Self Defense Seminar
Empty Hand Kata Seminar
Monday, April 10, 2005
Master Demura's Japan Karate-Do Genbukai International
Master Demura teaching the self-defense seminar
Once again we were incredibly fortunate to have Master Fumio Demura, one of the greatest living martial artists, as our guest for two seminars. The first, which focused on training methods and self-defense, was open to all students and instructors in AMAI. The second was a truly unique opportunity for AMAI black belts, in that Master Demura taught us an empty-hand kata from Shito-ryu karate.
Master Demura opened the first seminar by talking a bit about the importance of training constantly and working to perfect the basics. We started with two punching exercises - first throwing a punch at our partner's face and stopping it about 1/4" away, and then punching our partner's stomach and stopping it at their uniform. Both great lessons in distancing and control. After that we took turns crouching on the floor while our partner threw rapid-fire kicks over our backs - an effective exercise in making sure to lift the knee high before and after kicking!
From there we moved on to the self-defense techniques. His particular goal for this part was to help us see how many techniques could come out of one attack. We started out with a "set up" technique: extending a spear hand toward our partner's abdomen, which they would then grab. From there we tried a variety of responses - breaking free and executing an elbow strike, breaking free and striking with a backfist, bring the hand up and over for a wristlock-takedown, stepping across and executing a takedown, and rotating the trapped hand for another wrist lock. Master Demura encouraged us to study our options rather than limiting ourselves to a single response. We wrapped up the first seminar with a particularly challenging exercise - straddling our partner's extended legs, on command we had to jump and switch feet (and later switch direction as well!) without hitting our partner or landing on their legs. (Knowing the condition my legs were in after the long run from the previous day, I would NOT have wanted to be my partner!) Ann and I paired up and worked together for much of the seminar, which was a lot of fun (particularly since we haven't seen each other 2 1/2 weeks!)
Master Demura demonstrates a technique
The second seminar was a real treat, as Master Demura taught us two versions of the kata "Aoyagi" from Shito-ryu karate. Aoyagi, which means Green Willow, was created by the founder of Shito-ryu, Kenwa Mabuni, in 1915. Mabuni studied primarily under two instructors - Anko Itosu (Shuri-te) and Kanryo Higashionna (Naha-te) - in Okinawa the early 1900's. He later combined the training in these two styles into his own form of karate, Shito-ryu (named as a combination of the Chinese characters for names of his two primary teachers.) Mabuni was physically a fairly small man, and in the course of his training he developed a very effective system of body dynamics which could assist a smaller person in defending against a larger agressor. Aoyagi was created as a series of women's self defense techniques and typifies these body dynamics. (See shitokai.com or numerous other Internet and print sources for more information about Kenwa Mabuni and Shito-ryu karate.)
We started out by learning the women's version of Aoyagi, and then moved on to the men's version. (The main differences are in the opening and closing movements, and in the first three techniques.) Some of the movement is quite different from what I'm used to, and both Master Demura and his assistant Sensei Charles Hobbib explained the differences between their method of executing a high block and ours (the physics behind theirs actually makes a little more sense, particularly if you're blocking something like a baseball bat. On the other hand, I wouldn't attempt to block a baseball bat with my arm unless I had absolutely no other choice! As always I find it fascinating to study the different approaches different styles and arts take to solving the same problems.) At various points during the sesssion Master Demura demonstrated possible applications to the movements, as well as explaining what might have been otherwise inexplicable points (such as the fact that when you touch a part of your body during the kata, that indicates you're striking with that part.) By the end of the hour I think I had the overall movements down, though it will take a LOT of practice to refine them.
Master Demura explaining details
This was another great night spent learning from Master Demura. He is an absolutely incredible teacher with an unbelievable depth of knowledge - there are times when I wish I could sit with him for a few hours and just listen to all the stories he has to tell! His enthusiasm for the arts is infectious, and I can only hope that I have a tiny fraction of his energy when I get to be his age. We have been truly fortunate to have him share knowledge and information with us - I can only hope he remains able to do so for many years to come!
JMH
