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Les Bubka
Les Bubka's picture
Shuto Mawashi Uke - Bunkai

One of the ways we use shuto mawshi uke is a defence against mawashi geri chudan, on purpose I done the block three times before using whole sequence, to show what happens when you block the kicking leg above the knee. 

Kind regards

Les

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

Thanks for sharing that! When I work with Kyokushin folks the nuances of the circular nature of their “knife hand” is often a point people want to discuss. While most of the “standard bunkai” also apply; it’s nice to look at options that are a specific match.

The nature of the attack (a high roundhouse) would see me place this methods in the “fighting” category; as opposed to self-protection category … not that there is anything wrong with that! As a modern martial artists, we can seek to be au fait with both. Thanks for sharing!

All the best,

Iain

PS I’ll share via my lists too :-)

Les Bubka
Les Bubka's picture

Thanks Iain

Iain Abernethy wrote:

The nature of the attack (a high roundhouse) would see me place this methods in the “fighting” category; as opposed to self-protection category 

I agree with you and disagree in the same time; I think that now more people use sports technique on the "streets" due to watching mma, boxing, and kickboxing. Especially young men think that they can do what sportsman do on the screen, I was involved in that type of situation in 90', when going back from my studies one of the guys did not like me. He taked to me and the try to kick me with high mawashi geri, as he was not very flexible his leg landed in my hand, I just lifted up with technique similar to Shuto Mawashi Uke, which worked nicely as he lost his balance. After this I think he was embarrassed as he did not continue to attack, as the situation happened on the bus stop in front of many people I think poor guy felt that he made a fool of himself, which I'm very happy as I did not want to fight anyway. I think that now we will see a change in "attack style" of young men after they get drunk. 

kind regards

Les

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

Leszek.B wrote:
I think that now more people use sports technique on the "streets" due to watching mma, boxing, and kickboxing …

…  I think that now we will see a change in "attack style" of young men after they get drunk.

I’m sure there are isolated examples of that, but the crime statistics are not showing any epidemic of ankle locks, triangle chokes, or head height roundhouses. Criminal violence pretty much remains the same as it has always been. I’m sure there was some people who tried fancy kicks after watching Bruce Lee movies in the 1970s … and some may remember Eddie Murphy’s 1980s routine about people thinking they could box after watching Rocky. However, the deluded amateur “giving it a go” after a few too many beers is not really our concern. Our concern is the criminal who has the experience to know what works best for them and their objective, and will therefore stick to simple and explosive violence (no need to complicate or take risks).

Dealing with a skilled roundhouse in a consensual exchange with a fellow martial artist is something I would put into the “fighting box”. Dealing with the explosive violence of criminals in a non-consensual exchange is the stuff in the “self-protection box” (where the kata bunkai is too). I do want to do both, but I keep the demarcation strong. The slim chance of a bad roundhouse from a drunk who has seen the one too many UFCs would not see me blur what is an important demarcation.

The most recent podcast was on how martial artists have a habit of “reinventing criminal violence” into what they do when they fight each other; and that’s something I am keen to avoid.

https://www.iainabernethy.co.uk/content/reinventing-violence-podcast

To be clear, this is not a value judgment for me. Both fighting and self-protection are good, important and valuable. It’s just a matter of using the right tool for the right situation in order to achieve the right outcome.

I am very likely to encounter a head height roundhouse when fighting. It happens numerous times almost every time I spar. When it comes to self-protection we have a much closer and much more frantic affair with a criminal (not a fellow martial artist) whose objective is to cause harm (not win a fight). High kicking from a distance therefore drops way down the probability list … as other things are added in and shoot up that list. I therefore put such methods in the “fighting box” because that is where they are much more likely to happen. In short, I think we are always better focusing on the “probable and likely” as opposed the “possible but unlikely” for any given context.

Bottom line, I love the method you show … but for me I’d define it as a great “fighting method” and I’d leave it out of the “self-protection box”.

Agree or disagree, I hope that explain my thinking and terminology to you and other readers.

All the best,

Iain

Les Bubka
Les Bubka's picture

I see your point Iain and I agree, only difference is that in my life I had few fights and always was with young drunk men trying to impress. I hope that I will not have to test my art on criminal. Kind regards Les

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

Hi Les,

Bottom line is that it’s a great technique you show which would work well against a roundhouse kick; irrespective of who throws it. It’s just a difference in where we would place such methods is our respective training matrix. And it’s good to discuss these things to as it fleshes out the various viewpoints for readers. Thanks for the great contributions to our collective knowledgebase.

All the best,

Iain

Marc
Marc's picture

By the way, this is a good way of utilising the concept of "sanbon kumite": Repeat the attack three times, while twice the defender only practices the entry to their defending technique and the third time they continue through to the end of the technique.

Thanks for posting the video, Les.

All the best,

Marc  

Les Bubka
Les Bubka's picture

Thanks Marc and Iain