2 - Jissen Magazine

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EDITORIAL
ISSUE 3 - Autumn 2008
W
el come to the thi rd
edition of Jissen! Id like
to start by thanking all of
our readers for their enthusiastic
feedback and relentless promotion
of this publication. The amount of
downloads has been fantastic! As
you know, this magazine is put
together sol el y wi th the
pragmatically orientated martial
artist in mind. It is also our intention
to remain 100% focused on articles
which contain genuinely useful information and hence we wont
be publishing event reports, personality pieces, etc. This magazine
is also firmly committed to being completely free of charge and
free to distribute. It is in this way that we intend to remain a wide
reaching publication that is of genuine benefit to the reader.
One of the main benefits of using the internet to distribute Jissen
is that our costs are much lower than the old print, distribute and
sell model. Aside from ensuring the magazine will always be free
for the reader (and hence also ensuring a much greater number
of readers), another advantage is that we have complete
independence as to what we choose to include as we are not
bound by what is considered popular by distributors, store owners
and newsagents. I understand the business need to ensure a
magazine ticks the boxes with all those who contribute to its
success. However, distributors, store owners and newsagents are
not martial artists and we wish to be totally focused on what the
martial artist wants. When I look at some of the articles in this
issue and previous issues, there is little doubt that some would be
deemed too controversial or not mainstream enough for some
of our printed counterparts throughout the world (indeed some of
our writers have had articles rejected by our printed counterparts
on those grounds!).
Its always been my view that controversy is closely related to
thought-provoking and that the mainstream is not where youll
find the cutting edge. Here at Jissen we know that serious martial
artists want to read well written articles on an array of differing
viewpoints. This publication has no external pressures so you can
be sure of always finding the thought-provoking and the cutting
edge within these pages. The paradox is that by refusing to be
shackled by notions of what is popular and safe, its a safe bet
that we will remain very popular! Youve made it clear what you
want and we are totally committed to bringing it to you. Enjoy
issue 3 and well be back with more soon!
Jissen Magazine - 3
Issue 3 Contents
L. Kane & K. Wilder continue to reveal the theory of deciphering kata
John Titchen looks at how our natural reflexes relate to kata
Martial Arts Scepticism: A Manifesto: Page 4
Want to write for Jissen or have your website listed ?: Page 53
Oldman shows the bunkai for Naihanchi / Tekki in cartoon form!
Differing Visions: Page 7
How to Spar for the Street - Part 3: Page 12
How to Survive a Knife Assualt?: Page 16
Debunking Taekwon-do Myths : Page 22
Adaptable Karate - Part 1: Page 27
The Way of Kata Part 3: Page 33
Kata Training for Fighting Reflexes: Page 37
Naihanchi / Tekki Bunkai: Page 40
Jamie Clubb makes the case for scepticism in the martial arts
Creating an effective application Do San: Page 42
Jissen wants your letters!: Page 46
Power and Impact: Page 48
Eric Parsons examines the various aspects of the martial arts
Iain Abernethy continues looking at how we can spar for the street
Rev. Arthur Chenevey looks at the realities of knife-defence
Stuart Anslow looks at the common assumptions about TKD
Chris Denwood discusses the three stages of kata analysis
Matt Sylvester takes us through the process of analyzing applications
Have your say in this magazine!
Iain Abernethy gives his views on striking power and impact equipment
4 - Jissen Magazine
C
onfucianism, Buddhism, Christianity,
Taoi sm and other rel i gi ous and
philosophical ideas have been melded
with the practice of martial arts in modern times.
However, I would like to suggest that we apply
another so-called philosophy. It has some very
ancient and respectable roots in the philosophers
of ancient Greece and its process is the very
definition of objective philosophy. What I am
describing is something I believe underlies the
thinking of some of the greatest shakers in martial
arts history. It is the process of questioning and
testing. The philosophy is unique in the respect
that it owes no allegiance to any culture and it
doesnt subscribe to the beliefs of a single or
group of individuals. In fact, this particular
philosophy prompts debate within its advocates
and especi al l y wi thi n the i ndi vi dual . The
philosophy I am describing is scepticism and this
article makes the case for its inclusion in the
teaching of martial arts.
Modern scepticism is generally recognised as
a science-based movement that has come to
popular attention through its opposition to virtually
anything or anyone that has not provided
sufficient proof or evidence to support its or their
claims. However, it is important to note that it is
not just scientists and those with a penchant for
science that support scepticism. At the other end
of the academic world serious historians have
also been attracted to scepticism. At the heart of
scepticism is an approach known as critical
thinking. This means looking at a subject
objectively with a view to testing unproven claims.
It is easy for those of us who see the value in
imagination and positivity to mistake scepticism
for cynicism. Cynicism just means thinking the
worst of everything. The cynic has already made
his mind up about something and does not seek
evidence. In this respect the cynic is just as
blinkered as the gullible person. Scepticism is
about questioning, seeking answers and making
progress. The sceptic never deals in absolutes.
Even so-called facts are accepted as temporary
conclusions that are up for reasoned review. To
make analogy in self-defence coaching terms,
cynicism is as far removed from scepticism as
paranoia is from awareness.
Scepticism took the western world out of the
dark ages and just as new waves of mysticism
wash new fads up onto our hi-tech shores, a
steady yet accelerating movement in critical
thinking is there to examine, test and debunk
where necessary. The world of martial arts
presents us with a tangled mixture of claims and
ideas that are ripe for sceptical investigation.
Leaders and founders of martial arts often
become venerated to the point where they are
not questioned no matter how far they stray from
their original purpose. Concepts and principles
then develop into dogma and rituals. Within these
subcultures terminology is developed, which
further serves to separate the martial artists from
the rest of society, along with strict hierarchies
and methods used to tie students to their clubs.
In extreme examples we have seen full blown
martial arts cults develop whereas many others
take on more subtle resemblances. Some clubs
are simply run by the nave and the deluded
whereas others are run by conmen and
charlatans. Mar tial ar ts histories become
distorted, folk tales, myths and complete fiction
become accepted as facts.
In his book for Marshall Cavendish, The Way
to the Martial Arts, the respected martial arts
journalist Peter Lewis describes the evolution of
martial arts in a positive light: Slowly and
gradually, mostly through trial and error, fighting
became more of an exact science rather than a
pure animal instinct. If only this were true of today.
The modern world of martial arts has often allied
itself with pseudoscience, pseudohistory,
superstition, paranoia, New Age beliefs, religious
dogma, fakir tricks, outright fraud and outright lies
Martial Arts Scepticism:
A Manifesto
by Jamie Clubb
The fool wonders, the wise man asks.
- Benjamin Disraeli
Jissen Magazine - 5
that have all been passed onto nave students
as facts.
Pseudoscience comes up a lot in martial arts
and in different ways. Some pseudoscience is
fairly straightforward. This is when claims are
made by martial artists that fly in the face of the
accepted laws of science. Often the use of the
chi (qi) or ki energy falls into this category. The
exact definition and western translation of this
type of energy is still a matter of cultural and
linguistic debate. The cultural part is a separate
issue, it is when there are claims being made
that it has a direct and measurable effect on
physical objects that the sceptic needs to firmly
step into the discussion and ask questions and
demand empirical evidence.
However, there i s another type of
pseudoscience in the martial arts world that is
less easy to confront. Science is sometimes used
as a marketing tool. There are plenty of clubs
being taught by coaches who have qualifications
in sports science, but it doesnt necessarily mean
that their approach to martial arts is logical and
reasoned. Likewise context means everything
when a technique is being explained in scientific
ter ms. For exampl e, you can expl ai n the
effectiveness of virtually any technique that
makes direct contact with the human body, but
its efficiency is another matter. It is an old logical
dictum to recognise that just because something
i s not i mpossi bl e i t doesn t mean i t i sn t
improbable. Furthermore, scientific terminology
and jargon, something we have seen increase in
martial arts ever since the culture married the
business motivational movement, does replace
scientific evidence or methodology.
Pseudohistory in martial arts has helped to give
us the numerous prejudices, red herrings and
cult-like features that plague the commercial
practice of martial arts the world over. Personally
I love myths, legends and fables. In the correct
context they are i nspi rati onal for ms of
entertainment that can educate and motivate.
There is nothing quite like watching a film of or
reading a story about a fictional hero overcoming
adversity when you are feeling down or ill. An
allegorical tale, as opposed to a factual account
of real life events, can often be a very useful tool
for prompting people to think deeply about certain
subjects and issues rather than responding a
superficial way. The essence of good stories
helps colour our language with metaphors and
analogies, but we need mature reasoning to
separate the literal from the figurative. Most of
all, however, we need simple honesty and a desire
to question what seems highly improbable.
Pseudohistory is responsible for the over
importance placed on martial arts lineages and
the propagation of incredible unverifiable claims
made about martial arts founders. Even the
purposes of martial arts have been distorted
through the fictionalization or misinterpretation of
history.
Another derivative from pseudohistory is a
category loosely termed as conspiracy theory.
This type of thinking outside the martial arts world
has seen some preposterous alternative ideas
being presented by dramatic and tragic events in
history. Because it is a fact that the practice of
martial arts in many countries and cultures were
over tly suppressed and therefore covertly
practiced, some martial arts teachers today like
to claim that certain deadly moves are banned
and hidden. This can vary from secret techniques
being locked away inside the art to the belief that
all pressure points are banned from Mixed Martial
Arts competition.
However, it is not just misguided and the
manipulative mystics of the martial arts world that
are the focus of scepticism. The so-called reality
world of martial arts, an area one would consider
was the natural home of martial arts sceptics, are
also responsible for making outrageous claims
and, furthermore, fuelling misinformation. Many
Photos in this article taken by Sonia Audhali
6 - Jissen Magazine
people involved in the reality-based self-
defence world have fallen into the same trap as
the traditionalists and now exhibit similar
features. Superstition is replaced by paranoia,
mystical or flowery fighting techniques are
replaced by a type of ultra-reality combative
pornography, where sadism seems to eclipse
efficiency.
I propose that martial artists should be sceptics
and should encourage scepticism. We may not
necessarily be scientists, but we should apply a
reasoned and logical approach to their training
and teaching. The highest regard we can pay to
any great person in marital arts history is not to
worship them as infallible sources of wisdom, but
to carry on the spirit of innovation that made them
great in the first place. They stood out from other
martial artists because they challenged the order
of the day. We must always be sceptical of
coaches who discourage criticism or do not
promote truly individual research. The job of the
coach is to provide students with experiences
where they can draw their own conclusions. By
all means the coach should use his own
experiences as a valid reference point, but one
thing that should be acknowledged is that martial
arts is very much an individualized activity and
therefore the methods applied by the coach in a
certain experience arent necessarily the best
methods for an individual student to apply.
At this stage it is worth pointing out that I do
not advocate a criticism for criticisms sake
attitude. There are certain robust areas we can
meet a consensus on, certain martial arts or self-
defence facts or laws if you like. They are
constantly up for review, of course, but proving
them should not be too difficult to do through
case studies and in practical activity and
providing the correct context is applied.
Despite the par ty pooper reputation it
receives, I argue that Scepticism is a positive
approach to martial arts training. No one is above
criticism and by adopting a find the flaw attitude
when you train you will quickly learn not to rest
on your training laurels. It also means that you
and your students are being as honest about
your training as possible. This is what good
progress is all about and this is what has been
behind the continued intelligent development of
the martial arts.
Jissen Magazine - 7
Differing Visions:
S
etting goals is important. It is important
in everyday life, and it is important in the
martial arts. There are always old skills
to refine and new avenues of study to explore,
and the most efficient way to do these things is
by having specific goals in mind for every training
session. However, for those martial artists who
have taken on the responsibility of instructing
students, there is yet another level of goal setting
that must be considered that of the class or
school as a whole. Specifically, what should the
students be gaining from their training? What
are the groups Mission Statement and
objectives?
Considering this question is of the utmost
importance because different people practice the
martial arts for different reasons. Some people
come to class simply for the health benefits that
they receive from a vigorous workout. Others
want to gain discipline, while a third group hopes
to achieve some type of spiritual development
or enlightenment. And of course, there are those
who wish to compete in the sporting aspects of
the art, those who want to learn how to defend
themselves on the street, and those who hope
to maintain and uphold traditions. Granted, most
people join a martial arts class with several of
the above goals in mind. However, for each
student, one of these goals is likely to be primary,
while the others will have lower priority. Hence,
it is important for the instructor to examine the
type of class he/she wants to teach so that the
students are clear on what they are getting from
their training.
However, herein lies the rub, because no matter
how clearly the instructor personally understands
the class goals and no matter how transparent
he/she is in explaining these goals to the class,
on some level the students are going to believe
that they are learning how to fight, i.e. gaining
practical self-defense skills. Even if the instructor
goes so far as to say, In this class, our sole focus
is to learn how to fight in point-karate (tae kwon
do, MMA, etc.) tournaments. Although some of
the techniques you will learn have self-defense
applications, most will not. The goal is simply to
defeat your opponent under the following
rules, the student is likely to hear (at least
subconsciously), In this class our sole focus is
to learn how to fight .
the techniques you will learn have self-
defense applications, .
The goal is to defeat your opponent
.
Now, one mi ght argue that any
misunderstandings arising from the above
conversation are solely the fault of the student.
Perhaps this is true. However, that does not
mean they will not occur. How many people
remember the start of the cardio-kickboxing/Tae
Bo craze? And how many people met students
taking these classes who really thought they were
learning how to defend themselves? Was this
just a case of false advertising unscrupulous
teachers touting false benefits to boost their class
numbers? In some cases, probably yes. In most
cases, though, it was probably just students
layering their own assumptions on top of the what
they were truly gaining a tough cardiovascular
workout.
Furthermore, the students assumption that
they are learning how to defend themselves is
completely understandable considering that this
is the only goal listed above that the martial arts
are uniquely designed to address. If the students
want to get fit, they can easily buy a gym
membership. If they want discipline, the military
is always looking for recruits. If they want
spirituality, they can join an ashram. If they want
competition, there are a myriad of sporting
opportunities available to them, and if they want
tradition, there are thousands of books on the
subject that can be read without breaking a
sweat. However, if they want to learn self-
defense, where else would they go but some kind
of martial arts class?
Why every martial arts class should (and can) contain
practical self-defence in its curriculum
by Eric Parsons
8 - Jissen Magazine
Therefore, as the students are expecting, at
least at some level, to learn how to defend
themselves, it is important that every training
group spend some time focusing on this aspect
of the martial arts. Otherwise, the students might
try to put faulty techniques designed for another
goal into practice in real situations, potentially
risking their lives in the process.
Now, does this mean that all schools must
devote every moment of training to hard self-
defense with no room for sports and no respect
for tradition? No, it does not. The key is to
incorporate realistic, self-defense training into the
classes while still keeping the other goals on the
board. Fortunately, this is not too difficult given
the right mindset and definitions.
To begin this unifying process, let us quickly
deal with those goals that are most easily
reconcilable to the others. For starters, any type
of rigorous physical training is going to lead to
health benefits. Granted, there is some
disagreement in self-defense circles as to the
importance of physical fitness in self-defense
si tuati ons. Some i ndi vi dual s argue that
cardiovascular health is irrelevant to self-defense
since most altercations are quick and brutal,
relying solely on anaerobic respiration. However,
many other experts believe that being physically
fit is a necessary prerequisite to defensive
acumen. In the end, though, there is no real
reason not to include both types of fitness training
into any given class session. Anaerobic exercise
is, by definition, accomplished in short bursts.
Therefore, it can easily be mixed in with other
more aerobic activities.
Having dealt with fitness, let us now turn to
discipline. Luckily, this goal can also be easily
merged with the others, as sticking to any type
of strenuous activity and working on it until
personal barriers are shattered is going to result
in improved self-discipline. In fact, self-discipline
is simply one of the things that will be picked up
along the road in this type of training it doesnt
matter if the end goal is sport or defense.
Now, some might argue that self-discipline is
only one type of discipline, the other type being
the command and obey discipline seen in some
martial arts schools. This is certainly true.
However, to my mind, this militaristic-level of
discipline, although useful in instilling values in
youth, is of limited use to adult practitioners. To
begin with, a certain amount of informality is
needed to partake in the type of all-out training
required to practice practical self-defense. Plus,
in a broader sense, most adults are not in the
military and, in fact, work at jobs and lead lives
where some creativity and a willingness to
occasionally go against authority are positive
attributes, not character flaws. So, for most
martial artists (and people, for that matter), self-
discipline is by far the most important type of
discipline to have.
Turning to the spiritual nature of the martial arts,
this is a topic that is difficult to discuss, as the
definition of spirituality is nebulous and likely in
the eye of the beholder. Hence, I will spend little
time on it. However, it does seem that if people
go into a class specifically looking for some type
of spiritual development, they will typically be able
to find what they seek.
So, having now dealt with the more subsidiary
goals, it is time to turn to the big three sport,
self-defense, and tradition - the place wherein
the roots of so many arguments lie.
Let us begin by examining ways to reconcile
the sporting and traditional aspects of the martial
arts. To begin with, it must be conceded that
sports are not an historical part of most martial
traditions. Granted, challenge matches have
likely been fought between martial artists since
the first warriors started developing different
ways to kill one another. However, these
matches were not the goal of the training.
Defense either military or civilian was. Sport
as a primary goal of the martial arts did not come
Self-Defence
Jissen Magazine - 9 Jissen Magazine - 9
about until the twentieth century. For example,
the rules and competitive aspects of judo were
gradually developed in the early to middle parts
of the century, culminating in judos debut as an
Ol ympi c spor t i n 1964. Si mi l arl y, the
development of free sparring (jiyu kumite) in
karate is generally believed to have been
developed by Gogen Yamaguchi in the mid-
1930s.
Hence, if sport was not a traditional part of the
martial arts, are sporting pursuits and the goal
of tradition mutually exclusive? Not necessarily.
These aspects can and are frequently taught
side-by-side in many martial arts classes. In fact,
the best coaches/instructors practicing these
dual goals are extremely adept at melding the
two, making sure that their fighters fight in a
manner consistent with the style in which they
are training, both tactically and strategically.
Since it appears that sports and tradition can
work well side-by-side, it is now time to examine
whether the goals of sport and self-defense can
also co-exist. Many self-defense experts would
answer no to this question, arguing that sports,
by necessity, take place in a realm of rules, and
that by consistently training to follow these rules,
the students will become hard-wired into these
flaws, attempting maneuvers in a self-defense
situation that could prove deadly. For example,
a point-sparring technician might subconsciously
pull his/her punches in a street situation. A tae
kwon do competitor might go for a high kick. A
judoka might drop his/her hands to gain a grip,
not expecting a strike. An MMA fighter might go
to the ground against someone who has a knife.
The list could go on and on.
Honestly, such arguments are hard to dismiss.
However, other experts argue that, since sport
sparring and street self-defense are so vastly
different in nature, students are unlikely to
confuse the skills required by the two as long as
they have adequate training in both. The keys
are making sure that the goals of each class
session are well-defined and that there is no
confusion and crossover between the two. This
argument is quite convincing. It should be
acknowledged, though, that to successfully teach
on both levels the instructor must be someone
of high skill, knowledge, and awareness
someone willing to analyze the techniques being
taught to make sure that neither class goal gets
muddled in the cross-training process.
Finally, let us turn to the question of whether
tradition and self-defense are compatible? This
question, although seemingly big, is actually
quite small. It appears to be so large because
there is a continual and ongoing debate on this
matter in the martial arts community. However,
in truth, the issue is a small one because the
argument really comes down to semantics - the
question hinging on what exactly is meant by
the word tradition.
Dictionary.com succinctly defines tradition as,
Something that is handed down. Unfortunately,
this definition is quite broad and, with respect to
the martial arts, leaves it up to the practitioner
to determine precisely what was meant to be
handed down. Is it some form of strict formality
gis and belts and bowing and knowing the
proper things to say at the proper times?
Perhaps, but as mentioned earlier, when taken
to the extreme such a level of formality does not
allow the students (and the teacher) the comfort
level necessary to train in such a way as to
become truly effective at self-defense. Plus, it
can eat up a lot of class time.
Another way in which people attempt to uphold
tradition is by purposefully keeping every aspect
of training the same and doing everything exactly
as it was taught to them with no room for variation
or addition. However, such an attitude is self-
limiting and speaks more of stagnation than
tradition. This is the mentality to which Emerson
was referring when he said, A foolish tradition
is the hobgoblin of little minds. Note, the key
word here is foolish. If a tradition makes sense,
by all means, it should be kept. However, if the
only reason for doing something is, thats the
way its always been done, then that is a practice
that should be examined much more closely
before it is perpetuated further.
In this sense, it is important to realize that all
of the old masters changed what they were
taught, and often, these changes were not minor.
For example, Kanryo Higashionna, Chojun
Miyagis teacher and, thus, the progenitor of Goju-
Ryu, changed Sanchin Kata from an open-
handed practice to a close-handed one. This is
a significant difference. In Chinese tradition, it is
said that the founder of Baqua only took on
students who were already accomplished martial
artists and then molded his methods to fit and
enhance what the student already knew, leading
to different branches of the art. Which one of
these branches, then, is the true tradition?
Would a student of one branch be wrong to learn
from other branches, even if one of the other
branches was more fitting with his/her abilities?
I think most rational people would argue not.
So, returning to the question at hand, if tradition
is not formality and it is not bland reproduction of
what has come before, then what is it? Well,
examining the definition, what was the primary
goal of the past masters, that essential element
that they wanted handed down to their students
and their students students? In my mind, this
essence of the martial arts was simply the ability
to defend oneself. That was their goal, plain and
simple practical self-defense. Moreover, if the
means to satisfy this end needed to evolve with
the changing times, they were more than willing
to make these adjustments. Why should we be
any different? Of course, as an added benefit, if
this is how we define tradition, then there is no
need for reconciliation between tradition and self-
defense. The two goals are one and the same.
Hence, the circle is now complete. Of the goals
mentioned above, it is clear that self-defense
should be a high priority, the essence of any
martial art. Why? Because that is what they
were developed to do and that is what the
students expect, even if they do not fully realize
it. Fortunately, all of the other goals can be
reconciled to this overarching theme. There is
no need to sacrifice enjoyable aspects of ones
training, even if a decision is made to redirect
the overall trainings focus. As Shihan John
Roseberry likes to say, Its all in there.
10 - Jissen Magazine
Practi cal Karate for Real Combat
w w w . i a i n a b e r n e t h y . c o m
This guys bunkai (kata application) isnt bulls#it! Marc Animal McYoung
It was really interesting to see how kata applications are truly meant to work and work effectively Peter Consterdine 8th Dan
Iain Abernethy brings Karate back into the Real Arena Geoff Thompson 6th Dan
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Iain Abernethys approach to karate has revolutionised the training of thousands of people. Through his
books, DVDs and seminars, Iain has shown how the traditional kata were created to be a logical and structured
record of practical fighting techniques. Iains fusion of old and new, east and west, is highly pragmatic, easy
to adopt, and will only add to your current training and study. A member of the Combat Hall of Fame, Iain
also holds the rank of 5th Dan in Karate (BCA & EKGB) and is one of the few people to hold the position
of Coach (the highest instructor rank) within the British Combat Association; one of the worlds leading
practical martial arts groups. Iain is in great demand on the seminar circuit and each year he teaches
many popular and inspiring seminars in the UK, mainland Europe and beyond.
12 - Jissen Magazine 12 - Jissen Magazine
by Iain Abernethy
How to Spar for the Street:
Part Three
I
n this series of articles we are discussing how
to make your sparring relevant to real
situations. As weve discussed in previous
articles, the sparring in many dojos has little in
common with real situations. Karateka train for
a variety of reasons, so it is to be expected that
they will spar in a variety of ways in order to
address a variety of goals. If being able to protect
yourself is one of your reasons for training, then
your sparring needs to specifically structured so
that it has relevance to the street.
In previous articles we have covered six of the
keys to realistic sparring. In this final part, well
be covering the final four keys to making your
sparring relevant to the street.
Dont limit the techniques or ranges
Anything goes in a real situation and hence you
need to ensure your street sparring isnt limited.
As a karateka, you need to ensure that you bring
grappling into your sparring. There are a great
many grappling techniques in kata and they
should be brought into everyday training (see
my book Karates Grappling Methods). The
more wide-ranging you make your sparring the
more realistic it will be.
You also need to ensure that you include the
techniques not allowed by the rules. In combat
sports, there are two groups of techniques that
will be banned. First, there are the techniques
that are banned in the name of the purity of the
sport, i.e. boxing is about punching so anything
that can stifle the exchange of punches is
prohibited. All combat sports have similar
restrictions in order to maintain the purity of the
sport and give the spectators what they want to
see. Secondly, there are the techniques that are
banned in the name of safety, i.e. low blows etc.
All of these banned techniques can be used in a
street situation.
A real fight has no rules, and hence you need
to ensure you ignore the rule book when you
structure your street sparring. Its pretty easy to
ignore the purity-based restrictions, but great
care needs to be taken when ignoring the safety-
based ones. In some i nstances you can
substitute dangerous techniques for less
dangerous alternatives. For example, if your
partner secures a grip on the knot in your belt,
its a safe assumption he could also have
attacked your groin in the same fashion. Likewise,
putting the thumb on your partners forehead
above the eyebrows can be used as a substitute
for eye gouges.
Substitutions like these ensure that you develop
the skills to use and defend against such attacks.
The flaw in this training is that if youre not mindful
of the intent of the substitution, you may find
yourself using the substitution in the street at a
ti me when you shoul d be usi ng the real
technique! As I said in part one of this series,
always be aware of the flaws of any drill. Because
the alternative is to omit the techniques
completely, I feel substitution is the best way
forwards.
In addition to substitution, you can also reduce
the intensity of certain techniques to ensure
safety. For example, if you nip your partner with
your teeth, they can be sure they would be
Jissen Magazine - 13
missing flesh if the fight was for real. It is very
important that your sparring is closely supervised
by a suitably experienced and qualified person
when bringing potentially dangerous techniques
such as biting and gouging into your sparring.
The person supervising the sparring will be able
to advise you on substitution, omission and
intensity.
By not limiting the techniques or ranges of your
sparring you ensure that blind spots dont
develop and that your sparring has relevance to
a real fight.
Emphasize simplicity and high-percentage
techniques
It is vitally important in the street to keep things
very simple. The simpler a technique is, the more
likely it is to succeed. The more complex a
technique is, the more likely it is to fail.
However, it doesnt always work that way in a
dojo or competitive bout between two martial
artists. In that environment, using complex and
sophisticated methods can catch your opponent
off guard. The simple methods will be more easily
recogni zed and countered so i t can be
advantageous to use methods that are off radar.
In almost all combat sports, much of what was
winning fights a few years ago is now obsolete
because it is easily recognized and hence easily
countered. Competitors need to enhance,
disguise and evolve their techniques if they are
to keep winning. Complex and indirect can work
fine in the dojo or in sport. The complex and
indirect wont fare well in the street, however.
When sparring for the street, be sure to stick
to the basics. Many martial artists inadvertently
associate the term advanced with better. That
is not how it works in the street. There is the
basic stuff that works; and the advanced stuff
that doesnt work. There are no such things as
advanced self-protection or advanced street
fighting. When sparring for the street, keep
everything simple and avoid any temptation to
get clever.
It is also important to emphasise techniques
that will have the greatest effect. A head shot
will have a greater effect than a strike to the body.
A strangle will finish the fight, but a joint lock may
not (you cant fight when you are unconscious,
but you can fight with a broken joint). Methods
such as body shots and joint locks still have a
role to play, but priority should always be given
to the techniques that will end the fight the
quickest.
For street sparring, stick to techniques that are
simple, have the best chance of working, and
are likely to have the greatest effect.
Vary the numbers (real fights arent always
one on one)
This is a big one! Dojo and competitive sparring
is almost always one on one. Street situations
arent like that. They can be one on one: they
can also be loads of other things. Its therefore
very beneficial to mix up the numbers when
sparring for the street.
Successfully fighting off two or more assailants
isnt anywhere near as easy as depicted in the
martial arts movies. With enough commitment
and ferocity it is possible successfully take on
more than one person, but it is never advisable
to do so.
The subject of multiple opponents is frequently
overlooked in the martial arts world with most
training focusing on the one on one scenario.
Practising against multiple opponents will help
prepare you for if the worst happens. Such
training also brings home some really important
lessons about how you should face street
situations. Some martial artist attempt to justify
the lack of training against multiple opponents
by stating that successfully outfighting multiple
opponents is impossible. It is true that outfighting
committed multiple opponents is extremely
difficult (not impossible); however, it should also
be understood that you dont need to outfight
multiple opponents in order to protect yourself
from them.
A few years ago I was teaching street-based
sparring drills to a mixed ability group. As part of
this session we were practicing two-on-one
sparring. At one end of the room was a young,
relatively inexperienced martial artist who was
visibly nervous at the prospect of having to
simultaneously face two opponents. At the other
end was a group of extremely experienced
martial artists. The members of this group had
multiple black belts and were all skilled fighters.
This group was actually excited at the prospect
of getting to test their skills against two
opponents.
14 - Jissen Magazine
When I signalled for the fights to begin, the
experienced martial artists went off with all guns
blazing but invariably were quickly taken off
their feet and beaten up by their colleagues. By
contrast, the inexperienced martial artist did not
want to test his skills. He wanted out of there! He
ran all around the dojo and hardly had a punch
land on him.
The moral of the story is that when faced with
more than one person, dont stay and fight them
but instead run away the instant you can. As I
said earlier, you dont need to outfight multiple
opponents in order to protect yourself from them.
Sparring with multiple opponents really brings
this lesson home and lets you practice your
escape skills.
Sparring with multiple opponents also teaches
you a lot about how you should face a single
opponent in the street. What begins as a one-
on-one situation in the street or bar can quickly
escalate. Criminals frequently work in gangs; just
because you cant see them doesnt guarantee
they dont have backup near by.
As an example of how the possibility of multiple
opponents changes things, lets briefly discuss
ground fighting. In the dojo taking the opponent
to the floor and trying to finish the fight on the
ground with a triangle choke or other such
technique can work great (Photo 1). However, if
you use the same methodology in the street, a
second person could get involved and you would
get stamped flat (Photo 2). Fights can go to the
ground so its something you need to include in
your training and sparring, but its never the smart
choice in the street.
A friend of mine was once mugged at an ATM
by what he initially thought was just one person.
Hes a big guy and told the mugger to leave him
alone (well, thats not what he said, but I have to
meet my own editorial standards!). At that point
the mugger pointed across the road where his
previously unseen colleague opened his jacket
to reveal a huge knife. My friend wisely decided
to hand over his cash. He could also have hit
and run, but I feel he undeniably made the smart
choice. However, what would have happened if
hed decided to fight? Or worse yet take the fight
Photo 1: In the dojo taking the opponent to the floor can work great
Jissen Magazine - 15
to the ground? I think we can safely say that the
initial one on one exchange would not have
stayed that way for long and my friend would have
been stabbed.
In your street sparring be sure to play with the
numbers: one on two, one on three, two on three
etc. Youll learn a lot about how to approach real
situations.
Spar when exhausted
Real situations are very stressful. Your heart rate
will go though the roof, you may feel nauseous,
your muscle control will be greatly reduced, you
will want to be anywhere else on earth, and you
may feel frozen to the spot. Being mentally and
physically able deal with these sensations is a
key part of preparing for the street.
A good way to recreate these sensations is to
fight a fresh opponent when you are exhausted.
I dont mean a little bit tired, I mean exhausted!
Your heart rate will be high, you may feel
nauseous, your muscle control will be greatly
reduced, you will want to be somewhere else and
you wont feel like fighting. Not wholly unlike a
street situation.
There are a great many ways to exhaust
yourself. You can do some intense exercise
before sparring, do a lot of pad work, or just spar
with a number of fresh opponents back to back.
However you go about it, sparring when
exhausted should be part of your street sparring.
You may not want to go to extremes every
session, but you should do it frequently enough
that you get used to functioning under stress. If
you dont get used to it, all the skills you posses
will be rendered redundant by the intensity of
the situation.
There are lots of different ways to spar and all
have value. Most martial artists train for a wide
range of reasons aside from self-protection.
However, when training for the street, it is
important that your training methods accurately
reflect the nature of street situations. I hope the
10 keys we have discussed in this series will help
you structure your sparring in a way that is as
realistic as possible.
Photo 2: Use the same methodology in the street and you could get stamped flat!
16 - Jissen Magazine
HOW TO SURVIVE A KNIFE ASSAULT?
BE CAREFUL WHO YOU PISS-OFF!
by Rev. Arthur Chenevey
A
dvice? Ah, fools wont heed it and wise
men dont need itso why on earth am I
writing this?
There exi st great bodi es of wri tten
misi nformati on, depi cti ng systemati c
applications of unarmed and armed human
beings attempting to protect themselves from
violent and brutal edged-weapons assaults. The
large majority of these methods border on wishful
thinking at best and down-right lethal lunacy (to
the defender) at worst.
Lets understand one thing right here, right now.
The author of this article is not selling any
method. I wish to shed light on the highly
profitable and highly pretentious arena of so-
called knife fighting and knife-defense systems
and methods.
Often, the methods being marketed and taught
somehow attempt to associate these methods,
the instructors and/or students with the elite
military and elite law enforcement groups,
offering an implicit yet very inaccurate verification
of the systems validity in safely managing edged-
weapons assaults. Just because one teaches to
military and law enforcement personnel, either
privately or official government contract, does not
mean the method is valid. Just because one can
state he or she has served under the umbrella
of an elite military or law enforcement moniker,
does not automatically validate individual
expertise for successfully manipulating an
extremely belligerent and determined assailant
hell-bent on carving his initials in a persons
throat.
We must keep everything within a proper
perspective.
How many people who teach some form of knife
work, knife fighting and/or knife defense have
actually survived a determined lethal assault
against a knife wielding maniac fully committed
to killing with his weapon? In such a case, scars
upon the body and scars upon the mind are a
true testimony of one survival skills here.
I have witnessed far more knife-fighting
instructors, regardless of the discipline (Oriental,
Occidental, Filipino, Indonesian, Apache,
Renaissance, Medieval, ad nauseam) who offer
only a systematic best guess as to how they think
they might offer applicable resistance to counter
blade attacks.
Some of these theories and best guesses are
well-researched, using FBI stats, LEA stats and
Security Company stats. They work out the
details in their gyms, garages, and back yards
justifying their sparring methods as transferable
skills. Unless they are using live blades, its not
the real thingnot even close. There are a few
instructors who, by profession or otherwise, have
had the opportunity to witness knife assaults and
draw upon this experience. Many systems
teaching knife work, defensively or offensively,
are grossly lacking in situationally correct,
proactive approaches, simply because these
souls have no real understanding of just how
brutal and explosively chaotic a dynamic lethal
force encounter with a blade is.
Few systems involved in knife applications
defensive and offensivearrive from actual,
personal combat experience dealing with edged
weapons assaults. Many argue that their specific
systems have originated from the personal
experience of their instructors or their instructors
instructors from long ago. What occurs is that
the evolutionary process of teaching in a
commercial environment automatically and
seriously dilutes the practicality of any genuine
combative system when it evolves distant from
the battlefield. All battlefield methods must be
bolstered with actual violent combat to remain
current. I have witnessed first hand some of this
now deceased old timers and their students who
now teach these methods. What I see being
Jissen Magazine - 17
taught now compared to what the Old-timer
taught are universes apartuniverses.
The harsh reality of knife combatives is that it
is, and has always been about one human being
killing another. A knifea blade of any kindis
lethal force. And killing and stopping killing is
always about mind-set, not about physical
technique.
I have had the opportunity over the past 48
years of bei ng i nvol ved i n combati ve
environments and acting as a combatives
instructor, to observe and bear-witness to, and
yes survive the harsh world of lethal force
encounters(hot and cold weapons)not in the
dojo or training hall or back-yard groupsbut in
the real world. Most systems of knife work,
regardless of the discipline, that I review, observe
and critique today in the commercial martial arts
arena are scary nonsense! I make no apologies.
What makes good knife work, good knife
defense? Understanding the brutal horror of the
act of using a knife and stopping this act of lethal
force, is the fundamental viewpoint upon which
to scrutinize said systems, and whether or not
the system affords you the correct training to
develop and hone all the necessary skills of
situational awareness leading to avoidance of this
violent encounter as your primary tool. If the
facility does not use awareness and avoidance
and train this awareness and avoidance as the
principal defensive weapon against potential
knife attacks, then this school has no concept in
what a real knife encounter is about. Fragile egos
who do not know are running the show
The knife when utilized by one human being to
terrorize or destroy another human being, is by
i ts structure (and we al l know structure
determines optimum use, i.e. function of a tool)
a brutal, fast moving, extreme-close-quarters tool
of lethal force capacity.
Rarely do two adversaries square up and fence
with their respective blades in some kind of duel
for position, justice, lunacy or power. Enraged
neighbors may plunge a screw driver into your
shoulder or back as you walk away for reasons
only he may be able to justify; a husband or a
wife may drive a kitchen knife into the respective
spouses abdominal cavity for assumed infidelity.
A rapist may use a razor to the throat of the victim
demanding compliance or else. A mugger may
use a box cutter to sever the purse strap from
the vi cti ms shoul der, but rarel y do two
adversaries, equally armed with knives pair up
and duel. Even one who is armed with a knife
facing one without a knife is rare and easy to
manage. There is space and time, so the one
without the knife needs to simply run as hard as
he can to get out of there and into a safe place.
Dont close with the knife and expect your tapping
or parrying or gunting skills to work. If you believe
this, as you close, you may find one blade in your
liver while another is deployed to sever deep into
your carotid.
Professional knife work is about serious
ambush and surprise, about taking something
of extreme value from another person via lethal
force. The possession of value may be life, limb,
virtue or property. And if you are on the receiving
end of such a professional blade, its way too
late to be sorry about pissing off the wrong
people. Amateur knife work is about rage,
uncontrollable anger, and hate picking up whats
available and plunging it into the chest of the
perceived source of this misplaced rage.
Rev. Arthur Chenevey
18 - Jissen Magazine
Military knife work is a truly strange animal.
Todays sol di ers, el i te or otherwi se, are
shootersnot knifers. At best, the knife is a mere
tertiary weapon, and more likely used to clean
toe nails, finger nails, or pry-open ammo boxes
than to be used as a personal defensive/offensive
weapon. Empty-hand skills are learned in some
of the more elite units in order for an operative to
momentarily fend or ward off the edged weapon
to gain entry to the primary or secondary weapon
needed to terminate the threat via superior
ballistics placement. With Marine and Army units
being deployed to maintain peace within an
asymmetrical warfare environment against gung-
ho insurgents, it is essential for the soldier to
become proficient in those specific transitional
skills allowing the individual to smoothly and
swiftly transit from weapon system to weapon
system, or from empty hand skills to weapons
systems. These transitional skills must be learned
under the kind of conditions (severe noise,
smoke, smells, confusions, distractions and
resistive violence) that mimic the duress of life
and death combat. In is my not so humble opinion
that these transitional skills must be ingrained if
a soldier is to be classified as completely trained.
An example of the military and where the
importance of the edged weapon ranks, in the
war in which I had the honor of serving, the
enemy, though made out to be a mythical,
mystical killer, was a mere mortal like all of us
though often highly competent and efficient killer.
The majority of our casualties came from bullets
(18,452). Booby-traps accounted for another
7,429. Artillery and rockets claimed 4,909 U.S.
lives. Another 8,451 were taken by multiple
fragmentation wounds. 943 were murdered within
our own ranks, and the weapons of choice were
for the murders were firearms and grenades
not knivesthough a few edged weapons were
used. 50 died from other causes from the enemy,
bayonets, bludgeoning, with less than a handful
from what could be presumed as blade or
machete wounds.
What are the terrorist weapons of choice today?
They are the RPG-7 and Improvised Explosive
Devices, not knives. Box cutters were allegedly
used to hijack the jets that became living guided-
missiles, responsible for killing thousands of
innocent human beings on that horrifically fateful
day of 9/11. Surprise attacks with edged weapon
were allegedly used to procure the weapon of
choicetons of jet fuel. I wonder if one of the
modern day martial arts grandmasters of knife
fighting had been on any one of those flights, if
the outcome would have been different. Hmm.
Law enforcement personal on both sides of the
Atlantic must be able to deal with edged weapons
attacks, both static threats and vicious and violent
assaults. From what BBC recently reported,
teenage knife assaults are epidemic in London.
Predators attacking preythe armed against the
helpless? Thats how knifers work. They dont
want to fight fair or duel or spar. They want what
they want, and too often they are adept enough
to catch the intended victim off guard and
unawarekilling with a blade to get what they
desire.
Splitting hairs, Corrections officers are the
human beings most likely to encounter edged
weapons on a consistent basis, and the attacks
wi thi n such a confi ned envi ronment are
consistently in the form of surprise, committed
assaults from assailants with nothing to lose or
something to prove. Yet such assaults are very
rare against the officersa more common
occurrence is inmate on inmate violence using
the blade of some configuration.
Learning contemporary knife fighting has
always appeared to be high-end, popular
curriculum in the commercial martial arts area,
and I can only presume why. Fun, different, easy
to teach because of the drills, delusions of
securityI not sure.
Learning to deal with surprise knife assaults
and lethal force encounters, regardless of your
profession, career choice, or duty bound
responsibilities will always center around
situational awareness. Defense is always about
awareness, awareness and more awareness.
The knife is an extreme, close-quarters tool,
meaning that the blades effective lethal range is
from your wrist to your elbow, when your elbow
is placed against your side and the hand is held
out, parallel to the floor. Thats not much space
between you and the assailant wielding the
edged weapon, which also means the assailant
must get really, really close to use his tool
effectively. If one is aware enough and can pick
up that someone is about to draw some sort of a
weapon from a concealed carry, the draw can
Jissen Magazine - 19
be fouled and empty hand striking skills against
the would be assailant can commence until the
threat is controlled and contained. But awareness
is need with correct perceptual abilities to see
and foul a draw of a weapon before the weapon
impacts our personal body.
So when you walk up to a Cash-Machine, check
it out first (run some simple recon of the area).
Be insightful enough to think ahead so that you
will get your cash during the day, and you wont
need to use the ATM. Look at the cash machines
as a watering hole for predators and when you
go to one to get cash, make believe that you are
the deer. Modern, walk-up-walk-to conveniences
provide predators with more targets and
opportunities to strike. And the knife is a terror-
inducing tool of great effectiveness.
When five feet separates two people, it takes
time and space to close the gap in order for one
human to touch another (The 21 feet rule of
shooter from knifer that has dominated law-
enforcements knife training paradigms in the U.S.
for way too long has no basis in reality,
whatsoever. The measurement concept is a
bogus principle, and it needs to be re-evaluted).
It is this time and space that are the greatest
weapons against the blade. As we can see,
situational awareness, being vigilant of our
surroundings, of where we frequent, of when we
frequent an area, and how we go about our day
is what allows us NOT to be surprised and
determines whether or not we will be ambushed
by a knife wielding adversary.
Also understand that knife attacks DO NOT
come from out of nowhere. When we are
surprised it is because we failed to accurate
perceive and anticipate the existing antecedents
that precede any and all attacks. There will be
cluesALWAYS. Whether we discern these
clues prior to an attack is determined from our
degree of acute sensitivity to these clues.
If we are aware of how we treat people,
hopefully, it is with respect but with firm
authoritative parameters, we are unlikely to piss-
off the wrong people who might be so inclined
to use a blade to resolve their personal issues
with our rudeness. Be careful of who you piss
offsimple enough!.
Be aware of those with whom you choose to
associate. Men and women with deep-seated
personal insecurities, unresolved anger issues,
severe emotional disturbances, fragile egos and
poor personal identities are often easily triggered
into irrational acts of physical expression and
violence.
Self-defense against the knife is not about being
able to fight against the actual tool. This is crazy
at best. Self-defense against the knife is simply
about establishing and maintaining a very
accurate and acute form of si tuati onal
awareness; developing a strong and humble
sense of Self; being over all polite with the people
around you who you do not know; and
maintaining a sense of space around you such
that, when someone violates this space, you are
able to immediately remove yourself from the
danger before the danger becomes a problem.
I can already here it. Ah, I want to know how
to take care of myself. What if I am in a pub and
someone pulls a knife on me?
Well, why did you allow this incident to get this
far? What did you do to piss this person off? Be
nice, respectable and pleasant. If someone is
20 - Jissen Magazine
taunting you into fighting because he feels a tad
threatened with your presence, politely excuse
yourself, leave the pub and let that individual feel
like the Big Man. Such altercations are merely
ego-burps. The Fragile Male Ego is responsible
for way too many fights and way to many
senseless deaths on this planet. Besides, if
something isnt worth dying for, it certainly is not
worth fighting overas every wild and crazy fight
may mean someone dies. Can you live with a
death on your conscience? Humans can do
whatever they want, but that also means they
must live with that deed for the rest of their lives.
Feeling like we have to fight in order to feel
potent is neither sound motive for fighting nor a
sign of one who has grown wise about fighting. I
have known too many martial arts instructors
who were really superb athletes but miserable
people, who ended up dead in a back room, a
back alley, in a vehicle, shot, stabbed and/or
clubbed to death for pissing off the wrong people.
Some of these reported bad-assed instructors,
who have managed to survive, have wound up
in prison for life, finding out just how impractical
and inadequate their martial arts knife skills are.
And some cannot live with the responsibility of
serious harm to others and end their lives
themselves.
Once the ti me and di stance between
adversaries have dissolved and the blade is
roaring down upon flesh, the only hope now is in
attacking the attack. To defang the snake, we
achieve this by chopping off its head, not pulling
it teeth, not whacking at its hands. Violently attack
whatever the attacker offers you until he stops.
Its all out war, and you may die from your wounds
even if you survive the initial altercation.
Some of the greatest misinformation lies
around what happens to someone when cut or
stab. Biological differences make for a vast variety
of responses from the different individuals. I have
seen men horribly maimed and mortally wound
yet continue to fight and kill the enemy quite
effectively and unmoved by their mortal wounds.
I have also witnessed men with a mere flesh
wound crumble and cry, incapable of carrying
on the fight. No one knows how one will react to
a wound, nor can we predict how someone else
will respond. Expect the unexpected; prepare for
the worst.
When physically defending against the edged
weapon you better leave all preconceived notions
of what should happen and what could happen
alone. Focus solely on what needs to be done
right here and now in order to keep yourself as
safe as possible, all the while stopping the threat
by any and all means necessary. Remember,
once the circumstance has digressed to physical
violence, its fast, close, and chaotic. One big
DONT: DO NOT FOCUS on trying to grab the
knife hand. You will not succeed if you try. If the
hand is theregiven to you out of mistake or
default or static positioning, and you are able to
secure the arm, take the knife arm with a
controlling over hook or under hook. However,
you better be smashing his face and head with
your free hand and kneeing him in the groin and
thighs, otherwise, you will lose the securing hand
for good. You may even be able to secure a under
hooking shoulder-lock takedown, while smash
the assailants face with knee attacks. This worked
well once, against an overly extended upward
screw-driver assault. It was awareness that was
able to catch the under hook, circle back step
while smashing the face and wrenching the break
down into the knee attacks to the face. There
was a lack of awareness before and during the
approach of this assailant. Luckily, there was
enough awareness upon the initiation of the
assault, cued by the abruptness of the lurch
forward to tell me what he was doing before he
was able to do it. Awareness and attitude saved
menot the movements to counter the assault.
Without the awareness and the do or die attitude,
this article would not be a reality.
The best knife defense is to not let the situation
get to this point through situational awareness.
Because when it does get to this point, attitude
is what winsnot technique. And most of what I
have seen over the years passing as knife
defenses in the commercial martial arts arena
seriously misses the boat of being anything
practical or realistic enough to protect the person
who has allowed his or her guard to drop enough
to be assailed with an edged weapon.
If you fall to the ground, well, thats another
article. BUT You better understand good ground
grappling basics, and own a hard-as-nails, never-
give-up attitude with a deep understanding of
how to use a knife with lethal force, because if
you fail to fully know and work well in any one of
Jissen Magazine - 21
these areas, and you do go to the ground with
someone hell-bent on killing you with a knife
YOU ARE DEAD!!! PERIOD!!!
How do we trai n for kni fe defenses?
Wowthats a loaded question.
I rarely see any martial arts school capable of
training the way one needs to train for such life
and death scenarios. The military and police
SWAT or HRT organizations are the only facilities
that possess the funds and opportunity to create
genuine simulations of true violence needed for
real battle-inoculation and familiarization to lethal
force encounters. They use their time and funds,
however, for tactical firearms training and what
is required to support the advantage of maneuver
and fire for their operators during firefightsnot
knife fightsremember the transitional skills?
This supports good tactical firearms deployment.
For any private sector training facility trying to
mimic combat conditions, the legal ramifications
from negligent accidents would bankrupt a
private firm. The majority of private firms offer
many contrived and artificial battlefield/street
simulationssome highly innovative, but their
bottom-line is safety from litigation, then training
as best we can from that platform. If practitioners
dont know this, what they feel as real is merely
an illusion. Its the difference between knowing
we are handling a nonpoisonous black snake
verses a poisonous cobra. Knowing what real
is helps, and we might be able to better guide
our visualization of the hard-core difficulties
managing lethal force encounters with a knife.
This occurs, though, only when the instructor
actually is cognizant of the terror of such violence
through first hand experience and survival, and
can responsibly convey this truth within a safe
learning and instructional format.
We can suit up and bang away with rubber
knives, aluminum trainers, wooden/rattan sticks
or the latest rageshock knives. We can engage
in force-on-force training, going hard with full-tilt
boxi ng, ki cki ng, grappl i ng, throwi ng and
controllingslamming the bodies hard on and
around the mats, in the grass, on the garage
floors. Its all necessary trainingI do it. But it all
falls short of the real thing. And responsible
trainers and instructors who know real combat
and know this fact about their trainings limitations
explain this to their students to prepare them for
and inoculate them against the horrific nature of
Jissen ( actual combat editor) with a knife or
other edged weapon is involved. This is not about
playing; its about survival
22 - Jissen Magazine
Debunking Taekwon-do Myths
by Stuart Anslow
T

here are many preconceived notions on
what is and what is not part of the Chang
Hon system of Taekwon-do. These are
brought about by instructors or associations
teaching what and how they want, which is not
in itself wrong, but it does confuse the student
sometimes. Here we explore some of those
myths as well as listing what makes Taekwon-
do different from other styles, especially its father
art, Shotokan Karate.
Taekwon-do is Mostly Kicks
Taekwon-do is often cited as being mainly a
kicking art, but in actual fact is has many more
hand techniques than kicks, at a guess I would
say the hand techniques out number the leg
techniques by around 8 to 1 (I once read there
are over 2000 hand techniques, but Ive never
actually counted them to verify this).
W.T.F. (Worl d Taekwon-do Federati on)
Taekwondo helps proliferate this argument, with
its competition format scoring on virtually kicking
techniques alone. I.T.F. competition does the
same thing although it scores hand techniques
more readily, kicks score more as they are
considered harder to perform. I.T.F. competitions
want to promote this spectacular side of the art
as it often looks better than a slug fest using just
the hands and shows part of the technical
expertise and grace that many Taekwon-do
performers have. There is nothing wrong with this
and in the main I agree with how I.T.F. based
competitions are run, as I too enjoy seeing the
kickers perform. However, this is competition and
many students and especially those who do not
train in Taekwon-do cant dissimilate this is
competition from this is Taekwon-do. Other
connotations about Taekwon-do due to its sport
side are abound, mostly from other ill informed
martial artists, but if we do nothing to change
their views, including via our training methods
and they do not delve deeper than what they see
i n a magazi ne or on a vi deo, thi s
misrepresentation will persist, as its up to the
instructors not the student.
Taekwon-do is Touch Contact
This is a fallacy born from the semi-contact form
of ITF based competition. In ITF competition
sparring, contact is suppose to be controlled,
though in many of the competitions I have been
in as a black belt, the contact levels have varied
between medium, to hard, to occasionally full
contact. The difference is the rules. The actual
rules for ITF competition state light contact and
it is really up to the judge to enforce it. I have
never gone i nto a fi ght i n an ITF based
tournament and deliberately gone in with heavy
contact. The problem stems from the referees
not enforcing rules properly and thus, if an
opponent went heavy on me and the referee
didnt pull them up, then I had no choice but to
give as good as I got.
Those outside of Taekwon-do simply see ITF
based competition, with two opponents skilfully
controlling their techniques (and it is a skilful
opponent that can fight fast and intensely and
still control their techniques, as those less skilled
rely simply on brute force) and summarize that
this represents Taekwon-do as a whole. The fact
that in many dojangs, competition sparring is the
only sparring helps further promote this.
My good friend from Poland, Piotr Bernat, has
told me that most Polish competition sparring is
Jissen Magazine - 23
heavy and full contact and unlike WTF sparring,
allows punches to the head (Competitors wear
the same protective equipment as in any
standard ITF based tournament) so even in
competition, its not strictly true.
Competition aside, in training I have had many
heavy contact sessions with fellow black belts.
Seniors in my classes spar from light to medium
to heavy contact and are also allowed to use
take downs, sweeping, low kicks, trips and throws
at the same time, depending on the type of
training we are doing.
Hosinsol is often performed with techniques at
full power, but stopped short to avoid injury.
Obviously one cannot strike full contact to a vital
point as it would cause major damage to a fellow
student, however the strikes are thrown at full
speed and intensity and blocks are often utilized
at close to full power unless hitting a joint or vital
point.
The pattern applications show the full contact
state of Taekwon-do. Techniques are designed
to maim, kill or destroy an opponent and without
full power, this cannot be achieved, hence why
patterns practice and more so, patterns practice
with visualization, is so essential to maintaining
this element.
Taekwon-do Contains No Low Kicks
Another fallacy born from competition only
sparring. Students are geared to think they must
always kick above the waist. And whilst this is a
good criteria for children, beginners and junior
grade students, due to their lack of targeting skills
and control, it is not such a major issue to a more
skilled student who can chose when to hit hard,
where to strike and when to pull a technique for
safety. The problem exists and many clubs these
days are so competition orientated that they are
never allow to blossom into this area which is
vital for a full rounded arsenal of techniques. The
patterns themselves contain low kicks, so
students should be allowed the freedom to train
in areas that overlap. Patterns, sparring and
hosinsol (self defence) all overlap onto each other
forming what is really Taekwon-do, as each on
their own are just parts of the whole.
Taekwon-do doesnt allow Sweeping
Again, another myth perpetrated by competition
and further enforced by schools that only
concentrate on competition sparring. Sweeping
is as much a part of Taekwon-do as kicking is.
Again, even in controlled sparring, sweeping can
be practiced by more senior students. Again, the
patterns incorporate sweeping techniques, some
which are obvious and other which are not so
obvious.
Taekwon-do doesnt Contain Locking
Techniques
Taekwon-do contains many locks (and breaks)
if we study properly. Early in its development
Taekwon-do incorporated elements of another
Korean art, Hapkido, including many of its joint
locks. However, someone deemed much of them
either too long, too complicated or not instant
enough so they were discarded and those that
were kept centred around being quick to apply
or causing a break and not just a lock. Many
locking techniques can be found within the
patterns.
Taekwon-do doesnt Contain Throws
The encyclopaedia of Taekwon-do published by
General Choi contains a whole section on
throwing and falling. This section contains throws
such as hip throws, body drops, even the classic
inner thigh throw. If its not being taught to the
student, its not because it is not part of Taekwon-
do. Deeper inspection of the patterns also reveal
many throwing techniques as you will discover.
24 - Jissen Magazine
Taekwon-do Contains Weapons
Contrary to what you may see in some Taekwon-
do schools, Taekwon-do contains no weapons.
No weapons training and no weapons patterns.
These are extra parts brought in from the outside
by instructors, some as a means of enhancing
their students knowledge in martial arts, but often
as a means of hiding their lack of deeper
knowledge and often as is the case these days,
simply to charge the students more money.
Taekwon-do was an art designed for soldiers
and soldiers carry guns. Taekwon-do was there
if they couldnt use their gun (rifle or bayonet) for
one reason or another, they didnt carry poles
and sticks just in case they dropped their rifles.
However, Taekwon-do contains what I like to term
anti-weapons techniques and training. These
are techniques and applications specifically
designed against weapons such as knives, clubs,
sticks, poles, bayonet attacks and even against
pistols. Many anti-weapons applications are
found within the black belt patterns though a
student gains an introduction unwittingly as early
on as Joong-Gun tul.
All the above Taekwon-do doesnt contain
myths are due to a lack of knowledge in certain
areas by i nstructors or si mpl y because
instructors left whomever they were with before
gaining a full appreciation of the art. Many
modern Taekwon-do books further support this
myth by not showing or even mentioning them.
Taekwon-do Patterns are only for (insert
here)
Many students are lead to believe that patterns
are simply a form of practice for balance, fitness,
poise, technique, smoothness and other reasons,
totally disregarding the self defence aspects.
Though when asked to recite the definition of Tul
(Patterns) they happily stand there and say Tul
is a series of offensive and defensive movements
set in a logical sequence against one or move
imaginary opponents.! This is the standard
definition of patterns that virtually all students
give but still it is ignored! A series of offensive
and defensive movements sounds like self
defence to me! The word opponents also implies
the same!
In the Encyclopaedia, General Choi states
Patterns are various fundamental movements,
most of which represent either attack or defence
techniques, set to a fixed or logical sequence.
He further goes on to mention the other benefits
of practicing patterns, but before the extra
benefits, it is stated that patterns represent self
defence techniques, set out logically to aid the
students practice, meaning the foremost purpose
of patterns, is the practice of self defence.
Besides, does anyone really think someone
would spend forty plus years developing a system
for balance, poise etc and via so many exercises
(i.e. the 24 patterns)!
I can see how some may form the conclusion
that there is little realistic self defence value in
patterns training. The reasons may be as follows:
1 - The lack of variety in each movements as to
its actual usage
2 - The lack of any application beyond blocking
and striking (with a few exceptions)
3 - The seemingly static stances and pattern
movements
4 - The basic applications often shown
5 - The way patterns dont seem to correlate to
sparring
6 - The way they are taught in standard classes
(as just movements)
7 - The emphasis on technical excellence for
competitions
8 - The opinions of their instructor/group/
association, fellow students or other martial
artists
This is further enhanced by instructors and
organi sati ons, especi al l y i n regards to
competition and the emphasis placed on
technical merit to win gold medals. The spreading
of Taekwon-do around the globe also has a part
to play in this, as General Chois first concern
was uniformity and this is the way pattern
seminars have been conducted the world over,
with little of no time being given to the self
defence value.
Taekwon-do Patterns are for Historical
Purposes
Aside from the definition of Tul, which clearly
states that patterns are a form of self defence, I
cannot really believe that General Choi spent
over forty years creating something for historical
purposes only. In relation to the above, many feel
they are unrealistic and these reasons have led
to the conclusion by some groups or instructors
Jissen Magazine - 25
that the usage and practice of patterns are for
no more than historical purposes, allowing them
to spend less time on them and more time on
getting ready for tournaments etc. As a side note,
General Choi was opposed to tournaments as
he felt they didnt show Taekwon-do in its proper
light and that parts of the art have to be changed
or forfeited to ensure the safety of the participants
and to a large degree he was right. Pattern
performances really only show the shell and from
that, no one can tell if the egg inside is good or
bad or even if it has yolk at all! The focal point of
patterns training today is to excel in tournaments
and the same is true with regards to sparring
being totally tournament based in many clubs
is it any wonder the more underlying benefits of
patterns have been almost phased out!
Personally, I had a good tournament career and
feel they are both enjoyable and beneficial to
students. They even contain a few elements that
overlap fighting or self defence and are beneficial
to this area as well, like adrenaline management
and confidence. But, competition sparring is not
fi ghti ng and trai ni ng patter ns sol el y for
competition ensures the student misses out on
the real purpose of patterns and doesnt allow
the student to develop this area any further than
stage 1 of patterns training, as listed in the
forthcoming chapters.
Patterns Training is Dead Training
Some martial arts that place no value on pattern
practice also help to propagate this fallacy by
pointing out the above and claiming:
Patterns training is rigid, static and dead
training, as there are no resisting opponents
Well they are if they are looked at in that way
and have no self defence value above learning
techniques and how to distribute power into them,
but as you will see in the forthcoming chapters,
this is not the way it should be, was meant to be,
or has to be!
When you spar you do not use the
movements/techniques as they are in
patterns
Though this is debatable depending on what you
term sparring, as it is largely based on the
assumption that all Taekwon-do sparring is
performed like competition sparring. It also
pertains to sparring being confused with fighting
or self defence, but as any self protection
instructor will tell you, competition based sparring
is far removed from either self defence or fighting.
Competi ti on sparri ng i s j ust that for
competition. Traditional all in sparring allows
greater use of the patter ns movements,
especially the ones listed in this book, and is
more akin to fighting than competition, but is still
not the exact environment where patterns are
most suited as you will see. This is also discussed
in depth in the forthcoming chapters.
Patterns dont Work
Some 2000 years ago, Cicero, a Roman orator
listed the 6 Mistakes of Man. Number 3 was
Insisting that a thing is impossible because we
cannot accomplish it. It is therefore feasible that
though some may see little or no value in the
training of patterns it could simply be because
they were unable to make them work for them or
more likely, were not willing to invest the time
and effort to do so, deciding to quit patterns
practice to concentrate on areas they felt were
more beneficial. This is not to say they were
wrong, it was their path, it is however wrong to
denounce somethi ng j ust because you
personally see no benefit in it, even when others
do. Others simply talk the talk of their instructors
without ever actually knowing themselves as they
have started an art that has this ethos.
26 - Jissen Magazine
History however, speaks for itself, as for every
credible instructor that denounces patterns as
not working or as dead training, there are
hundreds or more acknowledged masters and
highly regarded students that went before them,
that saw them as the complete opposite,
enthused their benefits and trained them to
extremes, many of these masters are legends in
the history of martial arts but others still live and
breathe, putting into practice everyday the
benefits of their arts patterns or kata, in fact, one
of the senior police trainers in Okinawa is an
expert in kata applications and this is how he
teaches the officers under him.
I have yet to hear of a highly accomplished
patterns or kata master, suddenly denouncing
the training of them and if they did, this would
carry far more weight in my mind than someone
who has never placed a concerted effort into
patterns study or effort in training that area in
the first place. Only one who has in-depth
knowledge of something in the first place can
denounce it as useless!
Making Patterns Come Alive
The problem is that often, due possibly to the
reasons mentioned above, that the patterns are
not studied or taken to the depth of training that
they could be. Students reach 1
st
or 2
nd
dan and
feel they are advanced, whereas 1
st
degree is
just the start of training, meaning the student
has a good grasp of the basics. The student then
feels that patterns are repetitive, or wonders
whats the point of simply learning new sets of
movements with no basis and drifts towards
competition or sparring and finally feels they are
a waste of time and effort, simply doing them
because they are a student in a Taekwon-do
class, to prepare for tournaments or in order to
pass their next dan grade. For some students,
this is often short lived as they decide their time
could be better served in other areas of training.
All this can be rectified by following the training
methods detailed in Chapter 5 of my book
Ch ang Hon Taekwon-do Hae Sul : Real
Applications To The ITF Patterns and a new
appreciation of the patterns can be gleamed, as
the real benefits of pattern training becomes
apparent.
Reproduced from the book Chang Hon
Taekwon-do Hae Sul: Real Applications To The
ITF Patterns with permission specifically for
Jissen magazine.
Jissen Magazine - 27
E
very part of every movement in every
kata holds a valuable lesson in the
development of pragmatic combat for
self-protection and more. Each of these lessons
need to be learned, then understood and then
expanded positively with the open questioning
attitude of what if? Only then can we experience
the traditional forms fully and come to enjoy a
shining glimpse of the true potential they hold.
Its commonly agreed that the phenomena of
kata was a way of recording the most effective
fighting principles of a particular style, system,
strategy or individual and the huge increase in
the understanding of effective bunkai (analysis)
over the past few years has certainly helped to
provide strong evidence in support of this idea.
When Im teaching bunkai during a seminar or
lesson, participants often come up to me and
ask why sometimes my applications bear very
little resemblance to the actual technique(s)
performed in the kata. I may for example
demonstrate a particular application and state
that its from Chinto kata, even though there may
be no such similar looking technique performed
within the form itself. It becomes obvious to me
that a number of participants seem somewhat
let down by this because they believe that what
Im teaching is blatantly dissimilar to the
movements of the form. However, when I explain
the method of my madness, most come to agree
with my idea and are then able to see the
concealed relationship between the form and
function of the application for themselves.
In response to a number of requests, I thought
it would be a good idea to write a short article
about the generic, but critical three-stage
approach to generating applications from kata,
which will hopefully answer most of the questions
related to this issue. Before I go any further
though, I have to point out that this approach to
bunkai is simply my own personal interpretation
of what I believe to be true. It works very well for
me and for many others who hold the same or
similar views. Nevertheless, please take my
words in the way in which theyre intended - with
an open mind and in a fashion that does not go
in any way towards degrading the views or
opinion of others, especially those who may no
doubt be more highly skilled and experienced
than you or me. This is not an approach thats
been invented recently, but something that has
always been there and becomes apparent only
through the complete, combative study of
traditional forms. The method is classified and
structured through the Japanese words of,
omote, henka and ura. Lets first look at each of
the three stages, then gain an appreciation of
how each can be applied and see how all three
can be brought together to form a comprehensive
strategy for deciphering karate kata.
One thing that youll notice straight away is that
at no point have I begun to categorise either the
initial learning, the ongoing perfection of the kata
movements or other important training strategies
such as drilling the applications in different
environments or testing them against un-
compliancy. Even though these aspects are both
useful and vital to the complete study of kata
(and should therefore never be disregarded), I
feel that they are not strictly part of the bunkai
phase of learning. The three stages of analysing
kata as detailed below deal only with how an
i ndi vi dual woul d correctl y i nter pret the
movements contained within the form in a
technical way. Rather than clouding matters, I
think that like an umbrella, the training methods
used to accentuate your findings and make them
more functional should be considered to be
overarching and ongoing necessary additions
to be used in conjunction throughout, rather than
being discrete stand-alone components along
the way.
So, after the initial learning of the movements
within a particular form, the karate-ka is usually
then ready to start his or her study of the
applications contained within. Of course, the
general term for this analysis is called bunkai,
with applications or interpretations being referred
to as ohyo. Since this is only a relatively concise
article; rather than focus on a whole kata, lets
briefly analyse a series of commonly taught
movements from the pinan (heian) kata series
Adaptable Karate:
The three stages of kata analysis: Part 1
by Chris Denwood
28 - Jissen Magazine
of Anko Itosu and see how they can be
interpreted using each of the three stages.
Please bear in mind though that for the sake of
this article we are only dealing with a single
application from the opening sequence of Pinan
Godan (from Wado Ryu) as demonstrated in
pictures 1 to 4.
The first stage: Omote
To begin to understand the movements from the
kata, we need to first appreciate the ground rules
on which these apply and probably more
importantly, what would constitute a bad or
impractical application. Examples of these rules
would include aligning the movement as a
response against the typical real street attack,
rather than the educated attack of another
combat expert (i.e. head high kicks and long-
range gyakuzukis are out), or making sure that
from the onset, the application gains almost
immediate advantage over your antagonist and
maintains this throughout (i.e. from conception
to completion). I could go on and on about the
rules associated with pragmatic bunkai, but Im
assuming that with the substantial material
already covering this subject readily available,
you will be at the very least appreciative of the
idea. From this initial foundation, we can then
construct an application using the first stage of
omote.
The word omote can be defined as outside or
front and represents what can be seen in a
movement readily and easily. Unfortunately, this
is usually the end of the road for many who study
bunkai but in actual fact, it outlines only the first
part of your kata analysis. For kata to be useful
in the realm of self-protection, they need to (and
of course do) have a very practical meaning. For
something to be practically useful, it needs to be
adaptable. Why? Simply because combat itself
is never certain and the nature of fighting should
always consider the potential for change. That
said though, within the omote stage of analysis,
we tend to briefly embrace that luxury of a pre-
defi ned sequence and l ook at what the
movements of the form physically provide us with
as they are presented.
A typical application at the stage of omote can
be seen in pictures 5 to 11, which show a release
from a wrist grab, counter, seize and choke. There
are a couple of points to highlight here. Firstly,
youll notice that both upper limbs are being used
in a positive way. Secondly, that the application
uses the stances as transitional movements as
opposed to static or stationary postures. These
are both important points to consider in the
analysis of kata movements and its vital to
emphasise that fact that all practical and
efficiency aspects (not only these) should be
used where possible during even this first stage
of bunkai. Applications that have no practical use
or do not provide a meaning for all significant
movements should not really be considered at
any stage; not even at omote.
The second stage: Henka
Henka means change or transform and
represents the next level of kata bunkai. It is
based on the idea that the many slight differences
1 2 3
4
Jissen Magazine - 29
5
6
7 8
9 10 11
30 - Jissen Magazine
that can be seen in the same kata throughout a
number of styles are simply nothing more than
variations on a theme. We also know that during
the modernisation process of shuri-te, Anko Itosu
made slight alterations to a number of the
traditional forms in order to make them easier to
learn. Its also thought that a number of the
original hand weapon formations were changed
to the commonly used fist. This seems to make
sense because many of the Chinese forms that
pre-date karate heavi l y use open hand
movements, whereby the more modern
interpretations of the forms tend to focus more
on closed fist techniques. The Naha-te kata of
Sanchin is a typical example of this (since both
closed and open versions of this kata are
practiced). Theres nothing to suggest that these
small changes went as far to degrade the kata in
any way, it just illustrates the human urge to adapt
according to a particular purpose, approach or
preference.
The second stage of henka al l ows the
practitioner to become more open minded and
accept the possible slight variations to the
movement in order to see other options that may
not have been considered at first. It also takes
into account the fact that the movements in the
form represent the heart of the application and
therefore in many cases do not reference initial
strikes, finishers or other subtleties that may have
been either purposefully omitted (on the basis
that these are common strategies throughout
combat), or as a resul t of the aestheti c
modernisation of the form itself.
To give some examples of how the idea of henka
can be applied to your analysis, please consider
the variations shown in pictures 12 to 18 from
the same part of Pinan Godan kata as previously
described above. Here we can see the initial
attack being made less formal as a response to
an attempted groin seize and the additional use
of accentuating strikes before attempting to
escape the wrist grip as per the kata. In addition,
the second movement of the form (chudan
gyakuzuki - mid-level reverse punch) is shown in
slightly different ways (pictures 16 to 18), by
considering the possibility of what if? Here, the
outline of the form is being maintained, however
the weapon formation (i.e. fist, grab or open hand
strike etc), the height (i.e. gedan, chudan or jodan
etc) and the intention (i.e. as a strike, lock, or
throw etc) are being questioned. This allows us
12
13
14
Jissen Magazine - 31
to become more adaptive in our analysis and
instead of a limited number of direct applications;
we can now start to appreciate the fact that the
intention of the kata movement could be used
against a variety of situations.
Applying the stage of henka to your study will
greatly increase your understanding of not only
the form, but of the truths that surround the
general process of karate training. In other words,
it allows you to appreciate how the practical
aspects are stitched together in the art. Henka
still has its limitations though, because you are
still only left with what I call a box of tricks. For
instance, collecting ten thousand applications is
of no use if you cant appreciate and malleably
use the common principles on which these
techniques rest. Equating to principles is by far
the most useful way to train because it is the
techniques themselves that are a product of the
principles youve learned. This is where the third
and final stage of technically analysing kata
comes in.
So far Ive suggested that kata should be a
process of learning, rather than a single entity in
itself and Ive begun to explain the classical three-
stage method of technically analysing the forms.
In the second and final part of this article, I intend
to look at third stage of ura and discuss how we
can align our training towards the historical truth
that each single kata represents a complete
fighting system or style in its own right. If we can
equate our learning in this specific way, then even
the complete understanding only a couple of
forms can easily be enough food for thought to
last us a whole lifetime!
15
16
17
18
32 - Jissen Magazine
The Way of Kata
The Principles for Understanding Kata are Largely Unknown Until Now!
The ancient masters developed kata, or formal exercises, as fault-tolerant methods to preserve their unique,
combat-proven fighting systems. Unfortunately, they deployed a two-track system of instruction where an outer
circle of students unknowingly received modified forms with critical details or important principles omitted. Only
the select inner circle that had gained a masters trust and respect would be taught okuden waza, the powerful
hidden applications of kata.
The theory of deciphering kata applications (kaisai no genri) was once a great mystery revealed only to trusted
disciples of the ancient masters in order to protect the secrets of their systems.
Even today, while the basic movements of kata are widely known, advanced
practical applications and sophisticated techniques frequently remain hidden from
the casual observer. The principles and rules for understanding kata are largely
unknown.
This groundbreaking book by Kris Wilder & Lawrence Kane unveils these
methods, not only teaching you how to analyze your kata to understand what
it is trying to tell you, but also helping you to utilize your fighting techniques
more effectivelyboth in self-defense and in tournament applications.
Available from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk & ymma.com
This comprehensive book bridges the gap between form and
application in a realistic, easy-to-read and easy-to-apply manner
Loren Christensen, 7th degree black belt
Jissen Magazine - 33
The Way of Kata: Part 3
by Kris Wilder & Lawrence Kane
T
his is the third of several articles exploring
the hidden meaning of karate kata. This
material is an excerpt of various sections
from the book The Way of Kata: A Comprehensive
Guide to Deciphering Martial Applications by
Lawrence Kane and Kris Wilder. The purpose of
these articles is to unveil some of the methods of
analyzing and understanding kata applications to
make them relevant and meaningful for modern
karatekaboth in self-defense and in tournament
conditions.
Principles deciphering kata
In the previous articles we discussed that kata
applications are rarely obvious and that there are
a series of rules that can help practitioners
decipher hidden techniques. We briefly discussed
a number of the rules of kaisai no genri, the theory
of uncovering hidden techniques in kata.
We will now shift our focus to some of the
principles that form the philosophical context within
which valid kata applications can be identified.
They apply to most any martial art form that uses
kata, particularly striking arts such as karate. These
principles differ from the rules previously discussed
in that they apply broadly to all techniques rather
than to deciphering an individual kata movement.
To put it another way, the aforementioned rules
are tactical in nature, deciphering practical
applications from the specific movements of any
particular kata. The principles well delve into now,
on the other hand, form a strategic context within
which practitioners can identify what types of
applications work and thus weed out invalid
interpretations of bunkai (fighting applications)
from any kata. In order to make full use the rules,
one must understand the principles, the foundation
upon which they are built.
The first two of 15 principles will be covered in
this article and then we will then begin to explore
additional principles for understanding kata in
subsequent articles.
Principle 1 There is more than one proper
interpretation of any movement
In actual combat it will not do to be hampered or
shackled by the rituals of kata. Instead, the
practitioner should transcend kata, moving freely
according to the opponents strengths and
weaknesses. Gichin Funakoshi
There is more than one proper interpretation for
any movement in kata. As Morio Higaonna wrote,
None of the movements of the kata is restricted
to one applicationin a real fight the variations of
each application are unlimited. Of course there
are some interpretations that are better than
others. Practitioners are frequently taught only
basic bunkai (fighting applications) and/or kumite
(sparring). With a little creativity most can figure
out henka waza (variation technique) on their own.
Okuden waza (hidden technique), on the other
hand, requires a secret decoder ring. Its
applications are rarely obvious.
The pri nci pl e of more than one proper
interpretation is really about creativity, thinking
outside the box. We bring it up to spur your
experimentation. According to Iain Abernethy, it
is a grave error to insist that a kata movement has
only one single application. Each kata movement
has many possibilities. To limit oneself to a single
bunkai for a single movement is limiting to both
the individual and the art of karate. He is right, of
course. In fact the death of each master during
anci ent ti mes hel d the ri sk of i rrevocabl e
knowledge loss. One of the original three branches
of Okinawan karate Tomari Te, for example, is
pretty much a lost art today.
When a practitioner learns to apply various
principles and rules to decipher kata, such
knowledge should be passed along, at least within
that practitioners school. While we acknowledge
that newer students should not be overwhelmed
with esoteric knowledge, nor should immature
practitioners be taught lethal applications before
they are responsible enough to handle them, there
are very few truly valid reasons for instructors to
withhold secret techniques from their advanced
students.
Experiment! Have fun with your kata. Learn what
works and what does not. Look for the best
application for any given technique as it applies to
youyour unique physical characteristics and
body type, your mentality and emotional approach
34 - Jissen Magazine
to combat, and your other predilections. Decipher
and share secret techniques amongst other
practitioners of your style. What works best for you
may not be best for them. On the other hand, you
might just find a new interpretation that works even
better than whatever you came up with on your
own. Keep an open mind.
Principle 2 - Every technique should be able
to end the fight immediately
Bombs do not choose. They will hit everything.
Nikita S. Khrushchev
The art of striking an opponent, whether it is in
hand-to-hand combat or a technological warfare,
is always based on two principles: accuracy and
energy. Accuracy is simply hitting your target.
Energy is the amount of power you can project
into that target.
The most classic example of the trade-off of
accuracy versus energy was found in the cold war
between the United States and the former Soviet
Union. The United States decided that it could
strike multiple targets with just enough warheads
to totally obliterate each one. The countrys leaders
spurred the developed of precision guidance
mechanisms that could deliver lethal cargo within
inches of an intended target. Todays ubiquitous
global positioning satellite (GPS) systems are an
offshoot of that military technology.
The USSR, on the other hand, had less technical
skill, albeit substantially higher than most other
countries in the world. They chose to simply strike
with as much mega tonnage as they could get into
the air, destroying the target and everything for
miles and miles around. A deficiency in accuracy
for the Soviet military was solved through the
development of bigger bombs. It was a trade off.
Hand-to-hand fighting works in much the same
way. The more accurate you are, the less energy
you need with each blow. Most members of the
martial arts community have met an elderly
practitioner or someone of small stature who can
shatter bricks, boards, or bodies with effortless
grace. As accuracy and energy converge, the
results can be devastating. Each movement of a
kata is designed to cause serious bodily harm to
your opponent in the shortest amount of time
possible. This is most obvious with strikes, but that
is not the whole story.
Most times that you block an aggressive motion
you are actually striking your opponent. At the very
least, a good defensive movement should make
your opponent think twice about continuing to
attack you. Any time you touch an opponent you
should use that opportunity to damage them. We
have witnessed more than one real fight where a
martial artist broke, hyperextended, or dislocated
his attackers arm with a blocking technique.
Defensive movements that stop or redirect an
attack are just as likely as strikes to put the
opponent out of the fight.
Offensively or defensively, if you have accurately
attacked an aggressors vital area you can elicit
pain, temporary paralysis, dislocation of a joint,
knockout, or even death. Eye, ear, throat, solar
plexus, knee, and ankle blows can cripple or kill
someone. Punching a person in the stomach, on
the other hand, may just piss him or her off. All
useful applications cause physiological damage
to vital areas. It is critically important to understand
where these areas are and how your kata
techniques target them.
Acupuncture requires a high degree of precision
as you are using a tiny needle to stimulate the
nerve. A karate strike, on the other hand, does
not need to be nearly as precise. In general the
harder you hit, the larger the area you affect. Every
movement in kata is designed to hurt someone. If
you aim at a vital point, strike vigorously, and miss
slightly, it really doesnt matter all that much. To
go back to our opening analogy, you do not
necessarily need the pinpoint precision of a U.S.
nuclear missile if you hit hard enough like a larger
Soviet bomb.
All blows should be full speed and full power
every time. Realistically, its only a feint if an
opponent bl ocks i t. We have seen many
tournament fighters throw halfhearted fakes that
would have connected had they put sufficient zip
on their first strike. Instead, they were focusing on
the follow-throughs that were ultimately blocked
laughable faux pas in a sparring competition;
deadly mistake in a real fight.
The proper defensive mindset is him, down,
now! You simply cannot mess around in a real
fight and walk away unscathed. The ancient
masters understood this all too well. They could
not rely on modern medicine to repair damaged
cartilage, stop internal hemorrhaging, or stave off
infection. They intentionally designed every
offensive movement (and many defensive ones
as well) in every kata to immediately end the fight.
Perceived applications that do not do this are
simply wrong. In such cases there is a better, more
Jissen Magazine - 35
realistic application still waiting to be uncovered.
You just have to find it. Every technique should be
able to end a fight immediately.
Principle 3 Strike to disrupt; disrupt to strike
Whether fighting an enemy armed or unarmed,
keep him on the defensive. Chase the enemy with
your body and your sprit. This is excellent strategy.
You can easily open targets for yourself with a little
effort, but then you must have the courage to go
in and kill the enemy without delay. You must be
totally resolved when you are fighting; otherwise
you will easily lose. By constantly creating
difficulties for the enemy, you will force him to deal
with more than one thing, giving you the advantage
in killing him swiftly. Miyamoto Musashi
Your attacker is rarely going to stand there like a
makiwara (striking post) and let you apply your
techniques unopposed. You need to disrupt him
or her in order to be able to strike and strike to
disrupt. Get the opponent off balance, upset his
design, and move in for the kill.
This sounds ruthless, but it has to be. Remember,
if there were any way to avoid a confrontation, we
assume that you would have already taken it. The
Chinese sage Lao Tzu wrote, There is no glory in
victory, and to glorify it despite this is to exult in
the killing of men. As a trained martial artist, the
only fights you get into are those that are
completely unavoidable. That means that the
aggressor really wants to hurt you. Your life is on
the line!
There are several philosophies about how to
attack the body. The two fundamental versions are
multiple attacks versus one hit, one kill. Multiple
fast attacks from many angles can overwhelm an
opponent to the point that his defenses can no
longer function. One strike delivered to a vital area
with sufficient power, on the other hand, is all that
is needed for a victory. Both philosophies are valid
and built into the strategic foundation of various
arts.
When placed in a defensive situation the human
body reacts by covering its vital areas. Those vitals
can be best described as the centerline of the front
of the body, or the conception vessel. The
conception vessel runs down the exact center of
the body from just underneath the lower lip to the
area in front to the anus. Damage to the conception
vessel rocks a person to his or her core, physically.
Today much emphasis is placed on core body
strength. Whether in the National Football League,
the Canadian Football League, Major League
Baseball, Premier League Soccer, competitive
weight lifting, professional ice skating or even
Pilates, core body strength is pushed because it
provides the foundation for most physical actions.
In attacking the conception vessel, or cracking the
conceptor as it is sometimes called, you are
attacking with intent to destroy your opponent, to
render him or her unable to respond with further
attack. There are several means to crack the
conception vessel; however, we will focus on
striking since it is the most common.
As kids, our most common defense against
attacks by older siblings or unruly classmates was
to turn away, bend over at the waist, hunch our
back, and cover our head wi th our arms.
Occasionally we might move our hands around
hoping to swat away a blow. This response is rooted
in a natural reaction. These vital points, or soft bits,
need to be protected and the very structure of the
human body predetermines the way in which it
protects itself. We get small and cover up. The mind
then uses this natural pattern to fire off assisting
signals to accomplish the goal of defense and,
ultimately, survival.
People block, defend, or cover with their arms in
the same way in which they eat, from outside to
in. Again, this inward motion uses the bodys
natural response of getting small and covering up.
That is why inward blocks are faster than outward
ones.
Try this drill with a partner: One person will attack
(tori) while the other defends (uke). At first you will
work outside-in, and then repeat the exercise
inside-out. In both drills, tori pokes ukes chest
gently yet swiftly with his finger (almost like trying
to tickle the uke). At first uke will start with his arms
up and out to the sides, like the classic stance of
surrendering to the police. With each poke, the
uke drops his hand down and in to block. From
this starting position uke should be able to stop or
deflect every attack fairly easily, especially if he
reaches forward and intercepts toris attacks very
close to toris body.
From this benchmark, tori will change his attack
and aim for ukes shoulder. Once again uke will try
to block the attacks. Rather than down and in, his
arms will move up and out. This should be
significantly harder. Movements outward away from
the core are always slower and less natural than
movements in to protect it.
36 - Jissen Magazine
Now, lets get back to the philosophy of
overwhelming assault versus a single killing strike.
If you need to hurt someone severely, putting them
out of a fight, you need to attack his or her core,
the best defended area. Whether you use a single
attack or a million, you must disrupt the opponents
natural reaction in order to reach a vital area.
Practically, it is always best to assume that you
will need more than one successful strike to end
a fight. After all, there are several documented
cases of criminals continuing to attack police
officers after being shot multiple times. Bullets tend
to hit a bit harder and sink a bit deeper than fists.
If it takes less strikes to put down an attacker than
expected so much the better.
Either way, strike to disrupt/disrupt to strike is
a very effective methodology for breaking through
an opponents defenses. If you try to punch
someone in the face, for example, odds are good
that he or she will block it. Even untrained
individuals are instinctively good at protecting their
heads. Stamping on a persons foot or kicking his
or her ankle first, however, causes the head and
hands to follow the pain. The person involuntarily
looks down and flinches inward. This usually opens
up a shot to the head. You strike the foot, disrupting
the stance and concentration. This disruption
affords you an instant of opportunity to attack the
head.
Most kata work the body: striking to disrupt, and
then using the temporary disruption for an even
better strike. Attacks to the feet, knees, or ankles,
slaps to the ears, and assaults to the hands, wrists
or elbows are all obvious disruptive strikes that
are much easier to achieve than attacking the core
directly.
The idea is to work your way in, and then crack
the conception vessel. To ensure clarity, it is
important to understand that such actions can and
usually should be simultaneous rather than
consecutive. For example, the aforementioned
ankle kick/head strike can be performed with a
simultaneous right to left kick and left to right strike,
a kind of scissor movement. Furthermore, good
stances allow a practitioner to assault an
opponents legs with his or her own feet and/or
knees si mpl y by movi ng forward whi l e
simultaneously attacking with hands or arms.
Tap Drills 1: Start
Tap Drills 2: Inside
Tap Drills 3: Outside
Read more from Kris Wilder at his
blog, The Striking Post. at
www.thestrikingpost.blogspot.com
Jissen Magazine - 37
R
efl exes can be a tri cky term when
discussing martial arts and fighting as a
large number of martial artists do not
distinguish between actions that are under their
conscious control and actions that are not.
When you go to the doctor and have a medical
and he/she taps your knee with a hammer and
your leg twitches, that is a reflex. When your tongue
is depressed and you gag - that too is a reflex. You
are not consciously controlling it and you cannot
stop it. Do we have similar reflexes applicable to
combat? The answer is yes, the flinch. The body is
hard wired to protect itself from danger and given
the right stimuli, your flinch reflex will kick in. You
eyes will shut briefly and your hands and forearms
will attempt first to move to cover the command
centre (or perceived area of vulnerability) and
second to push away danger
I use the term right stimuli here because the
body only flinches when the brain consciously or
unconsciously perceives danger. You might note
that you rarely flinch in sparring or hardly ever see
flinching in the ring. This is where Blauer Tactical
Systems A-SAP model expl ai ns what i s
happening.
Whether you flinch or not as a course of action
is determined by your AWARENESS which is
empowered by your consent and skill. Consent can
be subdivided into professional and personal -
whether you are in a situation by choice/profession
or not, and whether you are mentally primed to be
there. The consent to participate for money and/or
enjoyment in an arranged ring fight and the consent
to be in an argument that escalates into a fight or
an unprovoked assault/mugging late on a Saturday
night are quite different beasts. In most real fights
one of the participants never really consented to
be there, and the catch up mental game that can
ensue until they accept that physical response is
the only solution will slow their reactions
(1)
. Skill
can also be divided into scenario specific and
attack specific. Here you can see how your
awareness is highly empowered in the dojo - you
know the rules, the etiquette and the techniques -
there are no real surprises, you even know you
are unlikely to get deliberately injured. The scenario
and skills form a comfort zone that empowers your
awareness. The scenario of being jumped in the
dark, of being subjected to verbal abuse at station/
bus stop will change the tools that you will want to
use, and if you havent trained the scenario you
may be too shocked to even use any skills. In the
same vein the pre-fight ritual for such a scenario
will be different to that of a dojo or competition, as
will the way the attack is made. If you have trained
for a particular scenario and attack and you have
mentally given yourself consent to engage then
your awareness will be high and you are more likely
to be able to make conscious as opposed to
reflexive responses to the stimuli.
Awareness can also be reduced as well as
empowered. The SPEED, AGGRESSION and
PROXIMITY of a sti mul us wi l l reduce
AWARENESS leading to a greater likelihood of a
flinch reaction.
The good news is that you do not need to train
the flinch - it is built in. The bad news is that if you
are spending time working other methods of
intercepting attacks then in the one instance when
you will truly need them, when you are SAP-ed,
youve spent a large amount of your time honing a
fairly redundant skill because you will flinch rather
than perform that complex motor skill.
Now if there are movements in Kata that mimic
the flinch - will practicing them improve your reflex?
No. Practicing them will improve your ability to fight
because following the fake flinch in the Kata you
move from that posi ti on i nto a combati ve
application. Thus what Kata can do is help you
make a transition from a natural hard-wired
Kata Training for Fighting Reflexes
by J. W. Titchen
38 - Jissen Magazine
protective movement into a trained combative
movement seem reflexive.
Thi s coul d be the most
important thing that Kata gives
us. There are clear differences
between the movements in
sparring and in Kata and the
key to those differences is that
both are reflections of differing
scenario and attack specific
ski l l sets. The awareness
created in the sparring and
sport arena makes redundant
the employment of natural
movements that the body will
use in a real arena (and if
youve pulled off your sport
techniques in that arena then
either you hit first or the other
guy telegraphed his intentions
so clearly or attacked so weakly
that your AWARENESS was
never SAP-ed). Kata by
contrast often mimics (though
now in stylised form) the flinch and then practices
moving from that to a combative strike. If you look
at the set up for all of Karates receiving techniques
- Age Uke, Shuto Uke, Uchi Uke, Gedan Barai and
so forth you can see an arm extended to ward away
danger and in many cases a hand attempting to
shield the head.
There is an intrinsic problem here that Kata gives
us the drills and skill sets needed to move from a
natural position in a self defence fight while
sparri ng i mproves our ti mi ng, hand eye
coordination, reactions and conditioning, while
failing to properly prepare us for what our body
will do under an extra dojo/mat situation when
someone attacks with none of the pre-contact cues
that sparring provides. Katas weakness is that we
are using it as a solo exercise rather than taking
its movements into the paired area of training. Kata
techniques do not work so well in sparring because
the stimuli and attacks that they are often paired
with are all wrong. Kata based sparring should
be against habitual acts of violence. There is a
truism in the joke that the Shotokan Kata Wankan
is a solo recreation of movements that were
originally intended to give a more productive
experience as a two person exercise.
If we are to make Kata a reflexive exercise then
we need to be able to use its initiation point in reflex
based techniques. As a result we need to mimic
the flinch. To train the almost-reflexive movement
from hard-wired flinch to combative counter the
Kata trai ni ng needs to be
paired. All the Kata drills I use
initiate from either a flinch
based movement against a
habitual act of violence or a
failed Kata attacking/controlling
movement following a flinch
based movement. As a result
with the Heian Flow System I
created an extensi ve Kata
based sparri ng reper toi re
where techniques fit together
like lego and you begin to
unconsciously shift between
techni ques and strategi es
accordi ng to sti mul i . Iai n
Abernethy has also produced
an extensi ve Kata based
sparring repertoire for students
to work on and Bill Burgar (Five
Years, One Kata) produced a
guide as to how to turn your
Kata into a two person training regime to create a
fighting system. The information that modern
Karateka need to bring their Kata training alive is
out there and steadily growing. When you consider
how much time youve spent drilling Kata solo, you
may find its time you did them justice by taking
them to the next level by experiencing their use as
two man training systems.
Note 1: When I describe physical response as the only
solution in this context (one of an actual fight as opposed to
an argument) I mean the recognition that all attempts at
negotiation and/or retreat have failed and that the other person
will hit first unless you do. Almost all fights can be avoided
by keeping appropriate company, avoiding locations where
trouble is likely to happen, learning good communication skills
and displaying appropriate body language.
Coach John Titchen teaches Defence Attack &
Resol uti on Tacti cs to students, educati on
professionals and corporate clients and can be
reached via his website www.d-a-r-t.org.uk, email
jwt.dart@gmail.com. He is also a Personal Defence
Readiness Coach with Blauer Tactical Systems
and an accredited instructor with the National
Federation for Personal Safety and is available to
teach both self-protection, use of force and the law,
physical restraint and Karate Bunkai seminars. The
authors new book, Heian Flow System - Effective
Karate Kata Bunkai, is available on Amazon and
through all good bookshops.
Jissen Magazine - 39
As a student the author enjoyed the power and grace of kata but was frustrated by the lack of intelligent
explanation available for the use of the techniques. The bunkai that resembled the kata was awkward and
implausible while the bunkai that seemed effective looked nothing like the actual movements in the kata.
Convinced that the movements must have had some form of combat effectiveness originally, he decided to
study, cross train and look out of the box himself to find an answer, an answer that led to the drills in this
book.
This book takes the 5 Heian Kata and breaks them down into progressively dynamic training and sparring
drills to teach students how to effectively counter the habitual acts of street violence. The drills all initiate
from movements that simulate the bodys natural primal and protective flinch responses to attacks, and
teach students how to close and create distance while moving freely between ballistic and grappling
techniques incorporating close range striking, trapping, throwing, unbalancing and locking movements that
mirror the forms. Each drill is clearly illustrated with photos and explanatory text. The drills interlink so that
students quickly find themselves able to move freely from one Kata to another mid attack and defence to
respond to the scenario created by their partner. The book also contains a detailed analysis of technique
effectiveness, an outline of the history of the forms and a discussion of the nature of violent crime and its
implications for martial arts practice.
This book shows how to change kata from a sterile solo exercise into a dynamic form that belongs at the
heart of your training. Whether you are interested in competition fighting or want to learn effective self
defence, the drills in this book will improve your understanding of kata, timing, distance and repertoire.
Heian Flow System will not only change the way you perceive these training forms, but also the way you approach all kata.
The author has trained in several martial arts and presently holds instructor grades in four separate systems. In addition to martial arts classes he
has taught in secondary education, university and the military. His research training as a Doctor of History has always focused his approach to Karate;
searching for effective answers to the question of bunkai. He is known for his practical approach to Karate training through his regular column in
Traditional Karate Magazine and has taught seminars across the UK and in the USA. In addition to his writing and research he works as a senior officer
in the Royal Air Force Voluntary Reserve Training Branch and teaches seminars across the UK between running two dedicated Personal Safety clubs
in Buckinghamshire, England
I recommend the careful study of this work - Bill Burgar
Dr. Tichens current work adds to the body of knowledge of the martial arts and
in particular to those who study the Heian Kata - Rick Clark
The books that I enjoy are the ones that I feel genuinely add something to the discussion and come at things from
previously unexplored angles. This is one of those books. - Iain Abernethy
HEIAN FLOW SYSTEM: effective karate kata bunkai
Available from Amazon.com & Amazon.co.uk
40 - Jissen Magazine
Naihanchi / Tekki 1
Bunkai by Oldman
Jissen Magazine - 41
42 - Jissen Magazine
Creating an Effective Application Do San
by Matthew Sylvester
M
any people are still of the mind that
patterns are something completely
removed from practical self-defence or
street situations. They practice them to perfect
their technique, to gain focus, to get their next
belt and to keep fit. These are all worthy and
valid explanations. They do not help the student
on what should be their true path through the
martial arts, self-preservation.
Patterns are not merely exercises of the body
and mind. They are not dances to be performed
to the best of your technical ability, although good
technique does mean good application of
technique under pressure.
Patterns are codified ways and means of
i ncapaci tati ng opponents. They contai n
techniques and combinations of techniques,
designed to at the very least injure an opponent.
Let me clarify three things.
1 - A technique can be anything from twin
forearm block, to walking stance, to a side kick.
A combination therefore contains either, or, or
all of these.
2 - A punch to the face hurts, a sidekick to the
side of the knee injures.
3 - Patterns were not designed to be used at
sparring distance. They were designed with in
your face situations in mind.
The systems of old used one pattern as the
basis for everything, it is only since systems were
merged and belt tests were introduced with the
constant striving for progress, that more and
more patterns were added. This is why Tae Kwon
Do now has 24 patterns.
The earlier patterns of Tae Kwon Do are by far
the most dangerous, and contain by far the
greater number of techniques designed to injure,
maim and kill an opponent.
The sequence below illustrates clearly how
wedging block, front kick double punch can be
used in a street situation. For claritys sake, the
distance between attacker and defender have
been artificially widened beyond that of conflict
distance. The photos were taken in one go, using
a multiple exposure shot hence the movement
blur. This is captured as is, hence the opponents
face in picture three as he encounters the block.
In the first three photos the defender moves into
the chamber for the wedging block using it to
intercept a haymaker swing punch.
1
2
Jissen Magazine - 43
The left hand grabs for the opponents wrist
area whilst the right hand/forearm runs up their
arm and into their neck points. This allows a good
basing for the kick through their lead leg and also
shifts their weight back off their front leg. If its
too posted then the kick does not achieve full
potential. The blow to the neck should also stun
them at the very least. In the final photo of the
above sequence I am using the outer forearm to
check them (photos 4 to 6)
4
5
6
3
44 - Jissen Magazine
Critical Analysis
So now we move on to rati ng the actual
technique. For the sake of the article Ill use the
following. Very Bad - Bad - Good - Very Good -
Excellent. Its up to you whether you use this or
not or just go with pros and cons. Before writing
this article I hadnt actually sat down and gone
the various steps set out by Bill in order to rate it
in such depth so lets hope it scores well!
Proactive
This is not a proactive application. Im actually
allowing my opponent to attack me in order to
apply it and so scores the lowest possible. The
immediate grab and follow up however allow me
to not only gain control of the opponent but to
strike into a vulnerable area.
Rating: Good to Very Good
Keeps initiative
As with above this scores lowly to start with but
then reaches the higher end of the scale as you
continue to strike and control the opponent before
taking them to the ground.
Rating: Good to Very Good
Maximises Safety
Protection of the head is good as both hands
are up and in front. My forearms are cutting in
and Im pressing towards his attacking arm whilst
stepping in so Im unlikely to take a hit from my
own hands bouncing back. My stance is rooted
and my weight distribution is even. Im not on the
outside but Im covered, rooted and well-
balanced.
Rating: Excellent
Maximises Redundancy
The technique can still work even if one hand
doesnt do the work properly. I can still block the
technique and it really doesnt matter that much
if I miss either the grab, strike or knee because
the other two will allow me to keep going. If theyre
swinging with their other arm as well then my
right hand can be used to block that and I flow
into right outer forearm block followed by left
cross/palm/elbow.
Rating: Excellent
Workable with adrenaline
Nothing here is technically difficult. The right hand
strike and left hand grabs are also pure nature
Rather than go i nto the doubl e punch
combination neck break I have gone for an elbow
to GB20 on the back of their head at the base of
the skull. This will drive them down into the ground
and at the very least stun them (photos 7 & 8).
7
8
Jissen Magazine - 45
and theres no fine motor skill required to do
either. The kick is kept nice and low and both the
kick and punch could effectively be flailing
techniques, theyre still going to work to some
extent. Aspects of the opponent are kept in view
all the time with my head moving in accordance
to the active hand/foot. Initially though, I am
slightly to the left side rather than straight on.
Rating: Excellent
Works with instinct
Im instinctively covering my head/face with both
my hands and doing so with a natural flinch
response, e.g., if something comes towards your
face your hands come up.
Rating: Excellent
Maximises Predictable Response
I know that if I put this application in hard his arm
is going to be dead and drop to the side. The
strike into the neck is going to hopefully stun him
and weaken his legs whilst making sure that his
head keeps tur ned away from me.
Rating: Excellent
Unbalances the opponent
Both the initial response and the kick can
unbalance the opponent. The initial technique
may well cause him to bounce off of your arms
with his arm going down and causing him to
stumble backwards. The kick requires very little
strength in order to completely floor the guy.
Rating: Excellent
Leads the mind of the opponent
The initial response can stop him dead through
pain and inability to use his arm. The strike to the
neck can stun him and takes his eyes away from
his target and will start him thinking about
defence. The kick to the leg sends him crashing
face first into the pavement. Hes not going to be
thinking about attacking you once you get started.
Rating: Excellent
Low Maintenance
This is simple to do it. The initial response is a
flinch, followed by what can be reduced to a
flailing strike into the neck and a front kick.
Complete novices can do this perfectly well.
Rating: Excellent
Range
This starts from outside of the fence so hopefully
gives you decent warning of the attack coming
in and works well within the range of the swinging
punch. The step in closes the distance greatly.
Rating: Excellent
Simple
There is nothing advanced or complex about this
technique. Its easy and fast to perform.
Rating: Excellent
Transferable Skills
Youre practicing a flinch covering of the head,
outer forearm, grab and a front kick. All of which
are found throughout the pattern Do San.
Rating: Excellent
Overall Balance of Pattern
If I was solely studying Do San this is not the
only technique that can be applied to a right
swinging punch as the starting movements of the
pattern have a good response to this attack as
well.
Rating: Good
So, after looking at the technique in-depth Im
relieved to see that its basically excellent and
one that I should continue to train in and drill
rather than discard. If it had scored lower then I
would have willingly discarded it for another
technique that scored higher as discarding a
technique should be looked at in a positive light.
If I only have a few techniques to use against a
higher number of attacks then Im less likely to
freeze whilst my brain searches through a myriad
of techniques in order to respond and Im
therefore becoming a better self-defence
exponent.
Its important to bear in mind however that this
is my technique in that it works for me and my
body threw it out without thinking. Ray on the
other hand performed a left lazy rising elbow
block to my arm (completely covering his head
as he did so followed by what was basically a left
lower outer forearm, a slight step in and straight
right cross to throat. This is straight out of Sajo
Jirugi and Chon Ji, something that he has drilled
in a lot more than other techniques. That is his
techni que. You may wel l fi nd somethi ng
completely different and if you do, please let me
know what you find!
46 - Jissen Magazine
H
a
v
e

y
o
u
r

s
a
y

i
n

J
i
s
s
e
n
!
Dear Readers,
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look forward to hearing from you soon!
All the best,
Jissen Magazine - 47
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48 - Jissen Magazine
by Iain Abernethy
Power & Impact
I
n this article we will be covering the basic
principles of power generation and the use of
impact equipment. In order to fight effectively
it is vital that you can deliver powerful strikes.
The ability to hit hard is also the most important
skill when it comes to the physical side of self-
protection.
Many self-protection situations will be preceded
by an exchange of dialogue which will typically
take place at punching distance. With correct
training we will be able to actively take control of
a situation, in the dialogue stage, through the
use of a powerful pre-emptive strike.
In the book Karate-Do Kyohan, Gi chi n
Funakoshi the founder of Shotokan Karate
wrote, When there are no avenues of escape or
one is caught even before any attempt to escape
can be made, then for the first time the use of
self-defense techniques should be considered.
Even at times like these, do not show any
intention of attacking, but first let the attacker
become careless. At that time attack him
concentrating ones whole strength in one blow
to a vital point and in the moment of surprise,
escape and seek shelter and help. This is very
sound advice for self-protection. Hit hard when
the enemy does not expect it and then get out of
there! The key physical skill in all of this is of
course the ability to hit hard. Even if the situation
should develop into a fight, you need to be able
to deliver powerful strikes in order to bring the
fight to a quick conclusion.
Karate is an art based upon the one-blow, one
kill concept i.e. every single blow, no matter
how many we actually throw, is capable of being
a fight finisher and hence one would expect
that powerful strikes are something that all
moderatel y experi enced karateka woul d
possess. However, the modern practises of too
much air punching, not enough impact training,
and the influence of point sparring have produced
karateka who are unable to strike with real power.
It is the transfer of bodyweight that makes a
strike powerful. When a strike hits the target, the
entire bodyweight of the striker must be behind
that strike if it is to have fight-stopping power. An
arm accounts for around 6% of the average
persons bodyweight. Striking with the arm alone
will result in a very weak punch.
One of the main reasons why karateka may
deliver arm only punches is that modern point
sparring inadvertently encourages moving the
striking hand as quickly as possible in order to
get the point. Because the speed of the hand
and arm are overemphasised, the body motion
is frequently curtailed and this results in an arm
only punch.
Of course, most karateka are encouraged to
twist their hips into the punch when sparring.
However, this twist is normally done in a way
that gives extra reach to the punch in order to
bridge the gap between the combatants as
opposed to rotating the hips in a way that
effectively transfers bodyweight. Extra reach is
something that is not required in the close-range
combat associated with live situations. This twist
for reach doesnt add much power to the punch.
The resulting impact, what little of it there is, is
again predominately down to arm movement
alone.
In much of modern karate training, due to the
emphasis on point scoring, the hand is often the
first thing to move when a punch is thrown.
Alternatively, it is also very common to see the
hand and hip move at the same time. Both ways
are ineffective if the aim is to generate real power.
A powerful punch needs bodyweight behind it.
Because the hand can move faster than the mass
of the body, the body needs to move first so that
the hand makes contact when the body motion
is at its peak. The most effective way to generate
power is therefore to move the hand last.
To generate fight-stopping power we should
move the feet first (if appropriate), then the hips,
and finally the hand. The body moves and then
the hand transfers the resulting movement of the
bodyweight into the opponent. If the hand moves
first or at the same time as the hip, the
bodyweight has either not moved or has only
moved a small amount at the time the hand
Jissen Magazine - 49
makes i mpact. There i s therefore an
insignificant amount of bodyweight to transfer
and the impact will be chiefly down to the arm
motion alone. The resulting punch will be very
weak.
Another common error when delivering
punches is to twist from the centre of the body
so that one side of the hip travels forward whilst
the other side is going backward. When pivoting
from the centre even if the timing is correct
and the arm is the last thing to move the nature
of the hip movement means that a significant
amount of bodyweight is travelling in the opposite
direction to the punch. This is not really of any
great concern if the aim is simply to get the hand
to the target. However, to punch with power at
close-range, you should pivot from the side of
your hip so that the whole of the body is travelling
in the direction of the punch.
We have already established that in much of
modern training the movement of bodyweight is
not emphasised anywhere near as much as the
speed at which the karateka can get their hand
to the target. The result of this practise is punches
that lack power. In the past, when karate was
practised solely as an effective combat system,
one would expect the body mechanics to be
geared towards developing maximum impact. If
we are looking for real power, we should ignore
the mechanics used for modern karateka vs.
karateka sparring and instead analyse the
mechanics of the traditional punches found in
the kata.
One of the first karate techniques I was ever
taught was the Junzuki or Oi-Zuki. This punch
is found throughout the kata and is frequently
the first basic punch taught in most karate dojos.
As a slight aside, the way in which the majority
of karateka are taught to apply Junzuki is far from
practical. However, this not a fault of the punch
i tsel f; the probl em i s a wi despread
misunderstanding of how the punch should be
applied. Its not the purpose of this particular
article to look at the application of the punch itself
(see my Applied Karate or Bunkai-Jutsu DVDs).
What I want to examine in this article is the body
mechanics of the technique.
Junzuki was taught to me as a fluid motion
where the feet move first, then the hips (pivoting
from the side of the hip), and then finally the hand
moves to deliver the punch (there are some great
diagrams and text that explain this technique in
detail in Shingo Ohgamis Introduction to
Karate). The fundamental concepts introduced
by this technique, and other traditional punches,
should always be adhered to. We should always
move the feet in the direction of the punch, either
by stepping or hitching (if appropriate) and then
pivot from the side of the hip. Now that the body
is in motion, we move the arm to transfer the
generated energy into the opponent. The motion
of the hip, and the delay of the hand, means that
a torque is generated in the torso and hence the
hand will be dynamically whipped forward.
Its also important to note that the impact is
made as we are moving. Therefore any stance
should be considered the end of the technique:
not the start. We dont assume a stance to throw
a technique. We assume a stance as we are
throwing a technique. The stance is where the
weight ends up after it has been driven through
the target.
I must emphasise again that in order to
effecti vel y transfer the movement of the
bodyweight into the target, the hand (or whatever
striking surface is being used) should move last.
When emphasising that the hand should always
move last, some people worry that the technique
will be too slow. You should understand that
the hand is only delayed for a tiny fraction of a
second before being dynamically driven forward
at high speed due to the torque in the body. And
if you dont delay the hand, in an attempt to get
the hand to the target as quickly as possible, it
will do nothing to the opponent when it does get
50 - Jissen Magazine
to the target! To strike with real power, you need
to stick to the principles demonstrated by kata.
At this point Id like to quickly mention that in
many dojos the power mechanics of the
traditional punches have been contaminated by
the speed and reach mechanics of modern
sparring. This means that not all karateka will
teach and practise the traditional punches in the
way outlined above. However, the majority of the
high ranking karateka that Ive trained with do
teach punching in this way.
For karate to be practised as a practical combat
system, we need to adhere to the power
principles of correctly taught kata, regardless of
whether the punch in question is a traditional
punch or a modern variation. When practising
your strikes be sure to move in a way that gets
your bodyweight behind them. By sticking to solid
principles of power generation you will be able
to strike with real power and ensure that you
practise karate as a practical fighting system.
Personally Ive never came across anyone who
can hit as hard as Peter Consterdine 8th dan.
Nor have I come across anyone who can
communicate the principles of power generation
as succinctly as Peter. It you are serious about
wishing to hit hard, I strongly recommend you
check out Peters PowerStrike DVD.
In addition to understanding the basic body
mechanics of power generation, we also need
to ensure that we put our knowledge into practise
against impact equipment. In the past, all
karateka made use of makiwara and other such
impact equipment. However, in many modern
dojos the only thing that is ever struck is the air.
Id now like to move on and look at the various
types of impact equipment available and how we
can make use of them to increase the power of
our strikes.
Before we move on to look at these pieces of
equipment in turn, I feel a word of caution is in
order. The incorrect delivery of techniques
against a striking surface can result in severe
injury. Please ensure that you receive tuition from
a qualified and experienced instructor before
undergoing this type of training.
Makiwara
Although there are numerous types of makiwara,
the main ones are the standing type and the
hanging type.
The standing makiwara is predominately used
to develop hand and arm techniques. Through
the repeated striking of the makiwara, the hands
become conditioned, technique is improved and
the karatekas ability to deliver effective strikes
is vastly increased. The standing makiwara is a
great training tool, but its main drawback is its
lack of versatility. The target is always at the same
height and distance, hence accuracy is not
developed and the practise of combinations is
severely limited. Im not saying that you should
not use the standing makiwara because as I
said, its a great piece of equipment but it should
be used in conjunction with the other items
discussed in this article.
The hanging makiwara is less common than
its standing counterpart, but it is still a good piece
of equipment. The hanging makiwara was
predominately used to practise kicks, but it was
also used in order to develop thrusting punches.
Focus-mitts
The focus-mitts also referred to as Hook & Jab
Pads are a great and versatile tool to aid in the
development of your striking skills. When used
correctly they will improve your power, accuracy,
versatility and your stamina (if used for long
enough). There are no doubt some who will say
that the focus-mitts are not a traditional piece
of equipment and hence they dont belong in the
traditional karate dojo. Whilst it is true that the
formulators and developers of karate didnt use
focus-mitts in their training, that doesnt mean
that we shouldnt! Whilst it was relatively easy
for the karateka of the past to get some rope,
straw and a wooden post to make a makiwara, it
Jissen Magazine - 51
would be impossible for them to get the modern
materials needed to make a pair of focus-mitts.
If the masters of the past had been able to access
focus-mitts, I feel confident that they would have
embraced them as a way to enhance their striking
skills.
The main advantage of the focus-mitts over
other pieces of equipment is their versatility. The
person wearing the mitts can position them so
that the majority of striking techniques and
combinations can be practised. The focus-mitts
are a great piece of equipment that can help to
develop impact, footwork and accuracy.
The focus-mitts are my favourite piece of impact
equi pment. However, they do have thei r
limitations; particularly when it comes to kicking.
Focus mitts are OK for practising roundhouse
and groin kicks, but they cannot be used
effectively for side and front kicks.
The Punch-Bag
The punch-bag is arguably the number one piece
of equipment for the development of power. The
mass of the bag means that it can be used to
practise practically all of the techniques found
within the traditional kata. This includes hand
strikes, punches, elbows, knees, head-butts and
ki cki ng techni ques. The bag i s great for
developing impact, footwork, combinations and
stamina. However, the punch-bag is not that
useful for developing accuracy due to its size.
For the karateka, a fairly long bag is best (about
five or six feet in length). A standard boxing-
style bag will be too short. Although boxers never
hit below the waist, a great many karate
techniques do. In par ticular, it should be
remembered that in live situations kicking
techniques should be delivered below waist
height (although there are benefits to the practise
of high kicking in training); hence we need a bag
that is long enough to allow us to practise
combinations that include both high and low
strikes. The bag is a great piece of kit that is a
real confidence builder. It is one thing to perform
a movement against the air, but its something
else entirely to actually hit the bag with it and
feel its effects. Through bag-work you will be able
to ensure that your techniques are effective and
can develop large amounts of impact when
required.
The Kick-Shield
As its name suggests, the kick-shield is
predominately used for the development of
kicking techniques. However, it is possible to use
the kick-shield to develop elbows, knees,
punches etc. One of the advantages of this piece
of equipment is that the person holding the kick-
shield can move around and this makes the
actual placing of the strikes more realistic.
Because kicks are so powerful, it is vital that the
person on the receiving end holds the shield
correctly.
Another advantage that the kick-shield has over
other pieces of equipment is that you get a much
better appreciation of the true effect of the blow
because you can observe the effects upon the
person holding the shield. If you deliver an elbow
strike to the shield that knocks your partner off
their feet, its a pretty safe assumption that if your
partner had not been holding the shield, and if
they hadnt braced themselves, then that the
elbow would have proved to be a stopping blow.
It is vital that you make use of this equipment
in order to develop powerful and effective strikes.
It may sound obvious (because it is!) but if you
want to be able to hit hard, you need to practise
hitting things hard. Practising against the air can
be a useful way to refine basic technique, but it
will not develop power. Being able to hit hard is
the number one physical skill when it comes to
self-protection. Be sure to regularly train with
impact equipment in order to develop that vitally
important skill.
The British Combat Association, 12b Wellgate Centre,
Ossett, Wakefield, WF5 8NS, United Kingdom
Tel: 01924 266016 (overseas: +441924 266016)
Email: info@peterconsterdine.com
52 - Jissen Magazine
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www.iainabernethy.com The home page of applied karate exponent Iain Abernethy
www.dunbarselfdefence.com One of Scotland's premier self protection websites
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www.fightingforms.net The website of Fighting Forms author Matthew Miller
www.raynerslanetkd.com Club website of Rayners Lane Taekwon-do Academy
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www.rska.co.uk Royston Shotokan Karate Association led by Shihan Peter Deacon
www.freewebs.com/okkosensei/index.htm The website of OKKO Karate Jutsu Group
www.scottishkaishinwadokai.co.uk Home page of the West Coast Kaishin Wadokai.
www.donwell-karate.org Traditional Shotokan Karate in Washington, Tyne and Wear
www.sanchinryukarate.co.uk The Official Website for Sanchin-ryu Okinawan Karate Organisation
www.samuraikaratecornwall.co.uk The homepage of Samurai Karate Cornwall (Shukokai-based Karate)
www.sai-long.org Sai-Long Academy: a private training facility in NorthernVirginia
www.karatekit.co.uk Karatekit.co.uk sell a wide range of martial arts clothing and equipment
www.nortondojo.co.uk Norton Dojo Karate Club.Traditional Okinawan Goju - Ryu, Sheffield
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www.guinnmartialarts.com The source for applied martial arts in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA.
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www.shotokan.dk Club website of Vejle Shotokan Karate-Do, Denmark
www.kalkwarf.com/karate/jissen.html The website of Steve Kalkwarf
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www.redsunkarate.org.uk The website of Red Sun Karate practising Shotokan Karate in Wigan, Lancs.
www.northwoodtkd.com Northwood Tae Kwon Do Academy's Website
www.rivervalleymartialarts.com RVMA is located in Russellville AR and teaches a blended Okinawan Karate system
www.tipsarkivet.no Tipsarkiv for kampsportinstruktrer / Training tips for Martial Art Instructors
www.instytutbudokan.pl Karate and practical self-defense club, Lublin, Poland
www.practical-martial-arts.co.uk Articles from some of the most well-known martial artists in the world
www.exeterpma.co.uk Exeter PMA teaches an eclectic blend of self-protection & Taekwondo