Gedan-barai
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I'd like to start a series of papers describing basic techniques the way they are practised in our association.
For each technique I shall present various ways of execution adapted to the respective levels of the students. I shall in doing so present a spiral way of progress, not a linear one, by which one and the same technique becomes more and more complex. This is no revolutionary approch. Even our national French educational system proceeds this way. Maths in the final year is not taught the same way as in the first year.
In linear teaching one always sticks to one way of performing. This one and only way of performing then is expected to be perfected in the course of time. This is much easier teaching for you only repeat the same thing over and over again. This kind of teaching suits pedagogical approaches based on repetition such as the Japanese prefer but it also happens to be the least efficient. Repeating an incorrect movement, and beginner's movements are always incorrect, but favours acquiring faults.
I prefer to call upon reason and undestanding in teaching movements. Repetition is useful in a second phase when the acquired movements are to be refined and perfect co-ordination is sought for.
If pupils were to repeat first year's maths programme during all of their time at school they might end up being perfect at it in the end - but will they be able to solve complex problems?
Let's Look at Three Levels of Executing Gedan-barai
On this level, the beginners' level I insist on two things:
1. Co-ordination of foot and hand
This means that your defence, the moment you make contact with an attack, must be accomplished in the instant when you put your foot down.
2. Co-ordination of arm and forearm
Your arm and your forearm must start and finish their movements together, they must not move one after the other.
Note
1. The movements of your arm and forearm must not be stopped at the moment of impact. Keep your arm in a slightly round position for this.
2. On this level your body and your arm move together. We don't wait until Gedan-barai is finished before we advance with our body. Like this you make sure to get used to always moving all the parts of your body together and not moving your arm without your body for instance.
3. One might add coordination with Hikite here. Both arms move together and in co-ordination with your foot.
To what we have learnt so far we shall add two more things:
1. One sole uninterrupted movement of the arm in executing Gedan Barai
2. Coordination of intention (Ki) and movement
1. One sole uninterrupted movement
You will never move your arm in one sole and uninterrupted movement if you move it in two opposing directions. There indee are techniques that allow you to do right this, but only at a much more advanced level.
At the level we are talking about here we try and make an uninterrupted movement by following an almost upright circle with our arms.
2. Coordination of Ki and movement
You often here things like "throw you fist towards the hip of your assailant". This is wrong. For a correct Gedan Barai you must move your arm to your side, towards your own backward leg. It will be your leg and thus your body following it which advances, towards your partner. This of course only works for those who keep their hips aligned in a sideways position just as it is shown in Master Egami's book.
The strength and the velocity of Shotokaï Karate techniques are mostly due to this rotation of the hips in stepping forward. But this also makes things difficult. When you don't understand how your arm's movements relate to your body's, your techniques will be out of pace and for the most unefficient. Your intention (KI) and your moving won't be coordinated.
Here again we add two more things to what has been said so far.
1. Do not push with the leg your standing on and do not put any weight unto it (back leg in Zenkutsu).
2. Coordination of foot-fist-Hara.
1. Do not push with the leg your standing on and do not put any weight unto it (back leg in Zenkutsu).
When your about to go into Zenkutsu starting from Shisentai, don't put any weight on your back leg (left leg if you step forward with your right leg). This allows you to execute a complex movement combining a back-to front direction with a top-down one which is fundamentally different from moving in a diagonal direction. Of course, the result in both cases is a diagonal line as we are changing from a standing position into the position of Zenkutsu. But the resulting speed and power are completely different. I understand the bewilderment of those who do not know the notion of "Musoku", notion which allows you to understand this phenomenon more easily.
The next point is similarly tricky because it takes into account the Hara and not everybody is lucky enough to have one in good working order.
2. Coordination of foot-fist-Hara.
Every Karateka with a bit of a paunch, quite common among long-standing Karate practitioners, believes himself to have a well developed Hara. Alas, that would be a bit too simple: big belly and Hara may not be confounded.
"Hara" is adynamic concept, an internal movement you must co-ordinate with all your other movements. It actually is directing the "orchestra" in that all the other movements must learn to harmonize with it. Everybody potentially disposes of a Hara, but it must be awakened. It will then serve as a supercharger adding to the power of all your techniques.
To the coordination of foot and fist you add thus a movement of the Hara which considerably reinforces the power of your defence. Only this developing of the Hara and of co-ordination makes it possible to be efficient by working in a supple way. This allows Shotokai Karate, which too often is caught between an inefficient pseudo-suppleness and a tightening up in a contraction almost as inefficient, to become the supple and powerful Karate Master Egami was striving for.
These are three ways of executing Gedan Barai, but there are many more. The first level roughly corresponds to what a orange belt must work at, the second level to the work of a brown belt or first dan and the third to the tasks set a third dan.
© Copyright Patrick Herbert, technical director of Shotokai Europe, February 2004
For each technique I shall present various ways of execution adapted to the respective levels of the students. I shall in doing so present a spiral way of progress, not a linear one, by which one and the same technique becomes more and more complex. This is no revolutionary approch. Even our national French educational system proceeds this way. Maths in the final year is not taught the same way as in the first year.
In linear teaching one always sticks to one way of performing. This one and only way of performing then is expected to be perfected in the course of time. This is much easier teaching for you only repeat the same thing over and over again. This kind of teaching suits pedagogical approaches based on repetition such as the Japanese prefer but it also happens to be the least efficient. Repeating an incorrect movement, and beginner's movements are always incorrect, but favours acquiring faults.
I prefer to call upon reason and undestanding in teaching movements. Repetition is useful in a second phase when the acquired movements are to be refined and perfect co-ordination is sought for.
If pupils were to repeat first year's maths programme during all of their time at school they might end up being perfect at it in the end - but will they be able to solve complex problems?
Let's Look at Three Levels of Executing Gedan-barai
1st Level
On this level, the beginners' level I insist on two things:
1. Co-ordination of foot and hand
This means that your defence, the moment you make contact with an attack, must be accomplished in the instant when you put your foot down.
2. Co-ordination of arm and forearm
Your arm and your forearm must start and finish their movements together, they must not move one after the other.
Note
1. The movements of your arm and forearm must not be stopped at the moment of impact. Keep your arm in a slightly round position for this.
2. On this level your body and your arm move together. We don't wait until Gedan-barai is finished before we advance with our body. Like this you make sure to get used to always moving all the parts of your body together and not moving your arm without your body for instance.
3. One might add coordination with Hikite here. Both arms move together and in co-ordination with your foot.
2nd Level
To what we have learnt so far we shall add two more things:
1. One sole uninterrupted movement of the arm in executing Gedan Barai
2. Coordination of intention (Ki) and movement
1. One sole uninterrupted movement
You will never move your arm in one sole and uninterrupted movement if you move it in two opposing directions. There indee are techniques that allow you to do right this, but only at a much more advanced level.
At the level we are talking about here we try and make an uninterrupted movement by following an almost upright circle with our arms.
2. Coordination of Ki and movement
You often here things like "throw you fist towards the hip of your assailant". This is wrong. For a correct Gedan Barai you must move your arm to your side, towards your own backward leg. It will be your leg and thus your body following it which advances, towards your partner. This of course only works for those who keep their hips aligned in a sideways position just as it is shown in Master Egami's book.
The strength and the velocity of Shotokaï Karate techniques are mostly due to this rotation of the hips in stepping forward. But this also makes things difficult. When you don't understand how your arm's movements relate to your body's, your techniques will be out of pace and for the most unefficient. Your intention (KI) and your moving won't be coordinated.
3rd Level
Here again we add two more things to what has been said so far.
1. Do not push with the leg your standing on and do not put any weight unto it (back leg in Zenkutsu).
2. Coordination of foot-fist-Hara.
1. Do not push with the leg your standing on and do not put any weight unto it (back leg in Zenkutsu).
When your about to go into Zenkutsu starting from Shisentai, don't put any weight on your back leg (left leg if you step forward with your right leg). This allows you to execute a complex movement combining a back-to front direction with a top-down one which is fundamentally different from moving in a diagonal direction. Of course, the result in both cases is a diagonal line as we are changing from a standing position into the position of Zenkutsu. But the resulting speed and power are completely different. I understand the bewilderment of those who do not know the notion of "Musoku", notion which allows you to understand this phenomenon more easily.
The next point is similarly tricky because it takes into account the Hara and not everybody is lucky enough to have one in good working order.
2. Coordination of foot-fist-Hara.
Every Karateka with a bit of a paunch, quite common among long-standing Karate practitioners, believes himself to have a well developed Hara. Alas, that would be a bit too simple: big belly and Hara may not be confounded.
"Hara" is adynamic concept, an internal movement you must co-ordinate with all your other movements. It actually is directing the "orchestra" in that all the other movements must learn to harmonize with it. Everybody potentially disposes of a Hara, but it must be awakened. It will then serve as a supercharger adding to the power of all your techniques.
To the coordination of foot and fist you add thus a movement of the Hara which considerably reinforces the power of your defence. Only this developing of the Hara and of co-ordination makes it possible to be efficient by working in a supple way. This allows Shotokai Karate, which too often is caught between an inefficient pseudo-suppleness and a tightening up in a contraction almost as inefficient, to become the supple and powerful Karate Master Egami was striving for.
These are three ways of executing Gedan Barai, but there are many more. The first level roughly corresponds to what a orange belt must work at, the second level to the work of a brown belt or first dan and the third to the tasks set a third dan.
© Copyright Patrick Herbert, technical director of Shotokai Europe, February 2004