Interesting Article

[karateman7]

Not sure where he trained, but combining this with an interview with Otsuka II where he said something about wado being to sport-oriented in Japan, I wonder how much he says is a matter of personal experience vs. what's really out there.

A Karate Odyssey: An Interview with Sensei Pat Nakata (Classical Fighting Arts, Vol 2, No. 13)

By Graham Noble and Charles C. Goodin

GN: Returning to your first visit, you had already trained in Wado-Ryu in Japan. What differences did you find in Okinawan Shorin-Ryu, for example in technique?

PN: Chibana Chosin’s Shorin-Ryu karate was a totally different mind set than that of Ohtsuka Sensei’s Wado-Ryu karate. Wado-Ryu karate was sports karate. Chibana Sensei’s karate was based upon ippon kowashi no waza (One technique to destroy the opponent).

Chibana Sensei’s kata were power based with kime on practically all the techniques, thus Chibana Sensei’s kata were more staccato. Chibana Sensei’s kata had a count for each movement, whereas Ohtsuka Sensei’s kata were combinations for most counts.

Ohtsuka Sensei’s blocks were deflections. So in most of Ohtsuka Sensei’s kata where there were blocks, they were part of a block/punch combination. On the other hand, Chibana Sensei emphasized ippon kowashi (to destroy with one blow) even on the blocks.

GN: So Chibana Sensei did not teach the kihon practice as we know it from Japanese karate – i.e. the going up and down the dojo doing many repetitions of oi-zuki, gyaku-zuki, and the different kicks and blocks?

PN: Chibana Sensei’s kata training was kihon training. Each technique in the kata is a kihon technique. The kata is a combination of kihon techniques. The kata allow one to flow from one technique to another. If we were to do each basic ten times, Chibana Sensei would rather have us do the kata ten times.

GN: Was there much prearranged (“one step” etc.) kumite in the training sessions?

PN: Chibana Sensei noted that from his observations, prearranged kumite (ippon kumite, yakusoku kumite, kihon kumite, etc.) developed an unrealistic cooperation between the attacker and defender. The attacker developed an attack so the opponent could see the attack. The defender developed a sit and wait strategy. To Chibana Sensei, kata were more realistic combat training.

GN: In Japan you did a lot jiyu kumite training. What was the Shorin-Ryu take on jiyu kumite? Was it practiced much, or was practice more on prearranged kumite?

PN: Chibana Sensei never used the term ‘kumite”. In Shorin-Ryu there was no sparring. We fought and had shobu (matches).

GN: Did you miss the intense jiyu kumite practice of Japan?

PN: Yes and no. Yes, I missed the jiyu kumite practice of Japan, but we used to spar at the dojo with a match lasting about three to ten seconds. On off nights, I would visit other dojo to have matches. Okinawan karate-ka had no rules of engagement and everything was full contact.

GN: What form would those 3 to 10 second matches take?

PN: As soon as we started a match, I would walk straight into the opponent to force the opponent to do something. If I had no response from the opponent, I would deliver an attack.

I could use my Japanese karate techniques only after I modified them to match the Okinawan mentality. The Okinawans did not spar – they fought. For instance, in Japan you would deflect a punch or kick to counter. In Okinawa, they would block your punch or kick and try to destroy your arm or leg.