Kicking Key Points

A karate man’s most devastating attacks come from his feet. The power of kicks is usually much greater than that of punches. Sensei Oyama claims that they pack “about five times as much destructive force”. The point can be easily proved if you test it for yourself with a friend. Ask someone to hold a thick book in front of him with both hands. Try a Chudan-oi-zuki in zenkutsu dachi and then try a chudan Mae geri (middle level front kick) as described in this section. You will find that whilst the punch makes your friend move back a little off balance, the kick should move him bodily backwards, if correctly applied.

This serves to underline the importance of extreme caution in the use of kicking methods. Not only is a kick so much stronger than punch, but the legs of most people are under much less control than their arms. You can Wald, stand up, ride a bicycle, swim and so on, but beyond that your legs and feet have received little training. Once they are launched at a target, you have a much smaller chance of controlling them that your hands.

A third important point about kicking is the position of the trunk. It should be as upright as possible, in the techniques where it is possible to upright at all. Not all styles of karate tech this principle, but it is a good one, and advisable to follow it. If your lean to the front as you kick, you are closer to receiving a kick or punch to face. If you lean to the side you are less well balance, and if you lean backwards the same applies. Upright, you can continue to attack and defend, with your hands, much more readily. Try to keep to this maxim when trying the kicks and when you have more experience, you will come to your own conclusion. 

A fourth point is to keep the leg on which you are standing slightly bent. This also involves a question of balance. Stand on one leg, and keep the leg perfectly straight. Swing your free leg back and forth (forward) you will notice a natural inclination to bend the supporting leg to maintain balance. Use this natural reaction of the body when kicking. It will save you from being knocked over by a block, and will enable you to draw back your attacking leg rapidly once it has struck. This is essential to prevent it from being grabbed by your opponent, and the remaining leg swept from under you.

Foot And Leg Techniques

Kicking is as important in Karate as hand techniques: In fact, a kick has more power than does the fist. Good balance is all-important, not only because all of the body weight is supported by one leg but because of the counter-shock on impact. Having the sole of the supporting foot wholly and firmly planted and tensing the ankle sufficiently are absolutely essential to maintaining balance.

When kicking one should have the position for the next technique otherwise the opponent may succeed in scooping or catching the leg. The length of the arc the foot travels; the speed and the snapping power of the knee determine the force of the kick. Of particular importance is the muscular power employed in straightening the knee.

The master kicking, one must understand the primary factors and continue to practice systematically.

1.            Bending the Knee: Raise the kicking leg straight up, bringing the knee, fully bent high and shifting the weight of the leg toward the hips. Mastering this movement, which should be done quickly but lightly is useful in producing a strong sharp kick.

2.            Snap Bending and straightening of the knee: There are two ways of kicking

                (i) Using the spring like power of the knee by snapping it fully and

                (ii) Strongly straightening the knee.

In the snap kick, after the knee is raised the knee cap becomes the center of a semicircular movement. Speed is of the essence, without it the kick cannot be sharp and balance will be destroyed.

In the thrust kick (kekomi) the knee in the raised position is forcefully straightened, kicking to the front diagonally to the front and downward to the side or diagonally to the side and downward.

3.            Spring of the hips and ankle: In either type, the power of the leg by itself is not sufficient. To this must be added the spring of the hips and knee. For this purpose, the ankles must of course, be made strong through extended training. 

Punching, Blocking and Kicking

The natural weapons are not only used for attacking but also for defending. An arm which is used as a striking weapon is s split second later converted into a blocking device. This must be borne in mind throughout karate training. One must be ready to attach, defend, attack, defend, in swift succession or even simultaneously, for example, one arm may be blocking a punch while the other arm is delivering a counter. Do not try this at the outset. Practice each technique separately and distinctly, but at the same time bearing in mind the possibility of combined attack and defense, as this is one of the most devastating and swift methods of dealing with an opponent. It is also the most difficult and rarely seen.

Punching:

The philosophy, if it can be so called; of most Japanese Karate punching is based on a similar notion to that of Kendo sword play: one good telling stroke. This is how a full point is scored in does count. Try, when practicing a punching technique, to make it always a good, solid one. Keep all the technical points in mind when training, with or without a partner. This will stand you in good stead throughout Karate training and will definitely help in winning competitions.

Key Points:

In punching, the elbow is straightened and the forearm extended. Striking with the hand involves bending and straightening the elbow. With the elbow as the pivot, the forearm moves as though one were drawing semi circles, but swiftly and free fully, making full use of the snap of the elbow.

Both the fist and the open hand are use, as in the back fist strike (Uraken Uchi), hammer fist strike, sword hand strike and so on.

It is unwise to extend the arm to its fullest when punching, or the leg when kicking for that matter, so always keep your arm form snapping out to the fullest range of the joint. This is not good for the joints. Also, you should adopt the habit early on of drawing back the striking arm so that it cannot be grasped by your opponent. Throwing methods are permitted in karate free styles, and some Karate men are also skilled in Judo. If they lay hands on your arm, you could do some unexpected travelling.

The elbow can also be used to strike. The arm is fully bent, and the elbow is aimed at the target. This is especially valuable for fighting at close quarters, when freedom of movement of the arms, legs or body has been lost, or when you are grasped from behind. The important point in striking is the use of the snap of the arm. There should be no strength in the shoulder, and the fist or fingers of the open hand should be tightly closed, Strike in a wide curve with maximum speed.