Inside this issue: Thoughts on a Rule of Combat. Why Kissaki-kai? April Vol.15 No.3

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1 April 2012 Vol.15 No.3 Inside this issue: A Rule of Combat 01 A Rule of Combat Sensei Vince Morris A Rule of Combat Sensei Vince Morris Denmark 2012 Seminar report Denmark 2012 Seminar report cont: Seminar Photos It makes you think! Why Kissaki-kai? Kissaki-Kai teaches effective defensive karate Kissaki-Kai promotes reality in training Sport & Fun are not forgotten! Family atmosphere No Politics Not Style dependent. Recognized world-wide International Dojo Seminar Photos 07 DVDs & Books Website Shop. 08 Thoughts on a Rule of Combat Make your training as much like reality as possible. Training in any Dojo is a compromise, in that the safety of the participants is and will always be an issue. Therefore, all practice is to some extent carried out in a controlled and supervised environment, at speeds and intensity usually far short of the reality of the street. Of course, as skill increases so should the speed of execution of technique. There is one area, however, where I frequently see room for improvement. In real encounters there are few static moments where the protagonists are both upright and well-balanced. These are usually during the pre-combat stage, or where the unsuspecting victim is approached by a potential aggressor. As soon as the attack is initiated, however, one or both of the participants is very likely to lose his balance. Often, this is because the assailant will launch an attack which is aimed at disabling the victim, and will practically always have the effect of knocking him off balance. It is a fact that, as the 'Rules of Combat' put it: 'A man without balance is a man without power!' Basically, this means that without a stable delivery platform, it is impossible to launch the most powerful and effective strikes and counters. Imagine an aircraft carrier; it carries a huge arsenal of fighter aircraft, but unless it is turned into the wind and the deck is not tossing and rolling about, it will be impossible to launch the fighters. This is similar to a victim knocked suddenly offbalance, stumbling and under assault. In this unsteady and volatile situation he will be unable to execute any effective defence techniques. The aggressor, of course, will attempt to maintain this situation, as it is in his interests to disable his victim's defences until he has overwhelmed him. Consider now how most defensive sequences are practiced in the Dojo. In most instances, the scenario is set up by the sensei and uke and tori take turns to run through the sequence until they gain some degree of familiarity with it, and then they increase the speed. Now, in Kissaki-kai Dojo the whole scenario will be subject to the Rules of Combat and - in general both students and sensei are at pains to ensure that by applying them the defender is in a far better position to defend against that attack. However, and this is the point of this article, one of the most important aspects is vastly under-valued and not given due importance in the training paradigm. Taesabaki and Ashi-sabaki! During my intensive studies of the forces which influence the outcome of common violent encounters, one of the most important, yet least addressed, was that of balance. The Japanese sensei I originally trained with were continually stressing the need for skill in these, but (I now know) they concentrated on them in un-natural and in-appropriate ways. What do I mean? The truth is that what was required was that one had to move into low, strong stances, especially in Kata and ippon kumite (one-step sparring). There is nothing intrinsically wrong with this, but it misses the point. The emphasis upon attaining a strong stance never received the same emphasis in ju-kumite (free-fighting) and it was possible to score from any number of techniques delivered from a less than stable or strong stance. Now, don t get me wrong here. I am well aware that some striking and kicking techniques can be most effective whilst delivered on the move so to speak. Often a strike can be made more effective by putting the weight of a moving body be-

2 Volume 15 issue 3 page 6 Page 2 hind the blow. That isn t the point. The fact is very often such blows even when they did land were often scored as a near point (waza-ari) or even an ippon (full point) and the match halted by the referee. Also, the body shifts were seldom more than directly backward and forward, not at appropriate angles for real defensive counters. In the street, of course, there is no referee, and those same techniques adjudged as disabling turn out to be hardly noticed by an adrenaline, alcohol and drug enraged attacker! Were my Japanese sensei so wrong then? No not in their concern for tai and ashi sabaki in themselves, but much more so in their inability to translate their sport oriented practice into one more suitable for the concerns of original karate self-defense! The Japanese sensei were themselves taught in the typical non-questioning manner of the time ( Deru kui wa utareru. The stake that sticks up must be hammered down! ) and the emphasis was firmly upon the creation of strong and determined kumite fighters who would reflect glory and esteem (and thus financial success) upon their individual Dojo and their particular instructors. Indeed, in this they were very successful and promoted the emergent sport of karate to vast numbers of students all over the world. But and herein lies the downside although some of the combat skills developed in kumite are, without a doubt, invaluable to the victim of a street attack, they are not the best, nor yet the most applicable skills to fit the non-sporting, often extremely dangerous and lifethreatening reality of a violent physical attack! It isn t necessary to go into all the reasons here how sport and reality differ. Indeed the raison d etre behind the inception of Kissaki-Kai Karate-Do is the addressing of these imbalances and the returning of Karate to its initial purpose. However, I want to give some help in guiding Dojo training into a more appropriate fashion and to do this I have developed a set of training exercises which will help. The main objective is to ensure that in all attack scenarios Tori can be in a position to deliver powerful (and, more to the point, effective) defensive counter techniques. The first element is solo practice of basic techniques from ju-dachi or sachindachi, and the objective is to turn front, rear, left an right and deliver the selected technique from a strong, stable stance. Any approximately 6- foot-square area can be utilized for this training. In ju-dachi, face the front and deliver a strong reverse punch (gyaku-zuki). Immediately turn to the rear and do another punch. Follow by turning to the left and punching, again straight away turn to the rear and punch again. Again turn to the left and punch and again to the rear and punch. You should now be facing the original direction but in opposite stance. From here, turn behind and punch, then to the right and punch, then behind again and punch, once more turn to the right and punch, and lastly, turn behind and punch. This should have you back in the original position. This takes a few minutes to learn, but then the training really starts as you have to ensure that each turn is into a low stable, stance turning the head to view the enemy, and striking hard before rapidly making the next turn and punch. This is very demanding and tiring, but is essential practice for real combat as tori is continually using body and leg-shifting to drop into a powerful defensive position in order to counter-punch effectively. Points to remember are: turn the eyes towards the enemy first, use the front hand to grab the enemy and pull him onto the blow or deflect a strike and bring the hand back to a defensive position in front of the face whilst striking. Move the feet every time into a stable position, move fluidly without jerkiness throughout the exercise. Once a facility with this sequence has been achieved, it is time to build it into a combat-useful one. Firstly, the practice is altered slightly by adding a blocking action usually gedan-barai as the first move immediately followed by the gyaku-zuki. The complete sequence is then carried out in all directions as before. When this is mastered, then the initial block is changed into age-uke and the whole sequence repeated. Then, it is time to practice the whole exercise from sanchin-dachi, which is the preferred close-combat stance, as it does not restrict the use of the reverse punch to one side, as does ju-dachi. The whole sequence is then made more destructive in its counter attack by the addition of mae-geri (front kick) after the block and preceding the reverse punch. What this entire defensive sequence is attempting to do is inculcate the ability to immediately find a stable and balanced position of advantage from which to rapidly launch a counter-attack which persists until the enemy is defeated. Now, When some degree of competence in this sequence is attained, it can be fashioned into a more realistic ippon kumite or partnerwork pattern. Tori assumes a neutral stance/position, with uke standing at his left-hand side. Without warning, uke shoves tori off balance and the latter has to use ashi and tae sabaki to immediately turn towards the attackers whilst dropping into a strong stance from which he delivers a reverse punch. After a set number of repetitions (5 or 10) uke then takes his stance on the right side

3 s Page 3 of tori and the exercise is repeated. Finally, uke stands directly behind tori and pushes him from behind, at which time tori has to spin around, land in a strong stance and counter attack. Then the roles are exchanged and the complete sequence done again. As skill increases, tori has to introduce the kick (mae-geri) into his defensive reaction, before following up with the reverse punch. These exercises can be modified to include a variety of strikes, kicks and throws, and can be very useful indeed in inculcating an automatic response to being thrown off balance which regains the initiative from the attacker and puts the defender into a much better position from which to make a successful defense. They can be useful even at a beginner s level, as they clearly demonstrate that being off-balance puts one at a distinct disadvantage, so it becomes obvious that the rule: Move to a position of advantage is an important one. The training can also be great fun too! Top Sequence - Basic tae-sabaki and ashi-sabaki training. Move smoothly Make sure to step into strong stance and punch strongly with the hips. Practice in Ju-dachi and Sanchin-dachi. Bottom sequence - balance training. Remember - in real life fights are NEVER static but dynamic and fast-moving! Watch out for a forthcoming DVD on this important element of balance training! Vince Morris 8 th Dan Kissaki-Kai Karate-D0 20 th March Push attack from the side Push attack from the rear

4 Page 4 April 2012 Denmark Seminar report Don t miss this great opportunity to immerse yourself in the world s best Kissaki-Kai training! We can try & find accommodation with local members to keep down costs - for all details or download application form from the International or USA websites: Vince Morris Vince Morris came to Denmark February 25th and 26th It was not the first time he came to Denmark, and we all hope to see him again soon. As a matter of fact Vince Morris once lived in Denmark in relation to his studies earlier in his life. He has a university degree and was here researching for a PhD. This research experience has helped him in his extensive studies of old karate and martial arts, and how the techniques we perform daily really were meant to be executed. He studies extensively which katas were practiced and whether our interpretations of their bunkai were for real. The answer to the latter question is a clear. No! from Vince Morris. We have absolutely no idea what we are doing and the bunkai we are taught are mostly too constructed and completely useless for real attack situations. It has taken Vince Morris many years to study the old techniques and his thorough and strict research has taken him from ancient Chinese paper rolls and drawings to photos and films from 20-century Japan. Vince Morris has not yet studied all katas. His basic style is Shotokan Karate and he had for years trained in SKIF England under Asano sensei. Vince Morris told me about the incredible hard training and upbringing he was exposed to under Asano sensei. This taught Vince Morris many important things about himself and martial arts. The fighters from Asano sensei s dojo were the among the toughest in England. Vince Morris is today almost 68 years old and he has been doing martial arts since he was 9 years old. He has a long career in the English SKI kumite team behind him and has for years been doing karate as a sport under Asano sensei s tough but educational teaching. Vince Morris acknowledges the differences in karate and the presence of different aspects; Workouts, for mental and physical health, for sport and as he himself has engaged: the deeper and better understanding of what karate really was and what it really contains. Prior to his work has been an environment of many years of training under Japanese sensei, which was not suited for questions. Continued Page 5

5 Volume 15 issue 3 Page 5 Vince Morris karate school is named: Kissaki-Kai Karate-Do. A style, which has emerged from the above mentioned studies of kata but not confined to any particular type of karate, as Vince Morris in his dojo has instructors and students from different karate styles (Shotokan, Goju, Wado..). Kissaki-Kai Karate-Do has been chosen by some police forces as offering the most effective defense system which protects the officers best. We all felt that during the sessions in Denmark February 2012! Vince Morris shows interpretation o kata Enpi during session in Horsens February The thought of training karate on a decent level for 20 years and still being unable to defend oneself and one s family in the street, has lead Vince Morris away from a hierarchic system under a Japanese sensei to a search for answers and a constant urge to say why? Of course there is no single truth to any answer, but the answers Vince Morris has found really do work. (Read hurt ) Tekki Shodan - for example - was explained as being a bodyguard kata, explaining the sideways movements and never getting too far away from the person you protect. The Tekki kata contains few locks or throws, but mainly disabling and damaging techniques. The most mean and dangerous kata of them all! said Vince Morris. If you asked Vince Morris about a specific movement in an advanced kata, you might get the answer. I haven t yet gotten to that kata. Thereby we also got the answer as to how many katas you should master. Maybe not 28, but with an intensive study of 3-4 katas you should be well-equipped when it comes to self-defense and survival. It would be too time demanding to reflect and tell about all of Vince Morris demonstrations. His work is interesting and well considered. He is intelligent and reflecting, with great knowledge, also on subjects other than martial arts. I Recommend a visit on his website. Whenever you get the chance I recommend participating in a Vince Morris seminar. It might hurt a little, but it is such an eye-opener and fulfills the dojo-kun about seeking perfection. What greater perfection can you imagine than seeking the true meaning of what we really are doing in karate? Vince Morris offers us an insight into karate which is Important. He has not invented karate but he has rediscovered a most important part o karate! Niels Thomassen SKIF Denmark

6 Volume 15 issue 3 page 6 It makes you think! To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the Dead! ~ Thomas Paine Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds! ~ Albert Einstein Horsens Denmark Nemo me impune lacessit - No-one touches me with impunity! ~ UK Royal Coat of Arms. Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. ~ Jim Ryun The wise man hath his thoughts in his head; the fool, on his tongue. ~ Ivan Panin Cowards die many times before their deaths. The valiant never taste of death but once. ~ Shakespeare (J. Caesar) Arizona 2012 Seminar Participants Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing. ~ Abraham Lincoln Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance. ~ Samuel Johnson Master Chuck Merriman, Rod Elliot & sensei Vince

7 Eastbourne Seminar 2012 Focus on the Bunkai from the Kata Empi (the dumping Kata). NEXT SEMINAR USA - Michigan on April 14th, 11am-2pm. Venue: 490 Quarterline St., Newaygo, Michigan For further details please contact: bassai@riverview.net Why not arrange a seminar in your Dojo? It is easy!! for details.

8 Page 8 April 2012 Books, DVDs,& Pads - order from Item Description No of $ Total TEARTIME Novel 350 pages of adventure and excitement (Not for children) NEW Essential Kissakikai 2DVDs Double DVD Set - Essenttial Kissaki-Kai Karate-Do - a MUST HAVE! Gojushiho-Dai The major bunkai revealed NEW DVD! The Defensive Principles in action! The Secret Art of Pressure Point Fighting - BOOK ONLY LETS Defensive Tactics Manual An overview of vulnerable points, how to use them in real defense combat How Kyusho works, debunking the mythology, Tactics and Strategy Course book for trainers and students in all aspects of control and defense 118 pages, coil bound Secret Art PP Fighting Book and DVD Set. NEW The PP fighting book and accompanying DVD as a set. BOOK and DVD Kyusho Secrets II Book Now 240 pages, extra chapters, Principles of Combat, point charts, kata bunkai Secret Art of PP Fighting - DVD only The companion DVD to the book Secret Art of Pressure Point Fighting Rules of Combat Book The development of warrior tactics! For all those who need to really understand the basis of survival in combat! The Heian Kata DBL DVD set All the practical and effective defensive waza from the bunkai of these Kata Karate s Secret Throws DVD Understand the role of Nage-Waza in defensive combat Kanku-Dai Revisited! - 2DVDS Latest DVD - Two Volume DVD set of the important Kata Kanku-Dai Tekki Shodan DVD Filmed at seminars in the UK, Canada, and USA this video/dvd offers an insight into the powerful defensive kata Tekki Shodan Bassai Dai DVD Showing major bunkai & principles of the kata Nijushiho DVD Showing major bunkai & principles of the kata Empi DVD Showing major bunkai & principles of the kata Rules of Combat DVD How adding the rules makes techniques far more effective Aragaki Seisan DVD The full Kata, major bunkai & principles Manstoppers DVD A collection of guaranteed effective techniques plus gun & knife defense Cop Combat DVD Police Academy - real combat training. Arrest and Control - Defensive Tactics Hostage Defense DVD Covers firearm and knife defenses from hostage situation. Police training Martial Mind DVD Deals with fear, increasing speed & power, the martial way, meditation Bunkai Sampler 1&2 double DVD Bunkai Sampler 4&5 double DVD No1: The truth about blocks, covers many of the Heian Kata. No2: More background with examples from Unsu, Gankaku etc. No4:The Ura (secret) bunkai to Tekki (Naihanshi), Meikyo and others. No5: Covers Flinch reflex, bunkai from Heians, Empi etc Thigh Pad x1 Thigh pads are essential for realistic training! Thigh Pads (pair) Buying a set will save you and your partner precious training time Please add postage cost for postal/cheque orders only 2.50 $3 4 Total Payment: by credit card or PayPal account on our secure online shop at When you re ready for the real thing! USA SHOP ADDRESS: Kissaki-Kai Karate-Do, 819 Marlowe Rd, Cherry Hill, NJ info@kissaki-kai.com Kissaki-Kai Karate-Do Honbu Dojo 55 East Route 70 Marlton NJ USA Phone: