Half Step

Half step is used in many kihon techniques but, I do not believe people correctly understand the mechanics and the reasons on what the karate student should be attempting to do during a half step.  I was quite guilty during my color belt years of over stepping during my half step in an effort to either speed up my techniques or cover more distance.

So what do I believe the correct use of the technique is? First the goal is to take the back foot and bring it forward directly placed under your hip. The feet should still stay shoulder width apart. You should be able to blindly fast bring your back foot directly underneath you in the correct spot without changing your balance on the front leg or causing any change in your open hip position or upper body. Back foot should be point at least 45 degree but, as forward as your ankle flexibility allows. If done correctly your back leg should now feel compressed like a spring and your hip muscles fairly torqued. But, fear not when done in kihon at normal speed you will only be in this position for a fraction of a second.

The idea behind this proper foot placement is the following. 1.) Maintain your hip open technique so that you have hip rotation available for the following technique to come. 2.) Your CG stays exactly the same meaning your not fighting inertia going in any other direction put in the direction of the technique. 3.) You can now maintain the same height 4.) Your back leg is a tight spring allowing you to generate a powerful second attack driving all the way from your back foot. 5.) Speed, speed, speed. Watch some one doing kihon with an incorrect half step and you will see the tempo is one-two-three. Instead you will now be able to make the half step part of the next attack with no pause in between.

Tell tale signs things are not right.
1.) The dreaded over step. If you over step you will raise your height and have that sea-saw effect in your technique. Up,down,Up,down. Oh and by the way you will be slower as you have no drive off your back foot.

2.) Over step causes you drive your next technique down into the floor instead of linearly straight towards your opponent. Root cause see #1

3.) Under step. If you hardly move the back foot than you may seem fast but, unless your opponent moved back only 3" your next technique covers no distance and you lose all power. An under step does not allow for full hip rotation nor the leg compression to allow a huge drive starting from the foot through out your hips and core.

4.) The boat anchor. Students who do not rotate their back foot to point as forward towards the opponent as possible. You will see students have their foot perpendicular to the direction of movement and drag their foot behind them after each technique. It is not obvious but, if your do not rotate your foot you no longer are using your quads, calves, and hip flexors to drive with the leg. Instead you are dragging it with the hip. Give it a try and see the muscles that are no longer active with under rotation of the foot.

Gyaki Zuki - 1" punch

So I had heard second hand that those high ranking black belts training with Shihan Funikoshi could generate tremendous force when punching only an inch or two from the target. It was not until last week that I understood how "in theory" this can be done. I will use gyaki zuki as the example.

If you step back and think about gyaki zuki you really should be generating all of the force and kimae of our body in the last 2" inches of the punch. Before that point it is all interia of your arm or arm+body moving towards the target. It is not until the last 2" inches that you apply kimae. Now what do I mean by applying kimae? I will use gyaki zuki as an illustrative example.

• back leg exerts tremendous push forward. Heel is buried driving power straight to the hip
• hip starts rotation from open to closed position
• your core tightens transferring the kinetic energy from the above through the arm
• front leg tightens cementing stance to be rock solid
• last as energy transfers up the arm rotate the wrist 

What I believe students due normally is confuse inertia of moving into a gyaki zuki with kimae. Secondly hips are rotated far to early. By the time your supposed to be tensing the body at the time of the punch the hip rotation is lost. Last I am still working on the idea on moving forward into zenkutsu dachi and how the movement can impact your hip rotation.

Last I believe this theory of kimae is applicable to so many techniques. Try practicing this technique back and forth in the mirror. Only doing the the last 2" and you will find this is much harder than expected :)

Gyaki Zuki

First I would say take a few minutes and find what a proper gyaki zuki
should feel like. Always be aware of your own body/joint limitations
as you may have an ankle/hip/knee injury that does not give you the
full range of motion. 

You should have low stance, knee over tow, spine straight (that means
your tummy is pulled in), shoulders slightly pinched and exactly over
your hips. Hips parallel to target. I think many people may need to
fuss with their stance to find exactly how wide and long it should be.
1 inch to narrow and you may be binding up your hips. One inch to wide
and you start disconnecting your legs from your core making it hard to
move. 

The best description I have heard for delivering proper technique is
to visualize a wave of power starting from the back foot heel (firmly
planted not rolled) traveling up through your leg, hip, than your
core, and last through to the arm and kimae at that last second. Also
remember that hip rotation. If the hips do not start in an open
position or rotate to a closed position to early you lose the energy
from the legs. 

I personally find that if I keep low with proper posture and drive
with my hip on the punching arm side  that works for me. 

Chicken Winging Syndrome (CWS)- This is the where as you punch your
elbow leaves the linear path to the target and sticks out from the
body. Soon as this happens you disconnect your arm from your core body
and all you have going for you is the shoulders. Give it a try. Try
engaging your lats with your chicken wing hanging out there. 

A main cause of the CWS is early rotation of punching hand. Early
rotation of the hand causes the elbow to swing out and away from the
body. Instead rotation should be held to that last inch of travel. 

Another problem is leaning in to the punch, moving your shoulders
forward of your center of gravity and breaking your body kinetics. Not
sure why you want to lead an attack with your face but, don't do it.
remember proper posture and visualize driving with the hips not the
shoulders. 

How bad posture robs your technique

It is surprising how bad posture in karate can have such a large 
impact on your technique. We have all heard the instructions coming up 
through the ranks of tuck your stomach in, don't stick out your butt, 
etc. The difficulty is that it is harder to see bad posture in the 
mirror while wearing your gi top. Also the tendency is for technique 
to deteriorate as you try and speed up. 

What should good posture be? 

1. First you need to have a straight vertical spine. 
2. Shoulders need to be directly above your hips. 
3. Stomach should be tight. Think about lifting your rib cage or  tucking tummy under the ribs. 
4. Pelvis needs to be rotated to be under your torso. This is a hard one to get correct but, try tucking that butt in and under your hips. 

Now practice this in front of mirror preferable with your gi top off
so you can see your body posture. When you run a hand up the back of
your spine and it is straight you probably have got it right! 

Now given the above points on what good posture is what does bad
posture lead to. This should help give you the warning signs. 

1.) Typical student would have either their butt, sticking out, their
shoulders back behind their hips, or both 

2.) Bad posture causes the student to loose the connection of his
lower body to his upper body since you cannot engage your core muscles
to stitch the top and bottom together

3.) Because of #2 you punch only with your shoulders and arm muscles.
Possibly leading to rolling your shoulder (that feeling when you
shrug)  Weakening your technique.

4.) Your center of gravity (CG) gets messed up and is not over your
hips. This makes it hard to move into the next technique.

5.) You may also it difficult to stick a technique. What I call the
jello effect. Why because your core muscles are not engaged and
helping to lock muscles from foot to hand when you kimae.

6.) Power comes from the hips. Well that this is true, if posture is
not correct allowing your core to be engaged as you move forward your
upper body lags behind. With good posture and a strong core your CG
stays over your navel as you move through the technique increasing
speed, balance, and power.