Grand Master Ed McGrath’s
Ideals for Our Art!
Today’s use of the art of Isshin-ryu has gone astray. I see fighters bow to the Sensei and then to each other. The diplomatic portion of the introduction of Ju-Kumites prefaced with a bow to the Sinban (Official/referee) and then the opponents face each other and bow. That is the strict beginning of an official match, between two combatants. There are also judges, either two or four sitting around the square ring, to spot a good blow with either hands or feet, to a vital and valid target, with Focus (or Kime), in order to get a point. It often varies around the country, but it is more basic, than varied. Unfortunately, the respect for proper fighting in Isshin-ryu has lost its way and when the opponents move into their fighting stance, rather than the beautiful and classic movement of hands and foot movement, they now go into a boxers stance, often forgetting to vary their stance from Sei-san and Seiuchin, or Chinto; variations of these stances into an oblique method of the stances, in order to give the foe the smallest target possible, depending on the movement of your opponent.
When I finally understood what to watch for in my opponent, it turned out that I was born with “Quick Twitch” muscles, often with people who are wiry, such as Grand Master Don Nagle and, as it turned out, myself. Once either of us got inside we were able to rain blows upon our foe with such speed that we would overcome the other fighter. No one could stop that many blows in moments. The difference for Nagle and myself was that we not only fired our kicks and strikes fast, but every strike was focused, referred to as Chi or Kime and snapping the strike away faster than it was thrown. The blow is driven into the target just an inch to two inches, leaving all the power and velocity of the blow to cause internal organs or the head to become incapacitated. I held my hands at the side of my thighs with my hands open. If I got close enough (but still far enough away to have the foe believe that you could not reach the foe) to flick my hand at the face, chin or temple and at impact I simultaneously snap my hand into a fist. This was at a time that we used a makiwara board to get your index and middle knuckle calcified and enlarged, as though they were a ball-peen hammer. Such a shot to the head would drop your opponent immediately. Moving by encircling our opponent you would suddenly move in, by sliding quickly and strike the opponent.
We would never face an opponent in a boxer’s stance, for several reasons. A boxer stance is open to attacks with kicks to the legs, as well as sweeps which takes their feet out from under them and bringing the opponent to the deck. I usually will not attack while they are on their back, because they can attack your legs from the deck. It is best to allow them to start getting up, because at some point in getting up they are in an unbalanced and awkward position. That is the moment to attack. Master Bohan, one of my buddies, would often go to the deck, since he had techniques with speed from the deck that could injure your legs and stomach. When he went to the deck, I would back away from him and allow him to get up fully. I saw him often, with people who didn’t know him at large tournaments, blast them from the deck and put them out of the match, often seriously injured. Your knees are too vulnerable.
I changed my stance constantly during a match and simultaneously spinning in arcs back and forth, to unbalance the opponent and that is when I slipped in for an attack. In the 50’s that attack would be vicious, often injuring the foe, breaking their nose or side of the head and also attacking the body and legs with kicks. I normally used a Sei-Uchin stance, giving the opponent the least targets possible upon me. Often I would hold the arm closest to my opponent at shoulder height, with the arm bent, opening a easy target for my opponent. As soon as he closed to throw a punch or kick to my rib cage, I brought my arm down and brushed their attack away by diversion and immediately attack with a back fist or side-kick of my own, as well as a round house kick to the back or stomach. Either strike would injure the opponent. You cannot go into a match with a battle plan, because you don’t know what his forms are and what he is looking for. I usually used movement to get the opponent unbalanced or at least in an awkward position and I would take advantage of his imbalance, as Shimabukuryu Soke advised. Having a pre-planned format is foolish since we don’t know what his reaction will be, so we must clear our mind of any thoughts and allow your reflexes to make the correct movement. In order to do that you must keep movement in and out back and forward in arcs putting the opponent off his balance, that is when you strike. Usually I would slide in with a back fist to the head or side thrust kick to the stomach or ribs. If either of those get in, I would finish it then and there. Remember; Balance, Speed and Focus!
Ed McGrath, Ju-Dan
Grand Master, Isshin-ryu