In Memoriam: Nick Adler (1939–2026)

It was just a few days ago when I was viewing an interview of Nick Adler that a friend and fellow karateka emailed me to tell me Shihan had just passed away. Shihan Adler, tenth dan in Isshinryu karate, also held rank in Matayoshi kobudo (a weapons system), judo and jiu-jitsu. The master cross-referenced with many styles, and I took a number of workshops (and tournaments) that he hosted that included a myriad of styles with other masters to whet one's appetite in controlled mayhem. As an Isshinryu karate instructor spanning over sixty years, Shihan had trained thousands of students.

It was Shihan Adler that tied a black belt around the waist of my blood speckled gi all those years ago in a Long Island dojo. After I left that school shortly thereafter (which had nothing to do with the master) I trained under other teachers. Though competent and qualified as they were, none could compare to the encyclopedic knowledge and pedagogy of Shihan.  

Shihan Adler began his Isshinryu training with Ed McGrath, and later Don Nagle. Sometime during this period, as a brown belt, he made a trip to Okinawa to receive tutelage from Tatsuo Shimabuku, the founder of Isshinryu. In his telling of that trip one particular story stood out:

 

We're hanging out in the dojo waiting for the soke [Shimabuku] to arrive when this older gentlemen walks in wearing a bowler-style hat. He looked like a drifter. I'm leaning against the wall with one arm, and he was so short he just walks right under my arm and past me. It was him! He was so inconspicuous hardly anyone else even knew he was there. Later he comes out and calls me up to demonstrate something. "Punch" he says while motioning to his chest. I'm almost six foot, he's like five foot nothing, in his fifties or thereabout, so I halfheartedly throw this uninspired punch. "No, no...punch." Okay. So I wind up with this fireball, but just before it reaches his chest, he steps back and middle blocks like a whip, landing his knuckles into the belly of my biceps. Dead arm, useless. And painful. "Try other arm?" he quips. No thanks!  

 

All my advanced karate and kobudo forms I learned from this man. Aside from his technical prowess and affinity for karate tradition, he was pragmatic and philosophical. He once said "the more you know how to fight, the less you'll want to fight." To that I would add an old kendo saying (to paraphrase), "Though the best sword need not be drawn, does not mean it cannot be drawn." Power is a choice, but sometimes a necessity.

Rest in peace Shihan.

High Risk Kicks

In Isshinryu karate, the kata (form) Wansu features a pair of blade kicks delivered to the low section. A blade kick is a side kick with the foot turned inwards to strike with the edge. In Wansu this kick is performed left and right as kata techniques (waza) tend to work both sides. The above image depicts how this would crystalize in actual combat, in this case by targeting the hamstring. It's important to strike with the edge of the outer foot closer to the heel; making contact closer to the little toe could torque the foot, setting you up for torn ligaments. This happened to me when I was twenty, and I had my foot and part of my leg in a cast for about six weeks.

Mid-section kicks are generally effective and practical. Low kicks (or any strikes below the waist) are prohibited in most styles of sportive karate and tae kwon do. The problem with high kicks is that they can be countered relatively easier than lower kicks. Still, high section kicks have their place for the athletically inclined, and they have even found their way in MMA matches. Crescent kicks (see above) was something I used in dojo matches that I could score with, in principle, by clearing the head of my opponent. A variant of the crescent kick, the axe kick, requires extreme flexibility (kicking leg extends straight up, then whips straight down, leg remaining straight) but overshooting your heel or foot can impinge the Achilles tendon. Speaking from experience, tendons and ligaments take a long time to heal, as connective tissues involving bone and muscle have limited reserves of blood flow.   

 

When I attended a judo workshop years ago the instructor would say "make your opponent a one-legged fighter"; this is the concept of kuzushi (unbalance). Raising your leg high to launch a kick compromises equilibrium, but also leaves one vulnerable to an awful counter targeting a precious commodity. Before he became a full-contact karate fighter, Bill 'Superfoot' Wallace lost one of his testicles in a point match. I have no idea if it was a counter to one of his warp speed forward-leg kicks or something else. At a tournament I witnessed a guy from my school break his opponents plastic groin protector with a spinning back kick, the strongest kick in martial arts. Thai steel cups might be a good investment for those who are wary. Some lessons shouldn't have to be learned the hard way.

The Harder They Fall

We used to do push-ups on our knuckles in karate class, a practice of which I do not have fond memories of. It didn't matter where I trained, the knuckle push-up was a time-honored staple. I think from a physiological perspective aligning one's wrist vertically (as opposed to hands flat on the floor) is better for the sake of the wrist joint. I've done my fair share of push-ups, I've had no aversion to hard training in the past, but pressing knuckles into a hardwood floor can be trying. The idea is that it conditions the fist for sparring, but I'm skeptical. Routines that include focus mitts and the heavy bag are more practical and sensible. 

 

A traditional karate dojo has a hardwood floor. Isshinryu's founder, Shimabuku, had an outdoor training area that was surrounded by a brick wall that supposedly had shards of glass glued to the tops to dissuade the local Okinawan youth from climbing atop to peer in. Photos from that time reveal what looks like a concrete floor. Years later, Angi Uezu built a dojo with a concrete slab that had springs underneath, presumably to absorb shocks from jumping and landing. Great for the spine, I guess. Not so much if you land on your head.

In combat sports such as karate, tae kwon do and amateur boxing (some organizations), head gear is mandatory. The head gear is primarily designed to protect the user, not from getting hit in the face, but from falling. I've seen boxing matches where professionals (who don't wear head gear) get knocked out on their feet, then fare worse from landing  on their heads. I cracked a wisdom tooth at a tournament years ago when I was dropped with a side kick onto the hard gym floor of a local high school. This despite wearing head gear and a mouth piece, the latter of which is designed to keep the jaw from breaking, while no consideration is shown for the dentition.

There is a circuit of underground fight clubs such as King Of The Streets where combatants fight on a hard surface, no-holds-barred. Illegal and absolutely insane. Street fights can turn fatal when someone falls and hits their head on the pavement. 

 

Head trauma from years of boxing, kickboxing, MMA, and other sports have shown that dementia, Parkinson's Disease, and other neurological disorders associated with CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) can manifest themselves, typically long after retirement.  

Whatever style you practice, do it on mats if you can. When sparring, move your head and protect yourself at all times. Loving your art shouldn't mean you have to pay for it later.

In Memoriam: Angi Uezu (1935-2024)

While I was researching traditional karate in anticipation of writing a post, I stumbled upon the sad news that Master Angi Uezu of Isshinryu karate passed away a few days ago at age 89. Uezu Sensei was the son-in-law of Tatsuo Shimabuku, the founder of Isshinryu. Originally studying to be an accountant, he began training under Shimabuku starting around 1955. It was about this period that Marines stationed on Okinawa began their training in Isshinryu in accordance with a contract that the US military had with Shimabuku, paying him 300 USD per month. Despite suffering a stroke a while back, Uezu rehabilitated himself enough to return to karate training and teaching. Somewhere I have a collection of VHS cassettes from the 1980s featuring the master's rendition of kata and their applications that are truly awe inspiring. They were my cheat sheets when I couldn't get to the dojo.

It's just as well I didn't post my response to this well-written piece by Tim Shaw on defining traditional karate; there's not much I could add anyway. Though Isshinryu is considered a style of traditional karate here in the US, it is a recently created system that is considered a "maverick" style on Okinawa. Although I never met him, Uezu Sensei was one of Isshinryu's finest exponents. I would also like to direct those interested to a video uploaded by longtime instructor, Michael Calandra, who delves into the master's life and his influence on Isshinryu karate.

Deconstructing Seisan

 

Here's a fine demonstration of Seisan, the first kata taught in Isshinryu karate. Seisan is not unique to Isshinryu, but is an ancient form found in many systems of karate. Kata is typically practiced as a solo form, but eventually the student is taught how to deconstruct the kata itself (bunkai) and how to apply the self-defense moves within (oyo). Later upon testing, students are asked to show (with a partner) sections of various kata and their proper application. Here we see this particular kata in its entirety in a theoretical matchup versus multiple assailants. The guttural breathing you hear adds power to the technique.

The master featured in the video (the defender at the center) is Arcenio Advincula. He trained directly under the founder of Isshinryu karate, Tatsuo Shimabuku, during his US military hitch on Okinawa starting in 1958. Years ago I took a workshop given by Advincula-sensei that was attended by at least two dozen Isshinryu karate teachers and students on Long Island. One of my instructors got into a rather heated exchange with the master over a stupid technical issue that did not end well for the former. Pro tip: never argue with a Marine giving a karate demonstration.

Faking To Win

In those days, when Japanese stylists threw a kick they never faked or feinted — the kick went straight to the target. They were not accustomed to someone faking a kick to one area and landing it elsewhere.

— Chuck Norris on sport-karate strategy, c. 1967.*

In Wansu kata, the fourth karate form taught in Isshinryu, at some point the defender executes an uppercut immediately followed by a front kick. I have been told that Shimabuku referred to this maneuver as "bullshit", i.e., the uppercut is just a fake setup for the real damage inflictor, in this case the front kick. A very similar strategy can be found in the Kusanku kata: backfist to the face while simultaneously executing a foward-leg front kick. Check out the image below of Ed McGrath attempting this very trick for his black belt test against his instructor Don Nagle in 1959:

McGrath paid for his efforts with a broken nose, but he did earn his shodan in Isshinryu. In MMA there's something called a "Superman Punch" that involves the player faking a jump kick followed by an airborne punch to the face. Although less "fake-ish", another variation of this has the attacker catapulting off the side of the cage to deliver the flying haymaker:

In karate, a faked front kick (or foot sweep) followed by a round kick to the head works well, speaking from experience. Fakes or feints should be used sparingly and look realistic enough to elicit a response; once the opponent has committed to reacting to the faux move, the live technique can then be delivered. To sell the fake technique requires speed, timing, range/distance (ma-ai), and being able to read the opponent.

* Chuck Norris 1989. The Secret of Inner Strength: My Story. Charter Books.

The Isshinryu Front-Kick: Varieties, Chambering and Distance

The front-kick is the most basic kick taught in karate, tae kwon do, or just about any striking style in martial arts. To execute, the knee is pulled up to waist-level (chambered) while the shin hangs down. The leg is then straightened to strike the intended target. Novices are taught to kick the midsection, but other targets include the shin, thigh, groin, or even head. In tournaments, Chuck Norris would fake a front kick to the gut, retract, then snap it to up the head for an easy point. Most practitioners either aren't that quick (or flexible), or prefer other kicks that are less detectable such as roundhouse, hook, crescent, and spin-around-back.

Sensei Victor Smith has a nice article on the front-kicking techniques of Tatsuo Shimabuku (the founder of Isshinryu karate). Some old video clips of the master (c. 1960) are posted featuring the mae geri (front kick) from the Isshinryu kata canon. As Smith-san notes:

If we have been observing his [Shimabuku's] technique,

1. First he raises his thigh parallel to the floor.
2. Once the leg is chambered parallel to the floor, the leg kicks out and returns in a hinging motion, front front kick or rear front kick.

This kicking method means the foot strikes out from the chamber and not slingshoting out as the leg/knee rises.

It gives less time for the opponent to recognize the kick is coming. That also means there is less time to try and catch the leg.

His remark "less time to recognize the kick is coming" raised my eyebrow at first. If I see my opponent has his leg chambered of course he is going to kick me, was my initial thinking. But from a chambered leg (with the shin held at 90-degrees) I have no idea which kick is coming. A chambered leg could be the prelude to one of the following:

• Front kick
• Roundhouse kick
• Hook kick
• Side kick

A "slingshot" style kick could be a telegraph if you're really sharp. Don Nagle, who trained under Shimabuku in the late 50s, supposedly could block a kick as it was rising from the floor with his forward foot! Now that's a neat trick. Personally, I'm too reflex challenged to pull this kind of move off. I've never seen anyone even attempt this. Attempts at catching kicks I've seen plenty, usually among beginners. In some dojo I've trained in catching an incoming kick is seen as taboo, even though (or maybe because) MMA players do it all the time. The time-honored way is to slip the kick (ideal) or block it with your arm. (The latter is widely taught in karate. Disclaimer: bad idea.) At any rate, I believe that chambering most kicks is good practice. As a last resort the raising knee could be delivered as a hiza-tsui (knee-strike) if your attacker manages to close the distance.

The last video in the blog shows a very brief clip of the master performing what appears to be an application from the kata Sunsu, his creation and a form particular to Isshinryu karate. It is a front thrust kick (as opposed to the snapping variety) in defense of a double-arm grab. (The image above illustrates present-day exponents demonstrating this.)* In this scenario ma'ai or striking distance is minimal between you and the attacker. In this manner, the thrust "kick" is performed more like a push-off.

Generally, the front thrust kick is a very different animal from the more widely taught front snap kick in traditional karate. A front snap kick utilizes mostly the vastus medialis portion of the quadriceps muscle and requires a quick recoil, striking with the ball of the foot (If you're wearing footwear as most folks do when out and about, the ball-of-the-foot application becomes moot, but I digress.). A front thrust kick is akin to kicking down a door; you're really driving more with your hips and striking with your heel. Thrust kicks have more knockdown power than snap kicks. A staple in Muay Thai kickboxing, the front thrust kick has been favored among the Japanese military for use in combative self-defense.^†

The front kick, a basic technique that is relatively easy to execute, has viable self-defense applications and variations that shouldn't be given short shrift in lieu of so-called flashier kicks.

* This particular bunkai of Sunsu is how it was originally taught to me by a high ranking instructor who trained on Okinawa. I believe it's the correct way. Since then I've visited a number of schools through the years seeing other things applied. It seems everyone has their own version of Isshinryu.

^† Donn Draeger 1974. Modern Bujutsu and Budo. [p. 75-76] Wheatherhill, Inc.

Isshinryu's Heritage Called Into Question

In a recent Classical Fighting Arts magazine (Vol. 2, No. 23) an article was written from the viewpoint that Isshinryu founder Tatsuo Shimabuku never trained under the Okinawan masters he claims to have had. (I haven't seen the article; I've learned about this mostly from online forums. My understanding is that the article was penned by David Chambers, the magazine's publisher. Other sources say the author is unknown.) Classical Fighting Arts is a respected periodical, which, on the surface, makes this piece on Isshinryu and Shimabuku difficult to dismiss.

This story reminds me of Donn Draeger's section in Modern Bujutsu & Budo on the Japanese martial art of Shorinji Kempo. Its founder, So Doshin (b. Nakano Michiomi, 1911) claims that the transmission of the art was bequeathed upon him by a Chinese master of I-ho-chuan, a style of Shaolin boxing.

Draeger begs to differ:

While Nakano's claim to be a disciple of Wen is plausible given the hectic conditions of those times, history refutes his claim that in 1936 he was honored by the aged Wen and named the twenty-first leader of the Shaolin tradition, and therefore he is "the only true successor to the Shorinji [Shaolin-ssu] tradition." This false claim greatly detracts from Nakamo's integrity, for no Chinese, historian or wu shu authority has ever heard of him in this role. So it must be assumed that Nakamo's claim is but a fabrication made to enhance his personal prestige and position of his Shorinji system in Japan.

I don't know if Draeger's fact-checking skills were ever challenged by the Shorinji community. So Doshin (Nakano) was alive and well at the time of Draeger's writing, unlike the CFA article on Shimabuku, who died in 1975. However, Shimabuku, who is credited in Isshinryu lore as being a "leading practitioner of Goju on Okinawa" and cites his formitive training with Chojun Miyagi, the famous founder of Goju-ryu karate, is apparently never mentioned in Goju-ryu history, or by any of his Goju contemporaries. In his formation of Isshinryu, Shimabuku did take the kata Seiuchin and Sanchin from Goju-ryu, as well as the text the Kenpo Gokui (The Eight Precepts of The Fist).

Okinawa is not a big place as it approximates the size of about two US counties. Shimabuku's assertion that he trained under the likes of Chotoku Kyan, Choki Motobu and Miyagi does not seem far fetched. While he never recounted his experiences with these individuals (nor do any photos exist with him in their presence), I find it unlikely that Shimabuku would have a need to pad his resume with falsehoods. To impress whom? Most of his first students were US Marines stationed on Okinawa. Isshinryu karate was and is not a very popular style there, and as one longtime instructor speculated may be in its death throes on the island. None of this really matters to the essence of the art here or abroad where it still flourishes. For Isshinryu, the way is in the training, not to be found in gossip, slander, or a scandalous history lesson.

Karate or Karate-Kobudo?

Recently I found myself training at a Matsubayashi Shorin-ryu school working indigenous Okinawan weapons: kobudo. The chief instructor asked me to advance with my bo (staff) while paired up with another trainee, so I instinctively stepped forward using a cross-stepping kosa-dachi. I'm told Shorin-ryu stylists don't (or quite rarely) utilize this stepping scheme into their bo training so this sparked some counterpoint on the matter.

The next topic of discussion was much broader: As karateka why should we even bother with kobudo?

Given the vast catalogue of karate techniques one must master there seems to be little time left available for Okinawan weapons training. Kobudo is a martial art unto itself, not something that needs to be hyphenated with karate, a practical form of self-defense. Okinawan karate by default includes kobudo, for the most part; Japanese styles such as Shotokan do not officially incorporate any weapons into its syllabus.

When Tatsuo Shimabuku was codifying Isshinryu karate in the late 50s he began his training in kobudo arts with the eminent weapons master Taira Shinken. Thus Isshinryu karate and kobudo was born. Whether Shimabuku did this keep up with his Okinawan contemporaries who were doing the same (possibly more for cultural than practical reasons) or to distance his new "maverick" style from mainland Japanese stylists who had renounced weapons training is unclear. At any rate, Isshinryu karate that does not include kobudo is not Isshinryu the art, strictly speaking.

An Isshinryu instructor I know with a long list of credentials holds the rank of 5th dan in Matayoshi kobudo, a system that includes sai, tonfa, bo, eaku, kama, nunchaku and some other weapons I'm not familiar with. The principles and methodology taught in the Matayoshi system are somewhat different from Isshinryu kobudo. In Ufuchiku kobujutsu a total of twenty-five weapons are taught. Now that's quite a catalogue. Certainly it takes considerable time to become adept at handling a single weapon, let alone two dozen. The point being is that if you're training in karate and it includes kobudo, something is going to get short shrift -- and it probably won't be the karate.

Open Hand Basics and Bunkai

In Isshinryu karate there are fifteen upper body basics taught utilizing a variety of hand strikes and/or blocking combinations, mostly from seisan-dachi, the system's workhorse stance. In basic 7 we step back, forward hand shuto block followed by a spearhand (nukite) to the solar plexus. It has been suggested by some that this basic be modified by either aiming the nukite to the more user friendly throat or removing the open-handed strike altogether and replacing it with a punch to the original target. I've seen my share of modified basics in my style before. I don't like this idea as it smacks of hubris. Usually the changes are not an improvement anyway. One high ranking Isshinryu instructor had the temerity to remove the founder's original 15 basics from the syllabus and replace them with his newfangled 10.

Spearing soft tissue with the hand is the way to go. Also, open handed strikes can be the prelude to a block/grab. The kata Seiuchin provides a good example of applications utilizing both nukite and the open-handed block/grab variety. Unique to Isshinryu is the kata Sunsu which features a variant of nukite that's followed by tearing the skin away from the ribs and sternum. Now that's serious stuff. Obviously it's impossible to practice this on a willing uke with any sense of realism.

The old-school masters of Okinawa no doubt had fingertips that could pierce cans and had grip strength like bear traps. Chojun Miyagi of Goju-ryu karate reputedly could tear the bark from a tree with his hands. These types of feats are rare indeed today.

There are practical open-handed strikes that can be quite effective: palm heel, face rake and strikes targeting the eyes are not only potentially lethal but tend to be relatively safe for the user. This is really what separates the diluted "sportive" techniques from the martial variety.

The Fast Track to High Rank

Someone I know just received their black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. It took him ten years, and I'm told this is the typical amount of time it takes in this style. Most martial arts as practiced in the US take about half that time to achieve the coveted black belt. Perhaps BJJ has higher standards or their people want to disassociate with those of the McDojo variety that award black belts at breakneck speed.

There seems to be some controversy over the length of time it should take to get to black belt. (A word to the wise: it's not a good idea to ask "how long will it take to get a black belt" at a traditional school.) Isshinryu karate's Angi Uezu says it takes, on average, about two-and-a-half years on Okinawa. In the All-Japan Karate Federation (formerly, the Zen Nippon Karatedo Renmei), three years is recommended to achieve shodan (1st degree black belt).* It took Chuck Norris fifteen months, kickboxing great Joe Lewis seven months and Isshinryu legend Don Nagle six months to get their black belts while training in Korea or Okinawa during a US military hitch.


Isshinryu's founder, Tatsuo Shimabuku, would grant dan level ranks to certain US servicemen who trained under him rather quickly, knowing it would be years before he would see them again. The Karate Questions and Answers blog has more to say about this. Elsewhere, a Marine who trained under the master in the late fifties recounts that

It took six or seven months to make green belt, and a couple more to make black. He [Shimabuku] didn't give a certificate to Americans until they left Okinawa. At first he gave low grades, but the students persisted until he began to give high grades for a minimum time. One American was given an eighth dan (black belt rank) after only two and a half years in isshin-ryu, while another made seventh dan after one and a half years. To justify such ranks, Shimabuku would say "You'll rate it in 15 or 20 years." He gave higher grades because he thought most Americans would not be returning to Okinawa...

Nevertheless, when the Americans returned to the United States from Okinawa, most did not wait 15 or 20 years, but proclaimed their high grades immediately.

When speaking of the duration of white belt to black belt the only relevance is actual training time in the dojo. One source cites that at least 1000 hours of instruction is required for promotion to 1st dan black belt.^† If you train 1 - 1.5 hours per class three times a week, that works out to about five years. Norris, who first took up judo in the Air Force and then switched to tang soo do (a cognate of tae kwon do) while stationed in Korea, would train up to thirty hours per week, about double of what most Americans train in a month. Initially, he didn't even think about getting a black belt. Apparently, he figured out something very important: It's the journey, not the destination, that counts.


* Richard Kim 1974. The Weaponless Warriors. Ohara Publications, Incorporated.
^† Jennifer Lawler 1996. The Martial Arts Encyclopedia. Masters Press.

Hard vs. Soft

Isshinryu karate is occasionally described as a half-hard/half-soft martial art. This is a concept taken from Goju-ryu (go: hard; ju: soft), a forerunner style and extant system of Okinawan karate. Hard or external martial arts are characterized by use of muscular strength, speed, and linear movements. Soft or internal arts (almost always of Chinese origin) are defined by their circular body movements and especially the development of ki or chi. Hard martial arts are explosive, visibly combative and down to earth as it were. The soft or internal arts are ethereal and occasionally fodder for woo-skeptics. In truth, some concept of ju can be found in nearly every system of martial arts. Not meeting force with force, maintaining proper balance and blending with an opponent's energy are methods as worthy as developing as striking power and athleticism.¹

In Chinese boxing the contrast between external and internal styles is very well defined. This distinction, however, is somewhat muddled in Okinawan karate.² "The manner of spitting or drinking is either hard or soft" is taken from the Isshinryu Code (Eight Precepts of the Fist) but few ponder its meaning. In Japanese bujutsu the expression Ju yoku go o sei suru translates as "Softness controls hardness" or "Weakness controls strength."³ This is a philosophy that was probably hijacked from Chinese Daoism. Certainly, proper technique will win over brute strength, as again, this idea is held consistent within all combative styles.

Taking the hard-soft dichotomy to the next level of psychology or philosophy we could define these terms along different parameters. For example, an external or hard approach to martial arts could be found in the desire to compete in tournaments, training with ishi sashi (traditional weights) or on the makiwara (striking post). Soft or internal approaches may be realized in preventive measures such as verbal deescalation, awareness of one's surroundings, and cultivating health and chi through the practice of forms and meditation.

In Daoist texts the soft or yin model is commonly expressed as water. Water, the softest of all things, can eventually erode even the hardest of objects while seeking its own level and being at one with nature. As Bruce Lee famously said, "Water flows -- or it can crash! Be water, my friend."


1. Daniele Bolelli 2003. On The Warrior's Path. Frog, Ltd.
2. Michael Rosenbaum 2001. Okinawa's Complete Karate System: Isshinryu. YMMA Publication Center.
3. Donn Draeger 1974. Modern Bujutsu & Budo. Weatherhill, Inc.

The Female Warrior: Archetypes and Stereotypes

Occasionally I'll get a question about the Isshinryu symbol, the mizugami (water goddess). One version is that the founder, Tatsuo Shimabuku, had a lucid dream about the said deity encountering an evil presence and warding it off with a ring of fire, but with peaceful intentions. Shimabuku's water goddess, a Shinto entity, was probably inspired in part by the androgynous Shiva, the Hindu Destroyer. But the Isshinryu Mizugami is decidedly female and presides over water; femininity and water both being aspects of yin, a Daoist concept pertaining to creativeness, intuition and other ethereal manifestations of the psyche which correlates to the right hemisphere of the human brain. Yin/female also pertains to yielding, mysticism and darkness, the subtle aspects of the martial arts. While female combatants lack the less-subtle size and strength attributes of their male counterparts, their presence in the martial arts and even the military have a long history worldwide.

Recently the US Defense Department announced that women would be permitted in dangerous jobs closer to the front lines. Political conservatives such as Rick Santorum feel that a man's position on the battlefield would be compromised with the presence of women. In traditional cultures women have been held as the "weaker sex", treated like chattel, and expected to be submissive -- hardly the stuff of warriors. The French Christian Joan of Arc and Greek mythology's Athena are exceptions which have provided inspiration for TV heroines such as Xena: Warrior Princess.


Television has provided some characters that depict the alpha female as less strapping than Xena and much closer to cheesecake. The Avengers' Mrs. Peel and one of the Charlie's Angels had some sort of quasi background in the martial arts. When I was in junior high school a wave of kung fu flicks and Asian martial artists were making their way to the US that included one Lady Whirlwind ("Queen of the Deep Thrust") that caught my attention. It was a great era for martial arts movie posters with double-entendre. These days it's the likes of MMA's Gina Corano that now grace the silver screen, blending feminine beauty with real-life martial arts credentials.

Deadly Targets

In martial arts, especially karate, the concept of "one-strike-one-kill" probably was derived from earlier weapons systems. In Chinese lore dim mak is regarded as the death touch, not necessarily delivered with brute force but bad intentions. Historian and perennial karateka Patrick McCarthy catalogs a plethora of "forbidden" vital points in his research of a classic text in The Bible of Karate: Bubishi. The said vital points were actually discovered by acupuncturists during the Ming dynasty. Knowledge of these areas in time became the foundation for self-defense, intended for doctors and scholars.

Chinese martial arts eventually made their way to the island of Okinawa. Okinawan karate has distinct Chinese quan fa roots, and naturally karate has developed its own repertoire of vital strikes that are the stuff of legends. In Okinawan Karate: Teachers, styles and secret techniques, author Mark Bishop describes certain delayed-effect strikes that took their toll on many an overseas visiting trainee that failed to abide by dojo etiquette. Months or even years later these hapless victims would suffer from irreparable internal organ damage or some mysterious disease that could not be explained by Western medicine.

In self-defense courses geared towards women, the main target areas are eyes, throat, groin and knees. Supposedly if you kick or strike someone hard enough in the groin he'll pass out. One of Bruce Lee's favorite tricks was a finger jab to the eye, likely a setup for a finishing move. Of course all of this has spawned a market for instant gratification addicts who want to learn "the good stuff" right away without having to devote years to traditional martial arts training. Scores of books and courses found in magazines with titles like "Learn Deadly Strikes" intended to "protect you and your loved ones" have undoubtedly sold millions since the 60s. In the 70s it was the infamous Count Dante, the Deadliest Man Alive, who sold how-to guides on vital area striking methods. More on this particular topic can be found in my Retro Ads post that I wrote in 2006.

There is one area of the body that when targeted is a relatively safe peacemaker: the solar plexus. One guy I train with exploits this target area using a variant of Isshinryu's basic 14: step into zenkutsu dachi (long, forward stance) while executing a palm-heel followed by two consecutive roundhouse punches to the body. His version uses the palm heel to deflect an incoming strike, followed by just one - it's all that's needed - hooking ridge hand to the solar plexus. Game over.

Vertical vs. Horizontal Punches

In Isshinryu karate the vertical punch is considered a staple but it's hardly unique to the system. Supposedly at one time the standing fist was the predominant method of delivering a punch among Okinawan karateka; only later was the pronated variety introduced as a safety feature as it was considered weaker and less injurious for novices and kids.


Some points to consider:

• The fist delivered in the standing fashion - especially with the thumb on top - allows for a strong wrist alignment. The horizontal fist has the propensity to fold upon impact.
  
  
• Vertical punching allows the user to keep the elbow down, protecting the midsection through most of the range of motion. The twisting punch causes the forearm and elbow to naturally rise up and away from the body, allowing for a counter.
  
  
• The standing fist is conducive for the anatomically advantageous top two knuckles to make contact. The vertical punch also has a slightly longer range than the horizontal punch.
  
  
• The vertical punch is purported by many to be stronger (and faster) than the "corkscrew" punch. Conversely, some boxers claim that by adding the twist in a punch upon impact actually adds power. This technique has certainly been responsible for causing some serious cuts on a fighter's face.

The horizontal punch does make an appearance in the Isshinryu kata Seiuchin as a block/strike against a leg or knee assault. Apparently, the horizontal fist's target area (the quadriceps) is more disposed to being deflected with this technique than with the trademark vertical punch.

How do you punch? Does your style favor one type over another?

Some Thoughts About 'My Style'

I'm the last person who will tout Isshinryu karate as a superior method of practical self-defense over others. As I have said here more than once, the style one learns is only as good as the quality of instruction. The following is a short list of some of the stock selling points of Isshinryu:

• Techniques adhere to natural body movements.


• Vertical punches are favored over rotating or "corkscrew" punches as the former are considered to be stronger, faster and more injurious to the receiver.


• Strikes are almost always delivered in a snapping (as opposed to a thrusting or pushing) fashion for the same reasons as above.

These are the major features and realize - especially if the reader is an Isshinryu person - this list is hardly exhaustive. You can find this info anywhere online or hanging on the wall of most Isshinryu dojo. These tenets have existed in Okinawan karate in various guises dating back to about the eighteenth century, but the founder, Tatsuo Shimabuku, considered these particular ones paramount to his system.

Here's another list of items that sets Isshinryu karate aside from some of the other styles of "traditional" karate. These things are rarely mentioned, let alone advertised like the ones found on the first list:

• There are a total of eight karate kata (pre-arranged forms) in the system. No empty-handed forms are taught after black belt, only weapons (kobudo), of which there are seven. This is a major departure from most karate styles that require students to learn literally dozens of forms, many of which are pinan (beginner) kata, none of which appear in Isshinryu.


• Isshinryu does not endeavor to perfect the trainee's character or make her/him a good role model or citizen, per se. No lofty aims aside from prevailing in an unpleasant and possibly horrific altercation are sought.


• Isshinryu techniques are not set in stone, but subject to innovation as needed. Shimabuku, taking a line from The Eight Precepts of The Fist ("Adapt to changing conditions"), sought to advance his art through effective modifications as the opportunities presented themselves.

I like the idea that there are only fifteen kata in Isshinryu. That's still an enormous catalogue of techniques. There's an old saying that it takes a lifetime to master a single kata. One style of Okinawan karate has over fifty forms in its kata canon. Somebody's wrong here, big time. At least Isshinryu found a middle ground.

None of this is an attempt to one-up another's karate style. Shimabuku would tell his students "All bottles are good; there is no 'best' bottle", a metaphor to express that there may be differences found in karate, but each serves their purpose in their own way.

Tell It To The Marines

The US Marines. The few and the proud. And what better icon than the Corps to infuse the ideologies of karate with? If you think about it, there are some striking similarities between Marine Corps life and certain aspects of karatedo: rank, title, warfare, elitism, etc.. It's ironic that the island that was so ravaged during the Pacific War (about half of Okinawa's population was wiped out) would later have its inhabitants teach the hitherto secrets of karate to the very forces that nearly destroyed them only a decade earlier. It took three months for the Allied powers to capture the tiny Okinawa in 1945, an island barely the size of two US counties. By the 1950s some of her indigenous karate masters began instructing American military in the art of self defense. At this point, karate was just a word. There was also a great deal of mystery and cynicism at the time regarding Asians, and in particular, the martial arts. When one young recruit wrote home to tell his fiancee that he was taking karate as part of his military hitch on Okinawa, his girl freaked. "Stop taking that stuff, it'll turn you into a killer!"

The time was right for Okinawans to teach karate to US troops. The mid-to-late 50s was a period of rare peace in American history. The martial ways tend to thrive during peacetime in many cultures because of its philosophical core values. American boys growing up during the 40s listened with rapt awe and admiration to the great battles that were waged for the sake of global freedom and justice. World War II was strongly depicted as the epic fight of good vs. evil. War is full of glamor and romance to the dreamy macho neophyte. So what is a young recruit to do during otherwise boring and unglamorous peacetime? Enter the martial arts.

Tatsuo Shimabuku was one of a handful of karate instructors contracted by the US government to teach Marines stationed on Okinawa. Okinawan sensei, most of them diminutive in stature, must have had their work cut out for them when they first started instructing these young bucks. At 5'2, 125 pounds, Shimabuku was hardly an imposing physical presence to the average 18 - 21 year old American Marine. More than once, karate's effectiveness was put to the test because some jarhead thought he could one-up the master. For Shimabuku, many techniques had to be instantly adjusted and modified to work with trainees that were nearly a foot taller than himself. All in a day's work, as he was compensated for his services with three-hundred American dollars per month starting in 1955. One could only imagine how that figure would translate into today's economy. Teaching karate to the Marines - not a bad gig for the retired farmer who survived one of the bloodiest battles in history.

Armed and Dangerous

Bruce Lee was my first martial arts hero as he was for everyone else from my generation. Originally he appeared in the short lived The Green Hornet TV series, but when I think of Lee the image that really stands out in my mind is that Enter The Dragon movie poster with his dreaded nunchaku held out in a menacing pose. Of all the traditional weapons (kobudo) I'd have to say that the nunchaku are possibly the most potentially lethal, because of its whip-like action. Like its kobudo relatives, its original purpose was for farming; in this case to thresh grain in the fields. Pre-industrial farming was quite arduous, and it didn't take long for the oppressed but hardened Okinawans (who were banned from using conventional weapons by foreign rule) to figure out that these farming implements could be used as convincing deterrents against a variety of neighboring invaders.

Over the weekend a British lad was killed by some lunatic showcasing his nunchaku skills, and since this occurred at a youth party I'm guessing alcohol was involved. A few months ago a couple of martial-art "retail suppliers" from my area were busted for selling samurai swords, throwing stars and the like to minors. In my day, drug paraphernalia were the hot novelty items, not Asian weapons. Socrates' assertion that kids' behavior has never been worse is probably wrong, but they do seem to be more violent today than ever, especially as one witnesses the increase in use of armed security and metal detectors at public schools.

Somewhere I have a book with an old photo of Taira Shinken - the preeminent Okinawan kobudo master - training with a pair of sai (tri-pronged daggers) while donning some heavy full-body protective gear, possibly for some free-style action. Could you imagine sparring with these things? Supposedly it was US marines that trained in Isshinryu karate who created bo-bo kumite to simulate an actual battle between two bo (staff) wielders. It's a prearranged form, but with some tweaking and a little know-how it can be made to look like a real fight.

Although historically weapons came first in the martial arts, most schools won't introduce traditional weapons until the student approaches a brown belt grade. Karate is a way of life, but I'm not sure what kind of life skills can be gleaned from the practice of kobudo. Regardless, kobudo - like karate - represents a part of the culture, heritage, and history of Okinawa.

Losing My Religion

I've been reading some thought provoking articles concerning the curious mixing of Christianity and the martial arts. Patrick Parker's guest post at TDA Training was a response to Bob Patterson's original essay, and both provided good material. Now it's my turn, but instead of discussing Christian values' fusion with Asian combative systems and the advent of Christian martial-art organizations, I'll be taking a different slant: Devout Christians who are opposed to certain aspects of the martial arts, in particular Eastern thought's influence on them.

Recently I received an email from a reader (a Christian) who asked me to suggest a martial arts program for him, one that didn't include "Eastern religion" as part of the package. I obliged, explaining that while Taoism and Zen are the philosophical foundations that most Asian martial arts are built upon, they are not theistic religions as we understand them in the West. Bowing, meditation, and other forms of dojo etiquette could be misconstrued as paganism to an outsider, but they're just part of the stock ritual that exists at most schools.

A born-again Christian who I trained with years ago refused to wear the Isshinryu karate symbol of the mizu gami - the water goddess - on his uniform per a certain Biblical commandment. I explained that the Isshinryu patch or any other school emblem was not designed to usurp divine authority, but he wouldn't budge on the issue.

The non-Christian Asian view of an almighty omnipresence is somewhat vague. In Taoism, "The Way" itself is sometimes equated with God. Zen, a common metaphor for the martial arts (and vice versa), does not recognize a Supreme Being whatsoever. Shinto is a unique religion indigenous to Japan that has no founder or moral code, but features an array of deities (kami). Aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba actually saw himself as a Shinto demigod, and stories of the O'Sensei disappearing in a flash of light to avoid bullets from marksmen only fostered his reputation as a mystic.

The martial arts should be presented as a secular discipline and are totally compatible with holding strong Christian views. Any references to the Buddha or Bodhidharma (the mytho-historical founder of Zen and martial arts in China) and the like are largely unnecessary and should be taken with a grain of salt.

Jesus' commitment to non-violence was not an open invitation for abuse, and I'd like to think that He wouldn't completely disapprove of the modern martial ways and their aims. Today, unfortunately, the martial arts god goes by a different name: money. But that's another story...

The Gift

Ed McGrath had only wanted one thing. It was his goal when he first started training in Isshinryu karate: to make it to brown belt. Brown belts, apparently, stood out as the most determined and spirited fighters in the dojo he trained at. Eventually he did achieve the rank of ikkyu (brown belt). He had been training at that level for some time when one day after finishing a round of basics, the chief instructor, Don Nagle, had everyone sit down. McGrath and another student were told to get up and were motioned to the center of the deck.

Hajime!

One by one he was made to fight every student in the school. The year was 1959, and during karate's formitive years in the States, kumite was rough-and-tumble. Punches and kicks were rarely pulled, and knockouts were common. It should come as no surprise then that karate's ultimate rite of passage - the black belt test - was a brutal affair. After over twenty grueling matches, Ed McGrath was promomted to shodan (1st degree black belt). Master Nagle presented him with his own obi (belt) - the same one given to him a few years earlier by his sensei - Isshinryu's founder, Tatsuo Shimabuku.

Ed McGrath eventually opened his own school, and in time gave away his black belt to one of his own senior students. Through the years, Don Nagle's original obi was passed down through one generation after another of dedicated students, each one realizing its significance. When Master Nagle passed away in 1999, the last student to receive this belt returned it to the Nagle family.

In any act of giving or self-sacrifice we somehow gain something. I've never expected anything in return for all the belts I've given away. But I still have my original black belt and white belt. During his final days, Jigoro Kano - judo's illustrious founder and progenitor of the colored belt ranking system, asked to be buried with his white belt. "You can have my black belt; wear it proudly", he told one of his students. "Where I'm going, we're all white belts anyway."

...we have only what we (can) give. - Carl Jung