Newsletter 1126

Strongest Karate v Liquid Karate

Some interesting karate history today.
I studied Kenpo Karate for a couple of years. I became an instructor, wrote the instruction manual for the school, and…moved on.
When needed, I found the Kenpo techniques lacking. And, I happened to run into a fellow who’s techniques weren’t lacking.
I began studying Kang Duk Won Korean Karate with Robert. J. Babich in San Jose, CA. And this martial art was hard core and enlightening. In the time since then, over 50 years, I have never seen a better martial artist than Bob.
I often wondered why he was so good. He said he just practiced the forms. But it was more than that.
When the internet came along I traced his lineage, and it led directly to ‘The School of the Tiger,’ run by Don Buck, in Benicia, CA. That school was originally called ‘Oyama School of Karate.
That’s right. My instructor had a direct connection, was likely taught in some manner, by Mas Oyama. That would explain a lot.
And that’s where the story gets interesting.

One day a skinny Korean kid walks into Don Buck’s school and says he knows Karate. He then proceeds to prove it. Sensei Buck was impressed with the kid, whose name was Norman Rha. He turns to Bob Babich, who was his first black belt, and first instructor, and says, ‘The kid is good, but he doesn’t fit in with our style of karate. Why don’t you work with him.’
For four years Bob and Norman lived together. Norman taught Bob his Karate (Kang Duk Won), and Bob taught Norman English.
And Bob gave up Kyokushinkai and dedicated himself to Kang Duk Won. Apparently he felt KDW was better than Mas Oyama’s karate.
Decades later I became intrigued by his choice. Bob turning down the strongest karate in the world for a relatively unknown Korean style? Hmmm.
My studies revealed an interesting fact. Gichin Funakoshi claimed that Shotokai karate was the true karate, and not Shotokan. Huh?
Off on more research, and I saw the differences, and why Bob had made the decision he had made.
Kang Duk Won, and Shotokai, are more liquid. Kyokushinkai and Shotokan are more power.
To become liquid one needs to appreciate emptiness. One has to achieve a blend of balance and strength.
Bob didn’t use muscle, and he moved like a whip, his focus cracking and disappearing, whereas ‘stronger’ versions of karate became like rocks, immoveable in the earth, power plants when in motion, but unable to relax between motion.

I’ve tried to keep that notion, to push that notion, of ‘liquidity,’ of whipping power, of emptiness before and after and relaxing at all times, in my arts.
Hope you enjoyed this little tale, and no offense to any of the arts mentioned. As my instructor once said, ‘There are many paths to the top of the mountain.’ He probably got that saying from Mas Oyama.
Which brings us to the obligatory advertisement…

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The art offers nine specific techniques, set on a footwork pattern, which enables one to move in any direction, and to combine the nine techniques into a virtually infinite variety of techniques. The art adheres to all the Matrix concepts of defending in all directions, and using the body in wholistic manner
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Have a great work out!
Al

By the Way…I had decided not to do any more online testing, and have told people that, but…if you have a partner to video with, and you are experienced in the martial arts, I would probably consider testing you. I would limit submissions of videos to once a month. I’ll speak more about this in future newsletters.

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