Isshin-ryu’s Hidden Principles of Self-defense:
Published: 11-25-2015
By Spencer Sensei
Every school has a philosophy of self-defense. No two schools founded by different men have the same exact philosophy. They may be similar if they shared instructors, but due to likes and dislikes they will be different. Karate after decades of training becomes personal. Unfortunately narrow minded instructors believe whatever philosophy they trained under is correct and all others are flawed. No one system or philosophy holds the true secrets of martial arts self-defense. A good student tries to dissect his/her styles techniques to discover the founder’s theories about fighting, and by doing so can determine if they’re in alignment with their beliefs. Ask yourself, will what I’m learning save my life, or is it the “fancy mess” Bruce Lee called it?
Every Isshin-ryu student begins their training by learning a rudimentary set of exercises. This is true of all karate disciplines. These exercises are called chart one by some Isshin-ryu schools and upper-body exercises by others. It does not matter what you call them they’re the same thing. One school may execute these exercises on one side and step back into ready position before executing it on the other side, while yet another Isshin-ryu school first executes one on the right side then steps forward and executes it on the left side in one continuous motion. I’ve seen both methods in my years of training. Stepping back to the ready position, before executing the next move, more clearly resembles the Ten-No-Kata of Shotokan. Many systems teach their foundational techniques by marching up and down the dojo floor repeating the techniques until they’re perfected. Teaching Isshin-ryu students the upper-body techniques is a tried and true method of imprinting the foundational techniques of Isshin-ryu on beginning students. Shotokan utilizes floor exercise and Ten-No-Kata to strengthen the foundation of their system. Karate basis are the foundation that the karateka’s house is built upon. A weak foundation and you have a house that cannot weather the storm.
The upper-body exercises or chart-one, as mentioned already, is not unique to Isshin-ryu. What Isshin-ryu practitioners call the upper-body exercises Shotokan calls Ten-No-Kata. Shotokan is the karate of Funakoshi Gichin sensei. Isshin-ryu is the karate of Shimabukuro Tatsuo (Shinkichi) sensei. Many Isshin-ryu students believe that chart-one is as unique to Isshin-ryu as the vertical snap punch, but it is not. This is a common training tool for Okinawan karate students, yet there are fifteen movements in chart-one and only ten techniques in Ten-No-Kata. Examine the two training methods and one can see the obvious similarities. Exercises one through nine are foundational Okinawan karate techniques in both chart-one and Ten-No-Kata, yet Shimabuku sensei added five more and modified number ten. I believe these added techniques contain the fighting philosophy of Isshin-ryu karate.
Ten-No-Kata, part-ten, utilizes an Upper level Iron Hammer-block followed by a Reverse-punch. In Isshin-ryu’s chart-one, part-ten, a rising block is utilized to deflect a punch that is then followed by a back-knuckle with the same hand, and then the reverse punch is delivered with the opposite hand. At part-ten the similarities between chart-one and Ten-No-Kata begin to change. In this technique we begin to see a Shimabuku’s philosophy emerging. This is the student’s introduction to a complex understanding of fighting. Part-ten introduces the student to what I like to call economy of motion. Multiple blows can be delivered by the same hand if done in one fluid execution. Two blows delivered in sequence, with the same hand, eliminates the time it takes to chamber the hand for the second blow. This may seem to be a minor point to many instructors, but it is an advanced concept. Karate, when taught to beginners, is done in a block, stop, then punch cadence, yet we know that fighting is fluid. Bruce Lee noted this as a weakness in Japanese and Okinawan karate, and he is right if the karateka’s training never progresses past that point. Advanced Okinawan karate training calls for more fluid footwork along with striking and blocking in a more efficient manner. Blocks can turn into strikes with a simple flick of the wrist. Once you’ve blocked the attacker’s punch you are on the inside their arm. One can simply slide down the inside of the attacker’s arm and deliver a blow to the attacker’s head. While the attacker is occupied with evading your back-knuckle, your reverse punch strikes their solar plexus and the fight is over. This theory of technique has many facets. It also teaches us how to disguise an attack. The brain can only process one thing at a time. Put a hand in the adversary’s face and his/her focus is on that hand and not on delivering their counterpunch. All Isshin-ryu students should contemplate the complexity of this rather simple technique that we take for granted in the dojo. There are lessons in the simplest of things.
Shimabuku sensei had three instructors. Kyan sensei trained him in Shorin-ryu. Miyagi sensei trained him in Goju-ryu. He was also instructed by Motobu sensei. Each instructor had a different philosophy of fighting. Kyan sensei was small, so he needed quickness and body movement (tenshin) to be affective in single combat. Miyagi sensei believed in forging the body into an impenetrable fortress by body conditioning through kata like Sanchin. He and Motobu, who was a bull of a man, believed in meeting force head on. All these philosophies are present in upper-body exercises ten through fifteen.
Upper-body exercises eleven and twelve introduce another concept. Eleven and twelve upper-body exercise steps forwards in a Seisan dachi or forwards stance followed by a low or middle block and five punches. The beginning student, in most systems of karate, is taught lung punch or reverse punch following a block, and combinations beyond that point are the exception rather than the rule. The mindset for this practice follows the old adage of one-punch-one-kill to end a confrontation. Experience dictates that this is not always true. To subdue an adversary it may take many blows. Motobu sensei would meet force with force, but simply hammering away at your adversary makes you predictable. The cadence is broken in the performance of this upper-body technique. After the block is delivered two quick punches are thrown. After the two quick punches there is a slight pause. Following the pause three more punches are delivered in quick succession. As a student we spent hours doing the upper-body exercises. When we got to eleven (low block) and twelve (middle block), I though throwing all these punches was simply a form of punishment or at best was part of my conditioning. Performing these two techniques ten times each meant that the student would execute two hundred punches. Decades later I began to see the philosophy that was contained within these two exercises. A punch thrown over the top of an attacker’s punch is a block, and any shot to the opponent’s centerline targets must immediately be followed by another attack to slow the adversary’s counterattack with his/her free hand. Pushing a blow to the outside of an attacker’s body opens up his/her centerline vulnerable targets, but doing this allows the attacker’s other hand to be in a position to strike you. You must strike him/her immediately before they can process and counterstrike you with their free hand. This technique is like the old one-two punch found in American boxing. Still there is more to be learned from these two techniques. Let’s examine the punches timing. Simply throwing a one-two combination over and over becomes predictable, so by adding one more blow and you keep the attacker off balance. Too many times in tournament competition I’ve seen students continually throw only one technique and back away. You cannot do this on the street and be successful. Upper-body eleven and twelve teach the student how to attack an opponent head on. I do not recommend slugging it out with an attacker, but that is simply my personal preference. I believe in fighting smarter. These same techniques can also be used to close an attacker’s centerline as well. Blocking the attacker’s blow towards their centerline prevents the adversary from countering with his/her freehand, but limits the vital target areas. It does expose the kidneys, lower ribs, and back, but unless you elevate your final blows to the head the attacker will remain in the conflagration. The real purpose of these techniques is to open the centerline targets. We know this because we’re stepping forwards and not outside the attack. When training don’t look at the number of punches thrown between these two techniques, but see the solid theory of single combat behind them.
Number thirteen is an introduction to open hand trapping and striking soft tissue areas of the body. Grabbing and pulling an adversary allows you to control their movement. Number thirteen steps forwards in a Seisan dachi or a forward stance and delivers a palm down shuto strike with one hand followed by a palm up shuto strike with the other. The rear hand is always pulled back and placed upon the obi. Again this is a head on attack designed to open up the opponent’s vulnerable centerline targets, and we’ve already discussed its downside, so your second attack must be immediate. When the attacker punches the first shuto pushes the blow outside the attacker’s body. What is not seen is that the attacker’s wrist is trapped, by the blocking hand, and he/she is pulled forwards as the hand is placed upon the obi (belt). As the attacker leans forwards you strike the opponent’s neck palm up. Striking the attacker’s brachial plexus or Adam’s apple will temporarily stun them. The shuto is palm up because once the neck is struck the attacker’s reaction is to drive the chin downwards. If you struck the throat palm down the fingers could be trapped and hyper extended when the chin is dropped. When examining fundamentals, note all the nuances little thing may be important. Again the attacker’s blow could be driven inside closing access to his/her centerline targets, but this makes striking the front of the throat more difficult. Remember shuto (knife-hand) strikes are designed to attack soft tissue areas. Fists are like hammers, so they can deliver more force to harder targets, but brut force is not always needed to subdue your opponent.
Number fourteen holds the greatest theory of combat. This is most likely influenced by Kyan sensei. There is an old Okinawan karate saying that best describes his philosophy. It states that, “The best way not to get hit is to not be where to blow is directed.” Kyan Chotoku was a very small man, so he was forced to adapt to survive in single hand combat. He was trained by the palace guards because his father was part of the king’s court, so he had access to the most effective fight techniques in the kingdom. Most of what we know as karate was developed by palace guards, police officers, corrections officers, and the military. Family arts were normally only passed down to the eldest son and their secrets were guarded as if they were treasure. Yes karate’s roots are in Chinese martial arts, but its real Genesis was out of necessity. Yes it is true many practitioners made the pilgrimage to China to increase their knowledge, but Okinawan karate evolved into its own creation. Number fourteen is one of the theories developed out of necessity.
Upper-body number fourteen steps into shiko-dachi on a 45°angle and not straight ahead like the other upper-bodies. As you’re stepping into shiko-daci you push a horizontal parry block across your chest. Once the stance is set, two circular blows are delivered one low and one high. Some strike with the fist while others strike with the thumb knuckle placed on top of the fist. This is body movement also-known-as tenshin. It found in some styles of Shorin-ryu karate, and is part of exercise fourteen. Kyan unlike Motobu could not stand toe-to-toe with an attacker. He because of his stature was forced to attack on angles. Now let’s more closely examine exercise number fourteen. As the attacker punches you step forwards at a 45°angle. This takes away all your centerline targets. The horizontal parry block pushes the blow past your body and turns the attacker opening up targets on their back. First circular punch is to the bladder or solar plexus and the second to the back of the neck just below the skull. Some instructors use the knuckles of the thumb to activate pressure points while some use power to damage the attacker. One of the overlooked facets of this fundamental is the parry block. Advanced blocking techniques direct the opponent’s attacks allowing you access to open vulnerable target areas. Block is a bad term for what the karateka is really doing. Block implies stopping something when in all actuality we are really redirecting an attack’s momentum. This is a core truth of number fourteen upper-body. Only a master of karate can use his/her blocking techniques to control an attack. The parry controls the attacker’s forward motion. This was an ability developed by Kyan sensei out of necessity. There are stories of him effortlessly walking inebriated through a group of men intent on harming him only to emerge unscathed, and another tale of his easily over powering a much larger Judo player. This was all done by controlling the attacker’s momentum. Kyan’s use of body evasion and redirection of the attacker’s momentum made him a formidable adversary. This is the lesson of Upper-body fourteen.
Last but not least is Upper-body fifteen. To the Isshin-ryu beginner it signals the end of the upper-body exercises, but for the advanced student it is yet one more lesson in personal combat. It seems simple enough. Pull back into a cat a stance (Nekoashi-dachi) and deliver a forwards elbow simultaneously with a reverse elbow. What seems simple can be complex. Many believe that the bunkai is a defense against a bear-hug or an attack from behind, but the technique is more complex and more devastating than that. Let’s look closer. An attacker reaches forwards to grasp or control your movement. Grasp his obi (belt) and pull back into a cat stance. The cat stance creates distance and pulls the attacker forwards breaking his/her balance. Next drive the point of the elbow into the attacker’s throat. This is done in one fluid motion. Cat stance and back stances in some instances indicate you’re pulling something. To see this in action watch two teams play tug-of-war and note the similar body positioning to that of the cat and back stance. If you’re not convinced to test the power of this technique relax your body and have someone yank forwards on your obi, but be careful it can injure your back when properly executed. Some Isshin-ryu instructors use a rising block, with the lead arm, instead of an elbow. This simply is a less destructive attack. The forearm is driven under the attacker’s chin opposed to being driven into the attacker’s throat. Examine in detail why you do what you do, or you could miss a key to the technique’s effectiveness.
I believe these additional upper body techniques hold some of Isshin-ryu’s theories for fighting. Did Tatsuo sensei intentionally add them for that purpose? We may never know. Do they show the philosophy of his instructors? I believe they do. What we do know is they’re a wealth of information, and that even our basic techniques can tell us about the philosophies of our styles founder. I urge Isshin-ryu students to look at Ten-No-Kata. This shows us that the first ten techniques of chart-one have a common ancestry with other Okinawan karate systems, but more importantly it begs us to ask why Shimabuku sensei added the last five.
I normally do not single out a specific style for the point of a paper, but I’m most familiar with Isshin-ryu karate and this has been rolling around in my head for awhile. I hold the black belt rank in other styles of karate as well as Isshin-ryu, and I hold a black-belt in another martial arts discipline too. If you take nothing else away from this article, understand that you can never examine your training too closely. There is always more to learn.