PRINCIPLES - TECHNIQUES

manipulation

When you begin training in karate or any physical exercise (I don't use the word sport on purpose, because I regard karate as budo). Since your body hasn't really been doing the physical movement, it has to be practised diligently. In the beginning one will focus on the movement of ones own body. Later, the rules of the game start to apply and after that the relationship between ones body, the rules and possible opponents within the game. In karate this is also the case. First one will focus primarily on the movement of ones own body. In junzuki you will look for the stance of the feet, what leg should be in the front and which hand. Off course the focus on ones own movement will remain and there will always been room for improvement. But when you reach a certain point in training, you will start to realise the importance of the technique being actuallly applied. So how to do?

There are factors to perfect, to reach maximum result.

1: correct technique, to be able to deliver maximum energy transfer.
2: correct target, hit the vital points to reach maximum damage.
3: correct bodypositioning, make sure point 1 and 2 are fluid and executed in such a position that is good for you and bad for him. That means, to be able to execute the correct technique to the correct target. You will only be able if you position the body well. Also, as Mr. H. Ohtsuka states in his book "what about behind?" I guess the position has to be suitable for this moment and for the next moment. Always remember this.

If you start getting this and actually are able to DO, then you can start manipulating him. You can try it before, but i'm sure that it will lead to disappointment, because if the above 3 are not fluid the movement won't feel natural and powerful.

Kihon gumite is all about this manipulation.

You can regard it as leaving an opening for the opponent to attack. But that only refers to the position of the arms or legs. Creating the opening has even more to do with the distance and thus the moment. The moment refers to the ma-ai which is space(distance)-time. So actually the manipulation has to do with

1: the position of the body
2: the position of the enemies body
3: the distance in the present moment

The point is thus to continuously master these 3 and by that making sure the enemy is under pressure.

In kihon gumite ipponme for example, the manipulation start from the kamae. Apply pressure and lower the kamae (to such level that you are just below the line from the fist to the target (see lines). This mostly means to have the front fist of torimi at the same height as the front fist of ukemi. Holding the low kamae and putting pressure mentally and by closing the distance physically, you will manipulate ukemi in attacking jodan.

The first defense is to understand the shift of the body. As explained in "bodymovement" in wadoryu, technique is secondary to bodymovement. This means that the nagashi uke in the first defense is a logic result of the shift of the body. Coming back to this defense, it makes sure that the attack has missed its target. Keeping the nagashi uke at the position and deliberately NOT lowering the defense, thus from the finish of the defense, it should be regarded as kamae.

The left arm is kamae and holds great importance to make sure the gyakuzuki response will follow. It protects the solar plexus, but also leaves openings where the arm is not. I mean, if the fist covers solar plexus the opening will be greater, then if the wrist will cover the solar plexus. Be careful to be in such a position that you can use the left kamae to attack immediately at all times.

The opening that is now created, by the shift of the body and the left kamae is most easily attacked with gyakuzuki. Off course, other attacks are possible, but gyakuzuki is most likely. The position of the body, ensured by the shift of the body should be in such a way that the gyakuzuki has to follow. I'm not only talking about the postion of the body, but also about the distance between ukemi and torimi. (points 1,2 and 3) If to far, maegeri will follow, if to close, the attack would not have been necessarily tsukkomi and again maegeri, hizageri or other attacks easily follow.

You have to realise that this manipulation is the start of doing real budo. I regard this explanation to hold the idea of sente that is needed at all times, as Mr. Reg Kear described in "torimi and ukemi".

If you really only wait for the attack to be launched at you, you will have to be either very lucky of extremely skilled to overcome the force of somebody attacking in pure rage.

So, don't wait and take the initiative from the start. Still there is karate ni sente nashi, but this is only to the part that you shouldn't attack first mentally or phyiscally. If you feel somebody wants to engage in a conflict, always take the lead, thus, hold sente.