By Gary Spencer Sensei

Kuzushi or breaking an opponent’s balance is fundamental to effectively fighting in all ranges of personal combat. As mentioned in other papers breaking an opponent’s balance in karate is much different than in Judo or Jujitsu. In Judo the judoka pushes, pulls, twists and lifts in an effort to misalign the adversary’s weight distribution. Jujitsu uses Judo’s unbalancing techniques coupled with locks and chokes to make throws. The karateka also uses pushing, pulling, twisting, and lifting to misalign the adversary’s core along with using locks and chokes to facilitate throwing techniques. Where karate differs is in the use of strikes to misalign the opponent’s posture. In karate there is a saying, “If I break my attacker’s jaw, I break his/her balance too.” Where the judoka pushes the opponent to the rear to throw the opponent backwards, the karateka may grasp or trap the opponent’s wrist and drive an elbow into their face to set-up Osoto Otoshi (Major Outside Body Drop) or Osoto gari (Major Outside Reap). In conjunction with the elbow strike, the karateka pulls the attacker’s wrist forwards. This combination not only drives the adversary backwards, but it twists their shoulders misaligning the core making the throw easier.

In karate the student learns to defend against an opponent’s kicking technique. Trapping the adversary’s leg makes throwing them to the ground easier. This is known as placing the attacker on one pin or pivot point. To have a stable base you must have two points of contact with the earth. When you’re on one leg, you can be thrown in any direction with a simple rotation of the hips or a reap of the supporting leg. If you are the kicker, and your leg is trapped, you must tie-off to the person that has trapped your leg. This re-establishes two points of contact with the earth. One point is your foot on the ground while the other point is made by grasping the opponent and using their feet placement as the second point of contact with the earth. This is not a Judo or Jujitsu concept. It is however a karate concept. If you’ve trapped the attacker’s leg and wish to throw them to the ground, you cannot allow them to tie-off to you or your clothing. This bunkai or concept is found in Seisan kata.

Another adage or rule of old school karate kuzushi is, “Wherever the head goes the body will follow.” This concept is easily demonstrated in class by grasping the back of a student’s neck and pulling them forwards or to the side. In karate we use the head to throw an opponent. One of the most popular throws of this type is koshi-guruma (Neck Wheel). Drive a forearm across the adversary throat and their balance is broken in reverse making Osoto-gari a viable throw. Wrap your arm around an adversary’s neck in a guillotine choke and you can throw them with Tomo-nage (Stomach Throw). Grasp the back of the opponent’s head by the hair while pulling in one direction as you push the chin in the other direction and you get shoulder rotation that can set up Tai-otoshi (Body Drop). These techniques are all found in karate kata.

In karate, like jujitsu, we use locks and chokes to facilitate throws. A simple wristlock will not end a fight, but it can be used along with a palm strike to break an attacker’s balance. An elbow lock followed by a hip or leg throw can be devastating. A locking technique is not usually a fight ending technique. It was used mainly to restrain the perpetrator until additional help could arrive. Still… once the adversary is in the lock, they may place themselves in a broken posture that allows you to throw them. Remember, in a confrontation take what the bad guy gives you.

Many karateka do not teach throwing techniques believing they are not part of the art. When karate was exported to Japan these techniques were deleted from the curriculum. No one really knows why, but it is speculated that it was due to the popularity of Judo a throwing art developed in Japan. It only makes sense to find your own niche and not compete with a national treasure. Karate throws are similar to those found in Judo, but they’re not the same. Karate’s theory on kuzushi is one major difference. Karate was originally developed as a means of self defense and Judo was created as a grappling sport. This is not to dismiss Judo’s self-defense aspects. Slam someone to the ground and the fight can be over.

Karate was taught to wealthy families as well as to the military and law enforcement. There were no police brutality concerns at the time of karate’s conception. Their only concern was with the expedient capture of the perpetrator. In more modern times there was a shift from devastating techniques to more artistic concepts of the arts. Arts like Judo were made to make practice safer and expand the sport aspect of the endeavor. At this same time kata was being emphasized over kumite and throwing technique. Karate was pushed into the realm of performance art as its self-defense declined.

When Kenwa Mabuni traveled to Japan from Okinawa to observe the karate there, he was shocked by what he observed. He wrote, “The karate that has spread to Japan is incomplete.  Those who believe that karate consists only of kicks and punches and think throws and joint locks are exclusive to judo or jujitsu, have been misinformed. We should have an open mind and strive to study the complete art.” As karate instructors, we must broaden our training and make karate whole again by adding kuzushi and throwing techniques.

Karate throws are not beautiful, they are practical. Judo throws are beautiful, and Judo training will enhance your karate. The key is getting the adversary on the ground. If he/she hits the ground with a solid impact all the better. In practice the karateka must control his/ her throw so as to not injure their fellow student, but that concern goes away in a life preservation situation.

I have written on this topic in prior papers because it is important. Funakoshi sensei was worried that karate was too violent and would have little value in society as man became more intellectually sophisticated, so he moved his karate focus towards personal improvement through training. Karate in my opinion became watered down. It lost its effectiveness. Our modern world is less secure than it was in the days of Funakoshi sensei. Today there is a greater need for more practical applications than ever before. Karate will not survive unless we reintegrate old school karate kuzushi and teach our students to fight in all three ranges of personal combat.