Shiro_RN

Yeah...tell point sparring pointless to competitors like George Kotaka or Ali Anissipour. George, who's renown for both incredible speed and defensive ability and notorious for breaking ribs and sternums with a normal reverse punch cushioned with WKF Pads, can mostly likely take out anyone we think of in a single shot considering his speed and power. Just because you can't make point sparring work, doesn't mean that it's not an effective tool. Like kata, it must be practiced in order to be able to utilize it's advantages properly. Shiro 1st Dan WSKF

Annan and Chatanyara Kushanku, hands down. A delicate balance of speed, power, grace, balance, and finesse. Such elements are key to a great kata and a great martial martist. Shiro 1st Dan (WSKF)

Cheeky_Musician...you have a right to be suspicious a bit. Hip motion is basically another way of interpreting the application of mass into the overall technique, such as a punch. Remember, that force is equal to mass * acceleration. Acceleration alone with a lack of mass will be faulty as well as vice verca. Using a hip-twitch to create speed may succeed, but using the hip will invalidate it's ability to contribute to mass. Using hip ALONE to add mass into a punch will only allow the upper body mass to be added into a punch, thus corrupting balance (the key to strength) as well as the total manipulation of the potential of power. Power generated from the slight thrust back leg of a Zen stance that triggers the hip into a forward motion while executing a reverse punch will result in the greatest amount of potential power achieved. That way, you use the Zen stance to both apply extra force, mass, and acceleration as well as preserve your balance while executing the punch, your hip is added into the punch, adding more mass and acceleration, and the punch is then supported by the maximum amount of mass and acceleration that your body can provide without having a corruped sense of balance. Try it. Get into a Zen stance, have your back knee slightly bent, thrust off your back heel or ball of your foot, straighten your back knee as you thrust slightly forward into your punch and you will feel your hip coordinate naturally with your punch. That is the idea of a hip influenced punch, and trust me, the japanese are damn good at it. And btw...if the hip is ever thrown with a punch, it's always thrown the same time as teh punch is executed...never before to create acceleration. Your arm only weighs 2.5 Kilos...maybe 5 at max. With correct body mass application (or many would call, hip motion), the mass can potentially be as high as 15 kilos, and the accerlation would also be increased. Shiro 1st Dan World Shito-ryu Karate-do Federation

Look at it like this...Kata's are books that can be interpreted on several levels. Different books/katas appeal and complement different type of people. Secondly, to understand and analyze each kata/book allows for a greater understanding of the art as well as the founder's intentions with the art. Focusing too much upon one aspect of an art or focusing too much upon creating what is seemingly "efficient" will create incredibly obvious weaknesses within your karate. Shito-ryu for example has two major concepts and many minor ones that appeal to different sizes, strengths and speeds. Kata of the itosu orgin favor brute and external strength, speed, distance, and timing as well as favorability of size. Kata's include Bassai and the Kosokun series. Kata of the Higionna orgin favor those who lack size, and thus using circular motions, in-close countering, intrinsic power to produce both an internal and external hardess while being precise and full of finesse all at the same time. Such kata include Sanshin, Supraimpei, Seienchin...etc. Understanding both of these concepts is crucial to being a proficient martial artist and not just a shito-ryu or karate stylist. In understanding and analyzing the concepts presented by 50-60 kata, the knowledge and know-how gained from such kata will allow the practitioner a greater advantage from his understanding in overcoming an opponent who may use concepts to his advantage that maybe portrayed in such katas, at least from a theoretical standpoint. However, another point to be made here is how many of us practice kata and bunkai and apply it to kumite enough to fully understand the concepts and the messages that our kata founders had intended for us to learn??? Shiro P.S. How do I change the belt color of my icon? It's bugging me...

Annanku isn't Annan. Annanku is Shorin-ryu based (or otherwise, Shuri-te based) where as Annan has more direct Chinese influences and filters down to Ryuei-ryu and Shitoryu. I personaly know annan and have seen annanku and they have no concepts that relate to each other. Annan of course, has emphasis on palm heel strikes and lower leg side kicks, which makes me want to believe it's a kata more intended for women (like aoyagi). However, I'm not sure, and I'm quite glad that Takada (the guy that won the world championships, and him being a shito-kai shitoryu stylist) used that kata to win. Shiro 1st Dan World Shito-ryu Karatedo Federation