Kakuto/Koken/Keito…Discussion

Internet Forum Discussion 2010
Forum Member 1 – I tend to stay away from what I call “off-beat” techniques. Seiken (and its many variations), uraken, riken and one of the ipponken will work pretty much anywhere things like koken, nukite, furi, keito, etc. will. Teisho is still handy. Unless you are Oyata, you need to be able to generate as much power as possible in your strike. The more basic waza I mentioned make it easier to do that. Hell, I still just love a right cross.
Mr. Snider- keito/kakuto? (back of wrist strike) for me is very powerful and used often: example, seiken or uraken to the floating ribs, a person generally bends forward or 45° forward, if you then relax the fist and naturally let the fingers fall into kakuto you have a naturally powerful strike to the throat, temple, jaw, or ear with little repostioning of your body to generate force and control. You can use the kakuto to lift the person for a second strike with your opposite hand, or maybe you grabbed/controlled them with your opposite hand prior to the seiken (kazushi) or have the opposite hand free to effect a block or strike to a second attacker…or you are caught off guard and must respond simultaneously at a slight angle to your rear (back periphery); I instinctively do kakuto. This is probably due to my perverted love of Tensho, and my attempts to adequately practice Suparinpe and Sanseru. This is not to imply that there is not more to kakuto, but to say that it is “off-beat” whatever the meaning is incorrect, I feel. This goes for nukite and the others Mr. Forum Member 1 mentioned as well. If they did not have practical (useful) application, I do not believe they would be in the kata.
Forum Member 2 – One of the lessons in the kata is the large motor skills precede small motor skills. For example Seishan has the relatively small hooking blocks after the larger stance, hip, and shoulder movements. I wonder if kakuto is more a fine motor skill? I really have no idea what it’s for unless you are holding an egg while you hit the guy and don’t want to make a fist for tetsui or uraken.
Mr. Snider – Mr. Forum Member 1, Examples: with Keito/Kakuto I can crush a windpipe, break a jaw, break an elbow, crush a testicle, dislocate a knee, crush/break an eye orbit, rupture the tissue and nerves of the temple, break a floating rib, break a nose, fracture a hand, cause I ain’t no good and Dim-mak; so your point is??? And the use of keito/kakuto is relative to positioning, it helps focus force from close in. Gyakuzuki, oi zuki and other seiken techniques require some distance for maximum effectiveness…as we all know technique should accelerate through/into a target not decelerate to the target.
And I must repeat: “If they did not have practical (useful) application, I do not believe they would be in the kata.”
Mr. Snider- Gyakuzuki, oi zuki and other seiken techniques require some distance for maximum effectiveness…as we all know technique should accelerate through/into a target not decelerate to the target.
And the use of keito/kakuto is relative to positioning, it helps focus force from close in.
Above is to reply to Mr. Forum Member 2 statement: “But, there are other more direct and powerful ways to do them.” What can generate force to the targets I mentioned from close in without repositioning your center/body or the center/body of your prey…I mean opponent?
Mr. Snider – Mr. Forum Member 2, I was not referencing a beginning technique; I was referring to a secondary technique. And you support my earlier post, 10/28/08, referencing maai: “Keito/kakuto? (back of wrist strike) for me is very powerful and used often: example, seiken or uraken to the floating ribs, a person generally bends forward or 45° forward, if you then relax the fist and naturally let the fingers fall into kakuto you have a naturally powerful strike to the throat, temple, jaw, or ear with little repostioning of your body to generate force and control.” And of course there is more than percussion, but Mr. Forum Member 1 thought otherwise and I was imparting my understanding of the use of kakuto as it relates to applied force.
Mr. Forum Member 1, all the secondary techniques you list, in place of kakuto, are viable as related to particular situations and the kakuto as well is applicable in a myriad of situations; no technique is definitive for all situations. That is probably why kakuto was developed and placed in kata. The right tool for the right situation…….