Karate Info

Kihon - The building blocks of karate

Why Kihon? Blocking and Striking

Why Kihon? Kihon (meaning 'basic') techniques were introduced as a way of formalising the teaching of shotokan and has stayed since, it is a different method of learning than was used when karate was handed down from generation to generation through a family line. The techniques back then would have been repeated until learnt correctly but not done in the same 'up and down the floor' way. Ten no kata amoto is a method of performing almost any kihon technique, covering both sides of the body and can be done in an attacking (forward) or avoiding (backward / sideward) motion and requires little room unlike modern kihon. The participant steps forward from yoi with their left leg and performs the move (such as age uke or mawashi shuto uchi) with either their obverse or reverse hand (oi or gyaku technique) and returns to the yoi position and then repeats the move using the opposite side of their body. Kihon techniques are used to promote muscle development, coordination, flexibility and speed which can then be applied to more natural 'free' movements Top Blocking and Striking The basic definition of blocking is parrying an attack and striking is attacking an opponent or retaliating to an attack, this is an acceptable way of dealing with these for low grade students but the boundary becomes blurred as higher grades are achieved. Perhaps a better description of blocks would be avoiding techniques where the defender avoids being hit but can use their own body to cause injury to themselves or to affect the balance of the attacker. Two types of avoiding techniques exist, one where you stay in the path of the attack (stepping forwards or backwards) and the other where you move out of the path of the attack (stepping sidewards or spinning): Linear (in the line of the attack) The defender moves in the direction of the attack and avoids the attack using directed force to move the attacking limb direction away from the intended target. Non-linear (moving away from the line of the attack) The defender moves their body out of the way of the attack by using tae sabaki (body evasion) by side-stepping or spinning, contact with the attacking limb may be used to ensure that the attack does not connect but does not require much force. These are also called keise (soft) blocks as the force of blocking does not need to counteract the full force of the attack. Both of these methods are applicable to the techniques on the evasion page - as you can perfom each of them in both of the above ways (a diagram is only shown for go no sen on the evasion page, but the other three will be added soon): Go no sen - Step sidewards away from the attack and defend using a keise block and then capture the arm for use in locking the elbow when retaliating (think of kihon ippon advanced for a jodan punch). Tai no sen - Step backwards and then attack on the angle across the opponent's attack removing the need to block their attack (think of the jodan attack in jiyu-ippon kumite but waiting for the attacker to get an 'advantage' before attacking them). Sen no sen - Attack on an angled forwards direction as the opponent moves thus avoiding the oncoming attack and still injuring the attacker (think of the chudan attack in jiyu ippon kumite). Sen sen no sen - The same idea as sen no sen but dont wait for the opponent to actually move - wait until they are committed mentally and attack. The linear form of avoiding techniques is very basic and allows the defender little time to react with a counter strike and keeps the defender in direct line of the attack - not meeting the attack with sufficient force will mean that the defender is hit. This is especially true for multiple attacks such as gohon kumite (if done with a much more experienced opponent and at full speed it becomes almost impossible to avoid being hit after the first or second punch). Despite this, these techniques can prove to be quite effective against an opponent when modified to injure the body of the attacker at the same time as ensuring that attack does not connect. Avoiding techniques that are aimed at joints, muscles and pressure points or used to perform a lock / hold on the attacker are less dangerous to the defender when performed in a non-linear way as the defender is less likely to be hit as they have moved out of the direction of the attack. If a linear avoiding technique is used with correct focus, timing and aim, a strike is not always required as a follow up because the attacker will be injured using the block, hence the block has been used to strike the opponent and therefore further action may not be required. If a non-linear avoiding technique is used with correct timing and minimal movement, a block does not need to be used. This is very advanced and requires total commitment from the defender and the knowledge that if you dont move in time - you will be hit! The block can be used to directly injur the attacker's body/head/etc without the need to worry about the attacking limb. The other way of using this method is to unbalance the attacker as you are moving around the attack by destroying their stance or throwing them to the ground using their momentum to make this easier. This approach is more akin to aikido than karate as the boundaries between the two arts become less obvious when analysing karate at a more senior level - in the past the arts were not separate as they are today and students learned parts of aikido, karate and weapons as part of the same thing. Using the same rules, 'striking' techniques can be described as avoiding techniques or attacking techniques depending on where they are aimed. A punch to the side of an opponent's jaw is seen as an attack but an attack to the elbow joint of an attacker's arm (during an attack) is seen as a block. Uchi ude uke (inside forearm block) is seen as a way to block the attacker's arm whereas it can be used to strike the ribs of the opponent once the Tae Sabaki principal has been applied. Age uke can be used to strike the attacker in the face whilst still stopping the attack from landing, gedan barai works in the same way with a strike to the body whilst stopping a low punch. Karate techniques do not suit being labelled very well, once the student moves to a higher level the boundaries become less and less obvious and relevant. This is the reason that bunkai (application of kata) can be expressed in different ways for the same technique. Learning different applications of the same techniques will allow the student's repertoir to be increased greatly. Top