3 - 4 questions:

[yenhoi]

Horizontal or vertical fist?

Strong side or weak side forward (lead?)

;)

For Vash.

:eek:

[Vash]

Vertical fist. It's easier for me to throw from my guard.

Strong side on lead. I'm gonna be hitting with my lead a good 75% of the time, so I'd rather be hitting with something that's gonna count.

[yenhoi]

Can you describe your guard and stance generally? Is there many?

[yenhoi]

I use a vertical fist almost all the time. I also practice a small set of palm strikes, hammerfists, backfists, and knife hand type blows for the hands. Also forearms, elbows, and shoulder strikes.

I lead with my right power hand. Its stronger and faster then the left hand, although the gap is closing. Bi-jong "on-guard" stance, ready to spring forward via lunge mainly. Lead hand drifts around and fires from where its at.

:eek:

[Vash]

Holy moley. Sounds a lot like the weapons/methods of Isshinryu . . . :eek:

Must go back to the whole "there's no style, dumb@$$" theorum. :D

On your kicks; is there a height you're most effective at? Also, are kicks very prevelant in your arsenal?

[Vash]

Originally posted by yenhoi
Can you describe your guard and stance generally? Is there many?

Well, I tend to fight out of a side seisan. This stance has the lead foot out in front of the body, with the toes pointing off on about a 45 degree angle. The rear foot is pointing in the same direction.
(****-poor description of the stance, but it's early. I'll find a pic and post it tomorrow).

All told, there are 8 stances in Isshinryu.

For my hands, I don't really like the traditional "kumai guard," wherein the rear hand is held in front of the solar plexus, and the lead hand is on roughly the same line. I hold my lead hand on line with my solar plexus, and my rear hand tends to be somewhere near the cheek of that side. I keep my elbows tucked in. Kinda looks like a boxing stance. I try to keep everything in motion, however minute that may be.

Again, I'll get some pics posted tomorrow, after I get done with my morning teaching.

[yenhoi]

I KNOW lots of kicks. I only practice 3 or 4 really. Round kick (thai), front push kick (thai) and side kick (all ova da place..)... also a set of savate front kicks that are chambered, a round kick from the outside, a front kick up the middle, and a inverted or oblique kick from the inside. Target is the groin or ribs. Since Im such a tall guy, and its one of the things I like to do, Im fond of push kicking or teeping peoples hips, stomach, and chest, and thats abot as "high" as I go usually. The "kicks" that I use most are sweeps (takedowns..)

One of the guys in my group was in tkd for like 6 years, he has kicks all over the place, spinning, jumping, high, low, chambered and un chambered. Another guy hasent been around long and has some mixed wing chun and jujitsu background, he doesnt ever kick.

:)

[Vash]

Would you say kicks are prominent in your fighting, or are hand techniques more your forte'?

[yenhoi]

Kicks are very very important.

We drill lots of kicks, almost as much as hand stuff. Everything has footwork, all the time. Sometimes your legs get close and its good to know what to do with them.

My prefered range is clinch and other standing grappling, So I use my legs alot for small kciks, trips, sweeps.

Footwork my man, thats where its at. IMO

:eek:

[Vash]

Footwork is absolutely essential. I don't think a body can fight with good footwork.

Great footwork will be great hands any day.

[SevenStar]

Originally posted by yenhoi
Horizontal or vertical fist?

horizontal. Unless I'm throwing a hook punch. I have been playing with the vertical fist al little, though.

Strong side or weak side forward (lead?)

both. I'm a southpaw, as my left leg is the stronger kicking leg. my punches are about the same level, however, my right side is a bit stronger than my left (which is weird, as I am a lefty), so I like the orthodox lead also. That said, I consider my right my power hand. I prefer it to be in the rear, which is why I also fight orthodox. I have a really strong jab so I'm not really concerned about my strong side not being forward.

:eek:

[SevenStar]

Originally posted by Vash
Would you say kicks are prominent in your fighting, or are hand techniques more your forte'?

once again, both. as far as range, I like to be inside, but I can use knees and sweeps in close, as well as my hands. over the years, I've become more of a puncher than a kicker, but still make good use of the teep, roundhouse and occasionally, the hook kick.