Thursday, December 20, 2012

Bushi No Te Isshinryu Developmental Studies

When I was developing my Bushi No Te Isshinryu program many of the schools I would visit in NE Penna used developmental defensive traditions (often called just Wazza or techniques) in their programs.

At some schools a few techniques at other schools many techniques. I saw merit in their use but not primarily for learning offensive techniques but for movement education. I over time adopter the following traditions to our program. While a belt is indicated where they are introduced to the individual’s learning, they are all important components in their eventual Black Belt test.


The yellow belt Te (or hand) wazza. The main purpose of these drills is for the student to enter a space efficiently. The fourth one is particularly important to the Black Belt study of kata applications.


The blue belt Geri (or foot) wazza. The drills are to build skill for kick delivery. The first four drills involve stepping back to find space to kick. They also draw the abdominal muscles back stretching them. This allows them to kick faster during their contraction phase. The fifth drill is part of their eventual aikido studies from the Tristan Sutrisno drills, The last drill utilizes one of Ernest Rothrock’s Parry Blocks, works the exterior line of defense and attacks the rear leg.


At green belt the student begins a series of aikido drills taught by Tristan Sutrisno. They involve more advanced movement potential studies and teach aiki principles that tie into later kata application studies. Demonstrated is the youth version of there techniques.


Yet another challenge is learning advanced timing of the kata Chinto with a partner who is working the opposite direction. Mr. Cassidy and Mr. Lee are performing this when they were new Sho-Dan's.



The formal study of Isshiinryu kobudo does not occur until after Black Belt. The Bando staff (The Horseman’s Form) or Bando stick (1/2 of the form The Hidden Stick) instead are used to develop the student ability to use a weapon.

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Again these drills while real working techniques are mainly do develop movement skills for Black Belt training.

1 comment:

Victor Smith said...

When back in 1979 and forward I noticed many schools had set 2 person drills they used for their students self defense training. I noticed no ‘order’ between them, just that many used them.

Then when I trained with Ernest Rothrock I observed his students in their Pai Lum program had a large set of drills at each of their belt levels. A very large number of drills at each belt level. Perhaps 25 different drills for every belt level, each drill was different.

Many times I watched his students test for their promotions. When it came time for those drills, they ran through them very fast, with very little power and technique. Just a requirement for promotion. Then on to another belt and more techniques.

It was explained to me that Daniel Pai created them under contract for the Tracy Brothers and the Tracy Kempo chain. He then kept them for his students.

When I trained with Tristan Sutrisno he also had 2 person drills, but of another sort than any other karate school used. They were very good drills, I kept some of them for my students supplemental studies.

But thinking on all I had seen, I saw the value for 2 person drills, but with a big difference. I created sets of drills with a limited number of techniques. One for hands, one for feet another for grab releases finally a set of aikido drills.

They were supplementary after all, I required good performance to move forward in the rank they studied them, but not perfection. They were really for the black belt test and it was there I needed them to really get them.

It wasn’t so much that they were learned for self defense, more so they were learned to show how to work around the attack, to enter, control and end the attack in the space from the attack. I was not concerned about the techniques involved, for many techniques could be substituted.

So one drill for 6 striking counters when facing a strike.

One drill for 6 kicking counters when facing a strike.

One undefined set for being able to obtain a release from a single straight hand wrist grab, a release from a single cross hand wrist grab, a release from a 2 hands wrist grabs. A release from an arm grab from the side, a release from a chest grab, a release from a front throat grab and finally a release from a rear throat grab. This was not a defined set of releases. At different times different releases were taught. The goal by black belt one could effect a release against any of those grabs done in totally random order,

Finally one set of Aikido drills, Drill 1 through Drill 8 would be learned over time. One would learn how to apply a variety of aikido movements, but the drills were a combination of entering the space opportune by the attack then a variety of different aikido responses to projection or lock also incorporating a variety of karate techniques.

The drills shown are the striking, kicking and aikido drills. The grab release drills are not shown. Additionally one of the Bando weapons kata we teach is shown. Isshinryu kobudo was reserved for Dan study.