New Podcast!

"Kata - Dead or Alive"

Hi Everyone!

Welcome to the latest newsletter! The first thing to let you know about is the new podcast that was added to the website yesterday! This one is called “Kata – Dead or Alive” and it looks at what a kata truly needs to be alive. When karateka commonly talk about kata being “alive” what they are referring to is a vigorous performance; as opposed to a lacklustre one. However, to my way of thinking, a kata needs far more than simply looking “lively” to be truly alive! Please see Section 1 to find out more!

This newsletter also has details of the five new bunkai videos that have been added to the website since I was last in touch. We have the applications from a number of kata, and footage from my sessions at Chuck Norris’s International Training Conference in Las Vegas!

We also have details of all the upcoming seminars in England, Scotland, Wales, USA, Canada, Germany & Denmark!

Please also see Section 5 for details of the last 5 places available on my 2015 residential course!

Thanks once again for supporting these newsletters! I really appreciate it!

Speak soon!

All the best,

Iain

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“One must avoid basics that have had the 'aliveness' taken out of them” – Bruce Lee

Contents:

1 - New Podcast: Kata - Dead or Alive!

2 - Five New Online Bunkai Videos!

3 - Upcoming Iain Abernethy Seminars (England, Scotland, Wales, USA, Canada, Germany & Denmark)

4 - Iain Abernethy Instructors Course in Germany

6 - A message from Andi Kidd and Rakesh Patel

7 - New Introductory Instructors!

8 - Jamie Clubb's New Book!

9 - The Untold History of Kyusho (new book)

10 - Two New books from Christopher M. Clarke!

11 - Mark Bonner: Jion Bunkai Course

1 - New Podcast: Kata - Dead or Alive!

Welcome to the latest podcast! In this episode we discuss what differentiates a living kata from a dead one. When karateka commonly talk about kata being “alive” what they are referring to is a vigorous performance; as opposed to a lacklustre one. However, to my way of thinking, a kata needs far more than simply looking “lively” to be truly alive!

For kata to be alive it must be part of a wider process. It is the "seed" that the fighting systems of the past produced. The seed can only truly live when it is allowed to grow and thrive. Kata must be practiced. The applications of kata must be understood; and more importantly the combative principles that those applications encapsulate must be internalised thorough drills and live practise with live partners, such that those principles form habits; habits we will fight in accordance with. The kata then is living and breathing within us. It’s if fulfilling the purpose for which it was created. It is not lying dormant awaiting the inevitable rot; it is alive and thriving every time we move, every time we train and every time we are forced to protect ourselves and those we love.

In this podcast we look at the “lifecycle” of kata and explain the process that ensures a kata truly lives within the karateka. In listening to the podcast you will also find out how kata can be both like strawberries and zombies!

I hope you enjoy the podcast and find it useful. Thanks for listening and I’ll be back with more soon!

Listen to the podcast on this webpage: http://www.iainabernethy.co.uk/content/kata-dead-or-alive-podcast

Listen to Iain Abernethy's Podcasts on Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/iain-abernethy-practical-application/id393104872#

2 - Five New Online Bunkai Videos!

Wanshu / Enpi Gedan Barai and Rising Palm Heel Bunkai

This video was filmed last year (2013) in Augsburg, Germany. It looks at a basic application of the gedan-barai & rising palm-heel towards the end of the Wanshu / Enpi. We then look at some “martial arts” follow ups to the end position. While the core kata technique is self-defence based, the follow-ups move into the realm of martial arts i.e. techniques for interest, fun and enjoyment. For more information on how I categorise these techniques please listen to the “martial map” podcast available for free download from the website.

http://www.iainabernethy.co.uk/content/wanshu-enpi-gedan-barai-and-rising-palm-heel-bunkai-video

Chuck Norris’s Chun Kuk Do’s Kong Sang Koon

http://www.iainabernethy.co.uk/content/kata-dead-or-alive-podcast

Iain and Chuck Norris

A very short video showing a small amount of footage from the UFAF ITC awards dinner and some photos from what was a fantastic event! It was a great to spend time with the Chun Kuk Do family and I’m very grateful to all for making me feel part of that family. It was obviously also a  great honour to have what I do recognised by Chuck Norris and to share a stage with such luminaries such as Renner Gracie, etc.

http://www.iainabernethy.co.uk/content/iain-and-chuck-norris-video

Pinan / Heian Sandan Opening Sequence

http://www.iainabernethy.co.uk/content/pinan-heian-sandan-opening-sequence-video

Naihanchi / Tekki Limb-Control

This video was filmed at a seminar in Finland in August 2014. It captures a small section of an examination of the use of the “reinforced block” to control the enemy’s limbs and open them up for attack. We practised this concept in a variety of drills; short sections of some of which are shown in the clip. As always, it is neither the kata, the bunkai or the drill that is important. What truly matters is the formation of combative habits in accordance with the principles encapsulated by the kata. In this instance the “habit” we are looking to form is to remove or flow around any obstructions the enemy should present. It is the free-flowing, unrestricted application of principle / adherence to combative habit that is goal of the “kata process”. Competent performance of the solo form is mealy a step along the way and should never be considered to be the goal of kata.

http://www.iainabernethy.co.uk/content/naihanchi-tekki-limb-control-video

3 - Upcoming Iain Abernethy Seminars

(England, Scotland, Wales, USA, Canada, Germany & Denmark)

Below you can find details of the open seminars that are taking place in 2014. Details of others will be added as soon as details have been finalised. I look forward to seeing you at an event near you and if you have any questions about them, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Seminar in Swansea

Date: 20^th of September 2014

For more details please follow this link: http://www.iainabernethy.co.uk/events/seminar-swansea

Seminar in Swindon

Date: 21^st of September 2014

For more details please follow this link: http://www.iainabernethy.co.uk/events/seminar-swindon-4

Seminar in Farnborough, Hants

Date: 28^th of September 2014

For more details please follow this link: http://www.iainabernethy.co.uk/events/seminar-farnborough-hants

Seminar in Canada

Date: 3^rd to the 5^th of October 2014

For more details please follow this link: http://www.iainabernethy.co.uk/events/seminar-canada-0

Seminar in Nuremburg, Germany

Date: 18^th and 19^th of October 2014

For more details please follow this link: http://www.iainabernethy.co.uk/events/seminar-nuremburg-germany

Seminar in Chelmsford, Essex

Date: 26^th of October 2014

For more details please follow this link: http://www.iainabernethy.co.uk/events/seminar-chelmsford-essex-3

Seminar in Halle / Hilter, Germany

Date: 1^st and 2^nd of November 2014

For more details please follow this link: http://www.iainabernethy.co.uk/events/seminar-halle-hilter-germany

Seminar in Denmark

Date: 15^th and 16^th of November 2014

For more details please follow this link: http://www.iainabernethy.co.uk/events/seminar-denmark-0

Seminar in Blairgowrie, Scotland

Date: 23^rd of November 2014

For more details please follow this link: http://www.iainabernethy.co.uk/events/seminar-blairgowrie-scotland-0

Seminar in Stavanger, Norway

Date: 28^th and 29^th of November 2014

For more details please follow this link: http://www.iainabernethy.co.uk/events/seminar-stavanger-norway

Seminar in North Carolina, USA 2014

Date: 5^th to the 7^th of December 2014

For more details please follow this link: http://www.iainabernethy.co.uk/events/seminar-north-carolina-usa

Follow this link for details of the above and 2015 seminars in Tennessee – USA, Cardiff, Folkestone, Birmingham and Kent:

http://www.iainabernethy.co.uk/seminar-dates

To organise a seminar for your club, write to seminars@iainabernethy.com

For details of all seminars (including maps): http://iainabernethy.co.uk/seminar-dates

4 - Iain Abernethy Instructors Course in Germany

Can everyone based in Germany and nearby countries who is interested in doing my introductory instructors course please drop me an email at iain@iainabernethy.com There are a number of people in Germany and surrounding countries who are very familiar with my methods so it makes sense to organise a course on German soil. I will make a list of interested parties and work from there. The course will be held in the Stuttgart area on the 29th to the 31st of May 2015. This course is aimed at existing black belts who are regulars at my seminars in Germany. Please let me know if you have any questions. Speak soon!

http://www.iainabernethy.co.uk/events/iain-abernethy-residential-course-2015

6 - A message from Andi Kidd and Rakesh Patel

Kata Bunkai Seminar in Welwyn Garden City, Herts.

On Saturday 15th November, Andi and Rakesh will be holding a joint Kata Bunkai Seminar on the combative principles and associated drills from various Kata. The seminar will run from 10am to 2pm at Sir Frederic Osborn School, Herns Lane, Welwyn Garden City. Hertfordshire. AL7 2AF.

The cost is just £25 for TWO PEOPLE and to book please email Rakesh@Rakesh-Patel.com or call 07768 256147.

Andi and Rakesh look forward to seeing you there!

http://iainabernethy.co.uk/content/andi-kidd-and-rakesh-patel-kata-bunkai-seminar-15-11-14

7 - New Introductory Instructors!

The last weekend in August saw my first Introductory Instructors course for 5 years! The course consisted of a mix of the theoretical, technical and practical with an exam at the end. The photo shows some of the action from the kata-based-sparring and the more sedate written exam The following people are now qualified as Introductory Instructors in my approach to kata bunkai and practical karate. Well done all! Christopher Webb, Ian Nash, Adrian Williams, Ashley Nicholls, Anthony Pendelbury, Steve Tilston, Dan Redmond, Steve Gordon, Alex Dickinson, Lee Phillips, Malcolm Hewitson, Martin Warner, Lee Mullan, James Hall, Ben Pethick, Neil Webster, Peter Jones, Steven Surgeoner, and Doug Connell.

8 - Jamie Clubb's New Book!

9 - The Untold History of Kyusho (new book)

Please let’s help one of our own get his book moving. I’ve seen the draft (and written a foreword which you can see below) and it’s a very thorough book. Just about every historical chart of vulnerable areas is examined in the book and it makes for interesting reading; regardless of the personal emphasis one places on pressure points, or whether one takes a western medicine or “chi based” approach. Please read Nikolaj’s introduction, watch his video, and then read my forward. If you like what you see, then please follow the indiegogo links and get your copy :-)

All the best,

Iain

The Untold History of Kyusho

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-untold-history-of-kyusho

The Untold History of Kyusho - uncovering the controversies on vital points...

It's finally here, the one Kyusho book you have been waiting for...

 - In this work I explain and clarify the correct terms to be use, and where they come from.

 - I have researched more than 20 myths, such as "If Kyusho was so effective, why is it not used in MMA?", "The Delayed Death Touch" and "Does Kyusho only work on your students?" to name a few

 - Comparing more than 19 vital point charts, I have included a list of the most commonly used vital targets of the ancient masters, along with their personal opinion on Kyusho.

 - Including is also a vital point biography of more than 30 masters of the past, what was their experience with vital points - if any?

I need your help to get started!

Show me you want and need this work, so I can get it printed and published - i will ship it with a special thanks straight to your doorstep!

 Don't miss the chance, to be one of the first in the world, to get this new and exciting work at a reduced price - and my eternal gratitude in helping me accomplishing this.

I expect the book to be printed and ready for delivery in November.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-untold-history-of-kyusho

 

Watch the Video: http://youtu.be/hNGwZmrMcNE

 

Iain Abernethy’s Foreword

There are few subjects more divisive in the martial arts than pressure points. While it would seem uncontroversial that a blow to weak area of the human anatomy will have a greater effect than a blow to a stronger area, the controversy begins when we start to ask what constitutes a pressure point and what is their role in actual combat.

Some will base their explanation of pressure points on Chi and label the striking areas using acupuncture terminology. They also include acupuncture theory so that certain points should be struck in a given order in order to gain the greatest effect.  Some go further and even suggest that the time of day is to be considered too. Others instead turn to western medicine and refer to the structures of the body (i.e. nerves, bones, organs, etc.) as the areas to be struck.

Personally, I am firmly in the second camp. I’ve never seen anything that would convince me that Chi exists in an objective sense. I also feel that western science does a far better job of explaining why certain areas are vulnerable to being stuck and what the results of a blow to that area could be. That said, I also acknowledge that many of the traditional martial arts originate from a place and time where chi was very “matter of fact” and hence in many cases “the language of chi” is the language of weak areas that has been bequeathed to us.

In his book Karate-Do Kyohan, Gichin Funakoshi states that the weak areas utilised in karate (and judo) have much in common with the points of Traditional Chinese Medicine, but that many of the points of Traditional Chinese Medicine are ineffective when struck, or are not readily accessible in combat. It seems to me that the ones that are effective when struck are the points that happen to lie above the weak points that western medicine can readily explain. I therefore avoid the terminology of Chinese Medicine in my teaching because I feel it adds a layer of unnecessary complication. However, I also acknowledge that if we are to understand the information passed on to us from the past, some knowledge of that terminology, and the underlying thinking, is important.

The second controversy surrounding weak points is their value in combat. Some see pressure points as being one of the most important areas of study. Others see them as being “extra credit” (to borrow a term from Lawrence Kane) where they will make an already effective blow more effective, but are not a primary consideration. Personally, I again find myself in the second camp.

Real situations are chaotic and ugly affairs and the accurate placement of blows is far from easy. The rapid and chaotic motion of all combatants combined with the chemical cocktail that floods the human body when under stress makes the actuate placement of blows extremely difficult to say the least. It’s really easy to be accurate in the dojo when you’re calm and your uke (recipient of the technique) is compliant, but that’s not the way it goes down in reality. There are things we can do to increase our accuracy (control limbs, utilise proprioception, etc.) but an aggressive barrage of high impact blows remains way more effective than any attempt to strike with precision. That said, we should still have the intention of striking weak areas (and we should appreciate that it is better hit someone on the jaw than on the forehead!). To have that intention, we need to have a knowledge of weak areas that is integrated into our practise. But there are problems there too.

Much of the information surrounding weak areas is, as already mentioned, shrouded in the esoteric language of chi. That can make it very confusing to westerners; although there are some who seem to delight in the fact that what they teach is confusing and hard to grasp. I think this stems from the notion of wanting to present themselves as someone who knows “the secrets”: secrets that are far too “deep” for others to comprehend. Whatever your view on chi, the information surrounding weak areas needs to be presented in a clear and straightforward way. Otherwise, what’s the point?

Nikolaj has done something very special with this book. He has drawn on many modern and historical sources to synthesise a state of the art look at pressure points. The information is presented in a clear, accessible and structured way. As such, this book is sure to be of great interest to all martial artists; regardless of the emphasis placed on pressure points in their practise or whether they take a chi based or western approach.

What I also really liked about this book is that, as well as presenting a great deal of information,  Nikolaj does not shy away from the controversies of pressure points and directly addresses what he sees as the most common myths and misunderstandings. By choosing to engage in, and contribute to, the dialogue surrounding pressure points in such an open way, Nikolaj has produced a book that I think will produce lots of healthy discussion and debate.

This also has to be one of the most thorough books on pressure points that I’ve seen! It’s a long way from the average book which shows and few charts and cursory explanations. This book delves into the history of this field of study and compares and contrasts much of the historical information passed onto us about pressure points. I found this to be fascinating reading and nowhere else have I seen this done so comprehensively. There is much in this book for those with a passion for martial arts history, as well as those with an interest in pressure points, to digest and enjoy.

Nikolaj’s enthusiasm for his subject also oozes through the pages! I first met Nikolaj at a seminar I taught in Copenhagen, Denmark many years ago. Since then, we have met up many times and I’ve always really enjoyed our conversations, both inside and outside of the dojo. He shares my passion for all things martial and I always find him to be a great conversationalist. He loves what he does and that excitement to explore, discuss and debate all aspects of the martial arts is very infectious! That passion really comes across in this book. I’m therefore sure everyone will find this an enjoyable and inspiring read.

There are not many martial artists out there with Nikolaj’s martial enthusiasm and it’s great that he has made this valuable contribution to the collective knowledge pool. We need more martial artists like him.

Iain Abernethy 6th Dan

10 - Two New books from Christopher M. Clarke!
 

Modern-day Samurai: Kotaka Sukesaburo Minamoto-no Sadayasu Sadao

An Appreciation and History of his Kenjutsu Style. "Modern-day Samurai" tells the story of a modern sword master, Dr. Kotaka Sadao (1933-2013), who learned from one of the last true samurai, a member of the famous Shinsengumi of the 1860s. The book relates the life of Dr. Kotaka, his numerous and remarkable exploits as a swordsman, the history of his style going back for hundreds of years, and story of the turbulent times during which his teacher learned and actually utilized this style of swordsmanship. Full of wit and wisdom, the book is heavily illustrated with maps, charts, and many never-before-published photos. Extensively documented, it also provides a complete bibliography for those wanting to learn more about Kendo or Japanese history. A must read for anyone interested in the Japanese martial arts, the Meiji Restoration, or the history of the Shinsengumi or the samurai. 222 pages, $11.35


Through Japan's Narrowest Gate: The Test for Kendo Hachidan

The test for 8th degree black belt (hachidan) in Japanese swordsmanship is reputedly the most difficult test in the world, with a passing rate of around one percent. This short monograph discusses the evolution of ranks and titles in kendo as it emerged from the middle ages and explains the difficulty of the 8th dan test. It contains numerous photos, charts, and source citations and will be of interest to any martial artist, especially those involved in kendo or those interested in the evolution of Japan's martial arts ranking system. Available for Kindle only, $3.99
 

http://www.amazon.com/Christopher-M.-Clarke/e/B001K7TFJE

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Christopher-M.-Clarke/e/B001K7TFJE

11 - Mark Bonner: Jion Bunkai Course

Message from Mark Bonner:

On the 26th of October I will be running an open session of "old style" Okinawan karate with influence from Fujian White Crane Kung Fu at my dojo in Halifax.

Okinawan Karate kata Jion as practiced in the "old style" should be viewed as a "gutter fighting" system to quickly and efficiently end a violent physical conflict. To this end I will share the two person drills, pad exercises and Bunkai Oyho which I practice to inform the kata.

By the end of the session attendees will understand how to fluidly apply principles and techniques from Jion by understanding and utilising your opponents energy to produce a highly functional system for close quarter skirmishing for which I believe kata were originally intended.

The session will once again cost £10 for four hours training, 10am-2pm

I have had the honour of a 100% take up of places from the people who attended my recent Naihanchi open session, so places are limited.

If anyone is interested then please email me - markbonner1@hotmail.co.uk upon which I will give the address for the session.

Regards, Mark
 

Do you want to Join Iain's international group? Find more information here: http://iainabernethy.co.uk/news/world-combat-assocation-live-video / http://worldcombatassociation.com

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That’s all folks! If you’ve any comments or suggestions relating to the website or these newsletters, please don’t hesitate to drop me a line: iain@iainabernethy.com

All the best,

Iain Abernethy

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