The Heian Katas - An introduc on By: James James, The Shotokan Way

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1 M A R C H K A R A T E O F J A P A N F E D E R A T I O N N E W S L E T T E R I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : T H E H E I A N K A T A S 1-4 EDITOR S NOTE: The following is a reprint of the ar cle from The Shotokan Way by James James. It highlights some very important aspects of the history and purpose of the Heian kata series. E D I T O R I A L 5-6 D O J O S P O T L I G H T 7 The Heian Katas - An introduc on By: James James, The Shotokan Way I N T E R N A T I O N A L N E W S N E W K O J F M E M B E R S M E D I C A L C O R N E R H A N S H I S C O R N E R F I N A L T H O U G H T S The Heian Kata represent the first five Kata that most students are introduced to in Shotokan Karate. They are supposed to introduce the individuals to the basics of Karate that they will need to advance in Karate. But most students at that level do not learn about the history or origins of the Kata they are training in. Worse is that they o en take inaccurate historical informa on as being truth then pass that on to others. This constant perpetua on of false ideas leads to some very confused individuals that will cling to the informa on they received from sensei as if he was there and witness the crea on of the style. Lets face it, most of our instructors are passing on informa on as a member of the fourth or even fi h genera on of instructors since Funakoshi s style was penned as Shotokan. K O J F H O M B U : Cincinnati Shotokan Karate-Do 9244 Colerain Avenue Cincinnati, OH (513) cincinnatishotokan@yahoo.com To contribute to the newsletter please send your articles to: kojfinternational@gmail.com The truth o en is hidden and some mes a fake history can be very useful as a marke ng tool. Who would not want to train in a style created by a mys c Shaolin monk?...the reality may not realize that the truth of the Katas history may not be as important as the lessons that you may learn from doing the Kata with a qualified instructor. The name Pinan is translated as Peaceful mind or long Peace the name comes from an Okinawan saying Heiwa-antei or peace and calmness. The name therefore suggests that the student who has mastered these Kata can be confident in themselves and their skills. The Kata progresses from Easy prac ce to harder prac ce as you learn the Kata series and a lot of reworking has been done from many groups to influence the series over the years. kojfinternational.blogspot.com/

2 Page 2 The Heian Katas Con nued History The Five Kata were created by Itosu Anko from older Kata. The Katas were designed to ins ll specific gross motor skills and a sense of body movement specific to his style of training for younger students trying to learn his style of Karate. The original Kata names were Pinan and the first and second Kata of the Heian series were reversed originally. When Funakoshi brought the Kata to the mainland he changed the names to be more Japanese for the new students and less Okinawan. The Pinan Katas were not an ancient form of training; they were created in 1906 and were adopted by many different style of Karate a er Itosu presented them to the world. You can find versions of this Kata series in Shorin ryu, Shorei ryu, Shotokan, Shito ryu, and Matsubayashi ryu to name a few. The historical story of why Itosu created the Kata and out of what Katas he culled the Katas tend to get a bit fuzzy! One story about the Katas history claims Itosu learned a special Kata called Channan from a Chinese man living in Okinawa. From this Kata he made five Kata that were easier to mentally digest. The problem with this story is an account of Itosu mee ng with a student and having his younger students perform a Kata he had just created for his school program. The older student commented that he had never seen such a Kata and asked what it was called! Itosu replied he was calling it Channan, but that he was not happy with this Kata as it was too long and had weak points. Some speculate that Itosu took this original work of art and broke it down into the five Kata that we now know as the Heian Kata. It is more likely that Itosu created a Kata using the older Katas Kanku Dai, Jion and perhaps Bassai Dai. This Kata was created to bridge a gap between knowing nothing of Karate and the skills that one was prac cing during the other Katas by using movements and techniques that would be similar to the student once they begin training in Karate. A er comple ng this New Kata he changed his mind about having one long Kata and broke it into five and then renamed them. One of the reasons I believe this hypothe cal history over that of wri en ideas lies in the prac ce of other instructors of that me and the genera on a er Itosu. Many of the instructors created Kihon Kata to introduce students to the more difficult Kata of their styles. You can find this in Goju ryu for one. These bridging kata o en help introduce younger students and new students to the harder training to come. Regardless of the Channan Kata, it is obvious that Itosu drew from common and influen al Kata to create his master piece introductory Katas. The Heian Katas demonstrate the Shuri style of figh ng and movement pa erns to the beginners. Not too heavy or power focused, the Heian Katas are very flexible and can be used by anyone wan ng to learn Itosu s Style.

3 Page 3 The Heian Katas Con nued When Funakoshi adopted these Kata he was already well past the point of being a beginner. Which leads us to another false dojo story of Funakoshi being forced to do thousands of Heian Kata over a three-year period before moving on to the next one. This may be an accurate depic on of him learning the Tekki Katas and other more advanced Kata, but not the Heian Katas. Funakoshi would have learned those Kata long a er he was seen as a junior student and more when he was assis ng in brining the art to the school system for Itosu. So, where did Funakoshi learn these Kata? Some suggest he studied them while preparing to bring Itosu Senseis Karate to school children and Mabuni was told to instruct him, others feel that he learned them directly from Itosu Sensei prior to helping him with his dream of pu ng Karate in schools. It is known that Funakoshi had a lot of help and some senior instructors assist him in moving into the school system, but Mabuni was not well known to have taught in schools before Funakoshi sensei did. It is more likely that Funakoshi learned these Kata from Itosu or from one of Itosu s more senior students prior to moving into the school system. When Funakoshi came to Japan he brought with him all of the Kata he had learned from his master and those he had taught to the school children for Itosu Sensei. When he was in Japan and formula ng a style to introduce to the general public in Japan, he took the Okinawan Pinans and changed the name to Heian as well as swapping number one for number two. He wrote at that me that he felt this created a more gentle introduc on and a more gradual increase in difficules for learning. Along with the Pinan to Heian shi Funakoshi also worked on changes to names and movements of other Kata. A er Funakoshi made his altera ons and taught students for many years the JKA was formed. From this new organiza on came many changes in Kata as the students tried to pass on and research the Karate that master Funakoshi brought with him to Japan. The Kata series has become so much more than just an introduc on to the system for school children. Modern Shotokan Karateka feel that the Kata are embodiment of that which Shotokan. While remaining Basic they s ll ins ll the skills they were called upon to do. With their long and graceful stances, powerful hip movements and all of the basics of modern Shotokan wrapped up in the Katas, these Kata are o en viewed as some of the most important Kata to master in the whole Shotokan syllabus.

4 Page 4 The Heian Katas Con nued Notes Most of the Heian Kata follow the same embusen or path. The path looks like an H turned on its side or a capital I with upturned ends at one end or the other. This embusen is historically significant only because several other styles have mirrored this pa ern, which allows for prac ce of turns and also dynamic straight movements in prac ce. Each Heian Kata has specific skills and lessons that are introduced to create a smooth flowing lesson plan from the master in order to teach Karate and Kata from a very basic level up to the intermediate student. Keeping in mind that in Okinawa during the me that these Kata were being created, they did not use Rank at all nor did they use the now common Keiko-gi that we see with the color Obi to tell someone what level in your training you are at.

5 Page 5 Editorial What do we do with Her?! By: Amy Schultz Recently, there was some discussion on Facebook about the treatment of women in the dojo. Let me be clear- my intent with this opinion piece is simply that; to offer a perspec ve in response to that discussion. I realize you may not all agree with me, and my dojo brothers have always treated me well. However, a er 27 years of being outnumbered in the dojo by gender I think I have a unique perspec ve. Admi edly, I was a bit shocked at some of the responses on Facebook. Don t touch them! Don t go anywhere near them! I won t train with them! Men should train with men and women should train with women! You should be properly trained in how to teach them because they re different. These statements sound more like statements of the Bubonic Plague or various civil rights movements than anything that should be in our dojos. Doesn t the dojo kun speak to respect, humility, character What you should be thinking: Women and men should be treated equally, with respect. Know your training partner s body. If you feel it s wrong to kick a man between the legs then it s a safe bet that it s wrong to grab a woman s chest. Note: Both genders should s ll understand the resources available to them in terms of self-defense; but not prac cing kicking someone in between the legs with hard contact does not mean you could not naturally do it in a fight. Women can be just as capable of being strong as their male counterparts. Males can be just as capable of being so as their female counterparts. Don t discount each other. Learn from each other.

6 Page 6 Editorial Con nued Adapt your ac ons and your mind. If you re helping a 10-year-old would you use the same force that you would with an adult? Would you disrespect your elders? It s no different. Adapt your mind and your body appropriately. Know when it is ok to go into beast mode and when you should listen and focus on technique rather than strength. The same should be true for your training partner. Adap ng to someone s abili es or age does not mean they are worth any more or less than you. It should not segregate them. In fact, it should provide you with a learning opportunity. Bo om line: women are not diseases and we do not require specially trained instructors. You do not have to wear latex in fear of contrac ng something or take a special course to learn how to deal with us. You just need to treat us with respect, remember the golden rule, and live by the dojo kun.

7 Page 7 Dojo Spotlight This month we spotlight recent events at Louisville Shotokan Karate-Do (LSK) under the watchful eye of Kyoshi Melvin Lewis! Father and Daughter duo! Isabella Feitelson is 11 years old and in 5th grade. She competed in her first USANKF tournament where she took 4th place in weapons and 5th place in kumite. She says, "I take karate because it's fun. I like learning new katas and learning Japanese. Greg Feitelson is 41 years old and a professor at Ivy Tech Community College. He says, "I enjoy working out with my daughter. Greg and Travis (pictured below) passed their first exam and were awarded their yellow belts. Congratula ons Travis and Greg!! Shut Up and Train! Team LSK!

8 Page 8 KOJF Interna onal News In November 2017, SKAI and KOJF Malaysia representa ve Shihan Murugesu and his assistant Sensei Selvaraj conducted annual championship tournament. The event was a major success and a great way to end 2017 with fellowship and budo spirit! Congratula ons from the KOJF Hombu on a successful championship! Under the direc on and leadership of Shihan Anto Dinesh, Sensei Senthil Kumaran, KOJF member from Switzerland, conducted kyu grading test in December Congratula ons to all who tested and achieved their new rank!

9 Page 9 KOJF Interna onal News In December 2017, SKAI & KOJF Central Province, Sri Lanka held Year End Training and rank examinaons. Dan examina ons were conducted earlier in December, while kyu gradings were conducted during the year end training event under the direct and watchful eye of Anto Dinesh, Shihan. For dan grades, Dilushann & Gayathri each earned Shodan and Rizki earned Nidan. Pictured below are the examinees as well as the SKAI & KOJF Interna onal Sri Lanka Examina on Board with Anto Shihan administering the test. Big congratula ons from the KOJF Hombu to all who tested and earned new rank!

10 Page 10 KOJF Interna onal News As KOJF con nues to grow interna onally, Anto Dinesh, Shihan has worked relessly to ensure that a presence for SKAI and KOJF is felt on a global scale. To that end, the KOJF Editorial Staff is honored to report that Hanshi Holley has awarded Anto the new tle of South Asian Countries Opera onal Director. Please join the KOJF Hombu in congratula ng Anto Shihan on this new tle. Anto Shihan recently updated the SKAI & KOJF Interna onal website, which included the naming of 3 new Technical Advisors to SKAI & KOJF Interna onal Sri Lanka: Shihan Melvin Lewis, Shihan Michael Rodriguez and Sensei Jason Laufenburg. Please take a moment to visit for more informa on on events and informa on from SKAI & KOJF Interna onal Sri Lanka!

11 Page 11 Page 11 Welcome New KOJF Members! W E L C O M E N E W K O J F M E M B E R S! Please take a moment to Welcome the newest members of the Karate of Japan Federa on Interna onal! Shihan Ridzuan Bin Md. Zain Shotoshinkai of Malaysia ShPak Wan is also a member of the ISKK for which Holley Sensei serves as the Senior Shihan. He is from Penang, Malaysia. Please welcome Shihan Ridzuan Bin Md. Zain (Pak Wan Shihan), 6th Dan Shotokan. Picture coming soon! Roberto Mar nez 8th Dan Okinawan Shorin Ryu Karate-do Puerto Rico Welcome to KOJF and we are excited to have you and your exper se both in Karate-do and Ryukyu Kobudo. Having shared the dojo floor personally with Mar nez Sensei I can personally verify his technical excellence and sincere passion for the tradi ons of Budo and his desire to help those around him. We are be er because of members like him. Again, Welcome! Pablo E. Ramirez, 6th Dan Shotokan - San Sebas an, Puerto Rico Chris Loudenback, 2nd Dan Shotokan - Anderson, IN. USA Pictures coming soon!

12 Page 12 Page 12 Welcome New KOJF Members! W E L C O M E N E W K O J F M E M B E R S! Please welcome Sensei Naizam, 7th Dan Shotokan. Sensei Naizam is the newest KOJF representa ve in India!

13 Page 13 Page 13 Sensei Raibick s Medical Corner S E N S E I R A I B I C K S M E D I C A L C O R N E R Is Karate in Your Heart? Since February is Heart disease month we will be focusing on cardiovascular health. We all know how strenuous karate can be, especially those of us that have lived through Sensei Laba s warmups. However, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. So, let s go over a few signs of heart disease: 1. Chest Pain 2. Fa gue 3. Dizziness 4. Shortness of breath 5. Swelling of ankles and feet So how does this e into karate you may ask yourself? Well if we don t take care of our bodies we can t train, if we can t train we can t take care of our bodies. Regular yearly physicals and blood work with your physician are vital to living a long and healthy life. This is the main reason people are living longer nowadays than in the past. Shotokan Karate in par cularly can be very taxing on the body. So taxing that I would suggest any new student over the age of 30 years consult a physician before star ng. If you or any of your students develop the above symptoms seek professional help immediately. I would also suggest having instructors and some students trained in CPR. Typically, this class costs about $60 and will last for two years. The more people trained in CPR, the more chance someone has of survival in the event of a heart a ack.

14 Page 14 Page 14 Hanshi s Corner H A N S H I S C O R N E R I have nabbed a piece of a well wri en ar cle from my friend Patrick McCarthy, Hanshi, former member of the Dai Nippon Butokukai of Kyoto Japan. This ar cle is relevant because of the misuse of tles in budo around the world. There have been ques ons and interested from some for KOJF to consider the prac ce of issuing "Titles" regularly for those of great tenure and prac ce in their respec ve budo and karatedo systems. I am against that as it fosters a feeling of expecta on by those who do in fact hold a high dan grade and I also think it corrupts the premise of the mission of KOJF. I will con nue to leave the issuing of a "Budo Title" to those respec ve associa ons, styles and such with whom one has trained and learned from. We at the KOJF Honbu are not in the business of issuing tles other than that of "Shihan" to our direct senior students/instructors within the Honbu. I will not water down the system in place or become a papermill of sorts where we will become known as the federa on that issues tles. If I succumb to such request I am sure it will not stop there, rather people will be asking for recognion through a "Hall of Fame" project and issuing special color or style of obi's (belts) that "special people" get to wear. Where would it stop and why then should it? I refuse to lower our standard or principles. If that means we will not grow to epic propor ons in terms of membership size, so be it. We are strong because of our principles and ethics and not because we issue rank and tles at the sign of $$$. I will con nue to stand by the moral and code of ethics for which most all of you choose to follow myself and KOJF. So, I have included this li le excerpt of an ar cle about tles issued by the famed and historic Japan associa on called the Dai Nippon Butokukai" which set the standard. Please know that as of about 4 years ago or thereabouts, the current Chairman of the DNBK, Tesshin Hamada, Hanshi successfully garnered the approval and acceptance, once again, for the DNBK by the Japanese Government as a legal recognized en ty of budo and all issued tles are registered with the Japanese Government as official license and all are endorsed by the Imperial Family of Japan. On that note please enjoy the small piece of ar cle I have included here. Titles and Ranks Overseeing the country s en re mar al arts community, the Butokukai also conceived of and issued the first dis nguished tles for the modern budoka who were considered outstanding in their par cular disciplines. The first Shihan ( Master Teacher ) tles were Hanshi ( Model Expert or Teacher by Example, and Kyoshi, originally known as Tasshi ( Teaching Expert ). In 1934, a third tle was introduced, Renshi ( Well Trained or Skilled Expert ). The Butokukai con nues to issue these tles to this day. Within the Butokukai, the ranking system was, and s ll is, the evalua on of an individual s progress toward the a ainment of human perfec on through the prac ce of the figh ng tradi ons. This evalua on is not based solely upon physical prowess, but also encompasses the en re human being s physical, moral, and spiritual development: budo s goal of cul va ng the world-within in an effort to enhance the world-without.

15 Page 15 Page 15 Hanshi s H A N S H I Corner Con S C O R N E R nued Some of the more recognizable experts of karatedo to receive the Butokukai tles have been: Mabuni Kenwa (Shitoryu), Miyagi Chojun (Gojuryu), Funakoshi Gichin (Shotokan), Funakoshi Giko (Shotokan), Konishi Yasuhiro (Shindo Jinenryu), Ohtsuka Hironori (Wadoryu), Yamaguchi Gogen (Gojukai), Nagamine Shoshin (Matsubayashi Shorinryu), Shinzato Jinan (Gojuryu), Higa Seiko (Gojuryu), Yagi Meitoku (Gojuryu), Ueshima Sannosuke (Kushinryu), Tomoyori Ryusei (Kenyuryu), Kinjo Hiroshi (Koryu), Richard Kim (Shorinjiryu), and Sakagami Ryusho (Itosukai Shitoryu). Endorsed by the Butokukai, the wearing of sashes and belts was conceived of by the late founder of judo, Kano Jigoro. Kano first foresaw the need to dis nguish the difference between the advanced prac oner and the different levels of beginners; thus he developed the dan/kyusystem. The dan, or black belt, indicated an advanced proficiency level and those who earned it became know as yudansha (dan recipients); the kyu degrees represented the varying levels of competency below the dan, and were known as mudansha (those not yet having received a dan). Kano Sensei felt it parcularly important for all students to fully realize that one s training was in no way complete simply because one had achieved the dan degree. On the contrary, he emphasized that the a ainment of the dan rank merely symbolized the real beginning of one s journey. By reaching black belt level, one had, in fact, completed only the necessary requirements to embark upon a relentless journey without distance that would ul mately result in self-mastery. A er establishing the Kodokan dojo (Kano s training ins tute), Kano Sensei distributed black sashes to all yudansha, which were worn around the standard dogi (prac ce uniform) of that era. Around 1907, the black sash was replaced with the kuro-obi (black belt), which became the standard s ll used. In an effort to regulate the compe ve elements of budo, the Butokukai established a unique refereeing system that revolu onized their prac ce and also served to spread Japanese mar al arts. Then, in December 1941, the Butokukai formed a commi ee to report on the progress of the different budo groups. Konishi Yasuhiro ( , Shindo Jinenryu) and Ueshima Sannosuke ( , Kushinryu) were pe oned to report on the progress of karatedo. However, in the following year, because of World War II, the Butokukai was reorganized under the auspices of five ministries: Welfare, Educa on, War, Navy, and Na onal Affairs. Shortly a er Japan uncondi onally surrendered to the Allied Forces in 1945, the occupa on forces prohibited all organiza ons considered to be the roots of militarism in Japan. With Prime Minister Tojo Hideki serving as head of the Butokukai during the war years, it came as no surprise that the Dai Nippon Butokukai, the Busen, and all its affiliates, were the first ins tutes ordered disbanded and closed a er the war.

16 Page 16 Page 16 Hanshi s H A N S H I Corner Con S C O R N E R nued However, in January 1946, the Educa on Ministry was put in charge of the budo, which were to serve only as physical educa on within the school system. Later that year, ex-butokukai officials successfully made a strong effort to have the associa on reinstated. However, the judgment was short lived as senior allied officials once again terminated it. With the Butokukai dormant for the next seven years during the American occupa on, various groups used its old honbu, the Butokuden. From 1945 to 1950, it was Allied Forces GHQ, following that the Legal Affairs and Finance Ministries used it, then, the Kyoto Police Department used it for their official training hall, and finally it was the site of the Tokyo Municipal Koto (13-stringed zither) Associa on un l it was declared a na onal treasure in The old dilapidated Butokuden was restored to its original splendor in 1987, although the surrounding buildings were torn down to make room for a new budo dojo. Patrick McCarthy Humbly your friend in and out of karatedo, Hanshi The KOJF Shotokan group in front of the famed Butokuden in Kyoto 2016

17 Page 17 Page 17 Final Thoughts F I N A L T H O U G H T S K O J F T E C H N I C A L T E C H N I Q U E K O J F S T A F F M E M B E R S Shuto Uke or knife hand block. Although named a block it can equally be used as a strike. It starts at the ear and follows a downward diagonal path. As it starts at the ear the palm is turned inward facing the ear. As it comes down it rotates about 180 degrees so that it ends facing the opposite direction. Just like the heart of other techniques there is a rotation such as a coil allowing for that torque. In advanced technique we use the second hand for clearing, distance, or even a block. Assuming this, the second hand could actually be doing the blocking or grabbing of the opponent s arm and finishing with a strike. The hands cross on a parallel type line. The hand starting at the ear follows the line of the opposite arm down until it crosses and rotates either striking or blocking. With one arm clearing and the other blocking it creates a stronger force; a push/pull type of effect. Shuto Uke is tricky and can often be skewed. The elbow of the arm making the shuto should rest about a fist from the rib cage closing the gap between the body and an outside attack. The shuto itself should be turned slightly so that the actual point of contact is the outside edge of the hand and down the forearm. Fingers should be pushed tightly together creating a united front. Also important to note is the use of the body. As the blocking arm reaches its destination the body and hips turn bringing the blocking arm to the forefront. The body should be turned as if against a wall (assuming kokutsu dachi), creating a small target. The hips creates torque; a rotational force. It is a twisting force that not only helps the mechanics of the technique but creates a contraction and expansion, allowing for power and speed. Dwight Holley Chief Instructor/Chairman Melvin Lewis Co-Chairman/Director of Officia ng Dr. Andrew Norman President Julie Holley Secretary/Treasurer Mujo Mustafic Interna onal Director Anto Dinesh Interna onal Director, South Asian Countries Opera onal Director Tim Laba Technical Director Almonte Covington Technical Director Amy Schultz Editor-in-Chief/Technical Assistant Jason Laufenburg Assistant Editor/Technical Assistant Jeff Raibick Medical Correspondent K O J F T E C H N I C A L C O M M I T T E E Almonte Covington, 7th Dan (Co-Director) Tim Laba, 7th Dan (Co-Director) Michael Rodriguez, 7th Dan (Co-Director) Amy Schultz, 4th Dan (Technical Assistant) Jason Laufenburg, 3rd Dan (Technical Assistant) David Edwards, 5th Dan (Technical Appren ce) K O J F S H I H A N K A I T R I A D Melvin Lewis, 7th Dan, Shihan (Co-Director) Robert Remington, 7th Dan, Shihan (Co-Director) Mujaga-Mujo Mustafic, 8th Dan Shihan (Co- Director)