April 30th , 2017

This weeks technique is submitted by Kyoshi Kaplan, Shihan

Ueshiro Okinawan Karate Family Dojo

State College, PA

Onegai-shimasu Hanshi, Kyoshi, Sensei, Sempai, and Deshi,

Harness the Potential

In executing our karate techniques, we are encouraged to use lightning speed and breaking force. However, there are some interesting and powerful dynamics taking place between the techniques.

One of my favorite moves in karate is less a move and more of a “position.” It is the position taken during the momentary pause, just before the final attack in Yakusoku kumite (pre-arranged fighting) #4. [See attached photo.]

Beyond providing the combatants a chance to collect themselves and take measure of one another, this is also a moment, a position, through which “potential energy” could be harnessed. The term “potential energy” as used here is meant to refer to “the stored energy of an object” and, as understood by physicists, it is defined as “the energy by virtue of that object's position relative to other objects.”

The more we settle down before a karate technique, the more potential energy we could harness for subsequent discharge into the opponent. The idea is to draw strength and courage from this quiet before the storm.

Domo arigato gozaimasu,

Kyoshi Kaplan, Shihan

Ueshiro Okinawan Karate Family Dojo

State College, PA