The Way of Least Resistance

Introduction: the basic chudan zuki (chest level punch) Following my recent "back to basics" theme, I thought I'd touch on that most archetypal basic of karate (and many Chinese martial arts), namely the corkscrew punch. The basic punch is often aimed at chest level, however this should not be confused for a striking target. Rather it is a basic angle relevant to teaching brand-new beginners. In particular, beginners need to learn to punch in a straight line (ie. without unintended sideways deviations or up and down wave-like movements). They also need to learn to punch without any other extraneous movement . The basic chest-level thrust (chudan choku zuki) is ideally suited to teaching these concepts - both from the teacher's and student's perspectives. Step 1 Start with one hand (in this case the right) in the pull back position, the other (in this case the left) in the finishing position. For more information on the pullback, see my article " Chamberi...

I think there is an important difference between sequential body movement (which is necessary) and "telegraphing" (which is undesirable). The activation of a staged sequence of body parts is an essential component of a punch/strike/kick. Without it you would not be able to impart any real force. Consider the basic uraken (backfist): if you moved your wrist first, then your elbow, then your shoulder your strike would simply not work. Instead your strike must originate with movement in your shoulder, then your elbow, then your wrist. The same applies to kicks, punches and any other strike. You move from your big joints through to your small joints. In your kick the hip moves first, then the knee. In a punch your hip moves, then your shoulders, then your arm. The video below illustrates this principle in the context of a reverse punch. Nenad illustrates the "staged activation" inherent in a reverse punch What this means is that every technique has an element of ...

Someone on an online forum recently wrote words to the effect of “Do you literally fight with you hands in a chamber position?” . To me the real question is: "Do you mean to say you DON'T fight using a chamber?" If you don't, you'd be one of a very few! What do I mean by this? Everyone - boxers included - use chambers. Chambers are nothing more than loading for a punch , in particular a punch that you wish to execute with power (ie. not a jab). Now this next point is critical: To view chambers statically is a mistake. It is as much a mistake as taking a snapshot of a jump and asking “Do you literally hang in the air during a fight?”. Chambers occur in a fraction of an instant in the context of continuous movement. But they nevertheless occur in every fighting discipline. If you don’t chamber your punch (ie. load it at all) then you must be peppering your opponent with little jabs and nothing more. No one does this, as far as I know. Instead all discipli...