The second move in Taikiokyu Shodan I'd like to discuss is the "big turn".
Move 2 - the "Big Turn"
The big turn starts from a right forward stance. You look over your right shoulder and then bring your left foot around 270 degrees so that you are in a left forward stance, facing what was your right. You then execute a left downward block and advance to a right foot forward stance and execute a mid punch.
This move is usually explained to beginning students as a simple change of direction, followed by a block punch combination. This is certainly both adiquate and important, moving to the right from a right forward stance would be awkward at best without it. There are, however, a couple of other explanations I would like to explore.
First, lets look at that turn itself. If you allow your left foot to widen it's circle (and my style employs wider circles than a traditional Okinawan style) it easily becomes a foot sweep. Outside of movies and video games, the naked foot sweep (one without simultaneous push) does not always knock someone down (at least in my world... your foot sweep may be such that the rest of this is acedemic). More often, it takes one foot away and knocks your opponent off his balence. Knowing this, the downward block becomes a grab of the leg that you've just knocked out. The following chamber of the left hand and step in are a throw. The right "mid" punch is a strike to your falling opponent (another hallmark of the Hawaiian Kempo style).
Now for a second and completely different take on this same movement. I got this idea while watching a tv show where a man who practiced an African fighting style (the name escapes me) was demonstrating a punch where he turned his entire body. He did a 180 degree pivot and immediately threw a low punch using his momentum from the turn. What if we look at this big turn the same way? If you keep the circle tight while bringing your left foot around, make the downward block a quick brush block and let your momentum carry you into the step-punch, you could carry your momentum and weight shift all the way through from the pivot to the punch. That would be a powerful strike!
Thanks again for taking the time to read my simple thoughts... I look forward to any questions or comments you might have.
Ben
Tags: Bunkai Karate Kempo Kata Forms
