My friend Kevin (@kevinwithnall) sent me the following YouTube video link of a US Marine demonstrating a knife hand technique in an informal situation.
Whilst I don’t suggest people should try it for themselves like this, it does go to show how light a touch can result in a knock-out technique. The carotid sinus is quite a sensitive point.
Iain Abernethy, Sensei (guest on episode 9 of The Applied Karate Show podcast) has announced the release of a new DVD called Beyond Bunkai.
I’ve always found Iain’s DVDs to be very professional, with excellent production quality and interesting and thought-provoking content. I’ve appreciated recently that Iain has been releasing some of his titles as downloadable movies, and hope that he will add Beyond Bunkai as a download soon!
According to Iain’s newsletter update,
This DVD presents a unique non-scripted flow drill that includes all the motions found within Naihanchi / Tekki Shodan. Ideal for the more experienced bunkai practitioner, and essentially infinite in its variations, this drill shows the depth of Naihanchi / Tekki Shodan and includes gripping skills, head-butting, biting, gouging, seizing, locking, controlling limbs, chokes, cranks, takedowns and close-range kicking.
This drill is also unlike most flow drills in that it is not carefully scripted nor does it involve giving up a position of advantage so your partner can have their turn. The drill instead enables the practitioner to dominate at close-range, flow past any obstructions the enemy may present, safely escape, and practise applying the bunkai of the kata in a realistic context. This DVD also includes a breakdown of the kata itself and a discussion on the history of Naihanchi / Tekki Shodan.
Iain Abernethy is one of the world’s leading exponents of kata application and practical karate. He has been invited all over the globe to teach his approach and to help people return to the original combative nature of the traditional martial arts.
Beyond Bunkai is available in PAL and NTSC format from http://shop.iainabernethy.com/acatalog/DVDs_UK.html.
Thanks to the fine folks at KoryuFit.com for posting this interesting interpretation of a classic kata – Naihanchin (also known as Naihanchi, Naifuanchi or Tekki).
As a kata, I’ve long been fascintated by Naihanchin, and the possibilities this seemingly simplistic form provides us through its myriad of applications.
As a practitioner of Shorinjiryu karate, Naihanchin is usually one of the first forms learned. Yet the Naihanchin forms in Shorinjiryu differ markedly from those in most classical systems, with our forms having a lot more movement, including larger steps, and movement away from the lateral line. Many can’t see the connection between a Shorinjiryu Naihanchin and that practiced in other styles, without first seeing the missing link forms, such as Naihanchin no Sho (as taught in the Watanabe Ha lineage), and the Koshiki Naihanchin form introduced in the Kenkokan organisation.
Watching the Naihanchin 360 form shows that clearly the applications seen by many are more expansive than the base pattern lets on.
Similarly, the Naihanchin application used in the Kodo-ryu of Nathan Johnson sensei shows that the kata is very much a grappling form, at least from their perspective.
I’d be interested in hearing other perspectives on Naihanchin and its applications.
Thanks to the Goju-ryu Karate Training Log comes this link to a video on YouTube showing what happens to the hand during a breaking techinique.
A must see video for all who practice tameshiwari techniques.
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Thanks to both Straight to the Bar and Rif’s Blog for this excellent link to a video on YouTube about Okinawan Karate and Kobudo. It features Goju and Shorin karate, Bojutsu, Saijutsu, Hojo Undo exercises and more.