Hello from Art Rabesa.

"The title is "Explosive Uechi-ryu" and the moderator is Arthur Rabesa. Art will be exploring the power contained in Uechi-ryu that is not appreciated by the average practitioner. Make no mistake - this forum is for the serious martial artist and I wholeheartedly recommend it for anyone who really wants to tap his or her explosive power potential.

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Bill Bauknecht
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Hello from Art Rabesa.

Post by Bill Bauknecht »

Hi everyone, this is my first venture into the world of computers. My youngest daughter thinks I suffer from geezerism. I will try my best to discuss my thoughts on my training and teaching explosive Uechi-Ryu. In my intro to my book "Explosive Karate", I mention that learning from the printed word is pretty difficult. I can only try to get my thoughts out as best I can. For now, I will come on once a week. This may increase depending on the interest.

Everyone with good training will be able to strike a pretty good blow. My belief is that the movements should be much crisper and explode into the hitting area. Can I tell you what I mean? I think so, but I'd rather show you. You have to see the movements to understand and feel the impact to get it. :evil:

As far as sanchin is concerned, everything I teach is sanchin based. I'm not going to bore you with the normal sanchin talk. I relate the striking posture and exploding into the body to sanchin. Sanchin is not simply the sanchin kata that everyone is comfortable with. It is everything that I teach. All teachers will say that. I mean it.

I will be back next week. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Art
Ken George
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Post by Ken George »

Well Hello Arthur. I quess if you can find time to be on the forums, then I should at least post a comment instead of just reading all the others and biting my tongue. Glad to see you have you own forum.. I'll let Faustine know about it, but he also has geezerism.....
Bill Bauknecht
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First Week

Post by Bill Bauknecht »

Please let me make this statement before I begin. "I do not expect everyone to agree with my viewpoints. I quess thats why pencils have erasers".


I've been looking over my book "Explosive Karate", for some help in what I"d like to say. Lets start at the beginning.

Make no mistake, your Uechi Ryu training SHOULD NOT be geared to power. When proper mechanics are stressed, the results are a sound solid student. The explosive movements will become very natural, because you'll only KNOW ONE WAY. I've always trained my students that way. Hopefully, they will be able to deal with whatever comes at them because they do not know any other way.

I really hope I'm not shooting myself in the foot by saying these things. I do not want anyone to think they can't be taught what I teach. Its just that it is easier if you were brought up that way. With a WANT TO LOOK AT YOUR MECHANICS, AND A want to improve your quickness and power, it can be done.

When you only know the real power way (sanchin), your entire training takes on a whole different awareness. Your movements are cleaner, crisper, and you hit very hard. Your kata takes on a different look and feel. Your dojo mates will know and feel the difference in your movements. In case you are missing the point here, I'm talking about sanchin. YUP - thats it. I can paint it different colors and refer to it in different terms, but its still sanchin. So I can't take any credit for anything I teach, because its always been there. First we look at where this explosive power comes from before
we go any further. WHERE? Sanchin, thats where.

MY DVD " EXPLOSIVE INFIGHTING ", not only deals with power strikes, but why they hit so hard. I love to work close, REAL CLOSE, so the strikes must be quick and strong. We are not sparring here, we are trying to get out of there unharmed. My very simple objective is to dish out a lot of distruction quickly. I don't want to fight. I want to get it over fast and get home.

I'll touch on different areas of power striking or power infighting each week. I'll do my best to respond to any questions.

ART RABESA SEMINARS 508-564-4386
Bill Bauknecht
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Uechi mechanics--Be confortable

Post by Bill Bauknecht »

I'll be getting into lots of things on this forum. There is one thing I'd like to express clearly. I am first and foremost a teacher of Uechi ryu. I will not just be talking about fighting. My look at mechanics go into all aspects of your training. That means kata, drills, kumite, two person sets, etc. I have more kata awards than kumite. I love kata, and put my power teaching and training into kata as well as kumite.
Let's look at a dojo workout. In this workout there will be all the things that take place in a normal Uechi ryu class. Let's get the class off in a good frame of mind. Lert's practice being comfortable in our look at sanchin. Let the feeling of being DOWN, and staying down be natural and relaxed. Let the step be a simple pulling of the rear foot forward and placed easily. Let the arm be drawn back rather lazily and placed in the firing position. Let the hand be pulled forward, not pushed, and the elbow rolling under as thehand naturally turns palm down. The comfortable position of your shoulders and back will allow the very relaxed arm to fire out. NOW, at this point, everything comes together in a final powerful thrust. Still comfortable, just simply turn palm up and let the arm naturally return to the original position. The only power movement is the thrust. Everything else is cool and comfortable.

NOW, let's take this mind set into the rest of the workout. What we have experienced in our sanchin should follow us throughout the rest of the class. "TAKE SANCHIN WITH YOU", is one of my constant comments at promotionals. My meaning, is that the actual comfortable position of sanchin is left behind. A good example is during kata. When moving from position to position, sanchin is left behind. I can easily detect this in many people as they perform their kata. It's the constant, relaxed sanchin mechanics that I keep harping on. LOOK! without this body position, nothing else I speak of, or teach, will work.
I look for this in those I watch. The nice comfortable way of powering through a kata. The comfortable way of working with a partner in a pre arranged kumite. The easy manner in which they go through arm and leg conditioning.

I say again---it is a lot easier to show you than to write about it. As I'm writing this I am going through it in my mind. I can see it clearly. Now to write about it as I see it. Sometimes that's not easy.Sometimes it frustrates me when I read my own writing because I know it's just not enough. I get up from my writing and do the actual things I speak of. I'm annoyed because I know I can't really drive my point home in the written work.

Many years ago, one of my students told me,,"You know sensei, sometimes you just have to sting them for them to get it." I really don't want to do that. However, there are two ways to learn. Being on the business end of one of these power strikes is one way. The other way is to really study your body mechanics.

Try this comfortable sanchin in your next workout. I wish I were there watching you.
REMEMBER***To understand why the power is there, that's one thing, to be able to do it is another. There is a great difference between those that read about it and those that seek to actually do it.

My next subject is coming up..
Art
Bill Bauknecht
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UECHI LONGEVITY

Post by Bill Bauknecht »

I have the great honor of learning and teaching a style such as Uechi ryu. I'm bias of course. However, when you have been doing something for as many years as I have, some things become very clear.

All martial arts are workable. All will give you a good way to take care of yourself. Many, however, are quite shallow. After a few years of training, there doesn't seem to be anything else to acquire. Just simply punch the bag or each other. After a while that gets pretty boring. That's why the longevity of many martial artist is short. There doesn't seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel. So let's get into something else maybe bowling or gardening. Maybe age tends to make people think about their training. Maybe they think their getting too old for all this. People retire from one thing or another all the time, why not karate? Fighters hang it up when their fighting days are over. Why? Because fighting is the only thing they do.

Uechi ryu is very deep in it's structure and meaning. I believe I became a better teacher and practitioner after my tournament days were over. (But I still like to fight). There was much more to my training ahead of me. I began to realize how deep Uechi ryu is. As a teacher I began to pull apart the movements and look for other meanings. I found a whole new outlook to what I was teaching. By pulling apart the katas, seeing many different applications, I found a gold mine. Something I could practice and use in my dojo for my students. Many times I would actually assign homework. "Make up a new kata, or, give me your viewpoint on certain moves from a kata." With our prearranged kumites, I would ask if they saw another way to defend that attack and a different counter.
If sanchin is so important, then let's hit from that power base. Let's block from there. Let's do everything from there. Let's make all corrections in all that we do from sanchin. After a few years of doing this I found that everything began to fall into place. Kata, kumite, drills, simple punches and kicks, all took on a new life. Everything began to jump and get on the attack very quickly. Everything began to hit hard--very hard.
Please do not misunderstand me. I am not saying I had the best students in the world. Like all dojos, students come in all abilities and my dojo was no different. HOWEVER, test my students in sanchin, go ahead.

Here is a story about sanchin. The place was Master Uechi's dojo on Okinawa. The time was, well, let's just say it was a few years ago.
As I entered the dojo that humid evening, I saw a senior teacher standing off to the side. He was dressed in a short sleeve white shirt and tie. When I came from the tiny changing room and entered the training area, he motioned to me. I stood in front of him and bowed. He simply said "sanchin." I stepped back and bowed again. I got into my sanchin and waited. He loosened his tie and came toward me. He took his stance and began to test my sanchin. He was working very hard. I finished the sanchin, bowed and stepped back. He looked at me sternly and I returned his stare. I stepped forward and said "sanchin." It began again. I was hit very hard in areas I didn't know were sanchin testing areas. Once again I finished and stepped back. Now, he was sweating real good. He loosened his tie further and actually removed his socks. I watched him carefully for the right time. As he began to sit in a small wooden chair, I walked over to him again. "Sanchin", I said. He looked up at me and stood. I got into sanchin once again. "here we go again" I thought. I watched him carefully as he really tried to send me to the Okinawan ER. I finished, bowed, and looked at him and smiled. I took one step forward. He raised his right hand and then sat down in the small wooden chair. He put his socks on, went to the door for his shoes, and left. All this was observed by Master Uechi who was sitting in his chair at the other end of the dojo. My hope is that I get to test this person someday. I received my next dan rank the following day.

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gmattson
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Great stories Art...

Post by gmattson »

Do you remember who the guy was who was wearing himself out "checking" your Sanchin???
GEM
"Do or do not. there is no try!"
maxwell ainley
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Post by maxwell ainley »

Art ,
I have been taking a look at your forum ,but had very little time to post ,read it all a couple of times ,it makes sense :D no mistake on that ,I for one don't think for a minute its yet another take on uechi ,and sanchin ,your message comes over loud and clear .

just got in from work and pushed for time at moment ,back to you soon as possible .

Max.
max ainley
maxwell ainley
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Post by maxwell ainley »

Hi Art,
You mention your tournament days ,you must have had a certain explosiveness then ,was this the contributing factor in ,or towards your indepth study of explosiveness ,or was it something very different ?.

Max.
max ainley
Bill Bauknecht
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This Power Thing

Post by Bill Bauknecht »

First of all, in answering your question George, yes, I remember who he was, and, so do you. :lol:
Interesting question Max, I'll try to explain the difference in tournament fighting and reality. Tournament fighting is basicly point fighting, it has to be clear and visible..My problem in POINT fighting, when I first got started, I was a one man clash. I had to learn to make my techniques "cuter" and more visual. When I exploded into my opponent, I would land many strikes but they were confusing to the referee. I had to practice very hard, to clarify my techniques. To win the match one had to score points that were very visual. All I wanted to do was explode into my opponent with whatever came out. Many times my opponent would be on the ground but I was not awarded a "point." In my first book, KUMITE, I write about all of this. When I first started tournament fighting, I was quite frustrated until I learned how to be a "tournament" type fighter. Example: This was in the quarter finals in a New England tournament. The match was all even with time running out. My opponent came at me with a front kick which I clearly read and I smashed the kick around his ankle area, following up with a hard punch which put him down. The judges all yelled "STOP", and I, took the line waiting for them to award me the point and match. The point was given to my opponent because they said his front kick was in first, thus giving him the point and the match. My point here is, he could hardly get off the floor from the punch and his foot was broken as well. I felt nothing from his kick other than the solid block I had hit him with. He was unable to continue on in the tournament. That's the difference in point fighting and the real thing. Max, I hope that gives you somewhat of an answer to your question.

THIS POWER THING


I will be taking a good amount of material from my "Exposive Karate" book. After all , its not plagiarism. My books are a training manual and not meant to be entertaining. Something to refer to if a question comes up. I will be explaining certain strikes involved in power infighting. First, we have to set the power base. Can't shoot a strong arrow from a weak bow - right?

MUSCLE MASS- JOINT AND BONE ALIGNMENT


When the large muscles are involved in anything the body does, the result is very powerful. A coordinated muscular movement will involve all the helper muscles. These helper muscles will explode the limb toward the target in a swift strong motion. The smaller muscles of the arm need the help of the larger muscle mass in the back, trunk and legs to assist it. Upon impact, the arm is simply the arrow from the powerful bow. The fist is simply the instrument that makes contact. Behind that fist is the power of the hugh muscles of the back, trunk and legs. When the coordinated effort of all these muscle areas are brought into play the results are amazing.


If the arrow is not solid, and has any flaws in its makeup, it will splinter upon impact. The joints and bones of the body are no different.When propelling these fragile bones, attached to even more fragile joints, alignment is essential. This is why you will notice the strikes performed in an arc for added strength. The arc in the limb will bring power and stability to the blow and allow the strikes to come from different angles. Even the so called "straight punch" has a slight arc to prevent any elbow damage.

Next week lets look at the types of joints involved in the strikes. In this way it will be easier for you to understand the reasons for the positioning of the limb upon impact. I don't want to bore you with an overload of body mechanics information, but, I feel one should have some idea of just where this power comes from. So take the time to absorb some of this, just to get a place to begin.
Art
Ken George
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Post by Ken George »

GUESS WHO THIS IS long lost student just saying hi!I'll try to keep in touch talk to you soon Faustine
Bill Bauknecht
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Hello Faustine

Post by Bill Bauknecht »

Hi Faustine,,,,great hearing from you. I am at the house here and Art is getting ready to post. Just wanted to say hi...Hope you are well and would like to talk to you one of these days,
Ole brother student,
Bill
Bill Bauknecht
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Joints (Avoiding injury)

Post by Bill Bauknecht »

Hi Faustine,
Hope you and the family are doing well. Would love to get down there again. I am planning a trip at some point, will be seeing George and would like to continue on down to visit you.
Art

The joint at the end of a punch or kick is the gliding or sometimes referred to as the sliding joint. This is the joint of the wrist and ankle. The wrist and ankle both have tiny bones that actually slide around and over each other, upon movement. All these bones must be set upon impact or injury might occur. The ankle or wrist must be positioned in a way that will lend itself to the great power that is thrusting it forward toward an expolsive impact.

The joints of the fingers, elbows, knees, toes and jaw are known as a hinge joint. This joint can only open and close as a door. This joint does not lend itself to a great deal of lateral movement; therefore, it should not be put into a position from which it can not operate. This joint must be kept basic in it's movement. When this joint is extended and hung out to dry, things happen, and they are all bad. The hinge joint must have a arced bend and be kept close to the body when delivering a blow. The hinge joint of the knee and elbow are two main areas of concern.

The joint that can really rock and roll is the ball and socket joint of the shoulder and hip. This freely moveable joint enables the leg and arm to do remarkable things. The socket of this joint is prone to injury and weakness when placed in certain stressed positions. The upper arm bone (humerus) slips into the socket of the shoulder and is held there by ligaments.

The muscle of the shoulder (deltoid) locks everything down with tendons. These ligaments and tendons are like great rubber bands that can twist and stretch. Like rubber bands, they can also tear and stretch beyond their capacity.

When this happens, the joint is almost useless in it's abilility to produce power. The hip joint also falls prey to this as well. Because of the ball and socket joints ability to move freely, it must be supported by the muscles surrounding it as it impacts into and through the target.

It is very important that you understand the stress involved in power hitting and kicking. Proper alignment of the joints upon impact will lessen injuries. One has to understand that this tremendous power development can cause serious injury if you do not have the proper mechanics.

Next week,,showtime (infighting)
Art
Ken George
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Post by Ken George »

Your post about avoiding injuries does not mention anything about cutting my fingers off with a circular saw... And I am also assuming that the "Bull in a china shop" mentality of destroying everything in my way, might also need some refinement and "soft"ening in order to play nice with others. But I am glad you have started this topic, and maybe it will re-open a few eyes to the material and mentality of your book.. I 'll keep aggravating Faustine, and get him to make plans around your next trip down here. See you soon. Ken
JOHN THURSTON
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Welcome Sensei Art

Post by JOHN THURSTON »

Welcome:

I was fortunate ehough to study the Iron shirt Chi Kun, ba Fa and T'ai Chi for many r=years.

I did not understake this study until I had been Sandan for 5 years.

I say this only for the reason that the "connections" and "grounding" (they don't sound explosive i know) are sometime welll articulated in these Arts, where, honestly, we struggle for the right words.

I know I am and old puke, but If I can assist on these matters, it would be a good thing.

I everyone's Uechi ego up to it? I am sure they will be.

Welcome, welcome welcome.

John T.
"All Enlightenment Gratefully Accepted"
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gmattson
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John...

Post by gmattson »

I have been doing a bit of research on the subject of "Iron Shirt" as well and would really enjoy (as would other MA students) learning more about the subject from you.

ps. Please begin a new and separate 'thread' on this.
GEM
"Do or do not. there is no try!"
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