What are all of the reasons you bring your fist back to your hip in Karate/Taekwondo/etc forms?

[Gerry Seymour]

Stances in CMA exist because of observation and the inherent affordances of a position; if you want to do x, you must do y. The resulting position was codified and trained.

When you look at stances in terms of affordances rather than fully thought out positions that someone created uses around a lot of things make more sense.

I expect much of early martial arts was like this. We can never know of course, but we can speculate and make links.

Ultimately it doesn't matter. We now have chambering and it can have multiple uses. We can choose to do it or not.

My point was that you made statements that appeared to assert specific claims. Saying we can’t know is more realistic.

 

[isshinryuronin]

It’s not that simple. With the right approach, I can pull a 250-lb man off his feet while he’s running without being knocked down (and I’m much lighter). It’s not a direct-line thing where you’re opposing the full force of a moving man. Getting him off-balance is all that’s necessary- he can fall off somewhere else, and you still did your job.

In addition to this, it's important to realize that halberds were often used, not against galloping calvary, but after the charge in melee when horses and men are intermingled. It is then much easier to unseat a stationary horseman with this weapon, leaving him vulnerable. Even if armored, once the horseman is laying on the ground, he is like a turtle on its back, subject to the light infantry daggers, stabbing in between the metal plates.

 

[Jimmythebull]

Don't tell us that the historical use of these weapons is wrong, because you are unable to do it.

Are you a Reincarnation of a warrior?

 

[Hyoho]

My experience in Tani Ha Shukokai had the fist like a knife resting on the hip. The power of the hip twist propelled that fist that twisted to the target. The fundamental practice was to get the hips to propel the arm forward rather than use all physical effort to do it. To move in with the front foot and load that hip. It bears certain similarities to a one handed thrust with sword although the left shoulder is pulled out rather than keep it in with karate to create strength in the hit.

 

[skribs]

I just thought of another one, which I haven't really seen suggested. A hand at the hip can't be grabbed and controlled as easily as a hand that's up in front of you. It's something that makes sense in the way that many Asian martial arts mix grappling and striking. The guard is also something I see punished in boxing with a good frame against the guard.

Taking the hand all the way to the hip may not necessarily be the best way of doing this, but it is one way to keep the hand from being trapped.

 

[Jimmythebull]

I just thought of another one, which I haven't really seen suggested. A hand at the hip can't be grabbed and controlled as easily as a hand that's up in front of you. It's something that makes sense in the way that many Asian martial arts mix grappling and striking. The guard is also something I see punished in boxing with a good frame against the guard.

Taking the hand all the way to the hip may not necessarily be the best way of doing this, but it is one way to keep the hand from being trapped.

It would make sense