Pressure Point Fighting

COMBAT Welcome back Russell, How did the Kata practice go?

RS Good one Paul, thanks

COMBAT We need to expand further on this whatever move you want business. Surely each Kata move means different things?

RS My point in all this Paul, is not to get bogged down with what a Kata move is supposed to mean or what some hierarchial leader says it means. For instance I have heard several well known Karateka say that there is only one move from Hangetsu that has any Bunkai! Absolute rubbish, there is a multitude of different Bunkai for each and every move in each and every Kata.

COMBAT How do you know then, which move goes where?

RS You don’t. You just move. If you plan to use this move against this attack, it will fail. This is because you are learning techniques and Monkey see Monkey do. If you learn the principles that make up that move, then you can apply it.

For example a simple arm bar when stood up. All of these constituent parts MUST be learnt separately and then gradually put together to form the technique. But by breaking them down into the following:

• Grab your partners left wrist with your left hand
• Pull your left hand back to Hikite, ensuring that your opponents elbow joint is pointing upwards
• Ensure your feet are pointing toward the core of your opponents body
• Be at the outside 45 degree angle
• Your right forearm, both bones, should be across the horseshoe of the tricep of your opponent at a 45 degree angle across the arm
• Whilst striking with your forearm pull in the opposite direction with your Hikite (opposites)
• Move your bodyweight into the technique
• Have full intent
• Ensure that you are using the wave motion
• “cut” with your forearm
• breathe out just before you apply the technique
• “vibrate” your forearm
• go “through” your opponents arm
• keep hold of his wrist with your Hikite
• “spiral” the forearm strike
• forearm strikes TW11 or 12
• Hikite grabs and puts energy into wrist points

They can then be learnt as “principles” as oppose to just a technique.

COMBAT So, you are saying apply those principles to each and every technique?

RS 100% Correct Paul. The above are just some of the principles we teach at a basic level. The more principles you know then the greater the chance of success. I think it was the great BJJ practitioner Roy Harris who once described all the constituent parts he required to get a spinning arm lock from Guard, 10 or so principles. But he only needed to get 5 or 6 correct against most people to get it to work.

This is exactly what I am trying to portray. The more you know in terms of principles, then the easier a technique becomes to apply.

Let’s face it, we have not included speed, strength and power in the above list! Just imagine how bad this arm bar can get when you put them all together!!

COMBAT So, you apply these principles to each move in each Kata?

RS Once we have applied the Kata Bunkai Unlock Key principles, yes.

COMBAT Kata Bunkai unlock key principles! What are these then?

RS These are the principles that you apply in order to understand the move in the Kata. A bit like the Universal Translator system in Star Trek.

COMBAT Russell, you are getting weird now

RS Thanks Paul. Look at it this way. I have many times used the following analogy. If we assume for a moment that Kata is a song. You may be able to perform the song beautifully. You may be able to reach every note, remember every word and always be in tune. But, you are singing in a foreign language and you do not know what the words mean.

These “unlock” principles are the equivalent of a Kata – Bunkai – Bunkai – Kata two way Dictionary

Then you can learn what all the words mean, then you learn the Grammar, tenses etc and start making sentences, paragraphs and then you can do what you want with them.

COMBAT Does this apply only to your own system though?

RS No, not at all. It is a universal translator Paul, with these principles you can unlock the meaning of every move in every kata in every system.

COMBAT That is a bold statement, surely no-one knows every Kata in every system.

RS I did not say that Paul. I said that you can understand every move from every system. You do not need to know the whole Kata. You do not need to practice that system. You just need to know how to translate it.

COMBAT Sounds like an awful lot of work to me.

RS It does Paul, it surely does. But what if I told you, I could teach you these “unlock secrets” in a few hours? Would you believe me?

COMBAT Russell, you have done this to me before. I remember you teaching me about 15 Pressure Point K.O’s in about 1.5 hours after everyone said it can’t be done. So, I take it you can.

RS Not only that Paul. I will be teaching these secrets during my forthcoming Seminar Tour in the UK. Please see my website for details, but it is the Seminar in Torquay hosted by John Burke, who incidentally has just written a fantastic book on Bassai Dai Bunkai.

COMBAT This is getting interesting Russell. Let’s talk later

RS Sure thing Paul. Thanks for your time and consideration.