Rick Potrekus wrote:Now we're into it! How many remember the original number three?
I do. In my not-so-humble opinion, the change to what is done today was moronic. In all the prearranged choreography we do, that one is just flat wrong. It works only if you play this Uechi choreography in a one-dimensional, step-forwards-step-backwards manner. But if you zig and zag as I teach - constantly staying off the line of force - then you shut number 3 down before the person can finish it.
The original number 3 was changed because too many people were getting hit/hurt. I did it once in fact. I accidentally knocked someone out with my spinning hook kick.
The problem? Obviously not the offense... it WORKS! No... the problem was the idiotic "cross blocK" used to address a spinning hook kick. If you get in close and you have elevation, that single contact point just makes the heel whip around all the more viciously.
One day I was sitting watching a Korean TKD master teach his sparring class. This guy could do a yoko geri straight up at dead noon. His spinning hook kick was deadly. During the sparring class someone asked him how to block the technique. He turned his body towards the kick and put his arms up - in a Sanchin-like posture. To say that I had an epiphany was an understatement. I almost fell out of my chair. But there was a TKD guy showing his class a Uechi posture to use which made it impossible to whip the kick around a single contact point.
George saw me do this one day and got his own variation. He essentially does a hip bump to the buttocks while having his arm in the double palm thrust position of Sanchin. That works as well.
So the moral of the story in my dojo... Tolerate the fact that somebody came up with an "alternate" to Dan Kumite number 3 which makes no sense - especially if you move the way we move. Then create a number 7 which is the old number 3 - done in a manner which works. Since I created my own response, I haven't had a single injury in my class from it.
Rick Potrekus wrote:When you find yourself in back of the attacker it is a nice feeling indeed. Itokazu Sensei told me one time that Okinawan Karate does not do stances we do footwork.
It appears we're completely on the same page.
When you get that epiphany, then you find yourself constantly working to get on your partner's back. Show a student how to set up a rear naked choke - using what we know - then you can seal the deal every time.
- Bill