Our Curriculum
Our training follows the basic curriculum of Matsubayashi karate, including the 18 kata and 7 yakusoku kumite synthesized by Shoshin Nagamine and detailed in his book.
Our approach to these kata and to karate in general are influenced by two currents within Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu. In particular, our approach to the body dynamics contained within the kata themselves are heavily influenced by the teachings of Katsuhiko Shinzato and the Kishaba Juku organization. Thus, while we continue to practice the traditional kata of Matsubayashi in their traditional form, our sense of what we are up to at any single moment in any particular kata or exercise tends to be focused very directly on the principles of Kishaba Juku and the teachings of Shinzato Sensei. Likewise, much of our physical training reflects the emphasis placed on practical, simple self-defense principles that were developed in the bare knuckle tradition of the American Karate Federation under Gary Tiktin in the 1960s. As with all AKF dojos, we strive for simple, effective techniques and hard training in these techniques. The emphasis on retaining and training "what works" dominates much of our class time and research into the kata of Shorin Ryu.
These two traditions are discussed below, followed by a description of how they continue to influence our training.
The kata of Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu are discussed in detail in the Shorin Ryu section of this web site.
Kishaba Juku is the style of Matsubayashi developed by the late Chokei Kishaba on Okinawa in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Kishaba Sensei was a student of Shoshin Nagamine and in particular, of Seigi Nakamura, the chief instructor at the Nagamine Dojo. Kishaba Sensei also studied with Hohan Soken of Matsumura Seito karate, which influenced his approach to the Matsubayashi kata a great deal.
Shinzato Sensei (2002)The main difference between Kishaba Juku and standard Matsubayashi is the emphasis we place on the hip or "koshi" in all technique. By learning to relax the body and to move the koshi--through rotation, compression, expansion or even a peculiar sort of shaking--kishaba juku practitioners are able to generate considerable power, focus and speed without the exaggerated use of muscles. In fact, the advanced practitioner of Kishaba Juku will appear to move with very little effort and to flow from one move to the next (without the choppiness or sudden breaks seen in much Shorin Ryu). This leads some to mistake the form for a more "soft" sort of karate practice, which it is not. Instead, the fluid and sometimes dance like motions of Kishaba Juku serve to coordinate the strength of the entire body into ever smaller motions, so that all technique tends, when applied, to feel as though it had the weight of a much larger person behind it.
The most important method for developing koshi technique is the practice of Naihanchi kata. In Kishaba Juku dojos, new students often learn Naihanchi first, or immediately after the introductory kata Fukyugata Ichi and Ni. Frequently, Naihanchi kata is practiced in slow or semi-slow motion, allowing the student to feel the hip movements and to learn from their own bodies. The Naihanchi stance itself is performed with a small bit of tension in the abdomen that raises the pelvic girdle to the front, slightly. From this position (the "naihanchi hip/koshi position"), power can be generated in almost any technique. Once learned thoroughly, the naihanchi hip position can be emulated in any stance. Students in our dojo learn a number of kata at each stage of their development. Often they learn many more kata than those they are responsible for at their current rank. This serves to expose them to the higher kata, and to begin their practice in these kata, long before they will be "required" to know them at a rank test. This strategy follows from the idea that many advanced kata require many years of practice before which the student become fully proficient. It also recognizes the fact that repetition tends to work at levels below consciousness....transforming the body of the practitioner to more closely emulate the form required by the kata.
Thus, following the general Kishaba Juku guidelines, our students learn:
White belts (new students)
Fukyugata Ichi and Ni
Naihanchi Shodan and NidanGreen belts (after six months to 1 year of training, total)
Pinan Shodan through Godan
Naihanchi SandanBrown Belts (after two to three years of training, total)
Wankan, Rohai, Passai,
Chinto, KusankuBlack Belts
Ananku, Wanshu
Gojushiho I, Gojushiho IIIn addition, Green Belts in our dojo learn the 7 Yakusoku Kumite described by Nagamine, and Brown Belts learn the first two of the bo kata....Suuji no Kun and Shiro Matsu no Kun. White belts learn the first two of the "kicking exercises" developed by the American Karate Federation in the 1970s, and Green belts learn the second two "kicking exercises." Black belts also learn the third bo kata....Sakugawa no Kun.
Our emphasis on strict, practical, physically rigorous training derives from the American Karate Federation. Perhaps because of an association with early "bare knuckle" fighting circles in the United States, this group of primarily Mid-Western Karateka in Ohio, Iowa and Wisconsin developed a training regimen that emphasized effective, quick techniques in live fighting situations. In form, their training matched the training of the original Nagamine Dojo on Okinawa in many ways. But many new drills were developed to enhance the abilities required for effective karate use.
Our training thus regularly incorporates 1) line training, a drill where students rotate through the entire class throwing attacking techniques and defending themselves from these techniques; 2) three step kicking, where opponents trade kicks while being limited in the sorts of evasive maneuvers they may use; 3) corner training, where attacker and defender roles are pre-assigned, and live techniques are used; 4) circle training, an version of corner training that takes place out in the open rather than taking place in the corner, where the defenders movements are more limited; and finally, 5) free style sparring (jyu kumite), where there are few restrictions on technique or contact.
In addition, our ordinary classes continue an emphasis on aerobic and calisthenic conditioning, and on a series of arm conditioning drills (there are four in all) aimed at allowing the practitioner to strike and block without fear of self injury. The quick pace of the class and the emphasis on calisthenics require that our students very quickly get in shape. Yet there is a second benefit to this training as well. The quick pace of class minimizes the amount of verbal instruction given in class...such that students are required to learn by doing, and are encourage to figure things out for themselves. Behind this strategy lies the principle that good teaching does not take the place of learning, but merely provides the opportunity for it.
This sort of system is not appropriate for all students. In general, those who succeed in American Karate Federation dojos are dedicated, self-motivated, and capable of high levels of self-control and self-discipline. This ensures that those who do succeed necessarily possess the characteristics required for continued self-teaching. In this way, many of the virtues of karate carry on almost regardless of the skill or understanding of the teacher. Those capable of setting a good example are capable of perpetuating the art, even as they themselves continue to learn and change. Underneath this strategy lies the belief that the knowledge we seek to perpetuate is located in the form itself, not in the particular person exercising or teaching it.
Please note: The author of this site is Kirk Dombrowski, and he is solely responsible for its contents. It is intended as an educational resource only and we ask that you use it in this spirit. Where mistakes have (inevitably) been made, apologies are offered. Corrections are welcome. Professor Dombrowski can be reached via the contact button on the menu at the top of this page.
