Your top three Goho techniques

[Tripitaka of AA]

A list of your personal favourites and the reasons. Any technique, any reason.

I'll start;


1. Tsubame Gaeshi. An interesting technique for the Kyu Kenshi working their way up the ladder. At a simplistic level, it is the first that allows you to adopt a different kamae, which can feel quite "cool" . On a technical level it is one of the first to require the Kenshi to blend two separate moves into one seemless flow. The Uchiuke must lead into the Shutogiri with no hesitation and this is quite a challenge for the Kenshi who has only just got the hang of the separate elements. It is a change in understanding of timing and distance. It relies on correct pair-form practice to really "get it".

2. Tenchiken 1-4. Now I'm cheating. These four sets include all the basic Goho moves you could ever need, so to pick them as a favourite is very naughty. However, they are something to go back to again and again, for Kenshi of every grade. So that would make them anybody's favourite, right? I suppose the angles on the first few counts of #3 are the bit that sticks in my mind... don't know why

3. Ryusui Geri. Another one that just gets better and better once you can get away from the "ichi-ni-san" timing of the beginner. All the different variations of position and attack, the decision when to use this technique or another, the eye contact with an opponent after the kick. Ahh sweet memories.


Finished so soon. Again, I've gone for the Kyu grade techniques, but there were plenty of advanced ones that I liked to fancy myself doing. What are your favourites? Why?

[David Dunn]

Difficult to pick a top three. I like to think of the techniques as grouped together in nio ken, tenno ken and so on, so I'd like to pick 'xxxx ken dai ichi' of each grouping, because they each illustrate the principles of the entire grouping.

[Steve Williams]

So many to choose.....

Tsubaume gaeshi and its related techniques (chidori, suigetsu, mika-zuki etc) are all up there in my favorites.
Me-uchi has got to be one of the best, while not really a "technique" in the way you are implying, it really is the most effective "technique" you can employ, and so easy to learn as well.



I will think on it more and come back with a better list.

[Tripitaka of AA]

I wonder how long it will take Steve to think of some more...




Check the dates of this posting, compared to when the thread was begun.

[JL.]

Gassho!

Interesting choices, David-san. Tsubame gaeshi and Ryusui geri easily place among my top ones, too.
I'm not the biggest fan of Tan'en, though, and the Tenchiken do miss some techniques I like a lot, like Ushiro geri.

I'll post three different ones from somewhat higher syllabi (in no particular order), so we don't agree too much and make this thread boring. ^^

• Kaishin zuki
Replaced Tsubame gaeshi as my favourite technique. Nothing more elegant and brutal at the same time in SK, IMHO.
Total game-winner if it should ever work.

• Tai ten ichi
I hate this technique. I'm crap at it. It's so against my natural (or maybe SK trained?) reflexes, especially the attack. Which makes it an unexpected, unwelcome surprise for a potential opponent.
Reminds me of the Rumble in the Jungle's first round …

• Maki otoshi
Not a lot of juho in here, so far. Maki otoshi is great fun to play with, to make people fly through the air (not literally). It also has some technical finesse to it that makes a huge difference in the application.
The attack is something that I consider to be not unlikely to actually occur 'on the street', too.

Kesshu,
______ Jan.

[Anders Pettersson]

I will see if I can list my top three later, just a few comments before that.

2. Tenchiken 1-4. Now I'm cheating. These four sets include all the basic Goho moves you could ever need, so to pick them as a favourite is very naughty. However, they are something to go back to again and again, for Kenshi of every grade. So that would make them anybody's favourite, right? I suppose the angles on the first few counts of #3 are the bit that sticks in my mind... don't know why

Why only 1-4 and not 1-6?

• Tai ten ichi
I hate this technique. I'm crap at it. It's so against my natural (or maybe SK trained?) reflexes, especially the attack. Which makes it an unexpected, unwelcome surprise for a potential opponent.

What is it with the attack in tai ten ichi that is against your natural reflexes? A common jochu niren zuki should probably be one of the more natural attacks for most kenshi. ??

• Maki otoshi
Not a lot of juho in here, so far. Maki otoshi is great fun to play with, to make people fly through the air (not literally). It also has some technical finesse to it that makes a huge difference in the application.
The attack is something that I consider to be not unlikely to actually occur 'on the street', too.

Maybe not so much juho so far since the thread is called "Your top three Goho techniques"

/Anders

[JL.]

Gassho!

Maybe not so much juho so far since the thread is called "Your top three Goho techniques"

What is it with me and reading these days?! I'll think of another third one later, then …

What is it with the attack in tai ten ichi that is against your natural reflexes? A common jochu niren zuki should probably be one of the more natural attacks for most kenshi. ??

… and writing: I meant Gyaku ten ichi.
Sumimasen!

Kesshu,
______ Jan.

[Tripitaka of AA]

And back in 2004 I wrote Tenchiken 1-4 because at that point, some fifteen years after setting foot in a dojo, it was all I could do to remember 1-4. Now, another nine years on and I'm struggling to remember how to tie my shoelaces, let alone an obi. I think if someone offered me a jodan-chudan renzuki I'd probably say "does that come with fries?".

But seriously, I don't think I can remember the moves for 1-6. I might manage 1-4 with a bit of hesitation and some silent mumbling. All highly embarassing when you consider just how short they are by comparison to other Arts and their kata. If I recall, the standard Tai-Chi routine for competition as a beginner is 24 movements, with 48 for a more advanced practice.


Over the years there have been some fascinating clips of Juho masters, does anyone have a favourite clip of goho that stands out? I love watching someone with great form, doing their stuff with speed, focus and energy. Got any clips?

[JL.]

Gassho!

Here goes the new and improved list.

• Kaishin zuki
Replaced Tsubame gaeshi as my favourite technique. Nothing more elegant and brutal at the same time in SK, IMHO.
Total game-winner if it should ever work.

• Gyaku ten ichi
I hate this technique. I'm crap at it. It's so against my natural (or maybe SK trained?) reflexes, especially the attack. Which makes it an unexpected, unwelcome surprise for a potential opponent.
Reminds me of the Rumble in the Jungle's first round …

• Shita uke geri kote nage
Great technique, though I mostly picked it to annoy Anders-sensei. ^^

Kesshu,
______ Jan.

[Anders Pettersson]

• Shita uke geri kote nage
Great technique, though I mostly picked it to annoy Anders-sensei. ^^

OK, Jan, here we go

This is still a jūhō waza. Even if it is listed in the kamokuhyō with the name "shita uke geri kote nage", its name in the kyōhan is just "kote nage" and in kyōhan there is no mention of shita uke geri, just blocking the striking hand of the aite (partner).
But the biggest give away is also present in the kamokuhyō and that it is that it is listed in the kenkei (technique group) ryūkaken, so it is clearly a jūhō waza.
But nice try, now lets try and find three gōhō waza.

/Anders.

[JL.]

Gassho!

Thanks for biting!

But nice try, now lets try and find three gōhō waza.

You caught me – I don't know more than two. ^^

But that post brought up a question I've had for a while and since I'm not sure whether You'll be over next month … what's the exact difference between the terms "hokei" and "waza"?

Kesshu,
______ Jan.

[Tripitaka of AA]

I want video.

[Anders Pettersson]

Over the years there have been some fascinating clips of Juho masters, does anyone have a favourite clip of goho that stands out? I love watching someone with great form, doing their stuff with speed, focus and energy. Got any clips?

Here is some great gōhō (his jūhō was also very good)

I want video.

Satisfied?

Thanks for biting!

Couldn't resist.

You caught me – I don't know more than two. ^^

I figured that.

But that post brought up a question I've had for a while and since I'm not sure whether You'll be over next month … what's the exact difference between the terms "hokei" and "waza"?

Probably can't come, working that weekend and are generally busy, would have loved to come over, especially since Hiate-sensei will be there.

Waza 技 [わざ] just means technique and could be used to describe many things, an example would be; mawashi geri is one keri waza. So one could say all of our kihon (basics) consists of many waza (techniques).

Hōkei is written like this; 法形 [ほうけい]. The second kanji can also be read as kata or katachi, so the meaning is not so different from other budo's kata (some use a different kanji 型). Our hōkei are the main paired practice and they are divided in to several kenkei [拳系] (technique groups) that handle different types of situations. So the most common hōkei, that most beginners also know are uchi uke zuki and kote nuki (as I am sure you know Jan).

So when we say jūhō waza we usually mean some jūhō hōkei, language is confusing sometimes.

When we are talking about terminology there is another thing that I often hear used (among non Japanese mostly) and that is when people refer to tecnhiken 1-6 etc. as "kata". This is just wrong (even if it is confusing that two of our single forms have kata in their name). The correct terminology for our single forms are "tan'en hōkei" 単演法形 (sometimes also tan'en kihon hōkei 単演基本法形, which is how it is usually written in the kamokuhyō).

/Anders

[Tripitaka of AA]

That's the clip I thought you'd use. He is great. At 1.30 you see him explaining how the ideal way should be to keep your head level throughout the movement, to avoid giving any sign of what is to come. That's where his movements are outstanding. When you look back at all the other demonstrations, he is following his own advice perfectly. The flexibility, the speed and the accuracy all seems to be underpinned by this ability to keep his balance and maintain the ideal form. At least, that's what I could see... maybe you guys can see a lot more.

[JL.]

Gassho!

Thanks for the info, Anders-sensei. It's roughly as I figured.
Shame, You can't come, but there'lll be many other opportunities!

Kesshu,
______ Jan.