INSTRUCTOR NOTES
(Kumite Part II)

Hi everyone:

Sorry for the long delay since the last "instructor notes." SKA has many projects currently underway and because of my time obligations, it ' s been difficult to keep up with this column. I thought we would continue with what could be called Part II of Tournament Fighting and pick up where we left off:

9. In regards to a tight distance ( Ma ) between you and your opponent, the more skillful fighters can be just out of reach (or even just inside), and if you move, they attack first, or are gone by the time your technique is executed. This high-level sense of distance is only accomplished by the most skillful fighters, after many hours of intense training and may apply to street situations as well as tournaments. Ohshima Sensei teaches that this distance is based on "Rank and Rhythm," meaning each fighter's ability, size and timing. Learning to close this Ma is partly based on reading your opponent. And, if you have not trained enough on your offense and defensive techniques to be simultaneous, you won't be able to accomplish this simultaneously.

To have a very tight Ma , you must move when your opponent moves or just prior. If your opponent moves back, you close the gap, immediately attempting to maintain this same distance (assuming you don't attack). If your opponent attacks and you don't engage, shuffle out of Ma instantly. The point is don't stay and try to predict the technique or see it. You are reacting to movements, not techniques.

One of the biggest errors of young fighters is to get close to an opponent, wait for an attack, try to read it, block it, and then counter. This only works with novice opponents. To sum up, "When opponent moves, you move" either with a defensive technique, an offensive technique, or just maintaining that exact Ma . Most defensive maneuvers are performed by body movement, not with traditional stationary blocks which are a necessary stepping stone to advanced technique.

Keeping a tight Ma helps your attack reach its target sooner and, from a defensive perspective, decreases part of an opponent's momentum, forcing him/her to execute with less penetration of distance due to momentum loss. If you are new to training and this seems too dangerous or unclear, hang in there and, over the years, it will happen naturally. Remember, as Ohshima Sensei says, "Speed is eyes." A fast ball looks slow to Babe Ruth, an amateur punch looks slow to a world champion fighter. It's all part of the natural progression of training bestowed only to those who train year after year with high intensity.

10. A true martial artist never fakes an injury in a tournament to "earn a point." Quite the contrary, tournament fighters who compete to enhance their Art will conceal any pain or injury (within reason), using this as an opportunity to train for real combat. Any competitor faking or elaborating on an injury to win a match does not understand Karate , and the fighter's instructor should intervene.

11. Never score a point or throw a technique and then turn your back and lose your relationship with your opponent. This is also in preparation to create strong habits for street situations. Too many competitors lose sight of the real reason for competing and get caught up on the "sport", hindering their training for years to come. If and when you do turn your back, always maintain a sense of your opponent. This is what Karate is.

12. In competing, always kiai with any significant technique. This will help with your expression of technique. Also, most techniques will follow the same line out as returning. This not only helps make the technique visible for referees, but assists in developing good combinations as well as not allowing your mentality to drop between continued feeling.

13. Always display emotional control. If you can't control your own emotions, you can't control your opponent's. Remember, a tournament is a game, some parts of which you have no control over and you are competing for a greater purpose. It is only a tool supplying bits and pieces to other parts of our practice.

14. Learn what it means to attack while your opponent is thinking. Learn to put your opponent "to sleep" then attack. Also, often times, an opponent is not prepared the instant after changing their feet and taking a new aspect. All these are a function of timing, a great asset in all types of fighting. Blindly lunging in with an attack towards an opponent who is 100% ready and in full balance is the worst time.

15. In your training, learn to get from Point A to Point B as fast as possible. What in your posture tells an opponent you are coming? Find it and eliminate it. Do this over and over until your attack appears un-telegraphed. Note: This takes thousands of repetitions, most of which can be accomplished through isolated drills or repeated attacks using various types of training bags as your focus point.

16. Don ' t be upset or concerned if most "fakes" don't work (i.e., fake a Mae-Geri , then Maete ). Smart fighters move when you move. If you fake one technique to set up another, they attack you on your fake, catching you off guard. Or, when you fake, if they are not ready to commit, they immediately shuffle back extending the Ma and are not there for your follow-up technique.

17. If you are a defensive fighter or in a defensive mode, have your best technique ready. Then appear confused or as if thinking (hoping to draw an attack). Always be very subtle with ploys such as this. Your opponent must think you are being outsmarted. As your opponent begins to move, explode in your technique.

18. Many fighters new to tournament competition focus on stomach targets. This allows a more explosive execution and if distance or timing is a little off, severe injury does not occur to your opponent. Also, many junior members who try to go to the face too early in competition are too restrained for fear of hitting their opponent. This adversely affects feeling, physical expression, and distance. So focusing on the stomach in competition is okay and even recommended as a training tool, but instructors must make sure this is supported with ippon, sanbon, and continuous jiyu-kumite attacking the face and other vital areas. Some tournament fighters lose this perspective, getting caught up in competition and the stomach becomes their primary target in all situations. Most juniors under good instruction and training seriously will, at some point, learn a strong sense of timing and distance, eventually applying this to fast attacks in competition. This transition will now help aid other parts of their practice.

19. "Cut skin, to cut muscle." This application of street combat is a primary concept in fighting arts. In tournaments, if someone "cuts your skin" and scores a "point," the "cut the muscle" response is often not allowed as the referee stops the encounter. Thus, sometimes an excellent Ma in street situations may be different than tournament competition. This is also an aspect of tournament fighting. Traditional martial artists must not be fooled when adjusting to real combat.

Many factors and luck come into play in tournament competition. Don't allow the outcome to affect your training negatively. Some tournament champs (even on a national scale) are harmless on the street. Some are deadly. This game is not a real indication of your skill as a martial artist. As Ohshima Sensei once said, "Focus on your preparation, confidence, and strategy before each match and your mentality during the match. Don't wait for the outcome to interpret your skill level."

I hope this can enhance your practice and help you get through those walls we all face occasionally which are a necessary part of progression. We appreciate any questions or comments on training.

Until next time,

Greg Scott

Garden Grove Shotokan

"Instructor Notes Archives"

* new E-mail is: jgregscott@cox.net

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