Notes by Roger Sheldon 8 June 2007
Matsumura Seito
Shorin Ryu Matsumura Seito Karate Kobudo (formerly Machimura Suidi or Matsumura Shurite) evolved as a policing and civil self-defence system for the noble shizoku class of Ruykyu society. It reached the zenith of its development during the nineteenth century in the hands of the most prominent exponent, a senior bodyguard to the last three kings of Ryukyu, Matsumura Sokon Bushi (1797-1889). The primary purpose of Shurite was as a protective system of body-guarding the Ryukyuan royal family and while this required the practitioner to be expert in self-defence, the self-defence aspect would have been regarded as of secondary importance to the protection of the royal family.
Shorin Ryu Matsumura Seito Karate Kobudo (formerly Machimura Suidi or Matsumura Shurite) evolved as a policing and civil self-defence system for the noble shizoku class of Ruykyu society. It reached the zenith of its development during the nineteenth century in the hands of the most prominent exponent, a senior bodyguard to the last three kings of Ryukyu, Matsumura Sokon Bushi (1797-1889). The primary purpose of Shurite was as a protective system of body-guarding the Ryukyuan royal family and while this required the practitioner to be expert in self-defence, the self-defence aspect would have been regarded as of secondary importance to the protection of the royal family.
On
Matsumura Sokon’s death the system passed down to his grandson Matsumura Nabe
(c,1850-c,1930). Matsumura Nabe, in his
turn, passed it down to his nephew Soken Hohan (1889-1982) who passed it down
to his nephew Nishihira Kosei (1942?-2008).
Mr Nishihira was the last of his family line to disseminate the old
system.
Thereafter
the system was perpetuated by those of Nishihira sensei’s external students who had learned the system. The most prominent of those, in terms of having
an ability and willingness to teach the system being, Rick Rose of the USA, Ted
Lange of Australia and Giuseppe Meloni of Italy. It was from these sensei among others such as Ronald Lindsey of Texas that Roger
Sheldon was able to gain an appreciation of the true style.
Shinseido
is Roger Sheldon’s personal life-skill system born of his quest to find the old
Matsumura system and also as a result of having pursued a career in teaching
professionals in the police, prison, health care and social services sectors
how to manage real violence on a day to day basis. It compliments the old classical system and draws
on many of its principles but is oriented specifically to functional use in
contemporary society. There are a number
of fundamental technical differences between the Matsumura Seito and Shinseido
systems.
Shinseido
1. Shinseido, while still being definable as Okinawan Shorin Ryu Karate, has a contemporary orientation rooted
in the classical methods of Suidi (Shurite) that aims to establish peace, calm
and amity whenever possible. It seeks to
prevent conflict before the event through appropriate attitude, awareness of
preventive strategies, and an understanding and tolerance of humankind’s enormous
perceptual diversity.
2. The system teaches an understanding of
duality the elemental model and the continuum principle along with the concept
of non-duality so that practitioners develop a good understanding of how human
inter-personal relationships can work harmoniously.
3. Embraces personal symbolism as a means to
understanding the esoteric aspects of the system.
4. Aims to be totally natural for each
practitioner.
5. Avoids where at all possible the use of
large, fast, or hard movements, preferring to utilise minimalist economic actions
that for the most part, have a low key calming effect. These are small, soft, mostly circular, unhurried
looking movements equating with the practitioners deep sense of confidence.
6. Movements have a natural fluidity, smoothness
and continuity.
7. Avoidance where possible, of the use of
fists, open hands being regarded as more superior, versatile and having the
appearance of calmness.
8. Predominantly makes use of the palm and
backhand / palm and backhand side of the arm.
9. Avoids where possible the use of kicks and
knee strikes, these imparting a sense of reactiveness rather than
responsiveness.
10. Avoids going to ground; that is,
deliberately putting oneself on the ground to defend against or control an
attacker.
11. Can be an extremely close quarters method.
12. The passive hand is held in a cover
position in front of the sternum.
13. Employs many simultaneous receptive actions
coupled with counter responsive actions to minimise response time.
14. Emphasises breakaway before counter
restraint holds and locks.
15. Emphasises skill in changing communication
and response dynamics to unbalance both mentally and physically.
16. Employs fast, hard and debilitating
counters as a last resort.
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