Defense Form: Movement No. 6- Inward Knife Hand Strike
Hello, everyone. We have arrived at the last movement in this kata. I don't remember seeing a knife hand strike in any katas of Okinawan Karate, but I know of 3 katas in Shotokan that feature this inward knife hand strike. Kung Fu practitioners know about the knife hand strike, but I have not seen it used, except by Wing Chun exponents. I have always loved knife hand strikes and started breaking wooden boards out of my own at an early age although neither of the two dojos at which I have studied taught breaking techniques. For me it just felt like the right thing to do. If you are a Karate student, you must have a karate chop. There was no two ways about it for me... :D If you train mainly in competition sparring with the focus on long and medium range fighting this inward knife hand strike would feel too awkward, too slow and just plain too impractical to incorporate into your arsenal. If you understand the setting up and timing of this strike, however, it can serve y...