ARTICLES AND COMMENTARY

 

Another "Jammin" Training Day
And
What would Mr. Long say???

   Foreword: Friday October 12th, will mark the passing of Mr. Long. It was nine years ago when many of us stood at his grave side in disbelief. I privately wondered if the better part of Isshin-Ryu was buried with him. At times, I still ask myself that question. I only know it has never and will never be the same.

 

   There is another cross training workout set for February at Joe Laney's dojo (date tba). Since we are in a dojo, space is again a consideration. I don't believe it will be a problem as it appears that only a small group of people are seriously interested in cross-training when it includes ground work.  I consider this an ill advised exclusion of street defense, but that is every sensei's decision to make for himself and his students. Realistically, it just gives more time and space for the ones who are interested.

   With all this said, the ones who were at the Gab-Jam will receive first consideration for sign up. It will again be held to what Joe feels is dojo capacity. If you feel that you are going to be interested in attending, contact Joe or myself, so we can get an idea about the numbers of dojo heads we are talking about.  We don't need right now to know how many people you are bringing. We are just asking if the date works out, do you plan to attend. We’ll start a total head count closer to time. I know that a lot can happen between now and February, but we all start getting real busy with event and scheduling, so I wanted to give you this heads up.

   We want more people involved in teaching or leading drills on techniques. This is a teaching and training session. More bite, less bark. So the plan will be to have people demonstrate a technique, then all practice it. This training day doesn't have to be all new stuff. Just things old and new, we can spend a day training on. I think we all know that too much information can overwhelm our ability to learn it, or have time to practice it.  Showing new things is great, but not the focus of the day. The day gives a group of people the opportunity to train together and learn from each other.  We will ask certain masters to be in charge of a segment, but anyone can participate in teaching something if, it pertains to the segments topic.

   As stated before, this is not an association or is it meant to compete with anything an association does. It is also not meant to dilute Isshin-ryu. It is an additive to an already eclectic martial art. It is meant to compliment and further the effectiveness of Isshin-ryu. Those that see it as competition or a threat to the purity of Isshin-ryu, probably don't understand how mixing the arts, cross references the kata bunkai in Isshin-ryu. Don’t knock what you don't understand. It sometimes reminds me of a kid saying they don’t like a certain food even though they’ve never tried it. On the other hand, if someone has the knowledge and skills to demonstrate how to never be taken to the ground, we would be more than honored to have you teach that.  I teach my students to do everything they can to stay on their feet or get back to their feet if taken down. But, I have never had the knowledge or skill to always stay upright. I fear most of my students will not either. But we welcome anyone who can show us how to accomplish this. This is a humble invitation not an arrogant challenge. I love to learn and will, until I no longer have the capacity for it. I also want my students to see what may be thrown at them from another discipline should they have to deal with a boxer, jujitsu, or grappling trained opponent. Even if I were not interested in training in the other arts, I would want my students to get the exposure. I’m not afraid that they will think that I don't know everything or think someone else is better. Many are better and many know more. The whole purpose of the gatherings is to share knowledge and cross train each others students. Why don't people get that? Well I refuse to make this an "us and you" thing. There is too much of that already. To each his own but don't be self-righteousness about your Isshin-ryu higher calling. It is my Isshin-ryu too and I can teach Isshin-ryu with anyone, while mixing in other necessary disciplines for good measure. In all honesty I just got tired teaching the same thing night after night, year after year. Unless you are a moron or train once a month, you should be pretty well up to speed by the time you get your roku dan. Does it really take more than twenty years to learn one art?? After that, what? More bunkai, as in, ”I told you it was this...but it could also be that! And in another year it might even be this!!” You are forced to re-invent the process or just teach the same thing over and over. And what happens to the guy who doesn’t want to wait until he can do eight kata worth of bunkai (which is rarely practiced enough in dojo's to be effective and usable) in order to get home safe at night. Many can teach it. Few if any can do it. Reason is, few have any jujitsu training or background to help them teach the technical aspects required to demonstrate the effectiveness on anyone but an uke.  Yes, the punching, kicking and foot work is extremely useable and the surest bet for reliable defense… but not in every situation. Isshin-ryu is definitely the striking vehicle that gets you there. A compatible mix of the other arts will keep you there. Forgive me if it sounds like I’m making fun or disrespecting something that I treasure. It (Isshin-ryu) is of great value to me and I have done my best to reciprocate. Perhaps forty years of teaching it could be considered payment on account. It’s just that it is not my religion. Nor for me, does it have any spiritual or mystical value. No one in it, has ever taken the place of my parents or my children although my students and close friends are very much like an extended family. But in the light of day, it is what it is: a fraternity of mostly like minded people, expressing themselves to various degrees of controlled violence. It is an ongoing preparation for street violence that hopefully will never happen. Above everything else, it is a relationship with the innermost workings of your restless, competitive spirit. Why else would we get such a rush out of knocking our best friends on their butts??? And where does this all tie back in?? It ties back in to the grand butt kicker of them all...one; Harold G. Long. No one will ever convince me that he would want to be remembered mostly for anything else. He worked hard on that image every day. For me, when I say Isshin-ryu, I see him nodding his head in approval when you decked someone. And, if it took getting on the ground to finish some one off, I’ll bet you'd get the same nod. I never saw that expression on his face from watching some one run a great kata.

   What did Mr. Long say? I hate to go there because I hear a lot of people do this when they are not sure of what they believe or don't feel their opinion is respected enough to stand on its own merit. So throw in a, "Mr. Long said", and you can make a point. Everyone likes to quote him because it is nostalgic, comical, or wishful thinking that the strength of his leadership still exists. On the other hand, Mr. Long said a lot of things. Sometimes his opinions changed based on his opinion of the person he was talking about. As he aged, he became more and more inflexible toward training in anything but Isshin-Ryu. I believe he feared that his legacy would change and his life's work would be diluted; or worse, forgotten. Early on, he was more open minded. I came to him as a kung-fu practitioner. He accepted me and was willing to allow me to continue kung-fu. Maurice Msarsa, a judo ka early on, was encouraged by Mr. Long to continue his training. In his book "The Ultimate Fighting Art" (pg 261), he describes master Bob White as follows:” He is another person who received training outside the Isshin-Ryu system, which gave him a better, well rounded, knowledge of the martial arts." Notice he says "another". So he leaves plenty of room for his acceptance and approval of cross trainers.  Mr. Long was first, a fighter and a teacher of fighting. He ignored nothing that would make you a better fighter. You want to carry on something for him? Carry on the reality of that in your teaching and training. It is my opinion that if cage fighting had come along when he was teaching, he would have had us all in a cage, training to go on TV. He can rest assured that we are going to honor his memory and protect his legacy. But some of us are going to do that and move into the, “here and now” also. I choose to expand his dream. Not sit on it like an antique egg. 

   I hope to become a better sensei by training and teaching the combined benefits of Isshin-ryu and Dragon Sen-i Jutsu (situational street fighting).So far I feel the results speak for itself. Only history, and of coarse my students, will be the final judge.