PRINCIPLES - TECHNIQUES

hikite

Naoki Ishikawa - Nobuyuki Nukina demonstrating nagashizuki and wadoryu taisabaki at seminar Bulgaria 2007

Hikite means pull back the hand. If you refer to the pullback of the feet it should be hikiashi. From now on I will refer to the term hikite. When you perform hikite you should be careful not thinking about it, since this would kill the technique. Kill, in the sense of dead movement. Movement should always be alive. Basically hikite has functions. 1: add power to the attack. 2: protecting Seichusen on the way. 3: used it for a grab or pull of the opponent making his balance go off. 4: positioning the fist ready to strike. Mr. Ohtsuka states in his book that you must think of pulling and punching rather that thinking of the punch alone. In my understanding this points out the importance of the hikite, since thinking of the punch only would weaken the hikite.
If you start practising hikite you must beware not to think of the pullback, since this would weaken your punch. Actually, many people tend to pullback even before the punch is completed.

You can practise hikite like this:
For example in hidari hanmi gamae and you execute migi gyakuzuki including the migi hikite. People who really have a problem with hikite shouldn’t do it in this way as you should primarily focus on the hikite and not the gyakuzuki.

So you can use this method instead:
Assume kiba dachi and practise sonobazuki. After some repetitions, do a punch and then pull back without punching with the other hand. So you will end up both fists at the side of the body. The hipmovement is left out, so this leaves more focus on the hikite itself.
When you do this for some time, do a tsuki again and make the 2nd tsuki as you perform the hikite. Feel the difference in the second punch.