Intuitive use of hikite (in a rugby match)

Great video.  The slow mo bit at 2.35 really shows them hanging on and pulling onto the punch.  Even then they didn't seem to be able to land much.  Most of the damage and movement against each other is caused by the pulling hand rather than the striking hand.

I don't think I'd like to be punched by either of those two axe murders.

Personally I'd be asking exactly how "intuitive and natural" this really is in this case?

These are Rugby players and well used to ragging each other about even when they aren't fighting. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be that unfamiliar with a bit of a pitch scrap either. You can see the hands sneaking into grip range as they exchange pleasantries and seem well clued up as to what they are intending to do.

Don't get me wrong...grabbing and hitting is too common not to be fairly intuitive but there some experience at work here too IMHO. :)

I like the hikite used at about 1:30 of this vid. Especially where Yahara gets an ippon/KO and then gently uses his hikite to lower his opponent gently to the floor. :)

Hi all,

PA Smith, having played plenty of rugby league myself the clip shown was all too familiar and I would say that what was seen is natural and intuitive. A kick off during a rugby match or in a street altercation between ''untrained'' individuals will usually see the combatantsdo what works instinctively, they have the distinct advantage of not having their instinctive responses trained out of them, which often happens with training in a martial art, so the rugby player(in this example) will use the simplest, most direct means to achieve their goal.

What we call hikite would be the obvious choice to control and dominate an opponent for an untrained fighter etc, they just don't need to be taught  the principle .

I feel this is where people struggle with scenario/real fighting drills, they don't actually realise the way real violence tends to pan out

All the best

Mark

PASmith wrote:

I like the hikite used at about 1:30 of this vid. Especially where Yahara gets an ippon/KO and then gently uses his hikite to lower his opponent gently to the floor.

A very nice example of the skilled use of hikite in consensual fighting :-) Thanks for sharing that.

All the best,

Iain

Another similar example that I love of the hikite being used in in match fighting can be seen here:

From the JKA All-Japan Championships, 1985.  A perfect example of using the hikite to clear the opponent's guard to allow access to the head.