Showing posts with label Karate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Karate. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Self-Defense Training, Gilbert and Mesa, Arizona

Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Hombu dojo, Mesa Arizona, 2019


Education Gym, University of Wyoming Shorin-Ryu Karate & Kobudo, 1999

Our current students are 13 to 75 years in age. We plan to keep the group small (<20) until the economy turns around. Soke is a member of several halls of fame, taught karate, kobudo, samurai arts, jujutsu, and self-defense at four different universities. 


Corbett Gym, University of Wyoming Shorin-Ryu Karate, 2003


Soke (airborne), University of New Mexico,
Shorin-Ryu karate, 1975

Soke (airborne), University of Utah,
Kyokushinkai karate, 1969

Monday, April 12, 2021

Karate (空手) Acceleration - the Way of the One-Punch Knockout



In Okinawa karate, we emphasize proper transfer of energy from a punch, block, or kick, to the interior of the body of an attacker. This is sometimes called chinkuchi. Chinkucki is a subtle, but important, characteristic of Okinawa karate that takes time to develop and understand. It is something one needs to learn to order to develop a killer punch referred to as a one-punch knock out! To punch, block and kick in Okinawa karate, relax except for the fraction of a second when you make contact. Keep in mind that Okinawa karate systems train for combat, while most Japanese karate trains for tournaments. So, there are differences. To develop chinkuchi, learn kime. Kime and chinkucki, are about acceleration - something every karate practitioner needs. I can not emphasize this enough! Movements in karate need to be: (1) relaxed! (2) accelerated! (3) focused at the last possible moment, (4) accelerated! and (5) focused! I know I listed accelerated and focus twice, but this is because these are so important and DIFFICULT to get American martial artists to develop. Study Chinto (aka Gankaku in Japanese) kata performed by Akamine Hiroshi. Watch his kata for focus and acceleration (see about 4 minutes into the video) - it is nearly perfect. Watch it and periodically video tape yourself to see if you are gaining similar acceleration and focus in technique. A fast transfer of momentum implies the amount of force transferred to a target will be large all at once - this is the secret of one-punch knock outs.

Another important characteristic of Okinawa karate is mochimi. Mochimi refers to relaxation and flexibility. Punches, blocks and kicks should be performed relaxed and should contract only at the point of impact (not while you 'launch' your fist), and finish relaxed, which is different from Japanese karate where striking techniques are stiff throughout the process. 

Newton's second law of motion states that Force is equal to Mass multiplied by Acceleration (F=m.a), indicating that heavier fighters can strike with greater force than light fighters based on mass alone. But because of the magic of karate, through proper training, a light-weight fighter can increase the force of strikes by acceleration, and by wisely using body mass with timing and shuffle steps (i.e., tsugi-ashi or yori-ashi), grabs, posture, hip rotation, and shoulder movement. Few of us are as endowed in the martial arts as Bruce Lee with perfect balance, body movement and acceleration. Even so, we can greatly improve our abilities with daily practice and good instruction. 

To use mass effectively, execute every technique with good biomechanics and put more body weight into your punch just like the featherweight Bruce Lee (note how he moved forward to effectively use his body mass).

To increase mass participation with acceleration, practice kata (your body memory tool) at least twice: first, concentrate of mass participation practicing kata at slow to moderate speed: next concentrate on acceleration (you don’t need to move between steps fast, it’s your punches, blocks, and kicks that need to be accelerated to the max, with focus). If you have enough energy left after running through your kata twice (you should feel considerable energy spent), you can run through the kata a third time focusing on mass and acceleration working together. 

When you practice for mass participation, work on hip rotation, foot movement, stance, breathing and the mechanics of blocks, strikes, kicks, and slow the kata down (but you SHOULD hear the sound of your gi sleeve snap on your wrist and forearm and on your ankle and shin when you kick). Acceleration, on the other hand, is the rate of change of speed. In other words, it's about how quickly you increase the speed of your mass in the shortest time possible. Next time you see a hummingbird, watch how quickly it accelerates. In one second, it can cover 50 of its body lengths; whereas, a Euro-fighter jet’s top speed will only cover 39 of its body length in one second (Scott, 2009). To improve acceleration, relax your body and muscles in your arm, then accelerate your punch as fast as possible, with focus - I recommend video-taping yourself and watch for ways to increase power and speed. Also dedicate time to improving your biomechanics and acceleration with properly timed release of breath.

When you punch, stand with your back straight, keep your spine and neck erect. Avoid leaning forward, as this will upset balance. Focus on hip movement - you must use hips properly to increase kinetic energy of your strikes. And of course, breathe. Learning to breathe (kokyu) correctly will influence your punching power, speed, stability, and endurance (Jutras, undated).
  

Thursday, February 20, 2020

Karate, Kids, Legitimacy, and Dojo Language



Before moving to Arizona, our Soke taught his son and daughter karate at the University of Wyoming, and both are now legitimate black belts. His daughter even had to use her training in self-defense from her Ex, who is twice her height and mass. He ended up calling the Cheyenne police for help after Soke's daughter beat him up. 

 Over the years, Soke taught more than a thousand martial artists at four major universities, Gold's Gym, at the Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Hombu in Laramie, and later in Mesa. He is a member of the black belt hall of fame, a Who's Who in Martial Arts Legend, and certified in several martial arts.

Soke suggests to watch out for MMA - a dead giveaway since most lack legitimacy. MMA does NOT have values of traditional karate or any traditional budo, and anyone can claim to be yudansha (black belt) or instructor (sensei) in MMA, even though there only experience may be wrestling in high school. Remember, any one can walk into a martial arts supply house and buy a black belt for $5 or $10. 

Too bad parents have no idea what martial arts are? But this isn't surprising, as many North American martial artists don't know either. Soke's own personal instructor, told him over the years that he receives requests from questionable martial arts instructors asking to join  his Japanese/Okinawan/US association. At least 85% of the people who apply have NO legitimacy. 

For kids training in martial arts, their parents need to be aware of  growth plates; and fractures. These  can result in serious problems later in life. In particular, joint locks should not be applied to kids. Not so long ago, the author witnessed a kids class at the Chandler community center training in aikido. Aikido is all about joint manipulation! 

When kids are taught basic karate punches known as tsuki, they have to be closely monitored, to keep their wrists straight, otherwise, they can easily fracture their wrists just by punching a bag. PARENTS - you need to be aware of this!!!

So, the next time you check your dojo or instructor, do a search on the internet of his/hers dojo or of his/hers name. Next, look inside the dojo for a dojo license (this should be provided by a legitimate international martial arts association), and look for copies of his/hers diplomas. This is where it gets a challenging, knowing what is a legitimate and what is not. Take a few notes and do some internet research, and look to see if the diploma includes mostly kanji. For example, some years ago, a German martial arts association gave our Soke a diploma for the rank of judan (10th dan) in jujutsu. He now keeps the diploma to show students what phony diplomas look like.

Soke Hausel, the world head of Seiyo no Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai has been training and teaching martial arts for his entire life. He is not only a hall-of-fame martial arts instructor and Who's Who martial arts Legend, but also a hall-of-fame geoscientist. 

Prior to moving to Arizona and opening the Hombu dojo in Mesa in 2006, Soke taught classes, clinics, and seminars in karatekobudo, self-defense, women's self-defense, samurai arts and more at the University of Wyoming for more than three decades, along with researching mineral deposits. In 2013, he was awarded one of the highest honors for a westerner in martial arts - that of Meijin Wajutsu which translates as martial arts genius.


I like my students to learn karate, kobudo and other traditional martial arts as well as learn as much as possible about the culture related to Okinawa and Japanese martial arts including some Japanese and Okinawan dialect. Here are some of the terms I expect them to learn over time.

Here's some Japanese used in karate.

Opening-Closing Classes

Kiotsuke (or) Seiretsu -      Line up (or) Attention
Otaga ni rei -                      Bow to one another
Shomen ni rei                     Bow to Shomen (front)
Soke/Sensei ni rei              Bow to Head Founder/or Instructor
Mokuso -                           Meditate
Domo arigoto                    Thank you very much



Exercises

Applications                   Bunkai
Basics                             Kihon
Body hardening              Shitai Kori
Calisthenic exercises      Undo
Forms                             Kata
Preparation exercises     Junbi undo
Throwing Technique     Nagewaza

Counting

Ichi, Ni, San, Shi (Yo or Yon), Go Roku, Shichi (Nanna), Hachi, Ku, Ju (counting to 10)
10 to 19 - add Ju as a prefix. Thus 11 is Juichi.
Time - add ji as suffix thus one o'clock is Ichiji.

Dojo Kun

Karate ni sente nashi                                 There is no first attack in karate
Makoto no michi o mamoru koto              Have devotion in seeking a true way 
Reigi o omonjiru koto                               Always act with good manners.
Doryoku no seishin o yashinau koto         Cultivate a spirit of effort and perseverance.
Kekki no yu o imashimeru koto                Refrain from violent and uncontrolled behavior 
Jinkaku kansei ni tsutomeru koto              Work to perfect your character.

Dachi (Stances)

Back Stance - Kokutsu-dachi
Cat Stance - Neko-ashi-dachi
Crane Stance -Genkanku (Tsuri) dachi
Cross-leg - Kosa (juji) dachi
Front Stance - Zenkutsu dachi
Fighting Posture - Kamae (kumite) dachi
Horse Riding - Kiba Dachi
Heels Together - Musubi Dachi
Immovable Stance - Sochin (Fudo) dachi
Kneeling Stance - Iaigoshi dachi
Left Stance - Hidari dachi
Natural Stance - Soto hachiji (yoi) dachi
Pigeon-Toe Stance - Hachi (hangetsu) dachi
Right Stance - Migi Dachi
Side Stance - Yoko dachi
Sumo Stance - Shiko Dachi
T-stance - Tobuku dachi

Uke (Blocks)

Cross Block - Juji-uke
Downward block - Gedan Barai
Elbow block - Hiji uke
Grasping block  Torite-uke
High block - Jodan uke
Inward block - Uchi uke
Leg block - Ashi uke
Open (knife) hand - Shuto-uke
Outward block - Ude (Shoto)-uke
Palm Heel block - Teisho-uke
Rising block - Age uke
Sweep block - Hari uke

Keri (Kicks)

Back Kick - Ushiro-geri
Back Roundhouse - Ura-maewashi-geri
Crescent Kick - Kozumi-geri
Front Kick - Mae-geri
Flying Front Kick - Mae-tobi-geri
Flying Side Kick - Yoko-tobi-geri
Knee Kick - Hiza-geri
Leg Sweep - Ashi-barai
Rising Roundhouse - Age-Maewashi-geri
Roundhouse - Maewashi-geri
Side Kick - Yoko-geri
Snap Kick - Keage-geri
Thrust Kick - Kekomi-geri
Toe Kick - Tsumasaki-geri

Uchi (Strikes)

Augmented Punch - Morote-zuki (tsuki)
Backfist - Uraken (Reiken)-uchi
Chicken Hand Strike - Toride-uchi
Double (Over-Under) - Yama uchi
Elbow Strike - Hiji (empi)-uchi
Finger or Thumb - Yubi-uchi
Hammer-fist Strike - Kentsui-uchi
High Punch - Jodan-zuki
Hook Punch - Kaku-zuki
Knife-Hand Strike - Shuto-uchi
Low-Level Punch - Gedan-zuki
Middle Level Punch - Chudan-zuki
One-Knuckle Punch - Ippon Ken-uchi
Opposite Hand - Gyaku-zuki
Palm-Heel Punch - Teisho-uchi
Ridge Hand Strike - Haito-uchi
Rising Punch - Age-uchi
Rising Elbow Strike - Age-Hiji (Empi)-uchi
Spear Hand Strike - Nukite-uchi
Vital Point Strike - Atemi-uchi 

Martial Arts Titles

Sensei - instructor
Shihan - Master Instructor
Soke - Grandmaster, president
Sokeshodai - First generation grandmaster.
Soke-Dai - Vice President
Kyoju - Professor.
Hanshi - refers to a senior expert considered as "teacher of teachers." 
Kyoshi - refers to an advanced teacher. 
Renshi - "one who has mastered himself."
Senpai - senior student
Yudansha - black belt members
Mudansha - lower rank (kyu) members
Okuden - refers to entrance to the secret ways 

Kumite (Sparring)

Ippon kumite - one step sparring, typically used for self defense drills 
Sanbon kumite - three step sparring 
Kiso kumite - structured sparring drawn from a kata (bunkai). 
Jiyu kumite - free sparring 
Randori- Free sparring (Judo) 
Kachinuki - old style contests

Greetings/Responses

Hai - affirmation, as in 'yes' (should be used whenever you are corrected by your sensei)
iie - no
Domo - thanks
Gomen nasai - Excuse me
Onegiashimasu - Please
Wakarimasu - I understand.
Wakarimasen - I don't understand
Sumimasen - apology, sorry

Uniform

Obi - belt
Gi - training uniform
Karategi - karate uniform
Judogi - judo uniform
Hakama - traditional pleated and bloused pant

Dojo

Kamiza- Front of dojo. 
Shomen - front, same as the Kamaza
Kamidana - shelf or shrine at the Shomen.
Shimoza - back of dojo.
Joseki - right side of dojo as one enters - where senior students line up.
Shimoseki - Left side of dojo.
No-Geiko - training outside in the elements.
Tatami - mats

Kobudo

Hojojutsu - the art using a hojo cord (rope).
Tanto - dagger
Tonfa - rice grinder handles ? or baton with handle
Ryu fundo kusari - weighted chain
Manrikigusari - chain
Tessen - war fan
Kusarigama - kama with weighted chain
Naginata Halberd
Yari - spear
Bo - wooden staff (usually 6 feet in length).
Hanbo - half staff (3 foot in length).
Tsue - Cane 
Tanbo - short stick
Kuboton (hashi) - hand stick
Kioga - collaspable baton
Eku (Iku) - oar
Tekko - knuckle duster
Surushin - weighted chain
Katana - samurai sword
Kama - sickle
Nunchuku - nunchuks
Sai - three pronged knife
Kumade (Ra-ke) - rake
Kuwa - hoe
Sojutsu - methods of the spear
Kagi - Car Keys

Jujutsu

Nihon jujutsu - Japanese jujutsu
Tori - the practitioner who carries out the throw or technique
Uke - (Partner) the practitioner who accepts the throw or technique
Atemi - strike
Koryu jujutsu (ancient jujutsu techniques)
Edo Jujutsu (old style jujutsu)
Gendai jujutsu - modern jujutsu
Goshin jujutsu - non-traditional jujutsu lacking in lineage
Judoka- practitioner of judo (term usually reserved for those who are 4th dan or higher).
Benkyo-ka - "scholar"
kenkyu-sei - "trainees", practitioners below the rank of 4th dan
Kodokan - place for teaching the way (Institute of Judo in Tokyo)
Nage-waza - throwing techniques, 
Ne-waza - groundwork 
Kansetsu-waza - Joint locks
Te-waza - hand techniques. 
Koshi-waza - hip techniques,
Ashi-waza - foot and leg techniques.
Mae-sutemi-waza - sacrifice techniques in which the thrower falls forward. 
Ushiro-sutemi-waza - sacrifice techniques in which the thrower falls directly backwards. 
Yoko-sutemi-waza - Sacrifice techniques in which the thrower falls onto his side. 
Kansetsu-waza - Joint locks.
Shime-waza - strangle or chokeholds.
Osaekomi-waza - pinning techniques
Ukemi-waza - falling techniques 

Martial Arts Styles

Hozoin Ryu - Japanese spear system
Karate - art of the empty hand
Kobudo - art of ancient weapons
Shorin-Ryu - Pine forest style or Shaolin style of karate
Jujutsu - art of softness or way of yielding.
Judo - translates as gentle way.
Yarijutsu - spear fighting system
Sojutsu - spear martial art
Iaido - the way of sword
Kenjutsu - sword applications
Budo - martial arts ways
Bujutsu - martial arts fighting methods
Bushido - the way of the warrior
Toide - ancient Okinawan art of grappling, joint manipulation and joint separation

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

MARTIAL ARTS CONTRIBUTES TO BRAIN HEALTH & PHYSICAL FITNESS

To those who train constantly in martial arts, the positive benefits are not surprising - good health, feeling good, and self-confidence. And now, scientists are just beginning to study the benefits of these effects.

For instance, some scientists are now looking into links between emotional well-being and physical health. Its vital to note that martial arts has been shown to improve a person's emotional well-being, according to a recent 2018 article from Bangor University in Wales. In one study, older adults, aged 67-93, were asked to take part in: (1) Karate training, (2) Cognitive training, or (3) Non-martial arts physical training over a 3 to 6 month period. The results showed that the "older adults in Karate Training had lower levels of depression and greater levels of self-esteem after the training period, compared to the other groups".

In one Italian study, a sedentary group was compared to a group which trained in karate. The Italian researchers found that "taking part in karate improved a person's working memory".  

Researcher, Dr. Ashleigh Johnstone at Bangor University reported - "There is far more to martial arts than its traditional roles. Though they have been practiced for self-defense and spiritual development for many hundreds of years, only relatively recently have researchers had the methods to assess the true extent of how this practice affects the brain".

Now that scientists are performing imagining scans of people's brains, I suspect it is just a matter of time until a study is done to compare increases in size of the hippocampus by karate practitioners compared to other groups. This is because karate provides an constant influx in oxygen to the brain through intense training, and traditional (non-sport) karate practitioners are constantly being challenged by learning new techniques (waza), applications (bunkai) kata, kobudo and samurai weapons. In addition, these are taught to both sides of the body providing a means to enhance both sides of the brain. Even after training in martial arts for 55 years, I find I'm still constantly learning. It's been said by previous grandmasters in Okinawa karate that there is "No end to learning in the martial arts". And we are now seeing the scientific fruits of our labors.

Saturday, September 30, 2017

The 'Art' of Karate

Sometimes a martial arts instructor, other times a
geoscientist, writer, public speaker, or artist
About 1989 to 1990, Soke Hausel was not only teaching karate, kobudo, jujutsu, and samurai arts at the University of Wyoming; but, also employed as a research geologist at the Wyoming Geological Survey and periodically took leave of absence to work as a consulting geologist for various mining companies around the world. In 1988 and 1989, six geologists including Soke Hausel discovered a giant gold deposit in Alaska. The company hired a draftsman at the Wyoming Geological Survey to produce professional quality maps of Soke Hausel's maps of the Donlin Creek gold deposit in Alaska.

One day a geologist, the next a martial artist
One day, this draftswoman mentioned while working on the the maps that Soke would be a great artist. He responded, "I can't even sketch a stick figure". Fiddy, the draftswoman disagreed and said all Soke needed to do was to focus and sketch small areas in detail just like his maps. 

That comment actually made sense. So, he tried sketching and was surprised by this hidden gift given by God to him. So, he did my first sketch in 1989 or 1990. But, without that one comment, he likely would never have discovered pencil art..

MARTIAL ARTS were uncommon in North America in the 1960s, but they peaked our interest from 1966 to 1967 as Kato fought a variety of villains on the Green Hornet TV series while espousing Zen philosophy. Martial arts took center stage again from 1972 to 1975 as Kwai Chang Caine preached harmony in the Kung Fu martial arts TV series. In 1975, a Shaolin monk named Lee fought a renegade martial arts monk who broke the code of ethics of the Shaolin Temple in the movie Enter the Dragon. And who could forget that likeable character Mr. Miyagi in the 1984 Movie, The Karate Kid. Miyagi preached Zen while teaching Daniel san pragmatic karate exercises to defend against a group of teenage thugs. Even though fictional, these programs espoused a code of ethics to live by while following the premise of "No First Attack" - a philosophy of traditional karate and 'traditional' martial arts.

Martial Art, by Soke Hausel
Many have the erroneous impression MMA (mixed martial arts) is martial art. Ever hear MMA competitors espouse positive philosophy, harmony, a path to enlightenment, or even concern for another human being? This is one of several characteristics that separate traditional martial arts from street fighting & combat sport such as MMA, boxing, cage fighting and sport martial arts. Traditional karate is not sport, it is a way of life as well as a weapon of self-defense - it is about perfection of the practitioner!

So, what is martial art? Visualize a boxer. A trained boxer is taught by a friend how to kick someone in the groin. Wow, so now is boxing magically transformed into a mixed martial art? Is it that simple?

Actually, it is much more complex than one could imagine. And just because someone advertises that they teach mixed martial arts usually means that they have boxing, wresting experience and usually only minor (if any) martial arts experience. Mixed martial arts is a catch-all phrase for people who want to be martial artists likely have no martial arts credentials. 

The Shotokan tiger by Soke Hausel
In traditional martial arts, there is an established lineage and history of certification and credentials - but there is nothing really writing down about the procedure, nor any government regulations (thank goodness). So, we need to first examine the words 'martial' and 'art' to try to get a handle on what a martial art really is.

Martial is defined as 'military-like' and is pragmatic; however art is more difficult to grasp as it is an 'esoteric expression' meaning different things to different people. When researching martial arts dictionaries for a definition of martial arts, it is difficult to find one that provides any kind of meaning - and in most cases, it is obvious that even those martial artists who have compiled martial arts dictionaries were unaware of what a martial art is, as in most cases, a definition is not included. 

The Overlook Dictionary of Martial Arts defines martial arts as "... an encompassing term usually reserved for the Asian fighting arts, although it can refer to any fighting discipline with or without weapons". This definition for martial arts is incomplete at best. More enlightening is A Dictionary of the Martial Arts which didn't even try to define martial arts, the very basis of the dictionary! The authors likely felt it was too difficult of a task to summarize martial arts because of its esoteric aspect. In the Overlook Martial Arts Handbook the author writes, "The term 'martial arts' means those arts concerned with the waging of war"

Defending castle - sketch by Soke Hausel
By separating the two words - 'martial' and 'arts', some insight occurs. Martial has several definitions. One that stands out is "characteristic of, or befitting a warrior". When discussing martial art we refer to bushido, the 'way of the warrior'. This is an important concept because 'way' used in this sense refers to 'path'. But what is path? “A path is a course of action, conduct, or procedure: the path of righteousness”. This definition implies a path should lead to righteousness: a concept common in traditional martial arts.

Dictionaries provide several meanings for 'art' including, "... the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance". Another definition: "Skill in conducting any human activity: a master at the art of conversation”. Also, “a branch of learning or university study, especially one of the fine arts or humanities, such as music, philosophy, or literature".

Based on these concepts and incorporating philosophy of Gichin Funakoshi and Shoshin Nagamine, two well-known and influential Okinawan Shorin-Ryu karate martial artists; martial art should lead to righteousness (this is why it is rare to see politicians in traditional martial arts). Some might point out that the Russian Premier trains in judo. But there is traditional judo and there is sport Judo. Putin trains in sport judo. But still, it is an anomaly.

Tai chi in the Arizona sun, sketch by
Soke Hausel
Martial arts should be beautiful, stir the spirit, and involve higher learning and should lead to a lifelong path of self-enlightenment – like religion. It should complement religion and not contradict religion.

In a discussion of the martial art of karate, Nagamine (2000) wrote, "If there is no kata, there is no karate, just kicking and punching". He emphasized that since, "... kata is karate, one must then embrace 'do mu gen' proverb which asserts: There can be no end to learning". He concluded "karate begins and ends with the study of kata". So if we are to believe Nagamine (as well as other Okinawan masters) karate must contain kata and kata must be the primary curriculum, otherwise it is not karate and not martial art. And kata contains exercise, self-defense, interpretation, philosophy, and moving Zen.

The blending of Zen with empty hand (kung fu and karate) and weapon's training resulted in Shaolin monks becoming formidable fighters and resulted in the world's first martial art. So if one agrees this was the beginning of Chuan Fa or martial arts, it is apparent Zen, meditation, self-defense exercises and forms (kata) are necessary ingredients to be a martial art.

Many martial arts attach the suffix 'do', such as aikidobudo, kendo, judo and karate-do. By doing so, it translates as 'way' or 'path' suggesting that the martial art will lead to a path of enlightenment. There are also just as many martial arts that attach the suffix 'jutsu', such as bujutsu, kenjutsu, jujutsu and karatejutsu. These are considered martial combat and most lack kata. However, in every case, the "jutsu" systems have traditions and also provide ways for self-improvement, unlike MMA.

Okinawan sunrise by Soke Hausel
Peter Urban (1967) wrote that martial arts refer to fighting arts and suggested a more valid interpretation came from the word budo which translates as 'the way of the fighter'. Urban further wrote that the integration of techniques with the spirit are important. The way or path is intended to lead to the attainment of perfection or what is often known as self-realization, enlightenment, or simply maturity. Be it karate, kendo, judo, jujutsu, iaido, kobudo, aikido, kyudo, Urban (1967) wrote that "based on the idea of virtue, the followers of martial arts are in effect descendants of samurai of old. It is the aim of all martial arts instructors to work toward promulgating this spirit of ancient Zen warriors, a spirit which is more than mere knowledge of fighting techniques - it is the attainment of a virtuous way of life!"

Geisha, by Soke Hausel
Martial arts incorporate the term ryu. Ryu is a traditional system or style of martial arts that implies family. This means Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai members are a family of traditional martial artists with a soke (Head of Family). It is peace of mind we seek through martial arts training. "There are many paths to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, but only one peak".

Karate Aerial Photo by Soke Hausel
Traditional karate and other Okinawan martial arts were kept secret on Okinawa until the 20th century when karate was introduced to mainland Japan in 1922. Within a short time, the Japanese modified the effective self-defense art into sport. To this day, traditional Okinawan karate is still considered a weapon rather than sport (unlike Japanese karate). Traditional karate focuses on (1) junbi undo (warm-up and strength exercises), (2) kihon (basics), (3) shitai kori (body hardening), (4) kata (forms), (5) health, and (6) bunkai (practical applications) - but it's most important aspect is the perfection of its participants!

A bunch of Junk, by Soke Hausel




Thursday, January 12, 2017

Breaking Rocks or Breaking Hands


When it comes to tameshi waza (breaking techniques), I’ve seen martial artists break re-breakable boards, boards, roofing tile, sheets of ice, cinder block and rocks. The most impressive to me is rock.

Decades ago, many in the US were under the erroneous impression that karate required constant training of the edge of one hand. According to this urban legend, this training was designed to develop a callused surface that could be used to break through most anything - and this was all there was to karate! In this respect, one didn’t need a gi or even a sensei, all one needed was to beat the side of their hand on a hard concrete surface every day. Then at some point, they would walk into their local police station to register their hand(s) with local law enforcement agencies as a deadly weapon. And if ever challenged, they would have to warn the challenger that they were a karate expert and their hands were registered and considered deadly weapons. No, I’m not making any of this up - ask any senior in your dojo who is from the Baby Boomer era.

I can still remember a drama we watched on our black & white TV, where a bad guy was trying to kill a good guy with his “judo chop”. The hero of the show barely got out of the way of several strikes that destroyed chairs and tables, until the hero shot him. My mother explained to me and my brother, in order to get a karate hand, one had to constantly hit concrete for years until their hand was callused, ugly and deformed.

Rock breaking at the University of Wyoming Campus Shorin-Ryu karate club. 
Note the Casper Formation limestone slabs and blocks on the brick wall and 
in Soke’s hand. The wall itself, consists of Fountain Formation friable 
sandstone mined from quarries around Laramie.
The next day, I started training my hand on our concrete porch in the backyard - this lasted for possibly a couple of minutes at the most until I quickly lost interest because it hurt and was boring.

Today, we know that karate has much more to offer - and no matter how long we train, there is still more to learn. And when it comes to tameshi waza, this is a very minor part of karate. It’s not breaking that’s important - it’s the confidence building that’s important, whether it comes through breaking inanimate objects and training in self-defense in the dojo.

I began training in Kokushin Kai karate as a teenager a couple of years after I tried hitting my hand on our backyard concrete porch. In Black Eagle Federation dojo we often heard stories about Mas Oyama. A powerful man who could destroy piles of boards and roofing tiles, bulls, or anyone who wanted to fight him with their bare hands.

Oyama loved to fight! In one instance, he fought 300 full-contact kumite matches in three days (no pads or gloves, just bare hands & feet). The fourth day, he was battered and bruised but showed up to continue fighting. But the contest had ended: no one else showed up. We all figured Oyama was super human who could walk through walls or quickly change into his gi a phone booth. In addition to Oyama, there were stories and legends about other amazing martial artists, such as those affiliated with Juko Kai International as well as those from Okinawa such as Chojun Miyagi, Gogen Yamaguchi, Mirio Higaonna. At the time, we didn’t know who Bruce Lee was, but he would later grab our interest after the Green Hornet show made its way on TV.

Many great Okinawan martial artists are described in a book by Soshin Nagamine entitled “Tales of Okinawa’s Great Masters”. Another book entitled “20th Century Warriors” by various authors, published in 1971, provides accounts on some other martial artists. And then you will find other examples on the internet.

Outcrop of cross-bedded Nugget Sandstone 
near Red Canyon, Wyoming. These are actually fossil sand 
dunes and thus consist of sandstone.
When it comes to breaking objects with bare hands, some hand conditioning and finger strength is helpful, but not necessary. Tameshi waza requires proper technique under a qualified instructor: otherwise you might break something besides a board or rock. If you plan to break boards: like rocks, not all boards are equal. The greener the wood, the more difficult it is to break. Dried boards are easy to break, and plywood is impossible to break since it is layered with wood grains set at different angles to make it very tough and strong - like jade. I suspect the best board breakers in the world are employed at lumber yards, as wood isn’t cheap - the same for roofing tiles, cinder blocks and blocks of ice.

"Twirling is for marching bands & cheerleaders, not for kobudo" – Soke Hausel

A few years back, our dojo set up an information booth at the Islands in Gilbert business fair, and a Gilbert taekwondo school brought in their crack black belt demo team. Their kobudo demonstration left much to be desired - the less than deadly twirling with ultra-light-weight plastic bo pleased youngsters in the crowd, but for anyone with martial arts or fighting experience, it was clear this was useless. Then the group brought out boards and I do not exaggerate when I say I had no idea that anyone manufactured slabs of wood so thin. I wish I would have picked up a piece of a discarded board fragment just to confirm these were only about 1 mm thick! So, what is the point of breaking boards so thin? Luckily, no flying insects ran into the boards, as I suspect a well-fed flying grasshopper could have split one of those. I really don’t mean to be negative, but this was a poor martial arts demo. Even so, it had kids flocking to their dojang which may not bode well for the future of traditional martial arts.

When you decide you are ready to break your first rock, learn a little about rocks, it may save your hand. Even though rocks are cheap (unless you buy from a landscaper in the Phoenix valley), they vary in hardness, toughness and break-ability. For instance, friable sandstone is one of the easier rocks to break (but it may leave grains of sand stuck in your forehead if you decide to try atama waza - breaking with your head). Friable and cemented sandstones can be found by using geological maps for your area. For instance, examine the geological map of Wyoming and search for the Chugwater Formation. A similar red-bed sandstone occurs in Arizona, Colorado and Utah known as the Navajo Formation. If you are familiar with the John Wayne westerns; spectacular buttes of Navajo Sandstone were used as backdrops in some of his movies. As for the Chugwater Formation, it is easy to spot along the edges of mountain ranges and hills. It has a distinct reddish color that will stain your karate gi with rust (iron oxide).

Cambrian trilobite in Wheller Shale, House Range, Utah
If you drive on highway 287 north from Rawlins, Wyoming; immediately north of town are Chugwater Formation red beds. Or if you visit Red Canyon between South Pass and Lander, Wyoming, the base of the canyon is blanketed by Chugwater Formation sandstones. But the roadside is surrounded by gray, cross-bedded, sandstones (fossilized sand dunes) of the Nugget Sandstone that are also great for breaking. The Nugget Sandstone forms thin beds that weather to sand and to flat, elongated pieces of friable sandstone perfect for breaking.

For one demo performed by University of Wyoming Campus Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo Club at half-time at a basketball game, I collected two, large, Fountain Formation sandstone blocks from an old rock quarry on the 9th street road north of Laramie once mined for building stone used on the UW Campus. For the demo, I broke one rock with my fist, and the second with my head. Breaking rocks are crowd pleasers simply because people know how hard rocks are and most people have a hard time believing anyone could break a rock with their hands, feet, let alone with their head.

Shales and mudstones are often found near or interbedded with sandstone. In western Utah, there is a thick succession of dark gray Wheller Shale in the House Range and Drum Mountains. Rock hounds scour these rocks to search for trilobite fossils. The Mowry Shale in Wyoming is also a good source for this kind of rock, and also a great place to get your vehicle stuck in bentonite in the Spring. Shale is easy to break and weathers to thin slabs. But be cautious and keep bandages handy because shale can produce sharp conchoidal fractures when broken. If you are from certain parts of Canada or Colorado, you may be also be familiar with oil shale - another type of shale. If in Florida - limestone is everywhere and is the reason why there are so many circular lakes with gators. Limestones in weakly acidic water often produces sink holes.

My favorite rock for breaking is limestone - mother nature’s concrete. Search geological maps for limestones and sandstones in the Casper Formation and gray limestones in the Madison Formation in Wyoming. In Arizona and Utah, the Kaibab Formation is a good source for limestone.

Mine back [roof] with copper-stained 
Naco limestone in the Good Enough mine at Tombstone, Arizona
Everyone has heard of Tombstone, Arizona. When we think of Tombstone, most visualize Wyatt Earp, when they should instead be thinking about Naco Limestone! The reason Earp ended up in Tombstone was because of the silver-lead-gold-manganese-copper mines dug in the Naco Limestone. Limestone is massive calcium carbonate mined in many places in the west for Portland Cement. Nearly all limestone precipitated in prehistoric oceans and slowly lithified and was later uplifted on continents providing geologists with physical evidence of ancient bodies of water. Much limestone is white or gray. The reason I like limestone is that it is very hard & often weathers to large, massive slabs perfect for breaking. And while at the University of Wyoming, great breaking rocks are found most anywhere along the eastern edge of the university, particularly near the UW golf course.

Sometime when you are out visiting the Snowy Range near Centennial Wyoming - if you know where to look, you can find stromatolites. Stromatolites are a form of limestone precipitated by cyanobacteria. Stromatolites at the top of the Snowy Range were deposited 1.7 billion years ago in an ancient ocean. Because of thin layering, these often form flat slabs great for breaking. A few years ago, I put together a website on gemstones that includes some down-loadable publications. So when in Wyoming, you can find a stromatolite outcrop by using a book, “Guide to Mining Districts, etc., of the Medicine Bow Mountains…” that will lead you to this rock. Imagine a 1.7 billion year old sub-tropical ocean sitting at the top of the cold, dry, Snowy Range mountains.

Side kick on 1.4 billion year old Sherman granite in Laramie Mountains
In this same region, are very thick successions of quartzite. Quartzites are ‘abused’ sandstones. Just like sandstone, quartzite is formed of sand (silica) grains. The difference is quartzite started out as a sandstone, was deeply buried in the earth’s crust where the overlying thick pile of sediments applied considerable lithic pressure that caused the temperature to increase. This resulted in the sandstone to partially melt with some silica from the sand grains cemented the sandstone to produce a hard, brittle, rock. The fact that quartzites are brittle, means they can be good for breaking - but don’t forget - they are very hard.

In the Phoenix Valley in Arizona, good rocks are hard to come by because of past volcanism. The valley is filled with very hard and tough igneous rocks that include rhyolite, andesite, and basalt. Most people know what granite is - well rhyolite is nothing more than a fine-grained equivalent of granite - and we all know how hard granite. All of these igneous rocks are hard to break because they are composed of a variety of crystals that have a variety of orientations similar to plywood.

I only discussed a few common rocks used for breaking. There are hundreds of other types of rocks, so after you break a sandstone, limestone, or rhyolite, you might try others. A few years ago, I published a book about rocks that also describes some minerals and gemstones. But always look for elongated, flat rocks - your hand will thank you.