Post by fujicolt on Oct 7, 2010 14:51:13 GMT
Whilst preparing the article relating to the Uke/Tori debate here on OSS I came across this old article of mine which I think is pertinent to the discussions going on here (and via e-mails and p.m’s) relating to my suggestion that, sadly, many Shotokan Dojo’s are only diligently practicing a fraction of the full Shotokan arsenal of techniques, strategies, tactics etc - even though they may do so with huge effort.
I wrote the article below twenty years ago and it was published in SKM. It saddens me that the concerns and amazement, I was expressing two decades ago, still hold water now.
Be honest, how many of you can honestly say that you frequently practise Mentsuki within your training?
I strongly suspect more than a few would have to say - ‘very infrequently or never’.
I am sure this would hold with many other techniques as well.
I think that this needs to change now - especially as we have long ago moved into an era that means many Karateka are over the competing age and should therefore be able to access training that has more depth and content.
Just my opinion of course but food for thought me thinks. What do you think?
Anyway, I hope you find this old article interesting at least.
Please note: I apologise about the photo quality. I couldn’t find my originals and had to scan a very old and well read SKM. Sorry.
MENTSUKI WAZA - THE TABOO TECHNIQUE
It never ceases to amaze me that within a system that is, amongst other things, supposedly teaching its practitioners the ultimate in unarmed self-defence capabilities, certain extremely effective techniques are neglected because they are considered ‘dirty fighting’ and therefore somewhat of a taboo subject.
The list of such techniques is surprisingly long, especially amongst the dojo and associations whose teaching programs lean more towards competition skills and pre-set grading syllabus than street effectiveness in their aims.
In fairness, I must also point out that many instructors consciously avoid teaching some of the more dangerous techniques for fear of producing students with great potential, to maim or even kill, but without the necessary control and understanding to be selective in their usage of techniques.
Personally, I think this is a hypocritical censorship when you consider the lethal potential of all the karate techniques, even the most basic. Therefore I would like to examine and discuss a much ignored but tremendously effective set of techniques namely:
Mentsuki Waza - Head Butting
I can almost hear certain people already wailing ‘They are not karate techniques’ and my answer to those fine but sadly misinformed and naïve individuals is ‘please read on’ in the hope that I can change your mind because if I cannot you are teaching and/or practicing an incomplete and under arsenaled karate.
The late Nakayama Sensei wrote that:
‘karate must not be practiced for sports alone the ability to defend one’s self is a major requisite for all karate. Surely then, the study of all and any techniques that will help us to achieve self defence is essential for true karate study.’
I am sure there are many who would agree with me when I say that Kata are the library of karate techniques, being the forerunner of competition practice and even Kihon Waza. Well, a detailed and open-minded study of Kata application and implication will reveal many movements that could clearly be applied as Mentsuki waza.
If you are wondering whether on not a head butt has ever scored a point in competition, the answer is Yes!
Yahara head butted Mori in a JKA championships. The referee: Nakayama Sensei asked Yahara ‘Why did you use that technique?’ Yahara replied ‘Because I was being held close and could use no other techniques’ The judges then decided to score the head butt with a Waza Ari!
Mentsuki waza are a reliable and deceptively powerful set of karate strikes (even for the lightweight Karateka such as the ladies). They are Incredibly fast, often unexpected and exceptionally difficult to block or parry. Used correctly they will many times achieve knockout and in grappling and very cramped encounters they are frequently your last option.
However, despite their usefulness, they must be studied fully in terms of form and application, otherwise they can be as potentially dangerous to you as they are to your opponent. This is simply because you are employing your head, which is after all ‘the box’ that your (sensitive to damage) brain sits within, as your point of impact. Also the shock of impact, if not correctly dispersed/absorbed can do tremendous whiplash and compression damage to your neck.
This danger can, however, be eliminated if you follow the basic rules laid out below …
1. Impact must be made with either the section of the fore head running just below the hairline (all you baldies out there or those seriously receding (like myself, Dod Watt, Rod Desilva and Tom O’Brien): use your memory here! or: the area exactly around the crown at the rear/top of your head.
Under no circumstances must you strike with the sides or the top of your head. If you do you risk far more damage to yourself than to your opponent!
2. Although there are exceptions, brought about by circumstance, generally speaking your head thrusts must not be made in a neck swinging nodding motion but instead must employ a back/neck straight thrusting motion that utilizes fully your body’s full weight and explosive muscular power, whilst at the same time ensuring the required disbursement of impact shock.
3. Distancing is vitally important. Your blow will fail miserably if you try to employ it from too far away. Mentsuki Is a definitely a Closequarter technique and should not be attempted from any further than the length of your fist and fore arm. The exception to this is when you are using De Ai Waza and utilizing your opponents own movement (or lack of it) to pull him onto your technique thus maximizing your potential force.
4. Targeting is also very important. Be specific and not vague. Prime targets are the bridge of the nose, the cheekbones and, if your opponent is taller than you, the front of his chin. Avoid his forehead (too hard!) and his mouth (pulling someone’s teeth out of your forehead is not at all pleasant - believe me!!)
5. As with all Karate Waza . . . practice makes perfect. However, certain rules apply with Mentsuki waza.
a. When practicing with a partner, be extremely careful of your distancing and control. With Mentsuki Waza even slight contact is damaging and unacceptable.
b. Unlike many techniques, Mentsuki waza will not be improved by bag work or similar exercises. The cumulative effect of many, and even light, impacts will cause you damage. That’s a fact!
c. Never use Mentsuki waza for Tameshiwara (destruction test) practice and don’t be impressed with the photographs of those who do it either. It is a dangerous and irresponsible practice that has little to do with karate do.
When studying the photographic examples of Mentsuki waza, please read the captions very carefully. They contain details that are important to your study.
Please note that it is important to understand that the sequence shown must be executed in one continuous motion thus creating maximum momentum in the minimal space/time provided.
1A. Very common initial assaults opponent makes a left hand grab and begins right hand swinging punch…
Immediately raise your Kamae ( guard posture) applying an upwards and outwards pressure to your opponents inner left elbow joint, whilst at the same time preparing to intersect his oncoming right arm.
VERY IMPORTANT: only by continued practice of this type of situation will you learn to instinctively recognize the ‘arms engaged/kicking difficult’ situation and immediately switch into the ‘fifth limb’ mode and thus initiate the necessary movements to utilise that ‘fifth limb’ = your head.
2A. Your opponents will unconsciously be exerting his power into his right/striking side of his body. Learn to continue your pressure to his left elbow joint whilst at the same time intercepting his right arm. This will create a slight rotation of his body weight. If you have reacted quickly enough this movement should have released his left-hand grip. However this is not essential for successful defence. The start of your forward motion should be beginning as the above is happening.
3A. Your forward momentum gains for you two distinct advantages. Firstly, it maximizes your striking power. Secondly, It gives you an advantage of surprise if you react quickly enough. His mind will be in ‘dominant mode’. He unconsciously expects you to move away from his attack not directly into it. The look of dismayed shock as they fall away from you and often into unconsciousness is surprisingly common.
If you have to extend your neck to reach, this must be done as you travel and ‘locked’ at the point of impact. The feeling must be one of ‘hitting with your whole body’ and not a feeling of nodding your head. Please use the window frames etc on the rear of photos to gain an understanding that (using De-Ai) you literally pull yourself forward slamming your head and body into him. Note that a step forward is taken (feel as if youare slamming into him). At the point of impact you should be torso to torso (as in the photo) with your attacker.
4A. Don’t just stand there admiring your handiwork. Continue to use your advantage to rotate him away from you to then proceed into disengagement or further counterattack - as the situation dictates.
Note: Variations of the above training sequence can, with imagination and planning, easily be introduced into your training program. Remember work close and use control!
(Thanks to John Ponsillo for assisting in the photographs and (20 yrs late) thanks to Richard Pearce for taking them (he’s my Father-in-law) )
Please remember I asked a question in the preamble to the article (above in Green) - would be interesting to hear your comments. Thanks in advance
I wrote the article below twenty years ago and it was published in SKM. It saddens me that the concerns and amazement, I was expressing two decades ago, still hold water now.
Be honest, how many of you can honestly say that you frequently practise Mentsuki within your training?
I strongly suspect more than a few would have to say - ‘very infrequently or never’.
I am sure this would hold with many other techniques as well.
I think that this needs to change now - especially as we have long ago moved into an era that means many Karateka are over the competing age and should therefore be able to access training that has more depth and content.
Just my opinion of course but food for thought me thinks. What do you think?
Anyway, I hope you find this old article interesting at least.
Please note: I apologise about the photo quality. I couldn’t find my originals and had to scan a very old and well read SKM. Sorry.
MENTSUKI WAZA - THE TABOO TECHNIQUE
It never ceases to amaze me that within a system that is, amongst other things, supposedly teaching its practitioners the ultimate in unarmed self-defence capabilities, certain extremely effective techniques are neglected because they are considered ‘dirty fighting’ and therefore somewhat of a taboo subject.
The list of such techniques is surprisingly long, especially amongst the dojo and associations whose teaching programs lean more towards competition skills and pre-set grading syllabus than street effectiveness in their aims.
In fairness, I must also point out that many instructors consciously avoid teaching some of the more dangerous techniques for fear of producing students with great potential, to maim or even kill, but without the necessary control and understanding to be selective in their usage of techniques.
Personally, I think this is a hypocritical censorship when you consider the lethal potential of all the karate techniques, even the most basic. Therefore I would like to examine and discuss a much ignored but tremendously effective set of techniques namely:
Mentsuki Waza - Head Butting
I can almost hear certain people already wailing ‘They are not karate techniques’ and my answer to those fine but sadly misinformed and naïve individuals is ‘please read on’ in the hope that I can change your mind because if I cannot you are teaching and/or practicing an incomplete and under arsenaled karate.
The late Nakayama Sensei wrote that:
‘karate must not be practiced for sports alone the ability to defend one’s self is a major requisite for all karate. Surely then, the study of all and any techniques that will help us to achieve self defence is essential for true karate study.’
I am sure there are many who would agree with me when I say that Kata are the library of karate techniques, being the forerunner of competition practice and even Kihon Waza. Well, a detailed and open-minded study of Kata application and implication will reveal many movements that could clearly be applied as Mentsuki waza.
If you are wondering whether on not a head butt has ever scored a point in competition, the answer is Yes!
Yahara head butted Mori in a JKA championships. The referee: Nakayama Sensei asked Yahara ‘Why did you use that technique?’ Yahara replied ‘Because I was being held close and could use no other techniques’ The judges then decided to score the head butt with a Waza Ari!
Mentsuki waza are a reliable and deceptively powerful set of karate strikes (even for the lightweight Karateka such as the ladies). They are Incredibly fast, often unexpected and exceptionally difficult to block or parry. Used correctly they will many times achieve knockout and in grappling and very cramped encounters they are frequently your last option.
However, despite their usefulness, they must be studied fully in terms of form and application, otherwise they can be as potentially dangerous to you as they are to your opponent. This is simply because you are employing your head, which is after all ‘the box’ that your (sensitive to damage) brain sits within, as your point of impact. Also the shock of impact, if not correctly dispersed/absorbed can do tremendous whiplash and compression damage to your neck.
This danger can, however, be eliminated if you follow the basic rules laid out below …
1. Impact must be made with either the section of the fore head running just below the hairline (all you baldies out there or those seriously receding (like myself, Dod Watt, Rod Desilva and Tom O’Brien): use your memory here! or: the area exactly around the crown at the rear/top of your head.
Under no circumstances must you strike with the sides or the top of your head. If you do you risk far more damage to yourself than to your opponent!
2. Although there are exceptions, brought about by circumstance, generally speaking your head thrusts must not be made in a neck swinging nodding motion but instead must employ a back/neck straight thrusting motion that utilizes fully your body’s full weight and explosive muscular power, whilst at the same time ensuring the required disbursement of impact shock.
3. Distancing is vitally important. Your blow will fail miserably if you try to employ it from too far away. Mentsuki Is a definitely a Closequarter technique and should not be attempted from any further than the length of your fist and fore arm. The exception to this is when you are using De Ai Waza and utilizing your opponents own movement (or lack of it) to pull him onto your technique thus maximizing your potential force.
4. Targeting is also very important. Be specific and not vague. Prime targets are the bridge of the nose, the cheekbones and, if your opponent is taller than you, the front of his chin. Avoid his forehead (too hard!) and his mouth (pulling someone’s teeth out of your forehead is not at all pleasant - believe me!!)
5. As with all Karate Waza . . . practice makes perfect. However, certain rules apply with Mentsuki waza.
a. When practicing with a partner, be extremely careful of your distancing and control. With Mentsuki Waza even slight contact is damaging and unacceptable.
b. Unlike many techniques, Mentsuki waza will not be improved by bag work or similar exercises. The cumulative effect of many, and even light, impacts will cause you damage. That’s a fact!
c. Never use Mentsuki waza for Tameshiwara (destruction test) practice and don’t be impressed with the photographs of those who do it either. It is a dangerous and irresponsible practice that has little to do with karate do.
When studying the photographic examples of Mentsuki waza, please read the captions very carefully. They contain details that are important to your study.
Please note that it is important to understand that the sequence shown must be executed in one continuous motion thus creating maximum momentum in the minimal space/time provided.
1A. Very common initial assaults opponent makes a left hand grab and begins right hand swinging punch…
Immediately raise your Kamae ( guard posture) applying an upwards and outwards pressure to your opponents inner left elbow joint, whilst at the same time preparing to intersect his oncoming right arm.
VERY IMPORTANT: only by continued practice of this type of situation will you learn to instinctively recognize the ‘arms engaged/kicking difficult’ situation and immediately switch into the ‘fifth limb’ mode and thus initiate the necessary movements to utilise that ‘fifth limb’ = your head.
2A. Your opponents will unconsciously be exerting his power into his right/striking side of his body. Learn to continue your pressure to his left elbow joint whilst at the same time intercepting his right arm. This will create a slight rotation of his body weight. If you have reacted quickly enough this movement should have released his left-hand grip. However this is not essential for successful defence. The start of your forward motion should be beginning as the above is happening.
3A. Your forward momentum gains for you two distinct advantages. Firstly, it maximizes your striking power. Secondly, It gives you an advantage of surprise if you react quickly enough. His mind will be in ‘dominant mode’. He unconsciously expects you to move away from his attack not directly into it. The look of dismayed shock as they fall away from you and often into unconsciousness is surprisingly common.
If you have to extend your neck to reach, this must be done as you travel and ‘locked’ at the point of impact. The feeling must be one of ‘hitting with your whole body’ and not a feeling of nodding your head. Please use the window frames etc on the rear of photos to gain an understanding that (using De-Ai) you literally pull yourself forward slamming your head and body into him. Note that a step forward is taken (feel as if youare slamming into him). At the point of impact you should be torso to torso (as in the photo) with your attacker.
4A. Don’t just stand there admiring your handiwork. Continue to use your advantage to rotate him away from you to then proceed into disengagement or further counterattack - as the situation dictates.
Note: Variations of the above training sequence can, with imagination and planning, easily be introduced into your training program. Remember work close and use control!
(Thanks to John Ponsillo for assisting in the photographs and (20 yrs late) thanks to Richard Pearce for taking them (he’s my Father-in-law) )
Please remember I asked a question in the preamble to the article (above in Green) - would be interesting to hear your comments. Thanks in advance
, I`m happy to say that on occasion, I do go over this technique with my senior students. When we do inside work, I like to go over knees, elbows, headbutts, trapping, joint manipulations, grappling takedowns & follow throughs ( finish ). 
.
).
Sometimes, I look at what I`m doing & wonder if I`m doing to much. I really don`t want to turn people off, by being to regular. For example, I`m starting to see my name a lot on this site & get wondering if others think it`s too much.
thanx for making those that have gone to the trouble and effort of writing for you all feel 'real special'. Write an article if yer bored yer lazy git!! ;D ;D ;D ;D 
however one of them is my 7 year old. These I teach the march up and down military discipline type stuff as I would hate to get a call from the school/cops saying that one of my students had ripped the testicles from another kid in the playground and chewed his kneecaps off 
