High Risk Kicks

In Isshinryu karate, the kata (form) Wansu features a pair of blade kicks delivered to the low section. A blade kick is a side kick with the foot turned inwards to strike with the edge. In Wansu this kick is performed left and right as kata techniques (waza) tend to work both sides. The above image depicts how this would crystalize in actual combat, in this case by targeting the hamstring. It's important to strike with the edge of the outer foot closer to the heel; making contact closer to the little toe could torque the foot, setting you up for torn ligaments. This happened to me when I was twenty, and I had my foot and part of my leg in a cast for about six weeks.

Mid-section kicks are generally effective and practical. Low kicks (or any strikes below the waist) are prohibited in most styles of sportive karate and tae kwon do. The problem with high kicks is that they can be countered relatively easier than lower kicks. Still, high section kicks have their place for the athletically inclined, and they have even found their way in MMA matches. Crescent kicks (see above) was something I used in dojo matches that I could score with, in principle, by clearing the head of my opponent. A variant of the crescent kick, the axe kick, requires extreme flexibility (kicking leg extends straight up, then whips straight down, leg remaining straight) but overshooting your heel or foot can impinge the Achilles tendon. Speaking from experience, tendons and ligaments take a long time to heal, as connective tissues involving bone and muscle have limited reserves of blood flow.   

 

When I attended a judo workshop years ago the instructor would say "make your opponent a one-legged fighter"; this is the concept of kuzushi (unbalance). Raising your leg high to launch a kick compromises equilibrium, but also leaves one vulnerable to an awful counter targeting a precious commodity. Before he became a full-contact karate fighter, Bill 'Superfoot' Wallace lost one of his testicles in a point match. I have no idea if it was a counter to one of his warp speed forward-leg kicks or something else. At a tournament I witnessed a guy from my school break his opponents plastic groin protector with a spinning back kick, the strongest kick in martial arts. Thai steel cups might be a good investment for those who are wary. Some lessons shouldn't have to be learned the hard way.

The Harder They Fall

We used to do push-ups on our knuckles in karate class, a practice of which I do not have fond memories of. It didn't matter where I trained, the knuckle push-up was a time-honored staple. I think from a physiological perspective aligning one's wrist vertically (as opposed to hands flat on the floor) is better for the sake of the wrist joint. I've done my fair share of push-ups, I've had no aversion to hard training in the past, but pressing knuckles into a hardwood floor can be trying. The idea is that it conditions the fist for sparring, but I'm skeptical. Routines that include focus mitts and the heavy bag are more practical and sensible. 

 

A traditional karate dojo has a hardwood floor. Isshinryu's founder, Shimabuku, had an outdoor training area that was surrounded by a brick wall that supposedly had shards of glass glued to the tops to dissuade the local Okinawan youth from climbing atop to peer in. Photos from that time reveal what looks like a concrete floor. Years later, Angi Uezu built a dojo with a concrete slab that had springs underneath, presumably to absorb shocks from jumping and landing. Great for the spine, I guess. Not so much if you land on your head.

In combat sports such as karate, tae kwon do and amateur boxing (some organizations), head gear is mandatory. The head gear is primarily designed to protect the user, not from getting hit in the face, but from falling. I've seen boxing matches where professionals (who don't wear head gear) get knocked out on their feet, then fare worse from landing  on their heads. I cracked a wisdom tooth at a tournament years ago when I was dropped with a side kick onto the hard gym floor of a local high school. This despite wearing head gear and a mouth piece, the latter of which is designed to keep the jaw from breaking, while no consideration is shown for the dentition.

There is a circuit of underground fight clubs such as King Of The Streets where combatants fight on a hard surface, no-holds-barred. Illegal and absolutely insane. Street fights can turn fatal when someone falls and hits their head on the pavement. 

 

Head trauma from years of boxing, kickboxing, MMA, and other sports have shown that dementia, Parkinson's Disease, and other neurological disorders associated with CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) can manifest themselves, typically long after retirement.  

Whatever style you practice, do it on mats if you can. When sparring, move your head and protect yourself at all times. Loving your art shouldn't mean you have to pay for it later.

Old School Karate Point-Fighting

Traditional karate bouts are scored with points. After a strike such as a punch or kick is scored, a point is awarded, whereupon the fighting is stopped by the referee. The combatants return to their marks, square off, and — hajime! — the action resumes. So, it's a stop-and-go-affair, it lacks flow, say like a boxing match, or most combative fighting sports that have more-or-less continuous action. The idea of the point-match in karate is that all strikes are considered the equivalent of atemi — lethal strikes. I go into more depth about point-fighting in this post.

In a karate match, every strike delivered should be with the intent to annihilate your opponent, especially if you regard your techniques as "lethal." But karate point matches get some flack for looking like a game of tag, with players maintaining a bizarre fighting range so as to not get scored on. Long range strikes and tactics are favored as there is virtually no in-fighting. The emphasis on distance management, and de-emphasis on launching an attack lacks combative realism. Obviously, training this way is counterproductive for preparing you for the real thing.

A few years ago I posted an article about point-fighters who were reluctant to commit to executing anything for fear of getting countered and losing. It can make for a spectacle. A kenpo practitioner emailed me recently about that post, and asked me if I knew of any famous karate competitors that didn't engage in what he called larping.*

Check out this sample of a bout between Jim Harrison and Fred Wren from 1968:

Supposedly both guys were taken to the hospital after this match.^† Obviously, neither guy had any reservations about going all out. Harrison and Wren were legends in their day, and both guys should've been carried out on their shields. It's worth noting that this fight, far from the train wreck it may appear to be, is a technical montage of sweeps, take-downs and brutal hand and foot combinations — all without any discernible protective gear. Bear in mind that this match happened 50 years ago; sport karate has come a long way since. But along the way, maybe the old school spirit of things have been lost. It all depends what you're training for. Remember, how you train is how it happens.


* Larp; acronym for "live action role-playing." Think American Civil War or medieval knight reenactments with costumes to duplicate historic events for appreciation of an era and/or culture. Enough said.
^† I realize there are a plethora of brutal matches to be found online, and that certain styles, such as Kyokushin karate, emphasize heavy knockdown fighting, sans head shots. The Harrison-Wren bout just really stood out for me because of its unique intensity, and its place in American karate history. For anyone interested in the source video here it is.

Olympic Karate and The Okinawan Karate Kaikan

Earlier this year, a multi-purpose training hall and exhibition center — The Okinawan Karate Kaikan — opened in Tomigusuku City, Okinawa. A multi-purpose venue, it's a training facility for karateka that includes a museum, classrooms for teaching seminars, a general dojo and a "Special Dojo" featuring red tiled ceilings and traditional adornments used exclusively for testing high ranking black belt candidates. The creation of The Okinawan Karate Kaikan coincides nicely with even bigger news: For the first time, Karate will be an event for the Summer Games in the 2020 Olympics to be held in Tokyo.* This is both timely and appropriate, as the art of Judo made its Olympic debut in the same city in 1964.

In advance of the upcoming Olympics to be held on the mainland, Okinawan businesses are anticipating an economic ripple event from the expected rise in tourism. There are a number of attractions on the island to attract martial arts enthusiasts from abroad, including some 400 karate schools. For nightlife, there's even a Dojo Bar in Naha City that features old style karate memorabilia and decor. As an enticement to come to the island, The Dojo Bar, in collaboration with KARATEbyJesse, is running a Okinawan Karate Nerd Programme that's a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for two young Karate Nerds between the ages of 18-35 to fly to Okinawa and live there for 6-12 months and experience the Way of Karate at its source."

As for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, there's no doubt there are purists who will deride the idea of karate in the Games. Indeed, when Gichin Funakoshi introduced Okinawan karate to the Japanese mainland in 1922, he was diametrically opposed to the idea of karate tournaments; in his view, competition was antithetical to the true spirit of karate. Compare this notion to that of the founder of Judo, Jigaro Kano, who set out to promote his martial art specifically with the Olympics in mind. In Kano's vision, the Olympics would be the perfect vehicle to spread judo to the world. For him, judo-the-sport and judo-the-martial way were both compatible and complimentary to each other.

So far Olympic Karate will feature two events for individual competition: Kumite (fighting) and Kata (forms). Scoring will be based on World Karate Federation (WKF) rules. Therefore, for senior men and women (over 21) there will be five weight classes each. Kata will be the empty-handed variety, no weapons. Although this is sport, the WKF is still intent to preserve the tradition in karate. Nothing gaudy like camouflage belts; the gi (uniform) must be white. Vital area shots are prohibited, as are low kicks and strikes delivered with excessive contact. So much for tradition.^† Strikes to the head, face, and neck are allowed but must be delivered like a "touch" (or as one instructor I had wryly put it, 'touch one side of the face to the other'). Hand guards, mouth-pieces, shin and foot protectors are mandatory, but curiously, groin protectors are optional.

Through the years sport karate has had to endure its share of problems and politics. I'm not certain karate can avoid the scandals and controversies that have been pervasive in Olympic competition for so long. Perhaps Funakoshi was right.


* This was actually announced last year.
^† That's a joke. Heavy sparring usually provides a good metrics for handling pressure, among other things. An astute ref can determine when "excessive contact" can be regarded as what Mike Tyson used to call "bad intentions." Not very sportive.

Bad Schools

I received an email yesterday that's a doozy. Here's part of it:

My school's the f*&%ing sh!+. We don't play tag like a bunch of (expletive) when we fight. We're (popular style) and everyone knows our rep. If you want respect here you have to pay for it in blood.

The above is actually in response to an article I wrote in 2007 about sparring injuries. This person went on to rant about how protective gear was ruining the arts and, frankly, the rest of what he wrote was so incoherent I'm not even going to bother reproducing it here. However, what he did say about his style in particular is true: It's known for its emphasis on heavy, knockdown fighting.

I like keeping the training experience "real" as long as things don't get out of control. On the other hand we all know about McDojos that have 8-year-old black belts, binding contracts, and sparring sessions that resemble pillow fights. Still, other schools are so "traditional" they don't even spar! Yet another "sensei" from my area has to close and reopen his school periodically due to some very bad press because, well, he's a cult leader.

This is why when people ask me to critique styles, I'll decline. A style is not a living and breathing thing; it's a theoretical construct. I always advise those really interested in studying the martial arts to go visit schools in progress and observe the behavior of the instructor and students. Many schools do indeed have some kind of a "rep" — for good or bad. And you don't need to be an expert in anything to tell the difference.

Faking To Win

In those days, when Japanese stylists threw a kick they never faked or feinted — the kick went straight to the target. They were not accustomed to someone faking a kick to one area and landing it elsewhere.

— Chuck Norris on sport-karate strategy, c. 1967.*

In Wansu kata, the fourth karate form taught in Isshinryu, at some point the defender executes an uppercut immediately followed by a front kick. I have been told that Shimabuku referred to this maneuver as "bullshit", i.e., the uppercut is just a fake setup for the real damage inflictor, in this case the front kick. A very similar strategy can be found in the Kusanku kata: backfist to the face while simultaneously executing a foward-leg front kick. Check out the image below of Ed McGrath attempting this very trick for his black belt test against his instructor Don Nagle in 1959:

McGrath paid for his efforts with a broken nose, but he did earn his shodan in Isshinryu. In MMA there's something called a "Superman Punch" that involves the player faking a jump kick followed by an airborne punch to the face. Although less "fake-ish", another variation of this has the attacker catapulting off the side of the cage to deliver the flying haymaker:

In karate, a faked front kick (or foot sweep) followed by a round kick to the head works well, speaking from experience. Fakes or feints should be used sparingly and look realistic enough to elicit a response; once the opponent has committed to reacting to the faux move, the live technique can then be delivered. To sell the fake technique requires speed, timing, range/distance (ma-ai), and being able to read the opponent.

* Chuck Norris 1989. The Secret of Inner Strength: My Story. Charter Books.

The Reluctant Point-Fighter

The attitude of destroying the enemy with one cut is based on the attitude of "going in" to the attack. If not, your spirit is lacking and your resolve is less than complete. You must always close in on the enemy regardless of the indications of the enemy's strength.

— Miyamoto Musashi

In karate and tae kwon do sparring, scoring is kept by counting hand and foot strikes that make contact as points. The point system came about from the idea that atemi (vital strikes) are indeed lethal. Obviously real atemi are prohibited in sportive matches, and as such point-matches morph into a game of glorified tag. What happens is that players tend to fight from exaggerated fighting ranges (ma-ai) with hands held low (especially in TKD), and at times not fully committing to techniques, especially kicks. Combatants are trying to score, but are especially leery of getting countered or "tagged." For these reasons, a point-match is nothing like a realistic fight.

This is clearly a problem if you fancy your art as a viable means of self-defense. In sportive arts like boxing, wrestling and judo, players are fully committed to hitting, getting hit, throwing and getting taken down, even in practice drills. Realize that how you train on the mat is how it happens in real life.

Somebody once told me that the difference between black belts and those at the lower echelon was really a degree of self-interest. "Black belts don't care," he said. What he meant was the BBs aren't concerned with the outcome of committing to a combination of techniques against the opponent. They're more centered in the here-and-now. That means visualizing the attack and following through without being hindered with the mental baggage of a counter. Still, judges don't want to see matches that look like a train wreck or game of chicken.

The bane of the point-match isn't whether or not a technique is so devastating that it can maim or kill, but the aversion to being hit in return. That doesn't mean to disregard defensive techniques completely during a match. Just don't be so mindful of your opponent's strategy that it impinges your game plan. The Japanese concept of kobo-ichi is just another way of saying the old adage "the best defense is a good offense."

This Is A Traditional Dojo

Saturday I visited a karate school in Queens, NY where a longtime friend of mine now trains. As a visiting student from a different style I respectfully took my place in the back row where we all lined up at the beginning of class to bow in. Later I showed them my versions of Seisan and Kusanku kata that are common to our styles and then worked the corresponding bunkai from their system. I didn't go there to spar, but when I asked one of the seniors about sparring practice (kumite) I was taken aback by this exchange:

ME: How often do you guys spar?

STUDENT: This is a traditional dojo. We practice budo (martial ways) not sports.

ME: No kumite -- ever? The pre-set drills are nice, but wouldn't exploring some spontaneity be a good idea to see if what you're doing even works.

STUDENT (raising his voice): Kumite is not self-defense. Our system's self defense techniques are mined from the kata. Can't use them in sparring anyway, too dangerous. We don't do contests or hand out prizes or play games. We're totally traditional. That's our way.

By now I had everyone's attention. (This was a rank class for adults.) I was getting glaring looks from some of the older BBs and I was getting the impression I was wearing out my welcome. I really thought my question about kumite was rather benign. I agree that sparring or even heavy fighting is not "self defense". I admit that there are aspects of karate that are somewhat exclusive to one another. Freestyle fighting and self defense practice are one of those dichotomies.

Sparring has its uses -- and limitations. The same with kata. Kata and knowledge of their self defense applications will not teach one to "expect the unexpected." I believe that if your school doesn't employ some form of sparring you'll never get that feeling of adrenaline surge or butterflies or the uncertainty of working outside of your comfort zone. That's part of the martial way.

Aaron Banks: Martial Arts' Ultimate Promoter

This past May, Aaron Banks, the prolific martial arts promoter of tournaments and exhibitions, passed away. It was sometime during the first week of May; the exact date of his passing is unknown as he died of an apparent heart attack alone in his New York apartment at the age of 85. Banks began his training in traditional karate in 1958, enduring numerous sparring matches with no protective gear on blood splattered decks on his journey to black belt. By the sixties he began promoting karate tournaments in Manhattan, first at the Felt Forum and then at the much larger Madison Square Garden, showcasing the talents of Chuck Norris and Joe Lewis, among others.

In the seventies his event, now officially dubbed The Oriental World of Self-Defense began to include interdisciplinary matches pitting practitioners of kung fu against karate, judoka against wrestlers, and boxers versus kickboxers. There were other attractions that could be considered carnivalesque in nature, but not in Banks' view:

"May we have absolute quiet, please," he says, "for this master who is going to take his sword and slice a cucumber resting against his student's throat!" Banks has been accused by his critics of putting on a circus, but he replies, "Anything that demonstrates that kind of control, with or without a weapon, is martial arts. When William Chen lies on the stage and shows the strength of his body by allowing himself to be run over by a motorcycle, that is martial arts. When Joseph Greenstein, a 92-year-old vegetarian known as the Mighty Atom, drives spikes through steel with his bare hands and bursts a chain with the strength of his chest, that is martial arts."

In a 1979 interview Banks claimed that Bruce Lee had taught him the basics to dim mak or the "death touch", even claiming that Lee himself succumbed to the ancient Chinese technique. In reality, Lee scoffed at martial arts hocus pocus and even doubted the existence of chi, the vital energy allegedly required to perform the dreaded dim mak.

Ironically, Banks loathed the advent of the UFC in the nineties, claiming that mixed martial arts were not really about true martial arts but more to do with making money. I wholeheartedly agree that the "art" aspect is lost in MMA. But then so is having a ninja catch a flaming arrow with his teeth in front of 20,000 gasping ticket holders.

Karate Characters

The ultimate aim of the art of karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the characters of its participants. - Gichin Funakoshi

I've previously posted about the pitfalls of competing. Some of the antics of participants through the years have been deplorable. In 2008 Cuban competitor Angel Matos kicked a referee in the head after he was disqualified in an Olympic tae kwon do bout. In a separate incident, Isao Nakamura Fushiki actually attacked a contestant in a karate match in which he was the referee.

This past weekend I watched a karate tournament that left me shaking my head in disgust. While the judging was fair and competent from my view, a few of the competitors (kumite, men's BB division) were arguing with referees on certain calls in a manner that I felt was quite disrespectful. [One liability of point-matches is the seemingly arbitrary nature of scoring points or ippon in a stop-and-go fashion, something that doesn't exist in continuous sparring events that allows full contact and KO's, a la Kyokushin or the K-1, but I digress.] Generally I'm in favor of sportive karate, but not when the players engage in disgraceful behavior. What's particularly bad is how this leaves such a negative impression on anyone who has to witness this kind of thing, especially novice and young practitioners.

Fortunately, nothing I saw came remotely close to this. Brace yourself:

Sorry Charlie

"Charlie, lighten up when you spar."

"I'm trying sir."

A young adult student, Charlie, has recently developed a bad attitude when it comes to kumite. I'm not sure where this comes from—he certainly didn't learn it here. When he goes up against more advanced students he's wisely conservative, even diffident. Good manners and control go out the window, though, when Charlie is paired up with someone who more closely approximates his skill level. I've confronted Charlie about this and warned him that this behavior would not be tolerated. I explained to him why we bow (rei) in the dojo.

Some basic rules for sparring:

• Controlled techniques; no brawling or reliance on brute strength. Stay out of the face and keep kicks above the waist.
• Sweeps, grabs, and the occasional take-down are permitted, but no ground stuff. This is karate, not BJJ.
• Respect your sparring partner. Do not deliberately intend to hurt her/him. Foul play, especially if I detect bad intentions, will get you the heave-ho.

Yesterday, Charlie kicked his opponent south of the border and followed up with a wild haymaker to the head. (Note: groin protectors are recommended when you spar.)

Yesterday was Charlie's last day at our school. He was advised not to return.

Black Belts and Red Flags

Today I was invited to observe a black "sash" test given at a local kung fu school. It was the fighting part of the test; I missed the forms and self defense portions, though if they were anything like what I witnessed this afternoon I didn't miss much. This event was, quite frankly, painful to watch. The testee was a young man in his twenties who tells me he has about five years of training in this style. He was in shape and had a decent arsenal of techniques, but after his tenth match or so he started running out of gas and subsequently took some pretty bad hits. I have mixed feelings about these rank "tests", usually for first dan or its equivalent, that amount to little more than glorified hazing. This place also had an aura of posturing and bad intentions that was palpable. I suppose the people that promote this sort of thing feels it gives their club credibility or a tough rep.

Martial arts training should push one outside their comfort zone in order to improve realistic skills and mature as a practitioner. C.G. Jung said that any kind of real development obeys only "brute necessity." In other words if you're cruising through your training or not playing realistically enough you're probably not making any great strides. Then there's the fanatical approach. In Kyokushin karate, the "100 Man Kumite" is considered the ultimate test of endurance in sparring. The concept of squaring off against a hundred consecutive opponents was devised by the style's founder, Mas Oyama. Oyama's training regimen also included punching trees to a pulp, using shuto to chop the tops off beer bottles and meditating in the wilderness for months on end.

Some instructors get hung up on fostering "indomitable spirit" and I think this is what leads to these marathon sparring sessions and other bizarre methods of training, like standing in shiko dachi (horse stance) while throwing air punches for half an hour. Shugyo (intense training) was originally devised to be undertaken as a solo practice for introspection and transcendence, not group agony. Preventive measures, awareness of your surroundings, and the ability to respond rather than react (mu-shin or no-mind) have far more utility than being able to complete a martial arts version of an Ironman competition.

I've heard of strange requirements expected of students for rank advancement. One school I know will take you down to the beach for a three-mile run as a preliminary to first degree black belt. Another will assign a book to read, typically a classic treatise like The Art of War, and expect a written report on it. In the Togakure-ryu, the test for fifth dan - and this is the whole test - involves the aspirant to kneel in seiza with eyes closed, and, using only intuitive resources (kan ken futatsu no koto*) avoid a strike to the head from a bamboo shinai delivered by the master standing directly behind.^†

I'm all in favor of trainees developing a high level of fitness, reading skills, and even intuition, but these concepts should fall outside the purview of a martial arts club. Best to tackle these things on your own watch.


* From Japanese bujutsu, lit. "mind and eyes both see."
^† Glenn J. Morris, Ph.D. 1993. Path Notes of an American Ninja Master. North Atlantic Books.

Getting Wasted

Isshinryu karate founder Shimabuku used to say "All bottles are good." This is supposedly a reference to different styles or techniques found in the martial arts. Students tend to embellish and over-interpret everything the master says. Who knows, maybe he was just talking about various types of booze.

Speaking of alcohol, I've always been curious about Zui quan - the Drunken style. The story is that some kung fu guy gets hammered one night and spontaneously creates a new style via inebriation.

Here's a clip featuring a Drunken practitioner (in black) going up against somebody from Kyokushin karate. Kyokushin is a rough and tumble full-contact style. Zui quan attempts to use a convoluted, desynchronized approach to fighting.



Now you could argue that the Drunken guy is a poor exponent, that perhaps Zui quan relies more on its forms or that it has other aims besides combat effectiveness. But this Drunken fighter basically has no game plan that allows him to score anything at all or even ward off the efforts of the Kyokushin man. All bottles are good, but they're clearly not the same.

Karate Point Fighting

In traditional karate bouts a point system is used to determine the winner. There are numerous ways for scoring point-matches in karate. A point (ippon) is called when the referee sees what s/he feels is a scored technique, i.e., one that makes solid contact delivered with good form and balance within the boundaries of the fighting perimeter (ring). Once the point is called the action is stopped (yame!), to which the ref quickly confers with the seated ring judges for full approval. Sometimes half-points are awarded, or none at all because the technique lacks conviction. The action is then resumed. Point values can vary, depending on the technique, e.g., kicks to the head outscore punches to the body.

Compared to MMA, Muay Thai and K-1 bouts, traditional karate matches seem rather tame. Because of the way points are awarded the dispositions of the fighters are to 'stay back', sometimes producing an unrealistic sense of ma'ai (range). As such, infighting and clinches are rarely seen in karate matches. Still, I've seen some serious damage done at these "traditional" events. Knockouts, knocked out teeth and broken bones do happen. I can still remember having to sign waivers that excluded the promoters and owners of the venue from any kind of liability that could result from mishaps, including death. Players are exhorted to punch or kick full-bore to the body, however, head shots must be delivered with "control" or a disqualification is in order. A disqualification can also be rendered if it's determined that a competitor is being unsportsmanlike in some way. Deliberately trying to hurt your opponent - or in the words of Mike Tyson, fighting with "bad intentions" - will get you thrown out of the ring.

The point system probably comes from the old idea that karate strikes are lethal. The whole notion of karate's one-strike-one-kill was the basis of one local promoter's idea to have a one-point match tournament! Could you picture people plunking down a $40 entry fee only to be counted out with a single shot? Imagine the arguments with (and among) judges that would ensue. Fortunately this idea never took flight, at least in my neck of the woods.

Most spectators would probably agree that a continuous sparring match would be more entertaining to watch, which was obviously what gave rise to full-contact karate or American-style kickboxing back in the early 70s. Many point-match karate competitors eventually went the route of kickboxing, such as Bill Wallace and Joe Lewis. In kickboxing (like regular boxing) the goal is to knockout your opponent, not win by points, even though that's what happens by default if the bout goes the distance.

Point fighting may seem like a glorified form of tag for some, but for most karate practitioners it's the best system there is to safely test one's abilities for sport.

Cold Case of Brutality

In my last post I discussed how easily lawsuits could be levied against reputable school owners, given certain conditions. Occasionally, however, legal action is warranted. Not everyone can or should run a martial arts club, but apparently that doesn't stop them.

The following is a clip that first appeared on the internet about a year ago, but it's actually footage taken from a Virginia karate school in 1984. The story is that a local man had become somewhat of a minor nuisance at the shopping mall where this school was located and eventually showed up at this dojo claiming that he had been sent by Jesus, or words to that effect. This doesn't end well, as the man - who is obviously deranged - is viciously beaten by one of the school's black belts.

Incredibly, to date neither the student who administered the beating nor the instructor (Billy Joe Blythe) have ever been charged. The identity of the victim and whatever became of him remains unknown. The tape, which supposedly was originally uploaded by Blythe himself, appears to be authentic. Very sad.

DISCLAIMER: explicitly violent after 4 minutes

Take A Stance

For all the stances karate students are required to learn - and there are many - most trainees adopt only one or two for sparring. A real popular one is the side-stance (kiba-dachi) that positions you perpendicular to your opponent. This is favorable as it takes the body out of the direction of most strikes. The problem with this stance is that launching anything with the rear leg or reverse hand is compromised. The most common one I've seen (and use myself) is seisan-dachi 'to-the-oblique' or simply a general fighting stance. This is akin to what boxers use. One instructor I had used to teach an interesting way to get into one's natural fighting stance: jump in the air, turn the body slightly, and land with the corresponding foot forward. If that sounds a bit convoluted, just try standing feet shoulder width apart, and turn your body at about a 45 degree angle with one foot leading. Hold your hands at chin level with forearms vertical and bend your knees slightly, and you have a good fighting posture (kamae).

Some schools emphasize long, wide stances with chambered punches held at bay. Good for developing form and stamina and such, but for sparring these are not practical techniques to use. Shiko-dachi (wide parallel stance) works well in certain self-defense scenarios, but would be useless in a point-match. Koza-dachi (see photo) like some other "odd" stances are actually transitory maneuvers in a broader fighting scheme. According to Seiyu Oyata of Okinawan te lineage, the koza stance could actually be utilized as a leg trap for the opponent. This exemplifies how some of karate's applications have been lost or misunderstood through the years, especially when comparing close-quarter self defense moves against the longer range techniques of sparring.

In sparring you want to be grounded, yet mobile when necessary. A certain amount of movement is essential; not too much or the wrong kind, though. Some fighters like to bounce, and for the life of me I don't know how anyone can get anything off when you're hopping up and down like that. If you like gimmicks, you could always perfect the now-infamous one-legged Crane stance that Daniel-san used to save the day at the end of The Karate Kid. Otherwise, if you have a special stance or kamae that you like or feel that's useful, please share your knowledge.

Making The Kata-Kumite Connection

The kata must always be practiced correctly. Real combat is another matter. - Gichin Funakoshi

Here's a pertinent question raised by Michele over at Just A Thought: What is the relationship between kata (pre-arranged practice forms) and jiyu-kumite (free-style sparring)? To expound on this, does the practice of kata necessarily translate into good fighting skills? Kata translates as form, so then this suggests that karate's form and function can be found in its kata. Kata is like a living textbook of karate's techniques and their precise execution. But principles alone don't win a fight. That is, knowing how to do something and actually doing it are not the same. Kata is a dry run; kumite is a bit more like actual combat.

I will say that most of the good kata people I've seen through the years are also pretty decent fighters. On the other hand, some of the other good fighters' renditions of kata have been less than inspiring.I've actually seen dan level promotions given to people based almost solely on their fighting prowess. With that said, should a black belt rank be given to a trainee who has mastered kata, comprehends the mechanics of kata, but can't really fight?

Tatsuo Shimabuku, the founder of Isshinryu karate, offered kumite in his curriculum as an option. He had black belts who never sparred. Should we assume these same individuals were then held to extra high standards in regards to understanding kata and their martial applications?

Broadly speaking, I think certain elements of kata could present themselves in a fight. (Kata as a canon of self-defense techniques falls outside of the sparring/fighting paradigm that I'm referring to.) In naihanchi, for example, the entire form's movements are side-to-side. One explanation for this is that the defender has a wall or the edge of a cliff to the rear. Another interpretation implies the lateral movement (tai sabaki) necessary to keep an assailant off-balance, as retreating in a straight line from your opponent is a cardinal sin in sparring. Interestingly, naihanchi is the only kata seen performed in old photos of Choki Motobu, an early innovator of kumite on Okinawa.

While I strongly agree that the techniques used in kata should be of the same caliber as the ones used in sparring (and vice versa), it should be pointed out that the rehearsed movements of kata do little to prepare anyone for the spontaneity and chaos of a full blown attack.

What do you think?

Wanna Fight?

Most people get into the martial arts simply to learn how to defend themselves. Indeed, self-defense is a common euphemism for traditional martial arts (as opposed to the competitive variety or MMA). Sports such as wrestling or boxing will draw a camp that have natural inclinations to do battle. The peculiarity of the martial arts is that its adherents are taught to walk away from trouble. But we all have met those who actually enjoy a good fight. As an ethnic group, the Irish are likened to having a propensity to fight. Donnybrook, Ireland was the site of a fair held for centuries until it was discontinued in 1855 due to massive brawling. Hence, a donnybrook came to be known as any group-like melee. The Irish-Americans that I know relish their fighting heritage, so I can't be accused of stereotyping. That's not my intention anyway.

Students that enjoy kumite (sparring) tend to progress well with this activity, irrespective of any athletic deficiencies. They like to fight, ergo they experiment and research various methods, perhaps more than the next trainee. Technical ability is great, but it still takes guts (hara) to fight. A fine instructor once told me that fighting was 20 percent technique, 80 percent nerve. For some, getting up nerve is a major problem. For others it's a veritable party.

If fighting really appeals to you, doesn't this make you a potential troublemaker? Isn't this antithetical to the spirit of budo? A bushi is a warrior, which implies that combat has some higher, loftier purpose than just someone who engages in contests. Choki Motobu would routinely field-test his fighting skills in his pursuit of Okinawan karate. Clearly this man liked to fight, but his reputation denied his admission to nearly every dojo on the island. As youths, Ed Parker and Bruce Lee actively sought out street matches to gauge their progress. Certainly, their contributions are undeniable.

In John Stevens' Invincible Warrior there are a series of old photos in the back of the book that depict Morihei Ueshiba performing something called "Smiling Technique Variations". Sure enough, we see the master beaming as he throws one of his poor disciples clear across the room. The author didn't elaborate, but it reminds me of something Winston Churchill once said: "I like a man who grins when he fights."

Cheap Shot

This has got to be one of the most disgraceful moments in sport karate. Keep an eye on the referee, Isao Nakamura Fushiki, 7th dan. If this doesn't make your blood boil, nothing will:

Fighting Gear

My earliest sparring sessions in karate were without the mandatory protective gear you see today. The only requirement was the groin protector; a mouthpiece was optional. By the 80s, foam head gear and hand guards had become compulsory for most schools per insurance purposes.

Probably the biggest argument against the use of protective gear is that it conditions the student to a kind of safety net that isn't always available. And yet despite this added precaution, the potential to get seriously hurt during a match still exists. In truth, the protective gear users may be instilled with a false sense of security and in turn feel that they have carte blanche to commit mayhem on one another. One article refers to this as risk compensation, which basically means we adjust our danger levels in accordance to so-called security measures.

The issue of protective fighting gear presents an interesting dichotomy. On one hand we have the time-honored body hardening techniques that are purported to forge our bodies into steel. I have my doubts, but you'd be hard pressed to find a Thai boxer who's heard of shin guards. Traditional karateka pound the makiwara (striking post) bare knuckled, yet Western boxers wrap their hands with gauze before lacing up a pair of 12 oz. gloves.

On Okinawa, karate fighters occassionally wear bogu, which is the protective armor used in kendo (sword-art). Bogu includes a chest protector and a full-face shield. Again, the idea is that players can go full tilt in matches without killing one another, try as they may.

Obviously, padded protection is an absolute must for children involved in any sportive striking-style martial art. Dojo Rat just wrote a piece on a Missouri school that teaches MMA to kids as young as six. Hopefully, safety will be stressed when showing these little tykes submission moves.

The next time you train, try sparring without your fighting gear. It will feel strange and uncomfortable, and you'll probably feel reticent about loading up on shots. At the very least, it'll provide you with an interesting reality check.