Online introduction to Kyokushin Karate - one of the best fighting techniques
This part of the fist is probably the most often used for attacks, so it should be done properly. Consider this - if your punch is strong, it means
Online introduction to Kyokushin Karate - one of the best fighting techniques
This part of the fist is probably the most often used for attacks, so it should be done properly. Consider this - if your punch is strong, it means that you are using your hand, and you also turn your body, to add some power of your back and hips muscles, and you may also step forward, to add the speed of your body moving towards the target. If your wrist is weak, all this power will twist it, instead of going into the target. It is a common trauma.
To close the fist properly, start from the baby finger, then the ring finger, and so on, thumb is the last. The thumb should be on the side of the fist (approx. on top of the middle finger) and NOT on top of the fist, covering the pointing finger. Beginners are often getting traumas when neglecting this rule.
The area used for the punch (the seiken) is circulled on the following picture, it includes the nockles of the pointing and middle fingers.
Note that I am only listing the parts of the body here, later, when we discuss particular techniques, we will talk about additional details, like concentration and relaxation, keeping the wrist aligned with the fist and so on.
Same part of the fist as above (the nockles of the pointing and middle fingers) is used in the "ura" punch ("ura" means "back" or "reversed", you will see this term as part of many names in karate techniques).
Used both for blocks and attacks.
It is very important to know that the area you are supposed to use is NOT at exact side of the palm, but slightly inside the palm. If you touch your hand at the side of the palm, you will feel the bone that connects your baby finger to the wrist. This bone is not protected by the muscules and can easily be broken if you try to use it. Now move your finger half of an inch inside, towards the center of the palm. There you have a large muscle, that will protect your bones, allowing (practice required) to break objects or to block hands and even feet of your opponent.
In this technique we are using tips of the fingers. It is working for "paralyzing" punches, on soft tissues, like muscles. Note that there are sensitive muscules in many "bony" areas, for example, between the ribs and on the neck. Also the technique can be used to attack the face and it is very dangerous if used on the eyes area (and usually rules forbid that).
As with seiken, the thumb must be pressing against the center of the palm, and NOT top of it (not parallel to the other fingers). Otherwise it can easily be damaged.
The use of this technique is the same as above. The technique is efficient for the precise attacks against the "vulnerable points". It should be noted, that as Kyokushin students are developing very strong muscles, their "vulnurable points" are less "vulnerable", at least, most of these points. So you will not see this techniqie very often on the competitions.
Pointing and middle fingers are used together. For this technique it is especially important to make the hand "solid", at least at the moment of the contact. I will talk about concentration and relaxation later, in the corresponding chapter.
You can use second nockles or you can use the part of the palm (circuled) to deliver a strike. The first form can be used both on soft tissues, and (not that often) on ribs. The second form is used for blocks and to deliver powerful "shocking" or "breaking" punches.
The back of the hand is used both for blocks and attacks (think of circular punch in the side of the head).
The inside part of the palm, closer to the wrist. Used for blocks and for attacks (think of circular punck in the side of the head).
The "hammer". For this technique you use the bottom part of the fist.
Close your hand as if you want to pick up a small amount of salt or sand. Bend your wrist inside, as far as it normally bends. In this position the hand becomes tense. The outside part of the wrist (where you would normally wear the handwatches) is used for blocks or for powerful "breaking" attacks.
The fist is closed with the end of a thumb pushing against the second nockle of a pointing finger (from the inside). For the strike, the first nockle of the thumb is used. This technique is very dangerous, when used on the temple, so it is forbidden to use it on the competitions.
Close your hand as if you want to pick up a small amount of salt or sand. The punch is delivered by the tips of the fingers, it can be either very fast, to produce the shock (think attacking face or the back of the hand), or (not very often) powerful, to penetrate the sensitive areas with the soft tissues.
Sometimes called ura shuto. The hand is closed as for the shuto, with the thumb against the middle part of the palm. The muscules between the thumb and the pointing finder are used for the strike.
The four fingers form the part of a semi-circle, while the thumb forms the other part of it. The area between the thumb and the pointing finger is used for the strike, usuall