A quick video about one of those things that should be obvious, but obviously isn’t :-) All training methods have deliberate flaws that have to be introduced for safety, specificity of training, or efficiently. Only real is real. These deliberate flaws do not render a given method useless, because the flaws will be counteracted by other training methods. It’s the integrated training matrix that ensures training is practical and effective. Isolating a method from the matrix and then critiquing it is entirely vacuous. Such statements are meaningless. It’s the matrix that matters!

The chaotic reality of self-protection means we need to be able to hit hard from any angle and any position. This pad drill is designed to help us develop explosive punching power from non-ideal positions. This drill includes striking while unstable, while kneeling, while sitting, while on our backs, while rising, etc. Additionally, the holder is not permitted to hold the pad flat, horizontally or vertically. This means we need to adapt the strike, and select the striking surface, to match the unorthodox angles presented.

This video shares bunkai for the rising motion (morote koko gamae) common to Kushanku-Sho (Kanku-Sho) and Bassai-Sho. This is not my bunkai, but that of Norwegian karateka André Pedersen. I was teaching in Norway and chatting with André when he shared these with me. I really liked them and encouraged André to share them. André suggested that I should share them via my channel, so here you are! Thank you André!

All the best,

Iain

In this video we look at three drills for a combination consisting of a limb-clear, two-elbows and a knee. All three drills are needed in order to adequately cover the technique.