Killer Miller

Don't feel that you are abnormal. When I use to start a new beginner class, I would have actual athletes from other sports start the class. Although my classes were toned down for beginners, my classes were pretty intense classes. Beginners would use muscles they have never used before - even the athletes. After their first lesson or two, they would be sore for two or three days - not because I was that hard on them, it was because they've used muscles they haven't been exposed before. They all would feel winded and out of shape after their beginner class. Everyone goes through what you are experiencing. You have to just go one until you get in shape and become a little proficient in what you are doing. No-one is going to laugh at you because they know they went through the exact same thing. It took me about a year to feel like I was one of the guys. About green belt stage you will start to feel a little froggy - so to speak. Brown belt stage you will think you know everything and get really froggy - you will start to get put in your place at this stage. Black belt, you will have learned all of the basics and actually start to truly learn your art. This is when you will feel like you have truly acomplished something in life.

We're talking about two different things here Angela. My post was in reference to the actual sucessfulness of an effective sweep to take an oponent down. Your reply refers to applying "shock" to an oponent to create an opening or offset their breathing timing for an attack - such as "kake waza" (fake punch or applying shock with a counter one nano-second later as they are relaxing and exposing vital organs). Two different concepts... I think it must be clear that we clarify the difference or the readers will get confused and not understand the differences. - Killer - "Sweeping" a rooted opponent can still be useful for a distraction technique. If you take a pop at someone's ankle it forces their attention down there, which may well leave you with an opening elsewhere!

Sweeping is only effective, and only should be used, when a person is moving from one point to another - this means they have comitted to a body movement in a forward or rearward direction. You must sweep when one foot is firmly planted and the other foot is not (the foot to be swept) and weight has "just" been put on the foot to be swept but hasn't firmly been planted yet. You are taking advantage of their commit to a change of weight distribution when they are in a relaxed state of an inhale, and sweeping the foot that will become the primary supporting foot before the greatest portion of weight is placed on that foot. The result is that they go down "hard" and "easily.' However, if an apponent is firmly planted on "both" feet - DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SWEEP! Some karate-ka are like this and rarely move and rely in this strong base to attack you like a locoalmotive train... These are commonly previous restlers, etc. Thus, you must pick up their "breathing timing" and force them to become unplanted for a moment, while in a relaxed state (MAKE THEM MOVE!), so you can affectively sweep them off of their feet. Some karate-ka will act like the firm planted tough guy that's not going to move and mow you over. That's OK, just understand the mechanics of sweeping, understand your oponent's breathing timing and what makes him/her move, now make them move and sweep them off their feet. The more firmly planted they are, the harder they fall, but they are also more difficult to sweep. Hope this make sense because I just woke up and in the middle of my first cup of tea - I'm a tea drinker... - Killer -

Your Kiai will naturally be whatever it will be depending on the correctness of your technique. * Big Lunged and/or correct technique - "hey eat" or something similar. * Coming from upper body muscles - "soup" "oosh" "hi" "hai" etc. * Choking yourself, constricting blood flow from the shoulder area too tense or tight - "ip" "up" "eep" the canary song "tweet, tweet tweet, tweet tweet" etc. Like I said, "your kiai is a by-product" of good or bad technique. You don't choose your Kiai, it just is... - Killer -

Kiai, Kiai, Kiai... Kia is not a function that you do or initiate for any purpose - regardless of the philosophical interpretations of what it is. Kiai is the by-product or end result of a body action. To contract muscles, slowly or fast, you exhale from the lower diaphragm. To relax these muscles you inhale. That's the way our body's work. Now, to apply maximum contraction, we open the air way as much as possible. To apply maximum contraction combined with maximum speed of contraction we completely open the air way and exhale as rapidly as possible. However, to focus that contraction to a given point, we close the air way, then reopen it in order to inhale and relax prior to the next action. What does this mean in laymen's terms? Let's say your natural Kiai sounds like "hey eat!" The "hey" represents the opening of the air way and rapid exhalation - the sound naturally made by your air way with rapid exhalation. The "eat' is the stopping of the rapid exhalation and the change in pitch, naturally made, when in the process of closing the air way at your focal point of a intended body action or technique. So if you are to change your kiai, change it for what your body is naturally intended to do. No more and no less... - Killer -

Unsu is very difficult to perform - although I still see many do this kata in tournaments. I've only seen a few karate-ka give this kata any justice in tournaments. It almost always is sloppily performed... I never would have recomended this kata to anyone unless they have "perfect" technique. This doesn't mean not to practice and learn the kata, just don't use it as one of your tournament katas. It could make you look 10 times worse that you know you look when performing it. BTW, I love this kata. However, I would never use it in a tounament unless I was in perfect condition at the time and my technique felt really tight! Also, the judges are far more critical of you when performing Unsu and will look for the slightest error, versus other kata where many errors are overlooked. - Killer -

Did you mean the kata "Unsu?" - Killer -

Although I've had quite a few lunches and dinners with Nishiyama over the years, I've been out of touch the past several years with work and family issues and hardships. I use to run into Sensei on occasion, but haven't seen him in a while. I need to get down to Central one of these days and say hi and see who's still around. If I do, I'll give him an Osu just for you... He's actually a great person, great father, as well as a great man. - Killer - Never met your sensie but have greatest respect for him ,please say OSS for me ! respect .....

Name your favorite sparring combination. Mine is Sweep and Counter Punch or a quick groin Snap Kick with front leg and Counter Punch to the face. I don't actually kick the groin, but the inner thigh area enough to apply shock and cause them to lower their guard. However, the sweep is typically when they move inward to me and before they make contact to the floor with their heel, I'll quickly sweep. They will quickly go down at this point with a reverse punch helping them down to the floor... - Killer -

I like Empi, Unsu, Nijushiho, Gankaku, Kankudai as my favorites. All the rest, I just like... - Killer -

Personally, I think you all missed it. The biggest WOW factor is "Visualization...!" If you visualize your kata as if you were truly defending yourself or in a battle, that visualization expells to the audience when doing your kata. The audience typically doesn't know that much about technique, they just react to what is abnormal or impressive to them. I use to be part of a demo team and when doing a particular kata (My mind slips me as to which one is was. Getting older sucks on the memory...) I use to make sure I would do my mid-kata Kiai facing the audience - I use to have a pretty moving Kiai. Anyhow, the audience would always jump back when I did that. I can assure that will be one of their talking points amongst themselves after the demo. This is what will stick in their mind. Remember that kata has always been a form of performing to an audience as well as perfecting technique. It was an early form of dance when MA was outlawed - that's how they were able to continue to train. - Killer -

For those who doubt AngelaG's example for Age Uke, the blonde kid was actually showing execellent technique (he's very good). The arm going out was only a quick extension of the draw arm for demonstration purposes - in a more regimented fasion. Although, I would have probably used a more common example of application to better explain how Age Uke is properly used in a basics perspective. But nothing wrong with the one she used. - Killer Miller -

I agree with what you say Angela. However, in the context of the poster, there are also other reasons why you would do kata slow and with tension. One of them is to totally break down each and every move in the kata as to understand breathing, breathing timing, total body muscle contraction, and above all is the "inside" feeling of all techniques. Going fast is to naturally develop the fluidity of the outside movements. Doing it with proper timing is to bring both of these concepts together with good speed, breathing, muscle contraction, relaxation, good inside feeling as well as good outside feeling. I'm not disagreeing with what you said, it's just that the reasons for doing it goes much deeper - although it may appear we both say the same things. In general understanding, yes. In terms of a concept of learning, it's two different concepts of learning. - Jack -

Actually, there's no difference between a sparring situation and a real fight. A real fight is actually easier because very few have a respectable background in MA. And in terms of keeping a distance in a real fight versus a sparring situation, the same actually applies if you suspect a potential fight situation. However, if you truly understand body and breathing timing, you will definately know if someone is going to attack you before they actually do. A quick step back typically is all it takes for the agresser to know that you already know his physical intentions and they either back off, or they attack at that point. If they attack, you already have enough distance to properly react - and trust me, they were going to already attack you anyhow at this point. I do say this from experience as well. Years ago there was a Bar called the "Gold Rush" that some friends owned - whom were also in our Karate Dojo at the time. It was your typical packed house meat market with bands and booze... I, and many of the other fellow Karate-ka would hang out there frequently - and some of us as a part time job as well. When a gang of bikers (not that I have anything against bikers) or other similar types would roll into the club, it was almost guarenteed trouble. It was sometimes like a stunt show on TV with people going through windows, etc. Also a side note, those days was where I got the nick-name of "Killer Miller" - but that's another story (actually a quite funny one too... If someone reminds me, I'll right a post on that story.). Anyhow, back to the point. When these guys would attack, you knew they were going to attack - and yes they did. If you were close as you say, you were toast. You block just your face, a table would be flying at you. You look like you want to box, threee guys would do belly flops on your head from table tops. What I'm trying to say is that if someone is really going to fight you, they will absolutely let you know their intensions by their breathing or body actions. If they are going to fight you, you better be able to see everything that's going on and have PLENTY of DISTANCE - they mean business!!! The rest are pretty much all talk and have no intentions of fighting - and their body actions will reflect that as well. Now if you antagonize that situations and it develops into a fight, then you do not fully understand breathing/body timing, or you actually do want a fight in the first place. I've seen and been in plenty of nasty fights in my day (aside from karate venues - and all in self defense or protecting others) and they are very dangerous to say the least. Don't try to fool youself (not actually meaning you personally) with false hopes that MA of any type means didly squat in a real situation. But recognizing physical intentions, via MA training and understanding body and breathing timing, you will know how to avoid these situations and or keep your distance when needed. I hope I didn't drift away from the original point, but I think I stayed with it... - Killer -

In terms of self defense, if someone has their hands up in their face I will quickly snap to the groin. They will lower their guard at that time and I will nail them in the face. When they now put their hands up to their face, now the mid-section becomes open and then I nail them in the mid-section. Probably after that I will sweep them and send them to the ground with a punch waiting for them about the time they hit the ground. Is the groing going to disable a person in self defence, not always. Will it cause them to lower their guard from the face, almost always. Now the real damage starts... There's more to a technique than just killing a person with the first one. You almost always start with a technique that "applies shock." This is to chage the timing of the altercation or sparring match to the attacker's favor. Anotherwise, an oponent that attacks to tries to command the attack by controlling your body and breating timing. However, if you apply shock first, via a shock type of technique, you break your attacker or oponent's body and breathing timing to your favor to control the event. Now you clearly have an opening for a life threatening attack. Now based on the aboe scenario, you get an experienced attacker and you are still guarding only your face, you are toast. You are not going to stand there and let someone repeatidly kick you in the groin. Ouch, that hurts!!! You will definately lower your guard to protect that area. When you do, your face is toast. When you try to cover your face because you can't see, then what ever they want to do at this point they can and you will be hurt really bad. Now, had you kept your distance and properly guearded your mid-section, none of the above would have happened - or been drastically minimized... Also, I've seen the above happen many times as well as myself been a practioner of the above scenario. Again, fuel for thought. - Killer - In terms of self defence situations the groin is not really the main target your average thug is going to aim for. In the worst case scenario, yes. But thats better than not having your hands up there at all.

Here's a good training method for you to loosen up and develop the body action needed for efficient kicks and punches. Get a belt, either a Gi belt or a Lether belt, and affix two small drinking cups to each side of the belt (plastic wire ties work great for this) - at the sides of your hips. Get two Ping Pong balls (40mm balls and not the 38mm balls - just kidding...) and put them in each cup with the open end of the cups facing forward. Now, totally "relax" your entire body, maintain a firm grip to the ground with both feet flat, bend your front knees, and with very quick exhales from your lower diagphram, rotate your hips forward seeing how far you can shoot out the ping pong balls from the cups. Good hip action and breathing should shoot the balls quite a ways out. You might have to reposition the cups slightly at first so they properly come out of the cup. You do this for a while, on a daily basis, and you will have the nicest and fastest kicks around in a very short time. Practice this with Hip Vibration as well as Hip Rotation. Also practice this in your regular stances when kicking or punching - the hips are always the first to move. You get this drill down good enough and I'll teach you another development drill that will take you to the next level. Everything you do in Karate is based on the hips and breathing of the lower diagphram... - Killer -

Think of like snapping a towel at someone. Knee to target to drive foot out- via lower diagphram. Let foot go out on it's own. When foot is about to contact target, snap the knee back to the start position. When doing any type os snap kicks, which mawashi geri is, you don't think of how hard an fast you can drive the foot out, but how fast you can drive the knee too and from the target. The foot will do the rest all by itself - just like the end of the towel. - Killer -

In Shotokan: Sen = Before oponent commits an attack. Sen-no-sen = Same time as oponent's attack. Sen-go-no-sen = After oponent's attack or technique. - Killer -

Nick_UKWC, Although I am at high level and a good part true what I said from a perfection view point, but that was not my intention to the point I was trying to make. Without very good technique, it's very difficult to get through the mid-section properly blocked. The head and groin area are easy to block when being use to training this method over time. Anytime someone attacks you, without perfect sparring technique, I can nail most less experienced Karate-ka in the head or groin without problem because because they don't maintain a good sparring posture. I'm fast and accurate and can easily create ungaurded openings. Is this easy with other high level Karate-ka. Definately not. They know how to keep an appropriate distance and maintain a proper sparring posture throughout the entire match. Most of my background is from tournament sparring. Although, we would practice multi-attack defense on occasion, our primary focus was one-on-one for tournaments. So my answer may have sounded arogant - a reasonable assumption. But my answer was really based on my past training background compared to the average Karate-ka and also the fact that the bulk of this forum (based on conversations I seen so far) is at a lower level than I have trained. I trained a lot of years with the US team and various international teams - not going into name dropping, I say this only to make a point. Anyhow, all of these higher level Karate-ka always maintain a certain distance from your opponent - unless attacking or being attacked. This is what you train to do for competition. When you keep this distance, you can always maintain a full vision of what your opponent is going to do, as well as being able to read his/her breathing timing as to what they are going to do... So when they attack, you have plenty time to use Sen, Sen-no-sen, Sen-go-no-sen, Kake Waze, Sasoi Waza, etc. However, if the attacker creaps into your bubble or zone without attacking, and I read your breathing timing and know you are thinking of attacking, I can easily nail you in the groin or head without thought. This is because you (meaning anyone that would get that close to me) are too close to me (meaning any high level Karate-ka that knows better and also knows that an experienced Karate-ka wouldn't get this close) and are within an easy arms reach or slight shift could not move your body faster than I can move my punching arm or kicking foot to nail you in the head or groin. So I apologize is this sounded arogant. But I have to tell you, any highly experienced Karate-ka would know this as well. You get in too close, or come in not properly guarded for the entire body, and not maintain a proper sparring posture throughout, you are going to get absolutely nailed by any high level Karate-ka. You won't see it coming, it will just happen naturally. Fuel for thought... - Killer -

I see the rational you are trying to make, but missing the big picture. Karate guard positioning is designed to fully cover the mid section as well as easily being able to block the face and groin section. The lower section is blocked by one of the feet or knees. Now if your art says that you can only attack the upper body area, then perhaps the boxing guard might work. But in our art where you attack the entire body from head to toe, the boxing guard is severely lacking - not goina work... - Killer - The boxing guard blocks "only" the face just as much as the karate guard blocks "only" the mid-section.

To block only the face, as in boxing, that may be true. But not true in terms of Karate where you have to cover and protect the entire body - two hands and two feet. - Killer -

Size is not the issue here. If you have "any" opening at all in the mid-section, I'm goina nail you. The head is easy to attack because you have to see, and there's always an opening. If not, I can easily create an opening... The groing, for the most part, is typically rarely covered by a person and I can usually nail you there because you're not going to be fast enough to block it. A mid-section well protected is hard to penetrate. Going for the face or groin under these circumstances is far more difficult. You have better vision to see what the oponent is doing overall, and plenty of time to react to it. Covering the face restricts vision and creates openings in the lower section of the body. Now you mights say that "boxers" cover their face. This is true. But a boxer is fighting with only two hands and doesn't have to worry about a quick front snap to the groin area... - Killer - So you find it easier to hit smaller moving targets than the largest part of the body(mid-section)?

Shorin Ryuu brings up a good point on the legal aspects of Karate use. If you are like me and truly understand breathing timing, you know that the other person is starting an attack to you. You pick up his breathing timing, or minute contractions, indicating that he is going to attack (and I say "he" because I don't believe in attacking females regardless of the situation), you blast him before he has a chance to react. Altercation over! He knows he tried to attack you, you know he tried to attack you, you blasted him, and he is not going to try another thing at all... Now the legal side of this. Let say you have other persons observing this altercation. They know "nothing" about martial arts. To them, it looks like you made the first move in the altercation. In fact, and technically, it was him that made the first move... How would you prove in a court of law that he actually did attack first. All the witnesses would say "I did not see the other person attack first and that you threw the first punch." I always fear that particular scenario! - Killer -

You forgot about Sen. This is to react before they execute a technique. If you truly understand breathing timing, you know when they are about to attack you before they actually attack you. They definately think twice about an altercation. I've had guys in the past say, I wasn't going to attack you. I would know better though... - Killer -

AngelaG, based on your original post - one element is missing in the confrontation factor. You learn in Karate to recognize and understand "Breathing Timing." Breathing timing is heavily taught in Shotokan. This means that you understand and develop your own breathing timing. The by-product of this training is to also recognize the opponent's breathing timing as well. How does this relate to the topic? If a situation arises that requires a defensive or offensive strategy, you will know when it is necessary by understand what the other person's intent is by his body actions or breathing timing. Many people are mad or upset about something and show no signs of physical intent - based on their body actions and breathing timing. However, as soon as that changes and there is an indication that his body actions and breathing timing has changed for physical intentions, then you immidately create distance. This sets the tone to the upset person that if he plans to create physical harm, he/she better think twice. If they do attack, your are in a defensive/offensive position. BTW, very nice post... - Killer -