Karate helping to deal with a heart condition:
Karate fighting, Cardiovascular workout, confidence, rebuilding stamina, fun, self defence, over 50s but not only, over 50, is it too late, exercise, nerd, okinawa karate, shorin ryu, full contact karate, heart, aging
I really enjoyed Jesse Enkamp's video series "Karate Nerd in China", and was fascinated by his finding of "Incense Shop Boxing" as the descendant of "Monk Fist Boxing", mentioned in "The Bubishi". This lead to one Jesse Enkamp's follow up videos:The Oldest Kata in Karate, featuring Seisan.
When I got the chance to join in with a lesson by PJ Broomy, by video link, I found out that one of the katas taught in his syllabus is Seisan, and it's opening was fairly similar to another kata I had learnt as a way of practicing breathing techniques, Tensho. An idea was set in my mind to learn the kata with a fourfold purpose:
To be able to join in any other lesson with PJ by having a common kata
As a piece of living history
As mental stimulation
To add another kata that could be used for practicing breathing techniques
PJ promised to video the kata for me, and duly it arrived a few weeks later via Facebook messenger, and during the video PJ said that he was not certain of the provenance of the version of the kata. During his video, Jesse had mentioned that although there were versions of the kata in virtually all styles of karate with similar starts and end points, there were many different mid sections, due to lots of the middle part of the Chinese form being cut out or greatly altered, so that set me a Nerd challenge:
To identify which form of the Kata practiced by other styles resembled the one I was learning
Firstly to the kata itself, I have been trying to learn it for about three weeks now, and can mostly remember the framework of the kata. though my knowledge of the precise techniques and phrasing is very much a work in progress and I can only go through it slowly. However, it is still enough to be able to use it as an extra kata to do deep breathing exercises to, thanks to my earlier learning of Tensho.
Now on to the Nerd part, I decided to search Youtube for the versions of the kata practiced by the various styles (the full set is in the playlist links at the end of the blog, but three in particular I thought to be reasonable base prospects:
1) Aregaki Seisan
Jesse Enkamp mentioned in "The Oldest Kata in Karate" video that Aregaki Seisho peformed the kata at a demonstration for the Chinese Sapposhi at the Ochayagoten in 1867. My search unearthed a video of the Bubishi translator himself, Hanshi Patrick McCarthy, performing the kata:
A very intricate kata, but not the one I was trying to learn ð.
2) Matsumura Seisan
I seem to recall from a number of sources that Seisan was a kata favoured by Matsumura, but unfortunately I can't remember them. However I do remember reading an article by Scot Mertz:
"Bushi Matsumura Sokon" (Oct 2018), in which he mentions that Matsumura made two trips to China as an envoy in 1826 and 1860, though the first is attributed as family legend. However it is suggested that on the first trip he studied both traditional and military martial arts, and might have been first introduced to the idea of "forms" or "kata".
One of his students, Kyan Chotoku, certainly taught the kata. The Shorin Ryu family of styles lay claim to this version of the kata, but there are many versions, some bladed and some more front facing. I chose the below to represent this form, as it explicitly lays claim to follow the Matsumura version:
To my untrained eye this appear to be similar to, but slightly less complicated than the Aregaki version, so again not what I was learningð.
3. Goju Ryu Seisan
Myagi Chojun the founder of Goju Ryu, went to China himself firstly in 1915-1917, then again in 1936. Apparently he went for a third time as well, but I can't find the dates for that. He studied originally with Aragaki Ryu Ko (no relation of Aragaki Seisho) for two to three years (1899 to 1902) then for 13 years with Higaonna Kanryo (1902 to 1915). Whilst in China he studied at least Chuguko Kempo and Whooping Crane Gu Fu. <sources http://www.ogkk.eu/historymaster/masters/chojun_miyagi.htm,
Where he learnt Seisan is never confirmed, though apparently Higaonna, Kanryo taught a version (possibly that of Aragaki, Seisho), and the form obviously existed at the time in China. So plenty of potential and varied sources for Myagi, Chojun to have learnt it from, as with Matsumura Sokon.
The video I chose to look at was that of Higaonna Morio (no relation to Higaonna Kanryo):
I also recognise that Paul Enfield does a mean line in interpretation of the kata, but way too technical for me at my level. ð
If anyone knows more about the history of the kata from the Aragaki, Matsumura of Miyagi lineages, would love to find out about it. ðð. I will leave the other versions out at this stage, simply to avoid the possible information overload it might might cause me. If there is enough there for another blog, would love to share that too.
The month of November, going into December you could say has been a testing one. Work has been manic, having had to work the last two weekends and again this weekend, I have managed to train at least once a week, but sometimes that has been it in some weeks, apart from short snatches of kata or drills here or there.
Naihanchi Drills 0511
It has been somewhat challenging at home too, with the ups and down of mood and tension that goes with four people being at home all the time. The separation needed doesn't always materialise and things can be magnified many times over as a result, but we have to keep on going.
Naihanchi after the lesson 0711
That said, I did manage to fit in a lesson with PJ Broomy at the start of November, and led to something a little different later on. From my own dojo's perspective, we have been concentrating mainly on kata, the Naihanchi pad drills and fundamentals, mostly online due to the lockdown (all online for me of course).
More Naihanchi, drills and kata 1411
One of the signs that I, and fellow students of a similar grade, are making progress is that we have now started to be shown Naihanchi Sandan and perform it in lessons. At the start of the Covid-19 crisis, my only kata to perform was Naihanchi Shodan, but zoom lessons have by their solo nature for practice have included kata as a strong element of our lessons.
Kata and Naihanch drills 1911
Our Sensei also keep asking us to provide performance videos of our kata, so that they can check on progress individually. This has resulted in a good amount of feedback, which I like to think has gone a long way towards the progress. Along with lots of practice of course.
2111 Lesson Part 1
One of the lessons we did, I videoed my part for the whole session, as a sample record of what we are doing and guess what, it was fundamentals plus the Naihanchi drills. The good thing about this is that it allows me compare what I do now against what I was doing when I started ☺☺☺
2111 Lesson Part 2
The good thing about that, is I got to realise the improvements I have made over time. They are only small ones on a day to day basis, but over two or more years they mount up to quite a lot of progress. As always though, there is still room for improvement. That's an attitude I always want to keep, as nothing I do will ever be perfect.
2211 Lesson Part 3
Sometimes, when work is demanding and home life is problematic, an escape is needed. Karate easily provided that during the summer months, with space in the garden to train and get away from all the other issues for a while, but then comes autumn and winter. The weather isn't so clement and night draws in.
2111 Part 4
The first victim was kobudo, as space indoors even during the daytime, doesn't allow for the use of bo and nunchaku, the weapons taught primarily in our dojo. Them the number of lessons I could attend dropped off, due to me having to work my full and sometimes extended hours, to meet project requirements and catch up on basics. Due to family needs, the space available later in the day is far less than the earlier hours.
2111 Part 5
I found myself drifting back towards online life and gaming, which before karate had always been my release. But it is nowhere near as mentally challenging or gives the self discipline and physical outlet I need to cope physically with my medical needs or mentally, to combat the current circumstances. Fortunately a friend had inadvertently offered a lifeline.
2111 Kata after the lesson
When the "Karate Nerd in China" came out in December / January, I was an avid viewer, and the series piqued my interest in the "oldest kata" in karate, Seisan. My lesson with PJ Broomy at the start of the month had me frustrated, because I couldn't join in directly with the kata part. They do Tekki Shodan, but not as a part of their core, but they do Seisan.
Seisan, first part
PJ kindly shared a video of him doing the kata, with detail, so I set myself a challenge: To learn it. I did this with a twofold purpose, it could be used as a breathing kata to add on to Tensho, that I already practice, and to know I kata I could do if I do another online lesson with PJ's dojo. The history also fascinates me, so I think it will be the source of two further blogs: Nerd meets Practice and then a pure Nerd blog, in truth the first one is part way there. That's another challenge, the mental stimulus.
2811 Kata cool down
So now I'm back to training more and today is the last weekend scheduled I have to do project work, so there is light at the end of at least two tunnels (the other is more personal, so not for here). I have even gone back to the tai cho kata form of Naihanchi Shodan, inspired by Robey Jenkins, and added Noah Legel's Tensho to the mix for cardio and relaxation.
2911 kata - Naihanchi Shodan and Nidan, Tensho
So my motto has to be "Never give up, never give in" and I want to say thank you to my son Brendan, and my Sensei Ben and Alison for the source of determination and perseverance, and my online mentors, Robey Jenkins, Noah Legel and PJ Broomy, for the direction in how to adapt what I do ☺☺☺☺ Also, a big thank you to all of my extended dojo family (Hanshi Nohara, Senseis Craig, Darren and Graham, Elsha, Jack, Sam and all) for giving me the reason to continue ððð.
3011 Rotating the strike
0211
Early morning lesson with PJ Broomy Following along with a regular dojo class
0511
Kata, Kihon Gata Naihainchi pad drills #1-3
0212 Early Morning kata
0711
Kata Kihon Gata Naihanchi pad drills #1-2
1211
Fundamentals
Punches, receiving techniques, kicks, shuto, hisa-geri, uke Kihon gata, combinations Kata and performance
1411
Kick, punch called combinations, turns and combinations Naihanchi drills 1 and 2 padwork Kata
2111
Fundamentals, punches, receiving techniques. kicks, etc. Naihanchi drill #1, elements and drill Kata
0312 Kata Tai Chi Style
2811
Jamie Clubb lesson, sprawls, spear take downs, going to ground, knee control, breaking grasps, going to the back, etc.
3011
Kata Rotation and elbow strikes, round the clock moving the nearest foot and round the clock with back foot as the pivot Naihanchi drills
0312
Kata The four basic kicks, turning ushiro geri on an uke, mai gei and mawashi geri in self defence Naihanchi drill one with variations, including turning to get sight of a second attacker and being taken to ground on the knee strike and recovery.
The key kata of my style is Naihanchi Shodan, and in essence for us "all things are Naihanchi" in basic techniques. With all the time spent on online sessions, my Sensei have started to present a series of pad drills centred on the kata, for use in lessons and to be tested as a part of gradings.
This is my attempt to document them to refer back to, and where I can spot the relationship, pin them to the kata. The videos are of me trying to memorise the drills, so aren't the best for form or power. However they do I believe, show the core elements, and will give a basis for comparison as I progress.
The common features of all the drills, whether pro or reactive in nature, are to occupy the oppontent's space, unbalance the person, then disable them. This may take one step or many and we are told that sequence is not important, just the principles. The techniques that can be applied depend on the opportunities presented, rather than the sequence in which we practice them.
So to the drills themselves:
Naihanchi Drill 1:
#1Teisho, hammer fist, elbow, knee, step back drag down
The videos are taken from two separate sessions, 1 filmed from the from and the other from the side:
#2 Teisho, crash, head clasp to shoulder, shoulder bump, head butt, back knee step through, front knee (now back knee) step through, head clasp, turning drag down
But this has developed into:
Teisho, crash, head clasp to shoulder, shoulder bump, head butt, back knee step through, front knee (now back knee) step through, head clasp, elbow, step back drag down
As with the videos for drill #1 the videos are taken from two separate sessions, 1 filmed from the from and the other from the side. The first video features the first version of the drill and the second features the second version of the drill.
I believe this refers to the opening section of the kata, from yoi to the pull in after the stike and elbow sequence. The step overs represent the knee strikes and this is shown in the third video.
This is very much a work in progress, but thought it worth documenting, for reference and to be able to check my progress. Thank you for reading, if you got this far :)
Due to work, I haven't been able to train as much as I did earlier in the Covid-19 outbreak, and that compounded by some stressful factors led to a flair up of my chest complaint. My doctor insisted I got a Covid test done, even though I have been working from home and not socialising, waiting for the results only added to the mix.
2010 Kata as Breathing Exercise
Since I already have my own issues, mentally this set of circumstances didn't help either. Medically I was told to take my crash pack of antibiotics and steroids, and as I had struggled on the previous Saturday lesson, I had to take it easy for a while. I had to find something to compensate and focus on, and as is typical with me it was Karate.
22100 Slow kata gentle breathing
I put my kata to good use, both as a series of breathing exercises and as relaxation. But then came the better news, I was Covid free: Thought it was time to start training again, even if only for a part of the lesson and not full speed: Form, rather than strength and speed. So on Saturday I did train again. some of it I got near to full power, but the best part of it was a penny dropping......
Kihons and knees 2410
This was my post in one of the Facebook forums:
"Muchimi, pad work and kihon: My dojo has concentrated on online training, plus outdoor training where possible, since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak. I have possibly trained more as a result and attended more seminars, but reached a "lights turned on" moment today. Recently, we have started working on knee adaptations of our kihon gata in place of kicks and today our sensei added pad work.
The kihons are very clean, with punch/ kick combinations, so swapping to knees was a change anyway, more in keeping with Shorin Ryu roots. But the addition of padwork introduces the idea of muchimi, as I realised afterwards. For example, the first kihon in my dojo is "jab, reverse punch, mai geri". the knee interpretation without pad is "jab, reverse punch, back leg knee".
Add in the pad, and this becomes "Jab, reverse punch, knee" but because the jab isn't retracted to keep the pad as a target, and the the reverse punch hand isn't retracted to support the pad for the knee: It becomes "Jab grasp, reverse punch grasp, knee" Maintaining contact with the head. Suddenly practice drills developed real intent for me. Does that make sense?"
My Sensei are always telling us about keeping contact in close quarter situations, but finally the penny dropped with some of our basic drills. One of these is given below as an example:
Kihon gata Shodan - different forms
The following day was "Karate Day" and the 100 kata challenge. I signed up for it ages ago, but given the recent circumstances, I approached it with a certain amount of trepidation. We were mostly going to do Naihanchi, so that wasn't a problem, but how long I would last potentially was. I needn't have worried: The first 20 were a real struggle, but then managed to clear my chest. I managed the full 100, and though the other 80 weren't a walk in the park, they certainly felt more comfortable than the first 20 ☺☺☺
100 kata challenge
Much to my surprise, I even managed to make a midweek lesson on the following Thursday, and there was yet more new material introduced. We worked mainly on kata and an old favourite: The Quadrant drill. However towards the end of the lesson we were also introduced to some new pad drills, Naihanchi drills 4 and 5, so something more to work on ☺☺☺ The Saturday lesson was taken up by a Jamie Clubb webinar, featuring grappling and ant-grappling techniques, but for once I wasn't able to take an active part due to a few technical issues. My son did though and he seemed to enjoy it ☺☺☺
That's it for now, thank you for reading if you got this far ☺☺☺
2410
Kata
Kihon gata to 7, knees and elbows
2510
100 kata challenge 3 Naihanchis (for me)
2910
Kata
Quadrant drill
5 Naihanchi pad drills
The two new ones:
4: push down and uppercut, roll into backfist, clinch and knee into heel stomp, cm neck crank takedown.
5: Percussive clinch, knee, hammerfist into side of head/jaw, forearm strike into base of skull (forgot to do this in tonight's lesson), turn and throw into wall/person/ environment.
This last month definitely felt stranger than many of it's predecessors: Motivation has been much harder than previously due to all sorts of factors, including pressures of work, periods of feeling down, worry about facing up to some difficult challenges and trying to work out some things at home.
Tandoku #1 1409
The continued worries about Covid-19 often plays on my mind, being on the high risk register, but no longer having the protection of government advice, and very often this colours my judgement on other issues. But no matter what, I have still tried to train, even if not as much as I would or should like.
Tandoku #2 1709
The onset of darker nights and worsening weather have also played their part. The ability to practice outside during the summer was a great help. Also, kobudo inside isn't too practical with bo and nunchaku. The one time I tried it, one vivarium and a light fitting nearly took the brunt, and a fly catcher was cleanly dispatched.
Naihanchi Pad drills #1-3 1909
From a karate standpoint, pad work has become a staple of our lessons over my period of isolation. This kind of makes my dojo's first offering on the month even more appropriate. We started working on an Iain Abernethy solo pad kata called Tandoku which translates as "isolation".
Compass points 2009
This was followed by the introduction of pad drills based on Nainhanchi which will be used in future gradings. Might be just me, but elements of these bore a strong resemblance to the moves in Tandoku. This probably bears out the the idea that there are only certain basic moves that the body can make, and they can be found in virtually all kata, if you look hard enough.
Homework 2409
When the weather was better I did some work on turns, aided by a video from my Sensei, based on moving the foot nearest the direction I wanted to face, whilst pivoting on the ball of the other foot. I worked on that a few times with both nunchaku and elbow strikes (thank you Brian Bates for that idea).
After the Jamie Clubb lesson 2609
Whilst work needs made it difficult to train, I have still been practicing my Naihanchi (Shodan and Nidan). I like to do them in three different ways, slow, deliberate (slow movement but sharper strikes) and normal (with full intent). Seems to be paying off, as my Sensei seem to think it's now much improved.
Kata 0310
I now have to work on the speed of my wave kicks (more snap), lower hand position (sometimes my wrist droops), front block (hand occasionally wanders off to the side) and leaning into elbow strikes (leaning is giving bad posture). I think my movement and general posture has been one one the biggest improvements.
Naihanchi Technical 0810
One of the basic tenets it to maintain a stable base, and I seem to be getting there slowly. In amongst it all were a couple of different points. We had Jamie Clubb giving the fifth session of his seminars based on child confidence and self defence, plus on the 18th I attended an online seminar given by Hanchi Nakasone.
Naihanchi Pad Drills #1 and 3 followed by kata 1010
There was also a kobudo lesson based on the legal use of improvised weapons for self defence. The core of this are the nunchaku kihon gata we do, applied to things such as belts, dog leads, hand bags and socks containing something like a battery, mobile phone, or padlock (remenber to carry a key or the latter is an offensive weapon)
Pad Work and a bit of Nunchaku
A note on Hanshi Nakasone's seminar on Pinan Sandan and Yondan, the former referred to by a member of my family as the "Chicken dance (I will leave you to work out why ☺☺☺). A lot of it was very advanced, as you would expect, but it should have been no surprise that he uses a style similar to Goju, applied to Shorin Ryu kata and the end result looks very similar ro Tuiti (similar to Motobu Udundi). The seminar covered from themid section of Pinan Sandan through Pinan Yondan. Including shoulder rolling uke followed by back hand strikes, how to harden your stance, soft techniques but hard bones, muchimi and feeling your opponent's moves, taking your oppenent's space etc.
1409 and 1709
Kata and Tandoku
Fighting stance right
Going forward, teisho, teisho, hammer fist
(go back to starting point)
Lh block, clasp head, bump into chest, head butt, two close in hammerfists (inside clasp)
Step to side (back leg moves round 90 deg) and open up, Lh slapping to neck, rh pulling hand to hip)
Teisho, elbow, teisho, knee (clasping head)
Bring right leg up behind left leg, crossing with right foot at 90 degrees to left
Pivot on right leg (twist providing torque) through 180 degrees whilst grasping head, head throw
(Opponent gets up - still controlling with clasp) - head butt knee, short upper cut x2, right cross
Repeat from fighting stance left (right foot forward) on other side
Upper cuts and right cross were the additions from 1709 lesson
1909
Kata
3 x Naihanchi pad drills
2409
Kicks
Tandoku
2609
Jamie Clubb lesson
0210
Kata
Cat stance and shuto practice
Padwork - teisho, hammerfist, knee, drag on back of head take down, step back into Naihanchi dachi, or shiko dachi, dropping weight to assist take down
1010
Fundamentals
Kata
Pad work
Naihanchi pad drills 1 and 3
#1Teisho, hammer fist, elbow, knee, step back drag down
#3 Step back foot across to side, low block, hook, back knee, front knee, head grasp, rotating drag down.
<#2 Teisho, head clasp to shoulder, shoulder bump, head butt, back knee, front knee, head clasp, turning drag down>
17/10/2020
Fundamentals
Kata
Pad work - elbow, shuto, head bump (3 in one), back leg knee step through, back leg knee step through, elbow, step back drag down (Shiko dachi)
Kubudo - sock with weight as weapon
Nunchaku drills applied to a home made "weapon" legal to use in self defence
18/10/2020
Nakasone Koichi; Pinan Sandan/Yondan/Godan kata bunkai seminar
From mid section of Pinan Sandan through Pinan Yondan. Including shoulder rolling uke followed by back hand strikes, how to harden your stance, soft techniques but hard bones, muchimi and feeling your opponent's moves, taking your oppentent's space etc.
Recently, I was lucky enough to attend an online lecture given by Hanshi McCarthy, and he has a talent for painting a vivid verbal picture to the background of modern karate, I am in no way going to attempt to make this an academic work, as the lecture was in itself littered with quotes and references I have no way of easily recording, but will attach a link to the lecture itself for anyone who wants to delve further.
The background to karate is the setting in which it developed, Japan being a country still grounded culturally in it's feudal past, where the Emperor was worshiped as god, but developing rapidly in technology and setting itself on a warlike footing 1921 was cited as a pivotal year in karate, firstly because of the country's sudden introduction to boxing. In the first $1 million dollar purse fight in America, Jack Dempsey took on Georges Carpentier, winning by k.o. in the 4th round.
The fight was screened afterwards in Cinemas around the world, including Japan and took the Country by storm. The mainland Japanese had seen nothing like it before, and whilst some of the Japanese Navy had come across it before, Karate was relatively unknown on the mainland. None of the traditional martial arts contained empty handed striking, mainly consisting of weapons handling or grappling.
The Japanese government was then on the lookout for something of their own to slake the Japanese thirst for boxing. Enter Karate, on his way to Europe to study, Crown Prince Hirohito visited Okinawa and was treated to an exhibition of local arts, including of course, Karate, demonstrated by Funokoshi Gichin. News on this got back to the mainland and the rest is history.
In 1922, Funokoshi Gichin was invited to Japan to teach Karate. The Japanese were only interested in being taught the percussive side of karate (punches and kicks) and on this Funokoshi delivered comprehensively. Grappling and other elements were neglected, as these were to be found in other arts, and thus was born Japanese karate.
In the same year, an open boxing challenge took place in Kyoto where a European boxer took on local Judodoka. As it was open to all comers at one point, a slightly overweight 50 year old man got up tro challenge. Apparently there was a lot of mirth at this, until the boxer was knocked out with an open handed palm strike, The deliverer was none other than Motobu Choki, and the superiority of karate to boxing was confirmed to the Japanese people.
According to Jesse Enkamp, to whom much of this fleshed out narriative is attributed, also out of this the feud between Funokoshi Gichin and Motobu Choki developed. When stories of the fight were printed, the illustrations depicted Funokoshi Gichin, rather than Motobu Choki gaining the victory, an early example of "Fake News". Apparently this upset Motobu Choki so much that he returned to Japan to deliver a lesson in Karate to Funokoshi Gichin.
Hope you enjoyed reading. For further reference some of the cited material is given below.
