Black Belt – August-September 2019

tend to be prohibited. That means students rarely get a

chance to kick the knee or the groin.

Combat shotokan addresses this issue.

Proven Moves

During the many years I worked as a bodyguard, I

learned a lot about techniques. In all the fights in which

I was involved, not once did I use a sword-hand block or

even an upward block. I never got into a back stance or

threw a back-knuckle strike.

I depended on elbow thrusts, palm heels, bottom-fist

strikes and chops to the Adam’s apple. I recall once break-

ing an attacker’s knee with a side kick and knocking the

wind out of another man with a reverse punch. All these

techniques were staples in the karate of yesteryear, and

they’re indispensible components of combat shotokan now.

More Reps

When I trained in Japan under the Japan Karate Asso-

ciation, I endured classes that typically consisted of 500

reverse punches; 300 front, side and back kicks; and

hundreds of blocks and counters. Believing that basics

were the foundation of shotokan, Masatoshi Nakayama

discouraged us from concentrating on the flashier moves

that are common in today’s karate.

That philosophy left its mark on me, which is why it’s

part of combat shotokan.

More Power

The emphasis in combat shotokan is on simple, effective

moves that are delivered with speed. We avoid executing

any technique that lacks the power needed to put down

an attacker. For this reason, the system retains most of

the techniques of traditional shotokan because they

revolve around the intelligent use of body dynamics to

generate maximum power.

However, a few additions have been made. Several

taekwondo kicks that have proved themselves powerful

in a variety of circumstances are part of combat sho-

tokan, as are some grappling techniques. I’ve always

believed that one should not be afraid of borrowing ele-

ments from different arts in an effort to more efficiently

achieve one’s goal.

Airborne Kicks

No one can deny that a jump-spinning back kick that

a martial artist has practiced for years can be effective

on the street. However, no one can deny that a powerful

palm-heel strike driven into an opponent’s nose is just as

effective — and it’s certainly much easier to master and

execute under duress.

Without a doubt, the jump-spinning back kick has its

place, but a simple side kick to the knee will be more

practical in most combat situations. Problem is, in most

dojo where sparring is emphasized, kicks below the belt

Black Belt File Photo

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