Blog Article/Post Caveat (Read First Please: Click the Link)
Caveat: This article is not personal, it is not meant to say that Hansen Sensei or any of his fellow martial artists and karate-ka are anything less than professional, proficient and worthy of their grade and expertise - I am just questioning the term used and how it is used and explained. When all is said and done, if the recipient of this teaching is able to make it work on the dojo floor but more critically important out there when attacked and in need of self-defense then all of the following is merely “Academic in Nature!”
Mofu-tode came up while I was doing a bit of FB cruising today and like many or anything martial art and karate I got curious. So, a fact finding mission was instituted and to this moment of time writing this article I found only ONE source for the term, “Hansen’s House of Isshinryu” run by Hansen Sensei (never met, never trained and never Isshinryu’d with before).
Hansen Sensei stated in writing on his FBPage, “It's an advanced way of analysis of movement/bunkai. There is basic bunkai, advanced and then Mofutode. This is why perhaps 3rd Dan and up would grasp some of this concept. To take a Rokushaku Bo and hit multiple targets at the same time is challenging. Taking axis of movement and body this can be done effectively with the right training and thought process. Mofutode is more than one hand/feet movement done in such a way to create a single technique. This type of concept is advanced but can remain simple. You can use this in Kihon waza type training to start this way of thinking. IMO this concept would not be for Mudansha rather Yudansha of several years. I introduce this concept to San-Dan practitioners.”
I then, not finding any other source out there for this terminology, started to work to find the actual kanji, etc., for mofutode, mofu ( … Mofu, the only information and translatable characters/ideograms I am able to find are [模風] that doesn’t actually translate as paired kanji into any word or name but separately the translate to, “Imitation; copy; mock” and “Wind; air; STYLE; manner.”
Mofutode [模風唐手] Together the word is there, i.e., mo + fu + to or kara + de or hand or te to make mofutode. If I were to venture a guess I would translate this to mean, “Mock style or manner of empty hand.” This alone leaves a huge amount of room to say it means some sort of special advanced form of analysis of empty hand technique or bunkai. … ), tode and so on.
I also tried my spelling of tode as toudi or toude (found: Tode (alt. Toude) [唐手] The characters/ideograms translate to, “Karate; empty hand.” The first character translates into the more ancient character used for kara of karate, i.e., “T’ang; China,” while the second character translates to, “Hand.”). So far, nothing and “YES” I realize this may seem contradictory to my articles in the past where I would introduce terms and give them meaning to fit my agenda and I will EMPHASIZE that when I do find the terms and kanji I also provide translations-n-definitions from reputable Japanese-to-English, etc., translators. So far, this doesn’t appear for this term creation.
Now, I also pulled excerpts from his or her statement above to address my perspective on meaning:
- It's an advanced way of analysis of movement/bunkai.
- basic bunkai, advanced and then Mofutode.
- hit multiple targets at the same time
- Taking axis of movement and body
- Mofutode is more than one hand/feet movement done in such a way to create a single technique.
My Perspective Comments:
No. 1: Is it? Don’t know because with over forty years of training, practice and experience in karate and martial arts I have not come across this term, never created it myself with translations and kanji from valid translators and never once heard an Isshinryu’ist use it BUT I am not the all seeing, all knowing and all enlightened karate-ka on this subject.
When someone starts using terms like, “Advanced,” I tend to cringe because in martial arts and karate with its heirarchal system, rank, levels, grades and titles there is no need to have the proverbial advanced way of things. As you train, practice and gain experience you naturally in this type of system move up the ladder of grade, experience and status. In truth, I don’t see anyting of an advanced nature in martial arts and karate simply because if it is advanced then it means the practitioner has already achieved that level and is reflected in the systems symbolic status symbols of belt colors, titles and level within the dojo.
Analysis of bunkai has its teaching benefits for novices but for someone who is in it for self-fense, fighting and combatives reasons would benefit more by moving forward away from technique-based bunkai analysis and begin to study the proverbial bunkai of multiple methodologies and force levels.
Then again, we are all opinionated toward our biased views of what we do vs. what others do even in the same system such as Isshinryu.
No. 2: When I re-read and re-read how Hansen Sensei defines the term here again I have trouble distinguishing what it is exactly that separates such training into these three categories, i.e., basic, advanced and mofutode? Bunkai is bunkai and it doesn’t just morph into something called advanced and mofutode, not in my mind.
Yes, for novices there are basics taught, basics are fundamental and foundational to the system being taught. In truth tho, the actual technique-based bunkai is not actually meant to be applied because it is about teaching fundamental principles that are applied to multiple methodologies with emphasis on force levels according to the legal premise and legal definitions of self-defense.
Take a look at: Fundamental Principles of Multiple Methodologies for Self-Defense.
No. 3: Ok, a bit of physics and brain facts - you cannot think, let alone do, more than one thing at a time. You have to go through the OODA loop for each single action you take or think. You may be able to do this quicker than others or quickly but like computers, computers do NOT multi-task, the just process those 1’s and 0’s very, very, very fast.
It is cool to say that one can hit multiple targets or hit an attacker multiple times as if they were one thing but they, according to physics, are all happening multiple times but the mind is convinced and programmed by this type of teaching into thinking and believing it is all at the same time.
Now, if it were said that one could apply a variety of methodologies and flow that progresses rhythmically with great speed then I would say, yippee kiyeah! I would refer to that as a “Flurry of Methods” to through the adversary into a OO bounce resulting in a brain freeze thus freezing the body so you can pummel the guy into oblivion (not terms I would repeat to legal representatives if you want to succeed in a self-defense plea).
No. 4: Okay, what is meant by taking axis of movement and body? Now, in the principles of multiple methodologies there is a sub-principle of physiokinetics referred to as, “Axis and minor axis,” that is explained somewhere in the above reference link but I am still unable to fathom what is meant by this statement even when placed back in the entire quote. Sounds impressive when you say it and I would bet that both novice and experienced practitioners are hesitant to speak up and ask, “What the … does that mean,” they just assume they will learn it later by just practicing.
No. 5: You can move your hands and feet all you want in any variety of ways both karate-oriented but in the end that fist connecting or that foot or that throw or that foot sweep will be the very last movement you make not truly connected with the previous except as the process of how you arrived at the one method/technique applied. Saying the path and process used to get to the applied method as ALL one encompassing technique is not physically, physics oriented or application possible - so false statement at its core comes to my mind.
As a teaching tool I would not say one way or another regarding its validity and usefulness overall because regardless of the term and its meaning the distinctions made must be sufficient to allow the person the ability to apply it properly, efficiently and successfully be it for philosophical practice, sport oriented competitions or the fighting necessary for self-defense of both social and especially asocial predatory attacks.
Remember, this is not personal but an academic endevor for me and others to better understand toward a goal of effective teaching for very few other disciplines involve grave bodily harm, possible death and in all cases when applied the legal, moral and societal ramifications if you do use it for defense.
p.s. Thanks go out to, “Okinawa Budo Kai author, on Facebook” who provided me a possible answer to this term inquiry, he spelt it wrong - maybe. It should be spelled, “Meotode [夫婦手 or 夫婦唐手 {could be fufu-to-te}]: The original Okinawan way of posturing, blocking and striking.” He provided me a link to the site, “Karate by Jesse,” where he describes this thusly:
“Old-school, Okinawan no-nonsense Karate was grimey, dirty, raw and unfair. Meotode, literally meaning “husband and wife hands” in uchinaguchi (the native Okinawan language) was a way of maximizing ones strategical advantage in a physical altercation by utilizing both arms equally in continuously attacking and blocking – while keeping your vital body-parts safely out of the firing line, using the optimal footwork/body movements of tenshin, tai-sabaki and irimi. Meotode is a concept, theory and principle but also a technique. … the meotode posture (what we generally refer to as “kamae”) you never have a passive or active hand (what the old masters referred to as a “dead hand”). … Maximizing the possibilities of successfully landing the first shot (following it up with a flurry of more shots) while minimizing the amount of openings presented to an opponent by continuously occupying the centerline. That, was the sweet purpose of meotode. … You block and attack in the same motion. (read entire article HERE: )” _ KaratebyJesse
Now, when I read Jesse’s article and find the characters/ideograms it provides me some information for further “fact-finding efforts” so I can gain a bit more knowledge. This adds to my purpose because I advocate using such terms and at the same time research them in a fact-finding effort to make sure you “Have it RIGHT.”
Addendum, new insights dtd January 12, 2017 at 11:44 hours:
It has been brought to my attention that although I was uanble to find the term as originally written in this article, i.e., Mefutode, Ross Conklin Sensei on Facebook group, “ISSHINRYU Black Belt REGISTRY,” provided me a snapshot of a book excerpt translated a while back and Conklin Sensei wrote, “This is from Motobu Choki’s book ‘Watashi no Karatejutsu’ as translated by Patrick McCarthy.” It, the snapshot/article, describes the meaning. I do like the way the snapshot/excerpt explains its meaning and use while telling us of its flaws toward actual fighting. Nice Conklin Sensei, thanks!
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