GOM

Are you talking about oii tsuki or gyaku tsuki?

Or better yet, would you use it.

If you are practising those blocks on the spot, or moving forward and back by yourself, then the blocks are there to make your kata prettier. If you are practising those blocks with a partner who is throwing "real" punches at your head, and you are using those blocks with a strong arm, then you are practising those blocks for SD principles. Both are fine, you just have to know which boat you are in.

Yes, exactly. There was certainly grappling and that shouldn't be ignored when practising/teaching karate. But, as Shorin Ryu also states, lately the emphasis has been on the excessive use of joint locks when a strike would have been more sufficient. And a lack of practising said strikes has led modern karate to become weak. And then of course there was a major focus on pressure point striking in the 90's that made a lot of karate teachers try to include them where they thought it was appropriate. Again, they came up with the same problems. Round hole, square peg.

I agree Skeptic. There are far too many people running around now making up thousands of applications for modern moves in a modern kata without looking back to an earlier version of a kata where you can see a punch is a punch, a kick is a kick, a block is a block. Take Bassai (dai) for example. The opening move found in most modern versions looks like a wrist escape. In an earlier version (Oyadamori Passai) you can see quite easily that it is a jodan block and jodan punch. The feet positions in the Oyadamori Passai indicate that the next move is a hip throw. But without looking back at an earlier version, the modern practitioner comes to the conlusion that it is a wrist lock.

I have had to hold students (children) back from gradings if their attitude has been bad, but have never stripped a student of their ranking.

An open palm to the face has a bigger chance of hurting your wrist than a vertical or 3/4 punch to the face. Have a look at how much the wrist bends forward and backward when the hand is open compared to when the hand is closed.

I think that this depends on your level of understanding of the art. Somewhere, someone started this whole thing, and who knows if he had someone teach it to him? Maybe they worked as a group to come up with it. It is hard to tell. However, through proper experimentation, and using practical approaches to ways that you can be attacked, and thus formulate practical defenses, could be a great way to learn what works and what does not. What someone else teaches you may not work for you, so you may need to explore what does and doesn't work for you. Without a guide, there is no way to tell which moves from kata are for show, training and application. Not every move found in kata are "bunkai".

With the curriculum that was introduced into the schooling systems (i.e watered down version of Okinawan "te" or PE Karate) of both of these men, I doubt they would have a problem with children wearing a black belt. After all, "karate" was designed for children and the wider community. Only after a certain amount of time did the teacher tell you the reasons behind the changes.

Some karate-ka seem to forget how "karate" came about. Anko (h) Itosu created a syllabus designed for children to be introduced into school systems. This is what is often refered to as PE Karate. This syllabus (or something very simliar) was introduced into the Japanese schooling system for children. What they were taught was watered down "te". Punching to the chin became punching to the stomach. Groin kicks became kicks to the stomach. Knife handed blocks became closed fisted blocks, etc... When you sit down and think about it, the karate that we practise today wouldn't have survived if it weren't for the children of Okinawa and Japan. Food for thought?

Trying to create your own bunkai for particular moves without a teacher or mentor guidance is sure to create a bigger problem.

In the 70's there was a craze for Kumite. 80's it was performance kata. 90's it was bunkai. My club was guilty of trying to find an answer to every move found in modern day karate kata. We did all kinds of locks, throws, pressure point striking, gouges etc. We were looking for answers but only coming up with more questions. These days, I see many karate clubs/styles/associations trying to come up with bunkai/applications for modern karate kata. Unfortunately modern karate kata have changed dramatically over the years making it almost impossible to see the original move. If you can't see the original move, how the hell are you going to make an appropriate application to it? As with Shorin Ryuu, my club is now more interested in effective striking, blocking, and kicking. We still do joint locks, but only a few that we truly feel comfortable doing. In karate kata, there are moves for training with a partner, moves for application purposes, and there are moves purely for show. Finding a teacher who can explain which moves mean which, is half the battle.

I don't think the colour of your uniform matters, it is what you are practising that counts.

Which MA would that be? Hapkido? No, as hapkido came from judo/ju jitsu. G/Kumdo? No again, that was also influenced from Iaido/Kendo. Sirrum? Nope, that was also from an older version of Sumo. Tekkyon wasn't considered a MA until after the Japanese occipation, or so I believe.

Depending on what kata my opponent does dictates what kata I will do. I may have to save a great kata for the later rounds, or I might have to use it straight up, depending on the quality of my opponent. In saying that, my favourite kata for competition are Suparenpei, Annan, Heiku and Chatanyara Kusanku.

Mike -I agree. A swift slap to the ears, a spit in the face, a flick to the groin, anything to distract attention while breaking the grip would work better than just going straight to trying to break a grip.

Here is yet another version of Annan. I like this guys timing, and I like the strength of Sakumoto.

If you are training with children, then I would say look for something else. Children and adults should not train together IMO.

Exactly who I would have picked, but would also include an interpreter.....

For the double punch, we use it as double lapel grab. As soon as grabbed, knee to groin, smash down using forearm on attackers forearm, then smash to the face. Slide arm between attackers grip, step outside of attacker and apply a hip throw. Keep a hold of their arm, follow them to the ground and apply an arm lock, squat down using knee on their face. It is fun to practise.

I think you have to become a memeber for youtuben because it is considered "adult" content. All you need to do is register. Hang on Brandon, are you over 18?

I don't know the style, but the guy rips the other guy a new butthole!

When would someone perform a mae geri in the street? I don't buy into the whole karate v karate application of kata. The application for this type of movement we use is a lapel grab from the front. After being seized, immediately spit in the face, flick to the groin, grab the attackers hand and use the scooping motion to lock the arm up and follow with whatever your preference is.

And your advice is based on what experience?? Sorry to challenge you, but this is a strong statement you have made. As Zorbasan said, every technique has a use if you know what you are doing. The idea of the kick is not to break things, but to apply a snap to vulnerable areas such as kidneys, groid, jaw, armpit, tricep, inner thigh etc. If you're going to make a statement saying that something is useless, please state the reasons you believe as such. I trained in Shotokan for about 15 years, and am quite familiar with side-snap kick. I stopped doing Shotokan about 6 years ago, and my hips and ankles have never been better. Why would you want to attack the kidneys. jaw, armpit or tricep with a kick? Kicking above the waiste in self-defense is a big no-no, as the attacker can certainly get hold of your leg. You are better off using a thrusting side kick to attack the knees, groin, shin or ankle.

nothing is useless if it is done properly. this kick has many uses when done properly. ever been flicked in the butt by a towel? it hurts. this kick uses the same principal. its a snap technique, not designed to go thru a brick wall. Let me clarrify a few things here. Side snap kick is useless in a self-defense situation. The kick was introduced into Japanese schools as a means of flexibilty and fitness for the students, not as a self defensive kick. If you look at any older styled kata, they use a front kick, not a side snap kick. They turn toward the opponent and fire out a front kick. Before you say, hang on, what if someone attacks you from the side, the defender slides away from the attacker to face them, and viola, a front kick is applied to the groin, knee, shin, or ankle.