KishimotoDi Quadrant Concept

[Wastelander]

Recently, I've been sharing some footage from my KishimotoDi Sensei's previous visits to the US, and I've had some folks not understand the quadrant concept that is illustrated in a few of those videos, so I thought it might be worth explaining.

Essentially, KishimotoDi simplifies technique selection by looking at all incoming attacks from the perspective of having 4 areas you can enter into--inside-over, inside-under, outside-over, and outside-under--instead of trying to identify the specific attack and figuring out how to deal with that attack. An easy way to visualize this is by looking at a straight punch, since all 4 quadrants are equally accessible from that attack. You can move to the inside of the arm, or the outside of the arm, and you can make contact above or below that arm. The same options exist for all other attacks, but their trajectory can make some quadrants more easily accessible than others. For example, a haymaker still has those 4 areas around it, but because it is swinging from the outside to the inside, it is much easier to access the inside-over and inside-under quadrants than the outside-over and outside-under quadrants.

By using this concept, KishimotoDi essentially classifies its techniques based on those quadrants, instead of taking the more common "if they attack with X, defend with Y," approach. All you need to know is which of those four entry vectors is available, and pick a technique to fit into one. I suspect other styles do something similar, so I'm curious to know if yours does this, or if there is a different concept used when it comes to evasion and technique selection.

[sensei8]

Excellent topic without any doubt; thank you for starting it, Noah.

I enjoyed you YouTube video on this concept across the board.

4 hours ago, Wastelander said:

I suspect other styles do something similar, so I'm curious to know if yours does this, or if there is a different concept used when it comes to evasion and technique selection

We also train in this concept as well because it greatly aids us in our close range which is a key factor in the Shindokan’s 4 key factors. 

We don’t use the term “quadrant’, we use ‘sectors’, and no matter how the concept is labeled, it’s effectiveness cannot be denied.

[Furinkazan]

4 hours ago, Wastelander said:

Recently, I've been sharing some footage from my KishimotoDi Sensei's previous visits to the US, and I've had some folks not understand the quadrant concept that is illustrated in a few of those videos, so I thought it might be worth explaining.

Essentially, KishimotoDi simplifies technique selection by looking at all incoming attacks from the perspective of having 4 areas you can enter into--inside-over, inside-under, outside-over, and outside-under--instead of trying to identify the specific attack and figuring out how to deal with that attack. An easy way to visualize this is by looking at a straight punch, since all 4 quadrants are equally accessible from that attack. You can move to the inside of the arm, or the outside of the arm, and you can make contact above or below that arm. The same options exist for all other attacks, but their trajectory can make some quadrants more easily accessible than others. For example, a haymaker still has those 4 areas around it, but because it is swinging from the outside to the inside, it is much easier to access the inside-over and inside-under quadrants than the outside-over and outside-under quadrants.

By using this concept, KishimotoDi essentially classifies its techniques based on those quadrants, instead of taking the more common "if they attack with X, defend with Y," approach. All you need to know is which of those four entry vectors is available, and pick a technique to fit into one. I suspect other styles do something similar, so I'm curious to know if yours does this, or if there is a different concept used when it comes to evasion and technique selection.

I've never heard it broken down like that, but I think that most people develop a concept on their own that is similar to that by brown belt.  Normally, from experience with ippon kumite.

If I started karate at a much younger age and wanted to "go rogue" with Shotokan as you did with Shorin-ryu, I'd return the gedan shuto ukes to Heian Shodan and Bassai Dai (and the saguri-te to Bassai Dai).

In Shorin-ryu and Shito-ryu, the gedan shuto uke is a valuable tool for intercepting kicks and we don't see it until Kanku Dai, which is normally taught at 2nd kyu.