Photos Courtesy of Emil FarkasPractical Defenses
In our system, we emphasize that fighting on the street is
very different from sparring in the dojo or competing in a
tournament. Some traditional blocks that might work in
sparring are simply inadequate for self-defense. Example:
To prepare yourself to prevail on the street, you need to
practice defending against a man who’s kicking at you
with the toe of his boot so he can do more damage. That’s
very different from blocking a bare foot that’s looking to
score a point.
For this reason, we focus on defensive techniques
that are practical and functional, and that means eso-
teric moves like the sword-hand block, outward block
and wedge block are not part of a beginner’s training.
They are covered when a student becomes a black belt
because it’s assumed that experience will help the stu-
dent know when to use them and when to avoid them.
Realistic Attacks
We teach that most assailants will not approach their
victims with anything like a hopping side kick or a
lunge punch. Therefore, we practice drills designed to
familiarize students with realistic street attacks — wide
swinging punches, big kicks, grabs, chokes and so on.
We also focus on the element of surprise. One way this
manifests is we never face an adversary in a fighting
stance and we prefer not to engage in an exchange of
techniques. Our goal is to defeat him as quickly as pos-
sible, ideally before he discovers that we possess any
fighting ability.
If surprise is impossible and we’re forced into an
exchange of blows, only focused techniques are used.
Any technique that lacks power is discouraged because
in a real altercation, the only chance a smaller person has
against a bigger enemy is to use precise techniques with
proper body dynamics.Penetrating Kicks
Because street effectiveness is the primary goal in com-
bat shotokan, numerous conventional kicks have been
altered. For example, our side kick is executed using a
flat foot, with the heel, not the edge of the foot, being the
point of contact. While it’s true that the penetration of a
kick may be greater when the edge of the foot is used, if
distancing is slightly off, a broken ankle can result.
The “flipping” side snap kick that’s often seen in tour-
naments likewise has been eliminated. In its place is a
somewhat slower but much more powerful Korean side
kick that fully uses the thrust created by the leg and hips.Open Hands
In combat shotokan, closed-fist punches to the face are
discouraged. Instead, facial attacks are delivered with
the palm heel, the bottom of the fist or the elbow. This
reduces the chance of broken bones for the martial artist.Improved Strategy
Many of the blocks taught in conventional shotokan
are also taught in combat shotokan, but students are
cautioned that no matter how good their defense is, if
their opponent outweighs them by 50 pounds or more,
it’s foolish to attempt a block because of how forceful the
impact will be.
For this reason, we place a greater emphasis on maneu-
verability and evasion — sometimes while blocking at the
same time for redundancy.