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dhogsette
dhogsette's picture
High Block Kihon Combination Drill

Hello,

I'm continuing to work kihon combination drills with my students. Here is another one for jodan uke or high block. 

In this video, we explore how it can be used as a wrist release application. When pressure testing techniques, we discover that certain movements and applications may not work in practice as nicely as we think they would work in theory. When an enemy has grabbed some part of your body, it can be difficult to get him to release. Of course, you don’t want the enemy to grab you, but in close combat, it often happens. In this drill, we use the nukite (spear hand) as a palm-heel strike or eye poke to create distance, soften the enemy up, and straighten his grabbing arm. Such a preliminary move is often crucial for the success of the other applications. Often, an initial strike augments the effectiveness of more complex moves, like arm bars or throws. The rest of the drill demonstrates how to use arm-bar applications (high block and low block) to control the upper body so as to reposition the head and to create an open target.

The kihon combination for this drill: nukite strike, high block, low block, double punch.

Enjoy!

Best,

David 

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

That’s a cleverly constructed drill Dave! As you say, you have a context, bunkai for “spear hand”, “upper level block”, “lower block”, and escape with a view to third party perceptions all in one pretty short drill. There’s a lot going on in there for students to study. Clever!

 All the best,

Iain

dhogsette
dhogsette's picture

Iain,

Thank you for your kind words of support and encouragement! I've taken to my martial heart your words to make kihon combinations as practical as possible. This approach seems to click with this new generation of karate students, who really want to know the whys and hows behind the whats. I'm also striving to instill in them basic combative principles. I encourage them not to get so caught up in the specific techniques we are using but, rather, to focus on the combative principles that we discuss. I explain to them that there are many ways to achieve the basic combative principles. As long as they keep those in mind, they should be able to do something, use some technique or movement to accomplish the goal. I think it's resonating with many of them. There are still those who focus on the technique and get flustered if they forget a technique, but they are coming along nicely. 

Thanks again!

David 

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

dhogsette wrote:
This approach seems to click with this new generation of karate students, who really want to know the whys and hows behind the whats.

I think that’s something everyone can relate to and it’s a great thing for karate that students are no longer content to practise mindlessly. It bodes well for karate’s future.

dhogsette wrote:
I encourage them not to get so caught up in the specific techniques we are using but, rather, to focus on the combative principles that we discuss.

That’s great. I’m a big believer in a principle-based approach. It’s the way all my teachers teach. My brain struggles to deal with innumerable variations in technique, but when I’m shown the core principle upon which they are all based then it all clicks into place and I can extrapolate indefinitely.

dhogsette wrote:
There are still those who focus on the technique and get flustered if they forget a technique, but they are coming along nicely.

As Bruce Lee said in Enter the Dragon, “It’s like a finger pointing to the moon. Don’t concentrate on the finger or you will miss all of that heavenly glory” :-) The technique is an illustration of principle and it’s all to easy to get fixated on the “finger” and miss what it is guiding us to.

Thanks once again for sharing the video!

All the best,

Iain