Distance in Karate

                This past week end lots of our talk at the instructors table was about Distance in Kumite or Ma’ai in Japanese. Ma’ai is vital in doing Kumite and we learn lots about it in all forms of Kumite and even in Kata. One thing that most instructors don’t recognize however is we get our modern understanding of Ma’ai from Nakayama Sensei and before him Anko Azato as both studied different forms of martial arts, in this case it would be sword fighting.

                Aikido and other arts that have multiple distances they train at all get their distance training and understanding from the sword arts. An art like Judo or Sumo from Japan generally don’t have as many distances to work with as its all grappling ranges, but Karate, Aikido and sword fighting don’t work in such limited ranges. And not being a practitioner of Sumo I am just looking at research on line for info.

                Nakayama Sensei and Azato both studied sword fighting, Azato studied Jigen ryu. A system of Kendo and Nakayama Sensei came from a long line of Kendo-ka. They incorporated many aspects of the sword arts into their Karate development. A fact that is very interesting as those styles that came more from Itosu Sensei, such as Shito ryu and others shuri styles, would not have had this influence and thus had to adapt from Shotokan or early shuri teachings from Azato.

                Karate and Kenjutsu normally use three broad categories of Ma’ai, however there are several more that are used to clear up some cross over areas. The basic three of course are close, far and middle distance from a opponent. The Ma’ai will also dictate proper targeting and which techniques should be used to cover the distance and to keep the proper length between the two participants for safety and to avoid being taken down or being to far apart.

 

                Far distance is called To’ma or Gendo Ma’ai. In Kendo the definition means that you cannot touch your opponents Shinai and they cannot touch yours. You have to take between 1 ½ and 2 full steps to reach your opponent. This is seen as a safe distance to start your defense from. It should be noted that in Karate To’Ma or Tai-Mah are not safe areas, they are still seen as being a dangerous position as your attacker can get to you quickly and do damage despite having to clear a longer distance.

                Training in To’ma is a good way to feel out your opponent and tell how quick they are by how long it takes them to clear the distance between them and you past this open area.

 

                The medium range or Isoku Itto no Ma’ai, or Itto ma and Yodo Ma’ai are all the middle range distance. This is the distance that in Kendo you are 1 sword length away and can engage Shinai, but just the tips. In Karate it means you can reach the target in one or 1 ½ steps. In Karate I like to think of this as kicking distance, so Geri Ma’ai.

                Training in this distance is a bit dangerous if you have someone that is good at kicking and likes to use them. You have to be aware that the distance can change drastically in a short period of time at this range and be prepared to move in or out depending on the attacks. In Kenjutsu its known as the distance in which you can reach an opponent with one step or avoid an attack with one step back.

 

                Close range is called Chika Ma’ai or So-ou Ma’ai. It is literally ½ to 1 step away from an attacker and you can reach them with a punch in Karate. Not so close that you are crossing arms but close enough that you can hit your partner without having to cross to much distance. In kendo they say you can easily touch your opponent, but they can also easily touch you.

                Most Karate people make the mistake of staying in this range all the time. They think that they must use this distance to score points, meaning they are stuck in this position waiting to see if they can score a point. Some feel its much more aggressive to stay here but the truth is not only is it dangerous but it limits your flexibility in attacking and defending.

 

                In training one should train with a focus on varying the distance between your partners. This can be done in Jiyu Ippon or Jiyu Kumite or with drills to help with the distance. The idea is help you get used to adjusting distance based on the skills and ability of your partners so that you can master changing distances in Kumite to match the ability of the attacker.

                One has to practice the changing in distances to make it look natural and not to alert the opponent to your change in distance. The change in distance can be the difference between scoring on your opponent or being scored upon. The other major difference in distances is the techniques you will use during altercation. If you are a grappler you will want to be in close to grab and sweep, if you are a kicker then your distance should reflect this as well. Use the ability to change distances to your advantage when sparring and when learning for self-defense.

 

                One should also be able to note the perceived distances in Kata. Kata is a guiding tool that does not just give you insight into techniques but distance, movement and use of the techniques in real life situations. Use Bunkai training to understand the use and methods of training for distance. An example would be that Heian Shodan teaches long distance and reaching movements and Heian Nidan closer, mid-range skills. Heian Sandan teaches close range techniques and the rest of the Kata teach a variety of distances.

               

                Ma’ai training is very important in making karate work, it should be part of your normal training routine and part of your general training as well as focused on several times a week to improve and make it better.

Makiwara training…the do’s and donts! Of Makiwaras

The corner stone of most Auxiliary Shotokan training for adults should always be Makiwara training. I advocate that people jog, swim, jump rope, bike and any other kind of cardio training to keep the heart in good shape for normal training, but every Shotokan Student should do Makiwara training and use it to temper both their punching/striking/kicking and their intent and spirit.

                To most Makiwara training is just punching a post of some sort and toughening up your hands. However I have seen some really stupid things done to a Makiwara and some really bad form when punching it, even by those that should know better. The art of Makiwara training can be very dangerous and most people that do the stupid things I worry about are “self-taught” people who just watched a video or better yet…saw a picture…built one and then started smacking it.

 

Kinds of Makiwaras and covers.

                There are lots of different kinds of Makiwaras that I have seen and “played with “ in the past. I have my favorites and my “not so favorites” that I have used. The ones I tend to like are made of a solid but springy wood and have a decent pad on them to take some of the harsh impact of bone hitting wood. I LOVE the ones with the rice stalk pads that cut into your flesh just a tad while you thump away on the pad.

                My least favorite ones are the ones that are to stiff or have no give, its incredibly hard on the elbows and body when you hit something unmovable. I also don’t like the round ones, the ones that look like railway ties that have been sunk into the ground. Also the ones that have shocks or struts on them to absorb or the ones that seem to fold back on themselves when you hit time.

                A good Makiwara should have a bit of give but they should not be to soft. Like the three bears issues you have ones that are to soft, to hard and then the ones that are just right. Now, don’t get me wrong….I will hit anything and love doing so, but the truth is that some Makiwaras are a pleasure to hit, others you just hit because they are there.

                Now even with a good Makiwara I have seen them used WRONG and people get hurt. Some things are common sense but apparently common sense is not that common in the world of Karate zealot training. So, to be clear this is what you need to keep in mind when doing Makiwara training.

 

The Do’s of Makiwara training:

·         Do strike using multiple services of the hand and depending on the Makiwara, arm or leg as well. The Makiwara can be punched with a plethora of Semikata (Attacking methods) including Seiken, Shuto, Ippon Ken (it hurts but you can do it), Haito, Kentsui, Tattsui, and kicked as well. Use your imagination and strike the Makiwara.

·         Do monitor the flesh on your knuckles, especially in the beginning. When you bash your hands enough on a Makiwara two things will happen, first you lose the sensation in your knuckles for a bit, then you break the skin and start to damage the soft tissue because you don’t feel that you are hitting the post wrong. After that you get a weird springy feel in the joint and the hand is injured. Most people don’t realize that they have lost skin or caused a issue with the skin till it is to darn late. Every third strike look at your hand and make sure the skin is in good repair.

·         Do focus straight in and “push” a little when focusing for a brief second upon impact. Makiwaras are to practice good form and focus not to throw useless techniques at. Be careful but focus your striking on the pad.

·         Do know your limits and the limit of your flesh! I have seen people smashing the hell out of the pad till they weaken their wrist and cause a injury or the skin scrapes off and they bleed all over the place. Know when is when and enjoy training, this way you wont have to take time off for the injury.

·         Do Use different pads and find one you like. I laugh when I see people smashing the wood on a Makiwara trying to look all tough because their knuckles can take the abuse. Its not just about your knuckles. Using a Makiwara properly will train the whole body, but only if you can use it for an extended period so use a pad or find an alternative to straight knuckles to wood.

·         Do clean any cuts or abrasions that you may get right away after hitting the Makiwara. Don’t be a moron and a tough guy, if you get cut, wear the skin off your knuckles or hurt your hand in anyway…clean it up at the least. I have done some really dumb things in the past and not taken care of my had after. My instructor once put my hand in warm water after training…with Salt….Dumbest move pretty much ever and it took me years to convince him that was a bad idea. I have seen people get whole swaths of skin removed from infections, just do yourself a favor and wash it out and bandage it.

·         Do listen to your body, sometimes you just have to know when enough is enough. Yes, hitting things is fun. But you have to listen to your body. You cannot pound on hard surfaces all day and expect your body to bounce back for training the next day and go back at it. Just relax and follow what your body is telling you. Start off slow and work your way up. Also, if you are injured take time off from hitting it. It will be their when you get back!

·         Do other strengthening exercises to help with your wrist strength. Striking the Makiwara is fun and great, but you have to build up your body to be able to avoid injury. Push-ups and wrist rolls will help your hands and wrists and upper body, you have to make sure you have a solid punch and strength in it so you don’t hurt your wrists when punching. Nothing worse than a weak wrist bending on impact to remind you that you have some work to do.

·         Do have a Makiwara pad of your own to use if there is not one or if the one on the board looks wet or bloody. Last but not least is that you should bring your own pad, or at least a towel to wrap around the pad. Sometimes meat heads like me pound until they leave marks of blood on the board or they go at it with a blister and fluid leaks onto the pad. GROSS right, well putting a barrier on the pad to ensure you don’t get someone else’s blood on your hand is a smart move. If you cant afford your own pad bring a cheap towel, double it up and smack that in front of the pad.

 

The Don’ts of Makiwara training

·         Don’t hit the damn thing till you break the skin on your hands. This may seem like a no brainer but back when I started using the Makiwara in the club we used to thump it till we bled. Not smart and I can tell you that blood and such does not come out of a white Makiwara pad.

·         Don’t jab at the board like it’s a hot potato!  The Makiwara is used to train the body and it is used to focus and contract muscles, if you snap your hand into it and allow it to bounce off you don’t learn penetrating power. When you hit it…. focus.

·         Don’t punch from strange angles and hit the side of the board. Much like using a punching bag, if you land a punch funny and hit the side of the board…you are in for some pain! Keep this in mind and focus on hitting the center of the pad. Going off mark can damage your knuckles and delay your training on the post by weeks or even months.

·         Don’t use inappropriate parts of your body to strike the board…this is not a good time or gear to use for head butt training. I have seen some WEIRD uses for a Makiwara. The most important thing is to remember that your using the “STRIKING POST” to punch, not head butt, knee or hit with some other part of the body. Shuto yes, head strikes no!

·         Don’t start striking the board to young! 16 is my magic number. When I see kids earlier than this hitting it I cringe. There are to soft boned for this and it can lead to some very serious injuries. I don’t like seeing them hit bags or shields for that matter but the softer the better. I normally suggest a bucket over the Makiwara when not being used by adults to discourage children from hitting it.

·         Don’t listen to the morons and strike a tree! If I had a dime for every time I read a story about some moron that hit a tree to condition their hands I have probably a really stupid ten bucks in my pocket!  Really people don’t hit trees…first they never did anything to you and second…your skin and tissue is going to lose that battle. Just relax and use a proper Makiwara and stop showing off!

·         Don’t build a Makiwara on a beam in the basement or other structures. First, yes I did this in an old home of mine and second, yes it did break some dishes upstairs. Remember that structural things like tele-posts and beams are there for the house, not for you to hit.  Also put a heavy bag up on  support beam and I swear that it shifted my house a bit. Be respectful and smart about where you put the Makiwaras or things you strike. I almost knocked over a old Garage once striking a post that was a tad rotten.

·         Don’t strike rocks either…..with a fist. There are plenty of things that don’t make much sense to me as a guy who has his intellect firmly cemented in science and medical fact. Why the hell would you strike something that is so much harder than bone…like Rocks. All those stupid stories about the instructors beating on walls and them crumbling. What you don’t realize is the brick did not crumble, it was the connection in the mortar. And watching people beat their hands on rock…well that’s really extreme training and the common guys and gals should avoid this like crazy!

 

Modern replacements and are they better.

                 I get a lot of replys to my posts about loving the Makiwara and how modern replacements like the punching bag and kicking shields are way better. They have their place. But for me I just cant beat (pun intended) a Makiwara. I like hitting the heavy bag and the truth is the softer texture is nice to hit once and a while and you can wail on it with out worry of hurting yourself as much as a slip on a Makiwara, but for me, the true focus of Karate hand conditioning will always be a Makiwara.