syllabus differences

[oneya]

Repetition - being a major factor in absorbing Japanese martial arts - tends to have its pitfalls too so what is particularly interesting for me is whether the first two steps (sic') are always utilised by torimi or just used to get to the third.

oneya

http://www.sannoya.com

[Craven]

Hi AJ,

Yes that sounds like the DVD. I've had a look and I think I have loaned my copy to a friend in France.

Best regards,

DJ

[WadoAJ]

Hi AJ,

Yes that sounds like the DVD. I've had a look and I think I have loaned my copy to a friend in France.

Best regards,

DJ

Ah DJ ok. Too bad he is not showing ido kihon himself. But perhaps I'm spoiled.. I have loaned a lot to other people that I never got back. And also because DVDs have their aging I store it on a harddisk. It was easy to look it up! I have the other old VHS of Sakagami sensei as well including some kata records and enbu. I'm not sure if that was part of the original VHS. I received the (VHS to) DVDs from him back in 2006.

As for difference in syllabus, I wonder what they did in Japan 'back in the day'. My sensei told me that (university karate) they did kihon/ido kihon for 3 hours and then there was kumite for 2 hours. Not sure how that actually went down though. What I'm trying to say is that I guess they did forms of kumite, perhaps ippon gumite, ? I can't imagine my shiro obi deshi to start with kihon gumite ipponme in the first class. There must have been some kind of build up? Or perhaps they just did kihon and by the time they did it for several years it was also enough to start with ipponme? What I remember from my sensei's stories is that there was a lot of basic and a lot of freefighting.

I wonder about the prearranged work of that time in Japan. Or course, their mentality and culture caused different demands from the practitioners which I believe is one of the reasons for the development of other kumite overseas. However, it remains a guess as I never got to ask my sensei this particular question.

AJ

[steveig]

Hi AJ,

Yes that sounds like the DVD. I've had a look and I think I have loaned my copy to a friend in France.

Best regards,

DJ

Hi DJ,
I have a copy here but I bought it,someone else must have yours lol.

I remember doing Suzuki senseis sanbon gumites as ippons with the late Mr.Takamizawa.

Steve.

[Tesshu]

Wado-ryu Bushinkai also practices sanbon gumite, but I honestly don't know whether it's only here in the states. My teacher studies under Suzuki Sensei when he's here, so it might come from him. Our embu kata is all Suzuki except Bassai, which Sakura Sensei used for demonstrations a lot.

[jacob]

I just wonder if the instruction has been diluted over the years.... Health and safety ?? I'm told the shortest way there is the longest way round.....

[Tim49]

I just wonder if the instruction has been diluted over the years.... Health and safety ?? I'm told the shortest way there is the longest way round.....

I would say that the answer to this depends partly on whether you have access to good instruction or not. I think there is dilution and unhealthy contamination.

Dilution to Wado occurs when there is a lack of substance and understanding. If the message travels through too many hands and the messengers never got the message right in the first place then what you end up with is at best a pastiche and at worst a farcical abomination.

Unhealthy contamination comes from introducing elements that actively work against the logic and principles of the root system. It is wanton misunderstanding of what I have briefly outlined above that provides straw men for the critics of the so-called traditional arts.

As for health and safety. I think that we are fortunate in the UK that things have not gone the way of the litigation culture of the United States. Yes, things have become a little more anal recently over here but not as bad as we once feared.

I was thinking about this recently as I was wondering in what other physical or recreational activity would it be okay for one person to go hell for leather at another person with a razor sharp knife? Ah fond memories of the Tanto Dori of old….

Tim

[wadoka]

At the recent course, someone was taking 3rd dan grading. The opponent was using a metal tanto, blunt edge but pointy enough to be a pain.

An American friend then asks were they just being flash with the metal knife, as he assumed all gradings were done with a wooden tanto. I laughed out loud, we're all used to laughing at each other part of the friendship, and said that this wasn't aerobics.

[Tim49]

At the recent course, someone was taking 3rd dan grading. The opponent was using a metal tanto, blunt edge but pointy enough to be a pain.

An American friend then asks were they just being flash with the metal knife, as he assumed all gradings were done with a wooden tanto. I laughed out loud, we're all used to laughing at each other part of the friendship, and said that this wasn't aerobics.

I do hope that members of one of our ex-colonies do not feel affronted by your mockery.

Tim

[Tim49]

I had a hard nosed American chap once told me that he had previously been a SEAL. Imagine my disappointment when I found out that he couldn't balance a ball on the end of his nose.

Tim