All Wado Karate Forum

This is something I find very curious coming from another style of karate where most punches are horizontal. Is there a reason outline for this difference? Or am I misinformed. I know one other style of karate also emphasizes vertical punches I believe for speed and the lessening likelihood of damaging the thumb in an oi zuki. Of course Wing Chun is all vertical punches as is the case with most forms of kung fu.

Unless you make a proper fist, there always is a chance of damaging the thumb when strikinng in any manner. I fight with tate zuki, but not intentionally. Perhaps it's because in kumite, my strikes are rarely fully extended.

I am a big fan of teisho actually. While it seems lame when practicing in the air, I have a Wavemaster that I practice that as well as my shuto on. Punches can lead to broken fingers and I compose music at the piano and don't need broken hands.... Also, legally, I think if I had to defend myself, teisho seems less aggressive. It can be interpreted as a push in fact...well, depending on where you strike...

It's quite natural: the angle of the fist depends on the amount the arm is stretched out.

Try this: keep your fist to your side in hikite, inner side upward. This is a rather natural angle for the fist at this position. Now move your fist forward, stretching out your arm in a punch till the fist is turned horizontal (which feels better than vertical in this position). The fist needs to turn along the way, right? The further the arm stretches out, the more horizontal the fist.
So the angle depends on the amount the arm is stretched out, which in turn depends on the distance to the target. Simple as that.

The issue of when to turn the fist is symptomatic of human nature to find "a way", when "the way", more then one, may be preferable. My teacher's preference was to begin the rotation as soon as the elbow touched the side of the body. A longer, twisting action then the "natural turn" at extension. He hit harder and faster then anyone I knew. My Sempai preferred to twist at the end, and he too, hit very hard, and in mid stride hit by tate zuki. I think the former is best for a long range strike off the back foot, and the latter when hitting off the front foot. But in the end, all that may matter is to be adaptable in a fight.

Incidentally, my Sensei's Sempai, flipped his elbow out (never hurting it), and broke more makiwara then anyone else in the dojo. When he later tried to fix this, his strikes lost some of their breaking ability. While off the subject, Kanazawa Sensei, advocates in yakizuki, keeping the arm back until the hip twist is almost complete, timing the end of the rotation and the strike at the same moment.

Wow..!! 5 posts into this topic and no sign of wado's 'junzuki' yet..? and what the hell is 'yakizuki'..? You guys are gonna spoil my breakfast.


Having preferences with little experience will hinder your understanding.

oneya

Sorry, my pidgin Japanese, English writing. I must have been thinking about yaki-soba.:) But, you know, there is no wrong spelling of Romanji (I think), just less conventional, which has somewhat to do with my Pinan Nidan topic.

honoluludesktop wrote:Sorry, my pidgin Japanese, English writing. I was actually thinking about yaki-soba.:) But, you know, there is no wrong spelling of Romanji (I think), just less conventional, which has to do with my next topic.

Maybe not but if you make little effort in the understanding of the universally accepted English language approximation to nihongo's gyaku 'inverse' zuki movement and have it more an approximation like Yaki (grilled, fried or baked) zuki - and then defend it..? I have to wonder at your reasoning.

oneya.

No need to wonder, just assume that I never spend the time to put any reasoning into it.:) Its not a matter of meaning, it's of sounding what is pidgin as it is pronounced.