Empi/Tekki Self Defense 

As I will mention in the next video, one of the great losses in modern/public versions of karate is the acceptance of targets as 'head' and 'body', while not understanding the effectiveness of other targets. Here is an example of a specific target on the leg ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FKmJlfssFGU.html

@@DaveInMinnesota The assumption here is that your attacker is not only going to just stand there while you deploy a 3 move sequence, but also that your techniques have all been successful from the start. I.e. that you have actually grabbed them, that the maii will be maintained, that there is no further movement from either party, that they haven't utilized your downward pressure on their arm to unbalance your own posture by pulling downwards or backwards and /or pivoting to the left, or right and pushing into your grab in order to release it by pivoting on the right foot while deploying the elbow of the grabbed hand towards your own head or ribs. Against a strong and determined attacker I'm sceptical that its a reasonable offense to strike a leg/inner thigh pressure point, while assuming the attacker is not going to trade that opening on your right hand side for a left cross, left hook, left elbow, ear slap, strike to your throat all of which are likely to pivot their left leg and close off your target. A headbut is also a possibility. Perhaps this technique might work, but generally keeping ones own head covered, while taking the shortest and most effective line to a superior target is a better gambit. Would love to see this sequence tested under pressure.

@@DaveInMinnesota The groin is a more valid target for your gedan barai. Especially for a smaller defender vs a Male attacker. The concern I have is that a bunkai should have the capacity to either end the fight, or to drive the next sequence of attacks in the defender's favour, like a game of chess, where defending against the technique places the attacker into a continually worse and more compromised position, and failure to defend is catastrophic.

@@DaveInMinnesota And please dont get me wrong here, as you have pointed towards, I agree that there is much that has been lost in the modern teachings of many styles, which I believe are very effective when deployed effectively. I feel many have not bothered to accept that they do not know what many kata are about, and challenge themselves to explore the possibilities with a very critical mind. I believe the masters of old built many of the answers directly into the kata, but that without proper grasp of the intent and basic concepts of a style, these cues and clues are easily missed. I think it's important to seek the simplest, most effective, and most ruthless applications for a movement (which may be several, not just one) in order to truly find what a practitioner should be seeking. If self-defence is a life-protective endeavor, then the determined opponent must not be given a chance to succeed.

Another way to look at that gedan barai would be to clear the opponents arm you have just struck, in order to further open their side to attack, whether you go to the head or body. That adds practicality to the technique in a dependable fashion. It could also further attack the elbow on the grabbed arm.