From Kyoshi David Baker, Shihan
Midtown Karate Dojo, Hombu
Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate USA

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Last time, I encouraged the use of hip in each technique.

It would be good to analyze how we use our hip in each technique to see how
we currently use our hip and then to use Hanshi's Kata Reference Guide to see
how we should be using it.

To analyze how the hip is used in each technique, we can dissect such use in
terms of the three physical planes of space. (You may hold a pencil in front
of your eyes to aid your visualization of the described movements.)

1) Vertical plane ("y axis"): a) rising or upward hip (quadriceps), b)
dropping or downward hip (gravity), and c) torquing or twisting the hip on the "y
axis" (quadricep-obliques-glueteals).
2) Horizontal plane ("x axis"): there is no sideways movement to the hip in
Shorin-ryu, except if you're familiar with the motion that I refer to as
"Kishaba" hip: torquing, twisting or rotating the hip vertically on the "x axis."
(Anyone who has seen Kishaba Sai Kata done the way that Joe Roberts learned it
from Kishaba Sensei in Okinawa, knows the specific hip rotation I'm
identifying.) Of course, we also use side stepping to avoid attack (Master Kyan's
philosophy outlined in Master Nagamine's book, which is also demonstrated in Master
Motobu's avoidance stepping in Yakusoku kumite), but that is locomotion, not
hip movement within the technique.
3) Forward plane ("z axis"): We step forward and backward in our various
stances, but again, that is locomotion rather than hip movement within a
technique. The one use of hip along the "z axis" within our techniques that I can find
is when we thrust forward in zenkutsudachi.

How do you use your hip in each technique?

Domo arigato gozaimasu,
Kyoshi David Baker, Shihan
Midtown Karate Dojo, Hombu
Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate USA
founded by Grand Master Ansei Ueshiro
under the direction of Hanshi Robert Scaglione