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Wate for forelgn freight information, Tele: (202) USA1000BLACK BELT JANUARY 181 VOL. 19, NO. 1 ‘Mia dares, Puhr conraisurons, ‘Ge shen, Aslatat Pubes Tom BtACK BELT STARE ion reno dot hewn Ereete Eo Sine Hatienser ‘br Genta, Ar Dect Stopne K Mayes ‘ot Manton a Same Ring | Seek Vago Copy eer ‘be Se Pasta cy Ear Siew d.Sbtomen Scent, Fypooropny Semen Ton essing Praoraoner arp Tse ADVERTISING ‘ancucaTion fever Matheney, Advertsing Decior Gotba Dats Bega enaorg Acroruary Avatars Maen Hubert Contents INTERVIEW. 20__THE WORLD'S BEST—Ker notion that the best marti FEATURES stylist Larry Tatum thinks there might be something to the ists of the modern arena are Americans 24 ‘90___UNDERSTANDING SHOTOKAN—Straight, hard attacks and powerful stances—are they © weaknesses or st practical tradeotis? Se TRAINING AT TRANSITIONS—In order to blend the arts of kung fu, wrestling and boxin ‘one man has isolated the transitions sn them and built an art around his innovative theories. 4{2._ DOWN, BUT NOT OUT—The techniqua.olgroundighing ae con neglected instructors, ‘But there are good ways to siay In the fight, even if you get taken off your feet. SSELFDEFENSE—Teohriquos and strategies that could save your lit are boing taught as part ied re cago and Now Yor = 52__THE HISTORY OF KATA—Kata can be thought of as a living record of the origins of certain ‘marlial arts, and a Took at the history of forms Is revealing in 58__KING OF WEAPONS—The long spear is often regarded as the ultimate traditional Chinese "weapon, and with good reason, 62__ MARTIAL ARTS IN SUMATRA—Hallivay around the world, karate and silat are practiced by ‘skilled martial artists wo have little contact with the modern world tal meaning of cat ound inthis Okinawan af are revesled by suthor Glen Grabow, 72 _ THE SHOGUN'S SHADOW—The te “en on his enemies’ movements. Yoshi, a ning is sent to learn what he an. DEPARTMENTS Empire Avenue, Grant, Cui608. Seconcius postage pat Burbank, CA. and astra est fen Telephon: (3) oebaus fra zibhEsecutve oles Uyeharn presen, 134 8 King Sune, Suto B, Hoplu, HSit uoection ate Inthe Une Bats arora yar ago FEU fo yar, 600 (vgn scunrnn ed 6255 pet yenr Tt pa ‘sGicr wiltot bs tubers tt spdolited anal Manos tnd Stresed return enreioe. Pind the Une Stes by Wor Cos Pras ‘nen Al ih eoowaa:Bapoducton wut parmianBILL WALLACE &£1 switched to Century Uniforms for good reasons — KARATE’S MAN OF ee THE CENTURY AND oneehn tat CENTURY’S makes them.99 ALL NEW “CONTACT” SATIN UNIFORM a a eee Coes io erga ie i ey la er eons Son eas "CONTACT” is Century’s Latest Style FEATURES INCLUDE * Satin Material in Blue, Red, White, or Black © Striped Pants and Jacket Unhemmed Pants with Slight Flair are Always Long Enaugh * Full Elastic Waistband and Gussetted Crotch Pants and Jacket All colors $34,95 Pants Only $19.95 FOR RUSH ORDERS: CALL TOLL FREE 1-800-654-4701 OR IN OKLAHOMA 405-670-3655, Most Orders Shipped Within 10 DaysEDITORIAL PERSPECTIVE We would like to express our concern about recent developments pertaining to the AAU karate effort. There have been shakeups In the coaching staff, and several persons with Coaching experience have been told that they do not figure in the karate commit- tee's plans for the future. There have been charges of favoritism and Incompetence, and counter- charges, and counter-countercharges. Ghildish things have gone on. There have been letters sent regarding such “important” matters as seating accommodations for the karate committee wives. There have been sharp exchanges based on nothing more than a "you slole my seat” mentality. Everyone points the finger at the other guy, but there are a few things that have been contirmed. For one, Noe! Smith has been relieved of his position 2s “sub-committee chairman of the coaches committee.” At the moment, it’s not clear what that means—according to AU Karate Committee Chairman Gerald Thompson, this move was based on Smith’s desire to becorne more active in coaching We think it's a shame the AAU Karate Gommittee is preoccupied with what appears to be childish matters. We think the most important consideration should be the welfare of the AAU membership and those competitors who aspire to international competition. ‘And it seems that the giant AAU bureaucracy is not at ill of the competitors, nor even aware of their feelings. It's enough to make one wonder if the AAU stil serves a legitimate, practical purpose, To be constructive, we would like to see the leadership of the karate commit- tee cease their preoccupation with childish bickering and vengeful “practical Jokes.” As for the coaches, we would like to see them concentrate more at coaching, and less at politics. ‘And abave all, we would like to see the bureaucracy serve the interests of the membership, rather than the other way around —John Stewart Il responsive to theTop This!! 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STRIKING BAG Sion coet pa rng, rain made ‘fine ma ar neat MAKIWARA saree fo Sar tone ack Ihe. No. 617 $39.95, e321 Bleek Wo, 225. Yalow oun LEG ferent STRETCHER | Scan" Se eels lle, rede or 668 Youth size texren ope. id AIR SHIELD] Ki ‘ls, ‘Cones pe Firmly stretch ep 0" Rook male a |teciarwithtcrwting pave yan seed Tavs Robs Sere et AB) VISA (BankAmoricard) MASTERCHARCE Keepus, 201-998-6656 ‘Above charge cards accepted on orders over Add Shi $25" Give murber and exparation ate San : Sider sama se ngnatore appear on card ipping: PHONE ORDERS BY CREDIT CARD Orders up woS10... $1.25, Receoren Sony cocci. ements” Sate MONEY ORDER or CERTIFIED CHECK $1001? $2200 $175 erwgpam amt Pvns ce $2001 %0 4000. $250 P.0. Box 26, Hwy 547 Farmingdale, N.J. 07727, 2‘On Musashi This latter is in reference to Dave Lowry's article, “The Mysterious Musashi,” which appeared in the Oc- tober 80 Issue of BLACK BELT. During my tour of duty in Japan | studied under Tusuglyoshi Fujiwara, who spoke many times of Miyamoto Musashi. He recounted one of ‘Musashi's famous battles with a well known samurai named Tuguchi. As they rowed to a small island off the coast of Japan, Musashi fashioned a katana from one of the oars with which he killed Tuguchi after reaching the island, Possibly two such battles ‘eceurred. Anyway, | enjoyed Mr. Lowry's article very much. James W. Glassburn North Little Rock, AR, Whenever you advertise articles which appeal to me on the cover of BLACK BELT | pick up an issue, which Is quite often. Both BLACK BELT and FIGHTING STARS appeal to my taste most appropriately. Congratulations, to you all. I have to respectfully bow to writer Dave Lowry for his writeup on the great Miyamoto Musashi. The article, Fm glad to say, was not overdone. It was the kind | felt was good to ponder and contempiate. |, too, have The Book of Five Rings, which | have really Cherished for @ long time and refer to occasionally. Thank you, Oave Lowry, for a truly respectful article on a truly respected man. William 6. Stamper Tucson, AZ Dogroe Factories Jn the past three years, the uncon- trolled emergence of schools and/or individuals whose practice amounts to virtually the sale of black belt degrees, has come into existence. The North ‘American Black Belt Society refers to such organizations as “degree fac- tories” selling degrees for protit, ‘The Society defines the degree fac- tory as “an organization that awards degrees without requiring courses of personal instruction that all reputable ‘martial arts institutions require before conferring degrees.” Some of these degree factories operate solely by ‘mail. Others operate on a persor-to- person basis. In many cases actual Schools or training halls do not exist. Degree factories seriously threaten American martial arts values. in several ways. First, by misleading the public, they damage the legitimate and reputable credentials of schoo! in- structors who provide honest martial arts training, Second, degree factories defraud those who honestly believe that they have received recognition by acceptable and legitimate means. Third, they cause legitimate degrees to be undervalued because of the con: fusion they create. In view of the inadequacy and utter worthlessness of degree factories and their disservice to all involved, the North American Black Belt Society strongly urges all martial artists to be fon guard against such organizations of individuals placing black belt degrees for sale. G. Rober Mediey Williamstown, NJ Mahtis Coverage | would like to congratulate you on your fine article on the praying-mantis style. It Is refreshing to see such coverage of an unusual Chinese styl. Having been personally involved wit kung fu for some years, I'm afraid that ail too often the Ghinese martial arts given second or third place to the more common systems. Worse yet, there may be an attitude that since kung fu people have their own mag- azine one should forget about them Completely. Gonsidering the dubious quality of the best-known kung fu Publication, this attitude is almost cruel and unjust punishment! Serious- ly though, if you are interested in pro- moting the Chinese as well as the J Okinawan, Korean, etc., martial arts, may | suggest that you ‘consider a fresh article on the wing ‘chun system | have it on good author'- ty that perhaps the foremost living master of this style, Leung Ting of Hong Kong, is currently establishing branches of his international organiza tion in the U.S, | am sure your readers Will appreciate this, Stove Forsyth Phoenix, AZ We at BLACK BELT have made an ef- Karate Juda Aikido Kenda All Martial Arts teach Ki. Take a look at our Ki medallion. The perfect gift for the Martial Artist. ACTUAL SIZE Large 24K Gold "Karatciads.” $18.95 ‘Small 24K Gold “Karatclad.." $14.95 Chain is avaliable. in lengths from 16 to 22 inchs Price includ and sales tax. of money order in U.S. dollars, JEBAS ENTERPRISES 2.0. BOX 7609, DEPT 50: NEWPORT BEACH, CA, 92600 Large 24x s1.95{_] small 24x stao5[—] Chee chal Lngthe 10 17-18 10 2021 22 Name. Street City. Stat Zip.OVER 200 HYPNOSIS TAPES OR SLEEP PROGRAMMING TAPES TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE & EXPLORE THE UNKNOWN ‘The lavels of your mind are often in conti Consciously you want something. but fubeongeloutly you create mediocrity a flure, programming are two ifective ways 9 reprogram your personal ‘malty. We have over 200 perectly cafe tape grams to OVERCOME PROBLEMS, PROGRAM ‘GOALS, ang HAVE MENTAL EXPERIENCES, Anyone can became a god hypnosis subject. The {apes providea “sellelente” so you can awaken fn your own. 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The opinions expressed inthis Column are not necessarily thove of the mt "This month's contributors Dirk Mala, prolessor of paychology at Kearney Si College in Nebraska, anda ciel Inctructor Inthe Okinawan thurt tyle of karate. MY THREE PET PEEVES IN KARATE by Dirk Masig There are three important problems in karate that sadly cry for a solution ‘and which disturb me greatly. Allow me to first address an all pervasive issue—the matter of unity. | get very tired of reading and hearing how everyone seems to want the unifl- cation of karate, while the obvious solution is invariably _side-stepped Every Tom, Dick and Harry is ready to get into the act, proposing his own "new" association, federation, con federation or whatever, to unite everyone else—naturally under the direction of the “well-meaning” spon sor of such a motion, and ta the en: hancement of his ego and pocket book. Such exhibitions of seifinterest and egocentricity are at best futile and at their worst both laughable and nauseating. At present there are inthe Country scores of “organizations” pur- porting to “unify” karate at every con- Ceivable level, although most seem to be exhibitions of visionary myopia or mere fronts for the exploitation of karate practitioners by unscrupulous businessmen. It Is about time that such nonsense stopped. It should have stopped 20 years ago. It did not stop then due to 00 problems similar to those of to- day. But It seems tome that we cannot afford to wait any longer to take care of such basic and fundamental issues. Karate is at the crossroads, and with the possibility of inclusion in the Olympics and the evergrowing public awareness of the art, a solution is now needed more than ever. ‘What we need is a national (andlor International) organization with clearly-stated rules for competition, arbitration, advancement in rank, cer tification of instructors, minimum standards at each level for proficiency for each style, and fair and unpre- udiced treatment of all members. Single-style organizations are fine but will do ttle for averall unity, brotherhood and cooperation. The organization needed to pull us all together must be able to Incorporate all styles with democratic represent tion, while allowing each to: retai their identity. Such an organization already ex- ists. As a matter of fact, it has been around since 1948 and has remained firm for decades while countless fly- by-night operations have evaporated around it. | am referring to the oldest and largest karate organization in the nation, the United States Karate As- sociation (US.K.A,), Having joined the USCA. as early as 1964, | can atte to the excellence, durability and altruistic aims and goals of this association. The other points | would like to make relate to my firm conviction that karate is a martial art, and not a sport like baseball, tennis or boxing. | strongly oppose the use of protec- tive equipment in Kumite competition (specifically the gloves and footpads in-use in some areas) and urge their abandonment. The most essential ele- ‘ments of karate competition as a valid aspect of martial arts are focus and control. Any idiot can put gloves and footpads on and proceed to slap an ‘opponent with them in quest of a meaningless “point” but It takes a well-trained martial artist to be able to deliver a full4orce, tull-speed focused blow with the unaided hand or foot, stopping such a blow in a traction of an Inch short of hard contact toa mov: ing opponent. Here is the art; there, a mockery of art. Full-contact karate is a different matter altogether—in It pro- tective equipment is needed for the ‘same reasons it is needed in boxing, But socalled fullcontact karate is neltherkarate nora martial art—it isa sport like boxing. In authentic karate competition, where points are scored for focused and controlled blows to precisely defined vital areas, protec- tive equipment is neither necessaty nor desirable. It is not desirable because it encourages on the one “Kata has nothing to do with gymnastics, tumbling, dance or ballet—any resemblance is an unfortunate misperception.” SS hand excessive contact, and on the other, technical sloppiness. Competitors using the equipment learn to slap thelr opponent anywhere within large target areas—contrast this with true karate training, which emphasizes precision-focused attacks against target points often not larger than a dime, Furthermore, they leam to slap with any part of their hand or foot, as opposed to using specific knuckles, edges or, striking points of their natural weapons. urge a return to the notion of con- trol—let’s save the art aspects. of karate competition before it is too late, The key to the prevention of ac- cidents in compatition Is adequate training, not protective equipment ‘The popularity of the abominable foot and hand pads can be attributed more to the skillful advertising campaigns ‘of dealers and manufacturers than to any positive value. My third grievance is with those who in perhaps well-meaning but nonetheless ignorant actions create thelr own "kata" for competition. Kata has nothing to do with gymnastics, tumbling, dance or ballet exhibi- cont. age 7Rete Pa aC SECU BN Peed MARTIAL ARTS SUPPLIES TAANING gy Tova i) protectors $f HAND & i vengemecor | MH PROTECTOR (oar sion 3450 | Sov Sat and Madu Ws im air gy | Santer ir crmore (uy kowacap pace’): 5.00 3.50 | ST5C0%0" Sth. 00par Oe. 580 400 (KARATE PUNCHING (© Re Pra MATS (P.M) 380 250 er x 1214" $4,500, (geree.) (0) Shinar instep = Protea Sie SoaL (per KARATE KNAPSACK for yout peste use $3,500 Back oe ae (0) (i Plain Back (B) Bue w/JKA. wording and mark (} Blac w mnie Karate Figure ‘and warding, Alin But i) 20.00 17.00 one) 8 pos bps. omar N.8. = NunenakuBag $3.50ea, $2,500 Deluxe Nunehaku Bap StSdea, $3.50 one. PLEASE ADD $3.00 HANDLING CHARGE ON ORDERS UNDER $20.00 “HOUSE OF FINEST UNIFORMS IN THE WORLD" "HONDA" BEST NAME IN MARTIAL ARTS SUPPLIES Honda Associates, Ine. 485 FIFTH AVE. » NEW YORK, N.Y. 10017» (212) 682-5091 Demonstrating his extraordinary leaping abiity, Dutch national champion Henke Moljar breaks two boards held over seven feat in the ak, Dutch National Champion Visits the U.S.A. SANTA MONICA, CA—Twortime Dutch national tae kwon do champion Hanke Meijer recently spent two weeks in Santa Monica, California, training with noted instructor Hee Il Cho. Meijer, a member of the Dutch (Netherlands) national team, met Cho in 1978 at the tae kwon do championships in Oklahoma Gity and spent the next two years saving and preparing for his two-week clinic in the states. According to Cho, the six-toot three, 180-pounder is an exceptional raw talent. “I've been teaching in America now for almost 11 years and I've never seen anyone walk in off the street and go through one of my advanced classes like Henke,” said Cho. "My advanced class Is like running a 100-yard dash for an hour—very intensive. There's a lot of sparring and It's almost like full contact—very rough Henke arrived at two o'clock in the morning and was ready for the first class at 9:00 a.m. honestly have never seen anyone here in America with his taw talent and ablll-TRAIN FOR EVERYDAY SITUATIONS ee nn eae Ce ue uaa eas a Ree eRe ge ty Me eC ee ee eee cao) available for training Peay Uae ee) Please see next page fara list of books and prices now available fram QHARA,SS BY OW BY oc KICK BY oe oe ve" PUNCH BY BLOCK TRAIN WITH OHARA, THE WORLD’S LEADER IN MARTIAL ARTS PUBLICATIONS. THROW BY KICK BY PUNCH BY BLOCK BY .- THROW BY KICK BY PUNCH BY BLOCK BY THROW BY KICK BY PUNCH BY BLOCK BY THROW BY KICK: 1) OHARA PUBLICATIONS, ING. Setting the trends in martial arts for training books, CHARA offers you the most complete martial arts library available. A must for technique-conscious individuals who want to add to their arsenal of skills. OHARA Publications feature all the ex otic arts from the classical 10 the new innovative forms such as jet kune do originated by the immortal Bruce Lee. You'll also finda compiete section of books on weapons such as Nunchaku, a best-seller by Fumio Demura, one of the foremost weapons experts in classical martial arts. Whatever your needs—Chinese, Japa- nese, Okinawan, Korean, spe- | Cialties, weapons, or history ‘and philosophy, CHARA has the best. Coming soon: Additional titles will soon be to the public. Watch for nouncemants in BLACK BELT, KARATE ILLUS: TRATED and FIGHTING STARS. Be the first to sharpen your mind and skill with OHARA. Please see opposite page for descriptions and prices of Ohara's available titles To order, please use the handy order form on Page 64 | of this magazine.Books, Prices and Description ie ae Hl ee ned mull eae ae fae a Gaeibiy fai fed alia ale iti Bit ii Hig tly ite fst Bl Bat ib i e i itil! ann a8 BE y ats fit is iil Hee ep i i ii 3 a nd ui Lane if 2 it bil le let i unas) Phi ee alt ae a AREA AE ea tC iat Gn i fi ul (eae a anu Hey Ii ie i tl gt eh iat Ble rt fait, ela GN el ini lal Hist iia fide EERE ial He Bi ee a fih ui wet Gea ee ue Ha Elli: iii Bare iP ae we UG et Geb eer gl ue na bn ah ileal Lp fn aici SRE tical Hae wal EA Guna HiiPKA World Karate Champion BILL "SUPERFOOT” WALLACE ® Kicking Jeans are street pants made ] e e y from the same patterns as Century Pro. Karate Uniform pants. te standard. ef} © Available in Blue Denim only, GUARANTEE $2195 | See Ss age Zipper styling/4 pockets ae Lace-up style/1 pocket only Pants shipped unhemmed Please specify zipper or lace-up. PLAGE YOUR ORDER TODAY!Cont ame 12 ty. His logs are absolutely unbelievable and with his size and agility, he will definitely be one of the best, That first day of training he was actually hurting some of my best black belts.” Meijer has been fighting in tournamant compatition for the past four years and has just recently come into his own ‘on the international level. With approximately 11 national events per year and a growing number of European tour- naments.on the horizon, Meijer is in the process of making ‘a name for himseit in international tae kwon do circles. Special Training by Janet Aalis and Wendi Dragontire ‘SUFFIELD, CT—Mizu no ko koro (mind like water) is @ con- cept in the martial arts that refers to a mental attitude ‘taken when facing an opponent. The mind must be calm like the surface of still water. A pebble thrown into a pond will cause continuous rippling on the surface, signaling whera it has entered the water. The entire pond is affected by its movement all the way to the shore. In understanding this movement, one learns to raspond in both defensive and offensive ways, adequate and appropriate to the cause and extent of disturbance. ‘Special Training 1980, a four-day intensive karate train- Ing for women held at Suffield Academy, Suffield, Connec- ticut, June 26-29, caused rippling effects in many women's lives that will ba felt for years to came. This training, spon- ‘sored by Valley Women’s Martial Arts, Inc., a women’s selt- defense and karate schoo! in Springfield, Massachusetts, Under the direction of Wendi Dragontire, continues a wave ‘of women's martial arts trainings. This is the fourth ni tional training to be held in recent years. Last year Jay Spiro hosted one in Detroit, Michigan; Banshee sponsored the 1977 training at Amherst, Massachusetts; and in 1976 Nancy Lehman held it in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ‘One hundred and 49 women from many different styles of karate, some of whom also study other martial arts, gathered this year to share ideas and take part in a rigorous learning experience. Highly-skilled trainers from all over the country led workouts in running, basics, spar- ring, forms, stresttighting, kicking, sweeping and falling, and bu jutsu (states of consciousness), Also included the schedule were workshops on the following topics: weightlifting, stretching, Jujitsu, women who write and fight, five lines of self-defense, karate in the water, stick fighting, running, ta/ sabaki (body shifting), taurnament competition, self-defense for the blind, massage and heal- ing. Women who participated in the training represented a cross section of skill lavels, ages and backgrounds and Many traveled from as far away as Canada, Oregon, Michi: ‘gan, Missouri and South Carolina, attasting to the network that women have bullt over the years connecting them coast to coast. ‘One of the most important aspects of the training was that it provided role models—strong and talented women who have gained much respect in the martial arts world What better inspiration for a woman just beginning her ‘SPECIALIZING IN AUTHENTIC KARATE EQUIPMENT SHUREIDO (MADE IN OKINAWA) TLE SHUREIDO has the highest quality that can be found in Ma vanere. Gi eraiity are the aye }EIDO equipment It ‘Tele fe RECOMMENDED BY THE ALLJAPAN KARATE FEDERATION. Karate Uniforms ‘K0-BUD0 STEEL SAL TOBUDO 80" RYUKYU ENTERPRISES, INC. ‘Calfornts 90019 Tar (ats) 981-3016 Adare, cant. fe DESCRIPTIONSMALLEST KARATEKA! We Now Have Your Uniform In Stock World's Largest Karate Supply NOW SUPPLIES. LITTLE PEOPLE TOO! nusies $19.95 White Only oT OHLDRES SLEEP EAE COM eren Cont | Fiee To ont 195 12 Heth 31985 12-1 eth m5 Teak hem 11955 Send Ghee Money Or sng aig] 5 Seoruny WARTAL ARTS Teal Del Giy, Oklahoma 73115 Seis honor Do ASIAN WORLD OF MARTIAL ARTS 952 Are Steet, Dept 86, Palaelona, PA 19107 fans see ier Asian World of Ea Aris Cp swt: FREE CATALOG Setrorairen siete eesti emmeer oer training than to have the opportunity to learn from wamen- Who have been training up to 25 years, and who have made this work their lives? It is exciting for a woman, unac- customed to femala companionship training in a mixed do- Jo, to spend four days. working out with all women, The Possibilities at such an event are endless. Above: Headquarters of the World Tae Kwon Do Association in Seoul, Korea. Below: Some of the action in Taiwan. To Spar, or Not to Spar LOS ANGELES—Sho Kosugl's third annual tour of the Qrient last summer shed some light on an interesting con- cept that has been gaining strength lately. Specifically, that martial arts training in the United States, with Its em- phasis on sparring at lower belt levels, may be superior to the non-sparring variety of instructian in the Orient, Kosugi, who has organized a West Coast Karate Team tour of Japan, Talwan and Korea for the past three years,KUNG FU STARS TAI CHI EAGLE Deluxe narra Yn eee 99° F106 - Chrome f80G = Gots Puan "ST pRAGON 79 same 1,25 © 144 — omone + fea Gag” JEET KUNE 00 1.25 yn 8 van 25 SUPERIOR DRAGON STAR 1$3.95.. $5,95.. ‘F°Bla. Thick SHOTOKAN MOO DUK KWAN KUNG FU 25 5 1.25 _ Muse cutotheaeyweigh ving. Bolt loop on the back be, Merten 1.95 PLASTIC NUNCHAK' Lightwelghi! Weighs only 8 oune i ‘a o ee _———$—$——— = ( oe af? 8.950 Me | OPEN FINGER GLOVES American Made Black heavywennt material msde of $4.95 (Black shi) | eaten Wat ‘hk Sd Dragon & Crane on Front | skies iene ance nigBeO CUFFS RAWSTRING WAIST —#KFP/DS $13.95 Yin & Yang Symbol on Front KUNGFU Dany orcs Pen WHOLESALE prices ety STAR TARGET BOARD Thetmess 1 49,95 | ore Pt fuppeo curs — ‘RIBBED WAISTBAND KP 545.95A very interesting contept has been developing over the last few years that has gained a certain amount of respectability through the Credibility ofits proponents. Simply stated, a growing number of martial artists are contending that born-and:bred, applesple Ame icans are fast becoming the creme de la creme in the fighting arts; that Americans have transcended the traditional bonds of their Asian brothers and are in the process of elevating their respective styles to yetto-be-conceived heights of perfection. itis safe to say that most pro- Ponents of this theory are less int clined to point out any negative aspects of the traditional Asian ap- proach. Rather, they are more likely to play up the positive reasons why ‘Americans are—and will continue to be—at the foretront of pragmatic refinement in the arts. Hard evidence usually centers around the American affinity for in- ovation, the conceptual retine- ments of American tournament fighting, apparent dominance of the fullcontact scene, and the abundant supply of self-defense schools offer- ing a combination of styles aimed at drawing the most useful and adapt- able techniques into hybrid arts of various origins. These arguments aro usually supplemented with ob- vious size and physical-strength dit- ferontials and the seemingly in- grained “king-of the-hill—win-atall costs—top-oF-the-heap" attitude that is woven into the American spirit ‘There are few arts that are as representative of these ideals as ‘American kenpa. Although it shout not be considered the American martial ar, it does, according to Larry Tatum, characterize the pro- cess of taking a good thing and ‘making it better. “Today, you See the Americans dominating the tdumament scene,” Tatum pointed out. “Full contact, Hight contact, whatever. This Is just something that has occurred over the last decade, You see masters ftom the Orient coming to the United States to leam new concepts about their arts which are constant- ly being refined. This has happened because Americans have always been innovators—that is: why this country is as great as it Is. “Traditionally, we are not tradl- tionalists. If we were traditionalists, we would all be driving around in Model-T Fords.” Well, Lary Tatum certainly doesn't drive around in a Model-T Ford. But that’s not to say that he's all flash and dash. Considered by many to be the heir apparent to Ed Parker's American kenpo empire, the 31-yearold West Los Angeles in- structor is an influential advocate of applying what works best for the in- dividual, whether it be traditional or experimental. ‘Although Tatum acknowledges the Importance of learning the basics in whatever art, he is con- vinced that all fighting arts improve once they are Americanized. “One thing that you must keep In mind,” according to Tatum, “Our teaching methods and our moti- vations are different than any coun- try In the world. Traditional training teaches you to do what the instruc- tor does, which is what his instruc: tor taught him—no more, no less. To emulate your teacher, or your father, is as far as you are expected to go. To improve on his teachings, to be better than your father is not the cepted goal. “But In America, the reverse psychology is in effect. You are taught what your father knows with the expressed hope that you will im- prove on It and ultimately be better than he was, That's the way we teach everything and the marti arts are no different than anything else that was once foreign to this country. Americans like to put some thing to the test. They like to with it, get a feel for it, take it apart and put it back together. We will Americanize anything and by doing 80 we usually improve on vinced that this is what has been Has the American revolution of the martial arts begun? LD’S BE by Guido Barboza“Our teaching methods and our motivations are different than any country in the world.”“Kenpo doesn’t move in straight lines. It’s very elusive and very adaptable.” 2 happening in the martial arts and why arts like kenpo are so popular today. “Of course the final test, the acid test of success is whether @ person will pay his hard-earned money for access to a certain martial art, Money—that's what a guy treasures ‘Some people treasure it more than life itselt, “Ed Parker was condemned in the beginning because he took martial arts out of the temples and put it ‘out In full view of the public. Basically, what he was saying was, “Here itis. If you want It, you have ‘to pay for it.’ So many people ‘thought that what he was doing ‘would disgrace the art forever. That ‘commercializing and Americanizing something so supposedly sacred ‘would ruin the arts. Well, Parker proved otherwise. What greater ‘sacrifice can a man give of himself ‘than his cash? It's the cash that feeds his family.” ‘According to Tatum, the reason ‘that Americanized martial arts like kenpo are so popular is that the art is tailored to the person, rather than hhaving the person adhere to strin- ‘gent guidelines with no regard for his individual physical short- ‘comings or attributes. “Kenpo doesn't move in straight lin very elusive and adapt able, Through kenpo, ! can teach a small person how to deliver power ‘that he never knew he had, or teach a big man to move like a ballerina. Most big men truly believe that they ‘cannot be graceful. Thay can ba graceful. | was teaching a wrestler by the name of Tanaka who weighed 395 pounds and was six-feet, three- inches. Now for sure, if a guy is that big and strong, you know he can be taught to move like a fraight train, But | convinced him he could move like a ballerina, that he had the raw talent to do it, and he did. To watch mass move quickly is in- credible, To watch it move gracefully is awesome. “Kenpo seems to be particularlyattractive to women—about half the school Is women. Most of them are looking for an art that they can pick up quickly and adapt to their own specific needs. Any woman who has been on her own for any amount of time will tell you that to depend on yesterday's chivalry is like depend: ing on @ garage mechanic to fix your car at a reasonable rate. Women eed the martial arts to survive. “Ours is one of the few schools that allows women to teach. |had this guy come in the other day—big son-of-gun. When he asked who his teacher was going to be | told him it was going to be a woman. His response was that he had never had a woman teach him anything and he expressed serious doubts that learn- ing martial arts from one would be any different. | told him it it didn’t work out, I'd find someone else, He came back after the first lesson with nothing but praise. A teacher is a teacher—they enjoy seeing people learn. | don't let ege-seeking women {or men) teach, There are no princesses at this school.” Tatum has obviously “found the way” through kenpo. He defines his art in terms of Ed Parker's alphabet of motion and punctuates his rhetoric with continual references to his mentor. To Tatum, kenpo is the ‘American martial art, Gut at closer examination, the underlying theme ‘of American martial arts supremacy becomes apparent. “What people have got to remember is that the Orient has given us an incredible gift,” said Tatum, “Every country had its form of martial art. After all, the martial arts are defined as military fighting. England had jousting, Africa had spear throwing and dart blowing. These are all martial arts, But the Asian arts gained popularity because of the spiritual aspects as much as the physical and this is. ‘one part of tradition that should never be lost. The Asians brought us the raw material and we have re- fined it It's up to us to continue this process of Innovation. m “The Asians brought us the raw material and we have refined it.” 2by Stephen K. HayesEnshrouded in the antiquity of history, the true story of Japan's fabled ninja is subject to several differing inter- pretations. In Japan, the legends of the ninja were embel- lished for political reasons during the Tokugawa reign. Jap- anese television serials, movies and comic books continue to propagate the mythical nature of the ninja, presenting tales of superhumans who could engage occult powers to accomplish their desires. In the Western world, the few English-language exposures of the ninja legend have con- centrated on the military and espionage aspects of the total story, portraying the ways of ninjutsu as mere martial arts and ignoring the original spiritual nature of the people who were forced by history to become the warrior wizards of feudal Japan. The truth is that the art of ninjutsu is easily as much a way of thinking as it is a fighting style. However, the self- defense aspects of ninjutsu are a part of the art that intrigue many students of the martial arts as a whole. The fighting aspects of ninjutsu contained in this chapter of Stephen Hayes’ book—soon to be forthcoming from Ohara Publica- tions—are presented here for the readers of BLACK BELT. Generally speaking, these fighting methods involve adopting a mood and fighting posture that is likely to pro- duce the desired results under the circumstances, and these moods and postures are characterized by the “five elemental manifestations,” that is, earth, wind, fire, water and space. Whether it is a fistfight, auto race or verbal exchange, the body centers of consciousness or tension are identical, and there are appropriate as well as inappropriate approaches to handling the situation as it unfolds from second to sec- ond. These centers of consciousness, and approaches to physical self-defense, are not “concentrated on” or actively pursued. They are merely ways of classifying thought and action after they have taken piace. These classifications are labels for our methods of relating to ever-changing surroundings. A successful outcome will be the result of properly balancing out all aspects of the situation. Unsue- cessful results develop through a Jack of sensitivity or awareness of what is needed to create balance. NINJUTSU FIGHTING and TACTICS In ninjutsu, an appropriate fighting method Is. needed to prevail in any given self-defense situation. “Appro- priateness,” in a fight, is based on the ‘combined aspects of the total situa ‘tion, with all details taken into ac ‘count. Surroundings, personal mood, ‘the amount of room, social and moral ‘considerations, number and size of at- ‘tackers, and the severity of their inten- tions are all determining factors. Unlike a sports contest, there are no agreements, weight classifications or safety considerations. Each fighting technique encoun- tered In the training of Togakureryu ninjutsu can be classified by one of the elemental manifestations. The nin- Ja's fighting method is taught as a total system that includes sticks, 2tn a se re ca guideline, the following approaches to. elemental manifestations of con- From the earth level, you hold your hips are the body's center of mation and consciousness, a familiar concept tock—you are impervious to anything: oe! to defeat your adversary. You know that your flexibility and cleverness will win out. The lower abdomen is the fe tae erate ene ones Necessity of blocking first. The center a esata nme jane ere te se1 “Fire” response: Observing a face attack (1) the defender charges forward and strikes. the attacker's punching arm, knocking It t0 tha side (2). The defender then pulls his trailing leg into position for 4 kick (3,4) and sleme the base of the hee! to the stomach, creative powers in thoughts, words and actions to create an environmer Inwhich you have no-needto fight with anyone. An adversary never appears, Corresponding to each of the ‘elemental manifestations, as reflected in defensive styles, is a specific fighting pose trom which the initial fighting moves may procede. The pose itself is assumed naturally as the body 906s through the realization that defensive action is needed. In this manner, each posture, or Kamae, is a physical reflection of the mental at- titude and psychological set. Earth Posture ‘The earth level of consciousness is characterized by the natural posture, ‘or shizen na kamee, Just as the name implies, the shizen pose is a natural, relaxed standing position. The feet are planted hip-widtn apart, each taking an equal amount of the body weight. ‘The knees ara flexad toa straight posi- tion, neither bent forward not locked back. The body's stability is sensed in the thighs and lower portions of the hips. The shoulders are relaxed and the arms and hands hang naturally. The eyes are gazing forward with a somewhat soft distance focus, taking Inall within the frame of vision without ‘eencentrating on any one limiting point. 4 The bedy should have a somewhat heavy fea! to it, as though the force of ‘gravity were more intense than it nor- mally Is. The muscles are relaxed, and thelr weight is felt on the undersides, In the natural posture, the fighter ap- ears to be firmly holding his ground, confident and unshakable as a tree rooted in the earth, Maintaining the natural posture ‘may be more difficult than it sounds in that grounded stability is not easily imitated, There must be a total ab- sence of superfluous body move- ments, such as darting or lowered eyes, clenched or fidgeting hands, or ‘weight shifting from leg to leg. It is in- teresting to practice the shizen pose in normal daily activity to see how much unconscious movement we carry out unthinkingly. As a reversed method of practice, it Is enlightening to watch others in different situations as they assume varying degreas of contidence and grounded action. By watching the outward bodily manifestations of voice, movement and bearing, we can get a clear idea of how another person is thinking and relating to his surroundings. In selfprotection situations, the natural posture is most often found ‘being used in response to surprise at- tacks under circumstances that were fered to be threatening. A ion partner that suddenly becomes argumentative, @ person at- tempting to take your place in a theater ticket line, or an inanimate ob- ject that threatens to move and injure are examples of this type of interac: tion. The shizen no kamae, with ite earth stability, also conveys a feeling of control over the situation, and the power to prevent drastic violent action from taking place. Water Posture ‘The water lavel of consciousness is Characterized by the defensive pos. a3 ture, or ichimanif no kamae. The phys: Teal embodiment of a defensive view of combat, the ichimonji pose enables evasive, surprising movements. The body Is in a low crouched position, with the trunk turned sideways toward the adversary, and the legs and knees deeply flexed to keep the hips low. The foat position roughly describes the let- ter L, with the leading foot pointing at the attacker and the rear foot pointing In the direction to which the torso has been turned, The body trunk is held upright over the rear lag, whieh sup- ports approximately 70 percent of the ‘weight. The body's balance and poten. tial for movement are sensed in the lower abdomen below and behind the navel, The shoulders are turned with the body trunk to line up with the adversary, and the leading hand is ex: tended forward in a fending manner while the rear hand is poised beside the face and neck in a protective man. ner. The eyes are gazing along the 4 leading shoulder and arm, taking in ‘the total body of the attacker. The body should have a light, re- ‘sponsive feel to it, and all motion begins by moving the abdomen and allowing the body to follow. As the hips move, the feet and torso follow, Preventing a loss of balance or slow, Predictable movement. To assume the Ichimonji posture from a natural stance, the hips are lowered back and to the side at a 45-degree angle to the anticipated attack force, As the seat moves back and down, the rear sup- port foot shifts into position with & fatreating action that drags the leading foot back slightly. In self-protection situations, the Ichimonji no kamae Is best used to combat larger or more aggrassive adversaries. The defensive pose and its footwork are practiced with evasive, zigzag pattern movements that retreat to the inside and outside of the attacker's striking limbs, A low “ “Earth” response: Responding to attack, the defender siams the base of his palm under the nose, with the fingertips in con- tact with the eyes (31. Pulling straight down, he rips the eyes, ips and Jaw (4. posture will Keep the body in balance and facilitate fast, erratic moves, even ‘on unlevel ground or unstable sur faces. From the safety of the defen- sive posture, hard-hitting blocking strikes can be applied to the attacker's incoming limbs. Fire Posture The fire level of consciousness is characterized by the offensive pos- ture, oF jumanfi no kamae. A charging, forward moving body pose, the jumon- ji posture is used as a base from which to launch the punches, strikes and kicks of the ninja's tajjuteu fighting method. The body faces the adversary with one side leading and the weight distributed evenly over the two legs. The fect are roughly hip: width apart with the toes pointing in- ward slightly, and the knees flexed to Give the feet a ground-gripping quality. ‘The body's center of movement and balance is the solar plexus, the back is hald straight without leaning forward oF to the side, and the hips are low, ‘Tho fists are held in front of the chest, crossed at the wrists with the leading: side hand in front of the tralling-side hand. The body should have a slightly tensed or potentially explosive feel to It. In the jumonji pose, the intention is to overtake or overwhelm the adver1 “Water” response: The de- tender uses a counterbiow trom a defensive stance (o ‘unbalance his opponent's unehing ar sary. To move into the offensive pos ture from a natural stance, the leading {foot shifts forward into position as the hands come up along the ribs and in front of the chest. The hips angle slightly to the side and drop as the body moves into the attacking pose, and the eyes lock onto their target. Progression forward and backward in the jumonji no kamae is carried out through short choppy steps or shut- fling foot slides in a level gliding man. ner that prevents the body from bob- bing up and down. The feet move at the same moment as the upright body trunk, keeping the shoulders from fall ing into the attack, and related hand actions usually accompany the foot work In self-protection situations, the jumonji offensive posture is bast used to combat hesitant or cautious adver- saries, and to add the element of sur- prise to a canfrontation in which in cevitabte explosive hostility is building. From this offensive posture, initiative is taken in the fight, forcing the adver. ‘sary into a defensive or retreating at- titude, The intense techniques from ‘the jumonji posture go after and take ‘out the enemy's weapons, rather than defend against them. Wind Posture ‘The wind level of consciousness is. characterized by the receiving pos- ture, of hice no kamae. The recaiving posture couples a solidly grounded base and the power to harmonize the body with the intentions of an at- tacker. The feet are placed hip-width ‘apart and carry the body weight even ly. The knees are flexed slightly more than in the natural posture, creating a feeling of balance in the hips similar to that experienced just before sitting down on a chair. The back is straight, in a natural manner, and the shoulders are relaxed. The arms extend out- stretched to the sides with the hands open, and the eyes gaze forward in soft focus, taking in the whole picture without limiting the concentration to one single point. The body should have an extremely light, almost floating feel to it Epitomizing some concepts that are the opposite of those embodied in the shizen earth pose, the wind level hira no kamae prepares the fighter for ‘adapting to and going with the attack: ing moves of the enemy. This adaptive sensitivity is centered in the chest, behind the breastbone. The evenly distributed balance facilitates quick and easy movement in any directio response to the attacker's intentions, ‘The outstretched arms have the poten- tlal of becoming tools to carry out Punches, strikes, deflections, blocks, throws, locks, ag well as acting as distractions and calming techniques. In self-protection situations, the hira posture is used to handle at- onto ge eMany martial artists think of shotokan karate asa straightforward, inflexible style. They see this as the weakness in an otherwise effective system, but it is not @ weakness 50 much as a trade-off. Every style is based on some tactical princi principle that shapes its strengths, weaknesses and appearance. For ex- ample, the southern praying mantis style emphasizes. infighting tech- niques that employ the use of quick, short attacks to vital targets. When fighting in close quarters, itis without equal among martial arts. But in order, to develop the skill and sensitivity necessary for fighting in close, the mantis stylist has to sacritice skill in long-range fighting. The mantis schoo! cannot be faulted for this. Since no- man can develop sll in every aspect, of fighting, the pioneers of the style picked the approach they thought best suited their individual tastes and needs, In the same way, shotokan ka rate has been shaped by its tactical principles. Its strengths and timit tions are due to applying the principle of ikken hisatsu—victory with one blow. When delivering an attack the cholce of technique and the target are important. But, all other things being ql, the effectiveness of a strike de- UNDERSTANDING ends on its power. n fact, even block- ing techniques can be “killing” blows, provided they are executed with suffi- cient force. Generally speaking, power Is the result of moving the body rapidly and in unison. When throwing a reverse: punch, the fist is propelled forward by the muscles of the arm. Further mo= mentum Is derived by the correspond- ing movernent of the shoulders. The shoulders move because the muscles. of the abdomen and armpit regions. firmly knit them to the hips. The hips. mova because of the drive of the back. leg. But the leg exerts force along its. own axis and the amount of force generated horizontally is only @ por tion of the total power of the leg. ‘This relationship is proportional to the sides of a right triangle, where the leg corresponds to the hypotenuse and the horizontal force to the base. If the back leg is at a 60-degree angle to the floor and creating 20 pounds of push, only 12 pounds of this force can be utilized forward. If the angle is reduced to 45 degrees, the horizontal force increases to about 14¥% pounds. It the hip is lowered further, creating a 30-degree angle between the back leg ‘and the floor, the forward drive becomes 16 pounds. This of course is restricted by the body's own limita SHOTOKAN KARATE by Tom CountrymanSPARRING EQUIPMENT WITH SOMETHING EXTRA! A GUARANTEE ~ CENTURY GLOVES $19.95 EXTRA PADDING * For Heel Kicks * On the Arch * On the Shin EXCLUSIVE 1/2 PRICE GUARANTEE You may return your equipment in any condition within 24 months of purchase and receive a new pair at 12 the advertised retail price at time of return. Postage and handling to be paid by purchaser according to advertised rates at time of return. FULL PRICE GUARANTEE ‘You may return your merchandise in @ new condition within seven days and get a prompt refund of purchase price, or exchange for size adjust- ment. BOOT SIZE 5-PeoWees 7-Children GLOVE SIZES MA Lite adults S- women & toons. Ghild- chitdren Shin pads -1 Size only aaa A» CENTURY SHINS $12.95 a pair UY DIRECT FROM THE WORLD'S LARGEST MARITAL ART FACTORY CENTURY! For Finest Quality For Fastest D CENTURY BOOTS $19.95 OORESS STE a OR IN OKLA. (405) 670-3655 PEREONAL CHECKS HELD Yo WORKING OATS CENTURY MARTIAL ARTS, INC. 3098 DEL VIEW DEL CITY, OKLA. 79115 FOR RUSH ORDERS CALL TOLL FREE 1-800-854-4701 001= RoE, oe eam The jumping-knee strike is not 2 technique that 2 In shotokan, ready positions protect the center of the body and keep one hand -shotokan stylist would be likely to usa. cocked at the hip, ready to punch. rs Prt tions. The point, however, Is that lowering the hips increases the power of the strike. And since power is the necessary Ingredient for a “one-punch Kil” the shotokan karateka will characteristically adopt a low stance when fighting. When fighting from a low stance it Is difficult to move around the way a boxer does. Consequently the shotokan fighter appears rooted, stable and maybe even ponderous, but ‘nt light, agile and flexible. Its impor- tant to realize that this is appearance nly. While the lack of light footwork closes the distance as ihe ‘detender parries and counters, (Perfect farm would be with heels in solld contact with ground) After completing his T80degree pivot, the defender Is In position to Initlate 8 reverse- Purch counter ta his opponent's side. does make him something of an easy target, the low-hip positian allows him to actually move faster since 4 larger proportion of the lag’s drive Is avall- able for horizontal movement. Proper understanding of how to generate power with the legs and hips ‘ill make all of one’s techniques more effective, But the development of a truly decisive technique requires special effort. Such things as daily training doing hundreds of repetitions, the use of wrist or ankle weights and a concentrated effort with the makiwara and heavy bag are essential. Unfor- tunately there are very few martial art- ists with the time, the talent and the Commitment to achieve this high level of power with more than one of two techniques. Consequently thost shotokan stylists utilize a rather limited arsenal front kick, round kick, backtist strike and reverse punch be- ing the most common choices). This is something of a trade-off. On the one hand, being able to attack unpredict- ly with a barrage of ever-changing techniques is @ great way to catch someone offguard, On the other hand, knowing that no opponent can stand 3against one’s decisive technique gives a great psychological edge that can mean the difference between victory and defeat. Furthermore, when faced by multiple attackers, it is important that an opponent, once knacked down, will not get up again and attack from behind, So in order to achieve the “one-punch victory,” the shotokan practitioner gives up variety and flam- boyance, Since most any technique can be developad into a decisive blow, why not the spinning hook kick? | believe that the way shotokan is taught con- tributes further to its inflexible ap- pearance. Instructors are shaped by the “onepunch tactical principle and they try to instill it in their students. To accomplish this, they emphasize those techniques that can bbe developed the fastest, & spinning hee! kick Is not nearly so easy to Perfect as a front kick, and a single- finger spearhand takes more effort to be effective than a reverse punch. Consequently the shotokan student spends most of his class time prac: ticing the most basic techniques to perfection. And when, as a black belt, he begins to zero inon the techniques he shall concentrate on he is likely to choose the ones with which he is most comfortable—the basics. The result again is a style which appears a estricted and inflexible. One more point with regard to teaching—the one-step sparring in the shotokan system tends to use only fone or two techniques in countering. AA front kick in practice might be countered by a front kick/puneh com. bination; a lunge punch by only an elbow strike. This results ina tenden- cy not to press an attack or counter beyond a few techniques. if unsuc- cessful In attacking, the shotokan fighter considers. the initiative lost and will often employ an escape tech- nique so that he can begin again. This fighting in bursts can further enhance the appearance of arestricted, inflex. ible style Shotokan looks to some to be an lnflexible style. But this appearance is the practical outgrowth of the prin- ciple on which shotokan is based— namely “victory with one technique. Since power is the necessary condi tion for decisive blows, shotokan fighters. characteristically adopt a ow stance so as to more fully utilize the power of the legs. Also, they employ fewer techniques since it is very difficult to develop more than a few to be “killing blows.” Further, the techniques most commonly ‘em- ployed ar@ those basic techniques emphasized by shotokan instructors because they are most easily devel Above, left: The defender, at the lett, and the attacker square off—note the relative- 4y long range. The attacker initiates a kick ‘hile the defender blocks and prepares @ ‘counterkick. Throwing the counterkick (lett, lower) the defender follows up with a strong attack to the face. oped. And finally, the idea of the single-technique victory, as practiced in one-step sparring, influences them to fight in short bursts of action. ‘These things lead to an appearance of inflexibility of the shotokan style. But they do not represent a weaknes In the style s0 much as a trade-off in order to achieve the ability to have “wigtory with one technique.” No doubt many sincere shotokan stylists will be uncomfortable with this description of the style, and rightly 80. Not every shotokan practi- tioner follows the one-puneh princl- ‘And many have developed a very flamboyant fighting style. (The reader is advised to read Vols. 3 and 4 of the Best Karate saries by M. Nakayama for some very dynamic approaches to fighting.) For any style Is lke a diax mond, with as many facets as there are individuals. But It seems that the Principle of “victory with one tech- nique" is the fundamental concept that has shaped this system. Tom Countryman has been a student of shotokan since 1970 and is a mem- ber of the Japan Karate Association. Anative of Minnesota, Countryman is presently working on @ Master of Di- Wiities degree at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul.AUTHORIZED DEALERS of MARTIAL ARTS SUPPLIES CO., Inc. 40711 Venice Bhid,, Los Angeles, GA 90094 » (219) 870-9808 Vtabndo ne. ‘Meh buna Maven’ Hal Markt us IW Mal re app’ tration ts TOON. Bereiania.St. 140 veckson St, 1505 WE, 2818 i 1881 S. Broadnay 1803 Straord ema WG Sone Cadhrv@ For tawtne 3005 ane, 01) Aor, M9506 = ee ECONOMY FOCUSER PAD Tintern being tet et Lr ‘ts Spy on jour fants Pt " ee vt ae a “1 31542 $8.95 each 4 Yr e ‘GSM MAKIWARA, Tn dae tg trae | TRE ABP tee as wel asthe expert. Just il vinyl! bog mith aver i ‘beans (not included) and mount in 2 closet door- ith Laminated ving! fabric tenet plier os | lore cnnatin tw Biot nt ate nl ited min at : fhesartet. 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Among them would be the ponderous shot-putters, the hard, muscular sprinters, the long, lean jumpars and the wiry distance run- ners, Each has his own coach and each concentrates on his own event. But what if one coach thought that, say, the jumpers should work to develop thelr ability to sprint, fo put the shot and to race over long distances? The result would be a track man with an uncommon amount of flexibility, a man who could perform creditably well in a number of events. And like a decathalon athiete, he might well become the best all-around performer on the track. ‘Asa decathlete, he might not be able to outsprint the top dash man. But he could burn him up on a three-mile run, bury him at the shot put and embarrass him for life at the pole vault. In the martial arts, t's the same. There are the muscular judomen, the soff, flexible Chinese stylists, the devastating Korean Kickers and the bone-crushing grapplers, Each is usually a specialist in his own style, trained by a coach who knows that style only.Using # grappling tec! nique to escepe from wrist hold, (1-3) German leads into @ Chinese-styie arm strike (@), twists the Wilst and breaks the elbow (5). Gut what if an instructor decided that it would be wise to teach a number of styles at ance, and to make a study of the transitions between them? In other wards, to create a mar- tial arts decathalon athlete, and to train him to understand each event, inside and out? In martial arts terms, we're talking about a martial artist who might have trouble beating a well-trained paint fighter in @ toumament situation. But in a no-holds-barred situa tion, he could use a soft block ta step his opponent's punch, Use grappling techniques to get his man on the ground and finally, apply a judo choke to keep him there, ‘An artist who could move from boxing to kung fu to judo to karate and back to kung fu would be a tough man to over: come. He could use wrestling moves to crush a soft-style practitioner, judo on a wrestler, and kung fu to hold off a judoman—in any combination and with whatever tech. niques. seemed appropriate. Most of all, if he understoad each art and how to make smooth transitions between them, he could defeat any “specialist” by finding an art that his opponent was ignorant in. ‘At the moment, not too many instructors are working to bulld the decathalon martial arts athlete. That alone is one area where David German of West Govina, Galifornia, is dif- ferent. But German is radically different in a number of other ways as well German teaches a composite art that has its basis in the Chinese arts and which is mixed with wrestling and boxing, Ws a system in which the talent of each student is Geveloped differently, each according to his own preter- ‘ence, and it's a system that employs wildly unorthodax training methods. German calls It TAI Karate, which stands for Transition Action, Incorporated, But it is not exactly karate, nor kung fu. It can look like kenpo, but to call it that wauld be an oversimplication. ‘Transition is the key word. German has made a life-long study of the transitions between each art—a comprehen sive examination of the “cracks” between the various arts. German can show a wrestler how to take advantage of 4 conventional kiek-punch attack—simply by showing him a transition, a convenient way for the wrestler to convert a conventional block into an arm lock, for example. Once given.an arm lock, the wrestler will have his man on the ground and a distinct advantage. 3 But “tai karate” is as much a way of training as it is a system of fighting. Generally speaking, German builds a wide base of skills, working on each art for a short time. then switching his students over to discover the basics of another art. Thus, rather than leam each art from beginning to end before starting over with a new one, German's stu- dents learn the basics of each, then the middle parts of FoUsing a twisting escape technique combined with a head butt (1-2, German frees his hands and counters with a quick right, ‘keeping his grip on his attacker's wrist. He then follows with an arm broak and a footsweep. each art, and finally the advanced parts of each art. This, “horizontal” construetion builds a martial artist who knows, each art inside and out—someone who can use each art in pure form or in combination. He bullds an artist who can go from boxing to grappling to Kenpo or into something that shows elements of all three. “| love all aspects of martial arts so much that | can’t choose which one is best,” German says, only hall in jest “What we try to do is introduce martial arts as a whale to an Individual. We want them to not only majer in all the martial arts, but minor in them. Not only do they have to know the proper reference works to use, but also the history of each part—how to take them apart, how to isolate them, and how to put them together into unity. He's going to look at the martial arts as a whole that somebody took segments of, lika big pieces of a pia. A decathalonic martial arts person, the whole thing—that’s what we're after. “The whole tai system is basically an art of transition,” he continues, “Instead of techniques, it’s principles. I's an art of how to do things, how to leam and how to blend things yourself. You're given a variety of knowledge—you're learn Ing colors. With those colors you can draw a picture. You're learning hardiine colors, then you learn what colors to blend to create chartreuse or any color you want. And final ly, with those colors you can draw a picture.Following a blocked punch, German grips the attacker's wrist, twists the hand into a alm-up position, then levers his oppo- rent into a control hold. In these photo- graphs German fe assisted by black belt Instructor Mark Crawford, 4 “Hang that picture sideways and watch what happens," he laughs. To David German, the idea of taking the picture that re- presents the martial arts and hanging it sideways is a way to see the arts in a different way. His way of seeing things is Indeed unorthodox—even heretical, to some. There are those who say that German “will do anything.” ‘And it's true, he will. He'll Invent training apparatus without knowing exactly what's on his mind, then hell find a way to- use it, And his students will benefit “| will develop my own equipment, not really knowing ‘what its. Then, I will build a technique to ft that equipment, rather than try to find a piece of equipment to fit that tech- nique,” he explains. Another example af “turning the picture: sideways," and another, fresher way to discover martial arts principles. He'll spread discs of different colors on the floor and have his students spar standing only on discs of a certain color. "In the olden days,” he says, "they used to play on top ‘of something like telephone poles, and they would jump back and forth, But they got injured. So why not hang sticks from the ceiling and work in and out, or maybe take colored discs and throw them around for sort of a martial arts game of hide and seek?” According te German, his students derive both physical and mental agility from such training ‘And they don't gat bored quickly, either. But just because German is willing to try almost any: thing, that does not mean that he rejects certain aspects of traditionalism. “We do a lot of kata. I's a disciplinary action, because | say it has to be done in a certain way. But! don't want to see the arts stagnate and get steeped in such traditionalism that nothing else exists, In my studio, my name is David, not sifu or sensei," he adds. German believes in kata partly as a discipline and partly because he thinks of kata as physical notes for the instruc tors of the future. “Those are his notes on where the striking moves and where the passive, jointlocking techniques should come from. He now has this barrage of knowledge to call upon,” he explains. German's students master com- plex Chinese kata as part of their exposure to the Chinese element of tai karate—and they master it to tne extent that they could compete in kata contests without embarrass- ment. Easily. ‘German's tal system is based mostly on Chinese arts, whieh German borrowed from various sources, including Ed Parker. "| know Ed from forever,” he says. “I talk bad about Ed ‘sometimes, but nobody else had better do it in my presence. ‘As | look back now, my thinking has changed a lot. He was 2To counter a headlong tackle, German takes a double uncarhook (2), sets it, then rolls backward. This technique makes maximum use of the attacker's forward momentum. my idol, and the combinations he had, physical ‘worthy to judge. He's the ultimate in that aspect ‘maintains, German is familiar with Parker's Kenpo, and it is [perhaps no accident that some of the principles found in German's system are extremely kenpo-like. And also that ‘German himself is a somewhat Parkerike figure. Neverthe- tess, German has also studied grappling and boxing tech niques, and he uses them as well “what I've done is take the Kenpo arts here as taught to ime by Ed and others and put them together with grappling ‘as taught to me by people like Gene LeBelle and with fluen- ‘ey taught to me by my wife's Chinese father, Mr. Lum. That's, ‘what wee doing. Then, over a period of years you can, isolate the principles and you ne longer have to teach a thou- sand techniques or a thousand movements, You can take ‘he principles along with the technical form and that can evolve into a new principle,” he says. “So my students, in- stead of trying to do what I do, they can do what they can do. They can find out which principles work for them, and then they can mix the principles up." German's ideas are difficult to put down on paper, dit 0 ficult even to attempt to convert to words. He has not writ: ten them down, partly, perhaps, because the system is always evolving, “I Just talk about them so much that | hope someone gets them. That's the only way | know. But it's all trial and error—anybedy can da it, il set up a standard, then show you something that works that eventually be- comes combined with your own ideas. and natural abilities. It's all just coordination built up into one giant package of martial arts training,” he says. In future issues of BLACK BELT, we hope to be able to shaw just exactly how German trains his people, how it works and why it works. “My instructor didn't tell me that these things existed. Whether he knew or not, I don’t know— don't think they did, But everything I've told you, | believe. | believe in allthis, and | know it will make a person a good martial artist. | feel | can prove it, though it makes no difference to me whether any- one believes it or not. My instructors can prove it," he adds. “1 guess you could say I'm pretty fanatical, but! stil have {an open mind. If a guy wants to talk to me about tae kwon do or shotokan, that's OK. I'm not going to try and change him. If he want's to go to.a good judo school, then he should 90. But I've tried to combine things and create something new, and | think I've lucked out pretty good.” n100 Percent Top Quality cotton. Shiny fying dragon with Chinese Kuno- Fu writing. Black shirt with red, yellow ay unite desian, siete site and color. TH SAL & XL $4 tnt Somuroi Sword Se es ay eh J’ NECKLACE or KEY CHAIN Rank Belts — $3.50 yan pace UES Rese GRE Bt atten OW Vato UBC Bice Weigh no‘er 12" satis. 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Its roots can be traced as far back as ancient India, where leg wrestling was not unknown. The effec- tiveness of prone combat is praised in early texts on vajre-musti and varre- ind there are plenty of descrip. tions on how this form of combat was recommended fer battle against an at- tacker highly skilled in hand use. In Chinese boxing, in many and varied forms, groundfighting was and is taught and used as a practical defense against multiple assailants. Says chuan chi fa stylist Jim Daniels: a “its effectiveness draws from the fact, that It looks like the person is vulnerable. In truth, however, a person ‘on the ground is more tightly defended than when on his feet." He further points out that not only is one able to hit fast and effectively from the ground, but that the user, in shor, is a lousy target. Gojuryu stylist Jeff Loper-Bey con- tends: "Strikes and kicks are also ‘much harder from the ground. You've got_an immovable object to push against to augment the strength of the leg. Used correctly, it’s devastating,” But where does ona learn ground- fighting if the techniques are not in- herent in one's parent style? Upon ex: amination the process of‘ ground- fighting is as easy to understand and practice as itis effective. From the basic techniques touched on inthis ar- ticle, one can easily expand and build one's own repertoire of techniques; developing a functional, practical and practicable method of defensive com- bat. Ground Stances It doesn’t much matter how one winds up on the floor—whether by trip, sweep, knockdown, stumble or throw—the starting point is the same, ‘As effective as fighting from the ground can be, however, there are cer- tain things which should be taken into account before randomly trying to throw kicks from a prone position. The first of these is the stance itself, In the photos that accompany this article we see two stances, or posi- tions. The stance with the back flat ‘and the arms and legs bent is @ par- ticularly vulnerable position. Most people, when they go down, wrongly assume this position. Now, one can defend from a bad stance, but it would take a very fast martial artist. CGetung taken to the ground Sos not meen the ght alMore practical, however, is the ac- tual groundfighting stance. In this stance the weight is placed on the but- tock, hip and thigh of one side of the body, with the arm of the same side ‘supporting the upper torso (if you're right-handed the weight should be on the left side of the body). The leg on this side should be curled back some- what (not tightly), and should be free of restraining weight below the knee. The other leg, used to fend, hook or kick, is held off the ground, slightly bent. There should be enough of a gap between the lower, bent leg and the upheld leg 80 that the legs can be crossed to execute a scissors take- down. The free hand is held in a loose, medium-neight warding position, ready to grab, parry or strike. ‘A one fights, it is easy to shift stance to keep pace with an opponent. To change leads, the method is a sim- ple rolling from one side to the other, taking the weight across the buttock ‘and switching hands as quickly as possible. The movement of the legs to shift from one side to the other makes them fall almost perfectly into place, ‘80 assuming an opposite stance has a very natural feel t0 it. If one’s opponent gets behind him, or if there is more than one attacker, the groundfighter can pivot any num: ber of degrees to keep facing his oppo- nent{s}. The pivot Is on the lower hip Using the heavy bag for target {rom the groundfighting position is a good way to develop defensive abilly. “4 The wrong way to try to defend onesell on the ground lett; contrasted with the right way, in which the body Ts reedy to 10 ‘spond. andlor buttock, with the support hand pushing against the ground to turn the body. Since this kind of pivot works on a rotation process, rather than an of- biting process, the attacker will not be able to keep pace if he tries to circle around the groundtighter. An abject Which rotates has to cover less distance than that which orbits. Sim- ple physics. Defense and Offense It's not practical to initiate an at- ‘tack (or try, at least) from a ground: fighting stance. Howevar, one of the best methods of defense involves an “inteuding” offensive strike. What this entails is striking out at an attacker as he is preparing to deliver his own strike. Using “explosive” speed (as op- posed to speed born of actual mus: ular tension, which is not as efficient for this type of strike) the ground: fighter comes in, around, over or under the attacker's strike and scores effec- tively. A plus for the groundtighter is that the attacker must bend down to strike, whereas the groundfighter needs only to kick within normal each. 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Blvd. Shen dyonpevanatcnes | 5 kau Mo, 9083 ‘See our special prices on PRO-unitorms and protective equipment on page 9To defend from the ground, the man on the mat must connect fist, allow with a leg hook takedown, and then initiate a follow-up like the heal smash. faster than one’s opponent, Hence the “intrusion” on his attack. ‘Another method of defense from the ground relies heavily on sweeps, hooks with the legs and scissor hoids, all resulting in a takedown of the at tacker, ‘The sweep involves a sharp strike to the leg of an opponent as he tries to strike with a stamp kick (a very com- mon altack used foolishly against groundtighters). The kick-sweap is, best employed by a roundhousetype kick, or a rear hook Kiek. The prime target area, for an easy takedown, is the back of the knee or the ankle, When a joint is struck in this manner, the body weight will be thrown back- ward, causing a fall, Scissors takedowns are good, but involve perfect timing. Again, these are used mostly against an opponent who is kicking, but a strong ground- fighter can take an opponent down who has both feet planted firmly on the ground. ‘The lock for the scissors takedown Involves trapping the opponent's leg between the arch of one foot (placed, for best results, against the shin) and the achilles tendon of the other leg {hooked behind the knee). The motion sa sharp closing of the leg so that the feet pass each other. To make the feet pass by one another while stil! main- taining a hold on the lag forces the op ponents leg to bend at a sharp angle, ‘uining his balance. ‘The opponent falls rather heavily on his face, 4 variation involves the arch (or in- P) of one foot placed against the achilles tendon of the attacker, and the achilles tendon of the defender's other leg sweeping back against the attacker's knee, or hip. With this varia- tion the attacker falls backward, which sets him up for a nasty follow- up kick. ‘The third major method of downing ‘an opponent from the groundfighting stance is the ooking sweep, or log hook. The leg hook is a variation of the hook kick, but, instead of hitting with the heel, contact is made with the achilles tendon, and the hook includes a sharp pull, forcing the leg into a bend. This is similar to the form used for @ reaping throw in judo,G.U.S. (Greek’s Unique Shetenilig Machine) IS FOR MORE THAN JUST KICKS Only $38.95 It’s also for form... technique... 1 = and reduced chance of injury through total flexibili G.US. (Greek’s Unique Stretch) was designed and developed by world contender Demetrius “Greek” Havanas. The machine makes it faster and safer for you to perform the strenuous ‘stretching exercises that are so important...and it's easily assembled in just two minutes. 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These are the principles of John Lewis, a Chicago- based self-defense instructor who nas trained hundreds of citizens to protect themseives—at no cost to them Rather than teach numerous techniques for purposes ot belt rankings, Lewis concentrates on fewer techniques but ahaa THAT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE by Margaret Trude demonstrates many ways of adapting them to fit self detense situations. This concept of “situational analysis” is the crux of what Lewis teaches. He refers to his system as one of “paracombatives,” which is “training designed to replicate the situational dynamics of street violence, to stress technique alternatives chosen to fit the circum stances, and Instill through disciplined practice proven warrior tactics.” In other words, it's a system of self-defense that stresses use of realistic training, use of self-defense tech niques chosen to fit the circumstances, and use of proventactics in order to get out of a tight spot. Knew Your Enemy Primary attention is given to identifying when an attack is likely to occur and how it will occur. Lewis strives to raise the level of perception his students have as to the characteristics, mannerisms and motivations of an assall- ant; he feels that the correct assessment of an attack turns the element of surprise in favor of the defender. ‘Studies conducted at the University of Chicago on mug: ging victims have shown that “prey” is not selected ran- {In the paracombatires’ system, smaller persons are taught how to tse their size and weight differential to advantage. comly. That is, the attacker has typically chosen his victim precisely because he feels the victim has no defensive skills, Since the attacker expects a relatively helpless victim, he is highly disconeerted to find that his victim Is prepared to fight During these critical moments it is Important to convey an attack posture by facing the opponent, standing firm and looking him squarely in the eye. (According to Lewis, violence can often be avoided merely by taking such an at. tack posture.) 49Paracambatives’ seltefense, as taught by Lewis, is Built on the art of miyamaryu Jujitsu, and feetures many throws and defenses ‘against weapons. As the adversary reassesses the situation, students of Lewis" system of paracombatives busy themselves with a quick formulation of their objective. Consideration is given to such factors as oppanent’s size, his clothing, his type af weapan, and the immediate assets and liabilities of the en. vironment, Critical Factors While size is an important consideration, Lewis does not fee! that the smaller man is necessarily at a disad vantage. He points out to his smaller students that the so shorter man ean get under a taller man’s centar of gravity and upset his center of balance, While it is possible to turn the larger size of an attacker against him, Lewis also cau: ns his students not to place themselves in @ position where sheer force can defeat them. In these ways, Lewis attempts to dissipate fear by chan- neling each student's thought toward selecting the tech- niques they personally perform with the greatest efficien- cy. For instance, students vary greatly in their ability to perform leg or shoulder throws against different body sizes. Therefore, each student is encouraged to do what works best for him. The attacker's clothing is another consideration. If the adversary is wearing a coat, the lapel or sleeve can be used to grip before executing a throw. On the other hand, if he is, wearing a T-shirt, his wrist or forearm must be used. Weapons tend to affect the seriousness of the defense selected, Lewis contends that edged weapons, such as, knives and razors, require “absolute” and accurate tech: niques that will quickly disarm and punish the opponent. In these situations, he favors wrist-turning, choking, joint locking and bone-breaking techniques. Clubs, however, ‘ean usually be handled with less punishing moves since there Is no cutting edge. This allows the defense tobe less precise and often more humane. Use of the Environment Unlike many self-defense instructors, Lewis favors con. fined areas—alleys, small rooms ar elevators. While such areas rule out the use of various tuning movements and a few throws, it confines the adversary to frontal attacks that can be more easily thwarted. Also, it allows the defendar to drive or throw the attacker into a wall, which may discourage further aggrassion. Lewis has selected a few basic julitsu techniques from which each student can develop his own individualized method of self-defense. Of these techniques, 90 percent are primarily knife defenses. Knife defenses typically con- sist of escaping tha knife's path, grasping to throw the op- ponent, and strangling or bone-locking him on the ground. ‘Speed is also a key to paracombative training, A stop watch Is an important tool in training sessions. Speed of movement atlows one to avoid fatigue—a factor that tips the scales in favor of the stronger man. Lewis builds his, students up to a point where they can successfully thwart three-man attack in less than 15 seconds. This Is dona by practicing one-man attacks and defending with evasive moves, blocks and throws. As tha students devalop agility and speed, the number of attackers and complexity af the situation is increased. This progresses until the student becomes flexible enough to respond to constantly shifting attack formats. Paracombative training also stresses developing a per- sonal "battle tempo" rather than merely reacting to the op. ponent's style. A key is situational control—for example, grasping the opponent before he is able to take a knife out from his jacket. Battle tempo also depends on certain biomechanical principles, some of which are ageless, Biomechanical Principles Foremost among these biomechanical principles is cir- cular movement. This technique has been widely used in the martial arts since the time of the ancient masters, but perhaps without the knowledge of why circular movement is, advantageous. Circular mavement is a fundamental part of miyamaryujujitsu, a style founded by Antiono Pereira that Lewis has used fo create his system of self-defense. Pereira learned his art during World War ||, when he received training in aspects of jujitsu, judo, alkido and karate. From these he forged an eclectic art designed to be useful in urban warfare which he named miyamaryu jujutsu—“the school of the three mountains.” ‘The miyamaryu techniques are designed to ultimately control the opponent. While defenses against the initial at- tack are characterized by evasive maneuvers, blocks, kicks or punches, both Pereira and Lewis emphasize that these are only the first stage of defense and must be executed i ‘such a way that they lead to control. Key control techniques: include throws, strangulation holds and ground controls that use bone-locking techniques, Circular movement is useful because It allows a person to resist a stronger attacker. This is because an object in motion—such as a fist—tends to stay In motion and re. quires more force to counteract if it is met squarely and resisted directly. But the momentum of an approaching fist can be redirected by means of a circular block much more easily. Thus circular movement economizes on force, there by conserving strength. ‘The use of follow-up action to gain greater controls also advised. Therefore, punches are taught in combinations, which is particularly important for women as it would be. ficult for them to arrest an attack with a single blow. Similar ly, students are taught to execute chokes in waves—not unlike twisting a screw onto a bolt—giving shock after shock to arf attacker while preventing muscle fatigue to the defender. by allowing blood to flow to the arm and the mus: cles to relax ‘Overcoming Retreat Tendencies Minimizing the opponent's momentum by stepping intoa punch or moving toward an attacker's Knife is another precept. The paracombative student learns to move his body toward an attack, then, to turn to elther side. This has @ double effect: it surprises the attacker with a decisive move, and it physically shortens the length of the oncoming blow, thus reducing the force. Obviously, a great deal of mental energy and practice is needed to overcome natural retreat tendencies, but gradually, students build up a new mental set that becomes Instinctive Lewis works with his students to find the best approach for each individual. He makes recommendations based on the student’s speed and coordination as well as size. Be- cause of this outlook, many techniques, such as sacrifice throws, are mot taught. On the other hand, Lewis often teaches brown-belt level techniques—such’ as knife de- fenses—to his beginning students. A technique is. chosen and presented to the students itt works in the majority of situations. Gften, Lewis will com: ment that a particular throw Is “not elegant, but it works on the street.” Techniques that are difficult to block or have mechanical advantages are his favorites. Rather than teach number of throws, Lewis requires his students to learn cone to three throws with precision. Then he builds on thie by expanding the number of situations In which a given throw can be used. For example, the student would be confronted with ten different types of attack in which modifications of a shoulder throw works well Expect Injury Both Lewis and Pereira make an effort to dispel fear and build a feeling of confidence in their students. Howe Top: Antonia Pereira demonstrates an anthknife technique. Mid: dle: Defenses against multhman attacks are practiced frequently. Bottom: Antonio Pereira, who taxches In the Bronx, New York. they are also careful not make them overly contident. Prudence is encouraged. They are told to expect injury but are taught what areas are important to protect and which areas are virtually immune from serious injury. Students are counseled to sacrifice an arm or their side to a knife cut if they must, but to protect the stomach and intestines where any cut can be fatal. In dealing with blows to the face, the je or top of the head is preferable to a strike at the nose or ‘eyes, which could cause tearing or dizziness that will impair {follow-up defense. Learning where to accept a blow in order st_ w = i The Origins and Development of Martial Arts Forms Contained in a history of kata is the history of the development of Jap- anese and Okinawan arts. Indeed, just as the study of linguistics help trace the origins and movements of certain early cuftures, the living record of kata provides insight into where and when the various arts evolved. There are, as we shall see, kata that reveal borrow- ing (rom Chinese sources as well as kata that are strictly Okinawan in nature. Since every movement has Its origin, kata can be considered a phys- (cal record of the past, a living repository of martial arts techniques and theory. Part One of this twopart series looks at the preeminent rofe kata has played in the early development of Japanese and Okinawan karate, Kata was the basis of instruction far te, tode and tomari te—all early styles of arate in its infant stages. The 19th century witnessed the development of the basic structure and types of kata. In the 1980s, with the radical innava- tions of Gichin Funakoshi, kata be- came truly popularized in Japan and entered the modern age. Part Two will examine contem- porary kata—the principles of its prac- tee today and the current significance of the names of the various kata. (In- cluded at the end of Part Two wilt be a comprenensive catalog, in phonetic Japanese and English, of the names ‘and meanings of traditional kata.) The physical dynamics of kata—move- THE EVOLUTION OF KATA PART | by John Sells 8‘Arakaki unsbw: The “eloud hand” movement of thia rarely-seen version of the young kat fo genius, Arakaki Ankchi, is a wonderful exam- le of a gentle, untensed blocking/redirecting movement executed with a feeling of assured calm. ment, speed, power, muscular tension and rhythm—will be discussed at length. Kata. Those controversial formal exercises of Japanese karate saem to excite mare debate in the studios of martial artists around the world than any other aspect of karate training. Almost everyone has taken a stand in the continuing and often heated ex- change on the utility of these age-old training tools. Nevertheless, one would have to go a long way to find a school that does not teach some kata and make them a mandatory require. ment for promotion up through the ranks as well. In karate-do (Okinawanvapanese karate), the formal exercise patterns undoubtedly played a preeminent role in the early dissemination of the art. Supposediy, most kata have been handed down for hundreds of years, changing little over the ages. Certain- ly, many forms cannot possibly be that old. Yet, until the beginning of the third decade of this century, kata was the primary means by which karate and its antecedent, the various forms of Okinawan te, were learned and transmitted. Understanding the devel- opment and dynamics of kata is the kay to realizing their value. Only then Gan one fully appreciate the fighting art that has evolved around kata's use. ‘Tha forms used in Japanese karate are all inharited from Okinawa or in- Pn splred by techniques traceable to the old island masters. Regardiess of con- temporary politics. Japanese and Okinawan karate are, from the stand- Point of their roots, the sdme. The Okinawans of today consider them- selves no different from (or less than) the Japanese. It was an Okinawan, Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957), who was responsible for introducing the art to the main Islands of Japan and its ultimate acceptance as a tradl- tional part of the Japanese martial heritage. Funakoshi and his contem- poraries—people like Miyagi Chogun (1887-1953) of the goju sehoo!, Mabuni Kenwa (1887-1954) of the shito school, Motobu Choki (1874-1944) and Toyama, Kanken (1667-1969), both of shorin ryu—introduced karate to the outside world via the kata, Okinawan Te Of the formal exercises used today, most appear to have been devised sometime between 1750 and 1950. ‘Though some could well be older, no one seems to know when the very first kata was introduced in Okinawa. Yet, a karatesike art is known to have ex. isted on the island as early as the 14th century. At first it was known simply as ti (eventually written as te). It was an art used primarily as a personal self-defense too! rather than a general battlefield technique, Te was given an early boost in its development when, in 1477, the Okinawan overlord Oho Shin issued the first ‘'no weapons edict” in an ef- fort to consolidate his power. Then, in the fateful year of 1609, the heavily Christian though highly aggressive Sa- tsuma clan invaded and subjugated the Okinawan fiefdom. The Satsuma act was allowed to occur under the pretext of retribution for unfulfilled tribute required under an alleged “loyalty oath” swom by a past Oki nawan lord to the Japanese regency. Because of this, the Okinawans were again stripped af whatever weap- ‘ons they had, The island gentry, never truly warlike anyway, turned to other professions, This worked quite well as most were absorbed into the civil ser vice system. Also, many profited from the Chinese trading business that had come to mean so much to the Jap: anese. Some, regardless of their sta: tion, even returned to the land and be- came farmers. It was from this agrar. ian source that many of the tools of the peasants, such as sicklas, tlails and large pot tops, faund their way in- to the art of te. To the Okinawans, the art of te served as a means of fostering martial pride and physical culture as wall as self-defense. Practitioners studied in closely-guarded, secret covens until the very turn of this century—iong after Okinawa had been made a pro- jectorate of the Japanese nation. kata, by this time highly struc: ad formal drills of defensive