Old style classes

             

               First off let me say I hate when people say “the old days” a lot in teaching or sit and tell tall tales of how the old days were better/harder/more of something….anything than it is today. If your Karate is not enough of a challenge you have two things to look at…is the instructor going easy on you or not know what they are doing…or more to the point, am I actually trying as hard as I can?

                Most of the issues with today’s training can be boiled down to two things, not enough training…not training hard enough personally. If you can’t figure out how to make a whole hour of stepping punch hard for you and a personal training high….then its you not the instructor that needs a good mental looking at! I remember classes were all we did was reverse punch for a full hour in Zenkutsu and I can tell you I still have nightmares about how hard that class was!

                What I want to show is how the class structure has changed from old classes over the years and what we can do as a Karate-nation to bring them back…if your classes are set up differently now that is. The fact is that Karate has not changed in structure and function in over 300 years, hell maybe longer depending on your belief system! However….How we teach it has changed a lot over the years and this is a bit of a break down and hopefully some ideas on how to get back to the old ways.

 

                First off the classes started on time…but work outs started long before the class started. Sensei would post the official class time as say 5pm, but the Dojo would begin to fill up about 30-45 minutes before that. Everyone would change out and start their warm up routine and get a good sweat on.

                Everyone had a personal set of things they did habitually, most did Kata, stretched, did some work on technical things like recoil in Mae Geri or Hikite in Gyaku zuki or Jun kaiden with hip control ext. You had people stretching on the back were the “Dance bar” was (a great idea sensei took from a dancer he had train with him), you had people working in front of the small mirror we had, punching the Makiwara and the punching bag (whenever it was not broken or torn to bits) and people working with the big “bat” that sensei had (Essentially a long bat that was used to strengthen with. We had a body frame machine used to do sit ups on and lots of people just stretching and working out on the floor.

                Time before class was seen as the warm up time and time to do Hojo undo (body conditioning or calisthenics).  We never had people showing up 2 minutes before a class started and I remember the odd occasion that someone was late, they would suffer for it by being put with the seniors that would show them how disrespectful it was to be late…and no one…ever was late often. We used to say if you were not there to warm up 10 minutes before class MINIMUM you were late.

               

                Sensei would call us to line up right on the nose…or just before the start of class was posted. So if we started class at 5pm you were darn sure in line bowing in about 4:55 or dead on. The line up was simple, he called “Shugo” and we rushed…..and I mean rushed into line. Seniors sat in the front closest to the door and Sensei would stand watching as we lined up. Then he would turn and sit, the order was given and we joined him in sitting down. Quick Mokuso and then a bow, Sensei pointed at a senior and we did the Junbi Undo or warm up.

                The Warm up was fast, not a long drawn out stretching work out akin to Yoga. That kind of fooling around would not have been accepted by Sensei. Pushups, squats, big stretches and we never missed the Front stance stretch and side stance stretch or butterflies. The three exercises that made up the core of the work was always those stretches but every senior did something different to warm us up and it only took about 5 minutes, that’s all. Anything more and Sensei began to pace and that was never good!

                Some seniors did 5 minutes of hard callisthenic type work outs, others had us moving around doing big swinging motions and rotations of the torso like an old aerobics video…of which I am sure they watched and thought “Darn that will be fun”.

The Warm up was a position or job with prestige, if Sensei liked your warm up you did it often, if he was not a fan you were kind of thrown to the back of the choices and would not do them often. One particular senior did these crazy warm ups that most of us hated with duck walks and strange movement skills and did them as if he was teaching the class.  You could tell Sensei was not a fan because that guy only did them when there was no other choice for warm ups in class. Often I would do a bit of the warm up then go and talk to Sensei and do my own stretching, as a senior I had that option but everyone else was forced to do the weird warm up.

Often Sensei would not even have warm ups, in fact in the old days when I started we never did them. He felt that if you were at class before and you did the pre class rituals and such you were warm enough and it was down to business. At some point in the distant past he started initiating this warm up ritual and we just kind of kept doing them. Often you will see old school teachers just teach right off the hop and slowly warm up the class with Kihon or Kata training and some seminars have no extra time and you find instructors not warming up classes and just going slow in the start of class. This is more common than not actually.

 

Kihon and Taiso Dosa or basics and exercises were the first thing we did in class. The class started every time with some kind of Kihon work, lots of times it meant 20-30 minutes nonstop of basic work in a line Kiai every time. This was the start of a grueling work out.  Sensei demanded that you go the hardest you could and that you pushed yourself to do your very best. Not everyone was physically gifted or young, the class had older people, young athletes, people in fantastic shape and those trying to get into shape. But, everyone busted their asses trying to push themselves to do their best.

We did exercises like leg pulls (think of Over chambering the leg) partner work, drills, games of “tag” and such but everything went into building stronger, faster and sharper basics. We did our basics in lines, circles, against the wall, moving, stationary, with partners very far away and really close but we used to do so many exercises and worked on basics from every angle. And the whole time Sensei would be walking around with his Shinai and your ankles tasted its violent snap if you were not moving quick or if you were not working hard in class.

Often the work outs had set reps of things and followed with a callisthenic, like you would do 10 front kicks with a reverse punch each side then the dreaded “10-10 and 10” or ten push-ups, ten sit ups and ten squat kicks. Does not sound at all hard right…10-10-10…so what its 30 reps of different things! It’s not like you had to do 100 push-ups….oh, wait…did I mention it was done with 10 sets of each…meaning 100 Right front kick reverse punch, 100 Left front kick reverse punch, 100 push-ups, 100 sit ups and 100 Squat kicks…..and that was still part of the warm up!

 

Sensei would then get into the meat and potatoes of the class. He would focus on one of the three K’s for the class and basically we were already working on what he wanted to do in the Taiso Dosa training. If we were working on a specific Kihon like Mawashi Geri or Jun Kaiden ext, we would just smoothly transition into that work and keep going for the class. But if we changed to Kata then he would work on weak points with students in the Kata. First he would tweak the class and walk around with everyone doing a specific Kata like Heian Yondan. He would count and walk around while we held a position so he could make corrections. He would show us what we had to do once then count and get us to set up the move, sometimes we did the same move 20-60 times till he was happy , then we could move on.

If he was working Kumite, which I have to say was kind of rare, we would find partners and we never ever used safety gear, it was just kind of not something we did. You would rotate through and he would tell us what we were doing and then we were off. He would walk around and give tips, but the seniors drove the juniors and no counting unless it was at the start of Sanbon Kumite.

He would be busy fixing issues and giving tips and often spending time showing how to properly find angles or snapping you with a shinai to get you moving but the class was very focused and quiet. And NO ONE talked…ever!  The one time a senior started teaching his partner Sensei smacked him over the head with the shinai and told him “Less talking more showing” and embarrassed the hell out of that guy!

It did not matter what the focus for the class was the whole Dojo was focused and by the end of the classes hour (often hour and a half) we were all soaked and tired, the kind of tired that a great work out produces. And not once did we stop for water or to stretch out unless Sensei was going to move us to another drill or something. We just went at it and gave our all. Slackers were just not present, if you did not give it your all you were not expected to last very long and most did not.

If you showed you had ego in class, you were beat on and taken out. If you hit someone with out “permission” you were beat on, if you were dangerous to work with because you were sloppy or did not pay attention…well you got beat on. Now saying that the beating you got was not physical violence really it was being pushed really hard to the point that you were going to pass out or puke, and often everyone in the dojo was suffering the same lesson…but we all knew who it was aimed at.

Sensei had a way of weeding out lazy and silly people and if you were not serious about Karate you were punished with classes that would break you, and if you learned and came back to work hard it was a sign of growth, but most that were targeted by this kind of training just faded away. Those of us that stuck around were sure that our ranks were worthy of at least what they were supposed to represent.

 

Most classes just kind of ended. You found yourself dragging your butt into line after being punished and beat down and prayed that you could sit still and not fall over during the end part of class, but often Sensei would stop class about 3 minutes before we lined up and he did Seiri Undo, or cooling off exercises. Sensei tended to go all Zen at this point and have us do big stretching and breathing, normally raising our arms up so after  big work out we could fill our lungs, but this was not easy as you were so tired that you simply could not raise your arms.

                The cooling down was still mostly left up to us for after class stretching but most students rushed out the door to grab a shower or towel off and get into street clothing to run out for the bus or drive home. Not a single person that was in class had a lot of energy left and I remember in the 90’s a lot of power bars, goopy sugar gels and power drinks were consumed just to get your blood sugars back up.

 

For those of us who stuck around after class we got to stretch out and do some work with Sensei and God forbid he grabbed you for Kumite. I know of a few times I was so tired that my body was shutting down on me, I was goofy with dehydration and then had the task of defending myself against his attacks, which were not held back.  More times than not he however would get you to do Kata and your body, still tired, was beat on by the Shinai to ensure you were doing the moves right.

You almost always left class with that light feeling, the one were you could not possibly do another rep of just about anything and you were fairly sure even everyday tasks would be fairly impossible to perform if called upon. You were both heavy as a brick and light as a feather.

 

                The classes were different back then as were the typical student. We did not do sport Karate at the JKA nor did we shy away from it. The tough classes we do now adays were the laid back versions of the classes done on Albert street in the torture room of a Dojo. The summers saw the walls weep with perspiration and the winters were so hard on cold tendons and steam would literally come off of you when you left the Dojo for hours.

I remember more than one class first sitting on the floor, then laying on my back wondering if I was going to pass out or if I could muster the energy to get up and go to the change room and put on my street clothing. The cold water that I would splash on my face did nothing to cool me off but it felt amazing to do this, and often I would start with my face then splash it on my chest and neck to try and get some kind of energy back.

 

I often find myself longing for the old style classes, but realize that my body probably is not able to do them anymore now that I am much older than when I first started. But I try and give a bit of that back to my students and I also try to push myself to get that kind of training in whenever I can, if not at a modified level.

 

Before I close this out I want to be clear. The old days training had its faults as well. Lots of lose teeth, bruised faces and limbs twisted fingers, snapped tendons and most of us old timers have battle scars from the old days and some of us limp a bit. Now you can say it’s the fact of getting older but the truth is that the brutal old classes may have been fun but they also left their mark on us.

As instructors we need to heed Sensei’s words and explanation. He once told me that classes were like that because we did not know any better. We did not have fitness guru’s and nutritional gurus to follow who would make us better without beating each other up and now a days the Dojo is a more family centered place so we can’t do this kind of harsh training and keep the doors open. People are different and in some ways training is much smarter. But I think it could use a look back before we move forwards.

When you put on that belt

Its hard to explain to someone that does not put on the white pajamas and belt or Keikogi and Obi what its like to wear one. Its funny because when I put on the white jacket and pants and tug on my black belt I actually become someone completely different. My mind set changes, I have a different focus and some really weird physiological things occur that probably only my wife can tell you is true! First off when you pull that belt around your waist, which is the preferred location for it by the way…we stopped wearing them around our head in the 90’s.. you should have your focus and attitude change. You always represent the Dojo and your instructor but at the moment you put that cloth belt around yourself you represent the instructor, the club and every senior that ever corrected you! You are duty bound to show respect, honor and work hard to progress further! The belt represents not just what level of learning or RANK, but it represents your level of commitment and your understanding of what it is to be a Karate practitioner. When you put it on you are saying that you understand that you must respect your peers, your juniors and seniors and your instructors and that you will work hard to help build a strong family in the club! Family! That’s a key term that I like to use when referring to our organization and individual clubs. We are a family in a lot of ways. Those that put the belt on are choosing to be a member of that family. Distant relative or strong family member, we are all part of the same pack of hard working family members working to build the organization and continue driving the tradition. When I don’t have my belt on I am the chairman, my job is to drive the organization to be bigger, to progress and to get instructors ready to teach. I focus a lot of my time on the marketing of the group, most of which I have given away and I kind of just monitor. I spend a lot of time doing paperwork, planning and I focus a lot on helping others out, researching prices for equipment, placing orders and working on the next testing and seminars. I maintain paperwork and electronic lists and all the things that tick off my wife because I am so darn busy with 10,000 little things! But when that belt gets strapped on I am no longer the chairman of the board, I am a JKA instructor and a student of my Sensei, I represent the new age of JKA in Manitoba with a solid want and need for better Kihon Waza, a love of Kata and a want to spar. I treat everyone equally and I trudge forwards against time trying to perfect techniques and understanding of Karate. My posture straightens up, my movements crisp and I become a different thinking person. When you put on the belt you should feel that change as well. You should feel energized and ready to go. You should feel that want to have a soaking Gi before the end of the night and the want to train like a little kid. The Belt is a gateway to a different person and it should be this way. The Dojo is a place to be that special person you cannot when outside! I encourage this and would love to foster the feeling in all the students. Outside the Dojo we have stress, we have responsibilities and we have family to worry about and labor that we must do. Inside the dojo, once the Gi flaps are tied shut and the belt is tied tightly let all that go, become a different person and remember that for that hour or two you are not the person outside that club, you have no stress other than the physical ones you are being asked to do and you have not responsibility other than to yourself and your fellow students. Let everything else go for two hours! Become a different person and enjoy your relaxed state and work hard to build on your skills. When I strap on that belt I am a different person mentally and physiologically. Its my time to be me and not worry about what others think, to help students and to connect with people. That’s what my belt does for me!

My interview....part one.

(DR):Sensei, Thank you so much for the chance to do the interview today, I want to say let you know that I am taking a lot of these questions from standard questions that have shown up in some of the martial arts interviews, I hope you don’t mind.

(JJ): Not at all, I often borrow Ideas from others, I figure if they got it right…why reinvent the wheel!

(DR):You were born in Winnipeg , Manitoba, Central province in Canada. Would you mind telling us about your early childhood there?

(JJ): it was COLD, well it still is. Maitoba is a beautiful place to live in the summer, but you really have to be a die hard winter freak to love living here. Bad weather, pot holes but some of the nicest people I have ever met live here. Literally, the nicest place to live from what I have seen in my travels. Its always nice to come home from a trip!

My parents were both teachers and busy as heck. First my Dad was a teacher and my mother, one of the strongest women I have ever met, was a office manager….but I think she realized she was way to smart and skilled to stay doing that and she went back and finished school and got her teaching job! I grew up in a home full of smart people! My sister was trilingual and played music, my brother was smart and could spell any word at a young age and he had like this crazy memory! And I hit people (laughs). Yah, they were all smart and I was a cave man!



(DR):Can we please start by asking you how you first started you karate training and why?

(JJ): Well, when I was a kid in the 70”s and 80’s Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris were GOD’S to me. My dad started the whole thing by renting Bruce Lee movies and watching them with me. I got HOOKED MAN! I mean I could Quote Bruce Lee and ran around Yipping and bird calls like he did and then I got into Chuck and the “YAAAA” was flying around in the house. I bugged my dad like crazy but he said no to Karate…I was like 4 at the time mind you.

(DR):Did anyone else in your family do Karate?

(JJ): No, my big brother was a book nerd…Comic book nerd and even though he was six foot and like two fifteen in grade six he was never into any kind of combat arts, or sport for that matter. My Dad and Uncle trained with Tug Wilson in Winnipeg at the old Winnipeg Karate Club and My uncle Bob got his brown belt from Tug!

(DR):Did your father encourage you to train in Karate?

(JJ): No way man! He was way more concerned with my school work. I was a horrible student and always day dreaming. I loved to read but basically my learning disability really made life rough in the house. I always felt like I let my father down in that department. Probably why I pushed to be the only kid in the house to go to university and pushed to do my own thing later on. My Mom encouraged me but my dad was just kind of along for the ride once he found out I was taking classes.

I did that on my own! My brother and I used to go to the movies and one day I saw “MIDWEST KARATE” on a billboard outside a store front and begged him to get off the bus and bring me in…I was six at the time. That was back when kids could travel around on the bus by themselves and not worry to much about violence ext.

(DR):Sensei, the first time you saw karate in a Dojo was by Mr. Marr in Winnipeg?

(JJ): Yup, Sensei Marr and his son were the first two instructors I had.

(DR):Was it a strong club?

(JJ): I could not say. I was a young kid and it was so long ago. I know that Marr Sensei is a good instructor and him and my instructor are peers and friends.

(DR):Why Did you leave that club?

(JJ): I don’t really want to say. I respect Sensei Marr a lot and I think he was going through a rough time. Lets just say that it did not live up to my expectations of Karate at the time and I lost interest in it because of that.

(DR):And you joined Dingman Sensei at the JKA when?

(JJ): About a year after I left Mid west. Again, I was on the bus and noticed the big JKA sign that Sensei used to have painted on the back window of the Dojo. What struck me was the mist that was coming out of the window at the time. It was December and the windows were open and steam was billowing out of the club windows.

I went up the next week and was struck by the smell. It smelled a lot like hard work! The club was seriously NUTS back then. Man it was rough! And exactly what I was looking for. I trained at the club more and more even when I went to university and college, it became an obsession!

(DR):What did you study in university?

(JJ): I studied sort of a general arts degree, but my focus was on “Rehabilitation of sport injuries” I did a lot with biology, and physics…funny because I failed physics twice in high school! I also studied world religion, Sports Med., History, Sociology and other basic intro courses. Actually for the three years I did more intro courses than you could shake a stick at trying to find a diverse base of knowledge….I even took philosophy for a lark…hated most of what I took unless it was anatomy or biology!

(DR):How has that helped your Karate?

(JJ): I think it has, I mean knowing more about the body has helped me in a lot of ways in both teaching and training. Also the requirements for someone with a learning disability to buckle down and study hard to just get B’s has made me serious about my studying Karate as well. I think I approach things a bit differently than say just a regular athlete would. I kind of see myself as a Karate academic in a lot of ways. I see lots of seniors that train in Karate and don’t know a thing about it other than the kicky punchy things and lots of them lose interest or get stale and board teaching. I always find new things to study and bring to class!

(DR):What is your position in the organization?

(JJ): Head cook and bottle washer to the chief instructor! Seriously I am the Chairman and the executive director.

(DR):What does that mean exactly.

(JJ): Well, I help direct the ship! Sensei has final vito and vote on things and I just kind of coordinate the whole thing. I have to say that now that I have a really strong board I do a lot less than I used to, but I still dedicate about two hours a day to my duties as the Chair.

(DR):Do you have a dojo?

(JJ): No, I gave mine up when My daughter was born and Sensei needed more help around the headquarters. Over time I kind of just settled in as his assistant and like the dude on Kung Fu…I am a wandering Sensei! I teach at a few clubs, but own none of them.

(DR):Does your wife train in Karate?

(JJ): (Laugh) No, actually she thinks jumping around in white PJ’s is kind of funny. She respects my training and commitment but I don’t see her training any time soon!

(DR):Were you an avid sports athlete prior to your karate training?

(JJ): Not really, I mean I was five or six when I wandered into my first Dojo and you don’t find a lot of athletes that age (laugh). Actually, I did baseball and gymnastics outside of martial arts. I kind gravitated towards not team sports however. Growing up I bounced between just doing martial arts and doing sports to keep my parents happy. I am a bit reclusive and don’t like crowds so I never took to team sports much.

(DR):Have you ever gone to Japan to train?

(JJ): No, I have never had the chance really.

(DR):Do you think you have to go to Japan to train in Karate?

(JJ): No, I mean it would help, but if you have a good instructor then that is the cherry on top! To travel to Japan and Okinawa would be fantastic, but I really think that with the level of talent we have outside of Japan now with instructors like Mikami, Okizaki, Yaguchi, Takashina, Mori, Koyama, Saeki and other great Sensei…you don’t have to go to Japan unless you are looking for that cherry on top!

(DR):What are your goals in Karate that you may not have reached yet?

(JJ): At my age…I am looking to get into better shape, fell off the wagon when my daughter was born big time, by not having the time to train anymore. But other than getting in shape, I want to honor my instructor by moving to Yondan and Godan someday.

(DR):What is your thought on Rank, you are rather outspoken on the subject.

(JJ): Its all kind of relevant and vastly misunderstood. I see the general public drooling over 5th and 6th dans that are HORRIBLE people and horrible Karate people, but they turn up their nose at 2nd Dans and 3rd Dans that are great people and good teachers. I think that most Karate people and the general public need a good education in Rank and what it really means!

(DR):Have you ever been a member of an organization other than the JKA/CJAK?

(JJ): started off with the Midwest group and for a long time we were ISKF and a short time we were independent, but I always felt like the JKA was the way to go.

(DR):Why did you leave the ISKF?

(JJ): Politics, ego and students that did not learn about respect and being humble. I still cannot stand most of them because they would swear allegiance to my instructor to his face and when they went to hug him stab him in the back. Karate brings out the very best and worst in people and they all wanted to run things…and we left to give them a chance…it’s a bit of a bitter joke really! I don’t give up on grudges very easy, my Sensei says I need to forgive like he does, but its very hard when such a bitter thing was done to my Sensei by people he raised in Karate!

But, we are so much more happy now. I am glad that the lazy hearted people left real JKA Karate and now we can build our family up again with people that are honest and won’t be out for themselves only!

(DR):The 1970 and 1980’s were an era of intense conditions, a sharp contrast to today’s politically correct, ‘health and safety’ regulated practices. Do you have any stories from this early part of your training career that could illustrate the karate you experienced?

(JJ): Ha! Far to many! Real training back then was brutal. I cannot count the number of broken bones, cuts and split lips I had because of that Dojo. The training was brutal and we really took it to the next level. The difference now is that anyone can benefit from Karate, back then we would have chased off most people. Lots of broken teeth and split knuckles back then. My mother was horrified on a weekly basis with the bumps, cuts and hospital visits I had from regular training.

I would tell stories but my mom does not want to hear them or read them again…I aged her like 10 years.

(DR):What was the training like? Lots of kihon, repetition, not much explanation?

(JJ): It was very different. Very regimented and pushing the whole hour and a half. But back then I loved it, not sure we could “sell” that kind of work out now adays. TONES of reps to start with then small corrections, back to drills, Kata or Kumite. The Kata was brutal, not pretty at all and Sensei would use his Shinai to correct stance. Kumite, even the one step you thought you might lose teeth and again, sensei with his Shinai….”WACK, WACK, WACK” as he got closer to you …well you started sweating a bit more and knew it was soon your turn (laughing). It sounded horrible, but really…the most fun of my life was in those classes!

(DR):Did you do a lot of Makiwara work?

(JJ): Not till we were sixteen or seventeen, sensei would skin us if he saw young kids wacking that thing! I loved it however. As soon as I turned sixteen I was all over that thing! I used to hit it about 100 times each hand before class and as much as I could after!

(DR):You talk a lot about the injuries you got in Karate, can you tell us a bit about some of them?

(JJ): I’m a wreck (laughing) no seriously, I can count on one hand the amount of times that I have had a full 12 months without a major injury…but only a few have come in the Dojo. Broken bones, cuts…bad cuts, concussions…you name it. But I am still here and still kicking and punching!

Its really important to note that I was never really hurt to bad doing Karate. The odd broken tooth, lots of bumps and bruises….. but nothing that stopped me from training.

(DR):So most of them were from training outside of Karate and other things? What about the damage that you took in Karate?

(JJ): Karate was brutal back in the day, but we ate most of it and kept going really. I had lumps on my shins and forearms that did not go away for like six years! And when they went away others popped up in their place. No Karate was brutal and I got a few broken noses but we had a kind of system in the Dojo were guys that went nuts and hurt people sparred with those further up the line and were tuned up a bit. And if that did not work then Sensei got his hands on them and they pretty much figured out the rules!

(DR):Do you feel karate has lost a bit of that martial spirit, and how do you overcome this in your own dojo?

(JJ): Oh, yah. Karate used to be about being a warrior and showing up knowing you were going to be hurt. You were scared to come in the door because you knew you were going to get beat up every single class! I am not kidding it was a kind of pleasure and pain thing…sounds sick but really we all showed up knowing that we were going to be driven to the limits and if it was not getting hit by your partners and dropped by Sensei and his shinai then it was a class that would leave you sucking wind bad.

Now people show up and get offended if they soak a gi! Really???? House wives that come with polished nails and make up on, guys with $100 haircuts and pink shirts! Back in the day they would not have come in all dressed up…even if they came from work. Why, well because they knew that the hair was going to get soaked and Salmon pink shirts would be ruined after they sweat through them. We were a lot tougher than that!

The practice is also different. I remember Sensei open hand slapping a student once for hurting another guy…now that would not fly, different times!

(DR):What do you think of modern sport competition?

(JJ): I hate it! Really the Gis are all skirts and they hop like Kangaroo! No, the old JKA style is the best, the guys were fast as lighting and had an iron will! They were scary! Now its all fancy kicking and flippy dippy stuff!

(DR):What is the difference between JKA Kumite and JKF competition?

(JJ): JKA Kumite is straight in, blasting like a crazy man and focused hard striking. The other stuff, I don’t know if its JKF or what ever, is weak. Its about speed but you could slap a guy 1000 times or hit him once! You pick!

(DR):Have you ever competed in open Karate tournaments?

(JJ): Not in an open one. I went and watched a few but they had horrible techniques and they were being doted over for being fancy. I was very sad to see that kind of garbage called Karate!

(DR):Did you compete much?

(JJ): I did my share, have a bucket of medals in the basement holding up dust…but that never why I was in Karate. I hated grading and I hated tournaments.

(DR):How has competition changed these days do you think, in and outside of the JKA?

(JJ): its about being a peacock now. I remember when it changed too. The generation after me, about 10-20 years younger flipped a switch from Budo based Kumite to this flippy dippy stuff. And they got “fans” that adore them too! I don’t like that stuff, its not Karate, its to ego driven. Granted some guys in the generation before me had this issue too…and most if not all are gone now!

(DR):Did you ever train with Nakayama Sensei ?

(JJ): No, that’s a funny story. I was a kid when he came to Winnipeg and we had this big fuss made over him, my instructor drove him around and he ate at his house. But from my point of view it was more expensive seminars they wanted us to go to…and really I paid for most of my own Karate by selling comics, birthday money and a paper route so I was on a budget. I thought “great another old guy that was charging big bucks for a class”….Hey, I never said I was bright.

Yah, I still kick myself. About a year after he passed away, Sensei Tammy (Dingman Senseis Daughter) was looking at a book I got for my birthday from my big brother, “Dynamic Karate” and she said, Yah, he was here last year….I still kick myself!

(DR):What other instructors have you trained under?

(JJ): I train a lot under as many instructors as I can. I have trained with Yaguchi Sensei the most of all the masters as that was my instructors Sensei.I have also trained with Okizaki Sensei, Takashina, Koyama, Ueki, Tanaka, Imura, and a few other Japanese instructors as well. Canadian instructors that I would say stand out would be Del Philips, Terry Proctor, Jarvis Kohut, Brad Jones and Dick Powel. Some I have trained with a lot, others just in seminars and at Koyo Camp.

(DR):Who would you say has been of the biggest influence on your karate?

(JJ): My Sensei obviously. I have to say that I can thank my stars that I found him. Of all the other instructors in Winnipeg I could have ended up with, I know I would have walked away a long time ago if not for finding the right instructor! I have trained with a lot of people over the years and none of them can hold a candle to Dingman Sensei!

(DR):Do you have any Idols in Karate?

(JJ): When I was young it was guys like Tanaka and Yahara Sensei. I really like Kagawa as well, but I have to say that my instructor has always been a bit of a idol for me to look up to…even though I have to look down at him (Laughs). Other than him I really respect Saeki Sensei a lot as well. I don’t get to train with him enough, only once a year now, but he has always impressed me how open and honest he is.

(DR):You are a senior student under Dingman Sensei correct, what is he like to train under?

(JJ): its always been interesting. The more I got to know him the more he shared with me and the more I learned about Karate, the more I learned the more he encouraged me to train and study. He said “training in karate is different than studying it”. That always stuck with me. Actually he is full of so much information and he is very reserved when it comes to some things and he would rather we “steal it from him” sometimes.

He has also changed a lot over the years. When I started he was a tough instructor that was hard on students, man we had big classes, but a huge turnover rate! Now he is more fun loving and loves to teach kids. His health is not the best at the moment but he still shows up and puts his time in and is worried about his students every day!

(DR):And in private how would you describe him?

(JJ): He is very different! He kind of changes when you put the belt on…like the S on superman’s chest. But once you get him one on one he is kind of shy and reserved. He is a private person and its hard to kind of get inside those walls, but once you do he is truly a beautiful man inside. He cares a lot about his students and he is a tough old Irish Dude that does not talk emotions much, but he really does care a great deal. I saw him at his lowest points when the ISKF thing happened and his students kind of did a number on him. To this day he wants me to let it go, but I have the Welsh temper backed up by my Russian temper…basically I don’t let go of things as fast as he can!

(DR):Have you ever had other instructors?

(JJ): Yes, TerryProctor, Jarvis Kohut and a few others

(DR):You don’t call many of them Sensei why?

(JJ): No no, I have one true Sensei, that’s the way I think it should be. I use the title for other people I respect as well, but I only have one Sensei. Also, a few people have really hurt my instructor and I don’t respect them anymore because of that and I won’t call them Sensei or anything for that matter. Terry Proctor was one of my Sensei but I think of him as a Sempai now, not my Sensei.

(DR):Did you ever study another form of Budo besides Karate-Do ?

(JJ): Judo, Kendo and Aikido. I also dabbled in Kick boxing, Sambo, Jiu Jitsu and some kung fu. The thing is that I get mentally racing. I want everything and most of the time its because I want to add to my Karate. I take a style for a while and want to just do Karate. It’s a weird thing really. The longest I trained was four years in Judo.

(DR):Why did you give up Judo?

(JJ): Injuries started to pile up and it was hard to keep up training in both Karate and Judo.

(DR):What Rank were you in Judo?

(JJ): Shodan in the end. I left about a week after I got my shodan. I didn’t even pay to register and to be honest I don’t remember most of it so it was a bit of a fail in the end. The instructor was not that great and the club folded a short time after. His instructor was Mo Oye in Winnipeg, who is a fantastic instructor and I trained under him a few times.

(DR):Would you recommend cross-training in another form of Budo ?

(JJ): Years ago I would have said yes, but now I just don’t see it being that much of a benefit. I think that my new focus and new understanding of Karate and my goals are counter to that. So, the answer is more “what is your goal”! Why do you want to train in different styles. For me its no.

(DR):Have you ever trained in other styles of Karate or with other people from other styles?

(JJ): When I was a kid we had the “Karate Mafia” (laughing). Seriously, I had in high school this band of kids that all took Karate, none of us went to the same Dojo and a weird thing happened. This one kid who did Chito ryu suggested we all work out together. We got together on week ends and after school for like six months, It was fun and great learning. We had the Kid from Chito, Me (Shotokan), one guy from Goju ryu, a Isshin ryu guy and a Tae Kwon do guy. It was lots of fun.

(DR):Is it useful for Shotokan people to learn Goju-ryu or other styles kata?

(JJ): I don’t know, see we have 26 Kata that you can learn in traditional Shotokan and as far as I can see it covers all you ever need to know. I play around a bit with some Goju Kata as a “opposite” to Shotokan kind of training, but really if you start off and want to learn Shotokan then you can stick to the 26 and be happy.

California blitz

                By far the person I learned the most about Dojo sparring from, other than Dingman Sensei,  was my old instructor Terry Proctor.  Terry was a stalky guy that looked kind of like a hockey Goon, not the kind of guy you wanted to mess with because, while he was one of the kindest guys I knew, he looked like he could mess you up pretty good. He was bow legged and square chested and his salt and pepper hair and hair brush mustache made him look like a right wing for the local hockey team!

                The two things I can say about Terry would be that he may not have looked it but he was crazy good at free sparring and he never hurt you or showed that he had any kind of ego. If you scored a point he said “good” and he encouraged you to work. He never put you down and he always had something nice to say…or he would say the bad things in a way that did not hurt as bad. And about being crazy good…you could spar with him for half an hour and not get hurt, not worry about getting hurt and yet he would score 20-30 times to your one…and yet still you felt like you accomplished something with him.

                From Terry I learned a lot about timing, looking for openings and not just throwing a technique to see if it lands, and also that Dojo kumite and Shiai kumite are really not the same thing. I saw him manhandle this one athlete, threw him about, frustrated him and basically spanked him for ten minutes. Found out later that the guy was a national level Kumite guy and was well known for fast wins and lots of them. Like Terry, my instructor used to say that Shiai kumite is great, it is exciting and can be good for Karate….but it is not Karate. It’s a off shoot of training in Karate. True Karate is that true feeling in Kumite when a technique lands, you know it would end the fight and you keep moving, because maybe it didn’t. No one is going to stop you and say “oh, you won” and you are not going to get frustrated and try to kill the partner because its not over yet.

                Now the other thing I learned from Terry was the California Blitz. Well he called it Blitz’n, but I renamed it. Terry always said that when you see an opening you go at it like a Heat seeking rocket and blast towards it…but he also taught me a special kind of attack, a feel to the attack that can only be described as throwing yourself at a target with reckless abandon as you pile drive in attacks in multiples. As modern day MMA guys call it “punches in bunches”…but its more than that.

                The California blitz is something I use when I competed and had someone that was very fast and moved away quickly when I used to do the traditional “hunt and peck” style of attacks you see in traditional Shiai kumite. The “hunt and peck” is when you see an opening and lunge in with a single technique.  Its what you mostly see in Kumite today, a single technique that is supposed to be “one punch one kill” kind of mentality but if you miss its “one attack…air ball” and you have to reset.  If you use this “hunt and peck” attack and the defender moves away, your whole strategy is to reset and look for a new opening…not effective in ending a fight quickly.

                The California blitz is when you attack an opponent with multiple attacks and shifting steps…this means when they move back one full step you have used four half steps to “Fly at them” and your arms and legs are shooting out at the original target as well as any new ones that open up.

                So, an example of my “California blitz” would be seeing an opening for Jodan…the steps will be; move back leg in, short front stance, move front leg, longer front stance…repeat as many techniques as you are doing with the arms. The hand attacks, as that is all I am showing here at this point, would be; reverse punch to face area, long jab to face area, reverse punch to ribs, Jab to face area, Back fist to chest, jab to chest area…switch step and back fist to reverse punch…..so you attack with a bunch of hand techniques strung together and shifting in and switching sides as you attack….simple right…maybe not so much!

                From the time we are white belts we are taught single side, single attacks. Sanbon and Gohon kumite we step in and throw single attacks, Ippon kumite is a single attack, Jyu Ippons are one side single attacks again…then all of a sudden we expect students to develop the ability to do combination attacks and we are shocked when they can’t do a double hand technique off of one step…they look awkward and uncoordinated for months if not years.  And teaching them the multiple combination attack like the Blitz is awkward and frustrating for the student as well as the instructor.

                The Blitz works so well because students are not used to the multiple attacks of the Blitz, its hard to defend and all you can do is flail at the attacks to try and not get hit.  But the truth is that the best defense other than movement is to counter when you see your own opening…and that is often after you get hit like seven times! A good Dojo Kumite fighter will see an opening and move in to attack using the blitz idea and score enough targets to confuse the defender and then retreat and get ready for the next attack.  A perfect sparring match is not like a tennis match with point, counter point, point, counter point type sparring. This kind of “dialoged” between two combatants is common but gives a false sense of self-defense.

                Practicing Kumite should may take more years than people are given before a black belt is awarded and it should actually start with combinations done as a single attack at green belt or purple belt. The focus today is on single perfect techniques and while I see the value in perfect techniques, perfect singular impact techniques I think that combination attacks should be focused on before they are lost completely.

                The Blitz or California Blitz is more of a system or way of attacking and not a set drill. Its something you can use and train with and can be very effective in sparring and with other combination attack drills and systems can lead to way better and more realistic sparring for students and seniors alike.

Just my 2.3 cents worth on kumite!

Nijushiho: Wave Kata

Nijushiho, an introduction

The Name Nijushiho is a misleading name for a Kata. Its meaning is 24 movements or 24 steps but it does not give a flavor to the Kata itself. The Kata is a flowing Kata that has reminded practitioners of a Tsunami or giant wave, with its building power, turbulent speed and then the ebb of the tide as the wave crashes into the rocks and recedes back out to the ocean. Its power and grace is created by dynamic use of the hips and by the very movements that are done smoothly and much like a wave crashing into your opponent.
Nijushiho is a Kata that requires a great deal of reflection and training in order to master, its dynamic movements are often lost on the more novice trainees and only threw hard training and personal study can a student learn the intricacies of a Kata with such interesting fundamentals. Nijushiho has become the personal favorite of many masters and when researching the Kata one should watch the master of instructor like Asai as he demonstrates the Kata or Kanazawa Senseis take on the same Kata.

History of Nijushiho

Originally known by the Okinawan name Niseishi the Kata is used in many styles still practiced in Okinawa. While the name translates as 24 this may not be the meaning of the name. Many of the techniques used are re-enforced or doubled up, one instructor Hisataka of Shorinji ryu suggests that the name refers to the double up, 2 techniques equals 4 in power! Thus the use of 2 and 4 as a name. Often the Okinawans used secretive or mysterious names when creating the names for Katas.

Nijushiho is included many styles syllabus including Shito ryu, wado ryu, Shorinji ryu and Shotokan. Shorinji ryu version is very different and even more circular than most of the styles that use Niseishi. Most of the explanations for the name state that the Kata was named after the number of movements or steps that the Kata has in it. This is not exactly correct and would lead me to ask what kind of counting the masters were doing! But, the explanation is widely accepted as truth and the explanation for the wrong number of moves is that the Kata has changed over the years. I can not argue with that...what Kata has not changed?

The Kata is present in most Crane forms from Fujian white crane as many modern Kata are. The Okinawan source for this Kata is Seisho Aragaki (1840-1920). Aragaki is also the master who fostered other very popular a Kata such as Saichin, Sochin, and Seisan/Hangetsu. Anko Azato (1828-1915) was also known to have done Niseishi, but it has been suggested his version, which he greatly changed, is not the Shotokan version. But, Azatos version of the Kata did Influence the Nijushiho of Shotokan.

Azato was a upper level aristocrat (peichin class) who was a Senior government statesman, scholar and Karate instructor as well as a well respected swordsman. Azato was also Sokon Matsumruas Assistant at matsumuras Garden dojo in the Shuri castle. Azato used his sword training to help him change Katas and to use his ideas to teach movement more influenced by Sword fighting than chinese boxing. Gichin Funakoshi was a student of Azato for many years but he did not originally use this Kata in his training. Harry Cook suggested that Funakoshi had forgotten the Azato Version of the Kata. He sent his students to Mabuni for a Kata exchange or training exchange to pick up some of the lost Kata. This is were the Aragaki version of Niseishi was learned and brought into Shotokan. Azatos version, which again was influenced by his sword training, had circular and included fast in and out movements with side stepping. the stances were higher and the Kata was not as smooth as Aragakis version. The Aragaki version was also longer and linear and the Shotokan Version is not as choppy as the Azato modified version.

The Shotokan version further appears to have been 'shotokanized' by Gigo Funakoshi and the seniors at the JKA who went to visit Mabuni. But it does remain very similar. One source, Hisataka, also states that the Kata done in Shito ryu and Shotokan may have its roots in Kudaka Village and the original Kata is presumed to come from the Dragon style of Kung fu as well.

In an effort to make his Okinawan (and thus, foreign) art more palatable to the then nationalist Japanese, Funakoshi changed the name of the Kata from Niseishi to Nijushiho. Both names mean "24 steps." However, this is not simply an interpretation of the number of movements or techniques extant in the Kata. 24 is related to 108, which is an auspicious number in Buddhist scriptures. Both 2 and 4 are divisors of the larger number. 108 refers to the 108 'afflictions' of the soul, which are to be symbolically stricken down in events like Kagamai Baraki (Japanese New Year). The Kata Gojushiho (originally Ueseishi) is "54 steps", another divisor. It is a likely possibility that both Kata were so named as a reference to this aspect of Buddhism. Although the Kata have come down to karate practitioners via Okinawans, who mostly rejected Buddhism in favor of their own animistic beliefs, the original kata came from the Chinese, who embraced it.

This does not imply that the Kata itself is a Buddhist exercise- the Buddhist zymology is only an artifact of its originators, who were most likely Buddhists of some flavor.

Notes on

The name Nijushiho or 24 is not really a direct interpretation of the name. the number 24 is related to 108 in the Buddhist religion, an important number. It is thought that the Kata and the Gojushiho (54) Katas have been named as such to connect them to on of the major religion of the time. This does not mean it is a Buddhist exercise however, the Buddhist symbology is only an artifact of its Chinese roots. Despite its many numeric symbology the most striking part of the Kata is its water theme and its physical incarnation of water in movement.

The rhythm and flow that makes this Kata unique are important to master. Spinning, turning and good control of stance are essential to making the Kata resemble a wave of movement. The opening movements are said to best depict the idea of water in the movements. It must be noted that the Kata is very difficult to perform and make it aesthetically pleasing, but one of the most well known practitioners to take up Nijushiho was Asai sensei. Asais performance of Nijushiho was a thing of beauty. I should caution however that a student not try and follow Asai Senseis performance of this Kata. His body was not exactly human and I dont think any of us can do what he did.

The Kata itself has such a strong "wave" theme that it has taken on the characteristics of waves smashing onto the shores. Not only that but most practitioners do refer to Nijushiho as a "water" Kata or as the "tsunami" Kata.

End notes

My favorite person to watch doing this Kata was Asai sensei. My only regret was not meeting him while he was alive and watching him perform this Kata with his flair and unique abilities. His body could simply do things it was not meant to do. I began studying the Kata when my instructor asked me to find a personal Kata. It was not really a Kata that I thought I was built for, but it became a favorite of mine after I began training in it and trying to perfect the difficult movements. I noticed that the Kata had a great deal of hip movement in it and started to research this by working on the hip movement in the Kata. It was very interesting to se how the hip is used like a spring and or a rubber ball, forced in one direction and then released to travel the other direction.

Dingman Sensei is fond of this Kata and when I told him I was going to take on this Kata as a task he told me to pay attention to the details. He also called it the "tsunami" Kata or wave Kata. This was to show me that the Kata should act like a wave. Crashing in to the opponents and destroying their attacks before drawing them back into the counter. A very interesting analogy that paid off for me when I started to learn the form. By visualizing the Kata as a wave motion I had an easy time working on the feel of the Kata.

Nijushiho is not a very popular Kata in many ways. To advanced of some to grasp and looking a little on the strange side for a Shotokan Kata, many students do not practice it and miss out on the body dynamics that are offered in the Kata. One should not work on Nijushiho until they have Bassai Dai and Kanku Dai down, these two Kata will help the student understand the hip aspects of Karate’s "tsunami" Kata.

Gojushiho Dia: 54 advanced movements large

Gojushiho Dai, an introduction

Gichin funikoshi first renamed the Kata Gojushiho to create a Japanese feel for the Kata then tried to rename the Kata Hatoku after the woodpecker like movements of the hand strikes through out the Kata. Hotaku is the name for the Japanese woodpecker that inhabits much of Kyushu and the other major islands that make up Japan proper. but like many of the renaming attempts that Funakoshi Sensei tried, this did not stick and the students reverted to the older name soon after the attempt to change the names began.

History of Gojushiho Dai

Both Gojushiho dai and sho are very close in presentation, more so than any other sho/dai combinations. They follow the same embusen and virtually are the same timings at points. Gojusthiho Dai is more compact and uses shorter inside tension stances compared to Sho's opposite longer techniques and stances. Compared to the flowing long and graceful movements of the Sho version of the Kata, the Dai is compact and powerful and uses many advanced and difficult hand movmements.

Some references suggested that the Kata came from a form of Kung fu called Phoenix eye fist, but with stronger references saying that it is linked to the Kata Hakutsuru, a white crane Kata. The phoenix eye fist reference does not seem very likely seeing as it does not contain forms that resemble this and the origins of most of the Karate Kata and styles are very closely linked to White crane and little to no information links any styles to the Phoenix eye fist style, known as Yau Kung Mun. Some feel that Hakusuru is a follow up to the original Gojushioho so it would seem that ' 54 steps' is a Fukyuen Kata after all.

For those pointing to the origin in the phoenix eye style they say it originally name was Kaisan and that this form may have been shared with the crane style, to explain its connection in both styles these people say it is a sub style called Black Tiger which was incorporated into the white crane system and lost its independent identity. The Dai version of the Kata is a powerful version of the two with snapping hands and quick pouncing like moves all coming from a coiled like Cat stance. While the Sho version seems to show the grace of the crane in the use of hit wing like arm movements in the blocking and then spearing the attacker.

Allot of sources point to the original Gojushiho or Useishi as being a white crane form however and skip the idea or discard the idea of a link to the Phoenix eye style. The idea of the black tiger style being involved in the creation of this Kata are not discarded. the Black tiger style was a style that was brought into the Crane style and used to balance the systems out. Black tiger was the counter balance to the cranes light and softer movements, bringing a harder and faster style to bear on the new amalgamation. Useishi was the original name of the Kata as it was taught in Okinawa.
The elegance of the Sho Kata is very striking when compared to the Dai version. The first movements is aptly named to convey the elegance 'Ryo Un No Uke' or ' Back of the flowing cloud', which shows that the movements should be smooth and flowing. The modern day Sho is derived from Mabunis interpretation of Ueishi and was more than likely part of the Kata exchange that the JKA had with their Shito ryu hosts at the event that Funakoshi requested with the Shito group.

The modern day 'Sho' is derived from Mabunis Useishi and was more than likely part of the kata exchange that the JKA had with the Shito ryu group. The origins of Useishi seem to be Arhat Boxing or monks fist. This style includes Useishi as one of its forms along with Jitte, Sanchin, Seipai and other familure Kata. Arhat is one of the styles that has had contact wtih the Fukin or Shaolin temple and borrowed from the crane forms found in that area. The Original Gojushiho, Useishi, also appears in the ancient text "the Bubushi" an ancient note book on Kung fu and styles that has been passed down for many generations.

There is often some confusion about which Kata is Sho and which is Dai. Kanazawa Sensei uses the reverse from the Mainstream JKA organization and some groups don’t see two Gojushiho Kata at all but choose to do only one as the original was split into two Katas by the JKA. It seems that the flowing Gojushiho Sho is actually the base Kata that the compact Dai was created from.

Notes on Gojushiho Dai

Gojushiho dai and sho are both taught to Karate-ka normally after they have reached Sandan. The Dai version has shorter moves and shorter stances. The hand techniques are closer to the body and even though the two Kata are relatively similar they do contain different ideas of training. Dai relies on fast short hand movements and transitions from one short stance to the next. Sho is longer and uses the Kokutsu dachi over the Nieko dachi which elongates the movements and feel of the Kata.

End notes

Gojushiho dai is the more compact and powerful of the two Gojushiho Katas. Lacking the longer lines and graceful movements that the Sho version has, Gojushiho dai seems to be more of a no nonsense version of the two. The reality to me is that the Dai version simply shows the compressed version of the movements while the Sho version the open version. Both Kata present a very dynamic and challenging form that uses sweeping motions, circular blocking and also direct counters. The explosive movements at the end should be built up to and then the spirit of the Kata relaxes after the final attacking motion.

Gojushiho Sho is somewhat more popular at tournaments because of the longer lines and the more flowing movements. With the duo of Kata one should practice each to take information on how to work in different situations.

Gojushiho dai was never favorite of mine until we learned the Sho version and I saw the flip side of the coin. I can still remember many a sleepless night that we had after Sensei Dingman had us do Gojushio Dai for half a class, my left leg turning from mush into a solid rock and the aches and pains of an unconditioned muscle over used. trying to sleep with the aches and pains was nothing compared to showing up at the dojo and having Sensei call out your name on your way out of the change room and use two simple words to destroy your mood for the class...."James....Gojushiho...Dai" and then it was off to practice before class and test the left legs ability to really get beat on.

Gojushiho dai, In moderation, has become one of my favorite Katas to do now. And watching a good Karateka do the Kata now has even more meaning for me. My advice, practice Gojushiho sho first and when you get it down move on to this Kata and watch for the subtle and not so subtle differences in the Katas. And most of all Enjoy them.

Gojushiho sho:54 movements Small

Gojushiho Sho, an introduction

The Gojushiho Katas are both popular with tournament competitors because of the snapping movements and the fast actions, mixed in with the dynamic and dramatic slower movements and pausing in the Kata. All of which allow the athletes to show off both skillful acting and also athletic prowess. Gojushiho Sho is the softer or seen as having longer techniques and nicer lines nit eh movements. The Kata itself is a good representation of what advanced ideas the Shotokan Style has picked up from its roots.
The two Kata in the series look very much different and yet share the same movements and lines or patterns. The Sho version seems more advanced because of the longer lines and elongated moves, but I find that the Dai version is a greater challenge when it comes to physical performance. While the Dai version may challenge a student in different ways, the Sho version also has its challenges for any student that undertakes it. First off, because of the longer lines in the Kata it is harder to hide mistakes or weak points. So a student must make sure to practice the Kata diligently and make sure all weak points are worked on till the Kata flows naturally and with out any errors.
While the Sho version is more popular at tournaments I recommend learning the Dai version first then coming to this Kata to make sure that the body and specifically the legs are ready to train in the Kata and work as a base for the body to produce those long linear movements.

History of Gojushiho Sho

Both Gojushiho dai and sho are very close in presentation, more so than any other sho/dai combinations. They follow the same Embusen and virtually are the same timings at points. Gojusthiho Dai is more compact and uses shorter inside tension stances compared to Sho's opposite longer technqiues and stances. Compared to the flowing long and graceful movements of the Sho version of the Kata, the Dai is compact and powerful and uses many advanced and difficult hand movements.

Some references suggested that the Kata came from a form of Kung fu called Phoenix eye fist, but with stronger references saying that it is linked to the Kata Hakutsuru, a white crane Kata. The phoenix eye fist reference does not seem very likely seeing as it does not contain forms that resemble this and the origins of most of the Karate Kata and styles are very closely linked to White crane and little to no information links any styles to the Phoenix eye fist style, known as Yau Kung Mun. Some feel that Hakusuru is a follow up to the original Gojushioho so it would seem that ' 54 steps' is a Fukyuen Kata after all.

For those pointing to the origin in the phoenix eye style they say it originally name was Kaisan and that this form may have been shared with the crane style, to explain its connection in both styles these people say it is a sub style called Black Tiger which was incorporated into the white crane system and lost its independent identity. The Dai version of the Kata is a powerful version of the two with snapping hands and quick pouncing like moves all coming from a coiled like Cat stance. While the Sho version seems to show the grace of the crane in the use of hit wing like arm movements in the blocking and then spearing the attacker.
Allot of sources point to the original Gojushiho or Useishi as being a white crane form however and skip the idea or discard the idea of a link to the Phoenix eye style. The idea of the black tiger style being involved in the creation of this Kata are not discarded. the Black tiger style was a style that was brought into the Crane style and used to balance the systems out. Black tiber was the counter balance to the cranes light and softer movements, bringing a harder and faster style to bear on the new amalgamation. Useishi was the original name of the Kata as it was taught in Okinawa.

The elegance of the Sho Kata is very striking when compared to the Dai version. The first movements is aptly named to convey the elegance 'Ryo Un No Uke' or ' Back of the flowing cloud', which shows that the movements should be smooth and flowing. The modern day Sho is derived from Mabunis interpretation of Ueishi and was more than likely part of the Kata exchange that the JKA had with their Shito ryu hosts at the event that Funakoshi requested with the Shito group.

The modern day 'Sho' is derived from Mabunis Useishi and was more than likely part of the Kata exchange that the JKA had with the Shito ryu group. The origins of Useishi seem to be Arhat Boxing or monks fist. This style includes Useishi as one of its forms along with Jitte, Sanchin, Seipai and other familure Kata. Arhat is one of the styles that has had contact wtih the Fukin or Shaolin temple and borrowed from the crane forms found in that area. The Original Gojushiho, Useishi, also appears in the ancient text "the Bubushi" an ancient note book on Kung fu and styles that has been passed down for many generations.

Their is often some confusion about which Kata is Sho and which is Dai. Kanazawa Sensei uses the reverse from the Mainstream JKA organization and some groups don’t see two Gojushiho Kata at all but choose to do only one as the original was split into two Katas by the JKA. It seems that the flowing Gojushiho Sho is actually the base Kata that the compact Dai was created from.

Notes on

Gojushiho Sho has a much longer and linear feel to it than the Dai version of this Kata. Some suggest that the Sho version was the JKA or Gigo Funakoshis attempt to Shotokanize the original version tehy used. The Sho version uses much longer stances and arm movements but follows pretty much the same Embusen line. Along with a few minor changes in the Kata, the Sho version of Gojushiho follows the typical Shotokan theories and ideals.
One instructor I trained with suggested that Gojushiho sho was the female version of the Kata and was not just to be done with longer movements but also a lighter more feminine spirit. While the Dai version was male and was to be done with a more physical presence and the energy put into the Kata should be more robust.

End notes

Gojushiho sho is a very dynamic and dramatic Kata. The timing and feel of the Kata should be like waves crashing on the rocks. Sometimes very furious and other times relaxed as power is building for the next wave to crash in. The history and roots of the Kata may suggest some affiliation with various animal styles of Kung fu, but one should not focus on that aspect of its history. Treat it as an interesting tid bit to be read, enjoyed and forgotten. I think that the history in this case may cloud the actual beauty of the Kata.
It will take time and devotion to master this Kata, not just due to its length but because of its difficult techniques and unique timing. The first time I was introduced to this Kata was during seminars were Tammy Dingman, Now Heibert, taught us the Kata and showed us several applications. While I was impressed with the applications, I fear that the Kata itself has a bit of a cultural image of being very advanced and many of us did not take up training in this Kata due to that image. This is sad because it is a very nice Kata to train in.
For those that train in this Kata it is very important to start off with good basics, work into the Kata slowly and make sure that you do not create any technical mistakes that need fixing. The more you do the Kata correctly the more you will get out of it. Gojushiho sho is a beautiful Kata and should be done in such a way that shows off the nice lines of the Kata.