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I like the narrow/high stance because in Shotokan, if you are young & supple you can do a very wide stance dan variety of high kicks, whereas, in Okinawan karate, I noticed that all the stances are very narrow/high & even in your later years (old age :)) you can still be able to do most of the katas. I've learned karate under the Shotokan style back in my youth but now as I get older, I cannot do the lower stances anymore so I love to learn the Okinawan karate style of katas because it suits me well and I like to learn karate again for my health. Thank you. :))
having done kyokushin when I was younger, we performed naifanchi/naihanchin/tekki shodan similar to shotokan with low stances. I think it's better as an exercise to do it low as Japanese styles were more about perfecting the movement and generally in theory you'd be more stable with a low stance. However I think the higher stance of okinawan styles are more practical for their emphasis on bunkai
This is really cool. As a Shotokan practitioner, I love seeing the differences between the styles for Kata. I tried to do this Kata this way after watching you and its very difficult to get out of the Shotokan way.
Been doing this Naihanchi style for years, if you would like a more in depth bunkai I'm thinking of uploading some videos about karate myself on TH-cam.
Yusuke San, you keep on amazing us with your humility and your determination to go out of your comfort zone. It’s outstanding, not only because you did it, but also because you’re generously sharing your experience with us all here. Respect! 👊🙏🙇♂️
In old style of Goju ryu, we do high narrow shiko dachi in order that we can easily change it to cat stance in a real fighting. It looks like a shogi piece. (th-cam.com/video/rDgCs3N8jeA/w-d-xo.html)
Yusuke, when you ask which one is better, i feel it’s like asking which is better? Strawberry and blueberry. Looking at your shotokan version, tells me the deep kiba dachi, is for grading and tournaments. I feel this matsubyashi version is relaxed with a natural height for applying bunkai more easily and effectively. Both versions are fantastic, but very different I think in desired outcome. I am personally loving these videos, thanks for the uploads, and I enjoy your channel. Greetings from Perth Australia!
I liked the Matsubayashi Ryu version and to notice those Okinawan characteristics that differentiate with Shotokan, such as the higher shoulder-width stance and the resetting after the Uraken. We do it that way in Shorin Ryu as well. The main difference with our style, though, is in the nami gaeshi uke: we rise the foot hip high and do not stomp. The bunkai usually involves some sort of ashi barai or, if you are good and fast enough, it can also be used to anticipate and block a mae geri (specially if it is aimed at your groin), kicking it away with your own leg.
Stance height: In Shuri-Ryu, we practice all stances with 3 levels - low, medium, and standing. Low stances develop stamina, flexibility, and strength, medium stances have great mobility (kogeki), and standing stances for speed, practicality, and deception. While in class we usually use very low kata to practice and demonstrate (to show off, haha!). Our founder, Robert Trias, believed that the big circles (low kata) we practice can be compressed into tiny circles (standing kata) that contain and deliver as much power as the big circles. I have watched many videos from Enkamp-sensei and others like yourself who have visited the Okinawan masters. I have also seen lots of videos on white crane kung fu and Xing Yi (Trias' first instructor was Tung Gee Hsiang who knew Xing Yi and much Shuri-Te from working with Motobu Choki). I believe this theory has deep roots in both Okinawa and China. So in our Chinese-Okinawan system of Shuri-Ryu, we don't pick which level to use, we do them all!
I have been doing an hour or so of work with each of these episodes in the morning. At 33 my knees are not perfect. I am training for Amateur welterweight MMA in Vermont, USA and my joints are what I injure on occasion. The narrow stance in combination with the technique from Matsubayashi allows me to believe I could compete in Karate at my age and enjoy karate into my old age. I also enjoy the narrower stance for training for MMA; however, I trained with a wider stance before learning this style and found it very effective for Karate.
After enrolling in Karate lessons for almost 6 months, I feel like I went back to square one after watching your videos. Hahaha. And yup, I really need to watch more karate lessons from you for me to be knowledgeable enough because honestly, I really want to learn its history and all rather than focusing only on the katas. Please continue making more videos and we will surely look forward to it. We will also appreciate it if you could recommend us videos and tips, especially for beginners. Thank you very much!
Your wide stances are are very shotokan :) my sensei from Shorin Ryu explained to me that Shotokan was an effort to introduce karate to a larger number of students. So some movements were a bit exaggerated to make those at the back see and understand what is happening. It is very nice that you have gone to Okinawa. I think you are coming closer to the discovery of older karate and starting to incorporate those points to your style. You would also learn a lot of Bunkai based on those Kata if you stayed a lot longer in Okinawa. I love this series you did :) I hope you return for more in Okinawa
Shotokan ,Goyu ryu , Okinawan , and all styles are essential as a martial artist and Kyokushinkai karate practitioner these tips are very good to keep in mind
the way the master moves with the double block I can slowly vision the double meaning behind this block itself. I can almost see the hidden bunk beneath the mov itself, its very inpowering
The SKA uses traditional Shotokan long stances which I believe were influenced by Kendo and their larger training halls in mainland Japan. As I’ve gotten older, I’m 75 now, I think I can be effective in taller stances and quicker. I have read that low stances are for beginners and taller stances are for the advanced (I have no idea who is supposed to have said this however. LOL).
I also train in SKA (Israel Shotokan), and I'm younger than you (57), but I'm also feeling that with age (troubles with lower back, knees and ankles...), I'm shifting towards higher and narrower stances, so that my Tekki Shodan is looking more similar to Naihanchi... Specially when I compare it with my 17 years old daughter kata...
Great to hear from you Efraim! As we age, we have to adapt our practice to our own particular condition and abilities. For instance, many Seniors can no longer sit in the kneeling form at the beginning and end of practice so they sit cross legged. There’s nothing wrong with that. About 20 years ago, I helped an SKA guy start a new group in California. From time to time during class, he would tell me that my stance was too tall. I’d laugh and tell him to get back to me in 12 years-LOL (I was about that much older than he was.).
I actually learned this kata a long time ago from a personal trainer here un the US who incorporated karate into his workout routine. It's very interesting to see it done by a master and with all the little nuances that my trainer had difficulties with explaining. I had a lot of trouble with the low, wide Shiko Dachi in Goju, so I think I would prefer this higher, more narrow stance.
As a Hung Gar practitioner perspective, many of this style movements resembles so much of southern kung fu thoughts, even so that when watching I happen to thought haven seen in one of the defences you doing the tiger claw (that, when used in defences, makes it easier to grab the opponent arms). So nice to see and how polished all movements are, definitely both sensei's tips are gonna be extremely useful in my practice
I’m a student of Okinawan Kempo and in all but a couple of our kata, we do high/narrow stances. My Sensei always taught us that it was more realistic for self defense applications I also do ATA taekwando and their stances are deep like shotokan. Honestly with me personally, I feel like I can generate more power and speed from the higher stances
Nice a great video.. sensei show perfectly the dinamic of the kata ... and how to exactly focus on the punch and how to... and i prefer the high stance..
@@KarateDojowaKu I noticed a similarity with the kanji: Sorry Yusuke, however I don`t speak japanese, so you have to be patient with me...Does "Matsu" and "Sho" mean the same? (Pine) I see the first symbol or kanji from Matsubayashi and Shotokan is the same... 4:43
In Matsubayashi-ryu, we call this footwork Naihanchi ashi fumi (Naihanchi foot stomp). However, there is an element of nami-gaeshi (returning wave) when raising the leg before stomping. One technique often has many applications. Edit: Your heel should be close to touching the middle of your thigh when raising before a stomp. Thus, the preparation for a stomp is virtually the same as nami-gaeshi.
When it comes to stances I’ve noticed both have good and bad parts. Narrow stance it’s easier to move in. Wide stance you have more power for blocking and balance. Wide stance harder to move in. Narrow stance leaves you open to take downs. Takes a combination of both in my opinion.
I used to train TKD in a Budokan in Indonesia, we shared it with Boxing, Karate, and Shorinji Kenpo. So we seen other train as much as we did. And i gotta say, until this day, Naihanchi is probably the one Kata that stuck in my head after seeing it, a whole lot of times. And somehow i really love the sequences, it's just so iconic. There was also this Kata where you jump kick and land on the matt(maybe?) but i don't know what's the name. It's so long ago.
Also , turning your head before making a move is quite important but often overlooked. This helps one to pull the leg when moving sideways. The two are actually strongly connected but it is hard to notice it by visual observation.
What I noticed, that the pushes and kicks of the 松林流 are very silent and doesn't make much noise with the dogi. IMHO that doesn't mean the waza is less powerful, but it seems more relaxed to me. Like that style.
I study Uechi ryu, so I'm answering your question about stances from that perspective. We don't have very many low stances. I've always been taught that a low stance has power and strength but can lack mobility. So it is a mix between mobility and strength, depending on what your trying to accomplish. I am more comfortable in a 'higher' more natural stance. Nothing wrong with the stance, I just try to keep the context of why I'm using the stance and what the situation may dictate.
Both Shitoryu and Wadoryu use Naihanchi Dachi... Narrow / higher stance compared to Tekki. In naihanchi dachi... The width of the feet is equal to the shoulder width like the hachiji dachi... The knees are lowered to provide stability and lower centre of gravity
I think the lower stance from Shotokan trains the legs more intensively. The higher stance in Matsubayashi could be useful in practical applications like the Naihanchi Bunkai or street defense techniques. For beginners the lower stance from Shotokan makes more sense
Thing is in Okinawan karate, they balance the high stances with hojo undo exercises, using resistance training methods like weighted sandals, oblong hand weights, weighted jars and vases. Japanese karate doesn't really use those, so they make up for it in their kihon, with more intense isometrics, deeper stances, and more dynamic movement designed to cover as much ground as possible
In tkd wt we keep out stances more like Shinzato Sensei's taller stance. Its more fluidic in nature. we can flow in and out of it as needed . Very useful in self defense situations. we dont want to be caught in a low stance we have to move out of then respond , "that wasted time could mean life and death" as my grand master put it. I watch Karate videos to understand Our most influential parent style. understadning where tkd came has helped me find some long lost tkd wisdom. also to find the wisdom in the newer way of doing things. so im summary what i learned from Shinzato Sesei is our kicks are similar our blocks are closer to his and our form/kata stances are closer to his. thank you for sharing this with us .
In my style, we do this kata with a stance that is kind of in the middle. I am told the stance is called naihanchin. Anyway, the stance is not so wide as shiko, the feet are on the same line, and the toes are pointed in while the heels are pushed out so that the feet are at a 45 degree angle, and the knees are bent a little bit. I guess it's a higher stance, but a little bit different than this one.
Wow! These are SO interesting to watch. I so wish I had been able to find a good Karate dojo when I was looking for one back in the 90s. I know, "it's never too late to start"...good thing too because I am WAY too busy and there are NO dojos here except for BJJ...and I don't want to roll around on the floor with people.
My preference is narrow high stance. I train both Matsubayashi ryu and Shotokan. I like the high stances because it's easier to move and nobody fights down low like that. Natural stance is up
Thank you for this video. In my style of Tae Kwon Do, we do a similar form called Po Eun. We are a lot like Shotokan in that our style emphasizes wide, low stances.
I remember doing a Shito-ryu (Itosu-kai) Version for the Zama (Kanagawa) fair exhibition a couple years ago. Naihanchi dachi is hard for us, coz we normally use Shikodachi ちょっと辛いね。
I love this episode, it was great. Nice work! There are many movements similar in taekwondo. With respect to the width of the stances, current modern taekwondo (WTF) tends to higher poses and less wider stances, similar to the ones you practiced in this video (the width of the shoulders, as he said). I personally like practicing both 😉
Yusuke san, greatings from argentinian Patagonia. Your videos and Jesse's always trigger in me a need to start karate again. I hope you take an Isshin-ryu class with Uechi Tsuyoshi Sensei and try the vertical fist of this style, their original kata and some kobudo. PS: Having practiced both styles (shotokan and isshin-ryu), I prefer the higher stance. Naihanchi in isshin-ryu was made with naihanchi dachi stance (toes in, heels out) instead of kiba dachi.
I use the narrow high stance, with even the knees turned in slightly, to protect the sensitive areas inside the upper legs, not just the groin, but the femoral artery and the femoral nerves
I have been watching you for awhile now and your karate is very good 👍 your hip rotation 👌 you would be wise to not only swivel freely but make certain that you connect upper body and lower body right at the moment of completion of technique. Also make your mental opponent come to life while performing kata. Don't just go through the motion or steps, KIME! this will bring you kata to an entirely new level. I enjoy your videos, keep them coming. Shotokan Karate Do is highly respected and yet frowned upon by many other System. Most say that we hit too hard. Hi Yak! 👊 Oos.
Coming from a taekwondo background, I learned Kukkiwon taekwondo, but two of my master instructors learned moo duk kwan style from Grandmaster Ahn. Kukkiwon has higher stances, and moo duk kwan has lower stances, so I learned Kukkiwon forms with older moo duk kwan stances. I prefer the deeper stances in forms because it gives you more power in strikes and it's good to practice in a wider range of motion, even if stances are tightened up in application.
I prefer the narrow stance because its more how you move normally as a human hence I can see more practicality with the narrow stance. The lower stance could be used for better stability from side to side but if the dimensions change in combat you might have a difficult time recovering to manintain balance if you are not as athletic. Both stances have their right place so I would practice both for better insight.
First let me congratulate you for a great video. Adding a comment because you asked which stance we prefer… High! Rationale is one you likely know already. My first black belt was in Shotokan. Received in the early 80s from a student of master Tobata. Since the 90s I’ve dedicated to Okinawa Te because of its functionality in real hand to hand combat. The low stances are great for physical training, but terrible for self defense purposes. Plus the fact that at 61 it’s a little harder to get as low.
high and narrow vs wide and low shows up in other combat sports/martial styles too. in general you can observe that a wide and low stance allows for fast movement forward and back. you can even see this in boxing or mma, when the fighter's stance is longer it helps them lunge forward or retreat backwards faster, and you can see people generate a lot of force moving forward and back. pacquiao takes a longer stance when he's about to lunge forward and throw a combination of punches, a lot of mma fighters with karate backgrounds take the longer stance when they're about to blitz forward with a strong punch or kick. the high and narrow stance lets you move laterally faster and side-step around faster, but you can't lunge forward and back as fast as the lower one, however, the high and narrow stance in general, you will observe they are able to generate a lot of power from their hips from mike tyson's peek-a-boo style in boxing, to kyokushin karate with bas rutten, to even muai thai terrifying kicks, you can see their surprising generation of force from a very tall square on stance.
@@KarateDojowaKu the youtube channel fighttips has a video about tall and low stances in boxing, and how it affects how the boxers fight. does his observations apply to karate kumite as well? as far as I can tell kyokushin fighters do like to stay close range, and shotokan fighters emphasize forward and back movement from the outside so much so that the move forward with a punch is so fast and scary. here's fighttips video on it: th-cam.com/video/16sdULbrQXk/w-d-xo.html
@@KarateDojowaKu i can send a video of shobayashi shoin-ryus to you. If thats altight. The similarities are amazing and the differences are wonderfully interesting.
I mostly hated the Tekki katas because of the low stance and the strain it put on my knees in this Shotokan style Kiba dachi. I'm going to give them another try after the explanation of the higher stances, and also the comments about rotations without strain from your 2nd series.
Low postures hinder displacement and with age are more difficult for knees. Las posturas bajas dificultan el desplazamiento y con la edad son más difíciles para las rodillas.
The low stance looks better but during the high stance i feel the technique better. I trained Traditional Taekwondo (low) and train now Wado Kai Karate (higher stance)
The block at 3:30 looks difficult to get the timing right. If someone is punching at you, that block looks a bit slow to intercept it. Is there a trick to it?
Natural stance is always better then unnatural. The narrow stance is more natural. And still affords most of the stability of the wider stance. When in combat the stance becomes narrower out of necessity in order to control balance and outward mobility. Keeping the stance wide reduces outward mobility. Contractive mobility is improved in some senses but even leverage would cause you to move to the zero position.
I noticed your hand chambers for techniques resting on your belt. I also noticed that the Okinawan Sensei chambers his hand more on his rib cage. I prefer the ribcage chamber. To me it make fpr a more straight line punch. Punches from the belt pr hip chamber creates a kind of circular strike reducing speed and power. Osu!
I think you noticed this back when you reacted to watching taekwondo poomsae, but Kukkiwon style taekwondo adopted the higher, more naturalistic stances. The equivalent to kiba-dachi is about the same width as the Matsubayashi Ryu one. We measure it as being two foot-lengths wide, or the width of two of your own feet placed lengthwise. ITF/Chang-Hon taekwondo, in contrast, tends to use the wider, exaggerated stances similar to Shotokan.
I felt the Master was very kind, considerate and patient. I am also interested in how the teachers modify their karate with age. Are their students performing karate as per the teacher or is he able to get them to understand, as did Funakoshi Sensei, 'I am old but you are young'? Also we in the West have this notion that Japanese respect their elders. I wonder is this true or perhaps is it less true than yesteryear?
Ok here is the challenge. Since this is a straight line form that goes back and forth sideways, can you elevate to chairs, or stools on a plank or on a retaining wall. Do it off the ground and try it in the air.
To me a narrow stance allows for more fluidity and adaptiveness. It benefits a more aggressive and dynamic approach. The wider stance on the other hand seems more stable and more easily defensive since one's center of gravity is lower and body just that much farther away. It would force the opponent to have to reach and lean more and maybe over-commit. The wide stance seems a little more rigid and conducive to planned attacks and counter strikes. So with that in mind, I think a fighter should be open to both stances depending on circumstance and the skill level of his opponent - maybe even switch between the two in the same fight. If for instance you were fighting a more skilled opponent than yourself, then the wider stance would afford a little more safety and distance while being patient for an opportunity to strike or expose a weakness. Your opponent has to come to you in order to attempt strikes on any vital parts. On the other hand, the narrow stance could be a good choice when you are the stronger or more skilled fighter. If you think you can handle whatever your opponent can throw at you, then there isn't as much need to be defensive or extra stable. You want to be able to quickly move in an out and bring the fight to your opponent. The narrow stance allows for quicker adjustments and more varied angles of attack, as well as the ability to close distances faster. With all of that available the fighter can be more creative and less predictable and quicker to expose any mistakes made by his opponent.
Naifanchi Dachi is a lot different from Kiba Dachi. As i am practising an okinawan style myself, we use Naifanchi Dachi. But do not think this stance was more easy than Kiba Dachi! The correct muscle tension in this stance is quite demanding too. Oh, i can hear the well known okinawan rain in the background. Tomari Passai is perhaps the oldest of the 13 variants of Passai. I really like this Kata. Has some really nice (nice because realistically applicable) techniques. Same for Naifanchi. But here in this video the Sensei didn't show them (would have been surprised if he showed them)
Lower stance is good for kata, higher stance is good for fighting. I do one move a little different. Just before the backfist, I make a grabbing motion with the other hand to the "opponents" upper body clothing and pull his face into the strike. How old is the Grand Master? Some of his techniques may be limited by his age. He does seem like a very likable man :-) Interesting, the kata you did here and Bassai are my favorites.
I prefer low stance for training strength and root, and then use the short stance in a combat situation. Then you have the benefit of a strong route from training the low stance with the speed of movement from the sort stance.
I will do a wide and low stand for practice and competition. This is to build up the strength of the stand. But I will keep a narrow and high stand in real fight
Low wide stances are good for exercising lower body strength, but medium height stances are more realistic in fights. I suggest practice both for different purposes
Funakoshi Gichin said something similar to that, "kata is to be done exactly as taught; fighting is another thing entirely." He also said "low stance for beginners, natural stance for the advanced."
I believe even with a narrow stance going deep low only depends on your ankle capability to bend. Even for Shotokan kibadachi shouldn t be too large. Isn t it a mistake to get too large stances in order just to get low. Check Karate-do Kyohan, edition with O sensei Tsutomu Ohshima, and you should picture how getting low is performed with good lower body stretch capabilities, with natural stances. Inspiring i believe, and no so far from what the older master in your video says...
Food for thought kiba is known as the sumo stance right?what is sumo but japanese wrestling & grappling?western wrestling also uses a kiba and shiko like stance. So perhaps the tekki kata are actually wrestling or counter wrestling kata.
This is very similar to the Ryute/Ryukyu Kempo Version. I prefer the Higher stance ( Though I do practice in low stance for leg strength) because it is more realistic from a fighting perspective and also Okinawan Karate concentrates more on close-range combat. So, a higher stance means your more mobile!
Not a karateka, but training in other Japanese arts. I generally prefer higher stances. A low stance, from the way I've been told and how I see it, is to sneak in flexibility and strength training into technique training. A higher stance is more natural when you apply the technique to combat, or bunkai as you call it in karate. Train as you fight, fight as you train.
Which do you like more? Wide/Low stance or Narrow/High stance?
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High stance of course! :-) I'm tall, I'm heavy and not as flexible as I've been 50 years ago...
I find it easier to deliver a stronger stepping-in side kick with the wide-low stance, but that could just be my fault x.x
Shorin-ryu uses more natural, higher stances for mobility...
I like the narrow/high stance because in Shotokan, if you are young & supple you can do a very wide stance dan variety of high kicks, whereas, in Okinawan karate, I noticed that all the stances are very narrow/high & even in your later years (old age :)) you can still be able to do most of the katas. I've learned karate under the Shotokan style back in my youth but now as I get older, I cannot do the lower stances anymore so I love to learn the Okinawan karate style of katas because it suits me well and I like to learn karate again for my health. Thank you. :))
having done kyokushin when I was younger, we performed naifanchi/naihanchin/tekki shodan similar to shotokan with low stances. I think it's better as an exercise to do it low as Japanese styles were more about perfecting the movement and generally in theory you'd be more stable with a low stance. However I think the higher stance of okinawan styles are more practical for their emphasis on bunkai
You’re literally receiving a living history lesson. I really wish I could go to Okinawa and train. What an honor.
Look how sensai moves are fluid, almost look effortless and simple.
Result of life long practice. Great vid
I agree!
This is really cool. As a Shotokan practitioner, I love seeing the differences between the styles for Kata. I tried to do this Kata this way after watching you and its very difficult to get out of the Shotokan way.
Same here!
Please Yusuke, the bunkai for the Matsubayashi Nahinchi Shodan would be awesome.
I was able to get some in this video, but I will ask a deeper one next time!
@@KarateDojowaKuThat's great man, thanks so much!
Been doing this Naihanchi style for years, if you would like a more in depth bunkai I'm thinking of uploading some videos about karate myself on TH-cam.
@@theyankeesamurai23 thanks so much!
Yusuke San, you keep on amazing us with your humility and your determination to go out of your comfort zone. It’s outstanding, not only because you did it, but also because you’re generously sharing your experience with us all here. Respect! 👊🙏🙇♂️
Haha thanks so much!
Our elders can be absolutely lethal & carry too much passed down knowledge ! 🥋🙏Ossu ❤️
Okinawan karate definitely has some moves that are so small but essential for each technique and transition. In Goju ryu, we do low wide shiko dachi
I agree!
Same for Shorin ryu. yusukes kiba dachi would be the shiga dachi depth, with the kiba dachi noticeably higher up
In old style of Goju ryu, we do high narrow shiko dachi in order that we can easily change it to cat stance in a real fighting. It looks like a shogi piece. (th-cam.com/video/rDgCs3N8jeA/w-d-xo.html)
Yusuke, when you ask which one is better, i feel it’s like asking which is better? Strawberry and blueberry. Looking at your shotokan version, tells me the deep kiba dachi, is for grading and tournaments. I feel this matsubyashi version is relaxed with a natural height for applying bunkai more easily and effectively. Both versions are fantastic, but very different I think in desired outcome. I am personally loving these videos, thanks for the uploads, and I enjoy your channel. Greetings from Perth Australia!
Thanks for your opinion!
I liked the Matsubayashi Ryu version and to notice those Okinawan characteristics that differentiate with Shotokan, such as the higher shoulder-width stance and the resetting after the Uraken. We do it that way in Shorin Ryu as well.
The main difference with our style, though, is in the nami gaeshi uke: we rise the foot hip high and do not stomp. The bunkai usually involves some sort of ashi barai or, if you are good and fast enough, it can also be used to anticipate and block a mae geri (specially if it is aimed at your groin), kicking it away with your own leg.
Thanks for your analysis!
This style of Naihanchi is the only one l have learned since childhood and I love it, it is a favorite kata of mine.
Stance height: In Shuri-Ryu, we practice all stances with 3 levels - low, medium, and standing. Low stances develop stamina, flexibility, and strength, medium stances have great mobility (kogeki), and standing stances for speed, practicality, and deception. While in class we usually use very low kata to practice and demonstrate (to show off, haha!).
Our founder, Robert Trias, believed that the big circles (low kata) we practice can be compressed into tiny circles (standing kata) that contain and deliver as much power as the big circles. I have watched many videos from Enkamp-sensei and others like yourself who have visited the Okinawan masters. I have also seen lots of videos on white crane kung fu and Xing Yi (Trias' first instructor was Tung Gee Hsiang who knew Xing Yi and much Shuri-Te from working with Motobu Choki). I believe this theory has deep roots in both Okinawa and China.
So in our Chinese-Okinawan system of Shuri-Ryu, we don't pick which level to use, we do them all!
Wow! Thanks so much for your great insight!
Thank You for sharing the knowledge.
Greetings from Poland.
I have been doing an hour or so of work with each of these episodes in the morning. At 33 my knees are not perfect. I am training for Amateur welterweight MMA in Vermont, USA and my joints are what I injure on occasion. The narrow stance in combination with the technique from Matsubayashi allows me to believe I could compete in Karate at my age and enjoy karate into my old age. I also enjoy the narrower stance for training for MMA; however, I trained with a wider stance before learning this style and found it very effective for Karate.
these tips are very good, thank you for making this video, and many thanks for the sensei letting you film this
Thanks for checking it out!
After enrolling in Karate lessons for almost 6 months, I feel like I went back to square one after watching your videos. Hahaha. And yup, I really need to watch more karate lessons from you for me to be knowledgeable enough because honestly, I really want to learn its history and all rather than focusing only on the katas. Please continue making more videos and we will surely look forward to it. We will also appreciate it if you could recommend us videos and tips, especially for beginners. Thank you very much!
I’m very happy that you’re enjoying my videos! If you could watch my beginners playlist, I think it should benefit you!
We'll be glad to watch them. Thank you very much.
Thank you, i like the low stances, they feel more cool looking and tough looking! theyre really pretty!
Your wide stances are are very shotokan :) my sensei from Shorin Ryu explained to me that Shotokan was an effort to introduce karate to a larger number of students. So some movements were a bit exaggerated to make those at the back see and understand what is happening. It is very nice that you have gone to Okinawa. I think you are coming closer to the discovery of older karate and starting to incorporate those points to your style. You would also learn a lot of Bunkai based on those Kata if you stayed a lot longer in Okinawa. I love this series you did :) I hope you return for more in Okinawa
It’s always fun learning different forms of the same katas. Looking forward to seeing the next video
Shotokan ,Goyu ryu , Okinawan , and all styles are essential as a martial artist and Kyokushinkai karate practitioner these tips are very good to keep in mind
Really great series... THX for sharing! Best from Germany!
the way the master moves with the double block I can slowly vision the double meaning behind this block itself. I can almost see the hidden bunk beneath the mov itself, its very inpowering
Another great video and I look forward to how you get on with the next Kata challenge.
Coming soon!
The SKA uses traditional Shotokan long stances which I believe were influenced by Kendo and their larger training halls in mainland Japan. As I’ve gotten older, I’m 75 now, I think I can be effective in taller stances and quicker. I have read that low stances are for beginners and taller stances are for the advanced (I have no idea who is supposed to have said this however. LOL).
Well, thanks for your insight!
I also train in SKA (Israel Shotokan), and I'm younger than you (57), but I'm also feeling that with age (troubles with lower back, knees and ankles...), I'm shifting towards higher and narrower stances, so that my Tekki Shodan is looking more similar to Naihanchi... Specially when I compare it with my 17 years old daughter kata...
Great to hear from you Efraim! As we age, we have to adapt our practice to our own particular condition and abilities. For instance, many Seniors can no longer sit in the kneeling form at the beginning and end of practice so they sit cross legged. There’s nothing wrong with that. About 20 years ago, I helped an SKA guy start a new group in California. From time to time during class, he would tell me that my stance was too tall. I’d laugh and tell him to get back to me in 12 years-LOL (I was about that much older than he was.).
I’m a fan of narrow smaller stances of the sensi cheers I’m liking the channel
I actually learned this kata a long time ago from a personal trainer here un the US who incorporated karate into his workout routine. It's very interesting to see it done by a master and with all the little nuances that my trainer had difficulties with explaining. I had a lot of trouble with the low, wide Shiko Dachi in Goju, so I think I would prefer this higher, more narrow stance.
As a Hung Gar practitioner perspective, many of this style movements resembles so much of southern kung fu thoughts, even so that when watching I happen to thought haven seen in one of the defences you doing the tiger claw (that, when used in defences, makes it easier to grab the opponent arms). So nice to see and how polished all movements are, definitely both sensei's tips are gonna be extremely useful in my practice
I’m a student of Okinawan Kempo and in all but a couple of our kata, we do high/narrow stances. My Sensei always taught us that it was more realistic for self defense applications I also do ATA taekwando and their stances are deep like shotokan. Honestly with me personally, I feel like I can generate more power and speed from the higher stances
Nice a great video.. sensei show perfectly the dinamic of the kata ... and how to exactly focus on the punch and how to... and i prefer the high stance..
It's interesting to learned in different side but same in the others. I'm appreciate you 😁
No problem!
I was waiting for it:))
thanks!
@@KarateDojowaKu I noticed a similarity with the kanji: Sorry Yusuke, however I don`t speak japanese, so you have to be patient with me...Does "Matsu" and "Sho" mean the same? (Pine) I see the first symbol or kanji from Matsubayashi and Shotokan is the same... 4:43
In Matsubayashi-ryu, we call this footwork Naihanchi ashi fumi (Naihanchi foot stomp). However, there is an element of nami-gaeshi (returning wave) when raising the leg before stomping. One technique often has many applications.
Edit: Your heel should be close to touching the middle of your thigh when raising before a stomp. Thus, the preparation for a stomp is virtually the same as nami-gaeshi.
Thanks for the feedback!
When it comes to stances I’ve noticed both have good and bad parts. Narrow stance it’s easier to move in. Wide stance you have more power for blocking and balance. Wide stance harder to move in. Narrow stance leaves you open to take downs.
Takes a combination of both in my opinion.
I used to train TKD in a Budokan in Indonesia, we shared it with Boxing, Karate, and Shorinji Kenpo. So we seen other train as much as we did. And i gotta say, until this day, Naihanchi is probably the one Kata that stuck in my head after seeing it, a whole lot of times.
And somehow i really love the sequences, it's just so iconic.
There was also this Kata where you jump kick and land on the matt(maybe?) but i don't know what's the name. It's so long ago.
I'm in the itf style and it reminds me of the form Po Eun which goes side to side. Give it a try
Oh nice!
Both of those are on my 2nd degree test.
Also , turning your head before making a move is quite important but often overlooked. This helps one to pull the leg when moving sideways. The two are actually strongly connected but it is hard to notice it by visual observation.
Awesome! :)
Thanks!
@@KarateDojowaKu :)
@@KarateDojowaKu :)
What I noticed, that the pushes and kicks of the 松林流 are very silent and doesn't make much noise with the dogi. IMHO that doesn't mean the waza is less powerful, but it seems more relaxed to me. Like that style.
You got me hooked on Naihanchi so of course I like it better than tekki Shodan. Love the rubber fist
I study Uechi ryu, so I'm answering your question about stances from that perspective. We don't have very many low stances. I've always been taught that a low stance has power and strength but can lack mobility. So it is a mix between mobility and strength, depending on what your trying to accomplish. I am more comfortable in a 'higher' more natural stance. Nothing wrong with the stance, I just try to keep the context of why I'm using the stance and what the situation may dictate.
Wow! Thanks so much for your great insight!
Both Shitoryu and Wadoryu use Naihanchi Dachi... Narrow / higher stance compared to Tekki. In naihanchi dachi... The width of the feet is equal to the shoulder width like the hachiji dachi... The knees are lowered to provide stability and lower centre of gravity
Thanks for your insight!
I think the lower stance from Shotokan trains the legs more intensively. The higher stance in Matsubayashi could be useful in practical applications like the Naihanchi Bunkai or street defense techniques. For beginners the lower stance from Shotokan makes more sense
Thing is in Okinawan karate, they balance the high stances with hojo undo exercises, using resistance training methods like weighted sandals, oblong hand weights, weighted jars and vases. Japanese karate doesn't really use those, so they make up for it in their kihon, with more intense isometrics, deeper stances, and more dynamic movement designed to cover as much ground as possible
@@KenpoKid77 Thank you man, I agree totally!
In tkd wt we keep out stances more like Shinzato Sensei's taller stance. Its more fluidic in nature. we can flow in and out of it as needed . Very useful in self defense situations. we dont want to be caught in a low stance we have to move out of then respond , "that wasted time could mean life and death" as my grand master put it.
I watch Karate videos to understand Our most influential parent style.
understadning where tkd came has helped me find some long lost tkd wisdom. also to find the wisdom in the newer way of doing things.
so im summary what i learned from Shinzato Sesei is our kicks are similar our blocks are closer to his and our form/kata stances are closer to his.
thank you for sharing this with us .
Thanks for your insight!
In my style, we do this kata with a stance that is kind of in the middle. I am told the stance is called naihanchin. Anyway, the stance is not so wide as shiko, the feet are on the same line, and the toes are pointed in while the heels are pushed out so that the feet are at a 45 degree angle, and the knees are bent a little bit. I guess it's a higher stance, but a little bit different than this one.
I see! Wow! Thanks so much for your great insight!
@@KarateDojowaKu you’re welcome! Thank you for the video series!
Wow! These are SO interesting to watch. I so wish I had been able to find a good Karate dojo when I was looking for one back in the 90s. I know, "it's never too late to start"...good thing too because I am WAY too busy and there are NO dojos here except for BJJ...and I don't want to roll around on the floor with people.
Haha I’m glad you’re at least finding my videos enjoyable!
@@KarateDojowaKu I AM finding them VERY enjoyable.
My preference is narrow high stance. I train both Matsubayashi ryu and Shotokan. I like the high stances because it's easier to move and nobody fights down low like that. Natural stance is up
Thanks for your opinion!
Thank you for this video. In my style of Tae Kwon Do, we do a similar form called Po Eun. We are a lot like Shotokan in that our style emphasizes wide, low stances.
Nice!
I remember doing a Shito-ryu (Itosu-kai) Version for the Zama (Kanagawa) fair exhibition a couple years ago. Naihanchi dachi is hard for us, coz we normally use Shikodachi ちょっと辛いね。
I love this episode, it was great. Nice work!
There are many movements similar in taekwondo. With respect to the width of the stances, current modern taekwondo (WTF) tends to higher poses and less wider stances, similar to the ones you practiced in this video (the width of the shoulders, as he said). I personally like practicing both 😉
Thanks for watching!
Thank u very very much
Yusuke san, greatings from argentinian Patagonia. Your videos and Jesse's always trigger in me a need to start karate again. I hope you take an Isshin-ryu class with Uechi Tsuyoshi Sensei and try the vertical fist of this style, their original kata and some kobudo.
PS: Having practiced both styles (shotokan and isshin-ryu), I prefer the higher stance. Naihanchi in isshin-ryu was made with naihanchi dachi stance (toes in, heels out) instead of kiba dachi.
Yes! You should definitely start again! I have online lessons too
I use the narrow high stance, with even the knees turned in slightly, to protect the sensitive areas inside the upper legs, not just the groin, but the femoral artery and the femoral nerves
I have been watching you for awhile now and your karate is very good 👍 your hip rotation 👌 you would be wise to not only swivel freely but make certain that you connect upper body and lower body right at the moment of completion of technique. Also make your mental opponent come to life while performing kata. Don't just go through the motion or steps, KIME! this will bring you kata to an entirely new level.
I enjoy your videos, keep them coming. Shotokan Karate Do is highly respected and yet frowned upon by many other System. Most say that we hit too hard. Hi Yak! 👊
Oos.
Thanks!
Coming from a taekwondo background, I learned Kukkiwon taekwondo, but two of my master instructors learned moo duk kwan style from Grandmaster Ahn. Kukkiwon has higher stances, and moo duk kwan has lower stances, so I learned Kukkiwon forms with older moo duk kwan stances. I prefer the deeper stances in forms because it gives you more power in strikes and it's good to practice in a wider range of motion, even if stances are tightened up in application.
Wide low is good and creates solid foundation when attacked. When moving forward higher stance probably better
We had this same form in Tang Soon Do. It was one of my favorites
Tang Soo do has a lot of the kata from karate. Pyung ahn=Heian=Pinan. They also have Chinto as well.
Nice!
Right! I’m aware of that :)
I prefer the narrow stance because its more how you move normally as a human hence I can see more practicality with the narrow stance. The lower stance could be used for better stability from side to side but if the dimensions change in combat you might have a difficult time recovering to manintain balance if you are not as athletic. Both stances have their right place so I would practice both for better insight.
First let me congratulate you for a great video. Adding a comment because you asked which stance we prefer… High! Rationale is one you likely know already. My first black belt was in Shotokan. Received in the early 80s from a student of master Tobata. Since the 90s I’ve dedicated to Okinawa Te because of its functionality in real hand to hand combat. The low stances are great for physical training, but terrible for self defense purposes. Plus the fact that at 61 it’s a little harder to get as low.
high and narrow vs wide and low shows up in other combat sports/martial styles too. in general you can observe that a wide and low stance allows for fast movement forward and back. you can even see this in boxing or mma, when the fighter's stance is longer it helps them lunge forward or retreat backwards faster, and you can see people generate a lot of force moving forward and back. pacquiao takes a longer stance when he's about to lunge forward and throw a combination of punches, a lot of mma fighters with karate backgrounds take the longer stance when they're about to blitz forward with a strong punch or kick. the high and narrow stance lets you move laterally faster and side-step around faster, but you can't lunge forward and back as fast as the lower one, however, the high and narrow stance in general, you will observe they are able to generate a lot of power from their hips from mike tyson's peek-a-boo style in boxing, to kyokushin karate with bas rutten, to even muai thai terrifying kicks, you can see their surprising generation of force from a very tall square on stance.
Interesting analysis connecting it to boxing!
@@KarateDojowaKu the youtube channel fighttips has a video about tall and low stances in boxing, and how it affects how the boxers fight. does his observations apply to karate kumite as well? as far as I can tell kyokushin fighters do like to stay close range, and shotokan fighters emphasize forward and back movement from the outside so much so that the move forward with a punch is so fast and scary.
here's fighttips video on it: th-cam.com/video/16sdULbrQXk/w-d-xo.html
Can you make a video of karate skills for different belts step by step, btw your channel and your skills really helped me in learning karate Thanks 😊✨
Super similar to Naihanchi shodan in Shobayashi shoin-ryu.
I think so!
@@KarateDojowaKu i can send a video of shobayashi shoin-ryus to you. If thats altight. The similarities are amazing and the differences are wonderfully interesting.
Tks for your viedio.... from korea matialartist.
Oss,, I get a lot of use from this kata.
I mostly hated the Tekki katas because of the low stance and the strain it put on my knees in this Shotokan style Kiba dachi. I'm going to give them another try after the explanation of the higher stances, and also the comments about rotations without strain from your 2nd series.
Low postures hinder displacement and with age are more difficult for knees.
Las posturas bajas dificultan el desplazamiento y con la edad son más difíciles para las rodillas.
I think the stances are for different purposes depending the interpretation of what's is happening in bunkai sow different applications
The low stance looks better but during the high stance i feel the technique better. I trained Traditional Taekwondo (low) and train now Wado Kai Karate (higher stance)
Interesting combination you have!
The block at 3:30 looks difficult to get the timing right. If someone is punching at you, that block looks a bit slow to intercept it. Is there a trick to it?
Natural stance is always better then unnatural. The narrow stance is more natural. And still affords most of the stability of the wider stance. When in combat the stance becomes narrower out of necessity in order to control balance and outward mobility. Keeping the stance wide reduces outward mobility. Contractive mobility is improved in some senses but even leverage would cause you to move to the zero position.
Great video, could you make a video about judo, that would be awesome
What kind of video would that be?
I noticed your hand chambers for techniques resting on your belt. I also noticed that the Okinawan Sensei chambers his hand more on his rib cage. I prefer the ribcage chamber. To me it make fpr a more straight line punch. Punches from the belt pr hip chamber creates a kind of circular strike reducing speed and power. Osu!
Thanks for your opinion!
Was it raining? Sound lovely
Yes 😊
it is not the issue of wide or high. it is the correct posturing of your legs in the stance that gives it the stability J:
I think you noticed this back when you reacted to watching taekwondo poomsae, but Kukkiwon style taekwondo adopted the higher, more naturalistic stances. The equivalent to kiba-dachi is about the same width as the Matsubayashi Ryu one. We measure it as being two foot-lengths wide, or the width of two of your own feet placed lengthwise. ITF/Chang-Hon taekwondo, in contrast, tends to use the wider, exaggerated stances similar to Shotokan.
I felt the Master was very kind, considerate and patient. I am also interested in how the teachers modify their karate with age. Are their students performing karate as per the teacher or is he able to get them to understand, as did Funakoshi Sensei, 'I am old but you are young'?
Also we in the West have this notion that Japanese respect their elders. I wonder is this true or perhaps is it less true than yesteryear?
We definitely respect the elders!
@@KarateDojowaKu I am pleased to hear that. Excellent!!!!
Short but effective Kata
I prefer the high stance as it's more applicable. Though the deeper stance would be better for training as it conditions more.
Ok here is the challenge. Since this is a straight line form that goes back and forth sideways, can you elevate to chairs, or stools on a plank or on a retaining wall. Do it off the ground and try it in the air.
Interesting idea
nice kata
Thanks!
@@KarateDojowaKu your welcome
Nice video! can you do a bunkai on naihanchi shodan?
To me a narrow stance allows for more fluidity and adaptiveness. It benefits a more aggressive and dynamic approach. The wider stance on the other hand seems more stable and more easily defensive since one's center of gravity is lower and body just that much farther away. It would force the opponent to have to reach and lean more and maybe over-commit. The wide stance seems a little more rigid and conducive to planned attacks and counter strikes.
So with that in mind, I think a fighter should be open to both stances depending on circumstance and the skill level of his opponent - maybe even switch between the two in the same fight. If for instance you were fighting a more skilled opponent than yourself, then the wider stance would afford a little more safety and distance while being patient for an opportunity to strike or expose a weakness. Your opponent has to come to you in order to attempt strikes on any vital parts.
On the other hand, the narrow stance could be a good choice when you are the stronger or more skilled fighter. If you think you can handle whatever your opponent can throw at you, then there isn't as much need to be defensive or extra stable. You want to be able to quickly move in an out and bring the fight to your opponent. The narrow stance allows for quicker adjustments and more varied angles of attack, as well as the ability to close distances faster. With all of that available the fighter can be more creative and less predictable and quicker to expose any mistakes made by his opponent.
Naifanchi Dachi is a lot different from Kiba Dachi. As i am practising an okinawan style myself, we use Naifanchi Dachi. But do not think this stance was more easy than Kiba Dachi! The correct muscle tension in this stance is quite demanding too.
Oh, i can hear the well known okinawan rain in the background.
Tomari Passai is perhaps the oldest of the 13 variants of Passai. I really like this Kata. Has some really nice (nice because realistically applicable) techniques. Same for Naifanchi. But here in this video the Sensei didn't show them (would have been surprised if he showed them)
Please look forward to it!
Lower stance is good for kata, higher stance is good for fighting. I do one move a little different. Just before the backfist, I make a grabbing motion with the other hand to the "opponents" upper body clothing and pull his face into the strike. How old is the Grand Master? Some of his techniques may be limited by his age. He does seem like a very likable man :-) Interesting, the kata you did here and Bassai are my favorites.
He said he was 76!
I prefer low stance for training strength and root, and then use the short stance in a combat situation. Then you have the benefit of a strong route from training the low stance with the speed of movement from the sort stance.
実戦的な観点から見ると、歩幅の狭く、腰高な騎馬立ちの方が使い勝手がいいでしょうね。片足先の方向を少し変えながら、体の向きを右なり左なりに変えれば、すぐに組める形に変化出来るからです。本部朝基先生が、実戦や組手でお使いになっていたスタンスと同じモノになります。
For my body type of 5 11 and 235 lbs. I like the Okinawan style as it's good for close quarters.
narrow high more natural for me--but for others if the lowers stance feels good great!
Osu. Nice brother
Thanks!
I will do a wide and low stand for practice and competition.
This is to build up the strength of the stand.
But I will keep a narrow and high stand in real fight
Narrow high stance is more natural imo. Looking at you doing Naihanchi in the high stance you look more relaxed and the power more distributed.
Low wide stances are good for exercising lower body strength, but medium height stances are more realistic in fights. I suggest practice both for different purposes
Funakoshi Gichin said something similar to that, "kata is to be done exactly as taught; fighting is another thing entirely." He also said "low stance for beginners, natural stance for the advanced."
Wow! Thanks so much for your great insight!
I agree!
I prefer a higher stance more so because of my height.In Isshinryu we emphasize the chinkuchi for the strength of the movement.
narrow stance for me , it works in every day life , the only time i do wide stance is for show when i m playing bass guitar its part of the dance
Natural stance is good for self defence.
I believe even with a narrow stance going deep low only depends on your ankle capability to bend. Even for Shotokan kibadachi shouldn t be too large. Isn t it a mistake to get too large stances in order just to get low. Check Karate-do Kyohan, edition with O sensei Tsutomu Ohshima, and you should picture how getting low is performed with good lower body stretch capabilities, with natural stances. Inspiring i believe, and no so far from what the older master in your video says...
Food for thought kiba is known as the sumo stance right?what is sumo but japanese wrestling & grappling?western wrestling also uses a kiba and shiko like stance. So perhaps the tekki kata are actually wrestling or counter wrestling kata.
Personally I think I’ll have to do a little more digging to answer your question!
This is very similar to the Ryute/Ryukyu Kempo Version. I prefer the Higher stance ( Though I do practice in low stance for leg strength) because it is more realistic from a fighting perspective and also Okinawan Karate concentrates more on close-range combat. So, a higher stance means your more mobile!
Thanks for your insight!
Not a karateka, but training in other Japanese arts. I generally prefer higher stances. A low stance, from the way I've been told and how I see it, is to sneak in flexibility and strength training into technique training. A higher stance is more natural when you apply the technique to combat, or bunkai as you call it in karate. Train as you fight, fight as you train.
Thanks for your insight!
I like narrow high stance , not so bad on the kneess
Ossu!!