General Choi telling a North Korean NOT to twist his body when punching. "Just go up"

What is the importance about this conversation? what changes if either side "wins the disagreement" is it historical accuor functional accuracy? I'm not a TKD so I'm curious about the value of this for TKD people. I'm not trying to be rude. I just don't know any other way to ask.
It is both historical and functional. Refuting from a historical perspective any claims that General Choi eliminated "Hip Twist" as an element to generate power with hand techniques, and the functionality or lack thereof if such claim were accurate. Further, in these particular examples there is a slight functional modification due to the designation as "Fast" .
 
Note he doesn't say "Don't Twist your hips" he says don't "Twist your Body" which in my opinion is targeting excessive shoulder turn more than deletion of using the hips and abdomen.
This is my take on it as well. The student didn't seem to be overly twisting his hips, but his left shoulder didn't seem to be squared after the punch. This is generally not good in karate. It also appeared that Gen. Choi was telling the student not to pull his shoulder back (winding up) prior to the punch, which, IMO, is good advice.
The Sin wave compressing time is too long.
Agree. Also, it greatly telegraphs the upcoming punch as vertical motion is easier to detect than a horizontal motion coming straight at you.
Also, without body rotation, the releasing force is not fully.
If by body you mean the hips, I agree for the most part. Turning the whole body (not keeping the shoulders squared) is counter to most karate doctrine. In contrast, I think some CMA power generation does twist the body when striking.
 
Look at time stamp 16seconds when he says "not that way" and watch his shoulder motion he refers to.
At :16, Choi brings both his hip and shoulder back saying, "Never twist your body." At :20 and :31, he doesn’t as much and says, “This is fast motion.”


At 3:07 of your video in post #17, Choi says, "In taekwondo, we have two ways: 1) hip & abdomen move sideways and 2) up & down [while gesturing punching]."
 
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Turning the whole body (not keeping the shoulders squared) is counter to most karate doctrine. In contrast, I think some CMA power generation does twist the body when striking.
Some southern CMA system (such as WC) also don't twist the body and keep the shoulder squared so both hands can have the same reach. Does karate use that same argument?
 
Some southern CMA system (such as WC) also don't twist the body and keep the shoulder squared so both hands can have the same reach. Does karate use that same argument?
Keeping the shoulders square after a punch allows both hands to quickly follow-up and improves body structure integrity to keep the opponent from gaining control of the arm as the shoulders are retracted and anchored. Sanchin kata well illustrates this.
 
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It is both historical and functional. Refuting from a historical perspective any claims that General Choi eliminated "Hip Twist" as an element to generate power with hand techniques, and the functionality or lack thereof if such claim were accurate. Further, in these particular examples there is a slight functional modification due to the designation as "Fast" .
Thanks did he have a concept about using the body to drive power into the punch?
 
Agree. Also, it greatly telegraphs the upcoming punch as vertical motion is easier to detect than a horizontal motion coming straight at you.
I think the same could be said for how many things are performed in TMA forms. Perhaps that is why forms comprise just one of the 5 elements contained in the composition of Tk-D.
 
Thanks did he have a concept about using the body to drive power into the punch?
Don't know how you define "Drive Power" but this is how I see Sine wave. It is the flexion of the knee or knees which facilitates employing the whole body to drive power. Some boxing boos refer to the use of the legs to generate punching power. There is also the idea of kinetic linking. It is this flexing that results in a smooth rising and lowering f the body that he metaphorically called "Sine wave" so he could contrast it with "Flat Wave" and "Saw Tooth Wave" Not every hand technique in his pattern system uses it. Simple example would be hand techniques done while jumping.
 
Keeping the shoulders square after a punch allows both hands to quickly follow-up and improves body structure integrity to keep the opponent from gaining control of the arm as the shoulders are retracted and anchored. Sanchin kata well illustrates this.
This is the major difference between northern CMA and southern CMA.

- Northern CMA twist body during punch so they can have maximum reach (1 long arm and 1 short arm). This makes power generation maximum. Northern CMA knows how to open.
- Southern CMA don't twist body during punch so both arms can have the same reach. This makes punching combo faster. Southern CMA knows how to close.
 
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Don't know how you define "Drive Power" but this is how I see Sine wave. It is the flexion of the knee or knees which facilitates employing the whole body to drive power. Some boxing boos refer to the use of the legs to generate punching power. There is also the idea of kinetic linking. It is this flexing that results in a smooth rising and lowering f the body that he metaphorically called "Sine wave" so he could contrast it with "Flat Wave" and "Saw Tooth Wave"
Boxing’s rear straight power generation (kinetic chain) is different and more powerful than the sine wave. The sine wave reverse punch lands after both heels are raised, front knee is flexed and body is lowered. The boxing rear straight lands after weight is transferred to the front foot. (Anthony Joshua does a pull counter and lands the rear cross below.)



Boxing’s rear cross generates power from:
  • Elastic energy
  • Whole body rotation
  • Whole body torque
  • Weight shift from back to front foot
  • Momentum towards the target
 
Boxing’s rear straight power generation (kinetic chain) is different and more powerful than the sine wave. The sine wave reverse punch lands after both heels are raised, front knee is flexed and body is lowered. The boxing rear straight lands after weight is transferred to the front foot. (Anthony Joshua does a pull counter and lands the rear cross below.)




Boxing’s rear cross generates power from:
  • Elastic energy
  • Whole body rotation
  • Whole body torque
  • Weight shift from back to front foot
  • Momentum towards the target
1. The video you show does have the person raising the lead heel and IMO this is not correct. General Choi was focusing on something else so it was not addressed. In any event I will see if I can find the video where the person (Non - Tk-D) is doing different 3 methods of punching on a power cube. Of course he does not call one of the methods "SW" but that is what it is. He also mentions how boxers will use all 3. It would be expected that not all boxers would use this for every punch and did not meant to imply that.
 
You can watch this whole video or skip to 5:40 and then go back if you want.
Right. What he says I said and posted various times before. The boxing rear cross is an up -> down -> up movement.

Again, the sine wave is different from the video in that you straighten your lead leg, flex it then land your reverse punch. This breaks the kinetic chain power and forward momentum. The sine wave is a down -> up -> down movement.

 
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The sine wave is a down -> up -> down movement.

math-sine-wave.gif




Dempsey used what he called a drop step, generating a large impulse of momentum, transferred through his frame into his fist.
The motion can be compared to a sine wave: a slight rise, a sharp drop, and a forward projection,smooth, continuous, and powerful.

When combined with a trigger step, a small, quick lift or shift of the lead foot, the effect becomes even more explosive.
The trigger step initiates the rise and loads the body; the drop step follows as the sharp fall and drive. Like a sine wave, energy is smoothly loaded and released without interruption.


Image-4-28-25-at-8-20-AM.jpg

Taiji, uses some of the same principles in a different way...☯️

Not all Taiji styles use this method.
 
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The trigger step initiates the rise; the drop step releases it. Like a sine wave, it builds and releases force without interruption.
Unlike a driving punch, which uses more muscular tension to push through the target, the drop step method relies on a relaxed but connected body.

Relaxation removes internal resistance, letting momentum flow cleanly for a sharper, deeper impact.
 
As far as telegraphing in TMA forms, you will find many "Chambers" That are very large motions, and even things done in slow motion.
As you probably know, Okinawan karate was modified after introduction into the Japanese public schools and eventually exported to Korea. During this process the meaning/purpose of some techniques were discarded in favor of simplicity and safety. Emphasis was put on execution of individual technique and form, sometimes out of context from the self-defense situation for which it was originally designed. Competition encouraged over-exaggeration and dramatic elements to be included in the forms/kata. This is the distorted lens thru which many view karate leading to misunderstanding what the moves were intended to represent.

The two examples you mentioned do indeed seem to be at odds with effective combat, but this changes when their real purpose is understood. It's important to know that old karate utilized much standup grappling (which was largely removed by the Japanese MA authority so as not to overlap judo/jiu-jutsu). Returning the hands to the hip, "chambering," was simply grabbing the opponent's arm and pulling him into a strike.

Along this same line, slow motion moves (while adding drama) often represent the opponent's resistance during a pulling technique and in Okinawan kata are usually done with some degree of tension to further illustrate this (as in seiunchin kata).

Goju ryu founder, Miyagi (b. 1888), listed "rules of kata" which provide a key in understanding kata technique, as well as the art in general. To paraphrase the ones relevant to your examples, "Every move has significance - No pauses or movement for dramatic effect," and "The chambered hand has something in it." Seen thru this lens, moves that may outwardly seem illogical do have a practical combat application.

I don't think forms were ever intended to be the sole method to train for Combat, Self Defense, or Sparring for any system.
100% true. Forms are for transmission of knowledge and solo practice. There is no substitute for a living body in front of you executing attacks upon your person to prepare you for self-defense or sport combat.
 
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