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Les Bubka
Les Bubka's picture
Jun/Yoko Tsuki

Hi all

 I was not sure where to post this so if Iain you think it should be in Kata Application can please move it.

Very often I hear from karate practitioners that Jun /Yoko tsuki is useless, as it is awkward and don’t have power. I disagree with that and I think it is a great punch, very often used in boxing. This technique has great stopping power and gives us great movement to enter the blind spot.

 What you think about it?

Wishing you all Happy Easter!

Kind regrds 

Les

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

Hi Les,

Nice video on a punch not often discussed! Funakoshi shows the technique, complete with head movement, a few times in his writing; sometimes with an additional cover and sometimes without. Here is one example with a  cover from “Karate-Do Kyohan”:

There’s also video of him doing it as an older man where he covers with both hands as he moves, before strikign with the with the lead hand:

“Slipping” like that is not something we see many karateka practise, but they should. One drill we do is having people exchange punches where they are not allowed to move their feet. Very quickly they realise head and body movement (and proactively using the arms as opposed to having them in a passive guard) is vital.

I did a video on combining the simultaneous slip, parry punch version with one of Funakoshi’s throws a while back.

Thanks once again for sharing Les!

All the best,

Iain

Les Bubka
Les Bubka's picture

Hi Iain

Iain Abernethy wrote:
“Slipping” like that is not something we see many karateka practise, but they should. One drill we do is having people exchange punches where they are not allowed to move their feet. Very quickly they realise head and body movement (and proactively using the arms as opposed to having them in a passive guard) is vital.

I totally agree, you rarely see karate-ka using bobbing and slipping. Most are very stiff in spine I think it is a problem for karate as in efficacy of the movement, it have to be balance between rigidness and flexibility.

We have very similar drill, also we place one of the partner with his back leg against the wall and only front one can move it’s a great fun.

I like your clip,

Kind regards

Les

chrishanson68
chrishanson68's picture

Good Morning all,

Les, thanks for the original post.  My initial reactions were: "right on!", "it's about time", and "obviously" (not to be disrespectful).  Let me explain.... I get excited when I see Karate functionalized properly.  And it's about time when we raise global awareness to our "dying" art.  Next, it's very obvious that this punch option is displayed the way it is.  Punching like this is not only smart, but makes sense to deliver it this way.  It's offensive (as it's going inside the opponent), and it's defensive (as it's off the line of fire).  It's compliant with Bunkai rules, and therefore combative.  I also say it's obvious as this kind of reaction happens NATURALLY in fighting....if you study fights, you'll see this slippling action happen everywhere.  Boxers have capitalized on this. Speaking of Boxing......I truely believe that Boxing is one of the most natural and fluid striking delivery systems on the planet.  Every Karate ka should and must study this sweet science of movement.  If you synthesize the catelogue and reems of karate techniques we have from our Karate curriculum into a boxing framework, you eliminate a lot of unhealthy bad habbits that Karate Ka's have permeated over the decades:

  1. - static footwork
  2. - static drill sequences
  3. - unalive "alive" drills - we think they're alive, but not really...they're still contextualized heavily to work among karate dudes
  4. - unprotected chin
  5. - linear drill flows
  6. - non-compliance
  7. - lack of athleticism - lots of over weight karate ka's

 

Most of these symptoms can be solved with a slight tweak in training......here it is......throw boxing in the mix with your karate!!If you do that, then techniques like Les displayed , along with Funakoshi's revelations and such are all very symptomatic of healthy training practices involving boxing concepts.

Another way of putting this.....from my experience, when you engage in any kind of strking with intention....slipping, is the very least you can do......along with active footwork, head movement, and dynamic countering and flow....it simply has to be trained like this in order to strike with intention and be defensive. Great post Les and Iain.

OSU,

Chris.

AllyWhytock
AllyWhytock's picture

Hello,

I agree with the following.

chrishanson68 wrote:

Speaking of Boxing......I truely believe that Boxing is one of the most natural and fluid striking delivery systems on the planet.  Every Karate ka should and must study this sweet science of movement.  If you synthesize the catelogue and reems of karate techniques we have from our Karate curriculum into a boxing framework, you eliminate a lot of unhealthy bad habbits

I am also learning/practicing/training boxing and find many transferable benefits to my karate, especially when I study "dirty" boxing. This morning was slipping jabs & crosses and dropping below hooks. My boxing coach also teaches punching with orthodox and south paw with movement of the feet , at times, loosely coupled to the hands i.e. being able to punch off and move off the ropes.

Incidently, the start of the following drill from Patrick McCarthy Hanshi, was similar to my boxing drill from this morning, with the pad holder feeding a hook for the drop.

 

My boxing coach also teaches the various distances in which stepping, slipping and checking depend upon the distance i.e. far to near respectivel indest

Regards

Ally 

Wastelander
Wastelander's picture

It's definitely a good technique, albeit one that people may consider impractical at first glance. I know I use it frequently in sparring, both sport oriented and self defense oriented. Since we're throwing some historical references out there, this technique is actually featured in, and on the cover of, The Study of China Hand Techniques, by Morinobu Itoman, translated by Mario McKenna. It's a great reference, for those who don't have it--I highly recommend it.

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

Wastelander wrote:
The Study of China Hand Techniques, by Morinobu Itoman, translated by Mario McKenna. It's a great reference, for those who don't have it--I highly recommend it.

Agreed! It’s a superb book: https://iainabernethy.co.uk/content/study-karate-techniques-morinobu-itoman-1934

All the best,

Iain

Les Bubka
Les Bubka's picture
Iain Abernethy wrote:
Agreed! It’s a superb book: https://iainabernethy.co.uk/content/study-karate-techniques-morinobu-itoman-1934

Wastelander, Iain  indeed great book, part of my martial arts library :)

Kind regards 

Les

Wastelander
Wastelander's picture

So, I thought of this thread last night at the dojo. I bowed on to join in some sport-style sparring, and one of the other black belts in the dojo used this quite extensievly against me, which was fun to adjust for

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

Wastelander wrote:
So, I thought of this thread last night at the dojo. I bowed on to join in some sport-style sparring, and one of the other black belts in the dojo used this quite extensively against me, which was fun to adjust for

Brilliant! That’s a great bit of martial serendipity :-)

All the best,

Iain

AllyWhytock
AllyWhytock's picture

Hi,

Serendipity strikes again - in tonight's boxing class we did jab, drop and jab. Made me think of a lot of follow ups as the c-shape of the off balance opponent came tumbling over.

Kindest Regards,

Ally

Les Bubka
Les Bubka's picture

It's great to know that there is more people who use this punch i their training,

Kind regards 

Les