that if you are better able to predict the opponents attack, you will be more capable of explioting it.  This has to be used with extreme care in unarmed self defence situations, as it is important to seize the initiative at the earliest opportunity.  By allowing the opponent to move first, you may lose the initiative and be unable to regain it.

In my line of work I have had the chance to experiment with options 1 & 2 on many occasions.  Some opponents will say things such as ‘you only think your tough because you wear a stab vest’.  I will respond to this by taking off my vest and throwing it at their feet.  The majority of the time, the opponent will no longer be a problem, and will be defeated by this simple action of using a Go mentality against a ju spirited opponent.  This will only work against opponents who do not really want to fight, and are trying to appear tough in front of their peers.

This will not work on opponents who are intent on fighting you.  Some opponents who may be high on drugs, alcohol, or may have mental health problems will not be psyched out easily, and if anything, taking this action may make things worse.

On such occasions it will be necessary to use option 2.  Appearing weak or scared against an aggressive opponent may be enough to convince him that you are not worth bothering with.  He may think that you are an easy touch, and switch off to a certain extent.  This allows you the perfect opportunity for a pre-emptive strike when he least expects it.  Taking the opponent out of the fight in the safest way.

How well you understand the application of kamae in self defence may have a significant impact on whether you win or lose.

A conversation with Kinjo Seikichi Sensei

Whilst reading through the notes I made during my 2003 trip to Okinawa, I came across some notes that I had made of a conversation with Kinjo Seikichi Sensei of the Jundokan.  Kinjo Sensei was a direct student of Miyagi Chojun Sensei following WW2, and it was an honour to spend some time being taught by such a kind gentleman.

Kinjo Sensei shared the following stories relating to Miyagi Chojun Sensei;

On the hiki uke in Seisan kata, Miyagi Sensei used to grab the opponents fist, pressing his thumb into the web of the opponents thumb, and squeezing their fist with his strong grip. 

Miyagi Sensei’s grip was so strong that he could crush bamboo.  Sometimes he would grab his opponents forehead, pressing the thumb and little fingers into the opponents temples, leaving them unable to move.

When Miyagi Sensei grabbed your arm it would often shake and remain immobile even after he had released his grip.

Miyagi Sensei would add sand to his nigiri game to make them heavier.  His nigiri game weighed 95lb each!

Miyagi Sensei was able to crush a nickel with his grip.  (I’m guessing something got lost in the translation here?) 

Miyagi Sensei was the number 1 bushi in Okinawa after the war, nobody else could compare.  He has never seen another bushi like Chojun Sensei.

His eyes were fierce and quite frightening.

He was a very stern teacher.  Kinjo Sensei spent 5 years as his student.

Miyagi Sensei had very powerful and fast hips.  when he did Shisochin kata he had great hip movement.

After training had finished they would all gather in a big circle, sat on the floor.  Each student would then perform one kata each.

Even after the age of 60 Miyagi Sensei was still very fast and strong.  He was the greatest tatsujin.

Speaking with Kinjo Sensei, it was clear that he still had an enormous amount of respect for his teacher.  I feel extremely grateful to Kinjo Sensei for sharing his memories of Chojun Sensei with me, and remember fondly that evening as one of the best nights of my time spent practising karatedo.

Conditioning

The proper conditioning of the body for a Goju Ryu practitioner is a very important part of training.  Conditioning must be done sensibly and safely, ensuring that the body does not become injured unecessarily.

It is not necessary to develop huge kento (calloused knuckles).  As long as you can comforatbly hit the makiwara full power with your strikes, then I would suggest that is good enough.

A lot of people take pride in the fact that their knuckles are disfigured, and do various things to actively try to develop kento.  This is a foolish way to train and will probably lead to problems in later life.

I think the key to effective conditioning is to follow the little and often rule.  It is pointless hitting the makiwara until the skin comes away from the knuckles.  Not only will your hands look grotesque, but you will have to wait until the skin has grown back before you can begin striking again.  You must build up gradually, and increase the number of times you strike the makiwara as your body adapts and develops.

The dojo kun advises to ‘train considering your physical strength’, and to ‘take care of your health’.  This advice must be considered when working on conditioning.

Advice from Takuan Soho

‘One who excels in swordsmanship, but does not excel as a human being has no value’.

Learning Japanese and Bunkai

In preparation for my next trip to Okinawa I have been trying to improve my Japanese over the past couple of months.  Due to varying work times etc I’m unable to attend an evening class, so my study of Japanese is done through the use of books and audio tapes.

As a result of this, my knowledge of Japanese consists of stock phrases, and predictable responses from the person I’m supposed to be talking to (in this case the audiotape).

So, armed with my newly improved Japanese skills, I went to a Japanese resturant in London with my wife.  Ordering our meals in Japanese, I was told by my lovely waitress how good it was that I was learning Japanese.  She then rattled off a load of words which made no sense to me whatsoever, and left me with a rather confused look on my face.

The waitress had not responded to my words in the same way that the audiotape had, and because I am not yet fluent and confident in my abilities, I was unsure of how to respond.

What has all this got to do with bunkai?

When we first start to practise bunkai, we are doing so with a compliant opponent, who will be responding in a predictable manner.  Over time we become used to this, and if your training is not turned up in its intensity you can become stuck in this comfort zone.  When a real-life opponent then does not react in the same way your compliant training partner did, there will be too large a delay in your reaction time.  This delay will almost certainly result in you being handed a beating by your opponent.

In training, as you become more confident in each stage of your training, the intensity has to be increased.  The bunkai must be fluid, instinctive and adapable to changing circumstances. 

I will explain various methods on how this can be achieved in future posts.

Sanchin as a daily habit

Miyazato Eiichi Sensei said that ‘a karate fighter must practice Sanchin three times a day’.  The importance of Sanchin kata must not be overlooked as it contains many of the core principles of the Goju Ryu system, and if practiced correctly, can be very benificial to the health of the practitioner.

For the practitioner of Goju Ryu, practising Sanchin must be as natural a feeling as brushing your teeth in the morning.  If one day you go to work and forget to brush your teeth, it would feel pretty weird, right?

Sometimes it’s not easy fitting things around a busy schedule, so one way that I’ve found I can ensure some quiet time to devote to Sanchin practice is just by setting my alarm clock ten minutes earlier in the morning.  That way I can practice Sanchin first thing, while the air is fresh, and with no distractions. I find this daily habit leaves me feeling alert and refreshed, ready to face the day ahead.

If Sanchin is practiced just once every morning, that is an extra 365 Sanchin kata that you will have performed in the space of a year, on top of when you usually practice it in the dojo.

The benifits of this extra training will be found in other areas of your training, and daily life.

Seipai & Ippon Seoinage

One of the signiture techniques from Seipai kata is the furi tsuki (circular/swinging punch) & chudan soto uke combination.  This technique is unique to seipai and does not appear in any of the other kata of the gojuryu system.

In this technique our left arm performs the blocking motion whilst our right simultaneously counter strikes by swinging in from the side to strike vulnerable targets on the opponents head.  In the next movement we then rush forward toward the opponent and repeat the technique on the opposite side of the body, this time with the feet crossed over in bensoku dachi (cross leg stance). 

Why is the technique repeated twice in a row, and why block or strike from such an awkward stance?

An idea which I have been experimenting with, regarding this technique, is it’s relation to the judo throw ippon seoinage (one arm shoulder throw).  After having struck the opponent with the right hand, immediately step into your opponent using your left hand to secure his right arm, and sneak your right hand up to grab behind the opponents right shoulder.  At the same time, you step into bensoku dachi, using this movement to crash your right hip into the opponents lower abdomen.  The anti-clockwise turning action then allows you to power up from your legs in order to throw the opponent.

I realise that words do not adequately explain my ideas about this technique, but I will try to get some photographs up on the blog soon to help explain this more easily.  For now, you may wish to watch the following video on youtube and see if you can see the relationship between the technique from seipai and ippon seoinage. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gospAK0QOHA

Gambatte!

Today’s training session

Today was one of those days where I really found it difficult finding the motivation to go to the dojo.  Having got up for work at 0545 am, and got home from work at 1730 pm, the temptation to stay indoors in front of the TV was pretty strong!

However, out of some strange sense of giri (obligation), I dragged myself to the dojo and began to train.  About halfway through my session, the weather which had been quite fine, suddenly took a turn for the worst and the skies blackened.  The skies then opened with a ferocious onslaught of rain, thunder and lightning. 

What had up until that point been a fairly mundane, half-hearted effort, suddenly changed in its nature.  The thunder and the heavy beating of the rain, served to stir my fighting spirit, and I took the opportunity to challenge my kiai against the roar of the thunder.  My kata now felt as though I were in the midst of battle, and with each strike I aimed to destroy my opponent.

Using the opportunity to make the most of the natural energy being generated by nature in the form of lightning, I practiced sanchin and tensho a number of times, thinking that if there is such a thing as ki, these conditions must be pretty good to get my fill.

So, what began a half-hearted attempt at training, turned into a very worthwhile exersise, allbeit with a little help from nature.

For those who wish to learn self defence.

This entry is aimed at people who have recently expressed an interest in coming to learn at my dojo.  Part of my obligation is to be completly honest with you. 

One of the more common reasons for people expressing an interest in pursuing a martial art is to learn how to defend themselves.

Is karate-do the most effective way to achieve this aim for most people?  In my honest opinion I would have to say no, not in the way that it is commonly taught.

Karate-do is a martial art that requires a lifetime of patience, and persistant practice.  The movements when first learned often seem unnatural to most people, and the majority of people have no idea how to relate these movements to actual combat. 

The natural frame of mind where reactions are spontaneous is very quickly lost, and soon turns into a massive thought process where the student has to trawl through the many new techniques he has learned, and is not yet comfortable with, and then choose which one will be best to apply in any given situation.  This thought process is painfully slow, and often results in the student being quickly aquainted with the pavement in self defence situations.

For people who’s primary concern is learning how to fight, I think there are many other martial arts which offer a faster way of achieving this aim.  Martial arts such as Krav Maga, Muay Thai, or Jeet Kune Do allow the student to aquire skills relatively quickly by teaching fewer movments and using techniques which come more naturally to the human body.  For this reason, martial arts such as this have had a large imput into the way arrest techniques are taught to the police and security services around the globe.  Some people do not have the luxury of time to spend a few years getting aquainted with a self defence system before they will be able to use it effectively.

People who are employed in jobs where they face the risk of being involved in violent encounters on a regular basis need skills which are practical and easily learned so that they can be used effectively straight away.  This may mean the difference between victory, and potentially life changing injuries.

Karate-do, and in particular Goju-ryu can and will give you the skills you need to become proficient in self defence, but it will not be a fast process.

Karate-do is a life-long pursuit which allows for a more in depth learning experience, and does quite literally for many people become their way of life.  Think of training in karate-do more as an aprenticeship, rather than a short course at a night school.

The kata of Goju Ryu contain the answers to any given self defence scenario you may be unlucky enough to find yourself in.  The very essence of the Goju Ryu strategy and fighting method is contained within the kata and for those who invest the time and effort into their practice, the rewards are imeasurable.

The dedicated study of the kata will over time allow the body to respond naturally, and without thought, to any situation.  The movements continually drilled into the body through the practice of kata become natural and instinctive, and adapt to match the circumstances.

The question which you need to answer honestly to yourself is – how much time are you able to dedicate to your study of the martial arts?