A note on Tom Frobel

Shotokan's Secret presents a complete theory of the heian katas. There are the forums where the research was conducted.
Forum rules
You may visit as a guest and read everything. You may register and post messages. I reserve the right to control site content. -- Hanshi Clayton

A note on Tom Frobel

Postby HanshiClayton » Fri Jun 04, 2010 9:15 am

There's a Wild Man up in Vermont who has done some remarkable things with kata interpretation.

Shihan Tom Frobel invited me to join the United Karate Associations International (UKAI), a group largely dedicated to kata interpretation. We meet every spring in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Frobel is a major feature of the group's agenda.

Here are two (only two) highlights of Frobel's activities:

  • He has interpreted all of the standard Shotokan kata as spear-fighting lessons. I have video clips of Frobel demonstrating each of the heian katas using a bo (symbolic of a yari spear). I thought that showed some remarkable creativity.

  • A couple of years ago he did a seminar on Tekki Shodan at the UKAI conference. He had us lie down on our backs to do the kata, and then demonstrated that the hand and foot gestures of the kata were grappling techniques from mixed-martial arts (MMA).

This is just the tip of the iceberg with Frobel. His interests know no limits.

Be sure to see the essay on the Fluid Shock Punch for more insight into Frobel.
Bruce D. Clayton, Ph.D.
Copyright © 2012, All Rights Reserved.
This forum is supported by the sales of Shotokan's Secret, Expanded Edition
HanshiClayton
Site Founder
Site Founder
 
Posts: 298
Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 5:45 pm

Return to Shotokan Kata Applications

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest

cron
Hit Counter by Digits