While it is easy to focus on the kicking foot when doing this technique, having a strong and well-balanced supporting leg – jikuashi – is where you need to focus attention to get the right hip movement when kicking out and a strong retraction of the leg – hikiashi. The foot is like the end of a whip with the driving motion coming from the leg and the hip and the end of the leg relaxed, but the blade of the foot is activated and strong as the point of impact.. Photography by Robin Smith
These two movements come at the end of the black-belt kata gojushiho sho. The hands come up to block a double punch with the wrists. Step forward while striking with the outer blade of the hand to the opponent’s collar bone. The supporting leg needs to be strong for balance, and you drive off it to attack the opponent’s chest. Dropping your weight down for stability is essential to mastering many karate movements, but in practice it is difficult to do.. Photography by Robin Smith
In karate, power is generated from various types of hip rotation, all of which require flexibility of the hip joint. This is important as when the hips are moved from facing hanmi (side-on) to shomen (front) in zenkutsu dachi (front stance), the back leg drives the hip around while the front hip joint ‘closes’ to pull the hip around, and this rotation of the hip is the source of power for many techniques.. Photography by Robin Smith
Pulling the leg back after the kick and maintaining balance are just as important as you need to prepare for the next movement as quickly as possible. Kicking to this height develops flexible and strong hamstring muscles, and good quad muscles on the supporting leg. The back needs to be straight as there can be a tendency to curl forward, especially when kicking high.. Photography by Robin Smith
While it is easy to focus on the kicking foot when doing this technique, having a strong and well-balanced supporting leg – jikuashi – is where you need to focus attention to get the right hip movement when kicking out and a strong retraction of the leg – hikiashi. The foot is like the end of a whip with the driving motion coming from the leg and the hip and the end of the leg relaxed, but the blade of the foot is activated and strong as the point of impact.. Photography by Robin Smith
These two movements come at the end of the black-belt kata gojushiho sho. The hands come up to block a double punch with the wrists. Step forward while striking with the outer blade of the hand to the opponent’s collar bone. The supporting leg needs to be strong for balance, and you drive off it to attack the opponent’s chest. Dropping your weight down for stability is essential to mastering many karate movements, but in practice it is difficult to do.. Photography by Robin Smith
This is the first move of the brown-belt-level kata basaidai, which translates as ‘to storm the fortress’ – it’s a very strong kata but it suits both men and women to perform. From the standing position, after announcing the kata, you drive off the back leg and the front foot stamps into the ground as you come forward with the right leg taking the weight, and the left leg tucked in behind to help with balance.. Photography by Robin Smith
This movement is generated by a dynamic hip rotation where you drive the hip around and ‘put the brakes on’. The sudden stop of the hip throws the arm around; you don’t think about moving the hand, but focus on the hip rotation and the hand follows. It is a strike to the side of your opponent’s neck.. Photography by Robin Smith
The supporting leg needs to be strong and kept low; by keeping your weight low you are putting strong stabilising energy into the supporting leg, but if you rise up with the kick, the supporting leg becomes weak and the kick becomes weak and slow. In the first stage of the kick, the leg is quickly contracted close to the body; the knee is pulled to the chest and the foot is tucked in close underneath.. Photography by Robin Smith
At the start and end of every class, all members line up behind the Sensei (teacher) and the most senior member calls ‘seiza’. Once the Sensei is kneeling, all members follow and kneel into this position. Thirty seconds is spent clearing your mind, calming your energies, detaching from all distractions outside the dojo and centring yourself. You then bow shomen – to the front – and to the Sensei. At the end of the class while seated in this position you recite the dōjō-kun.. Photography by Robin Smith
This movement is generated by a dynamic hip rotation where you drive the hip around and ‘put the brakes on’. The sudden stop of the hip throws the arm around; you don’t think about moving the hand, but focus on the hip rotation and the hand follows. It is a strike to the side of your opponent’s neck.. Photography by Robin Smith
While it is easy to focus on the kicking foot when doing this technique, having a strong and well-balanced supporting leg – jikuashi – is where you need to focus attention to get the right hip movement when kicking out and a strong retraction of the leg – hikiashi. The foot is like the end of a whip with the driving motion coming from the leg and the hip and the end of the leg relaxed, but the blade of the foot is activated and strong as the point of impact.. Photography by Robin Smith
Both in karate and our everyday lives, a lot of focus is put on bending forwards, but in order to have good posture and balance it is important to stretch the spine backwards. This stretch improves breathing by opening through the front of the chest, it also strengthens the spine.. Photography by Robin Smith
This movement is generated by a dynamic hip rotation where you drive the hip around and ‘put the brakes on’. The sudden stop of the hip throws the arm around; you don’t think about moving the hand, but focus on the hip rotation and the hand follows. It is a strike to the side of your opponent’s neck.. Photography by Robin Smith
An important aspect of karate is contraction and expansion; from this contracted position you can then kick the leg out with speed and power.. Photography by Robin Smith
Kamai is a preparation posture. Kumite kamai is a relaxed, ready state where you are prepared to react to anything that happens in front of you, but this kamai in front stance (pictured above) is like winding up a spring ready to release into the technique. As you move into this posture, the thigh muscle on the back leg is loaded up with power ready to drive the hip around, and the lower part of the leg is also sinking into the ground.. Photography by Robin Smith
These two movements come at the end of the black-belt kata gojushiho sho. The hands come up to block a double punch with the wrists. Step forward while striking with the outer blade of the hand to the opponent’s collar bone. The supporting leg needs to be strong for balance, and you drive off it to attack the opponent’s chest. Dropping your weight down for stability is essential to mastering many karate movements, but in practice it is difficult to do.. Photography by Robin Smith
To generate power going into this movement it is essential to move your energy very quickly from the jodan tanden (head) to seika tanden (below the navel). By moving this energy down quickly, your body can sink down into a strong, stable position quickly and with power. Imagine the centre of your body has moved ahead of you and you are catching up; a technique in karate used to generate speed.. Photography by Robin Smith
To execute this movement, you need to sink the weight down onto the left leg and have a flexible left ankle. All energy needs to be towards having a stable, strong supporting leg. The stance is called neko ashi dachi, which translates to ‘cat stance’.. Photography by Robin Smith
While it is easy to focus on the kicking foot when doing this technique, having a strong and well-balanced supporting leg – jikuashi – is where you need to focus attention to get the right hip movement when kicking out and a strong retraction of the leg – hikiashi. The foot is like the end of a whip with the driving motion coming from the leg and the hip and the end of the leg relaxed, but the blade of the foot is activated and strong as the point of impact.. Photography by Robin Smith
