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Cataphract
Cataphract's picture
Shuto, Shuto and (even more) Shuto

This post by Iain reminded me of something I've been thinking about for some time now.

One shuto (chambering and execution) is deflect and counter-attack. Got it. The pinan/heian show many successive shuto. I think that is quite subtle and hints at a lot of possible interpretations and variations at very close range. The first spear hand/chambering motion has the potential for an eye jab, for example. The sword hand apart from the neck could also hit the clavicula or bicep. The chambering to the ear has an application against a wrist grab.

Many kungfu styles (e.g. tongbei, baji, tiger ...) have a sort of baiting double shuto that leaves one arm pinned on top of the other. Compare these variations

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

Cataphract wrote:
The pinan/heian show many successive shuto.

To my knowledge, we have nothing in the writings of the past masters to explain things being in threes, but there are two theories that I see as being legit (#):

1) The kata is showing both sides, but shows the most common one – based on the fact most people are right handed – one more time, before flowing on from that position. This does not mean that it is always the right hand being used; just the version that is most likely when two right handed people fight. I’d need to run though many examples to show this and I don’t have time to write them all out, but the folks who have been to seminars will have seen this and get what I’m saying. This works consistently throughout the forms and would seem to be the strongest explanation.

2) In other cases, the kata is not showing three techniques (L, R, L), but two transitions (L to R, R to L) and obviously you only need one on the right to show this (L -> R -> L). This is not contradictory to the above because the left shuto should still be the one done twice (most people are right handed; enemy is therefore most likely to filch / cover with their left arm; which you will clear with your right to strike with your left).

The point being the three done forward would lead to the kind of thing you describe:

Cataphract wrote:
Many kungfu styles (e.g. tongbei, baji, tiger ...) have a sort of baiting double shuto that leaves one arm pinned on top of the other. Compare these variations

Here is a drill where we do a similar thing, but the partner knowing brings their arm out for continual practise:

All the best,

Iain

PS (#) – I once had a gent try to tell me it was all about the nature of the “chi meridians” in the body, and that this was supported in the past writings. I asked for sources and he said he could not remember off the top of his head, but they were definitely there. I asked him if he could email them to me later and he said he would … and never did.

Graziano
Graziano's picture

Iain Abernethy wrote:
Here is a drill where we do a similar thing, but the partner knowing brings their arm out for continual practise:

Hello Ian the way how you use skuto uke remind me the wing chun techinique, pak sao punch, also bruce lee jeet kune do use it

 

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

Graziano wrote:
Hello Ian the way how you use skuto uke remind me the wing chun techinique, pak sao punch, also bruce lee jeet kune do use it

There’s definitely some commonality. I think every system contains slapping an arm to clear a path for a strike. Just as everyone has punches. It’s a must have, so there is certainly commonality. The specifics in the videos are different here due to the striking tool (I’m using arm not fist), and there is no grabbing from me on the counter to the counters. But the common concept of using one arm to clear a path while the other hits can be seen.

All the best,

Iain