Technique of the Week (July 25th, 2010)

From Tamir Sensei, Denshi-Shihan, Ueshiro Suntree Karate Dojo

Melbourne, Florida
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Onegai-shimasu Ueshiro SRKUSA,

This week's Technique of the Week (TFTW) is about maximizing the
windup in your wrist in order to maximize the explosive power of your
technique when it hits the target. The crescendo (climax) of our
techniques depend on a SNAP of maximum speed and power at the end of
the technique. With many of our techniques this snap is generated by
rotating the wrist at the end (on the hit). In other techniques we
use a whip-like snap instead.

For the techniques which use wrist rotation to generate the snap, we
windup our wrist in the chambered position like a spring (i.e.,
torquing/loading the wrist it in the opposite direction). Some
examples include the common chambered position for the chudan-zuke
(chest punch) under your arm pit, or the chambered position for the
chudan-uke (chest block) just below your opposite shoulder. This
also works well with the Shuto (knife hand) as you windup the wrist in
the chambered position next to your opposite shoulder/cheek.

Try to windup your wrist a little extra, as you chamber to punch or
block, and then let the spring loose once the arm reaches the target
and rotate the wrist all the way and a little extra in the opposite
direction. The more you windup the spring in the chamber and the more
you rotate the wrist in the opposite direction on the hit, the more
snap you can generate. Windup the spring in your wrist and then snap
on the hit. Try it and feel the difference.

As always, make sure that your feet have stepped first before
exploding the technique from the chambered/windup position. You
should setup the chamber/windup as you step. Do not use speed and
power to setup the chamber/windup. Do it slowly/loosely relative to
the upcoming striking motion. Do not linger in the chambered/windup
position. The time that you hold the chambered/windup position is less
than a split second (i.e., do not hold/wait in the chambered
position). As soon as you reach the chambered/windup position (which
should be synchronized with completing your step), immediately explode
the arm out into the strike while keeping the spring in the wrist
windup until the hand reaches the target, and then let the wrist-
spring loose rotating the wrist all the way in the opposite direction
-- snap -- pulverizing the target.

For senior deshi and for Karateka practicing Naihanchi kata[s],
especially Naihanchi-ni, notice the intricate chambering/windups that
follow one another. Chambering/windup while stepping becomes more
challenging (very high level) in these kata. Practice often in slow
motion, taking your time to better experience and capture the
mechanics involved.

Keep training.

Domo Arigato Gozaimasu

Tamir Sensei, Denshi-Shihan
Ueshiro Suntree Karate Dojo

Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate USA
Under the Direction of Hanshi Scaglione