Splashing Hands...

[Sonnon]

I am certainly intrigued, and would love to read more if you and your friend could do me the kindness of directing me to some relevant sources. Thank you!

[Bill Glasheen]

Click on the Dr. Kelly's book link. It won't take you long to get through his book.

- Bill

[Sonnon]

I shall order it today. Thank you, Bill.

[Ron Klein]

Bill:

Been busy-

This discussion is interesting. Evan’s application is OK, and I am a fan of “thump and dump”….. and his comments about thinking too much are on point.

What I’d like to bring up is that there are two movements that follow splashing hands. The first, my Tai Chi buddy calls “snatching the peaches from the monkey” followed by a second “facilitated” elbow strike.

What I like about supre-enpi is the triplet pace of movements. It seems to me that the first movement is set up the next series are, sequential striking, completing the response….. Splashing Hands is not, in my view an isolated movement per se, but part of a sequence that has a very effective finishing attitude.

I look at this kata, and we practice it, (both formally and in interpretation) with an attitude. Many of the movements in sequence provide an opportunity to develop some very effective drills and applications not found in the other Uechi kata. (We should embrace this kata into the system.)

Bill what about the triplet pattern in supre enpi—it reminds me of the paced double and triple taps I learned from my firearms instructor…There is a cadence inherent in the kata I have not experienced in any other kata or style.


Thanks,

Ron

[Bill Glasheen]

What I like about supre-enpi is the triplet pace of movements. It seems to me that the first movement is set up the next series are, sequential striking, completing the response….. Splashing Hands is not, in my view an isolated movement per se, but part of a sequence that has a very effective finishing attitude.

"Splashing hands" appears twice in the form, Ron, as you well know. The second time it is followed by a jumping crescent kick and an upward, facilitated forearm strike.

I agree that the form is riddled with movements that seem to set up other movements. For example, low strikes are followed by upward movements that seem to anticipate the partner responding to the first movement. In my view it isn't a fixed recipe so much as it is an attitude about fighting that suggests the big opportunities come in short windows that you can set up and capitalize on if you understand the human response to your moves. It's something great sparrers figure out and practice both in a fixed format and a jiyu setting.

Unless you are talking about more than one opponent though, I think what you are suggesting is that "splashing hands" wouldn't be a simple "thump and dump." That was my original thinking. My interpretation (sticking hands followed by striking based on feel) is quite mundane - but works.

Got any ideas?

Bill what about the triplet pattern in supre enpi—it reminds me of the paced double and triple taps I learned from my firearms instructor…There is a cadence inherent in the kata I have not experienced in any other kata or style.

It does indeed program a relentless, flowing assault attitude. There is a logic to it both from the momentum flow of the practitioner as well as to the sequence of likely opportunities if you imagine a partner. I do see this in the Uechi kata now, Ron, but only after first seeing it in suparinpei. A good example is the seisan-like sequence in the form. In seisan you turn-block-left_kick, and then do right_knee strike. In suparinpei you do a left_knee strike followed by jumping right_knee. I never would have thought to put the kick and knee strike together until I saw the logic first with the two knee thrusts in suparinpei. Gushi's seisan bunkai puts the kick and knee strike together rather smartly, in much the same way I imagine the double knee in suparinpei.

So is the flow/cadence new, or have we missed this all along in kata we already know?

- Bill

[Evan Pantazi]

I found this on a site that also has the Splashing Hand moves: Click Here