Knees are found in the Pinan / Heian series, Naihanchi / Tekki, Gankaku / Chinto and many other kata. Sadly the methods recorded in the kata are often not extracted from the kata to be drilled effectively. Kata practise alone is not enough; we need to take the information recorded in kata and make practical use of it in training. To fulfil the purpose of kata, we need to take those knees and drill them with impact equipment and utilise them in sparring. In this short clip I share some thoughts on kneeing generally and the practise of knees on impact equipment.

This quick video shows one on the many pad-drills I taught in Nuremburg, Germany in April 2012. The purpose of this drill is to make it difficult to generate power by having the striker hit from positions that limit the use and movement of the legs and hips. The holder is also required to present the pads at “non-standard angles” i.e. not perfectly straight, horizontal or vertical.

This clip was filmed when I was teaching in Kansas, USA in October 2011. It covers the bunkai for the opening sequence of Naihanchi / Tekki Shodan. This is a potentially dangerous sequence and great care must be taken in practise. It should only be practised by competent martial artists while under the direct supervision of a suitably qualified and experienced instructor. This bunkai is presented for historical interest / information purposes only.