KUMITE
Sparring (kumite) in karate gives the student the opportunity to practice the accumulation of techniques he has learned, while facing an actually opponent. Because karate in its early days was used in fighting actual armed enemies and was itself perfected into a dangerous weapon, it wasn't until it became associated with the other Japanese martial arts that the concept of focusing the techniques just short of contact with the opponent was developed, making sparring possible. Mutual trust between opponents which is said to be an important feature of the morality of Japanese martial arts is expressed in the rules of free-style sparring, where any attack which actually strikes a vital point of the opponent is forbidden.
Besides giving the student practice in hand techniques , foot techniques, and body shifting, sparring also trains him in distancing (keeping the proper distance between oneself and one's opponent necessary for the execution of the technique as well as courage and composure.
There are two types of sparring: one in which the mode of attack is determined and agreed upon in advance; and the other free-style, in which nothing is predetermined. Within the former are basic sparring and semi-free sparring.
In basic sparring, the two participants face each other from a fixed distance and take turns attacking and defending. In every case, the mode of attack and target are predetermined. It could appropriately be called a formal exercise in sparring (kihon kumite kata). The purpose of basic sparring is to train beginners in the principles of applying techniques. As in basic sparring, in this practice technique the mode of attack and the vital point to be attacked are prearranged. However, both attacker and defender assume relaxed ready positions and move about. The attacker must find an opening and create the proper distance from his opponent before attacking. The defender must watch for the attack and be ready to defend himself. As soon as the attack comes he must block or dodge then counterattack. This type of sparring approaches the more advance free-style sparring. The student should apply dynamically the examples given in basic sparring. This is a midway step between basic and free-style sparring. It gives excellent training in distancing, finding an opening, and correct and speedy use of techniques in action. Both attacker and defender must at tempt to distance properly, one for the purpose of defending. After the student has acquired a degree of proficiency in this type of sparring, a more advanced variation is to predetermine the attacker and defender, but to attack at any point and in any way desired. This is a completely free form of sparring in which neither the form of attack not the attacker prearranged. It resembles sparring in boxing, except that the attacks are pulled just short of contact with the target. The rules of free-style sparring strictly prohibit any needless action which is liable to injure the opponent, such as stamping his instep more strongly than is necessary, or striking with great with great force an arm which is not attacking. Obviously, there is danger of serious injury if one of the participants actually strikes one of his opponent's vital points with a focused attack. However, one of the test of proficiency in karate is the ability to focus even the strongest technique just short of contact with the target, so this danger is minimized. Because it contains elements of both competition and uncertainty and can be played in earnest, free-style sparring has steadily gained in popularity among karate enthusiasts in Japan.
However, for beginners, besides being dangerous, it dangerous, it actually impedes their acquiring skill. It has been found that the best order of training is first of all practice in essential basic sparring, one blow semi free sparring, and finally free style sparring.
The on guard position in free style sparring is one of watchful, though relaxed, preparedness. The actual sparring consists of a free exchange of blows, blocks, and counterattacks, until one of the players gets in focused attack at a vital point of his opponent. Participation in free style requires expert use of hand and foot techniques, blocking, shifting, distancing, timing , responding, courage, composure, tactics in other words, all aspects of advanced karate. When the opponent in free style sparring is securely on his guard, it is very difficult to get in a focused attack. It is only when there is an opening in his defense that a successful attack can be made. Tactics in karate thus consists of finding or creating such an opening and taking best advantage of it. The following shows the breakdown of openings in karate:
OPENINGS:
Active - (without waiting for opponent to attack)
- finding openings
- creating opening by feinting
Passive - (after opponent attacks)
- finding opening-
- creating an opening
Finding an opening in opponent's defense depends on training and experience and can hardly be explained here. The best way to take advantage of an opening once found or created depends on the proper application of the various techniques explained previously. The following pages contain examples of creating openings, both actively and passively.
A STORY: Once during a training session I approached two of my students working on a self-defense technique, one was being attacked from behind. The defense mechanism was for the defender to use a reverse step as he was being grabbed from the rear and use a arm leverage technique to throw the attacker to the ground. As I came closer I could see the frustration in one of the students face, I knew something was amiss. He claimed that the technique was not working and his aid was not cooperating with him to improve his problem with the technique. Watching the drill a few times I smiled, for one, the attacker had lost the proper attitude for kihon basic, that of mutual trust, the defender had lost the element of surprise in working the drill. On attempting to use the self-defense technique the defender was using the same timing leaving nothing to guess work and the attacker was leaning his body way back not allowing the other student the chance to work the defense routine. Again the complaint, it doesn't work. I stepped into the situation and took the defenders place, as the other student was no longer confident enough to allow this to be completed properly. When the drill proceeded and the attack began, I felt the student pull his body back so the original technique was now going to fail again, at this point I raised my leg and executed a back kick into the attacking students midsection, knocking him to the floor. Jumping to his feet he exclaimed that what I had done was not the kihon basic that was being practiced. I agreed and told both of the students that the attacking party was taken by surprise with what had been done and had no way of anticipating what was going to happen. Also the original take down technique would work if the attacker was unaware, instead of knowing. An unaware person in a free-style situation would be taken off guard as well. Explaining the mutual trust of two students when drilling again, they set off in another attempt and with a different attitude and were very successful.
Karate students, as training time increases fall into the trap that what they practice and perform with their new found techniques may not be effective in a real life threatening situation if it arose for them. The practitioner must remember that he is executing most of his training skills with other karateka and they are use to most of the technique being executed against them, so we see the need in karate for free-
style sparring. The element of surprise comes when one uses his technique only in self-defense situations and usually with someone not familiar with the martial arts or his style of karate. Staying humble usually helps greatly with the surprise element and can prevent provocation.
Sparring Techniques - Basic
This list of techniques are but a few that will be seen in your karate career, and are basic but yet effective techniques when put to use in kumite.
n - grasping block with reverse punch. Grab and move opponents forward hand and punch.
n - lunge punch followed by front kick
n - front kick followed by lunge punch
n - reverse punch followed by roundhouse kick
n - front kick followed by reverse punch
n - back fist followed by a side kick
n - side kick followed by a back fist
n - fake punch to midsection back fist to head
n - grasping block followed by back fist to head
n - reverse punch followed by a back fist
n - back fist followed by reverse punch
n - fake back fist, jump in roundhouse kick
n - roundhouse kick followed by a reverse punch
n - downward block followed by double punch
n - roundhouse kick followed by a back kick
n - back kick followed by a roundhouse kick
n - front kick followed by a roundhouse kick
n - revolving back fist strike
n - front kick followed by a shuto strike
n - front kick, roundhouse kick, double punch
n - fake back fist, reverse punch, roundhouse kick
n - step over back fist, roundhouse kick, spinning back kick
n - back fist, side kick, back kick, close punch
n - outside crescent kick, spinning back kick
n - inside crescent kick, roundhouse kick
n - jump front kick with downward shuto strike
n - back fist, roundhouse kick same leg to hook kick
n - jump in hook kick, spinning back kick, spinning back fist strike
n - hook kick to roundhouse kick
n - reverse punch followed by hesitation roundhouse kick
n - crescent kick to side kick
n - back fist strike followed by hook kick
n - back fist followed by midsection roundhouse flip kick
Hanshi Barry Lane
Sparring (kumite) in karate gives the student the opportunity to practice the accumulation of techniques he has learned, while facing an actually opponent. Because karate in its early days was used in fighting actual armed enemies and was itself perfected into a dangerous weapon, it wasn't until it became associated with the other Japanese martial arts that the concept of focusing the techniques just short of contact with the opponent was developed, making sparring possible. Mutual trust between opponents which is said to be an important feature of the morality of Japanese martial arts is expressed in the rules of free-style sparring, where any attack which actually strikes a vital point of the opponent is forbidden.
Besides giving the student practice in hand techniques , foot techniques, and body shifting, sparring also trains him in distancing (keeping the proper distance between oneself and one's opponent necessary for the execution of the technique as well as courage and composure.
There are two types of sparring: one in which the mode of attack is determined and agreed upon in advance; and the other free-style, in which nothing is predetermined. Within the former are basic sparring and semi-free sparring.
In basic sparring, the two participants face each other from a fixed distance and take turns attacking and defending. In every case, the mode of attack and target are predetermined. It could appropriately be called a formal exercise in sparring (kihon kumite kata). The purpose of basic sparring is to train beginners in the principles of applying techniques. As in basic sparring, in this practice technique the mode of attack and the vital point to be attacked are prearranged. However, both attacker and defender assume relaxed ready positions and move about. The attacker must find an opening and create the proper distance from his opponent before attacking. The defender must watch for the attack and be ready to defend himself. As soon as the attack comes he must block or dodge then counterattack. This type of sparring approaches the more advance free-style sparring. The student should apply dynamically the examples given in basic sparring. This is a midway step between basic and free-style sparring. It gives excellent training in distancing, finding an opening, and correct and speedy use of techniques in action. Both attacker and defender must at tempt to distance properly, one for the purpose of defending. After the student has acquired a degree of proficiency in this type of sparring, a more advanced variation is to predetermine the attacker and defender, but to attack at any point and in any way desired. This is a completely free form of sparring in which neither the form of attack not the attacker prearranged. It resembles sparring in boxing, except that the attacks are pulled just short of contact with the target. The rules of free-style sparring strictly prohibit any needless action which is liable to injure the opponent, such as stamping his instep more strongly than is necessary, or striking with great with great force an arm which is not attacking. Obviously, there is danger of serious injury if one of the participants actually strikes one of his opponent's vital points with a focused attack. However, one of the test of proficiency in karate is the ability to focus even the strongest technique just short of contact with the target, so this danger is minimized. Because it contains elements of both competition and uncertainty and can be played in earnest, free-style sparring has steadily gained in popularity among karate enthusiasts in Japan.
However, for beginners, besides being dangerous, it dangerous, it actually impedes their acquiring skill. It has been found that the best order of training is first of all practice in essential basic sparring, one blow semi free sparring, and finally free style sparring.
The on guard position in free style sparring is one of watchful, though relaxed, preparedness. The actual sparring consists of a free exchange of blows, blocks, and counterattacks, until one of the players gets in focused attack at a vital point of his opponent. Participation in free style requires expert use of hand and foot techniques, blocking, shifting, distancing, timing , responding, courage, composure, tactics in other words, all aspects of advanced karate. When the opponent in free style sparring is securely on his guard, it is very difficult to get in a focused attack. It is only when there is an opening in his defense that a successful attack can be made. Tactics in karate thus consists of finding or creating such an opening and taking best advantage of it. The following shows the breakdown of openings in karate:
OPENINGS:
Active - (without waiting for opponent to attack)
- finding openings
- creating opening by feinting
Passive - (after opponent attacks)
- finding opening-
- creating an opening
Finding an opening in opponent's defense depends on training and experience and can hardly be explained here. The best way to take advantage of an opening once found or created depends on the proper application of the various techniques explained previously. The following pages contain examples of creating openings, both actively and passively.
A STORY: Once during a training session I approached two of my students working on a self-defense technique, one was being attacked from behind. The defense mechanism was for the defender to use a reverse step as he was being grabbed from the rear and use a arm leverage technique to throw the attacker to the ground. As I came closer I could see the frustration in one of the students face, I knew something was amiss. He claimed that the technique was not working and his aid was not cooperating with him to improve his problem with the technique. Watching the drill a few times I smiled, for one, the attacker had lost the proper attitude for kihon basic, that of mutual trust, the defender had lost the element of surprise in working the drill. On attempting to use the self-defense technique the defender was using the same timing leaving nothing to guess work and the attacker was leaning his body way back not allowing the other student the chance to work the defense routine. Again the complaint, it doesn't work. I stepped into the situation and took the defenders place, as the other student was no longer confident enough to allow this to be completed properly. When the drill proceeded and the attack began, I felt the student pull his body back so the original technique was now going to fail again, at this point I raised my leg and executed a back kick into the attacking students midsection, knocking him to the floor. Jumping to his feet he exclaimed that what I had done was not the kihon basic that was being practiced. I agreed and told both of the students that the attacking party was taken by surprise with what had been done and had no way of anticipating what was going to happen. Also the original take down technique would work if the attacker was unaware, instead of knowing. An unaware person in a free-style situation would be taken off guard as well. Explaining the mutual trust of two students when drilling again, they set off in another attempt and with a different attitude and were very successful.
Karate students, as training time increases fall into the trap that what they practice and perform with their new found techniques may not be effective in a real life threatening situation if it arose for them. The practitioner must remember that he is executing most of his training skills with other karateka and they are use to most of the technique being executed against them, so we see the need in karate for free-
style sparring. The element of surprise comes when one uses his technique only in self-defense situations and usually with someone not familiar with the martial arts or his style of karate. Staying humble usually helps greatly with the surprise element and can prevent provocation.
Sparring Techniques - Basic
This list of techniques are but a few that will be seen in your karate career, and are basic but yet effective techniques when put to use in kumite.
n - grasping block with reverse punch. Grab and move opponents forward hand and punch.
n - lunge punch followed by front kick
n - front kick followed by lunge punch
n - reverse punch followed by roundhouse kick
n - front kick followed by reverse punch
n - back fist followed by a side kick
n - side kick followed by a back fist
n - fake punch to midsection back fist to head
n - grasping block followed by back fist to head
n - reverse punch followed by a back fist
n - back fist followed by reverse punch
n - fake back fist, jump in roundhouse kick
n - roundhouse kick followed by a reverse punch
n - downward block followed by double punch
n - roundhouse kick followed by a back kick
n - back kick followed by a roundhouse kick
n - front kick followed by a roundhouse kick
n - revolving back fist strike
n - front kick followed by a shuto strike
n - front kick, roundhouse kick, double punch
n - fake back fist, reverse punch, roundhouse kick
n - step over back fist, roundhouse kick, spinning back kick
n - back fist, side kick, back kick, close punch
n - outside crescent kick, spinning back kick
n - inside crescent kick, roundhouse kick
n - jump front kick with downward shuto strike
n - back fist, roundhouse kick same leg to hook kick
n - jump in hook kick, spinning back kick, spinning back fist strike
n - hook kick to roundhouse kick
n - reverse punch followed by hesitation roundhouse kick
n - crescent kick to side kick
n - back fist strike followed by hook kick
n - back fist followed by midsection roundhouse flip kick
Hanshi Barry Lane