of the blow will be wasted. You may lose your balance and the opponent will have a chance to counterattack. If the distance is too short, the striking part will not have attained its maximum speed. Therefore its momentum will be small and the blow will be ineffective. Furthermore, if you are too close, the opponent will have a chance to hit you before you strike. The reach is usually the full length of the arm or leg, and is developed by practice with the makiwara (a board used for punching, kicking, and striking practice).
But in karatedo, the two opponents usually do not stand within reach but rather just over one step out of reach. Therefore, to deliver a blow one has to close the gap and bring the opponent within his own reach. Body movement to close the gap provides additional momentum, usually a linear momentum. The feeling for the right distance is developed through assiduous practice of pre-arranged kumite and shiai. The proper distance, called maai, depends on a number of factors, such as your own stance, the technique used, physical characteristics (size and speed), and those of your opponent. If he is moving, the direction and speed of his move have to be taken into account. It is like shooting a bird; you do not actually shoot at the bird, but at some point ahead on its trajectory.
If the opponent stands too close for you to properly execute your technique, you can either push him backward or step back or sideways to create enough distance. You can also change your technique, using elbow or knee techniques more appropriate for close fighting.
Timing refers to the propitious moment for the execution of a technique. It is the moment when your concentration of force is at its maximum and the opponent presents an opening in his guard at the right distance. Timing is thus the precise coordination of your own action with the opponent's attitude. Such opportunities occur when:
a) your opponent is just about to attack: at this time he is usually too preoccupied by his own attack to think about his defense. It is the most favorable time because in this case you win without actually fighting.
b) your opponent has just finished his attack and is about to withdraw: his energy has reached its peak and he cannot mount any resistance to your action.
c) your opponent is moving backward after an attack or away from you; he cannot offer any resistance because your energy goes in the direction of his movement.
d) your opponent is blocking your first technique; he is then open to the following one.
e) your opponent stops his motion or loses his concentration; there is a disruption in the flow of his energy
f) your opponent is exhaling or has just finished exhaling;he is losing his ki and his energy is at its lowest point.
g) your opponent is off balance, or changing stances, or shielding his eyes; he is then open to an attack.
Proper timing can only be achieved by intensive training in kumite and shiai.
Speed is important not only in reducing the risk of a counter-attack by an opponent during the execution of a technique, but also because speed is transformed into power. The kinetic energy of a mass M moving with a velocity V is proportional to the product of this mass by the square of its velocity. Thus the kinetic energy of a mass moving at 10 meters per second is 100 times greater than the energy of the same mass moving at 1 meter per second. This clearly shows the advantage of executing a technique with speed.
Speed is produced by muscular action. The coordination of the proper muscles can be improved by repetition, eliminating the contraction of antagonistic and unnecessary muscles.
An example will help illustrate how these different physical principles are utilized in the execution of punching and kicking techniques.
For an offensive technique, the preparation phase will consist of a forward body motion (using neko ashi or fumikomi ashi ), which generates a linear momentum used in the execution phase described below.
Hineri zuki:Twist punch: Standing in hanmi, 'half-face front' posture (body diagonal to the front), left foot forward, and breath held in the tanden:
1—Rotate your hips and shoulders 45° to your right in a winding up motion. Your right fist will travel a longer distance and attain a greater velocity.
2—Abruptly stop the winding up motion and, using the spring of your rear leg and the reaction force of the ground, rapidly rotate your hips, shoulders, head, and right leg 90° to your left,. This generates a circular momentum in which the mass is the mass of the whole body and the velocity is the circular speed of the hips. The reaction force and the spring of the leg add a linear momentum to this motion.
3—Throw your right fist forward, successively contracting the muscles of your arm and forearm. The muscular force of your arm is brought into play and develops a linear momentum.
4ᄂCounter-balance the motion of your right arm by pulling your left fist to the side of your left hip. This increases the circular momentum generated by the rotation of your hips and cancels the reaction force created by the impact on the target.
5—Tighten your elbow and wrist articulations on impact to insure a maximum transmission of force and put your whole mind and body into your fist.
6—Immediately after impact, abruptly stop the motion of your hips, rotate them rapidly in the other direction, and pull back in this order: right shoulder, elbow, and fist. In this manner the kinetic energy generated by your punch will be propagated through the opponent's body in an exploding way and not just push him backwards.
These six phases are combined in single motion performed with complete determination and at maximum speed. The momentum of the punch delivered at impact is the sum of the momentum generated in every phase of the motion including the preparation phase.
Hinerigeri: Twist kick:In a left foot forward stance or left cat stance:
1—Move your hips backward, lowering your body and extending your arms forward. This is a winding up motion to give more power to the hips.
2—Raise your right heel close to your buttock. This extends the muscles of the thigh and will allow the heel to travel a longer distance.
3—Swing your hips forward, to generate a pendular momentum, and use the reaction force of the ground by pushing on it with your front foot. Push your elbows backward to counter-balance the motion of the hips.
4—Press off the ground with your left leg to use its muscular force and the reaction force.
5—Throw your right foot forward on a 45° angle, successively contracting the thigh and calf. The muscular force is used to produce a linear momentum.
6—The knee and ankle should be tightened on impact to insure the maximum transmission of force.
7—Immediately after impact, first pull your hips back in a pendular motion, then the thigh and calf as rapidly as they were thrown forward.
In step 5, the leg is thrown with a 45° angle because this angle yields the largest resultant from the set of vertical and horizontal forces produced by the motion of the hips and legs.
b. Physiological and Psychological Principles
Considerations on breathing
Breathing is life itself. In the lungs, the inhaled oxygen is absorbed by the blood and carried to the cellular tissues where a number of chemical reactions take place. Among others, the combustion of glucose by oxygen provides muscular energy. The carbon dioxide resulting from the combustion is in turn carried by blood to the lungs and exhaled. Breathing also eliminates the lactic acid accumulating in the blood as a result of physical exercise. Lactic acid slows down the work of the muscles. The respiration process is thus a source of energy essential in insuring intense muscular activity and at the same time preventing the fatigue resulting from such activity.
The role played by abdominal breathing as a source of muscular power has been explained in the preceding section. Breathing is also the link between these physical and physiological considerations. It helps achieve the indispensable union of mind and body. When air is inhaled deeply