The leg sweep or foot sweep in Karate is called Ashi Barai. Its primary target is usually just above the ankle but below the knee. This sweeping kick can be delivered with power using your shin as the weapon or by using the sole of your foot. This is one of the difficult kicks... more »
Kumite means sparring, and is one of the three main sections of karate training, along with kata and kihon. Kumite is the part of karate in which you train against an adversary, using the techniques learned from the kihon and kata. Kumite can be used to develop a particular technique or a skill (e.g.... more »
Kenwa Mabuni (1889 – 1952) was one of the first karateka to teach karate on mainland Japan and is creditied as developing the style known as Shitō-ryū. Mabuni was born on november 14, 1889 at Okinawa, Shuri in Japan. Kenwa mabuni was descendant of the famous Onikusukuni samurai family. To improve his week body,... more »
Kizami tsuki (jabbing punch), is an extremely important Karate technique, one which some karateka really perfect and seem to have unbelievable speed. Kizami zuki is the closest weapon to an opponent and the fastest to deliver. Karate dojo should really focus on this punch, as it is not only simple, but can be extremely... more »
A knifehand strike is a strike using the part of the hand opposite the thumb (from the little finger to the wrist), familiar to many people as a karate chop, (in Japanese, shuto-uchi). This refers to strikes performed with the side of the knuckle of the small finger. Suitable targets for the knife hand... more »
Koshokun Dai is the Shito Ryu version of Kanku-Dai a popular kata in many schools of Karate descended from the Shorin style of karate practiced on Okinawa. The name, “Kosokun/Kusanku”, refers to the name of the Chinese diplomat from Fukien who is believed to have traveled to Okinawa and taught his system of fighting... more »
Kosokun Sho is the Shito Ryu version of Kanku Sho, which translates to mean ‘To view the sky minor’. This kata was created by Master Itosu, and was developed using Koshokun dai as the basis. There are fundamental similarities in the kata, one being the physical looking to the sky. In Dai, in the... more »
Kote uchi is the forearm strike in Karate. Its primary target is usually the head with strikes to the neck, jaw and ears as the most common. It can also be a strike to the ribs or groin depending on the situation at hand. You can use the forearm strike as a recovery technique if... more »
The name of this quick and fast kata literally means “to detain for a long time and suddenly rip apart”, however a more accurate/contextual translation would be “to restrain and destroy”. Kururunfa contains a wide variety of open-hand/hip coordination techniques that, depending on the circumstances, can either be interpreted joint locks, blocks or strikes or... more »
Mae Geri (front kick) is the most basic of the many kicks in karate. And it’s fundamental, used more than all kicks in karate, so it’s important a beginner knows it. Steps Position yourself in a double “gedan barai”. This is a normal gedan barai with both arms slanting downwards to the sides of... more »
Mae tobi geri is a jumping (or flying) front kick in Karate. This kick is usually performed in two motions. The first kick not only adds momentum, but is also used to kick aside the blocking hand while the opposite kick attacks the face. Flying kicks can be executed from nearly any stance, though the rear... more »
Matsumura no Rohai was once called Kuan Muan (“Crane Dreams or Visions”). This kata’s name is composed of two kanji. The first is rock, and the second is crane (a stork). The common interpretation is a crane standing upon a rock, but it could also be taken to simply imply a species of crane or... more »
Mawashi empi uchi (inside circular elbow strike) is a Karate technique. Empi uchi are very strong, they are applied mainly for close range fighting where it’s difficult to avoid or lock them. The elbow strikes are generally forbidden in Karate competitions. They are studied mostly in Katas and self... more »
Mawashi geri (round kick) may be executed from a variety of stances, and there are several methods of proper execution. The portion of its execution that is always consistent is that the kick is executed inward and at an angle that is anywhere from parallel to the floor to 45 degrees upward. In general,... more »
Myojo which was a private kata of Kenwa Mabuni Sensei, the founder of Shito-Ryu Karate-Do. The word Myojo can be interpreted to mean “morning star” however, the Kata derived its name from the name of the Japanese High School where Kenwa Mabuni Sensei attended to teach the students self defence. The Kata contains the... more »