ISSHIN-RYU KARATE

History of Isshinryu

With the 20th century, the history of karate emerges from obscurity. Not onlywas the secrecy relaxed by 1900, but also historians have been able to tapliving memory, newspaper accounts, et cetera, in their effort to record thedevelopment of modern karate. In fact, the information available is so abundantand complex that an account of the history of modern karate is far beyond thescope of this essay. Rather, the focus will be narrowed to the training andcareer of Master Tatsuo Shimabuku, and his creation of Isshin-ryu karate.

While Isshin-ryu is a relatively new style, and while it has been fairlycontroversial since its establishment in 1954, it is important to realize thatIsshin-ryu is very firmly rooted in traditional karate, and that, while MasterShimabuku was an innovator, he was also the most accomplished traditionalist ofhis day. Thus Master Shimabuku may be likened to other great and innovativeartists, such as architect Frank Lloyd Wright or the painter, Picasso. WhileWright introduced many new and bold concepts to the art of building, and in someways revolutionized the practices of architecture, he was well trained inprinciples, techniques and materials that go back to the builders of ancientcivilizations. And while Picasso's paintings reflect his radical departure fromtraditional depiction of images, he was able to paint as realistically as anylandscape or portrait artist. No one lacking the formal training of these twofigures could have possibly matched their innovative creativity. Similarly,Isshin-ryu could have been invented only by one who had absolutely masteredtraditional karate. Tatsuo Shimabuku was an acknowledged expert in Goju-ryu andShorin-ryu before he refined and tempered the techniques, and handed down astyle that is as pure and effective as any practiced today.

Master Shimabuku was born on September 19,1908, and began his study of karateas a boy with his uncle, who practiced Shuri-te. He continued his studies withthree great Okinawa masters: Chotoku Kyan, Chojun Miyagi and Choki Motobu. Thesethree are featured in "The Weaponless Warriors"; and Richard Kim'snotes and charts clearly show how they tie into the long tradition of karate.

Kyan was a student of Master Yasutune Itosu, who taught Shuri-te, and of,Master Matsumora, who taught Tomari-te. These two styles were combined to formShorin-ryu (named after the Shaolin Temple tradition), and Kyan was one ofShorin-ryu's greatest practitioners. He was famous for his powerful kicks, andfor his outstanding teaching ability. Kyan was a stern perfectionist, and youngTatsuo Shimabuku achieved the honor of being his best student.

Miyagi (1888-1953) was the best student of the Naha-te grandmaster, KanryoHigashionna (1845-1915). Higashionna had established Naha-te by combining tewith Chinese kempo, which he had studied for years in China. Naha-te wasdistinguished by its integration of soft kempo and hard kempo. It emphasized theSanchin stance, which Higashionna had developed to the point that he wasimmovable when he had assumed the stance and heated the floor with the powerfulgripping of his toes. Miyagi studied with Higashionna for a number of years,then went to China himself to study kempo. He returned to Okinawa and formulatedthe style called Goju-ryu (hard/soft way). For accounts of his deeply respectedpersonality and his lifelong devotion to and techniques in karate, consult thechapters on Miyagi by Richard Kim and Frank Van Lenten. Miyagi was known as anexacting sensei whose grueling workouts greatly strengthened the body and builtup endurance. With Miyagi, Tatsuo Shimabuku went through training that was veryinfluential to the ultimate development of Isshin-ryu; for example, the emphasison breathing and tension, the low kicks, and the development of mind, body andspirit.

Motobu was a less formal instructor, but an accomplished master in Shorin-ryu,and an indomitable fighter. Coming from an ancient line of Okinawan nobles, hehad an eccentric personality and an enormous physique. As Richard Kim states, heis remembered as a brawler as well as a master, but no doubt his instructionoffered Tatsuo Shimabuku invaluable lessons on the practical application of theart of karate.

Under these three senseis, Tatsuo Shimabuku developed abilities that mutuallycomplemented one another in making him a quintessential karate-ka; flexibility,coordination, power, speed, balance, ki, technical perfectionism, oneness withthe art, heightened awareness, honor, humility, streetwise practicality. Withadditional training under weapons experts, Tatsuo Shimabuku became one of themost accomplished karate-ka of his day.

Solna Hotel y desayunoFrom the late 1920's to the 1940's, Master Shimabuku's prestige and authorityin karate increased. Like most of the Okinawan population, Master Shimabuku wasa poor farmer. He also worked in his village as a local tax collector. The firsthalf of the 20th century was very difficult for Okinawans in his station inlife. The Japanese rulers were unconcerned about the extreme economic hardshipon the island, and unresponsive to the Okinawan leaders' petitions for land andtax reform.

Karate was Master Shimabuku's way of life, but at that time the art would notearn a living for most of its experts. With the advent of World War II, and theforced conscription of thousands of Okinawan men, Master Shimabuku and hisfamily sought refuge on another island. Shortly before the Japanese surrender,the Battle of Okinawa devastated the island, its economy and its inhabitants.The Japanese stubbornly resisted the Allied Forces from its headquarters in theancient castle at Shuri. The Americans dropped tons of explosives on the islandand waged bloody infantry tactics. Most of the ancient buildings, gardens andmonuments of the ancient Ryukyuan kingdom were destroyed, and over 100,000civilians were killed (along with an additional 100,000 soldiers) . After theJapanese were defeated, the Americans occupied Okinawa and began a massiveeffort of reconstruction. Having returned to Okinawa, Master Shimabuku resumedfarming, until Okinawan civilians and, later, American servicemen began to seekhim out for instruction in karate. In the early 1950's, Master Shimabuku decidedto establish a formal dojo at his home in Chun Village, and became one of thefirst successfully professional senseis. Later, the school's success promptedMaster Shimabuku to move his dojo to Agena, where large numbers of Americanscould have access to his instruction.

Master Shimabuku had been experimenting with new approaches in karate for along time. But with his energies focused on his art, Master Shimabuku's creativespirit increasingly analyzed and synthesized all the kata, techniques andapplications he had perfected. He continued the slow, methodical, thoroughprocess of modifying Shorin-ryu and Goju-ryu into a style that he found morepractical and effective. His experimentation was galvanized by his visionarydream of the Mizu-Gami. The vision unified his ideas and his purpose. On January15, 1956, Master Shimabuku publicly proclaimed that he would teach a new stylecalled Isshin-ryu, one heart or whole-hearted way.

Master Shimabuku always said that there was "no birthday" forIsshin-ryu . He had been adding to, and subtracting from the style for yearsbefore 1959. His aim has been to develop a system that would apply sudden,direct, powerful force, while eliminating unnecessary movement. His ideas andinnovations in karate are preserved in, and handed down through, the eightempty-hand kata of Isshin-ryu: Seisan, Seiuchin, Naihanchi, Wansu, Chinto, KusanKu, Sunsu and Sanchin. Most of these katas were adapted from their ancientforms, while Sunsu (or Sunusu, "son of Su (the ancestral house of Shimabuku)"was created by Master Shimabuku and, therefore, embodies Isshin-ryu in itsessence. These katas were chosen, and refined laboriously and assiduously sothat they might exemplify Isshin-ryu, and aid in the instruction of students inIsshin-ryu. They are a legacy from Master Shimabuku that continues to be handeddown from sensei to student.

For almost twenty years, Master Shimabuku taught Isshin-ryu to manyAmericans, as well as Okinawans. But his style was not readily accepted by thetraditionalist karate-ka. Unfortunately, there is no completely reliablepublication in print on the history of Isshin-ryu.

Master Tatsuo Shimabuku died May 30, 1975. Before his death, he was filmedperforming the Isshin-ryu kata on at least two occasions. While Isshin-ryu hassuffered a decline in Okinawa, in America the style is thriving, owing largelyto the dedication of Master Shimabuku's students, who have established their owndojo's all over the nation, and have endeavored to pass on Isshin-ryu in itsprescribed form. We have seen what a unique and phenomenal creation Isshin-ryukarate is . Master Shimabuku never dwelt on the past, but lived squarely in thepresent. The future of Isshin-ryu is in the hands of the present. Today'sIsshin-ryu karate-ka should strive to preserve such a singular creation in itsoriginal form, through cooperation, careful study, and a new area of tradition.

Credit Isshin-ryu World Karate Association

Why the vertical fist?
One of the most distinguishing characteristics of Isshinryu is the vertical
fist. Most new practitioners and disciples of other arts wonder why we make a
fist in this manner, and why don't we twist or "corkscrew" our puncheslike most
other styles. The answers are really fairly simple and quite well thought out.
For the answers, let's examine the dynamics of the Isshinryu punch. The properly
executed Isshinryu punch is launched from the side keeping the fist vertical the
entire time. The elbow is kept close to the side and the shoulder is mostly
quiet. The punch is targeted at the solar plexus, - not higher at the face or
head. Striking with the first two knuckles of the hand and then snapped back -
much like cracking a whip. At the completion of the punch the hand and arm are
left in a position ready to punch or block again immediately with no wind up.
When timed it is possible to land 3-4 of these punches in the time it takes to
land one corkscrew punch, and if one believes the laws of physics i.e.
Power=Speed x Mass it is easy to see that this punch is not only faster but more
powerful that a twisting punch as well, as we are moving the same mass as in a
luxury hotels in Salzburgtwisting punch but with much more speed.
Biomechanical the punch/fist is also much more sound. Beginning at the fist
and moving up the arm: The fist is made by holding the hand open and then slowly
curling the fingers from the most distal knuckle until a fist tight enough to
completely hide the fingernails is made. Then the thumb is pressed down on the
second knuckle of the index finger. This makes an extremely hard and tight fist.
Much less prone to injury, and a much more effective weapon.
Moving on to the wrist. Holding the fist vertically during the punch has the
effect of distributing the impact to both the radius and ulna. Try a twisting
punch and notice the position of the radius - especially when your target is on
your opponents centerline - like the face or solar plexus. You will see that
much more of the impact must be absorbed by the radius side of the joint where
the joint is much "softer". Softer meaning that the joint on this sideis
comprised of small bones, cartilage and ligaments. Not to mention that the
radius itself is by far the smaller, more fragile bone. The forearm is also left
in a stronger blocking position. Blocking across the wide, muscular side of the
arm instead of a single, exposed bone has obvious advantages.
Moving up the arm. In a twisting punch the elbow is turned outward, away from
the body leaving it in probably it's most vulnerable position. When the joint is
turned this direction and locked (as would happen if the punch was trapped, or
slipped and countered) it takes little more than 20 pounds of pressure to
dislocate or break the joint. Twisting the arm outward like this also has the
effect of exposing the floating rib and in the case of a punch to the face or
head also adducts the shoulder leaving it vulnerable to anterior dislocation and
exposing a nice large vital/pressure point in the pit of the arm.
While this is a somewhat cerebral analysis of a simple punch it seems that most
of this information is obvious to our subconscious minds. In thinking about this
punch I realize that I rarely see even the most trained "corkscrew"puncher use
one in a sparing match and even much less on the street. I think that one of
Master Shimibuku's amazing talents was his ability to understand the state of
Mu-Shin (no-mind) and to utilize it in a practical way. Imagine the power of
knowing what the subconscious mind will do and training your body to be even
better at it.

What is Isshinryu Karate?

Isshinryu(one heart/one mind) introduced in 1954 by Tatsuo Shimabuku. Sensei ShimabukuStudied both the Shorin-Ryu and Goju-Ryu systems; studied Kobayashi-Ryu underChotoku Kiyan and later under Choki Motobu. Then He studied the Bo, Sai andTonfa under Okinawa's most noted instructors. Isshinryu is a combination of thebest of these styles and weapons techniques and epitomizes the powerful,lightning-fast techniques that enabled the weaponless Okinawans to endure therein of the Chinese empire and to defeat the sword-wielding Samurai of Japan.

General Information about Isshinryu and Dojo Etiquette

Bows:

Informal bows (Tachi-rei) are executed by standing with heels together, feetpointed at 45 degree angle, hands at the sides with palms turned toward thethighs, bowing from the waist. They are used to begin and end an informal class,and before and after each of the following:

1. Entering or leaving the Dojo (school);
2. Addressing another student (especially higher ranking students);
3. Addressing a Sensei (Black Belt Instructor);
4. Katas;
5. Kumite.
6. Any time you wonder if you need to...

Example of Etiquette:

15 Basic Isshinryu Hand Techniques (Te Waza)

1. Straight punch (Seiken oi tsuki)
2. Upper cut (Jodan oi tsuki)
3. Reverse punch (Seiken gyak tsuki)
4. Reverse upper cut (Jodan gyak tsuki)
5. Low block/straight punch (Gedan barai/seiken gyak tsuki)
6. Middle block/straight punch (Chudan uke/seiken gyak tsuki)
7. Open hand block/fingertip strike (Tegata barai/nukite)
8. Open hand upper block/upper cut (Jodan tegata uke/jodan gyak tsuke)
9. Upper block/Straight punch (Jodan uke/seiken gyak tsuki)
10. Upper block/back fist/straight punch (Ura uchi/seiken gyak tsuki)
11. Low block/5 straight punches (Gedan barai/go den joku tsuki)
12. Middle block/5 straight punches (Chudan uke/go den joku tsuki)
13. Low knife hand strike/knife hand strike (Shuto uchi)
14. Palm heel deflection/ 2 roundhouse punches (O-uchi)
15. Step back/elbow strike (Hije no ato tsuki)

9 Basic Isshinryu Kicking Techniques (Geri Waza)

1. Front snap kick (Mae geri)
2. Stomp kick (Kake geri)
3. Front groin kick (Kin geri)
4. Side Snap kick (Yoko geri)
5. Side Kick with ball of foot (Shoba geri)
6. Roundhouse knee kick at a 45 angle to the front (Otoshi geri)
7. Heel Push Kick (Mae Kon Atei)
8. Knee kick - Low side kick, at a 45 angle to the front (Shoba Kon Ate)
9. Knee smash (Hisa geri)

Other Kicks not on the diagram:

1. Side thrust kick (Yoko Kekomi geri)
2. Back kick (Ushiro geri)
3. Roundhouse kick (Mawashi geri)
4. Spinning back kick (Ushiro geri)
5. Jumping double kick (Tobi Mae geri)

Isshinryu Kata

There are eight empty hand kata that teach five stances in Isshinryu Karate.In addition, there are three Bo kata, two Sai kata, and one Tuifa Kata. The kataare named after Chinese Masters or the provinces in which they had taughtkarate.

Empty Hand Kata:

1. Seisan: This kata is of Chinese and Shorin Ryu origin. It is one of the original kata from the ancient Pangia-Noon style. Its name is derived from Master Seshan. The kata teaches the student how to fight several opponents directly in front of him and how to turn and face opponents coming from different directions. The kata teaches a vertical punch with the thumb on top, instead of the twist punch. It emphasizes the "Seisan Stance" (SHO ZENKUTSU DACHI) of fighting.;

    

2. Seiuchin: This kata is of Goju Ryu origin. It is a horse stance (as if riding a horse) position in which the feet are about shoulder width with toes pointed out at a 45 degree angle. The back and head are straight and the shoulders in line with the hips. This stance is most effective when the opponent is close and directly to the side of the karate-ka;

    

3. Naihanchin: This kata is from the Shorin Ryu origin. It teaches the Naihanchin stance (UCHI HACHIJI DACHI). It is an erect position in which the toes are pointing straight and the legs and hips are locked. Movements in the kata are lateral. This kata trains the karate-ka to tighten the legs and to defend against opponents on both sides.;

    

4. Wansu: This kata is of Shorin Ryu origin. It combines moves from the first three kata. The karate-ka is taught to fight opponents forward, backward, and on both sides.;

    

5. Chinto: This kata is of Shorin Ryu origin. It emphasizes pivots and fighting on angles. This kata emphasizes techniques to be used against attackers on somewhat of a 45 degree angle. In addition, it introduces the karate-ka to jump kick techniques and the use of the cross block and cross stances.

    

6. Sanchin: This kata is of Goju Ryu origin. It emphasizes strong techniques and breath control. The name means"three battles", and refers to the control of mind, body, and breathing during the performance of the kata. The control of mind, body, and breathing are the sources of chi (vital energy). This energy is generated in the tanden which is an area two to three inches below the navel.;

    

7. Kusan-Ku: Of Shorin Ryu origin, this kata comes from Chinese Master Kusanku. This kata is usually referred to as a night kata, silhouetting the enemy against the horizon and then attacking. It emphasizes speed movements for a man surrounded by eight attackers. The techniques in this kata are aimed at improving the karate-ka's speed in blocking high and low, and in maneuvering within the surrounding attacking individuals.;

    

8. Sunsu: Sunsu, Master Shimabuku's nickname, means "strong man". This kata is an original. It was totally created by Master Shimabuku. It consists of movements from the first six kata. Sunsu is very difficult to perform with any degree of strength, speed and accuracy;

   Weapons Kata:

   BO kata - The bo is a round staff. It was used as a walking aid and comes from the hoe handle, shovel handle, etc. The people converted the bo into a weapon. The bo is normally as long as the karate-ka is tall. Traditionally, the bo was handled from the left side. Master Shimabuku brought the fight side into focus.
9. Tokomeni No Kun (Bo #1); This kata is named after Master Tokumeni who virtually created the bo as it is known in modern karate.
10. Urashi (Bo #2); In this kata, the student is taught to draw the opponent's attention by the front of the bo until he is hit with the rear end of the bo which has been brought around with a vertical butt stroke.
11. Shishi No Kun (Bo #3); The kata contains 130 movements combined from the first two bo kata. It also brings in the foot movements along with the use of both ends of the bo.

    SAl kata - The sai is a three-pronged weapon used for defense and attack (similar to a sword) and for throwing (similar to a spear). The sai is effective against the samurai sword and the bo (both short and long). Karate masters used to carry three sais. Two were held in the hands, the shaft extending the length of the forearm, knob hidden in the hand. The third sai was hooked in the belt and was used only after one of the hand sais was thrown.

12. Kusan-Ku Sai (Sai #1); The use of the sai is incorporated into the empty hand Kusanku kata. The moves are basically the same in both kata without the kicks. This kata introduces the karate-ka to the sai. In this kata, the sai is fighting the samurai swordsman.

     

13. Chantan Yara No Sai (Sai #2); The sais in this kata are used to defend against a bo. Among the techniques, the karate-ka learns to hook the bo with the foil (short prong), and to counter attack with the knob and the shaft.

    Tonfa (Tuifa) Kata The Tonfa looks much like a police mans night stick. Usually 18 to 21 inches in length with a handle protruding 90 degrees about 3 inches from one end. The Tuifa is thought to have originally been the handle for a grindstone.

     

14. Chei fa (also known as Hamahiga No Tuifa); This kata teaches the student to fend off attackers with bos using blocks and strikes with the tonfas.

    Kobudo Kumite Weapons Sparing - There are also two pre-arranged forms in which two karateka spar with weapons. One with bo against bo and one with sai against bo.

15. Bo Sai/kumite (Bo vs Sai);
16. Bo Bo/kumite (Bo vs Bo);

Kumite

Master Shimabuku's Code of Karate

1. A person's heart is the same as Heaven and Earth.
2. The blood circulating is similar to the Moon and Sun.
3. A manner of Drinking and Spitting is either hard or soft.
4. A person's Unbalance is the same as a Weight.
5. The body should be able to change Direction at any time.
6. The time to strike is when opportunity presents itself.
7. The eye must see all sides.
8. The ear must listen in all Directions.

Thanks to Sensei Shawn Mammon, from whose site I gathered this info: www.ISSHINRYU.com