Heian Nidan, Kanku Dai Bunkai - Pressing Block Spearhead Strike Bubishi #13

http://youtu.be/mbMEUu3DldM

Our lesson today is Bunkai from Heian Nidan. We are going to demonstrate the bunkai for the pressing block spearhead.

But first...

To understand this technique, we need to understand that Funakoshi and other karate masters attempted to hide the true application for this move.

The Legend of the Spearhead Strike
The legend of the spearhead strike is that you need to train your hands for many years to be able to pierce through an opponent skin with your bare hands. Training the hands consisted of thrusting your hands into progressively more difficult materials up to sand.

The legend was perpetuated but karate masters to create an air of mystery and to keep the real application secret so that students would not attempt it on others.

The Real Application
So, let's talk about the real technique. In Funakoshi's book, Karate Jiu Jitsu, he demonstrates it as one of the throwing techniques called Pressing the Throat.

Another reference to this move appears in the Bubishi. This book was handed down and hand copied from Master to Student in secret for many years. The Bubishi shows the Pressing Block Spearhead Strike as Figure #13.

Making the Pressing Block Spearhead Effective
Two things are required to make the Pressing Block Spearhead Strike an effective technique.
1. The thrust is at the throat level. Funakoshi demonstrates it this way in the 1st edition of his book but not in the 2nd edition that most people have.
2. The thumb needs to be out like a trigger instead of tucked in.

The spearhead strike is a thrust and grab of the throat. After the strike is performed, we rotate to make the move a takedown.

Sensei Tim Rosanelli
Maximum Impact Karate
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www.maximpactkarate.com
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