Bunkai Pinan Nidan / PyungAhn Edan, Spear Hand

[boobishi]

In class today I let 6 students strike my solar plexus with spear hand strikes. Not a dent. I have no doubt that there are people that could drop me with one. I then explained that just because a spear hand is targeted to the solar plexus in a form, does not mean that is the only use for it. When you are striking at a certain level you can imagine what target could be available if the opponant's body changes position.

Here is a video example from the class tonight ...

www.oldmansboobishi.com

Mark

 

[arnisador]

I never figured that technique out. It was explained to me as splitting between the stomach muscles so it penetrated easily...I can't see it. I've heard the legend of Koreans cutting off their fingers so they could spearhand through wooden shields...I don't buy it. What a rsiky technqieu, for what benefit? There must be another explanation. Someone once showed me an interpretation of it as an arm lock but it seemed a stretch to me.

 

[dancingalone]

For the spearhand technique to be effective, one must condition one's hand and fingers first to be able to stand up to contact. Fingertip pushups, rice/sand/pebble bucket practice, etc.

Us modern day warriors would be better off using another technique.

 

[Makalakumu]

Nagamine Sensei shares an anecdote where he says that the "spearhand" was taught to the Japanese as a technique to be thrust to the middle. The original kata focused the spearhand on the eyes.

When the spearhand is directed to the solar plexus, I see it as more of a passing technique that sinks in an underhook for a throw. It's not a strike that I would practice and I think that even people "back in the day" would know better then that.

 

[RoninSoul]

Very nice demonstrations! I saw a clip of a TKD Master breaking boards with a spearhand thrust. I guess if one learns to focus there KI they could take you out with a pinky finger.

 

[boobishi]

Nagamine Sensei shares an anecdote where he says that the "spearhand" was taught to the Japanese as a technique to be thrust to the middle. The original kata focused the spearhand on the eyes.

When the spearhand is directed to the solar plexus, I see it as more of a passing technique that sinks in an underhook for a throw. It's not a strike that I would practice and I think that even people "back in the day" would know better then that.

Very good points both from a historical perpsective and practical one. One of the things I wanted to get across to the students that night was that if you change the persons posture you change the target. So in the video on the first two techniques I respond with "meh". On the third attacking the throat , well, that one HOITS. The passing spearhand can work as and underhook or your it can move to the side of you opponants neck as your left hand secures kotoe gaieshi on his right hand. The next movement in the form, turning into the double knifehand block can become a throw.

As far as back in the day, there were dense folks back then as well and many today are still teaching it as only an attack to the torso. As I gestured in the video "meh".

 

[astrobiologist]

Nagamine Sensei shares an anecdote where he says that the "spearhand" was taught to the Japanese as a technique to be thrust to the middle. The original kata focused the spearhand on the eyes.

When the spearhand is directed to the solar plexus, I see it as more of a passing technique that sinks in an underhook for a throw. It's not a strike that I would practice and I think that even people "back in the day" would know better then that.

Agreed. I would never attempt to "spear-hand" someone in the solar plexus in a fight. That would be dumb. The "spear-hand" works well though when directed into the neck, the eyes, or the crease of the shoulder (just above the arm-pit in the front). Those are nice applications of the type that i refer to as "from the outside looking in"; meaning, what a non-martial arts practitioner would think if they saw this technique. A spear hand from kata/hyung appears to be an open hand finger strike to the solar plexus to someone who has never trained before. And it could be an open hand finger strike, just not to that target. Okay.

The application that I prefer, though, is the underhook mentioned by Maunakumu. If you consider the form Pinan Nidan, that technique is followed by a 270 degree turn into a knife-hand center. I would never have a reason to turn 270 degrees to face a new opponent. Not when turning 90 degrees is faster and would not require me turning through my blind spot. Indeed, 270 degree turns represent one thing to me: a throw or a grappling maneuver of some sort. Consider body-drops and hip-throws, they almost always require a turning maneuver of this kind.

So, to me, a good application for the "spear-hand" in Pinan Nidan is this: Following the arm-trapping and neck-striking movement of a knife hand technique, I step into the opponent and control their right arm with my left hand while my right arm snakes up and under their left arm, this is the set up for a hip throw, after which my arms are basically in the position of the knife hand technique. I also like using a neck throw here as well.

Regardless of how much you train you finger tips or try to focus your energy, striking into the solar plexus with the fingers just doesn't make much sense. Not that it can't be done, just that it would not be optimal, and when it comes to fighting for my life, I'll take what works best any day.

 

[Grenadier]

You're probably in a physical condition that's superior to the average human being. Most people's abs aren't going to be nearly as strong, nor would they be expecting such an attack.

Still, if someone were to regularly use nukite to the solar plexus, I'd strongly recommend some form of conditioning, to strengthen the fingers. Otherwise, their fingers will simply buckle, even if hitting softer targets (throat, groin, etc).




On another note, I noticed that your school teaches Chung Do Kwan Tae Kwon Do. I've been out of the system since 1993, and a lot has probably happened since then. However, I am curious to know when they had added the Pyung Ahn series, or is it a different strain? Or was my schol the departure from the norm?

Back when I trained in it, we studied the Tae Guk series first, then the Pal Gae series next, along with Dal Hyung, then learning the more advanced yudanja forms (Koryo, etc).

 

[boobishi]

Our group was under the direction of Yong Taek Chung. He passed away in the last few years. Cung was the &th CDK black belt onder Won kuk Lee. Chung spent the 50s and 60s living in Japan. When he came to the U.S he ended up in kansas City. He taught...

Tae Kuk 1-3
Kuk Mu 1-5
Pinan/ Pyung Ahn1-5
Chulgi /Naihanchi1-3
Bassai
Ship su
Yoon be
Jion

My teachers have not adopted any ITF or Kukkiwon forms. By anyones measure we look more like shotokan than we do modern Tae Kwon do.

 

[Tez3]

I always thought it was a strike to the groin...you know, divide and conquer!! that could just be a female perspective >cue evil laugh<

 

[arnisador]

I've seen that, but usually targeted lower and the palm facing more up than sideways.

 

[exile]

Abernethy interprets the spearhands as rotated strikes with the palm heel, with the fingers having no involvement at all—and the strikes are not strikes to the midbody, but to the attacker's forcibly lowered head as a result of what he analyzes as controlling techniques immediately preceding. The real striking surface, given the bunkai he presents in his DVD on the Pinan kata set, is the base of the palm.

 

[Brandon Fisher]

Spearhand or Nukite can be developed to have a great effect when hiting someone. But the training to get your fingers conditioned for that is burtal. Here is a couple of videos demonstrating the power of a strike using the fingertips.

Kyoshi Kiyohide Shinjo, 8th Dan Uechi Ryu

Grandmaster Elton Trower

These men are amazing but are among only a few that can do this type of thing.

Bunkai is something that is open to interpertation so don't get locked into just one idea.

 

[astrobiologist]

Bunkai is something that is open to interpertation so don't get locked into just one idea.

Truly. That's the beauty of interpretation. However, when it comes to interpreting kata, there are some things that work okay, some that work well, and others that work great. Just depends on what you're looking to train.

 

[arnisador]

Abernethy interprets the spearhands as rotated strikes with the palm heel, with the fingers having no involvement at all&#8212;and the strikes are not strikes to the midbody, but to the attacker's forcibly lowered head as a result of what he analyzes as controlling techniques immediately preceding. The real striking surface, given the bunkai he presents in his DVD on the Pinan kata set, is the base of the palm.

I've seen that technique in Goju and Uechi, but it was much more explicit--e.g., the "paint the fence" blocks from Karate Kid, rotated 90 degrees in Goju's Tensho kata. The fingers are clearly turned out.

 

[Makalakumu]

Also, the beauty of bunkai is that you can shape the art to your needs. If you can put the time in to condition and pull a spearhand off in a real fight, that's great for you. If you want to use it to set up a throw, then do so. If you pull someones head down and jab them in the neck, that's your thing.

And so on. Go with what works for you. Train with what works for you. Create an art that will defend YOURself.

 

[astrobiologist]

Also, the beauty of bunkai is that you can shape the art to your needs. If you can put the time in to condition and pull a spearhand off in a real fight, that's great for you. If you want to use it to set up a throw, then do so. If you pull someones head down and jab them in the neck, that's your thing.

And so on. Go with what works for you. Train with what works for you. Create an art that will defend YOURself.

Well spoken, as always. -Respect

 

[Grenadier]

Our group was under the direction of Yong Taek Chung. He passed away in the last few years. Cung was the &th CDK black belt onder Won kuk Lee. Chung spent the 50s and 60s living in Japan. When he came to the U.S he ended up in kansas City. He taught...

Tae Kuk 1-3
Kuk Mu 1-5
Pinan/ Pyung Ahn1-5
Chulgi /Naihanchi1-3
Bassai
Ship su
Yoon be
Jion

My teachers have not adopted any ITF or Kukkiwon forms. By anyones measure we look more like shotokan than we do modern Tae Kwon do.

Thanks for the clarification. I did a bit of digging after reading this, and found that there are, indeed, several strains of Chung Do Kwan Tae Kwon Do out there.

Much appreciated.

 

[suicide]

sometimes when thers a spearhand tech i just flip to a fist :jediduel:

 

[Makalakumu]

sometimes when thers a spearhand tech i just flip to a fist :jediduel:

That's probably the safest bet. If you are going to strike to the body, even with a conditioned weapon, can you risk injuring yourself when your life is on the line?