Bone and Muscle Block of Isshinryu

Today, a fellow karate-ka (Lundy Sensei :-) on the "Talk Isshin-Ryu Forum" mentioned the bone block vs. the Isshinryu dual bone + muscle block. I realized that often folks look to the vertical fist as something unique and fundamentally recognized by the Isshinryu system in the late fifties vs. the normal twist punch and the then normal bone type blocks.

I want to address the muscle/bone blocks of Isshinryu a bit more today. It is merely a theory that I derived from my studies of the materials available on Isshinryu. We often speak to Tatsuo-san's desire to have his system be applied through a more natural/nature instinctual means, i.e. often in matches practitioners in those days would "naturally use a vertical fist" to hit vs. what they practiced with, i.e. the twist punch. Although not mentioned I suspect that the blocks in the heat of a match were also more natural/nature instinctive use of bones aligned and muscles supported type blocks. 

When you view video's and snapshots of those days it may be difficult to see either the vertical fist or the bone/muscle blocks but I plan on seeing if I can tell with some of my photo's from the fifties (not mine per say as if I were there with a camera but those I have gathered from folks who were there; after all in the late fifties I was only about 4 or 5 years old ;-).

My theory was that Tatsuo-san was so well connected to his history and his studies of the ancient classics along with his fortune telling, etc. that he understood through the ken-po goku-i that nature and a more natural way was superior in both the short run and the long run that he wanted to translate that learning, understanding and wisdom into is system of Isshinryu. Even the name he chose to represent his cultural beliefs and feelings connects to his studies and practices outside of karate along with the connection he tries to convey to his students of the times by presentation of the ken-po goku-i.

It is a theory but since it kind of relates well to what some perceive as his efforts to pass on to others via Isshinryu karate-goshin-do it kind of fits the model.