Koken

[cathal]

I'm just wondering if your dojo trains using koken fists at all? The most common I've seen is the basic fist, seiken, like many of us karateka use.

For those of you who don't know what this type of fist is, you take your hand and position your fingers as though you want to pick up a little bit of earth or sand. Then bend your wrist downward slightly. The impact is the top part of the wrist, and since it is more sensitive than your knuckles it isn't really used to strike a hard target, like a chin for example. We mostly train with this type of fist to attack the neck, and soft torso areas like for the spleen.

[Shui Tora]

Can't say that I haven't used that way before... Usually if we would attack the throat etc we would use the palm, or our seiken, but not koken.

Thanks for that though! I shall ask my Sensei about it...

[AngelaG]

Sounds a bit like Washide, or eagle’s head:

http://www.kclaglio.it/tecniche/foto_tecniche/washide_kakuto.jpg.

[legkicker]

I haven't really practiced it much in Karate but remembering doing more so in Aikido/Aikijujitsu. It is a karate technique, too just not something I have practiced much in training.

[bushido_man96]

I have heard of the technique. I have seen it called the "ox jaw." Never trained it, though. Punch, knifehand, ridgehand, palm strike, spearhand is about all we do for hand strikes.

[ps1]

In training we have learned to utilize virtually every surface to strike. I would assume (perhaps incorrectly) that most of the advanced practitioners on the forum have also learned this. Forearms, Shins, Head and so on. Of course, you need to be careful where you strike with what weapon.

[cathal]

Sounds a bit like Washide, or eagle’s head:

http://www.kclaglio.it/tecniche/foto_tecniche/washide_kakuto.jpg.

It's very close, except for our system the thumb is inside the other four fingers as there isn't going to be a need for the finger tips to be the strike point. However we do use that particular fist for eye gouging attacks.

[P.A.L]

i have only seen this in Gojushiho that we use the finger side to strike down and up, in white crane katas you can see using the wrist side too,but we don't use the flat surface ,we use it with some angle , like all the blocks with outter edge of the wrist and attaking high punch with inner edge of the wrist. one good example for this hand technique is Anan kata toward the end you can see two blocks using this hand form.

http://www.wonder-okinawa.jp/023/eng/010/002/001.html

[Brandon Fisher]

Yes I do practice it. I have devoloped it to the point I can break a board with it but I don't recomend it. Its a great strike though.

[AngelaG]

Sounds a bit like Washide, or eagle’s head:

http://www.kclaglio.it/tecniche/foto_tecniche/washide_kakuto.jpg.

It's very close, except for our system the thumb is inside the other four fingers as there isn't going to be a need for the finger tips to be the strike point. However we do use that particular fist for eye gouging attacks.

Kakuto would be the reverse side of that strike.