Renshusei: Shimizu Ryo San

Andre Bertel (7th Dan) and Ryo Shimizu (2nd Dan): Post Renshusei Training - October 8th, 2023.

 清水淩 Shimizu Ryo San (Nidan), who is based in Kumamoto City, came for private training. Ryo who is 27 years old trains at the Shototakuhirokan under Nakamura Masamitsu Shihan.

 

The theme of training I gave was 'Karate as Budo' linking kihon, kata and kumite. As he still competes, I also addressed this from a budo karate perspective. In these regards 'control' means that "...each waza, if not pulled, will penetrate the target"; that is, "...merely to reach the target is not a real karate technique".

 

To reiterate this, the 'SUN-DOME' requires techniques to impact with full contact, however, while the body is fully committed-the karateka does not fully extend the limb. In other words, the waza must be the same as impact with maximum power, on say, a heavy sandbag, but arrested just before.

 

Therefore, “control = the ‘ideal distancing, power and optimal technique to cause maximum damage, but but not following through”. Thus, “…reaching the target is not control, it’s actually missing the target”.

 

Ryo was very focused in these regards and quickly picked up fine details. I think that this reflects his current PhD studies.

 

型 (Kata) trained were 順路初段 (JUNRO SHODAN) for underpinning kihon practice. In fact, Junro Shodan was the main 基本 (Kihon) training as I broke down in the way Asai Tetsuhiko Sensei personally taught me.

 

This was new for Ryo and very useful to improve his unsoku and hand/foot timing; Furthermore, 慈恩(JION) was worked on. Rather than being exclusively ‘form focused’, I again stressed 'effective actions driving the form’. From my perspective, and that of others (who practice the Shotokan kata as budo/bujutsu), the formal exercises are “…functional routines that (if taught and trained properly) pragmatically enhance one's defensive and offensive capacities”.

 

組手 (Kumite) practice ranged from Yakusoku Kumite to Jiyu Kumite. In particular, always having kime and utilizing traditional waza were key focal points. Use of the mass and velocity are always underpinning budo karate techniques as 物理 (butsuri/physics) doesn’t lie.

 

Overall, it was great to see Ryo improve over the two days of training. It was also fun to enjoy time outside the dojo. Well done Ryo, see you next time. 

押忍! - AB

 © André Bertel. Oita City, Japan (2023).