Ido Kihon is a traditional way of practising the kata techniques
seperate, so actually this is also kata. It's training is not only
meant for discipline. Repeating one technique over and over is often
regarded as a way of teaching discipline and order. But actually the
most important part of the training is to try to perfect the movement.
Since perfection is impossible, the only way to keep growing is to
keep training.
Basic (kihon) principles of movement are distilled in each single
technique, focussing on one or perhaps some principles.
Ido Kihon of Wadoryu can be devided to the following techniques:
(off course you could practise other techniques using ayumi-ashi movement
as well, but these would serve as variations of technique)
Below this page you will find videos of kihon waza..
purpose of
kihon
like fitness isolates a muscle to train, kihon and trainingmethods
should isolate fundamental karate movement.
tachikata
stances of the body
kamae
pictures of Mr. Ashihara
te and ashi waza
forms of the fist and feet
uchi waza
pictures of uchi waza
uke waza
pictures of uke waza
tsuki waza
pictures of tsukiwaza
Junzuki
The term "jun" comes from jujutsu. It means that if for
example the right leg is in the front, the right arm is in the front
too. The importance of junzuki or in other words, it's principle and
objective, is to focus on the movement from point A to B and the moment
of energy transfer. This off course always applies to all techique,
but it is isolated in the junzuki movement, or, it is isolated by
the ayumi ashi.
Junzuki consists of 5 stages.
1: kamae
2: hiza no nuki: release all power in the knee to move smoothly forward.
3: ukimi: float in the air, forward from tanden
4: energy transfer
5 : kamae
As the foot grips the floor, the tsuki should transfer the energy.
To soon would probably be less impact, because you can't really direct
your energy into the punch using the bodies full weight. To late would
have the same result. To late is in my opinion even worse, since your
forward movement is then totally wasted. Well, only the change of
ma-ai would remain. All other use of forward momement would be lost.
So, use the whole body in the tsuki, not just the arm, or "just"
the rotation of the hip. Use forward moving mass, speed, hiprotation
and thus correct timing in all of these components (san mi ittai)
at the same time.
Junzuki, and the used ayumi-ashi, teaches to go from point a to b.
I have heard about strong stances many times. Easily said, you need
a strong stance to be able to accept the returning energy of the punch.
A weak stance would bring you off balance and will make your attack
weak. But in wadoryu this is not the case. Well, if you are able to
master nuki, you don't need this strong stance since there will be
no return of power, you will leave it there were you want it. This
doesn't mean that the "stance" is weak, but it does mean
that the stance is not fixed, but flexible. Flexible to mean firm
and balanced, able to move in any direction needed. The completion
of the technique and the "stop" is isolate the moment of
energy transfer, check for correct balance etc a pause to determin
or the feel where to go next. Also it ensures not to rush into the
next movement.
Gyakuzuki
I still have difficulty seeing the true objective trained in this
movement. At the moment, I think it is about the transfer of weight.
If you almost complete the step, and I say almost.. you should be
neko-ashi. The body should be erect the whole time, but the center
of gravity should not be going forward to early. The moment you make
contact with the tip of the toes (tsumasaki) you should transfer the
weight forward into the punch. Make sure your knee is soft so you
can point your knee forward bending it easily, not working against
the smoothness of the tsuki. Exaggerated you could say going from
kokutsu to zenkutsu dachi. Off course this should be in harmony with
the forward movement as the process should go smoothly.
About the hiptwist. Twisting is the common used word, and not bad
terminology, but it tends to put people on the wrong track. People
who twist the hips tend to rotate the whole body, rotating the shoulders
and even worse, pulling back the front knee. I have heard about cutting
the hip, which is a better term to use I think. It has to do with
the demonstration as well, but twisting and cutting is well I don't
know, but I prefer cut.
To continue, beginners tend to punch with the strength of the arm
only. Neglecting the importance of the hipmovement. I have come to
realise, and fortunately, my body has come to realise the importance
of maximum hipmovement. I'm not talking about body rotation. If you
tend to rely on the strength of the arm, the hip will not be fully
cut.
To be able to cut the hip (koshi) completely, you have to make sure
the stance is different from junzuki. The stance depends on the direction
of the koshi movement. In gyakuzuki, you have to cut it maximal, so
your stance has to be a little shorter and a little wider then junzuki
dachi. Thus the reason to do this is to be able to cut the hip fully,
no other reason.
As you punch, breathe low from tanden and exhale while thinking about
your breathing and tanden generated power going out through your arm
and create the energy transfer explosion. Cut off the energy at the
precise moment of/after energy release.
Make sure the hind foot points slightly diagonal to the side. slightly.
Again, this is more a control if you have fully cut the hip or not.
Depending on agilty this may be different among practisioners. In
Wadoryu it is important that all has to be natural. Thus, the stance
of the koshi is related to the stance of the feet and vice versa.
Junzuki no tsukkomi
This technique is to punch through the point of impact. This means
that the distance used for jodan junzuki or jodan junzuki no tsukkomi
is essentially the same. If the opponent remains you can punch all
the way through him. This means, that the moment of tension is coming
a lot earlier then in regular junzuki.
If the opponent does move you can use the tsukkomi to gain distance.
Transfer the energy according to the ever changing ma-ai.
The back foot should be pointing outside 90 degrees. This has nothing
to do with the foot. This has to do with the position of the hip.
It does stabilize the stance, however.
Gyakuzuki no tsukkomi
This technique uses transfer of weight sideways, and by this sideway
movement, avoidence. This avoidence, or in other words, moving off
seichusen (centerline) suggests irimi. Though not really used, the
principle of this escape, that is from tanden can be use for irimi
with a slight modification. Always remember that this is kata.
Usually the attack is directed to you own center. This time, however,
since you have changed the centerline, you have to punch straight
from the shoulder line. This line is actually still in line with the
center of the opponent.
Always think of your position, your opponents position and both your
centers. This determines wheter you aim at the center, punch straight
out of the shoulder or any other direction. Move according to the
movement of your opponent. However, make sure a forward movement is
never outside of your own shoulderline, since this would weaken the
punch.
Tobikomizuki
The most and obviously important point here is to cover distance.
The more distance covered, the more tsugi-ashi is used. Tsugi-ashi
is to maintain a favourable kamae. The technique starts from hidari
shizentai. Others might use hanmi shizentai, but I think this is incorrect.
Hanmi dachi, that is a half turned body and thus also hip, doesn't
allow the use of the hip a lot if not at all. Starting from hidari
shizentai, having the body shomen, is good for using the hip on the
attack. Practically, you can use this technique if you get a push
from behind, use the push to your advantage against a possible attacker
from the front.
I have seen many people using both arms. The technique focusess on
forward dropping movement using the front arm. The other arm is just
kamae. You shouldn't move it more then necessary. That energy is pointless,
useless and servers nothing more then to waste energy. The kamae should
be covering solar plexus (suigetsu).
Let's look at it from wadoryu perspective. You should move from and
to in the direct way, no extra movement. So, both hands hang relaxed
at the side of the body. The only thing the kamae arm should be doing
is to move from hanging to suigetsu kamae. This is nothing more then
to bend at the elbow. I have seen many, who move the elbow too much.
It's difficult to explain, but it looks like if they tend to punch
with both arms and then return the arms into kamae simultaneous. The
arm that is not punching should be in the kamae already.
Even if you do the hikite on the tobikomizuki, still think about
killing your enemy, remain in sente.
In wadoryu it is common to withdraw the body (front feet) into hanmi
shizentai after completing a technique. As said in the video of Mr.
Suzuki (Essence of Wadoryu) you must be always thinking of attack
(sente) even if you are moving back. Daitoryu however has a piercing
kamae at the end of technique and moves the back foot (body) forward
to musubi dachi, They are thus moving the tanden forward, to physically
show the sente idea.
Tobikomi-Nagashizuki
Covering distance is present here, but not the keypoint. The covering
of distance is to create an intention from your opponent. When the
opponent responds to the trap that you have set, you must avoid the
attack with the body and simultaneously counterattack.
"This is when you decide to nail them". Common quote from
some Wadoka the I have contact with who actually have English as their
mother language or primairy language in the country they live in.
As for that, my sensei Mr. N. Ishikawa always said to me: "more
knowlegde, more power". He encourges me to get as many wadoryu
sources and thus teachers as possible. This means - for me - according
to dojo etiquette, that you should do as the instructor asks from
you. Only ask question about the method, don't question the method
itself. If some instructor executes a kata differently, just do it
like the instructor wants you to and don't ask questions about your
own way, When you get home, make your choices what fits to your body
and thinking. Never forget that you get your information from experience,
but also from sources! If you deny to acknowlegde that, you students
will deny you later in time. (that is actually from a book of Mr.
Ishikawa, altered in my own words, so again, my thinking is influenced
by external sources). People who have influenced my karate and knowlegde
the last 4 years are N. Ishikawa, H. Ishikawa, N. Nukina, M. Ashihara,
T. Maeda, B. Nash, T. Shaw and Mr. R. Kear. Some only by text, some
by movement on a single occasion and some on intensive contact or
intensive meetings. More or less, they have teached me new things
or have shaken me awake about things that I already knew, but was
not focussing upon in training. This last comment does it all. It's
nice if you know it, but as long as you don't emphasise it in your
training and think about it when you execute you will never master
it. It's like your passive and active word treasure. Words you know
but don't use are passive. Karate is never to be passive. "take
the lead" As stated by Mr. B. Nash in his piece on kihon gumite.
Read it at WadoWorld.com. Also, never forget the value of senior AND
junior students in your karate. Sometimes when I'm teaching I explain
the the techniques and realise that it is the first time of giving
typical comments on a technique. This is also learning and realising.
You should be thankfull to all who contribute to your movement. As
for my primitive fundaments, Mr. R. Breedveld is responsible. I thank
him very much for teaching me how to observe movement. It still helps
me today.
A common mistake is to point the foot straight down (loosing the
foward energy) and then pivoting on the front foot. First of all this
costs time and timing is the most prominent factor in all budo. Secondly,
this looses power. So, to prevent this, put your foot straight down
on a diagonal line pointing towards your opponent. When you bend the
soft knee forward into the attack, the ankle will automatically tighten
due to the weight put on it (not fix it) and the body will follow.
This creates the avoidence. This is one movement. So, connect the
whole body.
keriwaza
pictures of keriwaza
Maegeri
The most usual one used is chudan, using the ball of the foot for
attack. In the old days the tip of the toes were used too, but this
requires a lot of practise.. It is not common anymore. The heel however,
is still used. this variation is called kekomi, which means to thrust.
Chudan maegeri is actually quite low. The leg should be horizontal
with the floor ir regular practise. If you do maegeri or actually
all keriwaza you have to realise that the kick starts from the moment
that the foot starts to move. The movement should be alive and if
you move you can't leave any parts behind. You must move as one. So,
in this particular technique, the lower part of the leg must be very
active from the start. To much focus on raising the knee is not good,
since this ensures a dead leg from the knee to the foot. It often
is just hanging around until the "actual" kick is made.
But the actual kick has already started since the movement started,
so this part of the leg was left out of the procedure. Immediately
pull the heel and toes up and simultaneously bring the knee forward
and move the tanden forward. According to method you can choose from
this point what training you are aiming at.
Remain above the supporting leg, keep the balance, stop the forward
movement, kick and move back. Keep the seem kamae (left or right)
Or, kick above the supporting leg and move forward. This is used
in ido kihon. The main point here is the abilitiy to use and control
the energy generated after the kick for more attacks forward. (actually
any direction)
Or, move over the center of gravity and use the gravity into the
kick. This adds impact and also covers more distance. In this technique,
tsugi-ashi should be used. This is not regular ido-kihon, but it is
a good additional if you want to focus on forward movement.
Last note about the use of the hips. If you tend to twist very far,
you can cover more distance, but the position becomes weaker. Use
uchi harai against maegeri having the hip hanmi and having the hip
shomen to see the result. Keeping it shomen covers less distance so
you have to come up with other things to compensate. Keeping shomen
and moving over the center of gravity is a very effective approach.
Mawashigeri
The traditional wadoryu mawashigeri brings the knee up straight like
maegeri, then from tanden the movement is made from one energy explosion.
That is, to rotate the hip as fast as possible and and the same time
execute the circular part of the kick. So, the kick is straight to
circular. Use the instep or ball of the foot to attack.
It is also possible to have the angle more like 45 degrees when kicking.
You have to realise that there are more ways to use the same weapon.
I remember somebody asking at a seminar about what stance to use when
striking with uraken. Obviously they are stuck in some kind of examination
program. Uraken is just the back of the fist that can be used from
different angles. The distance, position of the body, shikkaku and
tactical options determin what kind of attack to launch using the
back of the fist: uraken. For mawashigeri it is not different.
Methods for
kicking technique
I will now illustrate several different ways to practise.
Stand in shizentai and lift the knee sideways. Extend the leg, without
the use of the hips. This focusses primairily on the movement of the
legs. You can also incorporate into warming-up when you are lying
on your side on the floor.
Still from shizentai or heisoku dachi, but this time foward.
1: bring up the knee
2: twist the hip and make sure the leg is horizontal to the floor
3: extend the leg and pull back to situation "2"
4: twist back so the knee points straight forward again, like "1"
5: bring the knee and foot down to shizentai or heisoki dachi
Advance to:
1: bring up the knee
2: twist the hip and make sure the leg is horizontal to the floor
extend the leg and pull back
3: twist back so the knee points straight forward again, like "1"
4 : bring the knee and foot down to shizentai or heisoki dachi
Then:
1: bring up the knee
2: twist the hip and make sure the leg is horizontal to the floor
extend the leg and pull back, twist back so the knee points straight
forward again, like "1"
3: bring the knee and foot down to shizentai or heisoki dachi
Finally:
Do it in one smooth movement. These methods may be used for all kinds
of kicks.
more to come..
Karate Wado Ido Kihon
Karate Trainingmethods
Wadoryu kihon waza - kaisetsu with partner
Kette - uke - gyakuzuki
Kihon trailer from DVD "The Way of Wado"
by Shihan Ishikawa 8th dan
TECHNIQUES
- KIHON
