Memory
is a funny thing, things just pop up for no reason. I just had such a memory.
About
20 years ago I had a phone call from someone in another system, Shorin based,
and he was describing a clinic he attended in the Western United States. I used
to work out with him 35 years ago, though we have long fallen out of contact
since that time.
Anyhow
the memory goes like this. At this clinic a very senior Okinawan instructor was
present more as an observer. However at one point he allowed the group to pose
questions to him. Someone asked about the Okinawan use of the roundhouse kick.
His reply stunned everyone. He said “in all his years in Okinawan karate, he
only used one kick.” There was no follow up to that response.
Now
I assume he might have meant the front kick, which at even different angles of
delivery remains a front kick.
The
Front Kick II
My
previous post on the Okinawan front kick, made me think of other things that
should be said.
In
my Isshinryu practice the front kick is done a variety of different ways”
1, The front kick to the front
a. The front kick as a thrust
kick to the knee
b, The knee strike to the
front (lifting the knee of the front
kick in chamber as the strike)
i. done with
constant acceleration forward
ii. done with
constant acceleration upward
iii. done with
explosive acceleration forward
2. The front kick to the side.
3. The front kick on your back on the
floor into the opponents
Descending reach
4. The use of the heel of the foot
returning to chamber at the
conclusion
of the kick
5. The use of the shin of the front kick
as an impacting surface.
6, Each step as a potential front kick
7. The front kick delivered at a 45
degree angle from the floor.
a.
Done with the thigh as the target
b.
Done with the side of the ribs as the target.
Then
there are a range of targets to consider:
1. The toes
2. The entire length of the shin
3. The knee,
4. The entire length and depth of the
thigh
5. The hip joint where the leg meets
the hip
6. The groin
7. The abdomen and the sides of the
ribs
8. the solar plexus
9. The armpit
10. The chin
11. Attacking the rear of the
opponent, the entire body offers
Targets
12. When striking with the heel
i. the back of the knees
ii. the back
iii. the groin from the rear
While
I have done my best to be complete, I am sure I am missing some possibilities.
The
use of toe kicks with the front kick.
Many Okinawan systems of training included use of the toes with a front
kick. This is done with a variety of ways the toes is used and conditioned in
different systems. Among them:
1.
the toes is a cupped position as in the accompanying Gojushiho
front kicks. Useful for kicking into the armpit.
2. Where the toes are curled back and
you practice conditioning the
big toe knuckle joint for striking. (I wonder if this is done any
longer
3. Where the 2nd toe is
crossed over the joint of the big toe for
Added stability
4. where the big toe is conditioned by
striking tires and walls as in
Ueichi Ryu
I
am sure this list is not comprehensive. The use of the makiwara for striking
was also part of many of those practices. I understand all of these methods
deliver a penetrating kick as to the thigh, abdomen, solar plexus and other
locations.
I
did not receive such training in my Isshinryu practice. We were taught to
strike with the ball of the foot. This is also penetrating but not so much as
with the toe tip kicks.
I
would like to add a bit of reality here. I realize these may be part of your
dojo practices. But I am not Billy Jack or training anyone to be like him.
Specifically I would not remove my shoes (boots) before I would kick. In that
light we use summer practice (and at other times) to specifically train with
our shoes on.
As
it turns out during my studies in Chinese Arts with Ernest Rothrock, one of my
studies was the Jing Woo Association form Tam Tuie. The form is done in Chinese
style boots with hard toes. The targets are toes, ankles, shins, thighs and
groin. The method of tensing the foot to use with impact is also useful for our
kicking with footware.
Effectiveness
using shoes too.
Several
specific kicking drills I use are a re-creation of the Itosu 8 point kicking
drill that is described by John Sells in Unante. I consider it one of the best
drills I have. It offers insight on kicking from the inside of an attack. I
have not filmed it ever but I offer these notes.
Recreating the Itosu Eight Point Kicking Drill
Another
good kicking drill, working on balance, was described to me by Joe Swift. It is
the Mabuni 7 point kicking drill. I did film this one.
Mabuni
7 point kicking drill
Everything
here supports that there is not such a thing as a simple front kick. It is a
complex and vast study in all our arts, or so it is from my point of view.
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