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T H E O N LY M A G A Z I N E D E D I C A T E D T O A L L K A R A T E K A

TRADITIONAL

KARATE Vol. Vol. 22 22 No. No. 08 08 July July 2009 2009

Okinawa 2009

By Dave Wilkins

Kettlebell Bunkai The Missing Tool of Hojo Undo - Part 1

Examining the Basic Straight Punch Part 2 With Chris Denwood Visit the Traditional Karate magazine website at www.karatemag.co.uk

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Kettle b The missing tool of ‘hojo undo’ (Part 1)

The term ‘hojo undo’ means, ‘supporting or auxiliary exercises’ and usually refers to the supplementary training with equipment that the traditional exponents of karate regularly practice with. This time honoured equipment is very varied with the most popular tools being the ‘makiwara’ (straw striking pad and post), ‘chi-ishi’ (strength stone), ‘nigiri-game’ (gripping jars), ‘kongo-ken’ (iron ring), ‘tetsu-geta’ (iron clogs), ‘ishisashi’ (stone padlocks) and the ‘tan’ (an early type of barbell made from two wheels and an axel).

Each of these tools are utilised in order to help develop a number of key physical attributes that are deemed essential in the practice of karate and of course, can significantly increase the successful implementation of self-protection.

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One tool that was not used in the past by the people of Okinawa, but nevertheless still provides extremely valuable qualities for the karate-ka is the ‘kettlebell’. In my opinion, this is one of the most useful pieces of functional training equipment on the planet and I would even go as far as to say that if used correctly, a single kettlebell can develop qualities that would otherwise need to be covered by a number of common hojo undo pieces.

This ‘all in one’ quality coupled with the added luxury of some unique advantages makes kettlebell training a core part of my own personal supplementary training regime and the routines to which I currently offer my own students at the dojo.

In this two-part article, I’d like to discuss in more detail why I recommend the use of the kettlebell to all traditional pragmatists of karate. I will outline the benefits associated with its use, look at

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e bell Bunkai ka and is usually (but not always) undertaken with traditional implements including chi-ishi (strength stone), nigiri game (gripping jars), kongo ken (iron ring), ishi sashi (stone padlocks) and of course, makiwara (striking post).

Most traditional pragmatists will agree that supplementary training is a must for holistic karate practice, but not many will come to the same conclu-

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the similarities with Okinawan training implements, suggest a number of fundamental exercises that can be performed and state how these exercises can help develop some of the essential attributes favoured in many self-protection strategies.

However, before I go any further, I’d like to first spend a little time justifying why I still honestly consider kettlebell training to be wholly ‘traditional’ by nature, even though I know this tool was never originally used by the pioneers of karate when the art was in its infancy. This of course goes for all other ‘modern’ implements used today in training.

The definition of the word ‘tradition’ is ‘a handing down of customs and beliefs from generation to generation’. This is an important translation for me as it clearly focuses on beliefs and customs, rather than any particular action or procedure and it is usually the actions and procedures that many so called ‘traditionalists’ ironically depend almost entirely upon in their training. It becomes far too easy to try to find answers by emulating the masters of our past, when in reality, we should be emulating the process, not simply the specifics. The specifics may provide us with some ‘hints’ along the way, but no real answers.

If you take the art of karate (or any fighting system for that matter) back to its root, you’ll see that it was developed in accordance with the natural human evolutionary desire to achieve an objective. No matter what you may think, this is how we as human beings progress through life. In all aspects, we are always moving towards a goal (be it positive or negative), even if this is the ‘self-satisfaction’ felt through helping others succeed or become happy. If we didn’t have this evolutionary instinct for progression then we’d either be extinct or still running around in caves, Hojo undo represents the supplementary training undertaken by karate-

different for a traditionalist, who is more concerned about close-range competence. Whether old or new though, the use of implements to aid practice should still be considered as hojo undo.

At my dojo, we always aim to work in accordance with the maxim of ‘OnKo-Chi-Shin’, which means to respect the past and create the new. I believe this to be a critical concept to train towards in traditional karate, because the very word ‘traditional’ implies that we should be working in agreement with the universal truths to which the founding fathers of karate believed and in accordance with what the original aims of the art are perceived to be. I don’t specifically feel the urge to copy exactly what may or may not have been taught in the past superficially, however by the same breath, I do think that the core principles that gave birth to karate should be adhered to as closely as possible if we are to in any way, call ourselves traditionalists.

this is one of the most useful pieces of functional training equipment on the planet sion as to how this training should be undertaken. This is quite natural because everyone is built differently and any type of training should ideally be tweaked to suit individual strengths and weaknesses. However, more than likely, every one will be of the same mind that supplementary training is undertaken to meet one prime objective and that is to further enhance techniques and your ability to cope with the realities of civilian self-protection - exactly what karate was originally developed for.

The modern expressions of karate practice have certainly brought new training implements to the forefront of practice and these can be very useful indeed. For instance, I have a body opponent bag (BOB) in my garden dojo that has proved very useful to me. However, I also make full use of my makiwara, since this implement develops a very different aspect of striking that in my personal view cannot be felt on any other modern day device. Similary, the supplementary training objectives for a karate sportsperson who is preparing for long-range competition would be quite

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To proactively embrace and utilise any useful practice even though it may not have been originally considered in Okinawa, does not necessarily mean that we are moving away from a wholly traditional approach. Karate was initially based on methods learned from other cultures (i.e. China), which were taken home and fused with the indigenous art of Ti. Therefore, karate is an art that was foundered upon adaptability and a free thinking process. Hence, as traditionalists in these modern times, I feel that we are also somewhat bound to undertake our practice in the same malleable way. Otherwise we risk our art ultimately becoming deadlocked, restricted and lifeless, with no hope for progression.

Hojo Undo has been an integral part of traditional karate ever since its early development. Just as it is often stressed in disciplines nowadays such as modern mixed martial arts, it was also considered in Okinawa that even through diligent practice of both the technical and applied aspects of an art, a practitioner must still be generally fit, healthy and strong in

order to provide the best environment for success on application of those methods learned. Not only this, but also that the extra training undertaken should be directed principally towards increasing the functionality of attributes that would have specific relevance to the art’s primary objective(s).

Out of all the well-known traditional training equipment used in karate, the makwara is probably the only one that could be claimed as being entirely Okinawan by both design and application. All others seem to have been

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rated into Goju Ryu by Chojun Miyagi after his trips to teach in Hawaii.

As we’ve already discussed, the development of early karate was accomplished through the accumulation of new ideas and the fusion of these with native methods previously established. Furthermore, the utilisation of supplementary training to support the art was certainly no different in its progression. The obvious principle at work here is; if it works, use it! Why not? It must be remembered that karate was once a new art and even though times do change, the principles on which the art rests (i.e. for civilian selfprotection) have not. How we meet our objectives is the ‘means to the end’, not the end itself. Therefore in my view, there’s absolutely nothing stopping traditional karate-ka doing exactly the same as the people of 18th Century Okinawa did; expanding knowledge base, embracing and then using whatever possible in order to come closer to our common goals.

One piece of equipment that’s certainly not new, but was never implemented into traditional karate circles in the past is the kettlebell. In my own personal view (supporting many others), this is an extraordinary piece of equipment, not only in a general sense of the word, but also specifically to karate-ka who wish to develop their functional ability. A single kettlebell can be used so broadly that it can encompass many if not all of the attributes usually developed through the use of the traditional equipment from Okinawa. My research has uncovered huge similarities between the kettlebell and nigiri game, chi-ishi and ishi sashi.

Not only that, but I also think it brings a new and unique dynamic element to hojo undo, which seems to complement traditional karate practice perfectly.

I have entitled this article, ‘Kettlebell Bunkai’, which is my own term to represent the use of kettlebells to specifically enhance the lessons and concepts brought to use through the practice, analysis and application of kata. Applying bunkai (analysis) allows a practitioner to understand and practice through technique, the underlying principles of the art. Hojo-undo can then be used to functionally aug-

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Being primarily a functional training device, the kettlebell is favoured by many sportspeople and athletes used extensively to aid the attainment of their training goals

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‘borrowed’ from other countries. The huge majority of these tools clearly originated from China, with exception of the kongo-ken, which was incorpo-

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ment these techniques and in turn, the underlying principles that join those techniques together. If kata resembles the framework and bunkai represents the substance, then hojo-undo represents the glue that strongly binds the substance to the framework. In my own personal view and in keeping with the analogy; incorporating the correct use of kettlebells into traditional karate practice is like mixing up a large vat of superglue and tipping it all over!

Part 1 of this piece will discuss in general terms, what the kettlebell is and what advantages this piece of equipment can offer those who practice traditional karate for the purposes of civilian self-protection. Part two will specifically look at some kettlebell exercises that can be used to help accentuate the common underlying principles of the art. This is not intended to be too much of a technical article, rather a ‘foundational introduction’. I do however intend to write further articles in later months that will concentrate on more specific aspects. To start with though, let’s look in a little more depth at the main item in question.

For those who are interested in supplementing their art with functional training and have never lifted a kettlebell, then you really don’t know what you’re missing out on! The kettlebell is a traditional resistance training device that is thought to have originated in Russia, although some sources do state otherwise, claiming either Scotland or ancient Greece to be its birthplace. The Russian for kettlebell is ‘girya’ and this word first appeared in a Russian dictionary as early as 1704. Used for centuries by strongmen, the kettlebell closely resembles a ‘cannon ball’ or ‘shot put’ with a handle and is regarded as being one of the oldest types of weight training equipment in existence.

Most research material on the subject states that the kettlebell came from agricultural counter balances used to measure the weight of grain.

Another theory for its origin was that the implement began life as a traditional cast iron kettle, which when filled with water would provide a useful weight training device. As time went on, the spout was removed and the edges softened into the spherical shape seen today. The body became solid and the name ‘kettlebell’ was used alongside the more common names of barbell and dumbbell. The clear functional health benefits associated with using kettlebells in the past led to them being favoured and deemed vital by the Russian military and professional wrestlers.

The main difference between the kettlebell and a standard dumbbell is the position of the weight in relation to the handle. On gripping a dumbbell, the weight is situated on either side of the hand, through the centreline of the grip. In the case of a kettlebell, the weight hangs offset from the handle so straight away there are elements of control and stability necessary in order to manipulate it during a workout. The handle is also generally much thicker than the standard dumbbell or barbell making a kettlebell workout really challenging on the grip, especially during the ‘falling’ phases of some of the movements.

Traditionally, a kettlebell weight is measured in the Russian unit of ‘pood’, where one pood is equivalent to approximately 16 kg.

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Nowadays kettlebells can be purchased at almost any weight range including 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24, 28, 32, 40 kg and above. This makes them suitable for men and women of all fitness levels and activity backgrounds. Being primarily a functional training device, the kettlebell is favoured by many sportspeople and athletes used extensively to aid the attainment of their training goals.

Because of its huge versatility, a single kettlebell can replace a whole host of otherwise expensive training equipment found in gyms today such as cardiovascular equipment, weight racks, barbells, dumbbells and the like.

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to use. All these reasons plus many more make the use of kettlebells a serious priority for many individuals around the world.

Around fifty years ago, the kettlebell quietly fell into the depths of history and until very recently, grew virtually unknown. In the fitness industry today, ‘new’ is now moving over for the ‘old’ once more and the kettlebell is making a very swift and successful comeback.

They are now used extensively by many athletes, fitness enthusiasts, mixed martial artists, boxers and sportspeople of all kinds - in addition to being positively publicised by a number of A-list celebrities in the USA. Certainly as far as karate is concerned, you’d be hard pressed to find a superior supplementary training device, especially one portable enough to carry into and around the dojo.

Rather than developing the ‘bulky’ look of a bodybuilder, regular kettlebell training can create a physique that’s symmetrically toned and firm, by quickly stripping away unwanted body fat and developing powerful/functional strength in the shoulders, chest, arms, legs, back, grip and core. Employed correctly, a single committed kettlebell session can burn upwards of 800 calories and is considered by many fitness professionals as the ultimate tool for all-round fitness, fat loss, functional strength, core structure/alignment, joint stability and physical development. It has also been alleged that a ten minute session by a seasoned lifter can burn more calories than a 45 minute run, however, whether this statement is true or not is debatable.

Kettlebell training can actively attack both the anaerobic and aerobic pathways together. Because of this, it

is desirable for those either have little time to train or have a wide range of skills to develop at once. This again fits the requirements of the traditional karate-ka perfectly, who may need to develop many skills (such as fitness, flexibility, technical, application, combat, mental etc) and therefore can only allow resistance training to take up a small proportion of their weekly schedule. It becomes possible to save a great deal of time whilst making really positive gains with this type of training.

A typical kettlebell can be seen in figure (**). It consists of an iron ball, which is referred to as the ‘belly’ of the bell with a thick handle attached across the top. The bottom of the kettlebell is flat so it can be stood up without rolling and the sides of the handle (called the ‘horns’) are exaggerated to provide yet another place to affect a grip when lifting. The weight can be held in one or both hands either with a standard grip on the handle, by holding onto the horns, by supporting the bottom or by ‘crushing’ the belly.

Most of the exercises undertaken with kettlebells are full body compound movements that emphasise the use of many muscles in unity. Structural alignment is critical and provides the user with a much greater degree of appreciation in this area, being able to apply this sense of unity directly to other areas such as a sporting activity or martial arts movement.

Overall, the kettlebell is arguably one of the most versatile and effective physical training implements known to man. However, this being said, it should not be considered the ‘only’ workout tool, since others still provide you with a higher degree of variance and a full rounded benefit overall. The kettlebell is simple in construction, unforgiving in nature, very addictive and what’s more, they will last a lifetime of hard training sessions.

For karate-ka, using the kettlebell as a regular complement to normal dojo training can catapult your development into the next level. Your fitness will increase dramatically both anaerobic and aerobically, your functional strength will improve exponentially and your general ability to perform and apply your art under stress will alter for the better. On top of all this, committed use will burn fat like a furnace and develop a well designed physique that’s not impedingly bulky, but perfectly balanced and prepared for the rigours of many challenges that you care to impose on it. Let’s face facts...this is a ‘no brainer’ isn’t it!

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When I first seen someone swinging a kettlebell around I thought, ‘that looks really unsafe’. In actual fact, with proper use, the kettlebell is one of the safest pieces of kit out there. Like all activities, it all depends entirely on how sensibly you are prepared to train in terms of effort and progression. If you start slowly then the risk of inadvertently dropping the weight will be reduced to a minimum. It’s always a good idea to have a mat of some kind underneath you, especially if you’re training in a dojo with a nicely kept polished wooden floor. However, as long as you initially train within your limitations and don’t develop a bad practice of dragging the weights around, then your floor should be fine.

Most kettlebell lifts can be developed through the use of ‘progressions’, which means that even a complex lift can be broken down and practiced in sections to help prepare you for the whole movement. When practicing a new exercise, it’s obviously sound practice to start with a relatively low weight and then work upwards gradually. Just as in karate, good technique is the order of the day. Most injuries with resistance training occur either through a lack of competency or a bad choice of weight. Although pushing your limits is important when training, there’s a time and a place for it. This is usually when you’ve gained experience in the exercise and your body is used to the current stress it’s being placed under.

In terms of actual weight, it’s usually said that if you’ve never lifted a weight before, or you are more accustomed to the automated guidance of machine type weights then men should start of with either a 12 or 16 kg kettlebell and women, anywhere between 6 to 10kg. For those who are already experienced with free weights, men should start with either a 16 or 24kg, while women should begin with a 10, 12 or even a 16kg if very experienced.

In my collection I have 2 x 16kg, 2 x 24kg and 2 x 32kg, along with 2 x 4kg specifically for Sanchin and Uke train-

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exercises, which can be directly related to the core principles extracted from the traditional kata of karate. Regular and sensible practice of these will have a positive effect on the enhancement of those principles in action and in the spirit of hojo undo, help to provide a direct link between the form and effective function of your art.

Chris Denwood is Chief Instructor of the Eikoku Satori Karate-Do Kyokai and a senior instructor with the British Karate-Do Chojinkai. He is a nationally qualified fitness trainer and certified ‘Extreme Kettlebell Instructor’, specialising in the use of kettlebells for functional training to supplement traditional karate and kata analysis. Chris has recently created ‘O.K.C.S Functional Training Systems’ as a branch of the E.S.K.K to give more people the opportunity to train with kettlebells and now offers karate-ka seminars and workshops on his ‘kettlebell bunkai’ approach to hojo undo practice. For more information, please call the E.S.K.K on +44 (0) 7801 531 914 or visit www.eskk.co.uk.

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Most injuries with resistance training occur either through a lack of competency or a bad choice of weight ing. This provides me with a good range of resistances for different lifts and enables me to work on both muscular strength and endurance (i.e. lower or higher repetitions). One thing to remember is that going to light can be actually counter productive in that it may not effectively ‘fire’ your muscles in the right way and thus, make each exercise much less effective.

Now that we’ve covered a general appreciation of kettlebells and their use, in the next part of this piece I intend to cover a small selection of

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A Tour of

Okinawa 2009

By Dave Wilkins

Three years ago I spoke with Derek Ridgway (Chief Instructor of Kazoku Kai International) of how we were going to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his association. Okinawa was at the forefront of our minds and it was ultimately the destination we found ourselves heading towards.

In the beginning more than seventy people wanted to go and everything was going well, until the world’s economic downturn affected the amount that could afford to go on the trip. So, on April 4th through to April 18th, 2009 (Easter fortnight) fortythree karate-ka travelled to the home of karate to experience for many the trip of a lifetime!

In organising the tour, the main problem for me was to find who to train with. Many people travel to Okinawa but find it very difficult to access the instructors they would like, as they are so hard to find.

Many teachers train in small dojos and many of these are part of their homes so unless you have addresses and prior links it can be a real headache locating the instruction you want.

Fortunately, with my connection with Tsunami Productions in California, many doors that would otherwise have been closed, were open and our group had access to some of the highest-level teachers alive today.

In Okinawa a relatively new senior group known as the Rengokai has been formed to preserve the Okinawan karate styles and our group was to have the privilege of being the first tour of its kind and that the Rengokai would take personal care of!

OKINAWA Lying in the sub-tropical region of the pacific south of mainland Japan, Okinawa is a stunning island and the people are probably the friendliest people in the World.

Ryuko Tomoyose

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When our group arrived in Okinawa (15 hours flying time later) we were greeted at the airport by seven seniors of the Rengokai and it was a real privilege and honour for them to go out of their way to meet us. After a couple of days settling into the training, our group began and we trained at the Budokan (specially built Japanese dojo in Naha). In total we trained for 18 hours over 5 days and what great training it was. Four 10th Dans and three 9th Dans from karate styles such as Shorin Ryu, Goju Ryu and Uechi Ryu. Many aspects of karate were covered as well as introductions to the appropriate styles and fantastic demonstrations from the teachers themselves. We found that many of the teachers stayed true to the systems they were taught and very little had changed. It would be hard for me to say which teacher stood out as they were all so good! The level was high, not only in the fundamentals but also in kata and kumite. It was a shame that 18 hours was just not enough time!

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As part of the tour Derek Ridgway, his wife Lori, Lauren Frearson and myself were taken to a special meeting with the Governor of Okinawa and through explaining to him our reasons for coming to his island we were told that a special Okinawan Karate Dojo was to be built in the future for other tour groups to go to in order to train with these masters of karate. It is a real honour for us to have been instrumental in the development of this future project.

My Opinion I believe that many karate styles are gradually becoming more watered down and with a lot of the younger generation in the UK looking for the glamour surrounding the martial arts and moving more towards mixed martial arts (whatever that is...). Karate instructors looking to embellish their teaching with a mixed bag of “tricks” to keep or attract more students that sometimes the original lines of karate development are being lost. I have been training (this year) for thirty years and it was so refreshing to train in Okinawa and learn so much high quality, old style, original karate that is as relevant today as it ever has been. Okinawan karate certainly has a strong place in the 21st Century.

I have been fortunate to train with teachers that trained in the same line as Gichin Funakoshi, Kenwa Mabuni, Chosin Chibana, Jiro Shiroma, Chojun Miyagi to name but a few. This tour allowed us to train with the direct lineage of karate-do.

As Gichin Funakoshi’s famous saying goes; “to search for the old is to understand the new...” was what travelling to Okinawa was all about.

I could write much about the tour and all the experiences we had but it would take some telling! The course promised to be a trip of a lifetime and it ended up being so. I will finish here with the teachers that taught us so eloquently and effectively during our stay and would like to thank the Rengokai and Dave Chambers (Tsunami Productions) for their invaluable help in making it a success.

In fact, the students from my dojo, young and old, junior and senior grades have come back recharged and re-energised due to these fine masters:

Morio Higaonna 10th Dan Goju Ryu For more information on Kazoku Kai please go to www.kazokukai.com (More information on the type of training we took part in and the type of training we did can be found here) or go to my personal website: www.leicesterkarateclub.co.uk

KARATE SENSEI Zenpo Shimabukuro 10th Dan Shorin Ryu Yoshio Kuba 9th Dan Goju Ryu Itokazu Seisho 9th Dan Uechi Ryu Kensie Taba 9th Dan Shorin Ryu Isamu Arakaki 10th Dan Shorin Ryu Ryuko Tomoyose 10th Dan Uechi Ryu (Living Cultural Asset)

Morio Higaonna

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RESPECTING WHAT IS OLD; CREATING WHAT IS NEW With Chris Denwood

Examining the Basic Straight Punch (Part 2)

Last month, I began to explore the basic straight thrust or ‘choku zuki’ as found in most karate styles. I discussed a more open meaning for the Japanese term itself and talked about why a good understanding of technique labelling can open the flood gates of possibility with respect to the practical applications associated with the motion. In this most basic of techniques, you are simply repetitively training the physical attributes required to enable your limbs to dynamically thrust both outwards from the body ‘core’ and inwards towards it.

Of course, we can apply choku zuki as a strike (how it is usually seen), but we can also analyse the motion in other ways too. In this piece I’d like to start discussing these applications in more depth, by examining the main ingredients, which make up the physical action of the technique.

During the choku zuki: as you thrust the striking arm out, you also bring the non-striking limb back towards the body, resting at the hip.

This pull back is usually referred to as ‘hiki-te’ (from ‘hiku’ and ‘te’), which literally means ‘pulling or tugging hand’.

Most modern day applications tend to picture 1

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forget about this second limb or at most, superficially mention it as a method of increasing body torque and therefore power into the strike.

Although this may be true in some respects, its name clearly implies that we could also be drawing something external in towards the body. When we apply hiki-te in this sense, we can see many useful concepts for close-range self-protection taking shape.

Pictures 1 and 2 show choku zuki applied as a straight line strike. In picture 1, the pulling hand is drawn back to a guard. In close-range situations, this is often undesirable because suffipicture 2

cient defence against ballistic strikes can become almost impossible to achieve due to the limited visual reaction time available. This is sometimes referred to as having a ‘dead hand’ (shi-te). The opponent’s arms have been purposefully left down for the sake of the picture, but more often than not, the arms would end up clashing. In contrast, picture 2 shows both limbs being used in a positive way.

The hiki-te is being used this time to seize, remove potential barriers and draw the intended target (opponent) in towards the strike.

Using hiki-te like this has a number of practical advantages. Firstly, it helps to tacitly locate the target. Secondly, it makes the opponent off balance.

Thirdly, on drawing the target in, it helps to increase the net effect of the strike. This ‘double action’ with the limbs is very common in karate techniques and is regarded as a fundamental strategy of the art. We’ll be discussing hiki-te in much greater depth come later months.

Pictures 3 to 9 show another application that incorporates the double action of the limbs. If you consider the gross motions of the choku zuki, there is an ‘outward part’ and an ‘inward part’. Both end points of these motions can be applied to good effect if considered openly. The outward part of choku zuki could be used as a strike (as already seen above) or to help release grabs from behind as in pic-

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picture 3

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picture 4

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ture 5. Similarly, the inward part of the technique could be used to pull a target in towards the body or, as shown in picture 6, to attack an opponent who’s behind with your elbow.

Again, taking into account the double motion of the limbs, consider the application shown in pictures 10 to 12.

If you forget for a moment about the ‘end points’ of the motion and instead turn your attention towards the part in between, you can see how the ‘tearing’ aspect of both limbs acting together works well to turn the opponents picture 10

picture 5

picture 6

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body along the vertical axis.

Twisting the body like this is quite a common application, although not always attributed to the motion from the basic punch. Also remember that we should try not to limit the boundaries of our application too. If it can be applied on the shoulders then it can also be applied on the head with good effect as in pictures 16 and 17. All we are doing here is manipulating the opponent’s weakness against a specific position or motion. This application (13 to 17) essentially shows an amalpicture 11

gamation from Pinan Yodan and Pinan Godan kata.

The limb motion of choku zuki is made up of a number of prime joint actions. First of all there is flexion and extension of the shoulder and elbow joints, along with internal and external rotation of the forearm (in order to turn the fist over). By considering these it becomes possible to apply the technique as an effective joint attack as in pictures 18 to 20.

In this application, we are using the extension of the joints to apply sudden picture 12

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FEK001/01

Federation of English Karate Organisations International In direct membership to the World Karate Confederation and English Traditional Karate Body

Federation of English Karate Organisations In direct membership to the English Karate Governing Body

Federation of Martial Arts In direct membership to the F.E.K.O Int’l Criminal Records Bureau registered for Disclosure including outside groups. NSPCC endorsed Child Protection policy document A Federation of over 70 Karate Associations plus other Martial Arts Groups (16,000 members)

If you are a 3rd dan or above with a group of at least 100 members then join a truly democratic long established organisation but still retain your independence. Each Association has a representative on the Federation Council to form the Federation policy. You decide on the future direction of Karate within the Federation. You elect annually the Executive Committee for the day to day running of the Federation. Smaller groups also catered for.

No interference in running your own group - Freedom to conduct your own gradings - All grades recognised - Dan grades registered, recognised and certificated - All your training premises covered for £5,000,000 public liability - Full insurance cover for all registered members - Instructor/Coaching/Assessor qualifications - To be able to work within the law we have CRB Disclosure - NSPCC endorsed Child Protection policy document - National/International Refereeing courses and qualifications Junior & Senior National/International - National Children’s Championships - National Senior Championships - Plus local championships with member groups etc

Federation of Martial Arts. Many karate groups also train in other Martial Arts including Kick boxing, the FMA offers the above benefits to those members with membership to FEKO Int’l or direct membership to the FMA for non Karate groups For further information contact Alan Carruthers FEKO Secretary 198 Meadow Road, Beeston, Nottingham, NG9 1JR Tel/Fax 0115 9250167 E-mail mail@feko.co.uk Web site www.feko.co.uk

NET001/04

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picture 13

pressure to the opponent’s elbow in order to cause pain along with a dynamic ‘shock’ effect. The rotation of the forearm can be used to help inject energy into the attack. This last second rotation is another common strategy found in karate and it is my intention, as with hiki-te, to discuss this further in later months.

Next month, I’ll be continuing with my analysis of choku zuki and discussing some other possibilities for pragmatic applications. In the meantime, you can watch my first two free online video lessons, which detail this subject, by visiting the E.S.K.K website at: www.eskk.co.uk. Until then, thank for reading my words.

“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free” - Michelangelo Chris Denwood is Chief Instructor of the Eikoku Satori Karate-Do Kyokai and a senior instructor with the British Karate-Do Chojinkai. He is a nationally qualified fitness coach and ‘Extreme picture 18

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Kettlebell Instructor’, also specialising in the use of kettlebells to accentuate the core principles and applications found within the traditional karate forms (kata). His unique approach to karate becoming increasingly popular and is based on revealing an adaptable way of fusing both traditional and pragmatic viewpoints of the art as a means of picture 19

civilian self-protection, personal growth and positive challenge. For more information or to enquire about upcoming seminars and workshops etc, please contact the E.S.K.K on 07801 531 914 or visit their website at www.eskk.co.uk, where you can also read other articles, download useful media and subscribe to their free newsletter. picture 20

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AMA Amateur Martial Associations

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To see national AMA listings of over 13,000 instructors/clubs on the web, type: www.bt.com/thephonebook then in ‘business’ type: martial arts and town For an information pack without obligation, call us, alternatively you can fax or post the coupon to the address below.

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Tom Hibbert MBE, FSMA - AMATEUR MARTIAL ASSOCIATIONS 66 Chaddesden Lane, Chaddesden, Derby DE21 6LP Name: Address:

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E-Mail: tom@amauk.co.uk Tel: 07973 507716 Fax: 01332 280286 or E-Mail: peter.allen@amauk.co.uk Tel: 07939 289711