ITF Question: Sine Wave vs. Hip Twist

[rjrkihap]

I just watched a video clip where General Choi was teaching a seminar (I believe it was in 2001). Anyway the student (blackbelt) was performing Do San and the General was behind him correcting his movements. What I didn't quite understand is that with the Sine Wave you eliminate twisting your hip. The example the General was using occurred after the 45degree Front Kick which leads into a Double Punch. The student wanted to twist his hip as he punched (as I was taught thereby increasing power) but the General stopped him saying not to twist your hip and use the Sine Wave.

I don't want to make any assumptions since we (our TKD School) practices the Chang Han Hyungs but without the Sine Wave (and we twist our hip), but I'm a bit confused on how the Sine Wave is suppose to develop power. It even looked like the General was having the student (on the second of the Double Punch) rise up and sink slightly backwards as he did the Sine Wave.

I would love to understand the theory behind the Sine Wave.

Thanks

Ron

Here's the video on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE2wpAjblHw
.45sec - "You never twist your body" 1.27sec - End

[Webmaster]

I don't get the Sine Wave thing as it applies to TKD, but I do know from a Okinawan/Japanese Karate perspective that the young black belt looked like crap. Jeeze, the least he could do is bend is front leg when in a front stance.

Anyway, I'd love to hear from some of the TKD folks on the Sine Wave thing as well. From what I can see from some of the explanations and examples I have found, it would be kinda like bobbing up and down when moving in your stance (something that Okinawan/Japanese Karateka don't do) and then striking on the "down" motion of the bob. Personally I cannot see how that can generate any more power than being in a proper stance and driving off the back leg while twisting the hips, but that's just me.

[Neil Yamamoto]

Chinese martial arts make great use of this, xingyi, bagua, taiji to name the most commonly heard arts. Some Japanese arts touch upon it to small or large degrees of use. Minoru Akuzawa, head of the Aunkai, teaches a methodology related to the topic. Toby Threadgill of the Shindo Yoshin Ryu has material in his art as well that relate.

Look in the aikiweb forum, in the non aikido section for discussions related to this stuff. Mike Sigman, Dan Harden, and Rob John have been quite vocal about this there. Also hit up "rumsoakedfist.com" and "emptyflower.com" for more takes on the topic from different arts.

Of course, none of that will really do you much good to understand how it works. It takes someone who has some actual skills in the stuff and who can teach to get you to feel and hopefully understand how it works. This is one topic where "hands on" really is the only way to get it.

[Eliz]

Thanks for the link, Ron

I was initially taught the hip twist but later taught the flat wave. I still use small hip twists with a low center of gravity. I am neither a proponent of the sine wave nor of the [more hyped up] hip twist.
Why?
Because they are so frequently taught wrong. I have seen students literally just bouncing and twisting from one technique to another. That is just all wrong.

If all instructors taught the sine wave as the General [in your vid], I might feel differently about the sine wave. If I saw more students generating power in their hip twists rather then just ..... doing whatever it is they are doing, I might feel differently about the hip twist. As it stands now, I see students grasping the concept of the flat wave and using it much more effectively.