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Uechi-ryu Karate Do General Tips, Techniques, & Tactics

by George Mattson

by Mason Costa

  1. Sanchin Mindset: Adapt to the situation: Monitor and continually adjust stance, distances, and alignment to your opponent. Control the situation: Force an offensive opponent to fight devensively, and vice versa. Inhale only during a step or a turn. Exhale in quarter-breaths after recoil from throwing a strike or kick. Keep the eyes focused for sharpened peripheral vision, and the mind focused for heightened awareness. Practice Koticki-Tai Body Conditioning, including Arm Rubbing and 3-Form Arm/Leg Impact Conditioning.
  2. Sanchin Position: Feet firmly planted with toes gripping the floor, separated slightly more than shoulder width apart, with front foot at 45 degree angle, and rear foot nearly straight (actually at about a 5 degree angle). Knees slightly bent, pelvis tucked, weight equally distributed, chest expanded, and shoulders back. Elbows inward and 3 in. from chest, hands held at 45 degree angles and fingertips alligned with shoulders. Practice 8-Form Stepping to be able to spring into Sanchin stance from any position and direction.
  3. Striking Tips: All strikes should deploy with focus coming from the center of the body; not from the striking limb. Strikes should accelerate, not deploy at one constant speed. Don’t lean into strikes; stay squared off. The fist is made with the thumb touching the knuckle of the third finger, and closes in a two-step process, gradually rolling the fingers into the palm. Strike with the first two knuckes only; not all four. The handblade should be held with the thumb touching at the base of the third finger; keep the hand stiff. The Shuto (karate chop) leads with the elbow, then the handblade snaps out; deploys like Sanchin Strike. The Riken (backfist) deploys with forearm moving in a straight line from sanchin arm position to target. The Shoken (one-knuckle punch) pivots 10 degrees past the palm-down point for added penetration. The Elbow Strike deploys with bent wrist and slight torque of shoulders. Strike with the tip of the elbow. In Sanchin Strike, elbows stay in close to the body, and rub against the gi, palm up, right up to the strike. Practice Sanchin Striking propped against a door jam to focus the elbows in tight against the body.
  4. Blocking Tips: Blocks should accelerate, not deploy at one constant speed. Don’t lean into blocks; stay squared off. Palm-heel and Wa-Uke (circular) Blocks must reach away from the body to intercept the strikes early. Practice basic blocking techniques (low, medium, high) thru the Kumite-3 and Kumite-1 bunkais. Practice Wa-Uke Blocks in a mirror or at a wall, tracing the circular block on the mirror or wall. Practice Block-Punch combinations with alternating side-step footwork.
  5. Kicking Tips: All kicks should deploy with focus coming from the center of the body, not from the striking limb. All kicks deploy from the same initial movement; that of the knee first lifting straight up in front. All kicks should snap out and immediately recoil to prevent any grabbing of the leg by the opponent. Front Kick: bottom of foot stays parallel with the floor throughout the entire kick, pointing the toe into it. Raise the knee and quadricep to maximum height, and then thrust down into the kick. Strike with toe. Side Snap Kick: snaps out from the knee down, striking with the blade of the foot, not the bottom. Side Thrust Kick: hips torque into the kick. Knee and quadricep thrust into the kick. Strike with heel. Stepping Side Kick: thrown from a side stance, crossing behind; for closing distance. Strike with heel. Roundhouse Kick: hips torque into the kick. Lead with the knee into the target center. Strike with shin. Stepping Roundhouse Kick: thrown from a side stance, crossing in front. Strike with shin. Back Kick: spin toward and lift the rear knee, then thrust straight back (no arcing). Strike with heel. Practice Block-Kick combinations with alternating side-step footwork.
  6. Turning Tips: Look before you turn. The Muwate (pivot) Turn must pivot on the ball of the rear foot; never the heel.

 

SANCHIN:

  1. Bow.
  2. 8-step open into Sanchin stance (right for 1st and 3rd speeds, left for 2nd speed).
  3. Sanchin finger strike off rear foot and step (repeat 2X).
  4. Muwate pivot turn (180) off rear foot.
  5. Sanchin finger strike off rear foot and step (repeat 3X).
  6. Muwate pivot turn (180) off rear foot.
  7. Sanchin finger strike off rear foot and step (repeat 2X).
  8. Double finger strikes 3X ending in Crane stance.
  9. Side-step turn (90) off front foot.
  10. Circular mid block off front foot (blocking hand goes low).
  11. Push strike and recoil (elbows should end in Sanchin distance; 1 fist from chest).
  12. Horse-step turn (180) off rear foot.
  13. Circular mid block off front foot (blocking hand goes low).
  14. Push strike and recoil (elbows should end in Sanchin distance; 1 fist from chest).
  15. Side-step turn (90) off rear foot.
  16. Circular mid block off front foot (blocking hand goes low).
  17. Push strike and recoil (elbows should end in Sanchin distance; 1 fist from chest).
  18. Close gate: draw front foot back in line w/ rear and cover right fist w/ left hand.
  19. Break: bring heels together left to right and drop hands to sides.
  20. Bow.

 

CONCHIWA:

  1. Bow.
  2. Open into shoulder-width stance and Crane position.
  3. Side-step turn (90) off left foot.
  4. Circular mid block off front foot (blocking hand returns to Crane; other cocks).
  5. Pivot punch strike with cocked fist (ending with both hands in Crane position).
  6. Muwate pivot turn (180) off rear foot.
  7. Circular mid block off front foot (blocking hand returns to Crane; other cocks).
  8. Pivot punch strike with cocked fist (ending with both hands in Crane position).
  9. Side-step turn (90) off rear foot.
  10. Circular mid block off front foot (blocking hand returns to Crane; other cocks)
  11. Pivot punch strike with cocked fist (ending with both hands in Crane position).
  12. Step thru, circular mid block, and side kick off front foot (repeat 1X).
  13. Circular mid block off front foot while lunging into front leaning horse stance.
  14. Elbow of cocked hand strikes to head (actually strikes previous blocking hand)
  15. Uncock hand of the elbow strike arm and strike with Rekin (back fist).
  16. Muwate pivot turn (180) off rear foot, landing in Sanchin position.
  17. Slide-step forward.
  18. Circular mid block off front foot with push strike, then step thru (repeat 2X).
  19. Circular mid block off rear foot with Shuto (hand blade) and Rekin strikes.
  20. Muwate pivot turn (180) off rear foot, landing in Sanchin position.
  21. Circular mid block off front foot (both hands returning to Crane position).
  22. Front kick off front foot.
  23. Slide-step forward.
  24. Circular mid block off front foot with Choken (knuckle punch) strike.
  25. Slide-step backward, make Choken with each hand and place them back to back.
  26. Close gate: draw front foot back in line w/ rear keeping Chokens ‘locked’.
  27. Break: bring heels together left to right and drop hands to sides.
  28. Bow.

 

Copyright by Mason Costa, 1999 All rights reserved

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