Considering kumite should train us for real life self-defence, its not enough to say, It works fine in my dojo. Firstly, because we have ample room to move and secondly, because our opponent is abiding by the rules of kumite. From a defensive point of view, when we run away to avoid attack we raise our centre of gravity. Hopefully once you grasp any number of these, you will embark on some Ashi Sabaki training for your kumite. Running Versus Ashi SabakiThere are countless downsides to running. How many GKR kata have us run from technique to technique? None! How many GKR kata have us move from technique to technique using a footwork methodology? Everysingleone! There must be some reason why we spend hours practising kata and combinations that have us moving through our techniques with footwork. Before we discuss the downsides of running, here are two questions. The problem is, we dont feel the negative impact of running in the dojo so it often APPEARS to work in our favour. You run in strongly for your attacks and they seem to serve you just fine. Now at this point you may be disagreeing. Running may serve you in most sports, but it is completely useless in combat (unless of course you are literally running away). So the first point to note is that running is NOT footwork. It seemed so logical, just do the very thing that has served you all your liferun!Īshi Sabaki Wont Improve Until You Appreciate ItIf you were to watch a video of yourself sparring, would you see yourself running in to attack? Would you see yourself running away to avoid attack? If youre 80% of all karate-ka, youll be answering, Yes to both questions. Somehow we needed to get over there to attack, or somehow we had to get away to avoid their attack. We were standing in our spot and our opponent was standing in theirs, some feet away. And then we stumbled across another activity kumite. And regardless of the activity, we never needed to change our movement, the simple act of running served us perfectly each and every time. We chased after our friends when playing tip, ran away from waves at the beach, ran to catch the school bus, we dodged, we tackled and played numerous sports. Why Ashi Sabaki Eludes Most Karate-kaIf footwork is so important, why is it so underdeveloped, even amongst high grades? Weve been moving around since infancy.
And if it lets you down in the dojo (and in a tournament), then it is likely to let you down in real life.
So if this is the case, why then in kumite will one person score eight times out of ten and another score once in ten? The answer is very simple, footwork! Despite its paramount importance, it is still the single biggest thorn in the side of most karate-ka. The TestIf you were to randomly pick 100 students of all ages and grades, then run through the Basics with them, the difference (in terms of speed) between the fastest and slowest punch would be a millisecond. Its a karate-kas greatest weapon or most costly liability. Theres no denying, footwork plays a monumental role in any sport including karate! When it comes to kumite, footwork (Ashi Sabaki) is everything. In tennis, it can be the difference between hitting the ball into the corner for a clear winner or have it sail over the baseline. In soccer, footwork can be the difference between putting the ball in the top corner of the net or a mile over the bar. ASHI SABAKI THE THORN IN YOUR SIDEThe Crucial Ingredient In cricket, footwork can be the difference between smashing the ball to the boundary and nicking it behind to the wicket keeper.