SKIF-USA Team Request for the 10th World Tournament -- Need reply by 1/12/09

Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation United States Web: www.skifusa.comP.O. Box 120904 Phone: 651 631-2379New Brighton, MN 55112 Email: SKIFUSA@comcast.net U.S.A.
TO: All SKIF-USA Members (High Priority!) The 10th SKIF World Tournament, along with Yudansha Kai training sessions and SKIF dan grading under Kancho Kanazawa, will be held in Athens Greece , from July 21-26, 2009 . Once again, SKIF-USA hopes to send a strong team to the 10th SKIF World Tournament. There is detailed information on the 10th SKIF World Tournament on the SKIF-Japan website, which you can link to from our SKIF-USA website (www.skifusa.com) or by going directly to www.skif.jp.

All the tournament rules and divisions are listed there. Because it is important to have our team roster set as soon as possible, YOU MUST LET US KNOW BY JANUARY 12, 2009, IF YOU OR ANY OF YOUR STUDENTS PLAN TO PARTICIPATE AS MEMBERS OF THE SKIF-USA TEAM. WE NEED THE PARTICIPANTS’ NAMES, ADDRESSES, AGES (dates of birth), DIVISIONS THEY WANT TO COMPETE IN, AND WEIGHT IF THEY WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN A KUMITE WEIGHT DIVISION. YOU MUST RESPOND TO THIS EMAIL VIA EMAIL BY JANUARY 12, 2009 OR YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS MAY NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE SKIF-USA TEAM. The only limitations on the number of participants will be in the 20-39 year old “Senior Divisions.” (See the information on the website for details on this.)

However, we do need to know who is planning to compete in all of the divisions by January 12, 2009. With respect to the 20-39 year old “Senior Divisions,” if we have more competitors who want to compete than positions available, the SKIF-USA Board & Technical Committee will select the team members based on their participation and placement at our SKIF-USA Nationals in Florida, and on their past competition and training records, just as we have done in the past. This is another reason we need to know by January 12, 2009 if you or any of your students plan to be on the team. At this time, I am unsure how much travel planning SKIF-USA will be able to do on behalf of the team but I hope to be able to send you more information on this via email after January 12, 2009. In addition, we will probably hold a team training seminar led by our SKIF-USA Board & Technical Committee members sometime in the spring, and we will send out more information on this in early 2009. Finally, we wish you Happy Holidays, and we look forward to receiving your responses to this email by January 12, 2009.

Sincerely,
Glenn Stoddard
SKIF-USA General Secretary

Match-Style Kumite (from Kanazawa Kancho's Karate Fighting Techniques)

While there are no competitive encounters in karate as a martial art, match-style (shiai) kumite provides a substitute for actual combat that enables practitioners to experience firsthand an authentic exchange of offensive and defensive techniques. Match-style kumite represents a means of testing skills and abilities to freely evaluate one's mental, physical, and technical prowess.
Unlike tournament kumite, match-style kumite does not adhere to any special rules, such as those stipulated in competition regulations. One's conscience dictates the only rules that exist for this type of kumite and, within the framework of these rules, practitioners call on the mental, physical, and technical faculties that they have developed and polished through daily training.
The shiai-kumite of karate-do is characterized by attacks of deadly force that are controlled to stop a mere inch in front of their intended target. Mastering the control of one's body and limbs facilitates the control of one's spirit, which fosters self-discipline and contributes to the building of character. Because there are no formal rules, the threat of serious injury poses a genuine risk. Accordingly, shiai-kumite relies heavily on not only the participants' sense of responsibility, but also on mutual trust.
The true essence of karate-do boils down to how to control a strike that is powerful enough to kill with a single blow by delivering it so that its explosive force culminates at the instant before it reaches its target. This ability can only be achieved through the diligent and steady training of first tanren (training) kumite, followed by kihon (basic) kumite, and then yakusoku (promise) kumite

12/14/08 Video Training: Sensei/Jackson: Nikkyu/Ikkyu Jiyu Ippon Kumite

12/14/08 Video Training: Gerald/Jackson: Nikkyu/Ikkyu Jiyu Ippon Kumite

12/14/08 Video Training: Valentin/Jackson: Nikkyu/Ikkyu Jiyu Ippon Kumite

12/14/08 Video Training: Sensei/Jackson: Nikkyu/Ikkyu Jiyu Ippon Kumite

12/14/08 Video Training: Jiyu Ippon Kumite Nikkyu/Ikkyu Jackson & Valentin

12/14/08 Video Training: Jiyu Ippon Kumite Nikkyu/Ikkyu Gerald & Jackson

12/14/08 Video Training: Jackson: Shodan Kihon X

12/14/08 Video Training: Jackson: Shodan Kihon IX

12/14/08 Video Training: Jackson: Shodan Kihon VIII

12/14/08 Video Training: Jackson: Shodan Kihon VI

12/14/08 Video Training: Jackson: Shodan Kihon V

12/14/08 Video Training: Jackson: Shodan Kihon IV

12/14/08 Video Training: Jackson: Shodan Kihon IV

12/14/08 Video Training: Jackson: Shodan Kihon III

12/14/08 Video Training: Jackson Shodan Kihon II

12/14/08 Video Training: Shodan Kihon I

12/14/08 Video Training: Jackson: Kanku Dai (Rear View)

12.14.08 Video TrainingL Jackson: Kanku Dai

12/14/08 Video Training: Jackson: Bassai Dai Rear View

12/14/08 Video Training: Jackson: Bassai Dai

12/14/08 Video Training: Jackson: Tekki Shodan

TEN NO KATA of Gichin Funakoshi

Ten no Kata Omote and Ura were created by Gichin Funakoshi and are both presented in the Karate-do Nyumon, the twin to Karate-do Kyohan, also written by Funakoshi Gichin. Ten no Kata means "kata of the universe." We practice Ten No Kata in call recently and below are the movements. Thanks to sensei for emailing them.


In last Wednesday night's class (Nov. 19), we practiced Ten No Kata. I'm going to try to briefly summarize it. A complete description is contained in Gichin Funakoshi's Karate-do Nyumon.



I. Ten No Kata Omote (solo exercises, without a partner).

A. Attacks - starting from shizentai (natural stance), alternating sides of the body, returning to shizentai after each attack.

1. Oi zuki chudan (middle-level lunge punch).
2. Oi zuki jodan (upper-level lunge punch).
3. Gyaku zuki chudan (middle-level reverse punch).
4. Gyaku zuki jodan (upper-level reverse punch).

B. Defensive combinations - also starting from shizentai, alternating sides of the body, stepping back to block, returning to shizentai.

1. Against chudan oi zuki:

a) Gedan barai (down block), chudan gyaku zuki, both in front stance.
b) Uchi ude uke (inside-to-outside forearm block), chudan gyaku zuki, both in front stance.
c) Shuto uke (knife-hand block) in kokutsu dachi (back stance), chudan nukite (middle-level spear hand) in zenkutsu dachi.

2. Against jodan oi zuki:

a) Jodan shuto barai (upper-level knife-hand block) in kokutsu dachi, grabbing the punching arm and pulling it to your hip as you change to zenkutsu dachi, jodan gyaku zuki.
b) Jodan age uke (rising block), chudan gyaku zuki, both in zenkutsu dachi.
c) Jodan uchikomi (bottom-fist block against the outside of the punching arm - looks like an upper-level soto uke, outside-to-inside round block), chudan gyaku zuki.

II. Ten No Kata Ura - done with a partner in the manner of Kihon Ippon Kumite (basic one-step sparring), with the attacker executing either jodan or chudan oi zuki from front stance and the defender using the defenses described above.

Oss!

Scott Monroe Instructor,
Austin Shotokan Karate

12/8/08 Video Training: Tekki Shodan Sensei, Gerald & Valentin

12/8/08 Video Training: Gerald Valentin-Jiyu Ippon Kumite II

12/8/2008 Video Training: Gerald & Velentin-Nikkyu/Ikkyu Jiyu Ippon Kumite

12/8/08 Video Training: Gerald & Valentin-Nikkyu.Ikkyu Kihon

12/8 Video Training: Gerald & Valentin: Nikky/Ikkyu Kihon

Stan Schmidt Drills

Stan Schmidt is one of the world's most famous and internationally recognized karate masters. He was the first non-Japanese karate practitioner to attain the grade of 7th degree black belt from the Japan Karate Association (JKA) and is the only non-Japanese member of the Shihankai (Council of Masters) of the JKA/WF. He has visited Japan dozens of times since 1963 to train with Japanese experts at the JKA's famous honbu (headquarters) in Tokyo. He is the Chief Instructor of the South Africa JKA with over 25,000 active students, and is a Founding Fellow of the International Karate Society (IKS).

Beginning from down block position in front stance:

1. Stepping forward into front stance, triple punch, face-stomach-stomach.

2. Stepping backward into front stance, rising block, reverse punch stomach.

3. Stepping forward into front stance, outside round block (soto uke), reverse punch
stomach.

4. Stepping backward into back stance, inside forearm block (uchi uke), moving front
foot to change to front stance, reverse punch stomach.

5. Stepping forward into back stance, knife-hand block (or strike), front-leg front kick,
moving front foot to change to front stance, reverse spear hand stomach.

6. Hands at sides for kicking (mae geri gamae), rear-leg front kick, leg back.

7. Front-leg front kick face, rear-leg front kick stomach, stepping forward.

8. Move rear foot behind front foot to change to side stance, facing to the rear. Step-
ping across, side snap kick.

9. Turn to face the other way, stepping across, side snap kick with the other leg.

10 Turn to face the other way, stepping across, side thrust kick.

11. Turn to face the other way, stepping across, side thrust kick with the other leg.

12. Turn to face the other way (you should be facing in the opposite direction from
the starting position), change to fighting stance (jiyu gamae). Rear-leg round
kick, stepping forward into front stance, front-hand backfist strike-snap face,
reverse punch stomach

Video Training Sessions

As you will note, we have added video training sessions to the blog. It is said that the video camera adds pounds; it also adds insight and perspective that we often do not getting my merely looking in the mirror during our training. As such, periodically, we will video tape members performing their level of techniques so that they can see themselves performing with a new perspective. These will be posted on the blog--or if you prefer to not appear on the blog--the video of your videos can be emailed.

We have already posted some of the videos recorded on Sunday 12/7/08 and will be posting more of those--and new videos to the blog. You can view posts that do not appear on the first page by clicking "older posts" at the bottom of the blog page, or you may access specific posts from the side bar. Video posts will begin with the date that the video was recorded.

12/7/08: Sensei-Kihon

12/7/08: Gerald-Jion (Rear View)

12/7/08 Video Training: Valentin-Bassai Dai (Rear View)

12/7/08 Video Training: Sensei-Jion (Rear View)

12/7/08 Video Training: Gerald--Jon

12/7/08 Video Training: Valentin-Bassai Dai

12/7/08 Video Training: Sensei; Sochin