The Unaspired Head Turn!

[sensei8]

Every kata/form has them: turns! Whether it's a 45 degree turn, or a 90 degree turn, or a 180 degree turn, or a 270 degree turn; kata/forms have them abundantly.

It would be very difficult to get from one point in the kata/form to another without any turns. What seems to be missing is one crucial and vital element of any turn in any kata/form is...the head turning PRIOR to the actual turn.

Having said that. I do admit, that the head turning before any turn is a methodology of Shindokan. Therefore, turning the head prior to any turn may not be a methodology of the style that you're teaching/learning. That's fine and I surrender to that!

Nonetheless, is the head turn prior to any turn taught in your style? Here's why I ask. I suspect that the head turn prior to any turn is taught, but the practitioner CHOOSES to NOT turn. If this is true, then this practitoner is leaping before looking.

Yes, our peripheral vision allows us the ability to see the direction in which one is planning to go without actually looking head directly that way. I seriously doubt that the kata/forms are teaching us to do exactly that: turn peripherally.

Teaching students to fully turn their head prior to any turn is a good idea, especially if their beginners. Even then, I'd want my students, no matter the level of their experience, to look danger head-on directly.

To not fully turn our heads prior to any turn is akin to not fully turning our head prior to a lane change when your driving. One has to be aware of the blindspots, and in that, turning our head fully before we do a lane change is not only smart; it's safe.

Well, same thing when we are performing kata/forms. As great as our peripheral vision is, it's greater to stare directly in the direction that our opponent is attacking from. Peripherally blocking can change so quickly, and in that, what appears to be, actually turns out to not be after all.

Point of the topic is this. Nobody turns their head prior to any turn in their kata/form, and this, imho, leads to one creating bad habits, and once bad habits become ingrained in ones muscle memory; habits can be hard to break.

Go to You Tube or any other video source, and you'll see for yourself just how many practitioners independantly and/or collectively DON'T turn their head prior to any turn.

If that is ones methodology to not turn their head prior to any turn, I may not agree with it, but it's their way, just as it is Shindokan's way to fully turn our head before any turn. I'd perfer to take my chances with turning my head completely prior to any turn, than to the alternative; imho, my odds might seem to favor turning my head completely prior to any and all turns.

Your thoughts?

[evergrey]

Next time I practice my kata, I will have to pay attention to when my head turns. Sensei has taught me to ALWAYS keep my eyes on my opponent. To not look, when defending or attacking, is to invite disaster.

Looking away from one's opponent while turning can lead to an attack you are unprepared for.

Looking away from one's opponent while sparring can lead to unintentionally badly injuring one's opponent. Sensei told me about an incident in the dojo he trained at where one student back-kicked another without looking... and ruptured his pancreas!

Now, the interesting thought, to me, about a kata-

Pinan 1 is what I am currently learning, and I believe the fight that is simulated in this kata is one involving multiple opponents. So let's say I do a lower block and then a normal middle punch. Presumably, I have knocked that opponent out of the fight, or kept him at bay for the time being, because I then turn to block and then hammerfist a new opponent who is behind me.

In that case, it would make sense for me to turn my head BEFORE turning to block and strike, as I will want to see what I am getting myself into.

So, what you are saying, if I am understanding it correctly, makes sense in the context of the kata I am performing. I will discuss it with Sensei this evening... He DOES act out the opponent in the kata for me from time to time, so I understand what it is that I am doing and why, instead of just dancing out a series of moves.

So, if I am to always keep my eyes on my opponents, and I am facing a series of opponents, it makes sense to turn my head and face my opponent before I turn my body.

If I am going to spin into a back kick with a single opponent, however, I will keep my eyes on him and then at the apex of the turn I will whip my head around so that I am able to keep my eyes on him as much as possible. Does that make sense?

[isshinryu5toforever]

Isshinryu, at least the school I attended and teach at whenever I'm in Wisconsin, which is admittedly getting rarer these days, advocates the head turn. I think Japanese and Okinawan martial arts are a little more likely to advocate the head turn than Korean martial arts, specifically Taekwondo. This is for several reasons, I'm sure, but the main reason I can think of has to do with competition.

In modern competition, the Japanese have almost always had a rule of recognition. For a technique to score, you have to have your eyes on the opponent. The rule is applied at all times, even when executing spinning techniques. That means, the head whip is a very necessary thing, as is watching your opponent. Conversely, the Taekwondo spinning techniques are performed with your head turned away from your opponent. Kicks like the spinning back kick and hook kick are defensive techniques, not offensive ones, so your opponent should already be in the middle of motion, and therefore unable to get out of the way of the technique. For this reason, keeping your eyes on your opponent throughout the technique is unnecessary. I've been told many times that this is one of the reasons Taekwondo (WTF in particular) does not have a rule of recognition.

[Montana]

Our system also advocates the head turn prior to movement in a kata. I'm wondering if I'm seeing a pattern here with Okinawan systems?

When I call outa kata, and my students know this..the first thing I want to see move is the head..period.

[isshinryu5toforever]

This might be a chicken or the egg discussion. Did the rule of recognition come about, because Okinawan MA's (which became Japanese MA's) always had the idea that you had to look your opponent in the face, or did they adapt that way, because of the rule of recognition?

[sensei8]

Still, I see both japanese/okinawan practitioners CHOOSE to not turn their head prior to any turn. Eye movement is fine, but that's not the same thing as seeing the danger head on. Rule of recognition? I don't believe that to be so because it's prudent and smart in the first place to be able to see our opponent first before we can hit them or before we can block their attacks.

Those martial artists that choose to not turn their head prior to any turn leave me with the impression that they're either lazy and/or they just don't care one way or another. Even if the nomenclature of said kata directs to "look", then the action follows, they don't do it.

Are they just interpretating the kata? Possible, that's fine, kata allows and invites interpretation, but, imho, that type of interpretation can only entertain a dangerous perception.

The Shindokan's testing syllabus has always stated that it's an automatic failure of any grading testing cycle if they don't turn their heads while performing any and all kata. Too strict? No, not at all!

[ninjanurse]

Great topic-here's my 2 cents:

Head turning has been taught to me in all styles I have studied, for all the reasons described above....but let me take it further. I teach the head turn as not only a visual targeting system but as an adjunct to the technique itself (usually a block, sometimes a strike) in that the head turn initiates the shoulder turn, which facilitates the chamber and creates tension in the hips which allows for generation of more speed/power. The same "theory" applies when teaching spinning kicks-especially wheel kick (reverse turning kick, spinning hook kick-whatever you choose to call it) and 360 round house. I relate this to the initiating head spin when throwing a 360 on a snowboard-without it you are not able to generate enough rotation (and hence speed/power) to land it properly.

What does snowboarding have to do with martial arts you ask? Everything...its all kung fu (and physics of course)!!!

[skullsplitter]

The American Shotokan school my son attends does emphasize the headturn. The thinking being if you can't see it how can you block or hit it?

[GeoGiant]

In Tang Soo Do head turns proir to any movement are required.

[Jeffrey]

We have the head turns through out each kata as well. There are certain turns that there is no head turn. Interesting thought is that while some instructors recognize the differences some do not. So what you get is a whole group of people that do things just a little different. And yet this gets passed down the line again.