Kicks and Sochin Kata

Last night (Tuesday 3rd July) I covered Side Thrust Kicks  (yoko geri kekomi) and Roundhouse Kicks (mawashi geri) because a badly executed Kekomi kick can look like (and actually be) a mawashi geri kick. The delivery is all in the hip and knee action and little to do with your foot. Many students, and indeed many karate-ka believe that you kick with your foot, but you don’t, you kick with your knee. You could remove a “kicking” foot and replace it with a pound of wet cod and the kick would still be delivered properly if you get the knee and hip right – although it might not be so effective on impact! I also had the students blocking both of these kicks. Many instructors teach a double wrist block against these kicks which is great if you want to break your wrists and spend the night in hospital. I therefore show the safest and most effective ways of blocking these kicks….but if you want to find out what these are you’ll just have to join our club!

I followed on with a session teaching everyone Sochin kata which is a high Dan level kata. Originally kata was taught as basics, and basics as we now know them were hardly, if any, used at all. The interesting thing about Sochin is the use of the Sochin stance – Sochin meaning “rooted” or “immovable”. The name reflects the very powerful and low stance that should be adoted. Sochin is one of my favourites.

Bill.