Seinchin Kata

I first learned of Seinchin Kata, while studying Goju Ryu, as taught by Mike Eaves of Santa Barbara. It is the perfect kata for understanding the meaning of Goju ryu...the "hard-soft" style. Not only are there crisp movements with hard breathing in sanshin stance, but the double hand movements, 45 degree angles, the open hand blocks, soft breathing in one legged stances all demonstrate many "soft" concepts. This kata cannot be mastered from this video or by merely reading a book or having a "map."
To truly understand the value of this kata, you should learn from a skill instructor.

Tensho kata

Here is an example of a Five Birds Martial Arts training device, the Goju Kata Maps. The maps are utilized for students who "have already begun learning a kata." They are intended to help a student "remember what the teacher said." Each kata begins from a point of easy access, a visual concept that is "pictured" as the track of the movements. When a student sees that the katas are trying to teach concepts, in relation to one another (and not stagnant and separate movements or ideas) then they are on their way to true learning.

USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame

I attended an awards banquet at the Crowne Plaza in Los Angeles on Saturday, covering the event for Black Belt Magazine. Along with the other nominees, Frank Dux received a special award from the Hall of Heroes. It was a very moving awards banquet, with luminaries such as Bill "Superfoot" Wallace in attendance. You will be able to read my full report in a coming issue of Black Belt Magazine.

(l) Dr. Jim Thomas, (c) Bill Wallace, (r) Frank Dux

Kyudo--The Way of the Bow

Five Birds Martial Arts emphasizes that each student find some unique ways to learn martial arts concepts (and apply them). To this end, many students discover that the use of ancient and modern weaponry that may enhance the learning process. Most student learn, for this reason both the use of firearms and the use of some sort of manually operated projectile. Zen Archery is one of those ryus or "ways." Below is a combination of three videos. In the first section, a Five Birds Archery student (which is slightly different than either western or eastern forms of archery) watches a tournament as the art is demonstrated at the famous Kyudo (pronounced "Q-Dough") archery temple in Kyoto, Japan. In the second video below is Travis Richiusa, who was instructed to perform a forward roll (ukemi) with a bow and arrow in hand, then come up to his knee and shoot a lemon placed on a target. He had never tried this before and is only 9 years old at the time. You will see the results. The third and shortest section is a demonstration of CHI or KI power by Gordon Richiusa.

5 Birds Martial Arts

In response to years of prompting by my students and colleagues in the martial arts, I have decided to begin the arduous process of bringing the Five Birds Martial Arts Handbook to the general public. This will consist of previously published articles and produced video clips in addition to new materials. I pledge also to support any other link, site, school or individual who uses TRUTH in teaching martial arts for the sake of the student. I begin here with a simple logo alteration. The Go Tao Chi (sometimes known as Five Birds Tai Chi) logo, includes several smaller insignias. The kanji on the right and left are the Korean versions of the words HARD and SOFT. The five, interlocking rings above the "undefined" bird's left wing stands for Modern Ninjitsu. The phrase at the bottom says, "The Universe Breathes Both Hard and Soft." This is a Japanese, Zen proverb from which the name GoJu Ryu was derived.

Videos and other text will follow shortly after we launch this blog.

Below are some items that help us support Five Birds Martial Arts free information sharing.  The symbol and the proverb mentioned above are featured on useful items (stamps, mug and t-shirt. Your support is greatly appreciated.

create & buy custom products at Zazzle