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Self Defence Tips will loose. Stay calm and Profile of Tadashi Yamashita By Sam Hirte-Runtsch by Jennifer Seaton look for opportunities.

The best self defense tip Act fast: Whatever Sensei Tadashi Yamashita is teaching at that anyone can give is: When you panic, your any given time, it is assured that all in attendance, from beginning white belts to senior black belts, stay calm. When defending muscles tense up. Tense will learn something from the experience. It is for yourself it is important to muscles move slower than this reason that, at each seminar he teaches, the keep your wits about you, relaxed ones and if you are dojo is found to be packed from wall to wall with act fast, and control the in a situation where every students from many miles around. situation. second counts, you want to One's first impression of Sensei Yamashita, when be as fast as possible. Also, learning from him in the dojo, is that of a very Think things through: it takes energy to tense up harsh, strict man. Though not inaccurate, this When in a stressful your muscles, keeping description does not paint a complete picture of the Sensei. Although he is harsh, he is an excellent survival situation, your them relaxed will conserve instructor. Despite a heavy accent, he is adept at brain will want to “fight or precious energy. imparting the knowledge of his arts in a way that flight”. Essentially, your transcends language. Whatever he holds in body is going to freak out Control the situation: his hands, he wields it as if it were part of him. His Take control of the mastery with Okinawan is perhaps and act instinctively unmatched by any martial artist alive. because it will be situation. Use their energy convinced that if it does and force against them. Born in Japan, Tadashi Yamashita and his mother not take over you actions Control the flow of energy. moved to Okinawa when his father died. There he Later issues will continue was a rebellious child until the school PTA turned you will die. The more him over to a master, who taught him to “primitive” areas of the with this topic and look at channel his destructive tendencies in a respectful brain start pumping out specific techniques, but way. He became a black belt in Karate at the age chemicals and you revert nothing beats a good self- of 16. Since then, Sensei Yamashita has earned defense course. Knowledge many awards and trophies throughout his life. He to instinct. However, your has also starred in numerous martial arts films. brain is not with the times, is power in this situation, and your ingrain instincts the more you know the Having trained in Kobayashi style Shorin Ryu are not the best reactions better chance you have of Karate and Matayoshi Kobudo, Yamashita-Sensei making it through. set out to refine and teach what he knew. He now in a defense situation. Keep teaches his own variants of these styles in dojos your wits about you and Knowledge will also keep around the world, as do his students, and his think about the best course you calm, if you know how students' students. of action. For example, if to control the situation, you are much less likely to Perhaps the greatest difficulty of learning from someone is pulling you, it Yamashita-Sensei is the fact that he does not stay is not necessarily best to panic. Nothing beats in one place. He spends a couple of days heading a pull back. That is force proper preparation. seminar at any given dojo before moving on to the against force and if you are next. About the only way to find out about these And don’t forget to seminars is to hear about them from the dojo that a not the strongest one, you particular seminar is taking place at. Still, the BREATHE! rewards reaped from attending one of Sensei Yamashita's seminars are great. "I do not have the knack of victory at all times. I have only learned how not to miss the right moment" Kenshin Uesugi

An MAMeta Forums Production--- http://www.martialartsmeta.com/forum/ Suruchin: and the Use of Ki Leonard, a renowned By Josh Berg by Tim Johnson Aikidoka, and author of “The way of Aikido”. This exercise The Suruchin is a weapon from the traditional Okinawan weapon style: Recently there has been a lot takes two people. First, your Kobudo. The traditional version of the of discussion regarding friend stands about 10 to 15 weapon is made from a length of shuro whether or not Ki, Chi, or feet away from you with their (hemp) rope with hand made stone inner energy is real, and if so, arm outstretched to the side at fishing weights, about palm sized tied to is it some kind of magical about chest level, holding it the ends of the shuro rope through holes “stuff”. I believe Ki is more there with moderate force. drilled in the flat side of the stones. The about being centered and Now, you are going to try to length of shuro rope used in the Suruchin connected rather than some make it to a point just beyond is proportionate to the height of the user, “mystical powers”. In Aikido, your friends arm. We are with a range of 6-8 ft it could be said that we have some techniques to going to try this 3 times, using as a general rule they are about 2ft longer than the user of the weapon. help us become more centered 3 different methods. It is and more aware of our bodies important that the friend does There is no way of knowing when the and movements. I think by their best to use the same Suruchin was first used; most presume sharing a couple exercises that amount of resistance each that the use of the Suruchin goes back to I use in my classes, it may time. ancient time due to its simple help others with their construction. The Suruchin techniques training, be it Aikido, or any First method: Put your have been used throughout the martial other art. attention on the back of your arts of Japan with such adaptations as the head, think to yourself that manriki-gusari and the kusari-gama. The The first exercise to help with you just got out of bed and are fundamental actions in Suruchin techniques can be used in any rope or the use of Ki, or centeredness tired and want to do nothing chain based weapon with which you can is first learning where your but crawl back into bed. Now, put two hands on. center point is. Your center feeling sluggish, walk toward point, or Hara, is about an your partner’s outstretched Constantly in motion, weaving a circle of inch below your navel. To arm, trying to pass through defense around the wieder, the Suruchin center yourself, put your the arm. Note what happened, style blends fluid movements with attention on your center how it felt, if you were able to devastating, bone crushing attacks, binds point. It may help to place pass, etc. Many first time and disarming capabilities. The mid-cord your hand on this point, while participants either cannot grip allows attacks from either side of the weapon or binds followed by further calmly breathing deeply into pass, or if they do, find it hard strikes from the other end or from your abdomen; you should to push through. unarmed attacks. Within range bolo-type feel your hand on the Hara leg binds are also possible with this move with your breath. For Now, the second time, we are weapon. Used as a primarily long range the purpose of focus, let’s going to put our attention on weapon, capabilities are for even longer breathe in through the nose, the front of our head. Think reach than bo or other staff weapons, and out through the mouth. to yourself that you are with a simple adjustment to the grip, a determined to break through closer range, 3-4 feet is possible making Now, many may think, “How that point no matter what. the Suruchin an incredibly adaptable does this help?” Well I got this Feeling powerful and weapon. Continued on Page 3 next exercise from George Continued on Page 3

An MAMeta Forums Production--- http://www.martialartsmeta.com/forum/ Continued from Page 2 attacker, we can stay calm and determined, walk toward your centered, focused on our Hara, Continued from Page 2 partner’s arm, again trying to pass but attentive, while our attacker is Modern Suruchin become more through it. Once again note what aggressive and off balance. Once technical in nature and are usually made with lightweight happened, how it felt, if you were they attack we can move in to chain with a metal weight at one able to pass, and if so, how did block or grab, and by staying end and a spike at the other; of that feel. Using this technique, calm, we can see a multitude of course there are versions made most people find they will pass options, including countering, with just two heavy metal ends through, but most say it feels joint locks, even letting them go, attached to the chain. The choppy. but the main lesson is, we have weighted end can be whipped or made the choice. thrown into an opponent to cause Now, the third time, we are going damage or unbalance them for a to put our attention on our center Thus, by using Ki, or finishing . The spike can be point, about an inch below our centeredness, we have potentially used on pressure points or with lethal force in a technique navel. You may want to put your changed an aggressive situation and the chain can be used in hand over this point to help keep into a more controlled one. For binding techniques similar to your attention there. Now try not this application of Ki, try not to hojojutsu. For training purposes a to think about your partner’s arm think of your partner as someone moderately safe version can be so much, but more, about walking attacking, but rather someone made from the same length of to the point just beyond your who you have invited to your rope tied through holes in tennis partner’s arm. Now relax, keeping “home” to help you become a or racquet balls or a nerf-type ball your attention on your center, better martial artist. With this in for even more safety. walk toward your partner’s arm, mind, both you and your partner again passing through it. Note will want the best attacks either It can take months to learn to use Suruchin without harming again how this felt, what of you can deliver. You don’t yourself. Though books and happened, and whether you could want sloppy attacks; you want to videos are available for further pass though. Most times people be the best that you can be. You study including: Okinawan find it almost effortless to walk are being invited to help your Kobudo, Mastering the Suruchin, through the outstretched arm. partner as well, afford them the video; Ancient Okinawan Martial same opportunity Arts: Koryu Uchinadi (Tuttle By using this centering technique, Just as with your regular training, Martial Arts), book; due to the one can start to use this way of likelihood of devastating yourself thinking in all aspects of their Ki is what you make of it. It does with this weapon you want to have an instructor's guidance in training, helping to make their not need to be an out of reach your training. techniques flow more, have more mystical action, but can be a power, speed, etc. Try using this simple, effective tool, which can Sources: technique with self-defense, be used not only in training, but Saiko-Shihan Nishtuchi, a student , , or any other area of in all aspects of our lives, on and of Matayoshi Shinpo, 2nd training. off the mats. Ki can be developed, Grandmaster of the Matayoshi Another technique I like to use in trained, and improved. How far Kobudo. Aikido, with regard to self- you take it, and what you do with defense training is inviting our it, as always, is your choice. Wikipedia attacker in. By keeping this line of White Dragon of Bushido thinking, and welcoming our

Wonder Okinawa An MAMeta Forums Production--- http://www.martialartsmeta.com/forum/ About the Writers: Sam Hirte-Runtsch: Editor/Writer. Is a student of Yamashita-Style Kobayashi Shorin Ryu Karate and Matayoshi Kobudo, in addition to being an aspiring writer. Jennifer Seaton: Writer/Administrator. Has studied , , and . She is interested in all martial arts and is the administrators of the Martial Arts Meta forum. Tim Johnson: Writer/Ki Guru. Is a student of Aikido, JuiJitsu, and Tae Kwon Do under Sensei Rusty Beasaw, and has 8 years experience in teaching martial arts. Josh Berg: Writer/Muscly-armed paper-boy. Is a student of Yamashita-Style Kobayashi Shorin Ryu Karate and Matayoshi Kobudo. Has experience in numerous unarmed arts, as well as Yagyu- style kenjutsu and European weapons training.

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An MAMeta Forums Production--- http://www.martialartsmeta.com/forum/