Question dear sensei, i am 32 years old and very interested in learning okinawian
karate. i feel the need to study a warrior style. however, do to a damaged
nerve in my back, i am unable to perform reverse spinning kicks. all other
motion is fine. forward kicking and such. i can even do a spinning back kick.
but reverse heel kicks and reverse roudhouse kicks are nearly impossible. will
this stop me from being good in karate,and will i not be able to compete ?
getting hit is not a problem. i just can not spin backwards with my back to do
those type of kicks. respectfully, peter
Answer It is very difficult to interpret any of the movements in Okinawan (Go Ju Ryu) Karate or Shotokan (which originated in Okinawa) as a reverse spinning kick. So you can learn the entire system without mastering these types of kick. Ushiro Geri (spinning back kick) is found in the kata, but you say you can perform this. As far as competition goes, only the very best are able to pull off a reverse spinning back kick with any degree of success. Normally any attempt at these techniques in competition leads to losing the fight, so you are at an advantage if you avoid them in competition.
The real issue here is not whether you can learn karate without these kicks - you certainly can. The real issue is about your back. I have seen many keen karate students with healthy backs develop back problems from kicking with poor technique in karate. If you already have a dodgy back, then you are very likely to exacerbate the problem if you try to kick higher than your level of understanding allows. Please remember this: high kicking is accomplished by hip and leg flexibility. However, many try to kick high by curving their back. This very often leads to back injury, and an end to karate training. Answer: know the limits of your back, accept that you MUST only kick low to avoid injuring your back, and over time as your understanding of the techniques increases, you will steadily learn to kick higher without risking your back. This is very important.
Anyhow, high kicks are not much use in competition or self defence. Low kicks are very effective in both circumstances.
