UKE NO GO GENSOKU

Extracted from http://www.shuriway.co.uk/blocking.html

Shito-Ryu´s Five Method´s of Defence

Master Kenwa Mabuni, the founder of Shito-Ryu, defined five principles of blocking. They are RAKKA (pulling or moving the attack downward); RYUSUI (moving the attack to the side); TEN'I (body shifting away from the attack); KUSSHIN (lowering the center of gravity); HANGEKI (meeting the attack with a counterattack)

RAKKA: (Blossoms fall from a shaking tree)

Analogous to a tremor of the earth that shakes a tree with such tremendous force as to knock the blossoms from its branches.

Primarily hard blocking techniques applying sudden maximum power with a twisting action of the arm to literally stop the opponent's attack and destroy his/her confidence. Examples include Age Uke, Yoko Uke, Yoko Uchi and Harai Uke.

RYUSUI: : (Two rivers join in harmony)

Analogous to the greeting of two rivers that ultimately create a force greater than each alone although doing so with little or no turbulence.

Primarily softer blocking techniques that absorb an attack and redirect it using circular or deflecting blocks or parries in a continuous and flowing movement. Examples include Ura Uke, Shuto Uke, Kakete and Sukui Dome.

TEN'I: (A Willow sways in the wind)

Analogous to the branches of a willow tree that sway to and fro in the wind allowing its tremendous force to pass seemingly effortlessly.

General concept of body shifting (taisabaki) or turning away from an attack to avoid the direct force of the attack, often utilized with Ryusui defense (i.e. evasive maneuvers with a soft deflecting block).

KUSSHIN: (The Lion crouches low in the grass)

Analogous to a Lion that crouches unnoticeably in the grass with its body coiled for an attack on its prey.

General concept of disguising one's stance with the ability to either shift quickly out of one stance and into another or reflexively darting away and then back (typically at an angle) momentarily disappearing from the attacker.

HANGEKI: (A Flower greets the morning sun)

Analogous to a flower that opens its petals early in the morning to accept the rays of the sun for nourishment.

Advanced concept of reading an opponent's body actions to determine his/her intent prior to the opponent taking action. Response can be to greet the attack with a counter-attack (Go-No-Sen) or to precede the attack with a neutralizing action to defeat the opponent's aggression (Sen-No-Sen).

These five elements should be combined for practical use. Whether you use a hard block (Rakka), a gentler deflecting block (Ryusui), or a counter-attack (Hangeki), always move yourself into a safer and more advantageous position without wasting movement or energy using Kusshin and Teni.

KARATE and KIHON

HOW TO PROGRESS IN KARATE THROUGH KIHON

Extracted from http://www.shuriway.co.uk/progress.html

There are three basic physical components of karate training. These are named kihon, kata and kumite. Students beginning karate training are usually introduced to kihon as the basics of that training. The kihon are considered the fundamental components from which all else is built. They are like the strokes in painting, the letters in writing and the pure-tonal notes of music. On their own they are of little value but when mastered and allowed to flow naturally in learned or natural sequences they become far more powerful than individual basic strokes, letters or tones. If kihon are not practiced, appreciated and 'felt' (kimochi), karate cannot exist beyond a very rudimentary level. The greater the depth of appreciation and the depth of feeling for the kihon the more the karate-ka can delve into the depths of their karate and the heart of traditional karate, kata. A beginner memorizes the kata sequence often while still struggling with what constitutes proper kihon. The student tries to remember the proper form for the kihon and, in addition, remember what the elaborate sequence of the kata is as well.

Manzo Iwata practicing kihon

Confusion usually reigns and the student must practice the kata over and over to memorize the sequence. In time the student triumphs. The kata is memorized. The student will require much more time to internalize and truly 'understand' the kata, however. At this level the student probably has only developed rudimentary kihon. The stances remain high, immobile, weak or wobbly. The blocks, punches and strikes are fairly ineffective lacking power, speed, and correct paths for maximum efficiency. Transitions from one to another are usually poorly balanced and slow.

Manzo Iwata training in kihon with master Mabuni

One great pitfall, and a common one, is the lack of refinement of kihon. After a few weeks or months students believe they have 'mastered' the kihon. They are bored by kihon practice. This is evidenced in two ways. The first is that they begin to dread repetitive kihon practice and avoid it or put very little effort into the kihon sessions in class, and rarely, if at all, practice outside of class. The second way is that they just don't eagerly seek improvement in the manner that kihon are refined. Some believe, if not most, at least at this stage of learning, that they already know the kihon so further refinement is inconsequential or just not necessary. This can lead to years where the student makes little progress in karate proficiency. The kihon hold the key. The kihon develop and refine not only the way that karate is practiced but also the way that body dynamics develop.

If the kihon are distorted in any way through lack of practice or attention to detail, refinement of form is not possible. In addition, proper body dynamics cannot be grasped. Any sustained errors or modification, even through simple ignorance of proper form, will hinder the martial art students progress and proficiency. Advice on how to progress The simple answer is to practice your kihon. A great karate master (Mas Oyama of Kyokushinkai), was once asked what the secret to his karate was. The master lifted his eyes as if to reveal a great secret and he said; "sweat, sweat and more sweat". In other words practice. But you must also keep in mind good form. Look at yourself, study what you are doing at that moment, feel (kimochi) the technique and try to understand what you are doing. Remember that practice alone does not make perfect. Practice makes permanent. Perfect practice makes perfect. It is the kihon that holds the foundation of all that is to come! Courtesy Sensei A Tanzadeh

A full detail extracted from the above link ..

ZANSHIN

ZANSHIN

Extracted from http://www.shuriway.co.uk/zanshin.html

There is an old Japanese samurai saying, "When the battle is over, tighten your chin strap." This refers to constant awareness, preparedness for danger and readiness for action.

The Japanese saying itself focuses on the end of a combat engagement when it is natural to relax awareness, thinking the danger is over, when in reality it often is not. "This concept carries over into the dojo which is not just a training hall but a place where a certain awareness of the possibility of serious combat must constantly be maintained," said John Donohue in his article Kendo: The Way of the Sword found in the Learning section. But, for the serious martial artist this heightened state of awareness becomes a natural part of the psyche, something that is automatically turned on while awake as well as during sleep.

"On one level, zanshin refers to neutral, non-threatening stances or kneeling in such a way as to be always ready for action.

....

Zanshin is also the flip side of single-minded devotion to technique. You must learn not to focus exclusively on your actions but rather to be attentive and receptive to all activities surrounding you," says Donohue. It may seem contradictory, he continues, "but both the ideas of focusing entirely on technique and of maintaining zanshin have to do with the transcending of subjectobject distinctions through martial training. Unity with the Void, to use Musashi's (the famious Japanese swordsman) idiom, results in the execution of technique without any selfconscious awareness of doing so.

By the same token, proper zanshin is indicative of the fact that the swordsman experiences no discontinuity between his surroundings and himself."

Various martial arts have different ways of training to develop heightened zanshin.

... For more detail information, please refer to the above link

Hara & Koshi

Extracted from the below web

http://www.shuriway.co.uk/hara.html

abdomen & hip

'Te de tsukuna, hara de tsuke; Ashi de keruna, koshi de kere'.

(Do not punch with your arm, punch with your 'HARA';
do not kick with your leg, kick with your 'KOSHI').

'HARA' generally means 'abdomen', but in martial arts it means more specifically the lower abdomen. This is where your center of gravity should be. Without a stable center of gravity you cannot keep good balance and perform techniques with weight behind them. To be able to keep one's center of gravity at the lower abdomen, one has to learn abdominal breathing, which involves up and down movement of the diaphragm.

Refer to the above link for more information .. a good resource web

13 Fundamental Points in kata

Extracted from http://www.shitokai.com/kata.php - a Good reading and Knowledge source

In this section, we are going to read about thirteen very fundamental points in kata that must be considered while practicing kata.

Yooi no kishin- Readiness, concentration, will, and determination against opponent before starting kata.

In'yo - Active and passive (i.e. knowing whether you are attacking or defending).

Chikara no kyojaku - Correct method in using power, the amount of power used for each kata movement and position.

Waza no kankyu - Speed used in each kata movement and position.

Tai no shinshoku - the amount of contraction and expansion for each movement.

Kokyu - Breathing, right exhalation and inhalation in each kata movement.

Chakugan - Look spot, considering the aim and destination of technique.

Kiai - Shout, in one or more certain points, shout shows the soul of fight of kata. Additionally, the whole conducted power is released.

Hyoshi - Rythm. Proper accentuation and flow of the movement of kata and each combination of kata.

Kime - Focal point or Focus refers to the concentration of all the energy of the body in the instant a particular technique( blocks, kicks, punches and...)makes contact with its target.

Antei - Balance. Stability, adjusting, figure and using the proper and correct stance in each movement.

Keitai no hoji - Using each technique in its proper place.

Zanshin - Being fully aware, being in guard position at the end of kata. Looking towards the side kata is finished.

Today we can see that many karatekas do not practice kata seriously and do not realize the usage of kata. In fact, it is true that kata will be useable only for those who have studied it deeply and have perfect recognition.

Rey (Bow)

At the beginning and at the end of the kata, one bows. This is part of the kata. When doing kata successively, bow at the every beginning and at the completion of the final kata.

Different forms of kata practices

Extracted from http://www.shitokai.com/kata.php

Different forms of kata practices

1. Slow, without concentration (relax) performed as warm up.
2. Quick, without concentration (relax) in order to keep the moments of kata in mind.
3. Quick, powerful with Kime. The movements are performed one by one. This form is suitable in-group class.
4. With the real speed and rhythm of kata and kime. This is the real kata the same as real combat.
5. Slow, with contraction of muscles, performed as an exercise to strengthen the muscles.
6. Slow, relax along with deep breathing, feeling Hara in each movement like Tai Chi Chuan.
7. Symmetry movements, if kata is started from the left, try starting from the right.
8. Converse performance (i.e. perform from the end to the beginning). This is done in advance level of kata practice.
9. Selecting some parts of a kata and repeating them constantly.
10. Close-eyed performing.

A number of things can be said about kata. Below you will find some points that help to better learning and performing of kata:

• Do not try to do all the movements quickly. It has to be noted that each movement requires its own speed and position.
• Lower the hips and have pressure on Hara, you can shorten the distance between your anus and navel.
• Close your mouth and prevent contracting the muscles of your face.
• Keep your body upright all the time.
• Move your whole body as a unit and not partly.
• Be fully aware of the connection between kata and practice and kumite.
• Practice over and over.

Kata

Extracted from http://www.shitokai.com/kata.php

Kata

"Regardless of how many kata a person may know, if his training in them is
insufficient, they will be useless."

Mabuni Kenwa - 1989-1952 A principle founder of modern karate and
originator of the Shito School of Karatedo.

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Kata means form. For many years, all major and fundamental points, blocks, strikes, kicks, punches and basic techniques have been formed. Katas have series of points and techniques selected concisely and each has a specific and deep inner meaning.

Kata is the base and point of karate. There are primary principles and fundamentals of Karate in Katas that briefly are the position of body, stances, foot works, tai sabaki, changing directions, timing, breathing, kiai, as well as a correct mental behavior.

Kata alone is a combat against some imaginary opponents on whom karate techniques are done. Therefore, the morals of the individuals during kata are of great importance. Practicing kata continuously, you will realize the real meaning of karate techniques. This knowledge allows you to show correct reaction automatically and in any situation against any attack. Moreover, kata consists of a kumite strategy.

Practicing a kata, one should constantly focus on his opponent(s) and do the movements with the highest strength and care, as his life (being alive) depends on doing the techniques in the best possible way. This sort of practicing unifies body and mind. In other words, we can call it feeling, touching and living of kata. However, it has to be noted that some techniques are dangerous but practicing them in kata gives you a control of power and therefore, you gain enough power to control these techniques before using them in kumite.

Katas practiced concisely and correctly, teach the trainer the real purpose of master in creating and doing them. That's why kata is counted as one of the most important points in karate.

-- for more details refer to the above website -- recommended reading

Rei.