From: td06@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (THOMAS EDWARD DEFLAVEES)
Newsgroups: rec.martial-arts
Subject: Re: poor technique
Date: 4 Jan 93 21:50:58 GMT
Organization: Lehigh University

In article <1993Jan3.223111.473@drefla.mese.com>, matt@drefla.mese.com (Matt Bra
ndt) writes:
>wharfie writes
>>      I'm really not saying what I mean very well.  Bear with me while
>> I try again.
>>
>>      A tournament _must_ be less than realistic, or it would be
>> actual combat and not a tournament at all.  There are different approaches
>> to make this unreality happen.  In judo we allow only a subset of possible
>> techniques and we pad the ground and practice falling so that we can do
>> that safe subset of techniques at full speed without injuring each other.
>> Where I'm confused about karate tournaments is that since there _is_ no
>> safe subset of techniques - what's a painless way to strike someone? - how
>> can you use karate techniques in this situation without "watering them down",
>> that is, NOT executing them at full power and speed?
>>
>>      Your answer seems to be that my mistake is to believe them when they
>> say "no contact", and that irregardless of the rules they really do hit each
>> other with full power blows...
>
>As Jonathan Byrd pointed out we always pull our punch back either before or
>after contact (depending on whether or not we really want to hit someone). What
>this means in practical terms is that we can choose how deep to sink a hit or
>not to sink it at all (after a suitable amount of practice). Of course, it
>doesn't always work out so nice. Anytime you block a technique short of where
>the attack was intended to stop your block gets hit full power, this works
>out well because we get a pretty realistic blocking practice. The other place
>where 'real' contact can happen (aside from nasty sparring partners and no
>control novices) is when the person being attacked moves into the attack
>unexpectedly. This happens quite a bit more than you might expect (my nose
>recently moved into a backfist rather briskly :-( ). So, in general we can
>have a tourney or practice without landing deadly blows and still know if we
>COULD have landed one as well as knowing if we can block one effectively. What
>more could you want?
>
>matt
>

I found a satisfactory explaination of this in what I consider to be an
excellent series of books, Best Karate.  Here is the quote:
"  The essense of Karate techniques is KIME.  The meaning of KIME is an
explosive attack to the target using the appropriate technique and the maximum
power in the shortest time possible. (long ago there was the expression IKKEN
HISSATSU, meaning "to kill withone blow."  but to assume from this that
killing is the objective is not only incorrect but dangerous.  It should be
remembered that the karateka of old could practive KIME daily and seriously by
using the Makiwara.)
    KIME may be accomplished by striking, punching or kicking, but also by
blocking.  A technique lacking kime is never true karate.  A contest is no
exeception, however, it is against the rules to make contact because of the
danger involved.
    SUN-DOME means to arrest a technique just before making contact with the
target (one SUN, about three centimeters).  But executing a technique without
KIME is not true Karate, so there is the problem of reconciling kime and
sun-dome.  The solution is this:  Establish the target slightly in front of a
person's vital point, the target can then be "hit" in a controlled way with
maximum power without ever making contact."

  from this, the essence becomes control.  The object becomes not to pull a
  technique, but to train in a manner that strengthens one's ability to
  control the force of a technique.  Only when a karateka masters this will
  any technique become "true" karate.  I do not spar with the notion that i
  will pull my techniques.  Ultimately such behavior becomes self-defeating.
  I do train for maximum control.  It is by control that I choose my targets,
  and as such can change that when the situation calls.  In the event I have
  to defend myself I will not pull a punch or kick.  Rather, I'll move my
  target and strike through my opponent.  Anway, that's how I train.


  Tom DeFlavees   Shodan
                  ShotoKan Karate