SHORIN
RYU KARATE’S
FAST AND HARD FIGHTING STRATEGIES
by GEORGE ALEXANDER
The fighting
strategy of Shorin Ryu Karate of Okinawa is characterized by the use of
fast and hard kicks and punches to subdue an opponent. In combat,
there is ultimately a winner and loser. This is true regardless of
whether the engagement is between two warring armies, two contestants at
a karate tournament or a street fight. Invariably, fighting
strategy can be thought of as a plan used when engaging an enemy.
This plan employs the alternate use of offensive and defensive measures
or simply a deception. The individual techniques or movements used
to carry these measures out are called fighting tactics.
The strategy of individual combat and that of warring
armies is often the same. This is also true in Okinawan Shorin Ryu
Karate. Fighting strategy can be regarded as the alternate use of
offense and defense. Both of these elements of strategy have
merit. Offense is aggressively closing in on the opponent and finishing
him off. Offense employs taking the initiative first or attacking
first, before the opponent can launch an attack of his own. It
incorporates the element of surprise. Anko Itosu (1830-1915), a
student of Bushi Matsumura, the founder of Shorin Ryu Karate, was famous
for quickly closing with his opponents and polishing them off with
rapid-fire kicks and punches.
Defense, on the other hand is used to fortify oneself
against an attack. Pure defense is a strategy used to neutralize an
opponent’s attack. An important point to note is that in order to
win or defeat the opponent with a defensive strategy, a counterattack
must be launched after the defense. Otherwise, the attacker has
only been stopped for the moment. Pure defensive strategy alone can not
defeat the opponent.
The Japanese martial arts characterize attacks as Sen
No Sen (offensive strategy) and counterattack as Go No Sen (defensive
strategy). More specifically, Sen No Sen refers to taking the
initiative, i.e., attacking first. Go No Sen means taking the
initiative later. However, implied in Shorin Ryu’s defensive
strategy is the ability to lead the opponent into a position in which
the defender takes advantage of the attacker’s movement and then
counterattacks. This defense and counterattack strategy has certain
additional advantages which actually make it the favored method.
Actually, Shorin
Ryu Karate‘s kumite strategies of Sen No Sen (offensive strategy)
and Go No Sen (defensive strategy) were first expounded in the classic
work of Sun Tzu, The Art of War.
The Sun Tzu classic covers strategy and tactics
for warring armies. It is the earliest known work dealing with the art
of war and is considered to be unsurpassed in its depth of understanding
of the subject. The Sun Tzu text was written about 420 BCE in China and
proposes that the highest strategy is to defeat the enemy without ever
engaging him or striking a single blow. It also suggests that if you
know yourself and you know your enemy you will win one hundred percent
of the time. The Bubishi Martial Art Spirit,
karate’s mystical sourcebook, cites the Sun Tzu principles of strategy
as they relate to individual combat. This philosophy of fighting
strategy has not only influenced Shorin Ryu karate but all of the Asian
fighting arts.
From the most simplistic point of view, offense seems
to be the most effective strategy. However, the reality of combat
dictates that there is a time to attack and a time to defend depending
on the exact situation. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) has been quoted
as saying “offense is to defense as three is to one.” And from Go Rin No
Sho, Miyamoto Musashi said, “You charge in with maximum strength, strong
legs, strong body, strong arms -- these three strengths must combine and
the strike made with swift action.”
When asked the question, “What is the best strategy,
offense or defense?” I have always told my students that the most
effective strategy in kumite is to attack first with a relentless
barrage of techniques overwhelming the opponent. From a beginner’s
perspective, this is the correct answer. However, other
subtle principles apply toward determining victory or defeat. For
instance, when using Sen No Sen (the relentless barrage of techniques),
the outcome depends on how skillful your opponent is at Go No Sen
(defense and counterattack).
There are two ways of using Sen No Sen or taking the
initiative first. One is called Tai No Sen. This is simply attacking the
opponent head on or charging straight in. Another method is to
take advantage of movement or changing postures. This is called Yu
No Sen. Both methods take advantage of an unguarded moment to find
an opening (suke). This opening is a momentary weakness in
defense. The weakness is then penetrated before the opponent can
recover. In either case, it is imperative to attack at the right
psychological moment. A hesitation means a failed attack.
Additionally, a reckless attack is usually unsuccessful. A reckless
attack means attacking without an opening. It can also mean
dashing headlong into your opponent’s punch or kick, assisting him in
your demise.
An opening occurs when your opponent begins his
attack. This is when he is most vulnerable and has no defense as he is
concentrating solely on his attack. He should be attacked
instantly as he begins his movement. In swordsmanship, this is called
debana waza. Another type of opening occurs when you are attacked
continuously and you have blocked all techniques thrown. At this
point your opponent’s attack has failed and he stops attacking.
This is the moment when you should attack. I call this, “ taking
advantage of the natural shift in the tide of battle.”
When there is no opening, a feint may be used to
cause a reaction and create one. For example, by faking a middle
level kick, you can bring your opponent’s attention downward and then
punch to the face. Another way is to fake a round kick high, then
deliver a spinning back kick to the stomach. Additionally, a
continuous attack ( relentless barrage of techniques to varying level
targets) can break down the opponent’s defense and create an opening.
This was a favorite fighting strategy of both Itosu and Motobu, famous
Shorin Ryu Karatemen of Okinawa.
Finally, a mental opening can occur when the
opponent’s mind wanders or there is a loss of concentration. This
is the time to catch your opponent by attacking swiftly and surprising
him. Another mental opening occurs when the opponent is
intimidated in the face of his adversary’s strong spirit. This is
the use of Ki (intrinsic energy) in battle, to control the opponent’s
mind. He experiences self doubt and a loss of confidence.
The opponent will be very stiff at this point. This is the time to
attack.
The most classical technique of karate is the
counterattack. Sokon Matsumura (1797-1889) proposed the idea that a
warrior who follows the way of the martial arts waits for the enemy to
defeat himself. He says this is what he admires most. He says “You must
deal with your own mind well and wait for others to fall apart mentally.
Win the battle by remaining calm and steal the mind of your opponent.“
“Wait for the opponent to commit himself and make a mistake - then
counterattack.” Anko Itosu (1830-1915) is quoted as saying “During
practice you should imagine you are on the battlefield. When blocking
and striking make the eyes glare, drop the shoulders and harden the
body. Now block the enemy’s punch and strike! Always practice with this
spirit, so that when on the real battlefield you will be naturally
prepared.”
In the counterattack, the defender must be able to
move his body quickly to avoid an attack. This principle of Shorin
Ryu is called Taisabaki or body shifting. This tactical element
teaches how to angle away from an opponent so that the opponent can be
hit but the defender still remains out of range. The
constant repetition of basics and kata are necessary to develop the
skill of footwork, timing and distance needed to perfect taisabaki.
Chotoku Kiyan (1869-1945), a famous Shorin Ryu
master, was highly adept at body shifting, He was a slender man
and therefore had to dodge his opponent’s attack in order to avoid his
power. He used the evasive maneuver of taisabaki to sidestep, block and
then counterattack immediately. He would then kick and punch his
opponent into submission. He was known to have defeated many adversaries
using this technique. In fact, Kiyan once defeated three ruffians
who had terrorized the people of his village. His strategy was
never to back up but to sidestep his opponents attack. He often
practiced with his back to a canal so as not to back up during training.
Certain elements of fighting tactics long used in
Okinawa as part of Shorin Ryu’s strategy include the proper use of
distance, speed and timing. Using distance (maai) correctly means
engaging an opponent so as to be at a distance at which you must advance
one step to attack, or retreat one step to defend. Paradoxically,
as in taisabaki, it means to have the opponent away from you and yet to
be close to him.
The advantages of speed are obvious. Without
the ability to strike quickly, the best attack and counterattack simply
will not work. Timing refers to attacking or defending at
the precise moment in order for the techniques applied to be most
effective. Attacking at the wrong moment allows your opponent to
seize the advantage by finding a weakness in your defense. Blocking to
late allows your opponent to penetrate your defense.
Another element of fighting tactics is power. The
development of knockdown power is critical in actual combat. An
old Okinawan expression was “Ikken Hissatsu”, meaning to kill with one
blow. This refers to developing enough destructive power to
kill by using one punch or kick. This was done by understanding
kime or focus and “impact conditioning.” Kime is the ability to make a
muscular contraction at the end of the execution of a kick or punch.
This creates the snap of the Gi. Impact conditioning refers to
striking the Makiwara repeatedly in order to develop destructive power.
The reality of combat then, is that there is an
appropriate time to attack and an appropriate
time to counterattack depending on the moment.
At first, offense seems to be the best strategy. Simply putting the
opponent on the defensive and overwhelming him before he can recover is
the essence of this form of strategy. However, the classical
and superior method of individual combat is the use of counterattack.
This allows you to take advantage of your opponent’s first movement.
But, use of the
counterattack requires great skill. Superb timing and use of
proper distancing are prerequisite to making this strategy work.
It takes a lifetime of training to perfect the ability to use both
counterattacking and attacking strategies spontaneously. These
proven strategies of Shorin Ryu Karate have been tested in combat and
have survived to the present day. They have been handed down to us
from another time and are the fighting tradition of Shorin Ryu Karate.