Discussion on a variety of Okinawan Kicks

 

 

 

It is serendipity but when I talked about Genwa Nakasone’s book “Karate-Do Taiken” I forgot that a year ago I wrote a bit about Shimpan Shiroma and his contribution on the use of karate technique. This is what I posted, and I have added a photo from the book. In the body of the piece these discussions were accompanied with diagrams.

 

Thought these words by Shiroma Shimpan from the 1938 Nakasone text Karate Do Taiken might be more interesting than talking about something carved on a monument on Okinawa. He wrote:

 

 

9. Use of the right knee parry of a right kick (interior line of defense) and a left knee parry against a right kich, then place the left foot down (spinning off the attacker) and double palm strike to their spine (exterior line of defense).

 

 

 

Hank Prohm What this ISN'T showing is the "foot like a wave" kick as frequently seen in Naihanchi. Once the kick is blocked, that kick to the "taint" is extremely effective.  (The video Hank posted is no longer  available. So I posted a  John Kerker video showing his use of the same kick._

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sFXQzEqNvI

Hank Prohm

Your foot comes to the opposite knee and then you kick forward striking with the instep or the toes.

 

Victor Donald Smith Hank you do make a point, there are several kata where the same potential comes into play. In Isshinryu the last front front kicks for wansu kata could be used this way too,

 

Hank Prohm Chris Walton had half a log placed on an outward corner in his dojo where he and his students could practice their toe kicks. Chris, and I supposed the other Kishaba Juku folks could CROSS their toes with the "pointer" toe over the big toe. Since my toes are splayed like someone who wore "flip flops" in Hawaii for 30 years, that wasn't an option for me. However a Kishaba style kick to the "kinteki" as Kotaka sensei used to call it, the "golden point" would be devastating.

 

Victor Donald Smith There are an entire range of Okinawan toe kicks, none of which i have mastered. But I get the point, for once a Shotokan instructor dropped to the floor below me unexpectedly and struck up with the middle finger, and I learned how to fly.