Sabaki Challenge

[Willannem]

Has anyone here competed in any of the Sabaki Challenge events? I've seen video of some of the earlier events and I was impress'd. Has anyone else witnessed 'em?

[y2_sub]

Not me , but I've seen some videos of Ashihara's sabaki challenge .

Enshin karate also sponsors sabaki challenge , never seen them in action though

[feels]

Very interesting rules. But who wants to go to Colorado to compete?

[y2_sub]

Or to Denmark ??

[b3n]

Not me.

[Superfoot]

I have not. But I would love to. In addition to the striking, sweeps, takedowns and throws are also allowed. Clinching in generous amounts also allowed. Also, the emphasis on Sabaki makes for very interesting fights. If you buy Joko Ninomiya's "Sabaki Method" VHS or DVD, you can seen how competition differs from traditional knockdown. Now more factors are placed into combat such as dragging and swining your opponent into your attacks, and moving "over" and "around" their offensive maneuveurs e.g. slapping away a seiken-tsuki and using your rear leg to throw a kick OVER their attacking hand. Fights move very smoothly, and with the allowance of throws, combatants are reluctant to stay in close range to one another.

[Charlie]

If you would like to see some clips from the main Enshin Sabaki Challenge, look in their website at: http://sabaki.enshin.com/.

Under "multimedia" are some clips from past tournaments. You can also buy DVD's and videos showing the full-contact bouts from each year's tournaments.

You don't have to go to Colorado to compete. Most, if not all, Enshin and Ashihara dojo in the US and other countries sponsor their own local or regional Sabaki tournaments once a year. The New Jersey Sabaki regional was last month (September). My dojo is sponsoring a Sabaki tournament at the end of January, 2006 for the Washington, DC/Northern Virginia area. I hope to be able to compete in it in a junior kyu semi-contact category. Anyone is welcome and encouraged to compete in the kata, semi-contact, or full contact (black belt) divisions.

If you want to check later to get the full details for entering our tournament, please check our website in the next few months at: http://www.virginiakarate.com/

[Alan]

Sparing another Sabaki player is very difficult as the other player knows what you are doing and trying to achieve. Only the fastest, not just in attacking but also in reading his opponents body language will win. Sabaki is usually a defencive technique but you can also generate Sabaki by attacking your opponent. Sabaki is a close quarter technique where punches and kicks are not effective. Sabaki is very effective against anyother style that has not seen or heard of it. Taekwondo players have no idea how to handle it. Go to the Japanese Ashihara web site and you will see where it all began. Or have a look at Kyoshin Sabaki websites here in Australia.

[powerof0ne]

I competed in the Seattle Sabaki Sattelitte in '99 when I was a senior in Highschool..it was interesting. This was an event that was thrown annually by former Enshin branch chief, Vernon Owens who at the time was a 5th Dan/Godan under ninomiya and was the highest ranked Enshin yudansha under Ninomiya.

I will be competing in a Kyokushin tournament this month, and in June to the World Oyama tournament in San francisco..I am also planning on wether to compete in the Shidokan or the "big" Kyokushin tournament in new jersey in september. I plan on entering the Sabaki Challenge next year.

What I will say about some Sabaki events I have witnessed first hand is that some bad calls are made because of favorism towards the Enshin stylists. One of my good friends got 2nd place in '01 when he should have got 1st fighting the Oregon state branch chief. All the Oregon state branch chief did was really punch..it was ridiculous while my friend through leg kicks, body kicks, neck kicks, head kicks, punches, and knees..along with spinning back kicks, etc..It was the worst call I have personally ever witnessed in my life.

[Makushi]

Hey Power One,

Where do you train now?

I've done some training with the Seattle Enshin gang, and a few of the local Kyokushin guys.