http://www.bushinkai.org.uk en-gb bushinkai.org.uk 2012-5-18T00:00:00Z bushinkai.org.uk http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#118519 Bushinkai classes in Manchester now include Karate classes and new Tai Chi classes. Both are taught according to the Bushinkai Method the three sciences a systematic approach to self defence. KARATE BACKGROUND AND HERITAGE Hakuda Kempo Toshu Jutsu is a system based on the original combat methods of Okinawa and southwest Japan. Toshu Jutsu and Hakuda Kempo have largely been replaced my modern arts like Karatedo Taekwondo and Judo but the original combative systems did survive and are passed on today. Headteacher Simon Keegan 5th generation inheritor of Bushin Ryu holds the grades of 4th Dan Renshi in Shoto Ryu. His teacher Reiner Parsons Kyoshi 7th Dan was graded by Ikuo Higuchi successor to Okinawan master Makoto Gima a student of Itosu and Yabe. Master Gima along with Gichin Funakoshi was among the first Okinawan masters to teach in Japan. Gima was also the first to be awarded 1st Dan blackbelt and the first to be awarded 10th Dan Shoto Ryu or Shotok... 2012-5-18 13:18:13 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#117811 1 Yu Bei Shi 2 Qui Shi 3 Bai He Liang Shi 4 Peng Lu 5 Peng Lu 6 You Deng Jiao 7 Bai She Tu Xin 8 Shao Hui Pi Pa 9 Dao Nian Hou 10 Shan Tong Bei 11 You Deng Jiao 12 Bai He Liang Shi 13 Yun Shou 14 Ban Lan Chui 15 Shang Bu Qi Xin 16 Xia Shi 17 Jin Ji Du Li1 18 Ye Ma Fen Zong 19 You Deng Jiao 20 Bai She Tu Xin 21 Ban Lan Chui 22 Ru Feng Si Bi 23 Shi Zi Shou 24 He Quan 2012-5-6 22:36:09 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#117636 Who are the most influential Karate masters who ever lived Some may say Chuck Norris Lyoto Machida or Mister Miyagi but here Simon Keegan looks at those who single handedly made Karate what it is and what it has been. The top 10 may surprise you1 Sokon Bushi Matsumura Shuri Te Matsumura Bucho is undoubtedly the most influential Karate master who ever lived. While we can say that without Gichin Funakoshi there would be no Shotokan without Matsumura there may very well be no Karate at all. Matsumura was to Karate what Bruce Lee was to Jeet Kune Do or what John L Sullivan was to boxing. Matsumura pieced together no less than five different arts to radically change them into something we know today as Karate. His life spanned almost all of the 19th century 17981890 therefore he was contemporary to three different generations of masters. Before Matsumura there were perhaps two or three different kata that we know of practised in Okinawa. Something resembling Wansu Empi ... 2012-5-3 19:29:13 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#117635 In a previous blog post I described Hakuda Kempo Toshu Jutsu as a true system of Karate detailing our lineage in Shoto Ryu our kata our influences and our curriculum. But HKTJ is also a system of Jujutsu specifically a style we call Bushin Ryu. I would now like to describe in some detail our Jujutsu influences. In the 1800s my great great grandfather August Nilsson was in the Swedish navy where he studied unarmed combat and stick fighting to replicate the fencing of the boardingsabre or cutlass. Skandinavian sailors like himself travelled far and wide and many even made it to Okinawa where some met Okinawan women and their offspring where an unusual mixed race of SwedishOkinawan called aoinagi who were not entirely well excepted. One of these aoinagi was a Karate master called Itoman Bunkichi and even Hanshi Kim Weaponless Warriors refers to one Karateka being on the receiving end of a Danish kiss headbutt. He came to England and taught his son WH Nels... 2012-5-3 19:28:55 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#117568 Hakuda Kempo Toshu Jutsu is a traditionally taught Karate system owing its origins to Shoto Ryu and many other styles of Karate including Goju Ryu Shorin Ryu and Shotokan Japanese styles such as Aikijujutsu Jujutsu and Judo and various Chinese forms of Quan Fa. However there are various aspects that make Toshu Jutsu a true system and not just a hotchpotch. These are 1 The traditional focus around Kata of a single school Shorin Ryu with a clearly defined lineage 2 The theoretical commitment to a quantifiable method underpinning the system 3 A methodically taught and graded syllabus and curriculum 4 A clearly defined purpose and mission statement 5 A coherent system that is nonecontradictory and every technique has a place 1 The traditional focus around Kata of a single school Shorin Ryu with a clearly defined lineage The first two kata Pinan Nidan and Pinan Shodan renamed Heian Shodan and Heian Nidan by Funakoshi have been in the system since at least 1... 2012-5-2 20:21:12 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#115925 The White Lion Hypothesis is the theory that many of the Karate forms practised today originate in a Chinese art called White Lion Boxing. I first began to explore this hypothesis when looking at the origin of the kata Bassai Dai and Bassai Sho. Okinawan researcher Akio Kinjo states that Bassai or Passai may be a Fujian dialect translation of leopard lion pao shi and notes that some of the lifting and stomping movements are similar. Kinjo says it was pronounced as baoshi in Manderin Baasai in the Fushou dialect and pausai in Quan Shous dialect. Kinjo a respected researcher believes that the movements of the kata also resemble the leopard boxing of China. The Leopard style uses a lot of blocking and striking while standing in a cross leg stance for instance. He also points out that the lion boxing style is well represented as it holds a great deal of openhanded techniques while using a stomping action. Personally I would favour the translation white lion wh... 2012-4-5 12:43:33 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#115632 Everything in martial arts is a cycle and everything in martial arts is a paradox.We began our journey with Karate or Toshu Jutsu as a network of knowledge in Okinawa circa 17001870. In those halcyon days of Karate men like Hama Higa Tode Sakugawa Chatan Yara Sokon Matsumura and Seisho Aragaki had a thirst for knowledge.They didnt know where they would find their Holy Grail. The Okinawans looked to the Northern Shaolin Temple to Beijing to the Southern Shorei schools of Fujian to the Jigen Ryu of Japan to the fighters of Thailand Vietnam and Taiwan. Karate was in a state of perpetual change. The more the Okinawans learnt about China and Japan the more Okinawan Karate became.Then in the early 20th century men like Itosu and Funakoshi set about standardising Karate cleaning it up and making it palatable for mass consumption. Karate became a success a sport a way of building health of making friends of bonding.But like every cycle eventually Toshu Jutsu has come back to its root. Today in... 2012-3-30 22:14:48 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#115574 Funakoshi Gichin was an educated man and a modernist. He embraced the modern age did not cling to the old Samurai days but did embrace the idea of Okinawans becoming Japanese. He admired Jigoro Kano founder of Judo for the way Kano had taken a bunch of haphardly taught Jujutsu schools and distilled them into a modern standardised international Budo form. Funakoshi wanted to do the same for Karate. He wanted to take Rentan Goshin Tode Jutsu or Toshu Jutsu and make it into Karatedo a single entity like Judo with rules a uniform and a Japanese sense of etiquette. But Funakoshi couldnt do it alone. And the first person who helped him was a fellow student of Itosu named Makoto Gima who also knew his way around Tokyo. Makoto Gima was born on September 28 1896 in Okinawa. After graduating from Okinawa Shihan Gakko Higher Normal Scool Mr. Gima studied in Tokyo at Shoka Daigaku presently Hitotsubashi University. In 1912 under the guidance of both Masters Itos... 2012-3-29 21:19:39 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#115566 In Part 1 we met the pioneers of the 1700s including Hama Higa Takahara Peichin Chatan Yara and Tode Sakugawa. In Part 2 we met the pioneers of the early 1800s including Bushi Matsumura Bushi Kojo Kosaku Matsumora Oyadomari and Seisho Aragaki.By the 1870s three traditions had emergedShuri Te Matsumura Naihanchi Pinan Bassai Kushanku Chinto Jion Seishan GojushihoTomari Te Matsumora Oyadomari Naihanchi Bassai Chinto Jutte Wansu SeishanNaha Te Kojo Aragaki Sanchin Seishan SanseiruNiseishi ShisochinUnsu Sochin Suparimpei WankanConventional history states that Shuri Te came into being when it was inherited from Matsumura by Itosu and Naha Te came into being when Kanryo Higaonna went to China in the 1870s. As we have seen this isnt the case.The true fathers of Naha Te were the Kojo family and Aragaki and Itosu was far from being only a disciple of Matsumura.Anko Itosu born 1831 began to study the martial arts in Tomari Te with Nagahama Chikudon Peichin. After taking and passing civil service... 2012-3-29 19:16:41 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#115543 In Part 1 I discussed the history of Karate from Wang Jis arrival in Okinawa and Hama Higas visit to Japan which both happened in about 1682. Throughout the 1700s we met other pioneers including Takahara Yara Sakagawa Matsumoto and Makabe. We now come to the turn of the 1800s.The 1800s were also the approximate lifespan of Sokon Matsumura. There are four different theories on his date of birth and date of death and they are all within a few years of him being born in 1800 and dying in 1900.The dates are 18091901 or 17981890 or 18091896 or 18001892.So whichever theory you subscribe to Matsumura saw pretty much all of the 1800s the second theory is the best fit in my opinion.The young Matsumuras first teachers were Sakugawa and Yara two old men who taught him the old Toshu Jutsu arts of Shuri and Tomari. From these men he learnt the Tomari method of Wansu and the Shuri method of Kushanku. From Sakugawa he also learnt a system called Channan related to the Pinan Heian forms.And as a young... 2012-3-29 13:16:54 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#115501 In Japan and Okinawa there is a concept called Tatemae and Honne which loosely translated means official truth and actual truth. Another way of looking at it would be propaganda and truth.Sometimes Tatemae is used for political or marketing purposes and other times to enhance a legend.To use a western comparison telling your children that Santa brings their presents is like Tatemae. It is an unspoken rule that almost everybody abides by but obviously nobody actually really believes apart from little ones.Each martial art has a Tatemae and a Honne. For example the Tatemae of Shotokan Karate is something like Karate is an ancient Okinawan martial arts developed by peasants who were not allowed weapons. They were able to use their bare hands and farmyard implements to defend against the ruling Samurai. The three ancient schools were Shuri Te Naha Te and Tomari Te. From Shuri Te and Tomari Te the Shorin Ryu school developed and from Naha Te the Shorei Ryu school developed. Gichin Funakoshi... 2012-3-28 22:39:39 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#115197 I read recently a comment from Hanshi Jim Mather of the USA who noted that many non Japanese and non Okinawan stylists have taken to using traditional titles like Kyoshi and Hanshi. But these are not the only titles that are misused. Even sensei is used out of context. SENSEI Many western instructors will sign their name like Joe Bloggs Sensei or introduce themselves as Sensei Joe Bloggs. This is wrong. In Japan that is the equivalent of saying Im Joe Bloggs Im better than you. You can say Im Joe Bloggs Yondan or Im Joe Bloggs the world kata champion because these are statements of fact but sensei is used only as a comparison of seniority. It is like a waiter in a restaurant choosing to call you sir. Thats normal. But if you introduced yourself as My name is Joe Bloggs but you must call me sir people would think you were full of your own importance. Calling yourself sensei is the same. Sensei is a term which means one who has gone before on a ... 2012-3-23 21:11:58 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#115095 Next month Im teaching a seminar on Bunkai the fighting applications of Karate.What is Bunkai 2099835299Well bunkai is to analyse something to understand how it works. Bunkai is the Haynes Manuel of kata.Some techniques in kata have obvious applications sometimes a punch is just a punch and a kick is just a kick.But other times kata have more abstract applications.In many Chinese styles the techniques are so flowery and unusual looking that on a superficial level they seem to not resemble any martial arts technique. For example look at white crane spreads wings in Tai Chi it doesnt look much like a punch kick or block.Another problem for Karate is labelling disease. Many of the Japanese styles such as Shotokan and Wado Ryu allocated names to techniques that meant they had to be pidgeonholed as strikes.For example the thirdfourth move of Heian Godan used to be called Mizuno Nagure no Kamae flowing water posture but now most Shotokan practitioners call it Kage Tzuki hook punch.The tech... 2012-3-22 11:18:26 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#115087 The Bubishi is one of the most valuable books a Karateka can possess. It is also of tremendous value to practitioners of Wing Chun Hung Gar and White Crane.The book The Bubishi is sometimes called The Bible of Karate. It is to Karate what the Book of Five Rings is to the Samurai.Like the Bible the Bubishi is an anthology of older stories pieced together and edited on one theme to act as a guide.Most old Karate masters valued it including masters Funakoshi Miyagi and Mabuni the founders of the three biggest schools Shotokan Goju Ryu and Shito Ryu.Bubishi comprised some of the traditions of the original styles that influenced Karate including White Crane Black Tiger and Monk Fist boxing.The Bubishi contains anatomical diagrams philosophical essays defensive tactical strategies and poetry. The first chapter of Bubishi is entitled The Origins of White Crane Boxing and tells us that the White Crane style was founded by a woman Feng Chi Niang who seems to be the same character as the woman w... 2012-3-22 09:35:43 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#114662 Im sometimes asked why I have added the Goju Ryu kata Gekisai to our syllabus which is comprised mostly of Shotokan kata.Simply because ours are not just Shotokan and Gekisai is not just Goju Ryu both are Shorin Ryu.It wasnt me who added this kata to the others it was Shoshin Nagamine in 1941. Well sort of.Historically most of our kata were not just Shotokan kata they were Shorin Ryu kata. In other words long before Shotokan was created masters like Itosu taught the Heian katas Tekki Bassai Kanku and so on. They were taught under different names but taught nonetheless.After master Funakoshi moved to Japan the many styles that originated from his teachings continued to use these kata such as Shoto Ryu Shotokan Shotokai Wado Ryu Yoseikan and Taekwondo.However the other styles in Okinawa also continued to use them styles like Shorin Ryu Kobayashi Ryu and Matsubayashi Ryu.The only styles that did not use them were the styles based on Naha Te like Goju Ryu and Uechi Ryu.After Master Funakos... 2012-3-15 12:57:43 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#114613 On April 1 we are started a series of Sunday beginners classes at our Manchester Headquarters at Van Dang.The dates are April course 1st 8th 15th 29th May course 6th 13th 20th 27th June course 3rd 10th 17th 24th July course 1st 8th 15th 22ndWe also have a very exciting Kata Bunkai course coming up on Sunday April 22.Our Monday night and Tuesday night classes will continue as usual 800930pm. Beginners are welcome in these classes tooIf you are interested in these courses please email Simon on kaichorunbox.comThere will also be the usual Bushinkai Gradings and Instructor Training Seminars throughout the year. Keep reading the Blog for more updates. 2012-3-14 21:33:45 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#114240 This blog post is by Bushinkai club instructor Peter McHugh 1st Dan. In Bushinkai we teach the 3 Sciences the science of violence the science of technique and the science of learning. Here Pete focuses on the science of violence and asks are you really ready to fight with what youve learnt in the Dojo When it comes to violent situations out side of the dojoclass we often dont take into account the mindset of the attacker and think that any move we know will work whether it be a punch to the nose or a swift kick to the groin. These moves might work really well in the dojo and thats because we are in a relaxed safe environment and we dont have to cope with the extra adrenaline rushing through our body or the attackers adrenaline rush and his mind set. Lets talk about the extra adrenaline rush we get for a second all people get one whether you do a martial art or not this extra rush can cause one of three actions Action number 1 FREEZE This action happens a lot the per... 2012-3-9 21:47:44 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#113997 In last nights class I talked about the two primary functions of Hakuda Kempo Toshu Jutsu being self defence through Karate and Karate through self defence.Id like to expand on this with some ideas about Karate and self defence.Firstly our goal of self defence. This does not mean wanting to be the best Karate fighter in the world or wanting to be the best grappler in the world. Its not about beating the guy who bothers to show up at the same tournament as you and agrees to fight by the rules its about giving you a better chance of defending yourself than you had before.In order to gain useful self defence we need to cover a few key areas1 Knowledge of violent situations habitual attacks and how best to respond2 Effective techniques and the underlying principles behind them3 The ability to drill these techniques so they become instinctive.These three areas should be key to any self defence based system it doesnt matter whether you do Karate Jujutsu Ninjutsu or Wing Chun if you dont un... 2012-3-6 12:51:17 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#110090 My latest article on bunkai Ive been reading a forum about Jujutsu being added to Karate whether this is right or wrong. And here is my view.Purists on the forum stated Master Funakoshi thought it was a sin to add Jujutsu throws to Karate believing it watered down both arts.While others countered But Master Funakoshi himself said that we shouldnt neglect throws in our Karate and he said that basics and sparring should only exist but for the practice of kata.So from these two simple views we can make a deduction.In Funakoshis time there was no need to add Jujutsu to Karate because Karate had its own grappling techniques.Well I trained with Kanazawa and Enoeda and I never saw them do a throw I hear you say. Are you trying to tell me Kanazawa and Enoeda were doing Karate wrongNo Im saying emphasis had changed.In Matsumuras time Karate was something warriors did to hone their skills.In Itosus time Karate was a way to develop fighting skills and improve characterIn Funakoshis time Karate wa... 2012-1-10 14:38:41 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#100575 It is often said in martial arts that grades and lineage do not matter. But by the same token it really does matter when somebody does not have a true lineage or true grades. Think of it like this. If you go to a restaurant and you like the food it does not matter where the chef learned to cook as long as you like the food. But imagine if somebody opened a restaurant and said Come and sample the most authentic Japanese food in England. Our chef was the personal chef to the Japanese royal family and he comes from a long line of Japanese chefs. Every single one of our ingredients is authentically Japanese prepared in a traditional Japanese way and will be served according to Japanese tradition. People would attend the restaurant not only for the food but for an authentic experience. Now when you got the restaurant if they served you tinned sweet and sour pork microwave rice and Earl Grey teabags youd have pretty good cause for complaint. Now to... 2011-8-16 11:12:38 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#99909 Ive handed my blog over to one of my senior students Sensei Peter McHugh who has written this very thought provoking piece on evolving Karate SK................................................................By Peter McHughWhen I first stepped foot in a Karate dojo I saw all kinds og strange stuff and to me at that time just looked like a lot of people messing around in white pyjamas wearing different colour belts and screaming loudly . Today looking back at the first time I started I can see a whole lot more than just kicks blocks and punches I can see how Karate has evolved in to the martial art it is today. Thanks to a few people that were visionaries in the 21 century if you were to walk in to a Karate Dojo or school you wont just see people doing kicks and punches you will see and probably come across a lot of other things like grappling the type found in some Judo and Jujutsu clubs.In other clubs you might see back flips and rolls like in gymnastics... 2011-8-5 20:32:06 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#96830 In Karate Do the 3 Ks are taught Kata Kihon Kumite In Toshu Jutsu the 10 Ks are taught Kata Kihon Kumite Ki Katame Kyusho Kansetsu Kumiuchi Kobudo KakieIn Karate Do kata has only Bunkai analysis of forms based on kumite techniques In Toshu Jutsu the bunkai leads to Oyo real workable applications that can be practiced and applied on a partnerIn Karate Do students learn to defend against Karate attacks In Toshu Jutsu students defend against all the most habitual violent attacksIn Karate Do for example modern Shotokan strikes use Kime tension at the last second of a technique for focus In Toshu Jutsu there is consistent power throughout techniquesIn Karate Do for example modern Shotokan blocks use Kime tension at the last second of a technique for focus In Toshu Jutsu blocks use heavy hands transferring power through the opponentIn Karate Do the techniques are practiced long range In Toshu Jutsu the techniques are practice close range primarily and then at other ranges In Karate Do the ... 2011-6-22 13:24:52 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#96805 This blog gives more information on the history of the Bushinkai schools and what the different names mean.BushinkaiMeaning warrior spirit school this name covers the two Academies that together comprise the Bushinkai International Academy of Martial Arts. Bushinkai was established in 2000 and held its first class in early 2001.White Lion Academy and Metal Tiger AcademyThe White Lion Academy is run by Kaicho academy head Simon Keegan teaching the martial arts of Okinawa Japan and FujianGuangzhou.The name white lion was chosen partly because of the symbolism of the stone guardian lions in Shuri Okinawa and of Fujian Lion Boxing.The Metal Tiger Academy is run by Sifu David Keegan and teaches Chinese Internal Martial Arts including Taiji Quan Tai Chi Taiji Jian Tai Chi sword as well as other Qigong from other sources including Shaolin and the Ba Duan Jin.Hakuda Kempo Toshu JutsuWithin the White Lion Academy a fighting system is taught called Hakuda Kempo Toshu Jutsu.Prior to the rise of m... 2011-6-22 09:22:09 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#92452 Ok I admit it the heading of this blog is a misnomer. Because there are no secrets in the martial arts.Theres a few handy rules in the martial arts. But these arent secret. In fact to show you how unsecret they are Ill tell you a few Train hard and train sensible Always relax Breathe... youll live longer Use your body movement efficiently Theres no rules in a fightNow do you feel enlightenedAh but what about the masters They must know secrets rightWell Im not talking about the paper tigers. You know the ones. The ones who claim they were brought up in the jungle by a secret Ninja clan and now they are the 200th generation 15th dan soke dokey and if you train with them long enough and buy all their videos you too can learn their secrets.No I mean the real masters. Like Hirokazu Kanazawa Shotokan Karate Li De Yin Tai Chi Morio Higaonna Goju Ryu Karate Terry Wingrove YawaraKarate Jutsu Patrick McCarthy Koryu Uchinadi.Why are these men masters Well they have all trained 50 years or more. S... 2011-4-25 14:08:34 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#92390 I have discussed how the Okinawan art of Toshu Jutsu has as its primary influence the arts of China and Japan and as its secondary influence the arts of Thailand Taiwan and Vietnam. Now I would like to briefly discuss the western martial arts.I do not mean MMA I am referring to the classical fighting arts of the west.In Oriental martial arts I have always preferred the practical to the sporting and in occidental martial arts the same is true.Fencing wrestling and boxing are thought of more as sports than as fighting arts but this was not always the case.Spanish and French fencing schools owe their origins to the Italian schools which pioneered the use of the rapier.Prior to the rapier sword fighting was an unsophisticated affair with large heavy broadswords. The Italian rapier allowed for fast intricate movements.The French style most closely resembles what we know today as fencing as it favoured the more direct lunges although it does include some dramatic movements such as Le fleche ... 2011-4-24 17:38:12 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#91943 This blog post reflects my personal opinion on the amount of selfproclaimed 10th Dans grandmasters and Sokes that are around these days.In England there are those boasting a 10th dan in Karate this is plain silly. There are only a handful of Karate masters in the entire world who hold this grade and these are legends like Hirokazu Kanazawa and Morio Higaonna both of whom started training before this art was even introduced to England.The longest serving Karateka in England Terry Wingrove began 1957 was only recently awarded his 9th Dan by Kinjo Hiroshi. Other 9th Dans include Britains greatest ever Karate coach Ticky Donovan and 8th Dans include the first British shotokan black belt Andy Sherry so how those of much less time and experience than these can call themselves 10th Dan is ridiculous. One of these 10th dans has only been training since 1984. Some of my students have been training longer than thatIn Jujutsu these high grades are numerous. Jujutsu has been in Britain about 1... 2011-4-17 18:50:49 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#91389 In the previous blog I mentioned pursuing the trunk of martial arts rather than the branches. I will explain a little more about this. The roots of martial arts the ones buried right beneath the soil are the ancient ancestors that we cannot trace a complete lineal descent from. These are lost so deeply beneath the ground that they are such a distant memory. These may be primitive village arts from India they may be primitive grappling forms of Babylon or they may be lost in stories of gods and mythology. No Karate school can trace their lineage back to Buddha. The trunk of the martial arts is actually many martial arts intertwined like ivy. so much so that you cant tell where one trunk starts and another ends. These are the true martial arts the Jutsu that we know as Quan Fa China Bujutsu Japan and Toshukuken Okinawa. In China the Quan Fa schools took on different family names or took stylistic influences from animals or themes. In Japan some of the Bujutsu sch... 2011-4-10 17:09:49 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#91382 In previous posts Ive talked quite a bit about my teachers and now Id like to sum up the development of Hakuda Kempo Toshu Jutsu. Martial arts like military service have been in my family for a long time. My great great grandfather August Nilsson born 1867 was taught unarmed combat in the Swedish Navy his son William Henry Nelson was in WWI and trained in unarmed combat and basic boxing. William Henrys sons Jim and Bill were taught boxing by their dad as children. Jim my grandad was in the army in WWII and my great uncle Bill was in the Navy. At the end of the 1800s various methods of Jujutsu were introduced to Europe. The main pioneers in England were EJ Harrison EW Barton Wright and L MacLagen. And from these many European schools developed including in Sweden since that countrys pioneer Viking Cronholm trained with MacLagen while stationed in Africa. Another name we should mention was Swedish descended estonian George Hackenschmidt a wrestling pioneer in 1905 who ... 2011-4-10 14:34:36 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#90687 In blog post 16 I talked about my great uncle Bill Nelson who studied Jujutsu 19451950s now I would like to introduce my dad and uncles training. My dad David Keegan was born in 1950 the year of the Metal Tiger according to Chinese astrology. He has a twin brother my uncle Paul Keegan. They moved from Bootle to Kirkby in the mid 50s and in about 1959 a Jujutsu instructor began giving Judo lessons at their school. In their class at school was John Conteh who later became one of Britains greatest boxers. There were only a few Jujutsu instructors in Liverpool at this time including Jack Britten Gerry Skyner and Jim Blundell. In the 1960s the cultures of the East really opened up in west remember the Beatles joining the Maharishi and David Keegan became interested in various eastern belief systems and texts including the Tao Te Ching and the IChing. He has spent nearly 50 years studying the strategies and Taoist wisdom of these systems. He also became int... 2011-3-31 14:12:01 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#90664 In previous blogs I have introduced my Goju Ryu instructor Reiner Parsons and his teacher Tadanori Nobetsu I have also talked a little about members of my family who have studied martial arts including my dad and uncles. Now I would like to briefly profile my two main Karate teachers over the years Steve Bullough and Bob Carruthers. Martial arts biographies are often a subject of speculation and some degree of opinion so I would like to keep these biographies free of my own opinions and instead just offer the facts.I feel it is important to acknowledge my teachers as this is the ancestry of our school.Bob CarruthersBob Carruthers was born in Wigan Lancashire in about 1949 and moved down to Devon and Cornwall in his early twenties to work as a bricklayer. He married in the west country and stayed there for many years. Although Karate has been introduced to England in 1956 the spread of the art was very slow and didnt grow widely til around 1966 when Shotokan Shotokai and Wado Ryu spread... 2011-3-31 10:48:04 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#90062 In this post I will introduce my training in Niseikai a style which combines Naha Te Goju Ryu with Shi He Quan Feeding Crane. In previous blog posts I have talked about the origins of Shoto family forms like Heian Bassai Dai and Empi but I have only briefly touched upon the Goju family in my article all Go and no Ju. Although I consider myself a Shoto Ryu stylist one of my main teachers of the last eight years has been Reiner Parsons of the Niseikai school a very interesting style which combines Goju Ryu Karate with Feeding Crane Kung Fu. Reiners teacher who I have also trained with is master Tadanori Nobetsu 9th Dan Hanshi. Nobetsu Sensei was born in 1935 in Kyushu and in 1965 he established Niseikai in Ageo Saitama Prefecture based on his studies with masters like Yamaguchi. Significantly he has also put the ju back into Goju through his studies in Feeding Crane Kung Fu with his teacher Li250 Chin Long. Basically put the principle of Niseikai as it i... 2011-3-24 11:24:35 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#90061 Over 25 years ago there was an excellent British TV series called Way of the Warrior. Each episode focussed on a different martial art and accordingly a master from that style. It was the first time many westerners had seen Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu and its great master Risuke Otake. It also featured Goju Ryu Karate and Higaonna Morio. While it was good to see Higaonna Sensei in the Dojo it also showed him running barefoot through the villages of Okinawa and showed the cultural influences of the island. Okinawa clearly had Chinese and Japanese influences but also stylings from Thailand and South East Asia. In the episode Higaonna Sensei meets a dance instructor and they discuss the similarities between traditional Okinawan dance and Karate kata. In all the episode illustrated that what we know as Karate emerged from a real mixture of influences. The Japanese relationship dates back to Minamoto Tametomo 11391170 who was exiled from Japan fled to... 2011-3-24 11:22:48 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#90060 Following on from my last blog I thought Id talk about the five schools of Toshu Jutsu and their kata. SCHOOL ONE Channan Quan KATA PinanHeian Chang Quan Long Fist was developed in the 10th century by Zhao Kuangyin founding Emperor of the Song Dynasty 9601279. His style was called T224iz468 Ch225ngqu225n which means the Long Fist style of Emperor Taizu. Chang Quan was famed for its deep stances lunge punches and dynamic kicks. By the 16th century the practice of solo forms had fallen out of vogue and had all but disappeared but one military general saw value in them. Qi Jiguang November 12 1528 January 5 1588 was a Chinese military general and national hero during the Ming Dynasty. He wrote various martial arts manuals and his interpretation of the Chang Quan seems to have influenced many different arts including Chen Taiji Quan and Karate. Chang Quan was probably introduced to Okinawa in th 1750s when Kushanku taught Tode Sakugawa. In turn Sakugawa taugh... 2011-3-24 11:21:28 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#90057 When I was 16 our club was a fairly physical one. We did lots of sparring both semicontact and full contact. We also grappled on the ground back to back start and did lots of self defence. Although there were other aspects to the training myself and my peers prided ourselves on being able to handle ourselves. My friend was training in a traditional Goju Ryu club and all he ever seemed to do was kata and predictably when we sparred with him he didnt have the skills we had. Kata seemed to be a necessary evil to us. We fought all lesson and then for the last 15 minutes did some kata. Maybe it was a Japanese thing take the rough with the smooth. I certainly never found much value in it. Remember that in say 1995 nobody had the internet so if you wanted to read up on kata you had to buy a book and my local town wasnt exactly cosmopolitan when it came to specialist cultural arts Granted some of the kata particularly Bassai Dai looked dynamic wen the blac... 2011-3-24 11:15:35 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#90056 The Heian katas are often said to have been developed by master Itosu. They were called Pinan and the name was changed by Gichin Funakoshi to make it more appealing to the Japanese. The problem with the theory about Itosu creating the Pinan forms is that at least two of them Nidan and Shodan seem to predate Itosu. Styles seemingly derived from Itosus teacher Matsumura also include these forms and Chokki Motobu also related a story about them. Motobu said he saw Itosu practicing the Channan kata but practicing it differently and when he asked about it Itosu said This is the way we do it now the young people tell me Pinan is better than Channan. So from this we can conclude that the five Pinan forms were derived from the previous Channan form. Or where they Another story states that the Pinans were derived from the kata Kushanku Kanku Dai and certainly there are similarities. But for every similarities there are many differences. For instance the openin... 2011-3-24 11:14:12 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#90055 In my previous blog post I talked about my great uncle first studying Jujutsu in 1945. His teachers teacher was a practitioner of Daito Ryu which traces its origins back to the famous Minamoto clan. The original art of the Minamoto clan was called Hakugen Ryu which I would like to talk more about. One of the first Japanese martial arts schools was Kashima no Tachi Shinmyoken which was founded by Kunima Masato in 400 AD. From this style Jigensai Kazutou Jiichibou created a school called HAKUGEN RYU in 931AD. Hakugen Ryu was passed to the Minamoto clan Genji which held its secrets in a set of two scrolls Ryuko Nikan no Hidensho the two secret scrolls of Dragon and Tiger. The art was passed to Minamoto no Yoshiie 1039 1106 who decoded the secrets and created a system which he called Ten Chi Jin In Yo Godan no Houkei the form of the Five Techniques of Heaven Earth Human Darkness and Light. Yoshiies younger brother Minamoto Yoshimitsu 1045 1127 created a... 2011-3-24 11:13:26 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#90054 My great uncle my grandads brother was as far as I know the first in my family to study Japanese martial arts. This was in 1945. Id like to tell you a bit more about this. Bill Nelson was born on Christmas Day 1925 in Bootle near Liverpool. His parents were William Henry Nelson and Violet Stephens. William Henry was the son of Swedish immigrants and Violet came from a very old CornishWelsh family that dates back to the days of King Arthur William Henrys father was a formidable Swedish sailor named August Nilsson. There is some significance to why I mention this. August born in 1866 served in the Swedish Navy during which time he would have learnt various combative arts including hand to hand combat ie boxing and also a type of fencing using short sticks which was common in the navy across Europe. Singlestick was developed as a method of training in the use of backswords such as the cavalry sabre or cutlass. It was a popular pastime from the 18th to the ... 2011-3-24 11:12:35 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#90053 On this website I include a page of my influences from my main teachers to instructors I have been inspired by on seminars. Theres various reasons why I include this. The first one is lineage. What lineage means in martial arts is that you can trace your art back to its founder. For example in Shotokan one of my teachers trained with one of Gichin Funakoshis students. Therefore there is a clear path from founder to instructor. Another reason is in the interest of cataloguing the origins of a school. I was always fascinated when my instructors told me about their instructors and I dont want my teachers or their teachers to be forgotten. Over the years Ive trained in literally dozens of different martial arts but I try to focus on three namely Karate Toshu Jutsu Hakuda and related OkinawaFujianKagoshima Kempo based arts Nihonden Jujutsu including styles derived from Daito Ryu amp Hakugen Ryu Tai Chi and related arts I have been lucky enough to train with s... 2011-3-24 11:11:35 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#90052 Back in 1999 I was a 1st Kyu training for my black belt. I was so keen to gain the skills necessary to pass I was training literally every opportunity I could. Not just in classes but also at Senseis home at weekends. After one particular class my friend said to me Ill pick you up after Karate on Sunday night and we can go for a drink. I said Ok but no beer for me Im in training So my friend picked me up and we went to the pub. I drunk my lime and soda and began to walk home. I was walking along an unlit country lane with no path. I was close to the hedgerows and carrying my kit bag. I looked back over my shoulder and saw a car zooming towards me. I would estimate the speed was around 65mph. I turned round and his headlights shone on my face so he must have seen me. I moved in as closely to the hedgerows as I could to let him past but as he got a few yards away I realised he was about to hit me and I had no place to go. The car hit me full speed I took ... 2011-3-24 11:10:47 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#90051 It was about 1997 and Sensei told us that we would be going to compete at a martial arts championships in Sheffield. I wasnt fighting at this particular event I wanted to do kata. I decided on a weapons kata. I wanted to use my katana but I didnt want to show a traditional Iai form I wanted a more dynamic freestyle form. Sensei had showed me a bo kata which he felt we could adapt and I finished up with a nice looking form. Some of the movements looked a little like Bassai Sho but I believe the Bo form was called Ichi Chikara Bo. Before the event there was a special weapons demo by the world weapons kata champion. He was using a pair of kama sickles he moved beautifully and with great speed and dexterity. As we were signing in and the fighters were weighing in an instructor arrived with a coachload of students. He was to this day one of the most unpleasant arrogant and rude instructors Ive ever met. He was belittling other competitors mocking people ... 2011-3-24 11:09:58 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#90050 Within the Bushinkai school we train in various weapons. We begin with Jo four foot staff then move on to Sai then Nunchaku. Next we learn the tonfa. Before brown belt we introduce bladed weapons either Japanese knives Tanta dagger or Aikuchi knife or Chinese knives Dip Dao. Finally we revisit the staff but this time using the Rokushaku Bo six foot staff. Once students attain black belt they may also specialise in a sword. Either Japanese Katana or Chinese Dao or Jian. Throughout the syllabus we also study Tanjo Escrima stick as a generic weapon. Before I proceed there are a few FAQs or myths I would like to clear up. MYTH 1 You shouldnt be teaching Japanese weapons and Chinese weapons together. RESPONSE These weapons have always been taught together in Okinawa since the Ryukyu kingdom was influenced and governed by both China and Japan. MYTH 2 The Chinese Dip Dao butterfly swords belong in Wing Chun not Karate. RESPONSE Read Richard Kims The Weaponle... 2011-3-24 11:09:12 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#90049 Kanken Toyama is of great interest to us since he was one of the last masers to study authentic Hakuda Toshu Jutsu and make study of Chinese Lion Boxing. The late great martial arts grandmaster Kanken Toyama was born in Shuri Okinawa on the 21st year of Meiji September 24 1888. His given name was Kanken Oyadamari and he born into to a noble family. In 1897 Toyama Kanken began his formal training in Toshukuken Toshu Jutsu or Karate under Master Itarashiki. Later he apprenticed himself to Anko Itosu who then became his primary teacher and was his inspirational guide. He continued studying under Itosu until Itosus death in 1915. Itosu was of course the founder of Shorin Ryu Karate with many famous students including Gichin Funakoshi founder of Shotokan and Kenwa Mabuni founder of Shito Ryu. Toyama was a school teacher by profession and his chosen field of instruction was karatedo. In 1907 Toyama was named Shihandai assistant to Itosu at the Okinawa Teac... 2011-3-24 11:08:16 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#90048 When I was a child I viewed martial arts as very easy to define. Karate was about striking Judo was about throws and Aikido was about wristlocks Little did I know there were strikes in Judo and throws in Karate. Today the martial arts are not so easy to define and really any effective martial art should teach a full range of attacks and defences at different ranges. The two martial arts I have trained in the most are Karate and Jujutsu. Both include strikes throws locks grappling and weapons. So if this is the case what is the difference between the two I will attempt to answer this with a number of comparative points. There will of course be a grey area and that grey area is literally where Japan and Okinawa meet. Okinawa is an island off the coast of Kagoshima and so the Jujutsu of Kagoshima often termed Hakuda has much in common with Karate. Similarly the weapons of Kagoshima ie Jigen Ryu has much in common with the weapons of Okinawa. Both of these r... 2011-3-24 11:07:33 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#90047 Ive been using this blog to explain some of the thinking behind Bushinkai. Why do we refer to our Karate as Toshu Jutsu why to our Jujutsu as Hakuda Kempo and why my branch is called White Lion Academy. Now why do we wear black red and white. I think every club should have club colours they do in other sports but even if we look back hundreds of years ago in Japan each clan would have its own banner its own crest and its own colours to distinguish on the battle field. For us we use three colours which have a significance. A student begins as a white belt the first colour they get is a red belt then when theyve gone through all the coloured belt they get a black belt. In theory when we reach 10th Dan very theoretical we wear a red belt again and upon reaching 12th Dan basically improbable we once again wear a white belt. White red and black are birth life and death. Coal begins black burns red and returns to white. Steel comes out of the black fire glows... 2011-3-24 11:06:45 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#90046 In previous blogs Ive introduced the phrase Hakuda Kempo which is representative of the Jujutsu part of our school. Now I would like to talk about my use of the phrase Toshu Jutsu as distinct from Karate. In the written Japanese language words can be written in either of three alphabets Hiragana katakana or Kanji. The latter is the last resort and is a classical Chinese pictographic alphabet which is what we know as Chinese writing. Kanji can be pronounced in two ways in either Onyumi or Kunyumi or in Japanese or Chinese therefore the Kanji for the surname Minamoto can also be pronounced Genji and the Kanji for the surname Taira can also be pronounced Heike. And Ju as in Judo or Goju Ryu can also be pronounced Yawara. Gichin Funakoshi changed the Kanji for Karate from Chinese Hand to Empty Hand The Kanji for Chinese hand can either be pronounced Kara Te Kunyomi Toshu Onyumi To te On amp Kun or Tang su Korean. The Kanji for Hand can be either ShuSu or ... 2011-3-24 11:05:57 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#90044 The Bushinkai Academy is comprised of two schools the Metal Tiger Academy and the White Lion Academy. The former teaching Chinese Internal Martial Arts Tai Chi etc and is run by my dad and the latter teaches Toshu Jutsu and is run by me. I originally chose the name White Lion Academy because it was personal to me. My clan coat of arms is a white lion and a crown and a half moon. And because it fits in nicely with Metal Tiger Academy my dad was born in the Year of the Metal Tiger. My martial arts and my clan heritage are related. Just like the Takeda clan heritage is synonymous with Daito Ryu. But theres another reason for the name one more relevant to Karate and Jujutsu. In researching the history of the kata Bassai Dai I came across some interesting information. The Chinese style Baji Quan includes forms called Baji Da and Baji Xiao Bassai Dai and Bassai Sho anyone But Baji doesnt sound anything like Bassai. No but Bazi does. And that was Bajis origina... 2011-3-24 11:05:11 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#90043 Jujutsu is defined as unarmed or lightly armed combat methods of Japan the name of which suggests using suppleness and pliancy to subdue rather than brute force. Judo developed from Jujutsu Kendo from Kenjutsu Aikido from Aikijutsu... right Well only sort of. Although nowadays we often think of any Japanese grappling system prior to 1860 as being Jujutsu that term itself is often retrospectively applied. Its a bit like living in the Dark Ages or living in Medieval times. People didnt actually say So how do you like medieval times or These dark ages are rough arent they The terms were applied afterwards. And so with Jujutsu. Hardly any of the schools that we now think of as Jujutsu actually used that term. Some used the term Yoroi Kumiuchi meaning fighting in armour. Others used Torite meaning attacking hands Some schools used Kogusoku meaning lightly armed. Others used Taijutsu meaning body techniques These terms were all common across Japan pr... 2011-3-24 11:03:51 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#90042 If we take the Kata of Shotokan or indeed Wado Ryu Shorin Ryu Budokan etc we find the forms fit into groups. The Taikyoku Kihon forms are relatively recent innovations to be taught to beginners. The five Heian Pinan forms can be fairly reliably traced back to Master Itosu. Kanku Dai has its little brother Kanku Sho as Bassai Dai has Bassai Sho. These are the forms typical of the Shorin Shuri school with big stances powerful movement and movement in all directions. Then we have the Aragaki forms oweing more to Chinese White Crane and Monk Fist. These include Nijushiho Niseishi Unsu Wankan and Sochin. We have the Temple forms of Jutte Jion and Jin and the Tomari forms of Chinte Meikyo and Gankaku Chinto which again pay homage to Chinese Crane and Monk boxing. We have the Naha Te form Hangetsu Seishan which has siblings like Sanchin and Suparimpei in styles like Goju Ryu and Uechi Ryu. We have the three Tekki Naihanchi forms which have some hallmarks of ... 2011-3-24 11:02:52 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#90041 In the late 19th century various methods of Jujutsu were introduced to England. Japans masters demonstrated in the musichalls and one Briton EW Barton Wright trained in Kobe Japan and brought his findings back. Barton Wright called his art Bartitsu BartonJujutsu and it gained such a cult following that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote Bartitsu into Sherlock Holmes repertoire. Soon after a Manchester newspaper sub editor called EJ Harrison became Englands first Judo black belt. In around 1905 an advert appeared in Liverpool advertising Jujutsu classes under a master called Kara Ashikaga. This is thought to have been a marketing ploy and the existance of Ashikaga is doubtful. A few years later the famous Gunji Koizumi left Japan with dreams of joining the British Navy. Hed studied Tenjin Shinyo Ryu in Japan another style in Singapore and sailed from Bombay to Wales. Next he arrived in Liverpool and contacted the Kara Ashikaga school with designs on becoming the... 2011-3-24 11:01:57 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#90038 In my own school students must train regularly for a minimum of four years before attaining black belt. In the last 11 years I have only awarded one black belt and that student had trained for over 25 years at the time At the moment I have three students graded 1st Kyu who I would like to see grade for their black belts in the next year. I think I am fairly centre ground when it comes to Dan grades. I wouldnt expect a student to be Miyamoto Mushashi to get his black belt but neither would I Dangrade every Tom Dick or Harry who simply turns up for four years. To me a black belt is not just about experience its about skill dedication attitude aptitude and more. Its the start of a new journey but its also a benchmark. Id rather have no blackbelts than a bad black belt. But now Id like to talk about the two extremes of grading students to blackbelt. I call them the macho criteria and the spiritual criteria THE MACHO CRITERIA In 2001 I asked one instructo... 2011-3-24 11:00:05 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#90037 Back when I was a 2nd Dan I met the man who would become one of my main teachers. And he changed the way I approached Karate. At the time I was 2nd Dan in Shotokan Karate amp Shoshin Ryu Karate Jutsu and also 2nd Dan in Jujutsu and in another style of JuTaijutsu which also encompassed Aikijujutsu and other arts. Id also done Tai Chi at that point for about four years. So in other words Id been around I hadnt only trained in one way. I thought I knew my stuff. I was teaching on a seminar in Birmingham. Still one of the biggest Ive taught on. I showed Karate kata applications bunkai and demonstrated something that back then was still pretty seldom taught Karate Oyo applications consisting of grappling throws locks and pressure points. At the end of the session a Judo 6th Dan said to me that was the best Karate demo weve ever seen. I was feeling pretty good. Then Reiner Parsons a 5th Dan Goju Ryu at the time came over to me and said I like what you did....... 2011-3-24 10:59:15 http://www.bushinkai.org.uk/page37.htm#39954 Martial arts are either defined as traditional classical or modern. But which are we Well a little traditional and a little modern. With some hallmarks of classical. And were not alone in this respect. Here I talk about the different approaches CLASSICAL In Japan a classical martial art Koryu Bujutsuis one that has been preserved unchanged since before the Meiji Restoration. In other words it was created in Samurai times and has been passed through the generations without changing anything. And example of a classical school is Tokyos Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu which specialises in swordwork another would be Tenjin ShinYo Ryu which has Jujutsu as its primary focus. Generally classical martial arts dont use coloured belts the Dani system and instead present scrolls of competency. These may be in particular areas Aikijujutsu they may represent a certain number of techniques or they may represent a level of mastery Menkyo Kaiden. Often Koryu sch... 2009-4-16 15:53:51