Pinan Sandan moves 12-23 application one

Notes

Frankly this is a bit of doozie. It's been said for a long time that the end movements of Sandan are a bear hug escape, and most take this to mean the final 2-3 movements. However when you look at them, they appear to be punches over the shoulder. They don't actually work if you try them and this theory has been looked on rather dubiously... It is however true, the end of Sandan is a bear hug escape, though it isn't just the final few movements, it's the entire second half of the kata and the punches over the shoulder are the choke hold response against the opponent. The first half of the section is extricating your arms from the bear hug.

This is one of the few times where the opponent starts behind you. It's quite difficult to represent in kata because the angles represent the angle you should be with respect to the opponent.

Sequence

-> -> -> -> -> -> -> -> -> -> ->

Description

1. The sequence begins with the opponent behind you holding you in a bear hug hold, your arms are pinned at your sides by the opponent's arms.
2. Brace your hands on your hips and force your elbows outwards as much as possible.
3. Step forward away from the opponent, dropping your weight as much as possible. 90° anti-clockwise into kiba-dachi or shiko dachi.
4. Swing your shoulders round anti-clockwise in the direction of the step. This should create a gap or loosening of the grip on this side.
5. The uraken-uchi frees your right arm from the opponent's bear hug. Now grab his right arm with your hand.
6. Again step forward away from the opponent, dropping your weight as much as possible. 180° clockwise this time into kiba-dachi or shiko dachi.
7. Swing your shoulders round clockwise in the direction of the step. This should create a gap or loosening of the grip on this side.
8. The uraken-uchi frees your left arm from the opponent's bear hug. Now grab his left arm with your hand.
9. Both your arms are now free and you can attack the opponents fingers, hands and wrists.
10. Again step forward away from the opponent, dropping your weight as much as possible. 180° anti-clockwise this time into kiba-dachi or shiko dachi.
11. Swing your shoulders round anti-clockwise in the direction of the step. This time you are attempting to get the opponent off center to apply leverage.
12. Use your grip on the opponent's right hand or fingers to free you from this arm. In the Heian variant this is a slow push with shuto uchikomi, in the pinan variant this is an uchi-uke.
13. The left hand grips the fingers of the opponent's left hand and is pulled back to the hip with hikite, bending the fingers backwards.
14. At this point you're free of the bear hug with the opponent behind you, left hand holding his left hand, right hand holding his right.
15. The step forward with oi-tsuki moves you away from him and pulls the opponent towards your left side. You still retain his left hand.
16. Most people assume the next section is a separate application and many styles have a kiai at this point which reinforces the assumption. However it is in fact the response to being held in a bear hug. Kata always leaves you in a position of strength.
17. Retaining the opponent's left hand, step away from him and rotate 180° anti-clockwise, pulling his hand to your left hip with hikite. This will cause his left arm to be pulled across his body and force him to rotate 180° degrees clockwise. The positions are now reversed. You are behind the opponent. with your left hand retaining his at your hip.
18. Put your right arm round his neck in a choke, and grip his collar with your right hand to maintain it.
19. Drop your weight and pull him backwards off balance.
20. It isn't a strong choke hold, so switch your left hand to round his neck, gripping by his collar, grab his left lapel with your right hand and pull strongly hikite back to your left hip. This is basically the judo okuri-eri-jime sliding lapel choke hold.