As for the high chinese kicks – I’d agree. A high kick for me is to the stomach – most people think of it as a face kick. I think one of the reasons the chinese have these kicks and the japanese (Shotokan) do not is the average height of the people. It is just far more practical to kick them in the knee when they are taller.

I defintely did not take your comments negatively, and you are right – there are many different variations to that kick, as are there many variations to every move. If I were to punch your cheek, my hand would move slightly differently than if I punch your chest. It is subtle, but different. With practice (against an opponent) we begin to notice which variant works better in different situations.

I think people should practice as much as possible with real opponents and naturally connect the dots – rather than me writing a book on which variants to use when. One, because that would be a boring book. Two, because you learn Karate best by doing. That muscle memory is key to a successful fight.