Chiishi Exercise 2

This is the standard chiishi training exercise, as used at Gojuryu Karatedo Yoyogi Ryushinkan Dojo. The chiishi is gripped firmly and held in front of the body in a deep shikodachi stance. The arm is not extended fully, but tension is maintained in the pectoral muscles of the arm holding the chiishi. Rising out of shikodachi to full height, the chiishi is alternatively lowered towards the ground, raised above the head, dropped to the inside, lowered diagonally outside, and finally bought up to the armpit and then thrust out to the front as with a punch. For each move, inhalation is performed, followed by a short but full exhalation going into shikodachi. 

The key points are to keep the posture straight, attain a nice, low shikodachi, align movement with breathing, keep the wrists supple and the movements circular, and always tense for a fraction of a second for the "kime" when the chiishi is held out front each time. For beginners, the moves can be separated into three exercises: up/down, inside/outside and the forward thrust. Or the exercise can be done as one set of five moves, as shown in the video.

"Renshukai" Training Schedule

Members of Gojuryu Karatedo Yoyogi Ryushinkan are continuing to train together as "Renshukai," with supervised sessions both in the day time at Shibuya Sports Center and in the evenings at Shinjuku Sports Center (public martial arts dojo, pictured above). In addition, there are free training sessions at the weekends. However, with the Golden Week holiday season in full swing in Japan, the schedule for next week has been somewhat revised. Please contact yoyogiryushinkan@gmail.com for more information, as well as details on other training groups involving members and former members of Ryushinkan .

Shibuya-ku Tournament Results

Members of the Gojuryu Karatedo Yoyogi Ryushinkan Dojo participated in the Shibuya Ward Spring Karate Tournament on April 29 in Hatagaya, Tokyo. Miyasato-san (pictured left) took first place in the Master's division in kata, while Saito-san and Kamano-san also finished in the top three of their respective categories. 

The tournament is open to all dojos in the Shibuya Ward, as well as school and university karate clubs, so there are many styles and kata on display. There were a large number of participants this year, and competition was very tough. Congratulations to them and everyone who took part.

2015 Shibuya-ku Spring Karate Tournament

The 2015 Shibuya Ward Spring Karate Tournament will be held on Wednesday, April 29 (Showa Day), a national holiday.  The tournament has kata and kumite competitions, with divisions for black belts, 1st-3rd grades (brown belts), and 4th grade (green belts) and below.  There are also various categories for schoolchildren, as well as senior (over 40s) and masters (over 50s) divisions. The opening ceremony is at 9:30 and the event proper kicks off at 10:10.  

The Venue is: Shibuya Sports Center at 1-40-18 Nishi Hara, Shibuya-ku.  The nearest stations are Hatagaya (shown on the map below) and Yoyogi Uehara.

No Training on April 27

Just a quick reminder that there is no training on Monday, April 27 for the Yoyogi Ryushinkan Renshukai, as the venue used for the evening sessions, Shinjuku Sports Center,is closed the fourth Monday of every month.

Moreover, as Japan is entering the so-called Golden Week holiday period, some of the training times will changed over the coming two weeks.  For more information, please contact yoyogiryushinkan@gmail.com

Terminology - Striking Areas

Some of the fundamental and most frequently used parts of the anatomy in Goju-ryu strikes and kicks are depicted left and listed below. There are not always convenient or useful English translations readily available, so it is helpful to understand and remember these Japanese terms:

Japanese	English (Description)	Notes
ken yubi oya yubi hito sashi yubi naka yubi ippon nippon seiken tettsui uraken shuto haito shotei nukite hiji koken kakuto sokuto hiza	Fist Finger Thumb Index finger Middle finger One Two Fore-fist Fist hammer Back fist Knife hand Ridge hand Palm heel Finger thrust Elbow Bent wrist Heel Outer edge of foot Knee	The striking part is the knuckles of the index and middle finger, known as the daikento The bottom of the fist is used; application in saifa Used in the uraken uchi snap technique Strike with the fleshy area beneath the little finger and closest to the wrist Bend and tuck the thumb under the palm and strike with the base of the index finger Bend and press the thumb against the palm and bend the fingers slightly Keep the fingers firmly together and straight but level, bending the middle finger as necessary The strike with the elbow (hiji uchi) is also called empi Bend the hand down as far as possible and touch the thumb to the middle and/or fourth finger The striking area for ushiro geri Used in sokuto geri and kansetsu geri The striking area for ushiro geri Used in sokuto geri and kansetsu geri hiza ate is a strike with the knee

Chiishi Exercise 1

This chiishi exercise is good for practicing the technique of shiboru, or "wringing," whilst also making sure one maintains a sound and correct posture when dropping deep into the shikodachi stance.  

Start by gripping the chiishi in both hands, with the thumbs facing forward.  Bring the chiishi up and over, and then turn it out towards the front. As the chiishi is extended forwards and outwards, keep the elbows tucked in.  Left and right hand positions are switched after alternating thrusts.

This exercise also helps in practicing the final nage, or throw, found at the end of the kata Sepai.