NAIHANCHI/TEKKI SHODAN WORKSHOP FOR THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF OKINAWAN AND JAPANESE KARATE-DO

Introduction: Sunday the 27th of June Vintners Way, Maidstone England was the destination for karate-ka interested in finding out more about the defensive applications for the karate kata naihanchi, and how it can be used to develop a better understanding of the shotokan form tekki shodan. Don Came, a 4th dan instructor for the Kissaki-Kai Karate-Do International (3rd dan Wado-Ryu) was invited to conduct a workshop on naihanchi for ISOK (the International Society of Okinawan and Japanese Karate-Do). Don has spent some time working on and refining naihanchi and its applications and was excited at the prospect of presenting his interpretations to a wider audience. And so it was we set off to Maidstone. The Workshop: After a two-hour journey we arrived at our destination with eager anticipation of a good turn out. We were not disappointed, and from the looks of things we were in for a good session with a high number of dan grades making up our total. After a brief warm up the workshop started with a visual comparison of tekki-shodan and naihanchi, allowing those who were unfamiliar with the naihanchi form to get a better idea of its shape, and of the similarities between the two kata. Don explained that it doesnt matter which version of the kata you practice, the important thing is to understand the principles contained within the form. Study the rules of combat and apply them to the kata, in this way we can start to appreciate the myriad of possibilities contained within. The Kata: Emphasising the importance of safety, it was time to get down to the reason we were all there, the applications. To make for the best use of our 3-hour time slot, Don had divided the kata into three key sections. Special attention was given to the use of the rules of combat; moving to a position of advantage; unbalancing the attacker; striking the vulnerable points and ashi-sabaki/tai-sabaki etc being integral to each application. Section 1: Each section was demonstrated in application and then further broken down to allow the opportunity to practice and grasp the basic principles contained within each movement before going on to the next. The opening salutation was presented as a response to double lapels grab and head butt attack, striking the attackers forehead with our palms as it comes in (fig.1). Our counter continued with a slight body shift and forearm strike to large intestine 18 at

the side of the neck and pulling the head into - and striking with the shoulder. As the head is released we strike with our own head butt to the temple area before hitting the opponents inner thigh (spleen 10) with our knee as we step through, maintaining pressure on the neck through out. We found ourselves in an ideal situation for the empi strike (fig.2) before unscrewing the head and depositing the opponent on the floor with our gedan-barai, mawashi-zuki move. Section 2: Starting just before the completion of the last section Don explained that applications within the kata overlap providing the link or chain within the kata structure we developed a response to a wrist grab/straight punch attack. Seizing the wrist of the attacking arm, we shift to a 45-degree angle pulling the opponent off balance with our gedan-barai movement (fig.3). The seized limb was rapidly pulled in hikite style allowing a very powerful strike to heart 2 (fig. 4) which set up our knee strike to gall bladder 31 on the outer thigh (fig.5). All the pieces of the jigsaw were falling into place as we found our opponent in the perfect position for a strike to triple warmer 12 on the triceps. If they were still a threat we got to hit them again, this time to gallbladder 20 below the occipital protuberance of the skull near to the ear (fig.6), finishing with a takedown. Once Don was reasonably happy with our efforts, we changed partners and continued to refine our practice. As with section one use of correct footwork was emphasised throughout and we were all really starting to get the idea of the flow rather than the typical ichi, ni san approach often taught in other associations. We also were encouraged to practice our applications on both sides of the body to create a greater balance and awareness. Section 3: Shown as a defence against a single lapel grab and punch attack, we were shifting (outside) to 45-degrees while simultaneously striking to the lung 5 area of the forearm and stomach 5 on the jaw (fig.7). This left us set for a stamping kick to the spleen points of the inner thigh (fig.8) and a hammer strike to the gallbladder point at the base of the occipital region. A heel kick into the bladder points of the calf and we had a neck snap/take down to finish. All very neat and very effective As in the previous sections, once we were starting to get the flow, we all changed partners and continued to practice the set. The Review: The last 15 minutes of the workshop were given over to a review of all three sections. We were told to change partners one last time and go through everything that we had practiced so far. I think it is no exaggeration to say that we were all impressed with just how much of the session had stuck, providing us with ample information to take back to our respective dojo for practice and further development. Conclusion: The 3-hours flew by and everyone was impressed with its content. If anyone had any doubts as to the effectiveness of these applications or the use of pressure points before

we started, all were now unanimous in their praise for these relatively simple yet devastating responses to specific acts of violence. It is this pragmatic approach to training and kata analysis of that makes the KissakiKai so effective and it is hard to believe that there are still organisations out there that pay little or no attention to the development of realistic Bunkai. To practice kata without an understanding of its possible applications reduces it to a dance, great to watch but with no real substance. If we consider kata to be a mnemonic device, its main purpose is to allow one to continue training when there is no partner present. In other words, practice the Bunkai with a partner at every opportunity, so when you havent you can practice the kata being mindful of its applications. Don thanked everyone for attending, with a special thank you to Malcolm Bates, ISOK administrator and Kissaki member for doing such a good job organising the workshop. He finished by saying how much he had enjoyed training with everyone and that he was looking forward to coming back to work with them again. To find out more about the Kissaki-Kai Karate-Do go to our web site at www.karateacademy.org.uk or e-mail Don at don@karateacademy.org.uk

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