Seeing, Hearing, and Feeling

The ken-po goku-i speaks directly to the two terse references to seeing and hearing. We can go on-n-on on those two. It appears another very important sense to use and understand for karate-do through this reference is "feeling."

Iain Abernethy Sensei speaks about the use of two hands in kata bunkai. The use of the hands where while one strikes the other is feeling the body movement as well as deflecting, etc. to supplement the striking hand. Note: there is more to this. Recommend viewing his video's for more.

The ability to feel the movement of the threat gives you additional sensing information to properly act. It tells you they are moving, in what direction, and then by its message provides you the actions necessary to exploit that movement.

In addition a karate-ka must not rely only on seeing or hearing or feeling. It should be a combination of all of them. Sometimes hearing a noise, looking to identify and classify may not be enough. A lot of times when attacked from the rear or blind side all you get is the ability to feel an aggressive touch. Once you feel it you have to act, to move, and to apply actions that will keep you from damage.

Feeling may be implied in the ken-po goku-i. It is not directly referenced, obvious to the reader. You can get an inference to feeling if you know to recognize the ken-po goku-i though symbolism and the Isshinryu-no-Megami. The time to strike is symbolized by the open and closed hands of the goddess so you can kind of extrapolate that this includes feeling with the hands. Going outside the box would add that feeling the others hands, i.e. open being representative of non-aggressive touch vs. closed hand representative of an aggressive touch or strike or joint manipulation and so on.

You can also use symbolism of the darkness represented in the goddess to mean one must use touch and thus how that touch feels something with interpretation as to that objects intent be it aggressive or not. We must use our hands and touch and feeling through the touch sense to determine obstacles and threats in darkness of all kinds.

Symbolism and its teachings, something to consider.

Thanks to Iain Sensei for this lesson on two hands and feel/touch, etc. Sometimes the obvious remains hidden until someone turns on a light. Light on! I also must mention that Rory Miller expresses the importance of touch or feeling to fighting, etc. in his book Facing Violence. Mr. Miller also speaks of smell as well which is unusual - how many teaching SD speak of touch and smell?