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Joseph Svinth
30th December 2001, 13:43
I've always liked geki sai, so figure that we might as well argue over this one for awhile.

For a start, try Charles Goodin's article at http://www.tanega.com/seinenkai/articles/art-fukyu.html .

kusanku
30th December 2001, 18:13
That is one fine article, Joe.

I have always felt that Fukyu Gata Ichi, is the best ever elementary or kihon gata.It has everything for the beginning student of karate, and nothing else. It is also a kata opf remarkable subtlety and precision that can be practiced throughout ones karate lifespan.

The secrets pf Matsubayashi ryu power delivery, called atemi, as well as footwork and all eight angles can be learned through proper training in this form.These principles are needed in every one of the remaining seventeen kata of the art.

The Fukyu Gata Ni or Gekisai Dai Ichi kata, created by Miyagi Chojun, is equally delightsome, as it initiates one into the subtleties of naha ti at an early stage.

It is indeed, more difficult to learn and perform than the Fukyu Gata Ichi, but its worht the beginner's trouble and rewards as well, the more advanced practioners.

I could writew detailed analyses of my discoveries from these two kata alone, suffice to say that many technical intrricacies are contained within both kata, and I regard them as a yang( fukyu gata ichi) and yin( fukyu gata ni) combination.

The yin is naturally harfder to attain, but when mastered combines with the yang to form a complete elementary or kihon gata system.A person knowing only these two kata can be said, especially if their study has been at a deep level, to know karate.

The fukyu gata ichi, briefly, has all that a beginner needs because its two blocks enbable the coverage of the entire front body area from above the head to the groin level. Its three punches enable the midsection and head area to be struck and the close in attacker to meet a reverse punch on the way in.The groin level can be struck with the down block used as a strike, as the head and neck can be hit with the upper block. The turns enable a number of locks and throws to be done in this kata, as well as evasion and movement in all eight cardinal directions.

The pulling up to chamber movement with the first gyaku zuki or reverse punch is a locking down and twisting kuzushi manever worthy of study as well.

That's just an overview at basic level.

Fukyu gata ni, or gekisai dai no ichi, there is a fine fighting form indeed.

The initial step out to the right with pivot and up block once saved my bacon in San Francisco, I can tell you this kata is combat ready.Scared a would be mugger so bad he ran away.

The up punches with subsequent reverse step into shiko dachi or jigotai, side down block poosture, works as part of a block lock armlock series if wanted, as well as a moving kumite with a partner.

Then donw the middle with backfist/muiddle block/strikes, a front kick where it does some good:D and into a body mechanics weight transfre elbow strike to one centerline vital target.

Followed by a down block?hammerfist to groin and a power reverse punch, full out to xiphoid process or sternal notch, as wished.

Then a reversing standup ax hand, or shuto, as a strike/lock or finsh technique across the chest laine, if this hits rib nerves, its all over.

It is easy to read the techniques beginning with the backfist/middl;e blocks as a series of close combat strikes designed to finish an attacker while mooving into him, thus the name smash given to this kata.

Then reversing the sequence, and into a stepping back and reversing awase zuki combo with morote uke preceding, in Goju done with toraguchi/mawashi uke, in shorin done as a closed series with heiko chudan kamae and pulling back into double chamber( arm bar possible here) and out into awase zuki, stepping up and back and reversing into awase zuki again.

Those familiar with kyusho usage will know that awase zuki, while rarely if ever seen in tournament play, is one discussion ending technique in a real go.:D

The fluidity with which both kata are performed by a skillled exponent shows the usage in real situations of two kata that are ready, right off the shelf, unlike the cumbersome and plodding approach of some other kata that have been propounded as elementary forms in earlier and more recent years and I do not mean the pinan which as Mr. Goodin points out are no way elementary forms anyway.

That's my initial take on these two forms, fine and logical, easy to learn and hard to master, and there you are.

Regards to all,

Joseph Svinth
2nd January 2002, 08:53
Waah, only one response? (A nice one, but still.)

Okay, try this. In geki sai dai ichi, it's the opening sequence.

By the numbers: Pivot into left sanchin, high block left, step right zenkutsu, right tseiken tsuki, step back horse, gedan barai left.)

Bunkai: someone is swinging a weapon at your head, overhand. (Stick or knife is irrelevant; it's an overhand swing. For training purposes, a wiffle ball bat or shinai works just fine.]

Start in natural stance.

1. Bring your right arm in front of you, in Tohei's "unbendable arm" position. Simultaneously drop your left hand to protect your groin.

1.2 Step out with the right foot like R. Crumb's Keep On Truckin' man.

1.3. Pivot on the heel, and use the rotational energy to deflect the strike to your outside. [NOTE: This deflection and forward movement is what saves your bacon, not the rising block that follows.]

[ADDITIONAL NOTE TO 1. All three parts of 1 are separate movements, and must be performed in sequence, BUT they also must be performed on the 1-count. Lots going on in this opening movement, and it can't be helped, as if you break all this down into three separate movements, you end up getting whacked on the head or shoulder, and that was what we were trying to avoid.]

2. Do your upward rising block with the left hand, rising under the elbow and along the outside of the right arm, which is being retracted to chamber. The idea is to trade hands controlling the weapon. Ideally you would be blocking the wrist rather than the weapon itself, so whether it is a stick or knife is irrelevant. [NOTE 1. The step forward brings you off the line of attack: if you miss, the strike should hit your shoulder, which is bad, but not nearly as bad as the same strike to the top of the head.] [NOTE 2: In Goju, the chamber is normally nipple high rather than waist high.]

3. Step forward with the right foot, again in that R. Crumb fashion. Keep control of the weapon with your left; the easiest way to do this is to use the kake uke block, controlling with the little and ring fingers.

3.1 Just as your right heel hits the floor, strike right into his armpit or floating ribs. If you're really slick, go for a kyusho point, but really, it isn't necessary if you do a nice drop-step, ala Dempsey, at this stage. [NOTE 1. The kata traditionally shows a retraction into left chamber, but if there's a knife in his hand, you don't want to retract into a full chamber, as then you'll cut yourself and we're trying to avoid that. Also, the movement should be done fast enough that the audience won't notice that instead of retracting, you just brought the arm down a bit.] [NOTE 2. Zenkutsu brings you into belly-bumping range. This is good, as if the strike doesn't connect the way you want, you've still kept him off-balance, and the weapon well off to the side.]

4. IMMEDIATELY pull back into horse, keeping your spine erect and your pelvis tucked. You want all the center in the world on this one, as this is where you do your left gedan barai. That hand is still controlling the weapon, your rotational energy is directed down and around, and oh look -- the weapon ends up in his groin or thigh. Gosh, that's got to hurt.

General:

1: The legs are kept at the same height throughout all three stances. This means most of us will probably have to do the sanchin a little wide and deep, and the horse stance a little narrow and high.

2: The timing is not 1-2-3-4. There is sequence, and geki sai is nicely performed to a four-count, but the actual timing is on the order of 2-3 beats per second. Have somebody clap their hands while saying 1-2-3-4 and try to do each step on the clap. It's not exact and it's not perfect, but it's still faster than most people think they have to go. Put another way, listen to the feet (e.g., think of the floor as a percussion instrument), and I think you'll hear what I mean. If somebody thinks this is incorrect timing, please let me know so I can play with it some more.

More to follow: play with this a bit and let me know what you think.

kusanku
2nd January 2002, 19:25
Elegant, Sir, elegant.As Casper Gutman said to Sam Spade one time in the dojo, I like talking bunkai with a man who likes talking bunkai, I do, sir, yes , indeed.:-)


Now using the Shorin ryu version of this kata as I learnt it, the same application will in fact work, as the R Crumb steps are still there,but the sanchin stance is a natural step, and the height changes from zenkutsu to shizentai to jigo tai ( shiko dachi) but that is all right, it still works, chamber is still up there, and the movements sequence the same, I think same rhythm too, but can't be sure.

Another bunkai sequence which I have encountered here, goes as follows.Man swings weapon downward, or strikes downward say with hammerfist( or a hammer come to that), R. Crumb step forward as you hammer block( pun intended in to your left with your right forearm , wrist, backhand or fist, and catch the arm as it pases you, now as you pivot the up blockcatches him under the arm( your hammerblock has to redirect the arm and then your hand opens to catch it on top with a grip, closing again on it, a subtle but doable manuever, if you miss , he still misses and your block will still follow up and block)now you bend the arm up and he is lifted onto his toes a la sankyo, fold the up block into his inner elbow as you go back and down into shiko dachi, and the down block hits him behind his left ear.

Its a bit tricky till one gets the hang of it, but the good part here is if you miss, he still gets deflected, and blocked, but the hammer fist neds to go to chudan to hit his left kidney then.

An easier way to practice this one at first is to have the opponent grab your left lapel with his right and go to hit you with his left, as you step up and pivot the arm loclk and up elbow crank( sankyo arm but no wrist) makes him miss, and the hammer fist hits the back of the left behind the ear area.

A more difficult manner in which to do this, but a devastating one for kyusho fans , is to cross the arms at the elbows as we R Crumb step,which enables a simultaneous hammerblock, block against a midsection sneak attack, and dowmn punch to the pubes in front as we step up, he doubles over, or not, and the upper blcok becomes a forearm strike to left side of jaw or neck along jawline, careful here, and wraps the right arm with the left as you drop back into shiko, taking the opponent down with ikkyo type maneuver(armbar), grasp it with right hikite as you switch grips and circle above. elbow strike to nbeck at base of skull and hammerfist to back or kidneys after the elbow.Done in a fluid powerful sequence.

Works against unarmed or weapon.
Pleasure talking bunkai with you, anyone else want to play?:-)
C'mon guys, it'll be fun!Jump in, the waters fine here!
That's a really good kata for bunkai by the way, excellent body mechanics.

CEB
2nd January 2002, 21:47
Originally posted by Joseph Svinth
Waah, only one response? (A nice one, but still.)

Okay, try this. .....

1.3. Pivot on the heel, and use the rotational energy to deflect the strike to your outside. [NOTE: This deflection and forward movement is what saves your bacon, not the rising block that follows.]
...


I'm not sure I follow. Do you mean to pivot on the balls of the feet and transfer your weight to the right heel on completion of the body change when executing the Age Uke? Or do you mean actually pivot on your heels?

I really stress keeping the weight on the the balls of the feet in this body change. The body change in the opening sequence of Geka Sai is awesome against frontal attacks when tori is leading with the left ( if he leads with the right then it is the second sequence you do.) When I do the body change I finsh real close ( pretty much belly to hip or hip to hip. This is where I have to be. I'm 6'0" but all body. Legs are only 28" long and my arms are short to , strong but short. ) The front foot of my sanchin dachi usually finds itself trapping tori's left leading foot. My left arm works to control his left leaving his entire left side of his body open to most all of my weapons and leaving none of his weapons with access to any good targets. Great theory but too bad combat isn't so static. Combat is dynamic so you have to seize that static advantage immediately. Do the Tai Sabaki right then the finishing technique is up to choice, just don't wait to long to choose.
Been busy with the holidays but I'm back I every body have a good day.

Ed Boyd

Doug Daulton
3rd January 2002, 00:08
... but I like it. ;)

Joe ... before I chime in ... is your geki sai dai ichi the same as my Fukyukata Ichi (matsubayashi-ryu)? I think so.

Joseph Svinth
3rd January 2002, 01:35
Doug --

I believe that the Goju Ryu geki sai dai ichi I'm talking about is your fukyugata ni. (See Charles Goodin's article, cited above.) The Goju Ryu geki sai dai ni is very similar to geki sai dai ichi, except that the middle blocks in the middle of the kata are done using kake uke rather than closed fists. This doesn't change bunkai of the pattern much, it just introduces open-handed strikes.

Ed --

In the Goju Kai version I learned first, you're right, the weight is kept on the balls of the feet. However, as Mr. Arakawa did the movement (Izumigawa Goju Ryu) there is a definite heel down, toe up, like R. Crumb, on the lead foot. (The back foot is flat, with the big toe driving, while the front foot is heel down, toes raised. Mr. Arakawa called this yin/yang stepping.)

Anyway, step forward, landing on the heel, while pushing with the back big toe. On contact, rotate the hips. It's hard to describe this, but it is a push with one leg and a pull with the other. The knees must remain relaxed! You then stop the rotation (and lock yourself into the next stance) by slamming the big toes of the raised foot into the ground. If your center sucks, you will rotate too far -- this brings you around faster than most folks expect -- but that's something you get over with practice.

The idea behind this foot placement is that it allows/generates a LOT of hip rotation.

When we get to saifa, this R. Crumb step becomes very pronounced, but in geki sai, it's a reasonably normal step forward at a 45 degree angle from center. The reason it's shorter is that we aren't trying to relocate ourselves, we're just trying to get outside the line of attack.

John --

I hadn't tried getting quite THAT fancy, but I have played with the rising block as forearm smash (George Foreman and Roberto Duran both do it so well!) and it definitely does make the other guy back up. The principle of the hand raised in front of your face being the one that deflects the oncoming weapon remains the same, however.

That said, if you hit the opponent with the forearm and then step forward and punch him (e.g, the pattern of the kata), then the sensible opponent tends to keep backing up. After all, what's his alternative, to jump on those puppies? Given this, the next step, namely pulling back into the horse/low block combination, becomes somewhat illogical. After all, he's going away, not coming forward, and for maximum power, you need him to be stepping (or stumbling) into everything you're throwing.

As for the hammer fists, hey, you're getting ahead of me here -- those show up in a couple seconds.

After doing the same pattern on the other side, you go up the middle with sanchin and middle blocks. Bunkai here is just what you said: He grabs you. You step and middle block into his arm, breaking his center. You then step forward again, and the standard Goju crescent step brings your lead foot behind his. (This is what Ed noted above.) You then hammer fist to his carotid OR you bring arm under his and raise the fist behind his shoulder. Which is which depends on his stance vis-a-vis yours; as Ed says, the opponent isn't static, so you take what you get.

Anyway, the blow to the carotid makes him stagger a bit, hopefully tripping over your lead foot, while your arm under his armpit sets him up for a hip throw.

Ideally, though, I think the goal should be the hammer fist (the thumb knuckle does the strike), as that would be the logical precursor to the kick/elbow/etc. combination that is coming up next. After all, if he's fallen down, then we'd be doing stomps rather than kick/elbow/etc.

***

My theory on the bunkai in this kata is that since geki sai is supposed to be a beginner's kata, then the explanations need to pass a beginner's make-sense test. Thus they can't be too complex. I mean, if you get too esoteric too fast, then people think, "That's spectacular, but a klutz like me could never do that." On the other hand, if you say "block, strike, leave the stick in his groin," then they're more likely to say, "Hey, that looks simple enough. Let me try that!"

kusanku
3rd January 2002, 03:48
Hi everybody!

Joe, what you got there, makes lots of sense.If you follow the pattern of kata, you are correct entirely. If he goes away from you though, and you snag his arm, you could back into shiko and hammerfist behgind his elbow in an armlock break.This would preserve the pattern of kata and still get job done though not so satisdfactory as the smack on the ear.

Lessee, now, up the middle I can not think of improvements to your basic scenario, anyway if we want to keep it basic and I do agree that we do.I concur about, also the knucle strike doing the job there, shapr pointy stuff works keen in close. Yes, we too got taught the R Crumb step, it was called a shuffle up step cause the heel goes down first.Works well also going into cat, which in shorin is a normal deal.

Doug- I believe the gekisai dai ichi is fukyu gata ni, if it ain't , Joe and me are bunkai'ing two different katas.:-)Yes, 'I'll cop to the chaarge of weird, creative bunkai demands a bit o' this quality.:D

You know, sometimes whehn it gets late and the keyboards start flying, it can get pretty interesting on bunkai topics.

Hi Ed, what Joe said about details on the steps, we also got taught both heel first and ball of foot first in Shorin ryu, maybe Doug can confirm this, I think we come from similar lineage way back a few.

Regards to all,

kusanku
3rd January 2002, 05:05
To avoid confusion I should mention the different stepping methods used in Shorin ryu. In our Fukyu and other katas,the steps are straight line, and down the middle, but wind up same place as the heel of the front foot is either turned forty five degrees subtly beforehand or it is slid up and or turned as the step proceeds through the middle line between the opponent's legs.Implications for a kick here are painfully obvious.

regards,

Joseph Svinth
3rd January 2002, 11:14
I think kick-elbow-back fist-low block-strike is reasonably self-evident. There are multiple explanations, sure, but who cares? Most of 'em are perfectly logical, and since the opponent's reactions can't be predicted, the pattern needs to block and attack simultaneously anyway.

One place that requires comment, though, is the elbow strike. The knuckles need to touch the temples, as if they don't, and the forearm ends up blocking something, then it's like holding the shotgun an inch from your shoulder: it only hurts worse. :) This is also a nice boxing style turtle, if you think about it. (Or half of it, anyway.)

The turn that ends the combination also requires some explanation. Here I think some rascal wearing combat boots is about to stomp your Achilles tendon while you're looking the other way. (Bad rascal! Bad!) What I like about this visualization is that it encourages you to bring that back foot up quite smartly, and that of course helps generate rotational energy for the shotei that follows.

BTW, a folded-up gym mat makes a really nice makiwara during all this. You hold it, and get in the proper positions, and then let the guy learning the kata really whack the mat. The feedback tells him what's right and wrong a lot better than you saying "Shoulders lower" or "Bend the knees."

Joseph Svinth
3rd January 2002, 11:36
BTW, it occurs to me that some of us may not be old enough to remember R. Crumb. (Either that, or our memories haven't recovered yet.) So a link to some of his pictures:

http://www.lambiek.net/crumbexh.htm

CEB
3rd January 2002, 20:54
This may be off topic if you are wanting to only discuss bunkai. Something that I like about Geka Sai is that it is the students first introduction to more advanced breathing techniques. Our backfist – down block is executed with a single inhale breath then the seiken tsuki is executed with an ‘outhale’. Does everybody else breath this way?
There is whole lot to this kata. The first tai sabaki movement in the kata is not found anywhere in the Goju syllabus and you will not find the upper block in any of the kaishu kata(advanced kata). We must have stolen Age Uke from the Shorin folks. I hope they don’t want it back.

One of interpretations of the double punch ,turn over , pull back double punch includes a manipulation of tori’s neck. Something not to be taught to beginners.

I’ve heard Chinen Sensei refer to Suparunpei as Geka Sai Dai San. I take that as being a great tribute to Kata Geka Sai.

Ed Boyd

kusanku
3rd January 2002, 22:07
Joe, good stuff. I like to think the backfist front kick elbow down block strike reverse punch as Miyagi's instruction of the most useful close in power strikes.

The elbow strike turtle, also known in some boxing circles as answer the phone:-), you are right, hand must go to ear. In Shorin ryu, it is thrown somewhat lower but as an emergency can go high, there is a particular kyusho strike with the low one I don't want to mention online in a public forum, tell you guys privately if you want.:D

Ed, I think you are right.The age uke may have come from shorin as Miyagi trained with Itosu got the concept of khon training from shorin, later of course training along with Nagamine.

Nagamine also uses a mawashi uke in kusanku. We each got something from each other.

Goju and shorin meet in gekisai dai ichi, and its a good meeting.

In an interesting switch, Okinawan kenpo uses a Goju kihon workout and crescent stepping with sanchin type stance.

Matsubayashi ryu uses a straighter stance and step but I think these are both training theories, and inaction, Goju and Shorin , Okinawan versions, are really one, applications are very close to identical as some have found when comparing.

Love the Suparunpei form, may learn that one next.

Regards,

Joseph Svinth
4th January 2002, 06:37
Ed --

IMO, the opening step/turn in geki sai bears comparison to the three steps of saifa. (We'll finish talking this one, then start a separate thread on saifa. I like that one, too!) But think about stepping out and then pulling yourself around, ole! Like a bullfighter. The stance is different, sure, but the principle is the same, and in this regard, saifa and geki sai complement each other nicely.

On the breathing, I haven't heard it expressed quite that way, but certainly every technique gets its own breath. The tendency is to try to do two or more techniques per breath, and by the end the guy is turning purple.

Now, nothing to do with bunkai, but everything to do with presentation: It adds an interesting visual dynamic to the kata if you zip through the opening sequences 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4, and then do the middle block sanchin-style. Thus it's still on a 4-count, but so much slower. (1 and 2 and 3 and 4.) And then boom! You blast back into 1-2-3-4 during front kick/elbow routine. In terms of dance and music, it's syncopation, and the silences are part of the dynamic.

Psychologically, it's interesting, too, because it forces you to turn the intensity on and off as if flicking the switch. You're on, blasting through, and then you are off. This on/off pattern shows up big-time in the Yamaguchi taikyoku variant called kake uke, but since kake uke isn't part of the Okinawan Goju Ryu syllabus, it is anachronistic to discuss it in much detail here.

Ed and John --

As for geki sai sharing Shorin-ryu features, that would seem logical. After all, Charles Goodin's article did say that the committee was half Goju, half Shorin-ryu. Thus the folks would have been arguing about what works best, and while the stylistic variants doubtless showed what the various teachers personally believed, the fact that everything remained so close suggests that their disagreements were really insignificant.

On the double handed movement at the end, I've always thought of it as head butting. You grab the rascal by the shirt and pull him in, whacking him with your forehead. Then you push him away and repeat on the other side. Finally, you dump him on the ground, where presumably he wants to rest awhile, as that's where the kata ends.

I've tried the head manipulation. Not only does it require considerable precision, but it also implies that you're at least as strong as your opponent. That is, the rotation works better FOR guys with 19" necks than ON guys with 19" necks. Thus my preference for the head butt. The shotei has offbalanced the opponent, allowing even a small person to pull, and as the top of the head is striking the face, simply clenching his teeth on the way in isn't going to save the nose or bridgework.

One of the tricks to getting the pull is to start it by squeezing the shoulder blades together. You squeeze the shoulder blades during some of the punches, too, but here in the pull, it's really necessary, as the movement drops the shoulders, straightens the back, thrusts the pelvis, and does all that sort of stuff automatically.

One final thought regarding the pull -- you get a stronger grip using just the fingers than you do by gripping with the fingers and thumb. Don't ask me why this is, but I read it in a book by the Japanese Olympic judo champion Yamashita, and so far as I can tell, he's absolutely right.

kusanku
4th January 2002, 07:20
It certainly could work as a head butt, no question about it. Also, it is quite true that whatever disgreements and differences between Okinawan Shorin and Goju, they are really insignificant, as the karate is one.Training methods alone differ in Okinawan styles, nasty techniques are shared.

Too, when doing those last moves, one can take into account that last cross chest ax hand, or shuto,and go, now where did I just klobber mr. attacker and what did he probably do in response to that, and now what am I doing?

Depending which side you hit, and what you feel was the attack, you come up with a number of possibillities here.

What I like to try to do is keep 'em at least six inches out, so I have space to maneuver in, otherwise, its Judo time.:D

Given that I just hit someone a Hell of a whack with a cross arm knife hand/arm strike,lock,whatever, and probably sent it across their rib nerves pretty good, flaoting ones likely, maybe hit the liver and pancreas or spleen,depending on angle of opponent to me,and maybe sealed the lungs, they may be sinking to their kneesas I step up and do a double middle block twisting their neckbones as they fall,stepping back to let them fall back farther into me, and striking their spine with doublke punch, , repeating on other side in case it was other side they attacked from, for instance.

Or if they are front facing, and they had grabbed my wrist and I opened it to make their grab ineffective a la yoshinkan aikido, now I grab their arm and lock it, pull them forward and down , and strike with double thrust to throat and chest, for instance, as they are resisting.

But those are merely possibillties, and can be other things as well, including using each piece as a finisher.

The elbow thing is taught by some as a strike to the armpit of some power and damging potential, given that the other hand is pulling their left cross body in and down.Do the math (geometry)and the angle is there.I do however favor the boxing turtle, that and the hikite kidney punch block are two of my favorite things.
regards

CEB
4th January 2002, 21:48
Originally posted by Joseph Svinth
Ed --

IMO, the opening step/turn in geki sai bears comparison to the three steps of saifa. (We'll finish talking this one, then start a separate thread on saifa. I like that one, too!) But think about stepping out and then pulling yourself around, ole! Like a bullfighter. The stance is different, sure, but the principle is the same, and in this regard, saifa and geki sai complement each other nicely.

On the breathing, I haven't heard it expressed quite that way, but certainly every technique gets its own breath. The tendency is to try to do two or more techniques per breath, and by the end the guy is turning purple.



Hey Joe ( Sorry I always liked Hendrix)

Yes, in principle the body change is very similar to Saifa. Slight difference in angle the big difference is amount of ground covered. Our Saifa bunkai is pretty simple, still in front of the attacker you use 2 hands to pull your hand free of wrist grab. Then riken to the nose, a technqiue that no one in our dojo would ever use on the street but our bunkai is meant to be overly obvious. Oyo applications are completely different animal. In Saifa oyo defender winds up behind attacker many times. ( the bulls has ran on by so to speak). Saifa is the first kaishu kata we teach. I never understood that, Saifa seems to me to be one of the most difficult kata in the style. Kawakami Sensei teaches saifa as his Nidan kata I believe (that was 15 years ago or so, I guess he still does). Whoops I'm off topic again you guys are going to ban me from this forum if I don't stop that, sorry. Look forward to the Saifa thread.

You probably have not heard the breathing expressed the way I expressed it because I can't express anything well. I guess by breath I mean and in and out, one full breath. If every technique gets a complete breath then I would hyperventilate unless i ran kata very slow. Our timing might be a little different also, the backfist down block is really quick. A measure from our musical masterpiece as done in 4/4 time.
elbow = quarter note ( 1 beat) - full breath
backfist = eighth note (1/2 beat) - inhale
downblock = eighth note (1/2 beat) - inhale
seiken = half note ( 2 beats ) - exhale ( Kiai)

That probably didn't make much sense I should probably quit the forum while I'm behind but I like you guys. Have a good day.

Ed Boyd

kusanku
5th January 2002, 03:00
Well, going down the middle the rhytm can be fast middle block fast middle block as in Shorin, kick,comes down with elbow coming up onetwo, comes across as hammerfist and then down block, onetwo threereverse punch, like this:

Ka Whump Ka Whump Whack chop BapBam POW!

Ka is the ball of the foot contacting ground, whump is the heel and backfist middle block, Whack is the front snap kick, chop the elbow strike, bapobam is the cross hammer and down strike/block, and the POW! was the reverse punch.

Bass drum double thump twice,smack the snare drum once,hit the cymbals snare drum crak crak and one big shot on the overhead Zildjian gong.

Brings the audience to their feet everytime.:-)

Happy New Year!