[QUOTE]Originally posted by wadowoman:
In the Wado kata seishan, after the slow, under tension segment of the kata, we block and punch to each side and then to the front.
We then punch to the nose, simultaneously bringing up our knee before striking uraken (back fist) behind us in shikadachi (sumo stance).
My question is: When we raise our knee as we punch, should our toes be pointing down or should our foot be square and why?

I have seen it done both ways and everyone I ask has no explaination as to why they think they are right. (perhaps the foot shape is irrelevant?)

Anyway, I would be glad to have some opinions, even if nobody actually knows the answer (I don't know how may of you have a background in Wado).

Thanks in advance
Sharon[/QUOTE]

Hi,

For Seisen video see:
http://www.dentokanhombu.com/kata.htm

Matt.

Thanks a bunch Toudiyama, I have never seen Ohtsuka perform kata before.
Not only did the clip answer my question, but I was pleased to see in this video that this kata has been preserved quite accurately. Thanks again.

Matt, thanks to you also.

Sharon

IT was taken from the tape Wado Ryu Karate - vol. I
by Hironori Otsuka & Yoshiaki Ajari

see http://www.dragon-tsunami.org/Tsunami/Pages/section4.htm
But I've noticed that the tapes are no longer available in PAL so you might have to look if some martial art shop still has them

Tape 2 has less footage of Otsuka but still is interesting
I did mail them to ask about the PAL format but haven't had an answer yet

The Book can be ordered through this site see http://www.fightingarts.com/estore/catalog_books_collector.shtml

[This message has been edited by Toudiyama (edited 05-06-2003).]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by wadowoman:
In the Wado kata seishan, after the slow, under tension segment of the kata, we block and punch to each side and then to the front.
We then punch to the nose, simultaneously bringing up our knee before striking uraken (back fist) behind us in shikadachi (sumo stance).
My question is: When we raise our knee as we punch, should our toes be pointing down or should our foot be square and why?

I have seen it done both ways and everyone I ask has no explaination as to why they think they are right. (perhaps the foot shape is irrelevant?)

Anyway, I would be glad to have some opinions, even if nobody actually knows the answer (I don't know how may of you have a background in Wado).

Thanks in advance
Sharon[/QUOTE]

I found this while browsing around, and thought the question interesting. I don't know if you even care any more, after all this time, but here goes:
I'm not a Wado- Ryu stylist, but there's a similar move in Shotokan's Kanku Dai. You turn and perform a rising ura tsuki (Fist- inverted punch, I don't know if Wado- Ryu uses this name) with your right while simultaneously raising the right knee. The same happens in Shotokan as you describe, some sensei teach it with the toes down, some squared off.
In asking about it, what I've been able to put together is that the move has several bunkai, and different sensei teach it according to their preferred bunkai.
One interpretation is that the leg is performing a knee strike to the groin, in which case the toes should point down in order to relax the antagonist muscles to those involved in the strike.
Another is that the leg is being used as a jam block to a front kick that the antagonist has just finished chambering, but hasn't extended yet. In which case the foot is squared off because the added tension in the calf helps your balance. A third interpretation is that the leg was raised to avoid a strike to the foot/ shin by a bo. In that case also the foot is squared in preparation for setting it back down quickly.
The long and the short of it is that the foot's position will depend on the bunkai you choose to give to the move.



[This message has been edited by MAGon (edited 08-22-2003).]

`nally posted by wadowoman:
In the Wado kata seishan, after the slow, under tension segment of the kata, we block and punch to each side and then to the front.
We then punch to the nose, simultaneously bringing up our knee before striking uraken (back fist) behind us in shikadachi (sumo stance).
My question is: When we raise our knee as we punch, should our toes be pointing down or should our foot be square and why?

I have seen it done both ways and everyone I ask has no explaination as to why they think they are right. (perhaps the foot shape is irrelevant?)

Anyway, I would be glad to have some opinions, even if nobody actually knows the answer (I don't know how may of you have a background in Wado).

Thanks in advance
Sharon[/QUOTE]

Hi Sharon

Before you do this move get a training partner to put a stamping side kick on to the knee of the leg you're about to move, as he pushes down lift the toes of the floor first (thus the foot is raised parallel to the floor) do the attack to the opponent in front and return to stamp on the original training partner's knee as he is finishing his kick with the uraken to the 3 plexus behind his ear as his knee hits the ground.

Steve

Always keep your foot flat. It's good structural ki and it may prevent you from hyperdorsally flexing your foot. If your toes are pointed towards the ground and you step on top of an obstacle or your opponents foot you could easily sprain your ankle.

In any karate style the sign of proper technique when in a "crane stance (on one leg, opposite knee raised)" is with the foot flat not pointed. Feet pointed towards the ground is a bad habit that was never "trained" out of the karate-ka.

Also, many times this is not necessarily a knee strike. The raised knee is a platform used to lift an opponent's leg before a throw is executed. See Chinto for the bunkai to this.

[This message has been edited by Dr. Krunkenstein (edited 10-17-2003).]

Maybe this helps out all questions.. since this topic is about wado ryu seishan, we better look at the wado version video right? It is best when we watch the founder, I think he knows.. [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif[/IMG]

http://toudiyama.nl/Ohtsuka%20Seishan.mpg

Thanks to everyone for their replies.
Sharon

IT was taken from the tape Wado Ryu Karate - vol. I
by Hironori Otsuka & Yoshiaki Ajari

see http://www.dragon-tsunami.org/Tsunami/Pages/section4.htm
But I've noticed that the tapes are no longer available in PAL so you might have to look if some martial art shop still has them

Tape 2 has less footage of Otsuka but still is interesting
I did mail them to ask about the PAL format but haven't had an answer yet

The Book can be ordered through this site see http://www.fightingarts.com/estore/catalog_books_collector.shtml

[This message has been edited by Toudiyama (edited 05-06-2003).]

*****************
Try mona books (www.monabooks.co.uk) for rare out of circulation stuff. I have all the Ajari Videos as well as Suzuki sensei's videos. The suzuki ones can be ordered from www.wikf.com

PS Suzuki had foot flat a la stamping on an old and a recent video