Kissaki-Kai Karate-Do Newsletter

Transcription

1 Kissaki-Kai Karate-Do Newsletter Inside this issue: Prison Officer Saved 1 Use of the Head Butt 2 Letter 3 Fishing without fish 4 Seminars 5 Order Form 6 The Honbu Dojo The HQ Dojo is now fully operational, with Cardio and Pilates classes in addition to the regular karate classes. The Dojo has an extra large training area, proper locker rooms with toilets and showers, and also includes a large steam room for easing those aching bodies after training. Massage facilities are also available. There is a children s room, lounge, viewing gallery, refreshment area and new office suites. Remember that the HQ Dojo will be delighted to welcome you for a visit. Just if you are interested in coming for a few days Female Prison Officer Saved I have recently been corresponding with a Dr. Robert SW. Lackey who presents a college class on personal safety. He is a fine martial artist in his own right, and has a great concern to provide the most effective techniques and concepts to his University class. He has developed his own approach, in a system he calls Self Defense for Ordinary People (S.T.O.P.) We have discussed among other things, the techniques from the Extreme Defense videos he has been using to present to his class, and in particular, the use of the head butt as a strike in many of the close-range defenses - especially when a weapon is involved. Dr. Lackey raised two potential drawbacks, one raised by officers concerned with the possibility of contracting a disease from blood-borne pathogens which could occur from any cut caused by the butt. His second point raised a concern as to whether female class members would be prepared to use this method. This is by no means the first time that these points have been raised, and, to begin with, many females in Self Defense classes voice their objection to using their head in case: It hurts and / or I may get a cut! Males seldom voice any such objections, so this would seem to be a real gender difference, but see below. Well, let s address these two points. Firstly, it is true that a cut could be caused by using the forehead to strike the attacker s face. It is also true that hard contact with an assailant s eyebrow ridge or nose will very likely cause them to bleed profusely. So, there will be the possibility of developing an illness from the attacker s blood, if, indeed, he is a carrier. On the other hand, the actual number of occasions upon which this has actually happened is infinitesimally small! Compare this unlikely future event with the very real probability that not using this technique in an appropriate situation may well lead to a much more immediate and potentially fatal injury! It is also quite probable that the impact will also be painful to the defender. However, because it is initiated by the defender and is unexpected by the assailant, the impact is expected and prepared for. Thus the shock and surprise will work in favour of the victim. My advice is always to deal with the immediate

2 Page 2 problem first, there may never ever be another problem to deal with if you don t! I have a little saying: It is better to have a small cut on the head than a large hole in the ground! In practical terms, the use of the head as a weapon is common practice in some parts of the world - in areas of the North of England and in some Scottish cities especially! It is indeed a very effective weapon. People who are rather more than six feet tall and nearly as broad across the shoulders often have uneventful journeys. People jump out at them from behind rocks then say things like, "Oh. Sorry. I thought you were someone else." ~ Terry Pratchett Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence. ~ Albert Einstein They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security. ~ Benjamin Franklin In Self Defense classes, it is necessary to underline the logic of the use of the head: * It is a very hard weapon * It is a very surprising weapon * It stuns the attacker * It can be used when the hands are not free or are doing something else * It can be used both from the front and back to deliver rapid, hard sequential strikes. It is a very good closerange weapon! However, is it suitable for a female to use? OK! Sorry if I upset some of you now, but there is no physical reason on this planet why a female cannot deliver extremely powerful blows, kicks and strikes with all of the body s natural weapons. Only social conditioning makes many women as ineffectual as they sometimes are. Indeed, I would rather be kicked by some males than by some women I know. None-the-less, it is hard to overcome the objections inculcated by centuries of female repression. Yes. Of course some females, by nature of their build, will not be as strong as many males. That doesn t mean that they cannot develop and deliver a great deal of power. Instructors should be aware of the inherent difficulties, and take pains to build the student s confidence throughout the training. Frequently, smaller females doubt that they will be effective against a more heavily muscled and aggressive male attacker. This is a very prevalent frame of mind, and it is vital to overcome it, as negative emotions will certainly detract from effective execution of defensive techniques. In practice, I find that it doesn t take too long before the participants begin to feel empowered, and it is always good to be able to give actual examples of disparity in size and strength being overcome by the use of good technique. To that end, I was particularly pleased to receive the letter on the next page from Dr. Lackey, relating how one female prison officer perhaps saved her life by using a defensive technique which she had seen only the once on our Extreme Defense video in class. She is 5 7 tall and the prisoner who attacked her is 6 4 and 330 lbs! She not only defended herself effectively by using a tactic which included the use of the head, but she actually broke the attacker s collar bone! All female readers should be encouraged by this, and it would be a good idea to pass this on to class members and others who may gain some measure of confidence in the knowledge that our methods work. Consider too, how little exposure to good tactics it took to enable this courageous lady to be more than effective! It gladdens the heart to see examples of the bad guy actually getting his just deserts for once. Naturally, it is also good to get vindication of the effectiveness of the techniques which we develop and teach all over the world. So, consider again the use of the head butt, incorporating it into a variety of defensive waza.

3 Page 3 Hi Vince It's Wednesday morning after my Tuesday night class. This gave me a chance to get some more details on the incident at the prison where your techniques were used to save a female employee. As in many second-hand war stories, some exaggerations took place but the central truth remained. My student did not witness the assault but in all cases of assault, formal reports are made and reported to the staff. It turns out that the prisoner was not 6' 7" and close to 400 lbs ("huge") as the second hand reports described him. But he was 6' 4" and 330 lbs.-still rather "huge" compared to the female supervisor he assaulted who was only 5' 7." It turns out that she had seen your video, and on the basis of that one viewing used your basic short range knife defense in which the attacker's right arm is blocked and tucked under her arm. She then attempted a head butt and may have made some contact, but when the attacker moved his head away, she butted hard again, this time landing her strike on his collar bone out where it connects to the shoulder. The collar bone broke. She then used her right knee to strike the attacker in the groin - a nice touch - and threw (or more probably) rolled him to the ground using the arm she still had tucked away in her arm pit. This would mean that he landed on his right shoulder with the broken collar bone -- and the battle was over. After this more detailed description based on the incident report, I asked my student (the 6' 5" prison guard) the critical question, "What part of the female supervisor's actions were also part of the training given at the prison?" His answer was short and sweet, None! So there is "the rest of the story" and even more congratulations are in order since the arm trap set up the head butt and the groin strike and started the otherwise defenseless young lady on the path out of her horrifying and quite possibly fatal encounter. I just received word that we have been authorized to provide training to the personnel of the regional Community Action Development Corporation. which is a non-profit community support organization. They have lone individuals driving about the country delivering services and entering people's homes. Now that safety training is available, they will offer it to their rather vulnerable employees for the first time. Thanks again from all of us for your time, wisdom, and interest. We will be looking forward to hearing from you again. Dr. Robert Sam Lackey SWOSU Personal Safety Training Instructor

4 Page 4 New DVDs So many people have asked that some of the older video sampler tapes be made available on DVD format that we have at last managed to get around to doing it. The following are now available: Seminar Sampler 1 Seminar Sampler 2 Martial Mind Aragaki Seisan Seminar Sampler 4 The quality is not as good as the current DVDs, but we hope that the content will prove useful. Children s basic Kissaki -Kai Class under sensei Valter Ciocca in Hong Kong. Fishing with no fish? One of the wonderful things about getting somewhat older is that it gives one a sense of perspective on things, including martial arts training. (Let s not get into the downside OK) When I began in sensei Asano s Honbu all those years ago, I never looked far beyond the immediate concerns of struggling mightily to become a strong and capable student. I did what I was told, and even went beyond what was demanded of me in both mental & physical endevour. In sensei Enoeda s Dojo & in others scattered throughout the country, others like me were almost fanatically pouring their sweat (& sometimes blood) into forging their minds and bodies in the furnace of training, far beyond anything we had experienced before. I m sure I was not alone in the way in which karate training came to dominate my entire life. The pressures were enormous! I have recorded elsewhere the way that Asano sensei would single me out every Friday night without fail for kumite until I was a shambling asthmatic wreck. I have talked of the intensity of mental effort required to stay the course when so many others did not; even to the extent of deciding on one particular occasion that I was prepared to die before I would ever give up my efforts to stand up again and fight back. What of perspective here? Well, I recognize that a number of factors were in play: Asano sensei s desire to build a renowned head Dojo, my own battles against physical & psychological weakness, peer pressure from the one or two others in the Dojo whom I admired & who seemed to have more talent than I did So, the point? Right. After years of horrendous pressure I had succeeded in becoming a reasonably able fighter, a permanent member of the A team in various championships; and a medal winner in Kata too. But Then what? True, I was fitter but other than a false sense of the depth of my defensive abilities, what else? I was fishing but catching no fish for the pot. I was digging like a madman, but taking home no coal for the fire! Meaning? My martial art was incomplete! The concept of Shu, Ha, Ri - the underlying raison d etre of the martial arts was not there. I was a karate athlete, not a martial artist. Shu - mastering of the fundamentals - was the over-riding concern (as was correct in the first few years or so). Ha - Breaking - i.e. achieving a break through - an epiphany - in understanding the essential principles was very narrowly focused onto the basic physical concerns of delivery of power & execution of waza etc. Ri - going beyond the merely physical application of set, codified applications, to form a fuller mastery & understanding; this never happened. Nor could it ever have occurred, given that the goal was never offered. It is hard to get to a place on the map if you don t even know it exists! We were all fishing, and the act itself was promoted as sufficient in itself. We were coal miners taking home no coal. Now with Kissaki-Kai it is different!

5 Page 5 KISSAKI-KAI KARATE-DO Kissaki-Kai Karate Marlton Professional Arts Building 55 Route 70 East & Maple Ave Marlton, New Jersey USA Phone: Fax: kissaki@comcast.net "Learn as if you will live forever; live as if you will die tomorrow." -- Gandhi Forthcoming Seminars UK Seminar - March 11th DOLPHIN LEISURE CENTRE PASTURE HILL ROAD HAYWARDS HEATH WEST SUSSEX 12 noon - 4 pm All welcome. For details contact: Don Came: Zazenkarate@aol.com PHONE: OR Summer Camps USA & Belgium Why not think about coming to the USA this year to spend a few days training in the Honbu Dojo or attending the 3 day Summer Camp in June and taking time for sight-seeing and shopping in New York & Philadelphia! Details will be posted shortly. Flights can be very inexpensive. Come as a group with friends & family or dojo members - we will be delighted to see you and you will find a warm welcome from all the Honbu Dojo members. There will also be a 3 day summer Camp in Ghent, scheduled for August 25th, 26th & 27th. This is always a terrific event for everyone, and a great opportunity to see a little of Europe. The information packs and booking forms are available by from: guy.janssens@muntersnv.be Great opportunities to make new friends & have a good time with some excellent training too! Don t miss these events! Video Reviews Bassai Dai - The Kata & Essential Bunkai UK - March 12th There will be a Seminar and Black Belt test to be held in Nottingham. Cyril s Gym Dojo All welcome 12 noon - 4pm. For details contact: Eva_Bayerlein@hotmail.com Phone: Canada - April 1st & 2nd There will seminars in Montreal, contact Master Jean Frenette for details: kokoro@total.net Phone: USA & Belgium Summer Camp Details available. I just watched your new DVD, "Bassai-Dai". As usual, the only criticism I ever have about your tapes/dvds is that at some point it ends. I just wish it would go on for hours. It was great. My style, Shorin Ryu, does the kata a little bit different than Shotokan, but close enough that I understood what was going on. The bunkai was fantastic. When I watch your stuff, it is like a veil removed from my eyes when I see realistic applications for the moves. (unsolicited testimonial from purchaser.)

6 Kissaki-Kai Karate-Do Newsletter February 2006 UK Address: Po Box 17, Beeston, Nottingham NG9 4BY Phone: USA Address: Kissaki-Kai Karate-Do, Marlton Professional Arts Bldg. Route 70 East & Maple Ave, Marlton NJ Phone Page 6 Order Form Books Videos & DVDs $/ No You can order by mail or by with a credit card. The amount will be deducted in US $ of items Zanshin Indispensible reading for all who want to integrate body & mind Kyusho Secrets II* Book Now 240 pages, extra chapters, Principles of combat, point charts, Kata bunkai etc Rules of Combat Book The development of Warrior Tactics! For all who need to really understand the basis for survival in combat! Videos & DVD s (* denotes DVD available) Bassai Dai Video/DVD Latest seminar showing major bunkai & principles of Bass Dai Nijushiho Video/DVD The new video/dvd showing the major bunkai from the Kata Extreme Self-Defense Paladin Video The video from Paladin - firearm & edged weapon defenses Empi video/dvd The major techniques of the Kata Hostage Defence video/dvd Covers firearm & Knife defences from hostage situation. Police Training Bunkai Sampler 5 video Covers Flinch reflex, bunkai from Heians, Empi etc. MusHave! Kissaki-Kai Karate Introducing essential Kissaki concepts & bunkai training Seminar Sampler 1 DVD Includes the truth about blocks, covers many of the Heian Kata Seminar Sampler 2 DVD Background with examples from many Kata including Unsu, Gankaku etc Martial Mind /DVD Deals with fear, increasing speed & power, the martial way, meditation Seminar Sampler 4 DVD The Ura (secret) bunkai to Tekki (Naihanchi), Meikyo and others Cop Combat video/dvd The latest video from Police Academy - real combat training Kanku-Dai video/dvd Shows the Kata and the Ura bunkai to the major techniques Manstoppers video/dvd A collection of guaranteed manstopping techniques plus gun & knife defence Aragaki Seisan DVD The full Kata, bunkai and essential combat principles Rules of Combat video/dvd How adding the rules makes technique far more effective! TOTAL European orders payable to PBS. However they can also be ordered and paid for by credit card via the US kissaki@comcast.postage will be net. Payment deducted in US dollars. Most items posted from Europe. Rest of world via US. $/ Items Make Payable to: PBS (Euro.) Kissaki (USA) (add $3 / 2 P&P) Europe. UK - PBS. PO Box 17, Beeston, Nottingham NG9 4BY England USA - Kissaki-kai. 9 Brandywine Drive, Marlton, NJ USA Orders can be mailed to these addresses.