Prior to Zenryo sensei developing the “Kihon Renshu”, the Okinawan method of teaching was learning the movements through the kata and developing the body through strengthening exercises. Zenryo sensei was looking for a better way to accomplish what Kyan had outlined as the proper way to learn karate; first learn the forms and movements of karate; two, practice the movements against an opponent, makiwara and kicking bag; three, practice the kata; and fourth, various methods of Kumite.
The beginning of the Seibukan Kihon Renshu was prompted by Zenryo sensei’s desire to teach two of his nephews and his son, Zenpo. Since they were young and the movements of the kata were hard for them to learn he began developing the basics exercises to prepare his young students for the kata.
The need for the basic exercises became more important when Zenryo sensei started teaching the soldiers at Fort Buckner in 1959. The soldiers had no knowledge of Okinawan karate and kata was foreign to them so Zenryo sensei, along with his son, Zenpo, continued the development of Kihon Renshu to include warm up exercises, stretching and adding movements that were included in the kata. Their effort was directed to prepare the students to learn kata.
Zenryo sensei could not speak English so in an effort to communicate with the soldiers he named the basic exercises PT One or Physical Training number one. The U.S. Army begins their day with physical training or PT. The army used the “Daily Dozen” a set of exercises that were used to develop the core strength of a soldier. Zenryo sensei utilized this method to create a daily set of exercises to condition the soldiers and Okinawans to be ready to perform kata. Without the basics the kata will be more difficult to learn and perfect.
I have been to Okinawa many times in the last 38 years but on my last trip in October of 2005 I decided that I did not want to practice kata but I wanted to only focus on PT One. Over the years PT One has changed from teacher to teacher so I took one of my old photographs of the “original” PT One that was hanging on the dojo wall when I first came to the Jagaru Dojo. I wanted to make sure my understanding of the kihon renshu was not only accurate but I wanted to insure that I understood how to perform the exercises and insure I knew the specific purpose of these exercises being included.
During the 38 years I have been with Zenpo sensei I have only seen three changes to PT One: 1) Zenpo sensei moved punch, punch, kick and punch towards the end so that students will not be exhausted early in the training, 2) Zenpo sensei added two exercises designed to add strength to our inward motions (Uda Uchi Uke and Hassama Uchi), and 3) the side kick is often left out of the blocking a kick exercise.
The use of the term PT One has lessened over the years as the Kihon Renshu or basic training has replaced this old acronym but the need for these exercises have not diminished to create the Seibukan body that Zenryo sought to create in his son and students.