Bassai Dai Discussion and Applications - Video

[Makalakumu]

The Naihanchi series is just as complex. They are just more clever. You need to have a flexible mind in order to understand naihanchi.

 

[TaiChiTJ]

The attacker and defender do a great job breaking the kata down and this version is very close to the version we practice in our dojang.

It was beautiful. We all need to find all the applications in our form and practice them like this. Truly good stuff.

 

[JT_the_Ninja]

Hmm, that's me by the way...

Anyway, why do you think so? How do you do it? Why?

Sorry for taking so long in replying to this; it's not in the main TSD forum, so I guess I forgot about it...also sorry for not recognizing that you were the one in the video.

I do the form as you do, though my school emphasizes making each move distinct and pausing slightly before striking to show control and to avoid rushing and blurring the movements. What you call "normal speed" I'd call "sonic speed," apparently. Also, you don't seem to pick up your feet a lot, like when you do the final few moves. Maybe it's school differences, but my instructor reminds us every time we forget to pick up our feet (aside from bassai so, of course, though even then you can't just drag your foot). Now that I've seen the videos the second time through, though, I see I was a bit mistaken in my first evaluation.

I will definitely try to make a video to show you how I do the bassai hyung (both of them, if time/weather permits). Freak snowstorm hit today, but hopefully that'll be over soon.

Tang Soo!

 

[Makalakumu]

Don't worry about it, JT. The bottom line is that I think that it is important to remember lots of people do this form different. Heck, you should see some of the Okinawa versions of passai! It doesn't even look like they are doing the same form! As far as these changes go, I've read that these were due to Itosu sensei sanitizing many of the really deadly techniques out of the form. If you have the key, you can unlock those secrets. In that video link that I posted, you can see what I'm talking about. They practice the same version we do!

Regarding the changes to this particular version that we see between dojangs. I know why we go so quickly in some sections and why we emphasize other sections. There are particular moves associated with those and they need to be that way. What I'm curious about is why some people choose to emphasize every single move at a regular metered pace. What are they trying to say about the moves that they practice?

 

[JT_the_Ninja]

Well, in class we do an even pace partly because it's easier for everyone to keep up that way, but it also helps to be able to concentrate on each move individually. Don't get me wrong, we haven't split up the counts that involve multiple techniques -- that woud be stupid -- but, especially because we often practice hyung when we're really tired from the rest of class up to that point, it's good to make sure you don't rush anything.

When it's my own count, or at a tournament, however, I most certainly do change the pacing to reflect those moves that flow together. In fact, that's part of tournament prep at my dojang, working on timing and pacing. A steady, even count all the way through would get a bit monotonous, and it would, as you said, blur the sense that this is a fight going on. Even so, I still get comments from judges (after my group has finished competing) that I should slow down more and make sure I'm not rushing (and these are not even all necessarily ITF judges).