Throws in Isshin-Ryu

[Gaucho]

In his book, Isshin-Ryu Karate-Do: An instructor's manual, Bill Reynolds mentions five throws which are [at least sometimes] included in Isshin Ryu training. I know that because I bought the book and then put it in a storage unit the size of Grand Canyon. If anyone here can relate what the five throws are, I would appreciate it. Thanks very.

 

[isshinryuronin]

There are no throws in traditional isshinryu kihon. (Kusanku kata has 1 throw in it.) Of course, there is nothing to stop any instructor from adding extra stuff to his school's curriculum. His father studied isshinryu in Okinawa and also had some background in judo. Bill's dojo incorporated some other styles including kenpo, judo and others, taking an eclectic approach. So, whatever throws he teaches are likely unique to his particular school/organization.

 

[Hot Lunch]

There are no throws in traditional isshinryu kihon. (Kusanku kata has 1 throw in it.) Of course, there is nothing to stop any instructor from adding extra stuff to his school's curriculum. His father studied isshinryu in Okinawa and also had some background in judo. Bill's dojo incorporated some other styles including kenpo, judo and others, taking an eclectic approach. So, whatever throws he teaches are likely unique to his particular school/organization.

I've always questioned the claim about karate having more throws before Funakoshi (he shouldn't have been able to affect Okinawa or Kenwa Mabuni).

When you see karate youtubers explaining the bunkai of certain steps in kata as a throw, they're clearly using the throw from judo that looks the closest to it - not any hypothetical native Okinawan throws.

 

[isshinryuronin]

Funakoshi did indeed have some throws, but their origin (as far as I know) are unknown. I haven't seen anything about him studying judo and throws are not really present in traditional Okinawan kata (though I suppose the possibility exists that there may have been a few with the bunkai being lost at some early point - a couple can be seen in the Bubishi.)

We do know that in Japan grappling moves were taken out of (Shotokan) karate so it would not overlap judo's hegemony of that aspect, but as you note, this would not have influenced the Okinawans. So, if there were throws, there would have been some good record of them, which there aren't.

Taking the view that karate evolved as self-defense fighting, techniques that were direct, simple, low risk and capable of rendering an opponent injured ASAP, strikes and breaks would seem the most effective and preferred moves.

This leads to the conclusion that throws and other "non-karate-like" techniques that can occasionally be seen today have been introduced from the outside by individual instructors and schools to broaden their curriculum.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

There are plenty of throws, trips, reaps, and locks, in Isshinryu, but we're not talking omote bunkai here. It's oyo bunkai and beyond that the throws are seen.