September 2012 Vol.15 No.6 Inside this issue: Can different MAs help each other? Steve Blomeley The Secret waza sensei Vince Morris The Secret waza sensei Vince Morris The Secret waza sensei Vince Morris Distance Learning website. UK Seminar date. DVDs & Books Website Shop. 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 01 02 03 04 05 06 Article from Online magazine at: http://www.thekiissue.co.uk Steve Blomeley Can Martial Artists of different styles work together, learn together, learn from each other and even compliment each other? Of course they can! And I have benefitted from my own group of friends in the Martial Arts, each of whom practice different styles. I have been fortunate to meet, be taught by and train with some very knowledgeable practitioners in Great Britain and throughout the world. Each has helped me to develop into the Martial Artist I am today as someone who is still developing even after 30 years of practice. Many years ago I made the effort to attend a seminar by an American Instructor (George Dillman) who was visiting Great Britain. I was interested in what he had to say and intrigued by his approach to his Martial Art and certain knowledge he claimed to have. I enjoyed the day, but more importantly I came away having made contact with the Host of the seminar. I subsequently travelled back many times with a friend of mine who is a Karate Instructor, to train with and be taught by that same gentleman who s name was Vince Morris. Sensei Vince as he is known to the karate students, made me feel so welcome even though I practiced a completely different style of Martial Art than his as I practice Taekwondo, a Korean form of karate. I probably looked the odd one out with the different Dobok (Gi) on, but all of the visiting Karateka on his sessions treated me with equal respect and friendship, which showed me that we Martial Artists all have a common goal and a common bond to improve ourselves, our characters and our standards. I gleaned so much from this gentleman (and still do today) which has undoubtedly contributed to the way I practice my Martial Art. I can honestly say that there are only a handful of people who are non - taekwondoists but who have helped me develop my Art to what it is today, and Vince is one of them! Sensei Vince is a wonderful Martial Artist, fantastic, very knowledgeable karateka and a prolific writer who has offered to write the occasional article for the Ki Issue, which we will be delighted to include and think Martial Artists would thoroughly enjoy reading. As a final comment, any practicing Martial Artist should have in his library Vince s book The Rules of Combat. It s one that I often keep going back to, to read again and glean further insights as I continue training into my 50th year. International Dojo
Volume 15 issue 6 page 5 Page 2 The SECRET secret technique - Manji-uke In all the many and varied karate Kata, one technique, Manji-uke or Manji-gamae and one sequence - Manji-uke followed by Kagi-zuki has been the most misunderstood, misconstrued, misinterpreted and frankly just ignored defensive bunkai. Manji can be translated as meaning: One up, one down referring here to the defender s arm movements. It occurs in various forms in a number of well-known and important Kata such as: Kanku-Dai, Kanku-Sho, Bassai-Dai, Sochin, Gankaku, Jitte, Heian Godan and others. And in all, when it comes to demonstrating its function, it has been universally ignored or portrayed in a seriously stupid manner, even by world-renowned karate masters! Think for a moment about the reason that Kata exist. They are there to remind a student of the defensive combat applications of various techniques taught to them by a master, who - for one reason or another (years spent in China mastering martial arts) is no longer available to teach them personally. The waza that comprise the Kata were initially selected for their usefulness and effectiveness in real and dangerous situations, which were commonly encountered in that particular period in history. The attacks most likely to occur received the greatest attention, complying with the Rule of Combat: Learn to defend against what is most likely to happen first! So, if one sees the same technique or sequence appearing in more than a few Kata, it is reasonable to infer that the creators of the Kata considered it as (a) An important waza, and (b) As being commonly useful. Now take a look at the ridiculous interpretations given by practically all who teach the Kata in which it occurs. Some - like master H. Kanazawa - simply ignore the double arm feature and pretend it just doesn t happen. Others demonstrate unbelievable attack scenarios in which uke defends against either a punch or kick to the head from behind, whilst simultaneously blocking a punch or kick from the front with the other hand! Reading this is funny - seeing it in action is enough to make a genuine martial artist cry! Is this carefully coordinated attack from front and rear, with these specific blows such a regular occurrence that it must feature in many different Kata? By implication, it must be happening all the time! In reality, of course, it NEVER happens! OK - it is easy to mock, but what is it then, if not what we have seen so far? Well, after considering the problem literally for many years, I have arrived at bunkai that is based upon the reality of the type of attacks it was designed to defeat. I base the reasoning on historical appreciation that edged weapons were frequently involved in violent confrontations, and therefore one would expect Kata to contain the best known methods of dealing with them. Like all good defensive waza, the same paradigm of movement is equally effective against a variety of unarmed physical attacks. It transpires that the Manji-uke followed by kagizuke sequence is a very important and effective defensive maneuver after all! To understand its importance it is necessary to remember a few details; most physical empty-hand assaults move very rapidly into grabbing, wrestling range, frequently with one hand grasping the victim (arm, wrist, lapel, hair) whilst the other attempts to strike the head or face. This scenario often ends up with both going to the ground. In assaults with edged weapons, the most common cause of death is by being stabbed repeatedly in the torso. (Today s most likely weapon of choice is a sharpened screwdriver carried by car thieves). Two very different types of attack, but both capable of being defeated by Manjiuke. I will take waza from the Kata Jion to demonstrate what I interpret the moves to mean, but on the page you will not get a full appreciation of the speed, dynamism and effectiveness, but I will shortly be putting some clips on Youtube (search Kissakikai ) and of course I would recommend the Jion DVD when it is completed. You will find elements of this techniques in such disparate Kata as Heian Nidan and Tekki Shodan, Gojushiho and numerous others in Wado-Ryu and Goju-Ryu. All which underline its importance, and which signifies that it really is an effective waza! I would also point out that the earlier versions differ in minor details from the later, but the principles are the same
s Page 3 When principles are not understood stupid mistakes are made, leading to the kind of karate about which master Choki Motobu accused master Funakoshi of teaching - which only looked like the real thing, but wasn t, and was more dangerous to the karate-ka carrying out these techniques! Arm does nothing! Arm does nothing! When you understand a technique, you know a technique. When you understand a concept, you know a thousand techniques. These pictures epitomize the lack of understanding of the real principles underlying a lot of the bunkai of important and well-known Kata taught by world masters like Kanazawa sensei and by others, and - many years ago - I too was guilty of glossing over elements of the Kata which I didn t quite understand. Unlike many others, however, I was never happy doing this, nor with passing on the work of others without really grasping the concepts which lay behind the techniques, and continued to study and research until eventually I gained a better understanding. These photos show clearly that - in one instance there is no purpose to using the rear arm at all (above) and on the other hand using it in a completely nonsensical manner (below). Kata incorporate a toolkit of weapons, used to defend against typically occurring forms of attack. One need only ask how many times a double attack from front and rear could ever be defended against in this manner? It is completely ridiculous and just reveals the lack of real knowledge of what the Manji-Gamae, Manji-Uke waza, actually signifies. The Manji-Gamae move, which occurs so frequently, actually denotes a principle which is commonly seen in the Kata, that of using two arms at the same time to accomplish something which would be difficult if not impossible using only one hand. When understood, one realizes just what an elegant and extremely useful technique it really is! So what is it? It represents an escape from a stranglehold, a throw in its own right, a grip-break leading to a knockout strike to the back of the neck followed by a throw, a simultaneous block and groin strike and - significantly - a very effective defense against an edged weapon attack! Remember, this technique was developed in an age where the use of the long and short sword, and the dagger were common-place. It would be extremely foolish not to understand that the Kata - to be effective - must incorporate defenses against the weapons in common use. It is our good luck (if one is to put it in that way) that these defensive techniques are just as useful in today s violent streets! Indeed, the forthcoming DVD of the major bunkai of the Kata Jion features this waza in depth and reveals a number of its functions. It will be available from www.kissakikarate.com in a few weeks time.
s Page 4 1 Fig.1. Attacker (Uke) seizes Tori (Defender) by the throat and squeezes very hard. Insert one arm over and one arm under Uke s arms (Opening Salutation move in the Kata Jion. 6 Fig. 6. Against stabbing attack. Execute juji-uke block, contacting with outside of forearms to keep arteries away from 2 3 Fig.2. Tori snaps one arm downwards and the other upwards in a hard, jerking motion to break the stranglehold. Fig.3. This jerks Uke s body over in the direction of Tori s downward moving arm, and positions his head so that Tori can drive a hard strike downwards into the back of Uke s neck (G.B.20 point) to cause a stun or unconsciousness. the blade, jerking body backwards. Fig. 7. Immediately strike the attacker s face with a hard head butt. Figs.8 & 9. Apply Manjiuke - capturing knife arm in crook of elbow & striking hard with other hand. 7 7 6 8 8 4 Fig. 4. Immediately, Tori catches Uke s upraised arm (either with his hand or by using the back of his forearm) and drive it across in a punching motion similar to Kagi-zuki (Hook punch). 5 Fig. 5. The stunned attacker will be thrown hard to the ground at Uke s feet. The whole sequence takes only a moment to carry out, and works very effectively against seizing attacks or choking attempts. 9 These waza are shown clearly in action in the DVD Jion. Thanks to Don Came, Mazir Kakhi and Dale Roberts for their help with the filming!
Volume 15 issue 6 page 5 UK SEMINAR with Sensei Vince Eastbourne, Sat. Oct. 6th. contact: appliedkarate@gmail.com for info. Unique Distance Learning website www.kissakikai.com We all have gone to a seminar and thought that we would remember all those great moves and explanations, but really we only remember a little bit after a couple of weeks. The advantage with the Kissaki-kai distance learning site is you can review material over and over. It is like having a library of Vince Morris seminars that I can rewind and review over and over. They are not a low budget podcasts; these are high quality videos like the ones offered on the Kissaki-kai DVDs, with in-depth material on Kata bunkai, Kissaki-kai philosophy, and videos of real seminars and classes. It has become a vital part in the research of my karate and the material I teach in my classes. If you want to really begin to understand the details of Kissaki-kai karate this is the website to have. Phil Oakes, Bassai Karate Academy, Yon-Dan Kissaki-kai karate Go to the website and see for yourself! Many karate-ka are now in their 3rd year of membership. The only way to learn Kissaki-Kai in depth and detail if you do not have access to a DOJO. www.kissakikai.com Every month download new training videos, see Web TV, ask questions Highly recommended, having signed up initially as a newish Kissaki Kai member hungry for as much information as possible and feeling geographically isolated from other Kissaki Kai Dojos. The Kissaki kai learning website has been a rich resource for me and all Kissaki Kai members and anyone else genuinely interested in properly applying karate as a real and effective method of self-protection. The Kissaki Kai learning website should feature in everyone s basic library of information. I ve used it, from the beginning to help me and my students, the articles and video downloads (and DVDs) are an inspiring continuing reference and many times useful as a template to structure classes. This to me is really worthwhile useful information online. It seems so obvious to me that Vince Morris has revisited not just the old ways, but revised and revises his own earlier takes and opinions on the old ways, to make karate better, to hone the principles, to get to the core important basics.. and the Distance Learning website brings this information to all martial artists! 1 person joins - the whole Dojo benefits! Gerry Smullen, 4 th Dan Kissaki Kai & 4 th Dan Wado Ryu. Download of regular monthly training video 1st month starts with 3 episodes to start you off. View regular Kissaki TV Q & A podcasts for members - ask your own questions. Concentrates upon specific aspects of Kissaki-Kai & include real-life examples for emphasis. How to train for maximum effect. Monthly lesson plans for students and instructors. Detailed analysis of precisely how a technique should be performed for best results. Not just the techniques, but how to incorporate them into dojo partner training. A complete blueprint for instructors to serve as a class template. Precise help with and analysis of tai-sabaki, mawashi-uke, frisbee uke, flinch reflex, striking, chokes - the Rules of Combat to ensure combat effectiveness etc. Covers all the essential elements plus the 5 levels of combat. Master real skills!
Page 6 September 2012 Books, DVDs,& Pads - order from www.kissakikarate.com Genesis of Kissaki-Kai - Set of 4 DVDs The Genesis set is a re-mastering of seminar samplers 1,2,4 and 5, charting the development of Kissaki-Kai Karate-Do: These 4 DVDs, recompiled from the earliest seminar videos, analyse and demonstrate the use of Kyusho points, the Flinch Reflexes, the Frisbee-uke - the Rules of Combat and much more. See how the application of research and logic altered the perception and practice of Kata Bunkai! The quality is not as good as current DVDs but the content is important! $50 NTSC (USA) 33 PAL (Europe) The Secret Art of Pressure Point Fighting: Book & DVD-combo Martial arts lore tells of masters who possessed a mysterious ability to defeat an opponent with a single perfectly placed blow. This book transforms the ancient legend into a modern reality - an anatomically based fighting and selfdefence system that allows a small defender to defeat a larger attacker. - Over 300 step-by-step photos show each point and strike. $28 NTSC (USA) 22PAL (Europe) DVD shows detailed action and more than the book. Essential Kissaki-Kai Karate-Do - Double DVD This set is giving detailed instruction in the 5 levels of Kissaki-Kai Karate-Do: Atemi-waza, shime-waza, nage-waza and kansetsu-waza. A masterful compilation of real, effective, defensive combat techniques which should be studied by all karate-ka wishing to gain a full understanding of this defensive art. Based upon the 3-year distance learning program, but including much new material, this DVD set is an invaluable insight into how to make karate truly effective. Shin-ippon Kumite, the Rules of Combat, the use of Kyusho points, the flinch reflexes, the Frisbee-uke and much more is covered here! $45 NTSC (USA) 29PAL (Europe) Gojushiho-Dai DVD Sometime named 'Useishi' this is a major kata with a long historical lineage and the techniques within it have puzzled karate-ka for many years. Finally, this DVD reveals the toolbox of fast and effective defensive methods of countering a variety of commonly occurring attacks. $45 NTSC (USA) 29PAL (Europe) Go to the website shop to see all the books, DVDs and other items available (T - shirts, Protective pads etc.) Kanku-Dai Tekki Shodan Secret Throws Nijushiho Bassai Dai Manstoppers Many others available on the website: Empi, Aragaki Seisan, Rules of Combat, Hostage Defense...