Complete Karate – Taishin Style

The Definitive Textbook of Taishin-Ryu Karate-Do

Designed with something for everyone

who practices Karate, Tang Soo Do

or Tae Kwon Do, regardless of style.

© 2007, Gerald T. Aitken. All Rights Reserved

Table of Contents

Who Can Benefit From Owning This Book? 3

Third Degree Black Belt Diploma of the Author 4

About the Author 5

Fundamental Concepts 7

Underlying Principles 14

Benefits of Practicing 20

What Success Requires From You 25

What You Do Not Need 28

Refutation of Some Myths 32

A Short Story: Chang Ho and the Demon 37

Warming Up and Conditioning 40

Basic Techniques 45

Combinations 60

The Slow Form 71

Basic One 87

Basic Two 89

Basic Three 91

Basic Four 94

Basic Five 96

Basic Six 99

Tekki Shodan 102

Figure-8 Form 105

Shuttles Form 108

Gankaku 111

Bassai-Dai 114

Kanku-Dai 119

Bishamonten 125

Single Assailant Form 133

The Knife Form 138

The Cane Form 141

The Staff Form 144

The Rifle Form 147

The Sword Form 150

Sparring 154

Instructor Qualifications and Requirements 162

System of Rank and Test Requirements 163

Rules & By-Laws, Taishinryu Karate Association 165

Who Can Benefit From Owning This Book?

Obviously, anyone who practices Taishin style karate can benefit from owning this book, because the book provides a complete illustrated catalog of the system in its entirety.

But practitioners of other styles of Karate, Tang Soo Do and Tae Kwon Do can also benefit from owning this book. Here are five reasons:

1. The warm-up routine in this book can be used by anyone from any system of fistic martial arts. You can use the whole thing, or just pick and choose a few of the items to add to your existing routine.

2. Many of the kata (forms) in this book are used by other styles, sometimes under a different name. These include Taishinryu’s Basic One (known elsewhere as Taikyoku Shodan), Basic Two (a modified Heian One), Basic Three through Six (Heian Two through Five), Tekki Shodan, Gankaku, Bassai-Dai and Kanku-Dai. All of these forms also appear in some styles of Tang Soo Do under Korean names.

3. There are several unique and little-known barehand forms in this book which originated with Taishin-Ryu. Practitioners of other styles are welcome to adopt them as a supplementary practice. These include a form that flows in a continuous figure 8 pattern, and a form that fights a single imaginary attacker.

4. There are five weapon forms – knife, cane, staff, rifle, and sword. Some Tae Kwon Do schools do not teach weapons, so these Tae Kwon Do practitioners can teach themselves weapons using this book. All of the weapons forms are unique to Taishin-Ryu. They are not found in other systems. Practitioners of other styles are welcome to adopt them as a supplementary practice. Our five weapon forms are accessible enough to be self-taught from the book, because of their simplicity.

5. Although most of this book consists of illustrated instructions, the first portion of the book is a substantial text passage. The text covers the definition of a martial art, an overview of the various martial arts, the definition of karate, the meaning of the words RYU and KARATE-DO, the underlying principles of karate, the benefits of practicing karate, what success in karate requires from the practitioner, what the practitioner does NOT need to be successful, refutation of some myths about karate, and, finally, a moving and inspiring short story. Most of these subjects apply equally to any practitioner of Karate, Tang Soo Do or Tae Kwon Do.

Therefore, in summary, “Complete Karate – Taishin Style” is useful to anyone who practices any fistic martial art with Okinawan roots – whether Okinawan Karate, Japanese Karate, Korean Tang Soo Do, or Korean Tae Kwon Do. So no matter what your style, you are encouraged to add this book to your martial arts library. Enjoy!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The author in 2004, at age 50.

GERALD THOMAS AITKEN was born in Darby, Pennsylvania, on March 18, 1954. Gerald’s father was Director of Market Research for Sealtest Foods. His mother was a housewife. Gerald had two older brothers, eight and ten years older than him.

A few months after Gerald’s birth his family moved to White Plains, New York, where he attended St. Bernard’s Parochial School and lived until 1963. On November 17, 1962, Gerald’s skull was fractured by a classmate. He briefly slipped into a coma and was given Last Rites. He came out of the coma, but was unable to walk. It took three months of rehab for Gerald to walk again.

In 1963 the Aitkens moved to nearby Armonk N.Y., where Gerald attended St. Patrick’s Parochial School in Bedford, then Byram Hills Middle School in Armonk. While in middle school Gerald was the victim of frequent bullying, which often included being physically manhandled.

Gerald attended Fordham Preparatory School, Bronx N.Y., from 1968 to 1972. It was during Gerald’s sophomore year at Fordham Prep, in 1969, at age 15, that Gerald first took up karate, at the White Plains School of Self Defense in Hartsdale, N.Y. Gerald continued his karate in Westchester County until 1972.

In July 1972 Gerald attended “North American Wilderness Survival School” and practiced backpacking and survival camping in the Adirondack mountains of upstate New York.

In September 1972 Mr. Aitken went to Baltimore Maryland to attend The Johns Hopkins University, from which he graduated in May 1976 with a B.A. in Political Science. Throughout his four years at Johns Hopkins Gerald participated in the Karate Club on campus, and he also took some karate classes off campus in 1974 and 1975. During this period Gerald had two Instructors: Mark Spencer and Chul Soo Hyun.

Gerald converted to Buddhism in October 1975 while a senior at Johns Hopkins, joining a bona fide 700 year old sect which had U.S. members and meetings in Baltimore. Mr. Aitken also read works of Taoism. Gerald’s Buddhism gives his Karate a moral code, something which Gerald believes is essential for all martial artists to have, whether it comes from Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, or whatever.

In 1976 when Mr. Aitken graduated from Johns Hopkins, his brother Bruce graduated from American University Law School and began a career as an attorney. Gerald’s oldest brother Bob was a graduate student in Physics going for his Ph.D.

In 1976 at age 22, Mr. Aitken, now a college grad, opted for a non-traditional career. He began working as a security guard, while putting a lot of continued energy into his karate training. In 1981 the Taishin-Ryu Karate Association awarded Mr. Aitken his Third Degree Black Belt in Taishin-Ryu Karate-Do, qualifying him to teach the art. Gerald began teaching part time in 1981 and gradually developed his karate teaching business into a full time affair. Gerald lived and taught at 325 E. 25^th Street in Baltimore City, in the Charles Village neighborhood, not far from Johns Hopkins.

In July of 1986, for family reasons, Mr. Aitken moved from Baltimore Maryland to Walden New York. There Gerald at first did security work while re-establishing his karate teaching business in the new location. As he had done in Baltimore, Gerald lived in his Dojo in Walden and developed the business from part time to full time.

In 2004, at age 50, Mr. Aitken retired from teaching karate and took work in another field. This reduction in work hours (from 60 hours to 40 hours a week) gave Gerald the free time to write and illustrate this substantial book, “Complete Karate – Taishin Style”.

As of this writing, the author is living in Maybrook, N.Y., with his three cats (Maybrook is near Walden).

Between 1992 and 2003, Mr. Aitken saved eight stray cats and one stray dog. Gerald gained the trust of these animals in his yard - by feeding them, talking to them in a nice tone of voice, and eventually petting them. Those animals Gerald had no room to keep, he brought to the Humane Society, where they were adopted.

Mr. Aitken collects museum quality military miniatures. He also stages rubber band gun battles with plastic toy soldiers. Gerald also likes to walk in the woods. Mr. Aitken is highly computer literate.

As of this writing, Gerald is still able to perform all of his Kata (forms) and Combinations almost the same way he did them in his twenties.

What is a Martial Art?

A Martial Art is a philosophy, a system of moving meditation, a character building regimen, a fitness regimen, a fine art form, and a system of self defense – in that order of importance. Contrast this with a Pugilistic Skill, such as western boxing, which is limited to fighting for sport or protection. Martial Arts are just as effective for self-defense as are Pugilistic Skills, but Martial Arts are also much more than fighting.

What is a Fistic Method?

A Fistic Method can be a Martial Art or a Pugilistic Skill that relies primarily on punching, blocking, in some cases kicking, and related techniques. Fistic Methods that are also Pugilistic Skills include western boxing, Thai kickboxing, and western style competitive kickboxing. Fistic Methods that are also Martial Arts include Tai Chi Chuan, Kung Fu, Kempo, Karate, Jiu Jitsu, Taekwondo, Tangsoodo, and Hapkido. These can collectively be referred to as Fistic Martial Arts. With the exception of Tai Chi Chuan, which has unique characteristics, all other Fistic Martial Arts are sometimes colloquially referred to as “karate”, although strictly speaking, Karate denotes only Okinawan and Japanese Karate-Do.

Overview of the Various Martial Arts

There are many different types of Martial Arts. They all provide a DO (pronounced like “dough”) or path, toward philosophy, meditation, character building, fitness, creativity and self defense. But they differ in terms of what vehicle they provide for self improvement, that is to say, in terms of what self defense method they employ.

Some Martial Arts like Tai Chi Chuan rely primarily on internal power, which is more subtle; it comes from an unfathomable region of life as yet not described by science, yet it is fully demonstrable and documented. Other Martial Arts such as Karate rely mainly on external power, which is more like the mechanics of classical physics – more readily accessible for busy modern people with limited training time available.

Some Martial Arts teach traditional low-tech weapons, others don’t. Among those which do, some teach only one or two weapons, some teach many. And the weapons vary. Typical weapons are staffs, spears, swords, knives, throwing stars, ceremonial archery, farming hand implements adapted for self defense, and canes. Many Martial Arts teach both unarmed and armed self defense techniques.

Martial Arts that teach unarmed self defense use the human body as a weapon in differing ways. Some Martial Arts like Judo use throwing, grappling, foot sweeping, and take downs. Other Martial Arts like Karate use fistic self defense methods. Aikido uses subtler leverage techniques than Judo’s based on internal power, just as Tai Chi Chuan uses subtler fistic techniques than Karate’s based on internal power.

What is Karate?

Karate (in the colloquial sense) is a Fistic Martial Art that relies primarily on external power. It teaches unarmed self defense, sometimes supplemented by several traditional weapons. It uses the fist for punching, the open hand and elbow for striking, the knee and foot for kicking, and the arm and leg for blocking. These atomic techniques are usually related in combinations, employing various stances and footwork maneuvers. These combinations range from simple to intermediate to complex.

The most complex combinations are actually ritualistic practice routines called Forms that are similar to choreographed practice sets for dancers, but with a pragmatic martial application. Karate also has Sparring, in which two fellow students have a match within prescribed safety restrictions. Both opponents compete to win by making a greater number of non-contact or light-contact points. Competition is not for the sake of superiority or ego, but to use the match as a mirror of one’s own weaknesses, both in technique and character, for the sake of self improvement.

Above, the word “Karate” has been used in the broad colloquial sense. Now to discuss the specific branches of Karate.

The grandfather of them all is Kung Fu, which originated in China in the first century a.d. Kung Fu gave rise not only to other streams of “Karate” but also to Tai Chi Chuan. Kung Fu was started by Buddhist monks as a fitness regimen to give them stamina for meditation. It gradually took on an added self defense application and developed into a complex martial art. It branched into thousands of distinct styles throughout China. Some of these styles reached other parts of Asia, where they blended with indigenous Pugilistic Skills or Martial Arts to create Okinawan Karate and the Korean karate-like systems. Kung Fu also reached Japan where it was renamed Kenpo or Kempo.

Kung Fu uses largely the same inventory of techniques as its latter day descendants in Okinawa, Japan and Korea. But Kung Fu applies these techniques in a more flowing, circular, continuous manner; the power is like that of a pendulum. The Okinawan, Japanese and Korean karate-like systems, on contrast, have a more abrupt, staccato mode of application; the power is like that of a steel trap snapping shut. Both types of power are, of course, primarily external in nature.

Japanese, Okinawan and Korean “Karate” are external and streamlined systems. So the student can learn the basics in approximately a year, become expert in three years, and master the style in ten years (in Taishin-Ryu mastery takes 12 years). Kung Fu is also external, but it is far more elaborate. So it takes three years to learn the basics, ten years to become expert, and thirty years to achieve mastery.

Tai Chi Chuan, like Aikido, is internal. But like the Japanese, Okinawan and Korean “Karate” systems, Tai Chi is not as elaborate as Kung Fu. Tai Chi is more profound than Kung Fu yet less elaborate. So the learning curve for Tai Chi is about the same as that for Kung Fu.

In summary, Karate is a specifically Japanese and Okinawan martial art, when the word is used properly. Used more broadly and colloquially, Karate also means Kung Fu, Taekwondo, Tangsoodo, Hapkido, and marginally Tai Chi Chuan.

What is Taishin-Ryu Karate-Do?

TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO is the Taishin school or style of Karate.

Perhaps the best way to describe the Taishin system of Karate is to outline the curriculum.

Students start by learning how to warm up and condition themselves. The next lesson is to learn the Horse Stance and several hand movements done with breath control. Then they learn some other stances and footwork maneuvers, and these are then combined with the hand techniques. Some basic kicks are then learned.

Taishin-Ryu Karate-Do features a unique training method for learning the basics. First techniques are learned in a static horse stance. Then further stances and footwork maneuvers are practiced without hand techniques, just the footwork. Finally, the footwork is married to the various hand techniques. Taishin-Ryu uniquely analyzes the basic movements in three phases in order to simplify and ensure the learning process.

Students continue to practice these basics full speed. Meanwhile, they learn a long, elaborate Slow Form that has most of the complexities and intricacies of the entire style. So beginning students are practicing simple basics at full speed while learning advanced methods in slow motion. That is another unique aspect of training at the Taishin Karate school.

When students are ready to begin learning advanced methods at full speed, they simultaneously learn 40 short Combinations and a number of longer Forms.

There are six Basic Forms. Next in line is the form called Tekki Shodan. It simulates fighting in a cramped alley.

Students then learn the Figure 8 Form, in which the defender moves like a whirlwind amidst an entire gang of attackers. The next form is Shuttles, in which the accent is on shifting in various directions while defending.

Gankaku comes next. Gankaku means “Crane on a Rock” and simulates the movements of the crane defending itself. Then comes Bassai-Dai, which means “To Penetrate a Fortress” and has a strong counterattacking spirit. The next form is “Kanku-Dai” which means “To Look at the Sky”; this form fends off a veritable horde of assailants.

Next comes Bishamonten, a form characterized by advanced rapid hand techniques and fighting in numerous directions simultaneously. The last bare-hand form is Single Assailant Form, which is distinguished from the other forms in that it presents advanced tactics for fighting a single skilled attacker.

The last forms are weapon forms – the Knife Form, the Cane Form, the Staff Form, the Rifle Form, and the Sword Form. The Rifle Form uses the butt and bayonet of a rifle as weapons for hand to hand combat.

Thus there are 20 Forms in Taishin-Ryu style karate: The Slow Form, six Basic Forms, Tekki Shodan, Figure 8, Shuttles, Gankaku, Bassai-Dai, Kanku-Dai, Bishamonten, Single Assailant, Knife, Cane, Staff, Rifle and Sword.

Some of these twenty forms are classical forms that have been used for centuries in many systems of karate, not only Taishin-Ryu. These would include Basic 1, Basic 3 through 6, Tekki Shodan, Gankaku, Bassai-Dai, and Kanku-Dai.

Other forms are original creations of the founder and are proprietary to the Taishin-Ryu style. Those would include the Slow Form, Basic Two, Figure 8, Shuttles, Bishamonten, Single Assailant, and all of the weapon forms. The Slow Form borrows heavily from the Long Form of Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan, while presenting important differences. Likewise the Knife Form borrows extensively from a Tang Soo Do knife form while containing significant distinctions. And the Shuttle Form’s 34 movements are an expansion on the 4 movements of the “Fair Lady Works the Shuttles” vignette within the Long Form of Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan. The other “original” Taishin-Ryu forms are completely original, not even partially based on forms from another style.

Incidentally, the form “Bishamonten” is named after a mythological Buddhist protective deity. This deity is one of four gods who mythologically lived on the four slopes of Mount Sumeru, which was mythologically the highest mountain in the world located at the center of the world. Of the four deities protecting the slopes of Mount Sumeru, Bishamonten specializes in protecting good teachings and the place where students gather to hear the teachings from their master. Thus Bishamonten is like a patron protector of colleges, universities, churches, synagogues, temples, mosques, seminaries, high schools, grammar schools, martial art schools, and similar places.

By the time the student has learned all these Forms, the student has long finished learning the 40 Combinations and has moved on to practicing Sparring alongside his Form training. Sparring consists of three stages. First there are 50 pre-choreographed one step sparring routines. Then comes semi-spontaneous sparring, and finally, fully spontaneous free sparring. All sparring is done with protective gear and safety restrictions.

Again, there are three unique aspects of Taishin-Ryu training not found in other karate schools:

1. The basics are broken down into three phases to simplify and ensure the learning process.
2. Beginner students practice simple basics fast, while learning advanced techniques in slow motion.
3. There are many original, proprietary Forms in Taishin-Ryu which other schools do not have.

The History and Lineage of Taishin-Ryu Karate-Do

The Meaning of the Words “Tai Shin Ryu Kara Te Do”

TAI (rhymes with “guy”)

TAI means “great” or “ultimate”. By this we mean that Karate is derived from the ultimate reality, the Universal Law. Karate is descended from Kung Fu, and Kung Fu was developed by Buddhists who were attuned to the ultimate reality. For this reason, Karate embodies the ultimate law of fighting with the hands and feet. The implications are two fold. First, Karate is unsurpassed in its genre as a fistic fighting art. Second, a spiritually clean life is necessary to really penetrate the depths of Karate and extract its full benefit.

TAI also means “body”. The body is the vehicle through which spiritual growth happens in Karate training. And the body is the primary weapon in Karate.

SHIN (rhymes with “tin”)

SHIN means “mind” or “intent”. If TAI is the ultimate objective reality, then SHIN is our subjective awareness of this reality which we develop through our assiduous karate training. TAI and SHIN together make TAISHIN. The two words are fused into one to show that both elements are indispensable. For success in martial arts, first, there must be an objective law (TAI). Then, that law must be correctly understood, embodied into teachings, and practiced with dedication (SHIN).

Thus TAISHIN means “Ultimate Mind”. TAISHIN also means “Body and Mind” signifying that both body and mind are harmonized to produce the techniques of karate and the benefits of practice.

RYU (sounds like the first part of “cute”)

RYU means “school”, “system” or “style”. TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO is the Taishin School of Karate. A school exists on more than one dimension. First, the school is the brick and mortar facility where training is held; it must meet certain standards in order to properly facilitate training. The RYU or school is also something deeper, something more inconspicuous. It is the passing of the lamp. “Lamp” signifies knowledge and also the fundamental spirit of the art. The lamp is passed from Master to Master, and from Master to student. The narrow definition of the lamp is that which is passed from the founder of Taishin-Ryu to the present day. The broad definition of the lamp is that which is passed from Bodhidharma, the founder of Shaolin Kung Fu, through intermediate systems (Kyokushin Karate, Shotokan Karate, Kenpo, Tae Kwon Do and Tang Soo Do), and ultimately to the founder of the Taishin-Ryu and his followers.

KARA (the A’s sound like the O in “rob”)

KARA means “empty” in two different senses. First, when doing the barehand skills, the practitioner’s hands are physically empty, because the hands themselves (as well as the feet, knees and elbows) have become the weapon. Second, when an accomplished practitioner is performing, his mind is empty of distractions – free from fear, anger, and self consciousness. He or she is in a state of Mu-Shin, which means No-Mind. The karate man doesn’t hit; there is an “it” that hits all by itself.

TE (rhymes with “hay”)

TE means hand. So KARA-TE means “empty hands”. By extension, TE means the hands, feet, knees, elbows, and traditional martial art weapons that form the Taishin-Ryu arsenal. Even when using a staff, for example, one’s hands are “empty” of firearms.

KARA-TE, taken together, also means that reality is partly spiritual (KARA) and partly physical (TE). So we must train on both levels to attain true mastery of Karate.

DO (sounds like “dough”)

DO means “path”, “way”, or “self-motivated, ceaseless journey”. When training in karate we encounter difficulties and rewards, and it is a long process. We must focus on the process not the product. We must try to enjoy the training for its own sake, as we go along, rather than obsessing about being promoted according to a preconceived timetable. Then our progress will come along naturally in time.

Some Underlying Principles of Taishin-Ryu Karate-Do

Action-Reaction

An example of ACTION-REACTION would be two small children, in a playground, using a seesaw. What goes up must come down. Indeed, everything we do forms a cause, for which we shall eventually receive an effect. And the effect, itself, simultaneously forms a new cause. For this reason, human beings must act carefully and thoughtfully and not be reckless or irresponsible.

The action/reaction principle is implicit in the techniques of TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO. It can be seen in the piston-like way one arm draws back as the other arm extends forward.

Concentration

If there’s a fire, and the firefighters want to shoot a stream of water, from a hydrant, over a long distance, then they must hook up a hose with a narrow gauge. The smaller orifice will result in a more powerful stream of water, which will travel the extra distance.

Good students, just before exams, will curtail their extracurricular activities, and devote themselves exclusively to studying.

The principle of CONCENTRATION is also implicit in the techniques of TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO. For example, in a basic Corkscrew Punch, we use the smallest striking surface – the two major knuckles – instead of the entire broadside surface of the fist. This gives the punch far more impact.

Equilibrium

EQUILIBRIUM results from an even balance of opposing forces. TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO practitioners can step quickly while delivering a blow of tremendous force, without upsetting their own balance in the process. It must be likewise in our daily lives. We must be vigorous and competitive in our outward behavior, yet calm and tranquil in the depths of our being.

Constant Flux

Life is ever changing, so we must move with the changes and turn them to our advantage. For example, a break-up with a lover can be turned into a beneficial experience, if it makes us more emotionally self reliant, or if it opens the door to a better relationship. Unfortunately, people sometimes fix their minds, and cling to the past, instead of moving and flowing with change. TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO practitioners, engaged in form or sparring, learn to keep both body and mind in a free, dynamic, fluid state. This is the principle of CONSTANT FLUX.

Dynamic Interplay of Opposites

The DYNAMIC INTERPLAY OF OPPOSITES means that human nature contains an active, male aspect and a passive, female aspect. These hard and soft aspects are within all phenomena of the universe, not only human life. By “male” and “female” we do not mean anthropomorphic personality traits. Each man and each woman has both the male and female polarity within. For a harmonious life, there must be a balance between these two aspects. In TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO training, we learn to be neither too relaxed nor too intense, neither too aggressive nor too passive. In this way, we naturally come to possess this inner balance before we know it.

In sparring, it is sometimes useful to make an onslaught; at other times, it is better to sidestep then counterattack. The first is a male mode, the second a female mode. A truly skilled fighter will apply whichever mode the situation calls for. He is not a “macho man” who feels compelled to attack no matter what the circumstances. Nor is he a whimp who is afraid to assert himself. The best fighters approach sparring from the standpoint of the Middle Path.

The Middle Path does not mean the mid-point of compromise between two extremes. Rather, it means to understand something in its fundamental essence, its true entity – and to respond to various situations appropriately, based on this objective grasp. Since the best fighters understand sparring in its essence, they are flexible. They spontaneously do whatever is called for at the moment.

Fusion of Subject and Object

The best actors ‘become’ the character they are portraying. It is said that when Michaelangelo was painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, he became so totally absorbed that he would forget to take meals; he stated that he was experiencing divine inspiration.

One of my best friends is a cartoonist. When she draws her characters’ faces, her own face assumes whatever expression she’s drawing. If she draws a funny face, her own expression becomes clownish; if she draws an angry face, her own face contorts in mock anger.

Before Einstein made a major conceptual breakthrough – realizing that e=mc² - he had reached a deadlock. He had made long intense hours of fruitless calculations. Then he decided to forget about it for a while. He took a shower. Once he relaxed, the solution just came to him as if from nowhere. Then he uttered his famous “Eureka! I have found it!” The sudden flash of insight was completely intuitive; it did not follow from the calculations he had made. Yet it was valid.

Experienced TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO practitioners become totally fused with the techniques they are practicing. Their concentration is total; they filter out all extraneous thoughts and distractions. The physical sensation is one of tapping an enormous wellspring of energy, which seems to be external. But it is not external; it is an inner reservoir within every human being.

You feel as though you are deliberately throwing your punch, yet at the same time, you also feel like a puppet that is being led flawlessly through the movement by strings. You act from volition, but you are simultaneously on automatic pilot. Your movements become virtually perfect and seemingly effortless.

If you are engaged in sparring, the appropriate responses come out of you without conscious thought. You are in a state of Mu-Shin (No-Mind). You, the subject, have become totally fused with your movements, the object. From another standpoint, you the subject are fusing with your opponent the object. When the referee claps his hands to end the match, this jars you out of No-Mind and back into ordinary consciousness. You cannot remember who scored how many points. You can’t recall what techniques you did and what techniques your opponent did. The referee has to tell you what happened. He tells you that you performed very well!

It is not possible to experience this fusion of subject and object until you have practiced your techniques over and over, day by day, for several years, and perfected them. If you have to think about how to throw a technique, or if your body is not sufficiently conditioned to perform it effortlessly, then you cannot attain a state of Mu-Shin. But once you’ve conditioned your body and perfected your techniques, then your performances will start becoming automatic. You will naturally experience this fusion between the subjective and the objective.

Part of what makes this possible is the canalization of your techniques. Assembly line workers, tennis players, and golf players also experience canalization. It happens to anyone who makes the same motion (or set of motions) repeatedly and routinely for many months or years. Gradually, the body constructs additional nerve pathways, specifically dedicated to facilitating the frequent movements.

Total fusion with the techniques of TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO is also made possible by the innate human potential for absorption, shown by Michaelangelo when he painted the Sistine Chapel. Whether an activity is mostly mental, such as painting, or mental and physical, such as TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO, intense dedication and concentration eventually wakes up this absorption state and produces a fusion between subject and object.

If you are an adept TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO expert, then during sparring, you’re more likely to enter Mu-Shin if your opponent is really putting you under pressure. The No-Mind state cannot be called up intentionally; it happens naturally whenever there is a need. In contrast, when a novice is pressured during sparring, his true colors show. He tries bravely but ineptly. Or he panics. Or he is angered.

The state of No-Mind, or total fusion, is what enables TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO practitioners to fully master their techniques, forms and sparring. It also unleashes a reservoir of energy, which the person might never have tapped before. This reservoir is the internal power mentioned earlier. Its exact nature is not yet fully understood by science. It feels external because it is such an extraordinary experience; we don’t tap it routinely in day to day living.

Oneness of Mind and Body

The body and mind are inseparable. Although there is a superficial distinction between physical and mental phenomena, there is no essential separation. Physical and mental phenomena are two phases of life that both arise from the same essential entity. So body and mind are separate on a phenomenal level, but they are one at the essential innermost level.

Changes in the body can affect the mind, and vice-versa, because both body and mind manifest the same condition of the same living entity. Yet sometimes a change in the mind is not reflected in the body, or vice-versa; for example, a sick person may cheer up when visited by a loved one, but remains ill. This is possible because the mind and body are distinct on a phenomenal level.

We see these same realities in TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO, since TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO is an activity carried out by living people.

Just knowing the concept of how to throw a roundhouse kick does not mean that your roundhouse kick is effective. If you stop practicing, you’ll lose your flexibility and speed. Your mind may remember, but your body will forget. You have mental power, but no more physical power. Both are needed to throw a good roundhouse kick.

You can be in top shape and attack very aggressively, but if you don’t use any wisdom or strategy, or if you lack the depth to enter the state of No-Mind, then your sparring will be ineffectual. This is because you have physical power without mental power. Both are needed to do sparring effectively.

The physical training of TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO helps you temper your emotions. Disciplining the body helps you control your mind. That is because the body and mind are linked at the essential level.

When you enter a state of No-Mind, you unleash tremendous physical power. That is because your physical and mental states are connected.

By the same token, if you become angry or afraid, your body will tense up. You will hyperventilate to some degree. This will interfere with your performance.

Many young men start practicing TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO in their twenties. Most drop our after a few months or a few years. Perhaps five percent will continue practicing TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO throughout life. When these ‘lifers’ reach their thirties and forties, they find, to their surprise, that their speed keeps increasing, despite the aging process. That’s because they’re becoming more confident – about themselves, and about life. Confident people are more relaxed, and relaxed people experience less antagonistic muscle tension when they perform physical activities. With reduced antagonistic muscle tension, the motions can be performed faster, and with less effort. The long accumulation of practice also contributes to this continued increase in speed during the thirties and forties.

TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO practitioners in their fifties may have less cardiovascular capacity and strength, but in many cases, their increasing mental confidence and experience more than compensates – so that the net effect is continued improvement in form and sparring. Although aging does begin to tell in the sixties, someone who has done TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO since his twenties can still be formidable even in his seventies.

Tiger, Leopard, Snake, Crane and Dragon

TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO has a concept of Five Animals much the same as that found in Kung Fu. The Tiger is expressed through a strong horse stance and powerful hand techniques. The Leopard is conveyed through quick, agile footwork. The Snake is moving when sudden lunging techniques are performed. The Crane is expressed in kicking, in wing-like parrying techniques, and in one-legged stances. The Dragon is conveyed in highly smooth and fluid hand combinations. All Five Animals can be seen in TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO’s Slow Form, weapons forms, and the basic and advanced full speed barehand forms.

External and Internal Power

Internal power is contained in all the techniques of TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO. The circular, flowing, continuous nature of many TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO movements is conducive to the manifestation of internal power.

External power can also be seen in TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO movements. There are two types. The first is like a pendulum, and the second is like a steel trap snapping shut.

Long Range and Short Range

Compared with most karate, a surprising percentage of TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO movements are short range, although there are numerous long range movements as well. The reason short range has a significant presence is because of “Economy of Motion” and the concept of “Loss and Gain”.

Economy of Motion

“Don’t build a bridge if you can use a footpath.” TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO is very economical and judicious in its expenditure of body motion and body energy. Use a short technique before resorting to a long range technique. Use a hand technique before resorting to a foot technique. Let the opponent come to you before resorting to chasing the opponent. Let him come to you, then absorb his attack and counterattack simultaneously.

Loss and Gain

TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO is similar to Tai Chi Chuan in that we often accept a small loss first, in order to score a great gain. After the beginner level, we often block and counterstrike simultaneously after letting the opponent get very close to us. We seldom go after the opponent, or even draw a line in the sand; we are just as willing to move backward as forward, although when we move backward it is like the deceptive and deadly routine of the Venus Flytrap.

Thus Action-Reaction, Concentration, Equilibrium, Constant Flux, Dynamic Interplay of Opposites, Fusion of Subject and Object, Oneness of Mind and Body, Tiger – Leopard – Snake – Crane – Dragon, External and Internal Power, Long Range and Short Range, Economy of Motion, and Loss and Gain are among the fundamental underlying principles of TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO.

Benefits of Practicing Taishin-Ryu Karate-Do

The potential benefits of practicing TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO are physical fitness, stress release, self defense capability, self confidence, self control and self discipline, the refinement of courtesy, and the development of humility.

An automobile cannot take you anywhere if it sits in the driveway. It has the potential benefit of getting you to your destination; but to manifest that potential, you must get in and drive it.

In the same manner, to actualize the benefits of TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO requires practice. How much benefit you can gain depends on how hard you practice, how consistently you practice, the cumulative length of your practice, as well as the quality of your school and its instructor(s).

Physical Fitness

The warming up routine, Combinations and Forms help make the body limber and flexible. The warmup exercises have a beneficial effect on the entire body – including joints, ligaments, tendons, bones and muscles. The deep breathing exercises massage the body internally. The Hatha Yoga postures within the warmup routine help keep the spine and legs supple and flexible.

The practice of TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO Forms will develop your endurance and cardiovascular capacity. It increases your explosive power and speed of movement. It sharpens your reflexes and hand-eye coordination. You will develop your balance, agility and physical grace. TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO will tone your muscles and make them stronger, though not necessarily larger.

Stress Release

People in our society cannot avoid absorbing stress during the course of their activities. A vigorous TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO workout provides a way to vent this stress in a non-destructive manner. Punching and kicking at thin air or a heavy bag is a neutral outlet; yelling at one’s spouse, one’s kids or the dog is a negative outlet. And sustained TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO practice leads to positive results both physically and mentally – so pouring stress into TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO is actually a positive outlet in the long run.

Some people keep stress inside. They don’t yell at their spouse, the kids or the dog; but they develop ulcers or heart conditions. The former is stress unleashed on someone else; the latter is stress turned against oneself. Either way, a good TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO workout is vastly preferable!

Many other ways or relieving stress – such as alcohol or drug abuse – only compound the negative effects of stress.

People who can release stress at the end of the day stand a better chance of getting a good night’s sleep. Waking up rested in the morning might make tomorrow less stressful. And thus a positive, upward cycle is forming.

Self Defense Capability

If you become competent in TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO, you are relatively capable of defending yourself against a single unarmed attacker. Once you become expert, you are relatively capable of defending yourself against two or three unarmed attackers simultaneously, or against a single assailant armed with a knife, club, bat, etc. Once you attain mastery in this art, you are relatively certain of being able to fight off an entire gang, unarmed or armed (with knives, clubs, bats etc.).

While you are still striving for competence, your skills are like jello in a mold. Your “jello” is still liqueous; it is slowly hardening, but it hasn’t yet solidified. You do not yet have a guarantee that you are likely to win, should you have to fight. If you defend yourself successfully, it may be largely attributable to whatever fighting skills and spirit you already had before you began TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO training. This period of striving for competence generally lasts one year.

Expertise takes a total of three years and mastery a total of 9 or 10 years. (12 years of training is required to become a Teacher). Nothing worthwhile is ever built quickly. If learning self defense was simple, then everyone would be a capable fighter.

As for defending yourself against an assailant who has a handgun: Don’t go with him to a more concealed location. But otherwise cooperate. If he wants your money give it to him. Stay calm; don’t give the appearance that you’re afraid. Say a prayer inside. If you sense that your assailant is about to shoot you anyway, TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO can give you a slim chance of survival.

Try to induce the assailant to stand close to you, because if he’s beyond your blocking, punching and kicking range, there’s little you can do. If a sudden, loud noise distracts the gunman momentarily – an alleycat tipping over a trash can lid, a traffic accident half a block away – seize the moment immediately. The idea is to knock the gun out of your way while simultaneously delivering a severe blow with your other hand. Completely incapacitate your assailant, as he may have another gun or a knife in his jacket.

TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO training gives you a relatively high level of self defense capability for most, but not all, self defense situations. In this age of handguns, TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO is not a complete method of self protection (and neither is kung fu, judo or any other martial art). But TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO offers a wide range of benefits, including extensive self protection. It’s this complete range of benefits that justifies your time and effort.

Self-Confidence

When things are going well, we derive a temporary feeling of confidence from our situation. But true self confidence means knowing that we can cope and thrive under any circumstances, through our own effort, ability, determination and worth (and for some people, with help from a higher power). Self confidence means feeling “I can”.

TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO training is a process of being repeatedly challenged with difficult goals. Some of these challenges – such as sparring – can be not only difficult, but downright intimidating to some people, especially in the beginning. To meet each challenge, we must overcome ourselves – our self doubt, fear and weakness. TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO training is a great way to develop self-confidence. And this confidence carries over into other aspects of our daily lives.

Self-Discipline

The art of TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO is implicitly based on self-discipline. It is an epitomal embodiment of the principles of self control. TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO is unsurpassed as a method of cultivating self control and self discipline. The breath control teaches us to harness our breath; the horse stance gives us our first experience of controlling our stance. Breath control and the horse stance are the foundation. Then through the Combinations, Forms and Sparring we learn to control our bodies and minds, with other stances, techniques, footwork, and combinations. When we control our bodies we are controlling our minds also, since the body and mind are essentially one. Thus one who has a solid horse stance also has a solid will. With a solid will, one can weather life’s emotional and financial storms, and come through each crisis triumphantly. As the horse stance does not bend, neither does one’s spirit bend before the ups and downs of daily living.

Courtesy

TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO practitioners follow a very extensive etiquette, and this refines one’s sense of courtesy. The main rules of etiquette are:

1. Bowing before and after class, and before and after a Form performance or a Sparring match.
2. Observing brief opening and closing ceremonies at the beginning and end of class.
3. Addressing those of superior rank as “Sir”, by their title, or as Mr., Mrs., Miss or Ms.
4. Students who arrive late wait for permission to join the class, which may be withheld or postponed.
5. Upon meeting Seniors, bowing and extending a salutation, such as “Good evening”, followed by the Senior’s name, properly addressed.
6. When walking across the training floor, always walking behind Seniors, not in front of them.
7. Class is lined up according to rank, with the highest rank in front and closest to the exit.

This sense of etiquette then carries over into daily life. For example, by respecting one’s “rank Seniors” in TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO class, one naturally comes to show increased deference for one’s “age Seniors” in one’s family and out in society.

Humility

We are always living two lives – who we are, and who we think we are. In society, people conceptualize each other as being higher or lower depending on how much money they make and how much responsibility and prestige they have. TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO class peels away the husk of who we think we are. TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO class demolishes our illusions about what others are. We start to find out who we really are, and what others are really made of.

TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO is a great equalizer. The pressure cooker of sparring exposes people. It forces people to show their true colors – to show what they are really like inside.

What makes a person truly worthwhile is not money or status or youth or looks. It’s character. The pressure cooker of TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO class is like a mirror. It exposes people’s characters. You, and everyone else, can clearly see your good and bad points. And you can see other students’ good and bad points also. You find you have many things to work on, to improve.

And you might find something in another man’s character to admire and to emulate, even though you’re a high paid attorney and he works at Wal-Mart. Furthermore, if he’s a black belt and you’re a yellow belt, you bow to him – he does not bow to you. You may have more academic credentials than he has, but in sparring, it is he who must be patient and gentle with you.

Not that we want to go off the deep end with humility. We don’t. Humility for its own sake would only make us weak. The true purpose of humility is that it ultimately makes us stronger. When we break down our old ego, we can replace it with a much more solid, fundamental ego. We demolish our arrogant misconceptions that we are “great” because we have “this job” or “that address”. We see what true worth really is, and most important, we discover that we have it. We have lots of it! We just needed a stimulus to bring it out, and that stimulus was TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO.

We have genuine worth, and so do others. All others.

Arrogant people look down on some people while fawning on other people. Arrogant people do not have real self confidence. They are haughty one moment, obsequious the next. TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO training develops humility – and humility is the first step in replacing arrogance with confidence. People who feel genuinely good about themselves tend to see the good in others also.

Of course, this odyssey from arrogance to confidence happens to all TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO students, not only those who are white collar professionals. Someone who works at Wal-Mart can be arrogant too! Anyone can benefit from cultivating humility.

What Success in this Art Requires From You

Physical fitness, stress release, self defense capability, self confidence, self discipline, courtesy, humility – these are the benefits of practicing TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO.

Ever check the Sunday papers for upcoming sales? “Two for one sale!” “20% off sale!” “Buy one, get one free!”

We all want something for nothing. It’s human nature. But most sales are illusions. Things are really sold at whatever price the market will bear. Or something is sold at a loss to get people into the store, then impulse buying will more than compensate for the markdown.

In life, we seldom get something for nothing. We never accomplish anything worthwhile easily. We get out of something exactly what we put into it – nothing more, nothing less.

Actualizing the potential benefits of TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO requires a long term commitment, day to day consistency, perseverance, and courage.

A Long Term Commitment

On TV, things happen instantly. Time becomes compressed. We watch a detective show. One moment the detectives are on the east side of LA, and the next moment, they’re on the west side. It took them exactly one second to drive across the city of Los Angeles.

TV plots compress time – but which aspects of time? We always see effects (the detectives got across town), but we seldom see causes (the detectives fought through boring hectic traffic for a long time). TV culture can make us think that effects just somehow appear by themselves!

But in real life, we cannot hope to obtain a good effect unless we first make a corresponding good cause. We cannot get paid unless we go to work. We cannot handle an automobile unless we take driving lessons.

It takes a year to become minimally competent in TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO. It takes three years to become Expert. Mastery requires nine or ten years of training.

Day to Day Consistency

The time frame above is calculated on the assumption that a student trains for a minimum of one hour, three times a week, from beginning to end.

If someone is inconsistent, this does not mean that the goals will take longer; it means the goals will never be reached at all. Each of the above goals – competence, expertise, mastery – requires high levels of physical and mental conditioning, which can only be achieved and maintained through regular, methodical training.

Those who wish to experience the benefits of TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO must make their training a top priority. Working out occasionally, or only on weekends, just won’t cut it. TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO is not something you fit in “whenever you’re not doing something else”.

At the same time, it is desirable to lead a balanced life. The Taishin-Ryu Karate Association encourages its students to avoid extremes. It is not necessary to train two hours a day, six days a week. That type of regimen, for an employed person, means doing TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO almost to the exclusion of other interests.

Depending on how much time you have available, you may want to try training three days a week. The workouts should be spaced apart, such as Monday / Wednesday / Friday, or Tuesday / Thursday / Saturday. Each session should be 60 to 90 minutes. So your total weekly training hours can be anything from 3 to 4 ½ hours. This type of moderate regimen is what our Association recommends. We encourage our students to train assiduously, but also to have a social life and other interests, to spend time with family and friends.

A long, mighty river has a quiet strength and grandeur. If you stand on the bank of the river, you can observe its steady, ceaseless flow. Yet its origins are very modest. A thousand underground springs, in the distant highlands, gradually feed into tiny streams, that run together to form substantial tributaries. These tributaries converge to form the mighty river. The farther and deeper a river’s source, the longer and wider its stream.

Perhaps a mile or so from the river, you can observe a forest fire. The forest fire seems more powerful than the river, because it looks more dramatic. But the fire is short lived. It burns out in a matter of mere weeks, days or hours. Nothing that is fast and furious can ever be long lasting.

Among the twenty or thirty students in a new class of white belt beginners, some are passionate. They also seem to have a penchant for fanfare. They tell all their friends, relatives and acquaintances that they are studying TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO. They are obsessed with TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO; in their spare time they think of little else.

These people are like fire. The paradox and the irony are: these people are not likely to stay with it for very long. They will probably quit in six months, in three months, or the first time their training brings them face to face with an obstacle.

Others in the class are less flashy, but more steady. They always come to class. They may not be quick learners. They may be uncoordinated at first. But they keep showing up, and showing up, and showing up for class. They keep showing up for three years. Gradually they learn. They become first degree black belts in TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO.

These people are like the river. It is better to be like a river, than to be like fire.

Perseverance

After discussing Consistency, it might seem redundant to talk about Perseverance. But Perseverance has a slightly different shade of meaning. Perseverance means working your way through the obstacles, the setbacks, the frustrations, the deadlocks and the plateaus which you will sometimes experience during the course of long years of training.

When you feel like you’ve run up against a wall, don’t turn back. Wear down the wall. Water will smooth the hardest stone, as shown by the smooth rocks you find in streambeds or along the seashore. Be like water. When you meet on obstacle, if you can’t overwhelm it quickly, then, wear it down – slowly, patiently. Don’t quit!

Courage

Of all the training methods in TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO, it is Sparring which requires the most courage. If a student feels he hasn’t much courage, Sparring is the fastest way to develop more.

You want to get close to your opponent, so you can score a point with a punch or kick. But the moment you get close enough to attack him, you have also stepped within range of his attacks.

Sparring is a microcosm of life. If we always hang back, limiting ourselves to what feels safe and familiar, we cannot obtain anything significant. Any time we try to accomplish something unprecedented, we take a risk. This is an immutable, inescapable law of life.

We will land some punches and we will take some punches (Sparring is done non-contact or light-contact). If we’re not willing to take a few we cannot hope to land any. Or to gain the practice to become adept at sidestepping punches, blocking punches, deflecting punches, and seeing them coming. You don’t need to ask TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO people about this; just ask anyone who has started their own small business.

What You Do Not Need To Practice Taishin-Ryu Karate-Do

If you’re a woman, if you’re a middle-ager, if you’re the intellectual type, or if you’re not built like a football player, then you might have a preconception that you could never succeed at TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO. Well, you can succeed! You don’t have to be male. You don’t have to be young. You don’t have to be macho. You don’t need brute strength. And you don’t need to be in good shape already.

You do not need to be male

Women can succeed at TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO just as well as men can. That’s because although women don’t have as much upper body musculature, the mechanical power of TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO blows emanates from the legs and hips. The power in TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO punches, strikes and blocks depends (in part) on a good stance, and a good stance can be acquired by anyone through training.

The mechanical power in TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO kicks likewise comes from the hip. Women have no disadvantage, relative to men, in terms of hip power.

In fact, in some ways women have an advantage over men. Women generally have an easier time stretching out the long inner leg muscles, thus developing the flexibility needed for fast high kicking.

TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO movements are powered not only through external mechanics but also with internal power. A woman is just as capable as a man of manifesting internal power.

You do not need to be young

Middle aged TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO practitioners often keep increasing their speed, due to a decrease in antagonistic muscle tension. This tension reduction results from increasing general self confidence, which relaxes the body.

Middle aged TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO practitioners often have many years of experience, and this also gives them an advantage over younger participants, particularly in Sparring.

If a middle aged TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO practitioner discovers there is a limit to his endurance during Sparring, he can turn this seeming limitation to his advantage. He can learn to fight judiciously, calmly, coolly and strategically – instead of thrashing recklessly like the younger fighters. A middle aged fighter can surpass younger fighters – through his cleverness and his even temperament during Sparring.

It is even possible – in fact, quite commonplace – for middle agers to begin TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO in middle age, with no previous martial arts experience, and to succeed at it. And that’s even in cases where they haven’t exercised in years. Anything is possible with slow, steady progress and continued dedication.

You do not need to be macho

Many men who consider themselves quiet, sensitive, timid or intellectual, assume that they possess little potential for success in TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO. But in fact, they often have tremendous potential.

It is the “macho man” who seldom succeeds in TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO. Macho types often have previous fighting experience with boxing, wrestling or street fighting. Their previous conceptions and physical habits can interfere with their ability to learn TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO. For instance, many macho men tend to throw their punches from the shoulder. Even if their old way of fighting is effective, they nevertheless have trouble learning a new way.

Whereas quiet or scholarly men often have no background whatsoever in pugilism. This gives them an advantage, because they can learn TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO without having to overcome a set of deeply ingrained prior habits. If a cup is already full of ice tea, it cannot be filled with lemonade. If the cup starts out empty, it can be filled with whatever is desired.

Also, macho men have trouble grasping one of TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO’s fundamental principles – the Dynamic Interplay of Opposites. For example, when macho men engage in Sparring, they have trouble with feeling free to express both polarities within them – the male and the female – attacking or sidestepping as the situation demands. Macho men are afraid to express their female side; they just attack and attack, head on, even when doing so puts them in jeopardy.

A sensitive, intellectual man may feel more free to fight in whatever mode the situation calls for. He can attack, or he can evade and swiftly counterstrike. He feels less internal pressure to meet everything head on.

Also, people with a scholastic background may find it easier to adjust to the strict discipline of TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO training.

A sensitive man can turn his sensitivity outward; he can develop an uncanny intuition to forsee his opponent’s intentions, even before his opponent moves.

A quiet, unobtrusive man can present a deceptively bland, unthreatening exterior. His opponent will have lowered expectations of danger. Then, an element of surprise can be exploited, psychologically and physically neutralizing the opponent.

At the same time, we don’t want to go too far with meekness. Timidity is never an advantage – in TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO, or in life. If a man or woman has a timid nature, he or she can benefit even more than others from TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO training. TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO can help the individual become more assertive. A timid person has great potential in TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO, because once he gets his feet wet, he may become more strongly motivated than others; he has more to overcome. Once a timid man or woman develops their assertiveness, he or she may become an excellent specialist in defensive style Sparring: stalking, circling, leading the opponent to attack first, being ready to counterattack swiftly as the opponent comes in.

You do not need to possess brute strength

Western boxers must have extraordinary upper body strength, because the power of the punches comes primarily from the shoulder. But in TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO, the power comes internally, and, externally, from the legs and hips. It does take a certain amount of leg strength to perform proper stances and footwork, keeping your center of gravity low, throughout a long Form or Sparring match. But the legs can be strengthened as required simply by practicing the Forms.

If you also possess great upper body strength, your TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO punches and strikes will be enhanced considerably. But anyone can develop adequate power in TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO just by learning to perform the techniques properly. TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO makes the art of self defense more democratic. It gives women, children and elderly people access to self protection. And men who have a runner’s body, not a weightlifter’s, can become capable, powerful fighters through TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO.

You do not need to be in good shape already

There is no denying that competence in TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO requires a high degree of all around physical fitness. But you don’t need a high level of fitness just to get started. Even if you haven’t exercised in years, and even if you’re overweight, with your Doctor’s approval you can perform white belt beginner training.

In the early ranks you learn warming up and conditioning and start to learn the Slow Form. These beginner training methods are designed so that each person can make progress at their own rate. You are competing with yourself, not comparing yourself to others. There is an air of mutual respect among the students, because that’s the example set by the teachers.

Three years of TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO workouts, three times a week, will take you from where you are now, to where you’d like to be, in terms of physical fitness. After three years of training you’ll be in excellent shape. You’ll start to notice positive physical changes in less than three months.

To say to yourself “I can’t handle TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO training, because I’m out of shape” is a past oriented attitude, focusing on effect (my effect for not exercising is that I’m out of condition). But if you say “Because I’m out of shape, I’m really determined to undertake training in TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO!” then your attitude is one of making causes – rather than being defeated by effects. This positive “begin from now” attitude is what turns people into victors – not only in the battle for physical fitness, but with regard to life in general.

There are only four things that will prevent you from getting into the required shape, as you pursue your TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO training:

1. Smoking.
2. Alcohol abuse.
3. Drug abuse.
4. Forgetting common sense (enough sleep, balanced diet, etc.).

Refutation of Some Myths About This Art

Many Americans start taking TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO lessons. About two thirds of them will drop out in three to six months. Only five percent, or one in twenty, will stay with it for three years and earn a First Degree Black Belt.

People quit because they are surprised, and disappointed, that the training experience is different from their expectations. If certain popular misconceptions could be corrected, then people would start off with realistic expectations as to what lies in store for them.

And there are still more people who would like to try TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO, but are afraid to. These people, too, are held back by a number of popular misconceptions.

People quit because they began with the misconception that learning TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO is quick and easy.

People are afraid to try TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO because of misconceptions such as: that learning TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO is too difficult; that one must be able to perform stupendous feats such as flying kicks; or that one must gruesomely callous his or her hands, and then break stacks of boards, bricks or tiles.

Misconceptions about TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO can make people reluctant to try it, or cause people to quit before they’re really made an effort. But these are not the only problems caused by misconceptions.

Another myth about martial arts can cause overconfidence. Long time martial arts practitioners sometimes feel that they have become invincible, and this is an illusion.

And there’s another martial arts myth that sometimes causes inconvenience or misunderstanding. Some people think that martial arts practitioners are supposed to keep their knowledge secret. This can cause inconvenience for a TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO practitioner – for example, he can never enjoy a personal workout in the park on a sunny pleasant weekend afternoon. This myth can also cause a TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO practitioner to be misunderstood by others; if he is not secretive about his involvement in the art, other people may wrongly suppose that he is violating one of its precepts.

MYTH: Learning Taishin-Ryu Karate-Do is quick and easy

Any real-time artistic performance that is done with mastery will look easy, to untrained spectators. This is true for ballet, modern dance, choral singing, a circus trapeze troupe, a classical orchestra, or martial arts. If the performer is visibly having difficulty, then he is not yet proficient in his art.

But learning TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO is not any easier than learning the harpsichord or becoming a good amateur ballet dancer. It requires comparable discipline and effort – because it is equally difficult, challenging, intricate and profound. It is also equally rewarding. Nothing truly valuable can be accomplished easily; truly worthwhile things come only through effort.

And because TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO is difficult and involved, it takes time to learn. Many Americans want to start learning fancy kicks from day one, so they can imitate their favorite martial arts superhero. But if we admire some martial arts movie star, such as the late Bruce Lee, we would do better to emulate him than to imitate him.

Any accomplished martial artist, whether movie star or not, got to his peak level only through years of patient, unglamorous training. Before learning any fancy kicks, he had to concentrate on his horse stance, his breathing, how to focus his mind, and how to hold his fist. He had to learn how to step-walk in a forward stance, and how to turn around 270 degrees from a north-facing stance to an east-facing stance. He had to practice his simple low block and corkscrew punch thousands of times, until it became second nature. Before he could learn a spin kick, he had to have a good front kick and side kick.

Early Americans settled the wilderness and, later joined by generations of immigrants, built the greatest nation on earth. They understood that the future depends on the causes we make right now. But Americans today do not want to make good causes; they want only to receive good effects. The problem is, once you sit back and coast a while, you use up the store of good causes that have been created. Then there is no more good fortune. This is what is happening in America today. We’re like a car that’s running out of gas, and no one wants to go and fill the tank. Yet we still expect the car to carry us places, as if its gas tank were a bottomless wellspring.

Another aspect of American complacency is our illusion that we are superior. This illusion affects some other societies also. Arrogance is fundamentally the same no matter where it occurs. It is thinking “we are great” because of the accomplishments of our predecessors, so that we stop striving to make further achievements in the present and future.

This fundamental, national psychological problem is manifested in the microcosm of a martial arts school. So many American students quit martial art training once they discover it isn’t quick and easy. They want the effect of benefit, but they don’t want to make the cause of training. They think that good effects should somehow magically arise of themselves, from nothing.

It’s easy to see why Americans expect good effects to arise spontaneously, without being preceded by good causes. Most Americans are born into a very favorable environment. We did not struggle to create this great environment, our ancestors and predecessors did. So by being born into this positive, supportive setting, it seems as though we got a good effect, without having to first make a good cause.

Action-reaction. Two kids on a see-saw. Fix your eye on the child to your left. She was down, so she must go up; now that she’s up, she must come down. Cause…and effect.

Being born into a prosperous country is an effect from good causes made by earlier generations. To keep our country prosperous we cannot coast, but must keep up a steady stream of further good causes like our predecessors did.

Learning TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO is not quick and easy. Young Americans who practice TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO realize that life’s rewards are attained through efforts. Few lessons could be more valuable for the future of America.

MYTH: Learning Taishin-Ryu Karate-Do is too difficult

Many mature Americans in their thirties, forties and fifties think that learning TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO is beyond them. Even some young people who are not athletically inclined may have this self perception.

TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO training is very gradual; beginners start from where they’re at, and make progress at their own pace. Also, each TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO student can tailor a fighting style to his or her individual abilities. For example, an older man might learn to win in Sparring by fighting defensively. A shorter person might learn to rely heavily on kicks, thus reducing the taller opponent’s relative reach advantage. Conversely, someone with a bit of knee stiffness might cultivate his hand techniques more than others.

Success in TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO is measured by how much benefit the student derives from his training. Success does not depend on objective performance criteria. One should become as capable as possible relative to one’s limitations – such as age, size, any physical problems, etc. “Being all you can be” shows you’re making a full effort – and that is what creates full benefit.

MYTH: You must fly through the air

Many styles of Karate, Kung Fu and Taekwondo have flying kicks. The main flying kicks are front, side, roundhouse, spin, and double-kicking combinations. The reason these systems included leaping kicks was so unarmed villagers, walking on foot, could defend themselves against horse-mounted assailants.

The Taishin-Ryu Karate Association regards flying kicks to be an anachronism. Today’s urban streetfighting conditions call for the conservation of energy, and a flexible, changeable fighting posture. Flying kicks waste energy, and they commit you totally, which makes you vulnerable. And why are they necessary today? How likely is it that you’ll be attacked by someone riding a horse?

MYTH: You must callous your hands and break boards, bricks or tiles

Hand callusing, and the breaking of boards, bricks, tiles and stones, is a training method used in some styles of Karate and Kung Fu. It was originally designed to toughen the hand in preparation for defending oneself against swordsmen clad in hard leather breastplates.

Muggers of today do not wear armor. Hand callusing and breaking hardens the skin on the fingers and hands, deadening their sense of feel. This reduces a man’s pleasure when being romantic with his wife, and his hard skin reduces his wife’s enjoyment as well.

Callusing and pounding the hands also reduces the manual dexterity we need for everyday tasks such as word processing, working a calculator, or sewing. Modern urban people have nothing to gain from blunting their hands until they’ve become paws.

Many contemporary karate organizations adhere to such anachronisms as leaping kicks, hand callusing etc. because they value tradition for the sake of tradition. In the Taishin-Ryu Karate Association we do not sanctify tradition, but we do not disregard it either. We see tradition as a tool that is useful at times and not useful at other times.

Tradition versus innovation is a duality. In TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO we take a non-dualistic approach to martial arts, based on the Middle Path. Applying the Middle Path to the issue of tradition, we feel that tradition is useful when it brings benefit to TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO students, and to be avoided when it interferes with benefit. Innovation should be treated likewise.

We adhere to tradition as much as possible; our attitude is conservative. But we depart from tradition where the old way is no longer in sync with the times.

MYTH: You must register your hands

No such law has ever existed in the United States, neither on the federal nor state level.

MYTH: You can become invincible

A TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO Master is relatively capable of fighting off a gang, whether they attack him with their hands and feet, or whether they attack him with knives, billyclubs, bats etc. But even a Master has no absolute guarantee of getting away completely unscathed. Furthermore, even Masters should avoid opposing someone who has a handgun.

A TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO Expert can feel confident about defending himself against two or three unarmed attackers or a single attacker armed with a knife, club etc. An Expert can feel highly confident about defending himself against a single unarmed attacker. Let’s look at self defense from this one on one perspective. We say a First Degree Black Belt has reason for confidence. But confidence doesn’t mean arrogance. Never underestimate a stranger. Appearances can be deceptive. You do not know whether that stranger might be an accomplished boxer, a martial artist, or perhaps a good streetfighter. The best method of self protection is to avoid getting into fights. A knowledge of TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO is a backup resource, for situations in which this primary strategy of avoidance fails. Trying to avoid fights is not only the most expedient method of self protection, but also the most ethical one.

On the other hand, TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO is an extremely effective and potentially lethal martial art. All other factors equal, an individual who learns TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO has enormously more self defense capability than he had before he took up the art.

MYTH: You must keep your knowledge secret

This is another anachronism from the early days of karate. The Okinawans in the 16^th century had to practice karate in secret, because their oppressive Japanese occupiers had outlawed it. The Japanese occupation force had confiscated all weapons from the Okinawans, so all the Okinawans had were their bodies, their farm implements, their walking staffs, and small concealable weapons. Since karate was their only and most formidable arsenal, they could not leak their secret to the enemy. These Okinawan Ryu (schools) maintained the custom of secrecy even after the Japanese occupation ceased – tradition for the sake of tradition.

The important thing is to avoid being a show-off. Again, the Middle Path must be sought and practiced. Secretiveness and flamboyance are both extremes. In TAISHIN-RYU KARATE-DO we do not keep our knowledge secret, but we do not make a gaudy display of it either.

This is an original short story by the author.

Chang Ho and the Demon

The farmer Chang Ho was traveling the isolated mountain trail that led to the village marketplace. Suddenly, a large man – strong and belligerent – blocked his path. The stranger had satanic eyes, and the texture of his face was like stone. Chang Ho knew that the creature was a demon.

Chang Ho was strong, but clumsy, and without knowledge of self defense.

The demon struck Chang Ho in the face and stomach. Chang Ho collapsed. The demon slipped away. Later, some other travelers found Chang Ho and carried him to the village healer. After a long recuperation, Chang Ho swore vengeance against the demon.

Chang Ho journeyed to a remote Buddhist temple, and requested an interview with the Chief Priest. The Chief Priest at this temple was called by the honorific name Lo Han, which meant “Guardian of the Law”. The Priest Lo Han was renowned throughout China as a great Master of martial arts, and his martial arts students were the most formidable fighters in the land.

Lo Han granted an audience to Chang Ho despite Chang Ho’s low status. Chang Ho humbly asked Lo Han to teach him martial arts. Lo Han consented. Lo Han did not ask Chang Ho why he wanted to train.

The Master Lo Han trained the novice Chang Ho for eight years. The discipline was severe. Chang Ho developed a stronger, more flexible body, great skill in martial arts, and a centered mind.

After Chang Ho left the temple, he returned to the spot where the attack had occurred. He knew he would find the demon there, since demons always inhabit one small vicinity. When Chang Ho got there, the demon was calmly waiting, as though the demon had expected Chang Ho’s arrival.

Chang Ho looked into the demon’s eyes and surveyed the demon’s body. The demon had clearly been training as hard as Chang Ho. The demon retained the same margin of superiority as eight years before. Chang Ho’s confidence turned to fear. The demon sprang forward and beat Chang Ho half to death.

When Chang Ho recovered, he went back to the temple and told Lo Han of his original motivation for training, and of how the demon had beaten him once again. Chang Ho begged Lo Han to give him one more year of martial art training. Lo Han consented. Chang Ho swore to himself that he would vanquish the demon once and for all.

All that year, Chang Ho trained to the limits of mental and physical endurance. Sometimes Lo Han ordered Chang Ho to rest, fearing that Chang Ho would become ill. When the twelve months were over, Chang Ho’s fighting ability had more than doubled.

Then Chang Ho set out from the temple and sought the demon at the usual place. The demon once again looked as though he’d expected Chang Ho’s arrival. Once again, Chang Ho could see that the demon’s prowess had increased in proportion to his own; the demon was just as superior as before. Chang Ho’s heart sank. The demon pounced on Chang Ho and subjected him to a third brutal beating.

Chang Ho recovered and returned to the temple. Chang Ho told Lo Han what had taken place. Lo Han appeared as if he already knew the story; that haunted Chang Ho.

Lo Han offered to give Chang Ho one more year of hard training. Chang Ho thanked Lo Han for the offer but declined it – explaining that it would be pointless, since the demon’s strength would only increase by the same degree that his own would. Chang Ho confessed that he could never defeat the demon, and that his knawing anger could consume his soul for the rest of his life. The disciple asked the Master for guidance.

Lo Han spoke. “Seek out the demon again. But this time, make it clear that you don’t want a fight. Tell the demon you are sorry for whatever you did, in the past, to provoke his first attack. Then apologize for the two times you approached him with the intention of avenging yourself.”

Chang Ho was stunned. After a long silence, Chang Ho respectfully voiced his doubts about his Master’s advice. “Master – before the demon’s first assault, I didn’t know him. How could I have done anything wrong to provoke his attack, when I didn’t even know him?”

“You didn’t know the demon, that is true”, answered Lo Han, “but the demon could have known you”.

Chang Ho sat in silence, hopelessly perplexed.

The Master continued:

“If you wish to solve your problem, you must follow my guidance, even though you cannot comprehend it. My martial arts instructions have always been effective, have they not?”

“Why, of course!” said Chang Ho, “Your martial art students are famed throughout China!”

“Then trust me on this matter as well” answered Lo Han.

Chang Ho was harboring deep doubts about Lo Han’s idea. But the Master-Disciple Relationship bound Chang Ho to carry out the suggestion. “I will follow what you have told me” said Chang Ho. And he left the temple with precisely that intention.

Chang Ho found the demon. The demon was strong and hostile, as always. The demon snarled at Chang Ho and prepared to attack. Chang Ho stepped back and yelled “WAIT! I do not wish to fight! I wish only to speak with you.”

The demon relaxed, and then spoke in a sarcastic tone of voice. “Speak then. Take your time; I will listen to you. And when you are finished, I shall beat you up, anyway!”

Chang Ho had to fight back a tremendous surge of egotistical pride. He swallowed hard, cleared his throat, and mustered as much sincerity as he could.

“Demon! You attacked me ten years ago. I didn’t know you. I could not recall having done anything, previously, to offend you. Nevertheless, I wish to apologize for whatever I did to provoke your first assault. And I apologize for the two times I returned and sought vengeance.”

Suddenly, the demon disappeared! And, in his place, there appeared a full length mirror, standing upright and reflecting the sun. Within the glass frame was Chang Ho’s own reflection. Chang Ho was incredulous. He tried moving in various ways; he saw that his reflection moved accordingly.

Then, abruptly, the mirror fell forward, as if pushed from behind! It hit the ground with the piercing sound of shattering glass. And there, standing before Chang Ho, was Lo Han.

The Master smiled, and spoke. “Congratulations, Chang Ho. You have done much more than merely defeat some external adversary. You have vanquished a negative aspect of your own inner life.”

At last, Chang Ho understood.

It was springtime, the planting season. The two men stood together for a long moment – savoring the landscape, appreciating the deep bond of friendship they had formed.

Chang Ho determined to ask Lo Han to ordain him as a Buddhist Priest. He resolved to spend the rest of his life at the temple, in meditation. He spent a couple of moments trying to collect the right words to phrase his request.

But just as Chang Ho moved his mouth to speak, there was a blinding flash of light. Lo Han vanished into thin air. And on the ground where he had stood, there lay a plough, a bag of seed, and a sickle.

Warming Up and Conditioning

1. Gently pull on the roots of your hair.

2. “Lion” from Yoga – stretch all facial muscles, stick tongue out.

3. Rotate head gently – back, forward, left/right vertically, left/right horizontally, full circle left/right.

4. Move shoulders and shoulder blades in vertical circles, forward and backward.

5. Assume horse stance. Swing arms, synchronized: forward circle, backward circle, back and forth horizontally, back and forth vertically.

6. Rotate elbows, individually. Hold upper arm still with other hand. Circle clockwise, circle counterclockwise, up/down, in/out.

7. Rotate wrists similarly to elbows.

8. Crack knuckles, squeeze out fingers, shake out hands.

9. Forming upside down V with legs, do waist bends – forward, backward, left, right, twist to rear left/right (with elbows, and swinging arms freely), clockwise circle, counterclockwise circle.

10. Slow deep knee bends, down and up (only 3; arms to front).

11. Rotate knees in clockwise and counterclockwise circle.

12. Rotate ankles, flex toes, shake out feet.

13. Side kick stretch (both legs).

14. Front kick stretch (both legs).

15. Extension kicks (keep knee locked. Both legs)

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16. Single leg yoga stretch (both legs; inhale up, exhale down; do 3 cycles).

17. Double leg yoga stretch (legs together; inhale up, exhale down; 3 cycles).

18. Double leg yoga stretch (legs apart; aim for both knees in cycle; inhale up, exhale down; 6 complete cycles making 12 stretches).

19. Yoga back flex A.

20. Yoga back flex B.

21. Yoga back flex C.

22. Seated meditation.

23. Standing meditation.

Basic Techniques

1. horse stance

2. breath control

3. middle corkscrew punch – single arm – with breath control

4. middle corkscrew punch – piston arms – with breath control

5. upward block

5. Upward Block

6. low block

7. hard inward block

8. hard outward block (knuckles in )

9. front kick

10. side kick

11. roundhouse kick

12. back stance.

13. cat stance

14. long stance

15. parallel stance

16. X stance

17. ready stance

18. long stance full steps forward

19. horse stance full steps forward

20. horse stance full steps backward

21. back stance full steps forward

22. back stance full steps backward

23. long stance step turn 90 degrees

24. long stance step turn 180 degrees

25. long stance step turn 270 degrees

26. back stance 4-directional shifting

27. half-steps forward and backward

28. cross-steps forward and backward

29. full step forward long stance obverse middle corkscrew punch

30. full step forward long stance reverse middle corkscrew punch

31. full step forward long stance obverse low block

32. full step forward long stance obverse upward block

33. full step forward long stance hard inward block

34. full step forward long stance hard outward block (knuckles in)

35. full step forward horse stance high obverse corkscrew punch

36. full step backward horse stance obverse upward block

37. full step forward back stance obverse hard inward block

38. full step backward back stance obverse hard outward block (knuckles in)

39. long stance step turn 90 degrees with obverse low block

40. long stance step turn 180 degrees with obverse low block

41. long stance step turn 270 degrees with obverse low block

42. back stance 4-directional shifting with hard outward blocks (knuckles in)

43. half-steps forward (with obverse high corkscrew punch) and backward (with obverse low block)

44. cross-steps-forward (with high/low blocks) and backward (with high/low blocks)

45. back stance rear leg front kicks, planting foot backward

46. long stance forward-stepping rear-leg front kicks

47. cat stance lead-leg front kicks

48. back stance rear leg roundhouse kicks, planting foot backward

49. back stance forward-stepping rear-leg roundhouse kicks

50. cat stance lead-leg roundhouse kicks

51. horse stance sliding roundhouse kicks

52. back stance rear leg side kicks, planting foot backward

53. back stance forward-stepping rear-leg side kicks

54. cat stance lead-leg side kicks

55. horse stance sliding side kicks

Combinations

1. low block and reverse punch

2. high block and reverse punch

3. hard in block and reverse punch

4. soft in block and reverse punch

5. hard out block and reverse punch (knuckles in)

6. hard out block and reverse punch (knuckles out)

7. hard out block and reverse punch (knifehand)

8. simultaneous obverse soft upward block and reverse palmfist

9. simultaneous reverse soft upward block and obverse palmfist

10. simultaneous obverse low block and reverse palmfist

11. simultaneous reverse knifehand outward block & obverse corkscrew punch

12. basic blocks and punches

13. straight and up elbows combo

14. in and dow