Post by supergroup7 on May 14, 2007 12:28:16 GMT 8
Looking seriously at what you responded Colin, I can see alot of what you are showing me.
"but it also allows you to move slightly out of the way - given that the act of moving your foot into back balance shifts your head slightly to the left. "
When you drop into a Shotokan backstance your head lowers about 8 inches, and shifts to the right about 4 to 6 inches. You do not advance towards your opponent at all.. only your left foot pushes forwards, the rest of your body sinks back and away. When it comes to dodging a strike, that 4 to 6 inches might buy you what you need.
"If you want to break an elbow as the traditional bunkai would require, then you would have to shift into forebalance, stablilise the opponent's hand and strike perpendicularly with a forearm to the elbow joint with 'shotokan' power. This type of striking as appears in the form will not result in the power requireed to break anyone's elbow. "
Here is a consideration: What if you strike above the elbow in one direction, and below the elbow in the opposite direction ( almost scissor-like) with opposite power. So instead of relying only on one arm to cause damage you are using both of your arms? Would you need to be in fore balance to execute this kind of maneuver? I really desire to keep the backstance in this bunkai. Heian Nidan seems to focus on examining the aspects of back stance in it's various forms... sure the kata pops into front stance here and there.. but the majority of this kata seems to look at how we can use backstance to our advantage.
Thank you so much for giving me so many tidbits of things to examine, and experiment with as I look at this kata. I had not thought of how one's arm would not be moving fast if it was being held out threateningly, grasping, or with a weapon. I've always envisioned an oncoming strike.. ( thinking like a hard stylist I guess)
"but it also allows you to move slightly out of the way - given that the act of moving your foot into back balance shifts your head slightly to the left. "
When you drop into a Shotokan backstance your head lowers about 8 inches, and shifts to the right about 4 to 6 inches. You do not advance towards your opponent at all.. only your left foot pushes forwards, the rest of your body sinks back and away. When it comes to dodging a strike, that 4 to 6 inches might buy you what you need.
"If you want to break an elbow as the traditional bunkai would require, then you would have to shift into forebalance, stablilise the opponent's hand and strike perpendicularly with a forearm to the elbow joint with 'shotokan' power. This type of striking as appears in the form will not result in the power requireed to break anyone's elbow. "
Here is a consideration: What if you strike above the elbow in one direction, and below the elbow in the opposite direction ( almost scissor-like) with opposite power. So instead of relying only on one arm to cause damage you are using both of your arms? Would you need to be in fore balance to execute this kind of maneuver? I really desire to keep the backstance in this bunkai. Heian Nidan seems to focus on examining the aspects of back stance in it's various forms... sure the kata pops into front stance here and there.. but the majority of this kata seems to look at how we can use backstance to our advantage.
Thank you so much for giving me so many tidbits of things to examine, and experiment with as I look at this kata. I had not thought of how one's arm would not be moving fast if it was being held out threateningly, grasping, or with a weapon. I've always envisioned an oncoming strike.. ( thinking like a hard stylist I guess)