"Karate is my secret, I will not display it to the public.  "I bear
no weapons. "I pray
forgiveness for having used karate in an unmannerly fashion and pray I
never have to use it again." This is
the salute that is always done at the end of each kata in the shorei-ryu
system of karate.
Shorei-ryu was developed, or named, about 100 years ago around the
mid-1800s by Kanryo Higashionna. Higashionna studied some of the Naha-te
techniques of Okinawa and then moved to China. There in the Foochow
Province he studied for some 20 years under Liu Liu Ko. But it was not
until Higashionna came back to Okinawa that he began to develop the
shorei-ryu system. The
shorei-ryu system can be traced (though with some difficulty due to the
lack of records) to the Sho Dynasty in the 1400s. The main method of
tracing it is through some of the shorei kata, which are indeed very old.
Shorei-ryu was first brought to the United States in 1946 by Robert Trias,
who opened the first karate school in this country then. While in the
Orient, Trias studied the system under Choke Motobu's chief instructor,
Tung Gee Hsing, and learned the Chinese mo-kempo under Hoy Yuan Ping. He
then passed this unique style on to many including Philip Perales, who
teaches in Orange County, California. The
shorei-ryu system is a blend of the Chinese arts of mo-kempo and pakua and
the ancient Okinawan art of Naha-te. It is a style which is noted for its
low stances, powerful moves and circular motions. The style itself is
based on the Five Strengths and the Five Fists, which are obviously
comparable to the Five Animals of kung fu. These are:
Shorei-ryu is associated with the courage class of karate and is
primarily an internal system.
The
shorei stylist will practice many times from a low stance. This will
strengthen both his internal and external power. For when one works on the
internal power (chi kara) the external flows more freely and more
naturally. Some of the exercises performed from the low horse stance are:
the karate five-count, the six-count, the Okinawan punch to the groin and
outward chops from the neck. The next
important aspect of the shorei-ryu system is the practice of kata. Aside
from the horse, there is nothing which has as much importance as the
practice of kata. Kata itself is the center of all karate and classical
kung fu. Kata contains all of the necessary ingredients for drawing one
closer to the center of himself, and, consequently, closer to the source.
Kata is,
in fact, very metaphysical. It is designed to expand the total individual
and to increase his awareness in order to bring the best out of him. The
word kata, translated, actually means "dance." Symbolically, a dance is
the harmonious mental and spiritual activities exercised in accordance
with a governing principle. This governing principle: a return of the
individual back to the source, his deeper self or god.
In order to use kata to its greatest advantage one must constantly
practice. It takes time, work and patience in order to become proficient
at kata and at the martial art itself. There are
many who would, and do, try to refute the importance of kata today.
Statements are made such as, "Kata doesn't hit back, so it has little
value to me. Besides, it's boring." It is unfortunate that these ideas are
so prevalent, for all they show is that individuals are narrow-minded and
are not tapping their full potential or that of the martial art they teach
or study. In the
shorei-ryu system, kata is done as though one were really in a combat
situation against any number of foes. The moves are done with power, speed
and timing. Concentration is at its maximum, and when the person becomes
proficient he/she should be able to do the movements completely without
thinking. The
proficient shodan in the shorei system should be able to perform a kata
against an opponent and should also know and understand each application.
The shorei instructor will scrutinize the student's kata by watching the
breathing technique, the stances, the sense of direction, rhythm, shifting
and walking, the body movements, form, speed and power. The
shorei-ryu system also has kata which are unique to the system, not found
in other karate styles. These are the Omoto kata. They concentrate on the
basics and the formation of power. Each has either four or five moves.
They are done in a low lunge stance, moving forward and back many times.
They are designed to increase the strength of the stance and the stamina
and internal strength of the karateka. They were originally developed by
the Naha-te masters and passed on throughout the years. Some of
the authentic shorei kata are: gopei-sho, mandan-sho, yoko sho, buto,
nafun-chee (tekki), and sanchin. This last kata was formulated by
Higashionna, although he probably obtained the idea from his teacher Liu
Liu Ko in China. The sho
kata date back to the 1400s, when Okinawa was governed by China and Hashio
of Chuzan was in charge. Gopei-sho, the peacock form, probably best
demonstrates the use of animals in the shorei style. It makes use of the
tiger, snake, crane and peacock, nearly as in their original Chinese
forms. This kata is meant to be one of continual flowing power.
Technique #2
This is another variation of the tiger kata. Once again the performer
attacks with the fingertips from a very low stance (1). Then the elbow
comes into play against the foes face at the same time a punch is thrown
to the oppo- nent's stomach (2&3). This movement may lack the
precision and grace that kung fu is noted for, but it makes up for it with
raw power. Another
type of kata that was developed by the early shorei masters was the taezu
naru waza. More than likely, these two-man sets were a combination of
ideas that were carried over from the Chinese masters of the Shaolin
temple in the original kosho-ryu (old pine forest).
The taezu naru waza are very similar to the two-man fighting sets taught
in Chinese kung fu. One man will act as the attacker, and the other as the
defender. These forms are practiced to increase the karateka's speed and
power. They contain circular movements, sweeps and forward moves. They are
to be done in no more than three seconds, and some of them contain up to
seven moves-and some of these are double-one-hand techniques. They contain
many of the basics and some of the animal hand techniques and are an
important part of the training regimen for the shorei stylist of what ever
rank. They are used primarily for close in-fighting and give the karateka
a variety of self-defense moves that can be applied in a real street
situation. In the
early days of the shorei style, and even in some dojo today, students
would work on their punching techniques by punching or thrusting their
hands into jars filled with various minerals. First, the young
practitioner would practice his punching into a jar filled with sand.
Then, as time went on, he would progress to a jar filled with beans.
Finally, he would work with a jar filled with gravel. The purpose of this
was to strengthen and develop the student's kime (focus) and develop the
hands into effective fighting tools. Another
method of developing the hands was the use of the makiwara board, which
was merely an alternate form of this practice. Many hours of practice on
the makiwara board developed the chops and punches of the student. By now,
you are probably asking yourself about sparring as a training technique.
Simply put, sparring is practiced in the shorei system but it is used only
to aid the student in the application of the techniques found in the kata.
By using these techniques the individual gains knowledge of his progress
in the form and the system. He sees that what he is studying can be put to
effective use against an opponent. He learns to flow and follow through on
his movements, and he learns to relax.
Relaxation is an important part of any fight. One must remain relaxed in
order to interpret the first move of the opponent. This is true for most
styles of karate. However, in the shorei system, the person's chi is of
great im- portance during the confrontation. When one is trying to
anticipate another's movements, it is easy to tighten up, to miscalculate
the opponent's move and lose positive chit Remaining calm produces a
balanced mind, and a balanced mind flows freely from thought to action.
Although
sparring is not the most important aspect of shorei-ryu, fighting
techniques are practiced in the dojo. Many of the fighting techniques are
performed by moving into and to the side of the opponent. By doing this
the karateka gains a variety of options. Once
inside the opponent's guard, the hands are most often used. Yet the rest
of the body cannot be overlooked. You must remember that you can use the
head, knee, elbow and the heel of the foot. But the shorei system is, in
essence, a hand system. The most common and most widely used hand
techniques found in other styles of karate are employed, of course.
However, a skilled shorei practitioner will also use the circular hand
movements commonly found in the Chinese five-animal systems. The
traditional shorei stylist will work long hours on his blocks. Whereas in
the Japanese styles one has mainly powerful and effective straight blocks,
shorei-ryu also makes extensive use of circular blocks. Thus, ideally, one
downblock can become two blocks, blocking both a punch and a kick, and
leaving the other hand prepared for countering, defending, or some other
technique. To
practice, the blocks are practiced in low stances, and instead of exhaling
as in most systems when doing the block, one inhales. Then when executing
a counterattack, one will exhale and tighten up at the last moment prior
to impact. In the
early days of the shorei-ryu system in the United States, Trias would use
a tool similar to the choy li fut wooden dummy. It had a wooden center,
with one moveable arm attached to its side. In this way the student could
practice his blocks either up or down and at the same time work on the
form as well as building up power. Kicks in
the shorei system are usually done no higher than the abdomen. The idea of
that is that when one kicks high the chances of losing balance, or of the
kick being caught, increase vastly. Besides, kicking high tends to cause a
loss of power. When practicing the geri waza, in order to maintain a good
foundation, the balancing leg is kept on the ground with the heel pressed
firmly down. Flexibility is important, as is the recoil of the kick. It is
necessary that the kick be drawn back like a recoiling snake after the
strike.
In the United States today, many dojo emphasize fighting and self-defense.
It is true that in the days when Okinawans had no weapons and were being
oppressed by their feudal lords, they did have to learn to defend
themselves. Yet, as time went on, karate became a practice of relaxation
and harmony of the mind and body. The great Okinawan masters such as
Higashionna, Miyagi and Motobu found that discipline of the mind and body
through karate could be carried on into daily life. Shorei-ryu stresses
the scientific aspect of karate. By disciplining the mind and body, the
person remains calm and unified. By constantly practicing mind and body
unity, the person is better able to deal with simple daily confrontations.
Although it is still true that the best way to deal with confrontations is
to avoid them, when one is in harmony with oneself even unavoidable
confrontations can be dealt with rationally and calmly. For the shorei
student, it is important to master his own mind and body before attempting
to conquer someone else. With the emphasis on fighting in many dojo today,
this falls by the wayside and is forgotten. Zen holds
a very high place in the shorei system. It is through Zen that the student
can become more aware of himself and of that which surrounds him. One way
of achieving this is by working on breathing exercises. In shorei-ryu the
breathing exercises are based heavily on the Zen principle of mushin (no
mind). By working on shita hare (seika tanden) one develops not only the
physical body but the internal energies simultaneously. The very strenuous
sanchin exercises which concentrate on every muscle in the body gradually
produce a very relaxing effect on both mind and body. These exercises,
seika tanden, sanchin and the Zen principles are not new to the martial
arts, but in many they schools have been done away with. In
essence, their principle is to clear the, mind cleanse the inner and outer
body, strengthen the chi kara, and allow the open mind to absorb all that
it can. It is important, therefore, to always think clear yet positive
thoughts. Negative
thoughts cloud the mind and weaken the internal, as well as doing great
damage to the physical body itself. Thus it is that the mind directs all
that the physical body does, and if one works hard enough (although it is
not an easy task) one can attain mushin and find harmony. To quote the
masters, "Thought during action is an obstacle to harmony and unity." In
the shorei system all these principles are brought together in the
practice of kata.
About the Author: the information in this article draws heavily on
notes give to Robert Trias by his teachers, Tung Gee Hsing and Hoy Yuan
Ping and passed on to Philip Perales. |
Copyright (c) 1997, Blackbelt Communications, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.