Back to the Basics
My favorite piece of writing by Grandmaster Harold Long was the introduction to
Who's Who in Isshinryu where he talked about training with Grandmaster Shimibuku.
The marines would arrive very early, and the master would still be doing his own
personal workout. He would have the students practice alone until he was finished.
The master's workout consisted primarily of what we now call charts 1 and 2, followed
by makiwari training. Grandmaster Shimibuku was never observed kicking higher than
waist level, and the only stretching he did was what is included in the second chart.
In the 1980s, a local Isshinryu publication interviewed Grandmaster Ungi Auezu.
He was asked what advice he had for American martial artists. He said to train
hard on charts 1 and 2. This was what he emphasized most in his training.
How often do we here veterans of six months training tell us they already know
the charts? This is understandable in beginners, but too often the misconception
that the charts are only to be remembered mentally continues into the higher kyu
ranks, sometimes even after the rank of black belt is achieved.
Self defense is mostly a matter of physical memory. Street fights happen suddenly,
often with a "sucker punch" coming when one is distracted, or turning to walk away.
There isn't time to think, so we will do what we have practiced. Most of us know at
least a few stories about a trained karate practitioner being defeated by a street fighter.
One of my friends once watched a fight outside a local campus bar. A martial arts
student executed a beautiful flying sidekick and caught an experienced street fighter
squarely in the chest. The kick had little effect on the street fighter, who proceeded
to mop the sidewalk with the martial artist.
Often, an adversary in the street is under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.
They may be half crazed with anger, jealousy, or in some cases they are just plain mean.
For a technique to be effective, it must be devastating, or quickly followed by one that is.
There is no referee to say "Yame" or "Ippon" to stop the action. There is often a great
deal of wasted motion, but the pace is very intense and the fight nearly always happens at
close range. This is no time to be caught standing on one leg, with the other high in the air.
The techniques included in our charts were developed with this in mind. A kick may go
as high as the chest, but often is most effective at groin level, or lower. A bridge of nose
punch is immediately followed by a straight punch to the body. Stretching is done to
increase speed and minimize the chance of pulled muscles, not to kick high. The Okinawan
masters, and also the marines they taught, were survivors of life and death combat. This
carried over into the way they trained, and also the way they taught.
Sport karate is excellent for developing blocking skills, and is very good for conditioning.
It trains one to not be intimidated by impact, and improves the martial artists skills at
distancing and closing with an opponent. It also is a good way of promoting sportsmanship
and respect for others. For reality in combat however, many of the techniques may prove
ineffective. Take a tip from the masters....practice your charts.
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