What is Gamaku?

[Wastelander]

A lot of karateka have heard of gamaku, but don't really know what it is. Especially in the Western world, it tends to be spoken about in mysterious tones, but it's rarely actually explained. When it is explained, it's usually done so in a way that doesn't actually help you understand what it is. Personally, I don't find this very helpful, at all, as gamaku is vital to having strong karate, and not understanding it is just going to hold you back.

With that in mind, I wanted to share this article by a long-time karateka that I know and respect, in which he explains just what gamaku is and does. This is the simplest, most straight-forward explanation that I have ever seen, and I thought that it might benefit some of the folks here on KF.

http://ryukyuma.blogspot.com/2014/08/five-oral-teachings-kuden-and-gamaku.html

I'm curious to know how many of the karateka, here, have been taught gamaku in their training? I already know a few of you who most certainly have. If you haven't, then I'm particularly interested in what you think of the concept, after reading this article!

[Harkon72]

After training in 3 different styles of Karate, I can see that the training of the core of the body can vary greatly. I have never heard to core training referred to as Gamaku, the word wasn't used; but this was the core of our conditioning and technique. The practice in each style may be different but the principal is the same. You will find this practice of core training in Yoga and Qi Gong too.

[sensei8]

Have done it my whole MA life.

Having both Soke and Dai-Soke been born and raised in Okinawa, everyone in Shindokan knows this concept quite well; can't generate proper power without Gamaku...whipping ones hips drives the acceleration to and through target...if properly executed.

[CredoTe]

Mr. Parker's explanation of gamaku is definitely simple and straight-forward; I like it.

I think the article does a great job to explain gamaku in simple terms to folks who have no idea what it is. Indeed, the "5 Kuden" he lists are similar phrases that I've heard ad nauseam from my Ti instructor.

As the article says, these 5 maxims are just the foundation of gamaku that students must learn before building something more substantial on top of it - but, there is more. Once proper muscle control to produce what's taught by these 5 maxims is learned, next students must learn how to connect this "gamaku zone" with the rest of their body and to the ground.

In many previous posts here at KF, I've often mentioned gamaku simply as power generation, as the transference of energy from the earth through the body and into/through one's target. To be clear, this is actually the application of gamaku rather than a description or explanation of what gamaku is. To reiterate, the article shared by Wastelander does a great job of explaining/defining what gamaku actually IS.

The only thing I would add to the article's description is that gamaku includes areas of the body from the thighs (just above the knees) up to the diaphragm. Hips help initiate movement of this "gamaku zone", but the entire "gamaku zone" moves as a unit, like a centrifuge, via proper muscle control (which includes all of the 5 maxims mentioned in the article).

To anyone that is searching for gamaku and other Ti concepts, please be very careful in your search; be very shrewd. Many instructors out there are starting to realize the effectiveness of having Ti back in their karate and that MA students flock to it like bugs to a campfire once exposed to it. Be respectful in your shrewdness and questioning, but don't accept something just because it's labeled as "Ti".

Wastelander, I know you are of Chibana-ha lineage, but are you a part of the same branch as Higa Yuchoku (top student of Chosin Chibana)? Do you know if Mr. Parker is part of the same or similar lineage?

I ask because the best example of gamaku, and of Ti at large, comes from the teachings of Onaga Yoshimitsu Sensei. Onaga Sensei is a direct descendant of Higa Yuchoku and can be found here: http://www.shinjinbukan.com/

There are a few video samples on that Web site, but more can be found on YouTube.

The lineage of my Ti instructor comes from Onaga Sensei...

[Wastelander]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone!

CredoTe - My branch of Shorin-Ryu comes from Nakazato Shugoro, not Higa Yuchoku, although I'm certainly familiar with him. I'm also familiar with Onaga Sensei and a little of his method, as I've had discussions with some of his students. My own personal exposure to Ti (aside from what has been passed down in Shorin-Ryu, of course) has been through KishimotoDi, which has some significant differences from Onaga Sensei's Ti.

I could be wrong, but I believe that Parker Sensei's Shorin-Ryu lineage comes from Toma Shian Sensei and a bit of training with Taika Seiyu Oyata. He also had some Goju-Ryu training, if I'm not mistaken.

[Kusotare]

I'm not a fan of turning the pelvic bone upward.

It's biomechanically very unstable and restricts movement.

At best it serves as a defence mechanism to protect your testicles from a kick from behind, but that’s about it.

K.

[CredoTe]

I'm not a fan of turning the pelvic bone upward.

It's biomechanically very unstable and restricts movement.

At best it serves as a defence mechanism to protect your testicles from a kick from behind, but that’s about it.

K.

Keep in mind that the article is only a basic explanation and oversimplifies things. Most of us in the MA teach kids and beginners techniques using big movements that exaggerate the techniques a bit; this is done so they can get a feeling for the muscles required to perform the technique. As they progress, they are shown how to tighten up their movements so that they become much smaller and more direct.

The same goes with learning gamaku. Once a student understands the muscle control and body structure to engage gamaku, the movements are much less pronounced, for instance, rotating the pelvis to align the spine with tanden (which must remain in perpendicular alignment to the earth). It's all about keeping movements, gamaku, etc with an unbroken tanden. In fact, gamaku won't work if tanden is broken. I agree that rotating the pelvis as much as is shown in the diagrams is excessive and a bit unstable, but once a student understands how gamaku works, all that becomes mute.

As far as being restrictive goes, again, all our movements must be done in such a way that our tanden remains intact. So, yes, in a way, we restrict our movement in such a fashion. I'm OK with that; it makes my movements MUCH more stable and less likely to be knocked or taken down.

[CredoTe]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone!

CredoTe - My branch of Shorin-Ryu comes from Nakazato Shugoro, not Higa Yuchoku, although I'm certainly familiar with him. I'm also familiar with Onaga Sensei and a little of his method, as I've had discussions with some of his students. My own personal exposure to Ti (aside from what has been passed down in Shorin-Ryu, of course) has been through KishimotoDi, which has some significant differences from Onaga Sensei's Ti.

I could be wrong, but I believe that Parker Sensei's Shorin-Ryu lineage comes from Toma Shian Sensei and a bit of training with Taika Seiyu Oyata. He also had some Goju-Ryu training, if I'm not mistaken.

Cool... I'll check out KishimotoDi. I've also looked into Mark Bishop's Ti (which is a variant of Motobu Udundi), and while it's very interesting and intriguing, it just wasn't what I was looking for.

Mr. Parker seems to have at least a decent grasp of certain Ti concepts, so I just thought maybe he shared a common lineage thread.

[Kusotare]

I'm not a fan of turning the pelvic bone upward.

It's biomechanically very unstable and restricts movement.

At best it serves as a defence mechanism to protect your testicles from a kick from behind, but that’s about it.

K.

Keep in mind that the article is only a basic explanation and oversimplifies things. Most of us in the MA teach kids and beginners techniques using big movements that exaggerate the techniques a bit; this is done so they can get a feeling for the muscles required to perform the technique. As they progress, they are shown how to tighten up their movements so that they become much smaller and more direct.

The same goes with learning gamaku. Once a student understands the muscle control and body structure to engage gamaku, the movements are much less pronounced, for instance, rotating the pelvis to align the spine with tanden (which must remain in perpendicular alignment to the earth). It's all about keeping movements, gamaku, etc with an unbroken tanden. In fact, gamaku won't work if tanden is broken. I agree that rotating the pelvis as much as is shown in the diagrams is excessive and a bit unstable, but once a student understands how gamaku works, all that becomes mute.

As far as being restrictive goes, again, all our movements must be done in such a way that our tanden remains intact. So, yes, in a way, we restrict our movement in such a fashion. I'm OK with that; it makes my movements MUCH more stable and less likely to be knocked or taken down.

I understand what you are saying (and you have valid points), but I think you could achieve the same end results with doing a programme of crunches.

As I understand it "Gamaku" is learning to generate power from short sharp movements (from ones centre) - ALA Naihanchi...

To my way of thinking - practice Naihanchi more...

[CredoTe]

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I understand what you are saying (and you have valid points), but I think you could achieve the same end results with doing a programme of crunches.

As I understand it "Gamaku" is learning to generate power from short sharp movements (from ones centre) - ALA Naihanchi...

To my way of thinking - practice Naihanchi more...

Essentially, you are correct. Once students start to understand and feel which muscles to control, which is usually by the time they reach 3rd - 1st kyu, we teach them Naihanchi. You are quite right in that one of the primary purposes of Naihanchi kata is to develop gamaku/power generation, as well as other critical concepts.

And, like you mention, gamaku is used, nominally, with short, small/sharp muscle contractions/movements. But, these nominal movements/muscle control isn't achieved right out of the gate. A student must gradually obtain this understanding and feeling so s/he doesn't overpass it. Hence, the movements start out big, and get smaller and smaller, shorter and shorter, etc, but achieves greater power.