Timothy.G.B.
27th November 2008, 19:04
This may have to be moved to the member's lounge but I thought I would start it here.
I have been interested in Hakutsuru (aka White Crane Technique) since first seeing the Karate Kid in 1984.
Since I have been training a bit longer now, I realize that Mr. Miyagi was doing Goju but he taught the now famous, "if do right, no can defend" crane technique to Daniel san, with the whole balance on the pole, balance on the boat training, which seems like it was borrowed from Estrada Sensei's interview with Soken Sensei and Soken's recounting of training the kata on a log in the water (I wonder what that kata looked like in the dojo:)).
Since 1984, there has been a proliferation of White Crane stylists who are all claiming that they do Hakutsuru and I can't help but wonder about the role that Daniel san plays in capturing the collective imagination of North Americans with White Crane!
Having been to Okinawa only briefly twice now, I did not really get a sense that anyone in Naha really talks about or cares about Hakutsuru. Admittedly, I spent the majority of my time in the dojo so I didn't get around much.
Anyway, my theory, which I am posting mostly for fun but somewhat seriously, is that if Daniel san hadn't defeated the Kobra Kai with his White Crane Kick, we might not have as much interest in the whole Hakutsuru thing in 2008.
Naturally, the theory can never really be proved, but I am interested in people's thoughts.
Best,
Tim
I have been interested in Hakutsuru (aka White Crane Technique) since first seeing the Karate Kid in 1984.
Since I have been training a bit longer now, I realize that Mr. Miyagi was doing Goju but he taught the now famous, "if do right, no can defend" crane technique to Daniel san, with the whole balance on the pole, balance on the boat training, which seems like it was borrowed from Estrada Sensei's interview with Soken Sensei and Soken's recounting of training the kata on a log in the water (I wonder what that kata looked like in the dojo:)).
Since 1984, there has been a proliferation of White Crane stylists who are all claiming that they do Hakutsuru and I can't help but wonder about the role that Daniel san plays in capturing the collective imagination of North Americans with White Crane!
Having been to Okinawa only briefly twice now, I did not really get a sense that anyone in Naha really talks about or cares about Hakutsuru. Admittedly, I spent the majority of my time in the dojo so I didn't get around much.
Anyway, my theory, which I am posting mostly for fun but somewhat seriously, is that if Daniel san hadn't defeated the Kobra Kai with his White Crane Kick, we might not have as much interest in the whole Hakutsuru thing in 2008.
Naturally, the theory can never really be proved, but I am interested in people's thoughts.
Best,
Tim