This is how kata nihon-me would look like in bogu and explanation of how tsuki should be executed.
Practice the tsuki
I apologize that you cannot see what is going on during my explanation. I hope you can tell what I was explaining by watching what my students are doing.
The important points:
In this practice,
- Aim at the throat rather than suigetsu (solar plexus). Reason: the chest protector (mune) is slippery.
- Do not tap.
It is common that people are afraid of executing a tsuki. I understand that. However, if you don’t execute it right, you’ll never learn the correct way. Also motodachi (receivers) will not learn how to receive properly either.
Demonstration of Tsuki
Again apologize that you cannot see what I am doing. I am demonstrating how tsuki should be done. And I am sure that you guys can see how the receiver, motodachi, pushed backwards by my tsuki.
In kata, it is hard to learn how we should execute the tsuki in No.3 because we never actually thrust. And tsuki is something beginners do not learn immediately.
That’s why we should learn how for better kata. In this practice, even beginners can learn how to execute tsuki and how it should feel like.