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Les Bubka
Les Bubka's picture
Kanku Dai - Body Drop (Kyokushin version)

HI all,

Short clip on Kanku Dai's body drop in Kyokushin version of the kata Kanku dai.

I use it as a sprawl and neck twist.

This version is very far away from original :)

Kind regards

Les

Marc
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Brilliant. Thank you for recording this, Les!

It is very close to what I have imagined this move could be, just a few weeks ago, but had no chance to try it out with a partner, let alone record it. So now I have a visual and you show that it absolutely works as I hoped it would.

In Shotokans Kanku-Dai the body drop is embedded in this sequence:

You raise your right knee and bring your right fist up (backfist forward) while the left palm touches the right lower arm. (A similar position can be found at the start of Bassai-Dai or in the middle of Empi.) Next you drop to the floor with both hands on the ground. From there you turn on the spot into a deep left Kokutsu-Dachi, executing a left low sword hand (gedan shuto barai). Finally you step forward into a right Kokutsu-Dachi with a regular sword hand (shuto uke).

You can see it in slowmotion in this video from 3:30 onwards:

 

The application of the first move would locate the opponent's head with the left hand and slam the right lower arm into the head from the other side. The knee strike would most probably bend the opponents body forward. This situation can be exploited by both the karateka and the opponent.

The karateka could simply push down the opponent who is already bent and dizzy from the slam into their head.

The opponent could still be clear enough to see the karateka's legs and attempt to tackle as per your video.

In both cases if the opponent moves forward while being pushed down the karateka can turn and forward the opponent to the ground exploting their momentum (as also shown in your video). This would be the turn and low sword hand in the Shotokan version.

Should the opponent be able to regain their feet somehow, stick to what you know from the beginning of the kata and sword-hand them in the neck. Or maybe the right sword hand the the same as in your Kyokushin version and provides the alternative neck crank you show in your video.

Anyway, I love it. It fits the kata and the mechanics of the moves perfectly.

All the best,

Marc

Les Bubka
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Thank you Marc,

I've seen Shotokan Kanku few times, but i'm not expert as I don't practice it.

Your explanation makes sense to me, I'm happy that my clip helped you :) 

Kind regards

Les

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

Hi Les,

Superb! I like it lots and will share it later today.

Les Bubka wrote:
This version is very far away from original :)

Indeed, it is! As Marc has pointed out there is some commonality, but it’s a radically different kata from the version we see in most styles. I was once asked to do a seminar on my thoughts on this version for a group of Kyokushin practitioners and it was great fun (footage in the app)! Lots of very cool stuff in the kata.

Here’s a video for those not familiar with it.

All the best,

Iain

Les Bubka
Les Bubka's picture

Thank you Iain, in the future when I have more time I'm planning to do full kata application :).

Kind regards

Les