Kihon-kumite

(basic sparring). In this kind of sparring, the attack and the target are both predetermined, the participants facing each other from a fixed distance and taking turns to attack and defend. Commonly, beginners will practise both one-step and five-step basic sparring. To begin either kind, the attacker steps back into zenkutsu-dachi (gedan-barai) while the defender waits in hachiji-dachi. In five-step sparring, the attacker announces whether the attacks are to be to the face (jodan) or stomach (chudan) and then takes five steps forward, attacking with each step. His partner takes five steps backward, parrying each attack and countering with a 'kiai' after the fifth and final attack. One-step sparring is similar, but only one attack is made which is