SHOTOKAN RYU KASE HA
The karate that Yoshitaka Funakoshi and Taiji Kase created differs
from the traditional and most wide-spread Shotokan ryu style
karate of the Japanese Karate Association, the JKA.
The concept "Shotokan Ryu Kase Ha" has been in existence for a
quite long time, but the style was founded officially in the year
2002.
The SRKH style's path from the past to today can be outlined, as
follows: Matsumura Sokon - Azato Yasutsune - Funakoshi Gihcin -
Funakoshi Yoshitaka - Kase Taiji.
The weapon and karate techniques of Matsumura and Azato were
influenced by the Jingen-ryu sword style. This is one reason why
Gichin Funakoshi's karate differs from the other Okinawa styles.
Matsumura, who was a bodyguard of the king of Okinawa, shared his
knowledge and experience with the other guards of Satsuma-clan,
who were masters at the Jingen -ryu ken-jutsu. This is also the
origin of the extensive and forceful movements of Shotokan style.
Here are some typical characteristics or features of the SRKH
style. This is definitely not an exhaustive description but it
might give an insight into the principles of our techniques for
those who are familiar with different karate styles.
KIME
This term means focusing mental and physical power. "More kime" is
one of the favourite sayings of Sensei Kase. Kime is a combination
of the basics of karate: strong stance, use of hara (the centre of
a body), effective movement patterns, relaxation, strength, timing
and strong will. If you want to achieve a good kime, you have to
give everything that you have, both in your body and mind. It
takes several years to find and to develop the inner energy that
you need in order to master your kime.
FUDO-DACHI
This stance was created by Yoshitaka Funakoshi and it is typical
for the SRKH style even though it is practically unknown in other
styles of karate. Yoshitaka was well known of practical and
effective techniques. In Fudo-dachi he combines his fathers
favourite stance kiba-dachi (horse stance) and zenkutsu-dachi
(front stance). In SRKH style it replaces the zenkutsu-dachi,
which is commonly used in other styles.
Term fudo means immovable, steady and firm. It is a low stance
that gives you a good opportunity to move into almost any
direction. In fudo-dachi, the movement of the hip is quite little
and the use of the back leg differs greatly from zenkutsu-dachi.
Instead of large hip movements one should pay more attention to
the use of the hara.
O'WAZA, CHU WAZA, KO WAZA
O'waza means large and ko waza means small or minor technique. Chu
waza is half in between those two. Beginners start with large
movements because they need to develop their muscles and to learn
the perfect course of a technique. One can naturally achieve
maximum speed and power with a large movement. Sensei Kase
describes this phase of practising as the primary school, and
continues that it is a very important stage of development that
should be studied carefully and repeated regular trough out every
karate career. However, there is no sense in staying at the
primary level forever. Sensei Kase says: "It is better to wander
10 km up a hill than 10 km on a flat course. When you go upwards,
you'll see more and further after every step you make."
When a students body and energy production have already improved
to a good level it is not always necessary to use the most
extensive range of movement to achieve the maximum impact. You can
achieve the same impact with ko waza. The aim of this type of
training is to produce the same impact with every technique
regardless of where the movement starts from and where it ends.
KAMAE
This term means posture or attitude. In the beginning the trainee
learns a technique a certain way, for example there are the exact
starting and ending points. When carrying out a strike or punch
with one hand the other hand is usually pulled tight to the side.
This is about learning how to use the body effectively. After a
few years of training these movements become automatic.
The SRKH style seeks intentionally to break this kind of learned
patterns after the person has been practising already for many
years. One should learn to perform a technique from several
different starting points, to use far of near reaching movements
and to manage to finish the movement by bringing a limb fully
controlled into any position desired. The aim is to train the
limbs to move fully independent from each other; yet supporting
each other. Different postures or kamaes can be used as a trick, a
bluff or a shield. They help you to limit and control the
opponent's movements and to improve your own techniques
SEITE AND HENTE
Traditionally Shotokan karate has been a straightforward style for
large-sized karatekas. Possible slowness has been compensated by
strength. Seite has been the typical way of performing a
technique. What it means, in short, is one limb - one move. For
example, you block with one hand and counter attack with another.
Hente means performing a sequence of movements without changing
the hand. The defending hand becomes also the attacking hand and
possibly continues to perform techniques many times in a row. This
is often a question of gaining time and space for the final blow.
Sensei Kase has often said that these are the kind of things one
should pick up and learn from different katas.
SHUTO UCHI, HAITO UCHI AND OTHER OPEN HAND TECHNIQUES
One of the easiest ways to recognise the SRKH style is to have a
look at the open hand techniques. Shuto uchi and haito uchi
strikes derive from sword (katana) techniques. Hands are used to
mimic a sword or it can be alternatively imagined that the hands
are holding a big and heavy sword. The range of movements in shuto
uchi and haito uchi are large and extensive.
Although Sensei Kase is well known of his kicks, especially the
ushiro geri and kaiten geri he created, it can be said without
exaggerating that there is nobody performing open hand techniques
like him.
URA AND GO FORMS OF KATA
An important principle of the SRKH style is that the trainee
should master katas both the normal and the reverse (ura) way.
Some katas have also a go-version of them. It is a form where the
kata is performed by moving only backwards.
The list of the characteristics of the training style could go on.
We hope that you have got a preliminary insight into the main
principles of Shotokan Ryu Kase Ha.
The Finnish Karate Shotokan Academy (F.K.S.A.) was the
organization in Finland introducing Shotokan Ryu Kase Ha. The
Academy doesn't exist anymore, but the SRKH style goes on. There
are several clubs with experienced instructors taking care of
that.
The best way to get to know our way of karate-do is to participate
our courses, or to start to train with us from scratch, if you
have not any experience in karate yet.
If you want to contact us or read more on the courses just follow
the links we have in our pages. |
