My Journey Through Ryukyu Kempo: Training with the Master

                                                           By Brad Hatfield

I humbly dedicate this  book  to my teacher.
He was not only a teacher, he was a  mentor and my friend.  I miss his lessons and the wisdom he shared.I  miss his  sense of humor as much as anything- his jokes and his expressions.(I tell now, I kick ass...etc)  When I got to know him really well, I used to joke with him and tell him he was the abusive grandfather I never had.


I think about the Master every day of my life. I honestly thought he would  live to be one-hundred years old.He beat the odds so many times and survived so much hardship in his life, I began to suspect he would outlive most of us.Sadly, this was not to be. I try very hard to remember everything he taught me. I have always held my teacher and his art in the highest regard.

Now that he is gone, his students will write his legacy by their conduct and actions.

What one man builds in his lifetime, others can destroy in a short period of time.
It is easy to destroy something beautiful and unique, any fool can do it.
Things as intangible and tenuous  as honor or ethics can be undone in a moment’s time.

I have not been directly involved with my teacher’s  Association for several years, but that does not change anything for me.
I never stopped training or working on things my teacher  taught me.
I have a never ending responsibility to my teacher. Not just in martial arts, but in everything
I do. How I conduct myself in my daily affairs, how I live my life and treat people in business and personal relationships.Everything I do and say is a reflection  on my teacher and his legacy.As a personal student , I hold myself to his  high standards-I never want to do anything to betray his trust or undermine his reputation.

Lighten Up-I like to laugh, to find the humor in things that might not seem funny to others.
If this offends you,too goddamn bad!  It’s my book, if you don’t like it, write a book about how much you hate my book.

Life is  short and we all experience pain and suffering-let’s call it the the human condition.
You better take the time to grab whatever happiness you can and enjoy a few laughs whenever you can get them.
You can’t enjoy life with a stick up your ass. (Yes-you can quote me on that).
One thing I have noticed and something that has bothered me over the years is how seriously American  martial artists take themselves-Yes, training is serious business and of a serious nature, but if you are such a rigid tight ass that you can’t laugh at yourself or find the humor in things, I really  feel sorry for you.
I learned this from the Master , he was deadly serious when we were training intensely, but he always found a way to interject his irreverent humor at some point during our training sessions.

He taught us to laugh at ourselves and everybody else. He made fun of everybody equally.
That might be the quality that bound me to my teacher the most.

“It’s always funny until someone gets hurt, then it’s hilarious-Bill Hicks

A quick thank you to all my detractors-
I have  had people underestimate me many times throughout  my life.
I’m not sure if it is because I am short and generally good natured or for some other reason.
Nothing makes me happier or causes me to laugh harder then when someone decides I will be easy to beat, I’m not strong enough, my technique  isn’t very good or whatever else they decide.
Nothing feeds my inner fire, my will and my determination more than my detractors.
I am going to take this opportunity to thank anyone who ever doubted me- To those who thought I wasn’t strong enough, would give up, was too short, too young, too old, too nice…………..To all of you talking smack, misjudging, underestimating-Thank You!
You gave me the fuel to succeed, you helped me! I take that negativity and use it to forge my inner and outer strength, my will,my determination and  my technique.
Keep it up ! Keep doubting me, my will, my strength or my resolve. You are helping me
gather and build my strength. I used all that negative energy, along with my positive energy,  to become a 7th degree Black Belt training as a personal student of an Okinawan karate legend.

I am recalling all of this as truthfully from my memory as possible. I am simply a guy from Kansas who loves Okinawan martial arts and was fortunate enough to train with a  genuine  Okinawan Karate Master. I  feel very lucky that I was able to train with him on a weekly basis for 17 years. I have a story to tell if anybody is interested.

“What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease”
Sun Tzu-The Art of War.

Chapter One

About My Teacher-
The world is a little bit  darker place without our teacher. We all miss his spirit, his mischievousness/humor, wisdom and his incredible technique. There are times in our life when we meet someone, a person so unique, so different, unlike anyone you have ever experienced before- A truly original human being.This was certainly one of those times.

To me , Taika  always seemed larger than life, like he was semi-immortal or hewn from a block of Oak wood-immovable, indestructible. If you were ever on the receiving end of one of his punches, it felt like his fist was a block of Oak wood, or his arm was a  tree trunk when he hit you. Even when he patted you on the shoulder or back, just the weight of his hand felt like a heavy piece of wood,  or a brick hitting you.

In my mind, he was slightly more than human in his abilities, he was always 2-3 moves ahead of whatever his opponent was doing. I have never seen anyone duplicate his technique at the same level and really don’t believe anyone ever will.
I saw him do so many amazing things, too many to mention at the beginning of a book.
He had a magnetism, a charisma or energy I have felt from very few others,  a sort of personal electricity.

I sometimes thought our teacher was hard on people, but also understood why he had good reason to be.You were a representative of his art, his “face”. As his student,everything you did and said was a reflection on him. He was tough but he was also very fair.
I would not have the same respect and feeling for him if he had been a  completely laid back, easygoing  guy. What made our teacher great was he never pretended to be anything he wasn’t- I  have never met anybody that was a better judge of human character, he  truly understood  human nature.

“You want easy teach, I no easy teach”-Taika

He did not like people who were “wishy-washy”-Either do it or don’t, there was no middle groundwith him.You had to be committed. I watched the uncommitted fall by the wayside, year after year. I trained with hundreds of people at different schools and Headquarters over the years- very few of those people are still training   25+ years later.

In my opinion, the good teachers hammer you-they push you, press down on you, they throw everything they have at you-They are waiting for the moments when you rise up, when you take everything they throw at you and come back for more, when they know you will never give up.This is not only martial arts, this is a  life lesson for all of us.

Some people can’t take the pressure,being constantly corrected, kata and exercises always changing, being pushed to train harder, try harder.
Real martial arts training is a long, frustrating and sometimes tedious process.
You have to check your ego and your preconceived ideas at the door-especially when you were training with a real Master. When you thought you had mastered or figured out how to do something,he changed the timing or the motion or the footwork to another level.

There is a point in martial arts training where you have to decide- is this the direction I want to go with my life, is this the martial art I will devote myself to and most importantly-Is this the teacher I will follow?

During one training session, many  years ago  at headquarters, Taika  was yelling at me. I was trying to do something he had just shown us and it wasn’t right. He kept telling me I was doing it wrong.There were a lot of very loud “No’s” and “Goddammit’s”.
I finally told him I had to stop  for a minute, my brain was fried.  He was looking closely  at me and said-”you think I too hard on you, yell too much”?
I told him no, that’s what I expected, that he would correct me and bust my chops,
it was the only way I would ever get better. He said” this good answer, I can teach you, no problem”.

Our teacher   told us all many times over the years that if we did not believe him or agree with him the door was right over there. In fact, I think he told us this once a week or every class. Nobody I trained with ever took him up on that offer-I think we all knew how incredibly lucky we were.Over the years there were people that left of their own accord and others who were shown the door for different reasons.  I had enough faith in the Master to believe there was a very good reason for everything he did.

I believe everything was a test of some sort with our teacher- a test to see if you could do it,
a test to see if you would persevere and learn something or if you would give up on your own. Did you have  the willpower, the drive and strength to continue?
He never made anybody do anything, you either did it or you didn’t. Everything was a
personal test and challenge.He wanted you to get better and he had his ways to ensure it happened.

Our teacher never stopped training. He just got better over time.The way he did technique changed quite a bit over the years. There was a serious transition from hard style techniques to a much more fluid type of motion and application of technique as he got older.
What this meant to me : The Master was showing us how your martial arts stay relevant as you get older-i.e.  what I lose in power/speed, I make up for  with covering motion/reaction,body mechanics, timing and footwork. This was an extremely valuable lesson I have taken to heart. I am getting older, at 48 years old, I don’t train as  physically hard as I used to, but I definitely train smarter. Quality of technique over quantity, working on quick, efficient technique that does not expend too much energy. This is how one  should train as they get older, this is how we all keep our martial arts relevant as we age.

Power and speed are fleeting-you better have good footwork, covering motion and timing
when you get older. You must have the foundation and technical skills to defend  yourself
against younger, stronger opponents-good life protection techniques. You cannot expect to trade punches with a 25 year old when you are 55, it is not going to go well. Why would you want to? You might eventually win that way,but you are going to take a beating!
Train smarter as you get older, polish your technique and learn to control your opponent with minimum effort.

People who know me have asked me this question many times-Did you ever land a punch or get through Taika’s defense? I want to be absolutely honest with you. NO!!!!
I never, ever  got close to getting a hand on my teacher. Even when I was young, cocky and fast.I always tried  to punch, push or kick as fast as I could. I knew what was coming, the freight train of pain!
It did not matter what I tried to do, even when I feinted or tried to fake him out-he would grin as he pummeled you, appreciating your attempt yet still crushing you in an instant.

Training with the Master  was a truly humbling experience-by humbling I mean having your ass  publicly kicked ,badly,  by a man 35- 40 years older than you, he made it look so easy.
It takes a lot of wind out of your sails to be taken down effortlessly by someone old enough to be your grandfather. And brother, let me tell you, it was quick! You were on the ground in 2 seconds-no joke. As a young man, you begin to  develop an appreciation that there might be other older, more experienced martial artists than can do similar things to you.
You develop an awareness that there might be other people in general  that have trained longer than you or are just more skilled than you are.
Once you have taken a few beatings from someone who makes it look real easy, your perspective changes and everything begins to fall into place. You should stay very humble and keep your mouth shut.
Being around the Master every week  and having him work techniques on me kept me  very humble.I never lost that quality, I am still that way.

My teacher was so good, it was almost surreal to watch him doing techniques. There were moments I recall that time seemed almost suspended, like slow motion-sounds crazy to some I’m sure, but it is the truth from my perspective, somebody who saw it all unfolding
in front of him or on him.
From the first time I saw him knocking people out effortlessly and throwing them around  like rag dolls, my life was never the same. Something clicked and I knew I was in the presence of the truly gifted-a genuine martial arts Master.
For whatever reason, divine guidance, Fate or just luck-we were all able to share the wisdom, spirit, humor and incredible life protection techniques of a truly original human being.

My Painful Path to Success

My Painful Path to Success (Success=training with Taika Oyata)

**Disclaimer-if you are easily offended or of a delicate, sensitive nature , do not read this blog**

Nin-Tai: perseverance, to endure

If anybody is interested, I have a few more stories to tell about the good old days.
After witnessing a demonstration of real Okinawan Karate in 1986 , by a true Master, I
was hooked. After  speaking directly  to Master Oyata, I was determined to get an opportunity to train with him personally.
 The same friend who invited me to Mr. Oyata's tournament and demonstration
suggested I visit Kyoshi Greg Lindquist (now Tasshi Lindquist)at his school in Overland Park, Kansas.
I was told at the time that there were a lot of good  Ryukyu Kempo schools in Kansas City,
 but that Kyoshi Lindquist's school was one of the best and that he was also  a very good teacher.

( I make this distinction because in my experience, you can be a good martial artist,
with strong technique and fighting skills-but if you cannot break it all down and explain
it, every nuance- A thru Z, you are not a good teacher).

Every truly worthwhile endeavor in life is a challenge. I  state the obvious for anybody that has
not trained at a classical martial arts school. Training is a serious matter and you are exposed to
quite a bit of pain and suffering. If you are sensitive,your feelings are easily hurt, you don't like to sweat or to feel pain, you should stay at home and  play video games, text your friends endlessly or continue to work on your quilting skills.

Kyoshi Greg Lindquist
I sauntered into Kyoshi Greg Lindquist's school in the Winter of 1986. I had seen him introduced
at the demonstration.
Knowing he was one of Mr. Oyata's senior students made it all a little more
intimidating. Kyoshi Lindquist was friendly enough, so I asked a lot of questions.
He was patient and thoroughly explained the system, weapons training,
 the katas and how the beginning classes were run.
I have always been a little impatient and slightly hyperactive. Back then, I was also pretty cocky.
Some people that knew me  back then might tell you I had a chip on my shoulder a mile wide.
After talking with Kyoshi and studying him for awhile , I mistakenly thought he was too tall and large to be very fast and was probably nowhere near as good as Mr. Oyata.
I explained that I was a good fighter, had some Judo/JuJitsu training and some previous Shotokan Karate training from my father.
 Oh and that  I was very fast, with super reflexes! Ah, the exuberance of youth........
To his credit, Kyoshi only asked if I wanted to come out onto the wood deck and work on some
techniques. I said "sure" and the rest is rather painful history.

Tasshi Greg Lindquist-(the way I remember him back in the day)

*Tasshi-if you see this, I borrowed this picture from your website!

Ask and you shall receive
Kyoshi invited me to attack him however I wanted-
When I tried to throw a very quick punch, he struck my arm so hard it almost knocked me to the floor, while my arm felt like it was either broken, on fire or both.
I tried to throw a sneaky, fast kick-he stepped aside while striking my leg so hard, it dropped me and
charlie-horsed my outer thigh-Good times!
Too young to know better and too stupid to care,
I moved in for a lapel-grab/throw position-big mistake, I got an arm bar followed with a quick neck slap. Man-he was quick, I didn't have a chance.
I got to see and feel several well executed and excruciatingly painful tuite techniques that day.
The  minimum effort and the speed which Kyoshi displayed was impressive-The pain was instant and unbelievable.  I had to learn how to do  this and wanted more than anything to learn this so I could train with Mr. Oyata!
The funniest part about all of this: I signed up for classes on the spot, thanked him for the lesson(beating) and could not wait to get back to his school for more lessons(beatings).
*I really did learn some important lessons that day!
I really wasn't that fast, that good, had no super reflexes or secret built-in resistance to pain.
I finally learned to respect my elders and was learning to not judge people by appearances.
That  first beating commenced on a Saturday, I showed up a little sore for my first class the following Monday.
I want to be very clear about something. Other than the late Taika Oyata, there is nobody in Ryu Te I
respect more than Tasshi Greg Lindquist. I have always felt he was  the best teacher I have ever
 met and am  fortunate to have been his student. Although I do not train with him like I used to,  I have tremendous respect for him as my  teacher, his  depth of knowledge and technical skills.


Mike Whitney-"Mad Dog"
Kyoshi's partner at the dojo was Mike Whitney. Mike was short,  muscular and very intense.
Just for a point of personal reference, his nickname was "Mad Dog".
He trained very hard, punched very hard, kicked very hard -everything he did hurt!
Taika Oyata  taught him a lot of very effective tuite/submission techniques because he was a police officer.
His tuite was quick, efficient and painful-you had  just enough time to get your hand in front of your face, to stop you  before your face hit the floor and you were yelling and tapping from the pain.
Mike was also very good with toe kicks, I used to have bruises all over my body from his expertly placed toe kicks. We practiced kicking a bag full of rocks and sand to toughen up our toes-it works, to this day I feel no pain when I stub my toes, or more importantly,when I toe kick someone!
I really liked and respected him, he was a good teacher and an excellent martial artist.

 Mike and Kung Fu DaveThe first bogu kumite(full contact fighting) match I ever saw in the dojo, Mike knocked out a guy they called Kung Fu Dave with one punch :
 knocked out, hell-he looked dead, it took a few doses of smelling salts to bring him around and he had a major concussion. For the first few minutes, he didn't know who he was or what had happened.
 This made quite an impression on me. This was not "tippy tap" point fighting. Up close and personal, this was balls to the wall, let's get it on, I'm gonna knock you out- on steroids.
(I know it made an impression in/on Kung Fu Dave's head) I never saw Kung Fu Dave Bogu fight again.

The guy that played JP in the movie "Grandma's Boy" has an uncanny resemblance to Kung Fu Dave

Kung Fu Dave-as I remember him

" From life's school of war, that which does not kill me, makes me stronger"-Friedrich Nietzsche

Bogu/full contact fighting is only one aspect of Taika Oyata's art, but a very important
one that should never be neglected.We did a lot of bogu fighting in those days.
Our instructors would throw the beginners in with the advanced students-
It was painful, you got your ass handed to you repeatedly.
I'm still not convinced it builds character, but it will toughen you up, make you mean.

You learn quickly to keep your hands up, how to block  powerful kicks and punches  and the importance of moving to your opponents weak side.
You also learn what it feels like when people are trying very hard to knock you out and
kick your ribs in.
There are two kinds of people in this martial arts world:
Those who do bogu fighting and really like it and those who try it and never want to do it again.
It hurts-it is an exercise in pain , but it teaches you to fight, to respond, to accept the pain and continue fighting. Life is a test and what better test than to  fight someone trying very hard  to knock you out, to physically  hurt you.
I loved bogu fighting then and I love it to this day- a chance to hit people,  hit and kick them as hard as you can and not get into trouble/thrown in jail ? Sign me up.

I had been training for several months, working on basics/ exercises and the first katas.
Aside from Bogu fighting and endless kata training, we did a lot of heavy bag training, shield training, suburito drills (wooden sword) makiwara and lots of tuite/grappling.

Kyoshi Stark
Around  this time, I had the  privilege of meeting and training with Kyoshi Steve Stark.
Kyoshi Stark was teaching classes at Kyoshi Lindquist's school and  he ran some incredible,intense workouts! The wood floor was literally drenched in sweat when the workouts were done. Back in those days, I would personify him as hell on wheels. Other than Taika Oyata, I had never seen anybody punch or kick with so much power. He also had the most incredible version of  the Kusanku kata I have ever seen.

I only saw Kyoshi Stark  Bogu fight one time, it was over after the first punch. The student Mr. Stark fought was a U.S. Marshal, a giant of a man-it made no difference.
Kyoshi Stark hit him one time and he was on the ground/done. He had to be helped to his feet and stupidly insisted on continuing, wouldn't take no for an answer. When the match started again, Kyoshi Stark kicked him and I believe broke/bruised  some of his ribs.
I had never seen anybody hit and kick so hard, so fast and drop somebody 2 times their size.
If you ever trained one on one with Kyoshi Stark, you know what I am talking about. I learned a lot about punching power, speed and timing from training with him. I  learned firsthand he has an extremely strong punch. He drop punched me in the chest and gave me a bad pleurisy. Pleurisy  is a medical term used  to describe having  all of your muscles mashed together like two pieces of buttered bread. I can assure you the effects are very painful and long-lasting (it hurts to talk, breathe, move or laugh). The only known cure is single malt scotch, although good bourbon will slightly dull the pain, it does not have the rejuvinating qualities of a fine single malt.

I also learned several kyusho/ nerve strikes from him, based on empty hand forms and weapons katas, the pain was so immediate and excruciating I have never forgotten them.
 Kyoshi Stark always answered  my questions with painfully demonstrated technical applications.
I was able to train with Kyoshi Stark over a period of many years and eventually helped him run classes at his school in Overland Park, Kansas. He is an extremely talented martial artist and I  consider it an honor to have trained with him.
Did I mention how hard he hits?

Mr. Stark wrote a great book titled-Quest : The Ancient Way about his experiences with Mr. Oyata.
I encourage anybody interested in what is was like to train with Taika Oyata, Okinawan martial arts and the true meaning of perseverance to check out his book!

Keep asking and you will get knocked out-

This was at a  time  when Mr. Oyata was traveling more,  he  was also  showing more Kyusho techniques, especially the neck strike knockouts.

As Taika Oyata's knockouts became more well known, we began to get a lot of strange people coming into the dojo. Everybody wanted to learn this neck strike in 3 easy classes!

  A funny story about one of these crazy bastards:
We had one guy that wore what I referred to as a Christmas hakama/uniform . Red top with green pants-classy!

He used to bother Kyoshi Lindquist after every class to knock him out-"Please sir, will you show me the knockout, please sir, knock me out". This went on and on. I offered to do it slowly, over several minutes to shut him up.

Kyoshi Lindquist was very patient for a few weeks. One day between classes, Kyoshi was at the front desk, working on something. I was out on the wood deck, training. Christmas hakama man came up to the desk  and started his "Sir please knock me out" speech. Without missing a beat, from his seated position, Kyoshi leaned forward and quickly smacked him in the neck, dropping him to the ground, a perfect knockout. I have seen  few things in my life more spontaneous, awesome and  very few things funnier than that! What made me laugh harder was Kyoshi continuing to work at his desk while christmas hakama guy lay silently on the floor, finally quiet, resting, all tuckered out.
Whenever I need a laugh, that is a Kodak moment I love to remember!

When the hammer drops, the bullshit stops-
We also had a lot of  "tough guys" come in, wanting to bogu fight- there were self styled Kung Fu masters, Missouri Hillbilly Shaolin monks, Olathe street fighter/ karate masters, Jeet Kune Do masters,  kickboxers- (most neither kicked or boxed very well)........etc.
The list is long and  undistinguished! I watched them all limp sadly  out the door in disgrace, never to return.
Some of them I got to fight, some were decent, most were pathetic. I took a great deal of pride in
pummeling  the ones with a bad attitude,who were rude to my instructor or the other students. One guy was such a jerk, when we were  getting ready  to fight, Kyoshi Lindquist gave me the "nod". I didn't know what the nod meant so I asked him "what"? He quietly  said" I want you to knock this guy on his ass". I did, more than once-it was beautiful! Never saw him again.
I soon learned that the people who ran their mouth the most could rarely back it up.
Fighting up close and personal, starting 1 foot away from each other can be intimidating for some.
Getting hit, really hard, repeatedly is even more intimidating for others.Some people's ego
can't take losing, especially a public beatdown. I was taught and trained by my instructors to
 rise up-keep fighting , push yourself constantly  to get better and never give up.

I began to compete in local tournaments-it was very intense to be in front of large groups of  people.
You never knew who you were going to be fighting. I had some great matches over the years, plus some not so great matches. The human condition dictates we all take a beating sometime.


One of my first tournaments, I fought a tallish, skinny guy that didn't look like much- he beat my ass up one side and down the other.  He was quick and powerful !  I managed to hit him really hard one time and knock him down, but ended up losing.

Another tournament, I fought a giant. This guy was huge,  twice my size. I was nervous, the adrenaline was pumping and I got close to him-using my hips and legs with an uppercut, I punched him as hard as I could in the chin/jaw, the effects were immediate and satisfying.
He went flying and laid on the floor, I had  knocked him on his ass  and split his chin open, blood was gushing. I found out later he had to get  stitches, the punch had peeled a big flap of skin off of his chin. Now that's a punch!  He was also asking everyone:who was that short guy and how could he punch so hard ? That made me very happy! (still does)

During another tournament I had my opponent-a big muscular guy, trying to intimidate me before the match. He came over by me and was punching himself in the face, trying to stare me down.
I was laughing at him, who does that? what a jackass!-I walked over to him and told him to save it, he was about to get plenty of that in just a minute.  What a tool- the more I thought about it, the more determined I was to whip his ass in a very public way. The good news is I beat him like a rented mule, I was on him like a buzzsaw, I hit him  so many times, he begged me for a kick!- I think he just pissed me off- Also, he was so big he couldn't move very efficiently.

I learned some important lessons-don't have any preconceived notions about people based on height or size.You never know how good your opponent is until it's on.
Also-don't take any crap off anybody or ever let anybody intimidate you.

I would not have traded these early  experiences for anything.As I was to learn from Taika Oyata,
Kyoshi Lindquist and Kyoshi Stark, this is your foundation, the building blocks of your training and technique.
You better build it strong.


Nobody accomplishes much in life without some  help- Teachers, mentors, friends.
I have a list of people who  helped me, trained with me, were  always  cool or offered good advice over the years-
Thanks and much respect to:
Taika Oyata, Albert Giraldi,Jim Logue, Greg Lindquist,Mike "Mad Dog" Whitney, Mike Huff,
Steve Stark,Steve The Lawyer, Bill Gossett, Vince Stallone, Brian McGrew  Bill Hufford,
 Barbara Mundis,Craig Isabel , Jim Massey,  Richard Benge, Jim Bryant, Jeff Runnels, Alan Amour, Robbie Morris, Mike Minor, Lee Richards, Matt Cowen, Mike Yoch and my good friend,  the nefarious  mastermind  Jon Dilley, one of the most technically proficient  martial artists I have ever trained with.
 *Look for a book on Okinawan martial arts and the  hypocrisy of martial artists from Jon in the near future.


Time for a quick rant-I need to vent about something.
Disclaimer-
**If you are of an extremely sensitive nature,  and your feelings are easily hurt, do not read the following paragraph:
I want to be extremely clear about something that really pisses me off-Politics and crybabies!
I hate politics and don't give a rat's ass who did what , who said what to who, who is mad at who,who got their little feelings hurt .................ad naseum.
Life is too short to worry about what other people are doing. 
Rule #1 -Don't be a bitch! Suck it up, grow a pair, ,get a life, dust yourself off and get back in the game Nancy! This is martial arts, not ballet.This is not an encounter group, we are not composing sonnets of  poetry or arranging pretty flowers.  Got it?   Are we clear?  Good! 


Sometimes the journey is more important than the destination-

There is no first attack in karate

Training with the Master- Experiences with Taika Seiyu Oyata

Signed Magazine article about Taika Oyata and his painful art. I love this picture, it's hard to fake real pain and completely unnecessary when training with Taika.

I am still training, I work out every day!

I started training in Ryukyu Kempo in 1986.

My first instructors were Greg Lindquist and Mike Whitney, out of their school in Overland Park, Kansas.

I caught the fever and never looked back. The mind and body numbing exercises, katas, kicks, punches, bag work, suburito drills(wooden sword), tuite-grappling, throws/pins, full contact fighting, weapons training and of course the kyusho-vital point striking. It was all incredibly new, excruciatingly painful ,very cool and highly addictive.

It all started for me  with an advertisement  for a martial arts tournament and demonstration.

A friend invited me to come see what he called "real Okinawan Karate" and a martial arts master demonstrating his techniques.

I had previously trained in Shotokan karate and had some Ju-jitsu and Judo training.

None of what I had seen or done previously prepared me for that fateful day.

*Rare ad for  Master Oyata seminar-thanks to Greg Lindquist for this copy

I arrived to the demonstration in Independence, Missouri. The auditorium was packed, easily 200 people or more. I watched the competitions, katas and fighting. The full contact fighting, called Bogu Kumite, is another always painful reminder that no matter how good you are, there is somebody that hits harder, kicks harder, is faster or just meaner than you. What a wonderful, life affirming moment Bogu fighting is. Head and teeth jarring punches, kicks to all areas, arm strikes, elbows, sweeps-you get the picture.

Midway through the tournament, they announced the demonstration would begin.

The began to lay down large, thick mats on the gym floor.

A short, very powerfully built man stood in the center. He was introduced as Master Oyata and began to talk through an interpreter about his art.. He explained that real martial arts are not a trick or like the movies. It takes a lifetime to attain mastery of an art and it was important to have strong basic techniques and never stop training. He explained that in Okinawa, martial artists were held in high regard, most were of good, strong character. Helping their communities, the hidden protectors of the people'

 He also explained more about his art: Tuite Jitsu- wrist and arm grappling, severely painful control and submission holds.

Kyusho Jitsu- Devastating nerve and pressure point strikes. He also went into a lot of detail about the meaning of the the word Jitsu- it means mystery or puzzle, an enigma or riddle that is either difficult or nearly impossible to solve.

At this point, he called out several people to the mats. He then began to tell his students/guinea pigs-

"Go ahead, punchee, kickee, doesn't matter "

 The first man up towered over Mr. Oyata, he threw a wild punch that was stopped with a quick strike, he was hit in the neck 1/2 second later and crumpled to the ground in a heap.

The next instructor tried to do a spinning kick, Mr. Oyata quickly kicked the leg he was standing on out from under him, it was brutally efficient.

The techniques continued- he was knocking people out with neck strikes, wrapping people up in tuite/grappling and sending them screaming to the ground-it was awesome!

I had never imagined somebody was this skilled, he really was a Master!

Mr. Oyata then switched to weapons- he fought with a 6 foot staff, sai, jo and tonbo.

The best was for last- his cane technique. How deceptive an ordinary cane is! In the right hands, you can hook peoples arms, sweep their legs,hook their legs,  hook their necks, shoulders, pin them on the ground and strike any number of ways. I was completely mesmerized by his mastery.

*The caption of this newspaper article says it all-I am  lucky to have been his student!

Now comes the funny part. I waited until the end of the tournament/seminar and asked a few of the instructors if I could meet Mr. Oyata. They looked at me like I was crazy and said sure, he's around the corner smoking a cigarette. I walked out the door and there he was! I nervously introduced myself and thanked him for the demonstration. I told him how great he was, and I told him I wanted to train with him. He laughed at me!

His exact words were-"I don't think so"

He bluntly told me no,he did not know me, I was not good enough and would have to get a black belt in his system and then be invited for personal instruction, then maybe I could train with him.

He also told me-"you want to learn my karate, I kick ass" -Truer words have never been spoken.

I made my mind up right then, if it took 10 years, I would train in his system and eventually I could train with him-He was  the only real martial arts master I had ever seen or met  . There are a lot of posers and charlatans out there, none of whom were/are fit to shine Mr. Oyatas shoes.

*Mr Oyata also had no idea what a persistent, stubborn s.o.b. I am.

Because Mr. Oyata's Headquarters was based locally, I was able to attend seminars with him  and actually tested for my Green Belt, and  3 degrees of Brown Belt in front of him.

You want to talk intimidating? You want some pressure in your life? Stand in front of a martial arts master, showing him your forms/technique while he is staring at you, unmoving, possibly unimpressed, 3 feet away.

You want more even more pressure? Test for Black Belt in front of Taika Seiyu Oyata, Albert Giraldi, Jim Logue, Steve Stark, Greg Lindquist and all the top instructors from around the country.

I trained with Mr Oyata at his Headquarterson on a bi-weekly basis for several years, then we all switched to weekly classes as his travels/seminars increased. 

I trained hard and listened carefully to his instruction.

I wrote everything down!

I have several notebooks full of diagrams, techniques, excercises,

ideas about tuite, kyusho, kumiwaza and much, much more!

Enough for a book?

*Here is a photo of my ShodanCertificate-1st Degree Black Belt

This is a blurry shot of my Yondan Certificate-4th Degree Black Belt

I am not overly concerned with Black Belt ranking. I have 2 scrolls from Taika Oyata in his family art- Oyata Shin Shu Ho Ryu. I'm not going to photograph them or reveal what rank comes with them. Other than my wife and son, they are my most treasured possessions, because they were given to me by Mr. Oyata and because of  what they represent: 

I have always held my teacher and his art in the highest regard.

Oyata Shin Shu Ho Ryu-

"Strive to attain true moral goodness and express it through one's every action":

Useful Pain and Quotes from the Master

I feel compelled to share just a little more information and a few stories/anecdotes about my teacher,
Taika Seiyu Oyata. I believe he was one of the best  martial artists on the Earth, but I am a little biased.
 You have to understand that Taika was truly great-He was a proud man, proud of his heritage and proud of his martial arts-He was willing to perform techniques on anybody/anytime!
If you didn't believe him, he would show you!


Pictured below, taking one for the team at a seminar is Mike Cline. Mike  is a large, strong man and an excellent martial artist himself. We were all dust in the wind, clay in the hands of the Master. It did not matter how fast, strong, tricky or cool you were-you were going to the ground in an instant, usually yelling in pain!
This technique is the Okinawan version of the body slam, with a side strike. I remember this day/moment and this technique vividly. It was quick and devastatingly painful, like everything Taika did.
As much as I hate to say it, the truth is I was glad it was Mike and not me. He truly got jacked up!

I believe pain can be useful in some instances. It certainly reminds us we are still alive, there is an existential quality to extreme pain-you are really living and feeling life at that moment!
 It can also be used as a training aid  by a Master to keep  martial artists in line.




I have a signed copy of this issue-A blast from the past. Taika Oyata on the cover of Black Belt
magazine, inflicting extreme pain on  black belt Rocky Leavitt.These were never staged, probably one of several takes for the perfect shot-Ouch.
 Taika Oyata appears to be almost smiling-why not? It was his job and no one was better at it.

Found this on YOUTUBE-I was never one for recording things, I was more interested in hands on training.
This is a short video of Taika Oyata doing neck strikes on black belt Peter Polander. For some reason,
Taika Oyata did a lot of  techniques on Peter Polander. Peter is an excellent martial artist and has a high tolerance for pain.

 

Taika Seiyu Oyata has a large, loyal following. This picture could barely fit the group that came to train and celebrate his 60 years in the martial arts. I am seated in front of him at a direct angle to his shoulder-

The reason I am telling you this is  that he told me to sit there- he wanted to know where I was and what I was doing.Strangely enough, people sometimes feel I might be up to something. Seated behind me is my instructor/ senior black belt Greg Lindquist. There are some wonderful people and some absolutely dedicated martial artists in this photo.

Now for the lighter side of things-Our teacher did have a great sense of humor. He was a pretty funny
guy when we weren't training. He also had some famous phrases we got to hear over and over again.
I would like to share some of these quotes and my rough translation/understanding of them:

"GODDAMMIT"-this plays on a never ending reel in my head-no interpretation necessary.
I hear this in my sleep to this day or especially when I am training.

"Why  no can get up"?-After he knocked you out, or threw you down or while he had you pinned, writhing in pain. He was politely asking why you could not get to your feet in the usual fashion, usually with a grin. It was always a lot funnier when it was happening to someone else.

" I no baloney teach"-You asked for it, you got it, hard and physical training,  involving pain of some sort.
"I kick ass"-somebody was in trouble, said something , did or didn't do something. Sometimes he was joking, but if he was serious-look out- Asses would be kicked!

"doodle movement"-little movement, subtle motion.
"I tell now"-shut up and listen-he was going to hit you with some knowledge.
"You want easy teach, I no easy teach"-no explanation necessary.
"Arms no hurt, feet on floor"-Somebody made the mistake of saying their arms hurt during training, our penance for this crybaby was 1,000 punches and 1,000 kicks or something similar.

Not!No!-both meant the same thing, you were not doing it right or not answering him correctly.

"How did it"?-He wanted you to tell him how he did something, for the record-nobody was ever right.
I privately referred to this mental torture/game as "You Can't Win", nothing I said was right, even when I was right I was not phrasing my answer correctly or using the correct terminology. I still
was wrong yet continued playing for many years.


For anybody interested in his life, his personal thoughts, philosophy and views on martial arts,
Taika Oyata wrote an amazing book:Ryu-Te no Michi-The Way of Ryukyu Hands.
I highly encourage anybody interested in martial arts, history or the story of a truly unique human
being to look for this book online.