Saturday, September 30, 2006

Empi-uchi

(elbow strike) can be broken down into four separate techniques: - for striking to the front, to the rear, sideways and upward. Begin the forward strike with the fist palm upward just above the waist; finish with the elbow pointing straight ahead and the fist downward against the chest. The angle between the upper- and forearm should be as sharp as possible. The upward strike begins similarly but finishes with the fist close to - and palm facing - the ear. At the finish of the backward strike the fist is more or less in the starting position for the forward and upward strikes, with the palm upward and the elbow pointing directly to the rear. For the sideward strike start with the attacking arm pointing away from the target across the body and the fist or open hand palm upward; finish with the fist palm downward and against the chest.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Both the downward and sideways forms are very often used to attack from the straddle stance to the side, often following an 'empi' attack (see below).

Tettsui-uchi (bottom-fist strike). This is also in two forms exactly like the preceding one, except that the fist is not flicked over. The bottom or little finger side of the fist has a wider striking surface and is better for striking soft targets (such as the solar-plexus) rather than the back-fist.

Monday, September 25, 2006

Riken-uchi

(back-fist strike). Actually, the striking surface here is the back of the two knuckles used in the straight punches. The elbow is pointed at the target, with the fist palm downward. Then, in the downward strike, the fist describes an arc in the vertical plane; in the sideways strike, in the horizontal plane. In both cases, the little finger side of the fist leads until the very last moment, when the fist is flicked over.

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Oi-zuki

(lunge push). Here the straight punch is used on the side of the advancing leg when stepping forward, usually into the forward or the diagonal straddle stance. It is very useful when closing in on an opponent.

With this technique, the hips should remain more or less square. The fist should reach the target at the precise moment at which the advancing foot is planted on the ground. In order to keep a strong balance, be very careful not to lean forward - any feeling of pushing forward into the attack must come from the centre of gravity.

Friday, September 22, 2006

Gyaku-zuki

(reverse punch). This is simply the adaptation of the straight punch used when the attacking fist is on the same side as the rear leg usually in 'zenkutso-dachi'. It is very commonly used as a counter-attack after having parried with the hand or arm on the side of the forward leg.

When beginning this technique, the hips are at forty-five degrees to the line of attack. Twisting the hips so that at the moment of impact they face the opponent or target squarely (or so that the hip on the attacking side is even a little in advance of the other) contributes enormous power to the technique.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Seiken-choku-zuki

(straight punch). Starting palm upward from a point just above the waist, the attacking fist is thrust straight outwards, twisting as it nears the target so that the palm is downward at the moment of impact. Simultaneously, the other fist is withdrawn sharply to the corresponding starting position, the reaction of this movement adding to the momentum of the attack. As with all the hand techniques, the muscles of arm, back and chest are momentarily tensed at impact, and then relaxed in preparation for the next technique. At no time should the shoulders be hunched.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Hand Techniques

Although a wide variety of striking surfaces is used in karate, the basic weapon is the fist. For our purposes, however, this must be capable of striking surfaces of high resistance with great power and speed without injury to oneself. It is therefore most important that the fist be correctly formed.

Starting with the hand open, curl the little finger over until the tip of the finger meets the base. Curl the other fingers in turn finishing with the index finger. Now bend the fingers together from the roots, so that the back of the fist and the front (the first phalanges of the fingers) form a right angle. Finally, bend the thumb firmly over the second phalanges of the first and second fingers. The striking area of this basic fist (seiken) consists of the knuckles of the first and
second fingers and should be toughened by regular practise with a 'makiwara'. When striking, be sure that the fist is squeezed as tightly as possible and that the wrist is not bent.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

2. You should neither raise your feet very high from the floor nor drag them. You loose both speed and balance in either case.


3. Whether fast or slowly, the weight of your body must always be shifted smoothly.

4. Begin and end every movement in a strong, correctly-spaced stance, and maintain correct posture throughout the movement.

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Body Shifting

In karate, body shifting may be achieved by stepping, sliding, turning, or by any combination of these basic elements. The following general rules apply to all methods of body shifting:

1. Your head should be always more or less at the same height from the floor. Therefore, when moving from one wide-legged stance to another your feet come together and your knees must be well bent. This helps to maintain a strong balance.

Saturday, September 16, 2006

Sanchin-dachi (diagonal straddle stance). A stance equally strong to the sides and to the front - for attacking or defending.

As in the straddle stance, the knees must be tensed outwards. This is, in fact, just the straight straddle stance with one of the legs twisted forward, the front knee over the big toe and the rear knee a little in front of the big toe. The body weight is again carried evenly on both legs.

Neko-ashi-dachi (cat stance). Here the front leg carries hardly any of the body weight and so it can easily be used for kicking. Another great advantage of this stance is that from it you can easily and quickly move into any other stance - whether to the front, back, or to one side.

The back should be absolutely straight. Keep the rear foot flat and raise the heel of the front foot, the knee pointing a little inwards. The rear knee should be well bent.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Kiba-dachi

(straddle/stance). This is a strong stance when attacking or defending to the



As in the two previous stances the feet should be two shoulders' widths apart. The feet themselves should be turned a little inwards, the knees forced outwards, so that the legs are rather like bows under tension. This involves a screwing tendency of the feet into the floor which is essential for the stability of the stance. It is equally important that the knees should be bent deeply, thus keeping the centre of gravity low. The weight of the body is carried evenly on both legs, all the muscles of which (along with those of the pelvis) should be tightened.

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Kokutsu-dachi (back stance). A very useful characteristic of this stance is that, after having used it in stepping back and blocking or avoiding an attack, a mere shift of body weight into the forward stance enables you to close with the opponent and counter-attack immediately. Also, as most of the body weight is taken on the back foot, the front foot is free for kicking.

Again, the legs are about two shoulders' widths apart. A line extended to the rear from the front foot should touch the heel of the back foot, and this later should be at a right angle with the line. The rear leg takes seventy per cent of the body weight, and should be deeply bent and forced outwards. The front leg should not be quite straight, otherwise a stamping kick to the knee would easily break it.

Saturday, September 09, 2006

Hachiji-dachi (open leg stance). As for the above but with the feet about a shoulders' width apart. This and the preceding stance are simply natural stances from which you can move with maximum smoothness into stances appropriate to actual karate techniques.

Zenkutsu-dachi (forward stance). This stance is very strong toward the front and is useful both in attacking to the front and in blocking attacks coming from the front.

Step with one foot about two shoulders' widths forward and about thirty degrees diagonally to the side. Keep the back leg straight. Bend the front leg, forcing the knee outward directly over the big toe. Both feet should be flat, the front foot pointing slightly inward. In this stance the front leg takes sixty per cent of the body weight.

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Stances

As much as the posture, the stance is an integral part of any technique you perform. Therefore, a strong technique from a weak stance is a contradiction in terms. The different stances used are the outcome of two considerations - one for strength, the other for agility. The actual ratio of these factors varies with different stances.

Heisoku-dachi (attention stance). Just stand naturally with the feet together and the weight evenly balanced on both feet. The knees should be not quite straight.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Postures

Basically there are three postures widely used in karate. The front-facing posture is mainly used in attack and the shoulders are at ninety degrees to the line of attack. The half-front-facing posture is mainly used in defence and the shoulders are at forty-five degrees to the opponent's line of attack. The side-facing posture, in which the shoulders are in line with or parallel with the line of attack, is used both in attack and defence.

With all three postures the upper half of the body will normally be straight and perpendicular to the ground, otherwise the balance will be endangered and the correct performance of most techniques difficult if not impossible. Naturally, the rare occasion does arise which calls for a non-perpendicular posture.

Monday, September 04, 2006

A good idea is to start with the neck, rotating the head first in one direction, then the other; bending the head sideways, then forward and back; finally twisting it from side to side. Work systematically down through the body, rotating the arms to loosen the shoulders; bending sideways, forward and backward; twisting the trunk; rotating the hips; stretching and spreading the legs; rotating the knees and ankles; and, finally, shaking the limbs loosely in order to relax muscles and joints. Deep breathing may be added at the end of a session.

Strength exercises may also be included in the routine, but on the whole may be regarded as 'extra-mural'. Every student should know for himself which particular sets of muscles require most work in his own individual case.

Saturday, September 02, 2006

Callisthenics

Every training session should begin and end with a callisthenics routine. At the beginning of a session it should immediately follow the preparatory meditation. This tones up the muscles, making them easier to control and co-ordinate, and also loosens the joints. At the end of a session it immediately precedes the closing meditation, and helps to prevent stiffness.