SUIGETSU RYU KARATE JUTSU

NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER 2012

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WELCOME We have come to the end of another fantastic year of training. 2012 has seen Suigetsu Ryu Karate Jutsu continue to grow and our students continue to enjoy their development. This year, we have seen solid progress from our shoukyu (beginner level) members, with a number of them ready to launch into 2013 and a chukyu (intermediate level) test in February. We have expanded our kobudo training to include tanbojutsu from Shinto Tenshin Ryu. The tanbo has allowed us to further advance our hishigijutsu skills, with a weapon that is as versatile and practical today, as it was some 200 years ago. Our chief instructor again returned to Japan for an intensive period of training in Goju Ryu Karate and taijutsu. Because of this, we remain in tune with the latest technical developments and stay consistent with teachings of our Japanese sensei. Finally, we acknowledge the efforts of our senior members. The distance between tests grows further apart as a yudansha and the challenges to maintain a course of personal development through training become increasingly subtle. However, our senior members have yet again lead the doujou through their tenacity, positive energy, technique improvement and dedicated mentoring of our kohai.

EXTRA TRAINING FOR 2013 We have taken on board a few suggestions from 2012. Our members would like an extra training session. This was consistent with feedback from new members and those who wrote in asking about beginner level training. We are listening! That is why we will be offering training on two nights in 2013, at the same doujou. The aim is to establish a beginner/intermediate level session on Monday night and maintain our existing Thursday night session as intermediate/advanced. We hope this provides suitable options for all.

HASSUN HISHIGI Hishigi is commonly translated as ‘crush’ or ‘crusher’. Hishigijutsu is therefore most easily thought of as ‘methods to crush’. One weapon we use is the hassun hishigi (above on right). Hassun refers to the length, about 24cm. The techniques of the hassun hishigi that we practice come from Asayama Ichiden Ryu. Because of its size, the hassun hishigi can be used in limited striking and choking techniques. More commonly, it is used to apply pressure to exposed nerves, usually running alongside bones. We sometimes see similarities between our koppojutsu (bone methods) and how we apply the hassun hishigi. However, the tremendous crushing force generated via the hassun hishigi is often superior to even the best jujutsu techniques that use the bone as a weapon. Our application-based hassun hishigi training provides for a solid appreciation of older Japanese bujutsu, in which controlling and restraining technique was so fundamental.

SUIGETSU RYU KARATE JUTSU

OUR GUESTS - GOJU RYU KARATE DECEMBER 2012

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JOHN DALMEDO SHIHAN In what has become a bit of a tradition for Suigetsu Ryu Karate Jutsu, John Dalmedo Shihan was kind enough to again share his knowledge and skills with us and other visiting Goju exponents. We thought it might be appropriate to note a little bit about him. John Dalmedo Shihan is a rokudan in Goju Ryu Karatedo Shinbukan and godan in Goju Ryu Karatedo Seiwakai. In fact, his involvement with Goju Ryu Karate has been active since 1973. His style of teaching is focused heavily on traditional (Japanese) Goju Ryu Karate, which is no doubt why we enjoy it so much, given our approach to training has minimal emphasis on the more common and modern Goju Ryu sports karate. We can see traces of Goju Ryu Karate founder Chojun Miyagi sensei in the teachings of John Dalmedo Shihan - “use your brain, use your technique and don’t worry so much about trying to be the fastest or strongest”. When we heard Shihan make virtually this statement at our doujou, we knew that his karate approach was well worth learning. John Dalmedo Shihan is continuing to help lead preparations for the Japan Karatedo Federation Goju Kai Australian National Tournament in 2013. This will be held in Brisbane in March next year where we will see numerous Japanese sensei come to teach the kata seminar, participate on the testing panel and running the national tournament. We would like to thank John Dalmedo Shihan for another great year of shared training.

We are delighted to see that our regular quarterly training sessions with John Dalmedo Shihan are helping to bring Goju Ryu Karate practitioners together from all around Brisbane.

October 2012

“TRAIN SYSTEMATICALLY, WITHOUT BECOMING IMPATIENT OR OVEREXERTING YOURSELF, AND DEVELOP GRADUALLY, ADVANCING STEADILY, ONE STEP AT A TIME, WITH INCREASED APPLICATION OF FORCE AND NUMBERS OF EXERCISES PRACTICED.” - GICHIN FUNAKOSHI FOUNDER: SHOTOKAN KARATE-DO

SUIGETSU RYU KARATE JUTSU

WHO WHAT WHEN WHERE WHY

DECEMBER 2012

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CLOSE FIGHTING TECHNIQUES ATTACKING OPPONENTS IN A DISTANCE OF ISSUN (ONE INCH) By Akira Shiomi - PART 2: …continued from our previous newsletter: 3. Abdominal breathing. Usually, people breathe with their chests. However, in Goju Ryu, we breathe from the abdomen. This breathing technique is lowering the diaphragm and opening the chest cavity. Normally, people swell their stomachs when they breathe from the abdomen, which indicates your breathing to your opponents. Therefore, you have to tighten your stomach when you breathe. This application gives more pressure than breathing normally. It provides internal organ massage effects. Also, it is a good training. In budo, short breathing is preferred than long breathing. However, you use long breathing while performing Sanchin. Long breathing settles the mind and the body down, while short breathing elevates energy. Sanchin is performed with long breathing for training. Short breathing must be used in a fight. The image of this breathing is inhaling all the “Ki” that exists in the universe from the “jo-tanden”, upper tanden between eyes. You actually inhale through your nose, and then you lower all the “Ki” down to “chu-tanden”, middle tanden, just above the stomach. Next, you lower it to “ge-tanden”, the solar plexus under belly and compress it to explode.

Akira Shiomi Hanshi (9th dan)

This image is just like a car engine, inhale compressexplodedischarge. The big gear of the engine in “ge-tanden” provides its rapid power to other gears or joints. Then you punch and kick lowering your hip level by the help of countervailing power. You do this by breathing techniques, which makes it possible to attack in a distance of “Issun”. Practicing Sanchin and Tensho regularly is necessary to master it. Therefore, it is said that Goju starts with Sanchin and ends with Sanchin. Remember that Sanchin, Goju’s closed-handed Kata, especially conforms “Body”, “Breathing” and “Heart” to one and cultivates mental strength and strong force.

“TO TRAIN PROPERLY, YOU MUST HAVE CONVICTION.” - DALAI LAMA 2001 LECTURE: SIR SHANKERLAL HALL

DECEMBER 2012

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Japan Karatedo Federation Goju Kai The 23rd Japan Karatedo Federation Goju Kai Australian National Tournament will be held in Brisbane in March 2013. The event will also include a kata seminar and dan testing. Japanese officials will include Shinji Fushimi (8th dan), Seiichi Fujiwara (8th dan), Masao Tada (8th dan), Kosai Norio (7th dan) and Tsujimoto Kiyoshi (6th dan). See our website for fuller details.

WHERE TO FIND US

“IT IS MISSING THE POINT TO THINK THAT THE MARTIAL ART IS SOLELY IN CUTTING A MAN DOWN.” - YAGYU MUNENORI YAGYU SHINKAGE RYU

Doujou Street Location Presbyterian Church (rear hall) 28 Macgregor Street, Wilston, Brisbane

CONTACT US Email: suigetsuryukaratejutsu@hotmail.com Internet: www.suigesturyu.com © Suigetsyu Ryu Karate Jutsu