Old-School Karate Defensive Principles Part 1

iainabernethy.... This series of videos looks at old-school defensive methods; both as shown by Choki Motobu and as we find in the traditional kata. A new episode will go live each week until the series is completed.
This set of videos first appeared in the iain abernethy app (available from Google Play and the Apple App Store). If you are serious about pragmatic karate, then the hundreds of hours of instructional information in the app provides an in-depth and ever-growing resource (the app is updated with new material each week):
iainabernethy....
NOTE: This footage was filmed outdoors, so there is some wind noise at times. However, the content is still clear.
When discussing defensive methods, we need to appreciate the following:
1) At close-range, action will normally beat reaction. Therefore, the efficacy of all defensive methods is limited within the context of close-range civilian conflict (as opposed to consensual fighting). However, that does not mean defensive methods should not be practised. They are still needed if we have lost the initiative, but they should not be practised or presented as a primary method.
2) Much of modern karate has “blocks” practised solely as a means to stop an attack from landing. Conversely, the defensive methods of old-school karate seek, not only to stop an attack, but also to regain the initiative and limit the enemy’s ability to launch further attacks. “The true blocks of karate make it [difficult] for the enemy to launch a second attack.” - Choki Motobu.
3) The defensive methods of old-school karate do not rely solely on the ability to visually recognise a specific attack and then enact a specific response. They are made up of generic “default” actions that protect a target and support the regaining of the initiative, and methods that utilise a tactical feel (via proprioception) to more quickly identify the enemy’s action.
The series will need to be watched in full to appreciate the above.
I hope that you enjoy this series. As mentioned above, if you do like it, and want to see more, then please check out the iain abernethy app for well over one-thousand hours of in-depth instruction on a whole load of practical karate topics.
All the best,
Iain
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[@codyfaye8424]

I always talk about this as "aggressively occupying a space." Great stuff, as always, sir!

[@woodearthdvd]

That’s definitely a unique place for a karate seminar. Looking forward to part 2.

[@tatumergo3931]

A little bit of HEMA atmosphere....?

[@burntmtnman]

Cool, looking forward to part 2. Thanks Iain!

[@engwannabeincan7383]

Can’t wait for part two!

[@Zerja]

Pure gold. Your signal to noise ratio is refreshing breeze in a sea of shlock. So much of this stuff never gets taught, because instructors are never taught it and dont even know how to find it.

[@mohamedshaafi9581]

A series would be Amazing ❤

[@stephena1196]

This is called Part 1, so it seems we're to get our wish.

[@tatumergo3931]

Recently I was watching videos about old English chancery pugilism, and found many similarities with this idea of karate. My conclusion is that original karate is chancery pugilism asian style.

[@davidmcgilvray1190]

Consider the section of heian yondan that is usually described as grabbing the head and delivering a knee strike. Just move it 5 or 6 inches to the side and you see something very similar. Simultaneous strike to the neck and the shoulder, followed by a knee strike and now the shuto uke is retaining the arm, moving off the centre line and pulling the opponents weight as you strike again at the neck. ,

[@BelloBudo007]

Loved this. In my opinion all karate schools / organisations should offer this sort of training.

[@davidbrewer7451]

Brilliant, as always!!! Thank you, sensei!!!

[@ThugKwanDo]

Interesting. Thanks for sharing.

[@YoukaiSlayer12]

Great video as always. Looking forward to part 2.

[@7771Java]

The seminar at the castle was great.

[@davidward3407]

Ian, great guy, great practical karateka and straight to the point.

[@sway71]

I honestly loved that introduction haha. Very important lesson on managing expectations. I always tell my students that if someone says, "... and from here I could break the arm/leg/etc." that the word "could" is the operative word, and even if everything goes perfectly "break" usually means, "tear ligaments,".

[@frankmartinez4856]

Like southern Chinese Gung Fu! Blocks are really Strikes 😳love your humor 😏makes your intro! Fun to watch 💕Thanks Sensei 😬

[@Josh-rs6bj]

What a beautiful backdrop. What's the name of the place?

[@7771Java]

Castle Stahleck in Bacharach Germany

[@Josh-rs6bj]

@@7771Java Danke sehr!

[@MarshOakDojoTimPruitt]

thanks Iain!!!

[@josefranciscocrispo6181]

Excelente!!!

[@Ash-Man07]

Another awesome video!

[@tariktimsiline2617]

Burg Stahleck ?! A great place for seminars and great encounters with nice people ! Nice to see that various disciplines are inteŕested by this location !

[@nedim_guitar]

Excellent!

[@dermotrooney9584]

Good old Motobu! I've been applying his booze rule for years. ❤

[@dermotrooney9584]

Excellent vid BTW.

[@michakasprzak6869]

I've been reading Motobu's books recently, the guy was amazing and his philosophy is spot on, but... 1. How much REAL damage would an elbow to the side like that do? I was wondering when looking at the pictures, an elbow to the face - cool, you can even spit a few teeth, but an elbow to the side? Wouldn't you barely feel it if it hit the ribcage? It didn't seem to me like something that'd stagger the enemy enough to let us withdraw effectively 2. I don't know why, but his Naihanchi explanation seems like the typical, stained "punch and block" karate explanation First part where you block the enemy coming from the side, cool. But then, it's like "Okay, now if the enemy is coming from a side but kicks instead of punches" which can make sense, absolutely But then he goes "Assume the enemy kicks you, you do (kind of) gedan barai to block it, then punch him in the gut" when the punch literally stops at my side so I'd have to be literally body-to-body with the enemy I've seen other explanations that, besides blocks and attacks, also included joint locks and takedowns, and treated the kata as a continuous flow rather than separate parts So I wonder what you think about it? I've seen there're 2 more videos of the OG defense so I'm going to watch them now

[@practicalkatabunkai]

YOU WROTE: “Wouldn't you barely feel it if it hit the ribcage? It didn't seem to me like something that'd stagger the enemy enough to let us withdraw effectively” It depends entirely on how good your elbows are :-) Even pro-fighters get dropped with body shots. My personal preference for escape is head (disorientation) and legs (hard to give chase), but that doesn’t mean that I don’t think elbows to the ribs can’t work, they can. Done right, people will definitely suffer. I am not sure what you are referring to in the second point? It’s certainly not something in the video. All the best, Iain

[@jasonisham9948]

I remember training in shito -ryu and doing a drill when I moved in aggressively and cut off the shot and threw a counter. The sempai said it was dangerous but effective.

[@markmacdonald1849]

Full of great stuff. My only surprise is that he advocated disengaging after the elbow as I thought that one of the principles was to take over the initiative, stay close and deliver a more definite finishing attack?

[@practicalkatabunkai]

Thank you! The standard tactic is to “enter, counter, withdraw” (to paraphrase Itosu). If the elbow had the desired effect, then that would be the time to disengage as it would facilitate escape and staying put would be an error (legally and tactically). Personally, I prefer head (causes confusion and disorientation) and legs (reduces ability to give chase) to best facilitate escape, but that doesn’t mean the body shots - as Motobu shows in that drill - can’t do it. Motobu seems happy the rib shot can be decisive and if the impact was strong enough it could remove the enemy’s ability and motivation to give chase. When we can escape, we should escape. That would include following body shots.

[@markmacdonald1849]

@@practicalkatabunkai 👍

[@petopetteri178]

Content is great. I just find it ironic when two japanese tourists (may be chinese) on background are shooting with a camera historical european cityscape and what they find there...? Well, dudes dressed in japanese judo-suits.

[@insidiousmaximus]

my favourite Skyrim mod

[@Saku19]

Skyrim belongs to the Nords!

[@MrMeltdown]

Jamming!

[@kenken8765]

Is it me or this looks like Tekki/Naihanchi shodan?

[@gw1357]

Thank you for posting these. As a Wing Chun practitioner, I find your approach to karate very familiar and appealing. I'm not sure I understand why you would withdraw after landing that elbow though. You've successfully made entry and landed a damaging strike (not only damaging, but apt to stun the opponent) -- why would you not continue to finish from that position? In addition to continuing strikes from inside the opponent's guard you're also already in position for a sweep (leg behind, arm in front scissor), are you not?

[@practicalkatabunkai]

YOU WROTE: “Thank you for posting these. As a Wing Chun practitioner, I find your approach to karate very familiar and appealing.” You are welcome and thank you! YOU WROTE: “I'm not sure I understand why you would withdraw after landing that elbow though.” If we are talking about self-defence it is good practise to withdraw as soon as practical. If you feel the enemy has been sufficiently weakened, such that their ability to give chase was limited, then retreating is the smart thing to do tactically (if you escape, they can no longer do any damage) and legally (you have used such force as it demonstrably necessary and no more). YOU WROTE: “You've successfully made entry and landed a damaging strike (not only damaging, but apt to stun the opponent) …” If the elbow has done its job, you would escape for the aforementioned tactical and legal reasons. YOU WROTE: “-- why would you not continue to finish from that position?” Because they may recover, get lucky and harm you, other parties may get involved, and so it can’t be argued that you continued to do damage when it was no longer necessary. However, if the elbow has not landed effectively or cleanly … YOU WROTE: “In addition to continuing strikes from inside the opponent's guard you're also already in position for a sweep (leg behind, arm in front scissor), are you not?” Yes, but they are not needed if the enemy crumples and is unable (and unwilling) to give chase. So, the smart move in that case, tactically and legally, is to escape. But if the elbow has not landed effectively or cleanly then the options you cover are both necessary and options. I hope that helps. All the best, Iain

[@bajuszpal172]

Sorry, Sir, five minutes of ten total spent by talking .....Paul,69

[@practicalkatabunkai]

Taking about things that it is important people understand :-) I could just show the method, but that would not be sufficient. I don’t make videos for people who don’t have the attention span to watch them. There are plenty of bright, shiny and fluffy videos on KZbin for people simply want to be entertained for a few seconds. I don’t need or want to make any of those. People who like the detail will watch, and the people who have the attention span of a goldfish with a head injury can watch something else. No one is forced to watch.

[@arjunshetty7762]

To understand a practical work, as per me we should have good theory knowledge, it will help us to understand the Practical part more better. Just driving a car does not make a good driver, if you know how that machine works, thats even better.

[@colonluis1052]

@@arjunshetty7762 you can explain things with less talking and more real action and this words should not be taken as an offends. Thanks for your lesson, very good.

[@practicalkatabunkai]

@@colonluis1052 YOU WROTE: “you can explain things with less talking and more real action” You need a mix; especially when working with large groups and online because not everyone will learn in the same way. Explaining the context and underlining the demonstrations with detailed explanations of what is being shown and why is vital. Some people like the way I do things. I make the videos for them. Other want me to do things differently, but if I did that, I would not be providing the kind of material that those who like what I do have come to expect. I don’t make videos for those who want superficial “crash, bang, wallop content”. They can watch other videos instead. I really don’t mind. I am not forcing anyone to watch. I am not seeking to have large view counts or be a professional “KZbinr” I am seeking to share what I do with those who like what I do and the way that I do it. YOU WROTE: “… and this words should not be taken as an offends.” I am not “offended”, but I do need to remined some people that they are not my boss and I don’t work for them. I also need to remind some people that I am not making content for them specifically and hence their desire that I serve up exactly what they want is misplaced. YOU WROTE: “Thanks for your lesson, very good.” I am pleased you liked it. Some do. Some don’t. Some watch what I do because they like it. Others chose not to watch because it’s not to their tastes. All good with me so far. However, some watch when they don’t like it and want me to make it into something they do like. To those people I would recommend they watch people who are already making the stuff they like and leave me and mine to do things the way we like it done. All the best, Iain

[@niledunn4641]

Awesome stuff Ian choki was a bad ass and how he could actually use his karate unlike gichin funakoshi