Don't know much...

Brian,

This seisan video is a fair represenation of some of Uechi Seisan application potential.

While I've studied the form a bit, Uechi is not my system and my own interests are more how to counter their technique applications if coming my direction.

Uechi is a very powerful system imo.

Seems to me the applications were very basic. Block and then counter type bunkai. Where is the grappling? Where are the throws? Dislocations?

Brian, does there need to be these things?

Should the bunkai of a kata include what was intended or what we want it to?

If it is what is intended, then why must we assume that our modern western view of what is effective fighting technique is going to be the same as what the okinawans of old viewed as effective fighting technique?

What if the kata creator had only block and strike in mind? Should we then ignore that because we feel it is ineffective?
Afterall Okinawans were just people. There's no reason to assume they had any great mystical knowledge of fighting or a particularly deep and clever means of encoding things into the kata.

I know you totaly disagree with the notion of blocking, but I've never read a single word by an Okinawan or anyone else with a strong historical karate background that supports your view.

Ian Abernathy has published a similar opinion on blocking as you. However while I respect his work I disagree with it. One reason I disagree is that in photo sequence 2 of the magazine article which he began by saying "it's impossible to block a punch" he proceded to begin his defense by blocking a punch.

Basic blocks IMO give you a good guard position and a strong platform from which to launch counter strikes. The blocking action should adapt according to the type of attack being thrown, but each adaptation offers an appropriate natural counter and fascilitates an advantagous position change. Yes anyone can just slap away strikes without much if any training, but it is an unstructured defence which does not offer any of the advantages I listed above.

On the other hand, if kata application is about what we in the here and now feel is effective then the question changes. Why do we need to bolt things onto kata at all?
Why not just find what is effective and train it, rather than finding it and force fitting it onto a kata movement before we can train it?

I happen to disagree wholeheartedly with the concept that it is "impossible to block a punch". See my sparring video - deflections happen all the time in our school. We use them. I think most people practice them as basics, but don't apply them in sparring. As indicated elsewhere, I can see why: doing basics or kata, then expecting the concepts (deflections etc.) to transfer "magically" into sparring is a mistake. That's why we use randori and embu etc. to learn to apply our deflections in sparring.

"Block" is of course a misnomer, but I still use it. "Deflection", "parry" etc. is much better. You never simply "block" an attack, but rather deflect it or parry it and simultaneously set yourself up for a counter.

As far as blocking goes I believe that the blocking techniques of karate are key to karate's application. However, you don't really "block" attacks as much as you are disrupting your opponent's attack. You should use them to destroy his ability to effectively attack you. Which in turn provides you with the opening to attack. I think the inability to apply the blocking techniques is the difference between reacting to an attack and responding to an attack. One is attribute based and solely dependent on greater athletic talent and the other is determined by proper technique, timing, and usage.

In my opinion basic blocks don't get used in sparring because:

a) how to use basic blocks effectively is not common knowledge. If people don't see others around them using the blocking movements they think no one can.

b) students get caught up in the "fight" and are more concerned with hitting and avoiding being hit than in learning to use techniques.

c) as happened to me, people hear of applications beyond blocking and combine their difficulty in applying these movements to ideas that they are for other uses, thus failing to explore their potential.

d) people try and use the whole blocking movement to block attacks for which it is innapropriate.

Using basic blocks first and foremost requires a fighter to think about what is happening and what he is doing about it. If you fight using only instinctive reaction then you will be able to informally slap away punches, but you won't be able actively take strategic advantage of the opponents attack. As Med said, one must respond (observe, assess, decide a course and act) as opposed to just reacting.

This is quite an advanced level of ability in and of its self and involves quite a bit of emotional detachment. Then to overcome the environmental attitudes listed above that push people away from exploring basic blocking is quite a feat.

I also feel that using basic blocks in sparring is an entirely different ball game to using them in self defense, but as I mentioned, not seeing others do them in sparring makes people think they are not applicable at all.