Karate Leg Throwing Technique: (Reading Bunkai)
Karate and jujitsu are not independent forms of fighting. They were originally cut from the same cloth. There are however differences between the two arts. If you think there are no throwing techniques in karate you are mistaken. Throws can be found in the bunkai of many kata. Karate was refined by the palace guards, and they used grappling arts in the arrest and detention of criminals. Taking the throwing technique out of karate weakens the true art.
Many karateka believe that there are no throws or takedowns in karate, but our kata would disagree. In the example above we see a move where the martial artist pulls one hand to his/her head while the other delivers a low strike or block. One of my first karate instructors told me this was a ripping of the groin. The problem with that explanation was how do you not only rip the attacker’s appendage from his body, but how do you rip through his trousers without lifting him off the ground? This was a conundrum, so in my early training I just put it in the magical karate technique bin that held knowledge only master of the art understood. Funakoshi sensei actually used a groin crushing technique once when he was accosted while catching a train, but he only held the assailant immobile until he was arrested. Still… there was no mention of ripping off the appendage. I received a better explanation years later and several karate instructors down the road. I had always separated my jujitsu training and my karate into two separate buckets, but one of my last instructors showed me the throwing technique found in our kata. This move was a leg trap and throw.
The major difference between karate, jujitsu, and judo is the way in which we break the opponent’s balance. Jujitsu and judo use pushing, pulling, lifting, and twisting to break the opponent’s balance. Karate facilitates throws via locks, chokes, traps, and strikes. Karate also uses pushing, pulling, lifting, and twisting, like jujitsu, to break the opponent’s balance as well, but their examples are not as prevalent as are the striking methodology. In this example of a leg trap would be used to break an opponent’s balance. Modern judo has removed leg throws from the art for safety purposes. This type of throw was commonly used in the early years of judo along with strikes.
The key to balance is to make two pints of contact with the ground at all times. This can be done by keeping both feet on the ground, but in karate we use our legs as striking weapons, so we are often on one leg. Lifting the leg automatically compromises our balance. Once you are on one leg you can be thrown in any direction. The counter is to lean forward and tie-off to the person throwing you. This re-establishes the two points of contact with the ground. One point of contact is your foot on the ground and the other is your opponent’s foot or feet on the ground. Pull the opponent close to make it more difficult to be thrown. Still the opponent can leave their feet and you once again are balanced on one pin, and you can be taken down.
