Pre-Arranged Kumite vs Flow Drills

[Dana Sheets]

Since few women will be able to take out their attackers with one punch - I find that women need mobility, combinations, and the ability to do those two things at the same time.

Flow Drills often start with a pre-arranged set - but the beauty of them is that at any point the flow can be broken and non-rehearsed techniques can be used. I'm not very experienced but I think flow drills are often used by the knife and stick communities. They are an area I'd like to see developed in Uechi.

I learned 12 flow drills from David Elkins a two years ago at George's camp. Sadly I still only have a good grip on about 7 of them. However - these were Partrick McCarthy's flow drills - built around generic Okinawan Te Princples. I think there is room for a set of Uechi flow drills to be developed that incorporate Uechi style stepping and combinations. Another hallmark of a good flow drill is that it teaches you counter at the same time it teaches you the attack. So both sides get to do both elements.

They can be quite simple or quite complex. For example - one of the tegumi I learned involved one person shooting their radial bone at the throat of the other person. The person getting attacked "cupped" or "blocked" the arm and shot out their own arm in return. You'd be amazed at what "flowed" from that drill.

Does anyone have anything like this they've been developing that they'd like to share?

Dana

[Stryke]

Ive experience with Patrick McCarthys drills , I think there great , There far superior to prearranged IMHO , they directly confront one movement and dont have complicated responses , they can vary and adapt , things like movement and intensity , and angles all are up to the individual .

the fact they can be interupted and flow into applications at any point is a real joy , and can teach how entry and application flow together , I perceive the flow as flinch , counter , apply , all in one instant ... impossible to do with much prearranged work , theres little your turn my turn once the heat really comes on , you can really start attacking .

It`s hard to put it all into words , but any who have not seen it , do yourself a favour and check it out .

[Dana Sheets]

Stryke,

I can only agree. I hope George is able to get Tom to come to camp. It will be a real treat for any martial artist.

Dana

[Raffi Derderian]

Dana,
I am surprised that we have never done flow drills in any of the classes you have done with me in the past. Bill, Rich and I are putting together my March visit down there. Maybe we can do some if you are planning to come.
Filipino Martial Arts have TONS of flow drills both with and without the weapons. And yes, the purpose of which is to teach reflexes and timing and FLOW. It can be applied to Uechi training (with regard to pre-arranged sets) Most people I talk to (not all, mind you) simply run through them in the same way every time. I have posted (and some other people also) ways to "break the pattern" of dan and kyu kumite. Mostly the threads lay dead.
Raf

[Dana Sheets]

Howdy Raffi,

Yep - you're correct. You've taught one stick, two sticks, and stick & knife flow drills in seminars I've attended. You've often also showed that any of those can be done empty-handed. I believe you taught a very nice sequence of disarms of empty hand against knife at last year's seminar.

I'm equally surprised they haven't caught on more in the general Karate family - not just Uechi. Plenty of folks who train karate train weapons - and I rarely see flow drills emphasized in the training of other karate styles. The filipino arts are a good exception - and provide tools to learn from.

The other side benefit to the flow drills I really enjoy is the establishment of "partnership" before the flow is broken. Both participants establish the pattern - which takes teamwork. Then the pattern is broken as the participants seeks to unbalance each other. So they also teach a good training mentality.

I think it would be nice to see some more of the empty hand against weapon flows. I'm sometimes a slow learner and would enjoy going through them again.

Dana

[Raffi Derderian]

>>>>I'm equally surprised they haven't caught on more in the general Karate family - not just Uechi. Plenty of folks who train karate train weapons - and I rarely see flow drills emphasized in the training of other karate styles. The filipino arts are a good exception - and provide tools to learn from. <<<
I used to wonder the same thing. I have been teaching FMA seminars for about 10 years. I think some of the reason it hasn't caught on is that it is a different type of training than karate. Not better or worse, just different. Maybe instructors don't think it will fit into the regular class format. I like to tell people that if you wanted to have stronger karate techniques you might do supplemental push ups or weights or whatever. If you wanted to have faster, more coordinated technique you would do flow drills. They agree with me and then I see them months later and they haven't practiced flow drills. I dont' get it and quite frankly gave up trying to figure it out.
How many times does an instructor train weapons vs empty hands in class? I don't know the answer mind you, just tossing it out. I know lots of schools from many different styles that do stick and knife work. I see the weapons on the walls or in the bins. But then they tell me they almost never take the weapons out in class and work them.
RAF

[Bill Glasheen]

Dana

I have choreographed circular patterns that I think might qualify as flow drills. I'm not quite sure what your definition is, but I think it fits.

Basically what I did (about 15 or more years ago) was take the 13 Uechi hojoundo and create 12 partner patterns that repeat ad infinitum. The hojoundo is often done by one person (more or less) and a counter routine is done by the other. Sometimes the person doing the hojoundo jumps back and forth between the two.

The idea behind my sets was first to give the student a way to think about applications of these basic movements. I also intentionally strived to find alternate patterns from the ones found in the Uechi yakusoku kumite, and I wanted to substitude movement other than the mundane step punching. I wanted to create partner movement that continued on and on until the student got comfortable with the movement. It's possible to break out of the pattern at a few points in several of the exercises.

At various times I've made these drills requirements in my dojo. Now I just bring them in at different times just to challenge a student to see how long it takes them to do it rote and to make it smooth.

I have a few other simple patterns I've put together that fit nicely after doing kotekitae. They teach the student how to use a parry and how to use the pull-back into sanchin as defensive maneuvers.

Raffi's stuff is nice, isn't it? The thing I like about them is that you often can use the same pattern for empty hand, stick, and knife. And some of them look like they come right out of the Uechi kotekitae.

- Bill

[gmattson]

Bill: I've found the video you made of those drills. Thought they were lost forever. I'll try to post them when I get home this week. Excellent material and way ahead of your time. Do you remember the year??

[Bill Glasheen]

Do you remember the year??

I choreographed them circa 1983. I believe I made the tape with David Powell in 1993.

- Bill