Osu!

[Gyakuto]

Remember we were going meet up when you visited the U.K.? It turns out I’m busy that week…washing my hair

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

Remember we were going meet up when you visited the U.K.? It turns out I’m busy that week…washing my hair

I completely understand, but i am not a criminal, I’m a health care professional who is a law abiding citizen despite appearances to the contrary. I am ill mannered and uncouth by British standards I’m sure. You could always tell people you were just giving charitable advice to a needy individual. We could also find a dark corner of a low end pub to meet if that would make you more comfortable. My wife certainly uses both of the aforementioned tactics to avoid admitting her relationship to me.

 

[Fungus]

My first Taiji teacher was one of the pioneers of karate in Sweden, one of Blumings original students. He traveled to Japan to study with Oyama, as he told me he couldn’t stand the atmosphered at Oyamas dojo that was full of yakuza folks

Attila Meszaros? I think he was supposedly the one that started the first kyokushing club in sweden, in gothenburg sometime in the 60's, and if I don't remember incorrectly was a student of Bluming in Holland, after he had came back from Japan. This is all as per our history that is part of the gradings.

 

[HighKick]

In Shotokan karate it’s sometimes pointed out its connection to traditions of the Jigen-ryu sword school, interesting is that jigen-ryu fencers only bow when entering the dojo floor then when in the dojo everyone are considered enemies and only sounds leaving the mouths on the floor are very prolonged and terrifying kiais, no room for cozy oss breaks.

Not in my Shotokan experience. You bow in like most other styles, and we bowed out as well, but never was your school mates considered enemies, even when hard sparring. Now the Kiai sounds I fully agree with.
More of a traditional Shotokan school I suppose.

 

[isshinryuronin]

In Shotokan karate it’s sometimes pointed out its connection to traditions of the Jigen-ryu sword school, interesting is that jigen-ryu fencers only bow when entering the dojo floor then when in the dojo everyone are considered enemies and only sounds leaving the mouths on the floor are very prolonged and terrifying kiais, no room for cozy oss breaks.

Jigen-ryu was the sword style of the Satsuma Samurai. Very aggressive. (BTW, they were known for their kiai.)
Three of their teachings are:

Do not draw lightly.
Have faith in the 1st attack - if you need a 2nd, you've already lost.
The sword is a tool to defeat the enemy, not a tool to protect oneself with.

The "Grandfather of Karate," Matsumura, was versed in this style.

Matsumura's student, Itosu Anko, taught Chibana Chosin who named his art "shorin ryu. Chibana inherited the same no-nonsense attitude: "...you have to think that if you kick, you try to kick the enemy to death. If you punch, you must thrust to kill. If you strike, then you strike to kill the enemy." He deserves an "osu!"

 

[Same Trick]

No love for the tattoo culture?

My teacher was among the first in holland to study karate with Bluming, I guess there was plenty of tattoos in that dojo

 

[Same Trick]

No love for the tattoo culture?

One of the most prominent karate sensei’s in Sweden/Europe - Hiromi Zuzuki((gojuryu) sported a splendid yakuza style tattoo, if he was one I don’t know, but I think he at least had been one back in Japan

 

[Same Trick]

Not in my Shotokan experience. You bow in like most other styles, and we bowed out as well, but never was your school mates considered enemies, even when hard sparring. Now the Kiai sounds I fully agree with.
More of a traditional Shotokan school I suppose.

No it’s the Jigen ryu sword school that hold the “everyone an enemy in the dojo”, I meant that Shotokan that hold an relation to Jigen ryu didn’t adopt that attitude, they only took to them the “one cut, one kill” remodeled it a little into “one punch, one kill”

 

[Same Trick]

Attila Meszaros? I think he was supposedly the one that started the first kyokushing club in sweden, in gothenburg sometime in the 60's, and if I don't remember incorrectly was a student of Bluming in Holland, after he had came back from Japan. This is all as per our history that is part of the gradings.

Hannes Maass, around with Attila Meszaros and Marshal McDonagh in those early days of Swedish karate history

 

[Buka]

I have very much enjoyed the 2 Yakuza types I met. They were very kind to me. Can’t trust people with no tattoo.

There’s a reason I have no tattoos.

It would be like putting bumper stickers on a Lamborghini.

 

[Gyakuto]

I completely understand, but i am not a criminal, I’m a health care professional who is a law abiding citizen despite appearances to the contrary.

Well, that is what a criminal mind would say and the next thing I know you’ve stripped, gagged and bound me and placed me with a sheep and are taking photos of me for the purposes of extortion. It’d be like high school all over again.

I am ill mannered and uncouth by British standards I’m sure.

I’ve probably painted far too a rosy image of Brits and their manners! As long as you speak quietly in public places you’ll fit right in.

You could always tell people you were just giving charitable advice to a needy individual.

They know I don’t do that kind of thing

We could also find a dark corner of a low end pub to meet if that would make you more comfortable. My wife certainly uses both of the aforementioned tactics to avoid admitting her relationship to me.

Send me photos of your wife

 

[Gyakuto]

There’s a reason I have no tattoos.

It would be like putting bumper stickers on a Lamborghini.

I’m stealing that one!

 

[Fungus]

Hannes Maass, around with Attila Meszaros and Marshal McDonagh in those early days of Swedish karate history

Thanks for the history! I looked back into our kyokushin history papers and indeed all the people you mention are described! But Attila and Bluming was the only one I remembered without reading up.

It says that Hannes Maas came to Sweden from Hamburg in Germany 1963. He trained also with Sosai Oyama dring a summer camp. Then he later went back to germany for a few years, but the paper also says that in the end of the 70's he want on a bigger journey to asia, and after that he switched to other MA styles(which i can't see which), but before that he reached 1 dan kyokushin blackbelt.

Did he get into Taiji after his kyokushi period?

Both Attila and McDonagh reseched 4th dan kyokushin blackbelt according to our history documentation. Knowing the historical roots of kyokushin is part of the curriculium for gradings, but noone remembers all of the names, there are quite a few.

 

[Gyakuto]

Is shouting “OOOOOOSSS” part of any school’s grading examinations?

 

[Fungus]

Is shouting “OOOOOOSSS” part of any school’s grading examinations?

While it's not a technique, it's considered part of the dojo manners, and respect for the dojo, and seniors etc.

In kyokushing this is something that is taught for the first belt, when you enter or exit the dojo, you bow with osu twice. One for the dojo and fellow karatekas, and one for the grandfathers of the art, turning to shinden. To show respect and dedication, and that you are here not to stretch or dance, but to fight or work hard.

We are also told that its not just respect and dedication, to osu an instructor is also about saftey. If someone does not pay attention to the instructor during kumite for example, accidents are more likely to happen. So discipline is important especially with high contact training. So the osu is perhaps a way to train paying attention and acqknowledge what is going on. For example low kicking someone HARD, when they are not ready to take it, can cause serious damage. We were told a story where a orange belt failed to pay attention to Yame command. So whille the partner relaxed, he kept going and the partner then received a blow that caused permanent knee damage that never recovered.

 

[Same Trick]

Thanks for the history! I looked back into our kyokushin history papers and indeed all the people you mention are described! But Attila and Bluming was the only one I remembered without reading up.

It says that Hannes Maas came to Sweden from Hamburg in Germany 1963. He trained also with Sosai Oyama dring a summer camp. Then he later went back to germany for a few years, but the paper also says that in the end of the 70's he want on a bigger journey to asia, and after that he switched to other MA styles(which i can't see which), but before that he reached 1 dan kyokushin blackbelt.

Did he get into Taiji after his kyokushi period?

Both Attila and McDonagh reseched 4th dan kyokushin blackbelt according to our history documentation. Knowing the historical roots of kyokushin is part of the curriculium for gradings, but noone remembers all of the names, there are quite a few.

Yes Hannes Maass was from Germany but with family relations in Holland. He got into yoga just after the war(an interesting story in itself), interested in Asian stuff he eventually got in contact with Bluming, he came to Sweden and opened one of the first karate schools there. Went to Japan together with Bert Valentin Johansson(a pioneer of kickboxing in Sweden)to train at Oyamas dojo, he left quite soon but Bert stayed in Japan for 8years. Leaving Japan he thought of going to India to meet up with his yoga teacher, but on that way he made a stop in Taiwan where he met his Taiji and Chinese swordplay teacher. Within Kyukushin he also got involved in Taikiken(In Sweden/Europe Marshal McDonagh is one of the foremost representatives of the Taikiken tradition).
By the end of the 1970’s Hannes fully came to focus on Taijiquan and similar together with other former Dutch karatekas such as Jan Voormey and Rinuz Schultz(spelling?)
However through the years he kept good contact with Bluming.