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[49ers1970]

Osu!

I am an avid martial artist/instructor and I intend to train in Kyokushin

training methods for life.

Some things that I would like to see that I believe are lacking in the

traditional martial arts aspect of Kyokushin are:

1. More thoroughness and continuity in Bunkai waza training as a regular part

of the curriculum vs. just practicing kata for testing, tournaments etc.

2. To add nonrelated self-defense drills. (If one were to notice in

Mas Oyama's Essential Karate, there is a section devoted to

self-defense drills. However, I have not seen these practiced in

a formal class setting which leads me to believe that this was

"filler material" in this book to attract new students.

3. Weapons sparring: (Bo vs. Bo, Tonfa vs. Tonfa, knife vs. knife) for the

advanced students. In some Kyokushin offshoots like that practice

weapons kata; Instead of spending hundreds of dollars for a Kendo

mask, shinai etc., make/buy some padded weapons and wear Kudo

headgear. The literal definition of Kyokushin means, "In Search of

the Ultimate Truth." Why not find out the truth and potential of

weapons in a combat form which is safe, but opens up another world

of knowledge within the weapons kata?

4. Self-Defense Training: Unarmed defense vs. weapons

5. Unarmed defense and armed defense drills vs. multiple attackers.

6. Groundfighting defense drills (not sport grappling) to transition from the

ground back to standing ASAP. The ideal is not to go to the ground.

However, if Plan A does not work, one must adapt and have a Plan B.

I believe these basic drills can be implemented without taking too

much time away from other aspects of training. The most important

aspect here is while on the ground, using positioning and leverage to

set up either a. a finishing karate strike or b. to scramble back to

standing position ASAP.

7. Drills to train students in preemptive dialog prior to the assault.

Train students to recognize cues in body language, facial expression

and knowing how to set boundaries.

8. To develop some basic level of proficiency in Hojo Undo training outside

class. (ej. makiwara, basic breaking skills) The student would have

to demonstrate the realism of their technique during board breaking,

the power output on an airshield etc. This would prove whether/not

the student has been practicing his/her traditional karate strikes on

the makiwara etc. and whether/not he/she has the potential to end

a fight with these techniques in the real world. (In this case, the

instructor would not ask for 1000s of reps per day like the old master,

but to develop some consistency in these ancient, but effective method

of self-defense training for 10-15 minutes/day a few times per week.

To conclude: I believe these concepts and training methods can be

implemented without taking away from the original curriculum of Kyokushin

Karate. I think the key is to introduce these concepts in small bite sized

portions from White Belt to Black Belt while training in the standard

Kyokushin protocol so that it does not seem overwhelming later on.

Anyone who has any insight/feedback or who has implemented any or all

of these training modalities into their Kyokushin training curriculum, I would

be interested to know how this is going.

Osu!

[kakatootoshi]

I am sure you have been asked this question before, would you mind using up the length of the whole line before changing to another? That will make reading easier for other members.

[tmd]

Funny, just seemed to give a similar answer elsewhere but we do cover a lot of this. Time is limited, most people only train once or twice a week so with only an average of 3 months between gradings and 3 or 4 between tournaments there is always pressure on to be working towards the next challenge on the calender.

What we tend to do is spend the session or two after an event doing something different; syllabus application, weapons training - just about everything on your list at some point in the year would just about be covered, if only for a few hours.

If something gets a very positive response we may return to it sooner rather than later - if there is limited engagement we may only do it once a year. What I'm always happy to provide is homework

[49ers1970]

Osu!

Interesting. I guess it would come down to covering these topics outside of

class with an /willing dojo member and/or cross training with someone outside

your style who has a similiar goal in another martial art or in a field which

involves altercations of some kind.

Osu!

[Shokei Marcsui]

Sounds similar to Iain Abernathy and the World Combat Association.

[ashiharakaicho]

Originally Posted by 49ers1970

Osu!

Some things that I would like to see that I believe are lacking in the raditional martial arts aspect of Kyokushin are:
6. Groundfighting defense drills (not sport grappling) to transition from the ground back to standing ASAP. The ideal is not to go to the ground. However, if Plan A does not work, one must adapt and have a Plan B. I believe these basic drills can be implemented without taking too much time away from other aspects of training. The most important aspect here is while on the ground, using positioning and leverage to set up either a. a finishing karate strike or b. to scramble back to standing position ASAP.

With the aid and support of some of our senior instructors, we've come up with:

The AKI grappling curriculum is designed to familiarise students with basic grappling techniques and principles. While the importance of grappling is recognised, especially in a self-defence situation, it should be understood that grappling is a secondary module of the AKI. The majority of the techniques are also designed to complement the take-downs and hold break system. Advanced and free grappling techniques are encouraged at Yudansha level.

The curriculum is based on three basic principles:
∙ Avoid being taken to the ground
∙ Stay tight: Gaps can create dangerous opportunities for an opponent
∙ Be patient: These techniques often require biding time in a neutral position until an opportunity presents itself

Consideration should given as to what can be done should the Student be taken down, nothing super sophisticated mind you, but a small series of techniques like applying a Guillotine choke to someone who takes you down, using a shoot etc.... as well as how the student if knocked down - slips by an opponent who remains standing - can safely return to his or her feet.

As you can see, we share the same ideal ...

[jcarmello]

Osu, 49ers1970!

Mas Oyama had some fundamental Self Defense techniques in a few of his books....some appear a bit goofy, but it may have been indeed, the "hook" to attract new students.

I believe you are putting together a fantastic curriculum together. One that I would be very interested in learning more about.

AshiharaKaicho has shared some interesting ideas with the K4L community about having students train in a focused alternative to help contribute to his program. This may be very helpful to you as well. As TMD points out......time constraints that evolve around certain events may cause a depletion in the varied items you want to share........

I would certainly like to hear more from Ashiharakaicho, Dent, Bobh, ShidokanAtlanta, Senshido, Wullie, Shurenkan.....Godai (who I know is lurking out there!!) Knuckleheader (Bring the boxing on brother!!) Meguro, Shokei Marcsui, Gary, P01 and soooooooooo many others who have trained and implemented varying disciplines.

Keep the reality of discomfort and hard hitting that knockdown brings but establishing a more practical training means that revisits "Karate" and what has been lost due to the sporting evolution.

I hope the best for your system development and evolution here 49er1970........and I would love to hear how everyone else approaches this, as the lack of it is what I personally see as a fundamental flaw with current sport based karate, bjj, tkd and knockdown dojos.!

OSU!!

[49ers1970]

Osu!

Ashiharakaicho and JC Carmello,

I appreciate your positive feedback. Right now, we have reduced

our katas down to 8. In the past, in my other two styles, I had to learn

upwards of 20-25 katas.

Realistically as far as covering all of the above curriculum to make a

complete art, this can be done in a full time operation that is open 6

days per week. Unfortunately, I do not have that luxury. 3 days a

week is more realistic to me as I have a full time job and family

obligations.

However, it all boils down to looking at a standard karate curriculum

and determining what in the curriculum must be preserved and what is

unecessary filler material whether it be certain techniques, drills etc. that

are deemed as exercises in futility/outdated etc. and then to finalize

the curriculum and to refine it to the highest level possible.

Technically, karate is not karate unless there is kata in the

curriculum. However, kata by itself can be self limiting. The Bunkai

in kata do not cover all the scenarios in real life. Hence, the need for

independent one-step, 3 step self-defense drills etc.

Osu!

[ashiharakaicho]

Originally Posted by 49ers1970

Osu! Ashiharakaicho and JC Carmello,
I appreciate your positive feedback. However, it all boils down to looking at a standard karate curriculum and determining what in the curriculum must be preserved and what is unecessary filler material whether it be certain techniques, drills etc. that are deemed as exercises in futility/outdated etc. and then to finalize the curriculum and to refine it to the highest level possible.

You welcome. Many years ago I went through a process with Shihan Ninomiya and also Sendai Kancho in wanting to finalise a syllabus which Kancho had been promising but never came.

My starting point was our old Kyokushin syllabus which had some changes after we left the organisation and were on our own. We called ourselves the Narker-Quantoi dojo practising Shin Kakuto Jutsu. We dropped many of the Kyokushin kata and came up with some of our own.

That then changed when we joined up with Ashiharakaikan in December of 1984. But for a few years, there was no direction in finalising the syllabi until I spent time with Ninomiya Shihan and went through all the stuff belt by belt.

He said drop the shuto techniques, but I asked him then why do we have it in Nage no Kata. That was interesting discussions until he eventually said - "Kancho will do it!" But that was all worthwhile. For example, we have both nihon nukite (metsuki) as well as Yohon Nukite. Whilst we might never use that, I tell students the movements of the body for both is the same like you would do a punch, so all we are doing is re-inforcing the technique.

Fortunately we don't that some of those techniques on a regular basis - but the idea is that many of those things develop the results we aspire to with other technique.

More later ...