Technique of the Week (July 4th, 2010)
Kyoshi Michael
Mackay
Ueshiro Midtown Karate Dojo
--------------------------------------------------------------
Onegai shimasu, and Happy Independence Day, Hanshi, Sensei and fellow Deshi,
This week's
technique is about "trade offs." Every blocking technique
in
USRKUSA is engineered to protect the body and forcefully strike
the
attacker's punch or kick. Yet sooner or later we find the two
goals
conflict. Maximum chambering of the hands may generate great
power but
leave the ribs exposed. Failing to chamber fully may protect
the ribs but
the block will loose acceleration, range and power. Splitting
the
difference - though technically correct - may be insufficient
for dealing
with a particularly fast or forceful attack. Depending on the
circumstances, a student is faced with any number of trade offs.
Go for
speed or power, relaxation or tension, flexibility or strength,
focus or
fluidity, foundation or agility. The list of opposing principles
in our
style is formidable, especially when time is of the essence.
If every
technique was simply a matter of breaking bricks, we'd always
follow the
path to maximum power. But fielding a real attack requires finesse:
an
ability to make instantaneous decisions regarding which martial
skills
are needed most, be it to dodge a bullet or stop a stampeding
bull. These
split second trade-offs mark the difference between life and
death. So
how to train them?
Work pre-arranged
fighting and bunkai with different training partners to
expose your reflexes to a variety of attacking styles. When
performing
kata, use visualization and the mirror to alternate between
blocks that
generate maximum power vs. those that offer maximum protection.
Show the
difference in kata such as Fukyugata san that include multiple
techniques.
Be proficient with that "perfect" block that balances
both power and
protection, but expand your range by practicing each aspect
of the block
to the extreme: 10 blocks that devastate your opponent, 10 that
keep you
from getting hit, 10 that show lightening speed, 10 that bypass
your mind,
followed by 10 executed with full concentration. Do not become
stuck
(i.e., overconfident) with one type of block simply because
it "works" for
you.
After hours
of exploring these subtle trade offs, "The response in
battle," to quote Hanshi, "must come from mushin -
no mind - only
split-second reactions, like stepping on the brake of a car
or swerving
without thought when the situation presents itself. There is
no time to
think about what to do, we simply must react." "If
one has time to
prepare before the actual engagement," Hanshi explains,
"then focus only
on your breathing: expel every other thought."
234 years
ago, America's first patriots gave up their security to fight
for freedom. Each of us faces trade offs of varying magnitude
every day.
With proper training, Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate USA can teach
us to
optimize such trade offs for maximum success.
Domo arigato gozaimasu, Hanshi,
Kyoshi Michael
Mackay
Ueshiro Midtown Karate Dojo
