Using Isshin-ryu

As

The Basis for Unarmed Combat

A Self-Defense Treatise

Premise – The art of Isshin-ryu, as created by Soke Tatsuo Shimabuku, is based upon simplicity and logic. The main theme, as I was taught by my Sensei, the late Grand Master Donald H. Nagle, was speed, balance and focus. He was obviously the preeminent example of the Soke’s creation, utilizing the discipline of relaxation. I refer to the term discipline, because under stress it is difficult, if not impossible, to remain calm, in the face of an attack by an aggressor who is determined to harm you or take your life. Even if the ensuing fight results in one strike to your face or head, it is possible that it may result, ultimately, in your death. An undetected blood clot, or skull fracture attained as your head hits a piece of furniture or the curb in a street, often leads to death. The aggressor may not even have had murder on their mind; the unwanted confrontation may have started by something you innocently said, which was taken as an insult by the other party. But you are still dead.

On the other hand, as I have stated in other articles that I have written, there are people walking among us, who are inherently anti-social and are looking for any excuse to confront an innocent person and using their strength and cunning to do great bodily harm on their chosen victim. I have known people exactly like this and to add to the problem, they may often be carrying a weapon. Often, they will be in the company of a similarly disturbed individual, who feeds off the first party, whom he views as the Alpha male, just as any animal would, under similar circumstances. Once the primary psychotic picks a victim and begins to bait the target, the second individual is primed to partake in the action. Thus, the innocent opposition is faced with multiple attackers. This is when your life is in real jeopardy and if you are the target, it will not be time for reasonable communication, it is at this time that you must be aware of the threat and relax, in preparation for what will come next. The Alpha male will probably make the first move, unless you have foolishly allowed the partner to get behind you. With training, awareness of danger begins, as they begin to choose you as the target. Their conversation or movements will register, if you are alert. You will be aware and have time to set the scene in your favor. Take a long breath and let it out slowly, calming yourself and look for details. How have they arranged themselves, are they moving into your space (since you cannot give up your space). If they are, tell them to back off, in a commanding but quiet voice. At that point, be ready for their first move. If either of them moves a hand toward you, you must react quickly, blocking that move and resituating your position. This is when the principles of speed, balance and focus are your strength and saving grace. The practice of the art of Isshin-ryu will teach you to use these principles. The creator of this art, a Master in both Okinawan Shorin-ryu and Goju-ryu karate, with decades of practice and study, developed a combative art, which became a new paradigm in the martial arts. More easily learned, adaptable to all individuals who will find their comfort zone somewhere in Isshin-ryu.

The Difference – Aggression can be stopped, even against multiple opponents. Isshin-ryu dismisses all of the classic deep stances of the traditional styles of karate. Isshin-ryu fighters stand in relaxed stances, without spreading their feet outside of the width of their shoulders and not much forward of heel to toe, meaning that the trailing foots toes are even with the heel of the forward foot. This allows instant changes of direction, quick spins to the side of the attacker, slides to the oblique, all allowing you to move to the attacker’s side or even behind him. I fight, in these situations, with my hands open, much as my Sensei did. I have found that, with the snap back to chamber after a strike, it is advantageous to keep my hands open so that I can grab my opponent’s wrist or uniform, or use shuto, palm heel strikes and if I use a punch or backfist strike, my hand is open until the moment of impact. Experience has demonstrated that it increases the impact and damage. Over the years of kumite and Ippon-kumite I have also moved to a blocking system which utilizes open hands, bringing a claw-like block which thrusts the opponents strike out of it’s direction, disrupting their balance and allowing me to move to their side because of their imbalance. With my hands open, my arms and shoulders are optimally relaxed and therefore, my blocks and strikes are allowed to be intuitive and quicker in delivery. Isshin-ryu makes this possible. This is the manner in which I have my students perform their Ippon-kumite. If an opponent throws a right hand punch to the head, their left hand will catch the blow, on the way in, moving it across the opponent’s body, to the aggressor’s left side, taking his punch out of the action and also placing their left hand in an untenable position, while my student strikes with either hand. I prefer to use the blocking hand to strike the first retaliatory blow, because it is the hand that will be closest to the opponent, after the block or redirection. The first strike, in defense, does not necessarily have to be a decisive blow, as long as it follows the block, instantaneously, it will sustain the opponent’s imbalance, allowing you to place a second, well focused blow, to a vulnerable and damaging area.

Ippon-Kumite Exercises – students pair off and face each other at arms length, close enough for the closed fist of each student’s hand to touch their partner’s gi. In Promise Ippons, the instructor will tell which line of students are the bad guys, who will make the initial attack. If a punch to the head is designated, make sure the punch is aimed just outside the outline of the opponent’s head, to avoid accidental injury. As an Isshin-ryu practitioner the student must also be able to throw a fast, focused punch and snap the punch away from the target a centimeter away from the other student’s skin. Remember, you must throw your punch on the instructors count, and as fast as you are capable of throwing the designated blow, otherwise, you are not doing your partner any favor. He/she will become used to slow punches and not be able to stop someone, in a real situation, where the foe is not holding back. It must be realistic speed. Each of these Ippons should be done with at least ten repetitions, from each side. Ippons most closely resemble the manner in which fights start and progress in real life. You will eventually attain expertise at this skill and will then be able to call for two blows, from the opponent and  ultimately progress to Free-Style Ippons, where the Sensei calls the count, but does not designate what the bad guys can throw or what the defense should be. This will separate the boys from the men and women. If you are not good at Free-Style Ippons, practice them with a partner, with no count, until you become facile enough to do a continuous chain of Free-Style for ten to fifteen minutes. These following Ippons are simply an example of what should be done in every class session.

·                    The attacker throws a right hand punch to the face; The defender slides into Sei-uchin stance and blocks the punch with the right forearm, spinning the block into the foe’s arm. Slide the arm down, to grasp the opponent’s wrist. From that position, release the wrist, slamming the back of the right elbow into the front or side of the foe’s face.

·                    The attacker throws a right hand punch to the face. The defender, as soon as aware of the movement leaps forward with the left foot, pushing off hard with the right foot. The movement should be out to the left side, but toward the foe, as well. As the left foot plants, the right foot is brought behind the left foot. Simultaneous to the initial movement, you will be moving outside the foe’s punch and your right hand must come up to block the punch. As your hand makes contact with the foe’s arm, grasp the wrist and throw a right foot in a round house kick to the solar plexus, using your grip on the foe’s wrist as a balancing point. Remember to maintain the control of the wrist and to rechamber the round house kick, since you may want to strike again, perhaps swinging the right foot behind the foe’s right leg and strike at the back of the knee.

·                    The attacker throws a right hand punch to the face. The defender, throws the right hand across the body to grasp the punching hand, stopping the blow, quickly release the hold on the wrist, and drive a backfist, with the blocking hand, into the foe’s lower rib cage. Follow with a left hand vertical punch to the nerve center on the front side of the jaw, just behind the jaw front.

·                    The attacker throws a right hand punch to the face. The defender, steps with the right foot, into a Sei-Uchin stance inside the foe’s attack, with your right arm, upper part horizontal to the deck and the lower part of the arm vertical to the deck. Twisting the lower portion of the arm, to the right. The block should strike at the insert of the forearm muscle, near the elbow. At impact, quickly snap the forearm back to the right (twisting the vertical portion of the arm) lending torque to the impact and doing severe damage to the foe’s forearm muscle (if not actually tearing from position). Immediately, snap a backfist with the right hand to the groin and instantly snap the right hand back up, to a backfist to the nose. If required, throw a side thrust kick to the foe’s chest.

·                     The attacker throws a right hand punch to the face. The defender, using the curled palm of the left hand, while simultaneously sliding the right foot, behind the left foot and stepping with the left foot toward the attacker, the hand now blocks the punch, grasping the foe’s wrist. You are now standing in the oblique, on the right side of the attacker who has stepped past you. While continuing to control the wrist with your left hand, drive a straight vertical fist punch into the foe’s right kidney area. Stunned and in pain, the foe will easily be finished by grasping the back of his collar and pulling straight down, throwing him to the ground. Finish the job with a kick to the side of the head.

·                    The attacker throws a right hand punch to the face. The defender, steps back with the left foot, loops the right cupped hand over the wrist of the punching hand and turns it across the foe’s body. The left hand swings forward with a ridge hand blow to the left side of the foe, below the ribs into the soft tissue, damaging internal organs, while simultaneously releasing the right hand, snapping it back. Once the left ridge hand strikes, it is withdrawn in concert with a right hand ridge hand strike to the left carotid artery of the foe’s neck.

·                    The attacker throws a right hand punch to the face. The defender, steps inside the attack with the right foot, into Sei-Uchin throwing the forearm block to stop the punch. At that point, the foe throws a left hand punch, you spin to the right, with the feet and legs twisted, as in a Chinto move, blocking the second punch with the left forearm. Turn back in, instantly, into a Sei-San stance and as the left block of the second punch is quickly withdrawn, simultaneously throw a right hand vertical punch to the solar plexus, snap it back, while throwing a left hand backfist to the nose or to the forehead, between the eyebrows.

·                    The attacker throws a right hand punch to the face. The defender, slides back with both feet, throwing the buttocks back, for impetus. The defender’s two hands simultaneously come together; right-cupped hand over left cupped hand and thrust the punch’s momentum toward the deck. Immediately, bring both hands up, thrusting the palm heels of both hands under the front jaw line. Snap the hands back to your waist and at the same time, throw a front snap kick to the pelvic bone.

·                    The attacker throws a right hand punch to the face. The defender, steps forward with the left foot staying in Sei-San stance and throws a mid-block with the left arm. On this block, the original method was with the wrist bent forward, bringing the knuckles down on the foe’s wrist or forearm. Immediate to the block, relax the left arm and throw it in a vertical snap punch to the right side of the neck, just off the Adam’s apple.

·                    The attacker throws a right hand punch to the face. The defender, using the right arm, in a mid block, as described in the last Ippon, while stepping forward with the left foot, blocks on the right arm using the impetus of the punch and block to redirect the attacker. You will now be on the outside of the foe’s right side from where you can now drive the blocking arm into a straight vertical punch to the foe’s right temple. As the right hand then snaps away, simultaneously fire the left vertical snap punch to the foe’s right kidney area.

·                    The attacker throws a right hand punch to the face. The defender, taking the opportunity of being aware of the movement, steps forward in true Isshin-ryu circular motion and sweeps the foe’s right foot, before it is fully planted. The foe will be forced to catch his balance by throwing his weight out forward and further to the right side, causing a serious imbalance. Now step in with the right foot and drive the right forearm into the left side of the foe’s temple area.

·                    The attacker throws a right hand punch to the face. The defender, taking the opportunity of being aware of the movement, steps forward in true Isshin-ryu circular motion and sweeps the foe’s right foot, before it is fully planted. The foe will be forced to catch his balance by throwing his weight out forward and further to the right side, causing a serious imbalance. Now fire a front snap kick to the groin, simultaneously firing a right vertical snap punch to the face, similar to a move within the Wansu Kata.

·                    The attacker throws a right hand punch to the face. The defender, Executes an inside block with the right forearm, sliding the right foot to the inside of the left foot, as the left foot pivots turning your body, until your back is to the foe. Bring your right foot, with the bottom of the foot facing up and now, drive the foot straight up under the foe’s chin. In order to execute properly, you must bend drastically at the waist, almost to the point where your hands can touch the deck. This is Master Nagle’s favorite technique.

·                    The attacker throws a right hand punch to the face. The defender, leaps to the left, pushing off the right foot, while using the left hand to redirect the energy of the punch to the foe’s left side. In order to do this, after the first movement you make you pivot so that the front of the body faces the right side of the foe. Your right hand now quickly snaps a ridge hand strike to the foe’s throat, incapacitating him.

·                    The attacker throws a right hand punch to the face. The defender, slides inside of the attack, using a left mid-block to stop the punch and simultaneously driving your knee into the foe’s pelvic area. Follow with a vertical snap punch with the right hand to the bridge of the nose.

Movement – In Isshin-ryu is swift, relaxed and makes it seem that the karate-ka is gliding on ice, rather than stepping from one posture to another. You must maintain good body tone and muscularity and stretching is a must. If an attacker suddenly makes a frontal attack, you must move to one or the other side of the attacker, quickly. This demands awareness and a feel for any indication that your foe is about to attack. This only comes with practice, practice and more practice. Isshin-ryu and self-defense are not bestowed upon the student, like a blessing or with a magical incantation. It comes with hard, frequent workouts, with a combination of blood and sweat.

For speed and focus, I recommend that you tack one inch or half inch ribbons from the ceiling in a circular pattern, using your inner feel for the spacing you require for comfort. You then move among the ribbons, snapping vertical punches, back fists, shuto's and ridge hands, as well as kicking combinations. The fist or foot should come close enough to the ribbons for the air to move the ribbons, without either a strike or kick actually hitting the ribbons. In 1958, we were made to punch with full speed and focus, toward a concrete block wall of the dojo, pulling and snapping back, just as the skin on your knuckles touched the wall. This resulted in torn-up knuckles and quite often, fractured knuckles. All of this work and pain, led to an ability to throw a lightening fast kick or punch at an opponent, touch the gi or the hair on someone’s eyebrows, without harming them.

The movement of the body, as noted, is a gliding movement, made quickly by utilizing the muscularity and athleticism you will develop during your workouts. The gliding motion that I mention simply means that Sensei Nagle or myself never took normal steps, to change position. Instead our feet slid, keeping the lightest contact with the deck, skin to deck, for either foot. It is faster, assures that you are always able to suddenly move and change direction or position in respect to your opponent. It also ensures your balance keeping your feet adjusted to your point of balance. Isshin-ryu does not stomp about the deck; it glides, twists and turns, with a whisper of your feet on the deck.

Your body during any face-off with a foe, should be totally relaxed and without exertion caused by muscle tightness during a clash, or posturing fiercely in front of your opponent. If required, put your arms at your sides and relax your shoulders, arms and neck. Now shake your arms and legs loosely, till you look like the straw man from “The Wizard of Oz,” much like a wet dog shakes its body. When you feel completely loose, you are into the mode necessary to fight with speed, balance and focus. Just as your strikes touch the foe’s body your entire body must stiffen to bring the energy of every muscle in your body to your fist, for a split second and then, again, totally relax and glide to another position.

Don’t fight with your hands in the style of a boxer or kick fighter. It is too predictable, easily depicting coming movements and causes little confusion with the foe’s mind computer. Simply keep one hand high, one hand lower, one hand well out front (but not close enough to grab) and one hand closer to the body, but not up against the body. As you change positions, change the aspect of your hands, switching their position to make the foe’s eyes and mind work harder. That concentration on his part means he is busy thinking, instead of creating action. I makes it impossible for the foe to determine what your next move will be. You can also use a hand switch, to mask a strike. If I am in Sei-San, with forward foot slightly in the cat stance, you are protecting your groin and ready to raise that leg, to block a kick. Meanwhile, Your standing with your right hand across your forehead, palm out, and your left hand held forward at hip level with palm up and hand open. Either hand is relaxed and ready to block any blow high or mid height. Whereupon, as you block, either hand or the forward foot can quickly attack the foe with a lethal blow. I know this for sure, since that was the stance Sensei Nagle was in, on the night when I made Sho-Dan and in the middle of my double up attack, he broke my nose. Severely! That is Isshin-ryu; stance, movement, hand positions, fakes and strikes. It looks nothing like a boxing match. This is what made Sensei a legend and got me through some tens of thousands of Ju-kumites, with some of the best.

For hand-to-Hand Combat, the stance is even more relaxed, usually in Sei-San or Sei-Uchin, hands at my side, shoulders and body relaxed, for speed to back up what awareness tells you is about to happen. Once one of your opponents signals movement, you fly into a defense and critical strike, immediately changing position and placement, to adjust to what just took place. If the move you made was forward or to the oblique, or off to one side, the remaining opponents will react to this situation. Usually, some of them will stand, looking, for just a moment at their fallen comrade. At that point, you have a chance to pick one of the lookers off and dispatch him, again changing the odds and the situational positioning of the foes. Perhaps one man is left one the outside wing of their formation, a bit off from the rest. Bolt toward him and take him out quickly with a barrage of violence and quickly adjust to your opponent’s response. Use their positions against them, if someone gets behind you, seem to ignore them, but sense them and as you set toward someone in front of you, step back quickly and throw a back kick and back fist into the man behind you. Always stay relaxed, use your peripheral vision. If they attempt to encircle you, attack a section of the circle, before it forms fully, with a frontal attack at one man, but as you strike him, kick out to the one closest to him, preferably to hip or knee joint. That is Isshin-ryu, used as H2H.

Practice – Do speed drills, as Sensei Nagle taught me, adapted from the katas, such as the one I picked out of Wansu kata. After the right fist strikes the palm of the left hand and you block to the left side, right punch to the left side, step forward with left foot block down with left hand and right hand punch; You go into a sweeping right hand block. It is the left hand seeping block is where you start this speed exercise, which will also add to your balance. The sequence:

          Right hand sweeps from the right side, over and to the left, as blocking a punch with the foe’s left hand, simultaneously sliding the left foot to the back of the right foot, as the left hand (in the kata) reaches to grab the belt or skin of the opponent, pulling the opponent’s mid-body toward you, unbalancing him. As you start to drive the left hand under the right hand, to grasp the mid section of the foe, simultaneously, the right hand comes up and across your body, to the left shoulder and you throw the right hand back fist into the face of the opponent. Immediately, turn 180 degrees, into left foot forward Seisan and start the sequence again with the seep over block with the right hand and move the left foot behind the right foot. Continue to complete the original sequence. Do the sequence, back and forth, faster and faster, until exhausted. Rest three to five minutes and start over again. The faster you can maneuver and strike, the better chance you have to fight a crowd.

When I had my dojos in Queens, NY and Long Island, I used to start fighting one student, then nod to a second to join in against me, then a third, a fourth, until the students attending up to nineteen one night, were all chasing me around the deck trying to corner me or take me down. This is what gets you ready to fight. An unadvertised benefit of karate training is that you will be hit and banged around, occasionally. You will know what it feels like and grow accustomed to it. Most people you meet don’t have that advantage. Sensei Nagle even told us, that if you are fighting someone who is wielding a knife, be prepared to sustain cuts on your defending arm, in order not to have the knife reach your body, until you can disable him with a kick or strike. In my mind, I would show no mercy to anyone who pulled a weapon, when I do not have one. When I get my opportunity to strike, it will be with multiple strikes, to damaging areas, so that, if he lives, he will be permanently disabled enough to remember me for the rest of his life. Perhaps he will think twice, in the future, before he assaults anyone else.

In the case of an assailant with a knife or gun, one odd quirk of the mind is on your side. The armed person is pumped up with his superiority of position. This might make him careless enough to make a mistake, such as bringing the weapon close to your body, perhaps to your chest or throat. In that case, he has brought the weapon within the reach of your hands. In the case of a gun, you can quickly bring your right hand or left (if it is your dominant hand) to the forward portion of the handgun, not just the muzzle but as much of the weapon you can get that hand around. As soon as you have grabbed the weapon turn the holding hand over and down, making sure that you move the muzzle of the gun away from your body. Do it quickly and as roughly as possible, in order to inflict as much pain, as his fingers and hand are twisted, as possible so that his instinct is to release the weapon, to gain relief from the pain. Do not let the weapon go. Place it in your hand and step well back from the assailant. Keep the gun trained on him until you can get help. If the weapon is a knife, you want to crouch, so that your vulnerable targets such as the abdomen, chest or throat is as unreachable as possible. Quickly, open your belt buckle open and pull the belt off your waist. Wrap the tail end of the belt around your hand twice to get coverage of the hand with leather, while the buckle hangs loose at the striking end. Remember, this is used to keep him off guard, by swinging, in a snapping motion, such as when you snap a towel at someone. Snap it toward his eyes and face, snap it away quickly so that he cannot grab it. During all of this, you are waiting for the opportunity to hit him with a hard and fast snap kick into the pelvic area. That opportunity will probably come as you snap the buckle at his eyes, at the moment the buckle is as close as it will get to his eyes or it hits this area, since he will pull his head back. That makes him vulnerable for a kick in the groin. If you hit him hard and fast enough and is stunned, this is the time to kick him again and again, possibly throwing a side blade kick to the inside of a knee with full force, in order to dislocate the knee. If that occurs, from personal experience, he will be in excruciating pain and will go to the ground. If he still holds the knife, do not get close, but again flick the belt buckle at his face, snapping it as it hits and immediately throw a round house kick to the side of his head.

CAUTION – NEVER attempt to take a weapon away from someone, if you can get away, or if they simply want your money without hurting you. If they are agitated or nervous during this encounter, there is a good chance they will harm you, but make very sure that before you act, that you have practiced hundreds of times on the deck and are extremely proficient at taking away a weapon. If you still miss occasionally, don’t attempt to try disarming the assailant. In that case, if he has a knife, turn and run as fast as you can toward a crowded area or a police presence. If it is a gun, do exactly what the assailant tells you to do, in as polite a manner as you can muster.

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