Martial Arts Videos

[Shihan Hirokazu Kanazawa 10º Dan executing Bassai Sho]

There are at least 11 versions of the Bassai: Oyadomari, Tomari, Koryu & Matsumura among them. Bassai-Sho may be one of the other Bassai kata adopted by Shotokan and given the name Bassai-Sho.

These Bassai Kata may be descended from Chinese forms known as Ba Ji Ch’uan. There are 2 forms: Ba Ji Da (Bassai-dai?) and Ba Ji Xiao (Bassai-sho?). Ba Ji Xiao is written exactly the same way as Bassai-Sho. This challenges the popular belief that all -sho kata were created by Itosu.

Bassai-Sho has a unique emphasis on stick defenses and counters. This emphasis upon reacting to attacks from a stick is supposedly typical of an Itosu created kata, since all of the kata that he heavily influenced contain stick-countering techniques within them. Supposedly Itosu’s father used to tie him to a stake and poke at him with a stick to teach him fighting spirit. According to the legend, Itosu was very interested in techniques that would take a stick away from his father. The legend would neatly explain a lot about the origin of stick defense in kata, however, the
whole legend is probably just a story with little basis in truth.

The last two sword hand blocks at the end of Bassai-Dai are apparently new creations. The ending of Bassai-Sho is the original ending for our Bassai-Dai kata. This is evidenced by the Shito-Ryu version of Bassai-Dai that still ends with the motions from the concluding techniques of Bassai-Sho.

Bassai-sho can be interpreted as a kata done with a bo or, conversely, as a kata for disarming an opponent with a bo.

[From bushidokai.net. Original page is here (pdf)]

[Bassai Sho kata with bunkai (application) by Kenneth Funakoshi]

[10 minute sample of Karo Parisyan ideas on throws for MMA and Sub Wrestling]

Karapet Parisyan AKA “Karo” is an Armenian American mixed martial artist. His fighting style is primarily Judo but has been modified to fight without the use of a judogi (sometimes called no-gi style)

For more than thirteen years, Parisyan developed under the Hayastan Grappling System, a style blended by Gokor Chivichyan and “Judo” Gene LeBell, which includes adapted elements of Judo, Sambo, Catch Wrestling, Greco-Roman and Freestyle wrestling, Muay Thai, and Karate.

Parisyan competes as a welterweight and made his UFC debut on September 23, 2003, beating Dave Strasser by kimura. He then went on to win the WEC welterweight title, defeating Shonie Carter. He was widely considered as the top contender for the UFC welterweight title before a loss to Diego Sanchez.

[From Wikipedia. Original page is here]

[Hirokazu Kanazawa demonstrating Unsu]

Unsu, literally “cloud hands”, is an advanced kata found in Shotokan and Shito-Ryu karate styles. It contains many intricate hand techniques, such as the ippon nukite (one finger strike) in the opening sequence. Unsu also contains a 360 degree spinning double kick with a double leg take down at the same time, landing on the floor face-down before continuing. Because of this, it is a very common kata in tournaments. Being among the most advanced of kata, it is generally taught to karateka at the 3rd to 4th Dan.
The origin of Unsu is unknown, but it is of the Dragon style. It is somewhat a condensation of other katas (e.g., Bassai, Kanku, Jion, Empi, Jitte and Gankaku), hence it is essential to have mastered these before practicing Unsu. The movement, Unsu, or hands in the cloud, is used to sweep away the hands of the opponent and is said to signify the gathering clouds in a thunderstorm. It consists of 48 moves.

[From Wikipedia. Original page is here]

[Appication of Unsu (Bunkai) by Carlo Fugazza]

Here is a video from “blitzdefense” the self defense program created by GM Keith R. Kernspecht.
The fighters are Perry Otte and Danilo Heins.

Kodokan Judo 10th dan Kyuzo Mifune and his students demonstrate Judo tachi- and ne-waza techniques, randori and kata.

Improve Your Wing Chun Kung Fu using this Ongoing online Tutorial and Instruction in traditional Yp Man and Pan Nam Wing Chun Kung Fu systems, by Sifu Christofer Arnold and DesertWingChun.com.

[Hirokazu Kanazawa Shihan showing Meikyo]

The Rōhai kata are a family of kata practiced in some styles of karate. The name translates approximately to “vision of a Crane” or “vision of a heron”. The kata originated from the Tomari-te school of Okinawan martial arts. It was called Matsumora Rōhai, after Kosaku Matsumora, who was presumably its inventor. Ankō Itosu later took this kata and developed three kata from it: Rōhai shodan, Rōhai nidan, and Rōhai sandan. In Shorin/Matsubayashi-ryū this Kata introduces Gedan Shotei Ate (Lower/Downward Palm Heel Smash) and Ippon Ashi Dachi. (One Leg Stance) It contains a sequence of Tomoe Zuki (Circular Punch) exactly the same as the one in Passai, although the ending of the sequence chains into Hangetsu Geri/Uke (Half Moon Kick/Block)

In modern Karate, some styles teach all three kata (such as Shito ryu). However, other styles employ only one of them as a kata (such as Wadō-ryū, which teaches Rōhai shodan as Rōhai). Gichin Funakoshi, founder of Shotokan, redeveloped and renamed Rōhai as Meikyo, literally “bright mirror”, often translated as “mirror of the soul.” Meikyo is a combination of all three different Rōhai kata, containing elements of each.

[From Wikipedia. Original page is here]

[Luca Valdesi executing Meikyo with bunkai]