Kumite Combinations

[rogue2257]

So as I've been practicing my sparring recently, I've come the realization that I have a tenancy to over-rely on certain combinations that have worked well for me in the past. I'm feeling like I need to work at expanding my arsenal of effective techniques, so I'm posing the question: "What are some of your favorite techniques or combinations for kumite?"

[beagstkd]

I have the same problem but if it works...

I do have great results however working my combinations with all mid-section kicks and then will do the same combinations but throw high kicks, like cresent or a low-high roundhouse.

An example might be front punch, back punch, round house, into a turning back kick (all kicks to the mid-section) A minute later I might try front punch, back punch, round house (mid-section) into a spin cresent or axe kick (head). Hopefully they are expecting a turning back kick to the mid-section and lower their hands a little.

I didn't realize how hard it is to type a description of combinations. I hope it makes sense.

[sensei8]

Truly I wouldn't worry about that because many have been successful with 3-4 combos/favs during kumite/sparring.

Whether you can add more to the few you have right now, they'll reveal themselves to you when you're least expecting it.

[RW]

Ok, some of these are not combinations but...

1) "Keep your distance" side kick.

Backing off, and your opponent is closing it? Throw a quick mid-body side kick. You will sucessfully keep your opponent at bay and...

2) "Keep your distance" side kick" followed by a circular strike to the side of the head.

The kick should distract the opponent so you can try to attck the opponent's head with whatever hand you have closer to him.

3) Mid body roundhouse kick followed by turning punch

[Wa-No-Michi]

If it is competition type sparring you are after (shiai) then these sort of blitzing combos are really good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcYHN-LvCII

I have taught them for years, and also had a fair amount of success with them myself.

The only advice I would give beyond this; would be to avoid staying on the same line - diverge and experiment - build angles into your combinations. Sometimes Karate is a victim of its own success and people forget that the renraku waza done in Kihon (in a straight line) is merely just another kata.

WNM

[rogue2257]

If it is competition type sparring you are after (shiai) then these sort of blitzing combos are really good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcYHN-LvCII

I have taught them for years, and also had a fair amount of success with them myself.

The only advice I would give beyond this; would be to avoid staying on the same line - diverge and experiment - build angles into your combinations. Sometimes Karate is a victim of its own success and people forget that the renraku waza done in Kihon (in a straight line) is merely just another kata.

WNM

Thanks for sharing, those are great. That's the sort of thing I was looking for, combinations of footwork and hand actions to help mix up the techniques I already use.

[bushido_man96]

I've been using the front kick more often lately, and trying to combo off that. Sometimes, you should just pick a technique, and try to build around it.

[Vierna]

I dont spar much, but when I do, I usualy use kisame>gyako zuki combo... but sometimes I use some random punch (like uraken...) or kick (mawashi....) as well... and to keep opponent at bay I usualy use mae geri

[Toptomcat]

Covering a missed roundhouse kick with a spinning back kick is often helpful, especially if you throw a more committed roundhouse kick with a lot of hip rotation. As you get more comfortable with the motion, you could start doing it on purpose, baiting retaliation with a roundhouse kick thrown too far and spinning quickly into the back kick to interrupt your opponent's counter.

Shuuto strikes are often difficult to find a use for: look for angles from which you can powerfully strike with a chop that you could not manage with something simpler like a punch or hook. Once you have one or two useful-seeming chops, try them out in different contexts: in particular, I find that situations in which you've backed an opponent into a corner or otherwise restricted his ability to retreat make them quite a bit more useful.

Set up a spinning back kick to the body with a jab or two to the head. Assuming your proportions are roughly similar to mine, you'll have two possible situations: if you're close enough to actually strike with the jab, the back kick will hit more unexpectedly, but you'll be unable to make full extension on it. There will still be a lot of power there, but not a lot of knockback value. If you're just too far to hit with the jab, the spinning back kick is a bit more telegraphed but will hit harder and with full extension, driving your opponent back.

Watch competition footage of 70s-era kickboxer Benny 'The Jet' Urquidez to see a master of the spinning back kick, and its setups in particular.

An excellent bread-and butter combination is lead, cross, rear roundhouse: this one is nice because it grows as you do. Lead, cross, rear leg kick is easy enough that it can be used to teach basics of combining hands and feet in combinations to beginners: Lead, cross, body kick becomes a viable weapon as you get a little better, then lead, cross, head kick can be a very good weapon as you develop the flexibility, speed, and balance to execute it.

Experiment with different sorts of ways to combine kicks: kicks in quick succession on the same leg without dropping it, kicks in quick succession on the same leg while allowing it to rebound quickly off of the floor, kicks that alternate quickly between legs, kicks bridged by various sorts of steps, skips, slips, pivots, and jumps. Keep in mind that combinations with more than about three kicks are probably impractical for self-defense, though they may be useful in sport karate. Also be honest with yourself about how much power you're trading for speed- developing dazzlingly fast and varied combinations of very weak kicks is a trap that a lot of people fall into.

For guys who depend on a strong guard without as much movement- taking hits on their elbows, forearms, and shins rather than avoiding them or mounting a more active defense, try unbalancing them with by opening a combination or rush with a push kick- which works whether or not you block it.

If you find yourself favoring a particular combination, don't start avoiding it out of fear of becoming predictable. Develop variations that prey on your opponent's familiarity with it, setting up an expectation by obviously overusing a certain sequence and subverting that expectation by changing the target, timing, or type of any of the elements of the combination. Just don't change the first hit or two, or they won't have anything 'predictable' to sucker them into reacting incorrectly. Something as simple as changing a jab-jab-cross to a jabjab-cross or jab-jab...cross can pay enormous dividends.

KEEP IT SIMPLE! Make minimal assumptions about how your opponent will react, and don't include more than four or five strikes in a combination, especially if they're kicks.

[Patrick]

Thanks for starting this thread, rogue2257. And great replies beagstkd, Bob, RW, Wa-No-Michi, Brian, Vierna and Toptomcat!