French Budo

As I was travelling to France from December 17 to January 6, I had the great pleasure to meet and train with my old Budo buddies from a long time ago...

I got to train twice with the Kendo club of Friville Escarbotin . 

My friend and instructor Francis Hollier, originally a Judoka, founded the Kendo club 30 years ago. I started to train with him in 1989 just back from Korea. Since then, I have tried to go train with him at least once a year...

From Left to Right : Pascal Barraud, Frederic Lecut, Abel Brunet, Francis Hollier. 

The four of us were training together 25 years ago in Kendo, Tai Jitsu and Tai Chi... After 22 years in the USA, I can go back to France and meet these guys, it is just as if I had left them last week !

While I was training in Kendo under Francis, he asked me if I would like to open a Tai Jitsu class. Which I did, under supervision of Jean Luc Lemoine, who was teaching in Rouen, 90 km South of Friville. I was not a black belt at the time and could only teach under supervision of a licensed black belt instructor.

On January 3, at Jean Luc's request, I had the pleasure and honour to teach a Yoshukai Karate Class for the Tai Jitsu club of Normandie...

Everyone had a great time...

Once you have practised Budo for years and years, there should be a realization that maybe this is not at all about fighting, but rather about making peace. 

Unless you are able and ready to fight, it is going to be difficult to live in peace. 

Faithfull friends are part of this...

Yoshukai Chaperones go to France

Shihan Travis Page and I traveled to France in November 2011. I had planned a few classes and demonstrations to promote Yoshukai Karate. 

On November 21, we visited my friend and previous Nihon Tai Jitsu instructor Mr Jean Luc Lemoine at his Tai Jitsu kan Dojo in Rouen.

Jean Luc had suffered a heart attack the week before, and we proposed to teach his Monday night class for him. 

We got on the mat with his students and Mr Page taught them a number of his signature street and bar fighting techniques, while I was trying to translate some of the details.

Nihon Tai Jitsu incorporates techniques found in mainstream Budo such as Karate, Aikido, Judo. Students ranged from 7th Kyu to Niddan, The class lasted about 2 hours. The enthusiasm and efficiency of Mr Page, and the practicality of his waza - chokes, throws and strikes - were highly appreciated by all. Mr Page had to come home early and we did not get the opportunity to work out with the local branch of Kyokushinkai Karate which is has been getting more and more popular in France for the past 10 years. Another trip will be needed...

On November 25th, I myself had the pleasure to train with my friend and Kendo Instructor Francis Hollier, at the Kendokai of Friville Escarbotin, when Mr Page and I gave classes several years ago on 2 occasions.

Overall, Yoshukai Karate and its Spirit are appreciated for its simplicity and efficiency. It should be kept this way. 

If it works, practice it, if it does not, drop it.

Travel to Europe

Shihan Travis Page and I will be traveling to France for 2 weeks to save the Euro Zone, as well as visiting with family and friends. We plan to train there with my Ju Jitsu instructor and friend Jean Luc Lemoine and Kendo Instructor and friend Francis Houlier of the Kendokan, and possibly meet some of my old Ju Jitsu students

While I am gone there won't be any Zen or Martial Arts activities at the Yoshukai Dojo (Beside Yoshukai Karate of course)
 

You are welcome to meet to train in Tai Chi Tuesday and Thursday mornings.  Geri's will be your instructor at Westgate. 

I plan to fly back once the Euro Zone is saved, on November 29th, that is a Tuesday, and we will resume normal classes on December 1st with Tai Chi and IaiJutsu

May all of you have a happy Thanksgiving among your loved ones.

PS : do not forget our December celebrations :

• December 10th : Zazenkai at the Jap House in Headland.
• December 17th : Iaijutsu  Seminar at 11:00 as usual at the Yoshukai Dojo, followed by a joint Budo - Zen BYOB Christmas party at the Headland Jap House.

4 Winds Tai Chi - the Third Form, Group practice.

A video of the third form of 4 Winds Tai Chi. In this form, as well as in the Long and Fourth form, we use the same defensive moves we used in the Short form, in the same order. These moves are executed on the Left then on the Right side, so we actually are performing 5 different defensive moves :

• High Block (Jodan Uke)
• Outside Middle block (Chudan Soto Uke)
• Knife hand block (Shuto Uke)
• Low block (Gedan Uke)
• Inside Middle block (Chudan Uchi Uke)

In this 3rd form, we insert counter moves after each one of the blocks - throws, or combination of strikes and throws. The Japanese names of these moves - in the Tradition of Nihon Tai Jitsu) are : 

• Kata Guruma
• O Soto Gari
• Tembim Nage
• O Uchi Gari
• Tai Otoshi

(sorry, I do not know their names in English...)

Some of these moves request moving three limbs at a time in three different directions, not always an easy thing to do... I have designed the Third form mostly to improve coordination and balance.

This video was taped at the Dothan Botanical Garden in Dothan, Alabama, USA in April 2010.

Thank you to Geri, Carl and Ron for their help and support.

Nihon Ju Jitsu

I could not resist posting this video. I had the honor and pleasure to train under Master Rolland Hernaez, Hanshi, founder of Nihon Tai Jitsu, and am myself a 2nd degree Black Belt in this Art.


I hope you enjoy the great variety of throws (Nage waza) and joint manipulations (Kansetsu waza) displayed in this video. Reminds me of my 30's when I would bounce back from the mat as if I were made of rubber....

Because Nihon Tai Jitsu is strictly about Self Defense, numerous techniques are aimed at very sensitive parts of the body (eyes, throat, groin, spine and joints...) which are potentially dangerous. No Fighting competition are organized, only technical challenges during which competitors are judged based on prearranged self defense demonstrations.

The drawback of such a situation is sometimes a lack of realism in the use of certain unusual waza, and the fact that students may not be used to being actually hit. This is why the study of a full contact art such as Yoshukai Karate combined with Tradidional Ju Jitsu is an excellent mix. Full contact fighting provides a real experience of how a punch or kick can really hurt, the acceptance of this risk, and the DEEP willingness to avoid them by only using safe waza that minimize that risk for ourselves.
On another Hand, Nihon Tai Jitsu provides a variety of wazas and target usually not used in Karate, which may enable a lighter person to get out much safely out of situation where they are attacked by more powerful individuals. (It also looks really cool !)

What did you say ? This is what MMA has been doing for several years ?

Well, not exactly, for one thing, as MMA is mostly focused toward competition, a number of techniques used by Traditional Ju Jitsu are also banned. Then MMA has usually lost contact with the Traditional Part essential to Karate or Ju Jitsu. Fighting is not the ultimate goal, but a way to achieve something else...