Hello everyone,

This weekend, I recorded a few kata application videos. The first one is an application for the last few movements in our Passai Sho kata, also called Itosu Passai. In the kata, you perform a yama-tsuki (mountain thrust), followed by a turn and a sukui-uke (scooping receiver). This movement almost perfectly matches a variation of tai otoshi (body drop throw) that I was taught by my second judo instructor as a way to compensate for my bad shoulder. You can enter into the throw the same way you would enter into a standard tai otoshi, but instead of maintaining your grip on the lapel, you brace your forearm against the inside of your opponent's elbow and "draw a circle in the air" with it. I did the throw slowly in the video so it is easier to see what I'm doing, but it makes it look a bit clunky.

The second application I recorded was for the opening movements of Naihanchi Nidan, where you step into kosa-dachi (cross stance) and lift the hands, projecting the elbows outward, and then step into Naihanchi-dachi and execute a simultaneous forearm/hammerfist strike and punch. In application, the step into kosa-dachi becomes a twist into kosa-dachi, with the lifting hands trapping the attacker's punching arm. From there, you step into the strikes, bracing your lead knee against the inside of your attacker's knee to disrupt his balance. In the video, I show both the forearm/hammerfist strike and the punch being used, but instead of punching, you can simply maintain control of your attacker's punching arm with that hand, and the movement is the same. You can also do this while moving to the outside of the punch, and the strikes are still available, or you can place the elbow of the lead arm against the opponent's shoulder and drop them backward wit hit. I didn't record that variation, but I might record it sometime in the future.

The third application I recorded was for the opening movements of Naihanchi Sandan, where you step out to naname-zenkutsu-dachi (diagonal front stance) and execute a chudan-ude-uke (middle forearm receiver), then shift back to Naihanchi-dachi and execute a morote-uke (double receiver--middle and low, in this case), then move the hands into meotode-gamae (married hands posture), which then moves across the body, then back, and then strikes out. This is a long sequence of movements, and so I actually throw three applications strung together, following a "if that fails, do this" formula. The first movement is used to avoid/control the attack, and then the morote-uke can be used to dislocate the elbow. If the dislocation fails, you can roll the arm over into an armbar, and if that fails, you can defend against a strike and strike back. I also show the same movements used from inside a punch, instead of from the outside. The initial technique is the same--avoid/control the attack, and then use morote-uke to dislocate the elbow. If that fails, you can transition to hiji-dori (elbow press) and strike.

Enjoyed watching these

Thanks!

Interesting interpretations.

I liked your videos

I loved them! Very good interpretations on those katas.

I've also seen that Naihanchi Nidan application done as a takedown instead of a strike. More of a "pushing" takedown with the fists rather than strikes.

That's what I love about my art- so many things can be done with every technique!

Very good videos. Post more!

Thanks for the feedback, everyone!

Jaypo - I actually showed my uke in those videos how to use the same movements from Naihanchi Nidan as a takedown, interestingly enough! I meant to record it, too, but didn't have time.

Yes, good, simple bunkai/oyo, as you showed, work well.