The Kōburyū Difference

The Uechi Ryū seiken zuki travels along a straight line from palm up at hikite twisting to palm down as the fist lands.  The force of this style of punch is isolated to the use of the arm alone. 

The Kōburyū seiken zuki is relaxed and loose and is powered by the whole side of the body.  The body tightens at the moment of contact, delivering all of the force to the opponent.  The fist travels efficiently in a straight line but the elbow moves a little away from the line of attack for a more natural use of the arm and shoulder. The fist is tateken at contact and turns over as a natural result of follow through. Strikes are always to vital points of the human body.

Though superficially the same, the Uechi Ryū circle block, hirate mawashi uke, and the kōsa uke of Kōburyū are quite different.  The thought process for learning circle block was “slap drop around back.” The circle block uses each hand separately. Quite often the slap hand does nothing at all, relying on the circle hand to do all the blocking. This one-handed block may work, but not well against an opponent who could be much bigger, stronger or faster.

Similar to the Uechi Ryū circle block, kōsa uke does have a slap hand, but let’s call the other hand the control hand.  Rather than being used separately, both hands work together to force the opponent’s thrust aside. This can be compared to the two-handed backhand popular in tennis for its greater power. The slap hand is then free to:

1. move to the hikite position in preparation for the counterattack.
   
   The strike from hikite has the advantage of potentially being a more powerful blow due to the greater distance through which to build velocity. However, moving through a greater distance takes time. The control hand allows for the extra time by preventing the opponent from moving away or launching their own attack. The defender can move into the attack adding his momentum and the mass of his whole body to the power of the strike.
   
2. move directly into the counterattack without coming to hikite position.
   
   The simultaneous block and attack has the advantage of efficiency and surprise. However, to obtain the same power as a strike from hikite, the same velocity must be reached over a shorter distance. This requires greater acceleration; in other words, explosive movement. In addition, the grab to control can become a pull, using the opponent’s own mass and momentum against him.

Pay special attention to the control hand of kōsa uke.  Dropping too low wastes valuable time.  It also causes the block to occur too close to the defender’s body. In effect, the kōsa uke devolves into something like the Uechi Ryū circle block.

To kick with maximum reach and power the knee of the support leg must be flexed, allowing the body weight to move into the kick. The heel of the support leg should pivot inward with the force of the kick. Sōke Kaichō Kinjō says that the purpose of taisabaki waza #4 (kakato geri) is to perfect this kick.

The safest place for a beginner to be is outside the line of the attack. Therefore, the Kōburyū turn is designed to move your body and especially your head safely out of the line of the attack as quickly as possible. Look, step and turn the whole body all at the same time the “slap hand” begins to block. Try this on a slippery floor. See how the back foot pivots with the step and not before the step.

The stepping foot does not simply cross over, leaving your body weight behind. Shift your weight over the back leg as you step. This is what moves your head out of the path of the attack. Flex the knee to lower your center of gravity for the fastest possible turn and the strongest possible block. Your body will appear to swoop into the turn and then rise on completion of the block. The step finishes as the “slap hand” comes to hikite.

The Kōburyū breathing method is very different from that of Uechi Ryū. Uechi Ryū practitioners are taught to breathe after the strike. They are also taught to control the breath by stopping the exhale using the tip of the tongue, making a “tssst” sound.

Kōburyū practitioners breathe at the moment of contact for delivery of maximum power.  Breathing is united with the movement and helps focus power.  This is like a weight lifter breathing on the power move. Push the exhale from the diaphragm, making the exhale as strong as possible. Imagine that you are a balloon. When a filled balloon is released the air exits explosively and completely. This is what your exhale should feel like.

The Uechi Ryū breathing method can not possibly add to power. Kōburyū students who are still using the “tssst” should work to remove this breathing method.

Kōburyū, as a by product of use of whole body (left and right), is better for your health, cardio-vascularly.  Also as a by product of using both the left and right sides equally, the body is not developed unevenly, which leads to pain or injury.  Advanced Gōjū and Shorin Ryū practitioners who have come to Kaicho’s dōjō to train have found that their back and shoulder pain goes away

Kōburyū uses both the right and left side of body to conserve on power.  Movements alternate from side to side.

Every movement of the kata has a practical application Nothing is included just for show

Kōburyū has both tightness and speed together. Every movement of the kata has a practical application Practice until the techniques can be performed without thought Explore new applications of the movements in the kata Make it a priority in your training to increase power.Every movement of the kata has a practical application Practice until the techniques can be performed without thought Explore new applications of the movements in the kata \

The Uechi Ryū organization suffered internal conflict and splintered over the teaching of kobudō in a Uechi Ryū dojo. Indeed, Itokazu Seiki, Sōke Kaichō Kinjō’s Uechi Ryūo sensei, once told his young protégée that the practice of kobudō would spoil his karate technique.  Far from it, Sōke Kaichō Kinjō came to believe that karate and kobudō were like two halves of the same coin. Therefore, Kōburyū offers a unified approach to both karate and kobudō. This is unique to Kōburyū.

Sōke Kaichō Kinjō has said that he can tell which dan level karate students also practice kobudō and which do not just by watching their technique. In China in the past, students used to learn weapons first and only later empty-handed techniques.

Uechi Ryū practitioners have a strong, rooted stance but they do not use the legs to add power to their techniques. Kōburyū practitioners use the strength of the entire body, but especially the legs. 

In Minnesota we get a lot of snow in the winter time. Imagine yourself pushing a car out of a snowy ditch. Would you stand upright and push with just your arms or would you hunker down and drive from the legs?

Kōburyū emphasizes explosive bursts of speed. Sōke Kaichō Kinjō likens this to a sprinter at the beginning of a race pushing off from the starting block. There is no starting block in karate, but use your back foot to drive into forward motion.

For shokyū kata performance it is enough to simply step. As you begin to add power to your kata for chūkyū, you should begin to add drive to your forward movement.

Kōburyū uses both the right and left side of body to conserve on power.  Movements alternate from side to side.

Uechi Ryū practitioners have a strong, rooted stance Explosive Power – shorter stances

Lower body/leg strength adds power to the strike.

The whole body is used efficiently and powerfully rather than remaining stationary so only the upper body contributes to the power.  Kata chūkyū and taisabaki waza clearly demonstrate this difference.

taisabaki

The whole body is used efficiently and powerfully rather than remaining stationary so only the upper body contributes to the power. 

Kōburyū has both tightness and speed together. 

Shimeru Kōburyū has both tightness and speed. 

Move the Upper and Lower Body Together in a Synchronous Way

Kōburyū uses both the right and left side of body to conserve on power.  Movements alternate from side to side.

The one-handed circle block of Uechi Ryū, hirate mawashi uke, probably evolved from this training tool. The block is broken down into steps: slap, drop, around, back. It’s easy for beginners to learn circle block from the breakdown of steps but in an actual situation separating the steps is too slow. You will be hit. And why use only one hand? Chances are, if attacked, your opponent will be stronger than you. You will need both hands working together to effectively block. You will need kōsa uke.

This is a pun for “past your eyes.” It is often used to help beginners learn the circle block of Uechi Ryū. The idea is to slap aside a punch coming at your face as the first step of “slap, drop, around, back.” In other words, the slap should be “past your eyes,” resulting in a face-high block. The Kōburyū kōsa uke is quite different from the Uechi Ryū circle block. Both hands move together for an effective block. Blocks in kata are typically performed at a mid-level. Practicing accuracy at mid-level allows you to make minor adjustments up or down in an attack situation. To help Kōburyū beginners learn kōsa uke, try “cross your heart” as a mnemonic instead of “pasteurize.”

This is a method of teaching beginners to kick. The student raises the knee, pushes the foot out, brings the foot back and sets it down. This has the advantage of strengthening the thighs and practicing balance, but as a kicking technique there’s not much to recommend it. The student is learning to kick with just the power of the leg. Reach is restricted to the length of the leg. The kick resembles a push, having no snap.

Keeping the shoulders square while punching or thrusting limits your power to just what the arm can deliver. It may give you a feeling of ultimate power because of the mighty jerk you get when the shoulders stop your punch abruptly.

In the early days, Uechi Ryū was known for speed. However, with the current emphasis on keeping the body tight at all times, Sōke Kaichō Kinjō believes that speed has been sacrificed. Sure, tight muscles can help protect the vital organs of your body from a vicious blow. However, to move with speed your muscles must be loose. Tighten to receive a blow or tighten on contact to deliver maximum power.

It is natural if one foot is forward that the hip on that side would be forward, too. Keeping the hips squared up prevents the drop from the knees that Sōke Kaichō Kinjō …

According to Eastern thought there are three tanden, or centers of gravity. The upper tanden is centered in your head at about eye height. The middle tanden is what we call chūdan, located inside the chest at heart level. The lower tanden is located three finger-widths down from the bellybutton. It is sometimes referred to as the kikai, “ocean of ki,” tanden. Imagine aligning the three tanden. This would be like having a rod through the center of your body – great for perfect posture but not so great for power or reach.

Uechi Ryū kata competitions penalize the competitor if he or she makes too much noise with the feet. In contrast, Sōke Kaichō Kinjō’s encourages you to push off like a sprinter, stepping strongly into the opponent’s space. ;;; A certain amount of pounding is required. The rice paper would be in tatters.

This is sometimes referred to as moving from hara. Hara is equivalent to the lowest of the three tanden, called the kikai tanden, the “ocean of ki.” Moving from hara is very important to Aikidō. Sōke Kaichō Kinjō repeatedly says that “power comes from the legs.” You should rise up a bit on upper level techniques and drop into middle or lower techniques. He compares this rising and falling to a bobber on a fishing line.

This type of turn leaves your head in the path of the attack as the foot crosses over to the pivot point. You will be hit before you can complete the turn. Why promote a technique that, however simple to teach, will endanger the student?

Ok, someone has just delivered a powerful blow to your body. Do you really care if your skin hurts?

In the past making “tiger eyes” was fashionable for a time. A student would scowl and otherwise screw up their face in what he or she must have thought looked fierce (but just looked silly). Instead, keep your expression firm but neutral, showing neither fear nor anger but only determination.