Close quarters hip exercise

[cathal]

For those of you who are having some issues with space, like if you live in an apartment, here's a good drill for you. All you need is a six foot square space, basically enough room to take one step forward, and another back, from the starting position. Once you are more comfortable with the techniques you can change it up and use different angles so try to find a space in your place that you can do this on 45 degree angles as well. If not then just go with the back and forth.

Start from fighting or natural stance.

1. Moving forward, drop into left-leg forward front stance (Zenkutsu-dachi) while performing a jab (Kizami-zuki). Your hips are half-facing at this point.

2. In-Place reverse punch (Gyaku-zuki). After rotating the hips, they are front-facing.

3. In-Place snap kick using left leg (Kizami-geri), rotating hips into the half-facing position, then change to front-facing for a rear-leg front snap kick (mae-geri), landing back. i.e. don't step forward.

4. Stepping back to starting position perform a retreating jab, landing upper-rising block (age-uke) with the right arm. Your hips are going from half facing to half facing here. Finish off with a left-arm reverse punch.

5. Step back again into hourglass stance (sochin-dachi) while performing Tate Empi-uchi, and finishing with roundhouse elbow (mawashi-empi).

This exercise is aimed at making sure you're comfortable with hip rotation from half-facing to front-facing. As you know hip rotation is a major factor in generating the proper power, and if you practice this series of techniques while not moving much your body tends to generate more power and you get a better feeling for how your hips are moving.

For those of you not doing Karate I imagine this can be adapted to your stances, etc. Let me know how it goes if you play around with it.

[ashworth]

Thanks for the exercise I should be able to find room for it, what hourglass stance?

[Shotokan-kez]

This sounds really good, especially those who dont have the room, i'm lucky enough to have a good sized room to train.

[cathal]

Thanks for the exercise I should be able to find room for it, what hourglass stance?

Here is a link to the picture of the stance, I found online.

http://www.keithgeyerkarate.com/tipshtml/stanceimages/sanchin1.jpg

[shukokai2000]

Good drill, we consentrate a lot on hips in our style

[bushido_man96]

Thanks for the drill, cathal. I think I will maybe give it a try sometime. I may have enough room to do it in the kitchen at work at night!

You had me up until this section here, though:

5. Step back again into hourglass stance (sochin-dachi) while performing Tate Empi-uchi, and finishing with roundhouse elbow (mawashi-empi).

Could you translate those moves for me? Also, I am a little off as to what the hour glass stance. Could you give me a simple equivalent?

Thanks, cathal.

[bushido_man96]

Ok, disregard the hourglass stance. However, I still need the others. Thanks!

[cathal]

Ok, disregard the hourglass stance. However, I still need the others. Thanks!

Well the first elbow strike is easy, just bring it up and end it with the palm toward your face. Here's a few pictures I found online.

http://www.karatetygr.cz/t_techniky/Tate-empi-uci_150.JPG

http://www.stichtingkaratenederland.net/technische%20hoek_bestanden/thj%2024.jpg

Also here are some pics of mawashi empi:

http://www.lelandvandervort.info/ma/images/lv-mawashi-empi.jpg

http://www.selfdefence.se/pictures/peter_emil3_500x375.gif

In this case the drill calls for a chudan-level mawashi empi.

[bushido_man96]

Ok, disregard the hourglass stance. However, I still need the others. Thanks!

Well the first elbow strike is easy, just bring it up and end it with the palm toward your face. Here's a few pictures I found online.

http://www.karatetygr.cz/t_techniky/Tate-empi-uci_150.JPG

http://www.stichtingkaratenederland.net/technische%20hoek_bestanden/thj%2024.jpg

Also here are some pics of mawashi empi:

http://www.lelandvandervort.info/ma/images/lv-mawashi-empi.jpg

http://www.selfdefence.se/pictures/peter_emil3_500x375.gif

In this case the drill calls for a chudan-level mawashi empi.

Thanks for the pics, cathal. So, the mawashi is an elbow strike, right?

[cathal]

Yes, you can't see the fist position so well for my particular style. The fist is definitely closed and on the side of the body which is attacking rather than along the centre of the body.

We'd usually practice that technique as a jodan strike but since the purpose of the drill is to focus on hip rotation the chudan-level attack was preferred.