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luar
15th August 2000, 04:55
This is my observation and am using this process to think things out. Your thoughts are most welcomed.

I'm 6'3 with a body stature that is very long legged. There really isn't anyone near my height so that when I practice Goho techniques, the following tends to happen:

1) Punching the mid-section requires me to get down low. This in turn causes me to lunge forward rather than using my hips for power.

2) My knees become sore because I need to get down further. Originaly, I would spread my legs open but this strongly limits my manuverability. In addition, my kness are already sore from the warmup exercises. Hopefully they would become stronger.

3) In using techniques in which I block a punch and counter with a front kick, this becomes problematic because my long leg requires more distance. If my opponent is too close, my kick cannot be "whipped" since I need more travel.

4) I find that my height gives me very good advantage in applying Kagite because I can put additional strain on my opponent's hand.

Still learning, still adjusting.

Cheers

Christian Curtis
15th August 2000, 09:07
Hello Iuar, Gassho

I hope I may be of some help in this area. I myself am 6'5" and have never met another kenshi as tall or taller. I have met some 6'3" and 6'4" however, and have had the opportinity to practiced with some of them.

As you know, there are many different shapes and sizes to people and adjustments must be made. My sensei, who is about 6'4" has told me that we are not "built" for martial arts. Does it mean that we can't do it? No. It just means that we must bend our knees more, keep our hips down, and make the distance we need for our kicks.

One of the drills we have done in practice is a kicking drill that helps you to get your knees up while kicking at close distances. With your partner, stand in tai gamae (closed stance) and clasp hands as if to do a hand shake. Exchange jun geri's to chudan back and forth while only kicking the dogi and not your partner. After about ten each, clasp fore-arms like Roman soldiers and do the same kick to chudan. Next, put your hands on each others shoulders and kick. One more thing, wear a cup!

There is so much more I can write on, but I shall leave it at this for now. I hope this helps.

Kesshu,
Christian

P.S. Where is it that you are from and where do you practice?

luar
15th August 2000, 12:44
I changed my profile to include my locale. BTW, next week I am going to Portland, Oregon for a wedding and then up to Seattle for a week to visit some friends. I thought about hitting the two Shorinji branches but I might be stretching myself too thin on this vacation.

Yes, I agree I do need to work in bringing my knee up and that would help.

Out of curiosity, how flexible do you think can have your legs. I certainly cannot reach my toes nor go into a lotus position.

hsuntzu
15th August 2000, 18:19
I think the problem is common whenever you work with a person significantly different in size than yourself... on the short and the tall side.

Very generic, but I think, taller people have their advantage, so do the shorter people. Not everyone is going to be able to do the same technique using the same timing. The "how" and "when" to apply the motion definitely needs to change.

Gassho,

John McCollum
15th August 2000, 21:55
Hi!

As a ni-kyu of about 6'4, I've experienced similar problems to those mentioned. Fortunately, my instructor is a similar size, so I have a kind of 'model' for my form at least. Here are some ruminations I've noticed particularly relating to my size:

1. Sometimes I find myself blaming my faults on size difference. If a particular technique doesn't work, I have a tendency to say that it's due to height difference. One example is that during cusshin zuki/geri (both on my current syllabus), I was being particularly lazy with the ducking motion...I thought it was down to height difference until I tried the technique with someone of a similar size. At best, I was being slapped on the side of the head a lot and at worst I was being totally clobbered!

2. I find that if the count is relatively fast during say, Kihon, I fall behind quite quickly. However, I think it's better to get in slightly fewer good reps than lots of bad ones.

3. Luar, I've had similar problems with jun geri - I tend not to use it so much as a whip-like kempo kick, but to thrust more, and create a bit of space for an attacking combination. I know this is probably a bad habit, so its something I'll need to work on...

4. During Randoori, I have a tendency to wait until people are within kicking distance, and then (err) kick them. While it's a good example of adapting SK to my body type, I've been trying to work on my hands recently since I realised that if my partner manages to close distance, I'm screwed. Work on your weaknesses, right?

5. Final point: Some people find me easier to throw than a smaller person - perhaps they can exert more leverage or something on my freakishly out of proportion arms? :)

Well - I think that's enough thrown-together thoughts for the moment ;)

John McCollum

luar
16th August 2000, 03:57
OK, tonight the class taught defensive techniques (forgive me for not learning the Japanese terms) in which I block, counter punch and kick to the midsection.

Now for my partner, my long reach worked to his advantage because his blocks and kicks were right on the money. I would say that in a real situation, I can trap him immediately after the block because he really had to come in close to me to lay that counter punch.

When I defended, my blocking and counter punching were fine but once again, my kicks could not come up properly to hit the lower mid section due to my long legs and closing distance. Eventually I was able to adjust this so that I can use my legs to kick the groin area.

Crude but effective.

Robert Liljeblad
16th August 2000, 11:20
Gassho Luar,

You mentioned that when you’re shorter opponent attacked. You could easily have trapped him because he was shorter and needed to come much closer. I think this is a great training opportunity if understanding this; for you’re shorter opponent to practice his speed.

When you are executing the teqnique. Have you tried to move more to the side when blocking to make room for you’re kicks?. Or blocking by moving more backwards?

Gassho,

Robert Persson

luar
16th August 2000, 12:50
Gassho Robert,

Good point since my foot technique does need to be worked on. I am at that stage where I am still burining the proper movements into memory, so multi-tasking hand and foot coordination is not here yet. When I am there, then perhaps everything would work out fine.

I guess my overall thought process in this (and again this is from an inexperince White Belt) if I took a step to clear the kick then that might be a couple of seconds too late to execute since my steps are longer. At my height, I believe that I will be slower but my advantages would be my strength, reach and standoff abilities. Again, with time and practice this could become a non-isssue. Economy of motion and harnessing Ki is what we are all striving towards. Also for embu, I do need to execute this kick properly.

I would say that I am glad to have this kind of partner because it has much to teach me.

Yojimbo558
17th August 2000, 18:36
Hi Raul!

I don't know if this has any bearing on your situation or not, but you mentioned your knees hurting due to your having to lowering your posture.

While I'm not your height ( 5'11") I have a few friends and students who are close to yours. When their knees start bugging them, it's usually because they are turning their feet inward or outward.

As a result when they either punch or kick this bad foot placement causes extra torque on their knees. Once we fixed their foot positions their knee problems vanished.

Hopefully your knee problems are as easily cleared up as theirs was.

Eric Bookin