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"All things begin with one"

The above statement was Shimabuku Tatsuo's reply when Kaneshi Eiko, one of Tatsuo's senior students, asked him why he was naming his new style of karate Isshin-ryu

ANECDOTES OF TATSUO
Anecdotes of Tatsuo on teaching and advancing in skills.

On one occasion before leaving Okinawa Shimabuku Tatsuo sensei stated he had something important to tell me.

Sensei said there were four stages to teach and practice in karate.

1. Learn the basic techniques (kihon).
2. Breathing techniques (nogare and imbuki) are found in kata.
3. Chinkuchi or power is found in Sanchin kata.
4. Technique or skill (waza) is found in all aspects and phases of karate.

The Japanese and Okinawans often use the following terms for teaching and learning. They liken karate and kobudo training to wood working.
1. Arakezuri rough grinding and shaping still in the process of being formed.
2. Nakakezuri middle planing.
3. Hosokezuri fine planing and sanding.
4. Shiage being finished.

Kihon. The first stage Arakezuri (rough grinding and shaping) is learning and practicing the kihon. At first we are unrefined learning to perform and understand kihon. As we learn we begin to refine and remove the large jerky movements, shorten our unnecessary moves and windups, build up and refine our techniques in kihon. Kihon is the  essential base and foundation of karate. Correct stance, posture, then technique. The stance and footwork must be firm or light along with the balanced posture and movement which makes whatever technique you perform sound. The molding of the fist is important and the use of kime for power. As we begin to understand how to apply each technique, we learn the bunkai (application) and its variations. If we do not understand what we are doing or the bunkai, how can we properly perform a given technique.

Kata. The second stage nakakezuri  (middle planing or removing) start’s about three months after beginning karate, and involves breathing techniques learning how and when to inhale and exhale. In karate, breathing is very important and certain kata emphasize it. Seisan, seiunchin and sanchin kata in Isshin-ryu karate. It is again essential to understand the applications of hard imbuki breathing and soft natural nogare breathing and its relation to different applications. We learn to breath and inhale deeply taking oxygen deeply into our lungs and expelling  carbon dioxide or bad air to increase our stamina, endurance and to project power into a target. Kiai is a part of exhaling and is used to startle an opponent or to drive ones attacking technique into or through the target.

The third stage hosokezuri (fine planing), starts after six months learning and developing chinkuchi. Chinkuchi is a Okinawan dialect word and is made up from ‘chin’ or ‘muscle, sinew, ‘ku’ which means ‘bone’, and ‘chi’ which means controlled energy. The technique of controlling (chi) soft (muscle, sinew) and hard (bone) and body management. Sanchin kata is where chinkuchi is really emphasized in Isshin-ryu.

The fourth step shiageke (end or finish) will take about three years for it will take that length of time to perfect our skill and techniques.
Most important is constant practice through numerous sets of repetitions until mind, skill and body become one or whole (shingitai). While we say three years to develop and hone kihon, kotekitai, kata or kumite, this process may vary depending on the abilities of each individual. After learning and understanding kihon, kata and how to incorporate it with kumite, it is essential to continue the never ending cycle of constant training by polishing your techniques.

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