From Application Potential to Application Realization

Let’s take an example of an application potential. Starting with one Mabuni Sensei shared in 1934 from Seienchin Kata.

 

From GOSHIN KARATE KEMPO Defense and Attack

By Master Mabuni Kenwa           Published in March 1934

Translated into French by Tokitsu Kenji (February 1989)

Translated into English by Victor Smith (June 2000)

 

 

When the opponent attacks you to the solar plexus with a punch, you parry, as on the bunkai diagram  parrying with the augmented block, while using the two hands.

 You next seize the wrist of the opponent with the right hand, and you advance your left foot towards him as you find on the bunkai diagram.

 You hit to the groin with your left fist.

                                                               

 

 

This movement is in the Isshinryu version of the kata too.

However when I tried to do it I found the attackers arm was almost impossible to go over to make the strike to the groin work.

 

Now I had given a copy of my translation to Sherman Harill and he understood what I was missing. When stepping in with the left leg it must block/strike into the attackers right leg to cause them to sag. Then the striking left arm strikes into the groin easily.

 

The training to make an application effective is always comprised of such details. No doubt the Mabuni explanation was just to show a potential existed, not to become a training guide for the student.

 

That begins the process to move from application potential of a movement, to application realization where the application succeeds against an attack. Then there is a training methodology needed to reach that realization