My Thoughts on Kata

Wow! It was of interest to somebody and I hope many more.

Born Fighter by Dave Hazard (Link here to Review)

I have read the book. If you know, heard of, been touched by Sensei Hazard or are a Karate student looking for Fact plus humour told as it is, in a way only Sensei can, this is a very good book. A legendary hard man? A warm, humorous person having dealt with life so far, as ferociously as it was dealt to him. All the stories have a pure meaning from my veiw. The dedication, the talent, the recognistion, the struggle and the joy that karate has given him, plus the volumes insperation to others he has poured back becomes obseive reading from cover to cover.

Horses for courses

Thank you to everybody who made the effort to get to the Bruce Miller Courses. Once again it was good to be reminded of the effects and side effects of martial arts technique.

Having a better understanding of cause and effect is a far better option than rigidly adhearing to specific form, so often seen in martial arts. Knowing why, gives a better perception of how, practice gives a clearer perception for when.

All good stuff!

I promise you all his books and DVD's are well worth reference.

Safe from Harm or Peaceful Mind ??

Pinan /Heian Kata. Very interesting theory.

Karate is Not an Expression of Aggression

An interesting statement! I have to say, that for me aggression is an essential factor for consideration in the process of understanding karate and it’s mental discipline. Aggression has to be mastered from within and it's potential flaws fully understood.

Chuck Norris said "we are like tempered steel, once our temper is lost, so are we". It has also been said that the "Iron ore considers itself tortured in the furnace, but is enlightened as tempered steel".

Karate training must include a means by which we can learn to control reflex aggression. How we turn on and off an aggressive state of mind can make all the difference to our physical performance. We need to be in control of, or understand the procedure that takes over from logic. We can have an aggressive or passive attitude, both states of mind are important, both are reflected by our actions. It is not enough to just associate aggression with mindless violence, but see it as a tool, the consequence of understanding ourselves in greater depth. This I think is vital.

I abhor violence and unnecessarily aggressive behaviour. The more I understand the consequences of them when uncontrolled, the more I hate them. However there is a part of me that needs to be able to cultivate the procedure to acquire both to an extreme in order to survive.

A 1st For UK-Karate.com

I can really recommend the Karatesite website as being jam packed with all sorts of interesting karate information. We are proud to be listed on their blog list. As of today..........the 1st one.

Bruce Miller in England Map and Times

UK-Karate.com Dojo
Sacred Hearts Catholic "Church Hall", Cobham, Surrey, KT11 1AA

http://www.multimap.com/maps/?&hloc=GBKT111AA#t=l&map=51.32874,-0.41299154&loc=GB:51.32947:-0.41363:16KT111AAKT11%201AA

From the A3 down the Portsmouth Rd, Right at Roundabout into "Between Streets" follow along until Waitrose is on your left and The Sacred Hearts Church is on the right. Turn Right into Downside Bridge Road. Turn immediately right into Church Hall Car Park.

From the USA Bruce Miller 7th Dan Course www.quanlikan.com/

Very Special Guest Terry Wingrove 8th Dan Hanshi www.cyberbudo.com/

Thursday 25th October 7.30 - 9.30 pm
Cost £10 per person
Min Age 18

A donation from the course fee's plus any other donations will go to The Richard House Hospice www.richardhouse.org.uk/

For more information Contact Alan Platt 07957421371
alan@uk-karate.com

www.uk-karate.com/

Please book a place early for this very special event.

Many club instructors and students have already been invited. This will insure a very high standard of Karate for the novice to see.

This is a very special event for all shapes, sizes, grades and genders, "regardless of experience", to learn Effective Karate from World Class Masters.

Novices more than Welcome.

Karate-Jutsu Photo Album

Cornwall Karate

KARATE: Three Cornish Karate groups recently joined forces for a day, to learn from one of the world's foremost experts on the original "Jutsu" form of Karate. Adult instructors and students from Samurai Karate Cornwall of Penzance, Okushindo Karate Kai of St Austell, and the St Ives Shotokan Karate Club all came together to learn from visiting instructor Sensei Terry Wingrove.

Sensei Wingrove spent 21 years studying the martial arts in Japan, and now holds high-level black belts in Karate, JuJitsu, Judo and Aikido. Despite the fact that all three Karate groups practice different styles of Karate, everybody was in equal awe of Sensei Wingrove's methods and agreed that they had learnt a great deal from him. As an added bonus, the event raised £265.00 for Sensei Wingrove's nominated charity, the Richard House Children's Hospice.

Course organiser, Sensei Kevin Cooke, said "Traditionally in the UK, groups who practice different styles of Karate don't have a good track-history of working together, however this course was a great success and everybody made some new friends. Whilst we may have differences in the way that we practice Karate, we all felt the same pain when Sensei Wingrove demonstrated his Karate Jutsu techniques on us!

This is one 66 year-old you wouldn't want to mess with!" All three of the Cornish Karate groups welcome new students of any ability. Anyone interested in learning Karate in Penzance/Pendeen/St Just should contact Kevin Cooke (Samurai Karate Cornwall) on mobile 07706 797562. Anyone interested in learning Karate in St Ives should contact Steve Matteson (St Ives Shotokan Karate Club) on 01736 795477.

Anyone interested in learning Karate in St Austell should contact Dena Marshall (Okushindo Karate Kai) on mobile 07980 061115. It is hoped that a follow-up course with Sensei Wingrove will be run early next year, and that even more local martial art groups might attend.

My Makawara

Power & Speed

I now believe the basic principles of power production and transfer need to be re-addressed in karate and are vital. We need to understand how to produce power internally and create leverage, "off "the ground", transmit it through something "you", into something "your target"", to change it's shape or break it. This principle can be carried out at any speed to produce degrees of measurable effect with no ambiguity, "damage, disrupt or destroy". Not just point scoring so often the objective in today's karate areana. The movement required to produce this effect is a direct consequence of a victory over an objective, causing an effect. A similar action prescribed for appearance without the inclusion of essential factors which govern movement and production of power 'effort' may look good but will not do the job as well. Prescribed patterns of pretty inefficient movement for affect, portrayed in "sport or modern karate" systems today, are a prelude to failure if used in a violent conflict or for more practical reasons.
Walking is a good example of an inherent pattern that produces speed & power with a measurable effect, if it is done naturally. While maintaining a dynamic equilibrium, or proportionate weight distribution and displacement, speed & power can be transmitted via the ground, in a forward or backward motion. For example, right leg forward right arm back, hip leading the shoulder through the action. Equal and opposite action and reaction. This action in karate is similar to a no stance stepping gyaku tsuki, done repeatedly with fluidity it has the appearance of walking. It is a pattern inherent to humans and can have a direct result on how you think you move. It defines the basic natural mobility and power transfer pattern. Not an imitation with over emphasised ingredients illustrated by many karate movements. Naturally it covers in essence how basic kicking and striking actions should be analysed and studied in depth.

Without the essence of natural movement how can any karate technique be considered natural or powerful. Similarity of movement is not good enough to supersede natures attempt for the most efficient methods of movement. To move we have to initiate a lever off the floor, we push down and back to go forward and push forward and back to stop or go back. The more leverage we use the more powerful we are. To fully understand karate techniques we have to fully understand exactly what our body can or cannot do as a lever off the ground. This varies in body types, some fast, some powerful, some naturally fast and powerful. The style should suit the body not the body the style.

I think this is the main stumbling block of the prescribed styles of movement derived from sports karate masters. Paramount should be our understanding of what role the ground plays. Without it we aren't going nowhere, how can we?. In space if you hit something, would you move, or it?. The ground is our fulcrum, the body is our lever, we must seek maximum traction efficiency when in motion, not for an affect of motion, effect verses affect. The difference is the key to realistic effective movement.

The long jumper jumps 30m but is disqualified because he crossed the line by 5 inches, 1st and 2nd places go to 29m jumps, but who produced more effort and effect.
To increase the potential of walking into the realms of combat we have to put it in perspective by increasing it's effect. Walking up and down flights of steps increases the load and demands an increase in power output of your levers. Carrying excess weight contributes to the exercise and training procedure. The leverage that determines the speed and the power of the body will become evident. It's that leverage we want to increase the efficiency of. Speed comes as a consequence of practice and familiarity of movements. Take away the steps but keep the effort the same thing applies if you need to produce effective forward movement.

This type of training unfortunately is contrary to the prescribed methods of say Shotokan or other similar styles. For example right leg forward, right arm forward, stepping shoulders and hips in line. Oi tsuki, army walk, rank and file, misinterpreted "martial art" perhaps. If you can keep in mind the way we move naturally while walking. You can still incorporate the basic principles of power transfer but not to maximum effect. If you don't know what they are you can't use them. You have to retain full control of your movements and not throw one half of you body in, leaving the thrust behind you. It must come with you as part of the movement as a whole. You don't walk or run like that. You have to consider every moving part at all times or you would fall over. To practice stance and steps is wrong. We should step into a stance for a reason and out for another reason, a stance on it's own is just a static posture. The dead and those about to be, practice with great effect static postures in battle. Karate is how we move and transfer power not how we look standing or in prescribed staccato motion.

To illustrate my theory I will use this example of a probable action. If you throw a javelin, as a consequence of the run up you build up energy in motion as a moving mass. By use of interconnection of long bone levers and muscles you can stop on an axis point. Release the javelin, by projecting your mass power into the ground with one leg, letting the built up energy go into the javelin as you let go of it. Like a pole vaulter that leg is your pole or axis. The rest of your body is still travailing on and around the brake leg, it's your axis point. If you increase the leverage off of this leg in the time and space available, you can project the javelin forward, inertia will add to the natural release point, and off it goes. Increase the distance thrown by an increase in effort. Measure your progress through understanding production of power. Energy is created off the ground through you, into the javelin. The run up is short and is there only to increase the potential of release. High jump, shot put, all good examples of relatively quick releases of power. You could say 100m sprint but the start is the most important part of the action.

I have learnt that the "basics" I require are in movement, not static postures, although I taught that sort of thing for as long as I can remember in my Shotokan days. My old Goju Master Steve Morris would use his arm and legs like baseball bats and they hurt like hell. He taught me how to produce that effect through effective movement not affective movement. For a good example of what not to do. Age-uki like Oi-tsuki in most modern styles is defined by it's movement but emphasis is placed at the termination point of the technique i.e. kima or kia whatever. Where as in reality the sweet spot, of a strike would be where a linear and rotational arm or leg movements coincide. At the moment of contact, this would be during the action and would only terminate on contact while leverage and movement is still accessible. Many modern karate students train to make contact. I think we should train to improve the efficiency of the movement that will destroy on and during contact not what it looks like.

The modern masters will always object to that type of description and insist that there are more factors to take into consideration. It's true there are many more things to consider but they aren't fully understood or past on. They sometimes lack some of the essentials I mentioned in the above examples, they have to lead to failure when put to the ultimate test. I try not to pay too much attention to how I look but more what I do and why I'm doing it and what happens if I fail. The Motive and objective initiates the needed response to create the required effect. The majority of karate students I see train with mirror's copy an affect, or copy their mental images of their instructors in flight. Ultimately to only become parodies of the masters they imitate. They think they have the wings and feathers but don't know how to fly. For many students the modern master hasn't the time or the patients to explain in detail exactly what is required, and more to often the point, they aren't too sure what they are.

If it all makes sense to you good, if it doesn't, power up some steps, throw a ball and ask yourself what am I doing? . Manufacturing and distributing power to cause an effect, to project yourself or the ball. Tactics is another ball game.

The Right Technique

If you have to look for a technique from your training repetoir, to use in a fight situation, it's probably the wrong one and too late.

A few good men

Ask the Karate Experts

My Own Eclectic Style of Karate-Jutsu Course

Thursday 20th September 7.30 - 9.30 at

"The Sacred Hearts Catholic Church Hall" off Between Streets, Cobham (A3) Surrey.

I will be holding an mini course on my own applied eclectic style Karate-Jutsu. The course will focus on defence, primarily against common punching techniques. Once a foundation of the basic movements are understood we will move on to pre-emptive and counter attacks to vital targets.

The 2 hour session will flow quickly, hands on, in pairs. The principles of the session will be in uncompleted practice drill format. Contact and force will be kept to a minimum, the reasons for that will be obvious. The simple principles involved can be applied to many other situations.

Photo's and a video will be provided by us on request.

There will be a get together after at a local restaurant or bar.

To book a place or places please email me or ring 07957421371. Places are limited to the first 20. If you "book a place" and you can't make it on the night, payment or a substitute person is required.

Cost £10 per person.

Regards Alan Platt

Check out some of my Bisham karate photo's

Two Albums of Photo's

Modern Kata ? Killing Interpretations?

I’ve studied Shotokan, Wado and Goju for 36+ years now. My conclusion of the Kata is that they are not performed how they were originally intended. The reasons are too numerous to mention specifically, except that style and instructor variants and the dangerousness of the techniques for children to practice has paid a huge part in changing them from their original killing interpretations.

Perhaps I said it simply…….too simply? To add further insult to injury I have deduced that Kata as performed by the “modern masters” is the core of the confusion that surrounds how Kata should be performed and how it was original intended to be performed.
For example: if you decrease the range of confrontation (of a Kata application) to that of a telephone box (not a Tardis) and still be confident that each segment was in it’s own right a definitive effective application. You should see a big difference in how it might be effective and more useful in reality and as a memory aid, by form.

For me!! And I’m not saying I’m right, although I think I am. I need to take modern Kata with a big pinch of salt or a spoon full of sugar, because the reality aspects of them are hard to swallow. The moves are there, some say hidden, I think seriously lost in translation.
Example: if a (heian/pinan shodan or gekki-sai) gedan barai, cannot STOP a situation in it’s tracks you’re in big trouble........... Imagine there is no second attack in karate?
Choki Motobu says…………………….

“Karate is sente (first strike)”

“The blocking hand must be able to become the attacking hand in an instant. Blocking with one hand and then attacking with the other is not true bujutsu. Real bujutsu presses forward and blocks and counters in the same motion.”
“One cannot use continuous attacks against true karate. That is because the blocks of true karate make it impossible for the opponent to launch a second attack”.

It is also quite clear that sport Kata is subjective to the discretion of a decision by a group of judges. The true test of how effective a technique is cannot be assessed without seeing the total effect.

Free Training & Practice Seminars

In an effort to introduce non sport Karate-Jutsu to Clubs & Associations in Surrey, we are offering free seminars. Our doors are always open to new or guest students looking for a reality based approach to the styles of Karate. It is different because it’s easy to understand and practical in practice. We will visit your club, give a free session and answer any questions.

To take advantage of our offer just email us and we can arrange a convenient date.

My profile http://homepage.ntlworld.com/a.platt/Profile.html

We will not sell you anything !!!!! You don't have to buy anything !!!!!!

1957 - 2007 50 Years of English Karate

This is going to be a BIG ONE

If you can push you can punch

Excerpts from The Collected Sayings of Motobu Choki by Marukawa Kenji

1. Everything is natural and changing.

2. Kamae is in the heart, not a physical manifestation.

3. One must develop the ability to read how much striking power someone has at a glance.

4. One does not have to take care to block every single attack by an opponent with weak striking power.

5. In a real confrontation, more than anything else, one should strike to the face first, as this is the most effective.

6. Kicks are not all that effective in a real confrontation.

7. Karate is sente (first strike).

8. The position of the legs and hips in Naifuanchin No Kata is the basics of karate.

9. Twisting to the left or to the right from Naifuanchin stance will give you the stance used in a real confrontation. Twisting one’s way of thinking about Naifuanchin left and right, the various meanings in each of movement of the kata will become clear.

10. One must always try and block an attack at the source.

11. The blocking hand must be able to become the attacking hand in an instant. Blocking with one hand and then attacking with the other is not true bujutsu. Real bujutsu presses forward and blocks and counters in the same motion.

12. One cannot use continuous attacks against true karate. That is because the blocks of true karate make it impossible for the opponent to launch a second attack.

13. I still do not yet know the best way to punch the makiwara.

14. It’s interesting, but when I just think about performing a kata, when I’m seated, I break a sweat.

15. When punching to the face, one must thrust as if punching through to the back of the head.

16. When fighting a boxer, it is better to go with his flow, and take up a rhythm with both of your hands.

17. It is necessary to drink alcohol and pursue other fun human activities. The art of someone who is too serious has no flavor.

18. It is okay to take two steps forward or backward in the same kamae, but over three steps, one must change the position of their guard.

19. When I fought the foreign boxer in Kyoto, he was taller than me so I jumped up and punched him in the face. This is effective against people who are taller than you.

20. I started having real fights at Tsuji when I was young, and fought over 100 of them, but I was never hit in the face.

21. When I was four, I was made to go to a school, but I hated studying, so I often skipped class and played somewhere with my friends.

22. When I was still in Okinawa, Kano Jigoro of the Kodokan visited and asked to talk with me, and through a friend we went to a certain restaurant. Mr. Kano talked about a lot of things, but about karate, he asked me what I would do if my punch missed. I answered that I would immediately follow with an elbow strike from that motion. After that, he became very quiet and asked nothing more about karate.

23. There are no stances such as neko-ashi, zenkutsu or kokutsu in my karate. Neko-ashi is a form of “floating foot” which is considered very bad in bujutsu. If one receives a body strike, one will be thrown off balance. Zenkutsu and kokutsu are unnatural, and prevent free leg movement.

24. The stance in my karate, whether in kata or kumite, is like Naifuanchin, with the knees slightly bent and the footwork is free. When defending or attacking, I tighten my knees and drop the hips, but I do not put my weight on either the front or the back foot, rather keeping it evenly distributed.

25. When blocking kicks, one must block as if trying to break the shin.

26. Upon the guidance of another Okinawan, I went to the place Funakoshi Giichin was teaching youngsters, where he was running his mouth, bragging. Upon seeing this, I grabbed his hand, took up the position of kake-kumite and said, “What will you do?” He was hesitant, and I thought to punch him would be too much, so I threw him with kote-gaeshi at which he fell to the ground with a thud. He got up, his face red, and said “once more” so we took up the position of kake-kumite once again. And again I threw him with kote-gaeshi. He did not relent and asked for another bout, so he was thrown the same way for a third time._________________

Join in Support of the EKF

After the meeting on Sunday 24th June I could see no way out of the stalemate English karate has lowered itself into. What a shambles, a total waste of time for all who were there.

I think it's about time that people who gather at these meetings get results. Surely they aren’t going to put up with the bureaucracy and misguiding conjecture for much longer. Those that support the idea of a EKF need to get together and stick together as a unit. Those with less members than others, who have a voice, should join the EKF in principle and be heard within the group. More so welcomed by the EKF group. A working group can be formed within the EKF who will listen to the members and take forward voted for proposals to future joint meetings.

If the EKF can unite itself and be seen to be solidly united, the other groups that attend meetings will have to take note either of the presence of te EKF or their absence. Independently the EKF can still survive autonomously. They don't have to be apart of the blatant skulduggery associated with concealing the corruption of KE Ltd and it's restructure under another heading.

I think that before the EKF can enter the arena to establish a governing body it has to prove itself as a strong group of real karate enthusiasts. As such it will attract others of the the same calibre. More and more will see the potential of working together as likeminded people, not adversaries in the same boat. Before any governing body is formed the EKF needs to get it's act together and be seen to function as a group worthy of representing it's members.

Old Video Footage

Larking about, but what the hell everybodys doing it.

Gedan Barai (Japanese style low level block or parry)

Imagine Gedan Barai? all the principles involved within sweeps and parries! And the circumstances for which they can apply, the whole picture if you will.

Gedan Barai is just one of those isolated “standard way” type blocks in most Japanese styles. Skeletal & muscular alignments, trajectories and other considerations of a needed response are more important to any basic or advanced technique or student.

Swinging the arm down in a pendulum like action is about all you really need to know of the action called gedan barai. The effective factors that need to be involved in the action out way the action itself, and are more important to grasp conceptually. Thus providing the necessary skills to produce an effective sweep or parry, IMHO!

I have a theory that karate-ka ultimately reverse engineer most of the actions that they have spent years learning. Because I think that “karate” encapsulates the essence and not the reality of movements.

Lisbon & Gdansk

I accept with humility Terry Wingrove’s caption “Sensei Alan Platt”

As a Ronin Karate-Jutsu teacher for many years before being accepted in Cyberbudo it comes as a huge complement from the Master.

As for the bookend comment, I was in fact 20+ stone last year, I lost 4.5 stone in 12 months. Going on these little Cyberbudo jaunts has gained me a few lb’s this year but what fun we have. The training is very tough as an uke make no mistake. Fattening us up for the kill is all par for the course.

Lisbon, Portugal an International Martial Arts Festival

I shall be flying off with the Cyberbudo Group
on the 3rd Jun to Lisbon, Portugal for an
Important International Martial Arts Festival.

Thought of the Day

I think the thing that differentiates the "Grandmaster" from the "student" is not the number of techniques that he knows, but rather how well he does a certain group of techniques. Apparently, as you get better, you may incidentally have more knowledge of a variety of techniques, but you get much better at particular favourites. Its good to know a great deal of technical knowledge, but the foundations of karate lie in the development of the self, physical, mental and spiritual aspects of the art in relation to ones self. Attachment to a "style" and desire to excel for glory are impediments to enlightenment. In a real fight - even though you may have the skill to target vulnerable points - it won't always work perfectly, and when you make a mistake - all that will carry you through is your attitude and fighting spirit.

SENI 2007 in London 19th & 20th May

The largest Martial Arts & Combat Sport Show in the World

Chi Ki & Qi (Chi balls, tongues & toes)

Chi, Ki, Qi, is probably a kinesthetic hallucination sometimes associated with physiological events which may, at times be significant.

Projection of Chi is purely a rapport phenomenon.

Can it be proved ??

Sho Bu Ippon in Guildford Surrey

Check it out

Germany 2007

Terry Wingrove’s group left England in the very early hours of Friday 4th and Arrived in Saltsburg after a good flight. We were picked up at the airport and taken a short journey to a small hotel in Grassu in Bavaria. After a wonderful lunch we left for the Dojo where we were greeted by a German and Polish group returning after one year to train again with Terry Wingrove. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, all that were there said they thoroughly enjoyed the course. I saw a real yearning for learning, eagerness and enthusiasm throughout the course. So real and effective was the karate-jutsu many painful moments were experienced by the Wingrove group he used, to demonstrate the more unpleasant aspects of serious training (feeling is believing). No lasting injuries were sustained, we all shook ourselves off and carried on with no problems.
Our hosts were absolutely charming and we were treated to the highest standard of hospitality and friendship. The whole weekend was enhanced by true life stories of Terry’s time in Japan. We also had demonstrations of close quarter techniques at the dinning table and a few in the transit coach while travelling, which was appreciated for the efficacy of good technique in a jovial atmosphere. The weekend was a fabulous experience of real Karate-jutsu and how it attracts the most wonderful martial artists, no airs no graces.

Terry Wingrove 8th Dan Hanshi

Congratulations Terry Wingrove 8th Dan Hanshi
Awarded 28th April 2007 Tokyo. Check link for more details.