hangetsu123

interesting points... yet I have never participated in a bjj class that worked on checking the take down. we worked on pulling guard...seems judo's randori would be a better vehicle. I personally disagree with a lot of what the general martial arts populace thinks mma has proved. Being very close to inner city life and from what I've witnessed, grappling usually is bad. two blokes on the town and the wing man gets into a scrum with a dude, gets taken down and gets put into a submission hold. 99% of the time the other guy will jump in to save his friend. "would not you?" .... Now add to the mix inner city thug mentality .... grappling although very useful in one on one (non weapon incounter) and sport venues ....this skill set is low priority in self defence ..(yes it should be explored to the level confidence is gained) but other skill sets Imo take a higher precedent. karate is Imo the better suited for actual reality (that factor alone makes karate extremely practical ...

the target when using a mikazuki Geri against I mawasi Geri is the inside of the thigh from the knee joint up to the inner thigh...with an inside crescent kick with the heel or the sole of the foot. learn to hard wire the Counter kick/shot block (with sen no sen) you unjust your stance to have your hips cocke I learned the waza in Koei kan. but just got back into karate at a shotokan dojo... big difference in kata and approach .... cool none the less...

Mikazuki Geri (crescent kick) I used this kick extensively in kumite. (both outside and inside kicks) I often use it to check round kicks by counter kicking the opponents inside knee when he fires his kick... yes distance and trimming are a must.

One must take note that karate's grappling waza is all together different than jujitsu. having delved deeply into wushu/quan fa, I've found the commonality between karate and Chinese grappling are much closer.... than say jujitsu and karate. Imo this is the reason is why much of bunkai out there in the public eye doesn't make sense. Everyone knows karate's history is based on Okinawan and Southern quan fa..... so why do people look to judo, jujitsu etc... (main land Japanese arts) for there answers on grappling bunkai.??? Many of the more obscured movements in kata become clear just by poking around in shuai jiao ..,. yes jujitsu is a great art.... but from what ive found it doesn't answer many of the grappling bunkai question that I've had.... Chinese arts on the other hand have.... (mainly. shuai jiao and change quantum)

the books is a great read with some interesting hypothesis on bunkai. but.... one shouldn't read it and think everything in it is the "gospel's truth" because there are holes in many of the theories the author puts forth. ( l've talked to the author on his web site and he admits the much of the material in the book was designed to be thought provoking.... As all good books are! The book and in general was good. like I said before.... the biggest contention I had was with the bunkai of TEKKI KATA.

I think the most used elbow strike has not been mentioned. Age Uke or I should say. Age Uchi. half forearm, half elbow. Its one of the best inclose waza I can think of.

I think you hit on a contention that I have with kyukushin practitioners when they down grade shotokan kumite. Imo both styles are great, niether styles kumite is any better. Yes, krukushin kumite is grueling but it lacks the reality of head shots. Imo one can not stand toe to toe trading blows when head shot are in play. So..... in as many ways kyukushin kumite is as artificial as shotokan's. However, I am not saying that both styles of kumite is flawed.... I think that both styles teach a different strategy that is all.