Uke’s Direction:

When we give technical information on the direction that uke’s balance should be broken it is from uke’s perspective and not Tori’s. We will use Judo terminology in this discussion because of Judo’s dominance in the throwing arts. This can be confusing but hopefully this article will aid the student in understanding this fundamental part of the range-two personal combat.

Breaking the opponent’s balance or kuzushi is most important in range-two throwing techniques. In karate we do not always utilize the grasping and pulling of the opponent like Judo. In karate we can destabilize an adversary with strikes, locks, and chokes as-well-as pushing and pulling. The important part of this the understanding that an opponent’s base must be disrupted before they can fall. A building with a good foundation cannot be toppled.

Hands are always first. In the AOKK we focus on using the hands first followed by the legs when making a throw. The majority of the disruption of the attacker’s base is done with the hands. Pulling, twisting, and striking are done with the hands to initially break the attacker’s balance in the direction of the throw. Legs or hips should quickly follow to complete the collapse of the attacker’s balance facilitating the throw. If the attacker can step forward, they can reestablish the core’s balance and the throw will be unsuccessful, so their step or attempt to regain their core alignment must be stopped with your hip or leg. This is followed by the execution of the throw. All of these movements must be made in one fluid motion to be successful. Any hesitation can result in uke regaining his/her core alignment and this allows them to execute a counter throw or to move out of range-two.

Where the head goes the body follows. In the AOKK we throw utilizing the head of our adversary. The easiest way to misalign the opponent’s core is to move their head. When you move the head, the shoulders follow. Utilizing the head to facilitate a throw can be dangerous, so this practice must be supervised by a qualified instructor. Students must know when to release the head and neck to safely practice these throws.

Get the opponent on one pin. It is important to get one foot off the tatami (mat)/ ground. When an adversary is on one leg they can be thrown in any direction. Most of the time you cannot get an opponent to place his/her weight on one leg, so getting the adversary up one his/her toes may be the best result you can get when destabilizing their stance. Rocking them onto their heels is also effective. In San Chin kata the feet are rooted to maintain a strong base. The core is erect, and feet are flat while the toes grip the floor. This is done to prevent breaking your balance.

Keep the opponent tall. Keeping the opponent tall is also important, but what does that mean. Once the adversary drops his/her centerline it makes the throw more difficult. You must lower your centerline even more if this happens. Keeping the attacker tall makes the throw easier. This can be done by lifting and twisting the opponent’s shoulders.

Balance is maintained with two points of contact. If the opponent can keep his core in alignment, he/she only needs two points of contact to maintain their foundation.  These two points can be both\ feet flat on the ground or one foot on the ground and tied off to you. It is not good enough to get them on one pin alone you must unbalance their core.

San Chin kata is the model for maintaining balance. In San Chin kata the back is kept straight while the knees are bent, and feet are rooted. This is the perfect posture to prevent kuzushi. When this kata is tested, the student’s balance should be tested along with the tension in each muscle group. Too many instructors do not understand that during testing, balance is more important than the student’s ability to take a blow. To break the opponent’s balance you must push, pull, twist, and lift until their core moves out of alignment. The moment their core is misaligned the throw must be executed. It takes time to recognize when an opponent’s core has been disrupted and sparring is the best way to learn to see this.  Disrupting the core can be as simple as striking them with a palm-heel to move their head backwards. From the clinch you may need to twist lift and pull.