Building a Defense

    When a person talks about what is involved in successful kumite, we should always stop to consider what is the base of Karate. In simple terms, it is the "Art of self-defense". Being such, it should be clear that developing a strong defense should be the first priority of training. The backbone of a strong defense is; [A] good timing & distance, [B] good basics, [C] an effective counter-punch.

    Timing [Sen] & distance [Ma] are the most important aspects, as nothing else matters if you do not have these traits. Good basics & effective counter-punching are useless without proper distance & good timing. If your understanding of distance is correct, timing should follow right along. Proper distance has to be recognized for both the defender & the attacker, as well as understanding proper distance between a hand & foot technique. Common sense will tell you that a foot technique can be used from a greater distance than a hand technique. Remember that every person is structured differently, with obvious variations in reach capability. Therefore it must be acknowledged that your distance has to be reconfigured with each competitor you meet. In general, a defender wants to maintain a distance that is just at the maximum reach of his/her opponent. If the attackers distance changes, the defender has 3 basic options; [1] Shift back to outdistance the attack, [2] shift sideways (Sabaki) to avoid the attack, [3] move forward to meet the attack. In all 3 cases, the defender is moving their hips either away or into the attack, which changes the attackers focus point. Rarely is it acceptable to leave your hips in a static or stationary position when defending.

    If distance is understood well by the karateka, it merely takes repetitive practice of timing exercises to make your timing equal to your distance perception against any competitor. In order for a defender to practice proper timing with good hip movements, it becomes essential to have a fighting stance that one can move from. A good comparison of stances for fighting from is a relay sprinters ready position. Both knees should be bent enough to allow maximum pushing or spring action. If your stance is too high, you lack stability, if your stance is too long, you lack the ability to move out of it quickly, and if your stance is too wide, you are too vulnerable to leg sweeps. Consequently, you must always try to maintain your center of gravity over the center of your fighting stance.

   On our final section, the laws of Physics dictate that the shortest, fastest distance between two points is a straight line. Working on this theory, your two best counter-punches are; [A] Gyaku-zuki(reverse punch) [B] a kizami-zuki (jab). As approximately 85% + of all scoring techniques in tournaments are from these two techniques, they should become your #1 line of defense training. When practiced with proper hip movements, it becomes clear why they are the #1 scoring techniques. To some karateka, they are considered the most elementary of karate techniques, but a fluent karateka, over time, will learn the many advanced variations of these techniques that will carry them far into the future.

    Before you get overly concerned with OFFENCE, learn a good DEFENSE.

Paul Oliver KNB Coach

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