SHIN-KYU SHOTOKAN KARATE-DO
Shotokan is a traditional
Japanese "hard" style of karate, emphasizing the
development and control of power, smoothness and balance in punching,
kicking, blocking/parrying and body shifting. Advanced training
includes both force deflection and opponent control techniques
(throws, joint locks, etc.). The emphasis is on gaining
physical resilience, balance, flexibility, bodily awareness,
coordination and power by learning the combative techniques of a
traditional Japanese empty-hand martial art. The Shin-kyu
("new-old") name is used with Mr. Leroy Rodrigues'
permission, and is as well the name of his dojo in South San
Francisco; I consider myself to be teaching an affiliate, if not a
branch dojo of his.
I am now living near
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. I usually teach
adult classes in shotokan karate-do evenings at the Morrisville
Aquatics and Fitness Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I am
in town (schedule). Shin-kyu
Shotokan as I teach it is not primarily tournament oriented, nor is
board breaking required. While not primarily a self-defense
class, aspects of self-defense techniques will be explored in the
intermediate and advanced classes. Self defense is derived from
kata techniques
and uses aiki-jujitsu principles; sparring is taught as application
of more basic techniques and is based on a kendo foundation. Okinawan
weapons (staff, nunchaku, sai, etc.) are not taught routinely.
Additionally, techniques of the Japanese sword, based on the suburi
of Gomogawa Kaishin Ryu, the 10 kendo kata and on Soshoryu Iaido, are
taught privately and by appointment only.
Schmeisser ET. Advanced Karate-Do. The second edition is now available (ISBN 0-911921-35-4) directly from the author, as the publisher has returned all rights and remainders to the author. International purchasers should contact the author directly by email for shipping costs, etc. A reviews of the first edition can be found here and here. This book lays out an analysis of the fundamentals of karate from the shotokan perspective, and provides both a structure with which to organize the techniques, as well as methods for expanding one's karate.
Schmeisser ET. Bunkai: Secrets of Karate Kata Vol 1: The Tekki Series. This book published in 2000 (ISBN 0-911921-36-2) is also available directly from the author. International purchasers should contact the author directly by email for shipping costs, etc. A review by Mr. Taniguchi (5-dan JKA, Japan) can be read here; another review is here. This book can act as an introduction to application analysis for those whose training has previously concentrated on formal and/or tournament karate. The book is now in its second publication by Trafford and is available here.
Schmeisser ET. Channan - The Heart of the Heians. This book (ISBN 1-4120-1357-7) has been published by Trafford and is available here. DVDs of a seminar I taught on these kata is available at the Bushido-kai and is reviewed here.
In the beginning was ENIAC.pdf (Originally published in JSRSI Vol. 1 #6 Aug 2002,)
Reification of Process and Confusion of Levels.pdf
Dr. Elmar T. Schmeisser is currently ranked Hachidan (7th-degree black belt) and has been granted the title Kyoshi by the International Society of Okinawan/Japanese Karate-Do, by the International Shotokan-ryu Karate-do Shihankai, and Senior Master Instructor (Kyoshi) by the American Teacher's Association of the Martial Arts. The karate substyle taught is Shotokan karate (lineages from Hidetaka Nishiyama/JKA and Richard Kim/Shorinjiryu). My current research emphasis is in the analysis and practice of the historical kata (training sequences or forms) and there is an interview here. An introductory example can be found in this link to the analysis of Heian Nidan.
This page was last updated on 20 August 2022. All contents Copyright © Elmar T. Schmeisser