· Karate basics
o Parts of the body
o Stands
o Positions
o Breathing
o Hand techniques: attacks
o Blocks
o Using legs (Ashi vasa)
o Jumping kicks (Tobi geri)
o Kicks from position on the ground (Ne vasa)
o Trips (Harai vasa)
· Practicing sequences of techniques
o Kihon
o Combinations (Rendeoku vasa)
o Sanbon kumite
o Free combinations
Seiken
This part of the fist is probably the most often used for attacks, so it should be done properly. Consider this - if your punch is strong, it means that you are using your hand, and you also turn your body, to add some power of your back and hips muscles, and you may also step forward, to add the speed of your body moving towards the target. If your wrist is weak, all this power will twist it, instead of going into the target. It is a common trauma.
To close the fist properly, start from the baby finger, then the ring finger, and so on, thumb is the last. The thumb should be on the side of the fist (approx. on top of the middle finger) and NOT on top of the fist, covering the pointing finger. Beginners are often getting traumas when neglecting this rule.
The area used for the punch (the seiken) is circulled on the following picture, it includes the nockles of the pointing and middle fingers.
Note that I am only listing the parts of the body here, later, when we discuss particular techniques, we will talk about additional details, like concentration and relaxation, keeping the wrist aligned with the fist and so on.
Uraken
Same part of the fist as above (the nockles of the pointing and middle fingers) is used in the "ura" punch ("ura" means "back" or "reversed", you will see this term as part of many names in karate techniques).
Shuto
Used both for blocks and attacks.
It is very important to know that the area you are supposed to use is NOT at exact side of the palm, but slightly inside the palm. If you touch your hand at the side of the palm, you will feel the bone that connects your baby finger to the wrist. This bone is not protected by the muscules and can easily be broken if you try to use it. Now move your finger half of an inch inside, towards the center of the palm. There you have a large muscle, that will protect your bones, allowing (practice required) to break objects or to block hands and even feet of your opponent.
Enhon nukite
In this technique we are using tips of the fingers. It is working for "paralyzing" punches, on soft tissues, like muscles. Note that there are sensitive muscules in many "bony" areas, for example, between the ribs and on the neck. Also the technique can be used to attack the face and it is very dangerous if used on the eyes area (and usually rules forbid that).
As with seiken, the thumb must be pressing against the center of the palm, and NOT top of it (not parallel to the other fingers). Otherwise it can easily be damaged.
Ipon nukite
The use of this technique is the same as above. The technique is efficient for the precise attacks against the "vulnerable points". It should be noted, that as Kyokushin students are developing very strong muscles, their "vulnurable points" are less "vulnerable", at least, most of these points. So you will not see this techniqie very often on the competitions.
Nihon nukite
Pointing and middle fingers are used together. For this technique it is especially important to make the hand "solid", at least at the moment of the contact. I will talk about concentration and relaxation later, in the corresponding chapter.
Hiraken
You can use second nockles or you can use the part of the palm (circuled) to deliver a strike. The first form can be used both on soft tissues, and (not that often) on ribs. The second form is used for blocks and to deliver powerfull "shocking" or "breaking" punches.
Haishu
The back of the hand is used both for blocks and attacks (think of circular punch in the side of the head).
Shotei
The inside part of the palm, closer to the wrist. Used for blocks and for attacks (think of circular punck in the side of the head).
Tetsui
The "hammer". For this technique you use the bottom part of the fist.
Koken
Close your hand as if you want to pick up a small amount of salt or sand. Bend your wrist inside, as far as it normally bends. In this position the hand becomes tense. The outside part of the wrist (where you would normally wear the handwatches) is used for blocks or for powerful "breaking" attacks.
Oyaubi_ken
The fist is closed with the end of a thumb pushing against the second nockle of a pointing finger (from the inside). For the strike, the first nockle of the thumb is used. This technique is very dangerous, when used on the temple, so it is forbidden to use it on the competitions.
Keiko
Close your hand as if you want to pick up a small amount of salt or sand. The punch is delivered by the tips of the fingers, it can be either very fast, to produce the shock (think attacking face or the back of the hand), or (not very often) powerful, to penetrate the sensitive areas with the soft tissues.
Haito
Sometimes called ura shuto. The hand is closed as for the shuto, with the thumb against the middle part of the palm. The muscules between the thumb and the pointing finder are used for the strike.
Toho
The four fingers form the part of a semi-circle, while the thumb forms the other part of it. The area between the thumb and the pointing finger is used for the strike, usually in the throat area.
Kote
The part of the hand, on the side of the baby finger. Used for blocks and sometimes for the attacks. For this techniques, like for many others, the muscke is used, rather than the bone.
Also note, than in the Kyokushin karate the blocks are often performed as strikes (against the attacking part of the opponent's body).
When you use this area for the first time, you will feel the pain. You will also get bruses and bumps on the soft tissues of your hand. As time passes, your hands will become conditioned, so you will be able to block hands, legs and even sticks without any unpleasant side effects.
Hira kote
The back of the hand is used for blocks and attacks.
Ura kote
The inside part of the hand. Used for blocks and sometimes for attacks.
Omote kote
The part of the hand, on the side of a thumb. Used for blocks and attacks.
Nakajubi ipon ken
The second nockle of the middle finger is used, and the thumb (the fingerprint area) is pressing against the first nockle of the middle finger, creating the necessary support.
Usually, applied to the muscles of an opponent, but can be used to break things as well. For that reason, should not be used in the class or at competition, especially in the head (temple) area.
Hitosashi ubi ippon ken
Same idea as above, but the pointing finger is used.
Hidji
The elbow area. Please note, that the joint area of the elbow is very sensitive, so it only can be used for attacks on the soft areas, like the abdomen muscles. For "breaking" type of strikes, the next-to-elbow parts are used, where the bones can be conditioned and muscles are shielding the bone.
Sune
The part of the foot used for the blocks and attacks. Can be conditioned, to become much less sensitive to pain.
Chesoku
The toes are bent back as far as possible (practice helps). The area used for the strike is the part of the foot right under the toes.
Haisoku
Used for blocks and for attacks. In many schools you cannot use chesoku for kicks in the head (for safety reasons), so haisoku is used. Also, it helps when you work on a close distance, as the "haisoku" is aligned with the "sune", so if the distance is too close for you to kick with the foot - you can always use the "sune" area instead.
When you need the kick to be fast, this technique will give you some advantage, too.
Sokuto
The foot is bent sideways, to expose the side, between the heel and a baby toe. The four toes are bent down, while the big toe is bent up, this position provides the maximum of concentration.
Kakato
The heel. To reduce the risk of traumas, the angle should be as sharp as possible - use your muscles to pull the toes towards the knee.
There are some ligaments that go from the heel up. DO NOT USE THEM to deliver an attack. It is painfull for you and safe for your opponent. Instead, use the heel itself, this part of your body is naturally conditioned as we are walking on it.
Teisoku
This area is used for blocks and trips, keeping in mind, that when performed with enough power, the block can be considered an attack.
Hiza
The knee. As with the kakato, the angle should be as sharp as possible to make the knee cup solid. Still, the knee cap area can ONLY be used to attack abdominal muscles - they are soft. If you want to attack, for example, the opponent's forehead (assuming, he bends down), then you will use the area ABOVE the knee cup - there is nothing to damage there.
Atama
The head can be used for blocks and attacks, too. It is very important to know exactly which areas to use and how to concentrate. This technique can be learned by the book in its basic form (head to face attack on occasion in the close range fight), but if you want to learn to break the wood with your head, you should fing a teacher.
Tsumasaku
The tips of the toes used to attack. It is possible to condition them, but difficult. This is not a technique for the beginner.
Zenkutsu dachi
To get into this position, stay with your feet shoulderwith apart and parallel. Then slide one foot forward, on the same (parallel) line. Turn the back foot 45 degrees outside.
This is an important position, as it provides a way to move deep forward with an attack or a block.
There are few "checks" you need to apply.
Put the knee of the back foot down on the floor. It should be shoulderwidth to the side and two fists behind the heel of the front foot.
When in zenkutsu dachi, the projection of your front knee on the ground should never go forward further then the middle of your front foot. Otherwise you have no strength in the forward direction: your opponent can pull you forward and you will fall, also it will take more time to move back if your opponent launches an attack.
The knee joint of the back foot must be straight or almost straight, muscles tense. It should be (ideally) possible for someone to stay on your back foot, at least you should not collapse, if your opponent (or someone from behind) pushes your knee joint down.
70% of the body weight should be on the front foot, 30% on the back foot.
Kokutsu dachi
Mostly a defencive position, but of course, there are exceptions. 70% of the weight is on the back foot. As in the most positions, feet are shoulderwidth apart, back foot turned outside, 45 degrees.
Now, let's talk about the "shoulderwidth apart" part. In many karate schools it is not so. In many schools you will see front and back foot on the same line with the projection of the center of gravity. Kyokushinkai is using the different approach.
When your feet are sliding by these invisible lines, you are slightly less fast, but a lot more stable. If your feet were on the same line with the center of gravity, then to step forward, you would have to move through the position, where both feet are together. What a wonderful opportunity to attack you with the trip!
Neko ashi dachi
"Neko" means "cat", "ashi" means "legs", and "dachi" means "position". It is more about the mental readiness of a cat to attack or retreat, then about cat's physical posture.
The front foot is touching the ground with chesoku area, ready to launch a kick, or to push against the floor, if you need to jump back. Feet are on the line, and not shoulderwidth apart, as in most positions.
Kiba dachi
The "horse rider". Feet are wide apart, parallel to each other. Knees are bent. The hips are moved forward, so that, ideally, the hips and knees are in the same - vertical - plane.
The most common mistake of the beginners is to "sit" in this posture, moving the hips back, as if there is a chair behind you. To compensate the weight, they have to bend forward, arriving to the funny and unstable posture. The back should be straight and vertical.
Kake dachi
Used to move sideways. Often used as a preparation stage for the kicks both to the side (with any leg) and forward (with the front leg).
Enshin
The open hands (shuto - like) are used instead of the fists, that are usually used in the kumite.
Morote
Fists are on the central line, so that the opponent's fist cannot squeeze in between. Heein on the same line or almost on the same.
Ruhen
One hand is on top of another. Very often this position is used to confuse an opponent, for example, hands can rotate, so that the upper hand goes down and vice versa. This kind of the hand movements is also efficient in a close fight, where hands do not have a lot of speed and can easily be trapped.
Birin
One hand is forming a "spree", while the other ic covering the elbow from below. You can see this position a lot when people change from one position to another.
Maeba
Hands are open, and the overall motion is forward. Can be used to push an opponent (or his leg doing the jodan mavashi geri) back.
Ibuki
There are few ways of performing this technique, for example in san chin dachi. Here we will consider the classical way, when the hands go up to cross in front of the chest as you breath in, and then they go down (straight or making a small circle) when you are exhailing.
During the breathing out ALL muscles are at maximum tension.
When performed with san chin dachi, you will do the short inhall together with the step (from the left san chin dachi to the right, and vice versa), while the breathing out with powerful muscles contraction is performed when you are "settling down" into the position, after the step.
Nogare gai
Move hands up with the circular motion, slightly stretching your body, and breathing in. Move them straight down in front of your body, palms down, as if you are pushing something down, with abdominal muscles tense (not as tense as with the ibuki), and breathing out.
Nogare sho
Breath in and move your hands close to the armpits, palms up. At the end of the breath, throw them forward. Breath out, bringing them down, palms down, in a circles, no tension should be present in your exhale or in your muscles.
Terminology
Chudan stands for the area from the belt up to the throat. Jodan area covers the neck and the head. Gedan area is everything below the belt.
There are areas above the head, or very low, but in most schools they are ignored, and called jodan and gedan, correspondingly.
Migi and hidari means right and left, correspondingly.
Seiken chudan tsuki
A most important technique, so we are going to explain some vital theoretical points, using it as an example.
First of all, there are different ideas in different schools, about the way your body should move to help the punch to be fast and strong. In the Kyokushin we end up with the shoulders turned 45 degrees, so that the twist of the body increases the speed of the hand.
But it only works if the two motions are performed in synch. If you, for example, move your shoulders, and then begin to move the hand, your opponent will get a message: "his shoulders are moving, looks like a punch, I better do something". In many places of this book I am going to talk about the ways to NOT to communicate your intentions to your opponent.
If you turn your shoulders more then 45 degrees, you will a) injure your back sooner or later, b) spend too much energy, c) loose the speed, and d) make your back vulnerable to the counterattack.
The hips are turning too, it looks more like a slap, throwing an impulse, to provide an additional speed. It is different from many other karate schools. Also keep in mind, that if you work on a very short distance, there will be no space for hips and shoulders to perform the "classics". The techniques (all of them) are adjustable.
The fist must be properly closed. The hand should be almost relaxed, until the last moment, when it is touching the target. Then it should be completely tense, all your focus on the target, or - if you are performing a "breaking" punch - behind the target. You will often hear the saying, that if you are hitting the chest, you should aim the backbone.
The outer side of the palm and the wrist must be on a straight line. Imagine the line that goes through the seiken (nockles of the pointing and the middle fingers), the wrist and the elbow. This should be the line and not a zigzag. Otherwise you will bend your wrist, using all the power of your hand, hips, plus the body weight.
The fist begins its motion from the place almost under the armpit, at the height of the nipple. This is different from many traditional schools, they start from the hip level.
The fist rotates. At the beginning it is with the palm up, at the end - with the palm down. It should screw itself into the target - it will help your elbow to unbend, and the energy of a punch will increase.
But the elbow should not unbend completely - it must be slightly bent, to prewent the injury. Imagine, that your elbow is straight, and your opponent blocks it, or hits it. Very bad for you. While if the elbow is bent - it is not that easy to damage, and your opponent will think twice, before hitting it.
Your elbows must look down. If they look sideways, your punch will be less powerfull, and your armpits are opened for an attack.
The other hand is performing a "reverse" - exactly the same move, in the opposite direction. At the end, it will be near the armpit, ready to launch another punch. In the middle of the trajectory, both hands should face each other, palms inside. This is often used to check the beginners for mistakes.
The fist should move by the straight line. It does not mater, that the body is turning, and hands are moving, and hips are moving too. It your hand is moving by the "freehand trajectory" - you are doing something wrong. The line between your fist, when still in the armpit, and the target, is the trajectory to follow.
Seiken jodan tsuki
Everything that was said about the chudan tsuki applies, except for one little detail. If you are attacking the opponent's chin, you can keep your fist aligned with the wrist. But what if you want to punch him in the forehead? Or in the nose? If you are attacking (with this particular technique) the area that cannot be approacked from undernese, you may bend your wrist, to keep the 90 degrees angle between the nockles and the target. Therefore, for a jodan tsuki, the wrist may bent down, while for gedan tsuki - up.
Note however, that some people would keep their fist straight, and expect the opponent's head to ajust its position. Surprisingly, it works, too. Both techniques are called the same name, but obviously - they are different.
Tate tsuki
This techniqu is faster then tsuki and used as frequently. If you watch kung fu movies, you will see it a lot. The attack begins from the less classical position - pretend that you are doing pushups, close your fists and you are there.
The hand does not rotate. The palm is facing inside, both at the beginning and at the end of the punch. ...
dimitrif