Kanazawa quote

[aefibird]

This is an extract from the latest issue of Shotokan Karate Magazine, about a course with Hirokazu Kanazawa.

 

"Later...I managed to ask him [Kanazawa sensei] a few questions which he was happy to answer. One that 'shocked' all the guys around the table (3rd, 4th, 5th dans) was this one: I asked Kanazawa sensei about Shotokan's idea of contracting all the muscles of the body for one spit second at the moment of impact (physical kime) and whether or not we 'Shotokan' were the 'only' karate style who does this?

 

"YES! we are the only style who does this." This 'kicked-off' a talking point because not one single person knew that. I asked him where this concept originated and who developed it? Again he replied with out hesitation... "It was Nakayama sensei's idea." So, now we know, interesting eh!?"

 

From Shotokan Karate Magazine, January 2004 issue, page 19, article written by John Cheetham.

 

I thought it was an interesting article and I was wondering if Kanazawa was correct.

 

Does any other style of martial art (not just other styles of karate) have that contracting of that the muscles before impact, or, like the article said, is it only 'practiced' in Shotokan? I've never heard before that it was only a 'shotokan thing'; I thought it was common in several styles.

Edited January 3, 2004 by aefibird

[delta1]

He's wrong. That principle was taken from the Chinese, who call that a soft-hard application. Shotokan is primarily a hard art, relying mostly on muscular force and proper allignment for its power. But when you start to relax your moves, then tighten ALL your muscles as the strike lands, you are moving into the soft-hard arts. Many styles today use the soft hard method, and a lot of them use it more than Shotokan- especially the Okinawan 'karate' styles. So, unless you can point to something specific that Shotokan does that no one else does, I have to disagree with him. And even if there is, the concept was there long before Shotokan came on the scene.

[Pacificshore]

I'd have to agree with delta 1 on this. Even when I teach, I teach my students to be relaxed prior to the stike actually hitting it's target(soft). Once the strike contacts it's target, then it is time to contract/tense the muscles in the body(hard). Plus I have them visualize hitting through the target, and not just the surface of the target

[Ripper]

.. Shotokan's idea of contracting all the muscles of the body for one spit second at the moment of impact (physical kime) ..

You are referring to the so called focus-myth.

 

Can you give me one good reason why you want to "focus"?

[Sasori_Te]

I can't think of any karate style that doesn't teach relaxing throught the strike and tensing at the moment of impact. This sounds like propaganda to me. I've seen or heard of several "venerated masters" that do this. THey put out information that is obviously totally bogus in order to make their particular art seem like the best thing since sliced bread.

[ESA-Shotokan]

One reason why you want to "focus?" First is to save energy. If you are tense as you attack, you are wasting energy through basic muscle friction as the attack is executed. Also a tense attack is a slower attack.

 

This can be demonstrated when/if you train with a makawara - you should attack the surface of the target, not punch through it. If you "focus" your contact to the exact surface, the makawara will bounce of your fist and not just be pushed back. This same "focus" of attack against an opponent is where you will see the one-hit application which is what is sought after in karate.

[equaninimus]

I was taught kime in Wado, and in Seibukan.

[kotegashiNeo]

I took a style of wushu that brok down each technique into 4 parts geometrical verfication rotational torque, muscle tension and finally Speed. This style dates back with utmost assurity to the shaolin temple. So not to be rude but A) shotokan is not the only style (jeet kune do anyone?) that does this and Nakayama did not invent said concept

[Ripper]

One reason why you want to "focus?" First is to save energy. If you are tense as you attack, you are wasting energy through basic muscle friction as the attack is executed. Also a tense attack is a slower attack.

 

I think you are talking about something else here. Prior to the impact you try to relax and only use the muscles for the motion to the target.

 

Focus is about contracting all your muscles at the moment of impact. That's just *. The only thing you are doing is actually hitting the brakes on your motion. If you want to generate the most power you have to follow through instead of stopping your motion.

This can be demonstrated when/if you train with a makawara - you should attack the surface of the target, not punch through it. If you "focus" your contact to the exact surface, the makawara will bounce of your fist and not just be pushed back. This same "focus" of attack against an opponent is where you will see the one-hit application which is what is sought after in karate.

 

Then why baseball- or golfplayers don't stop their motion at the point of impact?????

 

The one-hit application is another myth. It is not about hitting someone only once and then he "dies". It is about putting all your energy into your attack.

[ESA-Shotokan]

Not quite, Ripper.

 

Firstly the focus is not in the direction of the attack - what use is that? Kime is a downward force : Newton 3 applies here; equal - opposite etc. You are driving the energy through your feet, not your fist.

 

I am not talking about a one hit, one kill situation. What use is that except to spend the rest of your live in a small concrete cell and get to know some other men very well.

 

One hit should only knock your opponent down and hopefully, they wont want another one like it, or it will allow you the opportunity to remove yourself from the situation.