Iwatana-do Okinawa Kenpo Karate'
Black Belt Members

Sensei's Teaching Manual - Yellow Belt (6th Kyu)

Possession, in any form, or use of this manual is intended for and restricted to Iwatana-do Okinawa Kenpo Black Belts with the minimum grade of Sho-dan.

Okinawa Kenpo Karate students of Master Hideka Nakayama, Master James Lloyd, Master Larry Peck, or Master Jeffrey L. Riggs may possess and use for the sole purpose of instruction of Okinawa Kenpo Karate as long as the text remains unaltered and completely in tact as written. Master Jeffrey L. Riggs must retain credit as author and any Sensei using or in possession of this manual must be registered with Iwatana-do Okinawa Kenpo Karate.

Good Luck On Your Journey,

Jeffrey L. Riggs, Roku-dan
Iwatana-do Okinawa Kenpo Karate, Hanshi

Yellow Belt (6th Kyu)

The following manual will assist you in teaching the minimum requirements needed to attain 6th kyu or Yellow Belt. Strongly urge your students not to restrict their knowledge to what is in this text as it is the goal of the style to open our minds. It is an open mind that allows the awareness and comprehension levels that you need to form.

Rules
1   Bow before entering or leaving the dojo.
2   Bow to all Sensei as they enter or leave.
3   Wear a clean and neat traditional gi.
4   Stand at attention quietly while Sensei is teaching.
5   No street clothes or shoes in the dojo.
6   No jewelry or sharp objects shall be worn in the dojo.
7   Good personal hygiene is a must; finger and toenails should be trimmed.
8   Students should help each other to attain perfection.
9   No food, drink, or gum is allowed except as dictated by Sensei.
10 Conduct is limited to the promotion of a good learning atmosphere.
11 Karate will only be used for self-defense.

Constitution
We the students of Iwatana-do Okinawa Kenpo here-with establish our constitution with a moral foundation and offer our knowledge and leadership to prepare our students for their most demanding journey; life. For students of sorrow and separation, we offer compassion and comfort. For those that have touched humility, to them we look for leadership. 

Ours is not a competitive spirit, but one of serenity and peace. To those who have captured the spirit of perseverance, we offer dignity as their reward. We trust in the principles of righteousness and our country. We plan our lessons toward the heart and mind while strengthening our bodies to resist the influences of evil.

We do not judge, accepting all students with love and compassion. We hold to the tradition of following the footsteps of our fathers, for theirs is a clear path. Our program of physical and mental development is steady and progressive. It is guaranteed by the labor of our fore bearers. Having faith, embracing humility, and force of conviction is the essence of the philosophy of the students of Iwatana-do Okinawa Kenpo Karate.

Laws of Iwatana-do Okinawa Kenpo
1 Begin each lesson with gratitude, surrender your thoughts of negativity for you are here to learn and a moment of meditation will help clear the confusion.
2 Be respectful to all; greet each other as brother and sister, for even those of lesser ability have a place of importance with us.
3 Be cautious of illusions, for they are vexations to the spirit.
4 Know what value there is in silence.
5 Be careful in the execution of your training, for we embrace forgiveness over force and forgiveness is the foundation of humility.
6 Be truthful, especially to your self, for truth is the key to your center.
7 Know that what you own has been given to you, so care for it as if it were not yours.
8 Think positively, for this tradition of thought permits good to multiply if driven by perseverance.
9 Be of one mind, having compassion for each other.
10 Remember always, humility before honor. You can choose to be humble, honor must be bestowed.

The RULES are designed to facilitate a safe and efficient learning atmosphere that gives all students an opportunity to learn.
The CONSTITUTION defines whom our fore bearers were, who we are, and who we aspire to be.
The LAWS are philosophical tenants designed to help us attain our goals.

A student should know the rules well enough to attend class in an appropriate manner.
The Constitution and the Laws need not be committed to memory word for word but the student should be able to articulate the meaning of each point.

NOTES:

NOTES:
Lineage
The Hanshi or Head Teacher of Okinawa Kenpo Karate Renmea is as follows: (starting with current and proceeding back in reverse chronology)

1 Jeffrey L. Riggs
2 Larry Peck
3 James Lloyd
4 Hideka Nakayama
5 Shigeru Nakamura
6 Toyei Tsusha
7 Tsusuki Miagi
8 Togen Tsusha
9 Seiguro Nakamura
10 Tokeshi Miagi
11 Kamare Sakiyama
12 Senkeichi Kuniyoshi
13 Wakudano Sakiyama
14 Nahabushi Sakiyama

These are our fore bearers who over the years perfected our style. Each time you bow entering the Dojo you are paying respect to these people.

Other Significant People

NOTES:
Techniques
Power:
Power is a combination of Strength and Speed. Absolute Power is only 
achieved by the combination of Strength, Endurance, and Speed. 
Increase any one of these and you will increase Absolute Power.

Strength can be best described as the weight of a bowling ball. Where as endurance can be best described as the length of time it falls. And speed is best described as the velocity the ball has attained at impact.

A bowling ball falling just an inch or two may not injure your foot. But, increase the distance (thus the time and velocity) it will surly injure you.

Form:
As you learn each technique don't become discouraged if Sensei seems to be nothing but critical of your performance. If you are doing your best he will be pleased. What he is doing is perfecting your form. A technique is only as effective as the form allows. The Masters spent years developing the most effective forms and techniques. This is what we are teaching.

Stability is the key to any effective technique. You will hear the term "rooting" this refers to your relationship with the ground during a technique. Imagine yourself floating in space, if you strike something, as much energy goes into pushing you back as goes into striking your target. At best you can only hope for 50% energy efficiency, and then if your target is anchored, if not energy will be wasted pushing it back as well. Rooting is anchoring yourself to the ground while performing a technique.

Proper form maximizes the efficiency of the technique by ensuring that you are as rooted as you can possibly be for the circumstances at the exact same instant allowing for maximum power of the block or strike to make contact with the target in a manner to ensure that you are not yourself injured. This is a long sentence to describe something that takes less than 1 tenth of a second to do.

A very good example of proper form verses improper form is; a locked rear leg will focus your energy into the target by pushing from the ground to and through your fist and into your target. If the rear leg is bent it then acts as a shock absorber and bends upon impact absorbing energy that would be best served at the target and not the leg.

Proper form also prevents you from being injured, your body in this application, is like a weapon or tool. If used incorrectly it will wear excessively or break. The last thing you need is a broken fist or foot during a fight for your life.

4 Principles of a Technique:

Coordination:
First, you must be able to do the technique, kicks are usually harder than hand techniques but hand techniques are less forgiving when they are not perfect. Therefore, they both require lots of practice, the more practice, the better.

Stability:
Second, you must be properly rooted; a technique will not work if it doesn't come from a good foundation. Some techniques can't be done with out it.

Focus:
Third, it is all well and good to be able to perform the perfect technique and to always naturally go into a stable stance. But if you are not focused on your target you will never be able to hit it. You must know when to strike, where to strike and how to strike. You must know what your opponent is doing and what he will do next. This applies to blocks as well.

Timing:
Fourth, each technique you use must be timed so as to make contact with its intended target, as it becomes open. The target will only present itself briefly and opportunity rarely "knocks twice".

Control:
Fifth, when you have performed each of these things correctly and in the proper order you will have successfully performed the technique. By controlling the Absolute Power of the technique you control the desired effect of the technique.

NOTES:
Techniques
Bow:
The art of bowing is very old and complex. This is just a brief description of the tradition as is commonly used in and around the dojo.
When protocol requires a bow you should stand with your heels together, legs straight, lightly pat the outside of your thighs with your open palm while at the same time bending at the waist.
The depth of your bow will depend upon the situation. If bowing to someone your senior you should bow 1st then wait for the senior to return your bow. The junior person should always bow lower than the senior person and hold it until the senior person completes their bow. If the senior person bows to the same level as the junior person (this is a sign of respect and is quite the compliment) the junior person should acknowledge this by bowing slightly lower.
You should always look at the person you are bowing to when bowing in the dojo. The exception to this would be to Sensei or Hanshi, not looking indicates trust beyond what is normally expected for the circumstances. There are going to be times when this will be seen and seem totally out of place but it will be between people that know the more subtle bowing protocol and have great respect for each other, even though they may be adversarial.
You should bow when entering or leaving the dojo. When Sensei enters or leaves the dojo. Before you leave or after you enter the dojo if Sensei is present you should bow to him also. You should bow before and after each drill or kata, if you have a partner in the drill or kata you should bow to your partner as well. Bowing is a sign of respect and we encourage earning and showing respect.

Attention:
This is the position that precedes all Kata, and is ideally the position all students are in when not engaged in some active form of training.
To stand at attention you should stand with your feet parallel, at shoulder width apart and while stepping into that stance you will make 2 fists and bring them down sharply in front of your hips. This is not an animated movement, nor is it intended to be rigid, though some of you will look that way. The best description is alert, which is what you should be.

Fist:
To make a fist you should clench your hand shut and keep it closed firmly. Your thumb is then placed across the top of your index and middle finger between the first and second knuckle. There are other variations of this, which you will learn later. This fist, when looked at from the palm side, is the symbol for Kenpo.

Ready Position:
You should with your feet parallel, slightly wider than shoulder width. Your hands should be fisted, palm up, elbows bent placing your fists next to your floating rib.

Horse Stance:
You should stand with your feet parallel, wider than shoulder width, with your knees bent, squatting, which gives the appearance of riding a horse.

Crescent Step:
When stepping with crescent steps it is really no different than just stepping forward as you usually do except that when you step you move your foot in a curve, or crescent shape, with the apex of the curve nearly touching your other foot. The foot you are stepping with just barely leaves the ground and in some cases lightly brushes the ground. This is so that if you need too you can become rooted immediately.

Forward Stance:
You are standing with one foot in front of you and one foot behind you, with your feet wider than shoulder width. Your feet are pointing directly to your front giving the feeling that your heels are turned out. Your rear leg is straight and locked and your front leg is bent enough to block your vision of your front foot.

Upper Block:
This is a block used to protect your head by blocking a blow to the front and top portion of the skull. It is forcefully "punched "into position, linearly, at an angle so as to redirect the blow as opposed to blocking it completely. This redirects the energy of the blow instead of absorbing it. This reduces the chance of injury. The fist is clenched tightly and bent up sharply to clench the muscle on the inside of your forearm this way it will absorb more energy without injury.

Middle Block:
This block is used to protect the upper and middle portion of your torso. With a fist, using a linear movement, "punch" across your body with your fist vertical. Then with your wrist sharply bent back while clenching your forearm, move your fist upward in a circular movement, pivoting at the elbow, sweeping across the body, strike your opponent's technique and redirect it away from you. 

Down Block:
This block is used to protect your lower torso and upper legs. With a fist, using a linear movement, "punch" across to the opposite shoulder with your fist vertical. Then circularly swing your fist down and with the side strike your opponent's technique and redirect it away from you.

Forward Punch:
Though this technique can be initiated from many positions, only those extended linearly to the front of the body are called a Forward Punch. Then it must be from your strong side if your feet are parallel, or the side of your forward foot. The fist should turn as you punch, until the palm is down just prior to impact, this maximizes the power. And as with all techniques you should strike through the target, as if actually aiming at a point approximately 3 inches behind the target. When using any Punch you have a choice of two striking surfaces on your fist. Either the first two knuckles, which give sharp, cutting and penetrating blows. Make sure that the knuckles line up with the ulna bone in the forearm at impact. Or the last 3 knuckles, which will transmit energy over a larger area increasing the shock wave, which is the energy transferring from the fist to the target. Make sure the knuckles line up with the radial bone in the forearm at impact.

Reverse Punch:
A Punch extended linearly to the front from the weak side when the feet are parallel or from the back leg side is a Reverse Punch.

Side Punch:
This is a punch where it is extended to the side.

Vertical Punch:
This is a punch where the knuckles of the fist would be vertical to the ground. An example of this would be a Vertical Side Punch as in Takioka 3.

Front Kick:
This kick is performed by lifting the knee up while the heel is down and the front of your foot is up. Aim your knee at the target then forcefully extend your foot linearly striking the target with the ball of your foot. Keep your toes pulled up out of the way or you will break them.

Flip Kick (Round Kick):
This kick is performed by lifting the knee up with the toes extended down.
Aim the knee at the target then by rotating the hip and extending the foot circularly strike the target. This kick strikes the target at an angle. With practice the angle can vary and accuracy will increase.

Side Kick:
There are 2 styles of this kick. One remains true to the original Shorinji Kempo and the other has the Okinawa Te refinements. The Shorinji Kempo Kick is faster and requires a more flexible hip, which requires more time to condition. The Okinawa Te Kick is more powerful, but more complex. For now we will study the Okinawa Te Kick.
The proper foot position requires that you develop the ability to form what is called a Blade Edge Foot. This is where you pull your foot back, twist it to the inside so that the outside edge is leading. To initiate this kick first you position your kicking hip towards your target by shifting your weight to the opposite leg and pivot putting your hip toward the target. While doing this you bend the kicking knee lifting the foot forming a Blade Edge Foot facing the bottom of the foot towards the inside of the opposite knee. With your hip aimed toward the target then forcefully and linearly extend the foot into the target striking with the edge of your foot just in front of the heel directly in line with the lower leg.

NOTES:
Movement

Crescent Step:
For now all movement in Karate will be in the form of Crescent Step as previously described. Except in one case, Takioka 3 has what is described as a Reaching Step.

Reaching Step:
This is performed like the Crescent step with the foot just off of, even lightly brushing the ground. However it is linear and extended considerably farther than normal. You are stepping out as far as you can.

Moving into a Forward Stance:
From a Ready Position all you need do is Crescent Step, either forward or back into the Forward Stance. When a Forward Stance is called for by Sensei it is appropriate to step back into it, as we are a defensive style.

Quarter Turn:
From a Forward Stance, pivot on the balls of your feet 90 degrees. To turn right the left foot must be forward, to turn left the right foot must be forward.

Half Turn:
With the foot in which direction that you want to turn, step back and across, 1 step back and 1 step across. Then pivot on the balls of your feet.

Three Quarter Turn:
The desired directional foot is moved behind the other leg, 1 step beyond the other leg and 1 step in front of the other leg (this is a reach). Then you pivot on the balls of the feet.

NOTES:
Philosophy

Patience:
The ability to be satisfied with what you have while you wait for what you want.

Commitment:
My question to you is; are you here to learn karate or are you here to watch me teach karate? If you only watch me and mirror me then you will learn nothing and have wasted your time and my time. To learn karate you must practice it, memorize the techniques until they become second nature. Then you must learn how the technique works, what it is for and when to use it. Then you must learn how the technique relates to the other techniques. You must do this with every technique. I am committed to teaching, but you also must be committed to learning. Even then, that alone is not enough. Commitment must accompany effort, for it is this effort that brings success.

Pain:
The mind is stronger than the body. Though pain exists to tell us that something is injurious, some types of pain can be beneficial or are inevitable. If you combine a positive attitude with concentration the pain of working out can be made not only bearable but can be a motivator.

NOTES:
KATA
FIRST STEP: 
Attention, Bow, Attention.
1 Left Forward Stance, Right Upper Block.
2 Right Crescent Step, Left Middle Block.
3 Left Crescent Step, Right Down Block.
4 Quarter Turn Right, Left Upper Block.
5 Half Turn Right to Right Forward Stance, Right Middle Block.
6 Quarter Turn Left, Left Down Block.
7 Right Crescent Step, Right Upper Block.
8 Left Crescent Step, Left Middle Block.
9 Half Turn Right into Kibadachi, Right Down Block.
Attention, Bow, Attention.

PUNCH-KICK EXERCISE:
Attention, Bow, Attention, Beginning Stance.
1 Forward Punch.
2 Reverse Punch, hold it.
3 Right Front Kick.
4 Forward Punch.
5 Right Crescent Step, Right Middle Block
6 Quarter Turn Left, Left Middle Block.
Repeat steps 1 through 6 four times until you return to where you started.
Attention, Bow, Attention.

TAKIOKA 1
Attention, Bow, Attention.
1 Quarter Turn Left, Left Down Block.
2 Right Crescent Step, Forward Punch.
3 Half Turn Right, Right Down Block.
4 Right Crescent Step, Forward Punch.
5 Quarter Turn Left, Down Block.
6 Right Crescent Step, Forward Punch.
7 Left Crescent Step, Forward Punch.
8 Right Crescent Step, Forward Punch.
9 Three Quarter Turn Left, Down Block.
10 Right Crescent Step, Forward Punch.
11 Half Turn Right, Down Block.
12 Left Crescent Step, Forward Punch.
13 Quarter Turn Left, Down Block.
14 Right Crescent Step, Forward Punch.
15 Left Crescent Step, Forward Punch.
16 Right Crescent Step, Forward Punch.
17 Three Quarter Turn Left, Down Block.
18 Right Crescent Step, Forward Punch.
19 Half Turn Right, Down Block.
20 Left Crescent Step, Forward Punch.
21 Quarter Turn Left into Attention.
Bow, Attention.

TAKIOKA 2
Attention, Bow, Attention.
1 Quarter Turn Left, Left Down Block.
2 Right Crescent Step, Forward Punch.
3 Half Turn Right, Right Down Block.
4 Right Crescent Step, Forward Punch.
5 Quarter Turn Left, Down Block.
6 Right Crescent Step, Upper Block.
7 Left Crescent Step, Upper Block.
8 Right Crescent Step, Upper Block.
9 Three Quarter Turn Left, Down Block.
10 Right Crescent Step, Forward Punch.
11 Half Turn Right, Down Block.
12 Left Crescent Step, Forward Punch.
13 Quarter Turn Left, Down Block.
14 Right Crescent Step, Upper Block.
15 Left Crescent Step, Upper Block.
16 Right Crescent Step, Upper Block.
17 Three Quarter Turn Left, Down Block.
18 Right Crescent Step, Forward Punch.
19 Half Turn Right, Down Block.
20 Left Crescent Step, Forward Punch.
21 Quarter Turn Left into Attention.
Bow, Attention.

TAKIOKA 3
Attention, Bow, Attention.
1 Quarter Turn Left, Left Down Block.
2 Right Crescent Step, Forward Punch.
3 Half Turn Right, Right Down Block.
4 Right Crescent Step, Forward Punch.
5 Quarter Turn Left, Down Block.
6 Right Reaching Step, Right Vertical Side Punch.
7 Left Reaching Step, Left Vertical Side Punch.
8 Right Reaching Step, Right Vertical Side Punch.
9 Three Quarter Turn Left, Down Block.
10 Right Crescent Step, Forward Punch.
11 Half Turn Right, Down Block.
12 Left Crescent Step, Forward Punch.
13 Quarter Turn Left, Down Block.
14 Right Reaching Step, Right Vertical Side Punch.
15 Left Reaching Step, Left Vertical Side Punch.
16 Right Reaching Step, Right Vertical Side Punch.
17 Three Quarter Turn Left, Down Block.
18 Right Crescent Step, Forward Punch.
19 Half Turn Right, Down Block.
20 Left Crescent Step, Forward Punch.
21 Quarter Turn Left into Attention.
Bow, Attention.