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.