juey palancu

Dude, Seagal has incredidle tai zabaki! ---- Nidan, Traditional Shotokan

Ok, got it, so we are actually talking about two really diferent ways to do the kick. Interesting interpretation of body dynamics. I can see it working, too, although I would feel vulnerable and out of balance at the end point. I'll practice it like that a little and let you know... I'm no kinesiologist, but I have to disagree that the JKA kekomi without foot rotation is bad for the knees...I have done it hundreds, maybe thousands of times and have no problem with the knees. Same goes for scores of people I have practiced with. Do you guys chamber the yoko geri kekomi kick straightup (like before a mae geri) or to the side (like a yoko geri keage)? In our group (JKA-ITKF style) we do the former. thanks for oyur replies! Gero --- Nidan, Traditional Shotokan

Ok, Ok wait a second. Let me see if I get what you guys are saying. Are u saying that if you are doing a yoko geri kekomi to your right, from kiba dachi, you rotate the supporting foot anyway? It seems to me that THAT would put a lot of strain on the knee...besides leaving you in a very vulnerable position and out of balance. Or, do you guys mean kicking to your front, from (for example) a zenkutsu dachi? In that case, a rotation of the supporting foot is the way to go. can you pelase clarify for me? thanks, Gero ---- Nidan, Traditional Shotokan

Ok, I get it. (after actually doing what Angela was saying) Of COURSE if you want to do a SIDE kick to the FRONT you HAVE to rotate! I have done this a lot! We do it in our dojo all the time! But, to me, that is a position shift, not part of the kick itself. The kick itself is done to the side with no rotation, no problem. A SIDE kick is done to the SIDE, a FRONT kick to the FRONT, etc. If you want to switch, then you have to rotate, of course. we were saying the same thing all along, i believe. ossu, Gero

Oops, sorry, I meant YOKO geri kekomi. The power is also fine, thank you, as the heavy bag i hit everday can surely attest.. Carlos

Hey Angela, I just got up from my computer, did two mae geri kekomi, one from kiba dachi, and one from normal stance, both without rotating the foot, as I have done hundereds of times and sat down, no problem, no pain, nothing. I can see how it can be done with rotation also, I say its a matter of (school teacher, personal)preference. best, Carlos

Rex-Kwon-do! That was it! Hilarious!!

Guys, you forgot the most excellent school of karate featured in the movie Napoleon Dynamite.

Isnt what Jiffy and others are describing more of a back kick (ushiro geri) done from the side? If you do that then you have to rotate at some point, I've actually seen it done in kumite. It's an interesting technique with deception involved. The yoko geri kekomi JKA style, however, certainly does involve a deep thrusting of the hips WITHOUT rotation of the foot. It is a powerful kick, specially to the lower body of your opponent. I've been doing it for years and my knees are just fine, thank you. In any case, it doesnt really matter. Different teachers/organizations/styles have different interpretations and specifications. That's the way it is. ossu, Gero

Excellent postings by Miller. You have a great understanding of Traditional Shotokan principles, thanks for taking the time to write! Somebody before in this thread said yoko geri keage (which by the way I understand literally means side 'raising' kick, not side 'snap' kick) is not an effective technique. They are very wrong. I have been lifted off my feet by a well-placed yoko geri keage to my side. If I hadnt felt it coming (at the last millisecond) and slightly turned to take the impact on the lateral back muscles, it would've probably cracked a rib or two. It nevertheless knocked the air out of me and left me defenseless. Needless to say, the match was over after the kick. I'm a strong, heavy guy (200 pounds) and the person (a woman) who executed the kick was only about 140 pounds. If that is not a sign of effectiveness, I dont know what is. It does take a while to develop real power in this technique, so frustration on the part of the martial artists is probably what happens to a lot of people who dismiss this techique too prematurely. You need to develop the 'heavy foot' that comes with being relaxed , using your hips, and having good timing. Yoko geri keage is definitely not a 'slappy' or 'distraction' technique if done properly. It can end a fight with a much bigger, experienced person, as my experience attests. I have always seen it as a much more dangerous kick than kekomi, only because it is a faster, less predictable kick that you can place on an unsuspecting opponent very quickly and accurately. It's the ones they dont see coming that hurt them.... ossu, Gero ----- Nidan, Traditional Shotokan

Nidan, Traditional Shotokan Arawaza, Size 6, well-worn

Man, even when there is a comparison between two styles distinct form shotokan, the shotokan-bashing doesnt stop. Anyone who is advanced enoguh knows that the essence of all the three traditional karate lines is very similar and all the techinques convered in any one of them are covered in the other two as well, they are just learned in different order. Tunnel vison: That's what kills the essence of traditional karate. Ossu! Gero

I wouldnt say it's mostly grappling, but I would agree with some other posters that traditional karate contains a great deal of grappling applications (Sport karate ussually does not, though, or does not emphasize them). MANY of these grappling applications are right there in the kata. For example, sequences of 2-3 three blocks can be very effectively thought of as one block and subsequent locks and or limb control moves. Most moves done from a kiba-dachi (horse riders' stance) are very effective clinch, throw, and takedown avoidance techniques. The strong hip rotations used in Shotokan and other styles can send an opponent flying through the air if they are sued in a throw! And so on. If you find a traditional instructor that emphasizes kata and bunkai and you study hard, you can be a good grappler, I assure you. It all depends on the school/instructor, though. If you feel you are not getting good applications on the karate you are learning, find another school. I train in traditional shotokan and I am REALLY good at avoiding takedowns (i have friends who wrestle and do judo who have found this out after challenging me to stay on my feet against them) and it comes from karate. I have also been known to throw them off their feet, to their surprise! Of course, it shouldnt be a surprise: it is well known that Gichin Funakoshi (Shotokan's founder) was friends and collaborator with Gigoro Cano (Judo's) and that they learned from each other. Similar collaborations happened with other masters and style founders. And so on. Traditional Karate is actually a mixed-martial-art! two cents, gero -------- nidan, Traditional Shotokan

Hi, What i posted above was just my opinion based on the capoeira I have been exposed to and which I have observed. If it works for some people, they should by all means use it! hasta luego! Gero ___________ Nidan, Traditional Shotokan

I've practiced in Capoeira in the past and it is a beautiful art, and has some very strong techniques, but in my opinion, most of these spinning and jumping techniques are superfluous in combat, where one wants to keep things simple, point A to point B. Also, I have found that rhythm is bad for fighting, since makes one susceptible to being 'timed' and caught between techniques or out of balance. Just ask a boxer or a judoka waht happens when they get caught in a rhythmic pattern (it's not good). I would reccomend Capoeira for conditioning and flexibility, as said above by other posters, but would advise to rely on your karate should a self-defense situation ever find you (and you can't run or talk your way out). I dont consider Capoeira a well-developed fighting art just yet. ossu, gero ------------------------ Nidan, Traditional Shotokan

That was a beautifully written article that is full of wisdom. I would like to meet Sensei Takamura, he seems like a really interesting character. He really outsmarted and out-strategized the young karateka-wrestler guy! Props to the writer and thanks for sharing it! Osu, Gero

I have noticed the same thing as Orca, and agree with jaymac and Bushido. Time is better spent working on technique and strategy, although like Bushido says it's good to make "earnest"(i like that adjective!) contact from time to time to build up self-confidence. I used to box recreationally before I did karate and even with the pros in my gym, full-contact sparring was very very rare. They tended to work a lot on technique, do light contact sparring with head gear, and generally to save their brain cells for the matches themselves. That approach didnt hinder their performance come match time at all. By the way there were several contenders and two world champions in the gym I trained in. best, Gero

Hey lets not forget that it's becoming clearer and clearer that the level of accomplishment of the so-called traditional art masters who competed in early ufc's was greatly over-hyped. For example, Ichihara, the karate guy from the early UFC (1 or 2?), turned out to be a nidan (2nd degree) at the time. A Nidan is only a beggining black belt! I'm a nidan in a very tough and rigourous traditional organization and i'm definitely no "master", I'm a begginer! I cannot repeat this enough: the early masters WERE cross-trainers. It's the sport-oriented karate organizations that have gone away from it. If you follow a 'traditional' line of okinawan karate, for example, you will cross-train, learn how to work clinches, throws, thwart takedowns, etc...Hey, if you want to see a well-rounded traditional karateka, look at former shotokan competition champion Ryoto Machida who has beaten a who's who of mixed martial arts stars. cross-training is part being prepared, which is at the heart of self-defense. Definitely not the exclusive domain of UFC, PRIDE, etc. best, gero

My favorite Shotokan kata videos series are the ones performed by Kanazawa Kancho. All the katas are there, and alhtough I own the VHS, I ahve found all the katas on the web. Last place I saw them was the website of an Australian dojo. Very dynamic, Kanazawa is a true virtuoso of karate. They give a great example of waht katas should look like. Look for them. best, Gero --- Nidan, Traditional Shotokan

Hangetsu is one of my favorite two katas (the other is Gankaku). Because of this I practice it a lot! It is a kata where the subtleties make the difference. Timing, precise movement, breathing, nimbleness, explosion, control....Hangetsu can show your ki or conversely your lack of ki! I really like that the energy flow of hangetsu really mimics what would happen if one is attacked in the street: you are going slowly, taking it easy, doing your own business, and suddenly ATTACK! You need to go from slow to fast, from deliberate to explosive in the blink of an eye...and then keep attacking until its over... good stuff Gero ---- nidan, traditional shotokan

What about this new guy, Kenny Florian? He seems to have the goods. Also what about Yoshida and Parysian? Not disagreeing, just asking to those who know more than me about MMA. Gero

Ok, so if Gracie is sloppy, etc.: Then, who would be an example of an excellent BJJ practicioner in today's MMA? Are there any really good ones on UFC? What about PRIDE? Gero

Greetings, Does anybody know what style and what were the traditonal karate credentials of Minoki Ichihara, the 'karate master' guy who was beaten by Royce Gracie back in 1994? just curious, Gero --- nidan, traditional shotokan

elbows, you make very good points, and your analysis of Chuck Lidell's style is right on the money. However, when I started judo my takedown defense was already very well developed by my practice of traditional shotokan, which has good techniques similiar to a judo ouchigeri and kataguruma, and a semi-spread defense from Chiko Dachi. Not all shotokan dojos teach this, but it is a part of the art put forth by shotokan founder Gichin Funakoshi, who was a collaborator of judo's master Gigoro Cano, by the way. Funakoshi was renowned by his clinch-fighting ability by the way. Now that I think of it, the early masters were very well-rounded. I did get MUCH better at throwing people and at maneuvering in the ground by studying judo, I have to admit, but it is very hard to throw me off my feet in the first place. All in all, in my opinion, cross-training is good, but no substitute for studying a traditional art in depth. thanks for the postings! Gero --- Nidan Traditional Shotokan

Hi, thanks for your message! I had been a shodan for a few months.