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Watch and Shoot !
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Posted On:
9/03/2010 3:39pm
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There are several well established authentic schools of Japanese swordsmanship existing today which have their origins and development within the feudal era of Japan's history, these schools, whilst subject to a considerable amount of development and evolution over hundreds of years have and share a purpose, that being combative use.
Originally Posted by HenryT
If Alexander studied an authentic Koryu, he wouldn't feel the need to invent something new because Koryu has everything and more for a lifetimes study.
Today, those schools of Japanese swordsmanship which still thrive, retain their purpose although today it is redundant because we no longer wage war with swords, the "purpose" of the techniques within their respective Ryu-ha is born directly and specifically in knowledge from what was the epitome of "aliveness" in application - life or death encounters on the battlefield.
The Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei created a set of kata collectively known as Seitei. Seitei is considered a Gendai Budo because the system (only now consisting of 12 kata) was created very much after the Meiji Restoration, it's purpose wasn't combative application but the perfection of physical technique (amongst other things). That said, each of the 12 kata is drawn directly from a Koryu sword school so, you could say the kata still retain some degree of authenticity although the emphasis isn't on killing an opponent.
Seitei is readily available within the UK as are several authentic Koryu sword arts. There really isn’t a need to start inventing new ones.
Let's now take Alexander's sword method.
What particular emphasis are the kata forms based ? We don't know
What emphasis is placed upon the performance ? We don't know
Which Ryu-ha has influenced the creation of the method ? We don't know
Are the fundamentals of basic Japanese sword use seen in the video ? No absolutely none that I could see
Now, I (and I'm sure Neil as well) could start detailing several technical failings in what we saw but that would be a very long discussion where we explain those technicalities which are learned at a very early stage in anyone's study of nihonto.
Trust me when I say what you saw was bullshit, bullshit done to impress those who don’t know anything about JSA."To sin by silence when one should protest makes cowards out of men".
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Posted On:
9/03/2010 3:49pm -
Watch and Shoot !
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Posted On:
9/03/2010 3:56pm
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There hasn't been a Japanese sword school ever which taught it's students to rotate/spin the sword in the way Alexander demonstrates, this begs the question, why would he think that's an appropriate and legitimate method to use himself.
Watch this as a direct comparrison
YouTube- Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu - Part II | 天真正伝香取神道流Last edited by Rock Ape; 9/03/2010 4:04pm at .
"To sin by silence when one should protest makes cowards out of men".
~Ella Wheeler -
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Posted On:
9/03/2010 4:04pm
Style: Kendo--
Unfortunately I can't see the video as I'm at work. But look for the following telltale signs:
1. Can you imagine his opponent(s)? You should be able to.
2. Does he spin or roll on the ground at any point? Does he spin the sword? Looks flashy, likely to get you killed.
3. Is he doing any sort of kicking or punching as part of the kata? JSA deals primarily with the use of the sword.
4. Is he using the sword primarily one-handed? JSA arts cut one-handed on the draw but usually use two hands after that.
5. As he cuts, are his arms more or less straight as the sword makes contact with the target, real or imagined? Cutting with bent arms gives up distance and speed in the cut, most JSA I've seen extend the arms during the cut. It's a difficult and non-intuitive skill to pick up.
6. Are his hands lined up on the grip such that the palms face each other? For that matter, is the left hand at the bottom? Is the grip diagonal across the hilt? These are standard grip techniques. Most untrained people hold the sword likea baseball bat.
If I have time tonight I'll have a look at the video but I have a feeling I won't like it. -
Banzai Buddy
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Posted On:
9/03/2010 4:52pm
Style: Nothing - yet--
Just to address this. I haven't seen any specific claim from Alexander that his claimed ranking in Tomki Aikido was issued by/associated with Kenshiro Abbe. At this point, it would appear that the claim is a 4th Dan in TA *and also* that he 'formally trained with' Abbe. Originally Posted by Hugo Stiglitz
Still, it would be good to know if he really does hold this rank. -
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Posted On:
9/03/2010 6:50pm
Style: Nothing - yet--
The other three parts of the vid that Hugo posted... some more sword stuff on here, also nunchaku, sai, staff, unarmed forms, a bit of Tai Chi. Those in the know might be able to determine something about his skill level from them...
vids also feature Bob McCormack, who appears to be one of Alexander's senior students.
YouTube- Martial Arts Memories Part 3
YouTube- Martial Arts Memories Part 4
YouTube- Martial Arts Memories Part 5
(part 5 from 2mins onwards has to be seen to be believed - no idea what is, looks like scenes from some terrible music video)
Re: the connection between Alexander and Pete Delane/BAMA, which I touched on earlier. Found this whilst looking for something else...
http://www.setbb.com/phpbb/viewtopic...mforum=bushido
Some clarification from one person's perspective, at least...liquidthoughtz
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the b.a.m.a. gave me a good foundation, there were few instructors when i was teaching with them. Jon Alexander formed Zenshin ryu back in the late 1960s. If you want to check his website out it is www.orientalmartialarts.org ......it has a brief history of zenshin ryu there.
Jon was trained in Japan in many different arts. He wanted to start his own system though, back then martial arts was very limited, his idea i think was to create a british martial arts school. Nowadays, these crosstraining styles are everywhere, but back then he was probably one of the first. In the early seventies Jon put an advert in a magazine offering martial arts tuition and stunt work/choreography (which he dabbled in too). Pete Delane answered the advert.
Jon said that he was a nice guy, a real character with a drive behind him. Pete started travelling to London from Gloucester sometimes many times in a week by train. Remember back then there werent a great deal of martial arts schools around...zenshin ryu mixed Karate, Aikido, japanese sword and other weaponry into one school.
Bob McCormack was the nunchaku man for zenshin Ryu you can still get his instructional video from Blitz!
Jon said that after some years of hard training, Pete was good enough to run a franchise Zenshin club in Gloucester. Zenshin was very successful in the seventies, many good people were trained by Jon. Steve Rowe and Vic Charles to name a few. At one point Jon was teaching halls full of people.
In the late seventies instructors started to break away from Zenshin, maybe they realised that they could earn more being the boss? Maybe they felt creatively stiffled? Pete Delane took the Gloucester club and the students there with him. that was 1979, i think.
25 years on and Bushido advertises as a Samurai school formed in 1973. A closed door sect of Zen and martial arts teachers. I think that being part of something special makes you feel special, unique and different to everyone else. This feeling is probably what brings a Bushido student to the assumption that they are in a higher caste. Of course Zen brings you to liberation not a life of control and conditioning.
A friend of mine went to an interview in Swindon last year, when asked what kind of Karate is taught, the high level instructor told him, "it is Bushido Karate, the oldest style, over 1000 years old". -
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Posted On:
9/03/2010 7:36pm
Style: Cheng Man Ching Taijiquan--
I couldnt find a Taiji demo in those videos, but damn... you weren't kidding about video 5, 2:00 and on... Shaw Brothers have a copyright infringement on their hands, big time. Originally Posted by Larus marinus
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Kama Sutra blue belt.
Originally Posted by Emevas
Originally Posted by Rock Ape
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Posted On:
9/03/2010 7:58pm
Style: xingyi--
Here is my major problem now. He uses that Japanese Swords a lot like a Chinese Broadsword. That is something that always bothers me when I watch alleged JSA arts.
YouTube- Bak Hok Pai-White Crane Kung Fu Broadsword routine @ the Kung Fu Corner @ Kowloon Park-Sculpture Garden-Hong Kong 4/12/09
Oh and I hate you guys for showing me my McDojo art is even worse.The hood mentality is crippling disease, that attacks your nervous system. It makes you nervous of the system. Gangsters and hood rats are especially susceptible to this growth stunting mentality. The hood is where I'm from, but it's not what I am. The hood is where I'm from, but it's not what I am. --Keith David--Ice Cube
All I got is genes and chromosomes
Consider me Black to the bone
All I want is peace and love
On this planet (Ain't that how God planned it?) --P.E. -
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Posted On:
9/03/2010 8:01pm
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Posted On:
9/03/2010 3:26pm
Style: xingyi