Kunchikiti

   

I would suggest this example of Tatsuo Shimabuku
performing this side kick from Wansu Kata
captures the essence of this discussion.

Jim,

Thought this might relate back to our discussion last week, from a follow up for the Robert Orozoco discussion last week on the CyberDojo.

"..without an understanding of the Okinawan language and history, it is very easy to be fooled into thinking that something is more credible or seems more genuine if people use Okinawan terms.

For example, I can say that there is an old way of doing kata that has what is called kunchikiti.

 Basically this technique is found in many of the kata but has been left out. Kunchikiti is utilizing a foot stomp within kata. Now, this foot stomping is more than just how to stomp on top of someone’s foot but in executing kicks to other joints as well such as kansetsu geri.
 

Today this has changed to more of a lower sideways kick but using kunchikiti it is more of a downward angle of attack to the knee joint. There is also kunchikiti after a take down to a person’s rib cage in some kata. (Note: This is what I learned from my teacher regarding the way to perform this differently in various kata). 

(Note: Kunchikiti is the gerund form of the verb Kunchikiyun which means "to stomp")
(further Note: If you start seeing the work "Kunchikiti" being used in forums, articles, etc then you must note that you seen it here first and laugh out loud hysterically and poke fun at the author)

Which makes me think of a description of the double strike in Patsai (and SunNuSu kata) from Joe Swift's private translation from Mutsu's 1934 book. Where Mutsu describes that kata section for the double strike being proceeded with a stamp to break their foot before the double striike.

Interesting, that this is not commonly taught these days.

Victor



Hi Victor,

This is interesting. One of the widespread characteristics of Chinese forms is hiding things. In Chinese forms these kicks might be seen to fall in the category of àn tuǐ 暗腿 "secret kicks". (This is as opposed to the leg exercises in kata that people usually identify as "kicks".) In the Chinese heritage, of course, the hidden kicks run the full gamut of leg gestures and not just stomping gestures. (If we were to do an àn tuǐ analysis of Seisan, for example, someone might think we'd discovered all of taekwondo!)

One could speculate on why these aren't taught more openly today related to Okinawan karate.
 

- perhaps they are simply forgotten (or the transmission was broken and incomplete)
- perhaps they went out of "style" for performance (since they're not "showy")
- perhaps teachers decided they needed (for whatever reason) to be hidden or any combination of the above.

In the Chinese heritage, there are a lot of categories of àn (hidden).

I appreciate you sharing these things with me.

Jim

Dánt’e Da!
 
Dánt’e Victor,

I hope all is well over there and I trust you are keeping warm. Thank you for your email response.

I also have been shown foot stomping as well as foot pressing is part of kata. The foot pressing is shown where there is a straight step rather than a "C" or crescent step.

 These things are clearly not there when my teacher shows the "standardized" versions. Again, he says that he teaches both because some people want to compete and the changes actually make the kata look better visually.

 Even though I know both versions I tend to teach the non-standard to my students. Anyhow, it is interesting to see that many people actually view the top competitors as people who understand most about traditional karate but people should really rethink this position.

Please note that I am not saying "ALL" and I am not saying that they are not great karateka, but what I am saying is the performance of the top goju kata champion considered better then say the kata performance of Miyazato Sensei, Toguchi Sensei, or Yagi Sensei?

 In the kata se-pai,  is  it better to change the places where there are heel pivots to make it ball pivots to make it uniform across all the kata?

 I think visually it looks really great but then it changes the dynamic of the movement and the meaning. However, if someone is not shown any meaning then I guess it really does not matter.

Anyhow, I hope others are able to chime in about Kunchikiti (HAHAHA).

Respectfully,

Robert Orozco



On Friday, May 9, 2014 5:31 AM, "isshim2@... [CyberDojo]" wrote:

Dánt’e Da!
 
Dánt’e Robert,

You wrote "For example, I can say that there is an old way of doing kata that has what is called kunchikiti. Basically this technique is found in many of the kata but has been left out. Kunchikiti is utilizing a foot stomp within kata. Now, this foot stomping is more than just how to stomp on top of someone’s foot but in executing kicks to other joints as well such as kansetsu geri. Today this has changed to more of a lower sideways kick but using kunchikiti it is more of a downward angle of attack to the knee joint. There is also kunchikiti after a take down to a person’s rib cage in some kata. (Note: This is what I learned from my teacher regarding the way to perform this differently in various kata). "

I find this comment invaluable. It parallels a note on Patsai made by Mutsu in 1934 about the "U Strike" in Passai kata. Where  the stomp should first be used to stomp, break the attackers foot proceeding the double strike (my description of his work).

Thank you sincerely,

Victor Smith
Bushi No Te Isshinryu
Derry, NH USA