http://www.ingber.com/karate81_book.txt ftp://ftp.ingber.com/karate81_book.txt N.b.: This text was prepared by applying standard OCR software to scan in the actual pages of %A L. Ingber %T Karate: Kinematics and Dynamics %I Unique %C Hollywood, CA %D 1981 %O ISBN 0-86568-025-6 I have obtained written permission from the publisher to enter this text into my archive. Photographs and illustrations are missing (but I have left in the Figure captions), the OCR software often makes errors, e.g., replacing "]" by "I" or "1," and I have not taken much time to edit this file afterwards. I hope what remains will be a useful guide for some karate students and instructors. A collection of notes and edited replies to postings and e-mail on karate is in http://www.ingber.com/karate.html ftp://ftp.ingber.com/karate.txt I thank Stefane Fermigier for preparing many corrections to the first OCR version. The original ideas were first formally presented in %A L. Ingber %T Physics of karate techniques %R Instructor's Thesis %I Japan Karate Association %C Tokyo, Japan %D 1968 and then published in %A L. Ingber %T The Karate Instructor's Handbook %I Physical Studies Institute-Institute for the Study of Attention %C Solana Beach, CA %D 1976 %O URL http://www.ingber.com/karate76_book.ps.gz The 134 combinations and 16 two-person combinations in Appendix 4 of the 1976 book (not in the 1981 book) are representative of over 5000 combinations I created and taught from about 1969-1985. Unfortunately, the collection was lost in one of several moves. There are many useful parallels that can be drawn between the teaching and practice of karate and the teaching and practice of other disciplines. This was the core of an 8-year project I undertook, funding, administrating and teaching in a complete alternative school. Some of this methodology is described in karate81_attention.ps.gz (a link to smni81_attention.ps.gz). %A L. Ingber %T Attention, physics and teaching %J Journal Social Biological Structures %V 4 %P 225-235 %D 1981 %O URL http://www.ingber.com/smni81_attention.ps.gz Appendix 5 of my 1976 karate book contains 6 representative karate problems along the lines of over 2000 problems created by myself and other teachers, as described in karate81_attention.ps.gz. These too were lost in one of several moves. NOTE: I welcome offers to proof-read this file (and/or the file karate76_book.txt and/or karate85_book.txt) to correct many errors made by the scanning software. Lester ======================================================================== ======================================================================== Karate: Kinematics and Dynamics by Lester Ingber, PhD UNIQUE PUBLICATIONS 7011 SUNSET BLVD., HOLLYWOOD CALIF 90028 (c) UNIQUE PUBLICATIONS INC., 198l All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America 234567890.8483 ISBN: 0-86568-025-6 Library of Congress No.: 81-70820 PREFACE Many of the concepts in Part I of this book have already appeared in my previous book, The Karate Instructor's Handbook, published in 1976 by the Institute for the Study of Attention, a subsidiary of Physical Studies Institute. I had hoped that this book would motivate others to contribute similar technical books and papers to the body of karate knowledge, but I have been disappointed. There is no rigorous collection of writings comparable to most other physical disciplines. Instructors learn from their mistakes and successes, and I too have learned much since writing that book. So, when Daniel Furuya of Unique Publications contacted me, and asked if I would be interested in writing another karate book, I jumped at the opportunity. He shares my vision that true disciplines require bona fide, creative and thorough research, and that more martial arts books are necessary to translate these ideas into practical teaching methodologies. He has also shared much of the work necessary to create this book. I thank all my students, past and present, for sharing the experiences necessary for me to create the teaching methodology expounded in this book. Dennis Dean, a 2nd Dan Black Belt, and Steve Ramsdell, an eleven year old 1st Dan Jr. Black Belt appear with me in some of the photographs. I also thank Cindy Ramage and Stuart Smith for helping me type some of the the manuscript into a word processor, and Margaret Kahn, Linda Montano and Louis Seitchik for helping with the final editing. I was then able to straightforwardly do the typesetting at Physical Studies Institute. With regards to my primary emphases on physics and attention, none of my previous teachers or training comrades from 1958 and previous to 1970, when I started my own school, gave any appreciable contribution to the formulation or application of the ideas expressed in this book. I respect them for the integrity they may demonstrate in their own art, but I trust they are not disappointed with the absence of any further acknowledgements. It would also be inappropriate for me to use their specific names and positions merely to promote my work. I expect that mutual benefits already derived from our previous interactions are sufficient rewards. Of course, I savor the additional satisfaction and responsibility of "doing it my way." I hope other instructors will view this book as a challenge to commit their own ideas to writing, for others to try and test. Lester Ingber Physical Studies Institute Drawer W Solana Beach, CA 92075 July, 1981 CONTENTS PREFACE 1 CONTENTS 3 INTRODUCTION A. General Philosophy 5 B. Organization of Book 7 PART 1. FUNDAMENTALS OF KINEMATICS AND DYNAMICS A. Physics, Body Kinematics and Dynamics 15 1. Notation 15 2. Forces and Stance 17 3. Producing Momentum With the Hips 25 4. Torques and Angular Momentum 35 5. Energy and Body Expansion & Compression 47 B. Basic Body Kinematics of Karate Techniques 49 1. Stances 49 2. Punching 58 3. Blocking 66 4. Striking 78 5. Thrust-Kicking 83 6. Swing-Kicking 87 7. Snap-Kicking 91 8. Throwing 94 C. Attention Dynamics 98 1. Description and Motivation 98 2. Focal and Global Attention Exercises 100 3. Kata and Combinations 105 PART II. TRAINING DYNAMICS A. Beginner Dynamics 112 0. Introductory Class 112 1. Front-Stance, Counter-Punch, Timing 118 2. Punching, Blocking, Heian #1, Three-Step-Sparring 120 3. Thrust-Kicks 122 4. Striking Techniques, Lateral-Shifting 124 B. Intermediate Dynamics 126 1. Kata and Basic Sparring 127 2. Punching Combinations 128 3. Move-Pause Sparring Rhythms 130 4. One-Step-Sparring 132 5. Stance Combinations 134 6. Kicking Combinations 137 7. Block-Kick-Punch Permutations 140 8. Sparring at Different Distances 142 9. Attention and Sparring 145 10. Feints 148 11. Combinations in Sparring 150 12. Improvisation, Review 152 13. Kyu and Dan Exams 153 14. Self-Defense 161 15. T'ai Chi Stick-Sparring 163 C. Advanced Dynamics 167 1. Focus Training 167 2. Two-Person Combinations 168 3. Slow and Fast Free-Sparring 169 4. End Exercises 169 PART III. LIVING DYNAMICS A. Beyond Class 170 B. "Consciousness -- Physics or Metaphysics?" 171 C. Other Publications 177 1. "Attention, Physics, and Teaching" 177 2. "Towards a Unified Brain Theory" 177 INTRODUCTION A. General Philosophy Karate and other martial arts appeal to men and women of all ages, whose interests range among: self-defense, competition, form (kata), discipline, and physical exercise. Many people sense that these body disciplines permit an efficient access to enhanced body awareness and an appreciation of quite generally pervasive meditative aspects of interacting with one's internal and external environments. Many of these aspects are quite common to other physical and cognitive disciplines, including fine arts and academics. To accomplish any of the above general aspects offered by karate training, it is necessary to develop a specific language and set of tools for study. There is no substitute for correct, rigorous and disciplined training over a period of many years to achieve the dynamic power, flexibility, endurance, and skilled technique and awareness necessary for peak performance in karate -- identical to requirements in any bona fide discipline! A course of study that is organized to clearly present and rigorously teach the essential body kinematics and dynamics of natural movement using sound principles of physics -- production of forces, momentum and energy -- will increase the efficiency of learning karate and general body awareness. This is simply because these principles have been developed to be the most concise and accurate description of kinematics and dynamics of physical movement. Of course, to be useful these concepts must be naturally integrated with the context of the specific discipline as part of the regular training. Similarly, a course of study that practically and rigorously promotes attentional skills -rhythms, awareness of spaces between techniques, strategic possibilities -- by giving attentional feedback as an intimate, explicit component of regular training will also increase the efficiency of developing awareness of one's environment. At the same time, it will promote learning the skills necessary to appropriately interact with optimum strategy, rhythm and timing. Since 1958, when I first started my own karate training, I have continually attempted to formulate and refine a course of instruction to accomplish the above tasks. I have noted that in body disciplines, as in academics, there are relatively few truly gifted people. Fewer of these "geniuses" are aware of the source of their talents, and even fewer are interested and aware of how to teach others to acquire their skills. Indeed, too often, leaders and teachers in our educational institutions, although usually directly or indirectly paid by the general public, believe it is not possible to teach an "average person" their skills. Whether this takes the form of an arrogant or a patronizing attitude, this is still clearly nonsense. The task of a good teacher is to set a path on which the average student, obviously most students, may become creative, limited only by his or her will and perseverance to succeed. Interestingly, when precise specific physical and attentional skills clearly form the basis and goals of karate study, the regular practice assumes a creative and constructive context, rather than a paranoid and destructive context that is often promoted by goals specifically oriented to self-defense, although the same skills are required for either set of goals. No extraneous cultural or formally religious setting is necessary. Sexism, racism, nationalism are irrelevant at best and destructive at worst to the serious pursuit of excellence. The implicit optimism I have is that if people are encouraged to rigorously and creatively develop their own physical and attentional capabilities, desirable attitudes defined by common reason will also develop, but within each one's own chosen cultural and religious setting. Often one's emotions, fixations and attitudes form obstacles to be overcome, as they are exposed in the constantly demanding and stressful class environment. These must be worked through before the student is fit to further develop by sparring, which requires using another person's body and mind to learn. Eventually, strong, fast and precise sparring becomes an ultimate tool to investigate, test and improve body and attentional skills. This is the worthy purpose to pursue training, and the purpose for society to foster such training in its individuals. You will learn most deeply and efficiently if you give full commitment to all your techniques, and give similar respect to all your class opponents. You can learn something from everyone, and strategies and techniques must be tested to be workable with all opponents. Treat each mistake, they will be countless, as a death. Take each opportunity to live to try again, not to rehash an old error, but to attempt a new correct interaction. In this light, true competition is your best teacher, as long as it does not become perverted by undesirable emotions and attitudes. You test each interpersonal interaction, and quickly pounce on mistakes. The goal is to interact; the means is trying to win. If you are honest with yourself, you may often be winning, but still falling short of worthier goals, and thus, truly losing. This is a harder, but truer and more educational way to practice. Having only the goal being to win, and the means being beating on your classmate like some screaming psychopath out of a comic strip becomes a fruitless and frustrating pursuit in the final analysis. As you appreciate more and more the concept, that the activity of karate necessitates continual interaction, your attitude towards techniques will completely change. For example, at first, at any given time, you are necessarily preoccupied with just doing a single body technique correctly. You are also trying to learn many body techniques. But body techniques can too easily become the focus of your study. STOP! This internal focus is as counterproductive as exclusively focusing on your opponent. Eventually, it will be a severe shock to face an opponent, as you try to throw up a disjointed vocabulary of blocks, punches, kicks, and strikes. No doubt, you must do powerful techniques. At a beginner level most of your time is spent practicing techniques, at a more advanced level most of your real time is spent in motion, between consummating techniques, either in the process of leading to a technique, or in the process of controlling power from a previous technique. You must start as early as possible thinking in terms of fluid motion, of dynamic change from technique to technique, instead of statically locking your mind into thinking of making "magic" jumps from technique to technique. This attitude is possible to achieve even at the beginner level by truly appreciating the kinematics of individual techniques. By understanding the optimum beginning, middle and end of a given technique, you can also understand the best way to enter or leave that technique, and thereby to connect it to other techniques. Loss of these vital connections is truly synonymous with death. You must learn to sustain life in your karate activity from the very beginning, and to be dissatisfied with unwarranted breaks in this interaction. At first, you will only realize these continually changing dynamic connections by making large overt body movements. Undoubtedly, you will at first be awkward and clumsy. But in this way you will see your mistakes and learn. If you stand still you will not learn. Eventually, after only a few years of practice, roughly the same span of time spent in any kind of school, you will be able to feel these dynamic fluxes, even when your opponent sometimes perceives you as motionless! At this stage of your training, for some fleeting instants, you will be able to control the flow of tensions in your body, being ready for motion, covertly capturing the sensation of motion itself. Further, at this level of perfected technique, you will sometimes be able to effectively "feint," to broadcast a full upcoming technique to your opponent, causing him or her to react, without actually fully committing yourself to that technique, but rather pursuing a better strategy. At this stage you are becoming fluent in the language B. Organization of Book A "technique" is defined in this book as a specific skill, like a punch, which has been researched and practiced for many years by many independent people, to the point where it is reasonable to require its study in a course of instruction. The course offered in this book includes a minimum division of three levels of practice. A beginner's class has a four-week cycle, an intermediate class has a thirteen-week cycle, and an advanced class offers ongoing sparring and kata practice. Students are expected to practice at least two to three one-hour class sessions per week. Eligibility for the advanced class typically requires at least one year's practice. After three to five years, the average persevering student is usually ready for strong fast and precise sparring. Before then, all exercise and sparring is centrally supervised in a disciplined, but progressive class environment. The general method of learning is to exercise large, overt body and attentional movements, enhancing immediate feedback and learning from one's incorrect as well as correct techniques. The particular Shotokan style of body techniques used in this book readily permits this methodology. However, it should become clear that the body and attentional principles described here are applicable to all karate styles, and to other body disciplines as well. Part I of this book gives essential preliminaries and skills. These are used in Part II in specific training schedules that will take you through the above cycles of practice. Part III discusses a larger context of the purpose of training. Chapter IA describes the kinematics of body movement. Kinematics is defined here to mean the study of how power is produced in individual body techniques, quite independent of one's personal state of size, weight, attention, or attitude. This is somewhat different from the physics and dictionary definitions, in that some dynamics of power production during techniques are also included. However, the definition used here is quite precise and useful for the purposes of this book, which is to also clarify the physical and mental dynamics responsible for connecting strings of techniques. Therefore, roughly speaking, kinematics will here deal with body techniques, and dynamics will here deal with connections between techniques. Mastery of these concepts is essential. For karate students there are potentially tens of thousands of clearly defined techniques. By better understanding how all these techniques use only a few common physical principles, the student can more easily learn to make creative and spontaneous associations among techniques. Sparring is much like a dialogue between people. Creative, spontaneous associations are necessary in any language for effective communication and interaction. For people interested in other martial arts or physical disciplines, this chapter will detail similarities in movement. Aikido, ballet, judo, karate, and t'ai chi all use similar physical principles to varying degrees. By better understanding these similarities, with the use of a common language of physics designed for such description, you can also better appreciate their differences and strengths. For example, John Bryant, Kurt Rosi, Louis Seitchik, all karate black belts and tennis players, and myself, have written a book on the kinematics and dynamics of tennis, using the same methodology presented in this book: Tennis Dynamics, by Physical Studies Institute, is published by Unique Publications. We are also preparing Ballet -- The Art Defined, by Louise Frazer. With confidence and assurance, I can state that this learning methodology is not beyond anyone's grasp. It is not necessary to fully understand all the concepts in this chapter to learn the relatively few body feelings discussed. For example, besides regularly teaching an adult class, I have an ongoing children's class, ages 5 to II years old. They also study the course outlined in Part 11, and readily grasp this methodology. Chapter IB presents the basic body kinematics specific to karate techniques: stance, punching, blocking, striking, and kicking. Chapter IC discusses attention dynamics. As this study must also take into account your opponent, these dynamics are more properly understood as interactions between people. This chapter gives explicit karate exercises to practice, to demonstrate the nature of the attentional states you are required to master to become proficient in karate, or in just about any discipline. Part II presents courses of study that have been tested for many years. These courses include the above concepts as an intimate part of regular practice, going beyond giving lip service to lofty abstractions. Chapter IIA, Beginner Dynamics, outlines a four-week beginner's course of study. There is also one Introductory class to acquaint the novice with some of the physical and attentional principles involved. This class also sets up a personal interaction with the advanced student giving this tutorial. Most people take this four-week cycle two to four times before being able to enter the next intermediate level. Many intermediate and advanced students often take this class as a continual refresher for basic techniques. Chapter IIB, Intermediate Dynamics, outlines an intermediate course of study. After successfully completing the beginner's course, the student may enter during the first, fifth, or ninth week of the intermediate course. This course stresses body and attentional dynamics as defined above. The thirteenth week of the quarter is exam week. Examples of written and physical exams. Many times students want to train this week as well, and many instructors may wish to complement this course with other special training, such as t'ai chi, weapons, etc. As a couple of examples, I have included self-defense and "sticksparring" for this last week of the quarter. This is also a good time to have a more rigorous special seminar for a week or weekend. Chapter IIC, Advanced Dynamics, outlines an advanced course of study. Typically, all colored belts (after about one year's practice) can take this class immediately after warming up in the intermediate class. After doing special control and timing exercises, the class can break into two parts, for fast and slow free-sparring. Instructors should use their common sense, not a specific belt color, to determine whether a student should do fast or slow free-sparring. Only at or above 2nd Dan black belt can one assume that a student should always do the fast free-sparring. Part III is a personal perspective on how karate training fits into a larger context of individual and societal consciousness. This subject is of interest to many students, but it is also important to those people who feel it is unwarranted to attempt to generally extend a specialized activity into other activities. I agree that it is unwarranted to extend the "structure" of karate to other activities, for example pretending that all of life is one big Samurai game. However, I do not believe it is unwarranted to extend the "process" of learning and practicing karate to other activities. This process is essentially composed of the skills described here as attention dynamics, discussed in Chapter IC and explicitly applied throughout this book. At first, you may only train in class several hours a week. If you learn to appreciate that the body and attentional dynamics practiced in class are also present outside of class, you immediately have the opportunity of practicing karate all day and all night! Perseverance and practice determine the ultimate level you will attain, and the more you can practice, the more certain you can be of attaining excellence, no matter your starting level. Similarly, you can learn to appreciate your karate training as a regularly scheduled, intensified experience to study these processes, so that you can better function in other aspects of your life. This was, and still is, my original motivation for studying karate. I hope it becomes yours. PART 1. FUNDAMENTALS OF KINEMATICS AND DYNAMICS IA. Physics, Body Kinematics and Dynamics in General This chapter discusses the relatively small collection of physical principles responsible for the tens of thousands of body techniques utilized in the martial arts, including karate. A few karate techniques will be used to specifically illustrate all these principles, but it will be stressed that the application to other body disciplines are quite general. The next Chapter IB, explains all the basic karate techniques using these principles. IA-1. Notation First, we must establish an clear and specific vocabulary to define our techniques. Techniques to be executed and, where added description is necessary, transitions between techniques will be set off by square brackets [...]. The description of each technique will follow the order in which power is generated: Start from the base, usually the floor, and progress to each body area and, if necessary, include its relationship to connecting body areas. As you will see, there are so many possible moves and connections that this precise vocabulary is necessary. For example, [front-stance (R) counter-punch solar plexus] translates to front-stance, "R" means right leg forward; "counter" means punch with same hand in the furthest (left) leg from the target; target is the solar plexus of your opponent, and the direction of power is assumed to be in front of you. In this book the target "solar plexus" will often be used interchangeably with "stomach." The use of "counter" may seem odd. It originates from the fact that typically one blocks with the arm closest to the approaching attack, naturally the arm on the side of the closest leg, and then "counters" with a technique from the other side of the body. Note that each sub-part of a technique referring to one entity or movement is connected by hyphens. [Side-stance (W) reverse-rotation (N) knife-hand-block (R)] translates to: side stance facing west (W), an arbitrary reference direction; reverse-rotation method of hip power to the north (N) relative to the side-stance from a perspective looking down to the floor from a height above the action; knife-hand-block with the right hand (R). So, we have relative directions of the compass (N,S,E,W) pointing out from your body, and also labels of parts of your body relative to your midline (R,L). Usually, these directions refer to the most typical use of the technique: [Front-stance (S)] translates to front-stance facing south; [front-stance punch (E)] translates to punch in the direction the front-stance is facing, which is east. The target area is not specified and so is your choice. Sometimes the line of power from your hip center to the target is not along the typical facing position of the stance. In these cases more notation is usually added, sometimes at the risk of being redundant just to help the novice. [Side-stance (N) hook-punch (L,E)] translates to: from side-stance facing north, hook-punch with the left hand to the east (towards the right side of your body). In circular techniques, where the power line from hip to center is not straight, the initial and final points will usually determine the notation. Unless otherwise stated, techniques are assumed to start from [front-stance (L)] facing front, sometimes labeled north (N). Kicks are assumed to be performed with the leg furthest from the target. Many techniques have several variations, and unless otherwise specified, it is assumed that the main variation discussed in this book is the one being referred to. For example, the main [knife-hand-block] is defined here with the elbow bent 90 degrees, and the wrist kept straight. [Knife-hand-block bent-wrist] would refer to the variation performed with the elbow straight and wrist bent 90 degrees. Between techniques, a comma "[...], [...]" represents a space where the body comes back to a relatively uncompressed or unstretched state. A hyphen "[...]-[...]" represents a connection between techniques without any such intervening space. An ampersand "[...] & [...]" represents techniques performed simultaneously. A slash "[...]/[...]" or represents either (not both) technique may be performed. An asterisk "[*...]" represents a technique "[...]" performed slowly. An exclamation point "[!...]" represents a kiai during "[...]". "A: " represents the initial attack side in an exercise, and "D: " represents the initial defense side. A string of techniques or a sub-combination may be set off by additional brackets: "[A: [...],[...]-[...]] & [D: [...],[...]-[...]]". This translates to a three-step sparring sequence in which both the attacker and defender are moving to the rhythm of "one", and then "two-three". Occasionally, reference must be made to specific techniques or connections that are to be done simultaneously by opponents. These reference-points will be marked by (#n), where n = 1, 2, 3,... depending on how many such reference points are required in the interaction. The above notation is sufficient to discuss all techniques, and still flexible enough to permit the individual instructor and students to add or change techniques by simply writing more information into spaces. If square brackets are not available on your typewriter, I suggest using "%(...)%". IA-2. Forces and Stance Karate techniques are designed to deliver large impact forces to their targets. To attain such forces, the attacking body must possess great momentum. The usual way to attain such momentum is to apply a force to a large mass and quickly accelerate it to an extremely high velocity. Momentum is defined as this mass multiplied by its velocity. The force required is approximately equal to the final momentum available, inversely weighted by the overall time interval. When this force is applied to a small target area, tremendous pressure -- force divided by target area -- is created capable of producing shock and sometimes breakage. At first glance, it may seem that the human body is not well designed to accomplish this feat -- that the attainment of large mass and the attainment of great speed are mutually exclusive: On one hand, large masses can be created by tensing and connecting the heavy parts of the body, making it a rigid extension of the floor. But in this state the body is too stiff to produce any speed. On the other hand, great speeds may be attained by the arm or leg when propelled from the supported torso and stance, much as a stone is shot from a sling. However, this fast moving limb does not have a large mass on impact. To achieve both mass and speed, the arm or leg which has been just previously shot from the torso and stance can be tensed just before impact, then reconnected to the torso, and thus to the large mass of the lower body which is connected to the ground by the stance leg(s). However, while this technique attaches a large mass to the limb, it eventually slows the limb down. There is a compromise possible such that a large momentum (mass x velocity) is available upon impact with the target. Depending on the target and the strategy, various proportions of mass and velocity may be selected to contribute to produce large momentum. This is the essence of "focus". Exercise IA-1 The source of power needed to generate techniques in karate can be traced to proper use of the legs in a stance. Stance is the term used to describe the legs when they are in tension and connected to each other by the continuation of this tension through the center of the body. The two basic types of stance are outside-tension stance and inside-tension stance. The stance provides the forces and torques to move the torso, which in turn spins off the arms and legs. A torque, which is produced by two or more forces acting in opposite directions at each end of a lever, is necessary to rotate the body about a given point in space. In contrast, only a single force is necessary to cause the motion of the body along a given straight line in space. The forces from the stance are important to accelerate the limbs. Upon impact from a blow, the stance also provides rigid support to help establish a large grounded mass behind the technique. The proper stance is also necessary to acquire a smooth quick start for most techniques. For example, in front stance, initiate a quick start forwards: Release the front leg of the stance, allowing the back leg which is already driving forward to push the body directly and smoothly. If the front leg switches from pushing to pulling, instead of merely releasing, additional force is generated to drive you forwards. Figure IA-1a. The side-stance is an outside-tension stance. Figure IA-1b. The hour-glass-stance is an inside-tension stance. Exercise IA-2 The general structure or form of any stance can be analyzed using three basic concepts: balance, power, and mobility. Maximum balance is obtained when the center of gravity is low. However, if a stance is too low, it is extremely difficult to use the inside thigh muscles to move the body, and power and mobility are lost. For example, to take the proper long distance for [front-stance], begin by placing your left foot about two and one half shoulder-widths ahead of your right foot. Figure IA-2. The proper front-stance has a long distance between the heels of about two and a half shoulders' width. Exercise IA-3 To determine the width of the [front-stance], along a line perpendicular to the one in which you are facing, consider balance: Too narrow a stance makes it difficult to maintain balance, and too wide a stance is not stable against recoil upon impact. A good estimate of the proper distance is one shoulder-width between your feet. To best direct power from your back leg, turn your right ankle in towards center as much as possible (30 to 45 degrees), but still keep the entire sole touching the floor. The side edge of your front (left) ankle should be parallel to the line of motion -- toes turned slightly in. If your ankle is turned in too much, mobility is lost. If it is turned out too much, your leg muscles are stretched out and cannot develop maximum power. Your left knee should be positioned directly over your large toe. If your knee is not bent enough, the reaction force from a simple punch will push your hips back. If your knee is bent too much, the sharp angle will become a weak point because tensing the outside muscles of a sharply bent limb produces a weak corner. Consider building a bridge shaped like a "V" or an "A". The sharp corner would break under a stress that could be comfortably accepted by a smooth arch. If your knee is bent correctly, muscles can be tensed to construct a smooth arch of tension on the inside of your legs. Forces travel faster in a medium with strong elastic forces between its building blocks. Therefore the forces in a proper stance will travel more efficiently through the strong arch across inside of the knee rather than traveling across the top of the relatively more relaxed musculature of the top of the knee. This protects the knee joint from stress and also allows larger muscle regions across the whole leg to be integrated into a single stronger entity. Figure IA-3. The proper front-stance has a lateral distance of about one shoulders' width. Exercise IA-4 This principle of providing smooth arches of tensed muscle to direct the flow of forces is utilized over the entire body. Many disciplines, for example aikido, stress the principle of smooth arches of tension as a necessary component towards developing a proper flow of ki (chi), life-force, through the body and into the target or environment. More important than the outer appearance of the form are inner tensions under the arm across the abdomen, and across the insides of the thighs to produce an unbroken connection of smooth arches. Your hip center must be properly tensed to transmit the forces and tensions between the legs, through the torso, and out to the external limbs. The iliopsoas (short double muscle high on the thigh and hip), internal oblique (middle layer of abdominal muscle on the sides), transversus abdominal (innermost layer of abdominal region), and sartorius (long narrow muscle connected to the spine that winds downward and inward across the thigh) muscles must be tensed so that the inside thigh muscles can bridge forces through the hip center to the torso and limbs. Figure IA-4. The [counter-punch] illustrates how a technique is constructed as a system of smoothly connected arches. Exercise IA-5 Breathing and proper hip feeling are fundamental to all techniques. For example, stand in [natural-stance], your feet about a shoulder-width apart, body relaxed. To avoid tensing to form just an outer shell of hard muscle, put one hand on your rectus abdominis (outermost layer of abdominal muscle that runs from the pubis to the ribs) and the other on your gluteus maximus (buttocks) and tuck up the lower trunk by flexing the iliopsoas, keeping the outside layers of muscle rather relaxed. This movement necessitates the tensing of the inner muscles and facilitates pushing up the diaphragm, expelling air. Slowly tense the most inner muscles that you can feel, starting at a point projected midway along a line between your navel and your tailbone, then gradually allow this compression to expand radially outwards until the outer rectus abdominis and gluteus maximus muscles are also tensed. As you tense, the diaphragm is slowly pushed up expelling air. Near the end of this "low" breathing, the chest and ribs then compress, effecting a "high" breathing, finally forcing out all your air. When you release, the diaphragm lowers and air is automatically taken in. At the peak compression you should notice a solid feeling of connection across the legs and through the torso. Now do the same exercise at a faster tempo until the air is forcefully expelled as the hips quickly tense. Simultaneously tense the ribs to effect "high" rapid breathing. This rapid expulsion of air together with the associated noise that usually accompanies this movement is called a kiai (life-breath). The kiai is not practiced to frighten unworthy opponents! It is used to aid the body to focus energy, just as a grunt enables you to lift a heavy weight. Hold the hands overhead and continue the radial compression described above to include the back, sides, neck, legs, arms, feet, and fists. Make the fist by folding all the knuckles into a ball, capped by the thumb placed under the first two fingers, and keeping a straight line from the elbow through the lowest knuckle of the second finger. A [fist], in karate terminology, is this complete body feeling centered in the hip. All true body techniques in the martial arts require this complete unity, centered in the hips. When kneeling, or on one knee, the stance principles remain the same. The concept of stance can even be applied when lying on the floor. Then both hands grabbing the floor and one thigh can be used to produce power across the hips, for example, to execute a kick with the other leg. As briefly mentioned before, a single technique typically requires at least two stances, one at its beginning and one at its end focus. The before-stance at the beginning is used to initiate large accelerations to gather up speed for the technique. The after-stance at focus is used to connect mass to this fast moving technique. If the body hardly moves, then the before-stance and after-stance may appear to be the same. But, more obviously, if a large shifting motion takes place, the before-stance and after-stance can be quite different. A rather subtle point is: What happens between before-stance and after-stance? Actually, this is the most important part of the technique, during which most of the work takes place while power is generated. The art is to somehow smoothly change the body kinematics, to go from stressing acceleration, to stressing mass connection, to maximize the momentum at focus. In Section IIA-1, exercises will be given to better understand this transition, using as an example the counter-punch. In general, each technique in the martial arts requires some special feelings to get this most efficient transition. Any small change of a joint angle and distance relative to neighboring joints changes the strengths, weaknesses, and maximal use of muscles across that joint. Although only the few basic physical principles discussed in this chapter are required to analyze and to help correct all techniques, each technique must be carefully and regularly practiced many times to achieve excellence. The discipline of "kinesiology" is an empirical science which typically studies the movements of accomplished athletes in specialized activities to better understand these transitions. However, most of the successes of kinesiology have been in its hindsight. Each discipline must be separately studied, but their similarities can best be understood by studying their common kinematics. Figure IA-5a: Just after inhaling, the body is in a relaxed position. Figure IA-5b. Just after exhaling, the hips are tucked under and the abdomen is tensed. Figure IA-5c. A [fist] is not an isolated hand technique, but rather a complete body technique. IA-3. Producing Momentum with the Hips Although the body typically works as an integral unit, it is convenient and helpful to consider how the stance acts on the central torso to further shape the power that is eventually directed to the target. We refer to the kinematics of this relay station as "hip power." a. BODY VIBRATION. The first mode of hip power to be considered is the production of vibrations in the torso. Exercise IA-6 This method is illustrated by [side-stance punch]. The tension across the legs and abdomen in the side-stance is similar to that in a taut guitar string. One hand, the pulling hand, pulls back and "plucks" this tension to produce a body vibration. It requires many years of training to teach the large muscle groups of the body to spontaneously and correctly initiate powerful movements. Without this training, everyone's natural immature instinct is to rock the head and shoulders that produce forces to then react on these large torso muscles to begin their movements. It is more efficient, and does not break balance and power, to use the pulling hand to initiate these large movements. Once the large muscles of the body are moving together, it is easy to use them to throw the other hand, [punch], off the hip to the target. Instead of using vibration energy to produce sound, as in the case of the guitar, the hip vibration-energy is directed into building the momentum of the punching arm. Figure IA-6. [Side-stance punch] is created by vibrating the tension across the hips and stance with the pulling hand. Exercise IA-7 The trajectory, or path of the punch must allow the arm to be most receptive to the transfer of power from the body. Place your right fist, palm up, at the soft spot between the bottom of the rib-cage and the top of the hip bone. This position keeps the bicep muscles relaxed and the elbow close to the hip. Hold your left arm straight out in front of you so that your fist is level with your solar plexus. Then move your right fist forward while pulling your left fist back to its hip position. As the punching elbow clears the hip, a little resistance can be felt from the arm muscles, so it is most natural to allow the forearm to twist, giving a shearing motion to the punch. Throughout the punch, minimize tension on the outside of the arm and over the shoulder to maintain a smooth arch under the arm -- tensing the latissimus dorsi and serratus anterior muscles (along the ribs) -- to transfer the forces. Again, it is important in all movements to synchronize physical movement and breathing. Proper coordination between hundreds of muscles is best learned by synchronizing them with the beginning and end of a breath. b. ROTATION. Another movement that takes advantage of stance forces is hip rotation. A more complete discussion of rotation will be postponed until striking techniques. Figure IA-7. Just as the [punch] clears the hip, it begins a shearing rotation. Exercise IA-8 The front-stance can be used to deliver [counter-punch], a punch from the same side as the back leg. Retaining the tension across the knees, start in front-stance with right fist on hip, left fist forward. Using circular forces around each leg, turn the hip about its center. Be careful not to break the primary tension across the knees. The pulling hand helps initiate this technique by pulling back on the hip, jolting the large torso muscles and helping them to coordinate the rotation used to throw off the punching hand. The pulling hand aids the punching by setting up the correct reaction forces to initiate the body dynamics. If you imagine a pole placed horizontally across the torso, you can easily visualize how the pulling hand sets the body in motion to throw off the punching hand. A force on one end of a pole causes a rotation about the center of the pole. The punching trajectory is the same as described before. The pulling-hand helps the hip to rotate. While only one point of contact with the ground is necessary to move the body in a straight line, it is necessary to have two points of contact to perform a rotation in order that equal and opposite forces can be applied to turn the body about its center. You should appreciate the fact that you do not produce something from nothing. You must work to put power into your techniques. You know how tiring it can be to push a car or to just push against a wall. Although your arm or leg weighs much less than a car, if you expend the same maximum effort at each moment during your punch as if pushing such a heavy object, then that effort will be used to accelerate your limb to the maximum speed possible. c.REVERSE ROTATION. Another power method is called reverse rotation. Figure IA-8a. The beginning rotation of the hip starts to spin off the [counter-punch]. Figure IA-8b. The middle of the hip rotation continues to spin off the [counter-punch]. Figure IA-8c. The end of the hip rotation coincides with the end of the [counter-punch]. Exercise IA-9 An imaginary stick can be used to explain this new method of transferring momentum. In the previous discussion, an imaginary stick was placed across the body to generate the muscular action necessary to drive the opposite arm. Now imagine the stick placed along your arm, and allow your armpit to develop a "swivel-joint" feeling. When your body now rotates in one direction, your arm will rotate in the opposite direction. Actually, this power method is not really new. When walking, each arm moves in the opposite direction to its nearest hip. By doing this, the reaction force of your rotating hips is taken up by your arms, permitting your spine to stay straight and relatively free of strain. In a reverse-rotation technique a strong hip motion causes the arm to move with great power. d. SHIFTING. A fourth hip power method is [shifting], whereby the torso and center of mass is itself accelerated to give additional speed to the arm or leg technique. Lateral shifting is more sophisticated and is discussed in the next section. Figure IA-9. [Reverse-rotation] can be understood as the reaction felt at one end of a stick from an action perpendicular to the other end. Exercise IA-10 To understand how stances effect forward shifting, step from [front-stance] one full step ahead to a new [front-stance] according to the following sequence: Opposing forces should already exist between your legs. Your front leg, which now controls the entire motion, changes its direction of force from pushing away from the body to pulling with the inside and back thigh muscles. The effect of this movement on shifting is twofold. Releasing the outward force allows the pushing force from the back leg to drive the body forward. In addition, this motion of the body is aided by the pulling scissor motion of the front pulling leg. As your legs cross and the direction of force again changes, your left leg now becomes the back leg for the next front-stance. The left leg now pushes away from the body, driving it continuously forward, until the right leg brakes the forward motion by coming to rest. Note that the full step-in motion, typical of any large body motion, involves the use of many forces in the body, each of which are usually only singularly emphasized in a single stance. This step-in motion requires the use of both inside-tension and outside-tension stances, discussed in Section IB-1. Individual techniques are therefore best appreciated as important training devices, which must be respected and mastered, but not worshiped as limitations to the way the body can creatively move. Figure IA-10. At the very start of [step-in] the back leg is pushing the body, and the front leg has just started pulling. Exercise IA-11 In a [step-in punch], the [punch] must be coordinated with the body motion of shifting. Begin in [front-stance (L)], right fist on hip, left fist forward. Then step in to a new [front-stance punching]. The proper technique requires that the arm and body achieve maximum momentum together upon impact. (Momentum = mass x velocity.) Ideally, your punch should begin when your legs start to move. Every body part should smoothly accelerate and reach a maximum focus at the instant you are achieving a new front stance. At first, you will probably not be able to move your legs quickly enough to allow the punch to begin until after your legs have crossed, but with practice, the punch may be started sooner and sooner as the leg movements become more coordinated. Your pulling hand may help the start by creating the desired reaction force in the hip. Use the punch as a self-competitive device to drive yourself to move faster by beginning the punch sooner than you might think possible. Try to have the arms and legs coordinate to achieve focus together. You might move faster than you thought you could! The feeling in the body during these accelerated motions (of the arm with respect to the body and of the body with respect to the ground) is similar to that felt when pushing against a wall while in front-stance. The force flowing from the back leg through the hip and arm is met by an equal and opposite reaction force exerted by the wall. Upon releasing the arms, a reaction force from the front leg is required to prevent any forward motion. Release your front leg to direct a flow of force continually from your back leg through your arms, then release your arms to direct a flow of force through the front leg, and keep rapidly alternating this flow of force to better understand its origins. Fig IA-11a. The beginning of [step-in-punch (R)]. Fig IA-11b. The middle of [step-in-punch (R)]. Fig IA-11c. The end of [step-in-punch (R)]. Exercise IA-12 When accelerating an arm or a leg, similar forces are necessary to overcome the inertial mass. Although the forces have different purposes in static and in dynamic situations, the feeling in the muscles is essentially the same. For example, when doing a step-in punch, the body should propel the arm and legs with much the same continuous driving feeling as experienced when pushing against the wall. The dynamic reaction forces exerted on the body by the propelled punch are countered by the force exerted by the legs on the body in the opposite direction. Thus the forces necessary to step-in punch are ultimately dependent on the proper use of stance for both the arm and body motions. e. JUMPING AND SLIDING. Once the mechanics of basic shifting are mastered, it is also straightforward to integrate arm and leg technique with jumping and sliding (at least one foot always touching the ground). The important new feature is to adjust these techniques to the new body timing required to have complete body focus at the target. Figure IA-12. The feeling of pushing against a wall is a useful analogy to the feeling of continually accelerating the body. IA-4. Torques and Angular Momentum a. TORQUE AND INERTIA. It is now time to study the rotation movements in more detail. Many analogies can be made between the dynamics of linear and curvilinear movements. To create linear motion, you applied forces or reaction forces to accelerate the masses of your arms, legs, and body, producing momentum at the target. The momentum you produced continued along its line of motion until it was stopped by forces from another body or by internal forces such as friction. You were also able to transfer momentum from the body to the arms and legs to produce fast-moving projectiles. In equation form: F (force) = m (mass) x a (acceleration); v (velocity) imparted to m by F is v = a x t (time). At any time, t, P (momentum) = m x v. The inertia, I, of a body of mass with respect to a point a distance r away, about which it is rotating is equal to I = m x r x r. The angular momentum, A, possessed by this rotating mass, is equal to I = m x v x r, where v is the tangential velocity of the mass around the center. The angular velocity, w, is expressed as w = v/r. Torque is necessary to accelerate and rotate inertia to produce angular momentum (a spinning motion). Angular momentum tends to continue its circular motion until stopped by other torques. Exercise IA-13 The concept of inertia can be readily understood in body language by performing the following exercise. Assume a front-stance, keeping arms outstretched with underarms tensed so that the arms move rigidly with the hips. First, rotate the hips and arms with maximum torque across the hips to cause the hips to rotate. Practice rotating the hips and arms several times. Second, bend the arms at the elbow, and do the same hip motion. Then do the movement a third time, clasping your elbows with your hands. Now do the first exercise once more, and notice how much harder it is to get up the same angular speed with the first exercise as compared to the third. In each case the mass moved was the same, but the inertia was different. Many practitioners tend to confuse how strong a technique "feels" with the actual power in the technique that can be directed into the target. With linear techniques, one's intuition is a fairly sound guide. If you work harder to produce a technique, that technique will probably be faster and stronger. However, with curved or rotating techniques, one must be more analytic. You will work harder to move your arms, legs, or body in relatively large circles, but the power available for focus will actually be less than that produced by keeping the smallest rotations about the center of movement as you strive to approach the target at the desired angle. Figure IA-13. You can appreciate how inertia is different from mass by swinging your outstretched arms. Exercise IA-14 b. STRIKE-LOCK AND STRIKE-SNAP TECHNIQUES. You can transfer this rotation motion -- angular momentum -- to other body parts. This is analogous to transferring linear momentum from the body to the arm in a step-in-punch. From one back-stance, rotate 180 degrees to another back-stance, swinging the arm and focusing the back of the fist on an imaginary target. To get maximum speed, sweep the elbow across the body, bending it as it crosses through the center, then letting it whip out to the target. This motion is most efficient because the inertia is minimized in the middle of the motion by bending the elbow. The distance from the center of rotation is almost zero, which allows the greatest speed to be built up for a given torque from the legs and hips. Be sure to tense the small group of muscles under the arm and on the sides of the ribs to lock the arm, preventing a rocking motion at focus. This technique feels like a whip: A large mass with your torso as the handle of the whip starts a rotation motion Figure IA-14a. To begin a [strike-lock] bring the elbow across the center of the body. Figure IA-14b. Just before the forearm begins its stage of the [strike-lock] the elbow, hip and back leg are lined up into the target. Figure IA-14c. At the focus of [strike-lock bottom-fist] the forearm swings into the target. Exercise IA-15 STRIKE-SNAP. Another striking technique is the strike-snap motion, so-called because of a snap-back, or recoil, movement. For variety, practice this technique with a different method of hip power: Attempt [reverse-rotation down-block] by stepping back with the right leg from natural stance (feet close together) to front-stance. Next, allow your left elbow to go straight to a target at face level, rather than down to a block. Your hips rotate in one direction; your arm rotates in the opposite direction. As your hips complete their 45 degree rotation, lock the underarm of your striking arm to your body but keep your elbow joint rather flexible, maintaining a "spongy" feeling. The dynamics of this "spongy" feeling will be explained later in the section on Energy. The spinning motion given to your arm thus "leaks out" and is transferred to your forearm, which spins out very quickly from the upper-arm again, similar to the action of a released stretched spring. After focus, the snap-back returns the fist towards the center of the body. The transfer of angular momentum may be algebraically described as follows: Let the inertia of the body (rotating about the center), the arm (rotating about the shoulder joint), and the forearm (rotating about the elbow joint), be denoted by I (body), I (arm), and I (forearm), respectively. Let the angular velocity of the body, the arm, and the forearm be denoted by w (body), w (arm), and w (forearm), respectively. Then conservation of angular momentum A at each stage, transferred down to the arm by a system of levers, implies that: A = I (body) x w (body) = I (arm) x w (arm). A = I (arm) x w (arm) = I (forearm) x w (forearm). Some algebra shows that w (forearm) = (I (body)/l (forearm)) x w (body) Since I (body) is greater than I (forearm), we see that the angular velocity of the forearm becomes much greater than the angular velocity of the body (neglecting friction at the joints). Thus you can transform the large inertia of your body into a large angular speed of your forearm. This is quite similar to using the principles of linear momentum applied to many thrusting techniques; for example, a moving body mass can be used to develop quicker punches. Figure IA-15. The [strike-snap] is accomplished by allowing the forearm to snap back from the end of [strike-lock]. Exercise IA-16 Striking techniques take advantage of the small inertia of the striking limb. Aside from strategy (choice of technique, timing, and distance), a given technique, can most efficiently transfer momentum when the target and the projectile have equal masses. Try the three cases of a moving marble hitting another marble at rest of mass equal to, less than, and greater than the moving marble. It is assumed in this simple discussion that no heat is generated in the collisions. The marbles are assumed to be completely ideal and elastic. Only in the third case, which is familiar to all those who have played marbles, billiards, or pool, can the momentum of one marble be completely transferred to the other. With a given momentum available, the various thrusting and striking techniques give a rather wide range of masses to use against various targets (face, body, and so forth) in order to accomplish maximum transfer of momentum. Strike-lock and strike-snap techniques can be applied at many joints of the body. To continue this study, another technique, [front-snap-kick], will be discussed. This kick can be understood on two levels. On one level, the concepts of forces and reaction forces are used to analyze each limb motion as it contributes to the total technique. On the other level, concepts of linear momentum, angular momentum, and energy, discussed in the next section, describe the total process more abstractly, but also easily lead to generalization. An understanding of the second level will enable you to learn all the snap-kicks almost simultaneously, so that you won't need to spend weeks imitating and memorizing a different body feeling for each technique. Figure IA-16. A complete transfer of energy between colliding elastic bodies is only possible if they both have the same mass. Exercise IA-17 The fundamentals of [front-snap-kick] are best learned with one hand placed against the wall for balance. The kick is usually delivered with the ball of the foot, although sometimes the toes are turned down to make a "fist." Although your ankle is rigid upon impact, keep it somewhat flexible during the kick to continuously direct a straight line from your heel through the ball of the foot directly into the target. From [front-stance (L)], move the back leg to kick by changing your front leg from pushing out to pulling in, as in the beginning of the step-in-punch. If not done properly, the shoulders will jerk back involuntarily to cause the reaction force necessary to move the leg. This motion breaks balance and prevents the body from compressing when focusing during impact. In executing the [snap-kick], you must rotate the line connecting the solar plexus to the knee about the solar plexus as center. Minimize inertia to obtain maximum speed -- that is, as your knee progresses toward the target, bend it sharply in order to keep most of your leg as close to the center of rotation for as much of the kicking trajectory as possible. This occurs quite naturally as your knee accelerates toward the target: Your calf is rotated up to the back of your thigh because of a reaction force that is described in the use of the reverse-rotation techniques. Create tensions inside curves that run along the inside and top of your thigh and the abdominal walls to help lock your front leg to your body just when the line from the center of your hip through your knee is finally pointing to the target. Your back leg directs force through this imaginary line, feeling like the back leg of front-stance. If the knee is now kept flexible, the force that stops the leg motion whips out the foot by effecting another reverse-rotation force. Your leg automatically springs back as your knee assumes the "spongy" feeling similar to that used in the arm strike-snap techniques. If the muscular expansion and contraction of all the body muscles follows the rhythm of this flow, this kick becomes a very strong technique. In thrusting techniques, the body is rigid and compressed upon focus. In striking techniques, the body first stretches into the target. The hip and abdominal regions then compress with the snap-back of the technique. In all techniques some method of total body connection is necessary. A more general way of looking at the snap-kick technique is to observe that a torque from the original front-stance produces a spinning movement using the line from the solar plexus to the knee as the radius of the circular motion. This angular momentum is then transferred to the lower leg when the stance (standing) leg acting at the solar plexus exerts a counter-torque to still the body. This way of viewing the kick is essential to develop a total body feeling of the technique. The former analytic description, in terms of reverse rotation and rotation forces at each joint, is most helpful to analyze and correct your techniques. c. APPLICATION TO BODY MOVEMENTS. Some of the principles described above can be utilized to effect dynamic rotational and sidewards body motion. In the next exercises, start from a front-stance, although any other stance would also work. In both rotational and sidewards motion, the lateral components of the forces between the legs are used. Figure IA-17. The [front-snap-kick] drives the knee to the target much the same as the elbow is driven to its target in [strike-snap]. Exercise IA-18 Circle-shifting is accomplished by rotating the body, using the front leg as a pivot. The pivot leg changes its lateral component of force from outward to inward, which enables both legs to forcibly rotate the body. As your back leg rotates around, allow the inside thigh muscles that are pulling on the inside of your front leg to connect and pull along the inside thigh muscles of your back leg. This will pull your legs together during the rotation, minimizing their inertia and maximally accelerating the turn. Figure IA-18a. At the beginning of [circleshift] laterally pull the back leg towards the hip-center. Figure IA-18b. In the middle of [circle-shift] the body is rotating while all the mass of the body is close to the spine line. Figure IA-18c. At the end of [circle-shift] the body has rotated to a new angle. Exercise IA-19 Side-shifting is accomplished by releasing the horizontal force on the back leg to allow a sidewards motion to begin. Bring your back leg through the center of the body, and drive it back along a 90 degree axis, simultaneously rotating and pushing your front leg outward along the floor to the side. It now becomes the front leg of a front-stance at the new 90 degree angle. Figure IA-19a. At the beginning of [sideshift] the back leg is pulled towards the hip-center while the front leg pushes laterally outward. Figure IA-19b. In the middle of [side-shift] the body is rotating and shifting to the side of the attack. Figure IA-19c. At the end of [side-shift] the body has rotated to a new angle. Exercise IA-20 You can experience the sensation of complete body rotation in tumbling, which a few methods of falling will illustrate. In every fall, the spine is kept smoothly curved by tucking in the pelvis, tucking in the chin, and maintaining an even tension along the curved spine. The purpose is to convert some of the energy gained in the fall into harmless rolling, rotational energy. In previous examples, the torso made turning motions similar to motions in the falls, but the movement was accomplished by using the legs to torque the torso. By utilizing gravity to help perform these falls, you can better realize a more total threedimensionality to all techniques. Learning to fall is, of course, essential before seriously practicing leg sweeps (variations of crescent kicking) and throws discussed in Chapter IB. Figure IA-20. During a [fall] keep your pelvis and chin tucked in. IA-5. Body Expansion & Compression Energy, another physical principle commonly applied to karate techniques, is composed of three forms: Energy (total) = Energy (motion) + Energy (compression) + Energy (heat). Energy (motion) = (momentum) x (momentum)/(2 x mass). Energy (heat) is caused by friction in the muscles, biochemical processes, and so forth; it cannot be practically retrieved. Energy (compression) from compressed muscles can be reused to produce the beginning of another technique much the same as motion can be obtained from a compressed spring or sponge-ball. Exercise IA-21 This principle is primarily responsible for the smooth flow between the two techniques in the simple exercise: [counter-punch]-[step-in counter-punch]. The expansion from the first counter-punch not only helps the torso prepare for the next compression (second counter-punch), but also puts extra tension across the stance which is used to quickly step forward by initially pulling in with the front leg. The use of this muscular compression and expansion across the arms, legs, and torso gives rise to the "spongy" feeling necessary to do the strike-snap techniques discussed in the previous section. Body rhythm is aided by knowing and using physical laws of force, energy, and motion. The momentum and energy created for one technique can serve the next technique as well. Figure IA-21a. The focusing of one [counter-punch] can be used as preparation for another technique, by using the stance and torso as a large spring. Figure IA-21b. The spring from the first [counter-punch] can be used to gain a moment's advantage to continue the attack. Figure IA-21c. A [step-in counter-punch] from [counter-punch] is effected by using the spring energy from the latter technique to help start the former. Exercise IA-22 In order to smoothly integrate individual techniques into combinations as well as to perfect each technique, body expansion and compression must be learned. A simple exercise taken from the kata (stylized sequence of movements), Heian #1, illustrates the possibilities of such technique-to technique connections: Try [[step-in-punch],[step-in-punch]-[step-in-punch]]. After the first punch, wait until the body springs back to the neutral state, or state of even body tone, before triggering the start of the second punch. Although the momentum of the body stops after the first punch, the inside muscular expansion and compression continues. After the second punch however, continue momentum and also use the compression of that punch to trigger the start of the third punch. Between these last two punches both the outside and inside movements of the body are uninterrupted. IB. Basic Body Kinematics of Karate Techniques IB-1. Stances Section IA-2 has already given the purpose and method of stance, the use of the legs and hips to develop strong torques and forces from the floor to act on the torso. In this chapter, all the major stances used in karate techniques will be presented. Exercise IB-1 a. NATURAL-STANCE. Keep your hips tucked under. Stand with your feet about a shoulders' width apart, body relaxed. Test your readiness to move by trying a few quick starts forward, back, and to each side. Natural stance is the feeling just before moving. The next series of stances is composed of outside-tension stances, wherein the legs create tension across the hips and abdomen by pushing apart. Remember to start each stance with your hips tucked under to make it possible for maximum forces in your legs to be transmitted to your torso. Figure IB-1. [Natural-stance] is the feeling just before moving. Exercise IB-2 b. FRONT-STANCE. Place the left foot about two and a half shoulders' width ahead of your right foot. Keep the lateral distance across your feet the same as it was in natural stance, about a shoulder's width apart. Keep the side edge of the front (left) foot straight ahead, and the side edge of the back (right) foot turned in as much as possible, between 30 and 45 degrees. Be sure to keep the front knee bent over the large toe, but keep the tensions following along the inside of the leg. With proper training, your back knee may be slightly bent, enabling the thigh and calf muscles to tense to direct a straight line of force from the center of the hip to the center of your arch. If any joint becomes too rigidly locked, forces cannot flow smoothly across it, and the force transmitted across the neighboring limbs actually becomes weaker, even though a small group of muscles in the vicinity of the joint may be more strongly tensed in the locked position. However, at first, you may have to settle for a straight back leg until you can pick up the proper muscle feeling. Under no conditions allow any joint to become hyperextended. If your joints have a natural propensity to hyperextend, then try harder to more quickly learn the correct muscle feeling to protect your joints from incorrect stresses that might otherwise be encountered. A blend of [natural-stance] and [front-stance] gives rise to [free-stance]. This stance has the outward appearance of [front-stance], but the softer inside feeling of [natural-stance]. The elbows and knees feel as if they are gently pressing in and being pushed out by a large balloon in front of the hips. Figure IB-2a. [Front-stance]. Figure IB-2b. [Free-stance] is a blend of [front-stance] and [natural-stance]. Exercise IB-3 c. SIDE-STANCE. The front-stance is easiest for beginners to learn because it faces forward and because the back leg directly pushes the hip forward via the reaction force from the ground. This is a familiar feeling when walking or running. The sidestance is somewhat more subtle. The distance between the feet is the same in the side-stance as in the frontstance. The tension across the legs and hips allows the body to deliver power to either side. In the side-stance, the knee and lower leg (actually the smooth curve inside and across the knee) push out, and the floor pushes back. When doing side-stance, be sure to keep the outsides of the feet parallel and the hips tucked in. An outward circular tension exerted around each thigh will keep the back and inside of each leg tense and drive the hips forwards. Figure IB-3. [Side-stance]. Exercise IB-4 d. BACK-STANCE. This stance is essentially half side-stance and half frontstance. Your back leg is used somewhat as in side-stance, though it is bent even more. Your front foot is twisted out at an angle so that its outside edge is parallel to the line between your heels. The knee of the front leg is only slightly bent; any locked joint prevents an even tension from flowing across it. Except for the opposite direction of the ankle, the front leg of the back-stance resembles the back leg of the front-stance in its direct method of pushing into the floor. The heels are along the same line to prevent the production of torques on the hip that would break balance. Figure IB-4. [Back-stance] is a blend of [side-stance] and [front-stance]. Exercise IB-5 e. ANGULAR-SIDE-STANCE. Place the feet in side-stance at an angle of 30 to 45 degrees to the direction both your hips are facing. This stance is capable of making and focusing power in all directions, although it is not as strong to the front as frontstance, or as strong to the side as side-stance. A smooth band of tension circling the legs should be realized. The next series of stances are inside-tension stances, wherein the legs create tension across the lips and abdomen by pulling together. Figure IB-5. [Angular-side-stance] is essentially a [side-stance] at an angle to the line of power. Exercise IB-6 f. HALF-MOON-STANCE. This is the inside-tension analogue of the outsidetension angular-side-stance. The distance between the feet is the same as in angularside-stance. The back ankle is turned in almost forward, and each knee is pulled towards the inside of the opposite ankle. More correctly, smooth curves of tension pull towards each other, from the soles of the feet up to the imaginary extensions of the legs meeting at the solar plexus. Be sure the hips are tucked under to lock these two tensions together. Figure IB-6. [Half-moon-stance] is an insidetension stance at the same angle and distance between the heels as [angular-side-stance]. Exercise IB-7 g. HOUR-GLASS-STANCE. When sparring at close distances, often the feet must be close together. At distances between the legs approaching a shoulder's width, the angle between the thighs in front-stance becomes too small to produce an effective horizontal component of force to push against the ground to derive strong body power. The hour-glass-stance solves this problem. This stance is essentially the same as the half-moon-stance, except that the large toe of the back leg is on a line that passes under the center of the body and through the heel of the front leg. The relevant angle that determines components of force on the floor is measured by intersecting lines along the lower legs that pass from the heels through the knees. This angle is much steeper than the angle between the thighs in a front-stance with the same distance between the feet. Figure IB-7. [Hour-glass-stance] is an insidetension stance that is more useful than [front-stance] when the feet are close together. Exercise IB-8 h. CAT-STANCE. This is the inside-tension analogue of the close-distance outside-tension back-stance. It is produced by pulling the front leg of the hour-glassstance over until the front heel is just in front of the big toe of the back leg. The front heel is raised and the thighs are pinched, crossing the front knee over the back knee. As in all the inside-tension stances, the tensions in the legs should be extended up to the solar plexus. Figure IB-8. [Cat-stance] is an inside-tension stance that is more useful than [back-stance] when the feet are close together. IB-2. Punching Although the concept of punching seems straightforward, keep in mind, and in practice, that only the proper use of stance and hip movement discussed in Sections IA-2-3 will generate power for the punch. In fact, you will do better to start realizing that the punch, like all karate techniques, is really a body technique. Think of the arm as a convenient extension of the body that increases your range, and also is a convenient limb that can translate the larger-mass body momentum into a lighter-mass faster technique. Exercise IB-9 a. COUNTER-PUNCH. Exercise IA-4 in Section IA-3 contains a description of how the arm is typically connected to the body driving a punch. (Occasionally the halland-swivel feeling of reverse-rotation hip motion is used.) Try exercise IA-5 to study the most common punch, [counter-punch]. Figure IB-9. [Counter-punch]. Exercise IB-10 b. STEP-IN-PUNCH. Exercise IA-11 describes [step-in-punch]. A somewhat subtle point is the proper use of the pulling-hand. In [counter-punch] the feeling under both arms is a "direct-connection," an elastic feeling, not so rigid that the arm can't be accelerated off the body, and not so loose that the arm does not quickly respond to the motion of the body. In [step-in-punch] the feeling under the punching arm is also direct-connection, but the feeling under the pulling arm is reverse-rotation. Here, the action of the pulling arm tends to reverse-rotate the hip opposite to the punching hand, thereby locking both hips square into the punch. Note that this is the opposite muscle order usually used by reverse-rotation: Usually the reverse-rotating body acts on the hand to produce a technique. c. BASIC PUNCH VARIATIONS. There are several variations of the basic [punch] or [counter-punch] which vary only in their reach or method of body power. Figure IB-10. The pulling-hand at the focus of [step-in punch] applies a [reverse-rotation] force to its hip. Exercise IB-11 When the target is closer to the body than the fully extended arm, the punch is simply focussed in the same position it would have on the trajectory of the fully extended punch. When the elbow stops about two fists past the hip, the [verticalpunch] is performed with the fist in a vertical position, thumb-side up. When the elbow stops next to the hip, the [close-punch] is performed with the palm-side of fist facing up. The wrist turns outwards on focus to help lock the punch to the body. Admittedly a poor choice of nomenclature, the [short-punch] is actually a fully extended punch done with the arm on the same side as the front leg. The "short" title refers to the shorter distance from the hip to target when compared to the counter-punch. The [upunch] is a simultaneous punch to the face and close-punch to the solar plexus. Sometimes the spine bends and the head also attacks like the middle prong of a trident. The [double-punch] is composed of two simultaneous punches keeping the posture vertical. d. TRAJECTORY VARIATIONS IN PUNCHING. There are also three variations in punching that change the trajectory, or path through space, that the arm follows. These are usually still classified as punches. Figure IB-Ila. [Vertical-punch] is focused with the elbow about two fists' distance from the hip. Figure IB-Ilb. [Close-punch] is focused with the elbow touching the hip. Exercise IB-12 ROUND-PUNCH. This punch takes a curved trajectory towards its target. This is aided by pulling around the hip with the pulling hand, setting up some lateral reaction force on the punching hand. The punching forearm also twists before the elbow clears the hip. This sets up tensions that permit the body to throw out the arm in a curve away from the line connecting the hip center and the target. However, twist the forearm as you near the target, using the compression of the stance and abdomen to pull the arm back into the line connecting the hip and the target. This punch is also used effectively as a simultaneous block under an opponent's attacking arm. Figure IB-12. [Round-punch] is often used as a combination of [punch] and [up-block]. Exercise IB-13 RISING-PUNCH. This punch begins its course as a punch to the groin level, but swings up in a vertical circle, usually attacking under the chin. This is accomplished by first tensing the sides of the abdomen along a vertical channel, allowing the compression from the low punch to drive the punching hand upwards. Then the abdomen is compressed horizontally as well to solidly lock the punching arm to the body upon focus. These imagined "channels" help to correctly lock the arm to the body along its trajectory. Figure IB-13a. [Rising-punch] starts a vertical swing from an attack towards the groin. Figure IB-13b. [Rising-punch] ends as an attack under the opponent's chin. Exercise IB-14 HOOK-PUNCH. This punch takes a horizontal 90 degree swing across the body to the target. Just as the elbow of a would-be normal punch clears the hip, the forearm twists inwards, and the punch travels parallel to the chest. This punch is effected by first tensing horizontally across the abdomen, creating a horizontal channel for the arm. On impact, the vertical compression locks the arm to the body. It is especially important when doing [hook-punch], [rising-punch] or [roundpunch] that a strong tension is maintained under the arm-body connection, and that any tensions along the outside of the arm-shoulder line are minimized. e. ADDITIONAL HAND TECHNIQUES FOR PUNCHING. Using the principles developed so far, several hand techniques may be affixed to the punching arm to accommodate various targets and strategies. Figure IB-14. [Hook-punch] is useful at short distances attacking towards the side. Exercise IB-15 The [one-knuckle-fist] is made by protruding the middle finger's second knuckle before the fist is clenched as the striking weapon. The [fore-knuckle-fist] is made by protruding the forefinger and placing the thumb almost inside under the second knuckle before clenching the fist. The [ridge-knuckle-fist] is made like the fore-knuckle-fist, except that all the second knuckles are protruded. Various open-hand techniques are also used for punching. The [palm-heel] is made with the wrist bent back 90 degrees and the second knuckles of all the fingers closed tightly in a vertical position. The [spear-hand] is made by keeping the fore-finger straight, curving the next two fingers to make the tops of all these fingers level, and tensing the hand uniformly from the little finger side and from the thumb side. The [two-finger-spear-hand] is made by slightly curving the first two fingers and clenching the others. Sometimes the finger next to the index finger is only half-bent to give additional support to the index finger. The [one-finger-spear-hand] is made by slightly curving the first finger and half-bending the others for support. The [bear-claw] is a palm thrust with fingers spread apart and slightly curled forwards. All open hand punching techniques are not performed with a shearing component at focus, as this would tend to break the fingers. Figure IB-15a. [One-knuckle-fist]. Figure IB-15b. [Ridge-knuckle-fist]. Figure IB-15c. [Spear-hand]. Figure IB-15d. [Two-finger-spear-hand]. IB-3. Blocking Hip rotation is extremely useful for [attack-blocks], which are designed to break the opponent's rhythm and balance as a prelude to a counter-attack. Use the arm and hip closest to the opponent. When facing in a given direction, you can effectively direct power perpendicular to an attack over an extremely wide angular region. Another method of blocking, which is smoother but requires better timing, is [sweep-blocking], in which the attacking momentum of the opponent is controlled along a line tangential to the attack. The blocking hand glides along the attacking limb, exerting a gradual sideways force that smoothly deflects the attack. This method of control is used to a great extent in judo and aikido. As will be discussed below, [attack-blocks] can be turned into [attack-sweepblocks] which have some sweeping component to them, and vice versa. Other categories of blocking are mentioned below. The attack-blocks as well as the attacks follow principles of natural body movements: One group of muscles should not impede another group's functions. An important application of these principles is: When the blocking (or punching) hand is close to your body, the palm naturally faces toward you, and when the hand is extended, the palm naturally faces away from you. These positions minimize arm tensions that could interfere with the flow of power coming from the legs and hips. Exercise IB-16 a. UP-BLOCKING. Begin [up-block] as a would-be punch along a vertical line in front of the center of your body. When your wrist reaches the height of your head, twist out your forearm to form a smooth curve extending under your arm. The position of your fist should be about two fist-widths from the top and front of the head. Keep tensions under the arm, and avoid stiff shoulders that can disconnect the block from its source of speed and mass, the body. Figure IB-16. [Up-block]. Exercise IB-17 You can also use the extra twist of the forearm at the end of the up-block to turn your wrist up for a smoother deflection of the attack. The timing of this twist with the focus of the block allows you a continuum of blocking methods ranging from a heavy attack-block that is perpendicular to the attacking line of motion, to a smoother sweepblock that rolls along the attacking line of motion. This variation can also be applied to the following two blocks. Figure IB-17a. [Sweep-up-block] makes initial contact sooner than an [attack-block]. Figure IB-17b. The final position of [sweepup-block] is the same as [up-block]. Exercise IB-18 b. ROUND BLOCK. Start the round-block with your arm bent out to the side at shoulder height and the fist by the ear. A smooth rotation down and toward the center of the body ends with your palm facing inward at shoulder height with the elbow bent at a 90 degree angle about two fists' width from the body. This block is also called [outside-round-block] because it starts from the outside of the body. Figure IB-18. [Outside-round-block]. Exercise IB-19 INSIDE-ROUND-BLOCK. This variation of [round-block] starts from under the arm of the pulling hand, and sweeps out laterally to block. Whereas [outside-roundblock] makes contact with the small finger side of the forearm, [inside-round-block] makes contact with the thumb side of the forearm. Figure IB-19. [Inside-round-block]. Exercise IB-20 c. DOWN-BLOCK. The third basic attack-block is the down-block. Begin with your fist next to the opposite ear, palm facing in. Swing your arm down across the front of your body and twist your forearm out just as your arm becomes nearly straight. At the focus of the block, your palm should be facing down and the line of your arm should be parallel with the front thigh as it would be in a front-stance. Figure IB-20. [Down-block]. Exercise IB-21 OUTSIDE-DOWN-BLOCK. The above [down-block] travels from the inside of body towards the outside of the body, and could more specifically be called [insidedown-block]. The [outside-down-block] is performed by swinging the straight arm from the outside of the body across the front of the hips. All the blocks may utilize the power methods [reverse-rotation], [vibration], [shifting], as well as [direct-rotation]. In the [direct-rotation down-block], the pulling hand is pulled in the direction opposite to the hip movement to act as a brake, focusing the hip rotation by pulling against its direct rotation coupling. in [reverse-rotation down-block], where the blocking hand and hip move in opposite directions, the pulling hand directly helps to rotate the hips with the direct underarm muscular connection. Figure IB-21. [Outside-down-block]. Exercise IB-22 d. KNIFE-HAND-BLOCK. This technique begins as an [inside-down-block], but with the opened blocking hand facing the opposite ear. However, the block ends with a twist of the forearm, elbow locked at 90 degrees and a couple of fists distance away from the blocking hip. This is more precisely an [inside-bent-elbow-knife-hand-downblock stomach]. For close-distance sparring, the open hand reacts more quickly than the fist. The back-stance is also useful for close-distance sparring because after blocking it is relatively easy to spring into front-stance with a counter-punch. Figure IB-22. [Inside-knife-hand-block stomach]. Exercise IB-23 BENT-WRIST-KNIFE-HAND-BLOCK. This variation of [knife-hand-block] starts out as [inside-round-block] and ends with a straight elbow and bent wrist. Fingers should be bent at the first and second joints, and the palm should be vertical. In all hand techniques, be careful of the position of the elbow relative to its hip. If the elbow goes just a bit behind the hip, then the back muscles naturally fold in towards the spine. The elbow must stay in front of the hip in order to maximally flare out the back and latissimus dorsi muscles to help lock the arm to the torso. Figure IB-23. [Inside-bent-wrist-knife-handblock face]. Exercise IB-24 e. CATEGORIES OF BLOCKS. As they relate to their influence on targets, there are several other main categories of blocks. [Attack-blocks] have momentum perpendicular to that of their targets. [Sweep-blocks] ride along tangentially to the momentum of their targets, with a slighter pressure applied for a longer contact time than with attack-blocks, which serves to deflect the attack. [Attack-sweep] blocks are attackblocks with some sweeping component, as discussed for the up-block. [Hook-blocks] are [attack-inside-blocks] performed with a straight joint (usually wrist or elbow) that immediately bends on contact to twist and break the opponent's balance. [Roundpunch-block] is a [round-punch] that is used to simultaneously block and punch. [Augmented-blocks] use the other hand to support the blocking hand. Usually the fist by the inside-elbow, or the open hand pressed by the wrist of the blocking hand is used. [X-blocks] are made by crossing the hands just below the wrists. Typical xblocks are [up-x-block], [down-x-block]. [Two-hand-sweep-defense] is typically used against a kick, with one hand doing the actual blocking, and the other hand crossed over to prevent the kick from riding up the blocking hand to attack your face or body. Double-blocks use two simultaneous blocks: [Double-up-block] and [doubleoutside/inside-round-block] are examples. Figure IB-24a. [Augmented-inside-round-block]. Figure IB-24b. [Two-hand-sweep-defense]. Exercise IB-25 f. ADDITIONAL HAND TECHNIQUES FOR BLOCKING. Using the principles previously described, several hand techniques may be affixed to the blocking arm to accommodate various targets and strategies. [Back-fist] is usually used against fleshy target areas, and [bottom-fist] (little finger side of fist) may be used anywhere. There is a little more variety available with the open hand: [Knife-hand] is the little finger side of the spear-hand. [Ridge-hand] is the thumb side of the same hand, but the thumb is pressed down to the bottom of the little finger, exposing the bottom edge of the fore-finger. [Back-hand] and [open-palm] may be used as well. [Tiger-paw], usually used as part of a sweep-block, grabs just as contact is made. The thumb and fingers are curved to a half circle and tension is maintained inside until contact, when the hand automatically closes. Figure IB-25a. [Ridge-hand-sweep-defense face] & [counter-punch face]. Figure IB-25b. [Tiger-paw]. Exercise IB-26 Four main regions of the wrist are also used for blocks: [Chicken-head] is made by touching the thumb to the little finger, and using the thumb-side edge of the bent wrist. [Tortoise-head] is made by touching the thumb to the index finger, and using the flat part of the bent wrist. The [palm-heel] is made by bending the wrist back 90 degrees, and using the bottom of the palm. [Ox-jaw] is made by bending up the thumb-side edge of the wrist, using the little finger side of the wrist-palm corner. Figure IB-26a. [Chicken-head block]. Figure IB-26b. [Tortoise-head block]. Figure IB-26c. [Palm-heel block]. Figure IB-26d. [Ox-jaw block]. IB-4. Striking Section IA-4 has discussed the physical principles behind striking techniques. Now we will examine the basic variations of [striking]. a. STRIKE-LOCK. These techniques swing into their target, and focus with the body rigidly connected, similar to thrusting techniques such as [punch]. Note that the [attack-blocks] can also be considered as strike-lock techniques. Exercise IB-27 The most basic [strike-lock] is [bottom-fist-strike-lock]. The arm motion is essentially a [down-block], but to a vital target instead of to an opponent's attacking limb. With the hand under the opposite arm, the elbow leads to the target, with the forearm as close to the center of upper-arm rotation as possible. The elbow then locks to the torso, and the forearm swings out to strike the target with the bottom-fist (small-finger side of the fist). Figure IB-27. [Bottom-fist-strike-lock ribs]. Exercise IB-28 Another common variation is [back-fist-strike-lock] which unfolds just as the [bottom-fist-strike-lock]. However, just near the target, the forearm twists outwards, striking the target with the back of the knuckles of the first two fingers. Figure IB-28. [Back-fist-strike-lock neck]. Exercise IB-29 ELBOW-STRIKES. The elbow can directly drive to the target. Even the novice will appreciate the strong mass connection available at this close distance to the target. [Counter-elbow-strike face] drives up to chin, with the palm facing the ear as the pivot point for the technique. [Counter-elbow-strike stomach] drives to the solar-plexus, with the palm facing down near to your stomach as the pivot point for the technique. [Inside-elbow-strike] starts from inside the body, and swings out to the target with the palm facing down swinging across the chest into the target. b.STRIKE-SNAP. These techniques unfold just like the [strike-lock] techniques. However,on focus, instead of locking to the torso, the [strike-snap] limb snaps back from the target, depositing a faster-velocity quality of momentum into the target than the larger-mass quality of momentum afforded by the [strike-lock] techniques. Figure IB-29a. [Counter-elbow-strike face]. Figure IB-29b. [Counter-elbow-strike stomach]. Figure IB-29c. [Inside-elbow-strike stomach]. Exercise IB-30 The [strike] limb may be the elbow, as in [bottom-fist-strike] or [back-fist-strike]. It may be the wrist, if the entire body behind the wrist becomes solid on focus, similar to the handle of a whip, and the momentum produced at that joint transfers to the fist. The [strike] limb may be at the shoulder if the entire arm swings to target, or the hip itself if the whole body swings into the target. Note that all four basic hip movements described in Section IA-3 are available for striking techniques. c. ADDITIONAL HAND TECHNIQUES FOR STRIKING. For completeness, other hand techniques used for striking are briefly discussed. These, of course, use the principles previously discussed. Figure IB-30. Just after focus of [cat-stance strike-snap face]. Exercise IB-31 The techniques described in the Section IB-2e, Additional Hand Techniques For Punching, and those in Section IB-3f, Additional Hand Techniques for Blocking, can be used for striking. These include: [back-fist], [bottom-fist], [knife-hand], [ridge-hand], [back-hand], [chicken-head], [tortoise-head], [palm-head], and [ox-jaw]. The tip of the [spear-hand] may be used (carefully in practice!) to the eyes. The [rising-punch], using the back of the knuckles, can also be considered a striking technique. [Thumb-knuckle] is made by pressing the thumb against the second knuckle of the forefinger of the clenched fist. [Bear-claw] is made by bending all the fingers at the second knuckle. [Eagle-beak] is made by flexing the wrist and touching the tips of all fingers. It is often very efficient to smoothly whip back and forth with the same hand, between [ox-jaw] and [chicken-head] or between [tortoise-head] and [palm-heel], to make useful [attack]-[block] or [double-attack/block] combinations. Figure IB-31a. [Ox-jaw-strike-lock stomach]. Figure IB-31b. [Bear-claw-strike-lock face]. IB-5. Thrust-Kicking [Thrust-kicks] are quite analogous to [punches]. All these techniques gather up speed from stance and hip movements, create speed in the attacking limbs, and, at the focus of the torso and attacking limb, connect and directly pierce into the target. The basic [front-thrust-kick], [side-thrust-kick], and [back-thrust-kick], begin with one leg pulled up close to the center of the body while the hip motion is being controlled by the stance leg. In all kicks, curve the body as a lens focusing into the target. If your hands, head or shoulders fly wildly about, you are not developing power from [stance]. In general the abdomen pulls the leg through center, while simultaneously the stance leg drives the hip and kick to the target. Exercise IB-32 a. FRONT-THRUST-KICK. To do this, first assume front-stance, left leg forward, with your hips tucked under. You might want to hold lightly on a wall or some other object with one hand for balance when you first practice kicks. Use your abdomen to pick up your kicking leg, above the knee of the other leg. If you don't clear your own knee, you may soon break your toes on your opponent's shin! Then drive your right leg to the target along the line from your knee through the ball of your foot, using force which comes from your stance (left) leg through your hip. Instead of the ball of the foot, sometimes the heel is used. Then bring your kicking leg back to the center of your body to allow a smooth transition to step into next stance. Use your abdominal muscles to control the kicking leg throughout its trajectory. This allows your leg muscles to be relaxed to be most receptive to momentum from your hip. As with the underarm connection in the punch, there should be an elastic-feeling connection between your leg and torso. The connection is minimal at first, allowing the leg to accelerate away from the hip and attain a high velocity. It becomes maximum at the focus as it unites the leg with the more massive torso, supported by the rigid stance leg. Figure IB-32. [Front-thrust-kick stomach]. Exercise IB-33 b. SIDE-THRUST-KICK. To do [side-thrust-kick], drive the leg to target along the line from the knee through the side edge of your foot with the stance leg being used as in [side-stance] to drive the hips sideways. Remember to keep your hips tucked under just as in [front-kick]. The position of the ankle in kicks is very important, as it directly affects the angle of the thigh relative to the torso. The analogous problem with the hand relative to the torso is not as severe, although it is present. For example, in [front-thrust-kick], if the ankle turns inwards, the stance and abdominal muscles are no longer as strong to the front. Maximum strength from this ankle position is derived by swinging the leg around, keeping the side-edge of the foot parallel to the ground, to [side-thrust-kick] position. Similarly note that if the toes are turned upwards, power is lost to the side, and is restored only by swinging the leg around to [front-thrust-kick] position. The stance leg is like [side-stance]. Figure IB-33a. [Side-thrust-kick stomach]. Figure IB-33b. [Flying-side-thrust-kick]. Exercise IB-34 c. BACK-THRUST-KICK. Similar to the experiences described in the above paragraph, maximum power is obtained by having the foot as vertical as possible to the floor, heel pointing up. The line of power for this kick, as in the other [thrust-kicks] requires that the front-stance-leg is furthest from the target, and the hip-center in some middle region before the target. The hips must be tucked under in order to maximize power generated from the stance and abdomen, even though the back is somewhat curved towards the target. The stance leg is like the front leg of [front-stance]. Figure IB-34. [Back-thrust-kick groin]. Exercise IB-35 d. STOMP-KICK. This essentially a [side-thrust-kick] performed directly down to a target, such as an opponent's instep or knee. There are two variations. [Closestomp-kick] starts with the knee up to the center-line and then directly drives down at angle to the target. [Far-stomp-kick] starts with the knee coming up to the center-line, but then the lower-leg arches out over the target, as if extending into a long [sidestance]. Then the body and leg drop down onto the target. Figure IB-35. [Stomp-kick knee]. IB-6. Swing-Kicking Exercise IB-36 a. CRESCENT-KICK. Another basic kick that you can practice at this stage is [crescent-kick]. It utilizes hip-rotation to swing the sole of the back leg into the target. This [kick] can be used as a [block] or as an [attack]. Figure IB-36. [Crescent-kick block]. Exercise IB-37 b. SWEEP. The swinging motion used in [crescent-kick] can be applied to the bottom of the calf or ankle of the opponent. [Crescent-kick] and [sweep] as described above are obviously leg analogues of the arm [strike-lock] techniques using [directrotation]. They can also be performed with [reverse-rotation]. As the swinging leg nears the target, change the hip-joint feeling to the ball-and-swivel feeling of [reverserotation], and snap the hips back in the opposite direction upon focus. This imparts additional speed to the swinging leg, with some loss of mass connection. The [booksweep-kick] pulls the target towards you just as contact is made. Figure IB-37. [Sweep ankle]. Exercise IB-38 c. WHEEL-KICK. The back of the heel is swung behind you, attacking the target. This kick can also be done with [direct-rotation] or [reverse-rotation]. Figure IB-38. [Wheel-kick face]. Exercise IB-39 d. KNEE-KICKS. The knee can be directly swung to the target. Although not as fast as the extended kicks, even the novice can appreciate a strong mass connection behind these close-distance techniques. [Front-knee-kick] drives directly forward. [Round-knee-kick] comes up and around, as if kicking over a table, but curving the torso into the target. [Side-knee-kick] drives directly sidewards into the target. At close distances, sometimes the toes are curled to a "fist" to protect them. Figure IB-39a. [Front-knee-kick]. Figure IB-39b. [Round-knee-kick]. Exercise IB-39 d. KNEE-KICKS. The knee can be directly swung to the target. Although not as fast as the extended kicks, even the novice can appreciate a strong mass connection behind these close-distance techniques. [Front-knee-kick] drives directly forward. [Round-knee-kick] comes up and around, as if kicking over a table, but curving the torso into the target. [Side-knee-kick] drives directly sidewards into the target. At close distances, sometimes the toes are curled to a "fist" to protect them. Figure IB-39a. [Front-knee-kick]. Figure IB-39b. [Round-knee-kick]. IB-7. Snap-kicking Analogous to the arm [strike-snap] techniques, the leg can execute [snap-kick] techniques. The line from the solar plexus to the knee can rotate in three planes to produce [front-snap-kick], [round-snap-kick] and [side-snap-kick]. Exercise IB-40 a. FRONT-SNAP-KICK. This kick is described in detail in Section IA, Exercise IA-17. The knee drives forward as in [front-knee-kick], the body locks, and the bottom of the leg whips to the target and snaps back to center. The stance leg is like the back leg of [front-stance]. Sometimes the instep or toes curled to a "fist" are used, instead of the ball of the foot, to attack. Figure IB-40a. Just before focus of [frontsnap-kick]. Figure IB-40b. Focus of [front-snap-kick]. Figure IB-40c. Just after focus of [front-snap-kick]. Exercise IB-41 b. SIDE-SNAP-KICK. The same dynamic process can produce a [side-snap-kick] to attack a target to the side, using the outside edge of the foot near the heel. Be careful not to turn the toes and ankle out. If you do, your thigh muscles also will twist out. From the point of view of reverse-rotation forces, the bottom of your leg is scooped up towards the groin as your knee shoots out as it does in [side-knee-kick]. Your knee should drive out at an angle of about 45 degrees from the front of the body rather than to the center as in the [side-thrust-kick]. When your thigh locks, making it a rigid extension of the torso, the spinning motion originally generated in the torso and leg is transferred to the lower leg. The leg then whips back to center. The stance leg is like [side-stance]. Figure IB-41a. Focus of [side-snap-kick face]. Figure IB-41b. Just after focus of [side-snap- kick face]. Exercise IB-42 c. ROUND-SNAP-KICK. The [round-snap-kick] is done in the third plane (horizontal) of your three-dimensional space. The kicking leg essentially does the [frontsnap-kick], but in the horizontal plane. Use your side muscles to help pick up the leg so that your heel, ball of your foot, knee, and hip are equal distances from the ground. Rotate your hip and knee 90 degrees, so that the bottom of your leg is driven to the back of the thigh. Lock your knee and hip along the line to the target as in [roundknee-kick] to spin off your lower leg. The stance leg is like [side-stance]. As with the other snap kicks, it is easy to step smoothly into the next stance and technique. The [inside-round-snap-kick] starts as a [front-kick], but the hip-center curves the knee and drives the kick to the corner outside the same side as the kicking leg. The [round-front-snap-kick] is performed in the 45 degree plane, half-way between the planes of the front and round kicks. [Back-snap-kick] is useful at close distances, to the groin of an opponent attacking your back. In [natural-stance], the abdomen and thigh lock and snap-up your lower leg. Many of the kicks can be performed while jumping. Some of the most popular are the [flying-front-kick], [flying-side-thrust (or snap)-kick] (legs used alternately), and the [flying-front] & [side (snap or thrust)-kick] (legs also used alternately). Figure IB-42a. Focus of [round-snap-kick stomach]. Figure IB-42b. Just after focus of [round-snap-kick stomach]. IB-8. Throws [Throws] require smooth torquing motions and sometimes subtle joint-twisting techniques. One's opponent as well as one's self must be continually controlled during the rotation movements. It is most useful in karate to consider [throws] like [blocks]: They are themselves incomplete techniques, but are useful, and sometimes necessary, to set up your opponent for an [attack]. For this purpose, the general rule to follow is to use as little force as possible, tugging or pulling, during these preparatory techniques. [Attacks] are the techniques that require fully committed force. To carry out this general rule, don't try to lift or push the center-of-mass of your opponent. Instead, learn to quickly sense a weak axis of balance, and then apply torques about the center-of-mass to almost effortlessly rotate your opponent to the floor. Eventually, in free-sparring you will learn to shift into positions that threaten such weak axes. Your opponent will lose rhythm and position as you threaten these axes, and even though you have not accomplished a full throw, you will already have gained an important strategic edge in the interaction. Exercise IB-43 [Step-in] to the open side of your opponent thrusting your hips close to your opponent's. Spread your arms/legs across the widest area of the opponent to obtain the largest torques. Turn your whole body 180 degrees to a new [front-stance], bringing your arms and your opponent down with you. Keep your own posture erect. It is a tremendous waste of power to use your torques to control your torso if it is off-center. Figure IB-43a. Position to [throw] opponent attacking with [punch]. Figure IB-43b. Position during [throw] of opponent who is [punching]. Figure IB-43c. Position after [throwing] punching attacker. Exercise IB-44 [Step-in] past a [kick], spreading your arms across your opponent. Obviously you must train to get good timing. Continue to move to the outside corner of your opponent, circling more and more until your opponent falls. Figure IB-44a. Position to [throw] opponent attacking with [front-thrust-kick]. Figure IB-44b. Position during [throw] of opponent who is [kicking]. Figure IB-44c. Position after [throwing] kicking attacker. Exercise IB-45 You can directly [pull] your opponent off balance if you can set up a counterforce to torque the center-of-mass. If your opponent has not just committed weight to a given leg, you can apply a counter-force by pressing against it with a sweeping motion, while you simultaneously pull on his or her arm. One must be sensitive to the subtleties of "dynamic balance." If you are already quickly shifting in some direction this can- serve as a source of support for techniques, without stopping for [stance], just as a moving train rightfully commands respect in its direction of motion. However, if you are pushing in a direction, then many times your balance is weaker at large angles away from this direction. Similarly, while your opponent is committed to quickly shifting, you may attempt breaking balance or [throwing] at some large angle to his or her direction of motion. Figure IB-45. [Pulling] an opponent off balance with the aid of a [sweep ankle]. IC. Attention Dynamics IC-1. Description and Motivation Karate is often defined as a discipline offering a method of "self-defense against surprise attack." If we start with this definition, we are soon led to investigate and practice skills that to the novice must seem quite far removed from the original purpose. This is fine, because it enables an enlightened instructor to open the minds of his or her students, letting them acknowledge other alternative purposes for sweating several hours a week. Self-defense requires at least three important perceptual mechanisms, which I will call processes or attention archetypes. One process, which some popular magazines, television shows and movies would have you believe is the ultimate answer for selfdefense, is to develop yourself into a living, breathing machine gun, ready to indiscriminately mow down any and all transgressors of your sovereign space-time domain. This process of self-defense requires "focused attention" because it involves the ability to focus yourself to a specific space-time point, which is the target of your trained technique. Sole reliance on this process for self-defense can be fatal, especially against a trained opponent who can strategically maneuver you into initiating your attack, and then suddenly counter-attacking. Miyamoto Musashi, the famous seventeenth century swordsman, was a master of this counter-attack strategy. Most professional competitive athletes are also aware of the deficiency of the strategy of waiting for a chance to execute a single pre-planned attack. Equally important for self-defense, especially against a surprise attack, is to minimize all possible surprises. This means you must also train yourself to be sensitive and aware of your external environment as it rhythmically changes with you from past to future. To form viable strategies in the present, you must also be sensitive to your internal environment, your imagination and intuition. This "global attention" requires sensing patterns of space and time as they unfold in your total environment. There is always some appropriate scale of space and time at which there is continuity appropriate to perceive such patterns. It is probably obvious, even to the novice, that suddenly hurling yourself to the ground in a focused effort to perform push-ups is hardly an elegant response to a correctly, globally perceived situation of imminent danger. Indeed some appropriate synchrony and coordination is required between your focused and global attention mechanisms. When, and only when all these perceptual processes are correctly brought to bear in a self-defense situation, the phenomenon of "good timing" is achieved. This is the magic for which audiences the world over pay tremendous sums of money, to view the superstars of their favorite physical and artistic disciplines or sports. To those familiar with current research in neurophysiology and psychology, these global and focal attention archetypes correspond to right-left brain hemispheric functioning, to yin-yang, to female-male archetypes, etc. The success of most time-tested physical disciplines which requires regular training of exact body techniques, almost to obsession as an end in themselves, is the following: Involvement with an opponent, or one's own internal rhythm in case of some meditations, is also practiced until the student suddenly realizes the result of good timing as the essence of the activity. When this happens, the implication, often only expressed at the subconscious level, is that previously sought-after elusive intuitions and patterned flows perceived by global attention, have been made part of a decision-making process. This is a rather indirect method of achieving the realization and experience of global attention, but it works with anyone who has the perseverance to pursue a body discipline. This book presents a teaching and learning methodology that from the very beginning presents feedback on global attention, without sacrificing insistence on correct technique and strongly focussed attention. Indeed, both attention archetypes are required for all concrete and abstract purposes which require synchrony of one's self with a complex, multifold task. At every opportunity, all training exercises are to be studied as rigorous interactions involving decisions among techniques and strategies. The exercises present just enough complexity that the proper use of global attention makes the decision-making task easier, than by flitting back and forth between isolated perceptions and responses. The exercises are also just simple enough that stark feedback is readily available to highlight errors in body and attentional techniques. A few exercises are presented in this chapter to serve as supplementary material to the courses given in PART 11. These are useful to dramatically demonstrate the true existence of these attention archetypes, as well as to offer additional training to hone your perceptual abilities. Figure IC-1. As described in Exercise IC-13, two attackers face a single defender. IC-2. Focal and Global Attention Exercises In karate, hip-centeredness is essential to develop strong body techniques as well as to facilitate correct mental activity. You should strive to become aware that your hips, especially as centered about a point midway on the diagonal line that connects the naval to the tailbone, comprise your motor center. Accordingly, as you become more proficient, you will find that your body acquires a "will" of its own, and you won't need to rely on much conscious activity to support its actions. This frees your mind to engage in strategy. Exercise IC-1 To help separate some of the variables involved, [step-in punch] in a straight line towards an opponent who is steadily drifting away, moving from side to side. Keep your eyes fixed on the opponent so that your visual attention is occupied, and try to retain a sense of intense concentration on the most centered feeling in your hips. This exercise will make you aware that attention can be divided between you and your opponent. Exercise IC-2 Reaction to your concentration to a point is an "all or nothing" matter. You can do a simple exercise to get immediate feedback on whether the process is present. Have your partner count sharply, each count a command to [punch] while you execute the proper technique. When you are punching, imagine that the sound coming from the voice into your ear can take two neurological paths: One path goes to the brain to tell you that a sound has been received; the other path triggers a body reflex to start the technique. If the exercise is done correctly, you will find yourself moving at the same time you become aware of the sound, not afterwards. Especially if you are a beginner, you will find that you perform the technique more smoothly and dynamically than you did previously -- that, indeed, the reaction feels more natural and instinctual. Exercise IC-3 Another simple exercise is the visual counterpart of Exercise IC-2. Two people face each other in front-stance, same leg forward, in position to [counter-punch] in parallel lines to each other's opposite side. Person A counts, and it is prearranged that between two to four heartbeats after this count, Person B [counter-punches] Person A; at that time, Person A attempts to [counter-punch] Person B. It is often possible for both people to be counter-punching at the same time. If done correctly, Person A perceives Person B's motion simultaneously as he or she feels his or her own punch for reasons that are similar to the ones given in the auditory exercise above. In any physical activity it is important to develop a sense of diffuse patterned attention, or an awareness in which complex movements are perceived as whole units. This sense of awareness is essential to attain a mastery of rhythm and timing. The next series of exercises serves to develop such an awareness. Exercise IC-4 The first exercise is designed to develop a holistic sense of body rhythm. The best time to begin a technique depends on the demands of the situation. However, there are two optimal states from which the body is best prepared to move. One state, called the neutral, or natural, state is a state of body tone with a readiness to move in any direction. The major muscle groups are neither fully stretched nor compressed, but are prepared to expand or contract, depending on the need. Techniques connected by this state are referred to here as [...],[...]. The other state originates from a state of maximal compression or expansion, typically caused by the completion of a previous technique. Techniques connected by this state are referred to here as [...]-[...]. For example, from a natural-stance, [step-in front-stance punch]-[body-vibration counter-punch]. If you have achieved enough power and speed using the methods described so far, you cannot perform the second punch as a simple sequential response to the stimulus of compressed lower-abdominal and hip muscles. It takes a finite amount of time for messages to go back and forth to the brain before the arms can begin to execute the punch. It is too difficult to have one major somatic feeling be the stimulus to immediately trigger another major somatic feeling, and yet follow the pattern of compression/expansion. (This is not the case in the auditory-somatic and visual-somatic concentration exercise above.) By the time that you realize that the second punch should begin, the hips are no longer in a maximum state of compression, and the timing for the punch is ruined. When this occurs, an empty, hollow feeling is experienced under the arm of the punching hand because the arm is not being driven from the expansion following the first punch. Rather than guessing when to start the second punch, it is more educational to treat the two punches as one body rhythm of compression-expansion-compression. This is the major body feeling experienced by the torso and stance. Now retain a sense of the total rhythm and attempt to synchronize the actual movements with this rhythm. After a few trials, a patterned sense of body rhythm is realized, and both punches will be driven by power emanating from the motor center. Exercise IC-5 Try incorporating the above sense of patterning into the combination: [frontsnap-kick]-[step-into punch]. The following exercise is designed to teach auditory awareness. If there are multiple stimuli demanding different responses, it is not best to flit back and forth to be ready for the possible alternatives. If you are completely aware of your environment, the alternatives are known well enough, and you can assimilate them into one pattern which admits variations to trigger the required response. Consider a set of four such variations, each variation done to two counts. Exercise IC-6 Begin in front stance, left foot forward. A first count -- e.g. "one" -- signals you to bring the back leg up to center (feet close). A second command -- e.g. "front" -serves as a stimulus to a specific technique with the right hand: "Front"continue to [step-in-punch (N)] "Back"[step-back counter-punch (N)] "Left"step back to the right side and [counter-punch (NW)] "Right"-- step to the right side and [back-fist strike-snap (NE)] Learn these techniques first by becoming able to respond to "front", for example, as a sound before becoming aware of "front" as a meaningful word (Exercise IIC-2). Conscious awareness of the word as an intellectual command should not trigger the technique. Now react correctly as your partner first counts "one", and then randomly commands one of the above four techniques. Your best reactions occur when treating all four possibilities as one pattern. Exercise IC-7 Another auditory-pattern exercise is to react to the command "punch" or "kick". Have a partner give you either the command "punch" or "kick" as he or she chooses, alternating or repeating them in succession, so that you do not know which one is coming. It is best to give about three successive commands, each one triggering a successive technique: [punch]/[kick],[punch]/[kick],[punch]/[kick]. Best reactions are obtained by having the hip-center react to the command as if it were a variation of the single pattern comprising both possible commands. Interpret the command "punch" or "kick" by allowing the power to travel from the hip-center through your leg or arm, respectively. If instead of centering this power, your attention shifts back and forth between an arm and leg, your body will not be maximally primed to do the required technique. Exercise IC-8 An exercise that requires responses to visual patterns begins with both sides facing each other, each with the right leg forward, in front-stance. One side, by agreement, starts the exercise by executing [step-in punch (L) face]. The other side [stepsback up-blocks (L)]. Then one possibility allows either side to take a chance and [counter-punch (R) face/stomach]. If one side succeeds, the exercise is over. (If both sides attack at the same time, it is not a draw; both sides obviously lose!) Another possibility is having one side [block (L)] the other's attack to face or stomach, and then, if successful, to [counter-attack (R)] and win. These alternatives drive the opponents to heightened states of awareness. Exercise IC-9 This visual-pattern exercise requires five people who have all practiced the first form, Heian #1. (This form is given in Section IC-3.) Four opponents face the center defender. Each of the five follows the tempo of the kata, the center person reacting to the other opponents by appropriately [blocking] or [attacking]. Each attacker must attack or block according to the theme and tempo of the form, but may [punch face/stomach], or even [front-kick stomach], when it is his or her turn to attack. Although this exercise requires a balance of somatic-centeredness and visual-pattern attention, all members should concern themselves primarily with moving to the rhythm and tempo of the form. Exercise IC-10 While you [step-in-punch] to a point in space, [step-back], and then [step-in punch] to the same point in space, your opponent moves along your left side. Although you keep your eyes straight ahead, your peripheral visual sense remains occupied with the motion of your opponent. You retain a sense of your first target, selected by the first [punch], by projecting your proprioceptive sense (awareness of limb and internal organ positions) to feel contact with the target point. This point in space is touched with the second [punch], using a feeling similar to that when touching your hands behind the back. This exercise establishes the feeling of simultaneous and parallel, visual and somatic activity. Exercise IC-11 In a three-step sparring exercise, the attacker [steps-in attacks] three times while the defender [steps-back block] each attack, [counter-punching] after the last block only. Each side keeps visual awareness of the opponent and somatic concentration to the focus of his or her own techniques. If the timing (synchronization) is off, either concentration or awareness is also off. This exercise coordinates visual and somatic awareness towards the same activity. Exercise IC-12 In another exercise, called "enforced meditation," three or more people face each other for an unspecified length of time of I to 3 minutes, preset on a timer. Each person tries to maintain visual awareness over a wide area encompassing all opponents, synchronized with a centered feeling in the hip. When the timer rings, each person [punches] towards the opponent with the weakest attention(s). This exercise requires a harmony between visual and somatic activities geared to a specific purpose. Exercise IC-13 In one variation, two attackers face a center defender at the NW and NE positions with the defender facing N. One other person behind (S) the defender gives the attackers the signal to [punch]. Again, the best response from the defender is achieved if both attackers are integrated into one rhythm, and variations of this rhythm excite the appropriate reaction. Each time the signaler commands an attack, the defender must block and [counter-punch]/[counter-kick], then be ready for the next attack if the signaler signals twice. The defender must keep awareness of both opponents, yet execute consecutive concentrated [blocks] and [counter-attacks] each time. Exercise IC-14 In another variation, attackers are placed behind the line-of-sight of the defender, for example at the SW and SE positions. An attacker, upon a signal from the signaler, makes a noise to alert the defender, [stamp] or [counter-punch], then [step-into counter-punch]. In still another variation, attackers are placed in front and back. This requires visual and auditory awareness synchronized with somatic focused attention. IC-3. Kata and Combinations As stated before, global attention involves internal as well as external patterns. Internal patterns are essential for forming strategies to deal with the external patterns of the opponent. Practicing sharp responses to internal patterns can sharpen responses to external patterns and vice versa. In karate, techniques can be put together in groups and patterns. You can build from words (individual techniques) to phrases (defense-attack sequences) to sentences (combinations of 8 to 10 techniques) to paragraphs of several sentences to short essays (kata). In these exercises the main study is of the spaces between the techniques, not so much to what happens during each technique. a. COMBINATIONS. Combinations are sequences of techniques introduced to karate classes by the instructor, who usually makes them up just before class. At PSI, most class sessions end with a new combination to promote mobility and creativity with body language. Exercise IC-15 Try the following combination. First, do each technique step by step, until the combination is barely learned. Second, do it slowly and continuously about five times. Third, do the combination rapidly to get a feeling of the total pattern: [counter-punch (R,N)]- [front-snap-kick (R)]- [step-into counter-punch (L)], [step-back side-stance (W) high-inside-forearm-block (R,N)]- [step-to front-stance (W) counter-down-block (R,N)]- [side-snap-kick (R,N)]- [reverse-half-body counter-up-block (L,N)]- [step-into counter-knife-hand-strike-lock (R,N) neck]. Fourth, teach yourself the mirror image. First go slowly, starting with the right-leg forward and right hand in down-block, making small adjustments for the left to right interchange. Then do the mirror image fast. b. TWO-PERSON COMBINATIONS. For advanced students, I have created two-person combinations to bridge the gap between combinations, the study of the interplay between the body and imagination, and the strategic interplay encountered in sparring. Because they are quite difficult to do, mistakes often occur. However, when both partners react correctly, tremendous feedback pertaining to attention and physical techniques is available. The two opponents learn both sides independently, but learn the mirror image by doing it slowly together. The two opponents in the following Exercise are labelled B and C. Both sides should appreciate that their attention should be engaged in the interaction of B and C, implicitly labelled as A: Exercise IC-16 [B: kneeling (S)] & [C: kneeling (N)] [B: on-knee (L,W) counter-high-inside-round-block (L,S)] & [C: on-knee (R) counter-punch face (R,N)] [B: from-floor (E) side-thrust-kick (L,E) groin] & [C: step-in (N) round-kick (R)] [C: front-stance (R,N) down-block (L,SW)] & [B: on-knee (R) strike-lock (L,NE) ribs] [C: [step-away (N)]-[turn-to two-hand-sweep-block (S) on-knee (L,S)]] & [B: still-on-knee side-thrust-kick (L,NE) back-of-knee] [C: round-kick (R) from floor (S)] & [B: from-floor leaning-away (NW) up-block (R,N)] [C: leg-back kneeling (S) strike-snap (L) face] & [B: up-to-kneeling (N) counter-punch (L) stomach] c. KATA. The study of kata can be usefully separated into two kinds of practices, the study of smooth body motions and the study of various attention states. The application of the physical laws of momentum and energy allow you to smoothly connect techniques, forming patterns of body movement. Exercise IC-17 Do the [kata] emphasising the uses of continuity of momentum and energy of compression and energy. Exercise IC-18 The kata can be used to understand the basic relationships one has with the external environment and to practice the correct use of the imagination. Although the form is "memorized