Bassai Dai - Opening Movement

[Wastelander]

People often ask about shiko dachi, or in some styles, horse riding stance, this is the perfect counter to a double leg takedown, for one, going low to stuff a takedown is how I view it) From shiko dachi you are set for the sprawl.

Why transition to shiko dachi before sprawling? I have no trouble sprawling from a medium height stance, and there usually isn't much time to lose. The shiko dachi I was taught wasn't a particularly nimble position for sprawling.

My wrestling is pretty awful though, so I may be missing something here.

I'm not sure if Davis is using it the same way I do, but I certainly incorporate shiko-dachi as part of my takedown defense. It's just a different approach to takedown defense than sprawling--more like sumo than wrestling. Lyoto Machida uses it a lot, actually. You can sprawl from there, of course, if you need to.

[guird]

I'm not sure if Davis is using it the same way I do, but I certainly incorporate shiko-dachi as part of my takedown defense. It's just a different approach to takedown defense than sprawling--more like sumo than wrestling. Lyoto Machida uses it a lot, actually. You can sprawl from there, of course, if you need to.

Ah, I had a mental image of someone with their body upright in a shiko dachi like when simply doing the kata, but your reference to sumo clarified a lot, thanks.

Is a sumo-like posture what you were referring to, David?

[Davis]

People often ask about shiko dachi, or in some styles, horse riding stance, this is the perfect counter to a double leg takedown, for one, going low to stuff a takedown is how I view it) From shiko dachi you are set for the sprawl.

Why transition to shiko dachi before sprawling? I have no trouble sprawling from a medium height stance, and there usually isn't much time to lose. The shiko dachi I was taught wasn't a particularly nimble position for sprawling.

My wrestling is pretty awful though, so I may be missing something here.

The main idea is that by lowering your center of gravity you are harder to knock down, but if they do persist in grappling, you can put your hands behind their neck, drive their head down and gain the upper position. Yes, I mean a Sumo position,,,,shiko dachi means Sumo stance .

Another great defense against a double is cat stance, Nekoashi Dach. In both cases, as they rush in, step back, move your chest forward, put one hand on the back of their head or neck and drive their head down (their neck muscles are no match for your full body weight). This stuffs the takedown. IF they are a good MMA fighter, they will set up the double with a head attack and then go low, but in self defense, you are usually dealing with a untrained dork. Folks who really know grappling are not likely to be fighting with you in the first place.

[Mokita]

First move of Bassai Dai - drawing your katana and striking/blocking another sword attack.

[bushido_man96]

First move of Bassai Dai - drawing your katana and striking/blocking another sword attack.

This is interesting. But why put a weapon-based series of moves in an open-hand form? There wouldn't seem to be any cross-over in applications.

[Mokita]

First move of Bassai Dai - drawing your katana and striking/blocking another sword attack.

This is interesting. But why put a weapon-based series of moves in an open-hand form? There wouldn't seem to be any cross-over in applications.

Many forms using weapons do start and finish with weapon in hand. However, Samurai technique was to draw/sheath the katana in the Saya often. The line between danger and etiquette seemed highly confusing. I also consider moves 22-24 of Bassai Dai katana techniques. The history of the kata / matsumura suggests weapons would play a part.

http://youtu.be/rZBvjJbse9o

[Mokita]

First move of Bassai Dai - drawing your katana and striking/blocking another sword attack.

This is interesting. But why put a weapon-based series of moves in an open-hand form? There wouldn't seem to be any cross-over in applications.

Also, it is my understanding that a koshi kamae technique in any form involves the drawing/sheathing of a sword.

http://www.karatetsunami.pl/images/techniki_tsunami/10kyu/p1000171.jpg

[Wastelander]

I've heard of the sword idea, before, but it doesn't fit with my kenjutsu experience, or my interpretation of kata. Granted, my kenjutsu experience was limited to about a year and a half of training, but it also doesn't look like the Jigen-Ryu I've seen, which is the sword style Matsumura supposedly practiced. On top of that, older versions of Passai don't hold the left hand up with the right fist--they hold hold it down by the elbow in meotode-gamae, which is a definitively empty hand fighting method.

As far as the stacked-hands postures in kata, they can certainly look like drawing or sheathing a sword. That said, I don't really see that as something that necessarily adds value to the kata. We already have effective empty handed applications for that posture passed down by various masters. It isn't exactly a mystery. I suppose I see no reason to incorporate a sword technique when I have perfectly good empty hand applications.

[bushido_man96]

We already have effective empty handed applications for that posture passed down by various masters. It isn't exactly a mystery. I suppose I see no reason to incorporate a sword technique when I have perfectly good empty hand applications.

I see no reason to employ a sword technique when there is no sword to employ it with. And from what I know of Karate forms, I don't think they were ever performed by the Samurai. To me, it doesn't make sense.

[Mokita]

We already have effective empty handed applications for that posture passed down by various masters. It isn't exactly a mystery. I suppose I see no reason to incorporate a sword technique when I have perfectly good empty hand applications.

I see no reason to employ a sword technique when there is no sword to employ it with. And from what I know of Karate forms, I don't think they were ever performed by the Samurai. To me, it doesn't make sense.

There were weapons, they just weren't openly practiced. The samurai completely over powered the island for centuries. How can you say their fighting techniques would not have influenced the ryukyu? Especially around the time of conception of this kata.