This is a very nicely made video from the Karate Nerd that shows the influence of Western military methods (created by the French from Savate) on the formation of Japanese Karate. This influence of the West on Japan was something we talked about a lot in our podcast on The origins of Kempo and Jiujitsu, but it’s nice to see a video that uses old footage so well to demonstrate the point.
Here’s some of that lovely Savate from 1924, in normal and slow motion:
This is another great find. It is interesting that it not only gives a perspective on the Savate-Karate connection, but also hearkens back to French sword fighting techniques, which have been subsumed into Fencing.
Interesting biomechanics. It refers back to your post on timing over power. Timing is definitely key here.
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